Crimes Against Nature #1 Review
Crimes Against Nature is a new series from Image comics by writer Eliot Rahal and artist Mattia Monaco. It centers on Amigo the Ape, and his handler, manager, and best friend Dr. Kermit Groedan. Who are being interviewed for a true crime podcast while they’re on the run. Issue 1 left me wanting a bit more and not in the best way. I feel like the events that transpired happened so quickly that I needed a few more pages to get my bearings and understand where we go from here.
The story is mostly about how our two protagonists ended up on the run in the first place. Which starts with a press tour for Amigo’s newest film “Crimes Against Nature.” Dr. Groedan and Amigo appear on a late night show that goes less than stellar after the host calls on Amigo to enter a banana eating contest against his staff. Now normally we all associate monkeys with bananas but it’s for that reason that Amigo finds it condescending. This leads Kermit to punching the host and storming off. He then celebrates with a night of drinking, gambling and sleeping with married women. This is what creates their problem. After recovering from his night out Kermit wakes up to a knock on his door and is the woman from the previous night’s husband seeking retribution. This attacker is met with the rage of a Gorilla protecting his friends. Amigo quiet literally rips his head off.
The first issue moves fast and has little exposition which at times is a little frustrating. This is an issue I’m willing to overlook because it’s a problem I’ve seen before that is normally taken care of in later issues. Given that this first issue is already starting with some non-linear story telling I see this being resolved quickly.
Where my intrigue lies moving forward is with amigo and what’s going on with him. Throughout the issue Amigo is using sign language to communicate both on screen and off. I feel that they are going to reveal that Amigo can actually speak some English and is more intelligent than the average gorilla. In the final moments of the comic he seems different from the benevolent character depicted earlier. His eyes are shown as smaller red dots than what they had been. After killing the man to defend Kermit he picks Kermit up by his throat. It seems that this may have triggered some kind of greater reaction. It reminds me, if only slightly, of Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022). One of the focal points of the film is how animals are treated in show business. A chimp named Gordy is triggered by a loud noise on set and kills some of his onscreen counterparts. Amigo’s situation is not exactly the same as this but clearly he’s feeling very trapped in his current state. I don’t assume this comic will go down the horror route as the film does but it does not shy away from violence or gore.
This issue wraps up with the host turning the camera toward Amigo who is sitting on the floor of the motel the duo are hiding in petting a kitten and asks “How about you, Amigo? Is there anything you’d like to add?” This last panel is quite chilling. It is reminiscent of The Godfather (1972) when Don Vito Corleon is introduced. It’s a great final panel and did the job of making me wish that the second issue was out now and not next month.
One other point I really enjoyed about the book is its art and character designs. Generally speaking in comics gorillas actually are rather commonplace. DC’s The Flash has fought Gorilla Grodd many times throughout the years. The Ultrahumanite while not technically a gorilla looks strikingly like one. There is even a period of comic publishing history called the Gorilla period because books featuring Gorillas were coming out so frequently and selling better than some other books. Oftentimes in not just comics but TV and Movies gorillas and other monkeys are treated or drawn as cartoon characters for the other cast to interact with. Amigo’s design is rather simple. Nothing about him is silly or oddly done, even in this book he’s taken seriously as an artist being the first gorilla to ever be nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. His counterpart Kermit Groedan on the other hand is much more cartoony in his design compared to Amigo. Kermit is a large man who has bright red hair that’s receding and large mutton chops that connect directly to a bushy moustache. This is definitely not how most people would expect a Doctor of animal science to look, however him being best friends with a gorilla is completely on brand. He is seemingly the most emotive and active of the two. I think that the design for the characters being nearly inverted to what is normally expected is a great creative choice.
Despite my issues with the first book, Crimes Against Nature has my attention and I’m interested in spending more time with the two leads and seeing their story unfold.
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