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Big Trouble In Little China / Escape From New York #1 Review: Fun Times

By Alex Widen

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It’s the Kurt Russell crossover that had to happen! The driver of the Pork Chop Express finds himself man to man with the eye patch who escaped New York!

Big Trouble In Little China / Escape From New York #1

Writer: Greg Pak

Artist: Daniel Bayliss

Colorist: Triona Farrell

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The 1980s were a time of cult cinema and, arguably, the peak of director John Carpenter’s career. He and actor Kurt Russell collaborated for several modern classics during this period. One was Escape from New York in 1981, and another was Big Trouble in Little China in 1986. The latter was  a critical and commercial success, which got a less successful sequel in 1997. The former was considered a box office flop, but has gone on to become a quintessential cult hit with fans.

Image from BOOM! Studios

BOOM! Studios acquired the licenses for both comics in 2014. John Carpenter himself went on to co-write a Big Trouble in Little China comic for a year before handing the reigns to Fred Van Lente. Now, Van Lente’s frequent collaborator Greg Pak (Incredible Hulk, Incredible Hercules) is aboard for the ultimate fan crossover. How can a plucky trucker from the ’80s possibly meet up with a post-apocalyptic war hero of an alternate future? All it takes is a little magic and a lot of imagination.

It’s Big Trouble in Little China All over Again for Jack Burton!

As usual for Jack Burton, he starts his day driving his beloved 18-wheeler, the Pork Chop Express. He minds his own business and goes on the CB radio with more bluster for fellow truckers. This time, he can brag about some of his wacky mystical adventures with Wang Chi. But almost immediately, a portal to nowhere opens up and sucks both Jack and his truck somewhere else. Now he’s under attack by marauders and another version of Wang is shooting back at them!

Image from BOOM! Studios

Very quickly, Jack learns just how far out things are. He’s quickly confused for someone named Snake Plissken, and his uncanny luck manages to dispatch many of their foes. His new friend is Bobby Liu, one of the last federal employees of what is left of the U.S. in 2001. Via exploiting a magical scroll he barely understood, Bobby has summoned Jack to perform a very important mission. Unfortunately, now the real Snake Plissken has a score to settle with this impostor!

Image from BOOM! Studios

So many crossover miniseries among heroes make readers wait for the fateful meeting. Greg Pak has no interest in such nonsense and sure enough, Burton and Plissken meet up in the last act of the issue. It’s as glorious as anyone who is a fan of their films would expect. Snake may have all of the genuine combat skills and experience, but with Jack, “It’s all in the reflexes”. The ultimate soldier meets the ultimate idiot. It turns out they’re parallel versions of each other, which is great.

You Can Call Him Snake, Just Not “One Eyed Jack”!

The art by Daniel Bayliss and Triona Farrell is utterly superb. It matches the action comedy script perfectly. It can be a challenge drawing characters played by iconic actors, but Bayliss pulls it off. His style isn’t so “photorealistic” that it looks stiff, as it has plenty of range for animated expression. Yet he’s also caught some of Russell’s own facial expressions in certain panels. Both the action and the comedy look amazing, with an almost European style.

Image from BOOM! Studios

Greg Pak delivers a script which keenly mixes high octane action with slapstick style comedy. That could be a problem considering Snake Plissken comes from a different world, but it’s pulled off brilliantly. Highlights include a cameo by the ghost of Lo Pan and Pak playing off the similarities between Jack and Snake. Big Trouble in Little China and Escape from New York were both great films and comics. This union of both, however, may be the crossover fans have dreamed of.

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