If you thought being an exterminator was a bad gig. Imagine if, like in It Took Luke: Overworked & Underpaid, what you were exterminating where monsters.
Co-created by writer Mark Bouchard (Leaf Peepers) and artist Bayleigh Underwood (Ravenloft, Skate!) the It Took Luke: Overworked & Underpaid hard cover graphic novel hit shelves at your local comic shop on October 19 and is now available wherever graphic novels are sold. Letters added by Micah Myers.
LA, 2028. Down-on-their-luck exterminator Sal Hernandez is sick of long hours and living in their work van. They’re ready to quit their job and reconcile with their estranged partner.
The only thing standing in their way is one last shift. But what seems like a routine call quickly gets out of hand when a proselytizing mass of flesh abducts Sal’s newest coworker, Luke, and turns their extermination job into a rescue mission Sal and their teammates, Molly and Hussam, are as experienced as they come, but will it be enough to overcome the horrific creature that waits in the shadows while simultaneously battling the incompetence of their boss?
Wipe the viscera from your eyes and prepare to assimilate into the flesh in this queer adult debut graphic novella exploring crunch culture and its casualties.
Monster hunting is in at the moment with the success of Something Is Killing The Children among others. It Took Luke: Overworked & Underpaid is looking to carve out its own space in the genre and doing so with a unique take on exterminating. The characters are relatable, as we all have had a job we have hated even if our jobs are not as life threatening.
This book is a little fast paced and doesn’t give much backstory to get you going. However, the black and white style with splash of red is a cool effect to the artwork to make the book standout on its own.
We could use a bit more of a story, possibly a second volume, to expand on what seemed to be pushed into this 92-page book.
It Took Luke Overworked & Underpaid hard cover is available wherever books are sold.