Staff Picks (December): The Badger #1

The classic First Comics Badger was insane... but it wasn't all his fault. I'd consider him at least partially functional. He was able to keep a steady job as a bodyguard despite all his many issues. As a boy his father left his family, his new step father beat him, his military service scarred him, and on top of that he has a handful of multiple personalities ranging from a little girl named Emily, a homicidal maniac with a French accent named Pierre, to a dog named Leroy. All of these personalities plus a few more are taking up residence inside his skull and clawing for their chance to get out making the Badger dangerous and unpredictable for friend and foe alike.

Did I mention that the guy that hired him to be his body guard is a Wizard named Hammaglystwythkbrngxxaxolotl? You can call him “Ham” for short. Ham's a bad man. 1500 years ago Ham was forced into a coma by his fellow Wizards after he had built up a reputation for sacrificing children in his castle. After waking up from his beauty sleep he's toned it down a little bit and paid his debt to society but with great wizard powers comes a great wizard lifestyle. To pay for that lifestyle Ham uses all his magics to make money anyway he can. Sometimes demons and monsters take offense to his methods and that's where having a multiple personality, karate master, masked vigilante named Badger at his beck and call can come in handy for the Ham man.

Be sure to check out the next chapter of The Badger next February from Devil's Due / First Comics, writer and Badger creator Mike Baron (Star Wars: The Last Command, Nexus), and artist Jim Fern (Crossing Midnight, Scion).

—Matt Demory

Publisher: Devils Due/First Comics Item Code: DEC15 1259 Release Date: 02/03/16 SRP: $3.99