‘Pregnant Bitches Of War’! The Most Messed Up Comic You Should Be Reading!
You know that old piece of advice “you are your friends”? Well, great. Because honestly, I’ve always tried to live by it. But then I read the first three issues of the controversial comic book series ‘Pregnant Bitches of War’ (gee, how could that be controversial!?!) and realized I might need to keep better company. This book, co-written by our Doc of the Dead director Alexandre O. Philippe, is pretty fucked up. It revolves around five women who happen to be at the wrong pregnancy support group at the wrong time (and space) in the wrong building when almost 100 years in the past Nikola Tesla triggers a time machine that sucks them into adventure… and pre-Nazi Germany!
I’ll sum up issue 1 by telling you that it includes a pre-dictator Hitler as well as some mammary sucking and a ton of guns and bullets. There really were moments in the book where I looked at the page and said to myself ‘now that’s really fucked up’ only to turn to the next one and find that it had just been topped. But that’s not to say that this is shock just for shock’s sake. This is actually a pretty good book! It’s really well written, the plot is insane yet the artwork and the pacing keep things very clear and engaging. A lot of comics over the past decade have tried their hand at becoming the next ‘Preacher’, with its outrageous story yet captivating characters. Only ‘Pregnant Bitches of War’ has gotten close. So it’s fitting that ‘Preacher’ cover artist Glenn Fabry did one for the series.
Issues 2 and 3 maintain the same breakneck insanity that issue 1 delivered and they actually notch it up a few times. Alexandre and his co-writer Clay Adams do a really great job of starting each issue with a disorienting reintroduction to the plot then yanking the merry-go-round to a stop right as you’re about to hurl only to start the insanity up again in a few panels. I’ll be honest. The ending to issue 3 made me queasy and it’s been a while since a book did that. Through all of the titty sucking, time traveling and rampant violence of the first three issues I found myself realizing that I cared about these characters and experienced their horrors alongside them. And the book does get pretty dark even as it’s careening around each turn. It’s one of the most unpredictable things I’ve ever read.
And again, this is not shock for shock’s sake. This is a really fun book with defined characters and a unique voice. Could it have skirted controversy by having a female creator on board (Issue 3 doesn’t have a cover due to creative objections by the artist)? Would this book have happened with a female creator on board? Well, Alexandre’s French so that has to count for something…
I urge everyone reading this to click through to the Fried Comics page where you can find the full first issue to try out. Hell, they’re only 99 cents, so if you don’t like it I haven’t even cost you a Snickers bar. Honestly, give it a read and try and tell me you’ve ever read anything like this book. Then also try telling me that you didn’t like it even in the least bit. It’s wrong, it’s twisted but it’s well done. You’ll probably find yourself as surprised as I did. Pregnant Bitches of War is a sweet title and one that’ll sure leave a taste in your mouth (and that taste is the taste of Nazi breast milk). Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go rethink my friendship with Mr. Philippe.
