Hazel
28th March 2009, 09:01 AM
This slim graphic novel should really come with an age certificate, or a warning at least. Fans of Ennis, though, pretty much know what to expect. Apparently the idea for this book had been buried away for a while in Ennis's head, but after a boozy trip to a comic-con and a discussion with like-minded friends, the deal was struck to actually produce a comic about a "a superpowered prostitute with a lousy attitude" being the "perfect antidote to the nauseatingly sincere claptrap pumped out by the major publishers." Clearly, The Pro is Ennis's manifesto against the pure-born, straight, clean-living, cultural icons that are the standard superheroes.
And so he gives us The Pro, a prostitute that swears her way through life suddenly given superhero powers by visiting aliens as a amusing experiment/wager to show that anyone can rise to the honour of being 'super' - even a dirty lowlife like The Pro. That she turns her superspeed to her financial advantage in her old job isn't entirely a surprise.
Ennis notes in his intro that having Amanda Conner be the artist of this book answers any criticisms of misogyny or sexism. I am not sure that this is true - I still found it crude, misoygynistic and sexist. But damn is it funny. Just have a look at the dialogue of The Lime - a green, shape-making supe with a really bad line on gangsta-speak -
"We going virtuous on the sorry butt of wrong-doing."
"You be messin' with a playa now."
The supervillians that they meet along the way are called The Noun, The Verb and The Adverb, as we are told "they ran out of names".
Conner is a fantastic artist - she parodies the square chins of the traditional supes in the curves and bulges of The Pro, in the permanent sneer on her face. The blank, simple face of the 'Superman' character constrasts beautifully with the ever-changing Pro face. It's also one of the most colourful comics I have ever read. Kudos to Paul Mounts for that. The Conner/Mounts combo is a hard one to dislike.
This is a truly silly, pointless, and throwaway comic - but it is also very funny, enjoyable, and a guilty pleasure. If only for Ennis's comic manifesto, it is worth a read.
And so he gives us The Pro, a prostitute that swears her way through life suddenly given superhero powers by visiting aliens as a amusing experiment/wager to show that anyone can rise to the honour of being 'super' - even a dirty lowlife like The Pro. That she turns her superspeed to her financial advantage in her old job isn't entirely a surprise.
Ennis notes in his intro that having Amanda Conner be the artist of this book answers any criticisms of misogyny or sexism. I am not sure that this is true - I still found it crude, misoygynistic and sexist. But damn is it funny. Just have a look at the dialogue of The Lime - a green, shape-making supe with a really bad line on gangsta-speak -
"We going virtuous on the sorry butt of wrong-doing."
"You be messin' with a playa now."
The supervillians that they meet along the way are called The Noun, The Verb and The Adverb, as we are told "they ran out of names".
Conner is a fantastic artist - she parodies the square chins of the traditional supes in the curves and bulges of The Pro, in the permanent sneer on her face. The blank, simple face of the 'Superman' character constrasts beautifully with the ever-changing Pro face. It's also one of the most colourful comics I have ever read. Kudos to Paul Mounts for that. The Conner/Mounts combo is a hard one to dislike.
This is a truly silly, pointless, and throwaway comic - but it is also very funny, enjoyable, and a guilty pleasure. If only for Ennis's comic manifesto, it is worth a read.