Apaches in BUCKAROO BANZAI #1

Review:  Buckaroo Banzai: Origins

by Stephen SchleicherIt is really interesting to see Buckaroo as a young lad in this story. He handles the death of his father quite differently than most children would, and his enthusiasm and ride’em cowboy attitude is a breath of fresh air in a story that reads more like a cross between Citizen Kane and A Fistful of Dollars.

By the issues end the pawn shop owner has seen the error of his ways, and sacrifices himself to save young Buckaroo from the foreign agent, who may or may not be Buckaroo’s great grandfather. This was one of the more interesting aspects of the story, and since it is clear the writers intend to rewrite Buckaroo’s history, it is one i hope they are able to explore in a future issue or arc.

As a story by itself, Origins is a really good read and would earn 4 Stars easily. The art is also really well done for an indie title, and Amin Amat deserves 4 Stars for delivering here. But the fan boy in me, just can’t get away from the fact that the creators are retconning their own creation, and I have to dock the issue a full star because of this. This brings the final score to a solid 3 Stars out of 5.I was interested in this comic because Amin Amat was the artist on the (still unpublished) 3rd and 4th issues of PEACE PARTY). I checked it out in my local comic-book shop and was surprised to see what what looked like Indians.

I asked Amin if they were indeed Indians rather than Latinos or something else. His reply:Yes they are actually. Script called for Apache children since Buckaroo stays with a local Apache tribe instead of being hauled off to some boarding school abroad.

Having worked on Peace Party and knowing your views, I made sure to keep them as true to form and not gimmicky or stereotypical in any way. Which in turn made for a nice little scene not just with the children on horseback but with the group that accompanied Buckaroo's mom as well.

Although the Apache presence wasn't as grand as I wished it could be. I'm hoping that in the next installment more can be shown about the Apache customs and traditions since Buckaroo is staying with the tribe for sometime.Good show!

The Indians appear in roughly half the comic. I'd say they look a bit generic but not stereotypical. I'm glad to see PEACE PARTY is having a little influence somewhere. <g>

For more on the subject, see Comic Books Featuring Indians.