Oni Press' new graphic novel DOWN. SET. FIGHT! tells the bizarre story of pro Football player "Fearless" Chuck Fairlane, a man indoctrinated since birth to be the toughest player that the game has ever seen. Chuck's father, however, is a degenerate gambler, and when Chuck hits the big time, dear old dad starts asking him to throw games or stay on the bench. After being played by his dad one time too many, Chuck loses it, and beats the crap out of his team's mascot, resulting in the loss of his job and a sports scandal like the world has never seen.
Flash-forward to ten years later, when Chuck, living in relative obscurity as a High School Football coach, gets attacked on the job by a man dressed as an elephant. Chuck takes him down, but is soon caught up in an F.B.I. investigation into similar mascot attacks on other sports figures, and all signs point to Chuck's dad as being the mastermind behind both the attacks, and the underground gambling ring that is profiting from them. Can Chuck run the gauntlet of marauding mascots and follow the trail back to his father for a final reckoning...?
DOWN. SET. FIGHT! is a fun, lively graphic novel. Writers Chad Bowers and Chris Sims have delivered a weird, engaging plot filled with quirky characters, all of whom are brought to life exceptionally well by artist Scott Kowalchuk. I'm generally not a fan of sports-centered comics, but this one really clicked with me, and I even got a belly-laugh or two out of the deal.
Oni Press provided a review copy.
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