J. Scott Campbell

Danger Girl began, as I recollect, about the same time as Michael Turner came on the scene with Witchblade and Fathom. It was a contrast to a lot of the darker stuff exploding on the scene around that time — really dark — and was mindless fun. Probably the best way I can come up with to describe it is this: if Charlie’s Angels went skimpier, a tiny bit racier, had more action and acquired a bit of attitude, and became spies rather than private detectives in an over-the-top James Bond type story played tongue-in-cheek at times, and oh yeah, became a comic book rather than a television show, it would be Danger Girl. In other words — it’s pretty fun. I remembered reading the first series, so look forward to going through them again and seeing how they hold up. If issue #0 is any indication, it’s going to hold up just fine.

#0 is basically the brief prolog to issue #1, a teaser that gives you a taste for what’s to come. If you like it, you’ll love the rest. If you don’t, well, you haven’t wasted a lot of time because it’s Free on Kindle Unlimited. Abbey Chase, Sydney Savage, Silicon Valerie, Deuce, Jonny Barracuda, Sonya Savage and Secret Agent Zero are names that give you an idea of the content of the world created by J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell. Deep character development and serious emotional angst? Forget about it. Great artwork and mindlessly fun story-lines? Check.

I’ll be going through the first story-line again as time permits, but suffice it to say after reading #0, it promises to be as fun as I remember it being 25 years ago. Getting too much into the unfolding plot about the evil Hammer group trying to…well, it’s like outlining the plot to a Charlie’s Angels episode. Does it really matter? That’s not what you come to Danger Girl for anyway. When between the bullets and the chases, an Alligator takes a patch out of the back of Abbey’s jeans as she’s racing across the swamp to escape mortal danger, and there’s some fun quips along the way, now that’s why you come to Danger Girl.

You’re not supposed to take it seriously, so don’t think too hard about it. Just enjoy the fun.… (altro)

Danger Girl came out in 1998 and was great fun never meant to be taken any more seriously than Charlie’s Angels — it was simply there to enjoy. A kind of over-the-top homage to James Bond, but with Abbey Chase, Sydney Savage, and Silicon Valerie being led by Deuce, the comic series was Charlie’s Angels on steroids, with attitude, fun quips, great artwork by J. Scott Campbell, and a babe factor off the charts — but pretty much still a PG version. Those who remember how dark and ugly the “comics” were becoming around that time remember how refreshingly fun Danger Girl was.

In issue #1 we get the flashback that follows the fun exploits of issue #0, which was a prolog/teaser of sorts. The Donavin character in #0 was a hoot, talking to his skull, a caricature of the ultimate bad guy/ladie’s man type. Here we have a guy talking into a pineapple telephone. In issue #1 we get to see how Abbey became part of Danger Girl, the spy organization led by Deuce (think Charlie, of Charlie’s Angels, but visible and hands-on).

No real emotional angst (beyond Abbey wondering if she can cut it in Danger Girl), no creepy darkness, just funny quips, loads of action, over the top characterizations, and hot spies who, like Charlie’s Angels, had plots that put them on display between the action packed pages of the story. The story is just getting started in issue #1 but by now if you aren’t hooked, you'll never will be, because this is what the comic was. You’re not supposed to take Danger Girl seriously, so don’t think too hard about it. As I said about issue #0, just enjoy the fun courtesy of Andy Hartnell and J. Scott Campbell.… (altro)

This is the one where Abbey’s hanging from the skids of a helicopter at one point, and Johnny Barracuda is introduced at a ski lodge. The action is as fun as the gorgeous artwork by J. Scott Campbell as usual. To complain about the story is like complaining about an episode of Charlie’s Angels not being plausible. None of this is remotely plausible. It is however, a blast.

The James Bond-ish spoof that was Danger Girl had dolls Abbey Chase, Sydney Savage and Silicon Valerie, led by Deuce, thwarting international conspiracies involving guys with names like Peach and Giggles, and looking great while doing so. Some of the dialog will have you laughing out loud it’s so over the top, but that’s the point. One bit of innuendo in particular, involving a drink Johnny Barracuda orders, then changing it to two when he gets a gander at someone, will have you spitting out your drink, so be forewarned!

There’s a recap of issue #1 at the beginning to catch you up in case you got distracted before getting a chance to read issue #2. Abbey’s literally in the tub at the cliffhanger ending to this one. Great PG, campy fun from Andy Hartnell and J. Scott Campbell that’s just as fun today as it was all those years ago. Issue #3 up next for me.… (altro)

“Do you ever listen to yourself?” — Abbey to Johnny Barracuda

“Usually I can only look at myself. The complete Barracuda package is just too overwhelming.” — Johnny Barracuda


Danger Girl #3 begins with the requisite pen and ink recap of the previous issues to refresh your memory in regard to the story-line. No one comes to Danger Girl for the story-line, but if it took you a while to get to the next issue, it’s great that it’s there.

The fellow spy Abbey Chase, Sydney Savage, and the mousey but pretty Silicon Valerie hook up with in the first Danger Girl story-line, courtesy of Andy Hartnell and J. Scott Campbell — who’s color illustrations are luscious — is Johnny Barracuda, and he’s a hoot! His over-the-top opinion of his allure and his lines will have you laughing as our lovelies (think Charlie’s Angels as spies, with a little less concern for propriety, in this James Bond type parody) try to get what they came after and fend off the bad guys.

Abbey’s in the tub — which is where we left her at the end of issue #2 — and she’s trying to fend off “The Manimal.” Johnny and Sydney and Natalia fend off a little guy with long metal arms and Abbey’s on the radar of bad twins Cain and Abel not long after. An exciting escape amidst gunfire on a snowmobile with Johnny must be in order. Soon they're over a cliff and stranded in a cabin with a raging fire going. What might be on Johnny Barracuda’s mind? Abbey might need more than the Shield she finally has possession of to ward him off!

Deuce (think a rougher, more hands on Charlie, of Charlie’s Angels) has an idea who might be next in line for a mystical artifact theft, so we get a cliffhanger leading into Danger Girl #4 from Hartnell and Campbell. Danger Girl is a real blast, still some of the best fun out there, even though it debuted in the late 1990s. Danger Girl #4 is up next for me, when I get time.… (altro)