Axe Cop, Vol. 1

If you're into themes such as those in the Monthy Python series or maybe Benny Hill or similar then this one should suit your tastes.I had fun.

I've been closely following the Axe Cop series since hearing about it from a friend in early 2010. The premise is genius: A 5 year old boy narrates an ongoing story based on his amazing imagination, and his 29 year old brother, a professional comic book artist, brings those stories to life on paper. The result is always hilarious and often nonsensical. The amazing relationship that the Nicolle brothers have with each other is truly what makes this series great, as is made apparent on the dedication page ("Malachai and Ethan dedicate this book to each other.")For those who are not familiar with the series, take a few minutes and check out Axe Cop's official website...most of the content that you find in this book will also be found there. For those who have already followed the series, here's what you'll find in this book: The first 3 chapters of the Axe Cop Saga (Episodes 1-70), Ask Axe Cop 1-42, a foreword written by Kevin Murphy (of MST3K fame), and numerous forewords and notes written by Ethan Nicolle (the small production notes found accompanying nearly every Ask Axe Cop are especially nice to read). There is also a small collection of fanart by other artists in the back of the book, which I don't believe is available elsewhere. You won't find any of the guest strips, nor will you find the Dr. McNinja crossover in this book, which was expected. You also won't find any "Axe Cop Presents:" content (comics by Ethan/Malachai which feature other characters outside the Axe Cop universe), but maybe we'll see that in a later book when those stories are a little more fleshed out.The book itself is printed on decent quality glossy paper with a soft cover. With the exception of the cover, the comics are all in black and white, just as they are on the website (note that even the comics that feature some colors, such as the ones featuring the Gold-Bladed Chainsaw near the end of Chapter 2, are presented in black and white here). For the amount of content that you get, this book is a bargain for fans of the series. My one complaint is related to Amazon's shipping, the book was just thrown into a box that was much too big, where it rattled around and the corners got beat up a bit, not a big deal though. There was no sort of plastic cover either, but there didn't appear to be any sort of condensation damage from the cold weather. Collectors might want to consider paying a little more and picking this up from your local bookstore instead.All in all, this is a fantastic comic. If nothing else, it does a good job of reminding us what it's like to be 5 years old again.

I know you can read the strip for free online but having become obsessed with the cartoon I took a shot and picked up this first volume in the trade paper back series on a whim. It has far exceeded all of my expectations. Not only is the material hilarious but the book is put together well. Rather than picking or choosing from the massive amount of published material they start and move sequentially through the series separating the "episodes" into story arcs and sections. They also include the "Ask Axe Cop" strips which are likely the best part of these early pieces. The forward is by none other than Kevin Murphy of MST3k and Rifftrax fame, there's a pinup gallery in the back with a piece from Jhonen Vasquez (Invader Zim/Johnny The Homicidal Maniac). I've heard some people slam a little bit of the quality of the printing with this book but I can't say I had any difficulty reading it or discerning the greys from the background like others have stated. I've seen some sub-par trades in the past, my original collections of JTHM for example are absolutely unreadable and look like junk. While the paper might not have 1080 HD resolution I was very pleased with the quality with which this book was put together. if you are a fan of the series and interested in checking out these collected volumes or a fan of the show looking to test the water and see if you're interested in the comic as well but don't like reading on the computer this is your ticket and I highly recommend you give this a shot. The only thing I think that could be greatly improved upon is if they were to do a nice hardcover Omnibus or Absolute Edition collection of the first few volumes of this series, I know I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

Remember "Calvin & Hobbes", the comic strip about the world of a 6-year-old as written by an adult? Turn that premise on its head and that's what you get with "Axe Cop": a comic literally written by a 6-year-old and brought to life by his older brother who also happens to be an established comic book artist.Make no mistake, the reason "Axe Cop" is such a success is because of Ethan Nicolle, the 30-year old artist who someone collects the stream-of-consciousness plot lines from his little brother and brings them together onto the page with wit, humor, and lots of action. The result is a wildly entertaining story with equally entertaining art. Malachai, the younger brother, does what 6-year-olds with a love of heroes, villains, and video games do: he makes up wildly funny story lines that work because the writer really is a 6-year-old, and not a 30-year-old-pretending-to-be-6.The appeal of the comic is not just from the (plentiful) non-sequiturs (one example: Axe Cop needs help, and grabs the ultimate weapon, a baby with a unicorn horn!). Rather, the enjoyment comes from the constant reminders of what it was like to be young, to invent complex worlds where good and evil are pure opposites, where the good guys always win (and use cool gadgets and super powers along the way!)Combine all that with the artwork and attention to detail that reminds me of the worlds explored by a different 6-year-old and his stuffed tiger, and you have an instant classic: Axe Cop.

Stan Lee was still in his teens when he first started writing comics for Timely, Marvel's predecessor. Jim Shooter was probably even younger when he started writing `Legion of Superheroes' for DC. But both those boy-wonders can step aside, `cos compared to Malachai Nicolle, they left it pretty late. For, at the time this review was written, Malachai Nicolle had already co-created an international internet cult hit in the form of `Axe Cop', and was aged SIX! True, he had a little (or rather a lot) of help from his older artist brother Ethan (30 at the time of writing), but make no mistake about it, `Axe Cop' is a strip driven by the playtime joys, whims, interests and obsessions of a little boy, and that is undoubtedly the very secret of its huge online success. ([...])The star of the show is, of course, a tough moustachioed cop with an axe, who chops the heads off bad guys. Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? But take one step away from that simple concept and you'll find yourself lost in a crazed realm of over-the-top imaginings that could only have come from the mind of a gleeful kid. For instance, Axe Cop's brother is a cop with a flute. Who turns into a dinosaur soldier. Or an avocado soldier. Or a ghost. Or a Tri-Ghostceratops-Rex. In fact, he's been through more transformations than Jimmy Olsen in the Silver Age! But transformations are no problem when your team has access to magic unicorn horns that result from incredible intelligence and grant wishes to the holders. Still, you need `em when you're up against aliens, zombies, giant robots, rival cops with telescopic guns and even sentient turds (hey, the writer's a six-year-old!)There are all too many reasons to explain the success of Axe Cop, and just as many to suggest you buy this collected edition (which covers the main series up to the end of #70 `The Ultimate Battle' and `Ask Axe Cop' up to #42, plus also features a pin-up gallery by various guest artists.) There's the joy of simple nostalgia - reading Axe Cop will undoubtedly take you back to your own childhood, when the games you and your friends played had their own strange logic that made sense to you and no-one else. Then there's the pleasure of seeing idea after idea after idea just hurled out there and left to fend for itself - if decompressed comics are like poison to you, then `Axe Cop' is the antidote, getting through more ideas in one page than some `serious' comics do in a whole issue. There's the sheer fun of reading a series which has no more clue where it's going next than you do, a series that will make you laugh out loud at some of the antics therein. And of course, there's the fact that Axe Cop has a flying pet tyrannosaur with gatling gun cyber-arms! If there's anything cooler than that, I'd like to know what it is.Oh, and there's also the artwork. Malachai may be the inspiration but Ethan is the artistic (and, to an extent, scripting) engine at the heart of `Axe Cop'. His robust, muscular, characterful art has a real Eric Powell-ish vibe to it, albeit more angular, and Nicolle's work displays a clear delight in the mad world he and his brother have crafted. This is particularly noticeable whenever the strip brings weird animals (like Presty the teleporting pug) into play. Nicolle excels when it comes to lunatic fauna, and he frequently has the chance to do so, since having animal blood spilled on you is a regular cause of transformation in the Axe Cop universe.As well as the ongoing Axe Cop saga, this collection also includes the `Ask Axe Cop' one-page strips (based on questions from readers) which are frequently even funnier than the regular series, and eventually start crossing over with it. My personal highlight is `Ask Axe Cop #19' which investigates what kind of robot can beat an elephant in a fight. I think this strip might be the litmus test for whether or not the series will tickle your funny-bone: you will either find yourself in hysterics or utterly appalled by the violent immaturity of it all. If it's the latter, then for God's sake, don't read the one about the mermaid...Let's face it, `Axe Cop' is never going to be a towering giant of comics literature, but of course, it was never meant to be. It's just an awful lot of fun, though feel free to dock a star if you reckon the joke won't have staying power, or the finale of 'The Ultimate Battle' is just a little too childish for you. Either way though, just relish the mad ride while it lasts, and enjoy this wonderful insight into the mind of a creative young lad with the best big brother ever.Oh, and remember, folks.... pray for the sharks. Axe Cop does.

I bought this for my nephew for his christmas present, he enjoyed it immensely as did his father and friends at school.Nice writing and good quality book.

Great present for my brother

Great book Brother loves it

One of the greatest creations ever..and all from the mind of a 5 year old!