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Early in his career, artist J Scott Campbell was hit or miss with his comic books. His Gen-13 comic was popular, but still was just another superhero team. Then came along Danger Girl, something that was closer grounded in reality and brought a breath of fresh air to comic books. A cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond comes a comic with three sexy female spies that go on adventures together, an appeal that reminds us of Charlie’s Angels. What makes Danger Girl so memorable, however, is its humorous tone, continuous flow, and short run of seven issues, a wise decision that kept it from spoiling over time.
Danger Girl starts off by introducing Abbey Chase, a sort of outlaw that is familiar with ancient artifacts, and is an expert marksman as well. (Sounds like Lara Croft, right?) Abbey is recruited into a top-secret spy organization called Danger Girl. It is led by a man, Deuce, who is basically the equivalent to James Bond if he were older and retired. Her colleagues include an Australian whip-cracker named Sydney Savage. There is also Natalia Kassle who is good with knives, and Silicon Valerie who is good with electronics. Each one has their quirks.
The enemy in Danger Girl is The Hammer, which is sort of like Hydra in Marvel Comics. J Scott Campbell was a GI Joe fan, and the influence here can be seen. Later in the story, we discover that Natalia was actually an agent for Hammer.
There is also a Danger Girl Playstation game, which helps paint the picture of how influential comic books were at the time. The game has 3D rendered cut scenes, and we get to hear Abbey Chase’s voice for the first time. The is what some people might call a fetch quest type of game. It also has a hint of Tomb Raider, a game that was popular enough that other games were using it as a template at the time.
Since the introduction of Danger Girl, it has proven to past the test of time. Sequels, reboots and crossovers are all signs of a healthy comic. Be sure to grab the original story (Affiliate Link) if you are even the least bit curious. My only complaint is that there are a bit too many panels of half-naked women to the point where it is uncomfortable.