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In 1994, another independent comic was published by Fireman Press, a company that you probably never even heard of. Yet somehow, this obscure comic was popular enough that it became the subject of two video games, one of them on a home console called Sega Saturn. What is the appeal of the comic Scud: The Disposable Assassin? Its slick art style, clever premise and dark humor had nailed it down as a classic. The story remained unfinished for about ten years, until the omnibus was released in 2008. (Something similar happened with Xenozoic Tales, where the original story wasn’t finished.)
The first issue of Scud The Disposable Assassin shows that he comes from a vending machine, and with a disk of information inserted into his hand, he will dispose of anyone or anything. His first job was to kill a bizarre monster in a manikin factory. Nobody knew where it came from, but it was killing employees. Scud was hired for the job, but things take a sudden turn while he is using the mirror in the bathroom. He is able to see that there is a label on his back stating that he self-destructs after the target is terminated. He punches the glass in frustration, then goes out of his way to remove the limbs off his target, but not kill it. Scud then brings the creature to a hospital-like facility that keeps it alive, but only for a month before Scud has to pay the medical bills.
What shall a sentient robot do? He decides to go freelance to make the money that he needs. Scud is hired to assassinate someone in prison, which means breaking in. We see this in the second issue. Here we see him truly earn his title as Scud The Disposable Assassin, as he gets injured while in combat. He does succeed in his mission and manages to escape by driving a truck off a cliff, leading into issue 3. It is this sort of dark humor that has enticed readers over the years.
Are there any negatives to Scud The Disposable Assassin? Absolutely. The first issue is expertly colored, while the second issue onward are in black and white. Reading a comic book without color is like trying to see the world through a straw. Sure, you can do it, but you need to concentrate twice as hard to see what is going on. Trying to collect all the issues may run your pocket dry, and are better off trying to get (Affiliate Link) the omnibus. And let’s face it. You are reading this article because you are interested in Scud, and want to check out the story. Don’t waste any time, and get those pages flipping. If you don’t have any paper cuts on your fingertips, you have failed me.