Written and Illustrated by Johnny Ryan
Published by Fantagraphics
Johnny Ryan worked on his, Prison Pit, series for about a decade, releasing various books in the series every couple of years.
Now, it has been collected into a massive complete collection..again. It was collected in 2020 and is being released again in 2022 because the first massive tome collecting it sold out. I can see why it did as there is a twisted and hilarious appeal to the nihilism of, Prison Pit.
I run hot and cold on Johnny Ryan.
Sometimes he seems like he’s just trying to make offensive art for the sake of upsetting people without making a point or at least being entertaining. Other times he brings just enough edge to his work to make it nasty but also a hoot.
Prison Pit, is a case where Ryan is visceral, gross, and pretty fun.
Prison Pit, is about an otherworldly alien landscape that is essentially one big prison where horrible creatures roam causing all kinds of mayhem.
We follow one monstrous new citizen most of the story (occasionally checking in with other characters), as he gets in countless fights with all kinds of horrible creature-people.
Ryan’s character design is impressive, with assorted strange-looking anthropomorphic creations assaulting each other brutally. Blood flows freely (with the black-and-white artwork making it especially stark), and all kinds of weird tentacles and weapons shoot out of orifices as characters attack one another with different appendages.
There is a plot of sorts throughout, Prison Pit.
Basically, we follow our unnamed fugitive as he destroys anyone or anything that stands in his way through bone-breaking, genital crushing, stabbing, and all kinds of grotesque action in an effort to escape the titular Prison Pit. Other characters pop in who pose various smaller or bigger challenges along the way and the fights are inventive and weird enough that they don’t get dull.
Ryan’s a skilled artist whether he’s drawing a rare quiet scene in the desolate and eerie Prison Pit or all kinds of weird weaponized body parts flying about when a fight breaks out. He keeps us readers engaged and manages to be entertaining while also being grossly offensive and nasty.
Johnny Ryan is definitely an acquired taste of an artist, but if you’ve even liked his work you’ll quite likely enjoy, Prison Pit.
5 out of 5 stars.
