Review: Elvis Adventures #1 by Jerry Whitworth
Elvis Presley is perhaps one of the most revered musical icons in the past century. Well past his death in 1977, the so-called “King of Rock and Roll” is still ever present in our consciousness as he has time and again been adapted across various mediums. Such has even included the realm of horror in the 2002 film Bubba Ho-Tep. Featuring Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead fame as the King, the movie (based on a 1994 novella by Joe R. Lansdale) centered around an elderly Presley living in a retirement home (his body double having actually died in ’77) forced to combat an undead mummy terrorizing residents. The picture making a modest return, future projects were planned but ultimately never emerged (the movie itself jokingly teased a vampire follow-up where actual discussed sequels involved a lost Elvis film or aliens). Bubba Ho-Tep may have very well found its spiritual successor in a manner in the comic book series Elvis Adventures. Published by Loophole Comics and created by Kevin Cuffe (Oathbound, Iron Skull), Bob Frantz (Monty the Dinosaur, 41), and Rachel Ordway (Space Case, Art School Adventures), Elvis Adventures is a new comic book series that premiered this summer featuring the King battling alien invaders. Set in the 1970s, the alien race the Gee’uks have invaded Earth and believe Elvis to be the world’s ruler where by defeating him, they would conquer the planet. The misunderstanding leads to the King fighting for his life only for matters to become worse by the initial issue’s finale.
A fan of Captain Marvel, Jr. (whose costume inspired Elvis’ taste in jumpsuits) and a disciplined practitioner of karate, in many ways Elvis Presley lends himself well to the four-color page. With his accompanying entourage the Memphis Mafia, to a degree the King could almost be seen as some variation of Doc Savage with his Fabulous Five. And while the comparisons to Bubba Ho-Tep are obvious, Elvis Adventures largely feels more in the vein of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), especially when you consider the Elvis of this comic is in his forties rather than sixties. When Elvis takes up his katana Gladys, you can almost see the symmetry. This fun, bombastic take on the King of Rock and Roll really puts a smile on your face, the title seemingly an all-ages book especially given the cartoony style of Rachel Ordway. The only hiccups for such a distinction, though, is the premise of Elvis “meeting” three of his attractive, female fans in his private suite at night and a humorous anecdote about the King getting part of his anatomy stuck in something. Still, Elvis Adventures is a zany, amusing romp for kids of most ages.
You can pick-up Elvis Adventures digitally on Comixology or a physical copy from Rachel Ordway on Etsy. For the latest news on Elvis Adventures, check out Loophole Comics’ website and on Twitter follow its creators Kevin Cuffe, Bob Frantz, and Rachel Ordway.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that it would be mentioned on this website. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
