So, I'm a pretty huge fan of Tickling In Space.
I've loved it from the very start. I mean, the very start, where it seemed like a simple germ in the head, being presented further. Back then, Bandito was rather new to the scene, and while I dug the Bounce Chix and some of his one off images, there was something about this universe and this comic that really grabbed hold of me. And over the course of weeks and months, Bandito posted single pages of his work, revealing characters, moving along the plot, hitting his stride with his alien crew and their hijinks. I remember, by the end, seeing Bandito's art quality increase to his then present day standard, but even if a lot of what he did was rough around the edges, the spirit, the effervescent love, the actual passion he had was present throughout it. That original TiS, the whole thing was leading to Booki as the true final tickled captive, the reason these two starships and their captains and crews got into a huge tickle war. And they laid waste to her, and she was so sensitive and susceptible to their attack, that there was literally nothing she could do but melt like putty for all the alien hotties who wanted to take such savage advantage of her. And the other aspect of it was soon revealed; not only was she the person they'd sought after, but she was literally built to be tickled to the edge of oblivion, and she loved every moment of it.
It's been since then that Booki has been one of my absolute favorite characters in this series, in this universe, and frankly, all of tickling related media. Her character design is flawless, that tanned skin, that ample body built with curves and peak and valleys in the right places, that shock of white hair, those sultry glasses. Her character is mischievous, but friendly. Warm and playful. She's had some of the best quips in the entire series and her ticklishness seems to be second to none. And that's why I love her. Because she's very close to being what I'd consider the perfect ticklee.
So why bring all that up? Why the little deluge? Because this comic, Blake's Revenge 5, is something I've been waiting to see for years.
The series itself has been pretty ambitious with how it is being delivered; short slices rather than one or two big releases, with multiple story strings running throughout. In many ways, it's a throwback to that original Tickling In Space comic, where every four pages was a fresh ticklee and you got to see how ruined they'd get. And the way these comics are designed, it allows individual characters to receive main event treatment. Whether it's Jessie, whether it's Slither, whether it's Audrey, each one of them has been put in an interesting situation and has had their sensitivities taken to their very maximum...all while we see the splices in of Dusty's ongoing trial of fire at the hands of the vile and evil Blake. I mean, she's trying to tickle everyone to death, and she's succeeded thus far. And then you have the away team, jettisoned on some planet, racing against the clock to escape. This is the impossible situation, there is no escape, and the comics have been paced such as to not give the reader a chance to breathe.
But this one, this one is different. Not in the giving the audience a chance to breathe, because if anything, it's even more suffocating than past installments. Blake isn't playing around with Dusty anymore; the animated gif advertisement, the little previews? Dusty's wild, unrepentantly tortured face isn't belying some simple little torture; Blake is attacking Dusty's greatest weakness, her ample chest, and is driving her beyond insanity...she's driving her toward death. Her tools are bad enough, but it hits a different pitch once Blake starts using her fingers to utterly annihilated her purple pasty. I said that the manner in which these comics are constructed allows others to main event, but make no mistake; Dusty's ticklish annihilation hits you like a stabbing blade, with frenetic energy and a sense intensity showcasing a dark, impending dread. Dusty's beyond compromised at this point, beyond broken. The way her skin flushes, the sweat pour, the begging, it's tickle TORTURE at it's base form, and the taste we get is a pure high. At first, I figured she was getting out. Maybe someone will save the day. But the further this is going, the more I don't know if that will happen. I'm starting to think Bandito is fucking nuts enough to have Dusty get tickled to death. And...hell, if she isn't...is there going to be anything left of her? Such a little taste, but good God, it's so insanely hot, and I love it for all the wrong reasons.
Even as I say this, the away team is putting things together. And who knows, maybe the swoop and save is coming. What gets revealed shows that a lot of thought went into this whole project, into this universe, and it opens up some interesting threads, and depending on how it all plays out, could change things pretty dramatically. Love the battle plan and the strategy, love the way things were laid out, the delivery mechanism. Even these small slivers build the tension to a fever pitch for what is to come.
But the true star, the real main event, is Booki and True Sana. Seriously. From the time Sana opens up with her blaster behind the gorgeous Twitch's nogging, she has a raw sex appeal that just jumps off the page. There's just something different about her. Maybe it's the pale blue skin, or the way her outfit fills her body, or her expressions, but Sana stands up as a different kind of ler than practically everyone else in this series, save Blake, and her actual manner is a lot more exotic. Ponce deserves a lot of credit for this, as does Duarte, both of whom get better with each outing, as old hat as that statement has become.
Actually, let me go back to the cover, since I haven't hit on that and it plays into all this; so many of the Blake's Revenge covers have featured a malice, or a crazy lust, and wild, uninhibited responses. The first one was overwhelming, and in many ways, so perfect for an introduction to this story. In Part 3, we got a very personal affair between Audrey and Vida. But this cover is absolutely to die for, and tells us so much about the relationship Sana and Booki share. Booki is trapped, sweating, her nipples stiff as rocks underneath that bra of hers, the outline of her sex pressed into the gusset of her panties, and she is going crazy. Wide eyed crazy. Like she's never been tickled so badly in her life crazy. And then you have Sana, stark, her own nipples stiff through what little outfit she has. Her expression is different; this isn't lust or disdain or being too cool for school. She cheerful. She's smiling. Her eyes showcase a sense of playful wonder. Her touch is light, holding up Booki's foot with her hand, her other's fingertips lightly working over her arch and just the bottom of the balls of her foot. It's exploratory. It also shows that, as physical as the tickling has been for others, this tickling is different; Booki is precious, like some kind of Faberge egg, precious cargo, or something more, and grabbing hold of her and scraping her fingertips up and down and across isn't in the cards. The edge here isn't the same as all of the rest of Blake's victims.
And she isn't. She's not to be tickled to death. Perhaps her fate is worse than that.
From the second Booki is in bondage, the action ramps up. Her sardonic wit fails her, and the assault begins. Sana's fingers are terrible enough, tickling the poor Twitch, but then, she introduces something new the arena; Kriptarian Blades, the most feared feathers in all the galaxy. These puppies even have special names, and Sana carries them with a reverence like they are some kind of chalice. And the second they touch on page two? Game over. Booki's expression instantly changes, and she goes from simply being tickled to being full on assaulted. The frantic look in her eyes and how her body reacts from the touch of the Kissing Twins are so hot. There's practically no defense from their lick, from Sana's pointed attack.
And what an attack it is. But, again, the comic continues delivering new information and new wrinkles, telling us that Booki's been sought after for some time, that Sana knows everything about her and all her weaknesses, and that her client wants her delivered at the very height of cresting, unbelievable release. This client, Vassa, apparently is bad enough that Blake makes mention of her, and apparently Dusty had a run in with her where she was the only one to 'actually break her'. Given what Blake is in the process of doing, that's a hell of a statement. Whoever she is, she must be a real bad seed.
With these, I try to narrow down a few panels that really hit me hard. And there is a lot of great singular panels early on, whether it's Booki in the throes of laughter, or Dusty being tickle liquidated by her arch nemesis, but when the Kissing Twins hit Booki's bare breasts, I found it hard to start picking things out. And there is a good reason for that; because every panel of tickling beyond that point in this comic appears to me like a home run. They are exquisite. They are lovely. They work every single level of why I love tickling so damn much. The expressions, the physicality, the care, the attention to detail, all of it, it's so goddamn beautiful, and I say this as a huge fan of this work, and I also say this as someone who has been commissioning artists in the community; this is pro level stuff, this is well executed, well done, and it builds and builds to an outstanding crescendo in the end that leaves you demanding more, demanding that next chapter NOW!
I love it. I love this comic. I love what it signals towards. I love the way the deck is stacked. I love the pace of it and I love how damned effective everything feels. By the end of it, Booki's frustration, her already riding the crest, and the promise of 80 more days of tease and denial games makes my mouth positively water at the idea of being a fly on the wall for each day of that. And, as time progresses, Sana's sensuality becomes a big part of it; she is throwing herself head long into her order, to tickle Booki to the edge of impossible release, baring herself, practically making love to this poor girl. Seriously. By the end of this comic, it's quite clear that Sana is developing more than just a casual interest in her captive piece of cargo.
From the writing by Bandito, to Ponce, to Duarte, to Rostokfx's lettering, to White Lotus, this is 100% grade A tickle comic material. This is love and affection and a wonderful story being told by a team completely on the same page and comfortable. This is the best outing for Tickling in Space yet.
Must have is an understatement.
