I can't believe this comic has been out for as many days as it has been, and I haven't spoken up to say anything about it. Guess that's what the holidays and that stuff do to you. I figured I would get around to doing a review, proper, for this comic once things settled down and I could process things correctly.
When it comes to reviews I do for these comics, if I was an outsider looking in, I might call myself out as a shill, out on hyperbole. After all, I've done a lot of gushing over all the Tickling in Space books, and other releases this past year as well. And sometimes, those feelings fade, or something awesome comes around to overtake the place of something. Which is why this is going to sound like the same old same old, but Blake's Revenge 3 is far and away the best of the series thus far. And in actuality, it's up there with Embassy Heist as my very favorites.
That's high praise, after all, everything in the Ponce era of Tickling in Space has been major hits as far as I'm concerned, with art and scenarios. It's all well crafted and well done. BR3 isn't like those other comics. This is where you see the artist and the material come together seamlessly. Nothing holding it back. And that's exciting, because it shows a level of comfort and a skill that has grown quite a bit over the last year or so. But if there is a moment where Ponce truly takes over Tickling in Space, it's here.
Like the rest of the series thus far, not a single panel is wasted. Not a single damn one. Something is going on EVERYWHERE. There's four stories going on at the same time here, and it's all coming together so well that it, like the others, makes the comic feel longer than it actually is, yet leaves you breathlessly panting for more. More. So much more. Dusty's getting crushed. Annihilated. Systematically titillated and tickled by her greatest adversary, who is taking her sweet time bringing the Captain to a life ending climax. I suppose, at this point, one might ask “well, why hasn't she just up and done it?” To this point in the series, that is kinda a valid question. I mean, she's gotten close to detonating Dusty and could probably take her at any moment and take her revenge. In BR3, we find out WHY Blake is taking her time and savoring each and every moment; this is Dusty's punishment for incarcerating her on a prison planet where she was systematically tortured and teased out of her mind by other inmates. Being a Twitch outside the protection of the Seven Systems carries with it a heavy price, and Blake felt every lick of punishment dished out to her, edged for days, weeks, driven half past crazy.
Well, I guess crazy is kinda in the eye of the beholder for her.
The impetus now given, the audience knows, clearly, just how fucked Dusty is if she can't somehow escape. And speaking of escape, that takes us down to the planet below, where Koki, Shooter, Downey, and Silki come face to face with the terrors awaiting them, as well as a destroyed alien skiff with technology far more advanced than anything ever encountered before. Before they can do anymore analysis, the savage planet answers back.
But the main event here is Audrey, caught in Vida's web, one on one. These two have a sordid past, filled with obsession and plenty of naughty tickles. The assassins were brought by Blake to killed the members of Danneskold, but Vida has different plans for Audrey, and with those pheromones coursing through her veins and Vida knowing that the most ticklish spot on the tight bodied nerd is between her legs, her plans are much, much stickier.
For me, reading it, this issue feels like so much more than just a continuation of Blake's Revenge. If people bought it in the past, Smuggler's Moon featured the first time Vida and Audrey crossed paths. While I dug the story, I kinda felt the art wasn't up to par for the series, and didn't convey the appropriate amount of personality and intensity these comics have been known for. Well, this comic seems like a reboot of that first meeting, not in the truest sense, but in showcasing just how damn hot this combination really is. Maybe that's by design, I don't know. But what I do know is, that when I was done reading this comic, I was left panting. Excellent work there.
It's six pages, I believe. And it's telling multiple stories all at once. But it's doing it well. And it's splicing together erotic tickling to the max and keeping you intrigued in what happens next. This isn't easy to do. It's a novel concept. And I adore the hard work put in. It shows through and through. You get that right off the bat with the cover, which is probably the best in the series thus far in just how damn erotic and lush it is. The letters also are awesome, and some of the effects are getting better and better. I loved what I saw on page 4 with those effects, especially in the last panel. Very, very naughty indeed!
I think this comic's artwork is just...insane. Usually, I can narrow down a panel or two which really encapsulate the best images. But here, I can't. Practically every panel with Audrey and Vida has some element that draws me to it, whether it's the top left on the second page with that wanton, panicked shriek and the perspective of which it is drawn, or...and this is just an example...the middle three tickling panels on the first page? Every one of those jumps out at me. Every. One. Hell, the more I look at it, the more the Dusty/Blake panels jump out at me. There's so much frenetic energy between the two, it's almost mirrored. Page three is the same. Almost every damn panel of this comic is exquisite. The naughty tickling dialogue Vida hits Audrey with. The pulling down of Audrey's panties to expose her most ticklish spot after she's been worked into a frenzy. Blake being tortured to her wits end. Blake lording over the ticklish tits of Dusty on the last page. Vida's feather caressing and tickle teasing Audrey to a violent climax over and over and over. Jesus, that by itself seals it for me. The build up to the genital tickling is done so well, with the panty pull down, with the tickle talk, and then when Vida goes in the for the thrilling kill. Those panels are so hot I can't freaking stand them. I want more, so much more of that kind of tickling, I can't deny it, I won't deny it, and I think it's incredibly well done here. Just...those damn panels of clit tickling man, holy shit. The release is probably going to be a kill shot for me for years to come.
Pun maybe intended?
The last panel might just be the most insidious though. Blake, over top of Dusty, with these things called Tyranian Titty Ticklers. What a name, right? Heh. But I got one look at those devices and I knew that I wanted a pair just for use on my...um...friends. Yeah. But then you get one look at Dusty and see that panic and that jolting laughter coming from her and it's...it's ramping up. As much as I love tickling, I like keeping things very playful in general. But this is dark. And it appeals to those small moments of animalistic hunger I feel in my bones. I feel so bad for Dusty...and a nasty part of me wants to see just how far Blake is going to take her before she can literally take no more.
I think there's a level of hard work and craftsmanship you don't see in other comics here. Whether it's Bandito's script or the art team itself, not only is the story engaging, but the tickling action is beyond amazing. Seriously. I think it's going to be hard to top this comic at all, and if this team can...holy shit.
One of the best tickling comics I've ever read. Seriously. I'm dying to see just what comes next and if you guys will step up to the challenge and outdo yourselves once again.
