Tag Archives: andy samberg

Holy Roller #4 delivers the Nazi beating hero we need

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Holy Roller #4

There’s a festering rot in Levi Cohen’s hometown. We can’t wait for somebody else to save us, can’t wait for somebody else to stand up and set things right. It’s our time to turn and face the rot—it’s time for the Holy Roller to lead the charge. Holy Roller #4 has Levi don his new suit and kick Nazi ass!

The series has been building to this moment. After lots of tragedy, beatings, and some tension, Levi has decided to take care of the scum in the town and make it safe. To do that, he’s enlisted a friend, put on a suit of armor, and armed himself with trick bowling balls… yes, the comic is a Nazi beating action comedy.

Written by Rick Remender, Andy Samberg, and Joe Trohman, Holy Roller #4 keeps up the interesting balance of the series where it plays things straight and not at the same time. The comic takes everything to an extreme and gives us one of the more silly gimmicks out there. But, it works, it works really well.

Part of the reason the comic works is because it keeps things focused and generally plays things seriously. By focusing on Nazi scum, it’s hard to not cheer Levi on in his battle and also enjoy the over the top nature of his beating their asses. Excuse me, they’re not Nazis, they’re white nationalists. Same thing different name. To see them beat to holy (roller) hell leaves satisfaction, and at least this reader cheering on the carnage Levi delivers.

Part of the fun is the art by Roland Boschi which exaggerates everything. With color by Moreno Dinisio and lettering by Rus Wooton, that exaggeration extends beyond the action. Levi must deal with his father who has given up on life and generally sits around in ill-fitting tighty whities scratching himself. Boschi and the team makes it all clear as day making the nightmare of the comic not the brutal justice that Levi delivers, but an old man scratching his crotch. But there’s humor in that and the visuals mine every once taking the comic into action-satire territory.

Holy Roller #4 is a hell of a lot of fun. It’s hard to not find satisfaction in Levi’s new quest and the brutal beatings he delivers. It’s a comic that brings a catharsis and delivers justice we could only hope the real world white nationalists around us would receive.

Story: Rick Remender, Andy Samberg, Joe Trohman Art: Roland Boschi
Color: Moreno Dinisio Letterer: Rus Wooton
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Holy Roller #2 delivers a strike with its small town hero

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Holy Roller #2

How bad must things get before we rise to face them? Levi Cohen spent his life believing the world was getting better, but he must now face the fact that he was wrong. Evil things thought long buried have taken root. And something must be done. Holy Roller #2 delivers the Nazi punching we need right now.

With a story by Rick Remender, Andy Samberg, and Joe Trohman, Holy Roller #2 is a fun and satisfying comic that like the debut just hits the right buttons and details. Levi has returned home and found out the assholes he knew as a kid have taken over his town and become antisemitic bigots. Through accident, he has also become a bit of a vigilante, having beaten the crap out of those bigots, so of course they now want revenge.

At its core, Holy Roller #2 is a story we’ve seen many times before. A person returns home after a long time away to find out a group of evil people have taken over. That person then goes to battle to uproot them and free their town. It’s a story that’s played out again and again and Holy Roller #2 has some fun with that by infusing a bit of superhero aspects to it all. Levi isn’t identified in video and in this second issue dons a slapped together costume as he’s further attacked.

But, beyond the satisfying violence, the team has a nice focus on Levi and his relationship with his father and faith. In the comic Levi states he didn’t care about that until the bigots attacked him. It’s something I myself have experienced myself. Outside forces bring to the front something I haven’t considered a priority. It adds a realistic and more grounded take on the character.

Part of the fun of the comic is the kinetic energy of it all. The art by Roland Boschi with color Moreno Dinisio and lettering by Rus Wooton brings it front and center. Levi has an “oh shit” aspect about his actions and the fight sequence feels unplanned, as it should be. The characters overall have a slightly exaggerated aspect to them that makes it all a bit more humorous. The art really brings out the laughs in what could otherwise be a rather dour and depressing story.

Holy Roller #2 is another fantastic issue. It delivers a satisfying punch to individuals it’s easy to hate and deserve to be punched. It also does it with a little bit of humor making it all a bit more fun. The series is delivering the hero we need right now.

Story: Rick Remender, Andy Samberg, Joe Trohman Art: Roland Boschi
Color: Moreno Dinisio Letterer: Rus Wooton
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Holy Roller #1 delivers an oddly timed hero to fight Antisemitism

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Holy Roller #1

To care for his ailing father, pro bowler Levi Coen is forced to quit his dream job and return to his hometown, which he soon discovers has been overrun by Neo-Nazis! With only his bowling ball collection to defend himself, Levi becomes The Holy Roller, a trick bowling ball-wielding Jewish superhero battling to liberate his home and bowl a perfect game against crime! Holy Roller #1 delivers a new hero, perfect for the current time.

Featuring a trio of writers, Holy Roller #1 is an interesting debut. Let’s face it, it’s a very dark time for Jews across the world and has been for years now. The comic feels a bit cathartic in a way, allowing readers to fulfill a fantasy of basing Neo-Nazis and those full of hate in the head… with a bowling ball. Written by Andy Samberg, Rick Remender, and Joe Trohman, Holy Roller #1 is oddly timed and would feel a bit more comedic if there wasn’t a current pile on for Jews going on. The concept is a pretty simple one, a town is overrun by evil people and a person who left the town comes back and fights to clean it up. It’s a story that’s been done over and over. It’s just the specifics of the comic that makes it stand out a bit.

Holy Roller #1 takes place in Cleveland, and features a bowling, Jewish, lead. Having grown up in Cleveland and raised Jewish, it’s oddly specific to the reality for the people around me. We did bowl a lot. Is this a thing I just didn’t realize!? None of us became vigilantes and the hatred is all around us. So, the comic is rather relevant and connected to me in some odd ways. And with all of that, I laughed a bit. Despite the Antisemitism and issue’s villains dripping in hate, there’s enough to make readers laugh and more importantly, there’s more than enough to connect with.

Levi is a character that’s caught in multiple worlds and still not sure what to do with himself. His estrangement with not just his town but his father as well is something many readers will be able to relate to. This is a character who has wandered for some time trying to find himself, only to be dragged back to where he started and forced to face the different aspects of what makes him who he is.

The art by Roland Boschi and Moreno Dinisio with color by Dinisio and lettering by Rus Wooton is solid. What’s interesting is the style fits more of the comedic aspect of the comic. It delivers exaggerated moments throughout preventing it from being as serious as its subject matter would make it. The Jewish aspect is generally downplayed visually, smart as to avoid stereotypes. The bad guys have a look about them that fits every bad person on the ski mountain in an 80s comedy. The visuals are what keeps the comic a bit lighter and prevents it from being as depressing as it should be.

Holy Roller #1 feels like the right comic at the right time. Though the concept is a little heavy and honestly jarring with reality, it balances humor and heart to deliver the hero we just might need right now.

Story: Andy Samberg, Rick Remender, Joe Trohman Art: Roland Boschi, Moreno Dinisio
Color: Moreno Dinisio Letterer: Rus Wooton
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle

SDCC 2023: Get a look at Adam Samberg, Joe Trohman, Rick Remender, and Roland Boschi’s Holy Roller

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Comedian Andy Samberg and Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman join Rick Remender and artist Roland Boschi for the upcoming series The Holy Roller. This bowling-themed bonanza will strike this November from Image Comics as part of the ever-growing Giant Generator Studios line.

The Holy Roller is a tale of a trick-bowling-ball-wielding vigilante battling to liberate his home by bowling the perfect game—against evil! Kingpin meets Inglourious Basterds meets Batman (that old chestnut) with equal parts action and humor, and a special introductory issue featuring 42 pages of story—two issues worth of content for the price of one.

To care for his ailing father, pro-bowler Levi Coen is forced to quit his dream job and return to his hometown, which he soon discovers has been overrun by Neo-Nazis! With only his bowling ball collection to defend himself, Levi becomes THE HOLY ROLLER!

The Holy Roller debut will also feature an impressive lineup of variant covers by such top talent artists as: J.H. Williams III, Brett Parson, Keron Grant, Brian Level, Mike Hawthorne, and Rafael Albuquerque.

The Holy Roller #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, November 22.

The Holy Roller #1