Girlz ‘N’ Games webcomic #76: Definitely Expendable

Back after a short move-related hiatus, the new Girlz ‘N’ Games comic is a distinctly post-modern mash-up of movies and gaming of the past 25 years or so.

I’m sure many people won’t be able to identify every reference – and for that I apologise, because at least one is rather obscure – but really the strip is a nod to Hollywood and the gaming industry’s long tradition of dumping troubled anti-heroes on a tropical island, arming them with all kinds of guns and other explosive military goodies, and then pitting them against countless local soldiers – typically loyal to a cruel local dictator.

The Expendables, although more miss than hit in terms of action movie entertainment, is the most recent example of a pop culture property adopting this plot. As for the other films and games referenced in Girlz ‘N’ Games #76, you can read more about them here, here and here.

It’s also rather intriguing that when once upon a time island assaults were one-man affairs, now they are typically squad efforts. Another case of devolution perhaps?

And yes, for the record I’m still including Mercs 2 in this regard because although you only controlled one of the three heroes at a time, they still relied on an extensive team of NPC pilots, hackers, planners and mechanics to successfully carry out their missions.

Anyway, I must admit one of the major draws of this comic concept from my side was the challenge of all the caricatures required. And on the whole, I’m very happy with the results.

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