Shred or Dead
Writer/Artist: D. Bradford Gambles
Publisher: Top Shelf
Color me impressed. Newcomer D. Bradford Gambles’ skateboarding action graphic novel Shred or Dead, out now from Top Shelf, has rolled onto the comics scene with style and substance. I wasn’t sure exactly what I would get, but an action-comedy about world-saving skaters sounded like fun. And the book is super fun, but it’s also much more satisfying than I expected.
Shred or Dead begins innocently enough in the sleepy, suburban town of Claris Hills (skater capital of the world), with an iconic set of child characters, the cantankerous Glasses, cool Squee, talented Sam a.k.a. Noob, and hot-headed Gearhead. We meet them as they assemble a crew and decide how to claim territory for themselves.
They (mainly Sam) try to “level up” via a series of challenges, and a Scott Pilgrim-esque level score appears above their heads when they do. They also attract the unwanted scrutiny of a mall security guard known as The Law. And their hunger for snacks is strong, with preferences including Dongles (chocolate snack cakes), Cromps (a kind of chip), and Spüz (a neon green soda).
Things escalate quickly, and keep getting wackier. Before they know it, the newly minted crew is tangling with a Circus of Death, a series of goths, a rival skater gang with zany superpowers, and much, much more.
The joy of this book is often in the little things as much as the escapades: one security guard speaking to another as if they are about to go into military combat, inexplicably devious animals, the invoking of “Tony Hawke” (no relation to the real Hawk, because copyright), the subtle ways that characters relate to each other across escalating adventures.
Overall, Gambles lends a knowing, winking dramatic flair to every panel, amplifying the comedy enormously. He also does a great job of spinning minor details into important plot points and payoffs. To say more about the plot would be to spoil the experience, I think.
I kept asking myself, how is Shred or Dead a graphic novel? The experience of reading it feels like watching an animated series. It’s tongue-in-cheek, quirky, and dynamic, with strong, iconic shapes in the artwork and memorable characters who seem to practically vibrate off the page. Gambles doesn’t skimp on action scenes—which are filled with both low- and high-stakes stunts and near misses—adding to the feeling of motion within still images.
It isn’t just the art that has momentum, either. The dialogue and narrative text crackle with wit, colorful slang, and products reminiscent of the ‘90s (yet uniquely crafted for this story). Toasty.
This is an all-ages books that never talks down to its readers, offers enough character growth and plot surprises to feel like an epic saga, and delivers it all in a sleek, self-aware, and tasty package. I was cackling with real glee through most of the book. It’s hard to do comedy this well!
In sum: graphic novels can be serious business, but this book is also serious fun, and Gambles is a serious talent. Run (don’t walk) or skate over to your nearest comics outlet and get thee a copy of Shred or Dead!
Shred or Dead is available now.
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