By Kelly Gaines

Weed Magic #1 is set on the date 4/20. That tells you a majority of what you need to know in regards to this book, but I’ll set the stage as vividly as I can. On the “420 of 420’s”, a wannabe film star and his law clerk roommate are desperate for weed. They visit their guy, the mysterious alley shaman known as My$tic, and are given a bag of weed described as a strain “fertilized with the manure of 50 virgins and hand misted three times a day with the sweat of 100 Thai ladyboys.” This weed, which they are given for free under a grave warning of its power, gives the men (Bunny and Moe) special powers. After a brief intermission of goofing off, Bunny and Moe decide to use their powers for good. After all, with great weed comes great responsibility- right?

Full disclosure, I did not like Weed Magic #1. When looked at as a parody, Weed Magic has a small amount of potential to grow into an enjoyable cult comic title. The humor is present but misses the mark for mass appeal. We’re given perverted grandmas, foul-mouthed little kids, and uppity women as detestable outlets for humor, but the main characters don’t seem to have any higher standard of personal presentation. Bunny and Moe read almost as dislikable as the regular folk they interact with.

Weed Magic could play the ‘scum among scum receiving responsibility and learning to rise above’ angle, but as of the first issue that doesn’t appear to be the plan. Bunny addresses the reader directly in a way that implies being a sympathetic character, but there isn't enough prior character development to paint him as anything other than an irritating weirdo. I’m not sure what would convince someone that pestering people on street corners is the right marketing tactic to create buzz about their latest creative endeavor, but I almost sympathize more with the clearly uninterested passersby. If we look at Bunny and Moe’s day and compare it with other superhero origin stories, there is no pull to believe they deserve superpowers or have any capability to handle them correctly. Even Peter Parker was a jerk when he first got his abilities, but a harrowing personal tragedy sets him on the right path. That’s not the case here. Bunny and Moe just decide, out of the blue, that they better do something good for the world. I don’t trust them as heroes, or like them as characters. 

Even so, this issue has the potential for niche appeal. The title as a whole, if given the room to develop its humor and flesh out the characters, could become an enjoyable read in the future. The artwork alone is solid enough to warrant some faith. If you enjoy Kevin Smith’s Bluntman and Chronic characters you may be just the niche to tune in for some Weed Magic.

Score: 2/5

Weed Magic #1
Bliss On Tap Publishing