Writer: Alice Darrow
Illustrator: Alice Darrow
Colors: Hugo Blanc
Letters: Frank Cvetkovic
Cover: Alice Darrow
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Tramps of the Apocalypse deals with the reality of systemic misogyny and examines how notions of masculinity, religion, and the patriarchy intersect – but in a way that makes you laugh without ever delving into misandry.
Belladonna, Babbette, and Baby are in a struggle against a slanted system that has been erected to oppress them. They’ve managed to escape the Capitol, where women are slaves and forced into motherhood.
Not all men are in power, but all men have a higher status than women. Aside from Cecil, our protagonists’ interactions with men are inherently negative. But even Cecil struggles to be taken seriously by his male counterparts, as he doesn’t fit their overly built and overtly unintelligent mold. As a small and non-violent man, Cecil’s only use to other men is his ability to read.
Masculinity is inherently intertwined with the hierarchy. Many of the men are shirtless, so as to show off their abs. The men compliment one another’s “girth” and “virility.” In this context, the more masculine the man, the more power he wields over other men. And the fewer clothes he seems to wear. Master Quest doesn’t even wear pants, his army is full of shirtless and crop top wearing men, and the man in charge of it all bares his nipple rings on his throne. This implies that, in this context, masculinity is more of a display men exhibit for one another than it is to attract women.
Religion plays a key and not so subtle role in this hierarchy. The Capitol streets are adorned with crosses, all over Master Quest’s palace, around the necks and on the T-shirts of his army, and on the throne of the man at the “top of the food chain.”
Master Quest himself even wears a chastity belt with a lock on it. The chastity belt can represent both a lack of virility and a control of virility. Generally, chastity represents certain morals and values, but nothing about what Master Quest is doing seems to hold moral value or any value outside of perpetuating uneven power dynamics.
The combination of symbols of masculinity and religion imply that the hierarchy relies on that intersection as a tool to lend and extend power. This allows the men to feel righteous about their enslavement of women, and gives meaning and symbolism to their lack of virility in a world where erection pills are ubiquitous, and Virility Musk exists.
To me, some of the most intriguing humor in this story is the inverse relationships. Even though Belladonna, Babbette, and Baby lack the resources that the men have, they’re more efficient and capable at every turn. Master Quest and his army, with all their guns and Virility Musk, seem to be no match for them.
We see this play out as our protagonists finally find the artifact. In a humorous allusion to Covid, Cecil explains that the artifact is a “snot rag” that’s been “contaminated” with a “viral pathogen,” and that men are powerless against the common cold. The girls then use the aerosol from a can of Virility Musk on the artifact to infect the army, thereby rendering them useless.
The initial search party for the artifact included four men and a truckload of Virility Musk. The women beat them with a bicycle and a single can. Belladonna, Babbette, and Baby take the very item that is intended to enhance masculinity and power and invert it to make the men weak and powerless.
The common cold essentially reveals the fragility of the patriarchy and shatters the image of masculinity.
Tramps of the Apocalypse is nothing short of hilarious and insightful. Every time I read through these three issues, I find something new to laugh at.
Overall: 10/10
K.L.Murphy has BA in English, writes and reviews comics, and habitually pets cats. Comics are all unique and each one represents an enormous amount of thought and effort. Murphy reviews comics based on a variety of factors, but focuses on the artwork, storytelling, and pacing.
