One of the biggest (and most overused) settings in fiction is the post-apocalypse. Whether it’s a plague, a zombie, or a good old nuclear fallout, the desolate horizon of the bombed Earth is a catnip for the creator. There’s so much storyline going on in this setting, so you’d think there’s not much evidence to cover this type of story. Certainly we did it all, right? Well, Ludo Lullabi’s Ghost Pepper asks: “How about food trucks?”
Years after the mystical threats have destroyed most of humanity, the remaining few survivors are all gathered in different communities around the world. Loloi serves food trucks and brings her delicious food to different communities every day, staying one step ahead of her competition. When a mysterious patron named Ash arrives and patrolls the robot and brings down a massive amount of heat to her lot, she gets caught up in the bigger mystery surrounding Ash and those chasing him. However, the girl had to make a living. And having someone who is very powerful can only help her in the way.
Ghost Pepper begins with similar grounds to other apocalyptic stories, but what sets it apart is Ludo Larabi’s focus on aspects of human community. Eating is one of our great joint activities, and while the idea of a food truck in a desolate wasteland may sound strange at first, it is something that actually makes sense when you think about it. The fact that Loloi survives and while she gets cash, she provides food and nutrition to those who need it tells her more about her personality than she can make a monologue.
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The first half of the problem is a fun showcase of the chaotic but thrilling way of serving food to customers, and the hilarious (and border cutthroat) way in which various rival trucks try to attract customers is worth the cover price itself. When the focus changes to Ash, a mysterious customer who speaks primarily through a small robot assistant, this script becomes a “mystical superpower man” familiar to the plot, hunted by someone who has little or no memory of it, which he has seen many times and again. The first premise is unique enough to overlook what you’ve seen before, but it’s a bit strange to put together two halves of the book into one issue. Needless to say, Lori’s decision to put Ash in her business is a bit sudden (especially because he almost caused the destruction of the previous village he was in), but it is presented in a way that looks like a “you borrow me” type scenario as he first stowed it in her truck.
Ghost Pepper’s script may seem a bit rushed at times, but Lullabi’s art is where the book really shines. With a unique style that evokes the Borderlands Games and the Legendary Battle Chasers series, Lullabi truly brings merchandise with his art. All the characters are so unique that you can publish a textless version of this issue and follow the plot. Although it’s a bit difficult to follow visually, Lullabi does an amazing job of introducing Loroy’s food. The colors of Adriano Lucas also liven up the world here, evoking the feeling of mood that adds to Lullabi’s pencils.
Ghost Pepper is a very unique premise of the series, which makes me almost frustrated that this book falls into the trope of “mysterious stranger” so quickly. Maybe that’s because I’ve just finished mainline for Bear’s latest season, but seeing the restaurant owner manipulate settings as different as Post Apocalypse was far more interesting than learning about Ash and his mystical background. But the foundation set here is from a really fun series, as mixed with the aforementioned Bear and Mad Max. It’s not a 5 star meal, but the ghost peppers are still quite filling.
“Ghost Pepper” #1 adds a little spice to the apocalypse menu
Ghost Pepper #1
The foundation set here is a truly fun series, with Ghost Pepper making a rather fulfilling meal for apocalypse fans.
A truly unique premise
Lullabi’s unique and spectacular art
Despite the great hooks, the set up story is very familiar
A sudden and slightly confused motive, like Roroy brings Ash to her.
