I've been meaning to do this for a while, and I am sorry I haven't had the chance to until now.
What I've always really dug about The Great Tickle Trap/Great Tickle Tournament stuff has been the tone of them, the way they are done, and the collaboration that goes into it. Obviously, these characters crossing over is separate from their native environments, and getting them together in a manner that feels true and fresh and cohesive is probably not easy, with different creators and different moving parts. Everything about them feels very communal as well.
One thing I want to bring up off the bat is Vargas, the inker/penciler for this release. Vargas has done a few different releases for MTJ, mainly Bullets and Laughter, which is extremely underrated for just how awesome it truly is, but what grabs me is his art style. It's Bruce Timm to the T, with his own little flare. It's definitely a very eye catching style, and it has stuck with me in the past. But this go round, it's a little different. This isn't to say the art Vargas has done has been bad, far from it, but just looking at the preview art and the gif advertisement, the faces and the reactions are exceptionally sharp. It's hard to make a laughing face that really stands out, that feels distinctive, but damn if I didn't see just that little bit and get all the cool nuances of intensity thrown at me. Roel's colors also deserve note because they really freaking pop from cover to the end. The shine. The variety of the color palette. It explodes off the page. It services what is taking place very very well and works as a great balance.
Obviously, this is a cross over, but the real meat of this issue is a showdown between the Bounce Chix and the Gomez Twins of Yenny fame. As great as the Twins were in those old time comics, the Looney Toons aspect to so much of the Yenny work kind of just made them seem like overpowered antagonists. This is one thing I definitely prefer in the Trap/Tournament series, as there are flashes of vulnerability, and they get utilized as great tickler underlinings. It's the Chix in cheerleader outfits, systematically tickled. The specific showcases for each girl is a treat, so anyone who likes or crushes on Jane or Andi, by all means. Andi's feather sensitivity is exploited to the fullest, and Jane's tough girl act melts away under skilled fingers.
The true star though? Hailey, the buxom redhead who can't seem to get enough of that sensitive chest of hers being exploited. Hailey is kind of underrated, in the grand scheme of the Chix stuff, in my opinion, but damn, it's hot here. The nipple tickling she received here stuck in my head for days and fueled a few ideas in my own noggin that I had to write out with a few friends just to scratch the itch.
And then there is Nemesis. This whole thing has been building for three issues, so to see her get her ticklish comeuppance? It's really damn hot. There's few things better than a good antagonist who doles out the ticklish torture yet can't take one second of punishment back toward her.
I adore the little details in here. Like Betty, wanton ticklee she is, pushing her breast up to a ticklish brush so it can hit that righ t spot on her nipple. Hell, I love whenever Betty is on the page. Seriously, Betty is amazing. Can barely get enough of her.
All in all, this is a really good comic to pick up. It's chocked full of great tickling action, with plenty of ticklish turnabout and a cool direction for this little series to go in. Great design, popping colors, a feast for the eyes of those digging some ticklish action with some great standouts. If you've at any point dug on the Great Tickle Trap or the Great Tickle Tournament, you can't go wrong.
