Ghost #4, page 6 (1995) - 1st Barb Wire/Ghost Team-Up

The one thing the 90's was known for, more than anything else, was being "extreme." And while that can be shown in a lot of way, few of them had the impact on the comic industry that the "Bad Girl Craze" did. But how do you get more extreme than a "bad girl?" Why, by having two of them team-up, of course, which is exactly what we got here!

In the mid-90's, Dark Horse Comics was looking to create their own shared heroic universe, ala Marvel and DC style, but made them darker in keeping with the "extreme" vibes of the times. Thus was born "Dark Horse Heroes." And of the ones they made, two of the most popular was their bad girl duo of Ghost and Barb Wire. This page features their first meeting and team-up, which you can see was anything other than smooth. But while their personal interaction wasn't exactly what one might hope, when it came to kicking some butts they more than made up for their lack of inter-personal comradery. Writer Eric Luke perfectly hits on their no-BS attitudes and snarky humor, making the meet up memorable and very entertaining to readers, giving the same vibe as many testosterone-fueled 80's action films. Because a "bad girl" can play it just as hard as the guys!

Artist Matt Haley is a perfect choice for a book like this, as he's got the skills to put together a hectic action sequence like this one, while also making the women look good while they do it. I love the back-to-back shot in the first panel and then the flurry of all-out action in the final one. You can feel the cluttered and chaotic feeling of the moment, which is exactly what you would feel in a huge brawl in real life. You can almost feel the impact of their blows, as they make them. Haley's long-time collaborator, inker Tom Simmons, gives a slick and smooth feeling to Haley's lines, while making sure to punch in those deep blacks where they need to be. Just a perfect art team for the "bad girl" era!

The "Bad Girl Craze" was very much like a sugar rush for the world of comics, as it was as energetic in its production, as it was quick to fade with its exit. And while there have been modern attempts to revive this trope, it's never really gotten the traction the original run of those times did. Sometimes things just run their course, but there's always great reminders of those times with great pages of comic art from them, like this one. It's the comic art version of a time capsule! And it was fun for me to break this one open, with particular piece!