Golden Rage

With brutal dry humor and bare-knuckle violence, poet and comics writer Williams (Low) and Knight (the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series) envision a near future where old women are deemed undesirable to society and sent away to die. Jay, a bureaucrat in her 30s, is sentenced to the same fate for hitting early menopause and finds herself imprisoned on an island of “grandmas turned murderers.” The survivalist seniors who take her in are equally skilled at munitions and baking, and are willing to fight to the death for cats, brunch, and one another. The script reveals its twists gradually, developing an eccentric cast and regarding them with a mix of satire and admiration. “Bloodshed... aside, this is the most supportive community I’ve ever been part of,” one of the ladies remarks. Knight’s blocky, thick-lined art exudes toughness, and she brings the island’s pine forests and hidden enclaves to life. The bonus materials include maps, book reviews, and recipes for bug repellent and nettle tea. The creative team clearly had fun with every aspect of the package, from bloody island rituals to the details of knitting gang colors. This tongue-in-cheek action thriller with a sly social message reads like a labor of love. (Feb.)