In Review: Brickman #2 by Lew Stringer

By downthetubes Guests on March 11, 2026 • ( 0 )

Review by Philip Boyce, Keeper of the Oink! Blog

Finally, Brickman #2 is here! After the brilliant first edition of collected strips from the character’s past I’ve been eagerly awaiting this (the middle issue of a three-issue mini-series) and it comes with four extra pages, a “Combat Colin” strip and even some extra features.

Taken from the pages of creator Lew Stringer’s own Yampy Tales comic and the Brickman Begins book, the 27 pages of strips are again packed with enough gags to fill multiple issues.

It may be reprints, but the new cover brings things bang up to date, especially that “moron cap” on one idiot’s head. Little gags like this are hidden away on every page throughout, and where the first issue aimed its social commentary jokes at Thatcher’s 1980s Britain, here 1990s culture is very much in the crosshairs. As a teenager of the 90s, I was much more aware of the world around me and so a lot of these gags were even funnier to me than the previous issue’s.

Brickman #2 by Lew Stringer: Combat Colin in "The Village"

Brickman #2 by Lew Stringer: Panel Intro

We kick things off with a four-page “Combat Colin” serial from Marvel UK’s Transformers, and it’s one of the most memorable of his entire run. Anyone who read the comic at the time will remember Colin and Semi-Automatic Steve ending up in a very Portmeirion-esque village, along with a large collection of heroes and villains. Lew is a huge fan of the original The Prisoner TV series, and this works as both a spoof and a love letter to it. It’s also how I was first introduced to Brickman as an eleven-year-old reader.

It wasn’t until decades later I found out he wasn’t just a funny creation for this one “Combat Colin” strip. The main bulk of this issue sees Brickman returning to Guffon City after his adventure with Colin and Steve brought him out of retirement. But it’s been many years since he revealed his identity and left and his return sees a somewhat different city, filled with crime. But this is a Lew Stringer comic and the abundant crime problem isn’t anything like you’d expect, as you can see.

Brickman #2 by Lew Stringer: Guffoon City Chaos! — *Guffoon City Chaos!*

Anyone who has seen the Christian Bale Batman trilogy will know how hated the hero was when he returned and here, many years before those films, Brickman (aka Loose Brayne) is met with hatred and fear, even from Commissioner Moron. We also get a funny recap of the character’s origin story without rehashed gags and with cameos from Colin and Steve, which are always going to be funny!

Brickman #2 by Lew Stringer: Brickman is shoved from a plane

Brickman #2 by Lew Stringer: Brickman, trapped!

Lew takes plenty of opportunities to poke at the conventions of superhero stories, with a particular slant towards the already silly 1960s Batman, as seen here in The Mad Cobbler’s overly elaborate and very slow, tedious death trap. As per usual, nothing is safe from Lew’s satirical pen. Sidekicks, last-minute escapes, villain reveals and of course comic book violence are all ripe for the Brickman treatment.

While there is a “Mature Readers” label on the cover there’s nothing overly inappropriate for slightly younger readers out there if you wish to share the laughs with your kids. As Lew explains in the editorial, “Although the story doesn’t quite venture into Viz territory, it is aimed at an adult readrship”. That adult audience will most likely get the most from it, but it’s also an excellent introduction to slightly more grown up humour for any teen readers out there.

Just like when I reviewed the previous issue, I don’t want to give away too much. Some of my favourite moments are so good, I’m gagging to share them with you, because I just know they’d convince you to rush out and buy this. (Or, since this is 2026, rush to Lew’s online shop and click on it.) But if I did that I’d ruin the surprises, and it’s the sudden jokes that come right of nowhere that happen to be my favourites.

So I guess you’ll just have to trust me. The panel below did make me laugh out loud though, particularly that 1990s cultural reference. You might need to explain the occasional moment like this to your teenagers but for those of us who were around at the time the comic also succeeds in taking you right back with its gentle ribbing and/or outright mockery. So, despite never having read the bulk of this before it still made me feel like a kid again with the surprising amount of reminiscing I did about that rather strange decade.

The ending is also well thought out and turns an evil scheme on its head in an original, funny way, and for a moment I wished that things in today’s world could be fixed just as easily and enjoyably.

There are also a couple of special features, the one about fanzines in the 1970s being my favourite, because it took me back to the 90s again, to a time when I was creating a monthly fanzine on my Commodore 64 computer. Lew’s good times reminding me of my own.

All-in-all I’ve giggled, I’ve guffawed and I’ve finished the comic with a huge smile on my face. Does that sound good to you? It should, and you can get your own grubby little mitts on Brickman #2 for just £5.00 plus p&p via Lew’s own KoFi shop. While there, don’t forget to sign up for regular updates via his KoFi blog too.

One more issue to go then and with promises of more colour and even brand new material, it sounds like Brickman #3 will be even better! What are you waiting for? Go and get caught up now.

Philip Boyce

This review first featured on Phil’s brilliant Oink! comic blog and is reproduced here with his kind permission