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| Battle Pope | |
|---|---|
 Cover of the first issue | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Funk-O-Tron Image Comics |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | |
| No. of issues | 16 (2000) / 14 (2005) |
| Main character(s) | Pope Oswald Leopold II Jesus H. Christ |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Robert Kirkman Tony Moore |
| Written by | Robert Kirkman |
| Artist(s) | Tony Moore |
| Letterer(s) | Robert Kirkman |
| Colorist(s) | Val Staples |
| Collected editions | |
| Genesis | ISBN 1-58240-572-7 |
| Mayhem | ISBN 1-58240-652-9 |
| Pillow Talk | ISBN 1-58240-677-4 |
| Wrath of God | ISBN 1-58240-751-7 |
| Saint Michael | ISBN 0-97081-082-2 |
Battle Pope is an independent superhero comedy comic book series created by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, which was published by their own small press company under the moniker of Funk-O-Tron originally in 2000. The series was reprinted in color by Image Comics in 2005, with plans to possibly continue it with new stories after collecting the original material. The book tells the tale of a hard drinking, womanizing Pope, condemned by God for his own evil ways, who is called to action to save Saint Michael, with the help of Jesus H. Christ, becoming mankind's final hope in a world overrun by demons following the Rapture.
The comic was adapted into a season of eight animated webisodes that appeared on Spike TV's website in 2008.
Plot
The opening panels show Pope Oswald Leopold II sitting in a bar drinking and reminiscing. There is a flashback to a young child preparing to accept the mantle of Pope. He undergoes martial arts training from Bruce Lee, because "The Pope needs to be ready for anything." After becoming Pope, Leopold leads a life full of drinking, sex and debauchery. Eventually, God casts judgement on the entire human race, condemning them all. He allows the gates of Hell to open and the world is invaded by swarms of demons. After a great war, a treaty is formed and Hell's gates are closed. Human and demon survivors roam the Earth together and co-exist.
After the flashback, Pope witnesses a gang kidnapping a young woman. When Pope tries to stop the group, they summon the demon Belaam. Pope beats the demon after a brief fight by cutting off his right arm with a sword. The woman expresses her gratitude and goes back to Pope's house.
Later that night, Belaam ambushes Pope, killing the woman. While distracted by her death, Pope appears to be killed. As Belaam relishes his triumph, he is shot from behind by Jesus. Pope soon awakens and finds he is in the presence of Jesus and God. They reveal to him that God sent Saint Michael to watch over the good people left on Earth. Lucifer was able to overpower and capture the saint. God gives Pope super-strength and tells him that if he rescues Saint Michael, he will get into Heaven despite his deplorable life.
As Pope and Jesus search for Hellcorp – Lucifer's headquarters on Earth – they are attacked by the Zombie Twins, Lucifer's henchmen. Pope dispatches the duo, but they were not beaten and summon all of Earth's corpses to form a giant, writhing zombie monster. Pope can't stop this new monster, but Jesus is able to destroy them in a brilliant explosion when they try to eat him. After killing the zombies, Pope and Jesus are once again attacked by Belaam, now with a robotic arm, but he is easily defeated.
Finally at Hellcorp, Jesus and Pope enter, only to have to fight waves of demons waiting for them. After putting up an incredible fight, Pope and Jesus are incapacitated and brought before Lucifer. They then discover Lucifer's plan: to steal Saint Michael's halo and combine it with his own demon horns, expanding his powers to godlike proportions. Pope escapes, but is unable to prevent Lucifer from donning the halo and he is banished.
Pope then spends what seems like a long time in Hell, fighting every day to survive. But just 17 seconds later on Earth, Pope is rescued by God, who increases his powers by granting him a halo of his own. With his new-found power, Pope defeats Lucifer and saves Saint Michael. God grants Pope access to Heaven, but he turns it down to stay and protect the people of Earth.
Afterwards, Pope returns home and Jesus becomes his roommate.
Adaptation
Battle Pope was adapted into a season of eight animated webisodes that appeared on Spike TV's website in 2008.
References
- CBR Staff (April 27, 2017). "The 15 Most Ridiculous Comic Book Titles Ever". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
- Co.Create Staff (August 3, 2015). "Robert Kirkman Tells A Story About The Career Pivot That Put Him On The Path To "The Walking Dead"". Fast Company. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- George, Richard (April 11, 2006). "Battle Pope Vol. 1 Review". IGN. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
- Emu (January 6, 2018). "Comic Review: Robert Kirkman's Battle Pope (Cross Cult)". Bizarro World Comics. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
- ^ Mannin, Shaun (April 24, 2008). "Shooting the Papal Bull: Kirkman talks Animated Battle Pope". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
External links
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- Image Comics limited series
- Humor comics
- Superhero comics
- 2000 comics debuts
- Skybound Entertainment titles
- Depictions of Jesus in literature
- Comics by Robert Kirkman
- Fictional popes
- Religious parodies and satire
- Parody comics
- Satirical comics
- Comics about God
- Comics critical of religion
- Post-apocalyptic comics
- Comics characters introduced in 2000
- Comics adapted into animated series