Shucks Mahoney’s #CBRV Review #31: The Tango Collection edited by Bernard Caleo

A collection of over 50 Australian & New Zealand comics creamed from the alternative romance anthology Tango, this is a interesting gathering of talents. Uneven, to be sure, and widely variable in tone, but that’s the nature of the beast. Editor Caleo’s intention, to revive the idea of the romance comic, is an idea with plenty of meat on it, and these artists certainly chow down. One of the best sections is the ‘Love & Food’ chapter at the end. It’s full of all sorts of broken hearts, eaten hearts, lonely hearts, and inky dark hearts. Some of the art is superb, and some of the writing touching – or enjoyably daft, or surreal enough to make you think. There were only a handful of works here that made me want to chase down more of the creator’s stuff, but I can’t fault the spiffy black and white presentation and abundance of selection.