Torpedo (also known as Torpedo 1936) is a Spanish comic written by Enrique Sanchez Abuli. The first two chapters were illustrated by Alex Toth and all subsequent chapters are illustrated by Jordi Bernet.
The comic follows the life of Luca Torelli, known as Torpedo, and his sidekick Rascal during The Great Depression.
Torpedo 1972 serves as a sequel set nearly two decades later, still following Luca Torelli (now in his late sixties) and his sidekick Rascal. It was illustrated by Eduardo Risso.
The original series is one of the most well-received and influential comics from Europe and more specifically Spain, having gained admiration by movie legends such as Quentin Tarantino and Federico Fellini as well as praise from comic book legend Will Eisner, who considered it the best comic of the 80s.
Torpedo provides examples of:
- Adaptation Deviation: The pilot for the cancelled animated series gives Speedy, a man who shows up for only a few pages in the original comic, a whole backstory (flashback included) to show why he's resentful towards the man who took his wife from him.
- Anachronic Order: The stories are never told in order. Rascal is in the very first story but disappears for a while, so sometimes Luca appears to be working on his own. Likewise, the stories that focus on Luca's backstory tell different parts of his past life, but never in order.
- Animated Adaptation: The aforementioned cancelled animated series, of which only the pilot exists.
- Art Evolution: In the first few stories drawn by Jordi Bernet, Luca looks somewhat old, but as the comic progressed his appearance changed into a younger and less wrinkly Luca.
- Art Shift: The first few stories were drawn by Alex Toth, but he left the project as he couldn't stomach how dark the comic could get, and was replaced by Jordi Bernet.
- Backwards-Firing Gun: Used seriously in one story, where the killer commissions a special one-shot gun for this purpose, replacing a cop's gun with it.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: Especially Luca, though Bernet's artstyle makes even Rascal look good in a suit.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: The reason why Torpedo adopted Rascal as his helper and is willing to (barely) put up with him was because Rascal saved his life the first time they met. Or so he believes: actually Rascal was trying to kill Torpedo on self defense but missed his shot and accidentally killed an unseen thug who was about to shoot Torpedo from behind.
- Black Comedy Rape: Torpedo (and sometimes Rascal) are fond of raping women either for pleasure or to break them, usually in a comical, yet definitely dark way.
- Torpedo has been almost raped by men while a story ends with Rascal gangraped by a gang of thugs.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Done in only one story, where Luca and Rascal explain the latter's backstory directly to the reader.
- Brick Joke: In his first story, Luca is contracted to kill a gangster's ex-girlfriend but ends up sleeping with her. He uses her clothes to fake her death to the gangster. When she later betrays him, Luca enlists Rascal to kill her. He comes back with the girl's clothes as proof he killed her. The look on Luca's face says it all.
- Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Torpedo deeply loves his mother, as she was one of the few persons who gave him genuine love and care.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Torpedo and Rascal are murderous bastards but there are some lines that not even them would dare to cross. For example, a younger Torpedo once visited a brothel and the Madame gives him a young, barely developed girl on her early teens. The girl first brags about her professional skills honed after servicing all kinds of horrible men, but then she starts to cry and begs Torpedo to kill her because she can't take that life anymore. Torpedo leaves without touching her and then kills the Madame.
- In another story a young wife begs Torpedo to help her husband because he's being harrased by some terrible bullies and since she has no money, she offers him her own body for his services. Torpedo fulfills his part of the deal but when he's stripping her down to take his payment, he just slaps her twice and leaves without raping her.
- Evil vs. Evil: A common circumstance as Luca himself is an utter bastard and many of his opponents are, too.
- Faking the Dead: A tactic employed a few times in the series.
- Femme Fatale: If Luca has a flaw, he underestimates how crafty some women can be, sometimes letting them outsmart him.
- Film Noir: A pretty straightforward example.
- Living Legend: Torpedo becomes this, and remains well-respected in Torpedo 1972 decades later.
- Malaproper: Luca's English is less than perfect, somewhat justified in that he's an immigrant from Italy who didn't know any English when he first arrived in the States.
- Morality Pet: Rascal frequently plays this role for Torpedo when he's on full rage mode by convincing him (either with words or violence) to not murder some people. Without Rascal, Torpedo's bodycount would be much higher.
- Obfuscating Disability: To hide a gun.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Many characters just call him Torpedo, which is 1920s slang for a contract killer.
- Professional Killer: Luca's primary source of income, even if the target is someone he personally likes.
- Retired Badass: In Torpedo 1972, at least.
- Revenge: One of the motivating factors for Luca for the few of his victims that manage to get away from him.
- Scarpia Ultimatum: Not having the money to pay for Luca's services is generally a bad for the women in your life.
- Start of Darkness: When Luca first arrived in the States, he was consistently harassed by a corrupt cop who forced Luca to shine his shoes without payment daily. Luca eventually stole his gun and later murdered him, beginning his criminal career.
- Villain Protagonist: Luca is a scumbag of the highest order, and half the series' appeal is watching him succeed anyway.
- Why Won't You Die?: "Seven Lives" Nolan got his nickname from this: he is able to miraculously survive nearly any injury, somehow. Luca even wonders this during a nightmare where he keeps shooting him directly in his head until he and Rascal both empty their guns, and still manages to survive.
- You Killed My Father: The boy in chapter 2, son of Pietro Mottolo, as well as a few other characters, most of which have their parents killed by Luca, naturally.
