Dung Beetle (comic book)

"Dung Beetle" is a Current Era comic book series by Vigilante Comics starring Dung Beetle 192, the latest in a long line of Dung Beetles.  The series is written and drawn by Michael J. Longo.
==Issues==
===Issue #1 (June 2015)===
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The first issue was concieved and written in January 2015.  The book was created/drawn in June 2015.
The story starts with Dung Beetle diving/flying across the page, with bullets deflecting off of him.  He tells the reader that he is Dung Beetle and tells the history of that title.  He used to be a normal person, Omar Samadi, until one day the Life Force of the Dung Beetle chose him to be the next Protector of the Natural World.
He informs the reader that the ancient Egyptians were first to communicate with the Life Force, when a high priest with the help of the god Khepri created the first human incarnation of the Life Force.  That was in 2092 B.C.E., and there have been many Dung Beetles from that time to now, with Omar being the 192nd incarnation.
This day, the current Dung Beetle was watching over a herd of elephants when he saw poacher's weapons aimed at them. He flew into the line of fire and took the bullets for the elephants.  Dung Beetle then confronts the poachers, breaks/bends their weapons with his hands, and lifts them up into the air, asking them for information.  One of the poachers was scared enough to give up their codenames, Smackdown and Switchblade, but was stopped by his partner, Switchblade, before telling Dung Beetle the name of the person or organization they work for.  Switchblade reminds him that they now have backup.  Just then, something small and fast zooms through Dung Beetle's legs, surprising him.  That leaves him vulnerable to a mighty punch that knocks him down.  Stepping out of the brush stands the giant rock-man Kragg and his super-fast monkey friend, Mr. Whiz.  They are the backup Switchblade spoke of.
NOTE: The story in this issue takes place about a year before the present time, back when Kragg and Mr. Whiz were first recruited by Smackdown and Switchblade (See Kragg and Mr. Whiz #1 and 2).
NOTE2: Four historical Dung Beetles are briefly shown in this issue: Dung Beetle 3, Dung Beetle 79, Dung Beetle 142 and Dung Beetle 186.
NOTE3: This issue is collected in D.O.P.E. Short Story Collection Volume 2.
===Issue #2 (Aug 2015)===
This issue continues the story from issue 1.  It was written in January 2015 and created/drawn in July and August 2015.
Dung Beetle is reeling from the unexpected punch from Kragg.  As he gets up, Kragg attacks again, but Dung Beetle quickly avoids the punch.  Mr. Whiz then uses his super speed to jump onto Dung Beetle's face, blocking his vision, and allowing Kragg to land another punch.
Dung Beetle realizes he can't battle Kragg head on, so he runs off, determined to use his knowledge of the area.  He stops after an area of quicksand, hoping the villains will trap themselves chasing him.  Mr. Whiz is too quick, and runs right over the quicksand, but Dung Beetle uses his soccer skills to kick the primate as he ran towards him.  Kragg is not so fast, and slowly sinks into the quicksand.  Mr. Whiz tries to pull him out, but Dung Beetle flies down on top of him, embedding the monkey into the quicksand, too.
The poachers, Switchblade and Smackdown, meanwhile have made a run for it and think they've gotten away.  Dung Beetle rolls up a giant ball of elephant dung and bowls them over with it.  The two poachers get trapped in the dung ball, and are disgusted by it.  Dung Beetle questions them, and Switchblade says he could be tortured and still wouldn't give up information.  Dung Beetle uses a different tactic - he threatens to eat the dung if they don't cough up information.  They don't believe him and he then starts to eat it, when Switchblade cracks, and offers up that they work for the organization HORRID, and that they don't know the names of other members or bosses, just codenames.  They report to a HORRID member who goes by the name Sargon.  Dung Beetle flies off, determined to stop this evil organization, and leaving the poachers to eat their way out of the dung ball.
NOTE: The story in this issue takes place about a year before the present time, back when Kragg and Mr. Whiz were first recruited by Smackdown and Switchblade (See Kragg and Mr. Whiz #1 and 2).
NOTE2: The cover of this issue is a tribute to Action Comics #1.
NOTE3: This issue is collected in D.O.P.E. Short Story Collection Volume 2.
===Issue #3 (Dec 2017)===
This issue continues the story from issue 2. The story was conceived in March 2015. The script was written and the issue created/drawn in December 2017.
Dung Beetle is on the trail of HORRID and it leads him to the small African nation of Timidia. Flying overhead, he doesn't see much out of the ordinary, until passing over a village that is almost deserted. He sees only two men, both armed with automatic weapons, standing outside one of the houses. He flies in for a closer look and the men open fire. Dung Beetle quickly disposes of the men, and enters the building, to find all of the village's women and girls held captive there. They inform him that men with guns came and forced the men and boys to work in the diamond mines.
Dung Beetle goes to the diamond mines, defeats the guards outside the entrance, and inside, finds the men and boys chained and working slave labor. He quickly starts breaking their chains, and asks a couple of the men, Dhofu and Zaman, about their activity. Dhofu is scared to say anything but Zaman, being older and no longer afraid, tells him that HORRID is not after diamonds, they are searching for an ancient weapon, the Axe of God. Just as he was about to tell Dung Beetle that, a bullet zipped in his direction. Dung Beetle blocked it with his gauntlet, saving Zaman.
Turning toward the gunman, Dung Beetle is confronted by four HORRID members, Tsunami,Tachi, Buzzkill and Bonecrusher. The story is continued in Issue #4.
Note: This issue is collected in D.O.P.E. Short Story Collection Volume 3.
===Issue #4 (Dec 2017)===
This issue's story was conceived in March 2015. The script was written and the issue created/drawn in December 2017.
Continuing from Issue #3, Tsunami orders Tachi and Buzzkill to attack Dung Beetle in the mine. Dung Beetle protects the workers and tells them to escape while Tachi hits him with his mystical sword shinohakobite. The sword knicks Dung Beetle's armor, and both combatants are surprised - Dung Beetle that his armor got knicked, and Tachi that his sword did not cut through. Dung Beetle punches the bewildered Tachi, who falls backward, knocking into Buzzkill who loses control of his chainsaw. The weapon comes down and severs Buzzkill's right arm clear off.
Tsunami realizes Dung Beetle is a real threat, so he sends the huge Bonecrusher to kill him, while he escapes the mine with Tachi and Buzzkill. Outside the mines, Tsunami orders three other HORRID members, Shrapnel, Warzone and Lollipop, to blow up the mine's entrance. Shrapnel and Warzone pick on Lollipop for his choice of codename, before blowing up the entrance. The HORRID members then escape on their hovertank.
Inside the mine, Bonecrusher is about to grab his metal hands onto Dung Beetle's face when the mine collapses on them. Dung Beetle climbs out from the rubble, intent on catching Tsunami and the other HORRID members, but he hears calls for help, and helps the trapped workers instead. HORRID escapes this time.
Note: This issue is collected in D.O.P.E. Short Story Collection Volume 3.
Category:Comic title