(written with ai assistance. 3 minutes read time)
SPOILER ALERT: PROCEED AT YOUR OWN PERIL
If you’re looking for something family-friendly to leave on your coffee table next to the Sudoku book and Reader’s Digest… this ain’t it!
Honeymoon Phaze #1, the saucy and unapologetically NSFW creation by local South African comic sorcerer Barend de Jager, blasts off into the cosmos with all the subtlety of a phallus-shaped rocket (which, yes, makes a proud appearance in the comic). I had the pleasure of meeting Barend at Comic Con Africa 2024, and let me just say—what a Chill Legend! Humble, hilarious, and clearly unhinged in the best possible way. He even signed my comic book for me! 🙂
(At Comic Con Africa 2024. On the left: Devon Hibbert, In the centre: Poovan Padayachee (Me), and On the right: Barend de Jager)
Let’s dive in.
The Plot (or: “Where No Tinder Has Gone Before”)
Meet Phaze—space traveler, hopeless romantic, and possibly the horniest cosmonaut in comic book history. (Also possibly the first appearance for Phaze). Our hero is preparing for a hot date with an alien match from what I can only describe as Intergalactic Tinder, a miracle of advanced tech and questionably sound judgment.
The first few pages chronicle Phaze’s pre-date ritual.
Yes, the comic is explicit. Yes, there are bits. Adult bits. If you’re squeamish or clutch pearls on instinct—maybe sit this one out. The ‘date’ itself contains panels that may cause spontaneous blushing, mild cringing, or enthusiastic cackling depending on your tolerance for adult humor (and anatomy).
The Plot Twist
Just when you think you’re in for 8 pages of “Phaze Unplugged,” the narrative takes a sharp detour. Enter: A cosmic entity of doom. The tone shifts briefly into serious sci-fi territory with a stunning full-page spread that screams “galactic threat inbound” with haunting detail and ink work. Honestly, this page SLAPS. I’d hang it on my wall… just maybe not next to the kids’ drawings.
How this imposing god-like menace ties into Phaze’s interspecies dating life? Unknown. But that’s the mystery—and the hook—for future issues.
The Humor
We circle back to Phaze, who realizes (with surprising maturity, actually) that his date is a little too emotionally clingy… and, well, possibly has abduction on the mind. He makes a tactful exit (as tactful as one can be in a space-dong vessel) and prepares to swipe right once again.
The inside back cover gives us a schematic of Phaze’s ship—a cheeky, technical homage to the vessel’s very distinctive shape. The final back page nails it with a humorous tease that our boy Phaze may not be as free as he thinks. She’s baaack…
🤯 Final Thoughts
- Pages: 8 jam-packed ones
- Art: Solid indie style with standout full-page galactic threat
- Tone: Equal parts hilarious, raunchy, and weirdly sincere
- Audience: 18+ only and definitely not for the faint of heart
- Bonus Points: Local SA talent repping hard!
This comic is bursting (yeah, I said it) with personality, originality, and artistic guts. It’s a reminder that South Africa has bold, boundary-pushing creatives doing their thing without apology—and I, for one, am HERE for it.
If you’re a collector, a supporter of indie comics, or just into space erotica with style, Honeymoon Phaze #1 is worth adding to your stash. Just maybe store it in a discreet folder labeled “Tax Documents.”
Score: 4.5 out of 5 clingy alien dates
NSFW. NSFK. NSFGrandma. But totally worth it.
Let me know what you think in the comments. Thank you for reading my review.
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