The Daily Comic Book Coffee, number 11: Java! is a post-apocalyptic satire written & penciled by Kensuke Okabayashi, inked by Peter Palmiotti and colored by Lee Stacy. The three issue miniseries was published by Committed Comics in 2004.
The year is 2073, and humanity has found itself faced with a devastating new emergency: a worldwide coffee shortage! As the first issue explains:
“A mysterious plague has contaminated the caffeine structure of found in coffee by increasing its strength to lethal levels. Infected victims must now be consumed by their fatal addiction or face a painful death. The Supreme Justice has ordered the destruction of the contaminated resources, which has left the citizens with less than four percent of ‘pure’ beans.
“With limited resources, citizens are now restricted to a meager two cups per day.”
The price of uncontaminated coffee skyrockets. Coffee-producing nations have now become global super-powers. Convoys delivering precious coffee beans become prime targets for caffeine-addicted raiders looking to horde this now-precious commodity.
To combat the Bean Bandits and make sure the coffee supply is not cut off, the city of Neo Seattle assembles B.E.A.N. Force, “a new coffee law enforcement division.” The five-member B.E.A.N. Force’s top operative is the hyperactive, trigger-happy Java who takes her coffee intravenously. Team strategist and close friend La-Te often finds herself having to reign in the unpredictable blonde firecracker. The remaining three members of B.E.A.N. Force are “coffee expert” Doctor D, team mechanic Modean, and team leader Kinkaid.
Kensuke Okabayashi’s writing on Java! was ridiculously fun and off-the-wall, an entertaining blend of sci-fi, action and comedy. Okabayashi, paired with inker Peter Palmiotti, created some dynamic artwork for the miniseries.
In 2010 Okabayashi followed up the miniseries with the one-shot special Java! Recaffinated released through Piggyback Studios. In the last several years he has been working on the fantasy graphic novel The Foreigner, the first volume of which was published in 2018.
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