I’m taking a break from my own scholarship to write another synopsis of weekend activities: I returned a bit ago from a Brooklyn-area comic book shop, Bergen Street Comics, to see a large turn-out for Free Comic Book Day. Every year in May, comic book publishers offer special issues of some of their popular titles, available for free to attract children and their families to comic book shops around the country. Bergen Street was no different—the owners had to organize a line for everyone to stop by the table and pick up their free issues. And the crowd included persons of a variety of ages, not just the hardcore nerds (*raises hand*) but many young readers.
To encourage turn-out before the day ends, I wanted to write very quick comments about the issues available this year. I have not read through these comics in full, nor have I given them the analysis that you should expect from a PhD candidate. But based on what I know from skimming the issues, as well as the artists and writers behind these comics, I thought I would focus on the issues I recommend that you pick up today at Bergen Street and your neighborhood comic book shop. You will notice a trend—most of these books are for younger readers, and as much as my scholarship looks at many mainstream heroes such as Batman and Spider-man, I actually prefer the imaginative potential and frankly better writing to these titles. [Plus, the shop ran out of copies of the free issue of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, so you’re stuck with these titles instead.]
[And yes, I know, it’s odd to argue that children’s reading has better writing than adult reading, but I think the challenge of appealing to all readers gives comic book writers a challenge that produces better plots and character development.]
Sonic the Hedgehog
I have mixed feelings since Sonic fan artist and writer Ian Flynn made the leap into mainstream publishing. Some changes he made to the comic since taking over from Karl Bollers and Ken Penders rub me the wrong way—the decimation of the echidna population, the dumbing down of sorcerer Ixis Naugus, the recent revelation that double agent Geoffrey St. John is a traitor (or is he?), and Flynn’s fixation on the rather annoying Bean the Dynamite Duck. As well, the upcoming Genesis storyline—a throwback to the original Sega video games in order to bring their elements into the comic book—makes me a little worried.
But many of these video game elements have been fun under his pen—members of the Battlebird Armada, other than Bean of course—and he has brought clearly written and well organized plots that have made this comic book as exciting as when I first bought it in middle school. Plus, Flynn and editor Paul Kaminski have brought together a great set of artists, including one of my childhood favorites, Jon “Dubs” Gray, and new favorites such as Tracey Yardley! and Ben Bates.
And Flynn again earns thanks from this Sonic fan by correcting an old issue. This year’s Free Comic Book is a re-interpretation of Sonic Super Special 15, a mind-numbing mess of a story featuring Sonic versus Naugus in a story where numerous panels consist either of blackness (since, you know, Sonic is underground…in the dark), or clip-art snowflakes that block the entire fight between the hero and his nemesis (and I do not mean simply adding too many snowflakes to obscure the scene—I mean that the panel consists of only snowflakes!). Flynn made a wise choice to re-write this issue, especially with Naugus’s return to the title in the build-up to the Genesis story arch. Pick up this issue for a fun read with great art by Steve Butler and some character bios for new readers. Also be on the look-out for Flynn’s other video game adaptation, this time with Capcom’s Mega Man, now available in many comic book stores and via subscription.
Darkwing Duck/Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers
Another throwback to my childhood: Boom! Studios has partnered with Walt Disney Studios to bring back to of the latter’s afternoon animated series—Darkwing Duck and Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers. This year’s Free Comic Book is a double-offering, providing readers with the first issues of both series, released only in this past year and now available for free to readers.
Both titles, penned by Ian Brill […another Ian?], have received harsh criticism from readers, in particular because these titles take a more serious—but not too serious—approach to these characters than the original animated series. His storylines also have violated the continuity of the original series—although minor, as in the case of a major villain from Darkwing’s first adventure returning with powers he never before possessed. And while Brill ignores a major rule of comic book writing, relying more on his dialogue than on the drawings provided by James Silvani and Leonel Castellani, he does what I think good pop culture should do: it takes its camp seriously. These are comics about an egotistical avian superhero dressed in a flamboyant cape and hat, and a team of rodent emergency responders—why take these works so seriously?!
Brill makes these well-known 1990s characters appealing with back-stories that are sympathetic—reminding readers how devoted and loving a father that Darkwing Duck is to his daughter, and giving us yet another reason to root for Chip and Dale’s colleague Gadget. (Check out the four-page preview from the first issue of Rescue Rangers and look how well Brill’s dialogue goes with Castellani’s images to inform you what kind of person Gadget is and where she is coming from.) And while I have not kept up on Rescue Rangers, I can say that the continuation of Darkwing Duck remains entertaining, each issue bringing back more and more villains, introducing new adversaries, and thanks to Silvani’s pen, many cameos from other Disney characters. Get this issue!
Avatar the Last Airbender/Star Wars
No, this issue is not a crossover—as with Boom! Studios, Dark Horse Comics present a double-offering of two of their titles. I’m not going to get into the Star Wars issue—May the 4th was already an annoying pun-filled day for me, and while I know the mythology I’m not the biggest fan of the series. However, I am a huge fan of Avatar. The animated series, not the James Cameron film. No, not the film adaptation The Last Airbender by M. Night Shyamalan (although, to be fair, I have not seen that film). Rather, the Nickelodeon three-season animated series is an entertaining children’s series that does not talk down to its audience, presenting realistic portrayals of violence, death, humor, and love to entertain viewers of all ages. And despite how badly Shyamalan’s film flopped, and despite how fearful fans like me were that his failure would stop future adventures with Aang’s gang, Dark Horse presents two short comics that show us more of the Avatar’s adventures.
I can offer only a quick read, but I was happy to see J. Torres (Young Justice, Teen Titans Go!) bringing his writing to the comic’s second tale, “Dirty Is Only Skin Deep,” a short vignette looking at earthbender Toph’s fixation on dirt and refusal to take a bath. It’s not a long story, but Torres and artist Gurihru get the point across. Plus I love any comic that can bring more artwork from television series storyboard artist Johane Matte. I hope Dark Horse brings more Avatar adventures to comic book shops, especially in the build-up to Nickelodeon’s continuation of the Avatar story with the upcoming series The Legend of Korra.
The Amazing Spider-man
Okay, okay, enough kiddie fare—let’s look at a real “manly” comic to shut you whiners up. One of my favorite writers, Dan Slott (Batman Adventures, The Great Lake Avengers), brings a story that actualizes the goal of comic books as I defined earlier: take your camp seriously. A man, bitten by a radioactive spider, while looking for an expensive trendy birthday gift for his aunt, gets into a fist-fight with a woman influenced by pheromones released from an anthropomorphic mandrill in a snazzy Armani suit, while said mandrill is accompanied by a bevy of attractive women while standing in the middle of the Manhattan fashion district. Seriously! How is this description not awesome enough to get you out of your seat and heading to your nearest comic book shop?!
Okay, enough—back to work.
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