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Review Date: Friday, March 16, 2012
Here in Bongo Congo
We've got a very eclectic mix of
comic book titles to review this week, so let's get
right to it and see what these varied titles are all
about:
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Publisher:
Bongo Comics
Various
Writers and Artists
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Bongo Comics is kicking-off
a new series of one-shot comics each featuring a
different secondary character from The Simpsons.
The series starts this month with a one-shot
comic book starring everyone's favorite good-natured
idiot-with-a-heart-of-gold, Police Chief Wiggum's
son Ralph Wiggum. The stories are the creation
of various featured writers and artists.
The issue features five stories of varying length.
The 7-page kick-off story is entitled "The Man Of
The House" and gives us a plot in which Ralphie
is home alone and has a grand disfunctional time
wrecking the house as he tries to make breakfast.
"Ralph's Room" is a one-page silent feature with
story and art by well-known humorist Sergio Aragones.
Story number three is a 7-page tale entitled "Ralph
Wiggum's Day Off," in which Ralph inadvertently
skips school and wanders the Town of Springfield,
convincing himself that he's having a time-travel
adventure in a future Springfield. Sergio
Aragones returns again in the fourth story feature
with a two-page tale that is also entitled "Ralph's
Room," which features Ralph's adventure in a school
costume contest. Our fifth and final story
is a 7-page tale scripted by Jesse McCann entitled
"Ralph The Role Model." This story has a fantasy
theme, in which Ralph is being harrassed by an evil
Leprecaun and unwittingly bests the bad guy at every
turn.
I've been impressed with every Bongo Congo Simpsons
comic book that I've read or reviewed regarding
the consistency of the comic creators in
matching the iconic Simpsons television series in
terms of story content and character style.
Happily, this one-shot title is no exception to
that strong point. The endearingness of Ralph
Wiggum isn't his low IQ goofiness, but instead his
heart of gold that leads him in the longer stories
in this comic to unwittingly either honestly help
folks or do the right thing in an important situation.
There's actually a very moving moment in the "Ralph
The Role Model" tale in which his genuine niceness
moves a woman to tears. I don't want to over
analyze a simple Simpsons comic book, but its worth
noting that there is definitely an bit of fictional
depth beneath the simple story surface here that,
similar to the t.v. show, makes this comic book
an entertaining read for both kids and adults alike.
As a final review note, besides the five stories
reviewed above, there's a bunch of fun kid activities
in this issue, including a one-page "Where's Ralph?"
puzzle similar to Where's Waldo?, a very funny letters
page and a kid's contest on the last page of the
issue. So overall, a very well-deserved thumbs-up
review recommendation for fans of all ages to read
this comic book. Keep an eye out for the next
issue in this series, advertised as a one-shot Bart
Simpson's Pal Milhouse issue, scheduled for release
in May.
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Batman Beyond
Unlimited #1
Publisher:
D.C. Comics
Adam Beechen:
Writer
Norm Breyfogle:
Art
Andrew Elder:
Colors
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DC has just reintroduced
the Batman Beyond concept in a new series entitled
"Batman Beyond Unlimited." I've reviewed a
few issues of the previous Batman Beyond series,
which stars Terry McGinnis as the teenaged new Batman
in a future Neo-Gotham, mentored via electronic
communication during his adventures around the city
by a now-elderly and retired Bruce Wayne.
This kick-off new series issue #1 features two stories,
the first from the creative team of Adam Beechen,
Norm Breyfogle and Andrew Elder and the second story
produced by Derek Fridolfs, Dustin Nguyen and Randy
Mayor.
The
first tale is entitled "10,000 Clowns (Prelude)"
and centers on Batman/Terry's ongoing conflict from
last year's series with the roving gangs of future
Gotham street teens known as Jokerz, who worship
the original present-day Joker and emulate him by
designing their own unique Joker style costumes.
There's some tongue-in-cheek humor in this story
as Terry deals with a varied range of goofy-looking
but extremely dangerous teen Joker wannabes.
Three plot threads interweave here: Terry fighting
a couple of Jokerz street gangs while on patrol,
the aged Bruce Wayne and Police Commissioner Barbara
Jordan identifying a troubling pattern of out-of-town
Jokerz mysteriousily migrating to Gotham and Terry's
computer hacker friend Max getting herself entangled
in an ongoing computer crime scheme.
Our second story is entitled "Konstriction" and
features Terry as an active member of this future
world's Neo Gotham-based Justice League of America.
The plot initially centers on a drug war
turf conflict between two types of Neo-Gotham street
gangs, a group of Jokerz and a gang of teens surgically
enhanced into various predator animal forms.
As the gang war erupts, our future JLA jumps-into
the mix to deal with both street gang groups.
The story abruptly changes direction with a visit
from an aging but still very active Superman, who
introduces some interesting espionage story elements
that involve both the evil organization Kobra and
a secret undercover superhero spy within Kobra,
who may or may not have turned rogue against the
good guys.
DC has played it smart by reintroducing the Batman
Beyond storyverse into its monthly line-up without
revising it in any way from last year's popular
and high quality series. I love the blend
of superhero old and new in this future Gotham concept;
Superman and Bruce Wayne may be officially elderly,
but they haven't given-up the ghost just yet, not
just mentoring the new generation of heroes but
leading them into battle in new and entertaining
ways. While both issue #1 stories are entertaining,
if I had to rank them I'd list "Konstriction" as
the better of the two due to the new JLA's
starring role. I really enjoy these
new JLA characters who are inheritors of the present-day
JLA team members, including a next generation Aquagirl,
a new Barda, a Hawkman successor named Warhawk,
a new Atom and an alien boy as the future Green
Lantern for Earth's sector of space. Our grey-haired
older Superman fits in well as a member and wise
mentor of this team.
So a review hats-off to both DC and the two creative
teams that produced this excellent return to the
very entertaining and fun world of Batman Beyond.
And if you haven't read any of the previous Batman
Beyond series, by all means get on-board by checking
out the back issue bins and graphic reprint shelves
at That's Entertainment for stories from last year's
fun series.
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Publisher:
Boom! Studios
Grace Randolph:
Writer
Russell
Dauterman: Art
Gabriel
Cassata: Colors
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Issue #1 of a new
four-issue mini-series from Boom! Studios
entitled "Supurbia" is on the new issues shelves
this week. Picture the ABC hit television series
"Desperate Housewives" with a superhero living
in each household on the suburban neighborhood cul-de-sac
and you have a good feel for the premise of this
new comic book. The series is created
and written by Grace Randolph with art by Russell
Dauterman and colors by Gabriel Cassata.
The first issue story segment has two goals: to
introduce us to the various superhero/normal human
couples on the street and to establish the initial
soap opera shenanigans going-on in the neighborhood.
By issue's end, we're familiar with five various
couples and their issues. There's Night Fox
and his human wife, who's just discovered her husband's
affair with his male sidekick. There's the
Superman-like Sovereign and Helen, his reformed
villain live-in girlfriend. There's the Wonder
Woman-like Bright Moon and her normal husband and
two kids. There's newcomers Bulldog and his
registered nurse wife Eve. And finally, there's
aged superhero Marine Omega and his wife Ruth Smith.
Together the heroes form the superteam known as
the Meta Legion. In addition to Night Fox's
affair, there's dirt a'brewin' in each household.
It's also clear that someone is poisoning the elderly
ailing team leader Marine Omega and by issue's end
the neighborhood culprit in dramatically
revealed for further intrigue in next month's issue
#2.
The heavy advertising campaign for this series led
me to mistakenly believe that this comic was more
of a take-off on "The Real Housewives Of..." reality
t.v. series, so at first I was disappointed to find
more of a comic book take on the fictional concept
of Desperate Housewives. But once I started
reading this comic book, any misgivings quickly
disappeared. This is a very entertaining concept that
blends the world of soap operas and superheroes
into one successful hybrid of reading fun.
Much credit is deservedly due to series creator/writer
Grace Randolph for constructing a very layered and
interesting series of sub-plots for each of the
neighborhood households, all of which seamlessly
weave together into one big dramatic and kitschy
tale. There are also several minor
story elements that no doubt will grow and unfold
in upcoming issues, among them nurse Eve's
overall nosiness which obviously will lead
her right into uncovering the secret poisoning
of Marine Omega.
I
could comment on many more sopa opera plot
twists and turns throughout issue #1.
But why ruin the fun for you good readers?
Instead, let's just sum-up with a well-deserved
thumbs-up positive review recommendation for this
very original spin on the everyday lives of superheroes
just trying to find a way to fit into the American
suburban way of life. So check-out this comic
book and see for yourself what type of intrigue
is unfolding in Supurbia!
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The Manhattan
Projects #1
Publisher:
Image Comics
Jonathan
Hickman: Writer
Nick Pitarra:
Art
Cris Peter:
Colors
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Image Comics has a new
science fiction comic title out this past week
entitled The Manhattan Projects. As a blurb
on the front cover explains, the comic is an alternate
history take on the real world Manhattan Project,
in which a team of U.S. scientists led by Dr. Robert
Oppenheimer developed the atomic bomb during World
War II. This new series is scripted by A-list
writer Jonathan Hickman with art by Nick Pitarra
and colors by Cris Peter.
Issue #1 gives us an alternate reality version of
the beginnings of The Manhattan Project in 1942,
when U.S. Army General Groves appointed Oppenheimer
as head of the secret project. Two sub-plots
alternate throughout this issue. In the first,
Groves gives Oppenheimer a tour of the secret project
facility, revealing that the bomb project is a front
for the true purpose of the project, which
is to explore paranormal and sci-fi issues for the
war effort, including other dimensions, mystical
issues and of course, UFO's. The second sub-plot
is a detailed flashback that follows Oppenheimer's
life from childhood onward in parallel with
a mentally disturbed serial killer twin brother.
By issue's end, its revealed that the evil twin
recently murdered the real Dr. Oppenheimer and has
secretly taken his place in his role as the new
director of the Manhattan Project.
This is a disappointing example of a wonderfully
creative idea gone very bad in its actual production.
The core idea here is excellent and intriguing,
that of an alternate, science fiction take on this
famous real World War II historical secret scientific
program. But the details here misfire in major
ways. While I didn't think much of the squiggly
art style, the biggest flaws here are two-fold.
First, there are just too many alternate reality
facts and elements jammed-in here to provide an
entertaining plot progression. Hickman should
have cut at least in half the many sci-fi ideas
that he grocerylisted and briefly dropped into
this tale and instead allowed a few of them to take
root and grow in the story. The result is
a mish-mash of sci-fi stuff that's jarring and confusing.
Secondly, the whole twin brother serial killer thing
is just plain gross. The sickening details
of mutiliation and bloodiness needlessly divert
this sci-fi genre tale into gross-out horror, which
doesn't fit with the theme of the story. This
is a clear example of less being more effective;
structuring Oppenheimer's twin as a regular bad
guy/murderer would have been enough and avoided
the failure of the serial killer thread as detailed
in the story.
I'm a huge and unapologetic fan of the wonderful
scripting work that Jonathan Hickman has produced
for a few years now over at Marvel's Fantastic Four
title. I guess the silver lining here is that
this creative bump in the road proves that Hickman
is as human and fallible as the rest of us
and was due for a miss to be included with
his illustrious line of creative hits. So
bottom line, skip this well-intentioned but not
very good title and check-out some of Hickman's
better work available on the new issues shelves
and back issues bins at That's Entertainment.
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Contest
Winner Announcement!!!
Our
latest contest challenged you to identify the one episode
of a television series that has been rebroadcast more than
any other series episode in U.S. television history.
And our contest winner selected via a roll of the dice from
among several correct entries is (drumroll, please)...David
McBarron, who correctly identified the episode of The Brady
Bunch is which Marcia asks Davy Jones from The Monkees to
sing at her prom. This trivia fact was mentioned during
the ABC Nightly News tribute to Davy Jones upon his recent
unfortunate passing. Congrats to David who wins
our first prize $10.00 gift certificate to That's Entertainment!!!
New
Contest Announcement!!!
The Bongo Congo panel of contest
judges have decreed that we challenge you this week with
the first of two trivia contests with facts regarding
U.S. Presidents. Your current challenge is to e-mail
us at Gordon_A@msn.com
no later than Wednesday, March 28 with the correct answer
to the following question: Which U.S. President
is the actual inventor of the original version of the
coathanger? In my personal opinion, this is probably
the most useful one thing that any U.S. President has
ever done for his country! As always, in the event
of multiple correct entries, the winner of our first prize
$10.00 gift certificate to That's Entertainment will be
selected via a roll of the dice. Please note that
the gift certificate is redeemable for regular retail
merchandise or in-store ongoing specials, only.
That's all for now,
for have two great NCAA Basketball March Madness
viewing and comic book reading weeks and see you
again on Friday, March 30 Here In Bongo Congo!
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