[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Story and Art: Lee and Michael Allred
Colors and cover art: Laura Allred
Summary
As Forager falls through General Electric’s interdimensional time hole, he falls into a snow world only to be attacked by the Losers, Sandman, Sandy and Blue Beetle who mistake him for a robot. He takes off his hood only to reveal that…he is just a guy. Sorry. He makes a smart phone and leads his team into Nanda Parbat. We also learn that he smells like crushed ants. I am not sure what that smells like and why it is so oddly specific. We also see the “ghost girl” (and her teddy bear) alive and well. If you want to know, read on.
Positives
Team Allred is really hanging it’s hat on old timey jokes. For example:
“When life hands you lemons, follow the produce truck back to the warehouse and exchange it for the fruit you want.”
It is hokey and a bit lame, but that is kind of the point of this book. Since team Allred is giving the King a huge hug, they want to make sure they are being hokey and a bit lame as per the source material. They are also relying on old timey comic storytelling where the hero does not necessarily drop into soliloquies, but he does tell everyone, and anyone who can listen everything he is thinking about and everything he is doing.
If that is not your jam, pay no attention to the words and enjoy the beautiful art. Seriously, the strongest part of this book is what they are doing visually. Gone are the modern day superheroes who are ripped, huge, and unrealistic. Present are the superheroes of old who look like people you could have met on the street. Gone are dark, muted colors of heroes who want to hide in the shadows. Present are bright, vibrant costumes worn by heroes who do not want to hide but want to be seen coming from miles away. Behold the joy:
Negatives
Did I mention the hokey and lame? I did? Well, in addition to being a good thing, it is also a problem. I can not really understand why this book is in the Young Animal line. Maybe that is the place that DC is putting things where they just do not know where else to put, but the fact that somehow this is in the same universe as Mother Panic is not really computing. There is a very specific audience for this book and it is just not going to be your average, modern day comic book reader. Have you heard the saying, “This is not your grandfather’s (fill in the blank)?” Well, this is your grandfather’s comic. So, if that is your thing, rock on.
Verdict
I am kind of glad this is only 6 issues. I am not sure how many times I can handle Forager doing the same thing. At this point, only two issues in, we have the same formulaic book twice. Can we do that four more times? Hmmm.
