Wayne Markley

by Wayne Markley

It is harder and harder to find fun in comics these days. The reasons are assorted but I think a few of them are the desire of publishers to try and get the video game audience to buy comics. Also, the majority of writers of today’s comics grew up wanting to be comic book writers so they feel the need to write these dark comics that were influential on them when they were younger. Stan Lee popularized the concept of heroes with issues and problems and having a “real” life. Alan Moore took it to the next level and was probably the pioneer of the realistic and often flawed hero with Watchmen, Marvelman, and other titles. But when Alan was doing it, it was new and revolutionary. Now everyone does it and it has become the norm. Thankfully there are still a few books out there that still are fun to read, not necessarily funny as in the work of Sergio Aragones or Simpsons Comics, but are fun to read in that they are not all doom and gloom and after reading them, you might actually smile.

Batman ’66 #3

The first book that falls into this category, and it has a strange tale behind it, is Batman ‘66. This is a comic based on the classic television show that ran from 1966 to 1968 and was, at the time, one of the most popular shows on TV. Batman became an icon of pop culture, long before the Batman movie of 1989 which revived his popularity. It has long been a dream f comic fandom to see the Batman series to come out on DVD (well, now Blu-Ray) with lots of extras and bonus. That is very unlikely for a number of legal reasons so the comic fan has to do with the next best thing, a monthly comic based on the shows. The comic is a lot of fun and each month it actually captures the charm and camp of the 60s TV show. Each issue is entertaining and a joy to read. There are some strange artistic choices such as the colors being off register so they look slightly blurred, almost like 3-D. But the title has rotating artists so this technique is not in every issue. If you like the Adam West/Burt Ward show, pick up this comic. You will feel like you are watching new episodes of the old show, even though you are reading. An interesting side note is the comic is not licensed from the TV show, which you would expect. DC has instead licensed the Batman ‘66 characters from Mattel, the toy company, who has licensed the Batman rights from the TV show. Due to these licensing issues, not all of the likeness of the classic characters in the comic look like the TV shows characters. Alas, a small price to pay.

All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Prior to Batman ‘66, the editor of the book, Jim Chadwick, produced possibly one of the best kids comics ever done and a book that every adult should read, All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold. This book was a monthly comic that ran 24 issues and has been collected into four trade paperbacks. In each story you get Batman teaming up with a different hero, a self-contained story, and most of all, an excellent combination of story and art. These stories were a joy to read that always left you with a smile. What was great about these books is if you were six and these were your first comics. or if you were sixty-six and a lifetime DC fan, you both would enjoy these comics as they were filled with DC lore from throughout their history (pre-New 52). Yet they could easily be read as standalone stories. These tales were written by Sholly Fisch with Rick Burchett and Dan Davis on the art, which was pitch perfect. Go track them down.

Daredevil #26

People have raved for years now about Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil. The reasons are numerous; it is extremely well written and thought out, the stories are quick paced and intricate, the art is perfect for these stories, but most of all, they are fun to read. Admittedly, Daredevil tends to be darker than Batman ‘66 or The Brave and the Bold, but these stories are just as much fun to read because when you finish an issue, you cannot wait for the next one. Unfortunately, Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil is drawing to a close soon, but he is leaving behind him a run on the book that will be held up for years to come as how to do a good comic.

Peanuts Every Sunday

For the last ten years or so, Fantagraphics has been reprinting the Complete Peanuts, Charles Schulz’s iconic newspaper strip about Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang. So far they have gone from the 1950s to the 1980s and it has been amazing to watch characters that we all grew up with and think we know from the strips or the animated specials, grow and develop over the many years of the strip. What is even more amazing about this strip, over the 40 years they have already reprinted more often than not you will find yourself smiling and giggling page after page. Recently (as in last week), Fantagrahics released the first volume of Peanuts Every Sunday. When Fantagraphics first announced they were going to go back and do the Sundays in color (the Sundays are also in the smaller collections of the hardcovers), I thought it was a cheap money grab. That thought could not be further from the truth. This is a lush, oversized hardcover, reprinting each Sunday strip in full color, replicating the original colors from the original Sunday pages, and each strip is at least three times larger than they were in the smaller daily/Sunday collections. You will still find yourself laughing at the antics of the gang, but there is something about the color added back in to these Sundays pages that adds a whole new dimension to these book and makes this book must reading. It is the definition of fun.

Looney Tunes #212

Another fun book that is aimed at kids but can be read by all ages is DC’s Looney Tunes. Looney Tunes is a monthly comic that features short stories about the whole Warner Brothers cartoon library. Most issues feature Bugs Bunny along with Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Marvin the Martin, and many other characters. These stories are all designed for laughs, but to be honest, pale in comparison to the Warner Brothers cartoon comics from Dell/Gold Key featuring the same characters from the 1950-60s. But since those classics will likely never see print again, this modern Looney Tunes works to fill the gap.

Mars Attacks Judge Dredd #1

One of the odder crossovers I have seen is the current series by IDW crossing over Judge Dredd with Mars Attacks in Mars Attacks Judge Dredd. This series is a riot as the rough and tough Judges of Mega-City One try and deal with the crazed Aliens from Mars Attacks. Writer Al Ewing, a longtime contributor to 2000AD and Judge Dredd writer (and the creator of one of the strangest zombie stories I have ever read, Zombo), and artist John McCrea have perfectly captured the feel of Judge Dredd, complete with all the black humor, and have slyly added the Mars Attacks characters so subtly, that you would not know the two properties did not belong together. A unique crossover that is both entertaining and very funny.

Ghosted Vol. 1

I would like to recommend a comic from Image called Ghosted. This books does not get much press, even though the early issues have all sold out very quickly. The first arc was five issues long and it started out as a ghost story but, by the end of issue five, it was something very different. I always enjoy a book that surprises me with each new issue. This book is a mix of horror, crime, suspense, and so much more. The writer’s, Joshua Williamson, stories are perfectly surrounded by atmospheric art by Miroslav Miva and Goran Sudzuka. Fortunately, there will soon to be a collection of the first fives issues in a very inexpensive trade paperback.

As always, everything written here is my opinion and does not reflect the thoughts or opinions of Westfield Comics or their employees. I welcome any and all feedback, both good and bad (in fact, this column was inspired from comments of readers of this blog who pointed out I missed their favorite “fun” book in my last blog about fun comics). So please do comment as I do read them and think about them.

Thank you.