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dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
After dying at the end of [b:Cosmic Odyssey|893505|Cosmic Odyssey|Jim Starlin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327962240s/893505.jpg|878731], Forager emerges from a cocoon in a basement on Earth with a mute girl and her talking teddy bear for company. From there, things get weird...
I read the first three issues of Bug! as they came out but got sidetracked somewhere along the way. I pre-ordered the trade paperback as soon as it was available and wolfed it down in on sitting.
Michael Allred has been one of my favorite comic book artists for aeons. When I saw he was teaming with his brother to do Bug! The Adventures of Forager, my curiosity was piqued. According to an interview I read before picking up the first issue, Lee and Michael Allred became obsessed with Forager because of a battered copy of New Gods #9 at their guitar teacher's place when they were kids. Since Forager only made three appearances, including his death in Cosmic Odyssey, they pretty much had a clean slate. Bug grew on me pretty quickly. Bug reminds me of Madman, Mike Allred's most famous creation, with some Spider-Man thrown in. I love that he carries a shield that is too unwieldy to throw.
The book reads like a love letter to Jack Kirby's DC creations from the first panel. Bug tears out of a cocoon and gets plunged neck deep in strangeness. The love the Allred boys feel for Bug, and the rest of Kirby's creations, comes through on every page. Bug looks and feels like a particularly good comic from yesteryear with some modern sensibilities.
Most of Kirby's creations from the 1970s (and some from the 1950s) are here: The New Gods, the Forever People, The Losers, Deadman, OMAC, Atlas, the Manhunters, the Silver Age Sandman, the Golden Age Blue Beetle, the Golden Age Sandman and Sandy, the list goes on and on. The only 70s characters I noticed missing were The Demon and Kamandi.
The story is pretty crazy, which is in keeping with Kirby's later period. Eventually, I quite trying to figure out what was coming next and just enjoyed the ride. Bug bounces all over the multiverse, chasing Chagra and the pieces of orichalcum. The ending wasn't what I expected but was very satisfying.
The stars were perfectly aligned for Bug! I don't think another creative team could have pulled it off. I'd love to see the Allred clan take on the Challengers of the Unknown next! Four out of five stars.
I read the first three issues of Bug! as they came out but got sidetracked somewhere along the way. I pre-ordered the trade paperback as soon as it was available and wolfed it down in on sitting.
Michael Allred has been one of my favorite comic book artists for aeons. When I saw he was teaming with his brother to do Bug! The Adventures of Forager, my curiosity was piqued. According to an interview I read before picking up the first issue, Lee and Michael Allred became obsessed with Forager because of a battered copy of New Gods #9 at their guitar teacher's place when they were kids. Since Forager only made three appearances, including his death in Cosmic Odyssey, they pretty much had a clean slate. Bug grew on me pretty quickly. Bug reminds me of Madman, Mike Allred's most famous creation, with some Spider-Man thrown in. I love that he carries a shield that is too unwieldy to throw.
The book reads like a love letter to Jack Kirby's DC creations from the first panel. Bug tears out of a cocoon and gets plunged neck deep in strangeness. The love the Allred boys feel for Bug, and the rest of Kirby's creations, comes through on every page. Bug looks and feels like a particularly good comic from yesteryear with some modern sensibilities.
Most of Kirby's creations from the 1970s (and some from the 1950s) are here: The New Gods, the Forever People, The Losers, Deadman, OMAC, Atlas, the Manhunters, the Silver Age Sandman, the Golden Age Blue Beetle, the Golden Age Sandman and Sandy, the list goes on and on. The only 70s characters I noticed missing were The Demon and Kamandi.
The story is pretty crazy, which is in keeping with Kirby's later period. Eventually, I quite trying to figure out what was coming next and just enjoyed the ride. Bug bounces all over the multiverse, chasing Chagra and the pieces of orichalcum. The ending wasn't what I expected but was very satisfying.
The stars were perfectly aligned for Bug! I don't think another creative team could have pulled it off. I'd love to see the Allred clan take on the Challengers of the Unknown next! Four out of five stars.
vernip's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Since I'm only familiar with the Young Justice version of the character, it was interesting to see what the canon version is like...and wouldn't you know it, a lot less naively charming and a lot more Mowgli-if-he-were-a-quirky-wisecracker.
Regardless, his journey through the many insane plots and locales of the DC universe, along with meeting up with familiar and new characters, was a pretty fun & trippy time.
Regardless, his journey through the many insane plots and locales of the DC universe, along with meeting up with familiar and new characters, was a pretty fun & trippy time.
mistercrow's review against another edition
3.0
Got a signed copy.
Midnight story at the end was quite fun to.
Midnight story at the end was quite fun to.
stevequinn's review against another edition
1.0
So....this is what the Allreds do? Write X-Statix/X-Force over and over again with different characters? Boring.
space_gaudet's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
4.0
I miss Madman. And I miss the Neil Gaiman run on Sandman. And I love Michael and Laura Allred's art.
I don't care about most of the DC Universe, and, in particular, I don't care about The New Gods. I don't usually enjoy dreams within dreams, or stories where you're supposed to guess what is and isn't atually happening.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this intersection of things I am nostalgic for, and things I have never had the fucks for. I rolled my eyes often at the 90s style snappy patter a la "Vile things, I think I love you." but I kept reading this weird, trippy little story, and am ultimately glad I did.
I recommend it for fans of Allred's [b:Madman Vol. 1: The Oddity Odyssey|115585|Madman Vol. 1 The Oddity Odyssey|Mike Allred|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348820192s/115585.jpg|111309], people looking for Sandman-like stories that don't feature Morpheus (and yet feature Sandman), pop-art comic enthusiasts, and fans of DC Comics who are looking for a story that isn't currently mired in Rebirth continuity.
I don't care about most of the DC Universe, and, in particular, I don't care about The New Gods. I don't usually enjoy dreams within dreams, or stories where you're supposed to guess what is and isn't atually happening.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this intersection of things I am nostalgic for, and things I have never had the fucks for. I rolled my eyes often at the 90s style snappy patter a la "Vile things, I think I love you." but I kept reading this weird, trippy little story, and am ultimately glad I did.
I recommend it for fans of Allred's [b:Madman Vol. 1: The Oddity Odyssey|115585|Madman Vol. 1 The Oddity Odyssey|Mike Allred|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348820192s/115585.jpg|111309], people looking for Sandman-like stories that don't feature Morpheus (and yet feature Sandman), pop-art comic enthusiasts, and fans of DC Comics who are looking for a story that isn't currently mired in Rebirth continuity.
manicpixiebooknerd's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lukeisthename34's review
5.0
I honestly think this may be my favorite graphic novel I've read this year. Silly. Fun. Insane. And just filled with the BEST art I think I've seen in a while. It could not be more enjoyable.
thestylishreader's review against another edition
3.0
A week after reading this, trying to write a review has made it clear to me why I only gave this a 3-star rating despite usually loving any series based upon Kirby's characters. It is just kind of "there" as a book. I certainly enjoyed myself, even finding myself laughing out loud at its campiness at times, but I also don't believe I'll ever revisit it. So for the sake of simplicity (and my brain), I'll highlight two "Likes" and one "Dislike".
- Likes
1. The Allred art team really knocks the vibe and aesthetic of this series out of the park. If their goal was to embrace the zany colors and simple lines of the 70s Kirby comics while adding the modern touches that make characters pop off the page, they get an A+ from me!
2. Really loved the usage of the Source Wall at the end. I firmly believe the concept of a wall of dead eternal beings at the edge of the universe has been an underused concept throughout DC Comics' recent history, so seeing it put to use in such an off-brand comic brought a smile to my face (even if it's not "continuity"...unless it is?)
- Dislike
1. The issue with recreating that disjointed, serialized storytelling style in modern comics is clearly on display in my reading experience: I simply reached the end of the an issue and didn't feel like I HAD to carry on. Sure, the overarching chase of Dr. Electric/Chagra gives a "tune in next week" incentive to everything, but each issue has a relatively self-contained story. This worked great in decades prior when you waited expectantly for next week's issue, but today many readers are simply reading a trade paperback regardless.
- Likes
1. The Allred art team really knocks the vibe and aesthetic of this series out of the park. If their goal was to embrace the zany colors and simple lines of the 70s Kirby comics while adding the modern touches that make characters pop off the page, they get an A+ from me!
2. Really loved the usage of the Source Wall at the end. I firmly believe the concept of a wall of dead eternal beings at the edge of the universe has been an underused concept throughout DC Comics' recent history, so seeing it put to use in such an off-brand comic brought a smile to my face (even if it's not "continuity"...unless it is?)
- Dislike
1. The issue with recreating that disjointed, serialized storytelling style in modern comics is clearly on display in my reading experience: I simply reached the end of the an issue and didn't feel like I HAD to carry on. Sure, the overarching chase of Dr. Electric/Chagra gives a "tune in next week" incentive to everything, but each issue has a relatively self-contained story. This worked great in decades prior when you waited expectantly for next week's issue, but today many readers are simply reading a trade paperback regardless.
Still, I would still recommend this to any Kirby fan or a fan of 7os DC Comics in general!
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