Bizarre New World #1 - 3 Ape Entertainment

 

I like really smart comics. It's hard to define what I mean by a smart comic, but when I read it I know I found one. Lately, most of the smart comics I've bumped into have been based loosely in the world of fictional science. Take Grant Morrison and later Gail Simone's All-New Atom as one example. Ape Entertainment's Bizarre New World fits that bill as well and, as a reader, this title pulled me in from the first few pages. Writer Skipper Martin steps up to the bat, eyes the pitcher, smiles like a seasoned veteran (while telling his tale) and knocks this very down to earth story concept right out of the ballpark.

 

The basics of the story are pretty simple. What if you could fly? We've all asked that question, but did we really think about the answer? After reading the double-size first issue of Bizarre New World, I have to personally my answer would be "no".

 

You know, when it comes to superpowers, flying has always struck me as the vanilla of the powerhouse ice cream sunday. I would bet when any one of you had that age old geek-sheik discussion of "what super power would you want?" this ability might not even make your top ten list. Even the writers of NBC's highly successful Heroes shrugged off the power just a bit earlier this week when, soon to be Presidential hopeful, Nathan Patreilli's daughter Claire discovered her father could fly (May 7th episode, "The Hard Part"). Nathan didn't give the ability much thought, but if you watched that scene closely you could see in Claire's eye the sense of wonder which I think Skipper Martin brings to the table in Bizarre New World. Is flying an underrated ability taken for granted in the comics? It just might be.

 

Skipper certainly has given the topic of flying a lot of thought. His fun and humorous investigation of the ramifications of that idea really propels this story forward. You can easily slide into the shoes of the series title character Paul as he discovers the limits of his ability and seeks to learn the limits of his new power and if he has other powers.

 

Exploring that idea gets the story off the ground, but it's the humanity of both the main character and the supporting cast that takes this tale to new heights. If you read the liner notes that accompany this series, you will see that many of the characters are based on real people in Skipper's life. That connection of the real with the fictional comes through on the page. When Paul pays a visit to his son and they discuss what it would be like to fly (and take part in a light saber battle on the front lawn), the interaction feels very honest and real. I appreciate seeing that in a story.

 

There is a scene in the series where Paul goes to a friend to get a theoretical look at what it would take for a human being to actually fly. What starts out as a private conversation is suddenly interrupted by a room full of people brainstorming ways in which and individual might fly. This sequence of conversation was worth the price of admission for me and remains one fun highlight from a solid storyline. The concepts presented during this conversation are honestly interesting and add to the smart feel of the book I first mentioned at the beginning of this review.

 

From the scene where an excited Paul get's a bit down after noticing he's left footprints all over the ceiling to the one where his first real moments of flight ecstasy are interrupted by a lightning storm, this very fictional tale feels all too real in it's approach and likability. Like many of us, no matter how good Paul has it, life seems to have a bit of fun with him along the way. It's great to watch Paul's very simple mission of self discovery unfold. There are no super villains here. An explanation of why Paul can fly isn't even really necessary. It's all about that moment of discovering that your life is forever changed and you've fallen, head-over-heels into a Bizarre New World.

 

Before we call this review done, I need to talk a little about the art. I loved the work of Christopher Provencher (pencils) and Wes Dzioba (colors) here. To capture a tale of flight, you have to be able to see the majesty of taking to the air. There are panels in this series that are just magnificent. The use of visual perspective and the vibrancy of color really add to the tale as well.

 

Summing it all up, I have do say that you should do yourself a favor and make sure that you do not miss this series. Find the issues. If you have to ask your retailer to order them, it's not too much to ask. You will not regret it. This is a fine, fine read and I predict very good things for Skipper and his collaborators on the title. With this review, I tip my hat. These three issues made me smile many, many times as it's a fresh approach with quality work, cover to cover.

 

Scale of 1 to 10 ... 9
May 10th, 2007 ... Review by Chuck