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Simpsons riff on ripe territory -- the 'Event' comic.
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For any comics reader that remembers the season 2 episode of The Simpsons "Three Men and a Comic Book", knows that the writers understood the collector's mentality. There was a feeling that they while they were mocking the comic book world, it was made from a lover's perspective. Groening and company were fans, and suddenly, comics had an ally on TV. Which ultimately led to the start of Bongo Comics and a run of successful Simpsons comics, including Bart's favorite superhero: Radioactive Man!.jpg)
Over the years the actual Radioactive Man comic has been a paradigm for comics satire, poking fun at all the turning points in comics history: from Denny O' Neil and Neal Adams' culturally reflective turn on Green Lantern/Green Arrow, to Alan Moore's ushering in of the 'grim and gritty' approach with Watchmen; from character deaths and returns, to costume changes and the soap opera squabbling of the superhero teams. All done in that now classic Simpsons sarcasm. .gif){kind=small}
Last month Bongo turned their cross-hairs on the fertile field for comedic satire of the frustratingly trendy "event" comic. A selling device generally reserved for the "Big Two" publishers in the comics industry, where the storylines of various characters coalesce into that universe-altering limited series, and all the separate titles have their respective tie-in issues. They're meant to serve as sort of the "summer blockbuster" for the Big Two, and just like the mammothly budgeted popcorn flicks that grace the theaters every summer, these "events" are big on hype, but generally fall short on substance.
Starting in Simpsons Comics #155, Krusty the Klown, now the new owner of the Radioactive Man property, decides to re-vamp the hero to boost sales. To help hype the radical new approach his creators have taken, they decide not to promote the idea, but let word of mouth spark a buzz. Luckily for Krusty and his associates that that word of mouth originates with Kent Brockman, the news anchorman, who decides to report the new comic on a 'slow news day'. The ploy works, eventually igniting an city-wide interest in Radioactive Man, including those that have no interest in the character or the story, but merely want to get their hands on hot comic investment. But for the real fans, including Bart and his buddies, this doesn't exactly bode well for their beloved superhero..jpg)
Continuing into Bart Simpson #48 and concluding in The Simpson Super Spectacular #9, this crossover reads like many of the 'event' crossovers that it satires. The Bart Simpson issue is like a pot-boiler, not really progressing the story but mostly just recounting the events that transpired in the last issue. And the conclusion the Super Spectacular issue feels a little hollow and implausible. But therein, perhaps, lies the irony. Not only does the story poke fun at the 'event' comic, but the story also fizzles out like an 'event' comic.
The Bongo 'event' story arc does have some saving graces. Written by Batton Lash, with art by Tone Rodriguez who expertly recreates the Simpsons animated style, the jibes taken at complex continuity and the toll on the fans' wallets are not only hilarious, but also provide a much needed examination at the current state of the comic industry. The Radioactive Man event is anything but; however, being only 3-issues its definitely a less expensive summer crossover, and with Milhouse's recounting of the current Radioactive Man events, readers can get their fill of mind-boggling continuity and have a few laughs at the same time.
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