Thursday, June 10, 2010

Simpsons Comics # 163

What I try to do with reviews at this Bookshelf blog is keep it simple and spoiler-free, and let you know whether I'd recommend you pick up a copy of what I just read. Seems to work okay. This time, a brief review of Simpsons Comics # 163 (Bongo, 2010)



You know, every so often, I see a little bit of The Simpsons on TV. I remain completely baffled why millions continue to watch it instead of buying these much, much better funnybooks. That's not to say most of these comics are all that amazing, but compared to how mediocre the TV cartoon has become, they really do shine.

Usually, I just read my son's copy, grin a little and pass it on, but when Sergio Aragonés has some work in the comic, it's time to settle back and get ready for something tremendously silly and entertaining. For pages absolutely packed full of characters and sight gags, exploding with energy and chaos, there's nobody in Sergio's class.

The plot, and, perhaps surprisingly, something as frenetic as this has one, has to do with the town of Springfield suffering one panic after another thanks to an escalating series of crises at the nuclear plant. Seems that somebody's been sleeping at the job, resulting in one world-ending alarm after another. By the time it's finished, Kent Brockman's ratings have skyrocketed, Moe's beer taps have run dry and Hans Moleman has found a little love, and all three find themselves, bafflingly, in Homer's debt. If you honestly think there's been a better installment of The Simpsons since September, 1997, you're just flat out wrong. Recommended.

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