When pages numbers are bowties: Jimmy Olsen review
David Mair
Taking a page number and making it a bowtie is so simple. Yet there in lies the beauty in the details and the little things that make a reader chuckle.
DC Comics newest journalist related comic, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, released Wednesday July 16.
The comic is made possible for readers by the creative channels of writer Matt Fraction, artist Steve Lieber and colorist Nathan Fairbarn.
To match the same path as previous summer DC reporter comics, it is also a 12 part maxi series.
I am honestly excited that it is just a short run because I laughed so hard I would be nervous that Fraction would ever force the funny with an ongoing run.
I went into this comic not being a fan of the character of Jimmy Olsen. I was looking forward to this book because of the writer behind it, Matt Fraction. Fraction has written some of my favorite comics, which include his run on Hawkeye and Sex Criminals.
In this comic, Jimmy Olsen first appears on page four. For a clickbait article, he has to jump out of a spaceship and land on earth. But worry not because scientists from S.T.A.R labs mixed Olsen’s DNA with Metamorpho and Draco Lizard DNA. This immediately backfires as Olsen jumps only to be transformed into a HUGE snapping turtle plummeting towards the earth.
If you didn’t laugh at that sentence you should definitely reread that line. Olsen is flailing towards the earth as a gigantic snapping turtle heading straight for Metropolis.
With just issue one of 12 out I would use the worlds zany, unpredictable, and adventurous, to describe the comic.
It sounds cliche to say, but this comic book honestly made me LOL. As I read it at the comic book store I work at (shout out Excalibur Comics), I let out a pure laugh. Unashamed I turned to my coworkers to see who else had read it so they could share in my joy.
CREDIT: LiEBER
The comic keeps up the humor by Olsen getting scolded by the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet while recounting the hilariously unbelievable adventures Olsen has gotten into.
Up until the last two pages it seemed the story might just fade out only to just pick up next issue for more zany misadventures. The issue ends on a twist. I’m intrigued by the twist because it puts Olsen in a situation that I don’t have any idea how he will get out of it.
A lot can happen in 12 issues. Though 12 issues is not a huge time commitment for reading. At this point I am excited to take in each issue.
With upcoming issues I want to see a few things happen. It would be great to see more of the Olsen lineage. The first page story of issue one shows a far distant ancestor of the present day Olsen and how Jimmy isn’t the first Olsen to be a bumbling klutz.
CREDIT: IMDB
I’m excited to see how the mess Olsen finds himself in unravels. Though I also don’t want to see this problem because super serious and intense for Olsen. The dark toned journalist comic is already called by Greg Rucka. I believe Olsen could continue to be a zany comic that holds a loose but steady plot.
Overall issue one, makes me excited for the rest of the maxi-series. I have faith this creative team will pull together something hilariously adventurous.