Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Review: Plastic Man #2

By Philip Schweier
July 11, 2018 - 08:52

Plas is on the prowl, in search of a street urchin who stepped in when all hope was lost. The tiny ragamuffin provided Plas with refuge, a place to lay his weary head. But this seeming reject from the Little Rascals seems woefully out of place (or maybe I’m woefully out of touch), in that children don’t wander the streets in search of fun the way they did back in the days of Our Gang. Nowadays, they look for drugs or petty theft.

This chapter expands on Eel O’Brian’s background, alluding that he was a much more dangerous criminal than one might have thought. But the route is a little perplexing at first. I had to read it again, then go back to the previous issue in order to follow the narrative more clearly. But once I did so, I was on board. So maybe the six-issue mini-series will read better as a single trade paperback.

The artwork is superb, potentially giving a master like Jose Luis Garcia Lopez a run for his money. My only complain is the Finding game on page 4, which started out as a surreal depiction, but seemingly descended into a social justice campaign. But I won’t let one blip on an otherwise fine story ruin my enjoyment of it.

But the humor is still there, such as the moment when Plastic Man is riddled with bullets. I know, since when did murder equal wacky fun? Since he didn’t die, it’s hardly murder. (Nor a spoiler, cuz you don’t kill off your star in the second issue) (unless your name is Joss Whedon).

Rating: 8/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12