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Sun Bakery #2

By Andy Doan
June 12, 2016 - 11:24

Sun Bakery 2

This is the second issue of Corey Lewis’s self described one-man Shonen Jump. This description seems fitting as the reader is offered four mini stories plus one post roll bonus all based in a different universe. Although the pages are colored each separate story uses it own tricolor palette capturing roughly the same depth as the Japanese imports we are all familiar with. The stories all seem to be fantasy based with more than a little inspiration from other popular sources (some more than others). The artwork for each story is slightly different but with a strong common thread. It’s a simple fun style that we see in other work by this artist. It seems rushed at times but generally works with the style of each story.

Arem

Although the artist is careful not to say which one, this story line is basically a mirror of a very popular Nintendo video game franchise. We’re taken on a short ride to a distant alien planet with a canon-armed exosuit wearing heroine. It’s a tongue-in-cheek look at a character many of us are very familiar with.

For me the humor was applied liberally enough to let me believe this to be more of a parody than fan fiction. I could see myself following this mini title providing the author can keep it fresh. There are literally decades of source material to work with here.

Dream Skillz

By far my favourite of the offering. This storyline is very reminiscent of Scott Pilgrim although updated to the degree that younger audiences might not notice. Gone are the multitude of pop culture references and in it’s place we have an awareness of the over the top surreal backdrop.

I’m not sure if this is a genre based formula or not but I found myself kind of clicking into a groove with this type of story that seemed very familiar. We have outrageous street meetings that end up as sword battles in the sky. We have battles with baristas over wifi passwords. I don’t think being in a groove like this is necessarily a bad thing. I think of stories like One Punch Man for example where the writers find time to reveal the deeper meaning once audiences are familiar with the pattern. 

Bat Rider

Many secrets, skate boards, Kirby-esque bad guy at the end. No idea what is going on here. Didn’t dislike it.

Bloodshed

“The Dream of the 90s is Alive… in Bloodshed”  By far the most familiar narrative for me (I’m from the 90s after all). He we roll the clock back to a time before there was an ultra-violent sword carrying assassin with voices in his head. This one is altruistic but I think you get the idea. Not much else to say as we’re only treated to a one page splash in this one.

Conclusion

This whole 45 page book took me about 5 minutes to read. For the $5.99 cover price it seems like a pass for me. However this may be the type of book you pull out 10-15 years down the road at a comic-con when Corey Lewis is a big star and the two of you have a special moment as he signs the cover. That’s a long term investment. Not to say there isn’t value in this work, Dream Skillz has the potential to break through with the 13-20 audience. When there are more than a dozen pages and the story takes shape this is the type of thing that would be a great graphic novel.

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Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12