Mars Attacks Popeye (One-Shot)

For those who came in late (apologies to The Phantom), Mars Attacks started out as a series of bubblegum cards in 1962, which told the story of a gruesome attack on the Earth by Martians wielding death rays and assorted horrible weapons.

A cult favorite, it spawned a feature film directed by Tim Burton back in 1996, and have appeared in numerous comic book adaptations, mini-series and one-shots.

Looks like it’s time for more one-shots, though certainly even the insane Martians have never come up against a more unbeatable foe than Popeye.

Yep, this zany issues combines the two most disparate comics characters since The Punisher met Archie Andrews (as Dave Barry says, I am not making this up).

Happily, it’s all done in the throwback / Segar style like the ongoing Popeye comic book, so it’s all in good fun - lots of punching and smashing and carnage, lots of mangling of the English language - but like the best villains, there are always plenty more Martians where those came from.

Don’t expect anything deep or meaningful here - it would be a disappointment if it were anything more than just a fun-filled comic adventure with some laughs sprinkled in.

Kudos to writer Martin Powell and artist Terry Beatty for their fantastic work, recapturing the timeless allure of Thimble Theatre - and throwing in some monsters for good measure.

Grade: B+

-------------------

Popeye #1

Is there a stranger character in comics than Popeye the sailor?

The odd-looking bird with the huge forearms and squinty eye started life in the Thimble Theater comic strip (which he quickly took over from the hapless Oyl family) and achieved fame in an endless series of spinach-powereed cartoons.

I've been enjoying the reprints of the original Popeye strips by E. C. Segar (the final volume is finally available), and was also delighted to see this comic appear last Wednesday.

I wasn't sure what to expect, although since Roger Langridge is writing it, I knew it would be entertaining.

It actually feels like a classic Popeye tale that's been unearthed years after its creation. Part of that can be credited to the writing, which captures the (shall we say) unique style of the cast, especially the star.

Part of the credit goes to the art by Bruce Ozella, which manages to capture the classic look of the script. None of the modern techniques are on view - no closeups, odd angles or crazy layouts.

Instead, the art is presented in a straightforward way, looking for all the world like the comic strip in its heyday. I'm not sure if this is Ozella's actual style or if he's mimicking the classics, but it's a delight to see.

Many of the classic characters from the comic strip are here, including Olive Oyl, her brother Castor, Wimpy, the Jeep and even Bluto.

There are lots of clever bits thrown in for long-time comics fans (the cover, for example, is an homage to the first issue of Action Comics).

Lots of fun, some clever twists and cute banter - a great package. Long may it run!

Grade: A

---------------