![]() Some more serious, some attempting more connection to youth culture in that moment, others just dull. There have been many attempts to re-imagine Jimmy Olsen into something other than what his 20-year ongoing comic series put into place. The dialogue remains standard, like he saves up to let his creative whims run wild for the headers, and each one’s worth the wait. Clayton Cowles unleashes a creative font sample pack in the section introductions, each with its own title and accompanying variation on ‘Superman’s Pal…’. Visualize the palette needed for aliens, Elastic Lad, Wolf-Man, Flamebird, and Turtle Man. Fairbairn includes many of those colors but tones them down to their low beams. That’s good, because a many past Olsen-centric colorations would give Rainbow Batman a run. Nathan Fairbairn’s assorted paint sample hues never go too garish, too vibrant. Lieber’s cover for the issue is quite the nostalgia parade of classic Super-Rogues, too: Menacing Gorilla Bride, Terra-Man, the Annihilator, and the ever-fuming Editor-in-Chief. Superman’s expression when Jimmy lives down to public expectations. A tired embedded photographer on the flight home, drowsing against Lois Lane as both still wear their combat gear and Jimmy bleeds from a bandaged hand. Amidst all the wacky, Lieber drops in random, unexpectedly poignant panels. Steve Lieber serves up generous portions of the silly, from panels of Jimmy galloping alongside Comet as a freckled, bow-tied stallion, to getting a first-rate snap of Luthor’s twitching nasal hairs. The matter’s dealt with to a degree a chastened Jimmy dialing down his chaotic side along with any serious attempts at quality is what everyone ultimately expects from him. It may come off as a bit too dismissive that the Olsen family’s good fortune trumps hard work and determination for success, including winning that Pulitzer. It further provides relatable, behind-the-scenes glimpses of major characters. Mostly, if you aren’t looking for a hard-boiled newspaper hero like Lois, this approach manages to have fun with the Olsen concept. Which may well be one of the greatest natural traits of a journalist. Who better for a superheroic powerhouse from Kansas to befriend? It’s hard to take Jimmy too seriously as a journalistic force, but he makes people (except Luthor) feel comfortable. As written by Fraction, he’s fearless, dares amazing stunts, makes you laugh, and has a good heart. Anyone could do worse than having Jimmy for a chum. This time, he answers the perpetual fandom puzzler, “If you’re Superman and can pal around with anyone in the world, why Jimmy?” Oddly enough, because it’s more fun than being around Batman is only part of the implied answer. Last issue, he provided a modern Turtle Man incarnation. ![]() Lastly, Jimmy hides out in Gotham while people connected only by association with him wake up disappeared or dead.įraction’s having a good time hanging out on the muzzy fringes of what made the Silver Age Olsen series memorable. The third covers why Superman and Olsen are friends. Given their ongoing bad blood, only Jimmy being Kryptonian could place him higher on Lex’s ‘Get Even’ list. The second is history repeating itself, Jimmy striking gold while capitalizing on a Luthor’s misfortune. In the first, blind luck makes enemies of the Alexander/Luthor and Olsson/Olsen families. The narrative again breaks into four parts: Metropolis’ history and Jimmy’s progenitors the now, with Jimmy’s Planet features and the near future, at a Gotham flophouse. ![]() They aren’t kidding, but the result is funny. ![]() Or, as trade copy proclaimed, it’s “a bizarre tour of the underbelly of the DC Universe”. Rather, it’s a celebration of the strange and offbeat elements orbiting the Man of Steel’s best friend. Unlike its companion 12-issue maxi-series Lois Lane, writer Matt Fraction’s emphasis isn’t on a serious, investigative journalist version of Jimmy Olsen. In issue #2, we also find he’s won a Pulitzer Prize for Photography. He’s their red-haired, golden egg-laying goose of online trending and sales. We learned from the first issue of Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen all the journalistic integrity and hard-hitting news Daily Planet readers rely on is bankrolled by Olsen’s madcap stunt reporting. How profitable is puerile? The Jackass franchise has proven solvent, even award-winning. Add risky stunts and grossness, it sells large. Art: Steve Lieber, Nathan Fairbairn/DCīy Clyde Hall. Cover to ‘Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen’ #2. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |