If you don’t like Lamar Abrams‘ Remake by now, you really need to start.
Admittedly, I was pretty late to jump aboard but I think we’re all still at a point where if you like it now, you’ll still be on the cutting edge. When all your less-cool friends start talking about this awesome comic, you can say “Yeah, I knew about that a while ago. Where have you been?” This is your chance!
OK. Yes, I’m being pretty silly about this. But I’m not being silly about how you should, in fact, like Remake.
Remake Special (AdHouse Books, 2011) is maybe not as inventive as the original Remake book, but it also shows Abrams’ growth as a storyteller. Now, granted, that story is about a monster made of poop (I would never claim that Remake caters to the more mature mindset — but that is kind of what makes it great), but it’s a complete story nonetheless. Max Guy, Magma Boy and Rick venture into the sewers to defeat the Poop Monster (the lovely waitress Sybil and Max Guy’s roommate Cardigan are too smart for this) and there’s a bunch of action-packed, juvenile humor in the ensuing battles (there’s also an alligator who’s a DJ, which is more than awesome).
Abrams’ art is inspired in equal parts by anime, manga and video games (yes, really, those are all entirely different things) and his action sequences are amazingly silly entertainment. He has an eye for movement and scene-setting that’s more skillful than it would need to be. Like I’ve said before — with all the love Cartoon Network has shown to indie comic creators recently, I don’t know why they’re not knocking on Abrams’ door.
Our “hero,” Max Guy, is pretty much a naive idiot, but we like him all the same and probably relate to him more than we should. He means well, after all, and the other characters stick by him despite his flaws.
While I wouldn’t necessarily hand this to a child (although maybe leave it out where they could find it, but that’s different), the kid-like qualities of it make it joyful. And I would hand it to all the adults I know. Abrams is having fun making this comic and you’ll have fun reading it. And really, what else do you want?
(No Amazon link on this one — no one buys from my Amazon links, anyway, but with this: If you want it, buy it from you better comic book stores or directly from AdHouse Books. It’s better they have the money than me.)
Excellent review, Eden!
I really liked the first REMAKE! But I HATE scatological humor, so this one is out with me. Ick.
I know the feeling — I’m usually right there with you — but it works here. No, seriously. It sounds more terrible than it is. To me, you kind of have to approach it as if you’re a 12-year-old boy, because that’s basically Max Guy’s mindset. I don’t know if I’d quite say it’s “gracefully” done, but it’s not nearly as gross as you’d think it would be.