ComiColum
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      SEAN
      McQUAID
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      doesn’t
      just
      fight
      crime
      ...
      he
      plays
      cruel
      tricks
      on
      it.
     
     
      That’s
      the
      unique
      motto
      of
      Slapstick,
      a
      brand
      new
      character
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      Marvel
      Comics
      who
      is
      currently
      starring
      in
      his
      own
      four
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      issue
      limited
      series.
      From
      a
      company
      that’s
      fond
      of
     
     
      endlessly
      regurgitating
      the
      same
      old
      batch
      of
      mutants,
      skull-
     
     
      shirted
      vigilantes,
      and
      spirits
      of
      vengeance,
      Slapstick
      is
      a
     
     
      surprisingly
      original
      and
      entertaining
      new
      concept.
      The
     
     
      story
      concerns
      class
      clown
      Steve
      Harmon,
      who
      stumbles
     
     
      onto
      an
      invasion
      of
      evil
      clowns
      from
      Dimension
      X
      (where
     
    
   
   
    
     
      else?).
      Tagging
      along
      to
      rescue
      his
      captured
      friends,
      Steve
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      physically
      warped
      while
      crossing
      the
      dimensional
      barrier
      in
     
     
      an
      attempt
      to
      pursue
      the
      clowns
      into
      their
      own
      dimension.
     
     
      The
      resulting
      molecular
      destabilization
      leaves
      Steve’s
      body
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      a
      state
      resembling
      silly
      putty,
      but
      he’s
      rescued
      by
      a
      wacky
     
    
   
   
    
     
      scientist
      who,
      with
      his
      goofy
      assistants,
      bears
      a
      disquieting
     
     
      resemblance
      to
      the
      Marx
      brothers.
      They
      provide
      Steve
      with
     
     
      gloves
      that
      stabilize
      his
      molecular
      structure
      so
      that
      he
     
     
      becomes
      solid,
      albeit
      in
      a
      form
      resembling
      a
      cartoon
      charac-
     
     
      ter.
      The
      gloves
      allow
      him
      to
      return
      his
      human
      form
      at
      will,
     
     
      and
      while
      in
      cartoon
      form
      his
      molecularly
      unstable
      body
      can
     
     
      be
      spindled,
      folded,
      and
      mutilated
      without
      harm,
      rendering
     
     
      him
      virtually
      indestructible,
      and
      the
      gloves
      are
      linked
      to
      a
     
     
      ‘‘spatial
      pocket’’
      where
      small
      items
      such
      as
      clothing
      and
     
     
      weapons
      can
      be
      stored
      and
      made
      to
      appear
      seemingly
      from
     
     
      nowhere.
      The
      long
      and
      short
      of
      it
      is
      that
      Steve
      becomes
      a
     
     
      living
      cartoon
      character
      of
      sorts,
      and
      his
      first
      mission
      using
     
     
      his
      new
      found
      abilities
      is
      to
      thwart
      the
      evil
      clowns
      and
      their
     
     
      master,
      a
      sort
      of
      sinister
      little
      jack-in-the-box
      with
      delu-,
     
     
      sions
      of
      conquest.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It’s
      avery
      innovative
      and
      refreshingly
      off-the-wall
      book,
      and
     
     
      writer
      Len
      Daminski
      is
      very
      aware
      of
      it,
      occasionally
     
     
      making
      fun
      of
      his
      subjects
      and
      frequently
      taking
      pokes
      ata
     
     
      lot
      of
      the
      comic
      industry’s
      sacred
      cows.
      The
      story
      opens
     
     
      with
      a
      depiction
      of
      the
      doomed
      planet
      Krypton
      exploding,
     
     
      and
      with
      a
      cavalier
      ‘‘so
      much
      for
      them’’
      caption
      the
      writer
     
     
      launches
      into
      the
      story
      at
      hand.
      All
      readers
      should
      be
      able
     
     
      to
      grasp
      a
      lot
      of
      the
      book’s
      absurdist
      humour,
      but
      there’s
     
     
      more
      than
      a
      few
      in-jokes
      like
      the
      Krypton
      intro
      aimed
     
     
      specifically
      at
      comic
      fans,
      including
      a
      welcome
      Punisher
     
     
      satire
      and
      an
      absolutely
      hilarious
      reference
      to
      the
      origin
      of
     
     
      DC
      Comics’
      original
      Robin
      character
      (without
      giving
      it
     
     
      away,
      sharp-eyed
      readers
      should
      keep
      an
      eye
      out
      fora
     
     
      certain
      circus
      poster).
      Kaminski
      manages
      to
      capably
      intro-
     
     
      duce
      the
      character,
      concept,
      and
      supporting
      cast
      in
      the
      first
     
    
   
   
    
     
      issue,
      and
      the
      pacing
      is
      capable
      though
      the
      action
      beyond
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      origin
      elements
      is
      pretty
      standard
      stuff,
      the
      inevitable
     
     
      Marvel
      fight
      scene,
      though
      it’s
      done
      in
      a
      cartoon
      style
      that
     
     
      may
      elicit
      more
      than
      a
      few
      chuckles.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      James
      Fry,
      soon
      to
      become
      the
      regular
      artist
      of
      Moon
      Knigh,
     
     
      gets
      a
      chance
      to
      show
      off
      his
      unique
      talents
      as
      the
      penciller
     
     
      of
      the
      series.
      He’s
      excellent
      at
      maintaining
      variety
      in
      the
     
     
      depiction
      of
      the
      characters
      rather
      than
      drawing
      from
      types,
     
     
      and
      his
      work
      can
      be
      very
      expressive,
      allowing
      him
      to
      shift
     
     
      with
      relative
      ease
      from
      the
      cartoony
      to
      concrete
      realism
      and
     
     
      vice
      versa,
      something
      that
      a
      similar
      project,
      DC’s
      recent
     
     
      Plastic
      Man
      revival,
      failed
      to
      do
      successfully.
      It’s
      a
      visu-
     
     
      ally
      eclectic
      book,
      but
      consistent
      thanks
      to
      Fry
      and
      inker
     
     
      Terry
      Austin.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      striking
      thing
      about
      the
      series
      is
      that,
      no
      matter
      how
     
     
      original
      it
      is,
      is
      draws
      on
      a
      wide
      variety
      of
      influences
      like
     
     
      most
      character
      concepts
      before
      it.
      Most
      obvious
      is
      the
     
     
      influence
      of
      Steve
      Ditko,
      to
      whom
      the
      story
      is
      dedicated.
     
     
      The
      story’s
      youthful,
      lighthearted
      tone
      is
      reminiscent
      of
      Lee
     
     
      and
      Ditko’s
      early
      Spider-Man
      stories,
      and
      the
      visuals
      exhibit
     
     
      a
      strong
      Ditko
      influence;
      in
      fact,
      both
      story
      and
      art
      bear
     
     
      strong
      resemblances
      to
      Ditko’s
      original
      version
      of
      the
     
     
      Creeper
      in
      DC’s
      Showcase
      series:
      both
      Slapstick
      and
      _
     
     
      Creeper
      are
      clownish,
      maniacally
      laughing
      characters
      who
     
     
      are
      rescued
      by
      scientists
      to
      fight
      an
      oppressor
      and
      are
      given
     
     
      enhanced
      durability
      and
      the
      ability
      to
      take
      on
      a
      bizarre
      form
     
     
      instantaneously.
      The
      concepts
      are
      different
      enough
      to
      avoid
     
     
      duplication,
      but
      like
      many
      similar
      comic
      characters
      they
     
     
      draw
      on
      identical
      basic
      inspirations.
      The
      manic,
      cartoony
     
     
      Slapstick
      is
      still
      an
      original
      in
      his
      own
      right,
      though,
      and
     
     
      with
      any
      luck
      he
      may
      become
      Marvel’s
      next
      sleeper
      hit.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ae
      aN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      E:
      regs
     
    
   
   
    
     
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