When Superman decides that he needs Bizarro out of Metropolis (and his hair), he convinces his best friend Jimmy Olsen that a coffee table book about a roadtrip with Bizarro would be extremely lucrative. So Jimmy and his new worstest friend hit the open road to Bizarro-America*. Along the way they befriend a chupacabra named Colin; fight mind-controlling, used car-selling pharaohs; get lost in a ghost town (filled with actual ghosts) with Chastity Hex; beat Zatanna at her own game; and more.
What makes Heath Corson’s goofy, all-ages romp something memorable is its focus on friendship. Jimmy is using Bizarro at first, and he knows it; but as the two get in and out of more trouble together, they actually do begin to form a bond. As the series goes on, the tension about whether or not that bond will hold grows, providing an emotional center for the duo’s otherwise zany hijinks.
That energy and emotion come through in Gustavo Duarte, Pete Pantazis, and Lee Loughridge’s art. On its surface, their pages look bright and bombastic, but clever layouts and over-the-top expressiveness propel the book forward. And on top of that, an all-star group of guest artists provide splash pages throughout the series to further emphasize key moments.
Bizarro is one of the most fun, carefree comics I’ve read. It’s the closest thing to a Saturday morning cartoon that I can imagine in comic book form. If you’re looking for something legitimately funny that bounces around all corners fo the DC Universe, then check out Bizarro.
* Canada
Collected in
- Bizarro (#1-6)
Credits
Writer: Heath Corson | Artist: Gustavo Duarte | Guest Artists: Bill Sienkiewicz, Kelley Jones, Michelle Madsen, Francis Manapul, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá, Darwyn Cooke, Rafael Albuquerque, Tim Sale, Dave Stewart | Colorists: Pete Pantazis, Lee Loughridge | Letterer: Tom Napolitano