Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic #2
Dark Horse Comics
Review by Jose Navarro
If you like comic book adaptations of pre-existing pop-cultural properties, then you are certainly living in a golden age. Between IDW and Dark Horse you’d be hard pressed to find a property from the 1980s or 1990s that doesn’t have a comic book version on the stands right now. It should come as no surprise then to find out that there is a comic book version of cult favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000. At this point, if you haven’t already checked it out, you’re probably wondering how they pull off a comic book adaptation of a TV show where they make fun of bad movies.
But here’s the thing, this book was developed by Joel Hodgson himself. The very guy who created and starred in the original series spearheaded this adaptation. Under his guidance, Dark Horse Comics have dealt with the movie aspect of things in a unique and clever way. Instead of lampooning movies, our heroes (Jonah, Crow, Tom Servo, and Gypsy) find themselves thrust into the narratives of would-be comics from the annals of comics history. Behind all of this is the evil hand of Kinga Forrester and her dutiful lickspittle Max. It is a clever solution to an obvious problem in adapting this show into a literary form.
In issue 2, Jonah finds himself riding alongside the Black Cat, helping her to retain her anonymity, and Gypsy and Crow are fighting for their very lives in an EC Comics inspired romp that concludes with Crow T. Robot cosplaying as The Crypt Keeper. These aren’t just straightforward adventures however. Along the way, Jonah and the Bots find ample time for wisecracks and pop-cultural references in the same way they do on the show. As the narrative travels between both vintage stories and the wraparound set in the current timeline, the art styles change to mimic the styles of the past. They even go so far as to artificially yellow the pages upon which the “old” stories are printed to further push the immersive nature of the storytelling. Even though Kinga and Max are not as strong of characters as Dr. Clayton Forrester and TV’s Frank, they serve their purpose well in this book that is both clever and funny. Something that the current show fails to do consistently.
All in all, this is a fun read, and an innovative concept, especially for fans of the show. And as this is only issue 2, you still have a chance to get in on the ground floor, before this thing gets cancelled, or blows up. I’m not quite sure which one it’s going to do, but I’m definitely in their corner.
Jose Navarro is the co-host of “Los Hermanos Navarro” on KKSM
