Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Peanuts #0
Kaboom!
Charles Schulz
Boom's kids line is resurrecting a classic in the form of a comic version of Peanuts. As it plainly states on the cover: "$1 New Stories" which makes this issue nearly impossible to pass on. The issue comprises of several stories that vary in length but nearly all of them deal with strictly classic material, which is the way to go with an introductory issue. In short, this issue had me smiling the entire way through and I think that is exactly the this book should be aiming for.
The first story, adapted by Zorman and Moore, is mostly about Charlie Brown not having an imagination. Through Snoopy, Charlie Brown manages to show Lucy that he imagines plenty of things just as well as his trusty, four-legged, companion. However, Lucy throws a twist at the end that gets Chuck's blood boiling. This is a fun showcase for Charlie Brown and his connection to Snoopy. The only downer is that Lucy is never even referred to by name. This assumption that everyone knows the characters is a slight misstep.
The second story, adapted by Scott, Braddock and Moore, is a terrific, near wordless, story about Woodstock and Snoopy. It's funny and heartwarming as is the case with all the best Woodstock and Snoopy stories. The strength of Peanuts in general is the depth of the characters and that shows extremely well through these two silent ones.
The final story is a preview of a graphic novel edited by Gagnon and Staffaroni. This story centers around Linus and his blanket. This one looks like it has the most legs as it covers many of the major characters in the couple of page preview.
The issue is rounded out with four Classic Peanuts episodes. One that involves Charlie Brown, Lucy and a football which will seem familiar to the seasoned reader but will nonetheless be met with a smile. The other three are also terrific additions to the book.
The comic book is a perfect introduction. It's only a buck, which makes it absolutely risk-free. As far as lead-in material goes I think this is a good opening to hopefully what will be a wider range of characters and stories to come. This is an excellent start.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
