Franklin Richards: Happy Franksgiving
 

Story: Chris Eliopoulos and
Marc Sumerak
Script: Marc Sumerak
Art & Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Color: Brad Anderson

Franklin Richards may be the son of a genius but that sure doesn’t stop him from getting in over his head on a regular basis. Good thing H.E.R.B.I.E., the robot is there to help Franklin out as he has to contend with giant mutant hamsters, over-grown “Ocean Apes” and… the Fan-turkey Four?!

I’ve never read any of the Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius specials by Marc Sumerak and Chris Eliopoulos because, honestly, I didn’t think they’d be any good. Once again I have been proven wrong. Not only is Happy Franksgiving good, it’s honestly funny, a rare feat when it comes to “humor” comics.

The stories, while not totally original, are genuinely cute and entertaining. I give a lot of credit for my enjoyment of the book to the wonderful art of Chris Eliopoulos, who brilliantly captures a Calvin and Hobbes type style without coming off like a Bill Watterson rip-off. Then there’s my other favorite part of the book, H.E.R.B.I.E., Franklin’s robot nanny, who is often pushed to the edge of a nervous breakdown by his mischievous young charge. Without the level-headed, though sometimes clearly neurotic, robot on his side, young Franklin would surely be dead a thousand times over.

While this book is completely kid-friendly (another plus) I would highly recommend Happy Franksgiving for comic book fans of all ages and tastes. It surprised me and I bet it will surprise you too.

(One cautionary note – beware the truly atrocious “A New Light” backup at the end of the book. It has nothing to do with Franklin Richards but is part of the crossover between Marvel Comics and the long-running soap opera, Guiding Light. Lord, how I wish I were making that up.)


Special thanks go out to Jeremy Shorr, owner of Titan Comics for allowing us to use his advance preview books for review purposes.
 

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