| Comic Review | Paul Milligan |
Lions, Tigers and Bears Vol. 2 #2 (of 4)
Writer: Mike Bullock
Illustrator: Jack Lawrence
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
Joey
Price, Courtney Donlolley and their protectors, the Night
Pride, have been trapped in a snowy wasteland by the
Beasties. With them out of the way and King Bear imprisoned
there is nothing to stop the Beasties and their leader,
Valthraax, from capturing and feeding on the children of the
world. Will Joey and the Night Pride find their way back to
the Crystal Palace or will Valthraax and the Beasties rule
both the Stuffed Animal Kingdom and our world.
Oh my God. Why have I not picked up this comic book before
now? I mean, I’d heard of it, I’d seen the amazing art, but
I’d never picked up a copy until now. My mistake. Within
just a few pages I was filled with a kind of wonder that
reminded me of watching shows like ThunderCats, Dungeons &
Dragons and even a little bit of the Care Bears. It’s like
reading a comic based on the best 80’s cartoon that never
existed.
It’s the combination of
Jack
Lawrence’s
incredible artwork, whose animation background shines
through, and
Mike Bullock’s script, full of childlike wonder, hope and, at times,
terror, that makes Lions, Tigers and Bears such an enjoyable
comic to read. At first I was worried that I might be lost,
especially considering I was coming in on the second issue
of the second series. But while these two have crafted an
elaborate fantasy world, full of courageous heroes,
dastardly villains and exotic scenery, it was surprisingly
easy to pick up the story and follow along.
Lions, Tigers and Bears is one of those few comics that can
be read and totally enjoyed by anyone, child or adult. It’s
sad that comics like this are so rare, but it’s a real treat
when you find one. I would happily recommend this book to
just about anyone. It’s exactly the kind of comic that I’m
going to give to my nephew when he’s old enough to read. In
fact, as soon as I’m done writing this review, I’m going to
the comic book store so I can pick up the
trade of the first series!
Special thanks go out to Jeremy Shorr, owner of
Titan Comics for allowing us to use his advance
preview books for review purposes.
