Super Dinosaur #1 Review, by Marc Alan Fishman – Snarky Synopses #6

May 1, 2011 Marc Fishman 2 Comments

Super Dinosaur #1
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Jason Howard

Welcome back to Snarky Synopses! I hope you all dug last week’s rant and a half. This week, I’m spitting 17% less piss and vinegar, but that’s OK. Sit tight, the pain is coming. I don’t know how exactly one sits tight, but I assume you’re doing it right now. Enough with my attempt at humor, let’s get into it. Oh, and in case I wasn’t clear about this before? Spoiler alert.

Robert Kirkman aka the Stan Lee of Image Comics, releases yet-another-title into the world. Unlike Stan Lee though, he didn’t sell away his rights to his original creations in order to run a business he wasn’t fit for, nor does he require a cameo in anything he’s remotely involved with. Wow, that’s a mean burn, if I do say so myself. I don’t hate Stan Lee kids, I’m just making a point. One I’ve digressed from enough. Anywho… Robert Kirkman, who puts out 1,275 books a month, returns to the well of his childhood with his gal friday, Jason Howard in “Super Dinosaur #1”. This “all-ages, but seriously, it’s basically for kids” book is under Kirkman’s own private label via Image. Taking place outside his other universe (including Invincible, the Amazing Wolf-Man, and Guardians of the Globe), SD #1 is a continuity unto itself. Is it worth your money? I’m drawing the line at $2.99, and frankly, the book will suit me better when I have a small child breaking toys around the house.

Super Dinosaur starts emphatically enough. Our 10 year old protagonist is a boy-genius who basically goes cavorting around the world, getting in fights with evil dinosaurs from the planet’s core, wearing nothing more than the old navies on his back. And, of course,  he has a flying backpack / transforming robot sidekick. And of course, his best friend is a mildly intelligent Tyrannosaurus in a metal exo-skeleton, complete with missiles, lasers, chain guns, a jet pack, blender, iPod, iPad, turntables, a deep fryer, and wee little holes for it’s wee little arms. Kudos to Howard’s design here. The super dino in question is really well put together. The thought process is evident on the page, as SD operates his various weaponry via lil’ joystick controls mounted on the torso. I could complain that the kid himself is less armored than he should be, but we know this is a child-farce. Kids picking up this book (or parents purchasing for their wee ones) will certainly love young Derek Dynamo, and want to zip around their house in rocket skates, hurling all manner of exploding pellets. I don’t recommend you let them mind you, but I’ll indulge Kirkman here; the book is directed at kids, and while it does do a fair amount of dumbing down in terms of plot and characterization… it’s gonna be something the under 13 crowd will tweet about.

Plot wise, Kirkman spends portions of the book setting up our core cast. The aforementioned Derek is joined by his lone father, Doctor Dynamo (wouldn’t it be nice to have 1 main kid character in something NOT be in a single parent home?), as well as a family of government sponsored goody-goods. The mom and dad are Super Dino mechanics, and they have a pair of teen girls. One comes across as a goth (“I don’t like the world, and wah wah wah”), and one not-so-goth (“Whatever.”). On the opposite side, we’re given an intro to Max Maximus, the series villain. Perhaps homage to so many other villains in similar series, Max is a former partner to the good doctor, but sets his sights a little to high (see: Megalomania), and soon turns to super crime. He enlists (or creates?) a set of easily defeatable evil dinos, with seriously awesome names like Terrordactyl, and Bruteasaurus. Put evil dinos against Super Dino, and toss in a plucky kid… rinse… repeat. Have we been here before? Sure. But Kirkman is nothing if not a homage whore, and I can’t knock him off the solid gold pedestal he’s erected for himself.

Other reviewers (like the fine folks at CBR) commend Kirkman’s story, saying that it’s really for the whole family and doesn’t “pander, demean, or lie to” kids. Well folks, color me unimpressed, but I’m not buying that. Kirkman’s hero talks like a kid, and while it’s a convincing voice, there’s little adult conversation (that isn’t meaningless hyperbole-riddled dialog) to anchor the book otherwise. Hell, Kirkman’s big twist ends up being a case of senility setting in. Dun-dun-dunnnn. It’s pretty apparent from the first scene where the book will head. To say that because there’s a little emotion in Derek (because hey, he loves his dad!) the book is mature is a little much. Personally, I’d cite Nickelodeon’s wonderful “Avatar” series for being a prime example of a children’s property that truly embraces both the fun of a cartoon, but layers story and characterization with the maturity of an adult piece. Whether I’m truly too biased about this I don’t know, but I consider that show to be the benchmark for “not pandering”. Super Dinosaur gets caught pleasuring itself in the corner with it’s cheekiness a few times too many for me to say that it’s a truly “all ages” property. In the end, it’s really an excuse for explosions and bright colors, less deep character-defining moments and introspection.

All that being said, I said was 17% down on the jerk-meter today, so let me conclude this week’s little shindig with this: Kirkman and Howard present a fun book that’s sure to connect with kids, and has probably ensnared its fair share of adults to boot. I’ll stay on for at least a few more issues to see if Kirkman takes the series a little deeper than the first issue did. Jason Howard’s artwork is kinetic, thoughtful, and a delight. Certainly enough for me to sarcastically pick it up a little while longer. I mean come on MDW fans… Terrordactyl is a friggen’ amazing name.
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Marc Alan Fishman is a digital artist, writer, and co-founder of Unshaven Comics. When Marc isn’t knee-deep in graphic design, he’s also a frequent contributor to ComicMix.com, an occasional stand-up comedian, as well as freelancer extraordinaire.