By: Jane Wiedlin & Bill Morrison (co-writers), Morrison & Tone Rodridguez (pencils), Morrison & Davis (inks), Rachelle Rosenberg (colors) & Tony Fleecs (letters)
The Story: Jane Wiedlin is a rocker kidnapped by aliens obsessed with Earth pop-culture who want her to perform for their emperor.
What’s Good: I buy a lot of books on a “what the hell” kind of impulse. That leads to reading a lot of C-R-A-P, but I also occasionally get a comic that is way better than I expected. The main thrust of the plot is summarized above. It is just that simple. I generally avoid celebrity books like the plague, but where they go wrong is that they’re really trying their hands at world-building and they fail. But, Ms. Wiedlin has success here because she is writing a story about herself. At no point do you get the sense that this is a failed screenplay or that she is working out some angst because no one will finance her to direct a feature film.
And what a fun story it is…..The story was somewhat evocative of a movie I remember from my childhood called The Explorers where some kids met some silly aliens who had learned about Earth via our television and have become huge fans of pop culture. While I was already grooving on the overall campiness of the story before, when she convinces the aliens to spare her friend by telling them he is Ace Frehley of KISS and the aliens get excited and tell them they will live in the lap of luxury drinking Rock Star energy drinks and feasting on seasonal McRibs…Well… I was hooked then. I can’t wait to see their planet!
I also quite enjoyed the art in this issue. It has a certain cheesecake-feel to it, but it’s appropriate to the book. I’m also surprised that the art looks as good as it does given mix of inkers and pencilers. I honestly didn’t notice until I was typing the credits for this review.
What’s Not So Good: If you’re looking for something that will be the next 500-issue ongoing series.. Look somewhere else. The jokes and gags in this comic will be pretty stale after a few issues, but since it is only a several issue miniseries, it isn’t saddled with that expectation.
I would also say that this isn’t a great comic. There’s nothing epic here. But, when you think about how many folks put out comics that try to be hip, funny and a change of pace that are just tired and dull…You can appreciate a comic that hits those notes a little more.
Conclusion: A whacky-fun change of pace! Way more than I expected it to be. I’m buying the next few issues without question.
Grade: B
– Dean Stell
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