Futurama Comics 20

 

Cover Credits: Matt Groening, Jason Ho, Mike Rote, Serban Cristescu
Script: Patric Verrone
Pencils: Tom King
Inks: Phyllis Novin
Letters: Karen Bates
Color: Joey Mason
Editor: Bill Morrison

BENDER BREAKS OUT
This is less a story as it is an exercise in playing with comic book conventions and involving the reader in a bit of fun and interaction. This is the second script by Futurama writer Patric Verrone and in both stories he has made strides in providing a fun and interactive reading experience and I hope that he continues to provide scripts for the comics even if they are straight ahead stories.

Loosely the plot revolves around Bender breaking out of the comic book world and in to another realm and it is up to the rest of the gang to track him down and bring him back to their reality. Along the way there are Omicronians L'rrr and NdNd and a tour of the Bongo Comics offices lead by editor Bill Morrison. In the end, of course, Bender is brought back and everything returns back to normal.


What makes this comic fun is the tearing down of the walls of the comic book so to speak and Bender interacting in the outside world. The trip to the Bongo Comics offices are fun and as far as I can tell all regular Bongo employees are represented here including Matt Groening. If that is what it is like to work in their offices I would like to get a job like that.

Another trick that Patric Verrone employees is that there is a story within a story. Much like the old Mad fold-ins this issue has its own fold in. You can basically skip much of the middle of the story and zoom forward towards the end, fold the page and create a whole new story with two separate endings. After the first fold in the story takes a different turn and the after the second the story resolves to the standard conclusion. This new ending, while not a ground breaking story ends up actually being more a story about a typical day at the Planet Express offices. The only problem? I have to fold my comic book?!?!! For those not wanting to ruin their mint condition issue of Futurama Comics 20 I have provided scans of the original pages and finished, folded pages here.

So, lots of great inclusion of many Futurama characters and it is always fun to see the Omicronians make an appearance especially written by a show writer. The art by Tom King is really well done and he is another that I hope will stick around and provide more art for the comics.

Original page 6

  

First fold in revision

Second fold in revision