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Bizarre New World: Population Explosion

Posted: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
By: Martijn Form

Skipper Martin
Christopher Provencher
Ape Entertainment
Plot: Imagine if you could actually fly! What a mess the world would be!

Comments: When we were young, we all dreamed of being able to fly, right? (Actually, I wanted to be invisible, so I could secretly set all the alarm clocks in my neighbourhood electronics store!) Well, if it was really possible to defy gravity without any additional tools, then Bizarre New World would be a manatory read for us all because flying isn't as romantic as you might think it is.

I fell in love with Paul Krutcher from the get go in the first Bizarre New World mini series. Ehmm... that is... I fell in love with the character not with the person, because I’m not gay. Not that I have a problem with that, I do live in Amsterdam and we have the annual Gay Pride, but…hmmm how do I get myself out of this mess. I'm married, okay! And I liked the first three issues, very much. You happy now?

Paul Krutcher, the first man who can fly, is an adorable character. He's a bit of a geek but also a loving father who thinks his new power isn't that super.

Skipper Martin has stumbled on a golden high concept story idea. The concept of super humans is as old as Stan Lee, but Martin has come up with a fresh and hilarious twist to the superhero concept. And I feel this is a better take on superpowers than Mark Millar's Kick-Ass.

Skipper Martin must have a dark and hidden secret. My guess is he really can fly because his story feels so much like an autobiography. All the problems our hero Paul deals with are so extremely realistic that the writer must know this stuff first hand. The problems and dilemmas Paul faces regarding his ability to fly has rarely been so well documented in a comic! Really. How come Superman doesn't have any bugs on his uniform after flying? You ever think of that? Or why hasn’t he swallowed any disgusting bugs while in mid-air?

So Paul can fly, but by some freak of nature everybody on this crowded planet can too. This causes a new set of problems that I have never thought of. But Martin has in a very profound way of showing us all kind of dramatic, but also very funny, situations.

Think about it. If everybody can fly, what kind of mess would the sky be? Are traffic rules applicable in the air? Besides that, the windows of a drive-thru a bit low when everybody can fly.

Skipper Martin's dialogue is superb, just like it was in the first three issues. The plot isn't really exciting, but that's not really the point of Bizarre New World. This isn't a slugfest between hero and villain. This is a look at how average human beings react when something really spectacular happens to them. Martin tackles all angles on this subject, even looking at a spectacular event in our real life like 9/11.

Artist Christopher Provencher has a keen eye for composition. His lay outs are well constructed so they gain maximum effect on us readers. Actually, I was overwhelmed by the many panels that provide lovely story moments. I don’t know for sure, but it seems that his art is all pencil and no ink. This creates a very refreshing aesthetic.

After reading this I wish I could fly... but not without a helmet (and for your curiosity, I almost have the invisible poison perfected, I just can’t seem to get my head to disappear…).



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