I took a break from reviewing this title, mainly because I got tired of writing of how much I loved this series on a monthly basis. It didn’t help that the book’s publishing schedule became very erratic, but it’s hard to stay mad at Rich. He even posted a note stating his desire to have a more regular output of stories about Hip and the gang in his monthly emails to fans. The current arc, which ended with this month’s issue, came out on time so it would seem we are back to getting our fix on a regular basis.

Speaking of which, the current story arc revolving around the disease-ridden meteorite was a lot better than I thought it would be. Please let me qualify my remarks. I did not expect it to fail, but readers of this series have been spoiled from the beginning. I figured the story would be very solid, picking up a very old plot thread and giving it a go. My concern lay with the art chores. Fans of this series are spoiled with amazing covers and interior work from Ladronn and Moritat, respectively. I know some of Churchill’s work, but not enough to endorse him as a suitable replacement. Not having my Moritat around was something I was not looking forward to, but Ian was a more than admirable fill in.

The real gem of this team, however, was Boo Cook. His inks and colors gave the book a familiar feel. My absolute favorite was the beautiful drawing of Sahara on page one, followed by the double splash of Obadiah on pages two and three. I’m not saying I am ready to say goodbye to Moritat yet, but if I was presented with this team on a regular basis I would be more than okay with it.

That being said, I have a New Years resolution with this title. It’s been really good for so long, but just short of comic perfection. This story arc helped me see that I want Elephantmen to finally get over the hump and really draw me in with a long story arc.

Before I continue, please don’t mistake my words as criticism for my man Rich. He has said many times he created Hip Flask and the world of Elephantmen because he needed something to showcase his fonts he wants to sell. He never dreamed it would take on the popularity it now garners. There’s never a single issue left on my LCS shelf every month, and I live in Middle-of-Nowhere, Texas. That’s got to mean something.

That said, I’m okay with admitting that I’m one of the many comics lovers who are never satisfied. We pile on a book for stinking, and as soon as it gets good we want it to be better. Hopefully my reasons are a little nobler than simple cynicism, but that’s not for me to judge. The time has come, however, for these little story arcs to grow larger and longer. There’s so much to be done with these characters other than show how awesome of a letterer and designer Rich is. I just think this title has potential for so much more than he ever dreamed.

Take the character Obadiah Horn, for instance. He has the ability to carry a title of his own with stories of how he came to power, how he keeps his power, and yet somehow retains the soft heart for his bride-to-be Sahara. Maybe Starkings doesn’t want to take on, or finance, another monthly series at this stage of the game, but there is still potential for a few three or six issue arcs somewhere in this title. He’s just the tip of the iceberg as well! The character that jumped out at me with potential in this issue was the straight-jacket wearing Tusk. I must have either missed his back story before, or it was just given, but the more I find out about the leftovers from Serengheti’s army I want to know more.

I think, in the end, my sentiment represented in this review is the ultimate compliment a comic can get. I am so wrapped up in what’s going on that I need more to be satisfied. Instead of wanting to put this title away in the “sell back to comic shop” pile, I am desperately trying to squeeze every bit of story out of these pages. I am not naïve enough to think we can print endless amounts of every comic book we want, so I know it’s not as simple as starting another line to get more story out about the Elephantmen. Rather, I know just enough about the business to think it is more than possible to use what we are given on a monthly basis to truly show how broad of a canvas we have.

Here’s to hoping readers can find out in 2009. The rating may not reflect my usual high scores, but it’s not meant to be taken as an indictment against this particular issue. Instead, that’s because Rich and company have me right where they want…foaming at the mouth and ready for a great year of issues.

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