Return of the Gremlins #2

May 9, 2008

Return of the Gremlins #2 (Dark Horse Comics)
By Mike Richardson, Dean Yeagle, Nelson Rhodes & Walt Kelly

Here’s a weird little comic. The Gremlins was a comic strip from the 40s created by Roald Dahl, developed by the Walt Disney company and drawn by the legendary Walt Kelly, a triumverate of imagination if ever there was one. The Gremlins were imps who — upset that their woods were destroyed for an RAF airfield — sabotaged the planes of British fighter pilots until one of them convinced them of the worthiness of their flight. After that, they turned their attention to helping the Brits and sabotaging the Germans. This miniseries picks up in the modern-day, when the grandson of their benefactor inherits the estate where they’ve been living. A developer wants the land, though, and the Gremlins’ home is threatened once again. Both the story and the art here are extremely “Disney-esque,” if you know what I mean. The plot is kind of stale — evil land developer wants the home of the mythical creatures, noble human comes to the rescue — but the characters are all likable and pleasant to read about. Dean Yeagle‘s artwork is one step below spectacular — it looks like he pulled it straight from a Disney cartoon. This little miniseries has been a whole lot of fun, and although I don’t necessarily expect any big surprises in the conclusion, one can always hope.
Rating: 9/10