Really, really fun
Todd Dezago, a prolific creator who bounced back from a bad run on "Spider-Man" in the '90s to write some genuinely fun and memorable stories with "Young Justice" and the creator-owned "Tellos" (with the late, great Mike Wieringo), carted out "The Perhapanauts" a few years after his last issue of "Tellos." It came in under the radar, but was almost as fun to read as "Tellos" itself. A little bit of Hellboy and a little bit of Young Justice, "The Perhapanauts" follows a group of monster hunters whose job it is to work for a super-secret government agencies pushing the mean, nasty creatures who sometimes interfere with our reality, back to their own. The twist? They're all monsters of some kind, too. This first volums is mostly setup, but where the plot might leave you wanting, strong character development saves the day.
A Must Have Cult Classic!
An insightful friend reccomended "The Perhapanuts: First Blood" to me and that's the right kind of friend to have. "First Blood" is an exceptionally well plotted, highly imaginative and expertly illustrated graphic novel.
By all means, pounce on a copy of this Dark Horse publication immediately as in a few years, chances are you won't be able to afford it. The motley monster hunters from Bedlam are bound to be globally reknowned and eventually featured everywhere -- from action figures offered at finer fast food establishments to Warner Bros. cineplex extravaganzas. Yeah, The Perhapanauts are going to be bigger than the massive Sasquatch at the center of this thoroughly groovy group.
There is a genuine cinematic quality to this series and it offers a very appealing combination of intrigue and consistently engaging entertainment. With names ready made for comic art transcendence, author Todd Dezago and artist Craig Rousseau have created an eclectic and colorful cast headed by a mysterious muscle hunk named M.G. and an alluring "half ghost" named Molly.
Be the first on your block to get to know these beguiling misfits and scoop up a couple of copies of this very impressive graphic novel while you still can!
No perhaps about it, The Perhapanuts is a great read.
If you were pitching The Perhapanauts to Hollywood as a movie - not a bad idea - you'd say it was the X-Files, with Mulder and Scully replaced by a team consisting of a sasquatch, a ghost, a telepath, a chupacabra and a man who is much more than he appears to be. Who better to investigate the unknown. I fell in love with the concept of The Perhapanauts the first time I heard it and believe it has the potential to be the next Hellboy.
It's hard to write a review of this book because Todd Dezago, the writer, does such a great job of throwing unexpected twists at the reader and turning the reader's expectations on their heads that you really cannot discuss too much of the story without spoiling most of the shocks and surprizes for the reader and with them half the fun of the book. Suffice to say, the story itself is an entertaining mix of humor and horror with a dash of action and adventure thrown in for good measure. The other half of the fun of this book comes from the characters. Todd has done a great job of bringing together about as diverse a group as one is ever likely to find under one roof. There is Arisa, the telepath and fledgling team leader, who is feeling her way through a job for which there is no instruction manual in this dimension or any other; Big, the sasquatch, who on first glance looks like the muscle of the team, but turns out to be the brains as well; Choopie, the blood sucking chupacabra, who looks like the comedy relief, but can be counted on in a fight - or can he?; MG, who looks for all the world like your typical Hollywood action hero, but looks can be deceiving; and, my personal favorite, Molly, a young ghost who is having a very hard time coming to grips with her lot in life, or more appropriately in the after-life.
The art is supplied by Craig Rousseau, co-creator of The Perhapanauts with Todd, and colors are provided by Rico Renzi, the third member of The Perhapanauts creative team. Craig has a very clean and open art style which I've been a fan of for years. Craig is a gifted visual story teller who is equally adept at delivering both the big action scene and the quieter character moments. Craig and Todd work well together as a team with Craig's visuals adding a visceral impact to Todd's story twists that really bring those moments home to the reader. Rico's coloring also works well with Craig's art and enhances the story. A good example of this is Rico's coloring of Molly, the ghost. Rico's colors bring home to the reader Molly's etherial nature and provide a constant reminder of the challenges her condition poses for her.
If you are a fan of good story telling and are looking for a fun read, this is the book for you.
(3 reviews)
