Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Review: Looney Tunes #249

By Philip Schweier
May 22, 2019 - 07:43

The latest issue of Looney Tunes begins with a Road Runner story entitle “Mixed Signals.” Of the Looney Tunes characters, the Road Runner has less appeal to me than others. As a child on Saturday morning, when a Road Runner cartoon came on, that usually when I went to the kitchen for more Cap’n Crunch.

The Coyote/Road Runner concept relies heavily on sight gags, and much of what I enjoy about the Warner Bros. stable of cartoons is also the verbal exchanges among its speaking characters: Bugs and Daffy, Daffy and Porky, Porky and Sylvester. However, this particular story does benefit from the uncommon cameos from Elmer Fudd as a delivery man (FuddEx?) and Yosemite Sam as an overzealous traffic cop.

The second entry is “Cars and Bars,” a Duck Twacy adventure featuring Daffy and Porky, on the trail of counterfeit spark plugs. It’s not terribly different in tone from Daffy’s foray as Duck Dodgers, complete with Porky as his unwilling and more reliable sidekick.

Finally, we have “Flee ‘Em in the Museum,” as Bugs’ underground travel mode leads him into the caveman exhibit of the Natural History Museum. Hmmm… cartoon cavemen. Wherever might we find models for such an idea? Thankfully, DC Comics has another corporate sibling to draw from. Elmer Fudd is the comedic foil as an overzealous security guard. Oh, and the title? Yes, it may have a certain Three Stooges ring to it (Disorder in the Court, Commotion on the Ocean, etc), but that’s recognized within the story.

Rating: 8/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12