I
have a terrible fondness for the underdogs, and those that have been denied the
recognition that goes to others. So when I see an obscure Looney Tunes
character featured on the cover, I’m confident that I will enjoy seeing Nasty
Canasta in action. Unfortunately, Nasty isn’t quite the star of the story, as
hero or villain.
There
are four stories in this issue, two of which are only a page in length (which
is okay; it tells the story). The other major story involves Granny’s new
neighbors, whom Sylvester finds nothing short of frightening. It also features
an obscure character from the Looney Tunes canon – Gossammer, the giant pile of
red hair. He’s an INNNNteresting monster whom Sylvester is determined to expose
to the public, whether Granny believes him or not.
It’s
good to see all the Looney Tunes characters enjoy a bit of revival. Bugs and
Daffy are the easy ones, but the lesser knows and the also-rans (Pete Puma,
please) have the benefit of not coming with so much history and baggage that
they are beholden to 80+ years of animation continuity.
Superman
and Batman have been published continuously for decades. Looney Tunes, less so.
While it may be easy to dismiss the artwork as cartoon simple, the truth is it
takes no small effort to capture that Termite Terrace style made famous and
funny by the likes of Chuck Jones and Friz Frieling. Anyone could publish a Looney
Tunes title, but the team at DC breathes the Looney Tunes life into it while
they do it.
Rating:
8/10