Perhaps
only a few longtime comic book fans are even remotely familiar with the Newsboy
Legion, or the Boy Commandos. Created by Jack Kirby in the earliest days of the comic book
industry, they were largely war-time characters who failed to make it into the
Silver Age. The Newsboy Legion was featured in Jimmy Olsen back during Kirby’s tenure on the book in the early
1970s, but as supporting players only.
So
when DC chose to recognize Jack Kirby’s 100th birthday with a series
of one-shots in his honor, Howard Chaykin created a new story in which the two
gangs meet. It’s a wonder it took this long. Pairing them up seems so obvious,
but considering they’ve been out of the public eye for almost half a century,
perhaps it isn’t so surprising.
My
biggest lament about the book is for an introductory page of some sort;
something that would offer readers some background on the characters and
overall concepts. This would have gone far to providing the audience with
greater context.
Anyone
who has read Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer knows that either book is a challenge, due
in part to its dialogue written in the dialect of the Deep South. It has a
rhythm and a syntax many find difficult to follow. They often give up part way
through, but if you stick to it, and open your mind, it gets easier.
Such
is the course in Newsboy Legion/Boy Commandos. One character hails from
Brooklyn, while another speaks with a thick Cockney accent. And they are
written as such. Unfortunately, the story isn’t quite long enough to master the
lingo, and I struggled more than once. I’m not saying it was out of place, but
perhaps it was laid on a little thick.
The
artwork is classic Chaykin, but what makes the story sing in places is the
coloring. Wil Quintana conveys the bright lights of Broadway, or the blackouts
of Paris, with amazing effectiveness. His work also elevates Chaykin’s
rendering, which despite for 30 year admiration for his work, is not always the
best. Nevertheless, I wish for Chaykin and Quintana to do a book of Damon
Runyon tales in comic book form.
There
is also a vintage Newsboy Legion story from their heyday, drawn by Kirby
himself. It offers younger readers a glimpse into the Golden age of the Newsboy
Legion.
Rating:
8/10