This is a question that no doubt keeps you up all night, tossing and turning. No fear, dearies. Thanks to the Advanced Reader's Copy I received from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review (that in no way influences my opinion), I can safely assure that this is NOT the worst thing to happen to our beloved animated characters.
I feel like the writers did a great job translating the subtle moments of humor from the show- things like awkward silences and perfectly timed puns- into the comic. The spacing and flow of the panels keeps the jokes from feeling rushed, and a lot of the elements of humor from the show are kept in through the action, or lack of action, in the panel sequences. The artwork is great and keeps the same bold visual cues that define the show.
The voice of the characters seem to stay true to the show, too, with one exception: Linda. Her letters to various companies are placed throughout the issues, but I just didn't feel like I connected with her in the way she's represented here as I do when I'm watching the show. Overall, there was just not enough Linda for me in these issues, because at the end of the day, what separates the show from other animated, sarcastic and irreverent shows like it that lack originality (I'm looking at you, Family Guy) is how this dysfunctional family actually has a healthy dynamic and that they maintain strong relationships with each other, despite all the crazy. So for me skipping out on a lot of the family-centric stories in favor of individual storylines for each of the kids lessened some of the appeal of what makes the series so great in the first place.
Overall, the gags are well above-par and I definitely had those laugh-out-loud moments that keep me hooked on the show. My only real complaint is how much of the storytelling is being focused solely on the kids, but with great characters like Tina, Louise, and Gene, that's not even a real complaint, is it??
4/5 stars. Add me on Goodreads to keep up with what I'm reading and reviewing!
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ReplyDelete-Wanderlust Rach <3