Personally, I love dark and gritty stuff. I can almost never get enough. But sometimes I need to take a break. Sometimes I want to read something that's engaging, light, and most of all: fun. Here are some recent finds for some lighthearted reading that you might enjoy.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
If you're like I was, you had serious hesitations about reading this book. While the intended audience is certainly skewed younger, this is still a great comic to take a look at when you get the chance. I really enjoyed the tie-in to Jack Kirby's original Devil Dinosaur and the strange realism this book is able to pull off. This one follows Luna Lafayette as she figures out how to live through the world as one of the smartest humans on the planet. This was the first trade I bought for my cousin because who doesn't need a positive female role model? Girls and boys alike.
It also has some collectability value. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 in a 9.8 grade will fetch around $180. That's pretty close to the $220 price tag on a 9.8 Devil Dinosaur #1. If you want to go all-in, you can grab the variants which are all commanding a pretty penny.
Batman/Elmer Fudd
What? Yes, you read that right. There's a Batman/Elmer Fudd crossover and it's actually amazing. Written by the great Tom King, this noir-style adventure makes you wonder why Elmer Fudd had never been portrayed this way. If you want a little trip down memory lane in an exciting (yes, exciting!) page-turner, then pick up this comic. It's a lot of fun and you won't regret it.
This comic has gone a little under the radar for most collectors so there isn't enough data for an FMV. However, there are sales, and there are a total of 85 graded books. Clearly, collectors out there see some value in this little known book. While Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1 has an FMV pending, the variant issue in 9.8 commands a $40 FMV. Not bad.
Flintstones
After making the rounds through the artist alley of a convention last season, I came away with a suggestion from a writer. "Flintstones. The writer's Mark Russell. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the best comic I've read all year."
Huh? I thought. Flintstones? The Yabbadabbadoo guys? But he was adamant.
"You won't regret it."
And I didn't. It's been the best comic I've read this year as well. Mark Russell raises some excellent questions and offers wisdom in this miniseries originally released in 2016. This may be another trip down memory lane, but these Flintstones are VERY different than the ones of your childhood. Bedrock is in the throes of modernity and grappling with the difficult task of what all that means.
Okay, maybe this one isn't as light as the first two, but it's not gory, violent, or exploitative. It asks genuine questions that will always need genuine investigation.
There isn't a lot of heat in this speculation, although if anything ever comes of Flintstones I would almost guarantee it would be rooted in Russell's comic series. While there are only 10 total graded 9.8 Flinstones #1 out there with no FMV, that shouldn't scare you away from grabbing these issues. After all, everyone can do with some lighthearted reading every now and then.
Happy reading!
