Popeye 10 (February 2013)

895771 Langridge continues the odd trend. This issue, in Sappo, there’s this incredibly awful moment and Langridge plays it for laughs. It’s downright disturbing. Lovely art from Ken Wheaton though; a lot of the strip is charming.

The Popeye feature is excellent, with Toar having to box Popeye to get citizenship. Everyone finds out the motive for the fight except Popeye; he spends a lot of the story depressed. It’s a genial little story. Langridge just lets the characters move gently through the story. Langridge plots these Popeye stories wonderfull; in between set pieces, he always makes room for character bits.

Here, as it tends to be, it’s Wimpy. Langridge lets Toar have the first act to himself and he’s a good protagonist. What’s also lovely is how Langridge paces the story–it takes place over a few days–he does really well with summary storytelling.

But Sappo’s still nuts.

CREDITS

American Toar; artist and letterer, Vince Musacchia; Ant Music; artist and letterer, Ken Wheaton. Writer, Roger Langridge; colorist, Luke McDonnell; editors, Ted Adams, Craig Yoe and Clizzia Gussoni; publisher, IDW Publishing.

Popeye 9 (January 2013)

890244 It’s a strange issue. Not the Sappo backup so much, but the feature is just… unpleasant.

A new burger sensation has hit town and Alice (she’s Swee’Pea nanny) doesn’t like it. Turns out Bluto is exploiting people in a third world country (or island) to produce the burgers, which are mushroom-based. It’s kind of hard not to read something into the situation Langridge presents; he still manages to turn in a satisfying Popeye story but it also makes one think.

Or maybe I am just reading too much into it.

Popeye gets most of the action and has a few nice character moments; Wimpy does have his moments, of course. Toar is working out to be a fun addition too.

The Sappo backup, for the first time, doesn’t eclipse the feature. It’s a cute story about a ice sculpture invention of the Professor’s. Ozella’s got some great panels too.

CREDITS

The Right Schtuff or Tears of a Goon or Miracle Meat; artist and letterer, Ken Wheaton. Feast Your Ice on This; artist and letterer, Bruce Ozella. Writer, Roger Langridge; colorist, Luke McDonnell; editors, Ted Adams, Craig Yoe and Clizzia Gussoni; publisher, IDW Publishing.

Popeye 6 (October 2012)

879680 It’s a book length story. Langridge and artist Ken Wheaton do a great job of it too.

Langridge probably could have rushed the story, but by taking the whole issue, he lets Wheaton’s art breath a little. The word balloons aren’t packed full of text. Wheaton is able to give conversations reaction shots, for example.

The story concerns Popeye and company going to Hollywood to shoot a movie about Popeye’s life. Popeye’s the consultant… until he has to star too.

So Langridge has time for three acts, even though he opens the issue with a flash forward showing Popeye in the picture itself. One reads it just waiting for Popeye and company to take over the film production. It’s a nicely paced wait.

The issue also reads a little different because more of the cast seems self-aware. Not Popeye or Wimpy, but definitely Olive and Castor. Oh, and Bluto.

CREDITS

The Popeye the Sailor Story; writer, Roger Langridge; artist and letterer, Ken Wheaton; colorist, Luke McDonnell; editors, Ted Adams, Craig Yoe and Clizzia Gussoni; publisher, IDW Publishing.

Popeye 2 (June 2012)

Unexpectedly, the backup–John Sappo and Prof. O.G. Wotasnozzle and Sappo’s Wife Myrtle–is stronger than the lead Popeye story.

While the lead story is quite good, it’s a small story about Popeye getting into it with one of Olive Oyl’s latest suitors. The backup is even smaller, but Langridge excels with the constraint. In Popeye, he’s at play in Sweethaven but it’s reduced because his story centers around the Oyl’s new house.

The Sappo story has an even smaller setting and Langridge uses the constraint creatively.

He’s also dealing less with characters in the backup; in Popeye, one wonders if Langridge is dealing with the characters as typically portrayed–Olive’s a bit of a bitch, Popeye’s an idiot, Wimpy stumbles into things. Langridge is able to establish the backup’s simple characters in its teaser.

The Popeye story is still good, it just doesn’t excel like the Sappo story does.

CREDITS

The Worm Returns; writer, Roger Langridge; artist and letterer, Ken Wheaton; colorist, Luke McDonnell. John Sappo and Prof. O.G. Wotasnozzle and Sappo’s Wife Myrtle; writer, Langridge; artist and letterer, Tom Neely; colorist, McDonnell. Editors, Ted Adams, Craig You and Clizia Gussoni; publisher, IDW Publishing.