Angry Birds #2: Review

Hoping to cash in (or maybe said more generously “build off”) what’s become an enduring meme, the good folks at IDW launched the second issues of Angry Birds this week. And so far, well, it’s good enough.

Here’s the official word from IDW:

The Angry Birds are flying high in this fun-filled second issue! The Angry Birds take a trip to Piggyland but quickly learn it is definitely NOT the happiest place on Earth! Featuring the writing of two Eisner-nominated creators, these stories are guaranteed to please!

Okay, I know “good enough” is not the most effusive praise a critic has ever lavished on a comic, but let me explain myself: I don’t necessarily mean it as an insult. Rather, I was trying to find a word that might capture that childhood feeling of reading a Bazooka Joe comic while chomping on a wad of rock hard gum. You see, for this geek at least, the comic included in the Bazooka Joe gum packet wasn’t the primary reason for the purchase. Really, I just wanted gum. The comic inside, then, which featured a one-beat joke and crudely drawn art was simply a nice add-on. For me, the comic just had to be “good enough” and I was happy.

The same is true Angry Birds. And yes, these three mini-scripts, penned by Paul Tobin, Francois Corteggiani, and Jeff Parker are simply “good enough”; and, essentially read like extended Bazooka Joe comics.  The humor is essentially an extended gag, the last panel usually a punch line. That said, Paul Tobin’s script, which features the pig’s attempts to steal bird eggs via a vacuum cleaner is probably the most enjoyable of all.

Art-wise, there’s isn’t much to complain about. Illustrators Audrey Bussi, Isa Python, Giorgio Cavazzano and Paco Rodriques deliver what’s probably the best part of this issue. Each story contains nice visual gags, and the art is a joy.

If you sit back and enjoy this series for what it is — a protracted marketing strategy — then it’s not too shabby. It is, frankly, “good enough.” But if you want more, keep looking.