Rocky and Bullwinkle #4: Review

Just when you got used to them, Rocky and Bullwinkle are preparing to bow-out again. But at least they’ve left us a delightful four-issue run to remember them by.

Here’s the official word from IDW:

In “The Burger Monster,” Boris and Natasha have a new scheme to undermine this country: They open a fast food stand selling the craziest fast food item ever! But how will that help them in their fight for evil? Bullwinkle has a recipe for a burger that tastes twice as good, but with a catch! And in “Moving Experience,” Nell hears that Dudley’s moving to another camp–and horse is going with. How will she stop the transfer?

It would have been easy to be skeptical of IDW’s relaunch of Rocky and Bullwinkle back when issue #1 hit the stands last March. The show’s success was, after all, not just about the animation, but about the sound effects and voice talents, too. Thankfully IDW put Mark Evanier in charge, a veteran writer who made his name by penning scripts for classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons. From the start Evanier delivered a sweet and emotionally filling reprise of the original show — this is not a re-imagining, but a true-blue continuation of the humor, gags, and gentle satire R&B fans came to expect from the original series. In the closing issue of this run, Evanier seems to take a stab at the obesity epidemic, as gullible Americans fall into a food trap set by Boris and Natasha. And while astute fans will pick up some references to contemporary pop culture, most of Evanier’s humor is meant to be timeless. And it works.

The art, by Roger Langridge, was perfect for this run — especially give this book’s desire to recapture the show’s feel. Rocky looked like Rocky and Bullwinkle looked like Bullwinkle — the art gave tons of credibility to this new title, and made it a joy to read.

Overall, Rocky and Bullwinkle #4 is a perfect end to a wonderful run. Go grab this thing today.