The Bounce #1 Review


With The Bounce, writer Joe Casey and artist David Messina, attempt to create a 21st century version of Spider Man, as if Peter Parker was both a slacker and a stoner. How does it measure up to recent Image releases? Read on to find out.

Here’s the official description:

Meet the ultimate slacker superhero for the 21st Century! Jasper Jenkins is a super-head AND a super-hero! He’s relatable AND reliable and he’s embarking on the adventure of a lifetime! The sensational debut of the new feel-good hero of the decade! You can’t afford to miss it!

The Bounce tells the story of Jasper Jenkins, who spends more time getting high than fighting crime as the costumed vigilante Bounce. We’re also introduced to his Vicodin-popping brother, who happens to be the District Attorney, memorable villian The Fog who is able turn into a psychedelic drug and quote Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and a mysterious bad guy who eats frogs with his chocolate milk. Delicious.

Regardless of whether or not you enjoy Joe Casey’s recent work at Image (the ongoing Sex, Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker, and his nearly finished cosmic opera GodLand), you have to give him credit for his imagination. He throws out more crazy ideas per page than anyone in the business, except maybe Grant Morrison. The Bounce is everything we’ve come to expect from Casey. There is a lot more going on in these twenty-two pages than your average comic.

David Messina’s art is great. His line work and panel layouts are superb. I was especially impressed with the way he draws Bounce’s movements, in a style reminiscent of Ditko’s Spider Man. This is evident in the scene where Bounce crashes out the window, contorting his body like the famous web slinger of old.

My only complaint is the pacing. Some readers might feel like there is too much crammed into one issue.  Also we learn nothing about Bounce’s origin or background. I’m a little confused about his superpowers. Hopefully, these concerns will be addressed in the near future.

The issue ends with an intriguing cliffhanger which leaves you wanting more.  Although this comic doesn’t quite deliver on its promise of being a Spider Man for the new millennium (at least not yet), it’s still off to a strong start with fantastic art and enough zany ideas to make Stan Lee jealous.

4 /5

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