PENGUINS VS. POSSUMS: VOLUME 1 Review

Does this turn out to be a bloody good time? Or should curious onlookers avoid it? Read on to find out.

The official description from Fanboy Comics:

Since the dawn of time, a secret war has been waged between two species, each determined to annihilate the other. Throughout the millennia, they have kept their battle confined to the shadows; however, one brazen act has escalated this conflict to a fever pitch. As the world careens toward Armageddon, every human on the planet will soon be forced to CHOOSE A SIDE!

When I first heard about this graphic novel I had no idea what to expect. The concept sounded simply insane and when I cracked open its pages the creative team absolutely blew me away. What we get here for the low price of $14.99 is an all out species assault! Behold the opportunity to bare witness as a conflict that’s been raging behind the scenes of our mundane lives for countless generations heats up. One side is steeped in the basics of combat while the other has embraced technology. Which means we get to see cute things with jet-packs, machine guns, knives and swords!

Sebastian Kadlecik, John Bring and Lindsay Calhoon Bring present a goofy but serious tale that embraces political intrigue in two opposing factions. Now I’m going to admit that I found myself rooting more for the Possums, but that had a lot to do with their main character being downright likable. Even so that doesn’t mean that the Penguins failed to have some bright spots in their camp. Rather, later on, when Meilai is introduced my attention was grabbed and I found someone who was worthy of some praise. But that’s not what made the script. It was the sheer honesty and personality brought forth by a candid cadre of writers that helped me accept the violent visuals within this book.

Despite some hockey moments when I opened this yarn I realized that the quirky illustrations done by Sebastian Kadlecik and John Bring brought this war to life in a way that felt reminiscent of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles done by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The pictures are detailed, functional and slightly deformed as a wash of grey perfectly shades in some very dark scenarios. You might think I’m joking but when you see animals with this type of artillery you’re bound to gasp a bit when they use it. Despite that my only complaint about the visuals is that some of the renditions felt rushed, especially when it came to the later revealed human characters.

Penguins vs. Possums: Volume 1 is an oddly inviting outing that does enough right to easily earn a spot with even the most discerning fanboy or fangirl. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination as it bares a hockey and at times hard to swallow narrative. But between the action, talent and a few laugh out loud puns there’s plenty to enjoy as this graphic novel comes recommended.