The Flintstones #12: A Worthy Conclusion

With this issue, Mark Russell and Steve Pugh's landmark run on The Flintstones comes to a close. Over the past installment, they have routinely shown that it is indeed possible to turn a cheesy, pun-filled animated sitcom into a comic with a surprising amount of depth. Many articles have been written on the transformation, and I really have nothing more to say that hasn't already been said. On a personal note, I know what to say in regards to my own feelings.

Back when I first started reviewing The Flintstones, I felt skeptical. If you go back and read my review of the issue, you can see that I had misgivings about the premiere, finding it unnecessarily dark. Some of the other cosmetic changes also didn't gel with my notions of what a Flintstones series should be, such as the war plot and "yabba dabba doo" being changed into an anger management mantra.

After I promoted the review on Twitter, Steve Pugh actually responded, reassuring me of the world-building process. Over one year later, I can definitively say that he was absolutely right. The series manages to combine darker elements with ridiculous satire in a marvelous fashion.

This issue serves as a capstone to the series, embracing everything that we've come to love about the comic and tying up some of the loose ends in the story. From Gerald to the anthropomorphic animal appliances, the subplots are wrapped up in an efficient manner. I do wish that Mark Russell had more issues to flesh out some of the other concepts, Bam-Bam's origin definitely among them, but twelve issues and a crossover special is nothing to sneeze at.

It has been a pleasure to read and review this comic and I hope that Mark Russell, Steve Pugh, Chris Chuckry, and Dave Sharpe can continue to produce quality work for years to come. Who knows, maybe the upcoming Snagglepuss comic will bring about a reunion.

The Flintstones #12 is written by Mark Russell, drawn by Steve Pugh, colored by Chris Chuckry, and lettered by Dave Sharpe. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #11 Review: Beware The Neighborhood Association

As demonstrated by the issue's opening scene, there are some issues that humankind might not have been meant to meddle with. Whether due to arrogance or a misguided urge to help, attempting to improve on some areas of nature has the potential to negatively impact everyone involved. The opening panels depict a peaceful gathering of birds, enjoying their time in the trees. It's interrupted when Bam-Bam, Barney's adopted son, abruptly yanks the metaphorical rug out from under their feet and chops down the tree to create an ineffectual bird house.

Either that, or maybe he's just watched the movie Stone-oa one too many times. ...I never said my puns were good.

The vignette at the top of the issue is paralleled by the issue's main conflict. Two stories, one short and the other long, both about one species thinking that it knows what is best for another based on their superior intelligence and technology. Just as Bam-Bam destroys a bird's home to craft something out of the remains, the other aliens on the Great Gazoo's homeworld are debating the use of the Earth. Who better to judge them than the Neighborhood Association? So, do they just offer friendly advice if they see something that they deem unsuitable?

Darn it, stop responding to my jokes!

If you're a particularly litigious reader of DC Comics and someone who happens to be involved in a neighborhood association, don't worry. A more conventional version does appear in the issue, trying to possibly censor a gift from Barney to Fred just because they don't like it. To be fair, Fred doesn't exactly like having a gigantic statue of the two of them in his yard, but he doesn't want to hurt his pal's feelings. As always, the comic brings up some fascinating ethical and moral issues. I would recommend it. This might not necessarily be the best starting point, as the next issue is the last one, but the first collection recently came out. Why not also give that a try?

The Flintstones #11 is written by Mark Russell, drawn by Steve Pugh, colored by Chris Chuckry and lettered by Dave Sharpe. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Booster Gold/The Flintstones Annual #1 Review: Featuring A Jetsons Backup Tale!

When you have a DC character who can travel through time at a whim, what better cartoon family to meet than the Flintstones? Well, I suppose you could say the Jetson family, but Booster is already from the future. A future, it turns out, that is surprisingly dystopian. Most of Earth's animals, including bats and cats, have been extinct for years, only one police officer is on patrol in Gotham City, and a background joke touts that the air is only "mildly toxic." Worst of all, the area where Batman's parents were killed has been turned into a cheesy tourist attraction, in one of the best jokes in the comic.

You might be wondering, how is Booster Gold going to fix any of this? Will he use his time-traveling skills to save the planet? Actually, he pretty much just lives a normal life, only springing into action when aliens invade and kill the one police officer. Going back in time to solve the problem coincidentally takes him to Bedrock, where he meets up with Fred Flintstone to help. It's a little too convenient, but I can excuse it in this case.

Fittingly, the true villain of the story simply turns out to be a time paradox. When Booster traveled back in time to find out the cause of the invasion, he killed their messenger of peace, Gorax. The issue is very funny, and it has a lot of jokes about time, naturally. Some highlights include other time residents being stationed in some very deadly places and the shenanigans that result from someone from a technologically advanced future ending up in the cave era.

The backup story features an eight-page teaser for an upcoming Jetsons reboot, led by the current creative team behind Harley Quinn. It's fairly short, so I don't have too much to say about it, but I already like the new twist that they're putting on standard concepts in the show. Similar to Mark Russell's work, it seems like a series that will put as much focus on current issues through a satirical lens. It bodes well for the future of DC's Hanna-Barbara line-up.

Booster Gold/The Flintstones Annual #1 is written by Mark Russell, drawn by Rick Leonardi, inked by Scott Hanna, colored by Steve Buccellato, and lettered by Dave Sharpe. The Jetsons backup, "Eternal Upgrade", is written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, drawn by Pier Brito, colored by Alex Sinclair, and lettered by Michael Heisler. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #10 Review: @#$% Their Ferns!

Warning: This review contains full spoilers for the issue.

This month's issue of The Flintstones has a refreshing return to Wilma's art career, some new developments in the ongoing saga of Clod the Destroyer, and musings on cinema. Who would have thought that something based on The Flintstones could have eloquent commentary on the differences between art meant to, ahem, titillate, and "true" art? Also, I'm sad to report, this issue contains the death of Vacuum Cleaner, one of my favorite recurring characters. Then again, should I have expected anything else from the issue that guest-stars Werner Herzrock?

This issue also puts an end to Clod the Destroyer's incompetent reign of wrath, hopefully for good. In a sequence that I hope real life chooses to imitate in some fashion, he's essentially kicked out of the office, left to stay in a position where he's fairly harmless. Wilma's wonderful artistry skills come into play here, producing a fake cave set for him to stay in.

The most heartbreaking aspect comes from the demise of a longtime supporting character in the comic, Vacuum Cleaner. Possibly the most innocent of the anthropomorphic gang, he meets his end in a horribly ironic way. Earlier, I mentioned the "artistic" films that Fred Flintstone discovered. He ends up taking many of his friends to go see them, under the cover of disguises, so no one would recognize them. Vacuum Cleaner develops a fascination for the art and also takes multiple trips to the theater. Unfortunately, the increased amount of visitors leads to an increased amount of dust and muck, causing a worker to grab V.C. and use him to clean it up. This, of course, proves to be too much for him.

It says a lot about Mark Russell's long-term writing that I can get attached to what amounts to a household object, only to get my heart broken when he dies. I also think that Steve Pugh's art for the particular scene is equally poignant, showing the heartbreak on all of the various appliances' faces at the improvised funeral and subsequent montage. Combined with the eulogy, it's a potent scene. It's been hard writing my review for this issue because it's so hard to read.

The Flintstones #10 is written by Mark Russell, drawn by Steve Pugh, colored by Chris Chuckry, and lettered by Dave Sharpe. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Mark Russell Discusses The Flintstones

Editor's note: This interview was conducted before the release of Booster Gold/The Flintstones Annual #1.

Critical Writ: Were you ever concerned about the potential for public backlash based on the more politically-inclined tone of the new Flintstones comic?

Mark Russell: No, because you simply can't write looking in the rear-view mirror like that. I assume there will be backlash regardless of what I write. That liberates me to say what I really want to. I've written books and I've written comics and the big difference is that when you write a book, people will wait to read it before deciding they hate it. Most of the backlash from The Flintstones came immediately after the project was announced, before I'd even written a page of it. Some people imagined that their childhoods were being tampered with. Others thought a Flintstones reboot just sounded like the worst idea anyone had ever had. The irony is that I've written a book about the Bible and people weren't half as upset about that as me messing with The Flintstones.

Critical Writ: If you had the opportunity to go further with the series, what would you have liked to introduce in future issues?

Mark Russell: One storyline that I kept cutting out of the final draft was Bamm-Bamm falling in love and having his heart broken. Most people spend years preparing themselves to have the sex-talk with their children, but nobody ever speaks to their kids about dealing with heartbreak and it's far more traumatizing. If your kid is having sex, that at least they're doing okay socially. Feeling unwanted and rejected and not having lived long enough to put it into context is a really painful reality most of us have had to deal with. And deal with alone, for the most part.

Critical Writ: Do you have a favorite cut joke or deleted idea from the comic?

Mark Russell: I had written a scene with a cocaine-addicted rat at the Science Cave, but they made me cut it.

Critical Writ: Next week, the Booster Gold/The Flintstones Annual #1 special will arrive. What was it like to mix the goofy tone of a Booster Gold story with the more socially-aware Flintstones cast? Did you have trouble combining the two or did it come naturally?

Mark Russell: It felt surprisingly natural. I still wrote about the same sort of subjects, but from the perspective of Booster Gold, who is over-confident despite being largely inept and for whom things just sort of seem to work out anyway. I relate to him a lot, actually.

Critical Writ: Steve Pugh's work on the series has been consistently fantastic, especially with including small background jokes, such as the standard Flintstones parodies of modern-day stores and restaurants. How close was the collaboration on that? Did you think of some of the jokes or did Steve just let his imagination run wild, so to speak?

Mark Russell: I come up with a lot of the puns and background jokes and then Steve adds even more, trying to top me. It's weird when there is references I don't get in my own comic.

Critical Writ: On that same note, The Flintstones has been praised for having a sense of social justice in a similar vein as Prez, one of your previous projects. Did working on Prez help to prepare you for this?

Mark Russell: To me, this is the fundamental mission of comic books. To identify what is wrong with the world and create characters who can set it right. This is what the really good superhero comics do. They're about the power needed to address the deficit between the world as it is and what it should be. I know that, in reality, superhero comics often end up being more like professional wrestling. Good guys matching up against colorful villains they haven't fought for a while occasionally forming tag-teams with other heroes. But at their heart, I feel like superhero comics are meditations on power. The Flintstones tries to do that, too, albeit without people in capes who can fly.

Critical Writ: Finally, the last issue of The Flintstones is scheduled to arrive in June. Can you offer any kind of hints as to how the series will end?

Mark Russell: The Great Gazoo has to make his final report to the gambling authorities on his home planet of Las Vega. He struggles over how to set the odds on the survival of the human race. Oh, and there's a bowling tournament!

The Flintstones Vol. 1 is now available for purchase. You can find it online or at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #9 Review: Viva La Revolución! (Revolu-stone?)

Really, I'm almost completely sure that a lot of readers saw this coming. You can't enslave a group of sentient animals and force them into doing your mundane chores, especially if it hurts them. Adding in the incredibly disturbing 'recycling' methods, and it was really only a matter of when the revolution would come, not if. As Kanye West puts it in his song "Power," no one caveman should have all that power. Look, not all of my puns are good.

Part of the newest issue of The Flinstones revolves around a new religious figure, Vorp. He acts as more of a figure for the rich crowd in Bedrock, such as Mr. Slate and Clod the Destroyer. The religion of Vorp isn't as benevolent as Gerald. While the latter's services often have free donuts and ill-advised, if well-meaning, religious leaders, the services of Vorp have congregations in hooded robes and talk about taking their rightful places as the rulers of the world. I'm not saying that it's a cult, but it's definitely fishy. Say, I wonder if Vorp has anything to do with Parks And Recreation's Zorp.

The revolution plot was my favorite, not just because almost all of the anthropomorphic appliances are adorable, but because I especially felt sorry for them. It is rather interesting to see how the animals treat Dino, also completely cute, with disdain, seeing him as a traitor to the humans. Poor Dino, he just wants to have friends. Special points go to the relationship between Bowling Ball and Vacuum Cleaner and the title for the issue, "A Basket Of Disposables."

The Flintstones #9 is written by Mark Russell, drawn by Steve Pugh, colored by Chris Chuckry, and lettered by Dave Sharpe. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #8 Review: Hunters Are From The Fields, Gatherers Are From The Plains

In this issue, Mark Russell tackles the issue of gender roles through Clod the Destroyer's continuing campaign against the Lizard People, Wilma returning to visit her mother, and Fred and Barney being left to take care of Pebbles and Bam-Bam.

Strangely enough, this issue feels the most like a standard episode of The Flintstones. It has typical family hijinks, an abundance of Stone Age-versions of modern life, and even a pun-based celebrity name. Tony Danza is parodied as 'Stony Danza' in an attempt to appeal to more voters by Clod. It's pretty funny. In terms of the Stone Age appliances in this issue, my favorites would have to be the airplane and the scare-o-dactyl. The octopus would be on there purely for the visual gag, but my fear of octopi prevents me from that.

I appreciate the humor in the issue. It helps to balance out the darkness in the rest of the issue. It doesn't go to quite the levels of the first issue or the one that focused on veterans, but it is hard to read. The economics subplot wasn't as disturbing as Wilma's childhood, but when you read it all together, it just combines into something nerve-wracking.

The Flintstone #8 is written by Mark Russell, drawn by Steve Pugh, colored by Chris Chuckry, and lettered by Dave Sharpe. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #7 Review: The Essential Nature Of Humanity- Are They Dum-Dums?

After last issue's near-apocalypse, the time has come for the Great Gazoo to write up his report on the town of Bedrock. His chief assignment is to guard the townspeople from any extraterrestrial harm, but not from any local adversaries, like, say, prankster neighbors or a territorial dispute. This does apply to, however, enterprising aliens intent upon scamming them on out of valuable resources.

This doesn't parallel anything from our history. I don't see any similarities at all. Cough.

Mark Russell uses this to explore the nature of humanity and the goodness within people. On one side, we have the Great Gazoo's plot, saying that not everyone will do the wrong thing during a time of crisis. He observes a miner become trapped during an accident at Mr. Slate's company. There is a chance to save him, but the odds of it succeeding are precarious. Mr. Slate is against saving him just because he wants to get more work done. Of course, he does eventually get saved, but it's still a question of when the decision will be made and if he'll still be alive by the time it is.

Dude, maybe this is why no one would come to your 'end of the world party' in the last issue. You're a jerk and you only treat your employees with respect when it benefits you in the moment.

On the other hand, the Church of Gerald's subplot has a less optimistic take on society. The leader of the church unintentionally learns about the act of absolving sins in exchange for a monetary benefit. This leads to a paying system being set up. The larger the sin, the more gravel you have to pay. It does start out as a genuine attempt to help foster the better nature in humanity, but becomes corrupted by greed. The issue has an intelligent take on humanity and the essential qualities deep inside of us. Again, it doesn't have the meatiest plot, but if you view it as the second part in a two-part story, then it works.

The Flintstones is written by Mark Russell and drawn by Steve Pugh. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #6 Review: Cancelling The Abacus Apocalypse

The Flintstones #6 is about the worst of humanity. It starts off with Bedrock experiencing a near-idyllic day, but a misinformed doomsday prediction brings out the violence and fear in everyone. Naturally, it made me think of the chaos brought up on by the 2016 presidential election. However, what sets this apart from the standard end of the world scenario is the emotional response. We actually see not only the darkest impulses of most of the townspeople brought to life, but how they really feel about each other.

Affairs are exposed and ugly habits arise. The churchgoers turn on Gerald and the police are apathetic. Mr. Slate realizes that he doesn't want to die alone and invites his employees to join him at his mansion. Unfortunately, no one arrives, leaving him alone with his turtle, Philip.

I do wish that the story was more-defined. Something about it just feels rushed. However, based on the solicitation for the next issue, I'm going to treat this as the first part of a two-part arc. At least to me, it makes sense. In this one, chaos reigns and the town goes wild. In the next one, the Great Gazoo judges everyone on their bad behavior. Overall, I would recommend the issue, but be prepared for a near-death experience by asteroid.

The Flintstones #6 is written by Mark Russell and drawn by Steve Pugh. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #5: Feel The Barn! I'm With Pebbles! Make America Slate Again!

I would question why Fred looks drunk on the cover, but we have less than one week to go in the election. We all have our coping strategies.

Caution: This review contains spoilers for most of the plot. You have been warned.

The Flintstones #5 has a wonderful message about our changing times, along with more information on the foundation of Bedrock. A strong theme in the issue is the repeating of history. It’s a cycle of revolving events and we have to learn from our mistakes in order to avoid repeating them. So, if any of the issue sounds familiar to anyone who has been following the current presidential election, there’s a reason for that.

As the mayoral race is going on, the middle school is also having their own election. Ralph the Bully is running a campaign based on fear and violence, threatening to “punch you in the beef” if you don’t vote for him. Catchy, right? Meanwhile, Clod the Destroyer is running his official campaign on destroying the lizard people, similar to his father’s conquering of the tree people.

The lizard people... they're vicious, they're smugglers. When you're a powerful nation, you can do whatever you want. I say we just grab them by the tail!

Running parallel to the electoral events, Fred and Barney flash back to their ultimately pointless battle against the tree people. It’s a harsh story, showing the fears that Wilma and Betty have for their safety, as Wilma is currently pregnant and Betty is despondent over her inability to conceive a child. As Fred and Barney get more and more involved in the training, they begin to realize just how ill-conceived the war was in the first place. They were tricked into massacring innocents.

Is it just me or does Fred look like Superman in this picture?

If you’ll allow the understatement, they were ‘bullying’ a smaller, weaker tribe that simply wanted to defend themselves and live in peace. That brings us right back to the present, with Ralph the Bully seemingly running unopposed, as he manages to get his only opponent, Portnoy, to leave the race after some insults. Fortunately, Pebbles manages to talk some sense into the crowd, sowing the seeds of hope for a future generation. Despite Clod the Destroyer winning in a landslide, it’s still possible that the next generation can fix his mistakes. But, like I said, history repeats itself, so you never know.

And on that depressing note, here’s a picture of baby Bam-Bam!

I hope that cheers you up! Not as cute as baby Dino, but still a baby!

I hope that Bam-Bam’s status as a tree person appears in more issues. It has the potential to create more thoughtful discourse, as is the norm for this series.

The Flintstones #5 is written by Mark Russell and drawn by Steve Pugh. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flinstones #4: Romancing The (Flint)Stones

Mark Russell has taken on controversial topics in The Flintstones before, merrily using the Stone Age world to mock our modern-day prejudices and faults, like a comic-book version of The Colbert Report. The newest issue takes it to new levels of intellectual awesomeness by using monogamy as a metaphor for gay marriage.

"Go back to the sex cave like nature intended!" is the name of my Weird Al punk rock cover band.

Says the news anchor who (presumably) makes a good living off of Stone Age television, something that most likely wasn't around when he was a kid. I dub thee Hypocrity McFalsehood.

The plot is essentially an excuse to make fun of bigots, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a slapdash story. Far from it: the issue has a well-crafted beginning, middle, and end. Not only does it have a lot of laughs, but it also provides some relevant information on Fred’s past. Speaking of Fred, the comic also goes into more of his perspective on life, including his fears about his marriage with Wilma.

Mawwiage...is what bwings us together.

And, yes, the issue doesn’t just use monogamy as an allegory for gay marriage without actually covering gay marriage itself. Without ruining the plot point, I will say that it is very well-written, but very sobering, similar to the veteran plot from the last issue.

The Flinstones #4 is a fantastic issue. I definitely recommend it. My one criticism would be that I wish it had more of the B-plot with Pebbles, Betty, and Barney interacting, but what we did get was funny. Speaking of Pebbles, there's a cute in-joke about the Fruity Pebbles cereal where we see Pebbles eating it. Seeing more of Dino, the most adorable character in DC Comics, is worth it.

The series continually impresses me with the level of intelligence, not only in the writing, but with the jokes and the characters. It would be so easy to just make a badly-written nostalgia based-reboot with obnoxious efforts to be relevant, à la Fuller House, but Mark and Steve genuinely care about the source material. To paraphrase a certain cartoon scientist, it makes you laugh and it makes you think. In the end, isn't that what's important?

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #3 Review: "It's Spring Break, Dum-Dums!"

The Flintstones #3 is decidedly the darkest issue in the series so far, but that’s not a bad thing. The side-plot revolves around Fred and Barney’s life after serving in the army and the substandard treatment of war veterans. Given the quality of the past issue, I shouldn’t be surprised by how well-written it is—and yet, I am. One of Fred and Barney’s fellow veterans gives a beautiful speech about how they were treated as heroes after the war, but all of that seemed to go away shortly thereafter. Steve Pugh adds to the gravitas with a very moving picture of several homeless veterans huddled for warmth in the streets right next to a mega-corporation.

It gets even darker when Joe, a different veteran, tries to call a suicide hotline for help, only to be put on hold for an inappropriate amount of time. In fact, all of the members of the Loyal Order of the Water Buffaloes seem to be veterans, as some of the homeless veterans are seen with their distinctive headgear. I do like how the emotional support group is portrayed in a realistic and helpful manner. I’m still unsure of how I feel about “Yabba dabba do!” being a mantra for the group, but the new context will grow on me.

On a similar note, I noticed that Mark Russell also referenced the controversial name of a certain Washington sports team with the Bedrock Middle School’s resident sports team, the Fighting Tree People. A later scene in the issue reveals that the citizens of Bedrock conquered them in a battle and presumably took their land.

On the lighter side of things, the main plot revolves around an invasion by rowdy alien teenagers. They just want to have a good time and they don’t care who has to die for that to happen. In a way, their arc is similar to the war veterans, but reversed. In this case, Bedrock is once again being invaded by people who want their land and resources, but for partying and raucous "fun," not for any more substantial reasons.

I was happy to see Pebbles and Bam-Bam get more focus in the plot. We see a glimpse of their respective personalities, hopefully to be expanded on in the future. Overall, The Flintstones #3 is worth a read. The social commentary continues to be as sharp and witty as ever, and I do like seeing how the various mythologies of the original show is expanded upon and altered. Give it a try!

I really want to see more of what Sargon has to say about climate change. Someone introduce him to the Fox News-esque anchors for a debate. If you need me, I'll be thinking of rock-based puns for a Stone Age version of Bill Nye.

The Flintstones #3 is written by Mark Russell and drawn by Steve Pugh. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #2 Review: "Eh, It's A Living."

Ever since my review of The Flinstones #1, I’ve been thinking about whether some of my issues were completely fair. After some introspection, I concluded that some of what I brought up was legitimate, but the main one is rather shaky. Seeing as the comic is meant to be a reimagining of the series, why would I expect the first issue to immediately set everything up? I have to give it time to grow and develop. Since coming to that conclusion, I have decided to think of the first six issues, give or take a couple, as a loose arc, meant to introduce the readers to this new incarnation of Bedrock. In terms of this particular installment, I can definitely say that it is wonderful. Not only does it have a brighter feel to it, both in terms of the tone and events. Throughout the comic, we get some delightful scenes about what Bedrock is like, peppered with with a dose of social commentary. Thankfully, the aforementioned scenes are not as gory and depressing as the first issue’s, except when death is used as a punchline on the news. Also adding to the happier tone, the comedy. Right from the very start of the issue, I was laughing. Not only does it have great character moments like a pre-teen Bam-Bam casually lifting up a bully and proudly showing off to his parents, but it also satirizes consumerism and religion.

"For Weekend Upslate, I'm Chisel Chase and you're not. Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow."

I really love Fred’s reaction to the television. It does make me wonder precisely how they have televisions, but I’m not going to question it. In this case, it’s necessary for the joke to work and to kickstart the main plot. The story, called “Buyer Beware,” adds a new twist to the standard ‘animals as household appliances’ Flintstones formula. Sure, the animals don’t sigh and complain about their life, but the premise is equally funny. Similar to more and more seemingly useless products being sold in stores today (Infomercials, anyone?), the townspeople just get swept up in buying more and more of the “Crap”, simply because they’re told that it’s good.

The cobra garden hose, now only seventy-two pebbles! Watch your weeds melt away! Note: Side affects may include a burning sensation, followed by a severe loss of skin. Do not put the cobra garden hose anywhere near your loved ones or valuables. Keep the cobra garden hose away from the mouse sponge. Do not taunt the cobra garden hose.

The religion subplot doesn’t have as much of a clear satirical edge, but it’s still funny. It turns out that the leader of the First Church Of Animism decided to choose an object to worship at the mall and spread whatever gospel it has to the community. How does it go? Well..about that…

Still better than "Anaconda." I wonder if Mark Russell had to restrain himself from mentioning Donald Trump in the song. Man, I hope a Trump pastiche appears in a future issue.

Eventually, the two plots coincide as Fred’s frustration with the “Crap!” reaches a boiling point. At this point, he’s reduced to moonlighting by way of selling vitamins door-to-door. Needless to say, he’s not very good at it. I find it very amusing that Barney excels at it just by pretending that Bam-Bam gained his supernatural strength simply by eating them. Meanwhile, the churchgoers grow disillusioned with the pastor’s increasingly flimsy attempts to pass off household appliances as messengers from God. Eventually, they all walk out in disgust, vowing only to return when they get a real God. (Hmm, maybe the next issue’s alien invasion will help with that.)

Overall, you should absolutely go out and buy The Flintstones #2. Along with outrageously great satire and a neat concept, it’s also a fairly happy comic. Fred and Wilma genuinely care for each other, as shown throughout the issue. He puts up with the gadgets because she likes them and she doesn’t need material possessions to make her happy, just having someone around her who cares about her helps. The issue also contains a sprinkling of references to the classic cartoon, the most notable of which would be a reference to the Flinstones-based vitamins. If you’ve been wondering why it doesn’t seem like the entire Flintstone clan is together, keep your eyes peeled during the entire issue. A certain someone might pop up, and they are absolutely adorable.

The Flintstones #2 is written by Mark Russell and drawn by Steve Pugh. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.

The Flintstones #1 Review: Yabba-Dabba Don't Expect The Original, But Stay For The Commentary

The Flintstones is the most recent comic to come out of DC’s recent relaunch of their Hanna-Barbera properties. Compared to the horrifying dystopia presented in Wacky Raceland and the controversial character changes in Scooby Apocalypse, it seemed to be fairly straightforward. You take the classic animated show and just modernize it slightly. Make the art more realistic, mine our current environmental and political structure for satire, and maybe even a splash of pathos. What we got is very different.

Firstly, the issue has more than a little realism and drama. The story is bookended by shots of a modern-day museum exhibit on Bedrock, as described by a tour guide. I don’t really like this change, as I feel that it has the implication that the tour guide or the visitor could just be making up the story.

Now, if you look to the left, you'll see this green alien. We believe that it was known as the "Great Gazoo."

Additionally, it has some dramatic elements, such as Fred being a war veteran, Wilma’s tragic art, and Barney being a racist. Yeah, you read that correctly. Admittedly, that’s only a one-off joke, but it’s there.

Yup, TOTALLY not a metaphor for anything. Nope, no subtext here.

Sadly, the satire is mostly relegated to minor jokes and background gags. "Shell phones" take the place of cell phones, pretentious art critics still exist, and the Outback Steakhouse exists as the Outback Snakehouse. Additionally, apart from a few clever jokes calling back to the television show’s use of animals as household appliances, the issue really isn’t very funny. Barney and Betty are really only in the issue for a few panels. Given Mark Russell’s work on Prez, I hoped that it would be wackier.
There is a really weird joke about Wilma and Fred having a "traditional wedding." I don't really know how to interpret it. What little I can gather is rather disturbing.

Uhhhhhhhhh.....

Finally, the story is rather disjointed. It just seems to be a series of plot points, rather than a plot with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It also needs more humor and heart in order to fully encapsulate the spirit of the original while also sticking with the new premise.

Barney Rubble, demonstrating his sparkling wit and intelligence.

I'm going to keep reading The Flintstones, because it has potential. Despite my misgivings, it was fairly enjoyable and the future solicitations sound intriguing. Additionally, the social commentary involving racism and gender roles, while short, was good. I just think that the concept needs time to grow. This is not something that I want to judge right from the beginning, much like a certain Captain (Reality-Warped) America plot.
The Flintstones is written by Mark Russell and drawn by Steve Pugh. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.