Like many people, when I first heard that they were going to do a Darker and Edgier, more "realistic" comic book version of The Flintstones, I wasn't impressed. Oh, another "gritty and mature" reboot — how original.
But, out of morbid curiosity I decided to check out the first issue. And then the second and third issues. And I made the shocking realization that this comic was... actually kinda... good. It actually had some really nice satire going on, making it closer in tone and feel to Dinosaurs than the old Flintstones cartoon... and there are definitely worse things to remind you of to than Dinosaurs.
It's not perfect. Some of the dark comedy falls incredibly flat, and the satire is about as subtle as a blow to the head with a sledgehammer. Especially since in the comic book, the satire is the dominating factor and characters and characterizations tend to suffer for it. The Flintstones and the Rubbles usually just end up dragged along with the Satire Issue Of The Week, until Fred plays author's mouthpiece at the end of the issue.
This is definitely where the comic loses out to Dinosaurs, because that show at least knew to keep the focus on its main characters as characters — though the prehistoric society was a great tool for satire, the Sinclairs were the focus of the stories and the satire was never allowed to be more important than the characterization and development of the protagonists. Here, the satire is all that's interesting; the protagonists don't really get any development and not much characterization.
Now, I do like that Fred is less of a Jerk Ass in this comic, and it's refreshing to see that he and Wilma actually seem to have a happy marriage, without the constant fighting, lying and deception that went on the original... but I can't help but miss I miss their stronger personalities from the cartoons. Not to mention Barney and Betty, who don't seem to have personalities at all.
Apart from Mr. Slate, who seems like an Expy of B.P. Richfield from Dinosaurs, the strongest characterization is given to characters original to the comic; the appliances (most notably the Vacuum-cleaner and the Bowling ball) and the well-meaning but foolish Reverend Tom. It seems a little backwards that the titular characters, especially ones that are so established, should get so little characterization compared to the secondary cast.
Still, when this comic is on, it's on. And maybe that's all it really needs.
ComicBook Most Surprising Comic Of The Year
Like many people, when I first heard that they were going to do a Darker and Edgier, more "realistic" comic book version of The Flintstones, I wasn't impressed. Oh, another "gritty and mature" reboot — how original.
But, out of morbid curiosity I decided to check out the first issue. And then the second and third issues. And I made the shocking realization that this comic was... actually kinda... good. It actually had some really nice satire going on, making it closer in tone and feel to Dinosaurs than the old Flintstones cartoon... and there are definitely worse things to remind you of to than Dinosaurs.
It's not perfect. Some of the dark comedy falls incredibly flat, and the satire is about as subtle as a blow to the head with a sledgehammer. Especially since in the comic book, the satire is the dominating factor and characters and characterizations tend to suffer for it. The Flintstones and the Rubbles usually just end up dragged along with the Satire Issue Of The Week, until Fred plays author's mouthpiece at the end of the issue.
This is definitely where the comic loses out to Dinosaurs, because that show at least knew to keep the focus on its main characters as characters — though the prehistoric society was a great tool for satire, the Sinclairs were the focus of the stories and the satire was never allowed to be more important than the characterization and development of the protagonists. Here, the satire is all that's interesting; the protagonists don't really get any development and not much characterization.
Now, I do like that Fred is less of a Jerk Ass in this comic, and it's refreshing to see that he and Wilma actually seem to have a happy marriage, without the constant fighting, lying and deception that went on the original... but I can't help but miss I miss their stronger personalities from the cartoons. Not to mention Barney and Betty, who don't seem to have personalities at all.
Apart from Mr. Slate, who seems like an Expy of B.P. Richfield from Dinosaurs, the strongest characterization is given to characters original to the comic; the appliances (most notably the Vacuum-cleaner and the Bowling ball) and the well-meaning but foolish Reverend Tom. It seems a little backwards that the titular characters, especially ones that are so established, should get so little characterization compared to the secondary cast.
Still, when this comic is on, it's on. And maybe that's all it really needs.