The Beano Annual 2016

The Beano is a legendary weekly comic book from the UK. The book has been going strong since 1938. With over 4000 uninterrupted issues, the big boys from the US such as Superman and Batman can't boast such a feat!

There's about a dozen different characters and segments to The Beano; all of which occupy a shared universe in the little hamlet of Beanotown. My favorite were the Bash Street Kids, General Jumbo and Dennis the Menace. 

The Bash Street Kids are a bunch of school kids who are rather undisciplined. For some reason, their antics reminded me of a lower-income version of the students from American TV's Head of the Class.

General Jumbo is a young boy who creates these amazing automated war toys that he used to fight crime and solve mysteries. It's the only drama in the entire book.

Then there is Dennis the Menace. No, it's not the tow-haired moppet who terrorizes his next door neighbor, Mr. Wilson. This raven-haired fellow is quite the little demon who literally has sent his pop to the funny farm on more than one occasion.  Oddly enough while neither Hank Ketchum's American creation nor Beano's Dennis have anything to do with each other, the two Menaces debuted within a week of each other on both sides of the Atlantic!

There were a couple of segments that I wasn't such a fan of. There's this one recurring spot called 'Know Your Squelchies.' A Squelchie is a pile of goo that comes in varieties ranging from farm cow to Dalek. Some of these guys are funny. But for the most part, I don't think I am getting the joke. 

There was another segment called 'Les Pretend.' Here a young boy dresses up like his mother and tries to woo his father for some weird favor. Again, maybe I didn't get the joke of this one. But it sure did make me feel uncomfortable reading it. 

Oh--- I forgot Bananaman! This one was awesome. A young boy becomes a superhero from eating the iconic yellow fruit. This parody of Superman and Batman and others was rather funny! I had a chance to grab a couple of Bananaman graphic novels along with this and I passed them over! I really regret that now! I really wanted more of him!

This hardcover annual was also filled with fun and games perfect for young readers. Though with the British slang, some American youngsters might not understand everything that was going on here. I would have been in the same boat if not for years of watching British sci-fi and comedy!

Well, I finally got a chance to read a Beano. I liked it. But that doesn't mean that I need to find more for my collection. Okay- Bananaman! I want more of the Man of Peel!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.