Futurama: The Time Bender Trilogy (Vol. 4)

A bargain bin issue of The Simpsons is rather hard to find. At the used books stores, I can occasionally strike gold with a collection of funnies from Bongo Comics. But finding anything from Simpsons sister series, Futurama, is just about as rare as a thing as stumbling upon a gold nugget!

In this collection of 4 stories- in yes, what is called 'The Time Bender Trilogy', Fry, Leela, and Bender are tasked with finding Dr. Farnsworth's son Cubert a boarding school. Of course, it's an intergalactic boarding school! No earth bound fluff for Dr. Farnsworth's genius clone! 

After several school tours, The Planet Express team find the perfect school for Cubert; a real institute of higher learning of which the youth absolutely hates. Tricked into attending school with Cubert, Fry and friends try to adjust to life as high school students. Bender becomes a nerd. Fry, a jock. And Leela finds the popularity denied her as a mutant orphan; mostly because she owns the delivery ship.

Leela's newfound fame results in a round of playing hooky with some other popular students. In an attempt to rectify their truancy, Leela is peer pressured into going back in time by making a slingshot around a star. But as this is a very dangerous maneuver, Leela accidentally triggers a supernova resulting in the school needing to be evacuated- literally!

Safely back on planet Earth, the delivery team finds the world completely abandoned. Well, except for that pesky alien couple from Omicron Persei 8 who've claimed Terra as their new fixer-upper home. Thus begins a zany romp to regain the planet for the human race and then trek through time to rescue the time trapped populace of the year 3000!

This was a fun story. I've been reading the complete run of Marvel Comic Presents. I've enjoyed it. But for the most part, its grim and gritty. Truly a product of late 80s, early 90s superhero comics. So, I've felt like I need a laugh or two. Thankfully, on a recent, but very brief vacation, I found a couple of volumes of Bongo Comics classics (1 Simpsons, 1 Futurama). It's been a welcome reprieve.

I loved Futurama. I wish it was back on TV in a reboot- and I hate reboots!!! Full of sly one-liners and funny Easter eggs, this volume was enjoyable. A few of the jokes were dated. But this was like finding a few new never-before-seen episodes of Futurama. Too bad it ended too soon, as I've zero clue when I'll find another vein of Matt Groening comic book gold!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Futurama #68

One of the most confusing issues Bongo has ever produced. Taking a bag from the film Memento, many of the scenes are shown in reverse order. 

The Planet Delivery team start the story all buck-naked and with no recollection as to how they got that way. Bender has been recording the event, so Farnsworth tries to piece together what's been happening. Thanks to a new invention of the professor's, the memory loss has been going on for nearly an hour. 

There's an analog clock in the background and it's helpful to a point. But Bender has a clock on his video feed and it keeps going up and down from 11:01-11:13. But it, unlike the background clock doesn't move in linear order. I tried and tried to figure out what was going on but I had to give up on figuring out the clock and just try to enjoy each passing period of time as separate skits that just happen to link together.

There were some laughs here. The art was just like it would on the TV show. I didn't remember how racy Futurama was. While the Simpsons comics are regarded as for all ages, this has got to be PG at least. Regardless of the age appropriateness, I think this type of story just didn't transfer well to a comic book. If this was done animated, it probably would have been a classic. Instead, it all got lost in the medium of comics

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Bongo Comics Free-For-All FCBD 2013

 

The Bongo-Free-For-Alls usually have a Simpsons story, a Futurama tale, and maybe a short story about another Bongo Comics title like Itchy & Scratchy or Radioactive Man.

But for 2013, the Simpsons dominate with three very funny stories that for once, are NOT involving comic books and superheroes. The back cover have the Planet Express folks parodying Giant-Sized X-Men #1. Yet, that’s the only time we see the gang from the year 3,000. Is it because this season is supposedly the final season of Futurama? If so, that’s no excuse to tease faithful readers like myself.

Worth Consuming, but almost annoying enough an omission of Futurama to be considered wishy-washy.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Bongo Comics Free-For-All 2014 Free Comic Book Day Edition

Bongo Comics always does a superior job with their Free Comic Book Day selections. Bongo owns the licenses to the Matt Groening properties so every year you can expect to see the Simpsons, Futurama Gang, and scores of other great characters gracing my Free Comic Book Day wish list. Bongo does it right by A) producing an all-new comic with 100% all new material and B) trying to plot or parody stories about comic books and super heroes.

In this 2014 offering we have Bart and Milhouse trying to recreate an accident in order to gain super powers. But all these accidents seem to do is injure Milhouse. Then we take a trip to Mr. Burns’s secret lair to witness Burnsy try to save his assistant Smithers from one of his hideout’s booby traps. Lastly, Professor Frink and Bart are zapped into a parallel universe to looks an awful lot like Ditko’s run on Doctor Strange.

Along with these short stories there are tons of great fillers. The 1-2 page little gems are usually the funniest. This year we get a parody of Spy Vs. Spy, a trip to Krusty Burger in search of the Kids Meal comic freebie, and a “Where’s Ralph?” back page splash by legendary MAD cartoonist Sergio Aragones.

My favorite part is the Betty and Veronica parody on the back cover. It stars Amy and Leela from Futurama. It’s also Futurama’s only appearance in this book. If I had a complaint about the Bongo freebies it would be that there isn’t enough Futurama in them. Yeah, the Simpsons are the main draw but for 2 years straight the crew of the Planet Express has been delegated to the back cover. At least give them a 2-page short story as well! They deserve at least that much!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.