Garfield #31

Day 8 of my Thanksgiving reads is my last Garfield book of the lot. When I went looking for Turkey Day books, I found 3 starring everybody's favorite fat cat. 

In this issue, while Jon makes his favorite turkey lasagna for Thanksgiving dinner, Garfield decides to share his thankfulness with the homeless felines down at the train tracks. Inspired by some Thanksgiving cheer, Garfield decides to help his down and out kitty comrades find forever homes.

Then the world's cutest kitten, Nermal, decides to live life like Garfield. That means making a gigantic sandwich, eating it in bed and reading a scary book. Thanks to the massive tummy ache, Nermal dreams that he's Little Red Riding Hood. Only, he keeps getting put in the wrong fairy tale!

My heart just melted in the Thanksgiving set tale. If case you remember, during day one of my Thanksgiving reads, I read another Garfield comic. In that book, there was a story about a cat whom nobody knew his name. Well, in the holiday story, that same kitty is in this story and his name is Benji! Well, it was Benji. I think his new owner calls him Fluffer-nutter or something to that effect.

I hate to see kitties in need. I'd adopt a hundred pusses if I had the room and money. I loved seeing these poor felines finding new homes thanks to Garfield's efforts.

This was a great issue. I even liked the Nermal solo story. That's big because I used to hate Nermal with a passion. I guess over time he's grown on me. There wasn't enough Thanksgiving in this story as even the main tale it seemed that T-Day was more of an afterthought. But this was a very enjoyable read. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Garfield: TV or Not TV? (Family Comic Friday)

Well, we made it through Halloween. But before we jump right into November, we’ve got one more Halloween treat to review. From the mind of Jim Davis, we’ll be taking a look at KaBoom’s newest special starring the world’s laziest cat. It’s Garfield: TV or Not TV?

Garfield: TV or Not TV
Written by Mark Evanier, Scott Nickel
Art by David Alvarez, Antonio Alfaro
Cover by Andy Hirsch
Published by KaBoom!

There are two episodes to this one-shot. I call the stories 'episodes’ as there is a very episodic feel to this comic book. The spirit of the stories is very much in the vein of the Garfield and Friends cartoon from the Saturday mornings of the 80s; especially the Mark Evanier yarn.

Evanier pens the title tale. It has the Arbuckle household going to Hollywood to star in a reality series. The TV producer reminds me a lot of Binky, a deranged clown that would scare the bejeezus out of Garfield on cartoon series. Mark Evanier adds a touch of intelligent charm to this story. It's actually one of the few in which Jon isn't a complete buffoon.

Unfortunately, Nermal, the world's most annoying cat was added to the mix. I'd rather have more Odie or Liz than Nermal. His presence literally adds nothing to the story. Plus, there's not enough of Garfield berating the little gray snot. It's basically the only thing that makes Nermal's presence tolerable in a Garfield narrative.

The back up feature thankfully drops Nermal and adds Liz and more Odie to the plot. This Scott Nickel adventure is set during Halloween. Jon is hosting a costume party. During set up, lightning hits the TV, causing a monster to escape into the real world.      Of course hijinks ensues as people think that the monster is just a decoration. But Garfield and Odie know the truth!

While this was a funny story, it also features a scary looking character. Garfield has not been shy to use some intense imagery. 1984’s Garfield: His 9 Lives had a controversial short in which Garfield becomes possessed by a cat demon and attacks his owner. True, the monster in this special isn't as scary as that. But it still might be a little eerie for younger readers.

Kaboom really did a nice job on this one. Previous Garfield comics have been hit or miss. Either the plots are too silly or the art looks nothing like the Jim Davis brand. TV or Not TV? excels in both regards.

I know that I'm a couple of days too late reviewing this book in time for Halloween. But only one of the capers in this book is set during the holiday. So consider this a Fall special that can still be enjoyed during this time of year.

People read Bunnicula year round and it's set at Halloween. So are several episodes of Stranger Things. Yet I don't hear fans complain that they can only enjoy the show during the month of October. Besides, any comic book store worth its salt is not going to pack up this book until next year’s fright fest. Though this book dropped two weeks ago, TV or Not TV? is still going to be available on store shelves this weekend.

Plus for you digital lovers, it's currently available on several online comic book sites including Comixology. Although for some reason, it's listed as issue #2 on the site. Everywhere else I look, this title is listed as issue #1.

TV or Not TV? was an enjoyable read that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Though you may want to wait until the young reader in your life is maybe 7 or older if scary characters aren’t their thing yet. There’s also some moments of slapstick but the violence level is a lot tamer than the Three Stooges. Overall, it’s got a wholesome charm and it perfect for any Garfield fan!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.