Plastic Man #2 – Gail Simone, Writer; Adriana Melo, Artist; Kelly Fitzpatrick, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: The first issue surprised me with just how much of a crime drama it was, but Plastic Man #2 embraces the absurdity of the character as Gail Simone cuts loose and has fun with one of DC’s most over-the-top characters. From the start, the tone of the series becomes clear, as Plastic Man is in search of someone – it turns out, a little kid who helped him – and is interrogating everyone in sight to find them. Sometimes he’s transforming into tanks or cannons to intimidate goons, sometimes he’s apparently making crude overtures to Batwoman (barking up the wrong tree there, dude), sometimes he’s arguing with a clown head at a drive-through, and sometimes he’s a cat. This two-page segment is one of the best things I’ve read in awhile. There’s even a strange little Where’s Waldo? tribute mixed in there. A flashback shows Eel waking up in the company of Doris and Lila, who help him get his bearings as he realizes that he left the kid – known only as the Suave Prince – behind when he was knocked out.
The issue may start as a comedy, but it soon turns into a superhero comic on full blast when it turns out Plastic Man is wanted by the police. He escapes unscathed, mainly due to the fact that bullets stretch out his midsection but do no actual damage. Far more threatening to him, however, is Man-Bat, who is in a frenzied rage and is looking to tear him to shreds. This is a different Man-Bat than we usually see, and seems to be working in the thrall of something known as the Cabal. Plastic Man has more pressing concerns when he finally finds the Suave Prince, and there’s some interesting reveals about the kid – I wouldn’t be surprised if this is Gail Simone’s usual interest in representation at work here, and I’m interested in finding out more about them. Next issue is going to bring Plastic Man into the clutches of the Cabal, and we’ll likely find out more about who’s running this group. This issue is taking on more of the classic vibe of Gail Simone’s Secret Six run, and I’m thrilled to see her writing the DCU’s most offbeat crooks again.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
