Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #5– Matt Fraction, Writer; Steve Lieber, Artist; Nathan Fairbairn, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber continue to deliver the most offbeat, bizarre comic in DC’s stable with Jimmy Olsen,a tale of Jimmy Olsen, the complex Olsen family dynamics, and Silver Age science always entertains but rarely comes together as a cohesive narrative.
Jimmy Olsen #5 takes that feel even further, with different segments taking us across time and space and leaving us to figure out exactly where we are. Jimmy’s been exiled to Gotham, and that finally plays out in the beginning with a hilarious segment involving Batman. Or rather, Bruce Wayne, as we get a close-up look at just how far Bruce is willing to go to maintain his playboy cover when on dates with influencers. That doesn’t put him in the best mood for teaming up with Jimmy Olsen, especially as Jimmy has an alternate identity as a viral prankster and is working with D-list villain supply manufacturers to prank Batman.
The most fascinating ongoing subplot of this book is the flashbacks to the Olssen/Luthor war back in the 1700s and onward, and this issue reveals that there was a romantic complication between the two families that ended horribly during the 1800s.
The complex Olsen family tree has become one of Fraction’s best innovations on this book, and the addition of an Olsen sister who has walked away from the family fortune is a fascinating twist. Add in the hilariously messed-up exploding funeral for the Jimmy body double in Jimmy Olsen #5, and the return of a fan-favorite character who first appeared in the preview of this run, and you’ve got a recipe for a highly entertaining read.
I just wish I knew where it was going – right now it’s highly entertaining, but we’re almost at the halfway point and it feels like we’re getting further away from a central plot with each passing issue.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
