Re:views: A Dummy's Guide to Danger #2

This review is super-late. By this time, I believe that this mini-series should be over. However, I felt deeply obligated to get this review out there because this issue is one of the best reads of the year. Unfortunately, my local comics shop doesn’t carry this title, which is an absolute cryin’ shame. Talents such as Burns and Chan need to harnessed and appreciated for their raw, creative ingenuity in storytelling.

Alan and Mr. Bloomberg have had the unfortunate misgivings of being at the wrong place at the wrong time…sort of. While they are led to the scenes of the crimes soon after they were committed, they have a knack for being the first ones on the scene which makes them appear not too innocent given the rather brutal nature of the murders. This aspect is complicated by the fact that Alan’s mind is one cookie short of a baker’s dozen; his elevator never reaches quite the top; he’s…you get the idea. Contrary to his keenly, acute mind for solving mysteries, his rather odd behavior is punctuated by the fact that he throws his voice into the aforementioned Mr. Bloomberg, his dummy. Alan lugs his dummy around everywhere he goes making for some of the sharpest wit and comedic dialogue in the entertainment medium this year. Jason M. Burns’ writing leaves readers wanting badly to find out what clues will be left behind (you gotta see it to believe it) and how these mysterious serial murders will be solved. Not since Quantum and Woody have we seen an odder pair of like-minded, er…people.

Ron Chan’s line work is reminiscent of Howard Shum and Philip Hester, though not as angular. His artwork serves to move the story along and his panels play well with Burn’s tight and humorous dialogues. Comedic timing in paneled comic book form must be the most difficult of all mediums because the writer and artist can’t control the pace at which a reader flows through panels. They aren’t in control as an on-stage comedian or movie screen actor who dictates the ebb and flow and timing of their punch lines. It is to Burns and Chan’s credit that they expertly pull this off page after page after page of engaging and fast-moving entertainment. These guys are true geniuses! This book is highly recommended!