RUGRATS #4
Written by Pranas Naujokaitis
Illustrated by Jorge Monlongo
Colors by Eleonora Bruni
Letters by Jim Campbell
Published by KaBOOM!
It’s no secret. After issue number one of Rugrats came out, I was disappointed. So much so, that I didn’t pick up the next two issues. But, with the Rocko’s Modern Life series, also by kaboom and Nickelodeon, being so strong, coupled with the fact that this issue had a different writer and illustrator from the first one, I decided to give it another go.
I’m glad I did.
First, it takes us right into the comfortable world of Rugrats. No longer are the characters redrawn to the point that they are unrecognizable as was the case with the first issue, but they look like the characters we are used to, with some added flair and stylization that is perfect for the comic book platform, which was wonderful. I love some of the creative layouts in the comic to emphasize certain characters and actions. It was all great. The only criticism I could find in the artwork was there were two frames in a row where Grandpa was holding Tommy, and it honestly looks (proportionally) that Tommy’s head doubled in size from the first frame to the second. But, with a comic book as a whole, that’s not too big of a deal.
The story wasn’t anything earth shattering. I mean, once I read page 5, I pretty much knew exactly how the story would turn out, but hey. It’s a kids’ story. It’s ok to follow a formula. Especially when the formula is something is a winner, like the classic Rugrats plot. And, there is something to be for Angelica. Her brash, antagonistic style lends to natural conflict which is vital for an entertaining story. And speaking of natural, there weren’t any of the jarring, take-you-out-of-the-story in this issue like there were in issue no. 1.
Also, it was pretty dialog heavy. There were no filler pages, just good solid writing. And on that front, more writing than most series I’ve picked up lately.
Rugrats is now on the right track. Hope it continues to stay that way.
Illustrated by Jorge Monlongo
Colors by Eleonora Bruni
Letters by Jim Campbell
Published by KaBOOM!
It’s no secret. After issue number one of Rugrats came out, I was disappointed. So much so, that I didn’t pick up the next two issues. But, with the Rocko’s Modern Life series, also by kaboom and Nickelodeon, being so strong, coupled with the fact that this issue had a different writer and illustrator from the first one, I decided to give it another go.
I’m glad I did.
First, it takes us right into the comfortable world of Rugrats. No longer are the characters redrawn to the point that they are unrecognizable as was the case with the first issue, but they look like the characters we are used to, with some added flair and stylization that is perfect for the comic book platform, which was wonderful. I love some of the creative layouts in the comic to emphasize certain characters and actions. It was all great. The only criticism I could find in the artwork was there were two frames in a row where Grandpa was holding Tommy, and it honestly looks (proportionally) that Tommy’s head doubled in size from the first frame to the second. But, with a comic book as a whole, that’s not too big of a deal.
The story wasn’t anything earth shattering. I mean, once I read page 5, I pretty much knew exactly how the story would turn out, but hey. It’s a kids’ story. It’s ok to follow a formula. Especially when the formula is something is a winner, like the classic Rugrats plot. And, there is something to be for Angelica. Her brash, antagonistic style lends to natural conflict which is vital for an entertaining story. And speaking of natural, there weren’t any of the jarring, take-you-out-of-the-story in this issue like there were in issue no. 1.
Also, it was pretty dialog heavy. There were no filler pages, just good solid writing. And on that front, more writing than most series I’ve picked up lately.
Rugrats is now on the right track. Hope it continues to stay that way.
A Look Inside
