Bug! The Adventures of Forager #5

Storytellers: Lee Allred & Michael Allred
Colourist: Laura Allred
Published by: DC’s Young Animal

In the penultimate issue of DC’s Young Animal’s first miniseries, our heroes Bug, Kazuko and the bear find themselves on a world where the supervillain Skuba is gathering up all the oceans of the world using a matter manipulation bomb.

This issue also guest-stars another Jack Kirby creation in the form of the One Man Army Corps, or as everyone knows him: OMAC! And we are talking about the original here, not the one introduced during the New 52. However, our guest-star doesn’t start off as OMAC, but instead as his alter-ego Buddy Blank after Skuba uses his machines to strip OMAC of his powers.

The story itself continues the almost irreverent exploration of the Kirby’s DC universe by our main heroes, but continues to still be one of the funnest reads you’ll have every month. Bug, Kazuko and the bear tend to be captured quite often in this series, and this issue is no different. However, as it was in previous issues, you start to learn that the bear is more than what he appears. Sometimes even more than the overarching presence for Bug and Kazuko.

We also get to get the continuation of Chagra’s plan, our antagonist of the series, as he finally gets the final piece required to start changing reality into his image. And, since this story has been so centralized on Kirby, the best place to start Chagra’s plan is none other that New Genesis.

On art, there’s nothing I could say that has not already been said about the Allred’s. Michael and Laura have their style and have perfected it without a doubt. Everything in this issue is beautiful. One small touch I truly enjoy is the use of non bubbled, for lack of a better word, of Kazuko’s dialogue. It is omnipresent throughout the series, but is always done as funny quips explaining the situation at hand, or simple observations. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I feel it adds just that extra touch to this already great book.