Grizzlyshark #3

Ryan Ottley has lost his mind. The third and final issue of Grizzlyshark makes the descent into madness official. In just three months, Ottley has transformed himself from a pillar of indie comics, to a raving lunatic with an unmatched bloodlust. And the best part is, Ryan Ottley’s unleashed mind is so damn entertaining.

Let’s get any discussion of plot out of the way real quick—Grizzlyshark is a one-joke premise. What if a shark stalked the woods instead of the ocean? That’s it. But, through sheer force of will and unparalleled talent, Ottley pulled three absolutely bonkers issues from a very tiny hat. The book is so over-the-top, so absurd, that any serious discussion of plot is as useless as discussing the cinematography of a Steven Seagal movie.

What is worth discussing about this book is Ryan Ottley’s art. The man has warped and stretched his style to the nth degree on this book. Of course, on Invincible, his design skills were frequently showcased with plenty of weird aliens and he was no stranger to rendering gore, but Grizzlyshark takes it to another level. In essence, Invincible is Batman: The Animated Series (with Ottley as Bruce Timm) and Grizzlyshark is Ottley as Tex Avery adapting Herschell Gordon Lewis movies on acid.

The above comparison feels most apt when it comes time for the climactic confrontation between the titular shark and the sorely-missed Seabear. The way that Ottley renders the fight is dazzlingly ridiculous. The shark and the bear, from land to sea and back again, plays like the greatest monster movie never made. The movement is fluid, the punches (yes, the bear punches the shark) land hard, and the cutaways interspersed throughout serve to heighten the humor and suspense to nigh-unbearable levels.

When the dust settles and the resolution is reached, satisfaction mixes with sadness. What Ottley has delivered with Grizzlyshark is the most entertaining comic of the past three months. It is fun in a way that nothing else is. What’s sad is that it’s over… For now.