The Good
"Cosmic colonoscopies," more blunt hilarity from Larfleeze and jab at Stargrave's manhood? It's official: LARFLEEZE is DC's most hilarious and wildly amusing title in its catalog. It's not every day I find myself really digging cosmic material, but co-writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have had me hooked since the first issue.
The plot is grand in scope, dealing with beings who wiped out a universe and now want to conquer ours. However, this book shines because it focuses on the few key individuals and what makes each so unique. There's a lot at stake (I consider the universe to be a lot, after all), but it's primarily a character-driven book and it works thanks to sharp writing. Giffen's plot is every bit as out there as Larfleeze himself, filling each page with fantastic opportunities for artist Scott Kolins and colorist Mike Atiyeh. Kolins' style fits the book's tone incredibly well, creating animated visuals which are every bit as lively and amusing as the script itself. Atiyeh's coloring then gives Kolins' work a jump-start, filling it with super bright and vivid colors. It's set of wonderful visuals to match a wonderfully wacky course of events.
DeMatteis creates some truly hysterical and entertaining dialogue. There's plenty of low brow material (don't piss off Larfleeze -- he'll poop on your bed!), but that by no measure means the script isn't sharp. The writing kept a tight grip on my attention and never failed to enthrall. If a page didn't have me smiling or enjoying the story, odds are it was giving me a solid laugh. Needless to say, the turn of events here is a whole lot of fun (which is surprising because it opens with a heft amount of exposition, too!) and ends on a very, very strong cliffhanger.
The Bad
I know no major gripes when it comes to the shiny treasure known as LARFLEEZE #3.
The Verdict
LARFLEEZE is all kinds of erratic and nutty, and you know what? I absolutely adore it. The New 52 is filled with so much gloom and doom, so it's nice to have a cosmic title which offers an overdose of wackiness, big laughs and legitimate excitement. The visuals compliment the atmosphere quite well, the writing is sharp and the narrative is a thoroughly fun ride. This has without question become one of my favorite DC titles and it's a real joy to read. You've earned a chuckle or two, so do yourself a favor and give this issue a shot.
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