Two-in-One: Mighty Eyeball In the latest installment of Two-in-One reviews, Don and Randy take a look at a strange new independent comic called Mighty Eyeball. Randy: Rurik Tyler is a name that some may recognize from his work on humor publications like Mad, Cracked and What The!?, or from his stint on Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man. Most probably won't know the name, but from his list of credentials and intense enthusiasm, it's clear that he's got a love for the comics medium and especially comics that have to do with humor or action figures. He's combined those loves into Mighty Eyeball, a book that he calls "half trading card and half comic book." Don: I fall into the category of folks unfamiliar with Tyler's work, but I'm impressed with the potential I see in this book. The cover also notes that the book contains "inspired lunacy," and it's an accurate description. But the lunacy is also uncontrolled. Tyler would be well served by working with an editor in order to rein him in a bit. Mighty Eyeball Big Card 6 published by Big Card Comics written and illustrated by Rurik Tyler Randy: With Mighty Eyeball, Tyler seems to be aiming at that same patch of land occupied by diverse properties such as Car Toons, The Tick and Sky Ape. Unfortunately, while his enthusiasm is evident, the end result missed the mark for me. In creating a lot of wacky characters, settings and plots, he failed to include anything to identify with. As Don notes, the cover promises "inspired lunacy," and the lunacy is inarguable but I might take issue with it being "inspired." Don: I think a big part of the "lunacy" stems from the different tangent of humor that Tyler includes in what is basically an extensive fight scene. We get slapstick, surrealism, fourth-wall-breaking gags and philosophical diatribes that contrast with the silly nature of the characters and action. All these different kinds of humor end up conflicting with one another. The script shifts gears from page to page, making for a dizzying read. Randy: I do have to give Tyler credit for energy, though. The cover, a beautiful color painting splashed with over-the-top "mystery quotes" and blurbs like "All action! Hardly any plot!" and "Cheaper than a tub of butter" is sure to catch a potential reader's eye. And the entire book plows right along, never stopping to explain or apologize for its strange characters and setting. It seems as if the "inspiration" for the lunacy might have been a lot of Mountain Dew or Jolt cola. Don: The frantic pace of the book matches the tone of the dialogue. Tyler comes up with a number of clever lines and ideas, but the book is so hectic that the reader almost doesn't even get the chance to enjoy the gags. Randy: In art terms, Mighty Eyeball is a decent piece of work. Though there are sometimes storytelling glitches as far as following the action, the art is clean and fairly impressive. Tyler talks about his love of toys and Hot Wheels and that love of design comes through in his artwork, whether it's the villainous Slickshift or Eyeball's "Strunk Chomper" vehicle. Don: His flair for design stands out as Tyler's greatest strength. Slickshift is both weird and familiar, with his gear-shift head, and the Mighty Eyeball design just screams silliness and fun. The gray tones also add a more textured depth to the art as well. It's nice to see that effort, since Tyler could have gotten away with less, given the light and silly tone of the book. Randy: For all the clarity of the artwork, though, the story just doesn't make much sense. Part of that is intentional, and we're definitely meant to feel as though the world of Mighty Eyeball and everyone in it is completely skewed. However, unlike something like Sky Ape or The Tick, both of which balanced lunacy with normality for comedic effect, Tyler throws out nothing but strange, mad ideas. The result is that nothing is really funny, because everything is trying to be funny. Nothing is really strange because everything is strange. Don: I think the reason the story doesn't make sense is that there really isn't much of a story at all. Tyler delivers what he promises on the cover: all action and hardly any plot. It's too bad, though, as a plot could really give this property the focus it needs. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.