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PAUL DINI'S JINGLE BELLE: THE MIGHTY ELVES (Best of the Week!)
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Oni Press
Writer: Paul Dini
Artist/Letters: J. Bone
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Price: $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN |
I'm pretty sure I've checked out every Jingle Belle story Dini and other creators have released through Oni Press, starting with her first appearance in Oni Double Feature, so bear that in mind when reading the next sentence...
This is the best Jingle Belle story yet. Dini's yuletide teen terror is a great concept, but never has she been more entertaining than in this sports comedy. She's never looked better either. Bone's cartoony style is perfectly suited to the character, conveying both her cuteness and attitude.
It's summertime in the North Pole, and the elves are passing the time by competing in the Bi-Polar Hockey League, coached by none other than Santa Claus himself. The problem is... they suck. Enter Santa's daughter, Jingle Belle, forced to join the team as punishment for another one of her escapades. It turns out that Jing is a natural, and though she spends much of her time in the penalty box, she inspires the Mighty Elves to victory, much to the chagrin of the other teams in the league.
Bone's art brings a lot of fun to the book, and not just through his portrayal of the title character. His designs for the other hockey players -- from the sexy snow leopards to the polar bears -- are sharp and memorable. In fact, I so enjoyed the personality of the snow leopards -- both visually and in the dialogue -- that I hope to see more of them in future Jingle Belle stories, or perhaps in their own feature.
I know what you're thinking... "Don's Canadian, so of course he's gonna dig on a hockey story." Actually, I don't follow the NHL or any other league, as I'm not that big fan of the sport (though I do enjoy the occasional live game). Dini's story isn't just of interest to hockey die-hards, though. He both praises and pokes fun at the sport, and he gets to the heart of the matter as indicated by Santa early in the story: it's all about having fun.
Jingle Belle is an interesting study in contrasts. Her nature as the cute elven daughter of Santa would lead one to view her in an "aw, ain't she cute" light, but Dini's also instilled a raunchy tone in the character as well. She is rebellion given form, and I think we'd all like to cut loose like Jing once in a while.
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