It's been a while since I looked in on Kyle Baker's Plastic Man. I'm a fan of Baker's work in general (and especially of his new, self-published Nat Turner series), but the industry's warm reception of this super-hero comedy series from DC puzzles me. Baker's earned awards and praise for this title, and while I found it to be fun and appreciated Baker's cartoony, light, playful artwork, its greater appeal eluded me. This latest issue strikes me as being a bit stronger than what we'd seen early on in the run, as Baker's takes aim at super-hero genre conventions and offers a surprisingly accessible script. Revisiting the book proved to be pleasant, but I'm still not hooked on the series.
Plastic Man is having a bad and busy day. His friends have been killed and cremated, and he's got to find a way to gather up their strewn ashes and resurrect them. If that weren't challenging enough, he finds himself in the heart of the secret lair of Ra's Al Ghul, Batman's immortal enemy and eco-terrorist without equal. Meanwhile, in a magical other-realm, the two new young hosts of the Spectre interfere with the Captain Marvel/Billy Batson transformation, with disastrous results.
Baker's artwork in this issue boasts an incredibly strong Sergio (Groo) Aragones influence, and it's one that suits the material quite well. The manic, exaggerated tone of the art is in keeping with the farcical approach to the storytelling. The pastel colors maintain a lighter tone and reinforce the satirical, goofy nature of the writing. My one qualm with the artwork is the seeming lack of backgrounds. I realize that Baker is purposefully ignoring DC continuity here, and perhaps he's deliberately trying to avoid establishing a sense of place. But it gives the impression the artwork was carried out at a rushed pace.
The Spectre/Captain Marvel stuff is a delightful super-hero sendup, and I like how it touches upon the various Infinite Crisis tie-ins that are peppering the comic-shop shelves. Baker's message is clear: super-heroes don't need to be taken so seriously to be fun. Baker targets the Batman/Ra's Al Ghul rivalry for the sendup treatment as well. His "shirtless fighting" gag is a riot.
Baker is also to be commended for offering an accessible script. It's been a while since I turned my attention to this series, but I had little problem picking up on the action here despite being dropped into the middle of a story arc. Still, despite my appreciation of certain elements in this issue, I found I was uninterested by the end of the issue. This sort of material is sufficient for the occasional Mad satire of the genre, but I don't know if it can sustain the longer form Baker is using here. 5/10
