OK, first things first: I have a soft spot for Texas, which comes from living in Austin, and so I'm predisposed to like this book. However, I think it's more than an appreciation for the Southwestern flavor of the story that made me like this first issue of Mutant, Texas so much. Paul Dini has blended the idea of super-heroes and mutant critters with an approach that is reminiscent of American folklore, and J. Bone's cartoony approach to artwork is a perfect match for the whimsical but not entirely silly style of the book. Mutant, Texas is a different kind of book, not quite all-ages, not quite super-hero and not quite comedy, but a successful blend of all three.
Dini writes Mutant, Texas in a way that makes it clear that the Texas part is just as important as the Mutant part. The narration, done in a sort of folksy style, reads like the voiceovers from the Dukes of Hazzard or from Disney films like the Fox and the Hound, and it's brimming with Southern charm as well as a gently self-mocking tone about the style that makes it enjoyable. In fact, the book is full of Southwestern flavor, from the presence of armadillos, coyotes and a wise old bearwoman to the setting of a desert or a small town centered in the middle of it. While driving, I've been in towns like this.
Well, not exactly like this, maybe. I've certainly never seen a town with such an interesting pedigree as Mutant, Texas, which has a secret origin that can compete with any Silver Age super-hero. Dini combines radioactivity, space junk, nuclear power and mysticism in equal parts to give the town its unique flavor, and it's silly but likable to anyone with a taste for super-heroes at all. Because the secret of the book is that it is, at least in some ways, a super-hero book, with the lead super-hero being the rambunctious and pretty Ida Red. Of course, it's super-heroes in the Madman or Jetcat Clubhouse vein, with a tongue-in-cheek, offbeat approach.
When you're doing this type of work, you need an artist who can not only capture the humor and quirky detail, but who can also provide strong storytelling. J. Bone did solid work on Alison Dare, but he's even better here, using little background details early on to clue readers in to elements of Ida's backstory. He also has some imaginative designs for the characters and their costumes, whether it's the wise and warm design for Tia Oso, the clownish but slightly sleazy coyotes or the wide variety of bizarre creatures that he creates for Ida to interact with.
I've read some Ida Red before, as she has made appearances in some of Dini's previous Oni work, but I'm glad to see her story told from the beginning, and especially gratified to see that it was so much fun.
