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THE REMARKABLE WORLDS OF PROFESSOR PHINEAS B. FUDDLE TPB
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics/Paradox Press imprint
Writer: Boaz Yakin
Artist: Erez Yakin
Colors: Angus McKie
Letters: Comicraft
Editors: Karen Berger & Scott Nybakken
Price: $19.95 US/$32.95 CAN |
Way back when, about two sites ago, Don and I took a look at a black and white copy of Phineas B. Fuddle #1, and I decided that while it was intriguing, I'd just wait for the trade, which has just been released this week. The story is an unusual one, with elements that wouldn't be out of place in The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, Zot! or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the Yakins
certainly create an exciting spectacle, both narratively and visually. I thought
the plot meandered and lacked a bit of punch, unfortunately, but for sheer
visual splendor and wild ideas, this one was a fun read.
The story centers around two professors in
turn of the century London who are watching as their world is covered in strange
weather occurrences and bizarre technological monstrosities from the past. When
they determine that this was caused by the time travel of a demented uncle, the
two scientists set off to find him and put things right, and wind up travelling
through strange, modified versions of ancient Egypt, India and even England.
Though neither of them are exactly a poster child for the 19th century British
gentleman, there's enough "stiff upper lip" and manners in them to make them
stand out against these strange settings in comical ways.
Phineas B. Fuddle relies on the reader finding the befuddled scientists amusing and
even somewhat buffoonish, but they must be willing to cheer them on as well.
Yakin walks a tight line between playing this as a farce and giving the serious
consequences time to sink in so that we can see a point behind all these
travels. Honestly, I think he falters a few times, belittling the deaths and
violence that Fuddle has caused and playing up the goofy, seat-of-their-pants
luck that gets the two scientists through their predicaments to such a degree
that it becomes predictable rather than hilarious. However, for the most part,
it's a decent balance, and what problems I have with the uneven tone are
answered by the strength of the concepts.
In terms of imagination, the book is pretty
impressive. The vision of an Egypt where technology has developed is quite
stunning, both visually and in the way that Boaz Yakin develops the parallels to
modern society. And I was impressed that each world that the scientists traveled
to had a certain similarity in the monstrous and all-encompassing nature of the
technology but had a completely different feel, from the almost fairy-tale style
of India to the more Biblical feel of England.
Erez Yakin, along with colorist Angus
McKie, is the true star of the book, however. The work is gorgeous, incredibly
detailed and filled with imaginative designs. He has a complete control over the
various characters, reminding me of detail-oriented artists like Steve Dillon or
Dave Gibbons, with gorgeous backgrounds reminiscent of Bryan Talbot or JH
Williams III. McKie's choice of "aged" colors for the opening and closing
sequence makes for a nice indicator of the framing sequence, as well.
I was right along for the ride on most of
this until the end, though. Boaz Yakin builds up an expectation for the
revelation of Fuddle, and then fails to deliver anything but a weak non-ending.
The book ends very much as each issue does, and the result is that this doesn't
feel like a complete story, but rather an incomplete story arc. It's not a
crippling blow, and the stories are still a great deal of fun, but this book
desperately needed a stronger ending.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
