Spookids #3, Review

It's time to return to some 80s fun with the kid's sci-fi adventure tale from the sensational Marc Jackson and Spookids #3. Issue three collects ten parts that Marc published through his Ko-fi page for subscribers.

After facing and unmasking BRAIN-LORD, with help from a familiar time traveller, the kids might have made the apocalypse a little bit worse. Nellie, Eric, Gordon and Fred Danson find themselves in a totally new place, and they don't all look the same. Maybe the Brain-Hat™ Apocalypse has ruptured reality, causing alternative versions to appear. Things in Spookids are about to get weird. Well, weirder is probably more accurate.

As usual, let's start with the art. One of the things I love about Marc's art is that it's instantly recognisable as his. Bold lines and a minimalist art palette make every panel look fun. And having seen Marc doing some live art, you know he's having as much fun drawing it as there is fun jumping off the page.

The character designs are goofy but so full of joy that you don't even care that someone's arms can come out mid-body instead of shoulder height. It's all part of the whacky fun that emanates of the page. Anatomically, it's all off, and that's all part of the charm. Who cares how arms bend? It's fun, it draws your attention to the ridiculousness of it all, and I absolutely love it.

The lettering is always one of my favourite parts of a Marc comic. It's bold, sometimes dominates a panel or a page, and it really adds to the whole cartoon aesthetic of the comic. The font uses is fun (seeing a pattern here) and is as instantly recognisable as the art.

The story is a wild one, which it has to be, really. Things have changed since Spookids #2. Something is wrong with their world, and they need to work out what is going on. BRAIN-LORD isn't finished yet, Mr Funnies' comic collection could bring down everything if BRAIN-LORD gets his hands on them, and The Flaming Skull could change everything. Spookids #4 is going to be nuts!

It's packed with 80s references and is just pure entertainment all the way through. There's a handy little crib sheet for the youngsters, in case they don't know who the legendary Bill Murray is or haven't read told Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. It's also handy for adults too, as although I was born in the 80s, I have no idea who Max Headroom was. Always a fun addition to have and helpful too.

Spookids is one of those comic series where if you like comics that are pure fun, by a creator that you can tell has great fun creating said comics, aimed at entertaining everyone - then it's a comic for you. There's o much joy in the pages with an art style that you can't help but love for all its ridiculousness and whimsy. If you want a copy, head over to the MarcMakesComics ko-fi page. If you like fun, then this is worth your time and money.

Rating: 4.5/5