For my Summer Book Bingo card we had to read a comic or graphic novel. My son has just recently showed interest in comic books so I picked one of his- Mystery Men. It's the first book in a five book mini-series that was written in 2011. It featured all new pulp-era characters set in Marvel continuity. I've always liked the gritty and stylish 1930s period so I was drawn to this particular comic with the New York City backdrop. This first story starts out with the murder of an actress, Alice Starr, and a conspiracy to frame her boyfriend. We're introduced to two of the characters, The Revenant and The Operative, who end up joining forces to find the true killer.

Now I've read very few comic books in my lifetime so I'm definitely no expert but I was very impressed. By the end I was wishing I already had the next book so I would say the writers did a pretty good job. They reeled me right in anyways! The next time we go comic shopping I'll be on the lookout for the rest of the series.

The way this was written was just not good.   There's a way to make something kid-friendly without dulling the emotions of the characters.   This didn't do that, it just simplified everything to the point where it felt I wasn't reading about the characters I was familiar with from the movie, or from the comics. 

The writing got pretty funky at points, too, so I was not impressed with the writer's skills. 

I did, however, like some things.   The way this mimicked a graphic novel without being one, with the sound effects, and the funky script - letters going in circles on one page, or zooming across, or being cut across by some imagery - were pleasing to me.   

To bad this failed to be emotionally resonant at all. 

Which is illustrated.   The gang is cheerfully throwing a fully clothed Rocket into a tub to cure him of, like, space lice.  Or something equally ridiculous.   

And I get that this is a kid's book, but why in his clothes?   Isn't that just going to get really uncomfortable wet with his pelt?   Also, this was the dialogue.   Paraphrased.   Minus the cursing, of course.

A character*: OMG, Star-Lord, you look like shit!

Star-Lord: We gave Rocket a bath, and he bit and scratched us all the way through!

*I can't remember which one.   I'm too lazy to go through the majority of this book looking, even though that illustration is hella funny.

Which leads to so many questions.    Are we assuming Rocket's clothes will be stripped of the space lice - or whatever - when they hold him in the tub?   Or are we to assume water makes him docile?   Aren't they worried about space rabies?   Or are we to assume that he's been inoculated?   Where did they find a doctor who was willing to poke Rocket with a needle given that he bites and scratches if you throw him in a tub?   Why wouldn't they walk away until they looked like absolute shit?   Can't Groot just get big and take care of this on his own since he can heal, too?

How did Star-Lord convince the others to give Rocket a bath?   I mean, seriously, has bath time become a group activity now?  Given that he has a pelt, why can't they show him naked - unless he has a humanoid penis?   That's erect while illustrating him.  Why would anyone genetically enhance a raccoon like animal to have more human like qualities - including a penis apparently?   Why would someone illustrate that, which is the only reason I can really think of not to strip him down?

So, really, that just went to disturbing places and ended with penises.   Gross.