Legenderry #1 is a steampunk mystery book featuring versions of the Dynamite superhero roster. Bill Willingham of Fables is taking the wheel on this one, and it's a good start to a fun idea.
After an altercation in Vampirella's Scarlett Club, a mystery unravels leaving a ton of questions to be answered in the coming issues. Joining in on the action will be Kato, Red Sonja, The Phantom, Flash Gordon and others, but this first issue focuses on Vampirella and The Green Hornet for now. The upcoming number of characters gives this title a promising future. It will be interesting to see not only how they interact with each other, but how this steampunk world allows them to do so.
Legenderry #1 introduces a vast steampunk world containing all of the elements which makes the genre one to be desired, including plenty of old Victorian-style English courtesy of Willingham. The choice of dialogue not only serves to project character but also to build the environment, helping shape this particular steampunk universe. Sergio Davila and Wes Hartman are on art duties bringing the world to life, and they do so quite well. The double page spreads and splash pages are great, each featuring some lively environments and heavy action.
Despite the friendly cover, this one isn't for kids. The action scenes can get a little bloody but, other than that, there isn't too much in the way of mature content. Hopefully the next few issues will showcase a little more of the steampunk heroes' talents, but this first issue certainly makes way for some well drawn action sequences.
Legenderry #1 is a promising start to a great genre crossing story that features well established Dynamite IP's and the writing of Willingham. It will be fun to see where this goes.
Lil Ernie is one of Dynamite's all-ages one shot issues based off existing Dynamite IPs. There'll be one each week for the next 4 weeks, Bionic Kids, Vampi, Lil Sonja and Lil Battlestar Galactica. These books are all ages, so you can enjoy the lighthearted take on your favourite characters while sharing with your kids.
Lil Ernie is a troublemaking psychopath (much like his adult counterpart) who refuses to do homework, won't brush his teeth, and rarely pays full bus fare. He's followed around by Smiley, his physically manifested conscience, as they embark on lesson filled journeys through three short stories. There's also a nice break in the middle, with two pages of puzzles including a maze and 'spot the difference' games.
It's a great read for youngsters who are fans of all things spooky. Young horror fans will enjoy the graveyards, zombies, and more, while older readers are certain to find some humorous elements snuck into the dialogue. Fans of the flagship title Evil Ernie will probably get a kick out of the parallels between the two Ernies.
It should be interesting to see how the upcoming all-ages titles from Dynamite turn out. They each have a solid existing fanbase but the kid friendly gimmick might turn some readers off at first. Based on Lil Ernie, the others will most likely be filled with fun references for adults, well written dialogue and generally good entertainment for kids and adults alike. It's also a great way to get youngsters interested in the medium. Perhaps Dynamite will turn some of these into ongoings if the reception is good enough. All together, Lil Ernie is a good choice for a lighthearted read.
