Super Dinosaur Volume 1 TP [Paperback]

Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard, the team what used to wreak wonderful havoc on THE ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN, one day decided to do stuff that their kids can read and enjoy. Thus did fatherhood ruin a good thing - because I was really enjoying THE ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN series. Anyway, Kirkman and Howard wrapped up the Wolf-Man's story with an eye towards getting a move on already with their new intended-for-all-ages venture. So here's this sort of digest-sized trade collection SUPER DINOSAUR Vol. 1. It collects SUPER DINOSAUR #1-5 and the SUPER DINOSAUR ORIGIN SPECIAL. It's pretty neat.

In some interview, Kirkman described SUPER DINOSAUR as "essentially a Pixar movie on paper," or at least that's his lofty goal. It's certainly got all the bells and whistles a kid can crave, including an exuberant kid hero and his best friend, which is this bruising nine-foot-tall Tyrranosaurus Rex loaded with heavy firepower, and a hollow Earth inhabited by more dinosaurs. Ten-year-old genius Derek Dynamo and Super Dinosaur (or S.D.) are having the time of their lives foiling each of Dr. Max Maximus's diabolical plans to control Inner Earth - located nearly 100 miles beneath our feet - and harvest its super-potent mineral Dynore.

At the same time, Derek scrambles to cover up for his scientist dad's brain disorder, incurred in a fighty fight with Max Maximus, his old collaborator. Dr. Dynamo nowadays is prone to bouts of absentmindedness and an inability to finish a thought. Derek's been finishing his dad's equations behind his back, resolving mechanical issues in their secret base, and all around boosting his dad's self-confidence. Anything to keep the government off their backs. But the government catches a whiff that all is not smooth at Dynamo Dome and assigns them Bruce and Sarah Kingston, a man-and-wife technician team. And they brought their two young daughters. That'll shift the group dynamics some. Think of it as sort of like a twisted Brady Bunch, two families coming together in one household. Except that they fight off wicked mutated dinosaurs.

You cannot argue the inherent awesomeness of a dinosaur who can manipulate a joystick unit with its tiny sissy arms to control its weapon harness (which comes with huge robot limbs). S.D. is a prototype, a baby dinosaur stolen from Inner Earth and genetically engineered by Dr. Maximus to further his ambition of world domination. Except that S.D. wouldn't turn on his best pal Derek. It's been a tug of war ever since, Max Maximus and his created Dino-Men occasionally resurfacing from their hidden lair and Derek and S.D. then playing whack-a-mole.

SUPER DINOSAUR is breezy and crackles with energy and features a very clever, lively young hero so full of himself that he sometimes falls on his face, which is part of the fun. And don't think that S.D. is some pet character. S.D. is sentient. He talks and thinks and feels and he consistently smacks Derek around when it comes to playing video games. And thanks to the innovations of the new tech team, Bruce and Sarah, S.D.'s got a varied arsenal of exoskeleton suits (ideal for any new line of toy merchandising, a cynic may muse). The violence is exaggerated and cartoony. You don't get offended when Bugs Bunny and Daffy wage war in them classic cartoons, do you? Jason Howard's art complements the light tone Kirkman is going for, his visuals catering to them younglings. It's more stylized than his stuff in THE ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN, almost cartoony but very expressive. The story arc starts out all-ages friendly enough but there are plot points here and there that I can see Kirkman subverting into a messed-up twist or two, as is his wont. Still, Kirkman has vowed to tone down the beheadings that you routinely see in INVINCIBLE. We'll see, Robert Kirkman, we'll see. In those word association games, whenever the word "decapitation" comes up, even French Revolution immediately blurts out: "Robert Kirkman!"

Super Dinosaur Volume 1 TP by Robert Kirkman is the first in a relatively new comic series sure to please young boys and girls, and those who enjoy comics. The villain is Evil Max Maximus whose goal is to reach the center of the earth where dinosaurs still reside. The hero is 10-year-old Derek Dynamo and his best friend Super Dinosaur who utilizes bionic arms and other devices to help defeat evil.

All around, this is a great story, good, clean fun. Though there is some violence, it is minimal with the good triumphing over all. This definitely a book that I would put in my library, but I think it is one that will endure over time and enjoyed by many. I cannot wait to get the next volume, for my students, of course.

Received Galley from NetGalley.com

Reason for Reading: Robert Kirkman wanted to write something his son could read and I wanted him too! So I was anxious to see what this would be like.

This was truly wonderful. We jump right in with battle scenes between genetically altered dinosaurs, who are part robot, and Derek Dynamo. Then we are switched back to the lab where Super Dinosaur (SD to his friends) quickly starts talking about his machinery. This leaves the reader somewhat out of the loop but as the events and dialogue continue we are quickly brought up to par with the other members of the team and understand as much as they do, who they are fighting against and why.

Super Dinosaur is an awesome superhero, that will appeal to boys and dinosaur fans, as will the other various villains such as Terrordactyl and Dreadasaurus to name only a few. The evil genius is a typical protagonist along with his usual background story of how he became evil in the first place. But this makes him easy to understand. This book isn't really the place for deep characters, we already know what makes most of them tick. But new characters are introduced and they put a new swing on things, both good and bad. The volume then ends up with some things nicely wrapped up only to have a major twist in the story thrown at us on the last pages that will have you clamouring for more. This will satisfy pre-teen male readers who are looking for something a little more involved than just Pokemon or Bakugan. However, the final pages of the story, really got me involved in the plot and I'll be sure to read on to Vol. 2 to find out what happens next with the continuing story arc.

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