Comics Review: Simpsons Comics #239

It appears the month off didn’t help.

Spoilers Below

“Brew Ha Ha!”

After kicking off its set of app-exclusive titles last month, Bongo Comics is back to its flagship title for May. There is just one single story in this issue, as every Springfield resident is crowding into the Simpson house. And why is it that precisely? Business! Industry! Capitalism! Caffeine!

After Lisa inadvertently racks up a huge wi-fi bill at one of Krusty’s Brew Ha Ha! cafés, the Simpsons strike a deal to pay off the debt by opening a new BHH! location in their own home. The barista lifestyle ends up being just as stressful as expected, filled with itchy customers, freeloaders who are just there for the free wi-fi, and a spiteful robot from the nearby tea shop that is trying to put them out of business. Eventually, it gets to a point where they do not remember any other way to live.

It is generally a good idea to devote an entire issue to one story, because of the freedom it allows to fully explore a single idea. But that freedom can also get out of hand, as it does here, leading to an unwieldy surplus of subplots. With digressions into a Boston Tea Party-style revolt and an attempt to write a comic book that can readily be adapted into a big-budget movie, “Brew Ha Ha!” is as overstuffed as a lot of the TV episodes have been this season. But there is one moment involving an old Chipmunks record that has made me laugh more than anything else in my time of reviewing Simpsons comics, so this issue is kind of worth it.