COMICS REVIEW: THE SIMPSONS #196

After going to a used book sale at the library, Homer and Lisa take some books to the Springfield Retirement Castle, where Grampa read to them from The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde. However, without his missing glasses, Grampa’s take on the Irish poet and playwright’s fairy stories become truly wild indeed.

Spoilers Below

WILDE AT HEART

Apparently, the Springfield library is going ALL digital and as such is getting ready to burns its stock. That is until, lil’ Lisa Simpson comes by and decides to take the books over to the Retirement Castler where Grampa lives. While there, the old man decides to read some stories derived from the great Oscar Wilde, but he can’t find his glasses! At the conclusion of his storytelling we find out that all of the Simpson family had left Grampa there for an hour with the exception of Lisa of whom has some Agatha Christie lined up!

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

When Bart gets his picture taken at school his proof acts as his ticket to immortality. Everything from eating a bunch, staying up all night, or getting beat up is all overrated at this juncture as it does NOTHING to hurt Bart. Of course when Lisa finds out about it she ruins it because eventually the dog snatches it up and shreds it to pieces! Afterwards, Bart looks all sorts of wrecked much to the delight of the neighborhood!

THE SELFISH GIANT

At first Homer is a giant that doesn’t little kids on his lawn despite the fact that they bring summer to his otherwise normally cold day. Eventually, Homer makes friends with Ralph of whom is a local kid that also helps make the winter days seem all that much warmer. Turns out love is all you need to keep you warm in these parts!

THE REMARKABLE GROUP

An angry clown rocket seems to think his shit don’t stink! But, after the host cancels his show we seem to not be able to find another use for him. Well, that is until the war arrives!

 

Well, this issue was certainly a nice surprise. Despite the fact that I’m Irish I wouldn’t say I was the biggest Oscar Wilde fan, but I really thought that Bong put out a rather original take on some of Oscar’s biggest and most popular works.  Granted the nicely drawn cover had nothing really to do with any of the stories, but all in all I though #196 was a wonderful change of pace that should entertain Simpsons Comics fans both old and new.

(9.0 out of 10)