Comics Review: Simpsons Comics Explosion #3

It’s the 96-page oversized annual, so let’s get right to it…

Spoilers Below

“Worst Con Ever” – The Simpsons are attending the Bi-Mon Sci-Fi-Con. Bart’s on the prowl for hot merch, Lisa can’t wait for the Malibu Stacy panel, and Homer doesn’t want to be there… until, that is, he finds out that Christmas Ape might be in attendance.

“Treehouse of Chimps” – Professor Frink has been dosing a trio of chimps with an intelligence-enhancing formula. They escape and set up camp in Bart’s treehouse. Will they be friend or foe out in the wilds of Springfield? That depends on who you are.

“Zombienado” – Prayers are being answered like never before on this day! But who asked for the zombie apocalypse? And who called for the tornado? But wait – maybe that pair will cancel each other out? Better watch out for any competing prayers from Shelbyville, though.

“D’Oh! Unto Others” – Bart Simpson has just learned about bedbugs – watch out, Springfield! He pulls a town-wide prank, convincing everyone they’ve been infested, but he may just meet his comeuppance.

“Who the Bartman?” – Skinner looks just like Bartman when his face is covered in boysenberry pie, prompting speculation about the superhero’s secret identity. Nelson thinks it’s his dad. Sherri and Terri think he’s a handsome young gentleman. Could Ralph end up being the most correct of them all?

“A Brand New Smithers” – A lightning strike prompts a whole new take-charge attitude out of Waylon Smithers. He gets the power plant’s affairs in order, even pushing aside Mr. Burns aside in favor of new ownership. But is this betrayal of his longtime boss really what he wants?

“The Rebooting” – There’s a new kid in town. The name’s Barb Simpkins, and she’s beating Bart Simpson at his own game. Yep, even The Simpsons are getting the female-centric reboot. But it actually goes even deeper as we start meeting the rest of the Simpkins clan. Is this some sort of body snatchers situation?

A paradoxical quality of the best oversized year-end issues is that they are such breezy reads that they feel like they go by faster than an average issue, despite being two, three, or maybe even four times the length. And overall, that is this Explosion’s best quality. None of the stories have too much depth, but they all have a strong “experimenting around in the sandbox” feel. If forced to pick a favorite, I would probably go with “Worst Con Ever,” which packs a dense amount of plot into a pretty quick story.