Comic Review: Simpsons Comics #244

Things get absolutely ape$#!+ for the Simpsons in this Planet of the Apes-themed comic.

Overview:

Bart and Lisa mistakenly feed Krusty’s monkey, Mr. Teeny, an ancient banana from the Kwik-E-Mart. The results of which put Mr. Teeny out of commission. Bart, feeling guilty, agrees to take the monkeys place on the Krusty Show, but finds out the monkey suit he’s been put into has been superglued to him until Teeny recovers. The kids at school jump at the chance to make fun of him, that is until they see how much the girls like it. Pretty soon all of the students of Springfield Elementary are wearing monkey costumes, much to Skinner’s disapproval.

Meanwhile, Homer has been enlisted by Mr. Burns to work on the companies next big science project that will keep there government funding rolling. Mr. Burns big plan is to fake landing a man on Mars before Elon Musk can do it. Homer relies on Lisa to make the fake rocket look more accurate, but needs to lie to her to get it done. When its time to film the fake footage, Homer is shocked that Lisa’s replica actually works at propelling him into space. Where he finally lands on a Springfield Elementary playground run by dirty apes.

Our Take:

Let me start out by acknowledging a couple major appearances in this book. First off, as a Canadian, I was quite excited to see national treasure Chris Hadfield show up early. The first Canadian man in outer space is kind of a big deal up here, and his cameo was very on point to his character. It’s always nice to see Canada represented in a manner that doesn’t involve Mounties or poutine.

The other major appearance that is worth a mention is Apu Nahasapeemapetilon who has been absent from the Simpsons universe for some time. Understandable considering the ruckus stirred up by Hari Kondabolu’s book, The Problem with Apu. I don’t want to get too much into it, but Apu is still a lovable part of Springfield and it was great to see him again, even if briefly.

As for the book, I appreciated the depth and flow of the overall story. Not to say I don’t enjoy the books with two, three, sometimes four quick little pieces, but the Simpsons Comic is strongest when it feels like an episode of the show. Because, in all honesty, the book has been doing so much better. The show is great, and I am a loyal fan to the end, but the stories the comic books have been releasing are a step above what we’ve received in the last few seasons.

One thing the comics tend to lack compared to the source material is a lot of the heart. I am happy to read a book full of jokes, and that’s kind of why it’s there. However, this issue, in particular, offered some great Lisa-Homer moments, including the heartfelt make-up conversation where the two bond and share. Essentially, this issue had it all and was one of the best episodes of The Simpsons I have seen in some time.

From start to finish this book had everything you could ask for. Great humour, awesome cameos, a well-rounded story, morals, and Apu. I have only been reading these comics for a short time, and I am trying my best to get through the back issues, but I would say this is one of the best I have read from the series. Worth a read if you can’t wait for the start of the monumental 30th season later this year. Heck, I’d be happy if they brought this exact story to screen.

Score
8.5/10