A tale of two comics

I know, I know, I haven't posted anything in a while. Unfortunately, things have been pretty busy lately, and most of my free time has been taken up with mundane tasks like fixing water sprinklers. Hopefully this pair of comic book reviews will make amends.

There's something inherently whimsical and pretentious about a comic book entitled Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius -- it's simultaneously egotistical ("So you're a genius, eh?") and self-deprecating ("No, I'm the son of a genius.") Fortunately, the comic itself is good enough to justify the boastful tone.

For those not in the know, Franklin Richards is the eight-year-old son of Reed and Susan Richards, better known as Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four super-hero team. But while mom and dad have exciting adventures in the comics and movies, Franklin usually stays home -- where his mischievous hyperactivity gets him into trouble, often with the help of his dad's newest super-brilliant invention. Franklin's misadventures are accompanied by H.E.R.B.I.E., his robotic baby-sitter who's usually a half-second too late from stopping Franklin's latest scheme, whether it's turning his classmates into vegetables or bouncing Superball-style across the planet.

Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius - Lab Brat (written by Mark Sumerak, art by Chris Eliopoulos) is the first collection of Franklin Richards comics, and is recommended for folks looking for short bursts of uncomplicated humor. The stories themselves read like a "lite" version of Calvin & Hobbes, which was probably intentional -- after all, while Calvin has to use his imagination to get into trouble, Franklin has the pick of his father's lab to choose from.

Since the Franklin Richards comics started off as backup material in various Marvel comic books, the stories are self-contained nuggets that are quickly wrapped up in five pages. While this is fine for quick laughs, it doesn't leave much room for introspection or characterization; I often found myself caring more for the long-suffering H.E.R.B.I.E. than Franklin himself. Visually, Franklin Richards is easy on the eyes, with an appropriately cartoony style that strikes me as a mix of Bill Watterson and Michael Jantze.

At under $10, it's hard not to recommend Franklin Richards for all fans of comic books, comic strips, and comedy in general. Despite a few shortcomings, there's enough fun and frivolity with Franklin (and H.E.R.B.I.E.) to justify a space in your collection.

Slightly less whimsical but much more insightful is Gene Yang's American Born Chinese, a modern fable of growing up in an alien(ated) culture.

American Born Chinese runs on three parallel plotlines -- the Chinese folk hero Monkey King trying to earn the respect of the other hosts of Heaven; Jin Wang, a Chinese student from San Francisco trying to fit in with his Anglo classmates; and the sitcom (complete with laugh track) antics of Chin-Kee, a buck-toothed Engrish-speaking stereotype and his perpetually-embarrassed cousin Danny. Though the narratives start off separate, by the end of the book Gene Yang deftly weaves them into a tapestry of acceptance, love, individuality, and identity.

(And hey, it's got a non-trivial cameo for Optimus Prime and the Transformers, how can it lose? )

To reveal more of the story would spoil the pleasure of discovering it for yourself. Suffice it to say that, despite the title, American Born Chinese can be enjoyed by readers of all ethnic backgrounds. Asians (and Chinese) may get a little more mileage from recognizing themselves and their families in the story, but Yang's deft writing effortlessly introduces non-Asians into his perspective. And beneath the deceptively simple art style is a masterful command of expressions, views, and emotive backgrounds, with the cartoonish characters further helping readers identify with the protagonists (as readers of Scott McCloud would understand).

Don't let the (relatively) high price deter you; American Born Chinese is a bona fide classic, one that you will remember and re-read for a long time.