With Hollywood so remake crazy, it's odd we've never heard even a whisper of a Beetlejuice remake. Yes, a sequel is planned to start shooting at the end of 2015, and damn it, I'm fine with that! Sick of remakes and reboots of classic movies. Although Cobwebs and Stripes isn't a licensed Warner Brothers property, it could be, because it is actually that good.
Cobwebs and Stripes, or C'n'S for short, takes place two years after the movie. The cool thing is it seems like a combination of both the movie and the cartoon. The author does it great. Keeping respect for the movie and slowly transitioning to the cartoon canon. Although, as of right now, I'm on page 156 and they haven't even reached the cartoon stuff yet, aside from a cameo two characters much earlier in the story.
This comic also answers the question that the cartoon never did, how did Beetlejuice and Lydia re-met and how did they become friends? The cartoon NEVER explained this or the fact that a 600 year old dead guy tried to marry a fourteen year old and just pretended that never happened. The solution to this bugging question is pretty cool. Instead of explaining it, I'll show you the strip.
Pros:
The first chapter definitely acquired my interest with a new outlook of how Beetlejuice and Lydia met back up. Like I said, this seems like a retelling of the cartoon, blending it in with the movie in a nice and equal fashion. This becomes more apparent as you bump into characters from the cartoon in the next few chapters.
The story feels new and fresh. Too many Beetlejuice fan fictions dive into Beetlejuice/Lydia romance storyline. A storyline to which irritates me beyond anything, because it's been done TOO MANY TIMES. Can't they just be friends? Truth be told, however, I haven't read one in probably ten years now, but the last I checked, too many started singing the same tune. If the author goes down that route, then fine, it is her story, but for right now, her's is the most original. The only one that I think comes close to this is another Beetlejuice fan comic, The Ghost with the Most (but even that writer is teasing a romance plot between Beetlejuice and Lydia ... and Lydia' daughter ... yep.)
It's interesting, I like some of the quotes, but there's not really that much to talk about as there is only ten pages in the first chapter. The handcuff thing is interesting and makes me want to read more to see how this is going to turn out.
Middle Ground:
(Middle Ground, for those who are new to my reviews, is a section where it's not a pro, but it's also not a con. It's middle ground.)
The look of the first chapter is the worst, but that doesn't mean it's terrible. It's just the author must have been finding her niche. Currently she is on Chapter 15 and I love the look there. I think it's the best look out of the entire series. Going back to the first chapter though, it's like night and day. A big contrast. Still though, some of the designs are unique, but some, such as character designs, ... well, not so much. But these improve as the pages turn.
Language barrier - The author's first language is not English, so sometimes when it translates, her translator tends to pick a word or wording that doesn't translate well into those who's first language is English. I'm not sure if the translator's first language is English, but I'd say probably not. For the most part, it's fine. You can fill in the blanks. It's at least readable, but I would suggest maybe even having two people proofread it to get it down to a science. For example, let me translate the translator, haha :D I'll do it just for the experience! But in all fairness, it's okay. It's not her first language, so it's no biggie. Maybe consider having someone who's first language is English take a gander at it though after the translator does? Wouldn't hurt.
YAY! No Cons!
Final Verdict:
Finding Cobwebs and Stripes was terrific. Especially finding it when it's still circulating and coming out with new material, because it's like I'm there, experiencing the story as it unfolds. That, to me, is awesome. Who would think that almost thirty years later, Beetlejuice is inspiring people to make comics? I wouldn't, but just five years ago, I didn't know there were huge Beetlejuice fans like me. The power of Google, man. It's not just a saying, it's a truth!
I definitely recommend this comic to fans of Beetlejuice or even comic fans in general. The story holds up, the language translation may seem rough in a few places, but for the most part, it's pretty damn flawless.
I look forward to continually reviewing this comic and hope to do so until its last page, which I hope is not for a very long time. I want to thank the author for giving me her blessing to review her amazing comic and I hope she enjoyed reading this herself.
---> Chapter 2 Review
Where to find Cobwebs and Stripes:
Deviantart
No comments:
Post a Comment
Only members of this blog can comment. Sorry. Too many trolls and jerks ruined it for everyone.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.