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Bizarre New World - You'll Believe a Man Can FlyBy Joe Hilliard Today, we take on Bizarre New World, a science fiction comic created by Skipper Martin, Christopher Provencher and Wes Dzioba, and published by Ape Entertainment. Paul Krutcher, the protagonist of Bizarre New World, does indeed live a very bizarre world. In the initial mini-series, he discovers that he can fly. Slightly spoilerish here. In the follow-up original graphic novel, he discovers that now, so can everyone else. Well, almost everyone else. And that caveat is what Bizarre New World: Population Explosion hangs on. The original mini-series is much more comedic, as Paul learns of his powers, tests them out, debates the physics of flying with some slightly demented co-workers you will find, and yes, most amusingly to this local, jumps off the top of the tallest building in Los Angeles. Kudos to Provencher who does a very good job of delineating the real look of downtown Los Angeles. Too many books don't do their homework when it comes to this. Provencher has. Martin makes a real change in tone with the new book, Bizarre New World: Population Explosion. The playfulness and humor recedes as Paul deals with a world gone drunk with the novelty of flight. Paul's odyssey is compelling, heartbreaking. There is a moment, halfway through, at a diner in the desert, that really explodes the myth of a new world. Man is still man, with all his foibles. Brilliant. Paul is a very honestly flawed protagonist. He's not a hero in the Superman or Batman sense, he's a normal person who finds himself in an extraordinary place. And, by the end of Population Explosion, he is a hero in the best sense, a hero to those who believe in him, those who love him. His son. What could be merely melodramatic or bathetic in some hands, instead becomes poignant here. Martin delivers the stops with his script. As mentioned, Provencher provides excellent art. It's realistic and emotive, as the story calls for. The expression on his faces perfectly compliments the script. Again, I look specifically at the diner sequence and the final sequences at the house. And while it's not something I necessarily notice, Dzioba's colors are really nice in this book. Is it perfect? No. Tone Rodriguez covers for Bizarre New World are great, but when it comes to Population Explosion, it doesn't really fit the temperament of the book. – a little too poppy, a little too humorous. It fits better with the original mini-series than with the graphic novel. But that's a minor quibble. And while talking Rodriguez, he contributes a short piece to the end of issue 2 of the mini-series that is simply amazing. It's a neat counterpoint to the main Bizarre New World storyline while being uniquely his. Rodriguez is one of those artists you can never get enough of. Bizarre New World: Population Explosion graphic novel hit the shelves this past Wednesday, April 23, 2008. The previous Bizarre New World three issue mini-series is available from Ape Entertainment. Check them out. The mini-series is a good fun read, and Population Explosion is a well thought out, touching story of a man and his family. Both are worth the time to seek them out. Skipper Martin's website is: www.bizarrenewworld.com . Christoper Provencher's website is: http://chris.theskit.com/. Tone Rodriguez's website is: http://www.tonerod.com/.Ape Entertainment can be found at: http://www.ape-entertainment.com/. 
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