At the time of publishing, the big summer sale here at ye olde Graham Crackers’ would have passed (unless you’re a time traveler, which in that case, ignore the first part of this sentence but also congrats on being able to time travel I guess?!?). With the back issue boxes cleansed, you may be wondering “Arthur, what is there to read anymore?” To which I say, dear reader, worry not! There are plenty of under the radar books full of all the good stuff you want in a comic: mystery! Intrigue! Football-themed superheroes! And more! Gather ‘round, friends, without further ado, let me tell you about five wonderfully weird books I think you should read…
Flaming Carrot by Bob BurdenComics are a medium where literally anything can happen. A man can fly. A billionaire can dress like a bat. A Norse god can hang out with a green rage monster. But even by comic book standards, Flaming Carrot is a special kind of weird. The story goes that our hero read 5,000 comics in one sitting, suffered irreversible brain damage, and decided to become a superhero by putting a giant flaming carrot on his head. If you’re thinking, “Arthur, that’s ridiculous,” I would counter with: Yes. Extremely, and it only gets stranger from there. Flaming Carrot spends his days battling bizarre villains, hanging out with equally bizarre heroes (including the Mystery Men, remember that movie kids?), and stumbling his way through adventures that feel like they were conceived during a fever dream and then somehow improved upon in the execution. The book is equal parts superhero parody, absurdist comedy, and loving tribute to the sheer weirdness of comics as a medium. This is one of those books that absolutely refuses to play by anyone’s rules, and that’s precisely why it’s so much fun. Every issue is unpredictable. Every page contains something that makes you stop and say, “Wait… what?” And somehow, against all odds, it all works. If you’ve ever wanted a comic that perfectly captures the phrase “they could never make this today,” then dear reader, have I got the book for you.
Saga Of Crystar Crystal Warrior by Jo Duffy and Bret Blevins
Ah, the 1980s. A magical time when comic companies looked at children and said “You know what they need? More crystal warriors. To the printing press!” Crystar is one of those wonderfully odd pieces of comic history that could only have come from Marvel in the heat of its “write comics to sell toys” era. Set in a fantasy world where entire armies are made of crystal and molten lava people, this series is packed with sword fights, magic, monsters, and enough gleaming gemstones to make a jeweler faint. Better yet, the character of Crystar was co-conceived by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio (those old chestnuts). No, not that Ralph Macchio. The comic writer one (Although the image of Daniel LaRusso writing comics is admittedly amusing). There’s an earnest charm to Crystar that makes it impossible not to love. It wears its fantasy influences proudly, delivers some genuinely fun adventures, and serves as a reminder that comics used to take some absolutely gigantic swings. Sometimes those swings produced a crystal swordsman. And honestly? Good for them.
Man From Atlantis by Bill Mantlo and Frank Robbins and Frank Springer
Let’s get this out of the way immediately: yes, this comic is based on the old TV show. No, you do not need to have seen the show. In fact, I myself haven’t. But I’ve seen the intro, and I think that’s all you really need to see to be in the know.
Angel And The Ape by Bob Oksner and E. Nelson Bridwell
Before Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, before Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, there was Angel and the Ape. This Silver Age oddity follows Angel O’Day, a private detective, and her business partner Sam Simeon… who also happens to be a gorilla (and a comic book artist!). Not a man nicknamed Gorilla, not a particularly hairy guy, an actual talking gorilla. Angel and the Ape is packed with goofy mysteries, absurd situations, and a delightful sense of humor that feels completely unlike almost anything DC publishes today. The book never once stops to question its central premise because it doesn’t need to. Of course, a gorilla can be a private detective. Why couldn’t he be? Comics are wonderful.
The Fix by Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber
You know how sitcoms usually feature lovable, quirky characters that you root for? The Fix has absolutely none of those. Instead, it follows Roy and Mac, two spectacularly corrupt LAPD detectives who spend less time solving crimes and more time trying to get rich and clean up the messes caused by their own terrible decisions. They are, in the nicest way possible, complete disasters. But that’s what makes this book so much fun. From the creative team behind Superior Foes of Spider-Man, The Fix is essentially a sitcom populated entirely by morally questionable weirdos. Every character has some bizarre quirk, every scheme somehow spirals into complete chaos, and every issue somehow manages to top the previous one in sheer absurdity. One minute you’re laughing at a gangster who makes his own yogurt and worries about the environment, and the next you’re watching someone make a decision so catastrophically stupid that you have to put the book down for a minute and admire the commitment to the bit. And then there’s Pretzels, Roy’s beloved beagle, who may very well be the most emotionally stable character in the entire series. If you enjoy sharp dialogue, memorable oddballs, and comedies where absolutely nobody has their life together, then dear reader, do yourself a favor and pick up The Fix. It’s one of the funniest comics of the last decade, and frankly, more people should be talking about it.
The sale may be over, but great comics never truly disappear. Sometimes the best books aren’t the ones with giant movie tie-ins or twenty variant covers. Sometimes they’re the strange little gems hiding in a back issue box, waiting for someone curious enough to pull them out. So, the next time you’re in Graham Crackers, maybe take a chance on the weird stuff. Pick up the comic about a guy with a carrot for a head. Read about a crystal warrior. Hang out with a detective gorilla. Because in this writer’s humble opinion, comics are at their best when they get a little weird. And these books? They’re gloriously weird.