Review: Super Secret Crisis War! Volume 1 by Louise Simonson and Derek Charm

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

The devious demon Aku has called together a League of Extraordinary Villains — composed of malevolent miscreants from different cartoon universes.
When their evil robots show up in the world’s of The Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Samurai Jack, Dexter’s Laboratory, and (even) Ed, Edd and Eddy, it’s up to all these fearless heroes to band together and put an end to the League’s nefarious plot of interdimensional conquest!

MY TAKE:
I love a good crossover episode, and this was definitely a good one.

In Super Secret Crisis War! Volume 1, Aku (Samurai Jack), Vilgax (Ben10), Mandark (Dexter's Laboratory), and Mojo Jojo (Powerpuff Girls) have teamed up to create a robot army that will help them take over their worlds. It's up to Jack, Ben, Dexter and the Powerpuff Girls to stop them.

At first, I was a little confused by the story. Some of the confusion was due to the fact that this is meant to be read as a comic book/ paperback and I was reading an e-ARC which only allowed me to see things one page at a time. There were several panels that covered two pages or parts of two pages, and sometimes the story flowed from one page to the next then back. Once I realized this, the story became much easier to follow.

Now, while I know all of the main characters here, the only ones I really know from actually watching the shows were the Powerpuff Girls, Mojo Jojo, Dexter and Mandark. I don't know how many kids (or adults) out there today watch all four shows, but even if they didn't it should be a problem. By the end of the comic, I was already quite familiar with Aku, Samurai Jack, Vilgax and Ben10 and sort of understood their personalities and powers.

Bubbles is as cute as always, and Buttercup is still tough and no-nonsense. I thought that there was a little something going on between Blossom and Ben, and I would love to see that develop further if they're the same characters in volume 2. Mojo Jojo is a sweetheart here, which I liked as I remember him being my favorite Powerpuff Girls villain. Dexter was a bit more annoying than I remember him, though.

The story was pretty good, with several plot twists to keep it interesting. The varied layout, panel sizes and sound effects added to making the action seem even more exciting. The color palette for most of the comic was pretty dark, with lots of black and red, with the colors being provided mostly by the colorful main characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. The story is interesting and action-packed.
2. The layout, color choices and illustrations do a good job of making the story come to life.
3. The characters have chemistry.

THE BAD:

1. It can be a bit confusing to follow at first, if you're used to typical comics that flow one page at a time. 

READ IT IF:

1. You're a fan of the Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack or Ben10.
2. You like crossover projects.
3. You enjoy stories with lots of action.

RATING:


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