We’re putting aside differences in this week’s “So You Want To Read Comics”.  This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic or genre, then give you two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic or genre.  This week we’re taking a look at comics featuring unlikely friendships.

Everyone loves a good team-up.  Especially when that team is composed of members you wouldn’t expect.  Sometimes referred to as The Odd Couple trope, (named for the 1965 Neil Simon play The Odd Couple) this is when two seemingly incompatible characters are put together in a situation where they have to coexist somehow, or even work together to achieve a common goal.  This differs slightly from when rivals, like Lex Luthor and Superman, have to team up, in that with the odd couple there isn’t a preexisting antagonism between the characters.  The tension comes from them being brought together not from a history of actions, meaning that there isn’t as much set-up needed.  Some classic examples are in movies like Turner & Hooch where an uptight police detective has to team up with an unwieldy and gross dog, or the loveable family man teaming up with the unhinged guy with a death wish in Lethal Weapon.

Here are a couple of comics that feature odd couples, perfect for new readers looking to jump in.

ARCHER AND ARMSTRONG: THE MICHELANGELO CODE

Writer:  Fred Van Lente
Artist: Clayton Henry
Publisher: Valiant Comics

Originally created in 1992, Archer & Armstrong have had a couple of incarnations as their parent company was bought and sold and reformed.  This particular volume begins the most recent incarnation (for now).  Archer is a naive young man raised by a super religious “family” to be one of the most deadly assassins in the world.  Armstrong is an immensely strong immortal being who has lived 1000s of years and loves to drink.  The two are brought together when they uncover a conspiracy together, one that both had unwittingly helped create.  Archer is a mostly proper kid, with an overzealous sense of honor and Armstrong seems to revel in his own lecherousness, this puts the two at odds most of the time, but the two develop a tight bond over their adventures regardless.  In addition to the action and adventure, Archer & Armstrong is a more humorous type of story that takes a satirical approach to things like capitalism, religion, and politics. This series does eventually tie into other titles from Valiant, so if you’re looking to get into a connected universe and Marvel or DC aren’t your thing, this is another option.

MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR

Writer: Amy Reeder
Artist: Natacha Bustos
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Devil Dinosaur is a creation of one of comics’ most legendary creators, Jack Kirby, first appearing in 1978.  This series focuses on his adventures with Lunella Lafayette AKA Moon Girl.  Acting under the dying wish of his old partner Devil Dinosaur is trying to retrieve an artifact, the same one that Moon Girl is trying to use to prevent her from transforming into a monster.  The two form a kinship though, even though she is an elementary school age child and he is a multi-story tall dinosaur from another dimension.  What makes these two such a good odd couple is due to the true care that they develop for each other, which rises above their often differing views of how to approach things.  Being that Moon Girl is a genius who relies on gadgets and brains and Devil Dinosaur acts like, well a dinosaur.  While this is technically a continuation of an older series from the 80s, everything that you need to know to understand what is happening in this series is explained here.  This, plus the approach taken with the subject matter and interactions with the rest of the Marvel Universe makes this a great series for a wide range of readers.  Plus, there’s a new cartoon out right now based on this series that’s been getting some positive attention.

Who are your favorite odd couples?  What did you think of these recommendations?  Let us know in the comments section below.

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