Betty Boop is going to be a movie star! Now is a good time to remind everyone to read their contracts carefully.
BETTY BOOP #4
Writer: Roger Langridge
Artist: Gisele Lagace
Colorist: Pete Pantanzis
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Betty Boop: Betty gets caught up in shenanigans. Betty puts a stop to the shenanigans. Rinse. Repeat.
GOING TO HELL VIA HOLLYWOOD
In this issue, Betty and her crew are trying to raise money for the orphanage (aren’t they always), but Lenny Lizardlips and his gang have one last plan to get Betty under their thumb. Turns out Lenny has a potion that can make him look like anyone, including Lex Linton, the famous movie star. By getting Grampy to sign over his house, the “movie company” will have the funds to make the movie with Lex and Betty.
Riiiiiight.
With the contract signed, the house is turned into a den for the unholy, and things look bleak for Betty and her friends. Fear not, a last minute rescuer comes to their aid. Turns out, if you don’t like the deal you made with the devil, you can simply rip up the contract and everything is undone.
HOORAY!
My biggest problem with Betty Boop since the series began is the musical nature of the source material. When songs and lyrics are brought to the page, a lot of the magic is lost. There are at least three musical numbers in this issue, and each time, I find myself losing interest.
WEIRD WORLD
The world of Betty Boop is really frightening. Demons and frogmen running around. Skeletons and humans walking side by side. It feels like the inhabitants of this world live in some weird Lovecraftian landscape, which is quite frightening when you think about it. Still, Gisele Lagace gives us a bit of whimsy in each character on the page. What I enjoy the most about the character work is how it pays homage to the original design of the main characters, while giving them a modern makeover to appeal to new fans.
BOTTOM LINE: PASS
I like Roger Langridge and the fun and joy he brings to the comics he works on. You can tell he really loves the properties he gets to play with. Gisele Lagace’s art is wonderful, and it feels like a 30’s cartoon brought to life. Unfortunately, an animated musical sex symbol doesn’t have the Boop-oop-a-doop on the printed page that made the character so fun to watch on the screen. While I would encourage readers to pick up Betty Boop #4 to see how Langridge puts a story together, or marvel at Lagace’s art style, I found the issue rather dull for my tastes. You may have a different view, but for now, I’m taking a pass.
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Stephen Schleicher began his career writing for the Digital Media Online community of sites, including Digital Producer and Creative Mac covering all aspects of the digital content creation industry. He then moved on to consumer technology, and began the Coolness Roundup podcast. A writing fool, Stephen has freelanced for Sci-Fi Channel's Technology Blog, and Gizmodo. Still longing for the good ol' days, Stephen launched Major Spoilers in July 2006, because he is a glutton for punishment. You can follow him on Twitter @MajorSpoilers and tell him your darkest secrets...