Liberty Meadows #24
Story:
Art:

Created, Written and Drawn by Frank Cho
Book Design, Front Cover Colors by Mark Wheatley
Scans, Back & Inside Cover Colors by John Staton

Published by Insight Studios Group
Price: $2.95

My Verdict: Still Choice.

This latest issue regards the latest adventures of the cast of Liberty Meadows--no real story arc taking place, but just random insanity: Ralph, Dean and Leslie hit the gym, then Ralph and Leslie enjoy virtual reality, then Monkey Boy Cho explains how to draw Brandy with...ah..."outrageous cans."

For those of you just joining us in regards to this series, there are two important things you have to know. First, it's a reprint of a newspaper comic strip. At least, it is until January 2002, when it goes direct to comic book form (because Cho is sick of dealing with the people in the newspaper industry). Second, and most importantly, Cho can draw anything well. ANYthing. He can go from the ridiculous nature of the animal characters involved to giant apes and dinosaurs fighting to...well, Brandy, the finest woman in all of comicdom. No, forget J. Scott Campbell. Cho is the man for drawing incredible looking women.

Does that make me a pig? You'd have to ask Dean.

Regardless, the art is just as spot on here as it normally is. I must admit that the gags involved weren't as laugh out loud for the book as it has been in the past. Cho is usually at his best when he's (a) skewering or parodying other comic strips or simply familiar situations (the battle against a giant catfish named "Khan" comes to mind) or (b) working gags into a longer storyline, as with the recent "Evil Brandy" arc. Granted, this was mostly an excuse to draw Brandy vs. Brandy catfights, but no one can hold that against the man. This gives us a chance to see these characters in new, extremely bizarre situations--ergo, quite funny. Cho's even funny when he's skewering his own inability to come up with new ideas. One hopes that once the restrictions of working in the newspaper world are lifted, he'll be in a much better place to knock us over with his tremendous wit.

Not a classic issue, but the series is definitely worth hopping on board.