“Yesterday’s” Comic> Thundercats #13

Sadly doesn't happen in the comic.

Thundercats #13

Marvel Comics [Star Comics imprint] (July, 1987)

The other backissue I picked up at Classicon 2011

The mutants, as instructed by Mumm-Ra, set up a series of traps in the Forest of Silence to capture the Thundercats. Snarf, who was elsewhere, gets help from his animal friends to break into Mumm-Ra’s pyramid and free the Thundercats.

What they got right: For anyone who thinks Snarf is useless (insert my usual rant about the new show’s treatment of him), this is not only what Snarf can do, but the beginning of a character change. Around this point he stopped being a “nursemaid” and became a member of the team, although not usually on the forefront of the battlefield. It’s always the previous Snarf certain writers and critics love to go back to in order to slam the character, but that’s a dis-service to the character.

What they got wrong: While a fair adaptation, certain sequences were out of order. The actual episode begins with Snarf arriving home and finding it empty save for Ro-Ber-Bill. Then he and the Unicorn Keeper tell Snarf about the events that led up to Snarf’s arriving home. Here we see the Thundercats head out first, and then Snarf gets the story. I think it worked better the other way.

Recommendation: Snarf fans should get this, and adaptation of the episode, to show how Snarf should be written. (Personally, I favor the “if it’s broke fix it, not treat it like to dirt to show how mature you are not” school of character adaptation.) I recommend the episode over the comic, but it’s still a good comic to have. At least, it’s better than the Wildstorm run. Which granted isn’t saying much, but you should check out some of the original stories more than the adaptations.

Related articles

• Pilot Review: Thundercats (2011) (bwmedia.wordpress.com)