Extreme Hide and Seek!
DC Super Hero Girls 2017 Halloween Comic Fest Special Edition (2017)
DC Comics (October, 2017–using comiXology posting)
“Intro to Prehistory”
WRITER: Shea Fontana
ARTISTS: Yancy Labat & Agnes Garbowski
COLORIST: Monica Kubina
LETTERER: Janice Chiang
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Brittany Holzherr
EDITOR: Marie Javins
Like a lot of these Free Comic Book Day/Halloween ComicFest comics it’s really just the first batch of pages from a graphic novel because nobody saw the potential in making this an ongoing series (and given the trade-writing methods at big comic companies these days I can’t say I’m surprised). In this case it’s Past Times At Super Hero High despite the issue name. Liberty Belle takes Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley, Ivy, Katana, and Beast Boy on a field trip to the past, with Bumblebee staying at Super Hero High due to time travel not agreeing with her stomach. Unfortunately a group of dinosaurs smash the bus in half, sending Bell, Batgirl, and Harley flying and the others looking for shelter. Belle is captured by a pterosaur, so hopefully Batgirl and Harley will stop trying to prove who’s the biggest dinosaur fan in time to save her.
What they got right: While I would have preferred a shorter original story this does work as a teaser. I kind of want to see where this is going. I like the art, and while I mean no offense to Lauren Faust I think this works better than her take, especially when it comes to Supergirl, who Faust essentially made Rainbow Dash.
What they got wrong: The bus has a shield to protect them from interfering with history and yet history interferes with them. It almost seems unnecessary to think of this when it turns out to be useless, unless it’s a plot point for later in the full story. Liberty Belle sounds like a parody with all her outdated expressions.
Recommendation: I haven’t read the full graphic novel but if the teaser is anything like it this may be worth looking into.
BW Media Spotlight 