Plastic Man Archives

(DC, 1998-2006)
™ and © DC Comics

By most accounts, Jack Cole never thought much of his comics career, but you’d never know it by this batch of stories. If anything, it seems as if Plastic Man’s creator is having a blast. Unlike previous Police Comics installments, these tales were first printed around 1945, when Cole seemed to have hit his stride. With only one or two exceptions, the stories presented here are by turns funny and slapstick yet deadly earnest mystery plays, too.

While that staple of late-’40s super-hero comics the goofy adult sidekick is usually an embarrassing encumbrance to the enjoyment of stories from that era, Woozy Winks, Plas’ tubby, straw-hatted companion, is a welcome exception. Of course, it’s because of the subtly wacky nature of Plastic Man’s world that Woozy works, acting almost as a reality check for those readers trying to keep pace with The Pliable Paladin — and his equally supple creator.

For those who have heard things about Plastic Man and wondered what all the fuss is about, this is the volume that will answer their questions. With such deft stories and contagious enthusiasm oozing from every page, it’s easy to see why so many Plastic Fans still consider him the coolest super-hero in comics.

— Stephen C. George

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