Action Philosophers

(Evil Twin, 2005–2007)
™ and © 2002-2005 Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey

As the inside cover says, Action Philosophers is neither parody nor satire. However, it is funny. This first issue gives brief overviews of the lives and times of three highly influential philosophers: Plato, a contemporary of Socrates and a founding father of modern-day academia; Bodhidharma, a Buddhist reformer who emphasized meditation and physical training; and Friedrich Nietzsche, whose concept of the über mensch was perverted by such notorious nincompoops as Leopold & Loeb and Adolf Hitler.

What makes Action Philosophers such a gas is the purposeful anachronisms placed throughout the issue at just the right moments. Movie theaters, videogames, and other modern trappings help illustrate the historical figures’ philosophies in an amusing and even educational manner. And, to give the subject matter a comic book bent, the philosophers are portrayed dramatically on the cover: Plato as a wrestler (which he really was); Bodhidharma as a master of kung-fu (he invented the art form); and Nietzsche as a super-man (complete with cape and tights).

— Brett Weiss

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