Oddballz

(NBM)
™ and © NBM

NBM has been bringing new editions of European comics and graphic novels to American audiences for some time now. But within this new flavor of comics comes an even less-explored sub-genre: European humor comics.

Or, as NBM proclaims, a “new wave of humor.” And this certainly is a different kind of humor, as least by American standards. And different doesn’t mean a nice way of saying bad; both featured storylines are pretty funny, but they may seem a little oddly paced or subdued to those accustomed to the more typical in-your-face American brand of laughs.

Like other forms of European entertainment, the laughs are drier and more subtle than their U.S. counterparts. Both features avoid the quick, simple gags and instead ask for more thought before the laughter comes, but the laughs are there. “McConey Foils a Scheme” is a story populated with anthropomorphic characters, one who elicits plenty of laughs after finding a million dollars in a bag on the street. “Astronauts of the Future” features the hijinks of two kids who are convinced that everyone else is either a robot or an alien.

The worst thing about this series is that the original French story wasn’t written with this series’ 12-page installments in mind; this makes for some pretty abrupt breaks at the end of each chapter. Despite this, creators Lewis Trondeim and Manu Larcenet tell a pair of funny stories that anyone with some degree of an open mind should get a kick out of.

— Jim Johnson

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