Plastic Man #8 Review

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Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Publisher: DC Comics
Everything Else: Kyle Baker

The issue begins with a reimagining of Plastic Man as a hero everyman. Of course this is just in the comic book that Woozy is reading. Woozy and Plastic Man debate comic books and real life with hilarious results. We then get a glimpse of Plas’ everyday life, with his girlfriend Morgan and Woozy. Plas plays homemaker, making dinner and mixing drinks in a way that only Plastic Man can.

However when he answers the door he finds an angry wife on the other end. Then Plas gets caught in the middle of his wife and Morgan yelling at each other and at him, while he can’t get a word in edgewise. Then Luke, his son enters causing tensions to rise further. When Plas denies parentage, Luke exhibits some very Plas like abilities.

A fire breaks out and the arguments continue. Then in the middle of all the chaos, The Time Trapper pops in and kidnaps Luke’s mom. Then he shoves Abraham Lincoln into the present. Plastic Man then has to keep Lincoln from finding out about his fate, or too much about the present to prevent history from changing. This looks like a job for the Justice League.

Woozy, Luke, Plas, Lincoln, and Morgan teleport to the Watchtower. Once there Luke exhibits a Plas like sense of humor. And while the JLA debate what to do, Luke and Plas play and epic game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” But slowly the machinations of the Time Trapper reveal themselves. Hal Jordan is still Green Lantern. Women and Blacks don’t have the right to vote. But then the truth emerges; John Wilkes Booth was masquerading as Lincoln and got transported to the present. Thus Lincoln was never assassinated, thus altering history. So to set things right Abraham Lincoln must die! To be continued.

Baker pours his heart into this book and it shows. This book is a laugh riot. From page one with a “realistic” Plastic Man, to his proclamation at the end of the issue, everything is funny. The dialogue is hilarious especially the bits about deadbeat dads, and the jabs at fanboys. Visually it’s also entertaining. The Plas and Luke bonding is pretty clever. And Plas cowering between this two “women” is a pretty funny image. Basically this book reads and looks like the funniest book out.