Reviewer: Mathan “A Black Pete Ross! Finally” Erhardt
Story Title: Intelligence Failure
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Publisher: DC Comics
Everything else: Kyle Baker
The issue begins with Lex Luthor still President. Superman goes to the White House, but can’t get in to see the President, because he doesn’t have an appointment. When he walks into the Oval Office, it sets up a hilarious Identity Crisis joke. Superman and Lex then take part in the typical banter (more typical then you can imagine, but in a sidesplitting way.)
Then Lex goes to his secret laboratory to see what his scientist is working on. And it turns out to be a brain-swapping ray. There also happens to be a Bizarro Superman present. Meanwhile Plas is dealing with having a teen-age girl under his roof. He tries to keep tabs on Edwina, but it only makes her want to rebel even more. It’s some pretty funny stuff.
Plas gets a case, so Edwina, Woozy, and Morgan all go to D.C. Apparently there was a mishap with the brain-swapping ray. The scientist’s brain is in a frog, Lex’s brain is in a cat, Bizarro’s brain is in the scentist, the frog’s brain is in Lex and the cat’s brain is in Bizarro. Lex needs to fix things, because he’s got an important press conference.
While Plas and Morgan work the case, Woozy has a dirty incident in the Oval Office. Just when things are about to be returned to normal Woozy and Edwina run into the room and bump into the ray, causing madcap results. Brains are switched; things look funny and read funnier. And we finally get a reason for a President to make nonsensical statements, (and Baker uses actual G-Dub quotes.)
Baker has got to be the most underrated talent in the biz. He does everything on this title. The only thing he doesn’t do is publish the thing. It’s evident that he loves doing Plastic Man, because it’s so much fun to read. He’s a gem and he’s made of the few books that I’m genuinely glad to see on the shelf ever month. The art is funny but so is the writing. I’m so very glad this book is on the market and has won awards.
I applaud Baker for taking a political stance, even if it’s slightly ambiguous. I also applaud Baker for giving us a Black Pete Ross. If Smallville is good enough to take storylines and relationships from then it’s good enough to allow for a Black Pete Ross.
