By Dustin Cabeal

No, I am not taking a piss. KFC: Across The Universe is getting a serious review. I’m not likely to score this one since it’s free and I didn’t even pay attention to how you can get it for yourself. What I love about this is that it highlights DC’s new attitude, which is pretty much, “Fuck it, we’ll try it.” And I love that. This is something that only exists because of comic books, but then also only exists because it’s a comic book. You would never get a GL/CS commercial because it would just be a confusing mess to explain and probably cost way too much to do properly. That and the Hal Jordan/Green Lantern brand is damaged at the moment when it comes to the silver screen.

The Colonel wants to send Chicken Sandwich Zingers into space to feed all the hungry voices that he’s tuned into hearing… that’s the goddamn plot to this comic, and if you don’t just love that shit, then I question why you’re even reading comic books. To help with that, he enlists Hal Jordan and the entire Green Lantern Corps (Pre-New 52, which I feel is worth mentioning). They start shooting space buckets into space for aliens to eat and someone is stealing them. Ha, fucking someone is stealing the Zingers because they’re so fucking good and the Colonel is pissed about it. Doesn’t take much for anyone to figure out whodunit. Just think about the rings and which spectrum would make the best fast food customer and bang you got it. What’s even better about this is that at the end the Colonel is going to open up his first restaurant on said villain’s home planet, train his people to cook the food to his standards and fucking own the place… I wish I were making this shit up, but it’s too good to be true.

Tony Bedard deserves a fucking Eisner for making this book not only tolerable to read but actually entertaining. The only way it could have been better is if the characters just broke the fourth wall the entire time and treated it like the commercial product that it’s presented as. Seriously though, Bedard took a strange combo and found a way to make a logical story that was easy to follow and delightful to read. It’s worth pointing out that nothing in this paragraph is sarcastic. Nothing.

Equally as brilliant is Tom Derenick’s artwork, which is a throwback in many ways to when DC had a house style, and all the characters wore the same clothes, and it was important to show them in said clothes before becoming their alter ego. The book looks good, and even though it’s light on content and action, there’s plenty of cameos. That and the Colonel gets a ring and make it a KFC bucket… a fucking KFC bucket. Someone better cosplay as this guy asap. Also, I’m pretty sure the “clone my ring” option is a Rebirth/New 52 development, but again, who cares it’s Colonel Sanders delivering chicken in space.

Get this book, buy some chicken if you have to. The Georgia Gold is really good, just make sure they don’t fuck you on your sides like the one I go to does. Every time I forget why I stopped going there, sure as shit, I have to drive back and get the sides. You might ask why I drive thru and don’t just go in; I live in L.A. you don’t eat inside KFC unless you want bums asking for a smoke, a dollar, the code to the bathroom or the left over chicken hanging from your mouth. Otherwise, great book. I mean that. Most fun I’ve had with a freebie in a while, and I just wish there was more like it, where it’s serious but campy at the same time. It is available at San Diego Comic-Con International the Third or free through Comixology.

KFC: Across The Universe #3
Writer: Tony Bedard
Penciler: Tom Derenick
Inkers: Trevor Scott and Sean Parson
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
Publisher: DC Comics/KFC