It seems that the Belcher kids haven’t quite let go of Halloween just yet; Tina, Louise, and Gene’s shorts in Bob’s Burgers #4 all revolve around monsters or supernatural incidents, while Bob and Linda’s pages are pretty normal, you know, for Belchers. Tina’s short is a friend fiction piece about a Frankenstein-type experiment. Tina attempts to create the most beautiful butt in the world, and she succeeds, but unfortunately the creature attached to the butt is hideous enough to rile up the town. The creature, of course, looks like Jimmy Jr., because who else would Tina attach a beautiful butt to? In the end, the butt creature and Tina are forced to run away and live in isolation, so as to keep the town safe. Completely logical.
Louise’s story follows the effects of an in-class science experiment that turns her invisible. She has some fun messing with her family, but gets annoyed when they don’t seem too disturbed that she’s invisible. She reverses the effects pretty easily, and it’s all back to normal.
Gene’s short is a musical about the Chupacabra, obviously. The kids go searching for the creature, and find it distraught in the woods. The Chupacabra reveals that its only desire is to become a children’s magician, but because of what it is, this dream can never come true. The Belcher kids would never give up on a dream, no matter how outlandish, so they help the Chupacabra make this a reality. It’s a happy ending, of course.
Bob’s Burgers continues to be delightful and endearing. It holds the tone and characterization of the show perfectly. The humor is a bit more subtle than on the show, but it makes sense for the comic. Each short is told from a particular character’s point of view, which gives each story a different tone. The comic is funny because the characters are funny and because we are familiar with their quirks, but each individual story is earnest and effortless.
This is ultimately a comic for fans of the show. While a casual reader might be mildly entertained, the comic assumes the reader understands and is familiar with each character’s unique personality, and with how the family dynamic works. This is a delightful supplement to the show, but not really a standalone comic.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Various Artist: Various Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/19/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital