If you’ve missed the craziness of Penguins vs. Possums then you’re missing out on what’s become one of the most entertaining indie comics I’ve been reading. There’s something charming about the story and while it’s not reinventing the wheel or changing the way people think about comic books, it doesn’t have to. It’s fun. Remember when you would just read a comic book because it was fun? Continuity be damned, creative team be damned, you just wanted to dive into that world for a few minutes and enjoy yourself. Penguins vs. Possums is about actual penguins and actual possums violently murdering each other due to a secret feud between them. Do you need another reason to check this out? This issue we begin to see some of the fallout from the destruction of the penguin emperor’s mausoleum. Penguins launch a strike against possums the world over and the chosen one is forced to watch as the current Penguin leader’s prisoner. Zolin, the one-eyed possum reports back to the possum high council and it’s revealed that two of the members were acting on their own. The third member learns of their actions and sends Zolin to save the chosen one from the penguins. Meanwhile, the chosen one reveals his true name to the penguin high council and it causes concern for them.
There are actually several great plot twists in this issue. It’s definitely the strongest of the series and it’s clear that the creative team has ramped up the story. Before it felt as if plot had a narrow focus and conclusion, but then it was expanded upon and it was shaky at first. Now that the plot has a foundation to work from the concepts can expand easier and it’s working to their benefit. The dialogue is funny and sharp, but ultimately it’s there just to entertain and nowhere is that more apparent than the Lord of the Rings reference.
The art is pretty consistent with the third issue and that’s saying a lot considering that two people are illustrating the series. I didn’t notice any leaps in the quality, but it’s good to see it being consistent since that’s something a lot of indie comics struggle with. The action is cranked in this issue and it’s pretty clear that it’s what people enjoy about the title. Even though they’re animals, the action is actually pretty intense and violent. There is also a level humanity given to the characters though. The betrayals in this issue have harsh consequences and you can feel the character pain even if they are possums.
This series actually continues to surprise me with each new issue. I’ve become invested in the characters, but more than anything I know that I’ll have a good time reading it no matter what. If you happen to be at Comikaze this weekend then you should definitely stop by their booth and check out the series or get this issue if you’re caught up on the series.
Score: 4/5
Writers: Sebastian Kadlecik, John Bring and Lindsay Calhoon Bring Artists: Sebastian Kadlecik and John Bring Publisher: JBSK Comics Price: $4.00 Website