Now, most fans of DC Comics will know of the infamous Agent
Orange, aka Larfleeze, who is the holder of the Orange light of Avarice (greed)
in the Green Lantern mythos. For those who don’t, do yourselves a favour and
pick up Geoff Johns’ and Ivan Reis’ DCU epic ‘Blackest Night’ (buy the main
story TP). The reason? Number one: It’s a damn good story, number two: you get
to meet Larfleeze.
An instant fan favourite, Larfleeze recently appeared in a
GL back up named Threshold, which was to be his last appearance in a DC comic
until everyone’s favourite greedy dog alien was given his own title. His own,
no one elses.
Many have asked the question “Is a character whose whole
premise is essentially the characterisation of a single joke really substantial
enough to have his own title?” the answer to this question, at the moment,
seems to be yes. What I found in Larfleeze #1 was something I haven’t found in
any other title in the DC roster for quite a while, and that is a willingness
to blend a fairly serious story surrounding dark elements such as murder and suicide
with dark, yet surprisingly effective humour. There is also a profound sense of
self awareness in the comic, with the title of the arc being proudly named “THE
EXTREMELY LARGE DOG ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER!” with a further bit of humour
coming from the credits no less “They tried to force them into retirement, but—Keith
Giffen and J.M. Dematteis are together again* really—how much harm can they
possibly do on a comic book called Larfleeze?” The team know how ridiculous the
idea is, but they don’t avoid that (unlike in JLI) they embrace it to the book’s
credit.
The art from Kolins is unique when placed alongside other
titles, but I can see it being fairly divisive, with some panels not holding up
as well as others, but overall Larfleeze #1 is a very nice looking book. It is
clear that the character’s design has changed quite significantly from its
original incarnation, looking far less alien in the facial department, while
still retaining most of the character’s defining attributes.
One thing that struck me about this issue was how well
Giffen manages to construct a real back story for a previously flat character
that feels far more complex than I had originally expected it to be. This,
paired with Dematteis' well written script, allowing for a number of inaccuracies
in Larfleeze’s interpretation of his past to be contrasted with the drawn
reality, whilst also blending in the truthful parts of Larfleeze’s more
gruesome chapters seamlessly, drawing the reader into a sense of pity for a
character who should, through principles of a dislike for greed, be frowned
upon.
This issue has definitely sparked my interest, and it resides
in a currently high place on my pull list, but there were still some elements
of Larfleeze #1 that I found to be somewhat less impressive, namely the fairly
random ending (no spoilers) that left me laughing, but confused, and some jokes
that simply didn’t work.
Verdict:
Larfleeze #1 was a light, funny yet surprisingly engaging
book that managed to bring more depth to a character that had remained flat for
quite some time, whilst also bringing just enough intrigue to the table to
bring me back for another issue. Whilst the art might not be for everyone, no
one can deny the fact that this was a nice easy book with plenty of humour to
make even the most stern of fans twitch their mouths.
Score:
9/10
For Fans Of: Green Lantern, Hawkeye, (Chief) Inspector Clouseau
-Jamie
Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.
