Randyl Bishop, creator of the gritty revenge story The Hawk of New York, steps away from serious, more mature tales to indulge in a fun, all-ages romp centered on one of the bands he enjoys with The Silvers: Up, Out, and Back. It’s a silly, energetic take on how The Silvers react when a crustacean alien race decides to take over their island; it reminded me of some of the less reality-based episodes of The Monkees or other TV shows of that era.  The comic also integrates three music videos from The Silvers, and I listened to the songs while reading which I enjoyed.

The Silvers: Up, Out, and Back is exactly what I wanted from an all-ages, lighthearted tale, complete with a dog who tries to warn the band of the threat and a nefarious pirate captain who wants to defeat the pilots of the UFO for his own purposes. It never takes itself too seriously, because this is high camp, and it’s perfect because of it.  So many plot points felt like perfect child logic that I could only smile at the ingenuity and wackiness of each development.

After reading all of the installments for THONY, the change to full-color panels accentuated the gentler feel of the plot.  The art is saturated with a primary color palette that reminded me of older cartoons, even tickling my memories of original Scooby-Doo episodes.  The overall sense is that The Silvers: Up, Out, and Back refers to an era of storytelling that was less worried about making an impact and just wanted to entertain.

I was slightly surprised that I had such a strong, positive reaction to The Silvers: Up, Out, and Back, but it hit the right spot at a time when everything seems too serious.  Reading a tale of crab aliens, a heroic dog, and a band of intense, but cowardly, musicians hit the spot.  Check it out, and you might even discover a new favorite group!

4.5 Instrument Arms out of 5

Creative Team: Randyl Bishop and Juan Carlos Quattordio, based on songs by Mick Orton, Tom Kelley, and Dain Bedford Pugh
Publisher: Timebound Entertainment
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