Is something afoot in your local elementary school? Do you need a detective that you can afford on a lunch money-sized rate? Is there a caper that can only be solved by getting inside the mind of a second grader? (Cases involving canines need not apply.) If the answer is yes (or even maybe), then you’re looking to hire the lead character of the all-ages comic Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective! Created by Jake Dickerman and Jason Pruett, Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective has recently released its second issue containing a case involving a missing hamster, elementary-aged zoologists, and events that may even force Jimmy and his longtime companion and bodyguard, Opal, to work this mystery separately!

Let me just start by saying that the second issue of Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective is sure to please any fan of the previous issue. Dickerman and Pruett continue to demonstrate why the concept of an elementary school, crime-noir detective and his kindergartener bodyguard works so well, taking readers through a mystery where Opal herself is the paying client. The characters continue to be deliciously enjoyable, the humor is constant and able to be enjoyed by both older and younger readers, and Pruett’s illustrations add a vibrant and fun quality to every panel. Everything about this concept works so entirely well that I would not be surprised in the least to see a Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective cartoon or book series emerging from the shadows in just a few short years. The story just vibrates with that “Why has no one already thought of this?” feel, and I’m sure Jimmy will soon be gathering the sort of attention that makes a project really take off!

There is one specific area where I believe Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective could improve: labeling their books. The reason I’ve been referring to current book as “the second issue of Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective” is because it’s not labeled as Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective #2. While I don’t think it would be a major tragedy if a reader started with the second issue, there are a number of things established in the first issue that would help inform one’s reading of the second issue. And, should a reader come across the first and second issue in a store, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that one follows the other. It’s a minor flaw, but one that could be easily corrected to avoid confusion. I could even see abandoning the number issue format and just framing each title around the case tackled within, similar to The Hardy Boys (ie: Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective – The Case of the Missing Hamster, etc.). No matter what, this in no way should prevent you from picking up the book.

You can find out more about Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective at the offical website, as well as purchase a digital copy. (Only $3! Go and support independent comics! CLICK HERE!) Also, be sure to stop by the Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective Facebook page.

Also, be sure to check out FBC’s review of the previous issue of Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective at the following link:

Jimmy Brass: 2nd Grade Detective Review

Thatʼs all for now, comic book sniffers! Until next time, watch out for those weird zoologist kids!
-Bryant the Comic Book Slayer