The eagerly anticipated Penguins vs Possums #3 was released last weekend at WonderCon 2013, and it is awesome! I feel like the PvP team is getting better with each issue. Sebastian Kadlecik, who co-wrote and did all pencilling and most of the inking for this issue, handles the various fight scenes with a joy and intensity that is completely engaging. From the very first splash page, you know you are in for a treat! John Bring who co-wrote, did some of the inking and drew the hilariously thrilling cover, has absolutely worked magic with his vivid gray tones. And then, there is Lindsay Calhoon, the book’s editor and the last piece of this Voltron writing team, who, together, have created another chapter in this epic action saga.
Issue #3 follows our chosen Possum as he attempts to once and for all end the conflict between the two species. Pining for his lost love and their unborn child, he prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of all possums, but is he walking into a trap?! Meanwhile, shady, underground (literally) deals are being made as other factions of penguin and possum-kind are preparing for battle, and Xiao, the Penguin Emperor, struggles with the weight of his crown.
I wouldn’t call this book an action comedy, because that would denigrate the action scenes which are incredibly powerful, but the comedy is pervasive in Penguins vs Possums and often guffaw-inducing. The creators maintain a gleeful sense of awareness, while still offering us a compelling and, at times, tender story. So deft is their storytelling that in three panels, PvP #3 goes from hilarious to sincerely touching. It’s available in shops around L.A. and online at www.penguinsvspossums.com. If you’re not reading this book, you’re missing out on one of the most fun comics on the shelves today. Plus, how good will you feel when it becomes bought by some studio and turned into a sweet, new animated show, and you can say you were a fan before it was popular?
