So as much as I hate to bag on one of the best cartoons on TV currently, this Gumball comic is sadly flat, a little boring, and carries none of the charm and distinct comedic know-how of the TV series proper. In execution, it deserves maybe a 3/5 but for the propensity for harm done to the franchise by instilling myself and perhaps the misguided children who pick it up with apathy, I'm giving it a 2. Because I guess I'm a grumpy, fun-hating nonagenarian. Now get off my review, I'm trying to sleep here.

In other words, it's decent and it exists just fine in the context of what came before and what will inevitably follow, I just find myself having a hard time getting worked up over aspects of the Turtle's lives I can get just fine from Lone Wolf and Cub. The sooner we return to the streets of New York, the better.

There's a new gang of techno-thugs. Michelangelo's unhappy. Life is hard. You're now completely ready for issue #62. Skip this one.

Is this particular issue bad? It's the same as the last thousand, little moves, character relationships are reinforced so if the last couple of issues were bad then you'd better damn well be sure that this issue's bad too. I would take any version of the turtles over this because every single version tried something new and untested, even the bad ones.

I understand this may be a harsh review for a first issue to a previously established franchise, but I also believe that working within that same previously established franchise should be license to skip right to the fun parts, rather than to slow down the chain of events with lazy fan-service that exists to piggyback off of the original rather than to create exciting and unique moments of its own.

If the characters were simply a little more fun to be around, it would get a recommendation out of me. If I felt as though the characters had something to accomplish other than, so far, nothing, then I would give it a recommendation. I don't have a reason to be compelled to pick up the next issue. If there's something that Oblivion gives you that I'm not getting, then by all means pick it up, it's a vast improvement on issue #1. But until I figure out why someone would want to continue besides pure nerd-appeal, which I totally get but don't believe to be a selling point, then I'm going to have to give it a solid, resounding “lukewarm.”

I'm giving Invader Zim #11 a 1/5 not because it's so reprehensible, I've read worse comics this month, but that I have no reason to recommend it to anyone. There are comics that are bad but may be of interest to someone for some reason, even in spectacle. This issue is a dinner that you didn't like yesterday being reheated and served to you today, and if the fact that I had to rely on a food metaphor doesn't say enough about my bored contempt for this issue, then I'm going to have to say let's agree to disagree.

Again, this issue was wonderful and I highly recommend it. I would just pay very close attention to reviews (mine or otherwise) before picking up later issues.

A series I've known for the longest time as being consistently fresh is showing its age. That's a scary thought. Still though, God knows this isn't the worst we've seen Zim.

This isn't an endorsement to buy Thin #1. I wouldn't recommend it. I would, however, recommend checking in on some reviews for issue 2. Perhaps the second issue will make the first issue retroactively more enjoyable or worth reading. It's actually very possible, I just hope that the Mr. Clark decides a tone by then. It looks like he has.

As comics are short, and each first issue must be treated as a promise, consider me highly intrigued. This is a promise that gets me excited, and it's tough to get me excited when we live in a world where each comic is so desperate for an issue #2 sale that it forgets to make its issue #1 an exciting, well-balanced ride on its own. So yeah, consider this an indie comic recommendation.

Okay, fine, Croak #2. I'm into it. You win. This is an interesting little yarn you've created. Stick the landng.