This is a very powerful story that I wish had lasted longer than it did. Ultimately, it accomplished what it set out to do, and delivered a powerful and emotional ending in doing so. Read Full Review

This is the last issue of Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, and I'm really sad to see it go, but Mark Russell and company did a wonderful job of wrapping this miniseries up in a natural and authentic manner. Read Full Review

A poetic and bittersweet ending to a series that is more historical fiction than a "funny animal cartoon" adaptation. The back-up, despite its creativity, should have ended last issue. Read Full Review

It's the conclusion in Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles #6, Mark Russell's historical, melancholy trip into the history of the Cold War, the red scare, and the gay rights movement as told through obscure Hanna-Barbera characters. If you told me that I would love a comic with that logline, I would laugh at you, but Russell is nothing if not the king of DC political satire at the moment. Read Full Review

Wordplay remains a highlight of the series along with a few visual gags, but there's not as much beneath the surface as the narrative suggests. The result is an enjoyable enough comic with an original premise, simply one not worth lingering on. Read Full Review

A downbeat ending to a highly unusual series, this issue sees Russell revisit some old characters and themes and offer very little that we haven't already seen. Mike Feehan's art is lovely but the story is meandering and lethargic and even Russell's normally engaging dialogue feels flat and repetitive. Throw in a back-up that makes little sense for all its comedic energy and you're left with a rather unsatisfying experience. Read Full Review

My favourite book this year. I miss it already.

Welcome to the Oblivion Bar where the first round is on me and the pretzels are free! Be warned: like the pickled eggs at the bar, this issue is going to get SPOILED rotten.

The issue begins 5 years later. Time has pasted and we see that SP is basically ruined, alone, and hasn’t worked since the hearings. We see a man that tried to put his stamp on the world and prove society wrong but feels that he came up short.

SP visits his father in the home only to find out that even though his father appeared mean, miserable, hated his sons lifestyle choices, and couldn’t remember anything due to his dementia, he still felt regret for how he treated his son. Being a parent, we sometimes lose track of what’s important for our kids and what they really want for themselves. We often times try our best to live through them when in all reality it’s their turn to be center stage. SP’s dad, even with dementia, regrets how he treated his son even though he didn’t agree with his lifestyle choices. And like most people in life, his dad regrets many of the decision he made. It was a good moment for SP to see that side of his father before he passed.

We now get to see SP dealing with the same regrets. He sent his love back to Puerto Rico, hasn’t worked in 5 years, and when his father dies, he doesn’t even have enough money to bury him. He had it all and now has nothing. But after a pit stop in a bar with the bartender who used to run the underground bar Huck and SP used to attend, the bartender shows SP that he actually made a difference. He showed him that times have changed because of the stand that he took. He explained to him that more people began to understand that these lifestyle choices existed and that they aren’t going away. People continued to realize that it’s ok to be yourself and express who you are in your own way. Everything takes time but given humanity, change is inevitable. And with change comes acceptance. Maybe not how you wanted it or when you wanted it, but acceptance will come. It always does.

Later, Quick Draw confronts SP and explains how sorry he is for the mistakes he made that basically led to Hucks suicide. He offers SP an opportunity to be on cartoons with him because for some reason, anyone is welcome to work on cartoons. No one is blacklisted. SP reluctantly accepts and brings Huckleberry Hound Jr to join him. In 1959, they create their show and the rest is history. I loved this part so much. It’s far from a happy ending but it shows a society’s advancements and evolution. And we get to see that the Huckleberry Hound from the cartoon was actually his son. I loved that twist too. Loved it!

This series was excellent. Russell is a fantastic writer with an amazing vision. Give him any character you want and he’ll write what he wants using your character, their background, and keep their foundation true to who they are. He hits real world topics in such a professional way. Russell realizes that love is the name of the game and you can see it in all he writes. I am just sorry that it’s done. Russell out did himself again leaving me speechless at so many parts throughout his run. I’m excited to see what he has on deck next and I can’t wait to get this trade. Don’t read this issue. Read them all!

If you like what you heard, love talking all types of comics, and are interested in joining a comic chat group, hit me up at dispatchdcu@gmail.com or @dispatchdcu on twitter. Catch you all later! Peace more

Most issues of ESL: Snagglepuss Chronicles get an easy 10 from me. They've been brilliant and Russell's work has been brilliant generally. I'm knocking off half a point only because I wasn't utterly blown away by the finale. I wish this series had been an ongoing. It's been as strong as anything on the stands these days. Beautiful art as well.