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Imaginary Friends Gets Reviewed
Fri, 8 May 2009 by Huckleberry
IMAGINARY FRIENDS is a different type of childhood adventure story with fun and disturbing twists and a motley cast of characters who make the 'Drawn Together' crew look like the Mickey Mouse brigade.
Turns out, those imaginary friends you had when you were a child are real, and they all work for the International Imaginary Persons Bureau. Thanks to the advancements in the video game industry, the demand for imaginary friends has gone down in recent years and the IIPB has suffered losses. Despite these budgets cuts, there are still several committed imaginary people out there, making a difference through children's creativity.
Rex is the best he is at what he does. Garbed like Indiana Jones, it is no surprise that Rex happens to be the primo adventure junkie in the Imaginary circuit, so when Swift Valentine (a rogue Imaginary person whose former real world friends include Charles Manson and Hitler) decides to try and invade the Real World, the head of the IIPB calls Rex to help save the world, both real and imaginary. Yet this is no ordinary assignment, so Mr. Arm introduces Rex to his new teammates.
In a comic about imaginary people, one would expect an eclectic and random assortment of characters, and the author does not disappoint. There's Deer John, half man, half deer with a perpetual surly expression on his face; Bones Magee lives up to his namesake and is the annoying wisecrack of the crew; Jojo the clown isn't very jolly, but is a deft hand at balloon animals; Veronica is the imaginary friend of any hetero male who has reached puberty and beyond; little Cindy has been the friend of traumatized children for years, and in absorbing their anger and despair became the most powerful imaginary person in existence.
They all have their own special talents, strengths and personal hang ups which combine to create a lively, bickering and occasionally affectionate team who defy the odds, face off with the Boogeyman and confront the evil Swift Valentine over the fate of all creation.
Rife with pop culture references and clever quips, Burns does an excellent job of keeping the reader laughing at the believable ridiculousness of the crew, groaning at Bones Magee's cheesy jokes, and staring speechlessly at a few particularly grotesque scenes. Burns starts with a unique concept and maintains the excitement with entertaining dialogue and unexpected surprises. Evans's art displays a nice balance between comic and cartoon styles, offering slightly exaggerated features appropriately tempered with realistic proportions. Rex is just as sharp as the hero who's closet he raided, and Valentine is one damn creepy character, both in looks and personality.
IMAGINARY FRIENDS is definitely a horse of a different color, a darkly humorous and weird ride which is hard to put down. For anyone who grew up with an imaginary friend, or was jealous of the people who did, this is a comic guaranteed to either corrupt cherished memories or bring them back with a wry smile on your smile.
Avril Brown
