TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS – @topshelfcomix
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
CARTOONIST: Ray Friesen
EDITORS: Chris Staros and Brett Warnock
ISBN: 978-1-60309-071-1; hardcover (June 2011)
96pp, Color, $9.95 U.S.
Ages 7 to 13
Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken is a graphic novel series by cartoonist and webcomics creator, Ray Friesen. Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken (Book 1): Troublems with Frenemies is an all-ages humor graphic novel that was the first in the series and was originally published five-and-a-half years ago.
The stars of the series are Pirate Penguin, a penguin who is a pirate (complete with a hook for a right hand, an eye patch, and a pirate hat), and Ninja Chicken, a chicken who is a ninja (complete with ninja pajamas costume). They're roommates, bestest of friends and also the worstest of enemies. Now, see them in action – in stories so small and epics so epic.
See them fight over smoothies. Watch them scuffle over peer pressure. Witness their friend Camoflaugey Chameleon cause chaos by impersonating one or the other. Join arguments over stuff like ice cream or origami. Then, in “The Biggest Giantest Epicest Pirate Penguin versus Ninja Chicken Story Evar!,” Pirate Penguin rockets off into space, and Ninja Chicken attends a ninja convention in Las Vegas, but can they really be apart for 11 chapters?
Top Shelf sent me a copy of Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken (Book 1): Troublems with Frenemies when it first came out – yes, that long ago. I lost track of it, but recently found it again, which was fortuitous because the second graphic novel, Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken (Book 2): Escape from Skull-Fragment Island!, was recently published.
I didn't think that I would like this, but I did. Of course, this is a kids' graphic novel, but there is a reason that it is described as “all-ages.” Anyone who can read this, regardless of age, will like some or all of it. The short comics, usually two pages in length, are little gag strips that play on the inherent silliness of traditional humor comic books. A pun, a philosophical point turned on its pin head, an argument: Ray Friesen is clever and imaginative in creating humor.
Despite their wacky names, Pirate Penguin and Ninja Chicken are actually good characters. They are lovable, and the fact that they like each other in some way makes this work. These two characters are bickering, gently contrarian characters, and their attitudes and personalities make them lovable. There are also some good supporting characters, like useful third-wheel, Camoflaugey Chameleon, and a character whose profession makes it easier to expand the settings for stories, Astronaut Armadillo.
I think Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken (Book 1): Troublems with Frenemies is a little more than its cover suggests. I won't describe this as great, but it is surprisingly cute, funny, and enjoyable, and like me, you may be surprised to find yourself liking it.
B+
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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