Welcome to another cartoony edition of Top 5 Fridays! While this week didn't have much of our regular DC heroes and their series, we got for DC Hanna-Barbera crossovers. These crossovers would have the epic heroes of DC comics meeting face-to-face with The characters of Hanna- Barbera to go on one shot adventures with. While the other reviewer's of the sites have already given their opinions, as the blogs top-five a coordinator, I felt that it was my duty to properly rank the animals. As always this is an opinion based list, so if you don't like what you're reading, I apologize. With the formalities all the way, let's get started!
5: Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles
I'm not going to lie to you, I have no idea what to expect from this upcoming series. I have always known Snagglepuss to be a comical character(he's a pink wildcat after all!), so to see him being accused of supporting the Communist Party felt a little strange… But also intriguing. The other Hanna-Barbera previews were straightforward enough for me to understand what their series is going to be like, but this preview actually maybe want to pick up the next issue the moment it's released. It could be good, or it can be bad, but for the first time in a while, I actually felt inspired by a preview to pick up what happens next. The last time a preview did that was during the DC you with Omega Men. So if I hold it in such high praise, why does it get the number 5 spot? Well because it's only a preview. A damn good preview but a preview nonetheless.
4: Suicide Squad/Banana Splits
Jim's review put it best when he said that it was OK for something you didn't expect to be good. The suicide squad has become a little bit more "silly chaotic" over the years, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that they get paired up with probably the most ridiculous thing out of the Hanna-Barbera lineup. While the set up itself is ludicrous, it kind of made sense. Unlike the other Hanna-Barbera stories with anthropomorphic animals(seen our previews), the world is actually shocked by the sudden appearance of these talking animals, and instantly assumes they're metahumans. Metahumans + Criminal = Suicide Squad Material. The problems with the annual though are 1: Barely anybody knows who the Banana Splits are, and 2: it was far too fast paced for fans of either property to properly enjoy. However, for what it's worth, I did find some humor within. It's not the best, not the worst, it just is, and that's why it earned this spot on the list.
3: Adam Strange/Future Quest
While I don't 100% agree with Eric for review, as I actually enjoyed the issue a lot more due to the future quest characters, I do have to admit that Adam Strange felt A little bit useless. Not to say it wasn't fun, but for most of the issue, Adam Strange was disoriented and trying to find out who he is and where he landed. I'm not saying that Adam Strange has to be some sort of superior superhero, but He acts like he fell onto the wrong movie set and is trying to improv his way into the picture. Despite this huge hiccup in his character, and by extension The Death of Hawkman epilogue, this annual is the same fun that has continued to weave throughout the world Future Quest. It even found a way to tie the worlds together by referencing the Zeta beams as Vortexes. If you only like Adam Strange, this might not be for you, but if you are a fan of Future Quest and the characters that come with it, I think you'll have a fun time.
2: Booster Gold/The Flintstones
You know I was a bit on the fence about this one. Not because the story would make sense. On the contrary, it would be a more probable story out of all the Hanna-Barbera annuals when it comes to set up. The face of DC Comedy is a time traveler, so logically he could find himself in the town of Bedrock to meet the sitcom-like family, The Flintstones. My biggest concern with the parent is that each property has its own sense of comedy. Booster gold is a prankster's. Comedy around him is fast-paced and quick-witted. The Flintstones are a satire. They are more slowed down, just for readers/viewers to understand the satire even more. So with that in mind, I didn't know what to expect when opening this crossover annual. To my surprise, it was actually quite a fun read. I especially loved the ending with Booster saying that he hopes to see Fred again in his next, with Fred responded: "please don't." If you are a fan of comedic comics, I recommend you give this story a whirl.
1: Green Lantern/Space Ghost
I've been reading comics for a while now. While there are a lot of books, there are very few that I feel fit absolutely perfect together. I'm not saying that they have to be perfect together to make a good story, but it always makes me excited if I see a parent dock and truly work together in harmony. Green Lantern and space ghost feel like that perfect match. Both are intergalactic peacekeepers to fight strange alien menaces on a near daily basis. It's as if the pair were made just to cross paths one day. The story itself was phenomenal from beginning to end, but what truly made it rise above the rest was the art. Ariel Olivetti has done work on Space Ghost before in a 2005 miniseries that I highly recommend. Each page looks more epic than the last and it makes me want more and more. Do I expect a sequel comic? No. But if they could get the same team who did create this story, I think it could be a hit. If you haven't picked up this annual, go out and buy it. I promise you will not regret it.
That's it for this week's Top 5 Friday! What was your favorite DC/Hanna-Barbera Annual? Also, what Hanna-Barbera preview intrigued you the most? Leave a comment and I'll see you next time!
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