[.ca] Champs (ISBN 1560973722)

champs!:
Whether you're already a fan of Weissman's work (in his YIKES! books, as well as "Lemon Kids" & in "Measles") or this is your first time with lil Bloody and the gang, Champs will delight you. Nobody has EVER captured childhood this well. And if you were already a fan, you'll see that this book is his best yet!

What The....?:
I had seen (And enjoyed) some of Weissman's other work before, and it seemed like everyone who ever reviewed a Yikes! book had nothing but praise, so I took the plunge: I bought Champs and Don't Call Me Stupid, and pre-ordered White Flower Day.... I guess it must be me....I just don't get it. At all. I had trouble telling the characters apart. They all look the same! Much like Seinfeld, Champs is about nothing. Unlike Seinfeld, I didn't think it was funny. I did get a brief chuckle out of the fact that the entire world seems to revolve around children (Witness the infant Toreador, and the huge crowds that turn out to see Big Wheel races...),but that quickly passed, and I was left pondering the imponderable, such as...Why is that kid called "Sweet" Chubby Cheeks? Why is a Vampire tot able to run around in broad daylight? Who made Pullapart Boy? Why did I buy this? I would advise the curious to give this a quick browse before buying to see if it's your cuppa tea. Sadly, it wasn't mine.

Different from Yikes:
First of all, this is more of a storybook than a comic book. For those of you that are familiar with Weissman's work in Yike's, this is slightly different. There is really only one storyline for "Champs," and since it was done all at once, there isn't as much of a variety of artistic style as with "Yikes." The art quality is different - a little more hurried, and some might argue not as good. The story itself has that familiar, delightful creepiness of the original "Yikes," although it is sometimes lacking. The underlying themes of the story are interesting and reminiscent of childhood. I do, however, find that I appreciate this book the more I read it, and I recommend it to any Weissman fans.