by Victoria Irwin
Senior Correspondent
Mr. Peabody and Sherman #2 is a light hearted children’s comic that teaches as it goes along. Starting in Easter Island, Mr. Peabody and Sherman learn about the creation of the famous “moai” statues. They then go to Venice in the 1600’s to see a famous soprano and help save the day when she develops laryngitis. They then move on to Blackbeard, narrowly escaping disaster.
Sholly Fisch keeps the story light and airy, hinting at the dark side of the time periods it references, but never really getting too far into the nitty gritty of things. Blackbeard is encouraged to actually act as a pirate, thus preventing the images of ghastly murders and thieving to be brought onto the pages. Time in Venice is spent with Peabody acting in the place of a famous soprano, bringing down the crystal chandelier, while everyone fleas unscathed.
Jorge Monlongo keeps everything comical and upbeat with his cartoonish figures; Peabody and Sherman was originally a childrens’ show after all. The artwork reminds me of a combination of some Disney Imagineers and the tiki artist Shag. Jeremy Colwell also keeps things bright with his coloration, never letting things be too dark for long.
The comic is intentionally frantic, jumping from the statues of Easter Island to the Opera in Venice to Blackbeard’s Pirate ship. The comic follows a format that works well for children, bouncing from point to point so there is never a dull moment. For children, Mr. Peabody and Sherman is greatly enjoyable, as well educational in the process.
