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A review by eoghann
The Thrilling Adventure Hour by Ben Acker
3.0
So in origin The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a stage show that turned into a podcast that has now spawned this graphic novel. And the concept it simple enough. It's a pastiche of Olde Timey radio shows played pretty heavily for laughs.
There's a series of skits each with their own characters (though some overlap) and all playing on that radio serial vibe. Complete with phoney adverts that fit the time period.
Here in the graphic novel Acker and Blacker are trying to achieve the same thing. But without the voice cast, it's that much more difficult.
They're working from the same template though right down to the fake adverts. Though I think they may have gone a bit overboard with that particular joke.
How well this is going to work may depend on your familiarity with the original material. It probably helps if you at least have seen the Flash Gordon movie and have some idea of the style you're getting. The more familiar you are, the more you are likely to see that will appeal.
It's an anthology series so we get different characters, locations and time periods. We also get different artwork with each story which is jarring if you read them back to back.
But honestly you'd be better off not reading them that way. I noticed after a while it was all starting to feel a bit samey. Like retreads of the same joke again and again. Taking a break between strips helps a lot.
So if you're a fan of the show/podcast you should get your hands on this. If you are familiar with the source material, I think you'll enjoy it too. But pace yourself when reading.
There's a series of skits each with their own characters (though some overlap) and all playing on that radio serial vibe. Complete with phoney adverts that fit the time period.
Here in the graphic novel Acker and Blacker are trying to achieve the same thing. But without the voice cast, it's that much more difficult.
They're working from the same template though right down to the fake adverts. Though I think they may have gone a bit overboard with that particular joke.
How well this is going to work may depend on your familiarity with the original material. It probably helps if you at least have seen the Flash Gordon movie and have some idea of the style you're getting. The more familiar you are, the more you are likely to see that will appeal.
It's an anthology series so we get different characters, locations and time periods. We also get different artwork with each story which is jarring if you read them back to back.
But honestly you'd be better off not reading them that way. I noticed after a while it was all starting to feel a bit samey. Like retreads of the same joke again and again. Taking a break between strips helps a lot.
So if you're a fan of the show/podcast you should get your hands on this. If you are familiar with the source material, I think you'll enjoy it too. But pace yourself when reading.