I just can’t agree with the rave reviews of this book. I loved Plastic Man in the old Batman comics and in his own books, and Plastic Sam was unique in that it was one of the funniest Mad parodies yet still remained true to the original in a way that Mad’s other victims couldn’t claim. But the art here is simply pathetic! Yes, it packs a good laugh or two, but I find the lack of care put into backgrounds and lettering (apparently done by a computer program) to be unacceptable. Most backgrounds seem to be a simple color wash that could be anywhere.
Rating: 3 / 5

I am not really a fan of either Plastic Man or of Kyle Baker’s over the top Ren and Stimpy-esque cartoon style. However, I had to pick up the plastic book with Plastic Man all over it so that it looks like you are actually holding Plastic Man trying to hide out as the book itself!

Once I started reading this one, I must admit that I got into it. The artistic style grew on me and Plastic Man became less annoying (sort of. . . ). This one is full of lots of sight gags and off-color comments and references.

I was entertained and that’s all that counts. I give it a “B”.
Rating: 4 / 5

When I saw “Plastic Man: On the Lam” I originally passed it over because the cover is absolutely horrible. The cover is supposed to look as if it’s composed of Plastic Man’s stretched body. It’s even literally made of plastic but it looks really bad which is a shame because the contents are terrific. The reason I purchased the book was because the series won the Eisner award for best new series and I’ve tended to do well with Eisner award winners.

On the Lam is a compilation of the first six issues of the recent Plastic Man series, written and drawn by Kyle Baker. My first and only experience with Kyle Baker’s talent was a pair of short pieces done for the Bizarro books. Kyle has a very clean, bright artistic style that more resembles animation cells than comic panels. His only weakness is when he tries to draw realistic looking characters like in the brief appearance of the JLA.

One of the problems with writing Plastic Man is trying to keep Plas sufficiently goofy without turning him into a goofball. Some of the Justice League writers allowed him to descend deep into ridiculousness. Plastic Man, like Captain Marvel, really needs to be placed into his own separate world. Kyle does a great job of establishing the classic Plastic Man universe, balancing cartooniness with a bit of an edge. Poor Plas ends up taking quite a beating in this adventure. He’s stretched with hooks, frozen, nearly suffocated, eaten by an alligator and has his rear end melted with acetate. There was always a certain darkness behind the colorful plastic wrapping, after all Plastic Man is one of the few heroes who started his career as a criminal. Seeing a dead man’s head flattened or Woozy Winky bleeding after a severe beating is jarring but that’s the way Plastic Man comics are and why he’s such a unique character.

Kyle Baker’s interpretation is one of the best I’ve seen. It’s filled with legitimate humor and terrific art. I may be dense but somehow I didn’t see the twist ending coming. Kudos to Kyle Baker for reinvigorating my interest in Plastic Man and kudos to DC Comics for releasing a truly unique and creative series.

Rating: 5 / 5