SIMPSONS COMICS PRESENTS: BART SIMPSON 52 (Bongo Comics, February 2010)
"Homer Simpson: Chick Magnet" 12 pages
GILBERT HERNANDEZ: writer/artist
ALLAN HELLARD: colorist
KAREN BATES: letterer
BILL MORRISON: editor
MIKE ROTE: staff artist
Gilbert Hernandez returns for a second time to the Simpsons universe, following 2008's "Homerstein Conquers the World" in TREEHOUSE OF HORROR 14. This story tracks the journey back home of Homer and Bart from the forbidden donut shop. When Bart tries to bribe another comic from his Dad, he throws the comic into the trash. It's retrieved surreptitiously by Bart, and stashed in Homer's back pocket. Gilbert turns the comic into one of his "magical object" plot devices. The boys walk is interrupted constantly by beautiful women mistaking Homer for a TV star or lost love. Then Homer begins to think he has some kind of newfound effect on women, and has Bart pick out one on which to test his supposed animal magnetism. This works all too well as Homer is lovingly mangled by a very butch-looking gal. Bart is left holding the comic book after the melee when a little red-haired girl says "hi" to him. A nonplussed Bart shoves the comic back into Homer's back pocket, whereupon they are chased down the sidewalk by a horde of crazed women. Bart quickly throws the comic at the stampede and the ladies lose all interest in the chase. Leading Bart to conclude, "A man with a comic book attracts a woman like nothing else[...]." I enjoyed this rare opportunity to see Gilbert's work in color, as well as his take on the Simpsons character's. However, one review I read found the story hard to understand. This may be true for some folks as Gilbert paces his stories like almost no one else. The story is basically just a father and son walk with the magic comic thrown in as the action instigator. If more creators were able to tell a story with the less-is-more template, I think there would be more comics that children would want to read. In closing, I hope to see more of Gilbert in future Simpsons comics, if editor Bill Morrison sees fit. -Gary Usher
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