What happens with five writers get together for water-themed story Shenanigans? You get Marvel Swimsuit Special: Brand New Beach Day #1. Through an anthology of five different stories, you get to see your favorite characters in various beach, pool, and lake activities.
This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Shawn!
Creative Team
Writers: Daniel Kibblesmith, Rainbow Rowell, Anthony Oliveira, Dan Schkade, Cody Ziglar
Artists: Alessandro Miracolo, Phil Noto, Pablo Collar, Dan Schkade, David Baldeón
Color Artists: Jesus Aburtov, Rachelle Rosenberg, Edgar Delgado
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: J. Scott Campbell
Cover Color Artist: Sabine Rich
Writing
Beach Bashed: Daniel Kibblesmith
Namor hosting a party is certainly an idea, but goodness, Daniel Kibblesmith makes it work. While doing something that may seem a little out of character for the Submariner, Kibblesmith perfectly nails Namor and his interactions with his guests. Kibblesmith expertly slips jokes into the story in a fun and satisfying way. It was fun to see Namor’s never-ending quest continue in an interesting and fun new way. It seems despite being the King of Atlantis, Namor will always be thirsty.
Pool Beast: Rainbow Rowell
Respectfully, Betsy Braddock takes the laughs in this story from Rainbow Rowell. Betsy has such a troubled past that it’s so invigorating to see her being fun and free in this story. Professor X sighed like a disappointed parent, and I felt in my soul as a parent myself. Rowell shows us how while everyone else may look forward to swimsuit season, it’s no walk in the park for Hank McCoy.
Danger by the Lake: Anthony Oliveira
Who doesn’t have a great time when Johnny Storm and Peter Parker get together? Anthony Oliveira gives us another buddy team-up from these two to go in the annals of Marvel history. Oliveira gives us a great lake story wrapped up in stalker vibes. Why can’t things go right when Johnny and Pete are together?
Moon Nights: Dan Schkade
What a hilarious opening from Dan Schkade. I had never stopped to consider that, despite knowing there are different personalities within Moon Knight, each one may have their own taste in swimwear. Let it be known, thanks to Schkade, that when Moon Knight commits, he commits all the way.
Gamma Glutes: Cody Ziglar
It all started with a Mai-Tai Apologist and someone who hates sand between their toes. It ended with everyone getting a better understanding of what it truly takes for Hulks to relax. I’m always game for any story that gets a little Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters time together. When those two get together you know fun is going to follow and Ziglar gives it to us in this story.
Art
Beach Bashed: Alessandro Miracolo and Jesus Aburtov
This was such a well-drawn and fun story.Miracolo an Aburtov went all out and made sure to include lots of your favorite characters in this story. Despite each character being so different, they managed to capture each character perfectly, including their appearance and the emotions they convey.
Pool Beast: Phil Noto
Noto did a great job with this issue. Not only did each character’s outfit feel like it fit them perfectly, but as an artist, it can’t be easy to draw Beast in the water when he’s covered with hair. Despite doing a great job with the characters, Noto doesn’t just stop there, giving us perhaps the best detail and expressiveness of any artist in this issue when it comes to characters faces and expressions.
Danger by the Lake: Pablo Collar and Rachelle Rosenberg
Pablo Collar did an amazing job with the details in this story. I can almost feel the grains of sand on the beach. Collar gives us three great characters in his own distinct style. Every wrinkle in clothes, every board on a cabin has a space in this story. Rachelle Rosenberg was a great choice for colors on this story as she captures the fading sun and campfire vibes perfectly with her colors.
Moon Nights: Dan Schkade and Rachelle Rosenberg
Despite being the shortest of the stories, Dan Schkade put a great deal of work into the art on his story. It was so fun seeing him capture the vibe of each of Moon Knight’s personalities, including Moon Knight himself. I’d love to see a longer story that follows each personality through a beach day. Rachelle Rosenberg captures each personality’s vibe perfectly with her colors.
Gamma Glutes: David Baldeón and Edgar Delgado
David Baldeón and Edgar Delgado gave us such great artwork in this issue. Jen and Bruce feel just perfect, and I loved seeing the details even in Dr. Samson’s beard. They manage to capture how unhappy Bruce is when he’s being asked to relax perfectly. This contrasts well with the laid-back style of Jen, with the art perfectly offsetting the two opposite personalities.
Tying all of the stories together is the work of letterer Ariana Maher. The swimsuit issue is pulled together by her. While working within Marvel style guides, she manages to effectively communicate a sense of unique style to each of the stories throughout the issue. She ensures that each story while part of the overall issue is distinct and captures the spirit of the author.
Final Thoughts
This was a fun, silly issue. The stories were everything from short and creative to hilarious and one long inside joke for Marvel fans. These are some of the best one-shots. You put away the superpowers and just strip characters down to their personality. In a personality-filled world like the Marvel universe, there’s enough character to go around, and this issue makes perfect use of that.
Overall Grade: 9/10
What was your favorite story in this one shot? Let me know in the comments
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