“Jeff the Land Shark: Superstar #3” – Landed a Shark Fire Hit

The Run Down

In case you missed the previous issue, let me give you a bit of the low down! As of now, our precious little shark is stuck in the Mojoverse with nowhere to go! Alas, he meets an unlikely team of amalgamated heroes that, oddly enough, are willing to help him. Now with Mojo having taken his best friend Ken the Heptapus, Jeff and company begin to set a plan into motion. Now, join me as we take a look at Kelly Thompson’s new issue of “Jeff the Land Shark: Superstar”!

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Tokitokoro
Colorist: Jim Campbell
Letterer: Joe Caramagna

The Writing

As one might expect with Jeff, the zaniness and cartooniness keeps ramping up issue by issue. All throughout, Thompson kept me keeling over in laughter, something I’ve personally been needing this month. It’s because of the combination of those two aspects of the writing that this continues to feel like a Saturday morning cartoon in comic book form. Oddly enough, that makes Mojo the perfect fit to be the villain.

In terms of the actual story itself, I’m loving where things are going. Thompson is showing us this team truly come together, as Jeff formulates a plan while seeing their battle formations. Within just a couple of issues, I’m already wanting this team to stick together for far longer, even if that creates confusion in the main universe. After all, after having lived with Kate, Wade and Gwen, Jeff’s life is already centered on chaos anyway, right?

The Art

In speaking of the aforementioned “Saturday morning cartoon” feel, the art from Tokitokoro and Jim Campbell truly helps bring that energy to the forefront. Just like in the anime I watched as a kid on my Saturday mornings, there’s so much throughout here that brings me back to those moments. From how the characters are stylized to how the composition looks in some panels, there’s a lot here for cartoon and anime fans to feast on. I imagine too that, much like me, the art will elicit some of those memories as well. Not only that, but things like character expressions really lend themselves to the laughs as well.

When it comes to Campbell’s coloring specifically, it continues to be top notch work. Everything is bright, colorful and delightfully chaotic. The combination of Tokitokoro and Campbell truly makes the reader see the world through Jeff’s eyes in the most brilliant way. To top everything off, the way that Caramagna lettered this issue was truly magnificent. He leaned heavy into the fun, always knowing exactly when and where to strike with boldness and excitement.

Final Thoughts

Thompson’s work on “Jeff the Land Shark: Superstar” continues to be a true standout. She and her team manage to continue keeping things fresh and lively while delivering heavily on the laughs and joy. I truly believe it would be hard for even the harshest cynic to hate this book and I openly challenge anyone to try.

Overall Grade: 9/10

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Comments

Are you enjoying Thompson’s work on “Jeff the Land Shark: Superstar”? Let’s discuss in the comments below!