Four years ago, IDW put out one of the greatest Addams Family comics ever made, so you know I was first in line to read The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web out this week. Co-written by Chynna Clugston Flores and Leah Williams, the two are teamed with artists Juan Samu and Francine Delgado for a two-part story that has Wednesday fighting a super-cheery cult. It sounds right up her alley and also an honestly great idea for another film.
The premise of this story is great. A health-conscience fad sort of group has come to town. Wearing matching pink tops, we learned very early on that this group brainwashed people into being super cheery and positive. It’s essentially the best foil you could think up for the Addams Family to face, especially when considering the danger of it infiltrating the family.
Wednesday is written well outside of the excellent premise, with like-minded weirdo friends introduced early on. There’s a lot of setup regarding their personalities, which will likely play into the next issue. It’s fun to think Wednesday isn’t an enigma, but like many of our high school experiences, a group of dark clothes-wearing “freaks” live among us.
This cult needs to be stopped.
Credit: IDW
Visually, the story matches the recent animated movie, with some shockingly big heads on these characters. It adds to the overall weirdness. The use of color amps things up, giving the comic a Saturday morning cartoon vibe. I have to say the giant heads threw me off for a spell, but they grow on you as they add a weirdness to the story.
Outside of the premise, however, I expected a lot more humor. This book isn’t very funny, with only a few jokes that land. The exposition-heavy introduction of the friends also slows things way down early on. A lot more humor could have helped keep things entertaining, but the issue suffers with too few jokes, as it’s mostly set up for the big cliffhanger. Something else that doesn’t do the book justice is how it’s rarely inside the Addams Family house. It’s mostly set in the town, which is incredibly bright and cheery. That means fewer weird visuals at work to amp up the family’s weirdness and a decidedly different visual vibe to a book about the gloomiest family on the block.
Also contained here is a backup story by Chynna Clugston Flores and Francine Delgado. Two crooks acting as pest control break into the Addams’ house and discover they bite off more than they can chew. The story is reminiscent of the first live-action movie as they enter rooms and discover frightening threats. The Saturday morning vibe is strong with this story, with slapstick gags like falling down.
Kiddos are going to love The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web. There’s a cartoon vibe that’s unmistakable as Wednesday realizes a threat of the cultish kind has entered her little town. I wish it had more comedy.
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