Kevin Smith has been on a tear getting back into writing comics in the past few years, and now he’s co-writing a bona fide origin story. Smith is joined by writer Eric Carrasco and artist Nick Pitarra for a comic that feels about as indie as superhero comics come. It’s risky (no headlining heroes), unconventional in its approach, and filled to the brim with dialogue-heavy scenes.
It’s fair to say Perry White and Jimmy Olsen are the main characters in Bizarro: Year None #1. The issue opens in space, where a Daily Planet newspaper emerges from a green portal. It’s a mystery to hold in the back of your mind, since the rest of the issue picks up somewhere else, or maybe it’s some other time. The first few pages establish that this is Jimmy Olsen, not yet revered as a photographer, doing the grunt work at the Daily Planet. On his way to work, we see he’s chipper and kind of hip. Back at work, a giant toy soldier is piercing the building, which naturally transitions to White talking fast to get a story in the books.
From there, key Daily Planet characters are established, and it’s easy to recommend this to new readers who don’t know a lick about these characters. The only issue is they may be wondering where Superman is, and while he does pop up, he’s not a central character. Instead, the creative team leans into Perry and Jimmy, who soon begin arguing over Jimmy’s ability to serve as a staff member. Smith and Carrasco do a great job with the dialogue, with ducking and weaving going on as Jimmy and Perry spar with words.
A day in the life of Jimmy.
Credit: DC Comics
That said, over eight pages, these two talk, and talk some more. Pitarra keeps things interesting enough, like with a panel of them walking and talking, but there’s no mistaking that all this dialogue probably could have been cut down. Smith is known for his dialogue, but it could have worked even better if we had gotten to the big moment that gets us to the point. There’s a nice reprieve with a professor who creates a portal that inadvertently kicks off the story, but it’s a little late. It is, however, important to establish the Perry and Jimmy relationship, as this will be the driving force of the story, but it just feels a touch too long.
That said, once things get weird with the portal, the creative team does lots to keep you interested. Bizarro shows up, adult babies are in strollers, and everything is backwards once Perry and Jimmy go through the portal.
Possibly the most interesting hook is Bizarro himself, who somehow talks straight and seems to be holding a secret. The fact that the issue is on the edge of the planet, as seen on the cover, suggests that some truly horrible things are going to happen. Pitarra crushes on art, bringing his highly detailed, textured style to a book that gets weird and needs that sense of detail. There’s so much detail in any given panel or page that your imagination is fueled, and your eye will linger. Michael Garland’s color adds realism to the mostly normal people in the book, but also pops when Superman shows up briefly.
Bizarro: Year None #1 is a bold, unconventional start that leans heavily on character work before unleashing its weird premise. Kevin Smith and Eric Carrasco take their time building out Jimmy Olsen and Perry White as the emotional core, which pays off once the story tips into full-on Bizarro chaos. The pacing may test some readers early on, but once the portal opens and the world flips, the issue becomes far more compelling. Anchored by Nick Pitarra’s intricate and imaginative art, this debut sets up a mystery that feels unpredictable and worth following, even if it takes a little patience to get there.
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