Something very wrong is going on in Bizarro’s strange semi-normal world. Speaking normally with a world that’s a little more straight than his usual digs, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White have been zipped off to his world to become the Daily Planet’s new employees. After a cliffhanger that revealed he’s a god of this strange place, things can only get worse as Bizarro tries to hold things together and be as normal as possible.
If issue #1 got our heroes into the mess with a strong hook, issue #2 ramps up the danger levels with a possible murder. Throw in the fact that there’s quite a chaotic weirdness going on around characters and in the background, and it’s a fun issue that delves into what it could be like to live in a Bizarro world.
Bizarro: Year None #2 opens three months prior to Jimmy and Perry entering the Bizarro world. It’s a scene where Lois Lane is interviewing Bizarro, who seems to be leaking as he speaks. A recurring element of the issue is that Bizarro is, without a doubt, barely holding things together, especially with Bizarro Lois questioning him. It seems in any universe, Lois can’t be deterred from the truth. Acting as a kind of bookend, the opening scenes get a satisfying resolution by the end, further ramping up the danger for our heroes.
Much of the rest of this issue is devoted to Jimmy and Perry trying to work at the Daily Planet. The role reversal of Jimmy as editor-in-chief and Perry getting coffee adds a nice twist, with both doing their jobs to the best of their abilities. Writers Eric Carrasco and Kevin Smith do a good job of using Perry as the journalist who unpacks a mystery, while Jimmy tries to manage all the weirdo Bizarro people in the office. While the first issue felt a bit aimless beyond showing us how the heroes got to Bizarro World, we now have a few plots to follow.
Silly Putty; what is this, a comic made by 50+ year olds?!
Credit: DC Comics
Among the plot development, the writing team does a good job establishing a key detail about Bizarro World: It’s not the opposite world. One might think it is, but it’s a distinction that makes the unpredictability all the more intriguing.
Nick Pitarra delivers big time on art, filling pages with weird easter eggs and details to keep even the most mundane panel interesting. Take, for instance, a scene in which Perry looks up from the ground after falling and spilling coffee. Behind him is a man casually walking an alligator, and in front of Perry, a baby chick walks casually along as if that’s totally normal. In another scene, Jimmy is running a meeting, and for some reason, a crash test dummy is seated amongst his employees. Why? Who knows, but it’s a fun detail to unpack in your own imagination.
Aside from the little details, Pitarra and color artist Michael Garland keep the mystery alive with Perry and do a great job of adding unease as we learn what happens to Lois. Pitarra’s scratchy facial details add a certain weirdness, as well, with a vibrant color palette that screams Garland-style comics.
If I had a gripe I just had to voice, it’s that it’s unclear exactly what’s happening to Bizarro. Is he leaking? It certainly works to create a strangeness, but it’s so obtuse that it’s hard to gather why or what it means.
Bizarro: Year None #2 builds on the promise of its debut by sharpening the mystery and embracing the bizarre charm of its setting. Eric Carrasco and Kevin Smith find a stronger narrative focus through Jimmy and Perry’s investigation, while Nick Pitarra’s artwork turns every page into a treasure hunt of weird and wonderful details. The unanswered questions surrounding Bizarro’s condition create genuine intrigue, even if a few moments feel overly confusing. By the final page, the danger has escalated considerably, leaving readers eager to discover just how unstable this strange world has become.
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