Dexter's Laboratory #1 (of 4)

Writer: Derek Fridolfs
Artist: Ryan Jampole
Colorist: Jeremy Colwell
 
Dexter’s back, baby! And I'm not talking about the serial-killing kind.

Rolling off their successful adaptation of Samurai Jack, IDW is launching another series based off a Cartoon Network show that came out over a decade ago. And so far they’re two for two; Dexter’s Laboratory #1 is an enjoyable, if a bit light, comic for fans of the original TV show.

The television show often followed a very strict formula: 1) Dexter (boy genius) invents a new gadget that will supposedly change his life for the better. 2) Someone (his sister Dee Dee, his rival Mandark, his unwitting parents, or even Dexter’s own hubris) destroys, distorts, or otherwise disrupts said inventions. 3) Hijinks ensue. This comic seems to know that formula very well, as the first two elements crop up rather quickly when Dexter attempts to increase his jaaaaayneius (Fridolfs has a fantastic grasp of Dexter’s strange German-French-Russian accent without overdoing it) by chugging a serum he’s been designing for a year to have “maximum potency” (hey now, remember – this is a kids show). But of course, despite strenuous safety precautions, Dee Dee ruins everything once again.

Before reading the comic, I was slightly worried that some of the energy of the original cartoon would be lost because of the lack of animation, but Ryan Jampole captures the look of the show so perfectly that I never noticed. If you cropped out the dialogue boxes, I’m sure most people would mistake this art for screenshots. Kudos to Jeremy Colwell for his spot-on color pallet.

For what it was, Dexter’s first foray into comics (as far as I know, at least) does a good job of matching the tone and style of the series. Remember that this is a comic for kids, though, or you’ll grow mad at the illogic of it sometimes. For example, how the hell does Dee Dee get inside Dexter’s sealed zero-g chamber? How did her slippers get in there without anyone, especially Dexter and his army of robot servants, taking notice? Doesn't he have a giant computer assigned to guard against these kinds of disasters, especially since they happen every other week?

I...I think it's finally happened. I've become a grumpy adult and I didn't even notice.

Oh well. For you less grumpy adults - and your less grumpy kids - Dexter's Laboratory #1 is a nostalgic, enjoyable romp straight from the world of the old cartoon. Just don't think about it too hard.