Jack Kirby created “Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur” after returning to Marvel (again) in 1978. The creation was Marvel editorial’s knee-jerk reaction to DC (where Kirby was previously employed) working on an animated series of Kriby’s “Kamandi,” the story of a young teen boy surviving in a savage post-apocalyptic world. “Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur” only lasted nine issues and the animated “Kamandi” was never developed. However, Moon Boy (a fur-covered primate from a parallel universe where primate and dinosaur exist simultaneously in a land of savagery) and his bff Devil Dinosaur (a T-Rex-esque red dinosaur) have lived on, albeit in somewhat obscurity. With Devil Dinosaur usually taking main stage, the duo has survived in mini-series, back-up stories, and the occasional animated cameo (i.e. “Super Hero Squad,” “Hulk Agents of Smash,” etc.). Though Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder have taken a chance to bring the almost-forgotten property into relevance.
Reeder and Montclare (the writers of Image Comics’ “Rocket Girl”) begin their story by introducing us to Lunella, a young teenage girl whose goal is to enter a prestigious school (i.e. The Future Foundation, Avengers Academy, etc.). Science for Lunella is more than just a course of study; it is her life. She is hyperfocused on science and technology to the point that she doesn’t see the need for friends. Not understanding the social maneuvering of school also gets in the way of her fitting in. Through her science, Lunella finds a spherical device that opens a portal to parallel world. In steps Devil Dinosaur.
Surely this comic will be compared to “Ms. Marvel,” or to “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.” However, it’s the stark difference to the two titles that will make it stand out. Lunella, in her social-miscues (which parallels to someone on the Autism spectrum), is a very real character. And while the first issue didn’t have the teen romance of “Ms. Marvel,” or the quirky weirdness of “Squirrel Girl,” there are no doubt teen drama and quirks to come.
This is one of the most cohesive books since “Superior Foes of Spider-Man.” Everything in this comic fits perfectly into its respective spot, but in a very natural way. The deep yet distinct color palette compliments the art. The art compliments the dialogue. The lettering compliments the story. Even the panel layout flows seamlessly. This is no doubt due to Manny Mederos’ production design.
Marvel has a wide selection of young superhero comics to choose from right now. “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” fills a niche for comic book fans that — until now — has been void. For anyone who didn’t understand why the minutia of school was so important, or has thought, “What good are friends? Nobody understands my special projects,” then this is your comic. A niche selection that I hope keeps the title in the forefront of relevance and out of obscurity.
Trent Hunsaker is the owner/opperator of Death Ray Comics in Logan, Ut. He is the program director for the A Part of Him Podcast Network and cohost on NetHeads – a live, weekly show on smodcast.com.