Writers: Nicole Andelfinger, Daniel Kibblesmith, Cullen Crawford & Pranas T Naujokaitis
Artists: Esdras Cristobal, Sarah Web, Brittney Williams, Laura Langston, Ilaria Catalani, Kate Sherron & Maurizia Rubino
Colorists: Joana Lafuente, Fred C Stresing & Meg Casey
Letterers: Jim Campbell & Mike Fiorentino
Cover Artists: Jay Fosgitt & Eleonora Bruni
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $16.99
Release Date: December 25, 2024
When the electricity fizzles, Uncle Stu goes to investigate. Grandpa Pickles wants to distract the kids from the dead TV in the moonlit living room. But will Grandma let him regale them with his WWII adventures? Let's plug fresh fuses into our imaginations, leap into Rugrats Bestest Comics Book Two, and find out!
R Is For Reptar: Story
In 1942, Mr Pickles and his squad searched for a downed friendly. But what could take a bite out of an airplane's tail? Grandma objects to Grandpa scaring the children with tales of tanks and T-Rexes. Then, a distant crash frightens her. After Grandpa assures her that the children can entertain themselves for a few minutes, they leave to see how Uncle Stu is faring.
With the TV silent, the children hold forth on their favorite T-Rex. Reptar is a baby T-Rex investigating a cave with his friends before becoming a misunderstood monster living in the woods near a castle. Reptar ruins designer clothes and spills delicious lattes as the kaiju rampages through the city. R Is For Reptar helps the children confront their fears and imagine becoming heroes to protect others from danger.
R Is For Reptar: Art
Esdras Christobal gives animated TV appeal to this tale of Tropic Thunder. Sara Webb imbues Li’l Reptars with cute and cuddly art that creates classic adventure without the violence of Tarzan of the Apes. Brittney Williams and Joana Lafuente pay homage to classic superhero comics in Super Cynthia, as Angelica imagines her heroine can leap over Reptar in a single bound.
Laura Langston channels a Children’s Storybook vibe for Beauty And The Reptar as a princess ventures from her castle. She follows a map (and fearsome roaring) to prove no monsters inhabit her realm. Finally, in Tommy And Reptar, Ilaria Catalani, Fred C Stresing, and Meg Casey capture the frenetic energy of a Godzilla tale. Dr Tommy researches how to battle the rampaging Reptar before leaving his laboratory to save the city. The energy surging through this final tale in R Is For Reptar propels the reader onto the next story in Rugrats Bestest Comics Book Two.
C Is For Chanukah: Story
When the families rent a cabin in the woods, the kids watch Reptannukah 2: Robotar's Revenge. Then, as now, Syria and Israel are at odds. King Antiochus wants the Israelites to worship his gods. Judah Maccabee thinks his Temple should remain dedicated to Israel’s god. Daniel Kibblesmith and Cullen Crawford reinvent Reptar as the people's champion. As Chuckie wonders what the show has to do with a harmonica, Tommy puts his faith in Reptar. If the T-Rex is there, it must be important.
In C Is For Chanukah, the parents miss the meaning of the holidays. Some fear leaving the city, while others need a break from their stressful jobs. While bringing an inflatable T-Rex, the parents forget a menorah. So Uncle Boris guides them through the festival. Unfortunately, his memory is a DVD where the Bonus Features intermingle with the feature presentation. As the children learn about a harmonica and a golem, and Cynthia receives more presents than she can appreciate, their imaginations run wild.
C Is For Chanukah: Art
Kate Sherron packs this second story in Rugrats Bestest Comics Book Two with action. Her characters express anger, frustration, rage, fear, excitement, and hunger for adventure. She delivers loads of family fun inside the cabin and in the snow. As the children sled down slopes, trees and snowmen transform into monsters. Flashlights protect them during evening adventures inspired by Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, and Frankenstein’s monster in Harmonica: the Festible Of Lights!
The Last Token: Story
When Drew and Stu take the kids to Wizard Rat, the adults complain that the pizza parlor and kids’ zone don't measure up to their memories. Chuckie loses games, so Tommy insists games are about having fun with your friends. Angelica disagrees. She wants to earn all the tickets to claim a glittering crown.
In Pranas T Naujokaitis' story, problems beset the workers when the kids run out of tokens. The dispensing machines refuse to cough up more. While Stu tinkers with the animatronic musicians in the dining area, the Rugrats take shelter as the older kids run riot. When Tommy finds a forgotten token, the kids shelter in a storeroom. Suzie recalls a game that dispenses tokens instead of tickets. The friends embark on a quest toward Mount Token in this final story of Rugrats Bestest Comics Book Two. Queen Angelica responds by rallying an army of Orcs to capture the token and gain her crown.
The Last Token: Art
Maurizia Rubino transforms Wizard Rat’s exterior into a castle. The miniature theme park boasts a gaming zone, a dining area with animatronic musicians, play tubes, a ball pit, laser tag, and an obstacle course. Queen Angelica sits on a throne and follows the children’s quest with binoculars. The Rugrats transform into a medieval knight, an axe-wielding dwarf, and a Princess Fiona-like goblin. While battling Queen Angelica's forces, they engage in sea battles, fend off zombies, and confront monsters.
The Rugrats momentarily leave their fantasy adventure to resume their journey amid a futuristic setting. But Angelica isn’t the only one they must battle in this epic adventure that forms the second half of Rugrats Bestest Comics Book Two. As the fellowship pushes on toward Mount Token, they face another nemesis. He doesn't care about getting tickets or winning prizes. He crouches, hisses, and springs into action when his precious token appears.
Lettering
Jim Campbell and Mike Fiorentino fill dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with uppercase and lowercase black letters. While font size and styles range through The Last Token, C Is For Chanukah, and the five stories in R Is For Reptar, sentences remain easy to read and follow. Words grow bold for inflection, swell for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects help us hear T-Rex mayhem, children’s exhilaration, and the ambiance of Chuck E Cheese. (Oops! I mean Wizard Rat). Thanks to Boom! Comics for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Rugrats Bestest Comics Book Two reminds adults what it's like to be young, warns against the perils of aging, and celebrates friendship, sharing, and imagination. The three (or seven) stories riff on myths, movies, TV shows, and literature to show how beliefs and traditions evolve while creating fun and compelling stories.
Rating 9/10
This review first appeared at Comic Book Dispatch.
