Writers: Leah Williams & Chynna Clugston Flores
Artists: Juan Samu & Francine Delgado
Colorists: Juan Samu & Danny Sanchez Chaves
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Cover Artists: Chynna Clugston Flores; Juan Samu
Publisher: IDW
Price: $5.99
Release Date: December 13, 2023
Can Wednesday Addams defeat an outbreak of infectious kindness?
Can two exterminators survive a visit to the Addams historic home? Let’s leap
into The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1 and find out!
Story
In Charlatan’s Web, two women seek a new base of operations.
The recently opened yoga studio seems ideal. But will the owner prove amenable?
It's the first day of the school year, and Wednesday Addams
is troubled. While she enjoys hanging with her friends, a troubling trend
occurs. Someone is overwriting people's personalities. Even oafish football
players wear pink polo shirts and respect their teachers. Can anyone save
Wednesday's gloomy town from an overwhelming wave of wellness?
This first story in The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1
brings us into Wednesday’s daily life. We meet her friends and see the world
through her eyes. It's refreshing to see Wednesday fit in amongst other social
misfits rather than comparing her to "normal" people. I find her
belief that Gomez would suggest a means of combatting the happiness crowd
intriguing, as he's always struck me as the most buoyant, unflappable person
imaginable. Still, I like how Fester describes the situation and can relate to
Wednesday’s fears as an Invasion Of The Body Snatchers-type situation overtakes
the town.
In Notre Maison, Su Casa, Chynna Clugston Flores introduces
us to two exterminators. Instead of spraying poison and laying bait, they enter
the Addam’s mansion through a window. The boss believes these Old Money Types perpetuate
a haunted house myth to defend their homes against thieves. Strangely, his
partner's biggest fear is finding insects and even tarantulas.
Notre Maison, Su Casa utilizes the familiar pretext of
“normal” people encountering those weird Addams folks. Chynna Clugston Flores
harnesses this form and rides it for all it’s worth. The only missing element
is Uncle Fester, which seems odd, as the 1991 movie put him in the “normal”
person mode. But that doesn’t dampen the fun, as the exterminator-thieves meet
the rest of the family and plumb its mysteries. Flores even throws a bit of
Doctor Who and Monty Python into the title story in The Addams Family:
Charlatan’s Web #1.
Art
Juan Samu imparts a wild and wacky energy to Charlatan's
Web. He imbues his characters with personality. He pays homage to the Addams
Family's classic look while contrasting Wednesday's friends with those in
conventional society. The page where the yoga instructor undergoes conversion
would fit comfortably in a My Little Pony, Barbie, or Wizard Of Oz comic. He
fills panels with convincing backgrounds, and his page layouts are superb. His
nuanced and attractive coloring enhances the energy in The Addams Family: Charlatan’s
Web #1.
Francine Delgado’s art imparts an animated feel to Notre
Maison, Su Casa. Some scenes are highly detailed, while others reveal no more
than what’s necessary. Danny Sanchez Chaves’ coloring is as vibrant as Samu’s,
giving a cohesive feeling to The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1. Shawn Lee's
superb lettering makes reading dialogue balloons a joy. While the stylish time
and location markers may tax, the sound effects enhance the atmosphere, energy,
and appeal of both stories in this debut issue.
Thanks to IDW for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1 celebrates children's
individuality, suggests the riches families can provide, and reminds us that
"normality" is not necessarily ideal.
Rating 9.8/10
To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
