Flaming Carrot is an individual a bit simple-minded who lives in the small town of Palookaville, near Iron City. He always wears his mask carrot-shaped, with a small flame at the top and fight against all kinds of threats. During the 8 stories found in this collection, Flaming Carrot fight against an invasion of Martians (they rolled by one of their own who sold their plots of our Earth), it attempts to stem the installation of Melvin Toupee in his city (a godfather of organized crime) which is also pursued by the incarnation of death. He tries to capture a thief paltry objects (Artful Dodger, after the name of a character Oliver Twist) who does not hesitate to kill to steal (he even take a bath in the tub Flaming Carrot). He tries to recover the child sponge (Sponge Boy) who was captured by aliens. He tries to stem the proliferation of floating humanoid balloons in the streets of the city. In a new 10-page prose, he spends a night in dreamland continue skeletons. Through a well-trussed scheme, the reader learns that holds his mask and anything carried in the pockets hanging from his belt.
The reader who wishes to discover this hidden hero must absolutely be prevented. Bob Burden mania with uncommon dexterity derision, surrealism, weird inexplicable, the fantasy and the absurd, not to mention the craziness. For starters, the origin of Flaming Carrot revealed in 2 page 44 sentences is certainly one of the finest in the history of superheroes, and more zany. Then you do not dream, Flaming Carrot well wearing swim fins at the bottom (in case he would have to swim course). Fortunately his pocket belt contains many useful and essential accessories such as a yoyo, bandages decorated with rockets and stars (very difficult model to obtain), a wishbone, a rabbit's foot lucky, of superglue, trading cards, and many other treasures. He never goes anywhere without his pogo stick (pogo stick) nuclear-powered, making it a superhero as hopping as Spider-Man or Speedball.
While Flaming Carrot seems a big child farce, from 1988, the publisher Dark Horse Comics has published several collections of Flaming Carrot (and a more or less regular series): (1) Man of mystery, ( 2) Shall Remain Wild wild, (3) Greatest hits! and (4) Fortune favors the bold. In 2004, Image Comics began publishing a new series of Flaming Carrot, always performed by Bob Burden, the first episodes were grouped in Volume 6. The curious can discover an appearance of Flaming Carrot in episode 104 of Cerebus (in the book Church and State II).
Like any self-respecting superhero, Flaming Carrot is even part of a superhero team called the Mysterymen. Even more amazing, this team of heroes equally prosaic and improbable took the honors of a film in 1999 (long before the Avengers): Mystery Men with Ben Stiller. Further evidence of the seriousness of this unusual is that it helps the hero Keene Inspector in his most difficult investigations and that the latter uses a radio show of the same model as that of Dick Tracy.
By opening this book, the reader will discover the ridiculous adventures (well Flaming Carrot nevertheless repelled an alien invasion with bare hands and without shedding of blood) and zany answering a strong internal logic, but very special. Despite some shots and some exchanges of punches, these adventures are good child, very inventive, funny and surreal. In many occasions, Flaming Carrot triumph thanks to his tenacity, unpredictable and unexpected tactics (he managed to thwart the spell of the witch wearing trousers 5 one over the other, not to mention the time he defends itself by launching a fox terrier on an enemy). The drawings of Bob Burden well aware of the surreal atmosphere of the stories. It soon becomes apparent that the prospect sometimes causes him some problems, some boxes or postures may look like from time to time. On the other hand, the characters have faces and memorable phrases. The criminals all have a poetic look, while still dangerous. Burden exceeded the amateur stage and makes drawings full of poetry and power sufficient to carry the intrigue meanders.
This volume is perfect to discover the strangest superhero, tough and ready for anything (even swimming), with brutal methods and unconventional, operating in an environment where anything can happen. While these seem formulaic rendered meaningless for the usual superhero, they resume their full value when applied to Flaming Carrot. Far from ridiculing the concept of superheroes and stereotypes associated with it, Flaming Carrot proves the relevance of this concept in an unexpected context, while smoking his pipe with soap bubbles. Of course the innovative and risky nature of his adventures reserve this reading for experienced players, with a compatible open mind.
