Review: Ahoy Comics ‘Dragonfly and Dragonflyman’, by Tom Peyer and Peter Krause


The World of the Sidekick

Most longtime fans of comic books are aware of the use of the young sidekick. There have been many examples of this comic trope with none more famous than the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin. This team evolved over the years from student and teacher to well trained partners and even estranged family. The differences between these evolutions of the hero/sidekick are sometimes drastic and often emotional. It is with this in mind that creators Tom Peyer, Peter Krause, Russ Braun, Andy Troy and  Paul Little, gave us Dragonfly and DragonFlyMan by Ahoy Comics. This is the prequel to The Wrong Earth by Writer Tom Peyer and Illustrator Jamal Igle and makes its appearance on June 16th.

A 60’s Serial Tribute, Superhero Style

To understand the dynamic of this upcoming book, the Batman theme once again comes a calling. Dragonflyman is the 66 Batman Television Show version. Dragonflyman is a wholesome, role model Superhero. His sidekick is Stinger, a young, clean cut young man who sees Dragonflyman as not only his mentor, but his father figure. In addition, the villains they face are colorful, with evil plans but do not inspire any real fear. You can almost hear the “dadadada.” The language used also promotes this theme. Talk of balanced meals and positive behavior flows out of the hero’s mouth as well as corny one-liners. As an older comic book fan, these segments made me smile.

Fighting Crime is not for the nice

Dragonfly is the Frank Miller version of Batman. He is gritty, course and unrefined. His relationship with his Stinger is totally different. He treats Stinger like he is a member of the military. He should follow orders and never abandon his post. Somewhere along the way, he forgot to show the young man the respect he is due. Needless to say, this causes more than a small amount of bitter feelings between the two. Again, reminiscent of the future of the dynamic duo. There are no heartfelt conversations in their world. It is brusk, mean and to the point. When it comes to villains, the evil-doers that Dragonfly meets are like him. Gritty, ruthless, and Really EVIL and Dragonfly treats them as such. Without mercy.

Earth-Omega

This Comparison sets the stage for the book. Earth-Omega is the home for DragonFly. It’s a dark, ominous world. Whether this has had any effect on how Dragonfly has evolved is not known.But he fits into this world. From the cold way he talks to the scruffy beard that he wears to the alcohol he sometimes drinks. The art for the Earth-Omega side reflects this more seedy side extremely well.

Earth-Alpha

Earth-Alpha is the Home of Dragonflyman. It is a more clean cut world, as is its hero. However, no scruffy look for this crime fighter. His costume contains more whimsical aspects, starting with his mask with the attached antennas. The artist lines are clean and reflect this more wholesome atmosphere. Even the villains are cleaner with nice stylish suits and punching glove guns. How fun is that? It is a great job by penciller Peter Krause to so stylishly separate the two worlds.

Thoughts

The alternate universe theme has been used in many comic books so this is not an original concept. But the presentation of the two type of crime fighting duos does ring somewhat refreshing. It presents something for fans of both conventions. The gritty, more current version of that dynamic as opposed to the more nostalgic look at that comic book trope presented in the past.  It gives it a nice balance and make each really stand out in comparison. Writer Tom Peyer and Artist Peter Krause tell a tale that basically combines the same story line, but tells it as if looking through a rose colored glass and a dirty window at the same time. So if you are a fan of the crime fighting duo, check out this upcoming book by Ahoy Comics. It hits the ground running on June 16th.

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