5 out of 5

I own what there is in single issue form of Bodie Troll – all of which, I believe, is collected here – and yet there was not a single nit of hesitation in picking up this friendly-sized (9″ x 6″) trade.  Sure, there’re justifications in that there’s the un-previously published Fuzzy Memories conclusion therein – which includes some mighty Bodie revelations, a long time coming! – as well as boodles of backmatter from creator Jay Fosgitt regarding character creation genesis, and some fun pinups, but even without that stuff: worth it.  Because this is exactly the kind of series that makes you treasure those month-to-month reading experiences, but equally – and differently – rewards when taken in in a sitting, seeing the fits and spurts through which Jay, and Bodie, evolved.

This magic is certainly enough to overcome the relative narrative clutter of the included FCBD stories, as well as some clunkiness in fleshing out Bodie’s and Cholly’s background in the new material, especially given that, in the latter case, I was swooned by the payoff to some planted hints that I had somehow totally overlooked upon first read.  This reinforces the trade vs. issues uniqueness: Fosgitt writes with a charming, pun-filled looseness that makes you forget that he’s building a cast of characters and a world, and so when storylines / details do connect, it’s a subtle and rewarding surprise.  To the FCBD comment, you can sort of understand the excesses of each tale, as FCBD can be about wooing new fans, so those bits go all out with the yuks and ridiculousness, and Jay gets a chance to dazzle us with detailed, energetic cartoon wizardry.  However, compressed down to the pocket book size, such wizardry can be a tad overwhelming.

Otherwise, everything is as you remember it: Evan Shaner’s color assists on the first issue; Jay Jacot’s color flats; Fosgitt’s wonderfully expressive lettering; and each (often hilariously charming) cover is reproduced in the back, with chapters in the collection separated by designed page breaks.  Boom!’s binding is perfect – loose enough to see the whole page, but stiff enough to hold in one hand – and, by golly, there’s just no way to not be obsessed with this stuff.  So start here, or continue here, either way accepting: you’ve no choice in the matter but to praise Boom! for this release and to love Bodie Troll.