5 out of 5

How is this free?  Moreover – why?  I don’t mean that insultingly, but this FCBD was 2004, and another Reggie collection wasn’t put out until 2013/14…  Furthermore, this was put out by Highwater Books, of which I’m now reading (wiki) wasn’t the most money-geared company, rather releasing out comics for comics sake.  Though I suppose that answers the question of why.  It’s just fascinating – this is a full book, with no mention of anything else it’s trying to sell you, or interest you in.  Even the most holy of FCBD stuff is pleading, on some level, for you to explore the book or writer more, but this Reggie 12 book just completely stands on its own.

In 3 colors: black, white, and gray.  (And blue on the cover.)  Some notes in the content suggests all of these strips (some single page, some multi-page) were culled from a couple sources at least – Giant Robot Magazine, Nickelodeon Magazine.  Reggie 12 is a robot, created by a robot-creatin’ professor, Prof. Tinkerton.  In some of the strips he’s an uber-hero, worshipped by his cat friend Casper and another Tinketon creation, mostly called Donald-14.  In some of the strips he seems more to be the wishful hero, suffering fits of jealousy and his friends treating him more like a tag-along.  But through and through there’s a perfectly wonky tone that balances classic cartooning with slapstick gags and a bit of a wink – similar to Steven Weissman’s work, but more accessible thanks to Ralph’s thick and clear artwork (think Jay Stephens, but looser) and to-the-point writing.

So let’s say you’re a fan of Jordan Crane, or Weissman, or Stephens, or the kid work of Johnny Ryan…  Well, Ralph is the guy you’re missing in your collection.  And if you’d glanced at this book on the rack, you’d happily have plunked down 3.99 or more.  The fact that it was free – and wholly free, no sales pitch – just sweetens the deal.