Written by Kate Leth
Art by Ian McGinty
Colors by Lisa Moore
Backup written and drawn by Pranas Naujokaitis
Published by BOOM! Studios
Bravest Warriors #32 gets the whole team involve as they battle the extradimensional terror Akrothile, who was unintentionally summoned by the disgruntled summer camper Arthen. There is also the ongoing threat of Bugcat, who is trapped from his home dimension thanks to the valiant efforts of Catbug in an earlier issue. Kate Leth and Ian McGinty balance big action with character moments in this arc concluding issue along with some great comedy from Catbug.
The piece de resistance of McGinty’s art is a double page “maze” spread, which help keeps the various battles in order. (There is also a capture the flag game happening.) Leth really understands Catbug and Plum’s relationship, which is the beating heart of this issue. McGinty wrings every emotion from both their adorable faces, and Lisa Moore’s color continue to help the Bravest Warriors comic look like the cartoon with some extra greens and browns for the summer camp setting.
Akrothile ends up being a generic “end of game boss” style monster, but Leth and McGinty wisely play this fact for laughs. The battle against him does show the Bravest Warriors’ well-oiled teamwork with Beth taking initiative as leader. On the other hand, Bugcat continues to be immensely entertaining and should really be a character in the cartoon. It is hilarious to hear melodramatic dialogue come out of a palette swapped Catbug’s mouth. He also adds depth to Catbug’s backstory and lets Leth riff off high fantasy tropes.
The scenes where he and Plum and Catbug interact are the most emotional of the comic. Leth and McGinty have developed their relationship throughout the run (especially in the summer camp arc), and this really pays off in Bravest Warriors #32. McGinty’s cartoonish style lets readers relate to the characters easier through a single tear or wide eyes. Lisa Moore hits the subtle difference in coloring between the blue summer sky and Bugcat’s ice beams.
As a great all ages comic, Bravest Warriors #32 deals with a relatable issue in a fantastical setting with a sense of humor. Even though Arthen has really been a twerp throughout this arc, Leth crafts his character like anyone who hasn’t wanted to leave home and do outdoor activities instead of playing video games all summer. (Not all of us can be Lumberjanes.) Even though he’s almost completely responsible for the insanity of this storyline, Arthen is a freaked out little kid away from home just like the Bravest Warriors used to be and still are. (Poor Danny.)
And if this story wasn’t enough, Bravest Warriors #32 has the final installment of Pranas Naujokaitis’ three part backup story “They Came From the Planet of Fandom.” Naujokaitis has jokes aplenty about bad fan fiction and fans who miss the point of their fandom, which he pulls off while writing an intensely hilarious and badass Impossibear. His art is cluttered at times, but he also manages to create a memorable Bravest Warriors villain (A fan fiction writing alien and his army of minions.) out of nerd culture’s biggest problem. Bravest Warriors #32 continues to look like it was teleported from the cartoon thanks to Ian McGinty’s art, and he and Kate Leth craft an issue that is fun and tugs at your heart strings, especially with the characters of Plum and Catbug.