Issue: Garfield #1
Created by: Jim Davis
Writer: Mark Evanier
Art: Gary Barker
Colors: Braden Lamb
Letters: Steve Wands
Covers: Gary Barker
Garfield First Appearance Variant: Jim Davis
Publisher: kaboom!
I really love Garfield — he might be the only cat I like — and I am excited to read and review this issue. I read and collected most of the comic strips and loved watching the cartoon version of Garfield. The first issue has two stories in it, much like the cartoon show would have had.
The first story focuses on superheroes and comics. Garfield is dreaming that he is a superhero, but is interrupted by Nermal before he can do what Garfield loves most: eat a tower of lasagna. Nermal is tossed out and lands in garbage, which contains the first issue of “Ultra-Powerful Guy” from 1939. Realizing what he has, Nermal shows Jon, who finds out that the first issue is worth a million dollars, which could buy Garfield all the pasta he could want forever. This pleases Garfield. The group goes from place to place talking about how much the comic is worth, but unfortunately for Garfield, the comic gets ruined and is returned to the old woman who had it in her garbage.
The next story deals with Garfield and his mouse friend, Squeak. Squeak has another mouse friend, Big Mouse, who is convinced that Garfield wants to eat all mice, including Squeak. Garfield makes a convenient list of what he will and won’t eat, but Big Mouse is not deterred. He puts himself on Garfield’s sandwich, in his soup and even his pizza. During all of this, two other cats, Harry and Waldo, see Big Mouse and decide that they want to eat him if Garfield won’t. They catch Big Mouse and Squeak runs to Garfield for help. He does reluctantly, if only so he can eat in peace. Garfield manages to trick Harry and Waldo into letting Big Mouse go and manages to have the final word.
This was a good first issue — it kept the feel of the comic strips, but was able to do more with the gang as they had their adventures. Even though Jim Davis isn’t writing or drawing this, Garfield is still very much himself: sarcastic and always willing to eat. All the characters retain their attitudes and humor. The art is exactly what you would expect and want from a Garfield comic. If you like Garfield, then you will like this comic series.
