Review by Jamie McNeil

Bunny vs Monkey and the League of Doom! is the third outing in the now familiar bulky paperback format of Jamie Smart’s unusual zany adventures of odd forest denizens, originally published separately as Destructo and Apocalypse. In this format it follows The Human Invasion.

Skunky has decided Monkey is more of a hindrance than a help and puts together their own team called The League of Doom. That doesn’t stop Monkey from getting into all sorts of mischief, admittedly less destructively, but no less imaginatively. Pig and Weenie Squirrel are still being, well… Pig and Weenie, while Bunny’s still trying to get some peace. But there is danger growing in the woods and while Le Fox is keeping watch it may not be enough.

Jamie Smart is one of the most imaginative artists around and his work on British weeklies The Phoenix and The Dandy have played a part in the rebirth of fortunes in British comics. It’s his work on Bunny vs Monkey featuring feuding woodland creatures that have made him a household name, sometimes as many as four volumes on the bestseller list simultaneously. Kids love his stories and what’s not to love? From rampaging monstrous pansies and facing off against A.L.A.N (Armoured Locating Armadillo Network) the Bounty Hunter to funny attempts at finding Skunky’s lair and an oddball assortment of creatures in the tale ‘Mixa-Matosis’ it’s all riotous fun.

Honestly, what more could be said in Smart’s and BvsM’s favour that hasn’t already been said? Multiple times. At this point the strip was already very popular staple in The Phoenix and Smart had a consistent if predictable formula. That suddenly changes and within these pages are the stories that took the series from good to great. While the quality of the artwork in the first half isn’t poor, there is a marked difference about halfway through.

‘Mono-Chromotron’ is impressive, starting in mono shades and gradually introducing colour in small doses marking some of Smart’s best work. It only improves from there as Smart leads his cast into a spectacular two-part showdown with Moshoggoth.

With a sweet touching ending, Bunny vs Monkey and The League of Doom has chuckles, a kooky style, and a lot of energy. It only gets better as the madness escalates in Bunny vs Monkey and the Supersonic Aye-Aye!