Chunks of a meteor fly to earth, empowering a group of talking animals to fight the forces of evil while 
delivering tons o’ puns in 20 issues of funny animal mayhem.
Anybody who has read some of my posts or has been following my Zoo Crew custom project has probably wondered when this title would be appearing in this column. Or perhaps not. But either way, here it is.
Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew was created in 1982 by Scott Shaw! (can’t leave off the exclamation point) and Roy Thomas. Yes, that Roy Thomas, whose hands have been drenched in comics since time began, and has written stints on every major title ever in the history of everness. So this is no chump change, this is hundred dollar bills and caviar.
I’ll be honest. There’s going to be two types of people: Fans of the Zoo Crew, who “get” it, or people who are soulless vacuums that were born at the ripe old age of 69 and were never young or young at heart.
THAT WAS HARSH.
OK, maybe you’re not that bad, but it’s a lighthearted, fun comic and you have to know going in that there’s not going to be a lot of depth. Simple stories, lots of jokes, veiled allusions to comic book tropes, and fun. Did I mention fun?
Fun.
If you are completely unaware of the Zoo Crew, it’s comprised of their Leader, Captain Carrot, along with Yankee Poodle, Pig Iron, Rubberduck, Alley-Kat Abra and Fastback. You could probably look at the names and tell if you’re the appropriate audience for the book or not. They as you can see from the comic covers, they fight villains like Frogzilla, Bow-zar, A big tire, and Starro, that big bad starfish. Seems to fit well.
But despite some of what I’ve said, it’s not all one-note humor. Each archetypal anthropomorphic animal has his or her own distinct personality, the adventures are inventive and entertaining, and it’s a well-rounded on it’s own despite the so-called “gimmick.” And the characters have endured, having made their way into the modern era and showing up most recently in Final Crisis.
It’s the type of comic that is becoming increasingly rare nowadays, when “risk” has become defined by changing Wonder Woman’s clothes. I can’t see this comic being introduced in today’s market, which makes it all that more special.
So if you’ve never read about these quirky characters and can find the means to do so, then you should. Especially if the dark comics of nowadays has gotten old and you’re ready for that word I mentioned up there.
Fun.