{"id":26886,"date":"2022-11-03T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2022-11-03T08:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=26886"},"modified":"2022-11-02T18:22:12","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T18:22:12","slug":"bunny-vs-monkey-machine-mayhem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2022\/11\/03\/bunny-vs-monkey-machine-mayhem\/","title":{"rendered":"Bunny vs Monkey: Machine Mayhem!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Jamie Smart<\/strong>, with Sammy Borras<\/strong> (David Fickling Books)
\nISBN: 978-1-78845-285-4 (Digest HB)<\/p>\n

Win\u2019s Christmas Gift Recommendation: Madcap Mega-Meta Magnificence\u2026 10\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bunny vs. Monkey<\/strong> has been a staple of The<\/strong> Phoenix<\/strong> since the very first issue in 2012: recounting a madcap vendetta gripping animal arch-enemies set amidst an idyllic arcadia masquerading as more-or-less mundane but critically endangered English woodlands.<\/p>\n

Concocted with gleefully gentle mania by cartoonist, comics artist and novelist Jamie Smart (Fish Head Steve!<\/strong>; Looshkin<\/strong>; Flember<\/strong>), his trendsetting, mind-bending yarns have been wisely retooled as graphic albums available in remastered, double-length digest editions such as this one.<\/p>\n

All the tail-biting tension and animal argy-bargy began yonks ago after an obnoxious little beast plopped down in the wake of a disastrous British space shot. Crashlanding in Crinkle Woods – scant miles from his launch site – lab animal Monkey<\/em> believed himself the rightful owner of a strange new world, despite all efforts from reasonable, sensible, genteel, contemplative forest resident Bunny<\/em> to dissuade him. For all his patience, propriety and good breeding, the laid-back lepine just could not contain the incorrigible idiot ape, who was – and is – a rude, noise-loving, chaos-creating loutish troublemaker\u2026<\/p>\n

Problems are exacerbated by the other unconventional Crinkle creatures, particularly a skunk called Skunky<\/em> who has a mad scientist\u2019s attitude to life and a propensity to build extremely dangerous robots and super-weapons\u2026<\/p>\n

Here – with artistic assistance from design deputy Sammy Borras – the war of nerves and mega-ordnances appears to be over. The unruly assortment of odd critters cluttering up the bucolic paradise had finally picked sides and the battles ended. They even seemingly forgot the ever-encroaching Hyoomanz<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

Following a double-page pin-up of our odd and ever-expanding cast, this magnificent hardback archive of insanity opens in the traditional manner: divided into seasonal outbursts, and starting slowly with a querulous teaser tale as the cold retreats and Spring begins in \u2018D.I.Whyyyy?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

As the animals all gather to help Bunny repair his much-abused house, universal innocents Weenie<\/em> squirrel and Pig<\/em> Piggerton<\/em> are more keen than skilled, with no idea that cheese is not a suitable substitute for wallpaper paste, plaster or cement\u2026<\/p>\n

Despite the subsequent collapse, times are good and very peaceful since the anarchic ape went away and Ai <\/em>acts quickly to keep it that way when Bunny feels nostalgic for the old days. Sadly, somebody\u2019s listening and brings in a \u2018Makeshift Monkey!\u2019<\/em> – until the real deal returns in \u2018The Little Monkey Who Cried\u2026\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t long before Skunky is back too and everyone\u2019s fleeing for their lives from deadly underground tentacles, but life quickly resumes its old pattern until obsolescence rears its ugly head and cyborg gator Metal Steve<\/em> is pronounced \u2018Out of Warranty\u2019<\/em> and left to wither on Skunky\u2019s scrapheap\u2026<\/p>\n

Back and still bad, Monkey briefly inflicts himself on Bunny and wrecks the joint again in \u2018The Housemate\u2019<\/em> after which the mercurial monochrome megamind constructs a replacement for the gone gator and triggers a \u2018Robot Rampage\u2019<\/em> when infinitely superior mechanoid Metal E.V.E. <\/em>decides to lay down her law\u2026<\/p>\n

Falling foul of another near-lethal prank the silly simian is scientifically resurrected and evolved in \u2018Curse of the Monkey\u2019 <\/em>only to trip on his own incompetence and barely escape a fishy final fate in \u2018Toilet Run!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

A close call with humans in \u2018Bunny vs Monkey Jellybeans!\u2019<\/em> precedes Weenie and Pig going on \u2018A Dangerous Voyage\u2019<\/em> as pirates, before Monkey endures his own Fantastic Voyage. Skunky is \u201cThe Most Brilliant Animal in the Woods\u201d and convinces his erstwhile ally to shrink down and explore the inner cerebellum of brain-battered, bewildered former stuntman Action Beaver<\/em> in search of \u2018The Lost Memory\u2019<\/em> of a misplaced ultimate weapon, which is what probably inspires him to make his own after entering a competition and prematurely unleashing his \u2018Winning Entry\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

Metal E.V.E. is forming her own plans but they have to wait a bit as she\u2019s \u2018Keepin\u2019 Busy\u2019 <\/em>with some domestic chores in Skunky\u2019s lab, but\u2019s not long until Summer begins and the woods are imperilled by subterranean invasion from new menace \u2018Roland T. Mole\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

Hijinks in parallel dimensions herald the arrival of doomsayer \u2018Skunky?\u2019<\/em> whilst the forgotten stuntman stumbles onto his ancestral homeland in \u2018Beaverville\u2019<\/em> with catastrophic consequences even as Monkey creates unexpected carnage but precious little terror with super-cute kaiju \u2018Rofl Axolotl\u2019 <\/em>before being painfully reminded how dangerous the woods can be in \u2018So Beautiful\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

After a brief and deceptive flirtation with \u2018The Dark Arts\u2019<\/em> the hairy halfwit returns to science and creates little golden minions, but his \u2018Gloobs\u2019<\/em> prove too smart for servitude, so he instead embraces high fashion in \u2018C\u2019est Chic!\u2019 <\/em>Utterly uncaring, Weenie and Pig go about their business until a \u2018A New Friend\u2019<\/em> almost breaks up the partnership. The swiftly-developing relationship of \u2018Weenie and Winnie\u2019 <\/em>seems set to end the good old days but another robotic invasion sets the world to rights in \u2018Just Checking\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

A reality-altering beast threatens in \u2018Wishful Thinking\u2019 <\/em>and the entire woods go all French just as aliens invade in \u2018L\u2019Honk Honk\u2019 <\/em>before Monkey and Skunky explore artisanal dining in \u2018Eat Up!\u2019<\/em> with appalling consequences for their customers, after which Ai and Monkey discover uncanny \u2018Night Lights\u2019 <\/em>in the deep dark woods\u2026<\/p>\n

The eventful season concludes as Metal E.V.E. gets ahead by installing some crucial \u2018Upgrades\u2019 <\/em>and inadvertently making contact with an unsuspected predecessor just as Autumn opens with \u2018Bumblesnatch\u2019<\/em> as the pig and squirrel enjoy some super-powers-inducing chewing gum and Crinkle Woods is catapulted into a different kind of chaos when broached by pet dog \u2018Fluffy\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

When \u2018The Summoning\u2019<\/em> invokes some pretty indifferent forest gods, Skunky lodges with over-accommodating Bunny who is soon sucked into unwanted adventure \u2018Down Below\u2019<\/em> and unearths E.V.E.\u2019s brave new world and hopeless old ally as Metal Steve runs amok with nano-bots and spawns the unlikely armageddon beast \u2018Pig-Kira!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Once that menace vanishes into vapour, the mostly organic animals unite and formulate \u2018Some Kind of Plan\u2019<\/em> to fight E.V.E. – except \u2018Nurse Monkey\u2019<\/em> who\u2019s keen to explore other lifestyles – until reenlisting in \u2018Roll Up! Roll Up!\u2019<\/em> with a barmy spinning machine which has no chance of easing their plight but will probably end their lives before she does\u2026<\/p>\n

The crusade pauses for Weenie\u2019s birthday and the hunt for \u2018The Best Present in the World\u2019<\/em> but starts again when E.V.E. crashes the party with \u2018Something to Say\u2019<\/em> about the \u201crise of the machines\u201d and end of all flesh\u2026<\/p>\n

Skunky\u2019s obvious response is another monster, but giant mecha-hedgehog \u2018Thunderball!\u2019 <\/em>is easily overcome, and as so-distractable Monkey goes wild among the fallen leaves in \u2018Leaf it Alone\u2019<\/em>, the machine rise begins in \u2018Nahhhhh!\u2019<\/em> Sadly, Metal E.V.E. makes a big mistake then, spilling Monkey\u2019s drink and kicking the conflict to an unprecedented new level\u2026<\/p>\n

Pausing for Weenie, Pig, Ai and Bunny to share some \u2018Scary Stories\u2019<\/em> around a night time campfire, the crisis enters a new phase when the ghost of local legend Fantastic Le Fox<\/em>, manifests, even as the manic simian is captured and transformed into E.V.E.\u2019s \u2018Metal Monkey\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

Le Fox is \u2018An Old Friend\u2019<\/em> resolved to help the animals survive, and his strategic advice is welcome, but the turning point comes in \u2018Clash of the Robots\u2019<\/em> as Metal Monkey and Steve duel, even as their mecha-mistress takes charge, unleashing DNA-altering microbots that put the fleshy freedom fighters to flight in \u2018Uh-Oh-Nano!\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

Winter sets in and hostilities suddenly cease as all concerned succumb to the temptation of chucking \u2018Snowballs\u2019<\/em> after which the end gets nigher in a wave of robotic attacks triggered by \u2018Metal Mania\u2019. <\/em>Yet again everything pauses as Christmas gives the heroes a moment to unwrap \u2018Presents\u2019 <\/em>but, drenched in seasonal spirit, \u2018An Unlikely Hero\u2019<\/em> dares to bring the message of the moment right to the robot queen: unwittingly changing the course of history in the woods, and leaving only some \u2018Tidying Up\u2019<\/em> to restore everything to what passes for normal in the sylvan glade\u2026<\/p>\n

The animal anarchy might have ended for now there\u2019s more secrets to share thanks to detailed instructions on \u2018How to Draw Metal Steve\u2019 <\/em>and \u2018How to Draw Metal E.V.E.\u2019<\/em> to wind down from all that angsty furore\u2026<\/p>\n

The zany zenith of absurdist adventure, Bunny vs Monkey<\/strong> is weird wit, brilliant invention, potent sentiment and superb cartooning all crammed into one eccentrically excellent package. These tails never fail to deliver jubilant joy for grown-ups of every vintage, even those who claim they only get it for their kids. This is the kind of comic parents beg kids to read to them. Shouldn\u2019t that be you?
\nText and illustrations \u00a9 Jamie Smart 2022. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jamie Smart, with Sammy Borras (David Fickling Books) ISBN: 978-1-78845-285-4 (Digest HB) Win\u2019s Christmas Gift Recommendation: Madcap Mega-Meta Magnificence\u2026 10\/10 Bunny vs. Monkey has been a staple of The Phoenix since the very first issue in 2012: recounting a madcap vendetta gripping animal arch-enemies set amidst an idyllic arcadia masquerading as more-or-less mundane but … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Bunny vs Monkey: Machine Mayhem!”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,42,113,102,125,97,107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-best-of-british","category-comedy","category-fantasy","category-humour","category-kids-all-ages","category-science-fiction"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-6ZE","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26886"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26888,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26886\/revisions\/26888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}