{"id":29205,"date":"2024-01-04T09:00:43","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T09:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=29205"},"modified":"2024-01-03T18:37:25","modified_gmt":"2024-01-03T18:37:25","slug":"bunny-vs-monkey-volume-9-bunny-bonanza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2024\/01\/04\/bunny-vs-monkey-volume-9-bunny-bonanza\/","title":{"rendered":"Bunny Vs Monkey volume 9: Bunny Bonanza"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Jamie Smart<\/strong>, with Sammy Borras<\/strong> (David Fickling Books)
\nISBN: 978-1-78845-306-6 (Digest HB)<\/p>\n

Bunny vs Monkey<\/strong> has been the bonkers hairy backbone of The<\/strong> Phoenix<\/strong> since the first issue back in 2012: recounting a madcap vendetta gripping animal archenemies set amidst an idyllic arcadia masquerading as more-or-less mundane but critically endangered English woodlands. Concocted with gleefully gentle mania by cartoonist, comics artist and novelist Jamie Smart (Fish Head Steve!<\/strong>; Looshkin<\/strong>; Max and Chaffy<\/strong>, Flember<\/strong>), these trendsetting, mind-bending yarns have been wisely retooled as graphic albums available in remastered, double-length digest editions such as this one. All the tail-biting tension and animal argy-bargy began yonks ago after an obnoxious little beast plopped down in after a disastrous British space shot.<\/p>\n

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 could not contain or control the incorrigible idiot ape, who to this day remains a rude, noise-loving, chaos-creating, troublemaking lout intent on building his perfect \u201cMonkeyopia\u201d with or without the aid of evil supergenius ally Skunky <\/em>or their \u201chenches\u201d Metal Steve<\/em> and Action Beaver<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

Problems are exacerbated by other unconventional Crinkle creatures, particularly monochrome mad scientist Skunky whose intellect and cavalier attitude to life presents as a propensity for building extremely dangerous robots, bio-beasts and sundry other super-weapons\u2026<\/p>\n

Here – with artistic assistance from design deputy Sammy Borras – the war of nerves and mega-ordnances resumes even though everybody thought all the battles had ended. They even seemingly forgot the ever-encroaching Hyoomanz<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

Divided into seasonal outbursts, this ninth magnificent hardback archive of insanity opens in the traditional manner: starting slowly with a sudden realisation, by building on the shocking denouement of the last book when the lop-eared good guy cried enough and quit. The cosmically surreal shenanigans resume on New Year\u2019s Day with the woods gripped in snowy winter and still utterly \u2018Bunnyless\u2019<\/em> after the steadfast voice of reason surprisingly ascended to higher realms to get a little peace and quiet\u2026<\/p>\n

As the shellshocked populace (Ai<\/em>, Pig<\/em> Piggerton<\/em>, Weenie Squirrel<\/em>, Metal E.V.E.<\/em>, Le Fox<\/em> and Lucky the Red Panda<\/em>) meander and moan, seeking someone to fill that vacant place, even the anthropoid antithesis feels the loss and builds a replacement but it\u2019s simply \u2018Not Bunny\u2019 <\/em>and ends up scrapped like so many dastardly ploys, compelling morally ambiguous outsider Le Fox to seek change for its own cathartic sake. As he makes his companions \u2018Switch Up\u2019 <\/em>it results in a huge explosion that unearths and awakens their long-lost companion\u2026 or does it?<\/p>\n

Although apparently back from the Puddle of Eternity thanks to a fluke of the Molecular Stream, \u201cBunny\u201d has complete amnesia – and utter incredulity regarding Monkey\u2019s antics – especially after he unleashes scatological atrocity weapon \u2018Stickleplops\u2019<\/em> and learns with some shock that this rabbit also has no tolerance for nonsense\u2026<\/p>\n

Spring arrives, heralding another harsh lesson after the simian starts lobbing \u2018Eggy Drops!\u2019<\/em> and Bunny again acts contrary to expectations, before Monkey\u2019s reality-bending \u2018Flying Fun\u2019<\/em> starts grinding down the forgetful rabbit\u2019s resilience and ongoing attempts to restore lost memories result in a true theatrical travesty in \u2018The Show Must Go On\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

To facilitate another DNA experiment, Skunky and Monkey raid the Human farm Pig came from and force the tender-hearted refugee to guide them on their \u2018Mouldy Mission\u2019<\/em> after which an untitled (unless you read music) and silent – but deadly – tale of Skunky\u2019s wind-borne ultimate weapon leads to \u2018A Moment of Calm\u2019<\/em> for Le Fox shattered by incessant stupid questions like \u201cwhere are my socks?\u201d and \u201chave you seen that black hole I made and lost?\u201d<\/p>\n

Events take an even stranger turn and Bunny starts being weirdly changeable when Weenie and Pig discover something strange in \u2018The Cave\u2019<\/em> just as Skunky & Monkey deal with the ghastly contents of the \u2018Bin of Doom!\u2019<\/em> prior to indulging in pranks and \u2018Birthday Wishes!\u2019<\/em> for Bunny\u2026<\/p>\n

A revolting mess goes on \u2018A Blobby Journey\u2019<\/em> and attains transcendent loveliness just before \u2018The Day the Sky Fell In! (Part one and two)\u2019<\/em> sees imminent lunar catastrophe barely averted by the advent of \u201cDanger Sausage\u201d even as Bunny experiences virtual (un)reality in \u2018Plugged In\u2019<\/em>: but still can\u2019t stop Summer starting with \u2018The Fastest Monkey in the World\u2019<\/em> when the ape idiot gets hold of a super-speed suit\u2026<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time for some tragic origin-ing courtesy of \u2018Action Beaver: The Early Years\u2019<\/em> after which Pig gets a unique pet in \u2018Old!\u2019<\/em> whilst a diversion to times past sets the scene for future frolics as a couple of pirates bury their \u2018Hidden Loot\u2019<\/em> blithely unaware how their actions will annoy a monkey centuries from then\u2026<\/p>\n

Ungracious and solitary, Le Fox dabbles with Skunky\u2019s devices to create a beast able to enforce some \u2018Shush!\u2019<\/em> just as the evil genius is busy probing the captive Red Panda and discovering exactly what \u2018A Little Bit Unlucky\u2019<\/em> feels like at ground zero. Maybe that\u2019s what causes the period of intellectual funk and lack of creativity that necessitates holding an \u2018Invent-a-thon\u2019<\/em> to restore appropriate levels of chaos and carnage to Crinkle Woods\u2026<\/p>\n

With Bunny seemingly resolved to endure Monkey\u2019s incessant antics, \u2018Nice Neighbours\u2019 <\/em>displays the ingrained idiocy of Weenie and Pig as seen in a windblown Fantastic Voyage<\/strong> tribute before \u2018Butterflew\u2019<\/em> sets teeth on edge and\u2018The Shubmarine\u2019<\/em> that swims through soil meets its inevitable fate\u2026<\/p>\n

Events take a strange turn as Autumn begins and \u2018Dig Up!\u2019 <\/em>reveals an incredible subterranean civilisation and fantastic big beasts before \u2018Muckey\u2019 <\/em>sees the simian sod achieve a lifelong dream to become \u201cthe stinkiest monkey in the universe\u201d – a situation only remedied by an ancient process hidden in Metal E.V.E\u2019s memory banks\u2026<\/p>\n

The mystery of our hero\u2019s amnesia is slowly solved when cyborg \u2018Bunny Law\u2019<\/em> targets Monkey, but with Skunky distracted by a cosmic calculation and unable to \u2018Work it Out\u2019<\/em> the brutal invasion by a really \u2018Big Bunny\u2019<\/em> proves to the creeped-out Crinkle critters that there is more than one of their friend around\u2026<\/p>\n

At last galvanised into affirmative action, Monkey resolves to build his Monkeyopia before it\u2019s too late and begins his campaign in \u2018Sqeak-ooooo\u2019<\/em> unaware that his latest superweapon has a fatal flaw. Undeterred, he\u2019s back with cybernetic \u2018Fists of Fun\u2019<\/em> able to decimate the woods at will just as \u2018Happy Birthday Bunny (Part one & two)\u2019<\/em> at last reveal what really happened to Monkey\u2019s nemesis and how a terrifying \u2018Shadow Bunny\u2019<\/em> has come to take care of his unfinished business\u2026<\/p>\n

Winter returns with Christmas on the way and \u2018Super-powered Monkey!\u2019<\/em> in charge of everything, crushing opposition with his \u201cDoom Fists\u201d under \u2018A New Regime\u2019<\/em>. Happily, \u2018A Very Hoppy Christmas!\u2019<\/em> signals a true miracle as the proper Bunny returns with all those other rabbit replacements in tow\u2026<\/p>\n

The agonised, anxiety-addled animal anarchy might have ended for now, but there\u2019s a few more secrets to share, thanks to detailed instructions on \u2018How to Draw Shadow Bunny\u2019<\/em>, \u2018\u2026Rock Bunny\u2019 <\/em>and \u2018\u2026Bunny Law\u2019 <\/em>as well as handy previews of other treats and wonders available in The Phoenix<\/strong> 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. Is that you?<\/p>\n

Text and illustrations \u00a9 Fumboo Ltd. 2024. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jamie Smart, with Sammy Borras (David Fickling Books) ISBN: 978-1-78845-306-6 (Digest HB) Bunny vs Monkey has been the bonkers hairy backbone of The Phoenix since the first issue back in 2012: recounting a madcap vendetta gripping animal archenemies set amidst an idyllic arcadia masquerading as more-or-less mundane but critically endangered English woodlands. Concocted with … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Bunny Vs Monkey volume 9: Bunny Bonanza”<\/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":[42,113,102,125,97,107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","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-7B3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29205","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=29205"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29207,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29205\/revisions\/29207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}