Salt Water Taffy 2: A Climb Up Mt. Barnabas

I picked up the first volume of this series at New York Comic Con in 2011, and reviewed it here. I proceeded to bring it as one of my recommendations when I was on a panel about all ages comics at Arisia the following January. The first volume was a fun story, which was very rooted in its coastal Maine setting. So I was rather amused to find the second volume on sale at Monument Books in the Aeon Mall in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. That's about as far from Maine as one can get!

Title: Salt Water Taffy
Issue: Volume 2: A Climb Up Mt. Barnabas
Date: 2008
Publisher: Oni Press
Writer: Matthew Loux
Artist: Matthew Loux
Design: Matthew Loux, Keith Wood
Letterer: Douglas E. Sherwood
Editor: Randal C. Jarrell

A leisurely family hike leads to a tale of an encounter with Barnabas, the monstrous hat-stealing giant eagle, who resides on the mountain bearing his name. And that mountain is a considerably less leisurely place for hiking.

Still, when their Dad's favorite hat falls victim to Barnabas, Jack and Bennie Putnam dare to make the ascent, encountering various unusual creatures en route to a confrontation with Barnabas himself.

This was a more linear story than the first volume, but there were sill plenty of surprises and twists. The setting blends fantasy and comedy nicely, and the Putnam Boys are fun characters with a comfortable interaction and distinctive personalities.

Matthew Loux's artwork is beautiful, and the pacing of his panels gives the reader a chance to appreciate the scenery, even when hiking up the most dangerous peak in Chowder Bay.

Rating: 7.5/10

Salt Water Taffy 1: The Legend of Old Salty

Here's my first review from New York Comic Con. This was purchased on a whim and it turned out to be a pretty good choice.

Title: Salt Water Taffy
Issue: Volume 1: The Legend of Old Salty
Date: 2007
Publisher: Oni Press
Writer: Matthew Loux
Artist Matthew Loux
Design: Matthew Loux, Steven Birch
Letterer: Douglas E. Sherwood
Editor: Randal C. Jarrell

First in a series of trade-paperback format graphic novels about the adventures of Jack and Benny Putnam (ages 11 and 8) in the not-quite-normal town of Chowder Bay, Maine.

The opening scene has the kids riding in the back seat of their parents' car en route to a summer vacation on the Maine coast. The inevitable "Are we there yet?" gets thrown in, as the brothers fight in the back seat and older brother Jack prefers to keep focused on his Gameboy rather then the scenery.

But once they arrive in town, a live lobster lurking in the salt-water taffy bin is the first sign that Chowder Bay is not quite a normal town. The adventure that follows involves a monstrous lobster queen, and grizzled old fisherman, and a state inspector who turns out to be, well, something really weird.

This was a good story that mixes quirky fantasy with some very realistic moments of the kids on summer vacation. The scene of them first exploring the summer home and jumping on the beds was just spot-on. The dialogue is amusing throughout, and the setting is loaded with potential for more stories.

This reminded me a lot of early issues of Bone, where the comedic bits existed against a background where an epic story was brewing. I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes.

Rating: 8/10