Written and Illustrated by Andrew Cohen
Self-Published
Andrew Cohen's iconic, fourth wall-breaking character is back in action, this time in a full-length feature that takes up all but two pages of the mini as two bullies turn his own words against him, forcing him into a battle of wits and words.
As I've written before, I'm a huge fan of Andrew Cohen's work with Dr. W, from the first time I ran into it as part of Magic Bullet 1, if I am remembering correctly. It's a lot of fun to see Cohen play with panels and have the figures inside the comic literally interacting with the entire world around them, including the artificial barriers constructed by the creator, Cohen himself.
After a one-age comic where Dr. W berates himself for not doing anything new or adventurous, we get just that in the second, main story. Even the comic itself makes commentary!
The full-length adventure begins ordinarily enough, with Dr. W trying to create something of his own,, when he's interrupted by two tough-looking men. They harass him, and in typical fashion for this series, Dr. W gets thrown out of the panel and watches (at the same time as the reader) as they mock his efforts. It's at this point that things get really strange, as the words themselves rise up an begin to menace those who took them for granted. Soon they're out of control, flowing across the entire page and gobbling up everything around them. Only Dr. W can save the day, but it's a rough road even for him, as he tries to wrestle his unruly creation back into shape.
The artwork here is just stunning. The creature flows and engulfs everything, forming and unforming as it goes along, taking over a panel box and eventually constructing a monster-like humanoid whose skin is covered in words. And yes, they are actual words, changing in each panel. Cohen spares no detail here, which is part of what makes it so amazing. Many others would have just entered gibberish or scribbles, but not Andew; this is a word monster and it is drawn accordingly.
While fighting, Dr. W's signature puns and double meanings are in full force, such as when he mentions having to get behind his words or saying he won't be swallowed up in words. The art is the main draw here, of course, but I've always appreciated that the jokes are verbal as well as physical, and that's highlighted here as well.
Perhaps my favorite part of this is that, in the end, Dr. W's words come back to haunt him. So true, right?
A versatile and talented creator, Andrew's work is always a highlight whenever I get something new. And while I'll always enjoy his historical work (either solo or in collaboration with Matt Dembicki), I can't wait for the next Dr. W comic. After you read this one, I think you'll agree. These just keep getting better and better, keeping me at the edge of my own panel waiting for the 4th installment, whenever it show.
You can buy Dr. W C and Andrew's other words here.