Written and drawn by Brian J. Crowley
Colored by Rachelle Rosenberg and Randy Field

PREVIOUSLY: HAMSTER RAGE #1

In this LOOOONG OVERDUE review I return to  Brian J. Crowley’s world’s weirdest webcomic, Hamster Rage. This is another collected edition, picking right up from where the first issue left off, as Toy Boy and other members of Tom Stillwell’s Honor Brigade have just helped MEGABABE subdue Roosevelt. After thanking them for their assistance, Megababe and the other members of her own superhero team, THE ALLIED FORCE, scoop up our 8-foot furry protagonist into a cage and take him into their flying ship (no superhero team is worth a darn without a flying ship), to take him back to their headquarters to analyze him and find out where he came from. But when her team-mate Mood Ring finds out that Roosevelt is in fact Megababe’s childhood pet hamster, she initially refuses to believe it.

After finally accepting the truth, and the fact that Roosevelt’s strength and intelligence are increasing at a super-rate, to the point where he could become a significant threat if he’s not trained otherwise, Megababe takes it upon herself to help the big guy acclimate to society. She takes him out shopping where he settles on his trademark suit and tie look, and then the go for a walk in the city. But when Megababe is called off to a sudden emergency, Roosevelt is once again left to his own devices.

And that’s when a giant talking Communist lobster shows up. . .TO BE CONTINUED

At 24 pages, this story packs a punch, with tons of action spliced with dramatic character moments. Admittedly, this isn’t most complex creation, but Brian J. Crowley manages to make this story feel as if it’s a part of a much larger superhero universe (one in which giant Hamsters aren’t a complete shock to society), which leaves you wanting to learn more. In a sense, we (the audience) are seeing this world through Roosevelt’s eyes, as we learn more at the same time he does. Crowley’s art is kind of simplistic, but it fits the character, and the vibrant colors by Rachelle Rosenberg and Randy Field certainly help make the art leap off the page (or computer screen, as it were).

Also included is a black and white pinup of Roosevelt by Tony Atkins, which is very good (I wouldn’t mind seeing him take a crack at interior art for this title), and the cover is by Tim Seeley and Jules Vulpes-Rex. And all for just $2.99

A little bird told me that a 3rd issue is eminent. So if for some unfathomable reason you didn’t heed my words last time, now’s the time for you to pick this up and get familiar with Hamster Rage! So what are you waiting for?!?

HAMSTER RAGE #2