- Super Dinosaur
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Super Dinosaur 
Cover of Super Dinosaur 1. Art by Jason Howard.Publication information Publisher Skybound (Image Comics) First appearance Super Dinoaur #1 (June 2011) Created by Robert Kirkman
Jason HowardIn-story information Species Tyrannosaurus Place of origin Inner Earth Super Dinosaur is an American comic book series published by Image Comics' Skybound imprint beginning in 2011. The comic was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Jason Howard, who had previously worked together on Image's The Astounding Wolf-Man.
Contents
Publication history
The idea for Super Dinosaur originated approximately two years prior to the series debut. Jason Howard drew a picture of a Tyrannosaurus with a cape for his then-five-year-old son. Howard shared the sketch with Robert Kirkman, who suggested the dinosaur's natural small arms could control larger robotic ones. "It was that goofy visual that was the beginning of the concept," Kirkman told USA Today.[1] Both Kirkman and Howard wanted to create a comic that they could read with their children and enjoy together.[2] Kirkman described Super Dinosaur as "a Pixar movie on paper ... I want it to be a true all-ages book in that it's appropriate for kids young enough but still able to read, and it's still something that my fan base will probably enjoy."[3]
Plot synopsis
Scientists Doctor Dynamo and Max Maximus together discovered a hole in the Earth that led to Inner Earth, a place where dinosaurs live. In addition to dinosaurs, Inner Earth is home to DynOre, a valuable deposit of solar power contained in a rock.[4] While conducting experiments there, Maximus genetically altered a Tyrannosaurus, with which he tried to take over the world. Doctor Dynamo and his son, Derek, stopped him and formed a team with the Super Dinosaur to protect Inner Earth from Maximus.[3] As Kirkman explains:
“ "In the falling out between Max Maximus and the Dynamos, Doctor Dynamo was injured to the point where he can't really think as much as he could before. His brain isn't really working right but he doesn't know it, so Derek has to go behind him and finish his equations for him, correcting his work and doing whatever he can to make sure that his father doesn't realize that he has this ailment now. It's also so the government overseers don't see that their operation is being run by a 10-year-old kid, so it's to make his dad look good and make sure that he can keep working."[3] ” Characters
- Derek Dynamo: 10-year-old son of Doctor Dynamo; genius inventor
- Super Dinosaur: genetically altered Tyrannosaurus; Derek's best friend
- Doctor Dynamo: Derek's father and scientist; co-discoverer of Inner Earth with former partner Max Maximus
- Max Maximus: evil scientist; former colleague of Doctor Dynamo
- Wheels: a robot created by Derek (with a head similar to Allen the Alien)
Reception
Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources described the first issue of the series as "compelling and fun, and oh, so very comic booky. This is the type of all ages comic that truly plays well to all ages without pandering, demeaning, or flat-out lying. There’s enough conflict and suspense for more experienced comic readers and lots of wonderful images, scenes, characters, and gadgets for newer readers."[5] Bleeding Cool's Rich Johnston said, "at its heart, this is a drama about two entwined families dealing with all manner of antagonists. And it's so much deeper and richer for it."[6] Newsarama's Shanna VanVolt criticized the Derek Dynamo character, calling him "unlikeable" and adding, "if 'kids these days' are even half as full of themselves as young Dynamo, I am sincerely worried about our future."[7]
References
- ^ Truitt, Brian (2011-02-03). "'Super Dinosaur' Ready for a Dino-Mite Debut". USA Today. Gannett Company. http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/2011-02-03-SuperDinosaur_N.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ Ayres, Tom (2011-04-10). "Rob Kirkman reveals Super Dinosaur concept". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.com/comics/news/a313771/rob-kirkman-reveals-super-dinosaur-concept.html. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ a b c Wigler, Josh (2010-12-07). "Kirkman & Howard Have A Super Dinosaur". Comic Book Resources. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=29752. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ Arrant, Chris (2011-04-08). "Kirkman Scraps Zombies for All-Ages Fun in Super Dinosaur". Newsarama. http://www.newsarama.com/comics/robert-kirkman-super-dinosaur-110407.html. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ Zawisza, Doug (2011-04-20). "Review: Super Dinosaur #1". Comic Book Resources. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=3415. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (2011-04-20). "Wednesday Comics Review: Uncanny X-Force 8 And Super Dinosaur 1". Bleeding Cool. http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/04/20/wednesday-comics-review-uncanny-x-force-8-and-super-dinosaur-1/. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ VanVolt, Shanna (2011-04-19). "Best Shots Advance Reviews: Super Dinosaur, Sixth Gun, More". Newsarama. http://www.newsarama.com/comics/best-shots-advance-reviews-110419.html. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
External links
Categories:- Image Comics superheroes
- 2011 comic debuts
- Characters created by Robert Kirkman
- Comics by Robert Kirkman
- Comics characters introduced in 2011
- Dinosaurs in comic books
- Image Comics titles
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