This crossover between Porky Pig and Lex Luthor tries a hand at satire.
If someone were to tell me that there was going to be DC crossovers with Looney Tunes a few years ago, I would look at them funny. Despite that skepticism, the first round of DC/Looney Tunes crossovers had some good stories. Apparently, the comics did well enough that we now have a second wave of them. This first crossover puts together two characters I would never have expected to see anywhere near each other. Lex Luthor is one of the most brilliant minds and businessmen on DC’s Earth. Porky Pig is the stuttering straight man to the cast of the Looney Tunes. How will these characters crossover into each other?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
In an alternate universe, Porky Pig is a CEO and founder of a successful cryptocurrency company called Porkybux. Unfortunately, he loses it all quickly after a hacking scandal causes his company to plummet. While Porky tries to pull his life back together, Lex conspires with Professor Ivo and Dr. Sivana. The latter duo has been trying to make profits through shady business deals, but keep getting questioned by Congress. As they talk to Luthor over dinner, Lex sees Porky as a potential new employee, hiring him on the spot.
I don’t know what this story is trying to get across. I wasn’t expecting some sort of action-packed adventure between the two, but this story just happens. The story appears to be a satire of big corporations taking advantage of people.
The thing about this is the satire can get a bit boring. There were funny moments, especially with a surprise character tormenting Lex, but it there’s nothing really intriguing to keep readers hooked. Lex and Porky barely even interact with one another! While Lex goes about pushing his new social media platform, Porky deals with who is stealing sandwiches from the company fridge. In the other Looney Tunes crossovers, both titular characters work either clash or work together, side by side. This comic does neither. Even the backup comic by Jim Fanning feels more appropriate for the characters. Instead, we have this weird satire that has familiar characters as the leads.
Art:
When it comes to the art, Brad Walker does a pretty good job as the illustrator. Lex looks great, especially with his expressions. The details that Walker puts into Lex’s expressions and movements are fantastic, making him feel alive. The colorwork of Andrew Dalhouse pushes it further by having the world of LexCorp bright and colorful. There is, unfortunately, one unsettling part of the whole comic that I couldn’t get behind: Porky Pig. The famous cartoon pig looks more like a deformed human than a pig, especially with his facial expressions. They are something you would see more in a horror comic than a cartoon comic. There are a few times where Porky does look adorable, especially when given praise for his job, but overall, he looks scary.
Conclusion:
I really wanted to get into this comic. Lex Luthor is a great villain. Porky is a fantastic Looney Tune. There was just so many missed opportunities here that I am just left disappointed. If you like satire, it might be worth a read, but to the average comic reader, skip this one.
