Comic Review: Ripleys Believe It Or Not #2 from Zenoscope

Ripley’s is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a two-part graphic novel series being published through Zenescope. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!

Ripleys Believe It Or Not #2

November 14, 2018

Writers: Oliver Kaplowitz, Howard Mackie, Ben Meares, Dale Mettam
Art: Marcelo Basile, Deivis Goetten, Fred Harper, Lucas Meyer, Moy R, More...
Colored: Marcelo Basile, Robby Bevard, Jorge Alberto Cortes, Ceci de la Cruz, Roberto Epps, More...

Cover Artist: David Siedman

Zenescope Entertainment

Genres: action/Adventure, Fantasy
Page Count 52 Pages
Age Rating 12+ Only
More fantastic tales straight from Robert Ripley himself, told by legendary talents and rising stars alike! 48 pulse-pounding pages of magic and mystery featuring Howard Mackie, The Legend of Stingy Jack, Tony Isabella, The Inexplicable Winchester Mansion, and much, much more! Even when you see it, you won't believe it!

I’ve been a fan of Ripley’s Belive it or Not for years. I’m not kidding, I used to watch episodes then go to school and start talking to my friends about all the weird but true things I’d seen. Of course, my friends were less than interested in anything that didn’t have to do with makeup or boys so I was pretty much on my own there.

Now Ripley’s is in comic form and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Zenescope is bringing some of the most captivating and unforgettable stories to life with writers Howard Mackie, Victoria Rau, Ben Meares, and more. I enjoyed the straight-to-the-good-stuff style of writing in this issue, there wasn’t a lot of droning on and on about things that weren’t relevant to the story and while the stories were kept brief, they were no less interesting. I found myself turning to Google to look up some of these stories just because I wanted more information.

As for the illustrations, they were on point for sure and each artist made sure to emphasize the important parts of each odd but true tale. I had just as much fun looking over the artwork as I did reading the story. Fans of Ripley’s Believe it or Not will enjoy this new take as will people who just like to read strange but true stories. The added benefit is that there are some great illustrations to go with the stories.

Sheep Rating: 4 ½ Sheep

Adria Reyes

Comic Review: Ripley's Believe It Or Not #1 from Zenoscope

Ripley’s is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a two-part graphic novel series being published through Zenescope. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!

Ripley's Believe It Or Not #1

Writer: Howard Mackie, Fox Kavanagh, Dale Mettam, Victoria Rau, Ben Meares
Artist: Hakan Aydin, Daniel Maine, Marcelo Basile
October 3, 2018
Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
A 48-page anthology of some of the most phantasmagorical oddities in the Robert Ripley collection, written, illustrated by an equally mind-blowing mix of comic book legends, rising stars. You'll have to see it to believe it!
"A Tale As Old As..." (THE REAL STORY OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAST), written by Howard Mackie and illustrated by Hakan Aydin
"I've Been Working On The Railroad" (PHINEAS GAGE, THE MAN WHO SURVIVED A RAILROAD SPIKE THROUGH HIS HEAD), written by Fox Kavanagh and illustrated by Daniel Maine
"The Ride Of His Life" (THE DEAD MAN WHO WON A HORSE RACE), written by Dale Mettam 
"Mother Nature Blew Her Stac more

The real inspiration for Beauty and the Beast, the cat that predicts death, the miraculous survival and personality change of Phineas Gage, and more are featured in part one of Ripley’s Believe It or Not and I had so much fun with each story! I actually remembered Phineas Gage’s story from a documentary many years ago and it was pretty neat to see an illustrated retelling of his story and they’re pretty accurate too if they photo of the real Phineas is anything to go by. 

Deivis Goetten, Daniel Maine, Pat Broderick, and more talented artists create lively illustrations that enhance your experience and fit in perfectly with each writers’ quick, to the point retelling of some of the weirdest, eeriest, and downright fascinating stories ever told. While each story is short, they’re just enough to satisfy a craving for something that seems out of this world. I enjoyed each one like the dork I am. So if you were a fan of the show, then definitely pick up this illustrated version ASAP.

Sheep Rating: 4

Adria Reyes