Eye Lie Popeye #1
Review
Writer: Marcus Williams
Artist: Marcus Williams
Publisher: Massive Publishing
Release Date: July 14, 2024
Page Count: 40
Format: Single-issue
This is a Popeye story that is unlike anything you’ve seen before. With vibrant colors, anime-inspired art style, and over-the-top storytelling, this series delivers a story more like One Piece than the classic animated series.
Eye Lie Popeye #1
ReviewWriter: Marcus Williams
Artist: Marcus Williams
Publisher: Massive Publishing
Release Date: July 14, 2024
Page Count: 40
Format: Single-issue
This is a Popeye story that is unlike anything you’ve seen before. With vibrant colors, anime-inspired art style, and over-the-top storytelling, this series delivers a story more like One Piece than the classic animated series.
Writing a Popeye comic book review was not on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are. All it took to change that was seeing the amazing cover of Marcus Willliam’s Eye Lie Popeye #1. With its bright coloring and manga-inspired art style, the cover shows the iconic sailor man in a way I’ve never seen before. But what’s even better is that the comic itself is so much more than I could have imagined. It’s rich with character, charm, and boundless creativity, Eye Lie Popeye has quickly become one of my surprise favorite comics of the year.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how crazy this comic gets, keep on reading for my full review of Eye Lie Popeye #1!
Overview of Eye Lie Popeye #1
Reporter Judy P’tooty comes knocking on Popeye and Olive’s door hoping to find the truth behind how the popular sailor man lost his eye. Everyone from Bluto to Wimpy has their version of the story, but none of them line up. That’s when Judy reveals herself as an undercover witch working for a mysterious villain searching for the Bejeweled Eye of Haggery. It doesn’t take long for them all to start throwing down.
Image: Massive Publishing
Review
I never would have expected to write a review about a Popeye comic book, let alone one that wears manga inspirations on its sleeve. With the outlandish fight scenes and vibrant colors, Eye Lie Popeye reminds me of something like One Piece more than the classic animated series. When you realize Popeye eating spinach is essentially Luffy going into his Gear transformations, it all makes so much sense. With that idea in my head, I already had a feeling this comic would be a lot of fun, and I was not disappointed. This first issue alone is packed with plenty of hyped moments like Popeye creating air vortexes through the force of his punches when he’s powered up. It’s genuinely crazy how wild this comic gets with the action, making it reason enough to check the series out.
Yet, as over-the-top as I’m making the comic sound, it still very much holds on to the charm that has made Popeye such a beloved character. Creator Marcus Williams does a fantastic job fitting the iconic characters into the story’s unique and bombastic premise. Even with Popeye and Bluto slugging it out against a cast of strange and powerful enemies, they never feel out of place within the context of the comic. Eye Lie Popeye succeeds massively in being a comic that’s just pure fun and excitement with a little bit of nostalgia mixed in there as well. So while this comic is aesthetically very far from what the original animated series used to be, I’d love to see this series take off and create a whole new generation of Popeye fans.
Image: Massive PublishingThe story, however, does take some time to get going. The early part is especially loaded with text because it’s all about the gang telling their own stories of how Popeye supposedly lost his eye. But because the art is so vibrant and wonderfully illustrated, it’s still easy to get sucked in by the visuals alone. The midway point of the comic is when things begin to kick into another gear and it’s full steam ahead until the end of the issue. As much as I came into this comic expecting it to be “Popeye but in a manga style,” I never imagined a Dragonball Z-like fight scene to cap off the first issue. This is just good stuff all around, and I’m endlessly excited for more.
Image: Massive Publishing
Final Thoughts
In many ways, Eye Lie Popeye #1 embodies what I love about comics. It’s bold, creative, and just a ton of fun. I adore how it wonderfully takes a crack at doing something very different with a character as beloved and historic as Popeye. This first issue already packs such a huge punch that I’m sure it will catch the attention of many readers out there. After all, who could have imagined Popeye as the perfect shōnen manga protagonist? I surely didn’t, but I’m all here for it now and so should you.
Why You Should Read Eye Lie Popeye
- The story delivers plenty of hyped moments that could make One Piece and Dragonball fans cry tears of joy.
- The vibrant coloring and manga-inspired art make every panel so eye-catching.
- It’s refreshing to read a comic that’s unafraid of trying new things with such an iconic character.