★★★★★ 5
"No time to unwrap, just light the whole pack!"---Selma
Format: Paperback
Another excellent, 174 pages of "The Simpsons." Some of these comics are better than their later episodes. This book includes appearances by some less frequent characters like Doctor Nick, Homer's former psychotic boss Hank Scorpio, Luann Van Houten's boyfriend Pyro, Dr. Colossus, and even Waylon Smithers's favorite 8 1/2-incher...Malibu Stacy!
"Judge Marge"--Marge becomes a T.V. judge and her frequent absence causes her household to fall apart. I like the part where Lisa goes on a power trip after she starts wearing a monocle.
"Stacy's Busy Day!"--A comic short for Malibu Stacy! I love it! Let's have more of these! Malibu Stacy shows off some of her many careers and identities (my favorites are "KISS Army Stacy" and "Cosmetic Surgery Stacy"). There are also fan letters, one from a fan who Stacy thinks is a "sharp-eyed little girl" with "an unusual and charming name," Waylon Smithers.
"Viva Bart"--In a Duff Beer contest, Homer wins two weeks in Bosqueverde--a tropical paradise that has been in a state of perpetual civil war for the past thirty years.
"Beauty School Hellcats"--After Selma makes an effort to make DMV customers actually look good in their driver's license photos, she and Patty are given a vacation to beauty school to get rid of her creative impulses.
"Cruisin' for a Bruisin'"--After ruining his and Marge's cruise by giving booze to a recovering alcoholic dolphin, Homer takes Mr. Burns's discarded yacht to start his own cruise line, with some familiar Springfield couples as guests. Hank Scorpio appears at the end in a strip unrelated to this story (he's not one of my favorite characters).
"Crime Family Practice"--Short comic featuring Dr. Nick who is kidnapped to give medical treatment to the mob.
"Growing Pains"--Bart gets involved in a seed-selling scam, so The Simpsons put on a Seed Fair which includes a fashion report by Joan Rivers and her daughter. However, Mr. Burns, who's allergic to growing things (makes sense), may have the last say.
"The Abominable Dr. Colossus"--Dr. Colossus fans will like this book because he also appears in "Judge Marge." In this short, despite attempts at being evil and menacing, Dr. Colossus is seen as a lovable buffoon in Springfield.
"Merchants of Vengeance"--A wave of shoplifting plagues Springfield and shopkeepers Ned Flanders, Apu, and the comic Book Guy ban together to fight it. Comic Book Guy loves the crime-fighting group so much, he can't let it go even when the shoplifting stops. Comic Book Guy actually shows some emotion tearing up in one box.
"In Burns We Trust"--Mr. Burns takes over Rev. Lovejoy's church in his endless quest for more power. Meanwhile, Ned Flanders looks for a new church.
"How Marge Got Her Curtains Back"--In this short, Marge's curtains go down the garbage disposal and she's having a hard time finding that classic corncob pattern.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2007
