As Multiversity Comics comes to a close, we’ve been given the chance to review any comic. So, for my final review here, what better choice than a look at Multiversity’s favorite land shark, Jeff?
Written by Kelly Thompson
Illustrated by Gurihiru
Colored by Gurihiru
Lettered by no one – there’s no dialogueJEFF THE LANDSHARK STARS IN HIS OWN FIN-TASTIC COMIC!
Since his very first appearance, Jeff the Land Shark has flooded our hearts like an adorable tidal wave! Now the ingenious, the extraordinary, the unbearably innocent Jeff embarks on his own adventures across the Marvel Universe! You thought it was safe doing laundry or going for a leisurely swim in the pool…but no activity can protect against Jeff’s cuteness! Collecting the hit Infinity Comics series from the Marvel Unlimited app, this one-shot features a brand-new cover and tail…we mean tale!
When Kelly Thompson first introduced Jeff the Land Shark in the pages of “West Coast Avengers,” could anyone have predicted he’d become such a fan favorite?
Yes, it was clear from the get-go that Jeff was the next big thing in comics, an absolute superstar that would dominate the industry, or at least our hearts. Here at Multiversity, it quickly became a running gag in the pages of Saturday Morning Panels just how much we all love that little land shark, so of course we were all looking forward to more Jeff.
Jeff has had a few homes in comics, starting as Gwenpool’s pet and a member of the West Coast Avengers, before she asked Deadpool to look after him to ensure he’d have a home in a comic unlikely to ever end. But when he made the jump to Marvel Unlimited, Jeff became the headliner of his own comic, which eventually got a paperback release in “It’s Jeff.”
But I’ve spent too long talking about the history of Jeff and his place in our collective hearts. How’s the comic?
“It’s Jeff!” is a collection of the Infinity Comics, giving us little snippets of a day in Jeff’s life as he does cute animal things, sometimes to the adoration of those around him, but just as often to their frustration. It’s the exact kind of hijinks one would want, whether he’s sledding on Captain America’s shield or making a mess in the bath.
This gives us fun little stories like:
– Jeff bakes cookies
– Jeff scares people at the pool/beach
– Jeff gets stuck in the washing machine
– Jeff defeats the summer heat
– Jeff defeats the Marvel Universe
– Jeff goes to the vet
– And of course, Jeff celebrates Thanksgiving
All of these stories are told completely without dialogue, given the occasional exclamation of “Jeff!” or “Jeffrey!” so it relies on the visuals for storytelling. Fortunately, Gurihiru is the perfect team of artists for this project, as their style is a lighthearted blend of manga and comic book art, using cartoonish designs to keep things comedic and easy on the eyes.
One area where Gurihiru’s artwork excels is the expressiveness of the characters, as the anime-esque style lends itself well to reaction shots and expressive moments. This is particularly important for Jeff, who (as a land shark) has a big tooth-filled maw that needs to be able to make a wide smile. The expressiveness is also essential for the other characters, as their body language and facial expressions sell the story and their feelings where words cannot.
And of course, just because there’s no dialogue doesn’t mean the writer gets to slack off. Kelly Thompson, as the creator of Jeff, manages to craft amusing tales of Jeff’s exploits through the story flow and on-panel actions, without needing narration or dialogue. Between her story and Gurihiru’s artwork, we get the tale of a happy little land shark who can get into trouble, but mostly just wants to have fun, be loved, and eat all the food he can find.
Interestingly, Jeff seems to switch between owners a bit (if anyone can truly “own” Jeff); early on we see him with Gwenpool, but shortly after that it treats Kate Bishop/Hawkeye as his owner. While a simple explanation for this would be that Kate’s personality makes her a better foil for the shenanigans Jeff gets into, I choose to believe that Gwen lets Jeff stay with any West Coast Avenger he feels like, and right now it’s Kate’s turn.
Continued belowWhen an Infinity Comic gets printed in paperback, the change in format can make a big difference in the story flow. Infinity Comics are made for reading in a single scroll, while physical comics are restrained by the page. “It’s Jeff” works with this by adjusting the sizes of the panels to fit in and across the page, using vertical and horizontal placements to carry us through the story without breaking any images in the middle.
Usually this results in basic square and rectangular panel placement, but we often get long vertical panels split by smaller images, such as when Jeff descends into the ocean’s depths to fight MODOK, which adds a bit of a visual distinction to the flow.
What “It’s Jeff” comes down to is one thing: Jeff the Land Shark is adorable and gets into amusing hijinks. It’s not a deep story or character exploration, but it’s cute and fun, which is exactly what we want from this comic. Between Kelly Thompson’s narrative pacing and Gurihiru’s delightful artwork, “It’s Jeff” is a fun little comic for all ages, and that’s a fine thing for a comic to be.
Final Verdict: 10.0 – Why? Because it’s Jeff, and if this is the last review I’m going to write for Multiversity, I want to leave on a high note and remind the world that we love Jeff the Land Shark.
And there we go. That’s it. My last review before the end of Multiversity. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my reviews as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them, and that I’ll see you all again on some other day and some other comic site.
Until next time, my friends.
