‘Mazing Man # 1
Writer/Co-Creator: Bob Rozakis
Penciller/Co-Creator: Stephen DeStefano
Inker:
Karl Kesel
Letterer: Bob Lappan
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Cover Date: January 1986
For this week’s installment, I’ll be taking a look at ‘Mazing Man # 1 and to be honest, I never gave this series a try when I got older but as time went on, I came to appreciate how silly and heart filled the series carries with it, I mean, after all, It is the Sitcom in a Comic Book….plus it’s extremely fun! We get to meet one Mr. Sigfried Horatio Hunch III, who’s a kind and gentle man who dresses up in homemade costume and think’s he’s a superhero AND he’s got quite the fortune after enter one of those Publishing Clearing House Sweepstakes but what I love the most is that ‘Maze keeps his fortune a secret (So timeless)
The first story shows ‘Maze walking through his Queens, NYC neighborhood with his best friend Denton Fixx (A comic book writer who surprisingly looks like a beagle) where he stops a few various crimes such as stopping a toddler from eating a cigarette butt to trying to intervene when a cabbie and a cyclist get into an argument, to even stopping a thief from stealing a watch; I like how we get to see how some of the mothers in ‘Maze’s neighborhood view his as a “harmless nut” but some of them remember all of the good deeds he’s done and I like how Denton himself is torn between wondering his friend is a hero or just plain crazy. But when ‘Maze saves a child from being hit by a speeding truck is when everyone realizes what a hero he is and the ending was just perfect to pull at your heartstrings.
The second feature, entitled “Y’Know, After a Long, Hard Day…” introduces the readers to the supporting cast members of the book and they all became fan favorites after this issue, from Denton’s quirky step-sister Katherine Patricia (“K.P.” for short) who shares an apartment with Denton and ‘Maze to Eddie and Brenda Valentine, high school sweethearts who married young and are still going strong; And I should not forget Guido Garibaldi, the beer-drinking, womanizing, musclebound alpha male who’s basically a first-class bonehead and right off the bat, Guido provides much as the book’s resident comic relief due to him leaning towards his macho personality and I like how this story centers on Eddie and Brenda not having any dinner ready spirits into the two of them having a very comical lover’s spat since they invited both Denton and ‘Maze over, plus the chemistry that Rozakis and DeStefano bestow on Eddie and Brenda is so genuine, one would think that the two of them were the 1980s equivalent of Rob & Laura Petrie. Rozakis’ writing really brings out the best in these characters, making them very relatable while at the same time, he never lets up on showing the readers the comical elements that would bring in a few belly laughs, let alone the more heartwarming moments which works very well with the comedy aspect. And DeStefano’s artwork looks amazing and is always realistic to the point that would make anyone forget that this is a comic book.
So this was an excellent issue to kick off the series and it does a fantastic job of introducing us to ‘Maze and Denton’s friends as well as their world; Plus, this book in general really shines as it’s there just to brighten our day and give the readers an alternative to the usual Silver Age superhero stories of its time (“Crisis On Infinite Earths” was still a year away) and also made us fall in love with a character who may not be as popular as Superman, Batman or Ambush Bug (HA!); But the one thing that fans of this series love about ‘Maze is that he is indeed a hero with a big heart and he helps out because it’s his job…..and everyone is a lot happier because of that.
Well, that’s it for me. I’ll be back next week with another review so thanks for sticking around and I’ll see you all next week.
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