REVIEW: The Flintstones #1

Writer:  Mark Russell
Artist:  Steve Pugh
Colorist:  Chris Chuckry
Letterer:  Dave Sharpe
Review:  Art Bee

About a month ago, The Flintstones #1 showed up on the Comixology previews and my endorphins started flowing. As a child (yes, I know I am considered an old man by saying this), Hanna Barbara’s animated The Flintstones cartoon was one of my very favorites. With the release of this series, my hope was a rekindling of a former love; instead my love has been burned and doused with urine.

When recreating something that has already been done, my thinking would involve experiencing it first hand and capturing the essence of it. Russell and Pugh are showing that they have not even watched the show but are trying to reinvent it. Many key elements are gone:  Fred’s character traits, Wilma as an ethical  anchor, and a moral plot point.


In this issue,  in spite of the cover, Fred is just not the Hanna Barbara’s Fred Flintstone. The original Fred was overweight and made bad choices for selfish or thoughtless reasons. This was the basis for the plot in every episode I can remember. In this comic book, Fred has taken on a mediocre role in his own life as a go-with-the-flow kind of person. For instance he is given a task by his boss, Mr. Slate, to take three Neanderthals out for a night on the town, and Wilma reminds Fred of his veterans meeting. In the old cartoons, Fred would have skipped the veterans meeting entirely by some kind of antics to keep from losing his job. In this comic book, Fred takes the guests to the meeting first. How boring? Also Fred’s physique in this comic book would put He-Man to shame. This guy is stacked!

Wilma was always Fred’s morality check in the cartoons. Most every episode ended with Fred’s heartfelt apology to his wife. In this comic Wilma seems a little more like a ditsy self-absorbed teeny-bobber. She lacks the depth her character is supposed to bring. Also Fred and Wilma’s marriage seems superficial and fake.

The most addicting feature Hanna Barbara always included into The Flintstones was personal growth. Every episode someone, mostly Fred, transformed for the better throughout it. This was important to others and me. Removing the moral backdrop has left this story devoid of essence. This comic felt more like a collage of plot ideas than a story, which is why the first eight pages seem so obscure.

DC, please send back my $3.99 for this issue. I will gladly return it. This does not deserve to have the name Hanna Barbara on the cover and was a mockery of what The Flintstones should be.
Quit trying to reinvent everything all over, DC and Marvel!