The Pull List – Planet of the Nerds #3
The sci-fi adventures of jocks out of time returns in Planet of the Nerds #3. The teenagers realize they are in the future and not on an elaborate prank TV show. They have to find the one person who can fix all in War for Beneath the Planet of the Nerds. Before Chad Gannon was frozen, he was a high school bully with a grudge. Chad’s past is examined in Chad Gannon: Seven Punches. Hart Seely adds a modern flair to a classic baseball poem in Casey on the Juice, with an illustration by Joe Orsak. A student tries to avoid a failing grade by spending time in the library but accidentally unleashes evil in Extra Credit, by Tyrone Finch and illustrated by Nino Cammarata.
War for Beneath the Planet of the Nerds is written by Paul Constant, illustrations by Alan Robinson and colors by Felipe Sobreiro. This chapter finds Chad, Drew, and Steve, puzzled with all the changes. The prices of junk food have doubled, police are dressed up as the military and everyone carries a tiny tv in their pocket. But just when nothing makes sense, they hear the name of the nerd that trapped them in the past. Alvin Pingree, the awkward science geek that experimented with cryofreezing has grown up. Alvin founded the company Cryogenetics and is leading the way into persevering humanity. The jocks make their way to find Alvin and fix their problem.
Paul Constant throws his retro characters a fast lesson in modern society. The radical days of the 80s have been replaced with something very different. The jocks have great juvenile schemes that don’t go according to plan. However, they will have an odd sense of perseverance that pushes them into the next crazy plan. Constant addresses some of the realities of time travel. While the jocks were frozen, their families and loved ones moved on with the rest of their lives. Some people achieved new heights, while others stank lower.
Alan Robinson’s artwork shines with comical and dramatic tones. There is a lot of energy in the scenes. The jocks celebrate small victories and take defeats with lots of passion. Felipe Sobreiro colorwork keeps the story very cheery with fun bright colors it comes to big reveals. But also gives intense moments some surprising radiant colors that aren’t just simple gloomy grey scales.
Chad Gannon: Seven Punches s written by Paul Constant, illustrations by Randy Elliott and colors by Felipe Sobreiro. This side story tells the crumbling bond between a young Chad Gannon and his abusive father. In a series of bitter moments, Chad’s father bullies his own son in private. Violence begets violence, and Chad’s shift into becoming a bully himself revealed.
Paul Constant reveals the root pain of Chad’s inspiration to be a bully in this tragic tale. There are several key moments that affect Chad’s life in ways that will have consequences to the main story. This story quickly explains much of Chad’s character with a lot of raw emotions. Randy Elliott and Felipe Sobreiro present the story with solid designs and colors. The artwork mimics the look of a newsprint comics. Sobreiro’s colors are tone down this time but the amazing use of black and white silhouettes is enough to drive the story to its goal.