COMICS REVIEW: SIMPSONS COMICS #193

In a tale neither fit for man nor animal, Homer Simpson becomes televison’s newest reality star as his bottomless appetite and cast iron stomach are put to the test and pushed to the limits week after week on ‘Man Vs. Best Vs. Food.’ Eventually, something’s gotta give, and we’re talking more than a couple belt notches.

Spoilers Below

MAN VS BEAST VS FOOD

 

Ahh yes…reality shows. So, Homer becomes inFATuated with reality shows, most notably the ones where the host eats like a pig and is able to live, talk, and make a pretty hefty salary in doing it. Homer things it’d be great if he were able to get his own show so the kids help by taking him to a taping for Krusty the Clown show that has a host trying to boost ratings at a cost efficient pace. It seems Krusty wants to get in the reality show biz and on today’s show he proves just that by putting together an eating competition between Mr. Teeny and a lucky audience member…Bart!

Before Bart can make a go at it, Lisa yanks him in favor of Homer who gets into a banana eating contest with the lil’ guy and pretty much destroys him. Sensing an opportunity here, Krust selects Homer as his new host for Man VS Beast VS Food a new show where Homer competes with a gruesome animal in an eating contest. You name it and Homer beats it, monkeys with bananas, hogs with corn, gators in shrimp, hell even wolverines can’t compete with Springfield’s finest! Krusty wants to soon up the ante for the Season finale live right on his show with a special guest!

That special guest??? Stampy the Elephant!! Yep, Stampy the Elephant Vs Homer Simpson in an eating contest. However, a concerned Marge is worried that this whole reality show has driven Homer crazy and is probably bad for his health, so she decides to set her own condition on the finale with Krusty. If Homer’s going to do an eating contest its going to be at a Krusty Burger restaurant and the contest will involve Stampy vs Homer in a Veggie Burger eating contest. Turns out neither contestant can even stomach them and even worse they both go nuts in destroying the set and pretty much running through the show’s budget which now calls this show…CANCELLED!

I didn’t think I was going to like this issue judging from the premise, but after reading through I can gladly attest to being flat wrong as #193 serves up a good time. Homer’s bitter attitude about food near the end was a laugh riot, and it was great seeing Stampy back! And just in case if you thought it was just going to be a lame cameo, you haven’t seen anything because Stampy does the show with Homer and watching the whole thing go down the way it did was hysterical. Definitely a worthy buy as this is one Simpsons story worth the price of admission!

(9.0 out of 10)