The Adventures of Unemployed Man is fun, funny and educational taking shots at today’s economic collapse and the issues people deal with day to day.  It intelligently explains and teaches economic issues and satirizes the current economic and political state.  This is humor as smart and biting as anything you’d find on The Daily Show or Colbert Report.

MAIN STREET, USA-Against incredible odds, jobless crusader UNEMPLOYED MAN and his sidekick PLAN B embark on a heroic search for work-and quickly find themselves waging an epic battle against The Just Us League, a dastardly group of supervillains including THE HUMAN RESOURCE, TOXIC DEBT BLOB, PINK SLIP and THE INVISIBLE HAND.

Experience this action-packed story in THE ADVENTURES OF UNEMPLOYED MAN-a fearless, brilliant, and provocative book that ASTOUNDS with incisive wit and AMAZES with stunning insights into the desperate situation so many heroes find themselves in today.

A new supergroup of down-but-not-out heroes has emerged from the economic crisis, including perpetual grad student MASTER OF DEGREES, fix-it-with-tape DUCTO, pain-shrinking therapist GOOD GRIEF, checkbook unbalancer ZILCH, shadow worker FANTASMA, and WONDER MOTHER, who built her invisible jet from pieces of the glass ceiling.

These heroes have enlisted the help of Erich Origen and Gan Golan, the dynamic duo behind the New York Times bestseller GOODNIGHT BUSH. Together they tell the story of our intrepid heroes’ climactic clash with the self-interested villains who dwell in the Hall of Just Us, devising sinister plots that threaten the entire world.

This richly illustrated book is a parody of classic superhero comics from the Golden Age to the present day-and a brilliant dissection of our current economic meltdown. It features dazzling artwork by such comics legends as Ramona Fradon, Rick Veitch, Michael Netzer, Terry Beatty, Josef Rubenstein, Benton Jew, Thomas Yeates, Shawn Martinbrough, Clem Robins, Tom Orzechowski, Thomas Mauer and Lee Loughridge.

Written by Erich Origen and Gan Golan with numerous artists, the story follows the fall and rise of Ultimatum and his eventual alter ego The Unemployed Man.  The story is brilliant with perfect jabs at the various forces that exist and affect today’s economy.  The best of all, it provides political commentary without shoving it all down your throat.

There’s some minor issues in the graphic novel doesn’t go too deep into some of those economic forces to really explain what they are (Glass Steagall being the one that really sticks out), but this should be enough to get folks to want to find out what they are themselves.

This is perfect satire that’s aimed at folks who let the rich get richer and don’t do anything about it.  There’s educational materials that make you think, all wrapped up in entertainment.

I wish all of politics was this much fun.  This should be required reading for everyone to open their eyes and get them to really think about what’s happened the last 30 years to get us where we are.

Plot: Origen and Golan have put together smart witty satire that educates as well as potentially opens ones eyes as to what’s been going on to us economically.  The characters are familiar spoofs that get us to laugh at our misfortunes.  The story is great with smart story telling that zings everyone.  It shows how much we’re all to blame (some more so than others) and lays out the facts through smart story telling.  Rating: 10

Art: There’s a large group of artists behind the graphic novel and there’s a great retro feel to it.  The character designs are just brilliant spoofing and riffing on what we know.  So many of them are inspired and outright hilarious.  Beyond fantastic.  Rating: 10

Overall: There’s a couple of things I wish was explained more, but this graphic novel lays out the current economic issues and where we all stand.  I wish this was handed out all of those American’s defending Wall Street and making excuses.  We’re all to blame for letting this happen, but the finger is squarely pointed at them for some of the more egregious abuses.  This is political satire and statements at it’s best.  Here’s hoping these two set their sites on so many of the other worthwhile targets.  Overall rating: 10

Recommendation: Buy

Page count: 80 pages    Price: $14.99     Release: Out Now

Gan Golan provided Graphic Policy with an advance copy of this issue for FREE for review.