Bone Depot, Tarpit, and other big box stores get Bedrock whipped into a buying frenzy while Fred gets trapped in a vitamin pill scam. Plus, Fred and Wilma experience a crisis of faith when they discover the bird god they worship also makes a great record player needle.

And the award for most subversive comic of the year goes too….

When I heard writer Mark Russell was taking on The Flintstones, I was gleeful over the possibilities he could do when it comes to needling modern society through the folks of Bedrock. The first issue had some of that, but it’s The Flintstones #2 where things go full steam with an issue that takes on religion, consumerism, and Flintstone vitamins. The latter I’m amazed got through.

The issue has the launch of television and the opening of a new mall, which means everyone needs to go out and get items to justify their existence. The visual jokes mount up as animals are brought in in Flintstones fashion to do the work.

Then there’s a plot line of their local church who brings in various animals for folks to worship. It’s clear Russell is trying to equate consumerism with false gods and the true modern-day religion. If you don’t believe me, it can’t be any clearer than when Wilma realizes they’re being asked to worship a vacuum cleaner.

Those two plots together tie in nicely with some fantastic commentary on both religion and the church to need to own things (which I count myself in). The visual jokes by artist Steve Pugh are fantastic and the comic nails the tone of the television series with small puns and riffs on modern day products and brands.

But if the above isn’t enough for you, the real amazing joke in the comic is the need for Fred and Barney to take on second jobs to pay for all of the junk. The job? Selling vitamins. Yes, the character who adorn vitamins that kids all over the world take, are making fun of selling vitamins. It’s a ballsy joke and one I’m amazed was allowed in the comic. It’s also a quick jab again at consumerism, but also society built on debt, and get rich quick schemes (with a nice drug joke thrown in there).

The Flintstones #2 is a comic who has ads to buy “crap” in between pages making fun of buying “crap.” It’s amazingly meta and beyond subversive. And this is also exactly what I was hoping we’d see in this series.

Story: Mark Russell Art: Steve Pugh
Story: 9 Art: 8.4 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review