There is a sense of irony overcoming me as I flip through the first issue of Lost Boys: Reign of Frogs, a comic based off a cult film directed by Joel Schumacher, the man responsible for absolutely destroying comics on celluloid a little more than ten years ago. I’m sure there have been novel length essays on why Schumacher sucks, easiest example being bat-nipples, but I’m here to talk about Lost Boys which is actually “good.”

Reign of Frogs is a mini-series being printed under Wildstorm that serves as a bridge between the first Lost Boys film and the soon to be released, direct to DVD sequel, Lost Boys 2: The Tribe. The story follows the two best characters the franchise has, the Frog Brothers, as they hunt down vampiric bloodsuckers, now as adults. That’s right, the Frogs have grown up, also seeming to have distanced themselves at the stories’ opening.

The introduction, with Edgar Frog taking on a young apprentice, does a commendable job as the series’ hook. We get some campy (a staple of Lost Boys) vampire tests to prove the young child’s worth, along with some witty dialogue from Edgar that I can picture Corey Feldman delivering. However, things turn sour real fast as we jump back to 1990, three years after the original film, and all of a sudden the Frog brothers are slaying vampires for the president. Really?! One of the best aspects of the original Lost Boys was the Frog Brothers talked a big game, but when it came crunch time, they were just as scared and horrified as the rest of the cast. That was the charm of Lost Boys. Instead, Reign of Frogs makes them out to be major bad-asses, and while they still throw out witty banter as they slice vampires in half, it doesn’t fit the model of what I have come to expect from the characters.

Though not all hope is lost on issue #1, I can toss out some praise for the art team working on Reign of Frogs. Joel Gomez has a style fitting of Freddie Williams II over at DC and it works for the tone of the book. Like I have said, Lost Boys is not a serious property, so it’s nice to see art that reflex that.

I wish I liked the book, but in all honesty, I didn’t. Nor did it help pump me up for the forthcoming Lost Boys 2: The Tribe (but let’s be serious, I was already pumped for that). But do take note; there are two panels that will make you absolutely die laughing while reading this issue. I won’t spoil the surprise, but it is comedy gold. And although it isn’t worth shelling out the three dollar for, it is definitely worth a look next time you make a trip to the comic shop.

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