Code Monkey Save World

Code Monkey Save World #1-4

by Greg Pak, Jonathan Coulton (co-author), Takeshi Miyazawa (Penciller)

A graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton, written by Greg Pak and drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor, Science Fiction, Music, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Greg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."

Reviews

[Chip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you a lot

So, anyway, after loving this song for years, I finally got around to reading the code monkey graphic novel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYodW...

So, anyway, about this graphic novel?

Characters: 3*
Universe: 3*
Plot: 3*

OK. I'm being generous. Everything gets a bonus star just because I like the song so much. Really, it is 2*. Don't read this unless you really already like the song and just need to see what came out of the kickstarter.

If you haven't listened to the song yet, go ahead, click the link above. I'll wait here.

I lied. I'm not waiting. Have a good day.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second time a kickstarted graphic novel produced by established comics professionals turned out to be enthusiastically meh.

My reaction to the origin (Greg Pak said "you could make a great super team based on characters in JoCo songs") was enough to get me on board. Of course the reply to that statement is "you could, but you still need to toss them into an interesting narrative".

There's not much here. The protagonist is the Code Monkey who becomes a sidekick to Dr. Skullcrusher (Skullcrusher Mountain, btw, is in La Jolla, CA. Fun fact!). A quick read over of the story will take you down the roller coaster that is the Joco Looks Back track listing.

Overall, though, there's not much there. It's a cute bit for fans of the creators. The villains don't seem terribly menacing, and there's no real hero for them to be compared against. The book is just a series of "ha ha, that's (blank)" gags.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually pretty good. With a comic where the high concept is 'tell a story using as many characters from Jonathan Coulton songs as possible', there are a lot of ways this could have been a mess. And it was a bit of a mess, but a fun mess with a largely coherent plot.

[Paul Bachner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how to rate this. I don't really read Graphic Novels/Comics, but I was part of the Kickstarter and really enjoy JoCo's music, but I'm not obsessive about it. It felt a little disjointed to me, skipping from panel to panel, I felt like I missed something. Perhaps I just don't understand the conventions of the medium. I liked the references to many of JoCo's songs, but the story never really came together and made a compelling narrative for me. I'm rating it 3 stars, but that may be on the generous side.

[Patrick Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am 2/3 of the way through this Kickstarter funded trade paperback of the first four issues of this self-published comic and I am loving it. Co-writers Greg Pak and Jonathan Coulton (I think Pak writes based on the Songs of Coulton) are joined by Takeshi Miyazawa on pencils (previously worked on Marvel's Runaways) and with Jessica Kholinne on colors, to bring an awesome all-ages type story that took me back to my childhood, I had the feeling I was 10 years old again rushing home from school to watch 'Battle of the Planets'.

I think Miyazawa's style has a lot to do with this feeling, but if Coulton hadn't created these unique characters for Pak to take through the adventures in this world (where it is only a novelty that a monkey can talk, and not only that, he gets dressed and goes to work every day as a web developer). I guess what I am trying to say is like 'Battle of the Planets', where there were very definite differences to our world, Code Monkey decides it is not important to explain those differences, just take them as given and get on with story. And it works. I expect to finish this tonight and will update my review accordingly.

Finished it and have to say while I was surprised by the ending, I found it to be satisfying and leaves the door open to more adventures. If they keep this same creative crew together I will definitely be following on for more adventures. Miyazawa's amazing art was definitely the highlight for me.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Code Monkey Save World is a graphic novel based on characters that appear in Jonathan Coulton's songs. It combines four individual comic issues based on the titular character with several shorter comics (JoCo Funnies) about other songs.

Overall the main story is pretty fantastic. It takes a variety of JoCo songs and places their characters and events in the same universe. Then the characters meet and the fun ensues. Code Monkey must work with Skullcrusher to save the woman of his dreams from Laura the Robot Queen. It may not work out as you'd expect, but to me that's part of the brilliance - it takes tropes you expect and turns them on their head.

The art is fantastic too. Somehow it perfectly captures things you only heard in the lyrics of a song and gives them shape and form. Code Monkey is wonderful in his button-down shirt and khakis, and Skullcrusher has both an evil genius and pathetic loser look. They all just work.

I'm really glad I supported the Kickstarter to help get this project off the ground. If you didn't, you can still pick up the book on Comixology and other places, and I highly suggest you do.

[blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

A thoughtful present from my youngest, who's always looking out for the right things to give as gifts, and it has that value to me, primarily.

The art's good. You can read it, and if you know JoCo songs, you can pick out the references which is...something.

Don't expect any surprises, though. Like all stories from the Woke Ages, the only stronk and empowered characters will be the women, and the male characters will be loser dweebs (or one-note jokes, like curling guy) who just get in their way. Despite their hyper-competence, the women will still be feeling the weight of the patriarchy, which somehow not only forces super secret special forces commando Laura into a receptionist job, it's a receptionist job for an Evil Corporation. Not only can a woman never be rescued, she can never really be in danger, and she can never be punished.

Yeah, if you take all the cleverness and whimsy out of JoCo's songs, this is exactly the story you'd expect.

[David Schwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A graphic novel funded as a Kickstarter project. The world is overrun by zombies (as usual, lol) and Code Monkey saves the day. The main story is ok. The best part is the random collections of comics at the end of the book.

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

Code monkey is usually an expression, but here it's a real-life, talking monkey. That writes code. As broken as its English is, it still gets an exaggerated reaction from non-technical characters who are impressed when it turns on a computer. There are plenty of other humorous moments in this story, so it warrants a quick read.

The robots have invaded! Charles the code monkey (literally, a monkey) is the only one left behind. He is worried about his crush Matilde. Skullcrusher drops out of nowhere to recruit Charles and fight the aliens. The FBI is also on the case with a Curling player - how that helps, I don't know. Charles will do everything in his power to save Matilde and ultimately the world.

Pretty quickly Charles draws the attention of Laura the Robo Queen and leader of the invading robots. She swiftly kicks Skullcrusher and Charles around which prompts the gathering of Villainy Affiliated, LLC. Matilde is by no means helpless, since she has special forces training. She joins Laura's side until it's clear that the latter wants to take over the world. A world which is already invaded by zombies led by a rogue member of Villainy Affiliated. Laura and Matilde offer the curler an opportunity to blow up the zombies with an explosive curling stone, so the world is safe. They all get a full pardon. In the end Charles decides to help Skullcrusher escape from the FBI, so they ride off into the sunset together. On a bus.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Code Monkey simple. Maybe too simple.

The inking and coloring in Code Monkey is stellar. So stellar that it really made me want to give this graphic novel 5-stars.

Code Monkey Save World is set in what appears to be a fantastic, light-hearted world where the Feds are inept, villains are aplenty, and monkeys can speak (sort of). The lore is there. The self-deprecating dry humor is a wonderful contrast to the vibrant atmosphere. And the panelling is absolutely perfect.

What lost it for me was the actual narrative. The pacing is much too fast and the characters far too rushed. I found myself wanting to learn so much more about the cast that the neck break twists and story arcs become cumbersome obstacles. Did page restrictions limit real estate? Did the source material run thin in characterization?

And Deus Ex Machina teleportation at the end—that part was frustrating.

Very fun read, though. I really hope to see more work from the team.

[Jeffrey Machott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, detailed comic drawing inspiration from several different Jonathan Coulton songs. The book follows the exploits of Charles, AKA "Code Monkey," who quickly ends up in over his head when he tries to chat up Matilde but is interrupted by a space robot attack. Things rapidly spin out from there for both of them.

If you're not already a fan of Jonathan Coulton, this book is just going to be a bunch of characters coming and going, but the artwork is great, with lots of details and characters from different songs.

[Bruce Screws jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preface this by saying I started reading this with no prior knowledge of Jonathan Coulton's music. I found this on Humble Bundle and it seemed like a fun read. The first issue was quite fun and interesting. I had no expectations going in and it was a good surprise. The second issue was also good. The third and forth issues started losing steam. It feels like they tried to shoehorn in all of these disparate characters.

[Richard Legault · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this three and a half stars, if that was possible. I really enjoyed the artwork, and the way the story incorporates elements from several of Jonathan Coulton's songs. I felt that the story was a bit disjointed, and the characters' behavior was really random. The ending didn't make much sense to me because of that. Why would character A go off with character B, when B had been abusive to A, and shown repeatedly that they are an unbalanced megalomaniac. Hmmm.

[Bonnie Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really cute conglomeration of characters and events from nearly fifteen years of Jonathan Coulton songs brought together in a single plot line led by the titular Code Monkey. It’s not great literature but if you’re fan of JoCo, or ridiculousness in general, you won’t want to miss this fun little read.

I was extra surprised to see that it’s written by the same guy who’s fucking up the current Firefly series so badly. Apparently this is where his strength lies.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was really nice; the story was just okay. I'm not familiar with the source material, so I'm probably missing a lot of "in joke" stuff.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story full of JoCo references.

[Charles McGonigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fine. Glad I supported the artists involved.

[Bilbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute-ish graphic novel in the vein of other anti-hero stories. I appreciate that it subverts the white knight trope, but ultimately it was pretty average.

[Marcelo Sanchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

El comic está inspirado en los personajes de las canciones de Jonathan Coulton, una idea que encontré bastante novedosa, y como conocedor de las canciones se me hizo fácil la decisión de apoyar el proyecto en Kickstarter.
Greg Pak hizo un excelente trabajo al darle carne a los personajes. Estos son divertidos, interesante y fuertes en si mismos. Pero la historia falla al momento de ponerlos juntos. La historia es... poco interesante, no tiene mayores fallas excepto la falta de enganche. Es principalmente un chiste seguido de alguna referencia a una canción. Lo cual, va de la mano con el tono de las canciones en que se inspiró el comic.

[Demian Katz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not exactly a Jonathan Coulton super-fan, but I do find his work amusing (especially his participation in "Ask Me Another" on NPR), so I can see how you might be able to turn some of his songs into a funny comic book. Unfortunately, I didn't find this very funny -- it spent so much time and energy trying to cram a bunch of song material into its relatively short length that it never got around to doing anything especially original. In the end, it just felt forced, and I never particularly cared about what was going on.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I supported this project through Kickstarter, thinking it was a pretty neato idea to take some of Coulton's coolest song characters and turn them into a graphic novel. Overall I have mixed feelings about the end result. I liked it, but if you didn't get all the references, I don't think you'd get much out of the story. I don't think it stands alone terribly well. On the upside, I loved the artwork, and that the two main female characters are women of colour who are pretty badass.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately the problem with this book is that a clot of characters have a lot of alignment shifts (in the D&D sense) and it's not fully clear why. If the book were twice as long, I think the reasons would be apparent and the decisions would be more explicable.

Fun character design, good art, a couple of funny moments, but mostly a little bewildering without the sense it was meant to be bewildering.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is absolutely fantastic start to finish. It has a personality all its own, and the colors were perfectly selected to bring it to vibrant life.

The plot, being a mosh-mash of JoCo songs, has its ups and downs. I enjoyed it for the most part but felt it lost itself towards the end.

A solidly entertaining, light afternoon read. Recommended for anyone who wants to escape their boring life for a few hours.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comic is a delight for Coulton fans. Greg Pak did a wonderful job weaving together a fantastic cast of characters and telling a story which passes the Bechdel test with flying colors, zigs every time you expect it to zag, and gets a lot of songs stuck in your head.

In short, this comic really put the rock in the house.

[Douglas Beagley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good!

Lots of creativity and some hearty action moments, but I will not re-read it. Main characters' journey and conclusion does not hit notes for me.

If you are a fan of Jonathan Coulton, then this is a no-brainer.

The way in which this book was conceived and brought to life is wonderful.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Packed cover-to-cover with JoCo references - every one well done. I really wanted to love this - I'm a massive fan of Coulton's work - but the ending was simply unsatisfying. Characters changing personalities and circumstances at the drop of a hat, sudden reversals of the story, and an ending that didn't deliver.

[J Wagoner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was happy to have contributed to the Kickstarter campaign that helped to create this book, but I had not read the finished product that I received in the mail until now. The artwork was beautifully done and the storyline was a great start. Greg Pak successfully created a hero for those of us who are code monkeys in the real world, and I look forward to subsequent volumes.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been meaning to read this since I picked it up at C2E2 last year. I'm really bad at reading trades and comics I pick up at conventions. I'm sad I didn't read this one sooner. It's hilarious. I love the songs JoCo writes and Greg Pak wove a great story around them. Code Monkey might be my favorite new hero or villain? It's a must read. The art is also amazing.

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Very cute. I think a lot of buildup and waiting due to kickstarter, so I think my expectations were really high. I would absolutely recommend it to others but its not the best thing ever.

[Kurt Pankau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, it's fine. There's far more fan-service than story, but it's well-drawn and fairly amusing.