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Hanna-Barbera Beyond
The Flintstones, Vol. 1
Fred and Barney reunite for Mark Russell's modern take on Hanna-Barbera's most famous stone-age family!
This new series starring the first family of Bedrock (and civilization, really) tells the story of who we are and why we do what we do as if it all began with Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty, and the rest of the citizens of Bedrock. Shining a light on humanity's ancient customs and institutions in a funny origin story of human civilization, Mark Russell (PREZ) blends modern interpretations with Hanna-Barbera's classic character's, bringing a breath of fresh stone-age air.
Hanna-Barbera has created some of the most recognizable animated characters of all time. As part of DC Comics' re-imagination of cartoons like Scooby-Doo, The Flintsones, Johnny Quest, Space Ghost, and Wacky Racers, these new series will be infused with modern and contemporary concepts while keeping the heart and soul of the classic animation.
Collects THE FLINTSTONES #1-6.
This new series starring the first family of Bedrock (and civilization, really) tells the story of who we are and why we do what we do as if it all began with Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty, and the rest of the citizens of Bedrock. Shining a light on humanity's ancient customs and institutions in a funny origin story of human civilization, Mark Russell (PREZ) blends modern interpretations with Hanna-Barbera's classic character's, bringing a breath of fresh stone-age air.
Hanna-Barbera has created some of the most recognizable animated characters of all time. As part of DC Comics' re-imagination of cartoons like Scooby-Doo, The Flintsones, Johnny Quest, Space Ghost, and Wacky Racers, these new series will be infused with modern and contemporary concepts while keeping the heart and soul of the classic animation.
Collects THE FLINTSTONES #1-6.
170 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2017
79 people are currently reading
2050 people want to read
About the author
Mark Russell
435 books384 followersMark Russell is the author of God Is Disappointed in You and Apocrypha Now. He also writes the comic book series Prez and The Flintstones for DC Comics. He lives and works in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 645 reviews
March 29, 2018
Flintstones, meet the Flintstones
They're the modern Stone-Age family...
Remember those guys?
These are not those guys.
Now, to me, this was a funny look at a What If version of these classic characters that took a few of the hot-button issues of the times and poked fun at them in a prehistoric setting. I'm somewhat liberal, so none of what they were saying got under my skin or pissed me off.
But.
If someone were to hold traditional family values near and dear, then seeing their favorite childhood cartoon pulled into the debate on sex, politics, religion, and war might not be as cute.
I get that.
This is a pretty one-sided view of Bedrock. I mean, it's my side, but still...
I thought it was kind of hilarious to see all the monogamy protests and the crazy animal religion stuff culminate into an invisible god. <-hahahaha!
I think a lot of readers who have a strong faith aren't really going to get their panties in a big twist over Russell's parody of churches, because most of the people I know who are religious are also pretty open-minded and have a good sense of humor.
Still. Know yourself. If that doesn't sound like a good time to you, then just give it a pass.
So, yeah. I thought this was pretty cute. It made some good points and made me grin. But, fair warning, it's also an entire revamping of the character's and their personalities.
They're the modern Stone-Age family...
Remember those guys?
These are not those guys.
Now, to me, this was a funny look at a What If version of these classic characters that took a few of the hot-button issues of the times and poked fun at them in a prehistoric setting. I'm somewhat liberal, so none of what they were saying got under my skin or pissed me off.
But.
If someone were to hold traditional family values near and dear, then seeing their favorite childhood cartoon pulled into the debate on sex, politics, religion, and war might not be as cute.
I get that.
This is a pretty one-sided view of Bedrock. I mean, it's my side, but still...
I thought it was kind of hilarious to see all the monogamy protests and the crazy animal religion stuff culminate into an invisible god. <-hahahaha!
I think a lot of readers who have a strong faith aren't really going to get their panties in a big twist over Russell's parody of churches, because most of the people I know who are religious are also pretty open-minded and have a good sense of humor.
Still. Know yourself. If that doesn't sound like a good time to you, then just give it a pass.
So, yeah. I thought this was pretty cute. It made some good points and made me grin. But, fair warning, it's also an entire revamping of the character's and their personalities.
February 14, 2017
The Flintstones gets a makeover in their newly-relaunched series: Fred and Barney are war vets with PTSD, Wilma’s an artist, and Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm are tweens! Do the changes work? Actually, yes! Is this one of the best titles of the past year like many reviewers are claiming? Nope! It’s surprisingly not bad though – I can definitely see why there’s enthusiasm for this series.
Appropriately enough given the original sitcom’s episodic nature, each issue is a self-contained story with Mark Russell, writer of the short-lived but brilliant Prez, slowly and cleverly introducing familiar Flintstones features in each of them. How the Flintstones came by Dino, Bamm-Bamm’s origin, the meaning of “Yabba-Dabba-Doo!”, and even the appearance of the Great Gazoo are inspired touches.
Like Prez, Russell works in serious commentary on American society. The formation of Bedrock could be seen as an allegory for the foundation of America with the settlers wiping out the Native Americans, or “tree people” here, as well as an observation on how the government lies to its people to con them into wars they don’t fully understand like the Second Gulf War. And the treatment of war vets after a conflict, when the government’s turned their back on them, is devastatingly on point – it’s surprising DC allowed Russell to make such dark jokes about veterans and suicide in a Flintstones comic of all places!
There’s an amusing moment too when people start protesting marriage between a man and a woman, saying it’s unnatural and weird, riffing on how society always reacts this way whenever something new comes along, like gay marriage today. Some of the observations are banal though like the destructive shallowness of a consumerist society with Fred and Barney taking on second jobs so their wives can keep buying the latest appliances (the appliances are, in Flintstones fashion, animals, and there’s a Disney-esque and startlingly poignant scene when the “bowling ball” (an armadillo) and the “vacuum cleaner” (a small elephant) have a conversation about their lonely existences as they sit in the closet waiting to be used again – they find comfort in their shared plight and become friends). Organised religion also gets pilloried as the scam it is but at this point it’s low-hanging fruit.
The flipside of Mark Russell and Steve Pugh’s thoughtful and fantastic commentary, structure and world-building is that none of the stories or characterisations honestly ever blew me away. They’re clever but not very engrossing and I was appreciating aspects of the comics more than getting caught up in them. It’s the same with the jokes – they didn’t make me laugh but I can see them working for some people. Maybe I’d like it more if I was a bigger Flintstones fan but even so I was pleasantly surprised with how cerebral a series about cavepeople turned out to be!
Mark Russell and Steve Pugh may have remodelled The Flintstones for a 21st century audience but they’ve kept the show’s sharp satirical soul intact – the exterior may look flashier but it’s unmistakably The Flintstones - and that makes it a pretty yabba-dabba-decent relaunch!
Appropriately enough given the original sitcom’s episodic nature, each issue is a self-contained story with Mark Russell, writer of the short-lived but brilliant Prez, slowly and cleverly introducing familiar Flintstones features in each of them. How the Flintstones came by Dino, Bamm-Bamm’s origin, the meaning of “Yabba-Dabba-Doo!”, and even the appearance of the Great Gazoo are inspired touches.
Like Prez, Russell works in serious commentary on American society. The formation of Bedrock could be seen as an allegory for the foundation of America with the settlers wiping out the Native Americans, or “tree people” here, as well as an observation on how the government lies to its people to con them into wars they don’t fully understand like the Second Gulf War. And the treatment of war vets after a conflict, when the government’s turned their back on them, is devastatingly on point – it’s surprising DC allowed Russell to make such dark jokes about veterans and suicide in a Flintstones comic of all places!
There’s an amusing moment too when people start protesting marriage between a man and a woman, saying it’s unnatural and weird, riffing on how society always reacts this way whenever something new comes along, like gay marriage today. Some of the observations are banal though like the destructive shallowness of a consumerist society with Fred and Barney taking on second jobs so their wives can keep buying the latest appliances (the appliances are, in Flintstones fashion, animals, and there’s a Disney-esque and startlingly poignant scene when the “bowling ball” (an armadillo) and the “vacuum cleaner” (a small elephant) have a conversation about their lonely existences as they sit in the closet waiting to be used again – they find comfort in their shared plight and become friends). Organised religion also gets pilloried as the scam it is but at this point it’s low-hanging fruit.
The flipside of Mark Russell and Steve Pugh’s thoughtful and fantastic commentary, structure and world-building is that none of the stories or characterisations honestly ever blew me away. They’re clever but not very engrossing and I was appreciating aspects of the comics more than getting caught up in them. It’s the same with the jokes – they didn’t make me laugh but I can see them working for some people. Maybe I’d like it more if I was a bigger Flintstones fan but even so I was pleasantly surprised with how cerebral a series about cavepeople turned out to be!
Mark Russell and Steve Pugh may have remodelled The Flintstones for a 21st century audience but they’ve kept the show’s sharp satirical soul intact – the exterior may look flashier but it’s unmistakably The Flintstones - and that makes it a pretty yabba-dabba-decent relaunch!
April 21, 2017
Who knew Flintstones of all comics can be one of the best new comics to check out?
This is a grown up version of Flintstones. No it's not super gritty of violent. Yes it still has funny moments. Yes it still has all the characters you love. The major difference is the themes and stories it wants to tell. It's social satire at it's finest. From PSD to Racism to Politics. It covers it all and in a way I thought was respectful and fun no matter which side you lean towards. That's not always easy to do.
I'd also like to mention I love the art. Pebbles and Bam Bam's redesign among my favorite. I also enjoyed everyone else too and they all look more like you'd expect for a modern feel.
Besides the alien arc I really enjoyed each and every story. They had multiple lines that made you think for a moment after reading. I appreciate that and really hope this series keeps up.
This is a grown up version of Flintstones. No it's not super gritty of violent. Yes it still has funny moments. Yes it still has all the characters you love. The major difference is the themes and stories it wants to tell. It's social satire at it's finest. From PSD to Racism to Politics. It covers it all and in a way I thought was respectful and fun no matter which side you lean towards. That's not always easy to do.
I'd also like to mention I love the art. Pebbles and Bam Bam's redesign among my favorite. I also enjoyed everyone else too and they all look more like you'd expect for a modern feel.
Besides the alien arc I really enjoyed each and every story. They had multiple lines that made you think for a moment after reading. I appreciate that and really hope this series keeps up.
June 20, 2023
For those of you who are young, this comic is based on a sixties tv show featuring Fred and Wilma, Barney and Betty, in Bedrock. The animated tv show was always great social satire, and this is a surprisingly funny and apt update, focused on issues of racism, war, consumerism, marriage, capitalism. Satire of primarily American society, through anachronism. In this new version Barney and Fred are vets, Wilma is an artist (doing handprint caveman-style art that is trashed by the urban art crowd--"Pfft, like the world needs another cave painting").
I am shocked how much I enjoyed this. Maybe it's slightly less than a 4 rating for me, but it's still higher than I expected, revisiting The Flintstones after all these years! Worth checking out!
Thanks for the rec, Eric!
I am shocked how much I enjoyed this. Maybe it's slightly less than a 4 rating for me, but it's still higher than I expected, revisiting The Flintstones after all these years! Worth checking out!
Thanks for the rec, Eric!
May 28, 2019
The Flintstones have been recreated as a wry satire on today's society. Some of the stories work, like people getting upset that people are starting to get married. Others, like Fred and Barney having to get second jobs so that their wives can buy more crap feel like I'm being beaten over the head with a stick about abject consumerism. The stories and jokes are all just OK, none of them really grab me. I'll probably give this series a pass in the future.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 3, 2025
Even if someone isn't particularly a fan of retro 60s Hannah-Barbara cartoons, this 'modern' take on the Flintstones is very clever. Lots of social satire for adults, I loved the issue with monogamy being invented seen as perverted by the stone age conservatives. There are stories about war, politics, all kinds of thoughtful comedy. Too bad it was so short-lived at only 12 issues!
March 24, 2017
I’m finding it difficult to come up with words to describe how much I loved “The Flintstones Vol. 1.” These are not the Flintstones of your childhood. There is biting satire about the world today that has you laughing one moment and thinking deeply the next. My favorite was issue five. I won’t spoil it, but it is a top-notch political commentary on the state of our elections. The top it all off, the artwork is detailed and beautiful. Highly recommend! All of the Stars!
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
March 28, 2020
I'm not normally a Flintstones fan but I loved Mark Russell's writing on The Wonder Twins so I grabbed this.
The Flintstones, much like the Jetsons, has always been a satire of modern life but Yabba Dabba Doo this is some dark stuff!
Mark Russell and Steve Pugh take on such topics as religion, consumerism, bullying, spring break, elections, war, slavery, genocide, and marriage, focused through the lens of America's favorite modern stone age family. Dark, cynical absurdity abounds as Fred, Barney, and their families try to navigate through life.
For a comic based on a cartoon that's best days were forty or fifty years ago, this has a very timeless feel, probably because the issues Mark Russell explores are very human ones. Steve Pugh's art style does a great job setting the tone of the book, not as cartoony as Hanna-Barbera but not quite as realistic as a lot of modern comics. The star of the show is Mark Russell's biting wit, though.
I'm not saying that The Flintstones is DEFINITELY one of the top five comics of the last ten years, just that it PROBABLY is. Five out of five stars.
The Flintstones, much like the Jetsons, has always been a satire of modern life but Yabba Dabba Doo this is some dark stuff!
Mark Russell and Steve Pugh take on such topics as religion, consumerism, bullying, spring break, elections, war, slavery, genocide, and marriage, focused through the lens of America's favorite modern stone age family. Dark, cynical absurdity abounds as Fred, Barney, and their families try to navigate through life.
For a comic based on a cartoon that's best days were forty or fifty years ago, this has a very timeless feel, probably because the issues Mark Russell explores are very human ones. Steve Pugh's art style does a great job setting the tone of the book, not as cartoony as Hanna-Barbera but not quite as realistic as a lot of modern comics. The star of the show is Mark Russell's biting wit, though.
I'm not saying that The Flintstones is DEFINITELY one of the top five comics of the last ten years, just that it PROBABLY is. Five out of five stars.
April 25, 2017
4 1/2 stars
March 18, 2019
Liked it ok but felt disappointed after the hype.
A few clever jokes...and some "deep" commentary:
But terrible dialogue delivery. Like, leaden. No, more like unemotional. Like there's no real engagement here. I feel...nothing for these characters.
I mean, the hippie socialist leftie in me sees a page like this and wants to rejoice - here are my values reflected like a mirror!
[I don't even know why Fred's last line on the page is even there]
The whole Adam and Steve thing is just so...normal that I want to fast forward a generation and show them - "This is where shit like this finally started to get into our subconscious, drowning out our lingering bigotry!"
Except this book shouldn't just be about fan service to the snowflake-soft-touch playbook. And not even that clever at it, just kinda bland and boring about it if I'm being honest about my own reactions.
Maybe if there was a little more conflict in this book? If the citizenry were a little more divided? Or there was some sense that this wasn't a stone-age Roddenberry paradise? Maybe there's class warfare going on, and regressive thinking somewhere. But mostly it feels like there's not much for our characters to strive for (other than transistors maybe).
Maybe it's because half the dialogue sounds like a Twitter rant instead of something to advance a story:
Maybe it's the Family Guy of comics.
I think the writers are more enthralled with the idea of turning modern ideas upside down through the lens of bedrock, but it's sure a shame they squandered the opportunity to actually square it with some narrative instead of just stilted exposition.
It's not even that their ideas are terribly subtle or challenging. "Marriage is new and people are rebelling"? "God hates Dads"? Ugh, please.
The only redeeming quality of this whole book are the post-modern callbacks to the original Flintstones mythology:
I gave up before reading the last issue. The. Last. Issue. That's how frigging bored I was.
(I wrote this passage in response to Andrew’s review)
Clumsy, unsubtle - this is exactly the feeling I got. Like a high schooler was responsible - you want to praise/encourage them in case they get better, but behind their back you’re rolling your eyes.
A few clever jokes...and some "deep" commentary:
But terrible dialogue delivery. Like, leaden. No, more like unemotional. Like there's no real engagement here. I feel...nothing for these characters.
I mean, the hippie socialist leftie in me sees a page like this and wants to rejoice - here are my values reflected like a mirror!
[I don't even know why Fred's last line on the page is even there]
The whole Adam and Steve thing is just so...normal that I want to fast forward a generation and show them - "This is where shit like this finally started to get into our subconscious, drowning out our lingering bigotry!"
Except this book shouldn't just be about fan service to the snowflake-soft-touch playbook. And not even that clever at it, just kinda bland and boring about it if I'm being honest about my own reactions.
Maybe if there was a little more conflict in this book? If the citizenry were a little more divided? Or there was some sense that this wasn't a stone-age Roddenberry paradise? Maybe there's class warfare going on, and regressive thinking somewhere. But mostly it feels like there's not much for our characters to strive for (other than transistors maybe).
Maybe it's because half the dialogue sounds like a Twitter rant instead of something to advance a story:
Maybe it's the Family Guy of comics.
I think the writers are more enthralled with the idea of turning modern ideas upside down through the lens of bedrock, but it's sure a shame they squandered the opportunity to actually square it with some narrative instead of just stilted exposition.
It's not even that their ideas are terribly subtle or challenging. "Marriage is new and people are rebelling"? "God hates Dads"? Ugh, please.
The only redeeming quality of this whole book are the post-modern callbacks to the original Flintstones mythology:
I gave up before reading the last issue. The. Last. Issue. That's how frigging bored I was.
(I wrote this passage in response to Andrew’s review)
Clumsy, unsubtle - this is exactly the feeling I got. Like a high schooler was responsible - you want to praise/encourage them in case they get better, but behind their back you’re rolling your eyes.
February 11, 2017
I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.
No, just no.
No, just no.
May 30, 2017
This was a neat idea that went a little overboard. I should say that I've never been a fan of either "The Flintstones" or "The Jetsons." Basically they were both your typical modern sitcom just with mini mastodon's instead of vacuums or robot maids instead of housekeepers. I never held with the idea that kids will find the exact same thing their parents are watching entertaining as long as its animated. Both shows were ENTIRELY about what wacky way the creators could come up with to copy all the things modern people do just in an ancient or futuristic way. Initially its kind of amusing to watch a snapping turtle as a lawn mower or whatever but eventually its just the same gag on a loop.
So I was a little jaded going into this but it had its moments. Steve Pugh's artwork is pretty spectacular. No blocky, stumpy Flintstones here. Everyone is in their signature get ups but these are Flintstones that actually look like people. Unfortunately Mark Russell's story telling ability is almost too good for the series they're retooling. The book is basically divided into episodes that resolve in twenty or so pages so its a quick read and has the feel of a half hour sitcom but ultimately I just found it too preachy.
"The Flintstones" as a series just wasn't all that deep. It was a show about a family just doing their thing. Fred got yelled at by his boss, Wilma spent too much money on a fancy hippo garbage disposal, Pebbles was adorable and that was it. I think the most "realistic" the show every got was when Barney and Betty adopted Bam Bam.
Russell's trying for some next level social commentary here and it all gets a little heavy handed. Fred and Barney are war veterans who survived the war with the "tree people" and the "Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes" the fictional "lodge" they were members of in the cartoon is now a support group for survivors of the war who are basically being treated like Vietnam Vets.
Marriage is replacing something hilariously called "the sex cave" and there's an entire story devoted to old timers being offended by monogamists with the extra joke of a gay prehistoric couple who no one has problems with, its the "marriage" part no one likes.
Then there's the "episode" where the shopping mall is invented and we watch the Flintstones go crazy buying all sorts of things they don't need and all the adorable animal/dinosaur appliances from the cartoon instead become abused creatures longing for escape.
I get it, the Vietnam War was horrible, people against gay marriage should learn that its just the same as anyone else who wants to get married and if you're against it you suck, and we shouldn't buy shit we don't need.
The problem is these social commentaries become the reason for the stories not the sly wink to the reader I think Russell is going for. Clever moments like Professor Sargon (Carl Sagan's paleolithic doppelganger) remarking on the "crazies" who think the earth revolves around the sun and a remarkably subtle commentary on the nature of art when Wilma's "cave paintings" are chosen to go on exhibit at the local museum only to be bashed by hipsters or a genuinely smart sequence where Fred's boss is trying to hire soon to be extinct Neanderthals because they're cheap labor and super strong kind of get drowned out by this in your face life lesson stuff.
You can remake something like "The Flintstones" so that its socially conscience, that's actually a great idea, but it can't take the place of the story just like clever site gags can't make up an entire episode of the show. I still need a conflict that needs resolution and I need to care about that conflict.
I will say that the characters are pretty complex and well written which is nice. Fred and Wilma have a strong, loving marriage and they both really depend on each other in a good way. Fred's lost the whole "to the moon Alice!" machismo and talks very openly about his feelings and the war veteran angle is carried off well throughout the book. Both characters frequently flashback to their childhoods and, particularly in the story about Wilma's art, we get a lot of really great character development. In a way that actually hurts the overall book because you want them to have complex issues to match their characters but its all very afterschool special.
This is definitely worth a look see if you can get it from the library there are some great moments, it just didn't work for me taken a whole.
So I was a little jaded going into this but it had its moments. Steve Pugh's artwork is pretty spectacular. No blocky, stumpy Flintstones here. Everyone is in their signature get ups but these are Flintstones that actually look like people. Unfortunately Mark Russell's story telling ability is almost too good for the series they're retooling. The book is basically divided into episodes that resolve in twenty or so pages so its a quick read and has the feel of a half hour sitcom but ultimately I just found it too preachy.
"The Flintstones" as a series just wasn't all that deep. It was a show about a family just doing their thing. Fred got yelled at by his boss, Wilma spent too much money on a fancy hippo garbage disposal, Pebbles was adorable and that was it. I think the most "realistic" the show every got was when Barney and Betty adopted Bam Bam.
Russell's trying for some next level social commentary here and it all gets a little heavy handed. Fred and Barney are war veterans who survived the war with the "tree people" and the "Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes" the fictional "lodge" they were members of in the cartoon is now a support group for survivors of the war who are basically being treated like Vietnam Vets.
Marriage is replacing something hilariously called "the sex cave" and there's an entire story devoted to old timers being offended by monogamists with the extra joke of a gay prehistoric couple who no one has problems with, its the "marriage" part no one likes.
Then there's the "episode" where the shopping mall is invented and we watch the Flintstones go crazy buying all sorts of things they don't need and all the adorable animal/dinosaur appliances from the cartoon instead become abused creatures longing for escape.
I get it, the Vietnam War was horrible, people against gay marriage should learn that its just the same as anyone else who wants to get married and if you're against it you suck, and we shouldn't buy shit we don't need.
The problem is these social commentaries become the reason for the stories not the sly wink to the reader I think Russell is going for. Clever moments like Professor Sargon (Carl Sagan's paleolithic doppelganger) remarking on the "crazies" who think the earth revolves around the sun and a remarkably subtle commentary on the nature of art when Wilma's "cave paintings" are chosen to go on exhibit at the local museum only to be bashed by hipsters or a genuinely smart sequence where Fred's boss is trying to hire soon to be extinct Neanderthals because they're cheap labor and super strong kind of get drowned out by this in your face life lesson stuff.
You can remake something like "The Flintstones" so that its socially conscience, that's actually a great idea, but it can't take the place of the story just like clever site gags can't make up an entire episode of the show. I still need a conflict that needs resolution and I need to care about that conflict.
I will say that the characters are pretty complex and well written which is nice. Fred and Wilma have a strong, loving marriage and they both really depend on each other in a good way. Fred's lost the whole "to the moon Alice!" machismo and talks very openly about his feelings and the war veteran angle is carried off well throughout the book. Both characters frequently flashback to their childhoods and, particularly in the story about Wilma's art, we get a lot of really great character development. In a way that actually hurts the overall book because you want them to have complex issues to match their characters but its all very afterschool special.
This is definitely worth a look see if you can get it from the library there are some great moments, it just didn't work for me taken a whole.
May 17, 2017
4.5 stars.
If someone told me last year that one of the most important, complex comics of the year would be The Flinstones, I would've laughed in their faces. Listen, I adored this series as a kid but it was silly. It was supposed to be silly. This novel somehow manages to blend in goofy puns (Starbricks Coffee and Applelous) with serious discussions of America's poor treatment of veterans, mental health, gay marriage, consumerism and the military industrial complex. Issue 5 of this series may be the best comic I've read all year and I'll get to that later. To get right into it, the only reason this isn't 5 stars is because I felt like Issue 6 wasn't super strong.
This series follows Fred Flintstone's life after the Bedrock War. He and his friend Barney Rubble are military vets working in Slate's Quarry to make ends meet. They run a Veteran's Group together and get their jollies watching fights (to the death?) and bowling at Crane's Lanes. They have their beautiful wives (seriously, I would steal Wilma from Fred in a heartbeat) Wilma and Betty. Their children Pebbles and Bam Bam. Also, a few issues in, Fred adopts and adorable dinosaur named Dino.
Nw, I've never read anything from Mark Russell before but I may have to start because he managed to weave serious issues into this comic seamlessly. It really shouldn't work but it does. On top of that, Bedrock is a lot more colorful (shall we say) than some other comics out right now and it's supposed to take place quite a ways in the past. Russell uses a slightly dark, cynical tone to discuss issues relevant to us today. He uses malls to talk about how consumerism leads us to work ourselves into early graves to pay for shit we don't need. He uses a suicide line that puts callers on hold to talk about how mental health issues aren't always taken seriously or maybe aren't viewed as a priority (it works multiple ways). The use of Morp and Gerald talk about false idols and the desperate need some have to believe in something.
The marriage retreat issue dismantled several misconceptions and beliefs about marriage and what it means. Firstly, it combats the idea that you have to be married if you love someone. Secondly, it asked the question of whether some people get married just to prevent the other person from moving on to someone better later (which, ouch). Thirdly, it shut down the idea that a woman's purpose is to have babies. Bless you for that, Russell. Lastly, it stood up for gay marriage and even made a comment about how the gay community uplifts society as a whole by being members of society. I loved this issue.
My favorite issue of this volume and, in my opinion, the best issue was issue #5. This issue has the most flashbacks to the Bedrock War and does a lot to question the election process and America's obsession with war. Perhaps the most controversial, Russell questions the reasons America goes to war and makes arguments against colonization. This issue shows that Fred and Barney were lured into the military by flashy perks and lies about the "enemy". There's even a line later on where Fred says "We committed a genocide". This book is not fucking around. At the end of the flashbacks, Fred picks up a doll and asks "Who brings their children to an invasion?" He realizes that they were misled, that they have committed a horrible crime and they really haven't made anything better.
There's a character called Joe who's suffering from suicidal ideation. He's left on hold with a suicide hotline when he's called to help fight in an alien invasion. He goes, he helps, and he dies. At the end, the media recognizes a monkey they've killed but not Joe. It's a quiet, saddening scene where Barney and Fred remember but no one else seems to. This is one of the examples Russell gives about the way vets are treated. He manages to do this without losing sight of the problematic reasons America goes to war in the first place.
There's an obvious metaphor in this issue about America's past election and I think it's done incredibly well. It discusses the misconceptions about the "outsiders", electing a bully with no real ideas, the candidate nearly winning because of promises they definitely cannot deliver on. One line stuck out to me a lot and it comes from Pebbles Flintstone (I never thought I would type that sentence): "Maybe our problem is that we elect leaders who can be bullied. So your solution is to elect the bully?" It was brilliant! Such a great representation of what happened last year. This character she's talking about literally says "I say and do what I want because I can get away with it. If I'm president, nobody will push us around. And if they try, I'll punch them in the beef." Russell was not trying to be subtle here.
I could on for hours about how much I loved that issue but I've said quite a bit already.
I should also note that the scenes where the appliances talk to each other was like a depressing Toy Story. The appliances don't ever get left behind. They get used, thrown at things, "recycled" when they fall out of use. It's so sad! I felt awful for an armadillo and a dinosaur vacuum.
So, that being said, I appreciated a lot of the little jokes in this book. The monkey that goes to space and the David Bowie reference (RIP). All of the little puns and Pebbles as an angsty teen. I enjoyed the hell out of those. Bless Russell for giving us the bare minimum of Gazoo. God, I hated that guy as a kid.
This is definitely a recommend for me. Not at all what you would expect from a book about the Flintstones.
If someone told me last year that one of the most important, complex comics of the year would be The Flinstones, I would've laughed in their faces. Listen, I adored this series as a kid but it was silly. It was supposed to be silly. This novel somehow manages to blend in goofy puns (Starbricks Coffee and Applelous) with serious discussions of America's poor treatment of veterans, mental health, gay marriage, consumerism and the military industrial complex. Issue 5 of this series may be the best comic I've read all year and I'll get to that later. To get right into it, the only reason this isn't 5 stars is because I felt like Issue 6 wasn't super strong.
This series follows Fred Flintstone's life after the Bedrock War. He and his friend Barney Rubble are military vets working in Slate's Quarry to make ends meet. They run a Veteran's Group together and get their jollies watching fights (to the death?) and bowling at Crane's Lanes. They have their beautiful wives (seriously, I would steal Wilma from Fred in a heartbeat) Wilma and Betty. Their children Pebbles and Bam Bam. Also, a few issues in, Fred adopts and adorable dinosaur named Dino.
Nw, I've never read anything from Mark Russell before but I may have to start because he managed to weave serious issues into this comic seamlessly. It really shouldn't work but it does. On top of that, Bedrock is a lot more colorful (shall we say) than some other comics out right now and it's supposed to take place quite a ways in the past. Russell uses a slightly dark, cynical tone to discuss issues relevant to us today. He uses malls to talk about how consumerism leads us to work ourselves into early graves to pay for shit we don't need. He uses a suicide line that puts callers on hold to talk about how mental health issues aren't always taken seriously or maybe aren't viewed as a priority (it works multiple ways). The use of Morp and Gerald talk about false idols and the desperate need some have to believe in something.
The marriage retreat issue dismantled several misconceptions and beliefs about marriage and what it means. Firstly, it combats the idea that you have to be married if you love someone. Secondly, it asked the question of whether some people get married just to prevent the other person from moving on to someone better later (which, ouch). Thirdly, it shut down the idea that a woman's purpose is to have babies. Bless you for that, Russell. Lastly, it stood up for gay marriage and even made a comment about how the gay community uplifts society as a whole by being members of society. I loved this issue.
My favorite issue of this volume and, in my opinion, the best issue was issue #5. This issue has the most flashbacks to the Bedrock War and does a lot to question the election process and America's obsession with war. Perhaps the most controversial, Russell questions the reasons America goes to war and makes arguments against colonization. This issue shows that Fred and Barney were lured into the military by flashy perks and lies about the "enemy". There's even a line later on where Fred says "We committed a genocide". This book is not fucking around. At the end of the flashbacks, Fred picks up a doll and asks "Who brings their children to an invasion?" He realizes that they were misled, that they have committed a horrible crime and they really haven't made anything better.
There's a character called Joe who's suffering from suicidal ideation. He's left on hold with a suicide hotline when he's called to help fight in an alien invasion. He goes, he helps, and he dies. At the end, the media recognizes a monkey they've killed but not Joe. It's a quiet, saddening scene where Barney and Fred remember but no one else seems to. This is one of the examples Russell gives about the way vets are treated. He manages to do this without losing sight of the problematic reasons America goes to war in the first place.
There's an obvious metaphor in this issue about America's past election and I think it's done incredibly well. It discusses the misconceptions about the "outsiders", electing a bully with no real ideas, the candidate nearly winning because of promises they definitely cannot deliver on. One line stuck out to me a lot and it comes from Pebbles Flintstone (I never thought I would type that sentence): "Maybe our problem is that we elect leaders who can be bullied. So your solution is to elect the bully?" It was brilliant! Such a great representation of what happened last year. This character she's talking about literally says "I say and do what I want because I can get away with it. If I'm president, nobody will push us around. And if they try, I'll punch them in the beef." Russell was not trying to be subtle here.
I could on for hours about how much I loved that issue but I've said quite a bit already.
I should also note that the scenes where the appliances talk to each other was like a depressing Toy Story. The appliances don't ever get left behind. They get used, thrown at things, "recycled" when they fall out of use. It's so sad! I felt awful for an armadillo and a dinosaur vacuum.
So, that being said, I appreciated a lot of the little jokes in this book. The monkey that goes to space and the David Bowie reference (RIP). All of the little puns and Pebbles as an angsty teen. I enjoyed the hell out of those. Bless Russell for giving us the bare minimum of Gazoo. God, I hated that guy as a kid.
This is definitely a recommend for me. Not at all what you would expect from a book about the Flintstones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2017
I think Mark Russell is becoming one of my favorite comic writers. I really enjoyed his cutting social commentary in his Prez series, and this volume is just as enjoyable. Among the issues covered are the role of religion in society, the PTSD that soldiers experience after war, consumerism, and the relationship between management and labor, just to name a few. Every page had me smiling and laughing, because as they say--it's funny because it's true.
June 20, 2017
I bought this because my comic shop guy recommended it. I was not expecting much but, honestly, he has never steered me wrong. The sheer genius in this is kind of staggering (especially after one too many vodka sodas, whoops) and the amount of social commentary hidden in this book is just amazing. Seriously, give this a try. You will not regret it.
May 8, 2019
Loaded with laugh-out-loud moments, this series is my favorite Hanna-Barbera Universe story yet. Spend time looking at ths backgrounds; they're loaded with puns and goofy jokes. Nice update to the characters too. Looking forward to volume 2!
April 6, 2018
This was a ton of fun to read. I'm sorry it took so long for me to do so, and I want to cosplay as Pebbles ASAP.
July 14, 2025
Biting satire in a delightfully unexpected package.
May 26, 2017
4.5 stars.
Who would have guessed that The Flinstones would be one of the most accessible and socially insightful comics of the year?!
DC is doing a great job shepherding and updating the Hanna Barbera properties! (Also highly recommended is the Scooby Apocalypse title.)
Who would have guessed that The Flinstones would be one of the most accessible and socially insightful comics of the year?!
DC is doing a great job shepherding and updating the Hanna Barbera properties! (Also highly recommended is the Scooby Apocalypse title.)
May 21, 2017
Why does this exist? It isn't funny. It isn't even pleasant to read. And it certainly isn't the Flintstones. Must be something to do with preserving the trademark, right?
February 24, 2018
I can't say that I ever expected a Flintstones comic to address PTSD, infertility, materialism, and gay marriage, but here we are.
Read
September 14, 2017Tradução minha.
Uma grande surpresa! Espero que saia aqui em volume único e já fica a recomendação.
Essa HQ é uma versão da DC para os Flintstones que todo mundo conhece. Mark Russell aproveita a oportunidade de modernização para fazer uma crítica espirituosa e inteligente ao capitalismo e ao consumismo, falar de religiões vazias, tratar de casamento gay, manipulação de eleições, Trump, de adoção, do ódio cego a qualquer tipo de mudança, de como líderes criam falsos inimigos para levar nações à guerra ou promover o ódio a minorias, entre outras coisas.
A história se concentra na Wilma e no Fred, mas todos os personagens clássicos têm seus bons momentos, inclusive Bambam e Pedrita já adolescentes.
Apesar das dezenas de trocadilhos, um dos trabalhos mais recompensadores do ano e que merece a nota boa por aqui.
Uma grande surpresa! Espero que saia aqui em volume único e já fica a recomendação.
Essa HQ é uma versão da DC para os Flintstones que todo mundo conhece. Mark Russell aproveita a oportunidade de modernização para fazer uma crítica espirituosa e inteligente ao capitalismo e ao consumismo, falar de religiões vazias, tratar de casamento gay, manipulação de eleições, Trump, de adoção, do ódio cego a qualquer tipo de mudança, de como líderes criam falsos inimigos para levar nações à guerra ou promover o ódio a minorias, entre outras coisas.
A história se concentra na Wilma e no Fred, mas todos os personagens clássicos têm seus bons momentos, inclusive Bambam e Pedrita já adolescentes.
Apesar das dezenas de trocadilhos, um dos trabalhos mais recompensadores do ano e que merece a nota boa por aqui.
March 14, 2019
A friend at work told me about this and I was like, "The Flintstones? What? It's supposed to be good?" Yes. And she was right. This is a satire, poking fun and commenting on American society, including religion, science, war, marriage, politics, and consumerism. It made me chuckle under my breath - some of the storylines and one-liners hit me exactly as the writers intended. I would definitely recommend to people who like reading acerbic socio-political commentary. This comic surprised me.
Read
February 4, 2017When you think about it, The Flintstones was always addressing contemporary issues in a pseudo-Stone Age setting, but I'd still love to see the moment when someone realised that meant it could become Black Mirror facing the other way. Hence stories like the one where marriage has Bedrock up in arms, simply because it's new, and if the sex cave used to be good enough then why do people want to change the system now? It's unnatural!* The Water Buffalo lodge is a support group for the survivors fucked up by being tricked into perpetrating one of humanity's first genocides; Mr Slate a study in the perfidy and ultimate futility of the 1%; and let's not even get into the Great Gazoo. Russell has already demonstrated his satirical chops on his Prez reboot; Pugh was a perfect choice to meld the ridiculous technology and cute critters of the original with the long-suffering face of a Fred genuinely traumatised by consumerism, PTSD and the failure of religion. When I first heard DC were doing a gritty Hanna-Barbera reboot, it seemed like a parody of the misery and snark into which the New 52 had plunged so much of their own universe, and to be honest I'm still pretty sceptical of Scooby Apocalypse and the Mad Max-style Wacky Raceland. But I heard enough good things about this one to be thoroughly excited when it arrived on Netgalley, and it really didn't disappoint. Though be warned, the conversations between the armadillo and the vacuum cleaner will haunt you.
*Inevitably, yet still brilliantly, this story features a guest appearance by Adam and Steve.
*Inevitably, yet still brilliantly, this story features a guest appearance by Adam and Steve.
February 24, 2017
Two stars because the art is simply beautiful, but I couldn't stand all the socio-political things contained in this novel, I was expecting something different, something more simple and funny.
January 1, 2018
If you loved the cartoons, then don't read this. It will stain your childhood, but I decided to take the risk and there are no regrets. This comic is soooo good it's worth it.
April 20, 2017
I spotted this graphic novel while browsing in the library and recalled reading somewhere online that the new Flintstones comic was a satire on capitalism. Since I had one space left on my library card, I thought why not? And indeed, it did turn out to be an impressively dark little satire on consumerism, the military-industrial complex, religion, and marriage. Most institutions, really. This range of targets made it a bit scattershot, but the writing was also incisive, deadpan, and very funny. Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble are traumatised war veterans (“We participated in a genocide, Barney”), while Wilma is a frustrated artist. One of my favourite sequences was Fred trying to explain to some literal neanderthals hired by his boss how employment works: “It’s money.” “What am I supposed to do with this?” “I don’t know. Buy something someone else hated making.” Other highlights include the household appliances as an underclass of oppressed creatures, the alien invasion (a nice allegory for the neo-colonialism of wealthy tourists), and the election (“Now, you are called ‘Clod the Destroyer’, but isn’t that just because you’re the son of Mordok the Destroyer? Have you ever actually destroyed anything?” “Clod’s name is not issue here! Lizard people are issue!”). The colourful cartoonish art makes a pleasing contrast with the surprisingly subversive content. Definitely recommended.
February 6, 2021
I didn’t feel much towards this story, right up until the end that is. I didn’t hate it and I’m not mad that I read it, it was just kind of meh for me. This ending, however, was really sweet and made up for everything else. :’)
June 3, 2018
I both hate and love this a lot.
November 21, 2017
The Flintstones comics from DC reimagines the modern Stone Age family for the 21st century. The original Hanna-Barbera cartoon from the 1960s depicted cavemen engaged in the same lifestyle as "modern" folks -- marriages with traditional gender roles, rampant consumerism, an adulation of masculine ideals.
This comic critiques all those things through a Stone Age lens -- if they'd had lenses. The various issues contained in this volume touch on consumerism, monogamy, science, faith, PTSD, and more. Fred and Barney are war veterans with emotional trauma. ("Yabba dabba doo" is a nonsense phrase meant to help them escape the clutches of a panic attack.) Fred and Wilma are ostracized for believing in monogamy when the majority of the population live in polygamous sex caves. Their "kinky" monogamy retreat is both hilarious and insightful, concluding with a poignant anecdote from Fred's past about homosexuality and its place in society.
The artwork shows the characters with more realistic (emphasis on the "-istic") proportions. Many of the men have nicely exaggerated musculature, which is in-line with the demanding physical labor of their lives. The humor runs the gamut from broad, pun-based humor (the pun -- making people groan since 65 million BC) like "Tar Pit" instead of "Target" or "Starbrick's Coffee" to more subtle humor, like the sub-plot involving Fred Flintstone selling vitamins as part of a snake-oil pyramid scheme. As an unwitting consumer of Flintstones chewables for many years, I found this hilarious.
The comic isn't all humor. It tackles surprisingly bleak existential issues. The absurdity of the Flintstones' animal appliances discussing philosophy when the family is gone is funny on the surface, but the content of their conversation is surprisingly profound. So is Bamm-Bamm's origin story.
As I read, I found myself wondering why I liked this so much. If another work used the same blunt delivery, I might find it ham-fisted, like being clubbed over the head. But the delivery is part of the charm. The juxtaposition of an elephantine vacuum cleaner discussing the sheer loneliness of existence with an armadillo bowling ball makes their conversation seem more sophisticated as a result. So the messages of these comics stands out because they're delivered by a reboot of a near-60-year-old hack animated franchise. These comics are better than they have any right to be.
This comic critiques all those things through a Stone Age lens -- if they'd had lenses. The various issues contained in this volume touch on consumerism, monogamy, science, faith, PTSD, and more. Fred and Barney are war veterans with emotional trauma. ("Yabba dabba doo" is a nonsense phrase meant to help them escape the clutches of a panic attack.) Fred and Wilma are ostracized for believing in monogamy when the majority of the population live in polygamous sex caves. Their "kinky" monogamy retreat is both hilarious and insightful, concluding with a poignant anecdote from Fred's past about homosexuality and its place in society.
The artwork shows the characters with more realistic (emphasis on the "-istic") proportions. Many of the men have nicely exaggerated musculature, which is in-line with the demanding physical labor of their lives. The humor runs the gamut from broad, pun-based humor (the pun -- making people groan since 65 million BC) like "Tar Pit" instead of "Target" or "Starbrick's Coffee" to more subtle humor, like the sub-plot involving Fred Flintstone selling vitamins as part of a snake-oil pyramid scheme. As an unwitting consumer of Flintstones chewables for many years, I found this hilarious.
The comic isn't all humor. It tackles surprisingly bleak existential issues. The absurdity of the Flintstones' animal appliances discussing philosophy when the family is gone is funny on the surface, but the content of their conversation is surprisingly profound. So is Bamm-Bamm's origin story.
As I read, I found myself wondering why I liked this so much. If another work used the same blunt delivery, I might find it ham-fisted, like being clubbed over the head. But the delivery is part of the charm. The juxtaposition of an elephantine vacuum cleaner discussing the sheer loneliness of existence with an armadillo bowling ball makes their conversation seem more sophisticated as a result. So the messages of these comics stands out because they're delivered by a reboot of a near-60-year-old hack animated franchise. These comics are better than they have any right to be.
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