Plastic Man, Vol. 2: Rubber Bandits

Plastic Man (2003)

by Kyle Baker

Criminal-turned-hero Plastic Man, formerly known as "Eel" O'Brian, sucks the life out of a vampire, messes with Homeland Security, battles a menacing mouse, captures the most of evil books of all time and travels through time with John Wilkes Booth.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Superheroes, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Kyle John Baker is an American cartoonist, comic book writer-artist, and animator known for his graphic novels and for a 2000s revival of the series Plastic Man.
Baker has won numerous Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards for his work in the comics field.

Reviews

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun art style makes this a very enjoyable read. What doesn't make this so enjoyable to read are the jokes falling flat. The artist is afraid no one will understand the jokes, so he always explains them right afterward. Sure there were some jokes that had me laughing out loud but in total it just seems childish, even though they are making adult jokes the entire time.
The art style fits Plastic Man perfectly just not the writer.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 reread - It's still true.
+++++++
My favorite super-hero series since Simonson's Orion and Robinson's Starman (no matter incomparable it it to those two in tone and content). Gut-busting, public-transit-scene-causing hilarity.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume was better than the first, so this is technically a 2.5. Plastic Man is definitely a character that lends himself to comical, ridiculous story lines. Any iota of seriousness just doesn't work. This volume understood that well and embraced it. I can't say this was the funniest comic I've ever read, but I did get a few chuckles, particularly at the points poking fun at comic book continuity and the whole Superman v. President Lex Luthor thing. Unlike the first volume, this had some jokes in it for comic book fans. They weren't the best such jokes I'd ever read, but they were passable and I got a little chuckle. Most of the humor was more slapstick in nature, which was fine. All in all, this is a perfect read if you want something simple and fast, and, since I'm not feeling my best, it was a solid choice.

[Tim O'neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of fun stuff here, including the unexpected Plastic Man/Ra’s al Ghul encounter you didn’t know you needed. It’s 5/5 for wackiness, including just totally sticking with the vampire stepdaughter thing, and the monks who are the Fantastic Four (with Plas as Mr. Famplastic, of course). After all this wackiness, tho, we’re sorta looking forward to reading Gail Simone’s hopefully more grounded approach.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plastic Man should’ve been an early WB cartoon- it just works. The gags are silly, the art is perfect and the story keeps going.

Plastic Man fighting a mouse is a great comic and that ending was a great laugh.

[Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inconsistencies from the first volume to the second.

[Sean]

"In order to save your mother, Abraham Lincoln must die!"

I think you get the idea.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 3 out of 5]

my 1st printing of this ISBN has that attached red cover

Collects 21st century "Plastic Man" issue #s 8-11+13+14

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 1 out of 5]

This second collection takes us from issues 8-11, along with 13-14. There are the usual ravings for Baker's work, often in the same breath as Jack Cole.

This time around, Baker retcons the excellent character development of Plas' relationship with his son that was done in JLA, shoots Lincoln with a modern pistol (after saying they can't do anything modern or it will destroy history) from the front of the box at Ford's, does a stupid bit with Luthor, a pointless vampire attack, a dumb book theft plot, and a rejected Tom and Jerry script.

This is not even remotely funny. None of it. I think I may have mildly chuckled once or twice, but don't bet on it.

Cole's O'Brian was smooth, smart, and angular. Baker's art is sloppy, choppy, and he makes Plas dumber than Cole ever portrayed Woozy. It's just bad all the way around, and that's a shame because I REALLY like Baker's indie work. Why this falls flat is a mystery to me, but I lay the blame on whomever insisted Plas be made into a bumbling rubber ball. If that was Baker, shame on him.

Avoid this, and read some real Plastic Man, either in modern JLA or, better yet, get your hands on some Plastic Man Archives by Cole.

[Emma Alice Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plastic Man Done Right

I love Plastic Man. All too often though, he's only used as a background character. On the few occasions he appears front and center, writers and artists often don't know what to do with him. Kyle Baker knows what to do with him. This book is packed full of amazing sight gags, solid stories and plenty of good gags about Plastic Man's weird uniform. A must-have for any fan.

[Matt Mazenauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book kinda leaps all over the place. The main story arc is a time-travel adventure, and no one is as appropriate for the wackiness associated with it that Plas. The other stories are odd, and cute, but being little one-shots (including one all aboutfighting a mouse) it's not as coherent as the first (but it does really harken to its Looney Toon roots.

[Ellie]

Zany humor, with plots where Abraham Lincoln must die, Lex Luthor gets turned into a frog, and a hardcore librarian defies the Patriot Act. I was surprised and pleased that the plot occasionally touched on the events of the rest of the DC Universe, making this book an entertaining read for kids and DC fans alike.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this volume better than volume one. This volume was made up of stand alone issues, which appears to suit Kyle Baker better. They were funny and entertaining. I'm hoping for a volume three which will feature the Scott Morse issues.

[Man Solo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty bad.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading. Too funny.

[Jdetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is even better than the first volume!

[Reyel2107 · Rating 4 out of 5]

more cartoon fun !!!