The Big Book of Barry Ween, Boy Genius

by Judd Winick

Meet Barry Ween, the smartest living human. What does a ten-year-old boy do with a 350 I.Q.? Anything he wants! Cranky, egotistical, arrogant, and foul-mouthed, Barry in general wants to conduct his experiments and be left alone, but it never seems to work out. Hurdles that Barry must outmaneuver range from time warps, to art thieves, to inter-dimensional warfare with gorillas, to accidentally turning his best friend into a dinosaur! This massive volume collects all three BARRY WEEN mini-series—12 issues in all—for a complete compilation of the hit series, THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY WEEN, BOY GENIUS.

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

352 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2011

About the author

Judd Winick is an American cartoonist, comic book writer, screenwriter, and former reality television personality known for his diverse contributions to storytelling across multiple media. He first entered the public eye in 1994 as a cast member on The Real World: San Francisco, where he formed a close friendship with AIDS educator Pedro Zamora, an experience that deeply influenced his later work. Winick memorialized their bond in Pedro and Me, a critically acclaimed autobiographical graphic novel that earned several literary awards and became a staple in school curricula.

Winick's career in comics took off with The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius and continued with major runs at DC Comics, including Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Batman. His stories often explored socially relevant themes, such as HIV, homophobia, and identity. He was recognized for introducing gay characters and tackling difficult subjects with empathy and clarity. His work on Batman notably included resurrecting the character Jason Todd as the Red Hood, a storyline later adapted into the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood, for which Winick wrote the screenplay.

Beyond comics, he created The Life and Times of Juniper Lee for Cartoon Network and served as head writer for Hulu's The Awesomes. In 2015, he launched the Hilo series, an all-ages sci-fi adventure inspired by his own children. The bestselling series has been widely praised and is expected to reach its eleventh volume in 2025.

Winick lives in San Francisco with his wife, Pam Ling, also a Real World alum, and their two children. He continues to create heartfelt and imaginative stories for audiences of all ages.

Reviews

[Peter Derk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was younger, and it's still great now.

It's weird, it's genuinely funny, and Judd Winick couldn't be nicer.

I won't say too much, but I met him just a couple years ago, a good decade out from the Barry Ween days. He was at a con promoting a VERY different book, and when I told him I was a fan of his from the BW days (I didn't say that, "The BW days." I just shortened it here, then realized you would think I said it to Winick, like I would call Robert DeNiro "Bobby D" or something) he looked really happy, and he drew me a totally unsanctioned Barry Ween sketch in 10 seconds flat. And he told me not to tell anyone that he'd done it because his new publisher would probably kill him.

...I figure we're far enough out now that it's cool, right?

I've had a mixed bag when it comes to meeting writers/artists, and Winick was one of the best. I don't always care whether an author is a jerk, but it certainly builds some loyalty when someone is really nice to a comics dork. Thanks, Judd!

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barry Ween es un chico superdotado, con un CI de 350. Desde el vientre desarrolla esa inteligencia, siendo consciente de todo lo que pasa. Crecido es capaz de inventar cualquier cosa, desde portales interdimensionales a armas borra memoria o atontadores. En el jardín de infantes se aburre tanto, que manda clones y androides en su lugar para seguir inventando cosas en su casa. Tiene un amigo con quien comparte cada aventura. Este compilado reúne los doce números publicados hasta el momento donde Judd Winick es autor integral. Es muy pero muy divertido, es como una mezcla del laboratorio de Dexter con Misión imposible. Hay mucho humor del bueno y excelentes diálogos. Una joya de culto.

[Paul Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy geniuses have been the subject of many different types of media, like Dexter’s Lab and Jimmy Neutron. While both Dexter’s Lab and Jimmy Neutron are enjoyable to some they are limited due to censors and target demographic. Enter the 1999’s The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius, ready to break the mold and take you by the throat. Since it is made for adults, there is an upped level of insanity, subject matter, and writing, all while being serious with a subtle under tone of sincerity. This comic aims to take the idea of a young boy genius and ramp everything up to eleven.

Barry Ween is created by Judd Winick, who readers might know from his Cartoon Network series, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee. In 2010, he also worked on the screenplay for the DC animated film, Batman: Under the Red Hood.

Barry Ween is the story of well, Barry Ween, a hyper intelligent ten year old living in the north eastern part of the United States. He lives in the suburbs with his best friend Jeremy Ramirez, an ADD, vulgar, ten year old all wrapped up in a Puerto Rican body. Jeremy stats pretty calm when Barry invents something amazing that would cause people to freak out. Jeremy is the only person who knows of Barry’s genius and normally accompanies Barry on adventures or simply helps him clean up his experiments. Their friendship is extremely strong and Barry will go to any length to protect his only true friend that understands him.

Barry Ween is partly episodic but with a semi-overarching plot with reoccurring characters like fellow classmate/love interest Sara and Sasquatch turned elementary school student Roxy. Stories include turning Jeremy into a dinosaur with an afro after accidentally drinking an accelerated growth serum, to turning Barry’s dad into a Neanderthal with a time portal rift, to saving an elementary class from a group of bank robbers with Barry’s inventions. Some of the bigger stories even involve a giant ape and a time vortex. All the while these two ten year olds are cursing like a naval fleet of sailors.

One of the best things about Berry Ween is the dialogue, surprising from a comic with such profanity. What I love about the dialogue is how smart Barry’s comebacks are, from extremely sarcastic to witty. With such quotes as “COLOR ME NINE DIFFERENT SHADES OF NOT GIVING A FUCK!” or “Ice cream for the rich or anorexic” (after Jeremy asks Barry what is sherbet). Even some of the normal things Barry says have a level of sarcasm that is almost a dead ringer for fellow writer, Mr. Franklin Raines.

Another interesting aspect of Barry Ween is the art. I noticed how Judd Winick’s art progressively became better by the chapter, with the overall quality improving with time. The level of detail ranges drastically; look on the cover and Barry’s giant lazer gun looks like it is made of multiple intricate segments yet Barry’s face is rather simple. Another example would be the physical detail seen in Barry’s babysitter Rene when she is turned into a giant ape-like creature after Jeremy accidentally squirts her with a topical steroid. The art is interesting to look at and I found myself glancing over several panels just to see all the little things.

Pros:

All of the stories are so diverse in nature that they offer a unique look at how Barry and the supporting cast interacts with their environment. The art is about as unique as the characters, from Jeremy’s facial expressions, to his various his laser guns. Judd Winick even manages to put in emotion, getting serious at points and deviating from the rather norm of insanity. For instance, after Barry rescues Jeremy from being kidnapped in one chapter, Barry apologies and says he does not know what he would do without Jeremy, and means to repeat himself to reiterate his point.

Cons:

I can honestly find nothing wrong with Barry Ween, and this rarely happens. Only problem stems from the knowledge that I have now read all of it and there is no more.

Oni Press’s Barry Ween is one of the best comics I have ever had the pleasure to read, making it one of my new favorite comics. Barry Ween is one of those comics every comic book fan should read, include in their collection, but share with as many of their friends as possible. Barry Ween is not just all action and violence with crude humor or jokes, it has something deeper hidden inside of it, a heart.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Barry Ween via Frumpy the Clown, but it took me literally years to getting around to reading his saga. What happened was I managed to acquire books 3 and 4 in the Barry Ween series, but never got around to finding books 1 and 2. This past weekend, I finally got around to reading the books I had, and then discovered this collection of the entire series. So, oddly enough, I read the whole series out of order. Strangely, it didn't have too much of an effect on the series as a whole; the first two books seem to be more funny-oriented, and the last two are a little more serious.

When it comes to the funny, the author does a great job of it. This isn't a surprise, since he honed those skills with Frumpy the Clown, a daily, syndicated strip he wrote for a few years. Here, though, he got a chance to mix it up for a more adult audience with some choice language and situations. The language is funny because of the characters -- they're supposed to be about 12, I'd guess -- but the situations are funnier. Barry is like an older Dexter (of Dexter's Laboratory, not the USA TV show), and his best friend, Jeremy, is a boy with serious ADHD and a generous lack of judgment. Typically, Barry creates some crazy contraption that can change the world, and then Jeremy messes it up somehow. Those antics are the heart of the stories, and they work well. Winick also has a deft skill for drawing expressions, and conveys a lot of emotion through that alone.

As for the serious, though, I can't really discuss that without giving you the obligatory

SPOILER ALERT

because the effect of his serious stories depends so much on how he ends the entire storyarc. The short of it is that Barry has a crush on a girl at his school named Sara, but he's never revealed his genius to her, because he feels like it would alter how she thinks about him. In the final two volumes, Sara is sucked into another dimension where she grows about 10 years in the 10 seconds where she's away from her home dimension. Over the course of the story, Barry gets involved with a battle that ultimately kills Sara. Of course, this devastates both Barry and Jeremy (Barry because of his crush; Jeremy because he feels as if he were to blame for her death), and when they return home, Barry manages to back in time just long enough to correct the mistake and save Sara. In the author's notes at the end of the volume, Winick talks about how he wanted to develop Barry's character and cement the relationship between his characters. In a way, I praise him for taking that initiative; in another, I think he failed miserably.

There are a number of reasons I dislike the way he ended the series, not least of which is his use of time travel to right the wrongs. The reader has been involved with a pretty intense storyline where some decisions were made that will have long-lasting effects on his main characters. Instead of taking the initiative to develop them in this way, he decides to erase all that's happened. I think Winick copped out at this point, and I think his readers suffer because of it.

Also, the more I think about it, the more I think Winick was misguided in how he developed Barry. Sure, he may have gone back in time to save Sara out of his feelings for her, but in the end, Barry winds up just being selfish. Granted, I don't think that anyone would choose otherwise if they were given a real-world situation where they could go back in time to save a loved one, but where Winick was hoping to make Barry more real, instead he made him more of a caricature. Plus, Sara and Jeremy's characters had gone through some heavy development of their own, and over the span of just a few pages, Winick erased that. In a way, Sara sacrificed herself to save Jeremy, which spoke volumes of how much her friendships meant to her, and though that was the end of her development, it didn't have to be the end of the story.

The way I see it, both Barry and Jeremy's characters could have gone through some serious development of their own, had Winick decided to leave Sara dead at the end of the story. After Sara's death, Jeremy suffered a lot of guilt, and Winick could have used that guilt to guide a lot of what Jeremy would do in the future. He could still be a wacky sidekick who creates a lot of trouble for Barry, but underneath that exterior could be a driving need to prove himself for Sara. In my mind, I see a scene where Jeremy drops that wacky exterior and gets serious with Barry, much like Delirium did with Dream in Brief Lives. But now that motivation is gone. It never existed.

With Barry, I could see him taking on the responsibility of finding Sara some other way. In that dimension, she was dead. That didn't mean she was dead in all dimensions. I think that Winick could have taken the story in a new direction afterward, where Barry's all-consuming drive to find Sara would be the main goal of the entire series. He could go through trial and error trying to find her, somehow, some way, in an effort to be with her again. I picture scenes where he finds a Sara, but not the one he hopes to find, or where he attempts to create her, only to find that she's a shell (most likely influenced by the Swamp Thing story "My Blue Heaven"), etc. I just felt like there was great potential there, and Winick opted to take the easy way out.

In the end, all this discussion is moot, since Winick doesn't seem to be pursuing Barry's story any more. But I can't help but get my gears going in that direction.

Of course, none of this is a way of saying that I don't recommend the series. As it is, I think the stories are above average, and would even go so far as to say that the entire storyarc is really good. I just think it could have been great, given a little more attention and time.

[B · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know what? Blah.

There are some cute Pinky and the Brain/Rick and Morty–type ideas scattered here and there. But the whole book just feels really gross and unpleasant. The main character and his best friend are really foul-mouthed and objectifying/misogynistic and just mean. One could say this about the book as well. It's hard to really sympathize with them or anyone else.

[Colin Murtagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this the other day, sat down with it, and didn't look up until I finished it. I had so much fun.
Barry is a 10 year old who makes Stewie Griffin look like a normal toddler. With an IQ off the scale, a self awareness thats unbelievable, and more resources than a small army.
His best (only) friend on the other hand is Jeremy. Sure he has ADHD, he also has no real self preservation, no judgement, and a fascination with naked women.
It would be easy to mark this up as crude, or problematical, but thats too simplistic a reading. It's the equivalent of saying Calvin and Hobbes is about a kid with an over active imagination. It's about friendship, it's about growing up, and about sacrifice. This is a book with heart. You can go from the story where a chimp with Ebola ends up at the school dance, which had me literally laughing so loud my wife was giving me looks, through to the final story, with it's heartbreaking finale.
There's a beautiful story arc to this, with not only Barry and Jeremy having character growth, but with the addition of Sara, who Barry has a crush on being introduced half way through the book, there's an emotional heft.
I wish there was more of this

[Richard L. Haas III · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m convinced this is a love it or hate it series, but it baffles me how anyone could hate it. On the surface level you could say that the humor is too crude, or that Winick uses pop culture references as a crutch, or perhaps the art is derivative of cartoony Calvin & Hobbs morning newspaper comic strip. And sure. Arguments can be made for all of those points... but that’s the surface level. That’s the point. Barry Ween is much deeper than what the surface level will give credit for.

Issues with crude humor? Get lost; stay away from this graphic novel. It’s not for you. Barry Ween is all about grabbing humorous absurdity and bringing it to the forefront. Something that feels absolutely natural in nerd culture, sci-fi junkies, and ten year old kids. It’s by design. Same with the argument on pop culture. While reading there averaged about one reference every 2-3 page. When put like that, it sounds incredibly overdone. But here’s the kicker— it was completely natural. That’s the culture, that’s the demographic. It feels natural. However, it’s also a testament to how good Winick’s writing is, which we will get back too in just a second.

Now the final argument for not liking this series was the art. And look, I’m not in love with it. I’ll admit that at first, for me, it left much to be desired and I felt that Barry was in fact too cartoony... At first. Once you embrace the story and what he’s doing, all can be forgiven because as I said... that’s the point. It’s simple for a reason (and beyond the “indie” angle). And I get that. Although I’m still not in love with it, I appreciate the style.

But one thing I do not think anyone can complain about is the writing. It’s funny but it’s genuine. It’s smart and it’s got heart. I think that’s what blew me away. I’ve seen many writers, time and time again, try to write in this overly sardonic way and it comes out lazy or awkward. At no point do you get bored or annoyed with the characters (well, maybe that one issue with a younger, hyper Jeremy)— the main thing here is you feel for the characters and what they are going through. Even the way it ends. Man, I won’t spoil it but it’s freaking heavy for a comedy comic. It transcends from the comic strip inspiration it’s built upon into a really solid story. It’s complicated but it’s simple. At its core it’s more than a cruder Dexter’s Laboratory-type romp.

Maybe one day he can return to this title, because Barry is in need or more adventures.

[Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This was recommended to me by a local comic shop owner. He compared it to Calvin and Hobbes but with cursing. He wasn't inaccurate. This was a hilarious comic with some touches of emotion. Not to spoil anything, but if you have reservations about the book, save judgement until you read the last storyline.

[***Dave Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a long-time fan of Barry Ween, and having his adventures on one convenient volume is awesomely convenient. Foul-mouthed, imaginative, exciting, witty, scatological, hysterical, and poignant-unto-tragic, the saga of Barry Ween is truly special.

[Berryhill McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful way to spend the first 48 hours after surgery. Perfect ratio of dick jokes to meaningful childhood connections. Reminded me of Jason Fox from Foxtrot, if Foxtrot had been raunchier and involved inter dimensional travel.

[Craig Citro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this one several times, and I thoroughly enjoy it every time. I think Judd Winick and I seem to have a similar sense of humor; also, I am apparently still a 13-year old maturity-wise. :)

[Kaitlin Szeszko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! So entertaining ❤️

[Jody Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a reread. Probably read this compendium a dozen times. One of my favorite comic books.

[HeavyReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I really enjoyed this collection about the super smart ten-year-old boy genius, Barry Ween.

Beware: the protagonist may be only 10 years old, but this book is not really intended for kids. It's full of hardcore cursing, some sex (no explicit illustrations, but talk of blow jobs and parental humping), and lots and lots of violence. (My favorite curse in the book is "mother sucking cock fucker" spoken by a kid in another dimension who is learning to curse for the first time. I love it!)

Barry Ween does not talk or act like any 10 year old I've ever encountered, but I'm ok with that because he's a boy genius. He thinks, talks, and acts like an adult, because he's brilliant. Actually, he's too brilliant to think, talk, and act like most adults I've encountered either. He's much smarter than the crowd I run with. Hell, he's much, much, much smarter than I can ever hope to be.

All that brain power leads story lines featuring alternate dimensions, time travel, cloning, explosions, computers, dinosaurs, and cool weapons and other gadgets. This is entertainment for super science geeks.

All of the art is in black and white, except for the six page "color special" at the back of the book. Also at the back is a sketch gallery and a few pages explaining how Judd Winick makes the Barry Ween stories happen.

One request: Please, please, give us a spin off story starring Roxie the Sasquatch girl. I adore that Sasquatch girl.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy crap, there is NO WAY I saw this one coming.

I picked up the book at a local comics event because I'm a fan of graphic novels and I wanted to try out new authors/artists. The book looked looked like it could be interesting so I bought it. After sitting on my bookshelf for a few months, I decided to give it a whirl.

I don't recall having so much fun reading comics! Barry and his friend Jeremy (both 10 years old) are hilarious, not to mention completely "inappropriate." This ain't a kid's comic book, folks. The humor is sophomoric and the raunch gets graphic, but shoot me, I loved all of it. I'll definitely be checking out Winick's other books. Too damn funny.

(The book could have dropped the last, colored comic. It was the only lamer of the bunch.)

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

thoroughly enjoyed this romp! Summary: Meet Barry Ween, the smartest living human. What does a ten-year-old boy do with a 350 I.Q.? Anything he wants! Cranky, egotistical, arrogant, and foul-mouthed, Barry in general wants to conduct his experiments and be left alone, but it never seems to work out. Hurdles that Barry must outmaneuver range from time warps, to art thieves, to inter-dimensional warfare with gorillas, to accidentally turning his best friend into a dinosaur! This massive volume collects all three Barry Ween mini-series - 12 issues in all - for a complete compilation of the hit series, The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ostensibly about a 10 year old boy genius, this is actually a story about the friendship between two little boys. While Barry Ween is smarter than everyone around him and can suffer no fools, he has a soft spot for his slower and sweeter best friend. His friend gets them into trouble and Barry has to get them out, over and over again. You may not relate to the actual experiences, but you will relate to the emotions of this book.

This was one of my favorite books to recommend when I worked behind the counter of a comics book store. The logical, more mature (read potty-mouthed) continuation of Calvin and Hobbes.

[Blake Petit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice omnibus edition of some of Judd Winnick's best work. While his superhero comics have their highs and lows, the adventures of Barry Ween are all really funny, really strong comics. Barry is a sort of foul-mouthed super-genius, and his inventions combined with the ineptitude of his friends and his own problems with social connections give us twelve great adventures here. The characterization is surprisingly strong, and the art is packed with nice visual gags. I really hope Winnick gets around to giving us more Barry Ween one of these days.

[Indika de Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Barry Ween... A ten year old with an I.Q of 350. He also is super arrogant, has a real foul mouth yet highly gifted. He is also joined by his close friend Jeremy who is not the sharpest tool in the shed and Sara; Barry's love interest.

Join Barry as he battles aliens, apes from other dimensions and much more. The stories are quite entertaining. The images are in black and white; but there is no shortage of entertainment.

The following book contains all the previously published 12 issues.

Enjoy... I sure did...

[raman · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the funniest books i've read in a LONG time. had me laughing out loud. i knew Judd Winick was a pretty good writer from his work on any # of Marvel & DC comics (as well as reading "Pedro & Me" years ago), but i was not expecting such great tone/voice to his characters, with quite a few great non-sequiters. and who knew, by the end of this compilation, you really feel vested in the characters themselves. fantastic.

[Wt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry Ween is not only a Boy Genius, he is comedic gold! Imagine having a best friend who can invent almost anything and still likes fart jokes! Plus, you get to experience time travel and so much more! I have the comics, I have the collected TPBS and now I have this book, all because I LOVE Barry Ween!

[Evilash89 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barry Ween is no doubt an interesting character. Having an IQ of 350+ that makes Einstein look like a toddler, his character is fantastically bright, vulgar, and genius all wrapped into one package. And above all it's one of the most 'believable' genius persona based books I've ever read. It's excellently paced, funny, and topical.

[Ryan]

Brilliant. Hilarious. Thoughtful. Like Stewie from Family Guy, Barry Ween is a giant brain in a small package. The twist, however, is that Barry's friends get him into as much trouble as his IQ does; and though Barry constantly wonders why he must keep these comparative simpletons around he cares about them and protects them despite his best efforts not to.

[Anthony Paolucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most underrated comics I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The ONLY bad thing about it is that it's only 12 issues long. I realize it would be hard for any creator to turn down a steady job with DC over pursuing their own title, but hopefully one day he'll be in a good position to return. From the writing to the art, this is pretty incredible stuff.

[Keith Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just all kinds of awesome. I loved it. Barry Ween wasn't so much a genius as an excuse for him to basically be a superhero, but I'm okay with that because it was incredibly funny and entertaining.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a 10-year-old supergenius is, at its worst, a funny knockoff of Dexter's Laboratory with more profanity. At its best, it's a quirky, black-humored story of a kid genius struggling to stay sane while having to hide the truth about his super-intellect. Overall, definitely worth a read.

[Heather Fryling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is not for the faint of heart. You need a heavy dose of tolerance for crassness and boob jokes if you want to read it. But at its core, Barry Ween is funny and ultimately poignant--a too smart child protecting his friends from the world they don't yet understand.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew a Real World Alum could be so awesome! Barry Ween is the greatest -- so cute, crass, imaginative and both loving and violent. I loved the humor (expected) but I also thought it was such a sweet book about friendship (unexpected).

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out thinking this was just whizz-bang 'oh he's so smart, see the fancy technology'. There is indeed plenty of that, but he does develop a human side that I liked a lot.

[waits4thebus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think a potty-mouthed 10-year-old evil genius could get that close to my heart, but he did. Loved it.