It’s time for another newspaper styled comic in this Snoopy volume after the Superman review that I recently wrote. I think that this is probably the first Peanuts comic that I’ve read so that’s pretty neat. I’ve always wanted to purchase the Snoopy video game and I’ve only seen one of the TV specials so I’m relatively new to the franchise, but this should help me really be able to delve into it.

Snoopy is the main character here. Naturally, as this is essentially newspaper strips combined into a volume, there’s not much of a plot. In the background things do happen though and there is continuity, it’s just not the biggest factor here. Some bird are hatching on Snoopy’s land and they come back to visit sometimes. Snoopy’s adventures against the Red Baron continue as well and then the kids try to comfort him once in a while. The plot isn’t really the important thing here.

The art is simplistic, which fits the Peanuts style. It’s the kind of art that you can envision matching up to one day, but it’s still good. If it works, then it works right? The author is able to reuse a lot of character expressions and movements because they often do the same things, but it’s just part of the style. An elaborate art style like in Marvel or DC could ultimately go to waste here since it could only be used for a few panels each issue. As long as the art is clear and allows you to read through the comic, that’s really all that counts.

The collection is fun to read through. It’s rather short so you’ll be done with it quickly. That’s a good thing as a much larger collection could have dragged on. It’s fun to see Snoopy and the gang go at it, but it’s not really my style as much as some of the other comics. I just prefer to have more of a loose plot somewhere or a continuing story. Something in between the TinTin adventures and the Superman newspaper comics would be a nice balance.

Snoopy’s still the best character in the Peanuts franchise. He takes charge and doesn’t let anyone mess with him. His home is his fortress and you never know what he’s going to do. It is a little sad that his Red Baron adventures aren’t actually real, but at least he has a good imagination. I imagine that being a dog could be a little boring after a while so I suppose that I would start day dreaming as well. It passes the time at least right?

It doesn’t help that the kids aren’t very nice to Snoopy. Charlie Brown tries his best, but the other kids don’t seem to realize what a great dog Snoopy is. Snoopy can wrestle and tackle with the best of them. Snoopy’s one of a kind and while he isn’t as cool as my dog, Sonic, he’s still a pretty excellent pup. Without Snoopy, the comic would lose a lot of its personality.

Still, Charlie Brown is a decent supporting character. He’s just not very interesting. Charlie rarely says anything that isn’t a fact that we just heard. He’s a nice kid, but that’s about all that Charlie Brown has going for him. Snoopy has looks, bravery, and skill. He even lives it up during Christmas by switching his water and food bowls. The humans never suspected a thing.

Peanuts has had many products in just about every area. I think it has had the most success in the video game world and next would be in TV land. Comics are its weakness for now, but that will likely not be the case forever. Archie has gotten many spinoffs and various comic series and that title’s not nearly as big as the Peanuts. (Debatable I suppose) I’m sure that the Peanuts have more than one series and there are likely some more plot based ones out there. Even if they are simply stand alone stories like Sonic Boom, full length stories would do wonders for the series.

More of a plot is all that I ask from the series. If not that, then maybe the elaborate art that I was talking about earlier. The writing is good though and typically the adventures are fun. The worst subplot was probably the one where Snoopy would stick out his tongue and say “Bleh” but it luckily didn’t get too much screen time. You’ll end up feeling bad for Snoopy as well since he is constantly defeated by the Red Baron. It’s easy to see who is winning the war in Snoopy’s version of the world war. Come on Snoopy, you can do it!

Overall, Let’s Dance Snoopy is a nice nostalgia boost for long time fans. As someone who isn’t very deep into the franchise yet, it can be a little uneventful. An actual plot is the big upgrade that the comic needs to make the leap to the next rating. I’m sure that it will happen at some point. A Snoopy solo series based on his adventures (real ones this time) would be pretty great and a very promising premise for the next series. If you are a big fan of Peanuts, then this is the comic for you. If you’re looking for a fun comic to pass the time by, I’d refer you to TinTin instead.

Overall 5/10