{"product_id":"plastic-man-1-1988-vf","title":"Plastic Man # 1 1988 VF+","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ePlastic Man #1\u003c\/b\u003e (November 1988) is the debut issue of a satirical four-issue miniseries published by DC Comics. Written by Phil Foglio with distinct, cartoonish art and a cover by Hilary Barta, this series revitalized the classic shape-shifting hero for the modern Copper Age of comics with an emphasis on surreal slapstick humor and zany superhero parody.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003ePlot Overview\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe issue balances wacky, reality-bending adventures with classic superhero pathos:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin-top: 0in;\" type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eThe Origin Retold: The issue revisits the classic origin of Patrick \"Eel\" O'Brian, a small-time criminal who gets shot by police and exposed to a strange, glowing vat of unknown acid during a botched heist at Cole Chemical.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eThe Transformation: Left for dead by his criminal underworld allies, Eel awakens to find that the chemicals have structurally altered his DNA, granting him the power to stretch, morph, and assume any imaginable shape under the sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eThe New Crusade: Reborn with a conscience (and a radically elastic body), he turns away from crime to become the eccentric defender of the law, setting out to bring his former gang to justice.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eKey Elements \u0026amp; Tone\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin-top: 0in;\" type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eSidekick Introduction: The story heavily features Plas's bumbling, polka-dot-shirt-wearing sidekick, Woozy Winks, adding to the comedic dynamic of the book.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eComedic Style: Unlike the gritty, dark comic book trends dominating the late 1980s, Foglio and Barta deliberately leaned into pure humor, fourth-wall breaking, and sight gags that paid homage to the character’s original 1940s creator, Jack Cole.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BattleBuddyComics.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48943628877924,"sku":"BU23","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/7606\/4868\/files\/IMG_2026_08_30_13_23_32_291.jpg?v=1788114354","url":"https:\/\/battlebuddycomics.com\/products\/plastic-man-1-1988-vf","provider":"BattleBuddyComics.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}