Throwback Thursday: KFC Presents: Colonel Corps - Crisis of Infinite Colonels #1 Review

Infinite Deliciousness

Written by: Tony Bedard
Art by: Tom Derenick, Trevor Scott, Hi-Fi and Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Price: FREE
Release Date: July 5, 2016

I have to thank Taylor for "making" me read and review both of the KFC Presents books which have to be among the zaniest DC Comic crossovers ever.  The first book (Colonel of Both Worlds) featured the evil Colonel Sunder from Earth-3, coming to our Universe to take it over by making chicken "the easy way", but as everyone knows, that just don't fly.  The Colonel, with help from Flash, was able to defeat Sunder and the book ended with him heading back to his Earth, "where things make more sense".  Well, if I've learned anything in life, it's that KFC is delicious and bad guys always come back for more evil doing!  So, the book I never thought would be made got a sequel and that leads us to the matter at hand...my review for KFC Presents: Colonel Corps - Crisis of Infinite Colonels #1.  Does it continue being a finger lickin' good time or did Tony Bedard and crew try to make it the easy way?  Let's find out...


The issue opens with the evil Colonel Sunder kicking back and lamenting on the REAL Colonel's insistence on doing things the hard way.  He is back on Earth-3, but like any true villain, he just can't stand for the hero winning the day.  It's obvious he is up to something when he gets an unlikely visitor.

Before we see who it is, however, it's off to Earth-1 to see what Colonel Sanders is up to.  Of course, he's up to cooking that delicious chicken and after his run in with Sunder, has even stepped up his game.  He's re-trainin' and improvin' and even if you're a vegan, you have to admire the old guys moxie!

That's when things get a little wonky and after passing out, the Colonel wakes up and finds himself on Earth-11 face-to-face with his female counterpart, Arla Sanders!  I half expected the Colonel to have a fit about a woman running things (the Colonel is set in his ways, you know), but thankfully, Tony Bedard doesn't go there.  I guess the Colonel has caught up with the times a bit.

We then learn the disaster that is being felt across the Multiverse...the Colonel can only remember one of the 11 secret herbs and spices! Now that is a crisis!  After figuring out that Arla only knows one as well, they figure that in order to keep the KFC empire going, they must find the nine other Colonels to complete the recipe.  How on earth(s) are they going to do that?!?  The Cosmic Treadmill, of course!

I love the Cosmic Treadmill (the apparatus and the Weird Science Podcast segment) and having it in this book just made me giggle.  The best part, though, is that it makes perfect sense!  With the help of the Earth-11 Flash, the Colonels are off to scour the Multiverse to complete their quest.

This book is filled with so many fun moments, but if you are like me, you love seeing the various Earth's of the Multiverse.  I don't want to spoil the awesomeness of it all by telling you exactly where they go, but believe me, it's great!

Everything comes to a head when the Colonel Corps head to Earth-3 for a showdown.  Remember earlier, when I said that someone was visiting Sunder?  Well, that someone was Colonel Grodd and yes, it's as incredible as it sounds!  He was the one who stole the recipe for Sunder, but now both of them have to face the combined might of eleven Colonels.  It all ends with the Colonel Corps once again showing Sunder that the hard way is the best way whether you're cooking chicken or fighting a gorilla dressed is a sleeveless white suit.

Well, I have to say that Tony Bedard and company have impressed me once again.  I am a sucker for tie-ins like this, especially when they are done right.  This could have been a "mail it in" opportunity for everyone involved, but they take the Colonel's advice to heart and do it the hard way.  No half steppin' here!  Seriously, though, it's obvious that Bedard takes pride in his work no matter what that work is and because of it, this book works.  It made me laugh a bunch of times and actually puts a lot of what passes as "real" books these days to shame.  Great job Tony!

The art team lead by Tom Derenick may have even outdone Tony.  This book looks incredible and I hope that Derenick had as much fun drawing the Multiverse Colonels as I did looking at them.

Bits and Pieces:

A free tie-in comic from DC Comics and KFC may sound ridiculous, but the care that the creative team put into it makes it anything but.  Tony Bedard, Tom Derenick and crew make this well worth the price of admission (it's free!) and I can only hope this series continues on because I love it!  Keep 'em coming!!!

9.0/10