Viva Liberty (Meadows) - Rated 
Crazy animals and geeky humans return in "Summer of Love," the third collection of Liberty Meadows comics. If the "evil Brandy" story isn't enough to snare people, then the slapstick humor, poignant romance and intense geekiness will definitely do.
This volume starts with Brandy's sultry roommate Jen installing a webcam, which captures all of Brandy's half-clothed, undignified moments. Khan the killer catfish returns to wreakhavoc on our friends, Dean coughs up his lungs, and Frank Cho (chimp alter ego) takes us on a guided tour of the animal sanctuary.
Probably the best storyline involves an "evil Brandy" from our dimension arriving in Liberty Meadows, immobilizing the good Brandy, and trying to kill Frank so that she can conquer the world (with her killer Pokemonkey). What stands between her and conquest? Frank, his tough alter ego, and a very P.O.ed Brandy...
But don't think that it gets too serious -- Cho does action and sci-fi exceptionally well in this story, mingled with some oddball humor. But then it's back to weirdness: going to the gym ("Someone get the jaws of life!"), Brandy's nasty mum, going fossil-hunting, to a summer barbecue with a skimpy dress code, and to a mega-geek convention where Brandy is repeatedly mistaken for Lucy Lawless and Lynda Carter.
Geeks, this is your kind of strip. In what other strip will you see the gang going to a con, with a main character dressed as Darth Maul? Or see references to David Lynch's "Dune" flick? No other strip! While civic pride adds to my liking for Cho, the real winning point is the insane sense of humour, and the appeal to our geeky sides.
The kooky animals take center stage, especially with the physical humor, from exploding gas pipes to sports injuries. Exhibit A: Dean coughing up his lungs, and Ralph uses a bellows to keep him alive. On the other hand, Cho provides some sweet romantic scenes, where poor Frank tries to summon up the courage to ask out Brandy.
As always, Cho keeps a mixture of realistic drawings (Brandy, Frank), and cartoonish artwork of all the animals. The one drawback (for women) is the focus on big-busted women; there's ONE male hottie in the whole book. But at least Cho can laugh at this focus, by having Jen toy with male minds, and having Dean hitting on girls and being hit by them in turn. Hope springs eternal for the piggie, I guess.
The animal shelter/looneybin antics continue in "Summer Love," a hilarious collection of Frank Cho's award-winning strip. And that baby picture on the back is pretty darn cute.
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