Bananaman splits

It's no problem for superheroes to multitask and from this week Bananaman will be appearing in both The Dandy and The Beano.

When news leaked out recently that Bananaman was to start appearing in The Beano, rumours started flying like wildfire, with fans some claiming he'd "defected" and others seeing it as a sign The Dandy was winding down. As it happens, such unfounded speculation was a waste of pixels as the character is now appearing in both comics. Brand new Bananaman strips continue to run in The Dandy, drawn in a modern style by Wayne Thomson, whilst classic reprints by John Geering now appear in The Beano.

Won't the differences in art styles on the same character confuse some readers? Possibly, or they might even think it's cool. Thing is, with the 1980s Bananaman cartoon series on DVD and other "Classic Bananaman" merchandise available perhaps DC Thomson felt the character needed more exposure in comics. Going back to the classic look wouldn't really suit the modern Dandy so putting the reprints in The Beano makes sense. It can't hurt that the Beano reprints mention that "Bananaman also appears every week in The Dandy".

So there you have it. A choice of 'Nana styles to read or you can enjoy both on their own merits. The latest issues of The Beano and The Dandy (shown above) are in the shops today.