Jeff the Land Shark | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | West Coast Avengers vol. 3 #7 (January 2019) |
Created by | Kelly Thompson Daniele di Nicuolo |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Jeff the Baby Land Shark |
Species | Land shark |
Team affiliations | West Coast Avengers |
Partnerships | Gwen Poole Elsa Bloodstone Wade Wilson Kate Bishop |
Notable aliases | Jeffrey |
Abilities |
|
Jeff the Land Shark (also known as Jeffrey [1] ) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Kelly Thompson and artist Daniele di Nicuolo, the character first appeared in West Coast Avengers vol. 3 #6 (October 2018), but was not named and formally introduced until issue #7 (January 2019). Jeff was originally the pet landshark (legged shark) of the superhero Gwenpool but has since had other caretakers such as Deadpool, Elsa Bloodstone and Kate Bishop.
Landsharks first appeared in West Coast Avengers volume 3 #1 (October 2018), created by writer Kelly Thompson and artist Stefano Caselli. The issue saw a herd of landsharks running through Santa Monica. One of the landsharks drawn by Caselli caught Thompson's eye, so she created a character, drawing on the shark imagery and her own pet cats. This character, Jeff, was first introduced in issue #7, drawn by Daniele di Nicuolo, being adopted by Gwen Poole and named "Jeff", as part of an ultimately abandoned running gag where Gwen would adopt (and lose) many infant animals and name them "Jeff", having previously adopted a kitten she'd called by that name. [3] [2] [4] Following a universally positive internet reception, Jeff consequently appeared in the rest of the run of West Coast Avengers . [5]
Jeff appeared in Gwenpool Strikes Back (2019), by writer Leah Williams and artist David Baldeon, and Deadpool (volume 8), by writer Thompson and artists Chris Bachalo and Gerardo Sandoval, as a supporting character. [5] [6] [7] He was also featured in the one-page story "Monsters" by writer Thompson and artist Pepe Larraz which was printed in Marvel's 80th Anniversary project Marvel #1000 (2019). [8]
Thompson credits a con exhibition piece by The Unbelievable GwenPool artists Gurihiru as popularizing Jeff. [2] Characters in the Marvel Universe started being depicted with Jeff-themed merchandise. [9] [2] Starting September 2021, Jeff then starred in his own series, titled It's Jeff!, [10] [3] [11] written by Thompson and drawn by Gurihiru. [4] This comedy series has no dialogue. [3] [12] It's Jeff! premiered as part of the new Marvel's Infinity Comics program; these digital comics are in the vertical scrolling format and are only available to Marvel Unlimited subscribers. [12] A second season of It's Jeff! returned in September 2022, running until January 2023. [13] [14] A third season of It's Jeff! launched on October 20, 2023. [15]
Jeff has also appeared in the Marvel Meow Infinity Comic (2022). [16]
It's Jeff! #1 was released in print in March 2023; this one-shot issue collects the short stories originally published in the digital Infinity Comics format. [17] [18] It's Jeff: The Jeff-Verse #1 was released in November 2023; this print issue collects issues #13-24 of the Infinity Comic. [19] [20]
Jeff was "venomized" as part of Marvel's 2023 Summer of Symbiotes event in the short story "The Rhythm of the Night" written by Thompson and drawn by Gurihiru. This story was printed in Extreme Venomverse #5 (July 2023). [21] [22] Jeff has appeared in the Marvel Unlimited crossover Infinity Paws, written by Jason Loo and drawn by Nao Fuji, which released in spring 2024. [23] [24] As part of the 2024 Venom War event, Jeff will be featured in the one-shot Venom War: It's Jeff #1 (November 2024) written by Thompson and illustrated by Gurihiru. [25]
Jeff, with Carol Danvers, was featured on the variant cover of Captain Marvel #39 with art by Gurihiru; this version was exclusive to Marvel Unlimited Annual Plus subscribers who attended San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022. [26] [27] Gurihiru then did two more variant covers, Captain Marvel #42 and Captain America: Symbol of Truth #6, which feature Jeff in October 2022. [28] Nao Fuji (artist of Marvel Meow) also did a variant cover, for Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #4 (October 2022), featuring Jeff. [28] The "venomized" version of Jeff was featured on two of the Extreme Venomverse #5 (July 2023) covers – the standard cover by Leinil Francis Yu and a variant cover by Peach Momoko. [21]
The land-sharks were created by M.O.D.O.K. When the West Coast Avengers, led by Kate Bishop, defeated a team of super-villains including M.O.D.O.K., Gwen Poole found and adopted a baby land-shark, naming it Jeff after a kitten of the same name Gwen had adopted earlier in the series but who she had to give up. Jeff became part of the West Coast Avengers.
Concerned that so many of her own titles had been cancelled (as a being from the real world, aware of the fictional comic book nature of the Marvel Universe), Gwen gave Jeff to Deadpool so he would have a more secure future, only for his title to be promptly cancelled as well. [3] [5] Elsa Bloodstone became his next caretaker. [8]
It's Jeff! (2021) depicts Jeff as living with Kate Bishop, being given to her by Gwen instead. [29] In the series, "Jeff has been the darling of a superhero pool party; stolen Captain America's shield to sled with the Young Avengers; eaten the Infinity Gauntlet; and swiped a superhero gathering's Thanksgiving turkey". In the 2022 second season, Gwen returns, continuing to care for Jeff along with Kate. [30]
Jeff is a quadruped land-shark with a prodigious appetite. His main attack is biting. He possesses the normal attributes of an Earth shark.
Chris Arrant of Newsarama called Jeff the Land Shark a "fan-favorite," writing, "Jeff the Land Shark slowly became a low-key cult-favorite character for some comics fans." [31] Samantha King of Screen Rant referred to as "Marvel's cutest character," stating, "The little shark has quickly become a fan-favorite in both the real world and Marvel's universe." [32] Nicholas Howe of CBR ranked Jeff the Land Shark 1st in their "10 Cutest Marvel Heroes" list, saying, "Jeff has become one of the most beloved figures of the last few years," [33] while Darby Harn ranked him 6th in their "10 Most Iconic Pets In Marvel Comics" list. [34] On Jeff's debut in West Coast Avengers, Robbie Pleasant of Multiversity Comics commented that "it was clear from the get-go that Jeff was the next big thing in comics, an absolute superstar that would dominate the industry, or at least our hearts. Here at Multiversity, it quickly became a running gag in the pages of Saturday Morning Panels just how much we all love that little land shark". [35]
Graeme McMillan, for Polygon in 2021, commented that of the new Infinity Comics, It's Jeff! "is pretty perfect from the start" and "an utter joy" unlike the rest of the line. [12] Jim Dandeneau, for Den of Geek , wrote that "if you have a young person in your life, [It's Jeff!] will completely justify an annual Marvel Unlimited subscription". [30] It was nominated for Best Digital Comic at the 2022 Eisner Awards. [8] [36]
Following the print release in 2023, Avery Kaplan, for The Beat , called the collected issue a "must-read… or a must re-read". [6] Kaplan commented that while in some places there is obvious evidence of the "vestigial scrolling structure," it doesn't detract from the issue and she appreciated that Marvel went with a longer issue format in order to print all 12 parts of the first season. [6] Susana Polo of Polygon highlighted how the issue isn't more complicated than "Jeff gets into some shenanigans, finds a cute way out of them" – it has Gurihiru's "charming art" and Thompson's writing is "Sunday Funnies simple". [18]
Hannah Rose of CBR asserted, "While it doesn't boast anything groundbreaking or deep, It's Jeff! #1 is a welcome respite of aesthetically pleasing fun, sweetness and mischief, putting a spotlight on a minor character whose appeal cannot be understated." [37] Chase Magnett of ComicBook.com gave It's Jeff! #1 a grade of 4.5 out of 5, writing, "In addition to splendidly told strips, the full comics page provides plenty of space for background gags that are bound to absorb readers with nods to beloved characters. For those seeking the lighter side of Marvel Comics, It's Jeff! is a can't-miss collection filled with laughs and love for animals." [38] In May 2024, Pleasant rated It's Jeff! #1 a 10 out of 10 and highlighted that the transition into print was done with "bit of a visual distinction to the flow". [35] Pleasant opined that "between [Thompson's] story and Gurihiru's artwork, we get the tale of a happy little land shark who can get into trouble, but mostly just wants to have fun, be loved, and eat all the food he can find. [...] What It's Jeff comes down to is one thing: Jeff the Land Shark is adorable and gets into amusing hijinks. It's not a deep story or character exploration, but it's cute and fun, which is exactly what we want from this comic". [35]
The comic It's Jeff: The Jeff-Verse #1 won Best Humor Publication at the 2024's Eisner Awards. [39] [40]
Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in New Mutants #98. In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is initially depicted as a supervillain of the New Mutants and X-Force, though later stories would portray him as an antihero. Deadpool is the alter ego of Wade Wilson, a disfigured Canadian mercenary with superhuman regenerative healing abilities. He is known for his tendency to joke incessantly and break the fourth wall for humorous effect.
Death is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Mike Friedrich and Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in Captain Marvel #26. Death is a cosmic entity based on the personification of death. The character's title and official name within the comics is Death, but she has colloquially been referred to as Mistress Death or Lady Death by the fans. She serves as a love interest of Thanos as well as Deadpool, among other roles.
The Walrus is a comedic supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the enemy of Spider-Man and Frog-Man.
Georges Batroc the Leaper is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #75, 1966. He is a mercenary and a master of the French form of kick-boxing known as savate, commonly depicted as an adversary of Captain America, and a mentor of Gwen Poole. Batroc's name derives from the word batrachia, a classification of amphibians that includes frogs, which also plays on the stereotype of calling French people frogs.
Devil Dinosaur is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Devil Dinosaur #1. Devil Dinosaur is depicted as resembling an enormous, crimson Tyrannosaurus-like dinosaur. The character and his inseparable ape-like friend, Moon-Boy, are natives of "Dinosaur World," a version of Earth in a parallel universe where dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures co-exist with tribes of primitive humanoid beings.
Emperor Hulkling is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a member of the Young Avengers, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Universe. Hulkling's character is patterned on the Hulk, with shapeshifting abilities that go far beyond the ability to mimic the Hulk, and superhuman strength.
Gurihiru, also credited as Illustrator Unit Gurihiru and Gurihiru Studios, is a Japanese illustration team, consisting of Chifuyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano. Both originating from Sapporo, Japan, they are currently based in Saitama, mainly working as artists for American comics.
Hawkeye is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung, Bishop first appeared in Young Avengers #1. She is the third character and first female to take the Hawkeye name, after Clint Barton of the Avengers and Wyatt McDonald of the Squadron Supreme. Her costume appearance is patterned on the first Hawkeye and Mockingbird.
Zabu is a fictional saber-toothed cat appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Zabu is connected primarily to the Savage Land, and the X-Men, and most recently the Avengers. He is the last known living Smilodon and is a companion and ally of Ka-Zar.
Squirrel Girl is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Will Murray and writer-artist Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2 #8, a.k.a. Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special. Murray created the character out of a desire to write lighthearted stories, in contrast to the heavily dramatic tales that were then the norm in mainstream comics.
Negasonic Teenage Warhead is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, the character first appeared in New X-Men #115 (2001). She is named after the song "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" by Monster Magnet. She belongs to a subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. Negasonic Teenage Warhead's appearance and powers were eventually altered in the comics to match her appearance in the Deadpool films with the third one set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which she was portrayed by Brianna Hildebrand.
Dracula is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the vampire Count Dracula from the novel of the same name by author Bram Stoker. After the initial run of the series The Tomb of Dracula, the character has been depicted primarily as an antagonist to superheroes in the Marvel Universe.
Bob, Agent of Hydra, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as an antihero and a sidekick of Deadpool. A former member of the terrorist agency Hydra, he defected to help Wade Wilson, but has kept his Hydra uniform.
Skottie Young is an American comic book artist, children's book illustrator and writer. He is best known for his work with various Marvel Comics characters, his comic book adaptations of L. Frank Baum's Oz books with Eric Shanower, his I Hate Fairyland comic book series, and a series of novels with Neil Gaiman, Fortunately, the Milk.
Marvel Holiday Special was an anthology comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring several of its characters in Christmas or holiday-themed stories.
Gwenpool is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A girl from the real world transported to the Marvel Universe, Marvel initially produced two stories featuring Gwenpool as a character, created by Christopher Hastings, Heather Antos and Jordan D. White: first appearing a backup story in Howard the Duck, and a one-shot Gwenpool Holiday Special, illustrated by Gurihiru. Following the publication of the one-shot, an ongoing series titled The Unbelievable Gwenpool by the same creative team was announced, primarily illustrated by Gurihiru, which started in April 2016 and concluded in April 2018. The Unbelievable Gwenpool #0, collecting Gwen's appearances from Howard the Duck and the first Gwenpool Holiday Special, was later released, as well as the limited series Gwenpool Strikes Back. In West Coast Avengers, Gwen is depicted as the owner of Jeff the Baby Land Shark, appearing alongside him in the spin-off series It's Jeff from its second season onwards. The nemesis of the supervillain MODOK, Gwen faces off against him in The Unbelievable Gwenpool, West Coast Avengers, and MODOK: Head Games.
Kelly Thompson is an American writer of novels and comic books. She is best known for the Jem and the Holograms comic with co-creator and artist Sophie Campbell, a modern re-imagining of the 1980s cartoon of the same name; the Eisner-nominated Marvel comic Hawkeye with artist Leonardo Romero, which stars Kate Bishop; and Captain Marvel featuring Carol Danvers with artist Carmen Carnero and colorist Tamra Bonvillain. Her other works include the novel The Girl Who Would Be King and comic series A-Force, West Coast Avengers, Jessica Jones and Mr and Mrs X. She is also the co-creator of the character Jeff the Land Shark with Daniele Di Nicuolo.
The Unbelievable GwenPool, more commonly called Unbelievable Gwenpool, is a manga-influenced superhero-isekai comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring Gwen Poole as its main protagonist. Written by Christopher Hastings and primarily illustrated by Gurihiru, the series was a spin-off from the character's feature in a Howard the Duck comic, and was Gwenpool's first solo series. The series lasted 27 issues, #1–25, two holidays specials, and a special #0 that collected her intro material. The series ran from June 2016 to April 2018, and was followed by the spin-off webtoon series It's Jeff, published since 2021, with Gurihiru returning as the primary artists.
Fresh Start is a 2018 relaunch of comic book publications by Marvel Comics, following Marvel Legacy.
"Dawn of X" is a 2019 relaunch of the X-Men line of comic books published by Marvel Comics in the wake of the twin miniseries House of X and Powers of X and is the first phase of the Krakoan Age. This initiative culminated in the crossover event X of Swords, which was followed by a sequel relaunch named "Reign of X" in December 2020.