Nerds That Geek Comic Book Series Review: 'Biff to the Future'

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

Great Scott! You missed the Biff to the Future comics as they were released?! Luckily for you, you don’t have to punch ‘January 2017’ into the time circuits of your DeLorean to go back and get them. IDW is releasing the trade paperback for the six-issue run today! If you love the Back to the Future trilogy as much as I do, you’ll want to pick it up. Biff to the Future is a tremendous addition to BTTF lore, expertly filling in the details of the 1985A or Biffhorrific timeline where Biff Tannen takes control of Hill Valley.
 
The series is written by Derek Fridolfs and BTTF co-creator Bob Gale, with illustrations by Alan Robinson who worked on the Back to the Future: Citizen Brown comics. As is the case with other BTTF offshoots and projects, Gale’s involvement ensures its authenticity, keeping it true to the original story. But the beauty of the BTTF story - one filled with countless timelines and alternate universes shifted by even the slightest of details - is that it is so open and expansive. You can let your imagination run wild considering all the intricacies and outcomes that the movies don’t cover. In this case, the comics do a great job of enriching an already well-developed series with brilliant new ideas.
 
Biff to the Future starts during the moment old Biff gives young Biff the infamous Grays Sports Almanac back in 1955. It follows the rise of the Tannen empire, examining how Biff used the almanac to grow his wealth, build Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Paradise (featured in Back to the Future II), and terrorize the town and the McFly family. A cast of familiar characters try to stop his evil pursuits.

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The scope of his story reaches far beyond the small Hill Valley, with implications for the United States. For instance, Biff only manages to build his casino with a little tit-for-tat favor for President Nixon, allowing gambling to be legalized in California…but only in Hill Valley. That’s just one of a handful of hilarious history-altering moments that take place.
 
The series covers a lot of ground in just six issues, and frankly I felt like it could have gone on for a few more. Although all the loose ends are tied by the end, the conclusion in the final issue feels very rushed. Nevertheless, the buildup of Biff’s rise is perfect, teetering between humorous and dark. Most every character from the movies is seamlessly woven in. It truly feels like it could be an extended cut of the second movie.
 
If you’re a BTTF fan, this series is a must-read. Even if you haven’t yet read the other BTTF comic series, this one stands alone and is a good, short series to start with. The second movie was great because it showed all the amazing things that the future could hold, juxtaposed against the wreckage of a Biff Tannen-centric future. With a deep storyline and Easter Eggs galore, Biff to the Future allows the reader to spend more time in 1985A; something many have longed to do. If you want to go back to that particular future right now, hurry to your local comic book shop and pick up the Biff to the Future trade paperback! Well…? What are you waiting for, butthead?! 

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