Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

When a bratty girl claims to have seen a murder, nobody seems to believe her. But when she turns up murdered after a small community's Hallowe'en party, there may very well be some credence to the child's wold claim. On the request of an old friend, Hercule Poirot leaves his flat in London to assist with the investigation. Every witness claims that the deceased was a compulsive liar, leaving Poirot without a suspect. But the deeper he digs, the renowned detective becomes entangled with the exploits of a contested will, a missing au pair girl and the death of a legal aid with a shady past.

I struck gold this past summer finding this Halloween themed novel by Agatha Christie. I also found an Christmas mystery that I look forward to reading in December. I had been wanting to see the Kenneth Branagh led A Haunting in Venice and was disappointed to see that the film was stuck on streaming channels that I don't subscribe to. Well, you know how folks annoyingly say 'The book was better.'? Well, I got a chance to say just that because A Haunting in Venice is based on this 1969 novel. (Okay- I still haven't seen the movie!!!) Only there's no scenes in Italy. 

This is late Agatha Christie. She only released a couple more books before her death in 1976. I don't know if the writer had become kind of disillusioned with the mod and counterculture Generation of England. Maybe she was alarmed by the rise of youth violence both by them and against them. Surely, Christie felt that crimes had become more sordid as the result of the British government releasing a number of mental patients into the populace as it seems just about every body in town thinks that a deranged drifter raped the loudmouth girl before killing her. I'm not kidding! It seems only Poirot and his old friend, an aging mystery writer, who is clearly a literary version of the author, who hold steadfast that there's some other ulterior motive behind the murder. 

I wonder why Christie didn't have Miss Marple team up with Poirot in this book because next to the famed mystery writer, the fictional version here seems a lot like the spinster sleuth. I digress...

Anyway, this book seems to read a lot like an Agatha Christie TED talk that combines the author's rants to keep kids off her lawn while attempting to solve a homicide. It wouldn't be so bad if this book wasn't so darn repetitive. You know how in those comedies with a narrator that the speaker makes an observation before the main character exclaims exactly what the unseen voice just said? That's how this book reads. I don't think I have ever read the words 'vegetable marrow' in my 48 years of life. But here, the term is used a dozen times in the first chapter alone and most of the time is in the fictional writer's head. Basically, pick an odd, random British term for an object and every chapter seems to fall into this repetitive trap to the point of silliness. 

Was this a good read? Sure. It just wasn't my favorite Agatha Christie read. After like the third or fourth chapter, none of the action takes place on October 31st, although Poirot keeps coming back to that fateful night in his questioning. I felt that the solution was adequate despite that there is at least 1 red herring. A little misdirection that sadly never gets resolved. But I'm okay with that. Although, doesn't that mean that there's still a killer on the loose in this idyllic British village? 

Now that's a frightening prospect.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Archie x Army of Darkness #!

I haven't had so much fun reading a comic book in a very long time. For some reason, with my health issues, reading a single comic book wears me out. Yet when I finished this opening issue, I was so ready for more. I actually gave a yell of despair on par with Ash at the end of Evil Dead 2 when he realized that he was stuck in medieval times, when I discovered that for some reason, I didn't have issue #2.

Thankfully, the guys at Atomic Empire in Durham were able to assist in what was a fairly quick search. I so hate a cliffhanger. Especially when I don't have the next issue in front of me. But a 4 day wait wasn't so bad. 

The story begins at Reggie's new lake house. A distant relative left it to him and though Reggie can't legally own it until he's 21, Mr. and Mrs. Mantle have given their son permission to throw a massive party. While taking Archie, Betty and Veronica on a tour of the new place, they discover a secret passage. The teens wind up in a personal library that seems devoted to the arcane. Among it's contents is a copy of the Necronomicon. Or perhaps it's the real thing. Anyway, Archie for some reason, is compelled to read aloud from it and by doing so, it unleashes a horde of Deadites. 

You might be wondering why I haven't mentioned Ash Williams. Is this one of those opening chapters of a crossover where the main parties only meet on the cliffhanger page? Thankfully it's not. Archie and Ash meet and interact for about a third of the book. Instead, its a flashback of a few days prior with Archie becoming the newest employee of the Riverdale S-Mart. His trainer: one Ashley J. Williams!

If you are a regular reader of my reviews, you might be wondering why I read this Evil Dead spin-off if I am not a fan of demons and witchcraft in my horror reads. Well, you can blame my dad. I grew up watching the Evil Dead movies with him. While The Amityville Horror II: The Possession scared the crap outta me, for some reason the Evil Dead movies made me laugh. Maybe it's because zombies coming to life from a macabre spell is less realistic than humans becoming possessed by demons. I think the wonder that is Bruce Campbell has a lot to do with it as well. 

(There better be a national day of mourning when that American icon meets his eternal reward.)

Anyways, I was disappointed that it ended and was left hanging. But I don't really blame Archie Comics or Dynamite Entertainment for this. It's been a real struggle for comic shops to keep up with orders with there not being a central distribution center in the absence of Diamond. Other than not, I really had no viable complaints about this opening salvo. Thank goodness I have issue #2 now!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars. 

Gold Digger Halloween Super Special

I don't hate the Gold Digger franchise. I think the stories are entertaining and I greatly appreciate the holiday specials. I just don't understand it. 

There seems to be at least 2 timelines of stories in this 2018 special. One is set when the Earth's last remaining were-cheetah Brittany Diggers was a teen and then when she is a retired superhero and mother to teens of her own. Though it seems like there might be a storyline set during the Cheetah's young adult superheroing years, at least I think so. If ever a Halloween special needed a chronology, this would get my vote. 

If you can set the past the confusion of the jumping timeline after story #1 and 2, this was a fitting special for a chilly October read. Not scary. But definitely very much a Halloween read. 

First, while Brittany gets changed into her Halloween costume, her date meets Papa Diggers, who puts the fear of God into the hormonal jerk about any thoughts of making the moves on his adopted daughter. Then youngest Diggers tells her Peebo robotic pals the legend of the Great Pumpkin.

Lastly, in the future, Brittany reunites with her old teammate, the Pink Avenger, to spread some Halloween tricks and treats at a charity event and end up running afoul of one of the Avenger's old enemies. 

The artwork is heavily influenced by Manga. But it's got a lot of American influences in terms of the pop culture references and more traditional approach to super heroes. The cover doesn't really tell you anything about the contents. There is a Peebo centered story. But it's not a parody of Stephen King's Pet Sematary. Though it is a parody of Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin. 

Maybe not the most easiest Halloween book to follow. Definitely not scary. But I'm trying to stay away from really hard horror this year because of the emotional and physical problems my health is giving me right now. So in a way, it's just what the doctor ordered.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Jughead #79 Facsimile Edition

This facsimile edition of a 1961 issue of Jughead is highly prized not for the contents. There's no epic first appearance of any major character. Nobody dies or gets married. When it comes to judging a book by it's cover, this one fits the definition to a T. 

Sammie Schwartz drew this iconic cover that parodies MAD Magazine while dipping a Comic Code defying toe into the realm of monsters. There's a vampire, a werewolf and a shrunken head on the cover and in 1961, those were all forbidden subjects according to the CCA. True, these ghouls are only partially seen. But its envelope pushing for the era. Although, it helps when your publisher was one of the co-creators of the Comics Code.

I've seen this image on tee-shirts, post cards and there's been a couple of homage covers that tie in Archie's humor horror titles from the 50s and 60s with the 'Afterlife With Archie' imprint that thrusted the flagging publisher back into the limelight with established and new fans. 

Unfortunately, despite the cover, this isn't really an issue that matches with my want for creepy Halloween time reads. Only one story seems to fit with the cover, a 2-pager that sees Jughead losing his nerve with every late night horror movie he watches with Archie. There's another story where Juggie has a nightmare about food. But it's more farcical than frightful even though it temporarily scares the teen off of eating hamburgers for a brief time.

The main story is definitely a product of the times. Jughead overhears a plot to steal the Riverdale High mascot thanks to a party line, a shared telephone circuit that made privacy nearly impossible! With a free victory dinner on the line, it's Jughead to the rescue! I also loved looking at all of the vintage ads. Being from the early 60s, a lot of these ads felt older. Though I was surprised with the ad for an art course near the inside back cover. It shows a girl in one of those form fitting swimsuits Julie Adams wore in Creature From the Black Lagoon. Pretty risque for a CCA children's book.

A fun time capsule of the Archie universe before it exploded into pop culture relevance thanks to the Animated TV series and faux pop group The Archie's took to the scene in 1968-69. Just don't wait until Halloween time to read it as you'll be a little disappointed by the filler doesn't live up to the creepy cover!

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Little Monsters #39

This is another book that I had on my wishlist where I didn't care what issue I got. I just wanted to own a copy of it. I had seen images of collectors of both comic books and horror merch finding issues of the Gold Key series in the wild and I admit, I got a little envious over it. Then this summer, right before going back to work on another school year, I found a copy in fair shape for a decent price. 

The Little Monsters is one of Gold Key's few independent properties. Known mostly for licensed material such as Star Trek, this series debuted in 1964 as a backup feature to The Three Stooges. By the 1970s, siblings 'Orrible Orvie and Awful Annie were headlining their own series which ran for 44 issues until being cancelled in 1978. This issue was from my birth year of 1977; so its near the end of their impressive run. 

The first adventure sees a visit from a distant relative who creates a tornado every time they laugh. Then the family goes on vacation to a ghost town. While exploring, the siblings discover a window into the past and end up capturing an Old West bank robber. Lastly, Mama Monster enters a painting into an art contest. Only the unseen image is so frightening, it turns anyone who views it into stone!

There might have been a fourth story. If there was it wasn't memorable to me. These stories had a feel that I remember anytime I read a Gold Key humor book as a child. It felt immersive. It felt safe. It felt just a tiny bit off. Like there was a lack of fluidity to the art. It's almost like whomever was illustrating this issue did it for the paycheck. There's no love of the artist's craft in these stories. No care about the characters. A really sad disconnect. 

At least I enjoyed it. It definitely was worth waiting until October to read. But now that I finally have an issue in my collection, I don't feel compelled to go out searching for the other 43 issues starring the Little Monsters.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Archie Comics Digest Halloween Special (Archie Double Digest, Vol. 2 #7)

This might be an Archie Halloween. I have so many issues that are appropriate for the season and with my recent health struggles, I've been needing a pick-me-up. 

My favorite comic book shop came through again ordering this digest sized collection of spooky tales set in Riverdale. I had forgotten all about making pre-orders with everything going on. Great to know that I have the guys at Books Do Furnish a Room have got my back.

Usually, when I get a brand new Archie digest, there's at least 1 story that I have either read before or I own in a holiday collection... Or both. But for 2026, I batted a 1000, because there wasn't a story or fun page that I had encountered before! Let's look at some highlights:

1) Little Archie and pals travel with Mr. Lodge to inspect a new property he bought. The home of a former movie special effects wizard, rumor has it that the place is haunted. The group is naturally uneasy by this. But they press on.Howver, the legend might be true with Little Archie encounters a monster on sight. 

2) An all-new story written by R. Alan Brooks, that pays homage to a location so revered, it's appeared in both the DC and Marvel universe and the interactions of both worlds is considered canon without the need of a licensing agreement. The artistic Scarlet, gets an invitation to host a float in the annual Rutland Vermont Halloween parade. Hoping to spread awareness about Autism, Scarlet starts to panic. With Scarlet's cat Michelangelo as inspiration, friends Chuck and Nancy rally around her to create the most float ever!

3) In at least 2 stories, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, visits ghost towns and abandoned mansions that really do seem to be haunted.

4) Lastly, Archie uncovers a plot to rob the Halloween charity event being hosted by Veronica. 

There was several other stories that I probably have forgotten about. It doesn't necessarily mean that they were bad. I actually changed my opinion on one of the stories. I at first was not a fan of the story about Scarlet. The artwork was by Colleen Doran, of which I am a big fan of her collabs with Neil Gaiman. But her art didn't match what I am used to. Yet when I read the post script and was reminded of the importance of the town of Rutland, I actually fell in love with the adventure. 

Still I am struck by how violent the Little Archie stories are with a madman in a monster suit trying to push the kids off of the roof of the haunted house. Maybe that's why I like the Little Archie stories the best because they don't pull any punches. Not that teen Archie doesn't have it's share of danger and intrigue. But I really think that whomever wrote those tales wasn't a fan of kids.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Melvin Monster #7

This is one of those books where you really want to own a copy of it and you really don't mind which issue it is. Melvin Monster was the creation of legendary humor comics specialist John Stanley. 10 issues of Melvin Monster was intermittently published from 1965-1969. And each issue was scripted and illustrated by Stanley himself.

That's why I wanted to own just a single book from the original run. I have a few comics with material from John Stanley. But this is the first one that is from original printings. So it's like owning an original Mickey Mantle Topps baseball card and not one of the seemingly endless reprints of the Yankees legend.

Melvin is a diminutive green monster with a pointy head. He kinda looks like a kid's version of the Frankenstein monster. It's his dream to one day be admitted to the local monster school. But he keeps getting turned down because he's too sweet and innocent. His father is a hulking purple version of his son and is called Baddy by family and friends. Melvin's Mummy is a literal mummy. 

It took me a little while to catch that joke about Mummy mummy.  Or is it mummy Mummy? I was too busy trying to figure out how a monster and a mummy could have a child that didn't require cloth strips. It was a real Munsters conundrum, like how a Frankenstein monster and a vampire procreate a child werewolf... But once I understood the joke, I got a real kick out of it. 

Most of the stories star Melvin. At least twice he tries to convince the witch headmistress of the monster school to admit him. One has Melvin sneaking out of town to enjoy nature. Another has Melvin trying to stay clear of his family pet, a crocodile named Cleopatra, that would rather have Melvin as dinner instead of as a loving master. One story focuses on Baddy trying to stay awake to see the fights on a TV. 

As for Baddy's birthday party on the cover, it doesn't appear as a story inside. Just a cover gag. 

Something else missing from this book is a one-page prose. Even by the late 60s with the USPS removing that first class requirement, having a story or page of informative columns was still being practiced by Gold Key and Dell. So I'm interested to know why this issue is missing such filler. I don't mind not having it as most of the prose addition isn't really that good.

But as for this 1967 issue, it was a humorous way to spend an October evening. I see shades of Little Lulu and best friend Tubby throughout as well as the Addams Family with everyone's macabre approach to life. Definitely a keeper in my collection.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.