Sherlock Holmes and the Masquerade Murders by Frank Thomas

I figured 'what the heck...' I had been riding high from my enjoyment in reading a non-canonical Sherlock Holmes novel that co-starred the Prince of Darkness. Having another similar book on hand, I did the rare thing and went right into another Holmes mystery. 

1986's Sherlock Holmes and the Masquerade Murders was written by Frank Thomas. No, not the former infielder for the Chicago White Sox who now sees testosterone supplements on TV. But this Frank Thomas is famous too; as he was an early teen star in television, starring as the lead in Tom Corbett, Space Cadet. Though the title of this book might lead one to believe that it's another Holmes crossover, it is not! I thought being the 'Masquerade Murders', that maybe Holmes and Watson were summoned to Paris where they were to confront the dreaded Phantom of the Opera! Alas, that's just not the case.

The case begins at an investment firm where an auditor is found dead. Known to have a bad heart, Scotland Yard wants to rule it an accidental death. However, something smells fishy to Holmes and he decides to take the case despite objections from the Commissioner of Police and the influential owner of the firm. Using his arsenal of reformed confidence men, safe crackers and the cherubic lads who make up the Baker Street Irregulars, Holmes and Watson seek to uncover a murder that is masquerading as death by natural causes.

This was a book that needed to build up steam. I think that the artist did a pretty good job writing in Dr. Watson's voice. However, I think Thomas overdid things quite a bit trying to remind us of the previous adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The Sherlock Dracula only requires you to have a prior knowledge of 'The Adventure of the Essex Vampire', along with Bram Stoker's Dracula, understandably. Thomas not only alludes to many of Holmes' original cases, there's plenty of references to the previous 5 Holmes works written by Thomas. 

The book was exactly 250 pages. I think by page 185, maybe 190, it really hits its stride. I haven't read every Holmes novel by Doyle. What I have read is mostly the earliest stuff. I'm not used to Holmes utilizing so many reformed criminals to solve his cases. A member from the Irregulars, absolutely. But that's about it. I really liked the crew Holmes had assembled. The break in of the investing house was on par with Mission Impossible. Plus, there were some funny moments like when Holmes' crew accidentally followed the wrong carriage after telling the World's Greatest Detective that they would 'cover the bad guy like a tent!'

I'm not going to hunt for further Holmes stories by Frank Thomas. But if I stumbled across another, I would have no issues buying it as long as the resale price was decent. Apparently, 2 of the works involve Holmes and the complex card game of bridge. I've got to admit, they've got me intrigued. But since I don't have a clue how to play that game, it's up in the air as to whether I'll appreciate it or not.

Another reason I might not be able to find another Frank Thomas penned mystery is that they might have all disintegrated! The cover to my copy was coming apart in flakes. By the time I finished it, the wrap-around looked like an old pirate's map. There wasn't a smooth edge to be found. It's probably going to hit a free shelf or get donated to a thrift store because in its current state, I doubt a used book shop would buy it. It's funny, but the Holmes book from a decade earlier held together much better than the later copy did!!!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The Holmes-Dracula File by Fred Saberhagen

I'm not sure when and where I got this 1978 novel by Fred Saberhagen. I've been holding onto it for a very long time. I can tell you that much.

This is actually the second book in a series. Thankfully, this book can act as a stand alone read. You pretty much just need to have some knowledge about Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker's Dracula. 

The concept behind Saberhagen's Dracula series is that Count Dracula survived his death at the end of Stoker's work. Deciding to chronicle his side of the story, in The Dracula Tape, the vampire then records his life up to the present day while interacting with notable figures of literature and history. 

In the Holmes-Dracula File, the Count is seeking Mina Harker, whom he considers his true love. The search takes him to London, just days before Queen Victoria's 60th Jubilee. With Saberhagen's version of Dracula, vampires don't have to feed on blood daily. Although a fast can cause them to become less powerful and to age rapidly. Upon stepping foot on the docks, Dracula in his wizened appearance is Shanghaied and taken to a makeshift research clinic where he is subjected to experiments. 

Meanwhile, the bodies of several derelict Londoners have been found floating in the Thames. Only they didn't die from drowning or any other sort of misfortune. No, these bodies tell a different story as they all show signs of the Plague!

Just as the author has taken liberties with the legend and established lore of Dracula, Saberhagen does the same with Sherlock Holmes; especially with the sleuth's possible true lineage. This is very much a non-canonical story, though it builds heavily upon the Holmes mystery The Adventure of the Essex Vampire. 

You might think why would Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula meet? In this story, Dracula, once he returns to full strength is often confused as the World's Greatest Detective. Why? You can thank Hollywood for the idea. That is because both Dracula and Holmes are described as having the appearance of the late, great Christopher Lee who portrayed both characters many times in the 60s and 70s. It was this sort of brilliance that made me a fan of this Victorian horror mystery!

The book is told in alternating first person narratives. First Dracula is your narrator. Then Dr. Watson. Every other chapter is told by one or the other's perspective. While I am not familiar with Saberhagen's Dracula stories, I have read several of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Holmes adventures. Saberhagen does a fantastic job capturing Watson's voice and manner of speech. Even more impressive is how distinct Dracula's narration is. This book really feels like 2 different people wrote it instead of one guy doing a terrible job of both. I'd have no problem reading another of the author's Dracula chronicles. But being a nearly 50 year old series, I doubt it would be so easy finding other volumes. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman Family Giant #13 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 1974, DC Comics unveiled a new anthology series called Superman Family. Though Superman was featured on the very first issue, the series centered on the adventures of friends and family of the Man of Steel. Superman Family served a financial purpose for DC as they cancelled the titles devoted to Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane and Supergirl individually and merged them into a giant sized publication for the affordable cover price of 60 cents. Numbering of the series picked upon that  issue #164 of Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen.

A huge success, DC followed up with the anthology formula with Batman Family the following year. Unlike Superman Family, the numbering for the new series began with #1. A few issues later, it was rebranded as Batman Family Giant. The exploits of Vicki Vale, Alfred Pennyworth and the Huntress were regular subjects along with reprints. The first main feature was a monthly team-up of Batgirl and the Dick Grayson Robin. Their first pairing was supposed to be featured in an issue if 1st Issue Special. However, once it was decided to create the Batman sister anthology, editors decided that the Boy Wonder and Batgirl combo would be an excellent selling point with readers. 

Beginning at issue #11, Man-Bat was also made a main feature of the title. An attempt had been made to feature the Jekyll and Hyde type character into a superhero in his own title. However, the idea proved unpopular and the series was cancelled after issue #2. However, as there were still several Man-Bat stories on tap that had yet to be published, the idea was to burn those stories in the pages of Batman Family.

Eventually, Robin and Batgirl, billed as the Dynamite Duo were fated to team with Man-Bat. 

In this issue, both Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon are gifted a new motorcycle. There's no note or indication who sent it. But it intrigues both sleuths, who don their costumes and decide to take their new choppers for a spin. This turns out to be a massive mistake as once they mount their new rides, their arms are essentially handcuffed to the handlebars. Then the motorcycles go into automatic pilot mode, and once in New York City, the two heroes meet, Travelling at speeds well exceeding the speed limit Robin and Batgirl about to play a most deadly game of chicken.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kirk Langstrom is trying to settle into his new role as superhero. Making a new start in the Big Apple, Langstrom has perfected his genetic serum, allowing his body to change into the Man-Bat while keeping his level headed Langstrom personality.

Staying sane as the Man-Bat hasn't been easy. In his most recent experience, a gang armed with a special type of flashlight was able to transform the Man-Bat into a savage jaguar creature. On his latest patrol of the city, Man-Bat runs afoul of the gang with the specialized light source. Knowing that he'll never be free until he can destroy that lantern, the new found hero goes in for the attack. Disarming the the gang, Man-Bat makes a leap for the device. Only another player has taken control of it: the Outsider! 

A classic foe from the 1960s, the Outsider was originally the resurrected Alfred Pennyworth, devoted butler to Bruce Wayne. The process that revived Alfred changed his psyche to wanting to kill Batman and anyone associated with him. It also changed his appearance with his skin becoming chalk white and covered in boils. Able to telekinetically control matter, it's very likely that the Outsider is behind the attack on Robin and Batgirl. Only it doesn't add up. Alfred Pennyworth hasn't reverted to the Outsider persona in years. Has Pennyworth gone mad again? Or has a new player found the key to becoming one of Batman's most deadliest of does?

Published roughly 8 times a year, Batman Family Giant survived until late 1978. Ultimately cancelled with issue #20, the series originally was to survive the infamous DC implosion. Batman Family Giant was actually outselling Detective Comics at the time. Execs actually planned to cancel Detective Comics. Artists and writers protested the loss of such an iconic title and thus Batman Family Giant got the axe. In a sort of compromise, Robin, Batgirl and Man-Bat's adventures were continued in Detective Comics, now given the 'Giant' moniker as the page count was upped to 68 with a $1.00 price tag. After 15 issues, the series lost the extra word and pages 'effectively cancelling Batman Family for good'.

'The Man Who Melted Manhattan' was written by the Answer Man, Bob Rozakis. Artwork was attributed to Don Newton, Marshall Rogers and Bob Wiacek. This issue is notable as being the first professionally published work by eventual Batman Norm Breyfogle, who submitted a redesigned Robin uniform in a portfolio display titled 'Robin's New Look?' in the back of the book. 

Completing this review completes Task #12 (Batman Comic from the 1970s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

One of the top toys for boys in 1987 was the Captain Power line from Mattel. The idea of being able to basically play laser tag with friends using fighter ships and menacing robots was a dream come true for those of use who would play a similar type game with our X-Wings and TIE Fighters. For those of us who lived in more remote locations, the opportunity to play against a weekly television show was a godsend. If you were really lucky, you could play all the time against the show if you owned one of the 3 VHS recordings of the series. 

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future was a live action/CGI series that aired for 22 episodes from 1987-88. The show was syndicated, meaning that some regions of the country might not have even aired the series. Some of those locations lucky enough to receive the dystopian sci-fi series, like WLFL-22 in Raleigh, NC, Captain Power aired on Sundays at the ungodly hour of 6:30am! 

For my 10th birthday, I received the XF-7 jet for my main present. Along with the toy which was essentially a light gun, came a - inch Captain Power pilot action figure and a training program video cassette. A month later, thousands of boys got their wish opening up similar flyer sets for Christmas. By that time, I had already figured out what a host of kids were about to find out- this toy sucked!

Each episode would have computer generated scenes in which Captain Jonathan Power and his band of human resistance fighters would fight against the evil robotic army lead by a thrift store version of Darth Vader called Lord Dread and the discount Skynet computer system he co-created and mentally fused with, OverMind. Both teams would have areas on their suits and ships that bared a shimmering red or golden light. The idea was during the battles on the TV, you played along shooting at the opposite team. If you accidentally shot an ally, you lost points. If your score went to zero, your figure would eject from the cockpit symbolizing your defeat.

Keep in mind, 1987-88 was a time where some homes still had black and white TVs. Not quite 50% of the population didn't have cable yet. There was no streaming. Satellite TV was for the very rich. If you didn't have crystal clear reception, many of your 'shots' wouldn't register. Or you would be accused of shooting an enemy, which during the training video, are nowhere to be found. I've heard reports that if you didn't have a color TV, your toy wouldn't even work with it. The ships went through batteries like worms through a goose. The only time that the toys worked decently was one-on-one play. At $33 a vehicle, you were lucky to find someone else that had another Captain Power vehicle to interact with. Being a household with both an XF-7 and Lord Dread's Phantom Striker was even scarce. So, for varying game play, you looked forward to the TV show. 

However, by Spring of 1988, most TV stations had stopped carrying the series. Parents found the concept of a robot apocalypse series geared at kids to be questionable subject matter. Human survivors were slaughtered with abandon by android hunters. The series faced criticism of being an allegory of Nazism and the Holocaust. And as holiday sale reports declared the toy line a failure, by March, Captain Power was a victim of cancellation and it's toys were clearance aisle fodder.

Unfortunately for Neal Adams, by the time his Continuity Comics had released it's first issue of a Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future comic book, the franchise was dead and buried. As a result, only 2 issues were published. Based J. Michael Straczynski's 2-part script, ' A Summoning of Thunder' reveals the origins of Captain Power, Lord Dread and what caused the Metal Wars that led to the near destruction of humanity. The most shocking revelation is that OverMind was co-created by Power's father, who spends the rest of his life leading the few remaining humans, including his son,  in a battle of man vs machine. 

Written and illustrated by Neal Adams with script assists by Peter Stone. Cover was also by Adams.

Completing this review completes Task #23 (Live Action Comic Adaptation from the 1980s or 90s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

The Partridge Family #16 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Inspired by the real life family singing group, the Cowsills, ABC's The Partridge Family rocked airwaves for 4 seasons, from 1970-1974. In fact, the child members of the Cowsills were originally considered for the sitcom. Officially, their lack of acting experience rules them out of contention. Unofficially, the prima donna antics of the Cowsills' manager, their father, William, might have doomed the children's chances at television stardom.

Once the Cowsills were ruled out of contention, singer and actress Shirley Jones was cast in the mom role. Oldest son Keith would be played by her stepson David Cassidy. There might have been even more of the Cassidy family, as David's father, Jack Cassidy was cast to play Mrs. Partridge's boyfriend who happened to be the Partridge Family's manager. The actor even co-starred in an un-aired pilot, but ABC executives decided to forgo the romance angle between the adults. Jack Cassidy's character was cut while David's role as eldest son Keith was beefed up to make him the romantic heavy as he tested extremely well with young viewers. 

David Cassidy's near Beatles level stardom made him the main focus of the series. By the time this issue hit newsstands, Cassidy was attempting to break out of the wholesome image of Keith Partridge. Maybe that explains why in the cover feature Keith puts his music career on hold and goes out for his high school basketball team. Unfortunately for the rest of the family, Keith is really good at basketball and that means everything else takes a backseat to his current passion- including the band!

Rounding out the rest of the family was Susan Dey as oldest daughter Laurie. Red headed Danny Bonaduce as the smart aleck Danny. Suzanne Crough as youngest daughter Tracy and on drums, Jeremy Gelbwaks as Chris. Not quite fitting in with the rest of the cast and reputedly the target of Danny Bonaduce's incessant bullying, Gelbwaks was replaced after season 1 with actor Brian Foster. 

Actor Dave Madden completed the cast as the band's manager, the long-suffering Reuben Kincaid. Instead of being Mrs. Partridge's love interest, young Danny Partridge would do everything in his power to set up his Reuben with a future Mrs. Kincaid. 

Reuben's role with the family has a lot to do with the plots of the 2 backup stories. First Keith falls head over heels for Reuben's visiting niece. So much that the lad wants to make her a part of the band. Only the girl cannot carry a tune! Then in the last story, it appears that Danny has finally succeeded at playing matchmaker, introducing Reuben to an old friend of Mrs. Partridge.

In the early 1970s, Charlton Comics was still relying on prose stories to help their comics maintain their affordable 2nd Class postage rates. In a clever spin on the requirement, this issue features a 2-page spread of lyrics to several songs that appear on the series. The spread doubled as advertising for a magazine called Song Hits, which reprinted the full lyrics of both crock classics and pop hits of the time. 

If you're a collector who enjoys reading the classic ads in back issues, you'll enjoy this one. But don't expect much of a variety. With the exception of the 3 pages devoted to Song Hits Magazine, all of the rest of the ads are about products pertaining to The Partridge Family and its cast. There's an ad for a beauty and lifestyle book written by Susan Dey, several ads for posters and photo books featuring David Cassidy and on the back cover, information about joining the official Partridge Family Fan Club. 

I was pretty lucky to find an issue that wasn't full of holes from a rabid fan clipping out dozens of requests for Partridge Family merchandise. When I inherited some of my mom's old horror and TV comics, I noticed that her issue of The Partridge Family was all cut up. I couldn't understand why she had left that book in such poor condition especially since she claimed to be a huge fan of the show. After reading through this issue, I now understand as almost every ad had a small order form included.

Featuring art stories by Don Sherwood, there's amazing likenesses of all of the Partridge Family. But I think Sherwood copied the images from publicity stills because many panels are of extreme close-ups and the poses are stilted. As for the stories themselves, they all start out very well in terms of plot and pace. But I think Sherwood was the type of comic book creator who just couldn't stop himself because all 3 stories end abruptly with no real sitcom style conclusion in which the dilemmas are adequately wrapped up. 

Add all these factors together and this issue reads less like an officially licensed comic book adaptation and more like the material for a fanzine.

Completing this review completes Task #22 (Live Action Comic Adaptation from the 1970s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

I Love Lucy Comics #34 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

During the last season of I Love Lucy, the Ricardos and the Mertz family moved to the suburbs of Connecticut. This helps to explain the setting of this issue's last story. A sudden snow storm makes it impossible for Ricky to get out of his driveway. Things get chaotic when the Ricardos' inventor neighbor turns their lawnmower into an ersatz snowplow.

One of the main plot points for I Love Lucy is Lucy's constant attempts at fame, often to disastrous effect. In the opener, Fred gets Ricky hired to perform at a dude ranch. In return for Lucy and Ethel tagging along, the girls have to work a few shifts at the check-in desk. When Lucy learns that a famous TV producer is visiting in hopes of researching a new Western series starring a woman cow hand, Lucy tries to show the exec that she's the only woman for the show! Spoiler- she really is not.

The middle story features the forgotten member of the Ricardo clan: Little Ricky! When Ricky and Lucy go on a ski trip, they take their son along. Being his first time skiing, Little Ricky is given a beginners level course on the bunny slopes. However when it's determined that the tyke is a natural skier, he runs laps around mom and dad!

I Love Lucy stopped producing new episodes in 1957, 4 years before this issue debuted on newsstands. A smattering of one-hour specials kept Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez on people's minds, but the reason I Love Lucy continued as a comic book published by Dell until 1962, 2 years AFTER Lucy and Desi divorced, was because I Love Lucy never left airwaves! 

Desi Arnez was a Hollywood executive genius. Being a Cuban entertainer, he had been screwed over by agents and movie execs before. So when he brokered the deal for I Love Lucy, Arnez made secure the rights to the series. This, along with the use of revolutionary high-quality 33-mm film helped ensure that I Love Lucy lived on in syndicated rerun history literally till the end of time. 

I Love Lucy Comics was not Lucy and Desi's first time in sequential art form. The show was tested out in 2 Dell Four Color issues (#535 and #559). Those two issues were retroactively numbered as the first two issues of the series. Before that, I Love Lucy was run as a daily newspaper comic strip from 1952-55 through King Features Syndicate. 

This would be the penultimate issue of the series. #35 (April, 1962) would be the final issue of I Love Lucy Comics. However, it would not be the end of Lucille Ball, nor the other cast members in comics. From 1963-64, Gold Key released 5 issues based on Ball's first post-divorce comedy, The Lucy Show, which costarred Vivian Vance who played Ethel on I Love Lucy. In 1990, Eternity Comics produced several Collector's Edition issues that reprinted stories from both the comic strip and Dell Comics catalog. 

Paul S. Newman is colloquially attributed as the series writer and artist. As it wasn't a common practice at that time for Dell Comics to give their creators any sort of by-line credit, it is possible that this issue was written and illustrated by someone else. 

Cover photo was provided by either CBS Studios or Desilu Productions.

Completing this review completes Task #21 (Live Action Comic Adaptation from the 1960s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

One of Chandler's novels written towards the end of his career/life. Philip Marlowe has always been a cynical character (to be a private investigator in a mega-corrupt City of Angels, you really have to be as such), but here it seems that Chandler started to become that type of cantankerous old man who yells at kids to stay off his lawn. There are several diatribes at how society has lost its way. Quite a bit about how America became a super power after the second world war, producing terrible products sold inside of top of the line quality packaging. It almost read like a boomer who doesn't know how to stay quiet on social media 

That's not to say that I didn't love this 1953 book. There's several mysteries all intertwined and while I needed a dictionary to decipher many of the outdated references and lingo sprinkled throughout this book, I didn't get lost in the plot. In, fact I actually was able to solve most of the crimes before Marlowe did and I was pretty proud of myself for it.

Marlowe becomes friends with a cuckold veteran of WWII. His wealthy wife openly cheats on him while nobody is able to say a single bad thing about the guy. When the wife turns up brutally murdered, the guy takes the fall and flees to Mexico. Marlowe is arrested for driving the guy to the Mexican border. But the detective is soon released when news arrives that the fugitive kills himself.

Marlowe is willing to let things drop. But friends and acquaintances of the killer keep approaching Marlowe, warning him from looking further into the murder/suicide. Thus the P.I. has no option but to determine if his old pal did it or if he was framed. There's also concern that Marlowe's friend might not have actually pulled the trigger on himself but instead was made to look like it was suicide. 

Meanwhile, a publishing agent of a famous hack romance writer, is looking to hire Marlowe to keep the author, who's got a history of drink and violence, on track to finish his latest work. Marlowe doesn't do babysitting assignments. Normally, he'd turn the job down. Only the scribe has an alluring wife who's caught Marlowe's eye. Plus the guy has gone missing for several days now. So it appears that as much as Phillip wants to wash his hands of this crew, just like with the death of his friend in Mexico, he's got another mystery to solve whether he likes it or not.

I swear I have read this book before. When I was about 12, I read a couple of Philip Marlowe novels. I know that I read Lady in the Lake and I at least tried to complete Raymond Chandler's unfinished work, Poodle Springs, and hated it. There was just so many aspects of this book that were extremely familiar to me. Maybe that's why I solved many of the mysteries in here. 

It could be that I have seen the 1973 Robert Altman version starring Elliot Gould. I was a big fan of Altman's in the 90s and would watch just about anything he made. But after I finished this book, I went to Wikipedia, mostly to see who was cast in the roles. From what I gleaned, I don't think seeing the movie explains my feeling like I had read this book previously. The plot of the film differs too darn much from Chandler's work. 

I will admit that I couldn't stop picturing Gould as Marlowe. There's just too many lines that sound like they would have come from the M*A*S*H* and Friends actor's mouth. I had always pictured someone more plain as Marlowe, like a Montgomery Clift. But I don't think I will be able to anymore. 

There's only 4 Chandler novels and just an even smaller handful of short stories starring Philip Marlowe left. I really want to read them all. But I also don't want to rush through it and be left with nothing new. I've got Farewell, My Lovely already in my possession. But I will probably wait until closer to the beginning of summer to start it. I don't think it matters what order you read the Marlowe books in, although there were a couple of characters that have appeared in some previous stories. I just think that I like the older, post-war Marlowe the best. I don't know why because he gets away with insults and barbs that would end up in viral video fisticuffs these days. 

Oh what a simpler, grittier time...

Worth Consuming!

Rating 10 out of 10 stars.