Captain Action: The Classic Collection

In the late 1960s, in answer to the massive popularity of G.I. Joe, Ideal Toy Company introduced Captain Action. If you bought the traditional 12-inch figure, Captain Action was dressed in a paramilitary type outfit, and accessorized with weapons and a working 4-foot diameter parachute. 

So far, this sounds like pretty basic stuff and not something that's going to eat into Mattel's G.I. Joe sales. What made Captain Action different were the extra wardrobes you could purchase for the action figure. You could increase CA's wardrobe, including facial masks, transforming the character into Superman, Batman, The Lone Ranger, Buck Rogers and even Sgt. Nick Fury! Even sidekick Action Boy got into the act, transforming into Robin, the Boy Wonder, Superboy and Aqualad!

An immediate hit, DC Comics was quick to cash in on the craze. Obtaining a license from Ideal, editor Mort Weisinger tasked wunderkind Jim Shooter with writing up the first issue. Given a set of parameters, Shooter had to include all of the characters, vehicles, and accessories. Superman was also to make an appearance in the first issue. But other than that, Shooter had carte blanche over the storyline. That's not saying much.

Wally Wood illustrated the first issue. It would have been amazing to see him draw Captain Action as Flash Gordon or Spider-Man. But as those characters were licensed by competitors, DC had to scrap that popular concept of the Ideal toy line. Instead, Captain Action and his sidekick obtained their powers from several magical coins that boasted powers from a famous mythological god. In the first couple of issues, Action was trying to gather all of the coins before his arch nemesis Krellek did. 

Don't know who Krellek is? Don't feel bad, as readers didn't either. Captain Action's true antagonist, Dr. Evil, didn't appear until the 3rd issue. By then, Shooter and Wood were essentially gone. Gil Kane took on pencil duty with the 2nd issue, religating Wood to inks through issue #3. Gil took over scripting in issue #3. As Dr. Evil didn't have a set origin either, it was determined that Evil was Captain Action's father-in-law. This also made him Action Boy's grandfather. After finding a mysterious amulet, the elderly man was possessed by an alien being. 

Having familiar connections, Captain Action and son wanted to end Dr. Evil's reign of terror while hopefully saving their relative. Unfortunately, actions like enslaving a race of aliens and stealing a nuclear bomb that destroys most of the California coast by earthquake made any sort of redemption nearly impossible. Dwindling sales in both the toy line and the comic book cancelled the series after issue #5 ceased any further attempts at turning Dr. Evil into Professor Good.

In my opinion, Krellek was the better bad guy. The whole alien possessing an old dude and then suddenly looking like a blue alien wearing Space Hippie Jesus mask was preposterous. The story for issue #4 where Dr. Evil enslaves a race of aliens that look like him was the best issue. There is one of those morality tale elements to the story that you see in sci-fi anthologies of the time period. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the story was originally written for insertion in an issue of House of Mystery and that the characters were changed to fit those in the Captain Action line. 

Mark Waid writes a compelling history of the toy line and the terrible decision to remove both Shooter and Wood from the series as this volume's foreword. Not being able to have the protagonist change into any of his superhero personas should have shelved the title from the get go. Yet despite all of the missteps Ideal made with the Captain Action toy line, it has a strong cult fan following to this day. Case in point, this 2022 hardcover collection of DC books was published by IDW and the franchise lives on as a high end toy line featuring new superhero and villain wardrobes that is coveted by collector's young and old!

An interesting read that is more a visually appealing work than a masterpiece of comic book literature. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Live Like a Vulcan, Love Like a Wookiee, Laugh Like a Hobbit: Life Lessons from Pop Culture by Robb Pearlman

A gift from my wife, I had packed this in a box of books to read and somehow overlooked said box until very recently. The 2021 book is about a guy attending some sort of con being held at a hotel. Getting hungry, he stops in at the establishment's tavern. It is here that he stumbles across a Vulcan, a Wookiee, a  Hobbit and an elder. They're actually fellow attendees who are in full cosplay. While waiting for their food and drinks, the quintet examine life through the eyes of pop culture, in particular geek pop culture.

Topics include:

* What does Blade Runner teach us about corporations that manipulate beneficial science?

* Who are the real monsters in works such as Frankenstein and The Walking Dead?

* Why has pop culture made us so afraid of quicksand when its so incredibly rare?

And of course what does it mean to live like a Vulcan, Love like a Wookiee and laugh like a Hobbit?

Obviously, much of the philosophical observations made are through a secular lens. And yet Christianity, nor most world religions are scarcely mentioned. Okay, maybe saying that these philosophies fit under the category of what some would call 'woke' is more accurate. In other words, this book might not be for everyone. There's several comments among the characters about abolishing the patriarchy, living your truth, the evils of white colonialism, and systemic racism. While there's a lot of righteous indignation that is warranted, it's just amazing how much imperfections can be forgiven, as long as you're on these 5 sci-fi and fantasy fans side of things. 

As a Christian, I am guilty of this too. I get sickened when I learn that somebody cheated on their spouse or murdered someone. But like it or not, serial killer Ted Bundy is in Heaven right now. Christ's forgiveness is for everyone. Society's grace is only for those who are liberal it seems.

I think my wife thought that this was going to be a book about life's lessons learned through the eyes of geek culture. It kinda was. But it was more like Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven or John Travolta's Propeller One-Way Coach. More fiction than fact. More questions asked than actually answered. Enjoyable to a fault; this just wasn't my cup of tea. As much as the characters say that they enjoy franchises that enlighten without being preached at, I felt like I was sitting through a 100-page sermon on being politically correct by the author. Maybe someone else will get something deeper out of it than I did after I take it to the used bookstore for trade credit. 

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

This 1939 crime noir is Raymond Chandler's first novel. After 6 years of developing his perfect detective in short story form, Chandler branched out to introduce private investigator Philip Marlowe. The Big Sleep is perhaps the most well known of Chandler's works as Humphrey Bogart would play Marlowe opposite Lauren Bacall. 

But don't expect that iconic 1944/46 film (its release was delayed nearly 2 years because of the war) to be anything like the book. At least in terms of pornography. See Marlowe discovers that the youngest daughter of a wealthy oil magnate is being blackmailed into taking dirty photos for a low level pimp. The pimp is claiming that the girl has gambling debts tied to a big shot casino owner by the name of Mars. 

Marlowe is hired to put the kibosh on the debts, which technically can't be legally claimed upon. Older daughter Carmen thinks that the shamus is being hired to find her missing husband, who presumably ran off with Mars' estranged wife. When the pornographer is bumped off, Marlowe starts to make more connections to Mars and the missing husband, all the while being tempted by both sisters, one of which is psychotic as hell. 

You've got the porn. You've got nudity and sex. There's bisexuality and homosexuality. There's even a hint of cross-dressing or some other kink. Dirty cops, murder, Mickey Finns, and a whole bunch of boozing and gambling. Considering what I know about the Hays Code, I am surprised that this film was made during WW2. While some areas were changed to fit the code, there was a whole heck of a lot of implied depravity in the film. 

This is the story that famously, when Howard Hawks was filming the movie adaptation, neither he nor the producers could figure out who killed one of the characters and Chandler replied 'Damned if I know.' So while written by a master of 20th century American literature, this is not a book without its flaws. But he does get better. The Lady in the Lake and The Long Goodbye are both nearly flawless. But this one seems to do too much in just a short amount of time. At 230 pages, I think this might be the shortest Philip Marlowe novel. This is definitely a case of 'less is more' not working so well.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Batman/Deadpool #1

I think every series comic book collector gets to this point in their hobby: you buy so many comics that you get behind on cataloging and such that you forget to actually read them. I'm currently doing some consideration of letting go of a few books. With an collection of over 12,000 comics and graphic novels, I can afford to let go of a few. But this one that I read isn't going to be one of those books.

This is the second of the Batman and Deadpool crossovers from 2025. This is DC's entry. It starts of with the main work, written by Grant Morrison. Right off the bat, that should tell you that this book is going really play with your brain. Like Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore often do, Morrison really explores the relationship of the creative writer and his characters. Plus, as it seems that DC has made Morrison the official keeper of the keys to the multiverse, there's a real bend in the fabric of reality that keeps the reader on high alert but is entertaining as all get out.

There are 4 backups in this special that pits a character or two from the DC Universe with one from the Marvel Universe. The first one has John Constantine showing up on Doctor Strange's doorstep. While I love the classic Ditko look of Doctor Strange by Hayden Sherman and the standard crossover banter between the two masters of the arcane arts was very good, it is a different pairing that steals the show. Ghost Rider vs. Swamp Thing! It's more of a MacGuffin in the background showing the conflict of having both the DC and Marvel universes collide. But if the big two publishers ever wanted to get more of my money, a pair of one-shots starring the former Dr. Alec Holland and stuntman Johnny Blaze would be a sure fire way to get it!

Story #2 has the Laura Kinney Wolverine in Gotham looking for help from the Dark Knight in finding her missing sister. Instead, she recruits Nightwing and the pair bond over what it means to be a legacy hero. Featuring one of the best closing pages in comics history, that image by Bruno Redondo is currently my FB icon.

Story #3 is a goofy adventure with Harley Quinn and the Incredible Hulk and a vat of toxic waste. Cute but not really doing anything to advance either characters needles.

Story #4 had me going up and down. G. Willow Wilson and Denys Cowan team up the Kamila Kahn Ms. Marvel with that electrifying teen, Static. Good story. But the art was all over the place. Some panels were masterpieces. Others look like something I'd draw. (That poor woman in the power suit and massive goiter...) You know it could have been the inks and colors that looked like they were markers. I know it's trying to emulate how the Milestone imprint books looked back in the 90s. I just don't think it works when applied to a Marvel character. 

I also thought that for a Batman and Deadpool book, some of the pairings just didn't fit within these two comic families. Nightwing and Laura Kinney make sense. Harley Quinn's inclusion does too. I've never thought about a Hulk-Deadpool connection. Neither does that apply to Doctor Strange. And Static would fit better in a Green Lantern crossover because of his relationship with Jon Stewart. So, there needed to be more theme appropriate teamings.

I hope that the Marvel/DC experiment isn't over. Technically, it wasn't as a pair of Superman and Spider-Man specials came out earlier this year. But I want more. Wonder Woman and Captain America would be epic. I've already proclaimed a desire for Ghost Rider and Swamp Thing. What about Amanda Waller vs. Nick Fury?! There's so many more pairings that just scream for a chance to make it to paper.  

Come on Big Two! I'll make room in collection for any more crossovers that you might have in mind!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Summer of Supergirl Special #1

Despite what some of you may think, this really has been the Summer of Supergirl. Unfortunately, a lot of you decided to forgo a really fun movie. May I just say that I am disappointed in you. Kidding. Kidding. Maybe Supergirl would have been better received if done as a series. Maybe if there was more Krypto. Maybe if Supergirl actually wore her costume in the film. Maybe if James Gunn wasn't involved.

I can see reasons to hate the film. But deep down, it was freaking entertaining to this fan of the Girl of Tomorrow. I stocked up on Supergirl merch. My office is going to look amazing this school year! While I don't buy everything with Supergirl on it, I always buy the comics. But if it wasn't for the guys at my favorite comic book store, I would have missed out on this summer special.

With my mystery blood disease, I get brain tired a lot more often than I want. One casualty in my comic book collecting hobby is that I haven't been checking out the new releases like I used to. A lot of times, I just plain forget. Others, I'm just too mentally and physically exhausted to check at the end of the day. Thankfully, Books Furnish a Room in Durham NC were looking out for me and they ordered this knowing how much a fan of Kara Zor-El I am. 

There's 3 stories in this oversized release. The main story features the main man himself, Lobo. Makes sense as he's making his silver screen debut in Supergirl. The tale opens with Supergirl and Lobo in space court. Apparently in Lobo #4, the two got into a massive brawl and were apprehended for the damage. Thankfully, you don't have to have that issue in order to follow what happens here. But I am interested enough in seeing if my LCS has a copy and getting the inside scoop.

Tale #2 is written by Gail Simone. It has Supergirl and Mary Marvel meeting for the very first time. The pair bond over the fact that both are orphans and essentially grew up in the foster care system. Dedicated to all children and families who have fostered and adopted, this is my pick thus far for story of the year! It was so poignant and sweet. And not saccharine sweet either. I loved it!

The final story is probably the most massive undertaking in Supergirl history. It sees Superboy, Jonathan Kent and the female Steel attempting to unravel the tangled history of Supergirl. Along with the real deal, you've had the Matrix Supergirl and that one that was an Angel, after a girl named Linda Danvers bonded with the shape-shifter in the 90.s You've got multiple origins. Tons of different costumes. The multiverse. Plus, a surprise for me, everyone seems to know that she died fighting the Anti-Monitor! Confessionally, I haven't been really up-to-date with DC's Crises in the past 15 years like I probably should. 

The last story was educational. But I feel like it gets hijacked towards the end by J'onn J'onnz. The middle story was the best. The opener was very funny. If you are a fan of any incarnation of Supergirl, you will want to add this one-shot to your Supergirl collection. As for the judges of the Eisners and other comic book awards, I employ you to give serious, SERIOUS consideration to Gail Simone and her story 'Lost Girls' for story of the year and writer of the year, if the nomination process for this cycle of publications are still open. It's really that excellent of a work!

Worth Consuming!

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

Birding Is My Favorite Video Game: Cartoons about the Natural World from Bird and Moon (Updated Edition)

Here's another book I was able to get this book on Amazon, and while not compensated by the company except for getting it for free, I did post this review on their listing for the book. Rest assured, this is my honest opinion and rating of the book.

Create Your Own Comics!: Everything You Need to Know (Family Comic Friday)

I know its been a while since I posted a Family Comic Friday review. With my blood disease (we just don't know which one I have), I'm always tired or wearing out quickly. So I don't venture out as much as I would like. Thus, I haven't been to the library in quite a while. But I was able to get this book on Amazon, and while not compensated by the company except for getting it for free, I did post this review on their listing for the book. Rest assured, this is my honest opinion and rating of the book.