"Colossus: God's Country"

NOT WORTH CONSUMING !

Sadly, this is a colossal failure. Do Not Consume! (and Yes!!! The pun was intended!)

84 Charing Cross

WORTH CONSUMING!

 

I really enjoy the genre of books I would title “correspondence books”. These books include: Beverly Cleary’s “Dear Mr. Henshaw”, C.S Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters” (okay, not that one so much), Ted L. Nancy’s “Letters From a Nut”, and Don Novello’s numerous Lazlo Toth volumes. “84 Charing Cross Road” would fit into the genre of “Correspondence books” with one small exception. Cleary and Lewis’ books are works of fiction; while Nancy and Novello’s concepts are the literary equivalent of prank phone calls. Hanff’s story is 100% true.

Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again

WORTH CONSUMING!

Again, another great story by Frank Miller. And the art was better this time (than The DARK KNIGHT RETURNS). Miller’s ideas for the future are satirical and haunting. A true master storyteller. There must be a 3rd book to complete this story; I just can’t believe it ends how it ends.

"Batgirl: Year One (Titan Books UK Edition)"

WORTH CONSUMING!

Excellent reading, worth consuming. The foreshadowing of events to come is Batgirl’s life is beautifully done. The omen of the Joker (who’ll later paralyze her) is chilling.

"Superman in the Eighties"

WORTH CONSUMING!

Another excellent collection of timeless and timely Superman tales… this time from the 1980’s. These books are like comfort food, easy to consume and they make you all warm and fuzzy inside.

This volume contains what may be the best Superman story ever written: “What if Superman Never Existed”, by Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane.

The only downsides to this book: The introductions, which recount the history behind the Superman tales of the era is kind of difficult to understand, but whether that is the writers fault or a reflection of rough times at DC Comics during this time period remains to be seen.

Second downside is how several stories end without the words “The End”. They just move on to the next story. Again, I don’t know if this is the publishers fault or how DC did things in the 80’s.

Still, this volume is worth consuming.

Twisted Toyfare Theatre, Volume 3

WORTH CONSUMING!

4 out of 5 stars. Not the best entry, but there are some very funny episodes, like: Spider-Man’s year at Hogwart’s, Kitty Pryde’s open house visit to the X-Men mansion.

What was missing? Thor!, The Thing!, and Hulk’s comedic wit and talent.

"Excalibur : Mojo Mayhem"

WORTH CONSUMING!

Claremont is a genius, as usual. 5 out of 5 stars. It’s way fun. Excalibur is in a caliber unto itself. One of the best of the series. Check it out.

 

Twisted ToyFare Theatre, Volume 4

Much better than volume 3. And why is that?  More Hulk and more Thing. 

But where the Hey is Thor? 

Conan’s “Crom”-off with Arh-nold is classic. And I love how the Hulk mixes up his origin with Batman’s. Robot wars with H.E.R.B.I.E and the Human Torch is great. Worth reading….and as in Volume 3, there’s more from the Twisted Toyfare Universe Handbook.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

What If... (Volume 3) Jessica Jones Had Joined the Avengers?

WORTH CONSUMING!

 An interesting period of Marvel Comics History I know little about. Very nice, in terms of a What If… story.

What if... (Volume 3) Magneto and Professor X had Formed the X-Men?

NOT WORTH CONSUMING

This book is proof that the work Chris Claremont did for almost 20 years on the X-Men is perfect and should never be tampered with. Written by Claremont, What if… proves he (and Stan Lee and Roy Thomas before) did just fine making Magneto a bad guy and not trying the whole mutants getting along idea. Not worth reading, the possibilities, while endless, are not worth consuming!

What if... (Volume 3) General Ross had Become the Hulk?

A very hard to believe take on the Incredible Hulk mythos…General “Thunderbolt” becoming the Hulk??? I find it hard to believe that a high up like Gen. Ross would risk his life like he does in this book. Front cover is corny. I do like Banner’s revenge in this book. I hated the open ending.

"My Crowd" by Charles Addams

This collection of Addams family and other cartoons is odd. I didn’t get many of the jokes, and sometimes Addams’ drawings or handwriting is so small, I couldn’t tell what the cartoon was about, much less what the punch-line is.

Stick with the Movies and TV Show.

"Batman Illustrated - Volume 2 (Batman (DC Comics Hardcover))"

WORTH CONSUMING!

This was a tough call; I could not decide whether to rate this work 5 stars or 4 stars.

The art is amazing; such a 180 degree turn from DC’s other artists of the time.

And the coloring on this volume is out of this world for reprints. But a $50.00 price tag is a little steep.(FYI: Color comics are more expensive that B&W, because publishers use petroleum based ink, so as gas prices go up so do ink costs. This is your fault Bush!!!).

Also, why did I consume Volume 2 and not Volume 1? Blame the Chapel Hill (NC) public library. That’s all they carry.

 

What If... (Volume 3) Dr. Doom had become the Thing?"

A really unique…and awesome take on the Thing vs. the Hulk rivalry. Yes, Victor Von Doom becomes the Thing, but you will not believe who becomes the Hulk in this tale. The ending splash page is worth the consumption alone!

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying

Story was very, very good. The art- somewhat a-typical of DC at the time.

For nitpickers out there, during the scene of before/after he blows up an apartment building, notice how Two-Face is wearing a bowtie and collared shirt at the end of issue/chapter 4 and at the beginning of issue/chapter 5 he’s not wearing a turtle neck and no bowtie.

What If...(Volume 3) Karen Page had Lived?

WORTH CONSUMING!

To truly enjoy this story, one must read Daredevil: Visionaries by Kevin Smith. I did and thanks to doing so, it became a 5 star event. (Without, only 3!)

Showcase Presents: Justice League of America, Vol. 1

WORTH CONSUMING!

Avengers, Watchmen, Supreme. You would not have them without the JLA.

These old issues are like watching Japanese Giant Monster Flicks. Sometimes so bad, they are good. Teamwork issues are the best- and most far-fetched. And Aquaman shows us you don’t need water to save the day. Plus, these stories are loaded with editor’s notes that give helpful information and nifty facts. Worth a read. Consume it.

"Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Star Lost" — 2006

WORTH CONSUMING!

What a Star Trek: TNG episode would be like if directed by Jonathan Frakes. Great characters the NCC-1701-D was/are. I sure do miss them. I think once I get a couple of series of my list, I am gonna start owning every issue of TNG: the comic!!