Lab Rats #2

An interesting story about some teens with special powers who are sent on a special mission to a theme park that has a sinister motive.

I only wish I had issue 1 to start with. But, from what I read, I liked enough to find the rest of the series and give Byrne’s Lab Rats a try. The art is classic later-stage John Byrne and I can’t stress how good it is.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Weird War Tales #1

In this tribute to the 70s and 80s series of the same name, Darwyn Cooke and some of DC’s best writers and artists team up to produce a trio of ghostly war tales. Cooke’s tale is a romp involving zombie versions of Patton, Kaiser Wilhelm, and Napoleon as they participate in an annual war games of the dead. The only rule: No Hitler’s Allowed!

Then there’s a creepy tale about a sunken sub and a crewman who wouldn’t die. Lastly, a pair of childhood buddies turned grunts hide out in an abandoned barn, waiting for the advancing panzers to come wipe them out. Hopefully, the dinosaurs coming to their aid will get there first.

A fantastic issue. The Cooke story was the best and the Dinosaur tale was a close second. The submarine story was good, but I was confused by the ending. Still, this makes me wish Weird War Tales had never been cancelled.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Team America #10

I actually had this issue as a kid. Not only that, I actually had the toys that this series was based on!!!

  
 It seems Evel Knievel got into some sort of legal trouble and wound up spending 6 months in jail. His Super Cycle toy set was uber popular at the time, but the toy manufacturer wanted to distance themselves from Evil so they invented Team America.

   
Team America was an off-shoot of mutants who first appeared in some issues of Captain America. (I had the Capt. super-cycle as well!) This issue doesn’t mention mutants nor has Captain America. What it does have is a cult leader who kills with a lethal solvent that turns unbelievers into dust. Pretty creepy.

   
The book wasn’t too bad. For a book written for a toy line, it was far superior to some. It’s no GI Joe, but it’ enjoyable enough to be worth consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

"Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man Annual #1 (Sandman: Year One)”

A unique Peter David tale in which Spidey takes a back seat to the villain known as Sandman. This “Year One” story goes from his childhood up to his earliest days as a petty crook who has a reunion of sorts with his father in the Big House.

Fantastically scripted by the legendary Peter David. It’s a must read. Excellent art. But, it’s the storytelling that steals the show here. Required reading.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

"Obnoxio the Clown vs. X-Men, #1”

I’ve never heard of Obnoxio the Clown until now and I’m glad I did. He’s a very dirty clown, with little morals and an even shorter temper. He’s Krusty the Clown times a thousand!

n this one-shot from the 80s, it’s Kitty Pryde’s birthday and Professor X hires Obnoxio to perform at her party. Yet, Cerebro is convinced the clown is an evil mutant and well, hi-jinx ensues.

What’s even better are the Obnoxio shorts at the end of the book. Why this guy never took off, I’ll never know.

But I thought he was hilarious.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

"Panic #9"

This EC Comics reprint is a reflection of things to come. After the Comics Code nearly forced the company into bankruptcy, editor William Gaines decided to publish a comic in magazine form to avoid censors. That book would become MAD.

Panic is like MAD-lite. There’s plenty of parodies, puns, and other scathing attacks on modern society. You even see Gaines working out MAD in this comic with things like putting stories in categories listed as coming “from the -—- Dept.”or having the characters of a parody story give a lengthy monologue about their shortcomings. The humor is quite topical and is from the 1950s. So, some readers might not know who Ben Casey, MD was or why Marlin Perkins taught us about animal behavior.

Though not quite of the quality of MAD, this is a gem and worthy of the comic book hall of fame if only for being the grandfather of MAD Magazine.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Piracy #1

Another of EC’s “New Direction” titles published after the Comic’s scare of the 1950s.

There’s plenty of murderous pirates, rampant plundering, and scurvy dogs in this book. However, the shocking endings which amazed readers and terrified Dr. Wertham are gone.

In fact, one story about a captain who runs across the man who shanghaied him into the navy ends on such a happy note, I thought I was reading a story written by John Ford.

I love boats, pirates, and ship wrecks. This book has all that. It’s got the same classic EC writers and artists. It just lacks the punch that a pre-code EC Comics would’ve had.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Around the World

This graphic novel is about 3 world travelers who were inspired in some way by Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days. One adventurer, Nellie Bly, meets Verne in France and is racing to beat the 80-day goal while writing for a global publication. Another tourist rides his bicycle across the globe while a seasoned sailor travels the world in a restored yacht. But neither of them have a deadline.

A very informative biography of globetrotter from the turn of the century. This type of book is what makes reading and learning fun- not just for kids, but enjoyable for the young at heart of all ages.

I highly recommend.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Superior

The ultimate Make-A-Wish program as a young boy with MS is offered the chance to be the superhero of his dreams for an entire week. During that time, the boy decides to change the world for the better. However, when his time is up, his guardian angel reveals his true nature and it’s now up to Superior to either battle for the earth or his very soul.

A refreshing take on comics about children. Usually, a kid gets powers and goes on a rampage, until at the last minute when they made some fatal mistake and learn that they can’t life up to the role. That does not happen here. This kid who turns into Superior actually makes a difference and has a good heart.

It’s also a unique commentary on the character of Superman and his “goody-goody” image.

There are quite a few swears and some suggestive imagery. But, otherwise 'Superior' is a very good tale that if given a PG-rating for language, would be "kid tested, parent approved."

WORTH CONSUMING!
     
 Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Extra! #2

A treasure hunt for Nazi gold in the icy fjords of Norway. A doctor with a crisis of faith assisting a small island imperiled by a volcano. And a crazed hoodlum takes an up-and-coming reporter hostage in a burning building. It’s all in a days work for the staff of the fictional EC newspaper, Extra!

For it’s less popular New Direction titles, this one isn’t bad. The twists aren’t as shocking as the days of Tales from the Crypt, but the excitement is still there. Plus there’s great art from legends like Wally Wood and John Severin.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Night of the Owls (The New 52)

Taking flight from Batman Volume 1: The Court of Owls, the Owl’s henchmen, the Talons have their orders and the rich and powerful of Gotham City are targeted for death. In this collection of issues from the Batman Family, Robin, Nightwing, Robin Red, Red Hood, Catwoman, Batgirl, and the Birds of Prey join Batman and Alfred to defeat this avian army of the undead.

Awesome cohesive plot threading a distress call from Alfred throughout a half-dozen books related to the Dark Knight. There’s still a lot of mystery behind the Owls and their beef with the Wayne family and Gotham. But, this was a fantastic collection of their massive assault on Gotham.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 10 out 10 stars.

Masters of the Universe #3

Masters of the Universe finishes in such a way that good triumphs over evil, but it doesn’t eliminate the bad guys. Otherwise, there’d be no reason to watch He-Man on TV.

The art improved in issue 2, but no further improvements are made in this issue. Also, the ending seems a little forced as I think the writers were running out of pages for their story and still hand a handful of characters to introduce.

I was somewhat happy with the ending and I enjoyed the fact that DC put a small reader’s guide in the back of the issue to explain any nits like why Sorceress looks like Teela! (so that's why!!!) and reveals that He-Man actually appears in a couple of team-ups with Superman in the pages of DC Presents. I must get my hands on those.

The series started off weak but got better. It’s no Shakespeare, but then again I hate Shakespeare.

Worth Consuming, but don’t pay more than a buck or less per issue.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Masters of the Universe #2

After reading issue one, I was disappointed that the series didn’t involve the origin of He-Man. My wish was answered pretty quickly by about page 10 of this issue. I’m still a little disappointed with the paper thin plot; He-Man and friends must find several talismans in order to free Sorceress from the clutches of Skeletor.

Essentially, the quest is for potential fans to figure out who’s who on Eternia.

Thankfully, the art is getting better by this issue as well. Teela looks more like herself now. Yet, Sorceress is still wearing Snake armor, like Teela. It doesn’t make sense why since she’s got a magic hawk in this book AND has bird-like powers. But at least this is no issue #1. So, some praise is due.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Masters of the Universe #1

This book was obviously created way before the cartoon ever came out and probably only had prototypes of the figures to base their drawings on. Sorceress looks more like Teela and Teela looks nothing like anyone I’ve ever seen on the show or toy line. Man-at-Arms looks more like the action figure without his mustache. Plus, folks keep calling him an “Old Man”, yet he’s drawn to look about the same age as his daughter Teela.

I was excited when I found this in a dime book bin at one of my favorite comic book shops. But, with a very jumbled storyline and a character called Zodiac, who seems like a knock-off of Kirby’s Metron what with his cosmic chair and mission to observe the cosmos, I can see why all three books of this mini-series was selling for only 3 dimes.

I’m not happy with my purchase. I hope it gets better quick.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Jonni Thunder # 4

Jonni Thunder AKA Thunderbolt ends with an all-out assault at the Hollywood Bowl. Unlike most DC superheroes, where there’s tons of destruction and little carnage, Thunderbolt’s been living a slew of dead bodies in her wake. At least there’s little to no property damage. Faced with this moral issue, Jonni decides to end her woes the old fashioned way. However, a villain from her past just won’t let that happen.

The ending was a little too sweet. It’s a happy ending, but when you’ve killed like a dozen people, that just doesn’t happen in real life. I wished this was addressed a little more. But, hey, it’s a comic book. Mindless fun, right?

Maybe the parents are right, there’s just too much violence in comics. Or maybe, I’ve turned into my parents. Ouch.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Dark Shadows

Though my mom watched the original series and I watched the 90s remake, I’m in no way an expert on Dark Shadows. I’m not sure how faithful the movie was to those projects.

The film takes a little while to really get going and at times, you wonder where it’s going next and how long will it get there. The scenes which actually move the plot forward are quite good, but to make a 2 hour movie on a 1200 plus episode soap opera, it’s not wonder things happen suddenly coming from far left field or that some plots threads are left dangling. For instance, when one characters transforms into another creature in order to fit the main villain, you scratch you head because there really wasn’t any plot development leading to the transformation.

Also, some characters pop up for no really purpose, like a 60 some odd year old Alice Cooper performing a trio of hits while heavily made-up to look like he was in his 20s. Sure, the songs used are motifs for parts of the movie occurring at that time. But, why not just have his music play during a montage- he’s not really needed in person.

Yet, the acting is what really makes this film. Johnny Depp is both charming and aloft as the suddenly out of his time period vampire Barnabas. He brings a wisp of magic to the film. Michelle Pfeiffer is a chameleon, making you think she’s a Joans Collins type character but is in fact a true matriarch who knows blood is thicker than water.

Then there’s the always wonderful Grace Chloe Morentz playing her usual bratty and way too smart for you rich girl with problems role. And the girl who plays the witch, Angelique is crazy good with her perverse devotion to Barnabas while trying to single-handedly bankrupt the Collins family. There’s times I thought to myself “She’d make an awesome Harley Quinn.”

Yes, it’s a Tim Burton film. But at times, you feel like he’s given up his normal film style to make a film as close to the original. The movie doesn’t suffer because he’s a faithful fan of Dark Shadows, but it’s easy to forget it’s one of Burton’s film.

Though it wasn’t a huge it, it had lots of laughs and a really good soundtrack, that’s strangely limited of Danny Elfman pieces. Not too scary, but a little too sexualized for my tastes.

Wicked fun though.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Jonni Thunder #3

Issue three poses an interesting question: When your super power causes your physical body to become unconscious, how do you keep it safe from attack? That’s how this issue opens which Jonni’s Thunderbolt active and her body crumpled to the floor with a loaded .38 pointed at it. I won’t spoil it, but it’s an awesome situation you only find in comics.

Great third act. Fantastic storyline. Really good plotting. I also enjoy the classic Dick Giordano art.


WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Jonni Thunder #2

Jonni’s new found superpowers results in more deaths and is put her in the forefront of the Hollywood PD’s investigation of the murdered client in Jonni’s office in issue one.

We’re introduced to some more players in the mystery and we learn some more info behind the mysterious statute that grants Jonni her Thunderbolt powers and is wanted by every hood in Tinsle-town.

A much better second chapter with a great cliff-hanger.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Jonni Thunder A.K.A. Thunderbolt #1

Meet Jonni Thunder- no relation to the myriad of characters in the DC Universe to bear the name. Today’s her first day as a PI after the death of her dad and partner. Only, when she arrives to meet her first client, he’s dead as a door nail.

Now, Jonni finds herself the prime suspect of the Hollywood PD and a slew of people are coming out of the woodwork asking for a mysteriously Incan statue that a prisoner gave Papa Thunder years ago.

The Thomases craft a modern Philip Marlowe tale in which our sleuth is a dame and she’s no lady. The superhero aspect is really an afterthought and it’s kinda refreshing. Not exactly what I was expecting when I picked this series up. However, Roy Thomas’ history lesson on this story’s origin helped make the tale that more enjoyable. Read it, you’ll not be disappointed.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Jonny Quest #2

During the run of the 60's Jonny Quest series, how Jonny’s mom died and how Race Bannon came to be the bodyguard of the Quests was never revealed- until NOW!

William M. Loebs crafts a fantastic tale that has Jonny’s mom dying of a mystery disease in Paris and Bannon is in a race for both his life and that of Dr. Quest as a gambit of assassins have set up camp in Gay Paree!

Awesome series style art. Really good story! I can get on board with this origin tale.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Jonny Quest #1

Jonny Quest and his adventuresome pals return in this revival comic by Comico. In this first issue, Jonny, Race, and Hadji scout out a buried ancient city while Dr. Quest gets his expedition plane readily supplied. But, terrorists are determined to see the expedition never take flight.

This story ends kinda abruptly. Thankfully, the second tale picks up where the first ends. Here, Jonny and Hadji meet a man who claims to be from Napoleonic France.

The art is very good and faithful to the classic 60s series. The plotting of the first tale is rushed. What’s amazing for this book is the talent. Wm. M. Loebs, Steve Rude, Bill Willingham, and some of the show’s original artists contribute to this premier issue. 

Wow!

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.