Avengers Annual #1 (Marvel NOW!) (Holiday 2013 Theme)

I searched far and wide and this annual appears to be the only Christmas themed title published by any of the big publications. It used to be an annual event with both DC, Marvel, and perhaps IDW or a kids themed title doing a Holiday/ Christmas special. That just doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. As you may know, I rarely buy a comic for the full price. However, I do take the occasional exception to a Christmas special and this just happened to be my one “splurge” for the year!

In this annual, some kids are taking a holiday tour of the Avengers mansion. Black Widow, Iron Man, and Dr. Banner are planning on going on vacation as soon as this little get together is finished. That leaves Captain America all alone for the holidays.

But that loneliness may be short lived with one of the youths stows away in the Avengers elevator and just happens to have the ability to make her split personalities real.

I thought this was a very funny issue. The art was good and I rarely got confused keeping this little kid’s multiple personalities straight. That’s all thanks to excellent writing and very good art that doesn’t make everybody look the same.

Though I said some Avengers were going away for Christmas, as you know things get in the way and that results in even more mayhem with excellently funny use of the Hulk.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

Holiday Rating: 7 out of 10 jingle bells.

Classic GI Joe, Volume 2 (GI Joe: A Real American Hero, Volume 2)

 

In this second volume, Kwinn the Eskimo mercenary and Snake-eyes go on a global trek to hunt down a Cobra fugitive as well as dispense some honorable justice on the despicable Dr. Venom. While the duo go on their mission, the Joes must intercept a virus that could wipe out the entire US and Cobra high command has some loyalty shake ups as Destro makes his presence known and there’s a love triangle forming between Destro, Cobra Commander, and the Baroness. It all comes down to a tragic end as Cobra unleashes its version of hell on the Joes when their secret base is discovered.

Volume 2 sees the series starting to look a lot more like the toys. Snow Job, Destro, Gung-Ho, and a host of vehicles like the HISS tank begin to appear in the series. I really enjoy it and I think that writer Larry Hama did a fantastic job crafting a universe that for decades would be considered the definitive toy tie-in of all-time. In fact, when IDW decided to revitalize the series, it was Hama who was asked to continue the storyline.

The art is fantastic and the technical skill and research used in crafting these tales have made this series and instant classic. I still feel like Cobra’s motivation for world domination isn’t clear, but from what I’ve read, when Hasbro decided to bring the GI Joe line back to toy stores after a near 10-year absence, they weren’t even considering having bad guys to oppose the Joes. Thank you, Marvel for creating some of the most iconic 80s baddies of all-time!

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

GI Joe: A Real American Hero, Volume 1 (Classic GI Joe, Volume 1)

 

After almost 7 years of searching, I finally have a copy of every issue of the original series of GI Joe published by Marvel Comics. It would be too expensive to have all 155 issues as the first and last issue would require me lying down about 3-5 bills apiece (I am talking Franklins, not Washingtons.)

Anyway, I bought up as many issues as I could afford and then filled in the gaps with these collections. Marvel managed to do 5 reprint volumes before losing the franchise rights to IDW. The Marvel reprints are hard to find and can be pricy, unless you get lucky and find them in a used book store like I did. Marvel’s reprints are called “GI Joe: A Real American Hero.” IDW’s version is titled “Classic GI Joe.” Both versions contain the same content.

This volume introduces us to the Joe team and Cobra. It’s pretty basic stuff with only the first run action figures being covered in these books. So, no Duke and no Destro yet. Here the Joes find their base under attack by a giant robot and a sinister scientist known as Dr. Venom is creating a powerful virus that will wipe out mankind. We are also introduced to an Eskimo mercenary named Kwinn, and get the first glimpse of a town called Springfield that is anything other than ideal.

It’s not bad, not bad at all. But, it’s also not 100% what I was expecting. I am guessing this series started independently of the cartoon, which I remember fondly. The Pit, the secret base of the Joes is actually a pit, not that mega fortress with the giant laser cannon in the front. Plus, Snake-eyes doesn’t have a wolf and where’s Duke and why are the Joes led by a guy named Hawk that looks just like Duke?

Hopefully these questions, along with what’s Cobra’s motivation of world dominance, will be answered in future issues.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

With a New Year Comes a Great New Title...

So, 2013 is almost done, and I felt that the time was right to finally start reading Marvel's GI Joe series from the 1980s. I've been looking for this entire series since I starting collecting comics again in 2007. I found out pretty quick that to get a copy of every issue would result in my collection being rather small. I estimate getting all 155 issue, plus another 50 issues of GI Joe spin-offs like GI Joe: Order of Battle, GI Joe: Special Missions, and GI Joe: European Missions would cost me about a grand. That would mean my collection would be about 1,500 issues smaller than it is now. (I'm a serious bargain hunter and troller of conventions and dollar boxes.)

So, I decided to go the Trade Paper route. However, for several years only the first 50 issues, about 5 volumes, had been reprinted. Marvel lost the rights and IDW had yet to issue reprints of the reprints.
 A volume 3 trade that was out of print was selling on Amazon for the bargain price of $389.95. So, that option was also a little unreasonable.

So, I decided to mix and match my collection. For instance, I found volume 1 at a used book store for $12.50 and I used tade credit to get it. I've also compiled many issues in my collection via bargain hunting. I've got many issues for less than a buck.

This fall, I finally got enough reprints and dollar books to get the entire 155 issue run of the original GI Joe series. I still have some work to do to get all the reprints, but I think I'll be able to finish that up by 2014's end. Who knows, maybe by this time next year, I'll be reading those books for review?

Who Knows?

Oh, and knowing is half the battle!
YO, Joe!

Harvey Hits Comics #3

The verdict isn’t quite out on this book. Though it is touted as a holiday issue, none of these issues take place during the holidays.  A couple of these stories do take place during the winter and snow does play a major factor in all of those stories. So, if this was titled a “Winter Special”, then I wouldn’t have any qualms. But, once again, the cover has a fun holiday cover and yet not even in one tiny panel is there a stocking, reindeer, or Christmas light dangling in the back ground.

Bummer-

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Holiday Rating: 2 out of 10 jingle bells.

Lego DC Universe Super Heroes: Save the Day!

I feel that Lego has done a fantastic job in their handling of franchised properties. Not only are their Lego video games brilliantly crafted, but the numerous TV series and books based on properties such as Lego Star Wars are some of my personal favorites.

Here, Lego has crafted a series of short stories done in sequential art comic fashion to relate to their new Lego DC Universe Super Heroes line. Lego started out with Batman and for this book, it’s primarily the Batman family who stars in this book. Aquaman and Superman make some important appearances in this book but it’s really Batman, Robin and a host of villains who steal the show, literally.

The book is really funny and those it’s a bit on the childish side, I would love to read more of these titles in the very near future.

What’s the most amazing about this book is how much Commissioner Gordon, Bane, and Batman look like their live-action counterparts from The Dark Knight Rises.

Great fun for all ages, though those under the age of 13 will enjoy this title the most.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Adventures of Spencer Spook #4 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

I’ve never heard of Spencer Spook prior to finding this issue and a non-holiday issue at a Jewish thrift store, somewhere in Western North Carolina. But, I took a chance and I think it was a fairly good one.

The issue opens with an interview with a former Spencer Spook artist and writer named Jack Bradbury. It was an interesting look at a genre and period of comic book history to which I know very little.

The first couple of stories are original but they are not Christmas themed. So I was thinking I had been once again duped into buying a holiday themed issue that was seasonal in cover only. Thankfully, the final story saved the day. In it, Spencer Spook tries to make the future bright for a family who aren’t very friendly during the holiday. But, when Spencer takes a page out of Dickens, his ghosts of Christmas Past and Present reveal some hidden secrets that make the holidays worse!

A very lovely comic that came through in the last minute to provide some holiday cheer.

I enjoyed it enough to read more Spence Spook tales in the future.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Holiday Rating: 4 out of 10 jingle bells.

The Ren & Stimpy Show #15

This title is like reading an old episode of Ren & Stimpy. I miss that show and this issue was perfect to capture that show’s magic. In this issue, Ren is incensed when Santa puts him on the naughty list. So, he enlists Stimpy to infiltrate Santa’s workshop and finds incriminating evidence against the fat man in red. In between parts 1 and 2 is a patented Ren & Stimpy faux-mercial. This one involves a telephone that takes caller ID to the next level with “Caller IQ.”

This issue was awesome. It made me miss the show really, really bad. Maybe I find this on DVD and future issues would be welcome additions to my collection.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Holiday Rating: 9 out of 10 jingle bells.

Mickey Mouse & Friends #271 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

I’m not really sure if I am allowed to really review this book. I happened to receive a copy that’s commonly known as a “Misbound.” That means that the book has extra or less pages than are needed to complete the presentation of the story. Thus, the first 4 pages are missing and contain 4 pages that are the same as the middle 4 pages. And the last 4 pages are missing as well, with the next to last 4 pages being reinserted for a second time. So, for a 30 some page comic I’m missing almost 30% of it.

  In this first story, Mickey explains to his nephews how Santa can still bring you presents even if you don’t remember to mail the letter. The second story isn’t about Christmas. It has Donald Duck buying an all-you-can-eat restaurant. It’s a funny story full of insanity and fine print. The Final tale involves Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy trying to help a scientist regain his sense of wonder of the magic of Christmas and Santa. Sadly, due to the omission of the final 4 pages, I don’t know how that story ends.

What I read, I like. But, I didn’t get the whole story. I’m tempted to find another copy of this book and give it another go round next year.

Worth Consuming (What I read)

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars (I can’t give a full rating at this time.)

Holiday Rating: 8 out of 10 jingle bells.

Merry Christmas!

Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories

If you grew up watching the Batman Animated Series, then you'll thrill to read this collection of tales set in that cartoon universe. This collection of tales begins with Mad Love- a yarn in which the Joker's girlfriend, Harley Quinn, decides the best way to have Mr. J all to herself is to eliminated the Batman. Taking it's inspiration from the classic Denny O'Neil- Neal Adams story "Death has a 1,000 Faces."
  Then there are reprints of the two Batman Animated Series Annuals that focus on a host of Batman baddies, such as Roxy Rocket, Scarface, Ra's Al Ghul, and many more. Both annuals are fantastic but it's the second annual which is a Jack Kirby tribute with the Batman taking on the Demon's Hand by teaming with the Demon, Etrigan.
   There's also a handful of really clever TAS shorts that ranges from a Two-Face love story to a Christmas adventure starring Batgirl and Harvey Bullock!
   I thought this was a really good collection of tales. It's not all kid friendly as there are some very suggestive parts in the Mad Love story and plenty of sex and swears in the Two-Face story. Everything else is appropriate for all ages.
    My copy was pretty beat up. I found it at a used book store and I am sure it has had lots of love. Some pages were falling out and the last 3 pages of the Two-face story was ripped out! I don't know how that story finished up!!!!

  A very fun trip down memory lane, especially since the Animated Series isn't running on the Hub right now. Thus it's my first Christmas in forever where I won't get to watch "Christmas with the Joker." So, sad.
Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Avengers, Volume 1: Avengers World (Marvel NOW!)

  Now this is how I feel an Avengers title should be- clearly it takes place after the invasion of New York in the Avengers  film and has Captain America and Iron Man scrambling to find new recruits if the original line-up find themselves with a foe that's too overwhelming. So in true Avengers fashion they go on a recruitment drive!

I really like this book a lot better than New Avengers (Marvel NOW!) In that book the Illuminati betray Capt. America. That's not the case here, but it is alluded too in passing at least once. I also liked when Iron Man tells Spider-man "We have money." and Spidey thanks him with a hug. That scene is classic Spider-man, yet you've got to remember that is actually Doctor Octopus in Spider-man's body!

The art was great. The story was engrossing and I cannot wait for Volume 2!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Fantastic Four: volume 2, #4

Once again, Marvel suckered me in for a Christmas issue that has nothing at all to do with Christmas-except the cover. In yet another Heroes Reborn issue, we get the Fantastic Four meeting up with the Black Panther in an attempt to recover a mysterious artifact that fell from earth and possibly responsible for the FF gaining their powers. There’s also a mysterious infiltrator of the Baxter Building. It’s not revealed who it is, but I think it has something to do with the death of David Banner in issue 3 and 4 in Iron Man.

It was a very good it. It’s making want to collect the entire Heroes Reborn series, even if the art is horrid Rob Liefeld quality AND not the Christmas issue I was expecting to receive. The writing is the best part and I love how this reboot is filled with more original ideas than other attempts to revitalize a series and end up recopying the older series issue for issue.

Superman #165 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

In this holiday issue, Superman tries to find the true meaning of Christmas by seeking advice from his colleagues in the JLA. Okay, I am just kidding, Superman does seek advice from his teammates, but it’s not over the true meaning of Christmas. Instead he’s trying to make sense of his role of the protector or Truth, Justice, and the American way in light of Lex Luthor’s election to the Presidency.

Along the way, Superman does give a special Christmas gift to each teammate and I thought that way extremely classy. I loved the ending as well. Extremely fitting.

There was one thing about this issue I found odd, and no, I’m not talking about the very passionate way Superman and Wonder Woman interact with each other- though it’s a definite “Ghosts of Christmas Future” moment, albeit unintentional, that is playing out in the pages of DC Comic’s right now. No, my problem with the tale was the beginning in which a group of time travelers are massacred by Mongol’s War World. It’s never brought up again in this book, so if left me wondering what that was all about. I’m guessing it’s covered in Superman #165, but even the editor’s page on the back that talks about next month’s issue doesn’t mention the War World either.

Oh, well…

Oh, yeah- one more thing, one segment is drawn by Rob Liefeld. I absolutely hate Rob Liefeld’s artwork. Everybody’s body is out of proportion and each face has the exact same tiny little nose, beady eyes, and a grimace that makes me think the characters might be constipated. Thankfully, his artwork only covered about 4 pages. It really could’ve ruined Christmas for all.

Worth Consuming anyway.

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 9 out of 10 jingle bells.

The Invincible Iron Man, volume 2, #4 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

 

If you put a picture of Tony Stark decorating a house for Christmas on the cover of your comic book, then I expect said issue to be about Christmas! That’s not the case here! Had I know that it was a “Death of Sad Sack” copout, I never would’ve bought the thing. Here’s the thing, I also bought a Fantastic Four issue with a similar cover and I bet that thing’s not about Christmas or Hannukah either! (The Thing is Jewish- this is not a non sequitur.)

What I got instead was an issue set in the Heroes Reborn universe in which Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld tried to reboot the Marvel universe. Thankfully, Liefeld’s horrid art is nowhere to be found in this issue. But whoever was drawing this must’ve taken lessons from the Liefeld School of Anatomy Drawing, because the proportions of the characters was out of whack. If you don’t believe me, look at how tiny Stark’s hand is next to the bar code in relation to a medium sized head and massive shoulders that stretch out like 10 feet wide.

The story was good. It involved the Living Laser and there’s even a mystery of “Who Killed Bruce Banner?” thrown in. Though, I didn’t think the Hulk was involved in the Heroes Reborn storyline. I guess I was wrong.

It’s an okay book. But I was expecting this to be a Christmas issue. I’m glad I only paid like a buck or less for this.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 1 out of 10 jingle bells. (It should be zero, but the cover was festive.)

 

 

The Goon #10 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

I’ve been saving this issue for about 6 months. It’s Dickens’ A Christmas Carol starring the Goon. This irreverent looking at the holiday classic is fun! The Zombie Priest plays Scrooge and he gets the crap literally beat out of him.

This isn’t a tale for all-ages. There’s some sick stuff in here. But, there’s also a bunch of classic Goon humor. Eric Powell’s art is nothing to snort at either. I really enjoyed this tale and if you are a fan of Eric Powell, the Goon, the absurd, or gross humor, then this is the Christmas special you’ve been waiting for.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 10 out of 10 jingle bells.

The Impact Winter Special #1 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

I’ve come across sources that list this as the Impact Christmas Special, but since the cover says “Winter” and not “Christmas” that’s what I am going with.

In this hard to find gem, the short-lived Archie Comics line of super heroes make a resurgence in the pages of DC Comics. After a year of several fledging titles, the Impact imprint had the clever idea to join all these new characters together in one giant Christmas special to gain new readers. I must say, the marketing stunt has worked on me as I want to find all of these titles soon!

In this Winter/ Christmas special, someone has kidnapped the President. In order to retrieve him, the Secret Service must call up a batch of upstart super heroes to search for the super villain’s cadre of now good “henchmen.”

I thought this was great. Each super hero got a small intro tale in which he or she had a mission to find one of the former baddies. Then it all got tied together with the ersatz team trying to save both the President and Christmas. The art was different from story to story, but it gave the readers a very good sample of the quality of each Impact title.

I was very impressed. It’s too bad this didn’t take off. But, with my newed interest in the Impact line and with only about 50 individual issues to find, it shouldn’t hurt my budget too much!

Worth Consuming.

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 7 out of 10 jingle bells.

Impulse #34 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

This cover is as Holly Jolly as you're gonna get, but the story was a blast!

 

Okay, I’m a little annoyed here. This issue was touted on the cover as being a Christmas issue. Yet, the story begins in January, with Christmas and all the other holidays long past. I’d really be mad if I just wasn’t so enamored with the whole series.

Impulse/ Bart Allen is funny. His mentor, Max Mercury is the perfect comic foil. Plus, this issue begins a storyline about time travel and I love those stories.

When Impulse and Mercury are sent back in time to the Devonian Era, it’s like that Ray Bradbury tale where hunters go back in time but when one accidently steps on a bug, his size 12 error causes all of history to change. That’s the same with this.

Issue #34 was the beginning of a 3-part tale. I loved part one so much, despite the false advertising on the front page that I’m now scrambling to find parts 2 and 3 so I can find out what happens.

Awesome stuff, poor choice of covers.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 1 out of 10 jingle bells.

 

Impulse #33 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

Impulse #

 Other than the cover, there’s nothing remotely about Thanksgiving in this “Thanksgiving Special” issue of Impulse. That’s why I bought this issue! Not all is lost, as some parts of the book do revolve around Christmas, primarily, young Bart Allen’s impatience to hurry up and decorate the school Christmas tree without using the speed force.

That’s not to say that this was an awful book. I found it very funny. The majority of the plot splits between a crime boss hiring a mercenary to intimidate some witnesses from testifying against some illegal dumping of chemicals into a local lake, while Bart and his friends at school must deal with the annoying new school counselor.

I really enjoyed this book. I found it fresh and as I said very funny. I’m not sure who the main villain is as she’s referred to as both “White Lightening” and “Moonshine.” Which is it?

Despite this flaw and the blatant false advertising on the front cover, I am very interesting in pursuing Impulse as a part of my ever growing comic book collection.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 7 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 3 out of 10 jingle bells.

New Avengers, volume 1: Everything Dies (Marvel Now!)

The Illuminati return in this retooling of New Avengers. I’ve haven’t seen them since Civil War and that was about 5 years ago, so they may have made a reappearance since then, who knows? But for me, the Illuminati appear to have a new member with Captain America. Plus, with Professor X’s death at the hands of Cyclops in the pages of A Vs. X,  a replacement member is announced in this book.

The Illuminati return after Black Panther witnesses the death of a parallel earth in which its appearance signals the beginning of the end of the multi-verse. Now the team must devise new ways to kill off parallel earths or this earth is doomed.

This seemed an awful lot like Crisis on Infinite Earths. Plus, with Captain America’s betrayal at the hands of the Illuminati, this seems a lot like Identity Crisis. In other words, I read this story in the pages of DC Comics!

Yet considering how borrowed this story seemed, I was still engrossed by it. I didn’t have as much problem with the plot being so similar to many years of DC fodder, but I did think that having Capt. as a member of the Illuminati was a stretch. It just didn’t seem like something he would agree to, which eventually he doesn’t and things get a little dangerous for him. Maybe he joined to keep the Illuminati in line, but it still doesn’t seem like something of his character to be a part of.

Despite my problems with the book, I enjoyed it. I even can’t wait for volume 2. I like most of what Marvel’s being doing with the Marvel Now! retool, but of the books I have read so far, this is my least favorite.

Worth consuming.

Rating 7 out of 10 stars.

Superman Family Adventures #1

Superman Family Adventures #1

The team of Baltazar/ Franco has done it again. First it was Tiny Titans, then Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!, and now they bring you Superman Family Adventures. This first issue has Superman and his cousin Supergirl and clone Superboy fighting against some mysterious robots that share the color scheme of a certain bald super-villain. Along with Krypto and Lois Lane, the Superman Family must save Metropolis before the robots destroy the entire town!

Superman Family is geared toward kids but adults will enjoy it too! It’s like the comic book equivalent of a Disney film- there’s something for all ages without seeming too childish or too adult! I loved it.

I happened to have read a teacher’s edition of this book as the back 6 or so pages were filled with vocabulary words, discussion questions, and other fun learning activities. Using comic books to educate? I’, all on board for that. Too bad we didn’t have this when I was growing up.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 3: Emperor Penguin (The New 52)

 

In this New 52 offering, the Penguin finally gets his comeuppance. After years of skirting the law with his team of lawyers and adept knowledge of how to cross the line without being held in contempt of the law, the Penguin finally learns what it’s like to be on the other side of the fence. Enter the Emperor Penguin- a smarter than average thug in the Penguin’s arsenal who takes advantage of the Penguin’s small absence to take over the Cobblepot empire.

There are some really awesome role reversals here, not only for Penguin, but Bruce Wayne as well. It reminded me of Trading Places- without Jamie Leigh Curtis. I loved it! There’s also a little bit of the Joker mixed in this volume and I am sure it all plays out in the “Death of the Family” storyline. I’ve yet to find that book yet, so those appearances of the Clown Prince of Crime confused me a little, but not so much to not enjoy this fantastic tale.

I can’t wait for Volume 4 so I can find out how this storyline plays out!

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Jughead #42 (Volume 2) (holiday 2013 theme)

It’s rare when a comic book that boasts a Christmas cover actually has to do with Christmas, Christmas specials excluded of course.

In this issue we get 3 tales of Jughead on his holiday vacation. The first story involves Reggie trying to embarrass both Jug and Big Ethel, when the big slime ball discovers that Ethel has knitted Juggie a giant pair of socks. The second story involves Jughead sharing his breakfast with his dog, Hot Dog. It’s the least Christmas story of the trio. The final tale involves Jughead and Ethel ALMOST getting around to discussing their relationship. It reminds me of Sheldon and Amy! What is this? The Big Bang Theory???

It’s not a bad issue and to have found it for a buck at a thrift store was quite the coupe. I enjoyed it and for an Archie Comics title, I didn’t feel like it was too juvenile for me.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 7 out of 10 jingle bells.

Suburban Jersey Ninja She-Devils #1

Not only is this the first issue, I’m pretty sure it’s the only issue as well. In this one-shot, a trio of suburban housewives from New Jersey must fight an ancient evil by using the ninja skills they’ve amassed over the years. The whole thing reminds me of Buckaroo Banzai, especially with the heavily Japanese influenced style and slang.

  I thought this was both awesome and weird. Especially the villains, who basically seem played out as a bizarre Asian fetish creature. For example, the main villain uses her giant lips to possess and poison a man’s mind while another creature uses her giant wooden stakes to paralyze the She-Devils and ends up impaling a host of demonic langoliers in the mouth and privates. I told you it’s bizarre.

I found myself wondering both when will this end and I can’t wait for what happens next. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll ever get to know what else ever happened to the Suburban Jersey Ninja She-Devils and their mission against ancient evil.

Rating 5 out of 10.

Batman: Nine Lives (Elseworlds)

In this beautifully done noir-type Elseworlds, someone has killed Selena Kyle. What’s so great about this book is that though many of the characters are good guys or villains, they are  not super villains, with exception of Batman. The other characters are more archetypes than anything else.

 Take Jack, the Joker. He’s not a chemically enhanced clown who’s got mad chemistry skills with a sadistic streak. Instead, he’s a down on his lunch card sharp that’s more pathetic than fearsome. That’s just about how every character in this book is and I love it.

Everybody, even Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, have a motive for killing Selina. While I don’t have a problem with her being black, I think for her to be a sex kitten type character, why is she drawn all frumpy and well about as big as Moms Mably? I’d expect this woman who’s sleeping with every power broker in Gotham to be drawn like Beyoncé or Hallie Barrie. It just seems that the way she’s drawn is unbelievable. I’ve seen lots of gangster flicks, not one has the crime boss sleeping with a woman who looks like Roseanne.  (I know that this is a weird thing to harp on, but I’m not just a collector, I’m a connoisseur of the comic medium.)

Regardless of my feelings, Nine Lives was a fantastic read and a daring mystery that had me having a difficult time putting down. I think I finished this in less than 2 days.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

Alpha Flight # 105 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

In this Christmas themed issue, the men of Alpha are having a bachelor’s party, while the ladies are having a bachelorette function. All of this happens on Christmas Eve, because when I’m waiting a lap dance, I always think of the birth of Christ. Okay, I’m not sure why this book decides to have these events take a more festive tone, but it doesn’t make for a bad book.

The guys have their hands full when a desperate father makes the poor choice to rob the only tavern in all of Canada that’s filled to the brim with super heroes. The ladies go to a Chippendale’s type lounge where an old villain of Alpha Flight is the establishment’s bouncer. It’s insanity at its best!

While I’ve not really read much Alpha Flight, if this book is any indication, I’m hooked! I was very confused about many inside references, but I could follow the story enough to enjoy it! I also thought the ending was spectacular and very heartwarming and funny!

This probably isn’t a book you’ll want to hand to your 10 year old based on some subject matter, but its quality stuff for the older set to enjoy without being crass or gratuitous.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 9 out of 10 jingle bells.

The Ambush Bug Stocking Stuffer (Holiday 2013 Theme)

The Ambush Bug Stocking Stuffer

This 40-page special is supposed to be a holiday/ Christmas themed book. But, the holidays are more of an after-thought than an actual plot device. I’m wondering if the creators of this book had extra material left over from the previous Ambush Bug mini-series and thought “What the heck? They bought our other Ambush Bug titles, let see if they buy this!” In other words, this book doesn’t match the quality are level of hilarity of other Ambush Bug titles.

Why did this work? I think the main reason I wasn’t so impressed was that the book goes everywhere and in  perhaps a comics first, backwards in time as well! Ambush Bug is trying to find his beloved doll, which seems to have turned into a zombie of sorts, killing other toys. The next thing I know, the writers claim that Bug found the toy and end of story- only there’s still 13 pages left in this 40-page special. So, they do what they do best- filler. Ambush Bug stories are really good at doing one page “splashes” that are funny and very smart. Those are about the only real holiday related content. The main story takes place during Christmas but these mini-stories are actually about Christmas.

I really wish it was better than it was. Even the art seemed rushed and sloppy. Not Keith Giffen’s best work. No wonder even Julie Schwartz refused to be a part of it!

Not Worth Consuming.

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 5 out of 10 jingle bells.

Tick’s Big Yule Log Special, #1999 (Holiday 2013 Theme)

This Tick Holiday special is like a “Who’s Who?” for fans of the Tick cartoon from the mid-90s. It’s was really neat seeing all these great heroes and villains once again if only for one or two panels. Too bad this was in black and white and not vivid color. Alas, I’ve kinda conceded that many of the Tick’s books are not ever going to be in color, unless I want to pay about $49.95 for a full color omnibus that only reprints 4 issues. Economics. Whatcha gonna do?

I really enjoyed this trip down memory lane as Tick and Arthur attend the Superhero (and villain) Christmas party at the Comet Club. It was really fun. It just went by too fast. Hopefully, I’ll be getting more of these gems in my stocking this year.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

Holiday atmosphere rating: 7 out of 10 jingle bells.