Giant Superhero Holiday Grab Bag

The phrase 'Holy Grail of Comics' is used quite a lot lately amongst comic book collectors. Oddly enough, it's perhaps the most un-nerdy of films that coined the phrase. The film in question is a little gem that my wife just loves called 'Coyote Ugly.' In the film, the lead character meets a guy and for a date works at a fish market. For payment, the guys received a bag and is very secretive to let her know what's inside. After she accuses him of buying drugs, the guy pulls out a mint copy of Amazing Spider-Man #129- the first appearance of the Punisher, proclaiming that the book is the "holy grail of comics.

   Whether that particular issue is the holy grail has been up for debate. But now, fans of all ages will tell you of that one special book that would make their collection complete or at least until the next holy grail pops up. For me, it's Action Comics #252- the first appearance of Supergirl. It's not that I'm a huge fan of the hero but when I was younger, I actually got that issue for my 12th birthday. I've since lost it but would love to have my hands on it again one day.

   Action Comics #252 is expensive. I probably won't be getting my hands on it anytime soon. But a couple of months ago, I had the chance to purchase what many readers consider their holy grail. The book in question is the 1974's Giant Superhero Holiday Grab Bag.

   The book isn't so much hard to find as it's almost impossible to locate in good condition. There're several reasons for this. First, the book, published as part of the Marvel Treasury Series, was gigantic. It was about 3x the size of a normal comic. Roughly about the size of a Life Magazine, it was not easy to store. Finding a plastic bag in which to store it was even harder to find and most bags at the time weren't air tight or treated to prevent it from the elements or light. Secondly, the pages were stapled, but the stack was glued along the spine. After 40 years, that glue has all but dried up and to find a copy of the Grab Bag with the cover still attached without new glue or added tape is rare as well.

    The copy I found was in beautiful shape. The cover is pristine but also is no longer attached to the spine. Plus, the papers inside are nicotine yellow in color. For only $8.00 plus shipping on Amazon, it was a tremendous deal. When I got it in August, I shared some pics of it with my now jealous friends on Facebook and made a goal with myself to hold out on reading this book until Christmas Eve.

     The Marvel Grab Bag contains 5 stories, but they're not all holiday themed. This is actually forgivable even amongst the staunchest of collectors. By 1974 standards, a Christmas themed comic was rarely done by Marvel, but not unheard of.

    The first story is a Christmas-themed reprint of Marvel Team-Up #1 starring Spider-Man and the Human Torch who're both on the trail of the sinister Sandman. Then in a classic Daredevil story, the Sub-Mariner seeks Matt Murdock to represent him in a court of law in hopes of suing the human race for taking over all of known dry land. Then we get back to the holidays with a Black Widow story about a teen who seeks her help in fleeing a cult. That story is a bit of a downer, but the art was quite good.

     The final story was a two-parter from Fantastic Four issues #24-25. This story teams up the Avengers with Marvel's First Family against the might of the Incredible Hulk. For years, this issue was sought after just for this tale which was reprinted here for the first time ever.

    Lots of fans I know want this issue because it was under their tree when they were kids. I wasn't quite born yet for this issue to have been a gift, but I dreamed of this book as a kid, seeing it at conventions, shops, and in ads in back issues. There are a few other books in this format from both DC and Marvel and I want them. So what if not every story is holiday related or that I've read a couple of these stories before. This book brought back memories and above all, made me feel like a kid again.

     Hopefully, if you'll ever get your hands on this collection, you might get to enjoy some of that Christmas magic that I enjoyed when reading this.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Spectacular Spider-Man #112

  This Christmas themed Spider-Man comic is all over the place. It starts off with a very poorly structured poem, it wedges it to a Santa slasher flick, morphs into a soap opera, and then ends up with yet another bad poem while giving a classic surprise ending that only Santa Claus could provide.  The only thing typically Spidey is the doom and gloom only Peter Parker can force on himself. The guys like Atlas, placing the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.

    One interesting twist was a segment where Peter Parker daydreams what it would be like if he used a pager while crimefighting. The funny 4-panel gag is something I've only seen in Spider-Man cartoons. I never knew his imagination ran wild in the comics too!

    The art was another thing that was inconsistent. Throughout, the styles and fashion are typically 80s and I don't fault the artists for it. But the scenes of Spider-man fighting a pickpocket and a mall Santa planning a break-in were hastily drawn with muted tones and very light penciling. Then there's a bath tub scene starring Mary Jane Watson. Talk about 'hubba hubba.' It's like the artist spent all his time trying to make his red head dreams come true that when it came time to draw the rest of the book, he rushed through it.

    Mixed throughout the book are several small plotlines in which several members of the Daily Bugle are having soap opera like problems at home. Then there's a one-page segment in which a teacher suspects that a child is being abused. None of these micro plots go anywhere. I'm sure if I was to have bought issues 113-120, most of those storylines would be resolved. But it doesn't make for great reading for a casual reader.

   Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Tales to Offend #1

 The cover to this book looks like those old EC Comics that I just adore. That's why I picked it up. Up until then, I'd never heard of this book and I thought at first that  it was a just a parody of those old comics from the 50s published by Dark Horse Comics. But to dig under the surface, I learned that this 1997 one-shot was so much more.

   The comic was written and penciled by comics legend Frank Miller. His cover story is a series of sci-fi short stories starting a character named Lance Blastoff. This is the first time I've ever heard of Lance, but from trolling the web and Facebook, he's sort of a cult hero. Lance is rude, crude, and likes to have his way with the ladies. He's a lot like Lobo without the bloodshed or Han Solo without the heart of gold. He's serviced in more ways than one by a squad of sex-starved, busty fembots while he tours the galaxy in search of a quick buck.

   This book also features a short story set in Miller's Sin City universe. It's got all of Miller's great black and white artwork, along with a sick twist ending and lots of grit, sex, and dames to die for- literally.

   The book may seem very rough around the edges. With a title like 'Tales to Offend,' you could think that Miller's got this "Who gives a F#@%?" mentality. That is until you get to the last page. There, you uncover yet another layer to this book. Miller explains that this comic is his gift to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. As you know, I'm a big supporter of the CBLDF and it's work to oppose censorship in the comics industry. When I have a chance, I donate money. But often I use my time and energies spreading the word of this important charity. For someone like Miller to devote his time and talents and not get a dime is so Miller and as kick-ass as Blastoff himself.

    Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

My Top 5 of 2014

This year, the ladies, graphic novels, and Marvel dominated the best comics has to offer. So, before 2014 ends, here's my picks for the top 5 books for the year plus a few honorable mentions.

 Black Canary/ Zatanna: Bloodspell.
    Written by Paul Dini,  the creative force behind Batman: The Animated Series amongst others, this graphic novel pits Black Canary and Zatanna in a 'Thelma and Louise' type adventure across the United States. The adventure starts in Las Vegas where a year prior, Black Canary infiltrated a gang bent on robbing a casino. Just before the ring leader dies, she puts a curse on her former minions and the undercover heroine. A year's past and the curse is coming to pass with the former villains succumbing in supernaturally weird ways. Desperate to prevent herself from being next on this list, Canary seeks out her JLA teammate Zatanna to find a cure for the uncommon curse. Bloodspell was the one graphic novel I read over the past year in which I thought to myself, that this would make a great series in DC's New 52. It's got action, adventure, the supernatural, and just a little bit of sex appeal.

Waid and Samnee's Daredevil
    One part pop art, one part John Grisham, one part James Bond and his reputation with the ladies. This is Mark Waid's Daredevil. Volume 4 ended this year with Matt Murdock losing everything and making a move back west to sunny California. But that's okay because the perfect formula that Mark and artist Chris Samnee created in that series carried over into volume 5. The changeover resulted in yet another confusing bout of titles having to be renumbered. It would seem to have Daredevil switch coasts would be the perfect leeway towards beginning another volume. but the change was all a marketing ploy by Marvel that angered many. Despite this, the company didn't seem to lose many customers over it. (YET!)

Andre the Giant: Life and Legend
    This biographical graphic novel about the larger than life wrestling icon of the 1980s told the tragic tale of a French young stricken with acromegaly, a disease that causes the pituitary gland to overwork thus resulting in in Andre's gigantic size. This volume balanced the facts of this gentle giant's life with the over-the-top antics of his career in the square circle, much of which was fodder generated by promoters to hype matches starring the man touted as the "Eighth Wonder of the World."

Ms. Marvel
  The newest superhero to bear the moniker of the House of Ideas is fun, brash, and storytelling at its very best. This Ms. Marvel was controversial for about 5 minutes because she was cast as a Muslim girl. But writer G. Willow Wilson, who herself is a Muslim living in America, balances young Kamala Khan's faith with her life in America without being preachy or militant. The book could use subtitles for its Arabic dialogue and the villains are a little hokey. But, it's a wild ride I would mind going on ago soon.

Gaijin: American Prisoner of War
   Matt Faulkner's tale of a young Japanese-American boy and his white mother's internment in an American POW camp for being Japanese is based on true life events in both Faulkner's family history and the real life internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. This little known segment of American history is something that should not be forgotten nor ignored least we repeat this social experiment mistake again in the future.

Honorable Mentions:
Batman: Arkham Unhinged- features some great single-issue tales about Batman's most dangerous foes with some unique origin changes that make for better stories than the original.

Dead Boy Detectives- Encyclopedia Brown meets the Sixth Sense. The stories were fresh, frightening, and so very British.

Hip Hop Family Tree, Volume I (New Printing)-  Artist and writer Ed Piskor did something with this book I never expected, it got me a little bit interested in hip hop. An interesting Who's Who in the history of Old School rap, this new addition featured new art, extra scenes, and a fascinating story.

Red Light Properties: Previously Haunted Real Estate- A unique storyline with great art, it has the potential to be considered a modern classic. But in the vein of 'Little Miss Sunshine' and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' its just a little too bleak for my tastes.

The Book of Moe (The Simpsons Library of Wisdom)

Moe Szyslak, the grumpy bartender on the Simpsons is perhaps the most reviled yet, beloved character on the show. Nothing goes right for him. Is it because he's bigoted, sexist, and homophobic? It is because to him classy is a box of chilled wine, a couple of Playdudes, and the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Rusty Scupper? Is it because he was born on the wrong side of the tracks or under the wrong sign? Regardless, Moe isn't what you'd call lucky in life or love. 

   But what Moe has is spunk. He won't quit and when he does, life often won't let him. How many episodes has he tried to kill himself only to have the noose untangle or the pilot light go out? Sometimes these misadventures allow him to be funny. Others put him in a very sympathetic light, with emphasis on pathetic. 

   This book is a collection of comics, vignettes, and gags about everything Moe. As are the other books in the Simpsons Library of Wisdom, the book is 'authored' by the book's star. In this guide to life, Moe takes you into his best-kept bartending secrets, his philosophy of bachelorhood and his way with the ladies. It's got some laughs and several groans, too.

   I like the Simpsons Library of Wisdom books. But this is probably my least favorite. Some parts are like Moe himself: rough on the edges and gross. 

    I've held on to it for now up until being able to review this book. But I'm more than likely not going to keep it. Moe might be good for a couple of bucks worth of trade credit. However, that doesn't mean I've given up on reading the other books in the series. If I come across them, I'll surely pick them up. For the right price, of course.
     
   Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

Jingle Belle: The Fight Before Christmas

This one-shot from the legendary Paul Dini has Santa's ultra-hip daughter starring in a trio of holiday-themed tales. First, Belle and the captain of the rival Snow-Leopards try to spread some holiday cheer during a hockey game. But when the girls find out that their dating the same guy, nobody is safe- especially the boyfriend. Then Jingle helps set up one of Santa's helpers to impress the new girl in gift wrapping. Lastly, the Claus family are asked to help light the national Christmas tree in Washington.
   The first two tales were great. They were fun, they were funny, and they had a classic holiday cartoon feel to them. But story number 3 was a stinker. It was way, way too political.
   Published in 2005, the President at the time was George W. Bush. Now I know that comics have always been a tool for free expression and I support the first amendment. But, no matter how you might feel about Bush's policies or the guy as a whole, I just didn't feel that a book like this, aimed at readers of all ages, is the right time to start being political.
   I've read tons of holiday comics that use the spreading of holiday cheer to examine the wrongs of society. From helping the homeless to tackling human trafficking, drugs, and Anti-Semitism, holiday comics have often hidden morals underneath a Christmas tree's worth of great treats. But never have I read a holiday comic that goes out and named actual names of politicians who might be passing over the little guy.
    I could see a Halloween comic or a valentine special demonizing Bush and Cheney. But Christmas is supposed to be about peace on earth and goodwill to men. Having our POTUS electrocuted when trying to light the tree just seems to be going too far. There's no way in the world this would've gone unnoticed if Obama was made to look the fool and could you imagine the uproar the politician lampooned was Kim Jong-Un?
    Something to think about in this mixed up world of Sony hacks and Seth Rogen comedies.
 
   Worth Consuming

  Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Black Cat #8 (Home For Christmas)

  

This Alfred Harvey collection of Black Cat reprints is supposed to be a holiday issue. But with many holiday issues, the contents inside doesn't always match the festive cover.

Looking at the cover, I imagine a hip 1940s apartment that's as fun as it is inviting. If I lived in the late 40s, this would be the domicile I'd probably choose. Thus, despite my misgivings with the series itself (what little Black Cat I've read, I haven't been a fan) I was lured to purchase this issue thanks to the yuletide cover.

Inside is a trio of stories. The first two tales have nothing to do with Christmas. In one tale, Black Cat's father is shot and held hostage in a race against time. The other involves a cowardly actor whose last act saves the life of our heroine. I thought the earlier tale was ludicrous. There's no way anybody would survive the back and forth cat and mouse trauma like Cat's wounded father. But the second tale was actually pretty good.

Our final tale involves Black Cat's alter ego. In real life, she's a film starlet named Linda Turner. Along with some of her famous friends, Linda visits an orphanage. Everything seems to be going swell until one boy reveals that his wish from Santa was to get to meet the Black Cat and Santa didn't deliver. Well, that kid picked the right group to confess his Christmas list with!

The story was heartwarming, but it was a little lame. No, it wasn't because of the incredible stroke of luck the little orphan child had. It was due to  Linda's famous pals. Though they weren't actually named, her friends were based on Groucho Marx, Bing Crosby, and Benny Goodman and his faithful (but stereotyped) servant Rochester. The jokes were lame and unless you were alive during the 40s, you probably wouldn't get them. As for the Groucho character, his awful barbs were pretty off-color for not only the time period but to be told to youngsters in a group home.

    This so-called holiday themed book was actually better than my previous encounters with Harvey's Black Cat, but it doesn't mean I'm going to run out and buy more books in the series anytime soon. It was good but not great with the art being typical of its time period.

   More than likely, I would've overlooked this book if it wasn't for the holiday cover. In a way, I wish I had. It's like visiting a relative's house whose door has a lovely wreath and lights on the door, but the only thing Christmas inside are some holiday cards from friends gone by. Deceptively inviting.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Gaijin: American Prisoner of War

This graphic novel from 2014 recounts the internment of Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The story is about a half-Japanese boy named Koji, who is forced into a prisoner of war camp on the suspicion of his father, who's visiting his ailing father in Japan, of being a spy for the Imperial Japanese. Not willing to allow her preteen son stay in a prison camp by himself, Koji's white American mother joins the internment camp as well.

   On the streets of San Francisco, Koji is viewed as the enemy and a possible spy or enemy agent of the Japanese. In the camp, Koji is also an outsider, particularly amongst the teen boys because of his mixed heritage. Koji is bullied, his mother is accused of being a whore, and the commander of the camp sees him as a trouble maker. With the help of a wise elderly Japanese man, Koji is given one last chance to find himself. But when the detention site is forced to move from the shipyards of Alameda to the New Mexican desert, Koji must decide to run from himself and flee with some of the boys in the camp or to finally make peace with his jumbled status, accepting his incarceration and transfer East with his mother.

    The setting of this story is 100% true. During World War II, Japanese Americans along the West Coast of the United States were forced to leave their jobs and home and were imprisoned in about a dozen camps nationwide. The camps were converted barns, with manure and filth everywhere or makeshift barracks hastily and dangerously erected. These sites were overcrowded and there was not enough food, provisions or decent care for the hundreds and thousands of prisoners encamped. Reports have said that a hardened prisoner at Alcatraz in 1942 had it better than the American POWS whose only wrong was their nationality or heritage.

   You might think with the prejudices Koji experienced in San Francisco, maybe the internment camps were for the good and safety of the Japanese Americans. But with very little choice, these families were left with no win solutions. They had to sell or rent their possessions and property and suspend their livelihoods.  After the war, some families would return to their homes only to find that the unscruplous whites that they trusted their estates to sold them off or claimed legal but unethical squattership. So much for looking out for the safety of our fellow man...

     As for Koji and his mother- they are fictional characters but they are based on the exploits of artist and writer Matt Faulkner's great aunt. She was a white American married to a Japanese man. The two had a daughter who by December 7th, had a daughter as well. Not willing to see her daughter and granddaughter detained, Faulkner's aunt went into the prison camps with them until eventually finding sponsorship for the family to move to Chicago under parole conditions.

   The story of the Japanese American internment is sadly a forgotten part of American history. I don't recall ever learning about it in school or college and I was a History Major. It wasn't until I saw the 1999 film 'Snow Falling On Cedars' that I even learned of the plight of the Japanese American during World War II. I learned about the Dust Bowl- a lot! Why not this?

   It may not seem like a very important part of American history. But not 15 years ago, we almost repeated history when such camps were suggested after the events of 9/11. Thank God we didn't listen to those voices calling from the desert again.

    Gaijin is a dynamic story that left me speechless. It should be required reading in schools. I wish had a couple million dollars because I'd snatch the rights to this book up and make it into a feature film. It's that good and that important to not just American history but to the survival of the human race as well.

    Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Captain Marvel, Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More (Marvel NOW! 2014)

  Marvel's reboot if it's universe, Marvel NOW!, has been pretty darn near perfect. However, there's been one restructure that's given just about every one of it's readers headaches has been the renumbering of most of the series just 2 years of the original reboot. These new series didn't retool the Marvel Universe but they did issue in a new change for just about every superhero involved. For example, in the Daredevil series, Matt Murdock and his law partner Foggy moved from the Big Apple to the West Coast.

   In this new series, Linda Danvers has just received another taste of operating in outer space due to her participation in the events of Avengers: Infinity and accepts a mission to represent Earth's Mightiest Heroes to assist with the relocation of thousands of races displaced from the planetary destruction of the Builders. While travelling the stars with her pet cat, Chewie, Captain Marvel meets with the Guardians of the Galaxy, runs afoul of smugglers and space pirates, and uncovers a plot to forcibly relocate a planet full of refugees in order to strip mine it of it's rare and valuable Vibranium. 

    This opening servo of the new volume of Captain Marvel was filled with action, adventure, heart, and humor. But unlike the previous volume, this series wasn't able to reign in all these aspects at the same time. The art was quite good and this made for a good read but it just didn't capture the magic of Danvers' adventures on earth in 2012 and 2013. 

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Force Works #8

   I wouldn't have bought this book if I didn't find it in a bargain bin and if it wasn't a holiday themed comic. I've never heard of this comic until now, though a couple of the characters on the cover looked familiar to me- especially Iron Man. Since this is a team that I've never encountered before, I assumed that maybe the Iron Man on the cover was Rhodey and not Tony Stark. But that's not the case.

    The Iron Man on the cover is the real deal original model. So, why's he with this team and not say the Avengers? Well, this comic takes place right after the break-up of the West Coast Avengers (and subsequent cancellation of the series) in 1994. Something happened that caused Tony Stark to dissolve the Pacific branch of the Avengers. Along with Iron Man, the Scarlett Witch, U.S. Agent, and Spider-Woman II gave up their Avengers credentials and formed this team. Marvel Comics of the early to mid-90s is one of my weaker periods of comic book history knowledge and I really don't have a clue what went wrong and caused the end of the Avengers West Coast. But I know from this comic, what I read now has me very intrigued.

   In this issue, the Force Works team hosts a holiday party in hopes of patching things up with the Avengers and members of Stark Enterprises. When an uninvited visitor breaks into the team's headquarters, it's up to the reader to decide if the guest is friend or foe. The reveal was actually pretty cool and it just added to the fire of my interest in learning about this overlooked realm of the Marvel Universe.
 I'm so very glad I didn't pass this book up! You shouldn't either.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Merry Christmas 2014

The Tick: Big Yule Log Special: 2001 (issue #4)

  I got lucky this Christmas, I had three Tick Christmas specials to read. I unknowingly but luckily saved the best for last. In this issue, the Tick surprises his fellow superheroes and sidekick Arthur with a trip to a snow capped chalet for Christmas vacation. It's revealed that this free trip is a timeshare, but underneath it all, this really is an elaborate plot by the elderly villain, the Terror in retaliation for Tick accidently turning the antagonist's loyal alien sidekick from evil into good.

  It's the craziest issue I've ever read and it was pure fun. The banter was top notch. The art was classic Tick and I don't think I've laughed so hard in a very long time. It was that good! But if anyone's ever read this issue, could you explain to me why the Terror is hanging out with Santa Claus and the Abominable Snowman in a sauna? I can't figure that pairing out. 

   Another plus for this book is the complete listing of Tick comics from issue #1 up through 2001. That's going to be a real life saver in helping me compose a Tick wishlist for the upcoming 2015 convention season.

    The only thing about this book I hated was that it ended. 

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars (though really, this thing goes to 11.)

Christmas With Superswine #1

We all remember Superswine, right? The beer-swilling, cigar-chomping, ethically challenged porcine member of the Superman Family. You don't? Me neither. From what I can tell Superswine was a parody of all the super pets in the pages of Superman comics in the fifties and sixties. From Krypto the Super Dog to Supergirl's cat Streaky and flying horse Comet. Plus, if not mistaken there was a giraffe, two otters, and a talking parakeet.

  Anyway, back to Superswine, the character was published by Fantagraphic and from what I gathered reading this special, he appeared in the funny animals anthology 'Critters.' The series featured some of the biggest names in the industry during the 80s including Alan Moore, Stan Sakai, and Cerebus the Aardvark's Dave Sim, who also created, wrote and drew Superswine and this Christmas issue.

  Christmas with Superswine isn't for kids. The book starts off friendly enough with a parody of ' The Night Before Christmas." But referencing Santa as a drunkard, dope fiend, and slob, plus numerous swears in the back-up features clearly moves this book from all ages to teen plus (generally ages older than 12.) The short stories in the back were all Christmas themed and they had some laughs and very good art. It was just a little too edgy and controversial for my tastes. If Archie Bunker was ever turned into an animated superhero pig, this would be what I'd envision his Christmases to be like.

  One this book did have going for it was the ads promoting the sister comic 'Critters.' I'm very interested in getting my hands on it as it has some early Yosagi Yojimbo tales, as well as an arch-type character based on the intergalactic rabbit Bucky O'Hare in them. Also, there was an advertisement for a Comic Book Legal Defense Fund comic called 'True North' that I am interested in getting my hands on. I'm a huge supporter of the CBLDF and while I know that my purchasing of a back issue of it wouldn't benefit the cause right now, I think it would be an interesting time capsule into the censorship issues of comics in the late 1980s.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Tick's Big Yule Log Special #1 (1998)

I love the Tick. From watching the legendary cartoon on Fox Kids on Saturdays with my little sister to the so short if you sneeze you'll miss it live-action series to just about every incarnation I can think of- I love the Tick.

  Anything Tick is hard to find. It's a cult classic series that spoofs the superhero genre. So when I can find him for a good deal, I don't think twice. Why I've even bought completed series of Tick knowing full well that I might already have a couple of the issues already. The hero is that good and that hard to come by.

  This Christmas special has Tick and his sidekick Arthur having to play Department store Santa after the champion is falsely accused of having knocked out the store's original St. Nick. The real trouble begins when an evil elf, direct from Santa's workshop, plans to give all the bad kids in town gifts instead of the good ones.

   This comic also has a little Christmas- no Hannukah miracle inside as on the flip side of the book is an 8-page story in which Arthur teaches the Tick about the Festival of Lights. It's perhaps the worst recount of the origin of the eight crazy nights since Superman flew all the Jews out of Egypt. (Friends reference for all you fans of the Holiday Armadillo!)

  I loved this special. For a humor book, it's rare to find myself laughing out loud so much that my wife next to me in bed wants to know what's so funny. She might not get the gags but to me they're comic gold.
 
 Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Spider-Man: Christmas in Dallas

   I can think of a lot of places to spend Christmas. Dallas just doesn't come to mind when I do. This very rare Christmas comic was published in 1983 and was available only as a special insert in a Sunday edition of the Dallas Times Herald. In it, Peter Parker is assigned by the Daily Bugle to cover a celebrity fundraiser in the heart of the Lone Star State. This mission comes just in time for Parker to miss his Christmas vacation that he has planned with his Aunt May. But he won't have very much time to fret as the Kingpin has decided to invade the charity event dressed as Santa. Only this fat man wants the presents for himself, in the form of cold hard cash posted as ransom for each guest.

    This issue has been on my radar for some time. Due to its rarity, it's not very affordable or easy to find. I got lucky on a low-grade copy over the summer and I must say it's been worth the wait. The comic does a good job advertising the Dallas newspaper without being too overt about it. Plus, it recounts the origin of Spidey without taking up very valuable 'all-new story' space. There was at least one thing I think the writers got wrong about this book as it has Peter falling in love with a stewardess and then getting the hots for another girl at the charity event. I may be wrong, but during this time, wasn't Peter Parker engaged to Mary Jane Parker?

   I finished this last night and I've been racking my brain on a different issue about this comic. Is it fair to base it on the quality of the advertisements? I usually don't but I feel like I must make an exception here. See, as I mentioned earlier, this issue came free with a copy of the Dallas Herald Newspaper. Instead of ads for video games, movies, or the ubiquitous X-Ray glasses for only $2.95 (They really work, kids!), this comic has ads for Dallas area businesses such as Boot World and swinging atrium doors. There's even one for a pawn and appliance shop. Oh, and don't forget that you could get the chance to meet Santa at Chi-Chis, Chuck E. Cheese, and the Lone Star Steak House (on route 59 in Bixby) no less.

   It just makes for some very interesting but strange reading. I felt like I was in Bizarro World when it came to the ads in this issue. Amazingly enough the price for a full or queen size bed hasn't really changed in 31-years. If anything, solid oak panelled desk chairs has fallen in price since the days of being in kindergarten and Return of the Jedi.

   I'll overlook the weird trip through Texas commercialism this time. But I must critique this book for its filler. See, this book used local Texas advertising only, so there was a bigger chance that the entire book wouldn't have enough to make for a full-sized comic. So, Marvel added some filler. For instance, there's a Spidey word search. Only, the instructions forget to tell you that when looking for Marla Madison's name in the puzzle, the two parts of it aren't necessarily together.

   Then there's the 'Spider-man's Favorite Villains' page. I highly doubt Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus are the wall-crawler's favorite anything. Towards the end of this book, things turn strange as we've got the most bizarre Bullpen Bulletin newsletter from Jim Shooter in which he claimed to have turn into a penguin. Lastly, there's this gem that you must see for yourself:

Santa Hulk Hate Good Grammar!

Overall, this comic was worth the extra money and the extra wait. It had a very good plot with an interesting time capsule of life in Dallas, 1983. The issue also gave me some laughs which were clearly unintentional. However, I deem the book Worth Consuming if not for the fact that I learned that there are 3 more books in this "series" and I want them. That's the greatest testament to any comic book series. It's a success if it leaves you wanting more.

 Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Saved by the Bell Holiday Special

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, you probably remember this live-action TV series. It's main star was blonde and brash Zach Morris and his adventures (or was it misadventures?) at Bayside High School. The show aired on NBC and spawned at least 2 spin-offs and numerous merchandising goodies. I don't think that many people thought the show would thrive as it did in syndication but it's been almost 25 since the show began and it still airs on various channels, including one of the MTV stations.

   Anyhow, items that were released during the run of the show did abound but they weren't huge sellers. As I said, Saved by the Bell more or less became a cult classic after it was finally cancelled. So, a book like the Harvey Comics publication is considered rare. But rare thus not always mean valuable. Plus condition matters too. This isn't in the most perfect of shape. I found this for only a dollar in a bargain bin. However, some Saved by the Bell comics have a value of anywhere from $20-$50 depending on the condition. But again, that's if you can find it.

    In this holiday special, we've got a couple of tales along with a fun and games page and a couple of pin-ups. In the first story, Zach is trying to win Kelly's heart again. So, he tries to recreate her hometown as it would be for the holidays. But troubles bound to happen when he mixes up St. Paul, Minnesota for St. Paul, Florida! Then, Principal Belding decides to impose a rule where no Bayside student can go to the Winter Dance if they do not bring up their grades by a single point. Enter businessman Zach to turn the students of Bayside into a tutoring racket to line his pockets.

    The quality of the stories weren't bad. They captured the essence of the characters quite well. The art, however, was abysmal. They didn't look anything like the actors who starred on the show. Well, Belding looked pretty good but for all I know, the artist was drawing 6 random people to star as Zach, Kelly, AC, Screech, Lisa, and Jessie.

It's not the worst comic I've read, but it is one of the worst drawn comics based on a licensed property of all-time.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Captain Atom #13

   This issue of Captain Atom has a few things going for it, the content inside the cover matches the festive cover image, the story doesn't end with a cliffhanger, and the main story was very well written.

   In this issue, an up-and-comer in the real estate world gets a harsh lesson in 'victimless crimes' when his attempt to burn down a run down building for profit results in several squatters being trapped in flames. Meanwhile, a time-displaced Captain Atom is feeling very out of sorts on Christmas Eve. How the two men's lives intersect results in heroic actions. However, there's no real justice for the arsonist. He just kinda goes into shock for his sins and disappears into the snowy streets of Washington DC.

    This is just the beginning of what went wrong for this story. Yes, I'm glad it ended without a cliffhanger. But, obviously with the arsonist not being apprehended for his crimes, I feel like his tale really wasn't over yet. The flip side to this story is that the first 10 pages of this story is based on a review of the backstory of the previous 12 issues. We learn that Atom was framed for something and that it's caused his children to hate him. However, for the casual reader, it took some rereading to figure out that the bad guy Eiling actually went so far to marry Captain Atom's wife (after everyone thought he died in the experiment that gave him his powers.) Now Atom's kids call Eiling 'dad.'

    Sometimes when a comic does a recap of previous details, they retell the entire story. Often to the point going too far. But the recap in the story relied too much on a priori knowledge. It didn't engage me. Thus, I can honestly say that I'll just catch up on what I missed on Wikipedia and forgo ever trying to collect this series.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.
 

The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle One Shot (Family Comic Friday)

So before the review, let me introduce our players in this classic holiday comic team-up:

 The Bakers: This is the brain-child of Eisner Award winner Kyle Baker (Plastic Man.) His series The Bakers is loosely based on the antics of his four children, his wife Liz, and himself. When I've read old issues of The Bakers, I feel like I'm reading a cartoon version of the Cosby Show. The kids try to outsmart stay-at-home dad, Kyle, especially when he's pressed for a deadline, while Mom is a career woman who loves her husband and kids, even if their all a little crazy.

Jingle Belle: The daughter of Santa Claus and star of several one-shot annual holiday tales. She's the creation of Paul Dini, the creative genius behind Batman: The Animated Series and the Justice League series. Jingle looks like a giant elf and she's often seen giving her dad fits as she'd rather be a glamour star instead of the next Kris Kringle.

So we've meet everyone involved. Let's get started.

This one-shot published by Dark Horse Comics has Jingle Belle forced to assist her father on Christmas Eve. At the same time, Mom and Dad Baker need to do some last minute Christmas shopping and are in desperate need of a sitter. Somehow Belle is accidently sent to the Baker household and winds up watching the baby Bakers. Hilarity ensues when Papa Claus is chased by police as a prowler in a red suit when he goes searching through the Bakers neighborhood for his errant daughter.

I choose this book for my final holiday Family Comic Friday review of the 2014 season because both series are really funny and fun for children of all ages. The Bakers is cross between a family sitcom and a hipper version of the Family Circus. Jingle Belle, while obviously drawn with a little sex appeal, is reminiscent of those classic claymation holiday specials we've all grown-up watching, such as Rudolph and 'The Year Without a Santa Claus.' Sadly, both series are currently defunct. But I've found The Bakers in several library collections and both titles and their numerous volumes can be found in bargain bins and online for reasonable prices.

There's very little to object to in this one shot and it's participants' respective series. The only thing I don't agree with is how Santa curses- a lot! "#$%!" is often how his outbursts are portrayed, but I don't think he should do that. He's not a bad Santa. He's just flummoxed by the generation gap between him and his ultra-cool daughter.

Creatively, the story was very funny. Paul Dini provided the script while Kyle Baker drew and inked. The Baker family also contributed as co-plotters. I would've like this book to have been 48-pages instead of 32. That way, there could've been a small back-up feature where Baker wrote a Christmas follow-up and we could've seen Dini's wonderful art. Unfortunately, the only art of Dini's we get to see is a team-up collaboration the cover, where Dini draws Jingle Belle and Baker fills in the rest of the page.

This is a heart-warming Christmas special that could very well become a holiday tradition of yours as it's going to become one of mine.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

A Patty Cake Christmas

  

 If you're in your mid-30s or older, you'll probably remember the Sears Christmas catalog. It would arrive about mid-summer and be filled with a solid 100 pages of the stuff Christmas toy wishes were made of. There was also some really extravagant toy that everybody wanted that cost a couple of hundred bucks. For me, the big gift I wanted really bad but never got was the USS Hawk aircraft carrier from GI Joe. It was 7 feet long and came with several action figures and a plane (or was it a helicopter?) Anyway, my parents said it was too expensive and too big. I wasn't happy about it but unlike the title character of this book, I got over it.
  This indy comic from 1996 stars the little known character of Patty Cake Bakerman. She's a wry smart-aleck girl with wild ideas and even wilder dreams. I first read some of her stories a few years ago when I was visiting the Chapel Hill Public Library regularly. I thought the series was charming and hilarious.
   The Patty Cake books are geared for all ages. Yes, the series was a little silly. But as the Tom Baker Doctor would say, "What's the point of being a grown-up if you can't be childish once in a while?" That's why I liked it.
   Early this year, I got a really good deal at an online comic seller. We're talking 70% off total sale price or better good. With this deal, I decided it was the best time to find some Christmas and holiday books for the upcoming holiday season. A Patty Cake Christmas was something I didn't even knew existed and for only a $1.25, I couldn't pass it up.
   So what's this story about?
   Here, Patty's got her heart set on a $300 (sorry, $299.99) play set for her barrel monkeys to play with. From the moment she gets her copy of the Spend-Mor catalog in July through Halloween and Thanksgiving, it's all Patty Cake can think of.
    But money's tight and her handyman father is secretly making her a rocking chair. Patty's reaction is both typical of today's youth and pretty shocking.
   As for the monkey play set, one of her friends get it from Santa and they aren't impressed. That reminds me of when I wanted a Robin Hood village play set and when I got it, I realized it was cheaply made and a recasting of the Ewok village from Return of the Jedi! I felt so gypped. Plus, what was I going to do with 2 Ewok villages now!
    This comic brought back some memories and it will bring them back for you too! Kids today might now understand how cool it was to get a catalog in the mail, but they'll enjoy the goofy characters and zany moments. This is something I think parents and adults might get more of a kick out of than kids anyway. Remember the movie "A Christmas Story?" It's a kids movie, but the nostalgia factor being based on the real-life events of the film's screenwriter, this makes it very appealing for adults. Well, in the afterword by creator Scott Roberts, it is revealed that this story was inspired by a homemade gift his late father made for him as a child. So, I think that's why I am such a fan of this comic.
     This is a very hard to find gem. But it is available online, you just have to search. And for a collector and avid shopper like me, that's half the fun.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Comico Christmas Special (#1)

(Disclaimer: I happen to know and interact on a daily basis with one of the editors of this comic. I didn't know this until after I read it. I mention this not to drop names but to allow readers the chance to skip this review if they feel I may in some way be biased.)

Comico: The Comic Company operated from 1982-1990 until it went bankrupt. Following this restructure, Comico still operated but its scope was narrowed to the occasional publication before completely folding in 1997. In its heyday, Comico produced a variety of titles including such licensed properties as Hanna Barbera's Jonny Quest, Max Headroom, and Robotech. They also published some cult classic original titles such as Mage and Evangeline.

 I love the Jonny Quest series. I read the first two issues and was so impressed I snatched up the rest of the series when I came across them at a comic book show in late 2013. This summer I found this holiday title online on a steep discount. Impressed already by the company's work with Jonny, I decided to give this title a shot.

   This 1988 comic is an anthology of Christmas stories ranging from sci-fi to humor to suspense. The first tale involves a man who goes into cryogenic freeze 11 months out of the year in order to only live during the holiday season of Thanksgiving through New Year's. But when a young boy captures his heart, will the man decide to live out the rest of the year or skip to the next Christmas.

   Then a young boy is left alone on Christmas Eve when a mall Santa breaks into his home. Can this Santa prove he's the real thing thanks to the miracle of cloning?

   Our third tale is like Fahrenheit 451 meets Christmas. In the distant future, Christmas has been outlawed for 11 months out of the year, thanks to the oversaturation of the over-commercialization of the holiday. Now a young rebel joins up with a group of Pro-Christmas militants.  in hopes of restoring the joy of the holiday. This strange romp has some crazy moments but was very thought provoking. The only thing missing was Charlie Brown.

  Tale #4 takes place in Buffalo, New York. There a young boy on Christmas vacation decides that snow isn't so great when he's constantly battling it with his trusty snow shovel.

  The final tale is also based on the cover image. Here, a group of alien explorers on marooned on a devastated earth. When the search parties chief researcher decides to write to Santa for a new engine, he awakens that Christmas magic that's been dormant for centuries.

The Comico Christmas Special is not only a fun collection of holiday tales. It's also a Who's Who of artists and writers that I've grown to become a fan of. In 1988, these guys were up-and-comers. Almost 20 years later, this all-star grouping is considered legends in the comics field. Bill Willingham, Steve Rude, Tim Sale, Dave Stevens,  Bob Pinaha, and my buddy Michael Eury are amongst some of the stars of this neat treasury.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Ms. Marvel (2014), Volume 1: No Normal (Marvel NOW!)

This is it! The most controversial series of 2014. Why was it controversial? Because the main character, a teenage girl named Kamala, is Muslim. While there've been a few Muslim superheroes before, Kamala's Ms. Marvel was the first to ever headline her own series in a major publication from either DC or Marvel. Another source of controversy was that the writer was both a woman and a Muslim.
   I'm not sure why these facts were such an issue. Obviously some detractors took the "America's going to Hell for having an Islamic superhero" route. Some critics went the way of using how militant extremist Muslims treat women as second or third class citizens as reason for why this book should not be published. Those voices also wondered if writer/ creator G. Willow Wilson would sing the praises of Islam or criticize the religion for its controversies. Lastly, there was those who saw Marvel making one of its title superheroine a Muslim as some sort of affront.
     First of all, I didn't have problems with the character. As long as Marvel didn't try to sell Ms. Marvel as this great anti-American and anti-justice character that kids should look up to, I had no qualms with the initial reports of the new character.
     Obviously, the wounds of 9/11 and the war on terror continues to run deep. It also didn't help that just as Ms. Marvel was seeing print, ISIS pretty much took 14 years worth of work in the region and turned it on its ear in less than a year's time. Now, with beheadings and lone wolf attacks in the Big Apple, Oklahoma, and Sydney, there's going to be a collective balk anytime Islam hits the mainstream.
     So, when Ms. Marvel finally arrived at my library, I knew that as a comic book collector and historian as well as an American, I had a responsibility to experience first hand Ms. Marvel to see what it really was about.
   Kamala was born in America, but her family is from the Middle East. Her father is a hard working refugee who understands that his daughter is changing socially and physically, mom is a traditional Islamic mother who tends house and wants her kids to not be too corrupted by the West. Kamala's brother is perhaps the most stereotypical. He dresses in native garb and refuses to work for the "White Devil." But so far, he seems a decent guy and as his dad sees him, he's more lazy than faithful to his religion.
    Kamala gets her powers as a result of the events of the Infinity storyline, when the Inhuman Maximus unleashed the biologically changing terrigen mists. Kamala gains the ability to take other appearances and change shape and size. Initially, Kamala just wants to be a normal kid again but when her best friend's wayward brother is kidnapped, she decides to become the hero of her little New Jersey community.
     This opening volume was very good. I was quite impressed by the writing. My only critique of it would be that when the characters speak in their native tongue, there's rarely a translation of what's being said. I feel like some sort of secret being passed along that I am being left out of when this occurs in books. Plus, with a controversial series such as this, it may not of been the brightest of ideas to not note what's being said by the Islamic characters in this story.
   Okay, I have one more problem with this book. The main bad guys are kinda goofy. They're teen punks with spider robots of some sort. OOOoohhh, scary! Plus, there is mention of a character called The Inventor. If it's who I think it is, then where did this idiot get the ability and funds to make a bunch of sophisticated and expensive looking droids?
     Now, let's talk about the art. I thought it looked very similar to that of the fantastic Brian K. Vaughn series Runaways. Well, I was right! Series artist Adrian Alphona is the penciller for Ms. Marvel. Since Kamala is a teen as well, maybe we'll see a Ms. Marvel/ Runaways crossover soon?
    Ms. Marvel was a page turner. I destroyed this book in less than 24-hours. It was that good. I'm very interested to see what happens next and as I mentioned earlier, I see some really cool possible team-ups for this dynamic character in the future.
    This book was worth the hype, worth the wait and Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Batman Strikes! #7

Original cover to issue #7.

The Batman Strikes! cartoon on WB was a really good show. It captured a lot of the style of the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight films while incorporating the best and brightest of the DC Universe. Sadly, it didn't last longer than a season or two and that's in very large part to the demise of Saturday morning cartoons.

   In this issue based on the cartoon, Batman faces Mr. Freeze who's been busted out of the slammer. Batman loses his first battle with the Emperor of Ice and almost loses Alfred in the process. It takes the very ego of Mr. Freeze for Batman to finally be able to put the villain on ice.

    Obviously, there's some unsettled business in this issue. First of all, one of the guards enters a code that frees the villain from his cell. Batman never confronts this officer for what he's done. It's very un-Batman of the Caped Crusader. Then, there's a 2 page segment in which 'Boss' Thorne suddenly appears. The mobster alludes to his planning to put the kibosh on the Batman, but nothing comes from this scene. So, either, the story editor overlooked this or further issues in this series continue this storyline.

    I checked this book out at the library. While it reprints a single issue from the series based on the show, it was published in a hard-bound library edition. Like many of the Franco & Baltazar library editions, this book includes a study guide for parents and teachers.

    Unfortunately, this is the only issue in the series that was available at my local library. Hopefully, I'll come across this series in a bargain bin or collected edition.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Gone Too Soon? DC announces a slew of cancellations coming March of 2015

Look at the following list:

Aquaman and the Others
Infinity Man and the Forever People
Klarion
Secret Origins
Star-Spangled War Stories Featuring G.I. Zombie
Trinity of Sin
Worlds’ Finest
Arkham Manor
Batwoman
Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern: New Guardians
Red Lanterns
Swamp Thing

Are you reading any of these? Well, if you are, then enjoy them while you can. DC announced today that 15 ongoing titles will not be seeing the light of day after March of next year. Along with these titles, three weeklies are going the way of the dinosaur: Batman: Eternal, The New 52: Futures' End, and Earth 2: World's End. Eternal though isn't totally gone as a second volume is rumored to be in the mix. 

    One completely new title is Convergence. It will involve the cross-title storyline that involves Darkseid making a play for the multiverse. This new title will coincide with the end of Grant Morrison's collection of one-shots titled: Multiversity.

    Obviously, money has something to do with it. Klarion started just 3 months ago. Some books such as the Aquaman, Forever People, and the GI Zombie titles haven't even had a 1-year anniversary yet. I seriously doubt this is another DC Implosion, when in the late 70s DC had to cancel dozens of titles of face bankruptcy. Knowing DC, their philosophy has been if it's broke, try another title to in order to fix it. So it's more than likely that 15 replacement titles are in the works.

   True, these 15 titles will be gone shortly. But, in true modern comics fashion you can be sure most of these titles or your favorite characters won't be gone for very long. 

Harley Quinn Holiday Special #1

The Christmas Variant Cover.

   

    It's been 4 years since DC or Marvel released a holiday special with their name on it. The chances of a "DC Holiday Special" or a 'Marvel Holiday Special' is getting slimmer and slimmer every passing Christmas season. Thankfully, the holidays still exist in the rebooted universes of the Big Two Publishers. Last year, the Avengers annual was a Christmas-themed tale and a couple of years prior, DC released a holiday comic starring the selfish Orange Lantern, Larfleeze.
 
    This year, DC's heart grew 2 sizes too big and they decided to release the book I'm reviewing now, 'The Harley Quinn Holiday Special.'

    First of all, this isn't the Harley Quinn I grew up with. She's nuts and she's also a big softie and those are concepts I remember. But she's got bleached skin and her hair is no longer blonde but half black and half red. She's no longer a deranged clown as much as she's a psychotic Suicide Girl in a revealing bustier and hot pants.

    I've not read the new Harley Quinn series but from what I've gathered from this special, she's not really hung up on the Joker anymore. Most of her friends seem to be former circus folk and her new boyfriend is a dwarf named Tony. Speaking of Harley's new friends, what' the deal with the zombie beaver?

   The first story has Harley and Tony realizing that they've got too many pets. So, in a while scheme, the duo offer to help patrons with carrying their wares to the car while sneaking in a puppy or two, or three. But when Harley accidently gives away her favorite pug, she breaks into the house of the dog's new family.
 
    You'd think the cops would be called, end of story. But the little girl whose the dog's new owner is a hellion and dad thinks it's a good idea to have Harley stick around for a while. Now, this is where things get interesting. See, it's easy to forget that Harley is a trained psychologist and it's even easier to forget that Harley's capable of moments of lucidity. But Quinn actually manages to get to the bottom of the family dynamic through therapeutic techniques and actually does some good.

    There're two shorter stories in this special. The first has Harley seeking Santa's help when she becomes infected with a humbug. Then Harley finds a gray hair and goes out to stop Father Time before the ball falls on New Year's Eve.  Both stories were funny. However, the level of sexual innuendo jumps three-fold, with Harley finding herself in some awkward positions with Santa and a bed-ridden old man. Also, there's two stunning holidays pin-ups by Billy Tucci included.

     The special was pretty good, but it did get a little risque. If DC would publish a second volume next year, I'd buy it. But, I hope that the level of humor would jump up from being aimed at middle-schoolers to at least drunken frat guys. If it's any indication, I assume that this is what the regular series is like. So, I'll probably wait to find this series at my library or in a dollar bin.

    This special hit stands 3 days ago and can be ordered online. It's a fun romp, but definitely for teens and adults only. If you want the all-ages Harley, I recommend the 'Batman Adventures Holiday Special' from 1995.  It can be found for around $4-10 on eBay and various comic book retailers online.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Coming Attractions- in a Comic Shop Near You!

Variant Cover to March's Aquaman #40 , recreating 1993's Free Willy.

DC announced today that in March, 2015, that they will be issuing a series of variant covers based on classic movie cover. For those who love variant covers and those who are movie fanatics, this March has got everything going for it but the popcorn. Amongst the films being contributed will be 'The Wizard of Oz', 'North by Northwest', '2001: A Space Odyssey', and 'The Mask.'

Batman & Superman #20 and their take on the Fugitive.

    Unfortunately, the one thing not being recreated are actually comic book movie covers. How awesome would it be to see Christopher Reeve appearing on the front of Action Comics or Mike Allred's take on  the 1960s Batman Movie for the cover of Batman '66? Maybe that's a variant cover for another day.

Grayson # 8 paying tribute to Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon.

To see the rest of the March 2015 covers, got to the DC Comics webpage.
   

Garfield #32 (Family Comic Friday)

Just a few days ago I did a search for the new holiday-themed comics for 2014. The results were disappointing. I couldn't find more than 2 dozen books devoted to the holiday season (that includes books that have holiday or Christmas in the title, as well as any books that stories involve the holidays.)

   If you remove the titles that have variant covers or Christmas covers only (and no holiday content inside), that reduces the number to about a dozen 2014 holiday comics. Then remove the books for teens or adults only, I've only found a total of 8 comics that are rated all ages. Archie is the big winner with 4 titles starring the gang from Riverdale, including a digest-sized collection of Archie's favorite holiday adventures. IDW has issued two holiday specials this year, one starring the Angry Birds and My Little Pony being festive in the next. Dynamite released a book called Lil Vampi's Holiday Special. It's all ages but is based on one of the biggest sexpots in the history of horror comics, Vampirella. (and I do mean BIG with pun intended.)

  Title number 8 is the book I reviewed for this week's Family Comic Friday- Garfield #32. Just like the Peanuts book I reviewed two weeks ago, it's published by Kaboom! (AKA Boom! Studios.) In this issue, we've a pair of stories, one of which is a Christmas tale, along with some festive rides, several really cool looking Garfield pin-ups, and a selection of holiday comic strips by Garfield's creator, Jim Davis. 

     The Christmas story involves Garfield, a wayward elf, named Alvin, and a Christmas miracle. The story, by Mark Evanier, was original, fun, and absolutely heartwarming. It was fantastic. I had zero complaints about this episode, and parents and children of all ages shouldn't either. Just why didn't anybody tell me Jon and Liz were now a couple?

     Normally, it would bother me when a holiday comic isn't 100% about the season between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Technically, Garfield #32 isn't a holiday special. While Christmas plays a large part in this issue, the series itself is a monthly title. It also helps that the second story was very funny. It stars Nermal, the World's Cutest Cat. I 'm not really a fan of Nermal, as I find him to be too syrupy. But instead, the little gray kitten's a little feisty, refusing to play the part of Goldilocks. Enter a slew of ninjas, robots, and mutant bunnies as Nermal tries to update the story of the Three Bears for a modern audience.

     I really enjoyed this comic. I was so impressed with it, that when I read the blurb for the next issue, I found myself adding it to my wish list. When an all-ages comic can grab you like that, you know you've found something special. 

   Garfield is currently available in stores and can be ordered online. 

   Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney's Christmas Parade #2

This Christmas season, I read not one but two Walt Disney's Christmas Parades. This one published in 1989 was released by Gladstone. (The whole Gemstone/ Gladstone publication history is quite confusing and subject to another time.) Anyways, the second volume was actually a step up from the holiday fun of the first edition.

   This time around all of the stories occurred during the Christmas season. However, not every story was all that great. Bucky Bug returned in this treasury and even though his story did involve the holidays, it was extremely corny. I'm just not a fan of that character, plus his vintage style just seems a little culturally insensitive to me. I cannot put my finger on it, but it's like the character is based on the Al Jolson minstrel stereotype or Chaplin's Little Tramp but less dignified.

    Speaking of racial stereotypes, there is a Lil Bad Wolf story in this book that contains characters from "Song of the South", as well as some redneck forest animals and the Seven Dwarfs for some reason. I have a feeling that the inclusion of Brer Bear and Brer Fox probably wouldn't fly if it was reprinted today in anything but omnibus form. Even then, I'm sure Disney would include some sort of disclaimer about racism and differing attitudes in the 50s and 60s (when these stories were originally published) at the beginning of the volume. But this story was reprinted in 1989, and while it probably seemed harmless then, it smacks of the racial tensions plaguing our nations currently in New York and Missouri.

      The biggest thing going for this book are the tales based on the characters of Duckburg. Along with several cute one-page gags, Donald and Uncle Scrooge compete in one story to provide Huey, Dewey, and Louie with a real working steam shovel for Christmas after Donald forgets to mail their letter to Santa. Then the nephew and uncle duo return with Donald hypnotizing Scrooge into giving him all the gifts from the '12 Days of Christmas' but somehow, Scrooge decides to bestow these gifts on a mean mutt guarding an old lady's mansion.

      My favorite story starred Mickey Mouse and Goofy. Here, they help a friend harvest some Christmas trees and end up in the clutches of some poachers. There's a lot of laughs and some actual gun fighting as both Mickey and his nemesis Pete both carry rifles and fire at each other often. I never seen Mickey so bad-as...oops, sorry kids.

     Once again, another Disney holiday comic that I got for pennies on the dollar.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Hawkeye, Volume 3: L.A. Woman (Marvel NOW!)

The cover by David Aja. A great example of his masterful touch.

   

The friction between former mentor Clint Barton Hawkeye and student/ now independent woman Kate Bishop Hawkeye carries over from the last volume sparking Bishop to head off on her own in sunny California. But when Kate refuses to play 'daddy's little girl' she winds up on broke, on the streets and in the lair of Madame Masque.

    Thus begins a unique take on the female bow slinger. Her adventures in this volume reprint issues 14, 16, 18, and 20. I'm assuming the odd issues deal with Clint Barton, but I'm not sure. If it does, then the come focuses on not one buy two Hawkeyes.

    The art throughout this series is also very fresh. The first chapter, which reprints Annual #1, features art by Javier Pulido. Here, Pulido channels the Hernandez Bros., especially their work with the Luba storyline. There's also a hint of Darwyn Cooke mixed in. One cool aspect is that Bishop's inner monologue is depicted by an almost stick-figure representation of herself, often poses in humorous positions.

     The remaining chapters has regular series artist Annie Wu back with covers by David Aja. Aja's covers are stunning and belong in a museum for modern art. They're that good. Wu continues to channel the chaotic life that comes with being a Hawkeye with creative paneling, Geometrically designed flow charts, and kick-ass fight scenes.

    Despite how wonderful the artists in this series are, they're success is due in large part to scribe Matt Fraction. Fraction has this clever look at how stories are framed. He can write a story from beginning to end and back again all occurring at the same time. It might start out a little confusing but when you get to the last page, you'll have seen the beautiful mosaic all the while slapping yourself in the head wondering "why can't I do that?"

     There is one bit to the story line that's not 100% unique and that's Bishop's chosen profession while she stays in LA. For some reason, just about any superhero in the Marvel Universe that moves out west must become a private investigator. Is this some unwritten rule from the House of Ideas? Spider-woman became a PI, so did She-Hulk. Why even Matt Murdock flirted with the idea for a while when he first went west. The only difference is that Fraction doesn't let Kate be very good at the 'for hire' gig. It makes for some great moments, especially with Detective Claudle, who sees the life of misery in store for him if he encourages Kate to become a private dick.

     Once again, Marvel and it's updated universe keeps blowing DC and it's New 52! out of the proverbial water. They know how to take a classic story and make it fresh and wonderful. Sure, Marvel NOW! isn't perfect but its pretty darn close and this is proof positive.

    Plus, who says women can't make great superheroes? Not Marvel and definitely not this Madman.

     Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #27

   

The Joker's managed to oust Aquaman as the ruler of Atlantis,  thanks to that honey laced tongue of his. Now an outcast from Atlantis, Arthur heads to dry land and Gotham City. But, the former monarch isn't looking for the Batman to take on the Clown Prince of Crime. No, revenge is Aquaman's but he's not opposed to a little training in how to defeat the Joker and reclaim the throne.

   This conclusion to the sequel of 'The Laughing Fish' was fantastic. The story was masterfully written by Steve Englehart, the genius behind the original Batman tale. The art was very good. It includes a scene that I both loved and hated simultaneously. It's a 4-page spread between Aquaman and the Dark Knight. There are no words involved, not even sound effects. But, it's also a fight first, ask questions later premise that Marvel Comics known for overusing quite often when super-heroes first meet prior to teaming up together.

    The martial arts was awesome, I just hated the cliched plot device. It just makes me wonder if Englehart's script was short 4 pages, so the editors decided "Hey, let's just fill it in with Aquaman and Batman beating the hell outta each other."

      The ending was also telegraphed, but I felt that it was handled a little more tactfully with just the right touch of irony. So I excuse it. Its worth checking out as is this 2-part story as a whole.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #26

        

   There are many things going for this opening chapter if you dig under the surface. For one thing, when"The Laughing Fish" was first published, Aquaman had long been an established member of the Justice League and the DC Universe. That's been tweaked a little in this post-Crisis world as Aquaman's literally a fish out of water, unfamiliar with the Joker's reputation. A pre-Crisis Aquaman wouldn't trust the Joker any further that he could smell him. ( I know that's not the term but Aquaman has super strength and can throw pretty far.) Plus, there's an Atlantean girl, with Raven hair and a penchant for red that's a perfect substitute for Harley Quinn,

 The Detective Comics story "The Laughing Fish," it which the Joker has developed a race of fish that has the Joker's face on them is a classic. If the Joker is unable to get his copyright on these aquatic life forms, he's going to start killing government officials. That tale was written by Steve Englehart, with Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin providing pencils and ink. (issue #475)
 
So, when Legends decided to craft a sequel to "The Laughing Fish," it's only natural that they recruited Englehart to craft it.
   
 In this long-awaited sequel, the Joker has just escaped the Dark Knight by means of some sort of sewer system.  But the Clown Prince of Crime isn't in the clear just yet as he's met by an Atlantean strike force posed in Gotham Harbor to undercover the source of the fish mutations. How fortuitous for King Arthur (Aquaman) that he's captured the Joker.
 
   But the jokes on Aquaman, when he's duped into believing that the Joker is the King of Dry Land and that he earnestly wants to fix this mutation problem. Thus, the Atlantean's eagerly provide the Joker with the underwater civilization's resources, including its labs. But there's one thing you never offer the smiling villain and that's a chemistry set.
   
   Make that two things because the Joker is using his new-found trust to slowly turn the tide of loyalty from Arthur away from the hearts of his subjects. If the Joker can become the advisor to a new leader of Atlantis, that will technically make the Joker the de facto ruler of 3/4's of the world!
 
     Oddly, for a Joker story there's one notable omission. He's dark and brooding and has a thing for flying mammals. But don't worry- he's coming! He's coming!
   
    Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.