Superman: The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird

 

   When the bottle city of Kandor is in trouble and Superman isn't around, the refugee residents of Krypton depend on Nightwing and Flamebird. The Caped Crusaders of Kandor, in reality, Nightwing and Flamebird are scientist Van-Zee and Phantom Zone parole Ak-Var; whom Van-Zee takes under his wing as his lab assistant. But these heroes, according to the book jacket, are NOT the original Nightwing and Flamebird. In fact, Van-Zee and Ak-Var aren't even the second duos to take on the mantle!

    The first Nightwing and Flamebird were Superman and his pal, Jimmy Olsen. They take on the mantle when during a misunderstanding, Superman finds himself a fugitive from the law and in order to find the real culprit takes on the role of Nightwing! (Superman #158, January 1963.) Then about a year later, in an imaginary story, Superman and Lois Lane's sons become the newest heroes of Kandor, when they find dad and Uncle Jimmy's costumes in the hidden Nightcave!

   Yes, Nightwing and Flamebird have a Nightcave, a Nightmobile, and I'm sure they would've had a Night-signal if it was needed as a plot device. Oy, Vey!

   I was really excited to find this book on clearance at my favorite LCS. But this isn't at all what I was expecting. First of all, the image on the cover is from the first appearance of Superman and Olsen as the heroes, which isn't included at all in this volume. Kal-El and Olsen's team do appear in two adventures as reprinted in the pages of Superman Family, but they are later adventures and one of which has them paired with the Van-Zee and Ak-Var Kandorian Dynamic Duo.

   The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird were a super hot mess! Though written by the talented Paul Kupperburg, some of these adventures were very jumbled and convoluted. Just how many people is Superman related to in Kandor? Plus, some of these adventures can only fully enjoyed or understood if you read other tales published in the same issue of Superman Family. (Only one story bears a foreword and afterword as to the excitement that took place before and after!)

   And don't get me started on continuity errors! They abound in this book. For example, Van-Zee is married to an earth woman friend of Superman and well as Lois Lane's! Both were married way after Krypton was obliterated. Yet, in one story, they two reflect on their life on the doomed plantet when they were on their honeymoon! Can anyone explain this head scratcher? Or maybe mail me a No Prize? (Ooops, wrong publisher.)

   I love the pre-Crisis Superman. If this volume included the Nightwing and Flamebird tales starring that Superman and that Olsen that I expected were within- I would be a huge fan of this book. But they don't and what little of them that do appear in this book isn't all that memorable. 

    This will not be a keeper in my collection!

   Not Worth Consuming

   Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.

   

Sonovawitch!: And Other Tales of Supernatural Law

   Wolff and Byrd, the Counselors of the Macabre have their toughest case yet involving a young woman whose been placed under a love spell. She's so head over heels for her boss, the hapless Marty, that he had to let her go and file a restraining order. Now the unwitting Marty is being sued for the first ever case of hexual harassment and it just may be his mama, an honest to gosh witch!

   Along with this monumental case, Wolff and Byrd must juggle a docket full of mobster vampires, Igors accused of preaching the ways of the occult to preschoolers, a Doctor Kevorkian-type who brings people BACK from the dead, and a solo adventure starring the World's Greatest Secretary, Mavis!

   Batton Lash is such a master of spooky satire mixed with elements of Law & Order and soap opera melodrama. On paper, this shouldn't appeal to me as I am not really a fan of sappy fodder. But with the deft homages to classic horror films, pop culture slashers, and retro sci-fi, I am in love with Supernatural Law!

   Another collection of great stuff.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Picture Taker (One-Shot)

 

I got this one shot Indy a while back from a grab bag. It's not something that was on my radar but the art looked very similar to that of Paul Dini’s Jingle Belle and anything Kyle Baker. So I held on to it.

About a week ago, I came across this book looking for something else to read and decided now was the time to check it out. So was it worth the wait? Or would I have been better off if I had just forgotten it existed?

  The premise is that of a young scientist who returns to his hometown to bail a former test subject out of the drunk tank. The prisoner in question is the title character, who has the psychic ability to take pictures of things in his mind. His ability is real but he's been disgraced having used fakery because his alcoholism interferes with his powers.

  This 1998 work by Phil Hester and Mike Worley was drawn in a classic cartoon style from the 70s or 80s makes the reader feel like this is an innocent little tale. But with adult language, adult themes, and plenty of angst, this comic is anything but. It actually reminds me a little of the 90s cult classic film, Grosse Pointe Blank, what with its theme of 'you can't go home again- well actually you can but it's just not the same anymore.' (Okay- that's not a real theme, but that's this book's premise boiled down and placed in a nutshell.)

I did enjoy the Picture Taker, but I really hated the ambiguous ending. Not having a story end with a definite ending is a major pet peeve of mine. It’s like buying a book that has a ‘To Be Continued’ at the end and you don’t have volume 2 on hand!

  But despite the open ending, this was a good read Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars.

  

Avengers Assemble, Volume 2: Science Bros (Marvel NOW!)

A friendly wager between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner takes the heroes on a global race against time to locate and rescue a missing scientist with Captains Marvel and America playing the role of referees. But this competition is no longer fun and games when the Avengers come face to face with a bio- terrorist whose kinda a big deal. Well, at least in HIS mind…

  Then the Black Widow's past comes back to haunt her when she is summoned by the widow of one of her hits requests that she find her missing daughter. Widow's search joined by Hawkeye and Spider-Woman will lead them to a mysterious sewer lair where the laws of nature have been horribly perverted.

  Quests seem to be the theme of this volume as the final story involves a newly reconstructed Vision who is struggling with his role in a world that passed him by after being disassembled by his ex-wife, the Scarlet Witch. His latest mission is to locate a corporate hero who has recently learned that he's outlived his usefulness to the execs at Roxxon. As the Vision sees how discarded this fellow hero is, it causes the Avenger to reevaluate his own position on a team that he no longer recognizes.

   Avengers Assemble starts off with the humor and fun banter that won me over as an Avengers fan. After some pretty heavy plots involving the end of the universe and numerous betrayals, it’s great to finally get some laughs. It just seemed weird to up and forget these horrors that had yet to come to a definite conclusion. It was also a little confusing but I got over it and enjoyed the stories regardless. I figured they'll get back to those crises eventually.

Well…

  See this book is actually a series I haven't gotten into yet. Since Marvel has this unfortunate habit of canceling titles and renumbering them all under the Marvel NOW! Imprint, I accidentally skipped volume 1. Plus, now Marvel has started to carry over different series into the trades instead of issuing them as separate works making for even more confusion. (For example, All-New Hawkeye #1-6 were collected as Hawkeye Volume 5 instead of ANH Volume 1.) So just what exactly did I read?

Avengers Assemble is a series from 2012 meant to reflect the cinematic version of the team. To be a starting point for new readers is all well and good, but Spider- Woman, Captain Marvel, and the Vision don't even appear in the first Avengers movie. But these characters do play heavily into the plots of the 2014 Avengers series that I thought this book was a continuation of. Geez… no wonder I was confused.

  Still, this wasn't a bad read and I'm more than willing to give volume 1 a go. But come on Marvel- get with it. You're giving my wish list fits with your convoluted numbering!

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Year One: Batman/ Ra's al Ghul

   The nearly 600 hundred-year-old Ra's al Ghul is  finally good and dead. To prevent his resurrection the Batman had him cremated and then destroyed all of the world's Lazarus Pits, the source of Ra's near immortality. It seems that the terrorist leader has no viable way of returning to life. But when a letter from beyond arrives at Wayne Manor, it signals the beginning of a global catastrophe!

   The dead have arisen and are mysteriously healing. Plus, those who have been brutally murdered or recently suffered fatal injuries aren't dying either. Now the hospitals are overrun with the infirmed and the streets of Gotham run red with blood and the regenerating dead.

   It appears that mother earth doesn't like there not being any Lazarus Pits and thus thrown the world it out of balance. To restore entropy to its rightful place in the circle of life, the Dark Knight must embark on a global quest to recreate the Lazarus Pit formula or the entire planet with regress back into nothing. Should this happen al Ghul's dream of an earth unadulterated by the pollution of man with come to fruition posthumously.

   I chose to read this book in anticipation as to when I'll be seeing Batman V Superman next weekend. I'm going to go out and say it- I don't like Ra's al Ghul! I love Damian Wayne. I'm fascinated by Talia al Ghul. But the man known as the Demon's Head just doesn't excite me like a Riddler or Penguin.

   Filled with 'zombies' galore and not being rated for mature readers, this book is pretty graphic. Decapitations, blood, gore, and maimings in general, this book's favorite color appears to be scarlet. Plus, you add the incoherent ramblings of Ra's letter that act as the narration of this story- it all adds up to a really awful read, filled at least with a great couple of plot twists at book's end.

   If I'm not a fan of Ra's, then why buy this book? Well, being a 'Year One' story, which I collect, I thought this would be a good addition to my plunder. With flashbacks that reveal Ra's al Ghul's origin story, as well as a look at one of the earliest encounters between the ecoterrorist and the Detective, this book fits the Year One guidelines. 

   But I would've like to have the very first meeting between the two characters, first explored by Denny O'Neill and Neal Adams back in Detective Comics #232 (June 1972) recounted in this book. Maybe it would've helped me to better understand and like the character of the Demon's Head. But, I doubt it.

   Not Worth Consuming

   Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Spider-Gwen, Volume 1: Most Wanted? (Marvel Now!)

  After being bitten by a radioactive spider, young Gwen Stacy garners amazing powers and becomes the Radioactive Spider-Woman!

   Spinning from the epic multi-dimensional Spider-Verse storyline from 2014 comes Spider-Gwen! In this universe (Earth-65), Gwen Stacy- NOT Peter Parker, gained powers from a spider bite and becomes everyone's favorite web-crawler- except for the police, led by Gwen's father, Captain Stacy! See, Spider-Woman's been falsely accused of killing Peter Parker, who was inspired by Gwen's exploits to be a superhero himself, only his experiments went terribly wrong and the carnage resulted in his death.

   By day, Gwen juggles being the drummer of the up-and-coming band, the Mary Janes. At night, Spider-Woman tries to save the day while eluding the police who have an APB out for her immediate capture! With Detective Frank Castle now on her trail and the criminal mastermind Kingpin out to make her either his newest accomplice or next victim, the stakes have never been higher for Gwen Stacy...

   Most Wanted? was a great introduction to the character of Spider-Gwen. I had been on the fence about her. Not because it's a female superhero but I thought that outside of this comic's title, I was afraid that the general public of Earth-65 actually referred to this heroine as Spider-Gwen. That's like Superman calling himself Super-Clark. But thankfully, that's not the case.

    The only real problem I had with this book was the angle of Gwen being a drummer for the Mary Janes. Yes- this is an interesting take on Mary Jane Watson being a rival of Gwen's without it being some sort of love triangle with Peter Parker or another boy. But member of a girl band??? Really? Critics argue that comics don't feature enough strong women in comics. But having Gwen have to deal with the petty squabbles of being part of a band seems to me actually detracting from this title's potential girl power. 

   I'm open to reading more Spider-Gwen in the future. I especially want to read Spider-Verse. But if I do get my hands on volume 2 of this series, I hope it matures a little bit. Spider-Gwen might be a fan favorite of girls and cosplayers, but at this point in her legend, she's not in the same league as the Carol Danvers Captain Marvel or Kamala Kahn's Ms. Marvel. Not by the end of volume 1, anyways...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

    

    

Superman Adventures: The Man of Steel

  This digest-sized collection is a time capsule of the amazing Superman Adventures comic based on the cartoon of the same name. Superman Adventures was an indirect spin-off of the Batman Adventures and it lovingly explored that corner of the DC Universe devoted to the Man of Steel. First up are a series of short stories from the little-known Superman/ Batman Magazine. 

   The publication only lasted about 8 issues but the Superman stories contained in the magazine were early sketches of what would be the Superman Adventures cartoon. The artwork was done in the vein of Batman: TAS but it shows that preliminary designs were still underway and reflected the long-haired look that Superman bore after his return from the dead.

   Then 4 stories are reprinted from the Superman Adventures comic. In these tales, Superman is given a blast from the past when Mr. Mxyzptlk brings his beloved childhood pet, Krypto into the present day. Then Clark Kent must juggle his responsibilities as a reporter and the Man of Steel when Perry White gives him a deadline that might cost him his job should he fail to submit his article on the new subway line on time. Then Jimmy Olsen takes the new intern for the Daily Planet under his wing in hopes of showing him the ropes of being a photographer in busy Metropolis. Lastly, are a series of one-page tales that explore the day-to-day activities of the Superman Family. Called '22 Short Stories About Superman' this story was very similar to my all-time favorite Simpsons episode (22 Short Stories About Springfield) and I just loved it.

   Finishing up this awesome little collection is a Justice League Unlimited in which the League must travel to the Phantom Zone to conduct a rescue mission for the Man of Tomorrow from the clutches of General Zod and his Kryptonian army. But is a more sinister presence behind the hostage taking of the Last Son of Krypton?

   Featuring art and stories by a host of amazing talents that are well-known for their work on Superman such as Louise Simonson, Dan Abnett, and others. This book is now a permanent part of my collection but I don't think I will wipe out the books contained in this volume from my wish list. What if something was reprinted? I would hate to miss out on anything!

   Worth every full-price penny I paid for it!

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Earth One, Volume 1

   Convinced that there's a massive cover-up behind the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne becomes a costumed vigilante in hopes of bringing down the corrupt Mayor Cobblepot. Welcome to the world of Batman: Earth One. Here Detective Jim Gordon has been so beaten down following the murder of his wife, that he's a shell of the cop he once was. Harvey Bullock is a Hollywood cop newly transferred to Gotham in hopes of solving the Wayne murders and restarting his TV career, and a sadistic killer called the birthday boy is kidnapping young girls in hopes of reliving his first kill.

   Written by Geoff Johns, if this isn't the blueprint to the FOX TV show, Gotham, I'll eat my hat! Johns is DC's chief creative officer for its TV programming and there is just so much of Gotham in Earth One just as there is oodles of Earth One in Gotham. I love Gotham, it's an amazing show and I am in love with Batman: Earth One.

   Now here's where things get tricky for me. I've read volume one of Superman: Earth One, now I've read this volume as well- but what do either have to do with the New 52! universe? In the New 52!, there's an Earth 2, which houses most of the Justice Society heroes. Thus, I'm assuming that the red underwear-less Superman and the Jim Gordon Batman operate on Earth 1! Is there a difference between Earth 1 and Earth One besides spelling? 

   This kind of multiverse overlap is perhaps my biggest problem with the New 52! DC. It doesn't keep me from enjoying these stories but it does detract from my understanding of them. Perhaps the Earth One books are set aside much like the Ultimate universe was apart from the Marvel-616 one? But eventually, they both crossed over... So who really knows!

   Regardless, with excellent writing by Johns and killer art by Gary Frank, I am on board with this new take at the Dark Knight.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Road to Batman V Superman!

 

 The movie event of the year is just days upon us. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is almost in theatres nationwide. I'm penciled in to see it with my godson a week from Easter Sunday. Until then, join me as I review some of the adventures of the Dark Knight, the Man of Steel, and maybe even an Amazonian Princess.

First Up: Batman: Earth One, Volume 1! Enjoy! 

The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #60- PLOP!

Plop!- the short-lived companion piece to the House Of Secrets, the House Of Mystery, and The Witching Hour. It's true, as brother Cain and Abel and the Old Witch shared duties as the host to many of the stories contained within. It's moniker billed the comic as the “Magazine of Weird Humor” and boy does this collection not disappoint.

  This Blue Ribbon Digest was a much sought after gem that I stumbled across at a pop-up book sale. These digests, while completely filled with reprints, are holy grails to collectors such as myself who have found memories of these treasuries and actively seek them out and buy them with gusto. However, age has caught up with me as the tiny print was hard to read and I had to take frequent breaks least I end up with a headache. But that doesn't mean that I didn't have a ball reading this.

 Plop! featured the creative talents of Basil Wolverton, Wally Wood, Bernie Wrightson, and Sergio Aragones. It was like an old EC Comic was combined with Mad Magazine and had a baby… a very weird baby. Along with some silly fables, a Lord of the Rings parody, and a reprint of the award-winning story ‘ The Poster Plague’- a short tale from House Of Mystery that started it all. Why there's even a few Murphy Anderson penciled shorts that skewer some of you favorite heroes of the DC Universe.

I enjoyed this so much that if I ever come across further issues of PLOP! in my scourings of bargain bins, they will become a part of my collection! Without a doubt!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Fairest, Volume 5: The Clamour For Glamour

 

Reynaud the Fox recently obtained a glamour to become human from Rose Red after he became a member of her New Camelot army. Now bragging about his new exploits as a human, the morale of the other animals on the Farm is lower than ever. Why can't they become human too? It's all that sly Fox's fault...

   With Reynaud run out of town, the rest of the animals stage a protest. As a result, the witches of the thirteenth floor create 5 glamours, to be disbursed during a lottery. But when one of the glamours turns up missing, the list of suspects is as vast as the population of all  the enchanted realms.

The idea behind the Fairest, the sister title to Fables, is to explore the rich back stories of the ladies of Fable Town. But this volume focuses about 50% on the male Fox, Reynaud and 50% the animals of the Farm. The last time Fairest shifted focus from its intended subjects to that of Prince Charming, the results were uneven at best. Thankfully that is not the case here.

  The last volume of Fables(which wrapped up the series) felt a little rushed and I remember wondering why the final storyline of that fantastic series didn't focus more on the Farm. The Clamour for Glamour is the answer to that mystery. With this volume my reading of the complete run of Willingham’s Fables and Fairest is complete and I was very happy with the results. (Though I still have Jack of Fables and Wolf Among Us to look forward to but I don't think either is written by Willingham.)

I must admit cheating a little to see what happens at the end because Willingham introduced a new character that I just feel in love with and the author has a reputation of unmercifully killing them off. ( FYI- they survive, but you'll have to read it for yourself to figure out who that character is.)

   The Clamour for Glamour was a fun read that I wished wouldn't end. Lots of fun with great art by regular series art Mark Buckingham, covers by Adam Hughes, and many more. Plus a special story that follows up with a character that I thought was long dead and gone! Wicked cool!

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Windmill Dragons: A Leah and Alan Adventure (Family Comic Friday)

On a nice sunny day, a young girl begins to tell her brother a fanciful story. Thus, siblings Alan and Leah are transported into the story as a knight errant and her page boy. The duo is on a mission to save their town from fierce dragons made from the various windmills along the countryside

  It appears that source of the chaos is the result of the mythical bird, the Viz. Whenever the creature is ever deposed from her perch atop the highest peak on Monster Island, it causes the winds of the world to go berserk. Along the way, the duo will be confronted by terrible ogres, man-eating boats, and a giant chicken seeking to keep our heroes from achieving their mythical task of getting the giant bird back in her nest!

This was a sweet little story that borrows heavily from influences such as Don Quixote, the Bible, Little Nemo in Slumberland, and Arthurian legend. Windmill Dragons is published by Toon Graphics, who have in the past been crafting their collection of graphic novels for all-ages readers (filled with interesting backstory, fun things to do, and writing activities) reprinting works by famous internationally known stars in the comics medium. But in this case of the Leah and Alan series, Toon Books has taken to publishing a first run series.

  This is the second book in the Leah & Alan series written and drawn by Canadian cartoonist David Nytra. His first work, 2012’s The Secret of the Stone Frog won many awards and accolades including the Nutmeg Book Award. His style is very old fashioned and appealing to the eye. It reminded me of one of my all-time favorite kids books ‘Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs.’

  Windmill Dragons was a fun read and it was very imaginative. I believe that this could be the type of book to inspire the budding writer and artist in your household. It sure fired up my imagination and inspired me to research further just what the Viz is.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Black River

Set in a post-apocalyptic world that no one is quite sure how it got that way a group of women, a single fella, and a pair of dogs make for a fabled town called Gattenburg. Gattenburg is rumored to have plenty of food, drink, shelter, and most importantly- ammo! But the road to Paradise is a journey through hell on earth.

  For some reason, I thought that Josh Simmons’ Black River was a Western. It was anything but. By the grim events of this graphic novel’s midpoint, I was seriously wondering just what the hell had I gotten myself into.

  Black River, while intriguing, is the type of work that after you read it, you feel like needing to take a shower. This is not a feel good and be cosy kind of read. Plus I highly doubt that this book would ever see the big screen as several scenes are beyond words.

  I'm really not sure why I finished this book. Maybe it was the promise of a brighter tomorrow for this band of survivors. I was not a fan though the twist ending brought my rating of Black River up a couple of notches… that is until Simmons decided to include a cryptic final scene of what appeared to be a wizard walking in the snow. There's no magic in this graphic novel, so what was that all about?

  Definitely not for kids and the faint of heart. Prospective readers, consider yourself duly warned.

  Not Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Armchair Puzzlers: Optical Teasers by Al Seckel

  

   This collection of optical illusions and visual puzzles is comprised of some classics (like the Duck/Rabbit) and some I've never seen before (like a negative spaced image of Christ.) It was a fun read that boasted solutions to brain  teasers such as which line is longer.
   
   Author Al Seckel is considered a leading expert in visual and sensory illusions. But I wish that the author would've spent a little more time explaining why things were as they seem.  One type of illusion I absolutely hate involves if one area of a picture is lighter or darker than another. The answer is almost always that thewy are the same color. Yet I just can't see it. It's tricks of the eye like that that I wish our resident expert on the field explained why I couldn't see the effects he describes.

   Trippy stuff that needs more to make it a truly enjoyable read. 

   Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Hawkeye, Volume 5: All-New Hawkeye

Jeff Lemire’s run on Hawkeye begins with this volume that explores Clint Barton's origin. As the Hawkeyes execute a mission for SHIELD, the situation which involves a trio of children exploited by Hydra experiments into becoming a weapon, things hit too close to home. As a result, Clint keeps flashing back to his early days in the circus and what led him to first become a villain.

Lemere's story was epic, set in both the past, present, and maybe even the future. But what really sets this All-New Hawkeye apart from Fraction and Aja’s glorious series is the unique art by Ramon Perez. His art that takes place during the present is gritty and chaotic much like the world today. But when the story goes back in time, the artwork changes to an almost watercolored effect, symbolizing Clint's romanticizing of his childhood  which was anything but bittersweet at best.

  I had my reservations about the new team in charge of the Clint and Katie Hawkeye's and their odd relationship. But this volume has put me at ease! Long live the adventures of the all-new Hawkeye team of Lemire and Perez.

  Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #15 (Family Comic Friday)

Talk about your 'fast food'-
see, the puns are the worst!

When Scooby and the gang assist the Flash in taking down a dragon assailing Central City, the action jumps to deepest darkest Africa. There the residents of Gorilla City have spooked by a ghost ape that warns of terrible doom if the citizens do not abandon the scientific marvel. The Flash and the Mystery Gang race to the scene already assuming who the mastermind behind this caper is- the treacherous Grodd who just escaped his prison cell yet again. However, all bets are off when the simian villain seeks out the Flash to keep the ghostly gorilla from haunting Grodd too!

  

Scooby-Doo Team-Up is one of my favorite comics. So much that I can't wait to find issues in the bargain bin. It's the only book that I buy off the shelf at my favorite used bookstore and LCS, Books Do Furnish A Room. I just hope with DC rebooting the look of the Scoobies that they don't cancel this fantastic series. (Since I love this title, it's days are probably numbered.)

   

 That being said, SDTU is the perfect combination of classic Hanna-Barbera, retro DC Universe and modern pop culture references. I loved when Fred told Flash that he deserves his own TV show! Both fun and funny, (though some of the puns are groaners) this is a great all ages read and at $2.99, friendly on the wallet.

   If you child loves mysteries, superheroes, and cartoons, you need to make this bimonthly book a regular part of their downtime reading!

Worth Consuming!

 
Rating: 9.95 out of 10 because of the bad jokes.

Haven't Been Around Much Lately...

    For some of you, it may seem like 2016 just isn't a certain Madman's year. My goal of posting a review everyday is seemingly a thing of the past. So what happened?

   I got a new job- my dream job actually. I teach culinary one night a week, professionally now at my alma mater. I'm the first in my department to actually come back to that locale and teach culinary to the next generation of budding chefs. 

   You may think teaching only one night a week would mean I was only missing one night's worth of reviews and you would be dead wrong. Every day I find myself grading papers, answering emails, putting out fires and I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT! But it does eat into my reading time somewhat. But again, that's ok.

    So if it looks like I've fallen off the side of the earth- worry not! I'm just pursuing a dream of mine. I had thought that maybe my next step was to work in comics. But God seems to have had other plans. Plans that I couldn't be happier with. 

   So, stay tuned- I'll be posting in no time. Meanwhile, search through my archive because even though I don't have much time to read, I've been catching up a little on my archives from when I used to keep my reading journal on AllConsuming!

   Enjoy and happy reading!!!

Heroes of Sinclair

 

This collection of indy comics is perhaps the most obscure piece in my collection. I came across this book at one of my favorite places to stop when I visit Asheville, NC- Zapow Gallery. At Zapow, up and coming artists that specialize in pop culture, comics, and sequential art are given a chance to shine. It's like an art gallery for geeks and nerds! I love that place and I love this book!

    Heroes of Sinclair is written and illustrated by North Carolina native Gregory Dickens. A self-proclaimed lifelong scribbler, Dickens has currentl released 6 comics under the indy imprint Robot Wonderboy. But these aren't comics you can buy just anywhere. You either have to go to Asheville's epic comic shop Comic Envy, my beloved Zapow, or catch Gregory in person at cons in Western North Carolina or South Carolina. (You can also check out his online shop at his website!)

   So just what is Heroes of Sinclair? 

     Well, Sinclair is a fictional American town that isn't quite as big as your LA or New York City, but still has a need for superhero protection. Enter Spire, a sort of 911 operated by heroes. Their newest recruits are Focus, a hero with super strength and the ability to go intangible and Emma, an android Mixed Martial Arts champ who sees each foe as a challenge for her title belt. Then there's the non-super powered hero Sue Tonium, a former employee of Spire who becomes a roller derby star and a legend in her own right. Also assisting Spire are the members of the Jr. Spire program such as Armory, a young lad with a magical prosthetic arm and Parkour, a lad with boundless energy.

   It took a couple of chapters for this book to really connect with me. But once it did, things certainly got rolling. The art is a little rough and in black and white. But it's the Dickens' creativity that makes this such a fun read. Along with the unique swath of heroes and characters, Dickens wrote some compelling stuff. His origins of both Emma and Sue are worth the cover price alone. 

   This book carries a publication date of 2014. To my chagrin, it doesn't appear that any new Sinclair books have been issued unless I missed something on Dickens' webpage. This book ends with a tagline of 'To Be Continued' and that normally would tick me off. But the story that boasts this promise has a satisfying ending- only I didn't want this book to end! 

    Hopefully, Gregory Dickens has some new works coming out soon. But I'm not holding my breath on that hope! I understand that self-publishing isn't cheap. But maybe my word-of-mouth will inspire you, my dear readers, to give this book a shot! And then some new Sinclair stories will see the light of day...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Hawkeye, Volume 4: Rio Bravo (Marvel NOW!)

    Clint Barton's war with the Track Suit Bros comes to a head with the addition of Clint's brother Barney (AKA Trickshot) and a clown-faced assassin cum real estate lawyer. But the biggest shocker in a story line about things coming to an end is the epic run of writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja. 

   Together Fraction and Aja reenergized the character of Hawkeye into a grittier more human character instead of a purple costumed buffoon. I hate to see them go. I am quite afraid that without Fraction this series is going to lose its heart. And without Aja, all of the unique art techniques and creative framing will be no more. 

   My wait will not be long. Along with this volume, I was able to get my hands on volume 5. I'm eagerly anticipating Jeff Lemire's run on Hawkeye as I really have enjoyed what he did with Justice League United. But replacing Fraction is with anyone, no matter how talented, is like substituting Jim Morrison for John Lennon. He's great but the Lizard King just wouldn't work as the lead man for the Fab Four. 

  Matt Fraction = unreplaceable!

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.