KFC Presents: The Colonel Corps

    The restaurant world is in peril! Colonel Harlan Sanders has forgotten his top secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices that make his famous fried chicken so famous. Without it, his Earth-3 counterpart, Colonel Sunders will be free to unleash his disgusting chicken recipe on the eaters of earth-1! With the help of speedster Jesse Quick acting as a conduit, the good colonel travels the vast multiverse amassing a league of colonels to restore the recipe to it's continuity and save eater's palette's worldwide!

    This is actually the sequel to a 2015 web comic called The Colonel of Two Worlds. How did I miss that one? Starring the Flash and Green Lantern, it was a KFC sponsored comic story that paid tribute to Flash #123 and introduced the comic book world to the multiverse. AND, it seems like the kind of outlandish stuff I love to read and collect!

  As a chef, I also love to collect those recipe books sponsored by famous brands and restaurants. They're pretty strange with things like SPAM baked spaghetti or Dole pineapple ring burgers. But I love their kitschy style and how bizarre they can be. This web comic is the DC comics version of those odd recipe collections. Just don't expect the Colonel to reveal to you his secret recipe.

    I'm not one for web comics, but this is the only way to read this dynamic story. Yeah, it's silly and pretty odd, but I loved it! There was a chicken version of Colonel Sanders for gosh sake! What the heck does his restaurant serve?!

    Take advantage of this strange read. The Colonel of Two Worlds is no longer available online and the only way to get a hold of the Colonel Corps is through the eComic site, Comixology. It's totally free and will on be accessible for a limited time. So check it out now while you can!
    
    Worth Consuming.

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
 

Heroes For Hope Starring The X-Men #1

   A couple of days ago, I reviewed DC's Heroes Against Hunger, a benefit comic book released in 1986 to raise awareness and funds for famine relief in Africa. Unbeknownst to me until after reading Heroes For Hunger, it turns out DC was following suit after Marvel published their benefit comic a year earlier. Maybe had I known this, I would've read Marvel's offering first. But I was really looking forward to reading Heroes Against Hunger and chose it first instead. But hey, in the spirit of fairness, I went on and read Heroes For Hope afterwards.

    In this benefit special, the X-Men are facing their worst fears and they are trembling in terror and defeat. With the help of Rachel Summers and Storm, the mutants are able to regain their confidence. After the attacks, the X-Men determines that the offender is stationed in Africa and race to the region to prevent further damage. 

    Landing in Ethiopia, the X-Men come face-to-face with the horrors of hunger and famine and volunteer to unload planes laden with relief supplies. But the mutants will have to act fast because every minute they spend helping their fellow man, the unseen terror that assaulted them back at the X-Men mansion grows ever stronger.

    Geez- this was a stinker. I gave Heroes Against Hunger a solid rating, trying to be as impartial as can be. I tried to do the same with this book but Marvel didn't make it easy for me. Yes, dozens of legendary writers, artists, and editors got together and worked pro bono for this project- including Berni Wrightson, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and The Man himself, Stan Lee. Why even the master of horror, Stephen King contributed 3 or 4 pages! But no matter how hard I tried, I just hated this book. 

     The plot was a mess. There was very little cohesion between the assortment of writers. Plus, I thought this book was supposed to be about hunger relief. But honestly, the famine in Africa seemed like an afterthought. Plus, most of this story takes place in the deepest darkest recesses of the minds of several X-Men, including Magneto and man was it dark! 

     I know that people dying of starvation isn't joyful stuff. But unlike DC's publication, this special was a giant downer. For a title called Heroes For Hope, the main characters sure are hopeless.

Sorry folks, but I just ain't on board with this one. Like they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions and the intentions behind this landmark comic were very genuine. However, I found that attempting to get through this rambling mess was hellish to say the least.

    Not Worth Consuming.

    Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

Hilda (And the Stone Forest) #1, Free Comics Book Day 2016 Edition (Family Comic Friday)

  I haven't had a lot of time on my hands recently what with a job search and finally landing a new job this week. So for this week's edition of Family Comic Friday, I dug deep into my collection of Free Comic Book Day offerings to present to you this treasury from this year's giveaway event. 
   The title story is Hilda, an adventurous girl who along with her pet dog/fox Twig save a family of gnomes from a runaway yard. Yes, you hear me, a patch of grass grew legs and stole a home of magical creatures! As odd as it may seem, this escapade opens Hilda and her friends up to a world of magic, delights, and danger. 
    Then we have a story starring Akissi and her brother Fofana. They are a pair of siblings who live in a town in Africa and are one of the few families that have a TV. To earn a little pocket money, the duo are charging admission to see the latest episode of everybody's favorite superhero Spectreman. But when Dad unexpectedly shows up early from work, Akissi and Fofana will have to work fast to clear out the makeshift movie theatre or they're going to get busted!
    Lastly we have a story called Fantasy Sports. Here, a young girl scores the winning homerun in what appears to be a game of gladiator baseball. But when the ball comes back, it opens her up to unimaginable (and unseen) dangers. I didn't like this story by Sam Bosma. Well, that's not fair, I didn't understand it. I didn't understand really what the strange game the girl was playing, nor why her baseball came back. It doesn't help that the story jumps over a large period of time in which the girl is now older, complaining about stinking fish, and accompanied by a volleyball playing wrestler. 
     Hilda by Luke Pearson and Akissi by Abouet and Sapin were both really good and I want to read more of their exploits. There was a charm to Hilda's story and Akissi was laugh out loud funny. (See the third to last panel- it's brilliant!) The two stories, though very different from each other, opened my eyes to two new worlds that I really would not mind visiting again and again. 
     If you are interesting in reading more about these characters, you should look no farther than Amazon, your local comic book shop, or library. All three books are published by Nobrow Press. Akissi has been available for several months and Fantasy Sports is a series that started last year and now has 2 volumes. But Hilda, under the series title Hildafolk has been around since 2010 and about 7 books have been published.
    Hilda, Akissi, and Fantasy Sports are reccomended for readers aged 6-11 but adults will enjoy these tales. I highly praise Hilda and Akissi. But the jury is still out for Fantasy Sports and the implied amount of violence may be objectionable to some parents. So, reader beware and use your best judgement on that one.

   Hilda- Worth Consuming. Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.
   Akissi- Worth Consuming. Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
   Fantasy Sports. Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.
    
    

Heroes Against Hunger

   The year was 1986. In the course of the previous 24-months, a group of British Rockers under the name Band Aid released a Christmas record in hopes of raising funds and awareness for famine relief in Africa. Shortly, Hollywood and Motown's hot stars did the same with 'We Are the World.' Then rockers from around the world conducted a series of concerts in both London and New York for the cause. Finally the entire nation got into the act and attempted to raise awareness by symbolically holding 'Hands Across America.'
    In the mid-80s, you couldn't throw a rock without hitting a fundraiser for hunger and famine relief in Ethiopia and the surrounding areas of Africa. Everyone wanted to get involved with the project, even those in the comic book industry. In late 1985, Marvel was the first to issue a comic with proceeds going to famine relief. (I'll be reviewing that book in the next couple of days.) But the book that got my interest was DC's version- Heroes Against Hunger.
    I was 8 or 9 when I saw in the back of some long forgotten DC title an advertisement for Heroes Against Hunger. The ad listed over 50 of the industry's best writers, artists, colorists, and editors and on the cover was Superman, Batman, AND Lex Luthor! I was hooked and I never found it!!!
    Let's jump to Winter of last year. At a comic book shop in Asheville, NC I was trolling the bargain bins when I found Heroes Against Hunger and I didn't just find it, I found 24 pristine copies of Heroes! I guess that's where my copy went, it just took me 29 years to get a hold of it.

   So let's look at Heroes Against Hunger...

   Superman is hard at work trying to make the fields of Ethiopia fertile again. But torrential wind storms are making the effort nearly impossible. In disgust, Superman flies off in search of help and comes across Batman. The Dark Knight is investigating the wanton destruction of several Wayne Foundation planes that were carrying relief supplies to aid camp. The World's Finest heroes decide to help the other with Superman investigating the source of the crashes while Batman is tasked with approaching a brilliant scientist who might have formula for making things grow again in Africa: LEX LUTHOR!
    Heroes Against Hunger was an interesting mix of sci-fi and reality. While the fantastic was quite good, the best parts of this book involved the horrors of the famine in Africa. I'm not saying that I reveled in the plight of others. Rather, the parts of this comic that explained the factors behind the famine in Ethiopia as well as the scenes of rage that not only Batman and Superman has against the atrocities experienced by the starving refuges but Luthor as well were superior and very much Worth Consuming.
    
   Oh, one more thing- I didn't really mention much about the writing and the artwork. It's kinda hard to say that one guy was better than another in a work like this. This was a total group effort done by individuals that weren't even in the same state, much less the same room,  with each other. The fact that this got made at all is a little bit of a miracle. 
   While the entire book told a story, it's not 100% cohesive. The writers seem to have different themes that they are trying to put across and some times it seemed like the action got repeated from time to time. Why even Superman looks completely different from page to page as does Batman. It's varying styles and voices and sometimes they don't segue well That's mostly an editing problem. But with superstar talents like Neal Adams, Jack Kirby, George Perez, and many more doing this for free, I can't really find much fault with the errors and nits. So, I'm going to rate this pretty conservatively.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 
    

Flashpoint: The Outsider #1

   In 1960, a city in India was mysteriously wiped off the face of the earth. There was only one survivor- a chalk-white newborn with armor plating skin. This babe grew up to be known as Michael Desai in the orphanages of Calcutta. Now he's the Outsider, the richest and most powerful man in India and a major power player on the global stage.
    But just who is the Outsider, really?
    From the cover and his appearance in issue #1 of Flashpoint, I thought that maybe he's Metamorpho. For one, the Element Man was a founding member of the Outsiders so I thought maybe that was the connotation.  Secondly, they both have a ghostly white face. But the man who was Rex Mason received his powers from a mystical orb while on an archaeological expedition in Egypt. The Outsider is born with his powers and his parents weren't effected by the orb. So, no, despite some similarities, the Outsider is not the Flashpoint equivalent of Metamorpho.
     Without giving away a major plot twist, to understand the pre-Flashpoint origins of the Outsider, you have to go back to the Batman comics of the mid-1960s. Go ahead, Google search him and after reading this issue, things will make perfect sense. But this guy is in no way your dad's Outsider!
      This issue is a shining example of why I love the multiverse stories of DC. They don't always follow the same archetype. Certain characters might have the same name but they often either have different origin stories or they're different characters altogether. (There are a few exceptions to this, of course!) I wish Marvel could see this way instead of thinking the best way to present their characters as new or different is either by making them a different sex or race. 
    The intentions are all well and good but the stories told are often the same with very little originality. Here, the Outsider is completely different from anything I've read in DC history and that makes this character a total mystery to me. A mystery that I want to come back to again and again. That's why I say 'Make Mine DC!"

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Grodd of War One-Shot

  Without the Flash around, Gorilla Grodd easily overthrew the rulers of Gorilla City and eventually all of Africa fell afterwards. Grodd should be ecstatic but something's missing. Without a challenge to his leadership, being the despotic leader of the world's second largest continent isn't as worthwhile as he thought it would be! Who would've thought that Gorilla Grodd would actually be happy without the World's Fastest Man to give him fits??? 

    Grodd of War is another entry in the Flashpoint universe but unlike the other tie-ins that I have read set in the Flashpoint, this issue is a one-shot. I hate that! This story was so good, so intriguing, and so original, I didn't want it to end. I really wanted this storyline to be a 3-part miniseries. 
    New Suicide Squad's Sean Ryan really outdid himself with this tale. There was such a level of pathos and gore in this one-shot. The third season of the Flash is supposed to take place in the Flashpoint and if producers of the CW show are mining the comics for ideas, I really hope that they strip this issue clean!
     It's that good! And the artwork by Ig Guara (Blue Beetle) is quite exceptional as well!!!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Secret Life of Pets

Have you ever wondered what your pets do when you are away from home? I think my cats invite the neighborhood squirrels over and binge watch Court TV. Plus it explains why I always lose my favorite book or shoes or the remote. So really, what are my cats doing when my wife and I are at work?

  Well, The Secret Life of Pets seeks to answer that age old question and I think that the minds behind the film did a pretty good job tackling it.

  In the city that never sleeps, when their owners are away, the family pet will play. But in the case of Max, a lovable short hair puppy voiced by Louis CK, he sits in front of his apartment door waiting for his owner Katie to return. But his blissful paradise is turned upside down when Katie returns home one day from the pound with a giant brown shaggy dog named Duke (Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet). It's not a smooth transition for the two and one day at the dog park, the two canines get into a massive fight and wind up lost in the Big Apple. Managing to lose their collars and being snatched up by animal control, the two rivals must work together if they have any hope of getting back home to their master Katie.

   Pets was a very cute film that had quite a few laughs. I could've done without the potty humor, which was surprisingly graphic. In the past, movies like this (involving lost pets) get really sappy and sad. The Secret Life of Pets thankfully isn't a tearjerker. It also was pretty unique and I didn't feel like I had seen it before. However, the main story of Max and Duke wasn't the most interesting part of the movie- it's all of the supporting players that made this film worth watching.

The laughs come primarily from Kevin Hart who voices a psychotic bunny who wants to see the overthrow of the human race and his gang of 'flushed’ pets. The pets from Max's apartment who conduct a rescue mission also garnered a lot of laughs, especially the very plump feline Chloe, portrayed by Man Up's Lake Bell.

   The Secret Life Of Pets was produced by Illumination Entertainment, the company behind the Despicable Me franchise. Be sure to get to the cinemas a little early as a short featuring those pesky yellow minions proceeds the feature. Mower Minions has the tiny helpers trying to raise money for a new blender by providing yard work for their neighbors. It was very silly but enjoyable none the less.

  Overall, I had a fun time at the movies today. The film's been out for 2 weeks already and the 2 pm showing I went to was almost sold out! Very impressive. I've been to blockbuster superhero movies on opening day and the theatre wasn't even full of enough patrons to man a baseball team. So give it a view and find out just what does happen in the secret lives of man's best friends.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Grumpy Cat & Pokey #1 (Free Comic Book Day 2016 Edition) (Family Comic Friday)

   The unimpressed cat that launched a thousand memes has her own comic book. Just this year, Dynamite Comics issued a comic book series called Grumpy Cat & Pokey based on the internet sensation. But, before Dynamite released the series, the publisher made the brilliant move to issue a Free Comic Book Day preview of the new title and I must say- their marketing campaign worked!
    But before we get to reviewing the comic, let's look at the title: Grumpy Cat & Pokey. Well, just who is Pokey? Is he a made up character just for this series. Actually, no. Pokey is the twin brother (same litter) of Grumpy Cat (AKA Tardar Sauce.) And boy, is he funny!
     Grumpy Cat & Pokey have a vibe similar to another classic cat duo- Garfield and his arch-nemesis, Nermal, the World's Cutest Cat. Both Pokey and Nermal get on the last nerves of perpetual sour pusses Grumpy Cat and Garfield. But while Pokey's optimism is often the bane of Grumpy's existence, Nermal can be quite rude and annoying with his vanity. 
      Grumpy and Pokey have great comedic timing with each other. Whether it's Pokey's attempt at turning the duo into superheroes or his trying to convince Grumpy to becoming a Hollywood star so they both can eat people food- no matter what happens, Grumpy's got a funny one-liner to offer or Pokey's skewed thought process just messes things up with his wild antics. It's all comedy gold here folks.
     Sometimes when you read a book based on a licensed product, the material gets stale. There's no originality. The jokes are older than moldy gym socks and you just can't wait for the book to end. Not so here, as every misadventure was fresh and enjoyable. I even laughed out loud on several occasions! 

The Real Life Pokey (L) & Grumpy Cat.

      The artwork will appeal to all-ages. But there are some big words and a couple of the jokes might seem a little harsh. Plus the cartoon violence rivals Tom & Jerry or the road Runner. But readers aged 7 and up will really love this series. 
      A must for any fan of Grumpy Cat and by the end of this issue, you'll be a fan of Pokey's too!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.
     

Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #1

  You often hear that Lois Lane is an excellent investigative journalist. But you don't really get to witness her going off the grid by herself much because Superman is always there to bail her out. In Lois Lane and the Resistance, she finally gets that chance as in the Flashpoint, there is no Superman to answer her calls for help. 
    Stranded in Paris during the fall of Europe, Lois Lane is contacted by the Flashpoint's greatest hero, Cyborg, to make contact with a resistance leader in London, now the home of the Amazon's New Themyscira! But in order to win the right to move freely throughout the new nation, Lois must undergo loyalty training or face becoming an Amazonian science project that often result in hideous mutations. If Lois is to connect with the resistance, Cyborg is going to have to act fast as tomorrow is the day of Lois' turn on the operating table.
     Issue #1 was an action packed look at the underground movement in Europe following Aquaman's destruction of most of the continent. Now with the Amazons controlling the British Isles, it looks like the war between Atlantis and Themyscira is heating up. I felt like I was reading a DC Comics version of Mission: Impossible what with secret operatives, crazy gadgets and tons more espionage and trickery than I can count. 
    Writers Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett, the duo behind Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies, were the right choice to chronicle further escapades surrounding the Amazons. But something was missing to make this as good as an opening chapter as the work they did in Furies #1. This series doesn't have that breathtaking art that Furies does. But I don't think that it the only reason I wasn't 100% satisfied with this issue. Hopefully, by issue #2, I will be able to put my finger on it. All I can say for now is that I get the feeling that my objections have something to do with the cover...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Captain America: Man Out of Time

Back around 1963, when Kirby and Lee revived Captain America, he was clearly a man out of his own time, but he seemed okay with being stuck in the modern day world. Yes, the death of his partner Bucky haunted him, but Steve Rogers seemed content to keep the American Dream he fought for during World War II alive. It helped having both Baron Zemo and the Red Skull survive the fall of the Third Reich to keep Capt.motivated to protect the 1960s from fascism.

  Well what if Steve Rogers wanted to get back to the 1940s?

   In Man Out of Time, after the Avengers free Steve Rogers from being frozen, Captain America thinks that everything he's witnesses is a Nazi trap. Over time, the hero learns that he is in fact 70 years into the future and makes it his duty to get back home. To prevent Capt from altering the timeline, the President orders the Avengers to make Rogers a member. Captain America seems to be fitting into his new role quite well. But when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes face the time travelling villain Kang the Conqueror, the baddie grants Steve Rogers his ultimate wish.

  Awaking in 1945 Brooklyn, Steve learns that the war in Europe is over, the campaign in the Pacific rages on, and American mourns the loss of it's hero, Captain America. This puts the good Captain in a awkward position: should he make his presence known and enlist in the conflict with Japan, stroll off into the sunset and live the rest of his days in hiding, or get back to the future?!

This unique look at Captain America's earliest days back from the frozen brink was very clever and well thought out. I liked that the editor's decided to include a reprinting of Capt's first modern era tale from Avengers #4. It really rounded out the story as a whole.

Mark Waid, whose recent run on Daredevil has made the Man Without Fear one of my new favors characters, was behind this story and he did another fantastic job. The art by Jorge Molina was pretty good but the covers by Bryan Hitch were superb. Just look at the amazing job on Man Out of Time's cover; the renderings of every President since FDR were quite good! Hitch should be asked to do the portrait of whomever is elected POTUS in November for the National Gallery!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #1

Haly's Circus. In the DC Universe, it's a travelling show that has had more than it's fair share of tragedy. It's where the Flying Graysons met their tragic end. It's were a sniper made Boston Brand a Deadman. Flowing through the tarps of beleaguered carnival's big top is deception and corruption so deep, many of its employees have faced mortality, including the owner, Mr. Haly.

   But this is the Flashpoint Universe and one of it's few bright spots is the success of Haly's Circus. The Graysons are one big happy family. Boston Brand is a Deadman in name only. Even sideshow act, Kent Nelson, under the stage name of Doctor Fate is doing pretty well, except for the hour or so it takes for his mind to recover from wearing the mystical Helmet of Nabu.

   Unfortunately, the circus has run into a little problem. Haly's Circus was performing in Central Europe when Aquaman decided to unleash his fury on the human race and flooded much of Eastern Europe. The performers find themselves stranded overseas and must venture from town to town in hopes of making ends meet and eventually earn themselves a way back to the US.

  If the voyage home wasn't treacherous enough, during their last stop, Kent Nelson accidentally tapped into the timeline and has learned that there is another reality trying to burst through the Flashpoint. It's the time stream of the DCU and it's trying to correct whatever made history change into this fractured universe. However, Kent's contact with the real timeline has made an even more deadlier force aware to the circus's presence as Wonder Woman's Furies are on the hunt for the Helmet of Nabu!

  The Flashpoint tie-ins just keep getting better and better. There's not much action per se in this issue. But I think that this issue was essential in showing the effects of the Atlantis- Themyscira War on Europe. Having it seen through the eyes of the performers of Haly's Circus helps to make the struggle familiar and more grounded to the reader. A great job by writer J.T Krul!

  Equally impressive is the artwork. The realistic looking poster by Cliff Chaing (Secret Six) was really cool looking. But the cover wasn't the only visually stunning material. Mikel Janin’s (Justice League Dark) almost painted approach captured both the magic of the big top while exposing the cramped and dirty conditions of life on the road.

  All around excellent stuff. I can't wait for issue #2.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

 

Spider-Man: Black, Blue, & Read All Over #1

First of all, I love the cover. It looks very retro, like the live-action Spidey TV-show of the 70s, which I love fondly despite knowing it was very hokey.

Then there is a great companion piece with a reprint of ASM #12 in which a very sick Spider-man is unmasked as Peter Parker by Doctor Octopus. The twist is everyone thinks Petey was trying to be heroic and isn’t the wall-crawler at all.

Lastly, there’s the title tale in which Spider-man convinces Jonah Jameson that he’ll unmask if the Daily Bugle will publish the wallcrawler’s side of the story for a change. It’s a nice tale that shows you how hard it is to be a hero. But, the ending is lame.

Average everything out, and I give this tale a 6 or of 10. But, it’s still very good and Worth Consuming, but just barely.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12

  I can't believe I bought into the hype...
 
   In the summer of 2015, the surprise hit of the year was Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12. I had already been a fan of this series since day one. Echoing the New Scooby-Doo Mysteries series from 1972, this series has the crew of Mystery Inc. solving mysteries with super-heroes and other cartoon legends. In terms of this issue's guest-star attraction, Harley Quinn, well my affection for her runs a lot deeper.
   In September of 1992 on Batman: The Animated Series, in an episode entitled 'Joker's Favor,' the Clown Prince of Crime got a girlfriend. Dressed as a Jester, Harley Quinn was supposed to be a thrown away one-time bit role. But she stole the hearts of millions that day including mine. 
   Over the years, my much littler sister became a fan of Batman and I would make her giggle doing Harley's voice in little bits with the Joker when we would play with her Batman action figures. But I think what cemented it for us was the epic battle between Harley and Lex Luthor's bodyguard, Mercy, during the premiere of the Batman/Superman Movie: World's Finest. Needless to say, when DC announced that this issue was coming out, I immediately put it on my wish list. What I didn't expect was for it to sell like hot cakes.
     I got lucky. My favorite comic book store is really a used book store, so it's often under the radar of but the most serious of collectors. But by the end of September 23, when this book dropped, stores nationwide were sold out and copies were being listed on Facebook and eBay for upwards of $30 a piece. 
    I apparently got into the fervor because I immediately bagged this issue and put it away in my collection without even doing the one thing I mean to do with it- READ IT! Then two nights ago as I was filing some comics, I came across this issue, realizing that I hadn't read it yet. So, was it worth the wait? Worth the fervor? Let's check out Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12.

    Scooby and the Gang are mysteriously summoned to the rooftops of Gotham. Thinking that Batman has secretly asked for their help on a case, the detectives agree only to be met by Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Despite the Mystery Gang having foiled the Joker in the past, Harley and Ivy don't have any ill will towards those meddling kids. No, they want help being rid of a ghost who has cursed them after they stole an ancient Egyptian gemstone.
      The real thief in this adventure was the Joker's girlfriend because Harley Quinn stole the show. She had the best lines and the decision to have artist Dario Brizuela draw her in her original jester costume was the right choice. It was great to have the original Harley back even if for just 32 short little pages.
      Honestly, this issue could've managed with just Harley Quinn as the guest-star. Her BFF and roommate Poison Ivy wasn't even necessary. She had very few lines and she really doesn't move the story anywhere. But I have a feeling Ivy was added as this issue was a tribute to Harley's first appearance in comic form (Batman: TAS #12) and both villains were in that issue.
     Overall, this issue #12 wasn't bad. But the Scooby Gang were reduced to those same insipid gags that the cartoon is known for. In Scooby-Doo Team-Up, the team is much more wittier and smarter- even Shaggy has a little more brains and backbone in this series. So why were the so darn goofy in this story? Don't blame Harley for the ridiculousness- she was actually more sane than anyone in this uneven tale.
     There were some bright spots but the potential of this issue didn't match up with the insanity that surrounded this issue last summer...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #1

   We've seen the beginnings of Atlantis's war with the surface. Now witness the origins of the Atlantis-Themyscira War in the pages of Wonder Woman and the Furies #1. Love lost, treason, deception, and murder. This issue has everything and a Kraken too!

    If you don't read Flashpoint in the order DC listed all of the tie-ins in the pages of Flashpoint #1 and #2, you'll be doing yourself a disservice. There are some many cliffhangers, crossovers, and shocking reveals that require reading everything in order for maximum effect. I've been doing pretty good job of that myself, with exception of a couple of mix-ups, and I must say that doing so has really blown me away with the level of quality and excitement in every book.
    Up until this point, this issue is perhaps my favorite of the bunch. The storytelling of Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett was spectacular. But really what did it for me was the artwork. Scott Clark's (Batman Incorporated) mix of CGI imagery of the landmarks of Altantis and Themyscira and swift pencil strokes crafting younger versions of Wonder Woman and Aquaman were stunning. And look this the cover by Ed Benes (Batgirl)! The level of detail put into the ruins of London are breathtaking. 
   Excellent Stuff!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager #1

   With Emperor Aquaman controlling the seven seas with an iron grip, the only humans brave enough to sail them are pirates. Amongst the most feared are the Warlord aboard the Skartaris and ruthless Slade Wilson, AKA Deathstroke and his converted whaler, the Ravager. Right now, Deathstroke has the Skartaris on his radar, as it is rumored that the Warlord has his kidnapped daughter. But his search my be short as the Ravager has just run afoul of a certain King of Atlantis...
    Another exciting chapter in the Flashpoint universe. Normally, Deathstroke is a bad-ass assassin and the constant scourge of the Teen Titans. Never in 100 years if you asked me to come up with an alternate timeline variation of Slade Wilson, I don't think I would ever come up with making him a Somali-style pirate. 
     I don't have a clue where this is going and I actually like that! Having over 36-years experience as a comic book enthuiast, I've read my fair share of storylines and quite a few have become quite predictable. Well folks, the Curse of the Ravager is anything but! 
     A great opening segment! 

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Aw Yeah Comics!, Volume 1: And... Action! (Family Comic Friday)

 If you've read my blog enough, you'll know that I am a huge fan of Art Baltazar and Franco. The work they've bone on Tiny Titans and Itty Bitty Hellboy have been some of the best (and most fun) all-ages comics  on the market in the past 5-10 years. Their comics are filled with material that appeals to both kids and adults. The duo are the Disney of comic books in the regards that their titles have something that the whole family can enjoy. Aw Yeah Comics captures that something for everyone vibe and applies it to all-new material. But before I review the book, let's look at Baltazar and Franco's inspiration for this series.
   Aw Yeah Comics is a chain of 3 family friendly comic book stores in the mid-west. Baltazar & Franco opened the first shop in 2012, located in Skokie, Illinois. All three stores have the same mascots; a costumed cat named Action Cat and his adorable insect sidekick, Adventure Bug. In 2013 in answer to customers demands for a comic starring the two heroes, Aw Yeah Comics started a Kickstarter campaign to start publishing their own line of Action Cat/ Adventure Bug Comics. Issue #1 dropped just a few short months later.

    The brainchild idea of Chris Smits, Aw Yeah Comics later teamed-up with Dark Horse to collect the self-published comics into 3 treasury trade paperback editions. The volume in which I read and am reviewing (And... Action!) collects the first 4 issues of the first series published from 2013-2014. So, let's get started...
   Cornelius and Alowicius work as clerks at the Aw Yeah Comics in Skokie, Il with their manager Hammond Bear. At night (or whenever duty calls) Cornelius and Alowicius take up the mantle of Action Cat and Adventure Bug. Their main nemesis is Evil Cat and his sidekick, the phantom Ghost Bug! Along with a slew of other villains including Zombie Cat (who thinks Ghost Bug is better suited as HIS sidekick), the angry cell phone store mascot Cell-Phone-Guy and the pesky Marquaid the Prawn.
    But Action Cat and Adventure Bug don't have to fight crime alone. They're aided by Awesome Bear, the Darling Dogs, and Action Cat...?! See in Skokie, there's 2 Action Cats- one's a boy with a boy bug sidekick and the other's a girl with a girl bug sidekick. And it drives Cornelius crazy that his girl counterpart calls herself Action Cat- that's why he calls her Adorable Cat.
   When the two Action Cats aren't fighting with bad guys or each other, they going on patrol for the allusive Goojie-Nana, a polka dotted horse creature. Everyone in Skokie claims to have seen this mythical beast but have never captured it. Can the Action Cats find the Goojie-Nana without driving their sidekicks crazy?
    A very fun read. Now that I know about the real life Aw Yeah Comics shops, it makes the reading of these books much more enjoyable. This volume is essentially the pilot episode, so there's some kinks that need to be worked out with pacing and plot lines. Though this is Baltazar and Franco's baby, they have lots of guess artists and writers crafting stories set in the Aw Yeah universe. Some of them are very good and some stink like sour fish on a hot day. 
    But every story by the creative duo of Baltazar and Franco were home runs. Those stories didn't have a lack of quality or imagination. By the fourth chapter of this volume, they were creating most of the material and the level of brilliance and fun made reading the adventures of Adventure Cat and Adventure Bug that much more AWESOME!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

    

    

Tales of Supernatural Law (Volume 1)

   All Rise!!! Court is now in session. The cases will be defended by the law firm of Wolff & Byrd, the Counselors of the Macabre.  On the docket today is Tales of Supernatural Law.

Case #001- A twist on the Curse of the Monkey's Paw legend when a beloved family pet is wished back from the dead, things don't turn out as they should.
Case #002- The Curse of the Were-House, a lovely two-story home that turns into a haunted house every full moon.
Case #003- A civil case involving zombie workers who've decided to go on strike.
Case #004- The People Vs. Common Decency... A horror TV host from the 1950s on the verge of a comeback is accused of promoting juvenile delinquency.
Case #005- A super model is accused of violating the contract with her modeling agency. She is counter-suing that the hot shot behind the agency used magic to change her appearance. Can the team of Wolff and Byrd see to it that the evidence WEIGHS in her favor?
Case #006- Dracula, yes THE Dracula, sues the sideshow industry for copyright infringement.

  Lastly before the court adjourns to sunny San Diego for the annual Lawyer Convention, the Counselors of the Macabre will seek to postpone the sad case of Sodd, The Thing That's an It, a young man tragically turned into a walking pile of foliage.
    As you can see from this full case load, there are tons of great law stories with a supernatural edge to them. I had read this book years ago when I first discovered the series at my local library. Now that I am collecting the series, I wanted to re-read this collection. I loved it then and I think after my trip down memory lane, I have fallen that much more in love with Supernatural Law.
    I guess artist/writer/creator Batton Lash has cast a spell on me.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #1

  World of Flashpoint is an interesting addition to the Flashpoint tie-ins. While the other miniseries focus on a very small aspect of the Flashpoint universe, particularly a character or a city, World of Flashpoint gives a more global perspective to the numerous crises the leaders of the free world face in the midst of the Atlantis- Themyscira war. And it's all seen through the eyes of one young girl

    Eight months ago (prior to Flashpoint #1), life seemed very good for young Traci Thirteen and he family. She lived in Paris with her siblings and parents. Her mother has mystical powers and has been teaching Traci to use the powers she's inherited and Traci's getting quite good at it.

  Things seem perfect until one day, Traci and her father are teleported away to safety. As a result, Traci's mother, exhausted from her protective use of magic, cause her and Traci's siblings to become victims of Emperor Aquaman's tsunami which floods eastern Europe.

      Now living in Switzerland, Mr. Thirteen is a high-ranking world government official tasked with finding a way to end the combined Atlantean and Amazon threats to the planet. The only answer the governments of the world can decide on is the use of a massive laser that will destroy Aquaman and Wonder Woman's forces. But it will also mean the death of millions of innocent lives. With her father poised to push the laser's firing button, can Traci Thirteen prevent another massacre of innocents in time?

      This first issue was quite different from the other tie-ins. There's a ton of cameos from DC's B and C list of characters. Instead of being a dull issue, the insertion of minor DC characters only made the Flashpoint storyline seem all that more widespread and encompassing. I know everyone wants the comics they are reading to star Batman or Superman but it's the minor (but oh so familiar) characters that make a story like this stand out that much more. It's probably why Crisis on Infinite Earths is my favorite comic of all-time.

     Ben 10 Classics' Rex Ogle really did his homework including characters like Clarion the Witch Boy and China's Iron General in August in creative ways in this story. I can't wait to see who he recruits in issue #2. Featuring some pretty good (but a little too-much Rob Liefeld for my tastes) art by Eduardo Francisco (Assassins School) and Paulo Siqueira (Batman Eternal) this was a very good opening segment to a vital part of the Flashpoint storyline you must not miss!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #1

  How can you best define Leonard Snart? Rogue? Ruthless Killer? Hero? In the Flashpoint universe, he's all three.
   As the costumed vigilante, Citizen Cold, Leonard Snart issues a brand of justice that borders on cold-blooded murder. But armed with an agent, endorsement deals, and presumably a legion of lawyers, Citizen Cold is a media darling. He's also a marked man.
   Without the Flash and the Speed Force, Snart is the sole protector of Central City. With that massive responsibility, Citizen Cold has amassed his own Rogue's Gallery. Snart's no Barry Allen and his relationship with the Rogues is like that of a mongoose and a cobra; there's no love lost between the two parties.
    On top of the death wish Citizen Cold has with the criminal element of Central City, forces are conspiring to reveal his secret identity to the world. Superstar reporter Iris West is publicly poking around searching for clues as to just who Cold is. Now another mystery player has captured photos of the anti-hero out of costume. It looks like it might be time for Snart to make a quick getaway out of town but first, he's got to get a hold of those damning photos.
    In 2010 (when Flashpoint first came out), I thought the twist of having Leonard Snart be a 'good guy' was brilliant. But I wasn't sure how it would work out. Over the course of the past two seasons of the Flash TV series, Wentworth Miller's Captain Cold was a bad guy but he did have a sense of honor. That resulted in Cold and his partner Heatwave, becoming begrudging heroic rogues on DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
    But Citizen Cold is no Captain Cold.
    What Citizen Cold lacks from his pre-Flashpoint counterpart Captain Cold is having the Flash around to act as an incredibly fast Jiminy Cricket. This Snart has no conscience and with his ego, he's is a slimier version of Guy Gardner.
   What is Snart's motivation in becoming a 'hero?' Right now, it's implied that he's just in it for himself. But I refuse to believe that that's the only reason. I can't wait for issue #2 to get some more answers to this puzzle!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #1

  During World War II, the Allied Forces had a secret weapon- the Creature Commandos! The Unit was comprised of a genetically altered vampire, wolf man, and a mer-creature, and was co-lead by the human Lt. Shrieve and Frankenstein's Monster! After taking out Hitler, the team thinks that they will either be cured of their various aliments, sent on missions against the mounting Soviet threat or allowed to leave in peace. But Uncle Sam has other ideas and forces the monsters of the Creature Commandos into suspended animation.
    Jump ahead 65 years. The Commandos have been all but forgot, still residing in their cryogenic tombs. But during the Army's attack on Booster Gold, something causes Frankenstein's chamber to break and he frees his comrades. Decades without medical treatment has caused the wolf man and the vampire soldiers to regress into more savage states.
   Without immediate help, they will forever be stuck in their most primal monster forms, and so Frankenstein leads the group to Gotham City in hopes of finding the secret lab of the doctor who treated them during the war for their afflictions. But their trek will not be easy as the military wants their Creature Commandos back and have hired the best monster hunter on the planet to recapture them- Miranda Shrieve, the granddaughter of the monster's unit leader: Lt. Shrieve!
    As a DC enthusiast, I've been particularly a fan of the company's vintage horror and war lines. Weird War Tales combined the best of both lines with strange stories that brought new meaning to the words 'the horrors of war.' Towards the end of WWT's run was a running series based on the Creature Commandos!
    With Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown entering the Flashpoint, I was extremely excited. But when I first learned of this title in 2010, I was an little befuddled as to why would Frankenstein be selected to the series of Flashpoint tie-ins. But I had forgotten about Frank being a member of the Creature Commandos! So, it actually makes perfect sense and I am thrilled to see where this miniseries goes next. Plus, tying in events from Booster Gold #44-45 was a stroke of genius that advances the storyline quite well.
   
    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
     

The Fireman by Joe Hill

   A mystery virus is causing people to mysteriously burst into flames. Coated with tell-tale shimmering patterns of black and gold on their skin called Dragonscale, the afflicted have normally been quarantined. But with governments in shambles, cities burning out of control, and resources getting scarcer by the day, it's now  standing order to shoot on sight those suffering from the Dragonscale.
    Harper, a young nurse obsessed with Mary Poppins, makes a pact with her controlling husband that should they develop the Dragonscale, they'll consume some Ambien and wine and drift off into a permanent sleep. It seems that they're well on their way to that plan when Harper begins to show signs of the virus after the hospital she works at burns to the ground. But when Harper finds that she is now pregnant, the nurse is more determined that ever to survive. Harper's Dragonscale seems to have an turned her husband into a hypochondriac, whose convinced that he is slowly burning alive. Yet, the hubby isn't showing any signs on the Dragonscale on his body, but he's slowly loosing his grasp on reality.  
     In a drunken rage, Harper's husband comes home with a gun, blaming her for his impending doom. Harper's husband chases her off into the woods and when she breaks her ankle, it looks like her spouse will finally implement his murder-suicide plan. Thankfully, Harper is intercepted by a fireman offering to take her somewhere safe.
     The Fireman in question is one part man/ one part urban legend. He's seen trolling the fiery ruins of Harper's community seeking out victims. But he also has the Dragonscale and has been seen bursting in flames. Only, this inflicted patient of the 'Scale' also seems to be able to control the flames that lick his body, nor does he seem to be burned by them. Is the Fireman Harper's savior or is he a monster in disguise responsible for sending her to the nurse ultimate demise?
     
    I first became aware of Joe Hill from his epic Locke & Key horror series published by IDW Publishing. That very graphic comic series made me a fan. When I found out a couple of months ago about the release date of this book,  it immediately went on my wish list.
    At just about 750 pages, this is a huge book. But I devoured the first half of the apocalyptic horror novel in less than 72-hours and consumed the entire novel in 9 days flat. I think I eased up just a bit over past couple of days cause I didn't want this book to end. 
    Joe Hill's parents are the writers extraordinaires Stephen and Tabitha King. I've never read any of her works, but I can tell that the writings of the Master of Modern Horror had a large influence on his son.  But that's not to say that Joe Hill is not a genius in his own write. He's a gifted storyteller and this satire on the human spirit is a fantastic read. This book shows both the very best and very worst of humanity when faced with a disaster and it pulls no punches.
    There's more than enough swears to make Quentin Tarantino blush. The violence at times is unsettling and there were on more than one occasion where a beloved character bites the dust. (Maybe George RR Martin was Joe Hill's grandpa???) But this book was a page-turner that I often couldn't put down.
    One part Sci-fi, one part horror, one part doomsday thriller, the Fireman is not to be missed. Make this the summer read you've been looking for.
    
   Worth Consuming
  
    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Durham Comics Fest 2016: How a Local Library is Using Comics to Create the Next Generation of Readers

   Earlier today, I attended my first ever comic book swap. Sponsored by the Shannon Road Branch of the Durham County (NC) Public Library, the event was just a part of a week long event called Durham Comics Fest 2016. The Shannon Road Library has been putting on comic book themed events with local bookstores and comics shops in hopes of turning fans of superheroes into readers. Every month, the library puts on comics themed events as well as host a graphic novel club. Thanks to the success of those activities, the library began an annual festival open to anyone, even those without a library card! This is the 3rd or 4th straight year of the Durham Comics Fest and my only regret is that I didn't find o

Simple Rules For Fun!

ut about this sooner.
     Events earlier in the week included art workshops, meet and greets, and a collaborative off-site event sponsored by the Durham Comics Project. But today's festivities were the meat and potatoes of the event. Throughout the day local artists including award winning creator of Th(ink) Keith Knight and Olympians series creator George O'Connor would be leading workshops and lectures for aspiring comic artists and writers of all ages. Plus, there were giveaways, cool stuff for sale, and (my favorite) free comic books. 
     I had a couple hundred comics that were either doubles or things I didn't want. Being such a fan of comic book grab bags, you'd be surprised how much extra accumulates. So I was gung-ho to join up with the Comics Fest's first activity of the day- the Comics Swap.

CHC is a great family centered LCS!

    The rules of the swap were simple. 1) Have Fun and 2) No Pressure. You didn't have to donate books to the swap but it helped. The freebies were assembled throughout the room and readers of all-ages got to collect some new reads for absolutely free! For a veteran collector like myself, I was able to unload some titles taking up much needed space while racking up on some things on my wish list for no money! Oh, how awesome is the bartering system!
    The Durham Comics Fest wraps up tomorrow with a screening of Dear Mr. Watterson, a documentary on the impact of Bill Watterson's epic strip Calvin and Hobbes has had on the comics industry. The event will begin at 3:00pm.

Cartoonist Keith Knight's Wares For Sale

     For more info about the screening and to find out about further comic themed events Check out the Shannon Rd. Branches website. Maybe you can even get some ideas from the great gang at this location for putting on a comic book swap and fest at the library in your community!
   Happy Reading...