Doctor Strange: The Oath

The fortress domicile of Doctor Strange has been breached. A hired hand with some knowledge of the dark arts has broken into the Sanctum Sanctorum to steal a mystical object. Strange confronted the thief. As result, the good doctor's life now hangs in the balance.

The ever faithful Wong brings the dying Sorcerer Supreme to the clinic of the Night Nurse. But time is running out for Doctor Strange’s servant as well. He's been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and the object stolen from Strange's abode was the key to curing not only Wong's cancer but all known diseases of man!

I know that Marvel fans love their writer to be named Brian. I do too, but instead of Bendis, I am a huge fan of Brian K Vaughn (Y: The Last Man.) Vaughn crafts a fantastic tale of magic, mystery and Marveldom! But I have to give my highest praise to the artist of The Oath.

Marcos Martin's style was just perfectly retro. I felt like I was looking at some lost Doctor Strange story of Steve Ditko’s. They say that Ditko is the definitive Doctor Strange artist and I agree. But I think Marcos Martin gives Ditko a definite run for his money.

I felt throughout this story that Doctor Strange’s look was based on classic horror actor Vincent Price. I didn't have confirmation of this until on the very last page of the artist's sketchbook I saw Vincent looking right back at me. I gave myself a bunch of praise for that correct call.

The Oath was a fun read with classic overtones. Based on how this story ends, I'm very interested in learning how long that change to the out of Stephen Strange played out in the comics. Just what that change was? You'll just have to read it to find out…

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Hungry Ghosts #3

The third issue of Hungry Ghosts could be summarized as a major pain in the tuchus. That's because the horrors are all about digestion. And well, you know where it all comes out in the end...

Both stories, 'Deep' and 'Boil In The Belly,' are pretty gross, major-league gruesome and not for the faint of heart. 

DEEP- I thought that the first story started out really good. It's about a sadistic sous chef who makes life hell for the low man on the restaurant totem pole. But I thought that the ending was very flat. I wanted a more definitive ending.

Boil In The Belly-  Now this story had an ambiguous ending and I loved it. It kinda explains what the title of Hungry Ghosts means and it was drawn by one of my favorite guilty pleasure artists, Paul Pope.

There's only one issue left and it's promised to be the most intense story of them all! I can't wait. 

Hungry Ghosts #3 debuted in print and digital mediums on March 28, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Beef #2

Years of eating cheeseburgers pumped full of questionable chemicals has finally come back to haunt Chuck Williams. Seeing his beloved Mary-Lynn about to become road pizza, Chuck's adrenaline and rage literally turns him inside out. He becomes like the Hulk only a whole lot uglier. 

Though the change wasn't permanent, it's attracted the attention of The Beef's owner Vodino. This sort of mutation is the type of thing that could cause trouble for the unethical meat processing plant. But it's also the kind of thing that shouldn't go unexploited. (Hey, The Beef could create super steroids out of Chuck's DNA for all we know.) Regardless of the outcome's positive and negative effects, Vodino has to get Chuck Williams out of the public eye.

The story continues to be very good. However, I had trouble understanding about 5-6 pages of the story. It was in Spanish and mine is not good. Too bad it wasn't in French- I know that language. 

I also like the art. I won't say that it's superior or anything like that. But I love how it looks like a cross between Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill. Yes, I know that the same guy did both projects. But King of the King was a lot more polished that B&B. Tyler Shainline's artwork is both rough and polished. It's an interesting amalgam.  

Cool cover by Shaky Kane.

Can't wait for issue #3.

The Beef #2 debuted in print and digital mediums on March 28, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Goosebumps: Download and Die! #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Today's Family Comics Friday selection promises to give you goosebumps. That's because today I am reviewing the newest Goosebumps comic book from IDW Publishing- Goosebumps: Download and Die! #1.

Goosebumps: Download and Die! #1
Written by Jen Vaughn
Art by Michelle Wong
Published by IDW Publishing

I remember the Goosebumps series of books when they first hit store shelves. I was in high school at the time, so I considered myself too old for it. But my little sister loved the books and owned several of which I would read to her at bedtime. 

Those young adult chapter books were a perfect balance of terrifying and hilarious. Most of the kids that enjoyed them were way too young to be reading them. But that's part of growing up- getting the pants scared off you.

Goosebumps were the brainchild of prolific writer R.L. Stine. From living dummies to werewolves, creepy neighbors and everything in between, it seemed like a new scare was emitting from Stine's typewriter every month. He was a kid's Stephen King. So imagine my disappointment to learn that this book was not written by Stine. 

Download and Die! is written by comic writer, illustrator and narrative game designer Jen Vaughn (Plants Vs. Zombies.) Being so closely tied to the video game industry, you would think that Vaughn would be perfect to craft this online gaming take on the Goosebumps franchise. Sadly, Jen Vaughn is no R.L. Stine. It's not even close.

The story revolves a young girl named Mitra. He brother is her school's hall monitor. Her favorite class- the computer lab- is occupied by bullies. And her friendship with her best bud is complicated with the arrival of new girl and celeb online gamer Flip.

When the bullies break her phone, it looks like Mitra is going to have to walk a bunch of dogs to pay for a replacement. But the next day a mysterious admirer sends her an all new phone complete with apps that are aren't supposed to drop until months later. Mitra takes her frustrations out on the people who upset her by making memes filled with a slew of characters from old Goosebumps stories. Only her digital wishes are coming true and now someone is out to play a deadly game in order to get her new phone!

Writing this plot synopsis out makes the story a little more understandable and enjoyable. But that first read through was very rough. Scenes keep cutting away just a minute or two too soon. Thus instead of building suspense, everything feels a little disjointed. 

Another issue is the amount of characters in this story. There is a bunch and they aren't very well introduced to the reader. There's a character that seems like a throw away background player that might actually be Mitra's love interest. But the revelation of it comes out of nowhere and it's mentioned by one of the online Goosebumps monsters during a nightmare sequence. So, maybe that character isn't the object of the protagonist's affection. Again, it's not all that clear.

The only thing that is making this story Goosebumps is the inclusion of some characters from old Stine written adventures. I recognize all of them but other than the Living Dummy, I can't recall the stories that the other villains originally appeared in. Regardless, if it wasn't for artist Michelle Wong, I wouldn't be able to pick them up out of a line-up. Unfortunately, that's not the case with Mitra and her friends. None of them have very recognizable faces and I was getting characters very confused. If ever a Goosebumps story needed a Who's Who section at story's end, this would be the one.

Also, Goosebumps stories are supposed to be as funny as they are frightening. There's nobody laughing here. And when it comes to being scared, the amount of heart-pounding terror was so minimum, I could hear crickets chirping outside.

In the end, Download and Die! has got more cons to it than pros. The characters are not very dynamic nor individually all that recognizable. The plot pacing is fracture beyond repair. And above all, it's a Goosebumps story without the man who made it Goosebumps. Honestly, if it doesn't have R. L. Stine involved, it shouldn't be considered part of the franchise. 

I haven't done this in a while with my Family Comic Friday reviews but I am going to have to say that Goosebumps: Download and Die! is Not Worth Consuming! Because when I said this book promised to give the reader goosebumps, well sorry, but they lied!

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Goosebumps: Download and Die! #1 debuted in stores on Wednesday March 28, 2018.

Recommended ages for this book are for readers 7-10 years of age. However, 7 might be a little too young and readers 11-13 might enjoy this!

Super Human Resources Season 1

There's a new trend in book-selling that I am completely on board with. It's the dollar used book store. All items, including games, DVDs, CDs, and even comic books are a dollar or less. With these type of stores, you can fill grocery bags with kids and young adult books for around $10. Every time I visit one of these places I find some great stuff and the book I am reviewing today just happens to be one of those gems!

Super Human Resources is a 4-issue series about office temp Tim. Tim has accepted a job in the HR department at Super Crises International. It's the corporate headquarters for the world's greatest superhero team, the Mighty Super Crises Squad! Only problem is, these heroes are a bunch of idiots! Tim learns that with great power comes a whole bunch of stupidity and that means liability.

Whenever a battle between good and evil occurs, property is damage occurs. That means that SCI is fiscally responsible for the mess the Squad makes. This team makes a ton of damage and that means it's going through a ton of cash to repaid for their faults. As a result, SCI and the Mighty Super Crises Squad is forced to shut down. Could Tim be the superhero's superhero and save the day with his amazing office skills?

This indie comic was extremely funny. In some ways this book succeeds in where the TV show Powerless failed. It had memorable characters. It was a clear satire of office life and a parody of the superhero genre. Plus most importantly, this book had superheroes! 

All the time, comic books put in characters into different titles that come out the same month in stories that do not really interlink. So, why would it have been a problem if Grant Gustin's Flash made a stop or two at Wayne Technologies on Powerless?! Yes- the superheroes in the comic are all-new to this series. But while HR's Tim was the star of the show, it was those with powers who made this plot line more relatable and relevant.

Ken Marcus and Justin Bleep do a really awesome job on this book. There's a Season Two and I really want to get my hands on it. Another cool thing is that one of the chapters is a holiday issue in which SCI has a hilarious office party that ends in complete disaster! 

If you are looking for a comic that combines the Avengers, The Tick and The Office, try Super Human Resources. I highly recommend this book because it's completely unexpected and thoroughly entertaining.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Individual issues and the collected first season can be found at Comixology.com.

Quantum and Woody Deluxe Edition Volume 1

I first become aware of Quantum and Woody last year. It was from looking at an ad in the back of some other Valiant trade. I'm glad that I did because those two are hilarious.

The world's worst superhero duo are completely insane but unlike other personal favorites Deadpool and Harley Quinn, mental illness isn't at the heart of the craziness. Instead both Quantum and Woody are flawed characters and pretty darn damaged. They're the buddy cop equivalent of superheroes and neither are all that good at it.

Another thing I love about this series is that it's not PC. Really, nothing is sacred in the book at all. Woody has zero couth and poor Quantum who wants to be a super hero but just can't get ahead in the game. Race, religion, sex, and politics are examined in this book but it's not over-the-top preachy like some of Marvel's new and most annoying titles. It's refreshing to read a book that covers series issues but doesn't make me feel like I've been talked down to either.

Along with covering the entire 12 issue run of the 2013 series, this book contains Goat #0 in which the secret origin of everybody's favorite Quantum and Woody character, Vincent Van Goat is finally revealed. And man was that a twist I never saw coming!

Featuring the talents of James Asmus, Ming Doyle, Tomy Fowler, Kano and more, this was a fun read. And no- it doesn't end here. There's another Deluxe Edition out there and Q&W have a new series that just started earlier this year. So there's much more to look forward too!

Keep it up Valiant! You're doing a fantastic job!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Hammy and Gerbee: Mummies at the Museum (Family Comic Friday)

It's time for another edition of Family Comic Friday! Today we'll be taking a field trip to the science museum. It's all part of the fun in Hammy and Gerbee: Mummies at the Museum.

This graphic novel/chapter book hybrid was created by Wong Herbert Yee. Noted for his Geisel Award winning Mouse and Mole series, Yee is both the writer and illustrator of what is promised to be a new series based on the best friends duo of Hammy and Gerbee.

Hammy is a hamster while his best bud Gerbee is a gerbil. The pair are known for getting into mischief. Their rivals at school, the mice twins Anna and Hanna, always seem to get the better of the boys. This often results in the boys getting into more trouble.

But how much mayhem can Hammy and Gerbee get into at the science center? Thanks to an exhibit on mummies and a whole lot of toilet paper in the little boys room, the answer is A LOT!

The characters of Hammy and Gerbee were rather funny and I really liked the ending. But this is a series that won't exactly appeal to the entire family.

The target audience of readers 6-9 years of age are going to love this book. But once you get to ages 10 or 11 and up, this book will be way too young for those readers.

This book also lacks a universal appeal that helps rope in the adults who might read this with their kids (or younger siblings, cousins, etc…) This book is missing a hook like those that have reeled in generations of Dr. Seuss readers and made lifelong fans. Hammy and Gerbee are memorable but they need a little more work, especially in their illustrated depictions, to make them unforgettable.

One thing parents will like is the educational aspect of this book. There’s a couple of informative segments such as a spelling bee as well as a terms to know section in the back. I am all for books that inform as well as entertain and Hammy and Gerbee do both! One thing to keep in mind is that since this was a book about mummies, the terms in the back are all Egyptian words. Some of which might be too advances for readers under the age of 6. So a grown up might be needed to help translate.

Mummies at the Museum a fun read. The target audience will love it. The first of a new series of books, it’s got great potential but still has some kinks in the formula to work out. With a noted children’s author like Wong Herbert Yee at the helm, I have no doubt that book 2 will be much more polished.

Hammy and Gerbee: Mummies at the Museum was published on January 16, 2018. It’s available on Amazon and booksellers everywhere.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Prisoner: Shattered Visage, Book D

Dean Motter and Mark Askwith's amazing miniseries based on the pop culture hit, The Prisoner comes to an exciting and explosive end. 

This was the finale to the series I wanted. I felt like this gives the ending that was sorely missed from the 1968 BBC series. That final was so open ended, which was fine. Had The Prisoner ended more finitely, it might not have been such a classic.

Now it's 2018 and the 50th anniversary of The Prisoner is upon us. A new series is coming to press later this spring. I can't wait for it. I think it's going to be epic.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Prisoner: Shattered Visage, Book C

This issue seems rather unnecessary. Not really revealing anything nor doing anything of significance, Book C mostly just moves the players into the right places for the climatic final issue (which is next.)

Okay, I will admit, that ending was important to the overall story. But that was it. 

Thankfully, this is a beautifully written and illustrated issue. Another triumph in that regard by Dean Motter with Mark Askwith. But really, in retrospect, this series could have done with just 3 issues instead of 4.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Deadpool: World's Greatest Volume 8: Til Death Do Us

Shiklah, Queen of the Monster Underworld has had enough. After the death of an ancient monster, Shiklah declares war on the race of man! Obviously, this sort of thing will put a brutal strain on a marriage and things really haven't been all that great between Deadpool and his demon bride lately.

A superior chapter in Gerry Duggan era of the Merc with a Mouth. With issues of a couple of other series tying in the action, this volume is full of great cameos as well as team-ups with the Amazing Spider-Man, the Mercs For Money led by Domino, and a mystery player that if revealed might just spoil the whole thing.

Great artwork by a team led by Silva Espin and Joshua Corin. Really playful and full of action. I’d really like to see where a lot of the bit players in this chapter go next.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Super-Stars Giant (Presents... Strange Sports) #10

As a kid, a favorite of mine was this DC Blue Ribbon Digest filled with strange stories set in the world of sports. I've forgotten the number of but the contents have never left me. In it, a boxer was forced to spar with cement gloves, a hockey match set by a waterfall became a death match, and a basketball team faced off against a group of athletes without faces.

But the story that interested me the most in that book was the cover story of this very issue. A baseball game between heroes and villains! Batman, Joker, Lex Luthor, Green Arrow, Amazo- all of your favorite heroes were there.

The game started as the result of a domestic dispute between Sportsmaster and his wife Huntress (not the superhero who later becomes a Bird of Prey, but the leopard-print wearing villainess.) Anyways, Huntress wants to go straight but her hubby won't have it. So the pair recruit teams of heroes and baddies to play a round of baseball to decide her fate.

This was a very odd story. There's been tales of good guys and their arch- enemies using athletics to decide the outcome of some skirmish, such as the Green Lantern reprint in the back of this issue. But usually one side or the other is reluctant to play or they cheat like crazy.

Here everybody is willing to participate in America's past time and the baddies seem to really be enjoying themselves. It's rather odd that nobody, even the Man of Steel, uses their powers or bag of tricks until  the last inning. In the ninth, it's no holds barred! What's even odder is in the last inning, it's the heroes who win by cheating- not the bad guys!

This story is a classic example of the sort of stories editor Julius Schwartz was noted for. Unusual, off-the-wall but thrilling and fun as well as original! Above all, the story had to be original with Julie! I love it.

There's also a story that I've read somewhere before but have forgotten when and where I've done so. It's a Gil Kane story in which a human track and field coach meets a bunch of alien athletes. Unfamiliar with the gravity on earth, the aliens need the coach's help if they are to win their upcoming track meet. Another odd story but quite enjoyable and ORIGINAL!

That must mean it's another Schwartz helmed masterpiece.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Encounter #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Welcome to another edition of Family Comic Friday. Today we explore the first issue of a new series by the all-ages creative team of Art Baltazar and Franco. It's a new series I've been looking forward to for quite some time and it was my pick of the week this week over at outrightgeekery.com. The series is called Encounter.

Encounter #1 is about an alien superhero who patrols the earth named Encounter. This superhero is on hot pursuit of the villain Gadget Man who has stolen some mysterious polka dotted pods. This pods are yellow and green, just like Encounter is. Just what is the connection between these stolen objects and our new hero? All of your questions will be answered. But first, Encounter must defeat a new menace created by the Gadget Man- a giant robot made up of construction vehicles!

I am a huge fan of Art Baltazar and Franco! Sure they craft kids books but they're my guilty pleasure comics! Every book of Balthazar and Franco that I have ever read from Grimmiss Island to Tiny Titans to Action Cat and Adventure Bug in the Pages of Aw! Yeah Comics has been tons of fun! 

The duo love comic books and it shows all of their titles. Each one is filled with comic history Easter Eggs that older readers (I.E. mom and dad) can enjoy. Like those naughty jokes thrown into Disney movies only more high brow and less explicit. For example, in one issue of Tiny Titans, one of the characters has a Rorschach watch which is hysterical because Rorschach was a character in the Watchmen. 

Normally Art Baltazar and Franco are in charge of the art in many of their kids comics. But for Encounter, they've recruited another personal favorite of mine, G-Man's Chris Giarrusso. Most of you are probably familiar with his work on Mini Marvels. His artwork is extremely clean and very fluid. I can also say having meet him a time or two at some cons, he's one heck of a nice guy. He does not disappoint in the least on Encounter.

This new series by up-and-coming indy publisher Lion Forge Comics is great fun. It's recommended for ages 9 and up. But I think you could have readers aged 7 and 8 enjoy this book without a problem. There are some fairly big words that might be a little tougher for readers under the age of 7. But the violence level is pretty tame.

Encounter #1 was slated to debut in stores on March 14th. However, due to weather, some comic book stores (such as the two I went to) said that their shipments were temporarily delayed. Thankfully, you can find this book on digital platforms such as Comixology like I did. But if you want to wait for it to arrive in shops next week, I wouldn't fault you at all. Paper forever! Hopefully we'll be able to say the same about Encounter despite the publishing delays.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Review published concurrently at outrightgeekery.com.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, 2018!

The Flintstones, Volume 2: Bedrock Bedlam

The rebooted adventures of everyone's favorite stone family concludes in this volume. Mark Russell's (PREZ) take continues to be both edgy and classic at the same time. I actually hated to see this series go. It was refreshing to have a socially conscious comic book to read without every punchline ending with the words 'Donald Trump.' This series actually proves that in the modern world you can skewer all sides of the same coin without getting old and predictable.

I didn't have a perfect experience with this book. Sadly, one of my favorite characters got killed off and it actually left me a little heartbroken. Thankfully, there's a happy ending of sorts to that tragedy. But GEEZ- what did XXXXXXXXX have to die?

An enjoyable read with art by Scott Hanna, Rick Leonardi and Steve Pugh. Plus, don't skip over the gallery section as there's a slew of really great variant covers and sketch pages.

I can't believe I am gonna say this but hopefully, this isn't the end of the new Flintstones!

I want a return trip to Bedrock!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars!

Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Way back in the 1970s, the detectives of Mystery Inc. teamed up with Batman and Robin: The Boy Wonder. Not once but twice, the combined teams would defeat Batman's most fiercest foes The Joker and The Penguin. 

Those team-ups became the thing of legend. It was such an important moment in my life that I paid ridiculous amounts of money for those episodes on VHS. It also influenced my purchasing of comic books as team-ups and crossovers are one of my favorite genres of comics to buy.

Unfortunately, except for a very brief cameo in the final episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Scooby and the gang would not re-team with the Dark Knight until now!!!

Before I go into the review of this made-for-DVD movie, let's back up a second. I mentioned Batman: The Brave and the Bold a second ago. For those of you not familiar, this animated series ran on cartoon network from 2008-2011. It was based on the 70s comic book of the same name in which the Caped Crusader would team with some of the more popular as well as extremely obscure residents of the DC Universe. The show was a massive hit but it was cancelled because DC wanted to do a Batman cartoon that was more serious in tone. 

Needless to say, that experiment- Beware The Batman was a massive flop. 

Scooby-Coo & Batman: The Brave and the Bold brings back Diedrich Bader as the voice of Batman, along with most of the original voice talents from the late 2000s series. Voice-over legend Frank Welker once again provides the voices of Fred and Scooby; whereas live-action version of Shaggy, Matthew Lillard takes over the role made famous by Casey Kasem. 

The film involves Batman inducting the Mystery Inc. gang into the Gotham Society of Detectives. When Batman's lone unsolved case comes back to haunt him in the form of a ghost called The Crimson Cloak, Scooby and friends agree to help the superhero close the book on the mystery. However, it also results in the detectives getting framed for the theft of a rare isotope.

This movie was pretty funny. It was great to see Batman done as a Scooby cartoon (again!) and the Mystery Inc. crew playing superhero as in the Brave and the Bold episodes. There's tons of cameos from some of the best characters of the defunct Batman series as well appearances from just about every Batman villain ever created.

The Scooby-Doo franchise isn't in danger of evaporating if this crossover film is a bomb. But in terms of getting more Batman: The Brave and the Bold adventures, this movie is going to need all of it's fans to check this film out. I for one was thrilled when this movie was announced and I hope to see more B&B soon! Reboot! Reboot!

A thrilling mystery with a lot of twists, turns and laughs, Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave and the Bold is available on DVD and digitally now!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Prisoner: Shattered Visage, Book B

Former secret agent Alice Drake has just spent her first night in the abandoned Village. Only for an abandoned village, there seems to be quite a few occupants here. 

I think it's extremely fitting that they writers named this new character Alice for she's a lot like another girl named Alice who went to Wonderland and peered through the looking glass. 

Our Alice is confronted by two very strange characters. The portly and grotesque Number 2 who is a lot like the Red Queen wanting to kill his old adversary Number 6. Speaking of which, Number 6 is a lot like the Mad Hatter now. Years of torture, abuse and loneliness have twisted Number 6's mind to be just like the tea party host. There's little bits of genius still floating around in that old noggin of his. You just have to weed through the insanity to find it.

Dean Motter's artwork hasn't ceased to amaze me. It's a visually stunning masterpiece that I think is quite under-appreciated. 

In terms of the much maligned story- it's not bothered me either. Though, I must sheepishly admit, I had to take a little refresher course on remembering just who this version of Number 2 was. 

Don't bash me. If anything, this lapse in memory just calls for me to re-watch the entire series again. Is that so bad?

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars. 

Hungry Ghosts #2

The Edo parlour game of 100 Candles continues in the second issue of Anthony Bourdain's Hungry Ghosts.  Two more helpings of frightful tales told by a group of chefs and their patrons are once again all about food.

In Salty Horse, a rich connoisseur of horse flesh just can't enough  of the equine delight.

Then in The Heads, an apprentice chef seeks a new master to teach him the culinary trade. But what he winds up with with make him a pariah for the rest of his days unless he can think fast.

Boudain, along with co-writer Joel Rose keeps upping the ante with these spooky tales guaranteed to disrupt the palate of the least pickiest of foodies. But it was the art in this issue that truly scared the chef pants off of me. 

Hellblazer's Leonardo Manco's work on Salty Horse was in a word: killer. I think we've found the heir apparent to the horror comics throne that Bernie Wrightson occupied before his passing in 2017. Manco's work reminded me so much of the ghastly pencils of Wrightson's work on the House of Mystery and House of Secrets back in the 1970s. I actually did a double-take to the credits page as I thought maybe I had stumbled upon a lost Wrightson work. The art of Salty Horse is just that good!

I also enjoyed the work Mateus Santolouco (Dial H) did on The Heads. His pencils were scary and a little whimsical as that yarn was told with tongue firmly in cheek both literally and figuratively. If you are a fan of Frank Ghastly's work on the classic EC Comics titles, did you will appreciate Santolouco's work on the second ghost story.

There was one thing about this comic book that confounded me and it involves the stories themselves. Early PR on Hungry Ghosts reported that all of Bourdain's stories were to be set in Japan. Salty Horse takes place in Spain while The Heads is set in Lombardy. I know I wasn't that great in geography. But I am pretty sure that neither Spain or Lombardy are in Japan. 

I don't mind that these tales weren't set in the Land of the Rising Sun. It's just when you sell me on a comic based on Japanese ghost stories, I expect all of the ghost stories to be set in Japan. 

There's only 2 issues left in this miniseries and I can't wait for them. As a professional chef, I love seeing that food and culinary is getting highlighted in geek culture. Anthony Bourdain is the right person to led the transition, as he's the Lou Reed and Joey Ramone of food. He's edgy, nostalgic and a lot more entertaining the more I learn about him.

Hungry Ghosts #2 debuted in stories and digital mediums on March 7, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating; 9 out of 10 stars.

Vampironica #1

Vampironica #1

Written by Greg and Meg Smallwood
Art by Greg Smallwood
Lettering by Jock Morelli
Published by Archie Comics under the Archie Horror Imprint

This Party Sucks

Cheryl Blossom’s parties are so lively. Thus, it is the perfect place for a vampire attack! Just when it looks like the fiends will suck the life out of this bash, enter Veronica Lodge to the rescue!

Archie Comics has been on fire in the past couple of years. They take an outdated character in the eternal teenager Archie. Then they totally reboot him without loosing his core essence of hopeless boy in love with two girls. And then Archie Comics adds monsters, zombies, and horror to the mix!

In the vein of Afterlife with Archie and Jughead: The Hunger, Vampironica introduces vampires to the people of Riverdale. Image if Ronnie was Buffy the Vampire Slayer! There’s definitely an added element of Marvel’s Blade mixed in as only instead of being a normal human cheerleader,Veronica is a vampire. And she kills other vampires!

Keep It Quick

Vampironica #1 was an extremely quick but chilling read. Greg and Meg Smallwood kept me on the edge of my seat with this chiller. I hate that I read my advance copy so fast because it’s going to be a couple of months before I get to know what happens in issue #2.

Greg Smallwood’s art was really phenomenal. It had a lot of elements from Fiona Staple’s work in the Archie reboot written by Mark Waid.

Francesco Francavilla has been doing the art for the other Archie Horror books and I really enjoy it. But I am glad that Archie Comics decided to go with Smallwood here. You don’t want to over do it with Francavilla. By having a different artist in Greg Smallwood, it definitely helps to keep the Archie Horror franchise one of the freshest comic universes on the current market.

This first issue was a mach-1 thrill ride with twists, turns, and lots of blood and gore. Tasteful blood and gore. I loved it! And I think you will to when you get a chance to sink your teeth in it this March!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Vampironica goes on sale March 14th, 2018.

Justice League Unlimited #12

The Flash answers a JLA distress signal only to find that his fellow teammates have been trapped by the Mirror Master! Now a prisoner himself, the only person that can save The Flash is... The Flash?!

It's Jay Garrick to the rescue as the JSA-er makes a special appearance in this issue of Justice League Unlimited.

I loved the issue. A good story starring the Speedsters. Knowing that The Flash in the JLA is Wally West, I understand that they couldn't have a Kid Flash in this story. But that's all that's really missing from this adventure was a Kid Flash. No, you couldn't have Impulse, he would have been too all over the place. Thus his presence would have ruined the pace of the story. But a Kid Flash was missing from this issue.

I enjoyed the interior artwork by Carlo Barberi. It was very similar to that of the Cartoon Network series of which this comic is based. But what is up with the front cover? 

Jay Garrick looks awful. I mean it looks about as bad as I draw. Garrick appears like somebody accidentally drew Powdered Toast Man (from Ren & Stimpy) as the Golden Age Flash. 

Yikers!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Fighting American: The Ties That Bind #1

Imagine if Captain America and Speedy were in reality Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson from Batman '66. Instead of operating in their time period of the nifty 1950s, the duo are transported to the present day. Here in the present, they find that the inventions of their most insane foe has fallen into the hands of sophisticated modern day criminals. 

That's the new take on the Fighting American and his youthful sidekick Speedboy by Titan Comics in a very large nutshell. 

The Fighting American was the creation of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. It was created as a follow-up to Captain America after their tenure at Timely, then Atlas Comics, came to a terse end. The publisher had decided to bring back Captain America in the 1950s against the wishes of Kirby and Simon. In response a Fighting American was born.

By the second issue, Fighting American had become a satire of patriotic comics. That tongue-in-cheek approach is kicked into high gear in this latest series from Gordon Rennie (Dredd Vs Death.) 

I highly enjoyed the first half of this book. Fighting American and Speedboy are aided through a zombie attack by their FBI liaison Agent Rutherford. Fighting American is so firmly rooted in his time period of 1954 and is very troubled by the bad influence today's TV is having on his sidekick.

The art by Andie Tong was really cool. It had a Mike and Laura Allred quality to it. The amazing inks and colors (by Tracy Bailey) are definitely inspired by the House of Allred.

But around the halfway point this story goes from fun parody of old school crime fighters to full scale assault on Trump supporters, Republicans and Southerners. And does every comic book published in 2018 have to assume anyone from the South is an inbred idiot? Not everyone of us residents of the South owns a hat with the letters MAGA on it or pronounces education as 'ed-u-mah-cation.'

I was born and raised in the South and I have two degrees and zero guns. My walls are not wall papered with stained American flags. My home doesn't have more wheels than the cars parked in my driveway. Yet this is what writer Gordon Rennie will have you believe is typical of us Southern yokels.

Gordon Rennie is Scottish. Writers are supposed to research their material. Based on the second half of this issue, I think all Gordon Rennie did was study reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard and Hee-Haw. 

Regardless, this brand of stereotyping (and ignorance) really ticks me off! I see this cliche way too often in comics and graphic novels- especially British publications. Coincidently, Titan is based in the UK, thus tihs Fighting American series is British. It also makes me not want to pursue the adventures of the Fighting American further, no matter how much I enjoyed the first half.

Titan Comics- you had such promise with this title. But you threw it right in the toilet when you decided to allow the creative team behind this to assume anyone born in the American South is as ignorant as the characters you bias in this first issue. I challenge your writing team to visit me in Durham, NC and I will show you have wrong you are. Yes, some of us 'hillbillies' are as prejudice as can be. But I can show you how wrong your first assumptions are and that the South is way more progressive than you think!

There is satire and then there is stereotype. Sadly Titan, your new title gets the two confused at the risk of alienating readers such as me.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Fighting American: The Ties That Bind #1 debuted in stores on March 7, 2018.

The Prisoner: Shattered Visage, Book A

2018 is the 50 year anniversary of the British cult classic, The Prisoner. Titan Comics is issuing a new miniseries in honor of the anniversary and I have already reserved my copies at my local comic book shop!

But before I get the first issue, I wanted to read this miniseries from 1988. Published by DC Comics, this miniseries was released as part of the show's 30th anniversary.

It follows a retired secret agent named Alice Drake who has decided to become an adventurer sailing the world. Her estranged husband is also an operative and wants her to come back into the fold.

Meanwhile, one of the former residents of the Village has just released a tell-all book about the Village. Yes, it's been heavily redacted and the Village project has been long retired  but the author is no other than Number 2. The same that went head-to-head with our hero Number 6 meet with disastrous consequences. But with Number 6 never being accounted for during the evacuation of the Village, Number 2 has become a loose cannon that could bring the entire spy community down to it's very knees!

It's all leading up to a collision course between Alice and the legend of the Village…

Book A was a good opening chapter. I have heard that when this miniseries was published, fans felt that this story revised most of the final episode of the series. But I'm okay with this as that final episode was also left up to the interpretation of the viewer.

The writing team of Dean Motter and Mark Askwith have in my opinion done a good job on the story thus far. But I am really in love with the artwork by Motter. From the first page, I was visually stunned! It's beautiful! And it bears that funky psychedelic style of the TV show. I can't wait for Book B!

Book B! I love it! There's no numbering in this series! It's just like Number 6! ‘I am not a number!’

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.