Starburns Presents (Free Comic Book Day 2018)

If you were a fan of the NBC comedy Community, then you are familiar with the character of Star-burns. For those of you who have absolutely zero idea what I am talking about, Star-burns was a burnt-out stoner with sideburns shaved into the shape of stars. He wasn't very smart and often ran slightly illegal hustles on campus.

The character was played by Dino Stamatopoulos, who was also a producer and writer on the show. A good buddy of Community creator Dan Harmon, Stamatopoulos along with Patton Oswalt and Harmon sought to create a Kickstarter funded comic book publishing company called Starburns Industries. Well, I don't think things got off to such a great start as I cannot find anything in print by SBI other than this 2018 Free Comic Book Day release. 

Starburns Presents is an anthology made up of 5 different stories. Patton Oswalt pens a true life tale about his first encounter with the costumed performers on the streets of Hollywood. Penciled by Troy Nixey (Vinegar Teeth), it's the best story of the bunch. 

The David Clarke (Heroes R Us) story of Oddwell is supposed to be about a frog hero in a mythical land. But the story has zero frogs and dozens of houseflies.

Hellicious by Welcome to Paradise's Alan C. Medina is about a little blonde haired moppet who might be the devil incarnate- or maybe one of his kids. 

Dan Harmon's Gregory Graves was my least favorite entry. It did have a good cliffhanger ending. But for the most part, this story was very confusing. Plus, I don't think we'll ever get a conclusion to this adventure since it looks like SBI is defunct.

The last couple of pages are from Stamatopoulos himself. It's a blend of weird infomercials and parody ads like you would see in a comic book. It's got a funny charm. But there are a lot of inside jokes that if you aren't really hip on the Dan Harmon conglomerate, you will more than likely miss out on the punchline. 

If you do a search for SBI, you find a website that specializes in online animated shorts and humorous cassette tapes. (Who still listens to cassette tapes?!) But there's nothing to be found in the comic book or graphic novel department. Chalk this book up to one of the many big ideas that never was fully explored in comics... But from the reading of most of these stories, I can understand why!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Batman Vs. Two-Face

This direct-to-DVD movie from 2017 is in essence an extended episode of the 1966 Batman series. The villain Two-Face was originally supposed to be featured in the fourth season of the show. But the program had run it's course and was cancelled after 3 years on TV. 

Rumor had it that Clint Eastwood was to have played Two-Face and Harvey Dent had that fourth season been green lit. However, after seeing this, I really think William Shatner would have been the right way to go!

The movie starts with Batman, Robin and Harvey Dent witnessing Dr. Hugo Strange perform an experiment to extract evil from the like of The Joker, Penguin and Riddler. The device overloads and as a result, half of Dent's body is horribly burned by the technology.

Over the course of the opening credits, we see Two-Face's reign of terror on Gotham. Right before the music ends, Batman and Robin catch the fiend. Gee- quick movie, right? 

The meat of the movie has Harvey Dent undergoing surgery to restore his body. But what about his psyche? Demoted to assistant of the assistant District attorney, Dent's ego is clearly bruised. But he seems to be doing beautifully, bringing some of Gotham's worst to justice. However, there's something strange about the crimes being committed. They all seem to have a dual purpose to them. Is Harvey Dent still secretly the villain Two-Face? Or is the straight man being framed?

Even though Harvey Dent's origin wasn't exactly like it was from the comic books, I was pleased with this animated extension on the TV classic. It was seamlessly fun with voices by some of the remaining actors and actresses of the show. Plus, there's quite a few modern additions that while they weren't a part of the 1960s show, DC had added them in the recent run of Batman '66 comics. I've enjoyed those additions and the fun doesn't stop here!

One of my favorite parts of this movie involves Catwoman. The Batman '66 comic book by Jeff Parker established how there was both the Julie Newmar and the Eartha Kitt Catwoman. But what about Lee Meriwether's turn in the Batman live action movie? Well, question no more as that's finally explained in satisfying detail here!

Batman Vs. Two-Face was quite campy, like it was back in the 1960s. But this being rated PG, it was a little on the bawdy side. Though it wasn't too much that the whole family still couldn't enjoy this. 

The artwork was amazing. Great renderings of all the stars back in their heyday, especially William Shatner! 

Sadly, this would be Adam West's last time as the Caped Crusader, succumbing to leukemia sometime last year. That also probably means the end of the Batman '66 franchise. Though I would love a third and final one in which Dick Grayson becomes Nightwing. But who could replace Adam West? 

The answer is nobody and this animated adventure is proof of that!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #26

I'm way behind on single issue reviews. This Scooby-Doo Team-Up is from 2017. I read it the day or so after it dropped in stores. I just didn't get to it for one reason or another until now...

The Mystery Inc. gang team-up with kung-fu expert Hong Kong Phooey to investigate a plague of dragons terrorizing Chinatown.

This issue almost made me give up on SDTU. It wasn't because of the story. Sholly Fisch continued to amaze with his story. Fisch had gotten into a small rut around issues 3-10, using the same jokes over and over and over. But, he fixed that pretty quick after myself and other reviewers started to complain. Fisch also switched things up with having the villains not always be a ghost and sometimes not a guy in a mask either. So in terms of the storyline, things were fresh and fun.

What disappointed me was the artwork. In a lot of panels- and I mean A LOT!- the dragons are all cut and paste copies of one another. There's no originally. It's all Photoshop of the same image. And no, switching it to where some baddies face left and some fact right doesn't cover up the lazy artwork.

But what kept me from leaving this title was the fact that the artwork was by a guest artist. Scott Jeralds is the artist for this issue. The Muppet Babies and Krypto The Superdog cartoonist obviously utilized the animators trick of using the same image over and over to bypass artwork delays. But with the speed of a moving image, such a shortcut is able to fool the eye of the viewer. You can't pass off 7 dragon clones in a static comic book. Maybe in one or two panels. But it will get caught eventually!

I'm so glad I decided not to give up on this series. The last dozen or so issues have been awesome. Tomorrow, a new issue debuts with Scooby team-up with Black Lightning! I can't wait for it. One good thing about it is that regular artist Dario Brizuela is doing the art! The guy's vision of the DC/Hanna-Barbera universe is awesome!

A funny issue of which I hope to see Hong Kong Phooey making a return visit. Just maybe with a different artist.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #37

The Detectives of Mystery Inc. are summoned to National City. It appears that Supergirl has been troubled by a pair of ghosts. Scooby and the gang are used to this sort of thing. Only these ghosts are of Zor-El and Alura- Supergirl's parents!

Could they have survived the destruction of Argo City by seeking refuge in the Phantom Zone? Will Scooby-Doo and Streaky the Super-Cat get along? And what about the cousin of Lex Luthor's who has been sneaking around in the background? Is she behind these ghostly apparitions? 

Next to cousin Kal-El, Kara Zor-El is my favorite superhero of them all! I loved this issue. It's classic DC Comics, all thanks to writer Sholly Fisch. Lots of great twists and turns and shocking surprises. Plus we've got the marvelous artwork of Dario Brizuela here. 

I read this book the day that it debuted in stores back in June of 2018. But I got behind on my reviews. There was no love lost or lack of interest in this issue or series. I just got overwhelmed. At least now I'm finally catching up!

A must for fans of the Maid of Might or Streaky!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Yets! #3

With the completion of the book, my enjoyment of Mike Bocianowski's Yets! unfortunately comes to an end. This 2004 book from Airwave Comics appears to be the last work of the Yets and their animal friends Sir Perry, the Guinea Pig and Spec the puppy!

In this issue, Sir Perry is about to take his new flyer out on an expedition to help the Yets find more of their kind. But first, the crew must venture down to the realm of men for an urgent mission!

I really love this series. I'm quite disappointed that I can't find any further adventures with the Yets! It's such a beautifully written and illustrated series with heart and humor. 

I don't really do this, but I think I am going to see if I can find Mr. Bocianowski online and ask him if there are further comics or even a graphic novel that I just can't locate anywhere- even on Amazon!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: The Key Collection, Volume 1

Collecting the first eight issues of the equally much loved and much maligned Star Trek series from Gold Key. The publisher first debuted the sci-fi series in early 1967. All artists and writers had to go on was a series bible written by Gene Roddenberry and photos taken from the filming of the pilot episodes 'The Cage' and 'Where No Man Has Gone Before.' So there were quite a few errors in these early issues, such as:

• Mr. Spock uses contractions and has emotions. 
• Nobody except for Spock wears blue or red smocks! It's all greenish gold.
• Mr. Scott is thin and blond. He looks more like Jose Tyler, the navigator on 'The Cage', then he does actor James Doohan.
• and my favorite- the transporter room is a combination between the room from 'The Cage' and is encapsulated within a transparent chamber.

Despite the mistakes, the Gold Key/ Whitman Variant Star Trek is still a thing of beauty. The artwork was so detailed and rich. The stories were complex. They might have been cookie-cutter plots with some off-the-wall dialogue; but the creativity and applications of physics and science was astounding. Considering how little the writers and artists such as Nevio Zuccara and Alberto Giolitti had to go on, it's amazing how close to the real thing Gold Key got to Roddenberry's vision of 'Wagon Train in space.'

There's now only 2 volumes in this reprint series from CheckerBPG to find. Unfortunately, the company never got to releasing books covering issues 41-61. But I'll find them all one way or another, warts and all.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Crypt of Shadows One-Shot (Marvel 80th Anniversary Special)

I've said it many a time on this blog; the 70s were my favorite time period for Marvel Comics. Around 1970, when the Comics Code adjusted to allow certain monsters back into comics, such as vampires and werewolves, Stan Lee jumped at the opportunity! One of the first Marvel Horror titles of the new era was Crypt of Shadows. This anthology series was mostly a book of reprints. But the covers were amazing and the stories themselves were fantastic!

In honor of Marvel's 80th anniversary, the House of Ideas is releasing a number of one-shot specials revitalizing some long-forgotten publications. I'll purchase a few of these new, right off the shelf. For the most part, when these books hit the bargain bin, I'll surely snag them up then. But with Crypt of Shadows being a favorite of mine, there was no way I was going to wait for a copy!

Jennifer Blood's Al Ewing pens the three stories that comprise this one-shot. Told in the Rashomon style with a twist, there's not much I want to reveal about this story as it would spoil the epic surprise ending. All I will say is that this book is about a man, with a terrifying fear of dogs, who sees a therapist for a radical new treatment. 

Now some of you might be thinking that for me to say that there's a shocking turn of events. But an anthology horror series wouldn't be an anthology horror series if each story didn't finish with some sort of bolt from the blue!

While I really enjoyed these stories, I had to re-read some sections. The book is great but it's also quite complex. That's not a bad thing either. However, I wish I could say the same about the artwork.

The variant covers by Kyle Hotz, Young Guns and John Tyler Christopher were all phenomenal. But the artwork by a trio of artists, including Garry Brown (Babyteeth) were of varying quality. I mention only Brown as his art was the best. It's not Kirby/Romita/Ditko quality but it's good. But it's all downhill from there. 

What's wrong with the overall art? Mostly, it's the level of detail. There isn't any. I'm used to artists who like to pepper panels with creative set pieces and minute details. But for some reason, Marvel's next generation of artists refuse to add anything to the background. I just refuse to believe that nobody in the Marvel Universe has some posters or photos of family and friends on their living room walls!

Marvel has decided to reflect on it's past during the whole of 2019. I think that's a great idea. It's been working for DC very well. This one-shot horror special was a beautifully gory return to Marvel's roots. The House of Ideas has a fantastic line-up of talented writers and storytellers. Now if only Marvel's bullpen could be staffed with amazing artists once more. 

Maybe that will be the focus of anniversary #81...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic 20/20 One-Shot (Family Comic Friday)

This week’s Family Comic Friday is for pegasisters and bronies of all ages. It’s IDW Publishing’s 20th anniversary. To celebrate, the company is releasing several one-shots that reflect the company's past, present and future. And up next of the rotation is My Little Pony!

Let me first say that I’m not the best person to ask about the My Little Pony franchise. I’m not 100% if the ponies from the future are how they are normally presented in the cartoons and comics or not. But I was interested in IDW’s idea to have future and past meet in this all-ages friendly comic. Thus, is why I choose to review it.

So, let’s take a trip to the land of Equestria as Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and the rest of your favorite ponies travel back in time! If I get something wrong in my plot synopsis, please forgive me and bear through it. Here it  goes…

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic 20/20 One-Shot
Written by Ted Anderson
Art by Toni Kuusisto
Colors by Heather Breckel
Published by IDW Publishing
Pages: 25 plus ads
Cover Price: $4.99

Rainbow Dash is about to perform her famous sonic rainbow maneuver for a crowd of dignitaries when she is struck by lightning! Don’t worry- she’s fine. But the incident causes Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie to be sent 20 years into the past!

Immediately, each adult pony meets their younger selves. In order to get back to the right time, all of the friends are going to have to find their missing ‘elements of harmony.’ But that’s going to be difficult as none of the fillies have met each other yet! How is this going to affect the timeline? Each pony and their younger selves are going to need an extra dose of magic to make things right again! Good thing friendship is magic!

Writer Ted Anderson played it smart by making this special a book that both new and old fans of My Little Pony can enjoy. But I think he could have gone a little further and added possibly a small tutorial or glossary of terms here. There are some elements that don’t make a lot of sense to a newcomer to the franchise such as myself.

For instance, a character in the story notices that the older version of herself has wings. It’s hinted that when the ponies get to a certain age and social status, they can get these new appendages. But it’s not really explained how. Yes- knowing too much about the timeline is used as an excuse to gloss over this. But I am still left wondering how a pony becomes a Pegasus!?

The one thing that Ted Anderson did not do very well is explain where this one-shot special falls in with the rest of the My Little Pony comics from IDW. These anniversary specials are supposed to go either 20 years into the future and 20 years into the past. For all I know, this comic did both. Does the book start 20 years ahead of when the regular series occurs and the characters go 40 years back in time? I would have appreciated a little more clarification on that.

Despite the unfamiliar territory, this special was an enjoyable book. Just because I didn’t understand everything that was going on that I do not notice that this is still a comic book of high quality. This book was made especially for the fans by attempting to bridge generations. With great art by Toni Kuuisisto and a wondrous pastel palette by Heather Breckel, this has the look and feel of My Little Pony.

I even appreciate that with a franchise like My Little Pony, the creators tried very hard to obey the rules of time travel. Not everyone can do going back and forth in time very well. Anderson and Kuusisto got it right to a point that even Doc Brown wouldn’t be able to find any flaws with the quantum mechanics of it all!

There’s absolutely nothing objectionable in this book. Fans of My Little Pony of any age or gender will enjoy this read. The concept of time travel might need some explaining to really young readers. But, then again, some kids have a better grasp on physics than adults do. One thing new readers of any age might need is a more experience fan of the ponies to explain the character dynamics and social constructs of Equestria a little better.

The My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic 20/20 One-Shot debuted in print and digital media on January 23rd, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

RASL- Book One: The Drift

A inter-dimensional art heist. A lizard-faced assassin. Sex. Lies. And Nikola Tesla!

RASL is a book that I've been aware of for a while. Let for some dumb reason, I just wasn't willing to pull the trigger for one reason or another. But then something just clicked and I couldn't overlook it any further.

Man, what a doof was I! The opening chapter to Jeff Smith's physic/crime caper was fantastic! The story was quite good. But it ended too soon! Good thing I was able to head to the library today and pick up the next two volumes. 

In terms of the artwork of RASL, it's typical Jeff Smith for me. I love the inking and how clean everything is. But for some reason, he just can't do some faces right. The reptilian baddie is creepy good. But our hero looks like a bobble-head! 

There was an old lady in Smith's most popular series, the all-ages friendly Bone. Rose Harvestar! RASL or Robert, depending on who is referring to him, looks like a male version of Rose Harvestar. When he first appears all beaten up and bloody; let me just say that it's not a pretty sight. 

An excellent opening salvo of a story. Great art overall with some really terrible faces. But I can overlook it because Jeff Smith has created a universe- no multiverse!- that I want to return to again and again!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Firsts: The 1970s, Volume 3

The 1970s was my favorite time period for Marvel. Stan and Jack had finalized the groundwork for the creation of the Marvel universe. Now, more diverse and unusual characters were coming on the scene. Plus, we started getting true horror titles and movie/TV tie-ins added to the mix. Toys and film icons like Rom and Godzilla became albeit temporary canon as they interacted with Power Man, Doctor Strange and others. 

If the 1970s were such a big deal to me- why did I start with volume 3? That's easy. This was a gift. Until just recently, I didn't really even conceive of this book's existence. Sure I have a couple of Marvel Firsts from other decades. But until I got this as a gift, I didn't really have a plan in my head to get these records of my favorite decade of Marvel- until now!

This volume explores a number of new characters, first issues and first appearances. Some are good. Some are quite bad. 

The good include the first issue of She-Hulk, written by Stan Lee, the first ever What If... story, Jack Kirby's Machine Man, and Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel. I loved getting to re-read the first issue of Devil Dinosaur and Skull the Slayer is something I want to collect as an entire set. I was also interested in Omega: The Unknown about a strange kid and the link he has with a futuristic warrior. And who knew that Nova was so good?

Though thankfully there's not a lot; there is some stinkers here. The joining of the Champions make me wish that they had stayed apart. Ulysses Bloodstone's first appearance should have been his last. (It might be the case, as the character is killed at the end of the story.) 

And then we've got this Moon Knight story from the pages of the Hulk magazine. I do not know why people like this character so much. This story was terrible. Maybe the first B&W appearance of Moon Knight isn't the best introduction. It sure didn't win me over. 

There's also a couple of mixed-bag adventures here. Black Goliath's first issue was pretty good. But having known how much of his story later plays out in the pages of Marvel Two-In-One, I don't feel like I need to get those filler issues. Eternals was a good intro into the Kirby realm of Marvel gods. But I feel like I need more data in order to tell if I like the series or not. Then we have 3-D Man.

3-D Man was created by Roy Thomas and his 3-issue origin played out in the pages of Marvel Premiere. I'm trying to collect all of those series either through first runs or reprints. So, I need that 2nd and 3rd issue. But, I really hate the concept of a character that appears or disappears when somebody goes to sleep. I didn't like it with Captain Marvel and Rick Jones and I didn't like it with Sleepwalker. And I do not like it now. But I really liked the Cold War 1950s style of the book. 

A really awesome grab bag of late 1970s Marvel books. Some real money savers here. I need the rest of the series and I am talking about the books of the 60s, 80s and 90s too!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Flash Gordon on the Lost Continent of Mongo

Fierce warriors, ancient beasts and the forces of Ming the Merciless await Flash Gordon in this 1967 paperback!

Al Williamson (Star Wars) worked on the Flash Gordon comic strip in the 1960s. It's where he really honed his skills to where he became my all-time favorite Star Wars artist in the 70s and 80s. This book blows up the panels of the Flash Gordon daily strip to where only one or two segments appear on each page. But the art is incredibly crystal clear. Why today's publishers can't enlarge pictures without making things look fuzzy and pixelated in beyond me.

In this collection of 3 stories, Flash Gordon, along with Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov, embark on an expedition of an uncharted region of the planet Mongo. From just about the very start, the expedition goes poorly, being attacked by hostile natives. In the initial scuffle, Dale is kidnapped. Can Flash Gordon save his beloved? Will the expedition yield the secrets of Mongo? And why didn't the trio of heroes bring some extra muscle and weapons with them?

This was a visually enjoyable read. But there was an X-factor that I just wasn't a huge fan of. For one thing, Flash Gordon seems kinda stupid here. I remember that he was portrayed as a sort of dumb jock in the 1980 live-action movie. But I really thought that Flash was a near genius in the comics. I guess I remembered them wrong. 

Yet in the 1980s Guardians of the Earth comic book, Flash is the team leader and pretty straight-forward as the master planner. Maybe when Flash gets older, he gets wiser? Still, this is not the 'savior of the universe' that I am accustomed to.

The three stories also seem to follow the same plot. Flash and his team get attacked. Dale is kidnapped. Dr. Zarkov is no help as he gets injured. Flash scouts out his enemies. He then runs afoul of some monstrous beast and discovers something that will help him in the process. Gordon carries out his attack, saves the girl and returns to camp with Dr. Zarkov miraculously healed. The End. Repeat as needed.

Can you see why I wasn't such a fan of this book? Flash doesn't come close to ending his expedition in this book. The third story does have a happy ending. But more adventures on the lost lands of Mongo are teased in what I assume are further editions. While I would like to know what happens next, the predictability of these adventures haven't swayed me to scope out the internet to find book 2.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Milt Gross' New York

DC's pair of New York World's Fair Comics are the cultural benchmark of that global event. Superman went from kids curiosity to household name to worldwide icon thanks to these publications. Batman and Robin jumped in visibility too, though maybe not yet to the extent of the Man of Steel.

The two volumes of World's Fair Comics weren't the only funny books being peddled from 1939-40. There was another comic being sold during that time as well. That's My Pop! Goes Nuts for Fair was an early precursor to the modern graphic novel. However, with a 25 cent price tag, unusual New Yawker-style syntax and phrases, and an unfamiliar lead character, the book was a minuscule seller and long forgotten by collectors and historians- until now! 

Previous to this collection's 2015 publishing, the great comic book historian Craig Yoe had crafted a retrospect on That's My Pop! creator, Milt Gross. During his research, Yoe learned of the World's Fair book. But apparently, he couldn't find any evidence of the book. Once The Complete Milt Gross Comic Books and Life Story debuted, Yoe's search finally bore fruit. A rare comics collector sought of  Craig Yoe and presented him a very delicate copy of the missing book Finally, this lost treasure was allowed to return to print and countless new generations of comic book fans. 

Comic book legend Jim Steranko pens the forward. A product of the same New York as Milt Gross, Steranko reveals how the cartoonist inspired him as well as capture the Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD innovator's childhood neighborhood. Yoe continues with an introduction into the history of Milt Gross' That's My Pop! comic strip. He also explains about the history of this book's 1939 production and subsequent failure to find an audience. 

When I read from both Steranko and Yoe that this book was full of zany dialect, I was a little apprehensive to read this book further. But my wife knew that I am a fan of Jewish humor, Yoe Books and comics history in general. This was a gift! So I pressed on. 

The meat of this volume was actually very good. It's full of clever gags about a man named Pop, who will do anything to save a buck as equally will he attempt to earn a dollar! Some of Pop's schemes are as elaborate as the plans of a Rube Goldberg machine. More often than not, Pop's cons are discovered by the local authorities. Sometimes, the proud papa succeeds!  Always off to the corner is Pop's tow-haired son, in awe of his old man's genius. 

Milt Gross' comic book is something that could not be published today. His 'tar-baby' renderings of African Americans are just one example of stereotypes portrayed in this book. I highly doubt that the Jewish Milt Gross was racist. His humor just reflects the time period, warts and all. 

I am actually glad that Craig You doesn't edit these books. He is a historian and he believes that to revise these works would actually cloud an observers view of the true nature of time period. Being a history major, I agree with this theory.

To erase all presence of past wrongs doesn't make the world better. If anything, it prevents us from trying to do better than our parents and grandparents. They say that failure to learn from the mistakes of history causes us to repeat it. If we can't remember the mistakes of the past, we'll never have an example in which to learn from.

To all publishers out- learn from Craig Yoe! Don't be like DC Comics and cancel a collection of classic comics that depict false characterizations of minorities. Print them as ugly as they are! Then use your introduction, foreword and even afterwords to reinforce that those ideals aren't who you are anymore.

IDW Publishing- I applaud you for supporting Yoe Books in the creation of these time capsules. They are an informative and educational as they are entertaining!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Superman #358

This 1981 issue of Superman is a gem from my childhood. While the issue I just recently read is not the one I had as a kid; it is one that when I was able to find again, I quickly snatched it up without a second thought. 

There two adventures in this issue. Let's talk about the back-up feature first. It's an imaginary tale in which instead of landing in Metropolis, baby Kal-El's rocket ship crashes on the outskirts of Gotham City. The babe is found by officer Jim Gordon and delivered to the Wayne's where they raised the boy as Bruce Wayne. 

In a reality where the Waynes were never killed by Joe Chill, this Bruce Wayne isn't ruled by vengeance. This Bruce is a mild-mannered rare book dealer by day. At night, Wayne assists a now Commissioner Gordon in a war against law and order as Superman: The Last Son of Krypton!

This back-up feature last for a few issues. But it didn't really take-off. However, the concept was explored deeper in the Elseworlds title, Superman: Speeding Bullets.

Now let's look at the main feature. Clark Kent visits a classroom of Metropolis students where he tells them of an adventure of the Man of Steel. Superman encounters a powerful being that resembles a giant sunflower. This being is the male equal of Mother Nature and is unhappy with how his mate allows life to evolve on planet Earth! Father Nature plans to do something drastic about it. But he'll have to get rid of Superman, who stands in his way, first!

This was an odd tale by Cary Bates and Curt Swan. I loved the artwork. It was as vivid and exciting as I remember as a kid. But I now find it odd that Clark Kent would tell a bunch of fifth graders that they are the product of alien experimentation on our planet millions of years ago. I also find it unusual that the kiddies don't find Clark's revelation all that faith-shattering. Is there a missing Superman #358.5 in which Clark Kent has to explain his actions to an angry group of PTA parents? 

One thing really cool about this story is the kids themselves. There's a blond haired boy named Alec and a pig-tailed girl named Alanna. If the names and descriptions sound familiar, that's because the pair starred in a series of Radio Shack comics as the TRS-80 Computer Whiz Kids (AKA the Tandy Computer Whiz Kids)

Clark Kent mentions to himself of having met Alec and Alanna before as Superman. So this is one of the first appearances of the Whiz Kids. More than likely, it's probably their second ever appearance and first canon appearance in the DC Universe as the Radio Shack stories have never really been considered 'official DC tales.'

This was a nostalgic look at my comic book filled childhood. It featured an interesting take on the Superman/Batman mythos. Plus there were unexpected guest stars from another comic series of my youth. Maybe not the best Superman comic book of all-time but it is definitely one of my favs!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures: Tales From Vader's Castle #4

Cavan Scott does it again! I didn't think it was possible; but Scott manages to make a truly eerie Ewoks story. And it's not one that's all cute and aimed at youngsters. 

In this issue, woklings are being kidnapped from the main Ewok village. Is it their arch enemies, the villainous Duloks? You'll just have to read it to see!

Man, what a great, creepy ending! Yes, Cavan Scott does a great job staying out of schmaltzy territory. But the real star is guest artist, Robert Hack (Archie Horror)! His renderings was so classic and yet so spooky looking!

I'm gonna say it folks; I want an Ewoks miniseries by Robert Hack! Oh and Cavan Scott! Both of them! I think it will be amazing and it will make up for those horrid Ewoks film from Disney that aired on ABC.

OKAY- maybe nothing can make up for those travesties...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures: Tales From Vader's Castle #3

I didn't think it was possible. But writer Cavan Scott found a way to bring together both the Alden Ehrenreich Han Solo with the Harrison Ford Han Solo without resorting to time travel or jumps in time as this issue progresses. 

We do have a jump in time as the rebels who crashed on Mustafar enter the Imperial compound, unawares that it's really Vader's Citadel. Their adventure has been what has framed all of these spooky stories from across the Star Wars universe. 

This series debuted over the month of October of last year. While I was on top of issues 1 and 2, for some reason or another I got distracted and forgot to catch up on the rest if this horror themed mini until now.

Derek Charm continues to amaze with his framing sequences. Corin Howell's (Bat-Mite) style was very clean and similar to Charm's. It was nearly seamless. 

Originally thinking this was a Ehrenreich tale and not a Ford tale originally put me off. But in reality, this is a Solo story! I'd really love to expound more on this but it would ruin the great plot twist. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Click (Family Comic Friday)

Get in on the ground floor with an all-new graphic novel series from up-and-coming author-illustrator Kayla Miller in this week’s edition of Family Comic Friday.

Click 
Written and Illustrated by Kayla Miller
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 192
SRP: $24.99

Poor Olive. Even though Olive is one of the most popular students in her class, she is all alone. There’s a big talent show coming up and all of the other students have partners. Just not her!

Feeling like the odd person out, Olive is stressing out big time. Even though she clicks with everyone, she just doesn’t fit into a clique. (See that clever play on words?) Will Olive come up with an act before the talent show starts? Even more important, will Olive find her way in the fifth grade?

For a first time work, Kayla Miller does a very good job. Her freshness shows at times, especially at the beginning. Just as Olive is trying to find her voice in the fifth grade, I think Kayla Miller was struggling at first to give her characters their voice. The cadence was a bit off. Certain words, like the name of Olive’s brother were repeated ad nauseum at first. But by end of the second act when Olive has a sleepover at her aunt’s, things really fall into place.

I love how Kayla Miller solved Olive’s talent show dilemma. It was very clever. I would have liked to have seen more of her performance during the school event than some of the extra scenes between Olive and a group of friends that have their feelings hurt by Olive’s ultimate decision for her act. However, the kinda open-ended finale was pretty cool. It had an very artsy feel to it that left me quite satisfied.

Miller’s art style was superb. It’s super clean and she uses such thick inks. I love thick inks! It’s a key element that almost all of my favorite all-time artists use in their portfolio of work. But, I will have to say, I was fooled at first by this book.

When I saw this book for the very first time, I thought it was a new graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier (Smile)! Miller and Telgemeier have such a similar look in their artwork. Is it possible for two artists to be creative twins? Even though the cover threw me for a loop, I would advise Kayla Miller to not change a thing about it! It’s really that good.

This book is recommended for readers of ages 10-12. However, there’s nothing offensive or alarming that should give a parent or guardian pause if one 9 and under might want to read this book. Though there are some bigger words and concepts that might require an adults help.

Click is the beginning of a new series of graphic novels. Olive and Kayla Miller will return in April of this year with Camp. I wonder if the title is going to be a unique play on words as Click was with the homonym Clique. If so, I think we’ve discovered Kayla Miller’s motif for the Olive series and it fits in perfectly!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures Ashcan

The introductory issue to IDW's amazing all-ages Star Wars series. While Star Wars Adventures is a great series, this issue, to me, is what this series could have been. 

Cavan Scott has done a great job writing never-before-revealed episodes of your favorite Star Wars characters. But there is this back-up feature called 'Tales for Wild Space'. It has some minor characters from some 90s kids series hosting tales of the Old Republic and beyond. It doesn't have a nostalgic feel. For that segment, the real hosts of the back-up stories are our narrators here- C-3PO and R2-D2!

Landry Q. Walker (Danger Club) penned this issue. It's the only story by Walker in this entire series (thus far)! But I think that Walker had the right idea having Threepio and Artoo be the storytellers. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. 

As for the artwork by Derek Charm. It's 100% perfect. It's how I always wished a Star Wars cartoon would have looked like when I was little. Yeah, we had Star Wars: Droids and Ewoks growing up. But an honest to God animated series with Vader, Luke, Chewie and the rest- Derek Charm crafts a classic-looking animated style!

A very tough issue to find. It was supposed to be a freebie given away at comic book shops nationwide. But I never came across it until finding a copy in a bargain bin. I'm not sure if IDW didn't print a lot of copies or if my area of the country just didn't fare well on the publisher's marketing campaign.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Super Hero Adventures- Captain Marvel: Frost Giants Among Us! #1

A blizzard has rendered New York City immobile. As a result, the Avengers have nothing to do. So it's video games, hot chocolate and boredom. Lots of boredom! But that all changes when a pair of frost giants appear in Times Square reeking massive amounts of frigid havoc!

Then Spider-Man must stop a group of pirates who have stolen a yacht full of items being auctioned for charity. But since the Hudson doesn't have a lot of high areas for Spidey to swing from, the wall-crawler must take a detour through the sky-scrapers of downtown.

This book also contains some fun and games activities. There's a colorful maze of the Bifrost Bridge. Plus there are 4 more funny comic strip parodies by Ty Templeton. And finishing out the book is a pin-up to for kids to color- OF SPIDER-MAN!

You know, I am not really sure why any of these Marvel Super Hero Adventures one-shots are being titled after Captain Marvel. It's not that I have anything against Carol Danvers. It's just that she's barely in the frost giants story and she's nowhere in the Spider-Man back-up feature. If anything, this book should be named after Spider-Man as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales have more action and lines in the title tale. 

That first story set the perfect ambiance of a frosty Winters read. I loved how it gave me a post-holidays feel. This is a great comic for kids of all-ages to read. Just add a huge blanket and that hot cocoa. I only wish that Spidey's back-up tale was a little more chilly. It's just a pinch too sunny for a Winter special. But enjoyable none-the-less.

Worth Consuming but man is that title in complete error!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #1

Elvira, that buxom, valley-girl talking, smart aleck horror host is back in a new miniseries from Dynamite Entertainment. 

The Mistress of the Dark has attracted her fair share of men. Now, she's the object of desire of Dracula, Lord of the Vampires. As she seeks to escape the clutches of Vlad, she travels back in time to a rainy Lake Geneva, 1816.

There she meets Frankenstein's mother, Mary Godwin. Oh, you may not recognize that name seeing as Mary hasn't married her fiance, Percy Shelley, yet. 

Dracula has also fallen through time after Elvira and he's not taking no for an answer. All others protecting her, including Mary,  are collateral damage. Can Elvira escape the deadly bloodsucker without changing history seeing as Frankenstein hasn't been written yet? 

This isn't Elvira's first time in comics. Unfortunately, she's not had very much success in this media. Bettie Page's David Avallone pens a very funny and very smart time-travel opener here and I am hoping that this mini will prove to be a hit!

The artwork of Dave Acosta (Chastity) is really good. It's a mix of Gothic horror and caricature. I almost expected it to have some very silly Easter eggs in the background, like a sign saying 'Eat at Vlad's' on the wall. The sort of thing you would see in a MAD Magazine. Acosta thankfully restrains himself from such a move. But he's got a style that would be at home with the 'usual gang of idiots.'

This series has potential. I can't wait to get the rest of it. The last page has Elvira travelling to meet another important figure in horror history and I'm excited to see who she will meet in rest of this book.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney's Adventures of Tinkerbell (Dell 4-Color Comics #896)

Last month I reviewed a holiday collection called Walt Disney's Christmas Classics. The book was published by IDW. It reprinted an annual holiday comic strip that ran in newspapers for almost 50 years. 

In these festive tales characters such as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell would share adventures with Cinderella's pet mice. Or maybe Bambi and Sleeping Beauty would team together to save Santa from the Beagle Boys.

I thought that these crossovers were the only ones of their kind. But I found that to not be the case in this 1958 issue of Dell 4-Color Comics #896 (Walt Disney's Adventures of Tinkerbell). 

I bought this book as a part of my wife's Tinkerbell and Peter Pan Collection. A gift for her, I got to read it first before it went into her permanent collection display case. I had seen copies of this book for upwards of $100. Yet while in Chicago, I got a very good deal for a fraction of that cost. 

The book begins with a clever plot device. Normally, Tinkerbell doesn't speak words as you and I do. She communicates with tiny tinkles and jingles of her wings. But to have a comic book in which the main character doesn't speak was pretty unheard of in the 1950s. So, the writers of this book came up with a smart idea to have Tink get a yearly 'fairy wish' and for this year's wish, she gets to speak English with all her friends. 

There are four stories in this comic. The first takes place in Neverland with Peter Pan stealing the bell from Captain Hook's ship. In return, Hook kidnaps Peter's bell- I.E. Tink! A cute story- it felt like a retelling of the 1953 Peter Pan movie only there aren't any of the Darling children.

Tinkerbell then goes off to visit some of her friends and this is where the crossovers come in. First, she teaches the Wicked Witch to be nice to the Seven Dwarfs. Then Tinkerbell goes to visit Dumbo's circus where a new lion attraction has gotten the flying elephant into a terrible tizzy. Lastly, Tink travels to Italy where she assists Pinocchio and Geppetto in finding some beautiful flowers for a special festival.

On the back cover there's an activity in which children could cut out a picture of Tinkerbell, make a few folds, add glue, string, a stick and some flour and make a pixie dust kite. I have a feeling a lot of these books ended up with the back cover being destroyed, thus why pristine copies are so expensive. 

There's a sequel book to this comic. It of course in on my list to find for my bride. It's just about as expensive as this book is. But that volume is actually harder to find as I have never seen one for sale except online. I wonder what activity kiddos were expected to make out of those issues.

Worth Consuming if not for anything else that it's charming as hell, a fun crossover comic and classic 1950s Disney through and through.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Raid of No Return

The opening salvos of the Pacific Theater are explored in this World War II themed edition of Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. 

I love these books. They really explore aspects of American and World history that I thought I knew. And boy was I so wrong! 

With stunning aerial pictures of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the progression of both the Japanese and American naval fleets in the Pacific Ocean, this is the best rendered book of the entire series. 

Another key to this book being so good is that it's inspired me to want to read more. I knew very little of Jimmy Doolittle's raid of Tokyo. The stunt flyer turned colonel helped to inspire the American people to join the war effort with only 16 bombers! By deciding to focus on each plane individually, the author really personalized this small part of American history and I want to learn more!

Also, thanks to a great bibliography in the back of the book, I've got several other WWII books on my to-read list!

A must read for youngsters interested in the second world war. There is some mild swears in this book. And since it's a book about war, there will be some violence and death. What, did you expect the author to have everyone licked upon by kittens?

Recommended for ages 8-12. though I think readers as old as 14 might truly enjoy this book.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Lafayette!

Doomed patriot Nathan Hale foretells his captors of future events in the Revolutionary War in the latest  volume of Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. 

I really thought that I knew about the War of Independence. Boy, was I wrong at that! I especially did not know how much of an impact the French officer, Lafayette had on the American's ability to fight, defend and ultimately defeat the British. 

These stories aren't what one would consider 'safe'. There's murders and wars and treachery and dysentery and body fluids galore. But with this story involving the French, there's also a level of bawdiness. Parents, be ready to answer the question of 'what is a brothel?' Plus, there's the whole instance of a 16 year old Lafayette being forced to marry a 14 year old aristocrat.  

This book is aimed at those aged 8-12 and when it comes to real-life instances such as The War of Independence, a certain level of violence is allowed. But when it comes to sexual situations, it's always a tricky realm. Some parents are more willing to discuss human sexuality with their children; some are extremely puritanical. 

Perhaps the most mature of the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. But entertaining and educational none-the-less. A real eye-opening tale about the origin of our nation from the perspective of the French.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Fantastic Four #5 (The 650th Anniversary Issue)

It finally happened! Benjamin J. Grimm married Alicia Masters! No tricks. No gimmicks. And human-DNA was confirmed to make sure Alicia wasn't once again replaced with a Skrull infiltrator. 

If I had read this last year, it would have ranked as my favorite book of 2018. But funds and the holidays prevented me from getting it until just a couple of days ago. But that's okay as this issue of Fantastic Four ranks as one of my all-time favorite issues!

Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man) bookends this deluxe sized issue with the prep work and final vows of the true Marvel wedding of the century. 

Then Mike Allred and his lovely wife Laura recall the origin of the team. As you know with all anniversary issues, it's a mandated law that the origin of one of the heroes or the entire team must be retold. But the Allred's do it with such nostalgic charm as they have done for decades! 

We also get a glimpse of the early days of Ben and Alicia thanks to the Allreds. Another sort of origin story. But one of which I do not recall getting this much detail into. I did not know how much Sue Storm played matchmaker. Plus, I love the great cameo of a famous rock group in one scene in which The Thing takes his gal to a petting zoo! That's classic Allred right there!

Then the amazing Adam Hughes (Betty and Veronica) tackles Ben's bachelor party. (For Alicia's hilarious bachelorette party, see the Fantastic Four Wedding Special #1) It's a wild ride. Hughes adds such a layer of humor and classic FF style to the book. And I love the tick-lined art style of his. I never realized how much Hughes and the Allreds are alike in that aspect. I am also a fan of thick inkings. So it's no wonder I am a fan of both artists!

Originally, I was thinking I would be faked-out like with the wedding of lies between Kitty Pryde and Colossus. But Marvel went through with these nuptials and thanks to a Facebook buddy posting a scene from that story, I decided to grab this book. Man was I so glad I did. This issue was fantastic!

I've been very impressed with the Fantastic Four since their return! It's been one of the few bright spots of Marvel in a two-year period that has had way more lows than highs when it came to comic books for them. Please keep up the good work and use the formula for this and Spider-Man to help return the House of Ideas to it's former glory days.

While I love what Dan Slott and artist Aaron Kuder is doing with the team right now, I realize that creative teams don't last forever. Might I suggest Mike Allred? He did such a great job here and he's proven that's he's got the chops in the pages of FF to do that part of the Marvel Universe the right way! But in that series, we didn't get Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny. I would love to see how Michael and Laura would do focusing on the First Family of Marvel! Heck, I'd even be a monthly subscriber to that!

One of the most perfect comics of all-time! Definitely worth the couple extra bucks!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Pandora's Legacy (Family Comic Friday)

Welcome to another edition of Family Comic Friday! I hope you are all as big of fans of mythology as I am for today’s selection is full of epic heroes, villains and creatures. This week, I will be reviewing Pandora’s Legacy from Kaboom! This 2018 graphic novel modernizes the Greek myth of Pandora’s box and blends in folklore and legends from around the globe!

Pandora’s Legacy
Written by Kara Leopard
Art by Kelly and Nichole Matthews
Published by Kaboom!
SRP: $9.99

Trevor and his sisters, twins Janet and Charlie, are just about to beginning summer vacation at their grandparents house when their beloved cat Po, escapes his carrier. Fleeing into the woods, the siblings chase after their cat and make an amazing discovery. In the middle of the woods is a derelict cottage filled with ancient looking statues. When Trevor breaks a vase that one of the statues is holding, the siblings unknowingly release an army of mythical creatures. For you see, that Grecian urn was in fact Pandora’s box!

The siblings aren’t flying blind as they attempt to retrieve the monsters unleashed. Their cat Po now houses the spirit of Greek hero Prometheus and can now talk. He explains that the Trevor, Janet and Charlie are descendants of Pandora and the next in a long line of protectors of her fabled box of monsters.

However, with the original container now in pieces, the children will have to rely on the only thing that remained with Pandora- hope! Can they devise a new way of capturing the missing creatures? It’s just possible that the key to locking the monster back into their prison has been in their possession since before this adventure began.

Kara Leopard (Mr. Hare and Mr. Bear) pens an amazing tale that promises to be the first of a series. The idea of a family of protectors of Pandora’s Box is quite similar to Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. Only replace bloodsuckers with gorgons, mermaids and other creatures of myth and fable.

I really liked all of the characters in this book. However, I think Kara Leopard has a huge problem on her hands. The best character in the book non-fatally sacrifices their freedom to save the day. The writer has got to figure out a way to bring him or her back because that character steals all of the best parts of this story!

I also feel like I need a Greek-to-English dictionary in this book. The main characters are Greek Americans and they use Greek words sprinkled throughout their conversations in English. Yet, there's nothing like an Editor's Note to explain what is being said. I felt a tiny bit lost in translation at times because of that. Some young readers might feel the same. (Something to consider if there is ever a sequel.)

The art by twins Kelly and Nicole Matthews (Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy) was quite interesting. Though Pandora’s box is a Greek myth, I am thinking that the monsters she set free weren’t all from that same part of the world. The creatures in this book have features identifiable from Japanese and European mythology as well as Greek. Plus aren’t Chupacabra’s from Mexican and Puerto Rican folklore?

As I mentioned earlier, Pandora’s Legacy looks to be the start of a new comic/graphic novel series. Published by Kaboom!, I went to their website in hopes of finding out more about a second book. However, there isn’t anything indicating a sequel. The initial announcement for this volume was posted during the publisher’s countdown to Comic-Con last year in July. So perhaps a second book will be unveiled around the same time and manner this year.
As always with Family Comic Friday, I rate a book on it’s artistic quality. However, I also inform parents and guardians of areas that may not be suitable for all-ages. This is an entertaining book perfect for ages 8-12. Older readers who are fans of Percy Jackson will dig this book too!

There is a couple of scary monsters who attack the children at various points. Those situations are that which some younger readers might find a bit too much Also, one of the minor characters has same sex parents. While there’s nothing explicit or condemning about that, I mention this as I understand that different parental units have different parenting styles. I also mention this as I know that many same sex couples have a desire to find age-appropriate graphic novels such as Pandora’s Legacy which are friendlier and more open to all lifestyles.

Kaboom! has a real winner here! There appears to be a near unlimited source of monsters and villains out there that need returning to Pandora’s box. But if Leopard and the Matthews’ twins want to get book two to be as good, if not better than this one, they’re all going to have to find a way to bring that mystery character back from their exile!

Pandora’s Legacy debuted in Print and digital platforms on December 4, 2018!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.