The Astonishing Ant-Man, Volume 1: Everybody Loves Team-Ups

After we live Scott Lang's last day on earth, which involves an amazing assortment of cameos from the golden age of Marvel/Timely, we start the newest Ant-Man series: The Astonishing Ant-Man. It begins with Lang back in prison. But the how and why isn't yet explained. Instead, we get a very long and slow process that promises to get us there. We learn of Scott's many failed romances. He's down in the dumps security company. And of his troubles being a good dad. But nothing on how Scott ended up wearing orange jumpers.

As I said, this story is moving at a snail's pace. 

In the pages of Mike Allred's FF, Scott Lang is quite heroic. He's a good leader though flawed. But at one point, he beats the crap out of Doctor Doom. The real McCoy! Not one of Victor's Doom Bots! In the Ant-Man series just prior to this; Scott has fallen on rough times, but there's still a luster in his reputation. Yet with this series, he's almost a total screw-up! It's almost like Marvel decided to make the Paul Rudd MCU the standard. 

I get that Marvel wants their characters in the comics to reflect the characters in the movies. But this self-deprecating change is so all of a sudden. It doesn't gel right. 

This isn't a bad volume of tales. The annual involving Hank Pym and that Last Days story at the beginning were both great. But then things get depressing after that. And it doesn't make for an enjoyable read. 

I understand that things can't always be peaches and cream for superheroes. But I also can't stand it when it seems like a perpetual rain cloud is always over the head of characters I really like. Marvel has really f-ed this up with Deadpool and now it seems that Scott Lang is getting the same treatment.

I'm hoping that things either speed up so we find out why Scott Lang is once again incarcerated or that things spring back into a more positive front for this Ant-Man. I'd even be okay with the prison thing being a fake-out. You know, have Lang be going undercover as a villain in order to take some crime lord down. Regardless, there has to be better turn out of things in volume 2 or I'm not sticking around for a third entry.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Avengers: Endgame

Endgame is in my opinion, the second most anticipated film of 2019. With nearly 40 years of wait for the ninth Star Wars film, I think 'Rise of Skywalker' beats the Avengers if only for the length of wait time. All that being said, with the number of people wanting to see this film and how 10 years and 21 Marvel movies comes to a close; I'm going to have to do my review a lot differently. 

ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS!

If you have been following the speculation behind Endgame, some fans hit the plot right on the head. While this is the story of how the Avengers fight back against Thanos and seek a way to reverse the universal-wide mass murder; above all Endgame is a 3-hour thank you to the millions of fans. 

There are literal tons of Easter eggs in this movie. While not every character that ever appeared in a Marvel film is in this movie, there's quite a few cameos. I'm not going to list who's who. Instead, let's focus on the Jar Jar Binks of the Marvel Universe: Carol Danvers.

Brie Larson's portrayal of Captain Marvel and the very silly way usually gruff Nick Fury comes across was a big put off for some fans. Well, if you are not wanting to see Endgame because you think it's going to be a giant love fest to the modern feminist icon, you can sleep well at night. Danvers is barely in this movie. She's so underused here that it's a bit of a head-scratcher as to why invite her to the party at all.

If you are a fan of the original 6- Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow and the Hulk, then this is the film you've been waiting for. They all play a major role here. Plus you've got the added elements of Ant-Man, Rocket, Nebula and War Monger and this makes for the ultimate superhero flick!

Endgame is 3 hours long. And yet not a single minute was wasted. The first 2/3 of the film is filled with exciting twists and turns. And then you've got that third and final act. Wow. Just, wow. And the finale for one of my all-time favorite characters- it was perfect!

This feels like a vague review. But with almost a billion dollars in ticket sales and more to follow, I don't want to risk any sort of plot slip. This was the perfect Marvel film. So perfect that I am going to give Endgame a rating that I hardly ever give-

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 11 out of 10 stars!

To Kill A Mockingbird (Family Comic Friday)

As the school year begins to wind down, it's time to start thinking about summer reading. This week's Family Comic Friday looks at a classic novel that recently made it's graphic novel debut. It's also this Madman reviewer's favorite book of all-time: To Kill a Mockingbird.

To Kill a Mockingbird
Written by Harper Lee
Illustrated and Adapted by Fred Fordham
Published by Harper Collins
Pages: 288

Harper Lee's account of prejudice and racism in 1930s Alabama is both equally highly controversial and well regarded. To Kill a Mockingbird won many awards after it debuted in 1960, including the Pulitzer Prize in literature. Since then, as author Lee was awarded a numerous accolades for her work, including Congressional medals, Mockingbird has earned a reputation as one of the most challenged books in both schools and public libraries.

Harper Lee's fictionalized account of her childhood in the Depression era South has an unquestionable anti-racism tone. But Lee's choice to include the N-word has caused many to debate the age appropriateness of the book. A stunning courtroom scene in which black man, Tom Robinson is accused of rape and a peppering of ‘ damns’, 'hells’ and ungentlemanly tones towards women has also been reasons some have called for the book to be banned. I for one am glad that this book’s illustrator and adaptor, Fred Fordham decided not to edit any of these controversial aspects.

I've read To Kill a Mockingbird seven times previously. I'm also familiar with the rough draft, Go Set A Watchman. So I feel that I can legitimately proclaim this late 2018 adaptation to be extremely faithful to the original novel. It even does a superior job to that of the 1962 film version which won several Academy Awards.

Fred Fordham's graphic novel is 5 pages longer than Lee's prose. With Fordham's choice to include Scout Finch's first person narration, there's a tremendous amount of near verbatim passages from the original source material. Some parts, including one of my favorite sequences between Scout, her brother Jem and neighbor boy, Dill has been altered slightly. But for the majority, this book is almost exactly as Harper Lee wrote it.  And it's for this very reason that I am recommending this graphic novel!

In order to get students interested in reading the novels required over the summer by the school system, parents will show the reader a film version of the book. Why not get young adults reading by having them start off with a graphic novel adaptation? Reading  this version, the reader will personally have to draw conclusions about themes and styles, instead of being spoon-fed facts like with Cliff Notes.

Plus thanks to Fred Fordham's clean artwork, readers can better make mental connections with the host of assorted characters that makeup this book.

One thing for sure about this version of Mockingbird, it's going to provoke some very hard questions. So parents and guardians need to be ready to navigate issues of race, gender and even bullying. That doesn't mean that this book is nothing but serious drama. Scout and her friends are kids and they have typical child interactions like dares, play-acting adventures and fun and games. For book full of such serious tones, these light hearted interludes are required.

Get a jump on Summer reading with this adaptation. Or share a beloved classic with the next generation in a the easily accessible medium of sequential art! No matter what your reason, this is a book that any reader around the age of 12 or older should encounter today.

The To Kill a Mockingbird graphic novel debuted in print and digital formats on October 30, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Muppet Show: The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson

Rizzo and his band of rats go on the hunt for buried pirate treasure.
The ever-wild Animal gets domesticated. 
Plus a Kermit the frog impersonator decides to stage a coup as lovable ole' Kermie.

If you ever wished that The Muppet Show could be turned into a comic book, consider your wish granted. Betty Boop's Roger Langridge crafts a 4-issue miniseries starring your favorite Muppet characters and their most iconic skits from The Muppet Show. Muppet Labs, The Swedish Chef, Pigs in Space and Veterinarian's Hospital are all highlighted in this amazingly cozy read.

Every inch of every panel and page is jammed full of gags, jokes and fun. This is a perfect read for a dark, cold night when you are bundled up in a blanket and 3 layers of pajamas. It's that fun! And that insane! If you are a fan of Jim Henson's Muppets, then this 2009 collected work the book for you! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Newspaper Comic Strips

Everybody whose a fan of the classic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line knows that with each action figure came with a 8-10 page mini-comic. But very few know that in the late 80s, MOTU ran as a weekly newspaper comic strip. Maybe the fact that only about a dozen major cities ran the strip has something to do with it. Could also be the sad but inevitable fact, that for the time, He-Man was running out of steam with the kids of the era.

Dark Horse continues it's compendium of all things He-Man in this massive 2017 hardback! When I say massive, I'm not lying. The book weighs about 12lbs. It has over 500 pages. Plus this collection of strip is over-sized, much like a tabloid. I honestly have no idea where I'm going to store this thing as my graphic novel shelves can't hold something this big!

He-Man, Man-At-Arms, Orko and friends battle Skeletor, King Hiss, Hordak and the mutants of Trogg on the far-out future world of Primus . There's also some all-new characters such as a woman named Miranda who wins Duncan's heart. However, due to copyright/licensing issues, She-Ra and her cronies do not appeared anywhere in these stories.

The first 6 or 7 episodes are really well done. The color job on the Sunday strips are so amazingly bold. They look like screen shots from the animated series, only done with crystal clear clarity. 

Towards the end of the run, most of the American publications had dropped the strip. But since most foreign nations were still getting 'first run' episodes  of He-Man on their national TV stations, the comic managed to survive until the early 90s. While the quality of the strips were good in both story and artwork, the preservation of the strips was sorely lacking. 

A total of 1,674 days worth of story were produced. Amazingly 98% of them were able to be retrieved thanks to microfilm preservation of newspapers or the clippings of those lucky few fans who got to read the paper first run. Still, some of those finds weren't of the best quality and they do not translate into high-grade paper very well at all.

As for those missing tales, editor Daniel Chabon and his staff do a great job describing the missing scenes thanks to script notes from the original creative team of Chris Weber, Karen Willson and Gerald Forton; all of which sit-down for in-depth interviews of the creative process throughout. 

I really enjoyed this collection. But even more, I enjoyed the kick-butt customer service I got from bellwetherbooks, a seller on Amazon. My collection of He-Man mini comics was missing 30 pages. As a replacement alternative, they gave me this book for free! I'm not saying that you need to take advantage of them or worry that they provide damaged books. But I do recommend them as a company that fixes it's mistakes, has good communication and super fast shipping and good prices! Give them a try!

As for this book- a very good read with some editing issues. Some are Dark Horse's fault. but for the most part, it's due to not being able to find pristine negatives because Filmation and or Mattel decided to trash them.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Endgames (Family Comic Friday)

The story of orphan newspaper seller Lavender Blue continues in this week's Family Comic Friday. But the focus of Endgames, the sequel to 2017’s Newsprints is more about the war between Goswing and Grimmaea. This makes for some rough questions to be answered; such as who really wins in war. But this new book from Scholastic also dives into the tricky Waters of gender identity. Prepare for one of the most confusing but important reviews in FCF history...

Endgames
Written and illustrated by Ru Xu
Published by the Scholastic imprint Graphic
Pages: 205
Retail: $24.99

I waited specifically until this weekend to review the newest graphic novel by Ru Xu. Avengers: Endgame debuts in theaters this week. Naturally, I couldn't resist possibly tricking a few readers into thinking I was writing about the most anticipated movie of 2019.
When I read and reviewed Newsprints, the opening chapter about the first girl newsie of the Kingdom of Goswing, I was convinced that the story wasn't over. I kept the faith and was justly rewarded for my patience with this book.

Endgames begins with Blue heading to the capital of Goswing in hopes of finding her mechanical friend Crow. The automaton was secreted away by military scientists intent in turning Crow in a war machine. Blue's search becomes ever more difficult when she is kidnapped by a pair of Grimmaean spies; a pair of twins who are the children of a top diplomat set to negotiate peace with Goswing.

There's two main themes to Endgames: the ethics of war and the question of gender identity and social status. Both are tricky topics to navigate, not just for kids but adults. I think most people can agree that World War II was a just war for America to fight in. But our country was far from perfect in its attempt to save the day. The internment of Japanese Americans was more about race than national security. Especially since the government didn't do the same thing with those of German descent.

Endgames explored such issues as those of Goswing heritage have jet black hair and piercing blue eyes as those from Grimmaea have blonde hair and born as normally as twins. Blue is the product of a Grimmaean father and Goswing mother. Her appearance is an amalgam and it causes many to question where her loyalty lies. Blue is also a female. But since only boys were permitted to be newsies, Blue had to pose as a male. She is not the only character who has a sort of ‘identity crisis’.

One of the Grimmaean spies is named Rose Red. Born a girl, Red identifies as male. Yet, in order to maintain the ruse of being from Goswing, Red and his sister had to dye their hair black. It's at this point in the book that things really get complicated.

Just as Red's blonde tips give away his true heritage, there's so many characters posing as something that they are not. An abundance of spies, a pair of nation's that starts with the same letter and non-sequitur chapter breaks make for a head scratching read. It also doesn't help having random flashbacks peppered in throughout the book. If ever a book could have used a narrator to frame the action, Endgames was the one most in need.

The concept of mistaken identity isn't new in children's literature. The Prince and the Pauper, The Parent Trap and The Princess Diaries all have characters who pose as someone that they are not. But generally, the switching of gender isn't a factor in these type of stories. However in our ever growing genderfluid society, you will see more of it popping up in kids lit.

For the most part, Endgames is very subtle in how it deals with gender. There is one scene that has Blue and Red discussing their reasons on living as the opposite sex of that which they were born. Sexuality is also hinted at as this book explores the friendship of a Goswing reporter and a Grimmaean soldier. Though it's never named specifically, the relationship appears to be that of more than friends.

As with all of my Family Comic Friday reviews, I judge books on it's artistic merits and editorial direction. Age appropriate topics are discussed only to help guide a parent or guardian be more informed on what their children are reading. With Endgames, I think young readers are going to have more questions about the reasons for going to war than about gender identity. However, I think that in trying to navigate some puzzling topics, Ru Xu gets a little lost and confused with the multiple plot-lines.

While nobody dies in the book, there's a lot of fighting. The level of debate on war is about equal to 10 episodes of MASH. Endgames is listed as being for readers aged 8 and up. But such philosophy can be too complex for some. I think someone around the age of 10 or 11 would best enjoy Blue's story and grasp the concept of whether or not to go to war.

Endgames is supposed to be the end of Blue and Crow's story. I rather hope that's not the case. However, if there is to be a third book, I do hope Ru Xu can avoid some of those more confusing elements. There's nothing wrong with informing the reader of a pending flashback.

Blue has seen enough of war. Let her solve a mystery in a far off land. Being in the news industry, Blue has a chance to see her world much like Herge's Tintin. Xu mentions several new lands to be explored. I for one would like to see the Newsprints universe more fleshed out. Everything just seems ripe for Blue's plucking should Run Xu continue the narrative.
Adventure awaits...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.

Ditko's Monsters

IDW Publishing remembers the late, great Steve Ditko in an over-sized special devoted to a pair of B-movie monsters.

Ditko’s Monsters
Written by Joe Gill
Art by Steve Ditko
Edited by  CraigYoe, with assistance from Christopher Yoe
Reprints Gorgo #1 & 8 (Charlton Comics, 1961-65);
Konga #5&6 (Charlton Comics, 1960-65)
Published by IDW Publishing with Yoe! Books

The British-American sci-films Gorgo and Konga aren’t original sci-fi movies from the Atomic Age. The pint-sized (for his species) Gorgo is a cousin of Toho’s Godzilla. Meanwhile, Konga is a descendant of the long-line of giant apes that evolved from RKO’s King Kong. Yet despite their cookie-cutter appearances, both Gorgo and Konga have developed cult followings.

The reason why both are mainstays in the schlock B-movie community of fans is because of their reign as kings of the comic book in the early 1960s. Charlton Comics was able to snag licensing rights to both properties at a time when both Godzilla and Kong were noticeably absent from the spinner rack.

The two titles continued the adventures of Gorgo and Konga long after the credits had rolled. The first issue of both series were adaptations of each character’s solo films. Then for the next 5 years, Charlton released 56 issues (23 issues per character) that pitted Gorgo and Konga against mutated prehistoric creatures, unsavory businessmen and the occasional nuclear bomb! Leading the charge in both titles was the yet unknown Steve Ditko.

Ditko’s time with Charlton occurred just prior to his co-creation of his most iconic characters such as Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and Doctor Octopus. Along with writer Joe Gill, with whom Ditko created Captain Atom and Blue Beetle at Charlton, Ditko took readers on masterful adventures of giant creatures without being credited. But now thanks to IDW Publishing and Yoe! Books, the master is finally getting his just due!

Yoe! Books has been known as a rising leader in publishing lost comic gems from the 1940s-60s. However, most of the books edited and compiled by Craig Yoe, while stunningly beautiful and remastered, aren’t very cheap. But in Ditko’s Monsters, fans of kaiju-like giants and Steve Ditko can enjoy a Yoe! quality edition in comic book format for a wallet friendly price. Plus, you get informative forewords from Tony Isabella and Steve’s nephew Mark Ditko, just like in a hardback Yoe! publication!

Ditko’s Monsters reprints a total of 4 issues from Steve Ditko’s time at Charlton. Issue #1 of Gorgo recounts the events that took place in the 1961 live-action feature in which the junior dinosaur is kidnapped by deep-sea scavengers. The second adventure has Gorgo being kidnapped again, this time by Soviet agents! In both stories, Gorgo’s momma is mad and ready to destroy entire cities just to get her baby back!

The Konga stories are from later in the comic adaptations run. Here in issues 5-6, scientists try to revert the giant ape back into his original form as a chimpanzee. I’m going to need Charles Darwin’s help to figure out how a chimp can change into a gorilla. But that sort of plot gaff is actually the fault of the 1961 John Lemont movie and not the team of Gill and Ditko.

All of the stories chosen for Ditko’s Monsters were selected by Giffin Yoe. Young Griffin is already showing signs of the mastery and love of classic comic books like his father Craig has for the medium. I liked the issues the editor choose for this book. But I preferred the Gorgo stories to those of Konga. The artwork is more alive with an explosive palette of colors. Plus, the Konga tales seem a little disjointed, with some scenes of action getting a bit repetitive in the transition from issues #5 to #6. Unfortunately, unlike what it says on both sides of this flip-book comic, Gorgo and Konga never fight each other, except for a place in fans hearts.

Ditko’s Monsters is a book that I hope to see more of from IDW and Yoe! They don’t have to be about Gorgo or Konga. It would be amazing to have more 100-page specials devoted to lost comics of my dad’s youth. Maybe one could be of the Lonely War of Captain Willy Schultz or a special on the lost Captain Marvel character from M.F. Enterprises! If such occurs, here’s hoping that young Griffin Yoe will get more chances to oversee the editing process!

A perfect read for fans of MST3K, Svengoolie, The Bone Jangler or Steve Ditko! Ditko’s Monsters debuted in print on April 17th, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Team-Up #1 (2019)

I'm a sucker for team-up titles! From The Thing's adventures with friends and foes in the pages of Marvel Two-In-One to Batman's innovative run in the pages of The Brave and the Bold- if it pairs two (or more) characters on a monthly basis, I want it in my collection! So of course when it was announced that Marvel Team-Up was making another return to print, I was first in line!

The classic crossover series returns in time for Marvel's 80th anniversary! In this first issue, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is paired with Kamala Kahn: Ms. Marvel. 

The villain for the premiers is the Jackal. I'm not very familiar with him. In fact, I was so out of my element in my knowledge of this character, that at first, I thought it was the Green Goblin. Immediately, I started thinking that the rumors are true- the artwork of the world famous Bullpen really is that sub-par! Instead, it's just a knock-off of one of Spidey's most famous foes!

MTU #1 has a gimmick. It's a flip-book! The premise is that the reader is supposed to notice the parallels of a day-in-the-life in both Peter Parker and Kamala Kahn's eyes. 

Things don't really seem to have changed that much for Ms. Marvel. She's still a high-schooler from Jersey in a Muslim family. And she's the ultimate Marvel fan girl! But man, has things fallen flat for Parker. No longer does Parker ride high as the founder of a multi-billion dollar company. Nor does Peter have his Ph.D, having been stripped for plagiarism. At least he's not back to living with Aunt May. (Oh God- is she dead? faux pas!?)

Back to the flip-book aspect. These type of stories are supposed to be perfectly balanced. Spidey's half is supposed to be perfectly reflected in Kamala's half. But Ms. Marvel's side of the story reveals more of the Jackal's motives for his reign of terror. Spider-Man's half of the book is more character heavy. I'm hoping this means that this version of Marvel Team-Up will be focusing on 'Spider-Man and...', instead of being a Ms. Marvel title.

While this wasn't a perfectly balanced story, it was still an enjoyable read. For now, I've informed my LCS to add this new monthly series to my pull list. Even if this turns out to be a Ms. Marvel vehicle, I'm going to stay with this volume of MTU. I just hope that the quality of this series goes up from here. 

Maybe just stay away from the flip-book gimmicks...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Kitten Construction Company: Meet the House Kittens (Family Comic Friday)

When Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield and expert on humorous cats recommends a new graphic novel series about funny felines, you follow his lead. That’s why this week’s Family Comic Friday is all about the glorious gato as we review the first volume of Kitten Construction Company!

Kitten Construction Company: Meet The House Kittens
Story and art by John Patrick Green
Published by First Second
Pages: 70+
Retail: $17.99

Marmalade, Samson and Bubbles are all serious about building houses. But as cats, they are only looked at as cute, cuddly and funny! In order to get some respect, the kitties wrangle up some help and decide to show the people of Mewburg that they are the real deal when it comes to house construction!

Upon a recent trip to my local library, I found this book as it was being shelved on the new shelf in the young readers graphic novel section. I asked the librarian shelving it if the book had been popular and she said that it’s constantly in checked-out rotation. I just happened to get lucky when I did to grab it.

Both the recommendation of the librarian, the patrons of the branch, along with a glowing endorsement on the back cover from Garfield’s Jim Davis won me over in giving this book a read and man, am I ever glad that I listened to them all!

Kitten Construction Company was so much fun! I haven’t laughed so hard at something related to those with nine lives this side of a Youtube marathon of cat videos. Disney Adventures’ John Patrick Green obviously knows his felines. He gets the attitudes perfect. When Bubbles is distracted by a laser pointer, Green is flawless in how determined pussycat plumber is to ‘have that red dot!’

The artwork of the cats themselves are just adorable. Each one has personality and style. And all of the character kitties are extremely memorable.

This book debuted late last year. Had I found out about it sooner, it might have been my top hit of the 2018 season. It’s too late to do anything about it now. But better late than never, huh?

Book two in this new series, A Bridge Too Fur, debuts this October. So, before then, if you know of a fan of comic books and graphic novels aged 6-10 years old, check out the Kitten Construction Company. I guarantee that you’ll be so impressed by the antics of these purr-cocious carpenters that you will want them to build all of your future homes and places of business!

Kitten Construction Company: Meet the House Kittens debuted in print and digital platforms on September 4, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Tales of the Unexpected #98

A late 1960s DC treasure. I don't care if this was Marvel or Harvey or Charlton. I love these old school sci-fi anthology series. They're so kitschy that I can help to eat them up whenever I find one for a good deal!

There's a trio of stories in this issue. The cover story involves a man who must have emergency heart surgery. As a result, he's given an experimental mechanical heart which has some interesting side-effects. Due to a flaw in the heart's calibration with the man's metabolism; the patient is slowly turning into a machine!

The next story involves a character called 'The Green Glob'. A sort of Oa'n pre-cursor to the Green Lantern Corps, these unnoticeable gas clouds go around the universe secretly impacting the lives of total strangers. In this adventure, a con man flees to South America on a cruise line. Determined to keep his head down, the rogue finds himself the hero in a number of accidental situations. 

The final story was my favorite. Four strangers on an elevator find themselves in another dimension when the doors open. It's one of those morality play stories in which each person overcomes their individual unique flaws to save the lives of the other three. I'm a sucker for these type of yarns and it was done extremely well! 

They just don't make comic books like this anyone more! Interesting, intriguing and certainly unexpected!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Shazam! (2019)

Finally, the REAL Captain Marvel made his modern day debut on the big screen.

Asher Angel portrays orphan teen Billy Batson. While fleeing from some bullies, Batson seeks refuge in a subway car that transports the lad to the Rock of Eternity. There, Billy meets an ancient wizard who imbues the teen with 6 wondrous powers

whenever Billy exclaims 'Shazam!’

With a bolt of lightning, Billy Batson turns into Captain Marvel, played by Zachary Levy

(Chuck). (Due to some clever wordplay, the hero is never called by this name so to not

be hit with a lawsuit by Marvel Comics. But he is listed as C.M. in the credits.) For about

an hour, Shazam is a superhero twist on the Tom Hanks classic, Big.The Big Red Cheese explores his powers with fellow foster kid, Freddy Freeman (It'sJack Dylan Glazer) in hilarious fashion. But this all changes around the Midway point of this just over 2 hour long film.

The change in the film's tone from comedy to mystical thriller occurs when Dr. Silvana makes his presence known to Batson and Freddy. Sherlock Holmes'Mark Strong portrays the normally simpering mad scientist as a total heel. Evil through and through with powers to boot, I think Warner Bros. added some aspects to Dr. Silvana normally seen in fellow Captain Marvel baddie, Black Adam.

After seeing Shazam!, I think it's clear that the Black Adamfilm can be done and done well. But instead of trying to get Henry Cavill to appear in the film as Superman, make Levy's character be the film's protagonist. WB and DC has proven that their Captain Marvel can lead the DC Universe as well as be more socially appetizing for movie goers.

Critics hailed the House of Ideas’ Captain Marvelstarring Brie Larson, as the diversity driven superhero film of 2019. But in reality that honor needs to go to Shazam!People of color, women, the disabled and most importantly, the microcosm that is the foster child program are championed in this film. I strongly made the diversity connection in this film without having to be preached at by the cast of Marvel's Agents

of SHIELD

I really want to get back to the foster family aspect for a moment. Family is the key theme in Shazam!and the roles of Billy Batson and Dr. Silvana show some interesting contrasts. Silvana comes from a upbringing with a father and brother. Yet, he couldn’t be more distant from his

relatives in he was on Mars and they on Earth. Batson, while an orphan, is brought

into a loving foster home complete with 5 foster siblings willing to accept and love him right off the bat.

It’s not often you get to see social services or foster families in a positive light. My wife and I are avid watchers of NBC’s Chicago trilogy of shows and it seems that creator Dick Wolf reallyhas some sort of beef against social workers. If you work in social services or as a foster parent, you really need to get a group of fellow colleagues together and watch this movie. It

will make you feel good about the thankless service you give to your community!

Man, I only seem to be giving this film praise. That’s not to say that I didn’t have some problems with the film. The biggest issue I had was the release date. The film takes places

right around Christmas. Finally, superhero fans have a holiday movie! So why didn’t DC and

Warner Brothers release this in November or December? Were there production delays? Shazam! did around $55 million in the US on opening weekend. But had they released this at Christmas time, I guarantee it would have broke $70!

The other thing I did not like about this movie is something I have had problems with ever since Man of Steel. What is up with the super-slomo action scenes??? Justice Leagueand Wonder Womanwere riddled with these snail’s pace fight scenes. I really had thought Shazam! had risen above that but somebody decided during the film’s climax to slow the pace down by 40%.

And it annoyed the hell outta me!

I was all set to give Shazam!a solid 9 until the very last scene before the credits. I will not give away the spoiler. But it completely redeemed the movie. Let’s just say it was sup-, uh-Marvelous!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Rocko's Modern Afterlife #1 (A Family Comic Friday Extra)

Another beloved all-ages franchise adds zombies to the mix and gets gritty in this Family Comic Friday Extra. First it was Archie. Then Scooby-Doo went on to battle the walking dead. Now from your friends at Nickelodeon and Kaboom, it’s Rocko’s Modern Afterlife!

Rocko’s Modern Afterlife #1
Created by Joe Murray
Story by Anthony Burch
Art by Mattia Di Meo
Published by The Boom! Studios Imprint Kaboom
Retail: $3.99

A zombie apocalypse has infected the residents of O-Town. It’s unsafe to be out on the streets. But that’s a-okay with Rocko as he’s not really big on technology or large crowds of people. Yet, when his food supply suddenly runs low and the fate of one of his best friends hangs in the balance, our hero wallaby will have to risk his neck to save the day!

A story involving a monster doesn’t necessarily mean that the adventure isn’t for kids. Children literature is full of age appropriate tales of vampire bunnies and elementary school workers who are witches or werewolves. The same goes for this 4-issue mini-series written by actor and writer Anthony Burch (A Bug’s Life). Rocko’s Modern Afterlife is a book that can be enjoyed by some children; just not all.

The experience of seeing characters change from a normal everyday job to brain-eating ghoul can be unnerving. Plus, having the undead attack, bite and even feast on others is also quite intense for younger readers. Back issues of sister series Rocko’s Modern Life are aimed for readers aged 8-12. I would advise the age range for this series to be for readers 10 and up. But as always with Family Comic Friday, I make parental suggestions and not demands. Besides, those of you who grew up watching Rocko in the 90s know that the show was never one to shy away from pushing the envelope with double entendres or satirical social commentary.

Mattia Di Meo’s art is very well done. The Rugrats and Adventure Time artist does a fabulous job of rendering the characters are they looked on the TV screen. And the zombies are extremely menacing. I believe that Di Meo’s stunning art is one reason why Rocko’s Modern Afterlife might not sit well with the youngest of comic book fans.

This new take on Rocko’s Modern Life keeps the quirky spirit of the franchise alive and well, even if some of your favorite characters aren’t. It’s a little more mature that the 90s cartoon. But unlike Afterlife with Archie and Scooby Apocalypse, the Rocko franchise has not gone into the realm of teen plus. With the subtle scares, this series would have been perfect for a September/October drop just before All Hallow’s Eve.

If the younger reader in your life isn’t quite old enough to enjoy this mini- don’t worry. They’ll grow up. And when they do, as Marty McFly would say, ‘Your kids are gonna love it!’

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Sirens #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Today’s Family Comic Friday selection is one that kids of the 80s are going to want to share with their kids and grandkids! Jim Henson’s The Storyteller is back in comic book form in a new miniseries devoted to mermaids and other sirens of the sea!

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens #1
Story by Bartosz Sztybor
Art by Jakub Rebelka
Published by the Boom Studios imprint Archaia
Retail Price: $3.99

If you were a kid growing up in the 80s and had HBO, then you have got to be familiar with Jim Henson’s The Storyteller. Though the show only lasted one very short season, episodes were shown as reruns well through the mid-90s. The award winning series starred Doctor Who’s John Hurt as The Storyteller. Sitting in front of a roaring fire, the narrator regaled his faithful pooch with thrilling, yet obscure, European folk tales.

A 4-episode revival series based on Greek myths debuted in 1990 with Michael Gambon (the Harry Potter series’ Dumbledore) starring as the fabulist. Now some 30 years later, Jim Henson’s beloved creation has returned in an all-new 4-issue miniseries. This time the focus in on stories of mermaids and other sirens of the sea.

Issue #1 focuses on the lesser known tale of ‘The Mermaid and the Fisherman’. This Polish folktale is not to be confused with the story of the Warsaw Mermaid, of which the maiden of the sea is a national icon. However, I wouldn’t doubt that the tale was somewhat inspired by the Warsaw Mermaid as there are some similarities between the two legends.

In this debut issue, a fisherman has his heart set on raising enough money to buy a stunning fishing vessel. No matter how well the angler does on his daily catch, the money his receives is never enough to make him happy. That is until one day when the sailor hears the song of a Mermaid. Having imprisoned the creature, the fisherman soothes his savage spirit to her enchanting song. But at what cost?

Archaia makes the wise move of using native talent for this opening tale. Warsaw’s own Bartosz Szytbor pens this epically sad tale of the sea. But to me, what really blew me away was the amazing artwork of Jakub Rebelka.

Namesake’s Rebelka paints the entire story. His strokes and moody dark tones are quite reminiscent of a lot of Polish folk art that I have seen. I know quite a bit as my wife is a third generation Polish immigrant and I’ve spent a lot of time learning of her family’s Eastern European heritage. That aside, the passion and angst of every character in this issue is masterfully done by the Polish master artist.

This new miniseries based on Jim Henson’s The Storyteller is both entertaining and education. Children of all ages can experience a small slice of Polish life without the indigestion of consuming too much kielbasa and sauerkraut. I only wish that Archaia had gone just a tiny bit further and included a 1-2 page section on something factual  and educational about Poland. I would love to have seen a closing segment on other Polish artists or maybe a fact sheet about the importance of the mermaid in Polish culture. Maybe this is something that could be worked up for the trade collection???

A great opening chapter in a legendary series. It will delight both kids and the adults who grew up watching the show!

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens #1 debuted in print and digital formats on Wednesday April 3rd, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Beavis and Butt-Head #12 (A Madman Re-read)

I'm a little late in reviewing this, so please forgive...

This is in no way a comic for kids. 

Thankfully, despite being vulgar and stupid, it wasn't blasphemous. Other than a funny running gag that Santa's wife is named 'Mary Christmas' there wasn't anything that seemed pointed at the Christmas story. Why even their search for the true meaning of Christmas was balanced with A Peanuts Christmas nativity and A Christmas Story commercialism. 

Bottom line, if this wasn't a Christmas comic (or other holidays) I wouldn't have bought it and I can most definitely say this series is not going on my wish list anytime soon.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #47

After years of trying, Peebles Pet Shop has finally sold Magilla- to a mad scientist! Good thing Mystery Incorporated stopped by to give Scooby-Doo a good washing after a bout with a marsh monster. As the teen detectives and Mr. Peebles head to the foreboding laboratory, they run afoul of a score of creatures that have had their heads switched. Could this be the fate of our pal Magilla?

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that I think that the Hanna-Barbera are the weaker stories for Scooby-Doo Team-Up. But I really enjoyed this 2019 issue. It may have something to do with the fact that I am not very familiar with the antics of Magilla Gorilla. Grape Ape- I've got a doctorate in stuff involving him. But not so much Magilla. So, maybe the whole concept was more fresh to me. 

Another thing that made this issue a winner was just how well Sholly Fisch did with the story itself. The idea of the mad scientist was a welcome change to the detectives solving another whodunit involving someone in a ghost costume. Plus, the jokes were funny and not as worn out as my walking shoes.

Walter Carzon did a great job on the art. His pairings of animals with different heads was really well done. Plus, I like how the Scooby characters and the Magilla characters meshed together. Sometimes, the HB characters don't look quite right next to Fred, Daphne and Velma, who are drawn more like a realistic teens. But the way Carzon crafted Mr. Peeples, Magilla and the mad scientist, you still got the original look of the characters but without a sense that someone was out of place.

Another great issue of this fun series. SCTU is one of my all-time favs and this issue issue is yet another fantastic reason why!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars