Marvel Action Classics: Spider-Man Two-In-One #1 (A Family Comic Friday Extra)

Some weeks there is just so much great stuff that you can’t contain it in one article. For this Family Comic Friday Extra, we take a look at the triumphant return of the House of Idea’s Marvel Adventures line in a series of reprint one-shots from IDW!

Marvel Action Classics: Spider-Man Two-In-One #1
Written by Marc Sumerak, Peter David
Art by David Nakayama, Mike Norton
Published by IDW Publishing
Pages: 46
Retail: $4.99

From 2005-2011, Marvel Comics was your place for all-ages comics. Under the Marvel Adventures line (formerly Marvel Age), all of your favorite superheroes and villains came alive in exciting exploits that captured the heart of classic Marvel while exploring unimaginable new plot-lines. Where else could you find the Hulk and Wolverine switching brains? Or Mole Man turning into a giant thanks to some Pym particles?

The essence of Marvel Adventures was that the comics were fun. They also happened to be quite funny. With a slew of amazing talent such as Darwyn Cooke, Aaron Lopresti, Skottie Young and Tommy Lee Edwards, the sky was the limit! And in some cosmic themed stories, that limit extended into the furthest reaches of the cosmos!

Unfortunately, with the coming of Disney XD’s line-up of animated series based on the Avengers, Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man, Marvel Adventures’ day were numbered. By 2012, the line was defunct. Instead of issues filled with original art and stories, Marvel Comics replaced Marvel Adventures with picto-comics. Here, stills from the cartoons were placed into order, word bubbles added, and put into comic book form. With a couple of pages of fun and games stuff, these comics took over for the Adventures line. Even the digest collections of Marvel Adventures stories were discontinued abruptly, immediately going into out-of-print status.

Sadly, the Marvel Adventures line was all but forgotten. Unless you got lucky at a used book store or maybe a dollar box at a comic book show, it was almost impossible to find anything from this imprint. Well, that’s all about to change!

This week, IDW Publishing was granted access to the Marvel Vaults in order to present some of the most exciting tales from the Marvel Adventures line. First up was a pair of Spidey stories in which the wall-crawler joins forces with some of Marvel’s powerhouses.

In the first story, Spider-Man falls under the spell of Amora, the Enchantress. With the sorceress now claiming the throne of Asgard, Spider-Man has unwittingly become her champion. That all might change when Thor, the god of thunder, arrives on the Asgard scene!

Then Spidey must enlist the help of the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange! When Flash Thompson is attacked by a fierce beast, Spider-Man comes to the rescue. Seemingly, Flash is okay. That is until the moon gets full and the bully turns into a werewolf!

Both stories were great. But Peter David (The Incredible Hulk) is a master at storytelling and his werewolf narrative just has something magical about it. The artwork of both stories is very good. However, it’s the art that has always been the one thing that I wasn’t a huge fan of with Marvel Adventures.

I love thick ink lines. I think it’s a throwback to the 60s and 70s comics that I grew up on. The Marvel Adventures books always featured ultra-modern artwork with characters made up of heavy muscles and pencil-thin inking. There’s nothing wrong with this style of artwork. It’s just not my cup of tea.

That being said, I’m excited that Marvel is giving a new generation of superhero fans a chance to discover Marvel Adventures. In the next few weeks, IDW will be releasing 2 more one-shots under the Marvel Action Classics banner- one starring Captain America and a second featuring The Hulk. The Hulk issue is due in stores on June 5th. Cap’s issue is currently TBA. But until then, you’ll just have to settle for your friendly, neighborhood, Spider-Man!

Marvel Action Classics: Spider-Man Two-In-One #1 debuted in print on May 29th, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Wolf in Underpants (Family Comic Friday)

This week, Family Comic Friday goes international as we look at the English translation of The Wolf in Underpants. A beloved French series, this graphic novel is a smartly written fable that is full of silly laughs!\

The Wolf in Underpants

Written by Wilfrid Lupano
Art by Mayana Itoiz and Paul Couuet
English Translation published by Graphic Universe
Pages: 40
Retail: $8.99

The animals of the forest are terrified of the wolf! To protect themselves, they attend wolf defense lectures and learn self-defense. The exploits of the wolf are covered in the daily newspaper. There’s even an anti-wolf brigade. So what is everyone to do when the wolf finally appears and he doesn’t feel like being big or bad anymore?

Wilfrid Lupano (Valerian and Laureline) crafts a wickedly funny story about a wolf, the community he terrorizes and his underpants. This is the sort of comedy the French are known for. This book is kinda weird, a little surreal, and very funny.

At the heart of this story is a fable about the way change can impact society. All of the forest creatures live their lives in fear of a terrible beast. Their entire economy is based around protecting themselves from the wolf. The wolf, thanks to some comfy underlinens, has decided to no longer life his life in anger. Now can the animals meet the challenge to put ‘more in their lives than just fear’? It’s clearly a message in today’s highly political world that some adults need to hear.

My favorite part was the artwork by Mayana Itoiz and Paul Couuet (The Old Geezers). They create a forest world that reminded me of the very busy antics of those characters of Richard Scarry. Every corner of the page is filled with tiny animals doing very human-like things. It was such a wondrous landscape on every page of this book. So great, I didn’t want it to end.

You might think being a French graphic novel that The Wolf in Underpants would be bawdy. But the level of humor about underwear is way tamer than anything in the Captain Underpants series. There is a devilish ending to this book. But it’s nothing worse than just about anything that happens in the end of Little Red Riding Hood. (And no- that’s not a spoiler!)

The Wolf in Underpants is recommended for readers 7-11. It is a delightful little book that will make both kids and parents laugh again and again. If the young reader in your life becomes a fan of this scantily clad predator, then you’ll be delighted to know that the Wolf will return in another volume sometime in early 2020.

A fun read that is as smart and it is bizarre. One part children’s story book, one part graphic novel- The Wolf in Underpants is a French import completely worthy of high praise!

The Wolf in Underpants debuted in print and digital formats on March 5, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.

Encounter, Volume 1: Out of This World (A Family Comic Friday Extra!)

I reviewed the first issue a while back as part of one of my Family Comic Friday columns. While I enjoyed that book, I felt that should I ever get my hands on the collected edition, I would review this separately as I didn't want to take away from reviewing another all-ages book. But since then, I have started do Family Comic Friday Extras. So here goes...

Encounter, Volume 1: Out of This World
Written and illustrated by Art Baltazar, Franco & Chris Giarusso
Published by Lion Forge
Pages: 136
Retail: $12.99

Encounter is a shape-shifting alien who has sought refuge on planet earth. While on our planet, he has made it his mission to protect several mysterious pods that bear the same green polka dots that he does. In order to earn money, Encounter poses as a baker. But because of those darn dots he bears, he must turn his bakery into an Encounter themed shop. You can't expect Encounter to give up his secret identity, now can you?

It's not easy being a super hero. Especially now, as a series of villains have come to town demanding those pods. It will take all the help from his super powered sidekick, Barko and the neighboring owner of the local comic book store and his niece to help keep those orbs from the hands of the baddies! 

I love Art Baltazar and Franco (Tiny Titans)! I love Chris Giarusso (G-Man)! Having all 3 working on a comic book together is all-ages gold! 

Their art style is timeless. Their sense of humor is steeped in comic book lore. And all three creators just want to create fun comics for the whole family to enjoy!

This volume covers the first 5 issues of Encounter. There's a volume 2 that just came out in March that covers issues 6-10. I'm really hoping there will be more after that. But it's been about 6 months since the last issue debuted. I'm not really sure what the delay is. In fact, there may not be a delay at all and issue #10 was the last we'll see of Encounter and friends.
I hope that is not the case; but it's real possibility.

Encounter has something for the whole family. The main features have bigger words and more complex plots for those aged 8-12. The secondary tales are simplified for readers 4-7. The villains are zany. The townsfolk are goofy. And every once in a while you have to do a double take because the in-jokes are really surreal. But this is wholesome stuff that will make parents and guardians very happy!

Encounter, Volume 1: Out of This World debuted in print and digital formats on October 2, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

And be sure to be on the lookout for my regular FCF column later this afternoon!

Spidey: Freshman Year

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed an issue of Spidey Super Stories. It was a series that ran in the 70s based on the live-action exploits of Spider-Man from the PBS series The Electric Company. In that issue, the web-slinger battled the terrifying Lizard.

Not willing to let a great idea die, Marvel brought back Spidey for a 12-issue run in 2016. I, of course, remembered the 70s version fondly. Naturally, I wanted for the series to be collected to see if the reboot was as good as the original. 

Spidey covers Peter Parker's first days as a super hero. This coincides with his freshman year of high school. During this time, Parker is the best friend of Harry Osborn, the number one target of school bully Flash Thompson and he might be the love interest of one Gwen Stacy- if he can get the courage to ask her out sometime. But above all- this story is about the troubles Parker has balancing being a superhero with responsibilities as a student and teenager. 

This series screams Stan Lee. It's so similar in feel to that of Lee and Ditko's run on Spider-Man, it's scary. Yet, I didn't feel that any of these stories had been told over and over to the point of being stale. Plus, I didn't have any problem with Gwen being a fellow classmate and not a college co-ed unlike some Marvel traditionalists. 

Since Marvel didn't have the rights to The Electric Company, you won't see Easy Reader or Paul the Gorilla. Though it would have been neat to have seen a cameo or two. (There might have been some characters from the 70s popping up in the background and I just didn't recognize them. But alas, no simians in trench coats...) However, the writers to this series do happen to subtlety mention some of the exploits that did occur in Spidey Super Stories, including what happened that last time Spider-Man meet the Lizard in the streets of New York. 

I absolutely loved the artwork of the first 4 issues. Nick Bradshaw (Guardians of the Galaxy) did this amazing job of rendering every last tiny detail. It was so much like that of another personal favorite of mine, Frank Quitely. When the art duties switched over later to Andre Araujo (Avengers A.I.), the art was bad. It just wasn't as magnificently detailed. It's like when your mom goes all out the first day of school with making you a fantastic lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, potato chips and a banana. Then by the last day of school, you're lucky if she puts a raw potato in the lunch bag. You start off with great expectations and end with mediocrity at best. 

Okay- again Araujo's art was good. It was mediocre compared to Bradshaw!

At least the quality of the stories didn't change. Too bad Marvel didn't invest in a series 2. Spidey is definitely an awesome read for the whole family that deserves more attention from the House of Ideas.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Chewbacca (2015)

If you think that the reason I choose now to read the collection version of this 2015 Marvel miniseries is due to the untimely death of actor Peter Mayhew, buy yourself a cee-gar!  The death of the first actor to portray everyone's favorite Wookiee hit me, a literal life-long Star Wars fan (I was born in 1977), very hard. My second eldest child is actually named after the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon (and yes, Chewie is a human boy!) 

Naturally, there's quite a bit of affection for the character in my family. Along with lighting a candle in front on a copy of Episode IV on DVD, I wanted to do something else in tribute to Mayhew. So, I decided to finally hit my local library and check out this book. 

The story takes place sometime very soon after the Battle of Yavin. Chewie is on a secret mission when he crash lands on a mining planet teetering on the edge of falling under the dominion of the Empire. All the Wookiee wants to do is buy the needed part to repair his fighter and complete his mission. But when he falls under the charms of an escaped slave girl, Chewbacca will risk everything to make sure this planet doesn't fall under the iron boot of the Empire like his beloved home world of Kashyyk!

The artwork of Phil Noto is very good. The X-23 artist uses a watercolor technique that gives the story a vintage feel. Chewbacca looks almost life-like. Though I did feel that the Wookiee's muzzle looked rather comical like a  Fu Manchu mustache. 

There was another element of Noto's art that was a tad confusing; that of Chewie's youthful companion, Zarro. In much of this 5-issue series, Zarro looks more like a 10-year old boy than a girl. It's not just because she has short hair. Zarro's face looks more masculine.

I'm wondering if Zarro was originally to be a boy. But Marvel, decided somewhere in final production to switch the character's gender. In some panels (and covers), Zarro looks like a young boy from Eastern Europe in about 75% of this book. The character just doesn't look consistent throughout. 

This mini was published during the Axel Alonso era in which Marvel Comics pandered diversity for the sake of sales and fan loyalty (and failed miserably.) So, I would not have put it past Marvel to decide that this story needed a feminine touch. Thus, in a massive rush to make deadline, Phil Noto had just enough time to touch up some panels but not all! I'd be interested to learn more about who was the model of Zarro and if my theory was right.

Gerry Duggan pens this story. I love his work on Deadpool. He's faithful to beloved source material while not being afraid of pushing the envelope. But this comic is one time that you needed Chewbacca's buddy Han Solo around. Nobody is around to interpret what Chewie has to say. I can understand id Gerry Duggan felt that by having Han around, this wouldn't be a Chewbacca solo tale. But this book needed someone around to help us understand what Chewie is saying; like maybe a protocol droid. As much as I've tried, I just don't speak Wookiee.

Speaking of being lost in translation- just what does Zarro's shirt say? I bet it's an awesome Easter egg. But as much as I don't know Wookiee, I speak even less Galactic Basic!

Star Wars: Chewbacca was a good read. But, it had some rough edges. But I enjoyed it. But if ever a book needed a director's cut style appendix about the art process (and maybe a Wookiee-to-English dictionary), this would be the book to need it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Captain Ginger, Volume 1: Survival Instinct

Cat lovers who love sci-fi! Your puur-ayers have been answered in Ahoy Comic’s star-crossed epic, Captain Ginger!

Captain Ginger, Volume 1: Survival Instinct

Story: Stuart Moore
Art/Cover: June Brigman
Inker: Roy Richardson
Colorist: Veronica Gandini
Publisher: Ahoy Comics
Pages: 128

Retail: $15.99
Cats have been an intrical part of science-fiction all the way back to Jonesy in 1979’s Alien and Heinlein’s The Cat Who Walked Through Walls. A mutated cat-human was a character on the BBC’s long-running Red Dwarf. And what Star Trek fan can forget Gary Seven’s shape-shifting cat Isis or Mister Data’s cat, Spot? But all of these felines have unfortunately been rather minor characters. A sci-fi series involving cats as the main characters has really not been a thing- until now!

In the distant future, the human race has either gone extinct or evolved into a higher form. Taken their place are a more advanced species of feline that can talk, walk upright and fly spacecraft while still being able to claw your eyes out. Leading the possibly last vestige of the feline race is Captain Ginger! An intrepid tabby, Ginger balances the responsibility of leading his fellow gatos to safety from a menacing race of unseen aliens along with trying not be overthrown by a mutinous bosun and solving the mystery of just who was Captain Ginger’s father.

Deadpool The Duck’s Stuart Moore has crafted a sci-fi fantasy that brings cat lovers and fans of apocalyptic fiction together. Captain Ginger, the character might not know what breed of cat he is. But Captain Ginger, the comic book, is a mix of dark humor, swashbuckling adventure and techno-mystery. Moore has got to be a cat lover because he capture’s there foilibles so brilliantly. The scene in which the two alley cat navigators get distracted by a moving blip on the radar screen is straight out of any puss’s encounter with a laser pointer!

Those sort of scenes come to life through the talented pencils of June Brigman (Brenda Starr). Brigman has created an ensemble cast of Persians, Sphinx, Main Coon and Toms on this voyage through the stars. However, I find that both Stuart Moore and Brigman have one major problem on their hands. If one of these precious little puddy tats die, I along with scores of cat fans, are not going to be happy.

I’m sorry, but I am in that faction of animals lovers that doesn’t mind if the main characters die. But if you kill the dog, or cat in this case, then I am done with you. Animals are just one of those untouchable things that if they face a demise, whether sudden or expected, I have trouble being a fan of. For many, Disney’s Bambi, is an excellent case in point. For me, it was that tear jerking scene in Futurama. I just wasn’t the same kind of fan of Matt Groening’s sci-fi cartoon after Fry falsely believed that his beloved dog had move on after his disappearance. Thus, with cats being the main characters, you can see how a certain attachment to furballs is a major issue here.

There’s another element that I’m not really a fan of: the element of survival. Captain Ginger’s ship is much like the Battlestar Galactica. Both are running dangerously low on food and fuel. Some aspects of this kind of plotline are quite thrilling; like Ginger having to quell a potential mutiny from his chief rival, Sgt. Mittens. But what really turned me off of Battlestar Galactica was how convenient it was when fuel and food ran low, they always managed at the right time to find a planet or abandoned ship with exactly what they needed at the exact time. Once or twice is fine. Just not every episode. I hope Captain Ginger doesn’t fall down that rabbit hole that so many other shows fall prey to.

Volume 1 collects the first four issues of the series. I thought that it was a series that was fresh and new. I hope that when further chapters of this comic debut they will continue to stay that way. With the awesome twist cliffhanger, I think there’s very little chance that this series will start to stink like an unscooped litter box. Paws crossed!

JUST DON’T KILL THE CAT!

Captain Ginger, Volume 1: Survival Instinct debuts in print and digital formats on June 19, 2019. For back issues, check with your local LCS!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review was originally published May 24th, 2019 on Outrightgeekery.com.

Some weeks, there is just so much great all-ages stuff that we've got to do a second post. Due to popular demand, Marvel's Star Comics are coming back into print once more! For this Family Comic Friday Extra we take a look at the return of that pint-sized space-farer Planet Terry!

Star Comics: Planet Terry- The Complete Collection

Written by Lennie Herman, Stan Kay
Art by Warren Kremer
Published by Marvel Comics
Retail: $39.99

In the mid 1980s, Marvel Comics had the brilliant idea to create an all-ages imprint. The House of Ideas had a number of hits publishing the exploits of such beloved kids properties like G.I. Joe and Transformers. But those books were aimed for a more older crowd much to the dismay of parents. Thus, editor Jim Shooter decided to go after some new properties and maintain the youthful spirit of those franchises. After the course of 4 years, Star Comics covered the adventures of classics like Thundercats and Masters of the Universe. But at the very beginning of the imprint, Star decided to craft some original content.

The original 4 titles were a Richie Rich rip-off called Royal Roy (to which Harvey Comics sued Marvel for plagiarism),  the magically infused Wally the Wizard, the slightly too thrilling for kiddies Top Dog and lastly, our featured series: Planet Terry.

Planet Terry was a sci-fi inspired epic. The lead character was Terry; a platinum haired youth who spent the entire 12-issue run searching for his parents. Over the course of the series, Terry would participate in intergalactic video games, battle giant monsters and rescue princesses from danger with the help of his two friends, Omnus and Robota. Omnus was a burly lizard man with great strength. Robota was a silver plated female android.

If Robota looked and acted an awful lot like the mechanical maid of Richie Rich, you weren't far off. The artwork of these issues were penciled by the legendary Warren Kremer. For those of you born after 1990, Kremer was the artistic mastermind behind the creation such characters as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Little Audrey and even that poor little rich boy, Richie Rich! With assists from Vince Coletta (Fantastic Four) on inks, expect the art of most of this book to be super clean!

The writing duties were split between Lennie Herman and Stan Kay (Muppet Babies).

This is another Marvel reissue in which the publisher is rating way too high! It's not a book for Teens or older. (I've seen varying age ratings for this book from as high as Teen to no rating at all.) This was originally punished unrated. But in 1985, they didn't have ratings yet! The series was approved by the Comics Code Authority, but there was such a broad interpretation of what ages were covered under that stamp that a decade later, the Code was all but defunct. Take it from me, readers of all ages will enjoy this blast from the past!

One big spoiler-

Planet Terry ran for 12 issues. Unfortunately, Terry's quest to find his parents was never fulfilled. The character has in the past few years shown up in a few of Marvel's cosmic titles. Planet Terry is all grown-up now. However, there's no indication in these more modern appearances of whether Terry was reunited with mom and dad at a later date.

I usually don't post big spoilers such as this. However, I know first hand what it's like to devote yourself to a series or franchise that for one reason or another gets cancelled before being able to reach it's intended conclusion. I hope that parents and grandparents who grew up with this series with share it with the young reader it their lives. I really do. Planet Terry was one of the better Star Comics original titles. But I also want you to be aware that once the kiddies finish this book, they're going to ask you what happened next. So, you have best be able to come up with an imaginative answer on your own.

Planet Terry is a cult hit that didn't get much of a chance. But it's not because of poor production values. It's because retailers were hesitant to add unproven new comics to their already overcrowded shelves. Unless you had a local comic book store nearby or could afford to subscribe to Star Comics by mail, it was nearly impossible to find these titles at your local 7-11 or general book seller.

Granted, fans of the original Star Comics line-up are going to want the individual issues. But, since kids were who owned them, original copies in deceit shape are very difficult to find and some cases very expensive! But these complete collection is perfect to share with the next generation of comic book fans!

Due to conflicting accounts on several websites, I cannot be certain when Star Comics: Planet Terry- The Complete Collection will debut in stores. Amazon has the book coming out the first week in June. Previewsworld.com, the trusted comic book website for collectors and retailers claims the the book dropped on Wednesday, May 22nd. That website also claims that a readers will get a bonus of the complete six-issue miniseries Misty; about an aspiring young model, along with all 12-issues of Planet Terry. For those who enjoy their comics digital, Marvel.com has the complete Terry run for sale at the price of $19.99.

Regardless of which format or date in time you buy this collection, rest assured that your read is going to be out of the world!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Secret Life of Pets #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Max. Duke, Chloe, Snowball. Ozone! All of your favorite characters from The Secret Life of Pets are back. But I'm not talking about the sequel due in theaters next month! This weekly column is called Family Comic Friday and we're going to look at Titan Comics' new comic based on the hit series from Illumination Entertainment.

The Secret Life of Pets #1

Written by Stephanie Lapuss
Art by Goum
Published by Titan Comics
Retail: $3.99
Fans of The Secret Life of Pets can enjoy over 30 vignettes starting their favorite characters! I'm really cool with this concept. My favorite part of the movie was that opening montage that let us into the personal lives of all the pets living in the apartment complex. And each of these shorts seem to riff off of that premise.

Stephanie  Lapuss (The Minions series), adds unique comic touches to all of the characters in such a way, I felt that this comic was written by the original screenwriters. The comedy is that seamless. As a result, I laughed out loud several times.

One thing that I didn't have a problem with, but some young readers might, involves the artwork. The art is done by an artist named Goum. A quick Google search brings up literally nothing about this person other than he or she also did the artwork for The Secret Life of Pets #2.

Goum's style is nothing like the movie version. It has an almost impressionistic style to in. Take Gidget, the white Pomeranian who is in love with Max. In some panels, she is rendered like a tiny ball of white fluff with only the face of Gidget.

I remember that as a kid, if a comic didn't look exactly like it should on TV or film, it was off-putting. Some kids just want their Disney products to look Disney. So I hope that the expressive art style of this comic doesn't detract young readers from this series. Those that might not be a fan of the art will miss out on some very, VERY funny stuff!

I didn't know that Titan Comics even did kids comics. (I'll let you all debate whether Doctor Who is a kids property or not.) Anyways, I am excited to see Titan entering the family comic scene and I hope to review more all-ages stuff from them in the future. They've proven that they've got what it takes to make a funny and fairly accurate comic book version of an animated comedy the whole household can enjoy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Secret Life of Pets #1 debuted in print and digital formats on May 22, 2019.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 debuts in theaters nationwide on June 7, 2019.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.

America's Best TV Comics #1

A comic book grail. This one had been on my wish list for a very long time. And while I am very excited to own it (as well as to have gotten a very good deal), I was a tiny bit disappointed about some of the content. 

Both the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man stories are abridged reprints. Okay, sure. I was foolish to think that the Marvel stories would have been new material. But the editing was a little sloppy. You'd go from one scene to another and yet there were be some really bad plot holes. So the editing wasn't very good. But the stories themselves were classics!

The other stories were of shows that also were to air on Saturday morning cartoons on ABC in the fall of 1967. I know that the Casper story was probably a reprint. But I'm not sure if the stories involving King Kong, George of the Jungle and Journey to the Center of the Earth were or not. I'm assuming the the latter was a comic book reprint of sorts as in one scene the heroes are going around and corner and in the next panel, they are surfing down a lava flow astride giant leaves. 

Okay- reprint or not; that story was a real stinker!

My favorite thing about this comic was all of the vintage ads for classic TV shows such as The Flying Nun, the live action Batman series and Custer! They made a TV show about George Custer? The biggest loser in Army history? Really??? Yikers.

This was a time capsule in a comic book. A true cool find. Maybe not 100% how I envisioned it all these years. But I don't feel like my money was wasted on this either!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Spidey Super Stories #36

For a very long time, Spidey Super Stories had been nearly impossible to find. Since I started recollecting comics in 2007, I had only seen one issue for sale and that store wanted a ridiculous amount of cash for it. Then for some reason, issues started popping up in the past year. I've managed to find 5 or 6 for a good price; between $1-5 each. Somehow, I ended up with a duplicate- this issue!

Since I just had surgery, I decided that instead of trying to file it in a very heavy long box, I would read the duplicate copy and then after the review, I'd put this up for resale or trade.

This issue focuses on one of my all-time favorite Spider-Man villains- The Lizard. Curt Connors has once again been fiddling around with his chemistry set and turned himself into a giant reptile. But why he did it in the first place is unknown.

In the pages of Amazing Spider-Man, Curt Connors has only one arm. Seeing how lizards can regenerate a tail or limb, Connors does research with the creatures in hopes of regaining his missing arm. Yet, in the origin story recapped her, Connors has both arms. Why? Did Marvel think that kids couldn't handled a story with an amputee?

Spidey Super Stories was based on the Spider-Man tales from the PBS classic educational series, The Electric Company. Characters from that show would make appearances in this all-ages book. While this comic claims that some of the characters in this issue are from the TV show, I don't remember any of these characters. 

Where's Manny Spamboni? Paul the Gorilla? Easy Reader? I guess they're in other issues as they sure aren't here!

There's two other stories in this issue. The middle tales involves the Green Goblin and a plot to steal from people during seances. Seances? Really, Marvel??? For 1979, you couldn't have characters with disabilities but contacting the dead was okay for a kids comic? Didn't you see what happened in The Exorcist?

The last adventure sees somebody stealing prized poppies from a flower show. As Peter Parker happens to be one of the entrants in the contest, you can be sure that Spider-Man will be nearby to stop the dastardly foe.

For the most part, this comic is how I remember- except for the Electric Company characters. Well, there's something else different. Spidey Super Stories were used as educational tools in some classrooms. Teachers could order multiple issues for their class at a bulk rate. While I wasn't old enough for that, I remember that early issues (you could buy at the local 7-11) had a glossary of terms in the back of the book based on words used in bold in the comic. While there are plenty of terms in black (almost in every sentence), there's no glossary. Kinda wondering why...

This was still a fun trip to my late 70s childhood. The art was great. The stories were good. Maybe a little bit aged for being a nearly 40 year old comic. But a cool nostalgic read none the less.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Forgotten Fads and Fabulous Flops by Paul Kirchner

A compendium of trends that didn't make it off the ground. As bizarre as they were, you won't find Pet Rocks or Garbage Pail Kids here because both met with tremendous success, albeit temporarily. Here you'll find TV shows that didn't make it past one entire episode, sodas that fell flat, and clothes that just didn't fit in anywhere in popular culture. 

The book reads like an encyclopedia going from A-Z. I recently had surgery. So I appreciate the abbreviated nature of the entries as I've not been feeling up to reading something long or heavy. 

One downside to this book is that it's over 20 years old. Published in 1995, there's tons of stuff that failed to make a lasting impact on pop culture that isn't in this book. Pepsi Clear, John Travolta's Battlefield Earth and the Facebook Phone are just a few failed entries ripe for a volume 2. 

While author Paul Kirchner does not seem to have created a sequel, he does have a couple more books about failures that look quite interesting. One thing that Kirchner did fairly well throughout his commentary was be funny. Sometimes when a writer tries to entertain while educating, they miss the punchline badly. And while not every joke was a winner, the author did one of the better jobs at being informative and funny in a book such as this.

Forgotten Fads has long since gone out of print (But affordable copies can still be found on Amazon.) It was published by Rhino Books, a division of Rhino Records. In the 90s, with CDs taking the place of cassettes and vinyl, crafting box sets was a clever way to get people to fork over their cash for something that they had already bought in two other formats previously. Adding a book filled with interesting facts and breathtaking color photos was an incentive that sweetened that pot. In order to keep those presses from running idle, Rhino starting publishing large books about pop culture. However, it seems that Rhino Books was to become another one of the 'fabulous flops' of the 20th century as the publisher went defunct before the year 2000.

 Perfect if you are a fan of Mysteries at the Museum. Especially because I have seen several of the items covered in this book on that show! I wonder if the producers use this book as their idea story bible?! An entertaining read, if you can find it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Super Sons, Volume 1: The Polarshield Project (Family Comic Friday)

It took awhile but this Madman was finally able to get a copy DC Zoom’s new all-ages series, Super Sons. As we say here at Family Comic Friday- better late than never as we review The Polarshield Project!

Super Sons, Volume 1: The Polarshield Project
Written by Ridley Pearson
Art by Ile Gonzalez
Published by DC Zoom (An Imprint of DC Comics)
Pages: 153 plus extras
Retail: $9.99

I’ve been going on for a while about the new young reader imprints from DC Comics. And while I’ve been singing the praises of DC Ink and DC Zoom, I had yet to get my hands on a copy of one of their earliest releases until now!

I really had my heart set on Mera: Tidebreaker. It’s a origin story about the future queen of Atlantis. However, it seemed that fate had a different genesis story on hand for me to review for FCF!

If you are familiar with DC’s regular series Super Sons, you know that it is the adventures of the son of Superman, Jon Kent and Batman’s heir, Damian Wayne.And that’s exactly where you readers of the regular series turned occasional miniseries should stop. That’s because this version of the Super Sons takes place on an alternate earth.

Science says that the damage to the polar ice caps will be irreparable sometime in the next 10-25 years. However, in Super Sons, the damage is beyond fixing. Well, almost. Superman has agreed to go into outer space to collect a substance that might help reduce the effects of damaging greenhouse gases.  Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne’s Wayne Industries has developed a retractable flood wall in which to protect coastal cities from the rising tides. But as the water’s continue to rise, communities such as Metropolis are abandoned and the people of Coleumbria are forced to move further inland.

Already, I think you can see some changes between the DC Comics Super Sons and the DC Zoom imprint. But before we dig further into that, let’s finish with the plot summary.
Both the Waynes and Kents are forced to move to the city of Wyndemere. Bruce Wayne has been called away to solve a crisis in Asia. That leaves young Damian in charge of the company. With Lois on assignment covering the floods, Jon is offered an after-school internship at the Wyndemere branch of the Daily Planet.

In the absence of their fathers, Jon and Damien witness a sort of lawlessness sweeping their new hometown. Flood refugees experience prejudice at the hands of native Wyndemere residents. A mysterious virus is causing thousands to go into coma with no possible hope of recovery, including Lois Lane. And a strange band of girls are after a newcomer named Candace, who possesses a powerful totem. The only way to get to the bottom of this chaos is for the two young men to join forces!

The Polarshield Project is an interesting ‘buddy cop’ sort of comedy. As straight-laced and idealistic Jon joins forces with a half-cocked and wild Damien, you really feel that you are experiencing the early days of Lethal Weapon’s Riggs and Murtaugh as opposed to the first pairings of a Superboy and a Robin. While the story was quite good, the established tropes of young Wayne and Kent isn’t canon.

Usually Damian Wayne is very demure. He’s got too much of his grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul, in him to the point that having fun is a four-letter word. Yet here, with Bruce Wayne not wanting his son to be his sidekick, there’s a sort of wackiness to Damien as he tries to become a superhero. Usually in Super Sons, it’s the fish out of water Jon Kent who is the comic relief. Instead, in this series, Kent is the voice of reason. It’s Damien who’s doing odd stuff for an unintended laugh.

I guess it’s hard to make an all-ages graphic novel based around a character who is prophesied to be the antiChrist. (Read Detective Comics #666 for more details on Damian Wayne’s future role in the DC Universe.) But I think that Ridley Pearson (Peter and the Starcatchers) might have made the right move by staying away from that area of the Batman Family. But did he have to make Damian Wayne a complete loon?

I do agree that setting the Super Sons in an alternate earth was a good decision. It helps staunch readers be able to separate the DC Zoom universe from the comic books. When I saw the description of how this series was going to deal with global warming, an issue which really hasn’t spiral out of control yet in the comics, I envisioned loyal DC readers going into a revolt. But having the characters be so dynamically different is a little off-putting.

There are some great new characters in Super Sons and with their introduction, it looks like this series is going to become a Justice League Juniors sort of title. Cassandra is obviously a descendant of the animal master, Vixen. And one of the minor background characters looks ripe to take over the Green Arrow role. But who is this new character named Tilly? A blonde-haired pixie with amazing skills on a computer; is she supposed to be a younger version of Felicity Smoak on TheCW’s Arrow?

Hopefully, these questions as well as a slew of other mysteries will be uncovered in book 2, The Foxglove Mission, due out this November. Pearson establishes new DC realm that has promise. He just needs to tighten up on the character development. The art by newcomer Ile Gonzalez is something too that has potential but needs a little bit of work. I love her designs of Jon Kent. But something doesn’t look right with Damian’s eyes.

Kids should love this new take on the progeny of The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. Parents are going to be a little perplexed as this isn’t their Super Sons. It’s a good thing that there is a ‘Who’s Who?’ at the end of this volume that helps clear up any confusion.
Besides, this is a book meant for readers aged 8-12. If it doesn’t capture the imagination of the adults, that’s a-okay. This is a Super Sons for the next generation of DC fans!

Super Sons, Volume 1: The Polarshield Project debuted in print and digital platforms on April 2, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Rango #1

We lost a comedic legend yesterday with the passing of Tim Conway. I have fond memories of watching him crack up not only his fellow cast members on The Carol Burnett Show but my mom and Grandmama and the rest of my family. Thus, as a sort of tribute, I dug through my vast collection and decided to give this comic a read.

My mother used to always say that Tim Conway was the kiss of death to a TV show. True, the actor did guest star on the ill-fated sit show Turn On; perhaps the only show in history to be cancelled midway through it's debut airing. Yet, Conway was an integral part of many hit shows. Along with The Carol Burnett Show, Conway was on the long running McHale's Navy, costar of many beloved 1970s Disney pictures and the star of a series of very popular direct-to-video shorts about a tiny man named Dorf. Later in his career, Conway turned to voice acting, most notably as Barnacle Boy on SpongeBob Squarepants. 

Alas, Rango was not one of those timeless hits...

Tim Conway was the title star. As Rango, the worst Texas Ranger ever, Conway's character was prone to accidents, a yellow belly with dreams of bravery and not-too-smart. Rango was often assisted by an Indian named Pink Clouds; though the Native American was mostly helping the bumbling law man on the sly. Rango often got the bad guy but only through his own dumb luck.

Rango was western comedy that ran on the ABC network for less than a full season. While not considered one of Conway's hits, Rango is one of the few representations of a work of the comedians that became a comic book. I am a member of quite a few groups devoted to comics on Facebook and I saw quite a few fans posting pictures of their copy of Rango #1 as a memorial to Tim Conway. 

Dumb luck seems to also be how I found my copy of this book. A few years back, I was leaving a thrift store when I found this issue and several other Dell Comic gems in a display case. Being closing time, I negotiated a sweet deal. But for one reason or another, after bagging, tagging and adding to my database, I never got around to reading any of these books. I guess I was waiting for such an occasion as this to finally get around to it.

Rango: The Comic Book, only ran for 1 issue. The cover proclaims that it's a collector's issue and oddly enough for such an obscure property, I have seen this issue pop up a lot in collector's posts online. There's 4 stories in this issue. Each one has Rango starting out being overlooked for some sort of mission. But by sheer coincidence, the Ranger ends up running afoul of the villain. Somehow, Rango captures the baddie and becomes the hero.

One thing that was oddly absent from the book was a love interest. You would think that it would have been set up where both Rango and either the captain of his Ranger unit or another Texas Ranger would be vying for the affects of the town's most beautiful and eligible belle. Her name would be something like Annabelle or Clementine and she'd always wear some pink frilly thing with a bonnet. Then Rango and some rival for her affection would compete to see who'd win the chance to take the lass to the town dance or something by being the one to capture the bad man of the week. 

Yet, no such rivalry occurred and I think by not being so formulaic, it spelled disaster for the comedy. Something that wouldn't fly on today's TV is the portrayal of the Indian, Pink Clouds. The character was played by an Italian-American actor and not a Native American. Plus, while the Indian is the smartest character of the entire cast, he plays the fool for Rango's benefit. I think had Rango been on TV today, it would have been cancelled before the credits of the first episode ran.

The stories were sub-par but the art was pretty good. None of the characters look like the actors playing them. But I have learned recently that this was the case of most artists and writers only had a story bible to help them navigate how to craft the comic book. So, I can forgive. But I do wish I knew who did the artwork as for it's time when adaptation comics were considered hack work, this was pretty good western fare. 

An okay read that I wish I was reading for other circumstances that to pay tribute to the late Tim Conway. It's not the best thing I've ever come across. I'm glad it's a part of collection if only for the kitschy oddity of it all.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents: Teen Titans, Vol. 1

I will read anything in comic book form. But if you had to make me choose between

Marvel and DC, I'd have to side with the Distinguished Competition. That being said,

DC has never been perfect. It's had just as many hits as it has had misses. One thing that Marvel destroyed DC on was how it published the generation gap of the late 1960s.

The very book that I am reviewing today is an excellent case in point in how the elder

statesmen writers of DC had trouble relating to the teens of the Vietnam era.

This book collects the first 18 issues of the original Teen Titans series along with the team's very first appearances in The Brave and the Bold and Showcase. From the first story, the main theme was that when it comes to teens, adults just

don't understand. When the teens of a small coastal town go on strike, the sidekicks

of Batman, Aquaman and the Flash agree to intervene.

The Teen Titans were created to help troubled teenagers have a voice when the old

folks won't listen. Even the Caped Crusader shows his age in the earliest adventures

calling Robin a wild and rebellious teen. Yet the Titans are anything but. Along with late addition Wonder Girl, these heroes would go undercover as regular teens. Yet, they're so clean cut that anyone else with street smarts would finger these kids as narcs.

Bob Haney does manage to create some pretty awesome villains for the Titans to combat. There's the British fop, the Mad Mod, who rivals the Joker in level of criminal

genius. Then there's the grotesquely costumed Gargoyle. He's got a vendetta against

one of the Teen Titans. But unfortunately, we never find out why in this volume. Plus who can forget Ebenezer Scrounge in the classic Christmas caper?!

Yes, Teen Titans did villains well. But in terms of the teens themselves, I think

someone did their research on kids from the 1940s. All of the teens in this book are

squares- except for the guest stars! Speedy, Beast Boy and a Russian lad named

Starfire are all welcome visitors to this massive collection. But as for Robin and his

cohorts, they might as well be speaking Japanese with their ridiculous attempts at

young adult slang!

Things do seem to be changing for the better in the last 3-4 stories. We get different writers contributing including an early stint by New Teen Titanslegend, Marv Wolfman.

I found myself disappointed that this volume came to a close when it did. Things

started getting good!

At least there's a volume 2. However it's getting increasingly difficult to find Showcasecollected volumes for a good price, much less at all.

A mixed bag of teen angst from a time when DC's best and brightest just couldn't

relate.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #1 (Family Comic Friday)

That futuristic nobleman from feudal Japan is back! I’m talking about Cartoon Network and Adult Swim’s Samurai Jack. The fan favorite returns in an all-new miniseries from IDW Publishing in this week’s Family Comic Friday.

Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #1Written by Paul Allor
Art by Adam Bryce Thomas
Published by IDW Publishing
Retail: $3.99

Samurai Jack is one of those modern cartoons that has become an instant classic. It’s the story of an aristocratic warrior from ancient Japan who is transported into a far off future full of anthropomorphic animals, robots and demons.

Lost Worlds takes place presumably sometime after the events of season 5. If that is the case, Jack had just lost the love of his life and seemed ready to die when at the last second a beautiful insect landed on his shoulder and inspired the warrior to seek the beauty in life. It’s been 2 years since that finale. So things should be just peachy for Samurai Jack, right?

Instead of living in peace and tranquility, Jack has exiled himself atop a mountain overlooking the village he’s sworn to protect. In the village below, the people live their lives in reflection of the standards set by their missing leader. All seems in perfect harmony in the village when suddenly Jack returns. But his message of peace and honor doesn’t quite sit well with one of the villagers- Samurai Jack!

Which is the real Jack? When all is finished, the true swordsman will find that his people have lost their way in his absence. In order to save the souls of the villagers, Jack will need to find himself. Thus, for the rest of this 4-issue miniseries, our hero will traverse the distant neighboring lands in search of the answers and inner peace and possibly redemption.

The artwork of Adam Bryce Thomas alone is worth the $3.99 price tag. Samurai Jack was known for its innovative art style which paid homage to the kung-fu movies of the 1970s. The Sonic The Hedgehog artist does a stupendous job capturing the intensity of the wide-screen action scenes that were a Samurai Jack animation staple.

I thought that Paul Allor (Clue) did a great job on just about every aspect of this opening chapter. I only wish that Allor (or IDW editors) would have confirmed in some way that this series does indeed takes place after season 5. I really think it does. But, I would hate to say that this is the case and find out that this is a fill-in between the events of season 4 and 5. Maybe future issues will address this.

Samurai Jack is an evolving property. It seems to age along with the fans. When the TV series first debuted, the show was considered age appropriate for those 10 and up. When Samurai Jack returned in 2017, it’s rating jumped up to TV-14. That’s mostly because the show then started airing on Adult Swim.

Marvel and DC are guilty of doing the same sort of thing. For example, both will release reprints from the 60s-90s; a time when comics weren’t rated but otherwise approved by the Comics Code Authority. However, now in 2019, the publishers will rate the decades old material as being for ages 12 and up.

This sort of thing makes it hard for parents to know if something if truly age appropriate for their child. One might think that if Marvel rates reprints of 1980s all-ages Star Wars comics as for readers aged 14 and up, then maybe the publisher is wrong about Cosmic Ghost Rider being for only mature readers too. Then when the parent buys CGR for their kid, the adult is shocked to see numerous killings and accounts of adult language and mature themes.
So where does this comic book rank?

Based on my viewing of Samurai Jack back when it first aired, as well as that slightly more mature fifth season, I would say that those 10 and up should have no problems reading Lost Worlds. There is a very intense battle scene between Samurai Jack’s both real and impostor. But in terms of language and adult themes, this book is clean.

There are a few musings between Jack and other characters which get philosophical. Those concepts might go over the head of a reader younger than 10. But if the young reader in your life can understand what the sensei in Kung-Fu Panda or Splinter from TMNT both teach their pupils, they’ll be okay with this book.

It’s great to Samurai Jack back. I just hope that this might inspire Adult Swim to do a season 6. But in order for this to happen, fans both young and old are going to have to purchase this book!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #1 debuted in print and digital platforms on May 8th, 2019.