Impractical Jokers: The Movie

Joe. Murr. Q. Sal! The stars of TV’s Impractical Jokers have made their way to the silver screen in their very own movie. While it has some very funny moments, the overall premise of Impractical Jokers: The Movie was almost what you’d see on their cable series on truTV. Was it worth going to see? Find out as we explore the movie debut of the comedy troupe known as The Tenderloins

Impractical Jokers: The Movie

Starring: James Murray, Joe Gatto, Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, Paula Abdul
Directed by Chris Henchy
Produced by Funny or Die, truTV
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 92 Minutes

Impractical Jokers has been running on truTV since 2011. The show stars 4 friends from high school who now in their 40s, perform a series of pranks to embarrass each other. Over 200 episodes have aired in the past decade. Through the years, each episode ends with one or more of the Jokers losing the episode and getting punished as a result. Punishments have included getting bad hair cuts, being forced to jump out of an air plane and to have the 13-year old face of Jaden Smith tattooed onto their thigh.

In what can only be considered a ‘mega-sized’ episode of the TV show, the Impractical Jokers (AKA The Tenderloins) are invited by Paula Abdul to a party down in Miami. Leaving the quartet with only 3 passes, the guys decide to drive from New York to Florida and perform pranks. Whomever loses the most on this road trip doesn’t get to attend the party.

If that was the movie, I would be totally happy. That set-up captures the Impractical Jokers TV show perfectly. While I am not sure how the movie will look on the small screen due to an obvious change in recording medium, the stunts aren’t any different from the show. Yes, the language isn’t bleeped out and there’s a little more skin showing than usual. But overall, this could’ve all been done on pay-per-view. 

The movie starts in 1994. It’s hilarious seeing the Jokers looking like they were teenagers again. And the opening segment which ties into why the 4 guys want to go to Paula Abdul’s party so badly is actually quite funny. It’s a sort of origin story. But it also harkens back to how the guys came to know each other. So this fictitious plot wasn’t so bad. 

What was really stupid was when the Jokers tried to act like themselves. In between the times where they are basically filming an episode, there’s filler that just doesn’t flow with the rest of the film. For instance, there’s a plotline that has Joe, Q and Sal wondering just what does Murray do when he’s not with his friends. As this segment keeps getting explored, it stops the pace of the movie, like when someone farts in an elevator but nobody wants to admit they did it.  

I also hated the very staged ending. Yes, somebody loses in this movie. The lead-up to that wasn’t planned. But the parts where ¾ of the Jokers get to party hearty without their 4th wheel was clearly scripted. That lengthy penultimate scene was just painful to watch. 

Impractical Jokers: The Movie brings about a lot of laughs. Making the film a limited showing was quite smart on everyone’s part. Having to wait longer, plus the massive advertising campaign truTV has done for this movie had my wife and I eating out of the Impractical Jokers hands as we both were eager to see this in the theater!

If you love the Impractical Jokers, then you really should show your love and see the movie! I just think that I would have enjoyed it more with less ‘fake Jokers’ and more of the guys doing the pranks and other oddball stuff which have made them household names! If you don’t go to see this in theaters then definitely set aside a couple of hours for some laughs when it hits PPV!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Laurel and Hardy Meet The Three Stooges #1 (Family Comic Friday)

It's a crossover that only could have happened thanks to the magic of comic books. Join Family Comic Friday as we review the first ever meeting between Laurel and Hardy and the Three Stooges!

Laurel and Hardy Meet The Three Stooges #1

Written by James Kuhoric and S.A. Check
Art by Diego Tapie
Published by American Mythology
Retail: $3.99, variant covers are more slightly expensive

Laurel and Hardy- this duo were stars of stage and film from the 1920s until their last movie in 1950. They are a beloved pair of comedians who saw resurgence in fame in the 60s and 70s thanks to film festivals, appearances in comic books, even a cartoon show!

The Three Stooges- Larry, Moe and Curly. This trio got their start on the Vaudeville stage in the 1920s. Their slapstick hi-jinks made them movie stars from the 1930s-60s. With new members like Shemp and Curly Joe filling in for Curly, the Stooges took over comic books and TV with a long running kid shows that combined live action and animation.

In honor of looming the 100th anniversaries of The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy, American Mythology has done the unthinkable- paired the two iconic comedy teams together for the very first time! EVER! 

For fans of these zany characters, this is a dream come true! Writers James Kuhoric and S.A. Check along with artist Diego Tapie pit the two comedy teams together in the ultimate comedy comic! Laurel and Hardy had a series of films in which the two were bumbling furniture movers who ended up breaking everything they touched. A very heavy piano or safe was always a gigantic obstacle to move. The Three Stooges had a running gag in which they were house repairmen who would wind up destroying the house rather than fixing it! In this one-shot crossover, a couple make the ultimate mistake hiring all 5 goof balls to help them move into a run-down home!

I laughed so much at this book. The writing duo of Kuhoric and Check were  masters at crafting Laurel and Hardy's very deft dialogue. S.A. Check captured the Stooges in their cartoon forms perfectly and illustrated some hilarious sight gags. Laurel and Hardy and the Stooges were known for being the kings of physical comedy. You'd think that a comic book couldn't capture their fluidity and yet this book does! I was extremely pleased!

Laurel and Hardy Meet The Three Stooges is rated for all ages. I agree that this is an appropriate book for kids of any age level. But it may be mom and dad or the grandparents who enjoy this book the most. The Stooges have had a minor resurgence in the past decade or so with a 2012 reboot that included a comic book series and a live action film that starred Sean Hayes. As for Laurel and Hardy, they are a big unknown to youngsters. It doesn't mean that today's young readers won't enjoy this comic book. They just might need an adult to help make  some of these figures of early Hollywood relevant. 

I'm a big fan of American Mythology. They've been bringing back a ton of classic franchises from my youth and that of my parents. They did an awesome job with this team-up and I am eager to see what comes next! Could we possibly see the Marx Brothers getting into mischief with Larry, Moe and company? That would be epic if they did! And I'd be first in line for my copy of it!

DC's Crimes of Passion #1

You gotta love DC Comics. They might take 3 years to complete a 12 issue miniseries or cancel a title before it even goes to print. But the House That Superman Built never forgets a holiday. Crimes of Passion is DC's Valentine's Day offering for 2020 and it was a wild ride.

Featuring 10 stories starring the good, the bad, and the ugly of the DC Universe, Crimes of Passion is an 80-paged mixed bag. There's some really good stories here. There are a couple of stinkers. Plus, you've got some stories that are 'meh.' Thankfully, the majority of this special was very well done. 

My favorite story involves the lesser known character of Slam Bradley. Though he did not create the character, the late Darwyn Cooke is who I most link to Slam Bradley. A grizzled private detective, Slam is tasked to find a cat burglar stalking the rich of Gotham. For once, it's not Catwoman and it was a beautiful tale that made me miss Darwyn even more!

Speaking of Catwoman, she pits a feuding husband and wife against each other for a special heirloom. In other words, the trinket is worth a lot of money and both ex-lovers want it! As the couple are both estranged leaders of a Russian mob and passionate haters of each other, this story was quite humorous. 

I was also a fan of the Batman story. It had elements of Batman Year One and Batman: The Animated Series that made for a very noir romance story. I really liked Bruce's love interest and would really like to see her again. 

The Nightwing and Batgirl story was okay. I still haven't figured out where Barbara Gordon fits into the post-Rebirth era. There also seemed to be a page or two missing from this story as some things just didn't gel right with the plot. 

The Pied Piper story was another story that I was alright with. The ending was great. But the journey to get to that twisty last panel was long and tiresome. 

The story starring what I am assuming is the Vic Sage Question and Plastic Man were just plan awful. If there were other stories in this special that I neglected to mention, it was because they were forgettable. Now that I think about it, that Wildcat story rocked!

One thing that was quite unusual was the lack of heavy hitters. Batman does appear in 2 tales. But where's Superman? Wonder Woman? Aquaman? And no Harley Quinn? She's like the darling of DC Comics. It was really odd not having her appear in a DC special about love and romance. 

Overall, I enjoyed DC's Crimes of Passion. It was a good read to get in the mood for Cupid. You don't even have to have a Valentine to enjoy it. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett

The Wyrd Sisters have returned from a lengthy trip abroad. Much has changed since Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick were last in Lancre. The King has decided to marry Magrat. Magrat just doesn't know it yet. Nanny Ogg's son Jason has been perfecting his craft as an ironsmith. And a new generation of witches have been going up the mountain to perform some spells much to Granny's dismay. (They haven't been wearing any drawers!)

It's the dancing that's the real problem for Granny. (When it comes to prancing around without your drawers on, if you got it, flaunt it) No, it's the mere act of dancing so close to the circle of stones called The Dancers. See, this area of the mountain is very close to a weak point in the dimension that Discworld occupies. For the stars are lining up just right and when that happens it will allow the elves to enter Granny Weatherwax's domain.

Elves are not those cute little sprites we all love. They might look all sweet. But, they're actually cruel and mean. And they once tried to imprison Granny Weatherwax when she was a wee lass. It's a sort of personal history that makes Granny hate elves.

The witches stories are generally not my favorite Discworld tales. I didn't like Equal Rites that much. And I hated Carpe Jugulum. But I'm trying to read the entire series and due to how much I enjoyed Unseen Academicals, starring the Wizards, I was in the mood for some magic.

Lords and Ladies was one of the best out of this entire series of Discworld. It was extremely funny with some awesome quotes that I don't think I'll ever forget. Plus, there were some moments that were darn right scary. And it's pretty hard for a book without pictures to scare me.

One issue that I have with the Discworld books are how metaphysical that they can get. The floating planetoid has a unique magical field that has been established all the way since the opening chapter of the very first novel, The Colour of Magic. While this element allows for some hilarious moments, I feel that Terry Pratchett relied on this too much as a crutch. The late author never seemed to run out of ideas. Yet that creativity would get to the point that Pratchett had trouble putting his stamp on the final product.

 Lords and Ladies doesn't fall into that trap. At less than 400 pages, this is one of the shorter Discworld novels. The pacing felt right. The plot didn't drag. And everything seemed to wrap itself up in a tiny little package.

I've got 16 Discworld books left to read. Two of them focus on the Wyrd Sisters. If they are as good as Lords and Ladies was, I will jump at the chance to own them immediately! I just got to find an affordable copy.

A must for fans of comedic fantasy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Far Out Fairy Tales: Snow White and the Seven Robots: A Family Comic Friday Extra!

If you thought you knew everything there was to know about the Fairest One of Them All- GUESS AGAIN! We take a look at Capstone Press's awesome line of Far Out Fairy Tales; featuring Snow White and the Seven Robots in this Family Comic Friday Extra!

Far Out Fairy Tales: Snow White and the Seven Robots

Written by Louise Simonson
Illustrated by Jimena Sanchez S.
Published by Capstone Press
Pages: 40
Retail: $5.95

This version of Snow White takes place on the planet Techworld which is inhabited by a race of green skinned people. Our princess is specifically bred by Techworld's top scientists to be the planet's new Queen. But the current ruler of Techworld messes with the genetic structure of the child and instead, her skin turns as white as snow!

Now an outcast, Snow White is sent to work in Techworld's sanitation department. The Queen hopes that the sight of the young girl will make people hate and fear Snow White. But Snow's ability to fix broken robots and her gentile nature make her a valued member of the planet's community.

Enraged, the ruler of Techworld orders Snow White to be murdered. But Snow manages to escape to a mining colony which happens to be occupied by 7 run down robots. I think you can see where this is going...

Far Out Fairy Tales has been on my radar for quite some time. The first run of sci-fi and superhero influenced graphic novels debuted in 2015. A new line just dropped within the last month. I'm happy to say that thanks to this new run, my library finally picked up the complete run of Far Out Fairy Tales. Unfortunately, I only saw the January sticker on the spine. I didn't realize that I choose one of the older titles. But that's okay because I thought this book was great.

Snow White and the Seven Robots was written by a living legend. Louise Simonson has crafted literally hundreds of fantastic comics and graphic novels in a career spanning over 4 decades. My most beloved run of Simonson's was what she did on Superman in the 90s. Simonson gave the Man of Steel such a whimsical touch during her time as the master of Metropolis. It's something that she manages to do here with this intergalactic take on Snow White. The artwork of Far Out Fairy Tales regular artist Jimena Sanchez S. added to that fanciful style established by Louise Simonson.

I really enjoyed this retooling of the Brothers Grimm iconic fairy tale. Readers aged 6-10 should love these books too! And so will parents. Each book has added features like discussion questions, terms to know and more cool inside stuff about the history of each fairy tale featured. With new releases such as Peter Pan in Mummy Land and The Silver Spurs of Oz plus several more new titles dropping later this fall, fans of Snow White and the Seven Robots will have lots of Far Out Fairy Tales to enjoy for future readings!

Far Out Fairy Tales: Snow White and the Seven Robots is available now in print and digital formats. An all Spanish edition will debut in August.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Brina the Cat #1: The Gang of the Feline Sun (Family Comic Friday)

Hey there, cat lovers! Family Comic Friday is proud to introduce to you Brina the Cat! This Italian import is the newest feline superstar to come your way from Papercutz!

Brina the Cat #1: The Gang of the Feline Sun
Written by Giorgio Salati
Art by Christian Cornia
Published by Papercutz
Pages: 88
Retail: $14.99

Brina is a city cat. She has traveled to the mountains for a holiday with her people, Sam and Marge. Brina enjoys some minor freedom, roaming the backyard to the cottage her masters have rented. But when she meets a one-eyed wild cat name Vespucci, Brina begins to hear the call of the wilderness.

Running away from home, Brina learns what it means to be independent. This freedom means scrounging for your next meal, fighting off predators and angry humans, and trusting in the other members of your new family. In this case, it's Vespucci and his followers; the Gang of the Feline Sun! But is this truly the independent lifestyle that Brina yearns for? 

Brina the Cat is a new series brought to you by Papercutz. Brina's debut first saw print in 2018 in her creator, Giorgio Salati's native Italy. Now Brina and her owners come to you in this fantastic English translation! 

The interesting thing about this story was how evenly balanced this story was between Brina and her human owners. Lots of these type of stories about a pet's desire to live 
unencumbered usually focuses on just the pets. You might get a scene or two in which the humans are quite sad over the disappearance of their beloved animal. But the story is mostly from the eyes of the pets. Not here!

Giorgio Salati shows the reader the anguish of owners Sam and Marge as they desperately try to find Brina. This really helps the reader to  desire that Brina and her family ultimately reunite. Showing the story from the human's perspective adds a layer to depth to the story. Just as Brina meets an assortment of animals on her venture, Sam and Marge meet some interesting characters as they search for their missing sweetheart. Showing both the pet and owner sides of the story make for a very satisfying ending!

(Speaking of which, read all the way to the very back cover for a much needed and appreciated secret final scene to this adventure!)

I wish I could say that this was the purr-fect graphic novel starring cats. But there were a couple of scenes of animal cruelty that really stung. I understand that the writer felt that he needed to add those scenes to help make the reader more sympathetic to a couple of the characters. However with a suggested readership of ages 8-12, those scenes could be considered too intense for young readers

If the young reader in your life can't stand to view those ASPCA commercials in which Sarah Mclachlan sings while showing images of mistreated puppies, then this book may not be right fit just now. Or you could use this book as a teachable moment to teach about the proper care of a pet. Maybe Brina and company will even inspire you to adopt a kitty or doggie in need of a forever home!

Papercutz has introduced families to a variety of cats over the years. From the pusses in the work's of Smurfs' creator Peyo to the meatloaf known as Sushi in the adventures of Cazenove and Richez's Cat  and Cat, Brina the Cat is the newest star of the Papercutz family. With a second volume debuting in stores this Summer, be sure to make Brina a part of your graphic novel family today!

Brina the Cat #1: The Gang of the Feline Sun debuted in print and digital formats on January 14th, 2020.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Moon Knight, Volume 1: Lunatic

Marc Spector awakens in a mental hospital. It seems that his life as the vigilante Moon Knight has been just a delusion of decades of psychosis. Yet no matter how hard Spector tries to see life through the eyes of a sane person, the man keeps running into fellow inmates who seem just like those who have fought along side him in his mission against evil and injustice. 

I think after numerous tries, I can say without a doubt, I am just not a Moon Knight fan. There's too many alter egos and confusing Egyptian gods. Oh, and violence. Lots and lots of mindless violence. 

I won this book, along with 3 other books, in a drawing during a comic book event. That's why I read this. I figured free is free. Plus, it has the great Jeff Lemire (Black Hammer) as the writer. So I thought that I would be in for a treat. 

This volume contains the first 5 issues of the 2016-17 Moon Knight series. The first 3 issues were pretty good. But the concluding pair of chapters were just a hot mess. Now the artwork overall was superior. It's a mix of different art styles by Star Wars: Vader's Greg Smallwood with help by Francesco Francavilla (Archie Horror), Michael Garland (King Thor) and others. And I just loved those covers. I'n not sure who did them. But they really were awesome. 

I know that Moon Knight has a cult following. He's just not my cup of tea. Someone might be a huge fan of this book. But that person isn't me.

 Hey- at least it was a free book!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

Before we get into this review, I want you to know that I tried. I really tried to like this movie. I've been a fan of Harley Quinn ever since her first appearance on TV way back on September 11th, 1992. I even tried to defend the Birds of Prey movie on social media to the Nth degree, sight unseen against all the haters. But upon watching the film yesterday, I just could not be a fan of it. 

Birds of Prey or whatever it is that Warner Bros. and DC have decided to rename the film, follows the continuity of 2016's Suicide Squad. After being sprung from jail by the Joker, Harley Quinn goes on another crime spree with her beau. But this time between the two lovers is different and Harley decides to dump Mister J. Now an independent woman, Harley Quinn experiences for the first time an independence to go her own way. But this emancipation means that Harley is now a marked woman.

With every baddie who she ever wronged out to kill her, Harley Quinn must use her wits to find a way to stay alive. That opportunity comes in the form of Gotham gangster, Roman Sinois; AKA The Black Mask. If Harley can retrieve a special diamond encoded with important banking information from a fallen mob boss, Quinn will no longer have to look over her shoulder. But matters are complicated when Harley finds the young pickpocket who stole the gem from Sinois' bodyguard and driver, Black Canary. The thief swallowed it!

Now Harley must wait for nature to take it's course. But that means having to fight off hordes of gang members and crazies until the Ex-lax kicks in! Oh the things a girl will do to win her freedom...

Here's the deal. Based on that plot line, I am 100% fine with the film. I liked the changes from the Birds of Prey comic books to the big screen. I thought that the villain played by Trainspotting's Ewan McGregor was great. He's an even loonier bad guy that Jared Leto's Joker! I even thought this film's version of Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina) was pretty good, even though I am forever a fan of Anthony Carrigan's portrayal of the serial killer for hire on Gotham. My big problem was the film's very gruff change in ratings.

Suicide Squad was PG-13. This movie was rated R and we're talking HARD R. The F-word is spoken from just about the very first line. To the degree that it would make any character from a Tarantino movie blush. The crudeness of the movie really made me uncomfortable. 

The violence level was upped too. And the fighting bothered me. But not in a way that I was triggered. In fact, I just got bored with all the fighting. At one point, I could pretty much tell what scenes were added to reflect whatever video game adaptation was being marketed as a tie-in and at that point, I was longing for the power to go out or something in order to not have to endure any more of it. 

Can anybody tell my why DC thinks it's necessary for it's superhero movies to have all of the fight scenes done in super slo-mo? I'm literally done with that style of directing or choreography. It's time for DC/WB to figure something else out. 

Sadly, I almost decided to be done with comic book movies and comic books altogether based on this movie. Ultimately, I decided to not go that extreme. But I have decided to really weigh out if seeing such films like Birds of Prey is worth my time anymore. Even though I saw this as a matinee, I felt like I wasted my money on this. 

My decision had nothing to do with the film being directed and produced by women. My disappoint wasn't based on the fallen hopes of an Alpha male. It had nothing to do with the movie being full of strong female characters. I thought Journee Smollett-Bell was great as the daughter of the Black Canary your parents grew up with. (I even think Smollett-Bell deserves a couple of award noms for her role! She really was that good!)  

Rosie Perez's Renee Montoya was darn near perfect! And I really enjoyed the added mystery character who I'll refer to as the 'Crossbow Killer' (I'm trying to avoid spoilers here...) And then we've got Margot Robbie. She's a great version of Harley. I thought her Jersey accent was a little-more-over-the-top than as before. But that's exactly what Birds of Prey is:  over-the-top!

I love characters such as Harley Quinn and Deadpool and The Tick. Their skewed way of seeing things help make my world a little more sane. Yes- i realize that the two Deadpool films are full of violence and F-words. But, those movies seemed to (thankfully) be reigned in a little bit by the production company AND Disney. Here, with most of the film taking place inside Harley's head, Warner Bros. seemed okay with just throwing all sorts of crazy ideas up against a wall and going with whatever stuck to it. Birds of Prey was a film that had a vision. It just didn't really seem to have any direction.

The lack of structure of this film made for times I hoped for a chance to leave the theater. Birds of Prey had great characters and some awesome moments. But it wasn't the action scenes that made this film bearable. It were those quiet moments when the characters had a chance to develop. Unfortunately, there was too much insanity to make for a balanced superhero picture. And coming from a devoted member of the Gang of Harley's, that says volumes!

Take my advice, if you love comic book movies, go see it. just don't pay extra for 3-D or IMAX. Those extra bells and whistles just aren't worth paying for.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Mr. Monster: His Books of Forbidden Knowledge, Volume 1

The legend of Doc Stern, Mr. Monster, begins in this collection of first appearances by Michael T. Gilbert and William M. Loebs. In the early 80s, Gilbert refurbished a one-shot character from a 1940s anthology to craft one of the most over-the-top characters in all of comics history. (Yes- reboots were happening even in the 80s. But they were good back then!)

The legend of Doc Stern varies from issue to issue. Was he the lone survivor of a zombie apocalypse? Was he trained by mysterious monks in the art of war? Regardless of his origin, Mr. Monster has one goal in life- to destroy all monsters. But Doc Stern seems to help the creatures of the night more than he winds up extinguishing them!

This book opens the case files of Mr. Monster. From a reluctant werewolf to a living trash heap; these ghouls boggle the imagination. And they also straddle the line of good taste. 

Michael T. Gilbert was firmly set in the camp of 1980s creators such as Frank Miller and Alan Moore (who penned the foreword.) Miller and Moore were renegades who saw the Rambo-eqsue excesses of the Reagan Era and made it even more violent and absurd. Helping Gilbert with this is Bill Loebs. Long before he took the reigns of Wonder Woman, Loebs cut his teeth on Mr. Monster and he did a fantastic job! Loebs is so much like Frank Quietly or any of the usual gang of idiots from MAD Magazine as he puts so much fine detail into his work. Being a satire, Loebs peppers the panels of Mister Monster with dozens of tiny jokes. And I so loved his Will Eisner-like experimentation with titles and credits. 

This is a wild collection of stories. I've got to admit, these tales are extremely creative. The dialogue is insipid. Some of it might be parody. But it's some pretty B-movie level stuff. But I loved the encompassing brilliance here. It's like an issue of Wolff & Byrd: Counselors of the Macabre but on steroids!

Lastly, I need to brag. I bought this book new. Despite being published nearly 20 years ago, I found this book, shrink-wrapped at a comic book store in Greensboro. Having the book on his shelf for decades collecting dust, the owner gave me the book for a good discount. But that's not what I want to brag about!

Inside the book was a limited edition book plate that was signed and numbered by Michael T. Gilbert. While that itself was cool, what made it cooler was that this book was numbered 1 of 999! I've gotten low numbers before. I think a 7 or maybe 11 was my record. But never a #1! This was an awesome unexpected addition to my collection!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

What's Michael?: Fatcat Collection Volume 1 (A Family Comic Friday Extra!)

The question on the tip of everybody's tongue is What's Michael? Well, Michael is a cat. But he's a whole lot more. Find out how much more in this week's Family Comic Friday Extra!

What's Michael?: Fatcat Collection Volume 1

Written and illustrated by Makoto Kobayashi
Translated by Dana Lewis, Toran Smith
Published by Dark Horse Manga
Pages: 528 Pages
Retail: $19.99

 

Michael is your normal, run of the mill orange tabby house cat. Or is he?

 

I'm not really a big fan of Manga. But it's the dual nature of realistic adventures of a cat and his human owner as well as Michael's anthropomorphic adventures as a school boy and father of 15 or so kittens that make me a fan of this series.

 

What's Michael? has been around since the mid-80s. Originally a feature in Weekly Morning Magazine, the first What's Michael? comics were not exactly appropriate for all ages. It's almost like how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles started out. They weren't the friendly cartoon dudes that have been a Saturday morning cartoon staple for 3 decades. Leonardo, Raphael and company were gritty and grim. That's the way it was with Michael.

 

In some of his earliest adventures, Michael dies.  In typical Looney Tunes fashion, Michael always comes back in the next story. But for those who are not familiar with Japanese culture, those early stories are considered age appropriate. But for American readers, some of the ways Michael would cross the rainbow bridge were pretty gruesome. Thankfully, those stories are not collected in this volume. However, some of the adventures contained here can still be quite bizarre.

 

The thing to understand about What's Michael? is that there's really more than one Michael. The version that lives with his human master, who happens to be a gangster, is perhaps the most realistic portrayal of a cat to ever be put to pen and paper. I see so much of my cats in Michael and his person. The time when Michael's owner puts on a Godzilla mask and Michael freaks out about it! That has happened with me and my cats!

 

 Other versions of Michael have him as a family man. While he lives with humans as their pet, Michael struggles with his wife to raise a near endless litter of kittens. Another version of Michael has him as a school kid who walks on two-feet in full uniform. That version is perhaps the most silly of the different takes on the cat. It's also my least favorite.

 

What's Michael? has been around for a very long time and he's developed a cult following. I've seen libraries around the country that have all 17 of the now out-of-print volumes on the shelf in their young adult section. Dark Horse Manga rates these books as ideal for readers in grades 3-6 and I think that's appropriate. Some situations are a little more aimed at older readers. Thankfully, these episodes are still way tamer than the original Japanese adventures.

 

This omnibus edition is over 500 pages. With a retail price of only $20, this is an amazing deal. There's literally a story for everyone in this collection of cat themed adventures.

 

What's Michael?: Fatcat Collection Volume 1 will debut at a bookstore near you on February 25, 2020.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

 

Marvel Action Avengers Book 3: The Fear Eaters (Family Comic Friday)

We've got all-ages fun from Marvel's Avengers in this week's Family Comic Friday!

Marvel Action Avengers Book 3: The Fear Eaters

Written by Matthew K. Manning
Art by Marcio Fiorito
Published by IDW Publishing
Pages: 72
Retail: $9.99

When the peaceful arrival of the villainess Madam Masque is the most normal part of your day, you just know that you are in for trouble!

The nightmares of the world's greatest superheroes are coming true! Captain Marvel has lost her powers! Thor lost control of his Asgardian powers which have lain waste to New York City! and Black Panther's father has returned to claim the throne of Wakanda! It's all part of MODOK's master plan to take over the world! But has the leader of AIM tapped into mysterious powers in which he truly has no control over?

Marvel Action Avengers Book 3: The Fear Eaters collects issues 7-9 of IDW Publishing's all-age take on Earth's Mightiest Heroes. As part of it's restructuring plan, Marvel COmics has been outsourcing most of it's kid friendly properties to IDW or Dark Horse. I've been very happy with some previous books based on the icons of the House of Ideas. But I was quite disappointed with this book.

I'm normally a big fan of work of Matthew K. Manning (Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures). Manning's work is often full of swashbuckling adventure with some great lighthearted moments between the heroes and some vile episodes starring the villains. Having AIM as the big baddies here just isn't cutting it for me. MODOK works better as a buffoonish bad guy. And with their beekeeper outfits, the only thing scary about an AIM agent is being reminded of the disappearance of the honey bee. And man, were these Marvel heroes dull when it came to trying to be humorous!

I really wanted to enjoy this volume. I hoped that it would have an essence of all the great Avengers cartoons released by Disney over the past decade. Sadly, this was a confusing mess. Madam Masque was needed to help move along some of the dialogue. But her team of U-Men was pretty much used to fill about 5-6 pages with that ubiquitous fight scene. After that segment was over, the U-Men are basically forgotten.

Then there's the character development of some of the heroes. Tony Stark and the Black Widow were great. But I thought that the Black Panther's obsessive nature just wasn't how T'Challa would really act. I have never thought that Thor was ever afraid of losing control of his powers. In fact, if anyone was going to have daddy issues, if it wasn't going to be Tony.  It would definitely be Thor.

I also felt that Captain Marvel's fear of losing her powers was wrong. Doesn't she always lament having these mysterious Kree powers all the time? I would think that Carol Danvers' greatest fear would be losing control of herself instead of the Odinson.

I also wasn't happy with the artwork either. Captain America's head looked like it was 25% too small for his body. The U-Men were quite generic. And if you weren't a main character in the story, it felt like the illustrator just didn't seem to care. On more than one panel, the background characters of the citizens of New York looked unfinished as if Marcio Fiorito felt that younger readers wouldn't catch the lack of detail in the background art.

Other than the basic fight scenes required for any superhero comic book, there's really nothing objectionable for parents and guardians. However, both Iron Man and Black Panther get rather technical when they talk about their power suits. So, readers under the age of 9 might have trouble with some massive $5 words.

On the surface, you'd expect a title like Marvel Action Avengers to be fun. But for a book aimed at elementary schoolers, that fun is lacking. This wasn't the best example of work from a modern comics great like Matthew K. Manning. If you were expecting the second act of Avengers: End Game- sorry. This is more like those boring trade treaty scenes in the Galactic Senate in The Phantom Menace!

For those super fun all-ages reads starring Iron Man and friends, I recommend anything from the Marvel Adventures imprint. Dozens of volumes can be found Amazon for some really nice prices!

Marvel Action Avengers Book 3: The Fear Eaters debuts in print and digital formats on February 19th, 2020.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

After spending several years in Ankh-Morpork training to become an assassin, Teppic is summoned back to his homeland of Djelibeybi. His father, the Pharaoh, has died. It's now time for Teppic to become the king. Having become enamored with Ankh-Morpork's 'modern' amenities, such as indoor plumbing, Teppic has big plans for his kingdom. But he runs afoul of Dios, the chief high priest who insists on following 7,000 years of tradition. 

Meanwhile, the kingdom is preparing for the burial of Teppic's father. There's the embalmers. The miniature makers. And then there's the architects tasked with building the largest, most modern pyramid ever constructed in the land. It threatens to bankrupt an already cash-strapped kingdom. But with anything so massive and magical, this great pyramid Djelibeybi's very plane of existence!

I had mixed feelings about this volume of the Discworld series. I normally prefer the Ankh-Morpork stories the best. But the segments that take place in the 'big city' were my least favorite. Maybe I'm just not a fan of the Assassin's Guild. 

When Teppic gets to Djelibeybi, about 80 pages in, the story gets really good. Pyramids is a fantastic parody of Ancient history and lore. I enjoyed the satire on polytheistic religion and warfare. But when the story starts to delve into physics and math, I kinda glazed over. I understand not enjoying the parts about math. But I usually am in love with physics. I guess I just can't understand magical physics very well. 

Some segments of this book seemed really familiar. Have I read this one before? If so, it was before I started tracking books on this blog. I for one am not big on re-reading books as there are so many volumes to enjoy and so little time. But if I had read this one prior, I didn't really mind a repeat.

A funny book that gets quite technical at times. Times that for the most part, felt unnecessary.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs: The Manga (A Family Comic Friday Extra!)

We've got a book that will appeal to a variety of fans. Devotees of Manga, dogs and Wes Anderson films will delight in this Family Comic Friday Extra! Join us as we examine Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs: The Manga! 

Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs: The Manga

Written and Illustrated by Minetaro Mochizuki
Published by Dark Horse Manga
Pages: 80 Pages
Retail: $19.99

(Warning: The subject matter of this review may be considered to insensitive to others due to the recent epidemic of the Coronavirus. Please keep in mind that Family Comic Friday agreed to review Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs prior to such recent events. The reviewer and staff of Outright Geekery are in no way attempting to make light of this virus that has killed hundreds of innocent lives.)

In the metropolis of Megasaki City, a mysterious virus has resulted in the banishment of all canines to a massive atoll of refuse called Trash Island. The orphaned Atari has just lost his best friend, Spots, who was sent away to Trash Island for simply being a dog. Determined to get back his puppy pal, Atari makes his way to the makeshift key. 

While on Trash Island, Atari is cornered by several dogs. It looks that Atari is about to become the canines next meal. However, when the boy begins to show kindness to these strays, Atari forms an amazing bond with a mongrel named Chief. Together, the pair team must avoid other wild packs, enemy drones seeking to eliminate Trash Island's canine population and other dangers in order to reunite with Spots. It will be the ultimate test of trust and endurance between a boy and a dog.

I've seen my share of comic book and graphic novel adaptations of TV and movies. For the most part, they look nothing like the characters on screen! Not here! The artwork of this Manga was fantastic. Minetaro Mochizuki (Dragon Head) illustrates this book so marvelously. It looks just like black and white stills of Wes Anderson's 2018 animated movie!

Isle of Dogs was an enjoyable fable. But reading it at this time in history was a little eerie. Currently, China is ground zero for the mysterious coronavirus. Thousands have became sick and at the time of writing this review, at least 600 have perished. With scientists blaming everything from bats to snakes, the level of hysteria in this book is almost like the daily news. So, if the young reader in your life is terrified of getting coronavirus, you might want to hold off on letting them read this. However, this adaptation might be a great gateway to use as a teachable moment about viruses and illness prevention. It's your call.

In other terms of age appropriateness, Isle of Dogs has a couple of mild swears. There is implied violence against dogs by both humans and other dogs. But this is a relatively safe story that children 9 and up will enjoy.

Oh, and one more thing. This book is a Manga. Published in the traditional Japanese style, the reader needs to consume this book from right to left. It's not just the pages. This format includes the panels too! If your child has never read a Manga, you'll need to explain this to them. Thankfully, Dark Horse had the smarts to include a couple of pages that explains how to read this type of book.

A well crafted story that is based on the timeless relationship between a boy and his beloved pooch. It's also classic Wes Anderson. But it's also a tale that families can enjoy. Isle of Dogs is thought provoking. I just bet you didn't think that the issues brought to light would reflect so much of today's international headlines.

Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs: The Manga will debut in print and digital formats on February 25th, 2020.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Dreadful Ed and Mary Scary (Family Comic Friday)

When your father is the Boogeyman, you grow up with the expectation to be scary. However when it comes to young Ed, scary just isn't in his DNA! That's because he's a human who was switched at birth! Where's the real heir of the Titan of Terror? Why, she is having a hard time adjusting to being normal in the mundane world. Join Family Comic Friday as we review the strangely charming adventure of Dreadful Ed and Mary Scary.

Dreadful Ed and Mary Scary
Written by Andrew Cosby
Art by Troy Nixey
Published by Dark Horse Books
Pages: 112
Retail: $19.99

Who says that books about monsters and the bizarre can't be appropriate for all ages? This book is one part graphic novel and one part poem about a switcheroo that proves the theory of nature vs nurture. Eureka's Andrew Cosby pens an epic that delights in the macabre without being scary. But it's the artwork of Vinegar Teeth's Troy Nixey that really completes this fanciful tale!

This edition of Dreadful Ed and Mary Scary combines the 2006-07 two-part adventure for the very first time. It's really an unusual yarn that I feel completely in love with. Tim Burton just oozes throughout this volume. I also felt that there was a whimsical touch of Doctor Suess with the creative rhymes of each quatrain.

With the reissue of both books, I thought that maybe there was a Dreadful Ed and Mary Scary animated movie on the way. But a quick Google search reveals that other than a development deal with Universal Studios in 2010, that doesn't appear to be the case. Hopefully this collection will reignite interest in a full length feature. Could we possibly get The Nightmare Before Christmas creator in on this project, please?

A book filled with kid friendly ghosts and goblins, Dreadful Ed and Mary Scary is a pair of stories that will delight readers of all ages during any season of the year too!

Dreadful Ed and Mary Scary will return to print on February 12, 2019. It will also be available in digital formats as well!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.