Batman Arkham: The Riddler

It only took 2 issues for the Riddler to return after his debut in 1948. Yet, it was almost 20 years before the man born as Edward Nigma would return to perplex Batman and Robin. Just in time for being the first villain to appear on the live-action Batman series from 1966!

This is a fantastic collection of Riddler stories. Many of which I've never read before. A lot of folks think that The Joker is the best Batman villain. And while the Clown Prince of Crime is his most deadliest rival, I think that it's the Riddler who is Batman's most cunning, most cerebral and most infuriating. 

I think that Batman looks at Joker as a side project. Someone to try and cure. I feel that it's Riddler who really gets up in Batman's crawl because the two are just so much alike. Both are detectives. Batman uses his brains to solve the crimes. It's Riddler who uses his intellect to craft those crimes. And for a very brief, but fun time, Riddler was also a real deal detective, playing private investigator for cash and glory.

There's two amazing stories in which Batman and Riddler are forced to team-up. While I thought that ending to both stories was contrived, the build-up was this awesome buddy-cop thing that had some great one-liners. (It's here where you really see E.Nigma rubbing the Dark Knight the wrong way, like a wedgie from Hell.)

I loved this collection of stories that feature art and stories from a fantastic line-up of talent including Bill Finger, Dick Sprang, Gardner Fox, Jim Aparo, Paul Dini and Scott Snyder. Featuring stories from every era of Batman comics, you get a perfect, yet incomplete glimpse into the psyche of one of the greatest Batman foes of all-time.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Archie & Friends: Geeks and Games #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Explore the world of technology through the eyes of Archie and the Gang in this week's Family Comic Friday!

Archie & Friends: Geeks and Games #1
Written by: Francis Bonnet
Art by: Pat and Tim Kennedy
Published by Archie Comics
Retail: $2.99

Need a Summer time pick-me-up? Check out Archie & Friends: Geeks and Games #1. In this hi-tech one-shot, the kids from Riverdale explore the impact technology has had on all out lives in a trio of tales.

First up, Archie and Jughead have developed a fever to the new video game Forknite! As a result, Archie has been ignoring Veronica. Out of spite or revenge (or both), Veronica decides to learn just what this new game is all about. Will Archie and Jughead have meet their match? Knowing the lengths Veronica will go to in order to be the best, the guys probably have.

Then Archie brings home his latest tech project: a robotic dog. But during the test run, things don't go as smoothly as Archie thought it would. Turns out android dogs are as much of a hassle as the real McCoy.

Lastly, Archie has an important report due. But will miss Grundy believe him when the redhead's real dog, Vegas, eats his flash drive homework?

This was a very fun but fast read. The artwork by Archie vets, Pat and Tim Kennedy was spot-on classic style Archie. It might have been a little too classic as I thought Veronica looked a lot like her 1940s counterpart, Veronica Lake. I almost thought I was reading a reprint from the Golden Age of Comics. Then I remembered that they didn't have video games in the post-World War II era!

I really enjoyed the stories by Suburban Fairy Tales author, Francis Bonnet. All three stories were creative and helped me forget about how awful 2020 has been. With Archie being a 75 year old plus property, it's easy for the stories to get repetitive. But all 3 tales felt really fresh. Even the homework story seemed new despite the telegraphed punchline ending.

The only real problem with this comic is the length. At only 24 pages, Geeks and Games is just way too darn short! But the $2.99 cover price is rather nice. It's something the whole family will enjoy!

Archie & Friends: Geeks and Games #1 debuted in print and digital formats on Wednesday June 24th, 2020!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents Super Friends Volume 1

Based on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon, this black and white edition collects the first 24 issues of Super Friends. 

The cartoon and the comics started off with the teens Marvin and Wendy and their pooch Wonder Dog all learning to become crime fighters. Marvin was a sort of Shaggy arch-type. Wendy could kick serious butt like Daphne, but nowhere near as clumsy. And Wonder Dog was like Scooby-Doo in that he could talk. But Wonder Dog was much more braver. 

Like the Super Friends cartoon, Wendy and Marvin left only to be replaced by alien siblings, Jan and Zan: The Wonder Twins and their space-monkey Gleek. Unlike the TV show, the comics explained why Wendy and Marvin left. And it was done properly having the earthling kids graduate from their training instead of just being replaced without a word like what happened to Tiger on The Brady Bunch. 

DC's Super Friends had one more thing going for it than the Hanna-Barbera version. The comic book had legitimate villains. The Penguin, Poison Ivy, Chronos, and Cheetah all rear their ugly heads to make life miserable for the Super Friends. We also get heroes chipping in to help like The Atom, and The Flash. 

Another interesting element involves Aquaman. He's often been the butt of decades of jokes as being the most worthless Super Friend. Well, in this book, Aquaman often wonders why he's been chosen as part of the team. And in issue #24 he must overcome his own inadequacies of a water-bound hero when a mystery requires the heroes to head to the deserts of Egypt. 

In some ways I like the comic book version better because it really rounded out the series with better explanations as to why characters disappeared and it had more guest stars and it even tackled the Aquaman problem. 

Sadly, while this is considered Volume 1, this is the only volume of Super Friends as done as a Showcase Presents. DC Comics shortly shelved these treasuries shortly after this volume was published. The series ran until 1981 for a grand total of 47 issues. Thus, there's a whole another volume's worth of issues out there to collect and read... someday.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Big Book of the Unexplained

Of the several editions of Big Books that I am reading during social distancing, The Big Book of the Unexplained was the one I was looking forward to the most. And it was the most disappointing. 

Written by the creator of Deathlok, Doug Moench, I was really excited to read this collection of accounts of the strange and unknown. I love UFOs, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and all that paranormal stuff that has us stymied. I'm the type of person that feels that there's got to big a hint of truth to these accounts. They may not be what we think they are or happened how we might recall the events occurred. But I am sure a lot of it was real events.

The host of this book is Charles Fort, a research of the paranormal and macabre around the turn of the 20th century. Had I not read within the past year or so a book about the Fortean Times, I probably wouldn't have any idea who he was. But I did and I appreciated his appearances throughout the book. Well, at first.

However, Moench keeps having Charles Fort talking about this cosmic trickster. And he keeps getting all whimsical and philosophical about this being. Maybe he's talking about God or gods. But that's beside the point. Moench devotes a lot of his time to this powerful being instead of focusing on what I was hoping for- lots and lots of accounts of the unexplained. 

While I appreciate the use of a narrator or host, they haven't seemed to really work in the Big Books. The 70s book had a host and it was the weakest part of that entire volume. I feel the same about Fort here. But unlike in the 70s book where the host was only at the beginning of each chapter, Charles Fort is at the beginning and ending of each section. Rod Sterling or even Jack Palance, he is not!

When it focuses on the unusual, it's good. But it goes off on tangents a lot!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Power Girl #4

This miniseries comics to a thankful close. Power Girl confronts the 'weaver' on his turf of a dying realm of magic. Aiding her in this quest is a mischievous little imp called Ghy. I don't know if we ever see this character ever again. But from what issues of various Justice League titles featuring Power Girl that I've read, I don't think so. But he was such a great character.

Our mysterious 'stranger' returns to mostly observe. Power Girl asks why don't he help her and he claims it's only his job to observe. Since when did our mystery character become a member of Marvel's Watchers? 

Another inconsistency I noticed right off the bat is that Power Girl refers to herself throughout this issue as Kara. But in the 3 previous issues, she's Karen. Not only that but everyone else in this final issue now calls her Kara, which was Power Girl's name before the Altantis origin reboot. So why the sudden return to Kara? 

The story ends with a nice, cheerful ending. It's a little too clean of an ending. Besides Spider-Man, Power Girl is one of the most dumped on characters in comic book history. So for everything to come up roses in such a 30 minutes or less sitcom fashion is rather unfashionable for her. 

Issue #4 did not disappoint. Disappoint in being as bad as the majority of the issues in this miniseries. I came into this chapter expecting nothing and with the exception of this single one-and-apparently-done character, there was very little to enjoy. 

Even the art, which to this point had been phenomenal, was a big letdown. It's like the artist, Rick Hoberg, kinda realized that this mini was a stinker and just gave up trying. 

Not one of DC's finest moments. 

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.

Power Girl #3

Power Girl finally decides to stop bar hopping and get to the matter of just who is behind all of these villains trying to kill her. 

Her quest will put her in touch with other Atlanteans once thought dead, former worshipers of Arion and perhaps a mysterious stranger. One character that would have made a great addition to this chapter  that explores Power Girl's origins would have been Aquaman. But I understand that DC probably wanted to keep such a big name away in order to not detract from this storyline. I think that's why there's been no Superman. But believe me folks, a major guest star is a needed shot in the arm. 

The 'stranger' cameo was a good touch. But he wasn't there long enough to move the story along. 

Plus, I loved this scene where Karen goes to an antique book store and asks for a book on Atlantean magic. The shop keepers response was classic. He gives her the book for free as long as she promises to not read any of the spells anywhere near him or his bookshop. 

Issue #3 got a little better. It's building up for the climatic final chapter which couldn't come quick enough for me. You know, with the still exceptional artwork by Rick Hoberg and the great Giordano cover, this book is actually worth reading. But just barely!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

Power Girl #2

An assortment of villains based on the elements of the earth has been attacking Power Girl. Kara knows that these assaults are clearly not coincidence. So what does she do? Why, go out for drinks with her girlfriends at a local singles bar! 

This isn't the sort of thing Blue Beetle or Booster Gold, stars of two similar series of the time period, would be doing. For mid-1980s DC, the dialogue for all three examples were bad. But you didn't have the guys going for drinks and discussing their feelings. 

Yeah, there's some sexism showing. As a big fan of Supergirl (to which Power Girl is a version of the character), I am quite disappointed. I obtained all 4 issues of this miniseries for free on Facebook. I was really looking forward to this thinking is was going to be full of action and adventure. Instead, this miniseries has turned into a precursor to Sex and the City only without the breasts of Kim Cattrall. It's been such a disappointment. 

Uh, the lack of action not breasts I mean.

I should be thankful. I didn't spend any money on it. And the Rick Hoberg art still has been amazing. But this issue has gotten worse because of the coloring. 

There's a detective whose helping Power Girl figure out who these villains are. Last issue he looked liked an African American male. In this issue, his skin tone is much lighter and his hair is now sky blue. Maybe in 1988 this print error wasn't as noticeable as about a month or so amount of time passed into between the release of issues 1 and 2. I went from finishing issue #1 to starting up the second issue in like 30 seconds flat. So I noticed...

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

Power Girl #1

It's Post-Crisis and DC has just 'cleared up' Power Girl's troublesome origin in the pages of Secret Origins. Kara's memories of Krypton are actually fake. Power Girl is really from Atlantis before it sunk into the sea. Turns out Power Girl is more related to Aquaman than her 'cousin' Superman! 

To keep Kara safe from powers wishing her harm, grandfather Arion, Lord of Atlantis, implanted the erroneous memories into her brain and sent her into the far off future of 1988. Now that Power Girl know the truth, she's opened herself up to those attacks! First up is an all-new villain named Force. 

No, he's not a rabid Star Wars fan. He's a puppet of a shadowy character banished to a dying realm by Arion. This 'weaver' wants revenge on Arion. But since the ancient wizard is long dead, the death wish falls on Kara now.

Meanwhile, we get a lengthy glimpse into the civilian life of Kara who goes by Karen now. By day, Karen is the owner of start-up tech company under pressure by investors to switch over from office development software to video games. By night, Karen and her friends are hopelessly single, but more than ready to mingle. 

This was a major problem for DC books after the Crisis. They tried too much to be a soap opera and less like a superhero comics. It's a 22 page book and maybe 4 pages is devoted to heroics. Action Comics' Paul Kupperberg pens this tale. I'm usually a big fan of his work. But this first chapter was tough to read. That dialogue was awful. I'm talking B-movie bad. It's comical but sadly not in a funny way. 

The art however is absolutely amazing. First is a beautiful cover by Dick Giordano and Kerry Gamill. Interiors are by Rick Hoberg. The All-Star Squadron artist has past experience with Power Girl and Hoberg does an amazing job here. Except for the hair. It's not long and flowy as Power Girl/Supergirl is known to don. It's rather un-Power Girl like. Too 80s for my taste.

A very visually appealing story but the plot itself needs work.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Peng! Action Sports Adventures (Family Comic Friday!)

If you thought that the world of extreme sports couldn't get anymore wilder- think again! Welcome to the All-World School of Sportmanship where the title for the greatest advanced kickball champion is on the line! 

Peng! Action Sports Adventures
Written and Illustrated by Corey Lewis
Published by Oni Press
Pages: 136
Retail: $14.99

PENG! is… the sound a rubber ball makes when it is kicked!
PENG! is… a brand new kind of Sports Adventure comic!
PENG! is... a GAME CHANGER! 

The main story of Peng! was originally published as a giant-sized one-shot in 2005. Set in the Sharknife universe, it is the story of Sharknife's brother Rocky Hallelujah and his rookie kickball team, the Foot Knux. Can they fight their way up the ranks to become the ultimate advanced kickball champs as these newbies take on more seasoned teams?

Peng! is a Manga style story that blends 70s kung-fu movies with extreme sports and a little bit of Blade Runner style high-tech. The rose and black ink style is visually stunning. But sometimes, I felt that the dialogue was too contrived. As this book is a spin-off of the Sharknife series, there's a lot of inside references that will not make sense to one whose not read that sister publication. One element that was great were the splash pages that explains the rules of advanced kickball, how to proper watch the game and so forth. It made for Peng! to become that much more immersive for readers.

Along with the main story, there's two all-new adventures starring members of the Foot Knux team. 'Stall' shows the players practicing for another tournament in a round of hackey sack that is literally gravity defying. The third tale shows us just how far break-dancing has come in 40 years as one student of the All-World School of Sportsmanship seeks to not just become a master of the art form, but a legend as well!

The art of those stories were just as good as the first tale. But you can really see the level of improvement Corey Smith has made with his storytelling in those newer works. The dialogue was much more polished and things didn't seem so confusing. There was a zen-like quality to those new stories for sure!
An interesting collection of stories. Corey Smith takes a trio of beloved games and retools them for the 21st century and beyond! A must for Sharknife fans and those who love Manga. Peng! Action Sports Adventures is recommended for readers in grades 4-6. The level of action might be a little confusing for younger readers, especially in the opening story. There is one mild swear as well in the break-dancing story. But with exception of a couple of jokes about puke and a player who likes to bounce kickballs off of their backside, this is a book that parents should appreciate!

Take a look at a small preview of the hackey sack story 'Stall' below...

Peng! Action Sports Adventures will debut in print and digital formats on July 28th, 2020!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com. 

Clerks: The Lost Scene #1

This one-shot from Oni Press gives Clerks fans a look at an unproduced scene from the groundbreaking indy director Kevin Smith. The premise is that Dante and Randall skip out on their jobs to go to the wake of a high school friend of the two. Dante reveals that he and the deceased girl used to date and that the last time the woman's parents saw him, the pair were in flagrante delecto. Things are terse with Dante there. But things go from bad to worse when Randall loses Dante's car keys in the girl's coffin!

First of all, this lost scene technically isn't lost.( The cost of the wake was too much for Kevin Smith. I guess $27,000 on maxed out credit cards can only go so far.) So, yes, the wake sequence does not appear in the movie. But for the 10th anniversary DVD release, an animated version of the scene was added to the film. This comic book was released 5 years prior for anniversary #5. So at the time of publication, this story was unproduced.

It's been a very long while since I have seen anything unedited by Kevin Smith. Having only been watching Comic Book Men (May it rest in peace, unless somebody wisely brings it back!), I forgot how crude and vulgar the View Askewniverse can be. This comic book is definitely unedited. 

I could have done without the repulsive introduction and conclusion by Jay and Silent Bob. I mean it's explains why it's a lost scene. But anything that comes out of Jay's mouth is stuff that would make a sailor blush. 

Kevin Smith, notorious in the comic book industry for his trouble with deadlines, pens the one-shot naturally. But why was Phil Hester used? The Flash artist is definitely a talent. But I would have expected Comic Book Man Walt Flanagan to do the artwork. Was Flanagan not available? Or was he overlooked by Oni Press who wanted a more bankable name? Maybe he was too busy checking the perfectness of the next batch of eggs he was planning on buying? 

That's a Clerks reference folks! Fans had better get that one!

The story itself was funny. The bookends were regrettable. Good art. Just not who I would've guessed was behind it. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Afraid of Everything: A Friday Comic Friday Extra!

When you are going through an alphabet of fears, that means you have 26 different traumas to face. Take a look at terror from A-Z as we look at Afraid of Everything in this Family Comic Friday Extra!

Afraid of Everything: An Alphabetic Compendium of People's Weirdest FearsWritten by Adam Tierney
Illustrated by Mattheu Cousin
Published by IDW Publshing
Pages: 98
Retail: $19.99

Parents and Guardians, remember Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark? Remember how those stories creeped you out. But you couldn't stop yourself from turning the page for another freaky chapter?  Writer Adam Tierney hopes to capture that feeling and bottle it up in his new book Afraid of Everything.  

Tierney wrote the book for his 8-year old son, Django using Scary Stories as inspiration. After his son fell in love with the stories so much, the author decided to publish them for kids and their families to enjoy.

For the most part, the stories do capture that old school horror feel. As with Scary Stories, a couple of chapters end kinda silly. It's always good to have some stories end in a weird way as it keeps things fresh and unexpected. Adam Tierney also does some really cool experimentation with fonts as well as shapes in some of his stories, like his slithering poem about ophidiophobia (fear of snakes). However, I felt that the artwork wasn't quite so invoking of those established classic creeps.

Afraid of Everything isn't a typical graphic novel. Each one-page short story is paired with an image illustrated by Mattheu Cousin. His artwork is rather cartoony.  It's nowhere near as nightmare inducing as that of original Scary Stories artist Stephen Gammell. However, a couple of images, especially the one for 'E is for  Electrophobia', was rather provocative for a book aimed at readers 8-11.

This book also has 11 bonus stories with art by an assortment of guest artists including Studio Yotta's Temmie Chang, Alex Ahad (Skullgirls) and Lindsay Collins. I think Adam Tierney should have used an assortment of various artists instead of just one. Plus, going black and white instead of full color invokes that classic horror feel much better than the pastel purples, pinks and blues used by Cousin.

Full of bite-sized reads, Afraid of Everything is not book that requires a lot of commitment. Readers have frequent chances to disconnect from the book if things get too scary as all of the tales are only a page in length. The artwork and coloring is uneven. But the bonus material is classic. A good read for those who just can't wait until Halloween for a scare!
Afraid of Everything: An Alphabetic Compendium of People's Weirdest Fears is currently available in print and other digital formats.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com. 

Invader Zim Quarterly #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Invader Zim might have ended with issue #50. But the fun continues in the over-sized new series Invader Zim Quarterly from Oni Press. This premier issue is a big one as it presents one of the missing cancelled stories from the Invader Zim TV show for the very first time! 

Invader Zim Quarterly #1
Written by Eric Trueheart
Art by Aaron Alexovich
Published by Oni Press
Retail: $5.99

Fans of Invader Zim are going to want to get their hands on this new quarterly comic! Several episodes of Invader Zim's second season on Nickelodeon went unproduced  due to slumping ratings and production costs. The subject of this first issue, 'Gir's Big Day' is one of those stories.

Zim sends his faithful, but rather dim robot helper Gir out in search of a tool. But along the way, Gir, in his green dog costume, is put through a series of hilarious misadventures! It all starts with being kidnapped by a mad scientist and then things get really crazy!

Original series writer Eric Trueheart returns to finish the story he never got to see aired on TV. This is the next best thing to an actual episode of Invader Zim. Gir's dialogue is perfectly scripted in his frank yet dumb nature. There are some very funny moments in this book. But to explain much more would really spoil the fun!

Invader Zim monthly series artist Aaron Alexovich is also back. He presents your favorite characters in their animated series style glory. But what he does with the new characters is so very clever. I loved the assortment of lab animals he created and there's another set of characters that look like something else. Let's just say how Gir deals with those beings was deliciously gory!

I had a lot of fun reading this oversized issue of Invader Zim. There's not very much of Zim. But that's okay. Gir does a fantastic job as the star for once!

I don't say it often as I feel that the term has lost a lot of meaning in the comic book realm. But with it's never-before-seen story, Invader Zim Quarterly is a true collector's item for fans of the series!

Invader Zim Quarterly debuts in print and other digital formats on June 17th 2020.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com. 

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #48

A few days ago, I reviewed the 50th anniversary Scooby-Doo special. In that appraisal, I lamented the lack of another Scooby-Doo Team-Up. Well, it was like fate felt sorry for me!

I've gotten way behind on my inventory and cataloging. I always seem to do other things than work on my collection. For some reason, I made time and I found this in my brief efforts. It was like discovering a lost episode! Why, I barely remember buying this. And I've pretty much read all of the series. And then Boom! Here's another awesome issue to be read!

In this Sholly Fisch/Dario Brizuela collaboration, the Rogues of Central City have called upon the Mystery Inc. team for help. It seems that their most recent schemes have been thwarted by fellow Rogue: The Top. Normally, this sort of thing wouldn't appear to fall under the caseload of those meddling kids. But The Top has been dead for years! So it's a ghost Rogue behind it all! It most certainly is something that the detectives how experience with!

A great story that didn't fall for the same plot line traps or very bad jokes which plagued the first 7-8 issues. Plus, I finally get to encounter a story with Golden Glider! She's often mentioned in the Arrowverse shows. But I've never had a chance to see what she looked like or could do in the comics. 

A fun-tastic surprise that made me smile!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Big Book of the 70s

Marie Severin, Rick Geary, Joe Orlando and dozens more fan favorite artists bring the 1970s back to life in The Big Book of the 70s.

While not everything that made the 70s my favorite decade is adequately covered in this book, there's a lot of biggies here. The Pet Rock. Watergate. Vietnam. Punk and Disco. This book is supposed to be about 1970-1979. Yet, a good portion of this book looks at the years that led to the Me-Decade as well as the aftermath of the decades that followed. But then again, any history book worth it's salt must focus on both the cause and effects of history!

I did learn a lot about things of the 70s that I knew very little to nothing about. Things like how the Sex Pistols got their name. Just who is Gary Gilmore? And there was tons of fun facts peppered throughout this book.

I wasn't such a big fan of the writing. The Witching's Jonathan Vankin does a good job at presenting the facts. But he puts too much of his own commentary into the book. I was quite surprised how anti-Jerry Brown the author is. Same with Jimmy Carter. But he really skewers Reagan and portrays the 80s icon as a demon. Quite unfairly, I must say...

One subject I was surprised is absent here was the rise of the gay community. Harvey Milk is completely absent from this book. There's also nothing about the Black Panthers. And this has got to be the first book I've ever read that covers the 1970s and doesn't dip it's toe into the sensationalism that is Jim Jones and the Jonestown massacre! 

Maybe not the most complete look at 10 turbulent years in world history. But you learn things that have been glossed over in American history as well. I didn't know we had a meat shortage in the 70s and I am a professional chef.  But hey, we got to learn about the 1970s in graphic novel/comics form. And that's pretty groovy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: a very fitting 7 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo 50th Anniversary Giant #1

A wonderful mix of all-new and classic DC mysteries starring Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. Gang. 

My love for Scooby has been rekindled  over the years thanks to Scooby-Doo Team-Up. Unfortunately, it was cancelled just as Cartoon Network and Boomerang announced an all-new team-up cartoon series. I'm hoping that the popularity of that series might bring back SDTU. 

The Scooby-Doo Team-Up duo of Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela usher in Scooby's birthday/anniversary in 2 of the 3 all-new stories. I loved the mash-up of voice actors names in the first story. But that second tale was quite predictable. 

In my heart of hearts, I hoped for a team-up story. My favorite of all the Scooby TV shows was The New Scooby-Doo Movies in which stars from the 1970s and way before that meet up with those meddling kids and their dog to solve mysteries that more often than not were fronts for crime. Dick Van Dyke, Mama Cass, Laurel and Hardy, The Harlem Globetrotters and of course, Batman & Robin were just a handful of celebs who joined forces with Scooby and friends. 

While we didn't get a Batman & Robin style superhero team-up (which episodes inspired SDTU), one of the reprinted stories was indeed a crossover. This one adventure has Shaggy finding a Hawaiian tiki while getting ready for a garage sale. It turns out to be the very tiki that cursed the Brady Bunch all those years ago. And the professor who seeks it, played by Vincent Price, returns to purchase it fair and square, along with a fashionable lamp...

One character that I was quite glad not to see was Scrappy Doo. The cousin Oliver of the Mystery gang; if I never encounter that annoying pup again in my life, it will be too soon! 

Sadly, for this 50th anniversary special, one member of the team was notably missing- The Mystery Machine. That flower-powered trusty ole' van didn't appear in one single panel- new or classic! Shame, DC! SHAME!

I would have liked one or two classic pre-DC stories in this anniversary special. Or even a fun reprinting of Laff-A-Lympics in which Shaggy and Scoob star. But I guess, I will just have to try and find those in my hunts of bargain bins and comic conventions nation wide someday.

A fun but slightly incomplete celebration of Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

We Served The People: My Mother's Stories (Family Comic Friday)

A young cartoonist learns about her mother's life growing up in China's Cultural Revolution in the biographical graphic novel: We Served The People: My Mother's Stories.

We Served The People: My Mother's StoriesWritten and illustrated by Emei Burell
Published by Archaia/ BOOM! Studios
Pages: 160
Retail: $24.99

From 1966-1976, millions of children were uprooted from their homes and sent to work in rural populations of China. The idea was to strip away the last vestiges of Capitalism from Communist China. One way to do that was to move children from modern cities to work on farms and plantations. The idea was that this most simple was of life would make the citified children of China less Westernized. But it actually had a reverse affect on Emei Burell's mother.

We Served The People is a first person account of a Chinese young woman's time working for a rubber plantation nearly 800 miles away from her family in Beijing.  As one of the only women taught to drive and operate trucks and tractors, 'Mom' learns about engineering first hand. This opens her up to wanting to get her degree in engineering when she was finally allowed to return to the capital city to be reunited with her family.

I feel like there's a sequel to this story because there's this huge build-up towards getting Emei Burell's mother to Sweden where she will eventually continue her college education in the sciences. But before she ends up in Sweden, the story ends. Yet, I really feel that Mom Burell was just getting started.

For a book advertising the impact of the Cultural Revolution on a person, We Served The People was more passive. Red Scarf Girl is an excellent prose account of Ji-Li Jiang's mis-education at the hands of a program that experts agree was a giant step backwards for China. Jiang's memoir tells more of how she had to change whereas this graphic novel is more about the aftermath of the lost years of education at the hands of the Mao Zedong school of thought.

The stories in the book were very interesting. I just expected more accounts during the Cultural Revolution instead of afterwards. Emei's mother spent almost a decade away from her family. But not even half of this book is devoted to that time of separation. I was just left wanting more.

One thing that I was quite upset at having too much of is something I mentioned recently in another review. It's the waste of paper. In between the stories, BOOM! Studios and Archaia put 2-4 solid read pages as dividers. I'm sure that the cost of red ink isn't cheap. Plus, there's the fact that the first 10 pages of this book are blank as well. If you had omitted all of that, you would have shaved 30 pages from the book and probably could've sold it for under $20.

Comic book publishers have got some great stories, such as this one, to tell. But in order to survive this hostile economy, brought upon thanks to a pandemic and exorbitant production costs, changes to how our graphic novels are printed must occur. Please, don't go digital only! But consider trimming those blank pages in order to make graphic novels of historical importance, like We Served The People more affordable.

We Served The People: My Mother's Stories is currently available in print and digital formats.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Big Book of Urban Legends.

This is a re-read for me. 

The Big Book of Urban Legends is a collection of the best of the best tales told from a friend of a friend. The vanishing hitchhiker. Mikey from Life Cereal commercials died eating pop rocks and coke. The madman under the car waiting to slice the ankles of ladies putting their groceries in their car. And dozens upon dozens more.

And let's talk about the art talent. Arthur Adams (Fantastic Four), Fred Hembeck (Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe), Trina Robbins (Wonder Woman) and so many more. 

One thing I didn't realize until reading this again is that the artists did not write the scripts. The book itself comes from noted folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand (Curses! Broiled Again!) It's so amazing how varied the storytelling was. I did not originally suspect that one writer was involved.

A great read. I'm not known for reading very many things one than once. That I read this over 200 page collection once more speaks volumes. 

Out of print. But still on Amazon! If you love Urban Legends- this is a must read!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Paul is Dead: When The Beatles Lost Paul

We all know that Paul McCartney died in a fiery car crash and was replaced with the winner of a Beatles look-a-like contest. Or did he? Explore the myth and legend of the death of one of the Fab Four in Image Comics' new graphic novel: Paul is Dead!

Paul is Dead: When The Beatles Lost Paul
Writer: Paolo Baron
Artist: Ernesto Carbonetti
Publisher: Image Comics
Code: FEB200089
SRP: $16.99

Paul is Dead is a trippy narrative about the conspiracy theory that Paul of the Beatles died and was replaced by a doppelganger to prevent mass chaos from fans of the Fab Four. In November 1966, Paul gets in a fight with the other three members of the Beatles. He angrily drives off to his home, runs into a tree and is burnt to a crisp in a fiery death.

Right off the bat, I know that Paolo Baron is an unreliable narrator.  Some put Paul's death on January 7th, 1967. And he was decapitated not immolated by flames. Or maybe he was? The legend of Paul's death has been a thing for over 50 years. And the facts of the story have changed. Or it could be that nobody really can agree on how the Beatle really died.

Just because I call writer Paolo Baron unreliable as a storyteller, that doesn't mean that he is a bad storyteller. I had thought I knew for sure that Paul is really alive. But with the twists and turns Baron puts on this story, including experiencing an acid trip with John Lennon during a key part of tale, has got me questioning that urban legend once more. I usually hate open-ended endings. But this time around it really works.

One neat aspect of Paul is Dead is that for about most of the middle act, John, George and Ringo play detective. According to the myth, the British government covered up the death of Paul to prevent a riot (and possible plague of teenage suicides), as the UK was in the midst of albeit waning Beatlemania. To have the other members playing Holmes and Watson brought a new dynamic to this myth and I loved it. I just wish that Paul is Dead went more in that direction instead of possibly having Paul return from the dead having faked his death for the sake of some personal tranquility. But this all takes place just as John has dropped that acid I mentioned earlier, so for all we know, Lennon dreamed it all!

I was in love with the artwork. Ernesto Carbonetti uses technique of caricature and psychedelics mixed with water-color looking paints to give a drug addled view of the late 60s. Those colors in Cabonetti's palette were so very much from the Summer of Love. Be sure to check out the artist's process further in the sketchbook section at the end of Paul is Dead.

Now here's where I express a little bit of frustration with this book. And it's geared to the publisher and editing team at Image Comics. Comic books and graphic novels these days are not affordable. Not at regular price. This book is 126 pages long. But the first 9 pages are mostly either blank pages or of a rough sketch of Paul's famous bass guitar. The last 4 or 5 pages of this book are the same way. If Image (and other publishers guilty of this sin) would stop adding such unnecessary filler to their books, you could reduce the cover price another buck or so. Instead of cutting talent, Image and company need to cut waste such as this!

Paul is Dead was an uncertain mystery that will leave you guessing until the very end. As well as days after you've finished it. It's a look at a 1960s pop culture conspiracy that has spawned countless theories. Why, there was even a rebuttal from 'Paul' in an episode of The Simpsons, where if you play the credits backwards, the singer claims "Yes, I am very much alive!", to the tune of 'Maybe I'm Amazed.' But we all know that's fake, right?
Paul is Dead: When The Beatles Lost Paul debuts in print and digital formats on June 3rd, 2020!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Car 54 Where Are You? #6

Almost exactly one year ago I wrote up a top 10 list. It was of the 10 comic book series based on TV shows that I wished to own at least 1 book of. It took about 3 months from crafting that wish list that I finally found a copy of this comic I am reviewing today.

I'm in my early 40s. But I can say with certainty that Car 54, Where Are You? is one of my all-time favorite sitcoms. It used to come on Nick at Night back in the 80s or way early 90s and I thought it was such a hoot. It starred New Yorker Joe E. Morris as Officer Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne (The Munsters) as his partner Muldoon. 

Together, they patrolled the mean streets of New York taking down bad guys, helping old ladies cross the street and more often than not getting the two confused. 

One of my all-time favorite episodes is when the old couple move into a building under the guise of opening a legit business. But in reality, they are thieves who hope to access the vault of the jewelry store on the other side of the wall to their property. But thanks to the help of Toody, Muldoon and the rest of their precinct, the crooks end up going straight thanks to all the business that they're getting. The great end gag was that on the other side of the jewelers, another pair of crooks have 'opened shop' and you know that the process will start all over again.

In this issue, Toody and Muldoon are assigned to fill in for the local truant officer. Meanwhile, a baby-faced bank robber has arrived in New York looking for his next score. But the patrolmen of car 54 mistake the baddie as a kid and they end up chasing the lad back to school!

This book read so very much like an episode of that classic early 60s show. I laughed so many times. And the artwork was very, very good. Quite impressive for the time period when the work was done so fast (and without much research) that you often couldn't tell the difference between Lassie and Timmy. 

The ad on the back cover for a Car 54 board game and a pair of hand puppets was so cool. It was worth a couple of the extra dollars I spent on this book. 

I would have liked more Car 54. No. I am not being ungrateful for owning the one issue. There was a back-up story in this comic but it had nothing to do with the TV show. Instead, it's about this moppet name Marisa and all the mischief she gets her dad into after a recent snowfall. 

Car 54 had an amazing cast of characters. Al Lewis, who would go play Grandpa on The Munsters along with Fred Gwynne. Charlotte Rae who would become Mrs. Garrett on Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. Plus Nipsy Russell, Ossie Davis and Paul Reed. I had rather that 6 pages of Marisa be changed to a short about one or more of the impressive ensemble.

Man, this was a great read. Brought back a ton of memories. But above all, it provided some laughter and joy during a time in world history where there's very little job to be found.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew #1

The idealistic storybook lives of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys is over. Brothers Joe and Frank are at odds with each other. Their father was killed by a dirty cop. Nancy's father turned state's evidence and lost his law license. The town of River Heights is in serious economic peril if the new company from China bypasses them for another burg. But this is nothing compared to the death of one Nancy Drew, female super-sleuth!

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew #1
Written by Anthony Del Col
Art by Joe Eisma
Published by Dynamite Entertainment
Rating: Teen Plus
Retail: $3.99

The Death of Nancy Drew is a sequel to Anthony Del Col's previous Dynamite team-up of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Following up from 2017's The Big Lie, things definitely went from bad to worse. And as Joe Hardy investigates Nancy's mysterious death, the teen detective begins a slow spiral into paranoia for he's convinced that the accident was no accident!

The artwork in this series is covered by Joe Eisma. The Morning Glories artist goes full noir in this series, thanks in very large part to colorist Salvatore Aiala.

Fans of gritty reboots like Riverdale, or even the new Nancy Drew series on TheCW, will love this new mystery series from Dynamite Entertainment. Writer Anthony Del Col (Kill Shakespeare) has already riled up fans of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys by killing off one of the most beloved characters in teen fiction. In this first issue alone, not only is Nancy Drew no more and the Hardy Boys are no longer a team but other characters from young adult novels are seeing their lives upended.

For example, the Bobbsey Twins, whom I didn't know were even affiliated with Nancy, Joe or Frank, find themselves facing poverty after their father loses his business due to some questionable practices. Whose next on Anthony Del Col's hit list; The Box-Car Children? Encyclopedia Brown? It's seems like nobody from our childhood who solved mysteries is safe!

Speaking of childhoods, this is a teen and older rated series. This a quantum leap from those original chapter novels first published in the 1940s and 50s. This is a Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery is that is little bit more grown-up.

This series is dropping at the perfect time. A new release in the second wave since comics returned, those of us who have been closed up inside their homes for nearly 2 months will have a chance to exercise our brains in this intriguing mystery. This new miniseries will make you ponder. Everything you thought you know about the teen mystery sleuths of your youth is wrong!

Can you solve the mystery before it's too late?

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew #1 will debut in print on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.