Xander Cannon did it again! He crafts this tale of no hold's barred crime and punishment. Full of sinners and very little saints. Cannon illustrates a world in which characters who despite winning my heart wind up as worm food or worse! All the while, the giant monster/prisoner drama breaks my heart and makes me terribly uncomfortable. And yet when the ride is all over- I'm ready for more!
That's how it is with the second season of Kaijumax! An escaped prisoner (about 40 stories tall) defies the odds in order to reunite with his children! A rookie cop (about 40 stories tall) learns what it means to lose a partner and how to break in a new one! A prodigal son (also about 40 stories tall) must make amends with the passing of the estranged father!
While Season Two does carry over several story lines from the previous series, there's all sorts of new characters and angles that are added to the mix. Secrets are revealed. Debts are paid. And yet with everything going on, I would have to say most of the characters, as well as 90% of the island of kaiju prisoners from Season One are largely forgotten.
Xander Cannon does promise at the end of this book that Season Three will bring it's focus back to the prison. I'm so looking forward to that. Unfortunately, I'm not sure when I will be able to make another visiting day at Kaijumax anytime soon. The pandemic has limited my resources. My library, which has volumes 3-5, is on delivery only and there's a 2-3 week waiting period for check-outs. But man, am I itching for another hit of this comic series that is a cross from HBO's Oz and the Godzilla films!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
Superman villain Metallo is revealed to be behind the attack on Blue Devil's brownstone. (Plus the robberies at STAR Labs.) True, Cassidy's domicile was collateral damage. But Metallo was the culprit.
Blue Devil finds himself once again playing the reluctant hero. But in the end, Blue Devil will earn high praise from the mightiest hero of Metropolis- Superman!
The relationship between Superman and Blue Devil is so classic. I wonder why we never saw much transpire between the two. Blue Devil would have made a great entry to the Superman Family. But he gets relegated to the supernatural side of the DC Universe what with Blue Devil becoming a member of Shadowpact.
I think the similarities between how Superman and Dan Cassidy interact was too similar to that of one of my all-time favorite DC characters, Firestorm. It's the Man of Steel who takes on an early mentor role to Firestorm, up to and including backing the Nuclear Man's acceptance into the Justice League.
I'm sure the complete reboot of the Superman mythos after CRISIS will have something to do with Blue Devil leaving Metropolis life behind.
A very funny story with two excellent henchmen of Metallo's who are completely inept! Here's hoping that we'll see more of them in the future.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.
This entry in 'The Big Book Of' series focuses on many of the lesser known gangs of primarily American history. But first, this book starts with an account of the origin of the word THUG from the history of the thuggees, a murderous cult from India.
Journalist Joel Rose looks at gangs from all eras of American history. From it's colonial era days that in ways ignites the spark of American Independence through the old West to the gang wars of New York City. We see glimpses of Mafia's origins in Chicago, L.A. and Las Vegas. Lastly, we see how even the political parties of the United States used corruption, racism and patriotism to become some of the most vicious gangs in American history.
This wasn't my favorite entry in the series. But I did enjoy it. I think the Big Books are best when they deal with the strange and macabre. There are some characters in this book. And they are the ones I liked best. The lengthy account of the Warren G. Harding administration was rather good too!
Once again, some of the industries most legendary artists join together to bring fans of history, crime and graphic novels an eclectic look at the darker sides of America. The Big Book of Thugs may not be pretty with it's lynchings, riots and killing. But it's a visually stunning book!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
