Marvel Comics Presents #23

Despite what it looks like on the cover, Cyclops is not fighting against those minions of the Mole Man, the Moloids. It's some sort of mutant clone creature from this insipid story starring the leader of the original X-Men.

After 10 chapters, Black Panther finally gets a lead on whether or not his mother might still be alive. Basically in chapter 2, Black Panther meet the man who claims to know where she is. Then 7 parts later, Black Panther finally meets back up with the guy- only to learn the informant is dead! 

The two one-and-done stories are both uplifting. The Falcon story focuses more on his career as a social worke;r working to end the cycle of violence with one of his clients and his embattered son. The other tale stars the wheelchair bound member of the Wolfpack known as Wheels. He's fallen for a older girl in school who happens to have a abusive boyfriend. You'd think someone confined to a wheelchair might shy away from taking on a bully. But Wheels is part of a superhero squad and has got bravery to spare.

Yes, those 2 stories do have some gritty real world scenarios. But they both end maybe not with a fairy tale ending. But they do end with hope. The Cyclops and Black Panther stories are major bummers. I'm really wondering why I was such a fan of this series when I was a kid in the 80s. Because 2020's me is too depressed by some of these stories.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars. 

Marvel Comics Presents #22

If you haven't seen the latest Marvel flick, Eternals, don't read this review.

If you do so anyway, don't blame me. Yes, I am spoiling something about the film. But I haven't seen Eternals either. 

This issue features an 8-pager by that latest darling of the MCU- Starfox. It's an off-the-wall tale that was refreshing considering how grim a lot of the material in MCP is. 

The Cyclops tale is about a terrible virus designed to wipe out the mutant population. The Black Panther story is about apartheid, racism and hate. And then there's the other 8-page one-shot starring Wolfsbane and Mirage of the New Mutants. It was about indigenous peoples and their loss of identity to white suppression.

For those of you who claim that today's comics from Marvel and DC are WOKE; let me just say Marvel Comics Presents was woke long before the alarm went off. 

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with these type of stories. It's just if you are looking for stories to cheer you up and feel good about yourself and maybe even humanity- only the Starfox story is gonna do that for you.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #21

There's a great story starring the mercenary Paladin. It involves a newspaper magnate hiring Paladin to rescue his daughter whose been kidnapped and held for ransom. Only the kidnapping was faked in order to bring awareness to protected lands owned by her father. And then you get the mafia, KGB and nameless other entities involved! It's a good thing Paladin charges for expenses!

This In Like Flint-type story was hilarious. I wish it wasn't a one-and-done story. The Scott Lobdell penned story was far more superior than the Cyclops mutant virus cover story and the way too drawn out Black Panther tale. 

The other 8-pager stars The Thing. This story was also very good. But with the subject matter of domestic violence and mental illness, it was also a heart-breaker.

I want more Paladin!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Slimer #10

I took a break yesterday from doing reviews. Don't fret! Family Comic Friday will be back next week.

Yesterday was family Thanksgiving time and by the time I got home, I was just too tired and sore to feel like typing up a review. But I still had 1 more Thanksgiving read to post about. True to my word, here it is!

I choose Slimer #10 for Thanksgiving Day because it was the day I was going to see Ghostbusters: Afterlife in theaters with my wife after she got off work. I thought it was fitting with a theme, I guess. There's 2 stories in this issue. The first is Thanksgiving themed. The second is not. But both involve ghosts!

In the opening tale, Jeanine puts Slimer on a diet just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. Telling the green ghoulie that he can on have 1 of everything, Slimer makes giant morsels of everything. They still count as one, right? Having overeaten, Slimer has a fitful sleep and dreams that he's one of the balloons he witnessed at the Thanksgiving parade.  

In the second tale, Slimer plays Ghostbuster when he discovers that the NYPD's stable of police horses are being terrorized by a trio of phantom wolves. The only problem is that Slimer can't activate the ghost traps without making himself a member of this spectral wolfpack. Whose Slimer gonna call when he's without his Ghostbuster pals?!

This issue of Slimer was a great trip back in time to the late 80s when I was obsessed with The Real Ghostbusters. the artwork for this comic looked just like the cartoon series did. But the coloring was just too drab. But I think that was the publisher's fault as the ads seemed pretty drab too. Or it could be the aging of the book. This book is over 30 years in age!

Another issue I had was Slimer's dialogue. On the cartoon, Slimer, voiced by Frank Welker (Transformers), spoke a type of pigeon English. You couldn't understand what he said. But you did get the gist of what Slimer was trying to convey. Here, Slimer speaks in complete sentences with zero perceived flaws. I guess it's not easy to make a comic series based on a character that readers can't decipher. But it's still a shock when that's not how you expect Slimer to 'sound.'

(Note- the reason Slimer can speak really well is actually due to the cartoon! In 1988, the series was expanded to an hour as Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. The Slimer toons gave Slimer an extended vocabulary. I wasn't aware of this as by that time, I had moved on to Ninja Turtles. Based on this comics 1990 publication date, this series is clearly an adaptation of the later seasons I didn't watch.)

When I read a old comic, I pour over the ads. There's a page or two in this comic that lists all of NOW Comics series that were going on at the start of the 90s. There's some really interesting stuff here based on TV shows and movies I was a fan of. I haven't really given NOW Comics must notice. But I think I'm going have to start adding some series to my wish list!

A fun issue that's partially Thanksgiving but 100% full of ghosts and the subsequent busting of!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

I waited like 2 years plus almost a whole week after it dropped in theaters to see this movie!

Ghostbusters: Afterlife completes the trilogy for the original Ghostbusters while opening the door for a new generation of Ghostbusters films. 

Egon Spangler has died in seclusion on his small dirt farm in Oklahoma. Inheriting the family plot is Egon's estranged daughter and two grandchildren. While rummaging around the house, granddaughter Phoebe uncovers one of Egon's old ghost traps. Not knowing what it was, Phoebe brings the trap to school in which her new science teacher accidentally unleashes something menacing.

Now after nearly 30 years without a ghost sighting, strange things are afoot in the small Midwestern town. It's up to Phoebe, her brother and their new friends to take up the mantle of Ghostbusters and save not only their new hometown but the entire world from a threat long forgotten- Gozer the Gozerian!

I loved this movie. Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, co-wrote and directed what could only be the perfect Ghostbusters film without the late Harold Ramis. Afterlife did a fantastic job addressing the loss of Egon with just a fair bit of movie magic. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough of the original surviving Ghostbusters for my taste. But mark my words- despite the lack of Ray, Winston and Peter being on screen, this is a Ghostbusters movie!

Aside from getting to see the actors who we all wanted to see from the first two films,  Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a great balance of classic and modern franchise.  (And yes- I realize that this is really 'Ghostbusters 4', but the all-girl team is not even a blip on the radar in this movie.)

I'm not sure how the movie is doing in theaters. Basically, with  COVID, it's a crap shoot based on spikes and mandates. But I feel like if things worked out how they should, a 4th original franchise based film should be on the horizon. Which if we're talking Ghostbusters movies could be anywhere from another 5-30 years away. If Columbia Pictures and the powers that be were smart, they'd make a new animated series to continue the narrative because I really think there's a ton more of story left wanting to be told.

Oh and be sure to stay through the entire run of credits. There's an extra scene that only my wife and I got to see because everyone else left wayyyyyyy too soon!

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

JSA #54

Day 9 of my Thanksgiving reads is an all-time holiday classic! 

The JSA has invited the members of the JLA to their headquarters for Thanksgiving dinner. It's a humorous mix of characters from both teams as they wait for the turkey to roast and the potatoes to mash. Only Batman is on edge as he feels that having all these superheroes under one roof is a recipe for disaster should a super villain decide to launch an attack.

A fantastic story written by Geoff Johns (Blackest Night) with amazing art by Don Kramer (Wonder Woman). I know it's probably not in fashion to say this, but Don Kramer's artwork of female heroes such as Wonder Woman and Power Girl is simply stunning cheesecake. It's very alluring. Though I will admit, the artist does try to draw the ladies in what could be considered extra-wide thongs.

A great read that was worth the wait. A must have for fans of holiday themed comic books.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

May your table be filled with everything you hope for!

Happy Thanksgiving, 2021.

Garfield #31

Day 8 of my Thanksgiving reads is my last Garfield book of the lot. When I went looking for Turkey Day books, I found 3 starring everybody's favorite fat cat. 

In this issue, while Jon makes his favorite turkey lasagna for Thanksgiving dinner, Garfield decides to share his thankfulness with the homeless felines down at the train tracks. Inspired by some Thanksgiving cheer, Garfield decides to help his down and out kitty comrades find forever homes.

Then the world's cutest kitten, Nermal, decides to live life like Garfield. That means making a gigantic sandwich, eating it in bed and reading a scary book. Thanks to the massive tummy ache, Nermal dreams that he's Little Red Riding Hood. Only, he keeps getting put in the wrong fairy tale!

My heart just melted in the Thanksgiving set tale. If case you remember, during day one of my Thanksgiving reads, I read another Garfield comic. In that book, there was a story about a cat whom nobody knew his name. Well, in the holiday story, that same kitty is in this story and his name is Benji! Well, it was Benji. I think his new owner calls him Fluffer-nutter or something to that effect.

I hate to see kitties in need. I'd adopt a hundred pusses if I had the room and money. I loved seeing these poor felines finding new homes thanks to Garfield's efforts.

This was a great issue. I even liked the Nermal solo story. That's big because I used to hate Nermal with a passion. I guess over time he's grown on me. There wasn't enough Thanksgiving in this story as even the main tale it seemed that T-Day was more of an afterthought. But this was a very enjoyable read. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Archie Giant Series #579

I had every intention of reading a Thanksgiving themed book for day 7. But if wasn't meant to be. The book I was to read winded up having a major printing error. The first 2-3 pages were missing which also meant that the last 2-3 pages were gone too! 

This kind of thing is a common error. And it's infuriating when you find out that a prized piece of your collection is anything but complete. 

Since I didn't want to throw off my schedule, I didn't read a Thanksgiving book last night. Instead, I am going to review a Christmas book that I read last year but didn't get to reviewing during the holiday season. 

This giant sized Archie from 1988 is full of holiday cheer. That pesky elf Jingles starts off the fun with another trip to Riverdale. Then Archie and Jughead gift their teachers with a free snow shoveling of their driveways. Then Veronica and Betty help a store Santa who gets wrongly fired by staging a boycott of the department store. Finally Archie and his parents butt heads when the fiery redhead teen decides he'd rather spend Christmas with Veronica and Mr. Lodge. It's a case of Christmas growing pains for sure.

This issue was jammed packed with Christmas goodies. Even the Sabrina one-pager seemed to be holiday based. Or maybe it wasn't originally but the artists decided at the last minute to add a Christmas tree in the background. I appreciate every effort to make the whole book Christmas themed. That's a level of devotion to detail and the holiday spirit intended that I miss in a lot of so-called holiday themed comics. 

I look forward to new Archie holiday specials every Halloween and Christmas. Why Archie Comics doesn't publish a Thanksgiving book is beyond me. I'd surely buy it! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars. 

Marvel Comics Presents #20

 

The cover focus might be on Cyclops and Black Panther, but the stars of this issue are Doctor Strange and Clea.

Doctor Strange's 2-parter titled 'Nightmare in Suburbia' has the Sorceror Supreme making a house call. The family Strange visits is clearly possessed by a demon. But just who is behind the household evils will surprise everyone!

The Clea story was beautiful. The former lover of Doctor Strange is now the leader of Dormammu's former realm- the Dark Dimension. This land can be known to blacken the heart of even the most pure of heart, such as Clea. So what is going to keep her path on the side of the angels and not become just another Dark Dimension despot?

I really have no need for the Cyclops story. It's boring. Scott Summers is boring. He's always been like my least favorite X-Man. Well, Marvel Girl gets annoying too. But that's because Jean Grey just can't stay alive or dead or whatever state of being she's a part of.

The Black Panther story isn't bad. It's just long. Scenes that should be over in 2-3 pages are stretching out over multiple issues. If Black Panther's mother was alive, he'd have found out by now if this was a Stan Lee/Jack Kirby production. And we're only at part 8 here! It's a 25 part long story!!! Good Grief. 

Not the best effort by Marvel Comics Presents. But it at least had 2 very good stories starring members of the Doctor Strange family of characters.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #579

It's all about Disney in Day 6 of my Thanksgiving reads. Unfortunately, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #579 isn't 100% Thanksgiving. 

There's 3 stories in this issue. Of the non-Thanksgiving tales we have the son of the Big Bad Wolf having to going on a 3 Little Pig hunt with his pop and Mickey & Goofy playing engineers against some train robbers. The L'il Bad Wolf story was lots of fun. It had a lot of big idea fails like you'd seen in a Road Runner & Coyote cartoon. But something was off with the Mickey & Goofy story. I'm wondering if it was originally printed in a foreign Disney Comic because the syntax in those translated issues are often wonky and the dialogue in this story definitely had some awkward moments.

Let's head to the Thanksgiving adventure now. Just like on the cover, Donald is on the hunt for a wild turkey in full Pilgrim regalia. The reason- he refuses to pay 70 cents per pound for the seasonal bird at his local butcher. (Obviously this was a story from the 40s or 50s cause I couldn't tell you the last time I was able to buy whole turkeys that freakin' cheap!) 

Anyways, with Pilgrim Donald on the hunt, it's the perfect time for Huey, Dewey & Louie to play some tricks on their uncle. But when a turkey actually shows up, it's big, bad and mean (as all turkeys are) and ready for a fight.

Disney is a good go to for holiday comic reads. There's not a ton of Thanksgiving themed comics out there. So for this book to only be a partial Turkey Day issue, I'm not complaining. And L'il Bad Wolf was a laugh riot, as usual. But that Mickey & Goofy story was hard to read. Even the punchline last panel was terrible. It alone is why I am deducting a few points in my rating. 

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Garfield

It's time for more Thanksgiving fun with everybody's favorite fat cat Garfield!

In this issue, Garfield, Odie, Jon and Liz head off to the annual Thanksgiving parade. Jon remembers as a kid seeing giant balloons of Santa and other fun characters. There are balloons at this parade too. But they're all of things for sale at the local mercantile center. You know, fun stuff like blenders, tires and mayo! 

This blatant commercialism causes Jon to mourn for his lost childhood and be in a funk all year long. Now another Thanksgiving is upon us and it's time for another parade is upon us. Jon's nieces have come to visit and go to the parade. But Jon just isn't in the mood. Can Garfield help his owner recapture his missing Thanksgiving spirit?

In the backup feature, the world's cutest kitten, Nermal, comes to visit. Garfield and Odie decide to stay up late and watch a zombie movie with him. Jon puts the kibosh on the film, citing it'll give the pets nightmares; which of course it does. Can Garfield and friends survive the night of the living meatballs?

Though story #2 is more of a Halloween story, the Thanksgiving Day fun doesn't stop. There's 2 classic turkey themed reprints of Garfield Sunday funnies. Plus there's 2 essay type shorts: one about Garfield's love of Thanksgiving and the other is a sort of top 10 list. They were all enjoyable and brief.

The Thanksgiving stuff was all quite nice. But I was nonplussed about the zombie meatball story. It was too corny and reminded me of Jim Davis' less funny 90s oddball stuff. Having Mark Evanier craft that Thanksgiving story helps too. I've been a fan of his since his days as Kirby's assistant during the King's time at DC in the 70s.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

JSA Classified #32

Thanksgiving reads, Day 4. 

It's Turkey Day and members of the JSA have agreed to host a float for the yearly parade. But when a mysterious pink dust falls upon the parade goers, the heroes go on high alert. They go from threat level yellow to screaming fireball red when JSA arch-enemy Solomon Grundy suddenly appears on the scene. 

He wasn't scheduled to attend! Was he?

The backstory of this issue involves the Alan Scott Green Lantern. This time of year brings up the painful loss of his daughter- the Infinity Inc. heavy hitter, Jade. 

I mention this plot because it ties into the cliffhanger. Normally, I would be upset to have a issue end on a cliffhanger. Especially if I'm not able to read the next issue. But when I bought this book in anticipation for my T-Day readings, I saw that #33 was Christmas themed. I took a leap of faith on this since I knew at some point I was going want the yule tide book as well. It paid off!

But what do I do now? I don't read Christmas stories until it turns December 1st. That's only 10 days away...  Maybe as a special treat I'll read this as a sort of Black Friday reward for myself.

A very good story that made me feel like I was at the Macy's parade or something. But just how old are the Society members? They fought in World War II. This issue was published in 2003. How the heck are 3 elderly heroes probably in their 70s or 80s fighting like they are in peak physical condition? Guess I'll need to research that puzzle as it's the only thing that really kept me from connecting with this great holiday issue.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

We Found A Monster (Family Comic Friday)

Casey Clive is the weird kid in school. He's obsessed with horror and sci-fi. He's got premature gray hair. And he's an expert in monsters. That last one might be because Casey's house is secretly home to about a dozen monsters ranging from a zombie to a human-bat hybrid to a sea creature that lives in the Clive family toilet.

When it comes to friends at school, Casey doesn't have any. But that all changes when new girl, Zandra, asks him to help her with a special project: caring for a sick monster she found!

As Casey helps nurse the fluffy pink monster to health, strange things star to happen. A menacing evil drone keeps chasing him throughout his hometown. The robot claims that he's on the lookout for someone who escaped him. Could it be the cotton candied-coated beastie hiding in Casey's attic?

We Found A Monster is written and illustrated by Kirk Scroggs (Swamp Kid). Just like with Scroggs first book, it's done like a journal. Casey is very adept at recording his observations and interactions with his monsters. And there's tons of doodles and mini comics. Throughout the book, Casey's journal is interspersed with segments of sequential art that moves the plot forward. This young adult graphic novel is just jammed pack with fun!

For the past couple of year's DC has been upping it's all-ages game with a series of graphic novels for ages 6 and up. It started with the short-lived DC Zoom imprint and has now just become a regular thing at the House of Heroes. Every title DC's been putting out has starred its heavy hitters from Batman to Zatanna. But when it comes to We Found a Monster, I couldn't figure out just what this has to do with any of the this publishers creations. 

Casey Clive is not a DC Comics character. Unless he's a very minor addition that even the DC Wiki page doesn't relevant. But as you dig into the book, you meet a few minor characters that are a part of the adult version of the DCU. For example, there's the human-bat hybrid. It's She-Bat from the Batman Family of villains. Then there's- oh I just don't want to spoil it. But it's definitely a DC book, this one is.

We Found A Monster seems set up in order for a sequel. I think it would be neat if the next book paired Casey Clive with Swamp Kid. There's a mini-comic at the end the book that stars Swamp Kid and his crew. So maybe my idea isn't out of the realm of possibility.

I had a lot of fun reading We Found A Monster. It was planted firmly in the DC Comics mythos of horror. It just took a while to find the pathway to it. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #567

Day 3 of my Thanksgiving reads stars Donald and Mickey! 

In the first story- 'Turkey Shoot', Donald's nephews win a turkey in a raffle. Only the turkey is alive and they don't want their new pet to become Thanksgiving dinner. So Donald enters a turkey shoot in hopes of winning another bird to feast on. Only the charity sponsoring the event have fixed it so nobody can possibly win! 

Then we visit the woods to spend Thanksgiving with the L'il Bad Wolf and his Pop. The Big Bad Wolf is tired of having beans for Turkey Day. So he does the unthinkable and actually does an honest day's work; attempting to earn his own bird! Only the other residents in the forest seem to think that the Wolf's legitimate feast has been stolen!

Lastly, Mickey is ready for his Turkey Day feast. But this bird has grown big and mean over the year and it's fighting back! Watch as Mickey tries to off a Tom Turkey and get pulverized a being of pure evil!

(Sorry- I have a mortal fear of turkeys... Maybe I got a little bit biased. But I doubt it! Turkeys are mean!)

There's a fourth story in this issue. It wasn't seasonal. But it was funny. Based on Goofy's series of educational videos from the 1940s, the anthropomorphic dog takes readers on a tour of the history of shoes. 

This issue features works from Carl Barks and William Van Horn. Full of classic Disney charm. This is the House of Mouse I remember as a kid. And I loved every panel of it! Though I do think it a little weird that a family of ducks want to eat turkey for Thanksgiving...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Simpsons Comics #51

Day 2 of my Thanksgiving comic reads takes us to Springfield with a Turkey Day to remember.

Lisa is planning her annual protest of the holiday. Bart is going to skip dinner to get in line for a new video game. And Marge is in a tizzy because Homer ate the entire turkey and guests are due to arrive in just a couple of hours! Oh, and did I mention that Mr. Burns is being held hostage by a trio of gobblers?

This was a great issue that deserves to be animated. It was so funny and so perfect! 

Simpsons Comics also have small back up features that focus on the residents of Springfield. For this issue, Cletus the Slacked-Jawed Yokel is the star. In a parody of the Dan Ackroyd/Eddie Murphy vehicle Trading Spaces, a pair of college trustees make a bet that college isn't for anyone. Or is it? With Cletus as the test subject, higher learning with never be the same again!

A really enjoyable issue. The only flaw about it was that it was over too soon!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Garfield #7

I'm in such a great holiday mood that I can't wait for the Turkey Day fun to start! So I went online to a favorite online comic book shop and I bought some Thanksgiving themed books. I've got 10! Thus last night was my first holiday themed read!

I started thing off with Garfield #7. The cover obviously isn't holiday themed. (To be fair- the variant cover was but it wasn't available for sale.) And the first story has nothing to do with the fourth Thursday in November. But the second story took place during Thanksgiving! So I'll just ease into the holidays with this one...

In the first story, a adorable alley cat ponders just why is Garfield so popular while he's got to fend for himself in the trash. Could it be because Garfield sleeps all the time? Maybe because he puts competitive eaters too shame? No matter what, this precious puddy tat is going to get to the bottom of this quandary!

Story two, the Thanksgiving themed tale, has Garfield eating himself into a food coma. As a result, the fat cat dreams that it's Turkey Day everyday. Things seem like a dream that is until Garfield runs across his evil twin double. Now it's a nightmare as a group of hungry gobblers have put cat on the Thanksgiving menu.

Both stories were rather clever. Mark Evanier (New Gods) doesn't take himself quite so seriously in the writing duties. Which is a good thing. Because I've really felt that Garfield creator Jim Davis has really gotten dull with his Sunday funnies. Maybe Davis needs to put Evanier in charge from now on?

That alley cat story was a little sad. Mostly because everybody notices the little fella. But nobody knows his name. Being nameless and alone was just so heartbreaking to me. So I've decided that his name is Mervin! And if Mervin came to my front door, I'd adopt him in a heartbeat. (Having 6 cats already be darned!)

A great gradual entry into Thanksgiving.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

All-Star Batman Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy

A story as fractured as the mind of Two-Face. Scott Snyder and John Romita Jr. team-up for this unlikely pairing of the Dark Knight and the dual persona of Harvey Dent/Two-Face. 

Harvey Dent has a plan to put an end to his evil alter ego once and for all. It involves Batman taking Dent to an unknown location in order to exercise those demons of his. Two-Face has a counter plan to keep from being permanently erased by his good side. And the baddie's plan isn't secret like Harvey's. Instead, Two-Face has made a public decoration offering unknown riches if anyone can free the madman from the custody of the Caped Crusader.

As a result, villains and rogues creep out of the woodwork looking to make their fortune. Throw in the citizens of Gotham, Jim Gordon and even a sacred ally of the Batman and it's a mad mad mad world of trouble for the Dark Knight and Harvey Dent.

I thought the first half of this story was just awful. It had so many jumps in time and nothing revealed was ever truly explained. That was until the last third of the story. Plus, it's just so sad seeing the demise of John Romita Jr's artwork. You can tell the arthritis is getting to him as everything is gigantic. There's no tiny detail work which was indicative of his art in the 80s and 90s. 

One thing I was pleasantly surprised with was the addition of Duke Thomas: The Signal. First seen as a youngster in Zero Year, Duke has evolved from being just the latest in the string of Robins to a Batman sidekick in his own right! I used to think Tim Drake was the quintessential Batman assistant. But Duke Thomas might be taking over that title. He's that good!

There's two sides to this volume. A rough, disjointed opening half. A rushed but adequate closure.  Plus, Duke Thomas is highlighted in a short story that has him taking on Mr. Zsasz while dealing with the well-being of his jokerized parents. 

All-Star Batman offers an interesting twist to the Bruce Wayne/Harvey Dent history. However, I think if it wasn't for Duke Thomas, this book would've been a complete was of time.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Marvel Comics Presents #19

If I had to put my money on a book that is currently pretty inexpensive but will shoot up in value soon, it's this one.

Marvel Comics Presents #19 marks the first appearance of Damage Control, a company that operates in the heart of the Big Apple. When titans such as Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus clash, there's sure to be some collateral damage. A broken water line here. A destroyed cafe there. It's up to Damage Control to keep the City That Never Sleeps from lapsing into coma through continuous reconstruction.

As there are rumors that Damage Control is going to get it's own Disney+ series, I have a feeling collectors and speculators are going to go gaga over this book. Written by the later Dwayne McDuffie with art by Ernie Colon, this one short 8-pager doesn't quite have the polish of the 3 Damage Control mini series that popped up shortly after this debut. But you can definitely capture some glimpses of brilliance!

This one's gonna be hot!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You

As a life-long cat lover, when I found this book, I just had to have it. A collection of cat themed digital comics by Matt Inman, also known by web comic fanatics as The Oatmeal.

Most of the comics are about how felines really secretly want to off us. Every comic was 100% accurate and hilarious. I was getting afraid for a moment that this realism might put me off of gatos. But this book actually makes me love them more.

As with any sort of collection of humorous skits, there's always one episode that runs rather long. And just not all that funny. Amazon Women on the Moon has the Funeral Roast skit. The Kentucky Fried Movie has 'A Fistful of Yen'. How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You has 'The Bobcats.'

It's about 2 cats, both named Bob, who work in an office. If you read Dilbert- imagine both Dogbert and Catbert as the office bullies. (oh imagine Catbert has a clone.) Now throw in the Mike Judge opus Office Space and you have this skit. Some segments are funny. Some are just cruel. It makes you wonder how these cats haven't been fired yet. Plus, why did these meanies get hired in the first place? 

The 'Bobcats' was the weakest part of this book. It ran about 30 pages too long. Plus, all of a sudden, there's swear words and 'douche' and 'nards' insults are liberally peppered throughout. It wasn't all that necessary. 

If you are a cat lover with a sense of humor, you'll love the one and two page gags. Every single one is something use servants to those furballs we call precious pusses can relate to. I just hate that the 'Bobcats' threw off the pacing to this rapid fire funny book. That skit was broken down into days of the week. I think if Inman had spread those days out throughout the book instead of smack down right in the middle, I would have enjoyed those parts more and it would have made for a better flow.

A funny book devoted to living with kitties. But in need of some better organization of the content.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Marvel Comics Presents #18

2 unexpected holiday themed Marvel Comics Presents in a row?!? I must have been really good this year!

In the first Christmas carol, Jennifer Walters, newly unencumbered from the Fantastic Four is rather lonely this Christmas Eve. So the She-Hulk places a call to her former team leader, Benjamin J. Grimm- the ever Blue-eyed Thing! It seems like a trip down memory lane. That is until Doctor Doom shows up. Then Magneto and then... Nope not going to spoil it! All I will say is that this was a wild one and a great set-up piece to She-Hulk's amazing solo series by John Byrne.

The other Christmas piece also centers around a member of the Fantastic Four family. It's Baxter Center postman Willie Lumpkin who is accidentally visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. The spirits were supposed to haunt J. Jonah Jameson. Instead, this case of a wrong delivery will turn the usual happy-go-lucky postal worker into a scrooge too!

Only 2 of the 4 stories are Christmas tales. But when you add the festive cover, this is a yule tide treat! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #17

A new X-Man headlines this anthology series. Team leader Cyclops heads to Muir island to visit Moira McTaggert and Banshee. While at the research station Cyclops observes Moira in a sort of trance. Clearly, something odd is afoot.

But the story that really got my attention stars Uatu the Watcher. It's a holiday set story that has The Watcher waxing poetic with an allegory of the Nativity story. Only it's set with aliens. Okay- this story was a little goofy. But I don't care. It's an unexpected Christmas tale from the house of ideas!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Superman of Smallville (Family Comic Friday)

Relive Clark Kent's early years in Smallville. His super powers are just coming into play as Clark turns 13. Clark wants to use his abilities to help those in need. But he's butting heads with Ma and Pa Kent who are afraid that should the world know of the existence of extraterrestrial life, Clark Kent will end up a lab experiment.

At this time in his life, Clark is still in the dark about his origins. That is until a mysterious probe crashes nearby. It's appearance makes the space ark in which Clark arrived on earth go awry. On top of that, Clark can also understand what the drone is saying. It turns out that the alien tech is going amok searching for a missing inhabitant from its planet of origin. Could this rogue rocket be on the hunt for Clark?

I waited a long time for this book. I love the collective works of Art Baltazar and Franco (Tiny Titans) and when the book was announced in early 2019, I was ready to grab it as soon as it debuted at my local library. And then COVID hit. 

I really enjoyed this book. It has that classic charm that all of Baltazar and Franco's family aimed comics have. The writer/artist duo know how to make classic comics modern without losing that nostalgic magic. This graphic novel was a funtastic mix of the Superboy stories from 1950s era Adventure Comics and the retro reboot in the 1970s. Only, why is Clark referred to as Superman in this book and not Superboy? That miffed me a little. I'd be okay with it if Clark was in high school. But he's still in middle school here. He's not a Super Man yet!

The other thing I had a issue with was that this book was a little difficult to read due to it's gimmick. The alien probe speaks in the Kryptonian. In order to understand what it says, you have to have a code key- which is all the way in the back of the book. I would have like it if this book could have had a flap with the code key on it so you could decode without having to continuously flip back and forth. 

I'm also not sure if the Kryptonian letters are canon or the creation of the creative team. Either way, some of the letters look way too similar to each other. So I was getting confused going back and forth and misremembering the image I was tracking. It took me about an hour to read this book. Had the formatting been a little more reader friendly, I probably would have finished in 30 minutes. 

Superman of Smallville was inaccurately titled. It was also a fun and games activity with a serious design flaw. It you can make a copy of the code key or have an image of it on your phone to refer to, you'd probably benefit. I'd imagine reading this on a Kindle or other e-reader is darn near impossible to do without getting frustrated.

I long for more from Baltazar and Franco. But I hope the next work doesn't have similar problems as this one did.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Department of Truth, Vol. 1: The End of the World

Everything you know about conspiracy theories is a lie. That is, until the conspiracies become true!

In this exciting new series from James Tynion IV (Batman) the clandestine Department of Truth must extinguish the sparks of subterfuge before the lies explode, triggering a total rewrite of not only world history but the very laws of physics too.

Everything revolves around FBI special agent Cole Turner. One day while in elementary school, Cole may or may not have seen the devil himself eating a baby. This so-called 'Satanic Panic' was proven to be an urban legend. Right? As Cole' eyes are opened to the inner workings of the Department of Truth, he finds evidence that other school children were forced to watch similar pagan feasts. Only these sacrifices didn't happen during the 80s like when Cole witnesses his. These events are happening today.

The Department of Truth is very much a product of this period in time. With birtherism, the questioned origins of 9/11, Qanon and the demise of Epstein, our nation is divided unlike never before. This isn't like the time of the Civil War where people fought over slavery and states rights. The conflict America faces now is based on cyper-wide misinformation and government distrust. 

This series is a cross between The X-Files and Men In Black and your favorite political thriller thrown in. It could be All The President's Men, JFK, or even a Jack Ryan movie. Then add in the Mandela Effect; a collective remembrance of something that didn't happen- like Nelson Mandela's death in the 1980s, 1999 or was it 2013? 

I love conspiracy theories. Though sadly, I think what is happening today is getting way out of hand. There's so much distrust in our world. And if you believe the wrong thing- you'll end up cancelled. Just like many of the minor characters at the hands of the agents of the Department of Truth. Only, those folks get permanently cancelled. 

Like with any conspiracy filled story, there's a lot of confusion. Mostly because viewers are thrown red herrings to keep things unpredictable. The Department of Truth is a fantastic story that I am wanting to get to the bottom of. I only wish I could say that I was a fan of the art. Dying is Easy's Martin Simmonds is given a whole bunch of art supplies to craft the artwork. Only, Simmonds seems to have decided to use crayons, pens and markers all at the same time. It's not pretty. But then again, that messy art kinda reflects how dirty conspiracies can be.

A mind-bending thriller that hits extremely close to home.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Marvel Comics Presents #16

The American heartland set Colossus saga comes to an end. Thankfully.

The Black Panther saga gets interesting with the edition of a South African miner named Zanti Chikane. Zanti is reluctant to help an injured T'Challa due to the repercussions of harboring a fugitive from the South African government. But he also knows that to do nothing, an good man could die. A good man who happens to also be an Avenger.

We then travel to Australia where the X-Men are in hiding with the world thinking they're all dead. While most of the team is ready to go out for a night of fun, the mutant Longshot is hoping to practice some meditation techniques his learned from the local Aborigines. Only this trip through the dreamscape will have terrifying consequences for Longshot. Life and death consequences.

Lastly, tour the savage land with Ka-Zar and his loyal sabretooth tiger, Zabu. It's probably the weakest story of the bunch. It literally was a forgettable tale.

A Marvelite's passport that just doesn't thrill at every tour stop.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Marvel Comics Presents #15

The Colossus saga 'God's Country' comes is just about to come to an end. This is a story that I've read several times. And it's like a roller coaster. First time I read it, I hated it. Time #2 was great. This go round, it was just meh...

The Black Panther story seems to be dragging on. This is only chapter 3 of a 25-parter! It's gonna be a long trip in South Africa is things don't pick up soon.

Jean Grey, The Morlocks and the Native American hero Red Wolf star in the other two stories in this issue. Both are forgettable. Meh, again...

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 4: Smuggler's Blues

This volume is all about the Rogues. No, not the squadron of X-Wing pilots. I'm talking about the scoundrels. The smugglers. The scruffy-looking nerf herders!

Han and Chewie run afoul of bounty hunters Zuckuss and 4-LOM. In a story filled with double-crosses and red herrings, the crew of the Millennium Falcon and the Mist Hunter are stranded on a planet in which nothing mechanic works. That includes the ships, blasters and 4-LOM!

Then explore some of Lando Calrissian's early days as a honest man on Cloud City when he tries to teach the son of an old friend that being a rogue isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Lastly, that green bunny-eared smuggler Jaxxon makes his Disney canon debut in as short story involving the transportation of some endangered eggs. If this sounds an awful lot like an early Mandalorian Season 2 storyline, you're completely right. Only this story came first and no- none of the eggs get eaten by a Baby Yoda.

The Han Solo tale was very good. But I hated that the Han Solo used in the art was that of Alden Ehrenreich smuggler and not that of a young Harrison Ford. Yeah, I know that the issues in this volume were set up as a promotion tie-in with the Solo origin movie. But I'm a Star Wars purist and well, that origin flick wasn't all that great. 

Glad to see both Lando and Jaxxon making appearances in this. Loved seeing new and unexplored regions of Bespin. And yeah, I know people hate Jaxxon. But I am not one of them! Long may Jaxxon reign. He's no Jar Jar Binks... Thank God!

Another exciting read. Not perfect but definitely a great read!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures Vol. 2: Unexpected Detour

Since my library has about 20 volumes of Star Wars Adventures, and I'm not able to go to comic book conventions right now due to the lack of cons during a pandemic, I plan on saving some money by reading the whole run. Unfortunately, my library prohibits patrons from checking out more than 3 books from the same series at a time. No prob. I can make do with multiple trips.

The main feature of this volume is a 2-parter starring Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker. Taking place immediately after the Battle of Yavin, Leia is hoping the win will encourage more planets will join the Rebellion. But when Luke falls into the hands of the Empire, that victory rush might be over pretty quick. It's up to the Princess of Alderaan to don an Imperial uniform and do a impossible rescue herself!

Finn stars in another main feature story. It's from his time as a First Order stormtrooper and it offers a clear glimpse into why Finn was never meant to be a vindictive killer. This one has a great twist ending!

'The Tales from Wild Space' back up features are mixed bag. Actor Alan Tudyk pens a story starring his character from Rogue One, K-2SO. While Cassian Andor goes in search of parts to repair his ship, K-2 becomes the unwilling babysitter of a trio of precocious Wookiee younglings. Then those precocious Porgs from the new trilogy are the stars of a story that has Rey and Chewbacca going out of their minds as the alien birdies make a mess of the Millennium Falcon. 

Lastly, there's a story starring a character I'm not at all familiar with at all. He's a young lad named Mattis Banz. Banz is a character from a series of young adult Star Wars novels and he's apparently canon. This story is from his time as an orphan at a farm colony and shows how the spark of justice and heroism was within him at such a young age.

Of course, my least favorite story was the Mattis Banz story. Not because it was of poor quality or anything like that. It's just that Banz is placed within the pages of this book without any sort of introduction; like all Star Wars fans are supposed to know who he is. Luke, Chewie, Darth Vader- those are characters in a galaxy far, far away that need zero introduction. As I doubt very many young Star Wars fans have read the books he appears in, Mattis Banz is a character that needs inauguration!

Confusion aside. this was an enjoyable read full of exciting stories and great art by the likes of Derek Charm, Eric Jones and Annie Wu.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Marvel Comics Presents #14

Darn You Marvel Comics! You broke my #1 rule! YOU KILLED THE DOG!

In the first chapter of Panther's Quest, a random pooch saved Black Panther from attacking mercenaries. In round #2, those same mercs killed the doggie and for a Comics Code authorized issue, the death was rather gruesome.

Thankfully, the Steve Ditko crafted Speedball one-shot and the Fabian Nicieza penned Nomad short were light-hearted and enjoyable. As with the next-to-last chapter of the Colossus story, it was about as good as I remembered it. 

So once again 3 out of 4 ain't so bad. Just try to be a little more PETA friendly Marvel!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Astro City, Vol. 17: Aftermaths

This volume is Astro City's last with DC Comics/Vertigo as its landlord. With this in mind, Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross and Brett Anderson craft a trio of stories that poignantly closes the chapter on this fabled metropolis.

We first meet G-Dog. A chance encounter with a magical amulet melds a small time crook with his new dog, Hank. First experimenting as a villain, Hank's instinct to be a good boy slowly changes Astro City's newest hero over to the side of the angels.

Before I go on with my overview of this volume, I have to admit: I cheated. The rule for me with any comic book story is 'don't kill the dog!' or whatever cute little fuzzy there is. So I had to read ahead. 

SPOILER- the puppy dies. Thankfully, it's not a shocking death like in The Weatherman. But gosh darn it. No matter how much I prepared myself, I was devastated. Though I wasn't so sad for Hank. He seemed okay with his passing and so I was okay with it. I was in tears for Pet Patrol, Hank's animal teammates who must move on without their canine heavy. 

The second story is about a superhero named Resistor. Anytime a protest goes awry, this hero empowers the persecuted to become human shields from counter-protesters.  It was an interesting story told from the point of view of a reporter who is convinced that her estranged father is behind the creation of the Resistors. 

Lastly, the story of Astro City comes full circle as we revisit Michael Tenicek. Michael first appeared in the Wizard co-produced Astro City #1/2. In that opening salvo, which introduced Astro City to the DC/Wildstorm universe, a cross-time battle of heroes and villains ended up erasing Michael's wife Miranda from existence. Given a choice to move on or allowed The Hanged Man allows Michael the opportunity to forget his bride. But in a tragic twist, Michael decided to for-go that choice and moves on with his set of fractured memories.

Now 25 years have passed. Michael has started Miranda's Friends; a support group for the citizens of Astro City whose lives have been impacted by the influence of those ubiquitous heroes and villains and the tragedy that follows in their wake. Mysterious benefactors have honored Michael's sacrifices by paying for his bills and every needs. Thus 7-days a week, multiple times per day, Tenicek takes care of the lost and broken, all the while basically ignoring his own broken heart. But when a new addition to Miranda's friends attacks him as being a faker who feasts on the emotional needs of the support group, Michael Tenicek will finally have to face the pain of having memories of a woman and romance that both was very real and never occurred at all.

The opening and closing stories were very good. Tenicek's story was the perfect ending to this series. I love how the saga came full circle. 

The Resistor story was okay. One would think it was rushed to reflect the changing culture of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. However, those tragedies took place in 2020 almost a full year after this story debuted. So, there's a sort of eerie forbording, especially with a small scene in which both BLM and the police are attacked by snipers. 

But the VIP of this volume was the G-Dog story. It both broke my heart and warmed it at the same time. When Doctor Monkey is rebuffed after offering G-Dog membership into the Pet Patrol team, I felt so bad for the genius Capuchin monkey. Knowing Hank's time is growing short, the decision to have G-Dog have as much fun as possible with the Pet Patrol just made me so happy. But again when tragedy struck, I was grieving for Doctor Monkey and his teammates. Hopefully, their story isn't over. Oh man- wait a minute. The series is over... 

THINK AGAIN!!!

I decided to research if this is truly the end for Astro City. Thanks to an announcement from about a month ago, Astro City will be re-incorporated into the Image Comics lineup. Hopefully, the Pet Patrol will be back on rounds when the comic is revived in March, 2022! That would be such a treat and a great tribute to Hank! And fans such as me!!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #13

This issue signifies the beginning of a 25-part epic starring Black Panther. 25 issues! That means that this story won't end until issue #38! 

Holy Cow! Most stories have been 6 or 7 parts in length. Yeah, that Man-Thing story was 12 parts long. But if you were composing a plot point graph, this story would surely be your outlier!

In the aptly titled 'Panther's Quest', T'Challa violates about a dozen UN treaties as he illegally enters South Africa. Only the King of Wakanda isn't in the nation to end apartheid. He's in town to investigate claims that his mother might still be alive and held captive in one of the countries' capital cities of Cape Town. If T'Challa can stay under the radar, this should be an easy mission. However, there's 24 more parts to this story. So of course, nothing is going to go easy on the Avenger.

Along side the Black Panther story, there's a fun one-shot starring Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. This adventure takes place during a time when the Richards have decided to go on sabbatical from the Fantastic Four. Living under aliases, the two heroes hope to raise their children in suburbia away from the likes of the Big Apple and the threats of Doctor Doom and The Mad Thinker. 

Feeling a little bored, Reed decides to work on the gutters of his new house. Things are going great. That is until the ladder falls, stranding him! With neighbors all around, Reed can't risk  using his powers; lest the Richards peaceful time in the outskirts will be over quick. 

You won't believe how Mr. Fantastic gets out of this pickle. And he sure as heck won't be living it down any time soon!

A great pair of stories. The latest chapter of Colossus' 'God's Country' was good. But the mom in the story seems to be having some sort of breakdown or something due to her past and it's just not being properly explored. The Shanna The She Devil one-and-done was forgettable. I keep getting her confused with Sheena... and Nyoka the Jungle Girl and countless other deepest darkest African queens of the jungle.

3 out of 4 ain't bad.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Superman Smashes The Klan: The Graphic Novel (Family Comic Friday)

Based on 'Clan of the Fiery Cross', the classic story from the Superman radio story of the 1940s, racism rears it's ugly head in Metropolis. Set in 1946, the same year of the radio play, a new family has moved into the suburbs. 

The Lees are a Chinese-American family transplanted from the city's Chinatown thanks to a new job offering for dad. Though welcomed by the neighbors, the Lees aren't appreciated by all, when a fiery cross is lit in their front yard. As the family become the victims of increasing levels of violence, not only will Clark Kent and Lois Lane champion the Lee's cause- they'll also be under the protection of the Man of Steel! 

I've been longing for this story for a good 2 years. 2019 when the announcement for this graphic novel was announced. 2020 when the book dropped but I couldn't access it at my local library due to COVID. I must say, this was worth the wait. 

Superman Smashes the Klan is a powerful tale written by Gene Leun Yang (The Shadow Hero). I think setting this book in the 1940s with the 1940s era Superman was a smart idea. Mind you, during this era, Superman was strong and mighty. But he wasn't the god-like character he is today. This Superman doesn't use heat vision or cold breath. He can't fly-yet. And based on his fractured memories of his birth family, this Man of Tomorrow doesn't really feel like a part of the human race. Thus by having Superman being less powerful, it makes his war on racism and hate that much more poignant. 

A lot of time is spent from the perspective of the Lee children, Roberta and Tommy. The addition of rather young Jimmy Olsen helps keep their part of the story in the DC Universe. But I feel that there's just not enough Superman in this here Superman tale. 

I was also a little unsure about one of the characters. The chief of police is African American and I'm not sure how likely it would have been in 1946 for the head of security for a major American metropolitan area to be of color. I understand that by having the chief a black man, it makes the struggle between the boys in blue and the thugs in white robes more poignant. I just don't know how plausible this would've been in real life. (I welcome factoids in the comments to assist with this quandary!)

Great artwork. Yang collaborator Gurihiru gives this book a very retro while still looking sleek and cool. Superman and his city are illustrated in an art deco style not seen since the Max Fleischer toon takes on the Man of Steel.

I loved this read. Well worth the wait and incredibly meaningful!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil Annual #1

This wasn't the last Blue Devil issue released for it's 1984-86 run. This annual WAS the last issue I read, however. So technically, when it comes to DC Comics, they saved the best for last.

Something is causing the supernatural heroes of the DC Universe to fight each other. Manbat is going for The Creeper's throat. Madame Xanadu and the Phantom Stranger are about to hex each other into oblivion. And thanks to about $6 million dollars in damage to his hard work for an upcoming flick, Blue Devil is about ready to rip the Demon, Etrigan's head off!

Just what or who is behind this madness? Throw in Felix Faust, Black Orchid, Nebiros, the demon who caused Dan Cassidy to become fused within the Blue Devil suit, and a bunch of baby imps and it's an all war!

This was the essential Blue Devil issue! The desert setting for the final showdown. The banter. The action. I wanted more of this. 

One could argue that the foundations of Justice League Dark are laid in this annual; even though it took about 3 decades for it actually happen. I think you could also argue that the other supernatural team that Blue Devil was a member of, Shadowpact, was birthed in this over-sized issue. 

Another factor in the positive for this issue is that not only does Blue Devil co-creator Paris Cullins pencil the cover, he also illustrated the whole shebang! Cullins left the series after less than a dozen issues and the art quality dropped significantly. I'm really glad that we got his artwork in this epic story! Having Cullins in on the action really was the cherry on top to this perfect read!

Summer Fun indeed! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Essential Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, Vol. 1

I just cannot get enough of the exploits of one Nick Fury. Whether he's an agent of SHIELD or the newest incarnation of The Watcher, if it's got Nick Fury in, I want it. And that's the case with Nick's time as a grunt Sargent during World War II. 

Fury has a squad of 6 men. There's former circus strongman, Dum Dum Dugan. Trumpeter, Gabriel Jones. Kentucky jockey, Reb Ralston. Brooklyn mechanic Izzy Cohen, whose Jewish heritage makes the war on Hitler that much more personal. Hollywood hunk Dino Manelli. And recent college graduate Junior Juniper. Fury along with the rest are under the command of one Captain 'Happy' Sam Sawyer; who just happens to be anything but cheerful.

Now, you may be wondering where's Pinky Pinkerton; the British playboy turned commando? Well, turns out he wasn't an original member of the Howlers as Fury's squad is known as. But an early shocking death will bring forth the Brit's membership onto the team within the first half dozen issues. An unknown element for it's time, having a good guy die (and stay dead) added yet another layer of realism.

One thing many don't realize it that while Sgt. Fury came about as a bet between Stan Lee and Martin Goodman, the crux of this comic book was a result of Jack Kirby's time as a solider in the European theater. The ideas behind this book were a therapeutic way for Kirby to deal with the horrors of war he experienced. For this reason, it was one of the few titles that Kirby didn't mind when Stan Lee overtook as the alleviation of his PTSD was worth the backstabs from the Marvel editor-in-chief. 

There's a lot of wild stories in this volume. Sgt. Fury meets his match when he is introduced to Baron Strucker. The Howlers take on assignments in Africa and the Pacific theater where Pinky's origin is revealed. Catch a glimpse into the future when the Howlers reform during the Korean Conflict. Oh, and in the most crazy story of them all,  the Commandos kidnap the Fuhrer!

Over the summer I completed a graphic novel biography about Jack Kirby. It was that book which inspired me to finally bite the bullet and get serious about completing my Sgt. Fury collection. But this task wasn't easy as just about half of the issues in the titles' 167+ run are reprints. And some issues were reprinted more than once! Being a gigantic bargain hunter, I went for the cheapest option which meant that my entire run is a mix of first run and reprints upon reprints. It took a while, but I got this run complete.

I'm very thankful Marvel did a volume of Marvel Essentials on the Howlers. A first issue is valued at about 4 grand. This collection contains issues 1-24 and the first annual; all of which would probably cost me just under $10K to own. This book is out of print. So I did pay a bit more than the original cover. But I saved a lot going this route.

Sadly, Marvel never made a volume 2. Shortly after this book was published, the House of Ideas decided to end this beloved line of black and white reprints for more expense all-color anthologies made on high quality paper- the Epic Collections.

 If you ask me, I'd prefer giving up the color and paper quality in exchange for saving cash. But Marvel never bothers to refer to me. 

That's okay. I'm sure I'll get my chance someday.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.