Archie Meets Batman '66

The combined forces of the Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman descend on Riverdale in their bid to take over the world. Figuring that Batman is the reason they can't conquer Gotham City, the villains of the United Underworld embark in their most devious caper yet in Archie Andrews' backyard! Aided by the enchanting songs of the Siren, the fiends manage to enslave the adults of Riverdale. But for some reason, the lyrics just don't affect the teenage population. 

With the Bookworm on the loose in Gotham, Batman can't afford to leave the big city. So the Caped Crusader sends Robin and Batgirl in his place. Meet Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, the newest students of Riverdale High School. Along with Archie and his gang, these young heroes may be the last line of defense between 4 of Batman's most deadliest enemies and the fate of the free world!

Regular Batman '66 writer Jeff Parker pens this swinging 60s era crossover. There's a lot of the magic of that monthly series in this book. But of the Batman '66 crossovers, this is probably my least favorite. The other team-ups made by the Dynamic Duo involved other live action characters like the Green Hornet and the Man from UNCLE. Those stories felt like natural progressions of the TV show. Having Batman, Robin and the rest interact with the Archie gang felt more like those Scooby-Doo cartoon crossovers from the 70s. 

The artwork by Dan Parent was superior as ever. The definitive modern era Archie artist proves that he's got the chops to tackle the Batman '66 universe. And then there's the covers! A half-dozen regular cover masterpieces from Michael Allred (Madman). Plus, there are literally dozens of variant covers by many amazing artists such as Joe Giella, Jerry Ordway and Art Baltazar. 

I must make one giant complaint. There's a great Batman '66/Archie connection that would have made a great capper to this story. Unfortunately, Jeff Parker ruined the moment by having Bruce Wayne flippantly ruin things with an off-the-cuff but it all makes sense sort of observation a couple of issues prior to the ending.

Plus- isn't Barbara Gordon an adult on the Batman '66 series? So why isn't she susceptible to the Siren's call like the other adults? Okay- so I had 2 complaints!

I had read issue #1 a long time ago when it first came out in 2018. And then I had forgotten all about it until just recently. Worth the wait. Just not as perfect as I had built things up to be in my head.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Stupid #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's not a rare thing for comic book publishers to make fun of themselves. Marvel Comics roasted not just their Distinguished Competition, but themselves in 1967-69's Not Brand Ecch. Many of those characters, including the title's unofficial mascot Forbush Man, would return in the self-parodying volumes of What The--?! that ran from 1988-1993. 

DC Comics is more subtle when it comes mocking themselves. The House of Superman tends to let characters such as The Ambush Bug or Lobo make fun of the very comic universes that they operate out of. The comic book turned magazine known as MAD, turned self-parody into an art form. From calling it's team of writers and illustrators 'the Usual Gang of Idiots' to lampooning the magazine's buck-toothed mascot, Alfred E. Newman on every cover, nobody does self-deprecating better than William Gaines and Harvey Kurtzman's MAD Magazine. MAD is currently part of DC Entertainment.

In 1993, just a year after it formed, Image Comics put out this one-shot comedic issue. Stupid was written and illustrated by Hilary Barta; who was no slouch to self-parody, having worked on What The--?! previously. Along with co-writer Doug Rice (Plastic Man), Barta created a 26-page parody of Image's biggest ever star, Spawn.

The satire begins with failed comics artist Al Persimmon awaking on a stormy rooftop trying to remember just why he is in a spandex costume with a ridiculously long cape. Now known as Spewn, the character begins to recall that he sold his soul in order to get another chance to make his failed comic book a success. Only, he can't remember just what his comic book was about. A chance encounter at his old publishing company pits him with his arch-enemy, the Vile-ator! Maybe this demon knows what Al Persimmon's comic book was all about!

Along with the story of Spewn, this issue includes a 2-page Where's Waldo? parody called Where's Aldo?, also drawn by Hilary Barta. The comic concludes with a faux-letters page that promises that the Savage Dragon and Sam Keith's The Maxx would be the stars of issue #2. This however could have all been a part of the letters page joke as no further issues of Stupid would ever be forth-coming. In 2002, Image would release Stupid Comics, a 3-issue miniseries. Based on Jim Mafood's newspaper strip of the same name, Stupid Comics was not a follow-up to this work.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Completing this review completes Task #46 (with a 1-word title) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

The Human Fly #13 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

On a sunny day in 1976, stuntman Rick Rojatt strapped himself atop a DC-8. Dressed in a dazzling red and white hooded costume, Rojatt was affixed to a metal harness. Touting himself as the Human Fly, Rojatt toured parts of the Mojave desert and Texas in a way very few passengers ever have. The plane reached speeds of over 250 miles. Everything appeared to be going fine until the DC-8 hit a storm cloud. The pelting of rain drops proved to be too much for Rojatt, as the stunt man sustained bruising over his entire body. Eventually, he passed out from the pain.

Back on land, Rojatt spent nearly 2 weeks in the hospital recovering from the stunt. Undeterred, a year later, he repeated the stunt. The second time around was a much better experience, except for the part when his mask flew off and he had to squint for the rest of the flight. Later that same year, Rojatt ended his stuntman career breaking Evel Knievel's record by successfully jumping over 19 buses during a concert in Montreal. 

While Rock Rojatt never performed another stunt again (that we know of), it was not the end of the Human Fly. Intrigued by Rojatt's mysterious costume and unique stunts, Marvel Editor-In-Chief, Jim Shooter, got the idea to base a comic book on the exploits of a famed stuntman. Originally, Shooter wanted the book to star Evel Knievel. But allegations of spousal abuse, drugs and a very real assault on an exec with 20th Century Fox led Marvel to look elsewhere. Enter the Human Fly!

The first issue of The Human Fly hit stands with a September, 1977 cover date. With the headline 'The Wildest Super-Hero Ever- Because He's Real!', the stuntman traveled the world performing a number of impossible feats. The Fly would often play the hero as the charity events he performed as would have burglars or other criminals looking to rob the spectators. 

During his exploits, the Human Fly would interact with established members of the Marvel Universe, such as Spider-Man. Just like the web-slinger, the Human Fly had a J. Jonah Jameson type foil in the likes of Carl Braden, a news producer who believed that the mysterious stuntman was a fraud. As you can see on the cover, the Human Fly will have to save his biggest hater's life when the two collide during a speedy descent down a North American mountain slope.

For the 2 years that The Human Fly was in publication, Rick Rojatt would conduct his publicity tour in his Human Fly persona. He visited children's hospitals, county fairs and made appearances on several talk shows including Johnny Carson. The comic book version of The Human Fly would last see print with issue #19.

A backstory was given for the comic book version of the Human Fly. On the back roads of Asheville, North Carolina, a vehicle carrying a man with his wife and kids is run off the road, resulting in the family's death. The man survives and has 60% of his body replaced with metal rods and pins. Facing a painful and long recovery, the man teaches himself to walk again and decides to spend his next life as a stuntman. 

Whether or not this is the actual origin story of Rick Rojatt is up for debate. As Rojatt kept a very private life and remained in costume throughout his career, much about the man is a mystery. In the letter page of this issue, The Human Fly indicated to fans that he was planning on recording a rock album. Some researchers believe that after the comic was cancelled, Rojatt moved to the Pacific Northwest to fulfill his dream of becoming a musician. 

The exact whereabouts of Rick Rojatt remain unknown to this day.

Story by Bill Mantlo.
Art by Frank Robbins.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #36 (fictional comic based on a real person) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Miles Morales: Stranger Tides (Family Comic Friday)

I read this middle school graphic novel over the course of 2 days. Day 1 of reading this book, I felt like I was in another world. I didn't understand the slang. The plot seemed to carry over from a previous story I wasn't aware of. Everything felt like it was a big mess. 

I don't normally do this, but on Day 2, I found myself dreading having to read more of this book. New characters popped up that Miles Morales knew. But I found myself scratching my head over just who these new folks were. And then we get to the last chapter of the book- and the art was completely different!

For the past 40 years or so in comic book history, if the main artist needs someone to help fill in, the editors will say that such and such artists assisted on pages 5-9 or something like that. There's no such warning in this 2022 Marvel work from Graphix and Scholastic. To have the main villain look completely different in the final act is just jarring. Though I must say, that whomever was behind that last chapter's art did one heck of a job at stylizing the Miles Morales Spider-Man. Only, this one looks like a Miles Morales from another universe!

I choose to read this book because Into the Spider-Verse 2 is coming out soon and I wanted to get into the mood to seeing the film. (The fact that it's Black History Month is just a happy coincidence.) The artwork of main artist Pablo Leon ( captures the visual tone of the first Spider-Verse film amazingly well. Why couldn't the relief artist(s)  keep with the vibe that was happening in the other 4 chapters?

It's not until you read the 'About The Author' page at the end of this book that you learn that this is the second volume written by Justin A. Reynolds. I'm thinking that the writer probably continues things from the first book into this volume with unwavering quality. And I probably would have liked this book better had I read the first book, titled Miles Morales: Shock Waves. But nowhere on the cover (front and back), nor inside this book are potential first time readers alerted that this is the second volume in a series until the back of the book!

An unaccounted for line-up change from the Marvel Bullpen. No indication that Stranger Tides is a continuing story. Plus the inclusion of the main villain who is an X-Men and Fantastic Four foe instead of Spider-Man (of any universe) foil! It's strike 3 for this book in my eyes. I've heard that editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski is doing such an awful job that the overall quality of work coming from the House of Ideas is severely lacking. But at least he's not the all-time worst EIC, Axel Alonso. But the rust is really showing on this book.

Young readers should enjoy this book. But only if you let them read Shock Waves first. To not do so will result in a lot of lost readers. There is some fighting. Miles, being around 14 years of age, sneaks out of the house at night to go on patrol as Spider-Man (but then again, when hasn't an adventuresome child in kiddie lit not gone behind mom & dad's back to save the day. I'm looking at you, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.) Stranger Tides for the most part was a wholesome read and there are some excellent sections about family and redemption that parents will love. 

Unfortunately, I am not in that category and I think my interest in reading book 1 as well as what happens next is just about at nil.

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo: The Road to Epoli

If ever a book needed a soundtrack, it's this one. Rickety Stitch is the skeleton of a bard, which is a sort of travelling news reporter that sings as he roams. Stitch has no clue who he used to be. But he's bedeviled by a song of a place called Epoli. Could this mythical place be his homeland? Or does the nightly song Rickety Stitch dreams have a more sinister origin?

The Road to Epoli is not only the subtitle of this book, it's also the name of the song that haunts Rickety Stitch. The lyrics to this ballad are by the creative team behind this book: Ben Costa and James Parks. Comprising 7 massive stanzas, the tune runs throughout this 200-page plus graphic novel. Every time Stitch dreams this song, music notes accompany it. I can't read music. I've tried and just have never been able to do it. So when I come across these parts of the book, I miss out on something special. Well, I think I do.

At the end of this book, there's a link where you can hear the song in its entirety. And it's a long song, clocking in at over 9 minutes. The tune is composed and performed by folk artist Evin Wolverton. This book is from 2017 and I know for a fact that there were QR codes back then. I think the creative team should have added QR codes throughout the story so readers could have heard the song in pieces whenever they come across it. It's an interactive step that I hope is utilized in the 2 follow-up works.

The Gelatinous Goo in this book is Rickety Stitch's sidekick, a clear mass of ooze named Goo that only our hero can understand. Goo is an homage to the Gelatinous Cube from Dungeons & Dragons fame that can absorb organic matter. Speaking of D&D, this book series is one of two graphic novels based on the Land of Eem, an all-ages RPG produced by Costa and Parks in collaboration with indie game publisher, Exalted Funeral.

Though the art definitely carries a family friendly tone, I honestly didn't feel like this book was for all ages. Amazon recommends this book for readers aged 7-9. But there are some really scary moments in this book. Add some potty humor (which, I admit, did make me chuckle a few times) and a smattering of jokes that were PG-13 at best and I would have to rate this as a book for readers 12 and up.

I would like to know what happens next in the adventures of Rickety Stitch and his friend, Goo. But knowing that music is a massive part of this book, I am kinda put off of any burning desire to do it any time soon. I can't believe I am saying this, but I'd actually be okay waiting for the movie. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars. 

Plunge

I am a huge fan of Joe Hill. I love his comics books and his prose works. But, man, does his stuff creep me out. Joe's father, Stephen King, can cause my wife fitful nights without sleep. It's Joe Hill who keeps me awake at night. 

Plunge is a 6-issue miniseries from the author's Hill House Comics imprint at DC Comics. I was immediately taken by the ocean setting in the Arctic Circle when this book was first announced. I could have requested this book new as floppies with my favorite LCS. But having just finished Hill's latest volume of Locke & Key and the extremely unsettling NOS4A2, I needed a break from Joe Hill's work to build up my nerve again. And then 3 years passed. 

The story sets with a massive tidal wave that has the sent aquatic animals into a fervor. The underwater eruption has caused a missing ship from 1983 to resurface in the Arctic Circle, in waters between Alaska and Russia. And the ghost ship has begun emitting a distress code!

The company that owns the ship, Rococo International, is desperate to recover what remains. The official word from the corporation is that the owner's son was on the ship and wishes to recover his body, along with the rest of the crew. But if there's other items of value to be retrieved on the ship, so be it! With Russia within its rights to claim ownership of the wreckage, time is of the essence to begin the salvage operation. 

Enter the Carpenter Brothers. Their salvage crew doesn't give a crap about the Russians.Taking the job, the crew is joined by Dr. Moriah Lamb, an oceanographer with expertise in the atolls of the Aleutian Islands. Together, the brothers, Dr. Lamb and Rococo VP David Lacome seek to find out why this ship sunk and subsequently returned 30 years later. What they uncover is a crew, not quite dead, but definitely not alive; with the promise of answers to many of earth's greatest mysteries. But these rewards come with a deadly price. 

Stuart Immonen (Superman: Secret Identity) was the penciller of this work. But if you told me that it was Joe Hill's artistic partner on Locke & Key, Gabriel Rodriguez, I would have bet money... and lost! Immonen's artwork was just as creepy as Hill's writings. But I think if DC's publishing and marketing team hadn't spoiled some of the mystery behind this book, it would have been much more terrifying. 

For one thing, the back cover spoils just who really is behind the resurrection of the mystery ship's crew. The image on the back is from the cover of issue #4. At that point in the story, the culprits had already been identified and thus nothing was really ruined in terms of the plot. But if this was your first real encounter with Plunge and you want to read a synopsis of what this graphic novel is all about, prepare to have a major chunk of this story ruined for you!

As much as I loved the artwork, I was disappointed at its unevenness. I've read a number of comics in which the artist stylizes the characters to look like celebrities. Generally when this is done, most of the characters have human counterparts. In Plunge, only the character of David Lacome looks like a famous person. In both representation and in tone, Lacome is portrayed by Amazing Spider-Man 2's Paul Giamatti. So if this book becomes a movie or TV series, I expect whomever produces a live-action Plunge to cast the acclaimed actor. But can someone tell me why only Lacome's character resembles a celeb?

I wish I could dive deeper into this book. But to do so could ruin so many more elements that this book's cover has already taken away from the reader. This book gave me chills. Look at the character of Lacome to be the one who brings the biggest jump scare. I may have said too much. But it's definitely a scene that will stick with me for quite some time.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! #5 (True War Stories)

In 1965, Gold Key Comics released a book with the cover title of Ripley's Believe It or Not: True Wars Stories. It has one of those World War I planes on the cover and looks great. That is not this book. For some reason, when this comic was released in 1967, it was done as as part of another series based on the amazing world of explorer and champion of the macabre, Robert Ripley- Ripley's Believe It or Not: True Ghost Stories. This all very well may have to do with the limited number of titles the United State Postal Service aloud at the time for comics publishers in regards to first class postage.Regardless of what the issue is, there's a glowing oversight here: this book doesn't have any ghosts in it!

The opening story is set in the waning days of World War II. It tells of a Japanese commander who plans a massive attack on allied forces, even though the Emperor of Japan has declared the country's unconditional surrender. This story about honor and anger ends with that trademark Ripley's twist. But there's no spooks here. 

Stories set during the two World Wars fill the rest of this book. They all contain those killer twist endings. But again, there are no ghosts in this book.

All of the stories in the book are supposedly based on real stories. I would have liked something that expounded on these facts, like a behind the scenes letter from the editor. One requirement for comics to meet first class mailing was to include a prose story of at least 1 page in the contents. This book fills that requirement with 'The General Was a Spy'. Surely, a page or two digging deep into the facts behind all of these war stories would have counted as that prose requirement.

Though credits still weren't a common occurrence in comics yet, experts have determined that Sal Trapani, Andre LeBlanc and Joe Certa were the artists of these stories. Oddly enough, the artwork looked consistent throughout, as done by just one hand. That's the most Believe It or Not thing about this book.

A good collection of strange events in the history of warfare. Whether these were 100% factual or just based on anecdote is something I feel is missing from this book. But I enjoyed the read and I thought the artwork was amazing. But for the life of me, I just don't understand why this book is labelled and categorized as it is.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer Visions, Vol. 1

Jeff Lemire recruits a number of talented writers and artists to put their spin on

the Black Hammer Universe. 

Black Hammer Visions was an 8-issue anthology that told stories not

necessarily in the continuity of the residents of Black Hammer Farm. But these

tales are definitely in the thick of this growing self-contained universe of

superheroes, mages and monsters. 

Volume 1 reprints the first four issues of the series. Stories include an

examination of the hardships Golden Gail faces as an elderly woman trapped

in the body of a 10-year old child. Abraham Slam must restore his good name

when an usurper sponsored by the US military crosses the line into vigilantism. 

Things get meta when Madame Dragonfly hosts her horror anthology within the

pages of this very anthology as she recruits a young orphan to become the

next caretaker of the Cabin of Horrors.                                                              

        

The last story, which was the worst of this bunch, sees the residents of the farm

starring in a Downton Abbey type television series. Of course, Col. Randall Weird

is behind all of this. So the story is jumbled and uneven. Some readers really liked

this element of Col. Weird. Not me!

Patton Oswalt, Chip Zdarsky, Scott Collins and Johnnie Christmas are among some

of the talent behind the production of this volume. The Goldbergs' Patton Oswalt

brilliantly ties in Daniel Clowes' Ghost World, having main characters Enid and

Rebecca ponders why young Gail Gibbons never seems to age. Chip Zdarsky

(Spider-Man: Life Story) adds his quirky look on things with the Abraham Slam story.

I think the winner of this volume was Geoff Johns (Flashpoint) who crafted the eerie

Madame Dragonfly story.

Even though I wasn't a big fan of that last story involving Col. Weird, I very much

enjoyed this book. The Cabin of Horror concept is one that I really would like to see

become a monthly series, though I really think creator Jeff Lemire has other ideas to

close the books on Black Hammer. But before that happens, hopefully we'll see more

of the untold history of Abraham Slam.

Oh! and there's volume 2 to look forward to! I wonder if my library has that book

currently...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel and DC Present The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1

This is a book that I've seen numerous times online, having been purchased by others. Yet, I never once found it in the wild. Man, would such posts make me jealous! So you can be sure when I finally did get a chance to buy a copy, I promptly declared it was mine and added it to my pull pile.

This X-Men/New Teen Titans crossover continues the Phoenix Saga. But the main baddie chosen for this story is one that just seems unlikely. Darkseid, in yet another attempt to bring his Anti-Life Equation to fruition, has traded some powerful tech with the morally ambiguous Metron. Yet, up until 1982, when this book was published, the New Gods of Apokolips were never considered to be major foes of the Teen Titans. Yes, Deathstroke, the Terminator is involved in this plot. But he's a hired hand of Darkseid's and not the mastermind behind everything. I guess writer Chris Claremont (X-Men Vs. Dracula) really needed a powerful villain in order to bring Jean Grey back from the dead. 

That resurrection isn't a spoiler. You can see that Dark Phoenix has returned on the cover! The real mystery that I won't spoil, is whether or not the entity that has returned is Jean Grey or not. 

The most interesting thing about this story was how both the X-Men and Teen Titans exist in the same universe. I was expecting some sort of inter-dimensional tear in the fabric of reality bringing the two biggest sellers of DC and Marvel together. But I had forgotten that Superman and Spider-Man were a part of the same shared universe in their crossovers in the 1970s. 

It would be a dozen years before DC and Marvel would produce another crossover. The 90s were full of them because Marvel was close to folding and needed the sales boost such epic meetings brought with them. Nowadays, the Marvel and DC universes seem as far apart as the East is from the West. But I know in my heart that the boundary between both worlds is separated by the mere width of a single page. 

Featuring art by Walt Simonson (Fantastic Four) with inks by Terry Austin and a roster of over a dozen A-list characters, this epic was a true all-star event. Considering how beloved this book was and the fact that a reprint was issued in the mid-90s, I can't believe that it took me over 40 years to find my copy! Was it worth the wait? Visually- yes! But the story gets a little busy and Claremont really tries too tug too tight on the heart strings with Scott Summers in terms of the return of the Dark Phoenix. That overtly soap opera feel of the Uncanny X-Men is what put me off that series after a while and the book's ending sure does get soapy... I mean sappy.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Dick Giordano: Changing Comics, One Day at a Time by Michael Eury (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Back Issue's Michael Eury chronicles the life of comics great Dick Giordano. Giordano was a soft-spoken man who let his proteges speak for themselves. Imagine if there was a chart that depicted Stan Lee as the pinnacle of self-promotion in the world of comic books, then Dick Giordano would be on the other end of the spectrum. Yet that doesn't mean that the predominantly DC Comics writer, illustrator, inker and editor was any less influential to the medium than Stan Lee was.

Throughout this biography, Dick Giordano is referred to as an amazing teacher and mentor who always fought for his employees. Neal Adams might get all the credit for ensuring Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster received over-due compensation for their body of work. But it was Giordano who was working behind the scenes with both DC and Marvel executives to provide not just royalties but work and recognition to countless talent who worked for peanuts in anonymity in the early days of comics.

If you were a DC Comics fan who grew up during the late 70s and early 80s, then you owe your awesome childhood to Dick Giordano. Along with working on the comics themselves, the Italian New Yorker had a hand at any and all promotional and commercial items featuring the likes of Superman, Batman and friends. Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez gets almost all of the credit for the design of the beloved Super Powers toy line from Kenner. But it was Giordano who inked every little bit of packaging that made these 1984-86 action figures and accessories so eye-catching.

Without Dick Giordano, Charlton Comics would have folded in the 1960s. Having penciled most of Charlton's Western and War lineup as a freelancer, Giordano became the fledgling publisher's editor in 1965 introducing the company's Action Heroes line, who would later join the ranks of the DC Universe a couple of years before Charlton gave up the ghost in 1986. 

Dick Giordano was such a soft-spoken kind of fellow, that I long gave Crisis on Infinite Earths creators Marv Wolfman and George Perez grief over the death of one of my all-time favorite characters, Supergirl. Yet I learned in this book that the driving force behind the demise of the Maid of Might was Giordano! However, fans should delight in knowing that Dick was instrumental in keeping Hawkman off the Crisis chopping block!

Changing Comics, One Day at a Time was published in 2003. As of the Charlotte HeroesCon of 2007, Giordano was still signing copies of the book which is now no longer in print. Only digital copies of this biography remain for sale by publisher TwoMorrows. Giordano was said to have retired from the con circuit in 2008, spending his remaining time with his children and grandchildren. Richard Joseph Giordano passed away at the age of 77 at his Ormond Beach, Fl. home on March 27, 2010.

Completing this review completes Task #50 (Prose non-fiction about comic book history) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Tater Tales: The Greatest in the World (Book 1) (Family Comic Friday)

Narwhal and Jelly creator Ben Clanton introduced a new species of fun in The Greatest in the World. 

Rot is a mutant potato. What makes a potato a mutant, I don't know. But one day, Rot wakes up feeling like he's just the greatest! This spectacular attitude just gets under fellow mutant potato, Snot's skin. This sparks a competition for both spuds to compete to find out just who really is the greatest tuber in the world!

Brothers Rot and Snot aren't really likable characters. They are rude and angry- mostly towards each other. The only character they are completely nice to is little sister Tot. And yet Tot isn't even the most likable figure of the bunch. The best character is 4th wheel and best friend to Rot, Worm the worm. Unfortunately, his presence is rather... small.

Even though I was not a fan of the two main characters, I thought that this was the kind of book that parents would love. Yes, Rot and Snot are rude and kinda crude. But, there isn't any potty or gross humor. It's just that I find those main characters really obnoxious. I imagine if this graphic novel was an audio book, the dialogue would all be rather LOUD! 

The ending of the book was predictable. But it was delightful and really, really sweet. Despite my misgivings of the protagonists, I cheered with the finale! And I think young readers will too! 

The Greatest in the World is the first book in Ben Clanton's Tater Tales. However, this book is the writer's first work with mutant veggie Rot; he starred in Clanton's 2017 picture book Rot, The Cutest in the World. Rot's debut was for readers aged 4-6 with this graphic novel being recommended for those aged 6-9. Thus, families with multiples have couple of books that the whole family can enjoy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. (Note- this rating is my personal preference and not any indication of quality or appropriateness for young readers.)

Police Academy: The Comic Book #3

With it's vast amounts of nudity, sexual situations and copious amounts of gay jokes, you wouldn't think that a kids cartoon series based on the Police Academy movies would be a thing. Yet from September 1988 to September 1989, there not only was 65 animated half-hour toons, but a line of toys AND a 6-issue Marvel Comics series!

There are 2 stories in this issue. The cover story has one of the cadets having to undergo surgery. Officer Mahoney and the rest of the gang go to visit their sick friend. But the patient is nowhere to be found. So the law enforcers go undercover at the hospital to find him and wind up running afoul of a literal mad scientist!

Story #2 has the cadets of the Academy forming a singing group. Wacky cadet Zed excites the singers with the promise of a paying gig. But when the choir members get to the event, it turns out that Zed accidentally signed everybody up to be the main event at a wrestling match!

The first story was more of the sort of thing you'd expect from a police procedural; albeit a zany satire. The cadets go undercover, question witnesses and practice surveillance techniques. Story #2 was just too absurd to even be considered as part of the Police Academy series! Yeah, I know that some very unbelievable things happened in these movies. But having the team wind up as grapplers instead of performing in a concert was just beyond the pale. And why are a bunch of police cadets trying to be choir singers? I know that some law enforcement agencies do things like this as a sort of community outreach. But that's not an element that's not explained here and I think it's necessary to make that second story a bit more credible. 

As unlikely as a comic book this was, I had fun reading it. Well, I liked the first story. I never watched the cartoon series. But I enjoyed the movies when I was younger. Sure, I'm way older now. But I want a copy of all 6 books from the short-lived Marvel series. Probably just for nostalgia purposes. But more than likely it's because I know that if the Star Comics imprint was still in existence, these comics would have been released under that banner. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #15 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The disgraced Cardassian tailor Elim Garak is confronted with his past as an assassin with the Obsidian Order. While on DS9's promenade, Garak comes face-to-face with a face he supposedly killed during the days of the occupation of Bajor. Later that same day, Garak experiences a massive headache that puts him into a coma. 

Rushed to the sickbay, Dr. Bashir discovers that Garak's neural pathways are deteriorating at an accelerated rate. The space station physician has never seen a neurological disease this aggressive and he vows to find a cure. Meanwhile, Garak continues to see the woman he long thought dead before immediately experiencing more violent episodes. With Constable Odo and the rest of Deep Space Nine's security team unable to detect the presence of this living 'ghost', Garak faces his own mortality. These experiences might in fact be hallucinations brought about by a deadly brain disease of which there is no cure!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #15 was the last issue the series based on the TV show of the same name. DS9 was a part of Marvel's second run at the Star Trek franchise. In 1996, Marvel formed an imprint in cooperation with Paramount Pictures to produce works based on the motion picture studios' catalog. While Paramount Comics did publish a few comics of franchises such as Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible film series, Star Trek was the driving force of the imprint. 

Along with the series based on Deep Space Nine, Paramount Comics also released monthlies based on The Next Generation and Voyager. Star Trek Unlimited was an anthology that featured the Enterprise-D along with adventures of the Original Series crew led by James T. Kirk. Star Trek: Early Voyages went even further back in time and covered the untold missions of the Captain Pike tenure. 

The early to mid 90s was not a safe time for comic book publisher; even one as established as Marvel. With a proven talent like Swamp Thing's Len Wein as Paramount Comics' EIC and talent like Dan Abnett and Al Williamson among the members of this modern day bullpen, the future of Star Trek comics appeared rather bright. Yet, for one reason or another, but mostly decreased sales, the imprint folded by the end of 1998. A miniseries continuing the adventures of the Deep Space Nine crew was promised on the letters page of this issue. However, it along with several other promised projects never came to be. Only Star Trek: Untold Voyages, a 5-issue miniseries focusing on the events between Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan was produced before Paramount Comics folded. The Star Trek franchise would not return to comics for another 8 years with the debut of IDW's Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between.

The script to this issue was penned by Andy Mangels (Star Trek: Section 31: Rogue) with Michael Martin. Pencils by Greg Scott (Fantastic Four: Heroes Return).

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #48 (Last Issue of a Series) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

PT 109 #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

During the Summer of 1942, in the Pacific Theater, young John Fitzgerald Kennedy is given his first command. The aging patrol torpedo boat PT-109 is in need of massive doses of TLC. The 3 engines are considered really 'tired.' There's rust everywhere. And there might not be enough guns on the deck. 

Lt. (JG) Kennedy has 1 week to get the boat operable or else he'll be assigned somewhere else, probably as a lower ranking crew member. With an eager crew, Kennedy manages to get PT-109 ready for its first mission, assisting in the evacuation of some marines pinned down by Imperial Japanese forces. That first assignment becomes a rescue mission as one of the barges used transport troops capsizes in the choppy tropical waters.

After that first mission, Kennedy's crew are transferred to the isle of Rendova. Due to its ideal location near Japanese naval routes, the patrol ship operates as a floating David against Japanese Goliath's, attempting to poke holes in the massive fleet. On one moonless night, PT-109 is rammed by a destroyer. Sliced in half, the crew is thrown into the water. What transpires next is a week worth of Lt. Kennedy led his men between nearby islands in hopes of rescue. Avoiding Japanese patrols,angry natives, and the limits of his physical body, Kennedy fights the unyielding elements without losing another member of his crew. 

PT 109 was a 1964 copyrighted comic book based on the 1963 film of the same name. Both versions lack the hyphen in their titles. The accounts of young Jack Kennedy are based on Robert J. Donovan's 1961 work PT-109: John F. Kennedy and World War II. The semi-autobiographical film was produced by Warner Bros. and starred Cliff Robertson (Charly) as JFK. 

This Gold Key adaptation was illustrated by Dan Spiegle (Space Family Robinson). Spiegle was noted for his eerily exact representations of famous people in the pages of numerous Gold Key and Dell works. The artist's Kennedy looks amazingly lifelike. Only sometimes the lieutenant looks like the real thing and sometimes Kennedy looks like actor Robertson. So there is realism, just not consistency in the renderings.

The cover, which depicts the patrol boat being eviscerated by that Japanese destroyer, was painted by Frank McCarthy. McCarthy first achieved notoriety for having painted a number of realistic covers for the pulp mag True Western Adventures. He was also behind the artwork of many theatrical posters in the 1960s and 70s, including The Dirty Dozen and Where Eagles Dare. The image used on this comic's cover was taken from the theatrical poster.

After World War II, John F. Kennedy would enter the world of politics. A member of the powerful Kennedy family of Massachusetts, the newly established war hero would serve his home state as both a congressman and senator. In 1960, JFK was elected the 35th president of the United States. Kennedy did manage to watch PT-109 at least once in his lifetime. He called the film 'a good product' but with a nearly 2.5 hour run time, the President thought it was a bit long. With the Sept. 1964 publication date, Kennedy likely never saw the comic adaptation as an assassin's bullet would take his life in November, 1963.

PT 109 was a commercial failure. But the film can be seen in regular rotation during certain holiday weekends on AMC and TCM.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #6 (Based on a True Story) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

How to Live With a Calculating Cat by Eric Gurney

I haven't a clue where I got this 1962 comedic paperback from. I was cleaning out my home office and found it buried under a pile of assorted things that my wife and I had been throwing into the room indiscriminately. The book is only 141 pages. So, before taking it to a used book shop or a thrift store, I figured 'what the heck' and gave this book a quick read. 

How to Live With a Calculating Cat reads like a parody manual for new cat owners. From the history of cats to how to name them; proper feeding techniques to how to integrate them with the family dog- there's a wide range of topics that first time cat lovers would need info on. 

Peppered heavily throughout the advice are illustrations that highlight the author's points in hilarious fashion. These cartoons are just as funny, if not more hilarious than the expert satire written in prose. Some of the artwork is done like those informative illustrations found in textbooks- only with a humorous slant. But a good half of these sketches are similar in the type of humor you'd see as filler material in the pages of Reader's Digest; only the subject matter of all of these lampoons are feline. 

The author and illustrator of this work is Eric Gurney. Some of you might be familiar with the name. That's because Eric illustrated a number of Random House Beginner Books such as The Digging-est Dog and The King, The Mice and The Cheese, which he wrote with wife Nancy Gurney. Unbeknownst to many, Eric Gurney was also behind a large chunk of our childhood as he was the story writer behind such Disney classics as Bambi and Pinocchio. 

How to Live With a Calculating Cat was an enjoyable read. I got a few chuckles out of the prose parts of this book. I laughed a lot at the cartoons as many of those jokes reminded me of my 45-years plus as a cat lover and owner. 

This book must have been a hit because a sequel was issued in 1978. That book lists a Nancy Prevo as providing the text. I checked to see if Nancy Prevo was the same Nancy who wrote those children's books with Eric Gurney. She wasn't. Instead, Nancy Prevo was the second wife of Eric Gurney. (BOTH NAMED NANCY!) Prevo probably went by her maiden name in order to not cause a licensing conflict with the works Eric Gurney created with the previous wife Nancy. But that's mostly speculation.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Deadpool: Black, White & Blood

Over the years, several superheroes have explored their noir sides with black & white miniseries in the style of Frank Miller's Sin City. Not wanting to be outdone, Deadpool adds a bright shade of scarlet (and a few shades of gray) to this minimally colored 4-issue mini-series from 2021. 

As each issue consists of 3 short stories, there are exactly a dozen segments to Deadpool: Black, White & Blood. Several are very bloody. A few feature the Merc with a Mouth teaming up with other characters in the Marvel Universe. All are extremely insane. 

Roughly a team of a dozen talents from comics, Hollywood and Manga offer unique takes on Wade Wilson. All 12 stories were rather good. But some stood out among the rest as being of superior quality. Deadpool's cross-town team-up with Wolverine clone, X-23, was a laugh riot and yet unusual. I didn't know the pair were actually that good of friends as they appear to be in the opening story. In another story that utilizes a disgusting eggplant hue, Deadpool has fallen under the thrall of the Daredevil villain, the Purple Man. Fans who hate what the David Tenant portrayed Purple Man did to Netflix's Jessica Jones, will delight in how even under mind-control, Deadpool still manages to keep the villain on his toes!

The story in which Deadpool visits Omega Red's gentrified Soviet Era town in middle of the the Canadian Rockies, was the zaniest one of them all. Fellow Russian super-villain Ursa Major wants to become the ruler of the makeshift community, igniting an arms race with Omega Red. For once, it's up to Wade Wilson to play referee in between two aging Cold Warriors. 

The story I was most disappointed with guest stars the X-Man, Doop. It was by Mike Allred, who is in my top 5 list of all-time favorite artists. The artwork was impressive as always. But story-wise, things were trippy at best. I read it twice and I still don't think I understand everything that was happening. 

This was a near-perfect anthology of Deadpool stories. The only thing missing was a time travelling epic by one of the definitive Deadpool writers of the past 20 years- Gerry Duggan. Oh! And something by Deadpool creator, Rob Liefeld. As much as I am not a fan of the guy's work, a variant cover by Liefeld would have been nice at least. 

This book comes in 2 formats- your basic trade paperback and a tabloid sized treasury edition. Honestly, I don't see a need for this book to be in the larger size even though that's the format I read it in. Save yourself the $8 and go small!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Adventures of Team Pom: Squid Happens: Team 1 (Family Comic Friday)

My wife and I have 2 adopted goats. Hers is named Brickey. Mine is named Pom-Pom. They're twins

Now I didn't give Pom-Pom her name. She was given her name on the day she was born by her original adoptive family. Other than a name and that first visit, that family never returned to the farm or saw Pom-Pom ever again.

Over the course of the past year, my wife and I would visit Brickey once a week. Sister Pom-Pom always wanted to join us; so while my wife bonded with her goat, I spent time herding the girl around and keeping her out of trouble. Over time, Pom-Pom would start following me around the farm. I've taught her hand signals on what directions to go in. Plus, it just does my heart great joy when I get to the farm for my weekly visit and call out my nickname for my goat- POM! And she comes running! The people who work at the farm to this day have never witnessed a goat who has bonded to someone and comes when called. But that's my girl!

After Pom-Pom's one-year birthday, the farm granted my wife and I the official rights to being her adoptive parents. So when guests ask us about our female goat's name, I tell people that Pom is short for Pomegranate as my goat is a little grenade of energy. My wife is quick to point out Pom is short for Pom-Pom. But that's beside the point. It's my special name for my girl and it's why I selected this week's Family Comic Friday selection. 

Agnes, Roberta and Ruby are 3 outsiders who found each other in the hallowed halls of the Salmagundi Boys and Girls Club. All 3 girls wanted to start their own clubs. But center rules state that you must have 3 members in order to be a club. So, Agnes, Roberta and Ruby start their own club- Team POM: Pigeons, Ocean Stuff and Miscellaneous!

The girls also have a love of synchronized swimming. However, their routines are not only rather experimental and highly interpretive; the girls themselves aren't all that coordinated! However, it appears that Team POM's luck is gonna change thanks to a Giant Squid named Cyd. And how do we know that his name is Cyd? Agnes can speak squid, of course!

Unfortunately, things aren't all that safe for Cyd. Two Criminal Agents of Steve are on the hunt for the squid who escaped the clutches of the evil Steve who uses Cyd's ink to create a youth serum. These bowler hatted fiends will stop at nothing to capture Team Pom's newest member and become full fledged members of CAOS!

I got quite a few laughs out of this debut graphic novel by Isabel Roxas. Okay- Roxas has illustrated several children's books before such as Erin Entrada Kelly's Newbery Award winning Hello Universe. But Squid Happens is the first book that Isabel Roxas wrote AND illustrated. So my assessment still counts.

The artwork was lively. The members of Team Pom as well as the silly and yet a tiny bit sinister villains in the employ of the mysterious Steve were all lively characters with rich expressions and flowing dialogues. The final page of this work promised more adventures from Team Pom and I very much hope that happens very soon.

Team Pom is a great book for kids who feel like they are loners too. No matter how strange or different you might be, there is someone out there who'll accept you no matter what. It doesn't have to be a ton of people But those select one or two will be with you through thick or thin. They might share a laugh or two at you expense or think you are an oddball. But those special friends are the ones you can count on no matter what and that's the kind of friends Agnes, Roberta and Ruby are!

A lovely graphic novel for readers in grades 2-5. It's a bit silly and definitely crosses into the fringe of weird. But for myself, those are some of my favorite kind of reads. A tiny bit of gross-out humor and a couple of instances of bullying do occur in this book. But the overall message is finding friends you can count on in times of social intimidation is one that parents will approve of.

Now there are 2 Team Poms that I am on!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Dell Four Color #1245- The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The world's greatest detective returns in a pair of cases in this 1961 edition of Dell Four Color. First Holmes and Watson tackle the case of 'The Derelict Ship'. Inspired by the mystery of the Mary Celeste, a desperate man employs the sleuth to uncover the whereabouts of the gentleman's missing crew and its load of contents. After a 2-page short in which Holmes schools Inspector Lestrande on a case involving a early morning break-in and trio of suspects, the private eye goes face-to-face with the Napoleon of Crime, Professor Moriarty! A single-page article in the inside back cover of the book that details the methods of deduction Holmes would have used during the Victorian Era close out this issue. 

This was the second issue in less than a year that Dell would publish of all-new mysteries involving Holmes and Watson. Unfortunately, this issue, #1245, would be the last time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most beloved characters would grace the voluminous Dell Four Color series. The fan-favorite series stopped publication with issue #1354 in the Summer of 1962 after Dell's publishing agreement with Western Publishing came to an end.

The two main stories have been attributed to Paul S. Newman. One of Newman's most enduring claims to fame was as writer for the series Turok, Son of Stone. The writer crafted stories of the time displaced Native American warrior for an impressive 26-years. Paul S. Newman would later be credited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'World's most prolific comic-book writer' with over 36,000 pages of published work to his credit. 

The cover of this issue, along with Holmes' 1961 Dell debut, were painted by George Wilson; a prolific artist for both Dell, Gold Key and later Whitman. Wilson's beloved works included covers of comic book adaptations of popular 60's TV shows such as The Twilight Zone and Star Trek. 

Though interior art credits were not assigned in this book, a couple of websites claim to know who did the artwork. Mycomicshop.com, for instance, cites Bob Fujitani as the main artist. Fujitani must have really enjoyed working with Paul S. Newman on this project as the pair, along with editor Matt Murphy, would eventually co-create the sci-fi character Doctor Solar for Western's new comic imprint, Gold Key. 

None of these stories were adaptations of works by Sir Arthur. Though a radio series of the same name ran on the ABC radio network for over a dozen years decades prior, a quick rundown of the complete series shows that these whodunits are not from that mystery drama either. The content of this book was truly New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #22 (A Mystery) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.