Piracy #6 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The comic book known as Piracy was produced by EC Comics. It ran for 7 issues from October/November, 1954-October/November, 1955. The timing of Piracy's publication places it at an awkward time during the history of William Gaines' publishing house. 

Piracy was the last New Trend title EC released before the company shifted focus of its publications. That's because from April to June, 1954, the US Senate held several public hearings on juvenile delinquency and comic books were placed under the microscope as being its number one cause. Across America, civic groups lead massive burnings of comic books. 

There's actually a famous photo taken in the Norwalk, Connecticut community of a Catholic League community bonfire composed of thousands of comics going up in flames. And there's my future grandmother-in-law smiling triumphantly over the paper barbecue. Also in the picture is my wife's 7 or 8 year old uncle, frowning despondently as his prized comic book collection went up in smoke. 

Needless to say, comic books were on life support. To prevent the complete extinction of the art form, several publishers got together and formed the self-governed Comics Code Authority. Gaines was initially hesitant to concede to the CCA, instead, opting to cancel most of his controversial line of comic books.

Only 3 books made the cut. The humor comic MAD changed to a larger format and was exempt from CCA rules operating as a magazine. Panic, another humor title, remained comic sized. Piracy, was the third surviving title. 

Piracy still had EC's signature twist endings. But they were no longer sensationalized. Haunt of Fear #19 had for a shock conclusion, a rival baseball team dismembering a baseball player who used poisoned cleats and using the guys entrails for a ballpark foul line. Issue #1 of this series has a boat captain finding the man who shanghaied him decades earlier and getting revenge on him... by thanking him for his cowardly deed. 

There are 4 stories that fill issue #6 of Piracy. Reed Crandall's 'Fit for a King' has a drunkard regaling the patrons of a tavern with the truth about a missing fabled swashbuckler known as The King of the Pirates. 'The Skipper' by George Evans tells of a sailor whose been stuck as first mate for so long, that he secretly begins sabotaging his cargo ship in a twisted plan to have the captain removed from the helm. Then readers head back in time to the seal hunts of the great white north in Graham Ingels' 'Fur Crazy.' Lastly, Jack Davis spins a yarn about a shipmaster haunted by the screams of the crew he lost years prior in 'Solitary.'

The cover was illustrated by Bernard Krigstein.

EC Comics launched 7 new titles in early 1954 as part of its New Trend line of titles. Because Gaines refused to issue a CCA stamp on the cover of his books, newsstands refused to carry them. Gaines would eventually acquiesce later in the year. But at that point, the financial damage was done and most titles were cancelled with issue #5 (Nov/Dec, 1955). A controversial ruling by the CCA for the powerful anti-racism story 'Judgment Day' in Incredible Science Fiction #33 led to William Gaines turning his back on comic books, devoting himself as publisher of MAD Magazine until his death in 1992.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #33 (An EC Comic (Reprints are allowed)) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

V #4

After a story that focused solely on Donovan, Julie and that town of Visitor loving humans, issue #4 devotes some time to the other characters of the V TV show.

First of all- Ham Tyler and Chris Farber. The two mercs finally make it to Catalina...to the front door of Nathan Bates' Science Frontiers home office... in a body bag. 

Uh-oh. I think I've painted myself into a corner. If I go much further, I'm going to be spoiling things. I mean this is a nearly 40 year old comic book. But, I try really hard not to produce spoilers. So, let's just say for now, that what happens in Bates' office leads us to find out what has happened to the Star Child.

Don't know what the Star Child is? That's okay. I'll get you up to date. During the original miniseries, Visitor leader Diana wanted to know if her people could mate and breed with humans. So a young girl named Robin was seduced by a Visitor soldier. Robin had a human looking child, with a forked tongue. Named Elizabeth by her mother, the hybrid child ages rapidly and develops super natural powers that lead members of the Fifth Column to dub the now adult Elizabeth to be called 'Star Child', a prophesied savior that could lead the Visitors in an age of peace and harmony.

Meanwhile, a Carl Sagan type character has taken to the airwaves to challenge Visitor leader Diana to peace talks. Diana accepts, planning to kill this peace monger at the conference. But don't worry about this guy walking into a trap; our modern-day stargazing Gandhi has plans of pulling the rug on Diana himself!

Lots of action. Lots of plot wheels turning.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman/ The Spirit One-Shot (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The Batman/The Spirit one-shot team-up titled 'Crime Convention' won the 2007 Eisner Award for the 'Best Single Issue/One-Shot'. Written by Jeph Loeb, this madcap adventure is the first ever pairing of the Dark Knight and 'the real only middle-class crimefighter.'

The story has Gotham City's Commissioner Gordon and Central City's Commissioner Dolan heading to Hawaii for a convention of police and law enforcement officers. On his way to the airport, Dolan is swooned by a fiery redhead named Ivy while Jim Gordon is being accompanied by his new girlfriend; a sultry brunette by the name of P'Gell!

The villains of the Batman and the Spirit have joined forces to make the convention an explosive event that nobody will ever forget! Everyone from the Cossack to Killer Croc have converged on America's 50th state to have some fun, get some sun and hit at the heart of their arch-enemies. Thankfully, Batman and the Spirit are en route to Hawaii. But are they too late?

The star of this book is artist Darwyn Cooke. Introducing the Spirit to the DC Universe, Cooke would later go on to be written and illustrator for the first 14 issues of DC's Spirit ongoing. A student of the golden and silver ages of comics, Cooke combined classic artwork with modernized poses and Kirby-esque framing. As a result of his efforts on both this one-shot and the Spirit monthly, Cook earned the 2007 Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding artist.

Dave Stewart won the 2007 Eisner as best colorist for this special. 

A Late Freeze, The Preposterous Adventures of IronHide Tom, Skyscrapers of the Midwest #3 and They Found The Car were the other nominees for this category. 

Batman and the Spirit would team again, along with Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze in the 2010 miniseries First Wave.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #9 (Best Single Issue or Serialized Story to Win Eisner Award) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Simpsons Comics #85 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The Simpsons came about because of publishing rights. James L. Brooks was looking for a filler segment on his forthcoming Tracey Ullman Show on the newly developing network, Fox. Brooks had come across an issue of Matt Groening's Life In Hell and the producer wanted it to fill in segments of the sitcom whenever the writers had trouble ending a sketch. Groening realized that he would have to give up a slew of rights if Life In Hell went animated. So Groening developed a new series based on his family and friends from his childhood in Portland, Oregon.

During the first season of The Tracey Ullman Show, The Simpsons alternated places with another animated short called Dr. N!Godatu about an optimistic therapist who recalled zany episodes with her patients. The Simpsons debuted in the third episode of The Tracey Ullman Show. It became an immediate success. By the second season, Dr. N!Godatu was gone and it was The Simpsons all the way. Soon, watchers of the sketch series were putting the live action segments on mute, only to hit sound while things got animated. 

A spin-off of a Simpsons holiday special materialized in December of 1989. Animator David Silverman helped to refine the rough Matt Groening art style into something more sleek and fluid. 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire' was an immediate success and an instant Christmas classic. The following month, Fox took a gamble with a 13-episode mid-season replacement run of animated episodes. 

The past 20 years had not been very kind to live-action animated series in prime time. But Fox was consistently running fifth place out of a 4 major network ratings war and needed a hit. Needless to say, the gamble paid off. Jump ahead to 2023 and The Simpsons are now in their 34th season. The cartoon series shows no signs of stopping. In January, the longest running animated series in TV history was renewed for an impressive 35th and 36th season!

In 1993, Matt Groening went back into comic book publishing. Bongo Comics, named after one of Groening's rabbit characters from Life In Hell, published mostly titles based on The Simpsons. However, Bongo also published a handful of non-Simpsons properties including a 12-issue sketch series based on the art of Sergio Aragones and an adaptation of Nickelodeon's Spongebob Squarepants. In 1995, Groening created Zongo Comics, an imprint devoted to adult oriented series. Zongo only released a pair of minis before going defunct about a year later. Oddly enough, neither Bongo nor Zongo released a Life In Hell comic book.

The last Simpsons comic book was published in 2018. Issue #245 was the jumbo-sized swan song. Over the course of the series 25 year run, a number of talents worked on Simpsons Comics. Bill Morrison, Phil Ortiz, Ian Boothby, Gale Simone, Michael Allred, Kyle Baker, Aragones, even glam rocker Alice Cooper contributed to a wide number of stories that starred America's favorite family. 

Just like the TV series, the comic book version of the Simpsons skewered every aspect of modern day life, pop culture and social norms. In this issue, the Simpson family is selected to be a Neilsen Family. When their viewing habits are reviewed, analysts discover that the Simpsons reflect the exact center of the populace. Soon, everything the Simpsons like, including favorite foods, clothes and even their hairstyles are what the citizens of Springfield are sporting! So, Homer, Marge and the kids decide to switch things up!

In the backup story, Comic Book Guy looks at a series of rejected Bongo Comics titled 'Crap Nobody Wanted...'

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #28 (Humor Story) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

V #3

So the Visitors regular maintenance of those hot springs outside that small town is a ruse. Instead of purifying the watering holes, the aliens are actually stealing the water. Donovan and Julie point this out to the townsfolk. But with the Visitors restoring the severed arm of a farmer, they just refuse to believe the ill intentions of these so-called villains. But when a Visitor strike force kills a young boy in cold blood and has an even colder response to the lad's death, the citizens of this small hamlet finally join the Resistance!

It's all about Donovan and Julie, oh and Willie, the Visitor who joined the Resistance, in this issue. If you want to know what has happened to Ham Tyler and Chris Farber on their eventful trip to Catalina, well you'll have to wait until hopefully the next issue. They're completely omitted from this issue. 

Issue #3 sees Carmine Infantino's run as the series illustrator take a pause for a couple of issues. Tony DeZuniga is the inker on this. However, DeZuniga was given a cover credit which is really unheard of for inkers. I'm thinking he did a lot of pencil assists with the aging Infantino, who was starting to slow down the amount of work he did around this time period. DeZuniga inked the next issue. But with #4, he doesn't get a cover credit as I am thinking Tod Smith was more than capable of penciling things on his own. 

Great story. But there's so much other action that is just glossed over for one reason or another. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Terry's Crew (Family Comic Friday)

From the ultimate multihyphenate (that means a person with several professions or skills) Terry Crews, comes an original graphic novel story based on the actor's childhood in Flint, Michigan.

First of all, let me say that I love Terry Crews. I've been a fan of his since he played the dad on Everybody Hates Chris. He was brilliant as detective Terry Jeffords on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. And I was thrilled that he was named the host of America's Got Talent (and it's recent bunch of spin-offs). Terry Crews just seems like a legitimate guy that cares about people. He'd be one of those people that I would love to have a dinner party with...

In Terry's Crew, we see Terry about to begin the school year at a prestigious institution called Rock City Academy. Terry won a lottery to get to attend the school which contains a student body comprised of mostly rich kids. Terry's mom and dad have put a ton of pressure on Terry to maintain good grades while at the school. But that's okay because Terry has a plan for many great things to accomplish when he gets older and he'll need those good grades to achieve those dreams.

Terry hopes to use his artistic gifts to earn some new friends. Together with the forceful but determined Rani and shy genius Xander, Terry thinks he's got what it takes to create the best act for the Rock City Academy talent show. Unfortunately, there's a bully who wants to win the show just as bad as Terry does and is willing to intimidate the new student to drop out of the competition. If Terry stays in the lineup, the villain will reveal a humiliating secret to the whole school.

Meanwhile, Terry's guidance counselor is trying to steer him to join the school football team. Terry's interested in doing that, eventually. But for now, Terry wants to explore the arts, which are his passion. it's going to be hard for Terry to stick to his vision quest as the advisor is doing everything in his power to point out that Terry doesn't come from the right socio-economic background to be a great artist. Instead, the so-called school leader is doing everything he can to pigeonhole Terry to staying in his lane and become just another colored jock.

You know, the real villain in this book is not the bully. It's the guidance counselor! The school advisor is the one pushing the bully, who's also a student of color, to be an over-achieving athlete. Plus the teacher is also pushing the bully to get Terry to join the football team as some kind of sick rite of passage.

I wish I could say that I don't work with such educators but I do. It's far too easy to just look at the shell of the students we have and just refuse to dig further into the surface. Teaching Culinary, I often have students who claim that they'll never get a job in the restaurant industry. I just smile and think of how being a Chef was the one career my mom refused to let me pursue and yet one day fate intervened. So, I really try not to push them with their career choices. I just hope that I am teaching my kids that someone supports them when it looks like the whole world is going against them.

My biggest complaint about this book was that it felt a little long. But I get the impression that this book might have been the frame work for a whole series of graphic novels for kids based on Terry Crews' childhood. So it might have just been that the introductions were a little slow going. 

I'm really intrigued by the character of Emilio. He's fully in support of Terry being the best Terry there is. Yet, there's something mysterious about him Terry's dad thinks Emilio is bad news. But I am hoping that in reality Emilio had to drop out of school to support his family or something like that and not in reality be a drug dealer or thug like this story wants you to believe.   

The artwork for Terry's Crew is by graphic designer and illustrator Cory Thomas. If you are a fan of the more modern Archie books, you're probably familiar with his name. Thomas's art style is lifelike and expressive with an attention to fashion. That's more than likely due to the excessive number of hats he claims ownership to in the artist's biography at book's end. 

I really do hope Terry Crews along with Cory Thomas see success with this late 2022 graphic novel. It really feels like that the potential for other books in the series is within this book. It has a great message without sugarcoating the reality that not everyone who is supposed to have children's best interests at heart really do. 

If you are a fan of Terry Crews then you know that he's a celebrity with a wholesome image. And it's one that I believe is genuine. If you adults out like Terry Crews then you should have no problem sharing Terry's Crew with the young readers in your life. 

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

V #2

Remember in Return of the Jedi, where Han, Chewie, Leia and Luke use a stolen shuttle-craft in order to sneak past Imperial forces to land on Endor? Well, so far in this series, the members of the Resistance have managed to steal a Visitor shuttle and have been using it to infiltrate areas of the country possessed by the Reptiles. Unfortunately, on the ship's maiden voyage, the engines crap out leaving Resistance leaders Julie and Donovan to crash land near a small farming community. 

Thinking that they are in the hands of allies, this town is actually fond of the Visitors! Needing parts to make repairs, Donovan and Julie head into the village and promptly find themselves imprisoned and being held for the Visitors who will make their regular pilgrimage of technological benefits, such as the use of chemicals to purify the local hot springs. 

As readers wonder about the mystery of this small town and just what the Visitors ulterior motives are, the action shifts to the coast off of Catalina. Resistance members Ham Tyler and his partner Chris Farber are in need of a boat. The ship they steal happens to be full of drug runners! With a Visitor assault squad on their tail, at least Ham and Chris can benefit from all the guns and grenades on board!

Issue #2 is another triumph from Cary Bates! The artwork by Carmine Infantino is great. It doesn't really look like any of the actors that play the characters. But then again, Infantino never really tried to recreate likenesses. Awesome cover of a Visitor revealing his true nature in more ways than one by Eduardo Barreto!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

V #1

In 1983-84, I was in Kindergarten. One of the cultural events that a lot of classmates were rabid about was the NBC sci-fi miniseries V and V: The Final Battle. I was among them! 

The minis were about a race of aliens called the Visitors, that arrived on earth under the guise of peace. However, under their human-like flesh lives a reptilian race of scavengers that see our planet as a mini-mart. At the end of The Final Battle, the human race released a germ known as 'Red Dust' into the atmosphere to kill off the Visitors. 

Not all the Visitors were evil. Those who supported the human race were known as the Fifth Column. They were vaccinated against the Red Dust. For some reason or another, the germ warfare wasn't as powerful on the temperate areas of the planet. So, those areas remained under Visitor occupation.

Areas such as central Los Angeles, became designated truce zones, much like Rick's American Cafe in Casablanca. This allows for Visitors and members the earth's Resistance forces to interact, scheme and play deadly games of cloak & dagger. Diana, the Visitor leader, operates out of a mothership in orbit above this region, seeking to finally conquer this planet. Aiding her is the billionaire pharmaceutical tycoon Nathan Bates, who uses the power vacuum of the past war to take over California while assimilating Visitor tech.

Thankfully the first issue of this DC Comic adaptation does an amazing job of providing all this information. While I've seen the two miniseries within the past couple of years, I've not seen the TV show since its first days of airing in 1984-85. I love V and I used to have these books, along with a couple of toy guns and the coveted Visitor action figure when I was younger. The comics I was able to find for basically a dollar each or less and the fun I had from the franchise as a kid was just as rabid as it was 40 some years ago. 

Laying the frame work, I am excited to dig through this 18 issue run. Featuring a script by Cary Bates with artwork by the legendary Carmine Infantino, things are poised for full-throttle action and adventure. Oh, and of course fun!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Speedball: The Masked Marvel

One of the highlights of reading the complete 125 issue run of Marvel Comics Presents were the pair of stories starring the teen superhero known as Speedball: The Masked Marvel. Co-created by Steve Ditko and Tom Defalco, Speedball was an interesting mix of teen angst, youthful enthusiasm and brilliantly creative villains. Plotted and penciled by the legendary Ditko, the pair of stories were a feast for the eyes. And immediately, I took it upon myself to get a copy of this 'omnibus'.

Speedball's story begins with young Robbie Baldwin, a star athlete, bright student and a BMOC in a small Connecticut community. One day during Robbie's part-time job as an assistant at the Hammond Research Lab, the teen is accidentally bathed with strange kinetic energies. As a result, whenever Robbie experiences the slightest bit of inertia, he transforms into the Masked Marvel and bounces around like a bouncy ball until he runs out of energy or finds a way to settle himself. 

The scientists who conducted the experiment know that somebody interfered with the experiment that gave Robbie his powers. But they think it's the lab's mascot, the feline Niels, who is obviously showing signs of the same blast of energy that powers Robbie. The teen is tasked with capturing Niels in order for the researchers to determine if the strange energy field is lethal or not. This comedy of errors is a running gag throughout the entire series which only lasted 10 issues. But it's an important plot device as Robbie just wants to be a normal kid once again.

In typical comic book fashion, Robbie's family is oblivious to the fact that their son is the town's new hero called the 'Masked Marvel'. Only Robbie himself refers to himself as Speedball because of the tiny energy balls that follow him when in costume. Robbie would love nothing more than to tell his mom and dad about his powers. But to do so could jeopardize Robbie's father! See, Mr. Baldwin is the town's assistant District Attorney. The town in which the Baldwin's live has a law against masked vigilantes. Robbie fears that should his secret come to light, it will mean disgrace for his lawyer father. 

Honestly, Robbie should lighten up a bit. His parents are doing a good enough job turning the whole town against them. When a skeleton is discovered within the walls of Robbie's high school, fingers point at both Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin as being the prime suspects. This results in a loss of jobs for Robbie's mom and a near disbarment of dear old dad. 

It says a lot about the writing when the reader is just as interested in the supporting characters as the main character. Roger Stern and Jo Duffy make the mystery of who killed the family friend of the Baldwins just as engrossing as Speedball's battles against an assortment of masked baddies. I was so hooked on the secret of the corpse's killer that I stayed up later than normal a couple of nights in a row to find out 'whodunnit!' 

Masks are a big theme in this book. Steve Ditko was a master of bizarre faces and Speedball's Rogue's Gallery, while rather inferior compared to a Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus, are some of the most creative of all-time. 

I wish the original Speedball's story didn't have to end!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Transformers: All Fall Down (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

By 1990, Hasbro had all but moved on from the first generation of Transformers toys. This included the Marvel Comics series. According to writer Simon Furman, the staff at Marvel knew that Hasbro was no longer interested in the property when the writers submitted an April Fools script that saw the death of all of the Transformers as well as a battle royal between mechanical sheep and warrior nuns! When the toy manufacturer allegedly accepted the script, Furman and crew knew that they were now free to craft the Transformers universe as they saw fit. 

Looking to incorporate parts of the 1986 feature-length movie, Furman and crew began what is called 'The Unicron Saga', starting in issue #69. First, Optimus Prime had to be raised from the dead. Even Hasbro admitted that it was a misstep. Although the resurrected version of the Autobot leader was more vulnerable and clunky looking as opposed to his sleeker original shell. 

Then writers found a way to incorporate Galvatron; Unicron's updated and far more deadlier upgrade of the Decepticon leader Megatron. With Megatron dead from an explosion, Unicron plucked this version of Galvatron from an alternate future timeline. Not willing to be a lackey to anyone, Galvatron strives to overthrow Unicron by any means possible. Even if that means having to team up with Optimus Prime!

Lastly, the creative team needed a hook to pit all of the Transformers together in order to battle the massive Unicron. The solution: a prophecy from the robots' god-like creator, Primus. According to legend, if all of the children of Cybertron can unite together as one, then and only then can the chaos bringer that is Unicron be defeated. After millions of years of in-fighting and 74 American issues of sequential art, the Autobots and Decepticons seem ready to face the coming onslaught as one!

'All Fall Down' was the penultimate collection of Marvel reprints of the original series that ran from 1984-1991. However, this is book 13 out of a series of 16 volumes. In the early 2000s, Titan Books released a 16-volume set that reprinted all 80 issues of the main Transformers series published by the House of Ideas. The 12 issue sequel series Transformers: Generation 2 is the material that fills volumes 15 and 16. So, even though the next volume 'End of the Road' promises to be the closing chapter to the robots in disguise, like with all good franchises, the stories themselves never really end. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #45 (About Robots) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics, Vol. 1

In 1939, comic books were relatively still in their infancy. The previous year's debut success of National's Action Comics, thanks to a mysterious super man from planet Krypton, inspired countless publishers to test the waters of this new medium. New York City's Martin Goodman was one of those commissioners who took notice. 

Already having published several pulp magazine devoted to action and adventure, sci-fi and of course, sex, Goodman founded Timely Comics. Then taking the name for one of his publications, Marvel Science Stories, Goodman hired Funnies Inc. to produce a book's worth of new material for his first ever comic book called Marvel Comics.

The first and third stories are tales that I know by heart. They introduce a yin-yang pair of anti-heroes who will lay the foundation for the plethora of heroes that will define the Marvel Age of Comics and beyond. Carl Burgos kicked things off with an android that bursts into flames when exposed to oxygen. First deemed a menace to society, exposure to natural elements corrects the design flaw allowing the Human Torch to control his flammable powers. Then Bill Everett takes readers to the icy waters off the coast of Antarctica where a human-Atlantean hybrid is the underwater kingdom's newest weapon in a proposed attack against the land breathers. 

Compared to Carl Burgos work, Bill Everett's Sub-Mariner was year 3000 stuff. Compared to the adventures of Superman over at National, the first 3 stories starring Prince Namor was year 3001 material. Why Bill Everett isn't given the level of love and respect of Jack Kirby or Wil Eisner is beyond me. Dying in 1973 at a young age of 55, I think Everett's lesser body of work compared to other super stars of the golden age of comics is to blame for this. 

The rest of the material in issue #1 along with the other 3 issues contained in this collection are the stuff of the pulps. The overly powerful un-super powered Angel is much like the Shadow, taking on the dregs of the criminal underworld; only he's decked out in a blue leotard. Ka-Zar, who one day will become lord of the dinosaur filled Savage Land, got his start as a pulp hero. Much like Tarzan, Ka-Zar is able to communicate with the animals and acts as their protector from the greedy white men and fierce natives that seek African wildlife for game and sport. Rounding things out was a Western starring the Masked Rider, a clone of the Lone Ranger, who wore a full black mask in the desert heat as his took on cattle rustlers and claim jumpers. 

A name change comes in issue #2. Marvel Comics became Marvel Mystery Comics, perhaps to further differentiate the comic book from the pulp title. A new character debuts in the second issue. 'Perry Webb, American Ace' is a young lad who is traveling throughout Central Europe in his small propeller plane. The fictitious leader of a small European nation has amassed a small but formidable war chest and is about to begin a massive campaign to rule the world. Poor Perry Webb arrives in the first nation to come under attack and soon finds himself injured and with a wrecked air ship. As Perry recovers, the American Ace talks of needing to fulfill a special mission. Sadly readers will never discover just what that mission was as Issue #3 was Perry Webb's last appearance in Marvel Mystery Comics.

Younger readers will hate these books. The artwork is considered by many, including foreword author Roy Thomas, to be quite primitive. Because of the newness of comic books, that detriment can be overlooked. What many readers might not be able to excuse is the level of violence towards women, stereotypes of Asians and Africans, and other outdated portrayals that were overtly glorified in the pulps. Yet, with Martin Goodman's Marvel Mystery Comics, there's a level of respect towards minorities and females as well as aptitude to point out the sinful faults of white men that foreshadows a lot of groundbreaking stuff that Stan Lee will be championed for doing differently than the Distinguished Competition in the 1960s and 70s. 

If you wish to see what was the essential blueprint of 'Stan's Soap Box', these golden age collections are the things to read. Without them, there would be no Fantastic Four, no Black Panther, and definitely no Marvel Age of Comics. As for getting my hands on the other 6 volumes of this collection, I would love to read the rest. I don't think I'd want to add them to my collection as these books aren't really items I have on my wish list. I got this book in a grab bag years ago and Marvel Masterworks books are not cheap- hardcover or trades. Especially, since you only get 4 issues in each volume! But if I found further books for a good price, I would acquire and read them before trading for something else that I really needed to have on my bookshelf.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Second Chances

Jason Todd. 

The second sidekick of the Dark Knight. One of the most controversial characters in comic book history. He's like the celery of DC Comics as you either love him or hate him... and most despise him!

I decided to give Jason Todd another look with the purchase of this collection of stories from the late 80s. Featuring writing by Max Allan Collins, Jim Starlin and Jo Duffy, Batman: Second Chances covers the retooled origin of the character that was sorely missing from his 1983 debut. And this is where I think a lot of readers hated Jason Todd. 

See, Jason just kinda got thrust on readers as being the new Robin in Batman #368 after having basically appeared in a couple of cameos nearly a year prior. Jason Todd was replacing Dick Grayson, whose role on the 1960s Batman TV series made the young ward a household name. Never mind the fact that Dick Grayson had moved on from being Batman's partner years before. Here's a kid replacing a legend. A youth who is a little cocky, a bit brash, and kinda rude taking over the role of America's favorite teen sidekick without so much as a thank you and it ticked fans off. 

I think DC Comics kinda realized that fans were unhappy with Jason Todd. So after Frank Miller's Batman: Year One storyline retooled the origins of Bruce Wayne for a more modern audience, Max Allan Collins sets his sights on giving Jason Todd a formal introduction into the Batman Family while giving readers the must desired reason for the fallout between the Caped Crusader and Dick Grayson. 

Though the title was never officialled renamed, editors rebranded the Caped Crusader's solo title as Batman: The New Adventures. Here we learn that during one of Batman's annual visits to Crime Alley, the area of Gotham in which Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered, someone had the brass balls to steal the tires off of the Batmobile. The thief is none other than the orphan street rat, Jason Todd. 

Not even old enough to drive and this kid steals from the Batman! This kind of bravado impresses Batman. Working out a deal, Batman gets Jason set up with a halfway house. However, the program ends up being a front for organized crime a la Fagin and his pickpockets in Oliver Twist. Only much more violent. When that placement falls through, Bruce Wayne takes in Jason Todd and a new Boy Wonder is shortly christened. 

Despite a new origin and a blessing from Dick Grayson to Jason as being his heir appearant, time was short for the new Robin. By mid-1988, Jason's fate was left up to readers to call a 1-900 number to decide if the Joker would kill the new Boy Wonder in an explosion or merely mangle him a little. More readers called in to kill Jason Todd, beating out those who wanted to save him by less than 100 votes. I remember my house voted. But I don't remember if my dad was one of Jason's executioners or saviors. I know I wanted Robin to die. But my father often would do the opposite of what I wanted in his own Joker-like sadistic way...

Did Jason Todd really deserve all that hatred? Based on the stories in this book: no. Max Allan Collins and Jim Starlin do a decent job making him an agreeable sort of fellow. I'm guessing it's the Jason Todd from 1983-86 that got on reader's nerves and sent the lad into an early grave.

And sure- Jason Todd is back alive. It wouldn't be comic books if the characters didn't return from the beyond once and a while. This Jason who goes around as the ultra-violent Red Hood, is a fan favorite among many. Readers love how as the Red Hood, Jason Todd will cross lines that the rest of the Batman Family refuse to even toe. But me, I am a purist. I prefer Jason as a carefree kid, trying to make the best of a new life, even though on the other side of the comic book page, unknown readers were making plans to kill him. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Candy Freak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbell of America by Steve Almond

A chance tour of a candy factory inspires creative writing professor and self-proclaimed candy freak, Steve Almond to explore the world of candy bars. Instead of focusing on the Big 3- Hershey's, Mars and Nestle, Almond will check out some of the few remaining independent candy manufacturers still in existence. In his confectionery tour across America, the author will discover new flavors, examine the challenges these small businesses face and brainstorm new strategies for survival. 

When Steve Almond writes about his candy tours, he's a great writer. However, the author poetically waxes way too much about other subjects. For example, this book was written during the election of 2004 and while he awaits the next plane that will continue his foodie work-vacay, Almond watches the results of the primaries and I think the whole sch-bang between W. and John Kerry. I completely understand why he mentions this as Almond talks with fellow travelers and air stewards about their love of candy during his trek. Yet, the writer also spends about 5 pages talking about the administration of Bush 43 being the new Nazi party and that's just 5 pages too long for a book that's supposed to be devoted to one's love of candy. 

When it comes to Steve Almond's love of candy, the journalist gets really in depth with his personal history. REALLY in-depth. I don't need to know how the wordsmith used a candy bar to measure the length of his teenage erection. I don't need to know of his carnal exploits with chocolate and his past lovers. But I did enjoy learning about the old school candies he bought as a kid. 

Steve Almond grew up in the late 60s through the 70s. This is like the golden age of candy. Sure, there have been candy bars since just after the Civil War. But the rules of marketing and advertising towards kids changed during Almond's childhood and that made for a quantum leap in the types of unique sugary treats that were created just for kids. Bubblicious bubble gum, Ring Pops, Blow Pops, Jelly Belly jelly beans, Reese's Pieces and Pop Rocks came out during this period of pop culture history. Sour candies were still a decade away but Almond got to grow up during America's introduction to the gummi candies of Germany! And of course, this was the age of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and all of the amazing treats that sprung off from that cult classic film!

Unfortunately, the writer doesn't seem to mention anything about the Gene Wilder movie that was so inspirational to my youth. Maybe that's my story to tell. One inspiration however that I gained from Steve Almond, was to go on a search for some of the candy bars that the author discovered while researching this book. I spent an entire weekend in the mountains of North Carolina looking for things like the Peanut Chew and Valomilks in the candy shops/tourist traps of Maggie Valley and Waynesville, NC. I got bupkis. However, I can say that my trip wasn't ruined as my wife's hankering for Cracker Barrel led me to find several of the candies Steve Almond learned about in the 'Old Country Store' section of the Mebane, NC location. 

I'm reading books about the culinary and food industries to increase my knowledge for my continuing education as well as being able to help my culinary students with their questions about all things epicurean. It's to my great lament that while I can cull things about candy I found in this book into some of my lectures, I cannot in good conscious add this book to the bookshelf I have of books for my students to borrow. I think I could get away with his use of the F-word. I mean, that's both Chef Gordon Ramsey and the late Anthony Bourdain's favorite word. If only Steve Almond hadn't talked so much about sex...

Lastly, I need to mention something about the cover that irks me. Having a generalized anxiety disorder and being a professional Chef and culinary instructor, I strive for bold and eye-appealing designs that have a touch of balance. I love that the letters of this book are all taken from different candy bars. A clever little visual puzzle for readers to figure out. What I absolutely hate is that the N in Candy and the F in Freak are taken from the same type of candy bar. Why does a cover with 10 letters only have 9 different fonts? This sort of thing makes my brain just itch to no end!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Cardboardia 2: This Side Up (Family Comic Friday)

I was very impressed with the 2021 debut of Cardboardia. It tells of 4 kids who learn of a link between our world and a world made of cardboard thanks to the quartet falling into a cardboard box. In the first book, Pokey was separated from her siblings and found a friend. Meanwhile, the three older kids discovered an ancient board game called 'Cardboardia' that had their images on the cover. 

Book 2 has Pokey trying to find her friends while the other kids are pondering on just how to play the game they've discovered. Meanwhile, the wicked ruler of Cardboardia has discovered the location of the interlopers from our world and is attempting to apprehend them. This results in the group getting even more split up and unexpectedly, it also means a return to the world of dirt and rock for 2 of the friends!

12 months or so is just too long between volumes. I had a little bit of trouble recalling what had happened previously. But I also noticed that the tone of this book had changed. 

I learned at the end of this book that when co-creators Richard Fairgray and Lucy Campagnolo were making volume 1, they were together. But volume 2 was crafted in the middle of the throes of the pandemic, resulting in the pair being separated. On two separate sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Richard was working on the book in the mornings in the States and Lucy was completing work in the evenings from her locale in Europe. 

This kind of disconnect made for an uneven read which probably would be even more noticeable if I had read these first two volumes back-to-back. 'This Side Up' does offer an origin story of the evil ruler of Cardboardia and it adds some more intriguing mysteries to the story. It's just that some of the magic from the debut volume is missing here in book 2 and I think you have to blame COVID for that.

Book 3 is on the way. Just not sure when it will hit stores. Hopefully it won't take as long as it did for book 2 to hit bookshelves. (To be fair, this book came out in November, 2022. It took me until May, 2023 to find it! But still... long time.) Fairgray and Campagnolo promise that they've been reunited now that travel restrictions have been lifted. I just pray that the magic returns now that they're back together!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Kobra #5 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The international terrorist known as Kobra desires to rule the world. But in order to do that, he must kill a few people first. One of those roadblocks is Kobra's very own twin brother, Jason Burr. There's only one small problem, any time Jason or brother Jeffrey, Kobra's real name, experiences any pain, the other mysteriously feels it!

Jason Burr doesn't understand why sometimes he'll be perfectly fine at home or work and then WHAM!- it reels like someone hit him upside the head for no reason. But Kobra knows of the connection between the two siblings and that's why as much as Jeffrey Burr would love to kill his twin, he just cannot. Because if Jason dies, so will Jeffrey!

The character of Kobra was co-created by Jack Kirby and Steve Sherman during Kirby's early 70s tenure at DC Comics. Sherman took elements of Vincent Price's vengeful Dr. Phibes and crafted a story in which a villain was the main character. Sherman also added the very Kirby moniker of King to the character and in his earliest incarnation, Kobra was referred to as King Kobra. 

When King Kirby took a look at the script, he was mostly unimpressed. But the comic book legend saw promise in the character and working with Sherman, Kirby tweaked the character. The psychic link between siblings was taken from Alexandre Dumas' The Corsican Brothers and brother Jason was created to be the yin to Korba's yang. 

Within days, Steve Sherman retooled the script and Jack had the first issue written and drawn. And then Kirby went back to Marvel. In the midst of Kirby's return to the House of Ideas, the Kobra project was shelved. Finally, in late 1975, the book was given over to Martin Pasko who absolutely hated the whole thing. Most of Kirby's script was replaced. Artist Pablo Marcos was assigned to retool some of the King's pencils. And ultimately, the character was named as simply 'Kobra.'

Issue #5 sees Kobra working multiple schemes simultaneously. First of all, the terrorist is planning a gigantic earthquake that promises to destroy all of the state of California. But how this plan makes him ruler of the earth is still unclear. Next, Kobra attempts to kill off anyone who might be getting close enough to his ultimate plans. This includes San Francisco private eye Jonny Double, whom Kobra operatives try several times unsuccessfully to assassinate. Lastly, Kobra is developing a way to sever the bond between him and twin Jason. But the villain has got to act fast as brother is on his way from the Big Apple to stop Kobra once and for all.

Only 2 more issues of Kobra would be produced. Poor sales sparked by early rumors of cancellation were the main culprits. One could argue Martin Pasko's half-hearted approach to the script was another culprit. '...It was a preposterous exercise dumped on my lap,' Pasko once remarked. Fans were given some semblance of closure as elements of the scraped 8th issue were printed in the pages of DC Special Series #1.

Jeffrey Burr would eventually find a way to break free from his bond with Jason. Kobra would then kill his brethren; though the villain was never truly free from Jason as the crime-lord was forever haunted by visions of him. Kobra would late clash with characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman and the Justice Society of America before meeting his demise at the hands of Black Adam in JSA #51. In a strange twist of fate, Kobra was reborn with followers re-animating Jason Burr to become their new leader!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #27 (Villain is the Main Character) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

G.I. Joe Special Missions #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

"There are some missions so secret, so sensitive that even the Joes who go on them are told only the bare minimum, on a strictly need-to-know basis. As far as the other Joes are concerned, these missions never existed. These are the G.I. Joe Special Missions."- from G.I. Joe #50

G.I. Joe Special Missions was the first spin-off of the wildly popular Marvel Comics series based on the legendary Hasbro action figures. Of course, the main goal of this comic was due to the dollar signs both Marvel and Hasbro saw with the production of a sister title. But for writer Larry Hama, it was a chance to write slightly more grittier stories. In a Raleigh, North Carolina comic con panel, Hama told the audience (that I was a part of) that with the main G.I. Joe series, he was tasked with featuring the newest toys being released in the line. With Special Missions, since the enemies weren't just from Cobra, but conventional terrorists as well members of the Soviet Army, Hama was able to write those clandestine war stories that he always wished to write starring your favorite Joes. 

The spin-off was first introduced as the backup feature of the anniversary special 50th issue of G.I. Joe. In the 'pilot', a commercial jet hailing from San Francisco is hijacked by Russians. Calling themselves members of the Leon Trotsky Brigade of the Fourth National, the terrorists plan on flying the plane into the Soviet Union and crashing the ship into a chemical warfare depot, making the flight the ultimate dirty bomb!

While the plane refuels in Alaska, several Joes sneak about the plane through its landing gear. With only minutes to spare, America's finest must take control of the cockpit for if the plane enters Soviet airspace, there are several MiGs ready to blow it out of the sky! At the very last minute, Joe commander Flint grabs the controls and veers the air taxi away from Russian boarders.

The Soviets factor into the first issue of G.I. Joe Special Missions. Several of the ship-worthy members of GI Joe are posing as Scandinavian fishermen in the Baltic sea. An American submarine has broken down and members of the October Guard, the USSR's version of GI Joe, are on a nearby navel destroyer, observing the very transparent ruse. Should the sub's location be discovered by the Soviet Navy, it will violate countless treaties as the sunken submersible is deep inside Russian waters. 

Adding to the stress of this situation is the presence of Cobra. The Baroness and Firefly are on hand to commandeer the sub for themselves. Should Cobra get their hands on the American ship, the vessel's nuclear armament will make the terrorist organization an even more deadlier force to be reckoned with. 

The level of violence in this debut issue was on par with the standard G.I. Joe main title of its time. The addition of Cobra gives this tale a comedic foil. However, the level of technobabble and secret ops was unlike anything seen in the pages of a G.I. Joe comic. While 'That Sinking Feeling' isn't on par with a Quentin Tarantino film in terms of death and mayhem, the end of the age of innocence for G.I. Joe was at hand. 

It's true, that prior to G.I. Joe #50, some characters and a whole lot of Cobra troops died. After the introduction of G.I. Joe Special Missions, that death count got higher. A Cobra Civil War sees many villains die at the hands of their so-called brothers-in-arms. We learn of the tragic deaths of the heads of the Arashikage Clan, the Head Master and his younger sibling, the Soft Master. But nothing will prepare readers for issue #109 where 8 Joes are brutally slain; including fan favorites Doc, Quickick and Breaker!

Art duties for this issue were by Herb Trimpe. Trimpe, along with Hama, would stay on for the entire run of this series that ran for 26 issues. However, X-Men legend, Dave Cockrum would assist frequently as a fill-in. Special Missions started as a bi-monthly publication, quickly becoming a monthly with issue #12. The series was revived both by Devil's Due Publishing in a number of one-shots and IDW Publishing, which ran for 14 issues. In 2010-11, IDW collected the entire Marvel run in a series of 4 trades, which are no longer in print.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #11 (More Than 20 Years Old) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Batman #413 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Batman has a new ward- the street smart orphan, Jason Todd. Slowly learning the ropes as the newest Robin, Jason is headstrong, impulsive and full of rage. However, in the early episode from Jason Todd's oh-so short stint as the Boy Wonder, it's the observational skills of the lad who helps Batman crack this bizarre case. 

A new exhibit is opening at the Gotham Metropolitan Museum. Focusing on artifacts from feudal Japan, a number of pieces including kimonos, swords and a suit of samurai armor have been donated from one of the last surviving members of the Tahara Clan. The Dark Knight suspects that members of Gotham's criminal elements will rob the exhibit and so Batman keeps vigilance over the museum. 

To everyone's surprise, the exhibition isn't robbed. Instead, it's haunted by the ghost of fallen Japanese warrior, Masahiko Tahara! Now it's up to Batman and his brand-new Robin to get to the bottom of a mystery on par with something you'd expect from Scooby-Doo and the teen detectives of Mystery Inc.

'The Ghost of Masahiko Tahara' was written by Jo Duffy. Duffy has first appeared in the pages of Marvel comics in the early 70s as a frequent contributor to the letter cols of various publications. She then appeared as a cameo character in the pages of Iron Man #103 (Oct. 1977), before eventually earning her first credit as an editor for Defenders #61 (July 1978). 

Duffy's first writing credits including Daredevil, Defenders and Marvel-Two-In-One before taking on her longest and perhaps most well known stint as the writer of Power Man and Iron Fist. During this time, Duffy also penned a number of issues of Star Wars and Conan the Barbarian thanks in part to her duties as Archie Goodwin's assistant. 

During a time when Marvel was experimenting with a darker tone, Jo Duffy was a refreshing blast of light-hearted stories that harkened back to the days of Stan and Jack. She was also known to pepper her stories with doses of sarcastic humor that often hid a back-handed compliment or two. Maybe that's one reason why she paired brilliantly with Steve Ditko on some of the last issues of the short-lived Speedball series about a teen boy who turns hyper-kinetic whenever he experiences too much force.

Batman #413 was written during Jo Duffy's brief first stint with DC. In the early 90s, Duffy penned stories for Dark Horse and Image before returning to DC where she penned the first 14 issue's of Catwoman. In the mid-90s, Duffy was the screenwriter for the 4th and 5th movie in the Puppet Master horror franchise before returning to the House of Ideas in 2000. 

Jo Duffy's last writing credits are from 2003-2006, writing English script adaptations for Viz Media's Naruto. In 2007, Duffy took a job as a receptionist for the U.S. Immigration Office in New York. The writer had for some time made announcements to create her own self-published comics under the banner of Armin Armadillo Publishers. While Duffy did incorporate a company under that name in 2008, as of press time of this review, that is as far as that vision has preceded.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #15 (Comic Book Written by a Female) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Arkhamaniacs (Family Comic Friday)

This is a toughie to explain. Mostly, because this Batman universe story is just so un-Batman. But I loved it!

This graphic novel by the dynamic duo of Art Baltazar and Franco is set when Bruce Wayne's parents are still alive. One day Bruce goes with the Waynes' butler Alfred on an errand to Arkham Apartments, a Gotham City property owned by his parents. During his brief visit, Bruce runs into some of the eclectic clientele of the complex, including a manic clown wearing the biggest grin you've ever seen.

The visit intrigues Bruce, whose life at Wayne Manor is pretty dull and boring. Seeing a different view of the people of his city, the young Master Wayne decides one night to sneak out and visit Arkham Apartments to understand just why the property is so unusual and well, fun. Once at the tenement, Bruce will meet all of the residents of Arkham, folks with special powers, fun costumes and unusual pets, such as a crocodile in the swimming pool!

Arkhamaniacs reminded me a little bit of the FOX Batman prequel series, Gotham. That show was set when Bruce Wayne is a child; years before he'll even dream up the idea of becoming the Dark Knight and I feel like that very mature TV series was an inspiration to this DC graphic novel for kiddies. 

See in Gotham, Bruce Wayne meets the Joker (well, Jokers, as there are 2 in the series- at least), when the budding criminal is also in his very early years. In fact, Bruce becomes really good friends with one of the Jokers before that character is tragically turned into a raving lunatic thanks to some nerve gas. To me, I get the feeling that Art Baltazar and Franco were looking to expound on what that friendship could be like before things got real with the advent of Bruce becoming an adult. So there were elements of JM Barrie's Peter Pan at hand as well. 

This graphic novel was a fun read. It was just weird seeing the Joker being friends with young Brucie. The Joker is almost like a guide towards opening Bruce's mind up to the world of play and imagination. So, there were elements of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well.

I think the most difficult thing about this book was knowing that all the joy and bliss between Bruce Wayne and the residents of Arkham Apartments is going to one day come to an end. Joker not only does horrible things to Bruce Wayne and his Batman Family, the Clown Prince of Crime goes on to betray and manipulate a whole bunch of his so-called friends. It's rather unsettling no matter how bright and cheery the creators of this book make things seem.

Art Baltazar and Franco have another masterpiece on their hands. This is another fun-filled romp full of DC Comics nostalgia that readers young and old will like. I just hate that uneasy feeling my knowledge of the adult Batman world gives me when I'm trying to read that paints an extremely rosy picture of things between Bruce Wayne and the Joker. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Ward #1

Imagine it's your first day at a new hospital. You're a trauma doctor. Before you even make it through the emergency department doors, you encounter your first patient. She's bleeding out and she's got a tail!

That's the first day of work for Dr. Nat Reeves. And this encounter is what opens the doors of St. Lilith's, a clandestine hospital for magical creatures. Just like any medical center, it's overcrowded and underfunded. Only it's protected by magical charms to keep it out of the attention of the general public. So how can Dr. Reeves be a part of all this?

Nat's origin is the crux of this story which really intrigued me. Only 24 pages just isn't enough story to reveal it all. This Dark Horse comic is a 4-issue miniseries that debuted last Summer. I read issue #1 almost as soon as it came out in stores. I read it and I then kinda forgot about it. 

I've also got issue #2. Yet I missed the boat on the other 2 issues. So, I'm kinda at a stopping point. Once I get the other 2 books, I'm gonna finish this. I promise. 

This Cavan Scott penned tale was really fantastic. It was a mix of Harry Potter and TV's E/R. It's also the second such comic in as many years to focus on emergency medicine with a twist. AWA's ET-ER is about a hospital that specializes in extraterrestrials. Just as great and not really different as that medical center is secretly housed on planet earth, just as St. Lilith's is.

Well, there is one thing where that other book is superior- it's stories are self-contained whereas The Ward is a string of cliffhangers. 

I hate cliffhangers.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.