Gustav & Henri, Vol. 2: Tiny Aunt Island! (Family Comic Friday)

I got many laughs out of this trio of misadventures. 

Henri (short for Henrietta) is a genius. She is a brilliant inventor and tinkerer. Her best friend is Gustav. He is impulsive with a nose for finding grub. Despite getting his pal into mischief, Gustav is also an amateur sleuth!

In this, the second book in the series from Red Comet Press, the duo accidentally shrink themselves in an attempt to free the last piece of their puzzle that Gustav got stuck in the drain. While in the pipes under their house, the pair become the newest attraction of the Sew-seum, becoming captives of the sewer rats! 

Then on a rafting trip in the ocean, a giant monsoon sweeps Gustav and Henri off to a 'Desert Island'. As Gustav impulsively goes to find help, he gets stuck on the island's swamp, is nearly strangled by snakes and finds a strange cave with very messy stalactites. Meanwhile, Henri discovers that there's something kinda sweet about this place...

Finally, Henri receives a letter from her Aunt Norma. Only, the letter is completely unlike something Henri's relative would write. For one thing, Aunt Norma invites Henri to visit her house and Aunt Norma never invites anyone to her house! Fearing something is wrong, Henri and Gustav uncover clues on a global mystery to find the missing aunt!

I really enjoyed the heck out of this book. For one thing, I was ready to head back to my local library and find book 1. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a while to read it as it was already checked out. Lucky family who are getting to enjoy Gustav & Henri instead of me...

There's a perfect witty banter between these two best friends. And there are so many neat elements hidden in the background of these stories that add to the adventures of Henri & Gustav into becoming like its own complete universe. Masters like George Perez, George Lucas and Frank Quitely have managed to perfect this sort of artform. I would like to say that writer Andy Matthews and artist Peader Thomas are a creative duo on the same level; even if the art and stories are geared for readers from grades 2nd-5th.

These stories were originally published in Australia by Hardie Grant Publishing. Other than a couple of the stories involving the beach and water fun activities, this book doesn't read like it's from Down Under. What I mean is that Aussies have a very distinctive vocabulary. For instance, they call sandwiches 'sangers' and the word 'dodgy' means complex and difficult. I'm not sure if the editing team at Red Comet Press edited things to not have such slang words or not. But this book is not one of those where a dictionary is needed in order to understand things. 

Absolutely hilarious. Brilliant ideas. Something the whole family will enjoy and want to read again and again. And with the aquatic and travelling themes of the stories, Tiny Aunt Island would make a perfect summer vacation read!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents: Batman, Vol. 6

This addition to my collection was thanks in part to that brief period in time when wholesale emporium Ollie's bought several dozen truckloads of DC and Vertigo overstock. I think it was 2017 or 18 when those of us fortunate to live near an Ollie's could go to the discount shop and buy massive treasuries of DC's finest for pennies on the dollar. I lived within an hour of 6 locations and I was able to make huge additions to my collection without hurting my budget.

Unfortunately, being that DC's inventory was being liquidated en masse, it really was a crap-shoot as to what each store got. For instance, the Durham, NC location got 30 copies of the Strange Adventures trade from 2010 but only 1 copy of the Silver Age Suicide Squad Omnibus. That's how I ended up with Showcase Presents Batman, Vol. 6. 

The black & white reprints of Showcase Presents were highly coveted by us bargain hunters. I was able to get both volumes of The Atom's exploits. I got all 3 Aquaman books. I even found a copy of the massive collection of reprints of the events of the Great Disaster, featuring the Atomic Knights. Yet, for some reason, every location in central North Carolina got dozens of Batman, Vol 6. No 1,2,3,4 or 5. Just #6!

This volume covers the beginnings of the Denny O'Neil era of the Caped Crusader. (His first run. After a 6-year return stint to Marvel, O'Neil would begin a second memorable stint as a Batman writer in 1986.) The first thing O'Neil and his Green Lantern/Green Arrow collaborator Neal Adams would do to Batman was make him the Dark Knight again. The 1960s ABC series would make the Batman Family quite campy. Now it's the 1970s and everything is dark again.

Batman would face one of his greatest foes in this run, Ra's al Ghul. Whereas with a villain like the Joker or Two-Face, Batman would beat the crap out of them and return them to jail quick. With Ra's, Batman plays the long game. It's further complicated by the addition of Ghul's daughter Talia, with whom the Batman has a mutual attraction with. Over the course of a half-dozen issues, Batman and Ra's al Ghul have a worldwide pissing match, with the eco-terrorist trying to size up The Detective as his potential replacement and Batman trying to figuring out just what his new foe is up to.

That's just the Batman books. In the pages of Detective Comics, Frank Robbins, Dick Giordano and others are making Batman earn his reputation as the World's Greatest Detective. These stories are a mixed bag. They don't feature any of Batman's main villains. Mostly just small time crooks, murderers and in one case, a prison riot full of white supremacists and black power soldiers.  

Robbins' art is excellent. His ability to be the next Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is something else. Some mysteries are really good. Many are missing something. Mostly clues. Well, they're there because Batman reveals them at the end of each story. Frank Robbins just seems to forget to let the readers in on things. 

Thankfully, you don't need Volume 5 to get caught up on things in this edition. Unlike the Marvel black and white reprints (Essential Marvel), the DC collections don't make readers have to get the next volume in order to wrap up a storyline. I would love to get my hands on the first 5 volumes. What I really wish is that there was a volume 7, and then 8, and then 9. One of the biggest crimes against comic books was having both DC and Marvel scrap these fan favorite collections in favor of very expensive, page lacking color collections. That's big business for ya...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: The Newspaper Comics, The Complete Comics Vol. 1: 1979-1981

Celebrating a forgotten period of Star Trek comics. From 1979-1983, select newspapers nationwide carried the further adventures of Kirk, Spock and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew in comic strip form. Unlike the Gold Key Comics version or Marvel's short-lived run of adventures, the Star Trek comic strips are the rarest of the rare because most newspapers decided instead to run the Star Wars strip along with the continuing escapades of Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon in the funny pages.

Set immediately after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, this book covers the next 5-year mission, which coincidentally is being explored right now in the IDW Publishing miniseries Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Echoes. These 23rd century episodes are full of Klingons, with their new head ridges, along with many of the races introduced in the 1979 Robert Rise flick such as Arcturians, Saurians and Zaranites. But sorry Next Gen fans, not a Romulan in the bunch!

This joint IDW/Library of American Comics collaboration was published in 2012. I didn't even know this thing existed until I saw a post about this in one of the Star Trek Comics groups I am a member of on Facebook. I learned about this collection from Rich Handley, who wrote the foreword and helped with the editing, from a post. Thus, in the manner of complete transparency, I am not in any way being compensated for a review of this book. (Unless Rich follows through on the No-Prize I requested when I found an error in one of his story recaps.)

The main genius behind many of these stories is Thomas Warkentin. He provides nearly flawless older representations of the Enterprise crew. It's forgivable that Lt. Ilia appears in the first story, despite having died earlier in her lone canon appearance during The Motion Picture. The quality of the stories, the artwork and just how in character everybody is is top notch! 

After about a year, Warkentin left the strip. He was replaced by Sharman DiVino and Ron Wilson. The stories were just as good. The art was just as stunning. Only for some reason, both Spock and Kirk have been de-aged to look like their 1960s incarnations while Uhura, Scotty and the rest remain their middle aged selves. 

Both this volume and volume 2 are out of print. Amazon at least still has a few copies of this edition left at the original cover price of $49.99. As for the companion piece, it's really expensive. Not just on Amazon but everywhere that claims to have a copy. $119 and up! No joke. And no way I'm going to ever get my hands on a copy for that price, right?

If you do go searching for Volume 2, it can also get a little confusing. Eaglemoss, which is a publisher out of England, released the entire 1979-83 run of the strips in 3 volumes. They can be purchased on eBay for around 25-40 pounds. Not sure what the dollars to pounds conversion rate is. And since I already have volume 1, I'm not about to go that route. Plus, with UPS about to go on strike, I'm afraid if I order from the UK, it'll be the 23rd Century before I receive them.

A great read of long lost tales exploring the final frontier! Including a fantastic look at the ST:TMP McDonald's Happy Meal boxes that featured comic strip art by Thomas Warkentin!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Raising Adventurous Eaters: Practical Ways to Overcome Picky Eating and Food Sensory Sensitivities by Lara Dato, MS, OTR/L

This book is essentially a parental guide book into navigating the eating habits of children aged 0-7. There's also a lot of early child psychology in here. But I was still able to learn some insights into the mind of older eaters thanks to this book.

I teach high school culinary. Right now, I am trying to increase my food knowledge in various aspects to help with ideas for teaching and being able to answer questions about food that might pop up that I just don't know the answer to. I selected this book because I always seem to have a bunch of older kids wanting to learn more about different types of food and cooking. But when I provide them with something completely foreign to them, they freak out. 

Thank goodness for potato chips with unusual spices on them or I'd never be able to teach my unit on herbs, spices and seasonings. 

It takes a large portion of my lab classes getting students to agree to cook something different than what they know grandma makes and a huge chunk of the post-cooking time is spent trying to convince the kids that what I just taught them to make isn't going to kill them if they try it.

I think if anything else, I at least learned a lot of insight on what made my students become apprehensive about the foods they eat. It takes a child anywhere from 20-40 times of being introduced to a food before they may decide that the food stuff is something they want to add to their repertoire.

I like to think that I wasn't that apprehensive an eater as a kid and with a lot of food I was really venturesome, especially Asian and Italian cuisine, I was the most adventurous of eaters. Yet, I reflect on my time as a kid and I realize it took me until my teens to like Latin and Mediterranean foods. Both of which are things I love and thrive at teaching others to cook as an adult. Unfortunately, when I offer my kids a chance at learning to make anything in the world for class, overwhelmingly they've chosen Chicken Alfredo as the dish to learn. 

Author Lara Dato offers several worksheets that I think will help me understand my students and their food choices better. I hope to utilize some of them when the new school year begins. I've learned some new things to say when a student gets antsy about food. I've also learned what not to say. But I wish the author would have spent a little bit of time helping to navigate food allergies. 

Dato wants parents to not label their kids. Nor should we stigmatize them around their food choices. Cleaning the plate is a rule I wish my parents never enforced. And there's a ton of landmines to navigate with concerns of body image, especially with the fat and calorie counts of the foods we eat. Yes- body image is sometimes a factor in why some of my students will not try the foods they cook. But what about food allergies? 

Sure- you don't give a kid poison. But I would have liked some tips on how to handle it if a student asks to make something that they can't have. How do you suggest substitutions without diminishing a child's interest in food? How to prevent others from mocking the allergic student? How do you give a child confidence to say 'I can't eat this if it has peanuts. I'm allergic.' Anything would have been appreciated on this subject.

While we're at it, a tiny chapter on introducing new foods while maintaining social and religious beliefs would have been a great addition here. 

Surviving the peer pressure behind the food we eat. Maybe that's the sequel Lara Dato needs to pen for the parents and children who graduate onto solid food.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Flash (2023)

It's June 26th, 2023 when I write this. It's just too early to go into too much detail about the newest DC Comics based film, The Flash. If I was to dig too deep into my review, I would spoil countless plot surprises, Easter eggs and cameos. 

Here's what I do feel safe in revealing: 

• It was so much fun!
• Now this is how you do a live action retelling of Geoff John's Flashpoint!
• You will believe that a Maid of Might can be a brunette!
• Michael Keaton steals the entire film!
• The use of Danny Elfman's timeless score brought back nostalgic memories of 1989 and 1992!
• I love the twist on a couple of Elseworlds classics by having
  WARNING: REDACTED!!!!!

What I really want to talk about is where are the movie goers? I've heard reports that The Flash is a box office bomb. In terms of what my god son and I spent about 2.5 hours watching, I completely disagree with that statement. That being said, at the 1pm showing today there were a grand total of 2 people watching the movie- my god son and me. 

Really, I don't think it's DC and Warner Bros. who are to blame. There were maybe a dozen other viewers at the theater we went to and the complex has at least 7 other screening rooms. It was literally a cinematic ghost town over there and I feel that prices are to blame.

2 tickets were $13.00 total. The nacho combo, 2 Reese's Pieces and a small drink was $34.50! I don't think director Andres Muschietti has a bomb on his hands. I think it's just too expensive to go to the movies!

Some analysts have suggested that actor Ezra Miller's off-screen antics, including charges of kidnapping, allegations of grooming and a temper that would make Sean Penn look tame is to blame for The Flash's poor performance. I'll admit, those actions did run through my mind a couple of times watching the film. However, I also feel that Cancel Culture is dangerous and completely against my religious and personal beliefs 

Yes, I have gotten caught up in the fervor. I see an actor getting in trouble with the law and I immediately think- 'Well, he's cancelled.' But I also live in total fear in my teaching job that one day a false accusation will result in my being blackballed from ever getting a decent paying salary ever again. I also know that the human race is flawed. Nobody is perfect. There's a difference between making a mistake and being forgiven and trying to prevent a monster from roaming the streets free at night to ruin countless lives. Ezra Miller claims he sought treatment and therapy and I believe that I would be wrong to not give the guy another chance as I surely would want grace in my imperfect life.

Another possible reason the film isn't doing so well in theaters is the toxicity of the DC Comics fan base (Heck, it could comic book fandom as a whole). I've seen some postings that real DC fans aren't going to see in the movie. I've read that those who hate the Snyder-verse are boycotting this film. And that there's a pushback from some fans pissed off about James Gunn being the new head of the DC Cinematic Universe. As the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy director basically had nothing to do with this film, I think that last excuse is ridiculous. 

Like I mentioned earlier, it's June 26th. The Flash came out 10 days ago. Why did I wait until now? Was I one of the toxic few? Nope. It just happened to my god son went to Florida to visit his mom and I was on a family vacation at the beach during opening weekend. We had to wait until our schedules gelled. Some DC fans might still be mad at us for waiting until now. But that's their problem. 

I loved this movie. It was almost perfect. The only issue was how fake some of the CGI looked. Especially when Flash goes into the Speed Force to change time and save his mom from being murdered. I'm also not a big fan of how all super hero films like to use slow-mo when doing big impressive feats of heroics. But in the case of The Flash, it actually was appropriate and in a major scene at the beginning when Flash is saving some patients at a hospital, it was freakin' hilarious. 

An immediate classic, regardless of what critics and the box office says.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Mega Man #20 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The character of Mega Man was created by the Japanese video game company Capcom. Known as 'Rock Man' in his native Japan, the character debuted in the self-titled Mega Man video game in 1987. While the first Mega Man video game was produced for the NES, Nintendo Entertainment Center, the franchise has released over 3 dozen sequels and numerous spin-offs for various gaming systems over the years

Now here's a fact that most don't know about the character. Mega Man is the name of not just one character; but a whole series of robots created by Dr. Thomas Light. Mega Man robots are not just protagonists. They are villains too. The deranged Dr. Wily developed the Mega Man model robot with Dr. Light and eventually Wily showed his true colors, producing his own line of evil Mega Men androids in many attempts to conquer the world. 

Since the inception of Mega Man, a number of manga works have been produced involving the vast cast of franchise characters. Though Udon Entertainment and Viz Media have released a few of those works to American audiences, a large number of Mega Man manga have never been imported from Japan. 

In 2011, Archie Comics obtained the license of the Mega Man franchise. Instead of re-releasing English translated manga works, the publisher went the route of producing a series of all-new art and stories. 2012 marked the 25th anniversary of the very first Mega Man video game and Archie Comics pulled out all the stops. Along with a Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man team-up that due to shipping delays, didn't hit shelves until the following year, Archie Comics sought to create 12 months worth of stories that celebrated the extensive history of the Capcom property.

In this issue, Dr. Wily has unlocked the formula for time travel. Just as the scientist and his army of evil robots are about to conquer the future, Rock, the original Mega Man robot arrives on the scene... and is immediately swept through time! Going through various time periods, including his immediate past, the far flung future and even all the way back to prehistoric times, Rock experiences aspects from the first Mega Man game to 2011's Mega Man 10! 

If the reader of this issue is not the biggest of Mega Man fans, the story, while epic, is very overwhelming. If writer Ian Flynn or the editing team could have included an appendix that pointed out which video games were reference during Rock's various jumps through time, not only would this story have read a lot more clearer, but it could have invited new and emerging Mega Man fans into the franchise. Without it, this issue feels very unwelcoming to newcomers. 

Art by Gary Martin.

Cover by Mike Norton. 

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #20 (Based on a Video Game) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Darkhawk Annual #3 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The character of Darkhawk is very similar to Captain Marvel, when he was bonded to Rick Jones. 

In Captain Marvel #17, Rick Jones finds the Nega-Bands, which are used by Mar-vell to increase his super strength and other heightened abilities. When activated, Jones would switch places with Mar-vell who was for a time trapped in the Negative Zone. Thankfully, a protective bubble would prevent Rick from getting annihilated from Annihilus and the scores of other fiends that occupy the Negative Zone during these switcheroos. Meanwhile, both Mar-vell and Rick Jones share a telepathic link during their interconnected period.

Jump ahead to March, 1991 for the first issue of Darkhawk. New York teen Chris Powell discovers a magical amulet. When used, the bauble allows Chris to switch places with the android Darkhawk, who normally resides in an advanced starship located in a dimension known as Null Space. When switching places, Chris could control Darkhawk, even summoning an arsenal of weapons and gadgets housed on Darkhawk vessel. 

When the third annual of Darkhawk hits stands in August, 1994, Chris Powell and Darkhawk have discovered a way for the two to operate as one as well as separately without either having to be stuck in the other dimension. Just like Rick Jones and Captain Marvel were able to do permanently after aiding the Avengers in a battle with the Super-Adaptoid.

In the title story ' Future Shock', Darkhawk is fighting with arch -enemy, Dreamkiller while Chris Powell is mending his strained relationships with family and friends. At one point, Chris is sent to the store for ice cream when a descendant of Dreamkiller known as Damek is sent from the future to avenge the humiliations both Powell and Darkhawk have imposed on his ancestor. Eventually Damek teams with his very distant relative, after freeing him from jail. But when Damek sees the sadistic way Dreamkiller treats innocents, the descendant learns the truth and teams with Darkhawk and Powell to bring the real evil one down.

Three other stories comprise this annual.

Story number 2 teams Chris operating as Darkhawk with the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange. This team up is a cyberpunk supernatural thriller in which Darkhawk must enter the internet to repair a breach computer researchers accidentally formed with the realm of the dread Dormammu! 

Chris Powell uses his Darkhawk abilities to solve the drive-by killing of a former high school classmate in the third tale.

The last story involves Savage Steel, an armored antihero who has had run ins with both Darkhawk and the Punisher. In his solo short story, Savage Steel tries to bust up the operations of a small time drug dealer by using the very teens that the thug tried to violently recruit as drug mules as Savage Steel's neighborhood watch.

Darkhawk and Chris Powell were created by Tom Defalco and Mike Manley. Neither of which contributed to this 64-page annual. 4 separate teams worked on the quartet of stories within, including Danny Fingeroth, Eric Fein and Jim Novak. Cover art by Andy Lanning.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #39 (An Annual) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Thor #38 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The Destroyer roams the Earth once again!

Loki, along with Karnilla, have decided to have a little bit of fun. They've removed the soul of the Asgardian ally Tarene and placed her essence into the armor of the Destroyer. Try as she might, Tarene is unable to control the destructive rage of the Destroyer. 

Sensing something is wrong, Thor approaches the Manhattan mayhem with caution. This results in the thunder god losing control of his trusty hammer Mjolnir to the Destroyer, making the creation of Odin even more indestructible! As 60 seconds count down, Thor reverts back into his moral form of EMT Jake Olson?!

When Thor first appeared in the pages of 1962's Journey Into Mystery #86, Thor's mortal secret identity was that of crippled doctor Donald Blake. Odin had placed Thor into the broken shell of a healer in order to teach his arrogant son a little humility. Years later, Thor Odinson becomes fused with the mortal body of architect Eric Masterson. After a brief time in exile, Thor seeks to take a leave of absence from his heroic responsibilities and entrusts Masterson to wield his hammer in the thunder god's stead.

When it comes to EMT Jake Olson, things mirror the complex relationship of Batman and gangster Matches Malone. With Matches Malone, only Batman knows that the criminal is really dead. So the Dark Knight masquerades as Malone when he needs to infiltrate the criminal element for information and clues. In the pages of Thor, Jake Olson is killed in an explosion in which only a couple of close friends know. Needing a new identity to hide from the Dark Gods, Thor takes on the fallen man's identity with help of Marnot, one of Odin's trusty ravens. 

Dan Jurgens pens this 2001 issue. Underneath the battle of Thor and the Destroyer, Odin is faced with a difficult choice. If the ruler of Asgard allows the Destroyer to kill Thor, a prophesied golden age of peace for the entire universe will be ushered in by the Designate Tarene. If Odin interferes and gives Thor the victory, a future in which the Odinson becomes a despotic ruler will become Thor's destiny. 

Stuart Immonen was the penciler and inks were done by Scott Koblish. 

The cover was by Barry Windsor Smith. It's a stunning image of Thor's hammer creating a diamond-patterned rainbow. It looks like the colors are wrong. But if you start with the center image of power, radiating an intense yellow hue and then work your way out, the viewer will notice that the colors follow ROY G. BIV correctly recycling back when the palette goes from indigo to red again. An absolutely keen eye to detail here!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #30 (A Thor Story) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

V #18

Paul Kupperberg places the period at the end of this DC Comics adaptation. Though promises of a third miniseries and numerous revival series would come and go, except for a Kenneth Johnson penned sequel in 2008, the original V is complete. Maybe I will get my hands on the mass paperback one day. But at current prices, I'm just not willing to pay a lot to possibly be disappointed. 

In my mind, issue #16 was the perfect ending to the original franchise. I'm happy with it. 

As for this issue, and the last one, I am extremely confused about it. I still don't understand why they put this two-parter about Elias and a woman from his past as the closer when things are wrapped up nice and tight in issue #16. Would it have been so hard to have switched things up? I guess I'll never get a definitive answer on this. Unless I happen to run into either Paul Kupperberg (again) or series editor Marv Wolfman (for the first time). 

If you are a fan of the original V and you want to collect the entire comic book series, it's not that expensive to do. I found a lot of my issues in bargain bins. And MyComicShop.com had every issue for prices ranging from $4-8 each, depending on grade. But if you do get the complete run, take my advice: read issues #17 & 18 before closing things out with issue #16. Heck, read these two issues before you get to #8 for an even better story flow based on later events. 

It's all up to you in the long run!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

DC Pride Through The Years #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

DC Comics August, 2023

Reprinting the following material:

The Flash #53 August, 1991
Detective Comics #854 August, 2009
Supergirl #19 May, 2018

Since 2021, DC Comics has released an annual 80-page special devoted to the LGBTQIA+ characters of the DC Universe. This year, along with DC Pride 2023, the House of Superman released an anthological look at LGBTQIA+ characters from the past 4 decades of DC history.

DC Pride Through the Years contains 4 stories; 3 of which are reprints. 

First is The Flash #53. This issue is considered by senior manager of the DC Archives Benjamin La Clear, to be the first main stream DC books with an openly gay character after the Comics Code revised it's standards against the portrayal of sexual orientation in 1989. True, it took 2 years before William Messner-Loebs had the Pied Piper reveal his sexual preferences to Wally West. But in reality, comic book readers were already aware of homosexuality and non-traditional gender identities in comics for decades. Both real and implied.

If you are going to write about the history of comics, at some point and time you're going to come back to Dr. Fredric Wertham. His 1955 book Seduction of the Innocent blamed every facet of juvenile delinquency on sequential art. One of Wetham's most famous examples used was to blame the rise of homosexuality in teens on characters such as Wonder Woman and the Dynamic Duo.

Wertham more than implied that the relationship between millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and his young ward, Dick Grayson, was anything but wholesome. Wertham even went so far as to frame the nighttime exploits of the two in the guise of Batman and Robin as a sort of sadomasochist gay fantasy that in today's vernacular would be considered the equivalent of 'sexual grooming'. As a result of this attack, DC Comics introduced a new character into the Batman Family- one Ms. Kathy Kane, AKA the Batwoman. 

Though Batman already had love interests in the form of the villainess Catwoman and reporter Vicki Vale, DC felt the need to introduce a super-hero love interest into the Batman dynamic to counter the damage inflicted on the character by Wertham and the resulting Senate subcommittee hearings led by Estes Kefauver. After a couple of years, once the fervor over Batman and Robin's sexuality would subside, Kathy Kane would be quietly retired. She wasn't exactly a very popular addition to the Batcave anyways. However, the character would be re-explored again, this time in a reboot that introduced Kate Kane as the new Batwoman of Gotham City.

A cousin of Bruce Wayne, on his mother's side, Kate Kane has some military training having been enrolled in West Point. It is at this time that Kane is first outed. While given a chance to refute those allegations, Kane admits to being a lesbian and is drummed from the institution just before what would have been her graduation. The Kate Kane Batwoman is also one of the few Jewish superheroes in comics and her debut as the lead feature of Detective Comics is used to commemorate the character's place in LGBTQIA+ history at DC Comics. 

DC Pride Through the Years then examines the non-super-powered members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Though non-binary (or as one might have referred to as gender-bending) characters have existed in DC Comics for years, such as Sir Tristan in 1982's Camelot 3000 and Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol creation of the sentient genderqueer Danny the Street, this book decided to focus on a friend of the Girl of Steel. 

In Supergirl #19, readers are introduced to Lee Serrano. Lee is a non-binary teen who is befriended by the Maid of Might after a being saved during an attack from the Cyborg Superman. Lee is being bullied at school and through Supergirl's own complicated relationship with an adopted planet that see's her as both a hero and a villain, the teen is inspired to stand up against their bully.

The fourth story involves the complicated character of the Alan Scott Green Lantern. One of the original pillars of the Justice Society of America, the character underwent changes during DC's New 52 event when it was revealed that Earth-2's Alan Scott was gay. With this new version of Green Lantern, a lot of readers were confused. Scott had previously been married with two children, who became super heroes just like their old man. While some were quick to point out that historically, gays and lesbians confused by their sexuality, have married those of the opposite sex and had children, some readers felt that Alan Scott's reboot wasn't sufficiently explored or explained. 

Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey's 'Past Prologue' is the introductory chapter into the 6-issue miniseries Alan Scott: Green Lantern. Debuting in October, 2023, this pre-World War II set epic will dive into Scott's origin; both as one of the founding superheroes of the DC Universe and as a closeted gay man.

Cover by Derek Charm.

Completing this review completes Task #44 (A New Release) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

V #17

With this issue and issue #18, I was able to get writer Paul Kupperburg to autograph these at a Con. I always felt bad for Kupperberg afterwards because when I handed these issues to him, the scribe exclaimed, 'I always have a habit of writing the last issues.' At least he didn't mind signing these unlike a certain X-Men legend when I asked him to sign an homage cover.

As I mentioned in the last issue review, issues #17 & 18 are set before issue #16, which due to the sudden cancellation of the series, became the last official of the original V storyline. This 'flashback' issues had been teased for a while and editor Marv Wolfman wanted to make sure that subscribers got their money's worth and for the writers and artists of these books to get properly paid. Thus, in a very non-DC manner (I.E. Cancelled Comics Cavalcade), V was given a 2-issue reprieve from cancellation. 

After reading this issue, I've got to ask- why didn't DC make issue #16 the last issue instead of this story? This story which features Elias, the fallen owner of the Creole Club, who is still alive in this two-parter. Things occur right after the destruction of his beloved business. Which I think happened around issue #8, or so. 

In the midst of the clean-up, a woman from Elias' past returns. Things did end well between the two and now there's very good evidence that this lady might be a Visitor spy. 

Meanwhile, Ham and Chris are still in Los Angeles and they've got something big in the wings. It involves a stolen shuttle and a bomb that might be able to do some serious damage to Diana's mothership. As this is a flashback episode, we all know that nothing comes from this plan. So it's all really kinda a letdown. 

Here's the thing about this being a flashback. For several issues, this story has been built up as a major untold tale in the life of Elias. From the cover, I was expecting this to be entirely before the events of the first V miniseries. I figured we'd see a whole bunch in Elias' life before it was upended by visiting Visitors. I don't think we even get a single panel of Elias and his ex's life before the war. 

So it's really a thrill ride comedown that could have been handled a whole lot differently in my opinion. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

V #16

Even though there are 2 issues remaining after this one, this is technically the end of V. The TV show had already wrapped up. NBC lowered the axe, opting not to film the proposed 20th episode that would have wrapped up the cliffhanger in which Elizabeth went on a shuttle with the Leader to the planet Sirius IV with Kyle hiding in the vehicle.

The Bron Saga comes to a tragic and bittersweet end. Yup, the Leader's son dies. Valiantly I might add, trying to save his friends from the Resistance. But Bron's death is not in vain. Racked from the guilt of the loss of his heir and impressed with the respect Bron had for the human race, the unseen Leader of the Visitors declares a truce. The invasion of Earth is over!

But why is it that the war is over but V is not? Series editor Marv Wolfman explains in an afterwords in the letter col that DC had a feeling for some time that V the TV series was coming to an end. NBC just wasn't happy with the expense of the show in correlation to the meager ratings the series was earning.  Paul Kupperberg and crew had already wrapped up a 2-part story due for issues #17& 18. Out of respect for the substitute team's work and so they can be properly paid, Wolfman and execs at DC decided to make adjustments.

In response to NBC's cancellation of V,  Cary Bates was ordered to change the ending of this issue to reflect an ending that while not definitive, was sufficient enough to appease most fans. Issues 17& 18 would become a flashback story, so as to not undo the ending put forth by Bates.

I've since learned that V creator Kenneth Johnson wrote a sequel novel in 2008. From what I have read, Ham Tyler was the main character of this official sequel with most of the Resistance leaders either dead or missing. The Visitors are the victors of the invasion. And most of the story occurs in Chicago.

I'd very much like to read that book. But it's out of print and internet prices are ridiculously expensive. I'm talking of $100 plus. So until I get really lucky and find the sequel for a fantastic price, I'll stick with issue #16 of this comic book adaptation as being the true, bittersweet ending of the original V.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

V #15

The gangs all here in this issue that sees Julie and Donovan taking Bron, the eldest son of the Leader to the Windy City. If you remember, a few issues back, Ham Tyler and Chris Farber took up residence in Chicago. The mercenaries were trying to protect Robin, the mother of Elizabeth the Star Child, from Visitor scientists looking to replicate the hybrid child's amazing powers. 

After the disaster of Mike and Julie's stop in that small town of unsupervised adolescents, the leaders of the Resistance look for calmer waters in Chi-Town. But as you can see from the cover, Chicago is swarming with Visitors.

Meanwhile, back in the City of Angels, Diana, thanks to a mole wearing a skin of Visitor Resistance ally Willie, is beginning her siege of the metropolitan area. 

The least memorable entry into the Bron Saga. The penultimate chapter of this amazing Cary Bates penned epic. 

Only 3 issues of the DC series adaptation remain!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

V #14

As Donovan and Julie smuggle the Leader's son through the American Midwest, the trio must stop due to car trouble. The town that they stop at is devoid of adults. Only youngsters under the age of 18 occupy the small town and the adolescents are preparing the newly arrived adults for execution.

It will be up to Bron/Brad to save the Resistance leaders. Though if the young Visitor has been looking for an excuse to do away with Donovan and Julie, the perfect opportunity is finally at hand.

This issue gives me such vibes of the classic Star Trek episode 'Miri', it's sick.  Another great chapter in the Bron Saga by Cary Bates. Another fantastic cover by Jerry Bingham. It hearkens back to the last issue cover of Diana. But it's not a continuation as the Visitor on this cover is clearly wearing a different uniform.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

V #13

The Bron Saga just keeps getting better!

With Donovan and Julie having Bron, now in human guise and going by the name of Brad, in their custody somewhere in the Midwest, Diana has a plan. She will find Bron, kill him and blame the Resistance on the death of the Leader's son! 

Meanwhile, Diana also has a mole infiltrating the Resistance. A loyal Visitor, wearing the skin of Fifth Columnist Willie has been sent to spy on the L.A. chapter of the human freedom fighters and hopefully destroy it from within. 

There's some really awesome dialogue between Bron and his human guests. More kudos to Cary Bates! The front cover by Jerry Bingham is just fantastic. Though I don't remember Diana's uniform showing so much cleavage on the TV show.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Training Day: El Toro and Friends (Family Comic Friday)

Spinning off from the very popular series ¡vamos! (Let's Go!) comes this bilingual graphic novel from Raul the Third!

El Toro is a very popular luchador (that's a masked wrestler who combats in lucha libre style wrestling. He's about to take on the world champ. But El Toro is just too lazy to train. Thankfully, he's got encouragement in the form of his trainer, Kooky Dooky.

I recently read and reviewed the all-ages graphic novel Lowriders to the Rescue. It was the amazing artwork by Raul the Third that I was a huge fan of. I am in awe of Mexican artwork. Especially sugar skulls. While Raul the Third doesn't seem to have added any of those signature dia del los muertos decorations in this book, it's that art style I became enamored with in my previous experience with Raul the Third which flourishes throughout every page..

Adding to the wonderment of the art is the brilliant color palette used. Mega kudos to Elaine Bay for making every page explode with color.

Training Day is a little bit silly. But it's also a little bit of a travel guide about Mexican culture. Plus it's a language lesson book as well. I love that Raul the Third first has the characters say phrases first in English and then follow up in Spanish. I've read a few bilingual comics that assume that the reader knows both Spanish and English. Here, the author allows readers to see how the two sentences might be saying the same thing. But  he also shows how the voice and sentence structure can change in translation.

Training Day was published in 2021. There's currently 4 books in the World of ¡vamos! series. I think with the most current release of Tacos Today in March, 2023, that's why my local library had this and the other 4 books in the series on the new shelf. 

Amazon recommends this book for readers ages 6-8. I think that's a perfect age group for this book. If you know of a child that speaks English as their primary language and they're about to start learning Spanish in grades 1-3, get them this book! If you have a young readers in which English is a second language, get them to this book. Forget the age suggestions. Books like this one can be a valuable tool helping integrate Spanish speaking students who are learning English into the multilingual integrated classroom. 

I hope that Raul the Third continues to produce important learning tools such as this one. I also hope parents, guardians and teachers will use these books to teach both English and Spanish. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: Defiant #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Spinning off of IDW's 2022 Star Trek series, Star Trek: Defiant is almost like a dream team. The ship is the USS Defiant, fresh off the Dominion War that occurred in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The Captain is the Federation Klingon officer, Worf. His crew is composed of Ambassador Space, B'elanna Torres, Ensign Ro and the evil android Lore! Not to mention the numerous cameos of fan favorite characters who make the comics of the Star Trek Universe finally feel like an interconnected community.

K'ahless II, the cloned founder of the Klingon Empire, has gone rogue. Leading a group of fanatics called The Red Path, K'ahless has declared himself the one true God! His zealots in response, are killing off the other god-like creatures that occupy the universe. The Red Path's most recent murder was of the crystalline entities that Lore used to destroy the colony on Omicron Theta on an early episode of The Next Generation.

In order to prevent another war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Worf's mission is clandestine. The Defiant has been reported stolen by Marquis separatists, with Ro Laren accused as having escaped prison and commandeered the Defiant. Worf's intentions are pure, not only as he tries to stop K'ahless from spiraling the Alpha Quadrant into a blasphemous holy war, but because Worf's son Alexander is one of the zealots of the Red Door!

Star Trek: Defiant is Eisner nominated writer Christopher Cantwell's first foray into the Star Trek franchise. Artist Angel Unzueta defects from Marvel's Star Wars books to pencil his Star Trek debut.

Familiarity with its sister series will help readers understand this opening salvo. Unfortunately, the main and variant sketch covers of this book spoil the big reveal at the end of this issue. Early reports project that Star Trek: Defiant will last 7 issues and that the events of the ongoing Star Trek will correspond with this miniseries in a 5 part crossover storyline titled 'Day of Blood.'

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #49 (Is trending on the comicbookroundup.com top 20- Ranked 4th) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Flaming Carrot Comics #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

What's in a catchphrase?

According to creator Bob Burden, the Flaming Carrot's trademarked exclamation of 'Ut!' has ties to the Beatles. In an interview in Comics Interview #40 (November, 1986), Burden explained the meaning of 'Ut' as follows:

'At Shea Stadium, when the Beatles were all up there, and the fans were trying to rush the stage, and the police were trying to keep them behind the barricades, George Harrison points to one that gets through, and says, "Ut!" It's like oops! It's just a goofy thing that's kind of childlike and fun.'

In this 2004 issue, the surrealist Flaming Carrot is having to test out some new trademarks. Thanks to a new action figure made of the character, the Flaming Carrot has to test out the worst weapon accessory of all-time- the all-new baloney gun! True, the hero is able to finally do away with his arch-enemy Garbage Mouth. But if the Flaming Carrot wasn't under contract to use this ridiculous new weapon, instead of his tried and true silly putty, sneezing powders, and playing cards, FC could have ended things a lot sooner than he did!

The demise of Garbage Mouth couldn't have come at a worse time for superheroes. It's the age of political correctness and a vigilante superhero is just something the town of Palookaville can do without. Having to learn to be a gentler, kinder superhero is going to be a difficult challenge for the Flaming Carrot. Especially as a tribe of pygmies are building an illegal structure out of baguettes in the middle of the city park. 

To keep him in line, the Flaming Carrot is joined by his 3 girlfriends, one of which is an investigative reporter doing a secret expose on the hero and his bad temper. When the pygmies capture the super hero and force his gal pals to dance around in their underwear, it will take everything in Flaming Carrot's bag of tricks to save the day. Except for the baloney gun. He's not using that stupid thing ever again!

Bob Burden continues to tap into the absurd and bizarre in this 4-issue miniseries that celebrates Flaming Carrot's 25th Anniversary first appearance in the pages of the direct-market magazine, 1979's Visions #1. Originally, Burden had Flaming Carrot's origins being the result of brain damage caused by reading 5,000 comic books in a single setting. Burden noted at the end of this issue that he felt that his creations mental aliments were subsiding in FC's old age. Yet, there's a healthy dose of silliness in this black & white comic. 

Just like with Flaming Carrot's mask, you can't remove the absurd, no matter how hard you try.

This issue was published in joint by Image Comics and Desperado Publishing.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #29 (Comic/Graphic Novel Published by Image) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

V #12

The climax to the last issue had Fifth Columnist and Resistance ally Willie getting captured by Lydia. Now aboard the mothership, poor Willie is being tortured for information. Diana learns that the Resistance have located the Leader's missing son, Bron. But that's about it. 

When the Resistance found Bron, he didn't have a human skin disguise yet. Thankfully, the Resistance has a machine that can build him one. Now looking human and going by the name of Brad, the Resistance hopes to sway the young Visitor to their cause. They just need to get Brad to pass off as a human child now, which is going to be hard as Brad keeps using his superior alien strength in front of strangers. 

As Donovan and Julie take Bron on a trek across America, Diana hatches a plan to plant a mole in the midst of the Resistance- a loyal Visitor that looks just like Willie!

I really enjoy the Bron storyline. I don't care if it echoes the great 'Hard Traveling Heroes' storyline of Green Lantern/Green Arrow created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams. I mean obviously these few issues of V are inspired by that 1970s classic plot that sees the Emerald Warriors and a member of the Guardians traveling in a beat up pick up truck while searching for the heart and soul of America. But these issues aren't a swipe of that DC classic... or are they?

Donovan is brunette. Green Lantern is brunette. Julie is blonde. Green Arrow is blonde. Bron is an alien with a large head disguised as a human. The Guardian is an alien with a large head disguised as a human. Oh my God.. this story line is a total rip off!. Wait a minute... Wait a minute. Donovan and pals are driving a station wagon. Whew. plagiarism accusations avoided...

Great Read.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Jurassic Park: Raptor #1&2 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Topps Comics was an experiment from the beloved baseball card manufacturer Topps. Seeing the potential of comics due to the ominous presence of speculators, Topps joined the already crowded comic book marketplace. Marvel veteran Jim Salicrup was selected as the company editor in chief. His clout helped to recruit an impressive roster of talent including Steranko, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Tony Isabella. 

Topps pulled off a coup securing rights to a number of impressive franchises. The Kirbyverse was a number of quasi-interconnected books based on abandoned ideas and projects created by the King, Jack Kirby. Salicrup was able to obtain the rights to produce new adventures of beloved titles like Cadillacs and Dinosaurs as well as classic characters such as Zorro. Being able to obtain the much coveted rights to adapt Francis Ford Coppola's version of Dracula really put Topps Comics on the radar of the comics industry.

Once Bram Stoker's Dracula was secure, Topps Comics was able to draw in popular franchises such as The X-Files, Friday the 13th's hockey mask wearing antagonist Jason and a comic book reboot of Topps' notorious Mars Attacks trading card set! Eventually Topps managed to secure the rights to publish works based on the most movie of the year 1993, Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park.

Topps Comics first released a 4-issue adaptation of the film. Walt Simonson scripted. Pencils were by Gil Jane with George Perez inks. A special edition issue #0 was a prequel to the movie, exploring how the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar were created.

Immediately after the success of the film, movie viewers demanded a sequel. Fans of the 1990 novel were already begging author Michael Crichton for a second volume. Spielberg's movie magic added millions of voices to that request. While Crichton would agree to begin writing the official sequel novel in 1994, Topps Comics beat the Jurassic Park creator to an officially authorized comic book with 1993's Jurassic Park: Raptor.

The 2-part Raptor takes place just 3 days after the events of the film. With the help of the United States military, Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler are wrangling up the dinosaurs that escaped their enclosures during the tropical storm. Officials are convinced that all of the raptors have been killed by the park's T-Rex. But Alan Grant isn't so sure. 

Not finding any evidence of a raptor nest, Grant is convinced that some of the raptors escaped their pen and laid eggs elsewhere on the island. So the paleontologists travel to a less populated area. The perfect spot is a series of caves that are protected by high tides. Along with finding the missing baby raptors, Grant and Sattler discover an expert poacher is on scene, hired by an unknown entity to capture the infant reptiles.

Jurassic Park: Raptor was the first of a miniseries of trilogies that continues the saga of Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park: Raptors Attack and Jurassic Park: Raptors Hijack finish out the official comic book sequel. The trilogy was written by Steve Englehart, spanning a total of 10 issues. Issue #2 of Jurassic Park: Raptor ends with a 'to be continued blurb' which is really confusing as the cover proclaims that the second book is the last chapter of a 2-parter. Eventually, Topps Comics would release Jurassic Park Adventures, which would collect all 10 chapters of the Raptor Trilogy into a single, sequential series.

Pencils for issues #1&2: Armando Gil.

Inks by Dell Barras.

Covers by Michael Golden.

Worth Consuming!

Issue #1: Rating 10 out of 10 stars.

Issue #2: Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #42 (Comic Book Starting With the Letter J) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

V #11

The scene shifts back to Los Angeles. Governor Nathan Bates is dead. The power vacuum as a result leads to the end of the truce agreements between Visitors and humans. The City of Angels is a hot zone again. The Resistance's base of operations, the Creole Club has been destroyed and the owner Elias is dead. Yet all of this isn't even the most interesting part of issue #11.

The leader of the Visitors, aptly named the Leader, is sending his son Bron to Earth. Bron is being groomed to one day lead the Visitors, who we discover are called Sirians. The Leader thinks it's the right time for Bron to observe a mothership during war time. Of course Diana is thrilled with the news...

On the way to the mothership, Bron's ship actually attacks Diana's escort shuttles! That's because the vessel carrying Bron is piloted by Fifth Columnists who wish to deliver the Leader's son to the Resistance! Damaged in the skirmish, Bron's Visitor captors perished in a fiery crash, well short of Resistance forces. 

By a strange twist of fate (or a touch of convenient script writing), Willie and Donovan come across the stasis tube containing Bron. Julie and Elizabeth, the Star Child, see an opportunity to show Bron the best humanity has to offer. While Diana, as much as she hates having to play babysitter, hates the wraith of the Leader even more. Sending out a rescue party, members of the Resistance flee with Bron while the story ends with Fifth Column member Willie being captured by Lydia!

I've already read the whole series. So, I'm a bit behind on my reviews. But the Bron storyline which begins here, is perhaps the most memorable and well written plot of this comic book series! Cary Bates did a commendable job on this one. Too bad he didn't win any awards for his work with V, especially the next 3-4 issues. He really, really deserved to have!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.