Weird Western Tales #46 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Bat Lash. Gambler. Ladies man. Smuggler and swindler. He's a gentleman with a roguish streak. He claims that he abhors violence. However, he's not afraid to use a firearm or stick of dynamite when the chips are down. You could almost say that Bat Lash is an old West inspiration for Han Solo.

The character was created in 1968. He was one of the first figures developed by Carmine Infantino after he was named editorial director for DC Comics. Fellow editor Joe Orlando assisted in Bay Lash's development before Sheldon Mayer and Sergio Aragones were tasked with bringing the antihero to life 

Bat Lash first debuted in issue #76 of Showcase. He soon started in his own self-titled solo series with Aragones now joined by Denny O'Neil as scribe. Despite winning a pair of Alley Awards for Best Western series and being significantly popular in Europe, Bat Lash was cancelled after only 7 issues.

In 1972, capitalizing off of the easing of restrictions on horror comics by the Comics Code as well as the new found popularity of titles like The House of Secrets, DC commissioned a western anthology series that specialized in the strange and macabre. Weird Western Tales debuted in the summer of '72. The breakout star of the title was the Confederate bounty hunter Jonah Hex. His popularity spun off into his own solo series in 1977. 

After Hex departed Weird Western Tales, the character of Scalphunter was made the feature. Created by Aragones and Orlando, Scalphunter was a young white child named Brian Savage. After his parents are slaughtered, Brian is raised by his family's killers, the people of the Kiowa tribe. Though despised by the Kiowa, Brian is trained to become a fierce warrior. Eventually Savage leaves the tribe in hopes of finding his baby sister who may have survived the massacre of his family.

Assuming the name of Scalphunter, Savage is a man of two cultures; both of which refuse to claim him. In his search for his sister, Scalphunter encounters a number of characters from DC's Old West lineup, including Bat Lash. No stranger to Weird Western Tales, Lash teamed with Scalphunter in the previous issues, agreeing to steal an experimental piece of artillery that very well could change the course of the Civil War.

Bat Lash and Scalphunter were supposed to sell the gun to the highest bidder. However, Lash betrayed his partner leaving him for dead. Enraged, Scalphunter has tracked Bat Lash to Saint Louis where the scoundrel is to meet with representatives from both the North and the South in a high stakes auction. While Lash plans for the Union to win the weapon, the Southern conspirators recruit Scalphunter into an ambush. Seeing a chance for revenge, Scalphunter agrees. Now with the South in possession of the automatic weapon, Bat Lash must convince his new foe that his intentions were pure and work together to save an entire Union regiment from being slaughtered.

Definitely a Western tale. But light on the weird. 

Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Dick Ayers and George Evans.

Completing this review completes Task #25 (A Western) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Supergirl Honda Special (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 1983, Elizabeth Dole, wife of then Kansas senator Bob Dole was appointed as Secretary of Transportation for the Reagan administration. Dole's first initiative was for seat belt safety. At the time of her appointment, only about 20% of Americans wore seat belts when driving. Compared to a 2013 report that claimed almost 95% of Americans use them, Dole's efforts must have worked.

In 1984, the Department of Transportation commissioned DC Comics to release an educational comic book to school students. American Honda financed the book's publication which started the Maid of Might, Supergirl. Superman's cousin was at the time a wise choice. A highly anticipated live action film was in the works. It was slated to be a huge blockbuster hit. Unfortunately, it was anything but. Still, countless thousands of copies of the Supergirl Honda Special, as it's most commonly referred to, were made, given away to school children as part of the federal agency's driver safety program. 

Jump to 1986. Supergirl has been dead for a few months, thanks to the events of DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths at the hand of the Anti-Monitor. Not only dead, Supergirl was retconned out of existence as well. Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation is seeing some success with its highway safety campaign. A year prior, Michigan became the first state to enact seat belt safety requirements. It's limited in scope. But it's a start. A few months later, North Carolina became the first start to make it mandatory that all car riders wear seat belts. By the end of 1985, only 5 states and the District of Columbia had passed seat belt safety laws. So Secretary Dole ups the campaign with a rather unlikely duo. But to bring these characters to the public eye will once again require the services of the Last Girl of Krypton. 

In the first Supergirl giveaway, the hero must use technology from the Fortress of Solitude to enter the mind of a young man who's in a coma as the result of a car crash where he wasn't buckled up. In this issue, Kara Danvers is driving a brother and sister pair in her forest green Honda when a mysterious force plucks the siblings out of their seat belts and into the middle of Motorville.

The city of Motorville is a place of traffic chaos. Thankfully, Supergirl arrives to save the kids from an on-coming car driven by Humpty Dumpty! As the trio try to find their way home, they encounter characters from beloved nursery rhymes, all who need lessons in seat belt safety. Through their zany encounters, Supergirl and friends are made aware of a special show that might help them find their way home.

The show is a demonstration on how seat belts save lives. The highlight of the show is a car that drives into a brick wall. While the driver is wearing his safety belt, the passenger is not. And he flies through the windshield into the barrier! But don't worry about them. For the riders are Vince and Larry: those amazing Crash Test Dummies!

The 1986 Supergirl Honda Special marks the first appearance of those road safety PSA icons in comic book form. After the book's release, Vince and Larry would star in dozens of commercials preaching the need for wearing your seat belt. In 1991, Tyco toys released a series of toys based on the duo called The Amazing Crash Test Dummies. With these figures, you could place them inside a special car and crash them through playsets while delighting as the figures flew into pieces. Then kids got to build them back together and wreck 'em once more. Until their campaign was retired in 1999, a number of other products were licensed with the likenesses of Vince and Larry. Costumes, video games, dolls, a lunch box and more were among the items telling everyone that 'you could learn a lot from a dummy.' In 1993, the dummies would return to comics with a 3-issue series by family friendly publisher Harvey. 

Supergirl and the Crash Test Dummies fates are apparently forever intertwined. As the book was Vince and Larry's debut, it marked Kara Zor-El/Linda Danvers last appearance in comics for quite some time. As the Crash Test Dummies enjoyed popularity in American pop culture, a number of usurpers to the Supergirl crown would appear in comics, including the alien shape-shifter Matrix. 1999-2003 was a dark age with no Supergirl or Dummies. Then a light shone through and the planets aligned in 2004. In that year, Fox began to air a number of animated shorts starring Vince and Larry as Hot Wheels introduced it's line of Crash Test Dummies toys simultaneously as the original Supergirl was reintroduced into the DCU in issues 8-13 of Superman/Batman.

The 1986 special was written by Andrew Helfer with additional dialogue by Barry Marx. Character art by Joe Orlando. Background art by Dave Hunt. 

Completing this review completes Task #36 (An Educational Comic) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #3 (2nd Series)

Thanks to Darkseid's plan to turn planet Earth into a new Apokolips, the secret of the giant statues on Easter Island has finally been revealed! 

It's been nearly 40 years since this issue was released. So I don't think I'm really spoiling anything. Turns out these statues are actually petrified aliens. 

Okay. But how did they get there?

In the present day, Wonder Woman, Dr. Fate and Green Lantern are tasked with destroying Darkseid's doom seed which is situated on the tropical Pacific isle. Guarding the pod is the energy vampire Mantis. When one of the heroes touches the seed, which has already begun germinating, it sends everyone to the past where they encounter an alien invasion force. 

If you ask me, these aliens look familiar. VERY familiar. Anyone remember the Stone Men from Saturn? Those extraterrestrial foes that Thor battles in his debut in 1962's Journey Into Mystery #83. That's who those giants on Easter Island look like! I wonder if Jack Kirby was inspired by those stone monoliths when he penciled JiM #83. In a meta twist, could the King's Saturn monsters have inspired his Easter Island aliens? If I ever got the chance to go back in time to meet Kirby, this might be the one question I ask him. 

If anybody reading this review can confirm such, please leave a message in the comment section! I'm dying to know more about the design of this issue's aliens. 

Another fun issue in the true Jack Kirby style in the time honored Justice League of America formula.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #2 (2nd Series)

In the last issue, the Justice League divided up into groups to destroy the 5 seeds of doom planted by Darkseid. His goal is for the seeds to take root into the Earth's core and unleash a flood of magma onto the surface creating a second planet Apokolips.

The first group to come in contact with a seed is the trio of Hawkman, Green Arrow and the Red Tornado. In a subway tunnel underneath the Big Apple, the heroes encounter Kalibak, the son of Darkseid! In the throes of battle, the protagonists learn another power of the doom seeds- when a Justice Leaguer touches the pods, it both zaps their energy and sends them back in time!

The heroes follow Kalibak back to prehistoric times where the New God has his Boulder Bomber armed and ready! With massive rocks flying, dinosaurs running wild and a tribe of cavemen in the midst of a stampede, the time stranded heroes will have their hands full trying to get back home in hopes of saving the modern day Earth!

A fun read. This is how I wish the previous Super Powers series had begun. Yes, we got small pairings of Justice League members fighting bad guys. But it lacked cohesion. This Paul Kupperberg penned series is following the time honored formula of both the original Justice League of America comic as well as the Super Friends cartoon in it's many incarnations. Some might have felt series 1 was more original. But I prefer that tried and true plot device when it comes to the heroes of the DC Universe.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Alien Nation Movie Special (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the year 1988, a space ship lands in the American Mojave Desert. The ship contains 300,000 inhabitants in suspended animation. These residents were slaves en route to their slavers home world but the guidance system malfunctioned, taking them into our solar system.

3 years later, these 'newcomers' have been granted refugee status. Many have settled into the Los Angeles area. Some found employment in the police force. Thanks to a government mandate, one of the newcomers is to be promoted to be the LAPD's first detective. Earthling Matthew Sykes volunteers to be Detective Francisco's new partner, after his partner was murdered in a shootout during a newcomer robbery.

Sykes has been ordered to not investigate his former partner's murder. Instead, He and Francisco follow the lead of an anomaly found on the body of one of the robbers. As some of the newcomer suspects in the case wind up dead, the detectives uncover a drug ring targeted at newcomers. Based on an opioid used to make the newcomer slaves more docile and subservient, Francisco knows a secret about it's overuse that could threaten the uneasy peace between humans and aliens. Working against orders, Sykes and Francisco rush to locate the new drug and destroy it before the drug can reach the newcomer market.

Alien Nation was a live-action sci-fi film produced by 20th Century Fox. James Caan starred as Detective Sykes. Mandy Patinkin portrayed newcomer Detective Sam Francisco, later named 'George' by Sykes. The film, an allegory for race relations and immigration, was directed by English director Graham Baker. 

DC Comics released a full-color adaption of the film. Martin Pasko adapted the screenplay crafted by Rockne S. O'Bannon, who would go on to create fan favorite series such as Seaquest DSV and Farscape. Pencils were by Jerry Bingham. The 55-pager bears images that look nothing like the stars, probably due to licensing reasons. The comic bears some gun violence and mild drug use. However, it's nowhere near as in-your-face as the scenes from the R-rated feature.

Alien Nation was a moderate hit that grew a cult following. In 1989, Fox aired a TV series based on the motion picture. Though one of the fledgling networks few early successes, production of the series was high and advertising dollars sparse. Despite ending the 22 episode first season on a cliffhanger, the show was cancelled. 

From 1990-92, Malibu Comics released several 4-issue minis based on the film, under their Adventure Comics imprint. Around the same time, Pocket Books released over a dozen tie-in novels. Thanks to those books, as well as a letter writing campaign through TV Guide, enough interest was garnered for 5 TV movies; the first of which resolved the cliffhanger of the newcomer's controllers returning for their escaped slaves whom have enjoyed several years of freedom on Earth.

Completing this review completes Task #5 (A sci-fi movie adaptation) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Planet of the Apes: Original Trading Card Series

In 1968, 20th Century Fox introduced the world to the futuristic landscape of the Planet of the Apes. Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle, but nowhere near as hi-tech, the film starring Charlton Heston gave birth to a number of sequels, a TV series, comic book, toys, Dr. Zaius bank (for all you Reality Bites fans out there) and not 1 but 2 reboots! Oh, and a trio of trading card sets.

A year after the success of the first film, Topps released a 44 card series based on the film. Due to a licensing agreement with Heston which only allowed Topps to use his image a grand total of 9 times, the company had to get rather creative in the images used. Ironically, 4 of the photos of Heston are of him from behind and you can't even see his face!

After the success of the the Apes films on both screen and being re-aired on TV, CBS decided to produce a live action TV series. To help market the show, Topps was once again tasked to create a trading card set, complete with stick of bubble gum. As the show was currently in production, Topps didn't have any issue showing the likenesses of the main cast. There were just no images of guest stars, unless they were in a monkey suit. Regrettably, the card set did little to promote the show. Despite huge ratings for the 2-hour premiere, the live action Apes series lost viewers pretty quick. According to the author of this chronicle of trading cards, Gary Gerani, almost as soon as cases of wax packs arrived in stores, CBS cancelled the series.

A couple of years later, the Planet of the Apes returned to TV as an animated series. It lasted about as long as the live action version. Burnt by the poor sales of the second batch of trading cards, Topps passed on a set based on the Saturday morning cartoon. With the toons demise, no new Planet of the Apes were released for decades. 

Jump ahead to 1994 and the Universal Pictures film and Generation X opus, Reality Bites. The main character played by Winona Ryder accidentally breaks Ben Stiller's vintage Dr. Zaius bank. Immediately, I'm floored with a rush of Planet of the Apes nostalgia. It had been years since I even thought of those movies. Almost immediately, a new wave of toys, clothes, and VHS/DVD sets devoted to the original 5 movies seemed to begin flooding the market in the late 90s and I took full advantage of the revival.

By the new millennium, it appeared that the world was ready for a return to the Planet of the Apes. Tim Burton was allowed to reboot the franchise and he put his unique touch on the franchise. Aside from that twist ending that rivals the iconic twist of the 1968 original, the reboot wasn't all that great. But once again, Topps was there to capture the action. This time with artifact cards, a rare coin card (that I really want one of) and autograph cards that include original stars Charlton Heston and Linda Harrison, who I did not know this, has a cameo in the 2001 feature.

I really liked this book. Both the front and backs of all the cards are presented, making it the next best, and most affordable, thing to actually owning all 3 original sets. I wasn't so keen on how the back of the card is presented on the opposite left to the front of each card. I felt that the front should be on the left side with the back switched to the other side. Though I guess Abrams Books or Topps felt doing it the other way was more aesthetically pleasing.

I think I found this book for mega cheap at Ollie's. Or maybe a used book store. Though I don't think I am going to keep this book, my interest has peaked on several other trading card book releases. There are collections similar to this one of Garbage Pail Kids, Star Trek, Wacky Packages and more. Plus several Star Wars ones. All of which I want to read. Plus, I think my wife will appreciate me owning them. I think I can get away with owning books about card sets as opposed to filling the house with a bunch of cardboard clutter.

Perfect for fans of Planet of the Apes, trading cards and Topps. Even if you own all 3 sets, this book is a must as it includes an exclusive set of cards that were produced just for this collection!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #1 (2nd Series)

Picking up from his defeat in Super Powers #5, Darkseid is more determined than ever to conquer the Earth!

Thanks to the scheming underling Desaad, Darkseid has unleashed 5 bio-engineered seeds that will burrow through the Earth's crust. Once the seeds reach the molten core, our planet's magma will flood the surface, creating a new Apokolips!

Armed with a new assortment of allies, the Justice League breaks up into 5 teams in hopes of destroying these seeds before they reach the Earth. Firestorm, Dr. Fate, Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter join the original Super Powers lineup in order to stop Darkseid's plan. It's a global tour not to be missed!

Already off the bat, everything feels right about this series. All of the heroes make some sort of contribution. Albeit, most are rather small. Yet unlike the last series, it doesn't take 3 issues for Wonder Woman to actually say something and she's operating in the present and not in a theoretical situation. 

As for the villains, only Darkseid, Desaad and a couple of minor minions appear in the first issue. But I'm okay with that as that ensures an element of surprise when the heroes go to stop those destructive seed pods from taking root.

Paul Kupperberg is on scripting duties with Jack Kirby plotting and on art!!! Kupperberg is a writer that loves comics, and from the brief couple of times I met him, he also seems to have fun doing it! It really shows here. There's just such a different vibe with this series. I know it's early. However, I really feel like I'm in for a treat with this book as things are off to a heck of a start compared to that uneven start to issue #1 of series #1.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Blue Ribbon Comics #6 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 1983, Archie Comics revived it's superhero line of comics for the fourth time. Heroes such as the Shield, the Fly and the Black Hood were given darker origins as they were modernized for the 80s. To highlight some of the characters that were being revived without their own solo titles, Archie Comics, under the Red Circle imprint, released a second volume of Blue Ribbon Comics. 

The first volume of Blue Ribbon Comics was an anthology series that featured characters representing a number of genres. From 1940-42, readers of the 22 issues of Blue Ribbon Comics, Volume 1 were treated to tales about cowboys, spies, funny animals and of course, superheroes. 

The 1980s reboot of Blue Ribbon Comics was an solo feature anthology similar to DC's Showcase Presents. Each issue featured mostly all-new material that introduced the Archie heroes to new readers; although some reprinted materials were added as filler to the first few issues of the revitalized title. Not only were Archie heroes featured in this series. Characters from other publishers such as Tower Comics' T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents starred in later issues.

Issue #6 featured the character of the Fox. Looking like a cross between the Black Panther and a capeless Batman, the Fox takes on street punks, organized crime and costumed bad guys. Originally, the Fox was newspaper photojournalist Paul Patton, who often benefits as being the first reporter on the scene to score a scoop for The Daily Globe after defeating the villains while in costume as the Fox. This issue marks the debut of the Fox II in the form of Patton's son, Paul Jr. Whereas the original Fox was a skilled athlete, the second generation hero was a master of martial arts. In his debut feature, the Fox is on the trail of the head of a guild of assassins when he comes face-to-face with a former fellow member of his dojo called Martial Law. Once believed dead, the foe formerly known as The Gasser, has vowed revenge on the Fox for his past defeat and a place in the assassin guild awaits him should he kill the Fox!

The debut of the second Fox is a bit muddled. On at least 2 occasions in this issue does writer and editor Rich Buckler make allusions to previous activity by Paul Jr. in other recent Red Circle titles. Originally the new Archie heroes books were to take place in the past, right around their 1940s debut. However, the timeline was soon bumped up in most of the titles to modern day 1980s America. With this retcon, actions by the Fox which were to have been conducted by the original Fox were now attributed to Paul Patton's son.

Not having a blueprint set out ahead of time had been mentioned by some as the reason that Red Circle, later the Archie Adventure Series, superhero revival quickly faded by 1985. Another argument for it's quick demise was that Archie couldn't navigate the burgeoning direct sales market with emerging comic book stores. I tend to follow this camp as I remember for a long time seeing the Red Circle characters adorning ads in the pages of various Archie Comics. Yet none of the comic book stores I frequented ever carried any of the titles. 

While the Fox II would disappear with the cancellation of the entire line in 1985-86, he and his allies would return to print on several occasions. In 1991, DC Comics licensed the Red Circle characters from Archie into the !mpact Comics imprint. During this incarnation, the characters operated in a universe separate from DC's main stays like Superman and Wonder Woman. However, when DC again licensed the characters from Archie in 2008, efforts were made to integrate them with the residents of the DC Universe. Sadly, neither imprint saw much success.

Archie once again has the rights to Fox and friends. The character has appeared in several miniseries as both as a solo act and member of the Mighty Crusaders in the past dozen years. Most recently, both versions of the Fox, along with Paul Jr's son, Shinji (aka the Ghost Fox) appeared in a 2022 one-shot titled The Fox: Family Values. Along with all-new material, the special features a reprint from Alex Toth.

Blue Ribbon Comics #6 was written by Rich Buckler and Stan Timmons. Art by Tony DeZuniga with inks and cover art by Rudy Nebres.

Completing this review completes Task #11 (Select a Long Box and read the 14th book in the box) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The Art of War (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Many think that the ancient Chinese text known as The Art of War is a guide for leading men into battle. But in reality, the 5th century BC work is a treatise of how generals can win over their foes without any bloodshed whenever possible.

Sun Tzu was a brilliant strategist whose mere mention of his name inspired fear in the hearts of his enemies. Sun Tzu learned that from this intimidating reputation, he could sometimes lead his troops to victory without firing a single shot or raising of a sword. As a result Sun Tzu transcribed his philosophy on warfare onto a number of long bamboo slats. 

For over 2000 years, Sun Tzu,'s words were the primary guide of military tactics for the armies of the Chinese emperors. Over this period of time, The Art of War was divided into 13 chapters. After a Jesuit priest first translated The Art of War into a Romance language in the late 1700s, other scholars began to reorganize Sun Tzu's texts into thematic categories. Though the Chapter names vary by translator, the contents remain relatively untouched.

The Marine Corps, West Point, numerous companies across the United States and Japan, professional sports coaches, even the KGB have used Sun Tzu's philosophy as required reading. Captain Picard in a season one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation expresses relief that Starfleet still teaches The Art of War to its cadets. Yes, the works of Sun Tzu will live on in the 24th century!

The legacy of The Art of War and its influence on world history is undeniable. However scholars still can't agree if Sun Tzu even existed. For one thing, the name of Sun Tzu is an honorific. It means ' Master Sun'. The man known as Sun Tzu was born Sun Wu. A 2nd century record of the dynasties of China up to that point, identifies a text of military strategies written by a Sun Wu. It's believed that this is the author of The Art of War and that the title of Sun Tzu wasn't bestowed upon him until a millennium later. 

Around 2010, indy publisher Writers of the Round Table created the imprint SmarterComics which began with publishing a series of graphic novels based on popular business bestsellers. The Art of War was part of the first wave. 

In the graphic novel, Cullen Bunn pits Sun Tzu's narrative with everyday situations. Some are practical, like rival businesses attempting to woo a wealthy financier. Some have military applications, such as a platoon leader making strategic choices in hopes of avoiding an armed conflict. Through these scenarios, artist Shane Clester occasionally places Sun Tzu into the mix. He's often depicted as the advisor whose wisdom inspires the main character of each scene into action; including the one starring the mafia don! 

Unfortunately, the idea of business themed graphic novels wasn't a huge seller. A 2011 feature on the CBS News might have helped the company garner a little additional interest. SmarterComics' last post on social media was in April, 2013 on Facebook for a book called Future Favors the Bold about becoming an over achiever. Though the page remains active, no further postings or works have been forthcoming. The last publication from Writers of the Round Table Inc. appears to be a 2013 children's graphic novel called The Crusaders. In 2015, graphic novels from SmarterComics appeared in Ollie's Discount Stores nationwide. It's from a central North Carolina locale that this copy of The Art of War was purchased.

Completing this review completes Task #38 (Published in Black and White) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #5

The first Super Powers miniseries comes to a close with a double sized spectacular not just plotted by written and illustrated by the King, Jack Kirby!

First, the Justice League find themselves along with their biggest foes attached to a gigantic machine designed to sap their powers in order to fuel Darkseid's war machine. Then a forgotten New God frees both the heroes and villains, placing them in Brainiac's vessel in a final counterattack against Darkseid's forces. Add in a time warp or two. A look at the Metropolis of the year 10,000. Boom! You've got one heck of a great finale to a story that was really having a rough start.

My favorite part was having Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Joker and Penguin becoming good guys. I love how it's okay if they try to take over the world. But if someone else from another galaxy tries to do it then it's game on for becoming a hero. To see Batman and the Joker not just working together, but complementing each other- AS FRIENDS! It's just bizarre. Something that I've never seen before. 

I Love it!

Actually, I have kinda seen it before. In the final episode of Justice League Unlimited, the Justice League combines forces with the members of the Secret Society of Super-Villains to repel the onslaught of Darkseid and Apokolips. I thought that episode was great, especially with the ending where after defeating Darkseid, Batman rewards the baddies for their heroic efforts with a 5 minute head start before the Justice League apprehends them. That doesn't quite happen here. But thanks to Kirby's deft touch, the last couple of pages were things of beauty.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #4

The Amazons may have been defeated. But Brainiac isn't done yet! With his de-evolutionizing abilities given to him by warriors from Apokolips, the android villain uses it on Superman, turning him into the Caveman of Steel! 

Most of this issue is the Justice League trying to contain Superman and failing miserably. Green Lantern's power ring allows Superman to return to normal. However, the Kryptonian has to stay inside GL's force field or he returns to his primal self. Still, with this small hindrance, the now complete forces of Super Powers characters, minus Robin who is on patrol duty in the JLA satellite, looks to give Brainiac the beating he so richly deserves. 

AND THEN DARKSEID ARRIVES! 

With how Kirby has set the players on the board and the fact that he's not just plotting the story in issue #5, but also writing and drawing the whole shebang, I can't wait to see what is in store for the finale!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Super Powers #3

Brainiac finally arrives on Earth to enact his plan of global dominance thanks to those new powers he's been given by Darkseid's disciples. Wonder Woman has become leader of the Amazonian army, driven blood thirsty thanks to Brainiac's de-evolution ray and the women warriors have begun an invasion of Earth. The plan looks to be working. That is until the combined forces of the remaining active members of the Justice League arrive on the scene. 

But wasn't Batman, Robin, Hawkman and Superman imprisoned into an endless limbo conjured by the Joker? Well, yes- they were. However, the woman Superman thought to be Lois Lane was actually the Joker's new therapist in disguise. With seemingly endless time on her hands, the doctor has managed to do something nobody thought possible: she's cured the Clown Prince of Crime! Unable to deal with the prospect of being in his right mind, the Joker ends the torture and banishment of the heroes, thus granted them a chance to defeat Wonder Woman's forces. 

This was definitely a predicament I didn't see coming. It can only come from the mind of Jack Kirby who never was afraid to play around with conventional norms. I could just see someone like Julius Schwartz or Dick Giordano telling the King that he couldn't make the Joker sane and Kirby's response was 'Just you watch me!' I'm not sure where the next issue is going to wrap things up. I remember owning and trying to read them as a 7 year old kid, this Super Powers miniseries. Kirby's work has always been high school level work and I remember just not enjoying it as much as I thought I should. But now as a middle-aged adult who has come to appreciate Kirby's genius, I've been enjoying giving this book a second try. I don't remember a lot of what I've been reading and despite some uneven plotting, I've thought the art and most of the plot have been quite good. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Tales From the Public Domain: Bound by Law? (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

2024 will be known as a banner year for copyright law. After numerous lawsuits, at least one successful law change, and decades of anticipation, the character of Mickey Mouse finally entered the public domain. But don't go running out to buy supplies to make your long dreamed Mickey Mouse murder mystery musical just yet. Only the earliest version of the mouse is available for public use. You can do that Broadway show as long as you use the Steamboat Willie version of Walt Disney's most famous creation.

Every year, the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain releases a list of properties coming to the public domain. Along with Mickey, 2024 sees Virginia Woolf's Orlando, the jazzy tune Mack the Knife and the first screen appearance of comedy duo Laurel and Hardy are among the works losing some sort of artistic protections. Yet why is it that it took nearly a century for these properties to become public domain works when George Romeo's Night of the Living Dead has been in the realm of free use for decades and that classic zombie film is less than 60 years old?

The answer all has to do with if and when the artists involved in the creation of their works applied for a copyright. Sometimes, an artist just forgets to apply for one, making their work literally free for anyone else to copy off of. Or, maybe law at that time wasn't protective enough. Several amendments to the first US copyright protection act that occurred in 1790 have been enacted in the past century alone. Our forefathers couldn't have foreseen changes in technology such as video home recorders, streaming services or artificial intelligence which have all warranted some additional tweaking to copyright law. Other times, an agreement between artists is broken or misused, resulting in the loss of creative rights to a work as was part of the case behind the original prints of Romero's magnum opus becoming a public domain work.

Durham, North Carolina's Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke University seeks to examine all areas of copyright law and free use. Free use is a protection for consumers such as myself, which allows me to make my reviews of comics and graphic novels without fear of having to pay a fee or being sued. I'm allowed under free use to use minuscule snippets of the books I review as long as my posts are being used for critique. I'm also protected to say that such and such work 'stunk' as long as I am being objective to my own thoughts and not stating that it's 100% indisputable for the work's lack of quality. 

Mind you that my understanding of copyright law is rudimentary at best. I read Duke's first graphic novel on public domain and free use and I still don't have a clear understanding of it. One thing I do know is that research is needed to clear anything being created artistically for money. Something as small as a ring tone in the background of a scene of a documentary could result in licensing fees that could be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Plus, just because you had a licensing agreement for background music when your film was released in 2010, don't expect to be able to use it for the 25th anniversary re-release in 2035!

Copyright law is extremely fickle. A generation ago, the laws were in the favor of the utilizer of others' works. Presently, the law has swung out of reach of the original artist and now more into the realm of the production companies that own the rights to the work. Though with the release of films like Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and the forthcoming Mickey's Mouse Trap, the new trend of copyright protection might be in the hands of the independent producer of horror and macabre. That's because creators such as A.A. Milne clearly had no ill intent in development of their characters and thus a horror version of such innocents can be interpreted as a parody.

Tales From the Public Domain: Bound by Law? was co-written by Jennifer Jenkins, the mastermind behind Duke's annual Public Domain Day press releases we see in the days leading up to New Year's Day. Jenkins' writing partner is Scottish intellectual property scholar James Boyle, who also works at the Center of Public Domain. Illustrations were by illustrator and law professor Keith Aoki with black and white photos all used under free use law protections. 

The Center of Public Domain had plans for a series of graphic novels based on copyright law. Tales From the Public Domain: Theft; A History of Music was the follow-up to this book. Keith Aoki had begun preliminary sketches for the book before ultimately passing from a lengthy illness in 2011. Theft's 2016 release was dedicated to Professor Aoki's memory.

Completing this review completes Task #39 (Published in the state you were born or your native country) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Disney Uncle Scrooge & Donald Duck in Les Miserables and War and Peace (Family Comic Friday)

Topolino is Italian for 'little mouse'. It's also the name of Italy's long running Disney comic book that features original material starring your favorite House of Mouse characters including Goofy, the Phantom Blot and Pluto. In this volume devoted to Disney-fied 19th century European classical works, the stars are all from your favorite family of ducks! Uncle Scrooge, Donald, Daisy, nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie and many more appear in these comical adaptations of Les Miserables and Crime and Punishment. This being an Uncle Scrooge heavy work, you can rest assured that his biggest foes, the Beagle Boys are on hand to create some mischief as well!

Material from the pages of Topolino have been covered by me previously on several reviews of American Disney works. I usually state that poor translations from the original Italian text into English are the main problems with those works. Phrases would seem stilted or out of place. That's just not the case here.The previous works I reviewed were published by IDW Publishing. Here, Fantagraphics, who've been doing an amazing job releasing the complete works of Carl Barks and Don Rosa, are the publishers and their translations have been phenomenal.

Both original novels deal with some very mature and violent subject matter. Les Miserables sees a single mother forced to sell her body to pay for her daughters room and board as well as the cold blooded murder of a young street urchin. While the main plot of Inspector Javert seeks to apprehend the fugitive Jean Valjean is still covered in this comic adaptation, the violent uprising in the streets of Paris has been replaced with a farcical search for the missing crown jewels of Charlemagne. Don't worry, there's still plenty of adventures to be had in the sewers under those Parisian streets.

As for War and Peace, I've never read the book nor seen an version of it in film. (With Les Mis, my wife and I have seen the musical about a half dozen times.) So I don't really have a good idea of how much material was replaced with more family friendly situations. However I cannot find evidence of the main character of the original Leo Tolstoy work trying to hide his horde of gold by melting them down into cannonballs and then having to retrieve the spent projectiles from the battle field after they are accidentally used during the Napoleonic Wars.

Both stories were written and illustrated by Giovan Battista Carpi. He's considered to be the Italian Carl Barks. The quality of these two parodies proves that belief. The plots are brilliant mixes of the original source material and the world of adventure created by those American masters whose stories first appeared in the pages of Dell and Whitman Disney comics decades ago.

In no way should this collection be used as a replacement for reading the originals. However both works are nearly a thousand pages each. Plus a lot of the terms and sentence structure are over 125 years old. Younger audiences might have difficulty relating. Unlike Classics Illustrated and Pocket Classics, these Disney adaptations should not even be used as study aids. But this book could very well be the link to interest young readers to want to read more about both the authors and their masterpieces. Sometimes humor is needed to peak interest into serious issues and this pair of parodies are hysterical. 

Perfect for all ages; especially fans of either version of DuckTales!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #2

After seeing success in the previous issue, Lex Luthor and the Penguin both get greedy in exerting their new powers over their foes in the Justice League and wind up failing miserably. (They've both now been marooned to a neither dimension, awaiting their fate based on their defeats.) Brainiac hasn't yet gotten to Earth yet, so the jury is still out on his performance with powers on loan from Darkseid.

The Joker is the only villain earning the praises of Darkseid's quartet of warriors. Having banished Batman, Robin and Hawkman to limbo, where they are being tortured, the fractured brain of the Clown Prince of Crime seems ideal for the many torments he's subjected his arch enemies to. But he might have gone too far in adding Superman and Lois Lane to the mix!

Of the 8 heroic members of the original Super Powers line-up, once again, Wonder Woman is noticeably absent from the action. Brainiac plans to use her as the generalissimo of an Amazonian army that will take over the world in order to ready our planet for Darkseid's arrival. Brainiac is present on maybe 2 pages of this book. 3 tops. But he's a passive player at the moment. Princess Diana appears in maybe 1 panel of those pages. Of a 24 page book! 

I know that Wonder Woman is going to feature heavily in the next issue. But is her absence from the first half of this miniseries been due to saving up for her big scene? Or was Jack Kirby, Joey Cavalieri OR BOTH, just not a big fan of Wonder Woman? 

So far, things have been really uneven in this, the first Super Powers miniseries. The key to the success of predecessor comic Justice League of America was equally splitting the team up into equitable sequences of action. We're 50% through this story and so far only 75% of the villains and 87.5% of the heroes have done enough to earn a participation trophy in terms of progressing the plot. I remember not being a fan of this series as a kid, considering how great the toy line and the mini comics were. I'm at a loss as to why things don't seem to be pandering out so well, especially since this is a Kirby production.

Maybe it gets better in the third act.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

The Art of Sushi (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

After revealing the secrets of chocolate, French graphic artist Franckie Alarcon explores the Art of Sushi. After noticing how the Japanese dish had exploded in his native France, Alarcon traveled to the land of the rising sun to research how sushi was meant to be. In his research Alarcon will learn about sushi from both a traditional viewpoint and the modernized method. The artist will venture out into the Pacific to gather seafood in order to experience the freshest sushi ever as well as trek into the mountains of Japan to witness the growth and harvesting of sushi's most underrated ingredient- rice!

It's been said that a sushi master does nothing but learn to make rice for the first 7 years of an apprenticeship. That seems to be more of a myth than anything else. Most of the sushi chefs in this book got their start cleaning bathrooms and floors the first couple of years of their education. In Japan, a master chef wouldn't dream of letting a newbie make the rice. It's too important and expensive as an ingredient to let an untrained eye muck it up. In Japan, once an apprentice is given the chance to serve customers, they practice towards the end of the shift on customers who are at the point of fullness and inebriation. That way, they aren't able to decipher if the student chef's food was edible or not!

As Alarcon learns more about sushi, he unfolds other underrated elements of sushi making. From how the right piece of pottery can reveal a lot about both the sushi chef and diner to the methods of brewing shoyu, soy sauce and sake, if Franckie Alarcon overlooked anything in the art of sushi, it was by accident for sure.

This look at sushi is more than just an exotic exploration. Alarcon examines the ways sushi has become domesticated by both dining with a Japanese couple in their home as well as visiting a pair of Michelin star sushi chefs in France. Oddly enough, it's at a farm in France where Alarcon learns about the development of sushi's most famous condiment: wasabi!

As to be expected with a graphic novel about cuisine, especially seafood, The Art of Sushi dips its toe into the choppy waters of ecology and sustainability. Clearly, the great flocks of the world's oceans have been over-fished. The dubious nature of farm raised seafood has proven to not be the answer to this problem. Most experts on food ecology would point to using plant-based substitutes as the solution. Ironically, Alcaron being a Frenchman has an answer to the problem that I've never thought of before: eat the highest quality seafood possible as a bigger price tag often means greater care has been given to the product.

A staggering fact about water conservation that just had to be shared: it takes 4000 liters of water to grow 2.2 pounds of rice! That's just insane. Needless to say, that's something I learned from this amazing culinary graphic novel that will be shared with my culinary students. Several recipes for sushi and accompaniments are included in this book as well as information on the restaurants featured and online shopping resources are included for the at home cook who wants to create sushi of their own for family and friends.

Completing this review completes Task #7 (About Food or Beverage) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #12

The second, and so far final, miniseries starring the android Vision and the mutant Scarlet Witch, comes to a close. Wanda finally gives birth to her miracle child. But there's a twist! It's twins!

It's a total family affair in this extra-large finale. Vision's spiritual brother Simon Williams- AKA Wonder Man, is on hand for the joyous occasion. So is recently resurrected from the dead evil brother, the Grim Reaper. Plus, there's the zombified body of the real Simon Williams, who for some reason is decked out like Rambo with the arsenal to boot! Oh, and we can't forget grandpa Magneto, who was recently revealed to be the real father of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. 

There's essentially 2 stories going on here. Vision is with Wanda, whose delivery has taken some tricky turns. Meanwhile, on the streets below, Wonder Man and Magneto have teamed up to stop the Grim Reaper and the Simon Williams zombie, who are trying to enter the hospital to kill the expectant parents. 

This issue has got to be the most underrated or understated appearance of Doctor Strange in a comic book. The Scarlet Witch chose him to be her OB-GYN. There's not a single act of magic conducted by the Sorcerer Supreme. Unless you consider delivering twins to be magical. Otherwise, the presence of Stephen Strange just seems unnecessary here. 

Though this issue doesn't take place on Mother's Day, I feel like the holiday theme was at play here. Wanda does give birth in the month of May. And you can't get much more motherly than giving birth. So I guess this issue counts as a Mother's Day issue. Though probably only by technicality.

This was an enjoyable series. Having the holiday themed issues, which except for the Thanksgiving issue, was unexpected by me, was a delight. Steve Englehart crafted a fun maxi-series and having completed it now makes me want to watch WandaVision. Sadly, I know the truth about Wanda's children and I am more than aware of the tragedies that befall the Marvel Universe as a part of that eventual revelation. Avengers: Disassembled and House of M both have their origins here. Required Marvel reading. I just wish things would have ended positively for the starred married couple.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Unofficial Marvel Hostess Ads Collection

From 1975-82, the heroes of the Marvel Universe had a secret weapon: baked goods from Hostess! To battle the bad guys, the stars of the House of Ideas used Twinkies, chocolate iced cupcakes and the ever arresting Hostess Fruit Pie in ways more effective than your run of the mill Spidey-sense or enchanted Asgardian hammer. 

It's a theory that I would love to test out now. You have a villain plotting destruction or theft. You first try your super powers to overcome the antagonist. But it doesn't work. So using your wits and a large amount of sugar, fat, flour and real fruit filling, you fling a couple dozen goodies from Hostess (then owned by International Bakeries) at the enemy and the day is saved!

Trident Studios has done it again! This time, the Esty seller and publisher, has collected over 80 one-page ads starring your favorite Marvel superheroes as well as some of the most iconic baked goods to ever be sold at your local convenience store!

The malefactors that peppered these advertisements were generally generic rogues. A zany costumed cad with a gimmick was the typical character who couldn't resist golden sponge cake or tender, flaky crust. Characters such as Captain Marvel, Iron Man and Daredevil would occasionally take on space aliens, inter-dimensional monsters or even the militia of a banana republic in these ads. However, on more than one occasion, the heroes took on legit enemies, such as the god of mischief Loki and the Red Skull, complete with Cosmic Cube! The combined might of Abomination and the Wendigo actually beat the Incredible Hulk to a pulp in one ad which sees ol' Mean Green having to be revived by some kids carrying Hostess pastries with them.

There was even some a-list help for the good guys in these ads. The Lady Sif and the Voluminous Volstagg give the Mighty Thor a hand in a couple of ads. Nick Fury appears in no less than 3 ads with Captain America and the Agent of SHIELD actually saves the Sentinel of Liberty with some fruit pie know-how of his own! Peter Parker's girlfriend Mary Jane Watson appears in several of the Spider-man ads. She often makes comments about how Petey always disappears when criminals arrive on the scene. Yet, Mary Jane never makes the connection that Spider-man comes about during those moments of 'cowardice.' 

3 of the Fantastic Four go it alone in a series of ads. Mister Fantastic, The Thing and the Human Torch all have solo adventures. I'm thinking either Marvel or Hostess--- OR BOTH!, didn't think women would make good sales people for boys and their need of fried dough. Personally, I think She-Hulk or Spider-Woman would have made great spokes models for Twinkies. Don't feel quite so bad for Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman. She, along with son Franklin Richards, do make an appearance in one Fantastic Four team ad with Marvel's First Family going on a canoeing trip somewhere in the American mid-west. 

I greatly appreciate the efforts made by Trident Studios to bring as many of these ads together as possible. Once again, the print job on these pages are just amazing. Whatever remastering that was done on the ads was well worth the effort. The coloring was so brilliant. 

I don't think I can judge this book on the ads themselves. They were hokey then and they are hokey today. Don't believe me??? Those Hostess ads are still the thing of parody and satire in memes and modern day comics, such as Deadpool. The plots were really far out, as was the dialogue. Yet, how much of a story can you do in just 1 page? The artwork was always superb, though I am not sure who was really behind which work. I know that Sal Buscema, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito crafted some of these ads. Just don't ask me which ones that they did. 

These ads brought back a lot of memories. Oh, to go back to a time when all our problems could be solved with cake. I only wish that I had a couple of those fruit pies on hand as I read this book. That would have made this sugary trip back in time all that more the sweeter!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

(Note- The Unofficial Marvel Hostess Ads Collection is not an officially licensed product. It is a labor of love that saves collectors hundreds of dollars if they were to try and collect the 80 plus comics from which these ads were culled.)

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #11

The holiday theme returns in this penultimate issue of Vision and the Scarlet Witch. Okay- is Tax Day really a holiday? I guess so. It's just not one that anyone who isn't a politician or IRS auditor enjoys. 

It's April 15th and Peter Parker has got one heck of a tax bill. In order to pay it off, he takes a magazine gig photographing the beautiful new home of the Vision and Scarlet Witch. Wanda is just days away from giving birth and has been placed on bed rest. So it's up to the Vision to take Peter around the home which has been targeted once again by the dastardly Toad! Enter your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man wearing his iconic black costume to help the former Avenger protect his wife and unborn child from the clutches of the evil mutant lackey.

Hey! Where'd that Parker kid run off to?

The Toad's contribution to this series comes to an end with this issue. Vision has been keeping the Toad's obsession with the Scarlet Witch quiet in order to not stress the expectant mommy out. With this latest round, there's nothing the android hubby can do to keep Wanda out of this affair. Man, does the Toad get really petty when he comes across the very, VERY pregnant Scarlet Witch. To the point he's sickened by her large size and the Toad has never been what you'd consider a looker. In return, high on hormones and motherly instinct, Wanda Maximoff really lets the Toad have it laying on insults that should have killed the mutant by the sheer tones of her rejection. 

Don't mess with Mama!

By the way, a comic book being set during Tax Day isn't quite as unusual as you might think. In fact, I've got a Tax Day holiday issue in my collection starring Tick and Arthur. So I guess you can count April 15th as a holiday but again, why would you???

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #10

The holiday theme is scrapped for some high tension drama on the moon with Quicksilver and the Inhumans.

Pietro's wife Crystal has been carrying on an affair with Norman Webster, the realtor who sold Vision and the Scarlet Witch their home. As pollution has made the air on Earth deadly to Inhumans, Crystal has been taking a powerful medicine in order to make her carnal dalliances. But something during this liaison went wrong and Crystal fell into a coma.

Angered by his wife's betrayal, Quicksilver gathers his militia men to enact his revenge against Norman who happens to be in the Inhumans' lunar compound. He was with Crystal when she collapsed and called emergency services. Things go from bad to extremely worse with King Blackbolt banishing Pietro from his kingdom and the mutant speedster running amok on the moon in a huge tantrum!

A child of divorce, I'm on Quicksilver's side. I hate infidelity. I understand Pietro getting pissed. Though I do think it's extreme to use the entire might of the Inhuman military force to kill the guy who is boinking your wife. Those sorts of crimes of passion should be a mano a mano sort of affair. 

I understand that there's not really a March holiday that covers family issues. Being part Irish, maybe it's safe to say that the whole Crystal and Pietro drama is suited for St. Patty's Day. It's definitely a stereotype that I wouldn't make if I wasn't a partial descendant of the Emerald Isle or if it just wasn't true. Lord knows my family, both the European and Native American sides were pieces of work on par with the domestic squabbles in this book.

I know that I'm making light of things. But the subject matter really hit home. I hope Pietro and Crystal can work things out. But further research on the Marvel Wiki reveals that won't be the case. And there's a child involved. Fiction comic book or not, divorce is not an easy subject for me.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.