Ripley's Believe It or Not!: Great and Strange Works of Man

I think my love of the great and strange came to me honestly. My mother and her father were big fans of Ripley's Believe It or Not. I remember my grandfather had an entire series of the Ripley's paperbacks that reprinted decades of odd and macabre strips to the general populace. Then there was the TV series on ABC hosted by the great Jack Palance. It was a documentary series that often scared the pants off me... in a good way.

The comic strip has been running strong for over 105 years. It's been nearly 65 years since creator Robert Ripley died and newspapers worldwide are still running accounts of unusual people, freaky coincidences and brain teasers that defy explanation. And let's not forget those Ripley's museums and aquariums. Those can be some fun places to spend a day exploring the world of the unknown.

This 1992 paperback was released as part of a series of anthologies honoring the 100th anniversary of the birth of franchise founder, Ripley. However, Mr. Ripley was actually born in 1890! Though, I guess such oversights are allowed. Thanks to Ripley's 1929 strip that confirmed at the time that America had no official National Anthem, a campaign championed by John Philip Sousa helped correct that oversight through a 1931 act of Congress finally making the Star-Spangled Banner our nation's official song thanks to President Hoover's signature. But that all sounds so much like Robert Ripley. To him, the journey to knowledge was more important that the facts, as bizarre as they might be. 

This TOR paperback focuses on the varying creations of man. From colossal statues made of solid pieces of marble to microscopic works that fit on a grain of rice, there's virtually no limit as to the imagination of the human race. 'Great and Strange Works of Man' wasn't my favorite collection of strips. It wasn't because a bunch of these cartoons came about after Ripley died. Instead, I was sickened by how much wasted wealth and resources went into making these monuments of pride and gluttony. 

For example, towards the end of the book, there's mention of a 300lb solid gold bath tub in the shape of a phoenix which wealthy bathers can use in a hotel in Japan. Based on the price of gold today (June 30, 2024), that bath tub is worth over $8.3 million dollars. Could you imagine how much that precious metal could be used to help Japan's homeless population instead of being used so the ultra-wealthy was stew in their own bubbly filth? Maybe 15 or 20 years ago, such facts about opulence might enthrall me. Instead, as a public school teacher married to a social worker, I see how much so many struggle with so little in today's world and it's off-putting.

Does this book swear me off seeking out other Ripley's material? Not in the least. There were 5 other books in the centennial series of paperbacks. I think I'd be more open to reading about prehistoric creatures, odd places or those strange coincidences than giving this book on excess a permanent home in my comic book and graphic novel collection.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Inside the Mind of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Scandalous Ticket

As much as I enjoy reading adventures of Sherlock Holmes, I have to remind myself that the point of these stories isn't for the reader to solve the crime; it's to marvel at the process in which the World's Greatest Detective unravels the mystery.

Inside the Mind of Sherlock Holmes is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel which shows the internal workings of the brain of Holmes. In many of the original Holmes mysteries by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes likens his inquisitive mind to that of a vast library. Here writer Cyril Lieron and artist Benoit Dahan layout the detective's mental processes as that giant archive, which is cataloged like a Dewey decimal system of criminology and obscure facts, ready to be accessed when need arise thanks to uncovered clues.

'The Case of the Scandalous Ticket' sees Holmes and Watson investigating a series of kidnapping. The case will uncover a trove of beautiful gilded tickets involving a special Oriental themed magic show and mysterious Chinese characters and glyphs. Is there a connection to the body of a woman wearing a blonde wig who was found in a nearby reservoir? Who's that trailing Holmes and his faithful companion? With appearances by Mrs. Hudson, Inspector Lestrade and big brother Mycroft Holmes, no clue will be overlooked in this complex mystery.

Originally published as a two-issue miniseries in France, this English language translation is given the deluxe treatment by Titan Comics. With its hard cover cutout of a library shaped like Sherlock Holmes, I've been wanting to read this book since I learned about it in Previews just a few months ago. A fan of Sherlock Holmes, I might not read every public domain adventure written about him; but I won't pass up the adventures that pique my interest. Thank you to my public library for carrying this visual gem!

Artist Benoit Dahan might be one of my new favorite artists. I appreciate artists who put amazing tiny details into their work. Examples of this are Todd McFarland with how he filled pages of Spider-Man with thousands of minute strands of web, George Perez with every fine lock of hair on Wonder Woman's head and Frank Quietly who illustrated Batman and Robin by detailing their utility belts down to the smallest gadget in every panel. Benoit Dahan ranks up there in his illustrations of the detective roaming through London as the game is most certainly afoot. 

I also must pay tribute to Dahan's rendering of Sherlock Holmes. I'm not certain but if I had to guess, I feel like the artist chose legendary actor, and masterful portrayer of Holmes, Peter Cushing. Dahan's Holmes with that napiform head is to me unmistakably Peter Cushing!

A complex mystery that is a visual masterpiece. A must for fans of Holmes where the more your favor graphic novels, the better the experience for you!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Deadpool & The Mercs for Money, Vol. 0: Merc Madness

I have a saying when it comes to my taste in music that applies to other aspects of my interests. 'The worst Queen song is better than no Queen song at all.' I have certain things I like where even if it's the worst of the worst, I'd rather be entertained by it than just being bored. 

That's kinda how I feel about Deadpool's Mercs for Money era. It's perhaps the Merc with a Mouth's least entertaining period and yet, if I had to choose between reading a trade paperback full of these guys' exploits or watching paint dry, I'll take Wade Wilson and Co. every time. 

One of my biggest pet peeves with the Mercs for Money involves the line-up. There are essentially 7 members of the group, if you count Wade Wilson's leadership of the team. Living cartoon Slapstick is hilarious. Avengers reservist Stingray is a funny running joke on how that's not how the 'World's Greatest Heroes' do things. I've been a fan of immortal hit man Terror since I read his Christmas themed issue years ago and I love how he's kinda turned into a parody of Serpico and Donnie Brasco. Anti-heroes Solo and Foolkiller help to ground Deadpool into being a responsible leader. I'm not sure why you've got 2 moral anchors on the same team. It feels like overkill. And then there's Masacre...

Known as the Mexican Deadpool, Masacre speaks only Spanish. I'd have no problem with the character speaking exclusively Spanish if the writers/editors (or both) would translate what he's saying. But this was published during the Axel Alonso era of Marvel, which means these issues were released under the guidance of the worst editor the House of Ideas ever had. Each issue comes with a snarky editor's note telling readers to learn Spanish if they want to know what Masacre has to say; once again alienating readers instead of embracing all sides of the fanatic spectrum. So with not understanding what 1/7th of the team has to say and being treated like dirt because I know French and American Sign Language instead of Spanish, I don't feel as connected to the Mercs with Money compared to other Deadpool series. 

'Merc Madness' is a 5-issue series in which Deadpool's team comes into possession of a robot that might have insight into the future. Turns out this machine is one of those legendary Recorders and after going through a rip in the fabric of space, it was ingrained with unlimited knowledge of the multiverse. Naturally, Wade Wilson sees dollar signs; immediately putting it up for auction. This puts a targets on the backs of the Mercs with Money until they can deliver the Recorder to the secret hideout of the highest bidder.

Along with the main story like this trade paperback includes the one-shot Deadpool: Masacre. Apparently it's a Cinco de Mayo special issue (for those of you who like to collect holiday themed comics). At first, I'm apprehensive because if I know anything about Masacre, it's that he speaks untranslated Spanish. However, from what I can gather from intro at the beginning of the special, writer's Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn wrote the entire script in English, translated it into Spanish and then back into English in order to hilariously massacre everything in some odd Marvel version of the kid's game Telephone. 

As a result, you do get this hilarious Batman-like origin story of the Mexican Deadpool. Bloody too! However, based on how the editor's keep telling their readers to learn Spanish if they've got complaints about not understanding what the characters has to say, the idea behind this one-shot seems insensitive. Don't get me wrong! I love Deadpool's irreverence and I'm not calling for the character to be cancelled. It's just another example of how Axel Alonso was just as irreverent, crude and crash like the rest of us; he just couldn't care less what his white, older customer base wanted. Some might applaud that way of thinking. But as someone who majored on the business side of the culinary industry, I know that such alienation isn't how your run a multi-national company. Alas, Alonso had to offend somebody. He just chose to turn away the population who had the most spending power.

It's not my favorite Deadpool volume. But as a fan of the character, I'm going to keep it. Though I'm culling from my massive collection, this one will stay. How else can I say I have the entire gambit of Deadpool stories?

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

After the death of her father from cancer, a young girl named Grace and her family move to Hong Kong for a new start. Her stepfather is a researcher studying ways to lengthen one's lifespan and was the head of the clinical trial that Grace's father partook. Hong Kong also happens to be her dad's birthplace. Enrolled at a prestigious international academy of students, Grace learns about the cultural history of her father's homeland, in particular the mythos of dragons.

Hong Kong has a rich history and unique reverence for dragons. For example, many of the modern skyscrapers have holes designed in them so that dragons can safely fly through them. However, it's the landscape of Hong Kong where the real legends rest. The mountains that make up the landscape of the Chinese Special Administrative Region are known as the 9 dragons. Although Hong Kong actually only has 8 mountains. The 9th is actually an Emperor who was told to be a decedent of mixed bloodline of humans and dragons.

That's where Grace comes in. In her first real exploration of the cityscape, Grace meets a mysterious blue eyed elder who gifts her with an egg. Grace thinks that the egg is just a trinket. That is until the next morning when she finds the egg broken and a tiny blue dragon living in her toilet.

With a trio of new friends, Grace will uncover the secret of not just her dragon, Nate, but of her true Hunxue (mixed blood) heritage. Her journey will put her in considerable danger, introduce her to an inebriated shop captain who can predict the weather and take her on a journey to find the missing gem stones of the Dragon Kings. Perhaps the most shocking revelation of them all; Grace will learn that her father's death was not from cancer but from medical testing conducted by her new stepdad!

2021's City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm is the first book in a series that promises to span the globe in search of answers behind Grace's father's death as well as dragons from other cultures. Written by Jaimal Yogis, the next chapter of City of Dragons takes place in Paris. A regular contributor to ESPN Magazine and The Washington Post, this is Yogis' first graphic novel. The artwork of 'The Awakening Storm' was by London based cartoonist Vivian Truong. A frequent artist for Riot Games, Troung is also the illustrator of Cooking With Monsters, a graphic novel series about culinary students who learn the art of cooking from the dangerous and delicious creatures that they battle in the wild.

Book 2 of the City of Dragons series, 'Rise of the Shadowfire' debuted in print in October, 2023.

Completing this review completes Task #43 (A Fantasy with Dragons) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Superman #411 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's the summer of 1985. You go to the local Fast Fare in hopes of the newest issue of Superman. Last issue saw the beginning of a 3-part 'Luthor Trilogy' that promises to cap the age old conflict between the Man of Steel and his greatest arch enemy right before Crisis on Infinite Earths changes everything. You scour the spinner rack where you find issue #411. Only instead of the 2nd part of Superman's battle with Luthor, you're faced with a special birthday issue devoted to DC editor Julius Schwartz!?

Elliot S! Maggin, Curt Swan, Murphy Anderson, John Costanza, Gene D'Angelo, Paul Levitz and Bob Rozakis crafted this September 1985 issue intended to be an oversized birthday to the beloved Superman editor known affectionately as Julie. This issue was planned as a surprise for Schwartz months before. Though you might be wondering how you can keep such an issue secret from the editor of DC's flagship hero. Enter Dick Giordano, who in his role as Vice President-Executive Editor, managed to keep everything under wraps until publication. 

'The Last Earth Prime Story' begins on Earth-One where that world's Julius Schwartz is down on his luck and homeless. Because of the existence of superheroes on that earth, interest in fictional stories about super-powered beings has waned. Hoping to change his fortune on his 70th birthday, Schwartz goes over to the Daily Planet building to ask old friend Perry White for a job but is turned away by White's secretary for his sloven appearance. 

Later in the day, Perry is alerted to Julie's visit and goes out with his wife to find him. When the White's run into Superman, Perry informs the Man of Steel about how Schwartz helped him get into publishing during the early days of Science Fiction pulps. Superman agrees to continue the search when he discovers Julie being held captive at the hands of a deranged member of a spy network who is literally half human/half machine! 

The book ends on Earth Prime at DC Comics headquarters. The Julie Schwartz of Earth Prime, our earth, is in the office enjoying his 70th birthday party. A number of DC talent make cameos in the scene including publisher Jeanette Kahn, Curt Swan and Dick Giordano. Astute fans of Superman history should also note the presence of former Superman editor Mort Weisinger, who appears as a decorative bust in Clark Kent's apartment. Superstars of the golden age of science fiction such as Ray Bradbury, Frederik Pohl and John W. Campbell cameo during the scene where Perry White explains his personal history with Julius Schwartz to Superman.

Julie retired from comics in 1986 after 42 years at DC Comics. In retirement, Schwartz would be a regular guest at comic cons nationwide. Schwartz was DC's editor emeritus until his death in 2004 at age 88.

Completing this review completes Task #44 (A Book Featured in a FB Group Post) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Champion Sports #1 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

One of the forgotten anthologies of DC Comics. Debuting in 1973, this series, devoted to the athletic feats of youngsters and young adults, lasted a whopping 3 issues. Joe Simon was the editor and head writer for Champion Sports. Each issue contained 3 stories each. That means there was a grand total of 9 stories in the short lived series. Jerry Grandenetti penciled every story with inks provided by Creig Flessel.

Issue #1 presents readers with a baseball story, a soapbox derby race and a battle between rival track stars.

'The Kid Who Beat The Oakland A's' is the story of David Wexler. He's not really that good of an athlete. But as an aspiring writer who wants to document the experience, he's got to make the team. David is about to be cut when he injures his shoulder which miraculously turns him into an ace pitcher. A couple of years later, Wexler joins an expansion team straight out of high school where his career puts him against the defending national champs, the Oakland A's!

Story #2 is called 'The Little Racer'. It's an unlikely story about a lad who dreams of winning his town's soapbox derby. From a poor family, the boy can't afford those fancy kits of aluminum and fiberglass bodies like the other kids can. Fatefully, while testing out his latest design, his cart is destroyed by a biker gang who feels sorry for their actions and winds up stealing parts for a replacement racer! 

The final story titled 'The First Hurdle', could be considered what Brian's Song would have been if Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo allowed racial strife to come between the two of them. A young Irish track star is excited to meet his new roomie and teammate; one with the last name of Kelly. However the white student-athlete is incensed that Kelly is black! Thus begins a story about race and how bigotry can prevent a pair of supposed compatriots from gelling as a cohesive unit.

I feel like I've experienced the opening story of this issue before. Having a kid become a major league fastball throwing pitcher thanks to an arm injury is the exact plot of 1993's Rookie of the Year. I wonder if screenwriter Sam Harper used this obscure comic as inspiration!

The soapbox derby car tale would have been funny if it was written to be a farce. Instead, Simon has the story play out as a drama with a predictable ending. Though would early 1970s race officials really postpone a heat to let one of the drivers run home to change clothes? 

'The First Hurdle' was another story full of missed opportunities. It ends with Kelly having to fill in for his racist teammate in the climatic relay event, after an injury. Later Kelly confronts his fellow athlete but the ending is left kinda bitter and tragic, without any hopes of change or reconciliation. Considering how optimistic the first two sports stories end, the realistic yet depressing end of the final account, leaves the reader unfulfilled.

Champion Sports #1 ends with a lengthy one-page article on the early development of baseball. Written by Allan Asherman, it's a pretty informative piece that actually questions the validity of the myth that Abner Doubleday invented baseball! Quite a bit of the piece includes baseball's popularity that occurred during the Civil War, making this issue a must for Civil War buffs who also collect comic books!

Cover art for this issue by Grandenetti and Flessel.

Completing this review completes Task #37 (A Sports Story) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Valley of the Dinosaurs #11 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Debuting on the very same day in September 1974 as Sid and Marty Krofft's Land of the Lost, Hanna-Barbera's animated series Valley of the Dinosaurs is the missing link when it comes to TV series about people being sent back in time to the age of the caveman. 

The same date of premier isn't the only similarities between the forgotten cartoon series and the live action classic. Valley of the Dinosaurs starred the Butler family who are sent through a vortex back in time to prehistoric ages while on a rafting trip. Father John Butler is a scientist who uses his knowledge to educate both his children, daughter Katie and son Greg, along with viewers on how to survive the many forms of thunder lizard that roam the valley. Unlike the Marshall's on Land of the Lost, the Butler consists also of mom Kim and family dog Digger. 

The Butlers are met by a Neanderthal family who befriend the displaced family. While Land of the Lost had a heavy sci-fi influence, Valley of the Dinosaurs was more like Gilligan's Island with the Butler's introducing modern technology like pulleys and the wheel to their primitive allies. Together, the two families fight for survival against dinosaurs and warring tribes while looking for a way to return the Butlers back to the present.

Like the Marshall's, the Butler's are never shown to return to the 1970s. However, the Marshall's have had the longer staying power, with Land of the Lost airing on NBC for 3 times as many episodes over a trio of seasons. Land of the Lost has also spawned a 1990s reboot series as well as a comedic live action film starring Will Ferrell. 

One thing that Valley of the Dinosaurs surpassed the Krofft Brothers creation in was a comic book adaptation. As part of Charlton's Hanna-Barbera line of comics, Valley of the Dinosaurs ran for an impressive 11 issues. Okay, compared to the number of issues Charlton produced of sister series such as Yogi Bear and the Flintstones, 11 issues may not seem like much. That is until you realize that the entire run of the Valley of the Dinosaurs comic occurred 1-2 years AFTER the animated series had been cancelled! 

In this issue, John Butler races to reinforce a dam before a looming maelstrom threatens the safety of his Neanderthal neighbors' village. As repairs are made, daughter Katie goes foraging for food. Unfortunately the girl unknowingly enters the territory of a tribe of ape-like warriors who kidnap Katie and force her to become a slave worker for them. With the storm looming, teenage primitive Lok races to save Katie from not just the ape creatures but a rampaging Tyrannosaurus! 

The one page prose story included in this issue sees Katie and Lok once again facing that fierce T-Rex. Only this time the two teenagers are stuck in between a battle with the king of the dinosaurs and an equally hungry Allosaurus. 

Issue #11 concludes with a one-page factual strip about sea otters.

Valley of the Dinosaurs featured an impressive vocal cast. Frank Welker voiced several characters including Lok and Digger. Child actor Jackie Earle Hailey was Greg. Sharon Farnon, Alan Oppenheimer and Don Messick were other notable voice talent on the series developed by Hanna-Barbera's Australian based studio. 

As for acknowledging the talent that worked on the comic book, there's not a lot of resources to cull from. We do know that the cover of this issue was by TV advertising director turned illustrator Fred Himes. Himes was a Charlton Comics work horse, drawing covers and interiors for many of the Connecticut based publisher's horror and war titles. According to Comicvine, Himes was also the writer for this issue with additional art provided by Don Perlin. However, no credits other than Himes' signature on the cover are attributed to other creators anywhere else in this issue.

Issue #11 was the last issue of the series.

Completing this review completes Task #23 (Something Bought From a Dollar Bin) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime #1 (Family Comic Friday)

If Don Rosa's The Old Castle's Other Secret is the quintessential ending to the story of Scrooge McDuck, then this tale is the epilogue!

Jason Aaron pens a story that asks what if on that fateful snowy Christmas on Bear Mountain, Donald and his nephews never showed up? Scrooge would still be motivated to discover all those hidden treasures. However, without the bonds of family to experience those adventures with, McDuck would still be wanting more. Thus, when he uncovers an enchanted mirror that can breach the barrier between worlds, that world's Worlds Richest Duck will seek to become the richest duck of all the worlds!

I'm actually surprised that there hasn't been such a story before this. Multiverse type stories are extremely popular right now and it seems like every franchise from Rick and Morty to Scooby-Doo has done such a story in one medium or another. 

A bevy of artists contributed beautiful work on this book which might seem a little expensive with a $7.99 price. However it's got a ton of extras including the story that inspired this comic, Christmas on Bear Mountain, which introduced readers to Uncle Scrooge way back in 1947. That debut story is remastered to crystal clear perfection and worth the extra cost.

Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime is the first Disney Ducks comic book ever from Marvel. The House of Ideas had tested a Disney comic in the early 90s, featuring popular franchises like the Little Mermaid, but they were victims of the comic book bubble. I've had this book on my wish list ever since I learned about its existence back in March. I would have gotten it the day it dropped in stores if I wasn't so gosh darn tired from driving all the day prior back from vacation. So I got it the next day after a big rest. But I didn't have to worry about it selling out because I made sure to order a copy from my favorite comic book store early!

Speaking of orders, thanks to the special material at the end of this book, I've got not one but 2 more Disney one-shots by Marvel to look forward to in the next couple of months. Donald Duck is being given the What If... treatment in 2 new specials that ask what would happen if Scrooge's nephew was subject to the Weapon X program and then found the hammer of Thor. With an Aliens What If... miniseries just wrapping up and these Disney issues forthcoming, I'm hoping that Star Wars is next to go under the watchful eye of the Watcher.

I'm not sure if Jason Aaron is ready to be listed with the likes of Rosa, Carl Barks and William Van Horn. But he's got my blessing to write more stories starring Scrooge and his nephews. Aaron crafted a perfect all-ages adventure that includes appearances by inventor Gyro Gearloose and those dastardly Beagle Boys. (Be sure to look out for a cameo made by the adult version of Simba from The Lion King!) I only wish that with the Christmas time book-ending of this story, and the inclusion of Scrooge's holiday set debut, that this book had come out in December. You're welcome to wait and read this book closer to Christmas. But where's the fun in that?

Oh... Can someone please tell me what happened to Donald and his nephews that kept them from visiting McDuck that Christmas on that alternate Earth? That's a mystery I'd like solved! Maybe Jason Aaron can explain that in a follow up to this funtastic multiverse romp!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime debuted in print and digital formats on June 19th, 2024.

The Mighty Crusaders, Vol. 1

I'm a big fan of MLJ/Archie's Red Circle line of heroes. They're just so darn difficult to find. Their golden and silver age books are ultra rare and too expensive for my wallet. The bronze age titles weren't massive sellers and so there's not a lot of those issues floating around. In the 90s, DC had the rights to them and touted them as !mpact Comics, only to be brought down once more by poor sales. (I'm doing pretty good at collecting these ubiquitous dollar bin floppies.) Then there's the modern age stuff. Why didn't anybody tell me that there was modern day Red Circle books out there?

Under the imprint Dark Circle, Ian Flynn and Kelsey Shannon linked together every incarnation of the Red Circle heroes in this 4-issue miniseries from 2017. It's been a couple of years after the last version of the Mighty Crusaders disbanded after the colossal battle with longtime Crusaders enemy, the Brain Emperor. Friends died in the conflict. Public support for heroes waned. Communities rebuilt. But now with the return of a second generation of super-villains, Joe Higgins, now referred to as the Broken Shield believes that the time for another incarceration of the Mighty Crusaders has come.

Unfortunately, this new group is far from a cohesive unit. Their leader, the latest to carry the name of the Shield, Victoria Adams, is too much of a loner and has trouble delegating to her teammates during a crisis. It doesn't help that legacy hero, the Fly, undermines the struggling new leader's every command. It also doesn't help that Higgins added another legacy, the over-confident Web to the lineup without the Shield's knowledge. Old-timer Steel Sterling is secretly battling the effects of time. Former Crusaders leader the Comet is with the team. However, the nightmares of that climatic fight with the Brain Emperor have left the hero's confidence rattled. Then there's the wild cards: Jaguar and Darkling. The Jaguar is teetering on the edge of insanity as the ancient god that shares her body is demanding sacrifice while the mysterious Darkling, the most powerful of all the Crusaders, is only on the team to prevent her from becoming a villain.

This book also comes with an exclusive short-story about the Mighty Crusaders predecessors, the New Crusaders. Also written by Ian Flynn, this story is supposed to bridge the reader between the two more recent superhero teams. I probably would have liked this story if not for Flynn himself. In this book's foreword, Flynn warns readers that the new team might have connections with the New Crusaders that left them confused. Thus the inclusion of the prequel story. Well, I actually felt like the main story didn't need the extra tale and that short was more confusing and unnecessary than Ian Flynn intended. Possibly even worse, that clunky short had an unintended consequence; it's put me off from wanting to read New Crusaders: Dark Tomorrow. 

Kelsey Shannon's art was so lively and animated. In fact, it looked like the storyboards that you might see for a cartoon show. There's been rumors of a Mighty Crusaders cartoon series since the 80s. I've pretty much given up hope on that project. So if Shannon's artwork is as close as we'll ever get to seeing the Red Circle heroes on the tube, I'm fine with that.

A very good opening salvo. I love that these guys can't seem to get along! I'm excited to see what's on store in volume 2. I just don't know where to find it. I found this book on a total lark at Ollie's and I didn't see any other similar books. Well, it turns out that's because there is no volume 2. Despite a promise of more story and this book being labeled 'Volume 1', these guys just didn't catch on and were quickly shelved. The Red Circle guys just can't catch a break!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics (A Madman Re-Read)

After reading Tom Scioli's biography of Stan Lee, I wanted to revisit his account on the life and times of frequent Lee collaborator, Jack Kirby. There were 2 questions I wanted to answer: 1) how much comic book history is repeated between the two graphic novels? and 2) whose account of the early days of Marvel Comics seems the more honest? 

For the first question, not a whole lot is repeated between the two books. In the two volumes, we see how Stan and Jack first met, why Jack was fired from Atlas, Jack's return to Marvel, Jack's departure for DC and that's about it. No panels seem swiped. The dialogue in the two books is differing. If you read one book and then the other, you will not feel like you were gypped. Though written, illustrated and even lettered by the same creator, the Jack Kirby biography and the Stan Lee account are completely different.

For question #2- I believe Jack Kirby. For one moment do I not doubt that Stan Lee loved the fans. He was an entertainer and he knew that if not for the readers of his comics, he and the rest of the Marvel bullpen would be out of a job. I also believe that Stan cared very deeply about his staff. But when given the chance to excel over them, it's my opinion that Stan Lee would connive, back-stab and steal the glory whenever possible. 

When it comes to Jack Kirby, was he hardheaded? Absolutely. Did he make some horrible business decisions? No doubt. However, a lot of Kirby's trouble was based on trying to be a good provider for his family without the benefit of having a good friend that he could rely on for good advice. I think if the team of Kirby and Joe Simon still existed in the 1960s, Kirby wouldn't have received a screw job from both Stan Lee and the high-ups at Marvel years later when the company began making incredible profits from licensing everything from actions figures to bed sheet sets.

I still love Stan Lee's work. But having now read 2 graphic novel accounts of his life, I have less respect for the Man behind the curtains. I hate to think that the way Stan was mistreated and abused by his caretakers in the last couple of years of his life was karma getting back at him for how he treated Kirby and others. Yet, if Stan Lee's life was plotted out like one of the Marvel co-creator's many, many comic scripts, that ironic twist would have been taken straight from the Stan Lee playbook. 

Since I've read Jack Kirby's biography before and wrote a detailed review that I feel still speaks for how I feel about the book, I'll end my reflection here. Nothing new to add and I would hate to repeat myself. 

Both Tom Scioli biographies are fantastic reads that should be read as a companion set!

Monster Unleashed

When I first heard about this 2017 Marvel crossover, I was pretty excited. The big baddies of Marvel's sci-fi 1950s and 60s like Fin Fang Foom, Goomba and the Creature from the Black Bog were finally gonna rise up against the heroes of the Marvel Universe and reclaim their place as the rightful rulers of earth. It even appeared from some of the earliest artworks that good guys such as Devil Dinosaur were going to rise up against these men in tights. Yet, that wasn't to be the storyline at all.

An invasion by kaiju-like creatures does happen in Monsters Unleashed. However, these behemoths are unlike anything to have ever graced the pages of a Marvel Comic. Planet Earth has been chosen as the newest nest of the Leviathon Queen, a massive crimson egg-laying beast. But before she can settle in, the world must be cleansed of vermin. That means 'bye-bye, pesky humans.' 

The superhuman population assembles on a global scale like never before. Heroes and villains join forces to stop these Leviathons from decimating the planet. That's where the Marvel monsters of the Silver Age of comics step in. They've been biding their time waiting for the chance to conquer our planet and they're not about to let a bunch of extraterrestrial interlopers just swoop in and take the planet from them! 

Monsters Unleashed was unlike any massive crossover event I've ever read from the House of Ideas. For one thing, it was fun. There wasn't any sort of major shock, like the death of Captain America at the end of Civil War. The editors didn't try to add some new character that was going to change the way we looked at people of color or gender or reveal that some beloved established character was now retconned to be furry or something like that. Instead, this storyline was a tribute to the giant monsters of a by-gone era of creativity and thinly veiled fear of the Red Menace of Communism!

The new character that was introduced in this series was a young pre-teen boy named Kei. He has the ability to draw monsters and make them appear and disappear as needed. With this ability, Kei becomes Kid Kaiju (a freakin' awesome 2010s superhero name if I've ever heard one) and perhaps humanity's last hope for salvation against these big nasties.

I really loved how Monsters Unleashed utilized Moon Girl. Having her become a sort of mentor for new hero Kei was a perfect casting choice. Then we have monster-hunter Elsa Bloodstone becoming Kei's bodyguard and mentor in a preview of a Monsters Unleashed regular series that continues from where the 5th issue of the miniseries ends. Even though I've got plans to downsize my collection somewhat, I think I'd be more than happy to collect the follow-up series because just like this crossover event, it was fun. 

Okay. Now it's time to pick apart the story a little. With kaijus appearing all over the globe, both villains and protagonist alike, there's a lot of destruction here. Some notable landmarks become piles of rubble, like the Nevada's Hoover Dam, the imperial palace of Wakanda and Johannesburg's FNB Stadium. I've read Marvel stuff from the past 7 years since this story came out. I've not heard about rebuilding efforts from Monsters Unleashed still being a thing in the Marvel Universe. Is superhero calamity reconstruction company Damage Control that good at quick repairs? Or do the magicians of the Marvel Universe like Doctor Strange cast instance rebuild spells? I think what I'm trying to get at is as much as I enjoyed the scenes of massive destruction, the level seen in this book was just too implausible to me.

Cullen Bunn penned a great story that was a thrill ride a minute. Smartly plotted. Hilarious banter. The art was good. Though a lot of the alien kaiju seemed to have googly eyes that made them look more silly that deadly serious. (Was Hobby Lobby having a sale on them?) I did mourn the death of one of Kid Kaiju's creations. The character is only there for like 5 pages and yet I feel in love with them. Hopefully, they'll make a return! Some great variant covers by Arthur Adams appear in the back and they're not to be missed. 

Another gem unearthed at my nearest Ollie's, Monsters Unleashed is an extremely fun read  despite it's over-the-top level of chaos and destruction.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Little Lulu: The World's Best Comic Book One-Shot (Free Comic Book Day 2019)

I don't think I would have given Little Lulu and her portly pal Tubby the time of day if it wasn't for two sources. First was the writings of Fred Hembeck in his massive omnibus. In his collection of writings, Hembeck fondly reminisces of the comic strip quite often. I felt if it's good enough for Mr. Hembeck, whom I actually play a music trivia game against online, then it's good enough for me. Only I didn't have any Little Lulu stuff on hand to read.

Then I was reunited with a copy of the 1981 museum quality collection: A Smithsonian Book of Comics. There was a bunch of Little Lulu and Tubby stories. All of them hilarious! While I did feel that there was more of them than some of the other characters and artists to be fairly represented in that volume, I didn't run into a single stinker of the comic strip creation from the artist known as Marge.

This Free Comic Book Day offering from Drawn and Quarterly is yet another comic that I meant to provide the members of my school's comic book club and lost within the cluttered mire of my backseat. As we're on a road trip this week, I had to get the car completely cleaned out and that's when I ran into this. 

Little Lulu: The World's Best Comic Book is an assortment of strips and stories taken from Drawn and Quarterly's 2019 and earlier line of Little Lulu and Tubby treasuries. The works of artist John Stanley are featured in this issue. Next to Marge, Stanley is perhaps the franchise's most well known cartoonist. He's Little Lulu's Carl Barks. I've read some of Stanley's non-Lulu material and wasn't blown away by it. Those works felt too childish for me. But here, it felt like I was taken back to the 1940s where kids had free range of the neighborhood and creativity and imagination at play was what kept children occupied compared to the soul sucking TV, video games and cell phones of today.

The best story is the opener in which Lulu looks forward to scaring Tubby with the new mask she bought. Only Tubby has one too. In fact, it seems that all of the kids in town have the same mask!

Another memorable adventure sees Tubby trying to find gold with a divining rod. It's got a lot of great one liners. Some fantastic observations that only come from the mouths of precocious babes. And a heartwarming ending. 

I'm really thinking that I'm going to take advantage of some of these collections, if I can ever find them for a fantastic deal. John Stanley really knows how to write dialogue like a child. He's got that innocence mixed with heavy doses of cynicism and prosecution like Harper Lee did so masterfully in To Kill A Mockingbird. I can see now why he's considered a legend of comic book cartooning!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Graphic Novel #31: Wolfpack (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Sam Weltschmerz is a Jewish teen living in the South Bronx. He's accused of attempted murder by a gang member who probably assaulted his dad and most definitely burned the family hardware store to the ground. Known as Slippery Sam because of his ability to make sly escapes, the teen is the oldest established member of the vigilante team, the Wolfpack.

Formed in China 2000 years ago, the Wolfpack was created to protect the earth from evil. A splinter group called the Nine is the Wolfpack's primary foe. Mr. Mack, the Wolfpack's sensei, took martial arts, including the way of the ninja, that he learned overseas in the navy and formed a new Wolfpack to confront the Nine who have set up operations in the crumbling wasteland of the Bronx.

Along with Slippery Sam, this Wolfpack consists of the brooding giant genius, Slab, the ultra fleet of foot Sharon, and young Malcolm, AKA Wheels, a brilliant strategist confined to a wheelchair. After running afoul of the gang members who attacked Slippery Sam's family, the brash Rafael becomes the newest member in the fight against the Nine.

Wolfpack made their debut in the 31st edition of Marvel Graphic Novel. It was co-created by Larry Hama and Ron Wilson. Wilson came up with the team name, the members of the Wolfpack and the concept behind the evil intentions of the Nine. Hama was hired to write the script. As a result, many of the character back stories and tha inclusion of martial arts, a subject of great interest to Larry Hama as you can see in his G.I. Joe comics, were added to the story. 

Both Larry Hama and Ron Wilson were born in New York. Wilson, a Brooklyn native drew inspiration from the gangs and war on drugs he encountered from his childhood. Wilson imparts a heavy 'Just Say No' to drugs fervor, especially in the backgrounds of many scenes where the rhetoric is displayed on the graffiti of the city walls. 

Larry Hama was in the Navy during the Vietnam War. After a short one-year stay in Hollywood trying his hands at acting, Hama returned to New York City, becoming very active in the Asian community there. Seeing the effects that urban decay, gangs and drugs were having on the city's Asian community among others, it influenced Hama to focus on the social inequalities and sense of hopelessness the poorest parts of the five boroughs were experiencing in the mid- 1980s.

After the graphic novel, the Wolfpack returned in a 12-issue maxi-series where they continued to fight against the Nine. While Ron Wilson penciled the entire series, Larry Hama had to depart midway due to scheduling conflicts with his other regular series. John Figueroa took over as Wolfpack scribe for Hama.

Aside from a couple of appearances of solo members of the Wolfpack in the pages of Marvel Comics Presents, the gang of do-gooders really haven't had a large presence in the Marvel Universe. Slippery Sam lost his life at the hands of a stalker type villain. Wheels left in his own sometime later, eventually joining the Underground resistance during the Secret Empire storyline. That leaves Rafael, Slag and Sharon to defend the South Bronx from drug dealers and violent gangs. The trio of remaining Wolfpack members appear to have last been seen during the first Marvel Civil War, in which they were branded as sympathetic to the Superhuman Registration Act.

Completing this review completes Task #30 (Written by an Asian Author) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents: Dial H For HERO

My dad had a pretty impressive comic book collection that I remember fondly digging into frequently as a kid. It was mostly DC books. One of the B-list (heck, more like C-list) segments that I remember happening upon was Dial H For HERO. At the time, it just wasn't my thing. I was more enthralled by the glamorous superheroes like Superman, Deadman and the Flash. As much as finding a device that would turn them into a superhero is any kid's dream, I just didn't connect with the adventures of young Robbie Reed.

The premise of Dial H For HERO is that preteen genius Robbie Reed finds a mysterious object that looks like the dial of an old rotary phone. Only instead of being in English, the tool has these strange glyphs. Brilliant Robbie is able to decipher the letters and decides on a whim to use it to spell out the word H-E-R-O. When Robbie dials the word, he turns into a superhero. Only, he doesn't know which protagonist he will become nor what his powers will be.

Over the course of his early career, as seen in the pre-horror pages of the House of Mystery, Robbie will become champions based on ancient myth, crazy gimmicks as well as bizarre freaks. Sometimes, Robbie will revisit the form of one of his previous incarnations and on one occasion, he becomes the established classic superhero, Plastic Man!

Dave Wood was the writer for all of these original series stories. Towards the end of the run, the characters got way more goofy and DC fell into the trap of thinking that the generation gap was what late 1960s kids wanted to read about. The series ended because of the Comics Code. Not because of violations, but instead because horror comics were once again in favor due to challenges over the Code which brought about some revisions. 

Dial H For HERO would return in the 1980s without Robbie Reed. Instead different boy as well as a young girl would find 2 different dials, changing into both a hero and a heroine. During this time readers were encouraged to create the characters that the kids turned into through a write-in contest.

It's those adventures in various issues of New Adventures of Superboy and Adventure Comics that I've come across as an adult that peaked my interest when I found this book a couple months ago. In this volume, there's a story where Robbie allows a gal pal of his to try the dial, becoming Gem Girl. I had originally assumed reading that tale that this was how we got 2 heroes in the later books. While that's not the case, that adventure is probably the inspiration for having a duo in the reboot series.

Looking around, those later stories don't seem to have been collected ever. I'd be very happy to own such a title should DC decide to release it in the future. While I am trimming my massive collection down a bit, this Showcase Presents collection is one that made the cut. While it's not a perfect series, Dial H For HERO is fun and nostalgic and to me that's worth overlooking the faults.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney Comics and Stories: Donald and Mickey- Quest for the Faceplant

IDW presents a rather charming collection of comic stories starring Mickey Mouse, Donald and his family and other iconic characters from titles originally published previously all over the globe.

Obviously, Donald Duck is the star of this collection. The best two stories costar Donald's cousin Gladstone who's literally a lucky duck! Usually Gladstone and Donald are rivals. But in the opening story based on the cover, Gladstone teams with Donald to photograph a rare plant that's about to bloom for the first time in years. With Donald's photography equipment and Gladstone's luck, the pair seems to have the edge over the competition. That is until they meet up with another contestant out to win the large cash prize: Scrooge McDuck!

Donald then gets a chance at being lucky for once when his wish to be as blessed as cousin Gladstone is mysteriously granted. It's a classic episode of blunder, satire and screwball comedy when Donald's luck runs out unknowingly right before he's about to perform the most insane stunt ever imagined!

In the Mickey arena, there's a pair of mystery stories. One involves the Phantom Blot. The other, Peg Leg Pete. Both co-star Horace Horsecollar, which is kinda odd, since Goofy tends to be the sidekick in those stories. Instead, Goofy have been saved for an adorable story in which he creates a series of mysteries for Mickey to solve in order for the busy amateur sleuth to finally have an exciting day of fun.

Stories starring some of the more lesser known characters of the Disney Universe include the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs, Bucky Bug and his insect friends, Brer Rabbit and his country-time enemies, and an adorable one-pager starring Chip n' Dale. Plus, there's plenty of fun with Donald's nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, including an epic sized riverboat adventure starring a character called Garvey Gull. A brand-new character to me, the jury is still out as to whether I find this little guy to be charming or annoying.

The love for the international Disney comics keeps growing within me. I think I have Don Rosa to thank for that. But IDW should get a little bit of the credit as well.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Birds of Prey: Sensei and Student

Black Canary is summoned to Hong Kong. Her sensei is near death and she's come to pay her last respects. There's another student coming to bid farewell to the martial arts master: Lady Shiva! It looks like these two foes are going to battle it out until the sempai calls for peace between the two. 

An uneasy truce between Black Canary and Lady Shiva is arranged until the mentor's death. However, when their teacher is murdered by an unknown assailant, the two rivals become allies to avenge the senseless killing of a man already near death. Only this unlikely pair have differing ways of finding answers. One is willing to let her hands and feet talk for her. The other is willing to take a life in order to get answers.

Meanwhile back in Gotham City, someone has hacked into Oracle's mainframe, claiming to know her secret identity. With Canary overseas, Barbara Gordon must rely on the Huntress. But with Helena Bertinelli's past romantic history with Dick Grayson, there's more than enough bad blood between the two. Now with Barbara in the custody of Federal agents for terrorism charges and violations of the Patriot Act, the Huntress might be Oracle's only hope, whether she likes it or not.

This is a book that's been sitting on for a very long time. I inherited it from my best friend after he died over a decade ago. I just couldn't bring myself to read it. Not out of mourning. Mostly just cause I wasn't really a fan of this series. But I figured I'd give it a try someday. That day just happened to be recently.

The events in this book seem to be occurring during a transitional time for the Birds of Prey. One of the team just left and while I know that Huntress joins them, at this period in time Canary, Oracle and Huntress kinda all hate and distrust each other to varying degrees. So I'm not really sure if the book follows the formula of the issues featured in this book or if they start to trust and rely on each other. (This volume also doesn't inform me if the series prior to this time of change was any good or not.)

The writing by Gail Simone was decent. But man are those birds a trio of biddies. Lots of action. But too much of a pissing contest. I thought this was bad in the books that primarily starred alpha males. But here, it's down right annoying.

The art is also decent. provides some very alluring art along with some action packed images led by Michael Golden and Ed Benes. Unfortunately, some of these artists draw in that beefy style of late 90s-early 2000s DC where you can't tell if the more muscular characters are well built or eating too much pie. Superman: Our Worlds At War was notorious for this look and it isn't becoming here either.

The Greg Land covers, like the one used for this volume, are breathtaking!

The ending was fantastic. It's a who's who of characters affiliated with the Birds of Prey as they answer the call to save Barbara Gordon and her Oracle secret identity from a corrupt politician with a damning past and a connection to the original Black Canary! Now that's a series I want to read more about as the pre-modern era filler story was much more interesting despite a bad case of convenient plot device at the middle of that segment.

I'd give the Birds of Prey another try if I found them at the library or something like that. But I'm not going out of my way to find more volumes, nor will I shell out any cash for it either.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: Darkenblot

Let's face it. Mickey Mouse is just too much of a goody-goody. Other than occasionally getting called out by girlfriend, Minnie, when he's trying to do right but his good intentions end calamitously, Mickey lacks the ability to be a bad guy like Donald Duck or Uncle Scrooge. That's why Mickey needs a perfect antagonist like the Phantom Blot!

The Blot is almost pure evil. No, not evil like a demon. He's just got zero redeeming qualities. Everything the villain does is for his own selfish gains. Truly, he's the antithesis of Mickey, unlike Peg Leg Pete, another Mickey Mouse foil, who does have the occasional soft spot. 

From the cover of this IDW collection of Mickey Mouse comics, one would think that Darkenblot is set in a gritty dystopian future like Akira or Blade Runner. Instead, this high tech story is set in the present day in a city designed to be everything ol' Walt Disney himself envisioned with the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow: EPCOT!

Avantegarde City is nearly 100% automated. Only the police force still uses humans as partners to robotic cops as a previous model was deemed to strict and abusive. Lately, the approved models have been acting up as well. Suddenly, an android version of the Phantom Blot begins terrorizing the city with electronic drones of his design. A visiting Mickey decides to stay in Avantgarde City to assist with the capture of this upgraded cyber villain calling himself the Darkenblot!

The Darkenblot story makes up probably 85% of this book. The remaining pages give readers a Mickey one-pager guest-starring Pluto, a Super Goof adventure in which the long-john donning hero takes on a mad scientist with a weather controlling machine and a yarn involving Horace Horsecollar. For those of you unfamiliar with Horace, despite looking more bovine, he really is a horse. Introduced in 1929, it's his girlfriend Clarabelle, Minnie Mouse's best friend, who is the more well known character. 

Despite my initial disappointment at Darkenblot not being set in the future, the story turned out to be really enjoyable. It lacked the formulaic traps that most Mickey Vs. Phantom Blot stories fall into. Perhaps because it's just Mickey to the rescue here. None of his beloved sidekicks like Goofy or Donald are available for comic relief. I kinda wish IDW had used one of the international covers. They present a more accurate feel of what the story was actually like instead of the American one which looks more cyberpunk.

The Super Goof story was silly.. uh, make that goofy. Horace's story was a delight, mostly if only for the unfamiliarity with the character. So I didn't know what to expect. And the one-pager, involving Pluto and an alley cat, was a delight that I re-read at least 3 times before moving on to the next story and I enjoyed it once more while writing this review.

I'm really becoming a fan of the international Disney comics. They're actually good! I want more!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Western Gunfighters #33 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Marvel's anthology series Western Gunfighters, which ran from 1970-75, was the second series to be published by that name. From 1956-57, Marvel, when they operated as Atlas, produced a series that spawned only 8 issues. The series began with issue #20, taking over the numbering from another Western title, Apache Kid. With issue #27, two other Western anthologies took over the numbering from Western Gunfighters.

The second volume lasted almost 4 times longer than it's predecessor, going for 33 issues. The first 7 issues contained a mix of all-new material and reprints, before switching entirely to previously published material with issue #8. The cowboy Ghost Rider was the main feature in those first few issues. Other new characters introduced in Western Gunfighters volume 2 included Jerry Siegel's Gunhawk and Roy Thomas and Mike Fredrich's short-lived and seldom remembered Renegades.

Referring back to the title's origins, reprints of the Native American hero Apache Kid were a frequent back-up feature since issue #1. In this issue, the Apache Kid, who poses as a white teenaged cowpuncher in order to infiltrate desperadoes who want to harm his tribe, joins a gang of white men who dress up as Apaches with hopes of causing a war with the US Calvary. Once the Army wipes out the Apaches, the gang hopes to lay claim to the tribe's valuable land and resources. The story featuring art by Werner Roth features two of the fastest quick-changes in the history of comics to a point, they make both Superman and any version of the Flash look slow. 

The cover story reprints a classic tale of Kid Colt. Written by Denny O'Neil, the Kid is given the chance at a pardon after he saves the governor of an unnamed Western state from train robbers. Sadly, Kid Colt must continue to live his days as a wanted man when he traded his chance at freedom in order to save the politician from assassins. Once more, the artwork is by Werner Roth.

Lastly, a loner named Gun-Slinger, along with his dog Lightning come across a prospector with aim to kill the pooch. A pack of wolves caused the prospector to lose a wealthy claim and now he's ready to kill anything that comes his way looking like a lupine. It's a story about redemption and forgiveness featuring art by John Romita, Sr.

Issue #33 would be the final issue of the series. It's demise was brought about by shrinkflation. When the reboot first debuted, it was a 52-page plus special for all of 15 cents. As the page count shrunk and the all-new material disappeared, the price rose to 20 cents and then 25 cents before Marvel let the title out to pasture.

Gil Kane was the cover artist for this issue.

Completing this review completes Task #47 (An Anthology) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.