Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann

A mystery novel in which a flock of sheep attempts to solve the murder of their shepherd. 5 years ago, I would have overlooked this book. But today, I am the owner and caregiver of several Nigerian Dwarf goats, I've become an amateur vet tech for a variety of animals, and I can't get enough mystery stories. So, this book seems to check off a lot of interests for me.

I first became aware of this 2005 novel about a month ago and I owe it all to Facebook. It was on that social media site that I came across the trailer for the live action film adaptation. Sheep Detectives, starring Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson, is due out later this Spring. By the end of the 2 minute sneak preview, I was dying laughing and so ready to go see it in theaters. I must admit, it's been a long time since I have been left wanting to see an full-fledged comedy of any sort that wasn't rated appropriate for general audiences. And even though I am not happy with Jackman divorcing his wife after an affair with a much younger actress, I was willing to overlook it to see this movie!

The trailer is where I learned that Sheep Detectives is based on a mystery novel. I immediately went to Amazon in hopes of purchasing a copy. Only, I couldn't find anything cheaper than $35. In fact, most editions were priced in the $80 to $100 plus range. For a 20 year old book! What the frick?! 

I then learned that the book was originally published as Three Bags Full. Also, in order to tie in with the film, all previous editions were placed out of print in place of a brand new edition. Thus the move prompted most sellers to raise their prices to those astronomical prices. I don't think they realized that this is actually a dumb move, as with a much cheaper edition coming out, and pretty soon as well, I was willing to wait for the pre-order. I assume that with how insane overall prices have become, a lot of eager mystery fans were willing to wait for a more pocket book friendly edition to come out.

My book arrived just before Easter. That seemed very appropriate considering how lambs and lush fields are symbols of the holiday season. I was taken by the adorable set of sheep on the front cover. I would encounter them more as they all appear in a makeshift animated sequence that plays out on the bottom right corner of the book if you flip the pages kinda fast. 

I learned from the back cover that this book was originally written in German where it has the different title of Glenkill, the name of the rustic Irish town where the murder takes place. Since I would be reading an English translation of a German text, I was concerned that some of the charm and humor might be stunted; forever lost in translation. However I was pleasantly surprised. This was a very cute book with many humorous moments as the flock try to solve the murder of George Glenn from their observations of the human race. 

Naturally, these ruminants get things wrong. Hilariously wrong. As the story is told from the point of view of the sheep, there's a lot of missing parts. Being that nothing happens in this book unless one of George's sheep are present, you might wonder how much mystery can be solved in a small pasture. But it's a very busy crime scene and these goats like to wander off... a lot.

When I read a gritty crime noir, I often get a little lost. (I chalk it up to my growing short term memory loss issues.) So I'll go back and thumb through the book trying to figure out what I missed. As all of the action in this book occurs only in front of the sheep, and they don't quite understand humans very well, there is a lot of incomplete data. Thus, if something didn't make sense, I think that was intentional on the part of the author. Still, not all of the pieces to all of the puzzles fit neatly together at the end. But if you can read between the lines, you should do okay. 

Glenkill is like any small town in the U.K., full of unsavory people who might or might not have something to do with the murders or one of a dozen other scandals that it seems everyone but the sheep and the reader know about. Is it the priest? The butcher? The scorn woman? Everyone is guilty about something but only 1 of the townsfolk knows the truth behind who killed George the shepherd.

Fanciful and fun. Funny too. The charm doesn't have to end and I am not just talking about going to see the film in theaters. Leonie Swann has actually written a sequel; 2010's Big Bad Wool. As opposed to a mystery, it's got a horror edge to it. I wonder if I can wait until October to devour it as part of my Halloween time reading list. It'll be tough but I think I can do it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Classic Illustrated Special Issue: Moses and the Ten Commandments

I stumbled across this early silver age beauty last weekend during my biannual visit to the flea market at the Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC. Actually, my wife found it. She knew that I like to collect Gilberton's Classics Illustrated and while this wasn't an official entry in their lineup, it is a spin-off. 

I didn't even know that this book existed. But it was in amazing condition. The price was very nice. And with Passover/Easter coming up, I was thrilled to have a Spring holiday comic read.

This retelling of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt wasn't produced to celebrate Passover or Easter. It was actually a tie-in to Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 Biblical epic The Ten Commandments; although you don't find that out until you get to the inside back cover where there is a full page ad along with photos of Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Pharaoh. 

The movie advertisement claims to have extra material not found in the modern Bible. That would explain some extra material to the Exodus story that seemed unfamiliar to me. I understand artistic license adding scenes and dialogue to the movie. DeMille's epic is over 3 hours long and from what I remember there was a side plot about an Israelite in love with an Egyptian girl. But to claim that the extra material is from newly released documents just seems not to be Gilberton's style. 

A couple of years ago, I read a book about the history of Classics Illustrated. I don't remember reading anything about the publisher releasing movie tie-ins. Was this a one time experiment? Or did they capitalize on other epic films being based on classics of world literature? 

A very appropriate read for Passover with awesome art. But above all, I think the use of a Leroy Lettering Machine in lieu of a human letterer actually works well here. The more formal font in bigger, bolder typeface really exudes the forceful commands of God to Moses and his people.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Daniel Boone #7 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

If you're the execs at 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney refuses to sell you the rights to one of their most lucrative properties, the legendary Davy Crockett, what do you do? You've already got Fess Parker, who played Davy in a series of TV movies that spawned a craze in the mid-1950s. You even have Parker wearing a coon skin cap, like he did back then, along with a slew of frontier set scripts, some historical sets and several actors who could pass for native American Indians. You even have a corporate sponsor in the Feldspar Corp., ready to cover some of your production expenses. Yet, you just cannot come to terms on the licensing rights for your main character. 

So what do you do? In this case, you pivot and focus instead on another similar figure of early American folklore. Enter: Daniel Boone!

Daniel Boone was born in 1734 in what was Colonial Pennsylvania. He was a noted frontiersmen and behind the settlement of Kentucky. Settling the town of Boonesborough, Boone participated in a border war with American Indians, where his exploits became legend. He later represented Kentucky territory in the Virginia state assembly before encountering financial hardships and moving stakes from Kentucky to what would now be Missouri. Boone died in 1820, preceded by his wife Rebecca 7 years earlier.

The television show based on Daniel Boone debuted in 1964 on NBC. It takes place during Boone's having just settled Boonesborough and featured stories that involved skirmishes with the neighboring Miami tribe, the occasional visiting stranger with a mysterious past and legal disputes with the US government. There was very little historical accuracy however. Boone's wife, Rebecca was a character on the show, as are children Israel and Jemima. However, Boone in real life had a total of 10 children. 

Daughter Jemima was famously abducted by Indians and rescued by a posse led by her father. The incident later became inspiration for James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. In real life, Jemima Boone was a hostage for 3 days. By the end of season 2 of the TV series, the character played by Angela Cartwright, soon of Lost in Space fame, Jemima was quietly removed from the show and never mentioned again.  

Jemima was no longer even a character on the show when this first hit shelves in 1966. The girl and her brother are the heroes of the backup feature titled 'Land of Giants'. When during an hunting expedition Boone and his compatriots are captured by hostile natives, the children use their knowledge of Native American folklore and pretend to be the giants of legend to scare the captors away. 

The opening story is titled 'The Battle for the Boats.' It involves a trader who foolishly believes that the Miami tribe living north of the Ohio River will embrace trading furs and other goods with him. Boone warns that the man's caravan of barges are going to be attacked and goes out to prevent the Miami from obtaining the guns and ammunition carried aboard before the weapons could be used against the Boonesborough settlement. 

Included along with the pair of Daniel Boone stories was a filler starring a character named Zachariah Yankee Peddler. He's a travelling salesman whose adventures have filled the pages of numerous Gold Key/Dell Western adventures such as The Lone Ranger. A pair of non-fiction one-pagers about Native American hunting practices grace the internal back and front covers along with a prose article on Chief Joseph. The exterior back cover features a photographed pin up of Fess as Daniel Boone. 

The 60s saw comic book artists and writers beginning to receive credit for their contributions. However, Gold Key was still rather late to that party. Current research indicates that  Paul S. Newman was the author behind all of the main stories and the interior cover scripts. Only the Chief Joseph biography is unaccounted for. Artwork and inks for this issue were split amongst Joe Certa, Mike Roy and Mike Peppe.

The Daniel Boone TV series ran for 6 seasons; lasting until Spring of 1970. Gold Key's adaptation ran for 15 issues. Published sporadically, it's last issue was dated April, 1969.

Completing this review completes Task #29 (A Fictional Comic About a Real Person) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

How to Eat a Lobster and Other Edible Enigmas Explained by Ashley Blom

The culinary arts are chock full of conundrums. How do you crack open a lobster in order to get the maximum amount of meat from inside? Is it possible to eat an artichoke without getting those eternally dry thistles stuck in your throat? Which fork do you use for the salad course? Can you prepare yourself to eat demonically spicy food when in reality, you've got the palette of an iceberg?

Food Blogger Ashley Blom explores dozens of mysteries that have dominated kitchens and dinner tables for centuries. This is a book I wish I had years ago. I recall a demo I did for my culinary students that used a technique that I learned in culinary school involving opening a coconut. The established way had me using the hilt of a very sharp chef's knife and bringing it down in force atop one of the fruit's trio of eyes. The blade ended up cracking off the handle and shooting about 10 feet across the lab. While quite comical, it could have ended disastrously if the blade impaled one of my students. Needless to say, I haven't conducted a coconut demo since. Now thanks to another possible method brought forth from this book, I'm willing to give the coconut another go!

A very short read, both in size and length, this 2017 guide from Quirk Books would make a great gift for the foodie in your life. Pair it with a bottle of wine and you've got an exquisite house warming gift. Add a portrait of Ulysses Grant or Ben Franklin inside and you've got an informative graduation gift that might help bring another lost soul into the world of food and fine dining. Just overlook the millennial slang peppered throughout these pages.

Featuring tips for food prep, table etiquette and how to interact properly when challenges arrive dining out or as a dinner party guest, this should be required reading. Everybody eats. But not everyone knows just how to do it. I've been in the culinary industry for nearly 2 decades and I learned new tips and tricks here. This is definitely going to be a reference book for me to use in my culinary lesson plans. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Classics Illustrated Junior #531: Rapunzel (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 1953, Gilberton began a spin-off of its vastly popular Classics Illustrated series of comics. Titled Classics Illustrated Junior, this new line was aimed at readers younger than 8. Issues featured fairy tales, nursery rhymes and fables. To distinguish itself from the sister line, Classic Illustrated Junior began its numbering at #501. This makes  #501, 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' the first issue in the series that lasted until 1971, when new owners Twin Circle Publishing discontinued all of its former Gilberton holdings.

In this issue, the story of 'Rapunzel' is explored. The fairy tale of the maiden with the lengthy tresses, locked away in a very tall tower is popularly attributed to the German folklorists, the Brothers Grimm, in their 1812 fairy tale collection Children's and Household Tales. However, modern researchers trace origins of the story to a couple of 17th century French fairy tales as well as the classical myth of the Greek hero Perseus, whose mother was confined to a bronze tower by her father. Regardless of the origins of the story, Gilberton focused on the Brothers Grimm as the primary source material.

The tale begins before the main character is even born. Her mother is having cravings for a salad made of rampion, a flowering plant with edible blossoms and roots. The nearest source of the plant is in the next door garden which belongs to an evil witch. Refusing to eat anything else except for the tantalizing rampions, the expecting mother sends her husband to gather some of the plants. 

Afraid of the witch, the husband sneaks into the garden and steals some of the rampion. He's caught by the crone. But since the plants are for the wife, the witch allows her rampions to be harvested- for a price! In return for the edibles, the old woman gets ownership of the couple's daughter; to which the very afraid husband willingly agrees.

After the birth of the child, the witch takes the infant girl into her custody. The babe is named Rapunzel, which is another name for rampion. Over the years, Rapunzel's hair grows ridiculously long. At around age 10, the conjurer imprisons Rapunzel in a tower that has no entrance way except for a lone widow at the very top. After destroying the ladder that gained the witch entrance into the tower, the hag checks on Rapunzel each morning by ordering the girl to lower her lengthy tresses. The witch then climbs up the hair to provide nourishment.

One day, a travelling prince hears Rapunzel singing in her tower and becomes immediately enamored. Hidden in a thicket, he witnesses the witch commanding Rapunzel to lower her hair. When the sorceress leaves, the prince makes the same request of Rapunzel and after making his climb, asks the girl to become his bride. But first, they've got to get rid of Rapunzel's jailer!

While Classics Illustrated Junior has a lessened page count than its older sibling series, there are several added features to the issue. Also included is a one-page recital of the nursery rhyme 'Little Miss Muffet', the Aesop Fable of the belling of the cat (titled 'The Mice in Council') as well as a 'The Animal World', a small nature strip about the abilities and  attributes of the Arctic reindeer. A connect the dot activity which reveals a kangaroo and a coloring page depicting Rapunzel in her tower bedroom round out the offerings. 

While it was not industry standards to attribute credits to the writers and artists who contributed to these pre-bronze age issues, devoted fans and comic book historians did exhaustive research in order to learn just who to admire for their work. From what I could look up, Lin Streeter painted the cover. He's also credited as the illustrator of both the title story as well as the Aesop Fable and the color page in the inside back cover. Alex A. Blum is ascribed for drawing the art for the 'Little Miss Muffet' page. William A. Walsh drew the reindeer lesson. 

No writer information was readily available. The Brothers Grimm are not even given credit for inspiring this tale whereas other issues, such as #525 'The Little Mermaid', bestows cover credit to Hans Christian Andersen.

Completing this review completes Task #28 (An issue of Classics Illustrated Jr) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Faculty Funnies #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the late 1980s, Archie Comics revisited the Riverdale superheroes concept. Only this time, it was the teachers and staff of Riverdale High School that became empowered.

When Archie's science experiment explodes, several members of the faculty gain superpowers based on skills they've developed over their careers. Thanks to years of writing across a lengthy blackboard, Ms. Grundy's right arm becomes super-stretchy. Coach Clayton, develops super breath, thanks to his persistence with a P.E. whistle. His sneezes can also stun a criminal! Principle Weatherbee develops clairvoyance due to years of anticipating problems that arise within the realms of public education. Rounding out the group is Professor Flutesnoot, who became nigh invulnerable thanks to decades of suffering through exploding science experiments.

The four faculty members decide to become a superteam. Grundy sews up a quartet of very itchy wool costumes and the staff of Riverdale High become known as the Awesome Foursome. Their first adventure uncovers a plot in which the town's criminal underground seems to increase the crime rate through subliminal messages implanting in discount video tapes rented to Archie and his friends. 

George Gladir scripted with art by Stan Goldberg. Rudy Lapick inked. While not billed as a miniseries, Faculty Funnies was not intended to be a new regular title. The concept came to a planned end with issue #5, seeing the teachers losing their special abilities and realizing that being an educator who cared as their true super powers. 

The book was filled with the usual one-page gags and short stories; this time around starring other members of the RHS faculty. Gladir crafted a one-pager featuring the former drill Sargent turned Assistant Principal, Mr. Howitzer. Hal Smith wrote the 2-page filler starring the oft flummoxed Miss Haggly. And yes, that's the same Hal Smith who played town drunk Otis on The Andy Griffith Show! Again, the art in both was provided by Stan Goldberg with inks by Lapick. The pair also crafted the cover to this issue.

A fun, and at times silly comic of which I wouldn't mind having the other issues to round out a complete run.

Completing this review completes Task #26 (An Archie Comics release from the 1980s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Pep Comics #287 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

With a cover teasing the most one-sided snowball fight of all time, winter fun is the theme to this 1974 issue of Pep Comics. The opening story virtually has no dialogue, except for an exclamation from Archie that closes everything with a punchline. In 'Archie Says "It's Always the Same Old Story on a Weekend Ski Trip", Archie and Reggie head to the slopes. The tale is narrated like one of those Disney mockumentaries starring Goofy, as it's explained what to expect when you make an impromptu trip to the mountains. The unseen voice regales the reader with narration of a magical weekend ski trip while in reality we see everything go wrong for Archie and Reggie.

Follow up stories include Li'l Jinx engaged in a good ol' fashioned 1970s battle of the sexes. The task at hand: who makes a better pilot; men or women? But since Jinx and her pal are way too young to fly a commercial airliner, they'll have to settle for figuring out who can fly the better paper airplane. 

Archie bemoans a sudden snow storm in one yarn while Reggie and Moose struggle to get Archie up in time for a big game. Rounding out the issue are one-page gags starring Coach Kleats and Big Ethel as well as prize winning reports from members of 'Archie's Club News'. There's also a pin-up in which Archie gets Jughead to wrap him inside a giant gift wrapped box as Veronica's Christmas present. It's the only holiday themed part of this issue.

There are no creative credits anywhere to be found in this issue. But according to MyComicShop.com, Dan DeCarlo penciled the cover, Bob Bolling was the artist behind the ski trip opener and the Li'l Jinx story was written and illustrated by character creator Joe Edwards.

Completing this review completes Task #25 (An Archie Comics release from the 1970s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Jughead as Captain Hero #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Ever since it's beginning, comic books featuring the everlasting teenager Archie Andrews, have reflected the trends and fads of the age. The creation of Archie himself, was built upon the romantic misadventures of the Mickey Rooney character Andy Hardy. In the 1960s, when dashing spies such as James Bond and Napoleon Solo dominated the silver screen as well as television's nationwide, MLJ Comics (later Archie Comics) issued a series of parody adventures titled 'The Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.'

As superheroes returned to prominence in comics and pop culture, the editors at Archie decided to cash in by turning Archie into the orange tights wearing Pureheart the Powerful; later renamed Captain Pureheart for some reason. The first appearance of the super-powered Archie occurred in issue #42 of Life With Archie. Dated October, 1965, the concept was a joint collaborative of publisher John Goldwater and writer Frank Doyle. A few issues later, Pureheart returned with an origin story that introduced the 'PH factor' in which a character's pureness of heart bestows powers to the user. Eventually Reggie, Betty and best pal Jughead would be granted a portion of Archie's Pureheart powers; although Reggie would become more of a villain than hero when transformed into the guise of Evilheart.

Jughead's debut as a superhero occurred in LWA #50. His character, Captain Hero, had super strength like Superman with the arsenal of Batman. His gadgets included high-powered binoculars and rocket powered water skis. To transform into Captain Hero, Jughead had to recite a mantra similar to Green Lantern: 'Teeny weeny magic beanie pointing towards the sky; give me muscle, power, vigor - form a super guy!". However, a triple dose of Pop's famous hamburgers would enhance his powers much like spinach does for Popeye.

Jughead's demeanor was an almost 180 switch from Riverdale High School Jughead. Captain Hero was much more serious, focused and determined. It was almost as if becoming a superhero was Jughead's purpose in life and that he had been wanting planning for it since birth. Compared to Archie when in superhero mode, Captain Hero is also much more competent and less prone to klutzy accidents. 

After a few more adventures in Life With Archie, Jughead's super-powered alter ego received solo status with the debut of Jughead as Captain Hero in the fall of 1966. Both Archie and Reggie's superhero personas would be given solo titles as well. Betty',s Superteen would not see independent action until year's later in a 2020 one-shot.

The action for the main story begins on the cover! The Whammy, has used his persona-reversing powers and turned Archie Andrews into a juvenile delinquent! This prompted Jughead to transform into Captain Hero. Inside, the opening page has Captain Hero ready to restore his friend back into a good guy. However, the foe uses a slithery villain named Python and a lumbering lackey named The Beam to distract Captain Hero as evil Archie vandalizes downtown Riverdale.

In the 2nd feature, a villain called the Collector has decided to add teenagers to his collection. First on the list is Veronica. Pureheart the Powerful and Evilheart both attempt to free her and wind up becoming the newest additions to the antagonist's collection. Using his amazing gadgets, Jughead turns into Captain Hero and follows the Collector's trail which will lead the super-powered teen to a tropical island filled with criminals and captive teens from Riverdale.

Issue #1 was written by Frank Doyle. Cover and interiors by Bob White. It also contains a one-page gag starring Li'l Jinx as a superhero of her own. It was written and illustrated by Li'l Jinx creator Joe Edwards.

Jughead as Captain Hero ran for 7 issues. By 1970, the Superteens experiment was all but finished. Pureheart and friends would continue to reappear over the next 5 decades, primarily in reprint form in digests and trades. In 2019, the Superteens, now including Veronica as Powerteen, would return in a 2-issue crossover with another Archie Comics band of superheroes, the Mighty Crusaders, to take on an evil substitute teacher bent on revenge against the students of Riverdale High.

Completing this review completes Task #24 (An Archie Comics release from the 1960s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Comic book historian Mike Conroy examines the history of comic books through the lens of action heroes of all sorts. Instead of just focusing on superheroes, Conroy provides thorough, albeit brief publishing histories of 500 different protagonists, many of which would be categorized as possessing tenacity, bravery and are superior physical specimens without being super-powered. 

His categories are male heroes, female heroes, teams, science fiction heroes, western heroes, horror and supernatural heroes and heroes that originated from the funny papers or pulps. The male heroes chapter is disproportionately the largest chapter. But considering how male dominated comics have been, it's understandable the amount of attention Mike Conroy bestows to those heroes.

It could be argued that most comic book heroes were granted a female paramour such as Dale Arden to Flash Gordon or Superman's girlfriend Lois Lane. However heroic those characters might be from time to time, don't expect to find any entries on them in the chapter highlighting female heroes. From 2002, don't expect very many anti-heroes to be in this book either. Characters such as Lobo, Harley Quinn and Deadpool are nowhere to be found. In fact, if there is a villain mentioned inside, it's in brief as framing for an action hero's reason for vengeance or ultimately meeting their demise; permanent or temporary. Perhaps those who straddle the line between right and wrong are listed in Conroy's companion piece devoted to 500 Comic Book Villains. 

The author provides encyclopedia-like entries for hundreds of characters. But one should not expect to find 500 of them. I think Conroy counts a lot of the 500 heroes as the brief mentions in articles he devoted to French comic heroes or Marvel's experiments with horror in the 1970s. Being from the U.K., Conroy spends a large portion of this 376 page book discussing British comic book heroes. However, Manga and a few other European heroes who have garnered universal appeal among comic book readers are explored- briefly.

One thing that I didn't bank on was the poor editing. Now I realize that I make my fair share of typos and mistakes in the blog posts I write. But I don't have a professional editor helping me either. Some of it could be explained as this is how a British writer spells words. I have no qualms with that. However, when he says that such-and-such character debited in issue #185 and died in issue #166, something is seriously wrong here. Unfortunately such confusing data happens more than once in this book. As much as I learned a lot about new characters and other series and minis that I might want to collect in the future, if this edition is any indication of what you'd find in Conroy's villain examination, I don't think that I have any desire to pursue obtaining it.

Features a foreword by comic book legend Will Eisner with additional contributions by cover artist John Watson.

Completing this review completes Task #40 (A prose non-fiction book about comic books) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

20th Century Ghosts: 20th Anniversary Edition by Joe Hill

This collection of short stories by Joe Hill is a rarity. Not because it's a limited run or a anything like that, despite being a 20th anniversary edition. The rarity is due to the fact that first published novels are almost never an anthology of short stories. Yet in 2005, PS Publishing took a leap of faith in up-and-comer Joe Hill and unleashed 20th Century Ghosts upon the world and a new horror writer great was born!

Joe Hill is not the writer's real name. Born Joseph King, Hill is a member of the acclaimed King family of writers. That's right, Stephen King is Joe Hill's papa! Hill is an abbreviation of his middle name, Hillström, as well as an off-tribute to his love of comic books as Joe Chill is the man who killed Batman's parents. Wanting to make a name for himself based on his own works and not the gravitas of the King family moniker, it was a struggle to get the attention of even the smallest of publishers.

20th Century Ghosts is a reflection of Joe Hill's evolution from relative unknown writer to award winning author. No less than 2 stories in this collection have been adapted into films. Love the growing horror franchise of 'The Black Phone'? The short story that gave birth to those Ethan Hawke led thrillers is here. A couple more were adapted into comic books. This was an amazing collection where just about every story was a masterpiece.

I've got 2 favorites: 'Pop Art 'and the title story of this collection are tied for first. 'Pop Art' is about an unusual friendship between a lonely young boy and his best friend Arthur, a living child made of inflatable plastic! '20th Century Ghost' is a sweeping epic love story to the silver screen in which a small time movie theater is haunted by the ghost of a young cinephile. 

Other notable tales that I really, really liked was 'Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead', an ersatz high school reunion between 2 former love birds setting in the Monroeville Mall during the filming of the George Romero classic Dawn of the Dead! It was a new addition to this anniversary edition. 'Best New Fiction' sees a struggling literary review editor looking for the next thing in horror fiction. I both loved and was similarly creeped out by the Tales From the Darkside level ending. 

'Abraham's Boys' tells of 2 boys whose demanding father reveals his secretive past. 'Voluntary Committal' was a trippy adventure about a spectrum child and his creative process that has an unforgettable ending on par with Richard Bachman's 'The Long Walk'. In 'The Cape', a previously unpublished work, I found myself rooting for the bad guy! That's how freaking amazing a writer Joe Hill is!

I can't forget 'Last Breath' about a family that visits a museum that displays the last gasps of both the world famous and the common man. Another new addition to this book, it's a quirky story on par with another 90s horror anthology series I grew up with, Monsters, as the tongue is definitely in cheek with this clever episode.

The one story that I wasn't such a fan of was 'My Father's Mask'. It starts off with tremendous intrigue as a family sneaks away with their son in the dead of night, supposedly trailed by a mysterious cadre. However, things go downhill the next morning when the boy awakens. The suspense molds into some bizarre S&M Oedipal fantasy with nearly nude parents wearing domino masks. By the time this story ends, readers encounter a cherubic lad riding a bike in a nightgown and an unusual round of cards. Oh, and questions. A whole lot of questions. I went online afterwards in hopes of getting some answers about how the story ends. Turns out I wasn't the only one confused by it. Yet it seemed after getting responses from several so-called 'experts', I became even more confused about the symbolism and wasn't really sure what the hell I had just read.

1 dud out of 17. Terrible odds if you were a manufacturer of hand grenades. But for entertainment purposes, that's pretty good. If it's coming from Joe Hill, I'd take those odds any day. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Edge of Spider-Verse

While it was DC Comics that introduced us to the multiverse, Marvel's Spider-Verse storyline from 2014-15 is what has powered superhero movies for the last decade. 

This prelude to the Spider-Verse epic event reintroduces a fan favorite while establishing several new versions of Spider-Man.

* First up is the 1920s gangster filled world of Spider-Man Noir. Most of the super-villains have been put to pasture thanks to the vigilante hero The Spider, that at this point in time, Peter Parker is thinking about retiring.

*In a world where the radioactive spider bit Gwen Stacy, the aspiring drummer becomes known as Spider-Woman. Blamed for the tragic death of Peter Parker, Gwen must run one step ahead of the New York Police Department which is lead by her father, Chief of Police George Stacy!

*A research scientist who specializes in arachnids discovers that his work might be behind a horde of sleep-walking zombies that are kidnapping citizens as soldiers in their ever growing army. 

*Visit a world where Peter Parker is abused by his uncle Ben and as a result, kidnapping and torturing neighborhood animals in a truly horrifying take on the Spider-Man.

*Lastly, on a technologically advanced earth, a 10-year old girl is bonded to a bio-engineered spider and placed inside an Iron Man level suit of armor!

All 5 stories were amazing. Ironically, the story that I liked the least, the Spider-Gwen introduction, is everyone else's favorite. Don't get me wrong. I prefer Gwen over Mary Jane. I have no qualms with there being a Gwen Stacy version of Spider-Man. It's just that the 3 stories that came after Spider-Gwen's debut were so freaking awesome!

After the 'zombie' story, I couldn't wait to read Spider-Verse and I had to find out what happened next. The demented Peter Parker story had an EC Comics horror quality. ( I just wish that the last panel had much better art.) And I think I've become a Peni Parker and SP//DR fan! That Manga inspired world was so cool! Their Daredevil was so wicked! Where can I find more of their adventures? Are there any?

If you want the first appearance of Spider-Gwen and you can't afford first print prices, this trade is the affordable way to do it. I didn't initially realize what I was getting with that. I was just trying to read the prelude to the Spider-Verse tale and not be lost without it. 

My local library has 'Spider-Verse' collected as an omnibus. I realize now that the collected edition probably has the contents of this trade inside it. But I bought this book way before I learned about the omnibus being at the library. So I'll just skip that part if it comes to that. Though I might re-read the horror stories and the Peni Parker introduction. Considering that I don't like to re-read stuff (as there's so much never before read stuff out there for consumption), that's high praise coming from me!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Swamp Thing Annual #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

 In 1982, Bernie Wrightson and Len Wein's creepy creation, the Swamp Thing, made its motion picture debut. Written and directed by Wes Craven, the film tells a mostly faithful origin story of Dr. Alec Holland and how he is transformed into a being of sentient plant matter.

While working in a secret government lab deep in the swamps of Florida, Dr. Holland has created a formula that can transform barren deserts into futile farmland. His sister Linda, has also discovered that a single drop of the formula can also double as a powerful explosive. Anton Arcane, a despotic paramilitary leader, has caught wind of the chemical and attacks the lab in hopes of making the formula a part of his ever growing arsenal. During the assault, the chemical is spilt on Holland and he immediately catches fire thanks to its volatile properties. To extinguish himself, Holland jumps into the murky swamp and seemingly perishes.

Meanwhile, Alice Cable, a new government attaché to the project, flees with one of Holland's notebooks. With Arcane's operatives trailing her, Cable must find a way to alert Washington to the attack. However, the commandos get the better of Cable. With the notebook in their possession, there's no longer a need to keep Cable alive. But right before they silence the government agent, a mysterious creature emerges from the muck. It's the Swamp Thing and boy, is he mad!

The live action film was produced by Swampfilms and distributed jointly by Embassy Pictures and United Artists. It started Ray Wise as Dr. Alec Holland.  Adrienne Barbeau played Alice Cable. Renown French actor Louis Jourdan was the evil Arcane. Dick Durock would don pounds of rubber and fake moss as the title character. Over the next decade, it would only be Durock's body in the Swamp Thing suit. The imposing 6'6" actor would star opposite Heather Locklear in 1989's campy Return of the Swamp Thing. A year later, Durock would return for an hour long TV series on cable's USA Network. The series would run 72 episodes over 3 seasons. 

None of the subsequent Swamp Thing adaptations to star Dick Durock would receive the comic book treatment. This oversized special was written by Bruce Jones. Mark Texeira penciled; Tony DeZuniga inked. The cover image is of the original theatrical poster. It was painted and airbrushed by celebrated fantasy and sci-fi artist Michael Whelan. 

Completing this review completes Task #30 (A Movie Adaptation) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Popeye and Business and Office Careers #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Writer Joe Gill and artist Tony Tallarico led the young readers of 1973 through the growing field of office management. Your guides are Popeye the Sailor Man and his infant ward, Swee'Pea. 

Many jobs explored, such as office manager, secretary, and stenographer, had been around for decades. But with the growing use of computers to compute complex algorithms, data processing and scheduling and payroll, new positions and roles were being added to office setting. 

The argument has always been that computers are going to take human jobs. We see this more today with the controversial role of artificial intelligence. But in 1973, the job field was actually growing thanks to computers. That's because of how primitive they were back then!

The average computer used in offices in the 1970s were the size of several of our current xerox machines put together. They could fill an entire room, based on the size of the business. The standard personal computer is several years away from being offered to businesses. These computers also lacked the internal data processing features like spreadsheets. Yes, this is a world without Microsoft Office.

Popeye explains that to program a computer, you would need a team of employees; from technicians who would fine tool the machine on a regular, almost daily basis to punch card operators who tabulated the cardstock paper inserts that fed data into the computer for analysis.

Published by King Features Syndicate, the art and distribution studio that put Popeye and friends in dozens of newspapers nationwide, Popeye and Business and Office Careers was one of 15 other educational comic books starring the sailor. Other career pathways explored by Popeye and friends were in healthcare, communications, transportation and agri-business as part of King's Career Educational Series.

Cover by George Wildman.

Completing this review completes Task #5 (An educational comic) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

The Star Wars #8

The Dark Horse Comics adaptation of the original George Lucas rough draft of Star Wars does indeed come to an end in this issue. Issue #8 doesn't appear to have an expanded page count. So either Dark Horse made an error in planning for how many issues this miniseries should run or Lucas had so many different ideas in how to wrap his story up that he failed to pace things out properly. It's got to be George Lucas' fault. I say this because so much happens in the finale compared to some parts of act one and two that drag out to a snail's pace. Star Wars was such a lucrative property for Dark Horse, if the publisher felt like a 9th or 10th issue was warranted, they would have approved an extension as this sort of thing happens all the time in order to boost sales. 

So what does happen in this closer:

* Annikin Starkiller infiltrates the Empire's Space Fortress in hopes of rescuing Princess Leia who's being interrogated under threat of torture.

*General Luke Skywalker and Han Solo somehow manages to teach a bunch of primitive Wookiees to fly Imperial fighters and organizes an assault on the gigantic space station.

* A new ally emerges.

* Lots of people die on both sides of the conflict.

*Lastly, we get an ending satisfying enough that should ticket sales be dismal, you feel like there was a happy ending. But you don't close things out too perfectly less the studios decide to green-light a sequel.

For those who finish this miniseries, you'll have to settle for option A. This was Dark Horse's swan song with the Star Wars franchise. With Disney buying Lucasfilm in 2012, the House of Mouse had plans for a new series of films as well as giving Marvel, which was also owned by Disney, carte blanche on publishing the further adventures of Luke Skywalker and company. In other words, Disney had no intention of looking backwards; nor were they willing to share a piece of the lucrative Star Wars pie.

Ironically, thanks mostly to the pandemic's crippling effect on the comic book market, Marvel had to source out some of its Star Wars catalog back to Dark Horse. Another irony, instead of giving them any of the established trilogies or the new generation series that was coming to movie screens, Dark Horse was given free reign to establish history of the Old Republic. While in 2014 it didn't look like 'The Saga of The Ophuchi', the proposed next chapter in The Star Wars, perhaps with multiverses being the main focus of the big 2 publishers and their visual arts media, maybe the time is right to continue the adventures of Annikin Starkiller...

I know I'd buy it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Star Wars #7

Meet the Wookiees! Essentially, everything that George Lucas wanted to do with the people of Chewbacca's tribe in Return of the Jedi but had to replace with the much more marketable (In other word: cute and cuddly) Ewoks occurs in this chapter. 

The Wookiees appear more bestial like Bigfoot, with less fur around the face and chest and a bit more stocky. This design would eventually be reused as the character Zeb Orrelios, the last Lasat from Star Wars: Rebels; except with the change in fur color of Zeb's being purple and his having the ability to speak basic. 

There's an Imperial base on this planet. General Skywalker plans to train the Wookiees to attack it, using all those great wooden booby traps used during the Battle of Endor to destroy a squad of Imperial tanks that would eventually be utilized by the droid forces of the Separatists in Phantom Menace. Once the base is secured, they'll plan to steal all of the fighters, conduct a quick pilot training course before attacking the Space Fortress and rescuing Princess Leia who's currently being tortured by a Sith bloke who looks an awful lot like David Prowse. Good thing these primitive warriors understand how to fly heavy machinery.

This issue ends with a promise that the next  will wrap everything up. I don't see how. It feels like there's still like an hour of movie script to jump through. 

Trust the process, Padawan...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Star Wars #6

Remember that ridiculous scene in The Last Jedi where the ship Princess Leia is in gets blown to pieces and it blasts her into space? Instead of dying, she uses the Force to float herself to safety before failing into a brief coma. Remember that scene? Some called it her 'Mary Poppin's scene' Well, that's what is depicted on this issue's cover and it actually happens inside. Just like with Episode VIII, I rolled my eyes at the whole thing. Not because I don't think Annikin Starkiller could survive the brief effects of being in space without any sort of protective suit. But because the impact of the hull breach should have shot him out of the ship like a human cannon! And yet, the hero is within reach of a tow cable ejected by one of the droids. 

And wouldn't you know it: a character that I had started to really like dies in a somewhat unnecessary melodramatic way!

There's only 2 issues left and if we were to compare what has occurred here to the final draft of Episode IV, we at the part where the Millennium Falcon has left Tatooine and is about to go into hyper-drive to Alderaan. And yet here, the heroes managed to escape a squadron of TIE fighters through an asteroid field and crash land on a supposedly uninhabited jungle. I've got zero idea where things are going. I like it but it's also a bit unsettling being in such an undiscovered country.

On to issue #7!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania

Following the events of Marvel: Endgame, Scott Lang has been riding high on the success of a bestselling biography and popular lecture circuit. But things aren't so great on the home front. Girlfriend Hope Pym Van Dyne barely has time for him now that she runs her father's company. Daughter Cassie has been getting into trouble with the cops; mostly because her father refuses to let her become a superhero. Adding to problems, secretly, Hank Pym has been helping Cassie create a device that could communicate with the Quantum Realm. This really freaks out Janet Van Dyne and before she can turn off the device, she, Hank, Cassie, Hope and Scott are plunged into that microscopic universe.

It's learned that while Janet was stuck in the Quantum Realm, she meet a fellow castaway who promised to return Van Dyne to her world in exchange for repairing his damaged ship. On the day the vehicle is to be activated, Janet learns that whom she thought was an ally actually had plans to conquer the entire known multiverse. Despite a promise to leave her universe free from his plans for conquest, Janet destroys the machine, making a very powerful enemy. Thus, Kang the Conqueror promises revenge on Janet Van Dyne, with the guarantee that should he ever free himself from his exile in the Quantum Realm, her universe will be the first to be destroyed.

Stuck once more in the Quantum Realm, Scott and family must find a way back home without alerting Kang of their presence. But Janet Van Dyne made a lot of enemies during her time away from Hank and Hope; mostly because her betrayal of Kang led to the villain's conquest of the Quantum Realm and slaves of it's inhabitants. Throw in a forgotten foe from the first Antman film and it's essentially 5 against a universe that literally defies the established laws of quantum physics.

I recorded Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania sometime last November on my DVR. FXX was the channel showing it. I get a week off for Thanksgiving break and had every intention of seeing the film in it's entirety in one sitting. FXX was showing the movie in a sort of marathon viewing. As my DVR timer was set to begin recording 2 minutes early, the after credits scene was what started things off and it spoiled a huge chunk of the movie for me. Add in the terrible CGI, the excessive use of green screen and the knowledge that most of what occurs in this movie gets scrapped because of the cancelling of actor Jonathan Majors (due to an arrest for assault and battery), who plays Kang and I quickly lost interest in the movie.

I think I watched the first hour during Thanksgiving break. Another hour or so during Christmas and then today, I finally got up the nerve to finish the film and free up a couple hours on my DVR. Maybe it's because I am nearly 50 and I have seen more than my fair share of superhero movies. Maybe it's because Hollywood is operating on tired cliches and very little else. Maybe it's both, because I found very little in this 2023 film that surprised me. I was literally running through everything that happened in the last climatic battle scene out loud a good 3-4 seconds before it happened. I wasn't bored as much as I was unimpressed.

I feel like a major Marvel villain such as Kang the Conqueror shouldn't have been wasted on such a minor hero as Antman. Kang deserves better than Scott Lang. He needs the Avengers. Yeah, I know. Earth's Mightiest Heroes are defunct at the moment. Having Kang was going to be what brings the old team together in what, the MCU's 5th wave. Or is it 6th? 7th? I have no idea.

The plan going forward for Marvel is to have Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr., as the main villain. But did we have to forgo Kang just because the actor who played him did something criminal? Actors and actresses have been fired and recast since the beginning of Hollywood. If you are going to explore the multiverse of the MCU and officially add the Fantastic Four and the X-Men to it, it really makes sense to keep Kang your villain. He's the time travelling, multiple Earth visiting antagonist that has given everyone fits at one time or another. It's almost like Kevin Fiege was unhappy with the plans made for the Kang Saga and was looking for any glitch to change things around. To me, this feels like the crimes committed by Majors was almost secretly welcomed by Marvel. If Disney was really sickened by those crimes, they would have kept their original plans and recast another actor to play Kang.

This is a movie that was not very well made in terms of creativity or special effects. It's also a film with a lot of baggage. I'm glad that I didn't spend about $80 going to the theaters to see it with my godson. It would have been a waste of time and money- hard earned. Antman and the Wasp Quantumania is almost, ALMOST NOT as bad as the worst MCU film ever made, Thor: The Dark World. But not by much. I hate to say it but it's Jonathan Majors who makes this film somewhat re-watchable.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

The Star Wars #5

General Skywalker, Annikin Starkiller and the royal family of Aquilae have procured passage off the besieged planet only to walk into a trap!

This was an action packed issue. It was also unnecessary. You do learn a little bit more about the Sith Knight that the Emperor recruits to capture the Princess. We're also introduced to a deadly gas that the Sith are immune to. But other than that, everything in this issue feels like a period of time George Lucas spent on the rough draft script in a state of writer's block.

They say that it was Lucas's first wife, Marcia Griffin Lucas, who took the parts of the original Star Wars trilogy that weren't working and made them into iconic scenes and characters. 'Polishing a turd' is how I have heard it referred to. In regards to this segment, I tend to believe that assessment. 

Great Mike Mayhew artwork. But really, this is an issue that you could skip and not miss anything because by chapter end, the protagonists are still exactly where they started. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

The Star Wars #4

Yes, the reptilian Dewbacks were originally supposed to be angry looking ostriches.

After a trio of action packed issues, things slow down a bit in part 4. But don't worry. Skywalker, Starkiller and the Princess have made it to Mos Eisley Spaceport, called Wilson Spaceport, in the George Lucas rough draft.

All of the excitement of the Cantina scene is here. Han Solo, looking more like Swamp Thing with scales instead of Indiana Jones, is introduced. But don't expect Chewbacca. This smuggler works alone. 

Then plans are made with some members of the growing Rebellion against the Evil Empire. The young twin brothers of Princess Leia are placed in stasis. A forgotten character reappears only to die pretty unexpectedly as well as quite heroically. 

Oh, and Darth Vader and a very evil looking Sith Knight have arrived, joining the search for the Princess.

I had mentioned during my review of issue #1 that this miniseries has 8 parts. 9 if you count the #0 issue which is more of a showcase of artistic designs and character bios. Yet in my previous review, I said that this issue would be the exact midpoint of the storyline. That's because when I read this issue, I was under the assumption that issue #7 was the last issue. When I bought these books last year, I purchased them as a bundle with a label that the set contained issues #1-7. I had falsely assumed that I was purchasing a complete set.

With this issue ending with the main characters still stuck on Aquilae, I kept thinking that there's no way everything gets wrapped up by issue #7. I did some research and learned that I was right. I was missing the 8th and final issue. Thankfully I found a copy for a decent price and a fairly quick delivery date. So I am really looking for an epic conclusion. Still, considering how much at a snail's pace things are moving here, I have my doubts everything is going to be finished up when we get to issue #8.

I'm now halfway there. We shall see!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.