Dee Snider: He's Not Gonna Take It

In 1985, about a dozen wives of Congressmen and Senators got together and formed the PMRC, the Parents Music Resource Center. Lead by then Sen. Al Gore's wife Tipper, the women wanted to impose a rating system on music. Some saw it as a way to educate parents on the content in the music their children listened to. Some saw it as censorship. As a result, a Senate Judicial hearing was called. In defense of the music, 3 artists agreed to testify: John Denver, Frank Zappa and Dee Snider of hair band Twisted Sister. This is Snider's story.

After a small introduction, Dee himself presents his life story from first becoming interested in music because of the Beatles to becoming the androgynous lead singer of TS. His father was far from his biggest supporter. In fact, he'd laugh in the aspiring musical artist's face, with the elder Snider just not understanding kids and their music in those days.

Dee put the anger from that humiliation to paper and later penned one of the greatest anti-BS anthems of all-time, We're Not Gonna Take It. A brilliant music video that redefined the visual medium with its live-action cartoon retribution against the metal hating poppa, would take Twisted Sister to the top of the charts. And then came the PMRC.

Just about when Twisted Sister hit the top, the PMRC put We're Not Gonna Take It on their list of 15 songs that should be banned from the delicate ears of children. The PMRC interpreted Snider's cathartic rebellion against his distant father and haters of the band, as a call for nationwide violence and riots. Angered by the attacks, when invited to rebut the accusations of the PMRC, Snider jumped at the chance to speak before Congress.

Snider's opening statement and his answers back to the questioning body has since been considered a victory for free speech on the rocker's behalf. But in 1985, the aftermath branded Dee Snider and Twisted Sister as either Public Enemy No. 1 to the American family or a traitor by true heavy metal fans. Years later, thanks to Snider's testimony being available in full on social media, the singer and his band have been redeemed in the eyes of generations of fans as well as first amendment historians.

Dee Snider now hosts a weekly radio show called The House of Hair. He recently retired from Twisted Sister because of his health. He and his family live in my home state of North Carolina. My pastor isn't so much of a fan of Christmas carols. But he likes Twisted Sister. Because of this, I have made it my mission to one day persuade Mr. Snider to one day visit our church in Durham for the holidays and sing his version of O Come All Ye Faithful. 

That being said, I want you to know that my review is going to be 100% honest. I'm not giving praise in order to pander for my holiday church dream coming true. Yes, I did buy this book just recently over the weekend. I've been wanting to read it since it came out in 2023 and if I ever get to hear a live version of Twisted Sister's version of the holiday classic, this book will be getting autographed!

It's a really good read. There's a a lot of Tarantino level use of f-bombs. But there's no sex, drugs or gore. Except for Al and Tipper, of course. Dee has a rather unfortunate encounter with a high school bully. And as a very angry young man, he got into brawls and arguments with more than his fair share of Twisted Sister haters. But as a historical graphic novel, this ranks up there as one of the best.

I was a bit hesitant to buy this graphic novel because I thought it was only going to be about the Senate hearings. While it does account for about a third of the book, it wasn't boring. And despite being written by Dee Snider, his account felt honest and true to what happened. Having his life story included was a smart move. But don't expect a full account. I had to go to Wikipedia to see if the woman he dates at the beginning of his career ends up being his wife of nearly 45 years. It is. I also wanted to know more about the relationship with his dad. Did they reconcile? You'll get an answer. But it's very brief. 

The artwork was really good. It was a mix of realism with caricature thrown in. Steve Kurth seems to have been a student of the MAD Magazine School of Art as all of the famous players in this story look like whomever they're supposed to be representing but with facial features slightly exaggerated. 

Definitely a keeper. Though I hope to have some graffiti added to the inside cover someday soon. I wonder if anyone has ever staged dived of the sanctuary  platform at my church before...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Bart Simpson: Prince of Pranks

I was a bit disappointed in this collection of Bart Simpson themed comics. Some of which was no real fault of Bongo Comics. Instead, the blame rests solely on trade paperback edition publisher Harper Collins. 

Some of the stories just weren't very good. (Though I think the parody of promotional comics starring Kristy the Clown and a bunch of McDonaldville clones was intentionally bad in a satirical kind of way. And I liked it!) The opener has Bart and Skinner switching roles for a day. Milhouse takes schoolboy Skinner under his wing and persuades him to pull an epic prank on Principal Bart. But before he can do it, Bart cancels school early and that's it. No real punchline to a tale that has a great but cliched plot with some fantastic gags throughout. 

The two tales starring Ralph Wiggum were probably the best. In one, Ralph is taken advantage of by Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney. Then then bullies return but it's Bart to the rescue when he starts a rumor that Ralph fought off a gang of bikers.

I'm currently reading a collection of Futurama comics. Also from Bongo Comics and compromised of a similar bullpen of talent, the Futurama books are far superior to what's inside here. Part of it I think is that less is more. The Futurama issues have just 1 large main story and 2 very small backups, if any at all. The Bart books are all made of shorts about 6-8 pages in length. And yet, each story tries to capture the formula of an episode of the Simpsons with a brief storyline that morphs into the main premise by the second act. An average of 7 pages per story just isn't enough time for a quality story that attempts to check off all the boxes of a Simpsons episode formula. 

Another thing hurting this book is missing talent. Gail Simone, Sergio Aragones and Ian Boothby are all absent. Their creative plots (and in Aragones' case, illustrations) have created some of my all-time favorite Bongo stories starring the residents of Springfield. I'm pretty sure that there won't be very many memories made from reading this volume.

Now for the thing that wasn't Bongo's fault but 100% the blame of publisher Harper Collins. My book was literally falling apart at the seams. At first, I thought that I could eliminate this problem and glue the pages back into the spine. But towards the end, probably the 3rd to last page, I discovered that 1 freaking page was missing!!!

I understand that this book is 15 years old and yes, I bought it used. But this is not the first book from Harper Collins that I have gotten that had this problem. What are they using as book binder glue? Spit?! As much as this was one of my least favorite collections of Simpsons comics, I still want to own a complete run of stories. So I could either trade this book back in, minis the page (I don't think that's ethical) or I hold onto it in hopes of getting a replacement somewhere down the road. It seems like a lot of hassle for a book that I didn't thoroughly enjoy.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Let's Make Ramen!: A Comic Book Cookbook

For once I bought a graphic novel and it was my wife who thought that I had already read it. Let's Make Ramen! is a fully illustrated cookbook about the growing culinary art of making the traditional Japanese noodle and broth dish that isn't fully a soup but it's too liquid to be considered a noodle dish.

The book came out in 2019. I definitely remember putting this on my wishlist that year. (It would be hilarious if my wife actually bought this for me and forgot where she hid it.) Anyway, at a recent trip to Five Below, I found this book for an amazing fraction of the cover price. With an exclamation of 'SCORE!', I swept it up in my arms and promptly made my way to the checkout.

The book is written by Hugh Amano a Japanese American whose exploration of his Asian culture became enamored with the Cult of Ramen and later became inspired to be a chef. Illustrated by Sarah Becon, the artist met Amano while working on a culinary related comic book. Finding a kindred spirit, the pair created this illustrated manual devoted to everything ramen. 

In Let's Make Ramen!, you first get a history of the dish, which compared to sushi, is a dish that is relatively young. Not more than 150 years old, I think. Then you are introduced to a basic recipe. Once you master this dish, you've got the foundation to change up the dish to your liking. There are variations of the stock, the seasoning component known as 'tare', different types of protein, vegetable accouterments, and even different types of noodles! Yes, you can use thicker, broader noodles that resemble linguine. You're also educated on the equipment needed, methods of preparation and storage. 

This really is an all-encompassing work which does more in educating a reader in only 192 pages, than most massive culinary bibles do. The only thing really missing is a more in-depth lesson in sanitation of which the Japanese culture is known for. But, I think that's the culinary educator in me that is longing for that in the realm of food entertainment because it's an issue that is seriously lacking on Food Network and in most, if not all cookbooks.

This book has inspired me. I'm seriously considering doing a lab where half my class makes chicken noodle soup and the other make a more stripped down version of ramen with teriyaki chicken. Then we compare and contrast the two. If I had an unlimited budget, I'd spend a whole week making the basic ramen recipe. But it's just not feasible.

Honestly, I don't think that the average family has the time nor the budget to do everything all at once. So be willing to make one item at a time. Buy some nice plastic containers and freeze things. Focus on stock first. Use a basic package of cheap ramen noodles for a while. Then work your way up to making your own ramen noodles. Add some pre-made Japanese proteins. Then once happy with the noodles, practice on the proteins, and so on and so on. Freezing along the way, eventually you will have everything ready for testing out the final product, created by your hands!

Time. Patience. The ability to adjust. A spark of customization. If you have these 4 elements in your culinary arsenal, you'll soon become another ramen master. Consider this cookbook a marathon and not a quick trek around the block, and you'll get the very most possible out of this graphic novel cookbook.

Worth Consuming!

Rating:10 out of 10 stars.

Superman/Spider-Man #1

This is a case of another time where I wrote this amazing review in my head and somehow went about my way thinking that it was a done deal. Then the other day, I'm looking over my backlog of works that I haven't reviewed yet and there's this issue!

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the legendary first meeting of the Man of Steel and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the big two publishers created not one but two oversized specials! If you're wondering if I bought both books, you're darn tootin' that I did!

This is DC's version. The main story has our two heroes battling Doctor Octopus who has allowed his cybernetic appendages to merge with the CPU of Brainiac!!! It's a fun adventure written by Mark Waid that dives really deep into the impacts two great men made on Peter Parker and Clark Kent. Plus the banter is fantastic and for once I actually thought Otto was funny!

There are also 7 short stories. As with just about any anthology type special, the quality varies. But for the most part, these were pretty good. The meeting of Lois Lane and Mary Jane Watson was an interesting look at the women behind 2 of my all-time favorite superheroes. Uncle Ben continues to influence things from beyond the grave when Superboy-Prime attempts to steal Spider-Man's symbiote suit. The Spider-Man 2099 and Batman Beyond story was a disappointment as it has an ending that while epic, leaves you wanting more.

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen's first day at the Daily Bugle may be his last when JJJ assigns him to cover the menace of Spider-Man and runs a foul of Carnage instead. Ben Parker is brought up a third time in a prequel tale that takes him to Smallville. Making her second appearance, Lois Lane debates Jonah Jameson on the Jack Ryder show and the topic is superheroes. Finally, Power-Girl shows up in her secret identity at a restaurant for a blind date. The eatery happens to be a front for a crime family and on the night of her big date, it's been targeted for punishment by Frank Castle!

I really enjoyed the main story. It felt like a continuation of the 1976 'Battle of the Century' and the eventual sequel that starred Doctor Doom and the Parasite. Some of the backups were perfect pairings; especially the Lois Lane/Mary Jane Watson teaming and the closing romp between Power Girl and the Punisher. That is something that I would love to see a sequel to! The Jimmy Olsen meet up with Carnage was brilliant but way too short! Having Uncle Ben and Jonathan Kent cross paths was bittersweet and heartfelt. 

I wasn't such a fan of the encounter of the Batman and Spider-Man of the future. It just feel flat and this was the tale that I was looking forward to the most. I also felt that if Superboy-Prime was going to meet a member of the Spider-Verse, it should have been Spider-Ham or Miles Morales or even Ghost Spider. Regular old Peter Parker didn't seem to fit in a multiverse story so complex, I was completely surprised that it was penned by Christopher Priest and not Grant Morrison!

As for the great debate between reporters Lois Lane and JJJ, it should have been a home run. Unfortunately, it was one of those stories that hit upon philosophies and social theory to the point that I tried to dust off my degree in sociology until I realized that I didn't have one. The punchline delivered jointly by Spider-Man and Clark Kent at least kept it from being a complete bust.

A decent read. It just wasn't perfect for such a tribute to one of the most important comic book crossovers of all-time.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Case of the Silent Partner by Erle Stanley Gardner

This is the second of 2 Perry Mason novels that I found during my family's annual 301 Endless Yard Sale Scavenger Hunt. That first book was so unlike what you would expect from an episode of the classic 60s TV show starring Raymond Burr. There was no courtroom scenes! Not so with this book. But The Case of the Silent Partner also wasn't my favorite compared to The Case of the Dangerous Dowager!

A woman who owns a trio of successful flower shops gets visited by her competitor; a somewhat nice fellow who owns a conglomerate of floral businesses. The flower tycoon shows the small business owner that he now owns 5 shares of her company. This triggers the woman to check with the husband of her invalid sister if their 50% shares of stock are still in their possession. The hubby is a bit of a gambler and the florist has never really trusted the bum. 

Brother-in-law promises that he still has the stock. But he refuses to produce it. He has a meeting with the guy he accidentally sideswiped in an automobile accident. This leads the lady to make some phone calls and she learns that a grifter and a mysterious woman were in the car with her in-law at the time of the wreck.

The woman somehow figures out that those 2 have possession of her sister's stock certificate. She goes to the nightclub that they frequent and learns that they gave the stock to one of the owners of the nightclub. She also manages to get the mystery woman to help her get the stock back. To do such, she must have representation. Enter Mr. Perry Mason.

Mason agrees to meet with both women at 1am at his office. But at around 12:30, the mystery woman calls his office, claiming to have been poisoned. On top of that, it's revealed that the club owner with the stock certificate has been murdered! The woman claims that her sister committed the crime. The invalid sibling... who has been at death's door for the first 4 chapters of this book! To save her sister from a life and early death in jail, the woman admits to the crime while hiring Mason to now defend the handicapped sister. 

Balancing both sisters as clients, the woman about the hostile takeover of her floral shops and the sickly sister for murder, Perry Mason and his legal team must save a third woman's life, untangle California business law and solve a murder! 

I'm struck by how different the world was in 1940. Newspapers and radio were your only sources of information. If a person wasn't listed in the phone book directory, you had to scour voter records, question landlords and grease a few palms in order to find them. It makes for thrilling reading, like the chapter where Perry must find his poisoned witness before its too late. For me, growing up in the 70s and 80s before the coming of the internet, it's almost nostalgic. I can imagine for someone born in the 2000s, such a scene might be a living nightmare. Or maybe such privacy would be considered a dream come true...

However, it is due to the lack of information that I didn't like this novel as well. I already mentioned that I have no idea how the main character figured out who had her sister's stock certificate. But she did. Then, the woman goes to the very nightclub where these 2 ne'er-do-wells frequent and just happened to find the mystery woman on the very first try, sight unseen! Remember, there's no Facebook or Instagram. So unless you were a famous person, the odds of knowing what somebody else looks like without much description had got to be an astronomical number! It just felt implausible in a pre-World War II America .

The dialogue was rapid paced and exciting. This is the first novel where I encountered Detective Tragg, the guy who always investigated the crimes of which Perry Mason's clients are accused of. He's supposed to be Mason's 'antagonist', as Tragg is the one trying to arrest the bad guys Perry Mason defends. But I thought he was a great character. Way smarter than Lestrade in so many Sherlock Holmes novels. Tragg is kinda prickly, but in a likable Tommy Lee Jones sort of way.

There's still no Hamilton Burger, the district attorney that never seems able to beat Perry Mason. Technically, we still haven't visited a criminal defense court of law. The courtroom we visit in this story is a civil court, where Mason does his darnedest to make sure that his client doesn't lose her business to her wealthy, and rather intimating rival.

This book was a first edition from 1940. At 278 pages and almost 2 inches thick, I don't understand how those tiny paperbacks my mom read were unabridged and yet, all research that I find states that those are the complete manuscripts. My favorite used book store has got a bunch of those novels and I expect to pick up a few more in the very near future. I might rank this book lower than my first Erle Stanley Gardner read. But I enjoyed it enough to keep on reading more.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium: Volume 1

There were two reasons that I ordered this book new. 1) It advertised as an anthology series that offers many of the later issues of Simpsons Comics that had never been collected before. 2) Each book was to include a papercraft model of popular establishments from the town of Springfield. Characters included. Being involved in the miniature dollhouse and book nook hobby, I was really excited about that. Yes, I know that would mean cutting up a page or two from this book but I wasn't planning on this thing becoming so rare that it would one day pay for a month or two of retirement. What I didn't expect was to learn upon delivery of this book that it wasn't a new release!

When I opened this compendium, it listed the publishing year as 2013. With a couple of bad creases on the cover and a couple interior pages, I was a tad confused, thinking that maybe I was sent the wrong book. So I went all over the Internet, scouring comic book store websites, used book sites, and even Amazon. I even went to the Library of Congress. What I discovered is that despite being sold as a new release, nothing changed. Nothing. The advertising blurb from earlier this year was the same as the year that it was first published! Same ISBN. Same everything. But for some reason, HarperCollins didn't add that this was second print, despite retailers selling this book as a completely new release. 

I'm wondering if Amazon had a few leftover issues on hand and that's what I was sent instead of the new print because nothing had changed. Sure, I am glad that I own this book. I needed those missing issues. It just that had I known that I could have bought a used issue way cheaper than what I did new, I would have gone that route. 

I expect that the other 6 volumes are going to be the same way. Unfortunately, HarperCollins never published the last 20 or so issues in any collection. I'm hoping that possibly once the publisher re-issues the original 7 compendiums that they'll issue an 8th that wraps up the series.

One thing that is maddening is how HarperCollins published the Simpsons books out of order. Sure, very few issues had a cliffhanger and you don't really have to read them in order as they're not canon. I do appreciate that these editions include issues from the spin-off books like the Ralph Wiggum one-shot and issues from the Bart Simpson title.This volume includes the Simpsons Summer Shindig special and the Radioactive Man: The Official Movie Adaptation. Unfortunately, my wishlist/inventory is a giant mess right now. But once I complete the total Bongo run, it should be much cleaner. 

The Radioactive Man faux movie adaptation was great. If you loved the Tim Burton Batman films, you'll love the Springfield themed parody. A joining of the various incarnations of Bart over the multiverse was pretty cool. It was also pretty violent and bloody for a Simpsons story that wasn't from the Treehouse of Horror. 

Keeping with the multiverse theme, 'Crime Spree on Springfield 2' was fantastic. It has Batman and Milhouse as House Boy, finding a shortcut to Shelbyville and discovering their slightly off, yet strangely familiar counterparts.

I enjoyed reading the book immensely. I was very confused when I received it. But I think that I have figured out that I can save money seeking out the first edition volumes. So I won't be waiting on the re-releases. I just hope those missing issues get the Omnibus treatment real soon.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Captain Action: The Classic Collection

In the late 1960s, in answer to the massive popularity of G.I. Joe, Ideal Toy Company introduced Captain Action. If you bought the traditional 12-inch figure, Captain Action was dressed in a paramilitary type outfit, and accessorized with weapons and a working 4-foot diameter parachute. 

So far, this sounds like pretty basic stuff and not something that's going to eat into Mattel's G.I. Joe sales. What made Captain Action different were the extra wardrobes you could purchase for the action figure. You could increase CA's wardrobe, including facial masks, transforming the character into Superman, Batman, The Lone Ranger, Buck Rogers and even Sgt. Nick Fury! Even sidekick Action Boy got into the act, transforming into Robin, the Boy Wonder, Superboy and Aqualad!

An immediate hit, DC Comics was quick to cash in on the craze. Obtaining a license from Ideal, editor Mort Weisinger tasked wunderkind Jim Shooter with writing up the first issue. Given a set of parameters, Shooter had to include all of the characters, vehicles, and accessories. Superman was also to make an appearance in the first issue. But other than that, Shooter had carte blanche over the storyline. That's not saying much.

Wally Wood illustrated the first issue. It would have been amazing to see him draw Captain Action as Flash Gordon or Spider-Man. But as those characters were licensed by competitors, DC had to scrap that popular concept of the Ideal toy line. Instead, Captain Action and his sidekick obtained their powers from several magical coins that boasted powers from a famous mythological god. In the first couple of issues, Action was trying to gather all of the coins before his arch nemesis Krellek did. 

Don't know who Krellek is? Don't feel bad, as readers didn't either. Captain Action's true antagonist, Dr. Evil, didn't appear until the 3rd issue. By then, Shooter and Wood were essentially gone. Gil Kane took on pencil duty with the 2nd issue, religating Wood to inks through issue #3. Gil took over scripting in issue #3. As Dr. Evil didn't have a set origin either, it was determined that Evil was Captain Action's father-in-law. This also made him Action Boy's grandfather. After finding a mysterious amulet, the elderly man was possessed by an alien being. 

Having familiar connections, Captain Action and son wanted to end Dr. Evil's reign of terror while hopefully saving their relative. Unfortunately, actions like enslaving a race of aliens and stealing a nuclear bomb that destroys most of the California coast by earthquake made any sort of redemption nearly impossible. Dwindling sales in both the toy line and the comic book cancelled the series after issue #5 ceased any further attempts at turning Dr. Evil into Professor Good.

In my opinion, Krellek was the better bad guy. The whole alien possessing an old dude and then suddenly looking like a blue alien wearing Space Hippie Jesus mask was preposterous. The story for issue #4 where Dr. Evil enslaves a race of aliens that look like him was the best issue. There is one of those morality tale elements to the story that you see in sci-fi anthologies of the time period. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the story was originally written for insertion in an issue of House of Mystery and that the characters were changed to fit those in the Captain Action line. 

Mark Waid writes a compelling history of the toy line and the terrible decision to remove both Shooter and Wood from the series as this volume's foreword. Not being able to have the protagonist change into any of his superhero personas should have shelved the title from the get go. Yet despite all of the missteps Ideal made with the Captain Action toy line, it has a strong cult fan following to this day. Case in point, this 2022 hardcover collection of DC books was published by IDW and the franchise lives on as a high end toy line featuring new superhero and villain wardrobes that is coveted by collector's young and old!

An interesting read that is more a visually appealing work than a masterpiece of comic book literature. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Live Like a Vulcan, Love Like a Wookiee, Laugh Like a Hobbit: Life Lessons from Pop Culture by Robb Pearlman

A gift from my wife, I had packed this in a box of books to read and somehow overlooked said box until very recently. The 2021 book is about a guy attending some sort of con being held at a hotel. Getting hungry, he stops in at the establishment's tavern. It is here that he stumbles across a Vulcan, a Wookiee, a  Hobbit and an elder. They're actually fellow attendees who are in full cosplay. While waiting for their food and drinks, the quintet examine life through the eyes of pop culture, in particular geek pop culture.

Topics include:

* What does Blade Runner teach us about corporations that manipulate beneficial science?

* Who are the real monsters in works such as Frankenstein and The Walking Dead?

* Why has pop culture made us so afraid of quicksand when its so incredibly rare?

And of course what does it mean to live like a Vulcan, Love like a Wookiee and laugh like a Hobbit?

Obviously, much of the philosophical observations made are through a secular lens. And yet Christianity, nor most world religions are scarcely mentioned. Okay, maybe saying that these philosophies fit under the category of what some would call 'woke' is more accurate. In other words, this book might not be for everyone. There's several comments among the characters about abolishing the patriarchy, living your truth, the evils of white colonialism, and systemic racism. While there's a lot of righteous indignation that is warranted, it's just amazing how much imperfections can be forgiven, as long as you're on these 5 sci-fi and fantasy fans side of things. 

As a Christian, I am guilty of this too. I get sickened when I learn that somebody cheated on their spouse or murdered someone. But like it or not, serial killer Ted Bundy is in Heaven right now. Christ's forgiveness is for everyone. Society's grace is only for those who are liberal it seems.

I think my wife thought that this was going to be a book about life's lessons learned through the eyes of geek culture. It kinda was. But it was more like Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven or John Travolta's Propeller One-Way Coach. More fiction than fact. More questions asked than actually answered. Enjoyable to a fault; this just wasn't my cup of tea. As much as the characters say that they enjoy franchises that enlighten without being preached at, I felt like I was sitting through a 100-page sermon on being politically correct by the author. Maybe someone else will get something deeper out of it than I did after I take it to the used bookstore for trade credit. 

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

This 1939 crime noir is Raymond Chandler's first novel. After 6 years of developing his perfect detective in short story form, Chandler branched out to introduce private investigator Philip Marlowe. The Big Sleep is perhaps the most well known of Chandler's works as Humphrey Bogart would play Marlowe opposite Lauren Bacall. 

But don't expect that iconic 1944/46 film (its release was delayed nearly 2 years because of the war) to be anything like the book. At least in terms of pornography. See Marlowe discovers that the youngest daughter of a wealthy oil magnate is being blackmailed into taking dirty photos for a low level pimp. The pimp is claiming that the girl has gambling debts tied to a big shot casino owner by the name of Mars. 

Marlowe is hired to put the kibosh on the debts, which technically can't be legally claimed upon. Older daughter Carmen thinks that the shamus is being hired to find her missing husband, who presumably ran off with Mars' estranged wife. When the pornographer is bumped off, Marlowe starts to make more connections to Mars and the missing husband, all the while being tempted by both sisters, one of which is psychotic as hell. 

You've got the porn. You've got nudity and sex. There's bisexuality and homosexuality. There's even a hint of cross-dressing or some other kink. Dirty cops, murder, Mickey Finns, and a whole bunch of boozing and gambling. Considering what I know about the Hays Code, I am surprised that this film was made during WW2. While some areas were changed to fit the code, there was a whole heck of a lot of implied depravity in the film. 

This is the story that famously, when Howard Hawks was filming the movie adaptation, neither he nor the producers could figure out who killed one of the characters and Chandler replied 'Damned if I know.' So while written by a master of 20th century American literature, this is not a book without its flaws. But he does get better. The Lady in the Lake and The Long Goodbye are both nearly flawless. But this one seems to do too much in just a short amount of time. At 230 pages, I think this might be the shortest Philip Marlowe novel. This is definitely a case of 'less is more' not working so well.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Batman/Deadpool #1

I think every series comic book collector gets to this point in their hobby: you buy so many comics that you get behind on cataloging and such that you forget to actually read them. I'm currently doing some consideration of letting go of a few books. With an collection of over 12,000 comics and graphic novels, I can afford to let go of a few. But this one that I read isn't going to be one of those books.

This is the second of the Batman and Deadpool crossovers from 2025. This is DC's entry. It starts of with the main work, written by Grant Morrison. Right off the bat, that should tell you that this book is going really play with your brain. Like Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore often do, Morrison really explores the relationship of the creative writer and his characters. Plus, as it seems that DC has made Morrison the official keeper of the keys to the multiverse, there's a real bend in the fabric of reality that keeps the reader on high alert but is entertaining as all get out.

There are 4 backups in this special that pits a character or two from the DC Universe with one from the Marvel Universe. The first one has John Constantine showing up on Doctor Strange's doorstep. While I love the classic Ditko look of Doctor Strange by Hayden Sherman and the standard crossover banter between the two masters of the arcane arts was very good, it is a different pairing that steals the show. Ghost Rider vs. Swamp Thing! It's more of a MacGuffin in the background showing the conflict of having both the DC and Marvel universes collide. But if the big two publishers ever wanted to get more of my money, a pair of one-shots starring the former Dr. Alec Holland and stuntman Johnny Blaze would be a sure fire way to get it!

Story #2 has the Laura Kinney Wolverine in Gotham looking for help from the Dark Knight in finding her missing sister. Instead, she recruits Nightwing and the pair bond over what it means to be a legacy hero. Featuring one of the best closing pages in comics history, that image by Bruno Redondo is currently my FB icon.

Story #3 is a goofy adventure with Harley Quinn and the Incredible Hulk and a vat of toxic waste. Cute but not really doing anything to advance either characters needles.

Story #4 had me going up and down. G. Willow Wilson and Denys Cowan team up the Kamila Kahn Ms. Marvel with that electrifying teen, Static. Good story. But the art was all over the place. Some panels were masterpieces. Others look like something I'd draw. (That poor woman in the power suit and massive goiter...) You know it could have been the inks and colors that looked like they were markers. I know it's trying to emulate how the Milestone imprint books looked back in the 90s. I just don't think it works when applied to a Marvel character. 

I also thought that for a Batman and Deadpool book, some of the pairings just didn't fit within these two comic families. Nightwing and Laura Kinney make sense. Harley Quinn's inclusion does too. I've never thought about a Hulk-Deadpool connection. Neither does that apply to Doctor Strange. And Static would fit better in a Green Lantern crossover because of his relationship with Jon Stewart. So, there needed to be more theme appropriate teamings.

I hope that the Marvel/DC experiment isn't over. Technically, it wasn't as a pair of Superman and Spider-Man specials came out earlier this year. But I want more. Wonder Woman and Captain America would be epic. I've already proclaimed a desire for Ghost Rider and Swamp Thing. What about Amanda Waller vs. Nick Fury?! There's so many more pairings that just scream for a chance to make it to paper.  

Come on Big Two! I'll make room in collection for any more crossovers that you might have in mind!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Summer of Supergirl Special #1

Despite what some of you may think, this really has been the Summer of Supergirl. Unfortunately, a lot of you decided to forgo a really fun movie. May I just say that I am disappointed in you. Kidding. Kidding. Maybe Supergirl would have been better received if done as a series. Maybe if there was more Krypto. Maybe if Supergirl actually wore her costume in the film. Maybe if James Gunn wasn't involved.

I can see reasons to hate the film. But deep down, it was freaking entertaining to this fan of the Girl of Tomorrow. I stocked up on Supergirl merch. My office is going to look amazing this school year! While I don't buy everything with Supergirl on it, I always buy the comics. But if it wasn't for the guys at my favorite comic book store, I would have missed out on this summer special.

With my mystery blood disease, I get brain tired a lot more often than I want. One casualty in my comic book collecting hobby is that I haven't been checking out the new releases like I used to. A lot of times, I just plain forget. Others, I'm just too mentally and physically exhausted to check at the end of the day. Thankfully, Books Furnish a Room in Durham NC were looking out for me and they ordered this knowing how much a fan of Kara Zor-El I am. 

There's 3 stories in this oversized release. The main story features the main man himself, Lobo. Makes sense as he's making his silver screen debut in Supergirl. The tale opens with Supergirl and Lobo in space court. Apparently in Lobo #4, the two got into a massive brawl and were apprehended for the damage. Thankfully, you don't have to have that issue in order to follow what happens here. But I am interested enough in seeing if my LCS has a copy and getting the inside scoop.

Tale #2 is written by Gail Simone. It has Supergirl and Mary Marvel meeting for the very first time. The pair bond over the fact that both are orphans and essentially grew up in the foster care system. Dedicated to all children and families who have fostered and adopted, this is my pick thus far for story of the year! It was so poignant and sweet. And not saccharine sweet either. I loved it!

The final story is probably the most massive undertaking in Supergirl history. It sees Superboy, Jonathan Kent and the female Steel attempting to unravel the tangled history of Supergirl. Along with the real deal, you've had the Matrix Supergirl and that one that was an Angel, after a girl named Linda Danvers bonded with the shape-shifter in the 90.s You've got multiple origins. Tons of different costumes. The multiverse. Plus, a surprise for me, everyone seems to know that she died fighting the Anti-Monitor! Confessionally, I haven't been really up-to-date with DC's Crises in the past 15 years like I probably should. 

The last story was educational. But I feel like it gets hijacked towards the end by J'onn J'onnz. The middle story was the best. The opener was very funny. If you are a fan of any incarnation of Supergirl, you will want to add this one-shot to your Supergirl collection. As for the judges of the Eisners and other comic book awards, I employ you to give serious, SERIOUS consideration to Gail Simone and her story 'Lost Girls' for story of the year and writer of the year, if the nomination process for this cycle of publications are still open. It's really that excellent of a work!

Worth Consuming!

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

Birding Is My Favorite Video Game: Cartoons about the Natural World from Bird and Moon (Updated Edition)

Here's another book I was able to get this book on Amazon, and while not compensated by the company except for getting it for free, I did post this review on their listing for the book. Rest assured, this is my honest opinion and rating of the book.

Create Your Own Comics!: Everything You Need to Know (Family Comic Friday)

I know its been a while since I posted a Family Comic Friday review. With my blood disease (we just don't know which one I have), I'm always tired or wearing out quickly. So I don't venture out as much as I would like. Thus, I haven't been to the library in quite a while. But I was able to get this book on Amazon, and while not compensated by the company except for getting it for free, I did post this review on their listing for the book. Rest assured, this is my honest opinion and rating of the book.

Killer Ribs: Mouthwatering Recipes from North America's Best Rib Joints by Nancy Davidson

This tome on the art of smoking ribs was published in 2006. It details some of the best rib eateries in all the 50 states and in Canada. Yes, Canada! Turns out that our friends to the North are known for taking culinary tours of American BBQ and some have brought the all-American meal of ribs, beef, pork and everything in between, back across the border with them!

If you are using this book as a travel guide, you might be rather disappointed. Of the 3 locations listed in my home state of North Carolina, 2 of them are now defunct. More often than not, BBQ joints are a family run business. So unfortunately death, divorce or old age has caused for quite a few rib joints to close. COVID-19 did a number on the restaurant industry as well. My advice, utilize a Google search when using this book as your next culinary travel guide.

Thankfully, there's more to this book than locales. In every 2 page spread, along with a history of the restaurant and its pit masters, you get a recipe and tips for selecting the right cut of meat and the best wood for the job. I was surprised that many of the recipes were provided by the pit masters. I always thought such information was treated with more care and confidentiality than an American President with Top Secret documents. 

Some of the recipes are for the rub. Some are for making sauces. Fewer are about actual cooking of ribs. Surprisingly, there's a recipe for making alligator ribs and another one for mutton. And if you are thinking about skipping the rub, DON'T! You might think that the salt is unnecessary sodium in the formula. But it's needed to help break down the proteins and impart the other spices and smoke deep down all the way to the bones. If you are worried about your blood pressure, find ways to cut it in the sauce. I was surprised to find how many pit masters thumb their nose at BBQ sauce! It's naked ribs or nuthin'!

So why did I read this book? Well, recently, my wife ordered me a smoker. We got a fantastic deal that I don't think I am at liberty in mentioning here. (Feel free to PM me if you want the details.) Now that the smoker has arrived and I am setting it up, I realized that I had this book, which I got as a prize for participating in last year's summer reading program at our local library. It felt as good a time as any to get some further learning on the subject. 

Here's a few highlights:

* Remove the back skin. Or don't. Some pit masters think that elastin keeps the ribs from falling apart. 

* Use the smoker to primarily impart the flavors. Going at a temp no higher than 250F, a lot of pit masters get the ribs up to temp by finishing in the oven.

*Speaking of ovens, that's the time for the sauce. Not while in the smoker. That's the #1 way to ruin a smoker. Not to mention, burning the ribs.

*Lastly, the amount of celery seeds and celery salt used by rib joints... It's a wonder that I have made it to 48. I'm very allergic to stuff. Yet I would say 3 out of every 10 recipes didn't call for the stuff! I eat ribs a lot. How have I not succumbed to a batch of saucy hidden dangers?!

If anything, I learned the process. I've got my own ideas for the blend mixture of wood chips to use. Same goes for the sauce. Just about every pit masters in here has firm guidelines for how to smoke their meats. But when it comes to flavors, spiciness and taste, they almost always say to adjust with what you prefer. 

I've got nearly 2 decades of culinary education and experience, so with exception of the mutton recipe, I'm going to experiment. But if you are a newbie to cooking, definitely start out with what the experts say on the first go-round. Then adjust to your preference as you repeat the recipe. 

Oh, and one more thing, if you are going to become the next great pit master, get a high quality smoker. But don't break the bank. The cheapest of smokers often are not worth the materials that they are constructed from. In fact, the greatest smoker I ever encountered was my grandfather's and it was made from an old drum and ample amounts of solder. If you know how to build it yourself and you can do the job right: do it! Size doesn't necessarily matter either as the 2nd best one was a tiny little number my other granddad got at Lowe's. 

If there's one thing that I know about BBQ, not grilling barbecue, but BBQ'd beef, pork, chicken and gator, apparently, it's that while all these championship pit masters claim that they know how to make perfect smoked grub, there is NO definitive way to smoke meat. So, go with what you know and love and you'll enjoy the lengthy process of low and slow for some killer ribs!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

I took my god son to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day and I have got to say that it was really good.

The world may have forgotten Peter Parker. But it hasn't forgotten about Spider-Man. This includes best bud Ned Leeds and girlfriend MJ who have fractured memories of being rescued by the superhero. Crime in New York is at an all-time low. That is except for at the Department of Damage Control. That federal office has been attacked by an unknown assailant 4 times in the last month and now with attack #5, Spider-Man is involved. Whomever is behind the attack is possessing people in order to free Mac Gargan, the Scorpion, in hopes of discovering the secret of V-Max. 

When the entity attempts to enter Spider-Man, his Spidey senses push the intruder out of his mind. But in doing so, Spider-Man triggers his latent abilities, organic web shooters for one thing, that is causing Peter Parker to go insane. After almost killing both the Scorpion and a cop, Parker seeks out help in the form of Dr. Bruce Banner, who has developed a device that keeps his mean, green side in check. 

As Spidey develops an inhibitor to his new powers, the unknown entity has learned the webcrawler's secret identity. To keep Spider-Man from interfering with their quest to discover what Damage Control is hiding with V-Max, the entity has taken control of someone very near and dear to Peter's heart and he must turn to the one guy he'd never trust in a million years to protect them; one Frank Castle, the Punisher.

My god son wanted to see it in 3-D. I was wary because I wear glasses and the last time we went to a 3-D flick, I got the biggest headache. Not this time, however. There must have been some improvements since the last time I did 3-D, which I think was Venom...

Marvel Studios has gotten some flak for poor CGI and special effects in recent films. But I think they must have made some improvements as well. The scenes of Spidey swinging through the New York skyline was stunning. I felt like a kid again, living a childhood dream to be like Spider-Man in the parts where the movie was shot from the heroes point of view. With the classic blue, red and black costume, this is how I wish Spider-Man '77 could have been like.

Once again, Tom Holland is the definitive Peter Parker. Jon Bernthal as the Punisher was perfect. This is what I expect Frank Castle to be like if he was a real person. The guy playing the Scorpion, Michael Mando, has that kind of face that I swear that I have seen before. I got the actor who played Damage Control's head honcho, Bill Metzger wrong. He's played by Tramell Tillman, not Jason Derulo. And I really bombed on my guess as to the mystery character Sadie Sink was playing. I didn't even hit the target, much less a bullseye.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day was the first film since last year's Superman where I would have paid movie to see it again, right then and there. Though I don't think my ever falling apart body could have stayed seated for another almost 150 minutes of run time. But this was a great movie that really sets some things up for Avengers: Doomsday this Christmas. Just don't expect too much from the extra scene at the very end of the credits. Seeing the various webheads of the Spider-verse is not happening just yet. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Bill & Ted's Most Triumphant Return

According to Alex Winter, Mr. Bill S. Preston, Esq. in the flesh, in this book's foreword, when the creative team of Brian Lynch and Jerry Gaylord was crafting this miniseries, Bill and Ted creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon were working on the third film in the series, Bill & Ted Face the Music. Secretly, Winter, along with the creators as well as Keanu Reeves were on massive pins and needles. If 2015's Bill & Ted's Most Triumphant Return sucked, it could very much upset the whole thing. Studio execs could warrant that if a comic book sequel to the first 2 Bill & Ted movies was a giant flop, why would they want to pump millions of dollars into another live action flick to could potentially go belly up as well? Thankfully, this canon comic book epic didn't wreck the franchise!

Taking place after the events of Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, the boys having some massive writer's bock. The world is demanding another rock epic from Wyld Stallyns and the fear of failure has paralyzed the guys. It's also really bugging them as to why Chuck De Nomolos, the villain from the 2nd movie, hated Bill and Ted so much. Into the time machine for the fellas...

Appearing in the future, they meet a teenaged De Nomolos who is ostracized by friends and family alike. Turns out being the foretold killer of your society's messiahs really carries a stigma. Bill and Ted really feel bad for the kid and they attempt a personality makeover. However, their good deeds don't go unpunished as when Bill and Ted return to their time, they find themselves replaced by De Nomolos and his future cronies! If you thought making robot Bill and Ted to kill the real McCoy was sinister, you haven't seen anything yet as Chuck De Nomolos not only strands the boys in prehistoric times, but he also allegedly kills off both members of Station, turns Rufus into a wanted fugitive and steals Death's Grim Reaping powers!

I thought this was a fantastic midquel that doesn't do anything to harm the flow between Bogus Journey and Face the Music. If you're having trouble visualizing what a midquel is, think about how Rogue One now sits in-between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Lots of great historical cameos. I won't spoil anything. But I do want to complain just a pinch that Cleopatra and ancient Egypt is nowhere in this book despite being featured on the front cover. 

Speaking of the cover, there are tons- TONS, of variant covers. Plus there are several shorts that explore the B&T universe. They were great reads featuring art and story by special guest-stars. I wouldn't mind another helping of these tales; they were that great.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power

There's not many superheroes out there that can claim that they defeated Thanos, Deadpool and Doctor Doom. Oddly enough, Squirrel Girl can. And she's about to add a few more villains to her list, including the biggie of them all: Galactus! But first, she's got to move into her dorm, meet her roommate and her roomie's cat, attend freshman orientation and catch the eye of the freshman hunk that she ran into during her first day of college. Armed with her best friend, Tippy Toe the squirrel, some borrowed Tony Stark tech and a nauseating amount of optimism, Squirrel Girl just might be able to save the world.

Written by Ryan North and illustrated by Erica Henderson. Although, it really seems to me that Erica Henderson should receive co-plotter credits based on the amount of work she's credited for by Ryan North in the letters column of each issue. When's the last time you could say that a trade paperback included the letters columns? Tongue is very much in cheek all around. However, there's a certain degree of reverence to the lead character, which you have to admit is one of Marvel's odder creations. 

Almost every page has a secret message around the bottom margin. You'll need a microscope to read the ones in issue #1. It gets a little bigger on issue #2 but it doesn't help much that the font color appears to be this dijon mustard beige hue. The messages are mostly funny. A couple are interesting factoids. But they also gave me a bit of a headache, and that's with reading glasses.

I don't think that I am going to keep this book. I wouldn't be opposed to reading volume 2 if I found it for cheap or at my local library. As a bonus feature, Squirrel Girl's first appearance from 1990's Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special is included. Those early 90s seasonal specials are on my wish list and I have quite a few in my collection. Considering how expensive a copy is, I wouldn't mind owning a reprint or facsimile edition of that issue. But only her story is included in this book. It's just not enough to get me to want to hold onto it.

Be mad at me if you want, but Tippy Toe is the best character and excellently drawn. I just hope she doesn't meet the same grisly fate of her predecessor Monkey Joe.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Case of the Dangerous Dowager by Erle Stanley Gardner

I have a fairly extensive knowledge of the character Perry Mason because of my mom. She owned a copy of every one of the books written by Erle Stanley Gardner and when growing up, there was a good chance that Perry Mason, played by Raymond Burr was on in either rerun or as a 2-hour movie of the week.

For about the past year now, I have been enjoying mystery novels. Mostly the crime noir tales of private detective Philip Marlowe written by Raymond Chandler. I've always loved a mystery and with me about to have run the gambit of works by Chandler, I felt that it might be time to seek out another classic mystery writer. 

During our family's annual scavenger hunt during the 301 Endless Yard Sale, I decided to put a Perry Mason novel on the list. Hopefully, somebody would find one and since you didn't really have to start with book #1, I was open to whatever might be available in just about any condition except severely water damaged and mildewed.

I got lucky at my first stop, a thrift store that supports a pet rescue called Street Dogs and Stray Cats. Minus the dust jacket, I found this 1937 first edition of The Case of the Dangerous Dowager. It's the 10th book in the series and it's about as far away from episode of the golden age of television series as I think you could get. 

Here's a quick rundown of the case. There is this rich grandma who knows that her granddaughter is over $7000 in debt to a pair of 'legitimate businessmen', who own a casino ship, legally 12 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. The husband of the granddaughter is about to file for divorce and if he could get his hands on the IOU slips, it would strengthen his case to become sole guardian of their infant child and executor of a rather large trust fund. 

The grandmother hires Perry Mason to buy up the IOUs before the husband can. It's not really the sort of thing Mason does. But the grandmother feels that the lawyer is a very trustworthy soul and she authorizes him to include a bonus to prevent the casino owners from blackmailing the granddaughter and keep the inheritance in the family. 

Mason takes a speedboat to the casino. With money in hand, Mason is prepared to buy the IOUs and then wash his hands of the entire affair. However, when he goes to visit the co-owner who oversees the financial side of things, he finds the man shot through the temple. Only, there's no gun! The IOUs are right there at the deceased man's desk. The granddaughter was spotted on the boat. As was the husband. Grandma too! 

So Perry Mason finds himself implicated for the murder. Instead of going to trial, the lawyer goes on the run. As the story breaks in the newspapers and radio, Perry runs through the suspect list in hopes of clearing his name and finding out just who the murderer is. 

With exception of a scene that takes place in a conference room with the Los Angeles County District attorney and all of the suspects rounded up about to testify before the grand jury, there is no actual court proceedings! Perry manages to wrestle control of the pre-jury meeting from the D.A., and through extensive questioning, gets to the bottom of things. But in this book, he's more of a P.I. than a lawyer. 

I know that on the 2020 HBO reboot series, Perry Mason starts out as a private detective, working his way up to becoming a defense attorney. So having him trying to solve the crime by beating the pavement by working over leads might be in line with the character. But I don't remember an episode of 1957-1966's Perry Mason not ever taking place in a court of law. Where's Hamilton Burger, the most unlikely assistant D.A. in history? Where's the judge threatening contempt of court? This is so unlike what I grew up with.

There's a rule in my family that we never judge a TV series by the first episode. We always give shows at least 2 more episodes before we decide whether or not to cut bait. I luckily was able to get a second book at the same time as this one. I'm just wondering if all of the books are like this one or is The Case of the Dangerous Dowager the exception to the rule?

I'll find out shortly.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Slimer #1

I started this book over a month ago. I had gone to a local comic book store to stock up on some reads for my annual family vacation, which is where I came across this book. I was really excited to get it because I had seen it advertised on FB the week prior and was convinced that it was going to be sold before I got there. But it was my lucky day. 

Anyways I read the first half of the comic and then went on my vacation the next day and we'll, wouldn't you know it's the end of July before I remembered that I still had half of the book left to read. The comic, a spinoff of The Real Ghostbusters starred everyone's favorite ghost, Slimer. Published in 1989, the book had 2 stories, both written by Hilarie Staton. 

First, Slimer accidentally frees a ghost from a containment unit and the ghost could not be any more of a brat. Trying to get Slimer to embrace the mischief that comes with being a ghost, the new spook ends up continuously getting the green ghostie into trouble he didn't ask for. Then while seeking out a really large cake, Slimer unknowingly causes trouble for a hotel full of attendees of a plumbers convention.

In both stories, Slimer can speak full sentences. When did this happen? All I remember as a kid from the animated Ghostbusters cartoon was that Slimer mostly spoke gobbledygook with maybe a 2 year old's vocabulary.  So having him speak so eloquent in this book was a bit of a shock. 

At the beginning of this book, the editing team pat themselves on the back for finally earning the CCA stamp. Sadly, it's really too little, too late for NOW Comics as they'll be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in just a another year or so and both Ghostbusters comics will be cancelled! I understand that obtaining the stamp was done in order to make NOW Comics more marketable nationwide. But I would have appreciated it more if the folks at NOW would have spent all that time and effort instead on making the artwork look better. Okay. The artwork was spot on. But the coloring was atrocious. It looked like something my mom could have colored with her beloved markers instead of by a seasoned professional

Despite earning the stamp, I was very surprised of the content of the second story because the giant cake Slimer wants to eat will eventually contain a stripper, who shows up to the plumbers convention wearing nothing but a bikini and F-Me pumps. To be fair, the girl is never called a stripper and she never gets into the cake. But man, the Comic Code Authority really let just about anything pass during their waning years it seems.

Deadpool Team-Up, Vol 1: Good Buddies

I got on the Deadpool Team-Up band wagon way too late. I'm taking about the 2009-11 series, by the way. I bought issue #884 which has the Merc With a Mouth teaming with Oatu the Watcher. A sucker for a team-up title, I was thrown off by the high numbering. It turns out that as a joke, Marvel decided to spoof the now meaningless legacy numbering by having each issue of this series go backwards from #899, after releasing a special 900th issue of Deadpool!

With Deadpool Team-Up getting cancelled with issue #883 and finding it a financial nightmare trying to collect the rest of the series, I quietly put the series on my wishlist and went on to collect other, more affordable titles. For nearly 15 years, I searched and searched for issues that wouldn't break my bank. Wanna guess how many issues I found? If you guessed zip, zilch, nada; give yourself a cookie. That was until this past week. I had a box full of stuff to take to a used bookstore for trade credit and got lucky finding not just this hardback edition, but the other 2 volumes that round out the run. Being premium editions, each book was still pricey. But at a little bit less than half of original cover price, AND considering how difficult it's been to get this series off my wishlist, I scooped up all 3 books and merrily went about my way. Besides, the trade credit covered the price, meaning that the cash in my pocket could be spent on other things!

With the numbering going backwards, I wouldn't have been surprised if you were supposed to read volume 3 first. But I can attest that is not the case here. In the opener, Wade Wilson finds himself stuck in the wandering labyrinth of legend with none other than Hercules! Deadpool then attempts to collect bounties for successful hits with a pair of lucha libre hitman siblings called the Zapata Brothers, legendary big rig trucker US Ace, and a pair of Ghost Riders. Wade then helps a woman locate the missing behemoth, IT!, the Living Colossus before accepting a hit to rub out the Punisher, who at this moment in time has been reanimated into a Frankenstein monster!

The Punisher issue has a ton of fantastic cameos. It's a real treat if you are a fan of Marvel's monsters, of which I definitely am. You could consider me gobsmacked when I learn that the old Jim Shooter lead series US1 is actually pronounced US Ace! There are no numbers to be said when speaking about the title! Plus, I didn't realize that the trucker had adventures in outer space. I'm going have to revisit that staple of dollar boxes nationwide...

Featuring a different talent team each issue, I really dug this series. A good rule of thumb about team-up books is that the more obscure the guest star, the better the story. And with IT!, the Living Colossus and the hermanos Zapata, I do not think you could get much more obscure. The only thing I wasn't such a fan of was the inclusion of the bonus material of an issue of Marvel Spotlight focusing on Deadpool. It's mostly a 30 page commercial for other Deadpool titles and if you've read 1 interview with a comic book creator, you really have read them all. I mostly read it for the pictures...

Come on volume 2!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.