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.

Christmas With Archie

I think my favorite comic book store likes me. This Summer, when they took in a collection, they bought this 1974 Archie classic. And they gave it to me as a gift!

This one has been on my wish list for a long while. In the early 1970s, after comic artist Al Hartley became a Christian, he was recruited by the newly founded comic imprint Spire to work on their growing lineup of faith-based comic books. After initial success, Hartley reached out to Archie Comics co-founder John Goldwater to license out the Archie characters. From 1972-1982, a total of 19 Archie one-shots were created to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

One of those books was 1974's Christmas With Archie. Here, the Archie gang and the citizens of Riverdale put the 'Christ' in Christmas with visits from Santa to the local orphanage, a Christmas party at Riverdale High and some last minute holiday shopping. While the message of Christianity is tied into many of these stories, that does not mean that this was not a fun book. It was not all angels floating on clouds with harps. The opener where Archie fills the tires of his jalopy with helium and becomes a one-made holiday parade was hilarious. The 'Finding the Santa' fun page was a great challenge. I also enjoyed the look at Christmas future starring the high school cafeteria lunch lady, Miss Beazley.

Things did get a little preachy. The scene in the first story when Mr. Lodge turns on the TV to the middle of a televangelist's dissertation on appreciating teenagers was a bit on the nose. I also felt that the message of the story where Archie tries to find the perfect Christmas card for Veronica was too syrupy. 

This was a book I remember owning and loving as a kid. It's the book that made me mistakenly think that Archie Comics was a Christian publisher. I had a fun trip down memory lane with this. Thanks Gordon and the rest of the fellas for it! Awesome Christmas gift, dudes!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Amazing Spider-Man #129 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the 2000 film Coyote Ugly, the lead character's potential love interest secretly buys a comic book while on a date. Viewers are first led to believe that the character played by Adam Garcia, is purchasing something nefarious as the item in question is concealed in a plain brown paper bag. His paramour becomes suspicious of the whole transaction and refuses to be further seen with Garcia's character if he's secretly buying drugs. Reluctantly, the lad reveals the contents of bag: a prestige copy of Amazing Spider-Man #129. The first appearance of the Punisher and in his own words 'The Holy Grail of Comics.'

While it's debatable that Frank Castle's first appearance in comic books is the most sought after comic of them all, it cannot be disputed that that scene in the movie introduced a new phrase in comic book collecting. Social media is filled these days with collectors sharing their grail finds in the wild. Books such as New Mutants #98, Fantastic Four #52 and The House of Secrets #92 have graced my social media feed as grail finds that fans finally found. From what I see on Facebook, The Incredible Hulk #181 is way more coveted than ASM #129. Heck, I posted a grail find post once when I found a mint copy of the first appearance of Lobo, Omega Men #3, for only a buck at a local thrift shop!

With a publication date of February 1974, the world was introduced to not only the Punisher , a paid assassin with a code of honor, but also to the creepy Green Goblin clone known as the Jackal. Gerry Conway, Ross Andru and John Romita Sr. were the creative team behind the scenes. Conway wrote the issue's script. Frank Goacoia and Dave Hunt assisted Andru on the interior art. Romita and Gil Kane crafted the iconic cover that would be recreated ad nauseam on the cover a plethora of other titles from numerous publishers.

The plot of 'The Punisher Strikes Twice' takes place shortly after the deaths of both Peter Parker's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin. Spider-Man has been falsely accused once again, this time for Norman Osborne's murder. Seeking a chance to fill the criminal power vacuum in the wake of the Green Goblin's demise, the Jackal hires the Punisher to terminate Spider-Man.

Originally convinced that Spidey is a villain worthy of terminal punishment, the Punisher accepts the hit. The Punisher's mission becomes personal when he finds the wall crawler standing over the body of an associate of his. However, some quick thinking on the part Spider-Man, it's revealed that the assignment the Punisher is a trap on the part of the Jackal, framing the mercenary for the death of his colleague.

Eventually it's revealed that the Jackal is Professor Miles Warren. A mentor to Peter Parker at Empire Stste University, the educator had secretly fallen in love with Gwen Stacy. Blaming Spider-Man for her death, the Jackal unleashed holy hell on the Big Apple. He'll initiate a gang war between Hammerhead and Doctor Octopus, enhance his DNA with that of a real jackal, break the Tarantula out of the slammer and attempt to bomb reporter Ned Leeds into oblivion. Bur perhaps the fiend's most unforgivable crime will come as a result of learning Spider-Man's secret identity. Stealing some of Peter Parker's DNA, the Jackal will create a near identical duplicate; ushering in the God-awful Clone Saga!

As for the Punisher, he'll go on to become one of the most popular characters in Marvel Comics history. His origin will be revealed that his one-man mission on crime was the result of his wife and children being slaughtered by mobsters during a seemingly innocent sunny day in Central Park. PTSD from a tour in Vietnam didn't help matters much. Several series would chronicle the character's war against evil to the extent of death, resurrection and becoming a cosmic hellfire powered caretaker of a baby Thanos. Actors Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane and the late Ray Stevenson would portray the Punisher in several live action films. The Walking Dead's Jon Bernthal currently carries the mantle in the Marvel cinematic universe.

A facsimile edition of Amazing Spider-Man #129 was released in April, 2025.

Completing this review completes Task #37 (A Facsimile Edition) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Archie Giant Series #219

My childhood dentist used to give you a free comic book at the end of your visit. Based on what he had to offer, my favorite selection were the Archie Digests as they were huge. And if you could get your hands on a Little Archie Digest, you were golden! 

One of the highlights were the Li'l Jinx stories that were peppered in. At the time, I didn't know that the digests were primarily, if not entirely reprints. As I had never run across a Li'l Jinx led comic book before, I thought that you'd only find Li'l Jinx in the pages of Little Archie Digest. Just this year I learned I was wrong!

Li'l Jinx debuted in Pep Comics way back in 1947. She then appeared in her own comic way back in 1956 before it became Little Archie. A small revival in the early 70s of a short-lived Giant series called Li'l Jinx Giant Laugh-Out ran for about a dozen issues. Yet in nearly 45 years of collecting, I've not once ever come across a Li'l Jinx title. Since that was the case, I never ventured out to see if there were Li'l Jinx books out there. But this year, I decided to really organize my comic book collection and discovered the existence of this book.

Just as DC had Showcase Presents to test out potential new titles, Archie Comics had the Archie Giant Series. Along with some holiday one-shots, the publisher would try out a variety of titles on a semi-regular series to gauge if interest in a new series was there with the general public. Li'l Jinx was one of those properties that was tested out. Obviously, there was some smattering of interest as a Li'l Jinx feature was released a couple of times yearly as part of the Archie Giant Series for a span of most of the 70s. There just never seemed to be enough popularity to bring Li'l Jinx back in a self-titled series.

Most of the stories in this issue are either Christmas themed or set during Winter. Most are one-page gags or brief 2-to-3-pages that are essentially wind ups to a very lengthy joke. Compared to Little Archie, the hi-jinx of Li'l Jinx and her friends are rather elementary. And I love it. But it's the opening tale that has me most intrigued, if not despondent.

One of Jinx's friends, the selfish rich girl Gigi, mentions that she has two mommies and two daddies and that she can't decide which set to spend her Christmas with. This issue was published in 1974 and I am just amazed how divorce is actually tackled somewhat in a kids book for the time period. Yes, the words divorce and remarriage are never uttered in this story and the extra parental units are not referred to as step-mom or step-dad. Yet for a book aimed at audiences I'd say of ages 7-12, the subject matter was groundbreaking stuff. 

Sadly for Gigi, both sets of parents are too busy to return home for the holidays. Thus, Gigi is going to have to spend Christmas with her servants. That is until Li'l Jinx saves the day and invites the spoiled little rich girl to her home for Christmas fun. Still, to have a child abandoned at Christmas, having to spend it with the maids and butler, just seems like child neglect today. Yet in the early 1970s, it seems like nobody batted an eye.

An interesting look at how family dynamics have both changed and stayed the same over the course of nearly 50 years. It's rather tragic. While it might seem out of place, I can recall several other TV shows and films that have lonely, if not flat out abandoned kids at Christmas. What the heck was Hollywood and us as the viewing public thinking?

Thankfully, the majority of this issue is much more cheerful and nostalgic. But it just doesn't make up for there being such a sad story at the beginning of this mostly Christmas themed comic.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Doctor Strange #1 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the December 1969 issue of Doctor Strange (#183), Stephen Strange swore off the dark arts and went back to practicing medicine as a consultant. It seemed that after years of battling Dormammu, Nightmare and Baron Mordo, the one thing Doctor Strange didn't have a defense spell for was low sales cancellation. 

Then in 1971, Strange once again donned his magic cloak and the Eye of Agamotto to save the world as the Defenders in the pages of Marvel Feature #1-3. Soon, the Defenders got their own title and popularity in the team plus more relaxed rules about the supernatural in comics approved by the Comics Code Authority led Marvel to test out Doctor Strange as a solo character once again.

After a 2-issue run starring Adam Warlock, Doctor Strange took over as the feature character of the tryout series Marvel Premiere. Spanning issues #3-14, Doctor Strange took on the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme with the death of the Ancient One. He then battled a vampire-like serpent cult and took on an apprentice in the form of his lover, Clea. Apparently, the changes were good enough for the fans and the House of Ideas as Marvel issued a new Doctor Strange series with a cover release date of June 1974.

The first story in the second volume of Doctor Strange sees Clea improving in her magical prowess. To lighten Strange's pensive mood, Clea produces a bunny from a hat. This prompts Strange to declare it time for bed and has faithful manservant Wong assist him with preparing for sleep. 

As this happens, a sinister figure lurks outside and using magic, causes Clea's rabbit to become gigantic. In a panic, the rabbit escapes by crashing out of one of the windows in the Sanctum Sanctorum. Since these are non-defensive actions, the defrocked Catholic cardinal turned self-proclaimed God's personal weapon against evil, Silver Dagger is able to penetrate Strange's home. Silver Dagger mortally wounds Strange, steals the Eye of Agamotto and kidnaps Clea before magically disappearing. 

Near death, Stephen calls upon the Orb of Agamotto. But due to its necromantic powers, the Sorceror Supreme is thrust into a bizarre pocket universe that is governed by anything but the laws of reason! Oh, and there's a talking caterpillar a'la Alice in Wonderland too.

Compared to the stories in Marvel Premiere, this opening salvo into the second Doctor Strange series was top notch. The stories in Marvel Premiere felt a lot like a kid who gets new responsibilities for the very first time and goes nuts. With the rules lessened on elements of the supernatural in comics, those stories seemed ready to push the envelope into elements of evil not seen in sequential art since just before the Comics Scare of the 1950s. Now in Doctor Strange #1, it feels like the CCA saw what Marvel was trying to do and started to impose some new parameters.

With the new guidelines set, the quality of the work actually improves in my opinion. Steve Englehart (The Avengers) continuing from Marvel Premiere, had the head writing duties and he crafts a tale that is very Doctor Strange but also very Steve Englehart. There's a very tongue-in-cheek manner to this story, what with a former priest learning the dark arts to defeat agents of Satan and Clea's pulling the literal rabbit out of a hat trick at the story's beginning. 

Assisting with the story and on pencils was Frank Brunner. Already a master of horror comics from mags like Vampirella and Creepy, Brunner's style was Gothic meets animation; which is ironic as Brunner later went to work in Hollywood for companies like Disney and Hanna-Barbera. Brunner also has the distinction of being one of the few artists of my youth who used thin lines instead of thick in his artwork and that I liked!

I read Doctor Strange #1 as part of my continued reading through the Marvel Essential collections of Doctor Strange tales. So far, I am liking what I am reading and I look for the remaining 2 dozen or so issues remaining. If Englehart and Brunner continue on as they have in just the first issue, this Essentials volume is going to be explosive!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #26 (With A Magical Element) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Wraith of the Spectre #2 (of 4)

   I’d read the first issue a while back. I don’t think I’ve put its review up yet as I still have a massive backlog. However, for those of you who don’t know, Wraith of the Spectre was a 1988 miniseries that reprints the 1970s series that ran for about a dozen issues of Adventure Comics. This Spectre was a return to the golden age hero created by Jerry Siegel of Superman fame.

In the 1940s, the Spectre was a cop named Jim Corrigan who died and was raised from the dead. He was tasked with defeating all evil on earth and often employed some gruesome methods. By the 60s, the Spectre was more of a cosmic being and since he was like 1% away from being as powerful as the Almighty, his usage in the DC Universe was sparing.

Here writer Michael Fleisher and artist extraordinaire Jim Aparo turned the Spectre into ½ gritty cop drama and ½ EC Comics tribute. Spectre does some crazy things to bad guys, like turning them into wood and then slicing them with a buzz saw or into a giant burning Roman candle. I loved it!

For 1974 DC, the writing is superb. The art is even better. I love Jim Aparo’s work. Next to Neal Adams, I consider him the definitive Batman artist. Now, I can saw with much certainty- Aparo is the definitive Spectre artist.

I can’t wait for the next 2 issues!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.