The New Adventures of Abraham Lincoln (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's another day in detention for Byron. It's not because he's a trouble-making kid. Once again, Byron just happens to know more about American history than his teacher does and the instructor cannot stand to be embarrassed by a pupil.

Bryon spends his detentions reading history books. In particular, his favorites are about the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Always wanting to have met his hero, Bryon seemingly gets the chance when the deceased visits detention with his own version of American history. No; Benjamin Franklin was never elected President! That's not why he's on the $100 bill. And no; the heads on Mount Rushmore are not a natural rock formation created by volcanoes millions of years ago.

Bryon's after school encounter with Lincoln appears to have just been a really weird dream. However, the next day on TV, Bryon learns that his bizarre history lesson is about to get weirder as President Clinton has just resigned from office in order to let Lincoln finish out his 2nd term as the 43rd President of the United States. 

This Honest Abe seems anything but as he appears to have a hypnotic trace over the populace of the US of A. With time running out before Lincoln's inauguration, it's up to Bryon, his rebellious friend Marcie, his wheelchair bound veteran pop and the real time-displaced Abraham Lincoln to save America from itself!

Understanding Comics' Scott McCloud wrote, illustrated and programmed this 1998 graphic novel published by Image. With technical advice from Kurt Busiek and Neil Gaiman, The New Adventures of Abraham Lincoln is a computer generated story in which McCloud used 3-D models of important Washington buildings and monuments, along with photography and hand drawn images to create a political satire that seems crafted for today's America. 

On more than one occasion, the fake Lincoln promises to 'Make America Great Again!'. Around the end of the book, the impostor's  followers hold Congress at gun point if they refuse to confirm him as the next POTUS. It's very difficult to laugh at this obviously humorous look at how American politics has become less like C-SPAN and more like professional wrestling, if it just wasn't so gosh darn accurate.

Completing this review completes Task #32 (Fictional Comic Based on a Real Person) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Deadpool #0 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Wade Wilson is on assignment deep in the Heart of Texas. He's supposed to recover some top secret files when his target is intercepted by a foe that was supposed to be dead. 

That's comic books for you... Nobody stays dead.

But Deadpool really needs those files. Normally if a mission goes south, the Merc With a Mouth would just float on over to the next job. However, successfully completing this task means earning an expensive surgery for his pal Blind Al. So Wade follows the trail of the missing data all the way to the lab of Armin Zola.

Zola has been cloning some of the Marvel Universe's most forgettable characters from beyond the grave. Though who could forget Daredevil's arch-enemy Porcupine Man?! Needing those files and not morally objectively against killing mindless clones, the mutant assassin has a literal field day killing off the Marvel Universe's z-list.

This special was a collector's edition insert in issue #87 of the now defunct Wizard Magazine. An official tie-in for 2nd volume of Deadpool, that ran for 69 issues plus an annual from 1997-2002, this issue was written by Joe Kelly. It's rather different from the Deadpool comics published in the past decade. For example, Deadpool riffs on the hermaphrodite nature of one of the characters for several panels. While the character is known for not bowing to any sacred cows, except for his daughter Ellie, Deadpool's reaction to the dual sexual nature of the resurrected character Vamp-Animus borderlines on cruel. It's definitely not a reaction that the now accepting pansexual mutant would make in current comics culture. Wade's reaction to the discovery of the clones of Uncle Ben and Aunt May nude and in asexual embrace? Classic Deadpool!

Featuring art and cover by Yancey Labat, this 12-page issue actually expands to 16 pages as it includes a behind the scenes section. It featuring original sketches of the cover to Wizard Magazine #71 by Ed McGuinness cover along with never-before-seen (and deleted artwork) from Pete Woods.

Completing this review completes Task #23 (Book Found This Year in a Bargain Bin) the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #15 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The disgraced Cardassian tailor Elim Garak is confronted with his past as an assassin with the Obsidian Order. While on DS9's promenade, Garak comes face-to-face with a face he supposedly killed during the days of the occupation of Bajor. Later that same day, Garak experiences a massive headache that puts him into a coma. 

Rushed to the sickbay, Dr. Bashir discovers that Garak's neural pathways are deteriorating at an accelerated rate. The space station physician has never seen a neurological disease this aggressive and he vows to find a cure. Meanwhile, Garak continues to see the woman he long thought dead before immediately experiencing more violent episodes. With Constable Odo and the rest of Deep Space Nine's security team unable to detect the presence of this living 'ghost', Garak faces his own mortality. These experiences might in fact be hallucinations brought about by a deadly brain disease of which there is no cure!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #15 was the last issue the series based on the TV show of the same name. DS9 was a part of Marvel's second run at the Star Trek franchise. In 1996, Marvel formed an imprint in cooperation with Paramount Pictures to produce works based on the motion picture studios' catalog. While Paramount Comics did publish a few comics of franchises such as Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible film series, Star Trek was the driving force of the imprint. 

Along with the series based on Deep Space Nine, Paramount Comics also released monthlies based on The Next Generation and Voyager. Star Trek Unlimited was an anthology that featured the Enterprise-D along with adventures of the Original Series crew led by James T. Kirk. Star Trek: Early Voyages went even further back in time and covered the untold missions of the Captain Pike tenure. 

The early to mid 90s was not a safe time for comic book publisher; even one as established as Marvel. With a proven talent like Swamp Thing's Len Wein as Paramount Comics' EIC and talent like Dan Abnett and Al Williamson among the members of this modern day bullpen, the future of Star Trek comics appeared rather bright. Yet, for one reason or another, but mostly decreased sales, the imprint folded by the end of 1998. A miniseries continuing the adventures of the Deep Space Nine crew was promised on the letters page of this issue. However, it along with several other promised projects never came to be. Only Star Trek: Untold Voyages, a 5-issue miniseries focusing on the events between Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan was produced before Paramount Comics folded. The Star Trek franchise would not return to comics for another 8 years with the debut of IDW's Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between.

The script to this issue was penned by Andy Mangels (Star Trek: Section 31: Rogue) with Michael Martin. Pencils by Greg Scott (Fantastic Four: Heroes Return).

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #48 (Last Issue of a Series) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

The True Adventures of Adam and Bryon #4

I have an extensive wish list of holiday themed comics. And yet despite how huge that list is, this 1998 Indy comic was not on it. If it wasn't for a search through some dollar bins at an antique, I still wouldn't know anything about this short-lived series.

Despite the title, I doubt that this book is comprised of true stories starring the creative duo of Adam (Walenta) and Bryon (Turner). What I do think this comic is is an attempt to create a CLERKS style comic. The troubles Adam and Bryon have with the ladies and the party-crashing overthrow of an acquaintances Halloween night bash are probably rooted in truth. But I doubt that the party was invaded by a group of escape mental patient mutants. 

I could be wrong. But I doubt it. 

I had a few laughs at this book. But it was rather rough. There's a supposed 5th issue which takes place during Thanksgiving. And I would be open to owning it for my holiday comics collection. But a quick Google search comes up with bupkis. 

Oh well... The search continues.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

The Picture Taker (One-Shot)

I got this one shot Indy a while back from a grab bag. It's not something that was on my radar but the art looked very similar to that of Paul Dini’s Jingle Belle and anything Kyle Baker. So I held on to it.

About a week ago, I came across this book looking for something else to read and decided now was the time to check it out. So was it worth the wait? Or would I have been better off if I had just forgotten it existed?

  The premise is that of a young scientist who returns to his hometown to bail a former test subject out of the drunk tank. The prisoner in question is the title character, who has the psychic ability to take pictures of things in his mind. His ability is real but he's been disgraced having used fakery because his alcoholism interferes with his powers.

  This 1998 work by Phil Hester and Mike Worley was drawn in a classic cartoon style from the 70s or 80s makes the reader feel like this is an innocent little tale. But with adult language, adult themes, and plenty of angst, this comic is anything but. It actually reminds me a little of the 90s cult classic film, Grosse Pointe Blank, what with its theme of 'you can't go home again- well actually you can but it's just not the same anymore.' (Okay- that's not a real theme, but that's this book's premise boiled down and placed in a nutshell.)

I did enjoy the Picture Taker, but I really hated the ambiguous ending. Not having a story end with a definite ending is a major pet peeve of mine. It’s like buying a book that has a ‘To Be Continued’ at the end and you don’t have volume 2 on hand!

  But despite the open ending, this was a good read Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars.

  

The Tick's Big Yule Log Special #1 (1998)

I love the Tick. From watching the legendary cartoon on Fox Kids on Saturdays with my little sister to the so short if you sneeze you'll miss it live-action series to just about every incarnation I can think of- I love the Tick.

  Anything Tick is hard to find. It's a cult classic series that spoofs the superhero genre. So when I can find him for a good deal, I don't think twice. Why I've even bought completed series of Tick knowing full well that I might already have a couple of the issues already. The hero is that good and that hard to come by.

  This Christmas special has Tick and his sidekick Arthur having to play Department store Santa after the champion is falsely accused of having knocked out the store's original St. Nick. The real trouble begins when an evil elf, direct from Santa's workshop, plans to give all the bad kids in town gifts instead of the good ones.

   This comic also has a little Christmas- no Hannukah miracle inside as on the flip side of the book is an 8-page story in which Arthur teaches the Tick about the Festival of Lights. It's perhaps the worst recount of the origin of the eight crazy nights since Superman flew all the Jews out of Egypt. (Friends reference for all you fans of the Holiday Armadillo!)

  I loved this special. For a humor book, it's rare to find myself laughing out loud so much that my wife next to me in bed wants to know what's so funny. She might not get the gags but to me they're comic gold.
 
 Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #1

  So I started a new series. It’s new for me, this series actually started in 1998 and ran for 3 years. The premise is kinda cool. It’s based on Legends of the Dark Knight in which artists and scripters who have teamed previously for classic runs or the newly formed combination of ‘dream teams’ create never before explored stories of Batman’s early career. Now for DC Universe, just substitute the Dark Knight for just about any possible character or team that has graced a DC comic since 1938!

Speaking of 1938, the first issue and the first story arc star the very first superhero, Superman. In this story, Superman takes on a slightly different Ultra-Humanite than we’re used to. In the classic comics, the Humanite might be Lex Luthor, having placed his brain in a younger body. Later, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti will portray the Humanite as a scientist with a dread disease whose brain gets trapped in an albino gorilla and he goes nuts and turns evil due to the horror of his new predicament.  But this story takes place almost a decade before the Conner/ Palmiotti tale will, so most of the backstory is taken from the Pre-Crisis comics.

 Though the Humanite doesn’t appear in this issue, his origin is set up. A scientist on the verge of a major medical discovery that will lengthen the life of the average person is approached by associates of Lex Luthor to buy his technology. The scientist refuses and so Luthor handles it in the way he knows rejection best- kill and steal.

You might notice a green ring on Luthor’s finger in a couple of panels and later it’s gone. That’s because during the John Byrne run of Superman in the 80s, Luthor kept a ring made with Kryptonite on him to keep Superman at bay. The ring’s radiation later gives Luthor cancer and he loses his arm to the kryptonite. So, I’m assuming that Luthor is interested in this life extending tech thanks to his cancer. It’s a pretty cool Easter egg.

I liked this premier issue. It starts a little slow, but it shows Luthor as his worse and Superman at his very best saving the citizens of Metropolis from calamities caused by a Toyman knock-off. The art is super clean and styled very similar to Byrne’s stuff. I thought it was a visual stunner. True, the main ‘villain’ that the story arc is titled after is nowhere to be found. But let’s be honest, the real crook is Luthor.

Great stuff that’s Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.