Aquaman #63 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Dan Jurgens (Superman) begins a sweeping epic that chronicles the fall of Atlantis.

Things have come to a head with the island nation of Cerdia. Defying international law, the tiny country has waged an economic cold war with Atlantis that suddenly becomes hot. With his requests for aid rejected by the United Nations, Aquaman takes to the late night talk show scene in order to appeal to the public.

The TV appearance is set up to be a farce. But during a segment in which King Arthur is asked to talk to the host's aquarium fish reveals that a bomb is underneath the stage, things turn deadly serious.

Meanwhile, the underwater kingdom of Atlantis is in chaos. Dolphin, the bride of former Teen Titan Tempest, has gone into labor as an unknown force of aquatic behemoths made of living coral begins an attack on the kingdom. Alerted to the onslaught Aquaman and his contingent race back to Atlantis just in time to see Atlantis' volatile power core explode in a detonation of unspeakable destruction.

Unspeakable because that's where the story stops with a promise of more to come in next month's issue.

This issue was a thrill ride from the very beginning. The cover was penciled by the fantastic Michael William Kaluta (The Shadow). It shows Aquaman swimming among his deep sea friends as Atlantis gleams in all its glory behind him. In the immediate background, a pair of angelic mermaids bestow a majestic-looking Arthur Curry with a crown.

The interior art was penciled by Steve Epting (Captain America) with Norm Rapmund (The Flash) on inks. While on the surface, both Aquaman and Tempest are dressed in their royal finest; a simple black jumpsuit with splashes of color adornments made of shell, sponges and nets. The battle scenes are explosive, literally. And that opening scene of Aquaman atop his trusty seahorse, Storm surrounded by friends and foe alike symbolizing the glory days of Atlantis was awe inspiring.

The only downside to this issue is that I don't have the rest of the story. Looking at a DC database, this issue was the opening chapter of the final tale that would close out the 1992-2001 series run. But a quick search in Google shopping shows that most issues that round things out can be purchased for $4 or less. For $150 plus shipping, you can bid on some of the original artwork on this issue and issue #65. I don't think I wanna go that route. 

A fantastic voyage to the depths of the Atlantic ocean begins in this issue. Hopefully someday in the near future, I'll have the rest of the run in order to find out what happens next!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Completing this review completes Task #23 (Involving Water) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Patrick The Wolf Boy Christmas Special One-Shot

Inspired by former child actor Butch Patrick and the kid werewolf character he played on The Munsters, Eddie, Patrick the Wolf Boy is an unusual character that will warm your heart- and tickle your funny bone. Patrick the Wolf Boy was created by the dynamic duo of Art Baltazar and Franco (Tiny Titans). This holiday special is a mix of Calvin and Hobbes, the Tasmanian Devil, and Marvels What If...

Patrick has a number of humorous adventures with his Dad. Patrick is utterly untamed. Yet, Dad seems a tad aloof about it all. I'm not sure of Patrick's origin. So I am not sure if that sense of pride Patrick's pop has when the little werewolf attempts something but fails miserably is legit or wishful thinking. Still, this was a quite funny holiday special.

There's 2 or 3 shorts that examine 'what if' Patrick meet certain holiday characters such as Santa Claus. They're the best in my opinion. But I also thought Patrick's misadventure with a snowblower was hilarious too! But again- is Patrick's dad really proud of his wolf boy's antics or is he massively oblivious to it all?

I guess I will have to find the earlier books about Patrick to find out. 

This book is from 2000. And in my years of reading and collecting comics, the only copy starring Patrick the Wolf Boy I've ever found was during a visit to Chicago. And I would have missed this too if I didn't decide to check out the display window as I was leaving the store!

Might have to go online shopping for this one. But man, I'd much rather enjoy a hunt through some bargain bins. (Come on prospect of a better 2021!)

A very fun read by a pair of some of my favorite all-ages comic creators.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold

Collecting the six-issue miniseries from 1999-2000, this volume recounts the long and complicated friendship between the Barry Allen Flash and the Hal Jordan Green Lantern.

This is a friendship that on paper shouldn't really be. Barry is a nerd, nebbish and sorta a prude. Plus he's a family man, married to Iris West and surrogate father to Wally. Hal is a playboy, a loner, a rebel. He's devoted to Carol Ferris but he plays the field quite a bit. The closet he has to a family is a pair of brothers that he only sees maybe for Thanksgiving and Christmas if lucky.

Clearly this friendship is proof that opposites attract. 

This book is beautifully illustrated by A.D. 2000's Barry Kitson and Tom Grindberg. It's topped off by the epic storytelling of Mark Waid (Daredevil) and Tom Peyer (Batman '66). 

Just as with the history of these two characters, there's highs and lows. I thought the entire book was great. But I hated seeing how both characters were affected by loss and tragedy. Both Hal and Barry have gone through some really crappy stuff in their nearly 70 some years of existence. 

The best chapter has Barry and Hal going on an intergalactic camping trip with their Earth-2 predecessors Jay Garrick and Alan Scott. It's very funny seeing the generation gap between Jordan and Scott and how much Barry and Jay are like mirror images of each other.

A great book that is a must for any fan of the Silver Age Flash and Green Lantern! But be sure to read with tissues nearby.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

A Classic TV Christmas- Advent 2017 Day 12

Over the course of this year's Advent, I've been going in relative order from the early days of television through the 60s and now the 70s. But I have to jump ahead to the early 2000s. But there's a very good reason why. 

Tonight marks the first day of the festival of lights. Hanukkah, 2017 and you know what that means...that's right it's time for the Holiday Armadillo!

For tonight only, we jump ahead to December 14, 2000 and our show is Friends. In The One With the Holiday Armadillo, Jewish Ross is getting his son Ben for the holidays and wants to introduce him to Hanukkah. But Ben is so set on Santa coming. Desperate to make his son happy, Ross scrambles to find a Santa suit. Unfortunately, it's the day before Christmas Eve and all of the costume shops are out of red suits. So, Ross rents the next best thing- a giant armadillo costume!

Bearing gifts, Ross announces himself as the Holiday Armadillo; Santa's Jewish representative to all of the mid-western states... AND Mexico!!! The Holiday Armadillo is about to tell Ben the story of the first Hanukkah when his brother-in-law Chandler comes bursting in as Santa. 

After convincing Chandler, that he needs to leave, Ben gets upset and demands that Santa stay and the Armadillo leave. Defeated, Ross starts to go when next door neighbor Joey bursts in dressed as Superman! Thankfully after the initial chaos, things calm down and Ross is able to finally tell the story of the Maccabees and light the Hanukkah menorah with his son.

This episode is a favorite in my mixed Jewish-Christian home. There's been several times I've quoted Ross' speech about the first Hanukkah, even going so far as to use the Holiday Armadillo's voice. Since it's the best part of the episode, and because I'm only allowed to provide a clip of this highly copyrighted show, my Advent present for today is the complete sequence with the Armadillo, Santa, and the Man of Steel.

Enjoy- and until tomorrow, Mer--- uh, Happy Hanukkah!

Weird War Tales Special

Vertigo's 2000 special devoted to Weird War Tales was just plain weird...

In a tale from Garth Ennis, a quartet of buddies swap war stories while waiting out a rain storm. Then learn the secrets behind Helen of Troy. The brief history of warfare reveals a never ending pattern of bloodshed while a custodian attempts to make a nuclear holocaust a little bit prettier place to live. Plus a POW in Vietnam is saved thanks to his dynamic drawing skills. 

I should have known from the book's cover that this isn't my Weird War Tales. I have such fond memories of that title. This thing gave me heartburn.

The book doesn't have a rating but this definitely isn't for kids. There's some very, VERY graphic material here- mostly it's all in conversation (and mostly I'm pointing my finger at the Garth Ennis tale!) That one really shook me to my core and not in a good way at all.

I only paid a quarter for this from a bargain bin. Yet, I feel like I want my money back on this. 

And just what the heck is that thing on the cover supposed to be?

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 57

   
  As I've said before, I come across all kinds of interesting stuff doing the A Madman Turns 40 articles. For today's look at 1977, I travel to Stubenville, Ohio. In an article posted 40 years ago today in the Herald Star, kids were asked to predict what life would be like in the year 2000.
    I remember these sort of projects at school. They were always fun and they always revolved around kids expecting the world to be full of flying cars, robots, and things like that. So, let's see what the kids of the Stubenville area were thinking the year 2000 would be like.

This prediction was really wrong!

• 
  One little girl predicted another Great Depression. Well, she was only off by about 7 years with the Great Recession that plagued the Bush and Obama administrations. 
• Another young lady predicted more oil would be discovered. In the late 70s, everyone was afraid of running out of oil, but several key discoveries have been made since. Can you say 'Fracking?'
• The same child also predicted global peace. Well, last week, when the Colombian government and a group of rebels settled on a peace treaty it was the first time that the entire Western hemisphere was at peace in, well, ever. Sadly, things still aren't so good in the Eastern half of the world.
• One youngster predicted robot teachers. Well, telecommute teaching is a very real thing. So is the ability to get anything you need on a small personal computer (the iPhone.)
• The same kid predicted that you could get anything you wanted at the push of a button. If Amazon has their way, that future is almost now!
• Several children predicted women astronauts. These same kids thought we'd be living on the moon by the year 2000. So, they're batting 500...
• And of course several kids predicted flying cars, robots, jet-packs, and even more robots. Hey, they're kids. That's what we want when we are little- flying cars and robots!

Personality wish, I think this 1968 article was on the money.

    Well, that's my look at my favorite year for today. In 2005, the Smithsonian Magazine reviewed the Herald Star article. If you are interested, click on this link to read the full story. It's got some really neat stuff.

Every child's dream- a flying car.

      Until tomorrow...

The Tick's Big Tax Time Terror

      

The Tick comes into a giant windfall due to a tax loophole. Meanwhile, Barry, the evil Tick, discovers that someone has been stealing his credit card. Donning the forbidden identity of the Louse, Barry seeks revenge on those who have stolen his identity. Back in the City, Tick's teammates have been making some big purchases on a certain online auction site which may account for Barry's lost funds.  It looks like some of Tick's allies are in for a massive beat down...

    Another very funny one-shot special. I laughed the most at this one as there were some very clever easter eggs and some very amusing banter. But I felt the most lost with this book as well. In this issue, there is a doppelganger Tick and Arthur team called Flea and Doyle that I've never run across. (Is there a third team with a sidekick named Conan? Sherlock fans should get the reference.) Also, the events from which the Tick received his tax check are an undiscovered country to me as well. So I am sure some inside jokes went right on pass me!

   The next book in the miniseries is the Father's Day Special. It is a book that I currently do not own. But like the books that cover all that unknown information I just griped about, I have a feeling I will not be without these issues for long.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Tick: Big Year 2000 Spectacle

   

  When I'm feeling bummed out and super stressed, I need a laugh. The best way to get them is to read that Ben Edlund classic creation known as the Tick! Last night, with my arm surgery just a couple days away, that's exactly what I did and I ended up reading several!

    The first Tick I read was Tick: Big Year 2000 Spectacle. In this one-shot special, villain Chairface Chippendale is trying to make his mark in the art world. But his every move is blemished by the accidental heroics of the Tick and his faithful sidekick, Arthur. Tired of being bested by the big man at every turn, Chairface uses a de-evolving ray gun to regress the Tick into a less formidable foe. Only, the Tick's body is so super-strong, the rays bounce off of the hero and create a series of duplicates, each a little bit less bright than the previous copy. 

    This book marked the first in a series of one-shots published by New England Comics Press that would drop throughout the year 2000; thus why 2000 was considered a 'Big Year.' Each story had a continuing plot but would be framed in such a way that you could read them out of order and not really get lost. I've got several from this line and I decided to read at least 3 of them in a row.

   Chock full of zany fun, this was a great read. Once again, I found myself laughing so hard that it piqued my wife's interest as to what was just so gosh darn funny. You've got to read this and when you do. believe me, you'll never look at a jar of urine the same way ever again.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Tick: Big Halloween Special, 2000 Edition

 

 The Tick and Arthur go on their annual trip to the pumpkin patch. Just when Arthur is about to pick the perfect pumpkin, the squash turn ugly. Soon, the entire crop has morphed into evil jack o'lanterns and are  attacking the city. Assisted with a Punisher-type representative of the USDA, the Tick and Arthur must discover the hive mind behind the Attack of the Killer Pumpkins in order to save All Hallow's Eve.

    I saved this holiday special for Halloween night and it was worth the wait. Written by the dynamic duo of Clay and Susan Griffith, I laughed out loud several times. I shouldn't be surprised at the story quality, though. If Ben Edlund isn't around to write a Tick story, the Griffiths' are my next choice if I'm looking for a Tick-filled laugh. 

    This isn't an easy find. I had to go to the New England Comics Press website in order to finally locate a copy. But NEC has some amazing deals on their Tick stuff, mostly because you're buying direct and not through a middleman. I highly recommend their services as much as I deem this Halloween special...

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #29

  The conclusion to the Traitor follow-up story sees the Atom as the World's Tallest Superhero and Green Lantern being shrunk to only six-inches tall, along with the rest of the world. In order to make the earth's proportions right again, the Ray will have to muster all of his will power in order to wield Green Lantern's ring while Hal Jordan must take his biggest leap of faith yet cleaning up Abin Sur's mess by trusting another with his mighty power ring.

   This was an exciting pairing that answered a lot of questions about the first appearance of the Traitor. It's not the classic team-up I was expecting, mostly because the Atom is known to partner with Hawkman frequently and Green Lantern often paired with the Flash or Green Arrow. If ever the two would teamed together, it was a part of a Justice League meeting or with one of the aforementioned heroes tagging along as a third wheel.  Plus, this story takes place early in both heroes careers and it's unsettling having these two established friends not know each other for once. So, in a way, this is the origin of the friendship and later partnership of the two once they join the JLA.

    The art was drawn in a classic 1960s style by the great Gil Kane who penciled many of these two superheroes earliest stories. I wish they'd use Kane more for this series. It's quite the breath of fresh air to have his timeless take on the DC Universe of the 2000s.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Fantastic Four: Big Town #2 (of 4)

In the distant future, Manhattan has virtually eliminated crime and poverty thanks to Reed Richards and Tony Stark. While the rest of the world has benefitted from their achievements, the Big Apple has reaped the most rewards thanks to the oversaturation of superheroes living in the city. A cabal of some of the Marvel Universe’s biggest and baddest enemies have struck an uneasy truce in hopes of destroying their adversaries under the banner of equal access to technology for all of earth’s peoples.

   The concept behind Big Town is starting to round out. It’s basically an allegory to how technology, often seen as societies’ savior can become humanities worst warden. I also think there is a little bit of commentary on the gap between the lower and middle class versus the upper class. Think about it, Stark and Richards are billionaires, who live in penthouse apartments looking down on the peon citizens that they’ve taken upon themselves to ‘benefit’ through their technological advances. The heroes seem charitable but at what expense to the evolutionary process of humanity. Plus the people living in Queens live like paupers compared to the super heroes in Manhattan.

Thus it’s easy to see why people are standing up behind the likes of Doctor Doom, Magneto, and the Red Skull. It’s like in the film “The American President” if people are thirsty enough and nobody will lead them to water, then they’ll listen to the person shouting loud enough “Drink the Sand” and the masses will!

Big Town was published in 1999-2000 and was meant to take place in the not too distant future. With Occupy, Obamacare, and the constant struggle to make ends meet with food prices getting higher and higher while the amount of our annual raises get smaller and smaller, it’s a little eerie how familiar this comic is. Did somebody have a crystal ball or has it finally reached the boiling point?

I’m still not sure if this book is meant to be future Marvel universe canon or an imaginary story, but I like it. Big Town is full of action, excitement, and at the bottom line- it makes you think. Stan Lee must’ve been proud with this one.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Uncanny X Men Annual 2000

A young girl just coming to terms with her mutant powers is brutally injured in a random school shooting. Now blind and possibly permanently paralyzed, the girl wallows in her misery. Only, these pity parties are having dramatic effects across the globe as millions are randomly subjected to her blindness and immobility. So, it’s up to Professor X and Cable to help ease the girl out of her cocoon, possibly coach her to walk again, and use her new powers for good.

It’s a good story, but there is one serious flaw here- the girl was shot point blank in the face. A scene shows her in an ER with blood and gauze covering her. Yet, the very next day, she’s shown in her hospital bed with a porcelain skin and not a blemish or stitch to be found. That’s just totally unrealistic. I know your thinking this is a comic book. But, she doesn’t have a healing factor like Wolverine, so her head should be covered with bandages and such.

Very poor plotting or poor art direction. Not sure which, but it’s not very forgivable.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.