Rogues

It's been a long time since DC or Marvel produced a true crime heist story involving super villains. 2006's Secret Six miniseries might be the closest thing we've had and that was more about baddies acting righteous during a time when the heroes were acting criminal.

In Rogues, Leonard Snart's glory days as one of the Flash's arsh-enemies is long past. In his late 50s, balding, overweight and kept on a tight leash by a parole officer who deserves his own spot behind bars, the former Captain Cold is a broken man. 2 of the Rogues are dead. His sister, the Golden Glider has renounced her life of crime and became an inner city social worker. The Trickster has become a hack magician, performing to elderly crowds. Mirror Master lost his mind in a drug induced haze. Mick Rory, AKA Heatwave, still plays with fire. Only, he does it with an entrepreneurial flare, committing arson by torching buildings for a cut of the insurance check. 

Now is the time to bring the gang back together. For years, Smart has been planning a heist so outrageous, that it's literally a suicide mission. With Captain Cold's guidance, the Rogues are going to infiltrate Gorilla City and rob Gorilla Grodd's personal vault laden with tons and tons of gold. Good thing Smart has decided to recruit a couple of former members of the Suicide Squad to help in executing this insane plan!

Joshua Williamson penned this story which is nearly flawless. I don't even mind that there's zero appearance of any of the multitude of men to carry the moniker of the Flash in this book. My biggest issue is the addition of DEO agent Maggie Sawyer. She's a great player in Metropolis. But she really doesn't seem to have a place in Gorilla City. At least not here in this story.

Rogues was originally released as a 4-issue miniseries in 2022. The first 3 issues were by Italian artist Leomacs. Issue #4 marks the debut of artist Luca Finelli. The transition between the two was flawless. I didn't even realize about the shift change until I was reading the biographies at the end of the book. I don't know who's talent that speaks higher of. But I loved the artwork throughout this entire piece.

This is a Quentin Tarantino level story and that's not just because of the amount of violence. Tons of swears. Tons! And we're talking F-bombs. This might be a DC Comic title but it's a Black Label release. Definitely not for the kids. But a must for fans of the Scarlet Speedster and his gallery of Rogues.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Human Target, Vol 2

Christopher Chance solves the mystery of who killed him. Posing as Lex Luthor, the Human Target ingested a slow acting poison. His fate is sealed. Chance is literally a member of the walking dead. With only 12 days left, he spends his remaining time trying to solve his murder while enjoying some fantastic scotch and time by the beach, his favorite place. But as his life comes to an end, Chance must confront his own demons.

This Tom King maxi-series from 2022-23 is very much a noir mystery with the Human Target providing the internal dialogue, heroes who are secretly villains and forbidden romance. As with just about any noir whodunnit, the solution is crystal clear while the motivations are the real enigma. For some reason, when the murderer confesses, they have no problem admitting their guilt and yet you need a thesaurus to understand what drove them to kill. 

That's okay however. I'm still a big fan of crime noir.

When I reviewed volume 1, I stated that Greg Smallwood's art looked familiar. I just couldn't put my finger on what it reminded me of. I managed to solve that mystery about a third into this book. With the sharp pencil angles and soft charcoal shading of the subjects, Smallwood's artwork reminds me of that set of Childcraft Encyclopedia books my mom ordered me sometime in the late70s. Published originally in the 1930s by W.F. Quarrie & Co, the volumes of 'the How and Why Library' I had had shiny modern covers. But the internal artwork hadn't been updated since the Kennedy administration. The artwork here gave the story the look of a more innocent time and yet there are no saints to be found.

A fantastic mystery with a great ending. It was awesome visiting some characters that I hadn't thought about in years. Thankfully, being a Black Label imprint work, this is not a canonical book. Yet I would not be surprised in the least to find out DC decided to make this story the official swan song of the Human Target.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Monster Fun School's Out Special 2022

Yesterday was the last day for students at the school I teach at. So it's only fitting that I read this Monster Fun special devoted to the end of class. Though really this was more about Summer fun than saying goodbye to teachers and textbooks. 

Take away the Steel Commando story and the Leopard From Lime Street which are serials, and thus forgivable to not be topical or even 'seasonal'. Still, only 1 or 2 segments take place at school and they don't involve leaving for Summer. Though that Hell's  Angel story where the diminutive hellion turns the tables on a trio of bullies was pretty funny.

The Hire A Horror story with all the beastly employees on holiday was hilarious. Kid Kong was slapsticky but entertaining. The clone adventure with Frankie Stein was predictable but worth a chuckle or two. I just wish that the artwork was a bit less hideous as a Basil Wolverton doppelganger as a PB and Brains sandwich is pretty nauseating to look at

There was another story that was a one-shot tale and not a regular segment of Monster Fun. 'The Sun' crafted by Juni Ba reveals the secret reason behind Dracula's ability to suddenly be able to exist pain free in the sunlight. It was my favorite story. Maybe if only because the punchline was eerily close to to a story proposal I wrote years ago for a now defunct Indy publisher.

Sadly, this will probably be my last read of a Monster Fun special of any type. This issue was from 2022 and being an import from the UK, it's been really difficult for my favorite comic shops to get a hold of them. Mostly, that's due to the bankruptcy of Diamond Comic Distributors. I'm suspecting our current tariff trade war isn't helping matters much lately.

Maybe I'll get lucky and find a lot of 10 issues for $20 bucks somewhere down the line. I'm always open to reading more of these. It's just nigh impossible to find these in the States anymore.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Monster Fun Easter Special 2022

This Easter special is from 2022. Direct from the UK, because of customs, it came about 3 months after Easter had occurred that year. Then it took me 3 years to remember in time for the holiday that I had this book to read.

Easter comics are pretty rare. I think I can only think of enough to fill one hand worth of fingers. And with exception of 1 book, a Marvel one-shot from the 90s, none of the rest of them involves the death and resurrection of Jesus. But being a fan of holiday comics, I was excited nonetheless for a Springtime treat.

I got halfway through this magazine sized read when I started wondering what was Easter about this book? There was a story about a robot commando, a girl who's special makeup turned her into a monster and Dr. Frankenstein's monster losing yet another brain. Other than the cover that cleverly placed the stars of this book having an egg hunt on Easter Island, there wasn't a single appearance by a bunny was to be had. Tons of cats in a caper involving the felines trying to take over the world. But not 1 fluffy rabbit.

Then at the exact mid point of this issue do we finally get an appearance of the Easter Bunny. It's a funny fable about how a young boy gets to eat all of his family's Easter candy because he defeated the Easter Bunny. (At least that's what he tells his younger sibling.)  Then a temp agency where you hire monsters run by Dracula, decorates for Easter. Lastly, a little demon girl tries to help the Easter Bunny escape from the pits of Hades- to disastrous effect! Throw in a couple more creature capers and you've got about 9 stories with only 3 being holiday themed. 

I don't fault the 'Leopard From Lime Street' story for not taking place during Easter. It's a serial and possibly changing things to fit into the spirit of the season could upset the story flow. One story sees a little vampire girl going on a Spring vacation with her adopted human family. So while not a holiday book, it at least was seasonal.

Look, I get it. Easter isn't an easy holiday to craft stories about. There's only so many ideas involving bunnies and egg hunts you can come up with without getting stale. And very rarely do even Christmas comic books delve into the Christian elements. But  if only a third of your book is even focused on secular Easter festivities, maybe call it a 'Spring Holiday Special' instead.

I like Monster Fun. I think the stories are funny and I enjoy the art. Their Halloween and Christmas books have become must haves for me. I just wish that I wasn't set up for an accidental 3 year wait to fall so flat in terms of the amount of holiday material that I felt I was promised.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Morbius

I'm not sure why 2022's Morbius got so much hate. The film isn't very long, clocking in at about 1 hour and 40 minutes. An origin story, it doesn't drag things out too badly. The plot is pretty cut and dry.  Jared Leto's acting is way better than his Joker from Suicide Squad. Matt Smith is fantastic. The visual effects are pretty good. With exception of just 1 fight scene, the dreaded slo-mo effects are virtually non-existent in the movie. In fact, it's a pretty fast paced action horror movie that seems more on par to star Wesley Snipe's hybrid vampire hunter, Blade than being a Sony Pictures film set in the Spidey-verse. 

So why am I not singing it's praises? Mainly, because I was so bored with this movie.

I DVR'd Morbius last Thanksgiving. I had passed on going to see it in theaters because of how much hate the movie was getting in the reviews as well as my social media feeds. Going to the movies has gotten so expensive, if it's not something I'm thrilled to watch, I'm not going to suggest my godson and I go out to see it. I tried watching it during the holiday break. Then again at Christmas until finally finishing it yesterday. I just couldn't get into it.

The story of Morbius is fairly simple. Guy with a rare and crippling blood disorder becomes a doctor in hopes of curing himself. Using vampire bat DNA, Dr. Michael Morbius develops a cure. Only, it turns him into a living vampire. One who must consume blood in order to live; with all of the powers and none of the weaknesses of the traditional vampire. 

It all sounds a lot like the story of the Batman nemesis Man-Bat. It also sounds very similar to the origin story of another Spider-Man villain, the Lizard, who's work with iguana DNA in hopes of restoring his missing arm instead transforms the scientist into a rampaging reptile! While all 3 of these characters are certainly tragic figures, what separates Morbius from the others is that as far as I know, he's never been cured of his secondary affliction. To this day, Morbius struggles with the endless blood lust that boils inside of him, preventing him from becoming full vampire. 

If I had my choice to be able to affordably own the first comic book appearance of the Lizard, Man-Bat or Morbius, I'd choose Morbius every time. His role in the Legion of Monsters and Midnight Sons has made him such a bad ass character. Plus, he's got such a freaking awesome appearance and super cool looking costume design by legendary Gil Kane. For some reason, that level of excitement just didn't transfer very well onto the screen for me.

There's 2 extra scenes. I had to search for them on YouTube as the channel I recorded the movie from omitted them. Those 2 scenes piqued my interest into the potential of a Secret Six movie finally coming to fruition. However, I'm starting to think that if you can't use your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in the film, there's really no point for these movies. A good villain can sell tickets. But if he doesn't have a greater hero to battle, it won't be entertaining. 

In other words, despite being a fan favorite character, not every Marvel based friend or foe deserves their own movie. Maybe it's time for Sony to let Spider-Man remain at the House of Mouse along with all his amazing friends...

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Happy Horror Days One-Shot

I've been learning over the years how the holidays are filled with creepy characters and horrible stories from around the world. So who better than Archie's horror imprint to provide some festive frights? From 2022, Happy Horror Days offers 3 tales designed to bring holiday fear instead of cheer.

Frank Tieri returns to the Jughead: The Hunger universe he created with a story that answers the question: What would happen if Krampus ran across the path of a hungry werewolf? 

Then Veronica makes an Icelandic immigrant's first Christmas in Riverdale hell by berating their fashion sense. Little does Ms. Lodge know about the legend of the deadly Yule Cat.

Finally, under pressure from his parents, Reggie wishes for a girl he can take to Christmas dinner with. Little does he know that his prayers have been answered by a pair of devilish imps.

The opening story was more black comedy than horror. Lots of funny banter that if the main Jughead: The Hunger books are anything like this Krampus caper, then I most certainly wanna get my hands on them. The other two stories were like most classic horror comic tales. It's the twist endings that elicits the scares. The closing panels to both stories were absolutely creepy. But I think it's that last panel of the Reggie story that is really going to stick with me for a while.

I loved this anthology. The annual Archie Christmas specials are the books I look forward to the most each holiday season. They bring forth a magic of the holidays and this special is no different. Except that it's black magic instead of Christmas magic. I'm kicking myself for not having read this one sooner because I feel like if I had given praise to this one-shot sooner, we could have had 2 more years of scary Archie Christmas comics.

Well, there's always next year.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Monster Fun Christmas Special 2022

Rebellion's revival of the classic 1970s UK horror humor title celebrates the season of giving. From 2022, if this feels like a British version of The Nightmare Before Christmas, you'd be right. Here you've got vampires, devils and Frankenstein's monster taking part in Christmas festivities.

Not every segment was Christmas themed. The android Steel Commando story was a continuation from the previous issue. Since it was playing off a cliffhanger, I was okay that it wasn't a set during the holidays. However, the Leopard From Lime Street was working off of a continuous plotline and they managed to celebrate Christmas. True, the amount of Christmas detrimental to the plotline was about as debatable to if Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not.

The main title of this book is Monster Fun and I had a lot of fun reading this tabloid sized read. Despite being heavy on creatures of the night, there's a healthy dose of Santa Claus. Being a British comic, I was surprised that Krampus only appears in 1 story. As for the primary punchline, it was Brussel sprouts! I didn't realize until after reading this issue and later doing some research, but Brussels are an English Christmas dinner staple. But why all the hate? The once hated vegetable has undergone a revolution in the States. I wonder if the Brussels across the pond haven't been hybridized to remove their bitterness...

I didn't plan it, but my holiday readings for this year have been very heavy on books from Europe. Since it's turning out this way, I'm getting a pretty good idea of what titles are on task for my upcoming 2024 Christmas comic book reads. If anything, I got inspiration as well as a few laughs out of this international read.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Destiny, NY Halloween Special One-Shot

Taking place in a world where magic is real but not everyone has the gift, this Halloween special is from 2022. I'm not quite familiar with Destiny, NY. I do know of the franchise. But I've not read anything by creator Pat Shand and Black Mask Studios. 

There's 2 stories in the book. Both involve knowing about the future but in varying degrees of effect and impact. 

In the first story, a barista is having relationship problems with his boyfriend and turns to a psychic for help. She places the blame on the young man and predicts doom for the relationship- unless he pays $600 to cleanse his aura. As there are some phony psychics operating out there, the guy spends all Halloween night agonizing over whether to trust the clairvoyant or instead, to take the bull by the horns and taking with his beau about their problems.

Story #2 is about a witch in training and her first day of college at a prestigious institute for the study of witchcraft. The young woman has an assured death wish but not because of a psychic. She's been diagnosed with a deadly disease. One of which I assume cannot be cured by magic. Having that cloud over her head has caused her to see the world with a healthy dose of cynicism; understandably so. Thankfully, there's a caring professor who hopes to teach the young girl to see joy in her remaining days.

Only the first story was set during Halloween and that was the story I cared the least for. The second story was the better of the two. If I was to continue with Destiny, NY, I would want to start with the rest of the witch's journey which was supposed to debut in the Spring of 2023. But I'm not that committed to giving it a try. It just didn't feel like a series that called to me. I'm just not big on stories about witchcraft and if the first story is any indication of the rest of the Destiny, NY universe, those characters don't appeal to me in any way.

I think I am going to turn this book in for some trade credit.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Archie & Friends: Summer Lovin' #1

This summer time fun special was something I meant to read when it debuted in 2022. Unfortunately it got buried in my ever growing to-read pile, only to see the light of day just recently.

The main story introduces a new love triangle to Riverdale. Veronica's cousin Harper has returned for the summer. This means for Reggie a chance to restart his relationship with the teen. However, there's a new player in the mix, Eliza Han, an African-Korean American with ADHD and is pansexual. At the summer carnival both Reg and Eliza vie for the affections of Harper. But it looks like love will have to wait when everyone gets sick from riding the Gravitron. 

The opening story was written by Tee Harper with artwork provided by my favorite modern Archie artist, Dan Parent. I was surprised that the main feature was only 6 pages in length. Especially since the cover promises an introduction to Eliza Han. Instead, the back-up feature took up the majority of this book, which was 32 pages in total length. It involves Archie trying to win the affections of Veronica by practicing for the Riverdale beach windsurfing championship. Did I mention he's rather bad at it? Written by Tom DeFalco, the story features an often forgotten member of the Archie-Betty-Veronica love affair; one Ms. Cheryl Blossom who decides to train poor Archie just to get revenge on Veronica.

The back up was illustrated by Pat and Tim Kennedy. The brothers artwork looks really new and I know that it's a newer story because Kevin Keller is a main character in the story and he's only been around since 2010. What I want to know is this: was the windsurfing story brand new or like with other specials of the past, a reprint? 

With a Halloween or Valentine's Day spectacular, the reprinted tales look older. Why didn't the editors pick such a more modern story to fill in the gaps? And if it's an all-new story as well, I'm crying FOUL! Why does this one-shot get special treatment of original material but the holiday annual books get stuffed with stuff that I've more than likely already read!?

I've said it before and I will say it now: I'm willing to pay $3.99, up from the standard cover of $2.99 for all my Archie specials to contain more original stories than 1 measly 6-pager. C'mon Archie Comics! You do so well responding to fan demand, let's make this happen!

Before I go... Great cover by Bill Golliher. Love the Easter egg to the birth year of Archie!

Worth Consuming!

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

A Christmas Story Christmas (2023)

For some reason, I didn't get to see this movie when it came out last year. Was it streaming only and I didn't subscribe to it? That seems right. Not being able to see the sequel to 1983's A Christmas Story is one reason why I read In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash instead last year. Thankfully, this year, it was showing a couple of times on Freeform or some other cable channel and that I didn't have to wait 3-5 for it to debut for regular customers. 

There have been at least 2 other sequels to A Christmas Story. 1994's It Runs in the Family, later retitled A Summer Story is set in the summertime. It has a couple of actors from the 1983 film as well as Jean Shepherd narrating. Then there's the direct to video A Christmas Story 2 which is considered by many to be a stinker. (I've never seen it.) Though touted as an official sequel to the first A Christmas Story, it's not at all based on any of Jean Shepherd's writings. Considering that and the fact that the creator of these characters died 3 year's prior with no involvement in the 2012 movie, let us decree that A Christmas Story Christmas is the true third film in the trilogy.

The movie opens in the early 70s. Ralph is married with 2 kids living in the Chicago area. He's taking a gap year to try his hand at becoming a writer. Only none of the publishers based in the Windy City want to touch his 2,000 page sci-fi manuscript. If he cannot get his book published by new year's, Ralph will have to go back to a regular 9-to-5 job and give up his dream of becoming an author. 

Ralph's parents are due to drive up to spend Christmas with him and his family when he receives the news that the Old Man, deftly played originally by the legendary Darren McGavin, has passed away. In turn, this means that Ralph's family will instead go back to his hometown of Hohman, Indiana to spend the holidays. 

Wanting to capture the Christmas magic his father was known to be a master of, Ralph plans to make this the best Christmas ever for his wife and kids. With the help of his old friends Schwartz and Flick, Ralph's got some great things planned. But as family injuries mount up, the Christmas presents bought at Higbee's wind up getting stolen and a pair of bullies on snowmobiles terrorizing the neighborhood, Ralph is at his breaking point where he's got writer's block crafting his most important work ever: the Old Man's obituary. 

A Christmas Story Christmas doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 film, which in my mind is a classic. A lot of other people now think of it as one of the best holiday films of all-time. Only I was a fan when it came out on video for the first time in 1984. I didn't have to let it grow on me to love it as others have had to recently. The 1983 film is in my top 3 for sure. While the 2022 follow-up didn't even make it into the top 10 of my favorite holiday movies, it did capture the magic of the first film very, very well.

Having most of the original cast helped. Peter Billingsley was Ralph, only older. I'm not sure if that was his natural voice or he did an accent; but he sounded so much like Jean Shepherd, especially during the narration of the movie. R.D. Robb and Scott Schwartz brought the humor of the best friends Flick and Schwartz, now older but still driving each other crazy. I won't spoil any further cameo treats.

In terms of new actors added to the mix, I thought Julie Hagerty was great as Ralph's mom. Don't get me wrong, Melinda Dillon who played Mom Parker in the first movie was fantastic. I understand that due to her poor health, Dillon was unable to participate. But Hagerty brought that dry humor that made her such a great character in the Airplane films, to the role. I thought the actors who played Ralph's kids were amazing as well. Though, Ralph's son Mark, looks like his real father might actually be town barkeep Flick. Henry Miller who played former high school quarterback turned barfly Larry Novick, stole every scene he was in. And then there was Ralph's wife.

Erinn Hayes plays Ralph's bride Sandy. She's known for playing this more sophisticated wife to schlubby husbands. I don't know why they keep using her for that kind of role. Ralph isn't a schlub. Never has been. He's a dreamer that just can't figure out how to make his dreams become realities. Hayes, while not portraying her normal boorish character, just didn't fit in with the rest of the cast. 

I loved the ending. It, along with probably 90% of the other scenes in this film paid homage to the first movie. I wouldn't mind revisiting Hohman, Indiana again. Both for a rewatch and for a potential series. There's so much material from Jean Shepherd that could be used as a limited series that went back and forth from the depression era to the 1970s. Though, I imagine with the absence of McGavin, who plays a massive part in this movie, despite having passed about 15 years prior, might make the earlier stuff unfilmable. Still, I hope this isn't the end of the A Christmas Story original cast in these roles, because it really feels like more is on the horizon. 

Maybe not a new classic for the holidays. But it's definitely a film that warrants watching to catch up on the Parker family and their friends after A Christmas Story comes to a close with the eating of Chinese turkey. Mini Marathon, people!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Scotch McTiernan's Holiday Party #1

Thanks to my experience with their Halloween special, I was willing to give the Brian Posehn/Gerry Duggan/Scott Koblish holiday follow-up a try. I really wish I had saved my money.

The entire book is a stoner's Christmas Carol warning of the dangers of a 2024 Trump/Red Wave election victory. While I support free speech and I understand the fears of what MAGA candidates are going to do win OR lose after the November elections; it's just not appropriate for a Christmas themed comic book. (And if I am wrong about that- then at least put a warning label on the front cover!)

I'm okay with Christmas horror. I'm even okay with a little bit of Christmas dystopia. Usually with all those types of tales, there's at least a glimmer of positivity and hope. Not so here! There's not one single bit of joyful anticipation in this 2022 comic from Image. The writers are so angry that if this comic book could fester cancer from the bitterness, then the case would be terminal.

Maybe I should have realized from the shocks of the Halloween special that there would be no sacred cows here. Based on the cover, I didn't expect a reverent comic. Heck, I was expecting a lot of drug culture humor and Deadpool level violence. And I was OK with all that. Based on the cover, it all looked so cheerful and fun. I was instead sucker-punched with this woebegone tome. I really didn't expect this to be such a downer in expectation of what 2024 might bring. Hell, I wasn't even expecting the next election to even be a glimmer in the eye of the creators being published so far away from 2024.

January through October of 2024 is going to have enough fear and loathing on its own. I just don't need it during my holiday reads. That's my time to delight and wonder. The team of Duggan/Posehn/Koblish stole that from me with this book. 

Grinches....

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.

Silent Night, Deadly Night #3

The police force of tiny Eggnog, Utah are on alert. Anybody in a Santa suit doing the slightest thing illegal are getting round up. It's spreading security forces pretty thin which makes this issue's major massacre a cake walk for Billy Chapman, who returns to Ira's Toys some 40 years after his murderous spree of Christmas Eve, 1984. The new owner is throwing a bash for all the store Santas in town, as well as the helpers and Billy has come dressed in his holiday reds and bearing gifts... of death! 

The first about 10 pages seemed like a return to the slasher holiday classic and then Billy's rage triples and heads begin exploding, blood gushes and heads roll. As much as the level of violence went off the rails, it was still a good story. Plus the artwork has vastly improved. and yes, it's the same artist from the past 2 issues! I have a theory behind why Billy's eyes have turned jet black. I'll be interested to know if I am right. 

I was right about who the copycat Santa Killer was. I wasn't 100% certain as I can't seem to account for all the murders to the person who committed them. Thus, while I had my assumptions, I wasn't 100% certain. But I count it as a win that I guessed the secondary killer correctly.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Silent Night, Deadly Night #2

A lot happens in issue #2. 

Billy's eyes turn as black as coal and he escapes the low-security mental hospital, murdering indiscriminately. 

An orphan from the foster home that Billy and Ricky lived in as kids, seeks help from Santa. His eyes also turn jet black and he beats the living crap out of one of his tormentors. 

Ricky has a complete mental breakdown after what happened with his recent visit with Billy and storms out of the house he and his family are staying in.

A killer dressed as Santa kills a couple near lover's lane and then possibly kills a pair of dime store Santas.

Billy Chapman gets some much overdue revenge.

And the art just gets worse and worse.

First of all, the gore level jumps to 11 in this issue. It's very off-putting. The original film from 1984 and the sequel were known for being bloody and dark. It's kinda hard to hack someone to pieces with an axe and make it pretty. However, the deaths in this issue take a quantum leap in gore with eyeballs exploding and faces being punched to pulp. It's a level of gratuitousness I just don't want to see, like when they killed the dog in that issue of The Weatherman.

Thankfully, the artwork isn't all that great as the lack of realism helps to prevent me from having nightmares. I liken it to the very overcrowded type of stuff you would see in a college newspaper. Everything looks like it was done with an ink pen instead of pencils and it feels rushed. I know that I'm not a professional artist. With my carpal tunnel, I couldn't pass that correspondence art course test where you have to draw the pirate or the turtle (and everybody is scammed into believing they have the makings as the next Andy Warhol!) But to paraphrase Mr. Burns from The Simpsons, I know what I like and I don't like this (art.)

Still hooked on the story though. It's intriguing where the art work for the most part really disappoints.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Silent Night, Deadly Night #1

I start my 2023 Christmas comics reading with a sequel to a holiday classic... HORROR flick! It's Silent Night, Deadly Night #1 from American Mythology.

I've been waiting almost an entire year to read this book. Issue #1 debuted in November of last year with issue #2 dropping in December. That would have been okay for me to wait until then to read it. But issue #3 hit store shelves in late January AND the final fourth book didn't come out until Easter! So I waited...

Silent Night, Deadly Night is a fully sanctioned sequel from film creators Dennis Whitehead and Scott Schneid. Taking place 40 years after the first film, it appears that events from the second and third film in the series have been wiped away from existence. In fact, this miniseries also changes the ending of the 1984 splatter classic because Billy Chapman is still alive!

At the end of the original film, cops shot and killed Billy before he could exact revenge on the abusive Mother Superior who abused him and his brother as kids. Over Billy's dead body, little brother Ricky, proclaims that the head nun is ' Naughty '. And that's where movie series canon ends.

 As Billy's corpse is being wheeled out of the orphanage, paramedics detect a faint pulse and rush to save the crazed Santa dressed murderer. Thus for the next 4 decades, Billy Chapman resided in a low-security insane asylum, keeping mostly to himself, allowing his white hair and beard to grow long like Santa. Every Christmas, Ricky takes his wife and daughter to make a yule tide visit while Ricky wrestles with the demons of his past, fearful that he too might become a sadistic killer like his big brother.

Meanwhile, one of the kids from the orphanage who witnessed Billy's Christmas Eve assault has returned to the town of Eggnog, Utah. Now a famous horror writer, the man hopes to exorcise his own demons from the orphanage and the trauma of Christmas Eve, 1984. Only that's gonna be really difficult as someone in a Santa suit is stalking the citizens of Eggnog, killing those who wind up on this evil Kris Kringle's naughty list.

If you can wade through the fact that this book erases 4 sequels, two of which weren't really even connected to the Caldwell family anyways, fans of the slasher series will enjoy a bloody sequel full of irreverent humor and creepy jump scares. And that's perfectly fine as that's was the intention of the 1984 film that changed the rules for holiday horror. As for the art, it's rough. I don't understand why American Mythology does amazing work with their all ages material; yet their horror stuff looks like it was drawn by the cartoonists at a college newspaper.

For those of you who love their Christmases to be a little bit on the dark side, this is the chilling read for you.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

ET-ER, Vol. 2

AWA Studios' ET-ER is a series that I just don't understand why it's not gotten the love it deserves. The 3-story first issue debuted in 2021, just a few months after comic book publishers were forced to shutter their print runs due to the pandemic, and were once again able to re-open. With a massive delay such as that, it took a long time for Indy publishers to get back on schedule. The fact that it was almost a year until Vol. 2 came out doesn't really surprise me. What shocks me is that it's been about 18 months since this second issue hit shelves and it doesn't look like the doctor will be in anytime soon. 

The premise behind ET-ER is rather novel. It's literally universal healthcare. In the first of three tales, a distant colony planet is attacked by massive insectoid creatures. Driven mad by a virus, a medical team is sent to inoculate the hive, as well as any humans stupid enough to get in their way.

Episode #2 sees an intergalactic ambulance driver rushing to save the life of a transplant patient. With hyper-lanes shut down do to a crash, the space-faring paramedic will have to cut a narrow path through an asteroid field in order to keep his precious cargo alive.

The last story sees a fledgling documentary filmmaker succumbing to both the stress of not being the next great interstellar director and the narcotics he's turned to in order to keep working. 

3 great medical themed sci-fi stories. That opening tale reflects the poor choices and disinformation spread during the height of the pandemic. The middle story made me go down one path only for that twist ending to gut punch you like many good medical dramas do. Honestly, the final story was a bit too off-the-wall. However, if you'd ask my wife, who works in a medical clinic (on Earth), cases involving drug addicts take some really bizarre turns. As I am never been a part of the drug culture, maybe I just didn't connect to the premise as much as someone who has experimented with mind-altering substances might have.

I may not be a fan of AWA Studios co-founder, Axel Alonzo. But I am one to admit when something is worth reading and ET-ER is so worth reading. I just wish fans would enjoy it as much as I do or that AWA Studios would take a greater leap of faith with it. 

Some of you may be wondering why I waited a year and a half to read and review this book if I'm such a fan of it. Sheepishly, I must confess, I misplaced this book. I've got about 2 long boxes full of stuff to bag, tape, organize and add to my collection. ET-ER Vol. 2 was an unfortunate casualty to that overstock. I don't regret having that many books unaccounted for in my possession. I've been taking great steps to fix that over the past few months with reorganizing things. I just hate that my delay on reading and reviewing this awesome one-shot may have resulted in AWA Studios pulling the plug on ET-ER for good.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Bill and Ted's Day of the Dead #1

I got this special last year. AFTER November 1st. I'm not really sure why publishers released holiday books after the event is over. It seems to defeat the purpose of celebrating, if you ask me. Though shipping delays could have something to do with it. But I'm really sure that I saw that release date for this book in Previews being for after Day of the Dead, 2022 had come and gone. At least I had it to read for the 2023 festivities!

The town of San Dimas really knows how to celebrate! It's the annual celebration of Dia de los Muertos and the Wyld Stallyns have been invited to perform a set during the festivities. Before their set, Bill and Ted enjoy some good food, make some decorations and meet a pair of beauties in calaveras make-up who have built an elaborate shrine for their ancestors. Inspired by the shrine, Bill and Ted go back in time to bring back several icons of Mexican history including acclaimed artist Frida Kahlo and Aztec Emperor Montezuma!

Then in the back-up story, longtime Bill and Ted antagonist Chuck De Nomolos escapes from his prison in the year 2721. It just happens that the day De Nomolos makes his prison break, it's also Day of the Dead. With everyone dressed like Death, De Nomolos has a tragic break from reality, fearing another melvin from the Grim Reaper.

I liked the first story except for the fact that Bill and Ted essentially cheat on their girlfriends in this story. Both acknowledge that they still are in love with their princess girlfriends but they also want to get to know those cute celebrants better too. That 'harmless flirting' was just beyond the pale for me.

I didn't really like the De Nomolos story. In fact, it's inclusion was a bit startlingly. I had forgotten all about the character who debuted in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. Plus the image of a dead Chuck De Nomolos looked nothing like actor Joss Ackland. I had thought that some non-related back-up story had been added at first and was really puzzled as to why Opus Comics didn't add another Bill & Ted story to this book. Thankfully, by page 2, I understood what was going on. But it really felt like I was reading 2 different comics at first.

That second story had a touching tribute to the late George Carlin, who played Rufus, the time-travelling mentor to Bill and Ted. I hadn't realized he died all the way back in 2008. I would have said he had only been deceased since maybe 2019. 2018, at the most. 

Another thing that stunned me was the advertisement for the Bill & Ted's Excellent Holiday Special. How did I miss this? I really don't remember this and I am 99.8% certain that I didn't pick a copy of this up at my favorite LCS. I recently did a deep dive through my pile of new purchases that I have yet to bag or add to my collection and I didn't come across this book. So I might have something to add to my holiday comics wish list. 

This book is full of Day of the Dead festivities. But those two tales are as different as night and day. Also, I couldn't stand how Bill and Ted acted with their girlfriends away at space camp. No wonder they all had to go to a marriage counselor in Bill & Ted Face the Music. I'm very glad to see Dia de los Muertos getting some comic book love and the time travel antics of the guys was great. It just didn't feel true to the Bill & Ted franchise.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Teen Titans Go! Undead (Family Comic Friday)

Get a crash course on how to survive a zombie apocalypse, Teen Titans Go! style.

When the skies over Jump City turn an eerie purple color, the Teen Titans investigate... by going to the mall. There, they discover that the population has all turned into zombies. Only there's no virus going around making everyone sick. It turns out that the shopping outlet has a big online sale today that is turning the citizens of Jump City, both alive and dead, into the dreaded 'Undead.' Oh, and that asteroid that came crashing down last night in the town square might also have something to do with it...

This 2022 graphic novel, while not a Halloween themed read, was a fun way to get into the spirit of the holiday. Teen Titans Go! is a Cartoon Network series that thrives on absurd humor, catchy oddball tunes, and being about as gross and irreverent as allowed for viewers aged 8-12, which is also the recommended reading ages for Teen Titans Go! Undead according to Amazon. Pretty much if parents and guardians let their wards watch the cartoon, then you'll have no issue with this graphic novel. But if your expecting this book to be an innocuous as Super Friends or Batman: The Animated Series, you've got another thing coming. Instead, Teen Titans Go! is like the DC Universe if crafted by the creator of Ren & Stimpy.

The book was perfect Teen Titans Go!, as long as you don't like the songs. The musical episodes have always been my least favorite and thankfully, there's only 1 song and it's mercifully short. There's not very much of the rest of the DC Universe in this book. There's like maybe 1 reference to Batman and a second to Darkseid and that's about it. But there's a whole slew of references to other supporting characters created for just the series. Oh, and a great gag involving Robin's rival over Starfire's affections, Speedy, as well as their arch-enemies, the dreaded teens of H.I.V.E..

I don't think that this book is an adaptation of a full-length episode or special. If it isn't, then this graphic novel should be adapted into a 5 day event for fans of the animated series. It's got the feel and pace of such a thing and it would make a fantastic entry in Cartoon Network's annual Halloween programming. I know it's too late to do for this year. But 2024??? Fingers crossed!

Lots of fun. Not scary. In fact, if anything, it pays tribute to the zombie horror genre while mocking it and making it seem about the most silly idea to end the world ever! But that's mostly due to the Teen Titans! For a fun-filled Halloween read that won't keep you up at night, Go!- to your local book store and demand a copy today!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Marked Halloween Special

Every once and a while, the guys at my favorite comic shop order things that they aren't sure whether I would like them or not. They try to get up with me on my special orders but with my work schedule, I'm not able to get there every week. The guys know not to order me anything overtly demonic and for the most part, their executive decisions have been pleasant surprises. I wish I could say the same for this book...

The Marked is a title from Image Comics. Debuting in 2019, It's about a group of women with these tattoos that are magically imbued. The world has been rendered safe from demons for the most part by the Marked. But every once in a while, something managed to sneak through to our dimension. 

In this Halloween special, the Marked are preparing for a challenge by one of their former brethren, a witch named Rogue who rebelled against Catholic church's role in the Spanish Inquisition. As a result of a curse, every 100 years, this excommunicated witch unleashes her own special demons on Earth. The Marked are given until midnight of that centennial contest to find the portal unleashing the fiends and close it, or the devils will reign for another century. 

This year, Rogue's demons have taken root in a small town in Texas on All Hallow's Eve. Only Halloween has been banned thanks to a fire and brimstone preacher and the extreme right wing Sheriff department that rules the burgh with an iron fist. Last century, Rogue almost won. With the Marked having to fight a town full of bigots and homophobes, along with Rogue's army of darkness, this Halloween could be the earth's last and longest Devil's Night for 100 years.

This special started out okay. It straddled this side of Mike Mignola's Hellboy which is about as extreme of a story involving the devil that I am comfortable with. In fact, I thought I was reading a sorceress version of the X-Men. With a villain known as Rogue, a coven made of a diverse international membership and a rough-around-the-edges warlock who befriends a wet-behind-the-ears young enchantress, it really is the X-Men for witches. In fact that warlock and the youngster actually make a joke about how characters named Rogue are supposed to be mutants. 

When the witches make it to Texas, they encounter children who are actually demons under enchantment. The spirits were scary looking but things were fairly balanced between good and evil. So, I read on. But when we get to the reason why Rogue chose this town for her judgment, we learn that- big surprise- the police force was behind a number of heinous sins. They're all dragged off to Hell. Then the fallen angels come for the pastor. He didn't kill anyone but his version of God's love is warped. Yet as the guy begs for his life, the Marked condemns the man to the lake of fire because in their minds, he's cancellable. It's here that I decided that I couldn't make this book a keeper.

The Sheriff and his deputies being villains wasn't so much of a controversial thing. There's countless works in which Southern lawmen are bad guys. But there's also quite a bunch in which they are knights in shining armor. But why is every pastor not of the Catholic church deemed a charlatan, a misogynist and further right-winged than Trump and DeSantis combined? 

I'm a Christian. I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. So do the pastors of the churches I have attended. Yes, some preachers are pure evil. Jim Jones and David Koresh are two prime examples. Instead of dooming the town's pastor, who clearly was not following Christ's example, why couldn't writer David Hine have allowed the guy to repent? Are readers supposed to believe witches and demons exist but redemption, that's a foreign concept? It was that stereotypical look at the church that put me off of this franchise and decided that this book will not be a permanent part of my Halloween collection.

And for any comic book writers who may ever read this review, I challenge you to craft a story in which Christian leaders are looked at as the flawed people that they are but seeking to do right and pursue righteous above their sinful ways. Hating the sin but not the sinner is possible. It's a concept that might seem like fiction, but it's really not. I just wish my beliefs were also represented in comics.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army of the Undead #6

After a series of missteps, Sgt. Rock Versus the Army of the Undead ends on such a high note. There's mention of a department that specializes in the military investigating paranormal and extraterrestrial activity. It's almost like SHIELD but with weird phenomenon. I'd order this series new and monthly if it ever came to pass. However, it's been over a year since issue #1 of this series debuted and I feel like if we've not heard about such a series coming forth by now, it's not going to happen.

The individual issues must not have sold as well as DC had hoped. No surprise there. DC has been tanking in sales for some time now. However, a hardcover collected edition is coming out sometime this month; just in time for All Hallow's Eve. Maybe if the hardcover sells very well, it might re-start the gears for that foretold future series. But if that happens, I expect the paranormal Sgt. Rock story to be repackaged as a graphic novel instead of floppies. 

This final issue was wild. If you are familiar with how Inglourious Basterds ended, then you'll probably love this finale. Add in the penultimate scene of the under-rated Tom Hanks vehicle, The 'Burbs and you'll almost forget some of the errors made in the storytelling in issues #2 and 5. 

The covers by Gary Frank have been awesome. I've also liked the interior art crafted by Eduardo Russo. Some might not like his minimalist technique. But I appreciated the use of shadows and dark voids to heighten the intensity of the drama. Russo's style reminded me a lot of Mike Mignola. So if you are a fan of Hellboy, you'll really dig the artwork of this book.

This was Bruce Campbell's first comic book. For a first effort, it was pretty darn good. I just felt that things kept going back to the starting line instead of going for the finish line. That might not even be the author's fault, but poor story advice from the editor. If not for that, this offbeat World War II horror-fantasy would have been perfect. Still, this was a good read to start off my October, 2023 reads.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army of the Undead #4

In this issue Rock and Easy Co. locate Hitler's personal physician after having destroyed the facility being used to make the Nazi army of the undead. Up next, track the doctor to Hitler's hidden lair.

Finally, an issue that really moves things forward. Well, actually, last issue saw the destruction of the zombie making facility. It's complete destruction wasn't made totally clear until this issue. I kept wondering why Sgt. Rock was so intent on tracking Doctor Morell when his primary mission was to eliminate the Nazi's ability to make resurrected troops. Turns out that Hitler only had the one place to create his own army of darkness. Thus objective #1 is complete.

Other than the gore, I've been wondering why this series has been rated for readers aged 17 and up. In this issue, the swears start being added to Easy Co.'s vocabulary. I haven't seen the big one yet. But this is a Bruce Campbell venture and I expect it's singular appearance to be a doozy.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.