The Powerpuff Girls Halloween Special (Family Comic Friday)

It's Halloween and Bubbles and Blossom cannot wait to go trick-or-treating. However, resident Powerpuff Girl hothead Buttercup refuses to go until she can create the perfect Halloween ghost story. See, there's a huge cash prize being offered and to Buttercup, that's more important than going around in costume door to door for candy. But as writer's block prevents Buttercup from crafting her story, the tales of aspiring writer begin to blend fantasy with reality.

I felt like this 2024 special from Dynamite Entertainment was a hot mess. The writing was all over the place. True, that's because most of the time, readers weren't supposed to know what was real and what was the product of Buttercup's imagination. Maybe dyed in the wool fans of the series would understand it better and enjoy it. But just don't think that's the case here. I think this is a case of writer Amanda Diebert trying to squeeze too much into a 32-page or less book. Perhaps if this was an 80-page giant, the details could have been fleshed out better. But if not, my God, I don't think I could have stood reading such a deluxe special. 

It wasn't just the writing that disappointed me. I like the artwork of Cat Staggs. But what happened here? The interiors seem so unlike her and really, it hardly looks like the Powerpuff Girls! I'm used to the clean lines of Bubbles and her sisters from the TV series. Here, it looks like someone went a little too heavy with the inks and a very thick brush. Even the colors are wrong. Everything is mottled instead of a uniform solid bright hue for each character, their clothing and the scenery.

I'd blame the artwork on modernization of the characters. Only there's an ad for another Powerpuff Girls series in the back and that artwork looks like the original Cartoon Network style that I am familiar with. Plus, the villains who pop up in their amazing cameos look fantastic. Why didn't Staggs give the same level of detail to the trio of heroes?

The Powerpuff Girls Halloween Special is rated Teen. That's mostly because the generation who grew up watching the original series are now in their teens and early adulthood. Yet, other than some heroic fights, I didn't see anything that parents and guardians would find offensive or too over-the-top if younger readers were to read this book. That being said I doubt that very many readers under the age of 18 are going to get the myriad of references to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror classic, The Shining. Be honest. How many of you figured out that the heart pattern on the cover was a tribute to the carpeted floors of the Overlook Hotel?

I think the wrong franchise tried to give tribute to the wrong horror classic. Powerpuff Girls meet Jack Torrance just didn't work for me. The John Carpenter Halloween homage that kicks things off would have been great. But the story goes off into another direction. By the time I was able to sort out the terrible segue, I had pretty much made up my mind that things were going to get better.

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Rocket and Groot: The Hunt for Star-Lord (Family Comic Friday)

A couple of years ago, writer and director James Gunn was removed from completing his Guardians of the Galaxy movie trilogy because of some past inappropriate posts and Halloween costumes. True, he did return after the cast and crew supported him, underwent therapy and made some apologies. However, if things had gone differently, I think I would have been able to make a great argument for who could have at least replaced Gunn as script writer for Guardians Vol. 3!

Rocket and Groot: The Hunt for Star-Lord sees the rascally duo get an alert that their cocky leader has been kidnapped and held for ransom. As Rocket and Groot follow the leads for the whereabouts of the missing Peter Quill, they reunite with their other Guardian teammates who join the search. Along the way, some iconic Guardians baddies along with a surprise villain or two will learn that nothing comes between a Guardian of the Galaxy and their search for their best friend. Except maybe for a bounty offering the promise of some much needed credits.

This 2023 chapter graphic novel from Scholastic was written by veteran comic writer Amanda Deibert. The author captured the quirks and voices of every character in this book perfectly. This story really felt like a never before told segment of the Guardians of the Galaxy cinematic trilogy. If Marvel decides to make a 4th Guardians film, this is who should write the script! And with a follow up adventure seeing Rocket and Groot trapped in with a mysterious stranger in a spooky forest, due to come out in September, I've already got a book on my Halloween to-read list!

The book is illustrated by cartoonist Cam Kendall, who is more well known for his work on board games. I liked his art style. I was also fooled by it. Kendall's style looks a lot like the work Skottie Young did on his 2014-15 Rocket Raccoon miniseries. I liked that work and I loved this one. 

The Hunt for Star-Lord is a fun-filled romp similar in many ways to the mad cap antics of Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo. There's fighting and laser weapons a plenty. A few threatening use of sharp objects. And an appearance by a Marvel UK character that in its 90s era heyday was considered 10 times more violent than Wolverine or the Punisher. COMBINED! Here, the character (of whose identity I dare not spoil), is more buffoonish than deadly. But he's still a little intimidating in appearance.

I did fear that when the Guardians arrived on planet Earth in their search for Star-Lord, that things were going to get a little preachy. Groot sees a lumberjack making timber out of his brethren and rightfully becomes incensed. That was all fine. It was the addition of the eco-protesters in the scene that could have made the scene become fodder for a bad ABC Afterschool Special. But Amanda Deibert keeps things balanced with quirky humor while also presenting a positive message of not wasting our precious resources for no reason at all.

Recommended by Amazon for readers ages 6-8. However I think those up to age 12 could really get a kick out of this graphic novel. The author and illustrator did fantastic jobs! Oh boy! How I can't wait for October to get here!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.