Savage Tales #3

The first volume of Marvel's Savage Tales was a black and white magazine edition that was slanted more towards fantasy adventure. Characters such as Conan the Barbarian and Kazar fit it's mold perfectly. Though there were a few exceptions, like the Man-Thing who's first ever appearance in the premiere issue, was rooted deeply in science fiction horror. 

In the mid-1980s, Larry Hama sought to revive the title. The second volume was a black and white magazine just like it's predecessor. But instead of sword and sorcery type adventures, this edition was geared towards war and conflicts from the past, present and near future. It's from this comic mag that we get a pair of stories set during the Vietnam War that the amazing comic book The 'Nam would come into fruition. 

In this issue alone, we see a episode set during the Bolshevik revolution of a forgotten police action carried out by American and Canadian troops to keep the Czar in power. A moonshiner takes revenge on a rival responsible for the death of his dog and the destruction of his impressive collection of Elvis vinyls. Desperate women seek military protection during an uprising set in 19th century colonial India. Airplane flying rebels seek to scavenge a crashed Soviet bomber in the aftermath of a nuclear Holocaust while in another different story set in a similar apocalypse, friends see medical attention for their critically injured mentor. A Nazi courier crosses enemy lines and angry live ammunition to deliver important top secret documents during the Watch on the Rhine. Lastly, The American Calvary tracks a legendary American Indian throughout the Sonoran Desert.

Unfortunately, this 1986 offering isn't one of the issues that features a The 'Nam precursor. I have that entire series run, plus a couple of Punisher tie-ins. So I would love to have those 2 issues to round out the full run. That means I'll be on the lookout for issues #1 and 4! Incidentally, a third story set in South Indochina was scheduled to appear in volume 2 of Savage Tales. Alas, the series was cancelled with issue #8. However, that story actually is not lost as it was retooled and saw print as The 'Nam #8!

Along with the editing talents of Larry Hama, there's a slew of Marvel greats including Dick Ayers, Herb Trimpe, Chuck Dixon (going by his Christian name Charles) and the fantastic John Severin. I've been a fan of his work ever since I was cutting my teeth on Cracked Magazine. Severin was the first artist I could recognize by his art style alone. He does double duty penciling the Russian Revolution and the American Calvary adventures. The cover art was by Mitch O'Connell.

An interesting read. I'm definitely wanting those The 'Nam forerunner stories but I don't think I'm in it for the entire 8 issue run.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Punisher Back to School Special #1

My sixth year of teaching high school culinary starts tomorrow. I order to kick off the new school year, I held onto this book for a few months until just about the very last minute. Now I know what you are thinking, that I was a procrastinating student. But that couldn't be further from the truth. In high school and college (for both degrees), I hated to have assignments on my schedule and would work on them immediately; least I put it off and forget them until too late. 

When I read seasonal comics, I like to get as close to the holiday or event covered. Exceptions being Halloween-Christmas where I love spending each month reading holiday fare. I think in the 44 years that I have been reading and collecting comic books, I've probably only encountered 4 or 5 back to school specials. I found this one right before the previous school year ended at a local coffee shop that sells used comics and graphic novels. So I've been eagerly awaiting to read this book the entire summer.

There's 4 stores in this special and it's about as typical Punisher as you could expect for 1992 when this book originally debuted in stores. Lots of violence and death. Probably the max possibly allowed in order to receive a Comics Code approval stamp. It's gratuitous to the point that you really have to wonder who thought this book was a good idea to market as a back to school special?!

The first story isn't violent. Whenever the Punisher isn't punishing bad guys, he's doing his other favorite activity: mourning the death of his murdered wife and children while longing to join them in the afterlife. 

Story number #2 is Frank Castle's take on the Treat Williams gang violence in schools action classic, The Substitute. After seeing too many young people obtaining hand guns and running amok on the streets, the Punisher decides to pose as a gym teacher in order to find out where these kids are getting their weapons from. In typical fashion, the vigilante makes enemies, a couple of innocent youths get stuck in the crossfire, a red herring keeps popping up. But in the end, you can be certain that this public school will no longer have a gun problem.

Story #3 shows the effects on violence with children. A young boy who idolizes the Punisher gets to witness his hero in the flesh. But will seeing Frank Castle in action change the boy's interests or will the cycle of violence continue on it's merry, bloody way?

Lastly was a story about 2 boys who decide to skip school to pursue a life of crime. Only on their first day of work, the lads run across the Punisher who offers them a choice: continue on the road to ruin or get their butts back to school!

I was rather surprised by the second story. It, along with the first tale was written by Chuck Dixon. In the second adventure, the Punisher states that he hates guns; that he is for gun control. That just seems like the antithesis of the Punisher. Plus, if there was gun control, he'd never be able to amass the arsenal of assault weapons and bazookas and grenades that he uses throughout this book. Okay- if there was gun control, his family probably wouldn't have been moved down by mobsters. But I digress. Like I said earlier, who thought this was a good idea to make a Punisher back to school special? There's a freaking gun fight in the lunchroom. Sure, this book was published about 7 years before Columbine. In 1992, the thought of a widespread massacre involving guns and children was the stuff of Hollywood fantasy. Parents and schools were more in fear of kids being given LSD laced Garfield tattoos than in a school shooting in those days. But my God! It's not got me ready for another year of teaching in public education. However, I will say that I did learn that piles of library books can make an adequate substitute for a bullet proof vest in a pinch. 

The hero worship story by Tom Brevoort was an interesting commentary on violence in society. It was thought provoking without being preachy, which I liked. But it had a bit of an ambiguous ending, which I loathe.

The final story was actually pretty funny. I feel like Barry Dutter wrote the script to be so over-the-top that it read as a parody on the ABC after school specials. If that had been the main story instead of Frank Castle's substitute teaching assignment, I think this would have made for a much better read and been a little more appropriate. Let's face it: the Punisher isn't a character for kids. This book never should have been given the CCA stamp. It should have been listed for mature audiences. But what's even more insane is that Marvel released 2 more Back to School Specials in the following 2 years!!!

Lastly, for a time period fondly remembered by fans of dynamic new artists such as Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld and Eric Powell, the art in this book was really bad and yet 100% 1990s. Men with disproportionate musculature. Gritty, grimy scenery. Unrealistic action poses. Terrible inking that prevents any of the artwork from leaping off the page. This was definitely an eye-opening read that I'm not sure could be even considered by a major comic book publisher and I doubt it will ever be reprinted any time soon.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Nightwing, Vol. 7: On The Razor's Edge

In Bludhaven, the head of its criminal element is the massively strong super villain Blockbuster. Thanks to some surgical enhancements, Blockbuster is a lot smarter than from his first appearances that pitted him against Batman. He's still as unstable as ever and even more ruthless and cruel. He's also at his wit's end. Since his arrival in town, Nightwing has taken an impressive bite out of Blockbuster's empire. To stop this, Blockbuster is testing out some new talent to pit against Nightwing: the assassin Shrike, who has some history with the hero from his days as the Boy Wonder. 

Meanwhile, Dick Grayson has finally made it to the ranks of the Bludhaven Police Department. It's long been Grayson's goal to clean up the BPD which rivals Gotham's police department as the most corrupt law agency in the country. Now if the rookie cop could only get an 'in' with the dirty cops on the force. Grayson thinks he might have that opportunity when his new partner, Officer Any Rohrbach, invites him to meet a special group of people. Only, this group of cops is unlike anything Dick Grayson was expecting. They're honest!

In the middle of all this is some pent up sexual tension. First, Nightwing encounters Catwoman in town to commit a heist against a very powerful crime lord. If there was ever a way that Dick Grayson could ever irrevocably betray Bruce Wayne, it would be hooking up with Selena Kyle. This story very well could be the flame that leads to a powerful explosive of passions. 

Then Oracle, with assistance of Black Canary, comes to Nightwing's rescue after escaping the clutches of Shrike. Babs Gordon and Dick Grayson have always been made for each other. This story proves just that. When will DC finally give the readers what they want and have Dick and Barbara get married?!

Chuck Dixon's writing on Nightwing is phenomenal as ever. I wish I could say the same about the art of Greg Land. Some pages, he's fantastic. In others, I feel like I'm watching scenes from the X-Man Beast's family reunion. It's so inconsistent! Especially in the action-packed scenes.

Another gem I inherited from my late, great best friend.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Superman: The Odyssey

Graham Nolan and Chuck Dixon compose a story set during Clark's pre-Metropolis years. Wanting to find himself, Clark Kent has taken a gap year travelling the globe. While in Paris, Clark attracts the attention of an alluring woman. Her father is the spiritual leader of a small besieged Asia country. Terrorists from China seek to kidnap the young woman as leverage for the surrender of the land to Big Bad China. Thus, Clark travels to her native land to ensure her safety.

For once, Clark Kent has a love interest without the initials of LL. But that's not what is so refreshing about this story. It's the direct response that opposes the Communist Chinese and how they bully smaller nations such as Taiwan or Tibet into becoming a part of their Empire. 

Using terms like 'Chi-Coms' and the severe beat-down Superman gives the Red Army are things you would not see in a DC Comic in 2020. China is considered too much of a vital fan base, that studios and publishers will edit scenes, even entire films, that are not considered China friendly. (We do the same for the Russians and Middle-Eastern Muslim nations too!) But this book was published over 20 years ago, when it seemed that any and everyone was willing to stand for a 'FREE TIBET.'

My wife is very pro-Tibet and this is the sort of graphic novel that if you sought an end to Chinese Communist rule, it truly will inspire you. Seeing The Man of Steel finally take a stand for justice was so refreshing. In case you forgot, Supes was very much like Sweden with it came to the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam and The Gulf War. 

They really don't make comics like this anymore. 

Oh, and that Easter egg. Freakin' awesome!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 FREE TIBETS!

Robin #5

The Tim Drake Robin’s training culminates with his final show down with the big boss crime lord that Lady Shiva’s been wanting to take down for the length of this entire series. But, Robin’s got his work cut out for him as this baddie is blind and has super heighten senses, especially hearing, to make up for his handicap.

A fantastic ending to a really good series. Robin takes a little while to find his wings, yet as with all birds, it just takes a little push to get a youngling flying.

With the myriad of teachers and training Tim Drake has encountered in this mini-series, you almost have to wonder “Did Batman set this whole thing up from the very beginning?”

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Robin #4

Well, I was right. This issue has Robin learning the ropes from Lady Shiva. We also see the origins of why this Robin uses a staff and a bolo caster.

The art’s gotten better and is on par with the writing. This issue also features another fantastic Brian Bolland cover.

I am so glad I’ve stuck with this mini-series. It’s only gotten better as the issues (and tensions) mount.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Robin #3

I think I’ve got this series figured out. Every chapter is has Tim Drake learning from a new sensei on how to become a fighter.

Issue one had Robin learning from one of Batman’s old trainers. The previous issue had Robin learning by proxy from his first official solo outing as the new sidekick of the Dark Knight. This issue has Drake learning to street fight from the guy he rescued from the street gang, who happens to be a former DEA agent.

I suspect with Lady Shiva making herself known as a potential ally of Robin’s we’ll be seeing her teaching her own form of martial arts.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Robin #2

The Tim Drake Robin finds himself on the run after he witnesses a man being beaten by a street gang and the fledgling sidekick comes to the guys rescue. With very little than a personal computer and a solid gold Visa card, Robin finds himself no longer in France for training but now he’s on his very first solo mission to bring down a ruthless crime lord.

Not 100% sure where this book is going. But, I like what I see. This series’ art is so very 90s, it’s sad. However, the writing is very good (the characters have depth and the dialogue isn’t very cheesy) and the fantastic Brian Bolland covers make up for the other visual slights.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Robin #1

Part One 

Sometime after A Lonely Place of dying, Tim Drake finally got permission to be Batman’s new sidekick. Big on brains but lacking in the muscles department, the new Robin is sent to Paris to train with one of the last remaining masters of an ancient martial art.

Thus begins chapter one in the story of the new Robin. A very interesting take on a classic hero. It’s amusing to see Robin building himself from the ground up. Plus, to have Lady Shiva waiting in the wings, there are surprises behind every corner.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Nightwing, Volume 6: Big Guns

After the events of the 'Hunt for Oracle', which concluded in the pages of Birds of Prey, Bludhaven is in a power vacuum. Blockbuster is recovering from his heart transplant. The ultra-corrupt chief of police is MIA. And Intergang has come to set up a hub of operations, led by an utter lunatic. 

You take the Birds of Prey out of the storyline and Nightwing actually gets better! Grayson is finally on the Bludhaven Police Force. But he's going to have to prove that he's a good cop because his employment came at the hands of a real slime ball on the force. 

Then there's two new villains. One is a vision cloaked in a red experimental cloth that takes on a life of it's own. The other is targeting former cops on the Bludhaven Police Force. Both are interesting additions to the DC Universe. But they both must be limited to Nightwing's corner of the world as I have never encountered either of these characters before. 

One thing I have appreciated of the Chuck Dixon penned collections is the two-page 'what has happened prior' refreshers. But there was one factoid that didn't make a lot of sense. 

The summary had claimed that the position of police commissioner was abolished in Bludhaven in 1971. Yet, in the story, it's revealed that there hasn't been a commissioner for 10 years. The issues in this volume were published in 1999-2000. So either somebody goofed on the summary timetable. Or somebody misspoke about how long since the commissioner was ousted. OR Nightwing takes place in 1981. So which is it?

A very good group of Nightwing comics that unfortunately is marred by one irksome continuity conflict.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Nightwing, Volume 5: The Hunt for Oracle

Trying to make some room in my vast collection of 10,000 plus comic books and graphic novel, I was determine to choose between the 1990-2000s run of Robin or the 1990-2000s run of Nightwing to cut. My Robin read by Bill Willingham (Fables) blew me away. So, I was more than willing to say farewell to Nightwing after I read some of my trades. Blast if The 'Nam's Chuck Dixon didn't do an insanely good job on the post-Batman adventures of Dick Grayson!

In this trade, reprinting issues 41-46 of Nightwing and a pair of issues of Birds of Prey (1999-2009), Dick Grayson is set to become a cop having graduated from the academy. But because the police force of Bludhaven is so corrupt, nobody is willing to take on such a boy scout as Dick in their precincts.

This gives Grayson plenty of time to be Nightwing. However, the hero is finding the city to be a little crowded as he meets a loose-canon vigilante going by the name 'Nite-Wing.' Seeing potential in the lad (and hopes that he'll change his name), Nightwing decides to train this up-and-comer. 

Meanwhile, Oracle has run afoul of Bludhaven's major-domo, Blockbuster. Using her computer prowess to cull funds from the villain's coffers one too many times has resulted Blockbuster putting a bounty on Oracle's head. With her Birds of Prey indisposed, Oracle will have to rely on Nightwing to save her neck. But he's got his hands full with Blockbuster's new partner, a gorilla named Grodd!

While I am on the Nightwing wagon more than ever before, this book didn't really win me over to giving Birds of Prey a try. I like Barbara Gordon/Oracle and I'm okay with Huntress. But Black Canary has irked me for the longest time. For one, there's the extremely confusing origins that DC has given the character. First she's a golden age hero. Then Black Canary is a founding member of the Justice League of America. Then it's her mom who did all this. Then it's not.  Plus, I can't figure out how to correctly pronounce her real name, Dinah. And I think that's the part that aggravates me the most about the character!

Anyways, this volumes ends on a cliffhanger. Normally, I would be upset at not having the issues to complete that run. But 'The Hunt for Oracle' is completed in Birds of Prey, Volume 3 and I don't really care to know how that transpires. Yes- that's how much I despise Dinah Lance!

Chuck Dixon hit a home run with this issue. Plus there's the great art by Bruce Guice, Patrick Zircher and Greg Land. There's so much action and adventure in this collection. But what convinced me that I had found a winner was how the writer and artists made me nervous and concerned for the squirrel pet of one of the villains. If it had died at the hands of Blockbuster, I was going to be so pissed!

If a team of talent can make me care so much about a fake forest rat, then imagine how much they've made me care for Nightwing and his allies?

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

G.I. Joe Origins Omnibus Volume 2

  Writers Chuck Dixon, Scott Beatty, and Merrill Hagan explore the beginnings of Snow Job, Ripcord, and Zartan in the opening chapters of the G.I.Joe Origins Omnibus Volume 2. Then the master himself, Larry Hama returns to penned another all-silent Joe tale, this one starring Snake Eyes. Finally, the series wraps up by exploring the story of Michael Monk.

      Of all of the characters portrayed in this series, the only character I am not familiar with is that of Monk, AKA the Mad Monk. His character is someone that pops up in the pages of other IDW G.I. Joe titles. Honest, I had to do a web search on this guy because I really didn't know who he was. 

    I am not really sure how I feel having a non-traditional Joe character take up the last several chapters of this really exciting series. But, the Mad Monk story was really good and it gave a very interesting look at the training of a COBRA operative. If anything, the Michael Monk story was a good primer for those waiting to delve into IDW's vast catalog of G.I. Joe books. 

     The artwork was okay. But above all else, it was story that won out in this series. I just wish that they had focused on some other 80s characters like Gung Ho, Lady Jaye, and Shipwreck before this series came to a close.

    Worth Consuming!

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

G.I. Joe Origins Omnibus Volume 1

      There are 2 people you call on if you want to reboot the G.I. Joe franchise to reflect a more modern era war on terror: Larry Hama and Chuck Dixon.

      Hama is the granddaddy of G.I. Joe. He crafted all of the backgrounds of the 1980s era action figures and documented their exploits in the pages of the Marvel Comics adaptations. 

     Chuck Dixon took over the reigns as head writer for G.I. Joe when the license switched over from Marvel to Devil's Due Publishing in the late 90s and early 2000s.

      So when IDW Publishing decided to publish the definitive origin of both the Joes and Cobra, they called on both Hama and Dixon to do it. Featuring a slew of IDW's best artists, including Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night) and Andrea Mutti (Highlander), this was a thrilling look at how the fight between good and evil got started before the Marvel Comic series even got started. Cobra Commander has never looked more evil and Snake Eyes has never been more cooler!

    Worth Consuming!

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
       

Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #6

Chuck Dixon ends the Robin Trilogy with a bang. It’s the final showdown between Robin & Huntress against the Russian Mob and the KGBeast. It helps that rival gang leader, Sir Edmund (King Snake) doesn’t like the former Soviet competition.

There’s also a very fitting ending to the gang war and Drake’s troubles at home. I loved every panel. Though not as good as Robin II, Joker’s Wild, Cry of the Huntress was very entertaining and a fitting cap that ties up all the loose ends of books one and two!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars. 

Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1

 

The opening act to the final chapter of the Robin trilogy opens with Tim’s father recovered from his coma and the new Boy Wonder finding it really hard to balance his secret identity with his personal life. Plus, he’s coming to school with bruises from a rough night of patrolling.

 Naturally, a night off is just what Master Drake needs. Only, that’s blotched when he accidently sees a Russian family being terrorized by some Soviet-era hooligans and the KGBeast!

The writing of Chuck Dixon in terms of the Tim Drake Robin must be second nature. The story flows like melted butter. Now I will say for a book called “Cry of the Huntress,” this issue doesn’t even have the heroine in her Helena persona. She’s oddly absent. But, you really don’t notice OR miss her.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Robin II: The Joker's Wild #3

Hologram Variant Cover C.

The Joker’s figured out that Robin is “home alone.” He’s also figured out that the Robin he killed in A Death in the Family is still dead and that this Robin is a greenhorn. Thus, the Joker finally puts together his fantastic plan to bring Gotham to its knees via the telephone company and a very sedated computer genius.

There’s a vibe that feels like maybe Chris Nolan used the phone plot as an inspiration for some of the Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight.

Yet another fantastic job by scribe Chuck Dixon.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Robin II: The Joker's Wild #2

With Batman abroad and the Joker on the prowl, it’s up to the Tim Drake Robin, trusty butler Alfred, and some creative police methods to make it appear that all is well in Gotham.

I love the sheer brilliance of Chuck Dixon as he’s crafted some really cool techniques to make everyone think Batman is still patrolling the city.

Fantastic story and really good dialogue. The art is totally 90s, but it works.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Robin II: The Joker's Wild #1

Variant Cover D.

  

The Batman’s in Europe on personal business. The Joker has escaped Arkham and has kidnapped a computer expert for some diabolical plan. It’s up to Robin and Alfred to patrol Gotham and perhaps save the day. Thus begins a very interesting opening act of the 2nd Robin mini-series starring the Tim Drake boy wonder.

I love Joker’s reaction when he comes face-to-face with Robin, thinking him to be the Robin he killed in A Death in the Family. Chuck Dixon and crew have outdone themselves. The first Robin mini was awesome. Yet, to have the Crown Prince of Crime take on a very green Robin is icing on an already great tasting cake.

Worth Consuming

 Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.