DC's Grifter Got Run Over By a Reindeer

This year's giant-sized holiday annual from the folks at DC Comics seems to hit the right notes- literally! All 8 stories are titled after popular Christmas carols. And for the most part, DC got things right.

I've always said that DC is better when it's trying to be light and fun as opposed to going the Marvel route, which is realistic, dark and gritty. All 8 stories were great. But there was one that just wasn't holiday themed. 

The story titled 'Silent Night' was a brilliant story in which Granny Goodness has unleashed a series of satellites that has changed the brainwaves of the population of Earth. Instead of free speech, all anyone can say is the word 'Darkseid.' Turns out anytime someone says the ruler of Apokolips' name, the verbal praise gives energy to Darkseid's beloved Anti-Life Equation. Starring Black Canary and John Constantine, this was a great story that I could see being turned into a 5 or 6 issue long miniseries. But gosh darn it, despite the title, nothing had to do with Christmas. 

A majority of the stories were freakin' hilarious romps. The Superman/Wonder Woman crossover in which some poor guy with a head injury mistakes Krypto as a demonic reindeer, Harley Quinn meeting her Bit-Mite equivalent and title star Grifter getting the Li'l Gotham treatment from Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen and playing Grinch to the DC Trinity were all laugh out loud riots. 

The more serious stories were quite good. Maybe not as great as those more off-the-wall stories but I enjoyed them. Plus, the cover of former Wildstorm wild man Grifter actually getting run over by a Harley Quinn driven reindeer was great!

The past couple of holiday specials have gotten better- Halloween and Valentines included. I think DC is learning that alienating it's fan base through constant Trump references and trying to be relevant at the sake of quality storytelling and artwork is what has allowed the House that Superman Built to crumble. Not everyone can be Marvel Comics and when I read DC Comics, I want the type of stories DC was known for. This is more like those DC holiday specials I grew up with and I love it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Mystery of the Meanest Teacher: A Johnny Constantine Graphic Novel (Family Comic Friday)

Confession time. I've never read a Constantine/Hellraiser comic or graphic novel. I've read lots of stuff involving the character like Saga of the Swamp Thing. I'm a huge, devastated fan of the cancelled Legends of Tomorrow. But the hellacious subject matter of any series named after the character of John Constantine has kept me away- until now!

As a part of DC's amazing run of graphic novels for young adults, The Mystery of the Meanest Teacher is a retooling of John Constantine's earliest days. In the canon of adult DC Comics books, Constantine's young life was wrought with tragedy. This leads to the Brit becoming an expert on the occult. Here, Johnny Constantine has been practicing from a very young age. After he angers some ghosts one too many times, Kid Constantine flees to the States to attend a boarding school.

Thinking he's the only practitioner of magic in the world, Johnny meets fellow outcast Anna. She too knows some magic. And since Kid Constantine's English magic doesn't work so well in America, he becomes a fast friend and confidant. 

Now with a friend with similar interests, Johnny's transition to his new school might be just perfect. Except for his homeroom teacher who absolutely hates him. And she might just be a witch!

My belief that this book might not be filled with demons and black magic was way wrong. I had read the junior graphic novel. Zatanna and the House of Secrets which was pretty tame. Naturally, I thought that would be the case here. But from the very beginning, Kid Constantine is playing fast and loose with fallen angels and long dormant beings of the macabre.

True, I wasn't as freaked out by this story as I've been by the more adult demons and devils that plague John Constantine. But I was still ill at ease. As I've said many a times before, those more darker recesses of horror and the supernatural are just not my thing. And there's some parts of this book that really creep pretty close towards those forbidden shadow places of terror. 

Amazon gives a recommended reading age of 7-12 years of age. They also list grade levels of 2nd and 3rd grade. I think those two ranges don't correlate. When I was 12 years old, I was in 6th grade. And with the scary creatures and practice of the dark arts, I doubt very many parents and guardians of 7, 8 and 9 year olds may be very approving of this book. An aspiring 5th grade through senior in middle school will probably be mature enough to read this book. As it goes with kids in general, the appropriateness of this book is up to you the adult in charge. 

Personally, I enjoyed this book. There's a great surprise guest in this story of which I've always been a fan of despite their devilish ways. I loved the twist ending. And I'd be on board for a sequel. But yes- I am not a fan of demons or devils. And how this book makes such species kinda the good guys troubles me.

Writer Ryan North (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) does make the final baddie truly evil. But North makes all of the other fiends rather likable. It doesn't help that Star Wars Adventures' Derek Charm is such a master illustrator. Everything he draws has that eye-twinkling charm (pun not intended). Derek Charm has a talent that can make mean ol' Emperor Palpatine look grandfatherly. And with the demons that Kid Constantine pals around, the artist makes them look downright neighborly. 

An enjoyable book that I personally wasn't all that comfortable with. But that's my hang-up. Not you the parent or guardian. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.