Monster Unleashed

When I first heard about this 2017 Marvel crossover, I was pretty excited. The big baddies of Marvel's sci-fi 1950s and 60s like Fin Fang Foom, Goomba and the Creature from the Black Bog were finally gonna rise up against the heroes of the Marvel Universe and reclaim their place as the rightful rulers of earth. It even appeared from some of the earliest artworks that good guys such as Devil Dinosaur were going to rise up against these men in tights. Yet, that wasn't to be the storyline at all.

An invasion by kaiju-like creatures does happen in Monsters Unleashed. However, these behemoths are unlike anything to have ever graced the pages of a Marvel Comic. Planet Earth has been chosen as the newest nest of the Leviathon Queen, a massive crimson egg-laying beast. But before she can settle in, the world must be cleansed of vermin. That means 'bye-bye, pesky humans.' 

The superhuman population assembles on a global scale like never before. Heroes and villains join forces to stop these Leviathons from decimating the planet. That's where the Marvel monsters of the Silver Age of comics step in. They've been biding their time waiting for the chance to conquer our planet and they're not about to let a bunch of extraterrestrial interlopers just swoop in and take the planet from them! 

Monsters Unleashed was unlike any massive crossover event I've ever read from the House of Ideas. For one thing, it was fun. There wasn't any sort of major shock, like the death of Captain America at the end of Civil War. The editors didn't try to add some new character that was going to change the way we looked at people of color or gender or reveal that some beloved established character was now retconned to be furry or something like that. Instead, this storyline was a tribute to the giant monsters of a by-gone era of creativity and thinly veiled fear of the Red Menace of Communism!

The new character that was introduced in this series was a young pre-teen boy named Kei. He has the ability to draw monsters and make them appear and disappear as needed. With this ability, Kei becomes Kid Kaiju (a freakin' awesome 2010s superhero name if I've ever heard one) and perhaps humanity's last hope for salvation against these big nasties.

I really loved how Monsters Unleashed utilized Moon Girl. Having her become a sort of mentor for new hero Kei was a perfect casting choice. Then we have monster-hunter Elsa Bloodstone becoming Kei's bodyguard and mentor in a preview of a Monsters Unleashed regular series that continues from where the 5th issue of the miniseries ends. Even though I've got plans to downsize my collection somewhat, I think I'd be more than happy to collect the follow-up series because just like this crossover event, it was fun. 

Okay. Now it's time to pick apart the story a little. With kaijus appearing all over the globe, both villains and protagonist alike, there's a lot of destruction here. Some notable landmarks become piles of rubble, like the Nevada's Hoover Dam, the imperial palace of Wakanda and Johannesburg's FNB Stadium. I've read Marvel stuff from the past 7 years since this story came out. I've not heard about rebuilding efforts from Monsters Unleashed still being a thing in the Marvel Universe. Is superhero calamity reconstruction company Damage Control that good at quick repairs? Or do the magicians of the Marvel Universe like Doctor Strange cast instance rebuild spells? I think what I'm trying to get at is as much as I enjoyed the scenes of massive destruction, the level seen in this book was just too implausible to me.

Cullen Bunn penned a great story that was a thrill ride a minute. Smartly plotted. Hilarious banter. The art was good. Though a lot of the alien kaiju seemed to have googly eyes that made them look more silly that deadly serious. (Was Hobby Lobby having a sale on them?) I did mourn the death of one of Kid Kaiju's creations. The character is only there for like 5 pages and yet I feel in love with them. Hopefully, they'll make a return! Some great variant covers by Arthur Adams appear in the back and they're not to be missed. 

Another gem unearthed at my nearest Ollie's, Monsters Unleashed is an extremely fun read  despite it's over-the-top level of chaos and destruction.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Art of War (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Many think that the ancient Chinese text known as The Art of War is a guide for leading men into battle. But in reality, the 5th century BC work is a treatise of how generals can win over their foes without any bloodshed whenever possible.

Sun Tzu was a brilliant strategist whose mere mention of his name inspired fear in the hearts of his enemies. Sun Tzu learned that from this intimidating reputation, he could sometimes lead his troops to victory without firing a single shot or raising of a sword. As a result Sun Tzu transcribed his philosophy on warfare onto a number of long bamboo slats. 

For over 2000 years, Sun Tzu,'s words were the primary guide of military tactics for the armies of the Chinese emperors. Over this period of time, The Art of War was divided into 13 chapters. After a Jesuit priest first translated The Art of War into a Romance language in the late 1700s, other scholars began to reorganize Sun Tzu's texts into thematic categories. Though the Chapter names vary by translator, the contents remain relatively untouched.

The Marine Corps, West Point, numerous companies across the United States and Japan, professional sports coaches, even the KGB have used Sun Tzu's philosophy as required reading. Captain Picard in a season one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation expresses relief that Starfleet still teaches The Art of War to its cadets. Yes, the works of Sun Tzu will live on in the 24th century!

The legacy of The Art of War and its influence on world history is undeniable. However scholars still can't agree if Sun Tzu even existed. For one thing, the name of Sun Tzu is an honorific. It means ' Master Sun'. The man known as Sun Tzu was born Sun Wu. A 2nd century record of the dynasties of China up to that point, identifies a text of military strategies written by a Sun Wu. It's believed that this is the author of The Art of War and that the title of Sun Tzu wasn't bestowed upon him until a millennium later. 

Around 2010, indy publisher Writers of the Round Table created the imprint SmarterComics which began with publishing a series of graphic novels based on popular business bestsellers. The Art of War was part of the first wave. 

In the graphic novel, Cullen Bunn pits Sun Tzu's narrative with everyday situations. Some are practical, like rival businesses attempting to woo a wealthy financier. Some have military applications, such as a platoon leader making strategic choices in hopes of avoiding an armed conflict. Through these scenarios, artist Shane Clester occasionally places Sun Tzu into the mix. He's often depicted as the advisor whose wisdom inspires the main character of each scene into action; including the one starring the mafia don! 

Unfortunately, the idea of business themed graphic novels wasn't a huge seller. A 2011 feature on the CBS News might have helped the company garner a little additional interest. SmarterComics' last post on social media was in April, 2013 on Facebook for a book called Future Favors the Bold about becoming an over achiever. Though the page remains active, no further postings or works have been forthcoming. The last publication from Writers of the Round Table Inc. appears to be a 2013 children's graphic novel called The Crusaders. In 2015, graphic novels from SmarterComics appeared in Ollie's Discount Stores nationwide. It's from a central North Carolina locale that this copy of The Art of War was purchased.

Completing this review completes Task #38 (Published in Black and White) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Vader Down

Vader Down is the ultimate Star Wars crossover as Luke's quest to uncover the mysteries of the Force and Vader's search to find the Rebel pilot that destroyed the Death Star finally intersect! All of your favorites are here, Leia, Han, Chewie, even new favorites like Doctor Aphra and her murderous droids.

   There are twists, turns, and betrayals galore in this amazing volume by Jason Aaron (Scalped) and Cullen Bunn (Origin II). But what really sets this book apart is the artwork. I have never seen such authentic looking work in a Star Wars comic. The combined efforts of artists Mike Deodato Jr. (Thunderbolts) and Salvador Larroca  (A + X) deserves some sort of award (if it didn't win one already). I mean there were times I'd turn a page to face a X-wing  swooping down at me and I actually ducked outta the way! Plus beautiful covers by Mark Brooks!

   You could read this book as a stand alone and in terms of the Star Wars regular series, you very well could that. But there are so many new characters in the Darth Vader comic, you need to read those issues to  really understand what is going on in Vader’s story immediately after the Battle of Yavin.

  An ideal read as a sort of bookend to Episode IV with Rogue One completing the other end.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.