It Ate Billy On Christmas (Family Comic Friday)

I created Family Comic Friday because I was growing frustrated with parents going to shops and getting horrible recommendations about what comic books were appropriate for younger readers. I guess when it comes to reviews like these, I should cover not just the age appropriate stuff but the bad stuff well. If that's the case, then today's book definitely fits the criteria of a read where the suggestion given to me was all wrong.

It Ate Billy On Christmas was originally recommended to me as a great Christmas graphic novel to add to my wish list. For a couple of years, I would search for it regularly when shopping online for holiday themed reads. Last month I finally found a copy and ordered it along with several other Christmas comics and graphic novels. 

I should have known something was up with the shape of the book. It's rectangular. However instead of the format of the book going vertical, this hardcover was horizontal. Now, there's been a few horizontally formatted graphic novels. Frank Miller's 300 comes immediately to mind. For a few issues, Grant Morrison's run on Uncanny X-Men was a horizontal comic. I think there's even been a Fantastic Four annual published in this this configuration. 

This book was published by Dark Horse, which is known for its nearly 50 years of comic book and graphic novel offerings. Plus, on the back cover, this book is categorized as a graphic novel! So it's not really a traditional graphic novel, I thought. Then I started thumbing through the book. With an illustration on every left page and a painted piece on the right, there's a lot of visuals. However, this is not a work of sequential art. It's a children's book! Or so I thought...

Since I had waited so long to find this book and I spent money on it, I decided I might as well read it. And since it was Thursday and I needed a book for my weekly Friday post, I decided to review it as a "Family Comic Friday' read. 

Lumi is a young girl who's bullied mercilessly by her older brother. Every year for Christmas, she asks her parents for a puppy. But considering how mean and violent brother Billy is, Lumi's parents refuse. This Christmas, the girl is thrilled to discover that Santa has gifted her a puppy. The ugliest, smelliest, weirdest looking puppy you ever could imagine.

The puppy in reality is an ancient creature that broke into Lima's home looking for a snack, which the creature finds in the form of Billy! Not willing to give up her new puppy kinda glad that Billy is gone, Lumi fools her parents with a cardboard cutout of Billy. Mom and Dad don't seem to mind as a fake Billy is much more pleasant than the real thing. But as more children begin to disappear, will the town discover the truth and Lumi's new puppy?

This is a deceptively demented book that I really enjoyed. The painted artwork by Steven Daily reminded me of the animated works of Time Burton. Roman Dirge's writing style was just brilliant. You think you're getting a sweet little holiday fairy tale but the work is peppered with sarcasm and satire like a Terry Pratchett novel. Then there's the additional non-sequitur hidden inside the author's commentary like that of Douglas Adams' from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. However, this is not a sweet little holiday story. 

It's a tale of terror wrapped up in pink Christmas paper with happy little elves and butterflies on the surface. Some parents will love the dark twists to this 2007 book. Others will despise it. I went to Amazon in order to find a recommendation of reader age and couldn't find any.  Obviously, the world's biggest book seller doesn't think that this is a children's book no matter what the guy who suggested this book to me years ago thought. 

If the creepy CGI family movie Coraline is appropriate your little ones, then you probably won't have any qualms about this book. Never seen Coraline? (You should. It's great!) Then try to base the appropriate nature of this book on eerie book series such as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and RL Stine's Goosebumps.

Some eaten children, a pair of aloof parents and one swear word, this is definitely not your traditional holiday tale. But it's not really a graphic novel, children's book or work of fantasy horror for only the grownups either. What it was, was the perfect amount of gothic, surreal and darkly humorous misadventure for my taste in reads.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Droopy #2

This is the second release of that 1995 Dark Horse Comics miniseries devoted to Tex Avery's Droopy. Last month I reviewed the supposed Halloween issue, based on the cover. For November, I read what the cover promised to be a Thanksgiving themed story and this time Dark Horse delivered.

The main story is set at Plymouth Rock during the time of the Pilgrims. It sees Droopy and foe Spike the Bulldog competing to find the best dressed turkey for Thanksgiving. The prize is a kiss from the mayor's daughter, who is played by the vivacious ginger haired Red Hot Riding Hood (AKA Red) ( Also AKA Miss Vavoom in the 90s). 

Spike is the main focus of the story as the turkey he's got his eyes on has no intention of becoming Thanksgiving dinner. Droopy is more of an afterthought in what is supposed to be his story! It's rather odd, if you ask me. Though things do end with Droopy winning his prize as well as a great sight gag in regards to the turkey being the best dressed- in a tuxedo!

The second story was an early Christmas present! It stars Red, along with the eternal horn-dog Wolfie. Here, Wolfie is doing everything he can to get on Santa's Nice List. Last year, because he was too much of a pig around women and Santa gave him a lump of coal. This year, Wolfie is being a good boy. Now if he can just get through his last shift as a department store Santa, he'll get lots of great stuff from Ol' Saint Nick. Unfortunately, his normal co-worker playing his Elf assistant is sick and so Red is called into as a substitute and she's dressed as the most inappropriately dressed worker to ever grace Santa's workshop!

Based on the backup feature alone, I gotta say that this 3-part Droopy series is NOT for kids! Lots of double entendres. Red's posed so seductively, in one panel you can literally see all the way up to Nebraska (Ask Sharon Stone to explain that reference.) As a collection of Tex Avery toons were being concurrently being released on VHS, this miniseries was a promotional tie-in of sorts. I think that adults were expected to be the main audience of the tapes and so this series was aimed more at the mature set. Not sure how much of a success this comic book was. But I would not be surprised in the least to find out some parent group had a fit about the contents of the second tale in this book!

Bawdy but thankfully seasonal this time. See you in December when I finish the mini on what is promised to be a Christmas themed book starring Droopy, Spike and Red.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 our of 10 stars.

Droopy #1

From 1995, Dark Horse Comics gave tribute to the legendary cartoon creator Tex Avery! To do that Dark Horse presented a 3-issue miniseries starring the sad sack pooch, Droopy.

The main story is a parody of Universal's Frankenstein, Dr. Droopy has created a mighty monster as a companion for his creation known as 'The Beauty'. Unfortunately, the behemoth doesn't work because it doesn't have a brain. But where can a mad scientist find a brain in the dead of night? Thankfully, a weary traveler has just knocked on the door looking for dry clothes and a phone!

The backup story stars a character called Screwball Squirrel. In his yarn, he's decided to befriend a fellow passenger on a train. Sadly for the traveler, Screwball Squirrel is the world's worst best friend!

I wasn't familiar with Screwball Squirrel. But I love Droopy. He always manages to make me laugh with his wah-wah voice and funny little waddle. And no matter what, he just always comes out on top. But in the numerous shorts I've seen Droopy in, he was always the hero. Technically, as a mad scientist, Droopy is the villain.

Though not taking place during Halloween, I counted this as part of my holiday reads because of the other 2 books in the series. Issue #2 is a Thanksgiving set adventure and #3 is Christmas. I happened to get all 3 issues earlier this year just to read them for the 2024 holidays. So expect to see Droopy and friends again real soon.

With an essay on his short stint working with Tex Avery, Scott Shaw! gives readers a glimpse at a forgotten part of the animation legends time at Hanna-Barbera during the twilight years of Avery's life and career. It's an interesting read that proves Shaw! is a gifted storyteller. I'd love to read an autobiography of his 50 plus years in television and comics.

Lots of fun! Though I would have liked 2 Droopy stories instead of the very hyper Screwball Squirrel story that frankly tired me out a little bit.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Omnibus: Wild Space, Volume 1

Clocking in at 454 pages, there is a ton of adventures from a galaxy far, far away. However, if you happened to own Star Wars: The Marvel UK Collection already, then you already have over 250 pages of material already. If you're like me, you've also already read it as well.

Now you might think that being the case, I'll be selling this book. Or I'll be taking the UK Collection to the used book store. However, when it comes to the latter, there's still over 500 pages of material that wasn't published in this book. And when it comes to this omnibus, there's nearly 200 pages of stories that are darn near impossible on the wallet and wish list to locate easily.

Along with material previously printed in various British Star Wars publications, there's material from Star Wars #0, Star Wars 3-D, an American all-ages periodical called Star Wars Kids, and mini comics that were packaged with Kenner Shadows of the Empire action figures and Kellogg's breakfast cereals. Again, due to scarcity and exorbitant prices of the Star Wars action figure sets and Star Wars 3-D back issues alone, I really don't think I can complain about how things overlap. Besides, I didn't pay anywhere near the original MSRP of $100 for the UK Collection and I'm pretty sure I either got this book for my birthday or with trade credit. 

If you're looking to get your hands on this out of print collection from Dark Horse Comics for a great deal- forget it! Amazon's cheapest print copy is priced at almost $65 right now. You could get a Kindle version for less than $20. However, if your a true old school comic collector, why on Earth would you want to go digital?

A lot of enjoyable Star Wars action that is a cheaper alternative to shopping for all the original material. However, this book in of itself isn't all that affordable on the back issue market these days either.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Minecraft/Incredibles 2 Free Comic Book Day 2019 #1

That day where I was stuck in my car with no phone and nothing good on the radio netted 2 comics that somehow fell out of my bag of books to share with the students at my school. This one is a double feature starring the world of the popular video game, Minecraft and Disney's Incredibles. 

I've never played Minecraft. I don't really know that much about the game. There's this green thing called a Creeper. Kids get really good designing stuff on the game. That's about it. 

I learned a little bit more about the game from this short story. There's players who like to destroy people's property called Griefers. The destruction is done with impunity and the poor victims have to start all over again just for the whole process to repeat itself. If that's how the game is, I sure don't want to play it. However, I did enjoy this game set ghost story. While I might not want to play Minecraft, I wouldn't mind reading another story or two about the comings and goings of the franchise.

Story #2 involves the super powered Parr family from Disney and Pixar's Incredibles franchise. During a seemingly fun day at a parade, robotic drones attack the giant balloons. Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and the kids save the day. However, the big baddie gets away. 

The event leaves mom and dad really drained. Thinking some alone time is what they need, Violet and Dash arrange to babysit baby Jack-Jack while the folks go to a movie. To ensure that date night isn't ruined by calamity, the kids go on patrol, only wind up face to face with the villain from the parade and squad of his souped up drones!

It was interesting to see these two separate franchises in the same book. Sure, this is a Free Comic Book Day promotional item in which both properties were released by Dark Horse. All that makes sense to me. Only I thought Disney was so anti-cross promotional, that I didn't think it was possible here. From what I know about modern Disney, I would expect the Incredibles to be solo stars of their own FCBD release or be teamed with another Pixar franchise. 

Go figure. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Dark Horse Presents #1 Commemorative Edition (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Having been formed only a couple of months prior, the editors at Dark Horse Comics made the brilliant decision to highlight all of their properties in a bi-monthly anthology. Due to the popularity of the creations, Dark Horse Presents soon became a monthly series in less than a year and ran for 157 issues before being discontinued in September, 2000.

There are 4 different stories and properties introduced to readers in the premiere issue. Although the cover features Chris Warner's futuristic Black Cross about an United States of America divided by a Civil War between various factions, the star of this issue is Paul Chadwick's massive hero with an even more gigantic heart, Concrete.

Kidnapped by aliens, Ron Lithgow's brain is transferred into an huge artificial body made of a substance similar to concrete. Issue #1 of Dark Horse Presents is the first appearance of Concrete. In this story, Concrete has already been established in his new form as well as the newest darling of the Hollywood media. Concrete's origin won't even be explored for another year! Here, fresh off an appearance on the Johnny Carson show, Concrete is fooled by a soccer mom to provide entertainment for her little boy's 8th birthday party.

Readers then meet the smarmy Mr. Garrett in a story called 'Mindwalk'. Garrett has the ability to enter people's dreams and in his introductory story, forced to probe the secrets of a Jewish doctor who knows more than his fair share of dangerous experiments on germ warfare conducted by the Nazis. This story was written by Randy Strandley. Art by Randy Emberlin

Paul Chadwick returns to finish the issue with a story called 'Brighter' about a young woman who has the ability to make her dreams a reality. With a little bit of artistic flare, the woman hopes to make a go in Hollywood. If this feels a little bit like Marvel's Dazzler, you might not be far off. Chadwick wrote several late issues of the mutant's first series run.

In 1992, Dark Horse produced a pair of commemorative editions of the debut of Dark Horse Presents. One with a green border. Another with silver. This should read as a 5th anniversary issue except that this special edition 2nd printing debuted in stores in 1992. This release could also be considered a facsimile edition as all of the original ads and previews for forthcoming (low number) issues of DHP are still contained inside. The only change is found on the back page column titled 'Winner's Circle.' In 1986, editors used it as a vehicle to introduce readers to the talent behind the stories. For the re-release, readers are instead given an update on what has happened to the writers and artists since their works debuted in issue #1.

Completing this review completes Task #16 (Comic/Graphic Novel Published by Dark Horse) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Wacky Squirrel Halloween Adventure Special #1

I purchased this 1987 special for one reason and one alone. And it sure wasn't because it starred Wacky Squirrel. Until I read this book, I don't think I could have picked the character out of a line-up. I still don't trust that I could do it correctly. The main reason I recently bought this Halloween special is because of the guest-star: Mr. Monster! Okay- being a Halloween themed book is another reason why I got this book. So I had two reasons and two alone!

I enjoy the heck out of Michael Gilbert's Mr. Monster. He's like a slightly saner, paranormal investigating version of the Tick. His stories are brilliant satires of the horror genre. And I don't feel like I am being talked down to by the writer. My biggest complaint about Mr. Monster is that his books are difficult to find and that it seems that Michael Gilbert stopped creating Mr. Monster books about 2 decades ago. Thus, finding this book with appearance by the character was a huge treat.

The Wacky Squirrel Halloween Adventure Special has the main character taking pity on a crying kid on Halloween. The boy and his family have been recently evicted from their home by ghosts! Wacky, believing that there's no such thing as ghosts arrives at the house to perform an exorcism. But what Wacky really needs is a hero. A hero which appears in the form of Doc Stearn, Mr. Monster!

This book was classic Dark Horse Comics. Though I'm not really sure if you can consider the early days of Dark Horse to be all that classic. At this point in the publisher's history, Dark Horse had only been in existence for a little over a year. The majority of the comics released by Dark Horse were in black and white, only just starting to issue a few select special edition titles in full color. This special was not one of those editions.

It's really interesting seeing the old ads for Dark Horse. Paul Chadwick's Concrete was by far the publisher's most popular title at the time. They had just recently obtained the rights to Godzilla and anthology series Dark Horse Presents was in its immediate infancy. Within another year, Dark Horse would have major hits on their hands with adaptations of the Alien and Predator franchises. But it would be about another 4 years until Dark Horse becomes known as a heavy hitter in the comic book industry with the obtaining the rights to produce books based on Star Wars in 1991.

This was a fast-paced fun read. It's mostly Wacky Squirrel's show. At least Mr. Monster appears in more than just 1 page. He's not in the whole thing. Maybe 8 pages. Yet it was more than I was expecting and Michael Gilbert draws all of the Mr. Monster images which was something else I wasn't expecting. If you love slapstick cartoons like Tom & Jerry or Looney Tunes, you'll especially love the middle act when Wacky heads over to the haunted house. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Bill & Ted Are Doomed

One of the positive highlights of the lockdown caused by the pandemic of 2020 was getting to watch the film Bill & Ted Face the Music. My bride and I got to watch it On Demand and for a couple of brief hours, we got to forget about the world outside that was supposedly going all to heck 

2020's Bill & Ted Are Doomed is a prequel series to Bill & Ted Face the Music. Set about 8-10 years before the events of the threequel, Bill & Ted are in a rut. Stymied by the pressure of writing the song that will usher in an era of world peace, the guys have allowed their music career to slump. Wyld Stallyns are considered Mild Stallions by the music loving community and it's putting a strain on the lives of Bill and Ted.

Along with relationship woes with their princess brides, bass playing Grim Reaper is ready to quit the band and the guys are completely broke. This stagnant period of the boys' career is having drastic effects on the time stream. Without the song, not only is the future promise of international peace threatened, but so is the fabric of the entire multiverse! Hopefully, the guys can put things right with a World Tour!

Original Marvel Comics series writer Evan Dorkin returns to craft this 4-issue miniseries that gets readers and potential movie goers up to date on what's happened to Bill and Ted since we last saw them in in 1991's Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. Unfortunately, life got in the way with this plan. 

Bill & Ted Face the Music debuted in August, 2020. That's exactly when issue #1 hit store shelves. That's actually about 6 months later than Dark Horse Comics originally planned to release these books. It was late March to early April when the comic book industry as a collective whole shut down new releases. Remember, a lockdown was in place and a lot of non-essential stores were forced to close. Even though I consider them essential, local, state and federal government branches didn't consider comic book stores to be all that necessary. Hence the delay.

I enjoyed this book. It captured the franchise very well. Okay, maybe too well. The ridiculously verbose talk of Bill and Ted got a little bit annoying at the end. But I loved the silliness of the whole thing and Death's banter and annoyance at everybody was just perfect. And all those Easter eggs of things to come in Face the Music! So fun!

 If you are familiar with Evan Dorkin's original Bill and Ted run or his magnum opus Milk and Cheese, then you know that he's a master of madcap mayhem. However, I feel like Dorkin was trying to stuff 5 pounds of story into a 4 pound container. 

Characters that aren't even in the threequel are given a lot of unneeded extra attention. Plus there's one scene in which the symbiotic duo Station are looking sadly at the night sky that just doesn't go anywhere. I felt sad for Station, figuring that they miss their home world. Yet, they don't return there. I probably would have blown this minor scene off had Evan Dorkin not included a sketch of it in the artist notes in the back of the book. But with it's conclusion, I sure did feel bummed that Station doesn't get a happy ending. 

While it was great to get more insight into the progression of Bill and Ted from their bogus journey to their third adventure, this miniseries was a tad uneven and at times over the top to a point of discomfort.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer Visions, Vol. 1

Jeff Lemire recruits a number of talented writers and artists to put their spin on

the Black Hammer Universe. 

Black Hammer Visions was an 8-issue anthology that told stories not

necessarily in the continuity of the residents of Black Hammer Farm. But these

tales are definitely in the thick of this growing self-contained universe of

superheroes, mages and monsters. 

Volume 1 reprints the first four issues of the series. Stories include an

examination of the hardships Golden Gail faces as an elderly woman trapped

in the body of a 10-year old child. Abraham Slam must restore his good name

when an usurper sponsored by the US military crosses the line into vigilantism. 

Things get meta when Madame Dragonfly hosts her horror anthology within the

pages of this very anthology as she recruits a young orphan to become the

next caretaker of the Cabin of Horrors.                                                              

        

The last story, which was the worst of this bunch, sees the residents of the farm

starring in a Downton Abbey type television series. Of course, Col. Randall Weird

is behind all of this. So the story is jumbled and uneven. Some readers really liked

this element of Col. Weird. Not me!

Patton Oswalt, Chip Zdarsky, Scott Collins and Johnnie Christmas are among some

of the talent behind the production of this volume. The Goldbergs' Patton Oswalt

brilliantly ties in Daniel Clowes' Ghost World, having main characters Enid and

Rebecca ponders why young Gail Gibbons never seems to age. Chip Zdarsky

(Spider-Man: Life Story) adds his quirky look on things with the Abraham Slam story.

I think the winner of this volume was Geoff Johns (Flashpoint) who crafted the eerie

Madame Dragonfly story.

Even though I wasn't a big fan of that last story involving Col. Weird, I very much

enjoyed this book. The Cabin of Horror concept is one that I really would like to see

become a monthly series, though I really think creator Jeff Lemire has other ideas to

close the books on Black Hammer. But before that happens, hopefully we'll see more

of the untold history of Abraham Slam.

Oh! and there's volume 2 to look forward to! I wonder if my library has that book

currently...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology III #6 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The epic collection of ancient Norse tales by acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman comes to a close. Mischievous Loki has raised an army in revenge against Highfather Odin. Allied with Fenrir the wolf, the demonic Surtr and the Midgard Serpent, Ragnarok has begun!

This is the third comic miniseries based on Norse myth by Neil Gaiman (Sandman). The Dark Horse Comics trio of minis were inspired by Gaiman's 2017 prose collection of Scandinavian folklore in his aptly titled Norse Mythology. Published by W.W. Norton & Company, Gaiman's novel covers the genesis of the nine realms, the evolution of giants, elves and other ancient races, dives into Loki's animosity against Odin and his son Thor and ultimately Ragnarok: the final war of the gods!

In 2020, Dark Horse Comics issued forth the first miniseries based on Gaiman's collection of Norse tales. Volume I focused on the creation of Asgard and the Nine Realms. Volume II chronicles many of the most beloved accounts of bravery and deceit starring Thor, Loki, Balder and many other popular names that grace the halls of Valhalla. Folk tales about the creation of art, poetry and Northern European animals are also included. Book III is all about Ragnarok: the lead up to war, the bloody conflict and the promise of a new race: mankind!

The artist for these three miniseries is P. Craig Russell (Night Music). Russell's artwork evokes a timeless whimsy. I'm no art expert. But if I had to describe P. Craig Russell's style I would say 1920s Art Deco mixed with the posters of French commercial artist Rodolphe Salis (La Chat Noir).

It's interesting to read this account of Ragnarok and the world that arrives afterwards. I'm amazed by how similar this 'pagan' tale is to the final battle of Armageddon as foretold in the Book of Revelations. One of my favorite classes as a kid was on world mythology. Thus, I've read how Thor will slay the Midgard Serpent and how Odin will die on the field of battle.. But I didn't know that in that epic the world would be reborn along with a new version of Asgard on in the wings.

I'm always last to the party with things. I got on the Deadpool train like 10 years ago. I didn't start reading The Walking Dead until it became a TV series. And I pick up the latest issue of Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology which is the 18th and final overall issue. But you can be sure I'll be adding those remaining 17 books to my wish list!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #31 (Story of Ancient Mythology) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge. 

The Quantum Age

After having explored the origins of Black Hammer (with Black Hammer '45), I then continued on to discover its future.

The events of The Quantum Age take place about 100 years after the disappearances of Abraham Slam, Black Hammer, Barbalien and the rest of the occupants of Black Hammer Farm. 

Now don't be duped by the back cover or what some other collected volumes of Black Hammer related books say. The events in this storyline do not occur 1000 years into the future. It's a typo. I think someone just added an extra 0 and proofread just didn't catch the mistake during the editing phase.

Black Hammer '45 was a tribute to war comics. The Cthu-louise one-shot and Madame Dragonfly FCBD entry were tributes to horror and suspense comics that were noted for their twist endings. And The Quantum Age is Jeff Lemire's love letter to DC's Legion of Super-Heroes and Marvel's mutant titles. 

While I was intrigued by the artwork of Black Hammer '45, I was a bigger fan of Wilfredo Torres's (Marvel Legacy Legion) work in this book. Maybe because it was less impressionistic than Matt Kindt's (Mind MGMT) stuff. Or maybe I'm less of a fan of water colors than I am with more traditional comic book coloring methods. 

There's a bunch of surprises and twists to this book. I had mentioned in a previous review of a Black Hammer collection that there were a couple of characters who I felt that their story wasn't over. Well, I was right. I will not spoil it here. But if you go digging through my other reviews, you'll learn just who those characters were. Well, two of them. Jeff Lemire managed to surprise me with a third reveal that I wasn't expecting.

And there was one character that I fell in love with and I had to read ahead to make sure they survived. I am glad to say that I got my wish. And if I hadn't, man was I going to be pissed!

I actually didn't want this story to end. Or maybe I should say, hopefully, there will be more coming. According to articles I've read, Jeff Lemire plans to close the door on Black Hammer in 2023. So maybe in these next 18 months, I'll get my wish and get to revisit The Quantum Age one more time.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer '45

Jeff Lemire reveals the waning days of World War II in this Black Hammer spin-off. The Black Hammer Squadron have been given their final assignment. With the Nazis on the brink and the Soviets tearing through Germany, this team of colored American soldiers must rescue a Jewish family of physicists before the Reds do. Seems that their inter-dimensional theories will give whomever obtains the secrets of these Jewish scientists a major advantage in the exploration of space.  

With Mind MGMT's Matt Kindt's artwork, Jeff Lemire offers fans a look at the early days of Abraham Slam as well as some of the origins of the NASA program that will send Col. Randall Weird on the space adventure of a lifetime. And since this is a part of the world of Black Hammer, expect things to be a little more on the side of the fantastical with more advanced technology.

This was a powerful read. And it was another great chapter to the world of Black Hammer. And it was a marvelous tribute to the war comics of the 50s and 60s. But there was something off about the artwork.

The use of an non-white team was pretty brilliant. Originally, Lemire and Kindt didn't plan on this. Thus, a couple of the characters actually look Caucasian. Due to deadlines, only a few changes were ables to be made. Fate allowed the pages to be recolored. However, art touch ups just weren't in the cards. 

But having a team of heroes who are willing to do anything for their country and get little to no thanks for their efforts is so powerful. There's a little bit of the Tuskegee airmen in this story and just a touch of Robert Morales and Kyle Baker's Truth: Red, White and Black. And to have Black Hammer, who was a black man, take his name from a group of commandos of color adds legacy and honor to the whole name of the series and the fallen hero.

While the artwork might have suffered from the tight deadlines, the coloring of this story actually benefited from the retouches. The water-colored effect of this book also aids texture to the page along with giving a slight sepia tone to the story. It's a lot like looking at a series of old photographs. Or maybe it's meant to look like a 1940s era comic book with how the acid in the paper browns out everything. Either way, it helped make Black Hammer '45 a Dark Horse triumph.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer: Streets of Spiral

This collection of Black Hammer stories continues to expand the amazing world created by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston. But instead of a multi-parter, Black Hammer: Streets of Spiral is a collection of 3 one-shot specials as well as a compendium of major players that comprise the world of Black Hammer.

The first segment takes us back to Black Hammer Farm, before the seemingly finalizing events of 'The Age of Doom'. Floating eyeballs have been a familar sight within the para-zone. In this time bendy story, we find out that one of those ocular creatures has a history with all of the members of the farmstead, not just Col. Weird.

Readers are then introduced to a character with what I think is one of the most creative names in probably the last 25 years of comicdom- Cthu-louise! The featured character is a  human/otherworldly squid creature hybrid. In a story that has inspiration in not 1 but 2 episodes of The Twilight Zone, readers will learn Cthu-louise's heartbreaking origin as well as be introduced to her hopeful second chance.

The third segment is not a complete story. It's actually a segment from a Free Comic Book Day offering of (at the time) forthcoming. But it offers glimpses into the future plans of Black Hammer that Lemire and Ormston have in store for the franchise. In a nod to the EC Comics horror anthologies of the 1950s, Madame Dragonfly takes readers on a tour of her infernal cabin of stories.

As for the encyclopedia of all things Black Hammer, it invokes memories of Marvel's Official Guidebook of the Marvel Universe and DC's Who's Who. Yes, it does reveal a little bit of some stories that I haven't read yet. But thankfully it doesn't give away too much.

Along with artwork by Ormston, there's a slew of talent in these pages. Wilfredo Torres (Black Hammer '45), Dave Stewart (B.P.R.D.), Sandy Jarrell (Batman '66), Andrea Sorrentino (Old Man Logan) and personal favorite Mike Allred (Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams) are just a handful of artists that have a literal hand in things. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer, Vol. 4: Age of Doom Part 2

Black Hammer is one of those series that I was reading all well and good and then BOOM!, COVID hit. I had been getting my trade copies from my local library. And for a good 18 months, it became almost impossible to get something from my nearby branch. Between being completely shut down, limited pick-up and wait lists, I eventually gave up. And Black Hammer went on the back burner.

With the library reopening this year, I had a list of things to read that I had been waiting on but not willing to pay for. Jeff Lemire's Black Hammer was tops on my list. But knowing how complex and full of mysteries this amazing series is, I knew better to wait to be able to check out a whole bunch instead of taking my chances one volume at a time. 

In Age of Doom Part 1, the residents of Black Hammer Farm learned the truth behind their mysterious exile. In this volume, we learn what happens when the conspiracy unravels. Colonel Weird awakes in the middle of a strange wasteland that is ever changing. Weird has plopped down into the middle of the land of forgotten characters. It seems that whomever created the adventurous astronaut has deemed Weird's story over. But don't tell him that!

Meanwhile in Spiral City, the heroes have returned. Only things are completely different as there have never been superheroes before. Now rebooted, Spiral City is dark, dank and gritty and a handful of once glorified people live a life of sorrow and misery. 

It did take me a little while to catch up on what I had read 3 years prior before the pandemic made me pause reading the Black Hammer books. But once I followed through, my memory caught up with me and I had a blast reading this book!

I'll admit, I cheated a little. There's a trio of characters that I feel in love with and I had to fumble ahead just to make sure I wouldn't be surprised with their deaths. Thankfully, they made it. But I really can't reveal much more about them or I will definitely spoil stuff. 

The ending for this book was satisfying. True, there's still questions abounding, especially about the fate of at least 1 character. But for the most part, I was pleased with the story's finale. If I wanted, I could just close the book on the story. But, I checked out 3 further volumes which all add to the backstory of the characters and their foes. Plus, I know there's still 2 or 3 more volumes out there that either my library had checked out or they having yet been collected in trade form.

But as long as Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) and Dean Ormstron (2000 AD) keep knocking it out of the park with this love story to the comic book art form, I see no reason to give up on Black Hammer yet.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Aw Yeah Comics! Vol. 3: Make Way for Awesome (Family Comic Friday)

Today I am reviewing a book that I probably would have shared sooner but the pandemic closed out my local library for a very long time. Literally, I went like 2 full years without complete access to tons of great all ages books thanks to the lockdown. Even though this book is 6 years old, I am very behind. So bear with me if this is a book your family has already enjoyed.

Aw Yeah Comics! Vol. 3: Make Way for Awesome continues the awesome adventures of Action Cat, Adventure bug, Awesome Bear and their crime fighting pals! The creation of Family Comic Favorites Art Baltazar and Franco, the majority of the stories in this collection is produced by collaborative friends of the Aw Yeah Comics family of comic shops in the Chicago area. Though Baltazar and Franco aren't as active in the books collected within, you can still see their influences on every page. 

In this volume, our heroes take on Evil Cat, a rectangular swine fiend named Parallel-O-Ham (great pun name!), space aliens, ghost bugs and possibly an evil jar of pickles! There's a follow-up to the King of Atlantis story from early on in the series. Plus, expect some surprise crossovers from some beloved Dark Horse Comics characters that are usually seen in comics aimed at adults. It was really fun to see characters such as Savage Dragon in an all-ages setting for once!

And who doesn't love how Zombie Cat is basically designed in the motif of J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter? His body is the same color green. His outfit is also teal. And the missing eye being marked with a red X just like the harness on J'onn's chest. I got that reference!

This is the third collection of books. I've previously reviewed volume 1 on this blog. Hopefully, I'll be reading and reviewing volume 2 sometime soon. That means that the enjoyment doesn't have to end for me yet. That is unless my library is without volume 2. For some reason, my branch has a bad habit of not purchasing every book in the series. But if they pulled through this time, I'm in for a treat!

A great collection of stories that the kiddies and adults will enjoy. Being an older book, used and new copies can be purchased on Amazon for a fantastic steal. Since they're at a good price, pick up 2 copies. I'm sure the young readers in your life are going to love this book so much, they're going to wear it out with constant re-reads.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars. 

Frank Frazetta's The Adventures of the Snowman

With snow coming down today, I felt it was an appropriate time to read this one! The Adventures of the Snowman is one of Frank Frazetta's earliest works. He was 15 when he created this! And he had the insight to have it copyrighted way back in 1944!

Predating Frosty The Snowman by about 6 years, Frazetta's Snowman is a super-powered cold weather crime fighter. Operating out of the North American Rockies, Snowman helps the Royal Canadian Mounties capture a pair of murderous thugs. But his real mission is to stop a trio of Imperial Japanese agents from meeting up with an Axis operative called The Skull! 

There's a very good chance you've seen the artwork of Frank Frazetta and you just don't realize it. He painted the posters of such film classics such as Who's Minding The Mint?, What's New Pussycat? and The Mad Monster Party. Pulp sci-fi readers of 1960s and 70s editions of Conan or John Carter of Mars novels probably had one of his paintings on the cover. Perhaps his most famous work, 'The Death Dealer', was the cover image for the self-titled Molly Hatchet LP. 

But among comics fans such as myself, we know the genius know only by the last name of Frazetta by his covers of such magazine classics like Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella. 

If you are expecting such works; you are out of luck. But if you are a fan and you want a look at his earliest work, this is a book for you! 

The 1944 art style here is very cartoony. But you can see Frazetta's genius and talent shining through on every page! This story looks like a collection of stills from a cartoon you might see from MGM or Disney. There's motion and you can hear the swooshes and clangs from the action. There were times I forgot I was reading a book and not plopped down in front of the TV watching an old movie. 

There's also a beautiful mixed medium here. I know Frazetta used pencils. But I'm not sure if he used water color or marker. Did they have magic markers in the 1940s? Whatever it was Frazetta used, I loved it. It added to that fluid motion look of the art.

Now let's talk about the time period in which this book was originally created. The Japanese characters have those exaggerated stereotype features of buck teeth and beady little eyes. Their dialogue is drawn in an oriental-type font and their speech is broken and full of cliches. Remember, this book was created by a 15-year old boy. During the height of the World War II. This story should be looked at a a time-capsule and as a glimpse at a budding art legend. Frazetta never released this story for sale- his son did so in 2015 as a sort of gift to Frazetta fans. 

I'm giving everyone fair warning with this book. It better not come back to me that somebody cancelled the LATE Frank Frazetta over this book! If anything, this work was probably a sort of art therapy for a young man terrified about the prospect of possibly having to come of age in the middle of a massive war. The character of Skull looks eerily a lot like those editorial cartoons of the time of the personification of the global war machine! The young artist was clearly influenced by his surroundings and the propaganda influences of the time.

A must for comic book historians and fans of Frazetta!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Stranger Things Winter Special One Shot

Christmas, 1984.

The boys meet at the Byers household to help Eleven celebrate her first ever Christmas. There will be gifts, Christmas cookies and lots of cheer. It's also Eleven's first introduction to holiday specials. But which one should she pick? 

Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Will take turns explaining some classics. While the reader will know what the fellas are talking about, in El's mind, these TV specials star the vast cast of characters that occupy Hawkins; including a Demogorgon or two.

I have yet to see a single episode of Stranger Things. Yet, I've read 2 holiday comics and done a ton of research over it and I am hooked. My wife has a $75 Netflix gift card hiding somewhere in the house. If I ever find it, I'm going to binge it!

Not a single holiday special is named by name. I'm sure Dark Horse couldn't afford the licensing fees. But I knew what every one of them where. This was a fun read and I wished that this comic, like every Christmas I've ever experienced, wouldn't have ended!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Hazel & Cha Cha Save Christmas: Tales From The Umbrella Academy

Hazel and Cha Cha- those scene-stealing psychotic hitmen employeed by the Temps Aeternalis, are the stars of this 2019 Christmas special. The two are assigned to take out a rogue time criminal who has mingled among the citizens of the City sometime in the mid-80s. At the same time, a young man is coming to terms with becoming an adult when he accidentally is let in on the true secret of Santa Claus: the jolly old fat man is really real!

Umbrella Academy creator Gerard Way pens this holiday tale. It's really not what I thought it was going to be. I've held onto this issue since is debuted 2 years ago and someone told me an overview of a plot in which Hazel and Cha Cha has to save (or maybe kill) the Baby Jesus from a rogue hitman. Is there another Umbrella Academy holiday book that I don't know about? I'm not sure. But this isn't what I was informed about previously. 

I've mixed feelings about this issue. The story seems to be all over the place. Maybe some of it is that it's probably been 10 years at least since I last read the first couple of Umbrella Academy series. But with a couple of characters looking just like each other. And the last page seemingly a little ambiguous. And the addition of a couple of random panels that just look random. Well, I think the Tommy Lee Edwards artwork maybe be a part of the blame.

The overall story is very good. But like I said, the artwork is inconsistent and the narrative is chaotic. It makes for a difficult read. I did love how some of the book ended. And I might love how it ended altogether. But like I said, I'm not sure if how I think the book ended is really how it ended.

I like Gerard Way. Great musician. Fairly decent storyteller. And an overall nice guy. I met him once being his personal security at a local comic con. But I don't think this holiday special was flawless. Sometimes Way's writing style gets a little too Grant Morrison-like for his own good and it doesn't always work. There's only one Grant Morrison and even a legend like him gets in a little too much over his head.

Really wondering why somebody told me this story involved the Baby Jesus though...

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Classic Star Wars: The Early Adventures

A few years ago, I read the complete Al Williamson run on the Star Wars comic strip. In all three volumes, called Classic Star Wars, there were forewords in each that proclaimed that while the Williamson stories are good, the Russ Manning era of the strips were far superior. Being a huge Star Wars lover, I had to know what the fuss was all about. So Classic Star Wars: The Early Adventures was quickly added to my wish list.

After months and months of searching, I finally found a copy of this book which I could afford. Some sites had this book listing for upwards of $80 as this Dark Horse edition was out of print. And don't even ask about the 9 individual issues. I never could find a web site or LCS that carried these in the bins. 

Anyways, after finding this book, I immediately took to reading it. It's a mix of several stories that continue the struggle between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. As per George Lucas' instructions, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader cross paths but never officially face-off. This makes for a number of stories that contain close calls and non-canon baddies. 

The most memorable of these is a holographic agent of evil code-named Blackhole. It appears that this villain is going to be the main villain in the strip. But after the third story run is complete, he disappears- literally. He's never seen nor mentioned again. 

Also never mentioned again is a massive Rebel database named Mistress Mnemos, who promises to investigate Blackhole and just doesn't seem to get around to it. 

There's also this lizard Imperial officer referred to as Major Rahz. He's really awesome looking but quite unusual for Star Wars. Remember, the Empire wasn't known to be very accommodating to non-humans. Other than this guy, I think Admiral Thrawn is the only true alien species member to hold rank in the Empire. While very non-canon, I did think this dude was pretty cool!

One neat storyline reveals how the Rebels were able to purchase and maintain a fleet in the shadow of the Empire. This had always been a question to me. And while I am sure that the reveal has been retconned time and time again, the answer I found in this book was forever acceptable. 

The main reason anybody would want to own this book is that it contains one of the earliest appearances of Boba Fett! He crosses paths with Luke and Han; hinting at what trouble he'll be giving the Rebels in the Empire Strikes Back. I'm very interested to see if funny pages containing any of the strips from this story are considered highly sought after collectibles from fans of those who wear Mandalorian armor. 

I really can see where people would enjoy the Russ Manning stories. But are they superior to Al Williamson's run? Not in the least! Manning's artwork was quite cartoonish. It very fluid and fanciful. But it doesn't come close to Williamson's photo-realistic art that I remember enjoying every Sunday at my Grandmama's house. 

I think the reason Russ Manning gets so much love is that the artist was in the final stages of cancer when he accepted this project. I've heard that superstar talent such as Archie Goodwin filled in for Manning during some periods of time from 1979-80. You even get a sneak peak at what Al Williamson will be bringing to the series in the Boba Fett segment! 

These artists were true heroes as the kept Manning's name on the artwork so that he could keep his health insurance, even though Manning never even touched the storyboards. Being that Star Wars was Manning's last project, I am okay with the comics legend getting as much love as he did. But I still prefer Williamson's work on the Star Wars comic strip.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.