Star Wars Adventures (2019 Free Comic Book Day Edition)

This 2019 Free Comic Book Day offering features a scary story starring Han Solo and Chewbacca. Only it's not the real Han Solo. I don't care that this is a comic book. But the version of Han illustrated in this book is the Alden Ehrenreich Solo origin film version. The only (acceptable) version of Han Solo is Harrison Ford. Plain and simple. There is no substitute. 

Now one thing added to the appeal of this book is that this is a Tales From Vader's Castle story. Since 2018, Star Wars fans have been delighted by an annual all-ages horror themed anthology set in the Star Wars Universe. It's become a new Halloween tradition. However, there's no such thing as Halloween in Star Wars. That doesn't matter as it still makes for a fun October time read. 

Compared to other Vader's Castle stories, this one isn't really that scary. Probably because this was a Free Comic Book Day offering. Mistress Lina and her droid Crater, who are the story's narrators, make a return appearance from the 2018 debut of Tales From Vader's Castle. As they explore Vader's home, Lina recalls an early adventure from Han and Chewbacca's early days involving a heist as a droid museum. 

This story sets up the framework for prospective fans to pick up the trade paperback which collected the first series. There was a Han Solo ghost story in the first anthology. I double-checked. This story is not a reprint of that issue as writer Cavan Scott managed to have both versions of Solo (the true and the reboot impostor) in the same story. There's no Harrison Ford in this book.

Featuring art by Derek Charm, this issue has a certain charm to it; even if it doesn't feature MY Han Solo. Loved the closing panel! And the back cover by Francesco Francavilla, featuring the imposing visage of Lord Vader overlooking his Mustafar is just breathtaking. Oh, how I would love to have a print of it to hang in my office!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

DC Pride Through The Years #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

DC Comics August, 2023

Reprinting the following material:

The Flash #53 August, 1991
Detective Comics #854 August, 2009
Supergirl #19 May, 2018

Since 2021, DC Comics has released an annual 80-page special devoted to the LGBTQIA+ characters of the DC Universe. This year, along with DC Pride 2023, the House of Superman released an anthological look at LGBTQIA+ characters from the past 4 decades of DC history.

DC Pride Through the Years contains 4 stories; 3 of which are reprints. 

First is The Flash #53. This issue is considered by senior manager of the DC Archives Benjamin La Clear, to be the first main stream DC books with an openly gay character after the Comics Code revised it's standards against the portrayal of sexual orientation in 1989. True, it took 2 years before William Messner-Loebs had the Pied Piper reveal his sexual preferences to Wally West. But in reality, comic book readers were already aware of homosexuality and non-traditional gender identities in comics for decades. Both real and implied.

If you are going to write about the history of comics, at some point and time you're going to come back to Dr. Fredric Wertham. His 1955 book Seduction of the Innocent blamed every facet of juvenile delinquency on sequential art. One of Wetham's most famous examples used was to blame the rise of homosexuality in teens on characters such as Wonder Woman and the Dynamic Duo.

Wertham more than implied that the relationship between millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and his young ward, Dick Grayson, was anything but wholesome. Wertham even went so far as to frame the nighttime exploits of the two in the guise of Batman and Robin as a sort of sadomasochist gay fantasy that in today's vernacular would be considered the equivalent of 'sexual grooming'. As a result of this attack, DC Comics introduced a new character into the Batman Family- one Ms. Kathy Kane, AKA the Batwoman. 

Though Batman already had love interests in the form of the villainess Catwoman and reporter Vicki Vale, DC felt the need to introduce a super-hero love interest into the Batman dynamic to counter the damage inflicted on the character by Wertham and the resulting Senate subcommittee hearings led by Estes Kefauver. After a couple of years, once the fervor over Batman and Robin's sexuality would subside, Kathy Kane would be quietly retired. She wasn't exactly a very popular addition to the Batcave anyways. However, the character would be re-explored again, this time in a reboot that introduced Kate Kane as the new Batwoman of Gotham City.

A cousin of Bruce Wayne, on his mother's side, Kate Kane has some military training having been enrolled in West Point. It is at this time that Kane is first outed. While given a chance to refute those allegations, Kane admits to being a lesbian and is drummed from the institution just before what would have been her graduation. The Kate Kane Batwoman is also one of the few Jewish superheroes in comics and her debut as the lead feature of Detective Comics is used to commemorate the character's place in LGBTQIA+ history at DC Comics. 

DC Pride Through the Years then examines the non-super-powered members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Though non-binary (or as one might have referred to as gender-bending) characters have existed in DC Comics for years, such as Sir Tristan in 1982's Camelot 3000 and Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol creation of the sentient genderqueer Danny the Street, this book decided to focus on a friend of the Girl of Steel. 

In Supergirl #19, readers are introduced to Lee Serrano. Lee is a non-binary teen who is befriended by the Maid of Might after a being saved during an attack from the Cyborg Superman. Lee is being bullied at school and through Supergirl's own complicated relationship with an adopted planet that see's her as both a hero and a villain, the teen is inspired to stand up against their bully.

The fourth story involves the complicated character of the Alan Scott Green Lantern. One of the original pillars of the Justice Society of America, the character underwent changes during DC's New 52 event when it was revealed that Earth-2's Alan Scott was gay. With this new version of Green Lantern, a lot of readers were confused. Scott had previously been married with two children, who became super heroes just like their old man. While some were quick to point out that historically, gays and lesbians confused by their sexuality, have married those of the opposite sex and had children, some readers felt that Alan Scott's reboot wasn't sufficiently explored or explained. 

Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey's 'Past Prologue' is the introductory chapter into the 6-issue miniseries Alan Scott: Green Lantern. Debuting in October, 2023, this pre-World War II set epic will dive into Scott's origin; both as one of the founding superheroes of the DC Universe and as a closeted gay man.

Cover by Derek Charm.

Completing this review completes Task #44 (A New Release) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 9: Fight the Empire!

After a collection that saw a trio of stories set during the Clone Wars, Star Wars Adventures devotes a volume to a triumvirate of stories that occur during the original trilogy in the midst of the Age of the Rebellion.

First we see Luke and Han negotiating an arms deal on behalf of Princess Leia. Han's past history as a swoop racer has long been discussed. In this story, we see Han return to those roots when he gets the bright idea to participate in a swoop race in order to earn some extra credits. 

The middle story has Leia on a mission with C-3PO and R2-D2 involving an orphaned child and some storm troopers.

In story #3, immediately after the destruction of the second Death Star, Lando is participating in a star ship race in order to gain information about a pirating ring that has been disrupting Rebel supply runs. With the surprise appearance of a memorable character from Episode I, this was the best main story of the collection.

All 3 of the Wild Space back-ups were excellent. The Bib Fortuna story was a little out of character for Bib and Jabba and yet, it's a hilarious story that had hints of plausibility. The spy tale starring Mos Eisley Cantina regular Kabe was rather clever. I never realized just how tiny she was. But the best story of them 3 involved a rather special tauntaun and her trainer. 

A tauntaun with a very large tail is abandoned by her herd. A series of misadventures results in the creature becoming part of the Rebellion and later a beloved hero of the battle of Hoth. This story was so good, I read it 3 times. I really hope that somewhere out there on a lovely snow planet, the tauntaun and her person are roaming the frosty countryside in peace and prosperity.

Lots of fun this volume was with a lot of great talent. Derek Charm and Cavan Scott (Tales From Vader's Castle). Tony Fleecs (Stray Dogs). Michael Avon Oeming (World of Krypton). I wish all of the volumes of SWA were this awesome!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Deadman Tells the Spooky Tales (Family Comic Friday)

Created in 1967 by the legendary Neal Adams, Deadman was a circus performer who was assassinated while performing under the big top. Thanks to a Hindu deity called Rama Kushna, the spirit of Deadman was allowed to linger on Earth in order to discover the identity of his killer. By possessing the body of others, including many a member of the Justice League, Deadman was able to gather the clues to find the identity of the mysterious killer known only as 'The Hook.' But after his murderer was apprehended, for one reason or another, Deadman delayed crossing over to the afterlife to continue bringing evil to justice!

I've read my fair share of Deadman stories over the years. My father had a copy of his first appearance, in the pages of Strange Adventures #205. The visual appeal of a white ghostly face decked in a scarlet red circus performer unitard was enough to draw me in. Sure, with death and ghosts and vengeance, this probably wasn't the stuff for a lad of under the age of 10 to enjoy. But those Deadman stories of my dad's collection were some of my most favorite reads.

So when I learned that Deadman was going to host a graphic novel anthology of creepy tales for young readers, I immediately contacted my favorite LCS to reserve my copy! While over the past 55 years Deadman has teamed up with major characters from the DC Universe, solved some puzzling crimes and even come face-to-face with the creator of the universe himself, the supernatural character has never hosted his own horror title to my knowledge- until now!

Franco, the fan favorite co-creator of such all-ages properties as Tiny Titans and Itty Bitty Hellboy, pens 13 unlucky tales of terror. But as this book was aimed for readers aged 8-12 years old, was this collection of spooky tales all that scary?

The shortcut taken through 'The Cemetery' and the mall-themed story titled 'Mannequins' would qualify in my book as scary. The autumn leaves adventure called 'Fall' was eerie too; if only because two victims of the story's antagonist seem completely forgotten by our heroes. 

I loved 'On the Inside'. That psychological thriller was a tiny bit scary. What sold it for me was how it was directly tied into a character from the Batman family of villains. The movie themed 'Inattentive Blindness' and the sleepover at 'The House of Madame Pyka' also had some ties to the DCU and were entertaining scares. However, I would say that they gave me anything but the frights. "The Fisherman' was another story that was highly entertaining yet didn't scare me. However, it had an ending that left me demanding a sequel or a stand alone series!

Franco, especially when he is teamed with his main writing partner Art Baltazar, is known for his humorous stories. And the majority of the remaining stories are more for yuks that screams. However, the humor element is okay with me. Those classic DC horror titles from my youth such as House of Mystery and The Witching Hour were as renown for their bizarre comedy bits just as much as their horrifying stories of ghosts and ghouls.

I've got to confess however, that with both feline themed stories 'The Litterbox' and 'The Neighborhood Cats', I read ahead. Not because I was scared. It was because I didn't want to be shocked with any stories that involved dying or injured kitties. I am happy to say that no gatos were injured in the making of this graphic novel for kiddies!

The most terrifying aspect of this book was the running commentary of the Deadman throughout this anthology. He poses some eerie questions. However, it's the artwork by visual artist Sara Richard that puts the icing on the cake in terms of creepiness. Her images of skeletons and graveyards are chilling. But when she provides anatomy lessons of viscera and sinew as Deadman transports himself throughout the book, I get a tad spooked. 

A dozen other artists provide visuals for this book. Derek Charm (Star Wars Adventures) is another fan favorite of mine who contributes to this work. As is fellow North Carolinian, Thomas Boatwright, of whom the Zeke Deadwood: Zombie Lawmaker creator is one of which that I own actual original artwork of! However, I must say that I am a little perturbed that Franco's most famous creative partner, Art Baltazar, is nowhere to be found in this book! I hope the two didn't part ways as collaborators! I love those two when they get together and make comic book memories!

Deadman Tells the Spooky Tales (Another Great Pun Title!) was an entertaining read. I was scrambling to find something appropriate for younger readers to review this week in time for Halloween. I'm so glad my comics shop was able to get a copy yesterday! The horror element as well as Deadman's backstory that involves Eastern religion, including reincarnation might be a little to controversial for some. But if you were a parent, guardian or grandparent who grew up reading the adventures of Deadman, especially the vintages ones, the young readers in your life are going to thrill at this trip through DC's darkest corners.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Jughead's Time Police #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Enjoy a fresh look at a beloved Archie Comic. For this week’s Family Comic Friday, we travel back in time with the reboot of Jughead’s Time Police #1.

Jughead’s Time Police #1
Written by Sina Grace
Art by Derek Charm
Published by Archie Comics
Retail: $3.99

You should never put fish oil in a fruit pie!

Jughead learns this lesson the hard way. As a result, the foodie is forbidden from competing in another cooking contest ever again! Despondent over the lifetime ban, Juggie seeks the help of resident nerd, Dilton.

Together, Jughead and Dilton create a time machine. Jughead hopes to correct his mistake, thus altering the timeline. But when Jughead from the future meets Jughead from the past, the teen’s actions end up fracturing the timeline!

This reboot of Jughead’s Time Police was a welcome flashback to the simpler 90s. Jughead’s dog, Hot Dog, is shown as being able to secretly talk once again. Dilton is creating zany inventions. Plus, you’ll witness the return of a long-lost, but not forgotten, character from the future!

While the tone of this comic was classic Archie, the art was not. Star Wars Adventures’ Derek Charm captures the Riverdale gang as their The CW counterparts. Jughead’s crown is black instead of silver. Archie’s hair is more ragged and less pompadour. And both Betty and Veronica exude that modern allure.

That’s not to say that I didn’t like Charm’s artwork. In fact, I thought it was a smart move to make the characters look like their live action selves. I know that there is going to be those Archie purists who insist on Archie forever having that iconic look. Thus they are going to hate this book. But going for the Riverdale look is sure to really bring in those fans of the series.

I used to be one of those fans. I remember when the publisher came out with The New Archies (1987-90). Man, did I hate the new look of the Archie gang. Nowadays, I don’t mind what the Archie universe looks like as long as it has a timeless quality to it. Let your Afterlife with Archie and Riverdale books be edgy. As long as the main Archie imprint is family friendly, I don’t care what style they are illustrated as. Just let those illustrations be of top quality. And over the years, Derek Charm has proven that his artwork is premium stuff!

I’m not that familiar with this series writer, Sina Grace (Iceman). However, since I remember the original Jughead’s Time Police quite fondly, I can say that Sina Grace did a great job capturing the spirit of that original title very well. My only complaint is that the first issue ended too soon before the real time travelling could begin.

Both older and younger generations of Archie fans should love this book. If waiting another couple of weeks for issue #2 is too long of a wait for any of you, readers can pick up the collected edition of Jughead’s Time Police. It collects all 6 issues of the 1990-91 classic (over 220 pages) for just $10.99! It’s sure to bring a smile and a laugh to any devotee of Jughead Jones. Time Police Deputy Marshall!

Jughead’s Time Police #1 debuted in print and digital platforms on June 12, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com. 

Star Wars Adventures: Tales From Vader's Castle #3

I didn't think it was possible. But writer Cavan Scott found a way to bring together both the Alden Ehrenreich Han Solo with the Harrison Ford Han Solo without resorting to time travel or jumps in time as this issue progresses. 

We do have a jump in time as the rebels who crashed on Mustafar enter the Imperial compound, unawares that it's really Vader's Citadel. Their adventure has been what has framed all of these spooky stories from across the Star Wars universe. 

This series debuted over the month of October of last year. While I was on top of issues 1 and 2, for some reason or another I got distracted and forgot to catch up on the rest if this horror themed mini until now.

Derek Charm continues to amaze with his framing sequences. Corin Howell's (Bat-Mite) style was very clean and similar to Charm's. It was nearly seamless. 

Originally thinking this was a Ehrenreich tale and not a Ford tale originally put me off. But in reality, this is a Solo story! I'd really love to expound more on this but it would ruin the great plot twist. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures Ashcan

The introductory issue to IDW's amazing all-ages Star Wars series. While Star Wars Adventures is a great series, this issue, to me, is what this series could have been. 

Cavan Scott has done a great job writing never-before-revealed episodes of your favorite Star Wars characters. But there is this back-up feature called 'Tales for Wild Space'. It has some minor characters from some 90s kids series hosting tales of the Old Republic and beyond. It doesn't have a nostalgic feel. For that segment, the real hosts of the back-up stories are our narrators here- C-3PO and R2-D2!

Landry Q. Walker (Danger Club) penned this issue. It's the only story by Walker in this entire series (thus far)! But I think that Walker had the right idea having Threepio and Artoo be the storytellers. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. 

As for the artwork by Derek Charm. It's 100% perfect. It's how I always wished a Star Wars cartoon would have looked like when I was little. Yeah, we had Star Wars: Droids and Ewoks growing up. But an honest to God animated series with Vader, Luke, Chewie and the rest- Derek Charm crafts a classic-looking animated style!

A very tough issue to find. It was supposed to be a freebie given away at comic book shops nationwide. But I never came across it until finding a copy in a bargain bin. I'm not sure if IDW didn't print a lot of copies or if my area of the country just didn't fare well on the publisher's marketing campaign.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures (Free Comic Book Day 2018 Edition)

IDW Publishing made the smart but still  controversial decision to have the Alden Ehrenreich Han Solo be the focus of this year's FCBD offering. One thing that helps the transition go smoothly here is the inclusion of classic Star Wars bounty hunters Zuckuss and 4-LOM. At a trading post, Han finds himself without Chewie, who has decided to check out the local grub scene. It is here that Han finds himself the prisoner of bounty hunters. Without his right hand make, how will the Corellian rogue get himself out of this jam?

My favorite bounty hunter is Boba Fett. However, I am a big fan of Zuckuss and 4-LOM. In the anthology novel Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters, the story of how an assassin droid and a Gand findsman become partners was the best of the lot. It was also very cool to finally see the interior of their ship, The Mist Hunter. 

Cavan Scott and Derek Charm are the Chris Claremont and John Byrne of SWA. Great storytelling! Amazing artwork! A pure love for all aspects of the franchise! May the force be with them for a very long run!

I haven't been able to really stay up on Marvel's run of current Star Wars titles. There's just so many, so I must purchase when they go on steep discount. But IDW Publishing been doing a phenomenal (and affordable) job on the all-ages take on the Star Wars Universe. I'm still not sure why IDW is doing them instead of Marvel. But I'm not complaining!

Okay- one small complaint... This issue ends with a cliffhanger in which you have to read an issue or two from the regular Star Wars Adventures comic. I understand that you are trying to boost sales. If you are going to do that, do it for the teen and older books. It's just not fair to make the kids have to buy something else in order to complete the entire story. Keep in mind, some kids are receiving these books from charities and donors such as myself after FCBD. To have an incomplete story just seems like a slap in the face, especially when done in the name of benevolence! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

In the 1990s when Marvel re-obtained the rights to the Star Trek franchise, they created an all-new series about the cadets of Starfleet. Titled Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, the book was set during the time of The Next Generation. Nog, the Ferengi child from DS9, was one of the main characters. But other than he, it was pretty much an original concept. The series ran for 17 issues before being cancelled. 

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy from IDW Publishing is a continuation of that 90s series. That was my first thought when I saw this trade paperback at a recent swap meet. On this cover of this book is a Vulcan and an Andorian. Both species were main characters in the Marvel series. So with the faces of Kelvin timeline Spock, Kirk and Uhura, I assumed that this was the new timelines reboot of the book. Turns out, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy from IDW Publishing is NOT a continuation of that 90s series.

In this 2015-16 miniseries, the adventures of Kelvin timeline Kirk and company are intermingled with an all-new class of cadets. The new students' storyline takes place 3 years just after the events of 2009's Star Trek, in which the planet Vulcan is destroyed by Nero. 

A young Vulcan cadet struggles with the decision to continue her studies at Starfleet or to resign and help the founding of New Vulcan. Her faculty adviser tries to persuade her to stay until the completion of a Starfleet competition against other academies of higher thought spread across the universe. Usually an Academy loner, the Vulcan cadet now must learn to work as part of a team of misfits. Meanwhile, three years into the past, Uhura uncovers a dark secret about the founding of Starfleet. What she uncovers and the adventures of the new class combine to make an epic storyline that I thoroughly enjoyed.

There's lots of great Easter eggs in this book. Mike Johnson (Star Trek/Green Lantern) crafts an intriguing story that spans 'generations'. But really, the magic of this book is all thanks to artist Derek Charm. The illustrator of the Star Wars Adventures series, also from IDW, Charm loves to add characters and elements taken from other parts of whatever franchise he is tackling. It really connects the story so perfectly. I'd love to share a few examples, but if you were to decide to read this book, I'd be spoiling quite a bit of fun.

One thing that irritated me was a small level of story inconsistency. In the first two issues, the story jumps back and forth 3 years. In issue #3, the story is said to occur back and forth only 2 years apart. If that was the natural progression of the story, I would be fine with this. However, in the fourth issue, it's back to a 3 years distance between Kirk's class and the new cadets. 

For a story that did some really amazingly unexpected things with the Star Trek franchise, that small error is a huge blotch! It's like someone put a pink mole of the Mona Lisa! Despite this, I'd really like to see these characters again. Another miniseries would be great. Since Chris Pine is supposedly done with the Star Trek films, a movie based on this new group would be freaking awesome!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures #1

Stories by Cavan Scott
Art by Derek Charm and Jon Sammariva
Published by IDW.

Return of the Adventures

It's been a couple of years since Lucasfilm and Disney authorized an all-ages Star Wars Comic. When Dark Horse owned the license, they published a number of graphic novels. Star Wars Clone Wars Adventures covered details set during the prequel trilogy. Star Wars Adventures furthered the action of Luke, Leia, and other classic trilogy characters in trades set between Episode IV and IV. Now Star Wars Adventures has returned in an anthology series that promises to explore the origins of new trilogy characters as well as explore some never before told tales of your all-time favs.

In this first issue, Rey's life on Jakku is explored in a story titled Better the Devil you Know. The gruesome junkboss Unkar Plutt has been kidnapped. His absence has created a vacuum of power that brings in a new leader whose way more worse than Unkar ever was- if you can believe that. This whole situation wouldn't have anything to do with that J9 droid unit Rey found the other day would it?

Emil Who?

Unfortunately, if you want to know the answer to that question, you will have to wait until next month for issue #2. If cliffhangers aren't you thing and you'd rather have a story with a definite ending, you'll love the next tale. It's called Stop Thief and stars Obi-Wan Kenobi. Set during the Clone Wars, Kenobi is on the hunt for a thief that steals something from the Jedi during a visit to Dex's Diner. What is interesting about this story is it's narrator Emil Graf.

Emil Graf is the grandson of rebel hero Milo Graf. Never heard of him? Don't fell bad, I had not either. Upon doing a little research, Milo Graf is the star of a Star Wars juvenile fiction series from England called Adventures in Wild Space. The Wild Space books have started appearing in America bookstores over the past year and they guest star a number of characters such as Grand Moff Tarkin and Admiral Ackbar. So if you or the junior readers in your life really dig the Tales from Wild Space series at the back of this comic, check your local library or Amazon.

The Series You're Looking For

Both stories by Tekken's Cavin Scott were quite entertaining. I just hate that the Rey story is a multi-parter. But that's my pet peeve and nothing I really hold against Scott or the publisher, IDW.

I absolutely love the animation-style artwork. Both Derek Charm and Jon Sammariva do amazing jobs making the characters look fluid. They're also quite adequate representations of some of pop culture's most iconic characters. Be sure to also check out the extensive cover gallery at the back of this issue. There's literally dozens of variant covers rendered by some of the best in the biz including Chris Samnee and Craig Rosseau.

Star Wars fans, this is the Star Wars comic you've been looking for...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.