Batman #361 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Dr. Kirk Langstrom's tenure as a superhero was a brief one. By the early 80s, Langstrom's feral side won over, with the bat expert succumbing to the addictive properties of his bat-gland serum.

In this 1983 issue, Langstrom is suffering a psychotic break. An encounter as the Man-Bat against the Batman in the previous issue, led Langstrom to hallucinate that the Dark Knight killed his daughter Rebecca. In revenge, Man-Bat infiltrates the Batcave and kidnaps young Jason Todd, still sporting a full head of blonde hair. In a demented episode of eye-for-an-eye, thinking he has kidnapped Batman's progeny, Man-Bat plans on transforming Jason into a hybrid bat and raising Todd as his son!

Written by Doug Moench, this issue is notable for the first modern appearance of Detective Harvey Bullock. Introduced as a bit player in Detective Comics #441 (July, 1974), Bullock languished in comic book purgatory for almost another 9 years before reappearing here in his traditional slovenly appearance; bedecked in a loud painted tie and obviously buying off the rack.

The Jekyll and Hyde dichotomy of Dr. Kirk Langstrom and the Man-Bat would see the character switching sides a number of times over the course of the next 5 decades. The more Langstrom's savage persona takes control, the more of a villain Man-Bat becomes. In the past decade, the character has been portrayed more as a tragic anti-hero, that keeps becoming Man-Bat out of addiction to the rush of the transformation Langstrom feels when in bat form. Some recent appearances in the new millennium have involved Man-Bat as an unwilling member of the Suicide Squad, leading the Man-Bat Commandos, a branch of the League of Assassins that used a stolen version of the Lanstrom Serum, and assisting the Bat Family during the Dark Nights: Metal storyline.

Issue was illustrated by Don Newton.

Completing this review completes Task #13 (Batman Comic from the 1980s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Bizarre Adventures #28

This black and white magazine from Marvel is a must have for Elektra fans. It contains the assassin and Daredevil love interest's first ever solo story. With art and story by creator Frank Miller, it alone is worth the asking price which seems to range online from $20-50 bucks. Maybe it's because it's a magazine. Or maybe the asking price is less than I would have expected as maybe collectors don't know about it's importance. I know that I got lucky having bought it for only a buck at a thrift store a few years back.

A trio of characters make their first ever appearance debuts in this issue. Neal Adams, Doug Moench and Larry Hama present the Shadow Warrior; perhaps the world's smallest ninja and America's only hope against the infiltration of a cadre of brainwashed American soldiers trained by an Asian operative to overthrow our government. 

Archie Goodwin, Michael Golden and Steve Mitchell introduce readers to the world of the Huntsman. From what I can tell, this is the only appearance of the character and that may very well have been because of how much the world of the cracker jack Huntsman named Ballard is a lot like that of the dystopian sci-fi thriller Logan's Run. Citizens who must die at age 35, bounty hunters stalking 'defiers', those who wish to extend their lives by escaping into the wilderness and there's even a floating arena where winners who make it to the victory ring atop the domed ceiling can live longer lives in luxury. I wonder if Marvel got a cease and desist order from 20th Century Fox for copyright infringement. 

Upon further research, it turns out that I was right. Only in reverse. In 1975-76, Marvel Comics had the rights to produce a comic book based on the film starring Michael York. Only, the House of Ideas had the rights to adapt the film, which they did as a 5-parter. When Fox learned that Marvel was continuing on with new adventures, the studio made them stop. Issue #7 was the last issue, which supposedly ends with a never resolved cliffhanger. 

'Huntsman' was a story that was going to run in a future issue of Logan's Run. But due to the sudden cancellation resulted in the project getting shelved. Never one to let paid work sit unpublished, Goodwin and Golden made some adjustments to the story; enough to satisfy legal and the forgotten story finally saw print several years later in 1981.

It must of been Assistant Editor's Month at Marvel because two of Goodwin's assistants supplied a story for this issue. Mary Jo Duffy and Wendy Pini place the Inhuman Triton in an ecological heavy adventure involving a wrecked oil tanker and modern day pirates.

If you've been paying attention to this review, you'll remember I said that this book contains 3 debuts. Lastly, Steve Skeates and Steve Smallwood introduced a rather odd little fellow named Bucky Bizarre. In his premiere, this guy is a time traveler who winds up in the 1950s, where non-conformity is a thing to be mocked and berated. Bucky tries to help a living garbage heap that came alive because of pollution and nuclear water only to set up the punchline to a really awful plotline. 

I'm really torn about this issue. Having the Elektra story makes it sorta valuable. Only I don't really have room nor a bag and board for a magazine sized book. I think the materials to keep it pristine and clean are more important than having a place to keep it. If I could get it, that would be great.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Deep #1; A Marvel Movie Special (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Fresh off the success of Stephen Spielberg's Jaws, studios rushed to secure the movie rights to more works by Peter Benchley. There was just one problem. Benchley didn't have anything else in his repertoire yet. Jaws was the author's first and only book. 

The author did have an idea floating around in his head for a new book. Based on the wrecking of the American naval ship, the USS Constellation sinking atop a Civil War vessel, Benchley crafted a story that combined elements of illegal drug smuggling with treasure hunting. Benchley soon began working on The Deep after the success of Jaws. Immediately afterwards, Columbia Pictures secured the rights to the book, despite not being published yet. 

Benchley worked with screenwriter Tracy Keenan Wynn, fleshing out the screenplay while working on the finished manuscript. The Deep is about a couple who stumble upon a shipwreck off the coast of Bermuda that is not listed on any maps. Because of explosives aboard the USS Goliath that was sunk during a squaw in the 1940s, the wreck has been declared off limits. As the divers also find an 18th Century medallion, it appears that a legendary shipwreck containing a fabled assortment of jewels and gold has been uncovered due to a recent storm surge.

Treasure hunter Romer Treece, hopes to go back to the wreckage to uncover more Spanish treasure in which the provenance would be worth the price of the booty times 10! Island gangster Cloche, wants the countless ampules of morphine said to rest in the hold of the Goliath. With a street value of over $3 million dollars, Cloche hopes to become a wealthy man and forces the trio of divers to recover the drugs from the wreckage in 3 days or else! Now Treece must secretly recover the Spanish treasure while recovering the morphine or else Cloche will end up with everything in his greedy grasp.

 In 1976, The Deep debuted in bookstores, a minor success, not quite on par with Jaws. A year later, the film debuted in theaters. It earned over $100 worldwide and would have been the 7th highest grossing movie of 1977 if not for a little film called Star Wars taking the world by storm.

The Deep starred Robert Shaw, fresh from playing the expert shark hunter Quint in Jaws, Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset. Shaw's character of Treece was based on renowned deep sea explorer, Teddy Tucker who gave Peter Benchley the inspiration about the overlapping shipwrecks. Tucker has a small cameo role as the Harbor Master. Benchley also cameos in a scene set during the Goliath's floundering but was ultimately cut from the final print. Young, handsome Nick Nolte adds some rugged gravitas to the film. An assortment of underwater monsters and action never before seen on screen added to the excitement behind the film. But it was a marketing campaign featuring Jacqueline Bisset that was perhaps the film's biggest draw.

During a key underwater scene, Bisset wears only a white T-shirt and black g-string. Someone on the production team snagged a photo of Bisset in her underwater and the image was used in gentlemen's magazines to advertise The Deep. Plans were in the works were produce a poster of the image. It perhaps would have rivaled the red bikini shot of Farrah Fawcett, but Bisset was successful in preventing the sale of the unauthorized image.

With the ban of the poster, Marvel's 48-page comic adaptation is one of the few authorized officially licensed tie-ins to the film. In fact, with exception of a tie-in print of the novel complete with full color photos from the movie and a LP album featuring music by compose John Barry, this is the only licensed product that can be found that was released the year of the film's debut.

The comic tie-in, printed under the 'Marvel Movie Special' banner was penned by Doug Moench. Carmine Infantino provided the pencils with inks by Sonny Trinidad.

Completing this review completes Task #8 (Published the Year You Were Born) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Marvel Comics Presents #26

This issue introduces a new character to Marvel Comics. Coldblood- a sort of low-budget Deathlok with a talking car instead of a computer chip Jiminy Cricket inside the ole noggin. When Lt. Col. Eric Savin discovers that the military project he's been assigned to is a front for embezzlement and funding enemy nations, the solider is killed in a landmine accident. 

Savin awakens in the future with a new cybernetic eye, replaced limbs and the designation of Coldblood-7. Unable to remember what happened to him, he's given a clue to search out a mysterious woman who will answer all of his questions. But first Coldblood will have to stave off a futuristic looking array of tanks and helicopters that are all out to destroy him!

If you noticed similarities to Deathlok like I did, there's a very good reason. Dealthlok co-creator Doug Moench also was one of the creators of Coldblood. Even though I felt like I had read this before, there was enough differences in story and tone to make me want to read more of this character's story. 

As for the other stories in this issue. Black Panther is stagnant. He's still fighting the same battle for what is 2-3 issues now. (Why is this story so long and boring???) 

The Havok story isn't any better. It's got some kind of ancient Egyptian cult involved. And I don't care what anybody says, Egyptian cults are just boring. You have mummies and deities with animal heads. I get it. It's been done- to death!

The last story- a one-shot- intrigued me. It's got the Hulk taking on the persona of a Vegas enforcer called Mr. Fixit and the blue people of Atlantis. Someone thinks it's a good idea to pit a Hulk robot against Mr. Fixit. Only, Misses Banner's little boy ain't having it and he tears the android to pieces. Ironically, Fixit never learns that it's the Atlanteans who are behind the attack.

2 out of 4 stories were rather good. 2 stories were massive stinkers. At least it's not a political pity party as in issues past. I can see why Marvel went bankrupt and almost went under during this period of time. 

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Deathlok The Demolisher!: The Complete Collection

Deathlok the Demolisher is one of those aesthetically pleasing characters to me. I've been in love with his design since I was first made aware of the character in 1990, thanks to that amazing trading card set known as Marvel Universe. 

But aside from those couple of cards, my love and knowledge for the character really stalled out. I stopped reading comics for a while and then when I resumes, I just forgot Deathlok existed. That was until I found a copy of this book for very cheap at Ollie's. 

The story of Deathlok ironically begins in 1990. America has split into warring territories due to a nuclear war. In what was Detroit Michigan, solider Luther Manning is killed in combat. Only, Manning doesn't go to Heaven or Hell. Instead, Manning is in purgatory; reanimated into a cyborg killing machine called Deathlok. Aided by an internal CPU, Manning breaks free of his programming and seeks revenge on the men who turned him into a mechanical member of the walking dead. 

Deathlok's story will take the character back and forth through time meeting such mainstays of the Marvel Universe such as The Thing, Nick Fury, Spider-Man and Captain America. This collection contains all of the main Deathlok stories told by co-creator's Rich Buckler (Fantastic Four), Doug Moench (Moon Knight) and Bill Mantlo (ROM: Spaceknight). Created in 1974, as Deathlok got closer to 1990, his origin evolved. I'm very glad that Marvel decided to keep all of this in one volume because I think if I had to wait several months to read this in between volumes, I would have gotten really lost. 

Not only does this collection help me fall further in love with Deathlok; it also helps with my wish list. Issues from the second Astonishing Tales series along with chapters from Marvel Team-UP, Marvel Two-In-One and many more are included. Even if I was to have paid the full cover price of $39.99, I would have saved so much cash thanks to the inclusion of those pricey extra issues. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Tales of the Batman: J.H. Williams III

A couple of years ago, the bargain discount store Ollie's was the place for comic collectors! DC Comics unloaded a very large chunk of their graphic novel overstock. $50 dollar books were now selling for less than $10. And that's how I came across this collection!

This volume of Tales of the Batman is over 400 pages long. Inside, you'll meet Batman's earliest attempts at a Batman family, participate in the reunion of the Batmen of All Nations, and creep around the darkest corners of Arkham Asylum. There's also a great multi-issue arc involving the Clayfaces, The Dark Knight and DEO agent Cameron Chase. 

If you are a fan of Grant Morrison, Dough Moench and especially Kelley Jones, this is the collection for you! 

Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be able to get any of the companion pieces in this collection. The inside cover touts anthologies featuring Carmine Infantino, Gene Colan, Jim Aparo and Archie Goodwin. I never saw those at Ollie's and I don't see DC doing such a massive unload of books again any time soon. But it doesn't mean that I don't long to own them. $50 is just too beyond my price range.

A wonderful collection of Batman stories. Featuring both the artwork and writing of J.H. Williams III. It's all of his stories up to 2014. This is a creator with his finger firmly on the pulse of the Batman corner of the DC Universe!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Big Book of the Unexplained

Of the several editions of Big Books that I am reading during social distancing, The Big Book of the Unexplained was the one I was looking forward to the most. And it was the most disappointing. 

Written by the creator of Deathlok, Doug Moench, I was really excited to read this collection of accounts of the strange and unknown. I love UFOs, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and all that paranormal stuff that has us stymied. I'm the type of person that feels that there's got to big a hint of truth to these accounts. They may not be what we think they are or happened how we might recall the events occurred. But I am sure a lot of it was real events.

The host of this book is Charles Fort, a research of the paranormal and macabre around the turn of the 20th century. Had I not read within the past year or so a book about the Fortean Times, I probably wouldn't have any idea who he was. But I did and I appreciated his appearances throughout the book. Well, at first.

However, Moench keeps having Charles Fort talking about this cosmic trickster. And he keeps getting all whimsical and philosophical about this being. Maybe he's talking about God or gods. But that's beside the point. Moench devotes a lot of his time to this powerful being instead of focusing on what I was hoping for- lots and lots of accounts of the unexplained. 

While I appreciate the use of a narrator or host, they haven't seemed to really work in the Big Books. The 70s book had a host and it was the weakest part of that entire volume. I feel the same about Fort here. But unlike in the 70s book where the host was only at the beginning of each chapter, Charles Fort is at the beginning and ending of each section. Rod Sterling or even Jack Palance, he is not!

When it focuses on the unusual, it's good. But it goes off on tangents a lot!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.