Batman/Deadpool #1

The Dark Knight meets the Merc with a Mouth. 

This should have been the event of the year. If this had occurred 30 years ago, it would have made the front cover of Wizard Magazine, Entertainment Weekly and a host of other publications that have gone the way of the dodo. Even 20 years ago, such a cross company crossover would have made the news.

But it's 2025. There's so much media out there, this epic introduction was barely a blip on the radar. Still, getting the stars of the DC and Marvel universes together again for the first time in over 20 years was a crossover that established fans have been clamoring over for a very long time!

I must admit, I forgot about this one-shot happening. Earlier this year when the announcement was made, I promptly emailed my favorite comic shop and ordered a copy. I then put a pic of Batman and Deadpool together- officially!- on my Facebook pic. Then as time elapsed, I just forgot about it until I saw on a comic book website that the time had come. And yet, despite having been really excited about the meet-up, it was another week until I picked up my copy!

While Batman meeting Deadpool is the primary selling point of this book, there are several other crossovers contained in this Marvel published giant. After Deadpool is brought over from his universe to the DC one by a mysterious benefactor who hires the mercenary to off the Bat;  Wonder Woman and Captain America reflect on their past history which sees the DC and Marvel universes cohabitating as one. Then Daredevil and Green Arrow bump into each other in a story penned by Kevin Smith, who helmed classics starring the two characters. The Dark Knight Returns Batman and the Old Man Logan Wolverine are given the same treatment by an artist/writer who knows the pair rather intimately: Frank Miller! Then we get a tease that the Amalgam Universe could be alive and well with the introduction of Logo: a hybrid of Czarnian bounty hunter Lobo and the mutant Wolverine. 

Every story but 1 was great. Woman Woman with her World War II introduction to the world was the perfect team-up pairing with Captain America. Princess Diana must have a thing for Army men named Steve. Having Kevin Smith bring the Man Without Fear and the Emerald Archer together was another brilliant idea. And could it be true that we're going to be returning to the Amalgam Universe? Please say it's so! But man, has things fallen off for Frank Miller...

The artwork was primitive. But I can't really fault that. Arthritis and age have reduced many an artistic talent in the comic book industry to far cries of their glory years. But the dialogue for this piece. It was chopped full of cliches. It was such a jumbled mess. I didn't know what was happening nor what the hell either character was trying to say. 

Oh! And how could I forget that adorable play date between Krypto and Jeff, the Land Shark! Plus I loved the cultural exchange program between the Guardians of Oa and the Guardians of the Galaxy! Having Rocket Raccoon as a Green Lantern was hilarious. That adventure was way too short.

There was only one missed opportunity. No Deadpool meets Deathstroke. No Deadpool meeting Harley Quinn. Okay. That was 2 missed opportunities 

Thankfully, the DC/Marvel fun doesn't have to end just yet. In November, Batman and Deadpool will intermingle once more in a one-shot published by DC. Grant Morrison is set to pen it. Hopefully, Wade Wilson will meet Slade Wilson and Harleen Quinzel. Regardless, it should be epic. I can't wait. And hopefully, I won't forget about it this time!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Flash #300 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Barry Allen awakens in a mental institution. Completely paralyzed and wrapped in bandages, Allen is greeted by noted psychiatrist Dr. Petrou and the doctor claims to know the truth behind Barry Allen's role as the Flash. Instead of becoming super fast when Allen was dosed in chemicals when struck by lightning in his police lab, Dr. Petrou states that the elements badly scarred his entire body and left him a quadriplegic. Languishing in agony in his hospital bed, Barry took inspiration from his childhood love of the Golden Age comic book hero, the Flash and created a fantasy world as this world's fastest man alive.

Barry refuses to believe Dr. Petrou. Using his scientific mind, Allen goes through the Flash's Rogues Gallery in hopes of detecting who placed him in his current predicament. However as family and friends, including the Green Lantern and Ralph Dibny, stop by to visit Barry in hopes of curing his delusions, Allen begins to face the very real possibility that all that Flash stuff is really just in his head.

This 25th anniversary issue plots a very intriguing mystery while providing detailed snapshots of the history of the Flash. It was everything this author could do to not skip to the end to find out who was behind Barry's incapacitated state. It was even more difficult because book-ending the inside covers of this issue was a 2-page analyst of some of the Flash's most unusual transformations by noted cartoonist and comic book historian Fred Hembeck. As the mastermind of this plot is revealed on the very last page of this double-sided issue, if you go to read the 2nd page of Hembeck's 'Flash-Grams', you'd likely spoil the ending!

From 1981, just about every major Flash villain is examined, along with Barry Allen's extensive family as well as the Flash's history with his friends in the Justice League. Issue #300 was written by Cary Bates who was a primary writer for The Flash at the time and infamously recently responsible for the death of Iris West Allen at the hands of the Reverse Flash. 

The main artist was Barry Allen co-creator Carmine Infantino. He was assisted by Bob Smith. The artwork is so seamless, you really cannot tell where Smith's handiwork begins and Infantino 's ends. According to the DC Database Wiki, Bob Smith is attributed as the inker despite no inker role being listed in the credits of this issue.

A rarity in comics. No ads at all! Just 100% Flash fun and action at lightning speed. Just one little problem, during the entire charade, Barry Allen accidentally revealed to the villain that Hal Jordan was the Green Lantern. Did anything ever come of that?

Completing this review completes Task #19 (written or illustrated by Carmine Infantino) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #25

The Mystery Inc. gang arrive at a small town hippie community for their next case. The ghosts of the parents of the town founders have arrived and their trying to guilt these social misfits to give up their dreams of peace and unity and join the real world. Thanks to the addition of the emerald avengers, Green Lantern and Green Arrow, Scooby and friends solve this mystery pretty kick. Only when everyone in town suddenly begins fighting with each other, there's another mystery to be solved.

A beautiful tribute to Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams' 'Hard Travelling Heroes' storyline that not only saw Archer and Ringbearer joining forces in search for the soul of America, but introduced the era of relevant comics in the early 1970s. The Guardian Appa Ali Apsa, who traveled with Green Lantern and Green Lantern, doesn't appear in this story. But we do get a cameo from a fellow Justice Leaguer who partook in some legs of the two green hued heroes' cross country travels. 

Another masterful triumph by Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela with 2 mysteries in 1 book! As glad as I am that DC has kept things going with it's 3 limited Batman and Scooby-Doo! Mysteries series, I really want DC to get back to pairing those meddling kids with the full A-Z lineup of the DC Universe. I miss Scooby-Doo Team-Up and I think it's time to bring it back!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

All-American Comics #16 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The 16th issue of All-American Comics marked the debut of the Alan Scott Green Lantern. Created by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger, Alan Scott was an engineer who was overseeing the inaugural voyage of a new train route he designed. The owner of a rival engineering firm bombs the train, killing all aboard except for Scott. Searching for survivors through the wreckage, Scott stumbles across an unusual green hued lantern. 

Scott learns from the lantern that it was forged centuries ago from a meteorite that fell in China. Over the years, the lantern changed hands, blessing its owners with an array of miracles. The lantern promises Alan Scott unimaginable powers should he make a ring from the lantern. If Scott touches the ring daily, he'll be given protection and ability to master the elements of the universe. Except for wood, which Scott learns is the Ring's only weakness, the only other limitation for the ring is the wearer's imagination. 

As the story progresses, Alan finds the man behind the railroad tragedy. The fiend confesses. But in his panic, has a heart attack which prompts Alan Scott to not use his powers for revenge or selfish gains. Donning a wild costume made of a red tunic, green pants, a yellow cape and a domino mask in order to strike fear in the hearts of villains, Alan Scott becomes the Green Lantern!

Along with the first appearance of the Green Lantern, this issue marks the debut of the title's new logo. The first logo that looked more like a highway route marker shield. It's replacement was a banner that used stylized art deco lettering. If the font looks familiar, that's because it's just like the lettering used for National Publication's (later DC Comics) flagship title, Action Comics. There's only one problem with this; All-American Comics was owned by rival publisher All-American Publications. Green Lantern and friends such as the Flash, Wonder Woman and Hawkman would join the ranks of Superman and Batman when National bought out All-American in 1946.

All-American Comics was an anthology series that utilized reprinted newspaper strips with all- features. Ripley's Believe It Or Not and Bud Fisher's Mutt and Jeff were some popular strips that appeared in All-American Comics. 

New material that appears in the pages of All-American Comics included the child cartoonist Scribbly. Created by Sheldon Mayer, Scribbly would later introduce the character of the Red Tornado who wasn't an android but a hefty stay at home mom who wore red Long Johns and a stew pot on her head when she fought the bad guys. Don Shelby's futuristic Gary Concord: The Ultra-Man fought off mad scientists, alien menaces and fawning good girls in distress. The Navy's secret weapons of soldiers Red, White and Blue are tasked with a mission to find spies operating under the cover of international maritime law. 

In the very middle of this issue was a segment sponsored by frozen confectioner Popsicle. The company unveiled a redemption program for it's customers where fun prizes could be redeemed for the paper bags that acted as wrappers for the frozen treats. Stamps from around the world were highlighted in the campaign. An advertising feature starring the character of Popsicle Pete extends into the world of the philatelist. The center story sees Popsicle Pete and his buddies going into the stamp collecting supply business after they buy a rare stamp for a very good price.

The 2023 facsimile edition of All-American Comics #16 was a time capsule of cartoons, swashbuckling heroes, retro advertisements and the cultural norms of the day. Originally published in 1940, the war in Europe looms in some of these adventures that are peppered with spies and European monarchs looking to destroy America from within. This issue's Scribbly feature wears evidence of racism with a black horse trainer looking more like a brown teddy bear than a human being. There are also elements of misogyny with the manly heroes berating and even manhandling their fairer sexed costars.

In spite of these archaic tropes, I applaud DC Comics for not editing a work such as this. Keeping the good with the bad and the ugly shows how far we've come from a pre-war US of A. Hopefully younger generations will still be able to appreciate the quality of these works while identifying what societal missteps are still in need of fixing.

Completing this review completes Task #41 (A Facsimile Edition) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Super Powers #3 (2nd Series)

Thanks to Darkseid's plan to turn planet Earth into a new Apokolips, the secret of the giant statues on Easter Island has finally been revealed! 

It's been nearly 40 years since this issue was released. So I don't think I'm really spoiling anything. Turns out these statues are actually petrified aliens. 

Okay. But how did they get there?

In the present day, Wonder Woman, Dr. Fate and Green Lantern are tasked with destroying Darkseid's doom seed which is situated on the tropical Pacific isle. Guarding the pod is the energy vampire Mantis. When one of the heroes touches the seed, which has already begun germinating, it sends everyone to the past where they encounter an alien invasion force. 

If you ask me, these aliens look familiar. VERY familiar. Anyone remember the Stone Men from Saturn? Those extraterrestrial foes that Thor battles in his debut in 1962's Journey Into Mystery #83. That's who those giants on Easter Island look like! I wonder if Jack Kirby was inspired by those stone monoliths when he penciled JiM #83. In a meta twist, could the King's Saturn monsters have inspired his Easter Island aliens? If I ever got the chance to go back in time to meet Kirby, this might be the one question I ask him. 

If anybody reading this review can confirm such, please leave a message in the comment section! I'm dying to know more about the design of this issue's aliens. 

Another fun issue in the true Jack Kirby style in the time honored Justice League of America formula.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #4

The Amazons may have been defeated. But Brainiac isn't done yet! With his de-evolutionizing abilities given to him by warriors from Apokolips, the android villain uses it on Superman, turning him into the Caveman of Steel! 

Most of this issue is the Justice League trying to contain Superman and failing miserably. Green Lantern's power ring allows Superman to return to normal. However, the Kryptonian has to stay inside GL's force field or he returns to his primal self. Still, with this small hindrance, the now complete forces of Super Powers characters, minus Robin who is on patrol duty in the JLA satellite, looks to give Brainiac the beating he so richly deserves. 

AND THEN DARKSEID ARRIVES! 

With how Kirby has set the players on the board and the fact that he's not just plotting the story in issue #5, but also writing and drawing the whole shebang, I can't wait to see what is in store for the finale!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 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.

Secret Origins: Collecting All Eight Mini-Comics Included With Leaf Candies

Trident Studios triumphs again. After presenting fans with a pair of beautiful collections of the Super Powers mini comics that came with waves I and II of Kenner's awesome action figures, there are more minis for fans! This set contains the 8 mini comics that were packaged with Leaf Tart n' Tangy Comicbook Candy!

There were 8 mini comics in the Leaf candy line that was released in 1980. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Flash and Hawkman's secret origins were examined. Book #8 reports on the creation of the world's greatest super hero team, the Justice League of America! 

The quality of these reprints are absolutely stunning. Vibrantly colored and as crystal clear as possible, based on the fact that the originals used for this book are over 40 years old! Once again, due to publishing and binding requirements, the reprints are 20% bigger than the original minis. Generally, when you increase the size of an image, it gets all smudgy and pixelated. The necessary enlargements have no evidence of poor quality here!

The only real crime of this volume is something that is more Leaf or DC's fault. In fact, I don't think you can blame any of my single grip on Trident Studios. The sole qualm I have is that whomever were the geniuses behind the writing and artwork of these mini comics appear to be lost in time. 

While Trident Studios does provide credit to the creators of all 8 stars of this book, along with notes to their first appearances, that's all the reader gets. When it came to this type of promotional work, DC and other comic book publishers didn't give writer and artist credits. From what I see, I think Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Gil Kane were probably some of the artists of these books. But I'm not 100% sure and I am glad that Trident Studios didn't try to make any sort of assumptions either.

Just as I thought that was it from Trident Studios, I received another surprise. Trident has a 3-volume set that collects all of the DC mini comics released by Post cereals from the late 70s. Will I be getting my hands on those? You betcha! Stay tuned!

As for this book and the Secret Powers collections, fans can find them on Etsy. Just be sure to look for the creator under 1 single word, without spaces: TridentStudios.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Green Lantern #36

Hal Jordan rejoins his brothers to celebrate Christmas. 

Wait a minute! I thought Hal Jordan was Jewish! In 2016, it was revealed that Hal's dad was Catholic and mom was Jewish. This issue took place in 1993. So technically, when Hal was converted in the pages of Justice League: The Darkseid War: Green Lantern #1, nothing altered the possibility that the Jordan family could have celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah. It's possible that that year's Festival of Lights had ended days prior and so when Hal was able to come home, it was for Christmas festivities only. 

This issue has a lot of other things going on that I wasn't really aware of. For one thing, Doctor Light had at one point died and as a sort of passive aggressive punishment, was turned into a wave of light by a demon. Then for some reason, Hal Jordan no longer works for Ferris Air and has become a taxi pilot. Now Hal has always been flighty when it comes to working at Ferris as he keeps leaving and returning. But now Carol Ferris is no longer with the company and is instead working for Hal's small business. That sort of career move doesn't make any sense to me. Obviously, a lot transpired in the issues prior. 

That's a real problem with holiday issues that occur in the pages of a regular non-humor series. There always seems to be a lot of talk about past problems that had transpired in the last couple of issues. And if you aren't a regular reader of those books, you're often in the dark trying to understand what happened. 

This sort of thing doesn't deter me from wanting to own holiday themed comics. But it does move me to lower my rating as I feel that books that take place during Christmas, Halloween or even St. Swithin's Day, should be self-contained because these type of issues have generally been the introductory pieces for comic collectors. I can't tell you the number of posts I see on social media of fans pointing to a holiday themed book being what got them into reading and collecting comics. Sure, this issue is nearly 30 years old and there's nothing that can be done to fix it. However, this is definitely a lesson that all comic book publishers should learn from going forward.

Festive. Adventuresome. But full of drama that really doesn't help move the story along very much without confusing the casual reader.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

JSA Classified #32

Thanksgiving reads, Day 4. 

It's Turkey Day and members of the JSA have agreed to host a float for the yearly parade. But when a mysterious pink dust falls upon the parade goers, the heroes go on high alert. They go from threat level yellow to screaming fireball red when JSA arch-enemy Solomon Grundy suddenly appears on the scene. 

He wasn't scheduled to attend! Was he?

The backstory of this issue involves the Alan Scott Green Lantern. This time of year brings up the painful loss of his daughter- the Infinity Inc. heavy hitter, Jade. 

I mention this plot because it ties into the cliffhanger. Normally, I would be upset to have a issue end on a cliffhanger. Especially if I'm not able to read the next issue. But when I bought this book in anticipation for my T-Day readings, I saw that #33 was Christmas themed. I took a leap of faith on this since I knew at some point I was going want the yule tide book as well. It paid off!

But what do I do now? I don't read Christmas stories until it turns December 1st. That's only 10 days away...  Maybe as a special treat I'll read this as a sort of Black Friday reward for myself.

A very good story that made me feel like I was at the Macy's parade or something. But just how old are the Society members? They fought in World War II. This issue was published in 2003. How the heck are 3 elderly heroes probably in their 70s or 80s fighting like they are in peak physical condition? Guess I'll need to research that puzzle as it's the only thing that really kept me from connecting with this great holiday issue.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Green Lantern: Legacy (Family Comic Friday)

I'm pulling from my massive to-read pile for today's post. Join Family Comic Friday as we meet the newest member of the GL Corps in Minh Le's Green Lantern: Legacy!

Green Lantern: Legacy TP
Written by Minh Le
Art by Andie Tong
Published by DC Graphic Novels for Kids
Pages: 143
Retail: $9.99

When a legendary member of the Green Lantern Corps passes away, the ring is transferred to her grandson: 13-year old Tai. That's right- this replacement is only 13! Does a child barely in his teens have what it takes to become the next great protector of sector 2814? The ring clearly thinks so and thus the youngest member ever admitted into the Corps begins his training.

But Tai's tenure as a Green Lantern may not last for long when he is confronted by a member of Sinestro's Yellow Lantern Corps. Suffering from years of persecution as a second generation Vietnamese immigrant, Tai is tempted by the villain's yellow ring to enact the revenge and justice he and the members of his community have so desperately yearned for. Will Tai succumb to his dark side?

Green Lantern: Legacy was a pleasant surprise. I was afraid that this new Lantern might be a complete reboot of the GL franchise and have done away with over 50 years of classic characters. If you have similar apprehensions, fret not! Many of your favorite Green Lantern characters are here including Jon Stewart and Kilowog.

I'm not sure where Hal Jordan is however. Hal nowhere to be seen or mentioned in this graphic novel. According to the book, Tai's grandmother was the Green Lantern who trained Jon Stewart. Could Legacy be an Elseworld-type story in which the ring selects merchant Kim Tran instead of test pilot Jordan? Or is this story another untold chapter of the DC Universe?

I really hope the answer is yes to the second question. I would like to see Tai added to the Green Lantern roster full-time. I know that there seems to be a disproportionate number of humans in their ranks. But hey--- What's one more great character???

This is award-winning author Minh Le's (Drawn Together) first foray into the DC Universe. And I hope he becomes a permanent fixture, just as I hope to see more of Tai Tran! Le's characters are very real. The kids sounds like kids. The villains are creepy. And while there's a very socially relevant plot behind this origin story, this isn't preachy. What Legacy does is make you think, love and empathize. 

I also enjoyed the artwork by Andie Tong (Star Wars). Its not exactly very clean. But it's a great mix of American, Asian and intergalactic cultures. Sometimes, I forgot who was behind the art as many panels look a lot like that of Battling Boy's Paul Pope. But that's not an insult as I really like Pope's artwork. It just means that I am adding Andie Tong to my list of artists to be on the lookout for more from!

Together Le and Tong created a flawless new member of the Green Lantern Corps. Tai's Yellow Lantern adversary is pretty good too. In a rotten sort of way! But I kinda wish that the creative team had done a slightly better job at hiding the Easter eggs that reveal who Tai's arch-enemy is. I hate to say it, but I knew who was going to be trouble for Tai and friends from the antagonist's very first introduced panel. And no! It's wasn't just my instincts kicking in. The evidence is there- clear as day and yet a little bit of a spoiler. 

Green Lantern: Legacy is a graphic novel perfect for readers 10 and up. There's a some fighting. But it's mostly the scenes of domestic terror and racism that may be a bit too intense for younger readers. This definitely is a graphic novel that promises to entertainment. But it's also a work that very well might be a helpful tool in addressing race and xenophobia to young readers.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold

Collecting the six-issue miniseries from 1999-2000, this volume recounts the long and complicated friendship between the Barry Allen Flash and the Hal Jordan Green Lantern.

This is a friendship that on paper shouldn't really be. Barry is a nerd, nebbish and sorta a prude. Plus he's a family man, married to Iris West and surrogate father to Wally. Hal is a playboy, a loner, a rebel. He's devoted to Carol Ferris but he plays the field quite a bit. The closet he has to a family is a pair of brothers that he only sees maybe for Thanksgiving and Christmas if lucky.

Clearly this friendship is proof that opposites attract. 

This book is beautifully illustrated by A.D. 2000's Barry Kitson and Tom Grindberg. It's topped off by the epic storytelling of Mark Waid (Daredevil) and Tom Peyer (Batman '66). 

Just as with the history of these two characters, there's highs and lows. I thought the entire book was great. But I hated seeing how both characters were affected by loss and tragedy. Both Hal and Barry have gone through some really crappy stuff in their nearly 70 some years of existence. 

The best chapter has Barry and Hal going on an intergalactic camping trip with their Earth-2 predecessors Jay Garrick and Alan Scott. It's very funny seeing the generation gap between Jordan and Scott and how much Barry and Jay are like mirror images of each other.

A great book that is a must for any fan of the Silver Age Flash and Green Lantern! But be sure to read with tissues nearby.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Super-Stars Giant (Presents... Strange Sports) #10

As a kid, a favorite of mine was this DC Blue Ribbon Digest filled with strange stories set in the world of sports. I've forgotten the number of but the contents have never left me. In it, a boxer was forced to spar with cement gloves, a hockey match set by a waterfall became a death match, and a basketball team faced off against a group of athletes without faces.

But the story that interested me the most in that book was the cover story of this very issue. A baseball game between heroes and villains! Batman, Joker, Lex Luthor, Green Arrow, Amazo- all of your favorite heroes were there.

The game started as the result of a domestic dispute between Sportsmaster and his wife Huntress (not the superhero who later becomes a Bird of Prey, but the leopard-print wearing villainess.) Anyways, Huntress wants to go straight but her hubby won't have it. So the pair recruit teams of heroes and baddies to play a round of baseball to decide her fate.

This was a very odd story. There's been tales of good guys and their arch- enemies using athletics to decide the outcome of some skirmish, such as the Green Lantern reprint in the back of this issue. But usually one side or the other is reluctant to play or they cheat like crazy.

Here everybody is willing to participate in America's past time and the baddies seem to really be enjoying themselves. It's rather odd that nobody, even the Man of Steel, uses their powers or bag of tricks until  the last inning. In the ninth, it's no holds barred! What's even odder is in the last inning, it's the heroes who win by cheating- not the bad guys!

This story is a classic example of the sort of stories editor Julius Schwartz was noted for. Unusual, off-the-wall but thrilling and fun as well as original! Above all, the story had to be original with Julie! I love it.

There's also a story that I've read somewhere before but have forgotten when and where I've done so. It's a Gil Kane story in which a human track and field coach meets a bunch of alien athletes. Unfamiliar with the gravity on earth, the aliens need the coach's help if they are to win their upcoming track meet. Another odd story but quite enjoyable and ORIGINAL!

That must mean it's another Schwartz helmed masterpiece.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Green Lantern/Space Ghost Special #1

 Both Hal Jordan and Space Ghost answers a distress call from a planet besieged by a mysterious entity that can destroy planets. In typical (but very awesome) crossover fashion, both Green Lantern and Space Ghost believe that the other is the dangerous foe. When the true enemy is revealed, Jordan is now in possession of Space Ghost's battle bracelets whereas Space Ghost is the newest Green Lantern in the sector! It's an dynamic buddy-cop team-up full of excitement and childhood dreams come true!

The story was very good but the art and colors by Ariel Olivetti was just amazing. I'm a big fan of Alex Ross and his realistic painting style. Olivetti boasts similar skills but his style has a more 1940s pulp action feel to it. It's freakin' awesome stuff.

The secondary feature star a pair of Hanna-Barbera characters that I have never heard of. It's a cat and dog duo called Ruff n' Ready. In this story, both are down-on-their luck comedians that just can't find the right partner until one fateful day the two happen to pull up a seat next to each other an a local bar and comedic history is made. 

This Howard Chaykin penned story promises more of Ruff n' Ready in the future. Somehow I doubt it. This tale, while an interesting take on how comedy duos are formed, just didn't feel to me something that's going to spawn a future mini-series. I might be wrong but I doubt it as I really felt that the Jetsons back-up in Booster Gold/The Flintstones was going to become a series and in November, my instincts will be proven right. With Ruff n' Ready, I don't have that same vibe.

This crossover special overall was enjoyable. But the title feature of Green Lantern/ Space Ghost is really what carries this book. Just because I rate this book lower because of the back-up feature doesn't mean that this special isn't Worth Consuming- it really is!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

DC Universe Decisions #2

  After Green Arrow's impromptu endorsement of a presidential candidate, things come to a head between Ollie Queen and Hal Jordan.
   Meanwhile, as more candidates become targets of the mysterious bomber, even more superheroes go on the record for who they are endorsing for President. It seems that the only two heroes willing to stay impartial are Batman and Superman. But how do you explain the breaking news that a dark horse candidate has just picked up the support of Gotham City's favorite son, Bruce Wayne?
    The political intrigue takes a back seat to bickering and great sound bits of humor. But that's okay, I really did enjoy this chapter. Especially the twist of having Bruce Wayne endorse a candidate after just a couple of pages earlier Batman promises Superman that he'll not stoop to Green Arrow's level and play pundit.
   Is there going to be a major fight between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel? I don't know, but the implications would be epic.
   
   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Time Masters: Vanishing Point

If you read Bruce Wayne: The Road Home, you'll see Booster Gold, Superman, Green Lantern, and the lesser known Rip Hunter, Time Master following the Caped Crusader as he is displaced through time. You might think that’s the extent of their journey, but you’d be very wrong.

Time Masters: Vanishing Point is the other side of the story. Along with trying to find Batman, this volume gives us Rip Hunter’s origin, plus Booster Gold’s ancestor in guise as Supernova must prevent several time distorted villains from claiming mastery over time itself.

The Road Home isn't the only storyline that will make you want to read this story. Many of the events of this miniseries lead directly into Flashpoint and Issues 40-45 of Booster Gold. I had actually read this story a while back but I've been sitting on this review until it came time to read Flashpoint. Since I am almost done with Flashpoint, this seemed as good a time as any to post it.

A fantastic story that’s a little confusing, but mostly because of the twists and turns and rules of time travel. Thankfully, just about every plot loop is completed by journeys end and it makes for an enjoyable read.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Flashpoint: Abin Sur- The Green Lantern #1

  You would think that with a title like Abin Sur: The Green Lantern, that would mean that the Lantern who preceded Hal Jordan ( in the Pre-Flashpoint universe) is the only member of the Green Lantern Corps. Alas, this is not the case. Instead, due to inaction on the part of the Guardians, Abin Sur has become withdrawn from his fellow Corpsmen. Abin Sur blames the Guardians for the death of his beloved sister and has become a loose cannon, often making the rules up as he sees fit and just. Sinestro sees this and hopes to make Abin can ally when the conniving Thaal makes his move to overthrow the Guardians.

 Initially, Abin Sur rejects an alliance with Sinestro. But when the Guardians demand that Abin Sur destroy an entire planet in his sector, the gritty Green Lantern may finally side with the conspirators. For the Guardians have ordered Abin Sur to destroy the Earth!
There's a lot of questions that need to be answered in this Flashpoint miniseries tie-in. Why are the Guardians so weak to act in interplanetary conflicts, like the one that killed Abin Sur’s family, but willing to destroy an inhabited planet? Where are the other Corpsmen besides Kilowog and Sinestro? And most importantly where is Hal Jordan and how does he fit into all of this?

A very intriguing issue to a miniseries that hopefully will only get better.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #38

  The Traitor Trilogy ends with what might not have been the most well written or most well-drawn issue- but it sure was one of the most action packed issues ever! The Traitor is looking for revenge at the hands of the Green Lanterns of the past who have bested him over the past 150 years. Happy to oblige, Kyle Raynor, freed from exile on a barren asteroid, uses his power ring to resurrect Hal Jordan, Abin Sur, and Sur's predecessor in titanic fashion.

    The ending was both shocking and awesome. It ends the story on a high note all while paying tribute to previous chapters of this trilogy. But hopefully, this really is the end of the traitor because I think he was at his pinnacle in terms of obsession, powers, and brute strength. To continue on would start to make his appearances in Legends of the DC Universe a little tedious and then he'd start to wear out his welcome. Though I wouldn't mind seeing more of the Kyle Raynor GL in not only this book but his own title as well.

   Am I starting to become interested in reading and/ or collecting the books that chronicle his run as the Lantern? Only time will tell, but if this review was a magic 8-ball, it would have to say "outlook good."

   Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #37

   In this trilogy friendly world, I should have seen this coming. The Traitor returns! After being soundly defeated by Abin Sur in the Old West and then by Hal Jordan during the Silver Age, the Traitor is freed from his solar prison and has his sights on revenge.

   As we already established in the previous 4 issues of this series, Hal Jordan is dead. His replacement is Kyle Rayner, who at this point in time is the only Green Lantern in the entire universe, thanks to Jordan's actions as Parallax. For Kyle, the Traitor isn't a legacy he was prepared for and when the villain destroys the only Lantern ring left in existence, the last Green Lantern is left to die on a barren planetoid.

   This issue was a very good opening chapter into the final phase of the Traitor Trilogy. The art was very good and the story itself was excellent. I only hope that the second act is just as good- if not better than this one.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #36

  The 'Destroyer of Worlds' storyline finally comes to an end with Hal reconciling with the Spectre entity and pulling a time-travelling trick that obviously was stolen from the Superman: The Motion Picture playbook. Also, what Hal does is kinda what got him in trouble as Parallax and was what resulted in his need to become the Spectre and find redemption in the first place. Talk about ironic switcharoos.

   This issue did help to clarify why it took so long to make Caul into a full-on bad guy. As I mentioned earlier, his reasons for taking down the Spectre was due to his inherent nature for self-preservation. This made him sympathetic. That was until he also destroyed all of creation after temporarily offing Hal Jordan. 

   In this issue, we learn that being a powerful psychic isn't all it's cracked up to be as hearing everyone's inner most thoughts is enough to drive anyone mad. So, in order to find peace without dying, Caul sought to quiet the voices instead and decimate all humanity.

    This was an exceptional ending to an otherwise hoo-hum story. There's a couple of great cameos and having some of Hal's family members finally realize it had been him trying to make contact with them through the other side was very touching.

   This story ends with a blurb that continues this story in the pages of Spectre #1. Normally, this would tick me off but the ending of the story didn't end on a cliffhanger. Had I have to grab that issue to discover if Hal lived or died from a burning building or something, that would be another story. But this tale was a teaser for the new series much like the old Showcase Presents: created to garner interest without tricking the reader into having to buy another series they otherwise might not have any interest to buy. Man, I miss the old days.

   If this overall story was any indication of the quality of the Hal Jordan Spectre series then I have no interest in collecting it. But if I was to find issue #1 in a dollar bin or grab bag, I would give that series a chance. But it's not something that I will be actively seeking to make a part of my collection at this time.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.