Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

One of the top toys for boys in 1987 was the Captain Power line from Mattel. The idea of being able to basically play laser tag with friends using fighter ships and menacing robots was a dream come true for those of use who would play a similar type game with our X-Wings and TIE Fighters. For those of us who lived in more remote locations, the opportunity to play against a weekly television show was a godsend. If you were really lucky, you could play all the time against the show if you owned one of the 3 VHS recordings of the series. 

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future was a live action/CGI series that aired for 22 episodes from 1987-88. The show was syndicated, meaning that some regions of the country might not have even aired the series. Some of those locations lucky enough to receive the dystopian sci-fi series, like WLFL-22 in Raleigh, NC, Captain Power aired on Sundays at the ungodly hour of 6:30am! 

For my 10th birthday, I received the XF-7 jet for my main present. Along with the toy which was essentially a light gun, came a - inch Captain Power pilot action figure and a training program video cassette. A month later, thousands of boys got their wish opening up similar flyer sets for Christmas. By that time, I had already figured out what a host of kids were about to find out- this toy sucked!

Each episode would have computer generated scenes in which Captain Jonathan Power and his band of human resistance fighters would fight against the evil robotic army lead by a thrift store version of Darth Vader called Lord Dread and the discount Skynet computer system he co-created and mentally fused with, OverMind. Both teams would have areas on their suits and ships that bared a shimmering red or golden light. The idea was during the battles on the TV, you played along shooting at the opposite team. If you accidentally shot an ally, you lost points. If your score went to zero, your figure would eject from the cockpit symbolizing your defeat.

Keep in mind, 1987-88 was a time where some homes still had black and white TVs. Not quite 50% of the population didn't have cable yet. There was no streaming. Satellite TV was for the very rich. If you didn't have crystal clear reception, many of your 'shots' wouldn't register. Or you would be accused of shooting an enemy, which during the training video, are nowhere to be found. I've heard reports that if you didn't have a color TV, your toy wouldn't even work with it. The ships went through batteries like worms through a goose. The only time that the toys worked decently was one-on-one play. At $33 a vehicle, you were lucky to find someone else that had another Captain Power vehicle to interact with. Being a household with both an XF-7 and Lord Dread's Phantom Striker was even scarce. So, for varying game play, you looked forward to the TV show. 

However, by Spring of 1988, most TV stations had stopped carrying the series. Parents found the concept of a robot apocalypse series geared at kids to be questionable subject matter. Human survivors were slaughtered with abandon by android hunters. The series faced criticism of being an allegory of Nazism and the Holocaust. And as holiday sale reports declared the toy line a failure, by March, Captain Power was a victim of cancellation and it's toys were clearance aisle fodder.

Unfortunately for Neal Adams, by the time his Continuity Comics had released it's first issue of a Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future comic book, the franchise was dead and buried. As a result, only 2 issues were published. Based J. Michael Straczynski's 2-part script, ' A Summoning of Thunder' reveals the origins of Captain Power, Lord Dread and what caused the Metal Wars that led to the near destruction of humanity. The most shocking revelation is that OverMind was co-created by Power's father, who spends the rest of his life leading the few remaining humans, including his son,  in a battle of man vs machine. 

Written and illustrated by Neal Adams with script assists by Peter Stone. Cover was also by Adams.

Completing this review completes Task #23 (Live Action Comic Adaptation from the 1980s or 90s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Nick Fury Vs. Fin Fang Foom #1 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 2024, shortly after stepping down as the head writer of Captain America, Marvel Comics announced that J. Michael Straczynski would be crafting an anthology team-up series. There would be no set main character, like with Marvel Two-In-One which saw the Fantastic Four's ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing pairing up with a different character every issue. This twist for the new series would be having 2 changing and unlikely characters interacting with each other. A sneak preview of the first issue showed the cover by Gary Frank depicting Rocket Raccoon dining inside the castle fortress of Doctor Doom!

In December, the idea of a monthly title was scrapped. But instead of Straczynski's hard work being banished to the Marvel vaults, it was decided that a slew of one-and-done specials would be produced. The 'Unlikely Duo One-Shots' would see Spidey taking on not the Sinester Six but a full SIXTEEN, the Voluminous Volstagg assisting Captain America and Ghost Rider offered a chance to be the galactic herald of Galactus. But the book that I absolutely had to have in my collection was the war time meeting of Nick Fury and the alien dragon Fin Fang Foom.

Set in October, 1940, World War II is raging across the globe, but the United States has yet to officially enter the conflict... officially. A few months earlier, Fury and his childhood friend Red Hargrove undertook a clandestine mission to the Netherlands. Now barnstorming throughout Europe in a dilapidated Fokker, Fury is once again recruited by Happy Sam Sawyer to investigate the disappearance of a number of planes owned by an American company in war torn China.

The American company is actually a front for a group of US Army based mercenaries called the Flying Tigers. Planes flying reconnaissance for the Chinese army fighting off the invading Imperial Japanese forces, have disappeared without a trace. Needing fearless pilots with military experience, Fury and Hargrove are perfect to uncover the secret of the missing airplanes. On one such mission, Fury attempts to get a closer look at a mysterious cloud that upon further investigation looks a lot like a dragon. But clouds aren't supposed to be green, have teeth and dive at you from a steep angle at a very high rate of speed!!!

J. Michael Straczynski does a fairly decent job of keeping this story in line with the established Marvel Comics canon. Fury and Hargrove 's first mission for Happy Sam in the Netherlands in Sgt. Fury #7 is referenced several times. Defeated at the hands of American mercenaries, Fin Fang Foom sets his hibernation chamber to reset for reemergence in 1961; the very year the character would make his Marvel debut in the pages of Strange Tales #89. Too bad Straczynski doesn't seem to know American history! The author has the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor a year too early!

Can somebody say 'No Prize?'  Or is this part of a new timeline some fans are debating that will see the Axis powers somehow winning World War II? What unfolds in Stracynski's remaining one-shots due out this Summer could hold the answer.

Featuring artwork by Elena Casagrande. Cover by Gary Frank.

Completing this review completes Task #13 (A war Comic) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Team-Ups of the Brave and the Bold

You don't have to have read the previous 26 issues of this 2010's modern version of DC's flagship team-up franchise, The Brave and the Bold. I didn't know this for a while. That's why I sat on this book for so long. Once I realized that unlike how the series opened with a story line of Batman and Green Lantern alternating pairings with other heroes to find the Book of Destiny, these stories were all self-contained. 

The Team-Ups of the Brave and the Bold contains 7 stories written by J. Michael Straczynski as a last ditch attempt to revitalize the sagging series. Despite the superior writing of Straczynski and the awesome artwork of Jesus Saiz, it just wasn't enough to save this series from cancellation.

The following team-ups in the book includes:

• Robbie Baldwin losing his Hero dial during a family trip to Batman's hometown, Gotham City.
• The Atom goes on a 'fantastic journey' inside the brain of the Joker during a delicate surgery.
• During a science experiment on the speed of light in Belgium, the Flash is sent back in time to assist the pilots of Blackhawk squadron during the Battle of the Bulge.
• Batman investigates the legend of the 60s era Frankenstein monster known as Brother Power, the Geek.
• Wonder Woman and Zatanna take Batgirl on a much needed girl's night out.
• Aquaman and the Demon join forces to stop an Eldritch horror from the deep from conquering the world!

I love a team-up title and while I am a fan of the original Batman The Brave and the Bold collection of books, I like that the Dark Knight isn't the focus of the title here. The Atom's story offers a look at the troubled childhood of the boy who would become the Clown Prince of Crime. It was a chilling work. The Aquaman/Demon story also had hints of horror to it. If you ever wondered what it would be like if H.P. Lovecraft wrote a comic book, you'd have your answer here.

The Flash story was powerful. I can't believe it wasn't written by Joe Kubert with artwork by Brian Bolland. I also was enamored with the title's swan song starting Barbara Gordon. Here I am missing her carefree pre-Killing Joke days when hot with the fact that the events of this story will cause that tragedy to occur! And the Dial H for Hero story was a nostalgic tribute to a great premise that just never got it's proper due.

If you ask me, that Brother Power, the Geek story was unnecessary. Though the way that story ended set up for an exciting storyline that I would pay good money to read. It's just a shame that DC gave up faith in J. Michael Straczynski's writing talents. 

This book is really a beautiful tribute to some of the best eras of DC Comics. There's sci-fi, war, horror, wacky gimmicks and above all love. Love for a good story full of amazing things never before seen and love for the loyal readers.

Highly underrated stuff!

Worth Consuming!

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.