Fun with Little Archie & Friends Special (Family Comic Friday)

When I was a kid having to go to the dentist, they'd offer as a prize a free comic book. Knowing that quantity over quality mattered, I always went for the over-sized Archie digests whenever they were available over a 32-page floppie. While I enjoyed the adventures of teenaged Archie and his pals, whenever you got a story from the gangs days as kids, it was a rare treat. So when it was announced that Archie Comics would be issuing an all-new one-shot from the childhood days of Little Archie, I was beyond thrilled!

The special starts out with Sabrina, the Little Witch having to pet-sit her class goat, Arthur. Just like Sabrina's cat Salem, Arthur can do magic. When Arthur gets loose from Sabrina, he causes some magical mayhem with Sabrina's friends. 

The Fun with Little Archie & Friends Special takes pint-sized Archie, Juggie and the rest on an adventure of a lifetime. And with the fun comes a slew of Archie Comics talent including J. Torres (Teen Titans Go!), Shannon Watters (Lumberjanes), Erin Hunting (The Toothfairy Vs. Santa) and others. Each story not only has a different thematic feel but it's own art style too! Each story was lots of fun. Though I felt that the segues between stories were a little bit clunky. I also wasn't a huge fan of the third story. I think it just wasn't as strong a segment.  

According to one-shot editor Jamie L. Retonte, this issue was designed not just for established Little Archie fans like myself but for newcomers as well. Young and old! Plus, with the assortment of previews coming from Archie Comics, 2022 looks like it's going to be a fantastic year from the publisher! I can't wait!

This is a special that a whole family of Archie fans will love!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Archie's Holiday Magic Special #1

I didn't think it was possible. Draw Archie and the gang in a more modern way but still keep the magic, humor and heart of the world's oldest teenager that millions have grown to love! Yet thanks to Micol Ostow, J. Torres and Michael Northrop, 2021's Archie's Holiday Magic Special was just that a magical holiday moment!

Archie awakens one morning to feel like he just doesn't matter. Thanks to a special festive friend, Arch is shown moments from his past, present and future. Combining elements from It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, L'il Archie and The Memory Lane stories, this 32-pager has just about everything an Archie fan would want. Except for Moose, Midge and Josie and the Pussycats!

I've always been a fan of the L'il Archie stories. The present day story took place at Hanukkah! But the future tale was absolutely great! I know that Archie's life after high school has been explored many a time. Yet those stories always tend to be dream stories. I would love it if a definitive series based on that not too far off tale with that modern art style!

 I can't believe it but this special made a believer out of me! Modern look Archie is good comics!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

How to Spot a Sasquatch (Family Comic Friday)

School might be starting back but that doesn't mean that the Summer fun has to stop. For this week's Family Comic Friday we examine J. Torres' How to Spot a Sasquatch. It's about a young boy, his camping buddies and a Bigfoot named Sass!

How to Spot a Sasquatch
Written by J. Torres
Illustrated by Aurelie Grand
Published by OWL Kids

Jay is a Junior Ranger. He and the rest of his troop buddies are hoping to earn some badges during their weekend in the woods. Jay is also hoping to catch himself a Sasquatch.

In a hilarious series of vignettes, Jay's attempts to find and capture a Bigfoot are teased by his fellow Junior Rangers and they are thwarted by a girl Sasquatch. Sass and her forest buddies are very interested in the snacks and gadgets of the campers and hi-jinks ensues as they keep stealing from the camp.

I've been a fan of J. Torres for quite some time. His work on Teen Titans Go!, Brobots and Batman: The Brave and the Bold has just been fantastic. Torres has a great sense of humor and has such a way of making characters come alive!

I'm not so familiar with J. Torres' art partner, Aurelie Grand. According to the back cover of the book, Grand is a French illustrator based in Quebec. Works of the artist include a Ben Franklin biography and a young reader's picture book about the Olympics in French. She gives How to Spot a Sasquatch a very whimsical fee with her pens and pencils.


This 2018 graphic novel was very funny. It was also fun to read.  At only 64 pages, this is also quick read. But it's also one that you and the young reader in your life will want to read together over and over.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Hot to Spot a Sasquatch debuted in print and digital media in May of this year. It is recommended for readers aged 7-10, though it very well could be enjoyed by those a couple of years older or younger without objection by adults.

BroBots and the Kaiju Kerfluffle (Family Comic Friday)

 

 Meet Panchi, Joukei, and Kouro.

   They're a trip of robot brothers with the ability to morph together into a giant robot warrior. This special ability helps them when a large fire-breathing monster terrorizes their hometown. But in order to defeat this foe, the brothers learn the important lesson that bigger isn't always better. Can they work as a team of three in hopes of saving the day?

     The Kaiju Kerfluffle appears to be the first in a series from the #1 on the cover. Created by J. Torres (Teen Titans Go!), I think if the publisher, Oni Press, can get the word out, I think this could be very popular with youngsters. It would even make a great animated cartoon series as well! (Are you listening Nicktoons???)

    As I mentioned, there's a giant fire breathing monster in the book, along with some other surprises. But the artwork by Sean K. Dove is playful, not frightening. So the monsters should not be intimidating for younger readers. 

  BroBots was a cute tale that young readers from the ages of 4-8 will enjoy. But it's really silly and could easily become one of those books that are a fan favorite to youngsters but could drive parents crazy having to read every night. (Is that really a bad thing?)

      Worth Consuming

      Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Teen Titans Go!: Thunder and Lightning Strike! ( A Family Comic Friday Extra!)

  

Reprinting Teen Titans Go! #6

In this library edition of Teen Titans Go!, a pair of brothers with the powers of thunder and lightning are reaking havoc over the city in which the Titans love so dear. The entire city will come crashing down if the Titans don't act quick enough. However, it seems that their interference in a domestic dispute is just making things worse. It's up to level-headed Raven to save the day and the city.

Another masterpiece from J. Torres covering the first animated incarnation of the Teen Titans on Cartoon Network. The story itself was pretty good and it would have been excellent if you had removed Thunder and Lightning from the story altogether. That right, I said it, the main villains of the story were NOT needed.

 First of all- they look rediculous. Lightning looks like a knock-off of fan favorite Firestorm (and mine too!) Whereas, Thunder looks like a gorilla in a samurai costume. This is really strange as their DC Universe comic book design look nothing like the actual characters in the DC Universe. Notice the image of the cover of Superman #303 below. Now compare it to the image of this hard cover edition of Teen Titans Go! #6. They look like 2 different sets of characters.  
  
  Another problem I had with these dueling siblings is how silly they are. Lightning mishears Thunder who is giving him sage advice to control his powers over an otherwise crowded city. Thinking it to be an insult, a clash ensues. How can you mishear thunder? It's like super loud! You can hear it three counties over without mistakes. Sheesh...
    
   Torres and the gang rarely drop the ball in this series. That was until this one. However, I put some of the blame on the animation staff at Cartoon Network. It's mentioned at least 3 times that this is the return of the weather-themed duo. So, the archetype for both the look and atittudes of Thunder and Lightning apparently were first established on the Teen Titans TV show. If Torres was bound to use that version of the villains in this comic, then he was severely handicapped before have even typed up the first page of the script.

    There's a website that publishes Garfield cartoons without Garfield in them. If that site could take this issue and remove the baddies from it, this book would make a great read. It might make for some awkward and confusiing moments but it would still be a better read without them in it.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

(Note: Like the other library editions in this series, a glossary of terms, discussion questions, and writing exercises are included in the back. However, this volume did not include an activity page as others have for some reason.)