Marvel Comics Presents #110

It took 2 chapters. But Logan finally meets Mary Walker. This story really feels like the noir films Body Heat or Double Indemnity. Mary tells Logan that she's got memory gaps but knows that she's been abused. Logan is falling for her and thinks that her past is somehow tied in with the serial killer from chapter 1. 

I haven't been much of a fan of the Wolverine stories as they all feel like really bad action movies. But this one has got a sexual tension and a mystery angle to it that is really making me a fan.

I forgot to mention this last issue, but Marvel has finally decided that it's time to stop having Sam Keith do both of the covers to this flip book anthology. Last issue introduced Marvel Swimsuit Special artist Steve Lightle to the mix. Lightle has been tasked with the Wolverine covers based on his pencils in the Wolverine/Bloody Mary story. Lightle's covers are a breath of fresh air, though I must say that I think Keith's cover is the better offering of this issue. 

Oh, and Nightcrawler returns. He's only been gone 2 issues. But I don't mind his return in this 8-page single issue story. It's a murder mystery based on the legend of Jack the Ripper. I loved the ending. Maybe it's because I figured out who the killer was. Maybe it's because Nightcrawler is one of my favorite superheroes of all-time. Maybe it's both. It's a real good story.

The Werewolf by Night/Ghost Rider story and the Thanos epic are both continuing to impress me as well. Both segments don't really have a lot of action to them. But they are interesting and unique enough to keep my attention.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

A Treasury of Victorian Murder Compendium

  The unsolved mystery of Jack the Ripper, the prolonged assassination of President James Garfield, and the strange case of H.H. Holmes; perhaps the first serial murderer in American history. Along with a trio of little known murders involving incest, fraud, and deception, this is the first collection of Victorian Era murder graphic novels by Rick Geary.
     If you love true crime. If you are a fan of the Victorian era. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie, then the works of Rick Geary are right up your ally! 
    You don't have to be a fan of graphic novels to enjoy these historical pieces. With Geary's attention to detail and journalistic storytelling style, anyone who reads Ann Rule or can't miss an episode of Dateline NBC can enjoy this compendium. 
    I'm trying really hard to get my wife to read this. She's balking but I know in my heart of hearts that this is something she'd enjoy and demand more.
    At only $25 cover, this is a killer deal. Especially as each individual Geary edition has a cover price of at least $10 apiece or higher. Check this out on Amazon or your local library, like I did! 
    It would be a crime to pass this volume up!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Doctor Who #4 (2011-2012)

Original Cover to Issue #4.

  Thanks to Amy's meddling, the timeline has been changed. Now, Jack the Ripper's reign of terror is no longer limited to 5 women. That means that no woman in Whitechapel is safe- including Mrs. Pond! Now the Doctor and Rory race against time and space to prevent the feisty Scottish redhead from becoming victim #6.

   A fast-paced conclusion to the "Rippers Curse" that I found lacking slightly in the art department.  There are at least 2 characters that I kept getting confused because they look so similar. I had to go back several times just to keep these two straight.

   Now for the plus side- the writing finished strong. With lots of great twists and turns, I was on the edge of my seat. Well, I would have been had I not been lying in bed when I read this. But you get my point.

    One interesting turn in this story was how much of a bad a$$ Rory was. My wife hates him. She thinks he ruined Doctor Who by marrying Amy. I think he added a quirky dynamic to the show. Either way you look at the character, Rory often is more of a buffoon than an action hero. While he's still socially awkward in ways, he shows real leadership when his beloved Amy is in mortal peril.

    Bravo!

  This series just keeps getting better and better in terms of plotting and the script. Hopefully, the art will rebound in the new storyline next issue.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Doctor Who #3 (2011-2012)

Original Cover to issue #3.

   

   Chapter two of 'The Rippers Curse' sees the Doctor in handcuffs after he is mistaken for being Saucy Jack. Alarmed by another murder, Amy Pond decides to warn the final victim of her impending doom and winds up changing history. Now the future is no longer set in stone and the real killer's crime spree now might not stop at just 5.

   Another great issue by IDW. The art is very good, but the real reason for reading this book is the excellent storytelling. One of the things that make the new Doctor Who TV series so good are the time travel episodes, particularly when the Doctor is bound by the laws of physics to not change the timeline. Somehow, he finds a way to tweak it just a little bit. But this time around, he's affected by the meddling of one of his companions. I love the twist in this story!

   A great read that is very much Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Doctor Who #2 (2011-2012)

Photo Cover to Issue #2

  

I hoard Doctor Who stuff, but it's not what you think. I grew up watching classic Doctor Who on PBS as a kid and was heartbroken when it went away. Then in 1996, I was elated to the thought of Fox bringing the show back with the Doctor Who movie. But that went nowhere. Then in 2005, my years of waiting were over as a new series was finally realized and has been going strong ever since.

   So for me, Doctor Who anything is a rare commodity. I now collect the books, comics, and DVDs. (Shirts too but I wear them all the time!) When I buy new Who, I hold on to it until I need another Timelord fix. Like an addict without their drug of choice, I like Jones for some Doctor Who often. When the show is on during it's new run on BBC America, I don't use any of my Doctor Who materials I amass, except for the shirts (I wear the heck out of those!) That way when it's in between seasons I have something new to look forward to.
   
Well, it's been about 3 weeks since the 2014 Christmas Special and I need my Doctor quick. The prescription this time around is some unread issues of IDW Publishing's first series to star the Eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith.

    This 2011 issue has the Doctor, Rory, and Amy tackling a topic I am surprised has never been addressed in the 51-plus year history of Doctor Who: Jack The Ripper. When the trio stumbles upon the bodies of one of The Ripper's victims, the Doctor notices an unusual amount of radiation at the crime scene. Thus Britains most notorious murderer was, in fact, an alien from the future!

    Naturally, Amy wants to save the rest of the victims before it's too late. However, this is a fixed point in time and the Doctor must prevent Amy from changing history least she accidently cause the next Hitler to be born or worse- the universe could cease to exist!

  This opening chapter was very well written. The staff at IDW captured the colloquialisms of the characters quite well. It was funny and exciting. The painted art by Horacio Domingues was very good. But I really liked the art in the first issue of this series. There's nothing wrong with the art in this book. The renditions are done quite well. I just prefer the previous story's artwork a little more than this one.
A great issue to read snuggled up on a cold night wearing striped pajamas and a Doctor Who t-shirt (Did I mention I like to wear those a lot?)
 
   Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

"Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (Elseworlds)"

WORTH CONSUMING!

So, after about 2 years of collecting Elseworld tales, I finally decided to read some of them. (I still have about 2 dozen tales to collect to have the entire series) Naturally, I start with the first ever tale in the series.

Despite that it doesn’t say that it’s an Elseworld, it’s the first book to explore the “infinite” earths since the end of the Crisis. Gaslight is a fun tale, a bit short for my taste. But more importantly, a format is being established, and I think I am in for some real treats.

I solved the “mystery” of who’s Jack the Ripper within the first 5 pages. That was a bit of a letdown. However, the twist in which Bruce Wayne gets accused of the crime is really cool. And I like how the ending has one of those “better dead than dishonored” endings found in many of the Hercule Poirot mysteries.

I cannot wait to delve in deeper to the Elseworlds.