Superman: Year One

Frank Miller, the godfather of the 'Year One' storyline, gives Superman the long overdue treatment in this deluxe sized Black Label tale. In other words - this very well could be an imaginary story. But I'd be totally fine with it being turned into canon.

The childhood story of Superman doesn't really change. His Kryptonian parents, knowing that their planet is doomed, ship baby Kal-El to Earth in hopes of becoming humanity's savior. Raised as Clark Kent by Kansas farmers, Kal-El learns the difference between right and wrong while forging a friendship with Pete Ross and a budding romance with Lana Lang.

Once Clark graduates high school, the origin changes. For the first time ever, in Act Two, we see Kent joining the Navy in hopes of learning what it means to be human while finding his place in this world as a god among men. Clark's romance with the mermaid Lori Lemaris takes an unusual twist with the Kryptonian becoming the ruler of Atlantis, after defeating her father in combat.

It appears that Frank Miller is really going to challenge the established legend of Superman by having him become a super-powered Aquaman. But that's all but forgotten in the final act; just as Clark's relationship with Lana becomes nothing more than a memory by the time he finishes basic training. When Superman meets Lois Lane in a great twist on their first appearance in the crashing helicopter trope, the very young Man of Steel just gives up his life in Atlantis, enrolls in journalism at a nameless University, and becomes an intrepid investigative reporter at the Daily Planet. 

This is not a 365 day year in the life of Superman. It's more of a series of snap shots in the first 25 or so years of life of Clark Kent. This makes for some inconsistencies in the plotting, a ton of forgotten friends and family, and an ending that didn't feel like the end. I wouldn't be surprised for a Superman: Year Two to be announced sometime in the future. Though this book is from 2019, so our chances of that might be dwindling...

As for John Romita, Jr.'s artwork, it too was inconsistent. But it's actually something that works in his favor. In my late 40s, I understand that when you have a career that involves your hands, arthritis and age are your worst enemies. Jr.Jr.'s art has really suffered over the last decade. But when he shines, he really shines here. There were several pages that I spent a long, long time marveling at his dynamic drawings. Powerful renderings. Amazing angles. Kick ass action. It helped improve my rating for this book that feels in desperate need of a director's cut edition.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Godzilla Vs the Fantastic Four #1 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 1977 American comic book fans were treated to the king of all crossovers when the King of All Monsters, Godzilla became an official part of the Marvel universe. For 24 issues, Dum Dum Dugan, Gabriel Jones and SHIELD did their best to contain Godzilla as he rampaged his way across the United States. Along the way, Hank Pym, Spider-Man, and even Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur during a trip back in time, tried to stop the radioactive beast from making New York City his next stomping ground.

In the final issue of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, it's Marvel's First Family who are pitted against the beast before he ultimately returned to the depths of the sea for another underwater slumber. With Godzilla's hibernation, Marvel's partnership with Japan's Toho Studios was ended and the events of the last 2 years of events were retconned out of continuity. So it's only fitting with Godzilla's return to the House of Ideas in this 2025 series of a half dozen one-shots that the Fantastic Four are chosen to welcome the Kaiju legend back!

The 6-one shots are supposed to be a rebooted continuation of the original 70s series and will show Godzilla's progression over the years in Marvel Comics history had Marvel never lost the rights from Toho. Basically scrapping everything that happened to conclude the series, in this story simply titled 'Godzilla Vs. The Fantastic Four', Gojira has made it to Manhattan coming East via the Atlantic instead of traversing the United States. Reed Richards hopes to make a final stand at Liberty Island. Unfortunately, sheer brute strength isn't enough to keep the King of the Titans down.

Mr. Fantastic regroups, leading Godzilla to the Baxter Building. At FF headquarters, Richards will reroute the entire Eastern seaboard power grid into the Baxter Building; essentially turning it into a giant bug zapper. 

The victory is premature. Because immediately once Godzilla is defeated, the sky over New York turns to fire. This has happened before. Galactus has returned and he brings with him a new herald: the three headed alien dragon destroyer known as King Ghidorah!

Ryan North penned this epic story that rivals Stan and Jack's 'Galactus Trilogy' by adding Kaiju to the mix. John Romita Jr. penciled the interior artwork with the regular cover crafted by A Kubert. Further issues will star the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man and the X-Men. The 6-issue chronicle into Godzilla's missing timeline culminates with a challenge by the New Avengers, who's roster is heavily influenced by the recent Thunderbolts* film starring Sebastian Stan and Florence Pugh. Hopefully, Dum Dum and Gabe will show up at some point along the way. Their appearances would be so fitting since they were main characters in the original Godzilla comic. 

Completing this review completes Task #17 (A Kaiju Comic Book) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

All-Star Batman Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy

A story as fractured as the mind of Two-Face. Scott Snyder and John Romita Jr. team-up for this unlikely pairing of the Dark Knight and the dual persona of Harvey Dent/Two-Face. 

Harvey Dent has a plan to put an end to his evil alter ego once and for all. It involves Batman taking Dent to an unknown location in order to exercise those demons of his. Two-Face has a counter plan to keep from being permanently erased by his good side. And the baddie's plan isn't secret like Harvey's. Instead, Two-Face has made a public decoration offering unknown riches if anyone can free the madman from the custody of the Caped Crusader.

As a result, villains and rogues creep out of the woodwork looking to make their fortune. Throw in the citizens of Gotham, Jim Gordon and even a sacred ally of the Batman and it's a mad mad mad world of trouble for the Dark Knight and Harvey Dent.

I thought the first half of this story was just awful. It had so many jumps in time and nothing revealed was ever truly explained. That was until the last third of the story. Plus, it's just so sad seeing the demise of John Romita Jr's artwork. You can tell the arthritis is getting to him as everything is gigantic. There's no tiny detail work which was indicative of his art in the 80s and 90s. 

One thing I was pleasantly surprised with was the addition of Duke Thomas: The Signal. First seen as a youngster in Zero Year, Duke has evolved from being just the latest in the string of Robins to a Batman sidekick in his own right! I used to think Tim Drake was the quintessential Batman assistant. But Duke Thomas might be taking over that title. He's that good!

There's two sides to this volume. A rough, disjointed opening half. A rushed but adequate closure.  Plus, Duke Thomas is highlighted in a short story that has him taking on Mr. Zsasz while dealing with the well-being of his jokerized parents. 

All-Star Batman offers an interesting twist to the Bruce Wayne/Harvey Dent history. However, I think if it wasn't for Duke Thomas, this book would've been a complete was of time.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Fantastic Four: Lost Adventures by Stan Lee

The lost adventure that highlights this volume isn't really all that lost. It's merely the original script of issue #108 that wasn't able to be completed in it's original vision before Kirby defected to DC in the early 70s. The story did see print, it just has a few plot twists that differ and art by an artist other than The King. Fans do finally get a chance to read the original product and that which never came to be.There are a few changes between the two version but in all honesty, it's not really worth the $25 cover price.

Marvel adds a few other stories to the mix in hopes of making this volume worth buying. The Last Fantastic Four Story:\; a what if scenario in which the FF finally solve all their problems and are no longer needed on earth. The Stan Lee/John Romita Jr. story was very good. But again it wasn't enough to cough up $25 for.

There's also reprints of two anniversary issues. Issue #296 has the The Thing returning from his exile on the Beyonder's planet. Ole Blue Eye thinks that he's going to be welcomed back to the Baxter Building with open arms. But having his girl now in the arms of Johnny Storm and his spot taken up by She-Hulk, Thing decides to once again exile himself. This time to Monster Island with no other than the Mole Man!

The other reprint is from issue #543. In this Mike Allred inked tale, Stan the Man returns with a fun-filled romp with the First Family of Marvel. This one alone makes up for most of the hype/understatement of this collection. But it's a very short story of only 10 pages. 

This book was published in 2009. I can only imagine how expensive this book would be if published new now. $27.99 $29.99? $34.99? This is a shining example of why Marvel is in so much trouble right now in terms of sales. While I know that the company wants to make a great example by putting out works on premium paper with the highest quality ink on the market; the costs are just too high for most fans wallets. 

I got this book at a used book store. So I only paid a few bucks for it. I can't find how much I paid for it, but I cannot imagine I paid more than $12.50. This was a good read. It's full of 'director's cut' material, like original scripts and a slew of sketches. But if I was to have paid full price, I would demanding my money back as the promised material nowhere near matches the actual level of quality and quantity of this book.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

(Note: The hardcover edition of this book also retailed for $25. I thought paperback was supposed to be cheaper than hard! I guess nobody told the House of Ideas.)

Action Comics #1000

Action Comics #1000

Writers: Paul Dini, Dan Jurgens, Brian Michael Bendis,   et al
Artists: Curt Swan, John Romita Jr., Joshua Middleton, et al

Published by DC Comics

Normally when i review a comic book for Outrightgeekery, I am required to post who the artists and writers for a book are. But if I was to list all of the talent in this book, it would take up the entire review!

The historic Action Comics #1000 was a star-studded event with so many big names it rivals most awards ceremonies. And that’s just the talent! This issue marks the 80th anniversary of the debut of Superman. As a result just about every major player to have ever graced the pages of Action Comics– Batman, Lois Lane, Luthor, and some super-duper guests just too good to mention without spoiling the surprise!

One of the biggest surprises I that it is perfectly okay to mention is that this issue brings about the debut of Brian Michael Bendis into the DC Universe. The final story titled ‘The Truth’ acts as an opening act for the 6-issue The Man of Steelminiseries set to change the Superman mythos later this summer!

Last month DC announced that all of the Superman Family titles including Super Sons and Supergirl were being cancelled to make room for the arrival of Bendis. I was quite concerned that Superman’s cousin was going to wiped from existence AGAIN! But the Maid of Might plays a vital role in the Bendis penned finale. Hopefully, this means Kara Danvers will be playing a big role in the plans Bendis has for Superman.

Action #1000 is an 80-page giant, retailing for $7.99. Most of the time, I hear nothing but complaints for the price with these type of specials. That hasn’t been the case here! I’ve heard nothing but good things in anticipation for this anniversary issue and I felt the same way reading this. Well, I did have one complaint- I didn’t want this amazing tribute to the Man of Steel to end!

Surely this issue is going to sell out. Of course, there will be a second and probably a third print! But if you want to take advantage of getting a first edition, you have better act fast- like faster than a speeding bullet fast! But once you read this amazing issue, you’ll be leaping over tall buildings in a single bound jump for joy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Election Day

   The days of the New York mayoral election are coming to a close and the polls show the race neck and neck. The only thing that could swing it in either sides favor is a massive takedown of a super villain or maybe your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

  A serial killer is on the loose and the murderer been planting patented Spider-Tracers on the corpses. With the cops on his trail, Spider-Man is seriously wounded. A quick escape is just what the web-slinger needs. But a run-in with a new Goblin-like menace (aptly named Menace) arrives on the scene and gives Spidey the fits, resulting in the wall-crawler's arrest. Thankfully, Spider-Man has lawyer Matt Murdock on retainer...

    Then in a history making team-up, Spider-Man comes to the aide of a guy named Barry on the streets of Washington D.C. The Spidey villain Chameleon seems to think that if he can take President-Elect Barack Obama's place during the inauguration, he'll become the 44th POTUS. But with the Spider-Man's Spider-Sense and the Knight Rider-like driving skills of Joe Biden, Democracy should still be save- for now.

  Lastly, Captain America and Spider-Man join forces to fight a group of robots that look like Abe Lincoln and members of his historic cabinet. Offended by the poor imitation, Capt. regales Spidey with a tale of the time the Sentinel of Freedom met Honest Abe thanks to the always trusty cosmic cube.

   All three stories were very good. I had read the Obama Election special somewhere before. Though, I don't remember Joe Biden being such a goof. I guess the VP's antics being constant fodder for the likes of Jimmy Fallon made me more aware of it.

   The main election story reminds me of how little I know of this era of Spider-Man. Yes, I am more of a DC person but I try to be very well round. Yet for some reason, the 90s and 00s were just a period of Marvel history that I have considerable gaps of knowledge.

   Published in 2008, Election Day to me marks the beginning of John Romita Jr's 'Big' period. I dunno if it's arthritis, or age, or just a change in styles, but this is the earliest accounts of all of the characters in his works becoming more barrel-chested and broad-faced. The art isn't lacking in quality and there are still glimpses of his iconic touch that made him a comic collector's household name in the 80s. But his artwork has definitely changed over the years.

   A very good volume that 5-6 years ago would've been priced in the $30-50 dollar range due to the hotness of Obama collectibles. But controversies, approval ratings, and the fickle nature of comic collectors have resulted in this book's value to drop considerably. I found my hardcover copy for $2.99 at Ollie's Discount!

    Take a gander for it, folks. You might get lucky like I did. And who knows... maybe after the election, this book might rise in price again...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

New Avengers, Volume 3

Norman Osborne is like a cockroach- he just never seems to die. In the New Avengers, he’s back having just sprung himself from SHIELD’s super-max prison. His goal- to end the New Avengers once and for all with his team of New DARK Avengers. Along with some heavy recruiting, Osborne’s going to do what he does best- manipulate; primarily he’s looking to turn the media against the New Avengers and make the public loose not only faith but love in the team. This plan seems to be working as threats the former Green Goblin make strike very close to home to a couple of members of the team causing them to go AWOL.

A very good book. Having Wolverine, Spider-man, the Thing, and Daredevil make for some great ‘buddy cop’ moments. The surprises in the book were thrilling, shocking, and fun. The art was really good though I should mention the first chapter of this book.

This book was published in 2012 and the first chapter was penciled by John Romita, Jr. JRJR has been getting some flack lately for his art. It definitely looks different than his early stuff but I don’t think this is his fault. Old age is the comic book artist’s greatest enemy. Carpal Tunnel, arthritis, swollen joints, scar tissue, and even injury can change how someone draws over time. I think that’s the problem here.

The art is still top notch but everything has a more embellished feel to it. Faces and fingers are particularly enhanced as the look enflamed and gnarled. They say that you tend to draw yourself as it’s the thing you are most familiar with. As I noted, the knuckles on the hands of many of these characters look like my mother’s when her rheumatism acting up. So, maybe that adage is on to some and Romita JR’s hands have become deformed with overuse and age. He’s still one of my favorite artists and I hope people will lighten up on him about the dramatic changes it’s had over the years.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Avengers (2010-2012), Vol. 1

I haven’t read a current Avengers framed story in quite some time. What little I know is piecemeal from reading trade mags and website news. Oh, and lots of Wiki-reading.

So, I found this book in my library and thought that since I had issue 1, I could save myself the trouble of getting the rest of the series and check it out for free.

The Avengers have regrouped once again after the Dark Reign storyline in which heroes were outlawed and the villains ruled and kept the peace. Here, Kang invades the team and warns them that their children will one day destroy the world. Later, it’s discovered that Kang’s battle with the youngsters did more damage than expected by destroying the space-time continuum!

Just about everyone's favorite characters is here- Wolverine, Captain America, Steve Rogers, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, EVEN Spider-man. It’s a time-travel storyline so, it gets a little confusing. But it is still very good. The art is fantastic and the cover gallery is stunning featuring artist favs such as John Romita Jr.

I enjoyed this book very much and I think Marvel’s take on “The Heroic Age” is really good and it makes me want to start reading current Marvel tales again.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.