Joker's Asylum

I've read some but not all of the second salvo of one-shots under the 'Joker's Asylum' lineup. They're like what you would have encountered if EC Comics had crafted a Batman villains themed anthology. The Joker is your host, leading through a captivating story about a member of the Dark Knight's rogues gallery, climaxing with a twist ending on par with Johnny Craig, Al Feldstein or Harvey Kurtzman. 

I loved the 3 I've read so far. So finding the first collection for an amazingly good price was a no-brainer.

The Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, the Scarecrow and the Joker himself are the stars of the 5 one-shots that comprised the first series. Penguin's tale of true love ruined by his vicious streak brought about by the slightest bruise to his delicate ego was the best story. Amazing tale by Jason Aaron that I could read again and again. Joe Harris's story involving the psychological monster, the Scarecrow, was a frightening yet fun homage to the teen horror flicks of the 80s and 90s with a cerebral ending. J.T. Krul's look at Poison Ivy was a classic Batman mystery tale. There's just not enough of those type of Batman stories these days if you ask me.

The Two-Face one-shot by David Hine was a morality play about human nature and whether man is inherently good or bad. So can a good man be turned into a villain while the most retched of all is redeemed as a saint? Add in Harvey Dent's very literal interpretations of the id and ego and it's definitely not a story for casual comic book readers. This is college level stuff. Plus the level of unease is at least doubled with the ending that the reader determines thanks to a simple flip of a coin. 

My least favorite story was the Joker's tale. Ironic, eh? The Joker rigs a game show in a farce by Arvid Nelson that fell short in my eyes. However, the artwork of the Joker by Alex Sanchez that reflects the many actors who have portrayed the Clown Prince of Crime over the years was exceptional. It's just a bit of a let down when the Joker tries to prove that he's not the biggest, baddest monster in Gotham. This isn't The Walking Dead. I know that the worst monster of them all is man. I don't need the Joker to remind me.

A fantastic read. Why DC will stop of only 2 runs Joker's Asylum one-shots. but put out a dozen sequel volumes of Dark Nights: Metal or DC Undead is beyond me!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 20 stars.

Batman: The Long Halloween Deluxe Edition, Dark Victory- The Sequel

The Long Halloween continues. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale expound on the story of the Holiday killer with Dark Victory, given the deluxe treatment with this 2022 re-release.

A couple of years have passed. Jim Gordon has been made Commissioner of a police force that still has its fair share of dirty cops. On the home front, wife Barbara took their son James and are now living separated in Chicago.

The Falcone crime family is now headed by daughter Sofia, who languishes as a cripple in a wheelchair while trying to reunite the truce with the Maronis. Harvey Dent/Two-Face is an inmate at Arkham, as is Alberto Falcone; the troubled young man who confessed to being Holiday despite looming evidence to the contrary. Dent's wife Gilda went into hiding and hasn't been seen or heard from since. 

Despite accidentally putting Sofia Falcone in her wheelchair, for which the new mob boss has vowed vengeance, Catwoman has agreed to a $1 million bounty to locate the stolen body of Don Falcone and to enact revenge against the perpetrator of the crime. Hopefully, this will eliminate the large bounty that still rests over the jewel thief's head.

There's a new District Attorney; the fiery blonde Janice Porter. She reopened the case against Alberto and is pushing for his release, citing police brutality at the hands of Batman. 

As for Batman, along with Gordon, he's trying to solve a new series of holiday themed deaths. This time, the targets are current and former Gotham City Police with ties to Harvey Dent. Each victim is hanged with a Hangman's puzzle affixed to them. The will they/won't they romance of Batman and Catwoman gets even more complicated when she leaves suddenly for Italy after always seemingly having his back during Falcone involved altercations. As for Bruce Wayne, he's a date with destiny at the next performance of Haly's Circus.

I don't know about you, but my favorite Batman stories are when he's playing detective. There are numerous stories where the Dark Knight has to defuse gang wars or fight through a gauntlet of villains. They're good stories, mostly. But I prefer a more toned down noir story where Batman has to solve the unsolvable. Don't get me wrong. There's a slew of villains from Batman's Rogue's Gallery in this book and they play pivotal roles. Only, at the heart of this story is a mystery and I love it!

The art, while still kinda primitive, has improved dramatically. The Joker seems to have a lot of teeth. Just not as many. Probably because Batman's knocked a few out over the years. Plus, Tim Sale manages to draw several characters similarly in a way to make you think that perhaps one or more players aren't who they really are. I really fell for several red herrings in this book and was nowhere close to solving the mystery! Make that mysteries.

Everybody talks about how great the first Long Halloween miniseries is I think Dark Victory is a forgotten classic and a must read!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman: The Long Halloween

Last year, I managed to snag new deluxe editions of Dark Victory and When In Rome; the sequel and threequel to Batman: The Long Halloween. Having already owned an original copy of the first edition hardback, I just didn't see a point in purchasing a newer yet more expensive copy for a few extra pages of material. It just didn't make sense to me. My goal was once the Halloween season came around, I'd read the Long Halloween trilogy from beginning to end. However, as I started seeing the amazing glut of Halloween specials and horror titles being offered for the 2024 season, I had serious doubts that I could read the Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale masterpiece and it's follow ups during the month of October.

I like to be seasonal in my readings. If I read a Christmas themed comic, I better be reading it in December. It's only the first of September! 

Well, folks have started to call September Halloween Eve on social media. 

A serial killer has begun to terrorize Gotham City by murdering citizens on holidays. At first, it looks like only the Falcone crime family is being targeted. However, when other seemingly random Gothamites wind up dead, it's up to a trio of law enforcers, Batman, Captain Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent to identify the killer. However with assistance from the Arkham inmate, the Calendar Man,and warped view of support to stop the killings by the Joker, this trinity of law keepers will be challenged unlike ever before.

I had read The Long Halloween a long time ago. Long enough for me to not remember everything. So I really got to enjoy it almost as an entirely new story. The copy I read was different from this book as I don't remember all of the extra material in the back nor do I recall the foreword by Jeph Loeb. That's because honestly I didn't realize that this book and the trilogy as a whole was a sequel to Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. 

Wait... What?

According to Loeb, the great Archie Goodwin challenged Loeb and Sale to take the work they had done on their Batman Halloween specials and frame a larger story set after the events of Batman: Year One. With Miller's blessing, The Long Halloween was born. Yet, how can this be a sequel. Year One was groundbreaking for introducing a black Selina Kyle to readers. Here, Kyle is white. Plus, didn't Jim Gordon's wife leave him for his affair with a fellow cop? Well, Barbara Gordon is back and so is infant son James Jr. 

The Long Halloween was published in 1996, finishing in 1997. Maybe the editors felt that having a white Bruce Wayne romance a black Selina Kyle would be too shocking for readers. If that's the case, how do you explain Captain Kirk's interracial slobber knocker with Lt. Uhura in the 1960s?! At least I can say that I don't think you can blame the whitewashing on Archie Goodwin as he passed away before issue #1 debuted in stores.

The Long Halloween is an essential Batman read. It might even be required reading for all fans of comics and graphic novels. The art is very Impressionistic. How else can you explain the Joker's gaping maw full of no less than 96 teeth? Such a great read. If you love holiday comic books like I do, you will be thrilled with this story full of a dozen special days of the year; some of which had never had a holiday themed issue until now!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Arkhamaniacs (Family Comic Friday)

This is a toughie to explain. Mostly, because this Batman universe story is just so un-Batman. But I loved it!

This graphic novel by the dynamic duo of Art Baltazar and Franco is set when Bruce Wayne's parents are still alive. One day Bruce goes with the Waynes' butler Alfred on an errand to Arkham Apartments, a Gotham City property owned by his parents. During his brief visit, Bruce runs into some of the eclectic clientele of the complex, including a manic clown wearing the biggest grin you've ever seen.

The visit intrigues Bruce, whose life at Wayne Manor is pretty dull and boring. Seeing a different view of the people of his city, the young Master Wayne decides one night to sneak out and visit Arkham Apartments to understand just why the property is so unusual and well, fun. Once at the tenement, Bruce will meet all of the residents of Arkham, folks with special powers, fun costumes and unusual pets, such as a crocodile in the swimming pool!

Arkhamaniacs reminded me a little bit of the FOX Batman prequel series, Gotham. That show was set when Bruce Wayne is a child; years before he'll even dream up the idea of becoming the Dark Knight and I feel like that very mature TV series was an inspiration to this DC graphic novel for kiddies. 

See in Gotham, Bruce Wayne meets the Joker (well, Jokers, as there are 2 in the series- at least), when the budding criminal is also in his very early years. In fact, Bruce becomes really good friends with one of the Jokers before that character is tragically turned into a raving lunatic thanks to some nerve gas. To me, I get the feeling that Art Baltazar and Franco were looking to expound on what that friendship could be like before things got real with the advent of Bruce becoming an adult. So there were elements of JM Barrie's Peter Pan at hand as well. 

This graphic novel was a fun read. It was just weird seeing the Joker being friends with young Brucie. The Joker is almost like a guide towards opening Bruce's mind up to the world of play and imagination. So, there were elements of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well.

I think the most difficult thing about this book was knowing that all the joy and bliss between Bruce Wayne and the residents of Arkham Apartments is going to one day come to an end. Joker not only does horrible things to Bruce Wayne and his Batman Family, the Clown Prince of Crime goes on to betray and manipulate a whole bunch of his so-called friends. It's rather unsettling no matter how bright and cheery the creators of this book make things seem.

Art Baltazar and Franco have another masterpiece on their hands. This is another fun-filled romp full of DC Comics nostalgia that readers young and old will like. I just hate that uneasy feeling my knowledge of the adult Batman world gives me when I'm trying to read that paints an extremely rosy picture of things between Bruce Wayne and the Joker. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman's Mystery Casebook (Family Comic Friday)

If you ever wanted to solve crimes like Batman and his cohorts, then have I found the book for you! Batman's Mystery Casebook is a young adult graphic novel that I've been looking forward to for a while. The book is so many things wrapped into 144 pages of crime fighting starring your favorite members of the Batman family. 

There are several cases in which readers are tasked to examine the clues. Can you solve the case before turning the next page and letting Batman do it? It's a lot like Donald J. Sobol's Encyclopedia Brown books. In fact, one of the cases is a total swipe of a famous case involving a Civil War era sword. Only this time, the mystery is set during World War I and it guest stars Hans Von Hammer: the Enemy Ace!

Batman's Mystery Casebook is also educational and a bit like an activity book! In between cases are segments that involve crime solving techniques used by Batman and your local police force's unit of crime scene investigators. Readers get to learn about finger prints, foot prints and tracking criminals. Fun is added to the education as young readers are encouraged to explore activities like practicing fingerprinting with household tools like tape, flour and a brush. Readers even get to test their skills as an eyewitness by helping the Gotham City Police Department with a crime scene involving the Penguin!

A lot of your favorite Batman villains are featured in the book. Along with Penguin, you get to help Batman apprehend The Riddler, Catwoman, Mister Freeze, Harley Quinn and the Joker. Since there are many more villains out there to be caught like Clayface and the Mad Hatter, I really hope a second casebook might be forthcoming. I just hope if this happens that the cases are a bit less loose with the clues. 

The amazing Sholly Fisch wrote this book. I've been a fan of his since Scooby-Doo Team-Up. Overall, this casebook was a dream come true for me. I've always wanted a Batman video game that was less about fighting and more about mystery solving. This casebook is probably the closest I will ever get to that wish. But I feel that in at least 2 of the cases, the solutions were more based on making assumptions about the crimes and not actual facts. I will admit that I totally goofed on the Riddler mystery and that one was my fault. But the Mister Freeze and the break-in at Wayne Enterprises didn't seem to play fair with the readers. To be fair- Donald J. Sobol was guilty of doing the same thing with some of his mysteries. 

The artwork by Christopher Uminga was awesome. Now I will admit that if you have a Batman story by Sholly Fisch, only Dario Brizuela should be doing the art. However, I can now say that Christopher Uminga is a perfect second if Brizuela isn't available. Uminga's work reminded me of that of the L'il Gotham series by Dustin Nguyen in which all of the characters are of diminutive size and just a touch on the adorable side. That is except for the Joker!

Christopher Uminga's Joker is one of the most terrifying versions of the character ever. Those dark, dead eyes. That frenzied mouth that looks part clown make-up and part hideous scars. The credits in the back of this book list Uminga's art style as one that 'blends together creepy and cute.' I couldn't agree with this assessment more!

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, a couple of cases tripped me up. For the most part, I felt that the mysteries were fair. But there are a couple that are really tricky and might just be a little too difficult. Heck, if a 45-year old Madman like myself can think things are arduous, can you imagine how tough these cases can be for the recommended readings ages of 8-12? Regardless, I really hope that this isn't the only book in the series. There's so many more crimes in Gotham that need to be solved and Sholly Fisch and Christopher Uminga are the creative team to get it done!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Archie Meets Batman '66

The combined forces of the Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman descend on Riverdale in their bid to take over the world. Figuring that Batman is the reason they can't conquer Gotham City, the villains of the United Underworld embark in their most devious caper yet in Archie Andrews' backyard! Aided by the enchanting songs of the Siren, the fiends manage to enslave the adults of Riverdale. But for some reason, the lyrics just don't affect the teenage population. 

With the Bookworm on the loose in Gotham, Batman can't afford to leave the big city. So the Caped Crusader sends Robin and Batgirl in his place. Meet Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, the newest students of Riverdale High School. Along with Archie and his gang, these young heroes may be the last line of defense between 4 of Batman's most deadliest enemies and the fate of the free world!

Regular Batman '66 writer Jeff Parker pens this swinging 60s era crossover. There's a lot of the magic of that monthly series in this book. But of the Batman '66 crossovers, this is probably my least favorite. The other team-ups made by the Dynamic Duo involved other live action characters like the Green Hornet and the Man from UNCLE. Those stories felt like natural progressions of the TV show. Having Batman, Robin and the rest interact with the Archie gang felt more like those Scooby-Doo cartoon crossovers from the 70s. 

The artwork by Dan Parent was superior as ever. The definitive modern era Archie artist proves that he's got the chops to tackle the Batman '66 universe. And then there's the covers! A half-dozen regular cover masterpieces from Michael Allred (Madman). Plus, there are literally dozens of variant covers by many amazing artists such as Joe Giella, Jerry Ordway and Art Baltazar. 

I must make one giant complaint. There's a great Batman '66/Archie connection that would have made a great capper to this story. Unfortunately, Jeff Parker ruined the moment by having Bruce Wayne flippantly ruin things with an off-the-cuff but it all makes sense sort of observation a couple of issues prior to the ending.

Plus- isn't Barbara Gordon an adult on the Batman '66 series? So why isn't she susceptible to the Siren's call like the other adults? Okay- so I had 2 complaints!

I had read issue #1 a long time ago when it first came out in 2018. And then I had forgotten all about it until just recently. Worth the wait. Just not as perfect as I had built things up to be in my head.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Noel (A Madman Re-Read)

When I first read this book, it was 2012. The copy was property of my local library. I wrote up a review as I normally do. Then I apparently forgot all about it.

I think it was last year or maybe 2020, when DC Comics reissued this Gotham City take on Dicken's A Christmas Carol. My favorite comic book shop held me a copy just in case I needed it for my collection; which I did. I recalled having read this holiday graphic novel as I remembered coming across my review in the database of my blog. Yet, I still couldn't remember anything about this book.

During the past couple of weeks, I've been re-cataloging my comic book collection. With it being the holidays, I decided to tackle my Christmas and Thanksgiving books for a while. It's where I came back across this book. Noticing that I hadn't even taken this hardcover out of it's protective plastic wrap, I decided it was time to stop having my mind come to a total blank when I try to remember what occurred.

Batman: Noel retells the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge with Batman in the miser role. As Batman tracks down his arch enemy, the Joker, the Dark Knight is visited by a trio of characters that represent his past, present and future. 

The Bob Cratchit role is played by a down on his luck father who joined the Joker's gang in hopes of raising some cash to bring his crippled son, Timothy, some holiday cheer. However, when the cash drop goes horribly wrong, Bob and his son will find themselves stuck in the middle of a final showdown between two mortal enemies on Christmas Eve, of all times and places!

The artist behind this graphic novel is the amazing Lee Bermejo (Joker). I've been enthralled by his work for a very long time. His covers are so detailed and lifelike. It is hard to believe that Lee Bermejo is self-taught. If anyone can draw Batman as a living, breathing entity, it's Bermejo. Batman: Noel marks Bermejo's writing debut and I think he knocked it out of the park. I just can't understand why I forgot having read this book previously.

I know I've read a lot of comic books in the past. But usually, if I've forgotten having read something previously, I wind up at some point finally remembering it. Not this time. This makes me wonder if when 2032 comes around that I'm going to have to read this festive fight fest again just to jog my memory. 

A gritty holiday fable that doesn't disappoint.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers Mini-Comic Collection, Volume 1 (Family Comic Friday)

I'm not one for buying bootleg material. If there's a legitimate version of something, I will buy that version and not the knock-off. If I have to wait to buy it used or at a steep discount to save money, I'll do it. But if the original owners go out of business or just never cash in on the copyright (I'm looking at you George Lucas with the Star Wars Holiday Special), then if something is fan made, then I have no ethical qualms buying it. That's the case with the book I am reviewing today... 

One of my most beloved memories of my mom is her taking me to K-Mart just to find the new Super Powers action figures. The store only had Robin and Aquaman. But oh what a start! To my absolute delight, both figures came with a 16-page mini comic! A toy AND something to read??? Yes on both!

Years have passed and the quest of finding the 12 minis that came with the original line and the 11 of Series II has been on my to-do list for decades. I've never come across any in person unless I plopped out $50 to $100 on one of the figures mint on card. While online shopping, I've seen the minis for sale just by themselves. But it's not worth a $20-35 dollar per mini comic price tag. Needless to say, DC has never stopped to take the time and collect these in some sort of collection.

About 2 months ago, while on Facebook, the metaverse itself made a suggestion of joining a group of like-minded Super Powers fans. A fan of the art of Jose Luis-Garcia Lopez and Dick Giordano, who did much of the packaging and figure design, I've enjoyed joining this digital time capsule of Kenner/DC. Recently, one intrepid member asked if the minis had ever been collected to which someone responded that they thought there was something 'fan made'. 

Well, the prospect of such a volume peaked my interest and I went to etsy and later eBay to which I found this book. Published by Trident Studios, this pocket-sized collection is a beaut! All of the books come from the publisher's personal collection of minis collected when they were a child. They did an amazing job keeping the books in great shape. Only 1 page looked smudgy. (Doing some quick math. 12 books times 16 pages... roughly 192 pages. I'll take it!)

The likes of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman take on the dastardly quartet of Lex Luthor, Brainiac, The Penguin and The Joker in a dozen stories. Just who were the authors and illustrators of these minis have become the subject of much debate as DC and Kenner didn't give any sort of credit to the art team behind these comics. The stories are a little clunky as it's hard to tell a full-fledged story on a sheet of paper roughly 2.8" x 4.25". But the art is of that unparalleled 80s era DC style! 

As I mentioned, the mini comics really were minis. However, these books are slightly larger (about 20%) than the original. Thus is due minimum requirements of the printing and binding. Whether this determination was made by Trident Studios or publishing contractor is unclear. I was afraid that the books were going to be massively large thus hurting the visual quality of the originals. But the slight increase does nothing to hurt the eye appeal!

It's always great when the older generation gets chance to share their toys with the next. It's even better when you get to share your books! Up till now it has been darn near impossible and totally expensive to share the Super Powers mini comics from the 80s with the children of the 2000s. But now grandparents, guardians and parents have a chance with this vibrant collection from Trident Studios!

A second volume featuring the Wave II collection of mini comics is also available. Check etsy and eBay for your copies!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman/Joker: Switch

This has got to be the weirdest Batman/Joker story that I've ever read. 

On the streets of London, the Clown Prince of Crime finds himself having been drugged and with his signature smile surgically planted onto the back of his neck. Taking a page out of his arch-adversary, The Batman's, book, the Joker decides to get to the bottom of this mutilation. Of course, with Joker's fractured psyche, his version of a Dark Knight Detective is pretty warped, resulting in chaos, tragedy and death in his wake. 

I had to read this book twice to understand it. It's very confusing and I think that's because writer Devin Grayson (Nightwing) tried to write most of this book from the Joker's point of view. 

Part of the blame also falls on the cover writer. I really thought that the description of this book made it sound like the Joker was trying to be like Batman. But he's not trying to be the Batman. The Joker is only switching roles in playing detective instead of criminal. The Joker is just being a really bad detective because he's nuts and he's a murdering psycho!

The art was quite good. It's painted. And it reflects that fractured psyche of the Joker. Angles are invented. Shadows are exaggerated. Plus, artist John Bolton (Batman: Manbat) has a sensual style, especially with a trio of beauties that the Joker kidnaps. 

Speaking of those beauties. One of the girls intrigued the heck out of me. She stands up to the Joker and the villain refers to her as his 'Robin'. I'd love to see more of her in comics. But it's been 9 years since this graphic novel was published and if she's yet to have shows up in further Batman comics, I doubt the character is gonna show up now!

Enjoyable Read. But man was it confusing and very demented.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Joker (2019)

DC and Warner Bros. makes it's first foray into R-rated live action film. Their first combined offering is what might of might not be the origin of Batman's arch-enemy: The Clown Prince of Crime, Joker.

Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck. Fleck is a fledgling stand-up comedian with a history of mental illness. The lines between reality and delusion meld as Phoenix's character is beaten, mocked, and lied to as the city he loves turns it's back on him, cutting the funding for the out-patient care he needs to stay lucid. 

Though Joker takes place in early 1980s Gotham City, this movie has ties that are eerily similar to today. While riding the subway home dressed as a party clown, Arthur Fleck is beaten by 3 drunken white-collar workers. Having previously been mugged, Fleck pulls out a gun and kills the men who it turns out work for Wayne Enterprises. 

Gotham is a city on edge, with a garbage strike entering it's third week. With reports of a masked clown having killed these symbolism of elitism, the lower class see Fleck's act as inspiration for a movement for change and riots beleaguer the boroughs. Too bad Gotham city doesn't have a Dark Knight to defend it...

Joker is not an action film. It's more of a psychological thriller that has the viewer seriously doubting the validity of any and all of Fleck's interactions throughout Gotham. That doesn't mean that this isn't a comic book movie. There's definitely echoes of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke and Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. But like FOX's Gotham, Joker proves that you can do Batman stories without the Caped Crusader. 

A very disturbing film that will keep you guessing, this is an entertaining film about the Batman's chief foe. The only question is: is this the real Joker? Or like with Jerome Valeska, is Arthur Fleck the inspiration for the genuine article?

Oh, and parents- don't take your Caped Crusader loving children to see this film. Tons of F-bombs and a lot of violence, and unsettling death and gore! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Joker/Daffy Duck Special #1

The Joker/Daffy Duck Special rounds out my completion of DC/Looney Tunes Wave 2. This one was the one I least expected to enjoy (though I really loved the variant cover and used it as my FB avatar for a while.) Yet, I was for the most part pleasantly surprised.

The art was probably my least favorite aspect of this special. Norm Rapmund and Brett Booth's artwork was quite frenzied and for a Joker adventure, that works very well. but Daffy looks freaky. I know that ducks have these little parts on their bill that are referred to as teeth. Yet, seeing Daffy with a full mouth full of pearly whites is just unsettling.

The story itself was very well written. Daffy treks to Gotham City to see why the Acme Company hasn't filled his latest order of gags. Turns out that Acme has been closed for years and is now the hideout of the Joker!

Normally the Clown Prince of Crime would just off anyone who trespasses on his turf. But Daffy manages to talk his way into becoming the villain's new capo. It's merely a ruse to buy himself some time to escape. but Daffy actually turns out to be pretty good at his job.

I didn't like the ending. I didn't really think it was all that fair towards poor Daffy. But overall, the opening story was entertaining.

I wish I could tell you about the back-up feature. But it was really forgettable. Done in the Looney Tunes style, I cannot for the life of me remember if the Joker or Daffy are even in this Joey Cavaleri penned tale.

Wait a minute!!! I seem to recall Daffy posing as a psychologist at Arkham and he's analyzing the Joker... Still, it's a little cloudy. But if it's not that memorable, it must not have been all that great.

Wow. what a way to end a special. This one's going to be tough to rate. Unfortunately, the back-up tale is going to weigh this book down. But I still recommend this to fans of DC and Merry Melodies because the first story was pretty decent for the most part.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Merry Christmas, 2016!

Here's hoping you don't get stuck in the holiday rut!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
from a Madman(with a book)!

Flashpoint: Batman- Knight of Vengeance #3

  Relive the terrible night in crime alley when a cowardly lugger pulled his gun's trigger and murdered young Bruce Wayne!

   The dramatic close of Knight of Vengeance with such an incredible twist as to who is the Flashpoint Joker.

  When it comes to spoilers, what's the rule of thumb before you can let slip a major plot point? This issue is 6 years old and I still don't feel right letting the ending slip. So, you'll just have to goggle it do yourself a favor and read this crazy storyline for yourself.

  Worth Consuming.

 Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Suicide Squad

   Spiraling out of the events of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Central Intelligence adviser Amanda Waller seeks approval from the Department of Defense to held up a special group of meta-humans called Task Force X. Unofficially known as the Suicide Squad, Task Force X is made up of the worst of the worst villains and top notch commandos the DC Universe has to offer and it's their mission to do the tasks that the American government can't do without serious repercussions. 

     When a supernatural threat begins to lay waste to Midway City, the Suicide Squad are activated and must learn to work as a group or they'll die in a bloodbath of Biblical proportions. Meanwhile, the villainous Joker, upset over losing his girlfriend Harley Quinn to the prison system, works in the background to steal her back in the midst of the Suicide Squad's deadly mission. 

     I don't know what Rotten Tomatoes was thinking- this movie wasn't bad. I went to see it with my wife and she even liked it and she has very little background knowledge of most of the characters. Plus, she said it kept her attention and she would recommend it for people to go and see. For a violent movie such as this, that's high praise from a non-comics reader.

     The film has been slammed for being chaotic. But, there's a ton of back story to go through and spending the first 15-minutes trying to provide dossiers on the members is vital background information that needs to be presented for both the causal viewer like my wife and expert collectors such as me. Now, the opening credits, as well as the closing ones, are a bit of a mess, but really who judges a film on credits?

     Of course, Harley Quinn, played by the Wolf of Wall Street's Margot Robbie stole the show but it wasn't Jared Leto's Joker, who dominates the trailers but has maybe 15 minutes screen-time as best, that interested me as much as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Yes, Will Smith as the ultimate assassin Deadshot was amazing. So what if his eye piece was on the wrong eye. If Harley was the heart of the Suicide Squad, Smith's character was the soul.

 
     Another character that just literally kills in Suicide Squad was El Diablo played by Jay Hernandez (Friday Night Lights.) His troubled gang banger who refuses to use his pyrotechnic super powers as penance because of a tragedy in his mysterious past was intriguing and I felt like his performance could be Oscar worthy.

     The one character I really felt coming into this picture that was miscast was Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. To me, CCH Pounder, who provided the voice of the anti-hero bureaucrat in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series, was Amanda Waller. But Davis did a pretty good job and I wouldn't mind seeing her back in the role for the inevitable sequel. 

     If you've been on the fence about seeing Suicide Squad, I urge you don't listen to the haters. I had every intention of seeing it last week, but I was too exhausted from a 6 day work week and spend most of last Sunday asleep. This movie was a lot better than certain internet sites would have you believe. I really enjoyed it and I would love to see a director's cut. (Just please don't release it only on Blu-ray!!!) 

     A great comic book based film but a little too mature for those under 13. This is NOT Batman V Superman, people! 

     I give it a solid 8.

     Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman '66, Volume 4

   Writer Jeff Parker, cover artist Michael Allred, and a slew of other great artists, colorists, and inkers present another thrilling chapter of Batman adventures based on the 1966 TV series. But this volume comes with an added bonus. Along with a King Tut caper, the Joker becoming a superhero, and the Penguin pulling a slew of crimes based on bats instead of birds for a change; Batman and Batgirl visit Japan to take on the Batmanga villain, Lord Death Man! 

   But that's not all that is included in this thrilling volume. Along for the ride is the one-shot Batman '66: The Lost Episode. That story is based on a treatment by acclaimed sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison (City on the Edge of Forever, Star Trek: TOS) that for some reason or another never made it on TV. Lucky for you, the entire original proposal is reprinted along with stunning color photos from the hit series.

    In the lost episode, Two-Face would have been introduced to the Batman '66 universe. Rumor had it that producers were seriously looking at Clint Eastwood to play the role of Gotham DA Harvey Dent, who becomes the deranged villain after half of his body is doused with acid, in season 4. But, alas Batman was canceled after just 3 seasons. Oh, and did I mention, it's written by the great Len Wein (Swamp Thing) with art by the equally great Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (Super Powers)?

   I really loved this volume. It continues to build on the Batman '66 mythos and pits both classic Batman TV series and new Batman comics villains in that funky little corner of the DC Universe. I'm starting to see this book in the light of other comic books based on unused plans for shows that got canceled much too soon (IE Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 9.) 

Lord Death Man by
Sandy Jarrell.

   But this edition holds a place very dear to my heart for another reason. Earlier, I mentioned the Lord Death Man story. Well, it just so happens late last year, I got to meet the artist for that issue, Sandy Jarrell, at a convention in Raleigh. He was doing blank sketches and I commission him to make me a piece with the caveat that he could draw it of any Batman villain, except for the usual suspects of Joker, Catwoman, Riddler, and Penguin. Well, an hour later and Jarrell presented me with my very own sketch of the Japanese Batman adversary. It was so awesome looking, people kept asking to buy my book! (Get in line, folks...)

   Batman '66 is a fun little series that despite getting cancelled recently, doesn't look like it's going to go away anytime soon and I am glad. Right now, Batman and the Man from UNCLE are teaming up in a miniseries and I hope DC has that smarts to either return Batman '66 to store shelves or kept pairing the Dynamic Duo up with more legends from the swinging 60s.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman: The War Years (1939-1945)

   This collection of early Batman stories is the first of 3 volumes devoted to the World War II exploits of the DC Trinity. These books are edited by legend Roy Thomas, who also provides his unique take on the source material as a comics insider and devoted historian of the medium. Under Thomas' watch, 'The War Years' is divided into chapters focusing on each phase of the war effort such as life in the United States prior to Pearl Harbor, fifth column espionage, war bonds, and the spoils of war itself, as it pertains to the evolution of the Batman. 

    Most of these stories are pretty crude in regards to the art, dialogue, and plot. But I wouldn't change a single page. During World War II, every American was expected to make sacrifices. With rationing, shortages of able-bodied men drafted into the Armed Forces, and constant fear of an Axis invasion, if a mistake was made in a comic book it was nearly impossible to see it fixed in a timely manner if at all. 

   Comics were considered a vital tool to providing morale, instruction, and patriotism to American's youth and our fighting men, so it was of the utmost importance that publication deadlines were met no matter what. That level of dedication to seeing our world kept free from tyranny allowed me to overlook any and all errors contained within this book.

    This volume contains about 20 stories and numerous covers that highlight the Batman's role in the second world war. As you witness Batman go from a brooding solo act to an optimistic duo with the addition of Robin, and finally merge into an icon of justice, you'll encounter fellow heroes such as Superman, George Washington, and President Roosevelt. Featuring villains such as the Joker and the Scarecrow, the truly evil guest stars of this book are Hitler, Emperor Hirohito and Mussolini and their enemy agents. All this and more comes to you from the deft hands of Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger, and many more artists and writers who helped craft the Dark Knight into the legend he is today.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.