I Luv Halloween, Vol 1

A Halloween themed manga written by Keith Giffen. I couldn't pass it up. And yet like a driver who picks up the hitchhiker from Hell, I kinda wish that I had kept on driving. 

I Luv Halloween has got to be the must inappropriate, goriest romp starring kids that I have ever read. Imagine the movie Gummo, if it was set during Halloween. (I really want to compare this with the film Kids. However, there's nowhere as much animal murder and cruelty in that controversial film compared to Gummo.)

The book is about a group of 4 boys as they go trick-or-treating. After getting apples at their first couple of houses, the boys decide to break the curse by putting razor blades in one of the fruits and unleash the unmitigated fury of the law on one of their stingy neighbors. Meanwhile, one of the boy's sisters has broken free from the group and has begun a reign of unintentional terror, killing the neighborhood bully, bludgeoning a cheerleader and her boyfriend and much, much more unspeakable acts. 

If I thought Giffen was trying to do a straight out horror story on par with Children of the Corn, I'd probably not feel like I need to take a shower just for writing this review. But the kids in the book do most of their gruesome acts with a sense of innocence. It's almost like the worst Murphy's law bad luck of all time following these kids and they just go through life not understanding just how destructive they are. Remember how Steve Urkel would ask 'did I do that?', whenever something went wrong? Well, these kids, for the most part, don't even know that they are doing terrible things. Well, the sister might. There's definitely something not quite right about her...

The artwork is by Benjamin Roman. At the time this book was published, in 2005, he was a relative newcomer with this being his very first professionally published work. His art style is extremely exaggerated. Roman would fit in quite well at MAD Magazine. I wonder what became of him...

This one isn't a keeper for me. I wasn't a huge fan of it. There's a lot going on that I'm not even sure happened or not as several of kids are not very reliable narrators. And yet, there's 2 more volumes and I just need to find out what is true and what is the fever dreams of a group of horny preteens. Plus I just need to know what is wrong with the sister. She just not quite right in the head.

Not the coming of age tale you'd feel comfortable sharing with your kids or grand kids. I fact, if you didn't feel uncomfortable after reading this book I'd think something might be wrong with you...

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

O.M.A.C., Vol. 1: Omactivate!

The non-Fourth World world of Jack Kirby is given the New 52 treatment in this oh too brief miniseries. I'm typically not impressed with the grandstanding style of Dan DiDio. He's self-indulgent and smarmy. Plus, DC Comics wouldn't be in half of the financial mess that they're in right now if not for DiDio. Yet, this time around, I was more than impressed. It's probably because of the assist by Keith Giffen (Larfleeze) on the script. But I will give kudos where kudos are due. 

Not only does this book retool the character of OMAC, this book also ties in another Kirby classic, Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth. Add in Project Cadmus from Kirby's Jimmy Olsen tenure, Max Lord (a Keith Giffen creation) and Dick Giordano's Sarge Steel, this felt like a tribute to classic DC Comics. 

I did not want this book to end. It was so very fun. I would love for this to be turned into a movie. Heck, I would love for there to be a sequel. Though, with this being New 52, I'm not sure how connected to continuity this is and I don't want to support something that would contradict DC canon. But if a sequel doesn't do such a thing- please, oh please, continue the story!

With artwork by Scott Koblish (Scotch McTeirnan's Halloween Party), this is a fantastic story for those who like their DC Comics to be a little off-the-wall. A reluctant sci-fi superhero in the vein of Neo from The Matrix. You don't have to be a Kirby fanatic (of which I am). But it helps. And for those established Kirby-ites, as long as you understand that this book isn't trying to replace Kirby's OMAC, they should enjoy this as well!

Don't ask me why this is listed as Volume 1. There is no volume 2. This sort of oversight infuriates me and is about the only thing about this book I dislike.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Marvel Comics Presents #173

There are 4 one-shot stories in this, the third from last issue of MCP.

Lunatik is back for another run. This time around, he's been hired to assassinate an entire tribe of dimwitted natives as part of some big business scheme. But with the Silver Surfer involved and a heavy dose of hero worship, the bounty hunter just might have a change of heart.

In the Vengeance story, the demonic moppet Diabolique and her Plaything have returned. A major character dies! And I'm having nightmares again.

Nick Fury and SHIELD are back too! With Dum Dum Dugan helping out, the team is testing out yet another LMD with predictably disastrous effects.

Finally, the Avenger reservist Stingray is exploring the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire when he's attacked by Lava Men!

This was a great issue. Well, sorta. I mean, I didn't like that Diabolique killed off a pretty likable character. That's a death that is going to haunt Michael Badilino for years to come. 

I never complain when Nick Fury is around. I'll take a series of one-and-done stories if that's the only way to get more SHIELD into this book. The Stingray story had some amazing artwork by Mark McKenna (G.I. Joe: Order of Battle). And I thought the Lunatik story was funny. But I also feel like this was a Lobo story over at DC once before. 

Speaking of Lobo. Look at this cover by Simon Bisley, Jeff Moore and Tim Dzon. It's got Lunatik on the cover; but doesn't it look like something you'd see on a Lobo cover? That's because Simon Bisley did a whole bunch of covers for Lobo. With Keith Giffen at the helm!

I got a couple other things to say about this cover. One- Skreets is hot. There, I said it. It's not appropriate. But the artists really upped the image rating to a hard PG-13. Then, I must ask why does the previous issue have Silver Surfer on the cover when the character appears in this book? Shouldn't the covers or stories have been switched? Seems like somebody goofed...

A good issue that didn't turn out with 4 happy endings nor the right cover starring Lunatik it so appears.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #172

We're down to the last 4 issues of MCP. Things kick off with the debut of a brand new character called Lunatik. Created by Keith Giffen, Lunatik is hundreds of millions of years old. The last of his race, because he consumed all of his planet's people, animals and resources, Lunatik now travels the galaxy as a mercenary with little scruples and a love of space dolphins. 

Yeah, you heard me. Space Dolphins and if that little clue reminds you of a big bad bastiche from the pages of the Distinguished Competition, then reward yourself with a few credits from petty cash. Keith Giffen created the character of Lobo in the pages of Omega Men #3 (1983) and his origin reads an awful lot like that of Lunatik's. Though Lobo did come first, mind you. 

One thing very different between Lobo and Lunatik is that Lunatik has a sidekick. Skreet is a chaos sprite who acts a little bit like Lunatik's conscience as well as his secretary and bookkeeper. Illustrated by Giffen and inked by Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Skeet is kinda punk and kinda alluring. But for Lunatik, as good intentioned as Skreet is, she's a boil on his backside.

Vengeance appears in a single issue story set in San Francisco. In this episode, Badilino and his task force are responding to reports of a super-powered killer in the City by the Bay. It might just be the extremely misguided vigilante, Foolkiller, behind the murders. Or there could be something even more sinister in the works...

The other two segments are POV stories from members of Force Works. Despite last issue being told that we needed to by the latest issue of Force Works to learn how the team survives the crash of the Pegasus, the stories here pick up immediately after the accident. Miraculously and shamelessly, everyone survives. This leads to U.S. Agent going off on his own, half-cocked of course, to stop the Mandarin while the Scarlet Witch tends to the injured.

While the Force Works stories follow the same formula of one incident told from 2 perspectives, neither is framed from a Point of View like in the last issue. I think omitting such a concept takes away from the unique theme of the Force Works stories.

The Vengeance story was kinda comedic. Though the loose ending scares the pants offa me. I don't really know what to think of the Lunatik story. It's classic Keith Giffen fare. But it also  looks a lot like a Lobo swipe...

A good issue that just has some flaws to it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Larfleeze, Vol. 2: Revolt of the Orange Lanterns

YOU WILL BELIEVE A JACKASS CAN FLY!

That should be the tagline if they were ever to make a film starring Larfleeze, the Orange Lantern of Avarice!

I came across this book for just a few dollars at an Ollie's. Having first been introduced to the character in the pages of the Larfleeze Christmas Special, I took a shot on this book. And then after adding it to my collection, I promptly filled it in one of my short boxes and immediately forgot about it. Jump forward a couple of years until a few days ago, I was in the mood for something light. Thankfully, I had this Larfleeze book on hand for such a moment as that!

Larfleeze is in a panic. Oh, and he's tremendously upset! That's because someone has stolen all his stuff- including the Orange Lantern that fuels his power ring. With time running out, Larfleeze, along with his newly acquired butler, Stargrave (I.E. kidnapped), will stoop to nothing to retrieve his lost loot!

Featuring a nearly forgotten sci-fi team, the Star Rovers, a bunch of deceased aliens, and a peak behind the creation source point, I really enjoyed this cosmic romp. Pretty much, if you attach Keith Giffen and JM DeMatteis to a project, I'm going to want to read it and I'm going to enjoy it. I think it's because they just think a little bit differently about things. So I have found some kindred spirits. The co-creators of Justice League International are quirky, a little odd and a whole heck of a lot funny!

This collection of stories were part of DC's New 52 experiment. Yet, the stories inside don't read like it. The book was completely insane, mostly because after being a billion years old and under the influence of the greedy energy of the orange lantern, Larfleeze is just about as completely nuts as one can be. 

There is quite a bit of violence. The level of blood red ink is almost equal to the orange that highlights literally every page. There's quite a few 'damns' and 'hells'. But I was more surprised by gratuitous use of the a-word; especially for a 2011 book that boasts a Teen rating on the cover.

As comical as this first volume was, it's not for kids. But it was definitely a book for me. There's a volume 2 out there and I really want to get my hands on it before I start to forget what happened already. 

Darn that getting old!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #8

After taking a small detour to view Blue Devil's first appearance in comics (Fury of Firestorm #24), I returned to the second half of this Trickster story. The tale goes from romantic comedy to buddy-cop road trip. And I think it actually got better!

James Jesse is perfectly written by Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn. And to have Keith Giffen taking over for departing Paris Cullins (who is still doing covers) was an acceptable substitute. If you need a laugh, this is a great issue to help the stresses of 2020's insanity fall away.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

A Very DC Halloween

Collecting 2017's DC House of Horror and last year's Cursed Comics Cavalcade. This is a truly disturbing look at some of your favorite heroes from the House That Superman Built. 

Let's first examine DC House of Horror. I don't know how I overlooked this Halloween special. It's the main reason I bought this book. I already had Cursed Comics Cavalcade in my collection. But I could not pass up this getting my hands on this trade. 

Keith Giffen (Justice League) pens all of the stories in DC's House of Horror. Giffen, who is known for penning some rather lighter fare, such as all of those Ambush Bug stories, must have a dark side deep down. Every story in this special was extremely creepy. From a ghost story involving Harley Quinn and some poor haunted schmo hired to renovate the old Arkham Asylum ruins to a young American girl who summons the spirit of an Amazon warrior princess, I was creeped out by all of these stories. 

And that zombie Justice League story! Man, did that have a tragic ending!

The Cavalcade wasn't so bad. A couple of stories were rather light-hearted such as the Zatanna yarn in which her (and Fables' Bill Willingham) show a scared little girl the magic behind Halloween. The Swamp Thing and Demon stories were quite good as those fan favorites characters never seem to miss. And I enjoyed the twists of the Batman story and Robin/Solomon Grundy team-up. 

Speaking of that Batman episode, the villain introduced in that, Gorehound, needs to see a return in a multi-story arc in the pages of Detective Comics! 

I love Halloween comics. These didn't disappoint getting me in the holiday spirit. But I was unprepared for the level of depravity and sorrow that these normally upstanding and upbeat characters! 

I'm glad it's only just for All Hallow's Eve!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Auntie Agatha's Home for Wayward Rabbits

It’s getting harder and harder to determine if a new series is all-ages friendly or not. Case in point is today’s Family Comic Friday review, Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits. Being published by Image Comics should have been my first guess that the book wasn’t suited for all. But it’s written by Justice League legend, Keith Giffen. And it has bunnies!

I could have decided to not review this book under the FCF tagline. But then I remembered that there’s many, many classics that the whole family enjoy even though not rated for all. Examples of this are Star Wars, E.T., Harry Potter and the films of DC and Marvel. So, let’s take a look at this home for wayward bunnies…

Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits #1
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Benjamin Roman with additional art by Chris Sears
Published by Image Comics

Auntie Agatha is actually rated Teen. But I didn’t even know the rating until I got to the back cover. Comic Books are not known for having relevant information about the story like the back of a regular book. Generally there’s an ad for Hostess Twinkies or bodybuilding with Charles Atlas. In other words, I forgot that Image likes to put artwork and the rating on the back of their comics.

Wayward Rabbits is about a young girl named Julie. She is the caretaker of her aunt’s preserve for special needs rabbits. One such coney has OCD. Another has trouble speaking unless it’s in jumbled forms of TV ads. Meanwhile, the guard dog wears a bunny mask, trying to get in touch with his inner rabbit.

The story starts with Julie dealing with a another resident of the refuge, Sawyer. This rabbit has some anger issues. This time, Sawyer is tired of being served the same old rabbit food. So Julie shows him the alternative and opens the bunnies eyes to a secret conspiracy... And a crazy rat!

The first issue ends on a cliffhanger with a pair of odd twins visiting the home. They wish to meet with Auntie Agatha, who has been absent so far from the entire story. What is the secret to Auntie Agatha’s whereabouts? And how will this affect Julie and the rabbits of the facility?

Aside from Stan Lee, writer Keith Giffen was responsible for crafting a large chunk of my childhood. A DC guy, Giffen wrote and created such characters the Ambush Bug, The Legion of Substitute Heroes and the epic 1987 retooling of the Justice League. Giffen’s style is off-the-wall, zany and down right bizarre. It’s no wonder why I have turned out the way I have. This new series from Giffen and Benjamin Roman is no different from his other creations.

As for the artist, Benjamin Roman, I am not familiar with him at all. His art style has touches of Frank Quitely (Jupiter Rising). Roman has an amazing eye for the littlest details But his drawing of humans is similar to that of those Disney Pixar films. It doesn’t quite look right.
As for the age appropriateness of this book. The first about 20 pages are fine. Then you’ve got two swears. They’re not big ones but they are there. There’s also one panel of very shocking violence. It’s about the level of that in Oliver Twist. But it’s against a child and could warrant a discussion with young readers.

Auntie Agatha is funny. There’s some great one liners in this book. The characters are fleshed out quite well for a first issue. Plus, I am really interested in knowing what happens next in issue #2. But it’s not for everyone. I’d say you could safely allow the right readers of about the age of 10 at the youngest to read this. However, if the young reader in your life is at the right level of maturity, then I highly recommend you open your hearts up to these little bunnies in need of a good home!

Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits #1 debuted in print and digital platforms on Wednesday, November 7th.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Kamandi Challenge #1

   Have you ever played that game in which you start a story and then the person on your right adds to it and then it keeps getting passed around the group? Your story might start off as a romance and evolves into a horror, comedy, or Bollywood blockbuster. It's all up to the storyteller. Well, that's what Dan Didio and the good folks at DC Comics is doing with the Kamandi Challenge.
    2017 marks what would be the 100th birthday of comic book legend Jack 'King' Kirby. While Kirby is more noted for his work with Marvel, there have been periods where the King worked with DC. Most notably is his time in the early 70s where her created a slew of fan favorite characters including OMAC, The Demon, Darkseid, and the star of this project, Kamandi.

Dale Eaglesham variant cover.
It's sick! I love it!

    Kamandi is the last human boy on earth. A great disaster caused mankind to either die out or de-evolve into uncivilized cavemen. In turn all sorts of animals evolved, become intelligent and bi-pedal. It's Kamandi's mission to restore humanity to it's rightful place as the rulers of the earth.
     In this opening chapter Kamandi is a normal boy, living a seemingly normal life. That is until invaders arrive to kidnap him. It turns out that Kamandi's parents created a world with androids to look over the lad in their absence. However, the weaponry of the attackers is too much for the robots and the boy is swept away into a deep dark void. Now on his own, Kamandi must escape his animal jailers and be reunited with his parents.
    This origin is slightly different from Kirby's version from 1972. But I'm going roll with it for a couple of reasons. For one, I'm a big Kamandi fan. Secondly, I am told that somehow through this series, the last two unpublished (except in the extremely rare Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2) issues are going to be finally released to the masses. Since I am trying to collect the entire original Kamandi run, I need those issues!
     The first chapter of the Kamandi Challenge was very entertaining. I'm not sure where this book is going to go but that's part of the fun. So far the assortment of writers and artists such as Didio, Keith Griffin, and Dale Eaglesham have been impressive. I can't wait to see what happens next.
     On that note, since this is the 100th birthday of Jack Kirby, I have a feeling that both DC and Marvel have some more surprises in store for the rest of 2017. I'm excited at the prospects- I just hope they get Stan Lee involved somehow.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
     

The Trencher X-Mas Bites 1994 Holiday Blow-Out #1

  Gideon Trencher- Zombie repo-man. His mission, to kill those souls that were erroneously reincarnated. With the help of his dispatcher, Phoebe, it doesn't matter if you are a good soul or bad. If you are on Trencher's list, you're as good as dead.
    The creation of Justice League legend and Ambush Bug creator, Keith Giffen, I was excited when I found this holiday special in a bargain bin. You can tell that this is a Giffen project. The art is gritty, the humor is dark and somewhat absurd. But it's also kinda gross.
    In this 1994 holiday special, Trencher is on the hunt for a Proctologist whose also a serial killer. See, after the doctor performed a rectal surgery on a superhero, result in radioactive far-...
    I'm sorry, I can't go any further. It's really that disgusting.
    I tend to keep my holiday comics, even if it's just the biggest load of manure I've ever laid my eyes on. This holiday special might very well break that rule.
   Part one in which Trencher himself, while pretty crude, was enjoyable when he targets one of Santa's helper. The back-up features including pin-ups of Trencher characters, a short story starring Mr. Monster, and some other one-pager gags were pretty funny. But the potty humor of Part two includes quite a bit of beans jokes and noxious gases was beyond the pale for me.
    Really, a big disappointment for a book that I at first thought would be pretty dope. Instead, it's just dopey. At least I only spent 50 cents on it...

   Not Worth Consuming

   Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.

The Big Book of Urban Legends

 

  The escaped mental patient hiding in the backseat...
    Alligators living in the sewers of New York...
    The woman who microwaved her dog in the microwave...
   
     Urban legends. We've all heard of these stories. Whether we've told these stories around a glowing campfire or heard that these really happened (to a friend of a friend), our culture is filled with these stories. Some tales have were born from a bit of truth. Others are steeped in our fears or prejudices. But no matter where these urban legends came from, they've become a little bit of a guilty pleasure of mine.
     I found the Big Book of Urban Legends in a bargain bin in one of my favorite local comics shops. I've been a fan of the Big Book series, published by now defunct DC Comics imprint Paradox Press, for quite some time and when I can find one to complete my collection, I rarely hesitate to own one. Maybe I'm biased but this one just happened to have a little bit of a special history for me.
    The Big Book of Urban Legends was written by noted folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand. My mother, a lover of Gothic horror in her own right, just happened to own a trio of books devoted to urban legends and these books coincidentally were written by Brunvand!
     I remember one rainy weekend that I found my mom's copies and read them- no I devoured them! Some were scary. Some were weird. Some were even titillating. But above all, they were all captivating. As a result, I became a fan of urban legends and this was a fun trip down memory lane for me in a way.
    This collection features dozens of artists who tackled their favorite myths. Legends such as Joe Orlando, Dick Giordano, and Keith Griffin are just some of the talent found in this volume of over 200 different legends. Even this Madman's fan favorite Fred Hembeck illustrates a yarn about a car enthusiast and his jealous wife.  
      The Big Book of Urban Legends was a fun read. The only problem I have with it is that I didn't wait until closer to Halloween to read it and October just seems to me to be the perfect time to read urban legends and myths. But let's be honest folks, stories like the Vanishing Hitchhiker in which someone picks up a lonely girl on the side of a road only to learn she died years earlier, are NOT urban legends. Those are ghost stories and they deserved their own Big Book. But hey, it's still fun to read and maybe get a little freaked out.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
   

Joker's Asylum II: Mad Hatter

This tragic tale of the origin of the Mad Hatter is just as deranged as the madman telling it. The story was quite good- though last year I read another version of the Mad Hatter's origin in the pages of Batman: Arkham City that I thought was just perfect. This one is good, but it's not instant classic material.

   The same cannot be said of the art. Bill Sienkiewicz draws the main layout. But for some reason, parts of the artwork is overlapped with doodles by the great Keith Giffen. It looks like someone is scrapbooking for the insane or something here.

   If this sort of layout had appeared in a Justice League Europe issue or a volume of Ambush Bug (and I'm pretty sure it has), then I would say it's great and necessary for the work in question. But in this edition of Joker's Asylum, well it's a hot mess. I hate that DC didn't do further volumes of this series but if this issue was the only sample offered to the masses for review, I can see why further minis and one-shots were never greenlit.

   This series can do better.

   Not Worth Consuming

   Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Annihilation #1-6 (Annihilation Week)

Variant Cover to Issue #1

 The battle is taken to Annihilus by a combined force of Kree, Skrull, heralds of Galactus, and assorted intergalactic rogues, lead by Richard Rider, the last Nova. The opening scene pits Nova's coalition against the bug warriors of the Negative Zone. That opening chapter was insane. It so very much seemed like a scene from 'Starship Troopers.' I'm starting to think that writer Keith Giffen always wanted to script a version of Robert A Heinlein's classic work.

  Well, Giffen got his wish.

   The plot thickens when Nova's army is stretched to its limits of survival when Annihilus and Thanos capture Galactus and the Silver Surfer and turn them into an ultimate weapon of destruction. When it's clear that the armies of the Negative Zone have their sights set on Earth as their next target, Nova and Drax the Destroyer will have to eliminate Annihilus and the Mad Titan separately or all of humanity (and a large majority of the Marvel Universe's superhero community) will become annihilated.

   Annihilation was worth the build up of several miniseries if only for that opening chapter I mentioned. The war scenes were stunning and action-packed, but I was enthralled by the scenes that lead up to the warfare. Those scenes were perfectly crafted and made me feel like there was a real war occurring. Giffen thought of everything.

    I was quite happy with the finale of this series but it's left open for a sequel (Note: there is a sequel to Annihilation called Annihilation: Conquest and I hope to come across it's omnibus library sometime soon.) The art for this series was very good and at times ultra-graphic.

If you love sci-fi then you'll love this book. However, it might surprise you to know that fans of traditional war epics will enjoy this series as well and you could enjoy this series without needing to read the prequels and not be too very lost about what's happened up till now.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Up Next: Annhilation: Heralds of Galactus

Welcome to Annihilation Week...

 A couple of weeks ago I found a copy of the Annihilation Omnibus at my local library. It was a massive 500-page plus volume that weighs a good 5lbs. It's huge! But I've been wanting to read this series for quite a while and I jumped at the chance to read it for free (SRP is $125.00!)
 
   But with this massive book I didn't think it was fair to rate the book as a whole. There are at least 7 different one-shots or mini-series that comprise this series. While Keith Giffen writes most of the books, he's not the author of all of these books. Also, there is a host of artists, inkers, and colorists involved in the visuals of this cross-over event. So, I've decided to break this book down and review it in chapters over this week.

  One thing I did quite differently was that instead of reviewing each issue individually, I'm reviewing by title. So if the series is just one issue, four, or seven, I'm grouping things together. It's not exactly a new thing. If I read a collection, I review the book as a whole. But like I said, I think it doesn't do this series justice to give it just one single judgment.

So with that... let Annihilation Week begin.

52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen #4

Wonder Woman fights off Pestilence from destroying Oolong Island. But the real villain might be fortified within the villainous barricades.

   Meanwhile, War and Famine arrive in Bialya with a score to settle with the Man of Steel. Infected by the bite of one of the Horsemen, Superman will need all the help he can get.

   An unexpected blast from the past becomes a major player in this issue. I really love their incursion into the storyline. It was sorely needed. While many may wish it was anybody but this character, especially the Man of Tomorrow, I applaud Keith Giffen adding him to the story. Giffen has such an affinity for the Silver Age and using ******** in this issue was the perfect homage to the early days of the Justice League of America and the right twist needed for this story to get better and better.

  It took several issues, but the 4th time was the charm for perfection.

   Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen #2

   The fictitious nation of Bialya plays heavy in 52. It's already seen massive devastation after the events of Black Adam's World War III. So with a country full of sick, injured, starving, angry, and dying people, it becomes the natural breeding ground for the Four Horsemen.

  First up: Death, the pale rider, raises the dead of Bialya as his personal army. Like any zombie horde, their bite is infectious. On a humanitarian mission for the Wayne Foundation, Bruce Wayne finds himself without a utility belt in front of a raging horde. Will Clark Kent, on assignment for the Daily Planet be able to save the billionaire without giving away his secret identity?

   This second chapter was a little more fun than the opening servo. I liked the undead rising element and the Four Horsemen as a group seem to be an interesting quartet. But there's still some disconnect between Keith Giffen and me the reader. I think it's because he relies too much on the source material which wasn't very memorable.

   Am I biased? I'm probably guilty as charged. But I will admit that some of this issue was much better. The art, especially. It's got a sleek modern feel to it and the color palette while muted is very clean. Okay, with as story full of zombies and dying refugees, it is a little too clean.

  Still, a better overall improvement.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Ambush Bug #1

What can I say? I love Ambush Bug. He’s wild, crazy, and totally bizarre. He’s also a comic book character that knows HE IS A COMIC BOOK CHARACTER! He also can’t figure out why nobody else around him knows that but him.

This Keith Giffen creation celebrates his first solo issue by going out and getting a sidekick to help him solve crimes. His first challenge is a bunch of Right-wing terrorist whackos who’re planning on blowing up a building filled with nuclear bombs. Oh, and one of their grandmothers who voted for Jimmy Carter!

 

You can’t make this stuff up! A solid dollar bin gem that I might find myself reading over and over from time to time because it was that much fun and totally insane!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Ambush Bug Year None #7 (of 6)

 

  No, you didn’t miss anything. It appears that DC editor Dan Didio lost issue #6. Then after almost a year of searching, the writers and editing staff said “Screw It!” and made a new issue 6, but titled it issue 7. Is that because they might one day find issue 6 and later reissue it as a special “Lost Annual?”

  Despite the major scheduling screw up to tie up this series, Keith Giffen managed to produce a very funny and very well scripted alternate ending to this series. Sadly, not everything about Year None would be that great and not match up to the quality of other previous Ambush Bug titles from years past.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Ambush Bug: Year None #5

We finally have our Ambush Bug back! It appears he went ‘rogue’ and tried life as a minion to a bizarre super villain named Yellow Snow. Sounds like something from The Tick, it’s that bizarre.

Then AB has been posing as a Monitor and might have something to do with the destruction of one of the new 52 worlds of the multiverse.

It’s good to not only see the Bug back in his own series after a short hiatus, but also good to see this series reaching the same quality of other AB Adventures penned by creator Keith Giffen.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Ambush Bug Year None #4

The Bug’s gone missing, along with several cats, dogs, and other assorted animals. The writers ask if the DC Universe can survive without Ambush Bug. I ask if the series can survive without him. This series lacks the quality of previous AB minis and one-shots. I’m not sure what’s missing besides our hero. His new wife, Dumb Bunny, is funny, but she can’t carry this title on her own.

Some very funny scenes and great sight gags. Just not the best work by Keith Giffen. Maybe a Post-52 DCU is too gritty for the insane Ambush Bug.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.