The Fifth Beatle

John, Paul, George, Ringo, and the Fifth Beatle.

   But just who is this Fifth member of the greatest rock and roll band of perhaps all-time? Is it drummer Pete Best, the band's first tempo keeper kicked out in favor of Ringo Star? Was it Eric Clapton, who played lead guitar on the White Album's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and was frequently asked to join by the quartet? Was it Yoko, who once she married John, was joined at the hip and known to sit in on sessions? Or was it Billy Preston, asked to play piano for the Let It Be sessions in order to help keep the peace amongst the band in the throes of breaking up? 

    While the answer has stymied fans for decades, the most definitive answer has always come from Paul. In the 70s, McCartney once said 'If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian.' The Brian in question was the late Brian Epstein. After reading this graphic novel about the unsung first manager of the Beatles, I am inclined to agree.

   Without Epstein, the Beatles probably would be just another band playing gigs in Liverpool. They were good but they weren't at that next level that would make them legends. It was Brian who got them to that legendary status. 

   The new manager made the band be more clean cut, drop Best for Ringo and made John marry his girlfriend Cynthia whom he just got pregnant. Epstein was also behind getting the band on Ed Sullivan which kicked off the global phenomenon called Beatlemania! I think this also shortened the band's lifespan by about 5-10 years, in which the grueling pace caused riffs and exhaustion amongst the four friends and their eventual breakup in 1970.

    Not only does this book focus on Epstein's role with the Fab Four, but it also chronicles the pain and struggles of a hurting man. Brian was gay and though the Beatles and his parents knew, it was kept secret. I didn't know this but until 1967, it was a crime in Great Britain to be homosexual. So, Epstein frequented Spain and the Big Apple, two more 'tolerant' areas during his holidays from the band in order to live his life a little more openly. But all of his hiding plus the frantic pace of being the manager of the biggest band in the world saw Brian taking tons of drugs, therapy, and alcohol all of which lead to an accidental overdose just one month before the criminal band of homosexuals in the UK was lifted.

   I got this book in a Comic Bento box as a gift from my wife over the Christmas holidays last year. But this graphic novel has been available since November of 2013. At the time, Brian Epstein had yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and gay marriage was still illegal in about 38 states. A lot has changed in the past 3 years and I think this book had a lot to do with those changes.

   Less than one year after the Fifth Beatle was published, Epstein finally got inducted in Cleveland. And just last year, the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is legal nationwide. Now, you might be thinking 'how did this book help gay marriage?' Well, in the back, legendary underground comix artist and writer, Howard Cruse wrote an afterword expounding Epstein's influence on his life. That page goes on to say that proceeds from this book went to the Freedom to Marry campaign, which was a fund for the gay marriage fight in the US Supreme Courts system. In 1966, Epstein inspired the world to know 'All You Need Is Love' and after he telecast that song worldwide on a Beatles simulcast, that challenge was took up by many, including Cruse.

   I see this book as being the next non-superhero comic book blockbuster in theaters and currently writer Vivek J. Tiwary is working on a screenplay. I kinda hope the film is at least partially animated relying on the artwork of artist Andrew C. Robinson, who does a beautiful job making the Fab Five come to life. The only thing I was not a fan of was Kyle Baker's inclusion as the artist for a scene in the Philippines. I'm not sure why he was even used for this book. I love Baker, but his comical anecdote detracted from the rest of this beautiful book.

   A must-read for Beatles fans whether you like graphic novels or not!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle One Shot (Family Comic Friday)

So before the review, let me introduce our players in this classic holiday comic team-up:

 The Bakers: This is the brain-child of Eisner Award winner Kyle Baker (Plastic Man.) His series The Bakers is loosely based on the antics of his four children, his wife Liz, and himself. When I've read old issues of The Bakers, I feel like I'm reading a cartoon version of the Cosby Show. The kids try to outsmart stay-at-home dad, Kyle, especially when he's pressed for a deadline, while Mom is a career woman who loves her husband and kids, even if their all a little crazy.

Jingle Belle: The daughter of Santa Claus and star of several one-shot annual holiday tales. She's the creation of Paul Dini, the creative genius behind Batman: The Animated Series and the Justice League series. Jingle looks like a giant elf and she's often seen giving her dad fits as she'd rather be a glamour star instead of the next Kris Kringle.

So we've meet everyone involved. Let's get started.

This one-shot published by Dark Horse Comics has Jingle Belle forced to assist her father on Christmas Eve. At the same time, Mom and Dad Baker need to do some last minute Christmas shopping and are in desperate need of a sitter. Somehow Belle is accidently sent to the Baker household and winds up watching the baby Bakers. Hilarity ensues when Papa Claus is chased by police as a prowler in a red suit when he goes searching through the Bakers neighborhood for his errant daughter.

I choose this book for my final holiday Family Comic Friday review of the 2014 season because both series are really funny and fun for children of all ages. The Bakers is cross between a family sitcom and a hipper version of the Family Circus. Jingle Belle, while obviously drawn with a little sex appeal, is reminiscent of those classic claymation holiday specials we've all grown-up watching, such as Rudolph and 'The Year Without a Santa Claus.' Sadly, both series are currently defunct. But I've found The Bakers in several library collections and both titles and their numerous volumes can be found in bargain bins and online for reasonable prices.

There's very little to object to in this one shot and it's participants' respective series. The only thing I don't agree with is how Santa curses- a lot! "#$%!" is often how his outbursts are portrayed, but I don't think he should do that. He's not a bad Santa. He's just flummoxed by the generation gap between him and his ultra-cool daughter.

Creatively, the story was very funny. Paul Dini provided the script while Kyle Baker drew and inked. The Baker family also contributed as co-plotters. I would've like this book to have been 48-pages instead of 32. That way, there could've been a small back-up feature where Baker wrote a Christmas follow-up and we could've seen Dini's wonderful art. Unfortunately, the only art of Dini's we get to see is a team-up collaboration the cover, where Dini draws Jingle Belle and Baker fills in the rest of the page.

This is a heart-warming Christmas special that could very well become a holiday tradition of yours as it's going to become one of mine.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Damage Control (Series 3) #1 of 4

  The crew at Damage Control is suspected of creating disasters for profit after the team is repeatedly called away to accidents minutes before they happen. With the NYPD on their tail, the company is going to have to prove that they are innocent or the whole business may be forced to close, people lose their jobs, and even worse, face criminal charges.

  I like this idea. It’s got an air of mystery to it while still staying true to the Damage Control formula I love. What doesn’t stay true to the DC formula is the art. For some reason, Ernie Colon is not the artist for this issue (and I fear for the rest of the series.)

Taking over the reins from Colon is Kyle Baker. Years after this issue is published, Baker will revitalize the obscure and definitely weird super hero Plastic Man. His cartoonish style works for Plas. It does not work for Damage Control. Besides Peter and Robin, the art is so different from Ernie Colon, that I can’t tell who some of these characters are. I did not enjoy it.

While I like some of Baker’s work, this issue isn’t one I favor. In fact, it’s so bad; this becomes the first Damage Control issue I deem NOT WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Plastic Man: Rubber Bandits

WORTH CONSUMING!

Whimsical stories with a flair of Ren and Stimpy. Not just the art but some of the bawdy humor which causes a problem for parents.

The art looks like it’s suitable for the 5-12 set, but the humor, “sex” appeal, and some of the references about race make this a more mature title.

Still, it’s funny, relevant, and about time someone got on Plastic Man about his ridiculous costume. It is the worst super hero costume of probably all-time