Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade (Family Comic Friday)

I usually review newer books for Family Comic Friday. However I've been wanting this book for a very long time and it's perfect for all-ages. 

Taking the legend of the Maid of Might, tweaking it just a little bit to be more appropriate for kids and adding a generous portion of DC Comics from the past 80 years, Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade was a delightful romp for this huge fan of Superman's cousin.

Instead of Kara Zoe-El's home city of Argo being destroyed by poisonous gas, the explosion of Krypton sent it into a pocket dimension. Kara's father was working on an experimental rocket that would hopefully bring Superman into that universe and hopefully free his Kryptonian brethren. Unfortunately, Kara falls into the ship, activating it and becomes trapped on planet Earth. 

While Superman finds a way to send Kara back to Argo City, she must pose as a human girl named Linda Lee. Meanwhile, she will train as Supergirl in order to one day use her new found powers to fight for truth, justice and freedom! However, posing as a human isn't all that it's cracked up to be. For one thing, Linda is quite socially awkward. She's got zero clue about Earth science and history. Plus both the principal and the accidental duplicate that Supergirl made of herself absolutely hate her! If that wasn't bad enough, when as Supergirl, Kara can't quite land on her own two feet without crashing into something and (unaware to her) Linda's best friend and dormitory school roommate is no other than Lex Luthor's baby sister!

I really enjoyed the story. I was perfectly fine with the changes to Supergirl's story. In my opinion, those adjustments keep a Supergirl origin story from getting stale. I also liked the art by Eric Jones. It was more cartoony for a younger audience while still paying respect to the essence of such an iconic character.

If anything made me unhappy with this book, it was of either the team of editors or those in charge of marketing. It's got nothing to do with the original 6-issue run of this story. It's whomever was in charge of putting this trade paperback together. That's because the back cover of this book gives away the identity of the super-secret big boss that has been making life miserable for Linda Lee and Supergirl. No- telling us about Supergirl's doppelganger nor about Lena Luthor are the spoiler as they're just pawns in the main villain's plans. Even talking about time travel on the back cover isn't a spoil. Instead, it just alerts an established Supergirl fan like myself that writer Landry Q. Walker is paying major homage to the legend of Supergirl. Just take it from me; if you don't want chapter 6 spoiled, avoid reading the back cover!

Kids will love being introduced to a popular character who's also a pretty strong female. But this isn't just a read for girls. There's also enough Superman and Lex Luthor to appeal to boys as well. A little bit of over-the-top fighting on par with Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry is probably the only thing objectionable to parents of young readers under the age of 7. Plus some words are advanced to where someone under the age of 8 might not enjoy this book as much as a third through sixth grader.  But the level of classic DC Easter eggs hidden throughout Supergirl's year of schooling will delight generations of family members!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars, as long as you avoid the back cover. Failure to do so, drops the book to a 7.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #12 (A Madman Re-Read?)

I know. I've already read a Batman book for Christmas this year. Well, I did it again. It's true; I've got a bunch of holiday themed Batman stories. But I don't have enough to read for an entire holiday season. Maybe 8 nights of Hanukkah. But definitely not enough for Christmas.

I also know in my heart that I've read this issue before. Yet I cannot find evidence of that in either this archive nor in my collection database. And a quick perusal through this book didn't really trigger any memories. Being such a fan of this great series (both as a cartoon and comic), I heartily gave this issue a possible re-read.

It's Christmas Eve and Batman is on the trail of the C-list villain known as Calendar Man. Just as the Dark Knight is about to apprehend his foe, a Zeta Beam whisks the hero to the distant world of Rann. Only this isn't the Rann that Batman is used to. Instead of a near tropical paradise, Rann has been transformed into a frigid wasteland!

Meeting up with Rann's greatest defender, the human Adam Strange, Batman learns that a rogue scientist from Qward has unleashed an anti-matter weapon that has destroyed neighboring planets like Thanagar and yes, even planet Earth! With one chance to stop the Qwardian fiend and reverse the damage, Batman and Strange team up or else this will be the last Christmas for everyone!

This was a very good issue. It almost followed the formula of the TV series. Only real difference is that nobody is around to help Batman during the opening caper against Calendar Man. Typically, this version of Brave and the Bold would have Batman doing a small opening team-up with someone and then a main story collaboration with a different hero. Writer Landry Q. Walker (Star Wars Adventures) doesn't stick to that blueprint and as a result it led to a very telegraphed ending. But it's the penultimate ending that I had trouble with. 

This issue was originally published in 2009. That was 13 years ago and hopefully enough time has passed to keep what I am about to gripe about from being a spoiler. As Adam Strange and Batman are saving the universe from the evil scientist, the pair go through some changes. Batman devolves into this craggy looking elf thing while Adam gets old and grows a white beard. Unwilling to let this stop them, the heroes reboot the universe, in turn creating the legend of Santa Claus and his Elves into the very fabric of all creation. 

Once the day is saved, Batman states that he can't believe that he created Christmas. Uh, no. Sorry, Detective. Your name isn't Jesus Christ. Remember him? He put the word 'Christ' in Christmas... Through their actions, Batman and Adam Strange might have created the legend of Santa. I'll even grant them as the originators of Saturnalia. But neither one of them created Christmas. 

Like I said, this was a good issue. It was festive. But it was not an accurate representation of what Christmas is all about. It appears Batman needs a team-up with Linus and Charlie Brown to unravel that mystery.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures Vol. 1: Heroes of the Galaxy (Family Comic Friday)

Before I started teaching, I was writing regularly for an online publication. So, if a couple of these issues seem familiar, it's from when I was writing for them and then posting my reviews on this page. For today's Family Comic Friday, I return to Star Wars Adventures; re-introducing myself to the Ash Can as well as the first issue. 

When I went over to my local library a few weeks ago, I noticed that they had about 10 or so volumes of this series. Seeing a chance to save some dough, I've decided to read through the whole run. Thus, my return to a couple of issues previously reviewed.

Volume 1 starts out with protocol droid C-3PO and astromech R2-D2 providing an overview of the series. SWA promised tales from all aspects of the 3 film trilogies and the filler material. So you might get a story with Mace Windu then the reformed Imperial droid from Rogue One and a tale starring Poe Cameron. Issue #1 and 2 stars new trilogy break-out star Rey in a tale from before Episodes VII!

Each issue also contains a segment called 'Tales from Wild Space.' As the framing features characters from the days before Disney owned Star Wars, Star Wars Adventures promises to cover the now non-canon aspects of the Star Wars Universe- which is just fine with me. Seeing as Disney and Marvel are all about the multiverse and What Ifs..., I see no reason why this alternate reality aspect of a galaxy far, far away can't exist in some way as well!

Featuring stories by Cavan Scott (Star Wars: The High Republic) and Landry Q. Walker (Red Lanterns), what really impresses me is the artwork. Especially the main stories by Jughead's Derek Charm~ He's got that great cartoonist quality which makes him the Alex Toth of the modern era, in my opinion.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures Ashcan

The introductory issue to IDW's amazing all-ages Star Wars series. While Star Wars Adventures is a great series, this issue, to me, is what this series could have been. 

Cavan Scott has done a great job writing never-before-revealed episodes of your favorite Star Wars characters. But there is this back-up feature called 'Tales for Wild Space'. It has some minor characters from some 90s kids series hosting tales of the Old Republic and beyond. It doesn't have a nostalgic feel. For that segment, the real hosts of the back-up stories are our narrators here- C-3PO and R2-D2!

Landry Q. Walker (Danger Club) penned this issue. It's the only story by Walker in this entire series (thus far)! But I think that Walker had the right idea having Threepio and Artoo be the storytellers. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. 

As for the artwork by Derek Charm. It's 100% perfect. It's how I always wished a Star Wars cartoon would have looked like when I was little. Yeah, we had Star Wars: Droids and Ewoks growing up. But an honest to God animated series with Vader, Luke, Chewie and the rest- Derek Charm crafts a classic-looking animated style!

A very tough issue to find. It was supposed to be a freebie given away at comic book shops nationwide. But I never came across it until finding a copy in a bargain bin. I'm not sure if IDW didn't print a lot of copies or if my area of the country just didn't fare well on the publisher's marketing campaign.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.