Simpsons Treehouse Of Horror Ominous Omnibus, Vol. 2: Deadtime Stories For Boos & Ghouls HC

The second of 3 omnibuses that will collect all of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween annuals. 

Unfortunately, the editors didn't follow my request to have the stories reprinted in order. (Like Harry N. Abrams Books was going to scrap their format to put the stories in chronological order of printing.) 

Along with material from the 23 annuals, there's material from previous collections and other issues that are Halloween themed or at least spooky in nature. 

Gotta say that I wasn't such a fan of this one. I know with a massive volume, clocking in at around 400 pages of material, it's kinda hard to rate based on material; especially since everything has been cut and pasted into themed chapters. One chapter was about surviving the end of the world. It had a story in which it appears that Flanders doesn't get taken in the Rapture. But it turns out that in reality, Flanders' left-handedness is what keeps him from being abducted by aliens. 

I did like the Old Sea Captain's high seas tales of terror that are anything but. Though I have read them before, I thought both of them were oddball classics. Plus Lisa, Bart, Homer and Grandpa play a round of Mad Libs to varying degrees of success. Another all-time great that I've read before but got a kick out of reading again.

There's one more volume to go and yes, I am going to buy it. 3 volumes at $40 each is still cheaper than trying to get all 23 annuals. Plus once I get volume 3, I'll be able to free up a little bit of shelf space. 

I got to read Simpsons Halloween comics leading up to Halloween. In my opinion, a Simpsons comic book is like a Queen song. Even the worst of either is better than none at all.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

Big Brilliant Book of Bart Simpson

When I've had a particularly hard time, I turn to comics that make me laugh. The various books based on the characters of the all-time great animated sitcoms, The Simpsons, are a good bet for some lighthearted comfort. Well, this past week was particularly hard and thankfully, I had a collection of Bart Simpson books on hand to alleviate some sadness and pain.

This volume (#7) reprints issue #25-28 of Bart Simpson comics. Stories include Bart winning an all-expense paid trip to Krustyland California and as part of the trip, he gets to sit right next to Krusty! On a recent trip to Krusty Burger, Bart learns that he accidentally gave a winning game piece to Ralph; who promptly lost it somewhere in the restaurant. With time running out, Bart must fight illness and the embarrassment of asking sister Lisa for help or he'll miss out on a lifetime supply of video games! Then Bart and Milhouse take on the federal government who wants to cut down the very tree that holds up Bart's beloved tree house. 

There's a lot of sibling rivalry afoot in this book. Along with the Krusty Burger yarn, readers get to enjoy a parody of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Lisa and Bart competing for the job being offered by Groundskeeper Willy. Lisa plays detective once again to solve a couple of Nancy Drew-type mysteries. Milhouse joins Bart and Lisa on an out-of-control high air balloon ride. Of course just about all of these benefits Bart. But when Lisa appears in these stories, she's more of her season 1-4 self, a little bit more mischievous as opposed to vegetarian Lisa who becomes the moral compass of Springfield. I miss that Lisa and I think the writers of these comics missed that version as well.

With this being a Bart centered book, you don't get quite as much Marge or Homer. Maggie is virtually non-existent except for a short that the youngest Simpsons dreams up. But if you are a fan of Milhouse, Nelson and the other students at Springfield Elementary, you are in for a treat. If you absolutely cannot stand Milhouse, this probably is the collection of Simpson Comics for you.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Simpsons Comics Hit The Road!

The fantastic cover lets Simpsons fans know that there's a journey of great stories about to begin! 

• The Simpsons are chosen to be a Nielsen Family. Their unique viewing style results in marketers building a brand upon the Simpson name. Tired of being copied, America's favorite family goes through a number of metamorphoses. 
• The Simpsons win a trip to Scotland. Taking Groundskeeper Willie along, the family hopes to restore his honor amongst his overbearing parents and uber-successful older brother. 
•  Lisa tries to save the Aztec Theatre from destruction by organizing a film festival with a headlining film starring Abraham Simpson!

While these were fun stories, it was the shorter stories that were the best. Homer's attempt to show Lisa and her classmates the unseen side of America was a laugh out loud riot! And Comic Book Guy's look at other Bongo Comics titles that nobody wanted was a segment I wish never ended. 

I read Simpsons comic books because they're reads that consistently boost my spirits. They may not be classics like the works of Jack Kirby or Carmine Infantino; but they never fail. My anxiety has been out of control lately and I've needed lighthearted material to help calm some very frayed nerves. These collections have been a god send. 

To whomever sold off that big lot of trades to my favorite comic book store- Thank you! I got a great deal on them as well as lots of laughs. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

 

Big Bad Book of Bart Simpson

Over 115 pages of Simpsons Comics stories and shorts featuring the Bad Boy of Springfield, Bart Simpson. I've several of these collections and I just keep having a ton of fun when I read them. 

The fun starts with a parody of the classic Western TV show/1999 big screen Will Smith clunker Wild, Wild West. Then Bart and Milhouse skip school and have an epic day of fun! Later, it's time for the Springfield Elementary Science Fair. The grand prize is a gift card at the Android's Dungeon and so Bart really goes all out in order to win. Only his experiment might have unleashed mutated alligators throughout the city sewer system. Better call in the national guard...

In the most surprising of surprise returns, Bart and the family visit the local wild animal park to spend some quality time with Stampy. Stampy was the elephant Bart won when he won a call-in contest on the radio in season 5. Thanks to the elephant, Bart and Lisa are able to rescue their little sister, Maggie, from a family of hyenas. 

Lisa fits into a lot of these stories. On at least 2 occasions, Lisa solves mysteries in a style similar to Nancy Drew. In another story, Lisa plays to her mischievous side, telling Bart all sorts of lies about the book he's got to read for a book report. But in typical El Barto fashion, things turn out a-okay for the boy. 

There's a slew of other Springfield characters and there's over a dozen stories in this book. It's just impossible to cover them all without spending all day writing a review. If you love the Simpsons and you're in need of some fresh stories, check out this trade paper collection of Bart-centric tales from Bongo. Affordable collections are out there in used book stores. You just have to look!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Simpsons Comics Supernova

Another fantastic collection of Simpsons Comics!

The first story is a parody of that classic 80s cartoon (and most recent reboot) DuckTales! Smithers is unable to go on Mr. Burns' annual treasure hunt. Thus, Homer and the kids are hired to help Burns navigate a slew of obstacles such as a giant squid and underwater bandits. 

Next up, Lisa seeks to find a name for herself while Marge is hired to be the next weather girl on the local news. 

Fans then experience a number of parodies as we sit in on the latest meeting of the Springfield Book Club. 

Lastly, Bart, Milhouse and Martin tour the town dump on the hunt for a fabled horde of collectible garbage. 

As I continue to say, Simpsons Comics manages to be what The Simpsons TV show hasn't been in quite a while- funny. Well, this most recent season has been humorous. Maybe it's because all of the talent who used to work at the new defunct Bongo Comics are writing for the show now.

This collection of Simpsons Comics reiterates a pressing need in the comic book industry- namely more Simpsons Comics. Bongo went out of business because of the high cost of shipping and printing. Since Disney now owns The Simpsons, either IDW or Dark Horse needs to take on the role as the main supplier of Springfield hi-jinx. Someone needs to take over the imprint or the last 90 issues or so will never be released in collected form!

Not all of this book was pure comedy gold. For one thing, the table of contents lists a story called 'The Duffman Cometh.' However, that story is nowhere to be found. I'm not sure if Bongo made a publishing error here or not. Could it be that "Duffman' the true name of 'Lisa's Book Club' which I assume was instead published in the previous story's lieu? Or is this proof that another publisher was needed to better navigate the exploits of America's favorite dysfunctional family?

Come on, House of Mouse! You do this! Bring back Simpsons Comics! Do it well and I'll forgive you for the last 2 Star Wars episodes!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.