The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera #2- Yogi's Easter Parade (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

I'm constantly updating my reviews when I learn more about my favorite hobby. But it's not everyday when one of the creators of a work I covered provides some insight. I publish my reading challenge posts on a Facebook group and Mark Evanier was kind enough to give some background on Hanna-Barbera's search for a comic book publisher.  

Any corrections to this review will be in bold.

The 1960s and 70s were the golden age of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, and Scooby-Doo were some of the iconic successes of animation geniuses William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Yet as successful as Hanna-Barbera was, they just couldn't compete with Disney and Warner Bros.

One could argue that the comic book presence or lack thereof, was a main influence in why Hanna-Barbera would often rank third in terms of most popular animation franchises. Just like Disney and Warner Bros. did, Hanna-Barbera partnered with Western Publishing to produce comic book adaptations of their work. 

Hanna-Barbera was very happy with Western in terms of story and art. Many of the staff at Hanna-Barbera had side gigs at Western, so the adaptations were almost like lost episodes. They were big sellers to the point that the animation studio wanted Western to increase the number of titles based on the Hanna-Barbera catalog. Yet Western would not budge on their output leaving Hanna-Barbera to find another comic book publisher. 

In 1970, Hanna-Barbera partnered with Charlton Comics to produce comics based on their product line. Charlton was more than willing to produce the desired number of works based on the world's greatest Saturday morning cartoons. Flintstones was Charlton's most popular series running for 50 issues. Almost a half-dozen spin-offs were released by Charlton based on characters from the prehistoric comedy, including titles devoted to the Great Gazoo and Pebbles and Bam-Bam. A Yogi Bear title ran for 35 issues and a Top Cat book made it to 20. 

The studio wasn't not happy with the artwork, believing that the publishers were just unable to get the trademark likenesses just right. The 70s were a rough time for the Connecticut based publisher. Dick Giordano had poached most of Charlton's top talent and brought them over state lines to DC Comics headquarters in the Big Apple. According to Mark Evanier, the partnership between the studio and Charlton was soon severed. It was another nail in the coffin for the dying publisher and Hanna-Barbera was without a comic book presence once again.

Hanna-Barbera decided to take its characters to New York City. But they didn't go to DC Comics. Instead, Hanna-Barbera partnered with Marvel. 

Despite being wooed by the House of Ideas, Marvel didn't devote very much attention to its new Hanna-Barbera line-up. From 1977-79, Marvel released only 6 main titles to Yogi Bear and his pals were released. Along with a Dyno-Mutt series and a fan-favorite adaptation of the massive crossover cartoon, Laff-A-Lympics. Also part of Marvel's Hanna-Barbera line was a 3-issue tabloid sized anthology called The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera. 

The first issue was a Christmas themed book. The last issue was devoted to Laff-A-Lympics. The middle issue was a rare Easter treat full of Hanna-Barbera characters, puzzles, games and other fun things to do. 

Mark Evanier penned the opening story that features nearly 2 dozen characters from your favorite Saturday morning cartoons. On Easter morning, Yogi and Boo-Boo awaken hoping for Easter Eggs. A quick search finds the Easter Bunny's allotment of eggs and a note saying that he's been kidnapped. So Yogi calls all his friends and they work to provide Easter eggs for all the kids of the Jellystone Park region while conducting a search for the missing rabbit!

Then Dyno-Mutt and the Blue Falcon team-up with Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang to solve a caper involving a ghost and a number of missing items at a new museum. 

Evanier returns with a story involving Top Cat and his gang. Love is in the air with Officer Dibble, the cop who works the beat where Top Cat lives. However, Top Cat is suspicious of Dibble's new girlfriend when the officer gives her a check containing his life savings!

Lastly, go back in time to the very earliest days of baseball with the Flintstones. A struggling baseball team thinks that they have a superstar Babe in the making with tiny tot Bam-Bam. But a rival owner seeks to make sure the tyke doesn't make it to opening day!

The fun and games in this book include a magic trick presented by Magilla Gorilla and a find the twin game led by Captain Caveman. There's also a crossword puzzle and a word scramble for readers to do. But one must be the most knowledgeable of Hanna-Barbera fans in order to answer some of the most obscure questions.

By 1980, Hanna-Barbera had ended its partnership with Marvel. Bridges weren't burned as Marvel's Star Comics imprint did release a couple of books based on NBC's Foofur and the prehistoric prequel The Flintstone Kids. 

With exception to a few minis based on syndicated and Saturday morning toons, Hanna-Barbera wouldn't return to comics until the early 90s. Finding a home with Harvey Comics, Yogi and friends were welcomed by their new publisher. Unfortunately, it seemed like Hanna-Barbera was eternally snake-bit as Harvey ceased releasing new material by 1993. In 1995, Archie Comics signed an agreement to publish titles based on Scooby-Doo and the Flintstones. This agreement continued until 1997. A year prior, Hanna-Barbera Studios was purchased by Warner Bros. and absorbed into the Cartoon Network Brand. 

Since the merger, DC Comics has been the official publisher of Hanna-Barbera properties. In the quarter century since the purchase, DC has released dozens of titles. Scooby-Doo has been DC's most popular acquisition with 2 main series of over 250 issues and numerous spin-offs including the extremely popular Scooby-Doo Team-Up. In 2017, DC issued several one-shots pitting their most popular heroes with modern day versions of the Hanna-Barbera universe. Over the next several years, grittier reboots of characters such as Jonny Quest, Snagglepuss and the Jetsons were produced by DC with varying degrees of critical and consumer success.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #26 (Set During a Holiday Not in December) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Marvel Comics Mini-Books Collectible Box-Set

This deluxe box set collects over-sized facsimiles of the 6 Marvel mini-books kids could get out of bubblegum machines way back in 1966. The original mini-books were barely the size of a postage stamp and yet they were each 48-pages in length!

The stars of the 6 minis were Sgt. Nick Fury, The Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, Millie the Model, The Mighty Thor and The Incredible Hulk. (Note that the order in which I listed these characters is also the rating I give of the 6 books from best to worst). Licensed by anow defunct tiny novelty company based in Chicago, Il., not a lot is known about the production of these little reads. Mark Evanier (Garfield: TV or Not TV?) does a very good job of recording what he knows in the 7th book in this collection, Marvel Comic Mini-Books: A Mini-History. 

Evanier makes a very good point that many of the artists and writers who might have been behind this project have passed away. Evanier was able to determine that Marie Severin (Not Brand Ecch) was behind the Sgt. Nick Fury story. I also think the Thor and Hulk stories were drawn by her. Mark Evanier also reveals that Denny O'Neil was the writer of the Captain America book.

The main problem I had with Mark Evanier's book is something that probably wasn't even his fault. The history book contains reprints of the 6 books in their original size form. If you read that book first, it spoils the reading of the 6 books, which were what you paid hard earned money for. So if you ever get your hands on this beautiful set, read the supplemental book LAST!

This was a product of its time. Marvel was way behind DC in terms of marketing its big name faces. One might wonder why Millie the Model got included in this set. In 1966, Millie starred in no less than 3 monthly titles. Plus, having a book starring a female character was a smart way to ensure that it wasn't just the boys who spent their allowances on a chance to snag one of these treasures.

While the books themselves are looked at as collector items, not every book is a classic. The Hulk book doubles as a goofy joke book. Plus, the Mean Green Machine talks more like when he's the intellectual Grey Hulk than his regular speak in monosyllable when verde. The Thor book was pretty good. It just had some rather odd looking artwork, the ending was silly and the God of Thunder is really more of a minor character than the star. The Millie book started off with a rather clever story. But the second half devolves into an outdated list of beauty tip cliches.

I thought Nick Fury's story was fantastic. It was a clever mystery tale about the Howling Commandos attempting to rescue a missing general somewhere in Nazi occupied France. Captain America's story is a spy thriller comprised of some goofy named fiends. But full of action. The Spider-Man story was silly. But then 1960s Spidey was pretty silly himself. Plus that story guest-stars a certain caped character from the Distinguished Competition. 

I really didn't know the hardback versions of these books existed. I knew of the minis from '66. But I'm not willing to pay $30 for such a tiny book. (Heck, I'm not willing to pay $30 on a regular comic unless I determine it to be an amazing deal!) But I found the whole set at a book store used for only $15. That deal was a freakin' steal!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Mini Books: Sgt. Nick Fury (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Imagine it's the spring of 1966. You're with mom at the local grocery mart and you run across a spinner rack full of comic books. Mom's not willing to pay 12 cents for the latest adventures of the Fantastic Four or Iron Man, so you continue with the shopping trip. You're a bit miffed but you move on...

After mom checks out, you exit the store, coming across the vending machines. Glistening in chrome and cherry red paint, there's an assortment of gumballs, jawbreakers, and fake mood rings ranging in price from a nickel to a quarter. And there you see it! A mini-Marvel comic book starring your favorite characters for only 10 cents! Spider-Man! The Hulk! Thor! Captain America! Sgt. Nick Fury! Even Millie the Model! Marvel Comics is the hot thing right now and you've got to have it!

Feeling a little bad that she said no to that comic book you weren't allowed to purchase, mom digs into her purse and hands you a dime. You place the coin into the slot and eagerly twist the dial. As the trinkets rumble inside the machine, your mind races in speculation as to which book you will get. Then the tumbling stops and the tiny 'egg' rolls down into your hands. At this point, you'll take the Millie book. You just want the bragging rights to being the first kid on your block to have one of these Marvel minis. And then the prize falls into your hands and you discover that you got... a whistle!!!

Chicago, Illinois' Creative House Promotions, INC. was behind the sale of these mini comics. The 6 books were less than the size of the average postage stamp and had 48 pages of story and art. There's a great debate over whether these books are in fact the World's Smallest Comic Books since the format of the stories are more like picture books than works of sequential art. 

Fans can also argue that the Marvel Mini Books were the first comics to have variant covers. Each mini came in 6 differing covers- orange, green, red, yellow, blue & lime- but the interiors were always the same. There are some error covers floating around with patterns of dots and strange lines on the front. However, they don't seem to be any more or less valuable than the solid color covers. 

The Marvel Mini Books were held together along the left side spine with a rubber glue similar to what holds together memo pads. The tiny size of the books made it impossible to read these rather thick books without damaging the spine and causing pages to fall out. Thus, a Marvel Mini Book in flawless condition is considered a grail find while the discovery of such a book held together by clear scotch tape would be gladly accepted by many a collector.

Just who wrote and illustrated these books is a bit of a mini mystery. Marie Severin (Not Brand Echh) was known to have illustrated a couple of these including the Sgt. Nick Fury book which was regularly drawn by Marie's big brother, John Severin. Writer Mark Evanier in the book Marvel Comic Mini-Books: A Mini-History got a confession out of Denny O'Neil (Batman) as being the writer of the Captain America tale. But as for the other 5 books, former Marvel EIC Roy Thomas confides that neither Stan Lee nor himself wrote any of the minis. 

Though C.H.P. would advertise all 6 Marvel titles as being available for only a dime, kids had to sift through other assorted junk like rings, plastic toy animals and even other mini books. In 1965, C.H.P. produced a line of 6 mini books devoted to jokes. Monster Laffs, Silly Willies and Wise Qwaks were just a few of the joke books that became filler in the Marvel Minis vending machines. A 'Stan's Soapbox' issued in all of the April, 1966 Marvel titles proclaimed that an astounding 10 million mini books were produced. C.H.P. apparently had a lot left over because by 1967, Marvel's fan club, The Merry Marvel Marching Society, started giving the minis away as part of their membership kits. Later, some discount stores started selling cake decorations with both the Marvel minis and the joke books affixed with glue.

The Sgt. Nick Fury book is essentially 2 stories in one. The first half of the book titled 'The Mirror Image' was about Nick's role with the Allied Forces during World War II. The second half of this book has Fury's Howling Commandos going behind enemy lines to rescue a general being held as a prisoner of war. 

For a veteran collector to enjoy these books, a magnifying glass is needed. The print is small and smudgy. C.H.P.'s quality was questionable and yet this is what you'd expect for only 10 cents. As for why Millie the Model was a part of this series, one has to remember that in 1966, Marvel was producing no less than 3 books starring Millie. Plus, to include the chance to win a Millie mini was a smart way to attract girl customers to spending their money on these books. 

A rare book that one should expect to pay a lot of money for if you weren't lucky enough to get out of the vending machine way back in 1966. As for the whistle you won, the only value it has is sentimental. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #2 (Comic from the Silver Age (1956-1970)) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Garfield #19

It's time for more Thanksgiving fun with everybody's favorite fat cat Garfield!

In this issue, Garfield, Odie, Jon and Liz head off to the annual Thanksgiving parade. Jon remembers as a kid seeing giant balloons of Santa and other fun characters. There are balloons at this parade too. But they're all of things for sale at the local mercantile center. You know, fun stuff like blenders, tires and mayo! 

This blatant commercialism causes Jon to mourn for his lost childhood and be in a funk all year long. Now another Thanksgiving is upon us and it's time for another parade is upon us. Jon's nieces have come to visit and go to the parade. But Jon just isn't in the mood. Can Garfield help his owner recapture his missing Thanksgiving spirit?

In the backup feature, the world's cutest kitten, Nermal, comes to visit. Garfield and Odie decide to stay up late and watch a zombie movie with him. Jon puts the kibosh on the film, citing it'll give the pets nightmares; which of course it does. Can Garfield and friends survive the night of the living meatballs?

Though story #2 is more of a Halloween story, the Thanksgiving Day fun doesn't stop. There's 2 classic turkey themed reprints of Garfield Sunday funnies. Plus there's 2 essay type shorts: one about Garfield's love of Thanksgiving and the other is a sort of top 10 list. They were all enjoyable and brief.

The Thanksgiving stuff was all quite nice. But I was nonplussed about the zombie meatball story. It was too corny and reminded me of Jim Davis' less funny 90s oddball stuff. Having Mark Evanier craft that Thanksgiving story helps too. I've been a fan of his since his days as Kirby's assistant during the King's time at DC in the 70s.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Garfield #7

I'm in such a great holiday mood that I can't wait for the Turkey Day fun to start! So I went online to a favorite online comic book shop and I bought some Thanksgiving themed books. I've got 10! Thus last night was my first holiday themed read!

I started thing off with Garfield #7. The cover obviously isn't holiday themed. (To be fair- the variant cover was but it wasn't available for sale.) And the first story has nothing to do with the fourth Thursday in November. But the second story took place during Thanksgiving! So I'll just ease into the holidays with this one...

In the first story, a adorable alley cat ponders just why is Garfield so popular while he's got to fend for himself in the trash. Could it be because Garfield sleeps all the time? Maybe because he puts competitive eaters too shame? No matter what, this precious puddy tat is going to get to the bottom of this quandary!

Story two, the Thanksgiving themed tale, has Garfield eating himself into a food coma. As a result, the fat cat dreams that it's Turkey Day everyday. Things seem like a dream that is until Garfield runs across his evil twin double. Now it's a nightmare as a group of hungry gobblers have put cat on the Thanksgiving menu.

Both stories were rather clever. Mark Evanier (New Gods) doesn't take himself quite so seriously in the writing duties. Which is a good thing. Because I've really felt that Garfield creator Jim Davis has really gotten dull with his Sunday funnies. Maybe Davis needs to put Evanier in charge from now on?

That alley cat story was a little sad. Mostly because everybody notices the little fella. But nobody knows his name. Being nameless and alone was just so heartbreaking to me. So I've decided that his name is Mervin! And if Mervin came to my front door, I'd adopt him in a heartbeat. (Having 6 cats already be darned!)

A great gradual entry into Thanksgiving.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Mad-Dog #1 (Classic TV Comics Week!)

Mad-Dog isn't the name of a TV show. At least not any that I know of. Instead, Mad-Dog was a fictional comic book character from the first season of the CBS sitcom, Bob.

Bob ran for a little over a season, 1992-93. It starred Bob Newhart as the title character of Bob McKay; a former comic book creator who was blacklisted thanks to the comics scare of the 1950s. Basically retired from the industry, Bob returns when he learns that his creation Mad-Dog is being brought back in a gritty modernized reboot. Hoping to keep his creation pure and innocent, Bob works with up-and-comer Harland Stone to craft a comic that hearkens back to those easier times of the 1950s while adapting to the Dark Knight Returns world of 90s comic books. This sort of balance was maintained pretty well by head screenwriter Mark Evanier, who knew the comics industry pretty well as the writer of Groo The Wanderer.

The collaborative effort of Bob and Harland is imagined here in this flip book. One one side, Bob McKay pens a quirky tale about alien cats seeking to make planet Earth their personal litter box. One the other is Harland's first chapter in the retooled modern adventures of a mysterious vigilante with sharp claws and a bad attitude.

In reality, Bob's idealized story is crafted by Ty Templeton (Batman Adventures) with Evan Dorkin (Milk and Cheese) taking on the modern story of Harland's. The two art and story styles could not be more different. Nor could be the reactions of the two creators. Templeton has said over the years that working on Mad-Dog was some of the most fun he ever had in comics. Meanwhile, Dorkin proclaims that working on this book was one of the dumbest things ever!

Ironically, I prefer Dorkin's grittier version of Mad-Dog. While I did like the Batman '66 take of Templeton's Mad-Dog, I was more draw to the 90s style. Sure, Dorkin's Mad-Dog looks like a canine version of Nomad. But for one reason or another, I liked it better.

Mad-Dog ran as a 6-issue miniseries. Whether it did anything to truly promote the show live tie-in is anyone's guess. Bob was the only show of it's scheduled night to be picked up for the 93-94 season. However, season two was a complete retool with the comic book angle replaced with Bob working for a greeting card company with Betty White as McKay's zany boss. Constant shifting of the show's schedule along with a dominating TGIF line-up from ABC brought about a swift death to the series right at the holiday break of 1993.

Finding the issues to this book wasn't hard. In fact, I constantly find copies of this book in bargain bins just about everywhere I go looking for bargain comic books. I think this was the 90s version of 'Bi-Clops', a Lenscrafters comic book in which Milhouse bought way too many copies of when he and Bart ran the Android's Dungeon for an ailing Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons. 

I am sure that a lot of stores incorrectly thought that the comic book reader of the 1990s would go gaga for a comic book based on a Bob Newhart comedy. Thus, they ordered tons of were stuck with the issues for decades to come.

While I wouldn't recommend you going out of your way to track down the TV show this book was based on; I do think that if you can find all 6 books for $6 or less, you should do it. It's a pretty decent read by two very talented comic creators. It's not hard to find. Like I said, nearly every comic book store with a bargain bin in America has at least one full set hanging around somewhere gathering dust. 

Fun stuff, Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars!s

Garfield: The Thing in the Fridge (Family Comic Friday)

Greetings everyone! It's the last Family Comic Friday before Halloween. For today's post, I've chosen a book starring a character that for the last 40 years has become so synonymous with a certain day of the week that he sparked the saying 'I hate Mondays!' That's right- it's Garfield.

Garfield: The Thing in the Fridge is an original graphic novel from the Boom Studios imprint Kaboom! This is the third such publication from Boom based on the beloved comic strip by Jim Davis. All your favorites including Jon, Odie, Liz, and even Nermal are on hand in this treasury of three all-new tales.

In the title story, Garfield is having trouble getting to sleep. So he and Odie decide to watch the late night monster feature on TV in hopes of dozing off. When that doesn't work, the pair head off to the kitchen in hopes of raiding the fridge for a late night snack. But it's gonna be hard getting in there when it just so happens that a monster has taken up residence in the Arbuckle Frigidaire. 

Story #2, The Early Jon Arcbuckle has the constantly late owner of Garfield seeking help from a scientist who claims he can make Jon always be on time from now on. Things seem to be going smoothly, until Jon starts to overdo it, like buying all his Christmas shopping early- for the next seven years! Can Garfield and Odie get their own back on time before it's too late?

Lastly, in Only Human, Garfield awakes to find himself somehow turned human. It appears that becoming a real boy has caused the former fat cat to work up a man sized appetite. Dressed in Jon's clothing with his owner's credit card and a reservation to his favorite Italian eatery, it looks like becoming a human being is a piece of cake. What could go wrong? Believe me when I say lots!

Over the past few years Garfield has gotten a bit of a bad rap. Many critics state that the decades old comic strip has gone flat over the years. What was perfect for 1980s Sunday Comics just haven't translated well over the past decade or so. 

A large part of this problem has been from creator Jim Davis. He's stated over the years in interviews that Garfield wasn't even meant to be funny. But it became marketable, so Davis kept doing it. It's really kinda hard to do quality art if your only incentive is money. However, both Scott Nickel (The Incredible Rockhead) and Mark Evanier (Groo The Wanderer) don't seemed to have gotten that memo.

Both writers impart some very clever laughs throughout their stories. I did think the Nickel's first story, The Thing in the Fridge, was about 10 pages too long as it did ramble a bit. But his tale of Garfield turning human was extremely clever. Evanier's episode about Jon always being late started off as a kind of Twilight Zone type tale. I thought Jon was going to become like the Flash and instead he went off into another interesting direction.

For the most part, the artwork was quite good in terms of mimicking Jim Davis' art-style. The first two stories were penciled by Antonio Alfaro and they looked just like Davis would have drawn them for your Sunday paper. The last story, illustrated by Aatmaja Pandya, had an appearance that was nothing like I thought it should. Instead, that tale looked like it was drawn by a 1990's Jr. high school student goofing off on MS Paint during fourth period computer class. 

Overall, Garfield: The Thing in the Fridge was a fun Halloween time read. None of the stories were holiday themed and I would put the fright factor at a level 2 (out of 10.) However, all three stories were kinda weird. So if you choose this as an October read, it would be quite fitting for the time of year. For the most part, kids are going to enjoy it, though some of the back features included featuring comics and other goodies from the 80s might not resonate so well with the young generation.

Garfield: The Thing in the Fridge debuted in stores on October 25th.

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Lastly, before I go- tomorrow is Halloween Comic Fest. In this annual event, comic book stores nationwide will be giving out a variety of kid friendly comics for free! Don't worry parents and guardians, there's some more grown-up goodies for you as well! Don't know where the festivities are being held in your neck of the woods? Check out the store locator to find an event nearest you!

Article was published concurrently on http://www.outrightgeekery.com.

DC/ Looney Tunes 100-Page Spectacular

Mr. Mxyzptlk is super-bored. Annoying the Man of Steel just doesn't have that pizzazz it once does. So the inter-dimensional imp goes on a trek through the multiverse to find some fun. 
  
Mxy winds up in the Looney Tunes universe where he meets the Do-Do. In this new world of wonder, the prankster is inspired to take the characters who inhabit the Do-Do's universe and have them give the superheroes of the DC Universe a run for their money.

It's the Justice League's greatest challenge as Looney Tune meets the World's Finest. Now the World's Fastest Man is challenged by Speedy Gonzalez for the title of Speedster. Superman must answer the question 'What's Up Doc?' And Gotham has a new protector- the Duck Knight! The excitement is just too much for Mr. Mxyzptlk who wants to make the Looney Tunes permanent resident's of his earth. Only the combined forces of the residents of both dimensions can save the day and prevent the DC Universe from becoming a laughing stock!

This super-sized comic collects the Superman/ Bugs Bunny crossover from 2000 and it's a bit confusing. When DC collected this series, they re-titled it the DC/Looney Tunes 100-Page Spectacular. Yet the cover still lists the original Superman/ Bugs Bunny title. I'm not really sure what DC's thought process was behind this. But when I was requesting this book from my local comic book store, we had a devil of a time trying to figure out how to order it because the titles didn't match. So if you are trying to find this book online or in a store, who knows how the seller is going to have it listed or filed away.

Mark Evanier (New Gods) penned a great crossover that had me chuckling. One of the best running gags is when the Connor Hawke Green Arrow discovers music genius Michigan J. Frog singing for him and then he clams up everytime Connor shows him around. "I swear, this frog can sing!" This wouldn't work with the Oliver Queen GA. Connor is such a straight man, that to slowly have his sanity unravel because of a frog, is brilliant!

The art by the legendary Joe Staton was perfect as well. The Batman artist has proven over the past 40 years that he's got what it takes to illustrate the members of the Justice League. But how he seamlessly blends the Looney Tunes characters with those of the DCU is further evidence of Staton's genius. 

Not everyone was a fan of the DC/ Looney Tunes crossovers. Well, except for the Batman/ Elmer Fudd Special. Everybody loved that (and it was great!) But even if you are NOT a fan of funny animals, this is one special you should not gloss over! 

A perfect read for comic book fans of all ages. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars but only because of the very confusing title!

Darkseid Special #1

Stories by Mark Evanier, Paul Levitz, Phil Hester, and Jack Kirby.
Art by Scott Kolins, Ande Parks, and Jack Kirby.
Published by DC Comics.

Only Evanier Can Go to Apokolips

For the Month of August, DC Comics published a series of one-shots based on some of the most iconic Jack Kirby DC creations. It was all done to celebrate what would have been the King's 100th birthday. The New Gods, Etrigan the Demon, and the Black Racer were among some of the properties highlighted in the Kirby tributes. But DC saved the best for last in the Darkseid 'Over-sized' Special.

The main story was written by former Kirby apprentice and biographer Mark Evanier. I think it was the perfect choice. Like the Vulcans say in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, 'Only Nixon can go to China.' Ideally, if you're going to focus on the most important character that the King introduced to the DC Universe, you would have Kirby write it. But since his greatness cannot be with us, Evanier is the next best thing, since he had access to Kirby's notes and plans for the character.

(Interesting Note: Speaking of Nixon, Jack Kirby hated the 37th President of the United States. Seeing his abuse of power in the White House, Kirby designed Darkseid after Richard Nixon all the way down to his insecurities as a despotic leader.)

Now back to the review...

In the main story, Evanier writes of a band of resistance fighters. Their leader Makayla was an orphan at Granny Goodness' Orphan and escaped. In respond to the horrors she was subjected to, Makayla and he pair of companions deface statues and monuments erected to impose the fear of Darkseid over the populace of the Armaghetto. After three years of failures, Darkseid enlists the Female Furies to end this budding revolution. So when Makayla ups and surrenders to the Furies, has she finally given up or is there a secret plan behind her concession?

The all-new character of Makayla was one of the best new characters added to the DC Universe in a very long time. I need to know more of her story. I want a six-issue miniseries where Makayla continues her revolution against Darkseid and I want Mark Evanier to write it! I also want Scott Kolins to draw it.

Kolins' style is very dank and gritty. It's perfect for the slums of Apokolips. Plus, Kolins' has got this quality similar to personal favorite Frank Quitely that shows the characters warts and all.

A Fitting End For a One Man Army

The back-up feature is by Paul Levitz and Phil Hester. It showcases OMAC, just after he topples the general of the NPA (National Protection Agency) in the pages of the original OMAC comic from 1975. I loved the ending given to the One Man Army Corps. I think it would have been a fitting ending to the character right then and there. With art by Ande Parks this story was a powerful tribute to Kirby's skills as both a creator and artist.

There's a couple of classic Kirby stories here too. I've read the Forever People story before. But the All-Seeing Eye from Tales of the Unexpected #12 was something I've read about in books and magazines but never gotten to read until now. Nobody is quite sure who wrote the tale of a talisman that can see anywhere in the world. But this is definitely a Kirby-illustrated story filled with his then experimental panels and angles. It was awesome to finally get to read a story I've heard nothing but praise for for decades.

As I said earlier, DC saved the best for last in their Kirby 100th Birthday specials. Everything was perfect from the stories to the art and even the reprints. Well, almost everything was perfect... Sadly, the King wasn't here to enjoy it with us fans.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Review originally published September 2, 2017 on outrightgeekery.com.

The Spirit #25

   The Octopus seeks to corner the canned mushroom market in Central City. Now, what would a dastardly villain like that be wanting to set up a monopoly in such a thing as that? Well, it turns out, he's rigged a cooking contest where only his brand of canned mushrooms is eligible for the winning recipe. Thus, the Octopus hopes that once the citizens of Central City become poisoned by his tainted fungi, the crime lord will be able to hold the town ransom for the antidote.

   I really loved this issue. One it involves the Octopus- the definitive archenemy of the Spirit. Two- it's a story with heart, brains, and humor. And three- it involves cooking which is my passion and vocation. So for me it was a win-win-win!

   Once again the combined writing team of Aragones and Evanier crafted a masterful tale. The art, however, is quite different. The pencils by Aluir Amanico were good, but they didn't quite match the skilled pen of Chad Hardin who drew the past few issues. Still, that didn't take away from enjoying one of the best modern Spirit tales to come around in quite some time.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Spirit #24

   Bodies seem follow wherever the Spirit roams. Or is it the other way around? The hero goes on a globetrotting adventure from the United States to the jungles of Cambodia to recover a missing artifact.  It seems that during the Vietnam War, a unit of soldiers came across a valuable idol near Phnom Penh. Since it would be impossible to bring the statue back to the states and so they form a ton tine in which the last surviving member of the group would return to Central Asia and recover the priceless artifact for themselves. 

   Well, one of the vets has decided to end the wait prematurely and is killing off the rest of the unit one by one. But with a dwindling list of suspects, who is the killer and will the Spirit be able to stop the carnage before it's too late? 

   An instant classic by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier. The art by Chad Hardin continues to emulate Spirit creator Will Eisner's timeless style quite well. But I really would like to see MAD Magazine veteran artist Aragones give pencilling the Spirit a try. I think while it would be very cartoony, it would also be a rare treat for fans of both the legendary artist and the classic noir gumshoe.

   Worth Consuming

   9 out of 10 stars.

The Spirit #22 (Correct Version)

The cover is a tribute to Will Eisner's original series
in which the series title would play a part of the scene or action.

   When magicians begin popping up all over the city dead, it's up to the Spirit to solve the case and prevent a crime spree. Most of the stories in this series have been crime noirs that are heavier on action that actual crime solving. That changes here are there are dozens of clues littered throughout this book in which the reader is invited to solve before the protagonist can.
 
    You pretty much know from the start who the villain is. But like the Spirit, you're beginning from square one trying to determine a motive while figuring out just how they did it.  Honestly, I thought the solution stunk. It was so far fetched but the build-up and the conclusion in which the Spirit apprehends the villain was very good.

    The art by Chad Hardin and Wayne Faucher was also well done. They've been a great duo to attempt a reasonable facsimile of Will Eisner's timeless style. But they, along with the deft talents of writers Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier, just aren't enough to make this a very memorable story because as I said the solution just wasn't all that great.

   Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

The Spirit #21 (DC Comics 2007-09)

   In hopes of bringing down a local gang, the Spirit impersonates their leader under the guise that he has recently been released from jail. But when Chief Dolan's daughter Ellen is kidnapped and taken as a hostage, by the gang the Central City Police are forced to release the actual baddie. What transpires when there is now two bosses and a ton of oddly polite bikers is a comedy of errors that only writers Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier could craft.

    I still prefer Darwyn Cooke's run on this series. I felt that he, with his classic noir style, seemed to channel Will Einser's original take on the Spirit really well. But the duo of Aragones and Evanier are a very close second. The plot was so screwball I thought I was reading a comic book adaptation of a Howard Hawks film. It was tons of fun.

   The art was quite good as well, but it surprised the heck out of me. I was convinced that the art was by writer Aragones. It had that quality of his non-Mad Magazine works such as 'Sergio Aragones Destroys the DC Universe.' Instead, this book was crafted by a Paul Smith. I'm not familiar with his work, but it was quite good and paired well with the Spirit and his zany cast of characters.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.