Alien Nation Movie Special (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the year 1988, a space ship lands in the American Mojave Desert. The ship contains 300,000 inhabitants in suspended animation. These residents were slaves en route to their slavers home world but the guidance system malfunctioned, taking them into our solar system.

3 years later, these 'newcomers' have been granted refugee status. Many have settled into the Los Angeles area. Some found employment in the police force. Thanks to a government mandate, one of the newcomers is to be promoted to be the LAPD's first detective. Earthling Matthew Sykes volunteers to be Detective Francisco's new partner, after his partner was murdered in a shootout during a newcomer robbery.

Sykes has been ordered to not investigate his former partner's murder. Instead, He and Francisco follow the lead of an anomaly found on the body of one of the robbers. As some of the newcomer suspects in the case wind up dead, the detectives uncover a drug ring targeted at newcomers. Based on an opioid used to make the newcomer slaves more docile and subservient, Francisco knows a secret about it's overuse that could threaten the uneasy peace between humans and aliens. Working against orders, Sykes and Francisco rush to locate the new drug and destroy it before the drug can reach the newcomer market.

Alien Nation was a live-action sci-fi film produced by 20th Century Fox. James Caan starred as Detective Sykes. Mandy Patinkin portrayed newcomer Detective Sam Francisco, later named 'George' by Sykes. The film, an allegory for race relations and immigration, was directed by English director Graham Baker. 

DC Comics released a full-color adaption of the film. Martin Pasko adapted the screenplay crafted by Rockne S. O'Bannon, who would go on to create fan favorite series such as Seaquest DSV and Farscape. Pencils were by Jerry Bingham. The 55-pager bears images that look nothing like the stars, probably due to licensing reasons. The comic bears some gun violence and mild drug use. However, it's nowhere near as in-your-face as the scenes from the R-rated feature.

Alien Nation was a moderate hit that grew a cult following. In 1989, Fox aired a TV series based on the motion picture. Though one of the fledgling networks few early successes, production of the series was high and advertising dollars sparse. Despite ending the 22 episode first season on a cliffhanger, the show was cancelled. 

From 1990-92, Malibu Comics released several 4-issue minis based on the film, under their Adventure Comics imprint. Around the same time, Pocket Books released over a dozen tie-in novels. Thanks to those books, as well as a letter writing campaign through TV Guide, enough interest was garnered for 5 TV movies; the first of which resolved the cliffhanger of the newcomer's controllers returning for their escaped slaves whom have enjoyed several years of freedom on Earth.

Completing this review completes Task #5 (A sci-fi movie adaptation) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Kobra #5 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The international terrorist known as Kobra desires to rule the world. But in order to do that, he must kill a few people first. One of those roadblocks is Kobra's very own twin brother, Jason Burr. There's only one small problem, any time Jason or brother Jeffrey, Kobra's real name, experiences any pain, the other mysteriously feels it!

Jason Burr doesn't understand why sometimes he'll be perfectly fine at home or work and then WHAM!- it reels like someone hit him upside the head for no reason. But Kobra knows of the connection between the two siblings and that's why as much as Jeffrey Burr would love to kill his twin, he just cannot. Because if Jason dies, so will Jeffrey!

The character of Kobra was co-created by Jack Kirby and Steve Sherman during Kirby's early 70s tenure at DC Comics. Sherman took elements of Vincent Price's vengeful Dr. Phibes and crafted a story in which a villain was the main character. Sherman also added the very Kirby moniker of King to the character and in his earliest incarnation, Kobra was referred to as King Kobra. 

When King Kirby took a look at the script, he was mostly unimpressed. But the comic book legend saw promise in the character and working with Sherman, Kirby tweaked the character. The psychic link between siblings was taken from Alexandre Dumas' The Corsican Brothers and brother Jason was created to be the yin to Korba's yang. 

Within days, Steve Sherman retooled the script and Jack had the first issue written and drawn. And then Kirby went back to Marvel. In the midst of Kirby's return to the House of Ideas, the Kobra project was shelved. Finally, in late 1975, the book was given over to Martin Pasko who absolutely hated the whole thing. Most of Kirby's script was replaced. Artist Pablo Marcos was assigned to retool some of the King's pencils. And ultimately, the character was named as simply 'Kobra.'

Issue #5 sees Kobra working multiple schemes simultaneously. First of all, the terrorist is planning a gigantic earthquake that promises to destroy all of the state of California. But how this plan makes him ruler of the earth is still unclear. Next, Kobra attempts to kill off anyone who might be getting close enough to his ultimate plans. This includes San Francisco private eye Jonny Double, whom Kobra operatives try several times unsuccessfully to assassinate. Lastly, Kobra is developing a way to sever the bond between him and twin Jason. But the villain has got to act fast as brother is on his way from the Big Apple to stop Kobra once and for all.

Only 2 more issues of Kobra would be produced. Poor sales sparked by early rumors of cancellation were the main culprits. One could argue Martin Pasko's half-hearted approach to the script was another culprit. '...It was a preposterous exercise dumped on my lap,' Pasko once remarked. Fans were given some semblance of closure as elements of the scraped 8th issue were printed in the pages of DC Special Series #1.

Jeffrey Burr would eventually find a way to break free from his bond with Jason. Kobra would then kill his brethren; though the villain was never truly free from Jason as the crime-lord was forever haunted by visions of him. Kobra would late clash with characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman and the Justice Society of America before meeting his demise at the hands of Black Adam in JSA #51. In a strange twist of fate, Kobra was reborn with followers re-animating Jason Burr to become their new leader!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #27 (Villain is the Main Character) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

The Superman Story

   The Man of Steel takes the people of Metropolis on a tour of the newest Superman Exhibit. From his earliest days of Krypton to becoming Superboy in Smallville and rising to become the Man of Tomorrow around the world, almost every secret of Superman's is revealed. Unbeknownst to the Last Son Of Krypton, the exhibit is secretly a trap designed by one of his most deadliest foes and should one single member of the tour escape, the entire building will come crashing down taking all of the city with it.

   Originally published in 1978, this pocket-sized paperback graphic novel was intended as a primer for folks to use before going to see the Superman movie directed by Richard Donner. As much as I love the Christopher Reeve Superman and the pre-Crisis Man of Steel, I forgot how much of a bummer the 1970s Superman had become.

   Prior to the movie, both sets of parents to Superman were dead, he was no longer working as a reporter for the Daily Planet, and years of exposure to Kryptonite had started to rob him of not only his powers but his memories as well. In a modern world, the Man of Tomorrow was just too much and DC decided to knock him down a peg or two- and it sucked; the only bright spot being Jack Kirby's brief run on Jimmy Olsen during this period.

   Thankfully, despite giving Superman the ability to go back in time and to give people super-amnesia through his powerful kissing prowess, the Donner films returned the Man of Steel back to some semblance of the Superman I feel in love with through reading my dad's old comics. Oddly enough, the New-52 Superman is more exciting than the 70s comics version.  This isn't the Man of Steel- more like the Man of Aluminum Foil! 

    This was an okay read but it's not Untold Story of the Dark Knight (the Batman companion piece to this book.) Usually, I muddle through and put even a poor Superman book into my collection for permanent keeping. Not this time! The Superman Story is going right back where I found it- the used bookstore in Greensboro.

   Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.