Monster Unleashed

When I first heard about this 2017 Marvel crossover, I was pretty excited. The big baddies of Marvel's sci-fi 1950s and 60s like Fin Fang Foom, Goomba and the Creature from the Black Bog were finally gonna rise up against the heroes of the Marvel Universe and reclaim their place as the rightful rulers of earth. It even appeared from some of the earliest artworks that good guys such as Devil Dinosaur were going to rise up against these men in tights. Yet, that wasn't to be the storyline at all.

An invasion by kaiju-like creatures does happen in Monsters Unleashed. However, these behemoths are unlike anything to have ever graced the pages of a Marvel Comic. Planet Earth has been chosen as the newest nest of the Leviathon Queen, a massive crimson egg-laying beast. But before she can settle in, the world must be cleansed of vermin. That means 'bye-bye, pesky humans.' 

The superhuman population assembles on a global scale like never before. Heroes and villains join forces to stop these Leviathons from decimating the planet. That's where the Marvel monsters of the Silver Age of comics step in. They've been biding their time waiting for the chance to conquer our planet and they're not about to let a bunch of extraterrestrial interlopers just swoop in and take the planet from them! 

Monsters Unleashed was unlike any massive crossover event I've ever read from the House of Ideas. For one thing, it was fun. There wasn't any sort of major shock, like the death of Captain America at the end of Civil War. The editors didn't try to add some new character that was going to change the way we looked at people of color or gender or reveal that some beloved established character was now retconned to be furry or something like that. Instead, this storyline was a tribute to the giant monsters of a by-gone era of creativity and thinly veiled fear of the Red Menace of Communism!

The new character that was introduced in this series was a young pre-teen boy named Kei. He has the ability to draw monsters and make them appear and disappear as needed. With this ability, Kei becomes Kid Kaiju (a freakin' awesome 2010s superhero name if I've ever heard one) and perhaps humanity's last hope for salvation against these big nasties.

I really loved how Monsters Unleashed utilized Moon Girl. Having her become a sort of mentor for new hero Kei was a perfect casting choice. Then we have monster-hunter Elsa Bloodstone becoming Kei's bodyguard and mentor in a preview of a Monsters Unleashed regular series that continues from where the 5th issue of the miniseries ends. Even though I've got plans to downsize my collection somewhat, I think I'd be more than happy to collect the follow-up series because just like this crossover event, it was fun. 

Okay. Now it's time to pick apart the story a little. With kaijus appearing all over the globe, both villains and protagonist alike, there's a lot of destruction here. Some notable landmarks become piles of rubble, like the Nevada's Hoover Dam, the imperial palace of Wakanda and Johannesburg's FNB Stadium. I've read Marvel stuff from the past 7 years since this story came out. I've not heard about rebuilding efforts from Monsters Unleashed still being a thing in the Marvel Universe. Is superhero calamity reconstruction company Damage Control that good at quick repairs? Or do the magicians of the Marvel Universe like Doctor Strange cast instance rebuild spells? I think what I'm trying to get at is as much as I enjoyed the scenes of massive destruction, the level seen in this book was just too implausible to me.

Cullen Bunn penned a great story that was a thrill ride a minute. Smartly plotted. Hilarious banter. The art was good. Though a lot of the alien kaiju seemed to have googly eyes that made them look more silly that deadly serious. (Was Hobby Lobby having a sale on them?) I did mourn the death of one of Kid Kaiju's creations. The character is only there for like 5 pages and yet I feel in love with them. Hopefully, they'll make a return! Some great variant covers by Arthur Adams appear in the back and they're not to be missed. 

Another gem unearthed at my nearest Ollie's, Monsters Unleashed is an extremely fun read  despite it's over-the-top level of chaos and destruction.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #37 (Family Comic Friday)

We're finally into the month of December and our preview of holiday themed issues continues with a review of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #37. Set on Christmas Eve, 10-year old Lunella and her crimson dinosaur companion must play Santa when the real deal crash lands in the Big Apple!

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #37

Writer: Brandon Montclare
Artist: Gustavo Duarte
Cover: Natacha Bustos
Publisher: Marvel Comics

SRP: $3.99

Rating: Teen

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is an award-winning comic book about a child genius who discovers a time-displaced dinosaur. The terrible lizard is Devil Dinosaur, a Jack Kirby creation from the 1970s. At that time, Devil was so named because of his red skin, which made him a mutant of sorts. His many adventures were set in prehistoric times with a simian lad named Moon Boy.

In the present day, Lunella Lafayette has been diagnosed with the Inhuman gene. When she emerges from terragenesis the process that give Inhumans their powers, Lunella now has the ability to swap minds with Devil Dinosaur when the moon is full. It's an interesting twist on the Wolfman mythos, only sometimes a little girl becomes a 30 foot reptile!

This series is rated T for Teen and I think that's a big mistake on Marvel's part. I've read several issues of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and while some action may be a little intense for really young readers, it shouldn't be rated Teen. True, it should not be rated all-ages either but it's not correct to rate this series for only for readers 13 and up.

Both Marvel and DC need to create a new rating. Call it something like P for Pre-Teen and have the book be appropriate for readers 10 and up. In an industry claiming difficulties in reach the next generation of young readers, putting the wrong parental advisory on a book geared for kids in 3rd or 4th grade is not a viable way to reach your new target demographic. 

I think the main reason this title is rated for older readers is due to the artwork. I like Gustavo Duarte's style, personally. But a parent told me recently that some artwork just seems too advanced for his 8-year old son. He then showed me an example of a book which was crowded with very fine-lined stuff. The parent pointed out that there was just too much going on action-wise in the story, that his son just lost track of what was going on. 

Gustavo Duarte has a sketchy style similar to Skottie Young, which appeals to young readers. But both artists love to fill every inch of the paper with tiny little details. It's something I love in a comic. But maybe that dad is on to something too.

This issue of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is one of those books where you may find yourself wanting to buy two copies. There are some Valentine's Day-style holiday cards at the end of this issue for kids to cut out and give to friends. If you have a young reader who is interested in investing in comics, this issue is one that will be valuable sometime in the near future. With many issues getting clipped with scissors, this book will be difficult to find when the next gen of readers mature. And with difficulty comes a higher price. Just something to think about but not a requirement. 

If the young reader in your life wants to have fun with this book- let them! If you only want to buy one issue. Be fine with that as well. Kids are supposed to enjoy being a kid. And a Christmas themed comic book from Marvel is one of those fun time rights of passage. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #37 is a great holiday read that fits that bill! Just don't be scared off by that Teen rating on the cover if your child isn't 13 yet.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #37 debuted in digital and print platforms on Wednesday, November 28th, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Volume 1: BFF (Family Comic Friday)

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Volume 1: BFF
Writer: Amy Reeder
Artist: Natacha Bustos
Publisher: Marvel

Thumbing through a recent issue of something, (I don't remember what), I saw an advertisement for the collected first volume of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. This series hadn't really been on my radar, but I was open to getting my hands on a copy if it ever turned up and my local library. What caught my eye on this particular day wasn't the artwork nor the concept but a blurb posted by another reviewer. 

Citing a website called Black Nerd Problems, the blurb said that Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur was a 'fantastic read for all ages.' Since I do this weekly post where I examine family friendly comics, I was interested to know if this series really was appropriate for all ages or not. Thus, I hunted down a copy of volume one and gave it a read to see for myself what this series was all about

So let's examine all the evidence and decide if this was the correct assessment for this series.

How Does It Rate?

The cover of issue #1 rates the book for teens. According to Marvel's rating system a teen book is considered 'appropriate for most readers, but parents are advised that they might want to read before or with younger children.'

The days of a governing body determining the age appropriateness of comics is long gone.The ratings for comics are now done in house by each publisher. DC rates their own books as does Marvel. So already, Moon Girl's parent company does not consider this book to be suitable for all. While I felt that the overall of story was great for kids- a young girl befriends a dinosaur- some situations could be considered tense for younger children.

What's in the Book?

This series continues the story of Devil Dinosaur. The fiery red T-Rex like dinosaur was the creation of the great Jack Kirby and first debuted in Devil Dinosaur #1 from 1978. Devil was accompanied by a young ape-like child named Moon Boy. Together, the pair fought off extraterrestrials, other rampaging thunder lizards, and even modern day menaces like Godzilla. But the duo's prime enemies were a tribe of fierce cavemen called the Killer-Folk. 
It's during a battle with the Killer-Folk, that Devil Dinosaur is sucked through a time vortex into the modern day along with a sacred rock with mystical powers called the Nightstone. 

In 2016 New York City, 9-year old Lunella Lafayette is a brilliant child who is unappreciated by her teachers, peers, and parents. Lunella knows that she has the Inhuman gene and is frantically trying to cure herself before a terrigen mist cloud transforms her into something, er well, Inhuman. 

When Lunella discovers the Nightstone, she sees it for what it really is, a Kree Omni-Wave Projector. However, Devil Dinosaur is fiercely protective of it and basically follows Lunella around like the world's largest red puppy. But the Killer-Folk also emerged from the time portal and they have their eyes on the Nightstone as well. As Lunella's neighborhood is terrorized by the Killer-Folk, it's up to the Devil Dinosaur and Moon Girl to restore peace to the Big Apple!

Scary Bad Guys & Bratty Children

I'm really glad that I had a collection of the first six issues of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Because in that first issue, Lunella is a brat with a capital B. She was quite off-putting. If I only had that issue to base my opinion off of, I wouldn't come around for seconds. 

However, as Lunella learns to become the hero Moon Girl, her personality becomes more favorable. So there's a real lesson in humility and caring for others that underlines this first story arc. In fact, I recommend that you don't read the series as individual issues as there's real character development to be explored when read as a collection.

If being a brat was cause for a book to not be considered all-ages then there wouldn't be any all-age comics at all. But one thing that I felt does mark this book as not being appropriate for readers of all ages are the villains!

The Killer-Folk start off kinda comical. Natacha Bustos' art makes them look like tiny Saquatches. But as the Nightstone evolves the cave creatures, they become more intelligent and more deadly. There's several scenes where the Killer-Folk threat to kill innocent New Yorkers and a couple of intense scenes in which people are seriously injured. Also, at one point, Lunella's school is targeted and if not for Devil Dinosaur, her classmates would have perished at the hands of the Killer-Folk. Thought Bustos' art style is more age friendly in eye appeal, the dangers presented in this book are quite grown-up.

Finding Balance

It's series such as this book as to why I write my Family Comic Friday posts. If the average parent or guardian took the praise on the front cover at face value, they might have bought this book for a younger child who might not be ready for such intense scenes. I would be okay with telling a parent of a 10 year old to let them read this book. On the flip side, I would also have to provide a strong word of caution to the caretaker of a 5-7 year old reader. 

Another thing that makes this book NOT all-ages is the techno-jargon. Lunella is one smart kid and she's a lot like Young Sheldon. She might know how to use enriched uranium but she shouldn't be allow to buy enriched uranium. (Maybe when she's 10...) 

Having technical terms and advanced concepts isn't a bad thing in kids books. But if you want the young comic reader to fully enjoy the book, having an adult help with big words and complex thinking isn't a bad idea. Anytime you can get a parent and child reading together, it's a good thing and this is a series that really needs a reading partner if read by a child ages 9 or younger.

Where to Now?

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur are still going strong as a monthly series by Marvel Comics. Original series writer Amy Reeder has moved on, though Natacha Bustos currently remains as head artist. Having not read past issue #6, I can't rate those issues. But this first volume was a pleasant burst of old school characters with new dynamic roles. In an era where Marvel's comics have become almost an afterthought to the live action films that they were based upon, this series gives me hope that the House of Ideas has yet to run out of them. 

Hopefully that means that this new dynamic duo is here to stay. So if Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is just a little too old for the young comic collector in your life- don't worry! They'll grow into it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.