Batman '66, Volume 5

You look at the cover and you're probably saying 'Batman '66 never fought against Solomon Grundy or Clayface!' However, you have to remember that this DC comics webseries turned comic book is supposed to be an imagining of what could have been if ABC never destroyed the sets and NBC picked up Batman for a fourth season!

Plus, you would be wrong in your assumptions about Grundy and perhaps Clayface. If you are like me and you remember the awesomely terrible Legends of the Superheroes and the even worse sequel, the Adam West Batman along with the Burt Ward Robin went up against Solomon Grundy, played by character actor Mickey Morton. Plus, it's a fan theory that the one-shot villain False Face, played by heavy Malachi Thorne, was in fact Basil Karloff, the first Clayface! Well, thanks to Jeff Parker, that theory became reality with a story that sees False Face falling into a polluted swamp and becoming the Matt Hagen version of Clayface!

This volume is sadly the last volume collection of Batman '66 stories. Thus, I think with cancellation on the horizon, the creative team got a chance to give their wildest wishes a chance to get the Batman '66 treatment. Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Bane all make debuts. I loved every page, though there was just a little too much of Marsha, Queen of Diamonds. She's in 2 issues!!! I'd rather give Shame or the Minstrel another chance to shine.

There's a great story where Barbara Gordon takes a temp job at an ad agency that gets held hostage by the Big Four: Catwoman, Joker, Riddler and the Penguin. They want the ad execs to create a campaign, changing their reputation as villains. Unable to change into Batgirl, Barbara has to use her wits and the baddies' hubris to play the antagonists against each other. It's a brilliant story that doesn't see any capes!

Unfortunately, we never get a Batman '66/Superman '52 team-up. Though we come really close in the last issue! The Allred Family wrap up the series with a brilliant tale that reveals true story behind the battle Batman and Robin undertake in the animated sequence performed every episode, during the show's theme song. Towards the very end, we get an amazing cameo of George Reeves' Clark Kent, as well as several other appearances by characters who might have existed in the '66 universe. 

This volume wraps up my having read everything tied into the classic 60s TV version of the Caped Crusader.  I still have a Wonder Woman '77 team up with the Bionic Woman and some of the other more recent releases to go. But hopefully we'll get some more adventures of the Gothamites of 1966. I can understand DC wanting a cooling off period to not over-saturate the brand. But the number of devotees to that show are dwindling. We're not getting any younger. Here's to hoping we don't have to wait until 2066 for further adventures...

Worth Consuming!

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

DC's I Saw Ma Hunkel Kissing Santa Claus #1

I Saw Ma Hunkel Kissing Santa Claus. Great pun title. Adorable cover. As for the overall book itself, it had highs and lows. This 2025 holiday special has got some of my all-time favorite characters. It's got some obscure ones, that are fan favs. And it's got at least one character that I didn't know who in the heck they were.

Supergirl stars in my favorite story. She's spending Christmas in Smallville this year and Clark set her up on a blind date. I'm still not as much of a fan when she's all sad and depressed. I prefer my Maid of Might all bright and chipper. But the ending just melted my heart. It was perfect!

Harley Quinn has a Christmas getaway with Poison Ivy. I don't mind this relationship. It was strongly hinted upon in Batman: The Animated Series- by Paul Dini, who created her. So if he says she's bisexual, then Harley Quinn is bisexual. What I don't like is DC currently claiming that they're presenting the definitive story of how these two become a couple because Paul Dini already did that in 1993's 'Harley and Ivy'!

The parody of It's a Wonderful Life starring Animal Man and the Phantom Stranger was hilarious! 

The JSA story that does indeed star Ma Hunkel, the original Red Tornado was festive fun and very nostalgic. But where was Scribbly? He needed to at least have a cameo in this flashback story!

I liked the twist on the trope where a guy finds himself with 2 dates at the same time. Here we find Billy Batson and Captain Marvel at a high school Christmas dance dating Billy's dream girl... and her mom! Well, the Captain is dating the mom. Now that I think about it, this was a subplot of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, while both Clark and Superman attended the same dinner date with 2 different women. Okay. So its not an original twist...

The Doctor Light story was good as well. It features the Kimiyo Hoshi Doctor Light, Ray Palmer and a holiday prank played on blowhard Guy Gardner.

The Martian Manhunter story was fair. I loved that it involves Krampus. But too much of the story took place inside of J'onn J'onnz' consciousness and was a bit too metaphysical for my tastes.

And then we've got the Hanukkah story, which is sadly the worst story. It stays the gender fluid character known as Galaxy. This character apparently debuted in a young adult graphic novel that I have no memory of ever seeing any sort of advertising for. I don't even recall seeing the so-called origin story being listed in Previews nor the coming attractions section of Midtown Comics. Galaxy has been putting their girlfriend on the back burner during the first 7 nights of Hanukkah. With one evening to go, Galaxy is determined to to spend it with true love. Unfortunately, a figure from Galaxy's past, has other ideas.

DC has the right to fill their holiday specials with whatever they like. Galaxy would not have been a character that I would have selected. But there are readers out there who would say the same about selecting Animal Man or Ma Hunkel. I just find it surprising that Batman, the Flash or Wonder Woman don't even appear anywhere here. They're some of the company's most lucrative properties and yet they are nowhere to be found. 

This wasn't the worst DC holiday special. There really was more good than bad. I just could've done without the Galaxy story. The artwork was not good. What is wrong with Galaxy's ears? Is the character wearing headphones? The plot was good. The dialogue was not. Is this is how DC thinks teens and young adults talk? Being a high school teacher, I am aware of much of the slang and vernacular of this current generation. But they don't communicate this obnoxiously, I think. Like the annoying song that you can't get out of your head, the Galaxy story, especially the way everyone talks, marred my overall enjoyment of this special.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

Joker's Asylum

I've read some but not all of the second salvo of one-shots under the 'Joker's Asylum' lineup. They're like what you would have encountered if EC Comics had crafted a Batman villains themed anthology. The Joker is your host, leading through a captivating story about a member of the Dark Knight's rogues gallery, climaxing with a twist ending on par with Johnny Craig, Al Feldstein or Harvey Kurtzman. 

I loved the 3 I've read so far. So finding the first collection for an amazingly good price was a no-brainer.

The Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, the Scarecrow and the Joker himself are the stars of the 5 one-shots that comprised the first series. Penguin's tale of true love ruined by his vicious streak brought about by the slightest bruise to his delicate ego was the best story. Amazing tale by Jason Aaron that I could read again and again. Joe Harris's story involving the psychological monster, the Scarecrow, was a frightening yet fun homage to the teen horror flicks of the 80s and 90s with a cerebral ending. J.T. Krul's look at Poison Ivy was a classic Batman mystery tale. There's just not enough of those type of Batman stories these days if you ask me.

The Two-Face one-shot by David Hine was a morality play about human nature and whether man is inherently good or bad. So can a good man be turned into a villain while the most retched of all is redeemed as a saint? Add in Harvey Dent's very literal interpretations of the id and ego and it's definitely not a story for casual comic book readers. This is college level stuff. Plus the level of unease is at least doubled with the ending that the reader determines thanks to a simple flip of a coin. 

My least favorite story was the Joker's tale. Ironic, eh? The Joker rigs a game show in a farce by Arvid Nelson that fell short in my eyes. However, the artwork of the Joker by Alex Sanchez that reflects the many actors who have portrayed the Clown Prince of Crime over the years was exceptional. It's just a bit of a let down when the Joker tries to prove that he's not the biggest, baddest monster in Gotham. This isn't The Walking Dead. I know that the worst monster of them all is man. I don't need the Joker to remind me.

A fantastic read. Why DC will stop of only 2 runs Joker's Asylum one-shots. but put out a dozen sequel volumes of Dark Nights: Metal or DC Undead is beyond me!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 20 stars.

DC's Harley Quinn Romances #1

This is my last Valentines read for 2024. It's last year's 80-paged Valentine's Day special from DC Comics. From the clever title which is a great pun of those Harlequin Romance novels that everyone's mom, including mine, read, I thought we were going to be in for a treat. Instead, much of this book was one big hot mess. 

Readers get not 1 but 2 Harley Quinn tales. The last story, which also stars a slew of ladies from the DC universe, including members of the Birds of Prey as well as Superman's mermaid ex Lori Lemaris, was lots of fun. It's got Harley and the gals having a Galentine's Day brunch on Wonder Woman's credit card. Each of the women describe their past dalliances with King of the Sea, Aquaman. It was a brilliant exploration of the 80 year plus superhero career of Arthur Curry. 

If only the opening Harley story was anywhere near as good. That story has Harley interrupting a Valentines Day caper planned by lady love, Poison Ivy. I don't care what anybody says, but Poison Ivy is just as bad a romantic choice for Harley Quinn as the Joker is. If not worse! The Joker is abusive and manipulative. And that's not cool. Yet, Poison Ivy seems to do the same under the guise of being Harley's best friend/lover. I don't think any casual observer of the Joker/Harley Quinn relationship could see that the Clown Prince of Crime really had no love or care for Dr. Harleen Quinzel. Yet with Poison Ivy, she might not be physically abusive with Harley, but Pamela Isley is so rude and mocking of Harley. Most folks think Ivy and Harley are soul mates. But I know the truth! That girl is POISON!

The Power Girl story in which Superman sets her up with Jimmy Olsen was pretty cool. I hadn't realized that she had been reintroduced into the same DCU universe as Supergirl. Once I did a quick Google search to clear those questions up, I enjoyed the heck out of this story. Though I still prefer Supergirl to Power Girl any day!

The Hellblazer story was also really well done. It had a lot of heart and the big reveal of the secret guest star to the tale was so satisfying! 

The other remaining 4 stories stink, Stank, STUNK! I don't care a thing about the characters of Wildstorm. I didn't like them when they were the product of Image Comics and I don't like them now. The Kite Man story was stupid. The Fire and Ice story should have been a home run. Only the writing was clunky and the ending was flat. The Batman story had good writing and a clever plot with Batman racing the clock to deactivate a bomb placed inside a random dude's neck and the new fiancee tagging along. But the artwork was awful. 

I've yet to read this year's DC Valentine's Day special. The title of 'How to Lose a Guy Gardner in 10 Days' was ingenious. I immediately placed my order for the book when I saw it. Only it's currently on back order. That means I'll be reading it next year I guess. However, if it's anywhere close to how disappointing this book was, I might be waiting for nothing but a big letdown.

What a waste of a 10 spot. A twenty if this year's offering is just as lame!

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

Batman/ The Spirit One-Shot (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The Batman/The Spirit one-shot team-up titled 'Crime Convention' won the 2007 Eisner Award for the 'Best Single Issue/One-Shot'. Written by Jeph Loeb, this madcap adventure is the first ever pairing of the Dark Knight and 'the real only middle-class crimefighter.'

The story has Gotham City's Commissioner Gordon and Central City's Commissioner Dolan heading to Hawaii for a convention of police and law enforcement officers. On his way to the airport, Dolan is swooned by a fiery redhead named Ivy while Jim Gordon is being accompanied by his new girlfriend; a sultry brunette by the name of P'Gell!

The villains of the Batman and the Spirit have joined forces to make the convention an explosive event that nobody will ever forget! Everyone from the Cossack to Killer Croc have converged on America's 50th state to have some fun, get some sun and hit at the heart of their arch-enemies. Thankfully, Batman and the Spirit are en route to Hawaii. But are they too late?

The star of this book is artist Darwyn Cooke. Introducing the Spirit to the DC Universe, Cooke would later go on to be written and illustrator for the first 14 issues of DC's Spirit ongoing. A student of the golden and silver ages of comics, Cooke combined classic artwork with modernized poses and Kirby-esque framing. As a result of his efforts on both this one-shot and the Spirit monthly, Cook earned the 2007 Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding artist.

Dave Stewart won the 2007 Eisner as best colorist for this special. 

A Late Freeze, The Preposterous Adventures of IronHide Tom, Skyscrapers of the Midwest #3 and They Found The Car were the other nominees for this category. 

Batman and the Spirit would team again, along with Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze in the 2010 miniseries First Wave.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #9 (Best Single Issue or Serialized Story to Win Eisner Award) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls

Originally published as Gotham Girls #1-5. This miniseries is based on the web series of the same name. I'm not sure why DC decided that they had to add Harley Quinn's name to the collection. I would have read this without touting her. But I guess the publisher felt that the only way to sell this trade paperback was to add Harley's name to it. I think that is a sad testament to how much trust DC Comics has in it's female lead properties. 

The premise involves Catwoman stealing a vial of something from a chemical lab. It's revealed that inside the container is a powerful fertilizer that will increase yield a thousand. Unfortunately, this stuff will also cause weeds and invasive plants to thrive uncontrollably. Poison Ivy realizes the harmful potential of this stuff on the Earth and will do anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. With help from Harley Quinn, it's two against one vs. Catwoman. 

Added to the mix is Batgirl ,who is investigating the break-in. Sometimes she's assisted by Catwoman. Sometimes, Catwoman plays opportunist and turns Poison Ivy and Harley against Batgirl. Don't feel bad! Helping Batgirl while conducting official business for the Gotham City PD is Rene Montoya! A little out of her element but not to be underestimated!

I absolutely hated the dynamic between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Ivy is so manipulative of Harley in this story. If you ask me, that makes Ivy worse than the Joker because Harley came to the Guardian of Gardens for refuge. Instead, Harley is being used, mocked and mistreated by Poison Ivy.

That relationship also doesn't seem canon to both Batman: The Animated Series as well as the web series. Sure, Harley Quinn can annoy the heck out of Poison Ivy. That, I don't blame one bit. But in animated form. I never got the impression that Poison Ivy was anything but a friend to Harley. Lover? Perhaps. But I never felt like Ivy wasn't truly a friend to the Joker's ex-girlfriend. 

Aside from writer Paul D. Storrie (Graphic Myth & Legends) getting Harley and Poison Ivy's relationship completely wrong, this was an enjoyable read. Though, I did feel that the 5th issue fell a little flat. Issues 1-4 provide backstory to Catwoman, Harley, Ivy and Montoya. Issue 5 neglects to dive, albeit even briefly, into Batgirl's personal history. That omission really interrupts the story flow. 

The artwork was very good. Jennifer Graves (Robin) draws everyone in the hybrid TAS/Gotham Girls style that is both retro and art deco. The covers by Shane Giles were amazing! They screamed the outstanding work of the late Darwyn Cooke! (In other words, I loved it!)

This work was enjoyable. It was far from perfect as a couple of characters just weren't portrayed as accurately as intended. But for someone who loves Batman: The Animated Series and it's various incarnations, this miniseries, I was entertained. Just next time, treat my girl Harley Quinn a lot bit better!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant One-Shot

2021 was a milestone year for several member's of Batman's Rogues Gallery. With a Penguin story by one of the actor's who have portrayed the villain, Danny DeVito, I was excited for the special. And I was very much willing to pay the full $9.99 cover price. 

I won't be making that mistake again.

The DeVito story was all over the place. It should be considered a cautionary for allowing actors free range to craft stories that stroke inflated egos. (Danny Devito played the Penguin in 1992's Batman Returns) I don't want to spoil this story. But it's definitely a fantasy story that never, EVER would happen in legitimate Batman canon.

I'm not ragging on just Danny Devito and what I assume is his comic book writing debut. Ms. Marvels' G. Willow Wilson's story starring Poison Ivy was confusing and too artsy-fartsy. And the Scarecrow story by Wes Craig (Deadly Class) makes an odd left turn and implicates Nightwing as some sort of chosen one in Dr. Crane's bizarre plans which were already too spastic to understand. 

There were some good stories. I loved the twist at the end of the Ra's al Ghul story. The Talia story was decent as well. I enjoyed how Stephanie Williams' (Wonder Woman: Black & Gold) take on the Red Hood kinda had a take on the villain's legend similar to that on Gotham. 

The Mad Hatter story was just fantastic. It would have made a great segment on an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. But the story that shined the most starred the villain that gets so little respect that cover artist Lee Bermejo (Batman: Noel) didn't even bother to put him on the cover: Killer Moth!

Killer Moth gets a bad rap mostly because he gets his butt kicked in Batgirl's origin story. And then by the hero again and again and again. Still, his short story, which was way too short was the cream of the crop! Mairghread Scott crafted an epic in less than 10 pages. If DC would greenlight a Killer Moth series written by the Transformers writer, I would request it in my LCS pull box in a heartbeat!

There's a big difference between this special and the most recent DC holiday special I read in Decmber, is that the festive book tried too to be relevant for just about every race, gender and creed instead of focusing on quality. In this special, I feel that the writers were trying to get too much into the psyche of the characters. Thus storyline suffered greatly in many of the stories. Many of Batman's arch-enemies are insane. If you try to craft a tale from the point of view of a madman, things aren't going to make sense and that's what happened with the Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and Al Ghul stories. I have no idea what Danny DeVito was trying to do with the Penguin. 

While this special was much better than last year's holiday annual, I'm still disappointed. To have to give up a Hamilton plus tax, I'd expect perfection from DC Comics. I hate to not support new comics in a day and age where consumership is greatly waning. But I can't afford to keep throwing my money away on sub-par works. Especially these pricey ones.

Do better, DC!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

 

Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy

Spiraling out of the events of Heroes in Crisis (which I have not yet read), Poison Ivy has returned from the dead. But Ivy's resurrection hasn't been easy as there appears to be something in the fabled Green causing the villain to turn into a literal vegetable. Leave it to BFF and soul mate Harley Quinn to do whatever it takes to fix her friend. And when it turns out that the Floronic Man, Jason Woodrue is behind Poison Ivy's flawed regeneration, Harley will go full Thelma and Louise in a cross-country escape!

This was a great Harley Quinn story in which you can tell how much she loves her best pal, Red. Jody Houser really captures this unique relationship extremely well. There's lots of great twists and turns in this road trip farce. Well, until the last chapter. For some reason the Supergirl writer takes a great story sprinkled with comedic fisticuffs and shove in as much 3rd action carnage as unnecessarily possible. What does Jody Houser think this is- a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie?

The artwork by Adriana Melo (Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor) was good. But the cover artwork by Elena Casagrande (Catwoman) was superb! Too bad we couldn't get the entire story illustrated by her!

It was a good story that had an ending that just went off the rails. I'm okay with the disappointing end. But the last chapter that got us to it was a real put-off that ruined an otherwise flawless story.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Batman #181 Facsimile Edition

There's a new criminal queen on the Gotham City scene. Her name is Poison Ivy and she uses a mix of botanical knowledge and chemistry to put others under her command. But in order to become the most feared femme fatale of them all, Ivy must eliminate Interpol's top 3 most dangerous female criminals. In order to do that, Poison Ivy plans to use the Caped Crusader whose fallen under the villainess's spell with her bedeviled kiss!

In the second feature, the members of the Gotham City Detective's Club must protect a mystery novelist who has been marked for death when the clock strikes 10pm! While the majority of the club members seek to provide protection for writer, Batman will do the dirty work by doing what he does best: sleuthing and maybe knocking around a few heads!

I was really excited when I heard that DC was releasing this facsimile edition of the first appearance of Poison Ivy. Of most of Batman's most deadly and famed foes, Poison Ivy is perhaps the only one whose first appearance of which I am not familiar with. 

When the character appeared in Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin, I was disappointed on how much of a romantic wedge she was between the dynamic duo. I guess I must forgive Schumacher a little bit as this debut has Poison Ivy toying with Batman's heart strings while Robin struggles to detoxify Batman from Ivy's lipstick.

While I understand that 1960s comics often played the romance angle quite a bit between the heroes and their opposite sex foes, I really thought that Poison Ivy was immune to such outdated tropes. Man- was I wrong!

I really enjoyed the second story. Last year's Batman: The Brave and the Bold/Scooby-Doo movie had a version of the mystery club. It's neat to see one of that awesome film's inspirations for the first time. 

I also loved the 1966 vintage ads. I really loved those. Some were so timeless looking, especially the Bullwinkle ad. It looked more like some I would have seen in a 1980s comics not a reprint from the mid-60s. The advertising art and print quality was that prestine! There's also letters from the editor and a full run-down of other DC titles released during this time period.

DC has plans for more facsimile edition books. As much as I love seeing the vintage extras and secondary adventures, the publisher is going to have to offer books that I don't have in my collection. I've got so many reprint collections of classic DC material, the odds that I have a version of the work in question are often in my favor.  I got lucky this time around! We'll just have to see what else the House that Superman built has in store for this run of reprints!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Harley Quinn, Volume 3: Welcome to Metropolis

It's just too hot to be in Gotham right now. So Harley and Poison Ivy hightail it to Metropolis! If they're going to make it big in Superman's hometown, they've got to find a place to live, find jobs, and even make friends, like Jimmy Olsen and Bizarro!

Then Harley Quinn finds herself in the hottest water imaginable when she awakes in Hell. It's okay. This isn't a spoiler since the back of the book talks about Harley's final destination. 

A very interesting collection of stories. Many years ago, I saw a Bizarro Harley Quinn action figure and thought to myself that DC will do anything to sell action figures. Little did I know, that the Bizarro-Harley was taken from an actual comic! Okay, maybe this one was a spoiler. But these books are nearly 15 years old now!

Another interesting aspect of this volume is for an early 2000s book there is a frank depiction and defense of homosexuality. It's not something I have a problem with in this book. It's just how bent out of shape people are on social media about gays in comic books nowadays. Even though I wasn't actively collecting or reading comics at the time these Harley Quinn comics were being released new, I really do not recall people losing their minds over the same-sexual content of this series. 

Maybe I missed something. Well, there is one thing I miss- the utter civility of comic book fans, new and old in 2000-2005. 

Another great addition into the Harley Quinn mythos, though I wasn't so fond of the J'onn J'onnz storyline. It just didn't seem to fit. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Archie Meets Batman '66 #1

The Batman '66 franchise continues it's run of epic crossovers with some of your favorite characters from the swinging 60s. This time Batman and the Boy Wonder are joining forces with Archie and his friends from Riverdale High in the 6-issue miniseries Archie Meets Batman '66!

Written by Jeff Parker and Michael Moreci
Art by Dan Parent
Inks by J. Bone
Published by Archie Comics & DC Comics

Poison Ivy has unleashed a deadly botanical creation on the attendees of the 1966 Gotham City World's Fair. As The Dynamic Duo are tasked with stopping the chaos, Batman's greatest foes are teaming up once again to bring the world to it's knees! Only Catwoman, The Joker, Riddler, and Penguin aren't targeting Gotham. Instead they have their eyes on a defenseless plum ripe for plucking- Riverdale!

Meanwhile, Veronica has noticed that her father is acting rather strange. As she goes to the Riverdale police for help, she finds that the police chief is acting just like Mr. Lodge! Has Veronica uncovered a sinister conspiracy among the rich and powerful of her burg?

Issue #1 of Archie Meets Batman '66 moves the all players into position. However, if you are expecting to see the World's Oldest Teenager hanging out with Batman and Robin, you will have to wait until issue #2. Not having the two parties meet is the standard structure for a multi-issue cross-industry crossover. While I love crossovers, it's always infuriated me when this happens. Yes, there are a few cases of both stars of a crossover joining forces right from the start. But those instances are the exception, not the rule, when it comes to team-ups.

Despite the lack of having Riverdale and Gotham's elite join forces, this first issue was rather good. There's some awesome cameos, of which I expect more in the remaining 5 issues. But there was one noticeable anachronism in this story. As I mentioned earlier, the story is set during Gotham's 1966 World's Fair. Yet, there's Batgirl in the crime-fighting mix with Batman and Poison Ivy. Jeff Parker and/or Michael Moreci: somebody made a big goof as Batgirl didn't appear on Batman until 2 years later!

I had zero issues with the amazing art by Dan Parent. The Die, Kitty Die artist was a long-time illustrator for Archie Comics. His art style became the standard for how Archie was to look in the early 90s through much of the 2000s.  His renderings of the Batman Family in the style of Archie Comics is very retro cool!

Twice in the past two years, residents of Riverdale have had their lives turned upside down by Gothamites.  But this go-round is a very different beast from Harley and Ivy Meets Betty and Veronica. That series was a little more aimed at older teens and adults. Archie Meets Batman '66 has an almost universal all-ages appeal that should delight fans of both franchises- ONCE THEY FINALLY MEET!

While this issue will let you down a bit, the awesome cliffhanger is going to perk you up like 12 cups of espresso. The Caped Crusader dancing the Batusi while the Archies play Sugar, Sugar is more than a given, gonna happen in this miniseries. You're just going to have to wait a few issues for it to occur.

Archie Meets Batman '66 #1 debuted in print and digital medias on July 18th, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The review was originally posted July 16, 2018 at Outrightgeekery.com.

The Batman Adventures #12 (Family Comic Friday)

   Batman Adventures #12. It's one of two most coveted issues by collectors in the past 3-5 years (with New Mutants #98 being the other.) This issue, based on the classic Batman: The Animated Series from the 1990s, marks the first appearance of the Joker's girlfriend in comic book form. Though this series wasn't officially canon, collectors have been in a frenzy to pick this book up in anticipation of today's debut of the Suicide Squad movie.

    In this issue, Barbara Gordon goes to a costume party, dressed as a female version of Batman. When Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy kidnap the guest of honor, Barbara goes into action as Batgirl to save the day. But while the new hero has Harley and Ivy under control, she may have bitten off more than she can chew when a new foe enters the scene: Catwoman!

    For a comic that is fetching prices of $475- to over $1000 because of a first appearance, this book was a bit of a disappointment. Harley is barely in this issue. She's got maybe 8 lines at best. But the collector wants what the collector wants...

     As a Batman: The Animated Series comic, this is a fun read. It captured the spirit of the cartoon very well. The art was spot on and the writing of Kelley Puckett was exceptional. If anyone was going to write a Batgirl themed issue, it needed to be him as he created at least one version of the heroine and was a prolific writer of her stuff in the 90s. 

     Lastly, folks, I hope you're not thinking that I am advocating you buy your child this book- well I am but I don't expect you to shell out $500 clams for an ungraded copy. I choose this issue to review as it's a kid's friendly version of Harley Quinn to read. Thankfully, this issue can be found for less than $20, along with 9 other tales in the pages of Batman Adventures, Volume 2! 

      Batman: The Animated Series and the three series of comics based on the show were such great views and reads. I loved them. My little sister adored them and even my mother thought it was a good show. And now parents who grew up watching this show are sharing with there kids and the second generation has fallen in loved with them as well.

      Even non-Harley Quinn issues can be a little pricey. You can sometimes get lucky in a bargain bin but even after 10 years of active searching, I've barely scratched the surface with my wish list. So check out the reprint collections. Four volumes are currently available and they can be bought for decent prices on Amazon. 

     It's a great way to collect the series without breaking the bank.

     Worth Consuming

     Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars.
     

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12

  I can't believe I bought into the hype...
 
   In the summer of 2015, the surprise hit of the year was Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12. I had already been a fan of this series since day one. Echoing the New Scooby-Doo Mysteries series from 1972, this series has the crew of Mystery Inc. solving mysteries with super-heroes and other cartoon legends. In terms of this issue's guest-star attraction, Harley Quinn, well my affection for her runs a lot deeper.
   In September of 1992 on Batman: The Animated Series, in an episode entitled 'Joker's Favor,' the Clown Prince of Crime got a girlfriend. Dressed as a Jester, Harley Quinn was supposed to be a thrown away one-time bit role. But she stole the hearts of millions that day including mine. 
   Over the years, my much littler sister became a fan of Batman and I would make her giggle doing Harley's voice in little bits with the Joker when we would play with her Batman action figures. But I think what cemented it for us was the epic battle between Harley and Lex Luthor's bodyguard, Mercy, during the premiere of the Batman/Superman Movie: World's Finest. Needless to say, when DC announced that this issue was coming out, I immediately put it on my wish list. What I didn't expect was for it to sell like hot cakes.
     I got lucky. My favorite comic book store is really a used book store, so it's often under the radar of but the most serious of collectors. But by the end of September 23, when this book dropped, stores nationwide were sold out and copies were being listed on Facebook and eBay for upwards of $30 a piece. 
    I apparently got into the fervor because I immediately bagged this issue and put it away in my collection without even doing the one thing I mean to do with it- READ IT! Then two nights ago as I was filing some comics, I came across this issue, realizing that I hadn't read it yet. So, was it worth the wait? Worth the fervor? Let's check out Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12.

    Scooby and the Gang are mysteriously summoned to the rooftops of Gotham. Thinking that Batman has secretly asked for their help on a case, the detectives agree only to be met by Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Despite the Mystery Gang having foiled the Joker in the past, Harley and Ivy don't have any ill will towards those meddling kids. No, they want help being rid of a ghost who has cursed them after they stole an ancient Egyptian gemstone.
      The real thief in this adventure was the Joker's girlfriend because Harley Quinn stole the show. She had the best lines and the decision to have artist Dario Brizuela draw her in her original jester costume was the right choice. It was great to have the original Harley back even if for just 32 short little pages.
      Honestly, this issue could've managed with just Harley Quinn as the guest-star. Her BFF and roommate Poison Ivy wasn't even necessary. She had very few lines and she really doesn't move the story anywhere. But I have a feeling Ivy was added as this issue was a tribute to Harley's first appearance in comic form (Batman: TAS #12) and both villains were in that issue.
     Overall, this issue #12 wasn't bad. But the Scooby Gang were reduced to those same insipid gags that the cartoon is known for. In Scooby-Doo Team-Up, the team is much more wittier and smarter- even Shaggy has a little more brains and backbone in this series. So why were the so darn goofy in this story? Don't blame Harley for the ridiculousness- she was actually more sane than anyone in this uneven tale.
     There were some bright spots but the potential of this issue didn't match up with the insanity that surrounded this issue last summer...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Harley & Ivy

Witness the formation of one of DC Comics' most tightest friendships turned whirlwind romances! Batman: The Animated Series' Paul Dini and Bruce Timm rejoin forces to bust Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy out of Arkham! While on the lam, the girls will take on a banana republic known for it's massive deforestation practices, Hollywood big wigs making a movie about the criminals, the big guy Batman, and each other!

I was surprised how titillating this story was. There's nearly nude prison showering, gratuitous crotch shots in lingerie and much more. Well, based on that scene in Mad Love when Quinn asks Mr. J if he wanted to take a ride on his Harley, maybe I'm not that surprised. 

While the story is firmly set in the TAS universe, this miniseries isn't all ages!

This volume also includes 2 short stories. Judd Winick (Red Hood: The Lost Days) pens a tale in which Harley seeks to best The Joker with planning the greatest heist ever pulled! Unfortunately for Harley and Ivy, they pick an event attended by Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake. Then Paul Dini is back with a story that has Harley and Ivy betting who can get the most smooches while confined in Arkham. Can Harley even compete against a villain who can control men with her special plant based pheromones? 

If you love Harley Quinn- and I truly do- you will enjoy this collection of stories! Poison Ivy isn't one of my favorite characters. But she works really well with Harley Quinn. They are such a great paring of opposites. 

Again, not suitable for all ages because of the eye candy artwork and innuendos. Those jokes might work on TV as they could be glossed over. But when they are in print, it's hard to avoid the tongue-in-cheekiness. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.