Grumpy Cat: The Grumpus and Other Horrible Holiday Tales (Family Comic Friday)

Although the world was only graced with 7 years of life of Grumpy Cat (real name: Tarder Sauce), the spirit of the prickly puss lives on. In a brand new collection of holiday stories, Grumpy Cat and her ever so positive brother Pokey, celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Three Kings Day in ways only feisty feline could. The title story of the Grumpus is Grumpy Cat's Christmas time warning to her brother that the holidays is not a season of glee but doom! Later we learn that cinnamon is Grumpy's greatest foe. Witness as aliens make first contact with Grumpy and Pokey in order to learn about Christmas. A malevolent spectre warns Grumpy of potential Christmas future troubles before this collection wraps up with Grumpy filling in for Old Saint Nick.

There have been Grumpy Cat (And Pokey!) comics before. But from what I can tell none of them were holiday specials. That means that the complete Grumpus and Other Horrible Holiday Tales is 100% all-new material! And I had a humongous amount of fun with this book!

There are a number of tales involved in this book including Steve Orlando, Derek Fridolfs and Silvia Bancora. Each story has differing art as well as differing ways of story framing. One tale is done in rhyme. Another is told partially. I'm thankful for that variety as I think if all the stories were told in a similar fashion, it would have gotten a tad stale. The main thing is that throughout 9 different tales, the snarky catatude of Grumpy and the wide-eyed wonder of Pokey never wavers!

Recommended by Amazon for readers aged 12-14 I think that there's something for everyone. Think the Grumpus, which is a Grumpy Cat version of Krampus or the Ghost of Christmas Future is too intense for the young readers in your life? Just skip those tales for the all-ages fun of the 'Grumpy Cat Vs. Merry Martians' or the hilarious chaos of the Hanukkah entry. Then in later years when those readers get old enough to read those slightly more intense Christmas Carols, it'll be brand new material for them!

A new holiday classic from a beloved feline icon. I miss Grumpy Cat.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Supergirl Rebirth #1

Supergirl's return to earth after freeing herself from the Red Lanterns has resulted in many changes for Kara. She's de-aged a few years back into a high schooler. She's gotten stronger but she's also become more reckless. Thus, the Maid of Might is now subject to the DEO and it's leader, Maggie Sawyer.

When the DEO encounters a Kryptonian 'werewolf', it's up to Supergirl to save the day. Realizing that the DEO lacks the manpower to tackle a Super man-sized threat, Sawyer and Kara will form a new partnership that will net her some extra freedom. But is it a partnership that can be trusted?

I missed this when it first came out in 2016. I didn't realize that there was to be both a Rebirth special on top of the Rebirth DC series of Supergirl. Thank goodness for Ollie's DC grab bags! I've been looking for this book forever with zero success. But there she was smiling at me with those glowing red eyes.

The stunning cover by Emanuela Lupacchino was just a teaser for an exciting story inside. The team of Ray McCarthy and Steve Orlando, a great story that sets up the Supergirl Rebirth series of which I have read the first six-issue storyline. This special, along with a conversation with a friend of mine explain a lot of questions that were bugging me about Supergirl's backstory- especially her role with the Red Lanterns.

The artwork, also by Lupacchino, was pretty good. It's got that almost cartoony/manga quality that I can't decide if I like or not. But it's Supergirl and I can't say no to stuff starring her or her cousin.

A good introduction that I wish I hadn't overlooked when it first came out. But better late than never.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Young Monsters In Love #1

Leave it to DC Comics to not just provide it's devoted fan base with a Valentines Day special! A sappy love fest of unrequited romance between two unlikely paramours just will not do for DC! Nope! Instead, DC Comics has issued a holiday special devoted to cupids and chocolates starring some of it's most popular supernatural characters.

Why use monsters in a Valentines Special? Part of the quirky fun of many B-movie horror films is when the beastly main character falls in love with a beautiful damsel in distress. King Kong falling for Faye Raye. The Creature From the Black Lagoon lusting after Julia Adams. And who can forget Tor Johnson's deformed Lobo saving Loretta King from a deranged Bela Lugosi in Bride of the Monster? Creatures of the night and romance are B-movie box office gold!

While Young Monsters In Love #1 may take it's inspiration from the schlock horror films of the 50s and 60s, this special is full of A-list talent. It features over a half dozen stories written by some of the best comic book talent in the industry, topped off by Batman: The Animated Series' Paul Dini. Jeff Lemire, Steve Orlando, Phil Hester and many more craft stories of love, loss, and monsters. 

Some highlights include:

• 'Heart Shaped Box'- A House of Secrets quality story in which Swamp Thing enacts revenge against a team of mercenaries that interrupt Swampy's V-Day plans with a lady botanist.
• 'Be My Valentine'- Deadman helps a bullied child get some revenge against those who made it the worst Valentines exchange party of all-time.
• 'Dear Velcoro'- One of the Creature Commandos receives a Dear John letter in-between missions in Nazi Germany.
• Monsieur Mallah goes shopping for his Valentine, The Brain, by robbing a Lexcorp research facility in 'Visibility.'
• 'Pieces of Me'-Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. pens a letter to his Bride, highlighting the complicated history between the two lovers.
• And in 'Nocturnal Animal', Kirk Langstrom struggles to battle his own personal demon, the Man-Bat, in the light of his crumbling relationship with his wife Francine.

DC has a habit of turning one or two of their featured holiday stories into miniseries or regular titles. If the pattern continues, I hope that the powers that be will offer more Paul Dini penned Deadman adventures. I know that there's currently a Deadman miniseries written and penciled by Neal Adams. It's good, but Dini's take gave the character of Boston Brand a warmth and life not seen in over 30 years. 

Overall, Young Monsters In Love was an unexpected delight. I didn't learn about this special until just a couple of weeks ago. Every story was masterfully written. The artwork was varied but brilliantly crafted by talents such as Guillem March and Kelley Jones, whose 1950s sci-fi movie inspired poster cover was so very retro and awesome!

The only thing that I wasn't a fan of was the price. With a cover price of $9.99, that's still pretty lofty, even if this was an 80-page giant. But I am a sucker for holiday specials of any type and what was inside the cover was flawless fun! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

The Shadow/Batman #1

The Shadow and Batman join forces again in the new crossover miniseries from Dynamite and DC Comics.
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Giovanni Timpano
Published by: Dynamite Entertainment/ DC Comics  

It’s midnight: New Year’s Eve in New York City.

Professor Pyg and his army of Dollotrons have gone on a recruitment drive for more members of his gang. Thankfully, Batman has arrived from Gotham City to stop the psychotic menace. But the Dark Knight is quickly overwhelmed. If it wasn’t for the unexpected appearance of the Damian Wayne Robin, Batman would have become one of Pyg’s minions.

Upon Pyg’s capture, Batman and Robin are alerted to a forgotten evil known as the Silent Seven: a group of super villains long believed to have stopped operating sometime in the 1940s. The knowledge Professor Pyg obtains is a source of division between the Dynamic Duo. But for the champion of the Big Apple, the Shadow, it’s information that chills him to his very core.

The opening salvo in the Shadow/Batman crossover is very unusual.

The storyline doesn’t follow the established rules for a crossover. Generally, the first issue is balanced 50/50 between the two stars as they slowly merge to work the same case or adventure coming together by the final panel of the opening chapter. Here, the Shadow only appears in 5 pages. This premier issue is all Batman and Robin.

I’m not really sure where Steve Orlando (Justice League of America) is going with this miniseries. A crossover typically provides equal amounts of coverage for the two parties being brought together. If Orlando is going to follow this formula, then the next issue is going to be all about the Shadow. We’ll just all have to way and see what the writer has up his sleeve for issue #2.

Now let’s talk about the art.

I loved it! Italian artist Giovanni Timpano’s style is very similar to another Batman favorite of mine- Frank Quitely. The Lone Ranger/Green Hornet crossover artist, like Quitely, pays exhaustive detail to the tiniest of things, like the refuse on a snowy New York sidewalk or the banner logo for a 1930s newspaper in the background of the Batcave. Timpano’s art is really top shelf stuff!

At the heart of this Shadow/Batman miniseries is a mystery. The Silent Seven are foes of the Shadow. For someone like myself who is not really familiar with that character, I’m at a loss as to why these guys scare the bejeezus out of the Shadow among other things.

Will we see further Batman villains pop up in this series? Is the Shadow going to finally interact with the Dark Knight? Why is Damian Wayne playing such a large part in this story at odds with his father? I really can’t tell you because Steve Orlando isn’t playing by the rules of crossover story writing. But I think that’s okay. Compared to other team-ups, I feel more interested in knowing what happens next in this miniseries though I am clueless as to what’s going on for a large portion of this story thus far.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Supergirl #4 (Rebirth)

     While on Argo, Zor-El, the Cyborg Superman, lays out his master plan to his daughter, Kara. Yes, the resurrected Kryptonians are currently shells of their former selves, kept alive only by the very  thing that killed them- Red Krpytonite. But Supergirl's father has a planned to restore her people body and soul. It involves stealing the life-force of another race of people- Oh! and the invasion of planet earth!

     After an issue that was pretty light on action- this issue makes up for it in spades. Another Steve Orlando triumph! Plus, the art was actually a little bit better as well!

     Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
   

Supergirl #3 (Rebirth)

   Supergirl accepts the invitation of her father, the new Cyborg Superman, and with Eliza Danvers, travels to Argo City. There, the Maid of Might is appalled by the resurrected Zor-El's efforts to recreate life using the very substance that killed Kara's people- Red Kryptonite!
    Meanwhile, on earth, because of Supergirl's field trip back home, Kara Danvers has stood up Cat Grant for her second interview to a Catco internship. Nobody stands up Cat Grant and lives to talk about it. So if Supergirl returns from outer space, she'll have a fate worse than death awaiting her in National City.
    A really great story by Steve Orlando. Though, the last person I knew was the Cyborg Superman was Hank Henshaw. So I had to do some catching up on Wikipedia to kinda understand what's been going on. I approve but man did I miss out on a lot by not reading the New 52! Supergirl series.
     Still on the fence about the artwork by Brian Ching (Witchblade.) The renderings of everyone but Supergirl is just perfect. I just feel like the main character does NOT get the marvelous respect she deserves here. I love the covers by Bengal and really think that the All-New Wolverine artist should be drawing the title character instead of Ching. 

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Supergirl #2 (Rebirth)

     While seeking some peace of mind in the Fortress of Solitude, Supergirl is confronted by her father, Zor-El, the new Cyborg Superman. He comes not to fight but to take her home to Argo City, which he claims is alive and thriving. Can he be trusted? Kara Zor-El highly doubts it. But she longs to be back with her people desperately.
      Meanwhile, as Supergirl mulls her decision over in her human identity, things are buzzing at her National City high school. Cat Grant has arrived on campus looking for a new protege. While one of Kara's rivals seems to have the job locked up, the media mogul has her eyes on a shy student with the last name of Danvers.
     I'm digging the Rebirth Supergirl series. But I much rather enjoy the elements that are more closely in tuned with the TV series like Cat Grant or the DEO than with the Cyborg Superman. Calista Flockhart's Cat grew on me and I think it's the one element that is sorely missing on the CW series right now. Thankfully, series writer Steve Orlando capture's Flockhart's character flawlessly in this series. 
     I also enjoy what Orlando has done having Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers cast as DEO agents who are undercover as Kara's adopted parents. But I wish that the writers and editors of this book could somehow put J'onn J'onnz as the head of the DEO, as on the TV show, instead of Maggie Sawyer. She's just not the right chemistry for this book. But if she's secretly a Martian underneath that blonde hair and trench-coat- well that's a twist you read about here first, folks!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Supergirl #1 (Rebirth)

   Young Kara Zor-El is having trouble adjusting to her new life on earth. On Krypton, she was amongst one of the brightest students in the planet's history. On earth during the day, she's living under the name of high-school student Kara Danvers. This world is so primitive to her, she can't even operative something as simple as an over-head projector. She's also quite a bit homesick and it doesn't help that her adoptive parents, DEO agents Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers keep trying to bring her a little slice of Krypton and fail miserably at it.
    At night, Kara operates as Supergirl where she's a member of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations like her guardians. Under the DEO, life is a hard adjustment too. As the Maiden of Might, she wants to be able to take on the criminal underground like her cousin, Superman. But the head of the department, former Metropolis detective Maggie Sawyer, doesn't think she's ready yet.
     Welcome to the Rebirth era Supergirl. It's a fair mix of comic book legend and the CW television series. Along with the DEO which plays a huge part of the show, this new Supergirl comic has a large dose of Cat Grant, who sees Supergirl as a Superman wannabe. I have a feeling Kara is going to end up an intern at Catco, Cat Grant's media empire, in the next couple of issues.
     One character that's on the CW show but isn't in the comic is Jimmy Olsen. He's still a very large part of Superman's world. So taking his place is a new character named Ben. Ben is an African American student at Kara's school. Part jock, part nerd, Ben is intrigued
by the fish out-of-water Kara Danvers and is probably going to take the role of love interest.
     Of this first issue, I really enjoyed it. I haven't been able to get my hands on Supergirl: Rebirth and I really wish I had. There's considerable amounts of backstory in that teaser issue that is alluded to quite a bit in this book. While it would've been nice to have read that first, you can still enjoy this new take on Supergirl.
     Writer Steve Orlando (Midnighter) weaves a pretty good teen angst tale that has equal parts action, sci-fi, and humor. I'm very happy he's got the reigns to my all-time favorite female super-hero- so don't mess it up! The artwork however by Ascension artist Brian Ching is still up in the air to me. I'm about 60-40 liking it but it's also a bit too cartoony as you can see from the cover. Who knows, maybe it will grow on me.
     A fun read with a great cliffhanger that's got me ready to camp out at the comic book store on the eve when it drops in a couple of weeks.
 
    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.