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.

Adventures in Advent 2024: Advent, Day 11

Today's Advent calendar is a work of art... Literally.  

For the past 40 years, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or The Met, have decorated a 20 foot tall blue spruce with dozens of 18th century ceramic angels adorn in silken robes. The cherubs take flight above a 360-degree nativity scene that depicts the birth of Christ, the arrival of the Magi and other key moments retold from the first few chapters of the Book of Luke. 

Now visitors to The Met who have become enamored with the tree and its Neapolitan Baroque Creche can bring the awe inspiring decoration home in the form of a 3-D card stock Advent calendar. 

When you unfold the piece, it takes the shape of the tree and the nativity scenes depicted on all sides; a full 360 degrees. But where are the angels? Throughout the tree are numbered die-cut flaps that when flipped open reveal one of the heavenly hosts . By the time you get to December 24th, your tree will look like a miniature version of the real McCoy!

Advents like this are just as fun as the ones where you have no clue as to what's inside, even though you know what you are getting! And why is that? I think it's because it builds on a tradition. People all over the world have fallen in love with The Met's tree. Yet not everyone can make the trip to New York City during the holidays. These kind of Advents share the experience and makes lasting memories which is more important than some daily trinket that more than likely has zero real user value other than their novelty. This calendar is something that children and grandkids and great grandchildren can share with their parents and loved ones while spreading appreciation of the fine arts and making memories in the process.

Super Powers #5

The first Super Powers miniseries comes to a close with a double sized spectacular not just plotted by written and illustrated by the King, Jack Kirby!

First, the Justice League find themselves along with their biggest foes attached to a gigantic machine designed to sap their powers in order to fuel Darkseid's war machine. Then a forgotten New God frees both the heroes and villains, placing them in Brainiac's vessel in a final counterattack against Darkseid's forces. Add in a time warp or two. A look at the Metropolis of the year 10,000. Boom! You've got one heck of a great finale to a story that was really having a rough start.

My favorite part was having Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Joker and Penguin becoming good guys. I love how it's okay if they try to take over the world. But if someone else from another galaxy tries to do it then it's game on for becoming a hero. To see Batman and the Joker not just working together, but complementing each other- AS FRIENDS! It's just bizarre. Something that I've never seen before. 

I Love it!

Actually, I have kinda seen it before. In the final episode of Justice League Unlimited, the Justice League combines forces with the members of the Secret Society of Super-Villains to repel the onslaught of Darkseid and Apokolips. I thought that episode was great, especially with the ending where after defeating Darkseid, Batman rewards the baddies for their heroic efforts with a 5 minute head start before the Justice League apprehends them. That doesn't quite happen here. But thanks to Kirby's deft touch, the last couple of pages were things of beauty.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #2

After seeing success in the previous issue, Lex Luthor and the Penguin both get greedy in exerting their new powers over their foes in the Justice League and wind up failing miserably. (They've both now been marooned to a neither dimension, awaiting their fate based on their defeats.) Brainiac hasn't yet gotten to Earth yet, so the jury is still out on his performance with powers on loan from Darkseid.

The Joker is the only villain earning the praises of Darkseid's quartet of warriors. Having banished Batman, Robin and Hawkman to limbo, where they are being tortured, the fractured brain of the Clown Prince of Crime seems ideal for the many torments he's subjected his arch enemies to. But he might have gone too far in adding Superman and Lois Lane to the mix!

Of the 8 heroic members of the original Super Powers line-up, once again, Wonder Woman is noticeably absent from the action. Brainiac plans to use her as the generalissimo of an Amazonian army that will take over the world in order to ready our planet for Darkseid's arrival. Brainiac is present on maybe 2 pages of this book. 3 tops. But he's a passive player at the moment. Princess Diana appears in maybe 1 panel of those pages. Of a 24 page book! 

I know that Wonder Woman is going to feature heavily in the next issue. But is her absence from the first half of this miniseries been due to saving up for her big scene? Or was Jack Kirby, Joey Cavalieri OR BOTH, just not a big fan of Wonder Woman? 

So far, things have been really uneven in this, the first Super Powers miniseries. The key to the success of predecessor comic Justice League of America was equally splitting the team up into equitable sequences of action. We're 50% through this story and so far only 75% of the villains and 87.5% of the heroes have done enough to earn a participation trophy in terms of progressing the plot. I remember not being a fan of this series as a kid, considering how great the toy line and the mini comics were. I'm at a loss as to why things don't seem to be pandering out so well, especially since this is a Kirby production.

Maybe it gets better in the third act.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #1 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

While Jack Kirby created a sizable chunk of the mythos of the comic book industry, he was not very well compensated for it. Some of that was because of how poorly comic book creators were paid for their work. That was the result of being employed in a young industry that didn't have copyright protections yet built in for its workers. A bit was due to poor business arrangements made by Kirby himself, as he was constantly trying to provide for his wife and children. Getting fast bored on his projects didn't help matters for Kirby much either. Sadly, a large portion was because others publicly proclaimed themselves the sole creative genius behind the characters that were like childhood friends to comic book collectors such as myself. 

1984's Super Powers Collection was one of the few times in Jack Kirby's illustrative career that he received both royalties and long overdue credit for some of his DC Comics creations. While the original team of villains were Brainiac, Lex Luthor, The Penguin and The Joker, both DC and toy manufacturer Kenner sought to add some heft to the toy line. However, the majority of Generation X kids weren't very familiar with Darkseid and his Apokolips cronies. Aside from a 1982 story arc starring the Legion of Super-Heroes, Darkseid hadn't really made that many appearances in comics since Kirby left DC in 1975.

Needing to get kids introduced to the New Gods characters, DC Comics released the first of 3 mini series devoted to the Super Powers Collection toy line produced by Kenner. In the first issue, Darkseid oversees a battle royale of his best foot soldiers. The quartet that remains are dubbed on the cover of this issue as 'The Disciples of Doom.' These fighters are given portions of the leader of Apokolips' power and ordered to invade Earth. 

To claim Earth in the name of Darkseid will not be an easy task as a band of super heroes led by Superman and Batman protects the planet from threats both terrain and extraterrestrial. Each newly empowered warrior selects an arch enemy of the Justice League to carry out their invasion orders. Lex Luthor is given the power to manipulate time. The Penguin gets the ability to control birds and to control minds; whereas the Joker is allowed to alter reality in his own warped image. The fourth villain bestowed new abilities is Brainiac. He is tempted with the chance to devolve a population into their most bestial selves in hopes that they might conquer the world through brutal force. However, the android baddie is in another solar system and cannot enact his part of Darkseid's plan until he re-enters Earth's atmosphere.

The first wave of Super Powers had 12 action figures total. 11 of those characters have active parts in the first issue. Wonder Woman is shown as part of Brainiac's plan to conquer Earth, as the race selected for the robot's experiment are the Amazons of Paradise Island. Other than a single page of hypothetical, the Themysciran Princess is notably absent from this issue.

Jack Kirby penciled the cover and crafted the plot which Joey Cavalieri scripted. Adrian Gonzales' pencils were inked by Pablo Marcos. Ben Oda lettered. 

Essentially a 24-page promotional comic for the Kenner line, the inside cover features a full color ad of the original 12 figure line-up with an action shot of a Superman action figure punching the lights out of an illustrated Lex Luthor in his iconic green and purple armor. 

Completing this review completes Task #27 (Based on a Toy Line) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Batman's Mystery Casebook (Family Comic Friday)

If you ever wanted to solve crimes like Batman and his cohorts, then have I found the book for you! Batman's Mystery Casebook is a young adult graphic novel that I've been looking forward to for a while. The book is so many things wrapped into 144 pages of crime fighting starring your favorite members of the Batman family. 

There are several cases in which readers are tasked to examine the clues. Can you solve the case before turning the next page and letting Batman do it? It's a lot like Donald J. Sobol's Encyclopedia Brown books. In fact, one of the cases is a total swipe of a famous case involving a Civil War era sword. Only this time, the mystery is set during World War I and it guest stars Hans Von Hammer: the Enemy Ace!

Batman's Mystery Casebook is also educational and a bit like an activity book! In between cases are segments that involve crime solving techniques used by Batman and your local police force's unit of crime scene investigators. Readers get to learn about finger prints, foot prints and tracking criminals. Fun is added to the education as young readers are encouraged to explore activities like practicing fingerprinting with household tools like tape, flour and a brush. Readers even get to test their skills as an eyewitness by helping the Gotham City Police Department with a crime scene involving the Penguin!

A lot of your favorite Batman villains are featured in the book. Along with Penguin, you get to help Batman apprehend The Riddler, Catwoman, Mister Freeze, Harley Quinn and the Joker. Since there are many more villains out there to be caught like Clayface and the Mad Hatter, I really hope a second casebook might be forthcoming. I just hope if this happens that the cases are a bit less loose with the clues. 

The amazing Sholly Fisch wrote this book. I've been a fan of his since Scooby-Doo Team-Up. Overall, this casebook was a dream come true for me. I've always wanted a Batman video game that was less about fighting and more about mystery solving. This casebook is probably the closest I will ever get to that wish. But I feel that in at least 2 of the cases, the solutions were more based on making assumptions about the crimes and not actual facts. I will admit that I totally goofed on the Riddler mystery and that one was my fault. But the Mister Freeze and the break-in at Wayne Enterprises didn't seem to play fair with the readers. To be fair- Donald J. Sobol was guilty of doing the same thing with some of his mysteries. 

The artwork by Christopher Uminga was awesome. Now I will admit that if you have a Batman story by Sholly Fisch, only Dario Brizuela should be doing the art. However, I can now say that Christopher Uminga is a perfect second if Brizuela isn't available. Uminga's work reminded me of that of the L'il Gotham series by Dustin Nguyen in which all of the characters are of diminutive size and just a touch on the adorable side. That is except for the Joker!

Christopher Uminga's Joker is one of the most terrifying versions of the character ever. Those dark, dead eyes. That frenzied mouth that looks part clown make-up and part hideous scars. The credits in the back of this book list Uminga's art style as one that 'blends together creepy and cute.' I couldn't agree with this assessment more!

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, a couple of cases tripped me up. For the most part, I felt that the mysteries were fair. But there are a couple that are really tricky and might just be a little too difficult. Heck, if a 45-year old Madman like myself can think things are arduous, can you imagine how tough these cases can be for the recommended readings ages of 8-12? Regardless, I really hope that this isn't the only book in the series. There's so many more crimes in Gotham that need to be solved and Sholly Fisch and Christopher Uminga are the creative team to get it done!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

DC Super-Heroes Post Cereal Superheroes Collection, Vol. 1: 1979 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

1979 was a banner year for DC Comics fans who liked Post Cereals. If you were a regular fan of Alpha-Bits, Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, or several other sugary treats, you could have instantly won one of thousands of great prizes including superhero themed kites and flying discs, bicycles, or a trip to Hollywood California. But the thing every kid wanted in these boxes of cereal were the free mini-comics!

Post Cereals offered 4 different books. They starred Batman (with Robin, the Boy Wonder), Superman, Wonder Woman and a group adventure including Aquaman! Each book was 16 pages in length but they didn't look like comic books. Instead of looking like a tabloid, these books were oblong in shape. Measuring 4.5"x3.5", each page had only 2 panels going from left to right. They kinda resemble an old fashion map atlas. 

As with most promotional giveaways of the day and age, no artist or writer credits are given. But the covers all look like the work of the amazing Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, who was DC's go-to promotional art guy during this time. It also could have been Dick Giordano who assisted with such projects when Garcia-Lopez was swamped, and had an art style that matched well with him. Giordano also inked a lot of Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez's promotional projects, so it could have been both!

As for the interior artwork, I just am not sure. The Superman story looks like it was taken from stills of the Super Friends cartoons that ran in various incarnations from 1973-85. Unfortunately, the story didn't match the quality of the artwork despite an assist from Lex Luthor as the issue's antagonist. 

The best story was a rodeo romp pitting the Dynamic Duo versus the Penguin of all people! With nothing remotely bird related, this caper was very un-Pengy-like and quite refreshing. The Wonder Woman story pitted the Princess of Themyscira against her arch-enemy, the Cheetah in a typical cat-burglary story. Story #4 had the DC Trinity teaming up. Aquaman is also in the story. But in typical time period fashion, Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman have to save the king of Atlantis from a space alien who wants to make the underwater hero an exhibit at his planet's zoo.

I recently got to read all 4 books without having to pay an average of $30 per mini-book. And how was that possible you might ask? It's all thanks to Trident Studios. DC Super-Heroes Post Cereal Superheroes Collection, Vol. 1: 1979 is the Etsy seller's latest unauthorized collection of mini-books. Taken from the books of the seller's personal collection, there are a few blemishes related to the original print. But the colors are vibrant and rich and the images are ultra-clean. Once again, this collection is 50% larger than the originals, for minimum print requirements. Yet, this is actually not a bad thing for those adult readers who might need readers...

There are 3 sets in the entire Post Collection. The cereal company ran a second run of mini-books in 1980. A little later on, Canadian Post cereals offered a set of minis that included the likes of Supergirl and The Flash. Interested fans can purchase all 3 sets combined on Etsy and individually on eBay. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #37 (A Book You Didn't Know Existed) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Super Powers Mini-Comic Collection, Volume 1 (Family Comic Friday)

I'm not one for buying bootleg material. If there's a legitimate version of something, I will buy that version and not the knock-off. If I have to wait to buy it used or at a steep discount to save money, I'll do it. But if the original owners go out of business or just never cash in on the copyright (I'm looking at you George Lucas with the Star Wars Holiday Special), then if something is fan made, then I have no ethical qualms buying it. That's the case with the book I am reviewing today... 

One of my most beloved memories of my mom is her taking me to K-Mart just to find the new Super Powers action figures. The store only had Robin and Aquaman. But oh what a start! To my absolute delight, both figures came with a 16-page mini comic! A toy AND something to read??? Yes on both!

Years have passed and the quest of finding the 12 minis that came with the original line and the 11 of Series II has been on my to-do list for decades. I've never come across any in person unless I plopped out $50 to $100 on one of the figures mint on card. While online shopping, I've seen the minis for sale just by themselves. But it's not worth a $20-35 dollar per mini comic price tag. Needless to say, DC has never stopped to take the time and collect these in some sort of collection.

About 2 months ago, while on Facebook, the metaverse itself made a suggestion of joining a group of like-minded Super Powers fans. A fan of the art of Jose Luis-Garcia Lopez and Dick Giordano, who did much of the packaging and figure design, I've enjoyed joining this digital time capsule of Kenner/DC. Recently, one intrepid member asked if the minis had ever been collected to which someone responded that they thought there was something 'fan made'. 

Well, the prospect of such a volume peaked my interest and I went to etsy and later eBay to which I found this book. Published by Trident Studios, this pocket-sized collection is a beaut! All of the books come from the publisher's personal collection of minis collected when they were a child. They did an amazing job keeping the books in great shape. Only 1 page looked smudgy. (Doing some quick math. 12 books times 16 pages... roughly 192 pages. I'll take it!)

The likes of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman take on the dastardly quartet of Lex Luthor, Brainiac, The Penguin and The Joker in a dozen stories. Just who were the authors and illustrators of these minis have become the subject of much debate as DC and Kenner didn't give any sort of credit to the art team behind these comics. The stories are a little clunky as it's hard to tell a full-fledged story on a sheet of paper roughly 2.8" x 4.25". But the art is of that unparalleled 80s era DC style! 

As I mentioned, the mini comics really were minis. However, these books are slightly larger (about 20%) than the original. Thus is due minimum requirements of the printing and binding. Whether this determination was made by Trident Studios or publishing contractor is unclear. I was afraid that the books were going to be massively large thus hurting the visual quality of the originals. But the slight increase does nothing to hurt the eye appeal!

It's always great when the older generation gets chance to share their toys with the next. It's even better when you get to share your books! Up till now it has been darn near impossible and totally expensive to share the Super Powers mini comics from the 80s with the children of the 2000s. But now grandparents, guardians and parents have a chance with this vibrant collection from Trident Studios!

A second volume featuring the Wave II collection of mini comics is also available. Check etsy and eBay for your copies!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 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

 

Showcase Presents Super Friends Volume 1

Based on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon, this black and white edition collects the first 24 issues of Super Friends. 

The cartoon and the comics started off with the teens Marvin and Wendy and their pooch Wonder Dog all learning to become crime fighters. Marvin was a sort of Shaggy arch-type. Wendy could kick serious butt like Daphne, but nowhere near as clumsy. And Wonder Dog was like Scooby-Doo in that he could talk. But Wonder Dog was much more braver. 

Like the Super Friends cartoon, Wendy and Marvin left only to be replaced by alien siblings, Jan and Zan: The Wonder Twins and their space-monkey Gleek. Unlike the TV show, the comics explained why Wendy and Marvin left. And it was done properly having the earthling kids graduate from their training instead of just being replaced without a word like what happened to Tiger on The Brady Bunch. 

DC's Super Friends had one more thing going for it than the Hanna-Barbera version. The comic book had legitimate villains. The Penguin, Poison Ivy, Chronos, and Cheetah all rear their ugly heads to make life miserable for the Super Friends. We also get heroes chipping in to help like The Atom, and The Flash. 

Another interesting element involves Aquaman. He's often been the butt of decades of jokes as being the most worthless Super Friend. Well, in this book, Aquaman often wonders why he's been chosen as part of the team. And in issue #24 he must overcome his own inadequacies of a water-bound hero when a mystery requires the heroes to head to the deserts of Egypt. 

In some ways I like the comic book version better because it really rounded out the series with better explanations as to why characters disappeared and it had more guest stars and it even tackled the Aquaman problem. 

Sadly, while this is considered Volume 1, this is the only volume of Super Friends as done as a Showcase Presents. DC Comics shortly shelved these treasuries shortly after this volume was published. The series ran until 1981 for a grand total of 47 issues. Thus, there's a whole another volume's worth of issues out there to collect and read... someday.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman: As The Crow Flies

One of L'il Gotham's Dustin Nguyen's first takes at the Batman Family. 

The Scarecrow makes a play for the Penguin's piece of the pie that is Gotham City. A number of bodies are turning up and it appears to be at the hands of a powerful new drug created by Jonathan Crane. Now Oswald Cobblepot and the Dark Knight are on the hunt for Scarecrow. One will bring the madman to justice. The other will take the fiend to hell! It all depends on who gets to Crane first!

This was a very good story by Judd Winick (Pedro and Me). There's a great twist character in the end. Plus, all of the characters were executed beautifully. But I need to talk about that cover...

It's awful. Check that- it's MOSTLY awful. Matt Wagner's Batman is done in a classic 1930s way that I love. But that has got to be the worst renderings of the Scarecrow I have ever seen this side of a Kelley Jones Batman: Gotham After Midnight. 

A good book with not so great covers. I'm counting the individual issues in this volume as well. Nguyen's sketchbook is awesome and worth a good portion of the cover price of $12.95. Though with this book being 15 years old, you can probably find it used for a very nice price.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman: The TV Stories

The 1966 Batman series redefined the Caped Crusader. Despite the ultra-camp factor of the TV series, the show has endured as a fan favorite for over 50 years! 

This DC Comics collection features about a dozen stories that either influenced or were influenced by the ABC live-action series. Featuring The Riddler, Penguin and The Joker, almost all of your favorite villains are here! Sorry- no Catwoman. But this volume does contain the origin of the Barbara Gordon Batgirl and the first appearance of Mister Freeze using his original moniker, Mr. Zero. 

Some of these stories are sheer genius. Others are quite mad or madcap. You definitely can see the influences regardless. 

Speaking of influences, I love the Amanda Conner tribute cover!

With art and stories by Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger, Carmine Infantino and many more, this is a great way of getting to read the stories that inspired a cult classic without having to pay collector's prices.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Earth One, Volume 1

   Convinced that there's a massive cover-up behind the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne becomes a costumed vigilante in hopes of bringing down the corrupt Mayor Cobblepot. Welcome to the world of Batman: Earth One. Here Detective Jim Gordon has been so beaten down following the murder of his wife, that he's a shell of the cop he once was. Harvey Bullock is a Hollywood cop newly transferred to Gotham in hopes of solving the Wayne murders and restarting his TV career, and a sadistic killer called the birthday boy is kidnapping young girls in hopes of reliving his first kill.

   Written by Geoff Johns, if this isn't the blueprint to the FOX TV show, Gotham, I'll eat my hat! Johns is DC's chief creative officer for its TV programming and there is just so much of Gotham in Earth One just as there is oodles of Earth One in Gotham. I love Gotham, it's an amazing show and I am in love with Batman: Earth One.

   Now here's where things get tricky for me. I've read volume one of Superman: Earth One, now I've read this volume as well- but what do either have to do with the New 52! universe? In the New 52!, there's an Earth 2, which houses most of the Justice Society heroes. Thus, I'm assuming that the red underwear-less Superman and the Jim Gordon Batman operate on Earth 1! Is there a difference between Earth 1 and Earth One besides spelling? 

   This kind of multiverse overlap is perhaps my biggest problem with the New 52! DC. It doesn't keep me from enjoying these stories but it does detract from my understanding of them. Perhaps the Earth One books are set aside much like the Ultimate universe was apart from the Marvel-616 one? But eventually, they both crossed over... So who really knows!

   Regardless, with excellent writing by Johns and killer art by Gary Frank, I am on board with this new take at the Dark Knight.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Countdown to Free Comic Book Day 2015

We're only 4 weeks away from Free Comic Book Day 2015. As I do every year, I will be reviewing some awesome selections from years past to build up anticipation for the greatest day of the year for comic book fans. Check in every Friday for a Family Comic Friday review. Also from time to time, I'll be posting more info and other cool stuff about free comic book day.

Enjoy!

 Here's Gotham's Robin Lord Taylor AKA the Penguin to tell you more about FCBD.

Gotham Underground #9

The final chapter in the Gotham Underground saga. Batman cleans up and the only criminal left, for him to apprehend, is the Penguin. Holed up in his office of the Iceberg Lounge, the Penguin fears for his life and freedom. The series ends with some wicked justice that only the Dark Knight can deal out. I love it.
    Another thing, I thought was great about this series, was that all of the covers interlock into a puzzle. After I completed this series, it was fun trying to put everything together. I wonder if this image was ever made into a print. I'd love to have it the wall in my office.

     This was a great series. It's not very hard to find and they're not very expensive either. I found a couple in a bargain bin and a couple on sale. It's worth checking out and worth consuming.

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

   Overall series rating: 8.88 or 9 out of 10 stars.

Gotham Underground #8

  The winner of the gang war between the Penguin and Tobias Whale is determined, but the strife doesn't end as in-fighting and betrayal mars the reign of Gotham's new crime lord. Meanwhile, the Batman dishes out some vigilante justice against the Vigilante.
 
   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Gotham Underground #7

  With The Penguin bringing the gang war to Whale's front door, the Dark Knight has seen enough and finally reappears. With him is a slew of members of the Batman Family to assist him. Robin, Nightwing, Jim Gordon, the GCPD, and many more are ready, willing, and able to take out both sides. The fate of Gotham is in their hands. Special guest appearances by some unaffiliated players such as the Vigilante and the Spoiler.

   Issue #7 has lots of action in it. Short on story progression but then again, there's not very much left to more forward here. I enjoyed this chapter, but there was just something missing which is weird because the Batman finally shows up after weeks in deep cover.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.
 

Gotham Underground #2

   Tobias Whale seeks out the Penguin in hopes of swaying him to become of one of his lieutenants. But Penguin points out that whales are the mortal enemy of penguins. I thought that was polar bears! Anyway, with that little bit of information exchange it now divides the Gotham underworld into 2 camps with countless petty thugs and costumed villains left to choose sides.

   Meanwhile, the question as to where is the Batman is answered. That mystery didn't take long- only 2 issues!!! Though the rest of the Batman family and the Gotham City Police Department are still left in the dark as to Batman's undercover mission, we the reader learns of the Caped Crusader's whereabouts.

   Another fantastic chapter in the Gotham Underground miniseries.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Gotham Underground #1

Oh, there's Batman!
That's the only place you'll find him in this issue though!

   

  With the Batman MIA, some heavy hitters are moving in and within  Gotham in hopes of carving their piece of the action. The Penguin, Scarecrow, and others in the Dark Knight's Rogue's Gallery are fighting amongst themselves to the brink of a gang war, especially with a newcomer from Metropolis named Tobias Whale claiming all of Gotham as his turf. Those who refuse his gracious terms are known to disappear and it's proving that there's no honor amongst thieves in a city without its protector. It will take the combined might of Commissioner Gordon, Robin, and the rest of the Batman Family to keep the peace in the Caped Crusader's absence.

   As they say "when the bats away, the rat will play."

   This premier issue to this 2007 9-part series was fantastic. Lots of great action and with many a classic Batman story, it's got a great mystery. This puzzle just happens to be "Where's Batman?" Fantastic art byJim Califiore along with what should be a really engrossing story by  Frank Tieri. I hoping for 8 more great issues.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of  stars.

Batman '66, Volume 1

Thanks to my Admin work with the weekly DC Comics new releases, I grew more and more interested in this series. If you're like me and born before 1989, you'll remember either watching the classic Batman series on ABC or in infinite syndication. Batman '66 continues the legacy of that ground breaking series with new adventures starring some of your favorite villains of the Caped Crusader.

 Batman was supposed to have a fourth season but a miscommunication between producers and set designers resulted in many of the sets being torn down prematurely. Rather than rebuild them, the powers that be altogether cancelled the entire project. In the way this series is crafted, it's almost like getting to read what season 4 would've been like.

In this book, you'd learn which two villains are in reality brothers, see what Goldie Hawn would be like if the character of Dr. Harleen Quintzel existed in the 1960s, and witness the return of the original Catwoman, Julie Newmar but still thrill at Eartha Kitt's take as the princess of purr. (I'll let you in on a little secret- it's explained that the Newmar Catwoman went straight s noticing a void in the Gotham underworld, another felon took on the mantle! That's an explanation I could live with!)

There are tons of great stories in this book. I really enjoyed the Emperor Penguin story guest starring one of my all-time favorite Bat-villains, Mister Freeze! Plus The Joker, Riddler, and several obscure baddies abound in this collection of 'digital first' comics.

I think DC is on the right track with Batman '66. Along with continuing the tradition of the show, DC's done another team-up between the Dynamic Duo and the Green Hornet & Kato. Soon, they'll be releasing a miniseries based on a lost script that involves Two-Face. Rumor had it that Clint Eastwood was supposed to play the role of Harvey Dent/ Two-Face. Plus, thanks to this series success, the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series is going to see new life as a comic next year. Hopefully, we'll be seeing some other great DC shows returning to 'lost season' comic form (I'm hoping for Superman '52 and Flash '91!)

 Along with some dynamic covers by the much personally beloved Michael and Laura Allred, the scope of art is amazing. I'm hooked but alas I'm out of issues to read.

Will this intrepid blogger get to read more of the further adventures of Batman '66? Will he blog about it? Tune in next time- same madman blog, same madman typing!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.