It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Raptors (Santa Saves Christmas, Book II) by Ben Wolf

Book 2 of Ben Wolf's 'Santa Saves Christmas' trilogy starts off almost immediately after the events What The Frost? It's Christmas Day. Dinosaurs are running amok in Moscow and Santa Claus might have something to do with that. As he arrives in Russia with his trusty triple barreled shotgun, a whip made of a strand of holiday lights and his genius tech-savvy elf Snoot, Santa comes face-to-face with a new terror: a talking Utahraptor with the ability to bend time called the Time Raptor. 

Feeling strongly that dinosaurs deserve another chance as the dominant species on Earth, the Time Raptor has opened a series of quantum portals back to prehistoric times, herding dinosaurs of all shapes, sizes and levels of death and destruction to make sure that this is mankind's last Christmas ever!

All of the main characters from the last book are back. Mrs. Claus and several of the elves have bigger roles this time around. And it doesn't read like book 2 is a rehash of the first volume. But it sure started that way. 

While dinosaurs are not the main antagonists of the first book, they do play a big roll in the third act. Having Santa Claus and his allies battle the thunder lizards again felt stale. I would have liked the opening 30-40 pages of this book a whole lot better if we hadn't already had dinosaurs already. The Time Raptor was an interesting twist. However, there's a scene where the new villain goes to Jamaica in order to feed and what the Time Raptor does or more specifically doesn't do, pretty much told how the book was going to end.

What really saves this book is the banter. Snoot is hilarious. Santa's unlikely ally in the battle against the dinosaurs is a great character as well. But I don't want to spoil who that character is. New developments in Santa's time piece which allows him to slow down time in order to make all his deliveries in a single night where pretty cool and we've yet to see everything that specialized stopwatch can do.

I liked what I read enough, despite the slight repetitive nature of the presence of ancient reptiles (or birds, depending your school of thought), to order the third and final book before I finished this one. I had about 120 pages to go and I didn't want to waste a day or two waiting to know what happens next. Though at the time of this review, I've not read as much of that last book as I'd like as holiday happenings and a couple of unexpected events have eaten into my reading time the past couple of days. But at least I've not been left in the cold unable to see what comes afterwards. I'm just going at a much slower pace than I want right now.

Another fun book filled with holiday laughs and Jurassic Park level gore.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Choo Choo Dino Crew

My wife won this children's book in a giveaway on Goodreads. I've not received any sort of reimbursement for my review. In fact, I am doing this review independent of my bride. So here goes...

Good friends Stark, the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Vivi, the Triceratops are looking for fun and adventure. Perhaps they'll even make some new friends. In order to do this, they'll take a ride on the Dino Express!

I thought Choo Choo Dino Crew was a cute little board book. But it was the premise behind this book that made me love it even more. Stark and Vivi are the names of author Bethann Pate. Since the two children are obsessed with both trains and dinosaurs, Bethann Pate mixed those two interests together into a delightful trek towards the final station on the line.

But I just have to ask: does the train run on fossil fuels?!

Full of colorful characters, children who love the big lizards and trains will want to read this book again and again. There's nothing objectionable, making for a friendly read that parents or guardians will love. Not all of the lines in the book rhyme. While that does work my orderly loving brain, I still thought that this was a charming little read.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Sky' & Ty, Book 1: Howdy, Partner (Family Comic Friday)

If you are a fan of the Old West you've probably heard of the Pony Express. It was a short-lived delivery system that was a network of young men astride super fast horses that provided mail to far away outposts and burgeoning towns. But have you heard of the Tyrannosaurus Rex-press? Okay, I made that name up. But creator Steve Breen took inspiration from a picture drawn by his son to craft this fantasy Western graphic novel for readers ages 6-9.

Sky lives on a farm with her grandmother. It's been her birthday wish for a while now to have her very own dinosaur to ride. Not a pony, but a living breathy thunder lizard with a terrifying face and a mighty roar.

One day while exploring the desert outside of the range of her family farm, Sky comes across a cave she's never encountered before. Whoa and behold, there's a dinosaur inside. A T-Rex to be exact; named Ty. It's Sky's dream come true. Only Ty is gentle, with a kind face and is a lovely shade of orange. And he's got some serious dance moves that can outlast the fiercest of grizzly bears!

Immediately a friendship is forged between a girl and her dinosaur and on one fateful day, a new business is forged! Mr. Rigby is struggling to get an important package to faraway Huckleberry Park. Big Earl needs what's inside the box by 4 o'clock and there's no way Mr. Rigby is going to get it to him in time. With Ty's speed and Sky's ability to hold onto the box, there's a good chance Big Earl will get his delivery on time. But first Sky and Ty have to come up with a great motto for their new business venture!

I loved this book. I'm hoping it's setting up a whole like of books because I didn't want this book to end. The artwork of Sky and Ty has elements of Syd Hoff's classic Danny and the Dinosaur series. The characters are unique with distinctive voices and there's Easter eggs and humorous quips throughout the book along with an assortment of enjoyable extras!

I also liked that Sky and Ty was a family collaboration. Breen took inspiration from his son Matt when the boy drew a picture of a cowboy atop a giant T-Rex. While I don't think Matt Breen is giving his pop plot ideas like little brother Malachai gave to Ethan while creating Axe Cop, I still appreciate how family is at the center of the heart of this book. 

Parents and guardians are going to love this book. Remember what I said about there being a mean grizzly bear? Well, in the book, the bear is threatening a tiny bunny. Instead of fighting him, Ty challenges him to a dance off. All of a sudden, Sky's playing DJ with a full set. It's the kind of unexpected humor that zigs when you expect the plot to zag. It was hilarious. And that's the sort of humor that you get when parents and children get together and brainstorm. Maybe this book will inspire the young reader in your life to help you create the next classic in children's graphic novel lit!

One thing is for sure, Sky and Ty: Howdy, Partner is going to fill your house with a bunch of laughs!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Valley of the Dinosaurs #11 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Debuting on the very same day in September 1974 as Sid and Marty Krofft's Land of the Lost, Hanna-Barbera's animated series Valley of the Dinosaurs is the missing link when it comes to TV series about people being sent back in time to the age of the caveman. 

The same date of premier isn't the only similarities between the forgotten cartoon series and the live action classic. Valley of the Dinosaurs starred the Butler family who are sent through a vortex back in time to prehistoric ages while on a rafting trip. Father John Butler is a scientist who uses his knowledge to educate both his children, daughter Katie and son Greg, along with viewers on how to survive the many forms of thunder lizard that roam the valley. Unlike the Marshall's on Land of the Lost, the Butler consists also of mom Kim and family dog Digger. 

The Butlers are met by a Neanderthal family who befriend the displaced family. While Land of the Lost had a heavy sci-fi influence, Valley of the Dinosaurs was more like Gilligan's Island with the Butler's introducing modern technology like pulleys and the wheel to their primitive allies. Together, the two families fight for survival against dinosaurs and warring tribes while looking for a way to return the Butlers back to the present.

Like the Marshall's, the Butler's are never shown to return to the 1970s. However, the Marshall's have had the longer staying power, with Land of the Lost airing on NBC for 3 times as many episodes over a trio of seasons. Land of the Lost has also spawned a 1990s reboot series as well as a comedic live action film starring Will Ferrell. 

One thing that Valley of the Dinosaurs surpassed the Krofft Brothers creation in was a comic book adaptation. As part of Charlton's Hanna-Barbera line of comics, Valley of the Dinosaurs ran for an impressive 11 issues. Okay, compared to the number of issues Charlton produced of sister series such as Yogi Bear and the Flintstones, 11 issues may not seem like much. That is until you realize that the entire run of the Valley of the Dinosaurs comic occurred 1-2 years AFTER the animated series had been cancelled! 

In this issue, John Butler races to reinforce a dam before a looming maelstrom threatens the safety of his Neanderthal neighbors' village. As repairs are made, daughter Katie goes foraging for food. Unfortunately the girl unknowingly enters the territory of a tribe of ape-like warriors who kidnap Katie and force her to become a slave worker for them. With the storm looming, teenage primitive Lok races to save Katie from not just the ape creatures but a rampaging Tyrannosaurus! 

The one page prose story included in this issue sees Katie and Lok once again facing that fierce T-Rex. Only this time the two teenagers are stuck in between a battle with the king of the dinosaurs and an equally hungry Allosaurus. 

Issue #11 concludes with a one-page factual strip about sea otters.

Valley of the Dinosaurs featured an impressive vocal cast. Frank Welker voiced several characters including Lok and Digger. Child actor Jackie Earle Hailey was Greg. Sharon Farnon, Alan Oppenheimer and Don Messick were other notable voice talent on the series developed by Hanna-Barbera's Australian based studio. 

As for acknowledging the talent that worked on the comic book, there's not a lot of resources to cull from. We do know that the cover of this issue was by TV advertising director turned illustrator Fred Himes. Himes was a Charlton Comics work horse, drawing covers and interiors for many of the Connecticut based publisher's horror and war titles. According to Comicvine, Himes was also the writer for this issue with additional art provided by Don Perlin. However, no credits other than Himes' signature on the cover are attributed to other creators anywhere else in this issue.

Issue #11 was the last issue of the series.

Completing this review completes Task #23 (Something Bought From a Dollar Bin) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Marshmallow Martians: Museum Sleepover (Family Comic Friday)

Enjoy a night of adventure as the Marshmallow Martians participate in a sleepover at the Museum of Natural History! The intergalactic buddies have entered a contest where they're supposed to find something unexpected. With none of the other contestants visiting the planet Earth for the competition, the fun loving aliens plan to visit a museum to find maybe a dinosaur or a unicorn in order to win the game! Hopefully, whatever they find will be gigantic because they've got a giant display box to fill!

'Museum Sleepover' is the third book in the Marshmallow Martians series. Created by the husband and wife team of Deanna Kent and Neil Hooson, this 2024 graphic novel from Random House Graphic is a book big on adventure and imagination. 

Reviews and press suggests that this series is ideal for kids ages 5-8. However, there are a lot of big words in this book. I'm thinking maybe those aged 9 and 10 years old might enjoy this book a little more than a younger reader. There's quite a few names of certain thunder lizards that are quite the mouthful. However, I also know of a little girl not older than 5 or 6 and she loves to tell you that her favorite dinosaur is the Pachycephalosaurus. So what do I know???

The book is colorfully illustrated in a manner that will capture the attention of emerging readers. If the young readers in your life fall in love with these silly space explorers in this book, the good news is there's 2 more volumes of adventures on earth out there to discover. Entertaining while being educational, there's also an art lesson in the back of the book which teaches readers how to draw G.L.O.W., the computer companion of the Marshmallow Martians

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Super Magic Boy: I Am a Dinosaur (Family Comic Friday)

From the creator of Red Panda and Moon Bear comes this fun new series about a young boy with magic powers and an amazing imagination!

Hugo is the Super Magic Boy. He can smash furniture. He can climb the highest mountains. And he can change into a dinosaur. 

In this opening volume, Hugo meets a dinosaur and decides to see what life is like as a thunder lizard by changing into one. 

As a dinosaur, Hugo finds buried treasure that is guarded by the Skeleton King. That's the moment where this series hits its sweet spot. The dinosaur, Hugo meets, aptly named Dino, is a fun character. But he's a bit too rambunctious, getting Hugo into trouble by destroying the boy's home. Skeleton King kinda balances Hugo out as in the second story, he and Hugo go on an adventure to find a new batch of cursed treasure to guard. Dinosaur is like the Cat in the Hat, lacking control of himself. Skeleton King is more like Oliver Hardy to Hugo's Stan Laurel. (If you younger folks don't know who those guys are, check out Youtube for some of their hilarious antics!)

That second story in my opinion was comedy gold as Hugo and the Skeleton King when on a search for some golden treasure. The opening story, 'I am a Dinosaur' had the same energy. Possibly too much, if you ask me. In the scene where Hugo and the Dinosaur are digging, they first come upon a water main, proclaiming the broken pipe to be a 'magic water stick.' Okay, I got a laugh at that. But as they kept digging, Dinosaur found some underground electrical lines that Hugo touches and was shocked by. I felt that the scene went a bit too far because damaged power lines are not something to play with. So hopefully, parents and guardians will be made aware of this scene and discuss electrical safety as kids like to dig in the dirt and potentially could strike an underground line.

This book also has some Magic Bonus Material which is something I love in all ages comics and graphic novels as these activities continue the fun once the story is finished but also further imagination and learning through play. Here, Jarod Rosello teaches young readers how to draw Hugo and Dino along with a creative page showing kids how to become a dinosaur like Hugo does in the book. Paper, pencil and crayons are needed for the art work. A sense of wonder is required for turning into a dinosaur.

If you have a 9-12 year old that likes the Red Panda and Moon Bear books and they have a younger sibling, then the first book in the Super Magic Boy series is sure to become a source of entertainment that they book can enjoy and bond to. Like the Red Panda and Moon Bear series, this book is available in both an English language edition and a volume en Espanol. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Jurassic Park: Raptor #1&2 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Topps Comics was an experiment from the beloved baseball card manufacturer Topps. Seeing the potential of comics due to the ominous presence of speculators, Topps joined the already crowded comic book marketplace. Marvel veteran Jim Salicrup was selected as the company editor in chief. His clout helped to recruit an impressive roster of talent including Steranko, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Tony Isabella. 

Topps pulled off a coup securing rights to a number of impressive franchises. The Kirbyverse was a number of quasi-interconnected books based on abandoned ideas and projects created by the King, Jack Kirby. Salicrup was able to obtain the rights to produce new adventures of beloved titles like Cadillacs and Dinosaurs as well as classic characters such as Zorro. Being able to obtain the much coveted rights to adapt Francis Ford Coppola's version of Dracula really put Topps Comics on the radar of the comics industry.

Once Bram Stoker's Dracula was secure, Topps Comics was able to draw in popular franchises such as The X-Files, Friday the 13th's hockey mask wearing antagonist Jason and a comic book reboot of Topps' notorious Mars Attacks trading card set! Eventually Topps managed to secure the rights to publish works based on the most movie of the year 1993, Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park.

Topps Comics first released a 4-issue adaptation of the film. Walt Simonson scripted. Pencils were by Gil Jane with George Perez inks. A special edition issue #0 was a prequel to the movie, exploring how the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar were created.

Immediately after the success of the film, movie viewers demanded a sequel. Fans of the 1990 novel were already begging author Michael Crichton for a second volume. Spielberg's movie magic added millions of voices to that request. While Crichton would agree to begin writing the official sequel novel in 1994, Topps Comics beat the Jurassic Park creator to an officially authorized comic book with 1993's Jurassic Park: Raptor.

The 2-part Raptor takes place just 3 days after the events of the film. With the help of the United States military, Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler are wrangling up the dinosaurs that escaped their enclosures during the tropical storm. Officials are convinced that all of the raptors have been killed by the park's T-Rex. But Alan Grant isn't so sure. 

Not finding any evidence of a raptor nest, Grant is convinced that some of the raptors escaped their pen and laid eggs elsewhere on the island. So the paleontologists travel to a less populated area. The perfect spot is a series of caves that are protected by high tides. Along with finding the missing baby raptors, Grant and Sattler discover an expert poacher is on scene, hired by an unknown entity to capture the infant reptiles.

Jurassic Park: Raptor was the first of a miniseries of trilogies that continues the saga of Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park: Raptors Attack and Jurassic Park: Raptors Hijack finish out the official comic book sequel. The trilogy was written by Steve Englehart, spanning a total of 10 issues. Issue #2 of Jurassic Park: Raptor ends with a 'to be continued blurb' which is really confusing as the cover proclaims that the second book is the last chapter of a 2-parter. Eventually, Topps Comics would release Jurassic Park Adventures, which would collect all 10 chapters of the Raptor Trilogy into a single, sequential series.

Pencils for issues #1&2: Armando Gil.

Inks by Dell Barras.

Covers by Michael Golden.

Worth Consuming!

Issue #1: Rating 10 out of 10 stars.

Issue #2: Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #42 (Comic Book Starting With the Letter J) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

DC Special #27

In a story that takes place simultaneously in the prehistoric past, modern day 1977 and the year 2056, a series of events are conspiring to destroy the very fabric of space and time. The time travel villain Chronos is releasing dinosaurs into the 20th Century in hopes of keeping a pair of intergalactic time cops busy while the fiend goes back in time to steal a comet from a race of dino-people!

Oh my god was this story a jumbled mess...

I've not really been a fan of the character of Captain Comet. In my opinion, DC needs to stay away from mutants. That's Marvel territory. To me, he seems like a second rate Man of Tomorrow.

Now the presence of Silver Age fixture Tommy Tomorrow in this story with the added mix of time travel- that's DC's bread and butter! And that part of the story comes along fine. Having Captain Comet and Hawkman tackle some time displaced thunder lizards was a lot of fun. Having a Jurassic age race of dinosaurs who worship a giant comet is really stupid. The addition of Chronos was fun and his diversion was rather smart. But there's a ton of stuff going on here and 34 pages just isn't enough room to get it all in. 

DC's answer man, Bob Rozakis, penned this story. I think if he was allowed to have a 2-parter, this would have been a much better story. But 1977, when this story was published, was during the dawn of the DC Implosion of titles. So the publisher was doing everything it could to get works published during a time when sales were at a near all-time low without sacrificing titles. Hawkman and Superman as members of the Justice League are in this story. And the JLA satellite is a setting that bookends this book. Why couldn't they have added a couple of more Leaguers and made this a two-part Justice League of America story? It would have worked, I tell ya!

It's not for me to question why DC did what it did. This was a dire financial time for the company that only a 1978 live-action feature of the Man of Steel would solve. But the possibilities of what if are just mind boggling. Oh, wait- What If... that's Marvel territory. Oops...

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The 25 Baubles of Pop Culture! Advent 2022 Day 11

Though dinosaurs pre-dated Christ, that doesn't mean that they don't enjoy the holidays either. Here's a look at some Christmas ornaments inspired by the 1993 Steven Spielberg classic and the film franchise it spawned.

To start, we go with the king of the thunder lizards- the T-Rex. This 2019 magic ornament from Hallmark recreates the closing battle of the first film. Just when the heroes of that movie thought that they were going to become raptor food, the T-Rex swooped in and saved the day. As the dinosaur claimed victory, a banner fluttered down proclaiming 'When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth.' With this ornament, one only has to press a button playing the beautiful John Williams theme.

Next one I want to share is this 2021 Hallmark ornament. Thanks to the nostalgia of VHS tapes, Hallmark has been releasing a number of trinkets based on the cassettes. Since watching the film at home on my VCR was how I first experienced the movie, I wanted to share my memories of the classic with this decoration that could be bought at any local Wal-
Mart or Target store. 

From the DIY department, those of you wanting to make your own Jurassic Park ornament, all you need is a tiny Christmas tree, some hot glue, a ribbon or hook and a matchbox car. See, what you do is take one of the many different types of vehicles based on the film series (in this case, a Jeep), hot glue a tiny tree, found at any craft store, to the top or back of the car and it looks like the staff on Isla Nublar are getting ready for the holidays!

Want to personalize your Jurassic Park ornaments? Try this colorful ceramic ornament found on Etsy. There's a lot of great handmade baubles on Etsy but I think this one is my favorite. With that recognizable font and sleek design of a T-Rex skull surrounded by a brightly light wreath, I felt that if Jurassic Park was a real place, these would be the ornaments that they'd sell in the gift shop. I can just see a spinner rack full of names from A-Z selling these. 

Before I close this look at Jurassic Park, I want to help those of you who are fans of Jeff Goldblum. If you can't get enough of Dr. Ian Malcolm, have I found an ornament for you!!! It's a framed needlepoint ornament of Goldblum in his semi-shirtless pose that has become a meme until itself along with one of the character's most famous quotes- 'Life finds a way.'

Suicide Squad: The Silver Age Omnibus, Vol. 1

In anticipation for the 2016 Suicide Squad movie, DC Comics released a slew of material. This hardcover collection was one of them. But don't expect to see Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang or Amanda Waller in this book. In fact, don't expect any superheroes at all!

This Silver Age Omnibus is basically broken into 2 parts. The first section reprints the issues #25-27 and #37-39 of The Brave and The Bold prior to it becoming a Batman team-up series. The section part collects a handful of stories from the war anthology title Star-Spangled War Comics.

The Brave and the Bold stories are the ones that are perhaps the most connected to the modern Suicide Squad that most fans know and love. Also called Task Force X, this team is summoned to action when the military fails. The team is led by Rick Flag Jr. and is comprised of a field medic, a physicist and an astronomer; all who were the lone survivors of horrible tragedies. Promising that their colleagues deaths would not be in vain, the members of Task Force X are highly trained operatives who are willing to give it their all, including their lives as a Suicide Squad! 

If the second half of this book looks like it's a collection of stories from the War That Time Forgot, give yourself a cookie! Almost a dozen stories of World War II adventures atop Dinosaur Island star a group of Allied special forces operating in the Pacific known also as the Suicide Squad. But there is no apparent connection between this version of the team and the Brave and the Bold group other than the name. Oh, and that of both having the same creator. 

Robert Kanigher (E.C.'s Psychoanalysis) created both versions of the Suicide Squad. And both versions are of differing quality. The Task Force X stories utilize giant monsters (later reanimated dinosaurs), science, and insipid romance. Rick Flag and field medic Karin Grace are secretly in love with each other. But Flag refuses to acknowledge the affair because it might upset the other two Suicide Squad members who are also pining for Karin. So all this running around gets tiring pretty quick. But not as quick as the dialogue in the Dinosaur Island stories.

The first 2 stories involve characters that are all rather likable. I don't think Kanigher was a big fan of this because after that first couple of tales, the replacement characters become really unlikable. I mean to the point that you wouldn't mind if they all got eaten by dinos or killed by the Imperial Japanese. 

In these remaining tales, you have a pair of Suicide Squad members pitted together. One hates the other one (and vice-versa) to the point that they constantly threaten to kill each other should the other one turn chicken or turn their back on the other. And the dialogue gets repetitious. And do I mean repetitious. 

For example, in one story, a soldier accuses the other of chickening out a total of 4 times in the span of 3 pages! With the same phrase 'Are you chickening out on me?' Another story has a different solider taunting another to shoot him in the back 6 times in a span of 4 pages! I thought this was supposed to be the greatest generation!

I'm not making this kind of thing up! It's one of the biggest criticisms fans of the Golden and Silver Age of comics have about Robert Kanigher. That sort of one-note level of dialogue and his ability to piss off the artists he worked with!

I had read all of these Dinosaur Island stories before in the pages of Showcase Presents: The War That Time Forgot, Vol. 1. But I never noticed how monotonous the dialogue could be. Maybe that's because that volume had all of the Silver Age Dinosaur Island stories and not just the Suicide Squad ones. But I am amazed how much I overlooked this!

Lastly, what is up with the numbering of this book? It's listed as a Volume 1. What are they going to consider a Volume 2? There's nothing else involving the Suicide Squad to publish from the Silver Age! Everything else was Bronze Age or newer stuff. I'd be okay if this book was listed as an Omnibus with a Volume 1 because I understand that poor sales can kill a proposed reprint series. But it aggravates my OCD to no end when you improperly title something. 

Also- that's a great Easter Egg by cover artist master, Michael Cho. Unfortunately, the trade paperback cover doesn't have it!

Fun Fact: Showcase Presents: The War That Time Forgot is also listed as a Volume 1. However, there was still enough material from the 70s and 80s to publish a second. It'd be a small volume. But at least it was still possible aside from this book.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Strange Love Adventures #1

For the past couple of years, I've been lamenting both the pricey $9.99 MSRP and the lack of quality of the over-sized DC holiday specials. Well, it's Valentine's Day and I laid down a Hamilton for this years romance offering. 

And I must say- this one was great!!! 

Instead of trying to make a political statement (or insult it's bread & butter readers), DC actually crafted 8 stories that were entertaining and fun! They all had heart, which is probably a good thing since this is a Valentine's Day special. True, not every story takes place during V-Day but love is definitely in the air. 

Highlights include: 

• Harley Quinn goes on the rebound from the Joker once again to become the Bride of Black Adam?!
• Sgt. Rock is sent to dinosaur island and makes allies from unlikely pair of love birds
• Alfred reflects on his time as the patriarch of the Batman Family
• Billy Batson calls upon Clark Kent to help him navigate his first date
• Iris Allen and the Flash go on a Valentines double-date with Grodd

I am surprised that DC didn't focus on same-sex relationships or gender identity in this special. While the Alfred story is about the bonds of family love and the Harley story ends with her and Poison Ivy having a romantic night together, the majority of these stories are about heterosexual relationships. I really would have thought that DC would be all about Love is Love in this special, which for a special about love and romance, would have been completely appropriate. I'm just thankful that for once DC left out references to Trump, Global Warming and more of it's triggering soap boxes. 

Now if only DC would carry this formula to it's Halloween and Holiday specials. But with the forthcoming deaths of most of the heavy hitters of the DCU, I'm not holding my breath. At least this special was satisfying!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Devil Dinosaur by Jack Kirby: The Complete Collection

Collecting one of Jack Kirby's most underrated comic book series. A T-Rex type thunder lizard is scarred a deep crimson red by a tribe of cavemen. Rescued by Moon-Boy, the first human, Devil and the lad form a sort of psychic bond and travel through prehistoric earth. On their travels, the battle rival tribes, hangry dinosaurs, and aliens!

This was a series that I remember reading most if not all of the 9 published issues as a kid. In the 1980s and 90s, works by Kirby such as Kamandi, The Demon and even Devil Dinosaur were relegated to the dollar bins! I remember ordering a 100 book grab bag around 1987 and it was filled with tons of Jack Kirby post-Marvel age classics! Man, I wish I still had those! Because now, after the passing of 'The King' these former dollar bin gems are now selling for prices of $5-$50 a pop!

While Jack Kirby's influence was egregiously overlooked during the last few years of his life, the tide has changed over the past decade or so. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced new generations to Jolly Jack! It's really increased interest. Thankfully, Marvel Comics, the publisher, has caught on to the resurgence and released collections such as this. 

This book was published in 2014. But last year, Marvel learned from the success of DC's takeover of Ollie's Bargain Outlets and liquidated a ton of it's inventory. I found this $15 book for like $3 in beautiful condition. Meaning that I could relive the entire series for less than a dollar per book, I snagged this up and held onto it with a death grip until I made it to the cashier.

The early stories of Devil Dinosaur were quite thrilling. It was the type of stuff you'd expect to see in a 1960s prehistoric movie. But Devil Dinosaur was far more superior than those B movies thanks to Kirby. By issue 5 or so, the book went from prehistoric to cosmic, adding the meddling influence of an alien race who are doing genetic testing on early humans. By the end of this 9-issue series, Kirby presents the creation story from Genesis in the Merry Marvel Way. While clearly not Biblical, I actually loved this interpretation. 

Why Devil Dinosaur only lasted 9 issues is beyond me. Comic Book fans were fickle in the 70s. At least Devil Dinosaur was allowed to not go extinct with a number of special appearances and even a new series from the House of Ideas in which Devil is bonded to a young girl in 21st century New York. Unfortunately, if you are looking for Devil's crossover with Godzilla, due to licensing issues, it wasn't reprinted. You'll have to seek the bins for that epic or shell out some big bucks for the collected Essential Marvel Godzilla trade which has long since gone out of print.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Cretaceous (Family Comic Friday)

Travel back in time to the days of the mighty thunder lizards in this week’s Family Comic Friday with the new graphic novel, Cretaceous!

CretaceousWritten and Illustrated by Tadd Galusha
Published by Oni Press
Pages: 160
Retail Price: $14.99
Tadd Galusha (Godzilla: Rage Across Time) must be a time traveler. I’ve never seen a more accurate portrayal of prehistoric nature than in this graphic novel. Punches are not pulled, literally! Dinosaurs fight- a lot! They die. They get eaten. They pee! There’s even a very graphic depiction of a live underwater birth.

Cretaceous is a book that is deceptively immature. First of all, the stars of this book are all dinosaurs. Kids of all ages love dinos! Then there’s the dialogue- there is none! Other than the Onomatopœia of the T-rex’s roar and crack of a branch from a stalking raptor, there are no words in this book. Even the fact file of creatures featured in back have very few words.

If there ever was a nature documentary on dinosaurs, I would expect it to look just like Cretaceous. The events covered in this book is some pretty intense stuff. The book is recommended for ages 10-12. Normally, I would point out how a book may even be okay for younger readers. Not this time. The level of violence, as well as how accurate the look of the creatures might actually make this book too scary for younger readers.

As research on dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures increases, our idea of what the animals really looked like is evolving. Baby dinos and some predator creatures had wings. This is one of the first non-academic books I’ve come across that actually features that aspect. Even the Jurassic Park trilogy, noted for its realistic depiction of such creatures, hasn’t been able to get that right!

Cretaceous was an extremely quick read. But it was exciting, thrilling and at some moments a little tragic. I know it’s still early in the year, but I think Tadd Galusha should be looked upon as candidate of some sort for an Eisner or other literary award for this graphic novel. It’s that well done and that good!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars!

Cretaceous debuted in print and digital formats on March 26th, 2019.

This review was continuously published on Outrightgeekery.com.

Little Tails in Prehistory (Family Comic Friday)

You've heard of moose and squirrel. Surely, you are all familiar with cat and dog. But have you ever encountered two such friends as squirrel and dog? Well, let me introduce you to Chipper the dog and Squizzo the squirrel! Together, they are the stars of this week's Family Comic Friday Selection: Little Tails in Prehistory!

 

Little Tails in Prehistory
Written by Frederic Brremaud
Art by Federico Bertolucci
Translated by Mike Kennedy
Published by Lion Forge

Squizzo and Chipper take an exciting trip through the prehistoric past encountering dinosaurs, wooly mammoths and cavemen! The intrepid animals starf out in millions of years in the past where they encounter a archeopteryx; a colorful feathered reptile. The creature tells the duo that in order to get back to the modern era, Squizzo and Chipper must travel to the heart of a volcano seen way off in the distance. As the dog and squirrel get closer to the volcano, they move forward in time meeting and sometimes fleeing from ancient creatures of different periods of prehistory.

Prehistory is the fourth book in the Little Tails series created by the French creative team of Frederic Brremaud and Federico Bertolucci. In all of these volumes, now totaling six, Chipper and Squizzo learn about animals from the deepest oceans to the greenest forests in the land.

Each page is a wonderful mix of adorable sequential art and lavish painted scenery. Chipper and Squizzo's adventures take place in the cartoon segments of each page. The animals they discover are rendered in some visually stunning settings. As a child, I remember being entranced by this book about dinosaurs. I forget the name, but that book was filled with these fantastic scenes of dinosaurs doing battle or enjoying life as a thunder lizard would. Little Tails in Prehistory brings back the wonder of that lost treasury of mine.

Brremaud and Bertolucci do something in this book that is one of my keys to a perfect Family Comic Friday offering- it's both entertaining AND educational! Sure, saying that the triceratops used it's flanged collar to attract a mate is a bit of a stretch. That animal lived before humans were even thought of. So how do we really know that's what a triceratops ready did to find it's soul mate? Regardless, there's lots to learn in this book. Thanks to Chipper and Squizzo, the learning is also fun and funny.

This 2017 book is recommended for all ages. Being a book about dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, there are some complicated words like elasmosaurus. So an older co-reader's help may be needed for younger bookworms. While at least one dinosaur chases our heroes, there's nothing overly intense or scary. Jurassic Park this is not.

Check out Little Tails in Prehistory and it's sister volumes at a library near you or at Amazon.

 

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

This review was co-written with my wife, Jan.

Warning: Spoilers For Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, BD Wong, & James Cromwell
Directed by J.A. Bayona
Written by Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow

The Jurassic Park franchise went very dark and extremely sad in the latest entry, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Case in point is that tragic scene where the island home of the dinosaurs is destroyed by a raging volcano. With all this dinosaur cruelty, where is PETA when you need it?

The premise of Fallen Kingdom is that thanks to the no longer dormant volcano, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing (played Pratt and Howard) must return to the destroyed park to rescue as many creatures as possible. In the dramatic last breath of Isla Nublar, many thunder lizards meet a grizzly end. But it’s the final dinosaur seen on the island that will bring you to tears.

As Owen and Claire look back at Jurassic Park, a long neck dinosaur runs to the water’s edge alone and in need of rescue. Unable to help, the poor brachiosaurus is killed off by the volcano. It’s a tear-jerking scene.

Making things even more heartbreaking is that it was later revealed by director J.A. Bayona that the poor dino is the very same one Alan Grant saw in that epic reveal scene from the first Jurassic Park movie. And the director planned all of this on purpose!

In my opinion, J.A. Bayona is a mean director who left the poor girl to die on the island in the lava- just to make people cry! “I think it’s a beautiful moment — it’s sad but it’s beautiful, and it’s so relevant,” the director has been quoted as saying. Had I known that little segment would have made me upset- I wouldn’t have gone to see Fallen Kingdom!

After the destruction of the island, the protagonists learn that they’ve been duped. Those financing the mission aren’t interested in rescuing the animals from destruction. Instead, they want to manipulate the prehistoric refuges as weapons of war.

As result in this movie, the characters are either looked at as either heroes or villains that you hope become dino-chow. It’s rare that you find a movie where you want the cast to either live happily ever after and the other half to die violently. There’s no middle ground throw away characters that you have very little care for in this film.

Plus, that long anticipated scene with Jeff Goldblum’s return as Dr. Malcolm was superfluous. He’s used as a link to the past Jurassic Park franchise. However, his role serve served no other apparent purpose in the plot.

Bryce Dallas Howard’s performance was something else that bothered me. She was a strong female lead and based on her character, you would not expect her to scream at every danger. Yet, she shrieked more than that 10-year old character Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) did.

One thing that has been a consistent issue for me throughout all the movies is how contained to the island the dinosaurs have been for 5 movies. For example, there are pterodactyls on Isla Nublar. These are dinosaurs that can fly. Being only 150 miles away from Costa Rica, what’s kept them from causing destruction in other countries? It’s a plot point that has never been truly addressed.

Another issue with this movie involves large majority of the action scenes. Many of them, including a large jump off a cliff into a very deep part of the ocean, would not have been survivable. There are quite a bit of scares in this film as well. If you are a jumpy viewer, Fallen Kingdom was effective in this part.

If watching lovable ancient reptiles needlessly die makes you sad- Fallen Kingdom will to that to you! If you enjoy watching baddies become their just desserts at the hands of dinosaurs- you will enjoy this movie. One way or the only, don’t expect to leave this film feeling 100% satisfied.

The events of this movie has set things up for a third and final installment in the Fallen Kingdom potion of the Jurassic Park Franchise. But I refuse to watch it if J.A. Bayona cannot guarantee that there will no be another tragic scene as that long neck’s death throes.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Tib and Tumtum #1: Welcome to the Tribe (Family Comic Friday)

 

   For today’s Family Comic Friday, I went back to France for inspiration. The series is called Tib and Tumtum. Tib is a young caveboy who has a red birthmark on his face. Teased by the other kids in the tribe, Tib often plays by himself. One day, he comes across a small dinosaur that he names Tumtum.

    But dinosaurs are supposed to be extinct. Is Tumtum the real deal or is the thunder lizard a figment of lonely Tib’s imagination?

    I really enjoyed this sweet graphic novel by French cartoonist Grimaldi. It was funny and it was fun. Though this volume reads as a complete story each page contains it’s own punchline. So it’s very easy to find stopping points without being broken down into chapters.

   I also liked how this adventure was framed as the untold story of the cave people who created the paintings in Lascaux. It kinda made this story seem more real.

     There’s currently 2 volumes in the Tib and Tumtum series. Both are for readers in grades 4-6. But I think with a helpful adult, children in grades 2-3 could enjoy this book as well.

    Available on Amazon and libraries nationwide, this is a great book filled with memorable characters, thrills, and a few chills, that anyone should make a part of their child’s reading tribe.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Doctor Who (2011-2012) #6

 The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are looking for a chance to unwind. They set the TARDIS to a pleasure station that sits atop a temporal rift in the farthest reaches of space. Here, multiple timelines throughout history can play out within a matter of feet from each other. The Doctor has been here many times before and has had nothing but great memories of the place.

   But that’s all about to change when a badly damaged Sontaran ship approaches the space station in need of repairs. Leaking a special type of plasma fuel, The Doctor fears that if the Sontaran craft touches the temporal rift all of existence could be wiped out for light years around in a massive explosion.

   Well, the Doctor was right about the explosion. But instead of becoming one with the universe, the Timelord and his companions find themselves separated throughout the many time zones of the space station, each facing menacing problems of their own; such as rampaging dinosaur robots, an old west lynch mob, or Nazi Sontarins?!

   This opening chapter looks to be a fun Doctor Who adventure. The writing by 2000 A.D.’s Tony Lee captures the Doctor, Amy, and Rory very well. The Sontarans too! But the art is really strange.

   Artist Matthew Dow Smith, who does a fantastic job on many Mike Mignola titles such as BPRD, just isn’t a Doctor Who artist. On the Mignola titles, Smith’s job is to replicate the artwork of Mignola from the Hellboy books from which BPRD have spun-off. But Doctor Who is an entirely different animal and shouldn’t be drawn like Hellboy unless the two franchises were going to meet. (Oh wow! A Hellboy/ Doctor Who crossover! Put me down for a full series run of that please!)

    Great premise. Excellent writing. Art not meant for a Timelord… But still, when you boil it all down it’s worthy of some fish fingers and custard.

   Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents: The War That Time Forgot, Volume 1

   Date: circa 1942-1945
   Place: The Pacific Theatre
   Event: World War II
   Status: TOP SECRET

   Follow the adventures of the brave fighting men of the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines as they take on the Imperial Japanese during the Second World War. The enemy has taken up refuge in the thousands of tiny islands that dot the Pacific Ocean. One area of key interest is a mysterious island that always seems to be covered by a dense fog bank. But what lurks inside the mist is a danger far more deadly than the combined might of the entire Japanese Empire...

    This books collects the original stories of the War That Time Forgot that were published in the pages of Star Spangled War Stories from 1960-66. It's an odd collection of early adventures and versions of some of the legends of DC's WAR comics including GI Robot, Caveboy and Dino, the Losers, and the Suicide Squad. They fight the Imperialist Japanese in the air, on land, and below the waves but in every one of these stories, they also battle dinosaurs!

    1960s DC Comics is one of those eras in which you either love it or hate it. I grew up reading my father's comic book collection from when he was a boy and they were all titles from the 1960s. In other words, my heart belongs to Silver Age DC. 

   Not every one of these stories are gems. In every issue they phrase "relics from the Dinosaur Age" is repeated at least 3 times per adventure, during an thrilling attacks by the thunder lizards. But that's not what bothers me most about these adventures though it did get predictable over the course of this 500 page plus collection.

   My biggest problem were the dinosaurs themselves. It wasn't that I thought the idea of the creatures surviving  into modern times was a farce. No, my issue was that the sizes of the dinosaurs was preposterous. In at least 3 stories, a tank lands on the back of a dinosaur. But it doesn't crush the reptile, no it manages to carry the tank off into an other part of the island. There were never dinosaurs that big!

    Then there are the pterodactyls. They're huge. I learned recently that some flying dinosaurs were the size of a small plane so having a P-47 Thunderbolt in a dog fight with a couple of these creatures is accurate. But there's no way that they were as large as a B-17 Flying Fortress!

   Another issue was on how the soldiers dealt with these terrible lizards. Bullets seem to have no effect on them but a single hand grenade to the mouth can have these dinos pushing up daises? I find that highly suspect and felt a little like my intelligence was insulted.

     Do I feel like I wasted my time with this book? Not at all. It is a little dated and kinda hokey? Yeah, but it was still an entertaining read. But if you are expecting a volume 2, forget it! 

   Every original Dinosaur Island story is collected in this archive. Why they numbered this volume 1 is something I don't have the answer to. But if you are looking to add to your collection some classic DC War stories without paying an arm and a leg, featuring artwork from legends like Joe Kubert, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito, this is a very good buy, though now out of print, it can be a little pricey unless you shop around.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.