Marge's Little Lulu #166

I haven't really been a fan of Little Lulu. However, thanks to their addition to the Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics and a classic treasury of holiday comics by YOe Books, I've warmed up to Lulu and her friends. 

I found this 1963 Gold Key book at an antique store over the Summer. There were about 5 Little Lulu comics and while I had those good experiences recently with the property, none of those books were crying out for me to buy them until I got to the last book in the pile- THIS ONE! At 80 pages, there are about a dozen comics stories along with 2 prose tales, all starring Little Lulu. All but one story was set leading up-to or during Christmas. The lone story that wasn't a holiday tale did involve snow. Add the piece about 'Christmases Around the World' on the inside covers of this issue and the whole book was full of festive winter fun!

In the snow story and another set in the Arctic circle, Lulu tells little brat Alvin some of her patented fairy tales with a twist. Lulu's best friend Tubby has some dumb lucky with a dried-out Christmas tree and a missing 50-cent piece in a couple of stories. However, Tub is at his hilarious best when his detective alter-ego, the Spider, solves the mystery of Lulu's missing stocking. 

Lulu is known to be a little selfish and her greed almost comes to bear when she is gifted a new dolly for Christmas. However, Lulu overcomes her green-eyed monster when she runs into a poor little girl whose family can't afford gifts for the holidays, by giving her that prized doll. Yet even that story has a heartwarming twist.

The one thing missing from Lulu's 'Christmas Diary' is her battle of the sexes with Tubby. Tubby and his pals have a club house that bears a sign warning 'No Girls Allowed'. That sexist policy often sees Lulu leading her fellow girlfriends to challenge the boys segregation from the fairer sex. I'm guessing with Santa's arrival being so close at hand, the two best frenemies were able to put away their differences in order to not wind up with lumps of coal in their stockings. 

This was an enjoyable read. A fast read. I was probably done with it in less than a half hour. Yet, this was a nice way to enjoy the holidays set during a seemingly simpler, innocent time. I know of one more Christmas themed Little Lulu comic book out there. It's on my wish list and I hope to find it some day. If I'm lucky, there might be a few more Little Lulu holiday classics that I didn't even know existed. 

Onward to the hunt!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman Tales: Once Upon A Crime (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime takes 4 classic children's stories and adds a Dark Knight twist to them.

+ Damian Wayne is home sick with a fever. In his dreams, he imagines that

he's a little wooden boy who dreams to become a real life sidekick. 

+ Detectives Bullock and Montoya are tasked with finding who stole a very

expensive diamond called ‘The Green Pea’. So let's haul in every baddie

Gotham has into questioning from Harley Quinn to Two-Face in order for Bullock and Montoya to get to the bottom of things.

+ Faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth is cleaning Wayne Manor when he falls

through the looking glass into Wonderland. They ought to call it Arkhamland

as all of the characters Alfred meets are from Batman's Rogue's Gallery.

+Lastly, Batman is assisted on a wintery night by a mysterious woman clothed

in snow and frost in this adaptation of Han Christian Andersen's The Ice Queen. 

Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen reunited to bring young adult readers this digest volume of myth and fable. In 2009, the pair first joined forces in the

creation of the L'il Gotham Universe where Batman's friends and foes are just a bit smaller and a whole lot cuter. Fridolfs and Nguyen's first entry was a short story in Detective Comics Annual #27. This resulted in a digital miniseries spin-off, the aptly named L'il Gotham.

 

In the digital series, Batman and son Damian celebrated the holidays in a way only the Caped Crusader can- fighting bad guys! On Thanksgiving they fight bargain shoppers and thieving birds during a scheme planned by the Penguin. On New Year's Catwoman contemplates whether to spend the next 12 months

on the straight and narrow or keep on as a master cat burglar. 

Once Upon A Crime continues with that same fanciful style first ushered forth in the annual and digital spin-off. Fridolfs and Nguyen are real students of the Batman Family. The creative duo seem greatly influenced by Batman: The Animated Series with appearances by series characters such as Roxy Rocket, Condiment King, Nora Fries and the Phantasm.

The second story which is modeled after The Princess and the Pea was the best of the quartet. Great dialogue and very creatively plotted. The Pinnochio story was pretty good as it paints a picture of what life would be like if Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul wed. I felt that the Wonderland story was just too gosh darn silly. Lewis Carroll's classics starring Alice weren't known for being

very logical. But that yarn lacks that mathematical edge that reflected Caroll's passion for numbers. Though Nguyen’s illustration of the Jabberwock was breathtaking.

The final story was very different in tone. That story was completely in verse. It also lacked the humor of the other 3 tales. I'm not very familiar with Andersen's The Ice Queen. Isn't this what Disney's Frozen is based on? If so, then geez did Disney take a lot of creative license. While I didn't really know the original source material, I really liked this story for its tragic journey that ends in hope.

For my reading challenge, I'm supposed to read and review a Young Adult Graphic Novel. Amazon classifies this book as being for readers aged 8-12. According to several educational websites, a Young Adult reader is one from ages 12-17. While I am on the low end of the spectrum of the age range with this book, I'm still meeting the qualifications for this task.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #35 (Young Adult GN) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge. 

Far Out Fairy Tales: Snow White and the Seven Robots: A Family Comic Friday Extra!

If you thought you knew everything there was to know about the Fairest One of Them All- GUESS AGAIN! We take a look at Capstone Press's awesome line of Far Out Fairy Tales; featuring Snow White and the Seven Robots in this Family Comic Friday Extra!

Far Out Fairy Tales: Snow White and the Seven Robots

Written by Louise Simonson
Illustrated by Jimena Sanchez S.
Published by Capstone Press
Pages: 40
Retail: $5.95

This version of Snow White takes place on the planet Techworld which is inhabited by a race of green skinned people. Our princess is specifically bred by Techworld's top scientists to be the planet's new Queen. But the current ruler of Techworld messes with the genetic structure of the child and instead, her skin turns as white as snow!

Now an outcast, Snow White is sent to work in Techworld's sanitation department. The Queen hopes that the sight of the young girl will make people hate and fear Snow White. But Snow's ability to fix broken robots and her gentile nature make her a valued member of the planet's community.

Enraged, the ruler of Techworld orders Snow White to be murdered. But Snow manages to escape to a mining colony which happens to be occupied by 7 run down robots. I think you can see where this is going...

Far Out Fairy Tales has been on my radar for quite some time. The first run of sci-fi and superhero influenced graphic novels debuted in 2015. A new line just dropped within the last month. I'm happy to say that thanks to this new run, my library finally picked up the complete run of Far Out Fairy Tales. Unfortunately, I only saw the January sticker on the spine. I didn't realize that I choose one of the older titles. But that's okay because I thought this book was great.

Snow White and the Seven Robots was written by a living legend. Louise Simonson has crafted literally hundreds of fantastic comics and graphic novels in a career spanning over 4 decades. My most beloved run of Simonson's was what she did on Superman in the 90s. Simonson gave the Man of Steel such a whimsical touch during her time as the master of Metropolis. It's something that she manages to do here with this intergalactic take on Snow White. The artwork of Far Out Fairy Tales regular artist Jimena Sanchez S. added to that fanciful style established by Louise Simonson.

I really enjoyed this retooling of the Brothers Grimm iconic fairy tale. Readers aged 6-10 should love these books too! And so will parents. Each book has added features like discussion questions, terms to know and more cool inside stuff about the history of each fairy tale featured. With new releases such as Peter Pan in Mummy Land and The Silver Spurs of Oz plus several more new titles dropping later this fall, fans of Snow White and the Seven Robots will have lots of Far Out Fairy Tales to enjoy for future readings!

Far Out Fairy Tales: Snow White and the Seven Robots is available now in print and digital formats. An all Spanish edition will debut in August.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Fables Volume 22: Farewell (AKA Fables #150)

 

  Not only does this volume round out the trade paperback collections of Bill Willingham's Fables, this book as doubles as the final issue of the award-winning Vertigo series, #150. 

   At 160 pages, this very well may be the longest single issue in comic book history. For this last go round, Vertigo pulled out all the stops, including a tri-fold cover that features almost every character to have ever appeared in this series, a lengthy afterword by Willingham, and a slew of guest artists, including Neal Adams, Joelle Jones, and Gene Ha. Regular series artists Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha, who join Willingham to help this series go out on a very positive note. 

   Does that mean everyone has a happy ending? Not at all- this is Fables we are talking about. But the series did end in such a way that I don't need it to continue. 

   Right now, there is a miniseries called 'Fables: The Wolf Among Us' which is based on a video game of the same name. It takes place before Bigby married Snow White, so the events in that series shouldn't affect this series ending. But once that's over, I hope Vertigo breaks all of the rules of comic book publishing and let this series end with style and grace. (That doesn't mean I would be opposed to a live-action series on AMC someday...)

    A fantastic ending to a fantastic series that I began reading almost from the very beginning some 13-years ago. My best friend Todd got me hooked on this series right as the first trade came out collecting issues 1-6. With the ending of Fables, I'm a little saddened, as my friend Todd is no long with us. But I'm glad I got to finish this journey through the world of Fables that he didn't.

  Very Much Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Fairest: In All The Land

  

Someone is killing the beauties of Fabletown! Working on a list of potential victims from the seer Woman of the Ford, super-spy Cinderella must become a gumshoe (as Bigby is still missing and Beast is forced into exile on the farm due to his unpredictable changes back into a monster.) Reluctantly, Cindy accepts the mission and along with Hadeon the witch turned magic car and several animals from the farm, the princess is tasked to find the murderer within 7 days or those slain can never be returned to life. 

   Meanwhile, in the missing Mayor's office of Fabletown castle, the Magic Mirror and several of the Barleycorn Women work to try an assist Cinderella from afar. Someone found a way into the office and stole a vanishing cloak and a powerful sword from the armory. But without an entrance into the room, how could anyone have gotten in and out without being seen by the Mirror?

   'In All the Land' was a great read. As a stand alone graphic novel from both the Fables and Fairest titles, this book seeks to fill in some important gaps before writer/ creator Bill Willingham concludes Fables with issue #150. Helping him along is over 20 artists, inkers, and colorists, including series regular artist Mark Buckingham, Gene Ha, and Ming Doyle.

    The book does start off a little slow. The first dozen or so pages are in text form (with illustrations) but by the second act, the book really gets going. With flashbacks to the 60s and 70s, readers will finally get a better understanding of the motivations of some of the series most famous and infamous characters. (Hopefully, we might get a return to the Fables universe from time to time with several miniseries being devoted to the history of Fabletown, USA. Fingers Crossed!!!)

   Lots of great Easter eggs, cameos, and loose plot threads almost a decade old are waiting for loyal readers of Fables like myself. I just hate to see that dynamic series go, but I'm glad to delay its demise a little longer thanks to gems like this.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Fables Volume 21: Happily Ever After

 

 
   The epic series has almost come to a close. But before everyone lives Happily Ever After, a few plotlines must be tied up such as:

• Who owns the heart of a newly resurrected and highly feral Bigby Wolf?
• Who will come out on top of the power struggle of the 13th floor caused by the absence of Frau Totenkinder?
• What is the final fate of the 3 Blind Mice, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Prince Charming and many more of the most notable characters in this series long run?
• And just who will align themselves with the factions of Rose Red and Snow White?

    Sadly, the outcome of that battle is going to have to wait until Volume 22!

    Okay- there was 150 issues in this series. This volume covers issues Fables 141-149. So just how long was the final issue? And what else is going to go in it? Amazon says that the last chapter in the Fables trades is 160 pages. I know for a fact that issue 150 was not that long!!!

  

    Thankfully, I won't have to wait very much longer. The final volume dropped last week and hopefully I'll come across it soon at my local library or at the Comic Book show in Raleigh later this month. I have to admit, I might have to just go out and buy it because I really want to know how 13 years of Fables final comes to a close.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Fairy Tale Comics (Family Comics Friday)

   Ramona Fradon, Karl Kerschl, David Mazzucchelli, Raina Telgemeier, The Hernandez Bros., and many more. Editor Chris Duffy assembles all-star grouping of writers, artists, and inkers in this collection of Fairy Tale Comics. The mix of well-known Grimm fairy tales like 'Snow White' along with obscure Eastern European lore like 'The Small-Tooth Dog' and Asian classics like 'The Boy Who Drew Cats' was eclectic. I'm glad that Duffy decided to add those lesser known stories as I had never heard of them until now.

   (A funny coincidence: the same night after I read about the cat drawing boy, Whoppie Goldberg actually told the tale to Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show. I took it to be a sign that I had stumbled upon a hidden treasure and I did!)  

     I happened upon this book by accident at my library when from across the circulation desk I saw that it was just checked in. The book is from 2013 but honestly, I had never seen this book until just then. There's a companion piece to this anthology called 'Nursery Rhyme Comics." It too is edited by Duffy and I assume it's just as fun and whimsical as this book.

    The book is suggested for ages 6-12, but I think with the level of talented writers and artists in this book it's got an appeal for collectors of all ages. The book can be found on Amazon for less than $20.

    A very fun read.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Fairest, Volume 4: Of Men and Mice

   When a mysterious group of assassins attempt to kill Snow White, the Sheriff of Fabletown calls on his secret weapon to get to the bottom of things- Cinderella. But when those same assassins destroy Cinder's shoe store, it's clear that she's also a target. But why and who's behind it? Cinder believes that her fairy godmother is behind these attacks but when a sniper's bullet leaves the loopy godmother in a coma; the list of culprits gets longer. The search for answers will have Cinderella crisscrossing the globe in an adventure that introduces some never before revealed Indian fables as well pitting the one-time princess against a murderous stepsister.

   This volume is an exciting journey that reveals the secrets behind Cinderella's magic night at Prince Charming's castle. But I'm not  sure why Cinderella is featured in this series. The glass slippered beauty has been the subject of two miniseries titled 'Cinderella' so why was this action-packed origin story published in the pages of Fairest?

    I understand that Fairest is a series devoted to the mighty ladies of Fabletown and yes Cinderella is both A) a lady and B) a resident of Fabletown. But I would think that since Cinderella is the star of her own titles then the six issues published in this volume should have been devoted to another fair lady of the Fables series who's yet to have her season in the sun. That's not to say that this volume of Fairest is not essential reading for any fan of Fables.

    The actions in this storyline have ramifications that are currently affecting that epic series as it nears its final 150th issue. The foreshadowed return of Bigby Wolf and the escalating civil war between Rose Red and Snow White plays important components in this book. Because of those tie-ins, this volume is actually a very good starting point for fans of Fables who've yet to give Fairest a chance. If you love the mystery, action,  magic, and sex appeal of Fables then you need to try on Fairest.

   Trust me, it will fit.

     Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Grimm Fairy Tales Holiday Special #1 (2009)

 Well, here it is, the last review for Christmas 2014. 2009's Grimm Fairy Tales Holiday Special is based on the Grim Fairy Tales series by Zenescope. GFT isn't really a series I pay much attention to in large part to it's covers which depict scantily clad vixens acting out famous fairy tales along with some variant covers that lead very little to the imagination. But over the summer, I had inherited my late best friends comic book collection. He was a big fan of this series and pretty much had a complete run of the first 50 or so issues including annuals, specials, and various mini-series tie-ins.

   I donated most of his run with the exception of a few holiday specials. I'd already read and reviewed the 2009 Halloween special and it ended with a cliffhanger leading into this book. In the Halloween issue, we saw a bunch of sinister looking nutcrackers ready to do some damage. Since I had this follow-up issue, I decided to keep it and give it a read, even though I'm not a fan of this series.

   My moratorium on GFT was a wise decision. This special was actually quite good and quite tame compared to my previous experiences with the Zenescope property. Here, the lead character who is the living embodiment of Snow White is given a nutcracker during her employment's holiday party. When someone spikes her drink, she's whisked away to a mythical land of fairies, sprites, and some deadly rats. Here, she battles the Rat King  with the aid of the heroic Nutcracker of the classic holiday ballet.

   During the action scenes, I could hear Tchaikovsky's vivid score in my head. It was almost like the writer and artist collaborated for each scene to be read in accordance with the musical's soundtrack. (Think Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' playing while watching 'The Wizard of Oz.') 
  
  This story was really good and perfectly crafted. It was so well done, I was very tempted to forgive my previous qualms with this series and give it another go. That was until I reread it again and I noticed several gratuitous crotch shots of our lovely heroine. So much for that.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
    

Fables, Volume 20: Camelot

Somewhere around issue 60, the character of Bigby was temporarily written out of the series. I felt that minus the Big Bag Wolf, the series suffered considerably. Well, Bigby’s gone again and I just wasn’t so enthralled by this otherwise great series.

Not having the character of Bigby in Fables is like an episode of Walking Dead without Daryl or a James Bond movie without 007. Something’s missing to the chemical makeup of the cast. In this case, it’s the mundane embodiment of the Three Little Pig’s arch enemy.

Don’t get me wrong, I still like Fables and even without the Wolf, this is still one of the best current series being published today. It’s just that instead of tearing through this book in a day or so, I would only pick this volume up from time to time to read. That’s how much I think of Bigby Wolf and it speaks volumes as to how droll the series can be without him. Something in these residents of Fabletown is missing. I’ve read several issues in a row where Bigby didn’t appear in the series. Yet, the characters were engrossing in their adventures. Without the Wolf, it’s like the wind’s been removed for everybody’s sails.

In this volume, the concept of Hope’s chosen vessel, Rose Red, has been inspired to revive King Arthur’s Camelot. The premise behind this series was that these characters are the living breathing versions of their fairy tale counterparts. With this new Camelot, each major player is now embodying both their make believe selves but figures in the Arthurian legend as well. For example, since Rose is running the thing, she’s Arthur! I’ll let you figure out who's her Guinevere, Merlin, Mordred, and Morgan LeFay. But I will say some of these placements are shocking.

I can’t wait to see where this series is going. Mostly because it’s hinted that Bigby will return. Just that little glimmer of hope has me eagerly anticipating the next volume.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Grimm Fairy Tales Halloween Special #1A (Family Comic Friday)

Fairy tales are huge right now. With the Disney Pixar film Frozen, plus the popularity of ABC’s Once Upon a Time, if you are a fan of Cinderella, Elsa, or just about any Disney princess imaginable this is your time. So, I thought it would be fitting to examine a comic that on the surface looks harmless but is really edgy.

Grimm Fairy Tales is a series by Zenescope Entertainment. Started in 2005, the series follows the adventures of literature professor Dr. Sela Mathers who has the special ability to help people heal by using fairy tales. She has an evil nemesis; the red-haired Belinda. Sela, a raven haired beauty with glasses and other noticeable assets is the yin to Belinda’s yang. I’ve only read a couple of issues but from what I’ve gathered, the two are ‘sisters’ of a sort. There’s also allusion that Sela is in reality Snow White while Belinda is Snow’s troublesome sister, Rose Red.

Why have I not read many issues? Well, it’s got a lot of R-Rated material inside. Grimm usually is issued with at least 2 different covers. Cover A is fairly tame though the lead characters do seem to be literally busting at the seams. But its cover B, C, and even D that parents need to keep an eye out for. Those covers usually have the leads in more states of undress to the point that exclusive covers made specifically for conventions or comic shops feature partial to full nudity.

Now the two covers to the Halloween special are pretty tame in comparison but again to the uninitiated, the adage is true “don’t judge a book by its cover.” In this issue, 3 young children enter a neighbor’s haunted house to receive a treat during a lull in their Halloween festivities. The lead has fiery red hair, dressed as a witch, and wears a dental floss thong. Though she’s never named, I assume that this woman is Belinda.

The treat is a retelling of the classic story “The Monkey’s Paw.” That short story ends with a 'choose your own ending' type climax. The storyteller goes on to elaborate on what that ending is and then goes on to tell the story of Sal. Sal has come into possession of the paw, after the deaths of the previous owners. He’s been warned that the paw will grant your wishes with fearsome consequences.

Sal wishes for a girl, some money, and a few other luxuries. However, he never holds the paw when making the wish. So, really what’s happened is just plain dumb luck that’s pretty gruesome. The ending however is where the real horror is and the epilogue suggests more evil from the curse of the monkey’s paw will be unleashed again during the forthcoming Christmas special.

This special has sex, nudity, and several 4-letters swears. This would be a book that if it was a movie would probably be rated R or a hard PG-13 at the least. Other Grimm comics that I have read have more nudity, language, and some frightening witchcraft in them. This is one of the more tame books in the series that I have read.

Grimm Fairy Tales isn’t really my thing. I like the Vertigo title Fables a lot more. Yes, it’s got sex, blood, and isn’t for kids. But not every issue is a grindhouse unlike this series. I don’t recommend either title for a child to read. But, adults would love this series. However, because of the familiar characters in these series and the really colorful covers, it could easily be appealing to youngsters. So, buyers beware and take note the next time you want to buy your child a comic book about fairy tales.

I recommend the following: Anything with Disney on the cover, Muppet Peter Pan, Muppet Snow White, Avengers: Fairy Tales, Spider-man Fairy Tales, Betty & Veronica’s Princess Storybook and the Action Lab’s Princeless.

Next week, I’ll review another Halloween goody. This one will be kid friendly, parent approved. I promise.

Worth Consuming (for those older than 13!)

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Fairest, Volume 3: Return of the Maharajah

Fairest continues to explore the realms of foreign fables with a trip to the Fables of India and the Indus Valley. Here, a young girl named Nalayani must defend her village from rampaging hordes of were-demons, as all of the men were conscripted by the Adversary during the Fabletown Wars. Her best hope is to search out a new Maharajah that has just claimed the realm but when she finds him, all isn’t as it seems as one of Fables most endearing characters has returned from the dead,

  Bill Willingham’s Fables has dealt slightly with Indian Fables as some characters from the Jungle Book have been major players in the series long past. Thankfully, the writers behind this volume decided to explore never before revealed India fables. As with the Japanese fables in the previous volume, there were a lot of characters that I’ve never heard of before in this story. But that was okay, because the storytelling and art was fantastic. Full of action, adventure, romance, and surprises, Return of the Maharajah is probably going to have a major impact on the main Fables series, if it hasn’t already (and I just haven’t read it yet.)

I look forward to what this returning character will do to the dynamic on both the Farm and in the restoring Fabletown. I’m also hoping that this character’s return might mean a resurrection for a few other characters that I fell in love with and mercilessly got the axe.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.