Limited Collectors Edition C-43 'Christmas With the Super-Heroes' Facsimile Edition

The fan favorite tabloid treasury returns in this facsimile edition! 5 holiday classics presented in oversized fashion with remastered art and color.

• A pair of Scrooges seek to force Santa to privatize or face a total cease of magical operations. Meanwhile Lois and Clark are leading a toy drive sponsored by the Daily Planet and those two haters of Christmas have decided to put the newspaper out of the toy  business as well. Enter the Man of Steel to save Christmas not just for Metropolis, but all the children of the world!
• On Christmas Eve, Batman gets summoned by the Bat-Signal to sing Christmas carols with Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD.
• Set during World War II, Wonder Woman is assisted by a Douglas Fir of all things, in uncovering a Nazi spy ring near the Canadian border on a snowy Christmas Eve.
• The House of Mystery's Cain spins a tale about a holiday intruder in true DC horror fashion in 'Night Prowler!'.
• Set during his spandex wearing days, the Sandman and his sidekick Sandy stumble across a mob scheme involving a department store Santa.

All 5 stories were reprints. Amazingly enough, I had only previously read the Batman story. Written by Denny O'Neil with art by Neal Adams, I've read this story previously in several retrospectives on the amazing work these two did in the 70s for DC. I've probably also read the House of Mystery story and just don't recall as I have several HOM omnibuses. But as for the other 3 stories, they were brand new to me!

The Superman story is from a comic book titled Superman's Christmas Adventure. It is something that I wasn't aware of until I got this. The story is pretty long which has me wondering if I got all the material from that book or if there's more that I am going to want to add to my ever-growing Christmas comic collection. (Turns out, I don't!)

I'm also wondering about the Wonder Woman story. This month, DC is re-releasing a facsimile edition of a classic 1940s Christmas issue of Sensation Comics. I know that my favorite LCS has a copy on order for me. I'm just wondering if the story from this 1975 reprint is from that issue or not. It doesn't make sense to me that DC would release the same story in the same month in 2 different facsimiles. But if so, unless there is a lot more holiday material in it, I don't want to spend money on the same thing in 2 different formats.

Speaking of money, this recreation saved me some mega bucks. It unfortunately doesn't come with a mid-70s cover price of $1.00. However, $12.99 new was a much better price to pay than asking prices of anywhere between $60 and $100 that I have seen online and in the wild. Besides, this WAS a reprint of Christmas reprints. I didn't have to have the original. I just wanted a copy to call my own. But did somebody trim the cover to this book wrong? The filler material is a good 1/10 of an inch larger than the cover on both the top and the bottom. That doesn't seem up to specs to me...

Featuring Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Len Wein, William Moulton Marston and many other comic book legends, this brought back so many memories of when my parents would give me with a Christmas themed comic book or two to read on Christmas Eve in anticipation of St. Nick.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents: Dial H For HERO

My dad had a pretty impressive comic book collection that I remember fondly digging into frequently as a kid. It was mostly DC books. One of the B-list (heck, more like C-list) segments that I remember happening upon was Dial H For HERO. At the time, it just wasn't my thing. I was more enthralled by the glamorous superheroes like Superman, Deadman and the Flash. As much as finding a device that would turn them into a superhero is any kid's dream, I just didn't connect with the adventures of young Robbie Reed.

The premise of Dial H For HERO is that preteen genius Robbie Reed finds a mysterious object that looks like the dial of an old rotary phone. Only instead of being in English, the tool has these strange glyphs. Brilliant Robbie is able to decipher the letters and decides on a whim to use it to spell out the word H-E-R-O. When Robbie dials the word, he turns into a superhero. Only, he doesn't know which protagonist he will become nor what his powers will be.

Over the course of his early career, as seen in the pre-horror pages of the House of Mystery, Robbie will become champions based on ancient myth, crazy gimmicks as well as bizarre freaks. Sometimes, Robbie will revisit the form of one of his previous incarnations and on one occasion, he becomes the established classic superhero, Plastic Man!

Dave Wood was the writer for all of these original series stories. Towards the end of the run, the characters got way more goofy and DC fell into the trap of thinking that the generation gap was what late 1960s kids wanted to read about. The series ended because of the Comics Code. Not because of violations, but instead because horror comics were once again in favor due to challenges over the Code which brought about some revisions. 

Dial H For HERO would return in the 1980s without Robbie Reed. Instead different boy as well as a young girl would find 2 different dials, changing into both a hero and a heroine. During this time readers were encouraged to create the characters that the kids turned into through a write-in contest.

It's those adventures in various issues of New Adventures of Superboy and Adventure Comics that I've come across as an adult that peaked my interest when I found this book a couple months ago. In this volume, there's a story where Robbie allows a gal pal of his to try the dial, becoming Gem Girl. I had originally assumed reading that tale that this was how we got 2 heroes in the later books. While that's not the case, that adventure is probably the inspiration for having a duo in the reboot series.

Looking around, those later stories don't seem to have been collected ever. I'd be very happy to own such a title should DC decide to release it in the future. While I am trimming my massive collection down a bit, this Showcase Presents collection is one that made the cut. While it's not a perfect series, Dial H For HERO is fun and nostalgic and to me that's worth overlooking the faults.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #23 (2022 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

From 1979-1986, kids got a real treat everytime they went to the supermarket: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest and it's shorter lived sister series DC Blue Ribbon Digest. For only $.95 ($1.25 for the longer 'Best Of' books), kiddos hot 100 pages of your favorite superheroes and comedic characters. 

Each issue had a specific theme. There was Superman Vs. Luthor. The Years Best Team Stories. Binky's Summer Fun. Batman's Villains. There were even a couple of holiday editions too! 

Sure, the books were released in digest form. Sure, the original source material wasn't designed for digest form so things didn't quite look right. Sure, the lettered dialogue was like a font size 2. But the covers rocked and if you annoyed mom and dad long enough in the checkout line, you were guaranteed a copy or two.

The Best of 1981 issue of the series featured 10 tales from DC's vast line of titles. The overall winner was from Detective Comics #500. 'To Kill A Legend' sees Batman and Robin gifted a chance from the Phantom Stranger to save a Wayne family on another Earth from the gun of Joe Chill! It's an Alan Brennert, Dick Giordano and Adrienne Roy instant classic!

The other 9 stories: 

Sivana's Nobel- Dr. Sivana's reputation as an evil mad scientist is at risk when Captain Marvel nominates the fiend for a Nobel Peace Prize, based on the fiend's 'failed' experiments that end up benefiting humanity.

The Dummy- Sgt. Rock's Easy Company have just lost their BAR man. Their new recruit ends up being a real dummy. Literally!

A Day In The Lives- Witness a typical day in the lives of the New Teen Titans. Changeling has to save his dad's company. Cyborg meets some special fellas who totally relate to him. Kid Flash enjoys dinner with the fam. And Raven takes on a demonic power. 

Piper at the Gates of Hell- A House of Mystery yarn about a small town that participates in a hellish rite in return for it's societal panacea. 

The Haunting- After his wife and son leave him, Jonah Hex goes on a binder that brings up ghosts from his past.

The Triumph- Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps take on a pair of foes that will one day usher in a CRISIS and a BLACKEST NIGHT.

Whatever Happened to the Crimson Avenger?- Len Wein, Alex Saviuk and Dennis Jensen answer that question.

The Pursuit of Joy- A segment from the short-lived but powerful 'Tales of Gotham City' series. A virtuoso and a struggling violinist are destined to meet on the streets of Batman's home turf.

The Dying Day of Lois and Lana- Superman struggles to find the cure to a plague that has Lois Lang and Lana Lang's hours numbered. It's the same virus that killed Ma and Pa Kent! So for the Man of Steel, this is personal!

I didn't feel that this was a perfect collection of stories. The Sgt. Rock adventure was rather odd. I can't believe that Rock would be tolerant of a rookie that carries a ventriloquist dummy with him everywhere. But he does! If it was Nick Fury, the kid would have his butt chewed out and the dummy in pieces. 

Personal tastes aside, this was a wonderful anthology issue based on the top tales of 1981. Even at 44 years old, I jump for joy when I find one of these beauties for a good price. Sure, I need a magnifying glass now to read them. But there's such a wave of nostalgia that comes over this madman when I hold one of this tiny beauties in my hand. The smell of the newsprint. The feel of the smooth cover and rough paper. I loved it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #36 (Issue from an Anthology Series) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

 

The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Volume 2: Help Wanted

I don't seem to have good luck with team-up titles. I find one I like and then BAM! Cancelled!

It happened with Scooby-Doo Team-Up and it happened with this amazing series based on the Cartoon Network series of the same name. The Caped Crusader joins forces with well established characters such as Superman as well as more obscure heroes such as the Alan Scott Green Lantern from the JSA. 

This book was my official entry into my 2020 Halloween comics readings due to the final story of this volume. It stars magician Zatanna joining with Batman on Halloween in order to solve the puzzle behind just who broke into the House of Mystery. It's a delightful romp that features some of the most evil as well as mischievous characters to occupy the DC Universe.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up's Sholly Fisch is the scribe behind these gems. He's a proven master at
all-ages storytelling that is rooted deeply in the 80 year plus history of DC Comics. The House that Superman Built really needs to give Fisch a monthly legacy title for all generations of readers. His being greatly underused in his bi-monthly offerings of DC's lone pair of all-ages titles (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and Looney Tunes.)

A great read that I hated to see end. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

House of Mystery #250

This issue features a pair of frights. 

In Voyage to Hell, a lighthouse keeper is haunted by the ghost of his wife whom he left stranded on a sinking vessel. Then in Coffin For a Killer, an immigrant wishes for the largest funeral in all of Pittsburgh. To obtain that dream, the man turns to witchcraft. However, when he scorns the witch who is crafting the spells that help him become a big shot in the community, the man learns that you get what you wish for, but your wishes don't always turn out the way you expected.

Let's start with the latter story. It's written and illustrated by the great Alex Toth (Super Friends.) It's a great gothic style love story that I knew from the get-go what was going to happen- and then BAM! Toth throws in a twist I just didn't see coming. Marvelous stuff by a master of horror and suspense. 

The title story was the one I had issue with. At the beginning of the story, a fishing boat captain is the only man to survive the destruction of his vessel when it hits a reef. Okay- I buy that. But where's the wreckage? Where's the bodies? When the haunted lighthouse keeper talks of his ship sinking in the very same spot years prior, the shore is shown in flashback littered with debris. So why did artist Leo Duranona forget to add wreckage in the present day? For many this might seem like a petty grievance but that omission detracted from the enjoyment of the story for me.

For some reason, I thought this was the final issue of House of Mystery. However, I have since learned that the series went on for another 71 issues before finally closing it's doors in 1983. Why did I think this was the last issue? Have I confused it with House of Secrets, HOM's sister series? Did it end at issue #250? If any of you dear readers of this review have any inkling as to why I thought this was the finale, please leave me a line in the comment section.

Along with a few one-shot humor segments and some wicked old school comic book ads, I enjoyed this comic very much. I just had fault with a part of the main story.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out 10 stars.

Elvira's House of Mystery #1

 

  The House of Mystery has a new owner in Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

   Upon fleeing an angry mob, Elvira takes refuge in what is revealed to be the House of Mystery. Upset upon the loss of it’s owner Cain, the House, which all of a sudden can talk secretly hopes Elvira will find him. So the House of Mystery, under the guise of the domicile protecting her from the violent throng outside sends Elvira throughout time and space in hopes of finding something that will calm the crowd and return Cain as the spooky mansion’s rightful owner.

   Stories include a real life game of Dungeons and Dragons that turns deadly for a coven, a battle between elderly sorcerers in medieval Japan, and a group of kids hoping to win a thousand dollar prize take advantage of a nebbish child in order to do it. As is tradition with the horror version of the House of Mystery, there was also a couple of humorous comic strips peppered throughout.

     Of the three tales, the one about Japan was my least favorite. It had good art and the story was good but it was long. It was all narration (nobody speaks!) and it ran for 36-pages whereas the other yarns were only about 8-pages apiece.

     Elvira’s House of Mystery #1 doubled as a 64-page Halloween Special. As specials go it wasn’t bad. But compared to the quality of the Cain led House of Mystery books, this was a pale imitation as best. I think I understand why this book only lasted 11 issues.

   Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #60- PLOP!

Plop!- the short-lived companion piece to the House Of Secrets, the House Of Mystery, and The Witching Hour. It's true, as brother Cain and Abel and the Old Witch shared duties as the host to many of the stories contained within. It's moniker billed the comic as the “Magazine of Weird Humor” and boy does this collection not disappoint.

  This Blue Ribbon Digest was a much sought after gem that I stumbled across at a pop-up book sale. These digests, while completely filled with reprints, are holy grails to collectors such as myself who have found memories of these treasuries and actively seek them out and buy them with gusto. However, age has caught up with me as the tiny print was hard to read and I had to take frequent breaks least I end up with a headache. But that doesn't mean that I didn't have a ball reading this.

 Plop! featured the creative talents of Basil Wolverton, Wally Wood, Bernie Wrightson, and Sergio Aragones. It was like an old EC Comic was combined with Mad Magazine and had a baby… a very weird baby. Along with some silly fables, a Lord of the Rings parody, and a reprint of the award-winning story ‘ The Poster Plague’- a short tale from House Of Mystery that started it all. Why there's even a few Murphy Anderson penciled shorts that skewer some of you favorite heroes of the DC Universe.

I enjoyed this so much that if I ever come across further issues of PLOP! in my scourings of bargain bins, they will become a part of my collection! Without a doubt!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

House of Mystery, Volume 8: Desolation

The House of Mystery starring Fig Keele comes crashing down in a reality splitting epic. Fig finally learns who’s behind the Conception, a mysterious race of people who want Keele to save their race from extinction. I had mentioned in my journal after reading volume 1 that this series reminded me of the Prisoner TV. I couldn’t have been more astute in my observation.

While these twists and turns were confusing, I enjoyed this volume immensely. Everything fell in place nicely and I was happy not only with the ending of Fig’s story but the final tale “Three For the Road” was very satisfying as 3 possible endings to the House of Mystery are presented and the reader is granted permission to decide which outcome was the true one.

A brilliant ending to a brilliant series. Very much Worth Consuming!

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

House of Mystery Volume 7: Conception

Spinning out of the cliffhanger of volume 6, Fig and Cain find themselves trapped with the house as it is regressing in on itself. It’s a little metaphysical and confusing, but it made for an interesting plot line. Her former co-inhabitants of the House are now taking up residence in the House of Secrets with Abel, playing mystery dinner theatre. Plus, Fig’s father, brother, and grandfather escape death in order to find someone who might just bring an end to the Conception. The pieces are set for the final chapter set in volume 8, Desolation.

This was a much better chapter than volume 6. The storylines were more streamed-lined and more of Fig’s origin is revealed, helping to let more pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

House of Mystery Volume 6: Safe as Houses

Honestly, if you live in the House of Mystery, are you really safe? Having escaped from the Conception but having to give up further contact with her soul mate, Fig finds herself even more trapped in the House than ever before. Then when a kingdom of witches comes to the House asking for her help, maybe Fig’s finally found a place in this galaxy.

 The Witch War is great. If not for the goblins, this issue would completely blow. There are elements of Fig’s attempts to move on with her life after her fateful deal with the Conception that’s just very weak. Plus, the anthology tales in this volume are some of the weakest of the entire series and I just can’t place how and where they fit in with the plot at this point. Art is still very good but this next chapter in Fig Keele’s life is literally going nowhere. Just barely worth reading.

Rating 7 out of 10 stars.

House of Mystery, Volume 5: Under New Management

 

With the House teleported out of the line of fire of the Conception, Fig and the rest of the crew must adapt to the presence of a new “co-owner”, Cain, the original host of the 70’s anthology series of the same name. While Fig and Cain butt heads over how to run the house, a mysterious young man arrives claiming to be Fig’s lost long brother. Only, Fig Keele was an only child, right?

   I love the new dynamic of having Cain (and his brother Abel) back in the mix. This series was seriously missing them and I think it was a step in the right direction. The mysteries surrounding Fig continue to deeper and it’s making for a fantastic read.

Worth Consuming

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

House of Mystery, Volume 4:The Beauty of Decay

The House of Mystery has been sent to the City of the Space Between. However, sinister forces are causing the house and several of it’s residents to begin to lose themselves in more ways than one. 

A very good chapter. It really helps to read these volumes pretty close together. I enjoyed finding out just how Cain ended up losing the House of Mystery. The why still has yet to be determined.

This volume also includes a House of Mystery Halloween Annual (#1) that guest stars some of the supernatural stars of the DC universe, including Hellblazer, Madame Xanadu, and iZombie.

Interestingly enough, the iZombie story had me hooked and I want to find that series real soon.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

House of Mystery, Volume 3: The Space Between (Originally completed July 13, 2013)

This is a great series, but don’t go too long in between reading each chapter as with this lengthy cast of characters and the problem that a couple of the women look almost identical, it takes a while to remember who’s who and what’s what. In this chapter we’re introduced to the legend of the City of the Space Between. Along with that legend, the main character of Fig is still being hunted by mysterious parties that want her for her possible powers to travel between worlds and realities. Also, we learn that the House’s bartender might not be quite who he or even the reader thinks he is. This series isn’t as scary as the classic series was, but the mystery behind the House and it’s residents is compelling.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 stars out of 10.

House of Mystery, Volume 2: Love Stories for Dead People (Originally read 5/31/13)

Don't wait too long after reading volume 1 to read volume 2. I made that mistake and got horribly lost, just like the characters do in this book. As they try to escape the House of Mystery, we learn why it became a speakeasy, as well as get a glimpse at Cain and Abel's involvement with the HOM after their appearant lose of lease. The art's very good as is the story.

  There's so very tragic creatures in this volume that will break your heart. They balance out with one very truly frightening father-figure.

 Again, the main problem is why so many mysteries surrounding all these great characters, if you wait too long for the following volume it gets hard to follow. Reader, Beware!

Worth Consuming. Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

House of Mystery Volume 1: Room and Boredom

 

   Meet Fig Keele, she’s a college student who used to be the star of a series of children’s books written about her imaginative adventures with stuffed animals and child detectives. Her life has taken a sad turn and with a recent stay in a local mental ward, Fig’s lost her zeal for life. That is until she wakes up to find herself the owner and patron of the House of Mystery saloon and inn. Now, it’s all she can do to escape from the House and a masked couple who want to take Fig with them to their race of others called the Conception.

   This is a great opening chapter with an eclectic and charming ensemble cast. This series reminds me somewhat of the great British show, the Prisoner. Keele tries really hard to escape, but the House is always one step ahead. Worth Consuming

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents: House of Mystery, Vol. 1

WORTH CONSUMING!

Horror Comics were the first comics I ever bought. I was probably 3-5 years old. Oh, how I loved those old horror books. I probably spent many a quarter and then dollar, raiding the cheap bins at the local comic shop.

Now, 25 years late, little has changed- except now a vintage horror book will run you $10-$25 a pop! Thanks to DC for deciding to put these old tales into a digest reprint format. They were great fun.

 The biggest problem with this book is availability. Vol. 1 is now out of print and you may find yourself paying double the cover if you’re lucky to find this gem.  This volume is worth consuming, so happy hunting!

Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Library of Congress Century Bestseller Series)

WORTH CONSUMING!

It took me a few days to get back into this book. I ended up getting sick and I just didn’t feel like reading small print. It was very easy to get back in this book and not be too lost.

I really am starting to enjoy these tales of Holmes, Watson, and Co. I still think some of his assumptions that come true are a stretch, but it’s still worth reading!

 I highly recommend!

"Showcase Presents: House of Mystery, Vol. 2"

WORTH CONSUMING!

Gone are the days when I would snap up 10 of these (and other DC/ Marvel horror titles) bad boys for only a buck at the old Tales Resold location in Raleigh, NC. Why, at about age 3, the first comic I ever bought was a horror title. It was Carlton Comics ‘Ghostly Tales’.

So, to have these stories coming back in re-print is a delight. The art, the stories, and the chills are as vivid as ever.

Sadly, Volume 1 is already out of print and to get a copy, I’ll have to pay 3x the cover price on ebay. In a way, it is also a blessing, because I now know to act fast each a new volume comes out.