Star Trek Annual 2023

I haven't been reading IDW's Star Trek. It's an all-star series that takes place sometime after the events of the last episode of Star Trek: Voyager, with Benjamin Sisko returning from his time with the Bajoran prophets. Captain Montgomery Scott has designed a revolutionary starship, the Theseus. It has a warp core that utilizes a contained neutron star and the entire computer system is a neural link-based network that runs through the entire craft.

In this 2023 annual, Mr. Scott receives a distress call from the one person he would never expect in a million years: Captain James T. Kirk! The engineer had designed a holographic fail safe to activate if ever the Theseus's computer was in danger of failing. To help Mr. Scott best address the issue, the program took the form and consciousness of Kirk and is advising him to destroy the computer core. 

Sisko believes that there is something more behind the computer's seeming deactivation protocols and advises his team to get to the ship's central CPU to isolate the problem. Suddenly, the crew is split up. They find themselves on not just different Federation ships, but in different timelines with classic and modern crew members with a dwindling timer on the ship's self-destruct.

The only series missing is Lower Decks, unless there's someone from that animated series in the background, but illustrated to look real life. A great anniversary issue. Or it would be if 2023 was an anniversary year for Star Trek. 

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Ghosts and Girls of Fiction House

This YOe Books/IDW Publishing collaboration seemed doomed almost from the start. 

Craig Yoe's forward that recounts how he was first introduced to Fiction House's massive anthology series Jumbo Comics was a brilliant piece. Then we get an introduction by noted comic book historian Michael H. Price. However, his look at Jumbo Comics is a rambling mess that leads the reader to believe that they'll be experiencing stories of jungle goddess Sheena, swashbuckling tales adapted from Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo and Mickey Mouse inspired funny animal yarns written and illustrated by comic book legends such as Al Feldstein, Bob Kane and Matt Baker. Yet all you get once you slough through about 50 pages of pre-code comics commentary,, that seems more like an commercial for the authority's other scholarly works, is a collection of spectral tales called The Ghost Gallery. 

Jumbo Comics had about a dozen regular features that appeared in the publication's 15 year history. The book was known for it's voluptuous dames, thanks in very large part to Feldstein, Baker and Maurice Whitman. Yet none of these artists worked on The Ghost Gallery. Or if they did, none of their efforts are presented in this 2015 hardcover, except for a few sketches and completed pieces. Instead, one should expect to view the efforts of Alex Blum, Bob Hebberd and the famed but more anonymous staff of the Iger Shop. That's right; a lot of the work in this book was considered so beneath the staff at Fiction House, that it was sourced out to an art house and the lack of creativity and love for the source material shows.

Officially, it was titled The Ghost Gallery by Drew Murdoch. Only there was no Drew Murdoch on the Fiction House staff. He's actually the main character. You might think that he's narrating each story. But aside from the first page (and maybe the very last panel) which would have Murdoch explaining his paranormal investigations to a cynical criminologist, the author of these mortifying myths takes a more active role in the story. 

The stories seemed rushed, which is how it was in the Golden Age of comics. The more pages turned out, the more money a writer, artist or inker could make. Artistically, the art isn't bad. But it doesn't stand out amongst the crowds either. Here, it's the writing which is not all that good. The plots have more holes than Swiss cheese, and there seems to be massive edits throughout the flow of the adventures. That leads me to believe that perhaps the writer had these vast plots that due to time or page allotments had to be trimmed - alot!

Thankfully, the stories get better towards the end. Sadly, the less we see of Drew Murdoch, the better the ghost tales got. Eventually, Murdoch became a phantom in his own series, though his name remained in the title. Eventually, Fiction House too gave up the ghost when the comics scare saw an end to all but a handful of publishers by the end of the 1950s.

I just wasn't a fan of this book. I tried to enjoy it and it did get better the last third of the book. But I really could have done without all of the extraneous information about both the publisher history and all the extra details on the other features that appeared in Jumbo Comics but not in this volume. It was almost like Michael H. Price wrote an essay about the entire company's publishing history in hopes that would be used in other future Yoe publications that feature the other stars of Jumbo Comics. A clever way to save money- sure. And maybe this generalized history was Craig Yoe's idea. Regardless, it is not a great way to introduce readers to what they might find inside, especially if they bought this book expecting to find works by the omitted artists praised in the prose section of the book.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Jingle Belle: The Homemade's Tale

Santa's rebellious daughter, Jingle Belle returns in this 2018 one-shot from IDW Publishing. Paul Dini crafts a beautiful story that builds upon the lore of Santa Claus.

Every year after Santa's annual run of toy deliveries, a mysterious woman scours the globe.

But this person isn't giving out more presents. Instead, she's looking for homemade toys that were rejected by their owners, offering them the companionship and love that they should have received on Christmas morning. 

The idea is a lot like the Island of Misfit Toys first visited in the 1964 Rankin/Bass holiday classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Only, this is for toys that were lovingly made by children and parents to be rejected for more illustrious presents such as a video game console or snow skis. 

Let me tell you that this story started out pulling, no tearing, at the old heartstrings. When that first toy gets overlooked by a sibling who'd much rather spend time in front of the hottest new video game of the year, I almost wanted to cry. But I didn't, because of the mystery woman who rescued the handmade horsey with such affection and then is welcomed by a sack full of fellow toys with such camaraderie, it dried those tears. Though it was still very sad.

You think that it's Jingle Belle who's rescuing the rejected toys. The twist was interesting and believable. It didn't feel like a cop out and it definitely wasn't a clone of the Island of Misfit Toys plotline from Rudolph. Sadly, it also felt like the end of Jingle Belle's story.

Things really seemed to wrap up nicely in a big shiny package with an even nicer bow. Especially for Jingle. Santa's got a new assistant with his deliveries. There's a new holiday tradition that guarantees no toy mass produced or one-of-a-kind goes unloved ever again. However, it's been 6 years since this book debuted and unless Paul Dini just all of a sudden gets a tremendously awesome idea that builds further upon that extremely happy ending, I doubt Jingle and her friends are ever coming back to comic book store shelves.

A perfect ending for a bittersweet story. I'm just not ready to say goodbye to this wonderful world created by the creator of Harley Quinn. Ooooo- that would be a fantastic idea! A crossover starring Jingle Belle and Harley. Oh, the holiday chaos they'd create. 

See! I just figured out how to bring this universe back without taking away from the ending! Please, Paul Dini - make this happen!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Monster High Halloween Special #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Based on the popular Mattel toy line, IDW presents an All Hallows Eve spectacular starring the students of Monster High!

Principal Frankenstein feels like Halloween is a great time for the students to unwind and blow off some steam by celebrating the human holiday known as Halloween. To do this, the staff of Monster High has put on a Halloween carnival, complete with rides, games and a haunted maze. While waiting to learn who won the costume contest, some of the students decide to explore the labyrinth of corn. At first, it appears to be a basic maze filled with corny frights. However as the students wander further into the field, they begin to experience their deepest, darkest fears. Soon, it becomes eerily certain that something is seriously wrong within the dark passageways of corn.

I'm not familiar with Monster High in the least aside from anything I might have seen in stores. I didn't know that the Mattel franchise was still a thing. I couldn't tell you the last time I had ever seen a kid wearing something with Monster High on it. But I love Halloween specials and the guys at my local favorite comic book store ordered it for me and I needed something to review for this week's Family Comic Friday. 

I thought the art was good. The characters looked like the few toys that I've seen in the past. The beginning and middle of the story was pretty good. Having teenage monsters face their fears in a corn maze was wicked fun. It was a pretty creative plot device if you ask me. I thought the ending was going to end predictably with the student who designed her own costume going to win the costume contest. However, it really didn't feel like this story actually ended at all.

The story concludes with at least 1 student still trapped in the maze. The students can't find them and Frankenstein is freaking out over the disappearance, claiming this has happened before. But when was that? The narrator recites some Halloween poetry, none of which had anything to do with the missing student, and then there's closure with a 'the end' posted on the back right corner of the page. Personally, I hate cliffhanger endings, especially if I don't already have the next issue to immediately follow-up on. However, I would rather have that than leaving everything dangling without a promise of more to come.

Ideal for fans of Monster High. While not rated, those with children aged 9-13 should have no issues with the contents of this book. This special is a fun way for those looking forward to Halloween to wait for it through reading. I just wish for a better ending. A definitive ending. Not the lackluster stoppage that leaves the reader wondering 'What next?'

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Saturday Morning Adventures: IDW Endless Summer One-Shot

When Michelangelo forsakes pizza, opting instead for a fresh green salad, his fellow Ninja Turtles know something's not right. It's the heat of summer in the Big Apple and the boys have been working really hard against Shredder and his evil Foot Clan. A single day of rest and relaxation can't hurt. So the boys don Western costumes and cosplay as cowboys at the nearby Old West theme park, Frontier Ride-A-World

Once inside the park, the turtles notice that something's off about the place. The rides go just a little too fast. The atmosphere seems electric. Too electric And is that Traag, Krang's rock creature generalissimo over by the cotton candy stand? Fun time is over!

This one-shot by Dave Baker was part of IDW's 2023 Endless Summer lineup of specials. Drawn in the style of the classic 1980s cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the art by Tango was so picture perfect. With continuity nods to the original series, it really did feel like I had discovered a lost episode!

I really hate that IDW didn't do any summer specials this year. I know that the company has been hurting and the past 12-18 months for them has been really difficult with losing both the G.I. Joe and Transformers licenses. However, if IDW was ever in need of sales, bringing Endless Summer back in 2025 is a sure way to get me to open my wallet.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories: 75th Anniversary Special

This year is the 90th anniversary of the debut of that rascally Disney character Donald Duck. So when I saw this issue for sale, at a local coffee shop that sells comics, I thought that this was a tribute issue to Donald. Instead, this book from 2015, is an 75th anniversary salute to Walt Disney's Comics and Stories in all of it's various incarnations thanks to the license being passed through several publishers, including IDW, the latest and currently last company to produce the long anthology.

There are a total of 10 stories and shorts in this giant sized collection, split over a dozen segments. While Donald and his nephews kick off things in a story about a war of pranks amongst the ducks, Disney's brightest star Mickey Mouse stars in a 3-part story divided throughout the book. Titled 'Ridin' the Rails' from 1955, whomever did the restoration job on that story should have won an Eisner or other similar award. They made Mickey and Goofy and Grandma Duck look so modern and not from a 60 year old book. 

Some forgotten characters such as Little Hiawatha and Bucky Bug from Silly Symphonies, the Li'l Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs and Walt Kelly's World War II rapscallions, the Gremlins, all make appearances that fall under IDW's editorial trigger warning that some material in this book may be culturally insensitive but kept in the retrospective for historical purposes. Less offensively, there's visits by Scamp, the young son of Lady and the Tramp as well as a lesson on dinosaurs presented by Ludwig Von Drake!

But really this is a Donald Duck book because he appears in 3 stories. Along with the aforementioned opener, Donald is given the runaround by the antics of Chip and Dale before wrapping things up with Huey Dewey and Louie once more. In that story, the fellas take on Magica de Spell in a caper that doesn't even star Uncle Scrooge, even though the enchantress is trying to steal McDuck's singing flea! Even the variant cover stars Donald Duck. But where is Uncle Scrooge in all this? He's a WDCAS icon who made his very first appearance in any form in the pages of this series. He belongs here! At least Scrooge's creator Carl Barks is featured...

Be sure to read David Gerstein's article at the end of this issue. It dives into the history of the long running anthology and has some interesting in-depth info. So good, I'd love to read a book about the history of Disney comic books.

This 75th anniversary collection was a good read. But to not have Uncle Scrooge involved, other than his name in passing, seems a tad unforgivable. So I'm going to knock a couple of stars off of my rating. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

IDW Endless Summer: Dungeons & Dragons Saturday Morning Adventures One-Shot

The animated version of Dungeons & Dragons that I grew up watching aired on CBS Saturday mornings from 1983-1985. The satanic panic of the 1980s was just getting hot when the cartoon left the airwaves. Had the show debuted a year or two later than it did, it probably wouldn't become the pop culture icon it's become today. I know one thing is for sure; had D&D debuted in 1986-87, there's no way in the world my mother would have allowed me to watch it.

It's right around the end of the Reagan era that my mother and father were convinced that if I played RPG games or listened to heavy metal music, I would be whisked away straight to Hell. Maybe it's why I don't like horror that gets involved with demons and such. But being raised Baptist, the Devil was someone you just didn't mess with. 

So you're probably thinking why am I reading this 2023 IDW Summer special starring Hank, Bobby, his pet unicorn Uni and their friends? Well, to me, the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon from the 80s didn't feel evil. Only one main character was a wizard (and not a very good one at that) True, the children's mentor, Dungeon Master, is a cross between Yoda and Dumbledore with his enigmatically sage advice and provisions of magical tools to free the land of whatever from the evil oppression of Venger (was he a wizard? or just a powerful baddie???) and the 5-headed dragon, Tiamat. 

In this summer break themed one-shot, young barbarian Bobby in lamenting how instead of getting to go to the beach during his summer break, he and his friends have been whisked away from modern day earth to become protectors of a magical land. Realizing that some R&R is vitally needed for his champions, Dungeon Master sends the children to a secluded lake for a much needed break. The only rule that they must follow is to not cross the other side of the lake shore, which is exactly what arrogant Eric the Cavalier does, accidentally unlocking a hidden evil from the mouth of a nearby cavern!

I thought that the artwork by Jack Lawrence was great. I may not be an expert at exactly remembering what the characters from this cartoon of my early childhood looked like. But Lawrence's renderings of the characters was good enough to make me feel like I was reliving a moment from my childhood. 

The writing of David M. Booher also seemed really good. Though I can't quite remember what everyone other than Bobby sounded like, the tones of the characters seemed right. I also don't remember Eric being that brave.

Speaking of things I don't remember... While I remember that the acrobatic warrior princess Diana wore a two piece fur bikini with boots, was she that sexualized as she appears on the main cover by Tim Levins? In fact, if you look at the black & white coloring book variant of this cover, Diana doesn't have quite so overt curves in the chest region. So I don't think you can blame Diana's assets on Levins. Instead, that blame should probably be pointed at whomever inked the main cover. 

A really fun summertime special that was centered in the world of fantasy and role play but wasn't evil or demonic. I hope IDW continues to bring back more animated franchises from our childhood back in comic book form. I just hope that they add more titles instead of sticking to the same 5 shows for their 'Saturday Morning Adventures' line of books.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: Darkenblot

Let's face it. Mickey Mouse is just too much of a goody-goody. Other than occasionally getting called out by girlfriend, Minnie, when he's trying to do right but his good intentions end calamitously, Mickey lacks the ability to be a bad guy like Donald Duck or Uncle Scrooge. That's why Mickey needs a perfect antagonist like the Phantom Blot!

The Blot is almost pure evil. No, not evil like a demon. He's just got zero redeeming qualities. Everything the villain does is for his own selfish gains. Truly, he's the antithesis of Mickey, unlike Peg Leg Pete, another Mickey Mouse foil, who does have the occasional soft spot. 

From the cover of this IDW collection of Mickey Mouse comics, one would think that Darkenblot is set in a gritty dystopian future like Akira or Blade Runner. Instead, this high tech story is set in the present day in a city designed to be everything ol' Walt Disney himself envisioned with the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow: EPCOT!

Avantegarde City is nearly 100% automated. Only the police force still uses humans as partners to robotic cops as a previous model was deemed to strict and abusive. Lately, the approved models have been acting up as well. Suddenly, an android version of the Phantom Blot begins terrorizing the city with electronic drones of his design. A visiting Mickey decides to stay in Avantgarde City to assist with the capture of this upgraded cyber villain calling himself the Darkenblot!

The Darkenblot story makes up probably 85% of this book. The remaining pages give readers a Mickey one-pager guest-starring Pluto, a Super Goof adventure in which the long-john donning hero takes on a mad scientist with a weather controlling machine and a yarn involving Horace Horsecollar. For those of you unfamiliar with Horace, despite looking more bovine, he really is a horse. Introduced in 1929, it's his girlfriend Clarabelle, Minnie Mouse's best friend, who is the more well known character. 

Despite my initial disappointment at Darkenblot not being set in the future, the story turned out to be really enjoyable. It lacked the formulaic traps that most Mickey Vs. Phantom Blot stories fall into. Perhaps because it's just Mickey to the rescue here. None of his beloved sidekicks like Goofy or Donald are available for comic relief. I kinda wish IDW had used one of the international covers. They present a more accurate feel of what the story was actually like instead of the American one which looks more cyberpunk.

The Super Goof story was silly.. uh, make that goofy. Horace's story was a delight, mostly if only for the unfamiliarity with the character. So I didn't know what to expect. And the one-pager, involving Pluto and an alley cat, was a delight that I re-read at least 3 times before moving on to the next story and I enjoyed it once more while writing this review.

I'm really becoming a fan of the international Disney comics. They're actually good! I want more!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney's Mickey and Donald: The Big Fat Flat Blot Plot (Family Comic Friday)

Years ago, I wasn't a big fan of the IDW Disney books. While full of modern reprints compared to the classic works that comprised the Gladstone and Gemstone titles, the stories were from overseas; primarily from Italian and Danish publishers. The artwork was fantastic and clean. Just the English translations didn't have the right syntax. However, I believe I would like to amend my original view of these works.

I had read an early entry in IDW's run of Disney works. The publisher had the license from 2015 to 2020. I had gotten my hands on the company's first issue of Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. As with pilot episodes, things were a little rough. However, after reading this collection, which features IDW's first two issues of Donald and Mickey, you can tell that those early issue language barrier kinks have been worked out.

I've read a lot of Disney stuff lately. I've experienced having a beloved pet stolen and really needed some lighthearted things to read to help with the emotional toll of it all. An amazing assortment of comics starring the cast of characters from the House of Mouse have been such a mood lifter for me. As I review these books, I've done a ton of research on them and I've learned that even though the United States is considered the fore front of super hero comic books, our love of Disney comics is nothing compared to the rest of the world- especially Europe!

European Disney fans put us Yanks to shame. Now that I understand that those markets are actually leading the way instead of following in our footsteps (I know, that's such an arrogant American way to think), I appreciate these books so much more!

One way the international books overtook the American titles is their portrayal of Mickey Mouse and his eternal foil, the Phantom Blot. Mickey's creator, Walt Disney, made it virtually impossible for the mouse to be anything but a goody-goody. Why do you think Donald Duck was created? It was to be the bad boy when Walt mandated Mickey to be the saint! In the States, the Phantom Blot was merely a hooded thief who was constantly apprehended by Mickey Mouse. Mostly by shear dumb luck. Thankfully, the rest of the world hasn't been hindered by those domestic restrictions. 

With that freedom overseas, the Phantom Blot became a criminal mastermind that required a ton of pluck and a little bit of snarkiness on the part of Mickey Mouse to apprehend him. In the United States, Mickey would probably break down and beg for mercy on the Blot's part at a parole hearing. In Denmark, Mickey would jump on the parole board's table and proclaim,  "Are You Nuts???" 

In the title story, the Phantom Blot has figured out a way to reduce himself and his stolen loot to 2D thanks to some ingenuity. Eating this formulated candy, the Blot can go back and forth from 2D to 3D. Thanks pretty darn clever. But the villain points out that anything his flattens that is inorganic remains that way forever. You'd think after the first time you did this, you'd maybe stop stealing new stuff until you could figure out a way to change the booty back! However, I think the Blot just keeps doing it to get under the skin of both Mickey and the inept Mouseton Police Department. 

Mickey's other main foe, Peg Leg Pete, also makes an appearance in a super-sized story. Mickey and Goofy find a treasure map and take a job as a ship's mechanic and galley cook in hopes of getting close enough to search for it. Turns out that the captain of the boat is Pete and he's looking for the buried jewels as well!

Being a Donald and Mickey book, there's plenty of Duck to be had. The all-out war with his next door neighbor Jones erupts in a pair of stories. Donald also finds out what can go wrong for the entire city of Duckburg when he takes a day off from his hot dog stand. Lastly, Donald tries to find a job for a character named Princess Oona; a prehistoric ancestor that Gyro Gearloose brought into the present but can't seem to get back home!

Speaking of characters, this volume ends with a character called Eega Beeva. From the 1940s, but totally unfamiliar with me. Is he a highly evolved human from the year 4000? Is he an alien? Is he both? You decide! 

I really enjoyed this book. I feel that my original misgivings towards IDW's Disney run was a little premature. If I can find more of these on the cheap, I will definitely get them. Tons of fun for the whole family and pretty darn wholesome too!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam (Family Comic Friday)

When you're not expecting anything holiday related and there's little bits of pieces of yule tide charm sprinkled throughout the story, in my opinion, it's considered a Christmas Miracle!

When Dr. Eggman's latest plan to destroy Sonic and friends results in the villain becoming obsessed with reality TV, his android henchmen Cubot and Orbot decide to take matters into their own han-, er, claws. By kidnapping Sonic, Tails and his pals from their sunny digs at Green Hill, the robots place them into a frosty arena for the Winter Jam games. With the promise of a Chaos Emerald for the winner, 4 teams are made, competing in events such as holiday decorating and snowball fighting to some rather disastrous effects. Oh the things robot lackeys will go to in order to get their boss back into fighting shape.

Other than the original 1980s Sonic the Hedgehog video game, my knowledge on the franchise is rather small. Sure, I've read a couple of Free Comic Book Day offerings and a Halloween special since then. Due to my passing knowledge on the subject, I don't know enough to really enjoy them. I felt a tiny bit better on this book thanks to recognizing Tails and Dr. Eggman. But that was about it. Still enough, there was a goodly amount of things in this book to enjoy. 

It helped that writer Isamin Omar Ata wrote this story in a way that you don't have to know a ton about the world of Sonic the Hedgehog to enjoy this book. As long as you know that Dr. Eggman has a passion for making things rough for Sonic and pals, you should be fine. Though I'd really like to know more about some of those supporting characters like Froggy, Big the Cat and others. That being said, this book could make a good introductory offering into the world of Sonic the Hedgehog without having to spend a ton of cash on a video game to find out if the youngster in your life is a fan or not. $4.99 is a wiser investment and it promotes reading!

This Winter special was rather wacky instead of violent. I've seen Looney Tunes more dangerous than this book. I know from some of those past issues about Sonic that there can be a lot of fighting, usually involving robots and bombs. Well, there's plenty of robots in this book but no explosives. A flamethrower used for non-violent acts doesn't count, does it?

I had to re-read a couple of sections to make sure I understood the full story. But I pretty much understood the overall plot. A cold weather read that will delight readers aged 8-13; both for fans of the video game and the uninitiated. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Jingle Belle: The Whole Package!

Jingle Belle and DC's Mistress of Mayhem, Harley Quinn, are cut from the same cloth. Both are the non-conformist bad girl creations of Paul Dini. But as Harley got a bit more crude and more sexualized, the daughter of Santa mellowed out. 

Inspired by a Christmas card from Stephen Spielberg, Paul Dini created Jingle Belle in the late 90s. Debuting in the #13 issue of Oni Double Feature, readers are shown a family therapy session between rebellious teen Jingle Belle and her stern but loving parents, Santa and Mrs. Claus. The first appearances of Jingle Belle were hilarious but a bit shocking. Jingle Belle was slutty, mixing it up with the local Eskimo boys and getting into all sorts of mischief. As the artwork of the various Jingle Belle specials got more refined, so did Santa's little girl. I think her friends Sheriff Ida Red of Mutant, Texas, Halloween witch Polly Girl and frenemy Tashi Ounce helped give the character some balance. Thankfully, Jingle Belle never lost her spirit. She remains a dreaming slacker who when she gets inspiration for something, she goes a bit overboard to the point of utter chaos. Plus, if you tick her off or you mess with her friends, she will destroy you! Man, she really does sound like a certain ex-girlfriend of the Clown Prince of Crime...

Every Jingle Belle story ever told up to 2016 is included in this IDW Publishing Omnibus with 2 exceptions. 'Jingle Belle's Christmas Party' which was published on Dini's website in 2017, is not here. Although some of the preview artwork minus the narrative from that story does appear in gallery in the back of this book. Jingle Belle: The Homemades' Tale was published later on in 2018. (Whew... Good thing I already have this one-shot!)

After 2018, either IDW or Paul Dini lost interest in the character. There haven't been any new comics starring Jingle Belle in almost 6 years. On his website, Dini posted a Dave Alvarez penned work of Belle surfing atop a narwhal on the shores of Hawaii. This was just 3 days ago. And Dini hinted we'd see Jingle Belle again next fall. I hope we'll see more of Jingle Belle soon and not just as a pin-up. I'd like very much to encounter more hi-jinx from her. I'd LOVE it if Dini would have her team-up with Harley Quinn. That would be such an epic Hanukkah/Christmas crossover that I'd buy extra issues to give out to friends and family as my Christmas card for the year!

If Paul Dini, DC Comics and IDW Publishing (if they still own the rights) could make this happen, it would be the best Chrismukkah ever!!!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: Holo-Ween #4

The first ever 4-issue Star Trek Halloween miniseries comes to a close. As you can see from the cover, Commander Scott is our mystery character from the last issue. Fitting, since Scotty was the main character in TOS episode 'Wolf in the Fold', which introduced the character of Redjac.

Speaking of blasts from the past, the obscure, but oh so important Next Gen villain Redjac brings back from the dead was killer!

The whole concept of this tale being set around Halloween seems all but forgotten until the last page. I understand that by having Picard and other members of the crew being altered to look and act like monsters of Earth lore was meant to be a tie-in to the holiday. But I say that unless it was Redjac turning them into monsters, that spooky seasonal element is diminished by having the crew members be transformed with their consent. 

Honestly, I think it would have worked better if Q was involved. 

This last issue was okay. Issue #3 was much more thrilling. This closing chapter was kinda ho-hum. Not very much suspense and the meeting between Scott and Redjac was downplayed. In fact, the assault Redjac carries out on Scotty on the cover doesn't even happen in this issue!

I'm glad to see Mr. Scott get closure on the Redjac affair. Lots of issues from DC and IDW reflect how much the whole episode traumatized the engineer. But the dish of revenge Scott serves against the entity is luke-warm at best. 

The art seemed to have gotten back to the baseline level of quality. Maybe Joe Eisma was just under a tight deadline with issue #3. Chris Sequeira's storytelling slumped. The ending could have been more exciting. But I think the limit to how much you could do with Redjac has been reached. 

I'm definitely hoping for another weekly Halloween story from IDW. I just hope we'll get something different. Another realm of the Star Trek universe would be fine. Staying away from Redjac would be perfect. Ideally, I'd like to see some other franchise get the Halloween debut treatment.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: Holo-Ween #3

In my review of issue #2, I mentioned that this Halloween set comic is a sequel to an earlier story published by Wildstorm. I had also declared that I had never read that story before and I would need to check my collection to see if I have that issue or not. Well, it turns out that not only do I have a copy of it (as part of a trade collection), but I've read it too! 

Boy, am I dumb. Or man, I have just read so many comic books over the years that I'm starting to forget some of the stuff I read. Or both! That's one reason I do this blog; to help me keep up with my readings as a sort of journal. It's from looking through my archives that I discovered that I have read that previous encounter with Redjac... and I liked it! (Though I probably should read it again to help like this 4-parter a little more.)

Issue #3 sees Picard, Riker, Worf and Troi altered both physically and mentally as monsters to intercept the hostages being held by Redjac on the Enterprise holodecks. They'll need to hurry as they've only got minutes to spare before the mind-changing process results in irreversible brain damage. Meanwhile, with the entire starship on lock-down, a blast from the past manages to beam aboard ship and offers some expertise on dealing with the evil entity.

The story got better while the art got worse. There's a couple of scenes where I swear Joe Eisma just kinda phoned it in. Some pages are full of elaborate details. Then there's one panel where instead of Worf looking like a Gill Man, Eisma kinda just finishes the back of his head and torso to resemble a T-rex. And I'm talking purple dinosaur version, not one from Jurassic Park!

The identity of the mystery character was spoiled already by their appearance on the last issue cover. That's what I get for waiting for all 4 issues to come out before I read the whole thing. Can't blame IDW for that. But why did the editing team not say something to the diminishing quality of the artwork? Were they too busy keeping the story itself up to par? Or could it be, as suggested by other Star Trek comics fans, that the editing team is so small that they can't devote enough quality time to the glut of Star Trek books being published at this day and time?

I hate seeing IDW in such dire economical straits. But if they don't fix things soon, the publishers won't be in business as those naysayers are some really nasty vocal talking heads and those so-called fans would much rather see IDW fail that rise from the ashes like a mighty phoenix.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: Holo-Ween #2

Redjac is back! The ancient evil entity that was once the dreaded Jack the Ripper in Victorian England, has taken control of the Enterprise-D. Using Borg nano-technology, Redjac possessed a crew member and then began taking users of the Enterprise's holodecks captive. Redjac has also reprogrammed Commander Data and turned the android into a perverse version of the Frankenstein monster.

In attempt to free the hostages, Picard, Worf, Riker and Troi undergo plastic surgery to appear as the monsters Redjac has used to entrap and torment those stuck in the holodecks. The high ranking officers have also allowed Dr. Crusher to alter their brain waves to not just act but to think as the horrors they represent. This should prevent Redjac from detecting their presence. The caveat: Picard and the others only have 30 minutes to save their fellow shipmates or their brain patterns will be forever altered, resulting in permanent brain damage!

Issue #2 was much better than the opening salvo. The writing was better. The plot made a lot more sense. And the art improved. The likenesses of Riker as the wolfman and Worf as a sort of Klingon Gill Man were fantastic. Franken-Data was pretty cool too. 

I remember Redjac from one of my least favorite TOS episodes. However, in this story, Redjac refers to a past history with the Enterprise-D crew. I know that Redjac never appeared on Next Gen, as I've seen every episode. So what was the villain talking about. It turns out that this IDW story is continuing from a Wildstorm comic that pitted Redjac against Data previously on the holodecks in the middle of a Sherlock Holmes program. This also explains why Redjac has a major beef with Data.

Unfortunately, I have never read that story. Maybe I have it in my collection and don't realize it. I'll have to check.

A much better second act with improvements all around. You don't have to know of Redjac's history with the Federation. But it helps.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: Holo-Ween #1

For the first time ever, the Star Trek franchise has a Halloween special. Over the past 50 years, many episodes hasve had creepy elements to them and there might have been an issue or two of a Star Trek comic set during Halloween. But there's never been a book directly tied to the chilling autumn holiday... until now! 

Taking place aboard the Enterprise-D, Star Trek: Holo-Ween is a weekly 4-issue miniseries. After a harrowing trip though a solar storm, the nerves of the Enterprise crew are shot. Electrical systems are going haywire and the ship itself took quite a beating. Sensing the tension of the crew, Counselor Troi plans to help all aboard to release some of that steam with an inter-species celebration of Halloween.

Before Troi can put on the festival, members of the crew and their their families begin disappearing. The site of the disappearances is in the proximity of the holodecks. Commander Data heads down to deck nine in hopes that the disappearances are just the result of yet another mechanical malfunction brought upon those solar disturbances. Unfortunately, the answer is even more sinister when Data comes face-to-face with an ancient evil that has infected itself with Borg technology!

IDW Publishing used to do an annual weekly miniseries in honor of Halloween. Those titles were called Tales From Vader's Castle and set in the Star Wars universe. It was a neat way to celebrate Halloween in a franchise that doesn't have Halloween. I'm glad to see that after losing the rights to Star Wars, IDW continues their weekly Halloween story tradition here with Star Trek. It's a tradition that I want to see more of next year and further down the road. Only I hope that the publisher either focuses on other elements of the Star Trek universe, like Deep Space Nine or Voyager. Or even better, utilize properties such as My Little Pony, Ninja Turtles or bring in a new franchise that has never received the Halloween comic treatment. Above all, I just want some variety.

This opening chapter was rough. The syntax was all wrong. None of the characters read like themselves. And there were a lot of rough chops to the dialogue. Apparently everyone was in such shock from the solar storms, nobody could really complete a thought, much less a sentence. Writer Chris Sequeira is from Australia. Maybe that has something to do with it because I did think some words were misspelled. Maybe they're just written in Australian slang.

Some fans have really criticized the art. Not just of this story but all the Trek books by IDW. I didn't think Joe Eisma's work was all that bad. It's minimalist, for sure. And okay, not every panel of iconic Star Trek characters looks photo-realistic. But if I was to have to rate between the writing and the art, of which one was worse, I'd have to say that some serious TLC needs to be applied to the script. 

I love the cover and it's variant. The main cover by Francesco Francavilla is killer!

A okay start that could've been much better.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Saturday Morning Adventures Halloween Special One-Shot (Family Comic Friday)

Celebrate Halloween 2023 by taking a trip back in time to the late 1980s with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Saturday Morning Adventures Halloween Special. 

For the past couple of years now, IDW Publishing has been releasing a number of books based on kids cartoons from the 80s. While most of the cartoons in this series aired on weekdays after school and not Saturdays, I've been a big fan of these publications. 

There are 2 stories in this Halloween special. The first story has Master Splinter sending the Turtles out on patrol on a Halloween night where the heroes come face-to-face with their old nemesis, Creepy Eddie. A master of dreams, Creepy Eddie takes the turtles to his realm where Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael must make it to the end of the yellow brick road which leads to the exit by midnight or else they become slaves to Eddie! Then readers head over to Dimension X where Krang and Shredder are trying to unlock the secrets to a meteorite with mysterious properties. Shredder believes that if he can create a special sword with the space rock, he'll be able to create a powerful weapon that will make him and Krang the rulers of Earth. To do this, Shredder summons the spirit of an ancient master bladesmith who refuses to help Shredder because just doesn't like Oroku Saki's style. 

This special was so much fun. I don't really remember Creepy Eddie but then again, it's been over 35 years since I saw his single appearance on the original TMNT cartoon series. I thought the story was so funny and I loved how none of the characters took themselves too seriously. The Turtles made comments about how the retconning of Turtle history is just too confusing while Creepy Eddie was plagued by his lawyer to not be too similar to another certain dream master who also wears a striped sweater; least he violate copyright law.

The story starring the villains was also a lot of fun. Though I will admit at first I thought this was going to be a stinker. Then I remembered how funny Krang was. He thinks he's a big deal and yet he's like a toddler who thinks he's bigger and badder than he really is. As Shredder kept on yapping, I started to hear that iconic deep voice by late actor James Avery and I just didn't want this trip down memory lane to stop.

Turtles are huge this year. Thanks to a new animated movie, I saw a ton of kids dressed as their favorite Turtle during a recent trunk-or-treat event. Even though these Turtles look like they did when we 40-somethings were growing up (and that by the way, is the correct way that they should) kids will love it. Adults will love it because of the nostalgia. With tomorrow being the annual Trick-or-Read free comic giveaway at comic books stores nationwide, why not pick this one-shot special up while getting so free Halloween themed reads. It's a something the whole family enjoy- guaranteed!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures (2019 Free Comic Book Day Edition)

This 2019 Free Comic Book Day offering features a scary story starring Han Solo and Chewbacca. Only it's not the real Han Solo. I don't care that this is a comic book. But the version of Han illustrated in this book is the Alden Ehrenreich Solo origin film version. The only (acceptable) version of Han Solo is Harrison Ford. Plain and simple. There is no substitute. 

Now one thing added to the appeal of this book is that this is a Tales From Vader's Castle story. Since 2018, Star Wars fans have been delighted by an annual all-ages horror themed anthology set in the Star Wars Universe. It's become a new Halloween tradition. However, there's no such thing as Halloween in Star Wars. That doesn't matter as it still makes for a fun October time read. 

Compared to other Vader's Castle stories, this one isn't really that scary. Probably because this was a Free Comic Book Day offering. Mistress Lina and her droid Crater, who are the story's narrators, make a return appearance from the 2018 debut of Tales From Vader's Castle. As they explore Vader's home, Lina recalls an early adventure from Han and Chewbacca's early days involving a heist as a droid museum. 

This story sets up the framework for prospective fans to pick up the trade paperback which collected the first series. There was a Han Solo ghost story in the first anthology. I double-checked. This story is not a reprint of that issue as writer Cavan Scott managed to have both versions of Solo (the true and the reboot impostor) in the same story. There's no Harrison Ford in this book.

Featuring art by Derek Charm, this issue has a certain charm to it; even if it doesn't feature MY Han Solo. Loved the closing panel! And the back cover by Francesco Francavilla, featuring the imposing visage of Lord Vader overlooking his Mustafar is just breathtaking. Oh, how I would love to have a print of it to hang in my office!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Godzilla: Monsters and Protectors- Summer Smash #1 (One-Shot) (Family Comic Friday)

School is almost back in session for all. So don't let the Summer break end without visiting the magic island nation of Japan. Fans of Godzilla, King of the Monsters and his allies and his eclectic rogue's gallery will have delight in this summer special from IDW!

The Xiliens of Planet X have returned to conquer the earth. Aiding them in their conquest is King Ghidorah, who after his last battle with Godzilla is missing one of his 3 heads. Only now it's replaced with a mechanical version that makes the Kaiju even more deadlier than ever before! 

As a week goes by, Godzilla is nowhere to be found. It's left to social media sensation (and Godzilla BFF) Cedric and his pals to find a way to stop the invasion. Thankfully, enemies of the Xiliens have sent some help: the robotic warrior Jet Jaguar who has been programmed to take orders from Cedric to stop King Ghidorah from destroying Japan. But how is an 8-foot tall robot supposed to battle a 3-head behemoth like Mecha-King Ghidorah? Oooooohhh.... that's how!

Featuring Mothra, the Shobijin, a slew of cameos from various Godzilla foes, and JET JAGUAR! (You guys might not know who he is, but man was he a favorite character of mine!) Of course, there's also Gojira himself, Godzilla! This was such a fun read. 

This Summer Smash one-shot completes a trilogy of Godzilla stories geared for all ages. Writer Erik Burham and artist Dan Schoening started things off with Godzilla: Monsters and Protectors (collected in graphic novel form as Godzilla: Monsters and Protectors- Rise Up) which introduced readers to Cedric who is tasked by Godzilla to be his eyes and ears against global pollution. While the giant lizard slumbers, he'll see through Cedric's eyes the efforts of the human race in hopes of saving the environment. Godzilla: Monsters and Protectors: All Hail the King introduces the Xiliens who first use various Kaiju, including Ghidorah to overtake the earth. This final one-shot has the residents of Planet X deciding to do things themselves; with a little help obviously.

Though I have not read the first two story lines, I did not feel lost reading this book. Erik Burnham wisely made sure that Cedric got readers new and established up-to-date on what had happened so far. Plus, my knowledge of early Godzilla movies really helped me to know who many of these characters were. And did I tell you Jet Jaguar is in the story? I'm really excited about that and I appreciate how well Dan Schoening did in capturing the characters style and mannerisms. Especially, when he flies!

I had an absolute blast. If you grew up with Godzilla in any of his nearly 70 years worth of incarnations, you too will enjoy this book. Though I really think fans of the original 1950s-84 version of the Godzilla franchise will enjoy this book the most. Yes- some evil aliens blow up parts of Japan. Then a few large monsters battle it out. But really, there wasn't anything more violent or scary than what you might see in a classic Godzilla film. Let's be honest here, those movies really ain't that scary and professional wrestling is more real than the battles in those original films. 

A great story to bond with Godzilla loving parents and guardians with the young readers in their life.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: The Newspaper Comics, The Complete Comics Vol. 2: 1982-1983

When I reviewed Volume 1, I said that it was unlikely that I'd ever get my hands on the second book any time soon. Volume 2 is listed as out of print. The cheapest copy I could find was $110. That was just too rich for my blood. Then my wife made a very good point: with the book being out of production, the asking price is only going to go up and up. I happened to have about $80 in Amazon trade credit. So when deducting that from the asking price and adding tax and shipping, I only paid about $40 out of pocket, which was still $10 less than the original MSRP.

The stories of Volume 2 continue with the Enterprise on the trail of a Klingon cruiser. Kirk and crew must intercept the vessel to prevent an escalation in the war between the Federation and Klingon Empire. This leads the Enterprise crew to a planet inhabited by cyborgs with the Klingons the latest victims of the planet's Overmind super-computer conversion process. 

Other than the story being a bit long, it was rather good. Plus, I seemed to have gotten my money's worth as it appears that its addition to this book is a must have story among Star Trek fans. That's because the tale called 'Restructuring is Futile' is considered by many to be the unofficial origin of the Borg! (Though I think that the story from TokyoPop's Star Trek Manga series is a more definitive origin tale.)

There are 10 stories, making for a total of 20 comic strip stories through 2 volumes. Thomas Warkentin only pencils one story. In my mind, he's the definitive Star Trek strips artist. Ron Harris, pencils the first 3 or 4 stories. He's almost as good as Warkentin. Ron Harris uses proper shading, includes great backgrounds into the panels and does very good representations of the actors. Although, they look more like themselves from TOS and not TMP. 

Towards the end of 1982 going into 1983, the series was in decline. Not just in terms of quality but with a number of readers. Only a handful of newspapers continued to run the strip, even after the amazing success of Star Trek II: The Wraith of Khan. Yet, the artists chosen to replace Ron Harris are no Ron Harris and definitely not in the league of Thomas Warkentin. I've seen high school and college newspaper artwork better than what you see in stories 15-19. Heck, I think I could have done a better job than whoever penned (definitely not penciled) story #16! 

Okay- so the artwork diminishes. However, thanks to the addition of Gerry Conway as head writer, every story was a ton of fun. Fans of Larry Niven will want to get their paws on this book as well. Niven's most famous species, the feline Kzinti, guest-star in the story titled 'The Wristwatch Plantation' for a Star Trek/Man-Kzin War crossover! And man, am I a sucker for a crossover. 

The magic of the Star Trek newspaper strip wasn't lost from Volumes 1 to 2. The stories were far more superior to the quality of such TOS stinkers like 'The Way to Eden' and 'This Side of Paradise.' In terms of visual quality, I think the even the worst Star Trek episode was more visually appealing than those middle stories.

Bittersweet to say good-bye to these stories. Star Trek comics, covering any series, is just a type of sequential art comfort food to me. But I am glad that the series ended when it did. I don't think I could afford a Volume 3!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek: The Newspaper Comics, The Complete Comics Vol. 1: 1979-1981

Celebrating a forgotten period of Star Trek comics. From 1979-1983, select newspapers nationwide carried the further adventures of Kirk, Spock and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew in comic strip form. Unlike the Gold Key Comics version or Marvel's short-lived run of adventures, the Star Trek comic strips are the rarest of the rare because most newspapers decided instead to run the Star Wars strip along with the continuing escapades of Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon in the funny pages.

Set immediately after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, this book covers the next 5-year mission, which coincidentally is being explored right now in the IDW Publishing miniseries Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Echoes. These 23rd century episodes are full of Klingons, with their new head ridges, along with many of the races introduced in the 1979 Robert Rise flick such as Arcturians, Saurians and Zaranites. But sorry Next Gen fans, not a Romulan in the bunch!

This joint IDW/Library of American Comics collaboration was published in 2012. I didn't even know this thing existed until I saw a post about this in one of the Star Trek Comics groups I am a member of on Facebook. I learned about this collection from Rich Handley, who wrote the foreword and helped with the editing, from a post. Thus, in the manner of complete transparency, I am not in any way being compensated for a review of this book. (Unless Rich follows through on the No-Prize I requested when I found an error in one of his story recaps.)

The main genius behind many of these stories is Thomas Warkentin. He provides nearly flawless older representations of the Enterprise crew. It's forgivable that Lt. Ilia appears in the first story, despite having died earlier in her lone canon appearance during The Motion Picture. The quality of the stories, the artwork and just how in character everybody is is top notch! 

After about a year, Warkentin left the strip. He was replaced by Sharman DiVino and Ron Wilson. The stories were just as good. The art was just as stunning. Only for some reason, both Spock and Kirk have been de-aged to look like their 1960s incarnations while Uhura, Scotty and the rest remain their middle aged selves. 

Both this volume and volume 2 are out of print. Amazon at least still has a few copies of this edition left at the original cover price of $49.99. As for the companion piece, it's really expensive. Not just on Amazon but everywhere that claims to have a copy. $119 and up! No joke. And no way I'm going to ever get my hands on a copy for that price, right?

If you do go searching for Volume 2, it can also get a little confusing. Eaglemoss, which is a publisher out of England, released the entire 1979-83 run of the strips in 3 volumes. They can be purchased on eBay for around 25-40 pounds. Not sure what the dollars to pounds conversion rate is. And since I already have volume 1, I'm not about to go that route. Plus, with UPS about to go on strike, I'm afraid if I order from the UK, it'll be the 23rd Century before I receive them.

A great read of long lost tales exploring the final frontier! Including a fantastic look at the ST:TMP McDonald's Happy Meal boxes that featured comic strip art by Thomas Warkentin!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars