The New Adventures of Abraham Lincoln (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's another day in detention for Byron. It's not because he's a trouble-making kid. Once again, Byron just happens to know more about American history than his teacher does and the instructor cannot stand to be embarrassed by a pupil.

Bryon spends his detentions reading history books. In particular, his favorites are about the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Always wanting to have met his hero, Bryon seemingly gets the chance when the deceased visits detention with his own version of American history. No; Benjamin Franklin was never elected President! That's not why he's on the $100 bill. And no; the heads on Mount Rushmore are not a natural rock formation created by volcanoes millions of years ago.

Bryon's after school encounter with Lincoln appears to have just been a really weird dream. However, the next day on TV, Bryon learns that his bizarre history lesson is about to get weirder as President Clinton has just resigned from office in order to let Lincoln finish out his 2nd term as the 43rd President of the United States. 

This Honest Abe seems anything but as he appears to have a hypnotic trace over the populace of the US of A. With time running out before Lincoln's inauguration, it's up to Bryon, his rebellious friend Marcie, his wheelchair bound veteran pop and the real time-displaced Abraham Lincoln to save America from itself!

Understanding Comics' Scott McCloud wrote, illustrated and programmed this 1998 graphic novel published by Image. With technical advice from Kurt Busiek and Neil Gaiman, The New Adventures of Abraham Lincoln is a computer generated story in which McCloud used 3-D models of important Washington buildings and monuments, along with photography and hand drawn images to create a political satire that seems crafted for today's America. 

On more than one occasion, the fake Lincoln promises to 'Make America Great Again!'. Around the end of the book, the impostor's  followers hold Congress at gun point if they refuse to confirm him as the next POTUS. It's very difficult to laugh at this obviously humorous look at how American politics has become less like C-SPAN and more like professional wrestling, if it just wasn't so gosh darn accurate.

Completing this review completes Task #32 (Fictional Comic Based on a Real Person) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Krampus! #4

Krampus' journey to the American West uncovers a traitor in the midst of the Secret Society of Santas. Though, I really don't think 'traitor' is the right word. Impostor?  That's more like it. A traitor is someone who betrays their compatriots. This revealed villain is posing as one of the Santas.

I'm really interested to learn if the character in question was a real part of Santa Claus history or made up just for this issue. I wouldn't be surprised if 20th Century history actually records the backstory mentioned within this book. I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

A great penultimate issue. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Krampus! #3

Krampus' investigation into the whereabouts of the bones of Saint Nicholas takes him to Ibiza. 

That's about all I can say about this issue without spoiling things.

We finally learn about why that character introduced last issue is considered a part of Christmas despite having no connection with the Season of Giving whatsoever. Turns out it was a yule tide clerical error!

I must ask; is Ibiza all party and raves 24/7? Because if so, I never want to visit. Ever.

Things at the North Pole are heating up as 2 factions of Santas are developing. Meanwhile, the elves are de-evolving into something primal and it's funny as heck.

After a tiny sophomore slump, issue #3 picked up. Great read and awesome artwork by Dean Kotz.

Worth Consuming! 

 Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Krampus! #2

The investigation into the whereabouts of Saint Nicholas's bones take Krampus to a storage locker in Italy. It's there that the Christmas demon meets one of the most deadly assassins of the all: the famed Nutcracker!

Brian Joines serves up another serving of a unique holiday comic. The level of humor and quirk is there. However a development within the Secret Society of Santa Clauses has resulted in a lot of the banter in which those elements I've enjoyed in the first issue to diminish a bit.

Plus there's the inclusion of a new character that I don't quite understand why they are in this book. 

Besides, isn't he dead?

Not quite the level of perfection. But still an enjoyable read for one looking for off-the-wall holiday comics.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Krampus! #1

I don't know why, but I like Krampus. I know he's a demon. Yet, for some reason I dig the European concept of an anti-Santa, who punishes bad kids. Maybe it's because as a teacher, I see how our of control today's youth are. They need something like Krampus, who puts the fear of God into those little monsters.

In the opening chapter of this 203 comic from Image, someone has stolen the bones of Saint Nicholas, the ancient inspiration of the modern Santa Claus. This theft has resulted in the Secret Society of Santa Clauses jumping to action at the North Pole. While there, it's discovered that the magic of the Santas has gone away. This results in the Society turning to their only hope: Krampus.

In the 1960s, the Society imprisoned Krampus when the demon refused to stop eating bad little boys and girls. So for the past 6 decades, Krampus has been resting in a super max prison on the top of the world. If Krampus can find who stole Saint Nicholas's remains and restore the magic of Christmas to the Santas of the world, he'll finally earn his freedom. But to make sure he doesn't turn on them, Krampus has been fitted with a bomb that will detonate should the fiend wind up on naughty list...

Krampus! #1 was the debut work of Brian Joines. I thought it was a brilliant introduction that combined international customs of Christmas, in particular the Scandinavian countries, along with some modern touches that I hope one day becomes new additions to the Krampus legend.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Scotch McTiernan's Holiday Party #1

Thanks to my experience with their Halloween special, I was willing to give the Brian Posehn/Gerry Duggan/Scott Koblish holiday follow-up a try. I really wish I had saved my money.

The entire book is a stoner's Christmas Carol warning of the dangers of a 2024 Trump/Red Wave election victory. While I support free speech and I understand the fears of what MAGA candidates are going to do win OR lose after the November elections; it's just not appropriate for a Christmas themed comic book. (And if I am wrong about that- then at least put a warning label on the front cover!)

I'm okay with Christmas horror. I'm even okay with a little bit of Christmas dystopia. Usually with all those types of tales, there's at least a glimmer of positivity and hope. Not so here! There's not one single bit of joyful anticipation in this 2022 comic from Image. The writers are so angry that if this comic book could fester cancer from the bitterness, then the case would be terminal.

Maybe I should have realized from the shocks of the Halloween special that there would be no sacred cows here. Based on the cover, I didn't expect a reverent comic. Heck, I was expecting a lot of drug culture humor and Deadpool level violence. And I was OK with all that. Based on the cover, it all looked so cheerful and fun. I was instead sucker-punched with this woebegone tome. I really didn't expect this to be such a downer in expectation of what 2024 might bring. Hell, I wasn't even expecting the next election to even be a glimmer in the eye of the creators being published so far away from 2024.

January through October of 2024 is going to have enough fear and loathing on its own. I just don't need it during my holiday reads. That's my time to delight and wonder. The team of Duggan/Posehn/Koblish stole that from me with this book. 

Grinches....

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.

The Marked Halloween Special

Every once and a while, the guys at my favorite comic shop order things that they aren't sure whether I would like them or not. They try to get up with me on my special orders but with my work schedule, I'm not able to get there every week. The guys know not to order me anything overtly demonic and for the most part, their executive decisions have been pleasant surprises. I wish I could say the same for this book...

The Marked is a title from Image Comics. Debuting in 2019, It's about a group of women with these tattoos that are magically imbued. The world has been rendered safe from demons for the most part by the Marked. But every once in a while, something managed to sneak through to our dimension. 

In this Halloween special, the Marked are preparing for a challenge by one of their former brethren, a witch named Rogue who rebelled against Catholic church's role in the Spanish Inquisition. As a result of a curse, every 100 years, this excommunicated witch unleashes her own special demons on Earth. The Marked are given until midnight of that centennial contest to find the portal unleashing the fiends and close it, or the devils will reign for another century. 

This year, Rogue's demons have taken root in a small town in Texas on All Hallow's Eve. Only Halloween has been banned thanks to a fire and brimstone preacher and the extreme right wing Sheriff department that rules the burgh with an iron fist. Last century, Rogue almost won. With the Marked having to fight a town full of bigots and homophobes, along with Rogue's army of darkness, this Halloween could be the earth's last and longest Devil's Night for 100 years.

This special started out okay. It straddled this side of Mike Mignola's Hellboy which is about as extreme of a story involving the devil that I am comfortable with. In fact, I thought I was reading a sorceress version of the X-Men. With a villain known as Rogue, a coven made of a diverse international membership and a rough-around-the-edges warlock who befriends a wet-behind-the-ears young enchantress, it really is the X-Men for witches. In fact that warlock and the youngster actually make a joke about how characters named Rogue are supposed to be mutants. 

When the witches make it to Texas, they encounter children who are actually demons under enchantment. The spirits were scary looking but things were fairly balanced between good and evil. So, I read on. But when we get to the reason why Rogue chose this town for her judgment, we learn that- big surprise- the police force was behind a number of heinous sins. They're all dragged off to Hell. Then the fallen angels come for the pastor. He didn't kill anyone but his version of God's love is warped. Yet as the guy begs for his life, the Marked condemns the man to the lake of fire because in their minds, he's cancellable. It's here that I decided that I couldn't make this book a keeper.

The Sheriff and his deputies being villains wasn't so much of a controversial thing. There's countless works in which Southern lawmen are bad guys. But there's also quite a bunch in which they are knights in shining armor. But why is every pastor not of the Catholic church deemed a charlatan, a misogynist and further right-winged than Trump and DeSantis combined? 

I'm a Christian. I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. So do the pastors of the churches I have attended. Yes, some preachers are pure evil. Jim Jones and David Koresh are two prime examples. Instead of dooming the town's pastor, who clearly was not following Christ's example, why couldn't writer David Hine have allowed the guy to repent? Are readers supposed to believe witches and demons exist but redemption, that's a foreign concept? It was that stereotypical look at the church that put me off of this franchise and decided that this book will not be a permanent part of my Halloween collection.

And for any comic book writers who may ever read this review, I challenge you to craft a story in which Christian leaders are looked at as the flawed people that they are but seeking to do right and pursue righteous above their sinful ways. Hating the sin but not the sinner is possible. It's a concept that might seem like fiction, but it's really not. I just wish my beliefs were also represented in comics.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

Twig (Family Comic Friday)

When George Lucas created Star Wars, he didn't just make a movie, he gave birth to an entire universe. That's what it feels like after reading Skottie Young's Twig.

Twig is filling in the role of his late father as a 'Placeling'. Twig originally wanted to be a chef. But as he's the only able person with knowledge of the job of his pop's, Twig is the logical choice. Only on his first day of work, Twig wakes up late, setting in motion a number of errors and delays that threaten the very existence of the universe. 

As a placeling, Twig is responsible for taking special stone known as a heart stone to a legendary expert called the Pathsayer who knows the powers of all the different gemstones. Once the source of the stone's power is assessed, it will be Twig's job to place the bauble in a special place for a hero to discover and save the world. There's only one problem, the Pathsayer is dead and when Twig does his best to ascertain what his entrusted stone does, Twig accidentally breaks it, draining the jewel of its magic. Now Twig, along with his wise pal Splat must go on an epic quest to repair the gem before an amassing source of great evil is unleashed on Twig's world. 

I loved this book. Though I admit that I had to read ahead at the ending to make sure none of the adorable main characters died. I didn't want to this story to end. It was such a quick read, it didn't feel like it was 5-issues long. Now that the story is over, I hope Skottie Young takes us on another epic quest with Twig and friends.

Star Wars couldn't have become the expansive universe it has without a great design. Filling the role of Ralph McQuarrie is Kyle Strahm. I was just in awe of his work. There's dozens of panels where we see these new and fanciful lands that Twig must transverse in order to achieve his assignment. All were so different and yet it never felt like we were ever taken away to another world. There always was a hint of the main region Twig was from. I really can't put into words how marvelous the artwork was. But I haven't felt this way since I last saw a Star Wars film in theaters. I truly am in love with this world created by Young and Strahm.

The back cover says that this book is appropriate for ages Teen and up. I disagree. There is 1 swear in the whole book and it's really minor. The story quest seems timeless and something that can be appreciated for all ages. Rumor has it that George Lucas added the scene of Luke's uncle and aunt's charred corpses to keep the first Star Wars film from earning a G-rating. Did Skottie Young add those two scenes of skeletons to keep Twig from being rated for all ages?

We see visions of the world terror to come. Menacing, sure. But nothing nightmare inducing. There is a baddie who wants very much to eat Twig. But kids probably have seen worse in a retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Let's just say that if a rating of all ages is off the table, then let's say that this book is suitable for readers 10 and up.

A truly magical story set in a world beyond your wildest dreams.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Saga, Volume Two

Volume 2 of Brian K. Vaughn's award winning Saga sees some lineup changes. Hazel's grandparents, Marko's mom and dad, arrive after answering what they thought was a distress beacon. The Will, all of the known universe's most feared bounty hunter is still obsessed with freeing that young girl from sex slavery. That's all very noble. But without any cash or a good plan for rescue, there's very little that the Will can do. That is until another blast from Marko's past makes themselves known; his very jilted fiancee!

Meanwhile, Prince Robot IV is suffering from PTSD from his recent experiences in the great intergalactic war. Plus the Blue-blood really pissed the Will off when the prince killed a fellow bounty hunter, so the royalty is trying to lay low. As he examines a sleazy romance novel that was a favorite of Alana's, Prince Robot IV thinks he's cracked the code to why Marko and Alana fell in love in the middle of a prisoner of war camp. However as Vaughn and artist Fiona Staples shows us how the two members of opposing warring races actually meet, I think the prince is really grasping at straws.

And then that climatic last page might have just proved me wrong!

I really should have checked out more than just one volume of Saga from my local library. I was afraid of a sophomore slump. Yet nothing could be further from the truth here. The story keeps getting more engrossing. Sure, there's just as much sex. A lot of violence. Still, Vaughn gives this entire universe heart. I had to read ahead, fearful a beloved character was killed off. (SPOILER- they weren't). Then I had my heart broken when a new, adorable character was introduced and wantonly killed off in a most gruesome way almost immediately. 

Next time I head to the library, I am gonna have to make sure I get more than just Volume 3, because it's just killing me not knowing what happens next!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Flaming Carrot Comics #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

What's in a catchphrase?

According to creator Bob Burden, the Flaming Carrot's trademarked exclamation of 'Ut!' has ties to the Beatles. In an interview in Comics Interview #40 (November, 1986), Burden explained the meaning of 'Ut' as follows:

'At Shea Stadium, when the Beatles were all up there, and the fans were trying to rush the stage, and the police were trying to keep them behind the barricades, George Harrison points to one that gets through, and says, "Ut!" It's like oops! It's just a goofy thing that's kind of childlike and fun.'

In this 2004 issue, the surrealist Flaming Carrot is having to test out some new trademarks. Thanks to a new action figure made of the character, the Flaming Carrot has to test out the worst weapon accessory of all-time- the all-new baloney gun! True, the hero is able to finally do away with his arch-enemy Garbage Mouth. But if the Flaming Carrot wasn't under contract to use this ridiculous new weapon, instead of his tried and true silly putty, sneezing powders, and playing cards, FC could have ended things a lot sooner than he did!

The demise of Garbage Mouth couldn't have come at a worse time for superheroes. It's the age of political correctness and a vigilante superhero is just something the town of Palookaville can do without. Having to learn to be a gentler, kinder superhero is going to be a difficult challenge for the Flaming Carrot. Especially as a tribe of pygmies are building an illegal structure out of baguettes in the middle of the city park. 

To keep him in line, the Flaming Carrot is joined by his 3 girlfriends, one of which is an investigative reporter doing a secret expose on the hero and his bad temper. When the pygmies capture the super hero and force his gal pals to dance around in their underwear, it will take everything in Flaming Carrot's bag of tricks to save the day. Except for the baloney gun. He's not using that stupid thing ever again!

Bob Burden continues to tap into the absurd and bizarre in this 4-issue miniseries that celebrates Flaming Carrot's 25th Anniversary first appearance in the pages of the direct-market magazine, 1979's Visions #1. Originally, Burden had Flaming Carrot's origins being the result of brain damage caused by reading 5,000 comic books in a single setting. Burden noted at the end of this issue that he felt that his creations mental aliments were subsiding in FC's old age. Yet, there's a healthy dose of silliness in this black & white comic. 

Just like with Flaming Carrot's mask, you can't remove the absurd, no matter how hard you try.

This issue was published in joint by Image Comics and Desperado Publishing.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #29 (Comic/Graphic Novel Published by Image) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Stupid #1 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's not a rare thing for comic book publishers to make fun of themselves. Marvel Comics roasted not just their Distinguished Competition, but themselves in 1967-69's Not Brand Ecch. Many of those characters, including the title's unofficial mascot Forbush Man, would return in the self-parodying volumes of What The--?! that ran from 1988-1993. 

DC Comics is more subtle when it comes mocking themselves. The House of Superman tends to let characters such as The Ambush Bug or Lobo make fun of the very comic universes that they operate out of. The comic book turned magazine known as MAD, turned self-parody into an art form. From calling it's team of writers and illustrators 'the Usual Gang of Idiots' to lampooning the magazine's buck-toothed mascot, Alfred E. Newman on every cover, nobody does self-deprecating better than William Gaines and Harvey Kurtzman's MAD Magazine. MAD is currently part of DC Entertainment.

In 1993, just a year after it formed, Image Comics put out this one-shot comedic issue. Stupid was written and illustrated by Hilary Barta; who was no slouch to self-parody, having worked on What The--?! previously. Along with co-writer Doug Rice (Plastic Man), Barta created a 26-page parody of Image's biggest ever star, Spawn.

The satire begins with failed comics artist Al Persimmon awaking on a stormy rooftop trying to remember just why he is in a spandex costume with a ridiculously long cape. Now known as Spewn, the character begins to recall that he sold his soul in order to get another chance to make his failed comic book a success. Only, he can't remember just what his comic book was about. A chance encounter at his old publishing company pits him with his arch-enemy, the Vile-ator! Maybe this demon knows what Al Persimmon's comic book was all about!

Along with the story of Spewn, this issue includes a 2-page Where's Waldo? parody called Where's Aldo?, also drawn by Hilary Barta. The comic concludes with a faux-letters page that promises that the Savage Dragon and Sam Keith's The Maxx would be the stars of issue #2. This however could have all been a part of the letters page joke as no further issues of Stupid would ever be forth-coming. In 2002, Image would release Stupid Comics, a 3-issue miniseries. Based on Jim Mafood's newspaper strip of the same name, Stupid Comics was not a follow-up to this work.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Completing this review completes Task #46 (with a 1-word title) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Astro City: That Was Then... Special

One of the biggest crimes in all the modern history of comic books has got to be DC Comics cancelling Kurt Busiek, Brent Eric Anderson and Alex Ross' amazing Astro City. Or maybe I should say, it's a crime DC let this series slip through their fingers! Anyways, running for an amazing 52 issues as part of DC's Vertigo imprint, I was taken away to a new world every time I read a new story. It was immersive and lived in, much like George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy. 

Sure, Astro City had originally been published by Image and Wildstorm prior. But the DC/Vertigo run from 2013-18 was sheer perfection. Shortly after Astro City left DC, promises were made that Image Comics would become the new home to AC. And then the pandemic hit...

Lots of comic book projects stopped. Many were delayed. And for one reason or another, the trio of Busiek, Anderson and Ross just weren't able to get the Astro City mojo going. Then in the Spring of last year, the architects of Astro City reopened the metropolis once again for public visit. Sadly, it was a brief visit. But it was a memorable one.

There's only one story in this special. It takes place a several years in the past as a group of teenage superheroes, similar to the Teen Titans or Young Avengers, spend one last outing together before the team breaks up for the college experience or life as a solo act. Amongst the roasting of hot dogs and drinking of pop, the kiddies get a visit from Astro City's greatest hero, The Samaritan. Then in classic Astro City fashion, the action jumps ahead to the modern day and things get a tad nostalgic and oh so sentimental. 

The plan after the 2018 series ended was that a graphic novel story would be released regularly. I don't know if that meant every 6 months or annually. But it's been 4 years and all we have to ask for is this 32-pager. It was a great read. But man, was it just too gosh darn short!

I'm going to need another visit reaallllll soon!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Kindred

If you are not familiar with the earliest properties created by Image Comics, then you'll probably be like me when reading The Kindred- LOST! 

The loose cannon Grifter and no-nonsense Marc Slayton must join forces in order to save a pair of high-ranking government officials who have been kidnapped. Both have their own reasons. One is begrudgingly doing this mission in return for information. The other has motives of revenge, redemption and romance. 

Together Grifter and Slayton and a team of special operatives head down to an undisclosed South America island to a defunct research station. It's here that the sins of the US government have reared their ugly head. It seems that the whole facility is full of human-animal hybrids. It's like a hi-tech Island of Dr. Moreau and the head of this group of freaks, known as the Kindred, is someone thought long dead from Grifter and Slayton's days with Team 7.

I think that's a fairly decent recollection of the 4-issue miniseries from 1994. I don't really understand a lot of the backstory or insider jokes and Easter eggs that float around in this story. But I'm not really sure I want to either.

For the life of my, I don't remember where or how I got my hands on this book. It just ended up in my collection somehow. My collection has been known as the spot where other's old collections come to find new life. So, I probably got this as part of a donation from someone looking to unload their collection. Being a book that contained a whole story in just one volume, I probably decided to hold on to this until I felt like reading it. And recently, that day arrived.

With a slew of talent behind this miniseries, I'm really disappointed. Jim Lee (X-Men), Brandon Choi (Deathblow) and Sean Ruffner (Backlash) wrote the script. Pencils were by Brett Booth (Teen Titans) and Chris Eilopoulos (Cosmic Commandos) was the letterer. And yet this whole thing stunk!

I'm going to try really hard to be fair to this book as it's my first encounter with the vintage Image universe and almost all of these characters. But, my gracefulness can only go so far...

I think 3 writers was 2 too many. The dialogue was full of action movie cliches (and bad action movies at that!) and a lot of the plot didn't make sense. I still don't understand how nobody knew who kidnapped those government officials but managed to go to the correct island. Aren't there like there's hundreds or even thousands of islands off the Atlantic coast of South America?

The artwork was hideous. Brett Booth must have just graduated from the Rob Liefeld school of art before tackling this book. Body proportions are exaggerated. Everybody has the same face with a widow's peak and really scrunched up faces and those beady eyes. I hated it!

At least the lettering was decent. 

I don't think it needs saying but The Kindred will not stay a part of my comics collection. It's heading to a used book story for some trade credit. Hopefully, I can get something decent out of this stinker.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

The Department of Truth, Vol. 3: Free Country

I'm so behind in my reviews. Class is back in full session and taking up my extra time. I recently punched out a slew of Marvel Comics Presents reviews to finish that series up. And I'm just tired and really want to focus on things that relax me, like recateloging my collection to a new database.

I read the third volume of Department of Truth sometime in August, I think. Maybe early last month. 'Free Country' documents the after-story of Lee Harvey Oswald that occurs prior the events of November 1963. Here, while in hiding, Oswald digs through ancient texts that may explain why nothing actually happened during the Dark Ages, the truth behind Alistair Crowley and his occult practices in during the second world war and just maybe who really are the Men in Black.

As Oswald ages, he gets a chance to venture out on his own. But this little bit of freedom, especially during Summer of Love and the rise of LSD might just be too much for the possible assassin of JFK. It also might reveal that Oswald is just another fiction dreamed up by the Department of Truth...

After Volume 2, which with its take on the Satanic Panic of the 80s and thoughts about the reality of god and the world itself, this volume was a breath of fresh air. Plus events in Volume 2 were eerily similar to a lot of what has been going on with January 6th and what feels like a looming Civil War (or a just really dirty mid-term election cycle), made me feel weary and kinda dirty. Here with the legend of Lew Harvey Oswald, I felt like I was back on more familiarly safe terms within the realm of conspiracy theories. It was like when I first watched The X-Files all over again.

Another thing I liked about this issue was that the artwork was much different. The regular art of Martin Simmonds (Punks Not Dead) is very impressionistic. Everything looks smudgy and spray painted. Like the reader is getting a secret glimpse at the down and dirty foundation of reality; which is essentially what this series is all about. But I liked the different art styles of guests artists like that of Elsa Charretier (Star Wars: Forces of Destiny) and Tyler Boss (4 Kids Walk Into A Bank). That just added a like bit of variety to things.

This is a series that I hate to love. So much about this book and the covert ways our government is trying to prevent conspiracies from becoming actuality is just so unsettling; if only because there's a smattering of truth in the crux of everything. But I want to know what happens next. Dammit, Batman's James Tynion IV- why'd you have to go and craft such a chilling mystery?!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Department of Truth, Vol 2: The City on a Hill

It's training day for the Dept. of Truth's newest recruit, Cole Turner. His trainer is a real piece of work. First up on the agenda: an airport in Denver and a Bigfoot hunter in the Pacific Northwest. As Turner learns about the process of changing myth into truth and how to repeal conspiracies that seek to alter our reality, he'll face his old demons- literally. 

It's been about 8 months since reading the first volume to this book. I tell you, this is one scary series from James Tynion IV (Something is Killing the Children). It's not because of the demons or historical references to Aleister Crowley and his sex magic occult. It's because of how close to accurate this book hits with public sentiment against/for the COVID-19 vaccine and events of January 11th, Pizzagate and Jeffrey Epstein. 

I feel like I'm to blame for some of this book. In the 90s and 2000s, I was big on conspiracy theories. And in some ways, I guess I still am. Though I'm not wearing tin foil hats or worrying that the FBI is listening in on my phone calls, I still have alternate views on things. Take climate change for instance. I believe that it's real. I just think how it's coming about is less man made carbon level related and more man made sin nature. See, I'm sounding like a nut too.

We all have our conspiracies. How many of you out there think Tupac faked his death or that red M&Ms cause cancer? We live in a world of distrust and misinformation. So really, who can blame us?

James Tynion IV seems to really have done his conspiracy theory research. With a book about two sides fighting to change reality, he does a very good job of presenting multiple points of view on things like the JFK assassination and UFOs. There's a really solid mystery to the Department of Truth. I just hope that Tynion doesn't fall into the trap Chris Carter did with The X-Files and keep dragging the story out ad nauseam. Let there be a definitive ending. Above all, don't take the easy way out by saying things were all a dream like with the end of X-Files season 10 going into the premiere of season 11. 

Worth Consuming and scary as hell!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Nearly Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus

Fred Hembeck- The Man who launched a thousand optometry appointments. 

Fred Hembeck has been a part of my life for a very long time. From his hilariously deadly Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe to his splash page spreads in Marvel Age to his similar postings in DC's Daily Planet, I cut my teeth on the cartoonist/comedian/comic book historian. While I am sorry for the bite marks, I am even more sorry to say that none of those amazing works I previously mentioned are in this book. 

The omissions are due to those works being owned by DC and Marvel and this massive work was published by Image. But packed within this 900 page behemoth are all of Fred (and your) favorite characters. Superman. Spider-Man. Jimmy Olsen, The Hulk, Nick Fury, Bizarro. Dennis the Menace. Wife Lynn and daughter Julie. And of course Fred!

The majority of work in this collection is from Hembeck's Dateline: @!!?#, a regular comic column that appeared in various incarnations of the Comic Buyers Guide. There's some rough drafts, experimental non-comic book related work. That tragic assault on a Native American family by US cavalrymen will haunt me till the day I die. Plus, there are dozens on comic book cover recreations; including some brilliant switches that take a DC icon and a Marvel regular and put them in the other's books. 

As I mentioned earlier, this book is just a fraction under 1000 pages. I should have finished this book in just a couple of months. But I took my time. For one reason, Hembeck is noted for using very, very tiny letters, as he's got lots to say on the subject of sequential art. So I would have to take breaks due to eye strain. Unfortunately, some of the Datelines didn't reprint very well either due to smudging or too dark inking. So I had to skip a couple of them as they were indecipherable. That being said, reading 2 or 3 of Fred's Dateline: @!!?# reports,which are normally only 1 page in length each, is tantamount to reading an entire magazine's worth of articles. 

If this type of writing/reviewing style sounds familiar, yeah it probably does. I do see a little bit of Fred Hembeck in my love of comics. Makes sense. I see a lot of my most beloved professors from my degrees in both culinary and history in my day-to-day professionalism. They say that if you spend 10,000 hours on something, you become an expert in it. At age 44, I probably qualify as such with comic books, though I still have much to learn. And Fred Hembeck was and is one of my comicdom professors. 

Oh, yeah... The other reason for taking so long to finish this work! I didn't want my time with Hembeck to end!  I've been honored to be a Fred Hembeck acquaintance for almost a decade now. I bought a Supergirl sketch card from him on eBay and wound up a friend on Facebook. Every year, my family look forward to his witty (and long) birthday wishes to me. Now we've evolved into rivals playing each other on a music trivia app. 

So when I closed the book on this for the last time I was sad. But then I realized that Fred has a website. And it is still accessible. So I've got lots more education to gain from Mr. Hembeck!

And sir- if you're reading this- Very sorry for those bite marks! Hope they've healed!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Flavor Issue One

Here's a classic review that I did in 2018 but never got around to posting it. 

Enjoy...

Lazarus, Volume One

Wonder Woman's Greg Rucka pens a futuristic tale that takes the idea of a dystopia and skewers it just a little bit. Instead of a structured government,or a miltia faction order is maintained by powerful crime families. They control the limited amount of resources. Their most trusted 'employees' have privilege status of rations, clothes and shelter. All other citizens are considered waste.

To protect their interest, each family funnel a large portion of their resources into a single family member known as a Lazarus. Genetically modified with cybernetics, these family champions are the pinnacles of medical science. And this means a lot of rebuilds and a little bit of playing God.

The Carlyle Family's Lazarus is named Forever.  But something is off with 'Eve'. She's got a conscious. Everyone knows that a Lazarus cannot think for themselves because of their programming. With a coup brewing in the Carlyle household, Eve is an unknown factor. She may be loyal to father now. But that very well may change when the family feud formally begins.

I think my wife got me this. I love grab bags and I think this was a part of monthly subscription service called Comic Bento; which is sadly now defunct. I added this book to my collection and then it sat for several years. Man, was I a fool.

This opening volume was phenomenal! Rucka's story had hints of The Godfather, The Terminator and a futuristic medical drama. I've got a lot of questions that remain unanswered. Like what was responsible for the fall of the world governments? How did these crime families rise to power? Yes, I have questions. But they weren't questions that had to be answered in order to enjoy this introduction to the world of Lazarus. If anything, wanted to know those answers are what will bring me back to the series again for volume 2.

Not sure when I will get to visit the family Carlyle any time soon. I'm hoping my local library has the rest. Fingers crossed.

A unique look at the dystopia trope that seems to dominant 21st century comics and graphic novels.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Department of Truth, Vol. 1: The End of the World

Everything you know about conspiracy theories is a lie. That is, until the conspiracies become true!

In this exciting new series from James Tynion IV (Batman) the clandestine Department of Truth must extinguish the sparks of subterfuge before the lies explode, triggering a total rewrite of not only world history but the very laws of physics too.

Everything revolves around FBI special agent Cole Turner. One day while in elementary school, Cole may or may not have seen the devil himself eating a baby. This so-called 'Satanic Panic' was proven to be an urban legend. Right? As Cole' eyes are opened to the inner workings of the Department of Truth, he finds evidence that other school children were forced to watch similar pagan feasts. Only these sacrifices didn't happen during the 80s like when Cole witnesses his. These events are happening today.

The Department of Truth is very much a product of this period in time. With birtherism, the questioned origins of 9/11, Qanon and the demise of Epstein, our nation is divided unlike never before. This isn't like the time of the Civil War where people fought over slavery and states rights. The conflict America faces now is based on cyper-wide misinformation and government distrust. 

This series is a cross between The X-Files and Men In Black and your favorite political thriller thrown in. It could be All The President's Men, JFK, or even a Jack Ryan movie. Then add in the Mandela Effect; a collective remembrance of something that didn't happen- like Nelson Mandela's death in the 1980s, 1999 or was it 2013? 

I love conspiracy theories. Though sadly, I think what is happening today is getting way out of hand. There's so much distrust in our world. And if you believe the wrong thing- you'll end up cancelled. Just like many of the minor characters at the hands of the agents of the Department of Truth. Only, those folks get permanently cancelled. 

Like with any conspiracy filled story, there's a lot of confusion. Mostly because viewers are thrown red herrings to keep things unpredictable. The Department of Truth is a fantastic story that I am wanting to get to the bottom of. I only wish I could say that I was a fan of the art. Dying is Easy's Martin Simmonds is given a whole bunch of art supplies to craft the artwork. Only, Simmonds seems to have decided to use crayons, pens and markers all at the same time. It's not pretty. But then again, that messy art kinda reflects how dirty conspiracies can be.

A mind-bending thriller that hits extremely close to home.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Leave It To Chance: Trick or Threat & Other Stories

Leave It To Chance. I've seen the books that make up the series in my local library. But I've never read them. With my library having been closed since May, I had not gotten an opportunity to check out all-ages stuff unless it's a part of my collection. Then in October, when my local (and favorite) comic book store reopened, I found this book for sale on discount.  

Based on the fact that the title story is a Halloween set tale, I was going to read this as part of my Halloween 2020 reading. But when I came across a Christmas story included in the mix, I waited until now to finish it up.

The plot of Leave It To Chance is about the daughter of a famed occultist and paranormal investigator. Chance's father does not want her to follow in the family business. But no matter what the young lady does, it seems that supernatural mischief follows Chance everywhere. From a young boy's pet Capuchin monkey being kidnapped in order to enact a Halloween spell to a classmate getting kidnapped by a phantom during a holiday trip to the local mall, it's up to Chance and her pat dragon, St. George, to save the day!

There were 13 issues in the series. But with budgeting issues, production delays and scheduling conflicts, it took over 3 years for the entire storyline to run it's course. As a result, the 3 volumes that comprise Chance's story are not given numbers. 'Trick or Threat & Other Stories' cover the middle chunk of Leave It To Chance. But that's okay. The stories are fairly self-contained for the most part. 

With swift storytelling and super clean art, I really did enjoy this book. So much, that I have no qualms with adding the other two unnumbered volumes to my wish list!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

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