Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams

Having read Michael Allred's Red Rocket 7, about an extraterrestrial rock God come to save the earth, I already had the notion that Michael Allred was destined to be David Bowie's visual biographer. It was just a matter of time when he would fulfill it. That when was revealed recently in the amazing graphic novel Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams.

Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage DaydreamsWritten by Steve Horton and Michael Allred
Art by Michael Allred
Embellishes Laura Allred
Published by Insight Comics
Pages: 160
Retail: $39.99

In the summer of 2019, Mike Allred announced his plans for a David Bowie biographical graphic novel. I was automatically on board with hit with the news. Red Rocket 7 read so much like an adaptation of David Bowie's sci-fi classic movie, The Man Who Fell to Earth. Allred's rock opera, also spans the entire history of rock and roll. While you can see the Madman Creator's love for music throughout; the scenes where Rocket meets David Bowie are where you feel the most connected. For Mike Allred is clearly a fan of Bowie!

Back to last summer. I follow Michael Allred and his equally talented wife, Laura, on social media. One day I was scrolling down my feed when I was struck by this beautiful black and white sketch of the Starman himself in the style of Allred. I knew that this scene didn't appear in Red Rocket 7. Where did it come from? Imagine my surprise as the image was the first preview for the new Bowie biography! My wishes had been granted!

Over the course of about 6 months, a new sketch would pop up on my social media feed pretty regularly, showing the progression of this project. This began a lengthy countdown to last week when the book finally debuted in stores. And I was first in line for a copy!

Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams focuses on the early years of Bowie's career. From having to change his name in order not to be confused with a member of the Monkees all the way through the creation of Bowie's personas of Ziggy Stardust and later Aladdin Sane, this is a whirlwind history of the early days of glam rock.

Helping Michael Allred with research and co-scripting duties is Steve Horton (Amala’s Blade). Horton does a great job introducing the reader to the entire lineup of the pioneers of glam. But it's Allred's talented hand that brings heavenly icons such as the late Bowie as well as Marc Nolan, Mick Ronson and Freddie Mercury back to life. With such a large cast of characters, especially in those large group scenes, a ‘Who's Who’ in the appendices would have been appreciated.

This book is very much an Allred project. One of Michael Allred's favorite motifs is the use of the third eye. In much of Allred's work, the third eye is used as a New Age portal between other worlds or dimensions of consciousness. In this book, the third eye is the Stargate between David Bowie the man and his creative process which evolves into Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

Another example that makes this book a very Allred project is the presence of Laura Allred. Laura has been Michael's longtime colorist and sometimes inker. Her amazing palette makes Bowie's world so colorful and at times ethereal. 

This graphic novel was a visual delight. So many images of the Starman looked so real. This might be graphic novel blasphemy but I would kill for Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams to be made into an animated movie. Not that the artwork of the Allreds was lacking a fluidity of motion. It's just that the biggest missing piece to this rock and roll tapestry was the music. Couldn't a Kindle version of this book be released with a soundtrack? 

Minus the tunes, Bowie was still a complete sensory adventure into the creative process. Be sure not to overlook the loquacious tribute from Neil Gaiman at the beginning. To gloss over the sketchbook and Michael's afterword would be an equal disservice to the reader.

An intergalactic playlist for the soul. It's only January! But 2020 is going to have a difficult time coming up with something to beat this book for graphic novel of the year.

Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams debuted on January 8th, 2019! If you can't find this in the graphic novel section of your local bookstore, check the music books section. That's where I found my copy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive

Incorruptible cop Dick Tracy is one of those properties that is visually stunning. With it's bright colors and ever so colorful villains, you can't look away from this gritty crime comic created by Chester Gould. 

My biggest problem with Dick Tracy was that it wasn't readily available in my area growing up as a kid. You would think a big city such as Raleigh, NC would have a newspaper that carried Dick Tracy. But except for when I would travel into very rural country to see either my grandmama or my great-grandmother, I never got to read Tracy's exploits all that often.

I was a big fan of the Warren Beatty picture from the 90s. Being only 11 or 12, I didn't know that it was supposed to suck. But even looking at the film today, you can't deny that the producers and make-up team did a pretty darn good job of making a comic strip come alive on the silver screen.

When it was announced last year that Dick Tracy was coming to comics in an all-new series and that not just one, but 3 Allreds were to be involved, I was overjoyed. Michael and his brother, Lee Allred wrote the script to this quasi-modern rebooted origin of the world's greatest cop. Comics legend Michael also penciled everything with his equally legendary wife Laura coloring the book. Dark Corridor's Rich Tommaso inked the book and he's so good at it that his inks don't flush out Mike Allred's iconic art style. 

I thought that this was a great origin tale. It had a classic feel to it with very little modern changes. Dick Tracy had always been ahead of it's time with two-way radio wrist-watches and engine-less cop cars. Thus, any new changes to the technology, while far-out, didn't seem all that odd. 

The extra material was really my only complaint. There's a timeline of important moments in Dick Tracy history which I really enjoyed. But for some reason, it stops abruptly sometime in the 1950s without any warning or explanation. Are later years planned for future collected works of Dick Tracy comics? I know that there's a new Dick Tracy miniseries being published right now (Dick Tracy Forever). Is that the plan? A small blurb promising such would have been greatly appreciated.

Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive was a super fun book by those amazing Allreds. I love their work so freakin' much. I hate that the only blemish to this awesome miniseries from IDW Publishing was the director's cut material which is left unfinished. It just doesn't seem fair. But I must stick to my ratings. Otherwise, this was a nearly flawless work.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Fantastic Four #5 (The 650th Anniversary Issue)

It finally happened! Benjamin J. Grimm married Alicia Masters! No tricks. No gimmicks. And human-DNA was confirmed to make sure Alicia wasn't once again replaced with a Skrull infiltrator. 

If I had read this last year, it would have ranked as my favorite book of 2018. But funds and the holidays prevented me from getting it until just a couple of days ago. But that's okay as this issue of Fantastic Four ranks as one of my all-time favorite issues!

Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man) bookends this deluxe sized issue with the prep work and final vows of the true Marvel wedding of the century. 

Then Mike Allred and his lovely wife Laura recall the origin of the team. As you know with all anniversary issues, it's a mandated law that the origin of one of the heroes or the entire team must be retold. But the Allred's do it with such nostalgic charm as they have done for decades! 

We also get a glimpse of the early days of Ben and Alicia thanks to the Allreds. Another sort of origin story. But one of which I do not recall getting this much detail into. I did not know how much Sue Storm played matchmaker. Plus, I love the great cameo of a famous rock group in one scene in which The Thing takes his gal to a petting zoo! That's classic Allred right there!

Then the amazing Adam Hughes (Betty and Veronica) tackles Ben's bachelor party. (For Alicia's hilarious bachelorette party, see the Fantastic Four Wedding Special #1) It's a wild ride. Hughes adds such a layer of humor and classic FF style to the book. And I love the tick-lined art style of his. I never realized how much Hughes and the Allreds are alike in that aspect. I am also a fan of thick inkings. So it's no wonder I am a fan of both artists!

Originally, I was thinking I would be faked-out like with the wedding of lies between Kitty Pryde and Colossus. But Marvel went through with these nuptials and thanks to a Facebook buddy posting a scene from that story, I decided to grab this book. Man was I so glad I did. This issue was fantastic!

I've been very impressed with the Fantastic Four since their return! It's been one of the few bright spots of Marvel in a two-year period that has had way more lows than highs when it came to comic books for them. Please keep up the good work and use the formula for this and Spider-Man to help return the House of Ideas to it's former glory days.

While I love what Dan Slott and artist Aaron Kuder is doing with the team right now, I realize that creative teams don't last forever. Might I suggest Mike Allred? He did such a great job here and he's proven that's he's got the chops in the pages of FF to do that part of the Marvel Universe the right way! But in that series, we didn't get Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny. I would love to see how Michael and Laura would do focusing on the First Family of Marvel! Heck, I'd even be a monthly subscriber to that!

One of the most perfect comics of all-time! Definitely worth the couple extra bucks!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Red Rocket 7

  Red Rocket.

It’s a mystery that has fascinated music lovers and musicians alike for the past 60 years. A young man with striking red hair, who seemingly never ages, keeps popping up throughout the annals of music history.

  Elvis- he was there, learning the newest rockabilly chords.

  The Beatles- he was there, working as a roadie.

  Bowie- he was there, inspiring the genius’s Ziggy Stardust personality.

  And then in the 1980s, he just disappeared.

  Jump ahead 18-years and now there’s a new band with a lead guitarist, as ginger as can be, claiming to be Red Rocket.

   Is it the same man? His son? An impostor? And just where has Red Rocket been for the last 2 decades?

   An intrepid young music journalist seeks to find the answers to all these questions. As her research opens her eyes to the secret history of rock music, so will her stream of consciousness, as the mystery of the Red Rocket 7 will take her to the farthest edges of the galaxy and beyond.

     Last year, Mike Allred made no excuses to show his love and devotion to the artist David Bowie when he lost his battle with cancer. Really, Allred's fandom has been evident for years, like the cover to Madman: Atomic Comics #15, in which he renders his beloved creation with Bowie’s Space Oddity lighting bolt across his face.

     Reading this 1998 book, I was struck with two thoughts. One: Red Rocket is the music version of Forrest Gump as the character is involved with every major rock movement from the early 50s up to 1998. Secondly, (and most importantly): This is Allred’s Space Oddity or The Man Who Fell To Earth. I’m not sure which. Could be both. No matter which it is, Red Rocket 7 is also some very trippy stuff.

      Elvis, the Stones, The Ramones, and the Dandy Warhols play some major supporting roles in this book. But it’s Bowie's book through and through. If you love David Bowie, this is the comic book series you must read- even if it’s in that odd 45 record shape.

      Amazing artwork by Allred. He’s one of my favorites and his wife Laura who does the inks and colors IS my favorite in the industry. I may not understand all of the zen the Allreds put into this love song to rock & roll, but I loved Red Rocket 7 nonetheless.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

iZombie #1 Special Edition

   Let's look at the facts: 
   
    I love Michael Allred. His art is so clean, so retro, so kitsch. 
    I love Laura Allred who colors and sometimes inks husband Michael's art.
    I've only read a couple of iZombie issues or stories and I love them!
    Yet for some reason, I've not been able to get into the iZombie TV show on the CW!

   I think the problem is that the show is live-action and with the exception of the opening credits, the series doesn't feature the artwork of the Allreds and I think that's the big selling point for me.

   This Special Edition reprint of the first issue of iZombie was released to co-incide with the premiere of the CW series in March of last year. But I wasn't able to get my hands on a copy until a couple of weeks ago when I finally found a copy in a dollar bin. It's not that I didn't look for this when it came out last year, I did. But at the two or three comic shops, I went on the hunt for this, they had sold out pretty quick.

     iZombie is the story of Gwen. By day, she's the leader of a grave digger crew at a cemetery. By night, Liv's digging up the bodies she buried earlier in the day in order to feed on their juicy delicious brains and to prevent from going full on zombie on somebody living. But when she feasts, she inherits some of her meal's memories temporarily. When she learns that one of the corpses she consumed was murdered, she decides to take it upon herself to solve his murder! 

     I think this is another reason I'm not into the TV series. Other than having the main character eat brains and use that information to solve crimes, the series and the comic are two different things. Why they don't even feature the same characters. The main character of this comic is named Gwen. The heroine of the TV show is named Liv and she works as a criminologist for a living! 

   I know some folks will say that I'm being too sensitive and that there's no reason why I can't like both. Well, that's just dumb, folks. That's like saying if I like steak, then I'll love liver. They might both come from the same animal but while steak is delicious, that irony piece of rubber called liver is just nasty. 

   That's kinda how I feel iZombie. iZombie: the comic book is now going on my wish list for my comic book collection: it's wicked fun. iZombie: the Series is on my to-do list if the show ever goes into rerun syndication but what little I've seen so far is a little too hokey and a tad too much like a Dawson's Creek for the undead. I'll probably get to it but it's on the backburner for now.

   As for why this is a Special Edition comic, this issue has a couple of articles about the making of the TV show and I think there were one or two pages of unused art from iZombie #1. But in terms of any director's cut added scenes, you will not find them in this book. But with the success of the show, the price of issue #1 has jumped to about $20-35 bucks, so this is a good starting point with this more affordable reprint.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman '66, Volume 3

The Joker and Catwoman embark in a dastardly scheme during the Arkham Talent Show.

  A mysterious TV producer creates a series based on a gritty no-nonsense version of the Dark Knight.

  A bat-robot replaces the Dynamic Duo during a crime spree of Gotham's most notorious villains.

  And Marsha, Queen of Diamonds, infiltrates the Bat Cave to steal the Bat-diamond that powers the Caped Crusader's laboratory and data banks...

   All this action and more awaits in the third volume of DC's fantastic Batman '66 webcomic devoted to the 1960s Batman television series. Once again author Jeff Parker, regular series art Jonathan Case, along with guest stints by Art Baltazar and Franco, Dean Haspiel, and others capture the spirit of the campy cult classic that aired on ABC. Also, Michael Allred and wife, Laura continue to thrill with their pop-culture themed covers.

    One thing that I have really liked about this series is that it includes a personal favorite who wasn't around in the 60s, Harley Quinn. Up till now, she's been a minor character as the Joker's therapist, Dr Harleen Quinzel, who sees great promise in trying to reform the Clown Prince of Crime. But in the opening story, we start to see her go down that dark path that will turn Quinzel into the Joker's girlfriend.

   Now, one thing I didn't like about this book. The back cover (and Amazon) promises that Batman: The Lost Episode is in this volume and it ain't. The Lost Episode is taken from a script originally meant to be used in season 4- but never happened as ABC cancelled the series after season 3. This lost episode was to have starred Clint Eastwood as Two-Face. But the rumor and script were lost to time and the bottom of the original screenwriter's desk. Sadly, it's still lost to me until, hopefully, volume 4 hits stores sometime later this year.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Volume 1

This collection of 5 stories was written as a potential blueprint for expanding the Ultimate universe. At the time these issues were published, the only Ultimate title starred Spider-Man. So, expect to be a little confused, if like me, you’ve read a lot of Ultimate stuff before you come to this and the plots and background stories don't seem to match what you already know about Wolverine, Iron Man, and the Hulk. When those heroes appear in these stories it is their first ever Ultimate appearances. So, like many pilot episodes (on TV), these are really rough drafts of the exciting things yet to come.

   The first story presents Wolverine as a metrosexual wuss than an unbridled animal. Sabretooth, in his bushy fur coat, wasn't any better.  I was really beginning to hate this series, when in issue 3, I realize that Hulk’s rampage in New York is what results in Banner being incarcerated at the beginning of Ultimates #1. Also, we come to a great 2-issue Iron Man tale by Mike and Laura Allred. Getting to experience anything done by the Allreds is always a nice unexpected surprise. 

   One thing about this book that ticked me off a little was that I've previously read both the Wolverine and the Iron Man team-ups before. Iron Man's story was reprinted in the Best of Spider-Man Volume 1. I can't recall where I encountered the Wolverine tale before off the top of my head, but I know I have. The Hulk story was the only one not reprinted (thus far or as much as I can tell.) Being reprinted in other formats and trades won't swear me off of getting volume 2 and 3 of this series. But since there is a chance I might have stumbled upon those issues in another format already, I will make sure I don't spend more than half of the cover price when I do come across them. 

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

   

Madman: Atomic Comics Volume 1: Existential Exits!

  From many of my reviews, you'll know that I absolutely love the artwork of Michael Allred and the color palette of his wife, Laura. Next to Alex Ross, he's my all-time favorite artist nut this guy can write too! I've read quite a bit of his assorted works but when it comes to his most famous creation, Madman, I'm quite deficient. In terms of Madman, I've read a crossover with Superman and a holiday special of some sort and that's it. It's not easy to find Madman stuff, but I came across this book at a used bookstore that I rarely go into.  It's a nice little shop, but I don't frequent it mostly because they don't carry very many graphic novels. But on this day I got lucky.

    When it comes to Madman I know so little of him that I didn't even know his origin. That changes in this book where Madman awakes in a universe that's similar to his but has an off feel to it. As he learns where he really is, both he and the reader get a crash course on the History of Madman. Once the primer is over, Madman learns that this universe is the wrong one because his girlfriend Joe doesn't exist in it. Thus the mad dash to get back home begins.

     This leads to the visually stunning issue #3 in which Madman meets up with a superhero from his world. In an homage to Barry Allen, this hero exists only in comic books from Madman's universe. Along the way, Madman and this superhero are depicted in the style and genres of dozens of artists. (I lost count at about 53 but Mike Allred pencilled every panel in perfect mimicry of artists such as Jim Davis, Jack Kirby, Matt Groening, Alex Ross, Carmine Infantino, Frank Miller, and many more with Laura recreated their ink work and colors to a tee. It's was like if Rich Little knew how to draw instead of doing vocal impressions. Amazing and fitting for a couple like the Allreds who love pop culture!)

      Eventually, Madman makes it back to his universe but in true comic book style, Madman's love remains unrequited when his reunion with girlfriend Joe results in his needing to team up with the mutant beatnik superhero team the Atomics in order to save his universe (as his return has caused some sort of rift in the space-time continuum. Plus he crashed landed on some distant planetoid, light years from earth.)

      Once Madman saves the day, don't expect a happy ending as this victory comes at a price that will result in more than one death and cause two heroes to strike out into the great unknown holding on to each other and that's about all they got.

     This series ended with issue 17. However, this volume ends with issue 7. So there are lot of plot threads that have yet to be neatly tied up. I hope to get my hands on the other two volumes very soon. I just hate for lovable ol' Madman to be sad. It's like a rainy Christmas- there's just something a little wrong with that.

    Worth Consuming but man is this some trippy stuff.

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Batman '66, Volume 1

Thanks to my Admin work with the weekly DC Comics new releases, I grew more and more interested in this series. If you're like me and born before 1989, you'll remember either watching the classic Batman series on ABC or in infinite syndication. Batman '66 continues the legacy of that ground breaking series with new adventures starring some of your favorite villains of the Caped Crusader.

 Batman was supposed to have a fourth season but a miscommunication between producers and set designers resulted in many of the sets being torn down prematurely. Rather than rebuild them, the powers that be altogether cancelled the entire project. In the way this series is crafted, it's almost like getting to read what season 4 would've been like.

In this book, you'd learn which two villains are in reality brothers, see what Goldie Hawn would be like if the character of Dr. Harleen Quintzel existed in the 1960s, and witness the return of the original Catwoman, Julie Newmar but still thrill at Eartha Kitt's take as the princess of purr. (I'll let you in on a little secret- it's explained that the Newmar Catwoman went straight s noticing a void in the Gotham underworld, another felon took on the mantle! That's an explanation I could live with!)

There are tons of great stories in this book. I really enjoyed the Emperor Penguin story guest starring one of my all-time favorite Bat-villains, Mister Freeze! Plus The Joker, Riddler, and several obscure baddies abound in this collection of 'digital first' comics.

I think DC is on the right track with Batman '66. Along with continuing the tradition of the show, DC's done another team-up between the Dynamic Duo and the Green Hornet & Kato. Soon, they'll be releasing a miniseries based on a lost script that involves Two-Face. Rumor had it that Clint Eastwood was supposed to play the role of Harvey Dent/ Two-Face. Plus, thanks to this series success, the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series is going to see new life as a comic next year. Hopefully, we'll be seeing some other great DC shows returning to 'lost season' comic form (I'm hoping for Superman '52 and Flash '91!)

 Along with some dynamic covers by the much personally beloved Michael and Laura Allred, the scope of art is amazing. I'm hooked but alas I'm out of issues to read.

Will this intrepid blogger get to read more of the further adventures of Batman '66? Will he blog about it? Tune in next time- same madman blog, same madman typing!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Untold Tales of Spider-man ’96 (Double-Size Spectacular)

Kurt Busiek, Pat Olliffe, and Mike Allred join forces to bring use a story so fantastic; they had to double the size of the comic to tell it! Tired of being put aside in favor of Reed Richards’ scientific experiments, Sue Storm accepts a date invitation from Spider-man. The Invisible Woman is looking to make Mr. Fantastic jealous and doesn’t really have any romantic intentions with Spidey. But you can’t tell Sue’s brother that! Looking to keep Spider-man from being his brother-in-law, the Human Torch will look to his most vaunted foe, Namor: The Sub-Mariner to break up the super heroes’ date.

I loved this issue. Usually, an untold tales series reprints old story lines in hopes of making super heroes a little more timely and appealing to new readers. But with this annual at least, Busiek and Allred craft an original tale that’s targeted for the more experienced comic fan. Set in the 1960s, this comic pays tribute to the brilliant tales of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and the original Marvel bull-pen.

The only complaint I have about this comic is that Mike Allred doesn’t do all of the art. I just love his thick inked style and the color palette used by his wife and partner, Laura. At least they kept her on for the entire story. The book also features a small story that tells how Busiek and Olliffe come up with their untold tales ideas. The tale is very tongue-in-cheek but it is very funny.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

DC Comics Presents Teen Titans 100-page Spectacular One-shot

 

Here’s one thing I have learned about the 100-page Spectaculars of DC’s, they’re reprints. So, despite this fact that I find these guys in bargain bins, the chances are that there’s something in these treasuries that I’ve read. That’s the case here as I’ve already read (and probably reviewed) the main attraction of this book: the Teen Titans Lost Annual.

 

Since I’ve already reviewed it, I won’t mince words again. But, if you want to read my review of the Lost Annual CLICK HERE.

 

The rest of this comic was devoted the epic DC works of Mike and Laura Allred (who crafted the Lost Annual) - perhaps my favorite pencils and inking duo in all of comicdom. Along the way, we get a visit from Bizarro, watch Hourman make the most out of an hour’s worth of Miraclo, see how the boys from New Genesis unwind, and catch an “unaired” episode of the 1960s Batman TV show. Rounding out the back-up features in a no holds barred house party held by the Teen Titans in Bruce Wayne’s bachelor pad. This romp is a Who’s Who of 60s super hero teams and teens, including the Doom Patrol,  the Legion of Super-heroes, as well as Supergirl and Batgirl. It’s hilarious and a little inappropriate- I LOVE IT!!!

 

I love the Allreds. Their style is retro (and colorful and ultra-clean) and they’ve got such an affinity for nostalgia. Plus, Michael is extremely witty and has a wicked sense of humor. These guys make this book worth reading and hopefully, one day, I’ll get to meet them at a Con.

 

Worth Consuming.

 

Rating: 9 out 10 stars.