Bitsy & Boozle Tell A Story! (Family Comic Friday)

Bitsy is an aspiring storyteller. Her first adventure will star her best friend, the diminutive wizard, Boozle. Enticed with the chance of a story that ends with a 'happily ever after', Boozle agrees to become the protagonist in a quest that will put him against the fierce Gruffin of Clawmax Peak!

I had an absolute blast reading this 2024 book. Boozle is hilarious. He only speaks in symbols. Yet, he completely steals the show with his over-the-top reactions, tiny fast moving feet and expressive pointy little fingers. 

While this story depicts a quest to save a pair of small villages on nearby Story Mountain, from being terrorized by a giant golden winged beast, there's something secret going on: learning! See as storytelling Bitsy details Boozle's epic adventure, she's also teaching the reader about the basics of storytelling!  Add in the hilarious glossary of terms hosted by Bitsy's sisters and a guide to 'Boozle speak' and you've got a graphic novel that entertained and educated me! 

Parents and guardians will love this book for the very purpose that children will learn as they read (and are entertained) this book. There were some surprising twists, amazing supporting characters and brilliant dialogue found inside. Boozle is a wizard and he does cast a few spells. They mostly end up being ways that enable Bitsy to explain plot devices such as a fast forward and a flashback. However, their are some adults who won't want the young readers in their lives to associate with anything magical or fantastical like ogres and goblins. 

The fright factor in this book recommended for readers aged 6-10 is about a 3. For about half of the book, the Gruffin is nothing more than a menacing shadow. However by book's end I can guarantee that the monster will become your child's newest favorite character; after Boozle, of course.

I'm not sure how they would do it. But I would really love for creative duo Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess to craft a sequel. I want more interaction with Boozle. He was such fun and I enjoyed all the chuckles his exploits gave me.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Destiny, NY Halloween Special One-Shot

Taking place in a world where magic is real but not everyone has the gift, this Halloween special is from 2022. I'm not quite familiar with Destiny, NY. I do know of the franchise. But I've not read anything by creator Pat Shand and Black Mask Studios. 

There's 2 stories in the book. Both involve knowing about the future but in varying degrees of effect and impact. 

In the first story, a barista is having relationship problems with his boyfriend and turns to a psychic for help. She places the blame on the young man and predicts doom for the relationship- unless he pays $600 to cleanse his aura. As there are some phony psychics operating out there, the guy spends all Halloween night agonizing over whether to trust the clairvoyant or instead, to take the bull by the horns and taking with his beau about their problems.

Story #2 is about a witch in training and her first day of college at a prestigious institute for the study of witchcraft. The young woman has an assured death wish but not because of a psychic. She's been diagnosed with a deadly disease. One of which I assume cannot be cured by magic. Having that cloud over her head has caused her to see the world with a healthy dose of cynicism; understandably so. Thankfully, there's a caring professor who hopes to teach the young girl to see joy in her remaining days.

Only the first story was set during Halloween and that was the story I cared the least for. The second story was the better of the two. If I was to continue with Destiny, NY, I would want to start with the rest of the witch's journey which was supposed to debut in the Spring of 2023. But I'm not that committed to giving it a try. It just didn't feel like a series that called to me. I'm just not big on stories about witchcraft and if the first story is any indication of the rest of the Destiny, NY universe, those characters don't appeal to me in any way.

I think I am going to turn this book in for some trade credit.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Super Magic Boy: I Am a Dinosaur (Family Comic Friday)

From the creator of Red Panda and Moon Bear comes this fun new series about a young boy with magic powers and an amazing imagination!

Hugo is the Super Magic Boy. He can smash furniture. He can climb the highest mountains. And he can change into a dinosaur. 

In this opening volume, Hugo meets a dinosaur and decides to see what life is like as a thunder lizard by changing into one. 

As a dinosaur, Hugo finds buried treasure that is guarded by the Skeleton King. That's the moment where this series hits its sweet spot. The dinosaur, Hugo meets, aptly named Dino, is a fun character. But he's a bit too rambunctious, getting Hugo into trouble by destroying the boy's home. Skeleton King kinda balances Hugo out as in the second story, he and Hugo go on an adventure to find a new batch of cursed treasure to guard. Dinosaur is like the Cat in the Hat, lacking control of himself. Skeleton King is more like Oliver Hardy to Hugo's Stan Laurel. (If you younger folks don't know who those guys are, check out Youtube for some of their hilarious antics!)

That second story in my opinion was comedy gold as Hugo and the Skeleton King when on a search for some golden treasure. The opening story, 'I am a Dinosaur' had the same energy. Possibly too much, if you ask me. In the scene where Hugo and the Dinosaur are digging, they first come upon a water main, proclaiming the broken pipe to be a 'magic water stick.' Okay, I got a laugh at that. But as they kept digging, Dinosaur found some underground electrical lines that Hugo touches and was shocked by. I felt that the scene went a bit too far because damaged power lines are not something to play with. So hopefully, parents and guardians will be made aware of this scene and discuss electrical safety as kids like to dig in the dirt and potentially could strike an underground line.

This book also has some Magic Bonus Material which is something I love in all ages comics and graphic novels as these activities continue the fun once the story is finished but also further imagination and learning through play. Here, Jarod Rosello teaches young readers how to draw Hugo and Dino along with a creative page showing kids how to become a dinosaur like Hugo does in the book. Paper, pencil and crayons are needed for the art work. A sense of wonder is required for turning into a dinosaur.

If you have a 9-12 year old that likes the Red Panda and Moon Bear books and they have a younger sibling, then the first book in the Super Magic Boy series is sure to become a source of entertainment that they book can enjoy and bond to. Like the Red Panda and Moon Bear series, this book is available in both an English language edition and a volume en Espanol. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #9

This issue is a team-up. But not of superheroes. It's a joining of 2 holidays! The main holiday event is Mardi Gras, which in itself is a rarity in comics. I don't have such an issue in my collection and I can't even recall a single Mardi Gras special ever being published. Vision and Wanda's new neighbors, the professional magician duo of Illusion and Glamour, have invited the former Avengers to accompany them to the Big Easy where they are scheduled to perform during the Fat Tuesday festivities. This vacation doubles for the expectant parents as a pre-baby romantic getaway as Valentine's Day is happening at the same time as Mardi Gras. 

As for Valentines Day set comics, they're rarer than a Halloween or Christmas special. But compared to Mardi Gras books, I've got a glut of them in my collection.

While Vision and the Scarlet Witch enjoy the oddities of Mardi Gras, it's revealed that Illusion and Glamour are not just traveling magicians, but super-powered cat burglars who fund their luxurious lifestyle with thefts planned around their touring schedule. They're in New Orleans in hopes of pulling a heist involving a valuable jewel.

Also with their eyes set on the jewel is the Norse villainess, the Enchantress. She somehow manages to pull the Vision under her thrall with the task of stealing the jewel for her. Now why the Enchantress couldn't steal the bauble herself, what with her Asgardian powers is about as beyond me as to how can an android man become the love slave of the Enchantress? She mentions something about pheromones influencing the Vision and well, how can androids be influenced by human chemical compounds when they also comment in this book how they don't need to eat or drink? Well, both head scratchers do occur in this book and by stories end, there's a scene where Vizh in in between both his wife and new love and the two ladies are becoming at him like a pair of masters trying to prove who is the true owner of a stray dog. 

The main story had some implausibles. Really, the addition of the Enchantress to this double holiday themed story was unnecessary based on how she could just steal the jewel herself. This plot issue is irregardless of the fact that her powers of seduction are useless over the female owner of the stone. Are you telling me that Enchantress lacks the ability to magically break into a safe?

I thought the revelation that Illusion and Glamour are traveling thieves under the guise of famous show biz magicians was the best part of this book. I wonder how this reveal is gonna be handled through the last 4 issues of this miniseries. Will it even be addressed? I'm really interested in learning more about these 2 characters because thing just got interesting!!!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1

When an ensemble of Gotham City carolers are slaughtered by a group of vampiric creatures, Batman is called to the scene. Only these monsters are not in the same category of Kirk Langstrom and his Man-Bat serum. No. These beings are of an ancient eldritch race supposedly long forgotten. At first the magician Zatanna is recruited to find the culprit. But these case is going to require an expert at magic that is as ancient as the creatures behind the murders. 

Enter: Santa Claus!

This! This is what DC Comics needs to be. It was a great story that didn't need to pander to any religion, race, creed, or gender. Yes- this is a Christmas time story. Yes- Santa Claus is involved (though the St. Nick in this story is more on par with Odin). That being said, it's a holiday themed opening chapter that can be enjoyed by Christian, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, even Druid! 

I have 400 Christmas and Winter holiday themed comics in my collection. So I can say with some authority that this opener was one of the best Christmas comic books to come out in years! It was perfect! The banter throughout a sizable demographic of the Batman family. How Damian Wayne was unbelieving in Santa and Claus is just as skeptical of him right back! The terror and wonder of the holiday. The big reveal of the big boss behind the threat of these vampire-like demons!

I loved this issue and proof that Jeff Parker needs to lead the charge behind the 21st century of DC Comics!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #5

At the end of the last issue, I saw that this story was going to be set at Halloween! And I actually cheered! Yes, I like to read my holiday themed comics during the season in which the action takes place. But as the next issue is why I waited until now to read the two Vision and the Scarlet Witch minis, I decided to just enjoy the ride!

In this issue, it's Halloween night and Wanda is about to perform a ritual in order to communicate with her deceased mentor, Agatha Harkness. However, as Wanda's powers are currently tied-up with producing a miracle baby from her mutant DNA and Vision's synthetic material, the expelling of magic opens the Scarlet Witch up to attack from those who wish to siphon her powers- from beyond the grave!

Meanwhile, Vision, who has left Wanda at home to conduct her seance, enjoys a night out on the town. He's the special guest of his new friends Glamour and Illusion, who are putting on a special Halloween magic show. During the presentation, Vision experiences what can only be a disturbance in the Force. Agatha Harkness makes contact with the former Avenger, warning him of supernatural threats to Wanda and her unborn child. For a once thought vanquished foe from Wanda and Vision's earliest days on Leonia, New Jersey seeks to make the child a new vessel of their evil in hopes of once again conquering the earth.

If you're a regular reader of my blog, which is also my reading journal, then you'll know that while I like stories about the supernatural, I have a limitation on how much magic and arcane spirits a story can have. This Halloween issue almost crossed that line. Not a fan of seances or making contacts with the dead. Demons are definitely not my thing. I hate things that are possessed. I think if the Scarlet Witch hadn't defeated the foe when she had, I might have had to throw this book away. 

The story and art have quality. It's the quantity of the contents that put me off. I enjoyed the holiday themed and the parts with the Vision were quite good. It was just a bit too occultish for my taste.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4

After a hoo-hum issue, Steve Englehart redeems himself with this story about prejudice and greed.

In between the last issue of the first miniseries and issue #1 of this maxi-series, Vision and the Scarlet Witch saw their dream home being burned down by townsfolk who didn't want muties or heroes living in their quiet little burg. Despite the loss, Wanda and Vizh aren't done with Leonia, New Jersey just yet and they've bought another home.

Feeling like the former Avengers haven't gotten the message yet, those same citizens plan another assault on Vision and his wife. Thankfully, the couple have a pair of guardian angels who are secretly super-powered mutants as well. Living in Leonia as a husband/wife magician act known as Glamour and Illusion, one can manipulate matter while the other can become intangible. Pretty good abilities for a pair of illusionists and the newest members of the Vision and Scarlet Witch family.

Actually, scratch that. The newest member of the title family is Wanda's fetus in which Doctor Strange has just confirmed that the Scarlet Witch is pregnant! 

A much, much better issue that introduces a pair of new characters that I like. Plus, a bunch of bigots get a comeuppance in some spectacular ways that only a mutant with magical hex would be able to pull off. Plus an appearance by Doctor Strange.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #3

A character from the Marvel Universe dies in this issue. I wouldn't say that it's a major character. More on par with maybe your Wyatt Wingfoot or Foggy Nelson. More powerful than a Dum Dum Dugan or Sharon Carter, but not as steeped in Marvel lore. Though I will say that this is a major character in the Scarlet Witch back story. 

Anyways, this character's grandchildren aren't satisfied with the magic they have absorbed from their relative. Now they're after Wanda for her powers too. 

I wasn't a big fan of this issue. There's a lot of talking and yet with it, nobody says anything. It's like Steve Englehart tried to be Shakespeare. Only this is no Macbeth or any other of Shakespeare's plays that had witches and magic in it. 

I could have done without this issue. Other than Vision and Scarlet Witch deciding to have a baby (thanks to the use of magic), it all just felt unnecessary. I mean I don't even see a reason for that character to have died. If Marvel was needing an excuse to make this a 12-issue maxi-series, they found a sure way to milk a cash cow. 

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #1

The opening chapter of one of two miniseries that inspired the hit Disney+ series WandaVision.

The story opens on Halloween night. It's the first day of Wanda and Vision's new life as a domesticated couple. Retired from the Avengers, living in a new house in the quaint town of Leonia, New Jersey, the Scarlet Witch and Vision are ready to unpack and settle in. As a house-warming gift, Avengers butler Jarvis has come to help with the moving in. As yet another housewarming gift, Captain America has gifted Wanda with an ancient spell-book from one of his SHIELD missions in Europe. 

Being Halloween night, the former Avengers are ready for the goblins and ghosts you'd expect trick-or-treating on your doorstep. What the new homeowners don't expect is for an ancient druid god to escape from their housewarming gifts and try to kill them! 

I was thrilled to get to read a Halloween story out of season. I had no idea that this premiere issue took place on All Hallow's Eve. I've been sitting on these two mini-series almost all year, for reasons that I'll explain in a few days. But had I known that there was a Halloween story in the mix, I would have started Vision and the Scarlet Witch last month!

Another pleasant surprise was the writer. It's Bill Mantlo! A talent whose artistic voice was tragically quieted way, way too early, I love his stuff. I cut my comic book reading teeth on his Rom: Spaceknight stuff. His Marvel Two-In-One and Marvel Team-Up works are master classes on how to write crossovers. Mantlo's prose gets a little too flowly at times, especially at the beginning of this issue. But the man could write some amazing stuff!

A great and surprising first issue to start things off! Perfect for your Halloween reads, though I bet many of you overlook this one as an October time read.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Secrets of Houdini by J.C. Cannell

Harry Houdini died on Halloween, 1926. Before his death, he made his wife Bess promise to reach him from the beyond with an annual seance. Bess would attempt every Halloween night to reach her husband until her death in 1943 at age 67. With each failed attempt, the widow would expose the fraudulent medium as her husband would do vehemently in his later years. With all that history revolving around nearly 2 decades of Halloween night explorations into the unknown, it's no wonder I chose to read this non-fiction work for my October reads.

The book I had came with a copyright of 1989. Only, there's no way that this book came from that decade. J.C. Cannell, who wrote this look at how Houdini did many of his famous tricks died in 1953. According to Magicpedia, the one-time vice-president of London's The Magician's Club wrote The Secrets of Houdini in 1931. Now you might think it scandalous that such a well known member of the magician community would write a book exposing how the world's former greatest illusionist and escape artist performed his tricks. But crafting such a book was one of Houdini's last wishes before he died. 

J.C. Cannell's writing is definitely of the time period. But that's okay as I've read a few non-fiction works from the 1930s before. So I was used to the excessive use of titles atop each page that kinda details what you'll be reading. The prose is sensationalist, reflecting the yellow journalism melodrama of the early 20th century. 

When Cannell writes about Houdini's life and times, it's a really great read. I also enjoyed the chapter on how mediums 'conjuror spirits' as well as a lot of Houdini's quick escape and quick change tricks.  Man, does this book make me want to learn more about picking locks. A lot of these solutions are so simplistic. I felt embarrassed that in all my years of watching magic shows, that I never picked up on how they really were done. 

If ever a book needed some diagrams and pictures, it's this one. There are a few diagrams at the beginning. But they all go away by the time we get to the chapters on rope tricks and card tricks. These were also the hardest chapters to read. No matter how much I'd re-read an explanation, I just can't visualize how these tricks were done. It's probably why I always failed at my attempts at magic with those kits one would get at the toy store. I never could make them work. Plus, with the illusion shattered, I lost interest. 

This book is full of about a dozen pages full of black and white photos. These pictures show elements of Houdini's life and career that aren't mentioned at all. I didn't know Houdini was a movie star. And I would've liked to learn more about the trick when Houdini jumps from a moving plane onto the wing of another- without a parachute! That's definitely the kind of trick you can only mess up once!

Next October, I want to continue learning about Houdini. Only this time, I want a more conventional biography. I'm sure there's something decent out there. For now, I'm passing this book off to my wife. She always asks me 'How do they do that?' when a magic act stumps her on America's Got Talent. Maybe I can explain the escapes and the supernatural acts and she can get me a better understanding of those card tricks. But once she's done reading it, I'll probably sell it or donate it to a thrift story in hopes of inspiring another amateur conjurer.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 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.

The Ward #1

Imagine it's your first day at a new hospital. You're a trauma doctor. Before you even make it through the emergency department doors, you encounter your first patient. She's bleeding out and she's got a tail!

That's the first day of work for Dr. Nat Reeves. And this encounter is what opens the doors of St. Lilith's, a clandestine hospital for magical creatures. Just like any medical center, it's overcrowded and underfunded. Only it's protected by magical charms to keep it out of the attention of the general public. So how can Dr. Reeves be a part of all this?

Nat's origin is the crux of this story which really intrigued me. Only 24 pages just isn't enough story to reveal it all. This Dark Horse comic is a 4-issue miniseries that debuted last Summer. I read issue #1 almost as soon as it came out in stores. I read it and I then kinda forgot about it. 

I've also got issue #2. Yet I missed the boat on the other 2 issues. So, I'm kinda at a stopping point. Once I get the other 2 books, I'm gonna finish this. I promise. 

This Cavan Scott penned tale was really fantastic. It was a mix of Harry Potter and TV's E/R. It's also the second such comic in as many years to focus on emergency medicine with a twist. AWA's ET-ER is about a hospital that specializes in extraterrestrials. Just as great and not really different as that medical center is secretly housed on planet earth, just as St. Lilith's is.

Well, there is one thing where that other book is superior- it's stories are self-contained whereas The Ward is a string of cliffhangers. 

I hate cliffhangers.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Willow #1-3 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

During the 1982 filming of Return of the Jedi, in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a young child actor is making a giant impression. Warwick Davis, a British actor with dwarfism, is playing a tiny version of a Wookiee called a Ewok. In his first ever role as Wicket, Davis is showing such professionalism and passion for acting that Star Wars creator George Lucas promises the lad to create a movie for the newcomer to star in. 

Jump to 1987 and George Lucas kept his word. Working on an idea he first developed in 1972 originally called Munchkins, Lucas created the story of Willow. Set in an unnamed mystical world, Willow Ufgood is a struggling farmer and amateur magician with aspirations at becoming chief sorcerer of his race of little people called Nelwyns. 

One day, Willow's children find a baby girl floating on a makeshift cradle in the nearby river. The infant is a Daikini, the name of full-size humans who share the land with the Nelwyns. Tasked by his people to deliver the child to the first Daikini he sees, Willow begins an epic quest that promises to restore freedom to all of the people of the land.

The Daikini child is in reality Elora Danan, an infant princess who has been prophesied to one day overthrow the evil ruler of the land of Nockmaar, Queen Bavmorda. In order to stop Bavmorda, who wishes to sacrifice Elora Danan in a demonic ritual, Willow must find the aged sorceress Fin Raziel. Which Willow does. Unfortunately, Fin Raziel has been rendered powerless as Bavmorda changed her into a possum. All seems lost, unless the aspiring Nelwyn sorcerer can restore her back into human form. 

Aiding Willow in his quest is the mercenary Madmartigan; a mercenary of questionable character but unsurpassed swordsmanship. A pair of brownie warriors named Rool and Fanjean, whose diminutive sizes make Willow look like a Colossus in comparison add comic relief and some assistance as tiny combatants. Adding to the adventure is the warrior princess Sorsha, daughter of Queen Bavmorda, whom Madmartigan becomes enamored with and just might have a shot with, if she doesn't kill him and the infant first!

Willow was directed by Ron Howard. A protege of George Lucas, Howard starred in the Lucas' 1973 homage to the early 1960s, American Graffiti. With a script by first time movie screenwriter Bob Dolman, Lucas had hoped that Willow would be on par with E.T. as the new all-time money maker at the box office. While the film was a moderate hit, mostly bolstered by international movie sales, Willow face stiff competition against a 1988 American film slate included colossal blockbusters such as Big and Rambo III.

Willow went on to become a kind of cult classic. In the early 90s, George Lucas tasked X-Men's Chris Claremont to pen the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy. Set 15 years after the first film, a teenaged Elora Danan is the central character. Last year, an 8-episode sequel starring Warwick Davis aired on Disney+. Also titled Willow, conflicting reports list the series as cancelled after one season or in indefinite hiatus. 

As part of Lucasfilm and MGM's original marketing campaign, a number of tie-in products were issued. TOR issued a 6-player board game as well as a RPG source book. Tonka's 'action figures' were in reality die-cast figurines much like tin soldiers and lacked vital points of articulation. 

In the realm of comics, Marvel was tasked with a 3-issue adaptation. Star Wars' Jo Duffy penned the script. Artwork was by Bob Hall (Super-Villain Team-Up) with assists and inks by Romeo Tanghal (The New Teen Titans). The miniseries was later collected in 2 formats: as a tabloid sized Marvel Graphic Novel and in as an illustrated edition much like a trade paperback.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #5 (A Movie Adaptation) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Let's face it; the main reason any of us wanted to see this movie was for the introduction of Professor X, Reed Richards and Blackbolt into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We do get about 20 minutes of them along with a Maria Rambeau Captain Marvel and the Peggy Carter Captain America. It's about 15 minutes more than I expected based on other big multiverse team-ups. (I'm looking at you Arrowverse!) But that big 'reveal' just wasn't enough to make this Doctor Strange sequel all that watchable.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness does introduce viewers to modern superhero America Chavez. Her ability to transverse alternate worlds is the catalyst of the majority of this film's plot. Someone with unspeakable power wants America so that they can travel freely throughout the multiverse. But in able to harness that power, America Chavez must die. That's something Stephen Strange and Sorcerer Supreme Wong will risk their lives to prevent. And with Wanda Maximoff on their side, they just might very well stop this force of evil. That is unless there's a traitor in their midst.

With a title like 'Multiverse of Madness', I was expecting quite a few multiverses. I was hoping to maybe visit the Marvel 2099 reality and maybe see some Agents of SHIELD. Yet, with exception of one scene that is rapid fire, there's very few multiverses being traveled too.

The first Doctor Strange film really ignited my passion to read through the earliest comics to star the Sorcerer Supreme. That means I've read a lot of Doctor Strange over the past 6 years. This movie just didn't feel like a Doctor Strange movie to me. But it is very much a Marvel movie and it's got the director's fingerprints all over it!

Sam Raimi was behind the camera for this movie. Raimi is no stranger to Marvel films, having directed the first three Spider-Man features. But those are Sony pictures and this is Disney. Yet, there's a lot of blood, gore and demons spilling over into almost every scene of this motion picture. Such stuff is what Raimi cut his teeth on with his Evil Dead series of horror comedies. That army of damned souls look like they were borrowed from Army of Darkness and there's another Raimi staple in the mix with a cameo by the Man himself, Bruce Campbell. Though can anybody tell me where brother Ted Raimi (Xena: Warrior Princess) is hiding in the multiverse? Cause I didn't see him!

I don't think having Sam Raimi as the director is what put me off major parts of this movie. Though seeing a bunch of characters with their heads explode was a little off-putting. I don't think Uncle Walt would approve of that. Not having seen WandaVision isn't an excuse that I buy either cause I followed things quite well. I just felt that this movie really dragged along at a snail's pace and this whole thing could've been resolved in about 30 minutes. Not the 2 plus hours of run time!

Another issue I had was with the character America Chavez. I thought the actress playing America was really good. I had no issues with the character's LGBTQ background. My whole thing was her appearance. I've only encountered the character in a handful of books. But she's always seemed to be a more body positive character like Valiant's Faith. Yet, actress Xochitl Gomez (The Baby-Sitters Club) is rail thin. Shame on Disney for passing up a chance to portray a superhero who also battles the scale.

If you are looking for an adequate Doctor Strange sequel, check out Spider-Man: No Way Home. It reveals more about what happened after the first film that this picture does. Too long. Not enough multiverse. Missed opportunities in a film that doesn't feel like a Doctor Strange movie. It's very Marvel but just too dog gone long.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Essential Doctor Strange, Vol. 3

This volume of Essential Doctor Strange sees the good doctor back in the starring role of his own title. After renouncing his title as Master of the Mystic Arts with the cancellation of his first series, Stephen Strange went back into medicine. But as with just about any and all comic book universes, you just can't keep a good character down.

After teaming with both the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner, Doctor Strange donned his mystical cape and formed the Defenders. With the popularity of that super-team title, Strange starred in about a dozen issues of Marvel Premiere. With the horror levels amped up thanks to the recent loosening of the Comics Code, Doctor Strange won over a ton of new fans. 

By the summer of 1974, Doctor Strange was leading his own title again. And that's where this book begins. Strange has resettled into his Sanctum Sanctorium. Along with his faithful servant Wong, Strange has taken an apprentice, his lover Clea. Strange has also taken on the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme after his master, The Ancient One, has left this physical plane to become one with the universe.

The adventures in this volume is one to boggle the mind. First Strange must save himself by entering the Orb of Agamotto. Then Doctor Strange must battle Eternity after the Earth has been deemed ready for destruction. After that battle, Strange takes on the Lord of Vampires, Dracula, after the Count attacks Wong. Things wrap up with a twisty little saga called the 'Creator Chronicles'.

The last volume wasn't really something I enjoyed. The level of evil in the characters was upped, especially as Strange went from dueling super-powered beings from other dimensions to magically imbued satanists. From page one of this book, things were mystical and arcane. But I saw that magic as science that wasn't yet understood. Strange and Clea have to struggle with this type of thinking when they go back in time to Colonial America. But when Strange battles Dracula, I started feeling ill at ease again.

Anything magical Doctor Strange does to take on the Lord of the Vampires didn't bother me. But the workings of Dracula and his followers were not my thing. There's literal devil worship and I don't like stories like that. I had been wanting to one day gather the collected Tomb of Dracula books. But if the comics contained in this collection as any indication of such, I won't be taking part. 

A good collection of stories. Just some of those stories felt so very evil. I'll be selling this book along with my other 2 Essential volumes. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The Mystery of the Meanest Teacher: A Johnny Constantine Graphic Novel (Family Comic Friday)

Confession time. I've never read a Constantine/Hellraiser comic or graphic novel. I've read lots of stuff involving the character like Saga of the Swamp Thing. I'm a huge, devastated fan of the cancelled Legends of Tomorrow. But the hellacious subject matter of any series named after the character of John Constantine has kept me away- until now!

As a part of DC's amazing run of graphic novels for young adults, The Mystery of the Meanest Teacher is a retooling of John Constantine's earliest days. In the canon of adult DC Comics books, Constantine's young life was wrought with tragedy. This leads to the Brit becoming an expert on the occult. Here, Johnny Constantine has been practicing from a very young age. After he angers some ghosts one too many times, Kid Constantine flees to the States to attend a boarding school.

Thinking he's the only practitioner of magic in the world, Johnny meets fellow outcast Anna. She too knows some magic. And since Kid Constantine's English magic doesn't work so well in America, he becomes a fast friend and confidant. 

Now with a friend with similar interests, Johnny's transition to his new school might be just perfect. Except for his homeroom teacher who absolutely hates him. And she might just be a witch!

My belief that this book might not be filled with demons and black magic was way wrong. I had read the junior graphic novel. Zatanna and the House of Secrets which was pretty tame. Naturally, I thought that would be the case here. But from the very beginning, Kid Constantine is playing fast and loose with fallen angels and long dormant beings of the macabre.

True, I wasn't as freaked out by this story as I've been by the more adult demons and devils that plague John Constantine. But I was still ill at ease. As I've said many a times before, those more darker recesses of horror and the supernatural are just not my thing. And there's some parts of this book that really creep pretty close towards those forbidden shadow places of terror. 

Amazon gives a recommended reading age of 7-12 years of age. They also list grade levels of 2nd and 3rd grade. I think those two ranges don't correlate. When I was 12 years old, I was in 6th grade. And with the scary creatures and practice of the dark arts, I doubt very many parents and guardians of 7, 8 and 9 year olds may be very approving of this book. An aspiring 5th grade through senior in middle school will probably be mature enough to read this book. As it goes with kids in general, the appropriateness of this book is up to you the adult in charge. 

Personally, I enjoyed this book. There's a great surprise guest in this story of which I've always been a fan of despite their devilish ways. I loved the twist ending. And I'd be on board for a sequel. But yes- I am not a fan of demons or devils. And how this book makes such species kinda the good guys troubles me.

Writer Ryan North (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) does make the final baddie truly evil. But North makes all of the other fiends rather likable. It doesn't help that Star Wars Adventures' Derek Charm is such a master illustrator. Everything he draws has that eye-twinkling charm (pun not intended). Derek Charm has a talent that can make mean ol' Emperor Palpatine look grandfatherly. And with the demons that Kid Constantine pals around, the artist makes them look downright neighborly. 

An enjoyable book that I personally wasn't all that comfortable with. But that's my hang-up. Not you the parent or guardian. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Fun with Little Archie & Friends Special (Family Comic Friday)

When I was a kid having to go to the dentist, they'd offer as a prize a free comic book. Knowing that quantity over quality mattered, I always went for the over-sized Archie digests whenever they were available over a 32-page floppie. While I enjoyed the adventures of teenaged Archie and his pals, whenever you got a story from the gangs days as kids, it was a rare treat. So when it was announced that Archie Comics would be issuing an all-new one-shot from the childhood days of Little Archie, I was beyond thrilled!

The special starts out with Sabrina, the Little Witch having to pet-sit her class goat, Arthur. Just like Sabrina's cat Salem, Arthur can do magic. When Arthur gets loose from Sabrina, he causes some magical mayhem with Sabrina's friends. 

The Fun with Little Archie & Friends Special takes pint-sized Archie, Juggie and the rest on an adventure of a lifetime. And with the fun comes a slew of Archie Comics talent including J. Torres (Teen Titans Go!), Shannon Watters (Lumberjanes), Erin Hunting (The Toothfairy Vs. Santa) and others. Each story not only has a different thematic feel but it's own art style too! Each story was lots of fun. Though I felt that the segues between stories were a little bit clunky. I also wasn't a huge fan of the third story. I think it just wasn't as strong a segment.  

According to one-shot editor Jamie L. Retonte, this issue was designed not just for established Little Archie fans like myself but for newcomers as well. Young and old! Plus, with the assortment of previews coming from Archie Comics, 2022 looks like it's going to be a fantastic year from the publisher! I can't wait!

This is a special that a whole family of Archie fans will love!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett

The Wyrd Sisters have returned from a lengthy trip abroad. Much has changed since Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick were last in Lancre. The King has decided to marry Magrat. Magrat just doesn't know it yet. Nanny Ogg's son Jason has been perfecting his craft as an ironsmith. And a new generation of witches have been going up the mountain to perform some spells much to Granny's dismay. (They haven't been wearing any drawers!)

It's the dancing that's the real problem for Granny. (When it comes to prancing around without your drawers on, if you got it, flaunt it) No, it's the mere act of dancing so close to the circle of stones called The Dancers. See, this area of the mountain is very close to a weak point in the dimension that Discworld occupies. For the stars are lining up just right and when that happens it will allow the elves to enter Granny Weatherwax's domain.

Elves are not those cute little sprites we all love. They might look all sweet. But, they're actually cruel and mean. And they once tried to imprison Granny Weatherwax when she was a wee lass. It's a sort of personal history that makes Granny hate elves.

The witches stories are generally not my favorite Discworld tales. I didn't like Equal Rites that much. And I hated Carpe Jugulum. But I'm trying to read the entire series and due to how much I enjoyed Unseen Academicals, starring the Wizards, I was in the mood for some magic.

Lords and Ladies was one of the best out of this entire series of Discworld. It was extremely funny with some awesome quotes that I don't think I'll ever forget. Plus, there were some moments that were darn right scary. And it's pretty hard for a book without pictures to scare me.

One issue that I have with the Discworld books are how metaphysical that they can get. The floating planetoid has a unique magical field that has been established all the way since the opening chapter of the very first novel, The Colour of Magic. While this element allows for some hilarious moments, I feel that Terry Pratchett relied on this too much as a crutch. The late author never seemed to run out of ideas. Yet that creativity would get to the point that Pratchett had trouble putting his stamp on the final product.

 Lords and Ladies doesn't fall into that trap. At less than 400 pages, this is one of the shorter Discworld novels. The pacing felt right. The plot didn't drag. And everything seemed to wrap itself up in a tiny little package.

I've got 16 Discworld books left to read. Two of them focus on the Wyrd Sisters. If they are as good as Lords and Ladies was, I will jump at the chance to own them immediately! I just got to find an affordable copy.

A must for fans of comedic fantasy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

House of Whispers #1

A Voodoo Sorceress maintains the dream whelm of her followers aboard her houseboat, The House of Whispers. Through the secrets of her devotees, Erzulie Freda is able to view any malpractices of magic through her looking glass. One such misuse of the dark arts involves two pairs of girls who are reciting incantations from a powerful notebook. While playing the classic parlor game of telephone, the children get the words wrong. Each time they misspeak, the girls lure a powerful entity that much closer into the real world. 

Erzulie must stop these girls. But in her over-zealousness, she accidentally transports the House of Whispers to parts unimaginable- right into the back yard of brothers Cain and Abel!

This Cajun cousin of The House of Mystery and The House of Secrets was a mixed bag. I really enjoyed the concept of a new domicile of darkness being added into Vertigo's new Sandman Universe collection of titles. But there was such a jumble of scene cuts that it took a little while to understand what is going on. 

The House of Whispers is not really an anthology title like it's relatives. There's snippets of assorted stories, but the crux of the action is between Erzulie and the young ladies playing telephone.

I was just about ready to say that I will wait until this is collected to read the rest when at the end of this first issue, Cain and Abel show up. This really isn't a spoiler as myself and a lot of other readers had been hoping for this to happen. Well it did and it's made me want to read more! AND I'm not willing to wait until next year for it to be reprinted as a hardcover or trade paperback.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner and Other Stories by Terry Pratchett

• A Television set that sends viewers back to prehistoric times.
• An amateur wizard with a 400 year old toothache.
• The Hobbit; if told using a hot air balloon to travel with.
• A town in Wales that experiences a number of Wild West troubles after coal is found prompting a coal-rush.

     These are just a few of the tales found inside this collection of short stories by the late Terry Pratchett (Discworld.) This is the second such volume and it was a delight to read. All of these stories were written by Pratchett when he was a junior newspaper writer at the young age of 17. 

While none of Pratchett's characters from his dozens of Discworld novels appear in this book, you can see the wheels of creativity turning in the young writer's head. The stories of wizards and witches are precursors to Rincewind, the Wyrd Sisters, and other practitioners of magic. The Wild West Wales tales are early attempts at satire and parody. While his stories of wee people, time traveling appliances and rebellious ants are the foundations of Pratchett's mastery at word puns and using asterisks to convey additional humorous asides*.

Once again, reading something from Terry Pratchett has thrown me off my game. I just want to read more or his stuff everytime I get my hands on something of his (instead of my usual plan of just reading comic books.) Plus, I find myself trying to emulate him more and more in my writings. And that's quite a challenge as you aren't supposed to imitate other writers. Yet, I find that Terry Pratchett writes often how I think: witty, somewhat odd, and full of additional words because hey, I love the English language!

I adore how totally different words sound the same and have completely different meanings. I love how you can make puns out of those and I just marvel at how Terry Pratchett could do it and now be corny or dumb-sounding doing it. 

This book might be considered for younger readers because of the age at which Pratchett was when he wrote this. But I've found very little objectionable in Pratchett's Discworld series. So perhaps a 12-year old might enjoy Feet of Clay or The Hogfather. Besides, I know of writers in their 80s who wrote children books and nobody said that they could only write stories for the elderly to enjoy. (There's that Pratchett wit coming out of my head again...)

A great short story collection that has me looking for the first collection.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

*This aside, while not so much funny, is an example of what I was talking about previously.