Superman Adventures #1(2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Superman: The Animated Adventures ran on the WB from 1996-2000. It was a spin-off of the now classic Batman: The Animated Adventures. 

Featuring the voice talents of Tim Daly as Superman/Clark Kent, Dana Delaney as Lois Lane and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor, the series was lauded for it's sleek futuristic design and cerebral script writing. Utilizing a majority of the production staff from Batman: TAS, names such as Paul Dini, Bruce Timm and Jean MacCurdy appeared regularly in the closing credits.

This cartoon version of the Man of Steel wasn't a god among men as he was originally designed by creators Siegel and Shuster. Instead, Superman: TAS structured their Last Son of Krypton with the same limitations as developed by John Byrne in the 1987 post-Crisis reboot of Superman. Though severely hampered with the restrictions put on the character, making for more dramatic storylines, Superman rose to every challenge he faced because there was one superpower to which the hero had no weakness against: Superman's unwavering moral code!

Unlike the pre-Crisis Superman, this version of the Man of Tomorrow still had access to his adopted parents, Ma and Pa Kent. Whenever faces with a crisis of conscience, Superman could always make a quick trip to Kansas and work out his problems as Clark Kent with words of wisdom and encouragement from the Kents. Unaware that Superman has a secret identity, Clark's morality was the one thing Lex Luthor's advanced technological schemes against Superman that he could never defeat!

Just as the animated series was debuting on television, DC Comics released a monthly all ages comic book. The first issue was written by Paul Dini with art by Rick Burchett and inks by Terry Austin. The opening story titled 'Men of Steel', sees Superman on scene in Metropolis for just a few weeks. Clark Kent is also still pretty wet behind the ears in his reporter job as the Daily Planet. Luthor sees Superman as a threat to his stranglehold as the de facto ruler of Metropolis as well as a potential alien invader, operating under the guide as a heroic savior. 

The corrupt business leader has been testing out Superman's powers and weaknesses through a series of tests designed as super villains randomly attacking Metropolis. After Superman's latest encounter with terrorist John Corben, inside a suit of 'stolen' LexCorp armor, Luthor has enough data to fully active a life-sized robotic replica of the Man of Steel!

The plot of this issue's story is a partial retelling of part three of the debut episode 'The Last Son of Krypton.' Corben's theft of the LexCorp rebo-suit and Luthor's determination to make a fool of Superman are almost verbatim scenes taken from show. Only Kent's attempts at love and the revelation that Brainiac survived the destruction of Krypton are not included in this premiere issue.

DC's Superman Adventures ran for 66 issues, outpacing the TV show by a dozen stories. A year after the cancellation of the series, Superman, Batman and others would return, this time as a team. Justice League and it's spin-off series Justice League Unlimited would run for 5 seasons; ultimately pitting the Superman led Justice League against the Injustice League, headed by Lex Luthor.

The wrap-around cover is by Bruce Timm.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #16 (Book from the Year You Graduated High School) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Batman and Robin Adventures #3

Here we are! My final holiday comic review for the 2024 season. Based on the iconic Batman: The Animated Series, this comic sees the Riddler holding a prestigious gentlemen's club being held hostage during its annual Christmas party. 

First of all, when I use the term gentlemen's club, I'm not referring to the seedy nudie bar near the airport. Second, when I use the term holiday comic, I'm actually actually referring to the time of year this book is set. Otherwise, this story is one that could have been told the other 364 days of the year.

Christmas is basically just a prop. The Riddler does cause a fire at the club by turning all of the Christmas tree table decorations into incendiaries. However, the fiend could have set the blaze with any sort of decor. The Riddler's scheme could have happened during the club's annual Easter banquet, Fourth of July fete or Thanksgiving feast. 

This is no Christmas With the Joker.

I also had trouble with the ending. Riddler's escape hangs upon dumb luck. Somehow after escaping Batman's clutches, the villain dons a Gotham City SWAT team uniform. He manages to flee the scene when Commissioner Gordon orders the Riddler's SWAT team 'officer' to request fire and rescue and in order to do that, he's got to get inside a transport vehicle to get on the horn to make the inquiry. How would the Riddler have planned to have escaped if Gordon didn't pick him to contact the GCFD?

The ending really rests on a 'hand of fate' decision. The Riddler's heists are too well planned to the finest detail that having this escape step of his scheme hangs on random selection is just too implausible to me. Considering how perfect Paul Dini's Batman: TAS stories are, he really got a little sloppy with this plot. A Riddler caper has to be like clockwork and I'm not talking about using a sun dial. 

Ty Templeton's art work was flawless. So clean and so screen accurate. It really steals the show... Uh, comic. 

Not a true Christmas story. Not the most well thought out Riddler story. But some darn fine artwork. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Jingle Belle: The Homemade's Tale

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Twisted Toyfare Theatre, Vol. 5

Twisted Toyfare Theatre, or TTT, is the furthest thing from culturally appropriate. It's irreverent. It's juvenile. It's in very poor taste. Politically correct it is not. And yet, I've found myself needing it's patented blend of locker room humor.

In the 3 weeks since the school shooting in Georgia, the school I work at has received weekly threats of violence on social media. While our admin team and the local authorities have done an amazing job investigating the incidents and upped their security presence, the looming presence of threat after threat, week after week, has scared many of my students to their core. Despite having an anxiety disorder, I'm not scared about a school shooter as I've got a fairly good training on how to keep my classroom secure. I'm angry that this is a culture my kids have to live in. I'm weary. And frankly I'm tired and I just want to be able to feel comfortable in my classroom again.

That's where TTT comes in. I had some Amazon gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. A recent review lead to me including a link to this series which was a popular feature in the Wizard Magazine sister series, Toyfare. I was reminded that I didn't own all 11 or so volumes of The Best of Twisted Toyfare Theatre. Needing some joy, even at the expense of bad taste, after I finished that review I went to Amazon and promptly ordered 2 affordable volumes I didn't have.

Each volume starts with a foreword by a famous figure in the world of pop culture. This book sees Harley Quinn creator Paul Dini christening the hijinks. I didn't know that Dini was a writer on LOST. Even more shocking, I didn't know that 20 years ago, people such as Dini felt that the glut of films based on Marvel heroes such as Sony's Spider-Man and Fox's X-Men series, was the golden age of Marvel Movies! Those guys didn't think it could get any better. Oh, how wrong they would be with the coming of a little Marvel film starring Robert Downey Jr called Iron Man!

There's about 25 strips in this book. It begins with Doctor Doom facing off against MODOK and the Red Skull on Jeopardy!. Then, Spider-Man trains newly reformed villain, the Lizard, into becoming a superhero. The villains of Megoville have their weekly game night. Motorcycle patrol officers Ponch and John from CHiPS go on patrol. And then the ever lovin' Thing tells Franklin Richards a bed time story that only he can tell: the origin of Wolverine.

There's a trio of closing segments. 'The Official Handbook to the Twisted Toyfare Theatre' is always a delight. There's also a quiz about the pop culture references found in several past strips. Those behind the scenes pieces always interest me the most. Finally, there were a couple of new one-shot segments called 'Slideshow'. They take screenshots from classic cartoons and rewrite the dialogue into what's supposed to be something funny. However, both episodes were major groaners.

In terms of a guilty pleasure, place me in solitary! There's many jokes that were over the line when they first saw print 20 years ago. For 2024, these jokes are so far over that line, the line is a dot from the modern point of view! Yet, if I didn't have this new read, I probably would be a total mess. Inappropriate humor is how I blow off steam when situations are perhaps the darkest of times.

TTT might not be appropriate for the times. But it's Worth Consuming for me!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Jingle Belle: The Whole Package!

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

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

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

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

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

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Oni Double Feature #13

Oni Double Feature was an anthology series produced by Oni Press. It ran for only 13 issues from 1998-99. The final issue of this series has been on my radar for quite some time. That's because this issue features the debut of a seasonal favorite- Paul Dini's Jingle Belle.

Jingle Belle is the teenage daughter of Santa and Mrs. Claus. Bored with a life of building toys at the North Pole, Jingle seeks thrills like taking her flying yak for joyrides and rubbing noses with the local Eskimo boys. In our introduction to Jingle Belle, the Claus family are hashing things out in family therapy. Let's just say things aren't going to be fixed with just 1 session...

This early version of Jingle is a diamond in the rough. The artwork isn't of that clean Disney look that artists like Stephanie Gladden and Kyle Baker helped to elicit through the half dozen or so one-shots and miniseries that were the result of this debut issue. Everything here looks crude and that's kinda how I would describe this early version of Santa's only daughter.

In the sequels, Jingle Belle is a lot like a festive version of another Paul Dini creation that I am a huge fan of: Harley Quinn. The established Jingle is playful, chaotic and maybe just a bit insane. This first take of the character is more like Tank Girl. Here, Santa's daughter is rude, crude and maybe a bit loose. But one thing is for sure; that Paul Dini magic that made me such a fan of Jingle Belle's universe is still at the heart of it all.

Being that this series made a point to feature 2 different properties, and that the cover states that this is an 'All Paul Dini Issue', I was prepared for only 1 of the stories being about Jingle Belle. I also suspected that the other story would not be holiday themed. With that said, I was okay with this issue not being 100% Christmas. As long as I am aware of it beforehand, a comic with a holiday cover not being completely festive is okay with me. However, I really was confused by the second story.

Story #2 was the second half of a Paul Dini tale about a trio of characters known as the Honor Rollers. The Rollers are high school students who seem to have stolen drugs from a dealer and that's made them the target of retribution. Meanwhile, there's a vindictive authoritarian type after the trio of boys. Not sure why and I'm also not very sure why these boys seem to be part of a boarding school while their classmates live at home with their folks. 

I obviously missed a lot of detail in the past issue. I've got the other 12 issues on my wish list as I am a sucker for anthology titles. Once I get my hands on issue #12, I'm sure I'll get my answers. I'm also sure I'll give this one a re-read. The Jingle Belle introduction wasn't perfect. But it was classic enough to enjoy again.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Arkham- Mister Freeze

Just like with the Batman Arkham look at Killer Croc, I felt that this book presents a full dossier at the decent into madness that Victor Von Fries takes to become Mister Freeze.

When we first meet Freeze, he's not really even the same character we have grown to love over the decades. When the character first appears in 1959, he's called Mr. Zero and he's referred to by the Caped Crusader as Dr. Art Schivel. While working on a freeze gun, the frozen mixture explodes and turns Schivel into a living breathing icicle. 

In the late 60s, as producers were looking for fun and unique villains to opposed Batman and Robin, they brought Mr. Zero back. But now he was called Mister Freeze and he mostly committed ice-themed crimes in order to fund his need for Freon. If wouldn't be until the 1990s when Dr. Art Schivel would become Dr. Victor Fries.

Paul Dini and Batman: The Animated Series would be responsible for turning the frozen fiend into a tragic figure. In 1992's 'Heart of Ice', we learn of Fries' life-long obsession with cryogenics and his strict, miserable childhood. Victor eventually marries a woman named Nora. Happy for the first time in his life, Fries becomes top in his field. But the happiness is short as Nora has a fatal disease that yet has a cure. Victor places her into a form of suspended animation. But a lab accident during his experiments turns Fries into Freeze!

Unable to go out into non-freezing temperatures, Freeze creates a refrigerated body suit. Unfortunately, it needs diamonds to fuel it. Plus, now a fugitive, Victor still needs funds to continue trying to save Nora. Disconnected totally from humanity, Mister Freeze, armed with a cryogenic gun, will let noone stand in his way to save the woman he loves.

Man, this is great tragic stuff! Shakespeare, Hemingway and Vonnegut couldn't write stuff this powerful. Okay, maybe the could. But the new origin of Mister Freeze is further proof Paul Dini belongs in some sort of comic book hall of fame!

While there is a Paul Dini penned story, there's not anything from the various comics based on the 1990s cartoon. 

After Dini, you start to really dive into Mister Freeze and his backstory. Victor Fries is possibly more demented than we thought. It's possible Nora Fries isn't really his bride. She might be a cryogenics test subject from the 1950s that Victor fell in love with while conducting his doctoral thesis. Plus, he might have killed a family member or two. It's kinda left up to the reader to decide.

Man, the New 52 and Rebirth did a number of this character. But wow!

I love the cold. Always have. And it's why I've had an affinity for Mister Freeze. Maybe I am a little biased. But I thought that this collection earned high marks. Freeze undergoes a very wide metamorphosis over the years. Yet that evolution kept getting better and better the more complex the character gets.

A chilling read for a hot summer's night. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Tis The Season To Be Freezin' #1

I'll give DC Comics some props- they still managed to put out a holiday special once again! Marvel Comics has been a Scrooge going on 4 or 5 years now. But I must say that DC's Tis The Season To Be Freezin' has got to be the worst holiday offering in many years!

There are 8 short stories in this book. The best was the opening salvo from Paul Dini. It's from the Batman: The Animated Series universe, with art to boot. Tim Drake is in downtown Gotham looking for a gift for Bruce Wayne when Mister Freeze begins to wreak some icy havoc. 

Also in the high level of quality was a Jeff Trammel (Truth & Justice) penned Christmas Eve encounter between Firestorm and newly reformed Killer Frost as both have agreed to monitor duty at JLA headquarters. Then Vixen and the Super-Pets had an interesting team-up in Iceland for a story by Tee Franklin (Harley Quinn: The Animated Series Kiss, Kill Bang Tour). I liked it enough to say that I'd love a limited series starring this group in the future as Vixen can speak with the pets. Come on DC- give this a chance!

A heatwave struck Central City tale between The Flash and Captain Cold was pretty good. It was written by SNL alum Bobby Moynihan. However this story was peppered with digs against science deniers, Karenism and other feeble attempts at post-2020 humor. Stick with character development and leave the politics to Weekend Update.

I also enjoyed the Legion of Superheroes story. Though I didn't really connect with the story so much as I wasn't familiar with the main character of Polar Boy.

Stories starring personal favorites of mine such as Bizarro and Harley Quinn were hard to read-literally. I've always complained that whomever writes Bizarro doesn't do enough with his vocabulary to be reverse enough. (You know up is down, bad is good.) But writer Amedeo Turturro (Batman: Three Jokers) figured out a way to turn things up to 11 in this global warming Bizarro World story and I couldn't keep up with the opposites. 

With the Harley story, I feel that editors edited out some important information to this story. There were just too many awkward jumps in scene. I wonder if this was supposed to be a 16-pager and it got chopped in half. It did not flow well at all.

Lastly we have the JLQ story. It's an ad-hoc team of LGBTQ+ heroes. Earlier this year (I think), DC Comics had a contest where fans could vote for a new series. The Justice League Queer was one of the voting options. It was eliminated in the first round. But DC cried foul with the fans and have continued to pursue making this idea a reality. I personally think it's not fair to the other 14 projects that also voted down and have been buried in the vaults. If DC decides to do the Round Robin vote again (and I think they should) it should be if you lose- YOU LOSE! Too bad, so sad.

Anyways, the story was in desperate need of introduction. If I am not mistaken, this is only the second appearance of the JLQ. There's so many C-list or lower characters in this thing, a line-up card, similar to what used to happen in the pages of Justice League of America is needed here. One of the characters is not a part of the JLQ- it's Sigrid Nansen AKA Ice Maiden, AKA Ice. There is such a major change to the character, which normally I would be okay with. But This character also appears in some current issues of The Human Target. Once again, DC just jumbles the timelines and the issues currently on shelves don't have any connectivity. 

All 8 stories have an ice/snow theme. Thus, there's dozens of warnings about climate change. Thankfully, DC stayed away from Trump, The Alt-Right and COVID. But with the level of snide comments about people who don't think the way the creative team at DC does with this book, I had to double-check to make sure that I wasn't reading an Axel Alonso edited Marvel property. 

I read other current DC works. They don't have this level of 'wokeness' to them. I don't think DC realizes that their holiday specials are big opportunities for gaining new readership. There are a lot of folks who haven't bought a comic book in years. But they'll go for a holiday comics because of the nostalgia. You'll always get a Harley Quinn and a Batman story. Sadly, DC adds a lot of unfamiliar characters and unproven talent to fill in the rest of the 75% of the book. 

These specials are $9.99. At some point, I am going to stop buying these. The recent Halloween book was a stinker and this one is far from perfect. Would it kill DC to put something festive on the cover? Yes- I am thankful that DC Comics put out another holiday special. But did it have to be such a waste of my hard earned cash in an age of rampant inflation and a time where quality is lacking? 

Take my advice- if you haven't bought this book yet- don't! Wait till it hits a bargain bin. You'll have a much more merrier Christmas if you do!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Batman Arkham: The Riddler

It only took 2 issues for the Riddler to return after his debut in 1948. Yet, it was almost 20 years before the man born as Edward Nigma would return to perplex Batman and Robin. Just in time for being the first villain to appear on the live-action Batman series from 1966!

This is a fantastic collection of Riddler stories. Many of which I've never read before. A lot of folks think that The Joker is the best Batman villain. And while the Clown Prince of Crime is his most deadliest rival, I think that it's the Riddler who is Batman's most cunning, most cerebral and most infuriating. 

I think that Batman looks at Joker as a side project. Someone to try and cure. I feel that it's Riddler who really gets up in Batman's crawl because the two are just so much alike. Both are detectives. Batman uses his brains to solve the crimes. It's Riddler who uses his intellect to craft those crimes. And for a very brief, but fun time, Riddler was also a real deal detective, playing private investigator for cash and glory.

There's two amazing stories in which Batman and Riddler are forced to team-up. While I thought that ending to both stories was contrived, the build-up was this awesome buddy-cop thing that had some great one-liners. (It's here where you really see E.Nigma rubbing the Dark Knight the wrong way, like a wedgie from Hell.)

I loved this collection of stories that feature art and stories from a fantastic line-up of talent including Bill Finger, Dick Sprang, Gardner Fox, Jim Aparo, Paul Dini and Scott Snyder. Featuring stories from every era of Batman comics, you get a perfect, yet incomplete glimpse into the psyche of one of the greatest Batman foes of all-time.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special #1

Have you ever found a book and you know that you've read it but you got zero clue how you wound  up with it? That's the case with this book.  

I'm a huge fan of Harley Quinn and I am an original fan. September 11th, 1992: I was watching Batman: The Animated Series expecting a typical Joker episode of the show, when this pixie pops up on screen for just a few short minutes. At that point, the Batman Family forever changed and I became one of the first members of the Gang of Harleys.

All that being said, I really can't remember when I bought this book!!!

In this tribute to the Jokers (EX-) Girlfriend, Harley has a host of adventures. First, she takes the Gotham City Sirens to Sin City and parties in a way only Harls and her girls could. Then BFFs Harley and Ivy are tasked with an important mission by the master of the Green, Swamp Thing! We also get a glimpse of Harley's days are Joker's side piece as she faces celebrating her birthday along. Lastly, it's a battle of sidekicks as Harley takes on Robin in a story that reflects her inner struggle to be a baddie with a heart. 

This was a wonderful collection of stories celebrating one of my all-time favorite looneys. I am a huge fan of crazy characters from The Tick to Deadpool and everything in between. I think it's because I struggle with depression and anxiety; sometimes at the same time. When I see heroic characters dealing with mental health issues, I think it normalizes an otherwise very abnormal life. Harley Quinn is definitely one of those characters that has given me both a lot of laughs and a lot to reflect on.

Many thanks to character creator, Paul Dini for giving us Harls! Kudos to Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner for the amazing job they've done over the past several years with her! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars!

Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica

Mr. Lodge wants to convert a swamp into a shopping center. Unhappy with this project, Poison Ivy, with Harley Quinn in tow, travels to Riverdale to persuade Hiram to cease production. But when Mr. Lodge refuses, Ivy goes to plan B- kidnap his daughter Veronica.

Seeing their chance at a costume ball, Ivy and Harley are poised to snatch Veronica. However, a little magical snafu, thanks to Sabrina, causes Harley and Ivy to switch bodies with Betty and Veronica. Oh, and Reggie now thinks he's the Joker! Plus add a cadre of unusual villains to the mix, such as a gangster with a peach for a head, and you've got an odd-ball tale that could only come from Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko!

I had previously reviewed the first issue of this series sometime last year. Or maybe it was 2016. Anyways, I really enjoyed what I read and I wanted more. But my budget not being infinite, I wanted until everything was collected in one volume. 

Finally getting my hands on the hard cover collection, I enjoyed the funny romp through Riverdale and Gotham City. However, it's wasn't as good as I think it could have been. See, this crossover takes place in the rebooted modern Archie universe. Here Mr. Lodge is a businessman of questionable ethics. Betty and Veronica despise each other. Archie is a floundering typical teen with very little direction in life. (He's also pretty boring as a modern American teen!) There's just too much millennial teen angst here! The only one who is sheer perfection is Jughead!

I would have preferred that this adventure take place in the original Archie realm. But during both the planning stage of this miniseries and when the series first debuted in stores, a revival of Classic look Archie wasn't on the horizon. Thankfully, that has now changed with Dan Parent leading the renaissance of good feels Riverdale. 

The art by Laura Braga was done in the DC style of Harley Quinn. I enjoyed it. Braga captures all of the characters very well. Plus I love the timeless touches she adds to the story like using a Classic Archie era image on the cover of Archie's copy of 'Captain Pureheart' comic.

There was also a ton of awesome cameos and Easter eggs. That was thanks in very large part to the nostalgia heavy Paul Dini. I don't want to give them all away. But in this mini we see the return of a L'il Archie staple- L'il Jinx! 

I had fun reading this book. As I always say, Paul Dini is the definitive Harley Quinn writer, having been her creator and all that. There's lots of old school nods and cool Gotham City twists. But let's face it, this is modern style Archie Comics. For fans of the TV show Riverdale, this is great. But it's not my cup of tea. I don't want to know the seedy side of the River's Edge. 

Should there be a sequel, hopefully they'll give Dan Parent a go at it. That more wholesome, good-time version of America's oldest teenagers is the one I want to see interact with Harley and Ivy. It worked for Archie when he meet The Punisher. It could work here too!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

DC's Nuclear Winter Special #1

I've read my share of holiday specials. Okay, I've read a lot of people's share of holiday specials. I must say that 2018's DC's Nuclear Winter Special has got to be one of the most unusual ones that I have ever come across. 

10 stories of the holidays! Each set during times of future calamity by artists and writers such as Paul Dini, Jerry Ordway, Steve Orlando and many, many more. 

I'm not really sure why DC decided to go the dismal route. I've seen quite a few opinions from loyal DC Comics fans online. A majority felt that this was a sort of nose-thumbing to our current presidential administration. Every story does end with hope of a better tomorrow, so possibly DC is trying really hard to say that things might look bad now, but even in the face of a nuclear war or zombie apocalypse or Great Disaster, things can get better. Still, things just weren't quite right with this one-shot.

The 80-page giant begins with Rip Hunter in the future. With his time sphere out of juice, he must fend off a trio of angry techno-barbarians from making him their futuristic Christmas dinner. To buy himself some time, Rip tells the group a slew of stories about other superheroes as they bring a new meaning to 'surviving the holidays.'

My favorite stories include Supergirl, now a woman, trying to save the life of an orphaned girl. Aquaman is tasked by scientists to enter a dead spot in the ocean in hopes of finding a cure for the deadly radiation of a nuclear attack. Firestorm spends Christmas Eve with the Nuclear Family. Plus the Damian Wayne Batman faces ghosts of Christmas past when he is ultimately confronted by grandpa Ra's al Ghul.

Of course, you can't have an apocalyptic holiday special without the Jack Kirby character of Kamandi. His tale is set during Hanukkah and feels like a set-up to a new Last Boy on Earth series.

There's also some fairly decent stories involving Green Arrow and Black Canary as grandparents to a new generation of Justice Leaguers, The Flash stuck in the Speed Force, and others starring Catwoman and J'onn J'onzz.

There's not really a bad story in the bunch. It's just that this year's holiday special wasn't very cheery at all. I hope 2019's edition is much better at this. Nothing says you can't do a holiday special featuring the animated universe. I would pay $13 for a 100-pager featuring the Super Friends, the Max Fleischer Superman, Batman: TAS and The Brave and the Bold and the original Teen Titans Go!

Now let's talk about what was bad- the cover. No, I am not talking about the image of Wonder Woman carrying the corpse of a dead kangaroo. That part of the cover did annoy a lot of fans who claim that Diana was a) a vegetarian and b) an animal lover. I say if in a nuclear winter if food is scarce and you have hungry friends, you change your beliefs a little to save the day. 

No, my issue was with the fact that Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn are both on the cover but neither have stories inside the book. DC is big on the Old Lady Harley storyline that takes place in the dismal future. Having a Christmas yarn set during that era would have been an appropriate tie-in to that miniseries. Just as long as you did not make that story be one in which you had to buy the next issue of Old Lady Harley to get the conclusion to the holiday tale, I would be on board with it's inclusion here. The same goes for Wonder Woman. She could have had a place in the book other that being relegated to cover page eye candy.

A good read that promises treats but inside gives coal to fans of Harley and Diana Prince. Great artwork and very good stories. However, it's not as joyful as holiday specials past. DC's Nuclear Winter Special is the sort of thing that would bum out Whoville. Better luck next time, DC and please consider doing an animated series holiday special for 2019!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Radioactive Man: A Radioactive Repository, Volume One

As a fan of the Simpsons comic books, I've come across a couple of single issues of Radioactive Man. I had noticed that some issues were numbered really high, like in the 6 and 700s. I thought it was quite odd as the Simpson title hadn't even hit the 200s yet (at the time.)

Well, at a recent library graphic novel rummage sale, I found this issue for just a few dollars and I ended up getting my answer about the high numbers. See in the Simpson universe, Radioactive Man has been going on since the 1940s. The books are published by Bongo Comics. In a unique art becomes life way, the real Bongo Comics issued several issues of Radioactive Man classic releases as they would have appeared on the shelf of the Kwik-E Mart.

The issues were from different decades of the history of Radioactive Man, going all the way to his 1940s origin to the swinging 60s and onto the grim 90s. To make the release of these books complete, Bongo went on to collect those issues as well as add in a few extras to create this compendium of the most important chapters in the life of Radioactive Man and his sidekick, Fallout Boy!

This book goes so far as to have the great Paul Dini (creator of Harley Quinn) to pen a forward about the history of how Radioactive Man came to be and his extensive run on stage, screen, and TV. 

It's all rather quite funny and silly. And to only pay $4, it was a freakin' steal. I can even overlook a few of the continuity errors, since I'm not really 100% sure if they were intentional or not. 

Bongo went on a few years later to put out a second set of classic issues. To my knowledge, there has never been a volume two. But that's okay. Because all of those issues are contained within as well! 2 whole series/ only $4 whole bucks. What a bargain!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Harley Quinn: Harley Loves Joker #2

Upon buying the second issue of this two-part  miniseries, I learned that this story isn't so much a sequel to the 1994 Batman: The Animated Series story Mad Love as a continuation of a 2017 story in the pages of the Harley Quinn Rebirth comic book series.

With that new knowledge, would I have bought issue #1? More than likely yes. Because I love Paul Dini's Harley. But I would have waited to read this until after I had a chance to read those backups first!

I do feel like this story plays off of Mad Love as Harley has a real metaphysical moment here where she's starting to realize that her relationship with the Joker is pretty toxic. I also liked the explanation as to why Harley Quinn changed her costume from crazed jester to insane roller derby enthusiast.

Once again, Bret Blevins art style goes from good to Good Lord! It starts out in this very neat and clean Amanda Conner kinda whimsy. But by the last page, it all looks like a Tex Avery cartoon. It would have been an okay style in which to do Harley Loves Joker. But Blevins just isn't consistent about his art style.

A very good Harley Quinn story. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Plus it doesn't help that the art is all over the place. Kinda annoying.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Harley Quinn: Harley Loves Joker #1

Paul Dini returns to the character he knows best- Harley Quinn! This miniseries is supposed to be a sequel to the classic 1994 story Mad Love. But I really don't know where this book is in any way a sequel.

What I do know is that Harley is in a lot of debt to the Neverland Gang and has less than a week to pay it back. To do this, Harley and her Puddin’, The Joker need to score a major heist. Yet, there's a new player to the Gotham underworld that keeps getting in the way- as well as all the loot!

The story itself is really good. Just as only Nixon should go to China, Harley Quinn should only be written by Dini!

I don't quite know what to think about the artwork. Bret Blevins’ art starts out in this issue very neat and clean. But his drawing quality really deteriorates over the progression of the first chapter. Was Blevins pressed for time with the deadline? Did he get a hand cramp? Was he just bored with the project?

I really don't know. But it really was a distraction. Hopefully issue #2 will be better. More than that, I really hope I see the connection between this story and Mad Love!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Action Comics #1000

Action Comics #1000

Writers: Paul Dini, Dan Jurgens, Brian Michael Bendis,   et al
Artists: Curt Swan, John Romita Jr., Joshua Middleton, et al

Published by DC Comics

Normally when i review a comic book for Outrightgeekery, I am required to post who the artists and writers for a book are. But if I was to list all of the talent in this book, it would take up the entire review!

The historic Action Comics #1000 was a star-studded event with so many big names it rivals most awards ceremonies. And that’s just the talent! This issue marks the 80th anniversary of the debut of Superman. As a result just about every major player to have ever graced the pages of Action Comics– Batman, Lois Lane, Luthor, and some super-duper guests just too good to mention without spoiling the surprise!

One of the biggest surprises I that it is perfectly okay to mention is that this issue brings about the debut of Brian Michael Bendis into the DC Universe. The final story titled ‘The Truth’ acts as an opening act for the 6-issue The Man of Steelminiseries set to change the Superman mythos later this summer!

Last month DC announced that all of the Superman Family titles including Super Sons and Supergirl were being cancelled to make room for the arrival of Bendis. I was quite concerned that Superman’s cousin was going to wiped from existence AGAIN! But the Maid of Might plays a vital role in the Bendis penned finale. Hopefully, this means Kara Danvers will be playing a big role in the plans Bendis has for Superman.

Action #1000 is an 80-page giant, retailing for $7.99. Most of the time, I hear nothing but complaints for the price with these type of specials. That hasn’t been the case here! I’ve heard nothing but good things in anticipation for this anniversary issue and I felt the same way reading this. Well, I did have one complaint- I didn’t want this amazing tribute to the Man of Steel to end!

Surely this issue is going to sell out. Of course, there will be a second and probably a third print! But if you want to take advantage of getting a first edition, you have better act fast- like faster than a speeding bullet fast! But once you read this amazing issue, you’ll be leaping over tall buildings in a single bound jump for joy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars.

Young Monsters In Love #1

Leave it to DC Comics to not just provide it's devoted fan base with a Valentines Day special! A sappy love fest of unrequited romance between two unlikely paramours just will not do for DC! Nope! Instead, DC Comics has issued a holiday special devoted to cupids and chocolates starring some of it's most popular supernatural characters.

Why use monsters in a Valentines Special? Part of the quirky fun of many B-movie horror films is when the beastly main character falls in love with a beautiful damsel in distress. King Kong falling for Faye Raye. The Creature From the Black Lagoon lusting after Julia Adams. And who can forget Tor Johnson's deformed Lobo saving Loretta King from a deranged Bela Lugosi in Bride of the Monster? Creatures of the night and romance are B-movie box office gold!

While Young Monsters In Love #1 may take it's inspiration from the schlock horror films of the 50s and 60s, this special is full of A-list talent. It features over a half dozen stories written by some of the best comic book talent in the industry, topped off by Batman: The Animated Series' Paul Dini. Jeff Lemire, Steve Orlando, Phil Hester and many more craft stories of love, loss, and monsters. 

Some highlights include:

• 'Heart Shaped Box'- A House of Secrets quality story in which Swamp Thing enacts revenge against a team of mercenaries that interrupt Swampy's V-Day plans with a lady botanist.
• 'Be My Valentine'- Deadman helps a bullied child get some revenge against those who made it the worst Valentines exchange party of all-time.
• 'Dear Velcoro'- One of the Creature Commandos receives a Dear John letter in-between missions in Nazi Germany.
• Monsieur Mallah goes shopping for his Valentine, The Brain, by robbing a Lexcorp research facility in 'Visibility.'
• 'Pieces of Me'-Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. pens a letter to his Bride, highlighting the complicated history between the two lovers.
• And in 'Nocturnal Animal', Kirk Langstrom struggles to battle his own personal demon, the Man-Bat, in the light of his crumbling relationship with his wife Francine.

DC has a habit of turning one or two of their featured holiday stories into miniseries or regular titles. If the pattern continues, I hope that the powers that be will offer more Paul Dini penned Deadman adventures. I know that there's currently a Deadman miniseries written and penciled by Neal Adams. It's good, but Dini's take gave the character of Boston Brand a warmth and life not seen in over 30 years. 

Overall, Young Monsters In Love was an unexpected delight. I didn't learn about this special until just a couple of weeks ago. Every story was masterfully written. The artwork was varied but brilliantly crafted by talents such as Guillem March and Kelley Jones, whose 1950s sci-fi movie inspired poster cover was so very retro and awesome!

The only thing that I wasn't a fan of was the price. With a cover price of $9.99, that's still pretty lofty, even if this was an 80-page giant. But I am a sucker for holiday specials of any type and what was inside the cover was flawless fun! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1

Written by Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko
Art by Laura Braga
Covers by Amanda Conner & Paul Mounts, Adam Hughes
Published by DC Comics and Archie Comics

Let's Hear it for Ecology

Mr. Lodge is planning on putting up a state of the art community atop of Riverdale's Sweetwater Swamp. This includes a mini mall and new university with free education for all of the teens of the township. But the destruction of the swamp will mean that dozens of rare species of plant-life indigenous to the area will go extinct. For Poison Ivy, that simply cannot be.

So Ivy and Harley Quinn travel to Riverdale in hopes of changing Hiram Lodge's mind. But if that doesn't work, then maybe a little kidnapping for ransom might change old Mr. Lodge's mind. Of course Mr. Lodge is going to say 'No!'

Thus Veronica Lodge is in the cross hairs of Harley and Ivy's latest scheme to save the area wetlands. Add a costume party gala to the mix. Turn the rivalry between Betty and Veronica to eleven. Then watch the sparks fly when the two sets of ladies end up wearing the same costumes to the ball! You've got a recipe for disaster that will hopefully come to a head in the next issue.

The Chemistry of Crossovers

I've mentioned in the past that typical comic book crossovers follow a certain formula. The first issue has to bring the two parties together- first by establishing a motif and then the pathway narrows to a point where on the very last page, the groups finally meet face-to-face. That pattern is followed here to the letter. In other words, Harley & Ivy have yet to actually meet Betty & Veronica. But believe me, next month, it is going to happen and I expect the results to be epic.

One thing a little off putting about this issue was the sheer cattiness between Betty and Veronica. Maybe it's because Harley Quinn creator Paul Dini isn't quite as familiar with writing an Archie Comic. But he's got Archie scribe Marc Andreyko helping him out. So maybe the two Archie love interests really are that obnoxious in the rebooted Archie universe.

There were a couple of things really going for this book. The addition of Kevin Keller and Sabrina the Teenage Witch really added a much needed dash of humor to the petty rivalry between Cooper and Lodge. Plus I really liked the scene in which Archie is dressed as Captain Pureheart. In the 60s, there were a series of stories in which the Archie gang were superheroes. Having the new Archie refer to a comic book that shows classic Archie as Pureheart was a nice nod to the rich history of Archie Comics as well as DC.

The Verdict is...

I enjoyed this opening issue. It wasn't the most perfect team-up. NO- that's not right. The formula was executed flawlessly. I just think I had my expectations for this miniseries ramped up to high. I was suckered into believing that the two universes would really get into it sooner than they would.

Plus Harley Quinn is way too lucid in this. She's actually the voice of reason to a very off-the-rails Poison Ivy. An interesting twist. But I wanted a little more insanity in this story and less soap opera between all parties.

The art by Archie reboot mastermind Laura Braga is very good. I don't have any complaints there. But man are the regular and variant covers awesome! I love Amanda Conner's regular cover having the villains take Betty and Veronica's iconic place on both sides of Archie sharing a soda. And the Adam Hughes variant- OH MY GOD! He does stunning work of the ladies in a very tongue-in-cheek situation. It's my wish that he'll continue to be the artists on the remaining variants in this series.

Harley& Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica was a nice start that promises to only get better. Hopefully, more laughs and less drama will be infused. Often a crossover has great readership that dies off by the last couple of issues. Don't fall into that trap! Stick with this story. I have faith that Paul Dini will pull off one of the great crossovers in modern comics history. He just needs a little time to really get cooking.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Dark Knight: A True Batman Story

   In the early 90s, Paul Dini was on top of the world. His work on the Batman: The Animated Series won him an Emmy. The show was a massive hit. He had a hot (but not really serious) girlfriend. Dozens of projects were falling in line for the writer.   
    But it all came crashing down one warm night when two men mugged and savagely beat him. Dini needed months of surgery, recovery, and healing. Sadly, the celebrated screenwriter spiraled into a dark depression and alcohol problem. Thankfully, he had the characters of his beloved Batman series to help him find his way out into the light.
     Most Batman stories hint at real life but still fall quite short. This biographical look at a segment at Dini's life was the real deal. It was such an insightful look at the creation of one of my all-time favorite TV shows- not just cartoons- TV shows period!
     If you love Batman: The Animated Series. If you want the inside scoop at the creation of Harley Quinn, the Joker's girlfriend. If you love metaphysical and psychological true crime thrillers- this is the non-fiction Batman graphic novel you've been waiting for.
    A Must Read! But with very graphic violence and some very raw emotions and language, this DC/ Vertigo graphic novel is for mature readers only!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Harley Quinn

Love her or hate her, but there was no denying that Harley Quinn was the DC darling of 2016. She was everywhere- the big screen as a member of the Suicide Squad, at least 2 new series hit shelves, bringing her total to 3. She guest starred everywhere from the pages of Batman to Scooby-Doo. Facebook was crammed pack with cosplayers and aspiring artists paying tribute to the Joker's girlfriend. So of course DC Comics was going to reissue this treasury of essential Harley Quinn stories originally published in 1999.   
    The book covers Harley's first official appearance in the DC Universe in Harley Quinn #1. Why Batman Adventures #12, the ever so more demanded first appearance of Harley in print wasn't covered is beyond me?! But this is a nice collection of stories covering Harley's initial whirlwind romance to her attempts to break away from Mister J and become her own woman. Poison Ivy, the Riddler, Scarface, and the Dark Knight make extremely memorable appearances here. 
    I read the third edition of this anthology. Being the third print, DC added some new work, including a reprint of Detective Comics #23.2. Part of the New 52 Forever Event, this story reboots the character's origin, as well as her look and locks in her affiliation with the Suicide Squad. As a Harley purist, this was perhaps my least favorite of the collection. But it was interesting getting to finally explore the ins-and-outs of this change.
    A very good collection featuring great writing by Harley Quinn creator Paul Dini and a score of other writers and artists like Joe Kubert, Alex Ross, Neil Googe, and Bruce Timm.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.