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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Big Book of Weirdos

Technically this book was a re-read. Only I read this book years ago. Long before I started to keep a reading journal. The first time I encountered this book was when I was living in Durham NC, after having just got married. So at most, I read this book for the first time 25 years ago. The Big Book of Weirdos was one of the Durham Public Library Main Branch's few honest-to-God graphic novels placed in the graphic novel section of the library. In those days, if you went looking for graphic novels at the library, you were lucky if you could find something other than Garfield and Bloom County on the shelves.

This book written by Carl Posey examines the lives of famous people we collectively think of as rather strange, like Howard Hughes, depraved, such as Rasputin and Caligula, or rather terrifying, such as Ivan the Terrible. However, the majority of the book is made up of people who had underlying mental illness brought about the abuse of drugs and alcohol or those whose lives spiraled out of control because they lived in an age of primitive mental health practices or were surrounded by 'yes men'. Occasionally, there's a subject or two of which my grandmother would classify as 'just damn mean.'

This is the 6th book from Paradox Press that I now own. I love these treasuries of various subjects that are given the short story sequential art treatment by multiple talents. In this edition, Rick Geary, Batton Lash, Kieron Dwyer and Frank Quietly are among over 5 dozen talented artists who contributed. There's about 8 more books in the series out there that I hope to one day get my hands on.

Though I haven't read them all yet, The Big Book of Weirdos is one of more spicier books. Sex, murder, cheating, corruption are just some of the seven deadly sins being broken in this book. And that's not to mention the 10 Commandments, of which at least 13 are broken by the artists, politicians and socialites whose alternative lifestyles are examined inside.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

I know it doesn't happen often. But I do occasionally read full length prose novels. I've been trying to make it a point to read 10 pages a day of material related to my chosen degree and teaching field: culinary. I get all sorts of professional training for the teaching part of my job. But I noticed that I wasn't doing much to continue my learning in the culinary field. 

I actually started this book in 2020. I had gotten through about 200 of the 442 pages of this book. And then the pandemic hit and I wanted nothing to do with reading books that weren't fun or escapist in nature. 

After reading a book about the history of the tomato, I decided to dive back into this book by award-winning journalist, Mark Kurlansky. I was a big fan of Kurlansky's 2006 work The Big Oyster; an extensive look at America's obsession with oysters and other types of shellfish. I had seen this work on library shelves previously and had it on my wish list to read some day when I found a used copy for only a buck. 

Salt: A World History is a huge read for a single book devoted to one (and the only) edible rock. From prehistoric day need through the rise of the Greeks and Romans all the way through the American Revolution to the restructuring of global powers after World War I and II, everything you needed to know about salt is in this book. Just about every chapter begins with the process of how a particular civilization gleaned or produced their supply of salt. Then we see how salt was needed to preserve meats and other foods. Finally, we examine the dreaded salt takes and subsequent wars and/or revolutions that came about because stupid politicians decided that filling their coffers were more important that filling the cupboards of the general populace. 

After a couple hundred pages of what feels like the same chapter just with the names and locations switched, the readings got a little boring. Once we got into the last 150 years of history, things changed and the book got rather interesting. Refrigeration ended the need for so much salt. Since cold air could keep your food as fresh as salting it, but with much less effort, the way people prepared foods changed. The need for salt nosedived. As a result, governments that relied on revenue from salt increased the taxes and tariffs imposed on the mineral and people revolted. 

I did not know how vital it was for the Northern forces to destroy the South's ability to produce salt in order to win the Civil War. I had heard Gandhi marched to the sea. But I didn't know that he went there to protest England's ban on even the poorest of Indian citizens from harvesting salt privately. I had no idea about China's ingenious way of using the natural gas found among salt deposits as a way to heat their home, much less to fuel their public bus lines. Plus, I didn't know how the search for salt itself was vital to the discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania and Texas! There was a ton of fascinating stuff to learn about salt in the modern era of world history. 

I noticed that cod is talked about a lot in this book. That's because about 5 years prior, Kurlansky wrote a historical account of the North Atlantic fish. I'm betting he got a lot of inspiration to write this book from his research on cod. I own that book and I think after I read a couple other culinary related books, to switch things up, I'll be learning more from Mark Kurlansky. 

Salt was interesting. It was also a bit repetitive. I guess there are only so many ways to make the millennial age old process of obtaining salt seem different before you run out of ideas. Definitely a good read. But one that only the most serious of food lover, professionals and scholars are going to enjoy as this is a very complex book on one of the world's most vital resources.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Best Political Cartoons of the Year 2005 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The political cartoon. It's an institution as American as mom, apple pie, and baseball. For the year that was 2004, it was a banner year to be an editorial artist.

2004 was a presidential election year. The candidates the American people had to choose from were the incumbent, George W. Bush vs. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. The roller coaster economy, traditional home values and the war on terror were deciding factors in an election that was too close to call until election day.

Iraq was a frequent topic for political cartoonists. Saddam Hussein's war trail occurred in 2004. With his capture, the debate raged as to not only should America continue to have a presence in the Middle Eastern nation, but also as to why we were there in the first place. A scandal involving the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison by US soldiers took over the editorial page for a while. And the commencement of the 2004 Olympics in Athens had everyone on the edge of their seats. Not because of gold medal fervor; but to see if the global event was going to be the next target of terrorists. 

There was more to 2004 than the election, Irag and the war on terror. The Boston Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino and finally won the World Series for the first time since 1918. DIY guru Martha Stewart went to prison for insider stock trading. A series of hurricanes targeted Florida. And several big time celebs passed away including Superman's Marlon Brando and his on-screen son, the man of steel himself, Christopher Reeve. There's also a special section at editorial cartoons from around the world, with the focus being how other countries view American policy.

This book is titled as The Best Political Cartoons of 2005. But all of the material within the covers are from 2004. Editor Daryl Cagle did it this way because both the Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Cartooning and several other similar awards are now presented for the year prior but in the when it wasp physically awarded. So Herblock winner Matt Davies, whose winning portfolio is presented in this volume, won the 2005 award for his work done in 2004.

I didn't choose this compendium of cartoons to be political. I choose this collection as I am down to just 2 tasks on my 2022 reading challenge and it's been darn near impossible to find a comic book or graphic novel with an index inside it. This book was placed in the used graphic novel section of my favorite LCS. And this book promises an index, of which there is! So, I am counting it. 

An interesting look by at 2004. I recall a lot of the events that happened in this year. I just can't believe it's been 16 years since it all happened!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #30 (With an Index) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Essential Howard The Duck, Vol. 1

Other than a certain first appearance by a super girl, this book was the oldest item on my wish list until just recently. This volume covers the entire Steve Gerber run of the groundbreaking Howard the Duck comic from the 1970s. Gerber had problems with deadlines and was replaced after issue #27. If the quality didn't suffer, the creative juices surely did with Gerber's dismissal. Howard was stuffed just 4 issues later.

With the debut of 1986 box office BOMB- Howard returned for a few more issues with original numbering. But like I said, the live-action film starring Back To The Future's Lea Thompson was a massive stinker and Howard's time was once again cut short. 

There was also a Howard the Duck Magazine that lasted 9 issues. It featured more edgier stories that even the envelope-pushing comic couldn't skirt pass the Comics Code. Those are harder to find and more expensive. Yet despite this book being listed as volume 1, with the elimination of Marvel's it seems like I'll never get the rest of Howard's story. But that's actually not the case. About 5 years ago, Marvel re-issued 4 volumes of full color material starring the grumpy mallard. So, I might be able to get everything else on my wish list without going broke.

The original Howard the Duck was a throw-away character in the pages of Man-Thing. LITERALLY! But he feel into our hearts as well as down-town Cleveland in the very first pages of his own title. Howard The Duck was a reflection of the odds and loose ends of the late 70s. With the end of Nixon and the completion of the Vietnam War, America was fractured and the whole world seemed ready to just fall to pot. And Howard was there to point out all our problems. 

From parodying some of Marvels greatest heroes of the time period to mocking Star Wars, Big Apple vigilantism and the 1976 election, nothing was safe in Steve Gerber's hands. This collection isn't perfect. There's some slang terms and jokes that in 2020 would have gotten Gerber cancelled. But I see the intention on Gerber's part to point out a lot of the flaws of 1970s society.

This was a series that also experimented with creative writing. There's one issue that's nothing but essays. (Check out a cameo first appearance of the main characters of Vertigo's Nevada). For the most part, I enjoyed the pathways Gerber explored. But I hated what he did with the ahead of it's time inter-species relationship between duck Howard and human Beverly. I don't want to spoil things but Gerber leaves things ill-fated. That's all I'll say...

A book ahead of it's time that will be honored for all-time in the hearts of comic book collectors and historians. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Divided States of Hysteria #1

Chaykin’s America

The President and his Cabinet have been killed in a coup attempt. As a result, the intelligence community is in panic mode. Swarms of drones survey the nation. These flyers tag potential threats to the American way of life and then smite the potential offender out with prejudice. This sort of surveillance is making every American paranoid and the walls of democracy look like they are about to come tumbling down.

Howard Chaykin (American Flagg) crafts this story about modern America in order to ask some very deep questions. Should we lose our freedoms in order to remain free from lawlessness? How far is too far to go to protect democracy? Does America even deserve being being saved if it loses it’s soul in the process?

An Envelope Pushed Too Far?

Divided States of Hysteria debuts on June 7. However, I’ve seen a little bit of anger already towards this series from people posting about it on Facebook. Howard Chaykin will not deny that he is a very liberal person with a patriotic streak. Works like his American Flagg are proof of that. As a result, Chaykin has made quite a few enemies in the comics industry, including a portion of his fan base.

When it comes to Divided States, some readers are angered by Chaykin’s excessive use of violence, sex, and Quentin Tarantino’s favorite F-word. One such post in a Facebook group claimed that the writer/artist was too anti-Republican and trying to be ‘controversial for controversy’s sake.’ But I don’t think that this book was the same as a comedienne raising a bloody decapitated of an elected official.

Howard Chaykin may have killed off the President. But he doesn’t say that the assassinated leader of the free world is Donald Trump. Numerous writers and TV series have killed off world leaders as a plot device for stories about the war on terror and the loss of privacy. It’s not a new thing, nor is it a political statement when it happens. When issue #1 hits store shelves later this week, it will piss off quite a few readers. But that’s not why I was not a fan of Divided States.

Nowhere To Escape

When I read a comic these days, I want to be able to escape from reality. Yes – I love the relevant comics of O’Neill and Adams among others. Yes – the medium has been and is still a premium outlet to speak out about social injustice. However, I am getting a little burned out with the constant stream of horrors going around in the world and at home. I need a break from tragedy to stay a little sane. Often, I need the insanity of the Tick or the surrealism of Deadpool to stay grounded in reality. Howard Chaykin’s newest series is not the best way to do that.

When it comes to information overload, this book is set to the max. The Divided States of Hysteria is very chaotic. But it’s not a fun chaos like Marvel’s Slapstick. Every page is filled with computer gibberish, Twitter-like posts, and insane levels of information. I liked the touch where Chaykin gives one villain the last name of Noone (as in No One.) It was one of the few Easter eggs I took pleasure in uncovering.

Speaking of touches, I felt that Chaykin’s art showed some serious decline. There were panels I could not tell if it was really Chaykin’s work or unused images of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight III. This kind of thing happens to artists are they get older and it’s very sad. Maybe it’s time that Chaykin sticks to just writing the stories from now on.

This series would make a great thriller if it didn’t hit so very close to home. The first issue of the Divided States of America reads almost like the daily newspaper, if those paper journals weren’t an almost forgotten relic of the past. Lone Wolf terror attacks at a major transportation hub. An angry man with a grudge goes postal on an innocent group of people. A transgendered person is brutally assaulted when their secret is exposed. I didn’t just read it in a Image Comic – I saw it last night on CNN!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 82

   On this date in Madman history, journalist David Frost would conduct his first of 20 some odd interviews with former President Richard Nixon. Over the next month or so, Frost would interview Nixon near his California home for an hour or two every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It was Nixon's first interview since he resigned from office in 1974. It was also an series of interviews that would take David Frost from satirical newsman to serious newscaster.

     This whole event is in one way or another Family Madman. My father was a huge fan of Nixon. He idolized the man. A member of the young Republicans when Nixon was in office, my dad NEVER thought that the President did any wrong in the Watergate scandal.

    As for myself, I have an affinity for David Frost. Frost was the Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert of his time. In the 60s, he hosted a satirical news show called 'That Was The Week That Was.' The show skewered everything from the Royal Family to the Beatles. This series only lasted 2 years but it would spawn another David Frost lead vehicle  called 'The Frost Report.' Several of the writers of that 'news show' would go on to make comedy history.

    Do these names sound familiar? John Cleese. Graham Chapman. Eric Idle. Michael Palin. Terry Jones. These guys would go on to form the legendary comedy troupe Monty Python's Flying Circus. And it all started thanks to David Frost. 

1977: A Madman Turns 40: Day 81

   On this date in Madman history, India's first female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi would resign from office after both her and her son lost soundly in elections. She would leave office 2 days later. 
   
    This wouldn't be the last the world would hear of Indira Gandhi. She would win re-elections in 1980 and would stay in office until October 31st of 1984 when two of her bodyguards assassinated her in defiance to her military actions against an insurgency lead by a militant Sikh religious leader. 
   

Theatrical release poster for Gandhi, 1982.

    As a child, the film Gandhi starring Ben Kingsley was a massive hit. It stole the Academy Award for Best Picture for the Empire Strikes Back. WELLLLLLLLLL......

    Upon doing a little research for today's article, turns out I was wrong about that. Sir Richard Attenborough's Gandhi was released in 1982. Empire was in 1980. So, all this time I've been mad that Gandhi won Best Picture over my favorite film of all time- I actually should have been mad at Ordinary People, one of my wife's favorite films. 

Prime Minister Nehru, Indira's father
and unintentional fashion icon.

    I guess this is a good time to speak of another confusion that has to do with the film Gandhi. As I had mentioned a few days back, my parents watched the Nightly World News every night and I was strongly encouraged to do the same. So, I would always pick up bits and pieces about world events. When Indira Gandhi was murdered in 1984, because of popularity of the Gandhi motion picture, I always thought that she was Gandhi's daughter or daughter-in-law. It turns out she was neither. They both had the same last name and I was 6- give me a break folks!

Young Indira with Mahatma Gandhi, 1924.

    Yes- Indira knew the beloved advocate for independence from England. But her father was Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minster of India. And NO- her last name was not some sort of tribute to Gandhi. Indiri Nehru meet a man who would be her future husband with last name of Gandhi but he was no relation to the political legend.

News of Indira Ganghi's death is front page news,
The Washingto Post, 10/31/84.

     So that's my very confused look at my favorite year for today. I learned a lot about misconceptions I had as a child. I just hope that I don't get confused and think all this stuff wrong again years later.

     Until tomorrow...

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 37

  On this date in 1977 history, a former actor and governor of California gave a speech in  front of the CPAC- the Conservative Political Action Conference. The man in question was Ronald Reagan. In another 4 years, Reagan would become our 40th President, defeating Jimmy Carter who had just been sworn in a few days prior. But it's at this speech that political commentators and historians as the turning point in which the Republican party became the party of Reagan conservatism. 
   

Reagan, greeting the crowd at CPAC,
February 6, 1977.

    The point of today's article isn't to delve into Reagan's politics or even the subject matter of the speech. Nor am I trying to make parallels between Reagan's being an outsider to the Republican Party in 1977 with that of Donald Trump. No, the point of A Madman Turns 40 is to reflect on things from my birth year and how they impacted my life. Well, Ronald Reagan was a big part of my life as a child.

    My mother loved Reagan and she actually worked on his re-election campaign. I did too. At age 7, I remember stuffing envelopes and working at the Republican headquarters in Raleigh, NC. Why I was even taken to election rallies, voter registration drives, and a victory party at the Raleigh Hilton on election night. 

   Apparently, my mother also wanted me to experience the Reagan White House, because in 1988, my mom cashed in some political favors and got VIP tickets to tour the President's House. We never got to meet Reagan, but we got to go to extra rooms to nobody normally gets to tour, including the Lincoln Bedroom and at tour's end, we each got a small bag of Red, White, and Blue jelly beans that were President Reagan's favorite. 

    I guess my parents really wanted me involved in the political process. 

    I'm not entirely sure about that, but I have no doubt that things like the events of the 1984 election inspired me to become a history major and teacher. Though I am a chef instructor, I still love history and it plays a very large part in my lectures. You can't talk about food culture without learning the historical impacts that craft them.

JFK- another Presidential favorite of mine.

   By the way, in case you are wondering, my 5 favorite President's of the United States are-
1. Ronald Reagan
2. John Kennedy
3. Harry Truman
4. Teddy Roosevelt
5. James Garfield

   Those first 4 Presidents it's not hard to see what I like them but why Garfield? Well, fun fact- if the Final Jeopardy category is about US Presidents, over 70% of the time, the answer is James Garfield. Don't know why, but it's true!

James Garfield, Republican, President, Final Jeopardy Answer.

   Well, until tomorrow- Good Night and May God Bless America!
    

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 20

President Carter's official Presidential Portrait,
National Gallery.

         40 years ago today, America got a new leader as Jimmy Carter became the 39th President of the United States. In one of his first acts as Supreme Leader, Carter will dive headfirst into a very tricky subject- the pardoning of Vietnam-Era draft dodgers. Due to his Christian values, Carter was personally compelled to showing others some mercy and as a result, pardoned thousands of draft dodgers who fled to Canada. Though many veterans protested this move, the act played a large part in helping the nation heal from the Vietnam War.

     Had he ran for President four years earlier, Carter probably wouldn't had won. But changes to the primary system for selecting the candidates made it more of a personable experience allowing for a little known governor from Georgia to beat out a Kennedy. Doesn't matter if the Kennedy was Teddy, Carter still beat him in a David and Goliath political battle of the ages.

      The Democrat Carter was a very controversial President. Not because he had some major scandal or was a total dirt-bag; he was pretty decent choir-boy of a fella. Not the debate over whether Carter was a good or bad President is because he was cursed with some rather bad luck. I'm not even talking about the Iranian hostage crisis or the flap with the Summer Olympics, or even the fuel crisis and huge rise in unemployment as a result of both international issues. 

     The bad luck I'm mentioning are things like how Carter fainted once during a jog from heat exhaustion on live TV. Plus, there's Carter's 'I lusted in my heart' Playboy interview that made him the subject of much ridicule over his morals and mockery as to his manliness. Let's also not forget the time that Carter was whisked away by Secret Service agents who protected the POTUS from a rabid bunny! (Seriously!) All three of which episodes were listed as reasons by one of my college professors as to factors that lead to the President being soundly defeated 4 years later by Republican Ronald Reagan. (BTW- she was a staunch Democrat and a biographer of Carter's presidency.)

The President and Mrs. Carter walking in the Inaugural Parade.

       It wasn't all bad for Carter. His ability as a master negotiator helped him foster a peace between Egypt and Israel. Plus Carter's  tenure in the Navy's nuclear program put him in the right position to deal with Three Mile Island, the closest we've ever come to a complete nuclear meltdown.

Carter's improbable run to the White House lead to him being named
Time's Man of the Year, January 3, 1977.
The same thing happened just recently with Donald Trump.
Both are sworn in on the same day, too!
Cue Twilight Zone theme...

       Jimmy Carter's career actually got better after his only term as President. He helped make Habitat for Humanity become a household name and even personally built some of the houses himself. He's written several best sellers including a children's book. His personal dedication to his fellow man has lead to him supporting dozens of humanitarian causes to which he won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. Plus, if there's an international crisis that a President needs personal help with, Carter is the man current Commander's-In Chief will call on to lead a diplomatic envoy.

      Being a liberal and Christian has resulted in Jimmy Carter being a very complicated man. For example, he's personally against abortion but has lead many campaigns to defend it's constitutionality and legality. Carter's never been afraid to criticize any of his predecessors, Republican or Democrat. Oddly enough, he's also the only former President to RSVP to be at Trump's inauguration today. (Obama doesn't count as until Trump is sworn it, he's still the current POTUS. And Bill Clinton is coming not as a former POTUS but as Hillary's Plus-One!)

Picture from January 11th, speaking on the eradication of
Guinea Worm Disease, another cause championed by the former President.

      40 years and 2 Dark Horses come out of nowhere and become Presidents. Coincidence? With election being every 4 years, maybe not. Or is it that after 8 years of one political parties way of thinking, people desire a change? In 1976, Carter defeated incumbent Gerald Ford because the people spoke that they were tired of the same-old same-old of the GOP with their vote. (Like with Trump, it was a very close election. Carter got more popular votes at 50.1% but carried less states than Ford.)

     I don't know why it is that Carter and Trump's road to the White House seem to have taken similar paths. I only hope that Trump's presidency doesn't go as bad or worse as Carter's did. Because if it does, God help us all!!!
   

A current and future President meet.
Photo from circa 1979.

DC Universe Decisions #4

It’s election day for the DC Universe. The culprit behind the attacks has been caught. The heroes have reeled in their political ambitions. And the American People are about to make their voice heard.

   However, before any of this can transpire, the Man of Steel grants Lois Lane an exclusive interview in order to do some damage control.

    I really enjoyed Superman’s speech. Here, it’s the Man of Tomorrow at his most humblest. He’s not some demigod among men, he’s an alien like we are all, only his homeland is light years away. I missed this version of the Big Boy Scout but I think I miss his idealism more.

   A great ending with some super creepy twists and one finely inspiring ending.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Universe Decisions #3

  The race for President is heating up. Under the guise of showing their support Bruce Wayne and Wonder Woman are able to embed themselves into more campaigns. But when a secret service agent turns on the politician he is assigned to protect, the stakes get higher. Ironically, this event helps Batman to figure out who is behind these mind controlled acts of terror. Now to bait the trap…

   Decisions returns to its political intrigue roots. When it clicks as a thriller, it’s like Marathon Man, but with superheroes.

    It’s not just a thriller. There are some very funny moments, especially thanks to the Flash, whose very perturbed that the media isn’t covering the assassination attempts as in depth as they are the circus of superheroes who are throwing their support behind a wide open field of candidates.

   One thing off with this issue is some of the art- in particularly, that of Lois Lane. Her eyeballs look like they take over all of her forehead. And there was one scene where is looks like she broke not only both arms but her wrists and all ten fingers. Really freaky looking.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

DC Universe Decisions #2

  After Green Arrow's impromptu endorsement of a presidential candidate, things come to a head between Ollie Queen and Hal Jordan.
   Meanwhile, as more candidates become targets of the mysterious bomber, even more superheroes go on the record for who they are endorsing for President. It seems that the only two heroes willing to stay impartial are Batman and Superman. But how do you explain the breaking news that a dark horse candidate has just picked up the support of Gotham City's favorite son, Bruce Wayne?
    The political intrigue takes a back seat to bickering and great sound bits of humor. But that's okay, I really did enjoy this chapter. Especially the twist of having Bruce Wayne endorse a candidate after just a couple of pages earlier Batman promises Superman that he'll not stoop to Green Arrow's level and play pundit.
   Is there going to be a major fight between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel? I don't know, but the implications would be epic.
   
   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

DC Universe Decisions #1

   Someone has a grudge against the candidate for President. Not just one candidate, but all of them and the person behind the scheme is using mind controlled suicide bombers to try and eliminate all of the competition. When former Doom Patrol member Robotman is nearly killed saving one of the candidates from an assassination attempt, it prompts the Justice League to get involved with the investigations.

   Assigned to security detail for one of the Democratic candidates, League member Green Arrow discovers that the bomber is using close members of each candidate's campaign to carry out the attacks. The attack also happens live on national television right after Arrow declares to there are no active bomb threats. To save face, the hero agrees to an interview. But Ollie makes things go from bad to worse, when he accidentally gives his endorsement for the job seeker he is supposed to protect.

   I had heard from friends that this miniseries from 2008 was really preachy. Maybe it gets that way in the later issues, but this opening issue didn’t feel preachy. It felt like an intense political thriller. Sure, Green Arrow makes everyone wallow in his self-righteousness, but hey so what else is new?

   Okay- the role reversals are totally new territory. The wild card candidate that says whatever is on his mind is the Democrat. The Republican candidate is an African American female who's considered even tempered and refined. I’m telling you, it’s this year’s election only reversed...

I’m wondering if the editors at DC planned it this way to avoid backlash because co-creator/ writer Judd Winick (Batman) is considered one of the more liberal voices in comics. Or maybe his writing partner Bill Willingham (Fables) kept him wheeled in.

   A good opening act. I hope it doesn’t go downhill from there.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Secret Files & Origins: President Luthor #1

I’ve read the story in which Luthor is elected President on the United States. I’ve also read his downfall in the pages of Superman/ Batman. Now, read the story behind the story as we learn what was Lex’s motivation, how he got Talia Al Ghul to take over LexCorp, and Superman’s reaction to the news.

The secret files are taken from Luthor’s very own private journals and they reveal a cunning mastermind who will let nothing get in his way and Woe, to the poor schmo who does.

A great read.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Election Day

   The days of the New York mayoral election are coming to a close and the polls show the race neck and neck. The only thing that could swing it in either sides favor is a massive takedown of a super villain or maybe your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

  A serial killer is on the loose and the murderer been planting patented Spider-Tracers on the corpses. With the cops on his trail, Spider-Man is seriously wounded. A quick escape is just what the web-slinger needs. But a run-in with a new Goblin-like menace (aptly named Menace) arrives on the scene and gives Spidey the fits, resulting in the wall-crawler's arrest. Thankfully, Spider-Man has lawyer Matt Murdock on retainer...

    Then in a history making team-up, Spider-Man comes to the aide of a guy named Barry on the streets of Washington D.C. The Spidey villain Chameleon seems to think that if he can take President-Elect Barack Obama's place during the inauguration, he'll become the 44th POTUS. But with the Spider-Man's Spider-Sense and the Knight Rider-like driving skills of Joe Biden, Democracy should still be save- for now.

  Lastly, Captain America and Spider-Man join forces to fight a group of robots that look like Abe Lincoln and members of his historic cabinet. Offended by the poor imitation, Capt. regales Spidey with a tale of the time the Sentinel of Freedom met Honest Abe thanks to the always trusty cosmic cube.

   All three stories were very good. I had read the Obama Election special somewhere before. Though, I don't remember Joe Biden being such a goof. I guess the VP's antics being constant fodder for the likes of Jimmy Fallon made me more aware of it.

   The main election story reminds me of how little I know of this era of Spider-Man. Yes, I am more of a DC person but I try to be very well round. Yet for some reason, the 90s and 00s were just a period of Marvel history that I have considerable gaps of knowledge.

   Published in 2008, Election Day to me marks the beginning of John Romita Jr's 'Big' period. I dunno if it's arthritis, or age, or just a change in styles, but this is the earliest accounts of all of the characters in his works becoming more barrel-chested and broad-faced. The art isn't lacking in quality and there are still glimpses of his iconic touch that made him a comic collector's household name in the 80s. But his artwork has definitely changed over the years.

   A very good volume that 5-6 years ago would've been priced in the $30-50 dollar range due to the hotness of Obama collectibles. But controversies, approval ratings, and the fickle nature of comic collectors have resulted in this book's value to drop considerably. I found my hardcover copy for $2.99 at Ollie's Discount!

    Take a gander for it, folks. You might get lucky like I did. And who knows... maybe after the election, this book might rise in price again...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Tick: Karma Tornado #6

   A US senator hell-bent on becoming president targets the Tick and Arthur as the cause of all of American Society's problems. This causes the duo to become pariahs in the media. Fed-up with being accused of being a bad guy, Mr. Tick goes to Washington to set the record straight. But will a secret society and one giant ape stop the Tick before he can restore his good name?

   This wasn't my favorite story in terms of Karma Tornado and Tick stories in general. There were some funny moments, but I just don't consider this one of the classic Tick stories. That's saying something when I have major plot issues with a story and find it superior to an otherwise flawlessly crafted tale (See Karma Tornado #5.)

   Maybe Tick does better with a bizarre foe as opposed to a run of the mill greedy senator. Maybe unlike a good DC Comics title (edited by Julius Schwartz), apes don't 'sell' Tick comics. I'm not sure what it is, but something was off with this issue. 

   Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Arkham Unhinged, Volume 5

  The closing chapter to the digital comic series based on the hit game Batman: Arkham City. In this volume, the Mayor of Gotham has rounded up the worst Gotham has to offer but that's still not enough. Thus, he's finding every way possible to incarcerate anyone who doesn't agree with his agenda. The hired police of the Arkham City project are rounding up the city's poor, political protestors, even city councilmen. Thinking they've a right to life, liberty, and freedom of speech, these new 'felons' find that they've now become Arkham City's newest batch of prisoners. Angered by this abuse of power in the corrupt corridors of City Hall, a new villain named the Bookbinder arises, quoting John Bunyan and punishing the morally bankrupt of Gotham. Now Batman must hunt down a serial do-gooder while getting to the hidden truth behind the Arkham project.

    I've really enjoyed this series and the final volume doesn't nothing to dissuade me of any previous praise I've given it. The art was fantastic, but the real star of this book is the fantastic prose of novelist Karen Travvis. She does a masterful job crafting a tale that not only challenges the wisdom of the Bat, but the reader as well, with Bookbinder's riddles. This is even a tale in which the non-superhero aspects are just as good if not better than the scenes starring the Dark Knight and Catwoman.

    I only wish that this series ended with a finalized completion. I guess since this digital comic is based on a video game, it's now up to the reader to become the player and to finish all the loose ends themselves through the virtual avatar of Batman. Regardless of how that plays out, I hope that this isn't the end of the Bookbinder and that he'll show up in the pages of the New 52! He's perhaps the freshest villain to challenge the Caped Crusader in years and DC would be insane if they didn't keep him around to plague Gotham City for years to come.

  

  Lastly, I want to explore the overall theme of the abuse of power. It's really scary how much this book is reflecting the current societal issue of race and class discrimination and the militarization of our police forces. In this story, peaceful protestors are being rounded up for practicing their constitutional right to protest. The police are ordered by the Mayor to ramp up charges to get the protestors off the street because he considers them to be the dregs of society. 

   My wife and I recently watched a documentary about privatized prisons and how they look at prisoners as a commodity. That's how Mayor and the prison guards view the inhabitants of Arkham City. 

  

  It's funny that the average video gamer is playing a game thinking it's just that: something to escape from the troubles of the day. Yet secretly there's a hidden message with a moral in between leveling up! Remember that the next time someone says video games have no moral compass or benefit to society.

   Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.