Buck Rogers in the 25th Century #15 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In this Gold Key/Whitman Variant issue based on the NBC series starring Gil Gerard and Erin Grey, it's a double feature. 

In the cover story, Buck Rogers' arch enemy Killer Kane has escaped from his prison cell thanks to a new mutation. Able to suddenly change shape and form, Kane plans on killing Buck while crippling the fleet of the Earth Defense Directorate leaving the planet vulnerable for attack by the Draconian Empire. As skilled, decorated pilots die in very unusual ways during routine patrols, Buck and Dr. Huer uncover evidence of a traitor in their midst. But is it jealousy instead of credible evidence when the finger points at an old flame of Wilma's?

The second adventure sees the Earth imperiled once again. Only it's not by any of the multitude of current adversaries doing the threatening. Instead, it's a threat from the very Earth itself and almost 500 years in the past. 

While Buck Rogers was in his cryogenic slumber, the Earth had a nuclear war that almost made the human race extinct. Most of the warheads were launched from Earth's orbit. Now one of those bombs has returned after floating off course for centuries. With time running out, it's up to Buck and his robot sidekick Twiki to navigate the gigantic bomb's booby traps and deactivate it; least the rest of humanity be wiped out!

Both 'That Which Seems to be...' and '10 Levels of Death' were written by B.S. Watson and illustrated by Mike Roy. 

The penultimate issue of the series, Whitman's legacy numbering puts the total series run from 1964 through to 1982. That means issue #1 debuted 15 years before Buck Rogers appeared on TV. Though a single season series had aired on ABC in 1951, the lone issue from the 1960s was based on the newspaper comic strip created by Philip Francis Nowlan. The first issue to be based on the NBC series was published in 1979. Issues 2-4 are an adaptation of the 2-hour pilot which debuted in theaters before NBC green-lit a full series. The live action series aired for 2 seasons for a total of 37 episodes, with the last episode airing in April 1981. The comic book continued on until May of the following year.

Completing this review completes Task #24 (Starring Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency was a very odd book. Not because of the quirky, irreverent nature of author Douglas Adams. His obscured view on things is rather refreshing. No, I consider this book to be unusual because of all things you'd expect from a whodunnit/sci-fi/satire novel; and by that, I mean: math.

The edition I read was a 1987 paperback published by Pocket Books. It was 306 pages in length. Of those pages, the main, title character doesn't appear actively until you're over a third of the way done at page 113! He's talking to another character over the phone. It's another 30 pages before he actually appears in person! I've read a lot of mystery novels. Mostly, Sherlock Holmes and detective noir. A little bit of Agatha Christie. In those books, it might be one or two chapters tops before the main protagonist appears as writers like to present the crime in order to set up the plot. I'm okay with this. I've never had to get to chapter 14 to encounter the title character of a story.

Dirk is mentioned in great detail in chapter 6 by at this point by what we assume are the two main characters: Reg and Richard as Adams has devoted about 40 of the first 50 pages of the book to a very odd encounter between them. I really couldn't figure out where things were going. I was even more confused as I had watched by seasons of the BBC America's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency starring Elijah Wood and Samuek Barnett as Dirk. None of this book unfolds like either season. Even Dirk from the book is nothing at all like Dirk from the show, other than he's rather annoying. Though I think Barnett's portrayal makes Dirk to be a more likable character. Dirk Gently on paper is like the most irredeemable character in the history of literature. You think Ebeneezer Scrooge was a monster. But he at least becomes a likable character by the end of A Christmas Carol. By the end of this book, you're convinced that fans would have hated it the main protagonist to the point that there would never be a sequel; much less a radio series and 2 TV show adaptations.

And yet considering how despicable Dirk Gently is, you kept wanting to read more!

The plot for the book is rather complicated. To reveal too much would spoil the wondrous magic of the book. This is a nearly 40 year old book. But if all you've ever read of Douglas Adams was his 5-volume Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, to give away too much would be like exposing Houdini's secrets! So how best to give a synopsis...

Here goes:

Dirk Gently is a detective. He's not a very good one. He's more of a con man; trying to get clients to fund his holiday excursions as important mind-clearing methods for solving his cases which mostly involve finding lost cats. Dirk is slightly psychic, though he would deny this to the grave. But his holistic way of looking at the universe seems to work out in the end. Here Dirk helps an old college friend escape a murder rap when the guy's boss is mysteriously killed by an unknown intruder hiding in the deceased's automobile. 

I really don't think I can say more about the plot. But I did have to re-read several sections more than once. And I had to use Google and ChatGPT AND Reddit to finally understand all of the nuances of this book.

After reading the Salmon of Doubt, I ran out and immediately bought copies of both of Adams' Dirk Gently novels. It wasn't a bad decision on my part. It's just not an easy book to read. There's a good mystery and I was able to figure out some of the clues. But if ever there was a book that needed CliffsNotes, this was it. Don't go into this expecting it to be like the BBC America series as you will be 100% disappointed. But if you approach Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency like another masterpiece by the late great Douglas Adams, you will be in for a humongous treat!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Tom Strong, Vol. 1

I really like Tom Strong. The Alan Moore creation is a combination of Superman, Doc Savage, Tarzan and Flash Gordon. I've previously read the 2 hardcover volumes that comprised the entire run of Tom Strong's Terrific Tales. While the series wasn't entirely filled with adventures starring Tom, there were enough of him to make me a fan; desiring to complete a run of his regular series.

I swear that I've read the first issue before. Maybe the premiere issue of Terrific Tales reprinted some of Tom Strong's origin story. Maybe I've committed that legend to memory just as I have with the debuts of Batman, Spider-Man and dozens of other superheroes. But I doubt it.

7 issues are reprinted in this volume. The first 4 issues are self-contained. I love that. You get a full compliment of 30 some pages of action, adventure and a smattering of sci-fi, set in the year 1999. Within is also a glimpse of Tom's past adventures, which are pretty extensive considering that he's nearly 100 years old. I think each flashback had had something to do with the current predicament, which often sees a long-thought vanquished for returning from the dead. You might think that Alan Moore is stuck on a comic book trope. But in reality, he's eviscerating how often publishers love to bring characters back from the dead instead of letting sleeping dogs lie.

The last 3 issues all involved cliffhangers. If I was buying Tom Strong, when it was new,on a monthly basis and the pacing went from one-and-done tales to cliffhangers with a 30-day wait for the conclusion, I would have been pissed. Chalk it up for collected trades and hardcovers!

The second half not only sees the return of a World War II era foe, it also introduces a new foe that while I knew what was coming, I was shocked that Moore managed to do it. Tom is essentially raped and his DNA is used to make an Über Tom who really hates dad. Add in that Tom's wife is a black African princess and their child is mixed, the conflicting superiority complex and family loyalty of Tom's son makes for a very intriguing look at Tom Strong's future.

The original series of Tom Strong ran for 33 issues. There's 5 more volumes out there. Out of print, but not exactly something that collectors are scrambling to add to their collections, I should not have very much trouble getting my hands on them. Unfortunately, I have so much stuff on my ever growing wish list, it might be a while before I find volume 2. But rest assured, if I found the concluding editions on an amazing deal, they'll definitely be coming home with me.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

RoboCop: The Official Adaptation (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

There's an infamous scene in 1987's RoboCop in which a thug with a gun holds a woman hostage. The cyborg officer orders the man to drop his weapon. But when the criminal refuses, Robocop shoots him in a very delicate area of the male anatomy.

That scene is recreated here in this comic book adaptation of the blockbuster futuristic sci-fi starring Peter Weller as the title character. However, this being a Marvel Comic, the events were changed slightly with the gunman being shot in the shoulder from RoboCop's computer accurate targeting system.

Bob Harras wrote the script based on the screenplay by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Alan Kupperberg and Javier Saltares penciled. It tells of a dystopian Detroit in which crime is so bad, it's police forcehad to be privatized by the mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products. Recently, a crime wave resulting in the deaths of nearly 30 Detroit cops has lowered morale to the point that the officers are ready to go on strike. That's just what corrupt executive Dick Jones is hoping for. Without humans to police the city, he can patrol Detroit with his robotic drones, the double-barreled ED-209. If the program is a success, Dick will certainly become the new head of OCP, allowing him to put a massive real estate plan into action. However, when the tank like robot malfunctions, killing a junior OCP exec, the project is shelved to make way for the RoboCop project.

After the death of Detroit's newest boy in blue, the idealistic Murphy, OCP rushes to harvest his body in order to create their first prototype. Supposedly wiped of the memory of his previous life, RoboCop becomes a one-man army against crime. While on a patrol, RoboCop comes face-to-face with one of his murderers, bringing back memories of his life as Murphy and setting the robotic law enforcer on a course of revenge against the gang of men who killed him. 

Marvel Comics hadn't been a stranger to issuing adaptations of R-rated films. However, when originally cut by director Paul Verhoven, the 109 minute long feature was rated-X for gory violence. Scenes of one character turning into a mutated blob thanks to a run-in with RoboCop and a tank of toxic ooze were considered off-the-table for censors. But the director stood firm in his original version of the movie, that is until his kids watched it. 

Verhoven had intentionally tried to make the scenes of gore as well as Murphy's torturous murder, a bit on the farcical side in order to undercut the level of violence. But the director might have gone a little too overboard in his level of surrealism, as his children reportedly laughed their heads off watching the heroes tragic death. Another round of edits and the film garnered not only an R-rating, but also elicited a feeling of unease among the audience of the new cut.

In 1990, Marvel would produce a monthly series continuing the adventures of Murphy and Lewis. The ominous OCP would be portrayed as more considerate of the public good while continuing with their gentrification project, Delta City. This series ran for 23 issues. Marvel would also release a 3-issue miniseries adaptation of the inevitable sequel before losing the franchise license to Dark Horse sometime in early 1992. 

After Dark Horse, RoboCop sat dormant as a comic book character until publisher Avatar Press gained the rights in 2006. Frank Miller, who worked the screenplay for RoboCop 2 and 3 wrote the new series which was based on Miller's rejected storyline for the sequel as well as unused concepts developed for the threequel. As of 2018, Boom! Studios was the last comic book publisher of the franchise, releasing the 5 issue miniseries RoboCop: Citizens Arrest. Nothing new starring Future of Law Enforcement has been released in this current decade.

This book is a colorized reprint of the official 1987 adaptation which was presented in magazine form.

Completing this review completes Task #11 (Pick a Long Box and Read the 6th Book in the Box) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents: Adam Strange, Vol. 1

It's another volume of the Showcase Presents series of reprints that was designated a Volume 1, but never received a follow up. Reprinting the first appearances of Earth archaeologist turned savior of the far off planet of Rann, Adam Strange was very much cut from the same cloth as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, with a twist! Adam Strange could only travel the 21 trillion miles journey from Earth to Rann with the help of a transportation ray called a Zeta Beam. Once the energy dissipated from Adam's body, the hero would vanish from Rann and Strange would reappear back on Earth. Sometimes, the vanishing act would occur at the most inopportune times and Adam Strange would have to wait days, even weeks to return to Rann in order to save the beleaguered planet from a host of threats, both Terran and extraterrestrial.

Adam Strange was created by famed editor Julius Schwartz with assists by Murphy Anderson and Carmine Infantino. After a 3-issue test in the pages of Showcase Presents, the tryout anthology series, Adam Strange would become the feature character of about 60 issues of the sci-fi anthology title Mystery in Space. The writer of all of the stories contained in this book was Gardner Fox. After several artists lent their talents to Strange's appearances in Showcase, Carmine Infantino became the regular artist for the hero's exploits. 

While not Infantino's most well known work, Adam Strange would become Carmine's most favorite project to work on. So much that sci-fi lover Infantino structured his contract to allow him to work on the Adam Strange stories no matter how in demand he was over at DC Comics. The quality of the artwork really shines in the this volume. Unfortunately, the storytelling started to slip around the halfway point.

The first dozen or so stories in Mystery in Space were 8-pagers. They're excellent. After about a year, the page count of the tales would range from 16-32 pages. That's where the quality begins to slip. As impressive it is that an early silver age title maintained a level of cohesive storyline with recurring villains, Gardner Fox seemed to run out of gas in the longer stories. The set up would take forever with a conclusion so fast and clunky that would leave me overwhelmed and unimpressed. Then Fox begins to spread the dangers Adam Strange would face between Rann and Earth. As much as having the hero go back and forth between Earth and Rann is a bit tiring, the quality of those later stories improved.

My dad had quite a few Adam Strange starring books in his collection. They were big favs of mine. I enjoyed this volume very much, flaws and all. A lot really isn't said about how much of a strong female character Adam's girlfriend Alanna was. Rarely a damsel in distress, Alanna often fights without fear on Adam's side. She clearly was an archetype influence on characters like Princess Leia and Ripley. 

I really regret that DC cancelled the Showcase Presents line because I would love to get my hands on the remaining two dozen stories starring Adam Strange. Maybe there's a deluxe 4-color volume available? Or I could try to find those remaining issues of Mystery in Space. Regardless, its not going to be cheap. I can tell you that.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams (Family Comic Friday)

Today's homework assignment: tell an eerie story to the rest of the class.

Over the course of the rest of the school day, 5 children will try to top each other with spooky stories about a town that vanished, a curious ghost, a modern Cinderella being terrorized by her hateful uncle and aunt, a doomed crew aboard a spaceship, and the evil secret behind grandpa's massive stash of treats.

I don't know why it is, but I am so ready for Halloween. I'm slowly seeing things popping up in stores and it's just got me in the mode for cool crisp weather and spooky comics all of a sudden. Of the 5 tales, the one about the mistreated little girl was the most horrific because it was so real. The story about the vanishing village was just a warm up for things to come and the ghost story was more like something from The Twilight Zone, in that it was the twist ending that was the real spine chiller. I liked the outer space horror story. It had a couple of great jump scares and was smartly plotted. Then there was the story about Poppi's candies. It has demons in it and when it comes to horror, that's not really my thing. 

I would love for there to be a sequel to this 2023 anthology from First:Second. I'd also be up for a 1-hour animated special of Eeries Tales from the School of Screams. There was an element of frights on par with that classic series of horror stories from the 1980s, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Amazon has the suggested age range for the book as being for readers aged 8-12. I would slide that scale over a bit to the right and suggest it for youngsters who are a very mature 9 to 13 years of age. 

At over 300 pages, it's one of the bigger reads out there. However, there's not a ton of words. Creator Graham Annable utilizes completely darkened out pages to signal the progression of time. I know from Hitchcock's Psycho, that the greatest horrors occur in the mind of the viewer when events are left unseen. However, from a sustainability factor, those black pages, sometimes 3 to 4 pages in a row, are in my mind wasteful. From the view of my wallet, those extra pages aren't so bad as the book retails for $14.99.

A very good book with original stories ranging in level of scares from 1-9 on a 10 point scale. I hope to read another volume of this. Yet, if the ending is the way things stand with the story of the children of the School of Screams, I am perfectly fine with that decision.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Weird Wonder Tales #18 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Weird Wonder Tales was just one of the many horror titles that Marvel published in the early 1970s thanks to the lessening of restrictions on such titles by the Comics Code. There was only one problem with these type books in the eyes of 1970s readers: based on the reprinted material inside, the Marvel horror anthologies were tame compared to what DC and Charlton were putting out. These stories were also way past G-rated compared to the horror material Marvel was distributing in magazine format which had some mild nudity and swears in them. 

Starting with issue #19, Marvel made the one-time Avenger Doctor Druid the series host, hoping that continuity would earn readers. Unfortunately, the experiment was a failure and Weird Wonder Tales was cancelled 4 issues later with issue #22. The ultimate irony is that nearly 50 years later, many of Marvel's horror anthologies from the 70s are sought out by collectors as the reprints they contain are affordable alternatives to the original issues from the 50s and 60s. This was the last issue under the title's original format.

In this issue there are 2 stories. The cover story, (I Created) Krang!, is a double sized giant monster story by Stan Lee and brother Larry Lieber with art and inks by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers. A scientist seeking to use enlarged insects as environmental replacements for fuel burning vehicles travels to Europe where a rare tree might hold the key to gigantism. The assistant steals some of the resulting formula and puts it atop a seemingly harmless ant. However too much is applied and the ant grows to the size of an elephant. Even worse, the ant has developed super intelligence, forcing the scientist to make more formula in order for Krang to create an army of oversized insects and thus conquer the world!

The backup feature combines horror and ancient myth. From the early 1950s, 'The Cartoonist's Calamity' was featured in the pages of Venus #17. The story stars the character of Aphrodite. Growing bored with life as a goddess, the daughter of Zeus comes to Earth where under the name of Venus, she becomes the editor of a struggling fashion magazine. In this tale, her head cartoonist Jimmy Rogers has been acting erratically. Venus goes on to discover that Jimmy has been moonlighting for a horror comic; only now Jimmy's terrifying visions have come to life and are driving their creator insane!

Written and illustrated by Bill Everett, the horrors Jimmy Rogers creates seem ripped directly from the sketchbook of Basil Wolverton. When it comes to the lettering, it must have been by the same fella that crafted the stylized font for the word 'Comics' on the Action Comics logo. Just about every speech bubble using that style instead of italics for expressions of disbelief and shock!

The material in this book might not be the most terrifying horror title to ever grace market shelves. But this was a 1970s horror anthology that has since earned the respect of collectors, if not about 5 decades too late. 

Cover by Jack Kirby, Klaus Janson and Danny Crespi.

Completing this review completes Task #13 (A Horror Comic) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

The Unexpected #183 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

DC's The Unexpected started life as Tales of the Unexpected in 1956. Due to restrictions set by the Comics Code, DC began Tales of the Unexpected as a milder sci-fi anthology alternative compared to the compilation series being published by EC Comics. Over the next decade, as guidelines over what was deemed unacceptable to be in comics lessened, especially elements of the macabre, Tales began to include fantasy and horror stories along with those sensational science fiction adventures. 

By 1968, DC had determined that they had a glut of Sci-fi and horror titles and they retooled Tales of the Unexpected into a fantasy only series. Starting with issue #105, the title was trimmed down to The Unexpected. However, it was soon revealed that sales for a fantasy only book wasn't as strong as DC had hoped for. Pretty quickly, elements of horror and science fiction were reintroduced into the title though the series never reverted back to its original name. 

The Unexpected continued in print to May, 1982; ending at issue #222. It survived through the DC Implosion of 1978, incorporating titles such as House of Secrets, The Witching Hour and Doorway Into Nightmare in its pages. A series that began without a host, by the time The Unexpected was cancelled, hosts such as the Witches Three and Abel were presenting spooky stories to readers in rotating segments. 

This February, 1978 issue was published almost a full year before the assimilating effects of the Implosion were felt in the title. Yet, the 3 stories presented in this book are full of terrifying twists and turns. In 'The Dead Don't Always Die' George Kashdan and Ernesto Patricio give a deadbeat swindler insight on the forthcoming date of death of a relative- it just might not be the one he was hoping for. Carl Wessler and Gerry Talaoc warn a pair of American crooks wreaking havoc in Brazil to 'Beware the Green Cannibal.' Finally, Kashdan returns with art by E.R. Cruz in a mad scientist story titled 'Golden Grave.'

Cover art, based on the opening story, was by Luis Dominguez.

Completing this review completes Task #40 (A Work Published in February of Any Year) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

In Utero (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Australian creator Chris Gooch crafts a Kaiju themed graphic novel that is both terrifying and heartwarming.

This 2024 work from Top Shelf Productions begins with an explosion that level of destruction rivals that of an atomic bomb. 20 square miles is wiped out in the blink of an eye. At the time of the disaster, it was believed that a gas leak was behind the carnage.

Jump ahead 12 years. The Australian community has rebuilt over ground zero to some effect. However, the damage from the explosion still lingers over the city. A large shopping mall had to be condemned due to structural and foundational damage. However in an attempt to make a little money, the owner has been secretly renting out a wing of the complex to his son who's turned the spot into a discount daycare facility.

12 year old Hailey has been spending her school holiday at the day camp. As one of the older children, she's given responsibilities to wander the grounds looking for escapees from the center. In her rounds she encounters a mysterious older teen who seems to know all about the history of the mall. Hailey also encounters a pair of boys who've found a bunch of mysterious gooey eggs that react to human speech. These eggs also seem to be merging together into one giant mass...

In Utero was a surprising read. The main villain in this monstrosity that looks like a combined nightmare dreamed up by Lovecraft and Stephen King. Think Re-Animator meets The Langoliers. The government agents that seek to quarantine the mall act like any sort of biological researcher you'd see in a zombie film. Only, thanks to the experience we've all had with the pandemic, their presence makes the story a little bit more realistic and a whole lot terrifying. Add in the mystery of the explosion from a dozen years past and it also feels like 9/11 all over again.

Yet despite the fear factor of this graphic novel, there's an element of joy in the relationship between Hailey and the mysterious teen named Jen. It's completely unexpected considering the level of carnage being raged by the monster that is reforming in the confines of the abandoned mall. Yet, this type of camaraderie is what made this a quick read that I could not put down!

A read that feels like it could or SHOULD be set in the universe of J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield franchise. The year 2024 is only a couple of months old. Yet, this very well could be one of the top graphic novels of the year! It's that good!

Completing this review completes Task #24 (A New Release at Your Local Library) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Alien Nation Movie Special (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the year 1988, a space ship lands in the American Mojave Desert. The ship contains 300,000 inhabitants in suspended animation. These residents were slaves en route to their slavers home world but the guidance system malfunctioned, taking them into our solar system.

3 years later, these 'newcomers' have been granted refugee status. Many have settled into the Los Angeles area. Some found employment in the police force. Thanks to a government mandate, one of the newcomers is to be promoted to be the LAPD's first detective. Earthling Matthew Sykes volunteers to be Detective Francisco's new partner, after his partner was murdered in a shootout during a newcomer robbery.

Sykes has been ordered to not investigate his former partner's murder. Instead, He and Francisco follow the lead of an anomaly found on the body of one of the robbers. As some of the newcomer suspects in the case wind up dead, the detectives uncover a drug ring targeted at newcomers. Based on an opioid used to make the newcomer slaves more docile and subservient, Francisco knows a secret about it's overuse that could threaten the uneasy peace between humans and aliens. Working against orders, Sykes and Francisco rush to locate the new drug and destroy it before the drug can reach the newcomer market.

Alien Nation was a live-action sci-fi film produced by 20th Century Fox. James Caan starred as Detective Sykes. Mandy Patinkin portrayed newcomer Detective Sam Francisco, later named 'George' by Sykes. The film, an allegory for race relations and immigration, was directed by English director Graham Baker. 

DC Comics released a full-color adaption of the film. Martin Pasko adapted the screenplay crafted by Rockne S. O'Bannon, who would go on to create fan favorite series such as Seaquest DSV and Farscape. Pencils were by Jerry Bingham. The 55-pager bears images that look nothing like the stars, probably due to licensing reasons. The comic bears some gun violence and mild drug use. However, it's nowhere near as in-your-face as the scenes from the R-rated feature.

Alien Nation was a moderate hit that grew a cult following. In 1989, Fox aired a TV series based on the motion picture. Though one of the fledgling networks few early successes, production of the series was high and advertising dollars sparse. Despite ending the 22 episode first season on a cliffhanger, the show was cancelled. 

From 1990-92, Malibu Comics released several 4-issue minis based on the film, under their Adventure Comics imprint. Around the same time, Pocket Books released over a dozen tie-in novels. Thanks to those books, as well as a letter writing campaign through TV Guide, enough interest was garnered for 5 TV movies; the first of which resolved the cliffhanger of the newcomer's controllers returning for their escaped slaves whom have enjoyed several years of freedom on Earth.

Completing this review completes Task #5 (A sci-fi movie adaptation) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Judge Dredd: Christmas is Cancelled

With a title such as 'Christmas is Cancelled', don't expect any of these holiday tales set within Mega City One to have happy endings. While the 8 or so stories are set within a dystopian society, there's a cheeky element to many of these tales. One story is a sci-fi parody of the Nativity complete with mutant versions of donkeys, sheep and cow. Another is a retelling of A Gift of the Magi which takes the selling of a body part to a new level. 

Featuring the talents of Al Ewing, John Wagner, Paul Marshall, Dave Taylor, this collection of Judge Dredd stories set during the month of December, this read is very British. Nothing is sacred. There's drugs. There's murder and violence. Both big government and even bigger business are corrupt. But unlike another book of similar material, this Rebellion Developments publication has something the previous didn't- HOPE. Because no matter how bad things get in the year circa 3000, there's always Joe Dredd and his fellow Judges to help bring about a semblance of law and order in hope of bringing forth a better tomorrow. 

Containing reprints from Xmases past from 2010-2014. This book was issued in gratuity with Judge Dredd Magazine #439; released December, 2021.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Ender's Game: War of Gifts One-Shot

An interesting story about fanaticism vs. totalitarianism. 

I'm not a fan of the Ender's Game universe. In fact, I've never read any of the books. I happened across this book from a grab bag and if I wasn't intrigued by the title 'War of Gifts', I would have overlooked this Christmas time set comic book.

A young boy named Zeck Morgan is taken from the home of a pair of religious fanatics who are staunch pacifists, by representatives of the Battle School. The lad does everything he can to refuse to participate in the war games of the school due to those beliefs. But for some stubborn reason, the headmaster of the Battle School refuses to let the child wash-out.

On what would be the Christmas season on Earth, Zeck observes a Dutch lad providing a gift from Saint Nicolas to a fellow cadet. As any sort of celebration of faith, including holiday observances is strictly forbidden by the Battle School, Zeck rats the kid out. But the headmaster refuses to do anything.  In protest to this, Zeck starts a miniature holy war at the academy. For if he can't be allowed to practice his religious beliefs then nobody should be allowed to either. Hopefully, child prodigy Ender Wiggin can put this young man in his place...

I enjoyed this book. It's not turned me into a devotee of Ender's Game or Orson Scott Card or anything like that. It was a good single issue read and that's all I need unless there ever is another holiday themed issue set in the Ender's Game universe. 

I personally feel terrible for Zeck Morgan. His parents just seem awful. The boy is raised to be a pacifist and yet he and his whole family are angry, bitter people. Everyone isn't good enough to be a Christian in their opinion and something like Santa Claus is considered a gateway drug to Hell instead of an opening door to Heaven. These kind of Christians give believers like myself a bad name and I very much wish atheists and those who hate religion understood that the body of Christ isn't all like the Morgan family. 

Oddly enough, the Battle School seems the more reasonable institution. Well, at least the headmaster does. He overlooks these small acts of faith of his students as long as it doesn't interfere with the mission. Zeck thinks the practice of religion should be all or nothing. He doesn't realize that the headmaster of the Battle School is giving Zeck as much grace as that Dutch boy in allowing them both to express their beliefs. 

As for how this story aligns with the views of Orson Scott Card, I understand that there are some critics who believe the author to be homophobic. Maybe he is. But I've never met the man personally and other than this adaptation, I've never read anything else he's written before. I collect holiday themed comics. It's one of my favorite genres to collect and this book will stay as a part of my collection. If this causes me to lose readers of my blog, I won't apologize as I refuse to participate in censorship and to me, cancel culture IS censorship. I give my opinions on the books I read based on personal taste and quality of both the storytelling and art. The story by Jake Black was very well crafted. The art by Timothy Green II, was a little rough as I sometimes had trouble discerning who was who. But then again, I think that sort of homogeneity is part of the point behind the Battle School; like when a soldier is in basic training and the drill instructors try to strip away individuality for the good of the outfit. 

I liked it. It might not be your traditional holiday story. In fact, those holidays are verboten and basically all but ignored. But it was set during the holidays of the future and had holiday themes. So despite looking like a generic sci-fi comic, this issue is really a Christmas miracle if you dig deeper to examine the content of the story.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

ET-ER, Vol. 2

AWA Studios' ET-ER is a series that I just don't understand why it's not gotten the love it deserves. The 3-story first issue debuted in 2021, just a few months after comic book publishers were forced to shutter their print runs due to the pandemic, and were once again able to re-open. With a massive delay such as that, it took a long time for Indy publishers to get back on schedule. The fact that it was almost a year until Vol. 2 came out doesn't really surprise me. What shocks me is that it's been about 18 months since this second issue hit shelves and it doesn't look like the doctor will be in anytime soon. 

The premise behind ET-ER is rather novel. It's literally universal healthcare. In the first of three tales, a distant colony planet is attacked by massive insectoid creatures. Driven mad by a virus, a medical team is sent to inoculate the hive, as well as any humans stupid enough to get in their way.

Episode #2 sees an intergalactic ambulance driver rushing to save the life of a transplant patient. With hyper-lanes shut down do to a crash, the space-faring paramedic will have to cut a narrow path through an asteroid field in order to keep his precious cargo alive.

The last story sees a fledgling documentary filmmaker succumbing to both the stress of not being the next great interstellar director and the narcotics he's turned to in order to keep working. 

3 great medical themed sci-fi stories. That opening tale reflects the poor choices and disinformation spread during the height of the pandemic. The middle story made me go down one path only for that twist ending to gut punch you like many good medical dramas do. Honestly, the final story was a bit too off-the-wall. However, if you'd ask my wife, who works in a medical clinic (on Earth), cases involving drug addicts take some really bizarre turns. As I am never been a part of the drug culture, maybe I just didn't connect to the premise as much as someone who has experimented with mind-altering substances might have.

I may not be a fan of AWA Studios co-founder, Axel Alonzo. But I am one to admit when something is worth reading and ET-ER is so worth reading. I just wish fans would enjoy it as much as I do or that AWA Studios would take a greater leap of faith with it. 

Some of you may be wondering why I waited a year and a half to read and review this book if I'm such a fan of it. Sheepishly, I must confess, I misplaced this book. I've got about 2 long boxes full of stuff to bag, tape, organize and add to my collection. ET-ER Vol. 2 was an unfortunate casualty to that overstock. I don't regret having that many books unaccounted for in my possession. I've been taking great steps to fix that over the past few months with reorganizing things. I just hate that my delay on reading and reviewing this awesome one-shot may have resulted in AWA Studios pulling the plug on ET-ER for good.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star-Lord: Guardian of the Galaxy

For those of you wanting an omnibus type collection of the earliest stories of Marvel's Star- Lord, this is the book you've been asking for. If you loved Marvel's edgier magazine publications of the 1970s, you'll delight in the first half dozen or so stories. For someone like myself who prefers their heroes to be a little more pure of heart, you will probably hate the first half of this collection. This isn't the Chris Pratt Star-Lord that fans fell in love with at the cinema in the past decade.

Early 1970s Star-Lord is a massive jerk. The chip Peter Quill bears on his shoulder to avenge the death of his mother at the hands of reptilian aliens is understandable. Thinking everyone is beneath him when he grows up to join NASA is unprofessional. The way Quill becomes Star-Lord is just unforgivable for a hero.

NASA high ups pass Quill over for the chance to become Star-Lord. Unable to accept their judgement, Quill hijacks the project, seemingly killing guards and the Star-Lord candidate. He then disappears, only to come face-to-face with the mysterious being who bestows the Star- Lord powers. It is here that Quill is given a chance to enact his revenge on the aliens that killed his mother. Whether this really happened or was a fantasy granted to Quill in order to heal emotionally is a source of great debate. But where are the repercussions for Quill's assault on the NASA base? How come the authorities never seek to punish Quill for how he came about to become this elusive hero? With many knowing that Peter Quill is Star-Lord, that lack of consequences is implausible to me.

Once Star-Lord's adventures begin to appear in traditional floppies, the tales get better. Chris Claremont and John Byrne help to restructure Star-Lord as to being more of a real hero instead of an interstellar Frank Castle devoid of any humanity. Though I swear that the Carmine Infantino penciled stories uses artwork that I have seen used in issues of Star Wars! But if you ask me, Star Lord doesn't get darn near perfect until the mid-1990s.

This collection includes a 3-issue miniseries by Timothy Zahn that reboots Star-Lord with the new character of Sinjin Quarrel. From 1996, this story sees Peter Quill as having faded into the stuff of legend, having last appeared publicly a dozen years ago. Sinjin is a type of pre-cognitive judge assigned a post on a backwater planet ruled by a greedy landowner. Quarrel's psychic abilities bring him into contact with Star Lord's famed 'Ship', which has been in suspended animation since Quill's disappearance. 

Sinjin Quarrel agrees to temporarily become the new Star Lord until Peter Quill can be located. However, Sinjin Quarrel lacks the special abilities that the original Star-Lord had. So he'll have to rely on subterfuge brought about in cooperation with Ship to become the hero he was always meant to be.

Other than that 3-issue mini, Sinjin Quarrel has never made a return to print. Yet, he's the better Star Lord. His partnership with Ship was the stuff of buddy-cop legend. It reminds me of The Greatest American Hero where an average Joe is given a super-powered suit, only to lose the instruction manual. Why didn't this version take off? The artwork by Dan Lawlis was amazing. The writing was fantastic. I can't hold my breath on this version of Starlord (the updated version lost the hyphen in their name). It's been nearly 30 years since Sinjin Quarrel's first appearance and when the Marvel Wiki database lists that story as probably not even being canon, it looks like the Peter Quill version is here to stay.

If it wasn't for the inclusion of several Marvel Premiere and Marvel Spotlight issues that I need for my collection but don't want to pay the insane asking prices for as individual issues, I would be taking this book to a used book store for trade. With their inclusion however, it looks like this collection of Star-Lord stories are also here to stay

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Saga, Volume Two

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

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

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

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

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

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

V #18

Paul Kupperberg places the period at the end of this DC Comics adaptation. Though promises of a third miniseries and numerous revival series would come and go, except for a Kenneth Johnson penned sequel in 2008, the original V is complete. Maybe I will get my hands on the mass paperback one day. But at current prices, I'm just not willing to pay a lot to possibly be disappointed. 

In my mind, issue #16 was the perfect ending to the original franchise. I'm happy with it. 

As for this issue, and the last one, I am extremely confused about it. I still don't understand why they put this two-parter about Elias and a woman from his past as the closer when things are wrapped up nice and tight in issue #16. Would it have been so hard to have switched things up? I guess I'll never get a definitive answer on this. Unless I happen to run into either Paul Kupperberg (again) or series editor Marv Wolfman (for the first time). 

If you are a fan of the original V and you want to collect the entire comic book series, it's not that expensive to do. I found a lot of my issues in bargain bins. And MyComicShop.com had every issue for prices ranging from $4-8 each, depending on grade. But if you do get the complete run, take my advice: read issues #17 & 18 before closing things out with issue #16. Heck, read these two issues before you get to #8 for an even better story flow based on later events. 

It's all up to you in the long run!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

V #16

Even though there are 2 issues remaining after this one, this is technically the end of V. The TV show had already wrapped up. NBC lowered the axe, opting not to film the proposed 20th episode that would have wrapped up the cliffhanger in which Elizabeth went on a shuttle with the Leader to the planet Sirius IV with Kyle hiding in the vehicle.

The Bron Saga comes to a tragic and bittersweet end. Yup, the Leader's son dies. Valiantly I might add, trying to save his friends from the Resistance. But Bron's death is not in vain. Racked from the guilt of the loss of his heir and impressed with the respect Bron had for the human race, the unseen Leader of the Visitors declares a truce. The invasion of Earth is over!

But why is it that the war is over but V is not? Series editor Marv Wolfman explains in an afterwords in the letter col that DC had a feeling for some time that V the TV series was coming to an end. NBC just wasn't happy with the expense of the show in correlation to the meager ratings the series was earning.  Paul Kupperberg and crew had already wrapped up a 2-part story due for issues #17& 18. Out of respect for the substitute team's work and so they can be properly paid, Wolfman and execs at DC decided to make adjustments.

In response to NBC's cancellation of V,  Cary Bates was ordered to change the ending of this issue to reflect an ending that while not definitive, was sufficient enough to appease most fans. Issues 17& 18 would become a flashback story, so as to not undo the ending put forth by Bates.

I've since learned that V creator Kenneth Johnson wrote a sequel novel in 2008. From what I have read, Ham Tyler was the main character of this official sequel with most of the Resistance leaders either dead or missing. The Visitors are the victors of the invasion. And most of the story occurs in Chicago.

I'd very much like to read that book. But it's out of print and internet prices are ridiculously expensive. I'm talking of $100 plus. So until I get really lucky and find the sequel for a fantastic price, I'll stick with issue #16 of this comic book adaptation as being the true, bittersweet ending of the original V.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

V #15

The gangs all here in this issue that sees Julie and Donovan taking Bron, the eldest son of the Leader to the Windy City. If you remember, a few issues back, Ham Tyler and Chris Farber took up residence in Chicago. The mercenaries were trying to protect Robin, the mother of Elizabeth the Star Child, from Visitor scientists looking to replicate the hybrid child's amazing powers. 

After the disaster of Mike and Julie's stop in that small town of unsupervised adolescents, the leaders of the Resistance look for calmer waters in Chi-Town. But as you can see from the cover, Chicago is swarming with Visitors.

Meanwhile, back in the City of Angels, Diana, thanks to a mole wearing a skin of Visitor Resistance ally Willie, is beginning her siege of the metropolitan area. 

The least memorable entry into the Bron Saga. The penultimate chapter of this amazing Cary Bates penned epic. 

Only 3 issues of the DC series adaptation remain!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

V #14

As Donovan and Julie smuggle the Leader's son through the American Midwest, the trio must stop due to car trouble. The town that they stop at is devoid of adults. Only youngsters under the age of 18 occupy the small town and the adolescents are preparing the newly arrived adults for execution.

It will be up to Bron/Brad to save the Resistance leaders. Though if the young Visitor has been looking for an excuse to do away with Donovan and Julie, the perfect opportunity is finally at hand.

This issue gives me such vibes of the classic Star Trek episode 'Miri', it's sick.  Another great chapter in the Bron Saga by Cary Bates. Another fantastic cover by Jerry Bingham. It hearkens back to the last issue cover of Diana. But it's not a continuation as the Visitor on this cover is clearly wearing a different uniform.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

V #12

The climax to the last issue had Fifth Columnist and Resistance ally Willie getting captured by Lydia. Now aboard the mothership, poor Willie is being tortured for information. Diana learns that the Resistance have located the Leader's missing son, Bron. But that's about it. 

When the Resistance found Bron, he didn't have a human skin disguise yet. Thankfully, the Resistance has a machine that can build him one. Now looking human and going by the name of Brad, the Resistance hopes to sway the young Visitor to their cause. They just need to get Brad to pass off as a human child now, which is going to be hard as Brad keeps using his superior alien strength in front of strangers. 

As Donovan and Julie take Bron on a trek across America, Diana hatches a plan to plant a mole in the midst of the Resistance- a loyal Visitor that looks just like Willie!

I really enjoy the Bron storyline. I don't care if it echoes the great 'Hard Traveling Heroes' storyline of Green Lantern/Green Arrow created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams. I mean obviously these few issues of V are inspired by that 1970s classic plot that sees the Emerald Warriors and a member of the Guardians traveling in a beat up pick up truck while searching for the heart and soul of America. But these issues aren't a swipe of that DC classic... or are they?

Donovan is brunette. Green Lantern is brunette. Julie is blonde. Green Arrow is blonde. Bron is an alien with a large head disguised as a human. The Guardian is an alien with a large head disguised as a human. Oh my God.. this story line is a total rip off!. Wait a minute... Wait a minute. Donovan and pals are driving a station wagon. Whew. plagiarism accusations avoided...

Great Read.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.