Summer of Supergirl Special #1

Despite what some of you may think, this really has been the Summer of Supergirl. Unfortunately, a lot of you decided to forgo a really fun movie. May I just say that I am disappointed in you. Kidding. Kidding. Maybe Supergirl would have been better received if done as a series. Maybe if there was more Krypto. Maybe if Supergirl actually wore her costume in the film. Maybe if James Gunn wasn't involved.

I can see reasons to hate the film. But deep down, it was freaking entertaining to this fan of the Girl of Tomorrow. I stocked up on Supergirl merch. My office is going to look amazing this school year! While I don't buy everything with Supergirl on it, I always buy the comics. But if it wasn't for the guys at my favorite comic book store, I would have missed out on this summer special.

With my mystery blood disease, I get brain tired a lot more often than I want. One casualty in my comic book collecting hobby is that I haven't been checking out the new releases like I used to. A lot of times, I just plain forget. Others, I'm just too mentally and physically exhausted to check at the end of the day. Thankfully, Books Furnish a Room in Durham NC were looking out for me and they ordered this knowing how much a fan of Kara Zor-El I am. 

There's 3 stories in this oversized release. The main story features the main man himself, Lobo. Makes sense as he's making his silver screen debut in Supergirl. The tale opens with Supergirl and Lobo in space court. Apparently in Lobo #4, the two got into a massive brawl and were apprehended for the damage. Thankfully, you don't have to have that issue in order to follow what happens here. But I am interested enough in seeing if my LCS has a copy and getting the inside scoop.

Tale #2 is written by Gail Simone. It has Supergirl and Mary Marvel meeting for the very first time. The pair bond over the fact that both are orphans and essentially grew up in the foster care system. Dedicated to all children and families who have fostered and adopted, this is my pick thus far for story of the year! It was so poignant and sweet. And not saccharine sweet either. I loved it!

The final story is probably the most massive undertaking in Supergirl history. It sees Superboy, Jonathan Kent and the female Steel attempting to unravel the tangled history of Supergirl. Along with the real deal, you've had the Matrix Supergirl and that one that was an Angel, after a girl named Linda Danvers bonded with the shape-shifter in the 90.s You've got multiple origins. Tons of different costumes. The multiverse. Plus, a surprise for me, everyone seems to know that she died fighting the Anti-Monitor! Confessionally, I haven't been really up-to-date with DC's Crises in the past 15 years like I probably should. 

The last story was educational. But I feel like it gets hijacked towards the end by J'onn J'onnz. The middle story was the best. The opener was very funny. If you are a fan of any incarnation of Supergirl, you will want to add this one-shot to your Supergirl collection. As for the judges of the Eisners and other comic book awards, I employ you to give serious, SERIOUS consideration to Gail Simone and her story 'Lost Girls' for story of the year and writer of the year, if the nomination process for this cycle of publications are still open. It's really that excellent of a work!

Worth Consuming!

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

Monster Fun School's Out Special 2022

Yesterday was the last day for students at the school I teach at. So it's only fitting that I read this Monster Fun special devoted to the end of class. Though really this was more about Summer fun than saying goodbye to teachers and textbooks. 

Take away the Steel Commando story and the Leopard From Lime Street which are serials, and thus forgivable to not be topical or even 'seasonal'. Still, only 1 or 2 segments take place at school and they don't involve leaving for Summer. Though that Hell's  Angel story where the diminutive hellion turns the tables on a trio of bullies was pretty funny.

The Hire A Horror story with all the beastly employees on holiday was hilarious. Kid Kong was slapsticky but entertaining. The clone adventure with Frankie Stein was predictable but worth a chuckle or two. I just wish that the artwork was a bit less hideous as a Basil Wolverton doppelganger as a PB and Brains sandwich is pretty nauseating to look at

There was another story that was a one-shot tale and not a regular segment of Monster Fun. 'The Sun' crafted by Juni Ba reveals the secret reason behind Dracula's ability to suddenly be able to exist pain free in the sunlight. It was my favorite story. Maybe if only because the punchline was eerily close to to a story proposal I wrote years ago for a now defunct Indy publisher.

Sadly, this will probably be my last read of a Monster Fun special of any type. This issue was from 2022 and being an import from the UK, it's been really difficult for my favorite comic shops to get a hold of them. Mostly, that's due to the bankruptcy of Diamond Comic Distributors. I'm suspecting our current tariff trade war isn't helping matters much lately.

Maybe I'll get lucky and find a lot of 10 issues for $20 bucks somewhere down the line. I'm always open to reading more of these. It's just nigh impossible to find these in the States anymore.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Impossible Man Summer Vacation Spectacular

Way back in issue #175 of the Fantastic Four (October, 1976, to be exact), Galactus devoured Poppup, the home planet of that interplanetary pest, the Impossible Man. As a result, after a really bad case of indigestion, the life essence of Galactus was transferred to the Impossible Man who cloned himself a wife and a whole slew of kids. They then choose to wander the stars as refugees about the world devourer's ship.

In this summer special from 1990, the Impossible Man and the fam are rather bored. So they take leave of Galactus' spacecraft to have a fun-filled vacation on planet Earth! That means none of the superheroes OR super-villains of the Marvel Universe are safe from inter-dimensional hijinks, pranks and overall tomfoolery. Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Quasar and even Doctor Doom will rue the day they meet the first (and only) family of Poppup. 

This overall Summer special was a fun read crafted by a number of talents such as Roy Thomas, Jackson 'Bruce' Guice and Ron Marz. The Doctor Strange segment, which co-starring one of my favorite characters from that part of the Marvel Universe, Rintrah, was probably my favorite section of the book. Though the extremely unexpected pairing of the Impossible Man with the Punisher, complete with an entry from his war journal was a hoot. It was written and illustrated by Jim Valentino, who is such a master at skewering the superhero dynamic. I would pay good money if Marvel ever came up with an Impossible Man/Punisher special. Especially would love it in Valentino crafted that one-shot as well.

The Impossible Man Summer Vacation Spectacular might be almost 35-years old. But it's not something that will break the bank either. I got it a couple of years ago out of a bargain bin and I'm seeing it for less than $12 bucks online at several online retailers. Lots of laughs and a very fun way to beat the summer heat.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Godzilla: Monsters and Protectors- Summer Smash #1 (One-Shot) (Family Comic Friday)

School is almost back in session for all. So don't let the Summer break end without visiting the magic island nation of Japan. Fans of Godzilla, King of the Monsters and his allies and his eclectic rogue's gallery will have delight in this summer special from IDW!

The Xiliens of Planet X have returned to conquer the earth. Aiding them in their conquest is King Ghidorah, who after his last battle with Godzilla is missing one of his 3 heads. Only now it's replaced with a mechanical version that makes the Kaiju even more deadlier than ever before! 

As a week goes by, Godzilla is nowhere to be found. It's left to social media sensation (and Godzilla BFF) Cedric and his pals to find a way to stop the invasion. Thankfully, enemies of the Xiliens have sent some help: the robotic warrior Jet Jaguar who has been programmed to take orders from Cedric to stop King Ghidorah from destroying Japan. But how is an 8-foot tall robot supposed to battle a 3-head behemoth like Mecha-King Ghidorah? Oooooohhh.... that's how!

Featuring Mothra, the Shobijin, a slew of cameos from various Godzilla foes, and JET JAGUAR! (You guys might not know who he is, but man was he a favorite character of mine!) Of course, there's also Gojira himself, Godzilla! This was such a fun read. 

This Summer Smash one-shot completes a trilogy of Godzilla stories geared for all ages. Writer Erik Burham and artist Dan Schoening started things off with Godzilla: Monsters and Protectors (collected in graphic novel form as Godzilla: Monsters and Protectors- Rise Up) which introduced readers to Cedric who is tasked by Godzilla to be his eyes and ears against global pollution. While the giant lizard slumbers, he'll see through Cedric's eyes the efforts of the human race in hopes of saving the environment. Godzilla: Monsters and Protectors: All Hail the King introduces the Xiliens who first use various Kaiju, including Ghidorah to overtake the earth. This final one-shot has the residents of Planet X deciding to do things themselves; with a little help obviously.

Though I have not read the first two story lines, I did not feel lost reading this book. Erik Burnham wisely made sure that Cedric got readers new and established up-to-date on what had happened so far. Plus, my knowledge of early Godzilla movies really helped me to know who many of these characters were. And did I tell you Jet Jaguar is in the story? I'm really excited about that and I appreciate how well Dan Schoening did in capturing the characters style and mannerisms. Especially, when he flies!

I had an absolute blast. If you grew up with Godzilla in any of his nearly 70 years worth of incarnations, you too will enjoy this book. Though I really think fans of the original 1950s-84 version of the Godzilla franchise will enjoy this book the most. Yes- some evil aliens blow up parts of Japan. Then a few large monsters battle it out. But really, there wasn't anything more violent or scary than what you might see in a classic Godzilla film. Let's be honest here, those movies really ain't that scary and professional wrestling is more real than the battles in those original films. 

A great story to bond with Godzilla loving parents and guardians with the young readers in their life.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Basketful of Heads

Joe Hill is the only author whose collective body of work terrifies me. Hill's magnum opus, NOS4A2 gave me such chills, that I had to stop reading it for several months before I got the courage to finish it. Several chapters of his Dark Horse series Locke & Key gave me sleepless nights. And his 2016 work The Fireman, while the least scary of his works that I have read, still had moments of horror that I just can't shake off. 

And yet, I can't stop reading his stuff!

Basketful of Heads was Hill's first miniseries published under DC's Hill House imprint. With the collapse of Vertigo, DC Comics partnered with the author to develop a line of horror comics based on his previously published short stories and new works. Other authors were supposed to be involved in this project. Shortly, DC announced the creation of the DC Horror and Black Label imprints and those other stories were released under that line. 

This 2019 miniseries is set during the end of the Summer of 1983. June Branch has arrived on Brody Island, off the coast of Maine, to pick up her boyfriend, Liam. Liam has been working during his college break as a junior law enforcement officer to help with the influx of Summer tourists. Coming off his last shift, Liam and June encounter a chaotic scene. A quartet of prisoners on work release have escaped from Shawkshank Prison!

These men are considered armed and dangerous. So Liam decides to stay with Chief Clausen's family to protect them while the police force conducts their manhunt. With a tropical storm approaching the island and the tragic news of a fallen cop, June and Liam soon find themselves at the Chief's house alone.

The storm causes the power to go out at the Clausen compound. While June looks for flashlights, the prisoners invade the home and take Liam hostage. In the melee, June looks for something to defend herself and grabs what she believes to be an ordinary antique axe from Chief Clausen's den. Only when she lops off the head of one of the prisoners who stayed behind, she discovers that the weapon has magical powers, allowing the decapitated criminal's head to remain alive. 

June learns from the head that Liam has some sort of unknown item in his possession. Probably money or jewels, which could greatly help with their escape. June knows nothing of this. But if she wants to see her boyfriend alive ever again, June has got to get searching, taking the talking head, and placing it in a picnic basket with her, in hopes of uncovering clues.

As she encounters the other prisoners, June's basket grows heavy with more heads. But is she any closer to saving Liam? And what is so special about this axe that it keeps the dead from dying?

Basketful of Heads was a brilliant dark comedy. It gives homage to JAWS being set on Brody Island. And it ties into the Stephen King universe with the inclusion of criminals from Shawshank. I was expecting this to be a book about a serial killer with a Little Red Riding Hood fetish. Instead, I got a thrilling mystery that was as funny as it was creepy. 

Chilean artist Gabriel Rodriguez is the quintessential partner when Joe Hill makes comics. But I must say that when you cannot get Gabe Rodriguez, the appropriate substitute can be Leomacs! He's got this quality that makes the living seem so vibrant and the dead look like rotting flesh. Creepy good! And the regular covers, crafted so deftly by Reika Murakami. (Can you find the eyeball hiding in this cover?) Once again- Creepy good!

In 2022, Joe Hill crafted a sequel. Refrigerator Full of Heads promises to continue the mystery of the magical axe. If it's half as good as this book, I really, REALLY want to read it. 

As for Hill House? Does it still exist? I can't find any info as to if Joe Hill has more horror comic books on the horizon. The storyline of Locke & Key has been continued and a couple of prequels set during major wars in American history are forecasted to be in the works. But I really want to know if the latest victim at the hands of horror writer Joe Hill is his Hill House imprint!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Dog Days of Sumer Special #1

8 action packed adventures for all you DC Comics fans. 

A $9.99 price tag might be pretty steep for most of you. But I am a holiday themed comic addict and since I was going on vacation this week, I could not pass it up. 

There's quite a few of DC's best working on this book including Dan DiDio, G. Willow Wilson, Stjepan Sejic and a cool-looking cover by Francis Manpul. While there's an impressive list of talent on this book, the quality of the stories do vary. 

The best stories were:

• A Killer Croc tale of the crime lord's Miami origins, set in the Everglades.
• Beast Boy's feats of strength during his much needed summer vacay.
• Red Lantern Dex-starr teaches a milquetoast the benefits of rage when some Khund vacationers go on the war path.
• On a jungle safari, Animal Man must protect his family when an ancient menace targets them as his next meal. 

The worst:

• A Superman and Krypto team-up. The story of the duo facing an alien menace was good. But the art was really poor. 

In the middle was:

• A Justice League story involving a Minotaur named Ferdinand. His quest to find a suitable main course for the League's BBQ was admirable, especially since I am a professional chef. But I don't know this character and that made it hard to make a connection with the story.  
• Captain Carrot's cartoon world is undergoing a CRISIS. With Earth-23's Superman out of commission, the bunny must rely on the grim and gritty Atomic Batman of Earth-17 whose all about logic Yet, with the sun feeling unappreciated, the only way to save the day means relying on some hilarious cartoon physics! Again, the art wasn't all that great. But it seemed to match this Looney Tunes inspired tale.

If you are keeping count, I just mentioned 7 stories. That's because #8 is one that I couldn't decide whether I loved it or hated it. It involved a pair of drunks deciding to ride an untamed bull (wearing a pained on smiley face) at a county fair. To the rescue is Batcow! This was an absurd story that had some hi-highs and some groan-worthy lows. I'm sure that I don't feel okay with this story. I just don't know whether to hate it or love it. 

Overall, I enjoyed this special very much. For the most part, the stories were great. It was the artwork that wasn't, in my opinion, DC Comics quality. If you are going on a vacation anytime this summer, pick up the DC Dog Days of Summer Special. Almost perfect for reading on a breezy evening after a long day of fun in the sun.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Summer Reading... Had Me a Blast!!!

   This summer in anticipation for Season 3 of the Flash, I will be reading the entire Flashpoint story line, including the 5-issue Road to Flashpoint published in the pages of the Flash. It makes perfect sense, especially as it was revealed just last week that Flashpoint will be the theme of the CW show's third season.

   Now I understand that by reading Flashpoint it in no way is going to unfold that way in the comics. But I am chomping at the bit for new Flash episodes (as well as Supergirl and new Legends of Tomorrow and new Gotham.) So, I might as well bide my time with reading the inspiration for next season's plot.

   I'll still be turning in a Family Comic Friday review each week. I'll also be reading some other stuff as to not get stale. But look out for my Flashpoint reviews all throughout the summer!

   Happy Reading...

Tick's Massive Summer Double Spectacle #1

 

  When the Tick and his band of super-heroes lose their sole source of funds (dastardly Barry's credit card) and cannot repair their not-so-secret headquarters, the team does what any needy group of heroes does: they have a membership drive! Enter the Multi-Millionaire! He's a cross between Donald Trump and a political pundit who is obessessed with graphs and polls. But while this super-wealthy 'superhero' might have the desperately needed cash flow to fix their lair, his intentions might not be so pure. 

    While I've not read the story that preceeded this special, it didn't take very long to get caught up on what I missed. The Tick is an insane series but with the added craziness of a host of supervillains along with some of the weirdest B-list superheroes this side of the film 'Mystery Men' made this the craziest issue of the Tick- EVER! 
  
    I loved it! 

   Worth Consuming with tons of laugh out loud hijinx.

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.