Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

Duke is a werewolf. Earl is a vampire. They're friends but they act like they hate each other. Since Earl is in a vulnerable state during daylight hours, Duke is his pal's protector. Imagine Lennie and George from Of Mice and Men. I picture Duke and Earl as the main characters from Tremors: rude, crude and a little dumb. But what they lack in book smarts, they make up for with rugged ingenuity and supernatural powers. While those characters were played by Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon, I don't really envision those actors as Duke and Earl. In terms of Duke, I picture Tyler Labine from Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil. But hairier. I couldn't picture anyone famous for Earl.

Okay, back to the story...

The two drifters wind up at an all-night greasy spoon looking for gas and grub. Instead, they wind up having to take on a legion of zombies. So begins a tale that I could see being a Netflix series or even a SyFy movie that takes the two characters and puts them against a young adult aspiring pagan priestess who wants to usher in the apocalypse. Turns out that the truck stop is situated on the nexus point that will open up the gates of the underworld and introduce ancient deities to the 21st century.

If you can get past the clunky first two chapters, you're in for a treat. It was almost like the author had a little trouble getting out of the starting gate. (This 2005 work from TOR Books was his first novel.) I find as a rule of thumb that anytime a character is described as wearing a T-shirt with a funny but also inappropriate saying on it, there's just something off about the storytelling. Heck, Stephen King and Douglas Adams were both guilty of this at times. But I am very glad that I pressed on with the book.

Gil's All Fright Diner does some really clever work re-adjusting the established rules behind traditional folk characters such as the Wolfman, vampires, zombies and especially ghosts. There's a whole dichotomy that makes ghosts more believable in this world than here in reality. And they're smartly written too.

I liked the universe that writer A. Lee Martinez created and I was actually disappointed to see this book end. It's not a world that I would want to live in. But it's definitely a place that I would like to visit again. Sadly, though Martinez has written other similar type works of horror/comedy/fantasy, it doesn't appear that Duke nor Earl return in any of them. That being said, I wouldn't mind giving another one of the author's works a try and he's got a couple that do look interesting.

We'll see...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

The Theory of Everything Else: A Voyage into the World of the Weird by Dan Schreiber

Comedian and pod caster Dan Schreiber dips his toe into the water of conspiracy theories and strange phenomena. And by strange phenomena, we're talking things so goofy, even Fox Mulder is skeptical of them! Personally, I feel like Schreiber could have covered a lot more whack job ideas that are floating around out there. But I did think that the writer was very detailed about the theories he researched. Plus I liked that he covered a few subjects that even I, a long term and now repentant conspiracy theorist and devotee of the eccentric, outlandish and just plain odd, such as myself, weren't even aware of.

I also wouldn't categorize everything Schreiber features in this book to be a conspiracy theory. It's not entirely that type of book. Some topics are more based on fringe science and hobbies of nut jobs. Some of which just happens to be proven true. Case in point: the study that plants can communicate with each other. A former CIA interrogator supposedly hooked up his house plant to a lie detector and got some very unusual results. Eventually, the guy quits being a spook, starts up a research center to study plant and human behavior and publishes a couple of books on how plants talk to us that become oddball best sellers. Jump ahead to a couple of years ago and researchers reveal that there's indication of a worldwide network that plants use to communicate to other flora about droughts, floods, and other threats to wildlife.

Schreiber works rather blue. He likes to refer to many of the believers of these conspiracies and fringe ideas as bat CRAP crazy. Only the author doesn't use the family friendly word CRAP. The writer also seems a bit too preoccupied with crazy kinks. A bunch of pages are devoted to dolphin genitals, sex with ghosts and other X-rated situations. There's a few characters from the past 200 years who began cults and alternate religions that used their charisma to score with both male and female followers. I'm actually surprised how little the author focuses on some of those characters, especially Aleister Crowley.

Dan Schreiber also hosts a podcast called 'No Such Thing As A Fish' that delves into hoaxes. Fish and birds are amazingly left untouched in this book. Maybe due to some subjects being considering off-limits due to licensing or advertising agreements with the pod cast. If he's not restricted, I'd like to read a follow up of this book, because while he's a bit cheeky, Schreiber does tell some very good stories; both personally and of historic merit. 

Not a book for kids. But it's definitely a book that skirts upon a lot of the very strange theories being brought about by all sides of the political and public spectrum thanks to events like Brexit, the coming of COVID and January 6th election claims. The Theory of Everything Else may not have the answers you are looking for. However, it can definitely get you headed into the right direction for the origins of the world's most endearing and modern plots, dodges and cabals. And if that's not what you are looking for- Schreiber has plenty to say about ghosts, UFOs, time travel and other elements of the supernatural. Only he views such popular fringe and occult matters differently than most.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Ward #1

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

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

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

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

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

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

I hate cliffhangers.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #106

One of the stories mercifully comes to a close in this issue. The curtains close on the demon-filled Ghost Rider/Doctor Strange story. I would have liked the Wolverine/Nightcrawler tale and the Gerry Conway Young Gods epic to have ended this issue. But I understand why you can't have all 3 of your multi-parters end in the same volume. That kinda defeats the purpose of a rotating anthology title.

I was very intrigued by the one-shot story. It's about a one-eyed priest called Gabriel, the Devil-Hunter. If you were to call this guy a D-lister, I'd say you were being generous. A quick Marvel Wiki search reveals that Gabriel has only made 22 appearances in comics. 13 of those appearances were in the 1990s Damien Hellstrom horror series. His very first appearances were in a long-forgotten Marvel horror magazine, NOT COMIC, called Haunt of Horror.

Anyways, this story isn't memorable to me as I became an instant fan or anything like that. This issue was full of 1990s Marvel Comics cliches- gritty, grim and poorly drawn. But I swear I can see a character from Vertigo Comics swirling around in this. If Garth Ennis' Preacher- AKA Jesse Custer- wasn't birthed from this Devil-Hunter character, I'll eat my hat. Both characters are preachers with questionable faith, they both wear clerical collars and they both will at one point or another lose an eye! 

Yeah, I don't think I'll be dining on a fedora any time soon...

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #102

One of the stories in this issue involves a character from the Old West. He wears all white and rides a devilish white pony named Banshee. When I was young, he was called Ghost Rider. But in this issue, he's referred to as the Phantom Rider. When the heck did that happen?

It does turn out that this version of the hero is from the 1990s. But even according to the story by Howard Mackie (Gambit), all previous ancestors of the modern horseman were called Phantom Riders as well. Again, when did this transitional name change happen? 

That story is the only single issue tale. In the chapter tales, Wolverine and Nightcrawler investigate a town that may be harboring anti-mutant radicals, the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider and Doctor Strange protect the sanctum sanctorum from an ancient evil, and a diverse group of Celestial sponsored heroes travel the globe to prevent a series of events from unleashing an ancient horror upon the world. 

A very supernatural heavy issue. It felt very 1970s Marvel. I liked it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Mister Negativity and Other Tales of Supernatural Law (A Madman Re-read)

This is the volume that got me started on Supernatural Law. I don't know why but for some reason my local library has only had volume 5 in it's stacks. It's been like 10 years since I read the book and my library still refuses to add any other Supernatural Law books to the graphic novel shelving units. 

The main story is about a man with the ability to turn even the brightest of situations into a real bummer. Mister Negativity isn't being sued. Instead, he's suing for damages due to his now permanent sour disposition, which in a word is repelling! 

Paralleling this case is a suit filed against a medium. Seems that a fortuneteller promised a man a long life. Only the guy gets hit by a bus or something right after. As a result, he keeps digging himself up feeling misled about the fortune he was issued. 

The connection between the two stories is kinda telegraphed. But the ending was still pretty powerful. 

Another story I enjoyed a bunch involves a demon. No, I haven't started warming up to the darker sides of horror. I just really appreciated the Dave Sims tribute to the aardvark Cerebus in this story. Yeah, I know I've never read a Cerebus story before. But I still appreciated it. 

One tale that I wasn't a fan of takes place in the dream world. A horror writer is in a coma as a result of a mysterious hit and run. As death creeps even closer, the author reaches out to Wolff & Byrd through their slumber. It's a rare episode where Mavis gets to save the day for once. But I felt that this take on Stephen King's near-death experience was full of parodies that just weren't funny. It just was too serious. This poses the questions: can a parody be serious?

I like it better when Batton Lash is light-hearted and this story was far from being happy-go-lucky. A good volume of Supernatural Law. Not the best one of the bunch. But still fun to read!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Leave It To Chance: Trick or Threat & Other Stories

Leave It To Chance. I've seen the books that make up the series in my local library. But I've never read them. With my library having been closed since May, I had not gotten an opportunity to check out all-ages stuff unless it's a part of my collection. Then in October, when my local (and favorite) comic book store reopened, I found this book for sale on discount.  

Based on the fact that the title story is a Halloween set tale, I was going to read this as part of my Halloween 2020 reading. But when I came across a Christmas story included in the mix, I waited until now to finish it up.

The plot of Leave It To Chance is about the daughter of a famed occultist and paranormal investigator. Chance's father does not want her to follow in the family business. But no matter what the young lady does, it seems that supernatural mischief follows Chance everywhere. From a young boy's pet Capuchin monkey being kidnapped in order to enact a Halloween spell to a classmate getting kidnapped by a phantom during a holiday trip to the local mall, it's up to Chance and her pat dragon, St. George, to save the day!

There were 13 issues in the series. But with budgeting issues, production delays and scheduling conflicts, it took over 3 years for the entire storyline to run it's course. As a result, the 3 volumes that comprise Chance's story are not given numbers. 'Trick or Threat & Other Stories' cover the middle chunk of Leave It To Chance. But that's okay. The stories are fairly self-contained for the most part. 

With swift storytelling and super clean art, I really did enjoy this book. So much, that I have no qualms with adding the other two unnumbered volumes to my wish list!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Rating: 

Blue Devil #13

30 plus years after it was published, this Madman got his wish. Issue #13 was far from unlucky with Zatanna, Jon Stewart and Etrigan returning to free Dan Cassidy from the long-distant Nebiros. 

It turns out Dan's hi-tech pitchfork has absorbed some of the demon's bad mojo. That's good news for the studio behind the Blue Devil movie as it turns out that the film footage shot isn't full of demonic influence. But for Dan Cassidy, it spells trouble.

The comedic elements of the past issue are all but gone. But I still enjoyed this supernatural chapter very much nonetheless. Full of great guest stars and chock full of new twists and turns; including a new player who promises to give Dan Cassidy the fits. That is, if he survives the events of this issue!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #12

It finally happened! The long-awaited premiere of Blue Devil at L.A.'s Chinese theatre promises to be a blockbuster. As they say, the devil is in the details and the moving images of the demonic Nebiros have unlocked the evil side of Dan Cassidy.

Wreakng terror on the movie goers, Blue Devil has unlocked powers unimaginable. It will take the combined efforts of Zatanna, Green Lantern Jon Stewart, the rhyming Demon, Etrigan, and an all-new hero named Kid Devil to defeat Cassidy's dark side without doing any permanent harm to the famed stuntman.

It's always great when you get an appearance from Jack Kirby's Demon. Plus Zatanna just has great chemistry with Blue Devil. I really wish she would have become a permanent fixture of this series. 

This caper to the first year of Blue Devil was a supernatural comedic masterpiece by the writing team of Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn with fantastic art by Alan Kupperberg.

Just about darn near perfect!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #5

 

Go to Hell, Blue Devil!

That's literally what Dan Cassidy does when he recruits Justice Leaguer, Zatanna to help him finally be freed from his rubber suit imprisonment. All Dan has to do is waltz into Hades, ask the demon who zapped him for help and he'll be released. 

If only Dan's ego wouldn't get in the way...

Sorceress Zatanna, who opened the breach between earth and the realm of the underworld, is on point. She'll stay on this side of the portal to prevent any little minions from crossing over. And it that doesn't work, then there's always the Mexican army to save the day!

Lots of action and adventure. While the Blue Devil series is a supernatural based one. It's not overt as say a Hellblazer or Son of Satan series. I'm perfectly fine with this as I like horror and the macabre. But I have very little to do with demons and such. Yes, they're in this book. But I don't feel like they're going to jump off the page at me or something. Those kind of books, I can do without. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #4

Dan Cassidy seeks to be freed from the Blue Devil suit by teaming up with the mighty Zatanna.  But in order to be freed, Cassidy will have to ask the demon who imprisoned him. And he'll have to ask nicely. Does our reluctant have what it takes to face Nebiros once more without letting the past difficulties get in the way?

We got a brief visit from the Elongated Man. I really wish their was more of him in this story. Ralph Dibny isn't my favorite superhero or anything like that. But he (and wife Sue) were the heart and soul of the DC Universe and any chance to return to that pure presence gets me right in the feels. 

Dan and Zatanna make a great team and I wouldn't mind seeing more of them together. Also, I know that won't be the case. But they have great chemistry.

A very good chapter in the Blue Devil saga that succeeds in the chemistry department as opposed to the direct supernatural elements. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #1

Dan Cassidy is the best special effects and make-up guy in the business. His new high-tech suit for the upcoming blockbuster, 'The Blue Devil', is state of the art. It's sure to win some accolades come awards season.

While Dan is a whiz at SFX, he's a dud with the ladies. He's got the biggest crush on the star of the picture; a bombshell named Sharon. But Dan just can't express it to her.

While touring the ruins to be used for the film's climax, Sharon unknowingly unleashes a demon named Nebiros. A former ruler of this world, Nebiros has been exiled to a dying domain for centuries and he mistakes Cassidy, in full Blue Devil costume, as his brother rescuer. 

But the demon soon learns that this devil fights on the side of the angels. And in a rage, Nebiros hits Dan with a beam of energy so fierce, surely our hero has died in just his first issue. 

I've had the complete run of Devil Devil collected for quite some time. I just never really brought myself to read it. I really like the character from his role in the supernatural super team book, Shadowpact. That's the main reason why I decided to collect this book. That and it's indirect connection with Duke University. (One of the character designers spouses was a big Duke fan and they created the character in a sort of tribute to her fandom to the Blue Devils.)

However, I've been burned by mid-1980s DC books in the past. Just last month, I read Paul Kupperberg's Power Girl miniseries from 1988 and it was a massive turd. 1986's Blue Beetle had a very rough start focusing more on soap opera style plots than heroics and that era's Captain Atom series was a mixed bag. Only Booster Gold was a pure delight during this time of revamped and new DC heroes (that I've thus far read.) There's probably some more amazing CRISIS era titles out there that are gems to read. But I am often hesitant to dip my toe in those uncertain waters thanks to previous experience. 

But the premier issue of Blue Devil was great- for a premier issue. The origin story aspect was very good. The introduction to a few characters was rough with insipid dialogue. And we've got that Sam and Diane relationship between Dan and Sharon to sift through. Yet for a 'pilot' issue, this was very good. The book has a great sense of humor and Paris Cullns' (House of Mystery) Terry Austin style artwork in whimsically awesome.

I'm not quite there. But I think I might be hooked on this fantastic little book.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Essential Doctor Strange, Volume 1

For a fan of horror comics, I am considered a bit of an outsider. I have no problem with ghost stories and tales of the macabre- or monsters. But when you get into witchcraft, demons and spells, I tend to shy away. That's one reason that you don't see a lot of Doctor Strange or Hellblazer on this blog. 

So why am I reading Doctor Strange now? The answer is easy with just 2 words:

Benedict Cumberbatch!

I love this actor. I adore him in Sherlock. I thought he was perfect in The Hobbit trilogy as the dragon Smaug. Heck, I could watch him read the phone book. 

The British actor's portrayal of the Sorcerer Supreme has made Doctor Strange one of my top 3 favorite Marvel movies of all-time. And it's piqued my interest in reading up on the earliest exploits of Stephen Strange.

It also greatly helps that the majority of the stories written and illustrated in this book are by some of my all-time favs as well- Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Together, they wove an intricate foundation of magic and wonder into the Marvel universe. and I loved every panel of it!

From legendary villains such as Dormammu and Baron Mordo to lesser known baddies such as random street thugs, if someone was misusing the mystic arts, Doctor Strange was there to restore order. 

As with all good things, both Stan Lee and Ditko would eventually depart the series. But a bunch of legends in their own right took over the mantle as creators with varying degrees of success. Roy Thomas was a Stan the Man clone; whereas Denny O'Neil showed little glimpses of the that eerie supernatural touch that he'd later bring to DC in the pages of Batman. I was a bit disappointed with former EC crew member Marie Severin's artwork. It was too static. But I loved the art deco touch of the 1930s brought about with the pen strokes of Bill Everett (The Sub-Mariner). It's literally unsung brilliance in the annals of great Doctor Strange talent.

Like a lot of comics from this era, I am now hooked. I really want to get my hands on volume 2 as it has issues 3-14 of the very expensive Marvel Premiere run of Strange stories that I need to complete that collection. As a penny-pinching collector, I count reprints as part of a run because for me, it's more important to be able to read and enjoy the entire story as opposed to owning issues. And this volume collects some of the most amazingly entertaining supernatural tales ever told!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage

A supernatural thriller that starts out really good, gets kinda confusing and then ends as greatly as it started. 

A paranormal investigator who can speak to the dead, has one little problem. Unable to locate her deceased husband, Doctor Mirage has lost her passion for life. But when a former covert ops agent seeks Mirage's help to release himself from a demon, she discovers a chance to reunite with her spouse.

The first third of this book is so much like The Sixth Sense. It wasn't a rip-off of that movie. But it just flowed so well that I didn't want that segment to end. 

The middle act gets a little like that Robin Williams afterlife picture What Dreams May Come. In that regards, things get really metaphysical and weird. (Now, I will admit the Director's Cut commentary at the end of this volume helped clear things up. But it was too little, too late.)

The final act didn't return to The Sixth Sense. But it was such a beautiful ending, I didn't want it to end. If the book had cut out that confusing middle act, I would read further adventures of Doctor Mirage.

This wasn't a bad read from Jen Van Meter (Captain Marvel.) The art from Robert Le Torre was okay. His demons were quite terrifying but some of his other characters were hard to decipher from one person to another. Especially the human characters.

A series that wasn't very smooth in it's transitions. However, there is enough promise that I
would give it another try. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating 7 out of 10 stars.

Vinegar Teeth #4

• Just who is behind all of the residents of the city becoming zombified?
• Why does Detective Buckle act all weird at the beginning of each issue?
• What kind of blues music goes best with depression?

All of your questions are answered in the final issue of this Dark Horse miniseries. Plus Vinegar Teeth's origin is finally revealed!

A very fulfilling but bitter sweet ending to this Troy Nixey/Damon Gentry!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Crypt of Shadows #10

If you were to just to look at the cover, you would think that the title story was about a poor sap running afoul of some death cult. In order to win his freedom, he must find an enchanted item placed inside a bottomless cloak.

Instead the title story is about a vagabond who is caught shoplifting. But the police are stymied when they can't find his stolen goods. Turns out that the coat he found has a special pocket that connects to another dimension.

What's so scary about that? Then again, what do you expect from a story published right after the comics scare?! It's not that the story was bad. It's just compared to the frightening scene on the cover, the story we get is extremely tame. Not to mention unexpected.

Among collectors of horror comics, this mid-seventies anthology series from Marvel is a cult favorite. It only ran for 21 issues and was comprised entirely of reprints. That alone is why the series was so short lived and yet reflected upon so fondly.

Crypt of Shadows wasn't what 1970s fans were expecting in an era that was opening to meatier horror stories after nearly 20 years of oppressive rules by the Comics Code. However, as these issues contain do contain a number of tales from when Marvel was Timely Comics as well as some very early Marvel stuff. For some fans of the modern era, finding these books are the only way that can get those nearly impossible to locate (and often pricey) stories as these comics are occasionally peppered in bargain bins.

A good issue that is proof of the adage: never judge a book by its cover!

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Phantom of Fear City #10

Every 10 years, a pirate's ghost is given a chance to escape purgatory and cross over to the other side. His task is to make a living woman fall in love with him. Having been rejected by his latest best chance of salvation, the so-called Phantom of Fear City counts down his final hours of freedom before having to spend another decade in limbo. So when the former object of his affection finally realized she does in fact love the Phantom, can she reunite with him before his time runs out?

From 1993, I found this book in a grab bag and thought from the cover scene of a seance, this would make a great Halloween read. Written by Steve Englehart (Captain America), if you were to base this series on just my description, you'd think it's just a soap opera love story. And there's elements of that. But there's so much great stuff going on in the background, along with tie-ins to a couple of other series that ran alongside this title back in 1993.

I would have to say that this book was a lot like Dark Shadows of which I am a fan. Yes, it's a little sappy, but the supernatural elements of Fear City have won me over to finding not only the rest of this 12-issue miniseries but the other companion titles that I saw advertised in this comic- Soulsearchers and Company and Deadbeats.

I have never heard of Claypool Comics before. But somehow they were able to snag Englehart along with George Perez (Crisis on Infinite Earths) on covers and Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn) on a backup story starring the Soulsearchers; a group of ghost hunters who are the world's worst Ghostbusters! Impressive, I must say.

A very good introduction to a whole universe of stories that I hope to come across in my comic book searches sometime in the near future.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Rivers of London: Detective Stories #2

From the Case Files of Peter Grant…

Police Constable Peter Grant’s performance review to become a detective continues. His next case placed under the microscope involves a stolen work of art. Only, this thief wasn’t trying to remove the sketch from a museum or gallery. He was trying to add it to the collection of the Duke of Wellington.

A Lack of Cohesion

I was quite disappointed with this issue. When it comes to plotting out a well structured mystery, the author can get bogged down in the details. I think Rivers of London creator and writer Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel made the plot to this story just too darn complex. Immortal soldiers, a rough draft by painter Francisco Goya, and a confession to the crime that the reader is never fully allowed to see makes for a centuries old puzzle that really didn’t need to be solved.

This issue wasn’t all bad. Segments of the story were quite good. The art as a whole was amazing. Artist Lee Sullivan illustrates the story in the style of different artists and art movements.

Sullivan’s use of styles was so good, I think Aaronovitch was trying to repeat this process, telling each suspect’s story in a different way. For example, when Grant is scouting the crime scene, clues are plastered all over the museum as he’d see it. Jump ahead a few pages to Peter interrogating the perp and the scenes inter-cut with Peter’s partner Lesley, at a private art session. Both conversations really only tell us one side of the story. Interesting techniques, but they don’t tell a cohesive enough of a story when put together.

Casting Judgments

Since I last reviewed issue #1, I have been on the hunt for the first Rivers of London novel. Being originally published in England, let me tell you, that’s no easy feat. I’ve only found it on Amazon and not for a price I’m very excited to pay. After reading this issue, I was a little relieved that I didn’t get it.

I’m willing to give this series one more try; like a best 2-out-of-3. Thankfully, each issue recounts only a single case with no real cliffhanger. If issue #3 winds up being my last, at least I will not feel like I would be missing out on anything. But Ben Aaronovitch and the staff at Titan Comics are going to have to pull out all the stops if they are going to win me over as a fan of Rivers of London for good.

Tune in next month to uncover how that mystery is solved…

Worth Consuming

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Review was originally published July 13, 2017 on Outrightgeekery.com

Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone by G.S. Denning

   Holy Crap- I read an actual novel!!!

   I know it's very rare when I do this. Madman With a Book is primarily devoted to comic books and graphic novels. But every once in a while a novel peaks my interest. Warlock Holmes : A Study In Brimstone is one such book.

    Imagine if Sherlock Holmes was not really a great detective. Instead of a man of science, Holmes is a student of the Dark Arts. But he's not even a really good one of those either. Yet in order to keep his secret safe, Warlock Holmes helps the police of Scotland Yard solve a number of crimes under the guise of using science.

     Warlock's true detective genius is actually Watson! A brilliant doctor, Watson secretly solves the crimes, with a little hocus pocus from Holmes. Together, the pair become fast friends and the toast of the London. The pair eventually ally themselves with other supernatural crime fighters; such as the vampire detective Lestrade. It's their mission to end the reign of the master criminal James Moriarty, whose spirit currently resides in one Warlock Holmes of 221B Baker Street!

     A Study in Brimstone is a laugh-out-loud parody of everything Sherlock Holmes. Sprinkled with a little bit of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, along with Doyle, the short stories will change how you see Holmes and Watson. Containing spoofs of A Study in Scarlet, the Adventure of the Yellow Face, and others, this book is the first in a series. 

   Even though it's a tad unpolished and gets a little too silly at times, I could not put down this 2016 work by G.S. Denning. In fact, I enjoyed Warlock Holmes so much that I raced back to the library and got the second book. I'm only about 30 pages in right now but it's just as funny as this opening volume! 

      Worth Consuming!

      Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

      

Deadpool, Volume 4: Temporary Insanitation

     A not-so-scrupulous accountant has crossed too many players of Manhattan's underbelly. Seeking protection and sanctuary, the money-man (and his laptop full of incriminating evidence) goes straight to the top for help- DEADPOOL! But these crooks aren't willing to blink and they've brought in a heavy hitter to take in the turncoat accountant- Typhoid Mary!! Enter the wildest team-up and the first (and probably only) single issue multi-issue crossover in comics history.
     Guest-starring Daredevil, Power-Man, Iron Fist and most of the sanitation crew at Fresh Kills landfill!
     Then things get supernatural when a horde of inter-dimensional beings invades Deadpool's wife Shiklah's subterranean kingdom. This Last Days of Magic tie-in will shock long-time Deadpool fans and looks to change the game for the Merc With A Mouth for some time to come. 
     The first storyline was classic Deadpool! It's crazy funny and a shining moment in a era of Marvel that's been sub-par at best. But why does Gerry Duggan, along with writers Charles Soule and David Walker insist on making Wade Wilson such a tragic character!? He's much better when he's funny and surreal than a homicidal version of Charlie Brown. That's why I buy the book- fun and games not going down in flames...

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.