Nick Fury Vs. Fin Fang Foom #1 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 2024, shortly after stepping down as the head writer of Captain America, Marvel Comics announced that J. Michael Straczynski would be crafting an anthology team-up series. There would be no set main character, like with Marvel Two-In-One which saw the Fantastic Four's ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing pairing up with a different character every issue. This twist for the new series would be having 2 changing and unlikely characters interacting with each other. A sneak preview of the first issue showed the cover by Gary Frank depicting Rocket Raccoon dining inside the castle fortress of Doctor Doom!

In December, the idea of a monthly title was scrapped. But instead of Straczynski's hard work being banished to the Marvel vaults, it was decided that a slew of one-and-done specials would be produced. The 'Unlikely Duo One-Shots' would see Spidey taking on not the Sinester Six but a full SIXTEEN, the Voluminous Volstagg assisting Captain America and Ghost Rider offered a chance to be the galactic herald of Galactus. But the book that I absolutely had to have in my collection was the war time meeting of Nick Fury and the alien dragon Fin Fang Foom.

Set in October, 1940, World War II is raging across the globe, but the United States has yet to officially enter the conflict... officially. A few months earlier, Fury and his childhood friend Red Hargrove undertook a clandestine mission to the Netherlands. Now barnstorming throughout Europe in a dilapidated Fokker, Fury is once again recruited by Happy Sam Sawyer to investigate the disappearance of a number of planes owned by an American company in war torn China.

The American company is actually a front for a group of US Army based mercenaries called the Flying Tigers. Planes flying reconnaissance for the Chinese army fighting off the invading Imperial Japanese forces, have disappeared without a trace. Needing fearless pilots with military experience, Fury and Hargrove are perfect to uncover the secret of the missing airplanes. On one such mission, Fury attempts to get a closer look at a mysterious cloud that upon further investigation looks a lot like a dragon. But clouds aren't supposed to be green, have teeth and dive at you from a steep angle at a very high rate of speed!!!

J. Michael Straczynski does a fairly decent job of keeping this story in line with the established Marvel Comics canon. Fury and Hargrove 's first mission for Happy Sam in the Netherlands in Sgt. Fury #7 is referenced several times. Defeated at the hands of American mercenaries, Fin Fang Foom sets his hibernation chamber to reset for reemergence in 1961; the very year the character would make his Marvel debut in the pages of Strange Tales #89. Too bad Straczynski doesn't seem to know American history! The author has the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor a year too early!

Can somebody say 'No Prize?'  Or is this part of a new timeline some fans are debating that will see the Axis powers somehow winning World War II? What unfolds in Stracynski's remaining one-shots due out this Summer could hold the answer.

Featuring artwork by Elena Casagrande. Cover by Gary Frank.

Completing this review completes Task #13 (A war Comic) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

DC Comics Presents #47 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

This issue marks the first ever appearance of He-Man and many of his cohorts from Masters of the Universe in comics. According to Bob Rozakis in his opening column in the letters section 'Pair Mail', Mattel approached DC with the idea of adapting their forthcoming Masters of the Universe toy-line in comic book form. 

Toying around with the concepts provided by Mark Ellis from Mattel, project editor Dave Manak and Paul Kupperberg got the idea to have He-Man's world of Eternia merge with the DC Universe. Since this would be a first ever introduction of the characters to readers, DC felt having Superman meeting the Masters of the Universe would alleviate some of the unfamiliarity felt by the youngest of readers.

The story begins with Eternia's crown Prince, Adam going about his normal day of first learning combat skills from the palace's head of security Man-At-Arms then wasting his time in a tavern where a drunkard challengers the royal to a fight. Prince Adam is about to get his brains bashed when he's rescued by the palace guard. Only it turns out that this aloofness is all a ruse because in reality, Adam can change into the realm's mightiest human, the all-powerful He-Man.

Meanwhile He-Man's archenemy, the evil Skeletor is attempting once again to breach the ramparts of the mysterious Castle Greyskull. Feedback from a spell causes a breach in the universe, sending the Man of Steel to Eternia. Skeletor immediately casts his magic upon Superman, who has no immunity to the dark arts, turning the Last Son of Krypton into Skeletor's slave and latest weapon in his never-ending battle against He-Man!

A few months after He-Man's debut, a 16-page insert appeared in many of DC's flagship titles. A 3-issue miniseries came about next, dated November, 1982-February 1983. However, Mattel wasn't very happy where DC's direction was going with the franchise and severed ties after issue #3. He-Man wouldn't return to monthly comics until 1986, teaming with Marvel's Star Comics imprint for a 13 issue series (and adaptation of the disastrous 1987 live-action flick starring Dolph Lundgren, that ended when the House of Ideas shuttered the all-ages line of books in 1988. As the title faded, He-Man and company would lie dormant in comics until renewed nostalgic interest in the title would spawn short-lived franchise agreements with Image Comics, Dark Horse, and CrossGen Comics in the early 2000s. Masters of the Universe would return to DC from 2013-2020. Several minis were produced, including a 6-issue crossover between the characters of DC's Injustice video game and the heroes of Eternia. Dark Horse Comics currently owns the franchise, where they've published a couple of miniseries based on the animated Netflix reboot helmed by Kevin Smith. 

For this issue, Paul Kupperberg wrote the script with pencils by Curt Swan. A backup feature starring the Golden Age Sandman and his sidekick Sandy was crafted by Mike W. Barr and Jose Delbo. 

Completing this review completes Task #3 (Comic from the Bronze Age (1971-1985) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Team-Ups of the Brave and the Bold

You don't have to have read the previous 26 issues of this 2010's modern version of DC's flagship team-up franchise, The Brave and the Bold. I didn't know this for a while. That's why I sat on this book for so long. Once I realized that unlike how the series opened with a story line of Batman and Green Lantern alternating pairings with other heroes to find the Book of Destiny, these stories were all self-contained. 

The Team-Ups of the Brave and the Bold contains 7 stories written by J. Michael Straczynski as a last ditch attempt to revitalize the sagging series. Despite the superior writing of Straczynski and the awesome artwork of Jesus Saiz, it just wasn't enough to save this series from cancellation.

The following team-ups in the book includes:

• Robbie Baldwin losing his Hero dial during a family trip to Batman's hometown, Gotham City.
• The Atom goes on a 'fantastic journey' inside the brain of the Joker during a delicate surgery.
• During a science experiment on the speed of light in Belgium, the Flash is sent back in time to assist the pilots of Blackhawk squadron during the Battle of the Bulge.
• Batman investigates the legend of the 60s era Frankenstein monster known as Brother Power, the Geek.
• Wonder Woman and Zatanna take Batgirl on a much needed girl's night out.
• Aquaman and the Demon join forces to stop an Eldritch horror from the deep from conquering the world!

I love a team-up title and while I am a fan of the original Batman The Brave and the Bold collection of books, I like that the Dark Knight isn't the focus of the title here. The Atom's story offers a look at the troubled childhood of the boy who would become the Clown Prince of Crime. It was a chilling work. The Aquaman/Demon story also had hints of horror to it. If you ever wondered what it would be like if H.P. Lovecraft wrote a comic book, you'd have your answer here.

The Flash story was powerful. I can't believe it wasn't written by Joe Kubert with artwork by Brian Bolland. I also was enamored with the title's swan song starting Barbara Gordon. Here I am missing her carefree pre-Killing Joke days when hot with the fact that the events of this story will cause that tragedy to occur! And the Dial H for Hero story was a nostalgic tribute to a great premise that just never got it's proper due.

If you ask me, that Brother Power, the Geek story was unnecessary. Though the way that story ended set up for an exciting storyline that I would pay good money to read. It's just a shame that DC gave up faith in J. Michael Straczynski's writing talents. 

This book is really a beautiful tribute to some of the best eras of DC Comics. There's sci-fi, war, horror, wacky gimmicks and above all love. Love for a good story full of amazing things never before seen and love for the loyal readers.

Highly underrated stuff!

Worth Consuming!

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Deadpool: The Ones With Deadpool

A swift collection of Deadpool tales pairing the Merch with a Mouth with an interesting mix of Marvel Universe characters. This volume contains 2 annuals, a Bi-annual (since a Deadpool annual had already dropped that year) and a Death of Wolverine one-shot special. Two of the team ups are with characters that you'd expect to see in an oddball caper with Deadpool. One is a pairing that explains a lot. And then there's that meeting with a team from the 1990s that's so obscure, you'll swear Marvel's only reviving them to keep the copyright from expiring!

Thrilling Adventure Hour's Ben Acker and Ben Blacker answer the long pondered question about just how did Madcap ended up inside Wade Wilson's head? 

Deadpool then teams up with Spider-Man. Only this isn't one of their normal meetings. The master of disguise, Chameleon has been running Spidey ragged to the point of exhaustion. Unable to let his guard down for a minute, least Chameleon learns that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, Deadpool dons the red and blue tights in hopes of bringing the villain out into the open. 

In perhaps the most unexpected team up of all time, Deadpool joins forces with the all animal superhero team, Brute Force! But not before first being hired by the evil aquatic theme park that the forgotten super-team of the 90s is trying to shut down! Featuring a guest appearance by Phil Coulson that kinda makes ABC'S Marvel Agents of SHIELD canon with the comics!

Lastly, Deadpool and an aged Steve Rogers are tasked with execution of Wolverine's estate. This means scrubbing any DNA trace from the Avengers Mansion. It also means a trip to Russia, when it's discovered that an AIM cell operating in Moscow has possession of some of the fallen X-Man's blood!

All four stories were hysterical romps that provided me with some much needed laughs. I appreciated the foreword at the beginning of the Madcap story. For years, I thought I had missed just how Madcap ended up inside Deadpool's head. Well it turns out that origin story had never been told until Acker and Blacker got their hands on the Merc with a Mouth. 

The appearance of Brute Force was such a pleasant surprise. I'm very interested in reading their 4-issue debut miniseries from 1990. I also have a favorite member of the team. It's the high-flying Soar, who won my heart after being constantly put down by Wade. I felt so bad for Soar. He can be my wing man anytime!

A neat twist on the Spider-Man/Deadpool dynamic. Clever way to turn the tides on Chameleon too. But I thought that the Wolverine story was unnecessary. It felt like a money grab to cash in on the popularity of Deadpool with a Death of Wolverine one-shot, instead of really moving the needle any bit.  Some funny moments. Just uninspired.

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Wolverine: First Class, Vol. 4: Ninjas, Gods and Divas

A couple of weeks ago, I was wanting to read something fun. Something light. Only, I'd select a book, head to the bedroom to read it and discover that a Halloween themed story is inside. I don't know about you but a personal rule of mine is that you can't read Halloween comics unless it's October. So I held on to that book and went to find another. Wouldn't you know it, it too had a Halloween time set story inside. I went through this like 4 times before I finally gave up. It was like I was cursed or something.

On Saturday, I went ahead and began reading this book. The debut issue of the X-Men/Power Pack miniseries, which is the Halloween tale, was the last story in this volume. I didn't see it as breaking the rules of I didn't read that story until October 1st. I also didn't expect this series to turn out how it did.

Based on the title of 'First Class', I thought that this was going to be a series of untold origin tales starring everyone's favorite Canadian mutant, Wolverine either before Weapon X or during his time as a member of Alpha Flight. That's kinda how X-Men: First Class turned out. Instead, the majority of the stories are set during the early days of the Uncanny X-Men, when Kitty Pryde was the only adolescent student at Xavier's School for Gifted Students. 

Professor X sees that Kitty Pryde needs to toughen up a bit, least she never make it as an X-Man. Xavier also thinks that the hard travelling Logan needs to lighten up a bit and learn some empathy. Thus a classic team-up is born. Only don't expect these stories to just involve Sprite and Wolverine. There are a ton of cameos representing the mutant race as well as pairings with a slew of superstars from the Marvel Universe.

Together Wolverine and Kitty Pryde take on Red Hand ninjas with Daredevil and Elektra, stop a troll invasion with Thor and go on tour with Dazzler, who recently received a death threat in her private dressing room. Even though Wolverine is known to be very good at doing some very un-nice, he's like a grumpy uncle who always acts like he hates kids, but secretly is a softie to them. 

Peter David wrote the 3 stories collected from Wolverine: First Class. David is one of those writers who can write serious as well as lighthearted and both are equally great. Plus, Peter David puts the fun into everything he touches and from what I read, this book was capital F- U-N!

What about that Halloween story? It was a lot of fun too. When Power Pack came out in the 80s, I wasn't a big fan. I thought it was kinda dumb having kid superheroes. As I've gotten older, I have kinda grown to like them a little more. I see now how a group of 4 kids becoming heroes could expand the imagination of a fellow youngster to dream of becoming something fantastic. Plus, since the whole secret identity thing is out the window because Mom and dad both know, a lot of the implausibles that plague kid superheroes are eliminated.

The Halloween story is mostly a Power Pack adventure. One of the kids dresses up like Wolverine in hopes of winning the local costume contest. Getting separated from his siblings, the preteen Wolvie runs smack dab into Sabertooth while his family meets the real deal X-Man.

That story had great banter and was a perfect way to start off my October themed reads. As for Wolverine: First Class, I'm hooked. I want to know how many total issues were in the series and I want to add it to my wishlist. I kinda feel like I should give 2 ratings. One of the team-ups and and for the holiday special. Good thing both reads were flawless.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Vol. 2: The Fearsome Fangs Strikes Again!

Collecting issues 7-12 of the DC Comics series based on the Cartoon Network animated series of the same name. The very same team-up series I wished never ended. It did take me a couple of episodes to really appreciate the show. I was hesitant to accept the comical Diedrich Bader to do justice as the voice of Batman. But as I came to realize that the writers, artists and actors involved in Batman: The Brave and the Bold were fans of classic DC and really wanted to do a series that paid tribute to all eras of DC Comics, I was hooked!

In the 6 issues reprinted here, we get several guest stars that had at one point or another appeared on the cartoon. The original line-up of the Doom Partol, along with Beast Boy, Garfield Logan, a clean shaven Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Atom (though not sure if it's Ray Palmer or Ryan Choi version), and Adam Strange return for a lot of fun. The character of Catman makes his first appearance in this series. Although, I think Catman does pop up a couple of times on the show. And the there's the team that really has got me scratching my head...

3 of the members of the Great Ten, a Chinese superhero team that first appeared in the pages of Grant Morrison's 52 appear in issue #8. The August General in Armor (name really says it all), the highly accurate Celestial Archer, and the musically inclined Accomplished Perfect Physician meet up with Batman who is in Tibet investigating the sighting of a Yeti. The Asian heroes claim that the Yeti is really a Great Ten reservist who allowed his beastly side to accidentally overtake his civilized side during one of his heroic transformations. 

Most of you are going, 'why is all that a head scratcher?' Well, the choice of the Great Ten is an odd one. They're not really characters that kids would know. To be honest, they're not really characters a ton of adult readers of DC Comics would know. After a brief appearance in 2019's Doomsday Clock, the Great Ten have been pretty much MIA from the DCU. And then there's where this story takes place.

Batman meets up with the heroes from the Great Ten in Tibet. Now Tibet is known for being the home of the fabled Abominable Snowman, AKA the Yeti. But in the story, the Chinese heroes call Tibet, well, uh, they call it Tibet. But these heroes are also government employees. Shouldn't they be referring to Tibet as China as that nation lays claim to Tibet as a part of their territory? Or at least call it the Autonomous Zone or Region? 

That story was printed in 2009. I'm surprised that DC was willing to publish an issue with subject matter that controversial. In the past decade, movie studios have gotten in trouble with China and other countries for not calling certain regions or territories by the proper internationally recognized titles. Heck, just this year, Vietnam refused to show the mega-hit Barbie movie in their theaters because of a single scene that uses an outdated map for a sight gag. Maybe we just weren't so sensitive in 2009 as we are today. If that's the case, man do I miss those days...

A great read. There's over a dozen issues out there for me to get my hands on. So The Brave and the Bold fun doesn't have to end yet. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Superboy: The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told

I love DC's 'Greatest Stories Ever Told' series. They featured classics of the silver and bronze age of comics. A big reminder of my childhood, they were great money savers on my wallet as well since the originals would be astronomical for me to collect.

The Superboy books were a lot of fun. They were designed for kids. But the adult readers of Superman really took to the series as it offered glimpses into Clark Kent's childhood. As a result, fans started seeing early connections between the Boy of Steel. Fans just couldn't get enough. Over time, just about every adulthood acquaintance that Clark Kent/Superman would encounter. And this book is chock full of them!

Jimmy Olsen. Lori LeMaris. Robin, The Boy Wonder. Supergirl. Green Arrow and Green Lantern as teenaged versions of themselves. Witness Clark Kent, cub reporter in his very first run-in with Perry White. 

There's the classic origin story of how Superboy met a boy genius named Lex Luthor. When a fire breaks out in Lex's lab, Superboy rushes in to save him. As a result of the whole mishap, Lex loses his hair and that's how a personal vendetta against the Man of Steel is born!

This collection boasts a dozen amazing team-ups. I won't spoil all the surprises. But if you are looking for DC Comics Presents #87 in which Superman of Earth-1 meets Superboy Prime for the very first time, I am sorry to disappoint. It's an essential team-up that explains why the Superboy of the New Adventures of Superboy had a different looking set of parents and other confusing things. Probably because of all of the back-story needed is why this quintessential Superboy team-up is missing from the collection. 

Don't worry. I actually have the issue in my collection. IT WASN'T that expensive to obtain.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman/ The Spirit One-Shot (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The Batman/The Spirit one-shot team-up titled 'Crime Convention' won the 2007 Eisner Award for the 'Best Single Issue/One-Shot'. Written by Jeph Loeb, this madcap adventure is the first ever pairing of the Dark Knight and 'the real only middle-class crimefighter.'

The story has Gotham City's Commissioner Gordon and Central City's Commissioner Dolan heading to Hawaii for a convention of police and law enforcement officers. On his way to the airport, Dolan is swooned by a fiery redhead named Ivy while Jim Gordon is being accompanied by his new girlfriend; a sultry brunette by the name of P'Gell!

The villains of the Batman and the Spirit have joined forces to make the convention an explosive event that nobody will ever forget! Everyone from the Cossack to Killer Croc have converged on America's 50th state to have some fun, get some sun and hit at the heart of their arch-enemies. Thankfully, Batman and the Spirit are en route to Hawaii. But are they too late?

The star of this book is artist Darwyn Cooke. Introducing the Spirit to the DC Universe, Cooke would later go on to be written and illustrator for the first 14 issues of DC's Spirit ongoing. A student of the golden and silver ages of comics, Cooke combined classic artwork with modernized poses and Kirby-esque framing. As a result of his efforts on both this one-shot and the Spirit monthly, Cook earned the 2007 Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding artist.

Dave Stewart won the 2007 Eisner as best colorist for this special. 

A Late Freeze, The Preposterous Adventures of IronHide Tom, Skyscrapers of the Midwest #3 and They Found The Car were the other nominees for this category. 

Batman and the Spirit would team again, along with Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze in the 2010 miniseries First Wave.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #9 (Best Single Issue or Serialized Story to Win Eisner Award) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Clobberin' Time #1

I am a sucker for team-up comics. I try to collect every such series there is. From the Batman laced adventures of Brave and the Bold to the arachnid antics of Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up, if it pits a well known hero with a array of partners ranging from A-list to Z, I will collect it. So when I learned of a brand-new team-up series starring the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing, I was thrilled and requested a copy of issue #1 from my favorite LCS. 

Steve Skroce does double-duty as both writer and penciler in this new team-up comic. Issue #1 has Dr. Bruce Banner visiting the Baxter Building for one of his routine gamma ray check-ups conducted by Dr. Reed Richards. While Mr. Fantastic is pre-occupied by some strange readings, Ben Grimm and Banner encounter a strange-looking intruder in the Fantastic Four laboratories. 

Looking like Iron Man and Doctor Doom were fused together by a bolt of lightning, this intruder sends The Thing and Banner to an alternate universe. In this new world, the pair learn that it's due for destruction by a giant kaiju looking creature. Hulking out, Banner and Thing easily subdue the beast. And then friends of the deceased invader decide on revenge...

I was intrigued by the cover of this book from the very beginning. For the first time in my 45-years of life, I saw just what happens if you were to break off one of those golden stones from Ben Grimm's mutated hide. There's blood and muscle under there! I was expecting something gray and oozing like cement. Needless to say, it really got my attention.

The initial cover art showed such an eye for detail, I was reminded immediately of Frank Quietly. I wish I could say that the interior drawings were just as good. But with the exception of the mysterious infiltrator of the Baxter Building, everything else was subpar looking and inconsistent! There's one scene where Grimm's left eye is all bruised up. Yet throughout the rest of the book, Steve Skroce keeps switching that damaged eye from the left to the right and back. I really felt due a No-Prize on catching this flaw!

The story itself is a mess. Skroce peppers the dialogue with rambling thoughts that never go anywhere. There's the whole scene where Thing is stranded on this other world when he gets a text from Johnny Storm that makes zero sense. It doesn't move the plot anywhere and seems totally unnecessary. 

Then we have the preview of next month's issue. It promises a teaming with everyone's favorite mutant, Wolverine. Okay, I'm on board. That Tony Stark/Victor Von Doom character is back again. Good, because I wanted to know just who in the heck he was. But this fella seems to be ripping Ben Grimm apart brick by brick. Each stone that makes up Thing's body looks like a tiny mushroom cloud erupting from Ben Grimm's torso and it made me sick to my stomach...

My favorite comic book store wanted to know if I wanted to complete the series run by the end of this weekend. For ordering purposes. Once I completed this whole thing, I was left just feeling that I really don't like this book. If I come across the collected trade, I might give it a read. The mysterious villain who sent Thing and Hulk across dimensions is intriguing. But I'd have to find it on the shelves of my nearby library as I do not feel like wasting anymore hard earned money on this. 

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #12 (A Madman Re-Read?)

I know. I've already read a Batman book for Christmas this year. Well, I did it again. It's true; I've got a bunch of holiday themed Batman stories. But I don't have enough to read for an entire holiday season. Maybe 8 nights of Hanukkah. But definitely not enough for Christmas.

I also know in my heart that I've read this issue before. Yet I cannot find evidence of that in either this archive nor in my collection database. And a quick perusal through this book didn't really trigger any memories. Being such a fan of this great series (both as a cartoon and comic), I heartily gave this issue a possible re-read.

It's Christmas Eve and Batman is on the trail of the C-list villain known as Calendar Man. Just as the Dark Knight is about to apprehend his foe, a Zeta Beam whisks the hero to the distant world of Rann. Only this isn't the Rann that Batman is used to. Instead of a near tropical paradise, Rann has been transformed into a frigid wasteland!

Meeting up with Rann's greatest defender, the human Adam Strange, Batman learns that a rogue scientist from Qward has unleashed an anti-matter weapon that has destroyed neighboring planets like Thanagar and yes, even planet Earth! With one chance to stop the Qwardian fiend and reverse the damage, Batman and Strange team up or else this will be the last Christmas for everyone!

This was a very good issue. It almost followed the formula of the TV series. Only real difference is that nobody is around to help Batman during the opening caper against Calendar Man. Typically, this version of Brave and the Bold would have Batman doing a small opening team-up with someone and then a main story collaboration with a different hero. Writer Landry Q. Walker (Star Wars Adventures) doesn't stick to that blueprint and as a result it led to a very telegraphed ending. But it's the penultimate ending that I had trouble with. 

This issue was originally published in 2009. That was 13 years ago and hopefully enough time has passed to keep what I am about to gripe about from being a spoiler. As Adam Strange and Batman are saving the universe from the evil scientist, the pair go through some changes. Batman devolves into this craggy looking elf thing while Adam gets old and grows a white beard. Unwilling to let this stop them, the heroes reboot the universe, in turn creating the legend of Santa Claus and his Elves into the very fabric of all creation. 

Once the day is saved, Batman states that he can't believe that he created Christmas. Uh, no. Sorry, Detective. Your name isn't Jesus Christ. Remember him? He put the word 'Christ' in Christmas... Through their actions, Batman and Adam Strange might have created the legend of Santa. I'll even grant them as the originators of Saturnalia. But neither one of them created Christmas. 

Like I said, this was a good issue. It was festive. But it was not an accurate representation of what Christmas is all about. It appears Batman needs a team-up with Linus and Charlie Brown to unravel that mystery.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Elvira Meets Vincent Price #1

Just because Halloween is over means I have to stop reading and reviewing horror titles. This 6-issue series pairs one of the most iconic horror hosts of all-time with one of the most iconic horror actors of all-time. 

I know you are wondering how does Vincent Price, who has been dead for nearly 3 decades, happen to team-up with the still living Elvira. Does this story occur before his death in 1993? Nope! Price is a ghost and he's returned from the Great Beyond to save the world from total destruction. 

In the 1970s, Vincent Price filmed a movie titled 'Rise of the Ram.' The horror picture involves an actress recanting an ancient Egyptian spell that is supposed to prevent the rise of an old deity who seeks to destroy all of creation. To prevent the spell from ever being reversed, the only remaining print of both the film and the spell book were lost to time. However, a handful of devotees to the forgone god have located and stolen the missing items and are planning on unleashing hell on earth. 

With time running short, Vincent Price recruits Elvira to his cause. With the hostess' knowledge of B-movie lore and her extensive number of Hollywood contacts, Vincent is able to locate the original producer of Rise of the Ram. Only before they can get some answers, the bigwig bursts into flames. In his place, a demonic devotee to the Egyptian dark lord and this guy is mad as hell!

I didn't realize that Elvira has been in so many comic books. I knew that there was a Vincent Price horror anthology. I've read and reviewed a couple of issues from that series from Bluewater Productions. But I only thought Elvira had her version of the House of Mystery and maybe a couple other releases from Dynamite. But she recounts a whole slew of other comics that she has starred in previously and I was just unaware.

I've been waiting over a year to read this issue. The first issue came out in stores in the summer of 2021. The final issue didn't arrive until this past winter! It took a really freakin' long time to produce 6 issues of a comic book. The heck with blaming things on COVID and stuff. This miniseries should not have been released bi-monthly.

Thankfully, this book was worth the wait. I'm really hoping Vincent Price was as nice as a guy as he seems in this comic. I would hate to learn that he was the horror community's version of Joan Crawford or Bing Crosby. I had a lots of fun reading this book and I hope the remaining issues are just as good as this opening chapter was.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #50

This is it! The final issue of Scooby-Doo Team-Up!

Naturally, Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela have selected Batman and Robin to pair with Mystery Inc. for this series' swan song. 

The story starts off with the teen detectives arriving in Gotham to answer a call for help. Only Batman and Robin didn't ask for help. But that doesn't mean that weird things hasn't been occurring around the Dynamic Duo.

All day, Batman and Robin have been approached by various incarnations of the Dark Knight. There's the Pirate Batman. The 1920s Mobster Batman. The Vampire Batman! It seems like the multiverse has gone Batman crazy all of a sudden. But when variants of a certain Great Dane start showing up, all of a sudden it's a CRISIS ON INFINITE SCOOBYS!

The cover spoils just who is behind the identity crisis. It's Bat-Mite and his 5th Dimension counter-part Scooby-Mite (last seen in SDTU #3). I think it's fitting to use the impish imp for this finale in many ways. For one, Bat-Mite is able to bring in characters from throughout the multiverse without destroying it. For another, Bat-Mite was the character who ushered in the end of Cartoon Network's amazing Dark Knight team-up series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold. 

This was a double anniversary issue. It celebrated Batman's 80th birthday as well as Scooby's 50th. The two franchises have come a long way since their first meeting on the small screen back in 1972. I loved seeing all of the incarnations of the Mystery gang including the live-action movie cast and my personal favs- A Pup Named Scooby-Doo! 

This issue should also be considered an Elseworlds tie-in!

If you are a fan of just one of these franchises, you will love this book. If you are a mega-fan of both like me, this issue was a dream come true. I hate that this series ended. But I am glad that DC brought the magic back with the 12-issue maxi-series Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries; which is still in it's current run.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9.999 out of 10 stars, because I'm still upset this series ended!

Marvel Tsum Tsum: Takeover!

I love crossovers and team-ups. I don't think this book can be classified as a team-up. I think since two universes converge, this is more of a crossover. But I'm not really sure.

When a package belonging to the Collector is lost in transit, this spells mayhem for the Big Apple. The package crashes and a group of Tsum Tsums are unleashed on the world. As these creatures assume the form of their friends, some Tsum Tsums become heroes while a few fall under the influence of Ultron! Of all of the villains they could run afoul of, they pick the one most evil and most able to adapt to any situation. 

This miniseries is from 2016. It's yet another bargain find at Ollie's. My big question is- are Tsum Tsums still a thing? 

Tsum Tsums are a Japanese toy property based on Disney licenses. They are supposed to be rectangular in shape. But they look more like a tube or a pill capsule to me. These toys are designed to be stackable and apparently kids created a party game where you try to knock over as many of the stacked up figures as possible. The Tsum Tsums eventually became the stars of a video game or two.

If you ask me, Tsum Tsums are a fad similar to POGs. Which essentially means, I get the gist of them. But I still don't fully understand them. Thankfully, you don't have to understand the toys or the games to enjoy the book. Kudos to writer Jacob Chabot (The Mighty Skullboy Army) who made this story fun to read and enjoy without having much of a knowledge of the Tsum Tsum property. 

If the Tsum Tsums are why you are buying this book, you might need a little bit of knowledge about Marvel Comics. But you should do okay reading this if you don't.

Not a bad expenditure of $2.99.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Comics Presents #67

For Christmas Eve 2020, I went with a classic. DC Comics Presents #67, teaming Superman with Santa Claus, is a story that is every bit as magical as the Christmas holiday is. 

I had this comic book when I was a kid during the 1983 Christmas holiday. (Remember, comics were usually dated 2-3 months later than when they actually hit store shelves back in the day.) And it became an annual read for me up until about 1992 or so when my comic book collection was stolen. 

The story has the Man of Steel and Kris Kringle taking on the Toyman, who has booby-trapped a number of toys. Within the toys are subliminal messages ordering the kiddies to steal cash and jewels and take them to their local Schott's Toy Store. Considering that these are toys that parents will be giving to their children as presents from Santa, the Jolly Ol' Fat Man cannot stand idly by letting his reputation go to pot. 

This book is almost 40 years old. So I think it's okay to spoil it a bit. 

The story ends with Superman's encounter with Santa being a dream (or is it?) The fact that Toyman has a nefarious scheme hasn't changed. That part is definitely real. Yet this story ends with Superman going to his Clark Kent apartment to dress back into his secret identity to go to a holiday party. There's no mention of what happened to the Toyman. So did Superman allowed Toyman to ruin Christmas?  While this issue is an all-time classic- it's got some plot holes!

E. Nelson Birdwell (Justice League of America) and Len Wein (Swamp Thing) wrote the story. Curt Swan drew it and definitive feelgood DC artist Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez crafted that timeless cover. It all makes for a very festive read that is fitting for a night of waiting for Santa. But it's far from perfect especially thanks to Sups letting Toyman off scott free!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Fury of Firestorm #47

Bolt is no longer in charge of this heist. Things have gone bad from worst as the deadly Multiplex has staged a mutiny and now not only is Mr. Raymond and his girlfriend Felicity Smoak being held hostage; so is Dan Cassidy!

The past couple of chapters of this 'Bolt Saga' were deadly serious. And yes, what is occurring at the Pittsburgh computer symposium is a life and death situation. But the back-stabbing happened between this group of villains is freakin' hilarious! 

I loved this dramedic chapter. But if you were to package the past 3 inter-series issues together into a trade paperback, the sudden addition of comedy would make for some uneven reading. 

A great single issue story and that alone is what my rating is based.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #23

En route to The Big Apple, Blue Devil experiences car trouble and ends up taking a detour in the Steel City. His stop in Pittsburgh brings him face-to-face not only with Firestorm, The Nuclear Man but several foes lead by the dastardly Bolt!

The combination of Blue Devil and Firestorm villains is the result of a planned heist at a computer symposium. But things are quickly going off the rails! No- it's not because of the sudden (but expected) appearance of the heroes. It's because this motley crew is turning on each other and making alliances! With Felicity Smoak and Ronnie Raymond's dad as hostages, the stakes have never been higher for The Nuclear Man!

It's been hinted at for several issues now. Finally Blue Devil and Firestorm meet- and at each other's throat too! It was great and I loved it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #1

 

As a huge fan of DC's previous all-ages team-up title Scooby-Doo Team-Up, I was first in line when I found out about this new miniseries. While extraordinary author Sholly Fisch doesn't seem to be attached to this project, fan-favorite artist Dario Brizuela is back!

In the first issue, Batman summons the Mystery Inc. gang to the Gotham City Museum when he discovers that an artifact from the Dark Knight's early days has been stolen. To get to the bottom of this mystery, the sleuths, along with Robin will split-up, naturally. But in a twist, Scooby, Shaggy and Velma will travel back in time!

Sadly, I was kinda torn with this issue. I loved the nostalgic nature of this comic what with the  appearance by Professor Nichols as well as seeing Bruce Wayne in his earliest attempt as a vigilante (which looks an awful lot like the millionaire's first crime fighting get-up in Mask of the Phantasm.) But as with many stories involving time travel, the perils of paradoxes cause, uh well, a paradox...

I had to read this story twice. Not out of love for the comic and wanting to relive it. Instead, I really felt like I missed something. And believe me, I am pretty sure I did. 

Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate this book. But Ivan Cohen (Beware The Batman) is no Sholly Fisch. However, I will say that I do very much enjoy Cohen's writing of Batman, like with his adaptation of BTB. He does seem to dig deep into the annals of Dark Knight lore. I mean Professor Nichols is pretty obscure if you've not familiar with Batman from the 40s and 50s. It's that I really can't connect all those dots...

There's also a big plot point that seems unneeded with Batman, Daphne and Fred going underwater into Gotham harbor. But I don't want to dig into that too deeper here without spoiling a surprise. (A surprise that seems rather superfluous) This mystery is filled with a couple red herrings. Maybe that scene was another turn to keep readers guessing.

There are 11 issues left. And low and behold, guess whose coming for dinner next month?! It's Sholly Fisch in a caper that promises a ghost haunting the Batcave! Zoinks! I can't wait for issue #2! It's gonna be epic!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Vol.1

This is another book that I could have finished a month or two ago. But it had a holiday issue inside and I just couldn't pass up the chance to feel the intended yule tide feelings inside. 

The Christmas themed story has Billy Batson taking a shopping trip to Gotham City. Billy is expecting something out of the ordinary since Gotham is the playground of Batman's rogues gallery. But when Billy and Tawky Tawny step off their bus they are faced with the citizens of Gotham trying to kill each other! It's all due to the Psycho Pirate! Turning into SHAZAM!- The REAL Captain Marvel, it's up to the visiting superhero to find Batman and bring back that holiday spirit!

Along with the SHAZAM story, there's several more very fun team-ups. First, Batman heads to the bottle city of Kandor with Superman to solve the motive behind a break-in in a society that hasn't faced crime in centuries. Then Batman and the Flash are sent through the looking glass by the combined efforts of The Mirror Master and The Mad Hatter. J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter challenges Batman into helping the extra-terrestrial become a better detective. Plus Batman joins forces with Guy Gardner to help a troubled alien on the lamb from those dreaded Manhunters!

Those were all great stories. But besides the holiday story, the best adventure was an epic crossover that puts Wonder Woman in the arms of the Caped Crusader. The gods have paired the two unlikely lovers together on a sort of bet. In what becomes the wedding of the century, countless heroes arrive to witness the nuptials. But then a near unlimited line-up of villains crash the blessed event! If you thought Fantastic Four Annual #3 was the ultimate wedding day battle royale- think again! They've got nothing on the exploits of the Brave and the Bold.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold was a feel good TV series. Though it may be long cancelled, I get to relive that magic in the pages of this amazing volume comics based on the Cartoon Network hit. 

Total fun for the whole family. Full of a nostalgic cast of characters, this book didn't feel old at all. Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up) has that magic touch in his writings drawing upon the stories I grew up reading as a kid but adding original twists and turns that keep the book from ever feeling stale.

The only thing I hated about this book is that it ended!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #23

The Mystery Inc. gang take a road trip to Gopher Gulch. But instead of a thriving small town in the middle of the American West, the detectives find a ghost town! That is, except for it's sheriff, Quick Draw McGraw!

It turns out that the town is actually being haunted by a ghost and it scared all of the residents away. Desperate to catch the varmint, Quick Draw and the Scooby join forces to get to the bottom of this mystery. 

And if they can't get the job done, then McDraw's alter ego (and cheap Zorro imitator) El Kabong might. But don't count on it. 

This issue was entertaining. But it doesn't rank among the best of the Hanna-Barbera pairings in this series. Sholly Fisch falls into some of the traps that almost put me off this series when it first began. The jokes were stale. Plot was a little bit on the predictable side. But at least he artwork was very good. 

Looney Tunes' Mitch Jeralds captures all of the characters very, very well. At least he doesn't use Photoshop in order to make shortcuts with he background and all. That was a big no-no that other Team-Up artist, Dario Brizuela is often guilty of. 

A fun read. Just not one of my favorites in this series.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Team-Up #1 (2019)

I'm a sucker for team-up titles! From The Thing's adventures with friends and foes in the pages of Marvel Two-In-One to Batman's innovative run in the pages of The Brave and the Bold- if it pairs two (or more) characters on a monthly basis, I want it in my collection! So of course when it was announced that Marvel Team-Up was making another return to print, I was first in line!

The classic crossover series returns in time for Marvel's 80th anniversary! In this first issue, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is paired with Kamala Kahn: Ms. Marvel. 

The villain for the premiers is the Jackal. I'm not very familiar with him. In fact, I was so out of my element in my knowledge of this character, that at first, I thought it was the Green Goblin. Immediately, I started thinking that the rumors are true- the artwork of the world famous Bullpen really is that sub-par! Instead, it's just a knock-off of one of Spidey's most famous foes!

MTU #1 has a gimmick. It's a flip-book! The premise is that the reader is supposed to notice the parallels of a day-in-the-life in both Peter Parker and Kamala Kahn's eyes. 

Things don't really seem to have changed that much for Ms. Marvel. She's still a high-schooler from Jersey in a Muslim family. And she's the ultimate Marvel fan girl! But man, has things fallen flat for Parker. No longer does Parker ride high as the founder of a multi-billion dollar company. Nor does Peter have his Ph.D, having been stripped for plagiarism. At least he's not back to living with Aunt May. (Oh God- is she dead? faux pas!?)

Back to the flip-book aspect. These type of stories are supposed to be perfectly balanced. Spidey's half is supposed to be perfectly reflected in Kamala's half. But Ms. Marvel's side of the story reveals more of the Jackal's motives for his reign of terror. Spider-Man's half of the book is more character heavy. I'm hoping this means that this version of Marvel Team-Up will be focusing on 'Spider-Man and...', instead of being a Ms. Marvel title.

While this wasn't a perfectly balanced story, it was still an enjoyable read. For now, I've informed my LCS to add this new monthly series to my pull list. Even if this turns out to be a Ms. Marvel vehicle, I'm going to stay with this volume of MTU. I just hope that the quality of this series goes up from here. 

Maybe just stay away from the flip-book gimmicks...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.