What The Frost? (Santa Saves Christmas, Book I) by Ben Wolf

The holidays is a time when I try to read a couple of prose books along with my annual assortment of seasonal comic books and graphic novels. Usually those books are non-fiction volumes that dig deep into the history and lore of the season. But then I came across an ad for this series of books on Facebook. Needless to say that the images on the cover left me intrigued.

The painted cover by Kirk DouPonce (in a style that reminds me of Robot Chicken) shows Santa Claus battling zombies. With a whip made of Christmas lights. And a shotgun... Triple barreled. Okay, you've got my interest.

The ad describes zombified reindeer. Exploding sea birds. And a foe in the form of Father Time. Alright. Shut up and take my money!

Ben Wolf crafts an insane story that combines elements of horror, time travel, and Lord of the Rings with the legend of Santa Claus. There's heavy doses of humor, surrealism and satire that make for the wildest representation of life at North Pole since the first 5 minutes of Richard Donner's Scrooged!

A couple of scenes were meant to be shocking. Normally, I'd feel those moments like a gut punch. However, since I had seen the covers of all 3 books in the Santa Saves Christmas trilogy, my level of disappointment and sadness was lessened. In other words, I knew that someone who dies in this book doesn't really die permanently. But you'll have to read the book to find out who.

My enjoyment with this first volume resulted in something I rarely do when reading a prose novel. With about 60 pages to go, I went on Amazon and ordered book 2! And that was after the spoiler!

If your view of life is a tad askew. If you like your Christmases to be a mix of both traditional and contemporary. If you root for the Grinch to make it an un-Merry Christmas to those Whos of Whoville, this is the holiday novel you've been waiting for.  

If they ever make a movie of this, you can guarantee it won't appear on the Hallmark Channel!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Dugout: The Zombie Steals Home (Family Comic Friday)

Gina and Stacy are twin sisters. They both love to play baseball. They're rivals in everything they do. Gina and Stacy might also be witches. Their grandma certainly is.

When sibling rivalry involves the sisters going through Meemaw's trove of enchanted ingredients and casting spells on each other, Gina and Stacy unearth a zombie in their hometown... literally.  

Dugout: The Zombie Steals Home was published in 2019 by Graphix. I thought with baseball being a summer pastime, that this book might be a fun late July read. And I was right! Written and illustrated by Scott Morse, this was one of the freshest, funniest, and freakiest books I have ever read. I did not want the adventures to end!

The dialogue is really what won me over. Stacy's baseball team, The Oakvale Rooks, was composed of 9 hilarious little leaguers. I felt like I was reading a book set in perhaps the funniest of all all-ages baseball universes: The Sandlot! The quick wit. The banter. The spoonerisms and malapropisms. It was brilliantly written.

The artwork took a little while to win me over. Once the characters went from static to frantic, the pace of the artwork zoomed into the stratosphere. Morse's work on this book reminded me a little of a cross between the master artists of EC Comics and the all-ages work of Eric Powell. 

As for age appropriateness. I would say readers 9 to 12 will really enjoy this book. There is some witchcraft, which I didn't expect as I neglected to read the back cover intro. (Yes- I only judged a book by it's cover and it's a good thing I did!) However, it was on the level of Bewitched instead of something like The Conjuring. The zombie main character does look a little bit like he came from a George Romero zombie flick and there is a poltergeist giving Gina fits throughout the second act of the book. So there is a bit of an element of fright.

I really felt like this was a flawless read. Perfect for the dog days of summer or for just when the major league regular season is dying down and the playoffs are starting to heat up. Really, the only issue I had with this book was the publication date!

I mentioned earlier that Dugout was published in 2019. That's 5 years for those of you keeping score. It also means, that this book, which was clearly intended to be the kickoff to a new series, didn't get the attention it so deserves! I really feel like if Netflix turned this book into a streaming movie (animated, of course), it would do so freakin' well. I consider this opener to be The Sandlot of this generation. It's that good.

A spooky, smart fun read with a lot of laughs, this is a book parents and guardians of young readers should jump on board with, as long as the subject matter is deemed appropriate in your household. Hopefully, if this book catches fire, it might encourage Graphix and Scott Morse to continue the misadventures of Gina, Stacy and the Rooks of Oakvale!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Teen Titans Go! Undead (Family Comic Friday)

Get a crash course on how to survive a zombie apocalypse, Teen Titans Go! style.

When the skies over Jump City turn an eerie purple color, the Teen Titans investigate... by going to the mall. There, they discover that the population has all turned into zombies. Only there's no virus going around making everyone sick. It turns out that the shopping outlet has a big online sale today that is turning the citizens of Jump City, both alive and dead, into the dreaded 'Undead.' Oh, and that asteroid that came crashing down last night in the town square might also have something to do with it...

This 2022 graphic novel, while not a Halloween themed read, was a fun way to get into the spirit of the holiday. Teen Titans Go! is a Cartoon Network series that thrives on absurd humor, catchy oddball tunes, and being about as gross and irreverent as allowed for viewers aged 8-12, which is also the recommended reading ages for Teen Titans Go! Undead according to Amazon. Pretty much if parents and guardians let their wards watch the cartoon, then you'll have no issue with this graphic novel. But if your expecting this book to be an innocuous as Super Friends or Batman: The Animated Series, you've got another thing coming. Instead, Teen Titans Go! is like the DC Universe if crafted by the creator of Ren & Stimpy.

The book was perfect Teen Titans Go!, as long as you don't like the songs. The musical episodes have always been my least favorite and thankfully, there's only 1 song and it's mercifully short. There's not very much of the rest of the DC Universe in this book. There's like maybe 1 reference to Batman and a second to Darkseid and that's about it. But there's a whole slew of references to other supporting characters created for just the series. Oh, and a great gag involving Robin's rival over Starfire's affections, Speedy, as well as their arch-enemies, the dreaded teens of H.I.V.E..

I don't think that this book is an adaptation of a full-length episode or special. If it isn't, then this graphic novel should be adapted into a 5 day event for fans of the animated series. It's got the feel and pace of such a thing and it would make a fantastic entry in Cartoon Network's annual Halloween programming. I know it's too late to do for this year. But 2024??? Fingers crossed!

Lots of fun. Not scary. In fact, if anything, it pays tribute to the zombie horror genre while mocking it and making it seem about the most silly idea to end the world ever! But that's mostly due to the Teen Titans! For a fun-filled Halloween read that won't keep you up at night, Go!- to your local book store and demand a copy today!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army of the Undead #1

Bruce Campbell has made a career out of over the top macho characters that have a smarmy sense of humor. Not afraid to step on anybody's toes, his works are terrifying, insensitive and kinda gross and I love it! When I found out last year that the Chin was writing a 6-issue horror themed Sgt. Rock miniseries, I immediately contacted my LCS and pre-ordered it. 

The first couple of issues were released in time for Halloween 2022. I was hoping that I would have the complete run in order to read it for last season's spooky reads. Unfortunately it wasn't until the Spring of this year that the 6th and final issue debuted in stores. That's okay. I get to enjoy the spooky offbeat fun this season!

It's 1944 and things are going really bad for the Nazis. Running out of resources, fuel and especially conscripts, Hitler has a plan to build up an army of the undead! To stop the zombie goose-steppers, the Army recruits their top non-com, Sgt. Rock and his boys of Easy Co.! The mission won't be easy though as Rock and his men will have to dive deep into Nazi territory to find where the ghouls are being manufactured. Added to the complexity of the assignment, these low-budget Deadites cannot be killed by normal means. You've got to take them out with a head shot and not just any head wound will do as there is a special device in each corpses' head that keeps them going. 

At least if they bite you, you won't turn into one of them. Right???

Issue #1 was a good start up. You get Hitler. You get Sgt. Rock. You know what the mission is and you're introduced to an assortment of tech that Easy Co. will use to go up against this army of the undead. It almost felt like the first 20 minutes of a James Bond film. Not exactly oozing with Bruce Campbell's humor and charm, but it's a very good first chapter.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Captain America: The Ghost Army (Family Comic Friday)

Last Summer after finishing Shuri and T'Challa: Into the Heartlands, I was treated to a preview of Captain America: The Ghost Army. Needless to say, I was excited. I just didn't know it would take almost an entire year to get to read it!

In Central Europe, Captain America and Bucky are assisting a British Unit getting swamped by Nazis. Things look dire as the nearest squadron that could help is miles and miles away. Then all of a sudden, sounds of tanks, fighter planes and a whole lot of soldiers are heard in the nearby woods. The Nazis flee and Capt. and company appear to be saved- by theatrics!

Meet the Ghost Army of the United States government. Led by Private Jim Morita, posing as a 4-star general, the Ghost Army is actually composed of inflatables, cardboard cutouts and large speakers playing the top hits of the Allied Forces. Based on a real battalion during World War II, this isn't the only Ghost Army in the book. That's because a villainous sorcerer is working on creating his own army of the undead for the Nazis!

Amazon rates this book as appropriate for readers in grades 3-7. Honestly, I am okay with that rating. But I really think that it's going to be the adults who really get a kick out of this book. There are so many classic characters that appear in the book. Ones like Dum Dum Dugan, a beloved member of the Howling Commandos, who'll later become a beloved agent of SHIELD. The average 10 year old just isn't going to appreciate Dum Dum's addition to this book. Nor will they get the numerous inside jokes and references to both mainstream and deep dive characters and story arcs like the adults will!

That all being said, writer Alan Gratz did one heck of a job on this book. But he couldn't have done it without the artwork of Brett Schoonover. Gratz might have made countless references to nearly 80 years of Marvel Comics history, but it was Schoonover who made those references come alive. The pair did such an amazing job that I am willing to overlook and forgive the anachronistic use of many of the legendary members of Marvel Horror used in a pivotal scene just because it was such a fun scene. Being a continuity purist, I consider it to be a guilty pleasure!

The Ghost Army was supposed to come out in January. Delays stretched it out to May. I had to wait until July to find a copy. But it was all worth it as that was one of the most thrilling, fun, and a little bit scary reads that I have enjoyed without complaint in a very long time. Perfect for the 4th of July or Halloween!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Zombie Wife: And Other Tales of Supernatural Law

Zombie Wife continues the adventures of Wolff & Byrd: The Counselors of the Macabre. Though the comic book series Supernatural Law is no more, Batton Lash kept the fun going with a web comic. With a web comic, Lash got to use color, he wasn't restrained by deadlines, page limits or finances. You might think owning your own publishing company would be cookies and cream. But Exhibit A Press had a major cash flow problem despite a loyal following. 

Almost a whole year transpired between the penultimate and final issues!

The main story is titled 'Zombie Wife'. In it, a man is acquitted for the death of his loving bride. As a result, the spouse has not just rolled in her grave, she crawled out and filed a wrongful death civil suit! 

Then the Gorgon Medusa obtains the services of Wolff & Byrd. At first it was to review the contract of her latest tell-all biography. Now it's to defend her from a lawsuit from a rogue cartoonist who has gotten under Medusa's scales! (See what I did there! I said scales not skin because she has snakes for hair!) This one is a longer romp that examines freedom of speech. But it's also a prime example of how Batton Lash would draw characters differently to represent an art form or style instead of being consistent. And I'm finally okay with it!

Then we've got a story about a wiccan who is offended by Halloween. She claims that All Hallow's Eve has been watered-down the legitimacy of true witches. In what is the second holiday themed story of the franchise, I'm kicking myself that I didn't wait for Halloween to read this one!

Zombie Wife is wrapped up with four-color reprints of the Vampire of Hollywood issues. Not sure why Batton Lash decided to reprint those issues. They had just been published in the volume prior. I would have liked to seen a couple of the earliest issues remastered.

The whole book was great. There are hints of the OJ trial, Scott Peterson, Charlie Hebdo, and Madalyn Murray O'Hare. I'm a little disappointed in the choice of floppy reprints (mostly because of how recently I had read them). But I really enjoyed this book!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Fail of the Dead #1

I've been collecting comics for a very large portion of my life. It's generally a good rule of thumb that if snow appears on the cover of a comic book, then it's a Christmas themed book. There's a few exceptions to this rule that generally involves the presence of a snow or ice themed superhero or villain. Or if the book takes place in Antarctica like the Greg Rucka vehicle Whiteout. But with this one-shot from Ape Entertainment with a zombie whose tongue is stuck to a snowy statue, I thought I had a holiday win.

Well, I had a win. It just wasn't a festive one.

This undead filled comic is humorous in nature. Most are one-page or even one-panel comics devoted to the mistakes made by dumb zombies. There's a couple of multi-page stories. But for the most part, the jokes are confined to a single page. 

Very little words. Lots of laughs. If you are a fan of Troma, you'll enjoy this book as a few of the chuckles come at the expense of toilet humor. The first entry in this comic takes the potty joke literally. 

So why did I think that this was a holiday book? I clearly judged a book by it's cover. I thought the scene was a parody of that moment in A Christmas Story in which Flick is double-dog dared to stick his tongue to a frozen flag pole. I should have busted the tag and check the contents. But then I might have missed out on a few laughs. Thankfully, this was a bargain bin find, so I didn't spend much on something I didn't expect.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Alan Robert's Killogy Halloween Special

Thanks to a grab bag of comics given to me as a Christmas gift, I became the proud owner of this Halloween one-shot. This 2014 special is set in the Killogy universe. For those of you not familiar with Killogy it's a series in which 3 killers share tales of how they ended up in prisoner. Set during a zombie apocalypse, the interesting thing about that story is that the main characters are based on the likeness of celebrities Marky Ramone (Ramones), Frank Vincent (The Sopranos) and Brea Grant (Heroes). 

That trio isn't in this story. Instead, former Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein is the main character in a creepy story that pits together zombism, cannibalism, fetishism and several other fetishes that haven't even been discovered yet. 

I'm pretty tired out with the zombie genre. But this special had a few twists that made this story quite refreshing in a originality sort of way. The level of violence and gore was pretty gross. Yet due to all of the unimaginable shocks in this book, I ended my readings wanting more. Maybe a hunt for the Killogy original series trade might be on my horizon.

On the flip side of this book, you get an introduction to another new series by Alan Robert. Shunned One is about the spectre of Death whom after being ordered to take several innocent souls, goes rogue on those who wronged those wrongly damned. Very scary stuff. But gosh-darn it, I was hooked. 

I'm name familiar with Alan Robert. But I really think I will be soon.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Last Christmas

After a zombie apocalypse, the survivors of the world try to continue living life as close to normal. Christmas is one of those traditions hanging by a thread and it still manages to keep Santa busy. Instead of a teddy bear, kids might now ask for a .357 Magnum with 100 rounds in order to survive another year. But, it's still business as usual for St. Nick. That is until the zombies finally invade the North Pole.

Santa and his elves are able to repel the attack, but not without some causalities. As a result, Mrs. Claus is brutally murdered and it sends Santa down into a deep depression. Every year to mark the anniversary of his wife's death, Santa tries to do himself in. But he can't die as the children of the world still believe in him. But years of not showing up has caused that number to shrink until there's only one kid left who believes- and he wants a bike for Christmas.

Seeing his way to finally die, Santa heads down to San Francisco to meet with the last kid who believes. In his sleigh is a very special present. Only, it's not a bike and it's going to help Kris Kringle finally go out with a bang. 

This Image series from Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan is wild. The same duo who brought us an insane run recently on Deadpool, this comic book is NOT for kids! I'm serious. Just because it stars Santa and some elves, in no way should a child under the age of 12 read this book. Heck 12 might even be pushing it. 

This 2006 miniseries from  is full of sex, suicide (attempts), gore, murder, and about as much potty humor legally allowed by Marvel during a Deadpool run of issues- multiplied by a factor of 50! It's all rendered in disgusting detail by the team of Hilary Barta, Rick Remender, and covers by Geof Darrow!

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed this book. It was off-the-wall and that's my field house. But I also know that this is not a holiday comic for just anyone either. This is the type of Santa Claus that should only be enjoyed by mommies and daddies. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Three Stooges: Halloween Hullaballoo (Halloween Comic Fest 2016)

With today being Halloween Comic Fest, I thought it was only fitting to review an offering from last year's event. 

This 2016 holiday themed book by American Mythology offers a variety of stories starring those merry pranksters from Hollywood of old, the Three Stooges. My favorite yarns involved the Stooges getting mixed up in a zombie apocalypse, some trick or treat hi-jinx gone wrong and a very special sneak peak of a one-shot special titled The Curse of Frankenstooge. That last one is based on a classic Stooges shot in which the guys meet Dr. Frankenstein's greatest creation. I really want that one and I've added it to my wish list!

There was some awesome pictures of the guys in their heyday, along with some cut-out masks, and a couple of one-pagers from their Gold Key and Dell Comics titles in the 1960s. The more stuff I read from American Mythology, the more I dig their retro style and desire to bring back some classic properities from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.  As an added treat- I dare you to find the Shemp Easter egg hiding somewhere inside!

A great read, perfect for Halloween fun without scaring you too much. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Deadpool Minibus, Volume 1

This extensive collection of Deadpool miniseries covers the complete gambit of the Merc with a Mouth's 'metaphysical' (or metaphysi-Kill as some fans call it) storyline. Five miniseries make up this massive volume of nearly 500 pages. The best way to describe this book in detail is to break down each miniseries contained within. 

• Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe- In the grand tradition of a Marvel icon murdering everyone in the Marvel Universe, something in Wade Wilson snaps and he goes on the murdering rampage to end of murdering rampages that is until...
• Deadpool Kills Deadpool- It seems that in his quest to destroy all of the characters of the Marvel Universe, Deadpool forgot to kill off all of his alternate universe selves. As two teams merge, it becomes a wisecracking round of the deadliest game meets Highlander, filled with some of the most outrageous incarnations of the hired hand ever devised. Can you say 'Deadpool Panda?'
• Deadpool Killustrated- Though Deadpool has killed off the Marvel Universe as well as the infinite incarnations of himself, Wade learns that unless his kills the tropes that inspired the Marvel Universe, it will never be destroyed. Thus, Deadpool will wipe out all of your favorite classic characters from Tom Sawyer to Dracula. No book too popular is unsafe from this raving lunatic!
• Deadpool Vs. Carnage- Somehow the Marvel Universe survived Deadpool's onslaught and all is right with the multiverse. That is until Deadpool starts to get this weird itch in the deepest darkest recesses of his brain. See, it turns out there's another who wants to see the wanton destruction of everything- one Cletus Kasady... AKA Carnage and this guy's insanity just may give Deadpool a run for his money.
• Night of the Living Deadpool- The final events of Deadpool's battle with Carnage has sent him to an alternate timeline in which zombies have taken over the world. This universe's only hope is... Aunt May Parker??? If you thought you had seen everything the Marvel Zombies storyline could offer- think again! This mash-up of The Walking Dead, A Boy and his Dog, and Multiplicity will leave you laughing you @$$ off while checking to make sure that bump you heard outside was just the wind.

Cullen Bunn takes on just about everything known to man in this huge tome. Classics, superheroes, zombies, mass murderers- if it happened, it's here. There's a slew of artists on tap such as Sean Parsons and Salva Espin and everyone's work is quite good. But my favorite has to be the stellar Classics Illustrated parody covers of Mike Del Mundo (Deadpool Killustrated) and the zombie film parody covers by Jay Shaw (Night of the Living Deadpool.) 

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe was perhaps the weakest of all the stories. I felt that it was a little too metaphysical at times and when I read Deadpool, I want to laugh, not have to attend a lecture on philosophy. I was quite surprised at the quality of the Carnage story. I thought that it was just going to be pointless scenes of death and gore- and sometimes it was. But as a whole, it was a very interesting look at a character (Carnage) that I just have never really had any interest in prior. 

With a cover price of $59.99, this book is a little steep. But considering how much purchasing all five miniseries individually in either trade form or individual issues, this price might just be worth it. Or, you can get lucky like I did, find it at a used book store and pay a fraction of the cost.

Tons of Deadpool craziness lurks inside and it's all very much Worth Consuming!

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe: 7 out of 10 stars.

Deadpool Kills Deadpool: 9 out of 10 stars.

Deadpool Killustrated:  8 out of 10 stars.

Deadpool Vs. Carnage: 9 out of 10 stars.

Night of the Living Deadpool: 9 out of 10 stars.

Overall rating: 8.4 out of 10 stars.

Afterlife With Archie, Season 2 #1 (Halloween ComicFest 2016)

    You might be asking why this Madman with a Book decided to review a horror comic that was to coincide with the 2016 Halloween ComicFest for Thanksgiving. Well, it turns out that this issue is set during Thanksgiving and so when I got it over the Halloween weekend, I held off on this to read and review until Turkey Day.
    In this reprint of Afterlife with Archie #11, a handful of survivors from the zombie apocalypse of Riverdale have been battling the ever growing horde of the undead while also steering clear of other packs of remnants looking for safe haven. Noting that it's Thanksgiving, the pack made up of Archie, Veronica, Mr. Lodge, Reggie, and a handful of others decide to rest for the day and search for some game to roast for a feast.
    This pause allows Betty to catch up on replacing her diaries that were lost when her family home was overrun by walkers. Obviously, much of her entries are about Archie and the edgy love triangle between her and Veronica. When Ronnie discovers the journal, it looks like a massive cat-fight will erupts between Archie's two suitors- that is until one of the members of the hunting party returns, covered in blood and half out of their skull in shock.
     Afterlife with Archie is a very interesting book. This book was the first of the series that I have read but I am familiar with the concept. In the 80s and 90s, the own of Archie Comics would never have let this fly as he was a staunch evangelical. But now in the 20-10s, this seems to be Archie Comics new direction and it's been meet with a lot of success.
     The book, written by long-time Archie scribe Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, is super-creepy and the black and white art by Guardians of the Galaxy's Francesco Francavilla,  is even more chilling. I think having such innocent characters be not so pure in this horror series is what really gives this comic it's fright factor.
     I'm very interesting in reading more.

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out 10 stars.

iZombie #1 Special Edition

   Let's look at the facts: 
   
    I love Michael Allred. His art is so clean, so retro, so kitsch. 
    I love Laura Allred who colors and sometimes inks husband Michael's art.
    I've only read a couple of iZombie issues or stories and I love them!
    Yet for some reason, I've not been able to get into the iZombie TV show on the CW!

   I think the problem is that the show is live-action and with the exception of the opening credits, the series doesn't feature the artwork of the Allreds and I think that's the big selling point for me.

   This Special Edition reprint of the first issue of iZombie was released to co-incide with the premiere of the CW series in March of last year. But I wasn't able to get my hands on a copy until a couple of weeks ago when I finally found a copy in a dollar bin. It's not that I didn't look for this when it came out last year, I did. But at the two or three comic shops, I went on the hunt for this, they had sold out pretty quick.

     iZombie is the story of Gwen. By day, she's the leader of a grave digger crew at a cemetery. By night, Liv's digging up the bodies she buried earlier in the day in order to feed on their juicy delicious brains and to prevent from going full on zombie on somebody living. But when she feasts, she inherits some of her meal's memories temporarily. When she learns that one of the corpses she consumed was murdered, she decides to take it upon herself to solve his murder! 

     I think this is another reason I'm not into the TV series. Other than having the main character eat brains and use that information to solve crimes, the series and the comic are two different things. Why they don't even feature the same characters. The main character of this comic is named Gwen. The heroine of the TV show is named Liv and she works as a criminologist for a living! 

   I know some folks will say that I'm being too sensitive and that there's no reason why I can't like both. Well, that's just dumb, folks. That's like saying if I like steak, then I'll love liver. They might both come from the same animal but while steak is delicious, that irony piece of rubber called liver is just nasty. 

   That's kinda how I feel iZombie. iZombie: the comic book is now going on my wish list for my comic book collection: it's wicked fun. iZombie: the Series is on my to-do list if the show ever goes into rerun syndication but what little I've seen so far is a little too hokey and a tad too much like a Dawson's Creek for the undead. I'll probably get to it but it's on the backburner for now.

   As for why this is a Special Edition comic, this issue has a couple of articles about the making of the TV show and I think there were one or two pages of unused art from iZombie #1. But in terms of any director's cut added scenes, you will not find them in this book. But with the success of the show, the price of issue #1 has jumped to about $20-35 bucks, so this is a good starting point with this more affordable reprint.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Year One: Batman/ Ra's al Ghul

   The nearly 600 hundred-year-old Ra's al Ghul is  finally good and dead. To prevent his resurrection the Batman had him cremated and then destroyed all of the world's Lazarus Pits, the source of Ra's near immortality. It seems that the terrorist leader has no viable way of returning to life. But when a letter from beyond arrives at Wayne Manor, it signals the beginning of a global catastrophe!

   The dead have arisen and are mysteriously healing. Plus, those who have been brutally murdered or recently suffered fatal injuries aren't dying either. Now the hospitals are overrun with the infirmed and the streets of Gotham run red with blood and the regenerating dead.

   It appears that mother earth doesn't like there not being any Lazarus Pits and thus thrown the world it out of balance. To restore entropy to its rightful place in the circle of life, the Dark Knight must embark on a global quest to recreate the Lazarus Pit formula or the entire planet with regress back into nothing. Should this happen al Ghul's dream of an earth unadulterated by the pollution of man with come to fruition posthumously.

   I chose to read this book in anticipation as to when I'll be seeing Batman V Superman next weekend. I'm going to go out and say it- I don't like Ra's al Ghul! I love Damian Wayne. I'm fascinated by Talia al Ghul. But the man known as the Demon's Head just doesn't excite me like a Riddler or Penguin.

   Filled with 'zombies' galore and not being rated for mature readers, this book is pretty graphic. Decapitations, blood, gore, and maimings in general, this book's favorite color appears to be scarlet. Plus, you add the incoherent ramblings of Ra's letter that act as the narration of this story- it all adds up to a really awful read, filled at least with a great couple of plot twists at book's end.

   If I'm not a fan of Ra's, then why buy this book? Well, being a 'Year One' story, which I collect, I thought this would be a good addition to my plunder. With flashbacks that reveal Ra's al Ghul's origin story, as well as a look at one of the earliest encounters between the ecoterrorist and the Detective, this book fits the Year One guidelines. 

   But I would've like to have the very first meeting between the two characters, first explored by Denny O'Neill and Neal Adams back in Detective Comics #232 (June 1972) recounted in this book. Maybe it would've helped me to better understand and like the character of the Demon's Head. But, I doubt it.

   Not Worth Consuming

   Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

A Zombie's History of the United States: From the Massacre at Plymouth Rock to the CIA's Secret War on the Undead by Dr. Worm Miller

    You remember learning about these events in American History Class, right?
* President Thomas Jefferson orders William Clark to assassinate an infected Merriweather Lewis  and to destroy his journals before the explorer was to reach Washington and become a zombie.
* The Mexican Army storms the Alamo to find that all of the Texans inside have been massacred by the walking dead.
* The US Army drafts nearly indestructible zombie-human hybrids to storm the beaches of Normandy.

    A Zombie's History of the United States is an in-depth look at the impact the undead have had in the forming of this country. The book also reveals the conspiracy to not just eradicate the menace from America but to erase the undead from the pages of history books worldwide. Now thanks to Dr. Worm Miller and the University of Minnesota's Zombie Studies Department, the story of the American zombie can finally be told.

   Okay, folks, I'm not delusional. A Zombie's History is a work of fiction and is a parody of history books and conspiracy theories. Last summer, I won a drawing for my local library's adult summer reading program. I got to pick 3 free books as my prize. This book was one of them.

   I'm not crazy about zombies, honestly.  But I can't pass up a good zombie book or comic! Yet, while some would literally die to become a walker, I would not. I constantly tell my wife that if somebody starts ambling to me moaning for brains, I'm going for the head! And I'll ask questions later!

   This book from 2010 was a fun read. I majored in history and my focus was modern American history. So, this was the perfect type of read for me. I enjoyed seeing important episodes of American history being given the zombie treatment. It's one reason I am psyched for next year's 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.'

   Speaking of episodes, while I do not think this book would work as a film, I think it could have some success as a TV series, in the style of Comedy Central's 'Drunk History.' I think it could be a horror comedy mockumentary that a cable channel such as SyFy or IFC should seriously consider obtaining the rights to.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.  

The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, Volume 3: King Radical

 

Oooooooh, slanty.

 In volume 2, the whole world saw Dr. McNinja and mayor of Cumberland, Chuck Goodrich die in a fiery shuttle crash as they tried to save the world from dinosaurs. Or was it zombies? Or was it zombies riding on dinosaurs? Without it's heroes, a power vacuum forms in the city, as McNinja's arch-enemy King Radical seeks to claim the burg as his criminal base of operations under the guise of being the community's new benefactor. But when a hobo uses a bizarre clause in the city's charter to become the new mayor of Cumberland, it puts a serious crimp in the Monarch of Awesome's style. Though having a powerful mummy for assistant mayor helps too.

    Join McNinja's family, his 12-year old mustached sidekick Gordito, his ape secretary Judy, and the rest of the McNinja gang of oddballs as they try to keep the peace in the good doctor's memory. That's easier said than done now that a powerful demon has come searching for Mayor Goodrich's soul and an insane Jesuit gym teacher has shown up at the local Catholic high-school. And just who is this mysterious new doctor wearing a Lucha libra mask and has the ability to cure a disease that turns people's butts into spiders at night?

   Okay- I can't believe I just typed that last sentence...

   Anyways. I was first introduced to the madcap world of Christopher Hastings and Anthony Clark's Dr. McNinja about a year ago when my library had volumes 1&2 on the new shelf. The udder ridiculousness of a ninja doctor trying to thwart the attempts of a Burger King look-a-like powered by Mountain Dew from taking over the world was just perfect for me.  I love absurd stuff and this is about as surreal as it gets. Time travel, mummy's curses, cities turned into giant robots, zombies, and massive orders of 200 expensive pizzas are just some of the bizarre things waiting inside this book based on the webcomic of the same name.

    Readers of my blog will note that I love the oddball comic series The Tick. But Dr. McNinja is completely different. For one thing, the Tick is a parody whereas, okay, honestly, I don't know what the hell to classify McNinja as... The closest I can I come to classifying this series is that it is a surrealist slapstick comedy a la Buster Keaton or the Three Stooges. In terms of other comic books, this book is a lot like another Dark Horse publication called Axe Cop. Only, this book wasn't written by a 5-year. (And that's not an insult! Axe Cop really was written by a 5-year old, though he's much older now. Google it...)

    I enjoyed this book but not as much as I think I could have. Having been so long since I read volumes 1& 2, I was a little lost trying to re-familarize myself with this series. It's one reason why I like to have all of a series before I read it but when you are depending on the library to help supplement your comic book collecting and reading, then beggars can't be choosers.  But if you are new to this series and somehow get the chance to get your hands on all three volumes at once, I think you'll truly benefit by reading them all in a close grouping.

    Amazingly clean art, crazy plots and even crazier ideas, and tons of surprises, Dr. McNinja, volume 3 is a great read, even if you did forget some of what happened earlier in the story. It's not like we've got the brilliant photographic memory of a ninja or something...

   Worth Consuming

     Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Goon, Volume 14: Occasion of Revenge

 

    The cadre of Zombie Priests finally arrives in town after months of anticipation. The Goon and Franky have prepared for this and have a few tricks up their sleeves. But nothing will prepare the Goon for the trap the Priests have spent decades setting up.

     Occasion of Revenge is the first miniseries by Goon creator Eric Powell after the cancellation of the regular series. Shipping delays and other obligations lead Powell to focus on Goon universe a few issues at a time as opposed to a monthly series. Thankfully, this isn't the last Goon miniseries.

   What this story is, is dark. It's perhaps the darkest Goon storyline to date. The Goon's gang is put through the wringer here and by volume's end, the Goon and his allies will never be the same.

    Adding to the darkness is a secondary storyline involving a jilted lover who commits suicide. His pain and suffering are so great, the lover returns from the grave to haunt the woman who stole and broke his heart. This pair has an important connection to the zombie priests but just what is that tie that binds is is left for another volume to explore.

    Powell continues to produce quality stories with beautifully crafted artwork. His timeless style that incorporates film noir, pin-ups girls, and 1950s B-movies is unparalleled and it continues to amaze me. However, there's some pretty dark and foreboding stuff going on in this volume that kept it from being my favorite Goon volume. There are quite a few funny moments, mostly involving Franky. Yet, it's not enough for my tastes. 

     I prefer the funny and often zany Goon stories to the most somber ones such as Occasion of Revenge. I have a feeling that volume 15 isn't going to be a picnic either. Hopefully, the conflict with the cabal of zombie priests will conclude soon in order for the master of black comedy to truly return the Goon to his original roots.
   
    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Spirit #32

With the US Army threatening to send the mysterious new island in Central City's harbor back to the murky depths, the Spirit races to save Commissioner Dolan's nephew before it's too late. Meanwhile, Leprechaun detective Cormac is leading an army of hobos from Central City against an army of the undead. If their reanimated leader gets his hand on a stolen Irish artifact called the Celtic Stone before dawn, not only Central City but the entire world will be enslaved by a powerful Zombie King.

   Funny, exciting, and a little scary was this the final chapter of the story titled after the stolen rock, the Celtic Stone, and it was perfect. Former Eisner disciple Mike Ploog returned to the world of the Spirit to send this epic series out in style and he did just that! The plot was great- the art even better. I loved it!

    I just hate that this is the final issue of a fantastic Spirit series that highlighted some fantastic artists and writers.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen #2

   The fictitious nation of Bialya plays heavy in 52. It's already seen massive devastation after the events of Black Adam's World War III. So with a country full of sick, injured, starving, angry, and dying people, it becomes the natural breeding ground for the Four Horsemen.

  First up: Death, the pale rider, raises the dead of Bialya as his personal army. Like any zombie horde, their bite is infectious. On a humanitarian mission for the Wayne Foundation, Bruce Wayne finds himself without a utility belt in front of a raging horde. Will Clark Kent, on assignment for the Daily Planet be able to save the billionaire without giving away his secret identity?

   This second chapter was a little more fun than the opening servo. I liked the undead rising element and the Four Horsemen as a group seem to be an interesting quartet. But there's still some disconnect between Keith Giffen and me the reader. I think it's because he relies too much on the source material which wasn't very memorable.

   Am I biased? I'm probably guilty as charged. But I will admit that some of this issue was much better. The art, especially. It's got a sleek modern feel to it and the color palette while muted is very clean. Okay, with as story full of zombies and dying refugees, it is a little too clean.

  Still, a better overall improvement.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #22

The Man of Steel returns for the third time to Legends; this time to investigate reports of an alarm going off at an old government research lab. There, Superman discovers a mad scientist named Dabney (ooooooh, scary!) and his latest creation: a micro world inhabited by creatures inspired by classic horror films.

   This tiny planet is threatening to attack ours with a powerful cleansing agent that would send our earth into chaos by dissolving earth's supply of plastic. Oh, come on- who'se writing this?

    LAME! Lame, lame, lame!

   Supposedly this Dabney character is supposed to be a villain from the Kirby years. I don't recall him. The madman is looney, but he's really laughable.

    Plus, if a planet the size of a beach ball was threatened ours, I'd probably use it as a pool toy to render it obsolete. However, Superman must abide by his strong moral code and thus he with Dabney in tow, allows himself to be shrunk down in hopes he'll be able to appeal to the despot whose got planet earth in his crosshairs.
 
 If it wasn't for the art, I'm not sure if I'd really enjoy this issue at all. As I said, the plot was awful. But the detail of Dabney's lab and the Kamandi-like atmosphere of the tiny planet were masterfully drawn. I'm a big fan of artists who love to include those tiniest of details below and Jose Ladronn takes such care that his rendering of a discarded soda can is as detailed as werewolves that sweep to rescue Superman and Dabney from zombies.

     As far as I know, I've never come across his work before. But I hope to come across it real soon.
Oh, wait- there's next issue!
   
   Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.