Voltron Force: Shelter From The Storm, FCBD 2012 Edition (Family Comic Friday)

  There's only one week left until Free Comic Book Day 2015, folks. Next week, I'll be previewing some of the books that will be available. But until then, let's check out a classic from 2012: 

I’ll admit I wasn’t the biggest Voltron fan. While I had the interlocking set of lion robots and their drivers as a kid, I really couldn’t get into the cartoon.

With this Free Comic Book Day issue of an all-new Voltron, I thought I’d be able to glide right in and it’d be all-systems-go. But with a new band of lion pilots, a set of villains that are vaguely familiar, and a story that takes place at least 5-7 years after the original series was set, I was lost. So this would be a great starter for new fans.

The art was good. However, it’s just still a little too Manga for my tastes. Plus, the plot reminded me of Ender’s Game, which is weird because I’ve never read Ender’s Game.

While I enjoyed this title, it didn’t light a fire in me to rush out and buy the complete series. They have the graphic novels of which this comic is based at my local library and that may be the extent to which I am willing to spend any time or money in exploring more of this new take on a classic 80s icon.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Teen Titans Go! #1 (First Series, Library Edition)

Before Teen Titans Go! was Teen Titans Go!? Before Cartoon Network revived the animated heroes with the 15-minute long minisode series Teen Titans Go!, Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and the rest had a number of adventures on the TV series Teen Titans. In order to not confuse young readers and fans of the cartoon with the older teen rated Teen Titans comic, DC titled their adaptation of the 2003 series Teen Titans Go!

    Now, I wasn't a big fan of the original show. I thought the art was too much like anime, of which I am not the hugest fan. But with the new series which I think is very funny and incredibly silly, I've decided to branch out and give the original series a go.

    Since I don't have access to any of the original episodes on DVD just yet, my next best option was to check out some library edition issues from my favorite source to get some free reads- the Orange County, NC library. In case you are wondering, a library edition is a hardbacked single copy of an original issue. It also contains a glossary of certain words as well as discussion questions for students and the occasional writing exercise.  In this, the premiere issue, the Titans are playing a new video game when they are attacked by the students of the HIVE Academy.

   Unlike a collection of Free Comic Book Day editions of this series, this comic features all-new artwork as well as an original story and not slides from a previously aired episode. I appreciate that as I think issuing a picto-comic of a repeat as a cop-out and a scam to get money for little to no work or effort. The tale was still a little too anime (or, in this case, manga) for my tastes but I still enjoyed this issue. Especially the twist ending.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

The Lunch Witch by Deb Lucke (A Family Comic Friday EXTRA)

When the world has lost its belief in magic and no longer has a need for it, what is a witch to do? In the case of this book published by Papercutz, the wicked Grunhilda takes a job at the local elementary school as a lunch lady. Her sour temper and terrible cooking make her the perfect candidate for the job. Grunhilda's ancestors even applaud her efforts to make the lunch menu as horrible as possible. But when the new girl in school seeks the witch's help in becoming more popular at school will Grunhilda buck tradition and do something good for once? Not if her ancestors have anything to say about it.

    Deb Lucke's tale was witty, charming, and fun. She crafted some very interesting and unique characters and the story and plot were quite good. But it was the art and how this book was crafted that I think was the real winner.

   The art looked like if came from those 'Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark' books from the 80s. Those stories were terrifying, but the art was downright creepy. The Lunch Witch had that creep factor, but it wasn't so disgusting or scary as to make the characters seem unappealing.

   The printing itself was another stroke of genius as it's set to match the action in the story. For example, when a spell gets set on fire, the next page is die cut with black smudging on the edges to make it look like the actual book your reading had accidentally caught flame. In another section where the Lunch Witch is cleaning up garbage, the pages appear to have smeared tomato bits on them. Brilliantly crafted stuff!

   This book is one that not just kids but grown-ups will enjoy. The level of creativity is inspiring and I hope the next Deb Lucke will see this book and is influenced to create the next Lunch Witch-type masterpiece.

   If this book doesn't win some awards I wouldn't just be shocked, I'd demand a recount.

   A classic in the making.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman/Superman, Volume 1: Cross World (New 52!)

The first volume of the New 52's 'first' teaming of the World's Finest is a trippy adventure that spans both the DC timeline and the multiverse.

  When the living embodiment of chaos decides to have a little fun by bringing the younger and less experienced Earth-1 Man of Steel and Caped Crusader to Earth-2 where a more matured Man of Tomorrow and Dark Knight have turned their world into a virtual paradise, all hell breaks loose. Separated by age and ego, the two groups of heroes eventually make nice once they discover that they are from different universes. But when the two teams also discover that combined militaries of Earth-2 have created a Superman killing device using Wayne Techology the heroes must decide- Save Superman or Save the world from the oncoming storm known as Darkseid.

    This story took a little while to build up steam. That's mostly because the New God sprite Kaiyo has all four heroes switching places from world to world before having all four wind up in the Smallville of Earth-2. But once the players were finally set on the board, the story ramped up to a Nth degree of action, adventure, and pure wicked fun.

   The art is by the terrific Jae Lee. Lee has such a whimsical but haunted style. It works well for these four heroes who're haunted by their own pasts. With terrific finishes by Ben Oliver that give these pages an almost painted quality, both he and Lee take the reader to the farthest reaches of the DC Universe all under the masterful pen of Greg Pak.

   This collection also includes an 'Unleased' Forever Evil tie-in from Justice League #23.1. It features an origin story of Darkseid and the New Gods. I've read some of Kirby's original New Gods stuff that explained the early days of Apokolips and New Genesis but I've never read a definitive story as to how the old gods died to make way for the newer deities of Darkseid, Highfather, and the rest. Until now! Say what you might about the New 52 but this single issue story was fan-tastic and perhaps the single best New 52 story I've ever read.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

 

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man

    I've learned recently from social media that Firestorm is a fan favorite. He's been around for about 40 years, but he's hardly gotten any respect. Considered a "B-grade" superhero, he's the type of character that often dies during a major cross-over event in order to throw readers off track when someone like Supergirl, the Flash, or Batman bites the dust.

    But in the past few months, Firestorm has been elevated to 'A-list' status what with him being a major plot focal point on the CW's The Flash. He's been so well received, he's even going to star in a yet unnamed spin-off next year. Working title for the show is "The Atom" but all bets are on a Suicide Squad type show.

   With the Nuclear Man's new found stardom and the fact that I recently read an issue of DC Presents in which you needed to read the first 5 issues of Firestorm (volume 1, 1978) I decided to finally give that short-lived series a go. Though the book only lasted 5 issues, it actually had a secret 6th issue that did see print. But unless you have about $35,000 to buy the extremely scared 'Cancelled Comics Cavalcade' (of which only 35 issues were ever issued) then you'd be hard pressed to find out what happened to the combined might of teenager Ronnie Raymond and troubled physicist Martin Stein.

   Thankfully, this trade from 2011 includes that ve
ry rare story. This book also contains several backup features from the Flash in which the adventures of Firestorm pick up again after Superman invites the Nuclear Man to join the Justice League.  What this collection doesn't include is that pivotal DC Presents story in which we learn of  what transpired during Firestorm's year long absence from the superhero community and the Man of Steel's initial invitation to the JLA. Also missing is the issue of Justice League of America in which Firestorm is inducted as its youngest member.  I think both stories should have been included as they are vital to the plot of those Flash back-ups I mentioned earlier.

    Another story missing from the volume is the fabled 7th issue of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man. Technically, there isn't a 7th issue though it is advertised in the Cancelled Comics feature. But maybe co-creators Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom might team up for a Firestorm: Lost Adventures one-shot to explore that missing plotline.

   Though I only needed this book to finish my run as I already had issue 1-5, I'm not disappointed in the least on the stories I did receive. There was just a few missed opportunities here like a small forward or afterward that might on included some great backstory as to the creation or cancellation of this series. With DC being very nostalgia centric during its Convergence storyline and the fall 2015 spin-off, I think the publisher would be remiss if they didn't issue a new Firestorm collection to hit the shelves very soon. Hopefully, it will feature some of these omitted features that I think could have made this collection an essential piece to any Firestorm fan's collection.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Superman Family Adventures #10

   Superman Family Adventures by Art Baltazar and Franco is one of my favorite all-ages series. It's normally very well written, humorous, and extremely clever. I'm not sure what happened with this issue.

   Superman in an attempt to reunite his mother and father accidentally frees General Zod and family from the Phantom Zone. Zod's got revenge on his mind and he's decided to take it out on the Family of Steel by selling... hot dogs? When Zod uses a special salt to turn dogs 50 feet tall in an attempt to conqueror the earth, I literally slapped my head and tossed this book across the room. Meanwhile, a Brainiac drone visited Superman's space satellite and dressed up as a cowboy. What the---

    This issue was awful. It's the worst one of the entire series and I was so disappointed. I've read dozens of stories by Baltazar and Franco and I've never been disappointed. But sometimes even the Yankees lose a World Series or two...

    This issue does progress the story line of Superman's mother surviving the destruction of Krypton. And I thought having her and Zod's wife be like two doting housewives while the hubby's fight it out was very funny. But that was about the only thing about this issue that was any good.

   Not Worth Consuming

   Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Scratch 9 2014 Free Comic Book Day Edition (Family Comic Friday)

   Scratch 9 is an adorable kids series about a cat named Scratch. After being experimented upon by the evil Dr. Schrodinger and the C.R.U.E.L. corporation, Scratch has the ability to tap into his other 8 lives, both past and future. Each life of Scratch's has a special ability that helps get him out of sticky situations. 

   In this free comic from 2014, creator Rob Worley presents us with the first chapter of the latest Scratch 9 series 'Cat of Nine Worlds.' In this  chapter, Scratch's person has become a prisoner of the evil Schrodinger.  Along with that preview, we get a charming tale in which Scratch, teaming with First Dog Bo, must save the President from a C.R.U.E.L. duplicate that's outlawed cats. 

   Then if you flip the book over and turn to the back, we catch a glimpse of a new Worley creation called Run and Amok. It's about a boy named Run and his pet alien Amok, a giant rock creature. They travel through time while trying to evade the evil Saucer Invaders who want the duo back at any cost. It was a cute tale with promise but I'm not sure if this series ever took off as I cannot find any evidence of a Run & Amok comic or graphic novel on Amazon or Stashmycomics.com.

   Though I do not see another Scratch 9 on the horizon and there isn't a 2015 FCBD offering, it doesn't mean that's the end of this series.  A collected edition of Cat of Nine Worlds is due out this summer and can be preordered on Amazon and there are two other Scratch 9 series available on the online retailer as well. 

Even though after being offered for the past 2 FCBDs there isn't going to be a new Scratch comic, it doesn't mean that there aren't any great all-ages books slated for this year's Free Comic Book Day which is just 15 days away. To get an idea of what's going to be offered this year, click here. You can also download some free previews of many great titles such as Doctor Who, Pokemon, Spongebob, and Transformers.

Worth Consuming

 Rating: 9 out of 10 stars