Legends of the DC Universe #33

   This story takes place just after Hal Jordan became the Spectre. Riddled with guilt over the actions he committed as Parallax, Jordan seeks to redeem himself. Now as God's personal vessel of wrath, the former hero gets that chance. However, Jordan's piled up even more grief as he heaps vengeance over a myriad of souls. To Jordan, it's okay to reap justice over evil doers but since the Spectre-side of him has a bit of a mean streak in him, some of the methods employed are a bit too violent. This puts Hal at unease and he feels like his own humanity may be slipping away with each punishment.

    Thus, Jordan seeks out advice from God in the realm of Heaven. But he ends up meeting people from his past who have also transversed to the great beyond. Their words of wisdom seem to do little to ease Jordan's conscious and that's a very bad thing as a powerful psychic on earth named Caul has had a vision that he's not fond of. Thus, Caul is planning on destroying the Spectre before the spirit of God's vengeance gets to him first.

    I remember seeing this issue in stores when it first hit shelves and thinking 'So Jordan's the Spectre now..." I was glad that DC hadn't given up on the former Green Lantern. But I didn't buy this issue and so I haven't been very familiar with Hal's time as the Spectre. Finally owning and reading it, this opening chapter helped to fill in some of those gaps and it was great seeing some long past heroes from DC's Silver Age.

    But there's very little action in this issue and it moves at a snail's pace. Also, with the new character of Caul added to the mix, Jordan's trip down memory lane takes away from establishing the villain as anything more than a psychic seeking to prevent his own demise. Thus, Caul is a more sympathetic character as who can't relate to self-preservation? Maybe the next issue will give this mystery man a little more meat to make him more interesting and more villainous.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

   Folks, it's actually NOT odd that I read a novel. I've read tons. It's just that after a long day working in a hot kitchen, I like to unwind with my favorite hobby- reading and collecting comic books. But when the legendary author Terry Pratchett recently passed after losing his long battle with degenerative brain disease, I felt it was time to take another trip to Discworld in his honor.

   Discworld is a flat planet that rests on the backs of 4 elephants who in turn rest on the shell of a giant turtle who floats through outer space. It's residents are an odd collection of witches, wizards, guardsmen, con artists, and even Death himself. Pratchett's stories are massive and my only flaw with this accomplished satirist is that he will often paint himself into a corner and rush to end his books with a random supernatural event that has little to do with the actual plot or fool the reader with an elaborate rouse.

  But Pratchett is a master at writing biting satirical dialogue. No topic is safe as he's skewered everything from religion to Santa and beyond. Often it's what's unsaid that is just as funny as the things the author makes his creations say. This book is a definitive reflection of that unique writing style.

   In Monstrous Regiment, young Polly is on the hunt for her missing brother who joined the Borogravia army a year prior and hasn't been heard from since. After cutting her hair, learning to walk with a swagger, and arming herself with a few choice swears and a strategic pair of socks, Polly Perks, barmaid becomes Ozzer Perks, corporal. But she might not be the only new recruit to the Borogravian army with a secret. Only time and the war corresponding Ankh-Morpork Times will tell of those skeletons in the unit's army.

   Featuring some great cameos from Death, and members of the Night Watch, including Sam Vimes, this volume was one of the better Discworld titles. I love all of the books in this series, but this volume had a really good ending to it and that's one reason I rate it as superior. My only regret is that Pratchett passed away too soon to see more Polly stories in the future. I think she is a character with a full rich story that's not finished yet. Sadly, the scribe of Discworld is now silent.

    Worth Consuming and yes- I plan on reading some more Discworld novels in the very near future thanks in a very large part to this awesome volume.

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Sisters (Family Comic Friday)

  Ever have that younger sibling that drove you nuts? Was your older brother or sister a big bully or at least that's what you thought because they always got their way or you into trouble? Then this true story graphic novel is the book you've been looking for Or that you should have written!
 
    Sisters is the 2014 sequel to the awarding winning graphic novel Smile by Raina Telgemeier. In this graphic novel, Riana is going on a semi-cross country drive to a family reunion along with her mom, younger sister, and baby brother. It's total sibling rivalry between Raina and Amara, mostly because while Raina is the oldest and a budding artist, it's the younger who keeps winning art awards and accolades.

    Throughout the trip scenes from the sisters lives are recounted. It's not a very good time for the family right now as their dad recently lost his job and his new vocation is preventing him from taking the trip with the fam.  That situation has caused the gang to move, pinch pennies, and has put a strain on the marriage of Raina's folks. Then there's also that little matter of Amara's pet snake who got loose in the family van and may have died somewhere under the seats or it might still be lurking around in the back under the cooler.

   I really enjoyed this tale. Though not all of the family crises mentioned in this book are solved by the final page, Sisters did have an enjoyable enough ending. Plus, with this being the second book, I'm sure a third book is on its way in this a trilogy friendly world. So, some matters will probably be addressed and solved then.

   The art was quite good and it matched the dynamic storytelling. Like I mentioned earlier, this is the sequel to another book called 'Smile.' I'm such a fan of this book and of Telgemeier that I hope to get my hands on that book very soon. Plus, I'm interested to know if Amara ever became famous like older her sister. If anybody has any info on her, please leave me a note in this review's comments section.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek The Key Collection: Volume 5

  

    The fifth volume of the Checker reprints of the Gold Key Star Trek comics from the 60s was an even better thrill ride than the previous one. The art was so much better in this one and the writing was very, very good. Let's discuss the art first.

 In the issues of volume 4, Spock's ear were drawn to such a degree they were freakin' huge. They took up most of the side of his head. Thankfully, the ears here are much less pronounced. The likenesses were amazing as well, especially of Kirk and Scotty, who plays a much larger role in these issues.

    The art of the Enterprise featured dynamic exteriors (AGAIN) and very good facsimiles of the interiors. The renderings of the aliens were pretty good too. I had to remind myself that with these issues being published years before the Star Trek films came out, that the Klingons were not going to be sporting their now iconic cranial ridge.

     Speaking of Klingons, they were featured in a clever story in which Kirk must go undercover to expose a Klingon gun running scheme in order to overtake a dilithium rich planet along the Neutral Zone. Another great tale features Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and McCoy racing against time when a radiation leak begins to turn them into children. Along with a cryogenically frozen professor and a time-travelling romp through the 1850s and 60s, this volume was near flawless in its delivery.

    Sadly, this appears to be the last volume in the series. Though Gold Key published about 30 more issues before ending in 1979, this volume was last issued in 2006. Along with that, the Checker Book Publishing group went out of business in 2010. Though I can find all five volumes on Amazon, I've not found another publisher that has issued reprints of the remaining issues- yet!

     IDW Publishing, who currently owns the rights to the Star Trek comics franchise, has issued two volumes reprinting the Gold Key series. But there are only two volumes thus far and they're only at issue #12.  So, only time will tell, unless I get lucky in the bargain bins.

Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Unfunnies: First Follies

Alligator abortions. Penguin prostitution. A foul-mouthed baby chick with a high-scoped rifle aimed at his head. A pedophile who’s been raised from the darkest pits of hades. When Mark Millar titled this series “The Unfunnies,” he wasn’t joking.

This is perhaps the most profane, vile, disgusting comic book I’ve ever had the displeasure to read. Perhaps what makes this book so shocking is that the characters are drawn in the style of some of your favorite childhood cartoons and when they commit these wanton acts, it’s pretty brutal.

Which is more shocking to see? Robert DeNiro shooting somebody in cold blood or Mr. Rogers? When innocence is lost, it’s very violating and that’s how this book made me feel. I definitely will be dropping this title from my collection and I will NOT be seeking out further books under this title.

(This book reprints Unfunnies #1 and 2.)

  Not Worth Consuming

Rating: 0 out of 10 stars.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

 It's getting to be a Free Comic Book Day Tradition for Marvel to issue a new live-action feature film during that same weekend. It started with the first Thor movie in 2011 and has continued ever since. The media was making a big deal that this week was the biggest week in sports history what with the Red Sox and Yankees playing, NBA and NHL playoffs, the NFL draft, a NASCAR race, and the Mayweather fight. But I argue that with the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, along with FCBD, this is the biggest weekend in geekdom!

    Age of Ultron was fantastic. It's the Empire Strikes Back of Marvel sequels as it was 10 times better than the first Avengers movie. Why it's even set to break all of the records the first film did in 2012. So if you have yet to see it, you are in for a treat, just be sure to get to it early as even on a Sunday afternoon, it was pretty crowded. 

    Age of Ultron starts off with the team attacking a Hydra base in Central Europe in hopes of retrieving Loki's staff, stolen during Winter Soldier. When the Avengers finally take the base, Tony Stark is ambushed by the Hydra influenced Maximoff Twins, Pietro and Wanda, who show Stark a vision of the future in which Iron Man's failures resulted in the end of life on earth. 

    Determined to not let this happen, Tony and Bruce Banner work to design an Artificial Intelligence that would cover the earth in a defensive shell and hopefully put the super hero in retirement. But when the programming takes a life of its own in the form of Ultron, the Avengers find themselves on the run of their lives. 

    This film has everything- action, adventure, a budding romance between two Avengers, great banter and running jokes galore. It also has a ton of superhero cameos, along with the occasional villain. But with the numerous interweaving plots and threads in this film, it's getting to the point where if you aren't watching all of the films, you're going to get lost quickly and that includes the supposedly unconnected Guardians of the Galaxy. When it comes to comic books, I hate it when you have to read a different title for the story to continue but since Marvel films come out at a rate of about once every few months, I actually like the interlocking storylines of the movies.

   The film as I mentioned before was heavy on action. While the opening attack on Hydra had some sequences that looked a little fake, the majority of the special effects were stunning. Speaking of stunning, the Iron Monger suit that's been popping up in the films as an easter egg since the end of the Edward Norton Hulk film finally gets some use. Thanks to some nasty tricks of the Scarlett Witch, the Hulk goes on a rampage that only Tony Stark's mighty armor can stop and holy cow! (And established fans, be ready to be overwhelmed by a scene at the end of the film in which all of the Avengers battle a legion of Ultrons. It was like that moment was taken from the dreams of George Perez, as there's so much happening in such a confined space.)

   I must warn you that some of the action in that scene is too intense for a very young child. I know this from personal experience as no less than 3 kids under the age of 5 went into simultaneous fits because if the violence during the showing I went too.

    As for whether this is a film for the whole family, I'm going to say no. The are some violent scenes that might be too much for those under the age of 10. There's also a little bit of language though that's not too much of an issue as there aren't any biggies. But this is a PG-13 movie for goodness sakes and the character of Ultron did seem to scare some kids in the theater.

    Speaking of Ultron, he was voiced by the always amazing James Spader. He gave the terrifying robot a very scary vibe balanced with some great one-liners that help prevent the character from being a total 'monster.' As for monsters, Mark Ruffalo's troubled Bruce Banner and his quest to balance the beast within was very well done and he should be nominated for a Golden Globe for his dual role of man and monster/ Hulk.

   The film had a ton of easter eggs. Most of them hint as the next chapter in the series; Infinity Gauntlet, parts one and two. But the seeds of descension planted by the mind games of the Scarlett Witch, played by a very goth Elizabeth Olsen, I think will play heavily into the next Captain America film based on the epic Civil War storyline. The line for that 2016 film starts right here, behind me!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

A Family Comic Friday Primer to Free Comic Book Day 2015

  One of the best days of the year is less than 24 hours away. I'm talking about Free Comic Book Day 2015. Comic book stores across the nation will be having bid sales, costume contests, free food, live music, and especially free comics.

If you live in the North Carolina Triangle, I recommend the following stores:
Capitol Comics in Raleigh
Fight or Flight Comics in Raleigh
Atomic Empire in Durham
Chapel Hill Comics in Chapel Hill

If you live in the Triad, I advise you to participate at:
Parts Unknown, Greensboro, NC
Ssalefish Comics in Winston-Salem

If you are in the Asheville area, check out:
Comic Envy

Live in St. Charles/ St. Louis, visit:
Comic 'Book' Relief

In the Big Apple, you must take a trip to:
Midtown Comics

Lastly, if you're a resident of Denver, please visit my friends at
Mile High Comics

To find a different participating store, click here.

  Before you go,  check out the list of free comics being offered for 2015. Some stores will allow you to pick up one book of each title, some will limit you to just a few. If you are unsure of which comics are right for you or your child, I made a list (posted at the end of this article) of the comics offered for each rating.

   There are normally 3 categories: all-ages, Teen/ Teen+ (12 and up), and mature (18+). I included a fourth category- all ages but with discretion. See, books like Bob's Burgers and the Simpsons are rated all-ages friendly books but the shows on which they are based may not be suitable for all age groups, so, I grouped those books and a few others in a category in which they say they are appropriate for everybody but might feature material that is out of your aspiring comic collector's age range for now. Also, there are two books in which I was unable to find a rating for so I put them in an 'unrated' category though it's not officially unrated by their publishers.

 Some of the opening pages of these books can be downloaded here at the official Free Comic Book Day website. So be sure to check 'em out before you go as well.

Enjoy and have a Happy Free Comic Book Day 2015!

All-Ages: All-New, All-Different Avengers Avatar/ Plants Vs. Zombies Bodie Troll & Friends Boom! 10 Year Celebration Cleopatra in Space Chakra the Invincible Gronk Jurassic Strike Force 5 March Grand Prix The Phantom Pokemon Sonic the Hedgehog Spongebob Squarepants Teen Titans Go!/ Scooby-Doo Team-up Terrible Lizard The Tick Transformers

Rated All Ages, but discretion advised based on source material: Bob’s Burgers Bongo Comics (Simpsons) Captain Canuck Help the CBLDF Defend Comics Overstreet’s Comic Book Marketplace Rabbids Stuff of Legends/ Thanatos Diver Supermutant Magic Academy/ Step Aside Pops!

Teen & Teen+: 2000AD Comics Festival Divergence Doctor Who Hatter M: Love of Wonder Hip Hop Family Tree 3-in-1 ICE: Bayou Blackout JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure/ Yu-Gi-Oh Kodansha Comics (Assault on Titan) Lady Justice Legendary Comics Motorcycle Samurai Savage Dragon Legacy Secret Wars Street Fighter Tales of Honor Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Valiant Comics 25th Anniversary

Mature Readers: And Then Emily was Gone... Dark Circle Comics Fight Club Mercury Heat Wonderland Special Edition

No Rating Given: Steampunk Goldilocks Worlds of Aspen 2015