Flashpoint: Secret Seven #1

    Imagine that you are the only surviving member of a group of superheroes with supernatural powers. You are to blame for their murders and you find yourself on the lamb. You jump at every shadow, expecting it to be the local authorities who have specific instructions: "Use deadly force!" Making your plight even worse is that you're hallucinating visions of your fallen allies everywhere you go.
    So when an alluring Enchantress comes to you for assistance in helping her overcome her dark side, what do you do? Trust that this mystic is who she says she is? Or treat her like another delusion or threat in disguise and run for your life?
     Thus begins the opening chapter of Secret Seven. I wish I could expound more on this Flashpoint tie-in, but I am not very familiar with the main character of this comic: Shade, The Changing Man.
     What I know about Shade probably couldn't fill a fortune cookie. I know that he was a creation of the great Steve Ditko for DC in the 70s and that the Shade comic didn't last very long. I also know that their was a couple of Shade comics series in the 90s but if they are about the same character- dunno. That's really all I know about Shade...
       So when Shade is kidnapped by creatures that claim to be the same race as him and that they believe that his malfunctioning 'vest' may be behind the death of his cohorts, I can't tell you if that's accurate to the Ditko version or not. 
       The Shadowpact and Suicide Squad sometime member, Enchantress is a slightly different story. I remember reading her origin in the pages of something like Secret Origins or House of Mystery. The Flashpoint version of her in this book that involves a beautiful woman going to a costume party at a castle and being transformed into an evil witch is pretty spot on to the DC Universe version. But other than that, there's not much else on her I can allude to either, since her role in this issue is very limited.
       Of the dozen or so issues of Flashpoint related works that I have read, this is perhaps the weakest. I'm sure much of it has to do with my lack of a priori knowledge of Shade or if this just wasn't my thing. Getting my hands on a copy of a issue of either Shade series isn't really something I'm interested in pursuing. But in order to be more prepared for issue #2 of Secret Seven, I think I will at least research the character online. (It might even boost my rating for this issue or at least the next one, as well being able to make some better connection with the character.)

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Batman- Knight of Vengeance #1

    In the Flashpoint universe, there may not be very many superheroes from Barry Allen's universe, but there is a Batman. He's gritty, violent, and is currently attempting to save a pair of twins from the diabolical Joker. Sounds kinda like our Dark Knight. Only the person behind the cape and cowl isn't Bruce Wayne- it's his father, Thomas.
   In this alternate timeline, it was young Bruce who was killed by an unknown assailant, not his parents. Racked with grief and burning with vengeance, Dr. Wayne makes his life mission to clean up Gotham City. By day, he runs the city's privatized police force. At dusk, he operates the seedy Wayne Casinos in hopes of keeping tabs over the gangs of Gotham. If those two personas of Thomas Wayne's don't work, at night, he becomes the Batman, operating outside of the law to 'collect the trash.'
   An interesting take on the Caped Crusader. I've read a lot of Elseworlds books which depict various versions of Batman. I've read about Batman becoming a Green Lantern, a swashbuckling pirate, a vampire, and so many more variances. But I must say that this is the first time I've run across Bruce's father being the Bat!
    A great first segment by Brian Azzarello (Joker.) Next to Scott Snyder, Azzarello has become the definitive gritty Batman writer in the past 2 decades. Teamed with his 100 Bullets art partner, Eduardo Risso, Brian Azzarello has crafted a Gotham City that's straight out of Jim Gordon's nightmares. I'm extremely excited for this Flashpoint tie-in's prospects!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Booster Gold #45 (A Flashpoint Tie-In)

   Stranded in the Flashpoint, Booster and his drone sidekick, Skeets, are mistaken for an Atlantean scout unit. Fearful of an attack from Atlantis, the Army has thrown everything at the time-stranded heroes. Though Skeets has been rendered inoperable, Booster's been able to fend off everything Uncle Sam has in his arsenal, for now. But all bets are off when Booster comes face-to-face with the one being that still haunts his worst nightmares- Doomsday!
     

Another great tie-in chapter to Flashpoint. Filled with twists and turns, this issue is so shocking, you've got to read it to believe it. So, I'll just leave it at this- Dan Jurgens is a freakin' genius and if you are a fan of the Kryptonian killing machine known as Doomsday, then you must read this issue!
  
    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint #2

   Barry Allen has just awoken to a world that is not his own. Seeking answers to the insanity, he seeks out his old friend, the Batman. Only when he arrives at Wayne Manor, he finds the place hasn't been lived in for years. Worse yet- when he does come upon the Dark Knight, the vigilante doesn't even know him. See, there's a Wayne underneath the cape and cowl but it isn't Bruce! Can Barry convince this Batman that the criminologist is a true friend and that his claims that there's another, better earth out there isn't the delusions of a raving lunatic?
    Whereas issue #1 of Flashpoint was a tasting menu of what readers could expect from this massive crossover event, this issue really delivers the meat and potatoes of the story. There are dozens of mini-series and one-shots devoted to the world of Flashpoint (and I will read and review them all), but their purpose is to explore deeper the impact of whomever changed timeline. The main point of Flashpoint is Barry Allen's attempt to get back to his version of Earth-1.
   More than likely, since Barry has memories of pre-Flashpoint earth, he's the culprit behind the alterations to the timeline. But if that's the case, it's not been revealed up to this point. I'm just going to have to keep reading to find out...
    The team of Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert managed to hit another glam slam outta the park. The writing is superb and I just am in awe of Kubert's gritty artwork and amazing re-designs of some of DC's most iconic characters.
    Excellent stuff!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.
   

Booster Gold #44 (A Flashpoint Tie-In)

Booster Gold experiences a temporal shift and finds himself stuck in the Flashpoint. Seeking answers, Booster and his drone sidekick Skeets travel to the closest community, Central City. But instead of being welcomed, the duo are attacked. Mistaken as an Atlantean scout, Booster tries to reason with the soldiers. But the time for conversation is over when Booster comes face to face with his worst nightmare- Doomsday!

The events of this issue immediately follows the miniseries Time Masters: Vanishing Point. In that story, a group of heroes lead by Booster Gold and Rip Hunter seek to rescue Bruce Wayne from being stranded in the time stream. After completing their mission  Rip and Booster return to their base of operations and find a chalkboard scribbled with tons of forewarnings to the coming Flashpoint event. That final scene is the beginning of this issue and the two books flow together seamlessly,

   Booster Gold creator Dan Jurgens did triple duty on this issue. His writing was both humorous and intriguing, his artwork masterful, and look at this cover- man, does it rock! A great tie-in to Flashpoint.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

I Hate Fairyland, Volume 1: Madly Ever After

That's not Strawberry Jam on the end of that axe...

I had heard a lot of good things about Marvel Minis creator Skottie Young's I Hate Fairyland. So when I found this at my local library, I jumped on it. Oh, what did I get myself into???

  I Hate Fairyland is the story of young Gertrude who at 10 is whisked away from her home. She finds herself in Fairyland where she is paired with a guide, a bug named Larry, and tasked to find the magical key that will unlock the door barring her return home. Seems easy enough and armed with a map of all the known Fairyland realms, Gertrude should be home within a week.

  Jump ahead 27-years and Gertrude (Gert for short) is not a bit closer to finding her way home. She may look 10, but deep down, Gertrude has the mind of a middle aged woman who's just sick to death looking like Shirley Temple. Desperate to get home, Gertrude teeters on the edge of sanity and whoa to anyone who gets in her way, much less speaks to her in riddle and rhyme.

   I really thought that this might be an entertaining book to take with me to work and read during lunch. Folks, this is not the type of book you should take with you to work and read during lunch! Doing so just might get you sent to a meeting with HR.

  From the various compound fractures to the mass decapitations of city mice to maiming (and eatings of brains) of mushroom policemen to a massive GSW to the face of the Man in the Moon, this is not a book for kids! It might look innocent and sweet but it’s really a PG-13 book at best. It might even be a soft R with some explicit language, innuendo, middle fingers waving victoriously, and violence- lots of bloody violence.

   Now you make think having someone kill all of the citizens of Fairyland would making Gert the target of the Fairyland Queen. But Fairyland Rules prohibit the Queen from killing any who are a guest of the realm and until Gert finds the key, she’s a guest in Fairyland Proper. Thus, Queen Cloudia invites another like girl into her realm in hopes that she will find the key first and then all rules and regulations preventing the Queen from exacting revenge on Gert will be null and void. Expect a bloodbath between the two darling pixies who are guests in Fairyland- FOR NOW!

   The comic book series Invincible has been noted for having a favorite color- blood red. Well, reading this book, I felt like red was a favored color here. Then I read in the credits as the end of this book, that the colorist was none-other than Jean-Francois Beaulieu who besides from being Skottie Young’s favorite colorist, is also colorist for Invincible!

   This volume collects issues #1-5. By the beginning of the 5th chapter, I had this book pegged as having a rating of 5 or 6 out of 10. Sure, the violence was a factor for the lower rating but I also took issue with how Gert was in tune with pop culture.

If Gertrude has been in Fairyland for 27 years, that would mean she left earth in 1988 or 89. So how does she know about Terminator 2 or other movies made after 1992? That just didn't make sense to me. Plus, if she goes home, will is be back to the 80s or will she wind up in modern day 2016? Gert got a chance to see herself as an adult in one scene and she was grossly unhealthy. Wouldn't that make her wanna stay in Fairyland no matter how saccharine?

Difficulties with several plot-points aside, I pressed on with this book and I am glad I did as something magical happened. By the book's last 3 pages, something changed: a light bulb of brilliance exploded. I found myself blindsided by a twist so clever, it beats out the Denzel Washington horror flick 'Fallen' for best save of a story by a shocking ending!

I am a little sheepish to say but the finale had me rooting for Gert and clamoring to know what happens next. Who knows, maybe this little gore-fest will become a guilty pleasure of mine. And that my friends was a plot twist that I really didn’t see coming!

 

Worth Consuming

 Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

   

Comics Squad #2: Lunch! (Family Comics Friday)

   From the editing team that brought you 'Comics Squad: Recess" comes an all-new treasury of comics devoted to the second most popular class at school- LUNCH! Fan favs such as Babymouse, Lunch Lady, and the Peanuts gang return from book one to in this very fun collection.

   Of the eight stories contained in this anthology, seven were really good. My favorite was, of course, the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales adventure. I just am in love with that series.

   Here, captured spy Nathan Hale recounts a short story set during the second world war. When an American naval ship runs afoul of a giant Japanese destroyer, they set out to sink the Imperial monster or be sunk themselves. As the battle rages in the Pacific, the American ship runs out of ammo, that is until someone gets the idea to start shooting bombs made of potatoes and other items from the galley. It's an all-true account of a food fight that helped save the free world!!!

  Other really great stories in this collection involves the secret origin of Lunch Lady when she was a bullied child and Sara Varon's 'Worst Day Ever' about two rivals becoming friends thanks to lunchtime science experiments. Another great tale is titled Cave Soup. This yarn by Jedi Academy creator Jeffrey Brown involves two pairs of Neanderthal children. The older pair keep pushing off their chores on the younger while they goof around. But the younger cave-kids are one step ahead of their older siblings and are determined to make sure the big brother and big sister have to clean up.

    The Case of the Missing Science Project by Meanwhile's Jason Shiga was my least favorite story. This choose-your-own-adventure type story should've been one of the best stories in this book but the idea just didn't translate very well in the graphic novel medium. Originally, a CYOA story has you given a series of options to choose from and then you flip to the corresponding page number. While a few page numbers are given in Shiga's story, most of your choices require you to follow a snaking series of arrows that often get a little confusing to follow. I did enjoy many of the bizarre ways that the hero of the Missing Science Project met his fate. Those crazy ending were part of what made those CYOA books so fun to read.

   Despite this one disappointing story- this was a fun read that any school aged child 13 and under should enjoy.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.