Doctor Bananas, Monkey Magician #1 (Family Comic Friday)

    He's a doctor...
    He's a magician...
    He's a monkey...
   
    In facts, he's all three things rolled into one and he's tons of fun too. 

    He is Doctor Bananas, Monkey Magician!

    In this premier issue by artist and writer Luke Foster, Doctor Bananas is on the hunt for a magical artifact that can do any wondrous thing. In a twist on the legend of the Monkey's Paw, our hero battles a witch named Siobhan, who is trying to sell a magical simian hand at a swap meet. The talisman just happens to be Doctor Bananas' missing right hand and the wizard has better act fast because every time he uses his magic against the paw, the powers backfire onto him, rapidly aging him. 

    Can Doctor Bananas get what is rightfully his (pun intended) before his clock runs out?

    Doctor Bananas, Monkey Magician is an all-ages comic that is completely bizarre and yet the most funny thing you'll read in a long time. I first learned about the comic a couple of weeks ago when I meet Luke Foster at the Oak City NCComiCon in Raleigh, NC. I devoured this book when I got home that night but due to a very busy work schedule, it's taken me a while to get a chance to do a Family Comic Friday post. 

      I feel terrible making you guys wait so long for this review. But in the time that has elapsed, a fourth issue of Doctor Bananas has been published. Sadly, it's also the last...

     But don't fret. Readers can order the adventures of Doctor Bananas through the Indy Planet website (either print or digital) or digital-only via Comixology. 

     So what are you waiting for? Go, check it out now! Laughs await!

     Worth Consuming

     Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The New Teen Titans: Terra Incognito

     
     The Teen Titans have just accepted their first new member since this incarnation's formation. Her name is Terra and with the ability to manipulate earth and soil, she's like a muddier version of Magneto. Claiming to have been a member of the Markovian Royal Family and recently escaped her kidnappers, elements of her story don't add up. Can Terra be trusted or is she a wolf in sheep's clothing?
       Meanwhile Dick Grayson is struggling to maintain balance as the Titans' leader, Robin, as well as being Batman's sidekick, and as a college student. Trying to become his own man, Dick's relationship with fellow teammate Starfire is in serious jeopardy as well. Adding to his problems is an Assistant District attorney named Adrian Chase, who's quest for justice against a mob boss who keeps skirting jail time, may send the Boy Wonder down a rabbit hole of bent rules and lawless vigilantism to which there is no return.
       The New Teen Titans by the legendary team of Marv Wolfman and George Perez were DC's answer to the revitalized X-Men. Those merry mutants from Marvel were a great read, but unless you had a chart to assist you, it was really hard trying to keep up with the endless characters and soap opera style story-lines that writer Chris Claremont weaved throughout a number of titles. Titans seems to have that same soapy feel as X-Men, and there are quite a bit of players all over the place- but it's of a lesser (and easier to follow) extent.
      Recently, I've been trying to clear my bookcases of things that I amassed but wasn't 100% sure if after I did, that I'd want to keep it. This volume was from my best friend's collection I inherited a couple of years ago. He was a huge Teen Titans fan and I had held on to it because of that. 
    So, what's the verdict?
    I'm hooked. I want the other volumes! This was a tremendously fun read and I want to know what happened before this storyline and I definitely have to know what happened afterwards. 
    Plus, if you collect the short-lived 80s series Vigilante like I do, then you will want this volume as it details the character's origin are covered in great detail. 
     There might even be some backstory to the Crisis on Infinite Earths lurking around a few corners in this awesome collection.
     A true classic made by some of the masters of the comic book industry.

    Worth Consuming

     Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman, Volume 9: Bloom (The New 52!)

   

There's a terrifying new villain in Gotham City. Calling himself Mister Bloom, this new enemy is supplying the gangs of Gotham with bio-engineered 'seeds.' In reality, these seeds are a sort of nanobot steroid that are turning the criminal element into superhuman powerhouses. Claiming to be the Joker to Jim Gordon's Batman, Mister Bloom just might have what it takes to destroy the Bat and his city forever.
    Meanwhile, the fate of Bruce Wayne is revealed. But what about the Joker? Did he too survive Endgame?
    Bloom is a brutal character and I quite like him. Despite being Gordon's Joker, he's the direct opposite, if anything. Mister Bloom seeks order in the face of chaos where as the Clown Prince of Crime is quite the opposite. Refreshing- though I wish Bloom's identity would have been revealed- or was it I missed all the clues?
    As for the return of Bruce Wayne- I like how he's basically got a new lease on life. Of course, you know he's eventually going to return to the mantle of the Bat, but for right now having a completely reborn Bruce Wayne without the scars and wounds of years as a vigilante hero, is pretty awesome. Plus, the theory of how a Bruce Wayne Batman can continue on for decades to come is perhaps the most unique twist on the future of the Dark Knight mythos since the introduction of Terry McGinnis in Batman Beyond.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman, Volume 8: Superheavy (The New 52!)

   In the wake of Endgame, the threat of the Joker is over but Batman has fallen. Without its protector, the citizen's of Gotham City are in peril from the scores of gangs and members of the Dark Knight's Rogue's Gallery that are fighting for their piece of the pie.

      Enter the Powers Corporation, a conglomerate that has the crazy idea to fashion a new Batman. Combining the latest technology and the best of Gotham City Police Department's finest, Powers Corp hopes to create the ultimate Dark Knight. But when the members of the force wash out, the company's CEO has her wackiest idea yet- make Jim Gordon the new Batman!

       When it was revealed a few years back that Commissioner Gordon would be the next Batman, I felt like Gordon did: it was the stupidest idea I've ever heard! But writer Scott Snyder did a fantastic job explaining away how it was possible a 45-year old man, who smokes a pack a week, could get himself in shape to become the ultimate physical specimen, Batman. 

    Short answer: lots of implants, surgery, and intense training.
    Another classic segment of one of the few shining spots in the New 52. Superb writing. Excellent art by Greg Capullo. And tons of action and adventure.

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Astro City, Volume 12: Lover's Quarrel

    Enjoy another trip to Astro City with your guides Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Alex Ross. On this trek, discover the love/ hate on again/ off again relationship of Quarrel and Crackerjack through the numerous back alleys and secret headquarters of the community. Then enjoy the music scene of Astro City as the silver-back (and super-smart) gorilla Stick ventures from his Arctic paradise homeland to the City of Heroes in hopes of becoming a drummer.

     It's another fun journey to one of my favorite fictional cities. The Quarrel story started off a little rough, but once I realized who the narrator really was, the story got quite intriguing and quite good. The Stick story was brilliant. It was a tribute to comicdom's long-running obsession with apes. I'll admit, I had to flip ahead because I was going to be quite mad if this volume ended with dead monkey.

(SPOILER: It didn't.)

    Another great volume. I was a bit disappointed that this volume didn't include the ubiquitous sketch book section. There was a script section instead but it wasn't quite the same...

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 112

   I know it's been a while since I have done A Madman Turns 40 posting. It's been a crazy month. But things are changing- for the good- and I should be having some more availability to do post again very soon.

   Today's look at my favorite year has a couple of noteworthy achievements. 

   First of all marks the opening of the first Broadway show of Annie. It's the musical adventure of the young orphan girl who rises from the ashes and gets adopted by the ultra-rich baldy, Daddy Warbucks. Based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie, the show ran for 3,277 performances (77- there's that number again. Huh...) and spawned 2 film versions, a beloved soundtrack, and made Annie a household name again. 

    Then from the Strange But True file, New York Yankees Manager Billy Martin had a unique strategy in his match-up against the Toronto Blue Jays. He picked his starting line-up out of a hat! Not only did he allow fate to choose for him- the Yankees won 8-6! I wonder if he used the hat for when he needed relief pitchers...?

    Well, that's my look at my favorite year for the day. Hopefully I'll be back real soon to look at another aspect of 1977.

   Until then... 

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 105

 

  It's a very happy day here at Casa Madman- Doctor Who returns today!

  I've been watching Doctor Who since I was a little guy. I'd come home from pre-school or kindergarten and every day at 5pm on PBS, I'd watch the adventures of the Doctor and his TARDIS as he battled monsters, robots, and baddies galore.

   So in honor of tonight's season premieres, let's look at Doctor Who in the year I was born.

   In 1977, the Doctor was the bohemian Tom Baker. With his unruly hair, wicked sense of humor, and extremely long scarf, Baker was and still is a fan-favorite. (His replacement, Peter Davison is MY Doctor. But Baker is clearly in my top 5!)

    The Fourth Doctor's companion in 1977 was the warrior Leela. Played by Louise Jameson, she added a bit of sex appeal to the series as she ran around most of the time in a leather bikini. But she was fierce and could kick serious butt.

    Another companion of the Doctor was his robot dog, K-9. He was oh so faithful to the Doctor, calling him master and using his lasers to save the Doctor when the chips were down.

    One of my favorite things about the show was the theme song. I'm addicted to every version and variant of it. So before I go, I just had to share with you the theme as it would've been in good ole 1977.

    Enjoy...