The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains (Loot Crate Edition)

The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains is a celebration of the most unusual, oddball super-villains to ever be put to 4-color print. Well, almost. This book has been on my wish list for quite some time. I just never got it for myself or as a gift. Then one day at a thrift store, I found this: the Loot Crate Edition.

This edition of only focuses on 50 awfully crafted baddies. (More like 60 if you count a couple of sections that focus on multiple adversaries of similar theme.) The regular edition is much bigger, covering roughly 150 entries.

Despite the size of the book, I couldn't pass it up eitherway. The thrift store price was certainly right at only $1! I finally decided that I would read this digest version in order to decide if I should go for the full Monty.

I'm actually glad I went the way I did. The author Jon Morris, is considered a comic book historian with a long running blog devoted to forgotten comic books and their characters. While I enjoyed his factual narrative, sometimes Morris got just a little too tongue in cheek at times with some very corny jokes.

I also managed to get the Loot Crate Edition of his companion piece, The League of of Regrettable Superheroes, for that sweet price of $1. I'm only a few pages into it. But it reads in a more serious tone that is more delightful to read.

While I doubt that the full edition of The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains is due to become a part of my collection, (unless I find it for a tremendous bargain), I plan on keeping this book. There's a lot of excellent information in here and as a comic book historian myself, this will make a potentially good reference book for future readings, reviews and composition of articles. I just wish that the commentary was a little more dry.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Tales of the Bizarro World

Growing up, I loved reading my dad's old Superman Comics. To me, I always felt that the Man of Tomorrow had some of the best villains... The Parasite, Brainiac, that ape with Kryptonite eyes... But the one that always was a delight was Bizarro! A faulty duplicate of the Man of Steel, Bizarro always got things wrong. 

Ugly was considered beautiful. The Earth was supposed to be square, not round. Prisoners broke into jail- not out. That kind of stuff.

This book collects the original 15 back stories that ran in the early 1960s in the pages of Adventure Comics. A couple I had read as a kid and a couple I had read sometime in the last year. I seem to have started this book and when I came to the Halloween issue, I stopped to wait to read it when the holiday came around. And then I forgot all about it until almost a year later. In some ways, I too was Bizarro in my reading of this volume.

Another childhood favorite Superman villain of mine, Mr. Mxyzptlk is featured here. (I love how I still know how to spell his name without looking it up- as long as I do it phonetically.) That imp from the Fifth Dimension has a Bizarro counterpart roaming around a couple of these tales. Instead of creating mischief, this fella tries to do good deeds. 

Along with a good Lex Luthor, who was a refreshing take on the one Superman character I have actually grown tired of over the years, this was a really great read from long ago. I only wish there was a Bizarro Brainaic who would try to put cities into the Bizarro World, and watch the chaos of urban development!

Featuring some Superman legends of the DC bullpen including Jerry Seigel, Curt Swan, and Wayne Boring, I love the cover done by Love and Rockets' Jaime Hernandez.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Simone: Even More Monstrous (Family Comic Friday)

Imagine that you are a child monster. What would be the scary thing inside your bedroom closet? For the green, googly-eyed monster Morris, it’s a sweet little blonde haired girl named Simone! Good thing she’s friendly!

That’s the subject of this week’s Family Comic Friday- Simone: Even More Monstrous! Simone is the creation of Quebec cartoonist Remy Simard. This series, published by Owl Kids, is a delightful mix of Disney’s Monsters Inc. and the Sunday Morning Funnies.


Simone: Even More Monstrous!
Written by Remy Simard
Art by Remy Simard
Published by Owl Kids

The idea of something terrible being inside a child’s closet is turned upside down with Simone playing the monster’s role. Morris’s closet is obviously a portal to the human world and in his curiosity to discover who dwells inside his wardrobe, Morris has invited Simone into the realm of monsters.

Morris’s land is one filled with wondrous things such as walking/talking stalks of broccoli, lawn’s that shaves with whipped cream in the mornings, and a sky full of stars that poop. It’s all very silly and quite funny. Though there be monsters here- it’s nothing to be afraid of, as long as drawings of cartoon spiders don’t give you the willies. Those eight-legged boogers seem to be Simard’s signature as every episode has at least one or two crawling in the corners.

Simone: Even More Monstrous is the second book in the Simone series. Recommended for readers 5-8, this book is filled with one-page, four-color paneled vignettes that explore the oddities of Morris’ homeland. Though each episode is short, every chapter is filled with amazing detail, odd characters and a rather strange perspective on life. With Halloween just around the corner, this is a comic collection that will delight the entire family without giving anyone nightmares!

Simone: Even More Monstrous debuted in print on April 15, 2018. It is available through the Owl Kids website, Amazon or a bookseller near you!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Black Hammer Volume 1: Secret Origins

I had been hearing a lot of good things about this series Black Hammer. After some patient waiting at my local library, I was finally able to get a chance to read the first volume. Holy Cow! This Jeff Lemire property is amazing!

A group of superheroes find themselves stranded in a small town on an earth that is not their own after a confrontation with a powerful being. Imagine if Captain Marvel was stuck forever as a 10-year old child! What if Batman got old and complacent? Ponder at the thought that  Adam Strange couldn't stop being sent back and forth through time thanks to those pesky zeta beams, and consider if the Martian Manhunter was a closet homosexual. That is the crux of Black Hammer and it's one of the best super hero comics I have read in a very long time!

Writer/creator Jeff Lemire claims in the back of this collection, that Black Hammer is a love letter to the comics he read growing up. I clearly can see that. I'm usually the one pointing out how some is an homage to comics. I'm glad that a professional is doing it for me for once. 

The artwork by Dave Ormston is so much like Paul Pope's art that it's scary. Are you sure they aren't the same person? 

I've got to have volume 2. I also need the spin-off series Sherlock Frankenstein. I can't wait to know what happens next. Dark Horse has really got an masterpiece on their hands. If you are looking for a superhero book that follows certain tropes but also breaks all the rules, Black Hammer is what you have been looking for!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Prisoner #4 (2018)

After 50 years of speculation, the identity of Number 1 is finally revealed. 

An amazing end to this golden anniversary miniseries. It sets up the franchise for the next generation while pleasing a hardcore fan such as myself.

Peter Milligan did an excellent job as scribe. I would be very excited to see him do further stories about the Village and it's inhabitants. There's still tons and tons of mysteries left to be revealed! 

I just hope they pick another artist other than Colin Lorimer. His art was good but not distinctive enough. Nor does it really fit in well with The Prisoner. Please, Titan Comics, if you do another Prisoner mini, and I think you should, select Mike Allred for not just first issue variant cover detail. Have him and his amazing wife work up the entire thing from a visual perspective!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Prisoner #3 (2018)

If at first you do not succeed from escaping the Village; try, try again!

Agent Breen's latest escape attempt results in his being confined to the Village's mental institution and the uncovering of yet another dark secret.

Finally some familiar faces pop up in this 50th anniversary miniseries devoted to the British TV cult classic. Unfortunately, it's not who you'd want. But it's still a great homage and continuation of the late  Patrick McGoohan's beloved series.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Prisoner #2 (2018)

Agent Breen learns that he's not the only member of MI5 on the island. But can he manage to free the rest of his compatriots while staying clear of the ever dangerous Rover?

Just as I predicted, the story, officially titled 'The Uncertainty Machine', is getting really good. That first issue had to introduce the new characters. So it wasn't full of that pulse pounding excitement one got from watching the original Prisoner TV show. I knew the excitement was coming! I am glad I stuck it out.

And that cliffhanger. Holy Cow! Excellent job Peter Milligan, I did not see that one coming!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.