Despicable Deadpool, Volume 2: Bucket List

I really don't like this angrier, grittier Deadpool. Yeah, he made the big mistake of following the Nazi Steve Rogers. But, he sorta was a double agent. He never really sold out any of the mutants Rogers was trying to exterminate. Plus, Wade was trying to protect his little girl who was half-mutant.

The Merc with a Mouth is mad. He wants revenge! I get it! But I prefer the more light-hearted, goofier Deadpool. When I read Deadpool, I want a laugh or two. I don't expect Punisher's War Journal.

There's some great moments. And I get an occasional chuckle. Thankfully, Gerry Duggan is still writing Deadpool. Otherwise, I think this EMO Wade Wilson would be completely unreadable.

The artwork by Mateo Lolli is also very well done. It's another plus to an otherwise not enjoyable series from the House of Ideas.

When Marvel announced that Deadpool was going bad again, I had my reservations. Turns out, I am completely justified. This just isn't my favorite version of Deadpool.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

The Joker/Daffy Duck Special #1

The Joker/Daffy Duck Special rounds out my completion of DC/Looney Tunes Wave 2. This one was the one I least expected to enjoy (though I really loved the variant cover and used it as my FB avatar for a while.) Yet, I was for the most part pleasantly surprised.

The art was probably my least favorite aspect of this special. Norm Rapmund and Brett Booth's artwork was quite frenzied and for a Joker adventure, that works very well. but Daffy looks freaky. I know that ducks have these little parts on their bill that are referred to as teeth. Yet, seeing Daffy with a full mouth full of pearly whites is just unsettling.

The story itself was very well written. Daffy treks to Gotham City to see why the Acme Company hasn't filled his latest order of gags. Turns out that Acme has been closed for years and is now the hideout of the Joker!

Normally the Clown Prince of Crime would just off anyone who trespasses on his turf. But Daffy manages to talk his way into becoming the villain's new capo. It's merely a ruse to buy himself some time to escape. but Daffy actually turns out to be pretty good at his job.

I didn't like the ending. I didn't really think it was all that fair towards poor Daffy. But overall, the opening story was entertaining.

I wish I could tell you about the back-up feature. But it was really forgettable. Done in the Looney Tunes style, I cannot for the life of me remember if the Joker or Daffy are even in this Joey Cavaleri penned tale.

Wait a minute!!! I seem to recall Daffy posing as a psychologist at Arkham and he's analyzing the Joker... Still, it's a little cloudy. But if it's not that memorable, it must not have been all that great.

Wow. what a way to end a special. This one's going to be tough to rate. Unfortunately, the back-up tale is going to weigh this book down. But I still recommend this to fans of DC and Merry Melodies because the first story was pretty decent for the most part.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Harley Quinn/Gossamer Special #1

Gossamer- that fuzzy orange monster that always grabs Bugs Bunny and says that he’s gonna ‘hug him, squeeze hi, and call him George.’ That’s the Looney Tunes character that is starring in the DC/Looney Tunes crossover with the Joker’s EX-Girlfriend Harley Quinn. Most people recognize Gossamer but don’t remember his name. That’s kinda how I felt when I read that Harley was pairing up with Gossamer. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out who this Mortimer was. But once I saw the cover, I was like ‘so that’s his name.’

The story takes place right after a hurricane is bearing down on Harley’s home turf of Cooney Island. In hopes of accessing the damage, Harley Quinn stumbles across a crate that had washed ashore and immediately calls dibs! Inside the crate Gossamer and he’s hungry. Just as the monster about to eat every hot dog on Coney Island, a massive robot attacks Harley and her new friend.

Just who’s behind this attack? Well, the answer to that question isn’t that hard. There’s big giant smiley face painted on the robot! Harley and Gossamer do NOT like being shot at. Boy, o-boy is Mistah J gonna get it!

You know they saying ‘how can I miss you if you won’t go away?’ That is how I felt about this opening yarn. A big deal was made of both Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner leaving Harley Quinn after such a lengthy title run. Yet, they’re both back only like 2-3 months after their retirement. I know that DC wanted me to be in awe of their return in this special. But the husband and wife team weren’t gone long enough to feel like I needed to welcome them back. Harley’s co-creator Paul Dini has been away long enough from his creation that any time he returns to do a story about The Maid of Mischief, it feels fresh, edgy, and new. Why didn’t DC have him do the opening story?

The second story was done in the Looney Tunes style. It’s an almost exact clone of the Merry Melodies cartoon Hair-Raising Hare. In that 1946 cartoon, Bugs Bunny is lured to Gossamer’s master’s evil lair and hi-jinx ensues. Replace Bugs will Harley, add a little bit of her psychological background and you’ve got this insane romp.

I was excited about a Harley Quinn special. But I just don’t recognize this Harley very well- YET. I’m a classic Harley, in the classic suit kind of guy. Why I was even a little stunned at the sexual banter between Harley and Poison Ivy. I had heard of such a relationship between the two but never personally witnessed it until in this comic. Not being anti-same sex relationship here. No, it’s just that the rumor became fact and I didn’t expect it in this book.

These crossovers are rated Teen. But you know that a lot of parents are going to share these with their kids. If you think about it, this story is the first time Looney Tunes addresses homosexuality and gender without making a joke out of it as they had for decades. Don’t believe me? Watch any Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd cartoon made before 1980. At some point, Bugs will dress up as a woman, seduce Elmer, and then make fun of the hapless hunter for kissing a guy!

An interesting read with hints of humor that at the bottom of it. More probably if you know who these supporting characters of Harley’s are. This issue will make you have to have a dialogue about Harley’s life and loves. Especially if read with younger readers. I didn’t know Looney Tunes was so edgy. I guess when you take away the smoking guns and carrots, you’ve got to tackle heavier stuff…

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek Vs. Transformers #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Today’s Family Comic Friday selection brings together two beloved cartoons from my childhood. Welcome to Star Trek Vs. Transformers!

Star Trek Vs. Transformers #1
Written by John Barber
Art by Mike Johnson
Published by IDW Publishing

From 1973-1974, the crew of the USS Enterprise concluded it’s five year mission in animated form. Along with Kirk, Spock and McCoy, this 30-minute series featured a three-armed and legged creature named Arak and a cat person named M’Press as part of the Enterprise crew. Though I wasn’t born yet, I grew up watching the acclaimed Saturday morning cartoon in rerun on Nickelodeon in the early-to-mid 1980s.

At the time Star Trek: The Animated Series was being aired in syndication, a new dynamic series was being aired new to young American audiences- Transformers. This series saw the friendly Autobots fighting the deadly Decepticons on planet Earth during the Me Generation 80s. Never in all the years of watching both franchises did I ever think I would get to witness these two cartoons ever crossing paths until now thanks to this fantastically retro comic book from IDW Publishing.

The story opens with the Enterprise receiving a distress call from Cygnus Seven. The planet, which orbits extremely close to Klingon territory, is also home to a dilithium mine. Kirk and his crew are asked to help the miners from a Klingon attack on the colony.

When Kirk beams down to Cygnus Seven, the captain finds the camp not attacked by Klingons but unmanned vehicles from Earth’s past. Suddenly, a fiery red and blue tractor trailer appears on the scene. Just whose side is it on?

Using their phasers, the away team defend themselves and they incapacitate the driverless truck. But when Kirk and his team go to inspect the vehicle, Mr. Spock discovers that there is more than meets the eye with this piece of ancient earth machinery.

OMG! This was such a great opening chapter. Generally with a team-up, the two parties never officially meet until the very last page of the first issue! Not here- instead Federation representatives and Transformers are facing off with each other by page two of this story! And don’t worry- those dastardly Klingons are lurking around here too!

I’m not sure why the Transformers from 1984 are now present at Stardate: 5892.7. But that’s okay as that is a part of the adventure and mystery that I have to look forward to in this four-issue miniseries. In fact, I’m actually glad that IDW decided not to go the route of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and have the Enterprise crew going back in time to the 80s again!

John Barber and the artist Mike Johnson have captured the spirits of both classic kids cartoons so very well in this book! I can hear the voices of all of the original actors in this first issue clear as day. Plus, I love how Johnson draws the book to look like it was a cartoon and not a comic.

There’s plenty of temptation to draw the characters in such fluid ways in this action filled opener. But that’s not how these characters were animated originally. When Kirk rescues a crew member from being zapped by a laser, he looks like an old action figure being thrown by an angry toddler. That’s not poor illustrating. That’s a master craftsman staying true to the original source material; something that is rarely seen in today’s comics.

With exception of one minor swear by Doctor McCoy, this was a great read for kids aged 6 and up. If you love Star Trek and they love Transformers; this is the book you have been praying for to share with the young readers in your life! IDW has a nostalgic hit on their hands! Excellent work! I felt like I was watching a lost episode of two of my favorite cartoons from long ago!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Trek Vs. Transformers #1 debuted in stores and digital platforms on Wednesday, September 25, 2018.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.

Spider-Man/Deadpool, Volume 0: Don't Call It a Team-Up

Whatever you do, don't call this volume a team-up book!

Published in 2016, this Marvel trade was released in anticipation of the Deadpool/Spider-Man series. This book collected the earliest stories to feature Deadpool making life hell for Spidey. Again, not a treasury of team-ups but it is a bunch of crazy crossovers.

My favorite story has the Merc with a Mouth and his geriatric pal Al traveling back in time to Peter Parker's high school days. In this adventure Deadpool and Al interact with Peter's friends and foes a la Forrest Gump in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #47- originally published way back in the swinging 60s!

Another great story in this edition is from the pages of Superior Spider-Man. During this time, Doctor Octopus had taken over Peter Parker's body. So when Wade crosses paths with this grittier web slinger, the mutant soldier of Fortune knows that something isn't right. Featuring a Donald Trump-like villain years before he was a political entity, it's an interesting look at Marvel's dislike of The Donald.

I loved every story in this collection. It was a fun read that had me laughing a lot! If you live near an Ollie's you might still be able to find a copy for a fraction of the original cover price!

A must for fans of Spider-Man, Deadpool and the insane characters of the Marvel Universe.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Catwoman/Tweety & Sylvester Special #1

In this DC/Looney Tunes crossover, the witches of the two franchises are having their Witches Conclave. During this gathering, a bet is made as to who would ultimately win if given the chance to fight to the death- the Tweety Bird or the Puddy Tat? But even when both are given the chance to finally off the other, the two enemies never can seem to finalize on their opportunities.

In order to accomplish this feat, once and for all, both Tweety and Sylvester are granted champions who will do the deed in their place. For Sylvester, he's paired with Selena Kyle- the Catwoman. For Tweety, he's teamed with Dinah Lance- the Black Canary. Though both heroines don't really want to participate in this blood feud, they are compelled. For you see, if Tweety dies, then birds of all sorts will died with him. That includes bird themed superheroes. The same happens for Sylvester. If he used up all nine of his lives, it's night-night forever for Selena too!

Though I had to read the first 3 pages about 10 times to understand the mumbo-jumbo of those in the Witches Conclave, I liked this book. There's tons of surprises in this special. Gail Simone and Inaki Miranda pulled out all the stops in this one!

I also enjoyed the Looney Tunes style back feature. It has both Sylvester and Catwoman trying to break into Granny's apartment. The Puddy Tat wants Tweety of course. The cat burglar wants some of Granny's ice, as in diamonds. It was a laugh out loud adventure that I would love to see done as an actual animated short.

The DC/Looney Tunes crossovers are always great fun and this one is no exception. Too bad the DC/Hanna Barbera pairings aren't as fun. Maybe it's because they try to reinvent the wheel that are the HB properties whereas these specials capture some of the original heart of the Looney Tunes gang.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Casper's Ghostland #1/100 (Family Comic Friday)

Casper the Friendly Ghost and his friends Spooky, Hot Stuff, and Wendy, The Good Little Witch are back in Casper’s Ghostland #1/100. How can a comic book have 2 numbers, you ask? It’s a question we look to answer in this week’s Family Comic Friday.

Casper’s Ghostland #1/100

Written by Mike Wolfer, Pat Shand
Art by Eric Shanower
Publisher by American Mythology.

American Mythology has issued a new Casper’s Ghostland special just in time for Halloween. The comic features two all-new stories. In the first, Casper goes to visit his buddy Hot Stuff, the Little Devil. On his way, The Friendly Ghost meets a number of forest creatures who have some rather salty ways of talking. Thankfully, Hot Stuff has learned his lesson about cursing. So just who is behind this wave of foul language? Then in the second adventure, Casper plays relationship therapist to his buddy Spooky who has just broken up with his girlfriend Poirl. 

I really thought that the first tale, ‘From Bad to Curse’, was delightful. Seeing cute little forest animals curse was worth a chuckle or two. Don’t worry parents! The cuss words were replaced with symbols. But this yarn would make for an interesting episode in your home if read out loud during a child’s storytime.

‘Blow Off Some Steam’, the second story in this book, wasn’t as enjoyable. I’ve never really been a fan of Spooky. He’s rather gauche and annoying as he loves to play obnoxious haunts on folks. But Spooky actually has some great moments in a couple of the shorts reprinted from Casper’s Ghostland’s of long ago. 

From  1958-1979, Casper’s Ghostland ran for 98 issues under the publication of Harvey Comics. In the 90s, a 99th issue was published as a one-shot special. About a year or two ago, American Mythology obtained the rights to the entire Harvey Comics library. Thus, this first issue of Casper’s Ghostland is also the 100th issue. 

The numbering of comic books can be a tricky thing for even the most experienced of collectors. For newbies to the hobby, it can be downright confusing. Generally when a series ends, that's it for the numbering. Then a second volume is debuted sometime down the road and the numbers start again at #1. But that's not always the case.

Take Marvel's Fantastic Four. On at least two occasions, the publisher reverted the numbering of the titles back to that of the original numbering of volume one that started all the way back in 1963. Now going into volume 4, Fantastic Four’s numbering has rolled back to number #1--- for now.  

Currently DC has done this tactic as well in order to officially issue anniversary books of Action Comics and Detective Comics. These big deal issues usually means big money. Yet, it’s not always the big numbered issue that win over collectors. Releasing a fan-favorite title renumbered at #1 is another selling point that can result in huge sales,

To reinvigorate a title, publishers will cancel a title and reboot it with a new first issue. Marvel has been really guilty of this, running series for a very short time before cancelling it and quickly turning around with another same-titled issue with a few short weeks. I think Deadpool is currently at volume 9 thanks to this practice.

DC Comics is no better when it comes to similar practices. In fact, I would say that they are worse. For example, their series based on Cartoon Network's original Teen Titans cartoon was published as Teen Titans Go! When the Network rebooted the series into a more sillier format, producers titled the show Teen Titans Go! Those who were devoted to the original Teen Titans toon often tend to hate the new, goofier show. Thus fans trying to find copies of the original series sometimes will accidentally buy the new show’s back issues because of the same title snafu.

 In cases like this, it's okay to ask a vendor if you can remove the desired issue from the protective plastic in order to determine if this is the issue you are looking for. But make sure to ask first! When it comes to purchasing online, you’ll have to do your research!!! There's tons of wiki sites that can help with your comic book search and avoid buying the right numbered issue from the wrong volume.

Hopefully, this little tutorial on numbering comics will help the younger reader in your life start their comic book collection. Remember that while there’s a trick in finding the issue’s to fill your collection, there’s no wrong way in order to catalog them. Some fans group their collections by the main character while others go ABC. As long as the collector can find their books when they want them, that really all that counts.

As for Casper’s Ghostland #1/100, I enjoyed it. Upon researching this title, I discovered that at least 2 issues of the original Harvey Comics run were Christmas issues. So, I’ll be on the hunt for them. 

This special release is great for reader’s of all-ages. It’s got ghosts, devils and witches; but done in the classic Harvey style, they’re family friendly. I only wish that this book had been released a little closer to Halloween, especially since Casper’s Ghostland #1/100 was meant to act as a holiday special.

Casper’s Ghostland was released in the print medium on September 5th, 2018. Issues can still be found at a local comic shop near you. Or you can order direct from the publisher at this link here.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.