Blue Devil #7

Danny has made it back to Tinsel Town!

Having fought death so many times, the Blue Devil takes a leap of faith as asks his long-time crush, Sharon, out for a date. With the film crew pitching in with favors galore, this first date should be one to remember. And it will; thanks to the appearance of The Trickster! 

James Jesse is being targeted by an all-new villain. And based on previous history between Trickster and Blue Devil, the Flash Rogue needs the help of Dan Cassidy!

Previous history??? Apparently, the first appearance of Blue Devil happens not in Blue Devil #1 but in the pages of Fury of Firestorm #24! Good thing I have that issue in my collection or I will be majorly pissed. 

I guess I am off to dig that book out of my bins before moving on to issue #8.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #6

After the supernatural events with Zatanna in Mexico, Dan Cassidy is ready for the normalcy of Hollywood. But first, he makes a detour in Las Vegas. But it's not for pleasure. 

Along his travels, Cassidy runs into a pair of aliens who are being hunted by some mighty indestructible robots. It's a massive comedy of errors and a direct return to the charm that made me fall in love with the series.

The mid-1980s line of new DC heroes was very hit-and-miss. Blue Devil ranks up there with Blue Beetle and Booster Gold as some of the best. I guess there really was a pot of gold on the other side of DC's rainbow!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #5

 

Go to Hell, Blue Devil!

That's literally what Dan Cassidy does when he recruits Justice Leaguer, Zatanna to help him finally be freed from his rubber suit imprisonment. All Dan has to do is waltz into Hades, ask the demon who zapped him for help and he'll be released. 

If only Dan's ego wouldn't get in the way...

Sorceress Zatanna, who opened the breach between earth and the realm of the underworld, is on point. She'll stay on this side of the portal to prevent any little minions from crossing over. And it that doesn't work, then there's always the Mexican army to save the day!

Lots of action and adventure. While the Blue Devil series is a supernatural based one. It's not overt as say a Hellblazer or Son of Satan series. I'm perfectly fine with this as I like horror and the macabre. But I have very little to do with demons and such. Yes, they're in this book. But I don't feel like they're going to jump off the page at me or something. Those kind of books, I can do without. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #4

Dan Cassidy seeks to be freed from the Blue Devil suit by teaming up with the mighty Zatanna.  But in order to be freed, Cassidy will have to ask the demon who imprisoned him. And he'll have to ask nicely. Does our reluctant have what it takes to face Nebiros once more without letting the past difficulties get in the way?

We got a brief visit from the Elongated Man. I really wish their was more of him in this story. Ralph Dibny isn't my favorite superhero or anything like that. But he (and wife Sue) were the heart and soul of the DC Universe and any chance to return to that pure presence gets me right in the feels. 

Dan and Zatanna make a great team and I wouldn't mind seeing more of them together. Also, I know that won't be the case. But they have great chemistry.

A very good chapter in the Blue Devil saga that succeeds in the chemistry department as opposed to the direct supernatural elements. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Kaijumax Season Two

Xander Cannon did it again! He crafts this tale of no hold's barred crime and punishment. Full of sinners and very little saints. Cannon illustrates a world in which characters who despite winning my heart wind up as worm food or worse! All the while, the giant monster/prisoner drama breaks my heart and makes me terribly uncomfortable. And yet when the ride is all over- I'm ready for more!

That's how it is with the second season of Kaijumax! An escaped prisoner (about 40 stories tall) defies the odds in order to reunite with his children! A rookie cop (about 40 stories tall) learns what it means to lose a partner and how to break in a new one! A prodigal son (also about 40 stories tall) must make amends with the passing of the estranged father!

While Season Two does carry over several story lines from the previous series, there's all sorts of new characters and angles that are added to the mix. Secrets are revealed. Debts are paid. And yet with everything going on, I would have to say most of the characters, as well as 90% of the island of kaiju prisoners from Season One are largely forgotten. 

Xander Cannon does promise at the end of this book that Season Three will bring it's focus back to the prison. I'm so looking forward to that. Unfortunately, I'm not sure when I will be able to make another visiting day at Kaijumax anytime soon. The pandemic has limited my resources. My library, which has volumes 3-5, is on delivery only and there's a 2-3 week waiting period for check-outs. But man, am I itching for another hit of this comic series that is a cross from HBO's Oz and the Godzilla films!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #3

Superman villain Metallo is revealed to be behind the attack on Blue Devil's brownstone. (Plus the robberies at STAR Labs.) True, Cassidy's domicile was collateral damage. But Metallo was the culprit. 

Blue Devil finds himself once again playing the reluctant hero. But in the end, Blue Devil will earn high praise from the mightiest hero of Metropolis- Superman!

The relationship between Superman and Blue Devil is so classic. I wonder why we never saw much transpire between the two. Blue Devil would have made a great entry to the Superman Family. But he gets relegated to the supernatural side of the DC Universe what with Blue Devil becoming a member of Shadowpact. 

I think the similarities between how Superman and Dan Cassidy interact was too similar to that of one of my all-time favorite DC characters, Firestorm. It's the Man of Steel who takes on an early mentor role to Firestorm, up to and including backing the Nuclear Man's acceptance into the Justice League. 

I'm sure the complete reboot of the Superman mythos after CRISIS will have something to do with Blue Devil leaving Metropolis life behind. 

A very funny story with two excellent henchmen of Metallo's who are completely inept! Here's hoping that we'll see more of them in the future.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Big Book of Thugs

This entry in 'The Big Book Of' series focuses on many of the lesser known gangs of primarily American history. But first, this book starts with an account of the origin of the word THUG from the history of the thuggees, a murderous cult from India. 

Journalist Joel Rose looks at gangs from all eras of American history. From it's colonial era days that in ways ignites the spark of American Independence through the old West to the gang wars of New York City. We see glimpses of Mafia's origins in Chicago, L.A. and Las Vegas. Lastly, we see how even the political parties of the United States used corruption, racism and patriotism to become some of the most vicious gangs in American history. 

This wasn't my favorite entry in the series. But I did enjoy it. I think the Big Books are best when they deal with the strange and macabre. There are some characters in this book. And they are the ones I liked best. The lengthy account of the Warren G. Harding administration was rather good too!

Once again, some of the industries most legendary artists join together to bring fans of history, crime and graphic novels an eclectic look at the darker sides of America. The Big Book of Thugs may not be pretty with it's lynchings, riots and killing. But it's a visually stunning book!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.