Patrick The Wolf Boy Valentine's Day Special

From 2001, the comedic genius of Art Baltazar and Franco combine to bring fans another round of hi-jinks starring Patrick the Wolf Boy. This time around involves the holiday of love- Valentine's Day!

I'm not sure why Patrick had a heyday in the earliest of early 2000s and then just seemed to go the way of the dodo. Patrick the Wolf Boy is hilarious. Most segments are only 2 pages in length. But I laughed and laughed. 

I know that Patrick is a tribute to former child actor Butch Patrick and his werewolf character of Eddie Munster. But there's also elements of Dennis the Menace with Patrick's shenanigans and Calvin and Hobbes with Patrick and his parents, babysitter crush and school chums. 

Nothing felt stale. It was creative. It was seasonal. And did I mention it was gosh-darn funny? 

This is the second holiday special starring Patrick the Wolf Boy that I own and have read. There's about a dozen more one-shots out there and I want them all! Thanks to this special, I'm adding every one of them to my wish list now!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

DC Super Pets: Comet: The Origin of Supergirl's Horse (Family Comic Friday)

This Valentine's Day, a couple of special little girls will be getting this book as a gift from my wife and me. I know that technically this isn't a comic book. But it's written by a comic book author. It's illustrated by a comic book artist. And it contains characters from your favorite DC Comics titles! So I'm counting it for Family Comic Friday. 

In this book geared for young readers under the age of 8, kids will be introduced to Supergirl's magical flying horse, Comet! This book is just one of several new paperbacks by Steve Kortae and Aw Yeah! Comics' Art Baltazar that focuses on the pets and animal sidekicks of your favorite heroes and villains including Superman, Aquaman and Green Lantern. This is the second wave of origin books from the talented duo. Books starring Krypto, Ace, The Bat-Hound and Streaky the Supercat were released in 2017. All are still in print. 

After you met all of the DC Super Pets, you can then read up on their adventures in about a dozen age appropriate adventures illustrated by Baltazar. They're written by a host of talented children's authors such as A Dog and His Girl Mysteries' Sarah Hine-Stephens.

One reason I think DC decided to release this next wave of origin books is economic. The animated DC League of Super-Pets is tentatively due in theaters this May. That all depends on COVID, of course. But with the voices of Dwayne Johnson,. Keanu Reeves and Kevin Hart, Warner Bros. is pulling out all stops for this cartoon adventure! What a brilliant way to introduce youngsters to several unfamiliar animal characters than to pre-release a number of introductory volumes featuring the stars. 

However, I am a bit confused why DC and Warner chose to release a book on the squirrel-like Green Lantern B'DG! (pronounced Badge), instead of Ch'p whom is going to be in the movie. 

The youngsters I am gifting this book too are too young to read this on their own. But I have a feeling their Dads will definitely be reading this to them. Plus, I've got to get them started on Supergirl early! If they are a fan of this, you can be sure they'll be getting the Streaky book for Christmas!

A fun read for the whole family and the perfect appetizer for this Summer's animated super pet blockbuster!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Fred & Bianca Valentine's Day Special

The cover says that this is the Fred & Bianca's Valentine's Day Massacre. However, the official title is called Fred & Bianca's Valentine's Day Special #1. If you are a collector of holiday themed comics, you might have to search for either in order to find it as different databases have it listed under either name.

If you become a fan of Fred & Bianca and you want more of their adventures, don't base a search on what it says in the top right corner. There's no such thing as a comic called 'X-Thieves'. Instead, you have to search for a comic called Aristocratic Xtraterrestrial Time-Traveling Thieves. I'm thinking publisher Comics Interview is guilty of attempting to monopolize on the popularity of X-Men with that little triangle blurb. As for me, I bought it strictly for the V-Day theme. And while love and romance is in the air with this book, the holiday is never once mentioned. 

Before going into the details of this issue, a little back story. Fred is the alien on the left who has the face of a horse, tail of a kangaroo and toes of X-Man named Nightcrawler. Bianca is on the right. She's human. Both are thieves that fly around in a ship able to change shape and size. And it's called a TARDIS! No lie, they really refer to Fred's Fredmobile as a TARDIS like in the big blue box from Doctor Who. 

Oh, and the pair are lovers.

Anyways, in this story, Fred and Bianca are working on their next heist when the pair run across one of Bianca's old flames. It's a bounty hunter who is still hung up on Bianca. Under the delusion that Fred hypnotized Bianca away from him, the merc kidnaps Bianca. He'll make Bianca fall back in love with him or die trying. That means Bianca too!

This 1989 special was entertaining. I'm just a bit miffed that there's nothing really holiday related. That's because this issue is a reprint of issue #5 of Aristocratic Xtraterrestrial Time-Traveling Thieves. There's also a Fred & Bianca Mother's Day Special. I'm a little hesitant to pursue it least its just a reprint of a matronly themed issue from the Indy series. 

Who am I kidding? If I found it for a buck, I'd be buying it. I'm that much of a sucker for holiday comics of any kind.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #54

A couple of issues ago, I talked about an 8-pager starring the Hulk. I mentioned that Hulk was green and he wasn't being referred to as Mr. Fixit. I wondered if this was a flashback. It appears that that story was indeed a flashback because the Hulk is here and he's gray once more. Whether Hulk is still a mob bouncer by the name of Fixit is unclear. That's mostly because in the opening salvo of this Wolverine team-up, Logan mostly encounters Bruce Banner as he's getting his butt kicked by a grizzly bear! Why isn't he hulking up? I think we'll have to wait to the next issue to find out!

The Stingray story in which Tiger Shark is his brother in-law is fantastic. I'm eager to see where this is going!

Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night, begins a 6-part story. His wolf form is growing ever more fierce. Every full moon, Jack is chaining himself in a cloistered area. However, there's been a number of slayings that look like the result of a wolf. Is Jack losing control to the point that he's escaping, killing and then re-chaining himself to a concrete wall? It doesn't seem possible. But the evidence of a werewolf killer is pretty damning. 

In the one shot story, the secret Kali-loving hero, the Shroud encounters a dangerous young girl. With her ability to project intense light, this woman is the antithesis of the Shroud and she's sworn to revenge her family by killing any and all followers of the god Kali! That means Shroud has a giant target on his back!

All 4 segments were very good. Wolverine is better when he's not so arrogant. Stingray deserved his own series, as long as if it was penned by the legendary Len Wein (Swamp Thing). I'm intrigued by the mystery at the center of the Werewolf by Night story. And I really enjoyed the Shroud story. 

I was completely surprised by that because from encounters within the pages of Super-Villain Team-Up and Spider-Woman, I loathed this character. But with a much better framework story explaining his whole hero posing as a crime lord shtick and Batman-like compassion, I had a much favorable view of Shroud. It doesn't mean I'm going run out and buy a full run of Shroud appearances. But I don't dislike the character anymore- for now!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #53

I've really not been a fan of the Billy Mumy/Miguel Ferrer Comet Man story. Maybe the domestic violence storyline that runs through the plot hits too close to home. Maybe it's just not that good. Well, I can't dog on the finale. There's a satisfying but eerie twist that was thrilling, unforgettable and unsettling. 

The B-lister aqua-hero Stingray debuts in this book with the opening chapter of a 4-parter. I did not know that the character had ties to the Sub-Mariner arch-villain, Tiger Shark. They're brother-in-laws! It's definitely got promise!

There's also a one-and-done starring Black Widow and Silver Sable. The two femme fatales battle it out on the Eiffel Tower in order to lay claim to a former Nazi war criminal. Widow's working for SHIELD. Sable is working in the employ for some other international law enforcement agent. A flip of the could decide who claims the prize.

Plus, Wolverine attempt to reform his fallen protege Wild Child comes to an end. The ending is far from unexpected. But I did not expect to be such a fan of it. 

4 superb segments in an anthology series that has had more misses than hits.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #52

Rick Jones and the Incredible Hulk appear in this issue. Just not together. 

Former Hulk sidekick Rick Jones is in the Caribbean taking a much needed break from the rigors of being a touring rock star. When the landlord of his motel is accosted by a gang of brutes wearing animal masks, Jones uses his experience as a former sidekick to Captain America to bring about some vigilante justice.

The Hulk story must be a flashback. In recent issues, he's been going as the gun metal gray Mr. Fixit. Now Hulkster is green again. Maybe Marvel had a special on green ink as the alien race of telepathic pranksters are also green.

The Wolverine/ Wild Child story is actually really good. It's refreshing to see Logan being compassionate and a little vulnerable for a chance. The Comet Man story continues to be trash. I just can't get into this domestic abuse multi-parter.

Once again 3 out of 4 stories are very well executed. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

Marvel Comics Presents #51

The newest Wolverine led story has Logan facing his demons from his days in Alpha Flight. His former Omega Flight apprentice Wild Child has resurfaced after years of being believed long dead. Seeking another chance, Wolverine will pull out all stops to save the floundering mutant. 

Iron Man rejects a UN cease and desist order to conduct a one-man rescue mission for a close person friend being held captive by a Communist Asian nation. Though never mentioned by name, the country is either China, North Korea or Vietnam. My money is on China, with North Korea a distant second. Regardless, Marvel refused to name names least they be boycotted! 

And that infuriates me when companies like Marvel will turn a blind eye to the Chinese government's atrocities all for the sake of profits!

Then the French solider of fortune, Le Perigrine is recruited by the US Navy to help free a vessel from terrorists. I'm wonder if Tom Clancy wrote this one because it's got a military cover-up almost as big as the Red October!

A pleasing trio of stories to balance out the really lame Comet Man story. The only thing about this story that impresses me is that Billy Mumy and Miguel Ferrer wrote this story. Most people remember Mumy from Lost in Space. But I did not know that Robocop's Miguel Ferrer wrote comic books! Now I know why he didn't very many comics...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.