Marvel Comics Presents #60

A pair of Marvel ladies have stories that begin in this issue. One character, I am very familiar with. With the other, this is my first ever encounter with the character.

Let's start with the character I feel like I know like the back of my hand- Scarlet Witch. The mutant sorceress has gone to college. Not to get a degree but to do research on occult studies with some ancient tomes at the college library. A noted arcane arts history professor wines and dines Wanda who starts to feel a little funny during her meal. After a brief slip from consciousness, the Avengers wakes up trapped in the past and facing persecution as a witch!

The next story involves a woman who goes by the name Poison. Originally appearing in the pages of Web of Spider-Man, Poison has super-strength abilities thanks to bonding with an alien entity. She can also kill with a glance; disfiguring them in the process. She also has a pretty provocative outfit for early 90s Comics Code approved comic. I think only Typhoid Mary is more, uh, alluring...

This story doesn't seem to have a set direction yet. I feel like this introductory chapter is a chance to set-up the players. There's Poison. Her son who doesn't understand why mom goes out at night. The next door neighbor who watches the son and thinks mom has gone whoring. And then there is the Mop Man. 

He's a homeless man who carries a mop. Obviously. And he might be schizophrenic. That's not quite certain. But someone definitely tried to kill him. Though what Mop Man has to do with Poison isn't clear- yet. I guess we'll find out next issue.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #59

 It's Hulk Vs. Wolverine Vs. Wolverine. 

The cover with the original X-Men in the background might reveal who this doppelganger is. I'll try not to ruin it just in case you wanna read this issue. Keep in mind, this is a 30 year+ issue. But maybe it's still too soon to spoil it!

The Werewolf by Night story along with the Namor adventure end in this issue. Both were great. I wish the Sub-Mariner tale was longer. It just had this great banter between the ruler of Atlantis and Sandra Rain, a documentary filmmaker with a quick wit and even sharper tongue. 

Finishing out the offerings in this issue is an 8-pager starring the Punisher. A youth is torn between the anti-hero and an arms dealer. A very powerful story with a message. It's classic Marvel storytelling at it's finest. 

4 very good segments.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #23 (2022 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

From 1979-1986, kids got a real treat everytime they went to the supermarket: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest and it's shorter lived sister series DC Blue Ribbon Digest. For only $.95 ($1.25 for the longer 'Best Of' books), kiddos hot 100 pages of your favorite superheroes and comedic characters. 

Each issue had a specific theme. There was Superman Vs. Luthor. The Years Best Team Stories. Binky's Summer Fun. Batman's Villains. There were even a couple of holiday editions too! 

Sure, the books were released in digest form. Sure, the original source material wasn't designed for digest form so things didn't quite look right. Sure, the lettered dialogue was like a font size 2. But the covers rocked and if you annoyed mom and dad long enough in the checkout line, you were guaranteed a copy or two.

The Best of 1981 issue of the series featured 10 tales from DC's vast line of titles. The overall winner was from Detective Comics #500. 'To Kill A Legend' sees Batman and Robin gifted a chance from the Phantom Stranger to save a Wayne family on another Earth from the gun of Joe Chill! It's an Alan Brennert, Dick Giordano and Adrienne Roy instant classic!

The other 9 stories: 

Sivana's Nobel- Dr. Sivana's reputation as an evil mad scientist is at risk when Captain Marvel nominates the fiend for a Nobel Peace Prize, based on the fiend's 'failed' experiments that end up benefiting humanity.

The Dummy- Sgt. Rock's Easy Company have just lost their BAR man. Their new recruit ends up being a real dummy. Literally!

A Day In The Lives- Witness a typical day in the lives of the New Teen Titans. Changeling has to save his dad's company. Cyborg meets some special fellas who totally relate to him. Kid Flash enjoys dinner with the fam. And Raven takes on a demonic power. 

Piper at the Gates of Hell- A House of Mystery yarn about a small town that participates in a hellish rite in return for it's societal panacea. 

The Haunting- After his wife and son leave him, Jonah Hex goes on a binder that brings up ghosts from his past.

The Triumph- Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps take on a pair of foes that will one day usher in a CRISIS and a BLACKEST NIGHT.

Whatever Happened to the Crimson Avenger?- Len Wein, Alex Saviuk and Dennis Jensen answer that question.

The Pursuit of Joy- A segment from the short-lived but powerful 'Tales of Gotham City' series. A virtuoso and a struggling violinist are destined to meet on the streets of Batman's home turf.

The Dying Day of Lois and Lana- Superman struggles to find the cure to a plague that has Lois Lang and Lana Lang's hours numbered. It's the same virus that killed Ma and Pa Kent! So for the Man of Steel, this is personal!

I didn't feel that this was a perfect collection of stories. The Sgt. Rock adventure was rather odd. I can't believe that Rock would be tolerant of a rookie that carries a ventriloquist dummy with him everywhere. But he does! If it was Nick Fury, the kid would have his butt chewed out and the dummy in pieces. 

Personal tastes aside, this was a wonderful anthology issue based on the top tales of 1981. Even at 44 years old, I jump for joy when I find one of these beauties for a good price. Sure, I need a magnifying glass now to read them. But there's such a wave of nostalgia that comes over this madman when I hold one of this tiny beauties in my hand. The smell of the newsprint. The feel of the smooth cover and rough paper. I loved it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #36 (Issue from an Anthology Series) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

 

Marvel Comics Presents #58

The mystery behind the alternate Wolverine is finally revealed. It's a satisfying reveal and it's a blast from the past!

The Werewolf by Night story is getting even more crazier by the minute. We've got an immoral clan of lycantropes with a thing for hedonism on one side. Then we've got a religious nut who thinks all werewolves are instruments of Satan. Poor Jack Russel is caught in the middle with 2 targets on his back. 

I really love the Namor story. The banter between him and Sandra Rains, the director of the underwater documentary crew, is epic. It ranks up there with Sam & Diane, Maddie & David, Kate Hepburn & Cary Grant. Yes- I am implying that there's a little sexual tension here.

The Iron Man one-shot tale is the weakest of the bunch. It's yet another story of somebody stealing Tony Stark's tech. I'm getting kinda tired of that old tale. It's not like other characters in comicdom don't have the same repeated plot. But when it comes to Batman and the Joker, Captain America and the Red Skull, The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, there's a thread of originality running through. Not when it comes to somebody trying to become an armored warrior by robbing Tony Stark. The only thing that changes is the serial number of the suit being targeted.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #57

A new wrinkle into the Wolverine/Hulk story. Logan seemingly died. And now Hulk is being attacked by said dead Wolverine. 

Nothing really memorable for this issue's offering from the Werewolf by Night story. 

A new multi-parter starring Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner. A documentary filmmaking team is attacked by unknown terrors of the deep. While Namor doesn't really approve of humans mucking around it his domain, he's also not going to stand for wanton killing of anyone under the waves either.

Lastly, the one-and-done story focuses on Alicia Hardy- the Black Cat. Can't really say much about the story itself. But I did like the surprise ending. Okay, maybe not a surprise in the sense of like a clown jumping out of a cake instead of a sultry dancer. More like a suspenseful 'oh, damn', moment like when all the pieces of a puzzle come together to reveal who Kaiser Soze real it.  

Not really a standout issue in the series. But not a stinker either.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #56

The Stingray story, written by Len Wein, ends on such a high note. If I could go back in time, I'd do everything in my power to convince Marvel to do a series based on Stingray written by Len Wein! It's so freakin' good! 

Speedball appears in the one-and-done story. It's illustrated by a legend as well. Steve Ditko! Ditko! DITKO!! Written by Mary Jo Duffy, this story has Speedball going up against a gang of men in masks based on the number of pips on a die! Really great story. I've got half a mind to add the early issues of Speedball to my wish list. If the team who did this story is the same on the series, I may very well might. 

The Wolverine/Hulk story adds as clone at the same time as killing off on of the two heavyweights.

The Jack Russell story is so freakin' bloody. If DC published this, it would be a Vertigo level publication. Definitely not for the kiddies!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Powers in Action (Family Comic Friday)

Hiya Folks- I've been cleaning out my Google Docs and I found this unpublished classic review from when I was a writer for Outrightgeekery.com. Other than grammar, I've not made any updates to when I wrote this in 2019.

Enjoy!