Incognegro: A Graphic Mystery

   I normally stay away from crime books. But, after reading Ed Brubaker’s Criminal books, I decided to give this book a try.

   In this historical crime fiction tale, a pale black man who can pass for white travels to the segregated South in hopes of revealing the atrocities of lynch mobs to his readers up North. In the midst of his latest investigation, the hero learns that his brother is facing a lynching after being accused of killing a white woman. But, when the girl turns up alive, our hero must figure out who the victim really was.

   A very powerful book. Very gritty. Lots of swears and racial slurs. That includes the “N” word. Along with the nudity, this probably wouldn’t pass muster in high school libraries. But, with its important message, I feel like if any kid aged 13-18 wanted to read this book, parents should at least examine it for themselves and open an important dialogue about racism and bigotry. This book would be perfect for college lit courses.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Retroactive Green Lantern The 80s #1

   This retroactive has a lost tale featuring John Stewart. It reveals why he forwent wearing a mask and a secret identity. The story was very clever and the art was classic.

   The reprint tale has Hal Jordan returning from a year-long exile in outer space. It also explains why John Stewart replaced Hal- a mystery I never understood ever since I saw Stewart’s first appearance on a magazine stand in a 1980s Rite Aid when I was not even in Kindergarten. (Yes- I’m old!) It too is a very good story and it features wonderful 1980s DC art, of which I am a huge fan.

   I only wish Guy Gardner was in this book. He’s on the cover, but nowhere to be found in it’s contents. Bummer.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham #2

   As wedding bells chime for the newlywed couple of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, things get even more deadly between their alter egos. With all of Gotham’s villains destroyed by Batman, the only thing Gotham City PD has left to do is apprehend him. Yet, in very un-Batman like fashion, a raid on Commissioner Gordon’s offices proves that this isn’t your grandpa’s Dark Knight.

    Some great plot twists and turns. It’s a pity (and probably too late) that DC never made a sequel to follow up the great shock ending. The art continues to amaze and the writing just keep getting better and better making for one heck of a closing chapter in a very awesome Elseworlds tale.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Catwoman: Guardian Of Gotham #1

    In this role reversal, Catwoman is the hero and Batman is the villain. As Catwoman solves the crimes of Gotham City, Batman is making a name for himself by killing all of the heroine’s foes- Joker, Two-Face, Riddler…nobody is safe. And Catwoman is the next target.

   This Batman also has a perchance for robbing the pants off of Gotham’s elite and when he comes across Catwoman’s secret identity during a random robbery, he decides to put off her murder temporarily, by wooing her during the day as Bruce Wayne. But just what is his up his sleeves.

    I like the role reversal thing. I also like that this isn’t like Elseworld’s Finest: Batwoman and Supergirl, where all the guy characters are now female and vice versa. The only real difference is that Catwoman= good, Batman= evil. The story is very good. The art is pristine and fits seamlessly with other Batman books of the late 90s.

   My only problem is that Catwoman’s maid is dressed as a slutty French maid all the time at Kyle Manor. Alfred never worked in Wayne Manor wearing a banana hammock! Talk about gratuitous (and unneeded for the story ) T&A.

   Besides that, this volume is Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Vol. 2

The new Spider-man keeps getting better. I know, I ranted about how young Miles Morales is. Well, the thing is that everyone seems to know whoever’s behind the mask is not old enough to drive a car. Since everyone else has this beef, I felt justified. But, it allowed me to enjoy the ride all that much better. The art is really good. I even like the covers, even though they are clearly CGI. The writing of Bendis is really what makes this book. Just like with the first Ultimate Spider-man series, he’s got me hooked again! I need volume 3 STAT! Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Retroactive Justice League Of America The 90s #1

     Giffen and DeMatteis are back! Who else but those two could be chosen to best reflect what the Justice League was all about in the 90s. 

    In this lost tale, the Injustice League winds up with some dangerous parademon tech, resulting in Big Sir getting even bigger- and looking an awful lot like a certain giant lizard from Japan.

   It’s a laugh riot, capturing the essence of the creative duo’s best work on the various Justice League titles.

   The reprinted tale that deals with J’onn J’onzz and his decision to leave the League is very good as well. Sadly, I’ve read that issue already. Bummer!

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

DC Retroactive Justice League Of America The 80s #1

 The Detriot era of the Justice League of America may be one of the least popular in the team’s epic history. But, DC decided to focus on that time period and I think it was a great idea. The Aquaman led team has major issues and in both the lost tale and the reprint, the team bickers so much that they are their own worst enemies. And that made for some compelling reading...

   I like it when the characters show they aren’t perfect. It was what made Marvel great and though it took a long time for DC to follow suit, the company’s done a great job at showing these modern day gods their human side.

   Great read!

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.