The battle between the Republic and the Separatists continues in this exciting new series based on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Learn more about it in this week's Family Comic Friday
Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars Battle Tales #1
Written by Michael Moreci
Art by Derek Charm, Arianna Florean
Published by IDW Publishing
Retail: 3.99
Disney+ has blown all of our minds with it's amazing seventh and final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. But that doesn't mean that the action has to stop. IDW Publishing is bringing fans another dose of intergalactic action in the new miniseries, Stars Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars Battle Tales.
Battle Tales is told from the perspective of the clones. In particular, Commander Cody and Captain Rex, who in this first issue explain to some new recruits that despite how brash and impulsive Anakin Skywalker can be, the Jedi will never leave a man behind.
My favorite aspect of this issue is the artwork. Derek Charm has grown to become the definitive Star Wars comic book artist. His work on the original Star Wars Adventures series (from IDW. Not to be confused with Dark Horse's series in the 2000s) as well as the Halloween spin-offs, Tales From Vader's Castle is light years ahead of some of the talent on Marvel's Star Wars books. Plus, I really liked the polished artwork of Arianna Florean. The Doctor Who illustrator's work depicts the flashback sequence that Cody and Rex narrate. Florian's work gives that part of the tale a youthful, antiquated look and it blends very well with Derek Charm's sections of this book.
Fans will need to realize that Battle Tales is experiencing some delays. Thanks to the COVID pandemic, the book has had to move from weekly to monthly. At the end of the first issue, it is promised that issue #2 was supposed to drop in stores this week. But it's been moved to June 10th. So, be patient. I know it's killing you to have to wait after 2 months with no comics. But I promise you, a series like this is all worth it.
Great fun for a the whole family. If the young reader in your life is a Star Wars fan already, then you and them will love this all-ages series!
Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars Battle Tales #1 debuted in print and digital formats on Wednesday May 20, 2020.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
Featuring three hilarious comics based on Fox Kids cartoons from 1997.
The first two stories are based on the shows Bobby's World and Life with Louie.
Bobby's World was based on the stand-up comedy of Howie Mandel. Life with Louie was based on the stand-up comedy of Louie Anderson. Both cartoons were really funny but if I had to choose between the two, I'm picking Bobby's World every time. The Howie Mandel cartoon was more imaginative as Bobby often got lost in his day dreams. Life with Louie was a tiny bit more sophisticated being based more on Anderson's life experiences. But Louie was also kinda of a jerk.
But the reason I bought this very much beat up digest was for the cover story featuring my favorite lunatic, The Tick. It's a sequel to the classic Neil the Dinosaur episode.
It seems that Arthur's brother-in-law is growing in size once again. When the Tick and Arthur get eaten by Neil, the duo discover a community has formed in Neil's digestive tract of the people and buildings the fiend has been snacking on.
Featuring an all-star line-up of Dwayne McDuffie, Brandon Kruse, Mike DeCarlo and Michael Duggan! The Tick story was very, very funny and makes me wish that Boomerang or some other cable channel would show reruns of that amazing Tick cartoon show again!
I loved this digest. But I feel bad for the kid in 1997 who bought this book. There's a page telling kids to subscribe to the Fox Kids Funhouse inside. But upon some extensive research, I've learned that this series was cancelled after only 2 issues. Some of that has to do with the comic book bubble bust. But some has to do with the publisher itself, Acclaim.
Yes, who knew that the video game manufacturer made comic books? Well, it wasn't a very long experiment because Acclaim shuttered it's publishing house shortly as 1997 was right when the company started having major money issues before going defunct altogether in 2004. Regardless, based on how much trouble Acclaim had in paying it's debts, I wonder how many kids who subscribed to this broken promise never got a refund...
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
A great time capsule of the late 1950s science fiction. 9 out of 10 stories are about aliens from another world. Some of them are benevolent. Most want to take over the Earth or destroy it outright. The other 10 percent of stories involved inter-dimensional travel, attempts to prevent the destruction of the planet (usually thanks to time travel), or some strange new invention that goes horribly wrong.
DC was able to capture the fears of a nation in the pages of Strange Adventures. The red scare. The cold war. Nuclear war.
But DC was also able to latch upon the wonder of the nuclear age. Space travel. The automation of industry. Hope that one day, universal peace could be achieved.
Legends of not just the publishing company but the golden and silver age of comics worked on this volume. Gil Kane, Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and many more. This was a beautiful collection of sci-fi comics.
But there was one trope that got old and it got old pretty quick. The main way that the aliens are able to communicate with earthlings is thanks to telepathy. If it wasn't for mind reading, the different races wouldn't be able to interact. There'd be no story. Thankfully, DC Comics understood this as one of their tales actually asked the question: how could humans and alien species interact without the use of mental telepathy?
After that story, you'd think that telepathy tales would be considered off limits by the editors. Unfortunately, that same old tired plot device was continuously used. OVER and OVER...
Okay, so Strange Adventures wasn't perfect. But it was a perfect representation of an imperfect time in American history. Communism made us crazy. But the hope of a better tomorrow showed a light at the end of the tunnel.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
What Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was to nuclear disarmament, this book is to the ecology.
Lois Lane is tasked to cover a conference on global sustainability issues and it causes her to have some serious concerns about the viability of the Earth. Thus, Superman tries to take on conservation and cleaning up the planet. But he finds that it's a task impossible for one man, even if it's a Superman, to do alone.
A lot of folks claim that between DC and Marvel, DC Comics is the less preachy of the big two. Well, this book would be a good example to prove folks wrong.
At one point, Superman takes on some loggers in Brazil. And the head honcho, despite being a giant douche, makes a good point. He tells The Man of Steel that it's hypocritical for the hero to tell other countries what to do with their natural resources but the hero does nothing to the Americans.
Well, that scene got me thinking. Is DC practicing what it preached in this 1991 graphic novel? Superman: For Earth is a book that needed trees to print it. And yes, this book was printed on recycled paper. While that's good for the sake of this book, I don't think DC Comics kept up with the practice for very long.
The recycled paper makes for this book to look way older than it is. The inks have an almost sepia tone to them. If not for the prestige format, which I know began in the mid-80s, I would have said that this book was from the mid-70s. (Yes, that recycled paper seemed to degrade that much.)
At the end of the book, there's 2 pages of eco-charities listed for people to contribute to and such. Being nearly 30 years old, I wonder how many of these still exist. I'd actually be interested to research that one day.
An okay book that does explore some important aspects of Clark and Lois' impending nuptials in terms of their decision about children. But above all, this was a propaganda piece.
Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.
There's an exciting new graphic novel coming this summer from Archaia! Check out this preview of Bear in this week's Family Comic Friday!
Bear (Hardcover)
Writer: Ben Queen
Artist: Joe Todd-Stanton
Published by Archaia
Pages: 160
Retail: $24.99
Bear is a guide dog. From a family of police dogs, all Bear has ever wanted to do is serve. Overlooked by the police academy, it seems that Bear will never achieve his dream to helps others. The puppy finally gets his chance when Bear is paired with his blind master, Patrick. Unfortunately, Bear's mission is seriously compromised when he suddenly one day loses his sight.
Afraid to not be able to be a guide dog any more, a panicked Bear runs away from home. Hearing of a miracle lying in the woods beyond his home, Bear wanders alone seeking a way to regain his sight and runs into another bear. The grizzly kind!
Now the unlikely pairing of Bear and bear run amok seeking to save the guide dog's sight while hopefully being reunited with owner Patrick. It's a comedy of errors that evolves into the self-discovery that being blind means that one can see just as well with their other senses!
Bear was one of the most beautiful books I have read. The way Joe Todd-Stanton paints these ethereal displays of how the blind pup sees the world with his hearing, touch, taste and smell was so magnificent.
For instance, there's a scene in which Bear hears a choirs in a nearby cathedral. The imagery of what Bear imagines this setting to look like filled my mind with bellows of organ pipes and voices of angelic singers. Todd-Stanton doesn't use any sound effects for this scene. But I could hear volumes thanks to his wondrous art!
Ben Queen's story is just as superb as Joe Todd-Stanton's art. I must confess however that when my editor asked me to review this book I balked. I've been burned by promising projects starring animals that end up having some tragic death of a beloved furry character.
SPOILER- I can attest that no animals were seriously harmed in the making of this book.
Bear is an original graphic novel that the whole family will fall in love with. It's got humor, drama, and above all else- heart! The message of perseverance and overcoming personal challenges is a story that will resonate with any and all! There's even a little bit of romance between a couple of characters. Nothing mushy. But it does help make for the perfect ending.
It's a real shame that this book isn't available in a format for the visually impaired. This would be such an inspiring story for a child dealing with blindness. However, if a young reader with sight has a family member or friend that is experiencing the effects of vision loss, Bear is the perfect introduction into that person's day-to-day life with the disability. I feel you really get a chance to experience life as a person with blindness thanks to the artwork especially.
This is one of those rare stories that you want to know more with a sequel. But I think if you added more to Bear and Patrick's story, you'd ruin how perfect it is. I think we definitely have another nominee for all ages graphic novel of the year!
Bear will debut in August, 2020. It's currently available for pre-order now! Help a struggling comic shop recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and order a copy today!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 10 out of 10 stars
Graham Nolan and Chuck Dixon compose a story set during Clark's pre-Metropolis years. Wanting to find himself, Clark Kent has taken a gap year travelling the globe. While in Paris, Clark attracts the attention of an alluring woman. Her father is the spiritual leader of a small besieged Asia country. Terrorists from China seek to kidnap the young woman as leverage for the surrender of the land to Big Bad China. Thus, Clark travels to her native land to ensure her safety.
For once, Clark Kent has a love interest without the initials of LL. But that's not what is so refreshing about this story. It's the direct response that opposes the Communist Chinese and how they bully smaller nations such as Taiwan or Tibet into becoming a part of their Empire.
Using terms like 'Chi-Coms' and the severe beat-down Superman gives the Red Army are things you would not see in a DC Comic in 2020. China is considered too much of a vital fan base, that studios and publishers will edit scenes, even entire films, that are not considered China friendly. (We do the same for the Russians and Middle-Eastern Muslim nations too!) But this book was published over 20 years ago, when it seemed that any and everyone was willing to stand for a 'FREE TIBET.'
My wife is very pro-Tibet and this is the sort of graphic novel that if you sought an end to Chinese Communist rule, it truly will inspire you. Seeing The Man of Steel finally take a stand for justice was so refreshing. In case you forgot, Supes was very much like Sweden with it came to the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam and The Gulf War.
They really don't make comics like this anymore.
Oh, and that Easter egg. Freakin' awesome!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 FREE TIBETS!
Batman has almost always had his Batmobile. Now you can learn the origins of the world’s most iconic superhero sportster in the pages of the new graphic novel Batman: Overdrive!
Batman: Overdrive
Written by Shea Fontana
Illustrated by Marcelo DiChiara
Published by DC Comics
Pages: 136
Retail: $9.99
If you are familiar with Batman, then his origin story should be old hat. As a youngster, Bruce Wayne watches as a robbery gone wrong takes the lives of his parents. Now an orphan, Bruce channels his rage into one day finding the killer. Through intense physical and mental training, Bruce becomes The Batman, the world’s greatest detective.
But how did Batman get his Batmobile?
That question is answered in this all-new graphic novel by Shea Fontana (DC Superhero Girls) and Marcelo DiChiara (Smallville). Batman: Overdrive is framed similarly to the Fox TV series, Gotham. Both have a teenaged Bruce Wayne becoming acquainted with many of the characters years before he would when he becomes Batman. Yet like Gotham, as much as such a plot makes my brain itch. Shea Fontana makes it work.
We don’t see Bruce Wayne being directly involved in the origins of villains such as Two-Face, Mister Freeze or The Joker. Instead, Bruce engages in characters that for the most part could be in Gotham City pre-Batman. Of course, there’s Selina Kyle as an orphaned cat burglar roaming the streets of Gotham City. Pamela Isley and Harleen Quinzel are here too. The only character I objected to was in the inclusion of a teen version of Lady Shiva. I think it would have made more sense having that character be Katana instead.
Overdrive introduces fans to an all-new character in Mateo Diaz. An expert mechanic, it’s him that inspires Bruce to soup up his Batmobile into a fearsome automobile fortress. Whereas Lucius Fox is the real character who did this in the comics, Fox is also too old for a 15-year old Bruce to be going out in the middle of the night to fight crime with. Plus, Mateo was a very well written character that I would like to see pop up in the pages of the adult Batman books.
The main focus of this book is the relationship between Bruce and Alfred. It’s uneasy as Bruce doubts his butler’s sincerity as a caregiver. A real mystery is uncovered when Bruce discovers evidence that Alfred used to work for crime boss Carmine Falcone at one point! Could Batman’s faithful butler actually be behind the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne?
If you love cars, you will love this book. There’s dozens of great automobiles and several Bullit-level car chases in this graphic novel. In fact, I think I like Marcelo DiChiara’s illustrations of the machinery way more than I did of the characters. They looked a little too generic for me. But those cars! Even the Mateo’s hunk o’ junk VW Beetle looks pretty sweet.
Batman: Overdrive gives small little nods to the rich 80-year plus history of the Dark Knight. But there’s several Easter egg nods to the 1966 Batman TV show that I enjoyed the most. This graphic novel doesn’t seek to rewrite the history of Batman. But it does modify it just as Bruce and Mateo do with the ‘66 Crusader that is destined to become The Caped Crusader’s most trusted ally!
An entertaining book that builds on decades of comic book lore while not being stale. This is a graphic novel that Batman fans of all generations will love!
Batman: Overdrive debuted in print and digital formats on March 3, 2020.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
