tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-288550392024-03-17T20:03:36.828-07:00Every Day Is Like WednesdayTrudging slowly over wet sandCalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.comBlogger4022125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-8786976462752873592024-03-06T10:33:00.000-08:002024-03-06T10:33:34.875-08:00A Month of Wednesdays: February 2024<p><b> BOUGHT: </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0t1c6m9fh1zRAzVqc28YI5kziWsYOdzSZloJZDeBo91nLlqdqSEcimG84SEqu75FBpEkRQ-MZdALt-wZrxRE_vnFbLPc0LF3dVBacLbvr7Ng1ZxmSc1FesPUnxfVXpct__uFwrOSWJW3hBeItT1fLWlA9VBfSz83oRF0OuQXob53IlLA7_ew/s595/tmnt.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="388" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0t1c6m9fh1zRAzVqc28YI5kziWsYOdzSZloJZDeBo91nLlqdqSEcimG84SEqu75FBpEkRQ-MZdALt-wZrxRE_vnFbLPc0LF3dVBacLbvr7Ng1ZxmSc1FesPUnxfVXpct__uFwrOSWJW3hBeItT1fLWlA9VBfSz83oRF0OuQXob53IlLA7_ew/w261-h400/tmnt.webp" width="261" /></a></div><b><i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn Vol. 8—Damage Done </i>(IDW Publishing)</b> This volume opens with a somewhat incongruous done-in-one chapter, by guest writer Michael Walsh and artists Vlad Legostaev, Santtos and Walsh. In it, the four brother turtles are hanging out alone in their lair together when they receive an unexpected visitor from the future, a middle-aged mutant ninja turtle who is apparently one of them. He's there specifically to warn Donatello not to do something he's thinking about doing, something that will visit great ruin on them in the future and, indeed, imperil the whole world.<div><br /></div><div>This seems to be setting up the next arc, following the one that fills this volume (and, if I'm counting correctly, will be the last of regular writer Sophie Campbell's run, before the big reboot).</div><div><br /></div><div>After that issue, we return to our regularly scheduled program, wherein the events of "The Armageddon Game" are over, but still reverberating (I meant to read that book in trade from the library, but didn't manage to get a hold of it before reading this, so I was a little lost on a few points, like Mutant Town's wall coming down, and the fact that mutants are now somewhat accepted as part of general, human society). </div><div><br /></div><div>As for the Splinter Clan, they are in the act of splintering, with different characters having different priorities: Jennika has her band; Donatello is holed up in his lab, obsessively studying something secret that he's loathe to share with his brothers; Raphael is still preoccupied with Alopex leaving; Michelangelo is feeling the call of travel, embodied by his frequent phone calls with Princess Seri, who is on some kind of press tour and Leonardo is struggling to keep everyone on the same page for regular patrols and crime-fighting purposes. </div><div><br /></div><div>In essence, the Turtles are growing up, and struggling with the fact that they don't <i>have </i>to stay together constantly just because they're brothers; they can, in fact, do their own things. </div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, mutants seem to be disappearing and turning up dead with alarming frequency; there seems to be a mutant serial killer on the loose. Though drifting apart, the Turtles and their allies have to come together to deal with the threat, which turns out to be a couple of villains we've met before. Things get urgent when one of the Turtles' friends, one of the weasels, goes missing.</div><div><br /></div><div>The artwork for this arc is provided by Gavin Smith, who also drew the cover, and it's highly-realistic. Perhaps <i>too </i>realistic for my personal tastes, as his drawings of the turtles frequently suggested the original, live-action Turtle movies to me (the ones with the Jim Henson heads). That said, he's quite adept at expressions and acting. </div><div><br /></div><div>Personally I prefer Campbell's art, and consider it something of a tragedy that she wasn't able to both write<i> and</i> draw the entirety of her run. We do get to see a few Campbell drawings in this volume, however, as she and Kevin Eastman collaborate on some of the variant covers, and the pair make a fairly ideal Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles art team. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I hope IDW finds a good project for the pair to collaborate on interiors for. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's pretty clear from this volume that Campbell's run is winding down; in fact, the last issues reads like it could be the last issue of a run or a series, as the Turtles all go their separate ways. But I know we've still got at least one more Campbell arc to go. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>BORROWED: </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHLsWqf9QOm593BujZPrmnHNDIKsuHXw-ZwS6PbHYjGVPCGJo_uCINdC9KP2l4ybb4NGuv9Z-WEzewYdgg-6YWQY0K1vdlpfrREjGTJVev8W38R5XrYZ627MnsIwyKeE2I65E6i6690x3Kf7mU3S3KFcyt_FIcQvU7XPlYypxJVDrvY8gFSk5/s465/batman.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHLsWqf9QOm593BujZPrmnHNDIKsuHXw-ZwS6PbHYjGVPCGJo_uCINdC9KP2l4ybb4NGuv9Z-WEzewYdgg-6YWQY0K1vdlpfrREjGTJVev8W38R5XrYZ627MnsIwyKeE2I65E6i6690x3Kf7mU3S3KFcyt_FIcQvU7XPlYypxJVDrvY8gFSk5/w258-h400/batman.webp" width="258" /></a></div><b><i>Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three</i> (DC Comics) </b><i>Batman: The Animated Series </i>producers Alan Burnett and Paul Dini continue their revisitation of the seminal cartoon show they worked on in this continuation of the show's continuity, expertly drawn in the style of the show by artist Ty Templeton and others (The Kevin Altieri-drawn "Old Flames," a Batman/Harley Quinn team-up a rare deviation from the Bruce Timm-inspired aesthetic of the cartoon).</div><div><br /></div><div>Two major storylines run throughout this volume, each starring one of Batman's greatest archenemies: The Joker and Ra's al Ghul. The former involves The Suicide Squad (and its recent addition The Muscle) going after Straight Man, The Joker's new super-strong sidekick in Gotham, the latter involves Ra's making Batman an offer he has a hard time refusing, especially given the fact that the need for Batman seems decreased more than ever by the fact that crime in Gotham has, mysteriously enough, all but disappeared, seemingly overnight. </div><div><br /></div><div>Both are great stories, making use of the show's by-now expansive cast, including characters (and plotlines) introduced throughout the course of <i>The Adventures Continue</i>. Though a bit more adult than the TV show its supposedly a continuation of—there's a scene of Bruce and Talia in bed where it's clear she's naked under the sheet, and Harley rather gorily beheads a Court of Owls Talon with scythe—it's a great celebration of it, and the climactic story, "The Offer" features appearances from just about every member of Batman's rogue's gallery for what seems like it may be his biggest "animated" adventure ever, <i>Mask of The Phantasm</i> and various direct-to-video movies included. </div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to the "straight" covers and a few designed to resemble the title cards of the old show, there are several striking variant covers, including Kevin Nowlan's, which serves as the cover for the collection (above), a Daniel Warren Johnson piece showing Batman working on the Batmobile and a Kelley Jones piece featuring Batman and seemingly his whole <i>Animated Series</i> rogues gallery. Though few of these are in the style of the cartoon, it's interesting to see the Timm designs in such radically different styles, including those of Sweeney Boo, Gustavo Duerte, Keron Grant, Cliff Chiang, Guillem March, Rafael Albuquerque, Brian Bolland, Matteo Scalera and others. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>REVEIWED:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuhUYW0qBqCu2QjosMIDSb5h8otckxIDFjyCEe9wysgXeTswHp1WW9EB0o4c2aNOHaYPjFnjPLAcaiJ0GvPaCKjedQ1mB-nbUNkeZlPD2-5nuCSnhEt8sTsaFSoZBOMJT3PphZJKNOUyIJ2yBTwhvAM6I8t-p7_3kNiPsVWvGleDxkz2N80Dj/s595/Mayor-Good-Boy-Turns-Bad.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuhUYW0qBqCu2QjosMIDSb5h8otckxIDFjyCEe9wysgXeTswHp1WW9EB0o4c2aNOHaYPjFnjPLAcaiJ0GvPaCKjedQ1mB-nbUNkeZlPD2-5nuCSnhEt8sTsaFSoZBOMJT3PphZJKNOUyIJ2yBTwhvAM6I8t-p7_3kNiPsVWvGleDxkz2N80Dj/w280-h400/Mayor-Good-Boy-Turns-Bad.webp" width="280" /></a></div><b><i>Mayor Good Boy Turns Bad </i>(RH Graphic) </b>Everyone in Abby Ableman's world seems to be acting weird lately, no one more so than Mayor Good Boy, who may have...gone bad? What's really going on? Find out in the concluding book of Dave Scheidt and Miranda Harmon's trilogy of graphic novels about a small town with a talking dog mayor. Hopefully more books from the pair are in the future. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2024/02/12/mayor-good-boy-turns-bad-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-21905938414754360402024-02-06T15:00:00.000-08:002024-02-06T15:00:39.125-08:00A Month of Wednesdays: January 2024<p><b> BOUGHT: </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRiROFErch2pSdnaENtphdQPq33iHHJDMi8SnKu1UY5rcQuZx4OMeyyvU18oKuLj3ZEAb0J58uTXA3UzjD1B5fs9U7ayt0I0U14r_WNhpkVV4SRZx6EqLD-s5qLkhr9IRP4YH3V1Ss8s8m2kEqUE0DE3DZJvVlaAjwyRLvk7P1QhfE-RnAhBH/s595/wherewhen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="386" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRiROFErch2pSdnaENtphdQPq33iHHJDMi8SnKu1UY5rcQuZx4OMeyyvU18oKuLj3ZEAb0J58uTXA3UzjD1B5fs9U7ayt0I0U14r_WNhpkVV4SRZx6EqLD-s5qLkhr9IRP4YH3V1Ss8s8m2kEqUE0DE3DZJvVlaAjwyRLvk7P1QhfE-RnAhBH/w260-h400/wherewhen.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen</i> (IDW Publishing) </b>In 2018, Dark Horse Books published <i>Usagi Yojimbo/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Collection</i>, which included every single one of the comic book crossovers of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's TMNT and Stan Sakai's samurai rabbit, from the 1987 Sakai-drawn six-page short "Turtle Soup and Rabbit Stew" to the 2017 Sakai-created "Namazu or the Big Fish Story," a 40-page IDW-published one-shot.<div><br /></div><div>The title of that book, as vital and rewarding as the book itself may be, is no longer accurate, as IDW just published another TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo crossover, this one the most substantial one to date: The five-issue, 144-page adventure <i>WhereWhen</i>. The book, written, drawn and lettered by Sakai, with colors from Hi-Fi Desgin, technically features the IDW iteration of the Turtles (at least the main four; Jennika is MIA), since they recognize Usagi from the pages of "Namazu", but otherwise these could be any version of the Turtles, so continuity-lite is their end of the story (something that I, a fan of the original iteration, was thankful for; these just read like the real Turtles, rather than a particular version of them).</div><div><br /></div><div>The continuity is a little heavier on the Usagi side, with some surprising changes in the cast—read: deaths—in this, a crossover. In Usagi's time, this is set just before the events of 2014 miniseries <i>Usagi Yojimbo: Senso</i>, with the ronin rabbit now a general serving as part of an army travelling to eradicate Hijiki and his forces at the request of the shogun. </div><div><br /></div><div>As they prepare to set up camp for the day, local villagers approach Usagi and tell him of a kappa that is menacing them. Usagi seeks permission to hunt for the turtle monster, and does so, so we get to see Staki's version of the famous Japanese yokai (and, being turtle-like in shape, it is, of course, an auspicious creature for the Usagi characters to face just before the TMNT arrive).</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, in the present, the four Turtles—"naked" compared to their current, Sophie Campbell-written IDW versions—are on the trail of a supervillain, a time-travelling cyborg Dr. WhereWhen from the future, who has come to his own past to conquer the world with his superior technology.</div><div><br /></div><div>His robots are no match for the Turtles, though, and so he decides to flee even further into the past, where they won't be there to fight him, and thus he arrives in 17th century feudal Japan, or Usagi's time. Due to the vagaries of time travel stories, WhereWhen actually arrived there well before the Turtles, and has had time to build all sorts of clockwork samurai and monsters using his futuristic knowhow and the technology of the day. </div><div><br /></div><div>After a brief crossing of swords due to the stories of kappa, General Usagi arrives to greet his old friends (this story apparently takes place 20 years after the last TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo crossover) and straighten everything out. No sooner does WhereWhen hear of their arrival though then he sends waves of attackers after the Turtles in Lord Noriyuki's encampment, first an ambush by mogura ninja (that's mole ninja), then WhereWhen's "Samuroids." </div><div><br /></div><div>Not simply sitting still, the Turtles, Usagi and some of Usagi's allies storm WhereWhen's castle, finding various clockwork monsters built to repel them. They succeed in shutting down WhereWhen's operation, and getting his time-travel device, allowing for themselves to get back home (as to why feudal Japan is full of talking animals instead of Japanese people, there are a few brief allusions to this being weird, but nothing that stops the story; as ever, Usagi Yojimbo, like Disney comics, are apparently meant to be read as is the animals were more-or-less human, perhaps moles aside).</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point in his career, Sakai is as accomplished as any living cartoonist, and he has drawn the TMNT enough times at this point to make him one of their better artists. </div><div><br /></div><div>Each issue of the series included a wrap-around cover by Sakai, and a variant by Kevin Eastman, all of which are reprinted within. There's also a single cover by Peter Laird and Eastman, which is a pretty big deal if you ask me, although it's simply relegated to the status of fourth issue variant (it's not too Turtle-heavy, either, featuring one-half of Leonardo and one-half of Usagi only; still, this is the first time the pair has collaborated in forever, and the first time I've seen a Turtle drawn by its creators since I can't remember when). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx1sQpyi2nf5X5ZbT7KX2aR__Jtra5I5SJ3FQAsDlBqSBz_qWIeKseT04B00UOytiWky479VGYsCkllUWWdQ0_5Nhg04GYQa6NxR95908TK7tmmUQZEh9f2crF9hzMGaSpc0MgpvAHmsmdVbrgi45NXUuAD-iYdeJTmS-anbzIHWDbDcNlpcg/s994/tmnt-usaji.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx1sQpyi2nf5X5ZbT7KX2aR__Jtra5I5SJ3FQAsDlBqSBz_qWIeKseT04B00UOytiWky479VGYsCkllUWWdQ0_5Nhg04GYQa6NxR95908TK7tmmUQZEh9f2crF9hzMGaSpc0MgpvAHmsmdVbrgi45NXUuAD-iYdeJTmS-anbzIHWDbDcNlpcg/w261-h400/tmnt-usaji.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div>Other variants come from Sarah Myer, who draws the "Retailer Incentive" covers, and does so in a highly animated style, including pupils in the turtles' eyes on one cover where they are shown feasting on okonomiyaki, and a connecting cover by David Petersen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sadly, there are no Sophie Campbell-drawn variants; I would really like to see what her version of Usagi might look like. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>BORROWED: </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqko4YwG1fLkeAC-dAGiOSgbiMSrQ63oUz8cgfPQMQ64YGEJtOitGMdNIoAMAcc-wC0HLk1bfM1qyvjwdS-_HvuXTkz0Vv9Xem5EqSO7I8My-fFMTCUTM2d6QXI8Gi7fwBIW5SHVi9vd6e-iafY_ePwZopDQkvfQyB8ggmndpFvvM96Ajw6mv/s595/komi.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqko4YwG1fLkeAC-dAGiOSgbiMSrQ63oUz8cgfPQMQ64YGEJtOitGMdNIoAMAcc-wC0HLk1bfM1qyvjwdS-_HvuXTkz0Vv9Xem5EqSO7I8My-fFMTCUTM2d6QXI8Gi7fwBIW5SHVi9vd6e-iafY_ePwZopDQkvfQyB8ggmndpFvvM96Ajw6mv/w266-h400/komi.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 28</i> (Viz Media) </b>Never mind what the cover shows, it's not Komi and the girls in the cast that visit a sauna in this volume, but the boys; specifically, Tadano and Komi's dad...and little brother (Komi's dad being too shy to hang out with Tadano by himself still, apparently). They go on this date so that, as Komi's dad finally admits well into the proceedings, so that he can bond with Tadano. They even end up kissing, although it's a kinda sorta medical procedure prompted by Komi's dad pretending to fall ill.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kissing remains on Komi and Tadano's mind throughout this volume, and they seem to get awfully close during a study date at Komi's, until her mom interrupts them. Komi's parents seem quite fond of Tadano, and, in fact, they get dressed up and join the kids during their study date until Komi eventually shoos them away. </div><div><br /></div><div>Other stories this volume include new editions of the Summer Uniform Grand Prix and Quiet While Studying in the Library, Wakai who can't talk to girls finds himself able to talk to Manbagi through a loophole in his logic, and Komi's dealing with a group of friendly stalkers who all want to be her friend but, well, like everyone else in this manga, all seem to have communication problems of their own. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AylqMihTkRaWdY1H72LlkLTfAAe6lGiuL4G1LRn5a4wy1aW4hllAjCVuQG4IdQeosJwNWzNYwJNQkf1xhZvRbPkMHafDs2cW_wmRfuLNUd5QFi1N75RKp_W-KjXnfK5_U1AhL7cOrDPF7-XhLvvCwmFOmkJAom8C82Q8mPyrFVJQh5LWeAu7/s595/my%20cute%20little%20kitten%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AylqMihTkRaWdY1H72LlkLTfAAe6lGiuL4G1LRn5a4wy1aW4hllAjCVuQG4IdQeosJwNWzNYwJNQkf1xhZvRbPkMHafDs2cW_wmRfuLNUd5QFi1N75RKp_W-KjXnfK5_U1AhL7cOrDPF7-XhLvvCwmFOmkJAom8C82Q8mPyrFVJQh5LWeAu7/w280-h400/my%20cute%20little%20kitten%201.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><div><b><i>My Cute Littel Kitten Vol. 1</i> (Seven Seas Entertainment) </b>The inciting incident of this yuri manga is Yuna bringing home a tiny kitten to the new-pet apartment she's shared with college friend Rena for years. Realizing the time may finally have come for them to go their separate ways, Rena prepares to finally let go of Yuna, despite the fact that she's madly in love with her.</div><div><br /></div><div>What does that mean, exactly? "You see...I'm in love with you," she confesses. "I don't mean as a friend. I want to kiss you, to sleep with you<i>. That</i> kind of love." </div><div><br /></div><div>To Rena's surprise, Yuna returns her feelings...sorta. Or at least she wants to keep living together, and seems willing to go with the flow, even if that means entering into a lesbian relationship with her long-time best friend and roommate. Her attempts to consummate their love keep getting frustrated by circumstances, though, from Yuna getting so drunk she passed out for what was going to be their "first time" (and which Yuna thought might have actually happened, even though she couldn't remember it) to their newly found little kitten pet, Chibi, causing trouble.</div><div><br /></div><div>Eventually, the pair decide to stay together and find a new, pet-friendly apartment for their new family of three, while their relationship continues to take halting, often-frustrated steps forward, as Rena tries to determine if <i>her</i> cute little kitten Yuna is really ready for a relationship with her, and Yuna wrestles with whether or not she's good enough for Rena. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's a charming enough affair, with a sufficient degree of suspense and drama, despite the fact that the confession happens so early in the proceedings. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVITANQAfz6pNaJuk3LPxleT_a21WLlWpDl-0vLi-1Dtcgdii1htgDIeopMBHIKepEl2R-M4n7rQGpXznbZyAputtCHTwHvL8gkjkXXB6mLjrzbVuZRSETmYQe4002_8kMzjBdNzCrXKProrumE1r4XGI61vmWI1-3orTyGBlGuD0sknKsfalU/s595/star%20wars%20dv.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="389" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVITANQAfz6pNaJuk3LPxleT_a21WLlWpDl-0vLi-1Dtcgdii1htgDIeopMBHIKepEl2R-M4n7rQGpXznbZyAputtCHTwHvL8gkjkXXB6mLjrzbVuZRSETmYQe4002_8kMzjBdNzCrXKProrumE1r4XGI61vmWI1-3orTyGBlGuD0sknKsfalU/w261-h400/star%20wars%20dv.webp" width="261" /></a></div><b><i>Star Wars: Darth Vader—Black, White & Red Treasury Edition</i> (Marvel Entertainment) </b>The character of Darth Vader seems well-suited to the limited palette anthology series, given that it is a limited palette character design, all in black, with a bright red iconic weapon in his hand. This book, produced at 8.7-inches by 13.25-inches, is a nice showcase for the art, which comes courtesy of names I'm quite familiar with, like Leonard Kirk and Klaus Janson, a few from names I've heard of, like Peach Momoko, Alessandro Vitti and Daniel Warren Johnson, and a few I've never heard of, like Marika Cresta, Stefano Raffaele, Paul Davidson and Danny Earls. <div><br /></div><div>The books four issues are divided up so that there's a chapter of a longer Jason Aaron-written, Kirk-drawn storyline called "Hard Shutdown" (Kirk is inked, in just the fourth installment, by Mark Morales), followed by two standalone short stories from some of the other creators, and so on to the end. The collection follows this formula, breaking up the Aaron/Kirk story with short stories throughout. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Hard Shutdown" introduces the son of a doctor who worked on constructing Vader's cyborg body, and who therefore knows a special code that can render the <i>Star Wars</i> villain into the title state, completely immobilizing him. The idea is to then cut him up and sell off his very expensive, state-of-the-art parts while getting rid of the galaxy's worst bad guy at the same time. Things don't go according to plan, however, as despite the fact that Vader can't so much as twitch a muscle, his mind is still active, and he still has access to his Force powers, allowing him to control all the tools in the room meant to cut him up, to fling around the bodies of reinforcements to come to help, to even pull a ship out of the sky. </div><div><br /></div><div>The point of the story, other than to imperil the 47-year-old character in a new and interesting way, is to highlight just how incredibly powerful Darth Vader really is. In fact, this is a theme throughout the book, which is basically a celebration of Vader's bad-assery, as he uses his laser sword and Force powers to meet and beat all opponents, even if he has to fight off a pack of Wampas while damaged/injured in Frank Tieri and Earls' "Return to Hoth" or fighting off a planet-wide viral life form while floating limbless in a bacta tank in Steve Orlando and Davidson's "The Inhabitant."</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a wonder that Luke Skywalker kid was ever even able to go toe-to-toe with Vader.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to the Aaron-written story, stand outs include the bizarre imagery of Momoko's dream story, a little boy learning exactly the wrong message in Victoria Ying and Cresta's "Power" and Johnson's "Annihilated", which contains some especially neat light saber effects, and the pitch perfect "ZROWWW" sound of one swinging in a wide arc. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was also intrigued by the variant cover gallery, which includes a contribution from Kevin Eastman, depicting the Dark Lord of the Sith on what appears to be snowy Hoth, all black and white save for the red of his sword. I'm always interested in seeing Eastman's signature style applied to other people's characters, and Darth Vader is about as unlikely a character to imagine the artist drawing as any. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>REVIEWED: </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9DmleAJmRTH6zduxZT_DGehvKjvGrnq4E8appJ35GrFTvO6btuws7YNYbPuHG0-AtNh3MeEgx2e5-eughtiizl5mvIDE6GB5EEZdA2ABUfsaqceAHhMK4HeJYG4wSvTahPjb6djWc2Q8UXN3dgPnXgoVhDBFFBu9nEEQP31WVm6JTjmmHAb4/s595/Punycorn.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="409" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9DmleAJmRTH6zduxZT_DGehvKjvGrnq4E8appJ35GrFTvO6btuws7YNYbPuHG0-AtNh3MeEgx2e5-eughtiizl5mvIDE6GB5EEZdA2ABUfsaqceAHhMK4HeJYG4wSvTahPjb6djWc2Q8UXN3dgPnXgoVhDBFFBu9nEEQP31WVm6JTjmmHAb4/w275-h400/Punycorn.webp" width="275" /></a></div><b><i>Punycorn </i>(HarperColllins) </b>Andi Watson's latest finds the long-time creator at his absolute silliest, in a work that seems like a rather great departure from his usual writing...and even drawing. Even when compared to his other kids work, this seems like a departure. That said, it's a fun little book, and the usual charms of Watson's work are all present, even if one has to look a little harder than usual to find them. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2024/01/03/punycorn-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>INTERVIEWED: </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbeW3Hud2jmNo4NGxG_4DXIMK3VreqFvf1EB2iYfeMM9hDZPvkZKL6OEVzRJ3Loh4_0aFCw-iz59M-v8JzK4f2-EVMuDRFVFlwfcsB5QbRkn2MBc9_crSfTAb2wCXarGiTIVVdv9SCnCVeDQ3AeFBOCsG5_2MiV08qKUWqqbRrOnEMi4eS8VQ/s1415/Spider-Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbeW3Hud2jmNo4NGxG_4DXIMK3VreqFvf1EB2iYfeMM9hDZPvkZKL6OEVzRJ3Loh4_0aFCw-iz59M-v8JzK4f2-EVMuDRFVFlwfcsB5QbRkn2MBc9_crSfTAb2wCXarGiTIVVdv9SCnCVeDQ3AeFBOCsG5_2MiV08qKUWqqbRrOnEMi4eS8VQ/w283-h400/Spider-Man.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>I spoke to <i>Cleopatra In Space</i> creator Mike Maihack about his trilogy of Spider-Man graphic novels for Abrams on the occasion of the release of the second one,<i><b> Spider-Man: Quantum Quest</b></i>. You can read our conversation<a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2024/01/24/mike-maihack-on-spider-man-quantum-quest-interview/" target="_blank"> here</a>. <br /></div><div><div><b><br /></b></div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-29641302638871444442024-01-22T10:02:00.000-08:002024-01-22T10:08:09.841-08:00Hey, Robert Ableman listens to Cub!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivn3MkQLdHVxGssH-LlhKiIUlLcFQV2OKZlQ-rE9talVQ0xD1r5H9E2eNfYpOWBdQwCEKSG-DxIDZ4z2HObssAJBMNVVK8_IsbTGqHjooVL8n02d1jv3zYSwyl_fXYR6WvBoovm4_pUQJIa04xzU9uNrCk-cFr9WqE8McDWttXtaaHQkCM8NpA/s728/Cub%20in%20mayor%20good%20boy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="513" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivn3MkQLdHVxGssH-LlhKiIUlLcFQV2OKZlQ-rE9talVQ0xD1r5H9E2eNfYpOWBdQwCEKSG-DxIDZ4z2HObssAJBMNVVK8_IsbTGqHjooVL8n02d1jv3zYSwyl_fXYR6WvBoovm4_pUQJIa04xzU9uNrCk-cFr9WqE8McDWttXtaaHQkCM8NpA/w281-h400/Cub%20in%20mayor%20good%20boy.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>It wasn't something I was expecting to see in a comic book, least of all in the pages of <i>Mayor Good Boy Turns Bad</i>, the third installment of Dave Scheidt and Miranda Harmon's <i>Mayor Good Boy</i> series, about a talking dog mayor of a small town. <p></p><p>Early in the book, Robert Ableman, the father of the book's heroes Abby and Aaron Ableman, is shown going through his record collection. When Aaron interrupts him, Robert clutches the album he's holding to his chest defensively and holds it there for several panels. As you can see above, it's a Cub album, specifically their second album, 1995's <i>Come Out Come Out</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Zx9HOrMtGDkQKd8FPA8QLmTAS-Tq5iygZhWJey7-6P9dNzN2rfBBmY30UVFEiw0PwmlSXCPyWvW4PNRaSt4oMrOvF84u7FPPs-fuPfjvJh_r2b61EiVX8b4OnhU-K6-oglCAXApEfnRZGUO6ObK6mYmFDrXqoP-kHym_QypQSGaD2LMAo7cA/s300/come%20out%20come%20out.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Zx9HOrMtGDkQKd8FPA8QLmTAS-Tq5iygZhWJey7-6P9dNzN2rfBBmY30UVFEiw0PwmlSXCPyWvW4PNRaSt4oMrOvF84u7FPPs-fuPfjvJh_r2b61EiVX8b4OnhU-K6-oglCAXApEfnRZGUO6ObK6mYmFDrXqoP-kHym_QypQSGaD2LMAo7cA/w400-h400/come%20out%20come%20out.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>For those of you who don't know, which I assume is most of you, or at least most of <i>Mayor Good Boy</i>'s young readers, Cub was a Vancouver-based all-girl band in the 1990s, their sound defined by simple, lullaby-like pop punk rock tunes with sing-songy lyrics that could be either extremely charming or somewhat cloying, depending on your level of cynicism. They self-branded their style as "cuddlecore." As a teenager, I loved them unconditionally, my favorite song being <a href="https://youtu.be/-u3fG2eJvCc?si=HYA-tD8bEoMVVvak" target="_blank">"My Chinchilla"</a> from their debut album <i>Betti-Cola</i>, which was either a cute and innocent love song...or an ode to an actual pet chinchilla. I interpreted it as the former. </p><p>In an earlier panel, we see Aaron holding two other albums, They Might Be Giants' 1988 <i>Lincoln</i> and The Cure's 1989 <i>Disintegration</i>, so perhaps Robert came to Cub through They Might Be Giants, who covered <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFKThNh5Vqk" target="_blank">"New York City"</a> from <i>Come Out Come Out </i>on their 1996 album <i>Factory Showroom</i>. At any rate, we can agree that Robert has pretty good taste in music, and a worthy record collection. </p><p>This isn't the only Cub comics connection, or the only reason they might be mentioned on a comics blog. The cover art for <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betti-Cola" target="_blank">Betti-Cola</a></i> was from legendary cartoonist Dan DeCarlo.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQph8yUmK9BKAgzUTDKmYx5X3VC0Wu7xuD748a9Z1qiPD2TFNExeUdOuw1rEgLSETm5wFVJeY_JLbBJ_wYzohvS06-mxGCG6HBf99IuIvHvMIHAApx_mrHgpBAQoZPEAIoV7xdf1Jq0sTp6DJ_6MYltvPEso7qMLibt9fngpJXd9zZnfNhTO1/s400/cub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="398" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQph8yUmK9BKAgzUTDKmYx5X3VC0Wu7xuD748a9Z1qiPD2TFNExeUdOuw1rEgLSETm5wFVJeY_JLbBJ_wYzohvS06-mxGCG6HBf99IuIvHvMIHAApx_mrHgpBAQoZPEAIoV7xdf1Jq0sTp6DJ_6MYltvPEso7qMLibt9fngpJXd9zZnfNhTO1/w398-h400/cub.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><p>Now the only question is who on the <i>Mayor Good Boy</i> team is the Cub fan, Schedit or Harmon? Or both? </p>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-85954655153665593772024-01-01T11:57:00.000-08:002024-01-01T11:57:59.174-08:00A Month of Wednesdays: December 2023<p><b>BOUGHT:</b><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VSj1jyOrv75NAJcqUUHOgsQQzqRMxHh3kYZYEZTfpdFyg0qWHMao66S5zgLOYtZ2u65b2mHOsM8OsFfk1Jxk4H0zBfhieietzVXBfSsStUa29F8Ga-Y8iN4kuvqJ1Yk3W_qoutOzIto1FRTMMJmgF088iIkEFGdtfm6_Jqc2Iuy5rTD-CETD/s595/TEC%208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="384" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VSj1jyOrv75NAJcqUUHOgsQQzqRMxHh3kYZYEZTfpdFyg0qWHMao66S5zgLOYtZ2u65b2mHOsM8OsFfk1Jxk4H0zBfhieietzVXBfSsStUa29F8Ga-Y8iN4kuvqJ1Yk3W_qoutOzIto1FRTMMJmgF088iIkEFGdtfm6_Jqc2Iuy5rTD-CETD/w259-h400/TEC%208.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><b><i>Batman: Dark Knight Detective Vol. 8</i> (DC Comics) </b>This latest collection of post-<i>Crisis,</i> pre-"Knightfall" issues of <i>Detective Comics</i> opens with a mistake: The volume includes 1991's <i>Detective Comics Annual #4</i>, the <i>Armageddon 2001</i> tie-in, just as the previous volume in the series did. In seems to be a mistake of addition though, as it doesn't look like it replaced anything. The next ten issues of the series from 1992 are all included, as is the 1992 <i>Annual #5</i>, the <i>Eclipso: The Darkness Within</i> tie-in. <p></p><p>This turns out to be the sole contribution of writers Alan Grant and John Wagner, while the rest of the scripts in the collection come courtesy of Chuck Dixon. In the annual, featuring a nicely crazed <a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/50682/cover/4/" target="_blank">cover by Sam Kieth</a> featuring Batman and The Joker and great, spooky interior art by Tom Mandrake, Grant regulars Scarface and The Ventriloquist have a new scheme: A legitimate night club for a clientele of gangsters, complete with ventriloquist act by themselves, in which they have bugged all the tables, allowing them to get all the dirt on their rival gang bosses. This is how they hear of a $25 million job The Joker once pulled off, where in the Clown Prince of Crime was the only one who knew where the money got stashed before he was picked up by the police. </p><p>So they break The Joker out of Arkham—this turns out to be the first meeting between the two characters—and try to force him to reveal the location of the loot. What does that have to do with Eclipso? Nothing. The old JLA villain turned DCU annual event Big Bad comes into play when Batman encounters a couple of his black diamonds on an ancient head piece that was part of a museum job. Doctor Bruce Gordon comes to town warning of the diamonds and the danger of Eclipso, but he's too late; it turns out this night was the anniversary of Barbara Gordon's shooting by The Joker, and her dad Commissioner Gordon is feeling extra vengeful. He has thoughts of vengeance in his heart when he touches the diamonds, and thus releases a 20-foot monster, an aspect of Eclipso, that won't rest until it takes vengeance on The Joker. This leads to a climactic battle between Batman and the monster, way out of his normal weight class, in an old, abandoned toy factory. </p><p>Mandrake handles the drawing of all the characters masterfully, and he's especially adept at depicting a semi-scary Batman as creature of the night and, of course, excels at the monster. I was rather disappointed when I got to the final panel and saw the tags saying "To Be Continued in Robin Annual #1" and "Plus--For More of Eclipso, Don't Miss Superman Annual #4". I read the <i>Robin Annual</i>, of course (also by Grant and Wagner, with art by Tom Lyle and another great Kieth cover), but never did read the Superman one. As with the <i>Armageddon 2001</i> tie-in last volume (and, um, this volume too), I found myself wishing DC would collect the event. I know annual events are notoriously difficult to collect due to their sheer page count—Eclipso ran through two bookending specials and 18 different annuals—but I think a coupla trades could do it (and do it better than a massive omnibus, of which I'm not a fan of). <br /></p><p>The rest of the collection, as previously stated, is Dixon's, and the stories within find him working with one of two of his more fruitful collaborators: Tom Lyle and Graham Nolan.<br /><br />With Lyle (doing breakdowns, while Scott Hanna handles finishes), Dixon has a pair of three-parters. The first of these is "Electric City", featuring great covers by Michael Golden, has Batman and Robin trying to stop an electricty-powered killer who survived the electric chair and now wants to electrocute all those who showed up to watch his botched execution (Plus vigilante The Electrocutioner). The second is a rather big one in terms of modern Batman history, as it re-introduces footnote Batman villain The Cluemaster and his daughter-turned-vigilante, Spoiler Stephanie Brown (this one's got great covers by Matt Wagner, two of which grace the front and back covers of the collection).</p><p>Rounding out the collection are the Nolan contributions, "The Dragon", in which Batman's hunchbacked fix-it guy Harold discovers that the Batcave cave complex connects to Gotham's underground rail system (while Robin saves a faux Geraldo Rivers from a booby-trapped safe during a television special); "A Bullet For Bullock," in which Batman and the rumpled police detective team-up (this one features what I believe is the very first Kelley Jones Batman cover; someone please correct me if I'm wrong); and a two-part story introducing The Huntress as an active presence in Gotham City. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGY6G1qs5tHlmQ5kwWmzlI1w3lF9GclFnJG23LZBAaMbAFBgOc4MKpWLWmygZDdFmDiPPTK0yLhlQnMBkZ6qKZAG1x48HOjLcdmtASLzZc4i0XYQz1GLxXjoYPIrvDzcJGFOLB4sDrmxXWfv4SHRmAhQbXLMue5R2l_6F6ssF5HJFOHY63snm/s619/kelley%20jones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGY6G1qs5tHlmQ5kwWmzlI1w3lF9GclFnJG23LZBAaMbAFBgOc4MKpWLWmygZDdFmDiPPTK0yLhlQnMBkZ6qKZAG1x48HOjLcdmtASLzZc4i0XYQz1GLxXjoYPIrvDzcJGFOLB4sDrmxXWfv4SHRmAhQbXLMue5R2l_6F6ssF5HJFOHY63snm/w259-h400/kelley%20jones.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>The repeat inclusion of the 1991 annual aside, it's a great collection from a high-point in Batman comics, and not to be missed by anyone whose never read these stories before (or who, like me, only read some of them). <div><br /></div><div>Looking ahead to what next, there's little left before "Knightfall": The three-issue arc introducing The General and two issues of team-ups with Azrael. These are intersesting comics, featuring art from Michael Netzer and covers by Kieth and Jones (taking turns inking one another's pencils), but they've already been collected elsewhere. Even if they include the next annual, I don't think there's enough material for a volume nine of the series.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>BORROWED:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOih5woKKDinyCGOmaKphVsT2-kpb3gt5pJWA7rPo7bkBHQSBTwjHgOX43IjYvXYYJd3awA2dR4jX7bBGOVcpUILnGkH71Kc7q4tc3FAIJH-SgdAbLzofVboLutAJx08Q5V3VqmvUqaFOo493ZQy5m5VJN9g__hxSePr5si6w8pYtmrcsA9fJ5/s595/Batman%20wayne%20fam.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOih5woKKDinyCGOmaKphVsT2-kpb3gt5pJWA7rPo7bkBHQSBTwjHgOX43IjYvXYYJd3awA2dR4jX7bBGOVcpUILnGkH71Kc7q4tc3FAIJH-SgdAbLzofVboLutAJx08Q5V3VqmvUqaFOo493ZQy5m5VJN9g__hxSePr5si6w8pYtmrcsA9fJ5/w266-h400/Batman%20wayne%20fam.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 2</i> (DC Comics) </b>I remain somewhat perplexed as to how exactly this comic is produced, with one of the two inkers, Starbite, getting second credit below the writer (as well as having a bio in the back). In addition to Starbite and fellow inker Toby Fan, there are six artists credited under "storyboards by", two artists under "backgrounds by" and then a "flats & rendering" credit. That seems like a whole lot of personnel for what is a visually rather simple comic (and it's been rearranged to read more like a comic book in these collections; in the original Webtoon format they are simply phone-friendly, equal-sized sequential panels that run in a vertical stream).</div><div><br /></div><div>My confusion about the process aside, it is clear that CRC Payne handles the scripts, and she's a magnificent writer, doing great character work with a large, even unwieldly cast of characters that includes the entire extended Bat-Family, with occasional appearances of Superman, the Justice League and even some villains and surprise characters. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is the only DC Comic that actually tackles the Batman cast as it actually stands, rather than strategically ignoring most of the characters because it's so much easier to do so (It <i>is</i> a little out of date though; Tim and Cassie are still wearing their New 52 Red Robin and Orphan costumes respectively, and Alfred is still alive, instead of temporarily dead, as he is in the other Batman comics). </div><div><br /></div><div>Among the highlights in this volume are seeing Alfred fly the Bat-plane to Kansas for a dinner with the Kents wherein they discuss their sons, Bruce Wayne consulting Superman on how to tie a tie (when Alfred is out of town) and the whole Justice League chiming in and the family rallying to keep Bruce Wayne in bed when injuries ground him from being Batman and all teaming-up to support Jason when he has a traumatic flashback to his death.</div><div><br />It's all around great stuff, and by far my favorite modern Batman comic. <br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRsTyk9Z0gdB1a5mJg_l6VqgDbYrDB4_GiS3IB6qyJ7HYoYCVJpvXzvtWvDVdDFVRQMCRCeSEzy850VelN9s9egXJE301XtLE6Q2VVTggrJZL2VutALIzHorElMjA2R1K5rELMNNmb8jbewBT-9jaDqqBQHxzGONiA2XyjujPhUxbIujDTJeH/s595/godzilla%20rivals%20round%20one.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="392" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRsTyk9Z0gdB1a5mJg_l6VqgDbYrDB4_GiS3IB6qyJ7HYoYCVJpvXzvtWvDVdDFVRQMCRCeSEzy850VelN9s9egXJE301XtLE6Q2VVTggrJZL2VutALIzHorElMjA2R1K5rELMNNmb8jbewBT-9jaDqqBQHxzGONiA2XyjujPhUxbIujDTJeH/w264-h400/godzilla%20rivals%20round%20one.webp" width="264" /></a></div><b><i>Godzilla Rivals: Round One</i> (IDW Publishing) </b><i>Godzilla Rivals </i>is a series of standalone one-shots by rotating creative teams pitting Godzilla against one of his classic Toho foes...and telling the story of human characters underfoot in the process. Well, <i>most</i> of the installments in the series pit Godzilla against one of his foes. Some issues feature two non-Godzilla Toho characters duking it out, as in <i>Godzilla Rivals: Biollante Vs. Destroyah</i> or <i>Godzilla Rivals: Rodan Vs. Ebirah</i>. For the first collection, subtitled <i>Round One,</i> all of the stories feature the King of the Monsters himself. <div><br /></div><div>There are four in total, spanning the decades from a 1971-set battle against Hedorah in New York City to a 2027 encounter with Battra in the small, sea-side town of Hackney-On-Sea. Of these, the most substantial feeling is probably writer/artist Adam Gorham's <i>Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah</i>, set in 1996. </div><div><br /></div><div>In it, the Xiliens are attacking Earth in laser beam-spitting flying saucers, and Godzilla is doing his best to down the invading armada. He's eventually downed by a super-cannon and abducted in a little force bubble (as in 1965's <i>Invasion of the Astro-Monster</i>) and taken away to a Xilien outpost on Mars. There he's forced to fight in gladitorial combat for the amusement/distraction of the Xilien masses, fighting such foes as a trio of Kamacuras (this story is full of such cameos to Toho films, as we'll see). </div><div><br /></div><div>While Earth seems to be losing the war with the Xiliens, a Dr. Ogilvy Hu (who resembles the cape-swishing villain Dr. Who of 1967's<i> King Kong Escapes</i>) gathers Earth's leaders at his secret base and, after a very talky series of panels, explains his plan: pilot Captain Daitan Matsushita and a robot of his invention will pilot a special interplanetary stealth ship to Mars to drop an "electro-bomb" on the Xiliens' headquarters, disrupting their computer systems and allowing Earth's forces to turn the tide of the war against them.</div><div><br /></div><div>As it happens, the attack happens just as the Xiliens have allowed Godzilla, who of course made short work of the Kamacuras, to face off against their monster champion, Monster Zero (That's King Ghidorah, of course). The bombing plan doesn't go quite as expected, but Godzilla, empowered by the radiation of the surface of Mars, manages to defeat his rival and, with his radioactive breath, destroy the target the bomb was intended for. Godzilla thus saves Earth, even while stuck on Mars. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Hedorah story, written by Paul Allor and drawn by E.J. Su, is mostly interesting for the moral quandaries navigated by the two human protagonists, both of whom seemingly want to survive at all costs, and may have a way of driving the two warring monsters off, if only someone is willing to sacrifice their own life to pull it off.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's also a Godzilla Vs. Mothra story by Mary Kenney, SL Gallant and Maria Keane that finds a reporter discovering the secret captivity of Mothra and attempting to rescue her...just in time for the giant moth to stave off an attack by Godzilla (there are some nice lettering effects to intimate the strange speech patterns of the Shobijin in this one). </div><div><br /></div><div>And in the final Battra story, by Rosie Knight and Oliver Ono, Battra awakens in a small town and seems poised to start its task of destroying humanity to save the Earth, until the human heroes locate Godzilla, who fights the big bug (already in its final form; the larval stage is skipped in this story). They battle for a few pages, but before either monster can win decisively, Mothra shows up to talk sense to them, and gets them to not only stop fighting, but to warn Battra off of attacking the humans, who are just as much victims of environmental degradation as the Earth itself is. There's some particularly strong art in this chapter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, it's a pretty strong entry in IDW's Godzilla comics (and a far better read then the last couple I've read, the all-ages <i>Monsters & Protectors</i> collections). Certainly it lacks the narrative heft of the longer series that have preceded it, but the anthology format is a nice way to share the spotlight among Toho's wider menagerie of monsters. I<i> am</i> curious how the Godzilla-free stories pitting his rivals against one another read, but I guess I'll have to wait until a hypothetical <i>Round Two </i>for that. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwLnZTZX9iMjA9qMwA3y8i0uykkLsJcBi4AK9VAyY3ZS7uc2xWZZKcWHqCOsLiEpgQeU2X-kYUbDlBMuBMYRraiqkf9PEUv-X1ct3LmPOAghZgNAumbQeNqvPRAGE-isdgv91Rf3Oxg2pOhYN1Ir6w34a7oJx-wA9S3z1cXXuVh2q1LMKziyR/s595/mando%20and%20child.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="595" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwLnZTZX9iMjA9qMwA3y8i0uykkLsJcBi4AK9VAyY3ZS7uc2xWZZKcWHqCOsLiEpgQeU2X-kYUbDlBMuBMYRraiqkf9PEUv-X1ct3LmPOAghZgNAumbQeNqvPRAGE-isdgv91Rf3Oxg2pOhYN1Ir6w34a7oJx-wA9S3z1cXXuVh2q1LMKziyR/w400-h400/mando%20and%20child.webp" width="400" /></a></div><b><i>Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Child</i> (Chronicle Books)</b> The essential conceit of cartoonist Jeffrey Brown's original collection of <i>Star Wars</i> gags, the 2012 <i>Darth Vader and Son</i>, was to imagine Darth Vader as a harried single father raising a little boy version of Luke while also attending to his demanding day job, as evil Sith Lord and commander within the Galactic Empire. That lead to several other, similar collections, including <i>Vader's Little Princess</i> and <i>Darth Vader and Friends</i>, but the idea was essentially the same. <div><br /></div><div>The problem with Brown's latest venture with the <i>Star Wars </i>IP, focused on the three-season long Disney+ streaming TV show <i>The Mandalorian</i>, is that the show itself has as its core conceit the bad-ass bounty hunter as a harried single father raising a little kid. So here the jokes that Brown seeks to tell are so close to the source material that they are intent on spoofing that it all feels uncomfortably flat. Brown exaggerates the child care angle, of course, but it's only by degree, and thus the jokes all feel fairly small compared to those in his earlier <i>Star Wars </i>books. </div><div><br /></div><div>The art is pretty great, at least, but he does struggle to capture the adorable-ness of the Grogu puppet used in the show. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>REVIEWED: </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOjGCk4LOF_3IPsoM1zn7cQMnifG-VBaUAEc7J5UpvsgpZPBmaqkTOXlAZEk0kyFbk4OCKj3AR2jzGBJnO_F_4C6mnFJ1u4k-HmefnWGJpwSf4grgPgGP_zIqcwSU2kFFBaLscviGI2AWX77hECql2eRO3Nh5NQWbmyFEkQYoIA0j9BrlDdZd/s1500/Tasty-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1057" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOjGCk4LOF_3IPsoM1zn7cQMnifG-VBaUAEc7J5UpvsgpZPBmaqkTOXlAZEk0kyFbk4OCKj3AR2jzGBJnO_F_4C6mnFJ1u4k-HmefnWGJpwSf4grgPgGP_zIqcwSU2kFFBaLscviGI2AWX77hECql2eRO3Nh5NQWbmyFEkQYoIA0j9BrlDdZd/w281-h400/Tasty-1.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><b><i>Tasty: A History of Yummy Experiments</i> (RH Graphic)</b> This sequel to Victoria Grace Elliott's <i>Yummy</i> brings back the cartoonist's food sprite characters for another series of history lessons of common foods, this time including cheese, pickles and pizza. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/12/22/tasty-a-history-of-yummy-experiments-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /></div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-44332710994301499632023-12-12T10:12:00.000-08:002023-12-12T10:12:56.270-08:00A Month of Wednesdays: November 2023<p><b>BORROWED: </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDz_seDChBcTnHYBB6JEmHjncxrwYP25-Gi1LXlY-7aO7Ey7pcQHWQMG_1x9XgLmCgeYsTstt48dICm2VpQO9RE98Jr1mOXyfitFAi22Zijdn1HlTjD4MqzC-Hr4kh-J2Bo3fnfKwMTWdpg7qrMgybCwgpdHwubpCpTUuY-5JOPvtpnEFoZNIO/s595/Mabuhay.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="409" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDz_seDChBcTnHYBB6JEmHjncxrwYP25-Gi1LXlY-7aO7Ey7pcQHWQMG_1x9XgLmCgeYsTstt48dICm2VpQO9RE98Jr1mOXyfitFAi22Zijdn1HlTjD4MqzC-Hr4kh-J2Bo3fnfKwMTWdpg7qrMgybCwgpdHwubpCpTUuY-5JOPvtpnEFoZNIO/w275-h400/Mabuhay.webp" width="275" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">Mabuhay! </i><b>(Scholastic) </b>Teenage JJ Bulan wants nothing more than to fit in and be popular at school, but instead he always feels like he's on the outside looking in, a fact he blames in part on his family and their Filipino heritage. It probably doesn't help that his parents fully embrace that heritage in their business, the food truck The Beautiful Pig, which JJ and his little sister Althea are guilt-forced to work; she giving away free samples, he wearing a pig mascot costume and dancing around with a sign.<p></p><p>As self-conscious as JJ is about all of the things that mark him as different from his peers, the siblings are about to learn that their family is far stranger than they ever suspected: It turns out their mom was raised by witches in the Philippines and can wield rather powerful magic herself...magic that they seem to have inherited.</p><p>On top of their regular, everyday teen problems—and, it should be said, these are compelling enough that the advent of the witches plot almost seems superfluous to the drama of the graphic novel—the kids are now being menaced by an ogre and witches at school, and find themselves allied with the characters from Filipino folklore stories that their mom had previously introduced them to in preachy, lesson-stories. </p><p>Will they learn to embrace their heritage, and all that makes them unique, in time to save their family and the world from an ancient, folkloric evil? That's the crux of cartoonist Zacharay Sterling's winning <i>Mabuhay!</i>, which is a Filipino expression used as a greeting or to express well wishes, translating to something like "Long live!" </p><p>It's one of the many terms that appear in footnotes throughout the book, and a glossary in the back, explaining the pronunciation and definition of the many Filipino terms and expressions that are sprinkled throughout Sterling's book. There's even a two-page, illustrated recipe in comics form, for one of the Bulans' signature Filipino dishes, chicken adobo.</p><p>In the author's note that follows the completion of the story, Sterling explains that though this isn't quite an autobiography, it is very much his story, and that, like JJ, he grew up devouring all sorts of media, but rarely finding himself or his family represented in any of it, that "when you grow up noticing how little you or your family fits the mold of anything you see on a screen or a page, you can't help but feel left out."</p><p>With <i>Mabuhay!</i>, he corrects that lack of representation of Filipino kids and families in comics and media...well, he certainly doesn't solve the problem forever or anything, but he does make a great stride in the right direction, giving people like his family and his people a great work that reflects who they are.<br /><br />Which isn't to say that this is a comic strictly for Filipinos; the story is one that should resonate with anyone who struggles growing up in the world with an immigrant our outsider identity, or even just doubts about themselves and their family and how or if they fit into the rest of the world. Don't miss it. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXI-i0TUrzkSTf1X2ANrUWD6x78PPo0ECAT213tf5uPGuKkaiZYIJQHJU7bT0jFSC0AZj0540S4YOz7lmxOC5_AdTw2ptBwhoyN-nlK400hjaKRoNETXIm5UxWEQo7n83UrXXS54QK_hq6_ZU84f_GOEeybXt76gupK2Hpy6lOuyMwzTmtUmxc/s595/super%20hero's%20journey.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="452" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXI-i0TUrzkSTf1X2ANrUWD6x78PPo0ECAT213tf5uPGuKkaiZYIJQHJU7bT0jFSC0AZj0540S4YOz7lmxOC5_AdTw2ptBwhoyN-nlK400hjaKRoNETXIm5UxWEQo7n83UrXXS54QK_hq6_ZU84f_GOEeybXt76gupK2Hpy6lOuyMwzTmtUmxc/w304-h400/super%20hero's%20journey.webp" width="304" /></a></div><b><i>The Super Hero's Journey</i> (Abrams ComicsArts) </b>Here's something that super-comics could do with far more of: Something completely unexpected. The 112-page, storybook-sized hardcover is the work of <i>Mutts</i> cartoonist Patrick McDonnell, working with an unusual "collaboration" with Marvel Universe architects Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and others that samples and repurposes many panels of their original comics to tell a new story that is essentially a love-letter to the original, first-generation of the Marvel Universe.<p></p><p>When drawing the Marvel superheroes, as he does throughout the book, McDonnell, one of the most accomplished cartoonists whose work you're likely to still see in a newspaper comic strip, works in a style that differs sharply from that one may be familiar with from his work on <i>Mutts</i> and his several children's picture books. It looks like the work of a rather accomplished child-artist, someone who doesn't live and breathe post-Kirby action-adventure narratives trying his hand at capturing the style (In fact, McDonnell shares some of his own fan art from 1966 or so and it's remarkable the degree to which his new Marvel art echoes that of his childhood. </p><p>His book opens with a biographical note, with a prologue set in Edison, New Jersey in 1966. In panels drawn in his normal style, McDonnell tells of he and his siblings' early experiences with Marvel Comics: "Reading those early <b><i>Marvel</i></b> comic books by <b><i>Stan Lee</i></b>, <b><i>Jack Kirby</i></b>, and <b><i>Steve Ditko</i></b> was life-altering...I was <i style="font-weight: bold;">transformed-- --AND TRANSPORTED. I WATCHED AND I MARVELED.</i>" These words of narration accompany images drawings by Kirby and Ditko, as the McDonnell-drawn McDonnell moves through a portal and seems absorbed into the world of classic Marvel comics, seemingly replaced by that cosmic reader stand-in, The Watcher. </p><p>From there, a mini-Marvel saga begins, with panels from classic Marvel comics repurposed, with occasional bridges drawn by McDonnell, to introduce The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The Hulk, each wrestling with negative thoughts, the sort of self-doubt and melodrama that differentiated the highly-emotional Marvel heroes from their stoic and staid DC rivals in the early and mid-sixties. </p><p>Recontextualized and repurposed, it is clear that there's some sort of threat to the heroes and their world afoot, a threat perpetuated by one of comics' most iconic villains: Doctor Doom. In a McDonnel-created panel, inset against a Kirby image with Lee-written narration, Doom boasts: "I've harnessed the power of the <b>Negative Zone</b> and started spreading its negativity across the land, <b>crushing </b>the human spirit." </p><p>Eventually, the world turns on its heroes, and the heroes on each other, commencing a giant brawl that will involve them all (including late arrival, The Black Panther). It's up to Mr. Fantastic Reed Richards and The Watcher to try to figure out what's going on and counter it, even as the ante is upped by the imminent arrival of Galactus. After a brief detour into "The Romance Zone", where Reed finds Doom gradually appearing on the covers of titles like <i>Teen-Age Romance</i> and <i>My Own Romance</i> and realizes his archenemy is behind the mess. </p><p>What can counter such negativity? What else but love, a superpower suggested in a quote by Kirby, and when the quote and koan-spouting Watcher and Reed manage to harness it and activate it, all is set right, but did it cost Reed his life?<br /><br />He finds himself lying in the darkness, asking "What happened?", just as a dying soldier once asked Kirby in a war story he told. </p><p>The story complete, an epilogue set in the present honors Kirby, Lee and Ditko...on a page alongside McDonnell's own parents, and updates us on the state of the settings of the prologue. It's an appropriate enough climax, "mushy", to use McDonnell—or was it Lee's, originally?—word, but, like every other page of the book, generated by the men who made Marvel, the men who are the true super heroes being lionized and glorified in the book more so than the big, strong men (and a couple of women) who make up the roster of tights-clad super-people in the drama. </p><p>The book includes a pin-up of Reed, a letters column (in which letter hacks ask questions about the work a reader is likely to have, making the exercise a bit like a mini-interview with McDonnell about the work), an exhaustive sourcing of all of the images by Kirby, Ditko, Don Heck, Vince Colletta, Joe Sinnot and others that were used in the book, and a long list of all the quotes that are used during the book, some from Kirby and Lee, others from the likes of Eckhart Tolle, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Carl Jung, Marianne Williamson and the like. </p><p>A love letter to the foundation of Marvel, and to the escapist power of comic books in general, it's an amazing work. </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>REVIEWED: </b></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhU8_ODcrlRNoRv75nDNKXY3Y7Cpyt-qLU36K2QZ4teo5yWTKnR3AdTgIAAPhPrWqHK2cZBxJeW6wD9E5iXKVwQQdTfR0RF-aQb8w-AQ543zVmd9uoJDjw_F1hY0VWmVjspJ7wn8-_iDeE17GSK7-FsenaVvbn9tI3tIUEiHcRsj12AN90mUn2/s595/Accidental%20Warriors.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhU8_ODcrlRNoRv75nDNKXY3Y7Cpyt-qLU36K2QZ4teo5yWTKnR3AdTgIAAPhPrWqHK2cZBxJeW6wD9E5iXKVwQQdTfR0RF-aQb8w-AQ543zVmd9uoJDjw_F1hY0VWmVjspJ7wn8-_iDeE17GSK7-FsenaVvbn9tI3tIUEiHcRsj12AN90mUn2/w280-h400/Accidental%20Warriors.webp" width="280" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>The Accidental Warriors</i> </b>This self-published fantasy adventure from writer Karl Fields and artist David Velasquez finds two little kid friends on their way to martial arts class when they take a major detour—through a portal to another world, in an attempt to save their teacher's daughter from a reptillian monster man. There the pair soon becomes separated, and we follow Jalen as he tries to find his lost friend Ram, rescue their teacher's daughter and find a way back home. Along the way he meets all kinds of characters, including a riddle-telling anthropomorphic rabbit, a version of Norse god Loki and the leader of a tribe of young magic-users, and he must face such challenges as a hell modeled on a school where the bullies run things. Jalen and Ram are interesting characters to throw into your typical kids-in-another-world narrative, and Velasquez's art, brilliantly colored by Gio Wolf, is appealing. <p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN50qYdgdag5UUpfjgeEAgvrdIhE8RESvMMKli-f-A3NzLjLYqRNA6A-sZQcEtHmr28VKqDn7zsBXog3PK4FJ8smU9YRRQuiEb5A3VNqvgxdMiMaUat5we-91qMAFKGg8qq77sZMpX3iSmBfE0zsUTq0Y__AvIUVF4GNT8PL4aL8jN-8Tjl0v1/s1215/Godzilla-.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN50qYdgdag5UUpfjgeEAgvrdIhE8RESvMMKli-f-A3NzLjLYqRNA6A-sZQcEtHmr28VKqDn7zsBXog3PK4FJ8smU9YRRQuiEb5A3VNqvgxdMiMaUat5we-91qMAFKGg8qq77sZMpX3iSmBfE0zsUTq0Y__AvIUVF4GNT8PL4aL8jN-8Tjl0v1/w264-h400/Godzilla-.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><b><i>Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors—All Hail The King! </i>(IDW Publishing) </b>The continuation of Erik Burnham and Dan Schoening's kid-friendly Godzilla series finds three kings in conflict: King Ghidorah, King Caesar and, of course, Godzilla, the King of the Monsters. While hardly the publisher's best offering featuring Toho's characters and concepts—I can't get over just how unlikable our protagonist really is—it's still Godzilla, which, for me at least, means it's still of interest. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/11/15/godzilla-monsters-protectors-all-hail-the-king-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6ynkxnGViHQUgKRE18wolTekOVptxMOZoV82RF1YvtfxvnoB84tWYR7PkgKlyVCpsw4nhN2KbveSIV691KxjXr5xbhMZ2tW5svUaKynFmYimzRQOoO9AWbtTOS8uajkYnV-lenwxPej2JOhUTVgfBtyyBT1yXvlyKsp8kgz1itBESZmu4P2s/s595/monkey%20prince.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="397" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6ynkxnGViHQUgKRE18wolTekOVptxMOZoV82RF1YvtfxvnoB84tWYR7PkgKlyVCpsw4nhN2KbveSIV691KxjXr5xbhMZ2tW5svUaKynFmYimzRQOoO9AWbtTOS8uajkYnV-lenwxPej2JOhUTVgfBtyyBT1yXvlyKsp8kgz1itBESZmu4P2s/w268-h400/monkey%20prince.webp" width="268" /></a></div><b><i>Monkey Prince Vol. 2: The Monkey King and I</i> (DC Comics) </b>I go on a bit too long about the nature of superhero comics crossovers in <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/11/29/monkey-prince-vol-2-the-monkey-king-and-i-review/" target="_blank">this review </a>of the second half of Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang's overall well-done <i>Monkey Prince</i> limited series, the end of which is more or less scuttled by the intrusion of the <i>Batman Vs. Robin</i>/<i>Lazarus Planet</i> business. <br /><div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9G6QGTxl2iq040JSVxnbaIbBqgu52GMyiwHlE2FQM3CUOP-iUQQNDECB22eXZAA7V7cgUS9ZH4ZTxRySkXiKPl9md4WCNx6W4YDo5ucdHXD67T3ktom-xdDo-5dHsFs7sI2FoAR5nxqhmrB9-SSFn_MdFN7oEpSliVt0lSyfSn8Hb8meZ1fu/s1369/Death-Star.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9G6QGTxl2iq040JSVxnbaIbBqgu52GMyiwHlE2FQM3CUOP-iUQQNDECB22eXZAA7V7cgUS9ZH4ZTxRySkXiKPl9md4WCNx6W4YDo5ucdHXD67T3ktom-xdDo-5dHsFs7sI2FoAR5nxqhmrB9-SSFn_MdFN7oEpSliVt0lSyfSn8Hb8meZ1fu/w263-h400/Death-Star.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><b><i>Star Wars: Tales From the Death Star </i>(Dark Horse Books) </b>The all-ages <i>Star Wars</i> comics have settled into their new-old home at Dark Horse, after years at IDW, and the annual tradition of spooky, "horror" stories set in the world has made the transition nicely, with writer Cavan Scott and a handful of artist collaborators presenting another tale in which a storyteller presents stories-within-the story, these all intended to scare a youngster out of a dangerous course of action: Visiting the ruins of one of the Empire's titular super-weapons. Scott certainly has the formula perfected at this point, and the comics run like clockwork. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/11/09/star-wars-tales-from-the-death-star-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7O42a1jkftpiRd6Ksdi3k0KL35HTaaOVeg0i9FPz8gEtXM-8qEX7BmkBCDbCrItZbkPR8NuIaMm1RnEwZq0Ng10kb-4XN8SMn-RuHCpp-c0taEsbSn3HDUwI2tTsp_bXGoMgAtHi9qJ08hHEv90FsvCDjKFkiVjq0f2DZG8BIEBJJUXMHPZMb/s595/Superman%20Vs.%20Meshi%20Vol.%202.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="394" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7O42a1jkftpiRd6Ksdi3k0KL35HTaaOVeg0i9FPz8gEtXM-8qEX7BmkBCDbCrItZbkPR8NuIaMm1RnEwZq0Ng10kb-4XN8SMn-RuHCpp-c0taEsbSn3HDUwI2tTsp_bXGoMgAtHi9qJ08hHEv90FsvCDjKFkiVjq0f2DZG8BIEBJJUXMHPZMb/w265-h400/Superman%20Vs.%20Meshi%20Vol.%202.webp" width="265" /></a></div><b><i>Superman Vs. Meshi </i>(DC) </b>While it seems like it was just yesterday that I was introduced to my new favorite superhero comic, it was actually two whole months ago, <a href="https://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-month-of-wednesdays-september-2023.html" target="_blank">in September</a>, that I first learned of Superman's recent fascination with Japanese chain restaurants, and his habit of visiting them every chance he got. Now we've got another volume of The Man of Steel's culinary adventures, this one mostly focusing on his sharing meals with various peers. I can't emphasize enough just how fun these comics are (I mean, just dig that cover!). More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/11/16/superman-vs-meshi-vol-2-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBr6AYWX_9ZVNjkBjcYTzgeSP13hXqeU__2VKDquLltXV1ocxBx7Cl7BaSpjPAXEHQSF-AJsd5qKq_AUOSa7eyPyPIFHxLvh-vee0YAvZ0_nw8gLVUQjfMhPK4EQDluJscNn48O30sYNyJh-OJz1LoNlD7VhTirmQkPVakjJJ9rVWS47JbS_l/s595/Turtle%20Bread.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="415" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBr6AYWX_9ZVNjkBjcYTzgeSP13hXqeU__2VKDquLltXV1ocxBx7Cl7BaSpjPAXEHQSF-AJsd5qKq_AUOSa7eyPyPIFHxLvh-vee0YAvZ0_nw8gLVUQjfMhPK4EQDluJscNn48O30sYNyJh-OJz1LoNlD7VhTirmQkPVakjJJ9rVWS47JbS_l/w279-h400/Turtle%20Bread.webp" width="279" /></a></div><b><i>Turtle Bread </i>(Dark Horse) </b>I had no idea who writer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim-Joy" target="_blank">Kim-Joy</a> was when I first picked this book up and read it, but she is apparently a celebrity baker that will be familiar to many of the people who read this comic. Knowing that she's a baker, reality show be-er on and cook book author actually makes her comics debut all the more impressive; it doesn't read like the work of an amateur at all, nor of a dilettante transitioning her fame to dabble in a "hot" publishing genre. Rather, it's a highly accomplished work, one that tells the compelling story of a young woman suffering from crushing social anxiety as she makes new friends at a baking club and begins to come out of her shell. A great deal of credit must certainly go to the artist, Alti Firmansyah, given that a long, important passage of the book is told silently. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/11/22/turtle-bread-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-65119842215891907912023-11-05T08:22:00.001-08:002023-11-05T08:22:23.383-08:00A Month of Wednesdays: October 2023<p><b> BOUGHT:</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGFMCnaKoF9Rm6JTnhgWUnnSGX8SPoWp3CAqBLMaOgF_icHxCMGHvMz53-cP01zrGK33vtyjBt1BQYlkPsSdJJsNFZP7iBXpDwIkYgPVF8x6k26atjAkeFZgeqzZ_v1uWxLrNzNuqLDWpBCUct90N_ZKya7xdb1YkIYqO9MZT_fy8in0jcLcz/s595/tmnt.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGFMCnaKoF9Rm6JTnhgWUnnSGX8SPoWp3CAqBLMaOgF_icHxCMGHvMz53-cP01zrGK33vtyjBt1BQYlkPsSdJJsNFZP7iBXpDwIkYgPVF8x6k26atjAkeFZgeqzZ_v1uWxLrNzNuqLDWpBCUct90N_ZKya7xdb1YkIYqO9MZT_fy8in0jcLcz/w260-h400/tmnt.webp" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn, Vol. 7—Isolation</i> (IDW Publishing) </b>The tag on the cover says "The Armageddon Game", and the seven issues included in this collection are apparently those that were published in the pages of the main<i> TMNT</i> comic while the <i>TMNT: Armageddon Game </i>miniseries was unfolding. As such, it's clear that quite a bit of other stuff featuring the stars of the series is going on somewhere else, stuff that only occasionally intersects with the plotting of the stories collected in this trade. Still, it's surprisingly readable, with only two or three of the issues noticeably impacted by that other stuff.<p></p><p>The first five issues or so are relatively straightforward, focusing on the two ninja turtles still in Mutant Town, Donatello and Jennika, while the other three are off doing other things. Donatello is working a monitor array and trying to keep tabs on everything happening in town, while simultaneously protecting Triceraton regent, Seri. Jennika, meanwhile, is filling in as town constable, while Raphael is off participating in the event series. </p><p>Mayor Baxter Stockman gives a state of the city address and he is attacked on camera by four white-masked mutant turtles with familiar-looking weapons (these seem to be the turtles Campbell drew in <i>TMNT FCBD 2022: The Armageddon Game</i>, which was collected in<i> TMNT: Reborn, Vol. 6</i>). This sets off riots in Mutant Town, as differing factions of the populace react violently in different directions. Meanwhile, the Utrom's from Burnow Island send an assassination squad to take out Seri, and Donatello experiments with a magic crystal that recalled the events of 1986's <i>Donatello </i>"micro-series" to an extent. </p><p>Things get weird part-way through the fifth issue, wherein a bunch of other characters presumably from the pages of <i>Armageddon Game </i>join a fight scene, one which grows between issues to include more out-of-left-field participants, including the IDW version of Cudley from the old Archie Comics. I realize I'm reading this in the "wrong" way, and that the ideal way to read it is in the individual issues as they're published serially; presumably, this stuff would make more sense that way.</p><p>From there, the reunited five ninja turtles are whisked away to learn a new, tenth secret move from The Shredder and Kitsune, and, in the cliffhanger ending, face the Rat King, the prime mover behind the Armageddon Game.</p><p>Sophie Campbell continues to write the series, while Fero Pe provides all of the art. I, as always, would have preferred Campbell at least penciling the art to anyone else, but Pe is good, and the style is well within the range of Campbell's. My favorite bits of the collection, however, are the cover collaborations between Campbell and Kevin Eastman, of which there are seven. This is, in my mind, the ideal TMNT art team, and do hope IDW eventually has them draw a prestige graphic novel together, perhaps one that Campbell writes as well. </p><p><br /><br /><br /><b>BORROWED:</b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS6hKOcKEAh40omt05NINZJtY6V6jfu7ejAiSHFN7yIOWEl8Xd1xuE8-XnK_Sgt8Zpf9wPj2izFwzwiBuqxKe3wwxY3_j8bku_QduTCxFkT4-t6Rl1FdJUHnATCQoDLrH11nDr_LxDbvDXHN1yKON5kJL7io1A36lbg3LvfAhYq3XRQro4JooA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="395" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS6hKOcKEAh40omt05NINZJtY6V6jfu7ejAiSHFN7yIOWEl8Xd1xuE8-XnK_Sgt8Zpf9wPj2izFwzwiBuqxKe3wwxY3_j8bku_QduTCxFkT4-t6Rl1FdJUHnATCQoDLrH11nDr_LxDbvDXHN1yKON5kJL7io1A36lbg3LvfAhYq3XRQro4JooA=w265-h400" width="265" /></a></b></div><b><i>Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo: The Deluxe Edition</i> (DC Comics) </b>Superstar artist, Image co-founder and Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri gets a special showcase series on DC's mature readers Black Label imprint, playing with two of the most popular toys in the publisher's toybox. <p></p><p>Originally a seven-issue miniseries, <i>Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo </i>features the rather unlikely—and quite unequal—"team-up" between the two archenemies, written as well as drawn by Silvestri (Colorist Arif Prianto provides the color art). </p><p>This is forced by the mysterious new villain, who spends much of the series hidden under a purple-ish hood and cloak (that's the villain on the cover, under Batman's right wing). By kidnapping Commissioner Gordon and Harley Quinn, the villain forces the pair to work together, giving them a series of impossible-seeming, almost <i>Saw</i>-like tasks involving deciding who should live and who should die. </p><p>Meanwhile, a series of gruesome beheadings is being carried out by monstrously strong and tough creatures that physically resemble The Joker. The victims all seem related to a single incident, a botched armored car robbery-turned-hostage situation at a high society wedding, for which the father of the bride, who just so happens to be involved in cutting-edge genetic research, blames Batman, The Joker and the Gotham City Police Department in equal measure for its tragic, high body count ending. </p><p>He would seem to be the obvious suspect, then, and, while it's not a mystery story, Silvestri <i>doe</i>s manage to throw a convincing curveball. So too is there some misdirection regarding The Joker's motivations for playing along. He's not really trying to save Harley Quinn, but get his greatest desire fulfilled by the villain, who has the means to deliver it. As to what that is, well, it's worth reading to find out, isn't it? </p><p>The story is engaging enough, and Silvestri does a fine job writing the various players, which include Batman mainstays Harvey Bullock, Alfred, Nightwing, Catwoman and Batgirl Barbara Gordon. The set-up, bringing The Joker and Batman together as a sort of team, works, especially considering what a heavy story-telling lift that is, and the various riffs on the nature of Batman, The Joker and their relationship to one another are satisfying. </p><p>Given Silvestri's reputation as an artist, I was honestly surprised by how good the writing was. It's hardly a revelatory or revolutionary comic, of course, but it is not bad at all. </p><p>The real point of the endeavor is, of course, to show off Silvestri's artwork, and, specifically, apply it to Batman. This shouldn't disappoint any of the artist's fans, or, I would think, many Batman fans. While the storytelling isn't the greatest, and the images don't always flow together in a compelling fashion, the individual images are all generally strong, highlighting Silvestri's figurework and his particularly strong Batman.</p><p>I read the story in the "Deluxe Edition" hardcover format, which means that, in addition to 38 pages of variant covers in thte back, there's a similar amount of space devoted to Silvestri's original pencils, as well as an aftterword by Silvestri. </p><p>As for the variants, they are by particularly high-caliber artists, and, chances are, your favorite Batman artist drew one of them. Among the EDILW-favorite artists to draw variants include Kelley Jones, Mike Mignola, Kyle Hotz, John McCrea, Simon Bisley and Guillem March, any of whom I would have turned a cartwheel if I heard they were drawing a 150-ish page Batman/Joker story for DC, although <i>Deadly Duo</i> would have been very, very different if any of them did; this is, after all, a Silvestri story through and through. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlDXx59p_4_pVviHpJ_G0ZxyBDBeLDQYdWpoxmfn_QiP3l99FwXMNwiytLeU6d1tHe7NsW9M9bXjPWa8CvnBcOEd7M39goyHD3o2uU4PeL9w5y9qM7ItLYrEP4G1LTZu67DeSKpLIyrdKKYM9qb-Ba4EFtlKcmQ1s9oRdkmVw56A3-Ff-nmUj/s595/komi%2027.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlDXx59p_4_pVviHpJ_G0ZxyBDBeLDQYdWpoxmfn_QiP3l99FwXMNwiytLeU6d1tHe7NsW9M9bXjPWa8CvnBcOEd7M39goyHD3o2uU4PeL9w5y9qM7ItLYrEP4G1LTZu67DeSKpLIyrdKKYM9qb-Ba4EFtlKcmQ1s9oRdkmVw56A3-Ff-nmUj/w266-h400/komi%2027.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 27</i> (Viz Comics) </b>This volume is dominated by the dramatization of the kids playing an online game <i>Amanjite Asu</i>,<i> </i>which I <i>think</i> is an off-brand version of the game <i>Among Us</i>, (enabled by Komi finally getting a new, smart phone), but I know so little about video games that I'm just guessing. This takes up about 70 pages total, and given that I didn't really relate to the game and only had a marginal idea of what was going on, made this a less-than-enjoyable installment of the long-running series.<div><br /></div><div>The rest of the volume involves some new phone shenanigans, the boy who can't talk to girls playing soccer, and the girls discussing kissing—climaxing with Komi bringing the subject up with Tadano. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>REVIEWED:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-x-vjUFavp7dIy_8zx2_DhppIryTC4Kkhr-Pp6lcomx6axfVZUho-L3e01pFHZE0hrNNWI7XYw-_5mCGHW0p0uOHI0JmmLktt5jVzbSrokdPtP9fwf_6hMmyDuXmbNVzxtzBXmRBjPTKZEBd0Ptina9mmhwyGxzZs7x49AY-yQMuxkk5FeGel/s1308/Ghost-Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1308" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-x-vjUFavp7dIy_8zx2_DhppIryTC4Kkhr-Pp6lcomx6axfVZUho-L3e01pFHZE0hrNNWI7XYw-_5mCGHW0p0uOHI0JmmLktt5jVzbSrokdPtP9fwf_6hMmyDuXmbNVzxtzBXmRBjPTKZEBd0Ptina9mmhwyGxzZs7x49AY-yQMuxkk5FeGel/w275-h400/Ghost-Book.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><b><i>Ghost Book </i>(Henry Holt and Company) </b>Wanna hear a weird coincidence? I checked this book out of my library, knowing nothing about it other than the fact that it was by the great Remy Lai and that it had something to do with ghosts. I decided to wait until a trip I was taking to Baltimore to read it, as I knew I would have a lot of down time in a hotel room by myself and need plenty of reading material. A few weeks later, on my drive to Baltimore, I was listening to the audiobook version of Ken Jennings' <i>100 Places To See After you Die.</i> During the section on mythology, there's a chapter on the Chinese afterlife, which mentions "ghoulish bureaucrats like Horse-Face and Ox-Head." Mere hours later, when I cracked open <i>Ghost Book</i>, who do I see within the first few pages but Horse-Face and Ox-Head! In fact, <i>Ghost Book</i> deals pretty directly with the Chinese underworld and superstitions about death. It's a fun kids adventure making great use of those sources of inspiration. You can read more about it <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/10/31/ghost-book-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdYLxNSHyxsXaNdwzvqmieXVbrqeC_jyt9P4UDhBzP9hLqt5y28vNbwBbEabfv4qSmKSpoXCWt8krnPUp7UnySrKgdRtTIAfTqVlCXGKYg8XbnRcdq4cNlDJs7Y_rq1KMo4I5p-d9PsdVno_vGWMhyphenhyphenyVbWeWs7H8_h1ZZEAINEFAoE_WKrdlL/s1148/Wildfire.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdYLxNSHyxsXaNdwzvqmieXVbrqeC_jyt9P4UDhBzP9hLqt5y28vNbwBbEabfv4qSmKSpoXCWt8krnPUp7UnySrKgdRtTIAfTqVlCXGKYg8XbnRcdq4cNlDJs7Y_rq1KMo4I5p-d9PsdVno_vGWMhyphenhyphenyVbWeWs7H8_h1ZZEAINEFAoE_WKrdlL/w279-h400/Wildfire.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div><b><i>Wildfire</i> (Little, Brown and Company) </b>Cartoonist Breena Bard puts the recent northwestern wildfires in the context of climate change in this melodrama about a junior high student whose family loses their home in a wildfire and must move to Portland to try to start over. She's not ready to let go of her anger though, or to see the wildfire as part of a bigger, more pervasive threat to the planet instead of an isolated event caused by some dumb kids playing with fireworks. Her participation in her new school's Conservation Club, and her family's embrace of local climate change protests, eventually changes the way she sees things, and gets her to ask for the help she needs. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/10/19/wildfire-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-86912354373822855142023-10-31T17:00:00.010-07:002023-10-31T17:02:30.405-07:00Some Kickstarter campaigns of note <p>I<span style="font-family: inherit;"> feel weird about Kickstarter, the crowd-funding site that some comics folks use to bring their projects to life, instead of going the traditional route of securing a publisher. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've backed a couple projects there before (some Jim Lawson comics, <i>Mystery Science Theater 3000*</i>) and been pleased with the results, so I'm not, like, <i>opposed</i> to it or anything, I just think it's weird when certain creators or certain projects show up there, given the fact that they seem like they should be the exact sorts of comics that publishers should be fighting one another to publish, rather than something that the creators have to turn to crowd-funding to produce. (That said, I suppose it just might be a weird prejudice of mine against crowd-funding as a publication model; perhaps there are reasons Kickstarter is more appealing to a creator than working with a publisher, I don't know. I didn't ask any of these creators.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Case in point? Jeff Smith, the Eisner and Harvey-winning cartoonist extraordinaire whose resume includes <i>Bone</i>,<i> RASL</i>, <i>Tuki: Save the Humans</i>, <i>Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil</i> and <i>Little Mouse Gets Ready,</i> an artist who was on the pointy end of the spear of getting comic books in libraries and re-popularizing comics for kids again, is seeking to publish his early, pre-<i>Bone </i>(<i>proto</i>-<i>Bone</i>, in his words) college comic strip, <i>Thorn</i>, which used to run in the Ohio State University school paper <i>The Lantern </i>when Smith was a student there. (I've seen some of these in the 2008 book <i>Before Bone</i>, published in conjunction with his Wexner Center for the Arts show <i>Jeff Smith: Bone and Beyond,</i> and they're pretty fascinating to read in the context of the <i>Bone</i> that later saw print). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">One would think an artist of Smith's stature would have his pick of publishers, but <i>Thorn: The Complete Proto-Bone Comic Strips 1982-1986 and Other Early Drawings</i> is on Kickstarter. Again, maybe this is Smith's first choice, and he didn't even consider going with a publisher, but it strikes me as...<i>wrong</i> that a major publisher wouldn't want involved with the project, as relatively niche as it might be. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">As of this writing, there are 16 days left to go on <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cartoonbooks/thorn-the-complete-proto-bone-college-strips-1982-1986?ref=discovery&term=jeff%20smith" target="_blank">the campaign</a>. For $30, you can get a trade paperback version of the book, for $75 you can get a hardcover. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you've been a regular reader of EDILW for a long time now, you probably know my love of Kelley Jones' art knows no bounds, and little has excited me more than getting a new Kelley Jones comic, especially a new Kelley Jones Batman comic. In fact, I'm so fond of Kelley Jones that if Kelley Jones walked up to me on the street and asked me for, say, $50, I'd gladly give it to him. So obviously I was onboard with a Jones-related Kickstarter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">And this one looks like a doozy, as it also involves Dracula and cartoonist Matt Wagner (best known his <i>Mage </i>and <i>Grendel</i>, but, like Jones, he has plenty of great Batman comics to his name as well). <i>Dracula Vol. 1—The Impaler </i>is written by Wagner, drawn by Jones and will be the first in a series of graphic novels telling the life story of one of fiction's most famous characters. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">It seems like a perfect project for Dark Horse Comics or DC Comics, both of which have worked extensively with the creators in the past, or even Dynamite, where Wagner has been writing the adventures of other famous pop culture icons, like Zorro, The Shadow, The Spirit and the Green Hornet. Whatever though. Like I said, I would be happy to hand Jones money if he asked for it; if I got a Dracula comic by Jones and Wagner in exchange, well, who could ask for more?<br /><br />As of this writing, there are 16 days left on <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/draculatheimpaler/dracula-volume-1-the-impaler-by-matt-wagner-and-kelley-jones?ref=discovery&term=kelley%20jones" target="_blank">the campaign</a>. For $45 you get a hardcover version of the book, with either a Jones or a Wagner cover (I chose the Wagner cover, since I'd be getting all that Jones are on the inside). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, there's something that's only kinda sorta comics that is nevertheless near and dear to my heart, and was a big part in my falling in love with comic books in the first place: The old Palladium role-playing game based on Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's original, <i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> comics, <i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I and a friend of mine had played a little <i>Dungeons & Dragons </i>around the time we discovered these books, which featured black-and-white illustrations by Mirage Studios artists Eastman and Jim Lawson (in addition to being based on the early, Mirage issues of <i>TMNT,</i> they also included some short comics from Eastman and Laird, all of which I believe have since been collected repeatedly, including by IDW). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Palladium quickly overtook <i>D&D</i> in our affections, and between us we had all five of the TMNT sourcebooks, plus a few of the related <i>After The Bomb</i> books, which also involved mutant animal characters. We were playing these as I was buying my first TMNT comics, which brought me into a comic shop and well, here we are thirty-some years later. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm delighted to see that Palladium is bringing the books back in a pair of collections, even though I have some reservations about the way they're doing it; mainly, there will be new covers and everything will be color-ized, which, in addition to never looking quite right to my eyes (I didn't care for the colorized versions of some Mirage comics that IDW has published over the years), means the Turtles will be wearing their cartoon colors, rather than all wearing red, as in the original color covers of the original black and white covers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Luckily, they seem to have thought of the exact sort of snob that I am, as in addition to the new, colorized versions, they're also publishing black, white and red editions: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828;"><span>For those who want to enjoy a blast to the past version of the books more akin to the originals, this is for you." Neat! I backed at the level that would get me those versions of the two collections,<i> Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness </i>and <i>TMNT Transdimensional Adventures.</i> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As of this writing, there are 28 days left in <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/palladiumbooks/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-and-other-strangeness?ref=nav_search&result=popular&term=teenage%20mu" target="_blank">this campaign</a>, and there's a huge swathe of options of what you can get, from $50 for the <i>Other Strangeness Collection</i> all the way up to special dice and miniature figures. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the end of this blog post, so you can now leave EDILW and head over to Kickstarter where you can support any or all of these worthwhile projects. I hope you will; I'd like to see them all reach all their stretch goals. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">*<i>They're currently trying to raise funds for a fourteenth season, by the way, and they're doing it <a href="https://showmaker.mst3k.com/makeseason14?ref=ab_4KgwZH1tSo14KgwZH1tSo1" target="_blank">here</a>, rather than through Kickstarter this time. </i></span></p>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-32742102428441704212023-10-04T13:34:00.004-07:002023-10-04T13:36:33.031-07:00A Month of Wednesdays: September 2023<p><b>BOUGHT:</b></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAjEBkXyf7oQdIuDjCQ-KKPZSLtcI7Wnid4I6for-J5H09soYAMSE6cLKHJ4-gUE1y4gBIkPyjSEc6qzsgHQxHBaRFwBnnNpuI3KfvsF09xxt4Y093h252GrWZZC2iEAkQRnUhfb4lbAeIqNZttht5RUoRXULMPxtS5tKfJffXGY6sX5U8-xg/s2021/g'nort.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2021" data-original-width="1317" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAjEBkXyf7oQdIuDjCQ-KKPZSLtcI7Wnid4I6for-J5H09soYAMSE6cLKHJ4-gUE1y4gBIkPyjSEc6qzsgHQxHBaRFwBnnNpuI3KfvsF09xxt4Y093h252GrWZZC2iEAkQRnUhfb4lbAeIqNZttht5RUoRXULMPxtS5tKfJffXGY6sX5U8-xg/w261-h400/g'nort.jpeg" width="261" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>G'nort's Swimsuit Edition #1</i> (DC Comics)</b> Fare like this from my favorite superhero publisher doesn't exactly make me regret not visiting the comic shop every Wednesday any more. Originally solicited as <i>G'Nort's Illustrated Swimsuit Edition</i> (<a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/2564655/" target="_blank">you can still see the original cover at comics.org</a>, which I've posted below), DC apparently backed off too closely echoing <i>Sports Illustrated</i>, changing the title and its font before publication. <p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbALlQkON4gwedEf1kqkU2SN1HG_10KOZGJmE5u7HwuhveNZ0MLJHdo_1dIH2k_1q231tM7OZsdkxCoIvU96_nYwOa48_igc-73fVoLDp8eGf7w-rGQSOC5wj0FjSXWvjkLTfjTa5Xc7_ROqFu82XnWOpYA7JWNDitO7iBEvp_l0fLaB0wuPG/s615/original%20coer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbALlQkON4gwedEf1kqkU2SN1HG_10KOZGJmE5u7HwuhveNZ0MLJHdo_1dIH2k_1q231tM7OZsdkxCoIvU96_nYwOa48_igc-73fVoLDp8eGf7w-rGQSOC5wj0FjSXWvjkLTfjTa5Xc7_ROqFu82XnWOpYA7JWNDitO7iBEvp_l0fLaB0wuPG/s320/original%20coer.jpg" width="208" /></a></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Unlike most of DC's seasonal specials, 80-page giants containing eight to ten short stories, this one is mostly recycled material, collecting all of the publisher's swimsuit variant covers from earlier in the year. Variant galleries like this are, I think, not a bad idea, and there are certain titles and certain themes I wouldn't have minded a nice collection like this of, however the downside is that, because all of these have been previously solicited as individual comics covers, none of the images are really new or surprising.</span></div><p>They are all mostly okay, and they do feature the work of some of my favorite comics artists, including Mike Allred, Nicola Scott and Babs Tarr, among plenty of other DC regulars. The images are all mostly stately and tasteful, often to the point of sterility, with few really provocative images, with the possible exceptions of the contributions by Frank Cho, Tarr and maybe Scott (who approaches brokeback in her posing of Dick Grayson). </p><p>More problematic are the pair of new comics included within. These are, to put it as blandly as possible, not very good.</p><p>The first is entitled "Baewatch" (<i>get it?</i>) and is the work of writers Julie Benson and Shawna Benson and artist Meghan Hetrick. It features a rather random assortment of supeheroines—Black Canary, Vixen, Poison Ivy, Batgirl Barbara Gordon and a Huntress—enjoying a day at Gotham City Beach, which the city made from land reclaimed from The Penguin. No sooner does someone remark that The Penguin is likely to retaliate somehow then the heroines note the presence of a nearby oil pipeline, and scouting reveals a bunch of SCUBA goons under the direction of the villain, wearing a one-piece swimsuit and floating in a bubble.</p><p>They save the day, make some jokes at the Penguin's expense, and return to enjoying a day at the beach. What's problematic about that? Well, if you've read a comic book featuring Vixen since, say, the turn of the century, you'll be aware that artists generally depict her power—which is to mimic the abilities of animals—by drawing an image of the animal she's channeling in the background. It saves the writer having to have her explain in dialogue that she's flying using the abilities of an eagle every time she takes flight. </p><p>The problem is that the Bensons, Hetrick and apparently even editor Katie Kubert have been misreading her powers, and thinking that, rather than artistic flourishes that appear in panels featuring Vixen using her powers, those flourishes are her powers, and that she creates images of the animals she's channeling, which she then can control, kind of like a Green Lantern manipulating light constructs. How else to explain the fact that, when Vixen uses the powers of a shark to investigate the pipeline, she's surrounded by a glowing yellow shark shape, a shape that she later uses to "bite"—again, she's not using the power of a shark's bite to let her bite like a shark, but the shark-shape does the biting—and, later still, Black Canary rides on the shark shape. </p><p>It's weird.</p><p>And sure, this story is just an eight-page lark and yes, perhaps I am being the stereotypical nerd reader nit-picking a trivial aspect of it, but, on the other hand, knowing a superhero's super-powers is pretty much the most basic aspect of making a superhero comic, and it's unusual to see one of the biggest superhero publishers in the world dropping this particular ball in such an embarrassing fashion.</p><p>The second story reads so much like an inventory story, that I wonder if it was actually commissioned for this special, or if it was cut from one of the previous summer or Pride specials and just got used here. It's by writer Steve Orlando and artists Paul Pelletier and Norm Rapmund and entitled "Out There." </p><p>The Authority's Midnighter and Apollo are enjoying a day at the Coast City beach in one another's arms—a sign in the background of one panel says its Coast City Pride—when Midnighter picks something up on the military bands. They don their super-suits over their bathing suits and head into action. It seems the ship the <i>USS Incredulous</i> is being attacked by a great ape. </p><p>Apparently, the entire ship is one big prison for Doom Patrol villain The Brain, and his long-time ally Monsieur Mallah is trying to free him, making a point of telling the "World's Finest Couple" that Mallah and The Brain are a couple themselves—somewhere along the line, Grant Morrison's old <i>Doom Patrol </i>joke got taken seriously enough that the pair became a romantic coupling, so desperate for gay representation was the publisher once upon a time. </p><p>Our heroes solve the villains' problem, but not in the way Mallah initially envisioned. And that's it. Orlando doesn't do anything particularly funny with the set-up—remember, there's a French-speaking gorilla in its eight pages—are anything particularly clever with the characters' super-powers. It's mainly notable as a superhero power couple vs. a supervillain power couple. Nice art by Pelletier and Rapmund, though. </p><p>Also included in the collection is a prose piece that's supposed to be a journalist's interview with G'nort and the team at the magazine talking about his centerfold, followed by some magazine-like stats on G'nort and a repeat of the cover image, featuring G'nort in what appears to be a Justice League locker room. There's also a fold-out image which I guess is the real centerfold, but it's Poison Ivy by Jen Bartel, not G'nort. </p><p>The whole affair is a great deal cheaper than the usual $9.99 that the seasonal special generally cost, but still, this was not $5.99 well-spent. </p><p><b><br /><br />BORROWED: </b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmX2mQbrxEHqXgpR40blqse26RrmwXsphixBvMTMGUeIRaAprgueW82Kux79wp8ycMjAyvY14FNCApXIoPgeCAVwd9-VCiw0sbnO6EJGm-3V81KxkArIFAmkiTXPNK7HpN1r80RmhaT03wF_Hpg9Tc1drJVVH1UZ0tuDuR7m7KVBzxzqcMSlJT/s595/Batman%20superan%20world's%20finest.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="397" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmX2mQbrxEHqXgpR40blqse26RrmwXsphixBvMTMGUeIRaAprgueW82Kux79wp8ycMjAyvY14FNCApXIoPgeCAVwd9-VCiw0sbnO6EJGm-3V81KxkArIFAmkiTXPNK7HpN1r80RmhaT03wF_Hpg9Tc1drJVVH1UZ0tuDuR7m7KVBzxzqcMSlJT/w268-h400/Batman%20superan%20world's%20finest.webp" width="268" /></a></div><b><i>Batman/Superman World's Finest Vol. 2: Strange Visitor</i> (DC Comics) </b>The second volume of Mark Waid and Dan Mora's Batman/Superman team-up title opens with a one-shot story resolving the issue of Robin Dick Grayson being lost in time during the events of the first volume; here, he ended up in the late 19th century, where he joined a circus, and where he has a mysterious murder to solve before he can let Superman and Batman return him to his own time. This issue is drawn by Travis Moore.<div><br /></div><div>From there, the second volume begins in earnest with the next full story arc (if you're wondering about the devil Nezha from the first volume, his story continued in <i>Batman Vs. Robin</i>, reviewed in <a href="http://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com/2023/09/a-month-of-wednesdays-august-2023.html" target="_blank">the previous installment of this column</a>). </div><div><br /></div><div>A teenager with a familiar origin story—his dying world is about to end, so his parents put him in a special shuttle and shoot him to safety on the planet Earth, where the sunlight gives him super-powers—enters Superman, Batman and Robin's world, although his origin story has a few notably twists from that Superman's, the first of which is that he's not from another planet, but from another Earth in the Multiverse. </div><div><br /></div><div>The heroes take him under their wing, as he adopts the persona Boy Thunder, and they take turns training him, while Supergirl talks to him about survivor's guilt and trauma, and Robin introduces him to the Teen Titans, as Waid and Mora continue to grow the new Silver Age their depicting in this title. (There's also a nice, surprising but very welcome appearance from another minor hero, called on for his specialty). Meanwhile, a team-up between The Key (who here resembles his 1997 <i>JLA #8</i> makeover, rather than his real Silver Age appearance) and The Joker threatens Gotham City...and then the strange visitor himself, when they get him in their clutches, and seek to exploit the darkness in him for their own purposes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Boy Thunder, whose real name is David, ends up being another modern DC superhero, one who, as an adult, plays a key role in a Waid-written classic (This revelation, which might not have been completely necessary given the end of the book, is somewhat clumsily communicated). So if you're wondering why Superman had a Silver Age sidekick that no one remembers, well, that is of course explained as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>As with the first volume of the series, this is pretty much perfect DC Comics superhero story-telling, from one of the writers who is best at it, and a tremendously exciting artist who breathes exciting new life into DC's stable of characters. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_JRlCMatPFxfUSSpsr433oyEAUXyM-ItsUj-AdMTe75fRIaOlPrtzNkGcFZ6ujdvKl0cfzdP0hyphenhyphenc0i4_k9r4m5Wu3ETfilUW8nVQUUaL9DUpbVStTtIY2YihHdMd3TJjAtpAQ3wcSOwU86-zDKJ7qO8nZLUPFPmF55mEAgm6apN5gDb48W8l/s595/Superman%20Vs.%20Meshi%20cover.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="394" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_JRlCMatPFxfUSSpsr433oyEAUXyM-ItsUj-AdMTe75fRIaOlPrtzNkGcFZ6ujdvKl0cfzdP0hyphenhyphenc0i4_k9r4m5Wu3ETfilUW8nVQUUaL9DUpbVStTtIY2YihHdMd3TJjAtpAQ3wcSOwU86-zDKJ7qO8nZLUPFPmF55mEAgm6apN5gDb48W8l/w265-h400/Superman%20Vs.%20Meshi%20cover.webp" width="265" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Superman Vs. Meshi Vol. 1</i> </b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>(DC)</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Daily Planet</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> reporter Clark Kent gets an hour for his lunch break, but given that he can go anywhere on Earth almost instantaneously thanks to flying at super-speed in his guise as Superman, he can have lunch anywhere in the world he wanted to. And lately he’s been really into Japanese food, flying to Japan–a three-second trip from Metropolis–to dine at chain restaurants there. That is the entire premise of <i>Superman Vs. Meshi</i> (that’s "Superman Vs. Food"), a delightfully weird new manga featuring the culinary adventures of the Man of Steel.</span></span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7681685f-7fff-8519-e72b-bc586456fbc2"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clark Kent is in the middle of being scolded by boss Perry White when they’re interrupted by Clark’s grumbling stomach. He's dismissed to go get lunch, and he asks office crush Lois Lane to join him. She declines, and while he would normally be heart-broken, he's actually kind of happy. See, there's an all-you-can-eat yakitori lunch special at Torikazoku in Japan, and while it would be crazy for Clark Kent to fly there in an airplane to eat, it's no big deal for Superman.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"One Superman for lunch," he says, striding confidently into the restaurant, where they treat like any other customer ("They’re very welcoming here, even to someone who's clad in tights from the neck down," Superman thinks. "Maybe it's because cosplay culture has become prevalent in Japan, too.") As he waits for his order, the thinks of the first time he tried Japanese food, being gifted with some yakitori during a super-battle in Japan, and the flavor was so good it set-off his heat-vision. Since then, he's been coming to Japan for lunch as often as he can.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Each chapter of <i>Superman Vs. Meshi</i>, subtitled <i>Superman Vs. Something-or-Other</i>, finds Superman indulging in a new Japanese meal, spending most of the time talking to himself about how good the food is, how the components of the meal come together and work on his palette and so on. There's some traditional superhero action and Superman mythos maintenance in the set-ups, but the meat of each story is Superman's meal.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And so after an early-morning, rather boring meeting with the Justice League–the version here apparently inspired by that of the feature film–Superman flies to Japan for an "all-star tempura bowl," the "Justice League of tempura bowls," in which various ingredients are compared to each of the superheroes.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> In perhaps the most unusual World's Finest team-up ever, Superman whisks Batman from the high-end Gotham City traditional Japanese restaurant Bruce Wayne rented out so they could talk about justice (seriously) to Japan, where Superman orders for him. ("You're the Dark Knight… …so the black-vinegar-sauce chicken and vegetable set meal is obviously the only choice.")</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When he arrives for lunch one day to find all the restaurants closed, he settles for a Japanese convenience store, only to discover they are nothing like those in Metropolis ("I thought I just stepped into an amusement park!").</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, in maybe the weirdest story of the batch, he goes to a sushi restaurant, only to find Aquaman loudly carrying on talking to the sushi; apparently fish can still speak to him after they've been cut up and prepared with seaweed and rice into lunch ("It’s a little hard to explain," Aquaman tells him. "It's like the ocean tells me everything. So I can hear the voices of the fish.")</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One may not be all that interested in Japanese cuisine–that’s certainly not why I picked the book up–but chances are Superman's enthusiasm for the subject, and the slightly surreal juxtaposition of the world's most famous superhero acting as a point-of-view character introducing his unexpected new obsession, will win one over. It's a comic book unlike any that Superman has ever appeared in, and given the character’s 80+ years of comics adventures–not to mention television and movies–that in itself is something of a feat.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sure, it's occasionally pretty silly–as when Superman tries his movie trick of reversing time to stop his crunchy noodles from getting soggy–but in the context of a standalone manga like this, it works perfectly well.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The artwork, by Kai Kitago, is a nice compromise between traditional Western style superheroes and manga, the story-telling following the rhythms and patterns of the latter; his Superman and Clark look like they are rather heavily influenced by Christopher Reeve. Whether one is already an experienced manga fan–and this does read right-to-left–or used to American Superman comics, this should prove a pleasant amusement. (Note: I had planned on reviewing this for <i>Good Comics For Kids</i>, <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/09/21/superman-vs-meshi-review/https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/09/21/superman-vs-meshi-review/" target="_blank">but Johanna beat me to it</a>; she seems to have liked it as much as I did, so there's two recommendations for you). </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><br /></i></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><br /></i></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoG-hpwkxHMKz2ViCgceZwME4knQdsbIgNfdbsEKV0Pv3gdL7x1MpkMw0IDEwcPX9TwZHHLNg5PtPIGX29J4Hu16TnfvErC53A8zkk334OElWI_kelUkgJGD-adtk6U_HKnXgQwDSUmWneDjBNRtJ_bL1-2FqZpHvIAZystfagRs2wCKlu8zZ8/s595/zom%20100.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoG-hpwkxHMKz2ViCgceZwME4knQdsbIgNfdbsEKV0Pv3gdL7x1MpkMw0IDEwcPX9TwZHHLNg5PtPIGX29J4Hu16TnfvErC53A8zkk334OElWI_kelUkgJGD-adtk6U_HKnXgQwDSUmWneDjBNRtJ_bL1-2FqZpHvIAZystfagRs2wCKlu8zZ8/w280-h400/zom%20100.webp" width="280" /></a></i></b></div><b style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Vol. 11</i> (Viz Media) </b><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If you were worried the book was becoming a little too religious during the "Pilgrimage of the Dead" story arc, which started last volume and wraps up with two more chapters in this volume, writer Haro Aso and artist Kotaro Takata course-correct rather quickly with "Cruise Ship of the Dead," a two-part arc that finishes out this volume. In fact, the shift from the spiritual to the carnal is so sharp that a reader might be forgiven for experiencing a bit of whip-lash.</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In the concluding chapters of "Pilgrimage," our heroes continue on their walk to visit 88 temples, running into trouble midway through when some escaped convicts discover that they are "rich" with canned goods and seek to rob them—and take Bea captive. Though they intend to rape her, they first interrogate her about the source of their wealth, which puts her in a bind, as she's not supposed to lie at all during the pilgrimage. Don't worry, everything works out okay for our heroes...and even one of the villains, who is visited by a kindness he doesn't seem to deserve, and may have restored his faith in humanity (gradually lost after a life-time of being taken advantage of).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And then, that arc, done, our heroes visit Onomichi City, where they take in the calm inland sea, half expecting to see a luxury liner cruising by...and then they <i>do</i>. A fancy yacht filled with scantily-clad hedonist invites them aboard ("Our only rule is that you like to party!"), an invitation Kencho is quick to accept, and the others more reluctantly do, since the boat's apparent captain mentions some researchers on an island, the object of our heroes' quest (when they're not ticking items off their bucket list, of course). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They're mostly all terribly out of place on the yacht's ongoing bacchanal, until a fairy tale-like twist introduces zombies into the previously zombie-free safe space of the boat (Oh, and apparently the water is no escape from zombies...not if they are close enough to you when they hit the water, anyway). There's some advancement of the barely simmering romance between Akira and Shizuka, and a cliffhanger that should force them to deal with their feelings for one another, as they wash up on a seemingly deserted island together, separated from the rest of the group. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I've seen what I assume are more than enough zombie apocalypses to last me a life-time, in manga and in other media alike, but I've yet to tire from Akira and company's adventures through this one. </span></p></span></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-83456819833163176462023-09-18T11:03:00.001-07:002023-09-18T11:03:51.408-07:00A Month of Wednesdays: August 2023<p><b>BOUGHT:</b></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b></b></div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvA62RU05f9e8GHYkHE0I-MpeR8BrDUEO578Iuk66Z2pK7boR5Dn1K8lMKaDHriW1KofLyxSyO9zNOwohSOC3SznXkhqh1rQ5on4tSevrq1_8cDzPGqc3CBlVSxwEdQQ4BCtx5N4kKAZhNphs6c3fLNqG95coDeG3Y2iWfiz2D9xsXJpUWKLy/s1948/tmnt%208.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1948" data-original-width="1277" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvA62RU05f9e8GHYkHE0I-MpeR8BrDUEO578Iuk66Z2pK7boR5Dn1K8lMKaDHriW1KofLyxSyO9zNOwohSOC3SznXkhqh1rQ5on4tSevrq1_8cDzPGqc3CBlVSxwEdQQ4BCtx5N4kKAZhNphs6c3fLNqG95coDeG3Y2iWfiz2D9xsXJpUWKLy/w263-h400/tmnt%208.jpeg" width="263" /></a></div>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8</i> <i>(Remastered) </i>(Waverly Press) </b>I absolutely did not need to buy this, having the original, Mirage <i>TMNT #8 </i>collected in the old Mirage Publishing trade paperback I have of the first eleven issues of the series (plus the four "micro-series"). That said, perusing the Kickstarter page for the issue, a "remastered" version of it so excited me that I ended up ordering a $25 copy of a comic I've already read at least a dozen times (and used to try to redraw pages of into a sketchpad). <p></p><p>Much of that excitement came from seeing the various variant covers; I kinda wish they sold a "gallery" version that just collected all of these. You can see them yourself at <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/waverly/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-8-remastered-edition" target="_blank">the Kickstarter page</a>. They include a Jim Lawson/Steve Lavigne image featuring Cerebus hanging out in the Turtles' sewer lair and a nice Michael Dooney image of Cerebus, the Turtles and Renet, as well as covers from EDILW-favorite artists Kyle Hotz and Simon Bisley and one-time favorite, now-problematic artist Brandon Graham. </p><p>I just ordered one of the Dave Sim covers, however, which is a "cover" version of Kevin Eastman's <a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/245476/cover/4/" target="_blank">original cover for the original comic</a>, with a few minor changes (some unnecessary flashes of light on some of the metal, a new lightning effect on bad guy Savanti Romero, Cerebus is wearing a helmet instead of bare-headed). </p><p>As for the remastering, I can't tell you how effective it is. I didn't pull out my old Mirage collection and lay the pages side-by-side, but everything looked familiar, perhaps more crisp and clear then I remember, and thee was definitely a starker contrast between black and white than then the yellowing pages of my collection.</p><p>In addition to a Cerebus crossover of sorts, this is actually a pretty significant issue in TMNT history, as it also introduces the apprentice Time Lord and henceforth recurring character Renet and recurring villain Savanti Romero, who I'm fairly certain logged more appearances in the original Mirage series than The Shredder did*. </p><p>The story, by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Dave Sim and Gerhard, finds Renet absconding with her master Lord Simultaneous' magic scepter to New York City, circa 1986 (which was, at the time of publication, "the present"). There she meets the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who had just returned to Earth after the first real arc of their own book. Lord Simultaneous tracks Renet down, prompting her to make another time jump to "anyplace on this Earth before humans recorded time!"</p><p>That, of course, means the setting of <i>Cerebus</i> comics (1406, according to an editorial box), and, in fact, Renet and the Turtles land right on top of Cerebus. As he and Leonardo cross swords, the master of the nearby fortress Cerebus had been planning on breaking into comes out with soldiers to retrieve the scepter; this is Savanti Romero, the goat-legged, horn-headed sorcerer. </p><p>Cerebus then raises an army to invade the fortress, which Romero defends with an army of the risen dead. After some medieval adventure for our time-travelling heroes, it all works out, thanks to the timely, <i>deus ex machina</i> intervention of Lord Simultaneous, who easily out-matches Romero, even with his possession of the scepter, and returns everyone to their status quo, shunting Romero off to prehistoric times and chaining-up the rebellious Renet with a feather duster and list of chores. </p><p>Read today, it's remarkable for how<i> big</i> a comic it is. It's just 45 pages, but it's a very full 45 pages, devoting to telling a big, rather epic story that introduces plenty new concepts and characters into the TMNT narrative and, because it tells a complete story with a beginning, middle and end in its pages, reads a bit more like an original graphic novel, or at least an oversized annual, compared to simply the next issue of an ongoing comic book series. </p><p>It also boasts the pleasures of the series it is a part of, in which there's unusual alchemy regarding the who-did-what of the proceedings, as at that point with the Eastman and Laird partnership, they both seemed to have done a little bit of everything, but the inclusion of Sim and Gerhard among the creators mean that Cerebus and his dialogue look like they came out of the pages of the <i>Cerebus</i> comic, plopped down into the pages of Eastman and Laird's comic book. It's an unusual inter-property crossover, in large part because the creators of the characters are so involved with the making of the comic book. </p><p>Growing up, I used to wonder why it was that Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo character, who also had some early, if minor, crossovers with the TMNT (in 1987's <i>Turtle Soup #1</i> and 1988's <i>Usagi Yoimbo #10</i>, became embraced by the franchise once it went mainstream and multimedia, while Cerebus, who had a bigger, more expansive comics crossover—actually appearing in an issue of the main <i>TMNT</i> series—did not. Now I realize that likely had much to do with Sim himself, but it's interesting to imagine an alternate world where in Cerebus appeared in the original toy line, in the original kids' cartoon and would later appear in video games like Usagi did.</p><p>I'm not sure what backmatter might have existed in the original <i>TMNT #8</i>, but this remastered edition includes a March 1986 letter from Eastman to Sim, a full-page ad featuring Cerebus and the Turtles in medieval fantasy gear, and a 2012 print by Sim and Eastman featuring "Matisse The Unknown Turtle", Cerebus with a shell and TMNT-style mask, surrounded by the four ninja turtles. </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>BORROWED:</b></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFo-BPjRPhOQjL_9sQHd25fFrOJp5DsXCJXmBGxX9yt9ujPjYJaohissbKGzYF1VBJTUDXhkAxLybvhN-z2BEk1LmsRp6nPFRGXhI0DeR5gqHPtkYWpwVbpja4vRxcTLon0u4N7JblRc7yFRI5mptDUny__dqcAvWk9rv10qWarN2xtU9VF17V/s595/batgrils%20vol.%202.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFo-BPjRPhOQjL_9sQHd25fFrOJp5DsXCJXmBGxX9yt9ujPjYJaohissbKGzYF1VBJTUDXhkAxLybvhN-z2BEk1LmsRp6nPFRGXhI0DeR5gqHPtkYWpwVbpja4vRxcTLon0u4N7JblRc7yFRI5mptDUny__dqcAvWk9rv10qWarN2xtU9VF17V/w260-h400/batgrils%20vol.%202.webp" width="260" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Batgirls Vol. 2: Bat Girl Summer </i>(DC Comics) </b>This second volume of Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad and company's new <i>Batgirls</i> title seems to be on much surer footing <a href="http://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com/2023/07/on-batgirls-vol-1-one-way-or-another.html" target="_blank">than the first one</a>. This might be in part because it relies more heavily on pre-existing Batman villains (Killer Moth, The Riddler, The Penguin, The Mad Hatter and even the KGBeast all make appearances, and the identity of the Hill Ripper turns out to be an extant, if minor, villain) than the originals that filled the first volume (Seer, The Saints, Tutor, Spellbinder III, The Hill Ripper). <p></p><p>It's...not a great argument for using original villains, unfortunately, but I think it may have something to do with the <i>way</i> they were used rather than the simple notion that existing Bat-villains are always preferable to original creations. In the first volume, Cloonan and Conrad threw all of them at the Batgirls at the same time in a way that felt confused, whereas here they deal with the threats in a more orderly fashion: After two issues wrapping up the Seer and the Saints storylines (which <i>did </i>seem awfully anti-climatic, given how many issues were spent building up Seer as some sort of evil anti-Oracle), the remaining issues of the volume are devoted to the hunt for The Hill Ripper. That, at least, felt like a normal Batman-adjacent comic, with a single, focused conflict occupying our heroes.</p><p>The first two-issue story, "Bad Reputation", finds Seer working with the Batgirls to take down The Saints, who turned on Seer after they realized she had tricked them into thinking Simon Saint was still alive (these villains hail from the ranks of the Peacekeepers from James Tynion IV and company's "Fear State" story arc/Bat-event...another problem with the first volume, I thought). This takes them to Seer's secret hideout, in the basement of the Iceberg Lounge, which leads to a Penguin appearance. Barbara Gordon decides to enter through the front door, with date Dick Grayson, so Nightwing and all three Batgirls are there for the climax, which basically just fizzles, in regard to the threat Seer was built up as. Guest artist Robbi Rodriguez drew this storyline.</p><p>That's followed by the four-part title arc, "Bat Girl Summer," with chunkier, smoother art by Neil Googe, which, stylistically is more in keeping with that of original series artist Jorge Corona (who, for this volume at least, simply contributes covers, like the one that shows up on the collection). </p><p>When grumpy neighbor Mr. Green turns up dead, Stephanie Brown lost her number one suspect in the Hill Ripper case, thanks to some <i>Rear Window</i>-like shenanigans. His death does lead to a new clue, though, a fake eyeball containing an elaborate, Riddler-like code clue. While Steph and Cass run that down, Barbara suits-up again to contact new Gotham City Police Commissioner Renee Montoya to talk about the possibility of an alliance; Babs is reluctant to hack the police department for their files on the Ripper without their permission. (Montoya, somewhat oddly for someone who has been a Gotham City vigilante, is opposed to working with vigilantes, and wants to do everything by the book; at least Cloonan and Conrad have Montoya mention her time as The Question.)</p><p>During their sleuthing at the library, Steph and Cass run into one Kyle Mizoguchi, from the pages of Cloonan and company's long-canceled <i>Gotham Academy</i> book. He helps the girls with their research, and gives Steph his number; they even make a date for the Gotham Zoo, where the clues point, and where Cass teams up with Maps Mizoguchi for some "Batman stuff" while Kyle and Steph talk. Based on the dialogue, it doesn't look like anything will come of Kyle and Steph, but I guess I'll have to read the next volume to be sure; it's an interesting pairing, and one with a lot of potential to bring <i>Gotham Academy</i>'s favorite characters closer into the world of Batman (and back in the spotlight), although I confess I have lost track of how old Steph, Cass and the other Batman sidekicks are actually supposed to be now. (From the end of Tynion's <i>'Tec</i> run, it seemed like Tim was ready to go off to college, and he and he and Steph were together at that point, driving off together into the sunset, and were still together into the pages of Brian Michael Bendis' rebooted <i>Young Justice</i>. If Steph is Tim's age, than I guess that would make her 18-ish, and ready for college...and thus an older woman to Kyle. She doesn't seem to be in any kind of school in the pages of <i>Batgirls</i>, though). </p><p>The hunt brings in a few other Bat-villains, as traditional Batgirl foe Killer Moth is working with the Hill Ripper (and here he's got a web-gun as well as a pretty cool redesign; I guess moth caterpillars <i>do</i> secrete sticky stuff when they get ready to make cocoons, but this seems a bit of a stretch for Killer Moth, thematically), and The Riddler, who is also trying to "solve" the Ripper case, apparently by leaving Riddler-style clues with the bodies for others to follow, since the Ripper himself does not (As for the Ripper, he is, spoiler alert now, Mr. Fun, who first appeared in 2002's—Gah! He's over 20 years old at this point!—<i>Batman: Family</i> by John Francis Moore, Rick Hoberg, Stefano Guadiano and Steve Lieber, an eight-issue miniseries that I mostly remember for introducing a bunch of new, minor villains for the Bat-Family to tangle with (I don't think it's been collected yet). </p><p>It's still not the Batgirls comic book I thought I wanted, exactly, but, with this second volume, it seems to be getting there. I'm hopeful the third volume is even better, and then I guess that's it for the book, as it's already been cancelled. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ameNmwIGK5vlV_30jSlKUv04tPiAgL2rBtfBB4VNqWhF1e9Mf5QObqRD6kyTyo_2YZbVwUnL705tcECtgf62uzXPYCc-DjYnTjBzMHS9dmu2icPUdwSpyv5Tw4Y6Iy-Z2qCNpkuSszQbbh4TcvliHm4pF6xdt9dQmQQoyIYF8JI1-oN-IBju/s604/Batman%20Vs.%20Robin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ameNmwIGK5vlV_30jSlKUv04tPiAgL2rBtfBB4VNqWhF1e9Mf5QObqRD6kyTyo_2YZbVwUnL705tcECtgf62uzXPYCc-DjYnTjBzMHS9dmu2icPUdwSpyv5Tw4Y6Iy-Z2qCNpkuSszQbbh4TcvliHm4pF6xdt9dQmQQoyIYF8JI1-oN-IBju/w265-h400/Batman%20Vs.%20Robin.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><b><i>Batman Vs. Robin</i> (DC) </b>This Mark Waid-written event comic is actually the continuation of two different threads of recent Batman-related goings-on, only one of which evolves from Waid's own writings. One of these is the most recent <i>Robin</i> series, the one written by Joshua Williamson and finding Damian on a new costume entering a fighting tournament on Lazarus Island. The other is Waid's first arc of<i> Batman/Superman: Worlds Finest </i>(reviewed in <a href="http://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com/2023/06/a-month-of-wednesdays-may-2023.html" target="_blank">this post</a>), in which the pair encounter an ancient Chinese sorcerer/demon capable of possessing his foes. So foundational are these two stories to the <i>Batman Vs. Robin</i> miniseries, indeed, that the collection includes a six-page excerpt from the final issue of <i>Robin </i>and the nine-page finale of<i> World's Finest #6</i>; a reader is expected to be familiar with these stories, and the collection goes out of its way to make sure they are (Also of some import is probably the <i>Batman</i> story arc "City of Bane", in which Alfred was killed off, given that he here reappears alive for a time, although DC's editors don't weigh its importance as such that it needed excerpted before the beginning of this new story.)<div><br /></div><div>Oddly, there's another comic of great importance that isn't included in this collection; that's "The Lazarus Planet Event", as an asterisk and editorial box refers to it. I'm not sure the exact issue title or number of books, but it apparently occurred between the fourth and fifth issues of this very series. The events are pretty important, even if the story sort of glides over them. I'm not sure how DC wants one to read them, exactly; based on this collection, it doesn't seem like one<i> needs</i> to, the narrative road just gets awfully bumpy between the penultimate and ultimate chapters of this story.</div><div><br /></div><div>As for that story, Batman returns to the now disused Wayne Manor, where he finds a few surprise guests. The first is Alfred, seemingly himself and returned from the dead in some mysterious fashion that he himself is ignorant of. The second is the now semi-estranged Robin Damian Wayne, in the company of Tim Hunter and Jakeem Thunder and his thunderbolt (Hey, I like those characters! Just as I like Waid's ability to remember and willingness to use many cool characters from throughout DC's long history, minor and major). While Alfred isn't quite sure what he's doing there, Robin and friends are there to kill Batman.</div><div><br /></div><div>Obviously, Damian is being controlled and, obvious to readers from the comics sampled before the start of that story, the being doing the controlling is the Devil Nezha, last seen being imprisoned by Batman on a mysterious island...and island that ended up being Lazarus Island.</div><div><br /></div><div>Batman and Alfred escape to see Zatanna, only to find her trapped between death and life, and telling them that all of his magical allies are in similar straits. She tells him to use the magic key she gave him to seek answers, and this his does through a wild visit to past DC horror hosts like Cain and Able, here in their reimagined-by-Neil-Gaiman roles as caretakers or real estate in The Dreaming. After expositionary dreams, Batman and Alfred learn what they need to know about Damian and his recent history and his alliance with Nezha and a new-to-me character named Mother Soul.</div><div><br /></div><div>Batman must then travel to Lazarus Island, where Damian and his new, bad guy masters are busily draining magic users and magical items into a single, powerful reliquary through the captured Black Alice's powers. </div><div><br /></div><div>Batman is forced to run a gauntlet of all his former Robins, each now armed with a powerful magical item of some sort, before facing Damian himself, with Nezha and Mother Soul looking on. Does Batman have a plan for dealing with this situation? Well, he <i>is</i> Batman.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a pretty straightforward but fun adventure in the mode of Waid's lore-heavy <i>World's Finest</i> storytelling, a Batman and Robin comic with global stakes. But then things get weird, climaxing in the fourth issue, then leading into the "Lazarus Planet " event/story/comic/whatever, and then picking up where some time and action has passed. <br /><br />Suddenly, Robin is the narrator and protagonist, and Nezha is bodily possessing Batman's fatally wounded-and-dying body in Gotham City. With an assist from The Monkey Prince, Zatanna, Enchantress and the Bat-Family, Robin must find a way to beat Nezha, exorcise him from Batman's body and somehow replace him with the necessary soul energy to restore Batman to life. It's not surprising that Robin finds a way to do the impossible, of course, but, as ever, it's the <i>how</i> that's interesting. </div><div><br /></div><div>The structure is, obviously, a little weird; the miniseries is essentially a story with two different, distinct, consecutive climaxes, and I'm not sure to what degree it might be informed, and thus changed, by reading the missing Lazarus Planet piece. It's satisfying enough as is, though.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mahmud Asrar provides the majority of the art, with Scott Godlewski drawing the final issue, the second climax. The art is all fine, if petty unremarkable. </div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFA1ycayMhNhwbDe2E1HVIfOht_-QRlPMKDrqud-NWzZzIcI_yUthdPrj7cA8X1bcpVpjXnIK3j4o7MLoKgZaBEAPuxHmXu7e_2JtoOGNulWWdH_jYogKuBpCd6EHCJLGiyxd9LIyKQjDVdw44Q2XDldZ2_PofkFz5QKMfdph6_2keUP9XlsA5/s595/FF.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFA1ycayMhNhwbDe2E1HVIfOht_-QRlPMKDrqud-NWzZzIcI_yUthdPrj7cA8X1bcpVpjXnIK3j4o7MLoKgZaBEAPuxHmXu7e_2JtoOGNulWWdH_jYogKuBpCd6EHCJLGiyxd9LIyKQjDVdw44Q2XDldZ2_PofkFz5QKMfdph6_2keUP9XlsA5/w260-h400/FF.webp" width="260" /></a></div>Fantastic Four By Ryan North Vol. 1: Whatever Happened to the Fantastic Four? </i>(Marvel Entertainment) </b>I consider writer Ryan North—who, in Marvel's current dunderheaded way of naming their graphic novel collections, sounds like he is a cartoonist entirely responsible for the creation of the books within—a genius in the field of comics-making and book-writing, and that's not a term I use lightly (Or, like, very often). If <i>all</i> he was responsible for was <i>The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl</i>, I think that might be true, that comic being the best Marvel comic I've ever read (Granted, I've only started reading Marvel comics around the turn of the millennium). But that's <i>not</i> the only book to his credit, and what the works of his I've read have all shared is wild imagination, clever premises and, at times, an almost insane-seeming dedication to a bit (See <i>Dinosaur Comics</i>).</div><div><br /></div><div>That said, I haven't read his handful of non-<i>Squirrel Girl </i> Marvel comics, which tended to either not be up my alley (<i>The Darkhold</i>, <i>Power Pack</i>) or seem like all around bad ideas in general (a new <i>Secret Invasion</i>). But the Fantastic Four? That seemed right up the writer of <i>Squirrel Girl</i>'s alley, what with the book's traditional focus on science-adventure as much as superheroics, its propensity for humor, and its family narrative.</div><div><br /></div><div>And Ryan North does do a good job on the book, it's just...well, it's a weird book, feeling more like a fill-in arc than the start of a brand-new era for the Fantastic Four. Which it technically is, given the new #1 it launched with (Of course these days, every time there's a new writer it's supposedly a brand-new era, as the books relaunch to accommodate the change in creative teams). It's basically a series of fun, clever, done-in-one adventures in which members of the FF are faced with a creative conundrum they must solve, but it finds the team unmoored from a particular place—not only do they have no home or headquarters, they're not even in their hometown of New York for much of it—and unmoored from one another, as the first three issues feature the various members of the isolated from the rest of their family.</div><div><br /></div><div>Each issue is, in itself, a well-written, perfectly competently-drawn comic book (more on North's artistic collaborators Iban Coello and Ivan Fiorelli in a bit), but adding them all together only gets us a series of unrelated vignettes, kinda sorta explained via flashback at one point (Although, at another, the now solo, secret-identity having Johnny Storm seems to allude to events in an unrelated Marvel crossover event: "So, yeah, being a hero's 'illegal' in New York now.") They're each substantial reads, something North has always seemed to deliver on, but they feel weightless and ungrounded, like they belong in another book, rather than the first volume of a new run on <i>FF</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>So the first issue of a new volume of <i>Fantastic Four,</i> for example, only features one member of that team, The Thing. Ben Grimm and his now-wife Alicia are on the road for some reason, and they check into a motel in 1947, and, were that weird enough, they soon discover the next day that it's still the <i>same</i> day of 1947—Indeed, they've stumbled into a town trapped in time, whose citizens have been unknowingly reliving the same day of 1947 for decades now, with no hope of escape. Until our heroes come around, of course, and then it's up to Ben and Alicia to figure out what the heck is going on and break the cycle to save the town. </div><div><br /></div><div>See? Perfectly fun, clever Fantastic Four story. It just doesn't seem like a <i>Fantastic Four #1</i> does it? I mean, it's missing 3/4ths of the team. The art on this issue, and for the first four of the series, is by Iban Coello, a talented artist whose work I first read in Tom Taylor's <i>Dark Ages</i> series. He's a perfectly accomplished in what we could call the Marvel house style (and, of course, he's drawn books all over their house over his career), but I'm of two minds about his appropriateness on North's <i>FF</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the one hand, it's so <i>different</i> a book from what one might expect from previous volumes of the series, that one might wish for an artist whose style is that different, whose very presence communicates that this is something off-beat, something quirky, something that's not your average superhero comic (As North's <i>Squirrel Girl</i> collaborators, Erica Henderson and Derek Charm did). </div><div><br /></div><div>On the other, Coello's style's very adherence to a basic, even generic superhero book so ground this in the modern Marvel Universe that it makes the difference between it and other books sharper and more subversive. It doesn't advertise what it is, but, visually at least, is your standard Marvel book.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the book basically follows the set-up of the first issue. After a last page hint that the FF did something to make New Yorkers hate them, the second issue finds Reed and Sue also on the road, stopping at a diner, where they discover <i>another</i> weird town with <i>another</i> interesting dilemma in need of solving: The entire population of the town appears to be Doombots, although they are Doombots programmed to imitate regular American townsfolk going about their normal, human lives (unless they see a member of the FF, of course). </div><div><br /></div><div>Next we check in with the solo Johnny Storm, currently dying his hair, rocking a mustache, working a day job and going by the name of "Jonathan Fairweather." He's still in New York, and isn't faced with a weird town trapped in a weird form of peril. Rather, he has to deal with an evil businessman making life miserable for the put-upon employees at Johnny's super-store.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's not until the fourth issue that we get the reveal of what exactly the FF did to split them up and send them out of New York City—Reed comes up with a very Reed, cold but scientifically sound solution to an alien invasion that shifted a chunk of NYC real estate, including the Baxter Building, through time, so that it will arrive safe and sound back where it was originally...in one year's time (relative to those who weren't shifted; for those that were, it will seem instantaneous).</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm surprised an editor didn't push for this to be the first issue. I don't know, maybe they did. Even it occurs in flashback though, as Ben and Alicia are trapped in a crazy circumstance, and the others must reunite to save them.</div><div><br /></div><div>The final two issues, for which writer Ian Fiorelli comes on board to take the artist reigns from Coello (and their styles are similar enough that there's no real aesthetic turbulence, although the same issues I have with Coello's presence on the book are operative with Fiorelli's), sees a brief appearance by Salem's Seven who attack the reunited Fantastic Four in a novel way: With extradimensional bacteria, which first just threatens to painfully kill them, but, in the next issue, threatens the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that's the first volume of the <i>Fantastic Four by Ryan North</i>: Clever, imaginative, occasionally funny and featuring the familiar characters in well-written and drawn appearances, but in a weird format, something that's so episodic it feels a bit like a TV show more than a modern comic book. </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know. I enjoyed it enough to read volume two, but it's a pretty weird read. </div><div><br /></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUgef5vrUF0LnU3kXzJNW_ultggIu8GGHIfWcsQD_HhBGCnTyVBQF9atzdtcollIi6H6lLLbsEYes_5szFPRcl0CEWZalowl4-SovjsAx1KJUOT0PSbJobAZh4a38l3uu8nCbTejDSyhc6Zjr6cCP2ck9Mtrk8ZJkIW2upgVVKawbogfCKn4c/s595/He-Man%20Effect.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="420" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUgef5vrUF0LnU3kXzJNW_ultggIu8GGHIfWcsQD_HhBGCnTyVBQF9atzdtcollIi6H6lLLbsEYes_5szFPRcl0CEWZalowl4-SovjsAx1KJUOT0PSbJobAZh4a38l3uu8nCbTejDSyhc6Zjr6cCP2ck9Mtrk8ZJkIW2upgVVKawbogfCKn4c/w283-h400/He-Man%20Effect.webp" width="283" /></a></div><b><i>The He-Man Effect: How American Toymakers Sold You Your Childhood</i> (First Second) </b>"I am not a hater of these toy properties at all," Brian "Box" Brown writes in the afterword of his latest non-fiction comic. "I, like many of my generation, have been hypnotized by Star Wars, He-Man, Transformers and G.I. Joe...The nostalgia for these toys is a strong and powerful emotion for me. This is what led me to make this book, to do the research. I just don't think that feeling I have now was put there by accident. It was done by force."<br /><br />The <i>He-Man Effect</i> is his book-length exploration of how nostalgia for various toy brands was put in his head, and the heads of his entire generation (myself included) by force. </div><div><br /></div><div>Brown, in his infographic-simple art-style, starts his tale at the beginning of human history, noting the power of human imagination and jumping ahead to Julius Caesar, who created "one of the first recorded pieces of military propaganda, though it had surely existed as a concept as long as war has." </div><div><br /></div><div>He then spends some time on propaganda as a means of persuasion, moving quickly through the twentieth century from World War I to the selling of cigarettes to Disney and Mickey Mouse mania to the subject of hand, the selling of toys to kids, particularly in the period from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, when the franchises he mentioned were at their height. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's a smart, rhetorically sound book and a fascinating history, one with clever echoes I had never thought of, like, for example, that Orson Welles, the man who made <i>Citizen Kane</i>, a film about nostalgia as symbolized by a particular childhood toy, would, later in his life, play the voice of a toy in the original <i>Transformers</i> movie, featuring a franchise that could very well be full of other children's Rosebuds.</div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't know most of this, despite being on the receiving end of a lot of the marketing for these properties, which, indeed, defined my childhood, from the toys I played with to the shows I watched to the things I imagined. I also never thought of the power of nostalgia, and the fact that I <i>still</i> like things like <i>Star Wars</i> or <i>Transformers</i> owes a deal to nostalgia, to the way I associate them with the happy, carefree days of childhood, and the fact that the marketing forces of my youth are <i>still</i> acting on me today (I will here pause to note that I was a fan of He-Man before the cartoon; I remember reading, and in fact still have the little storybooks that came with the first wave of He-Man guys in which He-Man and Eternia had different origins than those presented in the cartoon, stories that predated the introduction of the Prince Adam identity. [And I have them in multiple formats; both the original books and comics which I saved, and the Dark Horse collection of the same]. Apparently I didn't need interest in He-Man "burned" into my "little pea brain"; the toy sold itself to me...well, it sold itself to my grandmother and my parents, who bought me my first Masters of the Universe toys for one magical Christmas in the '80s...and how much is tied up in that! My interest in the franchise, sure, but it was also my first, non-newspaper introduction to comics, and I still think of my late grandmother when I think of He-Man...)</div><div><br /></div><div>(What was I talking about...?)<br /><br /></div><div>As wonderful a read as it is, to relive my childhood while learning about the not-exactly-benign forces that shaped the world of my imagination, there's a great pleasure in seeing Brown's simplified style devoted to drawing the toys themselves, as well as famous scenes from the cartoons, from movies and things like the first Star Wars novels or Noelle Stevenson's She-Ra. This book is a pleasure not just to read, but also to look at.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't possibly recommend it enough, especially if you were a child in the 1980s. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PR8_V52bXvs4Di3WP72-oMjodS4JSfESNH-XGXy_Ye83rMdulSvYthOGQqUCJ8L6cVgzKwE5zhv0IrhxYEg009nn4tbmX_vEuuesecGBMKDi433DjIhr66rpx5NwIANEpCszIVp6MGCVVx5P7SREQSVByfroGn_Rpx2FL5IrR8zUwXUD0Qzd/s595/Komi.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PR8_V52bXvs4Di3WP72-oMjodS4JSfESNH-XGXy_Ye83rMdulSvYthOGQqUCJ8L6cVgzKwE5zhv0IrhxYEg009nn4tbmX_vEuuesecGBMKDi433DjIhr66rpx5NwIANEpCszIVp6MGCVVx5P7SREQSVByfroGn_Rpx2FL5IrR8zUwXUD0Qzd/w266-h400/Komi.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Komi Can't Communicate Vol 26 </i>(Viz Comics) </b>I can't tell you how relieved I am that this book didn't end when Tadano and Komi finally got together. Now I'm wondering if it won't instead end when they graduate high school, and/or Komi meets her goal of making 100 friends...and perhaps those two things will happen simultaneously. As it turns out, there is still plenty of room for awkward miscommunication problems involving the pair and those around them that has nothing to do with the unspoken of romantic tension that existed between them for so many volumes. Here, for example, Tadano invites Komi over and introduces her to his mom and sister as his girlfriend, and they are confused; why is Komi dating Tadano, who they thought liked boys...? <br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>REVEIWED:</b></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgij74mohDTcCi64sA54eFrXvZUdQXq1yjS6gEqdYKOUuCgc65aNzJw6Z1aFNA6FIZc1AT0_wZ2WF6q7ARkyw6_D7ywgnIMEF_hRtCSBNENeikKHWljg7R9JUlBj3BfX5Q2aR64J2qy-sUwKDba96UkM0c8LDNYmR2CWx8Ez6dYOL7UrnaKdAO3/s1152/Batman-Family-Adventures-768x1152.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgij74mohDTcCi64sA54eFrXvZUdQXq1yjS6gEqdYKOUuCgc65aNzJw6Z1aFNA6FIZc1AT0_wZ2WF6q7ARkyw6_D7ywgnIMEF_hRtCSBNENeikKHWljg7R9JUlBj3BfX5Q2aR64J2qy-sUwKDba96UkM0c8LDNYmR2CWx8Ez6dYOL7UrnaKdAO3/w266-h400/Batman-Family-Adventures-768x1152.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 1</i> (DC Comics) </b>So it turns out that this is what I wanted from the pages of <i>Batgirls</i>: Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown and Barbara Gordon hanging out with one another and the extended Bat-Family. In fact, that's the entire focus of this comic, which began as a Web Toon series of online comic strips. Despite being right up my alley, I didn't dig the experience of reading it online. Now it's been collected into book form, the individual strips edited to fit the format, and done so well enough that it seems like the strip was always meant to be read in comic book, rather than online. This is an ideal comic for fans of the extended Bat-Family, and a template for what more Batman comics could be, rather than a monthly beat 'em up of the same stable of recurring villains. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/08/15/batman-wayne-family-adventures-vol-1-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgT9TWtpUU2RKTfjh-_qD3K-Ife9oen-cJILASNnplA4LYhwdtiFNLV2Ab_ggZeWKP2gzChkoEbthGvCAjGLDTu2JHgwca65vfoG0bREr_jpO3F4_qPY43wSGogYnb9Ul-qHETLnX2EQzPTReGQYBqgl-fGzD5X3m4-gsD8j0_1lhpmcRiVtyu/s991/Paul%20Bunyan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgT9TWtpUU2RKTfjh-_qD3K-Ife9oen-cJILASNnplA4LYhwdtiFNLV2Ab_ggZeWKP2gzChkoEbthGvCAjGLDTu2JHgwca65vfoG0bREr_jpO3F4_qPY43wSGogYnb9Ul-qHETLnX2EQzPTReGQYBqgl-fGzD5X3m4-gsD8j0_1lhpmcRiVtyu/w310-h400/Paul%20Bunyan.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><b><i>Paul Bunyan: The Invention of an American Legend</i> (Toon Books) </b>Cartoonist<b> </b>Noah Van Sciver retells the story of Paul Bunyan while providing necessary, rarely-discussed context in a fictionalized story of a lumber company ad man trying to entertain fellow passengers on a stalled train. Further context is provided in an introduction and generous back-matter, all coming from indigenous voices, which are heretofore always missing from the story of the manufactured myths of America's most famous lumberjack. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/08/29/paul-bunyan-the-invention-of-an-american-legend-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhail6cJum8QQ53lWQQP9OH-5wKf2M2qDYznIfOiGaUSYx8rz85f7rUutowp6EkmJWyWY1u40p13r8gxTmrSI3qNh7IGBY-vZVpQGYOIraZBaufsgdbtYpbxJYBCtlvRvlL2cApkuFv7A5gMNP9Ml-RqEjg8NrLXTWtVY1uWpkFJderze8rCGkZ/s595/Team%20Trash%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhail6cJum8QQ53lWQQP9OH-5wKf2M2qDYznIfOiGaUSYx8rz85f7rUutowp6EkmJWyWY1u40p13r8gxTmrSI3qNh7IGBY-vZVpQGYOIraZBaufsgdbtYpbxJYBCtlvRvlL2cApkuFv7A5gMNP9Ml-RqEjg8NrLXTWtVY1uWpkFJderze8rCGkZ/w266-h400/Team%20Trash%20cover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Team Trash: A Time Traveler's Guide To Sustainability </i>(Holiday House)</b> This is a message book, meant to teach young readers about recycling, its history, its present and its future. Despite its rather naked advocacy and educational nature, the premise is entertaining enough that it never seems preachy. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/08/18/team-trash-a-time-travelers-guide-to-sustainability-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>*<i>I guess Shredder only actually appeared once; The Shredder who appeared in</i> Leonardo #1 <i>and "Return to New York" was one made of magic ninja worms, and thus not the "real" Shredder.</i> </div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-31940013948352377292023-08-03T09:06:00.001-07:002023-08-14T08:43:09.763-07:00A Month of Wednesdays: July 2023<p>So this is weird. This is the first month since I've been writing this blog that I bought absolutely zero new comics in a single calendar month. None. I've switched to graphic novels for my reading, and have been consciously trying to buy fewer and fewer books, as the space in my apartment reaches its maximum ability to accommodate new books, but I was still surprised to find zero new comics come in this month. That kind of defeats the purpose of this column, in which books I deemed exciting or interesting enough to buy instead of borrow from the library are highlighted by their place in the Bought, Borrowed or Reviewed hierarchy, and, if it keeps up, I may need to rethink the format of my now monthly-ish posts.</p><p>In the mean time, here's the (fewer than ever!) books I read this month....not counting <i><a href="http://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com/2023/07/on-batgirls-vol-1-one-way-or-another.html" target="_blank">Batgirls Vol. 1</a></i>, which I gave its own post.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>BORROWED:</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuTb0NMDtxgy-YrFHd297L9MJlhxYdVFpVpydczUALfwpeHgbgyi2B4GXmeKkkKfVh-kJDeCShdPdCdltJgnWAg0THqUSWfRpZM1KXicKIwsb7rZxwZ3lkS8gUIv5ePAKA-CTaxpxODMh_n5W2P31C3o7KVc-E3DQ56QTl5LdV6Dru5oyeXXT/s595/komi%20can't%20communicate%2025.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuTb0NMDtxgy-YrFHd297L9MJlhxYdVFpVpydczUALfwpeHgbgyi2B4GXmeKkkKfVh-kJDeCShdPdCdltJgnWAg0THqUSWfRpZM1KXicKIwsb7rZxwZ3lkS8gUIv5ePAKA-CTaxpxODMh_n5W2P31C3o7KVc-E3DQ56QTl5LdV6Dru5oyeXXT/w266-h400/komi%20can't%20communicate%2025.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 25</i> (Viz Media)</b> Komi, Tadano and Najimi are starting their third and final year of high school, which means Komi's goal of making 100 friends is now on a deadline. The trio are in a new class, one in which almost no one they know has joined them in. That gives Komi the opportunity to make a whole new batch of friends, of course, but this group all has their own communication disorders of various kinds, and none seem eager to sign Komi's notebook.<div><br /></div><div>The volume is dominated by a weird beginning-of-the-year ceremony, an every year vs. every year battle royale performed with Nerf, er, "Enough" guns. In the midst of the battle, Komi has an argument with one of her classmates, whose cynical and adverse to doing things in groups or following others. </div><div><br /></div><div>With lots of new characters, and a weird, standalone storyline, this actually feels like a good jumping-on point in a long-running narrative, although with manga, there's no real need for jumping-on points, as that's what the first volume is. Still, <i>Komi </i>remains a really fun regular read. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGcnPVA-00dWdfBTumIn7guLDlFnbs9V-dS9HEBgasJDVaQu0H8UnHd3mleaODftRWoFuQ0T40MxOKvOPiJfqASLDMFIEhmv_PI3iSh9jzo_B5e5xhMELTvhdlCiT7AgFryaGbPoYkzO1iNBp18eA9gd7iPqNp7J552MzmLrR0kECQUQfkJ6k/s595/Armageddon%20game.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGcnPVA-00dWdfBTumIn7guLDlFnbs9V-dS9HEBgasJDVaQu0H8UnHd3mleaODftRWoFuQ0T40MxOKvOPiJfqASLDMFIEhmv_PI3iSh9jzo_B5e5xhMELTvhdlCiT7AgFryaGbPoYkzO1iNBp18eA9gd7iPqNp7J552MzmLrR0kECQUQfkJ6k/w260-h400/Armageddon%20game.webp" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Armageddon Game—Opening Moves</i> (IDW Publishing) </b>I had been planning on completely ignoring IDW's TMNT event story "Armageddon Game," as I've ignored the majority of the publisher's expansive "Volume 5" of the TMNT (at least the parts not written and/or drawn by EDILW favorite Sophie Campbell). I didn't get much of a choice though, as the events intruded on Campbell's <i>TMNT </i>ongoing in its latest collection (<i>Game Changers</i>, reviewed <a href="http://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-month-of-wednesday-june-2023.html" target="_blank">here</a>), which included the Tom Waltz-written, Campbell-drawn <i>TMNT FCBD 2022: The Armageddon Game</i>, a carefully created remix of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's original 1984 <i>TMNT #1</i>. That so intrigued me that it actually interested me in the event series, as big and unwieldly as it seems, and<i> this</i> seems to be the start of it. <div><br /></div><div>A Marvel-style trade collection presumably compiled specifically for those interested in the crossover who haven't been following IDW's massive <i>TMNT</i> publishing slate since the beginning (I only lasted nine volumes of the series before wandering away, picking up the occasional crossover or miniseries only until Campbell took the reins with the re-branded "Reborn" run). The 160-page tome includes not just the two-issue "Armageddon Game" prequel series <i>Opening Moves</i>, but also the 2020 and 2021 annuals, all written by Tom Waltz, as well as issues #84 or the regular TMNT series by Waltz, Eastman and Bobby Curnow, and something called "Kingdom of Rats Prelude," by Curnow. Six different artists are responsible for the contents: Pablo Tunica, Dave Wachter, Adam Gorham, Casey Maloney and Maria Keane and Fero Pe.</div><div><br /></div><div>The throughline is the Rat King, who, in IDW's iteration, is a god of mischief, part of a pantheon of gods that includes a version of the old Archie Comics character Jagwar and other, original creations. The Turtles have apparently had dealings with all of these before, with the Rat King being a particularly frequent antagonist. </div><div><br /></div><div>The stories here establish the character through his interactions with the Turtles, The Shredder and his fellow pantheon members. There's a battle with the Turtles, which happens simultaneously on the physical and astral planes, an attempt to recruit a reformed Shredder, a visit to Krang, who is somehow stuck in Leatherhead's abdomen and in semi-control of the character, followed by visits to many of his siblings, trying to interest them in the resumption of the titular Armageddon Game, some sort of game of gods involving real people (and/or mutants and/or aliens) as pawns, the rules of which aren't laid out with the same attention as the players and potential players.</div><div><br /></div><div>He ends up recruiting from the Turtles' villain pool: Evil scientist-turned-mayor Baxter Stockman, interdimensional warlord Krang and alien businesswoman Null. Meanwhile, the Shredder, who is in a relationship with the Rat King's sister Kitsune, is warned of the impending game, and he and Kitsune assume astral form to investigate the new players in astral form, revealing the same hodgepodge of pre-extant characters from various continuities and original concepts that was a hallmark of Waltz's long run on the series (Triceratons from Mirage, the Neutrinos from the original cartoon series, Cherubae, Cudley and the Turnstone from the Archie comics). </div><div><br /></div><div>As a read, it definitely achieved its goals. As a relative novice, I now know the Rat King, his pantheon and some of their interests in (or lack thereof) the Turtles and other players in IDW's Turtle universe. I know about the existence of the Game, and I know the identities and something of the histories of the new players, and their various enemies beyond just the Turtles. </div><div><br /></div><div>I can't say it was terribly engaging though. Waltz in particular writes the Rat King as an interesting character, but there was a degree to which volume felt a bit like homework, like studying comics in order to enjoy an upcoming comic, which, I guess it is. The Turtles are mostly absent from the proceedings, their most heavy involvement being the single issue from the TMNT series that is collected, and comes quite early in the proceedings.</div><div><br /></div><div>The visuals match the quality of the writing. The art is all serviceable, but nothing really knocked my socks off, and it was most interesting to see how characters and concepts I was familiar with from various earlier iterations reinterpreted my new artists for a new universe of stories. This likely betrays my own prejudices about TMNT stories, but the moments of the book that most interested me were Eastman's variant covers for the proceedings. It was interesting—read <i>weird</i>—seeing things like Eastman's style, so familiar from the earlier, grittier, alternative comics version of the Turtles, applied to characters from a later, kid-friendly iteration like Cherubae. </div><div><br /></div><div>This dampened my excitement for <i>Armageddon Game</i> a bit, elevated though it was by the last volume of Campbell and company's <i>TMNT</i>, but at least now I feel thoroughly prepared to read it. This was a bit of a slog, but then, it was practically designed to be such, a semi-necessary cram session of a trade paperback. </div><div><div><br /></div><div><p><br /></p><p><b>REVIEWED: </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cbB5Add0Cy-CGzJ3YvZ1V-OhtU0R1Q5rQ0cSmQJFHETWQ1yn9QnrICYI6XnRb9gDPMlSLUZKyGvNOXu99ELPTqZXaUkqrZe6i934LkOBue50PANo8z-i4jLIrhYlDni8tlgcWZ2HYcf4P9gzin_DzSNkauOCzCjUgFtNYAXmzHxK-5q8plOJ/s595/Fann%20Club%20Batman%20Squad.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="409" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cbB5Add0Cy-CGzJ3YvZ1V-OhtU0R1Q5rQ0cSmQJFHETWQ1yn9QnrICYI6XnRb9gDPMlSLUZKyGvNOXu99ELPTqZXaUkqrZe6i934LkOBue50PANo8z-i4jLIrhYlDni8tlgcWZ2HYcf4P9gzin_DzSNkauOCzCjUgFtNYAXmzHxK-5q8plOJ/w275-h400/Fann%20Club%20Batman%20Squad.webp" width="275" /></a></div><b><i>Fann Club: Batman Squad</i> (DC Comics) </b>Prolific kids' book creator Jim Benton (<i>Dear Dumb Diary</i>, <i>Franny K. Stein</i>, <i>Cat Wad</i>) produced a graphic novel kinda sorta about Batman, or at least Batman through the eyes of Batman mega-fan Ernest Fann, who starts a Batman fan club with those closest to him (his best friend, his babysitter, his dog) in order to bring justice to his world. It's really funny; trust me. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/07/07/fann-club-batman-squad-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-1524586402278035422023-07-12T11:28:00.005-07:002023-07-12T11:34:00.057-07:00On Batgirls Vol. 1: One Way or Another <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhd6tLme4QrmKDeJudVFn5XrnAmJ4jc0XivI-Muad8faCUYstEAk9mBzus__Sc5zkwJeShBfYs_URBT1-Oj1pMrLzZyI2fpY91aMBTTysBrc7cZ_6h8AJRapRuSQsD2dSc1VWNC-dWmD5VPhoedgg-ODx_IsMKB-0_ham-GAcohNidXbakwT8/s595/batgirls.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhd6tLme4QrmKDeJudVFn5XrnAmJ4jc0XivI-Muad8faCUYstEAk9mBzus__Sc5zkwJeShBfYs_URBT1-Oj1pMrLzZyI2fpY91aMBTTysBrc7cZ_6h8AJRapRuSQsD2dSc1VWNC-dWmD5VPhoedgg-ODx_IsMKB-0_ham-GAcohNidXbakwT8/w260-h400/batgirls.webp" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Well this certainly sounded like a slam-dunk of an idea for a Batman-adjacent series. </span></div><p></p><p>Batgirl Cassandra Cain starred in a solo series that lasted 73 issues between 2000 and 2006; in it, original, retired Batgirl Barbara Gordon served as her mentor. That was later followed by a new <i>Batgirl</i> series in which Stephanie Brown, aka Spoiler, took up the mantle from her friend Cassandra (this required some unconvincing hand-waving to get the costume off of Cass and forcing her into story limbo for awhile). In that volume of<i> Batgirl</i>, which lasted 24 issues between 2009 and 2011, original, retired Batgirl Barbara Gordon once again served as the new Batgirl's mentor. </p><p>Then, when "The New 52" happened, Gordon returned to the Batgirl role for awhile, starring in a series that lasted 53 issues between 2011 and 2016, and then immediately relaunching for a new volume that lasted another 50 issues, into 2021. By that time, both Cassandra and Stephanie were both reintroduced into the Batman universe, with the latter resuming her Batgirl codename and costume after going by a new one for awhile. </p><p>What to do with all these Batgirls? Why not put them all together in a new series, the premise of which would be the obvious one, of the older, original Batgirl Barbara—who had been gradually drifting back towards her pre-New 52 status quo as computer expert and information broker Oracle—serving as the mentor of the two teenage vigilantes? </p><p>That was the idea behind the new series <i>Batgirls</i>, which launched in 2022 after a few issue launch of the team-up concept in some back-up stories in the pages of <i>Batman</i>, during writer James Tynion IV's big "Fear State" crossover storyline. As I said, it sounds like a good one, and given the relative success of the three heroines in solo series throughout the 21st century, putting them all on a Birds of Prey-like team together seemed like an obvious move, one that would bring with it three different fandoms.</p><p>Oddly, it only lasted 19 issues, fewer than any Batgirl's solo series to date. </p><p>What went wrong? I don't know, beyond the obvious fact that it's pretty hard to sell an ongoing comic book series these days.</p><p> I was a faithful reader of the original Batgirl series, a big fan of the Cassandra Cain iteration of the character, and an advocate for this very premise for a book, and <i>I</i> wasn't reading it, for a variety of reasons (The New 52 essentially having broken the contract between me as a reader and the DCU as an ongoing setting, comics costing more than $3 a pop now, not reading enough titles to justify journeying to a comic shop each Wednesday any more, etc). I can't speak for the rest of the potential <i>Batgirls</i> readership. </p><p>The title had officially been cancelled by the time I got around to reading the first volume of the series, <i>Batgirls Vol. 1: One Way or Another</i>, by the creative team of writers Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad and artist Jorge Corona. Having done so, I suppose I can offer some guesses, the main one of which the title just wasn't very good. Extremely plot-heavy with little attention to character, characterization or ideas, it wasn't really a book<i> about</i> anything more than our heroes fighting some villains, the sort of comic of which there is and has always been dozens and dozens of similar books, many of which offer more than just fight scenes. </p><p>(I wonder to what extent the series' launch being tied to "Fear State" might have been a factor. That was a fine storyline by Tynion and company, but it's credibility-straining villains weren't so great as to justify much in the way of tie-ins or the involvement of characters from the extended Bat-family. That said, Bat-events have long been used to introduced new Batman-adjacent titles, including the original Batgirl series, which came in the wake of "No Man's Land".)</p><p>After a few short stories in which The Magistrate from "Fear State" are hunting the Batgirls of Batgirl Cassandra Cain and Spoiler Stephanie Brown, who has apparently recently altered her costume so that he has a purple bat on her chest and is also going by "Batgirl" now (Should Stephanie have resumed wearing her own Batgirl costume if she was resuming the Batgirl name...? I don't know; I personally prefer her original Spoiler costume to this more ninja-like, detail-heavy version.), presumably because of doctored footage showing a Batgirl killing someone that was released to them.</p><p>This leads to The Magistrate, which you presumably already know all about because you were reading <i>Batman—</i>remember, the series started in the pages of <i>Batman </i>as back-ups, which, again, may or may not have been a factor in the series' failure to catch on<i>—</i>targeting sometimes-Batgirl, sometimes-Oracle Barbara Gordon's clocktower headquarters. At the same time, an anti-Oracle of sorts, known as Seer, targeted Babs, corrupting her information network.</p><p>This leads to the two teens having to lie low for a few days, while Barbara sets-up a new status-quo for them and, of course, the new series: The three of them move into a loft together in a new neighborhood, The Hill, and become something similar to a Bagirl-only version of the Birds of Prey, with Stephanie and Cass going out and doing the leg-work of Batgirling, while Babs stays behind-the-scenes, doing the Oracle-ing.</p><p>They're immediately set upon by a series of villains, none of whom, I'm afraid, are terribly engaging, which is sort of unfortunate, as Cloonan and Conrad focus on these and their conflict above characterization of the girls and their relationships with one another. (Where were Cass and Steph living <i>before</i> they moved in with Babs? What was their previous status quos? I have no idea; the book offers no clues). </p><p>There's the aforementioned Seer, who can hack his or her way into Oracles networks, and seems to have an unexplained grudge against Babs and the Batgirls. There's Tutor, a prolific spray-paint artist with an anti-society bent and some sort of mind-control abilities that turn victims into mindless zombies that due his bidding. There's Tutor's patron, the latest villain to go by the name Spellbinder (the third, by my count). And there's The Saints, former, radicalized members of The Magistrate who resemble cartoonier versions of Peacekeeper-01 (you <i>did</i> read "Fear State", right?) and are each named after a saint, Tarsus, Valentine and Assisi. And there's the Hill Ripper, an unknown, unseen serial killer who seems to be stalking the girls' new turf, though they don't come into direct contact with him or her this volume, despite Steph suspecting a neighbor, based on some<i> Rear Window</i>-esque suspicions. </p><p>If that seems like a lot of moving pieces for the first six issues of a new series, it's mostly just Tutor and Spellbinder who are involved. Seer makes an attack and some taunts, but is mainly a background player until they're surprise appearance at the cliff-hanging ending, and the Saints, seemingly manipulated by Seer, attack a couple of times, but they aren't the focus of the storyline either. </p><p>It's all...fine, but it's also light on substance, and what I'd expect from the series, with, as I said, no real focus on the characters or their relationships with one another. </p><p>The art by Corona is pretty great, and it's hard to imagine fans being turned off by it. His Cass highlights her visual characteristics, of being something of a creepy cross between Batman and Spider-Man, in a tight, little, slightly feminine package (there's one great splash panel, near the climax, where her arms blend into her cape, giving he appearance of a monstrous bat). The other two Batgirls are less visually interesting in conception, but nevertheless well-rendered, as are all three characters when they are out of costume. </p><p>I'm curious about what went wrong with the tile, exactly, and interested enough in the characters to follow the rest of the series in trade, but, with only the first third to go on, I would guess the low-calorie approach to comic book storytelling didn't retain enough eyeballs on the book to make it as successful as any of the girls' solo outings to date. </p>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-41126564122349796672023-07-04T10:06:00.002-07:002023-07-04T10:06:45.504-07:00A Month of Wednesday: June 2023 <p><b>BOUGHT: </b> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwMm_MlI3XBG0ZwSOaLw-otNl14BXKRjE10A4EpF9QIezaIQb6t5asp3qkrrU9U0SUvvcoCVdUPS2GhvsqfxdyQKNLfRHoDvVtTrYqdA_XoVxwehYfvDD8n3l0BelLVHqdkpT-We3IW8GWt6cLFTobF8AwKBW-1PzGFxbTAOinm1S1r818A/s595/TMNT.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwMm_MlI3XBG0ZwSOaLw-otNl14BXKRjE10A4EpF9QIezaIQb6t5asp3qkrrU9U0SUvvcoCVdUPS2GhvsqfxdyQKNLfRHoDvVtTrYqdA_XoVxwehYfvDD8n3l0BelLVHqdkpT-We3IW8GWt6cLFTobF8AwKBW-1PzGFxbTAOinm1S1r818A/w260-h400/TMNT.webp" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Reborn, Vol. 6—Game Changers</i> (IDW Publishing) </b>The roughest going volume of the Sophie Campbell-penned "Reborn" era of the title, this felt a lot like a Big Two super-comic tied to an event that one isn't reading, and is only dimly aware of—the feeling of interruption of an ongoing plot, the suspicion that something important is going on somewhere else that is impacting the story, the dependency on deep lore that pre-dates the run itself...it was a familiar, and not totally welcome feeling.<div><br /></div><div>That said, it's still pretty good comics, even if I don't know what exactly "The Armageddon Game" is (this trade paperback is labeled "Road To The Armageddon Game") or why exactly former Shredder Oruku Saki is a helpful ghost (to be fair, he's appeared in this form throughout the "Reborn" run, and I've just kinda rolled with it, as it hasn't seemed to terribly important to the goings-on thus far). </div><div><br /></div><div>This volume opens with a pretty great done-in-one by cartoonist Juni Ba, who both writes and draws it. It's the sort of evergreen story that seems like it could have been an inventory one, or appeared at any point in most any continuity tied to any incarnation of the TMNT...even if it would have had to been set in "the future" of some of those continuities. </div><div><br /></div><div>The four original turtles, "wearing old gear" (i.e. not wearing clothes, as they've long since taken to doing), are going on a mission that narrator Leonardo doesn't feel terribly confident about, and, in fact, they all seem to be out of rhythm with one another, as evidenced by their bumping into one another while rooftop-hopping on their way to their destination.</div><div><br /></div><div>This proves to be a somewhat simple mission, a visit to their old, original sewer home, where they are intent on leaving a flower and a photo of themselves with their late father, Splinter. On the way, however, they encounter a "leech spirit", that, according to Donatello, "haunts cemeteries and tracks the grief and despair of those who lost someone to war." It's a powerful monster, and Donatello theorizes that the mutagen bomb that made Mutant Town in the first place must have affected one of the slugs that follow the spirit, and the spirit possessed the slug. </div><div><br /></div><div>To complete their mysterious mission, which I've already spoiled, the team will have to get by the spirit, which will mean letting go of all the craziness that has driven them apart over the last several dozen issues of their series and get back to their roots (there have been over 130 issues of the main series so far, making this the longest-running of the various TMNT narratives by far, once all the miniseries and specials are factored in). The precise way they do this—relying on red paint to resume their matching, red bandanas of their origins, as well as sharing weapons—is a little silly, but cool-looking, and immediately effective as a visual story-telling tactic. </div><div><br /></div><div>According to the fine print, this volume contains two issues of the main series, plus a 2022 annual and last year's Free Comic Book Day offering; the standalone nature of this story, which seems like a <i>Tales Of The...</i> tale as much as a standard <i>TMNT</i> issue, makes it seems like it could be either of the latter, but I'm guessing it's the annual (<b>Update</b>: <a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/2384147/" target="_blank">Comics.org</a> tells me I'm right).</div><div><br /></div><div>Ba is a great artist, and has a nice, simple, stripped-down version of the characters; the depiction of action, through kinetic angles and shaky action line-defined poses, is devastatingly effective. The annual is a nice argument for IDW having a sister <i>Tales Of The... </i>title, giving artists like Ba an opportunity to tell Turtles story, regardless of what's going on in the main title. </div><div><br /></div><div>From there, we pick up with the Splinter Clan in conflict, over whether or not they should trust their one-time mortal enemy to help train them in preparation for some coming conflict (The "Armageddon Game," I presume). The five turtles all agree, and go off into the woods to train with the former Shredder, who proposes to teach them all secret, advanced ninja techniques, techniques that brush up against black magic, and thus leads to a difficult cost in terms of weird, nightmare visions for all of them...except Leonardo, who must meet, fight and master his own, dark self from earlier in the series. </div><div><br /></div><div>These issues are written by Campbell, and drawn by Pablo Tunica; I wasn't as fond of the art in this passage of the collection, as it seemed a little too realistic for my personal tastes (coming after the Ba-drawn section, it looked a little like a "live-action" version of the Turtles, versus a comic book or cartoon version, if that makes sense).</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, there's a 10-page story that I assume came from the FCBD special, as it features something weird going-on, and effectively teases the answer to that weirdness with a narration box, "Find out answers to this and much more soon in... Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Armageddon Game!" While I'd been assuming the storyline was something of an annoyance or inconvenience, a distraction to Campbell's Mutant Town story arc, I was sold on it by these ten pages, which tap into the dynamite-potent images and storytelling of <i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1</i>....not the 2011 #1 that kicked off IDW's successful series, but the 198 #1 from Mirage that introduced the characters in the first place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Written by long-time<i> TMNT</i> writer (and current story consultant) Tom Waltz and faithfully, exquisitely drawn by Sophie Campbell, it is essentially a cover story of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's original Turtles tale, or, at least, the fight against the Purple Dragons gang that introduced the characters. Waltz borrows snatches of narration and dialogue, and Campbell recreates the lay-outs and art within each panel to re-tell the story (these panels are all burned into my memory from reading, re-reading and re-re-re-re-reading the collection of the first dozen issues of the Mirage series I pored over in the early '90s).</div><div><br /></div><div>There are some slight differences, drawn into sharper relief by how similar the compositions and poses are. First, rather than their regular masks—all red, back then, but appearing in black and white—the four turtles are here all wearing white masks that cover their noses, mouths and throats, but leave their yellow, pupil-less, triangle eyes exposed. Secondly, their weapons are all scrambled, so that they all have a different weapon than the one they are usually associated with (Campbell draws the same characters in the same poses, but their weapons are different; this is most evident in<a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/2398526/cover/4/" target="_blank"> her recreation of the iconic cover</a>). Finally, rather than fighting a generic comic book street gang, they are heer fighting soldiers of the "Earth Protection Force," and, when they disappear into a sewer to the words "...into the night," there is a long-shot of the city, and it features a huge wall that looks foreign to New York.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is here, on the tenth page, that we see Venus, the new kinda-sorta turtle introduced in the previous collection of the series, asking aloud, "...what the<b><i> hell</i></b> is going on?!", only to be answered by a narration box teasing "The Armageddon Game."</div><div><br /></div><div>Like I said, I wasn't exactly looking forward to that story, but after this teaser by Waltz and Campbell, I'm downright excited. </div><div><br /></div><div>As ever, the collection is full of the book's many covers, showing the Kevin Eastman-drawn variants and main cover for each issue as it appears in the volume (Eastman does a particularly trippy one for <i>TMNT #131</i>), and then a mini-gallery at the end. The one I was most intrigued by, and happiest to see, was a double-page spread by Jim Lawson and Steve Lavigne, two old Mirage hands who still obviously have a lot to offer. It depicts the five turtles fooling around atop a church steeple on a city street. I wish IDW could find a project for Lawson's talents, preferably of the letting-him-do-whatever-he-wants variety (Here again a <i>Tales Of The TMNT</i> anthology title would be welcome). </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>BORROWED:</b> </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinT6dgOZQ0C3ZWeWOKGOON0Fw2o5FAlmCZ6WKgL5hCcmZlCK6Zi03vpndK1xwOECbr196tm0DxhBXqKeker4r82LsC3MBYOXHYZmsS9PUZjTjdHAI43ce5TYXxmUHykeA0XMSbQtTyyEer0Uk-3FwQhiYRjbOhBUQTshVojoOosPMEZHOgjyk3/s1152/spider-man%20fake%20red.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinT6dgOZQ0C3ZWeWOKGOON0Fw2o5FAlmCZ6WKgL5hCcmZlCK6Zi03vpndK1xwOECbr196tm0DxhBXqKeker4r82LsC3MBYOXHYZmsS9PUZjTjdHAI43ce5TYXxmUHykeA0XMSbQtTyyEer0Uk-3FwQhiYRjbOhBUQTshVojoOosPMEZHOgjyk3/w266-h400/spider-man%20fake%20red.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Spider-Man: Fake Red</i> (Viz Media) </b>High-schooler<b> </b>Yu feels about as different from New York City's preeminent superhero and social media darling Spider-Man as he can be. He's falling behind at his elite school, he's not making any friends and lately he's taken to skipping classes. Worse, when he sees a classmate being bullied by others, he thinks of rushing in to help ("What would Spidey do?" he asks himself), but his courage fails him, and he instead stands by while the kid takes a beating in front of him.<div><br /></div><div>The only time Yu feels at all like his hero is when he's on the climbing wall at his local gym, which is where he goes to escape his day-to-day travails (a better-than-average climber, he's still not as good as the gym's champion, his classmate and crush, Emma Pearson). </div><div><br /></div><div>Yu's life takes a dramatic and unexpected turn when he finds a Spider-Man suit in the garbage in an alley, Spider-Man having apparently discarded it during an<i> Amazing Spider-Man #50</i>, "Spider Man No More!" moment (an extended flashback sequence in which Spider-Man tries to get to the theater in time to see MJ's performance, but keeps getting side-tracked by crime-fighting, including an extended battle with The Scorpion, explains why he decided to trash his Spider-Man career...at least temporarily). Taking it home and trying it on, Yu still might not be all that much like Spider-Man, he still might not <i>feel</i> like Spidey, but he at least <i>looks</i> the part.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Guess I'll just go about my day and hope I miraculously bump into Spidey," Yu thinks, hoping to return the suit to its owner, while realizing that's pretty much impossible; how would he even recognize the real Spidey if he's <i>not </i>wearing his familiar suit? (This is actually a plot-point that will come up later). </div><div><br /></div><div>When he tries the costume on again on a rooftop, he sees smoke, and people start pointing and telling him to hurry. A building is on fire, and a small child is trapped on the third floor. It's up to this counterfeit Spider-Man to save him; luckily Yu's not a bad climber. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thus begins Yu's career as the new Spider-Man. He lacks super-strength and the other spider-powers, and, though he has the web-shooters, he can't exactly web-sling; there's apparently a lot more to it than simply pointing one's wrist and pushing the button. But now that he has the suit, he feels responsible to help people...especially when it becomes clear that the real Spider-Man is MIA, and not simply because he's missing his laundry (Manga-ka Yusuke Osawa shows us scenes of a worried MJ, who has been unable to contact Peter for days, and an unseen villain watching the real Peter wrestle with the Venom symbiote in the sewers, trying not to succumb to its monstrous influence).</div><div><br /></div><div>After his second outting as Spider-Man, when he saves Emma from bank-robbers who kidnap her when they're taking the car she's in, the young woman discovers Yu's secret, or at least <i>thinks </i>she does: Yu is Spider-Man! Now he's got to keep the lie going, pretending to have a secret identity that's not really even his, or risk losing the new attention and friendship of his crush...and his first real friend at school.</div><div><br /></div><div>This means engaging an actual, honest-to-God supervillain in the form of Screwball, and answering to Silk, who comes calling when she too can't find the real Spider-Man, and wants to know the imposter's story. </div><div><br /></div><div>Everything comes to a head when Silk faces off against the Venom-possessed Peter Parker, and Yu makes the scene in the Spider-Man costume, reminding Peter of who he really is and helping him get the symbiote under control, and into a new, cool-looking Spider-Man costume for Parker...just in time for the villain behind the plot to turn the real Spidey into a bad-guy arrives to challenge them both.</div><div><br /></div><div>By giving us a "new" Spider-Man, Osawa manages to tell a Spider-Man story that feels both classic and completely fresh at the same time, meditating on the "with great power comes great responsibility" theme. Even though Yu lacks <i>great</i> power, he's obviously got an opportunity, and he uses it to do good, the costume giving him the push he needs to do the good he wanted to but lacked the courage to do earlier when he saw a classmate being bullied (echoing Spider-Man's own origin, which goes unrepeated in this volume, when he let a thief go because he thought it wasn't his problem). </div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to a well-told Spider-Man tale that feels both faithful to the original while also <i>being</i> original, Osawa gives a fresh coat of paint to a bunch of Spider-Man villains, including those already mentioned (Scorpion's costume becoming much more of a technological-feeling one), as well as The Sinister Six, who appear for the climax: Mysterio, Kraven, Electro, Doctor Octopus, The Vulture and The Sandman. Some of their updates are actually pretty radical, especially Mysterio's scary new look. Spidey himself is updated slightly, with an original costume (plus an updated all-black costume at the climax, and <i>another</i> new costume in the final pages). </div><div><br /></div><div>It's not a Peter Parker story—at least, not primarily and not all the way through—but it<i> is</i> a great Spider-Man story, one perfectly suited to those interested in the character but leery of the official Marvel version with all its decades worth of continuity baggage. I'd highly recommend it to the casual Spider-Man fan, or a reader who wants to read a Spider-Man comic but doesn't know where to start.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0gydIZlcPHselNLhcRdflJF9dyIv9wr7ZeJwWJWlPAFX7bZZX4n7gbL1byUdbix9JKysY7hIzPP7QD7HtgW_ULXv35KlceGR4IS39REBQ9UhKsz90qJqe9qwNGJ5-gNe8pgYcl2K-gaGgUCsGcCLCuEd2VAesQFIbVR2NR6acMJW1ejMKOLz/s595/Zom%20100.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0gydIZlcPHselNLhcRdflJF9dyIv9wr7ZeJwWJWlPAFX7bZZX4n7gbL1byUdbix9JKysY7hIzPP7QD7HtgW_ULXv35KlceGR4IS39REBQ9UhKsz90qJqe9qwNGJ5-gNe8pgYcl2K-gaGgUCsGcCLCuEd2VAesQFIbVR2NR6acMJW1ejMKOLz/w280-h400/Zom%20100.webp" width="280" /></a></div><b><i>Zom-100: Bucket List of the Dead Vol. 10</i> (Viz)</b> Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata certainly have a penchant for dramatic cliffhangers, with last volume's ending in which Akira's crew dare to play the 50/50 game of can or zombie, where you either double your amount of canned goods fall into a pit full of zombies, the most recent example (The earlier one? When the evil version of Akira's crew put him in the position of having to sacrifice himself to zombies in order to save his father). The resolution doesn't always live up to the promised drama, of course, but then, wiggling out of a seemingly-impossible scenario is the easiest way of dealing with a big cliffhanger. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here, new cast-member and master of gambling Takeru takes the challenge, betting on Akira's remaining empathy to save him...and then breaking the system with such a huge bet and huge winnings that it becomes impossible <i>not</i> to win, as long as he keeps betting. </div><div><br /></div><div>That concludes the "Millionaire of The Dead" arc that began last volume, and once again our heroes have found an okay place to permanently settle and ride out the apocalypse with a relatively nice style of life, but there's their promise to look for a cure—and the premise of the series—to think of, so they take off again, now with canned good millionaire Takeru as part of the team.</div><div><br /></div><div>The volume contains two more arcs. There the two-part "Geisha of the Dead," where the boys patronize the surviving geisha of Kyoto, who have moved their business to the upper-floors of the buildings, accessible to patrons by ladder (and not to zombies at all). And the "Pilgrimage of the Dead, wherein Beatrix convinces the others to take on a traditional pilgrimage of 88 temples. </div><div><br /></div><div>Neither gets them any closer to finding a cure, of curse, but they do manage to scratch a few more items off of their bucket list which is, of course, the point of the series, and their post-apocalyptic adventures.<br /> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>REVIEWED: </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLAFF74AQa8YcgOK29XTVlU2soDOqcFct0kuzcxijhSJMyjUZewAoctcwqgPkdM-fooxpjGRejq6VwGOYHW6USFU8eAfJtB3CPfaJQUGK6bnXzOYxEAtK9itxNb5T8mE13-AKCpMDC8D7g15FMSzhNUeilsy33fBXUftNZ9evmSrHrP6KBOxb/s1260/Spider-Man.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLAFF74AQa8YcgOK29XTVlU2soDOqcFct0kuzcxijhSJMyjUZewAoctcwqgPkdM-fooxpjGRejq6VwGOYHW6USFU8eAfJtB3CPfaJQUGK6bnXzOYxEAtK9itxNb5T8mE13-AKCpMDC8D7g15FMSzhNUeilsy33fBXUftNZ9evmSrHrP6KBOxb/w286-h400/Spider-Man.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><b><i>Spider-Man: Animals Assemble!</i> (Amulet Books) </b>Cartoonist Mike Maihack takes on the Marvel Universe in this delightful little tale of Spider-Man pet-sitting for his fellow superheroes—seemingly <i>all</i> of his fellow superheroes—as they investigate a super-villain threat. Predictably, the art is great, and the story is a fun one, geared towards young readers but perfectly satisfying for grown-ups too. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/06/30/spider-man-animals-assemble-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHCPyuotpbkiFOf_cNC9Z5NmlsxLEBFCo9gjKz-WrKvJHj5y3VnMjbu1l--xF3jF3G8XvjnkWNrSAiUrgLw-3529WT4IR9KYPU3vGCKjzL4N43CjFmiQGicwbiL0VuX_SJlBKfhw6BKvUaN4oIen8_DNR638t4A3dlqIRqsbi6MJfCwSF05dY/s850/Squire-and-Knight.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHCPyuotpbkiFOf_cNC9Z5NmlsxLEBFCo9gjKz-WrKvJHj5y3VnMjbu1l--xF3jF3G8XvjnkWNrSAiUrgLw-3529WT4IR9KYPU3vGCKjzL4N43CjFmiQGicwbiL0VuX_SJlBKfhw6BKvUaN4oIen8_DNR638t4A3dlqIRqsbi6MJfCwSF05dY/w283-h400/Squire-and-Knight.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><b><i>Squire & Knight</i> (First Second) </b>Scott Chantler's fantasy story about a bookish squire and a boisterous knight facing a rather standard knightly deed—dealing with a dragon—is full of surprises. It's no surprise, given i's creator, that it's great, though. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/06/08/squire-knight-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIv9mWkYmmOh7qp25l3bi8yQa4moB1Oein2i2dmqiCyMLF-cOzsX4y8W94g6MiGCbbxoI51zI2bwnFFYEV6EBPh8m4a0rvYxDWQArjgW_cnBSKgUfjawByzUI7rFfcLUBhiuaD2DTArhU86f2ZX_FmQIFn4LdkdcwAFEBlM-rABPe17KENnPwu/s1309/Tegan-and-Sara-Junior-High.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIv9mWkYmmOh7qp25l3bi8yQa4moB1Oein2i2dmqiCyMLF-cOzsX4y8W94g6MiGCbbxoI51zI2bwnFFYEV6EBPh8m4a0rvYxDWQArjgW_cnBSKgUfjawByzUI7rFfcLUBhiuaD2DTArhU86f2ZX_FmQIFn4LdkdcwAFEBlM-rABPe17KENnPwu/w275-h400/Tegan-and-Sara-Junior-High.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><b><i>Tegan and Sara: Junior High</i> (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) </b>The Canadian pop duo (and, incidentally, one of my favorite bands) make their comics-writing debut in this wonderful collaboration with prolific cartoonist Tillie Walden. A rather fictionalized coming-of-age memoir that moves their childhood from the early '90s up into the present day and moves a few events around to make for a more narratively satisfying story, <i>Junior High</i> is a sharp, insightful and awfully dramatic look at maybe the hardest year of any kid's life, seventh grade. More <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/06/15/tegan-and-sara-junior-high-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-82511212924628900812023-06-07T10:20:00.000-07:002023-06-07T10:20:08.062-07:00A Month of Wednesdays: May 2023<p><b>BOUGHT: </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyTUJCyl7ykkZ4ezHC6NJzXoX1p9r1kWIr69sXlm89cVcy8yEsL8Ic0kJTvy06k74m_4R454CIEWCFwsWiIkSrWTI05-ouLO7bkTixCvy8dxR_s8Nl5fhES08eU9tUCDSscg4GlQYph7S7TYbLwwzgXZl3lkk2KXEeu2a_6roRTwSVOAekg/s595/Nancy%20Wins%20At%20Friendship.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyTUJCyl7ykkZ4ezHC6NJzXoX1p9r1kWIr69sXlm89cVcy8yEsL8Ic0kJTvy06k74m_4R454CIEWCFwsWiIkSrWTI05-ouLO7bkTixCvy8dxR_s8Nl5fhES08eU9tUCDSscg4GlQYph7S7TYbLwwzgXZl3lkk2KXEeu2a_6roRTwSVOAekg/w266-h400/Nancy%20Wins%20At%20Friendship.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Nancy Wins at Friendship</i> (Andrews McMeel Publishing) </b>Olivia Jaimes' latest collection of her reinvented <i>Nancy</i> run includes strips from the Covid shut-in days, and, after all of the superhero comics seem to have ignored the fact that Covid was ever a thing, it was interesting to see an iconic comic character deal with the pandemic in any meaningful way. <p></p><p>For Nancy, a little girl, this mainly meant dealing with going to school over the Internet for a series of strips, and how the always inventive Jaimes found ways to build gags around it (Sluggo, whose uncles were apparently on the road, moved in with Nancy and Aunt Fritzi for the duration of the shut-in). </p><p>Fun, funny and relentlessly inventive, always finding creative ways to tell new versions of stock jokes or view the world in new ways, Nancy remains a high point of the modern American newspaper comic strip, and an absolute pleasure to encounter in a collection like this. </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>BORROWED:</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmlqWKutj-jZarYpnNabR9_1X-GkF4rVZdWRLRqROi2HOleLe_yB3KN_zvruoEnd6JzProUawv3GAbxxjSMq81GzcdK83lVqxj1sZVC3m-tXvHRDMcYBxNFEtN05csIm0CnAMz1ee4vMyJfQHAtUUpq820DMkl63dpjJaceR9YjlxBho6FQ/s595/Baby%20Bear's%20Bakery.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="412" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmlqWKutj-jZarYpnNabR9_1X-GkF4rVZdWRLRqROi2HOleLe_yB3KN_zvruoEnd6JzProUawv3GAbxxjSMq81GzcdK83lVqxj1sZVC3m-tXvHRDMcYBxNFEtN05csIm0CnAMz1ee4vMyJfQHAtUUpq820DMkl63dpjJaceR9YjlxBho6FQ/w278-h400/Baby%20Bear's%20Bakery.webp" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Baby Bear's Bakery, Part 1</i> (Denpa)</b> This darling manga from creator Kamentotsu is about a baby bear cub who knows how to bake delectable cakes and desserts...and almost nothing else. In the very first strip—each page consists of a single, standalone four- or five-panel strip—his most regular customer has to haggle him far upwards, as he's only charging 20 yen for two desserts. Later, when another gives him a credit card to pay for his order, Baby Bear thinks he gets to keep the cool-looking card. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Eventually, that regular customer who appears in the first strip begins working for Baby Bear, and he teaches him about business and modern human life in general. Most of the humor of the series comes from Baby Bear's complete naivete, and his learning of something new: Santa Claus and Christmas celebration, New Year's celebrations, lunch delivery, how money works, the library, where milk comes from and so on. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">While Kamentotsu's human character is highly abstracted, even children's picture book-like in his simplicity, Baby Bear himself is rendered highly realistically...and cute. That cuteness and that ignorance are the twin engines that drive the delightful little comic.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the end of the volume, there's a fairytale-like comic that tells just how it is that Baby Bear learned to make cakes, which is in a more comic-like format rather than the little few-panel towers that dominate the pages of the book. </div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eA7kQmKo8M_TtNjkF3tRre6MuzzYKJbL6uOn9Ih-sOw4Cxwu8mHD89f8genKCMYoMsC1hwGFxPpiM-g563oZBIY_rhtHrhHIqWPdykFCcDRQGwVU3WdhnLNzE67_8nQ8j9Zj22XIUe-BpH3rKkGgU-9P8uXucH5Jb8nFN-DWih7AXsw7YA/s595/world's%20finest.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eA7kQmKo8M_TtNjkF3tRre6MuzzYKJbL6uOn9Ih-sOw4Cxwu8mHD89f8genKCMYoMsC1hwGFxPpiM-g563oZBIY_rhtHrhHIqWPdykFCcDRQGwVU3WdhnLNzE67_8nQ8j9Zj22XIUe-BpH3rKkGgU-9P8uXucH5Jb8nFN-DWih7AXsw7YA/w260-h400/world's%20finest.webp" width="260" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Batman/Superman: World's Finest Vol. 1: The Devil Nezha</i> (DC Comics) </b>Writer Mark Waid does that thing he (and, to a great extent, Grant Morrison) does so well here: Writing what is essentially a Silver Age comic book story, but shorn of its excess narration and thought balloons, with modern story-telling sensibilities and rocket-like pacing.<p></p><p>Set in "the not-too-distant past", back when Batman wore blue and had a yellow oval around his bat-symbol and Dick Grayson was still his partner Robin, the story finds the World's Finest team battling Poison Ivy and Metallo in Metropolis...although the villains are working for another, unseen foe. </p><p>When Superman is given a deadly cocktail of Red Kryptonite, Batman takes Robin's advice and calls in "a doctor who specializes in <b><i>freakish transformations!</i></b>", Dr. Niles Caulder and his Doom Patrol. Soon Supergirl is called in too, and the various heroes split up to track down elements of the mystery bad guy behind the other bad guys: An ancient, immortal Chinese warlord now known as the Devil Nezha (see the title of the volume).</p><p>The book focuses on big, crazy moments within a more-or-less typical day for the heroes, including casual time-travel, encounters with various other Justice Leaguer heroes and villains and the creation of a new, very temporary version of the Composite-Superman. There are also fun, character defining moments, like answering the question of how Superman would address the concept of hell, or Batman's penchant for detecting things and planning ahead.</p><p>It will be interesting to see if the book moves into the future/present at some point, and whether doing so will cramp Waid's storytelling style too much, given the concerns of continuity and more twenty-first century comics conventions (It's harder to imagine Supergirl and Robin traveling into the distant past to question important witnesses in a modern story than a Silver Age one, for example). For this volume, at least, it presented the sort of big, crazy elements that have always punctuated Superman/Batman team-up books, coupled with Waid's sharp, smart writing and familial-like familiarity with the characters and their traditional lore. </p><p>The story is not just a lark, as much as it reads like a satisfying, done-in-one adventure. It leads directly into another Waid-written story, Batman Vs. Robin, which the very last page sets up "Years later," with Damian in his current Robin costume investigating something on Lazarus Island which we now see was the island-setting of the adventure we just got done reading.</p><p>Dan Mora is the artist, and he does a phenomenal job. One of the best superhero artists working right now, Mora gets the opportunity to draw not only Superman, Batman and their supporting casts, but also the Doom Patrol, much of the original Justice League, some classic villains, and to design some great new villains and heroes (and that Composite Superman, which really sings, despite the fact that the original design would have worked pretty well in this context).</p><p>I finished the book, which includes two cliffhangers (what happens with current Robin on Lazarus Island and what happened to original Robin Dick Grayson, who becomes lost in time), not wanting to wait to see what happens next. That is, I believe, the ideal way one should feel after putting down a piece of serial story-telling of any kind. Unfortunately, because I decided to read in trade instead of by issue, I've got longer than a month to wait for that more of this. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wScoy3Vud58p6KDSyvCMulUbwQU2Ki-mcqAt5_sJ8N6AEbhK74yNknsYC6g0xBeOLs79S50sZxSnUTP2U1mNDPXeW3Qviyjnjkm72XFPeAnfzJalShZYAFTp4mb2Ih7GrPZxmndWxjJkIDIbt8hne9xKkUOZJpdL1BqXANHaFokmvSU9qg/s595/Jurassic%20League.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="390" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wScoy3Vud58p6KDSyvCMulUbwQU2Ki-mcqAt5_sJ8N6AEbhK74yNknsYC6g0xBeOLs79S50sZxSnUTP2U1mNDPXeW3Qviyjnjkm72XFPeAnfzJalShZYAFTp4mb2Ih7GrPZxmndWxjJkIDIbt8hne9xKkUOZJpdL1BqXANHaFokmvSU9qg/w263-h400/Jurassic%20League.webp" width="263" /></a></div><b><i>Jurassic League</i> (DC) </b>There's a pretty solid, if somewhat silly, joke at the center of this project, apparently inspired by the fact that "Jurassic" and "Justice" both start with the letter J: What if the familiar Justice Leaguers were all dinosaurs? That idea, which seems to have belonged to co-writer Daniel Warren Johnson and writer/artist Juan Gedeon, could easily sustain a short story or a one-shot, but it was stretched into a six-issue miniseries, which, unfortunately, resulted in the same basic gag being repeated over and over, while the narrative was a pretty basic, generic Justice League story of Earth's heroes rallying together to fend off an invasion by Darkseid. Except, of course, they're all dinosaurs.<p></p><p>In the most obvious example that the series was a little too ong for its own crazy concept, artist Gedeon couldn't draw the whole thing, and fill-in artist Rafa Garres, who has a strong, but very different and ultimately rather incompatible, style is needed to draw the third issue. I obviously don't know the ins and outs of serial super-comics publishing, but it strikes me as silly to need a fill-in artist on a miniseries, which only leads to an aesthetic problem that could have easily been solved by a greater lead time offered to the primary artist, something that should have been easy enough to do with a series like this one (It's not like this is a big crossover event serving as the lynchpin for the whole line; it's a lark of a book, and a completely standalone one). </p><p>In a prehistoric past where human, dinosaur and humanoid dinosaur all live alongside one another, there are a group of extraordinary humanoid dinosaurs with familiar sounding origins: One with super-powers hails from a dying planet and was adopted and raised by humans, one is a warrior from a secluded island of legendary martial might, one dresses as a bat and fights to avenge his parents (Yes, that last one is a <i>dinosaur</i> that dresses like a <i>bat</i>, which I guess must exist at the time after all, if humans do). </p><p>These are Supersaur, Wonderdon and Batsaur, and together with Aquanyx, Flashraptor and Green Torch they fight to save little, defenseless humans from the likes of Jokerard, Brontozarro, Blackmantasaurus and the Reverse-Slash. The bad dinosaurs are gathering them to give sustenance to their master, yet unhatched from a titanic egg. This is, obviously, Darkyloseid. They team up in twos and threes until they finally all unite against the major threat, although rather than the result of teamwork, the bad guy is defeated by Supersaur's unique might alone. </p><p>Gedeon's designs are all a lot of fun, as is the over-the-top action between the dinosaur-ized heroes and villains and the overall big, dumb idea of the premise, it's just not enough to power 120 pages without ever feeling tiresome or relying on tired genre cliches. I lied it well enough, I just can't help but wish it was better.</p><p>DC doesn't rate their graphic novels, but the individual issues were rated for readers 13-and-up. It's honestly a little weird that a comic book in which superheroes are dinosaurs is meant for older readers; I at first approached this as a comic book that might be a good one for kids (that is, something I might review for <i>Good Comics For Kids</i>), but the level of violence in the first issue/chapter was pretty surprising.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhQ4lMs5D3DF_t4JxmxoYTmRsf6q4RxPZU5_38x1ML68xPc5XUO5gMcoYp5PMXTjncHVxBD-3vjkH4-5eXRrDrkfCGfIp74wRKPnsBwfikGFRHk98iaH3q9Xt_fYLfaxXcStr0UMUI3z06g0vUnQ44V31lFjhpgrQVek31FwHEw5NwYpusw/s616/wrestling.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhQ4lMs5D3DF_t4JxmxoYTmRsf6q4RxPZU5_38x1ML68xPc5XUO5gMcoYp5PMXTjncHVxBD-3vjkH4-5eXRrDrkfCGfIp74wRKPnsBwfikGFRHk98iaH3q9Xt_fYLfaxXcStr0UMUI3z06g0vUnQ44V31lFjhpgrQVek31FwHEw5NwYpusw/w260-h400/wrestling.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>Much of the book has the appropriate professional wrestling level of violence in its battles (seriously, the dinosaur-men use wrestling moves on one another; see above), but the first encounter between Batsaur and Jokerzard is pretty brutal. So brutal it took me aback, and it certainly earns its older-teen rating, which, again, is kind of weird for a book mixing two of little kids' favorite things in the world, you know? One imagines there is a whole audience for this book that won't find it because it was, like so much Big Two output, made by grown-ups for other grown-ups. <p></p><div><br /></div><div><b>INTERVIEWS:</b> </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBU5JCv-_SPYlZXW6-ZnW7f6pu5Ut0kYJZ2Ja0ltYET28yTF41U5hXejRhGY89t9wOFEAhKHWU6mHZivyFr5ePpfj92QQZBvfn4vmKXRaPBTJrMgAoSoiKbILD2fHKXa4BS7yEOKESY9B1yUbn3Y5DE4JY4g9jjhriLMV-YJbG47k7CyU2w/s595/Danger.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBU5JCv-_SPYlZXW6-ZnW7f6pu5Ut0kYJZ2Ja0ltYET28yTF41U5hXejRhGY89t9wOFEAhKHWU6mHZivyFr5ePpfj92QQZBvfn4vmKXRaPBTJrMgAoSoiKbILD2fHKXa4BS7yEOKESY9B1yUbn3Y5DE4JY4g9jjhriLMV-YJbG47k7CyU2w/w266-h400/Danger.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Danger and Other Unknown Risks</i> (Penguin Workshop) </b>This new collaboration from the reunited <i>Unbeatable Squirrel Girl</i> team of Ryan North and Erica Henderson, has the kind of story that it is difficult to talk too much about, given that there's a...turn in the narrative that impacts the entire story. It's not exactly a twist ending so much as a new way of looking at the story that will change it for readers. It seemed a hard book to review, then, as it was hard to talk too much about the plot without spoiling anything. Even saying that it's easy to spoil seems to spoil it to a certain degree. So rather than reviewing it at all I sought an interview with the creators. It turned out, perhaps unsurprisingly, to be a lot of fun. Check it out <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/05/24/ryan-north-and-erica-henderson-on-danger-and-other-unknown-risks-interview/" target="_blank">here</a>, and make sure you read <i>Danger and Other Unknown Risks</i>, either before or after my spoiler-free conversation with the creators. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlcPkJ30DjDtj686uV9XR-1kYORqLHqyTFSxyXV-hKrXJCtsTko3kshz7SIgIrJXKfAzVBJ8Kdj_l6HFNz24w_3ZXHED3_OoElLLBW3vey5i4WPtECp8GLtnfZwlpsSUV6BB2HQaN6_QjSdHyO2FwyGlJoL5zr1kjz1iAOEjgtO3w814raA/s595/Girl%20Taking%20Over%20cover.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="399" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlcPkJ30DjDtj686uV9XR-1kYORqLHqyTFSxyXV-hKrXJCtsTko3kshz7SIgIrJXKfAzVBJ8Kdj_l6HFNz24w_3ZXHED3_OoElLLBW3vey5i4WPtECp8GLtnfZwlpsSUV6BB2HQaN6_QjSdHyO2FwyGlJoL5zr1kjz1iAOEjgtO3w814raA/w269-h400/Girl%20Taking%20Over%20cover.webp" width="269" /></a></div><b><i>Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story</i> (DC Comics) </b>This new, original graphic novel starring a young, coming-of-age, pre-Superman/Clark Kent Lois Lane differs from other Lois Lane stories in one dramatic, if perhaps superficial way: <i>This</i> Lois is Japanese-American. I spoke with writer Sarah Kuhn and artist Arielle Jovellanos about the change in the character and their book in general in <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/05/09/sarah-kuhn-and-arielle-jovellanos-on-girl-taking-over-a-lois-lane-story-interview/" target="_blank">this interview</a> at <i>Good Comics For Kids</i>. Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-86831722899865358552023-05-05T11:44:00.002-07:002023-05-05T11:44:28.074-07:00A Month of Wednesdays: April 2023 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>BOUGHT: </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIIGkQYQ9JOwd-gTvPj3M4S15RyxYEjc05rA3xTpDAv1hrmgWf6Ef38OZruuKBifHlfJwTia1JJdsrfL1e3cOsOyt7o7GtddEZcj6p7Y-zR4a9-IpnecNYwmoixObrCJWM7VNJLIJ0uU7ZFUHHFYbo1igsTkPb7DnBOMVUdCkjJQGot_JOQ/s617/legion%20of%20loom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIIGkQYQ9JOwd-gTvPj3M4S15RyxYEjc05rA3xTpDAv1hrmgWf6Ef38OZruuKBifHlfJwTia1JJdsrfL1e3cOsOyt7o7GtddEZcj6p7Y-zR4a9-IpnecNYwmoixObrCJWM7VNJLIJ0uU7ZFUHHFYbo1igsTkPb7DnBOMVUdCkjJQGot_JOQ/w259-h400/legion%20of%20loom.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i>DC's Legion of Bloom #1</i> (DC Comics) </b><span style="text-align: left;">The theme for this DC seasonal 80-page giant—the by-now familiar prestige format anthology—is, as the pun title sort of alludes to, spring. This means appearances by plant-related characters like Swamp Thing, Poison Ivy and the Floronic Man*, and stories that have something to do with the arrival of the new season. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">My favorite of the eight stories is probably the final one, written by Dave Wielgosz and drawn by the great Riley Rossmo. A Superman story entitled "We Just Have To Make It To Spring," it opens with Clark Kent's farmer father confiding in him what a hard time of year winter is, and then speaking the title of the story. Flashforward to Clark's adulthood as Superman, and a look at how stressful his life is. This is conveyed through pages broken into calendar-like grids, and filled with snippets of mostly off-panel adventures that seem to be typical Superman stories, but all, like, good ones that I wouldn't mind reading more of: A visit from Mr. Mxyzptlk, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle hijinks causing trouble, the menace of Titano, an appearance of a Luthor-lead Superman Revenge Squad, a battle with a Starro-controlled Captain Marvel, and so on. There are also plenty of guest-stars, ranging from Steel to Plastic Man to Superboy. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The point is, of course, Superman has a hard time sometimes too, but as rough as things may get, he just has to make it to spring.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The other stories are all competently written and drawn, but none of them really rose to the level of being great superhero stories. These include Poison Ivy going incognito to work at a floral shop but betraying herself by using her powers; Batman dealing with an especially creepily rendered (by artist Hayden Sherman) Floronic Man; Blue Beetle and friends having their spring break interrupted by "Florida Man" Anima-Vegetable-Mineral Man (which seems a bit of a waste of a great villain); the very unofficial team of Titans West** going up against a cult lead by The Queen Bee; a Swamp Thing and Flash team-up; Captain Carrot's many babies accidentally getting into his special carrots; and, finally, Wonder Woman's friend Sig having a reunion with Jack Frost, who is delaying the arrival of spring. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">All in all, it's not a bad way to spend $10 on superhero comics. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXToCAZ2q6gFiqcbd7H0GME-PJAgKfrV5wfzwESqY7weSwatQfKjyx3PK-3NtxAPZZ6-VLVaFH8gbGSaNTIi4zSWo1aEZ3mdIr9820xFwCcC4dGJy3V7YKX3C5VNmmQ3VCvLEOz-wsddxGHreZPY2xbVfUQPxQxrVgBeJhLO-Zxgu0rR-OaA/s622/It's%20Jeff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXToCAZ2q6gFiqcbd7H0GME-PJAgKfrV5wfzwESqY7weSwatQfKjyx3PK-3NtxAPZZ6-VLVaFH8gbGSaNTIi4zSWo1aEZ3mdIr9820xFwCcC4dGJy3V7YKX3C5VNmmQ3VCvLEOz-wsddxGHreZPY2xbVfUQPxQxrVgBeJhLO-Zxgu0rR-OaA/w258-h400/It's%20Jeff.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><b><i>It's Jeff #1 </i>(Marvel Entertainment)</b> I've a simple rule regarding comics: If the art team of Gurihiru draws a comic, I buy it. I have not been let down so far. This is a collection of short comics ranging from just a few panels to a few pages in length, all featuring the baby quadrapedal landshark from writer Kelly Thompson's brief <i>West Coast Avengers </i>revival (where he was adopted by Gwenpool, but seems, like Snoopy in <i>Peanuts</i>, to belong to everyone in the gang to a certain extent). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The comics in It's Jeff, which I believe all appeared online somewhere I don't read previously, are written by Thompson and drawn, as I earlier alluded to, by the incomparable team of Gurihiru, who draw some of the best versions of the Marvel superheroes, a huge swathe of whom appear in this issue. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The stories are all short and sweet, and really show off by Gurihiru and Thompson's story-telling chops, given that there are no dialogue or narration in the stories, with the sole exception of Hawkeye Kate Bishop calling "Jeffrey!" and "Jeff!" a couple of time, and Jeff saying some version of "Mrrrrr" a couple of times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My favorite is probably "Pool Party", which seems to feature the entire Marvel Universe sharing a pool and all wearing their own individualized swim wear. As someone who adores Gurihiru's art, it's great getting to see them draw so many different characters. There's also a Thanksgiving story, "Jeffsgiving", which features a whole bunch of Marvel characters in cameos (Including one character I didn't recognize; who's the blue-haired girl sitting between Tony and America Chavez?). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I can't recommend this book highly enough for Marvel fans, and I hope Thompson and Gurihiru do more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>BORROWED:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvj6lMl_sLtA2QTiQVXcVKGhYfI2PEtDBjZaEOar-1mWdZ3ZnW9yeWtDuoMSEBzlP1oprcmpNBjbktX9uAZorb4R2YfHnOi8k9YfAuKD7yal25gJc5QUUzkogct0_S7UUznWGaRzO16n444MWc0f6uq91MyaI3BSZ9baQl7KXO3lCj07YLw/s595/komi24.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvj6lMl_sLtA2QTiQVXcVKGhYfI2PEtDBjZaEOar-1mWdZ3ZnW9yeWtDuoMSEBzlP1oprcmpNBjbktX9uAZorb4R2YfHnOi8k9YfAuKD7yal25gJc5QUUzkogct0_S7UUznWGaRzO16n444MWc0f6uq91MyaI3BSZ9baQl7KXO3lCj07YLw/w266-h400/komi24.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 24</i> (Viz Media)</b> Komi and Tadano go on a date...but not until <i>after </i>Komi's Komi-like father press-gangs Tadano into going on an aquarium date with <i>him</i> (and Shosuke) to test if he's really worthy of his daughter or not. It's as much fun as always.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>INTERVIEWS: </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52C8eBx6tUoI50hZZkV5kcVmzA6OKZOcy9YjBlxNMY-IAfa5e0HNI7mq8-TfxcRt4bZVqIJiZkBOKheYAnhcgOaQ89rpd88S6uTlRQ5BKuQ8MQAJ8FXGQ-wiuf2xc4i8KXMn9HIQ-YfE1orUFruxU_xXgMoD7UtoPlaHER8t_tkJnAvLflA/s1117/first%20time%20for%20everything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52C8eBx6tUoI50hZZkV5kcVmzA6OKZOcy9YjBlxNMY-IAfa5e0HNI7mq8-TfxcRt4bZVqIJiZkBOKheYAnhcgOaQ89rpd88S6uTlRQ5BKuQ8MQAJ8FXGQ-wiuf2xc4i8KXMn9HIQ-YfE1orUFruxU_xXgMoD7UtoPlaHER8t_tkJnAvLflA/w275-h400/first%20time%20for%20everything.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><b><i>A First Time For Everything </i>(First Second) </b>I interviewed children's book author and graphic novelist Dan Santat about his extraordinarily fun and funny coming-of-age memoir, in which he travels to Europe and falls in love for the first time. <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/04/18/dan-santat-on-a-first-time-for-everything-interview/" target="_blank">You can read it here.</a> <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mq0MYKm1qZ6hJNrGOB3C7M7kXBOWH5ptF3NoBntdr72v5NOpbfbBofA9Ys_iEx1n3SZUc8gloymkBIZya5xv5NE2NbuRcopAwa5hULWHCnFDY--KsmjGwq_YxJO37yKGDh5XjxWI0laWf0LOcux8fh7rRN4jc8JYyZoPKEAaZijl0D5r4Q/s595/Shazam%20Thundercrack%20cover.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="409" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mq0MYKm1qZ6hJNrGOB3C7M7kXBOWH5ptF3NoBntdr72v5NOpbfbBofA9Ys_iEx1n3SZUc8gloymkBIZya5xv5NE2NbuRcopAwa5hULWHCnFDY--KsmjGwq_YxJO37yKGDh5XjxWI0laWf0LOcux8fh7rRN4jc8JYyZoPKEAaZijl0D5r4Q/w275-h400/Shazam%20Thundercrack%20cover.webp" width="275" /></a></div><b><i>Shazam! Thundercrack</i> (DC Comics) </b>If you've read EDILW for a while now, you probably know that I'm a guy with a lot of opinions about the Captain Marvel character, like the fact that he should be called "Captain Marvel" and not "Shazam." So it was a great pleasure to talk to cartoonist Yehudi Mercado, who did a kid-friendly story featuring the character set in the continuity of the original movie (and who managed to work in a version of Mr. Tawky Tawny). <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/04/28/yehudi-mercado-on-shazam-thundercrack-interview/" target="_blank">You can read our conversation here.</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">*</span><i style="text-align: left;">But not, oddly, plant-like Green Lantern Medphyll, who is the only character on Juan Gedeon's cover who is not also featured in a story within the book. Perhaps he was intended to be featured and his story got cut in favor of the Captain Carrot or Superman story, as neither of them appear on the cover. </i><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">**<i>Consisting of Bumblebee, Flame Bird and Hawk and Dove.</i></span></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-57822051439156650052023-04-12T15:16:00.000-07:002023-04-12T15:16:01.598-07:00A Month of Wednesdays: March 2023<p><b> BOUGHT: </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhVCcBV2bZXD1hY5Z6VWyZ4oWn6a_5BEOthudEXAczMpeLkB4B-zFC2RoGXS58aA_NJXHzRrirZWLybKxTQTcdpISNO-pdMFlfRZ0smXtvAJ1nns7n7JsZPpuK-kJCnKa6wJSCB_LyuAWsZKY2fp15Tw-qgnbLKHPBgRDW6gGZkYnsCozmg/s494/tec.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhVCcBV2bZXD1hY5Z6VWyZ4oWn6a_5BEOthudEXAczMpeLkB4B-zFC2RoGXS58aA_NJXHzRrirZWLybKxTQTcdpISNO-pdMFlfRZ0smXtvAJ1nns7n7JsZPpuK-kJCnKa6wJSCB_LyuAWsZKY2fp15Tw-qgnbLKHPBgRDW6gGZkYnsCozmg/w242-h400/tec.webp" width="242" /></a></div><b><i>Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 7</i> (DC Comics) </b>Writer Louise Simonson earns top billing on this seventh collection of late 1980s/early1990s <i>Detective Comics</i>, which includes <i>'Tec #634-638</i>, plus <i>#641</i> and <i>#643</i> and <i>Annual #4</i>, as well as an issue apiece of <i>Batman </i>and <i>Legends of The Dark Knight</i>. (As for issue <i>#640</i>, that was part of the "Idiot Root" crossover, and <i>#642 </i>was part of "The Return of Scarface," both collected elsewhere). The period covered was after the Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle team moved to <i>Batman</i>, and there was no regular creative team, giving the book something of an anthology feel.<b><br /></b><p></p><p>Simonson writes a three-part story arc in addition to the annual, which amounts to the lion's share of the work within. The three-parter, drawn by Jim Fern and Steve Mitchell, concerns a young boy with the metahuman ability to bring video games to life, an ability he seemingly uses to track down and kill an Arkham escapee, and then uses more and more, engulfing more of Gotham. </p><p>Commissioner Gordon and Sergeant Essen get wrapped up in the video games the boy uses as his inspiration, which they play for research, while Batman is guided by Robin Tim Drake, himself a video game aficionado. </p><p>I'm no gamer, in fact I probably haven't really played a non-Pac-Man video game since this comic was originally released, but it's fun and funny to see old men like Alfred and Gordon talking about video games at all. There's a real senior citizen rapping quality to some of the story, and it's interesting to see Fern and Mitchell and colorist Adrienne Roy try to affect now old-school video games intruding on reality.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1mVYfNo4XgAGPAh4aPdPZdJBVg1GxZ2MMXSRJ7RCxPcZ-kbTr3kTqYuPqsAPiNzWVX3Gprq58AJom4LJO92I-ggm-knL10J9MHDP6k9SPoR2ybZqd-ixHDTqvUhloK07Go8SVgOqrwxKy8otUCIKLokSTk_XeKhC0xr71Q9o5yx4IWjZjQ/s620/tec%20coer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1mVYfNo4XgAGPAh4aPdPZdJBVg1GxZ2MMXSRJ7RCxPcZ-kbTr3kTqYuPqsAPiNzWVX3Gprq58AJom4LJO92I-ggm-knL10J9MHDP6k9SPoR2ybZqd-ixHDTqvUhloK07Go8SVgOqrwxKy8otUCIKLokSTk_XeKhC0xr71Q9o5yx4IWjZjQ/w258-h400/tec%20coer.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>Simonson's other contribution, <i>Detective Comics Annual #4 </i>(the cover of which they probably should have used for the collection; it was so potent an image that it sold me on the issue, one of the very first Batman comics I ever read, and one of my earlier comics period) is the <i>Armageddon 2001</i> annual.<p></p><p>I'm glad it's included, as it was a pleasure to read again, and to read it from the perspective of someone who has no read hundreds and hundreds of Batman comics, but it really does interrupt the flow of the book, which is otherwise a fine Batman anthology of shorter comics. If you don't remember, <i>Armageddon 2001</i> concerned a hero from that far-flung future date travelling a decade back in time to discover which 20th Century hero would turn out to be the fascist masked tyrant "Monarch" in his dystopian era. To do this, the hero, Waverider, would touch a particular character and use his powers to "read" their future. This mainly meant a series of <i>Dark Knight Returns-</i>style dark future stories starring each of the DC heroes; some of the strongest, he explains, need tested repeatedly, which explains the multiple encounters that Batman and Superman get in their multiple titles (The participating <i>Batman</i> annual also had <a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/102161/cover/4/" target="_blank">a pretty great cover</a>, and was another I read from the series, along with a Superman one that was an earlier example of the Superman-gone-bad genre which has long since ballooned).</p><p>DC doesn't seem to have figured out a way to collect their annual crossover events, which would likely necessitate an unwieldly omnibus of some sort, or else a series of trades, but I would eagerly buy collection of the events, particularly this one, which I missed so much of.</p><p>Anyway, Simonson is partnered with the great Tom Grindberg, who colored his own work as well as drew that great cover, for what is essentially another, if final, go-round with the Al Ghul family.</p><p>Opening in media res, with Batman fighting Ra's over a vat growing a plague virus, the adventure ends unusually enough, with Batman's bat-rope giving way as he rappels down a mountain, and he falls, breaking his back. While Batman mopes, the Gotham of about-ten-years-in-the-future spirals out of control, enough so that an adult Tim Drake takes up the mantle of Batman to fill-in. </p><p>When he's gunned down on the job, the crippled Bruce Wayne is forced to get his shit together to seek vengeance. This he does by building new versions of the sort of cyborg braces we see an elderly Alfred Pennyworth wearing; after a trial-and-error and training montage, Batman eventually builds a sort of cyborg suit he can wear under his normal costume. </p><p>The new, bullet-proof, super-strong Batman takes to the streets to find out who killed the boy in the Batman costume, with the answer leading him back to the Al Ghuls. At the climax, Batman finds himself stripped of his cyborg suit and dying again, this time about to be lowered into the Lazarus Pit himself. He chooses a rather unBatmanly way to escape, albeit one that fits with the idea of a "last" Batman story. </p><p>It's a pretty compelling story, and, of course, brilliantly drawn. It colored the way I saw Batman for a while, I think, but then, Frank Miller's <i>Dark Knight Returns</i> left such a long shadow over the Batman of the early '90s, with a Batman more aware of his mortality, more concerned with his mission than things like his life as Bruce Wayne and more invested in the pose as a terrifying monster of the night meant to scare criminals straight that it's hard to disentangle Simonson's use of these tropes from those of her peers and from <i>Dark Knight </i>in general, which, as I said, seems to have been an influence of sorts on the entire event. (I'd need to read more of it to be sure, though, DC, so get collecting! Checking Wikipedia; it seems there are only a dozen participating annuals, plus the book-ending chapters of the stories, so I think a pair of thick trades would handle the whole series nicely).</p><p>The book also collect "Destroyer", a multi-book crossover (here's where those issues of<i> Batman</i> and <i>Legends of The Dark Knight</i> come in). The real-world rationale for the book was to bring the Gotham City of the comics more in line with the Gotham City of the movies, with <i>Batman</i> '89 production designer Anton Furst's designs being imported into the comics. The in-comic rationale for this was a demolitions expert obsessed with old Gotham architecture executing a series of bombings, brining down newer, boxier, more real-world looking buildings, revealing the older, weirder designs they were hiding.</p><p>The story, by Grant and Breyfogle and Denny O'Neil, Chris Sprouse and Bruce Patterson and Grant, Aparo and DeCarlo, marks an official turning point in the way Gotham appeared in the comics. I'm not sure it was necessary, per se; like, I can't imagine Kelley Jones <i>not</i> drawing weird-looking towers brimming with bizarre gargoyles when he took over Batman a few years later, but it <i>was</i> a story concerned with Gotham's architecture. (Interestingly, this came out in 1992, the same year that Grant Morrison's "Gothic," also concerned with the spiritual aspects of Batman's home town's architecture, was released). </p><p>The rest of the book is done-in-ones by a variety of creators. Perhaps the best of these, one I remember making me very uncomfortable after I fished it out of a back-issue bin some time ago, was the Peter Milligan-written "The Bomb," drawn by Jim Aparo and Mike DeCarlo. It was basically a new take on The Human Bomb character from the Golden Age; <i>that</i> guy doesn't appear, but someone with his bizarre super-powers of blowing himself up and causing explosions does, and they are treated quite differently than the war-time superhero was.</p><p>Milligan and Aparo re-teamed for another done-in-one, this one a murder mystery entitled "The Library of Souls," about a librarian gone bad who treats his victims like books, and tries to organize them thusly. </p><p>And, finally, the collection begins with "The Third Man," by Kelly Puckett and Luke McDonnell, in which Batman must try to solve a particularly perplexing series of murders...a case also being pursued by a pair of old ladies who are also gifted amateur detectives. </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>BORROWED:</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDa-vZLEsqT5vuONc8Zm-Wq_Sal3f7HiYhP_lQqO3wfh4LyT6qJxGv4c76QgkAP7OWxBg86HnOapF6dWYE75s1bd1ZOFuvHGF57oN7dipAX8YGKkKIg-rxJ_dnWKfV7hx5kzKfFD2Siht6DNyjlegeeRERl6brRIbVUD-Iifg_Filhnw8ZAA/s595/Zom%20100%209.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDa-vZLEsqT5vuONc8Zm-Wq_Sal3f7HiYhP_lQqO3wfh4LyT6qJxGv4c76QgkAP7OWxBg86HnOapF6dWYE75s1bd1ZOFuvHGF57oN7dipAX8YGKkKIg-rxJ_dnWKfV7hx5kzKfFD2Siht6DNyjlegeeRERl6brRIbVUD-Iifg_Filhnw8ZAA/w280-h400/Zom%20100%209.webp" width="280" /></a></div><b><i>Zom 100: Bucket List of The Dead Vol. 9 </i>(Viz Media) </b>Among Akira and company's 100-item bucket list of things they want to do before becoming zombies in the zombie apocalypse they're currently navigating is to run a bar, which doesn't seem the most feasible of ambitions, what with the whole zombie apocalypse thing. <div><br /></div><div>That changes when our heroes arrive in Osaka, however, and Akira and Kencho reconnect with their college friend Takemina there. They discover a thriving market, and a weird economy where cans of food serve as the monetary unit, complete with an elite enclave that lives in the castle and host elaborate gambling nights. These include one particularly dire game, in which one can bet all their cans on a 50/50 game of running through one of two doors. Behind one door is a pit full of cans, behind the other is a pit full of zombies.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our heroes struggle a bit with their bar's concept, and thus finding business, but things really start to turn around when they incorporate the bucket list into the bar itself, using it to scratch off some of the items on it, and help patrons achieve some of their own dreams. </div><div><br /></div><div>Things take a weird turn when they become super-successful, though, and Akira finds himself something of a millionaire, at least in the canned food economy. As the book reaches its climax, he seemingly betrays his friends to join the elite in the castle, prompting them to announce their attention to take the two-door gamble.</div><div><br /></div><div>As ever with this series, it's a nice, fun romp on the surface, with interesting ideas—here on the concept of money, the economy, and what wealth can do to a person—boiling underneath. It remains one of my favorite manga series. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>REVIEWED:</b> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_dm-4dmRSg6qUnSw2owoCTt1Fhxy7bHan2_9reYIYqaulruY6fAqgd5Kf1tm-NIrxtURI5eJoXiZl_kxR_IHdpuwcGK8Ivfw4ZPkbRucz7AUCxAAKNBU-kvhWI8r39Tv2Ndf84hBPppIqP5DN42CuH6gvxJzD3ychteMkcjcQdm8FOT_eQ/s595/Nayra%20and%20the%20Djinn.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="402" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_dm-4dmRSg6qUnSw2owoCTt1Fhxy7bHan2_9reYIYqaulruY6fAqgd5Kf1tm-NIrxtURI5eJoXiZl_kxR_IHdpuwcGK8Ivfw4ZPkbRucz7AUCxAAKNBU-kvhWI8r39Tv2Ndf84hBPppIqP5DN42CuH6gvxJzD3ychteMkcjcQdm8FOT_eQ/w270-h400/Nayra%20and%20the%20Djinn.webp" width="270" /></a></div><b><i>Nayra and the Dinn</i> (Viking)</b> Iasmin Omar Ata tells the tale of Nayra's Ramadan, which brings with it some struggles and complications, mainly in the form of a djinn that has escaped its home realm and sought refuge with Nayra. Things go differently than they usually do in such stories of a supernatural entity intruding in the mundane everyday world. <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/03/09/nayra-and-the-djinn-review/" target="_blank">It's a pretty great comic from a talent to watch.</a> <div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLYCGrJKwpkjdqw5owmC2wB64UGwRmUksAFOmD07G3UldQIuulQod88Gf21wnXsVQO-6I1-2VJfReW8Ett_XGAehzfEP6wsfUQ8_2PttYV3fOTZ-Cuf_T0FiCk_iz_j1ZjiC8ZNEckGxVt3TD1dSABi7gW75ts51TgD5kKERsCZqbVxIWSw/s525/Donald's%20Happiest%20Adventures%20cover.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="392" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLYCGrJKwpkjdqw5owmC2wB64UGwRmUksAFOmD07G3UldQIuulQod88Gf21wnXsVQO-6I1-2VJfReW8Ett_XGAehzfEP6wsfUQ8_2PttYV3fOTZ-Cuf_T0FiCk_iz_j1ZjiC8ZNEckGxVt3TD1dSABi7gW75ts51TgD5kKERsCZqbVxIWSw/w299-h400/Donald's%20Happiest%20Adventures%20cover.JPG" width="299" /></a></div><b><i>Walt Disney's Donald Duck: Donald's Happiest Adventures</i> (Fantagraphics)</b> The creative team of Lewis Trondheim and Nicolas Kerimidas reunite for a sequel of sorts to their 2017 <i>Mickey's Craziest Adventures</i> album, which is also presented as a "lost" classic-era Disney comic that they found. This one involves Donald embarking on his most challenging quest for Uncle Scrooge ever: Finding true happiness. It is, predictably, <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/03/03/walt-disneys-donald-duck-donalds-happiest-adventures-review/" target="_blank">good stuff</a>. </div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-36651225924661488322023-03-19T15:12:00.002-07:002023-03-19T15:12:32.659-07:00A Month of Wednesdays: February 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwV4z_duNFW4M4e7vSPQHIZjQIlNXfN6DPoxs1PTKKSdw2IBcHnKX2F7wlPls3JHbayBc5QWFb4upVq5eVNJ5xCq9WZdgtRrnU2H_dB7uPLYQgxGzezgIVW9I0TSEkzXWZ7q9PQKwg2s5msiGFwDaucaLExXgCKY7coVzpXZ9ddT6MOz21FA/s613/dc's%20harley%20quinn%20romances.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwV4z_duNFW4M4e7vSPQHIZjQIlNXfN6DPoxs1PTKKSdw2IBcHnKX2F7wlPls3JHbayBc5QWFb4upVq5eVNJ5xCq9WZdgtRrnU2H_dB7uPLYQgxGzezgIVW9I0TSEkzXWZ7q9PQKwg2s5msiGFwDaucaLExXgCKY7coVzpXZ9ddT6MOz21FA/w261-h400/dc's%20harley%20quinn%20romances.jpg" width="261" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>DC's Harley Quinn Romances </i>(DC Comics) </b>I ordered my copy of DC's Valentine's Day month special from an online retailer, so I didn't get to pick the cover. I ended up with the Superman and Lois variant cover (above), which to its credit, <i>does</i> look like a trashy paperback romance cover, but for which the joke of the title doesn't work quite as well as it would if Harley Quinn were literally on the cover, as she is for<a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/2484488/cover/4/" target="_blank"> the main cover by Amanda Conner </a>(Along with Aquaman, who co-stars in a story with Harley and a bunch of other heroines within the pages of the book; Superman and Lois just play supporting roles in someone else's romance within the issue). <p></p><p>Contained within are eight 10-page stories featuring a refreshingly wide array of DC super-characters. </p><p>The first story, featuring the couple of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, is by writer Alexis Quasarano and artist Max Sarin, and is perhaps the most noteworthy. Not for the couple that it stars, but more so for its narrative and style. Poison Ivy is in a gown at an event for rich Gothamites, "working", and Harley appears to present her with a Valentine's gift, a sort of homemade fan-fiction Elseworlds story imagining the pair as fellow high school students on the eve of a big dance.</p><p>Also of particular note are a Constantine story by Frank Allen and John McCrea which <i>finally</i> gives John a much needed wardrobe update (the romantic element of the story is something of a surprise, with a mate of John's who is not exactly who he appears to be trying to have coffee with a woman while John holds off a demonic intrusion), a Fire and Ice galentines story by Raphael Draccon, Carolina Munhoz and Ig Guara that is heavy on guest-stars and cameos, and, of course, Ivan Cohen and Fico Ossio's Harley Quinn and Aquaman story, in which the supervillain-turned-superhero crashes a heroic galentines day and finds that a wide variety of super-ladies, many of whom you would never suspect, have all dated, or at least shared a special moment with, the King of the Seven Seas.</p><p>Rounding out the book are stories of Batman saving a couple on the night they got engaged, Superman setting his cousin Power Girl up on a date with Jimmy Olsen (although as Karen Starr, not Power Girl), Midnighter and Apollo in their typically generic appearance and Kite Man's unhealthy romantic fixation on...his own kite...?</p><p>An overall middling anthology, there's nevertheless enough of interest here to make it worth the purchase of a casual DC Comics fan like me. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5HOyREKR4Ma43XJVzwt1KzV39NGypdWHPhPhYkMPIZbMLF0AyCHL_7OmnFE0W92lgymfzxpPpK_QmRpNg4RvStYkYbJlukKFVdn8EFFnoe9WvSXDIcYMrCfh90pCFQIyMZnvJ9X4WT50x2t1Iw8ODqtaO0J5AKongQua8Om4T_smrhvgEg/s624/DC%20Power.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5HOyREKR4Ma43XJVzwt1KzV39NGypdWHPhPhYkMPIZbMLF0AyCHL_7OmnFE0W92lgymfzxpPpK_QmRpNg4RvStYkYbJlukKFVdn8EFFnoe9WvSXDIcYMrCfh90pCFQIyMZnvJ9X4WT50x2t1Iw8ODqtaO0J5AKongQua8Om4T_smrhvgEg/w256-h400/DC%20Power.jpg" width="256" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>DC Power: A Celebration #1 </i>(DC)</b> Like 2021's <i>DC</i> <i>Festival of Heroes</i> and various <i>DC Pride</i> specials, <i>DC Power: A Celebration </i>is a prestige format, 80-page giant featuring heroes from a traditionally underrepresented community, all written and drawn by creators of that same community. In this particular instance, that community is, of course, Black, which explains the February release. <p></p><p>I was heartened to see that the heroes starring in the nine stories were a fairly healthy mix of original heroes (Amazing-Man, Black Lightning and his daughters Thunder and Lightning, Bumblebee, Cyborg and Vixen) and legacy heroes, which David Brothers once astutely and memorably referred to as diverse heroes who came to be because the publisher gave them some other white heroes' laundry (Green Lanterns John Stewart and Jo Mullein, Nubia, Aquaman Jackson Hyde, Kid Flash Wally West, Batman Jace Fox). </p><p>It is perhaps understandable why so many characters of the latter type exist, as it's easier to sell readers on a new Green Lantern than it is to come up with a concept that will achieve the same sort of traction with fans that the Green Lantern one has already proven to be able to do, but it also seems a little like cheating, and that these characters can seem somehow lesser than the white peers they either replaced or stand along side. Over the decades since his introduction 1971 introduction, for example, it's been too easy to think of John Stewart as the black Green Lantern, or a back-up Green Lantern, whereas, say, Cyborg or Black Lightning stand out as their own heroes with their own names and powers, heroes who happen to be black.</p><p>On the other hand, I imagine it's cool for a young black reader to see that there's now a Black Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman or Flash now, to think that a you as a black kid could grow up to be <i>any</i> DC superhero. </p><p>If nothing else, <i>Power </i>proves DC is capable, and successful, at telling the stories of both kinds of Black superheroes. </p><p>My favorite of the stories was probably the first, Evan Narcisse and Darryl Banks' story of retroactive "Golden Age" hero Amazing-Man (actually introduced in 1983 in the World War II-set <i>All-Star Squadron</i>), a character who recently reappeared in <i>Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Zero</i>, where he was a member of that alternate universe's Justice Society, and who Julian Totino Tedesco drew a nice image of punching out Hitler, an image that reappears. Admittedly, that's probably due as much to my affection for the character as the quality of the story, wherein a post-war Will Everett is lying low, as all super-people were during the period, but comes out of retirement to deal with housing issues...and a reprise of a villain from the pages of his <i>All-Star</i> debut arc. </p><p>The artwork is universally good, with all but perhaps one story featuring better-than average art. I was particularly struck by that of Natacha Bustos, who draws the John Stewart story, and Valentine De Landro, who draws the Cyborg story. Olivier Coipel's art on the Batman Jace Fox story, written by<i> I Am Batman</i> regular writer John Ridely, is pretty impressive too, in large part because it's in black and white, and thus looks so different from everything else around it. </p><p>Each story ends with a profile of the characters starring in it in the style of the old <i>Who's Who In The DC Universe</i>, but with different, usually high-profile art attached (An old Jim Lee image of Stewart is recycled for his profile, for example). These were fun, and I actually appreciated them in several cases, given that there are heroes I had either long ago lost track of (like new Aquaman Jackson Hyde, who I understand is no longer Aqualad but sharing the Aquaman codename with Arthur Curry) or met here for the first time (like Batman Jace Fox). </p><p>The book includes a prose introduction by Ridley, focusing on the importance of representation in comics and his work in that area), and pin-ups of some of the black heroes who didn't get featured in a story of their own (like Steel and Natasha, extra-dimensional Supermen Val-Zod and Calvin Ellis, The Signal and someone named Bolt...from the pages of <i>Black Adam</i>, I think...?) and a few who did (like GL Jo Mullein, Vixen and Bumblebee). </p><p>At $10, it's a great value, featuring lots of solid superhero comics from rock-solid creators. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>BORROWED: </b></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bLi_DeINCVg-SF_28wFCPB7SZAzeimA98WGfGdpBF1JwqFYmYR64_EkTrw5ydXTXXVUnC2ImNRR0r78gGcUl3tzALjRuTycqJEjfWvqnHYJptXrd5oypWTDAl6_FlKz_Z1iUi9IXWQTpvPxf6o1XCS2qDFiQ07hv6SDGIMIfHIL0tQQf1Q/s1930/ant-man.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1930" data-original-width="1173" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bLi_DeINCVg-SF_28wFCPB7SZAzeimA98WGfGdpBF1JwqFYmYR64_EkTrw5ydXTXXVUnC2ImNRR0r78gGcUl3tzALjRuTycqJEjfWvqnHYJptXrd5oypWTDAl6_FlKz_Z1iUi9IXWQTpvPxf6o1XCS2qDFiQ07hv6SDGIMIfHIL0tQQf1Q/w242-h400/ant-man.jpeg" width="242" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Ant-Man: Ant-iversary</i> (Marvel Entertainment) </b>This collection of the recent Al Ewing-written <i>Ant-Man</i> miniseries takes a clever approach to time travel, depicting various points in time as particular comic book stories from the period being visited. This is achieved in large part though some tremendous art-work by artist Tom Reilly (colored by Jordie Bellaire), whose work for each of the four issues/chapters of the series is so different in style it looks like the work of a different artist. <p></p><p>As for why there's time travel involved, that allows for the series to focus on each of the Ant-Men, from original, Silver Age Ant-Man Hank Pym to second and current Ant-Man Scott Lang to "Irredeemable" Ant-Man Eric O'Grady.</p><p>And so the first chapter looks like an old <i>Tales To Astonish</i> Ant-Man/Wasp adventure (a couple of original stories from the series from 1959 are included in the back of this collection, which drives this home), and is written in such a manner to evoke Stan Lee. In the second chapter, featuring O'Grady, the art style changes to look like an incredibly convincing approximation of <i>Irredeemable Ant-Man</i> pencil artist Phil Hester's work, the layouts evoking that of the old series and even featuring a narrator ant, the way each issue of <i>Irredeemable</i> did. </p><p>As for the third and fourth chapters, the third is set in the present, featuring Lang and his daughter Cassie "Stinger" Lang, and is the only one without a noticeable attempt to reflect the work of another series, and the fourth is set in the future, with text boxes attempting to evoke a more futuristic, interactive reading experience (similar to Grant Morrison's <i>DC One Million</i> comics, from 1998). </p><p>That future's Ant-Man has to, for somewhat contrived reasons, travel back in time to scan the ants of his predecessor Ant-Men, in the process of fighting against a powered-up Ultron who, regular Marvel readers will remember, is currently fused with Hank Pym. He/They also appear in the story, in a fairly big role, so that this series isn't just about the Ant-Man legacy, but where its progenitor currently stands as well (as to where Pym/Ultron end up, however, it's left as a cliffhanger to be resolved...somewhere).</p><p>Cleverly created and quite well-written, it's a pretty great comic celebrating one of the Marvel Universe's longest-lived, if most unlikely, heroic lineages. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvtXqvKlLsphfuZcEuT9iOnJXJns8nSkxr8asfLt1sKOJ5uayqvY3wga491E8hKSB3FxEJmP9FcUoPRDdTbUsquY6FBnx2tzWwz1opGfRuua-oeiigU1Y48ZDTTUCsNIfeBZHLtOY2XR4Fis0rjTXVytdZQ2JP7b0Kqd3ksvNZjAzU9Z_vw/s595/komi%2023.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvtXqvKlLsphfuZcEuT9iOnJXJns8nSkxr8asfLt1sKOJ5uayqvY3wga491E8hKSB3FxEJmP9FcUoPRDdTbUsquY6FBnx2tzWwz1opGfRuua-oeiigU1Y48ZDTTUCsNIfeBZHLtOY2XR4Fis0rjTXVytdZQ2JP7b0Kqd3ksvNZjAzU9Z_vw/w266-h400/komi%2023.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 23 </i>(Viz Media) </b>This is it! This volume contains the moment that manga-ka Tomohito Oda has been teasing since the series began, a moment I've been sort of dreading for a while, fearful that it might mean the series is starting to wind down and, as I've said many times before (maybe 22 times now?), it's my favorite current manga series. <div><br /></div><div>Tadano finally confesses his feelings to Komi, and she reciprocates! It all happens surprisingly fast given the hundreds and hundreds of pages of build-up. First Manbagi confesses to Tadano, and asks him out. He's all set to accept when he suddenly thinks of Komi, and admits to himself and Manbagi he has feelings for Komi. And then, surprisingly, rather than drawing it out for a few more volumes, Oda has Tadano boldly confront and confess to Komi!</div><div><br /></div><div>There's a pretty great series of splash pages in which she receives and processes the information. </div><div><br /></div><div>As much as I fear the dispelling of this central tension will spell the end of the series in the near-ish future, given how slow Komi and Tadano have taken things so far—that is, about 23 volumes to admit they like each other—I suppose there's still a long, awkward way to go as their new relationship develops. At least, that's my hope. <br /><p><br /></p><p><b>REVIEWED: </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPcZBNu_EhcV297TPkqttgraKdlObUkpZgAdRxYfK4nZ9bXMjqkw-e2UDBtBFtShBEz4T8L6IcpYz3QJm5gLo8PFw3fe17nHi5u--sKwrWdbDPKOBtUrVrT25U-Fx5qqTuGJjiH_zA9WRGga4pPprO8StaF-3eCAn85Wbp1WbokdhYCzGig/s595/Archie%20Encyclopedia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPcZBNu_EhcV297TPkqttgraKdlObUkpZgAdRxYfK4nZ9bXMjqkw-e2UDBtBFtShBEz4T8L6IcpYz3QJm5gLo8PFw3fe17nHi5u--sKwrWdbDPKOBtUrVrT25U-Fx5qqTuGJjiH_zA9WRGga4pPprO8StaF-3eCAn85Wbp1WbokdhYCzGig/w266-h400/Archie%20Encyclopedia.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>The Archie Encyclopedia </i>(Archie Comics)</b> Archie Comics' output, from the publisher's creation to its latest offerings, gets the encyclopedia treatment. I had some quibbles with some of the information included and the book's usefulness as a reference tool, but <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/02/01/the-archie-encyclopedia-review/" target="_blank">overall I enjoyed it</a>. I'm a big fan of character encyclopedias in general, and read this one straight-through like a book. <p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>INTERVIEWED:</b> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXigXP7o7qDfZowHe_YHZ6klkumoeo9o6x8nFMEGAI1wR4S685VaNgEZScTDPU9Ygn3q58od8BGiFnOQbKhMP2p6zQrWhSNEy7wK3lhNgWwbQ9vq4zlgKgzXPZ6WfQ87zul_Wfivq6h8Ca6eMWWkk2ZOa5debqs9rep0OiQTLNavbsLgKcZw/s600/Beaky%20Barnes%20cover.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="600" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXigXP7o7qDfZowHe_YHZ6klkumoeo9o6x8nFMEGAI1wR4S685VaNgEZScTDPU9Ygn3q58od8BGiFnOQbKhMP2p6zQrWhSNEy7wK3lhNgWwbQ9vq4zlgKgzXPZ6WfQ87zul_Wfivq6h8Ca6eMWWkk2ZOa5debqs9rep0OiQTLNavbsLgKcZw/w400-h345/Beaky%20Barnes%20cover.webp" width="400" /></a></div><b><i>Beaky Barnes: Egg on the Loose </i>(Penguin Workshop)<a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/02/14/david-ezra-stein-on-beaky-barnes-egg-on-the-loose-interview/" target="_blank"> </a></b><a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/02/14/david-ezra-stein-on-beaky-barnes-egg-on-the-loose-interview/" target="_blank">I interviewed children's author David Ezra Stein</a>, perhaps best known for his <i>Interrupting Chicken</i> books, about his debut graphic novel for<i> Good Comics For Kids</i>. <div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr3V2zguJOLxA0wE6zkEqXR1o_2-ybRCymSDSyRhTsJeT0yVXz3UYyeNGifCAwAm9YvHghttcTmlhp7lnFWymwfuSFT9Hj_f5o2r6wBsxNJNuBJnYyuSarnlXXxFJ7FboThwSbzLnuqwzBXHcxeDqAXF_pVKbbeD8--Z8rptXIctsvXNCLw/s1122/Unfamiliar%20coer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr3V2zguJOLxA0wE6zkEqXR1o_2-ybRCymSDSyRhTsJeT0yVXz3UYyeNGifCAwAm9YvHghttcTmlhp7lnFWymwfuSFT9Hj_f5o2r6wBsxNJNuBJnYyuSarnlXXxFJ7FboThwSbzLnuqwzBXHcxeDqAXF_pVKbbeD8--Z8rptXIctsvXNCLw/w274-h400/Unfamiliar%20coer.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><b><i>Unfamiliar Vol. 1</i> (Andrews McMeel) </b><a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/02/07/haley-newsome-on-unfamiliar-interview/" target="_blank">I interviewed cartoonist Haley Newsome</a> about her web-comic turned graphic novel for <i>Good Comics For Kids</i>. </div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-26955665169015215482023-02-04T12:41:00.000-08:002023-02-04T12:41:13.168-08:00A Month of Wednesdays: January 2023<p><b> BOUGHT:</b><br /><br /></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMqxYK5HI3ugIC41Sxxf5oEHRyKEbymerKEJqGRf5inid2Ab-2XDtLA7cWs9amQva02ds2tV6qExfsaz4RVvJQmVsKzrtCDWyk8qW_4IligNouAJTkljxEfaSs_vPa1M8GETc7ESwd5KmXMJpS_yp7Ce1mZYXHbtuTocI8_h2TT6bCNfyQw/s800/Tales%20From%20Earth-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="800" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMqxYK5HI3ugIC41Sxxf5oEHRyKEbymerKEJqGRf5inid2Ab-2XDtLA7cWs9amQva02ds2tV6qExfsaz4RVvJQmVsKzrtCDWyk8qW_4IligNouAJTkljxEfaSs_vPa1M8GETc7ESwd5KmXMJpS_yp7Ce1mZYXHbtuTocI8_h2TT6bCNfyQw/w400-h310/Tales%20From%20Earth-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Tales From Earth-6: A Celebration of Stan Lee</i> (DC Comics) </b>December marked the 100th year since the late Stan Lee's birth, and DC Comics seems to have wanted to do something to celebrate. Given the writer/editor/icon's long relationship with Marvel, they didn't have much choice as to which characters to feature, resorting to those created during Lee's one big project with the publisher, 1998's <i>Just Imagine..., </i>in which the legendary creator was paired with an all-star artist to re-create some of DC's biggest characters. With titles like <i>Just Imagine Stan Lee with Joe Kubert Creating Batman </i>and <i>Just Imagine Stan Lee with John Buscema Creating Superman</i>, there were a dozen in all, introducing ten new characters (Superman, Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, The Sandman and Shazam), enough new superheroes to fill the pages of <i>Just Imagine Stan Lee with Jerry Ordway Creating JLA</i> and <i>Just Imagine Stan Lee with John Cassaday Creating Crisis.</i> <p></p><p>The new $9.99, 80-ish-page giant revisits many of these characters for short, ten-page stories. It obviously has its heart in the right place, but then the <i>Just Imagine...</i> project, the creations of which apparently dwell on Earth-6 in DC's current multiversal cosmology, didn't generate the greatest stories, and was basically a gimmick (Marvel's Stan Lee! Working for the Distinguished Competition!) and is best remembered for some great art from some of the industry's top talent (including Dave Gibbons, Walter Simonson, Chris Bachalo and others). </p><p>Only two of those artists return for this project. Kevin Maguire, who co-created Lee's Flash, draws the Superman short, while Ordway returns to the JLA. Some art from the original artists does appear, in the <i>Secret Files & Origins</i>-style character profiles that appear at the end of the book. </p><p>Perhaps unsurprisingly then, the resultant tribute comics aren't that great. The one stand out is Mark Waid and Maguire's Superman story, in which the belligerent, resentful Man of Steel sets out to end all war on Earth by making it personal for all those that supply its weaponry or otherwise profit from our conflicts, which he feels takes energy away from our space programs (This Superman, marooned on Earth, longs for our planet to develop space travel capable of taking him back to his un-blown-up home planet). </p><p>I liked the cartoony art in Meghan Fitzmartin, Anthony Marques and Mark Morales' Catwoman story, Ordway does his usual phenomenal job in a character-filled piece featuring the JLA and there's better-than-average art in the Batman and Shazam stories, but the stories themselves are all mostly forgettable, average super-heroics featuring well-designed and conceived Elseworlds versions of DC's stars. In addition to the above-mentioned, there are also stories featuring Lee and company's Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Sandman. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>BORROWED: </b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfbB7xyClgrZ9tyWZz6veuRUua5r3j4iDOCZ-rkK8EfUBTRbnf9uEvZfyhAPDnihrW_FRJXyS7KnpMh3zk1jLUq9qP5Dtm6JJGArAKSodQmQxg1vzj5TkEEVI_gmVK1AdVgQ0Z6STt86wkCkeaJiUxROE_VxOQAS6NQXJg-_6JAmFAH338Q/s595/godzilla%20vs..webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfbB7xyClgrZ9tyWZz6veuRUua5r3j4iDOCZ-rkK8EfUBTRbnf9uEvZfyhAPDnihrW_FRJXyS7KnpMh3zk1jLUq9qP5Dtm6JJGArAKSodQmQxg1vzj5TkEEVI_gmVK1AdVgQ0Z6STt86wkCkeaJiUxROE_VxOQAS6NQXJg-_6JAmFAH338Q/w260-h400/godzilla%20vs..webp" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>Godzilla Vs. The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers</i> (IDW Publishing) </b>The formula for each episode of the original, 1993-1996 <i>Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers </i>included a scene where villain Rita Repulsa would grow her monster to gigantic, kaiju-sized proportions, and the Rangers would need to board their giant robot vehicles to combat it, ultimately combining them into the giant robot Megazord to defeat it. Given this, a crossover with Godzilla is not quite as ridiculous as it might first sound, given the Ranger's careers as giant monster fighters.<p></p><p>In writer Cullen Bunn and artist Freddie E. Williams II's mini-series, Rita and her minions have found a mystical artifact that allows them to gaze into different dimensions. She uses it to find a world without the Power Rangers, assuming it will be an easier world to conquer. She transports her retinue there, but there's a stowaway—Green Ranger Tommy Oliver, who was spying on them. </p><p>They land in the middle of mayhem, as the world they've traveled to is apparently Godzilla's, and he's currently engaged in fighting Megalon, semi-controlled from a hovering flying saucer inhabited by the Xiliens of Planet X. Unversed in which monsters are good monsters and which ones are bad ones on this world, Tommy summons his Dragonzord (despite being in a different dimension, the Rangers still have access to their 'zords) and takes on Godzilla, not lasting long. Just then the rest of the Rangers arrive, sent by Zordon to rescue Tommy. </p><p>Meanwhile, Rita and her followers have pressganged the Xiliens into an alliance, and, while the Power Rangers' giant robot fights Godzilla, convinces them to summon more and more giant monsters, supplemented by their own supply (all of which repeat ones that have appeared on the show). </p><p>Like a movie-length episode of <i>Power Rangers</i> that's stuck in the kaiju-fighting portion of the episode, the comic is pretty much all giant monster battles, with Gigan, various insect-like kaiju and King Ghidorah eventually joining the fray. As is crossover tradition, the Power Rangers and Godzilla first fight one another, before teaming up to take on their common foes. </p><p>Bunn does a fine job of writing what is pretty much as pure a fight comic as exists, and Williams is able to do a decent job of drawing everything thrown at him, and creating a shared world where characters from each franchise both seem to be a natural part of. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>REVIEWED: </b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W9B9VK_GbJVc6RxZxtfBgoW5zpOk_H9r7qXJjZKG7nWsGZDsYPZEpYoEgO-pn7SHSRfpr5zLIp-JEL9Gu0A0DBU0EayixLFlZXvrEnuDQkSsstyYT9iihbfWc61qvPwvj_6MdevCJIkldOnMIaaxy4nDU-8YTYtT8M-WRl3OHXnUniKd5A/s1162/Monkey%20Prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W9B9VK_GbJVc6RxZxtfBgoW5zpOk_H9r7qXJjZKG7nWsGZDsYPZEpYoEgO-pn7SHSRfpr5zLIp-JEL9Gu0A0DBU0EayixLFlZXvrEnuDQkSsstyYT9iihbfWc61qvPwvj_6MdevCJIkldOnMIaaxy4nDU-8YTYtT8M-WRl3OHXnUniKd5A/w264-h400/Monkey%20Prince.jpg" width="264" /></a></b></div><b><i>Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey</i> (DC Comics) </b>After a so-so debut in a short story in 2021's <i>DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration,</i> Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang more thoroughly introduce their new DC superhero The Monkey Prince in <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/01/27/monkey-prince-vol-1-enter-the-monkey-review/" target="_blank">this collection</a>. It's pretty excellent super-comics, and the character is a welcome addition to the DC Universe. Outside of <i>Superman Smashes The Klan,</i> with its amazing Gurihiru art work, this is probably Yang's best super-comics writing to date. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQHy5aS9xNfdnZ0IaxKyU-ObTvCteRXGkqRIpHGVAJaKisy0OwvulM1hjup8mXH0D6F00lukGhnMJ6IY0peS-lPzXhx_Uq5eyH8FClcY7UT0jJ39JLS6cn6_Fqua7uepv4YwqeLiad-vzq_zS5fOLs8ly-QrZCInyi0bZlHxl_-3KvNrg3A/s1139/takes%20from.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQHy5aS9xNfdnZ0IaxKyU-ObTvCteRXGkqRIpHGVAJaKisy0OwvulM1hjup8mXH0D6F00lukGhnMJ6IY0peS-lPzXhx_Uq5eyH8FClcY7UT0jJ39JLS6cn6_Fqua7uepv4YwqeLiad-vzq_zS5fOLs8ly-QrZCInyi0bZlHxl_-3KvNrg3A/w270-h400/takes%20from.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><b><i>Star Wars: Tales From The Rancor Pit</i> (Dark Horse Comics) </b><a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2023/01/12/star-wars-tales-from-the-rancor-pit-review/" target="_blank">This <i>Vader's Castle</i>-like collection of scary <i>Star Wars </i>stories</a> features a victim of Jabba the Hutt's trying to Scheherazade his impending execution by entertaining the space gangster with tales of terror set throughout the eras of the franchise. Not as sustainable a premise as the <i>Vader's Castle</i> comics—you know what Chekov said about a rancor pit, right?—but just as entertaining. Plus it's got a cool cover from EDILW favorite Kelley Jones. Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-2659917561261816482023-01-08T16:44:00.003-08:002023-01-10T09:01:54.269-08:00A Month of Wednesdays: December 2022<div><b><br /></b></div><b>BOUGHT:</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWMpDN4DiCjXA_Lj0UTVey6k6zb751_dCDgi1hU1x1aZFwEIsGwN1H9kDFo_TXJ-0GPs1fQ4fURXJJ2BJWhLW2yI4r5qib1vR0rg1slqS5dWkKFQtOPhQb8SFaTiDaohQPcVskIUdPugalXHsRr3cB67LiCSf3mS8Cy4MDPwFnijUlp21Ig/s1985/spawn%20batman.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1985" data-original-width="1263" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWMpDN4DiCjXA_Lj0UTVey6k6zb751_dCDgi1hU1x1aZFwEIsGwN1H9kDFo_TXJ-0GPs1fQ4fURXJJ2BJWhLW2yI4r5qib1vR0rg1slqS5dWkKFQtOPhQb8SFaTiDaohQPcVskIUdPugalXHsRr3cB67LiCSf3mS8Cy4MDPwFnijUlp21Ig/w255-h400/spawn%20batman.jpeg" width="255" /></a></div><b><i>Batman/Spawn #1</i> (DC Comics/Image Comics) </b>I can tell you about every Spawn comic I've ever read. It won't take long.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was just getting into comics around the time of Image's founding and the hype that accompanied it, and of all the offerings, Todd McFarlane's <i>Spawn</i> is the one that I found most appealing, as I saw some similarities between McFarlane's art and that of my favorite artist, Norm Breyfogle. I liked the character design, with the big billowing cape, the chains and the glowing triangle eyes, I liked the supernaturally-powered Batman vibe of the character, and I liked the vibrant coloring of the art. I read the first five issues before deciding as well-drawn as it was, it wasn't very good. I was 15. </div><div><br /></div><div>I came back for issues #8-#11, the run written by Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Dave Sim and Frank Miller, but those were the last <i>Spawn</i> issues I read, not counting the pair of 1994 Batman team-ups, the DC-published <i>War Devil</i>, written by all of the Batman writers at the the time, Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon and Alan Grant and drawn by Klaus Janson, and the Image-published <i>Spawn/Batman</i>, written by Miller and drawn by McFarlane himself. </div><div><br /></div><div>So it's not as if I don't know the first thing about the character. I just don't know much more than the first thing about him. </div><div><br /></div><div>I gather that at some point McFarlane quit drawing<i> Spawn</i>, and an artist named Greg Capullo took that job, an artist who became the big breakout star of DC's 2011 New 52 initiative, when he was paired with writer Scott Snyder on the <i>Batman</i> monthly. </div><div><br /></div><div>That seemed to be the selling point of the 2022 <i>Batman/Spawn</i> crossover, the chance to see Capullo draw the two characters he was now most associated with, one of them something of a return for him. This time, McFarlane would be inking Capullo's work, and writing the crossover for himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>This turned out to be...well, it's not exactly the best division of labor. Considering all the comics writers there are in the world—a solid dozen or so of whom write Batman comics in any given month—having someone who's still something more of a dabbler than a polished professional seemed a mistake.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will try to explain the plot, as well as I am able. </div><div><br /></div><div>Spawn Al Simmons narrates that there is a void souls briefly enter when a person dies that he could unlock to rescue someone, his wife, but that the power to unlock that void lies with "The Black Beast," Batman. Among the pearls that Batman's mom wore on the night she died—yes, the goddam tired old pearls—one was a machine or some kind of magic which allowed for the opening of different dimensions....? Or something....? The Court of Owls wanted it, which is why they had the Waynes killed. </div><div><br /></div><div>They (or should I say "They," as Spawn mentions a Court of Priests in his world rather than a Court of Owls) recruited Spawn, who, it is said, comes from a different dimension. which may or may not be Batman's future (They killed Superman first in Spawn's world, he says at one point, because they weren't afraid of him?), telling him that Batman has his wife Wanda's soul. </div><div><br /></div><div>Spawn goes to beat Batman up, getting to the fight-then-team-up part of the traditional superhero team-up formula. Spawn is winning the fight quite handily thanks to his powers (see the version of the cover with a triumphant Spawn standing over a prone Batman, like the one above), but then he enters a "dead zone" where his cape turns floppy and he lacks his powers, and Batman is able to wipe the alley floor with him (now see the cover where Batman stands triumphant over the prone Spawn). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7qUFMG1_CrZfDdHy7bvjjk2bB-aoj7ToiIleJucdxrl3vOtkY51ry1uqMtg7jVH0H3utUDks4xYlpDaYfwT-Ytd3gnq9WSKZ4li9V13EMKbxCrhYLGnRqOrztbyj6xH4fphslMTAIlnhMQx2yYBDTTFckQDqe-63uKtCJt2I5QESeE2FxQ/s617/atman%20oer%20spawn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7qUFMG1_CrZfDdHy7bvjjk2bB-aoj7ToiIleJucdxrl3vOtkY51ry1uqMtg7jVH0H3utUDks4xYlpDaYfwT-Ytd3gnq9WSKZ4li9V13EMKbxCrhYLGnRqOrztbyj6xH4fphslMTAIlnhMQx2yYBDTTFckQDqe-63uKtCJt2I5QESeE2FxQ/w259-h400/atman%20oer%20spawn.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div>Batman figures out that they are being manipulated, so they have a meeting in the Batcave, and then go out to brutalize possible informants and pose for a two-page spread on a rooftop, which McFarlane and Capullo use as the backdrop for a conversation, which seems more Image-y than another page of talking heads, I guess.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then they talk to the Joker, who here is wearing his own flayed-off face as a mask, as he did for a time in the New 52. When they leave his cell, we see him gathering around him a bunch of little Violator vclowns.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then the Court of Owls sends a Talon assassin after Batman and Spawn. They seem to be fighting over Batman's ability to open a portal—with a pearl, maybe?—which he can only do because he has a soul. Batman does some planning, which pays off. Spawn tricks onlookers at the Arkham Asylum setting into thinking Batman is willing to kill now. And that's it? I guess? <br /><br />I dunno. I really miss the era of blogs now, because I could really use someone to explain what the heck happened in this, easily the worst of the three Batman/Spawn crossovers. It is not, unfortunately, the last, either, as the scene with the Joker and Violator hinted; indeed, the last panels show someone with the Violator's make-up saying "Everything is working exactly as planned. And now the <b><i>next move</i></b> is mine." </div><div><br /></div><div>It's nothing if not a threat for a sequel. I would hope that the next time around McFarlante gets a co-writer to make sure everything makes a bit more sense than it did this time around—I don't know what was done by the editors on this book to make sure that this was the case, but it sure felt like an old-school, auteur Image book without an editorial infrastructure. Another good idea? Writing the book as if someone reading it didn't know who Spawn was or what his deal was. Of the two participants, he's definitely the less well-known of the two, and McFarlante seems to have missed an opportunity to introduce him to legions of Batman fans who are reading this for the Batman side of the equation (and or Capullo's presence). </div><div><br /></div><div>As for the artwork, it's fine. I like Capullo well enough, but he was never one of my favorite Batman artists (Now if Guillem March were drawing this...!), but then, that's the whole point of the endeavor, isn't it? The former <i>Batman</i> and <i>Spawn</i> artist drawing Batman and Spawn at the same time? I might have preferred March or John McCrea or Kyle Hotz or—especially—Kelley Jones, but that's just me, and having anyone but Capullo draw this particular comic would have erased its whole reason for being. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe that promised next one will involve different artists as well as a different writing team. That would be my hope, anyway; the fun thing about such crossovers is seeing creators handle different characters than they usually do, and I'd love to see some more diverse Batman artists draw the Spawn character. In the mean time, I guess there are something like<a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/2462411/cover/4/" target="_blank"> a million variant covers</a> from all-star artists like Jim Lee and J. Scott Campbell o content myself with (even if there<i> is</i> no Kelley Jones image among them). </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CRdIbWIhQLdCUjz2U2b7gttEL4cUIu2nWKmdT34kzVJg2scvLhHvBlHdWVyN3TjXJn3l83R9JHN9WXIgFuRiJKYCAn0n8pr9mRXcZ7qy2H9nniGudLMfpYHpoZt-RSRQChR_H2HInjGLJ9MS9JbLfhrd9ux7t0Qj9xPfQbOaVwTZEFlGdg/s621/grifter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CRdIbWIhQLdCUjz2U2b7gttEL4cUIu2nWKmdT34kzVJg2scvLhHvBlHdWVyN3TjXJn3l83R9JHN9WXIgFuRiJKYCAn0n8pr9mRXcZ7qy2H9nniGudLMfpYHpoZt-RSRQChR_H2HInjGLJ9MS9JbLfhrd9ux7t0Qj9xPfQbOaVwTZEFlGdg/w258-h400/grifter.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>DC's Grifter Got Run Over by a Reindeer </i>(DC)</b> The theme for this year's holiday 80-page-giant is Christmas carols, as the the title somewhat alludes to, and the results are mixed, but mostly middling. Maybe it's the fault of the theme. The strongest of the bunch is a Batman and Catwoman story penned by writer Scott Bryan Wilson and drawn by Skylar Partridge, in which Catwoman gets Batman that which he likes best for Christmas, and he pulls out a bit of trivia about the "Twelve Nights of Christmas" song that only The World's Greatest Detective in a story would know. The weakest is the Max Bemis-written, Pablo M. Colllar-drawn story inspired by "Silent Night", in which Bemis has Constantine narrate like he's in a prose story rather than a comic book one.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest mostly fall in the middle, with little in any of them worth note (I devoted a tweet to each story <a href="https://twitter.com/jkaylub/status/1601298418663444480" target="_blank">in this thread</a>, if you'd like more on this book than I'm giving it here). I liked David Lapham's art in a weird Superman/Wonder Woman story, but this is, overall, one of the weaker 80-page-giant anthologies I've seen from the publisher in quite a while. Grifter, by the way, only gets run over by a reindeer on the cover. The Grifter story is actually inspired by "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," and it's mainly nonsensical, although it features Dustin Nguyen's art and ends with Grifter getting run over by a Gen 13-piloted snowmobile. </div><div><b><br /><br />BORROWED:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspiHXY7_rSQpqmyUe4QTElRYmiTiomSEEyWXfXiSeQRqSDhYfLX4CMFbdr89yjM0O-qcyuyt4iV_Ov-xoxkUIFY026v5CzZuHL-ikIOUP5cDUPguEGD5_LkIY51897dEzMqhWbZADeM0M1wNUD9rYhKDkGoCB9wobk5hwGeiihjnK85lFQw/s595/Komi%20Can't%20Communicate.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspiHXY7_rSQpqmyUe4QTElRYmiTiomSEEyWXfXiSeQRqSDhYfLX4CMFbdr89yjM0O-qcyuyt4iV_Ov-xoxkUIFY026v5CzZuHL-ikIOUP5cDUPguEGD5_LkIY51897dEzMqhWbZADeM0M1wNUD9rYhKDkGoCB9wobk5hwGeiihjnK85lFQw/w266-h400/Komi%20Can't%20Communicate.webp" width="266" /></a></div><b><i>Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 22</i> (Viz Media) </b>Still on their class trip to New York City, Manbagi decides to increase the drama a thousand-fold by confessing her feelings to Tadano. She doesn't <i>quite</i> get there, but <i>does</i> tell him she likes someone who's a lot like him...and then decides to try again when they're back in Japan, leading to a rathe suspenseful cliffhanger in this volume. Meanwhile, Komi's little brother Shosuke has his class trip, which is also dominated by a Tadano, as much as he would prefer it wasn't. <b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QwLvomej14vhUjDFfP50W1PAPN7mCYdI9FAK1L6akYIuzbbA3NhQVm0yWPcHttqQdsUYB2FZYHXWvhRMyY_VIfbYRzdD9adXoz9zkEtA6pqGTYAAQNoM2e0n1Kh_a3lk376fktKtiRNSdMh3h5UvQk_IuXwY3eCcTTquZZmyGtNbulhkOA/s544/sawtooth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QwLvomej14vhUjDFfP50W1PAPN7mCYdI9FAK1L6akYIuzbbA3NhQVm0yWPcHttqQdsUYB2FZYHXWvhRMyY_VIfbYRzdD9adXoz9zkEtA6pqGTYAAQNoM2e0n1Kh_a3lk376fktKtiRNSdMh3h5UvQk_IuXwY3eCcTTquZZmyGtNbulhkOA/w294-h400/sawtooth.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>Mickey Mouse: The Monster of Sawtooth Mountain </i>(Fantagraphics)</b> Another Disney Masters edition focused on the work of the great Paul Murry, collecting nine stories from 1959 to 1961. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-T-ghwKYPGFj2BgyRKUZD_XHBgOocaPFOfOR9vzrWGotfPNQWc7DbqbOIucWZexwZ1bs6cAlggT7M_saU9mJQ9LtmgZr0GU34WgJwowy9AMaa5KUxxDN5QZFLDNdLDv7eNn-eOAyhp_GJd_USAdhxF4YKeU-NjtZQbYFiWUl7qjH-7waB3A/s595/zom%20100.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-T-ghwKYPGFj2BgyRKUZD_XHBgOocaPFOfOR9vzrWGotfPNQWc7DbqbOIucWZexwZ1bs6cAlggT7M_saU9mJQ9LtmgZr0GU34WgJwowy9AMaa5KUxxDN5QZFLDNdLDv7eNn-eOAyhp_GJd_USAdhxF4YKeU-NjtZQbYFiWUl7qjH-7waB3A/w280-h400/zom%20100.webp" width="280" /></a></div>Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Vol. 8 </i>(Viz) </b>Zombies running through a natural history museum become entangled in dinosaur fossils, seemingly bringing about the threat of zombie dinosaurs near the climax of the eighth volume of this fun series. This includes so many zombies becoming intertwined with a complete Spinosaurus skeleton that they somehow bring it to un-life, animating it to hunt our heroes. As unlikely a turn of events as that is, it does lead to a scene of dinosaur versus dinosaur conflict, as Akira and the gang fight it using an animatronic Tyrannosaur, souped-up for battle by their robot butler, a holdover from the all-A.I. luxury hotel they stayed at in a previous volume.</div><div><br /></div><div>That early climax is followed by a story in which Akira tires of the bucket list concept, which is, of course, the very premise of the series. Just as he's questioning the list, he gets trapped all alone in a newsstand by a horde of zombies, with nothing to do but argue with the philosophers who seem to appear to him about the nature of boredom, the human need for entertainment and the very meaning of life. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's surprisingly powerful stuff, and another example of why <i>Zom 100</i> is the perfect comic for our pandemic era. </div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-34485700954258209682022-12-31T08:34:00.003-08:002022-12-31T08:34:57.528-08:00Marvel's March previews reviewed<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenchg9fvwhGAZzAEjCsrFFGqrtiilNGsYE_ciAxM-K_bn1s6pDLTa8qFUNtDhgP1Za_NlqtbBeMPy2TmCED6X7qUq3Wpe-tnt9Awg_2X1AV5kIA7xRDXa_RelRgLChiEp3USqJNTBvCs1qJghmM_L8BKMko6N5oCylWJYYF2KLWwX71S5Yw/s1472/EDqjL4W4hpDmhRwHHftFD8-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenchg9fvwhGAZzAEjCsrFFGqrtiilNGsYE_ciAxM-K_bn1s6pDLTa8qFUNtDhgP1Za_NlqtbBeMPy2TmCED6X7qUq3Wpe-tnt9Awg_2X1AV5kIA7xRDXa_RelRgLChiEp3USqJNTBvCs1qJghmM_L8BKMko6N5oCylWJYYF2KLWwX71S5Yw/w264-h400/EDqjL4W4hpDmhRwHHftFD8-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>February's <i>Amazing Spider-Man</i> variant showing Disney characters reenacting a Fantastic Four cover wasn't just a, um, goof, apparently, as this months Amazing<b><i> Spider-Man #21</i></b> puts Goofy at the center for the classic Hulk cover. <div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf56jdd5gOO0DmaUIFo4EVg_wcXCZyyhz78Ozoc8Jmm3IGdridkiKyFBaPL8cW6CRm_Dh6Yq-lD8ZBbx71zRQeloaii7O2tuBQcautXUaUPVHHZ5ycDJy0YbR9qExMJXprJZYB-UifGyzVhIoK2-v6y2xidoMdIZIU8IZHC6bEAnLrZ4MD3Q/s1473/fwYmtofBZju2Et8hwD9tK6-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf56jdd5gOO0DmaUIFo4EVg_wcXCZyyhz78Ozoc8Jmm3IGdridkiKyFBaPL8cW6CRm_Dh6Yq-lD8ZBbx71zRQeloaii7O2tuBQcautXUaUPVHHZ5ycDJy0YbR9qExMJXprJZYB-UifGyzVhIoK2-v6y2xidoMdIZIU8IZHC6bEAnLrZ4MD3Q/w264-h400/fwYmtofBZju2Et8hwD9tK6-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1n_Hm7WeCejCLy3oSCCbYet9-mp-so5UexZgZfbLvu1Lneb38qwVx67fg3JfvTw3-bJHLMPlS7SFE4wkWmYaDc2P6hiVTPq6GAZBT_mFBV2zgTWs-SWB9ELUjPlVzr1w0fmyEaFNoEYVC5x9AmrIzR06YRxdCLms5bxLcN-wU3XN7RJ0Svw/s1472/pSt9zSJDSK6yRn2tVjwMHn-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1n_Hm7WeCejCLy3oSCCbYet9-mp-so5UexZgZfbLvu1Lneb38qwVx67fg3JfvTw3-bJHLMPlS7SFE4wkWmYaDc2P6hiVTPq6GAZBT_mFBV2zgTWs-SWB9ELUjPlVzr1w0fmyEaFNoEYVC5x9AmrIzR06YRxdCLms5bxLcN-wU3XN7RJ0Svw/w264-h400/pSt9zSJDSK6yRn2tVjwMHn-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2iOxedFjJzxbpVMc_SmgDk4h4BzJxLbTd5dd_mcGx4qLzPfP7cWrnc7XSL7faeWh5r4H9kGqUcZpfTWHKb28hy95KmSQC4CUamOmUx6kWjQo631RFRGiLNHfg5NzCGerQdsMmHfAZmOGYxTcIKRhG35xZdMJNYk5SPEHzlM72QiLralr7Q/s1484/Garc2HvMjRMKy3YjrTXcPn-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2iOxedFjJzxbpVMc_SmgDk4h4BzJxLbTd5dd_mcGx4qLzPfP7cWrnc7XSL7faeWh5r4H9kGqUcZpfTWHKb28hy95KmSQC4CUamOmUx6kWjQo631RFRGiLNHfg5NzCGerQdsMmHfAZmOGYxTcIKRhG35xZdMJNYk5SPEHzlM72QiLralr7Q/w261-h400/Garc2HvMjRMKy3YjrTXcPn-970-80.jpg.webp" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOO2iT3IHeqdB-T8KzdsUf3fSO_b4FWkdOdUsMZQHpptNAwSCmVmc0qis85HS0_6szbFVpitwZYkhLQ4UqKEM0ZApt3hkUA17-v0tGDRPVGFRsSvxFDRzDvRsRzSwsyH47DTudSFORk1k3_cmcVvetpbFV0_SAGywQn-elNqTTwdkDU_MoZQ/s1472/HjSBa88nUmQoATrsj7YeVn-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOO2iT3IHeqdB-T8KzdsUf3fSO_b4FWkdOdUsMZQHpptNAwSCmVmc0qis85HS0_6szbFVpitwZYkhLQ4UqKEM0ZApt3hkUA17-v0tGDRPVGFRsSvxFDRzDvRsRzSwsyH47DTudSFORk1k3_cmcVvetpbFV0_SAGywQn-elNqTTwdkDU_MoZQ/w264-h400/HjSBa88nUmQoATrsj7YeVn-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>I like the title of <b><i>Clobberin' Time</i></b>, a new five-issue miniseries beginning in March, but it seems like some of the covers do a better job with the logo than others, huh? </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ItPQXqgnB5vC1SclPGGmSdB3rjKortCrBoglRn69mdHbEJlKnVcEU9KWFoUvpuZ6S6MWmesYSLYBhNxeO7VNwzF09c5EX9S0-qeQpoewASg7u2zNC5kC_g-o7oXTiaA_Rg6Fm3nJwmbLJeds1AmLVodWUVRwVFc02EzyBwwG2OUB4miyyg/s1472/jxypPq5dTZztEAcVBYhHbm-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ItPQXqgnB5vC1SclPGGmSdB3rjKortCrBoglRn69mdHbEJlKnVcEU9KWFoUvpuZ6S6MWmesYSLYBhNxeO7VNwzF09c5EX9S0-qeQpoewASg7u2zNC5kC_g-o7oXTiaA_Rg6Fm3nJwmbLJeds1AmLVodWUVRwVFc02EzyBwwG2OUB4miyyg/w264-h400/jxypPq5dTZztEAcVBYhHbm-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>When Gurihiru draws something, you don't ask, you just buy. In this case, you buy <i>It's Jeff!</i>, written by Kelly Thompson and starring the adorable little four-legged land-shark. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Pu9FZnhTPFjv5RxalXBqQCQ0OGoOaHbtQca5aTI6MQb3a5k9MBQOyhnipqMdeiq2Tj3mbnkka0yAME2L6reGfYwpBe66naa5wJrc_fXXKq4qfZ1i6ZDjJc1OzA_3ISUKgLB4ukK03zDpC_OgYZ4b6GI2hy2fp7yXtH8Hi89uU2gz08Etgg/s1486/Yq4UtSrFWcipSK3QmZXFcU-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Pu9FZnhTPFjv5RxalXBqQCQ0OGoOaHbtQca5aTI6MQb3a5k9MBQOyhnipqMdeiq2Tj3mbnkka0yAME2L6reGfYwpBe66naa5wJrc_fXXKq4qfZ1i6ZDjJc1OzA_3ISUKgLB4ukK03zDpC_OgYZ4b6GI2hy2fp7yXtH8Hi89uU2gz08Etgg/w261-h400/Yq4UtSrFWcipSK3QmZXFcU-970-80.jpg.webp" width="261" /></a></div>Looks like Marvel is finally set to do something with the Predator license, aside from reprint Dark Horse comics. <b><i>Predator #1</i></b> is by Ed Brisson and Netho Diaz.</div><div> <div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazNblEExaty4mfK4Ok7OTqvgNbZurlBhH2tr-AZD1jmg4PTrpw2bvVBB3ZIH9X_H4rC-iXfINEOfzdgrbliknGM8g_qUB1v068ED7nq_mQuI8cUDli9fP4_aU-7guTYfXHLOFJtAL8QtTVXX1t-5p7YxMGu4P0EVWG5Blp-utnpiwK7QjEQ/s1472/QECPpEaeXqsr99QzYLHj7f-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazNblEExaty4mfK4Ok7OTqvgNbZurlBhH2tr-AZD1jmg4PTrpw2bvVBB3ZIH9X_H4rC-iXfINEOfzdgrbliknGM8g_qUB1v068ED7nq_mQuI8cUDli9fP4_aU-7guTYfXHLOFJtAL8QtTVXX1t-5p7YxMGu4P0EVWG5Blp-utnpiwK7QjEQ/w264-h400/QECPpEaeXqsr99QzYLHj7f-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>Have I mentioned how much I hate the new Punisher skull logo lately? Or that Disney/Marvel gave up the original so easily without a fight? </div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-40612244454821890872022-12-31T08:26:00.004-08:002022-12-31T08:26:43.044-08:00DC's March previews reviewed<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmy3-uP6he8hr4gPA9MndQZqVtOC2R4BWwv_OghNkrgQ9vbLB4iG2G_hcqZVpoaKpjozHVHpb1J4gknYhBjG70_8VQYg8eYey3tUAMXF22FfJY2tj4metMOPoQ5mCp9WuZHx9ttn3uLSExdVpGbStTW_AWbD1h_1boPCdsywo6HWoZ4D97A/s1473/7Na7PCCZFPdUeujud36Bx5-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmy3-uP6he8hr4gPA9MndQZqVtOC2R4BWwv_OghNkrgQ9vbLB4iG2G_hcqZVpoaKpjozHVHpb1J4gknYhBjG70_8VQYg8eYey3tUAMXF22FfJY2tj4metMOPoQ5mCp9WuZHx9ttn3uLSExdVpGbStTW_AWbD1h_1boPCdsywo6HWoZ4D97A/w264-h400/7Na7PCCZFPdUeujud36Bx5-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>The first collected volume of <i>Batgirls</i> is still languishing atop my to-read pile, but I <i>do </i>like this portrait-style cover for <b><i>Batgirls #16</i></b>. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2j7Kxsy2oikGcR4w2y5v3Eu3AxOIhd4R7N8VTyHb5_iIYBjpxfci-n9hW1_r-lWaAHqj4w_t3IoBwyJUd5pTBkiHStbmxJa5xvywnCq-j3u0i3PVCbmSd6a6VArEmFQmlvIQkfPmjCt2XQzHyN6t8JDD2mRY-F8pIDK-zuQPKItjXb1Wz3Q/s1490/kxnS36gbdhGAU8fKsRX5AW-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1490" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2j7Kxsy2oikGcR4w2y5v3Eu3AxOIhd4R7N8VTyHb5_iIYBjpxfci-n9hW1_r-lWaAHqj4w_t3IoBwyJUd5pTBkiHStbmxJa5xvywnCq-j3u0i3PVCbmSd6a6VArEmFQmlvIQkfPmjCt2XQzHyN6t8JDD2mRY-F8pIDK-zuQPKItjXb1Wz3Q/w260-h400/kxnS36gbdhGAU8fKsRX5AW-970-80.jpg.webp" width="260" /></a></div>Here's this month's Brian Bolland portrait of a Batman rogue, courtesy of a variant for <b style="font-style: italic;">Batman—One Bad Day: Ra's al Ghul #1 </b>by Tom Taylor and Ivan Reis. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2Y6h0qfRVbvSq58WQ3iecl5Xl5X_u6f2vPhlflXT7ny2Z3LR6gviws5WVTeA7IJ1l5wZZ8FHUrSoNzUJG2RWiKu3L_rfmspfZUgEoZRRBoEZfArWdzAFTGbUdHB7oidyandae-oy4LDHx-RXjemUoynxAsjjuec6LbWZld4yPzinHwj1hg/s1472/zLSmPyLKQzvDnyJUwnoiEC-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2Y6h0qfRVbvSq58WQ3iecl5Xl5X_u6f2vPhlflXT7ny2Z3LR6gviws5WVTeA7IJ1l5wZZ8FHUrSoNzUJG2RWiKu3L_rfmspfZUgEoZRRBoEZfArWdzAFTGbUdHB7oidyandae-oy4LDHx-RXjemUoynxAsjjuec6LbWZld4yPzinHwj1hg/w264-h400/zLSmPyLKQzvDnyJUwnoiEC-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>I was going to buy DC's <b><i>DC's Legion of Bloom #1</i></b> anyway, because I buy all their 80-page giants, but man, putting Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man on the cover ain't exactly going to discourage me. <br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9E4sZqPn9xNzwg_XD-lpJ2LRM40K5q0oEq6pRod-_p3xFw6hdC4kX9qV8daQu4slAxeyyVb-8BjN-_AJlOXD_q20BzaTVto-4tnctJYAkHbepk3EAjctYfVrxA7nTv4vZDL2H8RVV8e3fk_tfLVOz-BqhL8mOU2gJ7k8OerVkicD0lf7UPQ/s1471/eRkH7X9RTvWtvwMzq6jzsU-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1471" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9E4sZqPn9xNzwg_XD-lpJ2LRM40K5q0oEq6pRod-_p3xFw6hdC4kX9qV8daQu4slAxeyyVb-8BjN-_AJlOXD_q20BzaTVto-4tnctJYAkHbepk3EAjctYfVrxA7nTv4vZDL2H8RVV8e3fk_tfLVOz-BqhL8mOU2gJ7k8OerVkicD0lf7UPQ/w264-h400/eRkH7X9RTvWtvwMzq6jzsU-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>I don't know what's going on with Ram V's <i>Tec</i> run, but the covers have been to die for. This one, atop <b><i>Detective Comics #1070,</i></b> is especially awesome.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXB5tat3cJhCreXfawdG4-8pdMlJ3FUgHf7SXo3taylHm0wpEUXZtJsrfx74wxh5vKBxxRiO6GJt_cKJP3Gv-3lAYpFqnSxaTbjHsGyC0QZCn-HY7HucCLfFoKpduion-s9O32N5Go6kYT9hx_vmyh_fCo3bP2zL2H58JDvt2-ZfTcGz9dQA/s1472/pJqTFZaVsyTTGmPCgS2AjW-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXB5tat3cJhCreXfawdG4-8pdMlJ3FUgHf7SXo3taylHm0wpEUXZtJsrfx74wxh5vKBxxRiO6GJt_cKJP3Gv-3lAYpFqnSxaTbjHsGyC0QZCn-HY7HucCLfFoKpduion-s9O32N5Go6kYT9hx_vmyh_fCo3bP2zL2H58JDvt2-ZfTcGz9dQA/w264-h400/pJqTFZaVsyTTGmPCgS2AjW-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>Big Frank Miller energy on this cover for <b><i>Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods #2</i></b>, by the great Guillem March. Sadly, March is just doing covers on the series, not interiors. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BMANvwzmkRs4OOAilD4cdmYn0faP2lviKvFsl6e9Vs9WSnNyZRcPhf97oZcJmj9ThNtKIBMUSsPRF0I-MJbHN9XJeRxo4gkY-IEo6Zy3n-pYCRAk1jQZvhQ0Oi3gZmQDxBHbp51_UuVNl5Y8JdaNG3JRAs10KP_XkLpKqL_y6IAKLjjORQ/s1472/dAKuc92E2oT3TiwRhJJVf5-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BMANvwzmkRs4OOAilD4cdmYn0faP2lviKvFsl6e9Vs9WSnNyZRcPhf97oZcJmj9ThNtKIBMUSsPRF0I-MJbHN9XJeRxo4gkY-IEo6Zy3n-pYCRAk1jQZvhQ0Oi3gZmQDxBHbp51_UuVNl5Y8JdaNG3JRAs10KP_XkLpKqL_y6IAKLjjORQ/w264-h400/dAKuc92E2oT3TiwRhJJVf5-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div><b><i>Multiversity: Harley Screws Up the DCU #1 </i></b>by Frank Tieri and Logan Faeber is of interest mostly because DC felt the need to put the word "Multiversity" in the title, presumably indicating that this takes place...somewhere out in the multiverse, as opposed to the DCU. It's therefore not <i>the</i> DCU she's screwing up, so don't worry about <i>that</i>. I like this cover. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLlVlrYOYkVj3C1eUpeikh67xZi-HFIVtT_zRXwSbPMqmnV387LPAofo-EmuMlkuuTq_0TzJdg9h9FFooc4ZJ2pIj119OeUP5vIXkADV8LPTpNP6k6cDwL5Dmmr2F76uQrzOr8KcN-UZYlNqUNjdt80tJUGCJLxv3dabxkbnbZFZXOitozA/s1472/97kaMiqUiTaM86uCorZouh-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLlVlrYOYkVj3C1eUpeikh67xZi-HFIVtT_zRXwSbPMqmnV387LPAofo-EmuMlkuuTq_0TzJdg9h9FFooc4ZJ2pIj119OeUP5vIXkADV8LPTpNP6k6cDwL5Dmmr2F76uQrzOr8KcN-UZYlNqUNjdt80tJUGCJLxv3dabxkbnbZFZXOitozA/w264-h400/97kaMiqUiTaM86uCorZouh-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>Electric Superman powers, like in the comics from 1998! Val-Zod from the New 52 Earth-2 series<i> Earth 2</i>, from 2012-2015! Ultraman, from Earth-3! You know, based on the solicit for <b><i>Adventures of</i></b> <b><i>Superman: Jon Kent #1</i></b>, the book doesn't sound too terribly new-reader friendly for a new #1. </div><div><br /></div><div>I mean,<i> I</i> might <i>personally</i> be okay—there's a bit about Jon Kent's backstory from the Bendis years which I missed mentioned in the solicit too—but this sure doesn't sound like it was designed for brand-new readers, or even readers of Jon's recent appearances in <i>Superman: Son of Kal-El</i>. That said, it's written by Tom Taylor, and that guy generally knows what he's doing when it comes to comics-writing, so I'm going to assume pains are being taken to make this a first issue that reads like an actual first issue. Art is by Clayton Henry, whose work I generally like. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvb1o8O3Z0YfIeFq22MpwkRAPCGq_0wKab_mAWfjQ9h0JfSlYNiXURdBmK56CUuk0Fr5Odwyu5SwAXBOH0rRnwwVy-kvP4OZs4MyZ8HaEkGW9DF-5WpKRIssQJn2JHpYNRh414CgaPShSHPmE0SNqOxz1Xt_ebziF4FQY4CzaMkzD19ldnpw/s1462/jfptPs5TVUAEaV4DuxD3AW-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvb1o8O3Z0YfIeFq22MpwkRAPCGq_0wKab_mAWfjQ9h0JfSlYNiXURdBmK56CUuk0Fr5Odwyu5SwAXBOH0rRnwwVy-kvP4OZs4MyZ8HaEkGW9DF-5WpKRIssQJn2JHpYNRh414CgaPShSHPmE0SNqOxz1Xt_ebziF4FQY4CzaMkzD19ldnpw/w265-h400/jfptPs5TVUAEaV4DuxD3AW-970-80.jpg.webp" width="265" /></a></div>There's a pretty nice Captain Marvel image by Michael Cho—I mean, the costume is trash, but it retains enough of the original design to be recognizable, at least—on the cover of <b><i>Superman: Lost #1</i></b> for some reason (Well, the some reason is there's a new Captain Marvel movie coming out next year that looks...well, it looks like the sequel to the first one, anyway, and a bunch of DC Comics have <i>Shazam: Fury of the Gods</i> variants on them). <div><br /></div><div><i>Superman: Lost </i>is a new maxiseries written by the great Christopher Priest with art by his Deathstroke partner Carlo Pagulayan. That should be worth keeping an eye out for. In collected form. Next year. But hey, that's just me now; if you read the single issues and dig 'em, do let me know. </div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-65485825960369917772022-12-30T14:16:00.003-08:002022-12-30T14:16:45.949-08:00A Month of Wednesdays: November 2022<p><b> BOUGHT:</b></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSF2Pou9DSDmg6zyugRYfgwuakWGgloMcWg5JNexO5VfpjdlBUmO8Ssy_PyoZ5eJvFrsSHLoJ2bkQLh8FO0evMeSY-nvU49gHdVE7GZrEsazLlDLKuvrhBKbQ3bo-wW2jTI7EoFM-ylygjlEi6C1DGQ6dSTXbPB3Mv1bui5zezdHLbRYbYw/s1975/crypt%20coer.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1975" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSF2Pou9DSDmg6zyugRYfgwuakWGgloMcWg5JNexO5VfpjdlBUmO8Ssy_PyoZ5eJvFrsSHLoJ2bkQLh8FO0evMeSY-nvU49gHdVE7GZrEsazLlDLKuvrhBKbQ3bo-wW2jTI7EoFM-ylygjlEi6C1DGQ6dSTXbPB3Mv1bui5zezdHLbRYbYw/w259-h400/crypt%20coer.jpeg" width="259" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Crypt of Shadows #1</i> (Marvel Entertainment) </b>I came to Marvel's Halloween-season anthology special just a little too late, reading it in November rather than October. Named for a short-lived, 1973-1975 Marvel horror anthology, this revival is about what one would expect: Short stories featuring Marvel super-characters that are all vaguely horror-themed. <p></p><p>As you have likely deduced by now, such anthology specials constitute most of new comics diet; in fact, they're about the only comics I buy now that aren't trade collections. I was looking forward to this for that reason alone—it's been a while since I read a new Marvel comic book-comic—but I was also interested because of the presence of Man-Thing, seen on the variant cover I chose, and Adam Warren, a favorite creator who has been so involved in his own <i>Empowered</i> series that I haven't seen him do any work on anyone <i>else's</i> characters in what seems like forever.</p><p>Sadly, I was mostly disappointed with this $5.99, 40-page package, spending the majority of the time I was reading it in a state of mild confusion. (You can read a less wordy, more heavily illustrated version of this review of it in <a href="https://twitter.com/jkaylub/status/1589345362157834240" target="_blank">this Twitter thread</a>.)</p><p>The book is "hosted" by Victor Strange, "brother of the dead doctor...condemned by misapplied magic to <b><i>undeath</i></b> in the half-world behind every mirror." He appears in segments written by Al Ewing and drawn by Ramon Bachs, each a one-page splash with an ornate frame around it to suggest we're looking at a fancy mirror in the titular crypt, "a <b><i>sub-basement </i></b>of sorts" to the Sanctum Sanctorum. </p><p>Victor explains that his story is common knowledge to the adept and that "you can probably read about it on your <b><i>phone</i></b>." Indeed, an asterisk leads to a small box saying to look for<i> Strange Tales Infinity Comic</i> on the Marvel Unlimited App. As an old-fashioned luddite who only reads comics on paper, I of course didn't do that, so, as far as I'm concerned, Victor is just the guy who shows up every eight pages or so of this book to introduce the next story.</p><p>The first of these features some ordinary-seeming girl named Brielle, and is the work of writer Danny Lore and artist Karen S. Darboe. Brielle is on her way to a costume party when she happens upon two chatty strangers who are messing with a ghost. She stops them and puts the ghost at ease and then the story ends. It's not until I got to the last page of the book—not the story, but the entire book— that I got a hint as to who Brielle is; she's apparently Blade's daughter, based on the fact that a girl who looks like her appears in a box saying "And Bloodline..." (they never call her "Bloodline" in the story) "Will return...Bloodline: Daughter of Blade."<br /><br />If this was an introduction to the character, it was a pretty lousy one, as it took an ad in the back of the book to explain who I was reading about. Based on the story itself, she's just a random girl who happened upon some magic and a ghost.</p><p>That's followed by "Werwolf By Moon Knight" by Rebecca Roanhorse and Geoff Shaw. It involves a werewolf who's <i>not</i> Jack Russel— I had read that Roanhorse was rebooting the premise, although I'm not sure if this is the new "Werewolf By Night" or just a random werewolf. Anyway, said werewolf and his friend are invited to a party at a fancy house, where the butler is a werewolf. The two werewolves fight until a luminous white Moon Knight, making a dramatic appearance in a window before smashing through it, intervenes to break it up. </p><p>The bad werewolf resumes his human shape when defeated, and Moon Knight ties him to the gate around the manor with a sign reading "Dirt Bag." "I'll let the police take it from here," Moon Knight says to himself, as if the cops are going to find the guy and run his ID to determine he's broken the state laws against lycanthropy or something.</p><p>Next up is Morbius, who it's hard to take too seriously these days after the relentless drubbing the character has taken on Twitter for his movie, and a Vicki, who I have never heard of, but is introduced as "The daughter of the <b style="font-style: italic;">Darkhold</b>". This story, by writer Chris Cooper and artist Ibrahim Moustafa, contains an asterisk referring to events from <i>Darkhold: Pages From The Book of Sin #15</i>, which a quick Internet search tells me came out in 1993. This is a story based on events from a 29-year-old comic book, then...? That poor choice aside, the last panel was fairly satisfying.</p><p>The most straightforward story in the collection follows, Chris Codon and Fran Galan's "Down Came The Rain," in which Elsa Bloodstone teams up with the Human Torch to de-monster-ize Spider-Man, who has become a Man-Spider during off-panel shenanigans. It's not great shakes, but at least I could make sense of it and it wasn't based on a comic from when I was a teenager. </p><p>Finally there's the Warren-written-and-drawn "Endless Slaughter in the Infinite Swamp", in which Warren basically asks, "What if Laura Kinney met Man-Thing?" She does so, in this story, to recruit the shambling swamp monster for "that week's super-heroically desperate struggle to save the <b><i>world </i></b>and/or <b><i>universe</i></b> and/or <i><b>the entirety of the infinite multiverse</b></i>." </p><p>As to the "What If...?", well Warren posits that Man-Thing's putrid stench would replicate Laura's "trigger scent", plunging her into a berserker rage, which would, in turn, trigger Man-Thing's response to negative emotions and he would attack her. Because they both regenerate from nearly any wound, the two would fight endlessly, And because they are in the Nexus of All Realities, they could fight longer than the Earth itself survived, and thus they would battle eternally.</p><p>Warren's overstating Laura's regenerative abilities—she ages, for example, and would die of old age somewhere long before year 1000 of their death-loop—but as for a Warren-illustrated answer to the sort of question that fans so like to ask of one another, what if so-and-so fought so-and-so, it's an interesting enough exercise. Far more interesting than everything that came before it, anyway. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJ3Kl6-2opUJ6jI7oxe_xQOqq9BbnRrHcZOi4sHGgL0XHGAJ6tdhl2hG8QUoym5zs0R8SDXg3-RVqBRzqEWQ7aBqrupf9_r0-6oWetACkRuB-SZSdZDqM_Ahd7UP24CVt56FlBPCmVbuSRcEqq6xvEwRqR-HxI_0aCxExa2ICPc6TOLE4zw/s2020/DC's%20SAVED%20BY%20THE%20BELLE%20REEVE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2020" data-original-width="1299" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJ3Kl6-2opUJ6jI7oxe_xQOqq9BbnRrHcZOi4sHGgL0XHGAJ6tdhl2hG8QUoym5zs0R8SDXg3-RVqBRzqEWQ7aBqrupf9_r0-6oWetACkRuB-SZSdZDqM_Ahd7UP24CVt56FlBPCmVbuSRcEqq6xvEwRqR-HxI_0aCxExa2ICPc6TOLE4zw/w258-h400/DC's%20SAVED%20BY%20THE%20BELLE%20REEVE.jpg" width="258" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>DC's Saved by the Belle Reeve #1</i> (DC Comics) </b>In the DCU, there's a prison called Belle Reeve that the Suicide Squad operates out of. That's the origin of the title of this comic, which is a pretty dumb joke and believe you me, if there's one thing I know it's dumb jokes (Again, <a href="https://twitter.com/jkaylub/status/1588654428961529856" target="_blank">I tweeted my way through this book</a>, if you'd like to see it reviewed in less wordy, more picture-y format). Title aside, the idea is an 80-Page Giant anthology of stories dealing with school in one way or another.<p></p><p>It's hard to pick a favorite—there are a couple of strong entries, including returns of a pair of canceled titles I used to enjoy—so let's just look at them all in order. Ready?<br /><br />The first story is the return of <i>Gotham Academy</i>, reuniting the team of Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl. Entitled "Sophomore Year", it similarly reunites all the members of Detective Club, with the glaring omission of Olive, who has gone missing from school rather suddenly, and whose missing journal Maps is trying to find. It's odd that a story in an anthology like this would advance the plot of the ended series, but perhaps a revival is in the cards in the future, as it ends with the words "(NOT) THE END".</p><p>That's followed by "High School Lows", a Suicide Squad story by writer Tim Seeley and artist Scott Kolins, in which a very film-inspired version of the Squad—Harley, King Shark, Katana and The Weasel, looking exactly as he did in the film rather than the comics—are each given undercover assignments at a prestigious prep school by team leader Peacemaker. Thing go spectacularly badly, but the day is ultimately saved. </p><p>Next up is a Super Sons story set a few years ago, back before Jon was hyper-aged and he and Damian were both classmates at West-Reeve prep school (There was also a Super Sons story set in the past in the Halloween-themed <i>DC's Terrors Through Time</i> 80-page giant; apparently the Super Sons premise is living on, even if not in the present DCU). This one is by former <i>Super Sons</i> writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Max Raynor. It's the first day of eighth grade for the boys, and they befriend Sydney, a non-binary classmate targeted by bullies.</p><p>That's followed by Dave Wielgosz-written, Mike Norton-drawn Green Arrow and Speedy story in which the latter is doing so poorly at school that the former grounds him from superheroics. It's a nice, fun story featuring the now little-seen superhero team and, set during the Silver Age of the Justice League and Teen Titans, it has plenty of guest-stars. I thought this and the Super Sons story were among the strongest entries in the collection.</p><p>Next is the return of Art Baltazar and Franco's<i> Tiny Titans</i>, wherein the Tiny version of the New Teen Titans visit Belle Reeve prison and meet the super-villains of the last Suicide Squad movie. Baltazar and Franco haven't missed a beat, and, were it not for the specific focus on specific now-famous characters like Peacemaker and Polka-Dot Man, this could easily have appeared in an old issue of the cancelled series. </p><p>Black Lightning makes a welcome return in a short story by Brandon Thomas and Craig Cermak which focuses on high school principal Jefferson Pierce's time serving as President Luthor's secretary of education. The focus of the story is how he was able to serve a president who was, well, <i>evil</i>, and I was relieved Thomas didn't have Pierce answer that he was there because he was afraid someone worse would take the job if he didn't or that he was there to be an adult in the room; the Luthor presidency hits differently now that we've had an actual, unequivocal villain as a president here in the real world. Thomas <i>does</i> take something from the Trump administration, staging a scene in which Luthor does that thing Trump used to do at cabinet meetings, going around the table and having everyone take a turn praising him. Their arrogance is perhaps the only thing Luthor and Trump have in common; while both might be technically evil, Luthor as at least brilliant and a successful businessman and chief executive. Trump's not an ingenious super-villain, but more like the two-bit criminals that Superman used to toss around in the Golden Age. </p><p>Next is an Azrael story by Dan Watters and the excellent Juan Ferreyra which contrasts the two forms of "education" the hero had, a normal-ish school education and "The System" mental programming that made him into his secret organization's avenging angel. Nice art on this one, although it felt weird reading about Azrael in 2022 to me, given how much I associate him with a particular era. </p><p>Finally Andrew Aydin and Nelson Daniel present a story in which Dick Grayson asks Barbara Gordon to prom. This one had some fun bits, but it was also a bit of a mess. I'll allow that maybe Dick and Babs went to high school together—although I'm pretty sure she was quite older than him when originally introduced—but this story has Dick as Nightwing in high school, and that was obviously not the case. (There's also a bit of weirdness with a button that transforms their formal wear into superhero costumes that didn't really make sense to me).</p><p>Overall, this was a pretty fun collection, with far more good stories than bad ones. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0ZiTas8yqf-ROCO45ufnEQ-bqyIiWNrFGT0oEOkx7x-GtdqRsLCOZ1p22lnqaTpv_Ixu8a7_iuXrT0C7l6eZdr8JZEkN65MnjywTHvLUM3wQBB0WzhEtG6LHAt69obDjZRhu1657t0apR8HQqU6MeFUrRQHgsMuxHOlEsUqkfcLs7fFP0Q/s616/new%20golden%20age.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0ZiTas8yqf-ROCO45ufnEQ-bqyIiWNrFGT0oEOkx7x-GtdqRsLCOZ1p22lnqaTpv_Ixu8a7_iuXrT0C7l6eZdr8JZEkN65MnjywTHvLUM3wQBB0WzhEtG6LHAt69obDjZRhu1657t0apR8HQqU6MeFUrRQHgsMuxHOlEsUqkfcLs7fFP0Q/w260-h400/new%20golden%20age.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>The New Golden Age #1</i> (DC) </b>I suppose I should have known better than to buy a Geoff Johns comic in this, the year of our Lord 2022, but what can I say? I really like Golden Age characters, and Johns' old <i>JSA</i> run was, for the most part, pretty good comics that did pretty well by the tons of quirky characters it featured over the years. <div><br /></div><div>What I mostly took away from this $4.99, 36-page one-shot was a feeling of vaguely irritated exhaustion. See, they weren't kidding with the "new" in front of the "Golden Age." This isn't simply the original, post-Crisis/pre-New 52 Golden Age restored. It's...I don't rightly know, really. It seems to be, at least in one passage, that the old pre-Crisis Earth-2 continuity is restored, but now taking place in the current DCU, whatever it's official multiversal designation is now. This...raised some questions. Questions haunted my reading of it, really. </div><div><br /></div><div>When they talk about Wonder Woman being the JSA for decades, do they mean her mom Hippolyta, or do they mean an immortal Diana now? Does this mean she's been an active superhero longer than all of her peers? When we see Power Girl in 1976, does that mean <i>she's</i> been an active superhero for decades longer than, say, Batman and Superman? And what the ever-loving fuck is Ozymandias' cat Bubastis from the pages of <i>Watchmen</i> doing in this book...? Apparently, one of the two books spinning out of this special—<i>Justice Society of America</i> and <i>Stargirl: The Lost Children</i>—will have something to do with Johns' weird <i>Watchmen</i> fixation of the last few years. </div><div><br /></div><div>While the setting is so unsettled, the plot itself isn't too complicated. Throughout history, Doctor Fate, or various Doctor Fates, maybe from different Earths (who can tell?), are having disturbing visions of the future, involving missing children and a man just outside his/their psychic periphery vision. That's Per Degaton, who is traveling through history and our the Multiverse and killing various Doctor Fates as he attempts to kill various JSAs, like one in the 30th Century; he's also stalking a Helena Wayne from ten years from now, the future child of future Batman and future Catwoman and herself a future Huntress and member of a JSA, probably (Which will add yet another Huntress to three or so that have been introduced since the New 52). </div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, Rip Hunter's extended family is doing time stuff, and there's a page of <i>Watchmen</i> nonsense which meant nothing to me, as I skipped <i>Doomsday Clock</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>There's some nice art in here, mainly from Jerry Ordway during the Golden Age sections, but there are ten artists credited all together. </div><div><br /></div><div>The main story is followed by a dozen pages that look like they're from <i>Who's Who</i>s, featuring art by Ordway and Nauck, and consisting of various Golden Age heroes, many of them new or not seen since their long-ago introduction. These are heavy on kid sidekicks, but there are some intriguing inclusions, like Golden Age Aquaman, Mister Miracle and "John Henry Jr.," the hood-wearing, hammer-wielding would-be vigilante glimpsed briefly in Darwyn Cooke's <i>The New Frontier</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>I suppose what's going on will be made more clear in the series that follow, which I may or may not read in trade, but at this point I find DC's navel-gazing regarding its own continuity more irritating than interesting, and wish they would just settle on a setting and go forward, rather than focusing on what's changed and how it's changed all the deamn time. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlRIvX7iPGxYHnsjfmggMVGU0o2EpafBCEkiV5XM75DlvB4qf2T4JEs4M0VwfJNKwg5nAQeiqWzsUpM1BLDrkj_z6UHQTto3w-56fF4yx24_yJbzQJw9VdwtENEbzjMVh8O9fcDdMasQ7z5E4XcvK6bPqrTWJ4ZolmRc8t_5F8FkX5Bg-BA/s595/tmnt5.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlRIvX7iPGxYHnsjfmggMVGU0o2EpafBCEkiV5XM75DlvB4qf2T4JEs4M0VwfJNKwg5nAQeiqWzsUpM1BLDrkj_z6UHQTto3w-56fF4yx24_yJbzQJw9VdwtENEbzjMVh8O9fcDdMasQ7z5E4XcvK6bPqrTWJ4ZolmRc8t_5F8FkX5Bg-BA/w260-h400/tmnt5.webp" width="260" /></a></div>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn Vol. 5—Mystic Sister </i>(IDW Publishing) </b>Series writer and sometimes artist Sophie Campbell adds two more elements of the greater TMNT franchise to the long-running IDW narrative: the punk frogs from an episode of the original cartoon series and female ninja turtle Venus from the live-action TV show <i>The Next Mutation</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>The two are, it turns out, related in a weird way. The frogs are here a group of punks visiting New York City when the mutagen bomb goes off, mutating them all into frogs. Venus was one of their number, but she is in the process of being surgically changed, Frankenstein-style, into something more closely resembling a turtle (Her name is here justified by the fact that, when we meet her, she has no arms, like the work of art she was named after).</div><div><br /></div><div>That work is being done by a Mutant Town mad scientist, one who was mutated into a mouse but used his surgical skills to attempt to restore himself to something vaguely resembling a human being again, albeit it a scary-looking one. We find out he has been contracted by a mysterious employer to create mutant turtles, hence his work on Venus. The frogs, thinking the turtles had something to do with Venus' disappearance, attack them, leading to a conflict that carries through most of this volume.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is also a substantial subplot involving Triceratons and Utroms that lost me a little bit, given that I haven't read so much of the series before Campbell took over. That said, it was easy enough to follow, and Campbell does a good job of introducing those characters and their conflicts in a way that even I could follow along with.</div><div><br /></div><div>As is too often the case, too little of the artwork in this volume comes from Campbell herself, with a Pablo Tunica providing the vast majority of this volume, along with Ken Garing, Toni Gregori and Campbell, each of whom draw an issue apiece.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kevin Eastman provides covers as always (as well as serving as story consultant), and there's one pretty great cover in which he inks Campbell's drawing of Venus. It's a fantastic image, one that fuses the two styles perfectly and encapsulates the best of the IDW era with the best of the Mirage era. I'd love to see a whole comic told with that particular division of labor someday; logistically, it probably wouldn't have worked, but that would have been the ideal art team for <i>The Last Ronin</i>. Maybe they will work together on a similar project some day. </div><div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>BORROWED: </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpmbrw1PJ2p0RCLBB0QJODxl1W3hYQjU1cCEvhKlQEj_YMMwNnCJ4KkJxMK9vfwMfNGZ5uNRrjT9ziMeqAEiRe4e8JvWxkp_jC5DZ5QN4MHTDnxX0lJT-gld6TFYI7dJhi6l_EQVltZU630nfwOFEyy7Hlor0BwkH5Jcy9aNN4Ale7NRbkQ/s595/dark%20ages.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpmbrw1PJ2p0RCLBB0QJODxl1W3hYQjU1cCEvhKlQEj_YMMwNnCJ4KkJxMK9vfwMfNGZ5uNRrjT9ziMeqAEiRe4e8JvWxkp_jC5DZ5QN4MHTDnxX0lJT-gld6TFYI7dJhi6l_EQVltZU630nfwOFEyy7Hlor0BwkH5Jcy9aNN4Ale7NRbkQ/w260-h400/dark%20ages.webp" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>Dark Ages </i>(Marvel Entertainment)</b> If the best "What If...?" stories are those that can be boiled down to a sentence or so and fit into the "What If...?" formulation, well then, Tom Taylor and Iban Coello's Dark Ages is not one of the best "What If...?" stories. </div><div><br /></div><div>I guess you could phrase it as "What If...the Marvel Universe lost all electrical power?", but it takes Taylor quite a bit of doing to get there, including introducing a Morrison-like (Well, Kirby-like, I suppose, especially in design) ancient cosmic weapon and the sudden death of Doctor Strange...all told it takes much of the first issue to knock the power out.<p></p><p>And what's the world like when it's lost power permanently, thanks to the constant exposure of an EMP wave that no can seem to turn off? Well, that's not really the focus of the series, oddly enough. There's a four-year time jump, and the world seems mostly settled into a new status quo, with the superheroes running the free world from the seat of power in Wakanda and X-Men villain Apocalypse ruling all of Europe, with lots of familiar faces as allies, thanks to the influence of his henchman, The Purple Man.</p><p>Tony Stark, who lost part of his leg when the lights went out and he was in mid-flight, is kidnapped by Apocalypse's forces, and thus the heroes must launch a rescue mission to save him, an event that takes up most of the book's length. So it's pretty standard heroes vs. villains business, really.</p><p>This being an alternate future, however, Taylor is able to kill characters off with impunity, and this he does. He's also able to change things from the regular Marvel Universe, and he does this too by giving Spider-Man and MJ a spider-powered daughter and Black Panther and Storm a daughter of their own. </p><p>If you've read any of the hundreds of pages worth of <i>Injustice</i> comics that Taylor has done for DC, or hiss <i>DCeased</i> for that matter, this is pretty similar; an alternate version of a familiar universe in which anything can happen, with clever bits of dialogue that lighten up an otherwise bleak premise, and plot beats that appear to be the driver of the story, connective tissue added later to get from Moment A to Moment B. </p><p>Coello's art is pretty great. It's well within the standard superhero spectrum, but he's able to draw powerful, dynamic figures in action as well as quieter character moments and everything looks equally great. There's a small degree of redesigning that seems to have gone into the project, as various characters have new, time-jump related costumes or looks, and/or are updated for the current state of affairs (like a steam-powered Iron Man suit of armor, for example). </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4T1hNLktp_RiX24Yq9d36VSw5_mDLBqvOc4Huc8VCPVihC532fHNrPq7-QXYfx5ok2g8sWlDDnkfvEV8_ePoWCW7yOzuWgeoQyDqevTq_nyXf5AHi8SsljMtUEPV65oe3ryREH4e71HSE4ZGa85m84hwwHLECk9wY9WI-JRY9N3nuZ2WYw/s595/dc%20vs%20vampires.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4T1hNLktp_RiX24Yq9d36VSw5_mDLBqvOc4Huc8VCPVihC532fHNrPq7-QXYfx5ok2g8sWlDDnkfvEV8_ePoWCW7yOzuWgeoQyDqevTq_nyXf5AHi8SsljMtUEPV65oe3ryREH4e71HSE4ZGa85m84hwwHLECk9wY9WI-JRY9N3nuZ2WYw/w260-h400/dc%20vs%20vampires.webp" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>DC Vs. Vampires Vol. 1</i> (DC Comics) </b>It takes two writers—James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg—to explore what, on its face, seems like the simplest of comic book concepts: Why not have DC's superheroes fight a bunch of vampires? </div><div><br /></div><div>The concept is made far more complicated, perhaps needlessly so, by a paranoid mystery element. After the world of vampires, which is apparently quite organized, decide to call off their truce with normal human beings, they launch an all-out, off-panel war against metahumans, figuring once all the super-people are out of the way the world is theirs. The thing is, they have infiltrated the Justice League and the meta-human world at all levels, so no one knows for sure who is actually secretly a vampire...despite Batman's attempts to test all of those he works with (which Tynion and Rosenberg cheat at anyway).</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I'm not sure doing so much of the world-building off-panel, and presenting it info-dump style in a letter from Andrew Bennett to Batman, necessarily works for the best (despite the history of vampires and epistolary storytelling!), as we never learn, at least not in this first volume, why exactly heroes renowned for their iron wills would willingly join up with the vampires.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>One of these turncoats is Green Lantern Hal Jordan, who I guess we've at least seen be seduced to the dark side during his Parallax phase before. The other is the so-called king of the vampires, another superhero turncoat who apparently took control of the vampire union somehow and initiated the current war. His reveal is a surprise—but, like I said, the writers have to cheat a bit to make it so—and as for his motivations, like Jordan's, they are a complete mystery. </div><div><br /></div><div>The action that's actually on the page, as opposed to summarized on it, is actually pretty strong, with Batman and Green Arrow becoming the focus and the two main vampire hunters among the heroes, most of whom are slow to accept that they have been infiltrated. There's a funny bit where GA reveals why he suspects Batman is really a vampire—i.e. everything about Batman, really—and a rather intense battle between the two normal heroes and the rest of the Justice League, who have been convinced by the real vampires that Green Arrow and Batman are both vampires.</div><div><br /></div><div>As big dumb superhero comics go, it's certainly big and dumb, but not too terribly satisfying. Reading it reminded me a lot of <i>Injustice</i>, in that it's a DCU-wide Elseworlds, one which the writers feel free to break various toys, since it's set in it's own partitioned off setting that doesn't affect anything else. </div><div><br /></div><div>Most of the art comes courtesy of Otto Schmidt, who is great at character work, but doesn't much bother with backgrounds or settings, giving the book a weird feeling like one is watching a stage play with minimalist set work. Simone Di Meo and Daniele Di Nicuolo also contribute a few passages, mainly detailing the also-infiltrated Suicide Squad's attempts to find The Joker, suspected of being the secret king vampire.</div><div><br /></div><div>One fannish complaint? No way does that particular character take out Cassandra Cain that quickly, vampire-enhanced abilities or no. Even Red Hood lasts longer hand-to-hand against the character than Cass did, which is just silly. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheDZhiGGSUmKnZ4EcEf1ZxfZ7vv-BdkH2l1W7iSbq7jAyIsLU9yds1ZHq3ZHFTgaKv-qCFW1VJdO87f9RIyUMY1Wblqh2I93JexAwZlaoJPP2SQ0KVbmAM2-uSIzYQyt5OXgFCJzblL1MXygNCPM8HBML15I01WcVZ8S1rhL2KXE7L_Cpxg/s595/ducks.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="465" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheDZhiGGSUmKnZ4EcEf1ZxfZ7vv-BdkH2l1W7iSbq7jAyIsLU9yds1ZHq3ZHFTgaKv-qCFW1VJdO87f9RIyUMY1Wblqh2I93JexAwZlaoJPP2SQ0KVbmAM2-uSIzYQyt5OXgFCJzblL1MXygNCPM8HBML15I01WcVZ8S1rhL2KXE7L_Cpxg/w313-h400/ducks.webp" width="313" /></a></div><b><i>Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands</i> (Drawn & Quarterly) </b><i>Ducks </i>is a long and serious work from a cartoonist known for short, silly works. The art style and the sense of humor are the same, though the subject matter is about as far removed from Kate Beaton's fare as a reader could imagine. Like what we've seen from her before, however, it's brilliant. It's a tough read, but well worthwhile. If I still did best of the year lists, <i>Ducks</i> would almost surely be on it. <div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXnj-eZabDwfmKfqVUSweCs-U-iT5Yk9q-RERLdB3CRJGibFEsCOxya8-S-orIpRKAF-qrxc4zJsYdeiaxuiY1KPPtxo2ktmU3nti9hljt26fX2rXomF8wg6OrXts5__SErXoL52sYsH8z5XVbvgsq7EsEmoklzFJ-NQRa2Fn93HHTOT3mg/s2018/mickey%20mouse.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2018" data-original-width="1446" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXnj-eZabDwfmKfqVUSweCs-U-iT5Yk9q-RERLdB3CRJGibFEsCOxya8-S-orIpRKAF-qrxc4zJsYdeiaxuiY1KPPtxo2ktmU3nti9hljt26fX2rXomF8wg6OrXts5__SErXoL52sYsH8z5XVbvgsq7EsEmoklzFJ-NQRa2Fn93HHTOT3mg/w286-h400/mickey%20mouse.jpeg" width="286" /></a></div>Mickey Mouse: The Pirates of Tabasco Bay</i> (Fantagraphics) </b>This Paul Murry-focused edition of Fantagraphics' Disney Masters library collects work from 1955-1957, all of which find Mickey Mouse and pal Goofy embroiled in one spectacular adventure or another, whether they are working as pilots, private detectives, railroad men or just trying to do a little fishing. The title story comes from a plan of Mickey's to stage a pirate raid reenactment to help prop up the economy of a failing seaside town, a plan hijacked by Pete and turned into a real raid that the victims think is just a gag to play along with. The pair also discover a lost city, bust up an illegal uranium mining operation at an unusual ranch, get involved with a scientist who has invented a sort of super-magnet, save a railroad, bust a ghost and embark on an international stamp hunt that almost turns deadly for them. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I could read comics like Murry's all day long, and, thankfully, Fantagraphics has made doing so easy with plenty of collections of his and his fellow Disney masters' work. <b> </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHMvO74oAlIhkiBkuOO205cLUZMIl4wLmtPLDxu8fzOYtb0e5gtcR8fkR39hoCPx6vm3lMR7q2UiURO36oNFT8M_HbgJy96l3rKDz2oIv_j1BnNQQFdHTHeQCa5iz6S6ylX6seaNYMGIcaTuNYa4ClkmtNFBXIpwrEuBIv_lNg84OlQ0qdA/s595/yokai%20cats.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="423" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHMvO74oAlIhkiBkuOO205cLUZMIl4wLmtPLDxu8fzOYtb0e5gtcR8fkR39hoCPx6vm3lMR7q2UiURO36oNFT8M_HbgJy96l3rKDz2oIv_j1BnNQQFdHTHeQCa5iz6S6ylX6seaNYMGIcaTuNYa4ClkmtNFBXIpwrEuBIv_lNg84OlQ0qdA/w284-h400/yokai%20cats.webp" width="284" /></a></div><i>Yokai Cats Vol. 1</i> (Seven Seas Entertainment) </b>Just like it says on the tin. <i>Yokai Cats</i> is a series of short, four-panel strips about various cats that all share the names and characteristics of one yokai or another. For the most part, their owners, or the people they interact with, don't seem too terribly shocked by their abilities and behaviors, but instead take them in stride. The faces of these people are never shown, we just see parts of them in each panel, giving us what is essentially a cat's eye view of the world. The focus is, of course, on the cats. There is, essentially, just one joke here, but it's well-told, and there are seemingly endless variations of it. </div><div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>REVIEWED: </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizszD5PZBz2XsxUw6zJq3R93KFSQvx4Am6aueXBx7Fq-nkYTUt_gcGR-iLWw1GORy8J2U3fkeYyuPsgpgLP6IwQ_scBa5P8LFluu9OFsHcz7UhV8PWPe8fAchcxlJFjWtVefApEj_6WplmtpUS3yrTit3c2XbPHcrBWTuC4seMsCbXhUpB8w/s595/Mayor%20Good%20Boy%20Goes%20Hollywood%20cover.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="408" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizszD5PZBz2XsxUw6zJq3R93KFSQvx4Am6aueXBx7Fq-nkYTUt_gcGR-iLWw1GORy8J2U3fkeYyuPsgpgLP6IwQ_scBa5P8LFluu9OFsHcz7UhV8PWPe8fAchcxlJFjWtVefApEj_6WplmtpUS3yrTit3c2XbPHcrBWTuC4seMsCbXhUpB8w/w274-h400/Mayor%20Good%20Boy%20Goes%20Hollywood%20cover.webp" width="274" /></a></div><b><i>Mayor Good Boy Goes Hollywood</i> (RH Graphic) </b>The second book in Dave Scheidt and Miranda Harmon's trilogy about a dog who is elected mayor of a small town <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2022/11/18/mayor-good-boy-goes-hollywood-review/" target="_blank">is every bit as good</a> as the first. </div></div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-47777067702821025552022-11-30T11:44:00.002-08:002022-11-30T11:44:49.514-08:00Marvel's February previews reviewed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmbDa9wqAwyohZ0BQzN0FgErhCX746RSgUVvMytD5ZQUObxMZsVtLSTwSDObjAx2uMuXTbTZRycfYAIhHiapyNcd1yxwJhSi6YIdlPg_AqsSpiPqa-WKD5w0GRNbK-nxacyVAh9ZYBljU0HFysxNFbKva2HnpjT_4lMCqFpezKgh-Q4Ce_g/s1472/asyFkt52ezfuTbHL9BeAxE-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmbDa9wqAwyohZ0BQzN0FgErhCX746RSgUVvMytD5ZQUObxMZsVtLSTwSDObjAx2uMuXTbTZRycfYAIhHiapyNcd1yxwJhSi6YIdlPg_AqsSpiPqa-WKD5w0GRNbK-nxacyVAh9ZYBljU0HFysxNFbKva2HnpjT_4lMCqFpezKgh-Q4Ce_g/w264-h400/asyFkt52ezfuTbHL9BeAxE-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>This is a variant cover for <i><b>Amazing Spider-Man #19</b></i>, not an issue of the <i>Fantastic Four</i>, for some reason. Like all the <i>Planet of the Apes</i>-related images in this month's variant covers, it appears to be a crossover that exists in variant cover image only. And maybe that's for the best. <div><br /></div><div>I've gotta say, Donald looks <i>weird</i> wearing shorts with no shirt...I'm so used to him wearing a shirt and no bottoms that the opposite looks downright bizarre to me. </div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of <i>Planet of the Apes</i> variants....</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1-b8CYZTcDHs2Z0BjPN2-GxL-qzhyeJYwzhDhHxZO-R_v-MEAxHoJ5xbBo-a11szG40lNe2_rRerSzUcpMw887V2z8Vxam8BS48PcdK3_Oa-dg4Z-lDbFLSL86gOBQjmiQVkJIhdJ7wCJ9sNEk-ojQvPozE0EZjXZfRdRCvQEEIX7S5K5g/s1472/avengers.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1-b8CYZTcDHs2Z0BjPN2-GxL-qzhyeJYwzhDhHxZO-R_v-MEAxHoJ5xbBo-a11szG40lNe2_rRerSzUcpMw887V2z8Vxam8BS48PcdK3_Oa-dg4Z-lDbFLSL86gOBQjmiQVkJIhdJ7wCJ9sNEk-ojQvPozE0EZjXZfRdRCvQEEIX7S5K5g/w264-h400/avengers.webp" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizL7ihZcGopFcp-jB0Hw9bJNfPvLsqNLoaFIMs12T6xVrQUT-r9O2VJt8KpHRMTs42r5IdUR5HkjWihXfQwPiBLCs7N8lo8yQks3934DenZVLhQEmE6Pr2MAV-vc5JUjG0lwyfP647wmBhjOiDGkkgM_97SoUT5xUfSM8dndjAn6Jx4FTc7w/s1552/venom.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizL7ihZcGopFcp-jB0Hw9bJNfPvLsqNLoaFIMs12T6xVrQUT-r9O2VJt8KpHRMTs42r5IdUR5HkjWihXfQwPiBLCs7N8lo8yQks3934DenZVLhQEmE6Pr2MAV-vc5JUjG0lwyfP647wmBhjOiDGkkgM_97SoUT5xUfSM8dndjAn6Jx4FTc7w/w250-h400/venom.webp" width="250" /></a></div>There's a lot of them. At least one seems to suggest a potentially interesting story (the Silver Surfer one), some put characters in iconic moments from the film series (Iron Man), and some just throw some apes into a picture with the stars. As with all of Marvel's non-Conan licensed comics of late, it doesn't look like they will be doing an actual crossover with the Marvel Universe and Planet of the Apes any time soon, they are just variants. That's fine, I guess; I'm not really enough a fan of <i>PotA</i> to find the idea of Marvel heroes visiting that setting to be all that appealing. I'm much more interested in Predator stalking Spider-Man or Daredevil, though Marvel doesn't seem to be making that happen, either. </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know their strategy with their licensed comics, but it seems to me to be more about depriving publishers like Dark Horse a lucrative license than it is for any grand financial investment on their part.</div><div><br /></div><div>Interesting to note that the other licensed comics don't feature <i>PotA</i> variants, so there's no image of an Alien popping out of Dr. Zaius' chest or Darth Vader chopping down apes on horseback. Even Marvel variants have their limits, I suppose. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCZmLnDQS7tnOi-pWNo4sEsjgPADQmPoVUfrBW9mZWo-U14euUjiIBCp3_h8d05MkwNORtbX_J5_8gRR9eKVGp__45A9Ag3afOIaGKoI4_gc9d7FCCZ5S3YMHh_k3kjSS051Ss5s46-ul21nN1mxNqti_m9rXBkmPGALutw7snZ5QB1ewOw/s1472/viGirkGMLuRho7qJXrKcoG-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCZmLnDQS7tnOi-pWNo4sEsjgPADQmPoVUfrBW9mZWo-U14euUjiIBCp3_h8d05MkwNORtbX_J5_8gRR9eKVGp__45A9Ag3afOIaGKoI4_gc9d7FCCZ5S3YMHh_k3kjSS051Ss5s46-ul21nN1mxNqti_m9rXBkmPGALutw7snZ5QB1ewOw/w264-h400/viGirkGMLuRho7qJXrKcoG-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>Nice, simple idea for a variant cover, executed nicely by Jan Bazaldua for <i><b>Amazing Spider-Man #20</b></i>. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsFW8mhPgFk2HDHd9z0zQmAsTqQ3dpGzI7yMg8gnY268blsv6sDfdKFGvwlXPdSa2OlN0JRrqAZkNItTkgs_AmM-7PIMGtikbYBmftYQ8jjS-agvRU7_NAseDBCdkNe3H_TUeKxvIog-W8piNxGeTnPpDFBy14QWYK6ObAMKewsJ87U6FwQ/s1472/cap%20seol.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsFW8mhPgFk2HDHd9z0zQmAsTqQ3dpGzI7yMg8gnY268blsv6sDfdKFGvwlXPdSa2OlN0JRrqAZkNItTkgs_AmM-7PIMGtikbYBmftYQ8jjS-agvRU7_NAseDBCdkNe3H_TUeKxvIog-W8piNxGeTnPpDFBy14QWYK6ObAMKewsJ87U6FwQ/w264-h400/cap%20seol.webp" width="264" /></a></div>Should I recognize the people on this cover to <b><i>Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #9</i></b> that aren't Cap, Fury or The Destroyer...? Like that guy who looks like a flying starfish, is that a classic Marvel character I'm just not hip to...?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHomPOGnGGu1fHvD_DQvhw5UCooVWh0MWaEbai_qav9u5ZX1EhRRX9qSiTbZp_gleIpv1LvYYXRGHQNWATMvQl5yGkuffG7VHNJRFmFbG53Myb6vsIS4-PouJD8CHGowSYvRtxB5ko-p9VmJ5GBUG5sBXUuOrocQ7eIDIVey6SZ3OToagwg/s1472/fWjRXihkzE2XZfdGQiRQsS-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHomPOGnGGu1fHvD_DQvhw5UCooVWh0MWaEbai_qav9u5ZX1EhRRX9qSiTbZp_gleIpv1LvYYXRGHQNWATMvQl5yGkuffG7VHNJRFmFbG53Myb6vsIS4-PouJD8CHGowSYvRtxB5ko-p9VmJ5GBUG5sBXUuOrocQ7eIDIVey6SZ3OToagwg/w264-h400/fWjRXihkzE2XZfdGQiRQsS-970-80.jpg.webp" width="264" /></a></div>The Punisher's new logo makes him look like a loser and a dork, but I'm not going to say it to his face. <p></p></div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-9620916103940465822022-11-27T13:29:00.003-08:002022-12-09T10:23:37.004-08:00DC's February previews reviewed <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAn3Nkq6pHlfs7YPFWBTF26_DNfsSoR6Vt-bdTmODdpUzSJhp-84Fuc9yoCAh_f5--Qg3ORyA-1AsOuMM3VBMa5Y5LAQzzcfJraRIAhRgaSPvK6ZJD4LqZQScjAnrLLbvdoUEEh5lwkAhzGZIwbk6jd0dg4jl6TrlMMTFEN0u0K5kOkx9fg/s1473/action.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAn3Nkq6pHlfs7YPFWBTF26_DNfsSoR6Vt-bdTmODdpUzSJhp-84Fuc9yoCAh_f5--Qg3ORyA-1AsOuMM3VBMa5Y5LAQzzcfJraRIAhRgaSPvK6ZJD4LqZQScjAnrLLbvdoUEEh5lwkAhzGZIwbk6jd0dg4jl6TrlMMTFEN0u0K5kOkx9fg/w264-h400/action.webp" width="264" /></a></div>I'm glad to see the name "John Henry Irons" appearing in the solicitation for <b><i>Action Comics #1052</i></b> rather than just "Steel"; the thing I dislike about Natasha Irons-as-a-Steel is that it has a tendency to pull focus away from her uncle, and there have been time where it might have been nice to see John Henry appearing in a comic that he didn't because his niece was there instead. Ideally, creators like Action's Philip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens and Leah Williams can find ways for both heroes to be active <i>as</i> heroes. (I'm still not digging the jackets, although Nat can use one more than the others, as she doesn't usually rock a cape, and her design has thus always looked a little naked.)<div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzEPxezH0OcriRoRXV0vyCwOEpZpz92VJUEfeRKenvIx3QszBqPldwjMGz330SUME4Ci5cNF6zjSsgPQqS6vY-7GSjYwmh2fgSg6U3sYgX9wRgCvKKT8i1GZf3tLN-Guudl3GtMKkD2SQTnfRzjzhoPemlE2ItayNE-lRlZh5T2YGsE6Qyw/s1489/Brian%20Bolland.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzEPxezH0OcriRoRXV0vyCwOEpZpz92VJUEfeRKenvIx3QszBqPldwjMGz330SUME4Ci5cNF6zjSsgPQqS6vY-7GSjYwmh2fgSg6U3sYgX9wRgCvKKT8i1GZf3tLN-Guudl3GtMKkD2SQTnfRzjzhoPemlE2ItayNE-lRlZh5T2YGsE6Qyw/w260-h400/Brian%20Bolland.webp" width="260" /></a></div>The Killing Joke</i>-inspired<i style="font-weight: bold;"> Batman — One Bad Day: Clayface #1</i> by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and Xermanico looks like it will feature the Basil Karlo version of the character with the Matt Hagen version's powers...The Newe 52 Clayface, then, rather than the pre-New 52 version of either character (Karlo <i>did</i> get shape-changing powers during "The Mud Pack" storyline, but he also got Clayface III's burning touch, with the recent Clayface seems to lack). Anyway, here's Brian Bolland's portrait-style image of the character which will serve as one of the variants. In Bolland's version at least, Clayface is one of Batman's most terrifying-looking villains. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVvwPuzfL4Ok8fPTxbkmGLkVN9oJXcMdFAbBINf9rdbQ_EqhSGj8euB2H6zV7OBZoAwehhBg7fT_dZO56mStzKhiQ916JGu3O2RnKxRJZD05hpIqtAXwxEk9s3oE4HdHWFn3wZI7jNpL-28ZeG96vHt7aD96-sLuoKFzIyyxUmwZUQQbMWQ/s1488/d7pQ5SaiuyXk6kwrstngpa-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVvwPuzfL4Ok8fPTxbkmGLkVN9oJXcMdFAbBINf9rdbQ_EqhSGj8euB2H6zV7OBZoAwehhBg7fT_dZO56mStzKhiQ916JGu3O2RnKxRJZD05hpIqtAXwxEk9s3oE4HdHWFn3wZI7jNpL-28ZeG96vHt7aD96-sLuoKFzIyyxUmwZUQQbMWQ/w261-h400/d7pQ5SaiuyXk6kwrstngpa-970-80.jpg.webp" width="261" /></a></div><div>Collecting all three Batman/Spawn crossovers—the new one by Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo plus the two 1994 one-shots by Frank Miller and McFarlane and Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant and Klaus Janson—the $29.99, 280-page hardcover <i><b>Batman/Spawn: The Deluxe Edition</b></i> seems like a pretty good way to collect all three crossovers. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's sort of odd they are all so short, though, isn't it? I understand why they did two publisher-specific one-shots in 1994, but I'm unsure why the latest one is just another one-shot as opposed to something more substantial. Surely the creative team and the pairing of the heroes would generate enough sales that one would think DC would want to sustain them for an entire miniseries, right...? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QEm5_FypGMMavPgMArMmE1D1WdiDab1z7CsHfIDClQdHGVEgcNJepyW-Fk_nfE9kwyptg3C1c8iXrnx_1LE9XUvgUkms30fqgUy2AIlOvYe8YBOkYtzyvx8SBzSf0wY5U_9x7w-8tDKt2yh32nM9WEIb1SivrI9DlvIw1Exh2GfK3iy9AQ/s1522/the%20doom%20that%20came.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1522" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QEm5_FypGMMavPgMArMmE1D1WdiDab1z7CsHfIDClQdHGVEgcNJepyW-Fk_nfE9kwyptg3C1c8iXrnx_1LE9XUvgUkms30fqgUy2AIlOvYe8YBOkYtzyvx8SBzSf0wY5U_9x7w-8tDKt2yh32nM9WEIb1SivrI9DlvIw1Exh2GfK3iy9AQ/w255-h400/the%20doom%20that%20came.webp" width="255" /></a></div>I'm not sure what inspired the re-release of 2000's Mike Mignola-spearheaded Gotham x Lovecraft Elseworlds series <b><i>Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham</i></b>, but I remembered liking it an awful lot as it was originally released in a series of three prestige format issues. I'd recommend it. <div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6s77NOWv24ieXH6DHJ9Dmv7E6gizPyhq9tmB2_1TENnHUzEpUdWQ_Q9T8pqXTKqrqQ1asd_bUF0z6NxcoGg-kKALQFM5JIvf6a25G6iSl3SQ1ukxvOaUCKCICkz1C2bd5ZL4SU9EPid-v3z_UNll-my2oTIjFBfYFPy-PAUFNrjJCi1mHA/s1472/k%20jones.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6s77NOWv24ieXH6DHJ9Dmv7E6gizPyhq9tmB2_1TENnHUzEpUdWQ_Q9T8pqXTKqrqQ1asd_bUF0z6NxcoGg-kKALQFM5JIvf6a25G6iSl3SQ1ukxvOaUCKCICkz1C2bd5ZL4SU9EPid-v3z_UNll-my2oTIjFBfYFPy-PAUFNrjJCi1mHA/w264-h400/k%20jones.webp" width="264" /></a></div>Kelley Jones draws one of the covers for <b><i>Batman Vs. Robin #5</i></b>, featuring Batman and...Alfred....? <div><br /></div><div>Hopefully this means Alfred is coming back to life. I don't know exactly how he died other than Bane, but I've been patiently awaiting his return. Surely this Lazarus Planet business with resurrection juice spitting from the ground in volcanoes and touching down on land in storms would be a good-enough way to bring him back, right...? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfWIVb_VLb19hGcf_rJyMpUBZrJyhrHKXQNLv2GTHQu8JVcOIkO8chKnxXU9IN0sLuFgAZ1eGFKUdnDpCeoCcZyfAqcshRYx9Y_pCjjj1Nl12Nijo43VCJ-vpJidut7Nzdih-U8bcYQNu27Bv6HdC4B8fjuUK8iI2lD7Pk5Sln2bV3modlA/s1500/mVHPCcVJrYK3o2BkTv4K7m-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfWIVb_VLb19hGcf_rJyMpUBZrJyhrHKXQNLv2GTHQu8JVcOIkO8chKnxXU9IN0sLuFgAZ1eGFKUdnDpCeoCcZyfAqcshRYx9Y_pCjjj1Nl12Nijo43VCJ-vpJidut7Nzdih-U8bcYQNu27Bv6HdC4B8fjuUK8iI2lD7Pk5Sln2bV3modlA/w259-h400/mVHPCcVJrYK3o2BkTv4K7m-970-80.jpg.webp" width="259" /></a></div>Although I know the creators involved—writer Marguerite Bennett, artist Meghan Hetrick—<b><i>DC/RWBY #1</i></b> just makes me feel old and tired. <br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl5wCCyVxojc7LL23QzLUio4u2eQ8hj0oH5EClyfZa3AmVkSau8R70UCb7VPUVNZhovGzrXs6hw-J_Nrtkwx4F2BtwxQUTw4RulViBOIbKNcN1qgTRPdykoEJ3wXB2twVBUIZA1-rzg7kgnNGWGhh98vsg5vLQn6fxzpmrYby8C02oh7cgg/s1472/new%20titans.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl5wCCyVxojc7LL23QzLUio4u2eQ8hj0oH5EClyfZa3AmVkSau8R70UCb7VPUVNZhovGzrXs6hw-J_Nrtkwx4F2BtwxQUTw4RulViBOIbKNcN1qgTRPdykoEJ3wXB2twVBUIZA1-rzg7kgnNGWGhh98vsg5vLQn6fxzpmrYby8C02oh7cgg/w264-h400/new%20titans.webp" width="264" /></a></div><br /><div>The solicitation copy for <i style="font-weight: bold;">Nightwing #101</i> says Dick gathers a group of friends to be the premier league in the DC Universe and moves their base of operations to Bludhaven: "Meet the new Titans!" Are they the guys on this variant cover? Because if so the New Titans look an awful lot like the old Titans, and seem to just be missing Tempest/Aqualad and Arsenal/Speedy...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Y8DSaCDW8ru9Q0EW6CxezkMRTsIJNdlnjaqb3whjmUhEKHcOoojvjYNiT23vG6tpaC7HGYDW8PfDBOPjm-4F5DJaBXYdh1_IJILi1lAeo2vgZhSTVy4uYeM94Wmeh8CvrLvLzZybH5ubwmWrKiQ9NEmI9x-RcSfQA7R3epU-Pru5jk1yYQ/s1492/sanman%20mystery%20theather.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Y8DSaCDW8ru9Q0EW6CxezkMRTsIJNdlnjaqb3whjmUhEKHcOoojvjYNiT23vG6tpaC7HGYDW8PfDBOPjm-4F5DJaBXYdh1_IJILi1lAeo2vgZhSTVy4uYeM94Wmeh8CvrLvLzZybH5ubwmWrKiQ9NEmI9x-RcSfQA7R3epU-Pru5jk1yYQ/w260-h400/sanman%20mystery%20theather.webp" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium One</i></b> gives me exactly what I want in a format I don't want it: Matt Wagner and company's masterpiece back in easily accessible print, but in the form of one of those too-big-to-actually read books. This first of two collections will weigh in at 984 pages and include the first 36 issues of the series, plus an annual. I've never read the whole series in order, something I'd like to do in, say, a series of trade paperback collections, but, based on what I have read of it, I would highly recommend it. I'm just not sure the doorstop collection is the way to go. </div><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCXmEhun-DqIpJ0xDSKtpgnvfqnyLKNtyKCGORz0EEjQoE3d80gGnWco3TA8xgpj9oYAsnVVc4tHgkoZm8crCqHm3BKG5VqFhdR40Edgu1Zq_LqnZr3QZECpn--nGpTU1YKNtf3IEbqaHtrnMghNmeqTzNaWdjPfbpMMnvT2VjrD3QfAHEA/s1472/nick%20dragotta.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCXmEhun-DqIpJ0xDSKtpgnvfqnyLKNtyKCGORz0EEjQoE3d80gGnWco3TA8xgpj9oYAsnVVc4tHgkoZm8crCqHm3BKG5VqFhdR40Edgu1Zq_LqnZr3QZECpn--nGpTU1YKNtf3IEbqaHtrnMghNmeqTzNaWdjPfbpMMnvT2VjrD3QfAHEA/w264-h400/nick%20dragotta.webp" width="264" /></a></div>DC may have gotten a little carried away with variant covers for Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell's <b style="font-style: italic;">Superman #1</b>, seeing as they solicited 10 regular variants, plus a one-in-25, a one-in-50, a one-in-75, a one-in-100, a one-in-200 <i>and</i> a special $7.99 "Phantom Zone foil variant", but I do kinda like the Nick Dragotta variant, shown above. Simple, but effective. <p></p></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WxgTAgVBpsDaOkx4tuLJHEvTCLUEY8OaVPcLyR4j0uR8Mc2_FRsrcIVLbaHGX_0_Dcpl8QrQXCP0wZSYpqhueB8q-80x_9W9bYHrqF4Ug-GgP2Ozkcnb3p-k9MMoj9zWxcqsIyZ7GvJm7CiCv3Dn8jRbKQkq0pwM8tiKJIXh-WqyerRSsw/s1310/SiFonXmENYLpxatdVwANKo-970-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WxgTAgVBpsDaOkx4tuLJHEvTCLUEY8OaVPcLyR4j0uR8Mc2_FRsrcIVLbaHGX_0_Dcpl8QrQXCP0wZSYpqhueB8q-80x_9W9bYHrqF4Ug-GgP2Ozkcnb3p-k9MMoj9zWxcqsIyZ7GvJm7CiCv3Dn8jRbKQkq0pwM8tiKJIXh-WqyerRSsw/w296-h400/SiFonXmENYLpxatdVwANKo-970-80.jpg.webp" width="296" /></a></div>Someone please talk me out of buying <b><i>Whiz Comics #2 Facsimile Edition.</i></b><br /><div><br /></div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-76080239710874974172022-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:002022-11-12T13:29:04.252-08:00A Month of Wednesdays: October 2022<p><b>BOUGHT:</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoodS78PQephPj8L4YRML-vl5j1PfnNrM--cHXQo_LijvgfVpR98ydigG92ELK-8wuFQuqOvfCeAahyb9DQikHTzBGdHkOZ0fCAuLCKkl975-qbUTxc3IHYmLrgXxTvBLb9ItCZFQGhF_aAWF5ZnX9fj6_m7xnLdUjA8n045PdzqlxVCoYg/s617/bat%20and%20scoob.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoodS78PQephPj8L4YRML-vl5j1PfnNrM--cHXQo_LijvgfVpR98ydigG92ELK-8wuFQuqOvfCeAahyb9DQikHTzBGdHkOZ0fCAuLCKkl975-qbUTxc3IHYmLrgXxTvBLb9ItCZFQGhF_aAWF5ZnX9fj6_m7xnLdUjA8n045PdzqlxVCoYg/w259-h400/bat%20and%20scoob.jpg" width="259" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #1</i> (DC Comics) </b>The Batman/Scooby-Doo team-up comic apparently proved so popular that it's back for another 12 issues. This first issue revolves around The Batmen of All Nations, which would eventually be renamed Batman Inc., and so I couldn't wait for the trade to read it. <p></p><p>Writer Sholly Fisch and artist Dario Brizuela present a very Silver Age version of the characters, who we actually just saw in an issue of the previous Batman/Scooby-Doo maxi-series. Ra's al Ghul has a plan to strike "On the other side of the world, in the heart of <b><i>Batman</i></b>", and given that it's a big world, Batman and Mystery Inc are going to need some help tracking down leads. Enter: The Batmen of All Nations.</p><p>The globe-trotting adventure ends with Daphne in a climactic sword fight with Ra's al Ghul and the entirety of the Batmen all convening in the city Batman, Turkey.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYTwfPPzv0kZk4JAqF4iYlq6oUbD0NvhrdRUej6efUVcGxvrRLV8Kzi8KqZ761spqLqi7dW_0UuSE16fwG017_gZMyrsJIcr7GX7uO7RDhjIhTlO51nRuPVEdEQ6RWQO9F5m5Y8iyfxvd7tm98-e7Ul1tPQVoYNkmJa1TymAgL5QTOEuNiQ/s623/DC's%20terrors.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYTwfPPzv0kZk4JAqF4iYlq6oUbD0NvhrdRUej6efUVcGxvrRLV8Kzi8KqZ761spqLqi7dW_0UuSE16fwG017_gZMyrsJIcr7GX7uO7RDhjIhTlO51nRuPVEdEQ6RWQO9F5m5Y8iyfxvd7tm98-e7Ul1tPQVoYNkmJa1TymAgL5QTOEuNiQ/w256-h400/DC's%20terrors.jpg" width="256" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>DC's Terrors Through Time</i> (DC) </b>Despite the cover illustration of the Super Sons finding Poison Ivy's time machine plans, and the tag-line—"Eight Tales of Traumatizing Time-Travel!"—it seems as if DC just used "time" as a writing prompt for this collection, as there isn't any real time travel within the book, other than the usual sort we all participate in every day (So don't expect to see a lot of, I don't know, Waverider, Booster Gold or Rip Hunter in scary adventures or anything). There are a few period pieces, a few stories that check in with characters at different points in time, one in which something bad happening in the future is alluded to, one in which a clock plays an important role, and so forth. I'm not sure that prompt is even strong enough in the stories to call it a theme for the collection, but it seems to have been the general idea for this year's Halloween-season anthology.<p></p><p>Should we simply take each story in turn...?<br /><br />The collection begins with a Paul Levitz-written, Raul Fernandez-drawn Phantom Stranger story "The Longest Night," in which we check in with the Stranger on various Halloween nights through history, in which he is always engaged in fighting some form of supernatural evil for the sake of innocent victims. It's...fine, but, like all Phantom Stranger stories, it seems, more than a little vague. That's the character's whole schtick, I understand, but it makes stories starring him all feel a little alike and a little underwhelming, at least any of the stories I've read in the past, oh, 30 years or so, I guess.</p><p>Next writer Sholly Fisch and artist Luciano Vecchio team-up for a Super Sons story, "Trick Or Treat," in which the pair switch costumes with one another and attempt to go trick or treating at various Justice Leaguers' HQs, each of which they find empty until they visit the Hall of Justice and find out why—The Demons Three has the League on the ropes, and will become irreversably triumphant when the clock strikes twelve. If Superboy and Robin let them, of course. Probably the most fun story in the collection, it's a little bittersweet in that it highlights what we lost with Jon's hyper-aging—this is of course set when they were about the same age, and could still fit into one another's costumes. </p><p>Peter V. Nguyen contributes what must be the most random story in the book in "The Pueo Promise," staring the Gotham City Sirens and set, bizarrely, in 1995 for some reason that is never made apparent. It's an odd choice for several reasons, not least of which being that Harley didn't make her DCU debut until 1999 (And if we want to look at this comic as in-continuity, which it apparently strives to be given the costumes on Ivy and Catwoman, it implies a much, much longer time-line than we're used to for the DCU). Temporal confusion aside, my eyes had trouble following the story in this one.</p><p>Zac Thompson and Andy McDonald present a Swamp Thing story in "Half-Life" which is set in two different time periods, both of which are the future...I think. Basically, Swamp Thing fight a weird-looking swamp monster. And then has a rematch. </p><p>More welcome than most of these stories was the Charles Skaggs-written, Tom Mandrake-drawn Justice Society of America story, "The Midnight Hour." The now rarely seen super-team—in an original 1940s era iteration—drawn by a favorite artist? Yes, please. The "time" theme here seems to be that it's a period piece, as the Society members—Dr. Fate, Hawkman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Black Canary, The Atom, The Flash—tackle a cult in a museum at the University of Pennsylvania. </p><p>The stars of Jeremy Haun and Juan Doe's "A New Darkness" are credited simply as "The Green Lanterns," and it is a pair of Lanterns consisting of none of the eight or so Earth-born Lanterns, but a Jan and a Kar-Von, the latter of whom wields both a Green Lantern ring and a Red Lantern ring. I don't know, or at least don't remember, either of them. They do some Lantern stuff, one of them sacrificing their life to hold off a threat while the other goes for help. If there was a time element to it, I missed it, unless it was as simple as the one Lantern "buying time" for the other. Nice Doe art, though, with some lovely looking Lantern effects.</p><p>Writer Matthew Levine and artist Jorge Corona collaborate on the Etrigan story "Blood Lost and Found," which, like the Phantom Stranger story, doesn't have much to it; Jason Blood uses Etrigan to stem off an invastion of this plane by a monster from Hell and, in a twist on the time theme, is there waiting for the monster centuries later when its ready to make another attempt. Nice art on this one, with Corona providing<a href="https://twitter.com/jkaylub/status/1588618701170802688" target="_blank"> a pretty cool-looking Etrigan</a>.</p><p>Finally, there's the story I was most looking forward to—the one Kelley Jones drew. Written by Tim Seeley, it's called "The Haunting of Wayne Manor," and involves two characters Jones has plenty of experience with, Deadman and Batman. Specifically, Deadman comes to Wayne Manor to protect Damian from a supernatural threat—the sprit of a man Damian killed as a child returning from the grave for vengeance—which Deadman defeats in part by telling it that Damian's already "claimed" by a bigger, badder spirit of some kind for his youthful sins. That seems to be the temporal element of the story—there's something worse coming in the future—and if that seems a bit weak, well, it's no weaker than some of the other "time" tie-ins. </p><p>It is, of course, always a pleasure to see new art from Jones, and he does not disappoint in his rendering of the evil spirit, which transforms from a black cloud full of eyeballs to one giant eye amid a small forest of long, crooked, finger-like digits. Batman, disappointingly, only appears in three small panels.</p><p>It's an effectively told tale, although Seeley does break the "rules" of Deadman, with both Batman and Robin able to see and communicate with him even when he's in his ghost form, and not in possession of another's body. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDU0EzcYxsXnJgseyH-y8VadFspyyz94cb8le4Ui200zPz3iPBhzyNtS-OPL98xw1mVb-b3Gwmh7EBlwpnp1vNPEaixchI27jXmGO0D1N6L8QB1ln5bkaUOWEjIVrKNEMRiNOYjXWTFGdO_DVfcwA-IQgmV5dbb7mdaANip09ERJ1Kq8gq8Q/s595/shulkie.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDU0EzcYxsXnJgseyH-y8VadFspyyz94cb8le4Ui200zPz3iPBhzyNtS-OPL98xw1mVb-b3Gwmh7EBlwpnp1vNPEaixchI27jXmGO0D1N6L8QB1ln5bkaUOWEjIVrKNEMRiNOYjXWTFGdO_DVfcwA-IQgmV5dbb7mdaANip09ERJ1Kq8gq8Q/w260-h400/shulkie.webp" width="260" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>She-Hulk By Rainbow Rowell Vol. 1: Jen, Again</i> (Marvel Entertainment) </b>It's been a rather long while since She-Hulk was herself; since 2016's <i>Civil War II</i>, I want to say, after which she went through a gray phase and then, in the pages of Jason Aaron's <i>Avengers</i>, she became more of a Hulk-like hulk than her normal She-Hulk persona. Aaron returned her to normal in his volume <i>World War She-Hulk</i>, and so, right on time for her new series by novelist and former <i>Runaways</i> writer Rainbow Rowell (not to mention her Disney+ TV show), She-Hulk is back to her baseline characterization and status quo: a big green bombshell whose day job is that of a lawyer, where she seems to forever be practicing superhero law.<p></p><p>Rowell wastes no time in reestablishing a status quo, getting Jen a new job and new apartment after her having spent the last few years living in Avengers Mountain and establishing a rather unusual supporting cast (including Titania, with whom Jen forms a fight club), but, surprisingly, the new <i>She-Hulk</i> title is as much a Jack of Hearts series as it is a She-Hulk one. The character shows up at Jen's doorstep in the last few panels of the first issue, after which the focus of the series becomes what on earth is up with Jack, why did he come to Jen for help and the beginnings of what seem like an almost rom-com-like romance between the two former Avengers. </p><p>I don't have any previous experience with the character of Jack of Hearts, outside of his appearance in "Avengers Disassembled," an event that Jen pointedly doesn't tell him about, and worries about having to eventually do, given that he doesn't seem to remember. Does this hit differently then, for people more familiar with the character and with he and Jen's Avengers history? </p><p>I don't know, but I thought Rowell did a fine job introducing such older elements and making them see important and vital to the characters without it seeming like a lot of dry exposition or a fan-writer's particular obsession. </p><p>There's no real resolution to the mystery of Jack of Hearts presented in these first five issues, just some funny changes to the character and intriguing clues as to what might be going on. In that respect, it seems a well-written serial, as one needs to check out the next volume to figure out what's going on. </p><p>Though neither artist gets their name in the title like writer Rowell, these first issues are drawn by Roge Antonio and Luca Maresca ("Illustrated by", according to the cover). Both do a fine job of very realistic superhero comics, with a greater emphasis in these issues on the everyday rather than the fantastical. Their styles are fairly compatible too, so it's not immediately evident when they switch off duties (it happens during issue #3). </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b> BORROWED:</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCr-JVpwKbau8RuOMzF5WfQM2YNh5E22yO5lFRR9z36SE6xHnfpJShgYR8S3uiZwiHbOIoZ3QBaHFq-8Sul5m4gv_zrtFkm-CThesX75fZG7gzjbCWboCj-ZSeLPTY8Bt-Ut9hIuF1HbxOAPw85WXvLdoSEXu_iaiIb0SER33tNl3-7mpNeQ/s595/Avengers.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCr-JVpwKbau8RuOMzF5WfQM2YNh5E22yO5lFRR9z36SE6xHnfpJShgYR8S3uiZwiHbOIoZ3QBaHFq-8Sul5m4gv_zrtFkm-CThesX75fZG7gzjbCWboCj-ZSeLPTY8Bt-Ut9hIuF1HbxOAPw85WXvLdoSEXu_iaiIb0SER33tNl3-7mpNeQ/w260-h400/Avengers.webp" width="260" /></a></div><b><i>Avengers Vol. 10: The Death Hunters </i>(Marvel Entertainment) </b>Much of this volume of Jason Aaron's Avengers series involves a big fight, between the multi-dimensional Masters of Evil and the Avengers, the former coming to the latter's world in the present in order to hunt down and exterminate each of the Deathloks that was released in the Free Comic Book Day special, which kicks off the collection. <p></p><p>I assume by this point in the series, you either like Aaron's <i>JLA</i>-like take on the World's Mightiest Heroes or you've bailed long ago. I like it okay, surely enough to keep reading it, even if the Multiverse business seems to get a bit overwhelming. Things are rather clearly building towards a climax now, though, and it's clear that said climax is going to bit heavily rooted in the idea of a Marvel multiverse, as <i>Avengers</i>' sister book <i>Avengers Forever</i> puts together a multiversal team of alternate Avengers to help combat the Masters and, presumably, the so-called Council of Red, all the Mephistos from various universes that fill up a pretty mind-blowing splash page in this volume. </p><p>There's some turnover in the line-up—Black Panther steps down to deal with stuff in his own book, Namor and this book's newer version of the Squadron Supreme's Nighthawk join—and Valkyrie Jane Foster gets a spotlight issue in which she is tempted by some Mephistos with an alternate life. </p><p>The collection ends with <i>Avengers 1,000,000 BC</i>, yet another visitation to the team of superheroes in the prehistoric past, this one finally resolving the question of whether or not The Phoenix is really Thor's mother (not exactly), and what role she and the other ancient Avengers played in the little god's birth.</p><p>It's still fairly exciting stuff, although it is getting a bit exhausting too,<i> feeling</i> like it's ready to end, which certainly seems to be where Aaron is at with the title. As ever, there are several different artists drawing the issues collected within this volume: Iban Coello, Juan Frigeri, Javier Garron and Kev Walker. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJ4YdMqxgx8h2eaLbERs-XkVt_BjP1fG4Gxyt3r6uMqvxzjr1ckgrA6EzTn4Zmj25G1qCwFuxHlsvAg20jHhd70gAbYNZyGNc0hg2FCltcS2YEfy27aPw05nd1i1h_6nQ58wlZcLSrzHWKiZtNIXGOEAuSOW_S_mDcpB3iISsCLwPwgp3hg/s1989/epoch%20express.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1989" data-original-width="1438" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJ4YdMqxgx8h2eaLbERs-XkVt_BjP1fG4Gxyt3r6uMqvxzjr1ckgrA6EzTn4Zmj25G1qCwFuxHlsvAg20jHhd70gAbYNZyGNc0hg2FCltcS2YEfy27aPw05nd1i1h_6nQ58wlZcLSrzHWKiZtNIXGOEAuSOW_S_mDcpB3iISsCLwPwgp3hg/w289-h400/epoch%20express.jpeg" width="289" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Donald Duck: Scandal on the Epoch Express</i> (Fantagraphics Books) </b>This Disney Masters edition collects the work of Mau and Bas Heymans, and is a pretty great overall book, featuring Donald Duck in his various types of stories: He (and the nephews) taking a new, story-specific job (in the title story), a conflict with lucky Gladstone Gander, a quest with Uncle Scrooge, even a war with his neighbor Jones. The collection also includes a couple of Daisy-centric stories, unusual enough among the various Duck comics I've been reading of late, and a short Big, Bad Wolf strip.<p></p><p>There's the expected autobiographical article in the back featuring brother cartoonists, after almost 200 pages proving why they deserve the title of "masters."</p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZW92bW9oDjArNko-D1a6vaMgZFA-n4tKPoJwEpVUEDfSZ1WGPF_kelk562uhTHuge468RnjL5Bc-xkEe1zFMUx3snzvM4BQwPXW-FFYWtfPk5izHmnaigl1Bm34zaLZEN393mbEi5EQiWgFQTC5zSdeqZ5qff6ak8Nr-HJuRjZIvXYdegw/s595/Komi.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZW92bW9oDjArNko-D1a6vaMgZFA-n4tKPoJwEpVUEDfSZ1WGPF_kelk562uhTHuge468RnjL5Bc-xkEe1zFMUx3snzvM4BQwPXW-FFYWtfPk5izHmnaigl1Bm34zaLZEN393mbEi5EQiWgFQTC5zSdeqZ5qff6ak8Nr-HJuRjZIvXYdegw/w266-h400/Komi.webp" width="266" /></a></b></div><b><i>Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 21</i> (Viz Media) </b>After the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the class is taking an overseas trip to New York City. There, Komi reunites with her one-time little sister and faces all new set of social challenges. <p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYnWegGCj6Te44kK_mmMQ2WUFpheGYqBkhDfcHjo0IaemOI5zfmpqwyNkjMPk4_mvLT37BJ_fMb-_NXs-7GAqrqzxHwWWTARVKuKkYmem24K8_6O_ibMxDwEW0M9roXKMXHnzK3I7nYSe_uxve4fynljVWu43HvFNdXlUi4KwHYEFqy8ITg/s595/Robin.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYnWegGCj6Te44kK_mmMQ2WUFpheGYqBkhDfcHjo0IaemOI5zfmpqwyNkjMPk4_mvLT37BJ_fMb-_NXs-7GAqrqzxHwWWTARVKuKkYmem24K8_6O_ibMxDwEW0M9roXKMXHnzK3I7nYSe_uxve4fynljVWu43HvFNdXlUi4KwHYEFqy8ITg/w260-h400/Robin.webp" width="260" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Robins: Being Robin</i> (DC Comics) </b>Nightwing Dick Grayson has called a very special meeting at his Bludhaven apartment, gathering every one who has ever been Robin: Red Hood Jason Todd, Red Robin Tim Drake, Spoiler Stephanie Brown and current Robin Damian Wayne. The purpose of the meeting? To discuss, as the series sub-title says, "being Robin"; specifically, if it is good or bad. (One imagines there's a spectrum, as it obviously didn't work out so great for Jason Todd, who was brutally murdered while <i>he</i> was Robin.)<p></p><p>The gathering provides an excellent opportunity to strike for the new villain who opposes the team of former sidekicks, the tech-adept Jenny Wren, who has infiltrated Batman's systems and knows everything there is to know about her prey. Rather than simply outting them, which a normal bad guy might do, she uses her intel to play various mindgames on them like, for example, kidnapping all of their "gauntlet" villains, the first bad guys they had to deal with as Robin.</p><p>Jenny Wren is a retconned villain, a young woman who worked briefly to aid Batman in his first year or so as Batman, but with whom a proper partnership never flowered. She's therefore out for revenge against those he did make official partners, and as to why she's waited so long, well...let's not dwell on that either. That's another one that we can answer with "because it's more dramatic this way", I guess.</p><p>The miniseries, which fills a single trade and works as a novel-length adventure quite nicely, is the work of writer Tim Seeley, and was drawn by Baldemar Rivas, who had the unenviable task of drawing an entire book full of characters who all basically look a like—thank goodness they spend so much time in costume, so it's easier to tell all the handsome black-haired young men apart.</p><p>While I may have had some questions about the overall plot (and it did strike me personally as weird that Batman would have had a computer-based villain in the first year of his career, given that I generally think of "Year One" as the 1930s or 1980s rather than, you know, ten years ago), it's a strong enough structure to get all five characters in a room together and then keep them as a discrete unit of a team for the length of the adventure, no easy feat, really. </p><p>And that is, of course, the real pleasure of the series, seeing these five characters share space and interact with one another. In that regard, the book is a lot of fun, and nothing in the plotting or the art gets in the way of that. </p><p>For some reason, Rivas draws Spoiler with her original mask, the Spider-Man-like mask that covers her full head, rather than what she's been wearing since the New 52, that little ninja half-mask. I vastly prefer the original mask, and was glad to see it back here. I wish she would adopt it in <i>Batgirls</i>; I think it is, ironically, more expressive, and it echoes Cassandra's mask nicely.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>REVIEWED:</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKS3itzP3aRt56N7f9TEKPrtTmWSq8IteL8z-CFWgrlkXxtI1l5HAcFvKAa_9DVaC7e_wD3lyLyvDt6-Ty-KbUKJ8DN7N7UWjhl9rH1x399GxgRwTqr_p0jFztlCcbyzHX8c8x2tykib51LIWF589hIQ6ETC593whz_CTXq3EfooBDXL1nQ/s595/Dinosaur%20Sanctuary%20cover.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="423" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKS3itzP3aRt56N7f9TEKPrtTmWSq8IteL8z-CFWgrlkXxtI1l5HAcFvKAa_9DVaC7e_wD3lyLyvDt6-Ty-KbUKJ8DN7N7UWjhl9rH1x399GxgRwTqr_p0jFztlCcbyzHX8c8x2tykib51LIWF589hIQ6ETC593whz_CTXq3EfooBDXL1nQ/w284-h400/Dinosaur%20Sanctuary%20cover.webp" width="284" /></a></div><b><i>Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 1</i> (Seven Seas Entertainment)</b> What if, in the original Jurassic Park, there was no corporate chicanery, no escaped carnivores and no thrilling conflicts between humanity and resurrected dinosaurs? What if, instead, everything went to plan, and it was a zoo like any other, save for the fact that you could see dinosaurs on exhibit? <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2022/10/31/dinosaur-sanctuary-vol-1-review/" target="_blank">That is, in a nutshell, what <i>Dinosaur Sanctuary</i> is.</a> Itaru Kinoshita tells the story of a down on its luck dinosaur zoo in a world where dinosaurs have long been brought back from extinction, and the drama that goes on behind the scenes as the various keepers must try to care for their charges. It's fun stuff. <p></p>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28855039.post-56336548580172488982022-10-29T11:23:00.000-07:002022-10-29T11:23:03.596-07:00A Month of Wednesdays: September 2022<div><b>BOUGHT:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7de9LpvSNGOZzFPOrfvUyfRevAuVWkiuxA4ZXH0Lna8sanzIpfe-0K-D7SYR01QiJoCn253VaPeR5nL6C83fexd2F0Qa0_7UhF11Rwi7JP2Ycrvnlb0wpyu-9fs5g8MBR83W9hNSOX31gdxZ4xC0OTuLwLFoefbi-mqiid6MYXNQW_9uEw/s595/batman%20'89.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="401" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7de9LpvSNGOZzFPOrfvUyfRevAuVWkiuxA4ZXH0Lna8sanzIpfe-0K-D7SYR01QiJoCn253VaPeR5nL6C83fexd2F0Qa0_7UhF11Rwi7JP2Ycrvnlb0wpyu-9fs5g8MBR83W9hNSOX31gdxZ4xC0OTuLwLFoefbi-mqiid6MYXNQW_9uEw/w270-h400/batman%20'89.webp" width="270" /></a></div><b><i>Batman '89</i> (DC Comics) </b>Imagine there was a third Batman film in the original cycle, one that introduced both Robin and Two-Face. Okay, yes, I know, but not like<i> that</i>; imagine that there was no recasting of Batman or Harvey Dent and, more importantly, that <i>this</i> third Baman film was more strict in its adherence to the first two...or, at the very least, was written by the same guy. That's what DC's <b><i>Batman '89</i></b> is, a sort of comics adaptation to a film that didn't really exist, written by Sam Hamm, who was responsible for writing the original 1989 <i>Batman</i> film and got a story credit for 1992's <i>Batman Returns</i> (this comic, which is set after the events of <i>Returns</i>, is really more like Batman '93, I guess, but they're using the naming rubric established by their <i>Batman '66 </i>comics and carried on in the short-lived <i>Wonder Woman '77</i> and this book's sister project, <i>Superman '78</i>). </div><div><br /></div><div>Hamm is joined by artist Joe Quinones, who is about as perfect an artist for such a project as one could wish for, doing a fairly masterful job of modulating celebrity references for the characters who appeared in the previous films so that Batman, for example, looks like Michael Keaton, but not <i>too</i> much like Michael Keaton, to the point where it's distracting, or to the point that he stands out as being more realistically rendered than any of the other characters on the page. </div><div><br /></div><div>I enjoyed the heck out of this, and it's a great read, particularly for fans of the original film who at least imagined what the potential of the franchise would have been like if Warner Brothers zagged instead of zigged.</div><div><br /></div><div>That said, it's a thought-provoking comic too, in that I wasn't sure, once I'd finished reading it, how best to evaluate it (I'm glad I didn't have to write a formal review of it anywhere, to be honest). How, really, should one think about it?<br /><br />Should we approach it <i>as</i> a movie, or, at least, judge it on how movie-like it is? In that respect, it has its weaknesses. Though clearly set in the continuity of the films and featuring the general likenesses of the original film's cast—especially in the case of District Attorney Harvey Dent, who hear resembles <i>Batman</i>'s Billy Dee Williams—it doesn't quite read as a movie would play. It's not as visual as it could be, and certainly lacks the action scenes that would have been necessitated by a big-screen outting, with only one real action scene of any length of complexity, and that occurring early in the story. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's also extremely verbal and character-driven...hardly a bad thing, but it reads very much like a movie script rather than a movie. That is, it's not hard to imagine scenes and chunks of scenes that would have been chopped out to make more room for visual story-telling and big, dramatic moments, or even just a change in focus; I've seen enough Batman movies at this point to know, for example, that the introduction of the Bat-cycle would have been given far more play than some of the long conversations in the final product.</div><div><br /></div><div>So should we approach it as a comic? (Yes, I can hear you say; it <i>is</i> a comic, you idiot. No need for name-calling, imaginary voices in my head). It's a little weak in that regard too. I know Hamm isn't a comics writer—although he has a pretty solid comics story on his resume in the form of "Blind Justice in 1989's <i>Detective Comics #598-600</i> , which was published in conjunction with the original film's release—and it's obvious from reading this that he's still relatively new to the production of comics.</div><div><br /></div><div>Remember what I said about how verbal and character-driven this is? It's very talky, and reads like the work of a prose writer whose work has been adapted into a comic rather than a comics writer. The visuals, though masterfully rendered, don't ever take over for the words, and the balance between the verbal and visual seems off in a way that's hard to pinpoint.</div><div><br /></div><div>(As an aside, I also wondered about how Tim Burton-esque this was; if this is a theoretical third Batman film by Hamm, is it also directed by Tim Burton? It doesn't look like it, Two-Face's Beetlejuice-like striped suit aside; it's not as funny as either Batman film is, nor as over-the-top in its cartoonish visuals, the way <i>Batman Returns </i>was. Comparing <i>Batman</i> to <i>Batman Returns</i>, it is easy to see a trajectory in Burton's visual stylings, and easy to imagine how pronounced they might have been with a theoretical third go-round). </div><div><br /></div><div>Nevertheless, I enjoyed revisiting this particular version of Batman's world, and especially enjoyed it's extension into the comics. I even enjoyed with wrestling with these ideas of how to approach the book. I definitely wouldn't mind reading more, whether they're presented as epic-length "movies" like this one was, or more traditional comic books simply set in the world of the film (which is what DC did with <i>Batman '66</i> really, rather than trying to emulate the feel of episodes of the TV show). <br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xzA1E7MMH2EjleIiwz4QBl8xyltgZlUiaZKgPKiKKuhkfhLnvu3uRZbgvX9payhQew7Lbz22IIcpd9wXtzQvxhbEmD0gxa05fcl2pKG6v-sRZQsSDGd-9aYCNFdv_YPbtqI9LAVoSwk1qMgL7qjEkbXg7EtfknAT89ej2K4cgRBNkT9rig/s2003/baloonatics.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2003" data-original-width="1423" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xzA1E7MMH2EjleIiwz4QBl8xyltgZlUiaZKgPKiKKuhkfhLnvu3uRZbgvX9payhQew7Lbz22IIcpd9wXtzQvxhbEmD0gxa05fcl2pKG6v-sRZQsSDGd-9aYCNFdv_YPbtqI9LAVoSwk1qMgL7qjEkbXg7EtfknAT89ej2K4cgRBNkT9rig/w284-h400/baloonatics.jpeg" width="284" /></a></div>Walt Disney's Donald Duck: Baloonatics </i>(Fantagraphics)</b> I'm trying to catch up on the many volumes of the Complete Carl Barks Library that I missed, and it's not easy; many books seem to be out of stock at the moment. </div><div><br /></div><div>This later—latest?—volume is notable for it inclusion of Barks-written-and-pencilled, but Daan Jippes-finished Junior Woodchuck stories featuring the nephews and their fellow club-members vs. Uncle Scrooge, who acts as their opponent, always intent on destroying something in the name of progress or profit that the Woodchucks would prefer to preserve (their woodland stomping grounds, a beached whale, a fossil find). The stories are repetitive and, as one of Fantagraphics' panel of Barks experts notes, regressive, casting Scrooge as the unenlightened villain that they do, but even if they're not as strong as the stories that precede them in the volume (and the series), they're <i>still</i> Barks, meaning they're still pretty well-made comics. </div><div><br /></div><div>As for those preceding stories, they include the title one, in which Gyro's new balloon fuel causes havoc for Donald, the boys' attempts to train a falcon who can't fly and an investigation into sabotaged rocket tests that puts Donald in mortal danger. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>BORROWED: </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD82hIOm0oai5Bz1KvJNrD04TW49pLssjuKsZbUVGGBPZh0T7OsidktLoseXGW35wYSXR7MnZMaFe8F4q1XAQbXinQnPAWujTw1jJzOePR9uqGmPBwZLqG0SihgsV9MtUQMauOtoqVZDS9YGHkdVs12ub53Zp25IGLhG18VuwI2NiL_JD2fQ/s595/i%20belong.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="419" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD82hIOm0oai5Bz1KvJNrD04TW49pLssjuKsZbUVGGBPZh0T7OsidktLoseXGW35wYSXR7MnZMaFe8F4q1XAQbXinQnPAWujTw1jJzOePR9uqGmPBwZLqG0SihgsV9MtUQMauOtoqVZDS9YGHkdVs12ub53Zp25IGLhG18VuwI2NiL_JD2fQ/w281-h400/i%20belong.webp" width="281" /></a></div><b><i>I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School Vol. 1</i> (One Peace Books) </b>Unoki has been bullied for so long that he's gotten used to troublemakers at school forcing him to follow them and run their errands and so forth. So when his new high school's number one trouble-maker, the hard-fighting, stick-carrying boss Toramu one day pulls him aside and says "Hey, Unoki. Be mine. Well? How about it?", he naturally assumes that she wants him under her thumb, to be her personal property, to bully him, even if she<i> is</i> a girl.</div><div><br /></div><div>Toramu, on the other hand, thought she was declaring her love, and asking him out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thus begins their relationship built on misunderstanding; Unoki thinks she thinks of him as a pliant victim, Toramu thinks they're a couple. Obviously, Unoki can't make sense of certain things, like why she makes him lunch rather than demanding he go buy lunch for her. He only gradually begins to consider the possibility that she might actually like him, and things come to a head at the climax, when a typically manga situation occurs: He falls on top of her.</div><div><br /></div><div>The moment is broken by a visitor to Unoki's house, in a pretty perfect cliffhanger ending: It's Toramu's older brother, there to collect her. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoP4B7kR23z0W1zmSWPLy_C9MrivszWQP4J5WMEurj9b7G68O0upyCxF9PjUDGuVZ56zXx3bKZvFG8xqyWJY4y6c_WZ-M8MCRvpnFi8p_G5NvTvLosn4rTijw8JcPU6rCuAagKjwwLzR1MivJH8VAVBlSpnaUQs_GOLP5TkRUeXxA5-gpvA/s2092/mickey%20greatest.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2092" data-original-width="1368" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoP4B7kR23z0W1zmSWPLy_C9MrivszWQP4J5WMEurj9b7G68O0upyCxF9PjUDGuVZ56zXx3bKZvFG8xqyWJY4y6c_WZ-M8MCRvpnFi8p_G5NvTvLosn4rTijw8JcPU6rCuAagKjwwLzR1MivJH8VAVBlSpnaUQs_GOLP5TkRUeXxA5-gpvA/w261-h400/mickey%20greatest.jpeg" width="261" /></a></div>Mickey Mouse: The Greatest Adventures (</i>Fantagraphics Books) </b>Reading<b> </b>Regis Loisel's Floyd Gottfredson-inspired <i>Mickey Mouse: Zombie Coffee</i> (reviewed in<a href="http://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com/2022/08/a-month-of-wednesdays-august-2022.html" target="_blank"> this column</a>) made me want to read more, similar stories of the scrappy, two-fisted Mickey Mouse and his adventures, but I was leery of jumping into the Gottfredson collections, which are of daily newspaper strips, a reading experience I'm not necessarily fond of, and take a degree of dedication I wasn't sure I was ready for.</div><div><br /></div><div>As it turns out, Fantagraphics has a perfect book for someone in exactly that set of circumstances: <i>Mickey Mouse: The Greatest Adventures</i> offers a smattering of Gottfredson's comics in a single volume.</div><div><br /></div><div>The collection begins with "Mickey Mouse In Death Valley," a very early story in which a particularly rambunctious Mikey and Minnie are involved in a series of Hollywood-inspired, almost stream-of-consciousness adventures involving a gold mine and the crooks that want to cheat them out of it. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's followed by later, more tightly-plotted, more sophisticated stories like "Island In the Sky", in which Mickey and Goofy discover the titular island and the world-changing secret that keeps it afloat, "The Gleam," in which Mickey must try to foil a particularly clever hypnotist/jewel thief, "The Atombrella and The Rhyming Man", featuring Mickey's friend Eega Beeva, and "Mickey's Dangerous Double," featuring an evil opposite of Mickey Mouse.</div><div><br /></div><div>If one wants a place to stat with Gottfredson's masterful Mickey comics, this is it. <br /><div><br /></div><div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCk_1l0eLSEDgI2eJ4yhnHktUBiJiV8JoSdR2kSC-aPabvOfTN3sMQ7awulAPD6S_9xYAvcVhkI3CjRuzn5ke1RQYB_zNWQABv1elYPO8mVr-PkpU5qkAPYhc1t5FD0TYV0FORx-9JbDiC20Sm3kWjpdCeVYWIBeq3VKiHRsLSxMx8hHWOw/s2047/ice%20sword%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="1444" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCk_1l0eLSEDgI2eJ4yhnHktUBiJiV8JoSdR2kSC-aPabvOfTN3sMQ7awulAPD6S_9xYAvcVhkI3CjRuzn5ke1RQYB_zNWQABv1elYPO8mVr-PkpU5qkAPYhc1t5FD0TYV0FORx-9JbDiC20Sm3kWjpdCeVYWIBeq3VKiHRsLSxMx8hHWOw/w283-h400/ice%20sword%202.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div>Mickey Mouse: The Ice Sword Saga Book 2</i> (Fantagraphics)</b> This sequel to the Disney Masters edition focusing on Massimo De Vita's Ice Sword saga includes two more Christmastime adventures of Mickey and Goofy in the fantasy world of Argaar. </div><div><br /></div><div>In "The Prince of Mists Strikes Back," Pluto is accidentally sent to the dimension of fantasy adventure just as the Prince of Mists, the villain of the original Ice Sword story, seems to have made a comeback. Mickey and Pluto must take an alternate route to arrive there and find the lost dog...and save the world in the process. </div><div><br /></div><div>And in "Sleeping Beauty in the Stars" the world of Argaar is afflicted with a sleeping spell, and our heroes must journey underground, up a mountain and into space to break it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The two tales account for about half of the book, so the rest is filled with two non-"Ice Sword" stories. The first of these is "Donald Duck and the Secret of 313," a sort of origin story for his little car that takes a seemingly-odd but grounded in the animated cartoons detour to Mexico, and the latter is "Arizona Goof and the Tiger's Fiery Eye," in which Mickey accompanies Goofy's Indiana Jones-like archaeologist cousin on a treasure hunt. </div><div><br /></div><div>With De Vita's biography already being told in book one of the series, the backmatter here talks about the Ice Sword saga itself. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmmvqyH_y8JXpahFQ8DqaxVeldh7-NO-_ZiiAZ3fbM4-gYZ-mjZI1ZOqS-LFeXBxV4GV4k52i4Se6DwmHoUlsM7xx9mPo8oJfyUZVbK5l89zhzy-vFbmQhmdwL8CtQwFG6_9l0gSLy4FdkR3pClYKtot3WbbSM4gJA5vDue_lb-wyCLvzkA/s2034/king%20of%20the%20golden%20river.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2034" data-original-width="1484" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmmvqyH_y8JXpahFQ8DqaxVeldh7-NO-_ZiiAZ3fbM4-gYZ-mjZI1ZOqS-LFeXBxV4GV4k52i4Se6DwmHoUlsM7xx9mPo8oJfyUZVbK5l89zhzy-vFbmQhmdwL8CtQwFG6_9l0gSLy4FdkR3pClYKtot3WbbSM4gJA5vDue_lb-wyCLvzkA/w291-h400/king%20of%20the%20golden%20river.jpeg" width="291" /></a></div>Uncle Scrooge: King of the Golden River (</i>Fantagraphics) </b>This Disney Masters volume devoted to the work of Giovan Battista Carpi has a rather unusual and somewhat convoluted Duck tale as its title story. </div><div><br /></div><div>It begins with both Donald and the boys independently seeking ways to counteract gravity, and leads to the summoning of a Donald lookalike Dondorado, the so-called king of the golden river, who amassed a huge treasure in his ancient Amazon home country, so huge that the riches flowed to him like a river (Despite the title, the story has nothing at all to do with John Ruskin's 19th century fantasy of the same name). </div><div><br /></div><div>Somewhat coincidentally, Uncle Scrooge has his sights set on the same treasure, and the ducks all decide to team-up to search for it together and split it...despite the fact that greedy Uncle Scrooge and Donald both plan on double-crossing one another, and attempt to do so at nearly every opportunity. The quest is saved from doom by the innocence and good nature of the nephews, as Dondorado stays with them in a variety of magical disguises, using his powers to judge the morals of the questers every step of the way. </div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the volume contains two more stories. The first of these is "Mickey The Kid and Six-Shot Goofy," which tells the tale of the Wild West ancestors of our modern day Mickey and Goofy (and, for all intents and purposes, these seem to be the same characters, as if Mickey and Goofy are simply "playing" their own ancestors, like actors cast in new roles). The story also features an appearance by Scrooge McDuck, reminding us just how old the old miser really is. It's the first of what would be a series featuring these versions of the characters, some told by Carpi and some told by other cartoonists. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, there's the weird and not at all legally sound "Me, Myself—and Why?", in which Scrooge decides on a course of action to avoid paying massive taxes: He'll split his vast fortune three ways between three different personalities, each of whom will then only have to pay a third of the taxes. I guess. Being three different people—each with his own hat and name to distinguish him—proves exhausting though, and eventually Donald and the nephews seek out professional help. The advice given by psychiatrist Professor Dingledorf is about as medically sound as Scrooge's scheme seems legally sound, but in keeping with the strip's cartoon roots: A mallet to the head should fix the problem. </div><div><br /></div><div>The comics are followed by a nice, concise biography of the late Carpi, which emphasizes his importance as one of the two leading lights of Italian Disney comics, alongside Romano Scarpa. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WKeLCiPXAQQMsGF-lbBm8E1MSLf4vfyARuQranv0jY-SN7F4vpgmAnZfjzb1QryrMpxTkPR76FwJzQ00PSO3JRqYbbd13nzYQ_eyeDpwvbKY6ireuRtRR7Imybn7P-JfI2rpYNHtcfBSnOuvCsAFBP3cuMyGB5zmkJm94HpOt2XivzenQQ/s595/zom%20100%206.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WKeLCiPXAQQMsGF-lbBm8E1MSLf4vfyARuQranv0jY-SN7F4vpgmAnZfjzb1QryrMpxTkPR76FwJzQ00PSO3JRqYbbd13nzYQ_eyeDpwvbKY6ireuRtRR7Imybn7P-JfI2rpYNHtcfBSnOuvCsAFBP3cuMyGB5zmkJm94HpOt2XivzenQQ/w280-h400/zom%20100%206.webp" width="280" /></a></div><b><i>Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Vols. 6-7</i> (Viz Media) </b>I somehow fell behind on this series, one of my favorite ongoing manga, but no worries; it just meant I got to read two volumes back-to-back this month. <div><br /></div><div>Volume 6 picks up on a cliffhanger in which Akira is put in an impossible position by the evil opposite version of his group: Allow himself to be bitten and become a zombie, or forfeit his father's life. Writer Haro Aso and artist Kotaro Takata have him wriggle out of the circumstances in an interesting way, the cliffhanger/resolution reminding me of something Mark Waid once said during a talk on comics writing about writing cliffhangers so dramatic even you, the writer, don't know how they will be resolved in the following issue. </div><div><br /></div><div>I suppose it's no surprise to reveal Akira, the hero of the series, survives though, and, as idyllic as his hometown village has become, even taking into account the zombie infiltration and the machinations of the bad guys, he and his friends can't just stay there and settle down. If they did, we wouldn't have a series. Or, at least, not much of one, as it would be more about farming life than traveling through a post-apocalyptic, zombie-filled Japan. </div><div><br /></div><div>And so they decide to leave, adding an item on their to-do list, the bucket list of things to do before dying or becoming zombies themselves that gives the series its name: Find a cure for the plague.</div><div><br /></div><div>Volume 7 finds Akira and friends back on the road, searching for a cure—which looks a lot like sight-seeing—before the story takes a weird and interesting detour, wherein they find a luxury hotel completely operated by still-functioning robots that cater to their every whim. Is it too good to be true...? Yes, yes it is. But it's pretty good for a while, and the sequence ends with a zombie bear, the coolest zombie monster faced since the zombie shark in volume 2. <br /><div><br /></div><div>Volume 7 also includes a 12-page crossover between <i>Zom 100</i> and <i>Alice in Borderland</i> entitled "Akira in Borderland", which is no doubt a bit more exciting for readers of both series, as opposed to just <i>Zom 100</i>. Still, it does a neat job of displaying Akira's core, comedic motivation: He hated his soul-crushing job so very much that anything, even the end of the world via zombie apocalypse, is a welcome respite. <i>Borderland</i>'s building full of deadly traps? No sweat! Beats working!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>REVIEWED: </b><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidns-fwyRV4Gmfr_HkGW6Wq7tzn8SLiaBYhNnZgafoauqEd74GjFIoWvTeaxVY4OG9ahMIinMPOpsXnbQw9XMvBeY4YSq0TEekZqHRZ6UGvLQNkq7QA5ZzV9V_m_aBpAlZapHWMK5CE21HmBa9FqD0hAVOdE_Sh2qKx4Q58pFWF_36SHampQ/s1319/Big-Ethel-Energy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1319" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidns-fwyRV4Gmfr_HkGW6Wq7tzn8SLiaBYhNnZgafoauqEd74GjFIoWvTeaxVY4OG9ahMIinMPOpsXnbQw9XMvBeY4YSq0TEekZqHRZ6UGvLQNkq7QA5ZzV9V_m_aBpAlZapHWMK5CE21HmBa9FqD0hAVOdE_Sh2qKx4Q58pFWF_36SHampQ/w273-h400/Big-Ethel-Energy.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>Big Ethel Energy Vol. 1</i> (Archie Comics) </b>Artist Siobhan Keenan's ability to draw attractive young people seems to work against a core conceit of her collaboration with writer Keryl Brown Ahmed: That Ethel Muggs, the "Big Ethel" of classic Archie Comics, was an ugly duckling who bloomed into a beautiful swan after graduating high school and moving away from Riverdale. She's still awfully swan-like in high school flashbacks, not only looking nothing like her classic cartoonish counterpart, but also not looking all that different than she does as a grown-up, when the dialogue tells us she's suddenly a stunner. </div><div><br /></div><div>That nitpick aside, I was caught up in the story and its several mysteries—like, for example, what's up with Jughead, exactly—pretty quickly, and eager to find out what happens next. The comic plays an awful lot like a young adult TV drama, but of a more gentle, melodramatic variety than the more bonkers <i>Riverdale </i>show. The stars of the comics are all present—Archie, Betty, Veronica, Reggie, Moose, even Mr. Weatherbee and Mrs. Grundy—but now we're seeing them as grown-ups, and from an outsider's point-of-view. It's a well-made comic, and one that should be appealing to readers regardless of their foreknowledge of or experience with Archie Comics. I reviewed it <a href="https://goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2022/09/01/big-ethel-energy-vol-1-review/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div><b style="font-style: italic;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b style="font-style: italic;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b style="font-style: italic;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b style="font-style: italic;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2uISasjJmpGdjlkjyHfaLglrAMd-Uj6ou_BePlFbTIzxVZE1wgtdUJ_JJRCiO9KNPSga_aeUU-2PUB13tDz6pvWzK1bf745rAFafutrCF0ZhcHBGwojNwtFoTDyp8pk-4r2vTujsbrAjCP1QE8MixvK6MPciNzibnJ4CW0vgFpkyyxa7iQ/s600/revenge.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="600" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2uISasjJmpGdjlkjyHfaLglrAMd-Uj6ou_BePlFbTIzxVZE1wgtdUJ_JJRCiO9KNPSga_aeUU-2PUB13tDz6pvWzK1bf745rAFafutrCF0ZhcHBGwojNwtFoTDyp8pk-4r2vTujsbrAjCP1QE8MixvK6MPciNzibnJ4CW0vgFpkyyxa7iQ/w400-h246/revenge.webp" width="400" /></a></div>Revenge of the Librarians </i>(Drawn & Quarterly) </b><span>If one way to judge a cartoon or comic book collection is how often one encounters a strip that one feels compelled to show a loved one—cutting it out of the newspaper, for example, or now simply forwarding it—than Tom Gauld's latest collection of literary-themed cartoons is as successful as can be. Tackling books and their writers, almost every strip is a delight, and one that screams to be shared with one's writer friend or book-obsessed relative. As a guy who works in a library and writes when I am not there, this could hardly be more up my alley. Highly recommended for anyone who likes books. </span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote><div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Calebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01391759187396994380noreply@blogger.com1