This began as the 1,000 COMICS CHALLENGE issued to Captain Blue Hen from some friendly comic shops in Texas and Ohio. Later, they were invited to keep going and participate in a 2,021 challenge - - same rules, the winner is the shop/group that reads and posts 2,021 comics first. Captain Blue Hen apparently took first place, although the results have yet to be officially announced. So, the quest begins anew: the new moniker is I LOVE COMICS 3000. Sometime after that it may be called COMICS 5K. I’ll happily contribute. This has been fun.
I’ve been numbering my entries, picking up where I left off with the 2,021 COMIC BOOK QUARANTINE ODYSSEY. I’m curious to see how long it takes me to read that many comics. I want the results to be realistic so I’m not going to binge read unless I happen to be in the mood. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t end up reading some comics, so we’ll see how long it takes me.
#326 BATMAN SECRET FILES #3 (DC, August 2020) In this over-sized issue are five complete stories of assassins with Batman as their target. Batman tries to talk Chesire (an Elektra wannabe) out of her profession. He teams with Green Arrow to thwart Merlyn the dark archer. This is my first introduction to Mr. Teeth (lame character), who loses a few molars after Batman saves his intended victim. So, Mr. Teeth wasn’t after Batman - - misleading cover blurb, then. Gunsmith sets Batman up, counting on his sensitivity to defeat him in my favorite story of the bunch - - “Afraid Of America” by Dan Watters and John Paul Leon. Batman goes up against Deathstroke in the final story by James Tynion IV, a prelude to the upcoming Joker War in Batman #95. Decent stories with good art. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#327, 328, 329, 330, 331 WOLVERINE WEAPON X #11 - 15 (Marvel, 2010) I was excited to read a story with Luther Manning again - - but he’s not in it. There’s an entire army of Deathloks from the future, sent into the present by the ultra-powerful Roxxon Corporation to kill super-heroes before they can become the potential General who takes down Roxxon in 2035. Sound like the plot from the Terminator movie? Yep, the Deathloks even speak in computer lingo with words like . . . identity confirmed, target neutralized, etc. Despite the presence of Logan, Steve Rogers, Captain America/Bucky Barnes, Spider-Man and others this really began to bore me. Ron Garney’s good art was the only thing keeping me going. Then, writer Jason Aaron throws a twist in Issue #14 that makes it interesting again and lifts this above the mediocre. THREE STARS.
#332, 333, 334, 335, 336 TRIGGERMAN #1-5 (Titan Comics, October 2016- March 2017) This began as a French graphic novel, an adaptation of an never-produced movie script by famed writer/filmmaker Walter Hill. Titan picked up the English rights and released it as a five-issue mini-series under their Hard Case crime comics imprint. The art is gorgeous, with a European flavor, and absolutely appropriate for the atmosphere and tone of the story. Triggerman is a period piece, a time capsule of 1932 Prohibition-era American gangsterism. “Serving a life sentence for his violent criminal past, Mafia gunman Roy “Triggerman” Nash finds himself abruptly freed from his prison cell and tasked with one final job. But all this straight-shooting mobster really cares about is Lena Dorsey — the woman he was forced to leave behind.” Crooked gangsters with cross purposes. Crooked cops. Plenty of gun fights, wherein Nash displays a Punisher-like ability to avoid fatal bullets. Not too emotionally deep, Triggerman goes for the jugular and entertains as well as the best escapist crime B-movies. FOUR STARS.
#337 WELLINGTON #4 (IDW, March 2020) I’m enjoying the slow building of tension in this mini-series featuring the Duke of Wellington as a novice monster hunter. A supernatural beast known as the Barghest with apparently shape-shifting properties (that’s not a harmless rabbit on the cover!) is roaming the countryside. Worse, the witch who served as Wellington’s source of knowledge turns up as the latest victim. I love some of the exchanges between Wellington and his alleged goddaughter: Wellington: "Man is a strange creature. He hankers for war and then pisses himself in the front lines. We imagine ourselves heroes until death is breathing down our necks, personal as a lover.” Minerva: “That’s a lot of words to say you’re frightened, too.” Wellington: “Well that’s the rub, is it not? You feel the fear and press onward anyway.” Minerva: “Funny how you’ve just described both stupidity and courage.” THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#338 UNDISCOVERED CUNTRY #6 (Image, June 2020) The first story arc concludes in a big way, with promises of more mayhem, confusion and creative world-building. One of the more richly-developed books out there right now, and chillingly too familiar in our troubling times. The U.S.A sealed its borders and has been in total isolation for 30 years. Now, a diplomatic corps is welcomed into its’ odd territories in hopes of obtaining a cure for a global pandemic.UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY is an apt but subtle and symbolic commentary on contemporary theories - - taken to frightening extremes. Lots of characters, so don’t think you can jump on the next issue and follow along. I’d recommend waiting for the trade paperback if you don’t have the single issues. Captain Blue Hen can advise you as to the best course of action. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#339 THE MAN WHO F#&%ED UP TIME #3 (Aftershock, June 17 release date) For those who like to pigeon-hole Aftershock as a publisher of only “dark” books, you apparently haven’t read this one by the great and humorous John Layman. THE MAN WHO EFFED UP TIME falls somewhere in-between CHEW and OUTER DARK, with a dash of LEVIATHAN in it’s dinosaurs (even dodo birds!). Here’s the blurb on this one from the Aftershock home page:
The armored Neanderthal foot-soldiers who serve the evil emperor Abraham Lincoln VI have orders to bring in time-traveling f#%&-up Sean Bennett dead or alive— and they choose dead!
That’s right, we kill our lead character on page two of issue #3. So, uh…what’s next? Well, either a lotta blank pages…or a surprise twist so amazing YOU DARE NOT MISS THIS ISSUE!!! (Spoiler: It’s the latter.)
The story is somewhat self-explanatory, so if you missed the former issues you can still pick this up and enjoy it. I’m also fairly certain that the wise and benevolent Captain Blue Hen have back issues of #1 and #2. My favorite funny book of 2020! FIVE STARS.
#340 A MAN AMONG YE #1 (Top Cow/Image, June 17 release date) Writer Stephanie Phillips is quite adept at fictionalized accounts of historical figures (ARTEMIS & THE ASSASSIN, THE BUTCHER OF PARIS, etc). Here she tackles the legendary pirate Anne Bonny. It’s a rollicking good tale of pirates and plunder. Arrrgghhh. Just when we thought there was a small niche (pirate comics) that wasn’t being filled, this one steps into the void.
FOUR STARS.
#341 FAMILY TREE #6 (Image, June 17 release date) The anti-environmental cult pursing the family descended from trees explains their rationale to a captured Grandpa tree, trying to torture the location of his family from him, but roots run deep (ha). Grandpa says: “Every time you assholes kill one of them, another one begins to change. Nature wants this.” Their matronly leader replies: “Nature is wrong. Man rules this world. Man tames it. And if we let the trees grow, it will be the end of man.” Ugh. That’s some gnarly, twisted thinking (ha). FOUR STARS.
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