I’ve been numbering my entries, picking up where I left off with the I LOVE COMICS 3000 CHALLENGE as one of the participants on the Captain Blue Hen Facebook page. This started as a challenge from friendly comic shops in Ohio and Texas, originally as the 1,000 Comics Challenge, then the 2021 Comic Book Quarantine Odyssey, and then I Love Comics 3000 - - all goals met by the group of Captain Blue Hen customer participants. I’m curious to see how long it takes me to read that many comics. My journey began with the 1,000 Comics Challenge on approximately March 15, 2020.
#525 - #532 FIRE POWER, VOLUME 1: PRELUDE Story by Robert Kirkman. Art by Chris Samnee (Image Comics, July 2020) Trade paperback, 160 pages.
Robert Kirkman does it again! Not only is he an idea factory for compelling comic series, but he's also a skillful writer who knows how to pull readers into his imaginary worlds almost as soon as they begin reading. Quickly, he manages to evoke enough interest to keep readers turning the pages until a particular chapter, or issue, or trade paperback is finished. FOUR STARS. A longer review of this was posted to this blog on September 02, 2020 (see archives).
Time to check out some more Picks From The Bricks - - here are FIVE comics I picked up cheap inside the $10 comics bricks at Captain Blue Hen . . . . .
#533 - #534 SPIDER-MAN #1, #2 (Marvel, 2019) The first two issues of the J.J. Abrams scripted tale of young Ben Parker (son of Peter and Mary Jane) inheriting his father’s spider-powers and trying to suppress them (because he doesn’t respect his absentee workaholic father). His father is lost in his grief, having watched Mary Jane die by the hand of a monster robot named Cadaverous (not the most interesting of villains). That was twelve years ago, Peter lost his hand (replaced by a hook) and gave up the Spider-Man role. Aunt May is still hanging around (she must be over 100!) and raising Ben. When he meets a cute geeky girl during detention, he pulls out Peter’s old Spidey costume to join her in cosplay mischief. Just in time for Cadaverous to make a return. Sara Pichelli’s art is great. I’m just not excited enough by any of this to want to seek out the rest of the series. THREE STARS.
#535 - #537 SPIDER-GWEN: GHOST SPIDER #6, #7, #9 (Marvel, 2019) I’m a big fan of the fiction of writer Seanan McGuire a.k.a. Mira Grant, and this gave me a chance to sample some of her comics work at low budget prices. Teenage Gwen Stacy of Earth-65 gets the spider-powers through a symbiote, reveals her identity to the public, and gains a rep as a do-gooder. She’s in a rock band with Betty Brant and Mary Jane Watson. She’s dating Harry Osborn. Most of these issues are taken up with her personal affairs. Spider-Gwen handles the common everyday criminals. But, Man-Wolf wants to become the new ruler of the criminal underworld. After a bomb goes off during a gig by the Mary Janes, Gwen has to confront Man-Wolf and does okay in her first encounter with a real baddie. This isn’t bad, but I believe this title is aimed at a much younger reading audience. THREE STARS.
Back to the current reading piles . . . . . . .
#538 BATMAN #98 (DC, early November 2020) Part Four of The Joker War.
I’m very glad I decided to follow this storyline. I am fully engaged.
Before I comment on the story, I want to recognize the bang-up job Jorge Jimenez is doing on the art and Tomeu Morey’s fantastic job with colors. They really enhance the proceedings.
While the Joker’s henchmen set fires in the city, the other super-criminals in Gotham hide out in Penguin’s casino/fortress playing a bingo board where they place bets on the outcomes.
Batman remains semi-conscious in Poison Ivy’s garden, waiting for the effects of Harley Quinn’s recuperative tea to rid his body of the Joker toxins. In his dream state, Batman converses with the ghost of Alfred.
Punchline intrudes upon the scene, and gets into battle with Harley Quinn.
I’ve been enjoying this series as it moves along, rating the various issues FOUR STARS out of a possible five. Issue #98 is a definite FIVE STARS out of FIVE.
The powerful dialogue in this issue caused me to reflect on the current presidential election and compare it to this story. I hesitated to share those words here for two reasons: 1) Facebook might censor it, and 2) It would be the same as putting Captain Blue Hen’s stamp of approval on my words. Comic shops that respect their customers from both sides of the argument should remain neutral. I probably should stay neutral, but I can’t. I think it’s pretty amazing that a comic book fired me up this way.
If you want to know more, see my full review on the Pop Culture Podium blog . . . . . . . .
#539 AVENGERS #675 (Marvel, March 2018) This was the opening chapter of the 16-part No Surrender storyline. I was excited for this mini-series when it was first announced; but after a few issues it left me flat. So I stopped. I decided to dig it out and give it a second chance. Nope. Still leaves me flat. The earth and moon get moved, starting earthquakes, tidal waves, etc across the globe. Various Avengers teams try to contain the damage until select heroes (and villains) turn to blue stone. Maybe it was the scene where Jarvis gets buried under rubble. The new Wasp gets indignant and outraged when she announces he’s in the hospital and none of the members can match her sorrow/concern. That should have been a dramatic scene and just seemed overblown. It didn’t work for me. Team written by Mark Waid, Al Ewing & Jim Zub. Too many chefs? None of the characters really get to emote much (except for Living Lightning). They just react. Ho hum. Boring. Oops, I forgot to mention the brand new female superhero who shows up at the end, and all the team members welcome her back like a missing relative. Who? - -which obviously is designed to surprise and shock us. Ho hum. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#540 GOTHAM CITY GARAGE #10 (DC, April 2018) I received this book inside one of Captain Blue Hen’s famous $10 bricks, and it is my one and only introduction to this title. I’m assuming this series takes place in an alternate universe, or a possible future. Whatever. The Garage of the title apparently does not refer to an auto body shop but rather to a quartet of female biker heroes led by Black Canary. That’s all I know, as they are part of a two page flashback to eight years before the story in this issue. Dinah Lance/Black Canary is about to be inducted into the order of the Demon’s Head a.k.a. Ra’s al Ghul. She and Green Arrow have to fight to the death to determine who will be the Heir of the Demon. Harley Quinn drops in and interrupts the battle for comic relief, helps GA and BC realize Ra’s is no good - and they decide to join forces instead of kill each other. Oh, I forgot to mention Dinah becomes the new Ra’s al Ghul. Not sure if I read more of these issues I would understand this any better, but this was kind of a fun 15 minutes. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
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