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.
#636 - #640 CAPTAIN STERNN: RUNNING OUT OF TIME #1-5 (Kitchen Sink Comix, 1993-1994) The late great Bernie Wrightson had such an intricate pen and brushwork style that his art stands apart from so many others. From Creepy magazine to DC horror comics, an incredible adaptation of Frankenstein, and co-creation of Swamp Thing - - fans of horror comics have missed his distinctive embellishments since his passing in 2017. Captain Sternn was an original creation, written and penciled by Wrightson with inks by Shepherd Hendrix and lustrous colors by Julia Lacquement. The result is a lighter style than what we are used to, another side to Wrightson’s talents.
I didn’t buy this series for the story, so that was a very pleasant surprise. Wrightson does a great job here with an engaging plot and fully fleshed out characters. Running Out Of Time takes place in the 23rd century, where Sternn cavorts as a wanted criminal but also a likable thief who only steals from rich, undeserving scoundrels.
His mark this time is the unscrupulous Filmore Coffers, the president of Cosmic-Coola Industries - a beverage that contains drugs to make it addictive. The drink is also the unknown source of the growing Walking Dead epidemic, a population that threatens outnumber the living. The dead aren’t dangerous. They just clog the streets, go to work, school and continue do what they did in life. Authorities are concerned about the health hazards of so many unburied and rotting corpses. To the rescue (and more profits) is Cosmic-Coola Industries, who shuttle the undead to the Moon, and then catapult them into the Sun.
#641 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #160 (Marvel Comics, August 2011) Death Of Spider-Man, Part 5 of 5. I’ve read this before, but on impulse I wanted to re-visit the ending. (I no longer have the other issues). Bendis made it memorable and not sappy. It still gets to me. Mark Bagley’s art, especially the facial expressions, really sells it. Between taking the Punisher’s bullet in order to protect Captain America, repeated beat-downs from The Green Goblin, and a huge explosion - Peter Parker falls down on his front lawn and succumbs in a tearful scene. FIVE STARS.
#642 - #645 THE BADGER #1-#4 (Capital Comics, 1983-1984) I keep digging in the vaults of my collection and finding gems. You can't get much different than this beginning to the Badger. A fifth century druid in Wales frightens the populace and the other druids with incredible "weather wizard" powers. So they capture him, induce a coma, and set sail to drop his obeyed off the edge of the world.
He later materializes in present day (1983 Madison, Wisconsin) as a vegetative patient in a mental hospital. He communicates telepathically with the patient in the next cell, Norbert Sykes, a Vietnam war vet who thinks he’s a super-hero. Together they escape and pair up with their hospital counselor, Ms. Daisy Fields.
The Badger has no super-powers, just a cool suit and some martial art style fighting skills. He’s ruthless, and breaks arms and bones when he interrupts muggings.
But Norbert has a tender side, as in two short features he talks to animals to help recover a missing wallet and then has a philosophical discussion about the use of violence with a street musician. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#646 BATMAN: THREE JOKERS #2 of 3 (DC, Black Label November 2020) Geoff Johns takes advantage of the mature Black Label designation to tell a grittier, edgier, bloodier, gruesome Batman tale without being excessive.
Following the shock ending to Book One, this issue focuses a lot on Red Hood / Jason (poor guy). He’s determined to follow the trail to uncover where Joker is storing the stolen toxic chemicals. What he finds isn’t pretty. Jason Fabok is killing it on the art. I would buy this book even if it had no text. I’m of the opinion that there is still only one true Joker, the others are manifestations of the past that he created - - and I’m leaning heavily in favor of the Criminal Joker being the one rather than the Clown Joker or the Comedian Joker. Really enjoying this. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#647 - #648 THE BADGER #5-#6 (First Comics, 1985) When last seen in Issue #4 at Capital Comics, the Badger attempted to stop Ham the druid from sacrificing a pit bull and was zapped into limbo by him. He landed in Nexus Issues #6 and #7.
Now at First Comics, Badger got his ass kicked back into his own reality, returning to Ham’s castle in Wisconsin where apparently all has been forgiven by both parties. As a result of the mental and physical thrashing, the Badger now address everyone as “Larry”.
The story in Issue #5 revolves around an effort to prevent a huge energy corporation from razing a piece of land where Ham made a personal connection with an ancient giant oak tree. While everyone at the castle is distracted by Kepko’s hired goons breaking in, the tree gets chopped down, enraging Ham who is determined to punish them as the duo head to the San Diego HQ.
ISSUE #6: Badger digs out the chainsaw and builds a surf board for Ham from the trunk of the fallen oak. Ham creates a tidal wave and surfs it, riding into the offices of Kepko where they offer him mucho compensation while the mystic Yak uses his spells to dry up the giant wave. Meanwhile, Badger puts down a biker gang threatening him battered mother at her hospital room. Seems like a crazy cocktail of ideas, but it works here. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#649 SUBTERRA graphic novel (4Winds Publishing, July 1989) Spearheaded by local area creators Tim Truman and Chuck Dixon and printed at Acorn Press in Lancaster, PA. With an assist on the English translation by Dixon, this Argentinian work by Ricardo Barreiro and Enrique Alcatena found an American audience.
It’s a captivating tale of dark fantasy as a wanderer ventures into the Mountains of Madness (gorgeously depicted), is captured by winged demons and taken to an underground society of an inbred elite class. There he is sold at slave auction to an empress who will use him as her champion in a gladiatorial contest against an undefeated foe who emerges unscathed from every battle.
The tale reads like a fascinating blend of Grimm Fairy Tales, 1001 Arabian Nights and Aesop’s Fables. The intricately detailed art in black and white is absolutely stunning. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#650 - #655 JOURNEY: THE ADVENTURES OF WOLVERINE MacALISTAIRE #1 -6 (Aardvark-Vanaheim, 1983-1984) Another black & white gem from my comics vault. JOURNEY is an indie comic written and illustrated in a unique style by William Messner-Loebs.
The stories take place in 19th century Michigan, the Northwest Territories, and covers frontier life with both real and fictional characters. It sure seems authentic, with wood lore and native information mixed in.
The title character, Joshua “Wolverine” MacAlistaire is a mountain man transported a package to a fortified settlement across the wild forests and plains of Michigan. He encounters angry grizzly bears, eccentric and crazy folk, native Americans, a tribe of Sasquatch, and a tornado. Fascinating stuff. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ (Marvel Comics, 2014)
hardcover. Reprints Issues #1-8: A great adaptation and a good introduction to L. Frank Baum’s wonderful world for younger readers. The whimsical art of Skottie Young really brings the story to life.
Eric Shanower sticks to the original story, so this new version isn’t going to bore those of us mostly familiar with Oz from watching the Thanksgiving television broadcasts of the 1939 movie year after year. Although it did prompt me to check out the library book, which I read while in middle school.
This faithful comics adaptation of Baum’s classic is a deeper, more compelling story compared to the film. It really explores all the principal characters in much greater detail and contains many heart-warming lessons. Recommended. FOUR STARS.
IMMORTAL HULK #38 (Marvel, December 2020) “Not Just, Not God" Al Ewing continues to pull out obscure, seldom-used events from past Hulk series (especially the Mantlo and David runs) and blending them into his ongoing story. It’s a mash up of various components and characters from the Hulk legacy that seem so fresh in Ewing’s hands. This title also recalls similar horror-themed superhero series from the glory days with monstrous main characters: Swamp Thing, Man-Thing, The Demon, Werewolf By Night, etc.
I’ve been highlighting this book for some time, as I believe so many would appreciate this if they only knew. However, now is not the time to jump in unless you don’t mind being thoroughly confused. The Leader trail begins way back. I’d suggest starting from the beginning, and grabbing the Immortal Hulk Volume One trade paperback. You won’t regret it.
A three-year old Bruce Banner reading John Milton’s Paradise Lost under the disapproving eye of his abusive mentally-disturbed father? I know that’s going to work into the story somehow, and I’m excited to see how it is done.
It seems the Devil Hulk (big and green and maybe mean, a cross between The Lizard and The Abomination that is the #1 protector of Bruce) has existed before the gamma-ray accident that birthed the Hulk, maybe an imaginary friend that prowled the sub-conscious of young Bruce?
It also seems The Leader had escaped from The Below-Place via a Green Door into the mindscape where all these versions of the Hulk and Banner co-exist. My head swims. Delicious art from Joe Bennett. Diabolically good story from Al Ewing. FIVE STARS.
MISKATONIC #1 (Aftershock Comics, November 11 release date, final order cutoff Monday, October 19)
I’ve seen an advance preview of this book, and it is impressive. If this is your cup of sea chowder, than may I suggests you contact your comic shop and pre-order this before the sands of time run out?
If you’re a fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s eerie brand of cosmic horror (as I am), then you’ll be all over this book. Mix a 1920’s crime noir story with Lovecraftian monsters and cults, add a strong female lead character, and you have my attention!
Pre-FBI, the national Burea of Investigation under J. Edgar Hoover dispatches agent Miranda Keller (female agents are rare and disposable in this masculine organization, y’know) to the seaside town of Innsmouth (a la “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” by H. P. Lovecraft) to investigate a crime scene in the sleepy Miskatonic Valley community.
Prominent local figure and collector of obscure curios, Epharaim Waite dies from a package bomb, leaving only frog parts behind but no body.
Before Keller and agent Malone learn that the trail leads to his daughter Asenath, a medieval metaphysical student at Miskatonic Unversity, they’ll have to escape the fishy inhabitants of the town and the cultish Sons of Dagon. I just love this weird stuff. FOUR STARS.
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