In 2021 I set a goal to post reviews here for 1,000 comics, and finished the year at 1,008 reviews. It was a stretch - - not to read that many comics, because I actually read quite a bit more. The challenge is to find and take the time to write a fair review of what I read - - but I made it. I’m up for a new year, and a new challenge. My goal for 2022 is to read and document 1,200 comics. That’s an average of 100 books per month, easy enough to check and update. Wish me luck!
# GOAL FOR May 20, 2022 . . . 467 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 481 comics documented
#453 BATMAN ’66 MEETS STEED AND MRS. PEEL #1 of 6 by Ian Edginton and Michael Dow Smith (DC Comics/Boom! Studios, September 2016)
This was so much fun for me (a huge fan of the BBC The Avengers television show of the 1960’s). I’m sorry I don’t have the full story set. The artist did his best to emulate the actual faces of the actors and succeeds for the most part. (And Mike Allred absolutely nailed that familiar bemused expression of Adam West on the cover!)
Catwoman interrupts an exhibition attended by Bruce Wayne in order to steal some priceless earrings from his companion, only to be foiled by the appearance of secret intelligence agents - - the British Avengers team, John Steed and Emma Peel. They are in Gotham to help prevent the theft of certain gemstones on exhibition loan from the Royal Palace.
Catwoman, now in lock-up, has some information about the planned robbery, but an unseen foe has dispatched the android-like Cybernauts to intercept her, breaking into her jail cell. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#454 BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #2 by Andy Diggle and Whilce Portacio (DC Comics, March 2007)
Batman has to fight his own gargantuan armored WayneTech Remote (O.G.R.E. System) in order to protect Lex Luthor from it’s clutches.
The giant robot thing is controlled back at WayneTech Research & Development Center by a pilot in a sensory deprivation tank, acting as the nerve center for the robot. When he mysteriously died while submerged, the O.G.R.E. attacked. When Batman investigates the trail leads back to LexCorp.
As cool as that may sound, I had a hard time getting engaged with this story. Pretty much “meh”, except that Portacio art kept me interested. THREE STARS.
#455 - #458 BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #13, 14, 15, 16 by Tony Bedard and Rags Morales (DC Comics, 2008) This four-part story features the second appearance of The Wrath, pre-New 52. I previously wrote about the re-booted New 52 version of The Wrath in DETECTIVE COMICS (2013). Tony Bedard’s story is stronger, makes more sense, and goes deeper into motivation and mission. Plus, Rags Morales on art - - wow, a winning combination.
This Wrath is also a cop-killer with a difference: “I have devoted my life to exterminating such hypocrites, and there is one here in Gotham who deserves it more than any other.” His singular objective: Jim Gordon.
The original Wrath had a romance going with mobster daughter Grayle Hudson (who supported and encouraged his mission), and Batman has always felt that she helped the Wrath fake his own death. So, his suspicion is that the current Wrath is a copycat. Batman rejects Nightwing’s offer of assistance. As a result, he fails to apprehend the Wrath in a tight first battle with him because he has to rescue Nightwing when he inserts himself into the melee.
Jim Gordon’s home is expected to be the next target, so a trap is set. In a flashback sequence, all is revealed as to why The Wrath wants Gordon, who feels years of guilt from gunning down in self-defense a crooked cop and his accomplice wife, who were the parents of The Wrath. There are some great action sequences in the final issues, concluding with an awesome battle on an airport runway.
Turns out Batman’s suspicions were right. It is a copycat killer, one of several brainwashed proteges who the Wrath trained to take his place. FOUR STARS.
#459 - #460 BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #17, 20 by Fabian Nicieza and Kevin Maguire (DC Comics, 2008) Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) crosses paths with Catwoman for the first time in this amusing five-parter (of which I only have these two issues - Parts One and Four). Catwoman steals a rare book from the Gotham library, which happens to be Jim Gordon’s secret files journal which contains some incriminating evidence that a Russian crime gang wants buried forever. (I’m assuming they hired Catwoman, but that wasn’t established in the first issue - so it could be they stole it from her). Anyway, Batgirl gives chase featuring some nice fights and engaging verbal give-and-take between the two.
There’s some rivalry as both compete for Batman’s attention, especially when Batman shows up in the middle of a fight between the two and providing for some funny interchange. Catwoman says: “So . . . tell me she’s not your girlfriend? . . . . Your pet. Okay I could understand that, but I never saw you as the freckles type. And her skin? So . . . vanilla. Haver you seen her naked? I have.”
Just to keep things even more interesting, the Riddler shows up. He’s hired by the Russian mob to try and decipher Gordon’s book, which is inscribed in code. This was much better than the average Nicieza super-hero story. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#461 - #466 SIN CITY, VOLUME FOUR: THAT YELLOW BASTARD by Frank Miller (Dark Horse, February 2005, Second Edition reprinting the mini-series) Hartigan is one of the few honest cops in Sin City, and his last day on the job before retirement changes his life forever. He decides to do the right thing and prevent the abuse of an eleven-year old girl by a brutal predator who happens to be the privileged son of a prominent senator.
He ends up being thrown under the bus by the senator and made out to be a criminal, landing him an eight-year sentence in jail. The prison visit he receives from Senator Roark is chilling - - Roark’s speech is a classic example of the abuse of power and privilege that if Donald Trump had read it he would have stolen it and made it his own. Flash forward: Hartigan is finally free, and he’s still trying to protect young Nancy, now a dive-bar stripper and in love with him.
Wow! If you can only read a couple of Frank Miller's SIN CITY volumes, make sure this is one of them. I love them all so it's hard for me to narrow it down. This series is a landmark among crime comics, and played a major influential role in all those that followed. From story-telling to illustration, THAT YELLOW BASTARD is a masterwork.
Miller was at the top of his form in terms of exploring and expanding the ways to illustrate and enhance his scripts with this one: so many gorgeous large panels that are 80-90% black where the white areas pop through like light creeping underneath a dark window shade. Miller introduces a limited use of yellow to these black and white images that stand out the same way the use of red (blood, etc) did in some other stories.
I had forgotten how damn good these SIN CITY books are. So glad I decided to re-visit them. They still hold up and reward again on multiple readings. Highly recommended. FIVE STARS.
#467 - #470 SIN CITY, VOLUME FIVE: FAMILY VALUES graphic novel by Frank Miller (Dark Horse, March 2005 Second Edition) FAMILY VALUES is one of the shortest SIN CITY graphic novels, and also my least favorite. But it still deserves high marks and is several steps up from standard crime comics.
It seems like Miller sacrificed some of the story to experiment and play with the art more, and it does have its share of impressive panels as well as hard-to-define panels. Miller set this big action-movie-on-a-page during a snowstorm, with the falling flakes enhancing (and sometimes distorting) his black and white contrasting pencils and inks.
There's a mob assassination at a diner. Bulky Dwight the photographer partners with small but deadly ninja prostitute Miho to investigate and bring justice. Dwight lacks the power and intensity of other Sin City leading characters and is not further developed here. Miho is certainly engaging in her aggressive methods but there is even less character development and a lighter appearance to her profiles (sometimes on the cartoonish side) which detracts from what should be a very powerful impact.
Still, this is a highly enjoyable SIN CITY entry. If you're new to the series, just don't start with this one. FOUR STARS.
#471 - #476 ROBIN III: CRY OF THE HUNTRESS #1 -6 of 6 by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle (DC, 1992) Robin (Tim Drake) defies Batman’s order not to go out on any city surveillance by himself, and comes to regret it. He stumbles into a Russian mob confrontation where a Russian immigrant print shop operator is killed, and his attractive daughter Arianna is abducted.
Not only does he receive several bruises to show for his efforts, his sleeping in class the day after and abrasions draws attention, and the high school counselor is wondering if he’s in an abusive relationship with his single father. His single father is concerned as well, especially the amount of time Tim/Robin spends with his preferred mentor Bruce/Batman.
The Huntress gets involved in helping Robin try to find the missing daughter, which also puts Tim at odds with a disapproving Bruce. It’s these secondary dramas and side issues that make this a compelling read and Tim a character to sympathize with. To top it off, TIm’s dad decides to pull him from classes and send him to a boarding school in Metropolis.
A fun blast from the past, (with enhanced covers on some of these plus mini-posters) with nicely detailed art, especially in the action sequences.
Above average. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#477 NECROSCOPE #1 by Martin Powell and Michael Perkins (Caliber Comics, 1997)
This is an adaptation of the Necroscope series of horror novels by Brian Lumley, which I haven’t read for 20 years. As near as I can tell, this is a well-done version by Powell and gets to the heart of Lumley’s work, which is about a portal where monsters and others cross over from a vampire world and a couple of secret organizations employ telepaths and psychics to battle them.
This is a black-and-white comic, and the job on inks by Vincent Locke and Chris Dreier really deserve some credit for how cool this book looks.
Also, edited by Joe Pruett who I’m giving a shout-out to since he’s one of my current employers.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#478 - #479 STRANGER THINGS #3, #4 BY Jody Houser and Stefano Martino (Dark Horse, 2018) If I was only behind in reading my comics collection, things would be easier. But, I’m also behind in reading my personal library of books. Plus, I’m really, really behind on all the television and streaming service shows I’d like to view. For a retired person, I guess I don’t have a good excuse except that I get busy with a lot of things.
I’ve only seen the very first episode of Stranger Things on Netflix. But, I’ve heard enough about it and viewed enough talk-show interviews with the cast to have a feel for the series.Having revealed all that, in my opinion this mini-series is a pretty good representation of the show. Also, it’s actually a suspenseful comic to read.
I have read the full series before but I’m re-reading these two issues as I pull a bunch of random bargain bin purchases for some quick and easy reads.
Young Will Byers is stuck in a home that is just a mirror image/dark mockery of his own residence while he tries to avoid the Demogorgon prowling around and find a way to communicate with his family and friends on the other side.
The covers are really cool with evocative imagery. The art is good, and the story pulls you along. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#480 WILD ROVER AND THE SACRIFICE one-shot by Michael Avon Oeming (Dark Horse, March 2013) In the opening story, Oeming puts a whole different spin on alcoholism and the devastating effects it can have on a family. In this case, the propensity to solve one’s problems in a bottle is passed from parents to son, who seems to be on the same track as the one that consumed his mother. Here, alcoholism is seen as a symptom of a demon growing inside the body, demanding and feeding on alcohol in order to be released.
I’m reminded of that folk cure for hangovers - - next day, have some “hair of the dog” that produced the headache and nausea. The son’s solution, which begins with bourbon is to “drink the demon out and destroy it. Fight fire with fire. Bourbon with bourbon.” He drinks enough to release the demon, a huge spidery thing, and then kills it with a knife.Real or imagined? Symbolic release. Doesn’t matter. This was engaging.
In the second story “The Sacrifice” Oeming turns the art chores over to Victor Santos for the story of an dwarf-like fantasy warrior whose son is becoming a man and must make some crucial decisions. The story is very short, and the ending was not expected (and kind of grim). Santos does a bang-up job on the illustrations, so different from Oemings edgy minimalist style. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#481 WITCHFINDER: CITY OF THE DEAD #1 of 5 by Mike Mignola dn Chris Roberson with art by Ben Stenbeck (Dark Horse, August 2016)
Of all the many characters in Mignola’s Hellboy universe, Sir Edward Gray/The Witchfinder is the hardest one for me to like. He’s just too stuffy and formal for me to empathize with.
Gray’s assistance in preventing a witch coven from killing Queen Victoria earns him a knighthood and a reputation for investigating occult activities. This also earns him a bitter rivalry with the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra, who come seeking is help as surge of bodies rise from the grave, or leap off the examination tables in the morgue, and also cause problems for grave-diggers. A good beginning to this mini-series.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
