PGHHEAD'S 2023 COMICS ODYSSEY, Part Five

PGHHEAD’S 2023 COMICS ODYSSEY, PART 5

  This marks the third consecutive year that I will attempt to document my comics reading by writing at least a mini-review. The goal is 1200 books read and reviewed in 2023, although I missed the mark in 2022 by 88 books.  Still, I like that number as it’s easy enough to track - - - 100 books per month on average. Wish me luck!

# GOAL FOR January 31, 2023. . . 100 comics documented

CURRENT COUNT . . . . .  110 comics documented

#88  BATMAN: HUSH/BATMAN DAY SPECIAL EDITION by Jeph Loeb with art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams (DC Comics, November 2022) It was great to revisit the opening act of this Batman classic, an essential storyline in the long-running Batman canon. Someday, I will find a copy of this in an Absolute Edition at a price that works for me. I relish the thought of viewing the great Jim Lee art in big, big panels. I believe this is one of Lee’s finest works.

  The story is equally great. This debut starts off with a suspenseful incident and doesn’t let up from there. There’s a crime epidemic across Gotham and a slew of Batman’s enemies are involved, nastier than ever, not realizing they are just pawns in the end game of revenge planned by the mysterious Hush. Reading this again brought back some great memories of that fabled storyline. FIVE STARS.

#89 - #91  BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #1 - #3 (DC Comics, 2022) I was really looking forward to this title when it was first announced - - Mark Waid teaming up with Dan Mora. The first issue didn’t really wow me, but I decided to pick up some more issues to make sure. After three issues, I dropped the title. 

    Why?  I’d have to say the reason is personal - -  it just didn’t work for me.  Rather than defend my position with reasons and explanations, as this has become one of DC’s most popular recent titles, I only want to say that sometimes books that enjoy a vibrant fanbase do not always resonate with everyone. I can’t think of a single work that has ever earned 100% acclaim.

   These issues deal with the opening chapters in a story introducing a new character, the villain Nezha the Devil, an immortal Genghis-Kahn-like conqueror who was defeated and imprisoned centuries ago. So far, this reads more like a Justice League story than a Batman/Superman team-up. 

I’ve never read a bad story by Mark Waid, but that doesn’t mean I was enthralled with them all. Also, the dynamic art of Dan Mora is worth some attention here. Not as good as his work on ONCE AND FUTURE, but still awesome. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#92  THE WORLDS OF H.P. LOVECRAFT: BEYOND THE WALL OF SLEEP by Steve Jones and Octavio Cariello (Tome Press/Caliber Comics, 1998)  In Lovecraft’s 1919 story a dangerous and imprisoned mental patient from the Catskill Mountains has strange dreams. Doctors don’t believe a person of such low education and background could have such eloquent visions. An intern experiments with a telepathic device and hooks up to the dying man, experiencing his dreams and learning he had been contacted by a cosmic entity.

    In his 1998 adaptation, writer Steve Jones updates the experiment. Two subjects are placed in adjacent sensory deprivation tanks and given a dose of CRS-17 a psychoactive drug as they try to read others’ thoughts. The young intern is excused from the university for his dangerous experiments, and takes his telepathic device to a mental hospital, where he connects with the same dying man from Lovecraft’s story and experiences the same dreams. I like the way this was done, although this is a cerebral kind of story, not much action or even resolution beyond what I shared here.

    Plus, I’ll always have a soft spot for this tale since it is also the title of one of my favorite songs by The Smithereens. FOUR STARS.

#93 - #97  BACK TO THE FUTURE #17,#18, #22, #24, #25 by John Barber & Bob Gale with art by Emma Vieceli (IDW Publishing, 2017) It’s unusual for a comics series based on a popular movie to have a long life-span for a variety of reasons (movie’s popularity diminishes over time, series runs out of ideas, low sales, etc). BACK TO THE FUTURE from IDW had a surprisingly good run - - - 25 issues plus three spin-off mini-series plus new title TALES FROM THE TIME TRAIN that spun out of the final issue of BTTF and lasted six issues. Based on the storylines I”ve sampled, that run was deserved. Thanks to the involvement of a screenwriter from the films (Bob Gale) these books stayed true to the BTFF canon and came up with some inventive new plots. 

 

     Issue #17 is the final (Part 5) of “Who Is Marty McFly?”  In 1986, brand new character (for the comics) Marcus Irving stole Doc Brown’s flux capacitor so that he could take credit for inventing time travel. By 1997 he’s paranoid and kidnaps Doc and Marty and imprisons them in his corporate headquarters, guarded by a dozen Doc and Marty robots to keep them from escaping. Before the story ends, Marcus is made to acknowledge the wrongness behind his endeavors, makes amends and frees Doc and Marty, and becomes a trusted friend/confidant of them. 

         New artist Marcelo Ferreira takes over on art with Issue #18, the opening chapter of “Stowaway To The Future”. Professor Marcus Irving helps Doc Brown repair the time-traveling DeLorean vehicle so he can return to his wife and family in 1893. Doc forgot his wedding anniversary and scrambles back to the future to find the appropriate gift. His young son Verne is hiding in the trunk. When Doc arrives in 2017, Verne fears his discovery will get him in trouble and wanders off into town on his own. He gets duped by a trio of criminal clowns who manipulate him into helping rob a pharmacy.

     Issues #22, #24 and #25 are Part 1, 3 and 4 of “Time Served” - - a complicated story with some clever twists that occurs in three different timelines. Marcello Ferreira and Athila Fabbio continue on the art chores and maintain the high quality, although their depiction of Marty makes it a little harder to identify him.

    Marcus Irving borrows Docs’s DeLorean and takes Marty to 1972 to solve the mystery of the robbery for which Marty’s Uncle Joey went to prison. It involves Doc Brown and his mother, so Marcus and Marty go back to 1986. The DeLorean vanishes and while searching for the car they run into old foe Biff Tannen (who is now 35 years old due to a time paradox). Biff is looking for the $85,000 from the robbery and thinks Marty knows where it is.

    Biff coerces Marty (posing as the son of his 1955 identity, Calvin Klein) to join Uncle Joey and burgle Doc’s mother’s house. Doc foils the robbery, and Joey takes the fall so that Marty and Marcus can escape. Back in 1986 Marty pieces together a missing map that Doc made which indicates where the money was buried. This is where all the twists occur and make for a very amusing and head-spinning conclusion. FOUR STARS.

#98 - #104  BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #20 - #26 story by James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder (DC Comics, 2016) The weekly series continues in it’s final story arc. 

ISSUE #20 script by Tim Seeley, art by Roge Antonio & Geraldo Borges:  The Bat-family is trapped inside Ms. Duff’s St. Hadrian’s School For Girls (a.k.a. secret headquarters for Spiral) being pursued by the young students now under the influence of Mother’s mind control broadcast turning them into robotic murderers muttering “Mother”. The sonic assault also affects the Bat-family, turning them against each other in the same way. Tim Drake figures out that Mother’s signal can be blocked with Scarecrow’s Fear Gas, which makes the Bat-family experience troubling hallucinations and sets Harper against Cassandra, who she believes killed her mother. 

      Tim/Red Robin shuts down the schools’ generators which weakens the signal enough to stop the assaults. But Mother’s children Orphan and Poppy escape with Cassandra and Harper as their captives.

    ISSUE #21 is a stand-alone flashback story written by Tynion with art by Tony S. Daniel and Sandu Florea. Back when Bruce Wayne was supporting Mother’s school and efforts with an eye towards grooming an eventual replacement for Dick Grayson in the form of Harper Row, he became suspicious and traveled to Europe to investigate Mother’s background. 

  The issue contains Mother’s origins, and it’s grisly enough to make her somewhat sympathetic although there are plenty of reasons to dislike her (which I do). She was a child in the fictional border country of Gardenia which became over-run by Russian forces. She witnesses the slaughter of her parents by Russian soldiers, a move precipitated by the poisoning of a Russian officer (which Mother played a part in). She is the lone survivor of the genocide of all residents, and in turn she slaughters all the soldiers in their sleep before escaping into Europe. 

   ISSUE #22 is scripted by Genevieve Valentine with art by Fernando Blanco.  The Bat-family can’t track the cloaked plane transporting Harper and Cassandra to Mother’s other secret base in the Arctic Circle, where she prepares to unleash the next sonic wave of murder from a satellite.

Discouraged, the Bat-family gets an inspiring pep talk from Damien/Robin who showed up at the very end of Issue #20.

   Issue #23 is scripted by Genevieve Valentine again with art by Christian Duce.  Catwoman, Midnighter (who remains out of costume all issue, in spite of the cover) and Spoiler join the Bat-family in trying to disrupt Mother’s second and bigger wave of radio signals worldwide prompting children to kill their parents and join the new order of the woman who brainwashes student soldiers.  There’s a lot of dialogue this issue about how to best counter-attack and who and where, etc as a lead in to more action later (one can hope). Scarecrow is recruited (forced) to use his prison cell as a new lab to come up with a counter to the signal. Midnighter uses his computers to learn where the cell towers (signal boosters) are in major targeted cities and members are dispatched there. Dick Grayson heads for the Arctic Circle to attempt a rescue.

  Issue #24 is scripted by Steve Orlando with art by Alvaro Martinez and Raul Fernandez. Dick Grayson arrives at Mother’s Arctic fortress shortly before Azrael shows up. But he’s not there to assist in stopping the global murder spree. He came to kill Mother. 

    Meanwhile Midnighter (now in costume) works central command as various members (and some new ones) are dispatched via his teleport doors to various signal towers: “Batman” and “Robin” (Gotham); Damian (London); Red Hood (Toronto); Red Robin (Moscow); Batwoman (Dubai); Batgirl (Paris); Matron (Bologna); Black Canary (Mexico City); Katana (Kuala Lumpur); Talon (Shanghai); Catwoman (*Sydney); Spyral (Tokyo).

    Mother works to recruit Harper to her side, and provides her the means to kill the captive and bound Cassandra.

Issue #25 is also scripted by Steve Orlando with art by Javi Pina and Goran Suzuka. James Tynion IV returns to script final Issue #26 with art from Scot Eaton, Carlos Pagulayan, Igor Vitorino and Geraldo  Borges.  Having read these books at one sitting, I have a more favorable impression of this work compared to when I read the weekly issues as they were published. The second half of the series does get better, with a more cohesive storyline in spite of the slew of creators that were involved in this.

     Mother is thwarted by the efforts of the Bat-family (there was really never any doubt) both globally (taking out the signal towers) and during her final stand at the Arctic site when all the members of the Bat-family arrive for the final battle.  There’s a debate over bringing Mother to justice versus executing her on the spot, and a member of her team has a change of heart and makes the decision for them. 

     The ending/wrap-up is satisfactory, with Batman showing both regrets for his past decision-making that unintentionally supported Mother as well as both pride and acknowledgement of a fine group effort from the various Robins, etc. 

    I’m stepping up my overall rating a little bit. I don’t recommend paying full dollar to obtain this as it’s really not essential to the Batman canon. But, if you find single issues or trade paperbacks in the bargain bins I believe that’s a good buy. THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.

#105 - #108  ROUTE 666 #1 - #3, #22 by Tony Bedard and Karl Moline (CrossGen Comics, July 2002 - June 2004) I saw a lot of promise in this small, independent comics publisher who started in 2000 and crashed in 2004 via bankruptcy. Their books covered a variety of genres and were of a consistent high-quality in both story and art. Disney acquired the rights and later turned them over to Marvel, who in my opinion only put forth a half-hearted effort (no promotion whatsoever) to introduce some of the titles via 4-issue mini-series and one compilation of debut issues. So if you want to discover some of what they offered you’ll need to search the comic shop bargain bins and second-hand bookstores. 

   I picked up as many titles as my comics budget could handle. ROUTE 666 was one title I sampled for three issues and then decided I could eliminate when funds became tight. I jumped back in at Issue #22 to see what I had missed, not realizing this was to be the final issue (with story threads unresolved, unfortunately). 

     The first three issues revolved around lead character Cassie Starkweather, now a college student and a skilled gymnast, who since childhood has the ability to see and converse with dead people. She repressed her abilities, until a tragic accident kills her best friend, who then comes back into Cassie’s life as a ghost. Her ghost friend, Helene, warns her of the shadow figures that are after her spirit, as well as monsters that exist (werewolves nabbed the gymnastics coach) and threaten Cassie.

    Her parents don’t understand her predicament, fear a relapse of her childhood trauma, and enroll her in a mental institution (where half the staffs tied up in a sinister conspiracy as agents of The Adversary). Cassie escapes, but is a wanted person.

    What was not revealed until later issues was that ROUTE 666 occurs on a  fictional planet which mimics the lifestyles and technology of 1950’s USA.  By Issue #22, Cassie is still on the run.She’s near the polar ice cap with her new allies, a county sheriff who was caught up in events and two defected Rodinian (think Russia) agents. They stumble across a ghost ship stuck in an ice flow, a transport for slaves. Naturally, when the ghosts onboard realize that Cassie can see them, they swarm over her and plead with her to aid them. 

     The storyline is pretty complicated, and I tried to summarize it as best I could.  I regret that I did not stay with this title. Sometimes comic book selections are a real dice roll. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#109 - #110  SWAMP THING: GREEN HELL #1 of 3 by Jeff Lemire and Doug Mahnke (DC/Black Label prestige format, February 2022)  Finally, after a very long delay, the rest of this story will be released.  I had to go back and re-read Issue #1 in preparation for the remainder of this tale.  Here’s what I said about this in January 2022 . . . . . . . . . .

      A chance to view more of Doug Manhke’s great art in bigger panels with gorgeous splashes of color!  I immediately picked this up without checking out what the story was about. Oh, Jeff Lemire wrote this: double bonus! 

     This is not the Swamp Thing you may know and love, although some familiar characters show up near the end of this first issue. This is gory and gruesome, with a Lovecraftian spin on the swamp monster. But don’t despair. As is his wont, Lemire creates some likable characters for us to empathize with and root for. 

     This future Earth is doomed, whether the result of a global war or just the ravages of climate change is unspecified. But what remains of humanity clings to a mountaintop island surrounded by endless floodwater, and  besieged by an outlaw bunch living on a former oil drilling platform and  making frequent visits to collect protection money. 

     The Parliaments of the Green, the Red and the Rot are all in agreement: it’s time to finish the job, end humanity, and start over. They are responsible for a new and very brutal Swamp Thing. The world needs Alec Holland back, and an aging cynical mage is persuaded to help.  FOUR STARS.

Book Review of THE VESSEL by Adam Nevill

THE VESSEL by Adam Nevill (Ritual Ltd., October 2022) Trade paperback, 177 pages. ISBN # 9781739788612 Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . . . 

A watcher may remark that after sleeping for so long, the building appears to have been roused.’

Struggling with money, raising a child alone and fleeing a volatile ex, Jess McMachen accepts a job caring for an elderly patient. Flo Gardner—a disturbed shut-in and invalid. But if Jess can hold this job down, she and her daughter, Izzy, can begin a new life.

Flo's vast home, Nerthus House, may resemble a stately vicarage in an idyllic village, but the labyrinthine interior is a dark, cluttered warren filled with pagan artifacts.

And Nerthus House lives in the shadow of a malevolent secret. A sinister enigma determined to reveal itself to Jess and to drive her to the end of her tether. Not only is she stricken by the malign manipulation of the Vicarage's bleak past, but mercurial Flo is soon casting a baleful influence over young Izzy. What appeared to be a routine job soon becomes a battle for Jess's sanity and the control of her child.

It's as if an ancient ritual was triggered when Jess crossed the threshold of the vicarage. A rite leading her and Izzy to a terrifying critical mass, where all will be lost or saved.

An eerie folk horror novel from the author of Cunning Folk, The Reddening, The Ritual, No One Gets Out Alive and the four times winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel.

My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     This short novel began as a film script before it became a novel. It does have a cinematic feel to it with great imagery and short chapters -- like scene breaks in a film.

     Nevill excels at folk horror and alluding to ancient pagan rites and beliefs which establishes an air of creepiness throughout the novel.

     THE VESSEL serves as a mini-morality play for those who wish to look deeper into the story. The final chapters seemed quite abrupt and quick compared to the rest of the story, like in a movie where the final act needs to wrap it all up and things move faster. Still, the final resolution was very satisfying.

     THE VESSEL is a very engaging read that can easily be read in one sitting and enjoyed.

Gondii - King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard

KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD 2 of 2

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Hate Dancin'

This band always manages to surprise me . . . . .

The Cowsills, Rhythm Of The World

THE COWSILLS 2 of 2

The Cowsills - Nuclear Winter

OMG, I had no idea this family band from the 1970's was still making music.

I always thought they were under-rated - -  THE COWSILLS

Sunfruits - Believe It All (Official Video)

SUNFRUITS 2 of 2

Sunfruits - Made To Love (Official Video)

SUNFRUITS  1 of 2

PGHHEAD'S 2023 COMICS ODYSSEY, Part Four

PGHHEAD’S 2023 COMICS ODYSSEY, PART 4

    This marks the third consecutive year that I will attempt to document my comics reading by writing at least a mini-review. The goal is 1200 books read and reviewed in 2023, although I missed the mark in 2022 by 88 books.  Still, I like that number as it’s easy enough to track - - - 100 books per month on average. Wish me luck!

# GOAL FOR January 31, 2023. . . 100 comics documented

CURRENT COUNT . . . . .  87 comics documented

#61 - #65  THE MARQUIS: DANSE MACABRE #1 - #5 written and illustrated by Guy Davis (Oni Press, 2000-2001)  “It was during the 18th Century, a time of Inquisition, when faith governed the land, a time when the souls of Hell had escaped into this world to sin, murder and be free within the possession of the living . . . .

      During this time a man began a holy crusade to hunt down the damned and return them to Hell, but as he wrestles with all he believes, the lines of good and evil begin to blur into a struggle between faith and sanity.”

     The main attraction for me was the exquisite detailed art of Guy Davis, worth multiple viewings in order to appreciate fully. However, the story is well done although it seems to be a bit repetitive across the five issues that comprised this mini-series. 

I'm reminded bit of SPAWN, especially the main character who doesn't realize who he's really working for- - although once learning this it does not seem to deter him. MARQUIS is about faith and how it can sometimes cause a practitioner to become more like those he opposes. FOUR STARS.

#66  THE MARQUIS: A SIN OF ONE one-shot written and illustrated by Guy Davis (Oni Press, 2003)

More black-and-white gorgeous art from the pen of Guy Davis. The series is about escaped demons and the consequences of Hell unleashed on Earth.  Another guided tour into Davis’ imaginary 18th century France and the troubled soul of the Marquis. 

      I enjoyed this one-shot much more than the five-issue debut mini-series which seemed to drag on. This one gets right to it: the Marquis dispatches three more demons hiding inside civilians of various rank and class, each one providing a valuable lesson in his journey. The final victim is especially troubling and will haunt me for a bit. FOUR STARS.

#67 - #68  NECROSCOPE BOOK II: WAMPHYRI #1, #3 by Martin Powell and Dave Kendall (Malibu Comics, 1993) This adaptation of Brian Lumley’s second novel is as well done as the first mini-series. Sadly, this volume was never finished, as Marvel bought Malibu Comics before it completed. Necroscope was one of the titles to get the immediate axe. (Marvel acquired Malibu simply in order to prevent DC from buying them, put out some half-hearted crossovers with their superhero characters, and then discontinued everything. I wish publishers would not do that.) 

     There are buried vampires in the ground, still alive and thinking their thoughts - - thoughts they can express only through the Necroscope, Harry Keogh. Poor Harry can read the thoughts of the dead in their graves.

   In this second volume, new character Yulian Bodes feels a strange compulsion to discover his real father (ancient vampire Thibor Ferenczy) and spread his works around. Only Harry Keogh, trapped in the metaphysical Mobius Continuum, can stop him. But Harry has a problem: he exists within the Continuum but doesn’t have a physical body. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#69 - #72  BEFORE WATCHMEN: RORSCHACH #1 - #4 of 4 by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo  (DC Comics, 2012-2013) This one gets 3.5 stars mainly on the strength of Bermejo’s gritty photo-realistic art. The story takes place in NYC 1977 and Bermejo’s depiction of dirty, crime-ridden streets is so believable. 

    I’m a bit disappointed in Azzarello’s story, and thought it to be a trifle lazy. For my money, Rorschach was the most interesting character in Alan Moore’s WATCHMEN. Azzarello does explore his character here (briefly) but mainly strips him of the trappings that made him mysterious and reduces him to the ordinary. He gets the crap beaten out of him - - twice!, and by the same crime gang. 

     Plus, there’s a budding romance between Rorschach in his un-costumed identity and a diner worker but Azzarello messes with that as well. The Rorschach I remember had a code of honor and integrity - - as brutal as his interrogation methods sometimes were, there was a line he would not cross. Azzarello here implies that he may have used his girlfriend as bait to entrap a serial killer. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS. 

#73 - #78  BATMAN: WIDENING GYRE #1-#6 written by Kevin Smith, pencils by Walter Flanagan, inks by Art Thibert (DC Comics, 2009-2010)  This was intended as a twelve issue mini-series, with a break at the middle. Part Two was to be released as BATMAN: BELICOSITY - - and it never happened.

After the break both Smith and Flanagan (manager of Smith’s Secret Stash comic shop in Red Bank, New Jersey) became involved in the COMIC BOOK MEN series for AMC and never returned to the work. (Shades of SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT - although Smith eventually finished that one). That’s a real shame as well as a disservice to Batman fans, as Issue #6 ends on a big cliffhanger. 

     Nevertheless, I enjoyed this. It’s a more light-hearted version of Batman (in several ways) with many of his long-time foes making appearances (Poison Ivy, Joker, Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze, etc). A new night-time vigilante with a goats-head mask named Baphomet shows up to first bail Batman out of a jam and then assist him on several missions, eventually earning his trust. Having both Nightwing and the new Baphomet on hand frees up a little leisure time for Batman. Bruce Wayne reunites with Silver St. John and their romance rekindles. Catwoman is super-jealous and tries to insert herself back into Batman’s life. At least Bruce Wayne gets to be happy for a couple of issues. 

     I appreciate the humor here, which was sometimes deemed off-color/crude at the time, but comes off as mild compared to current DC (and others) fare. Walter Flanagan’s art is very good. It would be nice to see more of it, but I suppose he’s happy doing what he’s doing. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#79  WONDER WOMAN: REBIRTH one-shot by Greg Rucka with art by Matthew Clark and Liam Sharp (DC Comics, August 2016) This debut issue of the new re-birth (a.k.a. re-boot) of WONDER WOMAN held a lot of promise, enough to convince me to pick up the first of both alternating story arcs. Neither one engaged me enough to keep going, but it was a good beginning. I think the title suffered a bit from jumping back and forth each issue between Rucka’s current storyline and Brian Azzarello’s Year One story, not to mention two very different art styles. The art in this one-shot is very good, especially Sharp’s details on pages 15-20.

   The best scene is Diana/Wonder Woman looking at herself in a stand-up mirror and reflecting on her past: “You are many to many. Peace-maker and war-fighter. Supplicant. Aspirant, Penitent. The true friend and the boon companion, the trusted soul and the truth-speaker . . . and you have been deceived (as her truth lasso reveals to her when wound around her arm). The entire issue is Wonder Woman questioning her life and if everything she believes is a lie. Several times Rucka presents a scene from her past, and then gives readers three different versions/meanings of it. 

   If you’re a Wonder Woman fan, then you should be checking out this issue as well as the opening story arcs that followed. It’s also a decent jumping-on point if you’re curious about the character - although this can get a bit confusing. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#80  THE WORLDS OF H.P. LOVECRAFT: THE ALCHEMIST by Steve Jones and Octavio Cariello (Tome Press/Caliber Comics, 1997) The story here lacks a time/date notation. It covers a period of time in France when there were still castles and moves forward hundreds of years to cities with gas lamps and horse-drawn carriages. I’ve never read the original story to see how faithful this adaptation is, but I did enjoy the story.

     A young son of a royal family (the Chabrillanes) disappears, and the local necromancer/sorcerer/alchemist and his son are suspected. This results in the head of the manor strangling the older sorcerer, minutes before his son is found. As a result, the sorceror's son places a curse on the family — adult males to all perish upon reaching the age of 32.

   The current head of the family, worried about his upcoming birthday, seeks help from a fencing master/part-time detective who uncovers the mystery behind how members of the family were dispatched for six generations. Kind of a supernatural solution, as befits Lovecraft stories. 

    Nice black and white illustrations here with some good ink work. FOUR STARS.

#81 - #87  BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #13 - #19 Story by James Tynion IV & Scott Snyder. Script by James Tynion IV (#13, #14) Jackson Lanzing & Colin Kelly (#15, #16), Ed Brisson (#17, #18), Tim Seeley(#19). Art by Marcio Takara (#13), Fernando Blanco & Roger Robinson (#14), Christian Duce (#15), Andrea Mutti & Roger Robinson (#16), Scott Eaton (#17, #18), Paul Pelletier (#19). . . . (DC Comics, February-April 2016) 

As you can tell from that list of credits, it takes a bunch of creators to put out a weekly book on time. I’m surprised the story hangs together as well as it does, although there are certainly moments of contradictions, repetition, and confusion. Another limitation is that with this many artists some of the secondary characters get harder to identify because of the different ways they are depicted. 

    This series was of interest to me because it features  many secondary actors in the Bat-drama. In fact, that title is misleading. There’s not that much Batman in this story. It’s more about the others. This should’ve been titled BAT-FAMILY ETERNAL. 

     I was reading this every week when it was originally released and was confused often. It was hard to follow. Now, reading multiple issues at a time certainly helps cut through the fog. It’s not possible to write a short synopsis but I’ll give it a shot . . . . . .

      Mother runs a school for young assassins in England, and has utilized Batman in the past to actually secure orphans and provide some funding. He was duped, but that’s explained mid-way through. Even Azrael’s Order of St. Dumas was mixed up with this. After being exposed for her true intentions, Mother unleashes her pre-programmed students to attack and destroy whatever is in their path. The Bat-family sorts it out. 

    While the art can be really interesting in parts, and the story is entertaining, there is really nothing here to cause me to recommend that others read this series. Pretty non-essential unless you, like me, want to read about a large cast of characters from the Bat-universe. THREE STARS.

Alvvays - Bored In Bristol (Lyrics)

ALVVAYS - - - 3 of 3

Alvvays - Very Online Guy [Official Video]

ALVVAYS 2 of 3

Alvvays - After The Earthquake (Lyrics)

ALVVAYS  - -  more 2022 music

Iggy Pop – Frenzy

Still rocking decades later . . .New 2022 Music from IGGY POP

Book Review of I AM QUIET by Andie Powers and Betsy Petersen

I AM QUIET: A STORY FOR THE INTROVERT IN ALL OF US children’s picture book by Andie Powers and Betsy Petersen (Bala Kids, April 2022) Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN #9781611809848 

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

Emile may seem timid and shy on the outside, but on the inside he is bustling with imagination. While grownups and even other kids may see Emile as the shy kid who doesn’t raise his hand in class, we know that Emile is actually a high-seas adventurer, a daring explorer, and a friend to wild beasts.

This story honors and encourages the beauty of knowing ourselves for exactly who we are. Emile’s world shows us that the mind of a quiet child can be as rich, expansive, and bold as that of any other (more extroverted) child.

My Five-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     A simple yet eloquent book for young children, middle-grade readers and everyone else, including adults. 

     I can see why this was a 2022 Goodreads Choice Award winner for Middle Grade/Childrens fiction.

     As a young child I was introverted and judged as shy. In truth I was a little bit of both. In hindsight, I could have benefited from adults being a little less judgmental and trying to learn more about me,

     That's the message that come through from this book.

It's a nice uplifting message to young children that you are not necessarily inferior, you are just quiet. 

The author's notes at the end of the book says it all. She was inspired to write this based on an experience when her daughter was one-years old.

Book Review of NIGHTWOOD by Elana Gomel

NIGHTWOOD by Elana Gomel (Crystal Lake Publishing, January 20, 2023 release date) Kindle edition

     I was looking for something a little different, with different themes than what I've been currently reading. Right off the bat, NIGHTWOOD met my intentions perfectly, a dark fantasy based on Russian and Ukrainian folklore. By the mid-point of Chapter One I was engaged. The beginning was a perfect foreshadowing of things to come, creating some apprehension right from the start. While the two characters featured are not the main subjects, there was enough characterization to feel sorry for their situation.

     Main character Ally moves to the United States from Ukraine and marries wealthy Californian Carl. They reside in a beautiful glass-walled mansion nestled against the redwood forest that just happens to border Nightwood. 

Part 1, Chapter 1: "The past was so much easier to live with when you could edit it at will."

     In Part 1 there is a lot of back-story to cover as well as multiple characters to introduce. Some of these characters will play a major role and others are merely set decorations. The weird only intrudes in short bits, and things get a bit slow. However, once events pick up near the end of Part 1 this gets wild. Everybody and everything is just a bit off-center, which adds to the enjoyment.

     When her elderly husband disappears, Ally finds within the house enough artifacts of Carl's mysteriously deceased first wife to learn how to enter the Nightwood and rescue him. Nightwood is populated by mythical beasts and animals from fairy tales. 

     Gomel's inventiveness is on full display here and the journey of Ally across this strange land makes up the bulk of the novel: Red, Black and White Horsemen; ghouls; ravenous wolves, shapeshifting deer and other animals, deformed human livestock; magical castles; a ruling Ogre; and special transformative waters.

     Gomel blends her fantasy world with reality, reinforcing the repetitive mantra that appears throughout the novel: All fairy tales were history once. Many of those trapped within the Nightwood come from different periods in time/history and Gomel creates fantasy tribulations for them that parallel their former existence in the normal world. Before the novel finishes with a realistic fairy-tale ending, the subjects of oppression, loyalty, responsibility, and trust are woven within.

PGHHEAD'S 2023 COMICS ODYSSEY, Part Three

    This marks the third consecutive year that I will attempt to document my comics reading by writing at least a mini-review. The goal is 1200 books read and reviewed in 2023, although I missed the mark in 2022 by 88 books.  Still, I like that number as it’s easy enough to track - - - 100 books per month on average. Wish me luck!

# GOAL FOR January 20, 2023. . . 67 comics documented

CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 60 comics documented

#35 - #36  AVENGERS: WAR ACROSS TIME #1 by Paul Levitz and Alan Davis (Marvel, March 2023)  At one time, AVENGERS #11 (December 1964) was the prize issue of my young meager comics collection. Spider-Man vs. The Mighty Avengers. Who wouldn’t want to read that?  It was also the second appearance of Kang and my first introduction to this character, who would go on to become my favorite all-time Avengers villain. I must have read that comic twenty times. 

   This brand-new story features the early Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man and the Wasp) and occurs immediately following the events of Avengers #11. In that issue, Kang created a robotic version of Spider-Man to go up against the Avengers. Thwarted in his efforts to conquer the 20th Century, in WAR ACROSS TIME Kang is determined to try again and sends out a robotic Hulk (powered by a gamma-irradiated heart).

  Veteran writer Paul Levitz is respectful of the source material and scripts a story that really feels like it could have followed that December 1964 tale. He nails it, down to the snappy dialogue, group interaction and fight scenes. Another comics veteran, Alan Davis alters his appealing art style just enough to simulate the best of classic Don Heck (long time Avengers artist).
    If you’ve ever had a chance to read that landmark two-issue Thing vs. Hulk battle from Volume One of the FANTASTIC FOUR, you will be delighted by what happens here. Some very welcome nostalgia. FIVE STARS. 

#37 - #42  THOR, VOLUME ONE: THE DEVOURER KING by Donny Cates and Nic Klein (Marvel, 2020)  Following in the footsteps of Jason Aaron after his classic lengthy run on the THOR title could not have been easy. So, Donny Cates goes big with an epic story but thankfully not epic in length. This one wraps up in six single issues, which make up the story arc collected here in The Devourer King.

     Thor is now the king of Asgard during a time of peace across the Ten Realms. The quiet is very short-lived, as the Black Winter is coming which threatens to wipe out everything. Galactus shows up and enlists Thor in his attempt to stop the Black Winter. He gives up some of his cosmic power to Thor, and makes him his new all-powerful herald. Thor has to find five planets for Galactus to devour, gaining him enough strength to take on Black Winter. 

     Can you ever really trust Galactus? Before this ends, there are several surprises including Thor having to battle friend and lover (Beta Ray Bill and Sif) because they don't understand his involvement. The ending is especially unexpected, and I hope it sticks (but I doubt it). 

     Seems like Cates will be exploring the lofty aims of Thor as king as well as how he handles the awesome responsibilities. The art is equally epic in scope and gorgeous to ponder over. Some of the early panels in Issue One are expository in nature, and really create that mythological sense aided by the art and font style that recall a Classic Illustrated feel . 

This was a welcome change of pace from standard Thor fare. FOUR STARS.

#43  MANIAC OF NEW YORK III: DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK #1 of 4 Written by Elliott Kalan with art and colors by Andrea Mutti and letters by Taylor Esposito (AfterShock Comics, January 18, 2023 release date) “The Theme Is Rebirth”

Goodbye Harry, Hello Mary.

   A full review of this title was posted to the blog for Tuesday, January 17. FIVE STARS.

#44 - #49  SHE-HULK, VOLUME ONE: DECONSTRUCTED by Mariko Tamaki with art by Nico Leon and Dalibor Talajic (Marvel, 2017) This was different from any previous She-Hulk stories that I had read. That's the reason I enjoyed this more. For the first time, I came across a She-Hulk tale that I could actually engage with. 

DECONSTRUCTED is more about Jennifer Walters than it is about the huge creature she turns into. In fact, that Hulk persona doesn't appear until the final issue of this collection. This is a well-written story about PTSD and recovery. 

Following the events of Marvel's Second Civil War, She-Hulk endured a savage beating by Thanos and fell into a coma. When she recovers, she learns that her cousin and mentor, Bruce Banner/The Original Hulk was killed by Hawkeye in the final days of the Civil War. Jen returns to law practice and does her best to adapt/adjust to her new situation while suppressing her transformations into She-Hulk. When a new client struggles with eviction, some strange revelations about the client's background come to the surface. "What happens when a fear is so strong, it becomes a destructive force in its own right?" Jen Walters has to revive She-Hulk in order to solve the case and obtain a winning verdict. THREE STARS.

#50  AVENGERS FOREVER #13 by Jason Aaron and Aaron Kuder (Marvel, March 2023) “Avengers Assemble, Part 5: The War Of Wars” Just as I was getting discouraged by this multiversal epic, an issue pops up to engage and entertain me. This one benefits from a more cohesive story and a focus on a single incident and fewer characters.

   The centerpiece this time is the three goddaughters of Thor, all eager to engage in a war they can call their own, and narrated by one of the trio (Ellisiv). There’s a cool flashback to an epic showdown between two fiery birds - -  Old Man Phoenix (Wolverine) and Dark Phoenix (Mystique). Mystique wins and scatters pieces of the defeated Wolverine across the universe. The three goddaughters gather and reassemble the immortal Wolverine so he can join in the battle at Avengers Tower. 

   Avenger Prime, who gathered all these Avenger forces together, finally shows his face - - and what a surprise reveal! Plus Doom goes to work via multiple versions of himself, including Doom The Living Planet. Lest I forget there’s also an army of hammers!

   My favorite line of the issue: “We’ve got plenty of Caps and Carols and Thunderers, but, at the moment, we’re woefully short of sorcerers!” FOUR STARS.

#51 - #53  BACK TO THE FUTURE #7, #10, #14 by John Barber and Bob Gale with art by Marcelo Ferreira, Athila Fabbio, Emma Vieceli (IDW Publishing, 2016)  If you enjoy the movie trilogy you’ll like the comic. It’s very faithful to the source material, from the behavior and dialogue of the characters to how much the art resembles their film appearance. Not to mention that the situations seem like they could be scripts for more films.

   Issues #7 and #10 are Part 2 and Part 5 of “The Continuum Conundrum” (say that fast three times). Marty McFly in 1986 receives a letter from Clara in 1893 revealing that Doc brown has disappeared in the time stream. Marty and girlfriend Jennifer find a secret lab and a second DeLoran. The’s lab’s burglar alarm goes off and entraps the intruder — it’s Doc Brown, but he has no idea who Marty is. Marty and Doc head to 2035 for answers, get labeled as terrorists with Officer Griff Tannen in pursuit. Doc gets a bump on the head that helps him remember (to be concluded). 

   Issue #14 is Part 2 of “Who Is Marty McFly?” Marty goes back to 1955 and causes some damage to his family by improving the character of his father. As a result, he realizes that his memories of his wimpy father no longer match the revised events of this timeline - - and it drives him nuts.

THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#54 - #55  H. P. LOVECRAFT’S THE DREAM-QUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH  #1, #2 adapted and drawn by Jason Thompson (Mock Man Press, 1997-1998) Before I dive into the new version of UNKNOWN KADATH from  Ablaze Comics I wanted to explore this black-and-white quarterly independent comic. I have yet to read Lovecraft’s novel but have been interested in investigating his dark fantasy landscape. This will suffice until I can get to it (so many to-be-read lists!) 

    And a very complex landscape it is, as evidenced by both the story and the elaborate art here. The only detractor is that Thompson chose to give main character Randolph Carter and everyman/stick figure cartoonish appearance (in order to contrast with the dark detail of other characters, monsters and backgrounds). That took some getting used to.

    Carter has dreams of a marvelous sunset city (Kadath) and sets out to seek it in the Dreamlands, where every night he is reborn. Descending the Seven Hundred Steps of Deeper Slumber he goes on a quest to find the Hidden Gods, who brood above the clouds on Unknown Kadath.

  So far, he’s traversed the Enchanted Wood met uneasy allies (the zoog), made friends in the cat-filled city of Ulthar, gets drugged and kidnapped by pirates/traders  and sailed off the edge of the world into space where they land on the moon. There’s more, but I think that’s enough to give you an idea. Wild, psychedelic wonder. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#56 - #60  NECROSCOPE #1 - #5 of 5 by Martin Powell and Daerick Gross (Malibu Comics, 1992-1993) This begins Malibu’s adaptation of the popular 1986+ series of horror novels by Brian Lumley. I read several of these when they were first released, and the comics adaptation is a good one. The painted art style is especially appealing and effective.

    Lumley takes vampiric folk-lore and blends it with espionage and science-fiction to bring something new to the table. His vampires (old school spelling/pronunciation - wamphyri) are the furthest thing from romantic interpretations (Dracula,etc) and went on to influence the vampires of THE STRAIN. They are large, monstrous, hideous things that have additional powers and can infiltrate a body and possess it. 

     Both British and Russian intelligence forces have special task forces utilizing those with extra-sensory perceptions and powers. Brit Harry Keogh can speak to the dead and pull their knowledge and memories as well. Russian Boris Dragosani can also learn everything a person (living or dead) knows, but only by eviscerating them and consuming their hearts. He decides to revive a long-entombed ancient vampire and steal his powers.

There’s also an additional sci-fi twist added in the entry of a möbius strip, which Harry learns of from speaking to the dead inventor and utilizing it to teleport. Harry also can raise an army of the dead to assist him. 

    Fascinating stuff. FOUR STARS.