Free Comic Book Day has come & gone, and now it's time to take a look at some of this year's offerings, which we'll do over the next few days.
In advance of the forthcoming movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, the League of Super Pets will star in a graphic novel of their own, previewed in a sampler.
"The Great Mxy-Up" would've worked better if the reader actually gets to see the villain of the piece---Mr. Mxyzptlk, of course----in this preview. Writer Heath Corson has written comics and movies (i.e. "Justice League: War") for DC & WB, but he's reaching when it comes to the Super-Pets. No Streaky, the Supercat? Instead of Jumpa the kangaroo, which was Wonder Woman's pet back in the day, the Amazon gets a pig? An inside joke referencing an episode of Justice League Unlimited that a lot of younger readers who didn't see that series won't get. Flash has a turtle? Another inside joke.
Parents, ya might want to stock up on any Silver Age comics featuring some of the pets, including Jumpa. Also, Ch'p (rechristened Chip) here is pet and partner to fellow Green Lantern Jessica Cruz. As for the movie, I'm afraid not even The Rock can save this turkey.
Rating: C-.
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In two years, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will have officially turned 40. This year marks their 10th anniversary on Nickelodeon, and the 35th anniversary of their television debut. IDW is honoring the original Kevin Eastman/Peter Laird classics with a throwback story arc, "The Armageddon Game". Eastman & Laird's original short is represented, alongside a preview of the new arc by Tom Waltz & Sophie Campbell, which is a love letter to long time Turtles fans, and stylistically captures the spirit of the original books of the mid-80's. They're even throwing in the first female turtle, Venus de Milo, from Saban's 1999 series, Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, a one season wonder for Fox. True Turtle fans won't miss.
Rating: A.
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Papercutz has a nice little treat for the younger set, but it also works for older readers.
We've seen funny animals play baseball before, and I don't mean Bugs Bunny vs. the Gas House Gorillas. Warners also did one where an elephant was called on to help a down and out team. Acclaimed author John Steven Gurney and Papercutz introduce comics fans to the Fernwood Valley Fuzzies. A funny animal analogue to, say for example, the "Bad News Bears" little leaguers. Fuzzy Baseball is a delightful treat for the whole family, and will introduce the kiddo's, if they haven't seen them already, to Gurney's past works. I'm begging them to plug it on MLB Network!!
Rating: A+.
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When Dynamite obtained the license to adapt Robert E. Howard's Red Sonja, no one gave a thought that the company would exploit the character like they have. They also acquired reprint rights to Sonja's earliest comics adventures from Marvel, which began with Marvel Feature (2nd series) in 1975, not 1973, as the publisher mistakenly claims. Issue 4 of that short-lived series is reprinted in Dynamite's FCBD offering for Sonja, illustrated by Frank Thorne, and written by Bruce Jones, who became a bigger name in the 80's. In short, Sonja battles what she thinks is a gorgon. Emphasize thinks. A backup feature written by Cullen Bunn is also mistakenly identified as something originally done in 1973, but that might actually be a misprint. Looking at this, nearly 50 years after its original publication, Thorne's Sonja is exactly what you'd expect, but everything else looks a little too busy.
Rating: B.
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