On The Shelf: More Free Comic Book Day stuff

 Continuing with the Free Comic Book Day reviews:

Mad Cave decided to release black & white specials of Terrorbytes & Flash Gordon. Why did they even bother?

In Flash's case, writer Jeremy Adams just had to remind us of how Dale Arden was brainwashed into becoming the new, evil empress of Mongo at the start of the series. No sale. Seems Adams is in no hurry to repair that mistake. And that's a mistake in and of itself.

Mark Russell has been entrusted with Terrorbytes, but I'd rather see this in full color glory.

Ratings for both: C.

Over at Marvel, the House of Missing Ideas decided three features are better than two in two of their offerings.

For example, you get Amazing Spider-Man, plus Venom, and a preview of Queen in Black, which, we already know, is Hela, from Thor. More than 35 years after the debut of Venom, the symbiote concept has jumped the shark. Venom itself is now bonded to Mary Jane Watson, who's more than likely destined to return to Spider-Man's side, after her most recent beau was killed. This after some genius decided to give the Black Widow a symbiote. Right about now, Stan Lee is turning over in his grave.

Rating: None. Not worth it.

Meanwhile, the 20th Century Studios imprint offers a trifecta featuring Aliens, Predator, & Planet of The Apes, with a small tease of what we talked about last time involving the latter pair.

Rating: A-.

Dark Horse reportedly plans on a Masters of The Universe ongoing, timed to precede the remake of the 1987 live-action film. The backup feature is Dungeons & Dragons, because that franchise is still around, more than 45 years later. Take yer pick, effendi.

Rating: B.

DC's Next Level sampler offers teases of the first wave of titles, some of which are already out, including Fury of Firestorm (previously reviewed). The Jeff Lemire-penned series has been expanded from 6 to 9 issues, meaning it'll wrap in time for Christmas.

Batwoman returns, but we are not thrilled with Dani's artistic rendering of Kate Kane. At least enough time passed after the CW series ended in a debacle a few years ago. You have to be reading Batman to have an understanding why Barbara Gordon has gone to prison in Matt Fraction's current storyline. Her spinoff series won't mean anything otherwise, and we're closing in on the 60th anniversary of her debut as Batgirl. No sale.

Lobo is back as well, just in time for his big screen debut this summer in "Supergirl". The "Last Czarnian" is as rowdy & nasty as ever.

Ratings:

Batwoman: C.

Lobo: B.

Barbara Gordon: No rating.

Meanwhile, Mad Cave has launched a new Gatchaman spinoff series, Red Impulse, whose titular hero has ties to the team. That's all I can say about Steve Orlando's plot. We've seen variations on this plot before, as it's an oft-used trope.

Rating: Incomplete.

As Dynamite's ThunderCats-Silverhawks event continues, Mumm-Ra, the 'Cats' arch-nemesis, gets his own miniseries. We dig the Golden Age style aesthetic, as the villain's origins are revealed. We're less enthused about ThunderHawks, in which some characters from ThunderCats Lost don Silverhawk armor. Without being bonded. Hmmmmmm. Curious. And Silverhawks marks its 40th anniversary this year. Oy!

Ratings for both: B.

On The Shelf: An unlikeable anti-hero, and two TV favorites return

 Free Comic Book Day has come & gone, and we're taking a look at some of the goodies that arrived last weekend.

Amp Comics has the license to adapt Stephen J. Cannell's early 80's adventure series, The Greatest American Hero, getting cooperation from series star William Katt. That's the good news.

Image courtesy Amp Comics.

The bad news? While the story is set in modern times, after Ralph Hinkley (Katt) has retired, and reconnects with his son, in the process meeting his granddaughter, artist Alper Geicel, a relative newcomer, doesn't connect with the reader, which makes one long for cover artist David Mack to do the interiors as well. Oof. Anyone expecting something along the lines of the original series will be disappointed.

Rating: B--.

The former WB/CW series, Supernatural, has landed at Dynamite, and the company decided to reissue the 1st issue for Free Comic Book Day. Fans of the Winchester brothers will be happy to see them back in action. Given that there was a crossover with Scooby-Doo late in the run, it won't surprise anyone if eventually, Dynamite picks up the license for Scooby, too, hoping for a sequel. We'll see, but, given how Dynamite has solicited titles as ongoing, only to see those books cut down to miniseries (i.e. Thundarr), I wouldn't get my hopes up.

The opener proves that the guys are gullible enough to fall for a con. Not what I wanted to read.

Rating: B.

Archie Comics collected a quintet of 5 pagers for World of Archie, their Free Comic Book Day entry. Always on the pop culture tip, this collection includes Betty & Veronica spinning off from the Archies to form Rock Candi, and, later, setting up shop selling merch based on a send-up of singer Sabrina Carpenter, unaware that the other Sabrina, our favorite witch, has a similar kiosk running. A time travel spoof with our Sabrina closes out the volume. September, and Oni Press taking over the franchise, can't come soon enough.

Rating: B-.

Another of the new Vertigo titles from DC is End of Life, which pretty much guarantees that its lead, hitman Eddie Stallion, is destined to meet his end once writer Kyle Starks decides to finish his story. Stallion's tale is not one of redemption, but, rather, being on the run after a job goes sideways. Oh, does it ever.

After reading the first three issues, I got the sense that had this been written in the 90's, you could've made a movie out of this with Vanilla Ice as Eddie, and Edward Asner as his pop. Wishful thinking, I know, but there is no way you can cheer for Eddie, not when the title implies the end of the story.

Rating: B--.

Quick hits: I've come to the conclusion that Archie Comics artist Dan Parent has taken to drawing covers of Sabrina in fishnet stockings & knee boots in response to DC's sexy sorceress, Zatanna, who, thanks to Jamal Campbell, has ditched the boots for heels at long last. Now, if Campbell can find Zee a boyfriend not named John Constantine, we'd be all set...............IDW is going with a modern day retelling of Zorro with Zorro's Legacy, out in July. The Howard Chaykin penned Zorro series appears to be off the calendar for the moment........Over at DC, writer Jeremy Adams has split up the Wonder Twins, with Jayna going it alone alongside Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), who otherwise is ready to pop the question to on-again, off-again lover Carol Ferris (Star Sapphire), while Zan appears in Emperor Aquaman, with the bigger story being that the twins don't need to touch to activate their powers anymore. The stories will merge later this year, but if this doesn't lead to Jayna dating Beast Boy of the Titans (which would require him to split with Raven), I don't know what does........With Planet of The Apes vs. Fantastic Four wrapping up later this month, Marvel plans to send a Predator to the ape world in July. What next? Aliens?....After Muppets Noir wraps next month, Dynamite will try a Red Sonja Noir miniseries in July. Stop the pain!

On The Shelf: Firestorm goes rogue, and the Muppets go noir

 Dynamite's trying something, well, radical, with Muppets Noir, a miniseries that not only sends up old school detective mysteries, but paints the gang in completely new lights.

An accident leaves Kermit seemingly in a coma, where he imagines himself as detective Flip Minnow, Fozzie as a cop (!), and it goes from there. Writer-artist Roger Langridge is having some fun. 

Rating: A.

On the other side of the fence is DC's latest version of The Fury of Firestorm. Writer Jeff Lemire is crafting psychological thriller in which the nuclear man has gone completely rogue. Right now, I've got a good idea where this is going.

As a bonus, Firehawk returns to help the police get inside the complex mind of an entity that was once an ally.

Firehawk was introduced in the original Fury of Firestorm series in the 80's, and is a welcome sight.

Rating: A-.

When Ted Wolf pitched ThunderCats to Rankin-Bass back in the 80's, I don't think he'd ever imagined Lion-O and his tribe ever meeting the Silverhawks, who debuted a year later.

Writers Declan Shalvey & Ed Brisson seem to think the two teams belong as part of a shared universe, and the latest step is ThunderCats X Silverhawks, a 5 month event from Dynamite that also gives the 'Cats' arch nemesis, Mumm-Ra, his own series. There's also a scenario where some 'Cats are wearing Silverhawk armor. That may be pushing the envelope just a wee bit too far.

Grade: Incomplete.

After a recent miniseries from Mad Cave comes word that Lee Falk's legendary hero, The Phantom, will get a TV series, streaming on Netflix, I believe, within the next year. A challenge, to be sure, but then, Mad Cave took a chance on Phantom.....! Buffy The Vampire Slayer returns to comics in July at a new home, Dynamite (previously at Dark Horse). Kelly Thompson & Stephen Byrne are the creative team on the new series.....Buffy replaces Thundarr The Barbarian, as that series ends with issue 5 in June. Not enough interest in a 46 year old cartoon. Why am I not surprised?

On The Shelf: Old school crime noir, Dick Tracy celebrates St. Patrick's Day, and a creator passes on

 Rather than do another Valentine's Day special, Mad Cave decided to give Dick Tracy a St. Patrick's Day special as an interlude before the next story arc, launching next month.

88 Keys makes his first appearance in the series, rebooted as an Irish pianist turned serial killer, or, vigilante, depending on how you look at it, as he's going after some smaller crooks. Craig Cermak is the guest artist on this one, and it looks great. Tim Seeley wrote the backup, drawn by Rebekah Isaacs, about a leprechaun causing some trouble. Begorra!!

Rating: A-.

Marvel may be preparing for a new slate of Ultraman adventures, which might explain the misleading title, The Fall of Ultraman, in a 1-shot special. Hopefully, when they do reboot, they'll find better writers.

Rating: C-.

In relaunching Vertigo, DC brings out a modern take on old school crime noir.

The Peril of The Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery is a 6 issue miniseries which introduces Cain to readers. I don't think I'd read that it was originally marketed as a miniseries, but learned a week ago that it has been cut to 6 issues, due to poor pre-orders. Artist Jacob Phillips captures the mood and the aesthetic of Chris Condon's script. Get ready for a wild ride.

Rating: A-.

Zorro has found a new home at IDW, starting in May, with Howard Chaykin writing, but not drawing. Thank goodness, since Chaykin has a particular look for his lead characters (i.e. American Flagg!, Dominic Fortune) that wouldn't work with Zorro.

We have to close on a sad note.

Sam Kieth, co-creator with Neil Gaiman of the acclaimed Sandman series at DC/Vertigo in the late 80's, and creator of The Maxx, later adapted by MTV for a short-lived adult animated series, passed away at 63.

One of Kieth's last works with The Maxx, for IDW.

Originally published at Image in 1994-5, The Maxx was a surrealistic fantasy in a dream world of some sort, as if Kieth was using his work with Gaiman as a template. His style was modeled after Berni Wrightson,  and fell along the same lines as a contemporary, Kelley Jones. He will be missed.

On The Shelf: A Disney crossover misfires, and other stuff

 Disney and Dynamite Entertainment must've bought into the Reese's Theory, that two great tastes would look great together.

Darkwing Duck and Gargoyles, two hit series from the 90's, are joined together in a miniseries that, in all honesty, may leave a black mark on the resumes of Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman, and on Tad Stones, who shepherded Disney's comedy-adventure toons like Darkwing and DuckTales. Stones plotted the story, with Weisman scripting, and Ciro Cangialosi drawing.

The plot?  Demona, fresh off her own miniseries, abducts Morgana Macawber, a sorceress who is also Darkwing's girlfriend, conscripting Morgana to help her steal some ancient tome.

Now, remember that Darkwing was created as a parody of Batman, a year before the Dark Knight's seminal animated series hit the air. Dynamite has gotten plenty of mileage out of Darkwing in the last couple of years, but the coupling of Darkwing, with daughter Gosalyn, with the Gargoyles, contrary to what Dynamite hoped, comes across like someone preparing a sandwich of peanut butter and relish. Not good. While Gargoyles has its share of comedy relief, I don't think fans will want to sit through 5 issues. There was a reason, after all, that I'd passed on a similar pairing of the Powerpuff Girls and the ThunderCats a few months back. The aesthetic is all wrong.

Rating: C.

Dynamite also made readers wait a month for the launch of Thundarr the Barbarian, which actually is a continuation of a sort of the 1980-2 animated series created by comics legends Jack Kirby & Steve Gerber for Ruby-Spears & ABC.

We are reintroduced to Thundarr's rogues gallery, as the hero goes undercover, returning to his past as a slave. While cover artist Michael Cho captures the aesthetic of the cartoon, right down to the Kirby-esque illustrations (and an Easter egg homage to Kirby), interior artist Kewber Baal is going for more of a Silver Age look, as opposed to the Bronze Age from whence Thundarr sprang. Writer Jason Aaron, better known for his work at Marvel (i.e. Thor), did his homework, Baal's art shifts from one style to another, and that isn't good. We saw what happened with the attempt at an Alex Toth homage with the Herculoids last year, as Craig Brousseau's artwork deteriorated over the course of the series. That can't happen here.

You tell yourself, it will get better. Because it needs to.

Rating: A-.

Mad Cave continues its Gatchaman one-shots, the final one focusing on Jinpei. While Tommy Lee Edwards' script is just fine, artist Daniel Hansen was the wrong choice. He, too, is going for a Silver Age aesthetic that doesn't belong.

To think that in the first American translation of the franchise, Jinpei was repackaged as an android. He's treated better in this series, and deservedly so.

Rating: C.

Marvel has released Planet of The Apes vs. Fantastic Four, or, another five issues of reader torture.

Writer Josh Trujillo (Who? Exactly.) must've cut his teeth on Image's style, because he drops us right in the middle of things, with the FF already prisoners in Ape City, stripped of their powers after being sent through a portal during a battle with old foe Red Ghost. Thor must figure into the plot somehow, or his appearance on the cover is misleading.

The above cover gives away the other antagonist, as you can see. Good thing this isn't in continuity. Unfortunately, Disney has laid another egg.

Rating: C.

Quick hits: Dynamite is ending the current ThunderCats monthly with issue 25, out in March, while launching an epic crossover with the Silverhawks, which will get underway, complete with attendant miniseries, in April. The event ties into the just concluded ThunderCats: Lost miniseries. Can you say, jump the shark?.........Writer David Pepose is using the 1981 Space Stars revival of Space Ghost as source material for volume 2 of the series. First, he reintroduced fans to Eclipse Woman in issue 3, reposited, as previously discussed, as an old flame of Space Ghost's. Space Spectre, in volume 1, was rebooted as a future version of Jace. Don't ask. To that point, Jan & Jace's grandfather, a scientist, is transformed into the Anti-Matter Man in issue 7, out now. In between, we had a follow up to a 1981 short about space vampires in issue 6.......Mad Cave will resume the Dick Tracy monthly in April, after a St. Patrick's Day Special in March, instead of a 2nd annual Valentine's Day number. Maybe they'll do Easter next year?.....Dynamite has the rights to Slave Labor's ill-fated run of Gargoyles, but the trades, like the books were originally, are in black & white, and more expensive than the normal Dynamite trade. Hmmmm.

On The Shelf: A peek at the return of Vertigo

 As you already know, DC is relaunching their Vertigo imprint in February, with three new releases, plus James Tynion IV's Nice House by The Sea shifting over to the imprint. As for the newbies......

Bleeding Hearts is a post-apocalyptic zombie story in which the undead rule the earth. Writer Deniz Camp comes over from Marvel.

End of Life is a 6 issue miniseries from writer Kyle Starks & artist Steve Pugh about a hitman who's been betrayed by his own employers. They give you the impression that you think you know how it's going to end, but will it?

Finally, Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery is an old school crime noir tale set in 1941. Writer Chris Condon envisions Cain as a Sam Spade type for the new generation. We'll see.

A local imprint, Koan Comics, has arrived on the scene, hoping to impress readers with their first project, the dystopian Confirmed, which is all about robots. The preview is 8 pages of story & art by writer Hobbes Wholihan and artist Keith Haugen, both based in the 518. Wholihan is hoping to crowd-fund (not croudfund, as he wrote on the back cover) to get more projects out on the shelves. Hey, it's a start.

Rating: A-.

Sure, Christmas was 2 weeks ago, but there's a pair of holiday specials out there, both from Dynamite.

Gargoyles Winter Special 2025 is the 2nd winter special in the series, the other coming out a couple of years earlier. Broadway fancies himself a detective, hoping to help Elisa Maza, Goliath's human girlfriend, solve a cold case. Chaos erupts, of course, but no villains.

Rating: A.

The ThunderCats have their own Ho(liday) treat, and it certainly seems as though Dynamite may be passing the baton on the series to ex-Marvel writer Ed Brisson, who will helm a ThunderCats-Silverhawks 1-shot out in March. Suffice to say, there is a representation of Santa in this story, and after initial conflict, accepts the help of the 'Cats.

Rating: B.

On The Shelf: Archie Comics works a deal with another publisher......

 Archie Comics readers will not suffer with those 5 page short stories with hurried plots too much longer.

Recently, it was announced that Archie will join forces with Oni Press and its parent, Lion Forge Publishing, to reboot the classic comics, starting in the fall of 2026. Oni is already making with teasers such as this one.....

Buoyed by the success of their revival of the EC Comics imprint, Oni pairing up with Archie sounds like a healthy risk. Remember, while all this is going on, there is a live-action adaptation of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's delay-plagued Afterlife With Archie, being developed by Greg Berlanti for Disney+.

According to reports, Archie gets his own series again, beginning in September, followed by Sabrina in October, and a 2nd Archie book, the horror-themed Archie in Hell, which recasts Veronica Lodge, for starters, as a zombie, in November.

10 years ago, Archie Comics tried to break away from the traditional house style by bringing in creators like Mark Waid (now back at DC), Fiona Staples (Saga), Derek Charm, Veronica Fish, and Chip Zdarsky (currently freelancing, splitting his time between DC, Marvel, and other publishers). However, the company's internal issues cut "New Riverdale" short. Plans call for the rest of the gang, Josie & The Pussycats included, to be back on the shelves, under the Oni umbrella, probably in 2027.

Archie had recently raised its cover price for its 1-shots & miniseries to $5 per issue, which is about the going rate for most indies these days, while DC & Marvel continue to produce titles with price tags of $3 or $4 each.

We'll know by this time next year if this is worth the wait.

On the shelf: Thundercats solo specials, and the return of an 80's cult favorite

 As Dynamite's adaptation of ThunderCats approaches its 2 year anniversary (and it seems it'll surpass Marvel's 2 year output), the publisher is offering some 1-shot solo specials of some of the key characters.

Pumyra is one of the key players in the spin-off series, ThunderCats: Lost, which wraps next month. The book flashes back to her childhood, and the sacrifices that her father made to protect the family. I've a feeling Pumyra and the rest of the Lost team will be fully integrated into the main book soon.

Rating: A-.

After a miniseries several months back, Cheetara gets a solo 1-shot, but artistically, is not in line with the earlier work. Newcomer David Coussens seems to be missing some spark, and Cheetara doesn't look the same as normal.

Rating: B--.

Panthro gets his own book, and, like Pumyra, it has ties to ThunderCats: Lost. Writer Ed Brisson wrote all three books, and seems to be in line to take over the main book should Declan Shalvey leave at some point. However, he's got work to do. And I know a better writer who can move him aside, as we'll discuss in a moment.

In short, Panthro's tale is also a character study, and a fair one.

Rating: A.

Marvel & Dynamite have united the Fantastic Four and Disney's Gargoyles in a pair of 1-shots, one for each publisher, that also insert some Marvel characters that haven't been seen in forever. Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman wrote both books, making use of an old Iron Man foe, the Grey Gargoyle, and Isaac Christians, a human-turned-Gargoyle from The Defenders dating all the way back to 1980, in the first, and an evil Gargoyle who was a foe of the Hulk back in the day. Plus, Dragon Man, or, Dragonus, factors into both. Further, David Xanatos meets Tony Stark. How cool is that?

So not digging the Skottie Young cover to the Marvel 1-shot, though. Then again, Dynamite is using an artist to remind ThunderCats fans of the atrocity that was ThunderCats Roar from 5 years ago. Ugh.

Rating: A-.

With Blue Falcon & Dynomutt set to end, and, as noted above, ThunderCats: Lost finishing, plus Silverhawks ending with 10 issues, but with a promise of a return, Dynamite is reaching into the Warner vaults again, this time for a futuristic hero, also from 1980:

If you've ever wanted to see Thundarr in comics, now's your chance, starting in January. Dynamite also is bringing Archie and friends back in February for a miniseries crossover with Army of Darkness. Hey, we wouldn't mind the gang from Stranger Things cross paths with Sabrina, but so far, Dark Horse has passed. Their loss.

And if you want to see Archie and Scooby-Doo, that might be something for DC.....!

On The Shelf: Space Ghost starts over, and can a podcast drive its listeners to murder?

 Jeremy Haun has already seen one of his creations, The Beauty, picked up by FX as a "prestige" series under the direction of Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story). Haun is hoping his latest, Murder Podcast, follows suit.

In addition to the 1st issue hitting stores last week, Ignition Press, Haun's publisher, previewed the series in ashcan form. Inspired, perhaps, by some of those Japanese horror movies that have hit here in the US, Haun's concept sees ordinary folks being driven to murder by, well, shall we say, subliminal messaging in the podcast they listen to.

Ignition also released an ashcan preview of Voyeur, a spy mystery set at a hotel in Southeast Asia. The 1st issue officially dropped earlier this week. Something tells me that the cat & mouse game that drives the plot isn't going to end well, and that's all I have to say.

Ratings:

Voyeur: B--.

Murder Podcast: B--.

Dynamite has gotten caught up in the obsessive fever over 1st issues.

Instead of continuing the numbering for Space Ghost following the annual, the company chose to reboot to #1 for the series' "2nd season". However, let's give writer David Pepose credit for acknowledging the series' nearly 60 year history.

For example, Eclipse Woman, a villain introduced in 1981's Space Stars, is repackaged as an ex-girlfriend of our hero, and is not the cosmic menace Hanna-Barbera's writers made her out to be 44 years ago. Instead, Pepose has decided that Eclipse Woman is his & Dynamite's answer to, say, for example, Catwoman or Black Cat, in that there may still be feelings between Space Ghost and Eclipse Woman, which means a sequel is likely.

Pepose has also added to Jan & Jace's backstory by introducing their grandfather, and threw a bone to fans of the cult favorite Space Ghost Coast to Coast with an easter egg in issue 2's script.

Rating: A.

We took a look at Pepose's treatment for Captain Planet. It's not quite what you thought it was.

Pepose aged up the characters, making the Planeteers into young adults, with the exception of Ma-Ti, still the youngest member of the team. Wheeler works for an auto company in Detroit (he was based in New York in the TV series). Linka is now a rock musician, and in her first appearance, her band is a masked, co-ed combo, not unlike Pussy Riot, who were a sensation in Russia more than a decade ago. Gi is a scientist. Kwame is a retired soccer player due to injury. So not digging the beard the Captain is sporting.

In other words, this is more of an updating than a rebooting. Take it or leave it.

Dynamite is also waving good-bye to a trio of books at the end of the year.

The Herculoids ends its run in November. Silverhawks & Thundercats: Lost wrap in December, all after 10 issues. Of the three, the Herculoids got the worst of it, as artist Craig Brusseau's attempts at emulating the style of Alex Toth have deteriorated over the last few issues. Not good.

On the other hand, Dynamite welcomes back the former Charlton & DC hero, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt in November after a lengthy absence, and also relaunches their adaptation of Disney's "The Lion King'.

We are SO not digging DC KO, launching next month. A tournament bracket suggests that this is DC's long awaited response to Marvel's Contest of Champions, which was first tried out in the 80's. Meanwhile, Marvel's really stretching the bounds of creative common sense with 1776, a 5 part miniseries out in November that posits iconic heroes like Captain Amerca, Spider-Man, Hulk, Dr. Strange, et al, in the Revolutionary War. This screwball concept comes from the pen of J. Michael Straczynski, with Ron Lim and Sean Damien Hill drawing. As if that isn't crazy enough, Marvel is also rebooting the Green Goliath as The Infernal Hulk. Unless you're a hardcore Hulk fan, avoid like the plague.

On The Shelf: Archie takes a wrong turn, and a recent TV series gets the comics treatment

 We have not yet read Archie Meets Jay & Silent Bob, an extra-length 1-shot from Kevin Smith & Archie Comics, but we'll review that another time. Around the same time, the gang returned to Dark Horse for a crossover miniseries with Minor Threats, a dystopian crime mag co-written by actor-comedian-comics geek Patton Oswalt (ex-The King of Queens, Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, Happy!), and to prove that this is non-canonical, the writers act as if Archie and friends don't really know Sabrina, who's on a mission to steal a demonic artifact so that she can take Harvey to a party in the magical realm. Artist Scott Kolins uses the traditional Archie house style for our teenagers from Riverdale & Greendale, and a different look for the antagonists from Minor Threats, which has spun off a series on Netflix.

Kolins even gives Sabrina two wardrobe changes in the space of a whole page. Talk about rapid costume changes!

Rating: B-.

Mad Cave's adaptation of Speed Racer arrived at the end of July, and, as demonstrated in the preview back in May, the series has been updated to reflect the use of modern technology.

Unfortunately, where busy writer David Pepose misfires is having Speed be a rebel toward his father, following the footsteps of brother Rex (Racer X), presumed dead. Underground racing? Speed? Doesn't mix well. We like the art, and we get what Pepose wants to do, but that's about it.

Rating: B-.

The former WB/CW series, Supernatural, shifts to comics in October. That's the good news. The questionable part is that Dynamite holds the license, and, given their shaky status, there's no guarantee it'll get very far. Dynamite has also postponed a previously scheduled crossover miniseries between Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and DC's Harley Quinn, also to October. No reason given for the delay other than the likely distribution issues.

On The Shelf: An island for zillionaires? A new homage to Warren? What next?

 Penguin-Random House's Pantheon division is serving up a double delight from writer-artist Mattie Lubchansky.

Leading off this preview is Escape From Zillionaire Island, a sci-fi fable set nearly 60 years into the future. It would appear that Lubchansky's art style is modeled after the Cal Arts style favored by a number of current cable cartoons. That would suggest this is meant to be some sort of satire, but it hardly reads as such. If it's meant to be taken seriously, the Cal Arts look may not be the appropriate choice.

On the other hand, an earlier work, Simplicity, is sampled as the backup, and has been described by one fellow author as a cross between Philip K. Dick and Robert Crumb. Not kidding.

Rating: B+.

Unlike their competitors, Archie Comics is randomly selecting issues of their core titles for facsimile edition reprints.

The latest is Archie's Pal, Jughead issue 78, first published in 1961. It follows the format of the day with a series of short stories by Samm Schwartz that, to today's readers, flies by very quickly. Given the current management's lack of interest in their heroes, don't look for someone like The Fly to get the facsimile treatment any time soon.

Rating: A-.

Writer-artist Mike Hoffman launched Eyrie, a homage to Eerie, via Kickstarter last year, and on his website, he already has 30 issues completed, with most waiting to be released. Issue 1 was supposed to come out earlier this year, but has only just surfaced in the home town. The 2nd issue was advertised to be released in May, but, well.....! Anyway, Hoffman isn't sure who he wants to emulate on a regular basis, and, mind you, Warren put out some great horror comics back in the day, and had a great stable of artists. Hoffman picks different styles according to the storylines, and shares writing duties with Jason Crawley.

I wish I had a clue who was being honored in each story.

Rating: B-.

Not content with having Sam Wilson graduate to being Captain America on screen and in comics, Marvel wants to have it both ways, giving Steve Rogers another go as the Captain in a new series written by Chip Zdarsky. While I am accustomed to Chip writing humor (i.e. the last Jughead series), this is a little different, and shows that Zdarsky has some versatility. With Dynamite and Mad Cave running into some issues of late (more on that below), I think we'll give this a try. Opening arc looks good. So far.

Rating: A-.

As noted Diamond Comics Distributors is having issues with its subsidiary, Dynamite. The latter isn't getting paid of late, and with Diamond dealing with Chapter 11, I'd not be surprised if both brands disappear. Previews, the phone book size monthly catalog, is now online only, at least here in town, but monthly catalogs from DC, Marvel, Image, IDW, Mad Cave, and others are available, so ordering your favorite titles won't change all that much.

And that leaves us with a caveat emptor label for some forthcoming Dynamite releases. Cheetara, the sexy, speedy member of the ThunderCats, gets a 2nd miniseries, out in September. Dynamite also dips into the Hanna-Barbera library once more to bring back Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, also in September. Seems this time, Radley Crown, aka Blue Falcon, is leaving the big city behind to become a farmer, a la Green Acres back in the 60's. The rebooted origin goes from there.

Meanwhile, even though the entire series was released in two hardcover volumes, DC is going back to reprinting Super Friends in its new DC Finest line. The first 26 issues and a treasury edition will be released in November. They're better off doing Shazam! or Welcome Back, Kotter in that format.

On The Shelf: Archie raises its price and introduces a new villain

 Well, after a 2 month delay due to issues involving parent company Diamond Distributors, Dynamite's crossover miniseries with Space Ghost & Jonny Quest, SpaceQuest, finally arrived in stores.

Joe Kelly & Sebastian Piriz, the same team behind Quest's earlier series, are at the helm for this one, marking the first time Kelly has written Space Ghost since his epic miniseries for DC more than 20 years ago.

The story begins in 1965, which, as toon experts know, is a year before Space Ghost made his TV debut. It's another time travel story, but Kelly has to know that there are other topics he can use for Quest. Suffice to say, "stranger in a strange land" can get old in a hurry. We'll see where this goes.

Rating: B.

Archie Comics has raised the price of its books to $4.99 per copy, in this case a desperate attempt at goosing sales.

Unfortunately, they still refuse to write longer stories outside of their miniseries.

The latest Betty & Veronica: Friends Forever outing, "Spy Girls", revisits a plot likely used previously in a digest book. Tania Del Rio returns to Archie to write the lead five pager, marking the debut of Medusa Doom, daughter of Mad Doctor Doom, who was recently brought into Archie continuity. The earlier adventure, which starts with "Agents B & V" wearing domino masks with their jumpsuits, follows, and reintroduces readers to Evelyn Evernever. Riverdale fans have seen her as an adult, but this is her first comics appearance in decades. Seems she, too, pines for Archie, much to Betty & Veronica's consternation. The teaser at the end suggests that maybe, just maybe, Archie's final rescuer is a certain witch, if that red sleeve says anything. If you've read the story when it first came out, let me know.

The issue closes with a reprint of a Man From U.N.C.L.E. spoof with Archie & Betty from the 60's.

Word I'm hearing is that delinquent writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has abandoned the company altogether to pursue his Hollywood dreams. His loss, not Archie's, in this writer's opinion.

Rating: B-.

Other stuff: Used bookstore/performance venue Paper Moon has outgrown its 4th Street home, and is relocating to Brunswick Road next month in a bigger building so they can do more concerts and open mic nights. Best of luck to Josh Gruft and his staff. Josh posted on Reddit himself to fill folks in.

Alex Segura has wrapped his Green Hornet-Miss Fury miniseries at Dynamite, leaving the door open for a sequel. We like, and may get the trade paperback. However, over at Mad Cave, his 2nd Dick Tracy arc also wrapped, with a shock reveal in the final panel of The Blank. All I'm going to say is that Segura and co-writer Nick Borges did it for shock value, and took their cues from Warren Beatty's feature film adaptation 35 years ago. No, it's not Breathless Mahoney again, but someone closer to Dick. (No, not Tess, either). The series returns in August after a summer vacation.

On The Shelf: Free Comic Book Day '25, part 2

 Marvel's annual Voices special edition has a decided African-American beat this year, as it leads off with Ironheart and Black Panther in back-to-back solo shorts, the latter of which is reprinted from Marvel's Voices: Legends. Their Latino Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, is heard from, and we have a glimpse of the wedding (!!!) of long time villains and friends Mystique & Destiny. See, DC? You can do a same sex marriage, and Marvel's done it twice in the last 15 or so years, both involving X-Men-related characters.

I don't know if DC has done it with Midnighter & Apollo, so...!

Rating: B+.

Image's annual Energon Universe entry again features GI Joe, Transformers, & Void Rivals, same as last year, but in a different order. In fact, the first two are involved in a crossover in the first story, written by Joshua Williamson. Daniel Warren Johnson writes & draws the Transformers middle feature. For serious fans.

Rating: B-.

Archie's Comics Spectacular is the usual mish-mash of 1 new 5 pager written by Adrian Ropp, plus a Deadpool parody squaring off with Pureheart the Powerful (Archie) by Ian Flynn & Steven Butler, and it seems they're testing the waters with a reboot of a 60's obscurity, Young Dr. Masters, who is dispensing advice to Archie & friends in 2 shorts. Most of these were probably in the deluxe digests found at Walmart and elsewhere.

Rating: A-.

Greg Weisman is back with a new Gargoyles miniseries starring Demona, and this preview sets up the series rather nicely. However, given Dynamite's problems of late, including late shipping titles tied into the issues besetting its parent, Diamond Distributors, I don't give this much hope of finishing.

Rating: B.

Back to Marvel. Unlike Fantastic Four, the only reason they're rebooting Amazing Spider-Man to #1 yet again is just to lure in new readers. Sometimes, it isn't worth it. Seems they think people are turned off by the higher numbers in the series, but DC has a couple of books well past 1000 issues, with a few more closing in. Meanwhile, the other webspinner, Miles Morales, is back in the Ultimate Universe. Ok, fine.

Rating: B-. Just not into it.

Video game hero Mega Man is back, and it seems the writers borrowed an idea from Batman: The Animated Series, as some reformed villains talk about how Mega Man has changed their lives for the better. "Almost Had 'Im" doesn't connect the same way as "Almost Got 'Im" did 33 years ago, though.

Rating: B+.

The latest from Oni/EC is Blood Type, spinning off from Epitaphs From The Abyss, which is ending. The other reprints in this tome come from Cruel Universe & Cruel Kingdom, and we reviewed the former previously. Seems EC & Oni believe they can make a vampire book work, seeing as others are doing it. 

Rating: B.

Mad Cave has updated Speed Racer for today's generation, and entrusted the writing to David Pepose, who could probably use the work if Dynamite craters before his updated Captain Planet even hits stores (the series is 2 months late). Meanwhile, Mark Russell has been tasked with Racer X, who gets his own book in September (Speed Racer 1 is out in August). Seems Rex Racer's story is getting updated, too. We'll see.

Rating: B-.

Mad Cave also has The Phantom, with former DC writer Ray Fawkes writing the book. Fawkes' Ghost Who Walks is an amalgam of Tarzan, Batman, & The Shadow. Don't believe me? Check it out. You'll be glad ya did.

Rating: A.

On The Shelf: Has Dynamite jumped the nostalgia shark? Plus, a look back at Free Comic Book Day '25

 9 years ago, DC launched Wacky Raceland, a reboot of Wacky Races for the 21st century, albeit in a more post-apocalyptic setting.

Unfortunately, the series was scuttled after 6 issues due to poor early sales and reviews. Despite Leonardo Manco's outstanding artwork, this was a case of a misplaced dystopian vision.

Fast forward to now, and Dynamite's Giant-Size Wacky Races. Billed as a 1-shot, it is a pilot for a possible series, if enough people buy into the concept. Which is actually worse than what DC envisioned in 2016.

Arch-villain Dick Dastardly is barely seen, though at the start, per Ivan Cohen's script, Muttley is driving his own car, a call-back to the days when Muttley could do his own thing independent of Dastardly. Penelope Pitstop is repackaged as a former child star turned champion racer. Peter Perfect is not what he seems to be, and it appears that he got the worst end of the deal, worse than Dastardly, if you can believe it.

Suffice to say, that's $5 I'm not getting back, nor am I investing in this again. I think maybe I'd best hunt up a DVD of the 1968 series.....!

Rating: C-.

The 3rd of Mad Cave's Gatchaman 1-shot specials spotlights Ryu, the pilot of the Phoenix, as he goes it alone against pirates and giant robots. It's all about gaining confidence in oneself, since everyone's perception of Ryu is as the pilot, and nothing more. Nothing could be further from the truth.

One-shots with Joe & Jinpei will wait until later this year, as the 3 already out will be collected in a trade paperback due next month.

Rating: A.

Now, fasten your seatbelts, it's time to look back at Free Comic Book Day.

Just because there's a new Fantastic Four movie coming in July, it's not a rational enough reason for Marvel to reboot the book to #1 for the bazillionth time. Marvel is just hung up on the now-obsolete notion that people will still flock for first issues.

Ryan North's tale has the FF being "summoned" by some alien kids who look like refugees from Men in Black (the animated series and the movies), but need their help because they're in over their heads (the kids, that is).

The back-up previews the 50th anniversary of Giant-Size X-Men, and starts a time travel arc involving Ms. Marvel. While artist Adam Kubert does his usual fine work, writers Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly came up with something that may require a deeper dive if you haven't been following the X-books for a while. Ack! Finally, Chip Zdarsky writes and draws a short feature with Wolverpool & Deadverine??? I know "Wolverine-Deadpool" was a big hit, but this is a case where biting the hand that feeds you actually hurts. I know my brain does.

Rating: B--. Had to take points off for that last short.

DC offers a flip book, All In 2025 Special Edition, to showcase Superman Unlimited and the Absolute line of books. Trust me. There will be an Absolute Justice League by this time next year, if not sooner. Dan Slott, long associated with Marvel, writes Superman Unlimited, which looks like it's so far, so good.

Rating: A-.

Titan's latest Conan The Barbarian crossover event is Scourge of The Serpent, which, in addition to a stand-alone miniseries, will have chapters running through Savage Sword of Conan, and, maybe the regular Conan monthly. For true fans.

Rating: A-.

They didn't have trucks in the Dark Ages. That was before musician Post Malone came up with Big Rig, a black & white tale that is, well, all over the place. Malone and co-author Adrian Wassel's story is just flat weird. The graphic novel previewed in this tome is already out. Don't know if that's also black & white, but making it full color would do justice to artist Nathan Gooden's work.

Rating: B-.

The other rockin' graphic novel from Vault takes its name from one of Def Leppard's legendary 80's albums, Hysteria. Co-written by Def Leppard's own Phil Collen, it is a tale of an indie rocker who inherits her father's estate, and a guitar with a dark secret. Just plain weird.

Rating: B-.

Titan Comics' other entry is Diablo: Dawn of Hatred, another black & white item, this one drawn beautifully by Daniele Serra from a script by Cullen Bunn. There are some odd parallels to the Gospels, and I'll leave it at that.

Rating: B.

NBM previews a forthcoming graphic novel bio of comics legend Will Eisner. Eisner enjoyed a career revival in the 80's & 90's with a series of graphic novels that showed he still had the master's touch. If you're not familiar with Eisner, you should be when you get the graphic novel when it comes out in July.

Rating: A-.

We're closing out part 1 of our review with the weirdest crossover that Dynamite has ever come up with, as the Powerpuff Girls meet the ThunderCats. Unlike, say, for example, Reese's peanut butter cups, these are two iconic series from the 80's (ThunderCats) and 90's (Powerpuff Girls) that just don't fit together. Just because Dynamite has the license to both doesn't give them license to give readers heartburn in print.

And, given Dynamite & Diamond's myriad of problems of late, Lord only knows how long it'll take to finish this series.

Rating: C-. Bear in mind, this is coming from a ThunderCats fan.

Part 2 of our review is coming Wednesday.

On The Shelf: A tribute to a 60's favorite, and Kevin Smith returns to comics

 "Somewhere out in space live the Herculoids..."---spoken word intro to The Herculoids, 1967.

Nearly 60 years later, Dynamite has added The Herculoids to their WB line of titles, after appearing in DC's Future Quest Presents a few years back. Writer Tom Snegnoski and artist Craig Brusseau are the creative team on the series, and you can see right away that Brusseau, in particular, is paying tribute to Alex Toth, who designed the Herculoids back in 1967.

It looks as though they'll go with the done-in-one format of the TV show, at least for now, in contrast to Space Ghost, which is using a story arc format common in today's comics. Personally, I wouldn't mind having 90's legend Joseph Michael Linsner, who is contributing variant covers, do some interiors to help Brusseau.

Rating: A-.

DC's recently launched Compact Comics gives a new meaning to the concept of trade paperbacks.

Take, for example, the recently released Wonder Woman: Earth One volume, which collects all three graphic novels by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette. Sure, the price is about the same as your standard TPB or graphic novel, but in a smaller size, hence the name, "Compact Comics".

Paquette is emulating the style of the late George Perez with his work here. As for Morrison, well, we will forgive the cosmetic changes made to Steve Trevor (flipped to African American) and Dr. Psycho isn't vertically challenged, unlike his traditional appearance. I'd keep this away from rabid right wing idiots who have a grudge against the LGBTQ+ community, though.

Rating: A-.

Filmmaker & fanboy Kevin Smith is returning to comics with 2 projects.

First, he's bringing Jay & Silent Bob to Riverdale to meet Archie in a 1-off due in July. On top of that, it's been reported that Smith is scripting a Spider-Man/Fantastic Four team-up for a giant-size Amazing Spider-Man volume, due sometime this summer.

There will be a pool on whether or not Smith keeps his deadlines on both.

On The Shelf: Of cops in love, revived cyborgs, and other things

 Chester Gould always meant for Dick Tracy to have one true love, that being Tess Trueheart, whom he later married in the long running newspaper strip. Mad Cave's current series is set in the early days of Tracy's career, so we're nowhere near hearing wedding bells, but a Valentine's Day special seems appropriate this month.

Co-writers Alex Segura & Michael Moreci are joined by Chantelle Osman, normally a creative consultant on the series, for a whimsical tale of love and murder, as Tess has Tracy ready for a Valentine's date, but for a murder case at a movie studio. The backup feature, written by Steve Orlando, includes a tribute to Gould's classic look for Tracy. You can't go wrong.

Rating: A-.

DC is giving Zatanna another miniseries, following Bringing Down The House, and this one is written & drawn by Jamal Campbell. Anyone familiar with his art from Far Sector & Naomi over the last 3 years knows what to expect. Zatanna is pulled into the fantasy world of a ghost, if you will, of an old time actress.

This series is six issues, nothing more. One wonders if Campbell is trying to find Zee a boyfriend not named John Constantine. We wouldn't mind.

Rating: B.

Alex Segura is also writing Dynamite's miniseries teaming the Green Hornet with Miss Fury. Also set in the Golden Age, we find that not only are the heroes not on the same page, but there are tensions between the Hornet and Kato. We've seen that movie before with the Lone Ranger & Tonto many moons ago. Seems to me Dynamite commissioned this series in order to hold on to the licenses for both characters.

Rating: B-.

Silverhawks ran for 1 season in syndication (1986-7), but now Dynamite and writer Ed Brisson have designs on tying the series into the Thundercats universe when there were no crossovers back in the 80's. Brisson's 1st chapter sees the start of reforming the team, which had been retired from active duty. Hmmm. The original series turns 40 next year, as Thundercats turns 40 this year. This gives artist George Kambadais something to do now that Gargoyles is done for now.

Grade: Incomplete.

Mad Cave's latest Gatchaman spinoff is another miniseries, Only One Earth. Artist Nuno Plati gives this more of a manga look than the normal series does, working with writer Tommy Lee Edwards. Let's see where this goes.

Rating: Incomplete.

Quick hits: Rich Johnston at Bleeding Cool is reporting that DC plans to axe Shazam!, Power Girl, & Two-Face, all in May, after 21, 20, & 6 issues, respectively. I think we're going to wait for the trade on Two-Face, because this had potential......Speaking of Gatchaman, Ryu gets a 1-shot in April. If it's anything like the previous 1-offs, this will be good........Dynamite is adding Wacky Races to its WB library with a 1-shot in April. I recommend getting the Penelope Pitstop cover by Joseph Michael Linsner. Enough said......We are not digging Dynamite's take on Captain Planet, also in April, as previously reported. David Pepose (Space Ghost) is writing this as a new take on how the Planeteers came together 35 years ago. I don't like the idea of the Captain with a beard. It's so today, but inappropriate.

On the Shelf: Winter with the Gargoyles, and other notes

 Diamond Comic Distributors (DCD) has infuriated retailers and customers for years with their lack of priorities with comics releases.

It's more evident now as independent publishers such as Mad Cave are seeing books arriving at selected retailers 1-2 weeks or more late. Oh, but DCD will get their monthly Previews catalog out virtually on time, or no more than a week late, every month without fail.

The latest crisis has to do with DCD closing a distribution center in Plattsburgh in an effort to consolidate operations. Unfortunately, it seems DCD's business model was designed, apparently, by someone with a low IQ, which explains all their problems.

For example, ye scribe is waiting on the conclusion of Mad Cave's Gatchaman: Galactor miniseries, which was due earlier this month. A trade paperback collecting Gatchaman 0-5 (0 being the Free Comic Book Day issue) finally arrived yesterday, three weeks late.

It's going to be a long winter, folks.

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While it's unknown if/when Greg Weisman will do another Gargoyles miniseries, the Gargoyles Winter Special is a treat in and of itself.

Bronx, the clan's "pet", for lack of better description, is showcased in a silent story. Weisman's script is sublime and exquisite in its simplicity, such that dialogue is not needed.

Rating: A+.

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Staying with Dynamite, Jonny Quest returns in March, but not in his own series.

Instead, Jonny teams with Space Ghost in SpaceQuest, written & drawn by Joe Kelly and Sebastian Priz. Apparently, Dynamite is opting to use the miniseries format for Jonny, rather than do an ongoing title, as they're doing with Space Ghost, ThunderCats, et al. A trade paperback collecting the just concluded time travel arc with Jonny also arrives in March.

Mad Cave is adding to its portfolio, as it promises The Phantom and Speed Racer, in May for Free Comic Book Day. It's also cut Flash Gordon from an ongoing series to a 10 issue maxiseries, finishing in May. Apparently, more than a few readers were put off by Jeremy Adams' approach to Gordon, just as I was.

DC is revisiting one of its more provocative Batman stories in March.

"Hush 2", a sequel to an epic, year-long arc, hits in March, with the same creative team as before, artist Jim Lee and writer Jeph Loeb. Loeb, a TV veteran as well as a comics vet (Lost, for example), introduced readers to Dr. Tommy Elliott, a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne's, in the original story, and used Elliott's jealousy toward Wayne to fuel the story. Invest at your own risk.

On the shelf: Zatanna gets her own series again, and Dynamite takes another trip into Hanna-Barbera's future

 If Archie Comics is so serious about making Amber Nightstone a nemesis for Sabrina, why not give the teenage witch her own series again?

As we've previously discussed, 5 page stories in one-shots, such as the Josie & The Pussycats Halloween Spectacular, released last month, and the just released Sabrina Holiday Spectacular, just won't cut it. Writer Ian Flynn spent many years writing Sonic The Hedgehog for Archie, and can do a book-length story, but Archie has gone el-scrimpo in recent years, hence these 1-offs with 5 pages of original story, and backed by reprints.

In the new book, Amber is taken aback by a show of compassion from Sabrina. What happens next will be a surprise.

Meanwhile, Archie's knuckleheads have decided to showcase Archie Andrews himself in the 4 part Archie is Mr. Justice, somehow giving the red-headed teen the abilities of the hero whose history goes as far back as Archie's own history, back to the Golden Age. Tim Seeley, another writer who should know better, has already told readers in this first issue that each issue will have different points of view. Where is Sabrina when you really need her?

Archie is Mr. Justice shouldn't stop at 4 issues. It should be 12, so that each POV is given room to breathe. Just like those 5 page shorties.

Rating:

Archie is Mr. Justice: B--.

Sabrina Holiday Spectacular: B.

In 1967, artist Alex Toth blessed Hanna-Barbera & CBS with The Herculoids, the tale of a bizarre team of heroes tasked with defending their homeworld. The original series had 1 season of episodes, but the open was changed the following year for reruns due to the meddling of media nanny Peggy Charren.

The series returned in 1981 as part of NBC's short-lived Space Stars, which also ran for 1 season.

Come February, Dynamite is taking readers to Amzot, or, Quasar, as it was known in 1981.

Tom Snegoski, a fan whose resume includes writing a number of diverse books, including Vampirella, is teaming with artist Craig Rousseau for the new series.

This should be fun.

Actor Martin Kove is best known now to generations of fans for Cobra Kai and the "Karate Kid" movies, but he's also a comics fan.

That said, Kove is launching AMP Comics, which debuts in February with the Western, Prodigal Son. Kove is not a writer, but a publisher. Hmmmm.

We all know who Dick Tracy's true love is. His eventual wife, Tess Trueheart.

So figure that Tess will play a role when Dick is given a Valentine's special from Mad Cave in February. We're digging.

If you're an old school fan like me, you'd rather see Zatanna in heels instead of knee boots.

Count Jamal Campbell as one of us.

Campbell (Naomi, Far Sector) will write & draw a new series featuring the Princess of Prestidigation from DC in February, and, oh, does Zee look so fine. Let's just see how far this will go.

On The Shelf: Some Halloween treats (?), and a local news weekly returns

 Ahead of their forthcoming animated series on Max, starting in December, the Creature Commandos have returned to comics.

Originally introduced in Weird War Tales (1st series) in 1980 as a World War II superteam, the Commandos have been rebooted and repackaged as a modern day unit that answers to General Wade Eiling, and, unbeknownst to the team, Brainiac is also involved.

You have a patchwork Monster of Frankenstein, "Lucky" Taylor, who can actually speak in this series. Vincent Velcro, the vampire, is now presented as a modern day teenage or 20-something punk with a criminal record (the original Velcro, aka Velcoro, was an Army deserter). The werewolf is now a woman, Wanda Griffith (the original was a Southern boy, Warren Griffith, with a speech impediment). Dr. Medusa is still around, and Matthew Shrieve, the team's commanding officer in the original series, has been rebooted as well, now with a prosthetic, weaponized left arm.

The splash page offers a direct shot at Marvel with the logo design recalling early 70's Marvel, before Stan Lee put his name on every splash page. The use of Brainiac almost guarantees some Justice League involvement in this 6 issue series, written by actor David Dastmalchian. We'll see how this plays out.

Rating: B.

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For 36 years (1978-2014), Metroland was an alternative news weekly that covered just about everything. In its pages. It also introduced readers to writer-artist Matt Groening, whose Life is Hell strip predated The Simpsons by a few years.

As of Friday, Metroland is back.

Singer-songwriter-stand up comic Erin Harkes acquired the rights to Metroland earlier this year, and the first issue in 10 years dropped on Friday, and it's like it never left. Former writers like OP Callaghan, Byron Nilsson, and Al Quaglieri have moved on, and Harkes has rebooted with a new staff. The energy is there, and a few advertisers (i.e. MVP Arena) from the old days are on board.

Thank you, Erin.

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Marvel's annual Crypt of Shadows 1-shot is more of the same as last year, this year hosted by their rebooted Agatha Harkness as a means of promoting Disney+'s Agatha All Along. This volume includes a Blade team-up with Jack Russell, the original Werewolf by Night, predating the events of the Blood Hunt miniseries, and Namor & Man-Thing are an unlikely pairing.

Rating: B--.

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Archie Comics figured that in order to sell more copies of their annual Halloween Spectacular 1-shot, they needed to add Archie Andrews himself to the mix, along with Betty, Veronica, and Jughead.

The usual all-new 5 page story has the gang meeting Sabrina's nemesis, Amber Nightstone, and the Wicked Trinity. Unfortunately, writer Ian Flynn took the Image Comics approach, and dropped us right in the middle of the action, which is always a mistake in my book. While Jug is supposed to be a Frankenstein Monster, despite that omnipresent beanie, the colorist forgot to add the green makeup on the cover. Archie does not turn into a werewolf in the story, contrary to said cover, though Sabrina does wear the same outfit, fishnet stockings included.

As for Amber, what self-respecting witch actually wears fangs?

The reprints are of more recent vintage, including appearances by the Superteens and Mighty Crusaders.

The covers declares this volume as "The official comic book of Halloween". No, it isn't, when your lead story is just 5 pages. This should've been a book lengther. We love the artwork from Steven & Lila Butler, but Flynn needs to remember how to write longer stories.

Rating: B-.

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DC Horror in 2024 lacks the hosts of yore, which were co-opted by Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, et al, 40 years ago, and the aforementioned David Dastmalchian is heard from again with a Dollhouse story that, if you're not familiar with the concept, will confuse you. Superman does not appear, as the cover is misleading. Wonder Woman does figure into the 2nd story, but it is forgettable.

Rating; C-.

On The Shelf: A thesis on Batman, and M & M's solve a mystery?

 Last time, I had stated I had acquired a copy of Rabbi Cary Friedman's 2006 tome, reissued last year, Wisdom From The Batcave, from the author himself, after he'd found my name in some old lettercols dating back to the late 80's and early 90's. I'd guess I wasn't the only one.

Using selected panels from various Bat-books and an editorial cartoon from the NY Post, circa 2001 (the panels go back to the 70's & 80's), Friedman offers 18 chapters of life lessons, based on an exploration of the Dark Knight himself.

With testimonials from a host of comics luminaries, including Gerry Conway, now a television producer, Ed Brubaker, and the late Dennis O'Neil, Friedman hit the best-seller list in 2006. This could also pass as a college course for serious Bat-fanatics.

Rating: A.

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Titan Comics has rolled out its anticipated miniseries, Battle of The Black Stone, which was previewed in Savage Sword of Conan #4 last month. The idea here is to bring a number of Robert E. Howard's creations, not just Conan, but Solomon Kane, Black Agnes, and others, sans Red Sonja, whose rights are held by Dynamite.

That said, this is a time travel adventure as it'll unfold over the next three chapters, enveloping all of the protagonists. Unfortunately, the artwork doesn't do anyone any favors. Titan could've gotten Conan artists Doug Braithwaite and/or Roberto de la Torre, the latter of whom contributes a cover to issue 2, out next month, to do the interiors, but, nope. We're not sticking around.

Rating: B--.

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Mars Wrigley licensed the M & M's mascots to Marvel for a 1-shot special, Small Town, Big Trouble, aimed at the kiddo's as school begins for the season. The gang run across a robot that's draining happiness is a suburban village. Adding to the Scooby-Doo vibe this book generates are a cover and pin-ups by The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries artist Dario Brizuela. Delightful fun, but released a wee bit too early. Marvel should've waited until Halloween. No, really. The book's pretty fun, though.

Rating: A.

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Now that Tom King's The Penguin has wrapped, two months later than originally scheduled, the villain will return in new book tied to the HBO series starring Colin Farrell, itself spun off last year's "The Batman" feature film.