Comic Book Coffee Break #51

 Thanks for joining me on my Comic Book Coffee Break!  This morning I had Yuban Coffee with cream and Irish Creme syrup.  Good stuff.

DC Comics

My copy of the DC Pride anthology came in just in time.  I'm loving these DC anthologies. Standouts for me were the Green Lantern/Alan Scott story and Flash vs. Reflek. It was also cool to see Dreamer make her way to comics. I'd love to see more from that character.

Continuing with New 52 Superman, I read Batman/Superman: Truth Hurts. Look, I am loving this whole arc. I don't care much about Jim Gordon Batman, but it worked well in this collection.  Plus Superman teams up with Batgirl, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd as if it were a gift just for me.

Marvel

I got back on track with Cap and Falcon, reading Marvel Masterworks: Captain America V. 10.  This set of issues from 1976 sees Jack Kirby return, this time as both artist and author.  I love and will continue to love Kirby, but his complete disregard for the story that came before is pretty bold. He did the same thing with Black Panther. I loved seeing the Kirby style return, but I was digging the contemporary 70s stories that came before and this felt like an unnecessary disruption. (More on Kirby in a minute)

Other Stuff

We were working on a "Tales & Tails" Summer Reading Program over at the library so I picked up some of Erin Hunter's Warriors series.  I read the first novel Into the Void, then picked up a three-volume manga series called Graystripe's Adventures. The book was a little too serious for my taste, but I had a pretty good time with the manga. Basically a wild cat and a house cat (or "kittypet" as they are called) opt to hit the streets and returns to the Warriors home in the forest.  The story is pretty straightforward they have highs and lows, they save a group of barn cats and then continue on in their quest. It's written by regular comic book writer Dan Jolley, and he does a nice job of adapting the series. I probably wouldn't read more, but this was a fun little excursion nonetheless. 

Finally, back to Kirby. I read The Simon & Kirby Library: Crime.  This is made up of mostly true-crime stories from the 1940s.  They were a little do similar to read back to back like this, so I'm sure that colored the experience.  My main complaint is similar to one I had with the Science Fiction volume. There just isn't enough editorial content.  You're given an into and then you're off.  I would have liked it if the issues had more commentary or were broken up into sections.  As is it just felt like a content dump and it wasn't a particularly enjoyable read.  Still, as a fan of early comics history, I'm glad to have read it. (My copy has a bookplate signed by Joe Simon, so that made it extra cool.)

Next Time...

I'm in the home stretch with New 52 Superman so I will check back in when I finish that. 

Oh, also, I guest hosted an episode of 90s Music Got Me Like.  You can find it here or wherever you get your podcasts. 

------------------
You can find back issues of the video version of Comic Book Coffee Break here.
The audio version of Comic Book Coffee Break is over there. 
You can find me as the co-host of 9021 Here We G0: A 90210 Rewatch Podcast and This Endorian Life, both for the Radio Meanwhile Network. 
I also host Howe's Things, the podcast and radio show of the David A. Howe Public Library. 

Comic Book Coffee Break #38

 For 37 weeks I co-hosted Comic Book Coffee Break with Eric Mikols for the Radio Meanwhile Network.

You can find the early video episodes here and the 37th and final episode here.  While that version of the show came to a restful end, I'm still reading comic books.  So welcome to Comic Book Coffee Break: The Text Adventure. 

Let's talk comic books. 

First off, my coffee today was Blue Mountain Blend Medium roast. I had it with some creamer and a little Torani Irish Cream syrup. It was a good start.

First, Archie Comics.  

Over on my podcast, Howe's Things, I recently did an interview with Jamie Lee Rotante about her Betty & Veronica books, my favorite of which was Betty & Veronica: Senior Year. It works because it updates the characters while staying true to the classic roots. Talking Archie got me in the mood to revisit some of my old favorites so got a month of Archie Unlimited.

I started with Little Archie v.1 by Bob Bolling. This was not the Little Archie I was expecting. Typically when these stories pop up in a digest they tend to stick to the Archie pattern only from a different angle since the gang is younger.  This collection was more about outlandish Archie adventures with pirates, aliens and Mad Doctor Doom. While it was interesting to see them take Archie in a completely different direction, it rarely felt like I was reading the Archie Andrews I know. This could have been any little red-head and for that it didn't really work for me.  There is a volume 2 and I will likely read it because I'm a completist, but this was not my jam.

Marvel Comics

Over in the World of Marvel, I read volumes 2 & 3 of New Mutants Classics as research for my guest-hosting gig on the New Mutants episode of Previously on X-Men.  I had read the first volume years ago and tapped out because I just found it dull. It felt liked the Saved by the Bell: The New Class of the X-Men franchise and I was not all about it. I was glad that I continued on because things heat up when Chris Claremont teams up with artist Bill Sienkiewicz.  The art takes on a scratchy, abstract vibe and the story gets weird. This section includes the Demon Bear Saga which is a major basis for the 20th Century movie. While it didn't make me a New Mutants convert, I did appreciate it taking on it's own identity. It's worth reading once.

Elsewhere in Marvel, I read the final volume of Red-She Hulk, Route 616.  This collection concludes the Red Hulk run that began with the Ed McGuiness/Jeph Loeb stories.  For whatever reason I got really in to these back in 2012 and finishing this story was my reason for signing up with Marvel Unlimited. While I don't think these last two volumes where Betty takes over as protagonist really work, this run will always have a special place in my heart. It was colorful and big, and at times downright nonsensical, but that's how I like my Hulk. 

DC Comics

On the DC horizon I finished the mostly uncollected Firestorm series featuring Jason Rusch as the lead. While this story started with a pretty interesting hook, it devolved into a mess of crossovers and an overcrowded narrative. I feel the character deserves better, though he'll likely never see it.  I still don't get why they created an original character to take the Firestorm mantle for Legends of Tomorrow. Jason was right here waiting!

I've also been reading a lot of Rebirth Flash lately, so I picked up the out-of-continuity collection Flash: United They Fall by Gail Simone and Clayton Henry.  While the art feels modern and jazzy, the stories felt mostly like a waste of time.  They were fine, but nothing I would pull out and recommend to someone. Oh well.

Speaking of things that were fine, I read Batman V.6 Bride or Burglar by Tom King. This was the ultimate in wheel spinning.  Sometimes that's okay, but I just found these dull. Just get on with the wedding (that will definitely happen for sure) already.

Everything Else

Finally, I read an interesting little graphic novel called Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11's Third Man by Alex Irvine and Ben Bishop.  I'm in research mode because I'm set to interview Alex Irvine for Howe's Things in a couple of weeks. This was a cool story about Michael Collins, the astronaut who gets the least amount of credit for Apollo 11. It was fascinating because I know nothing about this man and have never heard his name before this. The book is well done and informative. It made me want to pick up Collins' biography. I'm looking forward to the interview with Alex.

That's it for this week.  Next, I'm planning to reread the Truth arc from New 52 Superman and probably dig further into Alex Irvine's back catalogue.  See you then.

______________________

You can find back issues of the video version of Comic Book Coffee Break here.

The audio version of Comic Book Coffee Break is over there. 

You can find me as the co-host of 9021 Here We G0: A 90210 Rewatch Podcast for the Radio Meanwhile Network. 

I also host Howe's Things, the podcast and radio show of the David A. Howe Public Library.

Book Review: DC Superhero Girls: Spaced Out

DC Superhero Girls: Spaced Out
by Shea Fontana

***

I've been a fan of this series since the early days and was pleased get to get an advanced copy from Net Galley.  As always, the series looks great.  This volume in particular was colorful and visually interesting. The author knows this world and has a good handle on her versions of these characters.  It's always nice to see this world expand, but this one was pushing it a little.

New Green Lantern Jessica Cruz is on her way to Oa with Star Sapphire and Supergirl along for the ride. On the way Supergirl gets caught up in a plot involving Kryptonian survivors and the dreaded Phantom Zone.  Meanwhile on Earth, Flash and Krypto get into some shenanigans.

I enjoyed the story, as I usually do with this series.  However, it's hard to really buy these versions of the characters going into space, let alone the Phantom Zone.  I applaud the author for taking steps to keep things fresh, but I feel like maybe it's gotten a little too far from the initial premise this time around.  This type is story is better served in a more grounded setting.  I prefer it when this series sticks to what it does best, exploring the relationships and adventures happening in and around Super Hero High.  Still fun, just not quite right.

I interviewed author Shea Fontant for the All the Books Show!  Find it here. 

Book Review: Superman: The Unity Saga: Phantom Earth

Superman Vol.1: The Unity Saga - Phantom Earth
***
Thanks to my pals at NetGalley for the review copy.

I go off on little tangents where I prefer certain characters for a while.  I might devour a Flash run (hello Rebirth) or sit in a circle of trades reading a Green Lantern run in chronological order (looking at you Blackest Night), but Superman transcends these whims. I'm always in the mood for Superman.
I have to admit that it is exciting to see the OG Superman back in the trunks going on an adventure.  It took me a while to get into the Rebirth era, but by the Truth run I was all in. Now that we are beyond that, I have been looking forward to this Bendis run and was eager to get started.  I was hoping to love it, but only clocked in at liking it.
I have to say upfront, my problems with this book come down to personal preference.  I have never been a fan of Zod or "Krypton is back!" plotlines. It's just not the way I prefer my Superman.  I like simple stories that allow Superman's goodness to shine through. (See Grounded)
But let's put that aside and focus on the story at hand. In a nutshell Superman finds out what really happened to Krypton and when Supergirl attempts to capture the villain using the Phantom Zone projector a little more than she intended gets sucked into it.  With Lois and Jon off with Jor-el, a lonely Superman has to tackle this issue with the aid of the Justice League.  There's some great stuff in here between Superman and the Martian Manhunter.  Everything with Flash cracked me up. We end on an intriguing note which was a pretty successful cliffhanger.
The dialogue is quippy without being cute and the book looks great. The story feels a little 90s throwback, but I assume that's intentional.  While I would have preferred a different kind of Superman story, there's a lot a good here and I'm ready for more.

To hear more about some of my old-school favorite Superman stories tune in to this special episode of the All the Books Show.

Graphic Novel Review: Reckless Youth

It seems like every couple of years DC Comics has an event that “changes everything” in the DC Universe. There was Crisis on Infinite Earth, Zero Hour, Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis and now Blackest Night/Brightest Day. I don’t usually go for these somewhat melodramatic “epic” plots. However, there was a development that began in Final Crisis and continued to play out through Brightest Day that caught my eye. It was the resurrection of the classic Flash, Barry Allen. Allen was last seen alive in 1985 when he supposedly died while working against the Anti-Monitor. (Google if you want. It’s not that interesting.) Everybody knows that no one really dies in the world of comic books, but most people thought Barry Allen would go the distance and prove to be the exception. He was not. Anyway, the point is that the return of Barry Allen intrigued me. Having never read Flash before, I decided to pick up Geoff Johns’ Flash: Rebirth. Even without context I really enjoyed the story, but I realized that there was a lot of history I needed to catch up on in order to really appreciate a new Flash series.

I know the basics of the Barry Allen era so I decided to go back and start reading where Wally West picks up the mantle of Flash. The first trade in the Wally West era was Born to Run; next came The Return of Barry Allen (a misleading title that deals with a Barry Allen imposter). That brings us to the subject of this review, Impulse: Reckless Youth. This title begins with the next installment of the Wally West era and also includes the first 6 issues of Impulse’s solo series.

A little background first. Wally West is the nephew of Barry (the previous Flash) & Iris Allen. Iris is actually from the 30th century. It is in that time that she and Barry have children and ultimately a grandson named Bart Allen. This makes Bart/Impulse the cousin of Wally/Flash. Bart is born with Barry’s powers and is taken from the Allens and studied. Iris eventually steals him away and returns to the past so that Wally can train Bart to control his powers. Due to his rapid aging and unconventional education, Bart has intelligence but lacks common sense. In the Flash issues Bart gets separated from Iris and it’s up to Wally to catch and help him.

The Impulse section picks up much later with Bart now in control of his powers, using the Impulse alias and living with another speedy hero, Max Mercury. A page in between explains what’s happened in the meantime. I found this second half to be pretty weak. It lacked the complexity of the Flash issues and played more like a dull issue of Teen Titans or a watered down Robin rip-off.

All in all I’d say this trade was a mixed bag. The Flash half was interesting and necessary to the overall storyline, while the Impulse section was neat to see a sample but ultimately forgettable. What I was really interested in was Wally training Bart and the formation of that relationship. Sadly that was all missing. Hopefully it’s collected in some other trade. As for Impulse: Reckless Youth as a whole I’d say borrow it to read the Flash issues and stop there.