2016 Comic Challenge 202 Dark Knight III The Master Race #05

TITLE-Dark Knight III The Master Race #05
PUBLISHER-DC

The main story is the Kandorians attacking Gotham. And how Batman always has a plan. He has seeded the clouds over Gotham with the synthetic Kryptonite. So when the attack happens Batman causes it to rain and now the Kandorians are majorly weakened.

Carrie is out with Aquaman trying to find where Superman is trapped. They find him and free him. And in the last page of the main story we get Supes in a suit of armor backing up Batman as the real battle with the Kandorians has started.

The back up story,well it was kind of boring. Superman and Wonder Woman's daughter is out with one of the Kandorians. Even the art looks boring. This is the worst of the back up stories so far.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #05 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 201 Spawn #010

TITLE-Spawn #010
PUBLISHER-Image,when they were still with Malibu

Yeah the Dave Sim written sermon about creator rights.With Todd being as lazy as he can be with the art,look and you will see lots of the Spawns are copied directly from earlier issues.

When I first read this in the early 90s I had read a bit of Cerebus,12 issues or so. But really didn't know much about Sim.Todd was still being seen as the big guy who told Marvel to fuck off and was out making it on his own.

Of course now after Todd tried to screw Neil Gaiman out of his rights to characters Gaiman created.All the bits about rights and work for hire in this issue are meaningless.

Unless ya gotta own read every issue of Spawn,or appearance of Cerebus,just skip this issue.

Spawn #010 gets a pass.

2016 Comic Challenge 200 Good Old Boys #01

TITLE-Good Old Boys #01
PUBLISHER-Vertigo an imprint of DC

Underneath that gorgeous Glenn Fabry cover is my personal favorite of all the Preacher one shots/mini series.

From before they died,we get a normal night in the life of Jody and TC. After a bit of fishing they head off deeper into the swamp for a bare knuckle brawl.

Once there Jody jumps down into the pit and is ready for the fight. But this time instead of a man he is gonna fight a gorilla.

In another part of the swamp a helicopter has crashed. On  board is your standard Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon ripoff and a lady obviously based on that 90s movie Cindy Crawford did.

Both our duos end up meeting up. Then Saddam Hopper,who has the most unique way of cussing that I have ever seen,sends mercs after the Cindy clone. Seems she has a tape in her panties that will convict Saddam.

Garth Ennis of course writes this one shot. And Carlos Ezquerra,who I knew from various Judge Dredd/2000AD things handles the pencils.

Ennis manages to parody and homage all the 80s action movie tropes in one issue. And isn't all in your face with it like certain other UK Veritgo writers would be.

Good Old Boys #01 get a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 199 Old Man Logan #06

TITLE-OLd Man Logan #06
PUBLISHER-Marvel

Logan is living in the far north cut off town in Canada. So he can keep an eye on his future wife.

Then the Reavers attack. Fuck yeah I have always loved the Reavers.

The art is damn good. Lemire writes a story that makes me want to keep reading.

Old Man Logan #06 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 198 Bloodfire #01

TITLE-Bloodfire #01
PUBLISHER-Lightning Comics

Ahh Lightning Comics one of the many forgotten 90s comic boom publishers. Pretty much if they are remembered at all now it is for Hellina. Which I think Avatar now has the rights to.

So what is Bloodfire,besides a stupid as fuck title?Reace is a hero that works for the US government. In this issue he has to goto some island to prevent a Commie from taking over. Really the issue reads like an unproduced 80s Cannon film.Lots of fights and bullets flying plus explosion.

The art  is OK maybe. The colors look like they were done with offbrand color pencils.

What Lightning did to stand out from all the other companies was they never printed more than 250,000 copies of any issue,yeah think about that.250,000 was a small print run back in the spring of 93.And they would not reprint an issue until 2 years after it's publication. I seem to remember Lightning also started the 90s Nude cover gimmick. But that might have been another company.

Bloodfire #01 gets a pass.

2016 Comic Challenge 197 The Tick #12

TITLE-The Tick #12
PUBLISHER-NEC

Another of my Tick first printing cheap bin finds. Like issue 11 I got this for a buck.Sure it isn't mint but it is in much much better shape than my last copy. And that one cost me at least 6 bucks.

So after beating Barry in the last issue,now Tick & Arthur were given possession of all of Barry's Tick gear. Plus his Tick Cave. Which just happens of course to be under Barry's mansion. Our heroic duo show up and Barry meets them at the front door fully nude. Then shows they the way down to the cave,while he is planning on  how to beat or kill The Tick.

At the same time a group of some of the most horrendus villains are planning a team up. Tick and Arthur learn about this meeting and speed off on their new Tick-cycle to fight the evil team of nar-do-wells.

And that is it for Edlund's run on the Tick. By this time it was coming out maybe 2 issues tops a year. Ben Edlund was busy working on the Tick cartoon. And that and other reasons are why we so far have never gotten or I doubt will ever get the true issue 13. Yes I know NEC published a #13. Based on Edlund's notes and with another artist doing all the art chores.

From when this issue came out in the early 90s until about 2 years ago I was kind of pissed that we hadn't gotten issue 13. Every time Ben Edlund would get interviewed issue 13 would get asked about. And he always said it was being worked on and would be out in the not too far future. Now I realize if Edlund wrote and drew issue 13 and it got published there is almost no way it would meet the expectations the fans have built up over 20+ year wait.

The Tick #12 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 196 Kull volume 3 #09

TITLE-Kull Volume 3 #09
PUBLISHER-Marvel

Look at that cover. A cover so stunning it made me break one of my rules about buying comics at a con. I was digging through this one dealers longboxes.Nothing was priced so I figured he had one set price per issue. And the stuff I was seeing I figured he was gonna ask $5 a comic but I should be able to talk him down to 3 if I both a few. Well turns out the only thing I really wanted was this issue of Kull. All because of the Barry Smith cover.

So I asked the dealer what he wanted for it. "Let me look it up in the Overstreet."I made a rule years ago that any dealer that did that well they were not gonna get my business. But since the comic wasn't mint I thought maybe the guide would be in my favor. So I broke my rule. A few minutes later he has looked it up and guide price was $2. Score for me.

Sadly the interior pales when compared to the cover. John Buscema's pencils are really good. But they don't come close to that BWS cover. The story is OK. I have found that the Kull comics from Marvel are never that well written.

Kull volume 3 #09 gets a borrow,unless you find it cheap.

2016 Comic Challenge 195 The Tick #11

TITLE-The Tick #11
PUBLISHER-NEC

Yep the next to last issue of Tick creator Ben Edlund's run. Years ago I had an almost complete set of the original 12 issue Tick run. All of them first prints. Then lost them all in a fire. So been wanting to get another run,with them all being first prints. Sure I got the trade paperback that reprints all this stuff. But I want the actual issues.

It was about a month ago,same time I found the Miracleman #24. While digging in the buck bins found 3 issues of The Tick. All of them first prints and all issues I needed.

After a few issues with Tick and Arthur on the road,they finally make it to the city. Were they discover the City has so many superheroes there isn't enough crime for them to fight. After meeting the Mighty Agrippa they get invited to the Comet Club. A superheroes only night club. Arthur being a sidekick isn't allowed in and has to goto the rundown Sidekick's Lounge.

While there we learn of Barry,who is insane,and is a superhero named The Tick. So Barry Tick faces off against the big blue Tick. And after a long and pretty funny battle The Tick wins. Which means he gets the rights to the name The Tick. Plus all of Barry's Tick gear.

Pretty much if you have seen the Tick cartoon episode about the Comet Club this is what that was based on. A few things are changed up. But it is pretty much the same story.

2 more things I wanted to point out about this issue. First up is at least the first prints of the Edlund Tick series are oversized. As in they are closer in dimension to Golden Age comics than modern comics. So finding bags,boards and longboxes to hold these isn't that easy. And secondly is the back cover.

I am assuming Ben Edlund drew that. I do not remember the Tick every wearing any gear like that. But who knows it might have been an idea for a future issue. That never happened after Edlund abandoned the Tick franchise. Yeah I am one of those fans who is still waiting on issue 13 written and drawn by Ben Edlund. And yes I know it will never happen,and that years back NEC put out issue 13. But that issue is just based on Edlund ideas and has someone besides Ben drawing it.

The Tick #11 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 194 Miracleman #024

TITLE-Miracleman #024
PUBLISHER-Eclipse

Yeah the final,as of the writing,part published of the Miracleman The Silver Age story line.This is actually my 3rd copy of this comic. Got it the first time when it came out. Then lost that copy in a fire. Then right at 6 years ago got lucky and a comic shop I use to goto often had a bunch of Eclipse "File copy" issues for sale. And the owner cut me a great deal. Considering that back then it looked like this issue would never be reprinted. So it was selling for a big amount,since being the final issue and coming out right before Eclipse went under the print run is fairly small. I still have that copy. Now this 3rd copy .... well I guess the patron Saint of Geekdom smiled on me about a month ago.

We recently got a gaming/card/comic shop in town.Sure it is more gaming and cards than comics. But they got about 10 longboxes of buck comics. I was digging through them and saw the above comic. I looked at it closely and while it isn't Mint is is pretty close. I thought,ok this was put in here on accident,and once I get to the counter he is gonna tell me it is way more than a buck. I grab a few more comics. Head to the counter. And as he is going through my stack of dollar comics I said "Yeah was surprised to find the Miracleman issue in the cheap bins. We both know it is worth a bit more than a buck," He just looked at me and kept counting the dollar books. So yep got the above copy for a buck,

Under that gorgeous Barry Windsor Smith cover is a story of Young Miracleman trying adjust to the new world. Plus the revelation that Young Miracleman was/is sexually attracted to Miracleman. The latter plot point had been hinted at as far back as the early issues with Moore writing the series. Kind of neat that Neil Gaiman took something that was pretty much a throwaway line and made it a major part of his second story arch on the title.

What surprises me is even though sometime soon,if not already,this issue is getting reprinted by Marvel.The Eclipse version has still held onto most of it's value.

So yeah unless you are one of those comic fans that can't handle having how childish and cliche most superhero comics are pointed out to ya,this is an issue and a series that is must read.

Miracleman #024 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 193 Insect Fear #03

TITLE-Insect Fear #03
PUBLISHER-Print Mint

Back when I was 14 or so for X-mas one year my mother gave me this huge hardcover book. It was about the history of comics from the start of comic strips in America all the way up to the mid 80s indy boom. This is where I first discovered the classic first wave of Underground comix. Since then anytime I can find an ok shape underground comix for a decent price I grab it.

I found this issue at a tiny comic shop in Beaumont TX. It kind of stood out cause almost everything else in the store was Marvel/DC/Image or Dark Horse. But there it was hanging up with the wall books. I couldn't see a price marked on it so bit the bullet and asked them how much. Got told what was a decent price,but a more than I wanted to pay. So let him know I was gonna pass on it. Took the stack of stuff I had grabbed out of their cheap bins,mosts filling in gaps in lots of those Marvel Mid 80s 4 issue mini series like Falcon or Iceman,up to the counter. The guy rings me up then tells me he will be right back. He comes back with the Insect Fear. "OK what is the most you are willing to pay for it?" I told him a price that was what I considered fair. "OK Sure,you are the first person to even ask about it since I got it in 4 years ago." And that is how I added one more issue to my very tiny Underground Comix collection.

So how is the issue? Well the art is pretty decent. The stories.... a few are OK.The rest read like they would be much better if you were a bit inebriated. The line up is pretty good group of talent. Guys like Spain,S Clay Wilson,Jaxon and a bunch of others I hadn't heard of before getting this comic.

Insect Fear #03 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 192 Dragonforce #01

TITLE-Dragonforce #01
PUBLISHER-Aircel

Oh Aircel,the IIRC insulation/AC company that Barry Blair talked into funding a comic company in the mid to late 80s.And while this series was co Creator by the previously mentioned Blair,creepy fuck that he was,Dale Keown co created,drew and writing it.

I remember when this came out it was one of them titles that the shitty comic shop in Biloxi,Diversions,after a week had jacked the price up to $5. Yeah that store fucking sucked and ripped off/ran off many a fan. I never bothered with much from Aircel back then. But after many buys of say 20lbs of random comics I acquired a later series that reprinted this original Dragonforce series. Of course this reprint series came out around the time that Dale was huge cause of Hulk and then Pitt.

The series isn't bad. The writing does suffer from the flaws that anything written by a lifelong fanboy does. But the art is pretty damn good. Keown this early on in his career had a polish to his work that it seems to take most artists at least a few years to get.

Dragonforce #01 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 191 Bissette & Veitch's Fear Book #01

TITLE-Bissette&Veitch's Fear Book #01
PUBLISHER-Eclipse

Wow this was a great cheap bin discovery.For 4 years at Coast Con I had a guy that would bring between 12 to 20 longboxes. All packed with 70s thru early 2000s stuff. Lots of 80s indy stuff. And if you bought a bunch he would really cut ya a deal. So I grabbed this and stuck it in the to read pile.

Now if this just was a bunch of Steve Bissette written or drawn short horror stories it would be great. Same if you replaced Bissette with Rick Veitch. But nope this is even better. And I do wonder if this might become one of those books that goes from the cheap bins to being 20 bucks once word gets out. Jovial Bob Stine and Jane Stine written most of the stories. Bob Stine is better known as R.L.Stine of Goosebumps fame.

So I read through what is 12 or so 2 or 3 page horror stories,and then find a multipage text piece on where all this came from. Seems Schoolastic had a mag in the late 70s thru early 80s called Weird Worlds. And each issue had a few page long horror comic. Using at the time current students at the Joe Kubert School. Which of course Bissette and Veitch were part of the first class.

So unless something has changed this is a great collection of what has to be some hard to find fun horror comics.

Bissette&Veitch Fear Book #01 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 190 All Star Squadron #014

TITLE-All Star Squadron #014
PUBLISHER-DC

Just look at that cover. Pretty sure this is first of the Pre-COIE Crisis crossovers I read. You got Per Degaton with some of the All Star Squadron,who sadly abbreviate out to ASS,in a giant hourglass.Then bordering that image is starting on the left side...
All Star Squadron
Johnny Quick,Firebrand,Robotman,Steel and Liberty Belle.
The bottom has the JLA.
Zatanna,Superman,Firestorm,Hawkman and Aquaman.Then finally the Justice Society of America on the right.Green Lantern (Alan Scott),Power Girl,Starman(Golden age version),Huntress(the daughter of Batman and Catwoman of Earth 2) and finally Dr. Fate. And to top it off it is drawn by JOE KUBERT. It was covers like this that slowly got me into reading more DC stuff in the early 80s.

The story is pretty good. IIRC this story was 6 parts,running through 3 issues of ASS and JLA.For the second part of a 6 part series this reads fairly well. I need to go back and re-read the rest of the story.But I didn't feel that lost reading this.

All Star Squadron #14 gets a buy,

2016 Comic Challenge 189 The Complete normalman

TITLE-The Complete normalman
PUBLISHER-Image Comics

After having heard of normalman for years I broke down and ordered this trade. That claims to contain every appearance of normalman.

In 12 issues plus an annual Jim Valentino managed to homage and parody pretty much every genre and trope of comic books.And Jim does a damn good job at this. The art looks nothing like his later stuff. It has a kind of Fred Hembeck cartoony style that I prefer to Valentino's later stuff on Guardians of the Galaxy or Shadowhawk.

The scattered one shots and cameos normalman did after his series ended are not as good as the ongoing series was. But at least Jim was at least doing something with the characters.

I am guessing that not only didn't the normalman series not sell that well,but this trade also didn't sell well. That I am basing on how easy it is to find it brand new online for 5 bucks plus shipping.

So if you can handle the beloved genre of superhero comics being parodied grab a copy of this trade.

The Complete normalman gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 188 Spiderman versus Wolverine

TITLE-Spiderman Versus Wolverine
PUBLISHER-Marvel Comics

It is odd what things will trigger forgotten memories.After getting about 10 pages into this comic all of the sudden I rememebered not only where I bought it. But my first time reading it.

It was 87 and while I was going to the comic shop in Biloxi once a month,I still got most of my comics at K&B Drugs in Pascagoula MS.

It was the best store in the area for comics. They not only had 2 spinner racks. But 2 other racks hanging on the walls.Plus they seemed to carry all the magazine sized comics.

I clearly remember buying this at K&B,and thinking $2.50 was a stupid high price but it had Wolverine fighting Spiderman so I had to read it. Then after leaving the drug store I went straight to Burger King grabbed something to eat and read the comic while eating.

Written by Christopher Priest,back when he was still Jim Owsley,and with Mark Bright doing the pencils and the great Al Williamson on inks. We get a bit of history on Wolverine.Someone ,at the time thought to be minor,in Spidey's cast dies. And there is a great fight in a graveyard between Spidey and Wolverine.

Looking back on it now while it was good no way was it worth $2.50 back then. And IIRC this comic quickly went up in price. Many a cons I would see it as a $10 wall book. But with some digging you can find a reader copy for a buck or 2 tops. Which is it totally worth.

Spiderman vs Wolverine gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 187 Sonic Super Digest #14

TITLE-Sonic Super Digest #14
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

A few times a year I will find and grab one of Archie's digest sized reprints of their long running Sonic the Hedgehog comic. Mostly cause for years I kept hearing how good the comic was.

This issue has a few hundred pages and a stack of stories. With a few of them either being complete in this issue or wrapping up in this issue. But of course to get ya to want to buy the next issue a few of the stories have cliffhangers that got me to try to find the next issue.

The art is good. But no matter the artist the characters have a similar look. But you expect that out of most stuff from Archie. The stories are good. And not just crap written to sell to kids. The writers include enough stuff for an older audience to keep them reading.

Sonic Super Digest #14 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 186 Shi #02 Fan Appreciation Edition

TITLE-Shi Fan Appreciation Edition #02
PUBLISHER-Crusade Comics

This is another of my X amount of random comics in a bag for cheap finds. I had read a handful of issues of Shi back when it was coming out. And did enjoy it. But never really followed it.

Bill Tucci handles the art and writing. You can tell he has at least the entire first story arch plotted out.

Now I want to track down and read at least this entire first story arch of Shi.Which to me is a good sign of a comic.

I am gonna hold onto this comic.Mostly cause I like the cover. But as for the rest of the series I am gonna look for trades.

Shi Fan Appreciation Edition #02 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 185 Secret Origins #028

TITLE-Secret Origins #028
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

I have loved this title since it first hit the newstands. And at least for me the issues with lesser known characters were the better ones.

Nightshade gets the first story. Robert Greenberger,no idea who this is,is the writer. And in what has to be one of his earliest published pro work the penciler is Rob Liefeld. You can see small pieces of what would later become the major flaws in Liefeld's art. At the first time I read this I knew nothing about Nightshade. Now years later,hell almost 30,I have read a handful of her Charlton stuff and a bit of her in Suicide Squad. This is a decent origin/revamping for a very underrated Charlton heroine.

Midnight is the latter story. Roy Thomas is the writer,so you know unlike hacks like Geoff Johns,he will try his best to keep the character in line with his Golden Age stuff. Then the great Gil Kane handles the art. I knew of Midnight thanks to Who's Who. But this was the first I read of him. And he is a 3rd rate Spirit clone. Which is why he has barely been used since DC got the rights to him.

Overall an average issue of Secret Origins. But then for me at least I want to own every issue.

Secret Origins #028 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 184 One Man's War #01

TITLE-Preacher Special One Man's War #01
PUBLISHER-Veritgo a DC Imprint

Under that gorgeous Glenn Fabry cover,why was this never released as a poster?,is the origin of Herr Starr.

OK real quick there might be spoilers for the Preacher TV show up ahead,but since that show seems to be Earth 2 Preacher who knows.

Starr is part of German Special Forces,think Spetnaz or Delta Force,and during a mission meets a new compadre. Who ends up asking Starr to join The Grail.

The Grail is a secret,and I think Catholic ran,organization that has protected Jesus's bloodline for centuries. Yep in the Preacher universe Jesus had children. And to keep the bloodline pure the Grail has allowed them to only mate within the bloodline. Their main plan is to have a failed nuclear strike happen when the year 2000 starts. Then bring out the great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandson of Jesus as the new Messiah. But of course if you keep people breeding within their immediate family well you are gonna end up with a very very special needs Messiah.

Realizing that no one will buy this kid as the new Messiah,Herr Starr starts a group within the Grail that will take it over soon. And replace the Messiah with Jesse Custer.

As with everything connected to Preacher,Garth Ennis writes this issue. And Peter Snejbjerg handles the pencils. The art is nice and looks a bit like Steve Dillon's art in the main series.

Pretty sure you can still find this for cover price or less at a decent comic shop. And it is reprinted in one of the Preacher trades and hardcovers. So no reason if you are a comic fan to not track this down.

Preacher Special One Man's War #01 gets a BUY!!!

2016 Comic Challenge 183 Mage The Hero Discovered #11

TITLE:Mage the Hero Discovered #11
PUBLISHER-Comico

Somehow this damn good series passed me by in the 80s. It wasn't until the early 2000s when I found a bunch of issues cheap that I read what is the first volume of a supposed 3 volume series.

Matt Wagner handles most of the creative end of this series. Sure the art in the early issues of this title is a bit meh. By issue 11 it is pretty decent.

What really sucks is this series ended not long after issue 11. With volume 2 planned to come out in about a year. Then Comico went under. It took years for Wagner to fully get back his rights to the series. When he did Image published volume 2,and reprinted the first volume. IIRC this was the late 90s. And so far as of early summer 2016 volume 3 hasn't come out. Hell I haven't heard any news on it in 10 years or so.

Since I read volume 1 all in one sitting it is kind of hard for me to rate each issue.But this time all I read was this single issue. That I got in a 3 pack of comics from Dollar Tree.

Knowing what happened before and after this issue,reading just one issue in the story worked for me. But I would not recommend someone reading this issue without at least reading the previous 10.

Mage The Hero Discovered #11 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 182 Kickers INC #03

TITLE-Kickers Inc #03
PUBLISHER-New Universe a Marvel Comics imprint

Yeah as I slowly make way through all of "Shooter's Folly" I am gonna have to read total shit like Kickers.

Kickers Inc was a group of football players. Who's quarterback gets superpowers and now they are like a kind of super hero team/bounty hunters.

Sounds stupid doesn't it? Well it is. IIRC this lasted 12 issues. But then half of the original 8 New Universe titles only lasted for a years.

Kickers Inc #03 gets a Pass.

2016 Comic Challenge 181 Freex #06

TITLE-Freex #06
PUBLISHER-Ultraverse a Malibu Imprint

Freex was the Ultraverse version of the X-men. A group of outcast teens with powers. I have at least 10 or so issues of the series. But this is one of the few I have read.

So not only is this issue tied into the Ultraverse Breakthru crossover,which was kind of shit,but Night Man shows up.Night Man was the Ultraverse's total ripoff of Shadowman. But somehow Night Man got a syndicated live action TV show that lasted at least 1 season if not 2.

So how was the issue? The art is decent. But with the story being part of a bigger crossover and my not knowing that much about the Freex it didn't entertain me that much.

Freex #06 gets a pass.

2016 Comic Challenge 180 Cassidy:Blood & Whiskey #01

TITLE-Preacher Special Cassidy:Blood & Whiskey #01
PUBLISHER-Vertigo a imprint of DC Comics

Yep  another Preacher one shot. And again it has a beautiful Glenn Fabry cover. This time not only is Garth writing it,but they also got Steve Dillon to handle the pencils.

Set before issue 1 of the main series,Cassidy is hitchhiking when on I-10 near New Orleans he smells something he hasn't smelled before. Another vampire. So he gets dropped off,tracks the other vamp down. And they have adventures.

IIRC this came out right before the main series took a 5 or so issue trip to New Orleans. So this one shot was used to explain some upcoming stuff.

But really what makes this stand out to me is the main theme. The other vampire Cassidy meets is obviously a clone of Lestat from the Anne Rice series of novels. I get the feeling Ennis is like me and hates all the horrible clones of what was at one time a decent character. So he takes the piss out of all the tropes from the Anne Rician Vampires.

Cassidy:Blood & Whiskey #01 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 179 Baron Weirwulf's Haunted Library #070

TITLE-Baron Weirwulf's Haunted Library #070
PUBLISHER-Charlton Comics Group

I never read much of the Charlton horror anthology comics back when they were coming out. Then in the late 90s my local comic shop got in a huge stack of reader copy condition of them. The shop owner had said how much he wanted an issue but was offering a decent discount if you bought at least 10. So I went thru the stack found 20 that caught my attention and went up to the counter. The shop owner chuckled and said "Yeah I knew when I got them you would go after the one with the Ditko cover."

Now I haven't bothered doing much research for this issue. But under that Ditko cover you get your normal Charlton horror short stories. They never reach the levels of say the greatest stuff from EC or all the 70s DC horror titles or even Creepy and Eerie. But they are almost always worth a read. And usually have some good art.

Seems over the past decade the demand for these titles has went up. And I am seeing more and more shops/con dealers wanting $5 an issue for a beat up copy. Now for me yeah I would pay $5 for a reader copy version of this issue.Mostly cause of the Ditko cover.

Baron Weirwulf's Haunted Library #070 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 178 Airboy #05

TITLE-Airboy #05
PUBLISHER-Eclipse

Years and years ago when I discovered the cheap bins in comic shops,back when cheap bins were either 10 cents a comic or maybe 25 cents a comic,this issue of Airboy was one I grabbed for cheap. Just goes to show you what a good cover will do. And this cover is done by the late great Dave Stevens,RIP Sir RIP.

Of course over the years I lost that copy. But I keep finding more copies in cheap bins or flea markets. Got the one pictured above for a quarter.

The story is pretty good. The Airboy of this series is the son IIRC of the Golden Age Airboy. And this is the first time in this series that the old Golden Age enemy/friend Valkyrie appears.

And yeah the comic has good art,that sadly pales when compared to the cover.Plus the story is well written. But honestly I picked this up again just cause of the cover. I have started framing various comics to hang on my walls and this was one I had to have for framing.

Airboy #05 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 177 Afterlife with Archie #09

TITLE-Afterlife with Archie #09
PUBLISHER-Archie comics

After a long ass delay,7 or so months if not more,the new issue of the Archie zombie comic is out.

Reggie is out scouting with Kevin. And tells Kevin how Reggie is the one that started the zombie outbreak. After telling his story,Reggie decides to leave. And asks Kevin to tell the inner circle of the group why he left.

Back at their newest camp Archie,Betty and Veronica find out about Reggie.After debating they end up telling the rest of the group that Reggie just left.

Cut back to Reggie.He is heading towards the swarm of zombie lead by Jughead. Reggie is expecting to be bit and die. But the herd parts. Reggie looks up and there is Jughead and Hot Dog in front of him. He waits for one of them to kill him. But out of nowhere Sabrina appears. And talks about how the dark lord is pleased with Reggie and if he does something for him,the dark Lord will reward Reggie with the one thing he has always wanted but could never get. Midge Klump,who is a zombie. But Reggie is told if he goes back to Archie and the gang,gains their trust again. Then kills Betty,the dark lord will bring Midge back to life and she will be Reggies. Reggie quickly agrees to the deal.

I really enjoyed the focus on Reggie.And the return of Sabrina was damn good. With this story arc being titled Betty RIP,or some shit like that,I have been waiting on Betty to die. So it looks like Reggie will be her killer.

Yeah I am fed up with the delays on this comic. It has been coming out for at least 2 years and only 9 issues have hit the stands. Hell make it a 4 times a year comic and I am happy. I just want to know  that it will come out regularly. Instead of this annoying wait 10 months for a new issue stuff.

Afterlife with Archie #09 gets a BUY!