2016 Comic Challenge 243 Old Man Logan #10

TITLE-Old Man Logan #10
PUBLISHER-Marvel

So in the present Logan is stuck in the bottom of a deep well. One one of the Silent Order,who are monks not Ninjas like I said before,armed with a bow and arrows at the top.

In the present we get Logan making his way to the top of the well. Where as in the past,which is the future for us but Logan's past,him and Maureen get captured by the Silent Order. And Logan reveals some of his powers to Maureen.

This is one of the best Marvel titles I have read in a very long time. Lemire has so far managed to stay true to the original Old Man Logan story,while filling in gaps.

Old Man Logan #10 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 242 Old Man Logan #09

TITLE-Old Man Logan #09
PUBLISHER-Marvel

Logan is using the old Patch alias and trying to find Lady Deathstrike. He gets double crossed and ends up massacring a huge amount of guys.He does get a clue as to where Deathstrike might be hiding and heads to what  turns out to be a ghost village.

Then spread through out the issue we get glimpses in Logan's past. Seems while on the run years ago he ended up in Japan. In a ghost town and ran into an order of what I assume are ninjas. Of course the same thing happens in the present day part of the comic.

Lemire has managed to keep this title interesting for 9 issues so far. I am hoping he has a long run that stays of this quality.

Old Man Logan #09 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 241 Rocket Raccoon #3

TITLE-Rocket Raccoon #03
PUBLISHER-Marvel

Back in the 80s Marvel started doing 4 issue mini series for what seemed like every character they owned.At the time I wondered why all of the sudden and for only IIRC was 3 years this happened. From what I can find out it was Marvel's way to try to get a bigger market share as a defense against all the new indy comics that were gaining in  popularity.

Anyways Rocket Raccoon at the time was kind of obscure. He had appeared a few times before this. Seems like this mini happened mostly cause Mike Mignola really wanted to do something with Rocket and Marvel wanted more stuff from Mignola.

Now I did read all four issues back in the early 90s,back when lots of those Marvel minis were moved to the quarter bins. But I do not remember much about it. This issue works ok I guess as a standalone. The art is really the main reason to track this down. I am guessing since the mega rise in profile of Rocket Raccoon this formerly cheap mini might not be in the cheap bins anymore.

Rocket Raccoon #03 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 240 Adventure Comics #463

TITLE-Adventure Comics #463
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

Look at that line up on the cover. Flash,Wonder Woman,DEADMAN!!!,Aquaman,Dr Fate!!!!,Powergirl!!!! and Jay Garrick Flash. FUck that is beautiful.Then the added bonus of this being 68 pages and NO ADS COVER TO COVER!! And all for a buck. Makes me miss the early days of my comic collecting habit. Not that in 79 would I have spent a buck on a comic. Hell no! My weekly allowance was only a buck. I could get 2 comics for that price.

For years I had heard of Spanish Trail Books in Gautier MS. But never knew where it was located.Then right at 10 years ago I was in Biloxi going to have lunch with an Aunt who worked at a bank in downtown Biloxi. On the ride there I saw that there was a Spanish Trail Books right down the street from the bank. So after eating I came back and went inside to see what all they had. After meeting and talking to the owner for a bit she tells me "Most of the comics are in the back room. Go on  back and take a look." I go look and there is 20 longboxes of Silver and Bronze age DC and Marvel stuff.Most of it in great shape. But no prices. I asked her about the prices and got told "I have no clue what he wants for them just make an offer." Knowing I couldn't afford any of that stuff I was happy when I found a box of reader copies of piles of late 70s and early 80s stuff.Having had loved Adventure Comics,thanks to reading it during it's digest days as a kid,I grabbed this issue. Having no idea what it was worth I figure offering her 3 bucks was decent and she would more than likely want at least 5 for it,which I was willing to pay. I bring it up to the counter. She looks at it "How about cover price?" I happily hand her the buck and head out. Planning on coming back anytime I was in the area. Sadly not long after that the entire store got fire and smoke damage and closed down.

Honestly the stories and art are pretty standard late 70s DC. By that time DC was actually producing some superhero stuff I enjoyed reading. The JSA and Deadman stories are the best in the issue. I might be a bit biased but the Aquaman story is the worst.

Adventure Comics #463 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 239 The Survivalist Chronicles #03

TITLE-The Survivalist Chronicles #03
PUBLISHER-Survival Art Press

Yep another issue of the series that drips 80s,The Survivalist Chronicles.Our titular band of survivors has made a deal with the local tribe.Plus they have added a doctor to their group. So things are looking up.

At the same time a bunch of Russian paratroopers are dropped into the same area. So now we got the US military,the bounty hunters and the Russians all in the area and ready to kill.

I really hope there is an issue #04 and I can find it. Cause this is getting pretty interesting.

The Survivalist Chronicles #03 gets a Borrow!

2016 Comic Challenge 238 The Survivalist Chronicles #02

TITLE-The Survivalist Chronicles #02
PUBLISHER-Survival Art Press

Never heard of this title,the company or anyone involved in it before.But honestly that is what I look for when I am digging through cheap bins. Those titles that have been forgotten.

I read the first issue a few days ago. And while it was fresh in my memory,the first few pages of this issue do a good job of catching you up if you missed the first issue.

Set after a nuclear attack happens on the continental US shores,this comic is about ,duh,a band of survivalists. Who with their families have moved way out in the woods.

In this issue ,after having found a new home last issue,they discover they aren't alone in the valley. A tribe of Native Americans live in the valley and want these newcomers gone.

We also find out that what is left of the US government has sent a huge group of bounty hunters up into the woods to flush out anyone in that area.

Ronald F. Ledwell does the art and writing. The art is nice. Black and white,except for the covers,and has a moody feel.The story isn't bad. There is a lot of dialogue to read. Plus I am pretty sure this comic is a bit longer than the normal 20 to 22 page comic that was coming out in 1981.

I am guessing since this was coming out when the direct market was still tiny is a main reason why I have never heard of this series. I am gonna see if there is any issues of this series that I don't have. Oh almost forgot,there is a few ads in the issue for other titles from Survival Art Press.One is for a title called Waffen SS,I am guessing it is a WWII title.And another for In Country Nam. Gonna try to track down at least an issue of both series to try them out.

The Survivalist Chronicles #02 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 237 Buried Terror #01

TITLE-Buried Terror #01
PUBLISHER-NEC Comics

While NEC is mostly known for publishing all the various Tick comics,they also for awhile had a line of pre-code horror reprint titles. Buried Terror was one of the last of this line.

Thankfully the interior art is much better than that cover. Sure it's horrible,but it just looks like something a bored fanboy would doodle in 7th grade study hall.

Now all these stories in Buried Terror are reprinted in b/w. Which to me isn't a big deal,but I know it can be a issue with some comic fans.The first story is Curse Castle.Which is drawn by the amazing Bob Powell.I discovered Bob Powell through all those various pre-code reprint titles that Eclipse was putting out in the 80s. The story is nothing special,but the art makes up for that.

Up next is Fog was my Shroud.A post Nuke story.The art is thought to be done by Robert Webb. A name I do not know. It is a decent sci fi horror story from the latter years before the Code took over.

Webb supposedly does the next story,In a Lonely Place. Which is decent. A bit short but decent.

The final story is Happily Dead. Which takes a neat twist on the living dead gimmick.

But my favorite part of the issues is the many pages on the history of Ajax comics. Thanks to the Digital Comics Museum I have gotten into the Ajax pre-code horror stuff.This article is well written and full of info.

Buried Terror #01 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 236 Ms. Tree #29

TITLE-Ms. Tree #29
PUBLISHER-Renegade Press

I had heard of Ms. Tree for years.Even seeing a few issues of her run at DC comics. But I had never read any. Then at a con I found right at 30 issues for 25 cents each. So I grabbed them.

Issue 29 is the start of a new story. Ms Micheal Tree has spent 3 months in the mental hospital. Because she lots her mind and ended up killing a Mafia guy that killed her husband. So as you might be able to read on the cover Ms. Tree is saying she will never use a gun again.

The issue has 2 chapters of this story. Both of which are written by Max Collins and drawn by Terry Beatty.I like how each page is black and white with one added color. This technique gives the book a look that really stands out.

Ms.Tree #29 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 235 Millennium #04

TITLE-Millennium #04
PUBLISHER-DC

I know I read most of the Millennium series years ago,but I remember nothing about it outside the basic plot. Was wanting something to read while having breakfast and seeing this was written by Steve Englehart I grabbed it off the read pile.

The Guardians have gather a bunch of people to evolve them to the next step up the evolutionary ladder.While this is going on we cut back and forth between the Suicide Squad's base in LA and the Manhunters base in south LA.

Besides the cover nothing else from this issue sticks out.Joe Staton's art is good. But this really feels like you just got dropped in the  middle of a 50 part movie serial. And there isn't enough in  the issue for me to piece together what happened previously.

Millennium #04 gets pass.

2016 Comic Challenge 234 Sons of Anarchy Redwood Originals #01

TITLE-Sons of Anarchy Redwood Original #01
PUBLISHER-Boom Studios

With the subtitle of the series I was expecting stories about the original 9 member of SAMCRO. But instead this story is about Jax when he was still a prospect.

Seems he has anger issues. Add in that his best friend Opie isn't joining the club,and you get a angry young man.

Nothing much happens in this issue. But you can tell it is leading up to something major.

Sons of Anarchy Redwood Original #01 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 233 Regular Show Volume #01

TITLE-Regular Show Volume 01
PUBLISHER-Kaboom an imprint of Boom Studios

This trade reprints issues 1,2,4 and 5 from the Regular Show comic. No idea why they skipped issue 3.

The art and stories do a good job of capturing the feel of the cartoon.Like the first story about how Muscle Man starts a mosh pit at a concert in the park. And this almost unleashes a terrible demon. Or the one where Mordici needs a haircut and him and Rigby go to a new barber shop.

I doubt I would read this monthly but I would grab a copy of the trade from my local library.

Regular Show Volume 01 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 232 Escape from New York Volume #01

TITLE-Escape from New York volume 01
PUBLISHER-Boom Studios

Set right after the end of the first film,this 4 issue trade ignores the horrible sequel and gives us a worthwhile follow up to one of John Carpenter's greatest films.

Snake gets away. And makes it down to the Free State of Florida. Once down there he gets taken prisoner by the two teen age boys that somehow are in charge of Florida.

We also learn that thanks to Snake's actions in the first film the President is being impeached. So of course the Prez wants to get Snake.

The art is pretty good. With the artist making Snake look like Kurt Russell. The story feels like a true follow up to the first film. Which is something Escape from LA was lacking.

Of course with this being an ongoing series the trade ends on a cliffhanger. But I am pretty sure Snake will find a way out of this situation.

Escape from New York volume 01 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 231 Mortar Man #01

TITLE-Mortar Man #01
PUBLISHER-Marshall Comics

Found this one recently in the cheap bins. It was a buck and I had never heard of the title,the artist,writer or even the publisher.

The cover,and that it came out in 1993,makes me think this is another tiny indy trying to start their own superhero universe. On the back cover we got the lead villain of this issue,the Rotten Apple. Of course that is our titular hero on the front cover.

So I start reading the issue expecting something like I would get from Dagger comics,who besides me remembers them?,or maybe Lightning Comics. A badly drawn and written cash grab at the comic boom. Nope instead I get a fairly well written and very very well drawn satire of superhero comics. Mortar Man relies on various grenades. Some cause him to fly others just explode. The drawback is they all look the same so he never knows what he is using. The Rotten Apple is a great arch-villain. Think a slightly silly Dr Doom.

I am kind of wondering if maybe this was written and drawn years before it got published. One of the reasons is this came out at the height of the Image craze,where comics were lucky to have 3 panels on a page.But in Mortar Man #01 most of the pages have 6 to 9 panels. It really reads and looks like one of the many superhero satire books on the 80s B/W indy comic boom.

Since I found this in the dollar bins,I am gonna guess it shouldn't be hard to find it cheap. And really if you find it for cover price or less and enjoy satire it is worth grabbing.

Mortar Man #01 gets a buy!

2016 Comic Challenge 230 Famous Funnies #151

 TITLE-Famous Funnies #151
PUBLISHER-Eastern Colour Printing

This is another of my recent cheap Golden Age comic finds.I remembered the name Famous Funnies,IIRC it was one of the earliest comic series,so when I saw how cheap it was I had to get it.

Like lots of early comics this is mostly reprints of newspaper comics. It starts with some Buck Rogers strips. Credited to Pick Calkins and Rick Yager. I never really had read much of Buck Rogers ,as a kid we got Flash Gordon in the paper not Buck. The art is OK but the strips are still enjoyable.

The next story to catch my attention was Invisible Scarlet O'Neil.Scarlet was one of the first if not the first super powered heroines. It is nice to finally be able to read one of her adventures after years of hearing about them. I love the art on this story.

And the final story to catch my attention is Scorchy Smith.While the story is kind of average comic strip adventure story,the art makes it stand out. Never heard of Scorchy before reading this issue,and honestly I doubt I would read another of his adventures. But if I find one and it has the same artist I would enjoy looking at the art.

Overall this was a decent issue. The few bucks I paid for it was worth it for the Buck Rogers and Invisible Scarlet O'Neil stories. Now if you can't find a copy for cheap I would tell ya to skip this issue.

Famous Funnies #151 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 229 Dark Horse Presents 100 (1 of 5)

TITLE-Dark Horse Presents 100 (1 of 5)
PUBLISHER-Dark Horse Comics

I love anthology titles.And over the decades of comic collecting I have found out that Dark Horse Presents offers usually the best deal.

Lets start with that cover. Mimi Rodin is by Dave Stevens and it looks gorgeous like pretty much anything the late Mr Stevens drew. The right side is the front cover. Which has Lance Blastoff fighting a dinosaur. Drawn by Frank Miller,to me it looks great.

Pretty sure this issue is bigger than a normal issue of DHP. So that means we get 7 stories.

Up first is a Lance Blastoff story by Miller.It is short but looks great. I have always preferred Miller's art in black and white.

Heartbreakers is a decent science fiction story.Pretty art and a decent story. From a few things in the story I found out the Heartbreakers appeared years ago in DHP.

Ninth Gland is decent.But it isn't anything I will bother to read again.

Aboard the drinking Leviathan by Jon Lewis is a fun story set in some woods. A turtle is talking to what I assume is a possum. THey start to share stories about drinking and waking up in odd places. This was a neat change of pace from all the more serious stories so far.

I was pretty happy when I saw that there was a Milk and Cheese story in this issue. Sadly it is one I read before,I think it was in Milk and Cheese's 666 issue. Still it is great like pretty much everything Milk and Cheese.

The finaly story is a one pager. Art and words by Dave Stevens. It is about Mimi Rodin. The art is nice,but the story is not needed.

Dark Horse Presents 100 one of five gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 228 Hero Alliance #04

TITLE-Hero Alliance #04
PUBLISHER-Innovation

Back in the mid 90s I found a few issues of Hero Alliance in the cheap bins. And I really enjoyed those issues. So since then anytime I find issues for cheap I grab them.

One thing that stood out about Hero Alliance is how the issues were more about what happens before and after the big battles most superheroes get into.

This issue starts off with two men robbing an elderly lady's apartment. The old lady sees them and they run away. On the rooftop they get confronted by this world's version of Batman. One of the men ends up falling to his death from the roof. Which of course brings heat on the team.

The art and story is pretty good. Now I am gonna try to track down the rest of the series.

Hero Alliance gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 227 Joe Lansdale's The Drive In #01

TITLE-Joe Lansdale's The Drive In #01
PUBLISHER-Avatar

I really need to track the book this is based on down. Set in Texas,this issue is ths story of 4 friends. Who all goto the Friday night Horror movie marathon at the local Drive In.But this is no ordinary drive in,it can hold 4 thousand cars. Has 6 screens.

Then during the second film a comet streaks across the sky.Instead of hitting the ground it turns away at the last minute. The drive in is surrounded by a pudding like fog.The people quickly discover that anyone that enters the fog doesn't come back.So with that revelation the issue ends.

I read this mini a few years ago. After getting the 2nd or 3rd issue in a big random lot of comics I won on Ebay.

Joe Lansdale's The Drive In #01 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 226 Artifacts volume #01

TITLE-Artifacts Volume 01
PUBLISHER-Top Cow/Image

This digital trade contains the first 5 issues of the 13 issue long Artifacts mini series. Before reading this I had read the FCBD zero issue. And a few scattered issue of the Darkness and Witchblade.

Kind of surprised that even though I really don't know much about the history of the Top Cow universe,I was still able to read and really enjoy this trade.

There are 13 artifacts of power in the Top Cow Universe. And someone is trying to collect all 13 and use them to remake the world.

While all that is going on we get stuff like Witchblade's daughter gets kidnapped. The Curator gets beat up. Plus lots of history on the various artifact owners.

I like how the Top Cow universe has a nice blending of science fiction,dark fantasy and horror. It is so different than most other comic universes.

Artifacts Volume 01 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 225 Battlestar Galactica Zarek #01

TITLE-Battlestar Galactica Zarek #01
PUBLISHER-Dynamite

This is the start of a mini series that fills in the backstory to Tom Zarek,played by Richard Hatch on the show.

And while giving us the story of his childhood we find out more about the origins of the Cylons. Info that at least to me I hadn't heard before.

The art is decent. It does have that sameness feel that lots of Dynamite titles do.

Battlestar Galactica Zarek #01 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 224 Jughead #08

TITLE-Jughead #08
PUBLISHER-Archie

So Archie and our titular hero are lost in the woods with a bear right behind them. Thankfully Mr Weatherbee is around and starts leading the guys out of the woods.

But there seems to be someone  in the woods that hates the Bee. And keeps setting traps for him. Finally we find out it is one of the Mantle family. One who use to bully the Bee back in high school.

Finally the 3 guys make it out of the woods. Archie thinks he is at the all teen girls camp. But turns out that camp got changed into a younger kid camp a few years back.

Overall this was a decent little story. Kind of sucks it is Zdarsky's last issue. But at least Derek Charm is staying on handling the art chores.

Jughead #08 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 223 Battlestar Galactica Gallery Special

TITLE-Battlestar Galactica Gallery Special
PUBLISHER-Realm Press

While I do remember when Realm had the BSG comic book rights,I never read an issue until this one.

There is 2 stories in the issue. The first is about Boxy's daggit trying to fins Boxy. This story is a nice change of pace from what I was expecting.

The second story has Galactica under attack from Cylons. During this 3 of the Galactica's pilots are missing. We cut to a planet and see that Starbuck has crashed on it. He wanders around and finds the crashed Cylon ship that shot him down. Starbuck ends up fighting the Cylon ship's pilot. Not long after that a Cylon raider makes an emergency landing on the Galactica's landing bay. When the pilot gets out we discover that it was Starbuck piloting the ship. And the Cylon pilot is Boomer. The story ends with us finding out that all the other missing pilots have been converted over into half Cylon creatures.

Really this wasn't bad. Both stories were decent. The art is nice. Kind of glad I didn't spend the cover price of almost 4 bucks for this.

Battlestar Galactica Gallery Special gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 222 Galactica 1980 #01

TITLE-Galactica 1980 #01
PUBLISHER-Dynamite

Sure I watched the Galactica 1980 tv show and it kind of sucked. So Dynamite took the idea behind the series and made it into a much better story.

Galactica has sent out the now fully grown Boxy and another Viper pilot. They find an old NASA space probe. Using the info inside it they discover where Earth is.

Of course they arrive and get attacked. Which almost causes an all out nuclear war to start.

While back on the Galactica Doc Zee has taken over.

Galactica 1980 #01 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 221 Moon Knight #05

TITLE-Moon Knight #05
PUBLISHER-Marvel

Lemire is joined by a shitpile of artists to create the final part of the New Egypt story.

Marc is confronting Moon Knight at the top of the structure. When Moon Knight runs thru a door with Marlene.So Marc pursues them.

Each door he goes thru is a trip to a different reality. With each reality drawn by a different artist. It is kind of like a tour thru the art history of Moon Knight, well if you skip the Stephen Platt era. BTW what the fuck happened to S.PLatt?

Moon Knight is revealed to be Khonshu.And he wants control of Marc's body. Marc refuses and jumps to his death. Then he wakes up. Seems he is an actor named Steven. And is working on an Egyptian themed film.

Yeah Lemire has hooked me I will be back next issue to see where the hell he takes this intriguing series.

Moon Knight #05 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 220 Captain America #319

The issue starts off with Cap fighting Backlash. Backlash keeps running his mouth and that causes his downfall.While Backlash is being led away by the cops he mentions that someone has been going around killing lots of lower level super villains. I had noticed that in various Marvel comics I was reading at the time that someone,who's appearance changed each time,was killing off villains. Shooting them with explosive bullets and shouting "Justice is served!"

Cap thinks about this super villain killer and remembers that someone a few months back tried to kill the Constrictor. "Scourge,He called himself.I never was able to get any leads on him."

Then we see Sidewinder of the Serpent Society,if a title has Gruenwald writing it odds are good the Serpent Society will appear,holding the corpse of Death Adder. So that is another villain that Scourge has taken out.

Next scene is set in the so called Bar with no name. A bar for costumed super villains. Seems a bunch of the villains are forming a group to not only protect themselves from the killer but also capture/kill Scourge.

There is a nice interlude that mostly seems to be in the story to remind the readers that at this time Steve Rogers was doing the artwork for the 616 universe's Captain America comic. Yep Cap was drawing Cap for at least a few years in his own title.

We cut to the former Firebrand at the Bar with No Name. He is bragging to the bar tender about how he has been going  to all the Bars with No Names,I guess it is a very exclusive franchise,and has talked to over 100 villains. 50 of which are suppose to show up to the bar soon.

Now I normally do not do this ,but this is a comic that you should really not know the ending when reading it. So

SPOILER SPACE






































Most of the rest of the issue is a build up to the final  few pages. We see the former Firebrand getting all kinds of  high tech scanning equipment brought into the bar. To make sure Scourge can't sneak in.

Let us see who all showed up. There is 18 in total,including Gary Gilbert the former Firebrand.

Steeplejack,Shellshock,Cyclone,Mind-Wave,Ringer,Hell-Razor,The Grappler,Rapier,Mirage,Jaguar,Turner D. Century,The Vamp,The Cheetah,Bird-Man,Commander Kraken,The Hijacker and Letha. As you can see this is a group of  jobber super villains. Before this issue I had heard of  maybe 7 of them.

They start to talk about how to deal with the problem of  Scourge and this happens......

Yeah! That is how you end an issue of a comic and make me haunt the K&B Drugs to get the next issue.

Captain America #319 gets a BUY!