2016 Comic Challenge 269 Vampirella Blood Lust Book 02

TITLE-Vampirella Blood Lust Book Two
PUBLISHER-Harris Comics

By the time this Vampi mini series hit I was almost out of comics. I had read scattered issues of her old series from Warren. The b/w magazine sized comics that came out in the 60s and 70s.Then years back I found a place online that sold random lots of comics by the pound. 10lbs of comics,no duplicates and before shipping  it was like 20 bucks,I made an order and weeks later got 10lbs of comics. Which included a huge stack of random issues of Vampi from Harris.They kind  of got shuffled to the bottom of my ever growing read pile.

Then last month for Halloween I wanted to only review horror comics the entire month. Dug out 6 issues I could find  of the Harris era Vampirella series and read them. Took the pics and wrote out the reviews. Then before I could post them my main laptop shit the bed. I managed to save the pics of all of them and a few of the reviews. So yeah this review and the next 5 that involve Vampi were written,partially written back in October.

That Joe Jusko cover is what drew me to this issue. Then I open it and see he painted the entire issue.And that mid 90s Jame Robinson wrote it. Vampi has died and traveled to Drakulon,which is now Lilith's  section of hell.Teaming up with a very changed Adam Van Helsing,Vampi must restart the river of blood and try to take out her mother.

Now I haven't read that much of the Harris Vampi before now,but this feels more like it is the last chapter in the long running Warren version of Vampirella.When it is explained how Adam ended up in Hell I was pleasantly surprised and remembered something like that being mentioned years ago in an Warren issue.

Vampirella Blood Lust Book Two gets  Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 268 Jessica Jones #01

TITLE-Jessica Jones #01
PUBLISHER-Marvel

Yeah I know my hatred of Bendis is fairly well known. But Alias,besides that horrible last few issues,was the best thing he has done since coming to Marvel. So I took a chance on what seems to be a proper follow up to Alias.

Going into this I don't know much of what happened to Jessica Jones since the end of Alias. I have heard she had a kid and married Luke Cage. Maybe even was a member of the Avengers. But I have kind of given up on most Marvel comics for right at 20 years now.

The art is gorgeous. Pretty sure this is the same person that did the art in Alias. And all the little nods to the usually Marvel universe are nice. But it is the dialogue and story that  caught my attention and has me eager the read the next issue.

Jessica Jones #01 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 267 The Shield #03

TITLE-The Shield #03
PUBLISHER-Dark Circle/Archie

Yeah sadly like most of Archie's titles this one is majorly late. So late that I have pretty much forgotten what happened in the first two issues.

In this one our titular heroine is in Russia to take on what appears to be a biker gang. Plus we get flashbacks to what I must assume is her past. But these seem to be happening back in the Revolutionary War.

The story is ok. The art is nice. But with the lateness my interest in this title has majorly fallen. Maybe Archie should have done this as a series of mini series. And waited until say 4 issues were complete before soliciting them.

The Shield #03 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 266 Black Hood Season 2 #01

TITLE-The Black Hood Season 02 #01
PUBLISHER-Dark Circle Comics/Archie Comics

After what felt like a year,it was really 3 or so months,a new issue of The Black Hood is out.I have been praising this book to the geek Heavens since the first issue came out what a year ago. Thankfully this time we were told in advance that there would be a few months between issues.I like how they are doing the season mode of comics. Really I rather get 6 to 8 damn good comics then a break and another batch of 6 to 8 issues,than the standard 12 issues,one every month.

Duane Swierczynski is back as the writer.Greg Scott is the new artist.Who's art is similar enough to the previous main artist,sorry I am blanking on their name. Plus colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick's work takes the coloring from season 1 and makes it a bit more crayon like. Now that sounds like it would be a bad thing,but it really isn't.

Our lead has made his way across the country to California. Vowing to never kill again he ends up living with the homeless on the beach in some sun-drenched town.Seems on his trip acoss he donned a hood and stopped some criminals.And now out on the west coast he stops the so called Shotgun Twins from killing a man in a car on a hillside road.

After taking care of the twins,remember the Hood won't kill anymore,he settles in for a night of sleep with the rest of the homeless.We get a short bit about how here he is accepted,no questions are asked. Plus with-in hours of his arrival he was given a pack with basic survival items and some food.

Well the Shotgun Twins attack on the driver of the car had two reasons for happening. First off the driver did indeed do what he was accused of. But it was also to draw out the Hood.Someone connected the the mob in Phillie has been tracking our titular hero.

The issue ends with the mob guy going thru the homeless offering them food. He comes up to the Hood,offers the food that is turned down.Then draws a gun on the Hood as we get two be continued.

Come on people if you love Batman,Punisher,Daredevil,hell pretty much any street level hero read this damn book. Pretty sure Dark Cirle has all of Season 1 out in trades.

The Black Hood Season 02 #01 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 265 Huntress #01

TITLE-Huntress #01
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

Huntress is a heroine I have enjoyed since back when she was still the daughter of Batman and Catwoman on Earth 2. This is a fairly recent mini series,2011 and 2012 I think. Got Paul Levitz writing and Marcus To on pencils.

Huntress is in Italy to fight mobsters that are trafficking women and full automatic weapons. After rescuing the women ,she talks to her contact and sets out to work  her way up the criminal chain.

This worked well for the first issue of a  6 issue mini series. Gave me enough that I want to read more. But set it up where this can all easily be wrapped up in 6 issues.

Huntress #01 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 264 Dark Knight III the Master Race #06

TITLE Dark Knight III The Master Race #06
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

After many months we get another  chapter in the third DK from Frank Miller.Well kinda from him. Frank Miller&Brian Azzarello get story credit. And for this issue,pretty sure the previous ones were drawn by Frank,is by Andy Kubert.

The green kryptonite rain has taken out most of the Kandorians. With only the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman being not effected by it.

Batman of course planned this all out. And has piles of Sons of the  Bat troops all over to attack the now depowered Kandorians.

The Kandorians take a retreat.But on their way out the leader shots a percise bolt of heat vision,which hits Batman's heart. So as this part of the main story ends Batman has died.

The backup story has Carrie Kelly fighting the daughter of Supes and Wonder Woman. Then Wonder Woman shows up,the daughter manages to break the Golden lasso. While this was not a bad read,I would have been happier with 10 more pages of the main story instead.

Between the long waits between the issues,and yes I know none of Miller's DK stuff has been known to come out on time,and then after the wait getting maybe 22 pages of the main story plus 15 pages of a back up story. Instead of say 28 to 30 pages of the main story and no back up. Yeah I know I should have waited until it came out in a TPB. But this is one of the few titles I have to go get as soon as a new issue is hot.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #06 gets a borrow

2016 Comic Challenge 263 The Killing Joke

TITLE-The Killing Joke Deluxe edition
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

I am assuming if you are reading this you have read The Killing Joke. If not go track down a copy and read it. It is one of the best Joker stories ever told.

I read it for the first time when it came out over 20 years ago. Pretty sure it was the first time I saw Brian Bolland's art. And was one of the earliest things I read from Alan Moore. But even on that first reading something about the ending didn't work for me. And it wasn't until months later at Gulf Coast Comics that I heard the argument on if Batman kills Joker at the end.I think he does. And from the original script pages it seems like Moore wanted you to wonder if that is what happens.

Now it is time for the complaints. This Deluxe Edition well Bolland has went back and not only recolored the entire story,but also did some touch up the art. I didn't notice any changes in the art,but the coloring to me looks bad. I know this is the original artist's going back and changing it. And it is how he has always wanted it to look. But my eyes are use to the old coloring and they to me gave it a nice dark look that this story needs. This new coloring makes it a bit too bright.

My other complaint is DC's need to add bonus stuff to the collection. An intro and afterword are nice,but to me the Bolland story from the old Batman Black and White mini series wasn't needed. Sure it looked nice in color for the first time. But it feels more like DC adding a few small things so they can charge more for what was originally a $4 prestige format comic.

The Killing Joke Deluxe Edition gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 262 Archie Meets Ramoes

TITLE-Archie Meets Ramones #01
PUBLISHER-Archie

After producing lots of great comics,even if half of them never come out on time,Archie made a comic that I had to have.One that odds are good I will even buy more than one copy of,mostly cause I love a few of the variant covers.

First off let me get my nitpicking complaints out of the way. The comic is titled Archie meets Ramones,it should be Archie meets THE Ramones. Secondly most of the issue supposedly takes place before their first album came out,a few months before,but there is a few songs and references to songs that came out years later.

The story is pretty simple. Archie and his band bombed at the battle of the bands. They are arguing and all but Archie leaves. Sabrina shows up and gives Archie a copy of The Ramones first album. He plays it and it wisks all of the band back to NYC back in 1976.

Thru a bunch of screwball comedy like antics The Archies meet the Ramones. Get sent on a scavenger hunt. And end up winning a battle of the bands at CBGB's,by playing I don't wanna go down in the basement.

Now  I am biased as fuck. I love Archie and The Ramones are  my favorite bands. So your mileage may vary.

Archie meets Ramones gets a BUY!