2016 Comic Challenge 035 Hate Jamboree

TITLE-Hate Jamboree!
PUBLISHER-Fantagraphics

I started reading Hate around issue 3. Before that I had read a few issues of Peter Bagge's Neat Stuff. And Hate took my favorite character from Neat Stuff,Buddy Bradley, and moved him from suburban New Jersey to downtown Seattle.

After 30 issues Mr Bagge was ready to end Hate. And Hate Jamboree came out about a month after Hate ended. It is packed with interviews with pretty much everyone who worked on Hate. And goes into lots of detail on how and why Peter Bagge created Buddy and then decided to move him to Seattle.

The interviews are great. But my favorite part of this comic is all the hard to find artwork and comics it reprints. Peter Bagge did lots of stuff from various indy music magazines. And also did some work for various porno magazines.

Now if you have never read Hate this comic I would think would have no interest for ya. But if you are a Hate fan or a fan of Mr Bagge this is a great read.

Really the only bad part of this comic is it is slightly taller than a normal comic. So storing it is a bit of a hassle. Plus the cover is made out of really cheap paper. It feels a bit like newsprint.If you are one of those comic fans that has to have everything in mint ...well finding this issue in mint condition might be a bit hard to do.

Hate Jamboree gets a BUY!But only if you are a Hate/Bagge fan.

2016 Comic Challenge 034 Cat and Mouse #01

TITLE-Cat and Mouse #01
PUBLISHER-Aircel

I had never heard of this series. Then a few years back I had won a random lot of 100 comics off Ebay. And in that lot was about 6 issues of Cat and Mouse. I opened up an issue and saw that Steven Butler,an artist from Mississippi,and Mitch Byrd,another artist from MS,had created this series. And Byrd was the main artist on the title.

After reading those issues I was hooked. And later on that year at Free Comic Book Day I got to talk to Mitch Byrd a bit. He lives on the MS gulf coast area. And was at 3 Alarm Comics in Diberville. The comic shop owner had went thru his back issue stock and put out a bunch of comics Mitch had worked on. I had been wanting the first issue of Cat and Mouse and saw a copy.Plus since it wasn't bagged and boarded it was only a buck. I handed it to Mr Byrd,and explained to him how much I enjoyed the series. "Thanks,but this was very early in my career.So when I look at it all I see is all the mistakes I made."

Set in 80s New Orleans. Cat and Mouse are a team of cat burglars. And both of them are well trained martial artists.

So this series was kind of a mash up of lots of stuff. You get the big city crime drama. Plus a heavy amount of martial arts and ninja stuff,remember this was the 80s when ninjas were mega hot.

Really my only complaint about the comic is I wish it was in color. I have seen so much of Mitch's artwork in color. And while his art works in black and white. It is even more amazing when in color.

So if you like crime dramas and/or 80s era action films go digging thru you local comic shop's cheap bins and try out some issues.

Cat and Mouse gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 033 Brat Pack #05

TITLE-Brat Pack #05
PUBLISHER-King Hell/Tundra

Set a bit over a year since the last issue. Rick Veitch starts the issue off showing us how in a bit over a year all of the Brat Pack have become corrupt pieces of shit.

We see the priest from last issue. Who is trying to hang himself in the bell tower of the church. But his former alter boy,who is now Chippy,shows up. And lets the priest know the rest of the Brat Pack is waiting inside the church.

Down in the church we get more images of how bad off the Brat Pack is now. With the King Hell universe's version of Speedy smoking crack. Kid Vicious,who is the sidekick for the fascist Judge Jury,is now a roided up mess. And the single female member is preforming a coat hanger abortion on herself.

Then a coffin rolls itself into the room. We know it is being remotely controlled by Dr Blasphemy. I had been wondering why the heroes even bother with having sidekicks. When the sidekicks really don't do much. And once the coffin is open we find out why. Seems all the Brat Pack members are part of a huge merchandising deal. Which is how their heroes get the money to fund their war on crime.

Of course this is a trap set up by the evil Dr. And all of the Brat Pack dies. The heroes show up. And manage to capture the Dr. They rip off his mask and we find out the Dr is really the priest. Then while all the heroes are gathered in the bell tower horrible weather hits. Which we find out is caused by Maximortal's return. And the series ends with that happening. Plus we find out that this universe's version of Green Arrow,well his butler is the real Dr Blasphemy.

I can see once again why Mr Veitch changed the ending a bit for the trade paperback. The one in this issue is kind of confusing. And if you haven't read the Maximortal series ,well this ending doesn't make a lot of sense.

Now I am wanting to go and re-read the trade. Just so I can see what all was changed. And I also really wish  Rick Veitch was able to finish up the King Hell storyline he started with Maximortal. I know years after this series ended he put out a two issue series that was suppose to connect and explain the gaps left after reading Maximortal and Brat Pack.

Brat Pack #05 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 032 Brat Pack #04

TITLE-Brat Pack #04
PUBLISHER-King Hell/Tundra

The priest who has been helping the heroes get their new sidekicks has had enough. One night the Midnight Mink and Chippy come to visit him. And the priest whips out what appears to be an Uzi and shoots Mink multiple times. But Mink brushes this off like it is nothing.

Now I was wondering how this could be. When since Mink is basically Batman,that means he has no powers. But a few pages later Mink lets Chippy know about Mink's previous relationship with Maximortal/True-man.

Seems Mink found out he has infected with HIV. So Maximortal gave Mink a blood transfusion. Which not only would hold the virus in check. But also gave Mink fast healing.

We then find out that each of the heroes has a connection to Maximortal. And once he was gone is when they took over. And also when the world really went to shit.

Chippy also meets the last living member of the previous Brat Pack. Who we find out is the previous Chippy. And I must assume that Mink gave that Chippy some of his blood. Which is why he survived.

Brat Pack #04 gets a Buy!

2016 Comic Challenge 031 Brat Pack #03

TITLE-Brat Pack #03
PUBLISHER-King Hell/Tundra

With the Brat Pack dead,the heroes are wanting replacements. And most of this issue is about the new Chippy. Who is the Midnight Mink's sidekick. Think of Robin and Batman.

We also see the other 3 heroes getting their new sidekicks. And get more of an idea how corrupt and morally bankrupt these heroes are.

Then we see that it looks like one of the previous Brat Pack members isn't dead. And is now living in
he bell of the church's tower.And of course Dr Blasphemy is curious how this one member survived. And I had no idea how they did.

Brat Pack #03 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 030 Brat Pack #02

TITLE-Brat Pack #02
PUBLISHER-King Hell/Tundra

With this issue we see the heroes getting their new sidekicks. And everything that has ever been hinted in the subtext of heros like Batman,Punisher,Wonder Woman and others is brought right in to the forefront.

But as we get towards the end of the comic all these new sidekicks lose their parents in mysterious circumstances. I get the feeling the Doctor Blasphemy is behind all this.

Brat Pack #02 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 029 Brat Pack #01

TITLE-Brat Pack #01
PUBLISHER-King Hell/Tundra

Been at least a year since I read this seemingly forgotten piece of classic indy comics. So this time instead of grabbing my trade off the wall,which has a different ending,I dug out the issues. Pretty sure outside of issue 01 all the rest of my copies are first prints.

We start off seeing a slum like city,that is named Slumberg. A call in radio show gets a call from someone calling themselves Doc,which is all about the city's group of teen sidekicks. The Brat Pack of the title.

There is your Robin analogue,taken the Robin and Batman relationship past the levels Whertham saw. A Punisher like hero with his kill them all partner.And others.

But not long after we get to know these teens they get bamboozled and killed. Seems Doc is actually Doctor Blasphemy. And he did this to set the Brat Pack up and kill them.

I am always surprised that this doesn't get broughten up when the talk of the grim and gritty series like DKR,Watchmen and Moore/Gaiman's run on Marvelman/Miracleman happens.

Brat Pack #01 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 028 The Walking Dead #150

TITLE-The Walking Dead #150
PUBLISHER-Image

I am a bit surprised. I was expecting a major death or some kind of huge action. And instead I got another of Rick's great speeches.

The art is as great as it always has been since Adlard took over,not that Tony Moore's art was bad on this title. And like pretty much in every issue Kirkman does a great job with the dialogue and story.

The Walking Dead #150 gets a Buy!

2016 Comic Challenge 027 Dark Knight III the Master Race #02

TITLE-Dark Knight III The Master Race
PUBLISHER-DC

Before I even start talking about this issue got a few things I need to point out.

1.I loved Dark Knight II. And understand why it is not liked. But for me it was almost as good as Dark Knight Returns.

2.Yeah I know Miller is insane. But the stuff people bitch about in his modern work,pretty much everything he has done since 9/11,was there in Ronin,Daredevil,DKR.

Last issue Carrie Kelly got caught by the cops while wearing a Batman outfit. Plus we saw the Atom trying to return the people of the bottle city of Kandor to normal size.

So this issue we have Carrie in jail being interrogated by the police. After a while Ms Kelly breaks and tells a story of how Bruce Wayne has died. Notice how she says Bruce Wayne not Batman.

Then the rest of the main story is  Atom finishing up a device that will return the Kandorians to their normal height. But it all goes wrong and I think this is the introduction to the main villain of this story.

The back up story is all about Wonder Woman training her daughter. And is not bad.

I get that people also seem to not care for Miller current art work. But for me it is still soo good. Like the cover above I would love that as a huge poster.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #02 gets a Buy.