2017 Comic Challenge 215 Dark Knight The Master Race #08

TITLE-Dark Knight III The Master Race #08
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

Almost at the end,one more issue,and this issue is mostly building towards that final issue.

Batman,fresh from the Lazurus pit is reunited with Carrie Kelly. And during this Wonder Woman and the Amazons prepare for the Kryptonians attack.

Honestly the main part of this issue is kind of boring. Nothing much happens. The art is nice and I get that the writers are trying to build up for the final issue.

The back up story isn't much better.It happens a bit ago and Batman and Carrie meet up with the female commissioner.

As I have said a few times before I should have waited until this series was over and bought the trade.

Dark Knight III The Master Race #08 gets a borrow.

2017 Comic Challenge 314 Jughead #10

TITLE-Jughead #10
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

Yeah I got way behind on this series. After meeting her last issue,when she was dressed as a giant burger,Jughead ends up out on a date with Sabrina.

He of course fucks this all up. And she leaves and is very mad. It is after this we "learn" that Sabrina is a witch.

She tries through out the issue to cast spells on Jughead but they all backfire and work out good for him. Like how Jughead ends up being close friends with Reggie.

And with that the issue ends. Of course the next issue with end this story. I do like how they have re-introduced Sabrina to the new Archie universe.

Jughead #10 gets a buy.

2017 Comic Challenge 313 Grendal #03

TITLE-Grendal #03
PUBLISHER-Comico

And with the third and final issue of this run of Grendal we get the tale of the first time Hunter Rose and Argent fought.

Someone has been killed. Hunter takes the dead man's daughter off to safety then goes off. He runs into Argent.

While they fight a police officer and a detective come and start a murder investigation. I am sure back when this came out this scene was pretty innovation,but today in the age of Law and Order being on 20 channels all day long it is kind of boring.

During the fight some guy that looks like John Bryne finds the child.Grabs her and runs off. And the issue ends with Argent defeated and Hunter Rose discovering that the child is missing.

Yeah like the two previous issues I can see why this was a hit back in the early 80s. And it is worth reading. But do not buy the issues. There is much cheaper ways to get them.

Grendal #03 gets a borrow.

2017 Comic Challenge 312 Grendal #02

TITLE-Grendal #02
PUBLISHER-Comico

And with this second issue it is Argent's turn to give us a personal history lesson. It isn't bad and honestly much more interesting than Hunter Rose AKA Grendal's.

The rest of the issue is odd. It feels like I should know who a bunch of these people are. But as far as I know the only appearances Hunter Rose made before this series was in Comico Premier. And I have read those,even if it was a long ass time ago.

The slight change in art style while telling Argent's history is a neat touch. But like with issue one get this as a reprint or in a trade. No way is it worth whatever inflated price Mile High Comics is charging for it.

Grendal #02 gets a borrow.

2017 Comic Challenge 311 Grendal #01

TITLE-Grendal #01
PUBLISHER-Comico

I have read issues of Grendal before. But not too sure I have ever read this first issue. Back when it was black and white and Matt Wagner wrote and drew the series.

I have this issue in one of the reprints that is out,but cause I was not home I went with a scan I got years back.

Grendal and Argent are on a city rooftop. And Grendal starts to tell his history. From being a child prodigy. To taking over one of the local mobs and cleaning up various parts of the city.

Wagner's art is cartoony but still so action packed. I am just guessing here,mostly cause certain panels remind me of Silver Age Marvel,but I am thinking Wagner is a big fan of Don Heck.

This is worth tracking down as a reprint. I am sure it is out in trade form from at least 2 companies,seem to remember Dark Horse putting out Grendal Omnibus volumes.

Grendal #01 gets a borrow.

2017 Comic Challenge 310 The Walking Dead #165

TITLE-The Walking Dead 165
PUBLISHER-Image

FUCK! Yeah Kirkman got me again. I have been thinking that either Rick or Carl would die soon. But I was wrong.

We got our group on horseback leading the herd into the ocean. All is going well. Then Andrea and Eugene get separated. Andrea makes it out,but has to go back to rescue Eugene.

Dwight's group is doing good. Then what is left of the Saviours show up and Dwight gets attacked.

Back at Alexandria Rick and Negan are slowly thinning out the herd that is surrounding the shed they are trapped in.

So it looks like all is going ok. Then the final page happens. And we see what I am pretty sure is a bite mark on Andrea's neck. Like I said at the beginning FUCK!.

The Walking Dead 165 gets a BUY!

2017 Comic Challenge 309 The Walking Dead #164

TITLE-The Walking Dead 164
PUBLISHER-Image

Fun issue. Got a bunch of people from Hilltop and Alexandria on horse back leading off packs of zombies from the herd that is inside Alexandria.

And while all that is great,well written and drawn the best part of the issue is Rick and Negan get stuck together inside a tiny shed inside Alexadria. And Negan explains why he is the  way he is to Rick. Kind of surprised but it makes sense.

It looks like our leads have this under control and Alexandria will survive. Then the last page reveals that some of the Saviours are lying in wait. Ready to attack as soon as the herd is gone.

The Walking Dead #164 gets a buy.

2017 Comic Challenge 308 Archie:Gridiron Glory

TITLE-Archie Gridiron Glory
PUBLISHER-Archie comics

For a few years Archie had been putting out collections of older stories as Digital Exclusive trades. This collection is around 150 pages. With every story in some way connected to football.

What made this so good to me is not only was the price good,IIRC about 5 bucks.But also you get a great selection of some of the best Archie artists over the past what 60 years.

Sadly if rumors are true Archie comics is having money issues. Something to do with a former writer on one of their Sonic the Hedgehog comics,which is a pretty decent series from what I have read of it,suing Archie over ownership of some characters he created. I really haven't read up much on this. Just seen a few blurbs on various comic news sites. So right now is a time where Archie comics needs the fans to buy more product. I just ordered the trade of the first storyline of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series and plan on hitting their website soon and seeing if they still do cheap bundle deals on old issues of their digest sized comics.

So if you ever have read and enjoyed a comic from Archie I ask of you to buy something from them. Even if ya just grab a digest from Walmart. It would be a bad thing for the comic industry if one of the longest lasting companies,and one that still has a pretty big non-direct market presence.

Archie Gridiron Glory gets a buy.

2017 Comic Challenge 307 The Walking Dead #163

TITLE-The Walking Dead #163
PUBLISHER-Image
FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know Alexandria was prepared for a zombie herd attack,but no way were they prepared for a herd this large.

Andrea,Eugene,Jesus,Michonne and others are out on horses. To try to lead off large amounts of the herd away from the town. Back at the community Rick has everyone ready with knives to stab all the zombies pressing up against the front gate. But there is so many zombies the ones on the gate start to get crushed and become liquefied.
While our leads might have survived the war with the Whisperers fairly well it doesn’t look like they have a chance of surviving this herd. I am guessing that before issue 175 what is left of our leads will be back living on the run.

The Walking Dead #163 gets a buy!

2017 Comic Challenge 306 Southern Bastards #16

TITLE-Southern Bastards #16
PUBLISHER-Image

Fuck yeah the two Jasons are back with another issue of Southern Bastards.

With the Rebs losing their past 2 games Coach Boss is gonna make sure they don't lose a third in the row. So him and 2 of his guys head to the home of the star player of a rival team.

It looks like Coach Boss is gonna injury the kid bad enough so he has to miss a game. But the kid stands up and explains how it was Coach Boss that inspired him to be the best he can be on the field.

And of course during all this Coach's goons are holding the kid's parents at gun point. The parents turn the tables and it gets nasty. Both of the parents get shot/beaten so bad they end up in intensive care.

It looks like the Rebs got the game won. When the star player kid actually shows up. The game ends a tie,which we find out from a radio that a few of Coach Boss's goons are listening too. Out of nowhere two guys armed with fully automatic weapons shoot and kill the goons.

As it has so far with each issue Southern Bastards ends leaving you hoping that in 4 weeks you will get another issue.

Southern Bastards #16 gets a BUY!

2017 Comic Challenge 305 The Walking Dead #162

TITLE-The Walking Dead #162

PUBLISHER-Image

The battle is over. Some troops reach Hilltop and see what is left. Dwight's group makes it back to Alexandria. Carl has a sweet moment with Lydia. All looks good. The war is over. Our leads have once again won. Sure they suffered losses of people and Hilltop is almost totally gone.Plus Eugene has worked himself to death to manufacture and deliver to Alexandria a huge wagon packed to the rafters with ammunition.So it looks good. Maybe a time of peace for our survivors.Time to mourn the dead and keep on surviving.

Then in the last 5 pages shit hits the fan. Dwight is explaining to Rick how his army managed to stop the Whisperers and their herd of around 1000 zombies. And we find out that Beta and what is left of the Whisperers have lead what looks to be millions of zombies towards Alexandria.

There is so many beautiful 2 page spreads in this issue. The first being when the troops on horseback finally make it to Hilltop. The other two are near the end. It is just millions and millions of zombies being lead towards Alexandria.

Just guessing but I am gonna say before the end of this year our leads will be back on the road again. But who knows with this title.

There is a reason I get Walking Dead every month. A reason why I end up buying every issue twice,digital for monthly issues and then whenever the next Compendium comes out.And it is cause even after 162 issues it still finds a way to keep surprising me and keeping my interest.

The Walking Dead #162 gets a BUY!

2017 Comic Challenge 304 Buddy Does Seattle

TITLE-Buddy does Seattle
PUBLISHER-Fantagraphics

Got this collection of the first half of Hate for X-mas. Sure I own all the issues in their original form. But it is so much easier to grab this trade off the shelf than digging thru my many longboxes to find all the issues.

Anyways it starts off with Buddy catching us up to date as to what has happened to him and Stinky since Neat Stuff ended.And from there we get all kinds of wacky stuff. Like Buddy's various attempts at having a steady girlfriend. Or the short time that Buddy manages Seattle's hottest band Leonard and the LoveGods.Finally in the last issue Buddy has too much and packs up his stuff and heads back to New Jersey,but of course he has his lady Lisa coming with him.

Peter Bagge managed to capture how it was to be a late teen/early 20 year old in the early to mid 90s.Having no idea what you want to do with your life,but knowing you gotta do something.

Buddy does Seattle gets a BUY!

2017 Comic Challenge 303 Cerebus Bi-weekly #03

TITLE-Cerebus Bi-weekly #03
PUBLISHER-Aardvark Vanaheim Press

Reprinting the 3rd issue of the 300 issue long maxi series Cerebus,this issue of Bi-weekly if I read the inside cover right has a tiny ass print run. For a period of time this series kept the early issues of Cerebus in print in single issue form. Since of course there was always the phonebook trades.

Issue 3 is the introduction of Red Sophia. And this is long before Gerhard was added to the art team. Before reading this I hadn't read any pre-issue 30 or so Cerebus.Sim is still in his full on parody of BWS's Conan stuff. The art is great and teh story is good for what it is.

Cerebus Bi-weekly #03 gets a borrow.

2017 Comic Challenge 302 Thump'n Guts #01

TITLE-Thump'n Guts #01
PUBLISHER-Kitchen Sink Comix

Yeah I know my copy is beat up. But I have had it since 98 or so when I found it at some mall show in TX.

The story,well there isn't much of a story it is just 36 pages of Kevin Eastman and Simon Bisley going nuts.

And really your enjoyment of this comic depends on how much you love both creators. I personally really enjoy both.

For me it is a buy,just cause of the talent involved. For anyone else,unless you find it cheap,it is a borrow.

Thump'n Guts #01 gets a buy.

2017 Comic Challenge 301 Astro City Vol 01 #04

TITLE-Astro City Volume 01 #04
PUBLISHER-Image

Another story showing us the normal average citizen of Astro City's POV of living in a place packed with super powered beings.

Our lead is a younger lady. Who lives in what is the supernatural part of Astro City. But works in the dead center of town. She wants to move out of Shadow Hill and not have to worry every night about attacks. Gets offered a chance to split an apartment with some people at work. Then a team of super villains attacks her workplace. Even after being quickly saved by Astro City's version of the Fantastic Four,our lead changes her mind and now wants to keep living in her old neighborhood.

While not as good as the previous two issues,this is still a good comic. It felt more like Busick trying to introduce as many parts and people of Astro City as he could in one issue. Which ended up being done pretty decently.

Astro City Volume 01 #04 gets a buy.

2017 Comic Challenge 300 A Touch of Silver #01

TITLE-A Touch of Silver #01
PUBLISHER-Image

After hearing about this series for years,plus reading what I think is all of Jim Valentino's Normalman series last year,I have been wanting to try out A Touch of Silver. Going into the comic all I knew was it was semi autobiographical,and that Gary Groth of  The Comics Journal hated it.

Ok I see why Groth hated it. This is Valentino trying his best to pull on every fanboy's heartstrings. Imagine if you took Blankets,another comic I hate,and add the art style of early issues of Hate.You would get A Touch of Silver. It is every "Man it sucked growing up as a comic geek. Everyone hated me" story you have heard or lived through at once.

So sorry Mr Valentino,I have at least enjoyed every other thing of yours I have read. But A Touch of Silver is pure crap.

A Touch of Silver gets a pass. Pass it to a trash can and light it on fire so no one else should have to suffer through this god awful comic.

2017 Comic Challenge 299 Doom Patrol Vol 02 #62

TITLE-Doom Patrol volume 02 #62
PUBLISHER-DC

Pretty sure this is the second to last issue of Morrison's run on Doom Patrol. The Chief has left behind a back up plan. Nanotech that will reshape the world. Cliff of course doesn't trust the Chief so goes off to stop this newest world wide threat.

Knowing what happens in the next issue,then how the next writer on the series would change most things,this issue now reads completely differently than it did when I first read it in my teens decades ago.

Once again with this series it is best to just go buy or borrow the trades. I grab the issues cause I enjoy reading the letter pages and stuff.

Doom Patrol volume 02 #62 gets a borrow.

2017 Comic Challenge 298 Doom Patrol vol 2 #59

TITLE-Doom Patrol volume 02 #59
PUBLISHER-DC

We are near the end of Grant Morrision's long run on Doom Patrol. So he is wrapping up all the loose threads before handing the title over to Rachel Pollock.

After 3 pages of rigidly done 6 panel pages,all showing us how the world is ending,we see what is left of the team. The Candlemaker is killing the soul of the world. And of course only the Doom Patrol can prevent this from happening.

Thankfully years ago I read all of Morrison's Doom Patrol run,cause if not this issue wouldn't have made a lick of sense. The reason I read this was I just recently got another copy. Sure I got Morrison run in TPBs. But those are missing the letter pages,which were sometimes really good. And every cheap bin in every LCS I visit has piles of issues of Doom Patrol sitting there unloved and forgotten by the modern fanboys. Plus look at that cover. It caught my eye while flipping through piles of copies of mid 90s glut Marvel stuff.

Really with this series if you want to read it just buy the trades or see if your local library has them. Sure you can spend a few years and manage to get the entire run for under a buck an issue out of the cheap bins. But that is time spent you could use to read this great series much faster.

Doom Patrol vol 02 #59 gets a borrow.

2017 Comic Challenge 297 Astro City volume 01 #03

TITLE-Astro City Volume 01 #03
PUBLISHER-Image

Yep back to Busick's Astro City. I have no clue as of the quality of this series after the Tarnished Angel story in Vol 02,but at least up till then it is an amazing series that more people should read.

In this issue a low level crook,he robs stores to live,manages to not only escape Jack in the Box but also sees Jack unmasking. And so now this nobody in the criminal world knows the secret identity of Astro City's version of say Spidey,Blue Beetle or The Creeper.Information like this is valuable but also dangerous. So what will he do with this info?

So Busick takes another old comic book cliche/trope and tries to add some realism to it.While stuff like Watchmen,Miracleman,DKR and Squadron Supreme get referred to as grim and gritty deconstructions of the superhero genre,Astro City is a more optimistic and realistic deconstruction of the superhero genre.

Honestly folks Astro City is one of those series that was popular as fuck when it was coming out in the late 90s,but to me it feels like people have forgotten about it. Go grab some back issues or a trade and check it out. If you like superheroes odds are good you will enjoy this series.

Astro City vol 01 #03 gets a buy.

2017 Comic Challenge 296 Astro City vol 01 #02

TITLE-Astro City volume 01 #02
PUBLISHER-Image

Been 20 years since I read the first volume of Astro City. But recently found a bunch of them cheap in the local comic shop cheap bins.

A reporter in Astro City learns how hard it is to be a journalist in a city full of super powered beings. After witnessing a gigantic battle,were the fate of reality is in jeopardy,he writes about it. But quickly learns that he isn't working for a J. Jonah Jameson style rag.

The art is great. I love how with just a few panels and well written pieces of dialogue I feel like I have known the various heroes appearing in this issue for years.

Astro City volume 01 #02 gets a buy.