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.