Month: June 2024

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Comic Books & Graphic Novels Marvel Comics MARVEL's Hardcovers & Paperbacks

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, VOLUME 13: KING’S RANSOM (MARVEL Comics)

Written by Nick Spencer.

Lettering by VC’s Joe Caramagna.

Art by Patrick Gleason & Edgar Delgado (Issues # 61-62]); Federico Vicentini, Federico Sabbatini, & Alex Sinclair (Issues # 63-65); Rogê Antônio, Carlos Gómez, Zé Carlos, & Alex Sinclair (Giant-Size – King’s Ransom); Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy, & Brian Reber (Sinister War: Prelude).

Collection Cover Art by Dustin Weaver.

SUMMARY:

Released by Marvel Comics in 2021, this 168-page trade paperback compiles from that same year: Amazing Spider-Man # 61-65 and the Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: King’s Ransom.

Per a brief scroll preceding the title page, a down-on-his-luck and unemployed Peter Parker is now roommates with Randy Robertson, a dim-witted yet reformed Fred “Boomerang” Myers, and a pet alien named Gog (think Gremlins).  Competing against Mayor Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk, Peter and Fred are seeking to recover missing pieces of the mystical Lifeline Tablet.  Specifically, Fisk intends to resurrect his late wife by any means necessary.  To access the Lifeline piece(s) Fred has stashed, the Kingpin orders an underworld hit available to New York’s rival mob factions and freelance assassins (i.e. Bullseye).

Aside from containing Gog’s overgrowth problem, Spider-Man reluctantly accepts Norah Winters’ virtual reality gig where his new, high-tech Spider-suit’s optical lenses provide livestreaming to the public.  The ironic catch is that his new employer is J. Jonah Jameson, who gleefully enjoys one-upping Robbie Robertson’s old school Daily Bugle.   Speaking of Robbie, he isn’t speechless upon finding out that his son Randy’s new girlfriend, Janice Lincoln, is the criminal Beetle II.  Not to mention, Janice is mobster Tombstone’s rebellious daughter. 

Meanwhile, Fisk has recruited Baron Mordo to help access the demonic Kindred (aka Harry Osborn), now safely imprisoned at The Ravencroft Institute.  Standing in their way is one man: The Institute’s director and Harry’s defensive father – Norman Osborn.  There’s also the matter of Fred’s old buddies – the Boomerang Revenge Squad (Shocker, Hydro-Man, and Speed Demon) still to be reckoned with.  Spidey & Boomerang’s showdown against them pivots on: who double-crosses whom first? 

Worst come to worst, as Robbie and Tombstone must cooperate if they are going to save their captive offspring from Fisk’s mercenaries, including Madame Masque, Mirage, and Crime Master V.  To save Randy, Janice, Robbie, and even Tombstone, Spidey’s makeshift cavalry includes some unexpected allies that aren’t the Avengers.   Come the epilogue, repercussions begin setting in, as Fisk utilizes the Lifeline Tablet.  Unexpectedly, a familiar Spider-foe is restored to life. 

Guest stars include a New Avengers reunion (Luke Cage; Jessica Jones-Cage; Hawkeye; Iron Fist; Wolverine; & Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman) and Black Cat.

Notes: This title is available digitally.  While Mary Jane Watson makes a brief cameo, Peter’s Aunt May doesn’t appear in this volume.  

REVIEW:

Given the comedic plot machinations in Volume 13: King’s Ransom, one might construe writer Nick Spencer as Marvel’s Neil Simon.  As contrived as some of his plot details are (i.e. the implausibility of Peter hiding his secret identity from roommates Randy and Fred), Spencer still concocts a dynamite read. 

This particular Spider-caper glows with a consistent blend of action, young romance, and wacky sitcom humor/satire that doesn’t resort to cheap bait-and-switches.  Instead of exploiting Peter’s perpetual angst, Spencer plays up an Odd Couple cliché where Peter and Fred (and, by extension, Spider-Man and Boomerang) are foes-turned-unlikely friends.  The same applies to Robbie and Tombstone’s mutual hatred amusingly evolving into a variation of The In-Laws.  Balancing character depth and carefully playing various sub-plots, Spencer’s fun plotting mirrors what Simon once made look easy in stage plays and comedy films. 

Spencer’s surprisingly complex storytelling is enhanced by the rotating art squad’s appealing visuals.  Their combined effort makes the artwork in Volume 13: King’s Ransom another welcome asset.  In the best creative sense, all-age Spider-fans get this money’s worth in King’s Ransom without actually having to pay one.  Definitely recommended!    

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Each full-page cover precedes its story. The cover artists are Patrick Gleason & Edgar Delgado (Issues # 61-62); Mark Bagley, John Dell, & Delgado (Issues # 63-65); and Bagley, Dell, & Brian Reber (Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: Kin’s Ransom).  Interspersed are these full-page cover variants: Issue # 61 (artist: Julian Totino Tedesco); and Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: King’s Ransom (artists: David Baldéon & Israel Silva).

In a cover gallery, also included are these full-page variants: Issue # 61 (artist: Michael Cho); Issue # 62 (artist: Dustin Weaver – the collection cover); Issue # 62’s 50th Anniversary Man-Thing homage (artists: Greg Land & Frank D’Armata); and Issue # 63’s costume design profile (artist: Weaver). Splitting the last page are an Issue # 63 Heroes Reborn – Hyperion vs. Hulk variant (artists: Carlos Pacheco, Mariano Taibo; & Matt Milla); and Issue # 64’s Heroes Reborn – Peter Parker @ The Daily Bugle homage variant (artists: Pacheco, Rafael Fonteriz, & Rachelle Rosenberg).       

A four-page preview of the Sinister War: Prelude depicts Doctor Octopus as the victim of a nocturnal ambush by a near-microscopic adversary in a cemetery.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     8½ Stars

Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels DC Comics DC's Hardcovers & Trade Paperbacks

STARGIRL: THE LOST CHILDREN (DC Comics)

Written by Geoff Johns.

Art by Todd Nauck; Matt Herms; Hi-Fi; & Rob Leigh.

Collection Cover Art by Todd Nauck.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2023 by DC Comics, this 175-page trade paperback compiles the Stargirl Spring Break Special one-shot and Stargirl: The Lost Children released between 2021 and 2023.  Specifically, the one-shot and the subsequent six-issue mini-series join several interrelated projects meant to revitalize DC’s Justice Society of America (JSA) franchise.  Other titles include solo ventures for Wesley Dodds’ Sandman; Jay Garrick’s Flash; Alan Scott’s Green Lantern, and a new JSA title featuring Helena Wayne’s Huntress.

On a routine night patrol, Oliver Queen reveals to his far younger half-sister, Emiko (aka Red Arrow), that he and Roy Harper are in fact the Golden Age Green Arrow and Speedy.  Hence, during their time travel adventure to the 1940’s, Oliver and Roy were members of the original Seven Soldiers of Victory.  The ominous arrival of Jill Carlyle’s Crimson Avenger recruits Oliver on a mission to help his long-dead Seven Soldier teammate: Lee Travis – the original Crimson Avenger.

In Blue Valley, Nebraska, Pat Dugan brings along his teenage stepdaughter, Courtney Whitmore (aka Stargirl), on a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at the behest of Greg Saunders – the Golden Age Vigilante.  Once there, Pat is recruited to rejoin his fellow surviving Soldiers on seemingly a final mission.  Left out, Courtney and Emiko catch up to them on Myrtle Beach’s shore amidst a shipboard battle against Clock King.  Caught in a time-warp, Courtney briefly comes into contact with Lee Travis. She also sees a fleeting present-day glimpse of his teenage sidekick, Wing, running with two unknown companions.

Note: Wing’s fate as the Soldiers’ eighth member is previously established – per Justice League of America # 100-102.  Apart from locating the original issues, the best reference is Crisis on Multiple Earths, Volume 3, which reprints this storyline.

Having finally recovered Lee Travis’ corpse, the Seven Soldiers believe their old teammate’s spirit is now finally at rest by thwarting Clock King.  Yet, Courtney and Emiko can’t help but think there is far more to this odd story, i.e. that the long-dead Wing might still be alive somewhere.  Stumbling upon an aging Daniel Dunbar’s (once TNT’s Golden Age sidekick, Dyna-Mite) ongoing investigation, the girls realize that Daniel is seeking to find dozens of long-lost sidekicks dating back to World War II.

After visiting Green Arrow’s ‘Arrow Cave,’ the duo follows Dunbar’s seabound course to a remote section of the Atlantic Ocean.  Upon being forcibly marooned, the girls wash up on a seemingly inescapable island prison dubbed ‘Orphan Island.’ 

With Emiko captured, Stargirl is rescued by Wing, Airwave II, and Cherry Bomb from their captor’s overpowering egg-shaped robots.  Welcomed into their hidden ‘clubhouse,’ Stargirl meets approximately two dozen time-lost Golden Age sidekicks, who have no idea how many decades have lapsed without them.  More so, the children gradually realize that someone or something has deliberately tried to erase their existence upon their disappearances.  

Co-led by Stargirl and young Time Master Corky Baxter, the young heroes desperately seek to rescue others, including Emiko, Dyna-Mite, Secret (Bart Allen’s friend), and Jay Garrick’s daughter, Boom.  Against the wicked witch-like Childminder’s forces, Stargirl is stunned that a former JSA teammate has become a pawn of someone intent on preventing the children from ever returning home.  In a final showdown, two of the young heroes realizes that tragic destiny cannot be changed.  An ultimate sacrifice must be poignantly made to save not only them, but the world itself. 

The epilogue teases a major shift in a resurgent Justice Society’s status quo.

Notes: This title is also available digitally.  Replacing the team’s decedents (the Star-Spangled Kid and Lee Travis’ Crimson Avenger) and the absent Roy Harper, successors Stargirl, Jill Carlyle, and Emiko Queen’s Red Arrow complete DC’s Seven Soldiers.  The other Soldiers include Oliver Queen’s Green Arrow, Pat Dugan’s Stripesy, Sir Justin the Shining Knight, and Greg Saunders’ Vigilante.   

REVIEW:

Frankly, no one writes Stargirl (and, by extension, DC’s younger characters) better than her creator: Geoff Johns.  Considering how far off-course Johns’ DC scripting had gone for nearly twenty years (case in point: starting with tone-deaf dreck like 2005’s Infinite Crisis), Stargirl: The Lost Children delivers a most welcome treat.  Glowing with inspired plot twists, homages to both DC’s original continuity and recent efforts to fix DC’s muddled continuity reboots, and a sincere reverence for Golden Age characters, this nostalgic legacy storyline finds Johns back at his best.

More so, this project’s art squad conjures up consistently high-caliber visuals befitting DC’s equivalent of Peter Pan.  Geared for all-age DC fans, Stargirl: The Lost Children is a highly recommended read.        

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Each full-page cover precedes its story.  In order, the cover artists are:

  • Stargirl Spring Break Special # 1 (artists: Todd Nauck & Hi-Fi);
  • Stargirl Spring Break Special # 1 variant (artists: Mike McKone & Luis Guerrero); 
  • Issue # 1 (artist: Nauck) – collection cover art
  • Issue # 1 variant (artist: Crystal Kung)
  • Issue # 2 (artist: Nauck)
  • Issue # 2 variant (artist: Mike Maihack)
  • Issue # 3 (artist: Nauck)
  • Issue # 3 variant (artist: Ant Reeder)
  • Issue # 4 variant (artist: Crystal Kung)
  • Issue # 4 variant (artists: Maria Laura Sanapo & Mike Atiyeh)
  • Issue # 5 (artist: Nauck)
  • Issue # 5 variant (artist: Sweeney Boo)
  • Issue # 6 (artist: Nauck)
  • Issue # 6 variant (artist: Meghan Hetrick).

An additional variant cover gallery, with three covers in 1/3-size to a page, consists of:

  • Issue # 1 (artist: Mayo “Sen” Naito); Issue # 2 (artist: Sean “Cheeks” Galloway); and Issue # 3 (artists: Brandt & Stein)
  • Issue # 4 (artist: Nauck); Issue # 5 (artist: Marguerite Sauvage); and Issue # 6 (artist: Kevin Maguire).

Nauck’s character design sketches include: Stargirl (black-and-white); Pat Dugan (black-and-white); Stripesy (black-and-white); ten child sidekicks (in black-and-white and/or color); and the villains.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                           9 Stars

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Digital Movies & TV Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series TV Series (Specific Episodes)

MURDER, SHE WROTE: FROZEN STIFF (Season 12: Episode 10)

SUMMARY:             APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 47:00 Min.

First airing on CBS on November 30, 1995, this final season episode was directed by Paul Lazarus off Mark A. Burley’s script exploring skullduggery at a Ben & Jerry’s-style ice cream factory. 

In Racine, Wisconsin, Jessica Fletcher (Lansbury) is visiting her friend, ice cream magnate Larry Armstrong (Smitrovich). His prosperous ice cream company, Gary & Larry’s Frozen Stuff, is donating $750,000.00 to her literary fund charity.  Yet, Larry’s accountant (Bovingloh) suspiciously dies, and then the $750,000.00 shockingly vanishes from a Gary & Larry’s bank account.

Further complicating matters is a potentially ugly scandal, as Larry’s business partner, Gary (Benedict), tries halting a consumer investigation over the company’s alleged use of banned milk-related substances.  On top of all else, Larry’s shadowy ‘flower child’ past has suddenly come back to haunt him.

Clandestine shenanigans involving embezzlement, blackmail, adultery, and literally cold-blooded greed precipitates homicide.  Helping expedite Sheriff Chubb’s (Curry) investigation, Jessica must quickly find some answers before Gary & Larry’s Frozen Stuff implodes. 

Jessica Fletcher: Angela Lansbury

Larry Armstrong: Bill Smitrovich

Gary Herling: Dirk Benedict

Carol Herling: Kristen Dalton

Woodstock “Woody” Seabrook: Bryan Travis Smith

Susan McGregor: Christina Pickles

Ralph Brewer: Gregorzy Itzin

Jim Kenton: George Wyner

Peggy Evans: Ann Hearn

Victoria: Sarah Koskoff

Kyle McGregor: Don Bovingloh

Sheriff Mike Chubb: Christopher Curry

Coroner: Fred Sanders

Cop: Scott Cranford

Priest: Charles C. Stevenson, Jr.

Mourners: Uncredited

Sheriff’s Deputies: Uncredited

Gary & Larry’s Frozen Stuff personnel: Uncredited

Larry’s Ex-Girlfriend (photo only): Uncredited.

REVIEW:

This episode’s well-played whodunnit elements manage to surpass an otherwise dull setting. 

Led by Bill Smitrovich, the supporting cast provides Angela Lansbury with solid on-screen chemistry.  More specifically, guest star Dirk Benedict redeems himself after his disappointingly shallow performance in Season Five’s “Smooth Operators.”   Benedict delivers this episode’s most intriguing character, in terms of conveying ethical ambiguity.  Hence, it becomes a surprise whether or not his well-played ‘Gary Herling’ will be the culprit, a victim getting a lethal dose of the “cold shoulder” treatment, or perhaps a mostly innocent bystander.

“Frozen Stiff,” in that sense, makes for a fine Murder, She Wrote with some welcome plot twists. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                            6 Stars

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Categories
Digital Movies & TV Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series TV Series (Specific Episodes)

MURDER, SHE WROTE: DEADLY BIDDING (Season 12: Episode 9)

SUMMARY:          APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 47:00 Min.

First airing on CBS on November 23, 1995, this final season episode was directed by Angela Lansbury’s son, Anthony Pullen Shaw, off series producer/writer Tom Sawyer’s script.   

In New York City, on behalf of a museum, Jessica Fletcher (Lansbury) is eagerly in pursuit of a genuine Arthur Conan Doyle manuscript.  Meanwhile, ominous deaths are linked to an elusive, multi-million-dollar Edgar Degas painting that may have resurfaced at the same auction house where the now-disputed Doyle manuscript is up for bidding. 

Shady international bidders, include one stateside team that sends perpetually luckless Chicago private detective Charlie Garrett (Rogers) as their representative, quickly become interested in eccentric artist Angus Neville’s (Hutchinson) latest painting at the auction. With art world mobsters now involved, could this development be a coincidence or not?

After Garrett bungles his assignment and overbids by $300,000, it’s a murky question of now who really owns the interpretative Neville work.  Once Neville himself steals the painting, his subsequent homicide has Jessica, her trusted friends Reggie and Pete (Jones & Williams), and the NYPD’s irritable Sgt. Unger (Allen) in search of his missing artwork and an opportunistic killer. 

With the lost Degas also still at stake, could Jessica’s opportunistic ally, Garrett, turn into the greedy culprit?        

Jessica Fletcher: Angela Lansbury

Reggie Evers: Renée Jones

Pete Dunning: Jeff Williams

Giles Havelock: Martin Jarvis

Charlie Garrett: Wayne Rogers

Milt Solomon: Paul Lieber

Diana Barrow: Melanie Smith

NYPD Sgt. Unger: Tyrees Allen

Lawrence Mezznou: Aharon Ipalé

Angus Neville: Doug Hutchinson

Felix Wesker: Craig Richard Nelson

Serena Rundle: Kathleen Garrett

Kenneth Rundle: Edd “Cookie” Byrnes (uncredited cameo)

NYPD Det. McKenna: Charles Hoyes

Waiter: Sian Taylor (Dane Taylor Matthews)

Auction House Extras: Uncredited

NYPD Cops: Uncredited

Restaurant Customers: Uncredited.

REVIEW:

This episode’s complex premise teases intriguing possibilities.  The problem is that its whodunnit substance is sabotaged by exceedingly dull execution (pardon the expression) of the plot twists.  While guest stars Renée Jones and Tyrees Allen convey some vibrant energy supporting Angela Lansbury, that cannot be said of the other cast members.  Ironically, the episode’s weakest link – in spite of his generally reliable career – is Wayne Rogers’ lazy contribution. 

Rogers’ dubious effort as private detective ‘Charlie Garrett’ falls far short of the welcome snark that Jerry Orbach’s semi-sleazy ‘Harry McGraw’ once imbued Murder, She Wrote.  Suffice to say, replacing Orbach’s world-weary gumshoe with Rogers’ affable ‘Garrett’ does neither Jessica Fletcher nor viewers any favors.  This unfortunate observation is especially true in “Deadly Bidding,” as the script plays ‘Garrett’ as a weakly forgettable suspect rather than Jessica’s co-sleuth. 

Had Orbach’s everyman star power replaced a bored Rogers (and with a few necessary plot tweaks), “Deadly Bidding” likely would have been far more entertaining.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  5 Stars

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Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels DC Comics DC's Hardcovers & Trade Paperbacks

BATMAN/SUPERMAN, VOLUME 1: WHO ARE THE SECRET SIX? (DC Comics)

Written by Joshua Williamson.

Art by David Marquez; Alejandro Sanchez; & John J. Hill.

Collection Cover Art by David Marquez & Alejandro Sanchez.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2020 by DC Comics, this 160-page hardcover reprints 2019-2020’s Batman/Superman # 1-6.  As Batman grimly notes, his evil multiversal counterpart – The Batman Who Laughs now resides on DC’s primary Earth: Earth-0.

On a different Earth (perhaps in his own home universe), The Batman Who Laughs makes grisly work of the Justice League aboard its own satellite and lures an unsuspecting Superman to his doom there.  Shifting to Earth-0’s Gotham City, Batman and Superman work to resolve a missing child case.  Commissioner Gordon ominously tells them that the alleged abductor is evidently a ‘Superman Who Laughs.’ 

The trail soon enough leads to this evil Batman’s underground Batcave where evidence of six tainted batarangs exist.  These batarangs are specifically designed to infect six individuals close to the World Finest Duo.  The problem is that neither iconic hero knows who any of these sleeper agents are, apart from the paranoia of even suspecting one another. 

Batman and Superman’s probe soon puts them into brutal confrontation with two of these corrupted friends.  Batman’s injuries force a battered Superman to give up pursuit of their first target: a demonized Billy Batson/Shazam.  Subsequent revelations that Commissioner Gordon, Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle, Donna Troy, Hawkman, and, ultimately, Supergirl are now The Batman Who Laughs’ corrupted demonic pawns further stack the deck.  It’s up to Superman & Batman to finally call upon the Justice League, despite fracturing their longtime alliance with Wonder Woman.

However, is it now too late considering how elusive their wicked foes have become? With this matter left dangerously unresolved, the epilogue teases a new menacing storyline coming in Volume 2.   

Note: This title is also available in trade paperback and digital formats.

REVIEW:

A single read was something of a slog.  David Marquez and Alexandro Sanchez’s appropriately murky visuals are well-constructed for the plotting.  The problem lies with writer Joshua Williamson’s propensity for recycling.  Apart from more dubious ‘fun and games’ with The Batman Who Laughs, one may notice that the plot’s bleak horror twists echo Blackest Night – i.e. where corrupted heroes are capable of far greater evil than seemingly the worst villains.

Though Williamson’s storytelling has sufficiently original moments, this arc’s creative vibe feels far too blah. While DC’s The Batman Who Laughs fanbase may be pleased, Batman/Superman, Volume 1 isn’t an all-ages read.  Its unappealing plot elements, at certain junctures, risk being a divisive turnoff. Specifically, Williamson’s middling storyline conveys the six corrupted characters few, if any, favors.

Unlike prior kick-offs for incarnations of the Batman/Superman (or Superman/Batman) franchise, DC Comics was unwilling to concoct a traditionally entertaining and more inclusive adventure for readers.  That said, Batman/Superman, Volume 1: Who Are The Secret Six? is probably best found at the library.        

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Marquez and Sanchez’s full-page cover precedes each issue.  A full-page variant cover gallery consists of:

  • Issue # 1: artists Leinil Yu & Tomeu Morey;
  • Issue # 2: artists Jerome Opeña & Morry Hollowell;
  • Issue # 3: artists Paola Pantalena & Romulo Fajardo Jr.;
  • Issue # 4: artist Olivier Coipel;
  • Issue # 5: artists Jime Cheung & Tomeu Morey;
  • Issue # 6: artist Simone Bianchi;
  • Issue # 1 (full wraparound cover): artists Marquez & Sanchez;
  • Issue # 4 (secondary cover): artists Emanuela Luacchino & Rex Lokus;
  • Issue # 1 (sketch cover): artist Marquez.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                        4 Stars

Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels Marvel Comics MARVEL's Hardcovers & Paperbacks STAR WARS-Related

STAR WARS: CHEWBACCA (MARVEL Comics)

Written by Gerry Duggan.

Art by Phil Noto & VC’s Joe Caramagna.

Collection Cover Art by Phil Noto.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2016 by Marvel Comics, this 112-page trade paperback reprints the Star Wars: Chewbacca # 1-5 mini-series from that same year. 

Per a Star Wars scroll, soon after A New Hope, the fugitive Chewbacca is returning home to Kashyyyk on a personal mission.  However, his one-seater starship malfunctions, leaving the Wookie stranded on a seemingly idyllic yet remote world.  The plight of a young girl, Zarro, who has fled enslavement from the planet’s subterranean mines, reluctantly draws Chewbacca’s sympathy.

Seeking to rescue her indebted father, Arrax, and other miners from the crooked Jaum, Zarro convinces Chewbacca to help.  Jaum’s business transaction with Imperial forces, however, gives the duo little time.  It’s up to Chewbacca and Zarro to thwart the ruthless Jaum’s scheme and keep the Imperials from bullying Zarro’s world.  The epilogue subsequently reveals what happened to Chewbacca’s Battle of Yavin medal and the purpose of his brief return home.   

Note: This title is also available digitally.

REVIEW:

For pre-teens, this undemanding Chewbacca adventure makes for a likable read.  Both its simplistic storytelling and reasonably good visuals should keep young Star Wars fans tuned in all the way to the poignant finish line.  Adults, however, will likely find the entire plot predictable and increasingly contrived – given its flimsy page count. 

For instance, the title scroll briefly indicates that Chewbacca has been marooned due to a clunker starship.  Yet, there isn’t an explanation as to why Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon doesn’t safeguard Chewbacca’s trip home (vs. meeting up in a story-ending rendezvous)?  One could infer that Chewbacca has opted to travel discreetly as possible to avoid “any Imperial entanglements,” as Obi-Wan Kenobi once adroitly put it.  Yet, writer Gerry Duggan doesn’t bother revealing any details of Chewbacca’s private mission until the very end. Extra material in this regard (i.e. a few flashbacks) could have presented welcome depth to attract older fans.        

The same applies to the book’s lack of bonus materials.  Had Marvel Comics padded this compilation with some worthwhile Star Wars reprints (in effect, Chewbacca’s greatest hits), there again would have been a wider potential audience.  Aside from a gift idea for the Wookie’s most ardent fans, Star Wars: Chewbacca’s most practical hideout is at the library.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Each full-page Phil Noto cover precedes its story.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  5 Stars

Categories
Digital Animated Shorts DVD DVD/Blu-Ray Extra LOONEY TUNES-Related Movies & Television (Videos) TV Episodes & Movies

BUGS BUNNY’S CUPID CAPERS

SUMMARY:         APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 36:00 Min.

Released on DVD in 2010, this Looney Tunes TV special first aired on CBS in 1979. 

Incorporating original framework sequences, the storyline consists of Bugs Bunny’s encounter with a Cupid resembling a scantily clad Elmer Fudd.  Demonstrating this Elmer-Cupid’s dubious match-making talents, clips from nine Looney Tunes are shown (not in this particular order):

  1. 1949’s The Grey Hounded Hare (Bugs Bunny);
  2. 1948’s Hare Splitter (Bugs Bunny & Casbah Rabbit);
  3. 1952’s Little Beau Pepé (Pepé Le Pew & Penelope Pussycat);
  4. 1953’s Wild Over You (Pepé Le Pew);
  5. 1954’s Devil May Hare (Bugs Bunny & The Tasmanian Devil);
  6. 1954’s Rabbit Romeo (Bugs Bunny, Millicent, & Elmer Fudd);
  7. 1952’s The Super Snooper (Daffy Duck);
  8. 1953’s Hare Trimmed (Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, & Granny); and
  9. 1953’s Of Rice and Hen (Foghorn Leghorn, Barnyard Dawg, & Miss Prissy).

Voice Cast:

Bugs Bunny / Daffy Duck / Pepé Le Pew / Foghorn Leghorn / Barnyard Dawg /Yosemite Sam / Elmer Fudd / etc.:  Mel Blanc

Granny / Miss Prissy / Various Female Voices:  June Foray & Bea Benaderet.

Notes: Bugs Bunny’s Cupid Capers was previously released in 1992 in a VHS format.  The compilation’s alternate title is  Bugs Bunny’s Valentine. 

REVIEW:

Bugs Bunny’s Cupid Capers, unfortunately, does the Looney Tunes franchise no favors.  Despite Mel Blanc’s reliable vocals, the crummy animation deployed for the Bugs Bunny/Cupid framework sequences speaks for itself.   Forty-five years later, Warner Bros frankly ought to be embarrassed by how poorly Bugs Bunny’s Cupid Capers plays on television. 

Long before their eventual re-mastering, this assortment of Looney Tunes clips (some are extended further than others) hold up fine – relatively speaking.  The only cringe-worthy ones are Pepé Le Pew’s amorous contributions, including his bonus Past Perfurmance cartoon. 

This DVD, in retrospect, could have been salvaged in two easy steps. First, axing the awful framework scenes altogether should have been a foregone conclusion. Then, Warner Bros. should have chosen four or five complete Looney Tunes for the Valentine’s Day theme. Otherwise, unless one retains nostalgia for the original TV special, Bugs Bunny’s Cupid Capers is strictly a dollar store find.      

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

As padding, there are two complete Looney Tunes cartoons.  One is 1940’s Holiday Highlights (a parody of holidays) – it’s an archived relic one might peruse on a Looney Tunes Golden Collection set.  Still, this lackluster cartoon short is obscure for good cause.  The other is 1955’s Past Perfumance (Pepé Le Pew & Penelope Pussycat), where the setting is a 1913 Paris movie studio.  Plot-wise, it involves standard-issue Pepé hijinks, and let’s leave it at that.

Also included is an interactive Looney Tunes jigsaw puzzle for children.  Lastly, there is a combo trailer for the Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown and It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown DVD’s.

Language options consist of English and Spanish.  Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, and French.

PACKAGING:

Though simplistic and a bit vague, its advertising is accurate.  The disc is reasonably well-protected.  The DVD’s main menu screen is easy to navigate.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                        2½ Stars

Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels DC Comics

INFINITY, INC. # 24 (1986 DC Comics)

Written by Roy Thomas & Dann Thomas.

Art by Todd McFarlane; Ron Harris; Tony DeZuniga; Dick Giordano; Arne Starr; David Cody Weiss; & Carl Gafford.

Cover Art by Denys Cowan; Dick Giordano; & Anthony Tollin.

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics in March 1986, Infinity, Inc.’s last Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover is entitled “Back From The Future!” 

Expanding upon a brief scene early in Crisis on Infinite Earths # 7, this story opens with Power Girl confiding in Helena Wayne’s Huntress.  She worries that their aging Superman’s dangerous mission in the anti-matter universe may leave her as Earth-Two’s sole Kryptonian.  Similarly, Brainwave Jr., Northwind, Obsidian, and Alan Scott’s new wife, Harlequin, worry about their Green Lantern’s fate (as he is on the same Crisis mission as daughter Jade and Earth-Two’s Superman). 

Nuklon contemplates searching his missing mother in Florida.  Fury and Silver Scarab argue over withdrawing the team’s previously imposed truce with Mr. Bones and his Helix Crew. 

On Hollywood Boulevard, the Star-Spangled Kid (Sylvester “Syl” Pemberton) and private detective Jonni Thunder plummet from a dissipated Crisis-powered cyclone in proximity to Jonni’s office.  They are unaware that another Crisis cyclone traveler: the criminal Knodar (resembling a poor man’s Riddler) is now in the vicinity.  Due to some Crisis time-warping shenanigans, a 1930’s mobster gang wreaks trigger-happy havoc in traffic.  Syl’s broken cosmic belt forces him to intervene without super-powers.  With an outnumbered Syl being pummeled, Jonni must make an impromptu horseback rescue. 

As a fugitive from the 25th Century, Knodar fancies himself an old school thief who commits crimes out of sheer glee.  Using his metal-altering weapon to commit homicide, Knodar recruits the time-lost mobsters as his own gang.  Taking Jonni & Syl as their hostages, Knodar opts to use Syl’s movie studio complex as the gang’s hideout.  Escaping their captors, the flirting duo will need some unexpected help to take down Knodar and his dim-witted cronies. 

Amusingly, even a movie poster depicting his old nemesis, Alan Scott’s Green Lantern, is enough to rattle Knodar.  To this futuristic criminal’s annoyance, Syl earlier baits him by repeating Scott’s dismissal of Knodar as just a ‘minor conquest.’ 

Notes: Oddly, unlike her father, Jade’s absence isn’t acknowledged by her twin brother (Obsidian), boyfriend (Brainwave Jr.) or new stepmother (Harlequin).  As for Jonni Thunder, readers are reminded of her recent debut mini-series entitled Jonni Thunder aka Thunderbolt.  

Infinity, Inc. # 24 is available digitally.  It has subsequently been collected into Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion – Deluxe Edition, Volume 2 for both hardcover and digital formats.

REVIEW:

It’s an instance where some fun writing and appealing visuals (i.e. the cover image) are the difference in an average issue.  Surpassing a flimsy premise, husband-and-wife writers Roy & Dann Thomas, along with artist Todd McFarlane, make Infinity, Inc. # 24 a treat to read.  Aside from the eye-rolling sight of Syl, Jonni, and Knodar surviving intact their mid-air drop out of the sky, this issue’s kid-friendly entertainment value remains worthwhile. 

Infinity, Inc. # 24 is by no means a must-have, but it is a welcome find in the bargain bin.  

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Dick Giordano’s monthly “Meanwhile …” column appears on the front inside cover.  Briefly carrying over to a second page, Roy Thomas answers fan letters at the issue’s end.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                          6 Stars

Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels Marvel Comics

WHITE TIGER (ANGELA DEL TORO) # 1 (2007 MARVEL Comics)

Written by Tamora Pierce & Timothy Liebe.

Art by Phil Briones; Don Hillsman; Chris Sotomayor; & VC’s Rus Wooton.

Cover Art by David Mack.

SUMMARY:

Released by Marvel Comics for January 2007, this opener for a six-issue mini-series is entitled “A Hero’s Compulsion, Part One: Obsessed.”  Set in New York City prior to Marvel’s first Civil War, ex-FBI Special Agent Angela Del Toro finds herself as the reluctant successor to her late uncle: Hector Ayala – the original White Tiger. 

In possession of her uncle’s mystical amulet, Angela (donning a stealthy burglar garb) displays enhanced physical talents at night dispatching local thugs in an alleyway.  Observing the melee, Daredevil swipes incriminating evidence linked to the Russian mob faction dubbed ‘Chayei.’  Pursuing him to the rooftops, a masked Angela confronts Daredevil – especially after their prior encounter where he had humiliated her in combat and broke Angela’s arm.

Though in agreement on the ‘Chayei,’ Daredevil scolds Angela, as he recognizes her in spite of the burglar disguise. At the same time, she suspects someone is now impersonating Daredevil on Matt Murdock’s behalf. Nonetheless, Angela takes Daredevil’s advice.  Conferring with her loyal contact at the Bureau, Angela obtains further info on the Chaeyi and a potential lifeline for future employment. 

Meanwhile, the Chaeyi’s Karlson schemes with his Yakuza associates and Cobra (King Cobra’s nephew).  They intend to follow up on the masked assailant, who thwarted their hired flunkies in the alley.  More specifically, their aim is to either recruit or ruthlessly eliminate Angela.

Having re-established herself in The Bronx as anti-gang, Angela receives a discreet invitation from Matt Murdock.  With Natasha “Black Widow” Romanova tagging along, Angela discreetly visits a costume shop to best repackage herself as the new ‘White Tiger.’  Natasha subsequently reveals her own personal incentive for helping Angela wreak havoc on the Chayei. 

Going solo, Angela’s first strike as White Tiger has her outnumbered and possibly outmatched in a showdown with Cobra and his thugs.  Chasing after Chaeyi mobsters into high-speed traffic, Angela’s inexperience as a vigilante takes a brutal toll.           

Aside from guest stars Daredevil and Black Widow, Spider-Man makes a costume shop cameo. 

Notes: This issue is available digitally (albeit, with a different cover).  The complete six-issue mini-series entitled White Tiger: A Hero’s Compulsion is also available in both digital and trade paperback formats.

REVIEW:

Thankfully not as nasty as the grim noir oozing in Kate Spencer’s Manhunter debut at DC Comics, this first issue makes a solid read. In that sense, a better DC parallel is Renee Montoya’s exploits as the second Question. For this new White Tiger, Tamora Pierce and Timothy Liebe’s plotting is well-matched by this art team’s likable visuals.  Case in point: David Mack’s cover image is a terrific creative asset without oversexualizing Angela’s character. 

While Angela Del Toro’s White Tiger isn’t an instant Marvel icon, she still presents an intriguing new Latina ally for Daredevil and his associates. The quality storytelling in White Tiger # 1, suffice to say, supplies welcome incentive to explore further installments in this mini-series.     

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

None.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     7 Stars

Categories
Digital Movies & TV International/Foreign-Language Television Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series TV Series (Specific Episodes)

JAKERS! THE ADVENTURES OF PIGGLEY WINKS: WAKING THOR (Season 2: Episode 7)

SUMMARY:        APPROX.  RUNNING TIME: 23:00 Min.

In the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, this children’s cartoon series ran for fifty-two episodes over three seasons (2003-2007).  For its time, the program utilized 3D CGI animation graphics in its depiction of the anthropomorphic world of Piggley Winks – both in the present-day and mid-1950’s.  This second-season episode initially aired on October 31, 2004. 

In the present-day, Grandpa (aka Piggley Winks) (Lamb) lives with his grown daughter and her three small children.  Just before bedtime, brothers Seamus and Sean (Futterman/Darling), are unable to find a missing toy: Captain Cyclops.  With Seamus despondent that he won’t be able to sleep without his action figure’s ‘protection,’ Grandpa senses the older Sean’s empathy is imperative.  Grandpa then relates a story from his own youth.  As he is growing up in mid-1950’s rural Ireland, Piggley (Flanagan) is eight years old.  Young Piggley lives on Raloo Farm in the village of Tara.   

Piggley and Dannan (Strong) find out that their friend Ferny’s (Taylor) beloved goldfish, Thor, has passed.  Thinking that distracting Ferny is the best medicine to ease his loss, Piggley and Dannan work hard to console a devastated Ferny.  At best, it temporarily works until Ferny is reminded of Thor’s demise again and again.   Meanwhile, back on Waloo Farm, Wiley the Sheep (Brooks) coaxes his pal Bernie (Uncredited) into playing tennis, sheep-style, for some needed exercise.  Wiley soon regrets that impulse.  

After consulting Ferny’s widowed father (Escanadon) and Piggley’s own dad (Adler), a decision is finally made to hold a traditional Irish wake for Thor.  Surrounded by his father, his schoolmates, and Tara’s other residents, a despondent Ferny realizes remembering his goldfish for the good times they had matters more than holding on to grief.

In the present-day, Grandpa’s message motivates his grandsons to find Captain Cyclops together in the few minutes they still have before bedtime. 

Voice Cast:

Piggley Winks (young): Maile Flanagan

Piggley Winks (Grandpa): Peadar Lamb

Pádraig/Patrick Winks & Mr. Hornsby: Charlie Adler

Molly Winks & Dannan Mallard: Tara Strong

Elly Winks & Fernando “Ferny” Toro: Russi Taylor

Don Toro: Fernando Escanadon

Hector MacBadger: Pamela Adlon

Millie Pelly: Kath Soucie

Gossie: Candi Milo

Seamus & Sean: Nika Futterman (U.S.) / Maria Darling (U.K.)

Bernie the Sheep: Uncredited

Wiley the Sheep: Mel Brooks.

Notes:  Including this episode, a compilation DVD was subsequently released in 2006.  The compilation’s three other episodes are: Season 1’s Sheep on The Loose (the compilation’s title); Season 1’s Donkeys Into Racehorses; and Season 2’s Molly Had a Little Lamb.  Slightly different versions of these episodes exist – per the series policy of using American voice actors for the present-day sequences for its U.S. audience only.

REVIEW:

Twenty years later, the program’s storytelling retains its undemanding charm – it’s a welcome supplement for those fans who enjoy the unrelated Shaun The Sheep.  The 3D CGI animation still holds up well – case in point: the sunset background visuals of Thor’s funeral voyage off into the pond are beautifully rendered.  As for the story, it’s alternately poignant and amusing in reiterating a timeless moral to viewers.

Keeping in mind the target audience, this Jakers! tale serves up a thoughtful treat for both toddlers and preschoolers. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                                6 Stars