#IReadsYou Review: JOSIE ANNUAL SPECTACULAR #1

JOSIE ANNUAL SPECTACULAR, NO. 1

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Ian Flynn, Holly G!

PENCILS: Steven Butler; Dan DeCarlo; Holly G!

INKS: Lily Butler; Jim DeCarlo; John Costanza

COLORS: Glenn Whitmore; Bill Yoshida

LETTERS: Jack Morelli; Bill Yoshida

EDITORS: Jamie Lee Rotante; Vincent Lovallo; Stephen Oswald

EiC: Mike Pellerito

COVER: Steven Butler and Lily Butler with Rosario “Tito” Peña

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2024); on-sale November 6, 2024

Rating: All-Ages

Josie and the Pussycats in “Encore No More!”

In December 1962, Archie Comics introduced the character, Josie Jones, in Archie's Pals 'n' Gals #23 (cover dated: Winter 1962-1963).  Created by Dan DeCarlo, Josie Jones would become “Josie McCoy,” and she would join her friends, Melody and Valerie, in the band, “Josie and the Pussycats.”

Archie is releasing a trio of “annual spectaculars” that involve the machinations of a new character, “Mother Striga.”  She made her debut in Sabrina Annual Spectacular, No. 1.  Her story continued in the Archie Halloween Spectacular.  Striga's debut arc concludes in Josie Annual Spectacular, No. 1 (November 6, 2024).

Josie Annual Spectacular, No. 1 includes one new story and two reprint stories with the second reprint being a two-part tale.  The new story, the Mother Striga tale, is entitled “Encore No More!”  It is written by Ian Flynn; drawn by Steven Butler (pencils) and Lily Butler (inks); colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

Josie and the Pussycats in “Encore No More!”:

Alexandra Cabot makes an emergency call to her friend, Sabrina the Teenage Witch.  Apparently, Mother Striga has bewitched Josie and the Pussycats, and their concert at Eyegore Estates has turned into a real monsters ball.  Their music is brainwashing the monster-people.  Luckily, Sabrina believes that this state of affairs can play in her favor in ending the threat of Mother Striga.  But she'll need Alexandra's help to do it.

Meanwhile, Sabrina's cat, Salem Saberhagen, and Alexandra's cat, Sebastian, are reunited.  Now, it is up to them to do their part to free Josie and the Pussycats.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been a fan of the Josie and the Pussycats franchise since I was a small child.  I am crazy about classic Josie comic books that were published from the 1960s to the early 1980s, and I still love the two 1970s animated television series based on the comics.

Josie Annual Spectacular No. 1 brings an end to the Mother Striga introductory story arc.  I imagine that the character will make a return, likely in an “Archie Horror” one-shot.  Writer Ian Flynn does good work getting a lot out of what amounts to a 15-page story that is serialized over three issues.  Honestly, he offers enough subplots and ideas for three full issues, but he ends this arc on a nice and unusual note.  I must mention that while “Encore No More!” is ostensibly a Josie and the Pussycats tale, Josie supporting character, Alexandra Cabot, and Sabrina are the leads.

I am really impressed with the art throughout this arc.  The team of Steven Butler (pencils) and Lily Butler (inks) deliver some really good-looking art.  Their compositions are like an homage to Josie and the Pussycats legend Dan DeCarlo, but with a stylish modern sensibility.  It really is eye candy.  The colors by Glenn Whitmore add a surreal touch to the art and to the story, while also giving the narrative a kind of low wattage occult edginess.  The lettering by the great Jack Morelli gives voice to the spicy dialogue which closes this story on a winning note... and a note of warning.

In these reviews, I always warn readers that I will always recommend classic-style Archie Comics titles.  Josie Annual Spectacular No. 1 is kinda new because it is classic-style Archie Comics with an eye towards reinvigorating it.  I recommend this entire “Mother Striga” line.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic-style Archie Comics and of Josie and the Pussycats will definitely want to get a copy of Josie Annual Spectacular No. 1.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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BETTY & VERONICA Jumbo Comics Double Digest #299

BETTY & VERONICA (JUMBO COMICS) DOUBLE DIGEST #299
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Bill Golliher with Craig Boldman; Frank Doyle; George Gladir; Al Hartley; Sid Jacobson; Dick Malmgren; Mike Pellowski; Hal Smith; Dexter Taylor; Kathleen Webb
PENCILS: Bill Golliher with Dan DeCarlo; Holly G!; Al Hartley; Pat Kennedy; Dan Parent; Jeff Shultz; Dexter Taylor
INKS: Jim Amash with John Costanza; Jon D'Agostino; Jimmy DeCarlo; Hy Eisman; Mike Esposito; Alison Flood; Rick Koslowski; Rudy Lapick; Al Milgrom; Henry Scarpelli; Dexter Taylor
COLORS: Glenn Whitmore with Barry Grossman
LETTERS: Jack Morelli with Vince DeCarlo; Dexter Taylor; Bill Yoshida
COVER: Jeff Shultz with Rosario “Tito” Peña
192pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Rating: All-Ages

“Holiday Lights!”

Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest is part of “The Archie Digest Library” series.  Debuting in the spring of 1987, Betty & Veronica Double Digest is a mini-trade paperback-like series that features stories reprinted from across the publishing history of Archie Comics.  Sometimes, however, these digests open with an original story.

Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #299 opens with the original story, “Holiday Lights!”  It is written by Bill Golliher; drawn by Golliher (pencils) and Jim Amash (inks); colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by Jack Morelli.

As “Holiday Lights!” opens, Betty and Veronica are planning their big Christmas party, which will take place at Veronica's family home, the Lodge estate.  Veronica has planned for a “killer light display” across the entire estate, and she wants it to be the biggest light display in Riverdale.  The party guests begin to arrive:  Moose & Midge, Toni & Kevin, Jughead, Dilton, Archie, and more.  Can the guests, however, discover the true spirit of Christmas beyond the light display?

THE LOWDOWN:  “Holiday Lights” is only five pages long, but it is a delightful tale.  It's easy to digest moral is a perfect fit for Christmas and for the end of the year holidays.

Like the concurrently released, World of Archie Double Digest #115, Betty & Veronica Double Digest #299 offers other Christmas-themed and holiday-themed stories.  There is also a two-part, movie studio-set mystery tale, “Mystery at the Studio” by classic-style Archie Comics creative stalwarts, writer George Gladir and artists Stan Goldberg (pencils) and Rudy Lapick (inks).  This digest also has some Betty solo comics and some Veronica solo comics … for those who want to enjoy the girls apart.

I must warn you, dear readers.  I will always recommend classic-style Archie Comics titles.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic-style Archie Comics and of Christmas-themed comics will want Betty & Veronica Double Digest #299.

B+
7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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#IReadsYou Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #107

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? #107 (2010)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Derek Fridolfs; John Rozum
PENCILS: Randy Elliot; Cameron Stewart
INKS: Randy Elliot; Andrew Pepoy
COLORS: Pamela Lovas; Paul Becton
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte; John Costanza
EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Joan Hilty (reprint)
COVER: Derek Fridolfs with Pamela Lovas
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (February 2021)

Ages 8+

“Striking Terror”

Welcome, dear readers, to my continuing journey through the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series, which began publication in 2010.  I renewed my subscription (for a second time), and this is the ninth issue of my third subscription run that I have received.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #107 opens with “Striking Terror,” which is written by Derek Fridolfs and drawn by Randy Elliot.  Mystery Inc.:  Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma solved “The Mystery of the Terror-Dactyl” a day earlier.  Now, it's time for a day off, and the Coolsville bowling alley is the place to be on a Friday night.

The gang aren't the only ones that feel that way because “Coolsville Bowl” is packed.  However, electrical problems are causing the bowling pins on several lanes to freeze, which means the kids are going to have to wait for a lane to open up for them.  Lanes may become available soon though, as the the ghostly and headless “Skulldugger” is haunting the place.  Using his bowling ball, which glows with a cackling green skull inside, the Skulldugger wants everyone to leave the bowling alley.  Looks like Mystery Inc. will have a mystery to solve after all

The second story, “Witch Pitch,” is, as usual, a reprint story and is written by John Rozum and drawn by Cameron Stewart and Andrew Pepoy.  [This story was originally published as the back-up story in Scooby-Doo #37 (cover date: August 2000).]   Once again, Scooby and company are looking for an opportunity to sit down and have some fun.  This time they are at Maize Field for a game featuring Fred's favorite baseball team, the Nebraska Corndogs.  The evening is nearly ruined when a witch flies in on her broom and puts a curse on Corndogs pitcher Hector Martinez, just as she recently did to his teammate, “Spanky” Schultz.  Time to chase a witch!

Ever since I first started watching the seminal Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon, “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” (1969-70), so many decades ago, I have been a fan of the green-hued specters and haunts that Mystery Inc. has chased.  “Striking Terror” is an average story as the stories in this series go, but I love the look of the Skulldugger as drawn by Randy Elliot and colored by Pamela Lovas.

“Witch Pitch” is a good story, and I would would like to see it adapted into one of those direct-to-DVD films that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has been releasing since 1998's Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  Also, I think this is the first time that I have come across the idea that Fred is a baseball fan and that the kids like to bowl.

So, I recommend Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #107 to fans of Scooby-Doo haunted sports stories.  And until next time, Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

B
6 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SIMPSONS COMICS Colossal Compendium Volume 7

SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM VOLUME 7
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper Design – @HarperCollins @harperdesignbks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Max Davison; Ian Boothby; John Jackson Miller; Dean Rankine; Michael Saikin; Mike W. Barr; Patrick M. Verrone
PENCILS: Hilary Barta; Jacob Chabot; Rex Lindsey; Nina Matsumoto; Dean Rankine; James Lloyd; Phil Ortiz; John Delaney; Mike DeCarlo; John Costanza
INKS: Andrew Pepoy; Jacob Chabot; Hilary Barta; Mike Rote; Dean Rankine; Mike DeCarlo
COLORS: Art Villanueva; Alan Hellard
LETTERS: Karen Bates
EDITOR: Nathan Kane
COVER:  Matt Groening
ISBN: 978-0-06-287880-9; paperback (July 2, 2019)
176pp, Color, $18.99 U.S., $23.99 CAN

“The Simpsons” is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company.  “The Simpsons” has been a continuous presence on broadcast television since December of the 1989-90 television season.  “The Simpsons” presents a satirical depiction of a working class family which consists of Homer Simpson (the father), Marge Simpson (the mother), Bart (the oldest child and only son), Lisa (the precocious and brilliant elder daughter), and Maggie (a baby girl).  “The Simpsons” also parodies American culture, pop culture, society, etc. via the denizens of The Simpsons' home town, Springfield.

In 1993. Matt Groening, Bill Morrison, and Steve and Cindy Vance founded Bongo Comics Group (or simply Bongo Comics).  Until 2018 when it closed, Bongo Comics published numerous comic book series and single-issue publications featuring characters, plots, settings, and situations from “The Simpsons” TV series.

Since 2013, Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins, has been publishing the Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium.  This is a paperback graphic novel series which reprints select comics stories from various issues of Bongo Comics' Simpsons comic books.   The latest release, Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7, reprints material that originally appeared in the following comic books:  Grampa Simpson Unbelievable Adventures #1 (2015); Simpsons Comics #'s 171, 184, 232, 233, 235, and 236 (October 2010 to January 2017); Simpsons Summer Shindig #'s 7 (May 2013) and 9 (May 2015); Simpson Super Spectacular #11 (June 2010).

Harper Design sent me a copy of Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7 for review, as they did a few years ago with Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 4.  In the last two decades, I've read only a few individual Simpsons comics, although I have always enjoyed them.  In the last five years, I have read several volumes of Harper Design's Simpsons trade paperbacks, thanks to review copies.

Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7 does not really have any great stories (although there are some good ones), but the stories contained within this volume offer many funny and clever moments.  For instance, “Grampa Simpson's Great Sandwich Caper!” is a clever spoof of those choose-your-own-adventure stories because it is composed of clever moments, rather than an overall clever plot.  “Uncivil War Bartman vs. Houseboy” offers funny introductions of parody superheroes; one of the best is Milhouse Van Houten's father, Kirk Van Houten, dressed in a “Deadman” style costume and trying to use his super-heroic activities as divorce-dad quality time.

There are some good stories.  “Pieman Meets the Pi Man” pits Homer Simpson's Pieman against a wacky villain, “Pi Man,” who uses math to confound his victims and the targets of his schemes.  The story “Railroaded” was recently reprinted in another trade paperback.  This tale of vacation-by-train beset by overcrowding somehow finds a way to continually assault my funny bone.

“100% Homer” recalls the 2011 film, Limitless, as a rancid donut makes Homer super-smart, and he gets a third eye and goes on a trippy trip.  The balloon race and religion con-themed “Karmageddon” exemplifies the sharp humor we expect of “The Simpsons.”  Homer takes on Ned Flanders in a balloon race, and Lisa Simpson tries to attend a multi-faith religious convention, (“Karma-Con”), although the tickets to attend are sold out.  Just the premise alone is funny, but this odd tale is infused with humor.

So, while Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7 is not a great collection, it reflects what Bongo Comics (a defunct publisher as of 2018) offered – some of the best humor comics published in North America.  Funny moments and good humor, Vol. 7 of the Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium will tickle the funny bone.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SIMPSONS COMICS Showstopper

SIMPSONS COMICS SHOWSTOPPER
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper Design – @HarperCollins @harperdesignbks @TheSimpsons

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Ian Boothby; Mary Trainor; Len Wein; Chuck Dixon
PENCILS: Phil Ortiz; John Costanza
INKS: Mike DeCarlo; Phyllis Novin
COLORS: Art Villanueva
LETTERS: Karen Bates
EDITOR: Bill Morrison
COVER: Matt Groening
ISBN: 978-0-06-287877-9; paperback (February 5, 2019)
128pp, Color, $16.99 U.S., $21.00 CAN

“The Simpsons” created by Matt Groening

Since 2016, HarperCollins' imprint, Harper Design, has been sending me review copies of its full-color trade paperbacks that reprint comic books based on “The Simpson's” animated television series.  Those comics have been published by Bongo Comics since 1993.

Simpsons Comics Showstopper (the fifth that I have received) is the newest trade paperback in the series.  Simpsons Comics Showstopper collects stories from Simpsons Comics issues #127, #128, #129, #132, and #133 (published between February and August 2007).

“The Simpsons,” produced first run for the Fox Broadcasting Company,  presents a satirical depiction of a working class family which consists of Homer Simpson (the father), Marge Simpson (the mother), Bart (the oldest child and only son), Lisa (the precocious and brilliant elder daughter), and Maggie (a baby girl).  “The Simpsons” also parodies American culture, pop culture, society, politics, media, etc. via the denizens of The Simpsons home town, Springfield.

Simpsons Comics Showstopper opens with “25” (written by Ian Boothby and drawn by Phil Ortiz and Mike DeCarlo).  It is a parody of Fox's long-running, live-action television series, “24.”  Homer is late for work... again.  Meanwhile, at his place of employment, Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, his boss Montgomery Burns, believes that he has killed Homer.  His solution to cover up this supposed crime – set the plant to meltdown!  Now, only Homer can save the plant and Springfield, but can he make it to work on time – when he hasn't after being twelve hours late?!

In “Simpson Family Robinson Crusoe” (written by Mary Trainor and drawn by John Costanza and Phyllis Novin), we get a Simpsons spin on two classics of Western literature, Robinson Crusoe (1719) and The Swiss Family Robinson (1812).  In “You'd Better Sloth Around” (written by Len Wein and drawn by Costanza and Novin), Homer buys a “Hoveround”-like vehicle called the “Sloth-Around,” despite his family's objections to that purchase.  Homer becomes a menace on the thing, but karma might have a surprise for him.

“A Brand New Burns Part One!” and “Part Two,” are written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Costanza and Novin.  In the story, Montgomery Burns and his loyal confidant, Smithers, travel to Mexico where Burns will spend some time at “Rancho Segundo Posibilidad” for rejuvenation treatments.  So why does Burns end up in a sweatshop?  Why is Smithers back in Springfield with a younger Burns?

The comic book stories in Simpsons Comics Showstopper are inventive, full-length tales.  The best of the lot is “A Brand New Burns,” if for no other reason than the famous and infamous people writer Chuck Dixon depicts as being denizens of Hell.  Artists John Costanza and Phyllis Novin and colorist Art Villanueva deliver a few graphically striking panels, especially the ones that depict Montgomery naked and floating/swimming towards the afterlife.

“You'd Better Sloth-Around” epitomizes one of the things that “The Simpsons” does so well, satirize the American desire to get over on people and to beat the system.  “Simpson Family Robinson Crusoe” is a cute send-up of the source material.  That may be the best way to define the comics in Simpsons Comics Showstopper – cute, nice, and entertaining, but none of this material is great.  This collection may satisfy Simpsons comic book fans, but it is not an exceptional Simpsons comics collection, which I can say about some of the others (like 2018's Bart Simpson Bust-Up).

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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I Reads You Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #93

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? #93
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Sholly Fisch; Joe Edkin
PENCILS: Scott Jeralds; Eric Doescher
INKS: Scott Jeralds; Andrew Pepoy
COLORS: Silvana Brys; Paul Becton
LETTERS: Travis Lanham; John Costanza
EDITORS: Harvey Richards; Heidi McDonald
COVER: Scott Jeralds with Silvana Brys
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (August 2018)

Rated “E” for “Everyone”

Let's continue through the renewal of my subscription to the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series.  I recently received the eighth issue of that renewed subscription.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #93 opens with “Safari, So Good” (written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Scott Jeralds).  Mystery Inc.:  Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma are on an African Safari.  Their guide, Khayone, and driver, James, take them across an African plain so that they can view and photograph elephants, lions, impala, and other exotic wildlife.  When a ghostly interloper, calling itself the “Spirit of the Land,” appears, the gang suddenly has its latest mystery to solve.

The second story is “The Weeping Bride of Lover's Leap!” (written by Joe Edkin and drawn by Eric Doescher and Andrew Pepoy).  From its shocking start, this mystery will have you trying to solve the mystery of why Scooby is wearing a dress and why Shaggy, dressed in a snazzy suit, is proposing marriage to Scoob.

Well, the young sleuths of Mystery Inc. are at “Lover's Leap” to discover if an urban legend is true.  Does the ghost of a grieving young woman haunt a popular cliff-side spot for young lovers?  Now, Scooby-Doo and Shaggy have to pretend to be a young couple in the throes of a marriage proposal, so are they destined to face “The Weeping Bride of Lover's Leap.”

I like that “Safari, So Good!” deals with the timely subject matter of animal poaching in Africa.  The “Spirit of the Land” is a lame phantom, but the setting and plot are worth it if they inform even a few young readers (and adults) about animal conservation”

“The Weeping Bride of Lover's Leap” is this issue's reprint story.  [It was originally published in Scooby-Doo #35 (cover dated: June 2000).]  The art team of Eric Doescher, Andrew Pepoy, and Paul Becton turn in some nice work, and John Costanza, one of comics' best letterers, make this dialogue-heavy story easy to read with some well-placed word balloons and some eye-catching fonts.  Kudos to writer Joe Edkin for putting Shaggy and Scooby-Doo in their Sunday best.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #93 was a fun read, and I hope that the next issue can offers some of this issue's pleasant surprises.

B+
7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BART SIMPSON Bust-Up

BART SIMPSON BUST-UP
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper Design – @HarperCollins @harperdesignbks @TheSimpsons

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: John Zakour; Carol Lay; Sergio Aragones; David Seidman; Tom & Henry Gammill; Mary Trainor; Max Davison; Ian Boothby; Peter Kuper; Tony Digerolamo; John Jackson Miller; Evan Dorkin
PENCILS: John Delaney; Carol Lay; Sergio Aragones; Hilary Barta; Tone Rodriguez; John Costanza; Phil Ortiz; Peter Kuper; Jason Ho; Eric Shanower; James Lloyd; Rex Lindsey
INKS: Dan Davis; Carol Lay; Sergio Aragones; Hilary Barta; Tone Rodriguez; Phyllis Novin; Mike DeCarlo; Andrew Pepoy; Peter Kuper; Jason Ho; Eric Shanower
COLORS: Nathan Hamill; Peter Kuper & Minah Kim; Jason Ho; Art Villanueva
LETTERS: Karen Bates
COVER: Matt Groening
ISBN: 978-0-06-269255-9; paperback (April 3, 2018)
128pp, Color, $16.99 U.S., $21.00 CAN

Bart Simpson Bust-Up is a new trade paperback comic book collection from Harper Design.  Bart Simpson Bust-Up collects 18 comic book short stories and short gags that were published in various Bart Simpson comic books during the second half of 2012.

Bart Simpson is a character on the animated television sitcom, “The Simpsons,” produced first run for the Fox Broadcasting Company.  “The Simpsons” present a satirical depiction of a working class family which consists of Homer Simpson (the father), Marge Simpson (the mother), Bart (the oldest child and only son), Lisa (the precocious and brilliant elder daughter), and Maggie (a baby girl).  “The Simpsons” also parodies American culture, pop culture, society, politics, media, etc. via the denizens of The Simpsons home town, Springfield.

In 1993, Matt Groening (creator of “The Simpsons”), Bill Morrison, and Steve and Cindy Vance founded Bongo Comics Group (or simply Bongo Comics).  Over the course of a quarter-century, Bongo Comics has published numerous comic book series and single-issue publications based on “The Simpsons.”  The comic books have starred and featured all the characters that are part of this franchise, from the Simpsons clan to the various supporting characters, including Ralph Wiggum and his father, Chief Wiggum; Bart's pals, Milhouse and Nelson; Ned Flanders; and Principal Seymour Skinner, to name a few.

Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins, has been publishing a line of full-color, original trade paperbacks that reprint select stories from Bongo Comics' various Simpsons comic books.  The latest trade paperback, Bart Simpson Bust-Up, reprints issues #73 to #77 of Simpsons Comics Presents Bart Simpson (July 2012 to November 2012) and The Simpsons Summer Shindig #7 (May 2013).  Simpsons Comics Presents Bart Simpson or simply Bart Simpson was Bongo Comics' long-running comic book series starring Bart Simpson that ran from 2000 to 2016.

Bart Simpson Bust-Up opens with “Everybody Really Hates Bart,” and it is Bart's fault after one of his pranks creates a nightmare right out of a horror movie.  Then, Bart is the victim of Lisa's sociological experimentation in “Decisions, Decisions.”  It is a disaster of shoe proportions in “There's No Business Like Shoe Business,” with a little help from baby genius, Maggie Simpson.

Bart and Milhouse go “Into the Woods,” showing that these two boys are not scout material.  Bart, Milhouse, and Nelson are among the boys trying to impress the “New Girl in Town.”  Bart uses old coupons and causes a disaster in “ For a Limited Time Only.”  Finally, Bart uses all his wiles to bring comfort to his family in “Railroaded.”

Harper Design has been sending me review copies of its Simpsons trade paperback originals for the past few years.  Bart Simpson Bust-Up is the fourth one they have sent me, and I am delighted to say that it is the best.  That is saying a lot because I really liked the previous three Simpsons collections that I read.

Bart Simpson Bust-Up is filled with stories that are funny (obviously), but are also imaginative and inventive.  “Good Cop, Bart Cop” (story by Ian Boothby and art by John Delaney and Andrew Pepoy) is funny in a way that recalls the best entries in the Lethal Weapon film franchise (the first two).  “Into the Woods” has a killer “special bonus” panel to end the story.  No two stories are the same; each one is a surprising and novel treat.

In my review of the previous volume, Simpsons Comics Game On!, I wrote that one does not have to be a fan of “The Simpsons” to like it.  It is the same with Bart Simpson Bust-Up, which is filled with excellently crafted humor comics.  If you want funny comics, buy this collection.  If you are a fan of “The Simpsons,” Bart Simpson Bust-Up is too funny to pass up.

9.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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I Reads You Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #90

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? No. 90
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Sholly Fisch; John Rozum
PENCILS: Walter Carzon; Don Perlin
INKS: Horacio Ottolini; Scott McRea
COLORS: Silvana Brys; Paul Becton
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte; John Costanza
COVER: Walter Carzon and Horacio Ottolini with Silvana Brys
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (April 2018)

Rated “E” for “Everyone”

Let's keep enjoying the fruits of the renewal of my subscription to the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series.  I recently received the fifth issue of that renewed subscription.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #90 opens with “Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble” (written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Walter Carzon and Horacio Ottolini).  Mystery Inc.:  Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma have stopped by “Scrub 'n' Rub Laundromat” to do their laundry.  It is quite a contentious place, as the manager is arguing with a customer and customers are arguing with each other.  Everything comes to a halt, however, when a purple-garbed phantom appears out of the soap and suds and demands that everyone “Get Out!”

The second story is “The Creeping Horror” (written by John Rozum and drawn by Don Perlin and Scott McRea).  [The story was originally published in Scooby-Doo #33 (cover dated: April 2000).]  Once again, the Mystery Machine has had a breakdown in a remote and creepy location.  The Mystery Inc. gang has a flat tire and a spare tire in even worse condition.  Luckily, the “Thingamajig Technologies Inc.” factory is nearby, but instead of finding sanctuary, they a place that is besieged by “The Creeping Horror.”

Some of my favorite Scooby-Doo “ghosts” are the shroud-covered phantoms, creepy ghoulies that are like sheet-cover ghosts on steroids.  You may remember them as the “Giggling Green Ghosts” from the Season One episode, “A Night of Fright is No Delight”.  “Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble” brings that type of phantom back and has him haunting a laundromat.  I thought the story was kinda cute, but the resolution was classic “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?”

“The Creeping Horror” has a classic start, but the body of the story is kind of modern Scooby-Doo movie.  I was not enjoying it at first, but I liked it by the end.  I liked the art team of Don Perlin (pencils) and Scott McRea (inks), whose graphic approach is a bit different.  Of course, John Costanza, who should be a legend of comic book lettering if he is not already, brings his A-game.  His spry fonts and electric word balloons give this story the charge it needs.

And it happens again, as always.  Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #90 makes me excited about the next issue.  I recommend this title to Scooby-Doo fans that want to read Scooby comic books.

A-
7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SIMPSONS COMICS Game On

SIMPSONS COMICS GAME ON! (TPB)
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper Design – @HarperCollins @harperdesignbks @TheSimpsons

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Ian Boothby; Jesse Leon McCann; Tony Digerolamo; Tom Peyer; Mary Trainor; Chuck Dixon
PENCILS: Phil Ortiz; John Costanza; Jason Ho; Carlos Valenti
INKS: Mike DeCarlo; Phyllis Novin; Jason Ho; Andrew Pepoy
COLORS: Art Villanueva; Terry Delegeane
LETTERS: Karen Bates
COVER: Matt Groening
ISBN: 978-0-06-269251-1; paperback (February 6, 2018)
128pp, Color, $16.99 U.S., $21.00 CAN

“The Simpsons” is an American animated television sitcom, produced first run for the Fox Broadcasting Company.  Created by cartoonist Matt Groening, “The Simpsons” began in 1987 as a series of animated shorts that were eventually developed into a half-hour animated TV series.  “The Simpson” debuted on Fox in December of the 1989-90 television season and continues today with new episodes, with Fox having renewed the series through 2019.

“The Simpsons” present a satirical depiction of a working class family which consists of Homer Simpson (the father), Marge Simpson (the mother), Bart (the oldest child and only son), Lisa (the precocious and brilliant elder daughter), and Maggie (a baby girl).  “The Simpsons” also parodies American culture, pop culture, society, politics, media, etc. via the denizens of The Simpsons home town, Springfield.

In 1993, Matt Groening, Bill Morrison, and Steve and Cindy Vance founded Bongo Comics Group (or simply Bongo Comics).  Over the course of a quarter-century, Bongo Comics has published numerous comic book series and single-issue publications based on “The Simpsons.”  The comic books have starred and featured all the characters that are part of this franchise, from the Simpsons clan to the various supporting characters, including Ralph Wiggum and his father, Chief Wiggum; Ned Flanders; Krusty the Clown, Sideshow Bob, and Mr. Burns and Smithers, to name a few.

Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins, has been publishing a line of full-color, original trade paperbacks that reprint select stories from Bongo Comics' Simpsons comic books.  The new trade paperback original is Simpsons Comics Game On!, which reprints Simpsons Comics, issues #121 to 125.  Simpsons Comics is Bongo Comics' long-running flagship Simpsons comic book series.

Simpsons Comics Game On! opens with “The Town That Time Forgot.”  Lazy Homer Simpson seems incapable of being on time for anything, so rather than learn to be punctual, Homer has a better idea.  Why not let people set their own time... with disastrous results.  And Sideshow Bob is back... or maybe not in”Bobbing for Vengeance.”

In “'Till Ned Do Us Part,” Marge Simpson invites a lonely Ned Flanders into the Simpsons home for a stay while Ned's son, Rod and Todd, are away at “Old Testament Survival Camp.”  In “two shakes of a lamb's tail,” the Simpsons find themselves facing an onslaught of hackneyed expressions, cliché sayings, and a guest who does not want to leave because he is “casting pearls before swine.”

Finally, return to yesteryear with “Springfield's Typical Teen-Ager,” Homie in “One Plus Two Equals Zero.”  Springfield High School student Homie Simpson has two tickets to not-paradise and dates with two girls, each one to a different campus event that will take place at the same time.  Can Homie pull off the ultimate high school double date?!

Harper Design has been sending me review copies of its recent Simpsons trade paperback originals, and while I have enjoyed them, I am shocked by how much more I like Simpsons Comics Game On!  For me, this comic book captures the essence of “The Simpsons'” rowdy first decade on television:  the razor sharp satire, blunt spoofs, dead-on parodies, and delightful pop culture references.  Speaking of references, “One Plus Two Equals Zero” is a winning Simpsons spin on Archie Comics' classic Archie-Betty-Veronica love triangle, with a few guest cameos sprinkled throughout the story.

“'Til Ned Do Us Part” is one of the best humorous comic book stories that I have ever read, and it is also a surprisingly effective little morality tale.  Plus, according to an editor's note, the story contains over 150 clichés – in their original form or mangled – and there are several mixed metaphors.  The delightful and dream-like “Maggie's Little Helper” recalls the vintage newspaper comic, Little Nemo.  “Bake Love, Not War” perfectly captures the dynamic between Marge Simpson and her well-meaning, but dumb and patience-testing husband, Homer.

You don't have to be a fan of “The Simpsons” to like Simpsons Comics Game On!, but it helps.  This volume has so many stories that are inventive and well-executed in their storytelling that fans of humor comics can find at least one story to like.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: GRIP: The Strange World of Men #1

GRIP: THE STRANGE WORLD OF MEN No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY/ART: Gilbert Hernandez
COLORS: Pamela Rambo
LETTERS: John Costanza
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez with Lee Loughridge
32pp, Color, $2.50 U.S., $4.25 CAN (January 2002)

Part 1: “Grip of Fear”

Cartoonist and comix creator, Gibert Hernandez, is most famous for being one-half of Los. Bros. with his brother, Jaime Hernandez.  Together, they are the creators of the long-running comic book series, Love and Rockets (with their brother Mario sometimes contributing).

Most of Gilbert's work has been published by alternative comics publisher, Fantagraphics Books, but some of his output has been released by other entities.  One example is the 2002 five issue miniseries, Grip: The Strange World of Men, that was published by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint.  Gilbert wrote and drew this miniseries with colors by Pamela Rambo and letters by John Costanza.

Grip: The Strange World of Men #1 (“Grip of Fear”) opens in an unnamed city on a busy sidewalk.  We meet a young man of Asian extraction (Chinese-American?) with a lipstick imprint of a kiss on his right cheek.  He does not know who he is, but in the suit he is wearing, he finds the state license of a Black man named “Clarence Gideon.”

The young man discovers that he has a strange aversion to institutions that might be able to help him, but he can visit the home of Clarence Gideon's wife.  Meeting Mrs. Gideon begins the slow process of discovering his past, but a man calling himself “Joe Hook” claims to know all.

I had long forgotten about Grip: The Strange World of Men, but during a recent re-organization and clean-up, I found that I had bought all five issue.  I can't remember why I had never gotten around to reading it (and many other comics books that I had apparently “squirreled” away).  I decided to read at least the first issue and review it... for those that might decide to discover it or rediscover it.  Dark Horse Comics collected Grip in a trade paperback last year.  Grip: The Strange World of Men, unlike many Vertigo, so-called creator-owned series, is entirely owned by Gilbert Hernandez.

Anyway, if Gilbert Hernandez were not credited as the writer-artist of Grip, I would not necessarily associate it with him, although it does resemble some of his other work.  Right now, I'm thinking of Gilbert's contributions to the early incarnation of the 1980s comic book, Mr. X.  Still, this has an odd quality; perhaps, it simply does not resemble Gilbert's recent work and that is what is throwing me off.  Grip is playful, even with the explicit depictions of violence.  It is hugely intriguing and looks like an alt-comix interpretation of one of those Alfred Hitchcock murder-mystery, suspense thrillers.  The difference is that Grip does not seem so intense.

I have long thought of Gilbert as being one of the best comic book writers in North America over the better part of four decades, with him often being the best.  Truthfully, he is a gift to American comic books, a unique voice in the wilderness of corporate products, media tie-ins, and genre dumpster comics.  Grip shows that he can be imaginative even on cruise control.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Leroy Douresseaux on Legion of Super-Heroes The Great Darkness Saga The Deluxe Edition

Legion of Super-heroes: The Great Darkness Saga (Deluxe Edition)

DC COMICS
WRITER: Paul Levitz
PENCILS: Keith Giffen with Pat Broderick, Howard Bender, Carmine Infantino
INKS: Larry Mahlstedt with Bruce D. Patterson, Rodin Rodriguez, Dave Hunt
COLORS: Carl Gafford, Gene D’Angelo
LETTERS: John Costanza, Bruce D. Patterson, Ben Oda, Adam Kubert, Annette Kawecki, Todd Klein, Janice Chiang
COVER: Keith Giffen and Al Milgrom with Drew R. Moore
ISBN: 978-14012-2961-0; hardcover
416pp, Color, $39.99 U.S., $47.99

If there are superhero comic book stories that deserve to be called legendary, then, The Great Darkness Saga is legendary. It may be the most famous Legion of Super-Heroes comic book storyline, and DC Comics is bringing The Great Darkness Saga, first published in the early 1980s, back to print.

No, make that DC Comics is celebrating The Great Darkness Saga with a new book, Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga The Deluxe Edition. This 416-page (7.25in x 11in) hardcover reprints Legion of Super-Heroes #284-296 and Legion of Super-Heroes Annual 1. The Great Darkness Saga started in #290 and ended in the double-sized #294, but the event was foreshadowed before it actually began in a half-year’s worth of Legion of Super-Heroes comic books. After the end of the epic, the series continued to deal with the repercussions on the Legionnaires.

Written by Paul Levitz and largely drawn by penciller Keith Giffen and inker Larry Mahlstedt, The Great Darkness Saga is basically about the Legion of Super-Heroes war against the forces of Darkseid. The New God quietly reawakens in the 30th century and hatches a complicated, but ingenious plan to both revive his powers and to finally conquer the universe and subvert it to darkness.

Unaware, the Legion of Super-Heroes is in a state of flux with retirements and resignations, and also with Legionnaires moving to reserve status. Older members find themselves feeling replaced by newer members and also dealing with their own adult issues and midlife-like problems. Personal problems become team problems, and personal and professional failings take a toll on the team. When Darkseid’s minions attack, the Legion basically wakes up with their lives like a house on fire.

The Great Darkness Saga was of its time and ahead of its time. The character drama and storylines captured the best elements of two of the most popular comic book series of the time, Chris Claremont’s soap operatic Uncanny X-Men and Marv Wolfman’s emerging New Teen Titans. As the story gets deeper into the conflict with Darkseid, the Legion of Super-Heroes basically establishes the template for series-wide and company-wide crossover events that are common today.

In a more compact manner and with fewer characters (although there are lots of Legionnaires) than most crossover events, Paul Levitz takes readers across the 30th century version of the DC Universe to experience a super powers fight club, in which the superheroes try to stop their existence-as-they-know-it from blinking out in favor of eternal darkness. Levitz deftly balances sustained battles with electrifying, fleeting glimpses at other clashes. This epic is the stencil for Crisis on Infinite Earths and its children; one might even recognize Marvel Comics Secret Invasion in this.

One also cannot help but be impressed by how Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt drew this without the art ever looking hurried or rushed. There is a consistency to the storytelling, and the compositions, also stunningly consistent, are impeccable in their professionalism.

What would a grand hardcover collection of classic comics be without some extras? Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga The Deluxe Edition offers the standard sketchbook material and bonus cover art, but by far the best extra – the one that really makes this collection – is the inclusion of Levitz’s plot for issue #290, the opening chapter of Darkness. This detailed plot breakdown (one paragraph for each page) will be a treat for Legion fans and of importance for those who want to write superhero comic books.

The Great Darkness Saga was popular at the time of its publication, but because it was so ahead of its time that it seems of this time; so it deserves the deluxe treatment. Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga The Deluxe Edition is one of those pricey books that should have place in the home of every reader of superhero comic books.

A+