Jane's World 8-11 by Paige Braddock

Jane's World: Volume 8 by Paige Braddock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jane, Chele, Skye, and Jill go on a vacation trip together to the Florida Keys but before they reach their destination, their plane crash lands. Stuck on one of the 800 'large enough to be on the map' islands in the Keys, the four attempt to do stuff. Like sleep. Then some Polynesians show up (despite being in the wrong ocean for them to show up) and attempt to marry one of the Polynesian women to Jane. Jane want no part of this but the others press her into going through some 'tests' because they figure that this would be a way to get off the island. Eventually they run into 'shallow-breast guy' who is also on the island, along with a photographer and some bikini wearing models.

A funny continuation of the series. Though it should be noted that at no time do Chele and Jane walk in a river while carrying stuff over their heads like on the cover of the comic strip collection.

Rating: 4.4

April 15 2017



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Jane's World: The Quest for Love by Paige Braddock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


'The Quest for Love' - the various women in the comic series are on a quest for love, and/or attempting to have more 'mature' relationships. Well, some of them.

Chele is dating the photographer from the prior book - Michele (this is the first time I noticed that they actually have the same name, unless Chele is not actually a nickname taken from Michele). Jill is dating Skye (who had been dating Jane). Jane is dating . . . a Hooters waitress (and is having an on-again-off-again 'situation of confusion' with Dorothy).

As noted, Chele meet Michele in the prior book - Michele had been taking photographs of barely clothed women on the beach while Stephan Pastis stood around making vaguely inappropriate comments. Jill meet Skye . . . well, not sure when they first meet, but the certainly bumped into each other on that same Flordia Key's vacation/crash landing that put Chele and Michele together (though they didn't start dating at that time). And Jane?

Recalling that Jane works as a reporter, several news assignments were given to Jane. One saw her sent undercover to Hooters to investigate . . . um . . . the treatment of women or something like that. Jane? Undercover at Hooters? No Jane's breasts didn't suddenly get bigger or anything like that, they actually got smaller. By having them strapped down - she went undercover as a boy. Meanwhile, as part of that story, the woman who Jane attempted to use as a life coach a long while back pops up again - and see's Jane in her 'boy' costume and assumes that Jane is 'transistioning'. Because of that she admits that she, a lesbian, has a breast phobia (and then proceeds to have a flashback as to why - almost smoothered by a large breasted woman; oddly I've already seen this plot line before in a different comic series - in 'Ménage à 3' (in that comic it was a psychology student while here it was a life coach; that one also had a woman who had a penis phobia and was, for the most part, straight - her father was hugely popular manga author/artist in Japan - famous for his use of tentacles molesting women, the woman with the penis phobia sees the penis as a tentacle and freaks out in a 'must kill it' kind of way)). Naturally Jane believes that the way to 'cure' this phobia is to bring that woman along to Hooters.

Later, after having one of the Hooters waitress's flirt with then begin dating Jane (already knowing that Jane was actually a woman - just thought she was ultra butch, not thought she was a boy), Jane goes on another reporter assignment - to investigate . . wait, no, to report on a mountain bike race.

Which lead to basically every female character in the series (well not really, just a lot of them) to end up popping up there as well. And an orgy breaks out. No, really.

Another fun, humorous, way to pass the time.

Rating: 4.55

April 15 2017

ETA: I've no idea how to get this rereading thingie to stop recording everything I read as being either not completed or read 3 times (if I don't insert the dates, it doesn't get recorded as read; if I do insert the dates, it records the books as being read 3 times (even if only 1 set of dates shows). mmphs. I think I fixed it, though, but if I haven't - that's why I include this note here. That I've only read this collection once.



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A New Frontier by Paige Braddock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the '10 year anniversary' collection. Collects the next set of comics not previously released, and includes text - a little nonfiction section in which the author mentions how Jane's World came about and a little mini-autobiography about herself. Quite fun and informative and stuff.

The 'new stuff' involves a version of Jane sucked into a 'Last Starfighter' type situation (or, more accurately, recreates that movie with Jane in the starring role). And like in that film - a 'I'm not a robot but a simul...somthing' is put in place of Jane on Earth while Jane is up flying around in space. 'Fake Jane' is super competent, doesn't whine, is good in bed, doesn't eat as much junk food, and is a good reporter -naturally every one is suspicious of this Jane because this Jane isn't 'acting right'.

Both the science fiction 'Jane's World' take on 'Last Starfighter' and the author's autobiographical section were fun things to read. And basically take up the entirety of the book. Sooo I guess I have nothing else to comment on since I already commented on both of those thingies.

Rating: 4.68

April 15 2017



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Jane's World, Volume 11 by Paige Braddock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The last of the collections available to be read and devoured, though there's a prose novel set in this universe that occurs after this one, and comic strips online that also continue the story (and then there was a reboot or something like that relatively recently - haven't looked closely yet to see what that might mean, though I know the woman who popped up on the prose novel turns up almost immediately in the comic so I think it's more of a continuation, though again I haven't looked yet).

Sooo . . . what happens in this one? More wackiness, of course. Jane continues as a reporter, adjusting to life back on earth and with a live-in girlfriend. Then the paper closes, the girlfriend moves out, and she's briefly sucked back up into space for a moment or two. You know, the average. Meanwhile the other women in the story continue bouncing around, doing their thing, going into and out of relationships (sometimes with the same woman they already were in a relationship with).

Somewhat less satisfying than the previous collection, and some of the others. Don't really have much else to say so . . ..

Rating: 4.18

April 15 2017



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Jane's World: 5-7 by Paige Braddock

Jane's World: 5-7 by Paige Braddock
Pages: 149 + 160 + 152 = 461
Date: May 23 2006, October 17 2006, July 3 2007
Publisher: Girl Twirl Comics
Series: Jane's World (5th through 7th in series)

Review
Rating: 3.50 + 3.50 + 3.75= 10.75/3= 3.5833
Read: April 4 2017

Picking up where volume 4 ended (Jill, Chele's on-again off-again girlfriend, had reunited with Chele, but then 'everything' fell apart when it turned out that Jill has let Chele's mother know where she now lives). Volume 5 picks up with Jill finding Chele's mother, Virginia, in her room -which is also where volume 4 ended.

Before Virginia can get too far in her seduction of her daughter's girlfriend, the mother's wife, Ted, breaks into the room and starts beating up Jill. Despite being a trained operative (spy/police/other), Jill is quite unable to properly defend herself. Virginia and Ted then leave and Jill lies around all injured and stuff.

Meanwhile . . . stuff happens. heh. I read three volumes in a row while ill. I've a fairly good recollection of what happened in what I read, but not which specific tidbit went with each specific volume.

Let's see - also in this specific volume - former girlfriend Talia drags Jane to a furries convention; then her newspaper job sends Jane to a monster truck show (wherein she runs into another person from her past - Bobbie, who happens to mention that she is not actually single, she's married to a guy named Ted).

Chele may or may not confront her mother in this volume (or it's in the next volume).

Good solid story. Not as humorous as some in the past, nor as weird and wacky as Jane comics can get - like later volumes I read (one literally has Jane become a bunny, not like this volume where Jane wore a dog furry suit, but become an actual bunny, albeit one that wears clothing and is a biped).

Rating: 3.50

April 5 2017

--
As I noted in my review for volume 5, I was ill when I read this and I read three volumes back to back (not actually all in a row since there was a nap here or there), so some of the information that got lodged in my brain might correspond to a different volume than this one.

Let's see - in this one Jane's mother visits. Jane believes that the mother still doesn't know Jane is a lesbian and so tries to get Skye, her current girlfriend, to stop trying to 'ruin' things - while also 'using' her roommate Ethan as a stand-in boyfriend. Apparently Jane has been using Ethan for this purpose for eons now.

Meanwhile, Dorothy and Jane sleep together (yes, while Jane is still dating Skye), and Dorothy is attempting to figure out what this means. And if they can actually have a relationship. Skye, in the meantime, is attempting to 'reform' Jane so that she stops eating junk food (in this or the next volume, Dorothy and Skye show up and won't leave before the other, so Jane bails - while Jane is out of sight, Skye throws away all of Jane's junk food (which basically means all of Jane's food since she doesn't really eat much but for junk food)).

Let's see let's see. Jill 'has an assignment' that takes her into snowy territory and does or doesn't sleep with another woman while she may or may not still be 'dating' Chele (it's all a blur in my mind; like, who the fuck gave Jill this assignment? Last I heard, Jill and Chele had been thinking about starting their own agency but hadn't yet - though both quit wherever they did work - so, again, who the fuck gave Jill this assignment? I'm completely confused).

I think this is also the volume when the aliens return Dixie to earth and she promptly restarts a relationship with Ethan (this or the prior volume . . . I think). Why did the aliens return her? Because, apparently, Dixie is so girly that she was messing up the space-ship - just like she had done with Jane's place - which included the aliens suddenly finding themselves wearing floral print outfits. Because . . . um . . Dixie is very femme? Something.

Despite the cover illustration - Jane and Chele do not, in fact, hook up again in this volume, nor, unless I missed it, do they ride around on her motorcycle. Or maybe they did. This was a confusing volume.

Rating: 3.50

April 5 2017

--
At either the start of this volume or the end of the last volume, Jill is kidnapped and the kidnappers (who have been seen in the Jane's World comics before, they are the Nevada Mullet Liberation Army (or something like that)) have informed Chele that she can have Jill back for $2 million.

Oh - the description for this volume just reminded me - Jill looks remarkably like the woman Virginia, Chele's mother, loved way back when. Believing . . . um . . that Virginia would stop trying to hump Jill if Rachel was back in Virginia's life, Chele and Jill begin a hunt to track down this woman (I believe this hunt actually started in the last volume, but maybe it started in this one).

Meanwhile Ted is attempting to get someone to mess up Bobbie's truck so he . . I mean she can make money off Bobbie losing. Ted has no redeeming qualities.

Meanwhile, Jane helps Rick on his annual 'drive into the desert in drag' event by driving an RV.

Eventually, somewhere along the way (and yes I do recall how and why it happened (heh, no, 'Vortex' wtf? I don't know why)) Jane turns into a bunny and Jill turns into a fox.

Despite people becoming their totem animals, and a lot of other wild stuff occurring, this was a lot more coherent volume than the previous one.

Rating: 3.75

April 5 2017

Jane's World: Volume 4 by Paige Braddock

Jane's World: Volume 4 by Paige Braddock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Another solid volume in the series. Quite coherent and straight forward story-line.

Women continue to circle women. Men continue to circle women. Some of the women in both groups are the same women (some of the women keep bouncing between men and women though I'm not sure if they ever actually say that they are bisexual or anything like that).

And that guy, 'shallow breast man', makes an appearance again - that Pearls Before Swine comic guy. He continued to hit on everyone with breasts. Including one who is/was I think something like 13. Basically he continued looking super creepy.

As is somewhat expected in situations like this - the volume ended on a cliff-hanger.

One of the things I rather liked compared to earlier volumes is the part where the 'breaking the fourth wall' was cut way back. I think that aspect wasn't here at all in this volume. I am not sure if I've mentioned this specific aspect before - occasionally things will occur and Jane will make comments like 'I wish I could wear more clothing styles than this - but the artist is lazy' (not a direct quote, but something like that), or, occasionally, every woman would suddenly have massive breasts (I think expect for Jane) and the people in the comic would make comments (though most of the women seemed to not notice that their breasts had been enlarged) and Jane would make some comment about 'Hey! This is Jane's World! Stop that!' while some of the men would offer suggests like changing the comic's name to 'Hooterville' or something like that. Well - I don't think that happened this time - the breaking of the fourth wall. I'm uncertain because it is one of those things that would suddenly spring up in one comic panel, then be ignored elsewhere - and that Stephan Pastis guy was 'big' in that breast story-line (hence 'shallow breast guy'), and was in this volume as well.

Well, I've rambled enough. Not reviewed exactly, but rambled enough.

Rating: 4.35

March 16 2017



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Jane's World Collection Volume 1 by Paige Braddock

Jane's World Collection Volume 1 by Paige Braddock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Just a couple of quick notes:
1) This is a collection that has the first three volumes previously released in the series - I had previously read and liked the first of these volumes.
2) Normally I would have likely read this all in one day but for the part where I had a physical copy of the book - and my eyes aren't the best for that type of reading any longer. So that's why I took most of February to read this book.
3) Jane continues on her weird and wacky journal down lives roads; that one novel I read in the series plus the first volume somewhat mislead me - I kind of had the impression that Jane either got into and out of relationships a lot; and/or she had some kind of on again off again thing going on with Dorothy, when really she spent most of the book on the edge of relationships. Wanting to ask that woman out; being friends, but not dating, that second woman; having various ex-girlfriends turn up, etc. etc. Oh, and that guy from Pearls Before Swine popped up as a reoccurring character (Jane decides to become a cartoonist, a friend new Stephan (whose name, for some reason, was 'Steven' in the book; the guy looked like Pastis and 'Pearls Before Swine', his comic series was mentioned so not sure what is up with using 'Steven').
4) Some family members, namely a sister and niece pop up.
5) This series has so many characters that some will pop up and I'll just barely remember that I'm supposed to know them; while others wander in and out of the story-line and when they aren't in it, I forget they exist.
6) This is a mix of people in here, femmes, butches, heterosexual men and women, bisexual women, lesbian women, and I believe one gay man (and one drag queen (though that was one brief scene)). Oh, and at least one of the very butch looking women are very much straight, so you can't go by looks (of course).
7) Funny book. Makes me want to go reread that one novel set in this universe. Though I'll probably read volume 4 of the comic first, since I already own it.



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Jane's World: Volume 1 by Paige Braddock

Jane's World: Volume 1 by Paige Braddock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Well . . . while I'm vaguely sad that we didn't spend more than 1 snapshot in 'superhero' world, I wasn't sad that I kept unexpectedly laughing. Is funny - this book.

The comic art kept going in and out though. In and out of focus? Something. In out of 'I doodled something' zone. As in, occasionally everything appears super well drawn and in focus, but most of the time things look like doodles. Out of focus doodles at that. The doodles I could live with. It was the out of focus part that was hard to take. Hurt my eyes it did - being out of focus. Blurry. I'd give an example but I don't know how.

hmm. Part of the problem with the doodles - there's a panel where Jane is at work. A co-worker is in the background. Coworker looks like a dinosaur. Is that person supposed to look like a dinosaur, and therefore be humorous, or . . . is it just a warped doodle? I don't know. :(

heh - I just keep turning the page and giggling insanely.
This won't make any sense but . . . quote from book:

Bobbie: 'You're talking to a concrete deer....'
Jane: And loving it! . . . Thanks.

A funny comic that ended a little abruptly.

Rating: 4.33

January 13 2017




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Velvet Vol. 3: The Man Who Stole The World by Ed Brubaker

Velvet Vol. 3: The Man Who Stole The World by Ed Brubaker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Comic book stories – told in tiny little snippets, little single issue things of 32 pages at a time (well, most of the time they are around that length), later collected in volumes that collect anywhere from 3 to 10 ‘issues’ (this book here collects issues 11-15 (which would be 160 pages, though the collected book itself is only 137 pages) – can be frustrating to read. Mostly because there is a lot of interesting lead up to . . . many cliff-hangers until a, a lot of the time, disappointing finale.

And a lot of the time, you don’t know until something like the third volume, or way too often with comic story-lines – never. They just fizzle out.

Well this specific story here looked neat from the beginning. A skilled spy who was involved in early to mid-20th century spy craft before taking herself out of the field and working as a secretary for a good portion of the rest of her career. She would be, in effect, like Agent Carter after WWII – at least what the ‘men’ wanted to happen to Carter; though here Velvet took herself out, she wasn’t forced out of spy work.

The story starts after the ‘event’ that set the action in motion, so I’m not actually sure if she was a secretary, an office worker, or something more, though I know one or more men derisively called her ‘just a secretary’ along the way (which shows more their own misogynistic tendencies and less whatever her actual job function had been).

While working in the office, Velvet (which was her spy code name) uncovers some odd information. An agent had died under mysterious circumstances. Practically from the moment she started to look into it – under her own initiative, a trip-wire was sprung; Velvet was tarred as a traitor and chased.

Well, that was what volume 1 and 2 were about. The initial action that unfolded from being targeted as a traitor (volume 1), and an attempt to unravel the mystery behind the conspiracy (volume 1 and 2). Well now we are in volume 3. If I had the volume in front of me I could tell you the date the action occurred, but I don’t so . . . 1950s? 1960s? Somewhere around there. Wait, no, there is a specific historical event that has been tied into the storyline. A specific date that makes no sense for the series – at least since I’d this vague 1950s/1960s vibe; and the historical event took place in the 1970s (view spoiler)[1972 (can you think of any historical events of much significance politically that took place in 1972? Heh, I don’t want to bluntly state the event, but I have given it away) (hide spoiler)]. So, the long and short, the series took place somewhere around that date – (view spoiler)[1972 (hide spoiler)], the early ‘70s.

Neat to see the series unfold – two parts to that 'neatness' – 1 - coherent story told over more than one volume (3 here); 2 - it’s not a superhero story, but a spy story.

And yet . . . I end up giving the book a rating of 3.25. Why? Well, partly because it had been a while since I read issues 1-10 so had to remind myself of the story as I went along, though more importantly because the story kind of fell flat. Oh, a ton of action and suspense occurred, but it still was kind of . . . flat.

Rating: 3.25

January 24 2017



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Pink Panther Volume 1 by S.A. Check

ow
Pink Panther Volume 1
by S.A. Check, Batton Lash, Keith Davidson, and S.L. Gallat
Pages: 128
Date: December 13 2016
Publisher: American Mythology Productions
Series: Pink Panther

Review
Rating: 3.5
Read: November 4 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley, Diamond Book Distrubotors, and American Mythology Productions in return for a fair review.*

This is a collection of 5 previously published single issues (Pink Panther 1-3, Trick or Pink Halloween Special, and the Pink Panther Free Comic Book day issue.

Before I get started I should note that I've seen and enjoyed the original Pink Panther movie, and seen probably all of the others. And seen the short comic clips involving the Pink Panther. I've never before read a comic involving the Pink Panther though.


'The Mighty Pan-Thor'
Okay, so, Thor and some green costume wearing dude are fighting 'somewhere in the heavens'. Thor's hammer falls and lands near the Pink Panther. Who picks it up and takes it with him. Because hey, who couldn't use hammer? And . . . um . . I guess stealing is acceptable (it's a hammer lying in the street next to a fence. Did a worker put it there, go off to do something, and come back to find it gone? or . . . ).

Somewhere along the way, the panther realizes that this is Thor's hammer. And decides to become a superhero. Which doesn't seem to work for some reason. Then . . um . . the comic is over. Um. Well. Um. This might have been interesting to watch at the beginning of a movie, but in comic book form this was kind of . . . not very exciting.

Rating: 3

Intermixed with the pink panther comics are 'The Ant and the Aardvark in Clean Sweep' 1 pagers.

'99 Pink Balloons'
A boy turns 3 and has a birthday party. And the Pink Panther is his party entertainment. The boy is not, initially, pleased.

hehe.

Rating: 4

And then another ant and aardvark 1 pager.

'Pink Panther in Fly Boy'
The pink panther is hungry but has no money. He does have a fly, though, and plans to use it to try to get a free meal.

Things didn't go well.

Rating: 3 . . . I've no idea why I'm rating these little tiny snippets. I think I'm going to stop rating the individual thingies.

'Shell-Shocked'
Pink Panther plays one of those street games wherein he moves shells quickly and people try to guess where the pebble is located.

'Drawn & Quartered Box'
Pink Panther is chased by his arch-nemesis Inspector Jacques Clouseau. And . . um . . . I do not understand what happened. Suddenly there are zombies? And now we are in the old west? and . . . what is going on in this comic?

'Pink in the Machine'
Pink Panther goes to a store. Examines a virtual reality device.

'Jurassic Pink'
Pink Panther back in the time of the cave men. And dinosaurs. Because they totally went together as evidenced by the documentary 'The Flintstones'.

Neat one. I'm going back, temp, to rating stuff - 4.5.

'Big City Pink'
Pink is off to get a job. But gets diverted when a little girl loses a balloon. Speeds around the city trying to get that balloon.

Another neat one. 3.7.


'Pink Halloween'
Halloween party. Pink Panther going as Frankenstein. Accidentally bumps into real Frankenstein. Their party invitations get mixed up, Pink goes to wrong party.

Okay story.

'Scared Pink'
Pink is causally strolling in the city when he decides to take a break and see a film. A scary film.

Another okay story.


'Harvey Pink Panther #1 (November 1993)'
Ack - they have Pink Panther talking? mmphs.

Story 1: So, Pinkie develops a better mousetrap. Goes to patent office. Accidentally runs into a guy with a time gun.

Story 2: And then Pinkie climbs a mountain. Meets snowman.

Story 3: Ah, and then the third story in this section involves a case for the Inspector. Hmm. Interesting 'case'.

Story 4: Pink Panther is robbed. Goes to a school of karate to learn self-defense.

Overall
The collection was about on par for what I would expect for a collection of Pink Panther comics. Okay stories. A few mildly amusing. Most kind of meh. None were out and out bad. I'd give the entire thing a rating of 3.5.

November 4 2016

The Twilight Zone: The Shadow by David Avallone

The Twilight Zone: The Shadow
by David AvallonePages: 96
Date: November 15 2016
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Series: Twilight Zone/The Shadow

Review
Rating: 4.44
Read: October 8 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Dynamite Entertainment in return for a fair review.*

The Twilight Zone with The Shadow!

Right, so, I've seen episodes of the Twilight Zone, and I've read a few 'The Shadow' comics here and there. Though the only Twilight Zone stories I've read have been parodies so the combo of the two, plus a Twilight Zone story, will both be new to me.

The Shadow fights evil in 1930s America. At least he did until he entered 'The Twilight Zone' wherein he became . . . a voice actor performing as 'The Shadow'. At least that's the description for the book, and the opening words ('Picture if you will: In your own world, you're a fearsome crime-fighter who stalks the night . . . but you wake up today in another world, where the Master of Men is just a character you play in a radio show that bears his name.') Let's see what we get, eh?

Let's see, bunch of names - let's link them with their job since they aren't in the byline: written by David Avallone; art by Dave Acosta; colors by Omi Remalante; letters by Taylor Esposito; cover by Francesco Francavilla.

Chapter One: Shadow of a Doubt
Okay, so the book opens at a Nazi ralley in Yaphank New York, Ocotober 1939. Camp Siegfried. Midnight.

Nazi looking guy being all 'we are the master race' and stuff. People give th Nazi salute. Then a maked man erupts onto the scene and . . begins shooting everyone. hmms. Not exactly a superhero type move, but so be it. Creepy how he laughs and laughs and laughs as he pours bullets into the heads of everyone wearing a Nazi uniform (and it's interesting he seems to only shoot those in uniform - mean anything? no idea).

Margo, who is apparently the Shadow's assistant, is pissed because there were women and children down there. Shadow is all 'no harm came to them' (I'm like 'dude, you exploded brains around them, no harm? like wha?'; while Margo's all 'okay, your sure but I'm not.')

And that's enough of that. I'm not going to recount everything. But review. Reviews. There, I reviewed. heh. Right, back to reading and not commenting.

Margo: You were firing into a crowd...
Shadow: ... of NAZIs. The scum of the earth, and their spawn. I was careful to pick off only those who dared raise arms against me . . . but there were no innocents in that camp. The weed of crime . . .
Margo: if you finish that sentence I will scream. You've lost something. You used to have some connection to people. To humanity.

So - the two things, Shadow blasting away, and Margo lighting into him, gives an idea of the Shadow in his own world. But then his car explodes and when the Shadow awakens again, he is in . . . The Twilight Zone.

Unexpectedly, to me, the man who awakens is confronted by . . . the Shadow. So now we are in Star Wars land or Superman land when Luke fought himself, or when Superman fought Clark Kent. hmms. Not that Shadow and Shadow fight. The Shadow calls the other shadow 'Lamont Cranston' (Cranston-Shadow being the guy we watched blowing up a Nazi camp).

Also, unexpectedly, 'Cranston' seems quite . . . unalarmed at the situation. huh.

Ah. Circles and circles. 'Cranston' wakes up again. And looks like some 22 year old radio actor named Preston. So I was tricked. And that's the end of chapter 1.

Chapter 2: The Voice of the Shadow
Manhattan. October 24 1937

The Shadow is now the 22 year old kid. Let's see what unfolds. And I'll try harder to not comment on everything.

Oh for crying out loud. The second chapter ends thusly: *spoiler spoiler spoiler* mmphs.

Chapter 3: Birth of the Shadow
Philadelphia, 1931

A fella named Art is using the pen name 'Maxwell Grant' to bring 'The Shadow' to life.

Chapter 4: Shadowboxing
Yaphank, New York, October 1939

The Shadow wakes up and again finds himself in a different place/body. This time his own, or is it?

--
This was a rather riveting neat little look into both worlds - Twilight Zone and The Shadow. I'm not sure I'll specifically read anything else in either, but this has been a fun trip. I'd recommend taking it.

Rating: 4.44

October 8 2016

Batgirl, Vol. 2: Family Business by Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, Babs Tarr (Illustrations)

Batgirl, Vol. 2: Family Business
by Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, Babs Tarr (Illustrations)
Pages: 168
Date: February 17 2016
Publisher: DC Comics
Series: Batgirl (Fourth series, Volume 7 in series; 2 in newish reboot)

Review
Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
Read: August 13 to 20 2016


The Batman Universe has gone all weird on me (though I knew that since this is the second 'Volume' since the change). Batman is dead or gone (I'm not sure if I ever knew). Batgirl's father is the new Batman in an ultra power suit. Batgirl herself is a hipster, and surrounded by a bunch of people I do not recognize (other than Nightwing - who is supposed to be dead (though I've read the series where it came out why he is pretending to be dead - he is working as a spy); despite being 'dead', he sure pops up a lot - and is super icky creepy around Batgirl, interrupting her date, being all clingy, trying to kiss her - then the ending made it look like he was about to kidnap her, though book ended before we find that out; Batwing (though he is operating as Lucius Fox - opening his own company, retiring Batwing); and Papa Gordon (though he is acting as Batman instead of police commisioner).

Plus there was a lesbian wedding. Considering everything, I should have been all over that, right? Lesbian wedding in comicville? But . . . I've no clue who these people are - other than one or the other are supposedly friends of Barbara Gordon (though neither know that she's also Batgirl) - and I believe one is an ex-roommate).

The wedding involving two women (or just a wedding in general) should matter more to me. But I'm too disconnected to the people in this series and I kind of had a meh feeling. Meh, two people getting married - Dick Grayson is interrupting it and acting like a dick; oh they married now (the two lesbians) and . . . fade to Batgirl in bed sleeping. Meh.

Several 'mysteries'/'crimes' are investigated by Batgirl. The one that sticks in my mind is the one involving a tiger wandering around killing and eating people. And I've a vague idea that Batgirl wandered over to Gotham Academy for a spell or too for whatever reason. Meh.

If it hasn't come across yet - the whole thing was kind of meh to me. I doubt I'll continue this series. Then again, I know they just had yet another reboot (DC Comics) so if I did continue, I might find yet another new version of Batgirl. Not actually sure - haven't been paying attention.

August 21 2016