Thursday, December 14, 2017

DC Universe Rebirth: Suicide Squad Vol 3 Review



DC Universe Rebirth: Suicide Squad - Burning Down The House

        Amanda Waller is having the worst day ever. She has been relieved of her duties as the Head of Task Force X (Rick Flag, Katana, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Enchantress, Killer Croc, Captain Boomerang, Hack) by none other than the President of the United States, himself...And one of her deadliest recruits, Rustam, former leader of the deadly Jihad, has returned from the dead to destroy Waller and everything she holds dear. Driven by devotion to his ideals of freedom, Rustam strikes at Waller and the heart of corruption in several of the world's governments by forming The Burning World, a group of high-powered super-villains that he breaks out of their prisons and convinces to share his vision of a liberated world. Belle Reve, Blackgate...One by one, Waller's strongholds crumble, her intel is stolen, and her avenues of escape are cut off. As Rustam closes in for the kill, Waller and the Suicide Squad strike back, only to find themselves probably outmatched, and quite possibly betrayed by a double agent in the team! Waller always knew that forcing super-powered villains to work for her was like playing Russian Roulette...But this time, Rustam just might be the bullet that ends all her machinations - annihilating her, and Task Force X forever.

   Standalone/Back-up Story: "War Crimes" - When a corrupt former Secretary of Defense is kidnapped by Strikeforce Europa, a crack team of European super-powered operatives bent on making him stand trial for various war crimes, Amanda Waller sends Task Force X to recover the crooked S.O.B. before the United States acts with force - an act which would create an international incident that may turn America's allies against her, and kick off a war!


    Rob Williams pens "Burning Down the House," an action-packed, fast-paced Suicide Squad adventure that is full of classic Task Force X betrayal, intrigue, murder, and mayhem. For the most part, this book is pretty great - it's got a villain in Rustam that may, or may not be really villainous (that's always great), and a protagonist in Amanda Waller who may or may not be good, but who is definitely a different, more virtuous kind of monster. I love how Williams juxtaposed these two characters, highlighting their many similarities, and the places where the similarities sharply end. There are also some great plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who was going to end up dead on this mission, who was the traitor and why he or she would ever dare betray Amanda Waller and her merry gang of psychopaths. Sure, Enchantress was way funnier than Harley Quinn. And, sure, the resolution was simplistic and very Batman-y, but the stunted payoff didn't change the fact that the journey was totally worthwhile. Eddy Barrows lays down some great, atmospheric pencils for Williams' story, and John Romita, Jr. does competent work in his blocky, overly-nuanced style. "Burning Down the House" is a solid Task Force X tale, but by no means a new classic.

RATING: 8 out of 10.

   In "War Crimes," the great John Ostrander returns in top form to Task Force X, giving us a much nuttier, much funnier Harley Quinn backed up by a brilliant Rick Flag, a volatile Diablo, a crafty Captain Boomerang, and a reserved, but highly effective, Deadshot. Oh, and Mad Dog, who is basically the red-shirt of the group. While this story is hard-hitting, and high-octane, Ostrander still finds time to insert some great one-liners that are sure to make you at least crack a smile in the midst of all the mayhem. Ostrander focuses on the mechanics of the team, and has a blast with this story. I did too. It was all action, all fun. Maybe they should let Ostrander take the reins again. Who knows? Maybe even give him a shot at penning a Suicide Squad film? I would love to see that. Gus Vazquez's pencils are uncomplicated, straight-forward, and a bit cartoon-y at times which works out perfectly as the story swings from violent to slapstick and back again. Love it!

RATING: 10 out of 10.



If you like these articles, PLEASE HIT THE +1 BUTTON below. We are on Google+, follow us and we'll follow you back.  We're also on Facebook. Like our page, and share us with your friends! Help me win one million readers over to the awesome world of comics!

Tuesday, December 12, 2017


GILGANDRA'S BACK ISSUES 2.0

G'day all who visits this nice little corner of Texas. Well in my case N.S.W. 😎
Here are some new back issues i have just received, Enjoy!

Wolverine #55, NM. July 2007. Nice variant of Crime Suspenstories #22.


Wolverine #1/2, VF+. 1997. From Wizard Mag. #75. It's the only wizard 1/2 book i own.


Wolverine #42, VF+. July 1991. Another sweet 2nd print to add to my collection.


The Deep #1, VF+. 1977. One great book for it's age, Adaptation of the movie. 



Spider-Man and Power Pack, NM. 1984. (Give-a-way) NEA Logo.
Again, These books are becoming harder to find as time goes on. Has an "Empire Comics" stamp on the back cover (Rochester, N.Y.)


Jonah Hex #83, VF+. April 1984. This issue along with the few that followed where the start of lower prints, Series ended on #92. Great cover.



Monday, December 11, 2017

R.L. Stine's Man-Thing TPB Review



R.L. Stine's Man-Thing TPB -


      Years ago, in a lonely swamp, scientist, Ted Sallis, was betrayed while protecting his dangerous serum -  a serum that could turn men into unstoppable killers! Forced to take his own serum to keep it out of the hands of thieves, Sallis, about to die at the bottom of a murky lake in the swamp, transformed into a mindless, immortal beast with the power to make all beings burn in his grasp if they knew fear. Now, having regained his brilliant mind and the power of speech, Sallis is finding it nearly impossible to fit in in a fast-paced, superficial world. But that's the LEAST of his worries - his old self, the mindless beast, wants to dominate him again...And deep in his ancient, swamp-home, mysterious forces have joined, forces powerful enough to abduct the Oldfather, the guardian of the swamplands and protector of the gateway to the Nexus of Realities. Man-Thing hurtles himself into the Nexus to save Oldfather, but is he mighty enough to face powers strong enough to defeat Oldfather, and in an endless maze of realities, can he ever find his way home? 

    From the author of everyone's childhood fave, Goosebumps, comes a new take on an old Marvel character, Man-Thing! R.L. Stine makes his first foray into comics by re-imagining Man-Thing, and turning him into the tragic, active protagonist that we always knew that he could be. Stine returns the power of thought and intent to the mindless monster that we all love, and sends him on a mission, not only to save the swamp but to save our entire reality. So, how does Stine do on his first outing? Pretty good, I think. He manages to make Man-Thing/Ted Sallis likable, relatable, tragic, and a whole lot of zany, and sometimes, corny, fun. You can tell Stine is a comics fan from way back; this Man-Thing arc has an evident Silver Age hokiness to it, mixed with light horror, and loads of one-liners that are sure to make you chuckle, smile...or grimace at the sheer corniness of it all. Stine is in this for the fun - sure, you'll explore Man-Thing's tragic origin and plight; however, Stine didn't write this book for heavy thinkers. It's a total flight of fancy with silly humor, lots of action, and tame elements of horror.  Stine backs this arc up, with a few of his own unconnected stories - short gems from his collection which are a bit heavier on the horror and dark humor, stories in the classic EC style of storytelling. And man, are those GREAT!! Gérman Peralta lays down some lovely, quirky pencils that are perfect for a story that is just as quirky. I suspect that this comic will be a disappointment for some fans of Man-Thing that have come to expect a heavier tone for the character's stories, but for R.L. Stine, this comic book was like a love letter to everything he adored about comics growing up. Sure it has its problems, but I really dig it. 

RATING: 8 out of 10. 


If you like these articles, PLEASE HIT THE +1 BUTTON below. We are on Google+, follow us and we'll follow you back.  We're also on Facebook. Like our page, and share us with your friends! Help me win one million readers over to the awesome world of comics!