GREEN ARROW #30 DC COMICS
Chris Condon’s story comes to it’s face-off ending (minus the promised epiloge next issue) as the Crimson Archer and the Arrow Family face off at Advance Pharmaceuticals! Arrows fly, punches connect, and stuff blows up! And while this story took a little bit to get going, it definately brought some old time Green Arrow to the table. Green Arrow’s somewhat preachy attitude about corporate America. A family reunion and of coure the big arrow fake out shot! What comes after will be a summing up but part six is a full blown classic ending. 8 out of 10 Grahams.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS DRACULA BLACK&WHITE SPECIAL #2
Image Comics continues to do justice to the classic horror movies of the 1930’s and 40’s. And this second black and white special is no exception. Filling in story gaps in the original movie is a clever and interesting concept. Here we pick up the film just after Lucy has died. Writer James Tynion IV has really done his homework given us glipses of the original film while adding to the characterizations and events. And while the best image is Martin Simmonds’s take on Count Dracula standing outside of the cemetery during the funeral, the extended scene of Reinfield’s death truly astonding. In the film, we are lead to believe Dracula kills him and tosses him to the bottom of the stairwell. But the creative teams shows that he was still living and his desire for redemption is tear-jerking. This special is a undeniable read for any monster movie fan. 10 out of 10 Grahams.
DC’S I SAW MA HUNKLE KISSING SANTA CLAUS #1
While I hate it when holiday specials come out too early (we haven’t even gotten to Thanksgiving yet!), the mere mention of Ma Hunkel is all it takes to forgive and forget! First appearing in All-American Comics #3 (June 1939), Ma was a regular character in Sheldon Mayer’s Scribbley, Boy Cartoonist feature. That was until issue #20 (November 1940) when she cut eye holes in her favorite stew pot and donned an itchy pair of long johns to become the very first Red Tornado. She would later show up at the Justice Society’s first meeting and go on to a lengthy career making cameo appearances for decades. These days, Ma is probably best known for showing up in some of the most heart-warming holiday specials DC has to offer. And with various members of the JSA sharing their holidays with her and Amelia, one of the Cyclone Kids, this is some classic Golden Age stuff! And while this was all that it took to make me happy, we also seven other tales including a double date with Billy Batson and Captain Marvel, Animal Man and the Phantom Stranger doing a real-life It’s A Wonderful Life, and Supergirl bumping into a mysterious young man while visiting the Kents in Smallville. And wait until you see the last minute reveal. I can’t say enough about this one. 10 out of 10 Grahams.