Djedi

Gretel 1-5, Darkwatchers, Etc. The first couple of Gretel stories I read were the original Gretel series, Myths & Legends Quarterly: Gretel, and Gretel: Bloody Mary. They all had the same problem. They were too serious, too complicated, not enough fun. But this changed with Darkwatchers. It had a spooky atmosphere with the art and an engaging mythology with the creatures. I found the main characters more appealing too. After that, I enjoyed Seeds of Despair and Mortal Vices as well. Seeds might be my favorite because the witch turns people into winged demons. In these last three, the series seems to have found its stride, simplifying things and amplifying the entertainment factor with the various evil witches. Charismagic Vol. 1, Death Princess, Charismagic Vol. 2 When Hank, a Vegas magician, does his vanishing act, the crowd doesn't know it's real magic. He can teleport. It turns out his cat, Sparkles, is magic too. Later he's joined by the druid Sudana. I think this is a pretty cool trio. The art is fantastic. The colors pop and I particularly like Sudana's design, including her tattoos that glow when she does magic. There are many other characters. Some are expanded on in the prequel, Death Princess. The Death Princess, Orlana, is born with mind control, so she tries to take over the magic world. Definitely read that before Vol 2. of Charismagic. I'd rate Vol. 1 and the three issue Death Princess about equal. Vol. 2 is still pretty good but loses a little focus because of so many characters. I did like the idea of an evil magic cat (lion) added in since there is the good magic cat.

Kiss: Phantom Obsession I found the first two issues of this with the Seeley covers. The covers are great even if they are sort of misleading. Marilyn Monroe isn't in this. However, it is a lot about robots and nods to iconic things. In five issues you have multiple kaijus, horror experiments, and more. It's an example of a fast-paced comic that works well. I think because it doesn't take itself too seriously. I won't spoil how Kiss gets powers, but its fun seeing the band fight a wide variety of enemies. This is an easy one to recommend if you want something simple but entertaining. Hoping to get the Seeley covers for 3-5. James Bond: Vargr This is the most violent Bond I've seen. He's really a one-man army, both clever and vicious. About a third of the comic is action with little to no dialogue. The action was great. Because it's stylized, the gore didn't seem too extreme. Bond smiles and banters so that helped balance the intensity of the action. The other characters are somewhat memorable, like the tragic villain couple. It's the best Bond comic I've read so far. I did read some of Eidolon, the sequel, but wasn't feeling it as much. Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: No Tomorrow This is the beginning of the character Keres. She goes on to be the mascot for the Tales of Terror series. The premise is a man named Patrick is immune to Keres, goddess of death. While she can't kill him, she can kill everyone around him. I ended up liking this a lot. A lot of Zenescope horror is about bad people getting their just deserts. Patrick and his family being sincerely good people was a nice change of pace. I also thought the way it blended in mythology was very well done. It's one of my favorite Zenescope stories so far. Grimm Tales of Terror Quarterly: Game Night Other issues of Tales of Terror Quarterly I've read are anthologies. This is one story. A guy who was bullied becomes rich and invites the people who bullied him to a game night, where they can win money. It's a party game with a sort of urban legend vibe. This is definitely a bad people getting just deserts plot, which has some satisfying moments. I thought the fancy hotel was a good setting and the party game aspect felt unique. However, it can get somewhat convoluted with the rules. The villains could have been used better too. It's not one of the best TOT Quarterly IMO, but you may like it more than me.

Warlord of Mars 10-18 + Annual The second story in the Dynamite John Carter saga adapts Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Gods of Mars novel. Carthoris is introduced in the first arc of it (10-12), the son of Dejah Thoris and John Carter. I like his name being their names combined (Car-Thoris). Carthoris being protected by Tars Tarkas (green friend of his father) reminded me a lot of the relationship between Gohan and Piccolo in Dragon Ball Z. John gets to meet his son after finally being able to return to Mars. The way it's handled was awesome, with father and son joining together in a battle. Dejah Thoris is in this one less, but you have three new female characters, Thuvia, Phaidor, and Issus. Kindhearted Thuvia is an animal tamer. Phaidor is beautiful and very jealous. Lastly, Issus, the goddess, who I can't say much about without spoiling the plot. But one thing in particular made her character unique and surprising. While I wouldn't rate the second part as high as the first, there's a lot of good moments. Two more groups get introduced and it's always fun to see the expanding lore of ERB's Mars. The annual focuses on Tars Tarkas who is easily one of the best characters.

Warlord of Mars 1-9 Dynamite's 2010 Warlord of Mars comic is an adaptation of the original John Carter novels. I enjoyed it a lot. At the beginning you see some of John's earthly life. This gives context for John's character, but the story really takes off once he goes to Mars. Edgar Rice Burroughs was very creative with his world building. Mars is constantly engaging as you learn more about their culture at every turn. I also like how undeniably alien the non-humanoid creatures look, like the "hound" Woola. This Mars is truly distinct. Despite the early comic covers, Dejah Thoris doesn't appear until issue 4. But the first book that is adapted in 1-9, is referring to her, "A Princess of Mars". She's also John's primary motivation. He is willing to fight a war to save her. There is a romantic feeling to the story although it is action oriented. A Princess of Mars is mostly self-contained telling a satisfying story on its own. After reading this comic version, I understand why John Carter was so influential. John's increased strength and movement on Mars (due to difference in gravity) inspired Superman's powers, the Mars setting popularized the desert for sci-fi fantasy, Dejah Thoris influenced Leia (including her gold bikini) and Neytiri from Avatar, and Martian Manhunter probably wouldn't exist without Tars Tarkas.

Son of Merlin 1-5 This is the first comic series I've read from Heroes and Villains Entertainment. It was a co-imprint partnership with Top Cow designed to provide source material for adaptations. Knowing that this was probably planned to become a movie makes sense of the pacing. It moves very fast. On the plus side, it never drags, and no character is terrible. The negative is that the characters are not developed much. It's much more story and memorable moment focused than character focused. Every cover is from the interior artist. I like their style a lot. It was really well suited to the magic effects used in the series. There's a lot of different types of magic like bilocation (appearing in two places at the same time), stopping bullets, changing appearance, and so on. For me, Son of Merlin was a fun experience that reminded me of a comic version of a simple but engaging fantasy action movie. It's not top tier but I would have read more if they continued it. While the story gets wrapped up, there is a tease for what would have come next.

Wonderland: Reign of Madness - War of Madness This is one of my favorite covers. The details, how the colors pop, it's all around awesome. I also really liked the story. It's a prequel to the main Wonderland series. The narrative is an allusion to the Biblical fall of humanity. Except rather than Adam and Eve, you have Adalaide and Evelyn, twin sisters. The Jabberwocky is Satan. One sister descends into madness, while the other continues to fight for good. The fantasy elements, creatures, and relationship between the sisters keep it from getting too dark. The sequel to Reign, War of Madness, is part of Grimm Fairy Tales: Myths & Legends Quarterly. It's kind of confusing. Many might not realize it's a direct continuation. At any rate, this one is solid and worth reading. Although I'd place it below the original. The story didn't feel as focused but it's still interesting and has cool fantasy creatures.

Oz: The Wizard, Oz: Heart of Magic 1-5 The Wizard one-shot is where The Wizard arc begins. It was cool that there was a few pages of backstory for what's happened in the Oz comics so far. Without spoiling too much, The Wizard and his accomplice can change into other people, a nod to the original novel where he appears to Scarecrow as a woman. In the Heart of Magic, Dorothy and her team go on a quest to the Underwold to get help. It's a journey that takes a little inspiration from LOTR. The new creatures and characters is what made the comic for me. There are flying spiders with bat wings, spiked rats that act like ravenous wolves, a dragon duo, etc. The best new hero is the Nome king. I really dig the look of the rock people. The adventure and interesting visuals gave it that fun fantasy feeling. The story is simple in a good way, with mostly entertaining villains and likable heroes.

Athena Inc. The Manhunter Project 1-6 The concept is cool. These super assassins are created as two in one. The normal half of them lives a regular life. Then a genetic trigger causes them to change appearance and personality, becoming someone else, the ultimate weapon. The regular identity is a disguise or cover for the assassin. It might have been better if they had Gwen/Mary fighting outside enemies rather than being targeted by their own company. While the way they go allows the female lead to fight characters similar to herself, it's not done particularly well. The villains are mediocre. On the bright side, the two personas learning to work together gave it a decent character arch. Also enjoyed the good creator looking like Anthony Hopkins.

Just now found this thread lol. Oz: Reign Of The Witch Queen 1-6 I liked the first Oz, Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Oz, and the prequel Tales From Oz better than Warlord and Reign. There are some good parts, but the story felt messy and a bit convoluted in the 2nd and 3rd volumes. Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises FCBD 0# Don't think Bruce Lee having amnesia was the right way to go. It didn't have a Bruce Lee feeling to me, but others seem to like it more than I do. Arkworld Vol. 1-3 In this series, each entry is called a volume. The volumes are about two comics long so it's basically six issues worth. The story imagines what the past was like, with gravity tools that move the heavy pyramid blocks, confidential information disclosed through drugs, now extinct creatures, etc. It's most fun when it focuses on the past. I found the modern sections less interesting visually and character wise. The large number of characters and going back in forth and time is the biggest hurdle. It's a lot to follow. For me, the cool ways it implemented older cultures, the romance, the action, and the mystery made it intriguing enough to keep reading. But unless you really dig history it's tough to recommend. Especially since the story doesn't seem like it'll be finished.

The covers are some of Linsner's best work from what I've seen. I should have started from 007 (2022 series) to appreciate For King and Country more though.

This is the first Spider-Gwen comic I've read. I really enjoyed it. All of the Gwen variants represent an aspect of Gwen. For example, Wolvergwen is her short temper and CapGwen is her idealistic or noble self. This makes the variants feel meaningful. The story explores Gwen in a way that makes her more three dimensional, and more likable and relatable because of it. It's lighthearted enough to not feel too heavy while also having a great character arc. While George Stacy isn't featured too prominently, the positive father daughter relationship was another highlight. If the goal was to enhance my appreciation for Gwen, this series accomplished that.

Man Goat & The Bunnyman 1-3 Josh Burns did a great job with this variant cover. Floyd the Bunnyman is a bit psycho when he gets his ax but otherwise, he's often an endearing underdog. Phil does act like a jerk in the first issue. We learn in issue 2 that he's the spawn of Baphomet and fears he may be evil because of it. I like how Baphomet is designed with the snakes coming out of his chest, similar to the infamous Baphomet statue. It's more interesting than just another generic Satan. Both lead characters have a lot going on which gives their odd couple heroic duo a lot to play off of. Most of the comedy is from Floyd and because he's a bunny, it gives it a slight Looney Tunes for adults vibe. One joke does get overused. Still, I enjoyed the lighthearted tone the series has. It balances the Baphomet and cult plot. This is the kind of series that works even if it seems it shouldn't. The art accentuates the personality of the characters, such as the contrast between innocent bunny eyes Floyd and deranged ax wielding killer mode Floyd. You can tell the people making this really like the characters and are having a good time creating something unique.

Batman / Fortnite: Zero Point I was surprised by how good Batman / Fornite: Zero Point is. I love how Batman deduces what's going on in the Fortnite world. Him using batarangs as notes to remind himself of what he learned after storm resets was clever. The relationship of Batman and Catwoman in this was a highlight. Without spoiling too much, characters lose memories in the loop but there is a lingering emotional familiarity. There's a lot of smart ideas executed well in the series. It has romance, Batman being a detective, action, just about everything you could want. The focus is primarily on the DC characters being in Fortnite rather than the Fortnite characters. Still, Fortnite characters are shown a lot and get some moments. The Foundation one-shot is a direct follow up and ending for the Zero Point series. While Batman is still a significant focus, technically two Batmen including The Batman Who Laughs, it's also from the perspective of The Foundation. The Foundation is a major Fortnite character. That was a good choice since it gives more weight to the Fortnite side of the roster. I like how his character is developed and how the Fortnite lore is explained. The story does feel a little rushed but overall I was happy with it.

007: For King And Country 5-6 There's some good action and a lot of style in the final issues. I'm a sucker for a good rain scene. While the ending isn't totally satisfying, it did leave me interested in a follow up if that ever happens. Gwendolyn Gann has potential as a character. I wish I had started with 007 but a lot of comics don't tell you they are a sequel. Aside from Gann, the numerous double 0 agents are mostly here to make moments more memorable, like Bond ramming one with a mattress lol. It does work and gives the series a unique feel.

Brave Chef Brianna Issue 2-4 Thought that finishing up a series related to food made sense for November. I don't own these physical, just digital. The idea of a human restaurant in a monster town is cool. I enjoyed the art style and liked that the primary characters have distinct looks and personalities. The characters are written believably. There is a good message, through the main character Brianna, about persevering despite intrusive thoughts about failure and impostor syndrome that doesn't feel heavy handed. Her journey makes the relatively short story feel substantial. While reading this, I kept thinking it would be nice to have some kind of continuation, where they flesh out not just the leads more, but the customers and see different parts of the monster city. They could do an issue spotlighting the energetic skeleton businessmen for instance. Because the writing and art has fun with even the minor characters, I wanted more of just about everyone. As it is though, it's a solid and unique 4 issue story.

The main female character is Gann or 003. Apparently she was introduced in a previous series, 007 (2022). I didn't know this at first, but I could pick up what was going on well enough so I kept going. A big focus of this series seems to be introducing a lot of double 0 agents starting with issue one where a new 002 is shown. Let's just say Bond has a lot of enemies this time around. The series has very cool and stylish covers. Since there is no Bond intro, they kind of take the place of that in my mind. As far as tone goes this one definitely leans serious and is plot/action focused. Some of the highlights are 006 shooting at Bond with his excellent marksmanship and Bond killing someone in a brutal and creative way. I've only read the first four. Issue 6 was delayed till Nov. 29th. At the moment I would say it's pretty good but could be better. The main issue is also what many will get a kick out of. There is a lot of characters involved, including the various double 0 agents. I like seeing them since they are hardly in the movies. But I think fewer characters in general would allow the ones that are there to be developed more.

Didn't know about that feature. Thanks for telling me! There's almost a thousand listed under Christmas, impressive. I can tell I'll enjoy using this.

Saw this online and thought it was awesome. Wonder if there are more snow globe comic covers.

Got this issue and hoped the story would be standalone enough for me to jump in. Fortunately, it was, and I really enjoyed it. The fairy tale atmosphere was fun, and I enjoyed the characters, including Sigurd who is apparently one of Wonder Woman's romantic interests. There was a good balance of humor and seriousness. The main monster has two faces side by side. The creatures in general are over the top and the kind of fun science experiments gone wrong you don't see that often in mainstream horror these days. Uploaded a pic to get better quality than what I saw online. Found this for a dollar. There are four stories at six pages each. A monkey doll with a top hat and cane wrecking things is just what my life needed. Just wish there was more of him. Hope I can find more from Boris Karloff Tales of Mysteries.

I really dig this cover's style that looks like if they did a Helsing adventure cartoon. After reading issues 3-6 I finished this series. Visually it makes the most of its themes between brief appearances of mythic monsters, the white colored pharaoh outfits of the henchmen, and of course Hatshepsut, the mummy herself. She starts as a beautiful woman in stylish clothes. Then the decay happens bit by bit until finally in battle her skin is burned off and her appearance becomes more monstrous. The details were really well done. On the negative side though, while there are great moments, the story juggles too much. It would have benefited from fewer characters. I don't think Hatshepsut (or as she prefers to be called, God-Queen) reaches her full potential character wise. Maybe I went in with overly high expectations because I love Egyptian stuff. It's good but not the best. There is a nice ending.

The story is based on Frazetta's painting. It's solid but basic. The real star of the show is the art by Francesco Francavilla. The muted, almost black and white, colors evoke the early Universal Horror era, with a moody gothic atmosphere. The lighting and shadows are really well done. A lot of care was put into the details. There are more comics based on Frazetta's paintings and after this I'm definitely curious to pick up more. Each Tales From Oz issue is a prequel on a different character. I really liked the artistic choices here. There are two separate pages that parallel each other. One is Zamora as a kid using her magic to cause havoc from far away. Another is her as an adult doing the same thing but her magic is more dangerous now. The brief medieval art inspired style to introduce her dad was cool too. In a single issue you learn all about Zamora and get a good sense of her, without it feeling overwhelming or rushed. I really enjoyed this one. Van Helsing Vs. The Mummy of Amun-Ra 1-2 I don't have the physical edition of the first issue. Anyways, the cover of the second issue is one of my favorite covers because I love the Egyptian aesthetic. The villainess looks awesome and the sarcophagus glows like it's coming alive with magic. Issue one isn't terrible but definitely not the greatest. The humor is questionable and it's kind of a slow start with a lot of characters. At the end you start to see the villainess display her intelligence, which she does more of in the next issue. I'm not a fan of the stupid villain trope most of the time so I appreciate her seemingly being a worthy adversary. The second issue was better in general.

This is the first Robyn Hood comic I've read. It was a good place to start because I really enjoyed the spider visuals, from the low level cultists wearing spider masks, to the higher ups who are giant spiders, and of course plenty of cobwebs. Robyn gets a variety of arrows like fire arrows that adds another layer of fun. It's a simple yet entertaining read. In the Archie Digest called Archie World Tour, Bollywood Love is the first "chapter". I didn't realize until later that it's two separate story archs. Four chapters are the music tour and the later four are an adventure mystery. In the music tour Archie is seeing Valerie of Josie and the Pussycats. There is sort of a love triangle because Archie shoots a music video with Amisha, a young Bollywood star. Amisha is a nice addition to the Archie world. The comic has a little drama but it's mostly good vibes while seeing different places like the koalas in Australia. The second part is not connected to the first. It's a separate story where Archie and the gang are on a school trip, traveling to other countries, while criminals keep messing with them. For me it felt less focused than the music tour. Its new characters aren't as memorable as Amisha. Yet the Riverdale guys do get some nice moments. Jughead helps Archie in some crazy situations and Chuck receives a rare spotlight in the finale chapter. Plus there is a good character moment for Moose.

Betty and Veronica 1# - Comedy is highly subjective. To me, the writing felt mean spirited rather than funny. There is a part where they say no one likes Jughead, not even his dog. I didn't like how most characters were written and Veronica doesn't do much until the ending. On the other hand, I think this is a great cover. Really captures the characters and their friendship, with Veronica supporting Betty by sitting close to her and taking selfies lol. Makes me want more Jenn Stonge covers. Brave Chef Brianna #1 - This is one of those comics you might find for cheap at an Ollie's. I'm really glad I picked it up. The main character is handled so well. It portrays her struggle with self-doubt very effectively and has you rooting for her. The monster characters are fun too. It balances seriousness and humor almost perfectly. Definitely want to read the rest of this series. Union 1# (1993) - Union is another series I tried. It's about a hero who winds up in an alternate universe and his enemies follow him. The best part is the romantic relationship with Jill. She has a fun personality, and I liked this exchange where he's bewildered at her painting style. I'm interesting to read more and see where it all goes.

Thanks. There are tons of cool ones. I especially like the one of Captain Marvel/Shazam wrestling the shark lol.

Found this at McKay's yesterday for 50 cents. Thinking about collecting shark covers now.