Review: Batman '89: Echoes #3

This issue opens on a session between Dr. Crane (clearly "played" by Jeff Goldblum) and Maynard ("played" by Martin Short).  Maynard brags about how he was a killing machine in the military.  Meanwhile Bruce and Drake have a secret meeting to discuss Bruce's next steps.  We also get a flashback as to how and why Bruce started this undercover mission.  Essentially, he was bored not being Batman for the last two years. Having picked up clues as to the Firefly in the newspapers, Bruce deduced the Firefly was connected to Hugo Strange.  Bruce went to find the Firefly, aka Robert Lowery, but Lowery went into an unreasonable panic at the sight of Batman, and killed himself.  Bruce went through the Firefly's diaries and manifestos, and decided to investigate by assuming Lowery's identity.  

Meanwhile Dr. Quinzel ("played" by Madonna) has been monitoring the asylum's security cameras, and wants footage of Lowery. Bruce, as Lowery, meets up with Maynard, who reveals his full name as Edward Nigel Maynard, aka E.Nig.Ma, as he gives Lowery a puzzle he made for him.

Later, at Police HQ, the security footage of Lowery is played on TV, and Barbara Gordon ("played" by ...possibly Winona Ryder?  Maybe Sean Young? Kind of hard to tell) recognizes Robert Lowery is really Bruce Wayne.  She is about to go to Wayne Manor to confront Alfred about this, but is intercepted by a pair of FBI agents who arrest her regarding a mysterious bank account.

Meanwhile, Lowery is brought in to Dr. Crane's office and is told about footage of him airing on TV.  Crane suspects Lowery isn't who he says he is, and uses fear gas on him to get him to confess.  Lowery admits 'I'm Batman".  But Crane doesn't believe him.

A lot of story packed into this issue, and well done by both writer Sam Hamm and artist Joe Quinones.  This issue earns another B+

Review: Shazam #12 and 13

Falling a bit behind, so I will be reviewing issues 12 and 13 this time.  Issue 12 has Billy and the Captain becoming separate beings, and they argue with each other.  Mary and Freddy then take Billy to see his real mom, while the Captain tells the Flashpoint kids and Hoppy the Rabbit that Billy is the one who caused this magical leak.  Meanwhile Billy finds out his mom is married and has another son.  That crushes Billy, which causes the magical leak to explode.  Billy changes to the Captain, and in stopping the leak, apparently become obliterated.

Issue 13 is narrated by Freddy, as he and Mary go searching for Billy. Freddy whines about not having powers any more.  Mary as Mary Marvel fights monsters that are attacking a subway station.  Billy is at that station, the monsters coming from the leak he has caused.  Again, Billy and the Captain argue with each other.  Billy says the way to stop the leak is for the power of Shazam to go to someone else. Mary continues to fight the monsters while Freddy attempt to get a runaway subway train under control.  Mary is about to be defeated, when she is saved by....

 

...SPOILER ALERT.....

 

 

 

 

Uncle Marvel!  Meanwhile Freddy's train lands him in King Kull's realm, thanks to the intervention of a mysterious, magical powered girl.

Both these issues, written by Josie Campbell are slightly better than her previous efforts, but still have a Saturday morning sit-com tone to them.  The artwork by Emanuella Luppacchino and Mike Norton in issue 12 is the same as their previous issues, but issue 13's art is by Norton alone, and is a step better.  Both these issues earn a C.

The Three Stooges Blu Ray Collection: A Frustrating Blunder

On July 23, 2024, Sony will release a 20 disc Blu ray set of The Three Stooges. Fans have hoped for the boys' 190 short films to be remastered in high definition for a Blu ray release.  Not to be outdone, the set will also include 14 Shemp Howard solo Columbia shorts, 10 Joe Besser solo Columbia shorts, 4 Joe DeRita solo Columbia shorts, 2 feature films with Curly, 5 feature films with Joe DeRita, and the 2000 biographical TV movie produced by Mel Gibson, all in HD.  Plus more extras like cartoons and TV appearances. 

So why did I title this article "A Frustrating Blunder"?  Because the set will only have 100 of the Boys' 190 shorts!  Even more ridiculous is that all the feature films will be on separate discs, artificially bloating the set to 20 discs. Three feature films could fit on a single disc, while the extra discs could have had the remaining 90 shorts.  

Unless I could get the set at a slashed clearance price, I am making the hard decision not to buy this set.  It is just too asinine to make a 20 disc Blu ray set, but not to include all 190 shorts.  This is being promoted as a limited edition set celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Columbia Pictures, which rationalizes only 100 shorts.  But still... no... it has to have all 190.

I hope Sony will eventually reissue the Blu ray set after Columbia's 100th, to include all 190 shorts.  Or license it out to ClassicFlix to get it right.  As far as I'm concerned, the 190 shorts, the 14 Shemp solo shorts, the 2 feature films with Curly, and the Boys' TV pilot Jerks of All Trades, are essential.  Anything less than that is a pass. I could do without the Joe DeRita feature films and most of the other extras. But a box set must include the essentials to be worth buying.

If you would like to make your frustration and displeasure known to Sony about this, you can email them at consumer@SPHECustomerSupport.sony.com and SPE_Feedback@spe.sony.com and to tahra_grant@spe.sony.com

If you would like to contact ClassicFlix to suggest they license the Stooges catalog to reissue the box set correctly, you can contact them at support@classicflix.com or by using their contact form www.classicflix.com/contacts

Review: Shazam #11

Once again, this issue by the new creative team, reads like a 2000s Disney Channel sit-com. The plot deals with The Vasquezes trying to legally adopt the Flashpoint kids, and during the social worker's interview with the kids, a bunch of Man-Bat like creatures attack.  The kids go through hi-jinx to make sure the social worker remains ignorant of the battle. 

For some reason, Mary looks like Daphne from Scooby Doo in this issue. One of the more interesting aspects is that Billy and the Captain are becoming even more separated to the point Billy has no memory of what happens when he is the Captain.  The backstory from the 2017 movie is made canon, where Billy was abandoned by his mom, and now the adoption is put on hold because Billy's mom returns and wants him back. Why the adoptions of the other kids have to be put on hold also isn't explained.  

It is really becoming a chore to get through this series.  This issue earns another C-.

Review: The Three Stooges Centennial

American Mythology is back with another Three Stooges one-shot.  This one features a lead story written by Three Stooges podcaster, and employee of C3 Entertainment, Andy Pagana, and features Curly Howard's real life grandson Brad "Curly G" Server.  For those who don't know, Andy and Brad do a live stream podcast on YouTube titled "StoogeTalk Live", among several other projects. The story is a kind of behind the scenes look at the podcast. They are trying to figure out what to do for this comic book, and as they spitball ideas, it turns into a Three Stooges Greatest Hits type of thing. I would guess this happened for real, and Andy just transcribed it and embellished it a bit, and turned that in for the script. Brendon and Brian Fraim turn in their usual fantastic artwork and also of note is this story marks Joe Besser's very first appearance in the American Mythology series, and probably his first appearance in any Three Stooges comic.

The second story is written by SA Check, with art again by the Fraims, and is a lot more plot heavy, dealing with Larry being mistaken for a pianist who is receiving a lifetime achievement award. And you can just imagine what happens at the banquet ceremony.

The third story is a classic reprint by Norman Mauer and features Shemp as the third Stooge, and there are three text pieces (remember when all comics had them?) including one by Saxon Sitka, the son of long time Stooge supporting player Emil Sitka.  This issue earns an A.