Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Review: Three Stooges Merry Stoogemas

The latest issue of The Three Stooges, the fifth issue, aka Merry Stoogemas, opens with a new story, "A Three Stooges Christmas". Written by Mark Arnold, a typical Christmas Eve with the Boys is presented, featuring malapropism, using candy canes as weapons, and presents from Santa Claus. Brendon and Brian Fraim turn in their usual excellent artwork.  The second story, "Have Yourself a Meowy Little Stoogemas", is written by SA Check, with art by Bill Galavan, who turns in very Norman Mauer inspired art. The plot deals with the Boys working at a pet store where they sell an ugly cat to a man who wants to give it to his daughter.  The cat escapes the cage, and the Boys chase the man to get the cat to him, in the process going thru a mall, and taking the place of an inner-city Santa.  The third story is a reprint from The Three Stooges # 7 from 1953, by Norman Mauer.  It's kind of a strange selection, considering Mauer's heel character Benedict Bogus takes the spotlight, with Moe, Larry, and Shemp reduced to supporting roles. The issue closes with a detailed full page ad for the Three Stooges reprint trading cards, a text piece on American Mythology's first year of publishing, and mock Stooges movie poster.  Oh, look.  The back cover has an ad for the TPB reprinting of this Stooges series.  Hey... there's a quote from me!  That's it... I made the big time!  This issue "earns an A".  Actually, it earns a B, but the back cover earns an A.

By the way, be sure to check out The Three Stooges Fan Club, which I have been a member of for a very long time.  Membership info can be found at stoogeum.com/fan-club
Some of my reviews may be reproduced in the Three Stooges Journal, the fan club's quarterly newsletter.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Review: Batman '66 meets Steed and Mrs Peel #6

The final issue picks up with the Cybernaughts, who look like Marmaduke Ffogg's crime school cuties, attacking our heroes. Miss Gough also apparently throws her two cohorts, Ffogg and Mr Freeze, under the bus as the Cybernaughts attack them also. There is a little more flirting between Robin and Mrs Peel. Batman makes a reference to The Shadow, and helps Freeze, whose suit is damaged by one of the Cybernaughts. The heroes, with Ffogg and Freeze, escape only to find even more Cybernaughts waiting for them. Then the plot twist (SPOILER ALERT): the computer program controlling the Cybernaughts is actually the digitized brain waves of its creator, the disembodied head of  Professor Armstrong.  Miss Gough is actually his daughter... but it turns out she's really a Cybernaught herself.  Upon learning she really isn't human, she electrocutes herself, short circuiting the brain wave computer.   Batman and Robin then get to meet the Queen before returning home.

Written by Ian Edginton, the first 2/3 of this issue, like the previous issue, seems repetitive, further illustrating how a 4 issue miniseries would be much more appropriate than padding it to 6 issues. Then the last 1/3 crams in all these plot twist and revelations. Matthew Dow Smith again turns in amazing art.  Overall the final issue earns a B-.