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.

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Some of my reviews may be reproduced in the Three Stooges Journal, the fan club's quarterly newsletter.

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-.

Review: Batman '66 meets Steed and Mrs Peel #5

This issue picks up right where the previous one left off, with our heroes about to be ambushed by the Cybernaughts. They are quickly thwarted as Robin and Mrs Peel use tanks of coolant to freeze the robots. The heroes then arrive at Ffogg Hall, only for Batman and Peel to fall into a death trap by Lord Ffogg, and Robin and Steed to fall into a similar predicament by Mr Freeze.  With the help of the utility belt, Batman and Peel get out of the soup and capture Ffogg, while Robin uses his batarang to force Freeze into pulling himself and Steed out of the cold, and Steed's umbrella blocks Freeze's freeze gun. With both villains captured, Batman attempts to radio Inspector Gordon, but Michaela jams the frequency, and locks the heroes in with four more Cybernaughts, this time exact doubles of Ffogg's crime school academy wenches. Ian Edginton's script gets a bit repetitive with this issue, as its another go around of Cybernaughts trapping the heroes, escape and repeat. As with the other Batman '66 miniseries, I think it would be better suited as 4 issues rather than 6, as at a certain point in all the miniseries, it starts to feel padded. At least this last time, the Cybernaughts are made to look like Ffogg's villainous school girls, which is a nice change of pace. Matthew Dow Smith once again turns in excellent art. This issue earns a C+.

Review: Three Stooges Curse of Frankenstooge

The Three Stooges #4, or The Three Stooges: Curse of Frankenstooge #1 (same comic, two titles, don't ask) opens with the PSA advising kids not to imitate the Stooges on the inside front cover (it was the final panel in the previous issue). The first story, "Scaredy Stooge", written by S.A. Check with art by Bill Galvan. The plot has the boys as videographers who have taken a gig at what appears to be a haunted house. From there we get parodies and references to contemporary horror franchises like Child's Play and Scream, but the highlight of the story is the shocking last page cameo by.... spoiler alert.... Shemp! The art in this story is a bit more cartoonish, somewhat reminiscent of The Three Robonic Stooges. Anyone remember that cartoon? Next up is the title story, written by Christopher Hill with art by the Fraim Brothers. The boys never did do a parody of Universal's Frankenstein movies, but this story shows us what it could have been like.  Moe is the mad scientist, Curly is his hunchback assistant, and Larry is the manservant of Moe's blonde betrothed (no kidding) who gets turned into the monster. This story has an epic look and feel to it.  Next up are some coloring pages (I'd like to see more of Mark Wheatley's art in this series, as he really nailed the Boys' likenesses), and a Halloween themed reprint from issue 24 of the Stooges' Gold Key series, with Joe DeRita as the third Stooge. As usual the reprint has a decent script but crude art.  The issue ends with a nice text piece on the Fraim Brothers.  This issue earns a B+.   One more note, also out this week is a free Comic Fest Halloween Hullabaloo issue.  It has one new story, "Trick or Eat" written by James Kuhoric with art by Adrian Ropp.  The Boys decide to dress up and go Trick or Treating to get free candy.  It's a brief 4 page story, and the art is in a very modern animated style.

Review: Three Stooges Red, White & Stooge

The Three Stooges #3, aka The Three Stooges: Red, White and Stooge #1, features two stories instead of three like the previous issues, but that is to its advantage.  The title story is longer, and better for it. Written by S.A. Check, this time he gets a solid balance between classic Stooges and a modern interpretation, where his previous scripts tread too much on the lackluster Farrelly Brothers movie. Due to the longer length, there is more of a plot than previous issues. Senator Ted Snedly (a nod to Stooges creator Ted Healy?) is running for president but needs a running mate.  He sees the Stooges at a parade saving a young girl.  He latches onto the boys in hopes his poll numbers will go up, but due to the boys, er, best efforts, including this series' first major pie fight, the polls go in the opposite direction.  Snedly drops out, and the Stooges fill in the political vacuum to emerge as a force not seen since Donald Trump.  Brendon and Brian Fraim's art is excellent as usual.  The second story, "Beach Boo-Boobs", is a reprint from issue 44 of the Stooges' Gold Key series, with Joe DeRita as the third Stooge. As with the reprints from the previous issues, it has a good story featuring the boys taking jobs as lifeguards, but crude artwork. The last panel is a PSA warning kids not to imitate the Stooges' slapstick. This issue earns an A.