REVIEW: Charles Band’s Puppet Master: Curtain Call #2

Writer:  Shawn Gabborin
Artist:  Daniel J. Logan
Colorist:  Yann Perrelet
Review:  Art Bee

In 1989 there was a B-movie sensation that captured the imagination of my younger self, and its name was Puppet Master. I was a B-movie horror nut for a long time until it became a major fad in the mid-90s with an outpouring of plotless crap and gimmicky special effects. When the effects took the lead in the movie, my interest faded all together. A few months ago I caught word that a new big budget film was being made with the Puppet Master title in 2018, piquing my curiosity.

Puppet Master is a storyline centered on an ancient Egyptian spell which allows the caster to imbue an inanimate object with some of their own life force. In the movies, more than a dozen of them, the popular vessel used for this practice was marionette puppets, who were the true stars of the films. Each had their own personality and special ability. My personal favorite was Pinhead, with his tiny head and large arms and mitts, but all of them are well worth anyone’s affection.

Issue 2 starts out with a fight between the living puppets. Each one of them locked in heated combat (yeah, that is a pun since one of the puppets is a walking flamethrower) while their masters talk things over. The two in conversation are father and son, both unnamed in this issue. The father has apparently been given “near immortality” by the Egyptian god Anapas and that gift was conditional upon fathering a child.     

REVIEW: The Demon: Hell is Earth #1 (of 6)

Writer: Andrew Constant
Penciller: Brad Walker
Inker: Andrew Hennessy
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Review: Will Dubbeld

“Gone, gone, o’ form of man...”
With those words, Jason Blood transmogrifies into the demon, Etrigan.
Birthed by Jack Kirby in the ‘70s, The Demon tells the tale of medieval knight Jason Blood, bound by fel magic to the titular demon. Upon reciting an eldritch poem, Blood calls upon the rhyming demon and woe befalls those in his path.

Or that’s at least the gist as I remember. It very well could have changed 6 or 8 times (because DCs gonna DC), but we’ll run with what we know...

Jason Blood and Etrigan have run amok across the DCU for decades, meddling in affairs both superhero and supernatural. Currently, Jason appears to be keeping only tenuous control of Etrigan and has retreated to a shack in Death Valley.
A little too on-the-nose, but hey, comics...

Plagued by nightmares involving a little girl trapped in a hellscape, Blood seeks solace in liquor bottles until the military misfires a nuke into the desert.
By coincidence or prophecy, the little girl from Blood’s nightmare is tooling through Death Valley with her family.
The plot, she thickens...     

REVIEW: Batman Metal

Batman: The Red Death 

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Art: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Colors: Ivan Plascencia
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Cover: Jason Fabok& Dean White

Batman: The Devastator

Plot: Frank Tieri
Words: James Tynion
Pencils: Tony S. Daniel
 Inks: Danny Mihi
Colors: Tomeu Morey
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Cover: Jason Fabok & Brad Anderson
Review: Madman

I am admittedly lost as to the goings-on with the Metal DC mega-event. After Marvel finished this year’s Civil War I decided I was done with the Big Twos mega events, and I wasn’t spending anymore of my hard earned money on them. I’m proud to say I’ve stuck by that…well, until now, but this shouldn’t count. I truthfully bought all of these Metal Dark Knights books solely for the ridiculously awesome covers, as they’re all just amazing.

That being said, the only DC comic I am currently following is Batman and only because, well, it’s Batman, and I love his villains. Truth be told I probably love Batman’s rogues’ gallery more than I love Batman…
That may be a sin, but I’m fully prepared to deal with the consequences. I also feel that the artwork in said title is always above par, no matter where the actual plot or writing falls, so it’s really win/win if you like fancy scribbles.

From what I gather, these two books involve crazy dark versions of Batman from the Dark Multiverse coming to the DC ‘verse proper and jacking stuff up. In The Red Death, Batman comes to play with the Flash in a not so friendly way. In fact, Batman steals the Speed Force from Barry in order to better “save the world”. The way he does it is kind of lame, though. Batman straps the Flash to the hood of the Batmobile, which has had its engine modified with the tech Barry uses in his cosmic treadmill, annnnd they go really fast. The Speed Force somehow merges Bruce and Barry into the same body, and we are gifted a super-fast red Batman who instead of lightning flashing in his wake leaves this weird trail of red bats, which is pretty neat. We are also graced with a cameo by Scarecrow, which made everything ok.   

Art Bee’s Friday Creep Double Feature

This week demands a double review. After reading these two books my left and right brains were about to reenact the entire Hatfield and McCoy feud inside my skull while trying to figure out which to review. At my LCS each issue gave me a bad first impression, but as you will read soon, each surprised me. I like surprises! Almost as much as I like Shineys!

Imaginary Fiends #1

Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Stephen Molnar
Colorist: Quinton Winter
Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
Review: Art Bee

The cover of Imaginary Fiends #1 demands the book be picked up and flipped through at the very least. It has a creepiness to it that festers in the back of the eyeballs and draws you in, much like a teenager in a horror movie is drawn to open a curtain concealing a mutilated body. There are two features on the cover that makes it very effective. The first is the word, “Imaginary”, looks out of focus while, “Fiends”, is in focus. This aids in building that creepiness as well as focusing a person’s eyes on the title. The second is the creepy face on the cover. It is simple yet effective. At first sight it gave me a slight chill at the back of my neck.

The plot of this series is very original and unique to the best of my knowledge. Those childhood imaginary friends could actually be fiendish extra-dimensional parasites praying on a child’s fears and affections. To me that sounds like an incredible and inexhaustible plotline. The potential for this series will be greater than The Real Ghostbusters cartoon from the late 80s.   

REVIEW: Master of Kung Fu #126

Writer: CM Punk
Artist: Dalibor Talajić
Review: Will Dubbeld

Yes, Virginia, there was a time when the comic market could sustain a kung fu book for over 100 issues.
In addition to blaxploitation and vampires...

Master of Kung Fu, as well you know, told the tale of Shang-Chi. Son of Fu Manchu (as long as licensing permitted...)!, MI6 agent! For 125 issues we were dazzled with all manner of chop-sockey but, alas, all good things...
Shang-Chi has appeared here and there in the years since his titles’ cancellation and, thanks to Marvel Legacy, we get one final issue of Master of Kung Fu.

Unfortunately, it stutters a bit. Scribed by retired wrestler/MMA fighter CM Punk, the book doesn’t capture the character of Shang-Chi nor does it stick the landing like Punk’s Drax book.

The setup is absolutely the plot of a 1960s James Bond movie. It’s got an evil doctor with a cockamamie scheme, an underground lair, and a sea of expendable henchmen. It’s only missing a sweet car and a sweeter femme fatale, though fast cars and fast women never were priorities for the Master of Kung Fu.       

REVIEW: Black Crown Quarterly no.1

Review: Will Dubbeld

The first issue of Black Crown Quarterly is equal parts preview, advertisement, and anthology.
Comic companies will forever try to recapture the lightning in a bottle dynamism of early Vertigo and, arguably, early Dark Horse and BCQ is the latest swing for the fences.
Unsurprisingly, as tour-de-force editor Shelly Bond is at the reins. Bond was part of Vertigo for some nutty amount of time, something like 20 years, and that æsthetic has stuck with her.

BCQ is a melange of preview stories for upcoming comics in the imprint, short articles and interviews, and a sensibility reminiscent of a DIY ‘zine. Pardon the cliche, but there’s an overall punk rock quality to the book in its counterculture approach and indie vibe. It reminds me of a mid-late ‘80s collaboration Fantagraphic might have published or what Dark Horse Presents used to be.
Black Crown Quarterly differs from most anthology books in that the stories therein retain a common thematic feel. They read like they belong together as opposed to a slice of life piece followed by a science fiction adventure followed by superhero action.
Anthologies like Heavy Metal run the spectrum with stories all over the place; Black Crown Quarterly runs a tight ship.     

REVIEW: Art Bee’s Comic Book Double Header

Halloween has just passed us while Thanksgiving is fast approaching. What do these holidays have in common? That’s correct! These holidays are known for people gorging themselves in unhealthy ways. Its ok as long as its only 2...20…200 times a year, right?
With this in mind and Christmas on the horizon, it seems to me a comic book gorging is in store for our readers.

Grimm Fairy Tails: 2017 Halloween Special

Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, and Anne Toole
Writer: Anne Toole
Artists: Marc Rosete, Eduardo Garcia, Renzo Rodriguez, and Joe Sanchez Diaz
Colors: Ceci de la Cruz, Slamet Mujiono, Fran Gamboa, J.C. Ruiz, Alek Marmontel, and Walter Pereyra
Letters: Fabio Amelia

Lately a problem has surfaced: comic book covers seem to be worth spending big money. Last month I purchased Dawnbreaker for its shininess, and this month I was attracted by a slutty witch on the cover (artwork shown at right). I thought I could possibly get a decent story along with a look-worthy cover.

What surprised me about this issue was the sheer number of people involved with its production. Just look at all of the names above and compare that to only 28 pages in this issue. Were all of those people seriously necessary? The artwork was really good but obviously all digitally done. Looking through the issue at the different sections credited to each set of artists there wasn’t any clear difference in any of the styles. If I hadn’t paid attention to the credits there would have been no chance of me noticing there were more than one artist and colorist. With that all said, the artwork was a fabulous treat for my eyeballs. The colors were extremely vibrant and well chosen.   

REVIEW: Slots #1

Writer: Dan Panosian
Artist: Dan Panosian
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Review: Madman

Every once in a while I come across a funny book I can really connect with on a personal level. For me Slots was one such book. I’ve never been to Las Vegas, nor do I have a desire to ever visit Sin City. It’s just not my cup of tea, but that’s where the majority of this first issue and presumably the issues to come take place. I’ve also never boxed professionally or otherwise, which we learn our main character, Stanley Dance, has indeed done. One would assume after reading this issue it will be a key element to the story as it unfolds. I have indeed been to a casino once in my life, and yes I did gamble. I cashed out ahead via the roulette wheel, which was probably a fluke. With gambling at a casino crossed off my list of life experiences I don’t see myself ever doing so again…
I mean, Hell, I don’t even buy scratch-off tickets or anything like that. Mr. Dance is no stranger to the casino scene, apparently, as we learn he has quite the list of contacts in the Vegas casinos, boxing rings, and back alley burlesque shows.

Other than the fact I have indeed stepped foot into a gambling establishment, I so far have nothing in common with our Mr. Dance. Why would I say I connected here on a personal level? I’ll answer that with Dan Panosian’s own words:   

REVIEW: Captain Kronos-Vampire Hunter #1

Written by: Dan Abnett
Art by: Tom Mandrake
Colors by: Sam Mandrake
Lettering by: Simon Bowland
Review: Will Dubbeld

After the rather disappointing Mummy: Palimpsest book I was a bit crestfallen about Hammer’s foray into comicdom. I absolutely adore Hammer Horror films. They’re gothic, moody, jam-packed with atmosphere and usually include a healthy dose of Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee.
Lest we forget, they’re also jam packed with Hammer Glamour girls...

The Mummy comic had none of the above.

Upon hearing about this Captain Kronos book, however, my spirits lifted a bit. Captain Kronos was and is one of my favorite Hammer films. It’s a ridiculous vampire-hunting romp across the European countryside with the titular character and his two sidekicks. The Captain is an ex-military man turned swashbuckling bane of the supernatural and is accompanied by Professor Gorst, a wise bespectacled hunchback with a wry wit.
Rounding out the trio is Carla, a dark haired, fiery-eyed gypsy beauty who was rescued by Kronos from the village stocks.
Her crime? Dancing on the sabbath...   

REVIEW: Batman the Dawnbreaker #1

Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver
Colors: Jason Wright
Letters: Tim Napolitano
Cover: Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson
Review: Art Bee

It’s story time, folks! There once was a great hero called Art of the Bee who ventured into the revered land of Comicdom to collect his treasures from the sacred chest of The Folder protected by Sir Shawn. With treasures in hand, a glorious glimmer distracted Art of the Bee's eye from the end of the treasure shelves. What could this bauble be? It must be investigated! The expedition began, and after trudging mere seconds up a sheer face of carpeting, my eyes beheld a wonderful…shiny, foiled cover of Batman the Dawnbreaker #1, gleaming at me with all of its splendor. It beckoned for my coin, and I did buy.
I guess I am just a goblin at heart! Oh, shiny!

Back to the seriousness of comics…

The cover of this one issue tie-in is truly one of my favorites and could very well earn my vote for a Hammy next year. It’s not very often my money is spent on just a cover, but this was well worth it as the contents are worth as much as the cover. 

REVIEW: Sink #1

Story: John Lees
Art & Colors: Alex Cormack
Letters: Colin Bell
Review: Cody “Madman” Miller, a.k.a Identity Crisis

I was sifting through the books in my to-read pile when this wild and crazy cover with a bloody, fox-headed, shovel-wielding vigilante covered in blood jumped up and volunteered for dissection. I believe I may have snatched this book up after my comic dealer talked it up as a twisted horror book…sold. I’m all about helping the little guy out and spending a few bucks to check out their work.

I had never heard of Comixtribe before now and in fact had to search them out with Google. As it turns out, “Comixtribe is an indie publisher that publishes many acclaimed comics and has one goal. Their goal is to help creators make better comics.” So sayeth Comic Vine Wiki. Since I’m being honest, I have never in my life heard of any of the books credited to these guys. It would appear they are into podcasts, forums, and all that fancy tech stuff, so you can check them out if you’re into that sort of thing.

I’m really glad I picked up this book. The first issue is intense to say the least. In fact, I believe my first thought directly after reading the issue was, “Damn that’s creepy.”
Much to the contributors’ credit, it’s creepy enough that you want to see and read more, but not so creepy that you lock yourself in your “safe space”.  

REVIEW: Generations: Captain Marvel and Captain Mar-Vell

Writer: Margaret Stohl
Artist: Brent Schoonover
Color Artist: Jordan Boyd
Review: William "identity crisis" Dubbeld

So, Marvel has had some...hiccups these past few years.
There's been exceptions here and there, but I've overall been a bit disappointed with the company's direction since the conclusion of Seige.
Some great books serving as connective tissue between mega-events is not an acceptable business model in my opinion, and after duds like Original Sin and Civil War II: Electric Boogaloo, the House of Ideas needs an enema.

But we're in luck, True Believers!
Marvel has listened to the fans, or at least the sales figures, and has pledged a paradigm shift.
Despite foot-in-mouth statements about diversity and some frankly horseshit editorial direction...

Secret Empire was the most divisive storyline I can remember ever having been written in Marvel comicdom, largely due to the proliferation of internet platforms. I'm saving my full barrage about Secret Empire and Nick Spencer for another day, but suffice to say it was a misfire.
To be considerate.
In the wake of Nazi Cap, Marvel is going through a Rebirth. A rebranding. A return to the old ways and recapturing the faith of the reader base.
Or so we're told.                          

REVIEW: Mace Windu #1

Writer: Matt Owens
Penciler: Denys Cowan
Inker: Roberto Poggi
Color: Guru-eFX
Cover: Jesus Saiz
Review: Art Bee

Marvel has its failings but the Star Wars line is not one of them...yet. Thus far Marvel has taken everything good it has ever had, over-inflated it, and over-produced it to the point of mediocrity. Be warned; this day is coming. It’s inevitable unless Marvel abandons its gimmicky profit-hounding and starts to care about the quality of their production.

The newest Marvel series on the Star Wars block is Mace Windu. Guess who this series about?
How did you get so clever?
The series begins shortly after the Battle of Geonosis, well into the Clone Wars. This would put the story after Episode 2 and before the animated series, The Clone Wars.

The Jedi Council has gained intelligence that the Separatists are aggregating on a planet in the Outer Rim called Hissrich. Mace Windu is to lead a small group of Jedi to this planet and investigate and deal with any possible enemy threat. The team Mace pulls together includes Plo Koon (seen in the movies and in The Clone Wars series), Prosset Dibs (a Miraluka), and Rissa Mano.
At this point the series has the feel for a great deal of action but lacks some depth to the plot.
Even though Mace Windu has grown in popularity, not only as a powerful Jedi but also his
uniquely colored lightsaber, I don’t feel that this is the right time to present him as the focus of
his own comic.                    

Kokomo Con 2017

For one day every year in mid to late October, Kokomo Indiana is the center of the known geek universe. The Kokomo-Con fills the Kokomo Event & Conference Center to capacity with all things geeky and pop culture. 

The geeks here in Kokomo are pretty spoiled, really, with our beloved Geek Street. That’s right: a block in downtown Kokomo is lovingly referred to as Geek Street as it is home to Comics Cubed, the grooviest comic book store ever,Kokomo Toys & Collectables, the largest vintage toy and collectable toy store in the state of Indiana, and American Dream Hi-Fi, a vinyl record shop/arcade/live show venue. Geek street is a truly unique place that any self respecting geek MUST visit. 

If Geek Street is our Mecca, Kokomo-Con is our Super Bowl. Every year Kokomo-Con gets better and better, surpassing the pervious years' epicness on all fronts. Each year the organizers, Shawn Hilton, Austin Meissnest, and an army of volunteers work to bring in a huge variety of venders, artists, and creators. There’s literally something for everyone, so I’ll run down a list of a few of this years guests and such.

REVIEW: Offering

Story: Ken Lowery & Kevin Warren
Art: Kevin Warren
Review: Will Dubbeld

Because, dear readers, you have to support the little guy.
Repeat it. Make it your mantra.
Practice it.
Whenever small press or self-published books creep across your nerd-radar, pick 'em up. Sometimes (oftentimes) they cost a bit more, but publishing funnybooks ain't cheap.
Suck it up and drop an extra buck or two.

Offering is not, however, a pricey book.
More on that later.

Offering plays on some classic literary tropes, particularly from the horror genre, and tweaks them a bit.
The stage is set in some foreign land or another, features a local guide, a hapless Western couple, and a foreboding cave. Withholding spoilers, Lowery does a phenomenal job of telling a tight, well-done horror story in the span of under 20 pages.  

2017 Hammy Awards

Gather 'round, everyone! The 2017 Hammy Awards are in and this year was a doozy! The HCB crew has picked through a myriad of titles from Indies to the Big Two and we are ready to let slip the dogs of war.
Without further ado, I'm pleased to present your 2017 Hammies.          

REVIEW: Double Review

Since Madman did a double review a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would follow suit and review two, too.
Made you say, “Tutu.”

Sacred Creatures #2
Written by Pablo Raimondi & Klaus Janson

Art by Pablo Raimondi
Colors by Chris Chuckry
Letters by Tom Orzechowski
Review by Art Bee

Sacred Creatures is just about as incredible as comics come. The first issue was double-sized and did a remarkable job setting the stage for a great story. I am going to do my best to present this spoiler free.

The story is set in New York City and centers on a group of long-lived individuals with the ability to plant suggestions into people’s minds by touching them. These first two issues focus on the events these ancient puppeteers have instigated in the life of Josh, an unemployed father-to-be. Josh is forced to commit murder by this group’s suggestions. The thing I love the most about this story is the reader is just as lost and has just as many questions as Josh. Raimondi and Janson have woven an intense web of mystery, and the beautiful part is how interesting the story is. During both issues I was sitting forward and entranced.          

REVIEW: Madman's Two-4-One Special

Reviews: Madman

Dead of Winter #1

Writer: Kyle Starks
Illustrations and Colors: Gabriel Bautista
Letters: Crank

For the most part I’ve recently not strayed too far from the usual titles cemented on my weekly pull lists, due to the fact I’ve been funneling my extra money into other hobbies and the like. The other reason being my give-a-damn is busted. In my opinion there are far more crap books saturating the market then there are quality books…just my humble opinion. Sometimes even this Marvel fanboy needs to take a step back, catch his breath, and scrap the poo off his shoes.

In recent weeks, however, I’ve decided to venture into uncharted waters once again and explore some random books that I would otherwise left rotting on the shelf of my LCS. This book is one such curiosity I picked up. I had no clue what the book was about, in fact, I knew nothing of it other than the cover was pretty rad and curious at the same time. We have a cape wearing pooch licking blood off his paws as a horde of zombies approach from the background.
Now, I readily admit; I’m pretty zombied out at this point. Don’t get me wrong I still religiously watch The Walking Dead when it’s on the picture box and half-heartedly choke down an issue or two of TWD comic now and then, even that has my interests in the zombie genre waning. I had serious doubts about this book as soon as I pulled it from the shelf, but that dog…what’s up with him, and why is it wearing a cap?
I just had to know, so here we are.              

REVIEW: Clue #1

Writer: Paul Allor
Artist: Nelson Daniel
Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Review: Art Bee

Clue #1 hit the shelves of my LCS under my radar. The classic board game CLUE® from Parker Bros. has been a family favorite all of my life. With the delivery of a comic book based on the game, I figured I would do a bit of research and learn its origins. CLUE® was created by Anthony E. Pratt, a native of England, in 1944 when he patented the game and sought its manufacture. In 1949 the Parker Bros. company petitioned for its distribution in the United States. This game is currently in production and played in over 40 countries. Now if you are like me, Col. Mustard is always the murderer and you believe so even if the proof says otherwise.

In the board game there are six suspects in the murder of Mr. Boddy, and I am sure we all know most if not all of them (Mustard done it!). The comic book brings these same six characters and a few others into the investigation of A. Boddy (clever, right?). At the very beginning of the comic book, the butler and narrator, Upton, tells you to read the story first, and there are three extra clues at the end. At this point my temptation was to flip to the back of the book to see the three clues, but in lieu of spoilers I fought the urge…
Hardest battle I have fought since quitting smoking.        

REVIEW: Star Wars: Droids Unplugged one-shot

Script & Art: Chris Eliopoulos
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Review: Will Dubbeld

I had serious misgivings about Disney's acquisition of Marvel, both as a fan and a shareholder.
Mostly as a fan.
I didn't have enough stock to warrant a fiscal concern...
In any case, visions of a beclawed Mickey Mouse/Wolverine mashup haunted my dreams.
Time goes on as time does and my fears were largely dismissed.
I've yet to see a Spider-Man/Donald Duck team-up, there's been some pretty entertaining films, and Disney hasn't dicked the dog as much as it could have potentially with editorial meddling.
I mean...it ain't great by any means, but I could be a helluva lot worse.
Like Valiant comics after the Acclaim buyout.

Anyhow, some years pass and The House of Mouse and The House of Ideas seem to have found some synergy.
And then I hear Disney bought Lucasfilm.
Whereas there were apprehensions about the Marvel deal I had no such concerns in this case.
Star Wars was the first and best corner of nerdery I discovered as a child. It was one of the first comics I owned as a child.                  

REVIEW: Spider-Men 2 #1

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Sara Pichelli
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Review: Madman

Well, I have once again fallen into the filthy quagmire we all know and love as life. In layman’s terms, I’ve fallen way behind on my reading, as this giant stack of neglected comics on my coffee table proves. I threw this Wednesdays’ haul on top of the stack and decided I would read comics tonight instead of carving spray foam out of a 20 gal fish aquarium that I’m converting into a bioactive vertical gecko habitat.
(I get bored and need to do stuff, or I explode and guts and junk go flying everywhere, and then the wife is yelling that I got my meat chunks all over the sofa she just vacuumed beast hair off of, then the dog eats my innards…and that pisses my wife off as well.)

I made it through two books (this one and Spider-Man: Master Plan which was super lame and a total waste of my time) before life (In this case pancakes and bacon and then falling asleep on the couch) happened again. I had zero intention of ever buying this book and apparently overlooked it in my stack of books from the LCS. I never read the first Spider-Men series because, to put it bluntly, I just didn’t give a rat’s ass. We just survived Spider-Verse and then Marvel decided that Spider-Man needed more clones, and we got the Clone Conspiracy and our “beloved” Ben Riley back…
I’m sick of clones and of Marvel needing to have as many Spider-What-Have-Yous crammed into the same panel as possible. I’m just over it.          

REVIEW: Shirtless Bear-Fighter #1

Created by: Jody Leheup, Sebastian Girner, & Nil Vendrell
Written by: Jody Leheup & Sebastian Girner
Art: Nil Vendrell
Color: Mike Spicer
Letters: Dave Lanphear
Review: Will Dubbeld

"Let 'im have it, boys! That bear's rubbin' his ass on America!"

What The--?!
The Tick
God Hates Astronauts 
Madman
And now, Shirtless Bear-Fighter.

Well, let's not be hasty. It's got to prove itself worthy of the Hallowed Halls of Irreverent Comics, but Shirtless Bear-Fighter is off to a good start.
Preordered on title alone, SBF was a welcome sight when it showed up in my stack at the ol' LCS.

Hoo, boy, where to start...
Shirtless Bear-Fighter starts off with a bang, showcasing a young, amorous couple necking in the woods and promptly subjected to a bear attack.
Luckily, our titular character is on hand to deliver a rescue.
The first panel revealing our hero depicts him striding from the forest, all chiseled and hairy and nekkid as the day he was born, pixelated swingin' dick and all.
The ensuing fracas is a sight to behold, readers, proving you haven't lived until you've seen a nude comic book hero deliver a belly-to-back suplex to a bear...        

REVIEW: Regression #2

Story: Cullen Bunn
Art: Danny Luckert
Colors/Letters: Marie Enger
Review: Art Bee

Recently one of my favorite comic series, Nailbiter, ended after 30 issues. I was truly heartbroken with the loss of such a decent horror/suspense title. The sad reality is…stories end. Good ones end too quick, and horrible ones don’t end soon enough. Luckily, for people like me, we have a new series to fit that spot with Regression.

Adrian Padilla, the main character, is suffering from hallucinations and nightmares mostly of insects pouring out of drains, faucets, people’s eye sockets, and bodies. Molly, his gorgeously-drawn friend, introduces him to a hypnotist/comedian, Sid. Adrian is subjected to a process called Regression Therapy…
Guess where the name of the comic book comes from?
Let’s just say that some things are locked away for a reason.

In this issue we find the police are investigating a bizarre murder involving torture, a strange symbol, and bugs. In addition to the corpse, Adrian is dealing with the fallout of his “therapy” session with Sid, and by dealing, I mean bewilderingly struggling. I truly don’t want to say more about the actual story so as to not spoil the suspense.      

REVIEW:The Amazing Spider-Man #28

Writer: Dan Slott
Penciler: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Marte Gracia& Andres Mossa

You know, I thought I would most likely give this Osborn Identity a solid “meh”, and most likely get a nosebleed from reading the arc. I know the Osborns are a HUGE part, and I’d go so far as saying that next to Uncle Ben’s demise the Osborn’s would be a solid #2, on the meat and potatoes list of my beloved wall-crawlers super important things list…or MPLOMBWCSITL for short.

That being said I did not want to read about the umpteenth return of possibly, or perhaps undeniably, the greatest rogue in the Web-Head’s rogues gallery. It turns out Slott has actually been nailing it in my opinion. After Superior Spider-Man, the guy has earned as much rope as he needs, but I’ve been totally digging this run. In addition to Slott keeping me wanting more, the art crew has been killing it as well. It’s so, so good to read a really entertaining Spider-Arc, it definitely helps a guy wash the Clone Conspiracy stank right off. Nope. I had an old man, “get off my lawn”, scowl right to the very end of that business. There was no joy in my life. At the end of the issue it’s more than hinted that the OG Osborn, the man responsible for the death of Gwen Stacy, would once again don the green and purple, and to be honest, I’m freaking excited for it.          

Free Comic Book Day 2017, pt. 2 - Will Dubbeld

Street Fighter V: Wrestling Special #1

I've always had a soft spot for pro 'rasslin, and for Street Fighter, to be honest. Well, Street Fighter II, anyway.
And that movie with Raul Julia, which I recently revisited and found MUCH more entertaining and self-aware than folks give it credit for...

There's some common threads between the two and a comic pairing seems like a fine fit.
Honestly, for all I know, Street Fighter V could be wrestling-themed and this is a more blatant marketing tie-in, but I hope it's just a fun one-off.

There's not a lot of substance here but, damn, it is one dynamic looking book.  I didn't recognize but one character in the whole book, and although I was looking forward to Blanka off the top rope, the book delivered with other fighters. The whole shebang revolves around archetypal manga/anime heel character, Dan Hibiki, and his epic match with a whole stable of lady wrestlers.
I'm guessing the whole cast is comprised of playable characters from Street Fighter V, from Hibiki to memorable characters like Rainbow Mika, Yoko Harmageddon, and Canadian-themed Maple Storm.
F'real.          

Free Comic Book Day 2017 - Will Dubbeld

Reports and rant by Will Dubbeld

Aaaaallllllll the comic nerds love the Nerd Christmas.
It's like regular Christmas, but in May and the comic book stores hand out free loot. We all know the drill and hit the trail eager for this year's goodies.
Unfortunately, recent years haven't offered as phenomenal a buffet of free comics as have previous years.
The experience, however, is as good as it's ever been!

Cosplayers, local talent, discount merch, and, sometimes if you're very lucky, some free eats. Nerds from all walks of nerd life conglomerate and shoot the breeze with each other and, in more metropolitan areas, perhaps a pro of two.
Not in my desolate neck of the Midwest, but in some areas...

My hometown recently opened a comic shop, fingers crossed they do well, and they went all out for their inaugural FCBD. Tables heaping with loot and cake awaited us.
Cake!
Three other stores in a 20 mile radius were plundered by yours truly, netting several free funnybooks and some dirt cheap hardcover Marvelman reprints.        

Free Comic Book Day 2017 – Madman

Well, another FCBD has came and went meaning summer is almost about to drop us in the slow cooker know as Indiana humidity. Also known a Swampass… It also means I’ve undoubtedly stood in the line outside of Comics Cubed, or C3 as the cool kids call it, for roughly 2 hrs not just to acquire the free comic book offerings and all the plunder that goes with it. Equally as important are the deals and sales C3 offers on this sacred and glorious day where we celebrate all things geek. In that regard I and every other geek living in or near Kokomo, Indiana are truly blessed with our own slice of Heaven located in the heart of downtown…    

REVIEW: Predator Hunters #1 of 5

Script: Chris Warner
Art: Francisco Ruiz Velasco
Letters: Michael Heisler
Review: Art Bee

Sci-Fi junkies typically roar about anything Predator related. Since the first two movies hit the big screen many comic book creators took on the mantra, leading to the AVP comics and movie. There have been several Predator comic book runs and I wish I could be one of those that have read them all. I feel blessed that the books I have read were fairly decent to good, but each felt a bit repetitive…same story with a different cover and theme.

Thus far we have seen a Predator in the past, present, and future as well as in various nations and terrain. Feels almost rinse and repeat, doesn’t it? Well strap in, ladies and gents! This mini-series is a different creature of a Predator story entirely!

Seriously…there are ladies that read comics, fanboys.

Predator Hunters gives us a different slice of the same pizza pie, but it all starts at the cover. The above cover is not what I want to see as a comic book fan. Bright color helps, but great artwork gets my attention. If this had not been put in my folder by the grace of my LCB owner (thanks, Shawn) I would have passed right by it on the shelf. The Predator’s face on the cover is really nicely done; it just seems like the creators are ashamed of it. It’s good, guys! Make it bigger and the title smaller, and watch the people jump back. That is one of the best Predator faces I believe I have ever seen artistically rendered.        

Free Comic Book Day 2017 pt.1

Free Comic Book Day 2017 – Art Bee

What comic book fan can argue with a holiday featuring the distribution of comics at no cost? Certainly not this comic fan! Whether the comics are great, mediocre, or completely horrid, the price is right…come on down! Did this year’s selection seem very similar to the previous year to anyone else? Part of me wants to look up the books offered last year to compare, but the fear of what I would find prevents me from doing so.

Last year my daughter was fortunate to win a drawing for one copy of every free comic available, which saved us from several trips through the store. We were not so lucky this year. Fortunately only two comics were of interest to her, so she grabbed a few for me. The bad side is now I owe her; the good side is, since I am Dad, I have a say in how this debt is repaid…muahahaha!!!          

REVIEW: A Minyen Yidn (un andere zakhn)

By Max B. Perlson & Trina Robbins

A Bunch of Jews (and other stuff) is an illustrated memoir first published in the late '30s by Max Perlson, a Jewish immigrant and now adapted by his daughter, Trina, and a slew of artists.  Filled with tales of the Old County and life in early 20th century Brooklyn, A Minyen Yidn is a whimsical series of shorts providing a glimpse into Yiddish culture with a dash of folklore.

Aside from Maus and the works of Harvey Pekar, I'd not seen much in the comics medium about Jewish faith, culture, or history. Perlson's book provides another glimpse; one that's more lighthearted. It appeals to the hearth of ones heart and is unburdened by the cynicism represented in Pekar's work or the sheer horror of Maus. In all honesty, the three works present a poignant chronology of the Jewish people from the prewar era to modern times, but I digress. The 14 different stories presented herein run the gamut, dealing with faith, marriage, a healthy dose of humor, and a dash of sadness.    

REVIEW: Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #1

Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Mark Bagley
Inker: John Dell
Color Artist: Jason Keith
Review: Madman

Rumor has it something big pertaining to a certain star-spangled guy is going down at Marvel in their new “Mega Event”… I wouldn’t know. I elected to bow out before “it” happened. I’m just so burned out with Marvels reboots, redoes, and “Mega Events”. I could care less about the whole current Secret What-not.
I’m not on either side.

Instead, I’m going to blab on about something I wanted to read even less.
Oh yeah, I hated this book as soon as I saw its first advertisement. I hate its very idea. In my misspent youth I was a Ben Reilly fan but not so much these days. I enjoyed the previous Scarlet Spider run because back in the days of the Clone Saga, Kaine was my favorite thing, so him being the Scarlet Spider was worth checking out. The series was pretty good, definitely got worse as it went, and the ending was pretty meh. So, I don’t know, maybe the novelty wore off… I had no intentions of ever forking over the cash for this book, but the staff of the LCS snuck it into my folder and here we are.  

REVIEW: Spider-Woman #17

Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Artist: Veronica Fish
Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Review: Madman

I’m not sure how many times I’ve reviewed this title… I’m guessing it’s a few. I can’t say for sure, because I rave about it a lot, mostly with my fellow HCB dudes, myself, and sometimes my dog. I just can’t help it. The book is just that damn good . . . unexplainably good. It has the feel of a reality television program or dare I say a soap opera… Yeah, I don’t know but it’s entertaining as hell.

Jess has gone and fallen in love with Roger Gocking, the reformed D-list super villain we love and know as the Porcupine, and it’s fantastic. Jess has long since left the Avengers, trading in her heavy-hitter status for the lowly life of a P.I. This gives her time to focus on raising her infant son, Gerry, and her newly kindled romance. It’s fun to read about Jess dealing with ordinary and mundane things in life that one does not usually get in a superhero title. No clones, no big baddie trying to take over the world, no Alien invasion, no shitty swamp monster trying to make it in the movie business, no Totally Awesome Hu...you get the idea. In fact the opening few panels are Jess and her bestie Captain Marvel trying to figure out how best to hang the rope lights for the party Jess is throwing. It sounds lame, but I assure you it’s not. Jess just wants to have some fun so she’s throwing a rooftop party and inviting all her super-friends and hilarity ensues.        

REVIEW: Jughead: The Hunger

Script: Frank Tieri
Art: Michael Walsh
Review: Will Dubbeld

Archie Horror, ladies and gentlemen.
I would never had guessed such a thing would ever exist, but here we are.

The Afterlife With Archie comic follows the Riverdale gang as their little slice of Americana lies plagued by the zombie apocalypse. Survival horror through the lens of Archie Andrews; special guest stars Josie and the Pussycats...

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina shows us a side of the beloved teenage witch we never would've dreamed existed. Sacrifice, witch covens, devil worship, and a few lesbian overtones worthy of a Hammer Horror flick are all found within.

These two books are great, albeit disturbing on a few levels. From the Blossom twins and their (alluded to...) dark secret to the balls-to-the-wall insanity Sabrina Spellman deals with, Archie Horror gets my money every time.
Which I never though possible with Archie comics, but hey, see what some diversity can do?!!!        

REVIEW: Man-Thing #1

Writer: R.L. Stine
Artist: German Peralta
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Review: Madman

I was so looking forward to a Man-Thing book starting…and then…R.L. Stine…    
I have specific tastes, things I need, as a superhero fan boy AND a giant-sized swampy Man-Thing is in the top of 10 fantasy wish list…no regrets.    
In my world Man-Thing is in this weird little family that I can’t really explain.  You see, for some strange reason, I have this weird little trinity that lives deep inside my inner comicdom… In my world, Man-Thing, Swamp Thing, and the one and only Toxic Avenger are the best of friends. It’s permanently carved into my brain, and it won’t go away. They get their own category in the card catalog of my think organ. No clue, I don’t know why, so stop asking me… Over here that’s the “radioactive spider” drawer, that’s the “tabletop gaming” file. Over there, that’s the “things necessary to survive” section... Oh, there are the guys sitting on a muddy swamp island. I know. Weird.        

REVIEW: Manifest Destiny #26

Writer: Chris Dingess
Pencils: Matthew Roberts
Inks: Tony Akins & Stefano Gaudiano
Colors: Owen Gieni
Review: Art Bee

To all of our HCB readers, we apologize. For the past couple years Manifest Destiny has made it on the list of Hammy Award winners, but none of us have had the balls to write a review of this amazing series. This trend ends today.

The first issue of Manifest Destiny hit comic book store shelves November 13, 2013. When it came out, it did not even register on my radar. My LCBS owner told me about it and convinced me to give it a read with the promise of a refund if I didn’t like it. It was love at first read. Chris Dingess has cleverly used a real historical event as the muse for this epic fantastical story of a cross-continental journey.

Since the start of the series, Lewis, Clark, and their ragtag group of “soldiers” have faced demon-like frogs, hostile natives, infectious plant life, and many other dangers. Some time ago Sacagawea joined the band as a guide and is currently pregnant. The last story arc was entitled “Sasquatch”; it was quite the event. The entire six issue arc was filled with large cycloptic beasts, insanity, cannibalism, and so much more. What really makes the series so addicting is the delicate blend of adventure and horror.      

HCB Two-in-One

Reviews: Madman

Rat Queens #1

Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Artist: Owen Gieni
Letterer: Ryan Ferrier

Rat Queens is back! Happy day, clowns, wizbangs, and stuff! I honestly can’t remember when the last issue of the first volume came out off hand, but it’s been a long damn time. So long that we questioned if our beloved band of riffraff were gone for good.

A few things have changed in Rat Queen Land; one being the obvious reboot back to #1 and the other being the fact we’ve another new artist on the book, one Mr. Owen Gieni. I have no clue who he is, but after reading his first issue behind the scribbles, I’m not going to complain. Gieni will be the fourth artist on this book and it just might be a cursed gig. Original artist Ron Upchurch got himself arrested for domestic violence. Stjepan Sejic took over but soon had to quit because of health reasons, and Tess Fowler took point. I’ve no clue why Fowler was replaced but was saddened to hear of her departure, because her issues were pure eye candy. Gieni will do though.      

The Shotgun Blast!

(Apologies, McGirk...)
Reviews: Will Dubbeld

Doctor Strange #1.MU

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Julian Lopez

So the Monsters Unleashed event isn't quite what I expected. Rather than Mole Man rallying a horde of 1950s monsters to conquer the surface world, apparently giant critters called Leviathons are wreaking havoc and heroes and good-guy monsters team up for the fight.
This particular tie-in focused on Dr. Strange and Googam, Son of Goom, and their fight against an escaped Leviathon. Strange is low on magic due to events transporting in his solo book and Googam is low on smarts, but high on moxie.
The art is phenomenal, and the story is much better than expected. Cameos from Spidey and a My Little Pony reference add to the chuckles and distract the reader from the unoriginal Leviathon premise, which seems pretty similar to Pacific Rim's Kaiju or the MUTOs from Gareth Edward's Godzilla flick.

REVIEW: WWE #1

Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Illustrator: Serg Acuña
Colorist: Doug Garbark
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Review: Art Bee

When I was a child and my family moved back to the United States in 1985, WWF wrestling on Saturdays quickly became one of my favorite shows. I have been hooked on the dramatic violence paraded before me on each of their programs ever since. Granted, the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) eventually had to change their moniker to WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) to appease the World Wide Fund for Nature.
This did not affect their fan base at all.

What makes professional wrestling so much fun to watch is all of the drama that happens and needs to be settled inside the ring. In addition, many of the wrestlers portray such colorful and charismatic personalities; people have a hard time avoiding becoming attached to at least one.

Boom! Studios just produced a new ongoing series called WWE.
Guess what it is about?

Grabbing this comic book was a no-brainer for me. It needed to be given a chance and honestly this was worth the time. It was very entertaining and felt just like watching an episode of Raw or Smackdown. This issue focused mostly on Seth Rollins and his climb to attaining the WWE World Heavy Weight Champion title. This actually happened last year at Wrestlmania and the comic book was very accurate.      

REVIEW: Humalien #4

Created, written, and illustrated by J. Adam Farster
Review: Will Dubbeld

Nearly a year ago, I looked at the first 3 issues of J. Adam Farster’s Humalien and after much anticipation no. 4 is all up in my business.  I took a quick refresher on the first three parts and then it was off to the races.

The book picks up with electro kinetic hero Ed and his sidekick Kulh shortly after their kidnapping by The Executioner.  This bounty hunting baddie and his henchmen are carting our heroes off to face The Trinity who, if you recall, are a trio of squid-headed ne’er do wells responsible for cloning Ed in the first place.
Although things look bleak for Kulh and Ed, have no fear.  The remaining members of a rag-tag resistance are hot on the trail and geared up for a rescue mission.
Without delving too deeply into plot details, it’s revealed The Trinity have conquered Earth and the power that lies within Ed is instrumental in their world-subjugating scheme.

Humalien #4 is a great addition to this series.  The style, in both writing and art, has remained consistent throughout and the feeling of a Saturday morning romp still runs strong through the pages.
The only critique I have is the tail end seemed to be a bit scattered or rushed, leaving the fate of certain characters and the motivations of others a bit unclear. Given the pacing and tone of the comic these are easily forgivable foibles.

REVIEW: Curse Words #1

By: Charles Soule and Ryan Browne
Colors:  Ryan Browne, Jordan Boyd, and Michael Parkinson
Letters: Chris Crank, Ryan Browne, and Shawn DePasquale
Review: Art Bee

When I was brought onboard HCB the guys here told me, “try reading God Hates Astronauts; it’s worth it.” They were right. It did not disappoint. That comic brought tears to my eyes from laughing so hard. Later that year, Ryan Browne shook my hand at Appleseed Comic Con in Ft. Wayne and signed some stuff for me. Poof! Instantly I was morphed into a Ryan Browne fan. When I heard about Curse Words #1 being published by Image, my pull list enlarged just a bit.

Curse Words brings Browne’s unique style of drawing to a new venue. The best quality of Browne’s work is his attention to detail. Whether in God Hates Astronauts or Curse Words, clothing seems to be in as much detail as the character’s features and backgrounds. Every page delivers a high amount of color, nuance, and quality stimulating your eyes with pleasure.

The story starts out with the central character, Wizord, sitting in a meeting with an obvious pop-star named Johnny One (seriously resembles Justin Beiber in attitude and looks). Johnny One is asking to be made platinum…not gaining a platinum album. There is no trickery here. This dude is asking to be “platinum, like…for real.” Then this dude gets upset when he can’t feel anything. Does anyone truly know what they want? Not really.

REVIEW: Hulk #1 and #2

Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Nico Leon
Color Artist: Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Review: Madman

Never. I’m quite certain I have never in my life read a She-Hulk solo comic book…
Sure, I’ve read issues from various other titles that she was featured in, but that’s not the same, now is it? Desperate times call for desperate measures, and we’re way past desperate in the Hulk category. Now, as stupid as this sounds, back in “Civil War 2”, The Hulk, aka Bruce Banner, was assassinated by Hawkeye…of all people…Hawkeye. I actually like reading Hulk comics, so thank you for the kick in the balls there, Marvel. On top of that, some imposter is running around in The “Totally Awesome” Hulk.

Here’s the deal Marvel: stop %@$*@@# around.
Bruce Banner is the Hulk, Mr. Cho, not you. Just go away.  We don’t need you. Maybe it’s just me being a hater. I’ve honestly not read a single issue of “The Totally Awesome Hulk”, because I don’t care. I don’t care about other Hulks for the most part.  I’ve nothing against She-Hulk or the Red Hulk, but after that, I draw the line…none shall pass. For me Bruce Banner is the only “Hulk”. That should be written in as one of the governing laws of comicdom. You don’t commit sacrilege against the Banner-Hulk period. Under no circumstances. Ever.    

REVIEW: Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire

Story: Neil Gaiman
Adaptation and art: Shane Oakley
Review: Will Dubbeld

Good ol' Neil. He hits more than misses, this guy. Whimsical stories that are bereft of the sometimes pretentious Lovecraftian wanderings of Alan Moore or the acerbic loathing of Warren Ellis.

Or the product of whatever fever-dream Grant Morrison is on at the moment.
Ol' Wacky Grant...

So out of my Fab Four of British scribes I've got to hand the top spot to Neil. From Fortunately, the Milk to Sandman, his tales nearly always hit the literary spot and Forbidden Brides does not deviate.

As the title may lead you to believe, Forbidden Brides is not necessarily to be taken seriously. Tongue planted firmly in cheek from the opening line, "somewhere in the night, someone was writing", Forbidden Brides juxtaposes an author endeavoring to write a gothic horror novel and the prose contained therein. Tropes and cliches abound in this satire of gothic penny dreadfuls and their ilk, from a raven-tressed beauty in a sheer, white gown to fratricidal sword duels and talking ravens.    

REVIEW: Monsters Unleashed! #1

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Penciler: Steve McNiven
Inker: Jay Leisten
Colors: Davil Curiel
Review: Madman

Before I actually read this comic, I’d just like to say that Marvel had better not screw this up. I am so excited to read this “happening” that I probably peed in my pants at least eight times on the way home from the LCS.
One of those sentences is a lie...

I’ve been a huge fan of giant monsters and anything resembling a giant monster my entire conscious life. Dinosaurs started it all in the real pee-in-my-pants days of my youth, which led into Godzilla in my teens. Of course, Hollywood puts out metric shit-tons of cheesy giant animal movies…yeah, I know most of them are horrible and love everyone of them. That being said, this comic is almost like my two best friends dating or something along those lines, and it’s awkward or something along those lines. I haven’t really cared about any of Marvels’ “Super-Events” in a long time. I passed on most of Civil War 2 and whatever the one before that was, but I care about this. Now bring on some Fin Fang Foom vs Stilt-Man action!

REVIEW: Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad #1 (of 6)

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Jason Fabok
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Review: Will Dubbeld

I must give DC credit; they’ve largely avoided mirroring in the comics what happened in their movies. Hell, Warner Bros. has owned the company for decades and they’ve managed to keep that movie flavor out. Marvel could really learn from this business model, considering they have a track record of shoehorning elements of the movies into the comics books.  I personally hate that method of marketing crossover appeal between the two media and have been thankful DC avoids the gimmick.

Thank goodness for small miracles, because DC has plenty of other means to alienate the reader base.

I know DC Comic has a comically long history with reboots, retcons, and line-wide upheavals, but New 52 was shining example of what not to do in comics.  I’ll spare readers the dissertation on Flashpoint and the drek that followed and suffice to say DC has done plenty to invoke the ire of this reader. If it wasn’t enough to retcon and reshuffle almost all the post-Crisis DCU I know and love, they were insistent in cramming Wildstorm garbage all over the place.  Eff a bunch of New 52.

REVIEW: Serenity: No Power in the ‘Verse #3

Script: Chris Roberson
Pencils: Georges Jeanty
Inks: Karl Story
Colors: Wes Dzioba
Letters: Michael Heisler
Review: Art Bee

There are very few Dark Horse comics that make it into my collection; most just don’t interest me. One quality the brand has that I do admire is their attention to detail when it comes to adapting characters from movies or TV series. Each artist hired must be able to create an adequate likeness of the actor/actress. This is smart work on editor’s part because it makes the comic easier to sell to fans and easier to read without trying to decipher who is talking. It would have been nice if the newest installment of Serenity carried this attention to detail.

I wish I could say I have been a fan of the Firefly/Serenity story from the start but, alas, that bandwagon passed me by and left me bewildered. Actually I wasn’t introduced to the series until 2007, but the first episode of Firefly aired on FOX Sept. 22, 2002. The series ran for only 11 episodes (14 were made) and was canceled due to low ratings. Personally I didn’t know of the show’s existence until my friend introduced me to it, so the ratings issue had to be a failure of promotion on FOX. The series is amazing.