Winter Reads: Comic Books Galore!

In my attempt to get caught up on reviews before the end of the year (Yes, I know 2016 is just a few days away!), today I'm featuring five comic books that were published between 2014-2015.

Vampirella Southern Gothic

by Jose Luis

Book Description: Vampirella, the beautiful and bloodthirsty heroine, travels to Mississippi to help an old flame solve the mystery of his murdered fiancee... a woman who appears to have died thirty-seven times before.

Burdened by a mystical wound that will not heal, can Vampi hack through racist demons, evade corrupt lawmen, and solve this strange Southern mystery... or will the man she once loved sacrifice his soul to get the answers instead?

Final Thoughts: Similar to other comic book characters, Vampirella has received several makeovers since her debut in 1969. Here, Diamond Book Distributors have rebooted the character once again, where Vampirella travels to the south to help solve a few mysteries. By the cover one would think this was a straight up horror story, but actually there is quite a bit of humor throughout each tale. The illustrations are nicely done, adding a bit more fun to the stories. Overall, I enjoyed the new Vampirella and I recommend it to others.

The Crow: Pestilence

by Drew Moss

Book Description: A young boxer, Salvador, refuses to take a fall, but has no problem taking a vicious drug gang’s pay-off. When they take their lethal revenge on Salvador and his family, he returns as THE CROW, in search of vengeance… and forgiveness.

Final Thoughts: I'm a huge fan of the 1994 film version of The Crow featuring the late Brandon Lee. I've never been interested in reading the original comic books, though I did read one paperback tie-in when I was a teenager.

The Crow: Pestilence tells the story of a brand new character, Salvador, a boxer who is killed and is resurrected as The Crow to seek revenge.

While the overall revenge plot is a little stale, the dark illustrations make up for it. In the end, it wasn't a bad read.

Rocky & Bullwinkle

by Roger Langridge

Book Description: They’re finally here! Welcome Bullwinkle the Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel back to comics in these four great tales, "The Psychic Sidekick," “The Washed-Up Wizard," “First Moose on the Moon,” and “The Burger Monster.”

Plus, four back-up stories featuring everybody's favorite mountie, Dudley Do-Right.

Final Thoughts: I had completely forgotten about the old Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon, well, that is until IDW Publishing released Volume one of the new comic book series in 2014 for a new generation of fans. There are four crazy new tales as well as four Dudley-Do-Right stories, which I'm not much of a fan of. The stories are rather silly, but the illustrations are colorful and fun.

Saved By the Bell

by Joelle Sellner, Chynna Clugston Flores, Tim Fish

Book Description: The classic TV series gets an update for today’s brand new high-schoolers as the coolest kids at Bayside High start their freshman year!

All your favorite characters – Zack, Slater, Kelly, Lisa, Screech and Jessie (and Mr. Belding, of course!) – are starting freshman year at Bayside High, trading in brick phones and mullets for iPhones and Twitter accounts. Does Lisa’s fashion show get on the air, and will Screech ever leave her alone? Will Jessie get that A+? And, most importantly, who’s Kelly going to go out with – preppy Zack or new star athlete A.C. Slater? It’s alright, ‘cause we’re saved by the bell!

Final Thoughts: There was no bigger television series for teens in the early 1990s' than Saved By the Bell. I have fond memories of running home after school just to watch the reruns that ran for two hours (back-to-back episodes on two different channels), and, then, of course I also watched the newest episodes on Saturday mornings. Despite the fact that the series has aged quite a bit (not to mention that it's slightly campy now), it's still aired today around the world.

IDW Publishing released the first Saved By the Bell comic book this year, which gives a complete makeover to Zach, Kelly, Slater, Jessie, Screech and Mr. Belding, by moving them from the 90s' to 2015. Yep, they now have iPhones, iPads, tablets, laptops, etc..

Overall, this Saved By the Bell graphic novel is a great way to introduce younger readers to the world of Bayside High School.

Woodstock: Masters of Disguise

by Charles M. Schulz

Book Description: Woodstock might be the smallest of all the Peanuts gang, but he’s got a lot to say, even if Snoopy is the only one who understands him. That’s because Snoopy is Woodstock’s “Friend of Friends,” and together they write masterpieces, fly airplanes, find the perfect place to nap, and win over the hearts of readers all over the world. Whether he’s falling in love with a snowflake or crash-landing on the tip of Snoopy’s nose, Woodstock is the little yellow bird with a big personality. It takes more than a strong wind to ruffle Woodstock’s feathers, although it’s a good thing he has Snoopy to keep his little yellow feet on the ground. Don’t miss out on the newest AMP! Peanuts collection featuring Woodstock, the most recognizable yellow bird in the world—even in disguise!

Final Thoughts: Come on, who doesn't like Snoopy!

While the Peanuts comic strips ended with the death of Charles M. Schulz in 2000, Charlie Brown & his pals are more popular than ever thanks to the holiday specials being reaired yearly and this year's computer-animated Peanuts film. Released earlier this year by Andrews McMeel Publishing, was the 224-page book, Woodstock: Masters of Disguise, which is a collection of Peanuts comic strips, featuring mostly Snoopy and his buddy, Woodstock.

Overall, Woodstock: Masters of Disguise is a cute little book showcasing some of the funniest Snoopy moments. It would make a great gift for any Peanuts fan.