From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Demons (1985)

Posted on June 3, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. For this one I will be talking about one of my favorite horror films as well as the comic book released by a U.K. record company based around it…and this film is the 1985 creepy classic Demons (or Demoni) and that record company is Rustblade Records. This is one I am very much looking forward to doing as Demons was one of those films I saw as a young teenager, and from the start it became one of my favorite fright films of all time as it’s up there with Tombs Of The Blind Dead, Halloween and Day Of The Dead for me. I see a strange man with a half metal mask handing out free movie tickets at the train station, so let’s grab our tickets and see what Rustblade and Demons has in store for us all, as I am sure it’s going to be a bloody good time.

Let’s start by taking a look at The Demons and their ways of dealing death to their victims as well as spreading their evil worldwide. The Demons are an ancient evil that will make cemeteries their cathedrals and the cities will be your tombs, and their reign of terror was even predicted by Nostradamus. The 1985 outbreak started inside a movie theater when the Man In Mask gave out free tickets to a screening at the train station to random people. Once inside the theater, the movie is a horror film about Demons and it along with a scratch to one of the guests caused by a Demon mask used as a promotional item starts the outbreak that quickly spreads throughout the theater via a bite or scratch from a Demon. When a person becomes infected, it’s very painful as they transform from being a human into a Demon and that means their teeth fall out, their nails fall off and turn into sharp fangs and long sharp nails. The Demons have a monstrous appearance that includes glowing eyes as well as green foam that pours from their mouths, and the site of them terrifies their victims. They are very violent and fast moving; they will kill their prey in packs and singly and are very dangerous as their main ways of killing is via their sharp teeth or their claws that shred flesh of their prey. They also seem to have the help of supernatural powers as once the outbreak starts the location’s exits disappear trapping the people inside and making it easier for them to be hunted down and slaughtered. The fact that they can infect people makes them much like zombies as their numbers can grow their threat level grows even higher for mankind. While The Demons are very dangerous and deadly, they can be stopped as they can be killed by being shot or slashed by a knife or even sword. The Demons are very deadly and while they can be destroyed they will truly bring Hell to Earth in their quest for chaos and death.

Now that we have talked about the Demons and their ways of killing as well as spreading their own kind, we should now take a look at the 80’s film they are from. And like always, I will be getting the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and then I will be writing about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, lets’ head to the theater and see what film is going to grace the screen on this invite only screening.

Demons (1985)

“A group of random people are invited to a screening of a mysterious movie, only to find themselves trapped in the theater with ravenous demons.”

Lamberto Bava, the son of the great Mario Bava, was also making a name for himself in the world of horror cinema as he had made the films The House Of Exorcism (1975), Shock (1977), Macabre (1980), A Blade In The Dark (1983) and Devil Fish (1984) when he had an idea to make a horror anthology film that would be about demons. He then would change it up to a trilogy of films that would have the same spooky structure of Demons, but they would only loosely tie together. So what was slated to be one of the short segments in the anthology film would be developed into a feature film with the screenplay being written by not only Bava but also Dardano Sacchetti, Franco Ferrini and Dario Argento with Argento also coming on as producer. It is said that during the writing of the film, there was a little tension regarding the changes that Argento and Ferrini wanted to make to the story. The film would be shot in both Germany and Italy for nine weeks and Sergio Stivaletti would handle the film’s effects that would also go on to team with Argento on other projects. When it came to casting they would bring in such actors as Natasha Hovey, Paola Cozzo, Nicoletta Elmi, Bobby Rhodes, Geretta Giancario, Michele Soavi, Lino Salemme, Fabiola Toledo, Fiore Argento to name a few. The film would be released in theaters in Italy on October 4, 1985 and would be a hit at the box office. When the film would be released on home media in America it would gain a cult following. Demons would get a sequel in 1986 and was supposed to get a third film that would have taken place on airplane or a church in later ideas that would be scrapped and production would instead go to working on the film The Church from 1989. There are some unofficial Demons 3 films that are The Ogre (1989) and Black Demons (1991), both films have nothing to do with the series but got the title slapped on it. And as the years pass, it looks like we will never get a official Demons 3 as it’s said that Dario Argento and Franco Ferrini don’t think anyone wants to see one…and I say they are wrong. In 1985 Demons was released alongside such other horror films as Friday The 13^th Part 5: New Beginning, A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Day Of The Dead, Fright Night, Howling II, House, Hard Rock Zombies, Ghoulies, Silver Bullet, The Stuff, The Bride, Blood Cult, Teen Wolf, Igor And The Lunatics, Night Train To Terror, Once Bitten, Cat’s Eye and Lifeforce, to name a few.

Demons is one of my favorite horror films of all time and is one that I watch several times a year since I first saw it as a teenager when my brother and I rented it from a Blockbuster Video during one of our iconic weekend long horror movie marathons. Demons is a film that I think packs in very scary bloody moments as the Demons themselves are brutal in their killing ways and it as well has a great score by Claudio Simonetti and a soundtrack that featured some of my favorite musical acts like Billy Idol and Motely Crue that just helped add to the dark and sinister events that are taking place in that movie theater as well as outside it. The look of the Demons in this film is pure nightmare fuel as the one that always stands out to me is the one that crawls out of the back of the character Kathy after she has been possessed. Something about that weird demon has always made my skill crawl, and that same Demon is on the cover for the VHS release put out by New World Video and was also on my phone case for many years. What works well for this film is that a group of mostly strangers are stuck inside a movie theater and are being chased around and slaughtered by Demons whose numbers keep growing the more they kill. Just imagine yourself in this situation: the fear, the dread and the pure terror that would be running through your body and soul as you try and survive. At my work many people ask me what horror movie should they watch that is not mainstream, and I always suggest Demons, and every time I see them again they tell me how much they loved it! I am very much a fan of Demons 2 as well because it holds the same raw and terrifying mood of the first and instead of a movie theater our characters are trapped inside a high-rise apartment building. Bava and Argento should have teamed up to make a third film in the series as the horror fans would have loved to seen another, as I myself have even thought of several locations that could be the place were the outbreak happens and the characters are trapped in like a soccer stadium, a in door mall or an amusement park. One other thing I have to point out is that actress Fabiola Toledo who plays Carmen is one good-looking lady! Demons really is like a zombie film as it’s about an outbreak of killing monsters attacking people and turning them into one of their own, but what sets The Demons apart from the undead is that they kill in order to end a life and not to feed. If you have never seen Demons and like your horror films filled with lots of blood, creepy villains, awesome music and a fast pace, make sure to give this film a watch.

So now that we have taken a look at Demons, both the film and the killing creatures, I think that it is now time for us to review the comic based on the film and its sequel. When it came to choosing which Demons comic series to do, I ended up picking the Rustblade one over the two issue Arrow mini comic series as this one just seemed like the right choice, and keep in mind at some point I will also more than likely cover the Arrow ones as well on a future update. I would like to thank Rustblade for having this comic in stock on their website and making this update possible, and on a side not the comic also came with the Claudio Simonetti score plus a print of the film’s movie poster. And I would like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. Let’s see if this comic can capture the creepy mood, bloody kills and over all downbeat dread that the film had.

Demons # 1 ***
Released in 2019 Cover Price $8.00 Rustblade # 1 of 1

Ingrid Haller has been plagued of a vision of her parents being killed by Demons and finding herself trapped in a car that is surrounded by them, and she has turned these nightmares into a book about a Kingdom Of Darkness and the demons that roam around it looking for ways to enter our world. After having a Q&A with readers, she heads home by taking the subway were she meets another woman named Ingrid who is selling items at the train station and the woman ends up giving her the silver demon mask for free before disappearing. Once on the train Ingrid finds that she has been followed by Bloom, Eric and Carl who rob her of her purse…but also on the train is George and Hannah with the young lady having a nasty looking wound and is feeling really sick as while Bloom keeps bullying Ingrid, Hannah turns into a Demon and starts to attack! The Punks attack the Demon Hannah but from her body comes a little Demon that kills George just as Ingrid and the Punks get off the train that was being driven by The Man In The Mask as they look for safety but find themselves in the Kingdom Of Darkness surrounded by a wasteland filled with people in cages and demons all around, while there they run into pimp Bob and his two ladies Rosemary and Carmen and he tells them that they all need to work together in order to get out of his Hell and they all agree and Bloom informs Ingrid that she know who she really is and the book she has written and is pissed when she finds the Demon mask hidden in her purse as she thinks this is the cause of all this nightmares going on around them. Things get worse when Bloom who has been cut has her blood drip onto the body of a Demon that wakes it up and it bites Rosemary turning her into a Demon who then attacks Bobby who then gets Carmen and down the line the survivors Carmen, Bloom, Carl and Eric become Demons leaving Ingrid all by herself surrounded by them as the Man In Mask appears and tells her that all hope is lost that is until movie theater Ingrid shows up holding the hand of the child version Ingrid Haller and makes her remember back to being trapped in that car surrounded by Demons after watching her parents and neighbors being killed and with this adult Ingrid Haller grabs the sword that is attached to a statue and starts slaying Demons, but soon she finds that she is in the hospital waking from a coma surrounded by Demons as her death is being shown on the big screen at the Metropol theater.

Well this was a fantastic read that for the most part did justice to the film series its based on as while at times it can get a little confusing in plot details it still did a great job of bringing the frights of the Demons as well as the dark mood set in the films. The plot has Ingrid Haller, a survivor of a Demon outbreak becoming a writer and finding herself in the mix of another that ends up taking her into the Kingdom Of Darkness and having to face the true nature of the attack she went through as a child. What is great is that characters from both Demons and Demons 2 appear in this comic as from the first film we see The Man In The Mask, Carmen, Rosemary, George, Hannah, Ingrid and Bob who is called Tony in the movie and from Demons 2 we have our main star Ingrid Haller who was a kid in the film and is an adult here…sort of as the younger version also appears. And besides the characters landmarks from the film also appear like the train, movie theater, demon mask, statue on motorbike, the apartment parking garage to name a few. Our main character Ingrid Haller was from Demons 2 and was played by Asia Argento, and her she finds herself in a strange reality that has her as a book writer but also being the target of the Man In Mask who is once more trying to usher in another Demon outbreak, and while at first she is scared of the demons and even bullied by some street punks by the end she finds her inner strength and armed with a sword sets to defended herself as well as try and protect the world. She also learns that the life she is living could not be a real one and she as well as all the other victims of the Demons outbreak is stuck in a world of damnation. There are other characters in this issue with the punks lead by Bloom being the only other ones who find them selves being attacked, killed and turned into Demons. The comic has its share of blood, nudity and violence as the Demons bite and claw their victims causing lots of the red stuff to splatter. There are also lots of throwbacks to the film series such as the couple who are choked to death in the theater with the red rope while making out, giving it that nostalgic feel for fans of the films…also giving us an almost hunt on each panel to see clues or parts taken from the films to spot. The cover for this comic is very eye catching as it shows Ingrid Haller holding the silver demons mask with demons all around her and if you are a fan of these films this cover with the films title logo in yellow is truly awesome. The interior artwork is done by the super talented Simona Simone who is truly one of the best artists in the Horror Comic world going as she does a top notch job of making characters look like actors as well as the way she draws the Demons themselves is spooky good. She is also the same artist who did the comic from Mardi Gras Massacre for Severin that you can read about here. This comic is also larger in size and is not your normal American standard as it’s taller and wider, so to bag and board it you will need a larger size than Golden or Magazine. If you like your horror comics based off cult films of the 80s filled with terror and blood, or like your horror mixed with a dream like fever feel than make sure to get this comic and give it a read. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Simone in this comic.

And as you can see, Demons is one of those horror films that could easily be made into a great horror comic or series and I would love to see a publisher like Eibon Press tackle doing so. I also wish that Rustblade Records would make more comics as they could truly be a powerhouse in the world of horror comics based on films, plus I wonder why they never did an issue # 2 for Demons? Well out time at the Metropol is coming to an end but do not fear our time with spooky hhorror comics based on frightful horror films is still going strong, as our next update will be about the 2003 short horror film called Farmer Joe that was released Independent B Movie and got the comic book treatment from Blood Scream Comics. So until next time, make sure to read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. So make sure for the next update you have some seeds ready for Farmer Joe as he is looking for a new crop to grow and a few heads to roll.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

Posted on October 2, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Happy October 2024! For this one, we will be having a very cool “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that will be based on one of my favorite 80’s zombie films, a film with an amazing soundtrack, great characters and has scary and yet funny zombies and I am of course talking about the horror comedy film Return Of The Living Dead from 1985! This punk rock Horror fright flick is a staple for many fans of the genre as it not only has creepy moments but it also has some great funny ones highlighted by iconic songs that stick in your brain your whole life. What we will be taking a look at for this review is a graphic novel written by actor Don Calfa who played Mortician Ernie in the film based on his script for the film’s sequel that he wanted to get made way back when. So if you are ready, let’s party with the dead at the local cemetery and see if Trash will take off her cloths again!

The zombies that make up Return Of The Living Dead are super dangerous and could be some of the most dangerous undead we have ever covered here on Rotten Ink! The zombies in this film are mostly pack killers and swarm a victim given a human no place to escape. They come in all types of decay, from the newly dead to the long dead with only a skeleton remaining, and this grizzly appearance they have is enough to scare the life out of their victims and cause extreme panic. The zombies use their teeth and hands to rip and tear human skin and even skulls apart as they eat brains and this is a very painful death for the living. The zombies also can move fast and run as well as can speak and have intelligence that they use to trick and capture their next meal. They are reanimated back to life thanks to Trioxin, a gas created by the government that can also infect the living if exposed direct to it making the infected person slowly die and turn into a brain craver. The zombies also can survive attacks and even removal of body parts, in fact the pieces even try to attack making their danger level even higher for the living as every part of them want to try and make you dead. But while hacking, smashing and shooting don’t seem to work, even if you target the brain they can be stopped by being burnt to ashes and as well being blown to bits thanks to say a massive bomb dropped on them. But even with that, people need to be scared as the smoke from their burning flesh will infect the weather and cause acid rain that once it leaks into the ground at your local cemetery the dead will rise again and this cycle will repeat. I truly think up to this point on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update that the zombies from Return Of The Living Dead are the most dangerous ones we have covered, as it seems that only luck can truly stop them from expanding their ever growing army.

Okay, now that we know how the zombie kill and just how dangerous they are to the living in the Return Of The Living Dead universe, let’s now take some time and chat about the iconic film they are from as we head to the party of the living dead! And like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then after that I will be writing about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on it. So wear a helmet, as these partygoers want brains and be aware they also stink to high heaven!

Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

“When a bumbling pair of employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to re-animate as they go on a rampage through Louisville, Kentucky seeking their favorite food, brains.”

Return Of The Living Dead originally was the brainchild of Night Of The Living Dead co-creator John Russo, who, after splitting away from George A. Romero, ended up owning the “Living Dead” aspect of the film. In 1979, he wrote a sequel to the film called “Return Of The Living Dead” as a novel and years down the line producer Tom Fox wanted to bring his novel to the big screen in 3D with Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper at the helm. But after Hooper left the project scriptwriter Dan O’Bannon was brought in to direct as well as rewrite the script as many of the people involved in the film’s production thought that Russo’s draft was weak and slightly cheesy. The film was then cast with such names as Clu Gulager, Don Calfa, James Karen, Thom Mathews, Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Jewel Shepard and Linnea Quigley to name a few making up our human cast and names like Allan Trautman, Jerome Coleman, Terrence Houlihan and David Bond being casted in undead roles. The film was shot in Bakersfield, California and was a stressful experience for the actors and crew as this was O’Bannon’s first film and he and producers seemed to clash over much of the film’s very tight filming schedule. The films music was from such bands as The Cramps, The Damned, SSQ, 45 Grave and Roky Erickson and became truly part of the film’s cult following. The film was released in theaters on August 16, 1985 and did pretty well at the American Box Office bringing in over $14.2 million dollars on a budget of $4 million. And the film was a hit with film critics and fans and would go on to gain even more cult status when released on home media as well as shown on cable TV. The film was released alongside these other classic Horror and Cult films Teen Wolf, A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Fright Night, Weird Science, Friday The 13^th V: A New Beginning, Cat’s Eye, Silver Bullet, Lifeforce, Once Bitten, Godzilla 1985, The Bride, Re-Animator and my favorite Zombie film of all time Day Of The Dead. And for those of you who really want an in-depth look at the making of this film, check out the documentary called “More Brains! A Return To The Living Dead” as it deep dives into the film’s history and showcases it better than I ever could.

Return Of The Living Dead was a film I first saw on VHS when my brother and I rented it from a local video store and it quickly became one of my favorites as everything about it brought me so much joy and entertainment! I can remember loving the looks of the zombies and of course Tarman was the standout of the undead creatures but I also always liked the rotten look of them all as when I think of zombies these mixed with the Romero amd Fulci film versions are what comes to mind. The film also had a kickass soundtrack with lots of super catchy songs with the likes of “Surfin’ Dead” by The Cramps, “Partytime” by 45 Grave, “Dead Beat Dance” by The Damned and “Tonight (We’ll Make Love Until We Die)” by SSQ being some of my favorites, and it was great hearing The Damned on a soundtrack as they were a band I was a big fan of thanks to the BBC show “The Young Ones” were they performed the song Nasty for a Halloween special. Way back before the days of DVD and Blu-Ray, I had to find this film on VHS to own and that was a quest as the film was very hard to find, and when you did finally find it, the tape carried a very high price tag, and when I finally found it at a second had store I felt like I had found one of the holy grails to my collection…now the film is super easy to find on every format, but for that brief time I can remember all my friends who were into Horror always wanted to watch it when they came over. My favorite character in the film was Spider played by one of my favorite genre actors Miguel A. Nunez Jr. as the character is a punk but also seems to truly care about his friends as well as the safety for other people, and of course everybody loves Trash played by Linnea Quigley as what is not to love about a sexy naked punk rock woman who ends up turning into a brain eating zombie! I am sure I am not the only one who is going to say this, but if you love 80’s Horror, Zombie Films and just Horror in general and have not seen this one, make sure to watch Return Of The Living Dead as it is a fun Horror Comedy film that brings the blood splatter and belly laughs. Also do yourself a favor and just buy this film on VHS, DVD or Blu-Ray as it as well as the films soundtrack on Cassette, Vinyl or CD are working owning in your collection.

I love Return Of The Living Dead, as it’s a film that is easily in my Top 5 Favorite Zombie Films of all time and is a film that I think every horror fan should watch as well as own on physical media in their film collections like I have said above. There is something special about the film as all the elements just seem to work perfectly together and that’s from the directing, acting, music, effects and even set design this is just a well made and great Horror Film that deserves all the praise it gets as well as the Cult status it built for itself. We are now at the review part of this update and I would like to first thank Dead Mouse for making this Graphic Novel and making this update possible, I would also like to say Rest In Peace to actors Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa, Mark Venturini, Cathleen Cordell and any others that passed away as they helped make this film amazing and all did fantastic work in their respected roles. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head into the cemetery and party with the living dead.

Revenge Of The Living Dead # 1 **
Released in 2019 Cover Price $14.99 Dead Mouse # 1 of 1

The bomb has missed it’s target in Kentucky to contain the zombie outbreak and only wiped out some of them. Tina and Ernie are able to survive in the mortuary while across the street in the warehouse Spider, Casey and Chuck survive but boards have fallen on Burt, and they think he is dead. The groups all meet up at the mortuary and are happy to see some of their friends made it out alive from the undead attack as well as the army bomb attack. And best of all they find that embalming fluid can keep the zombie versions of Frank and Freddy (who both also survived) under control and Ernie comes up with the idea of taking one of the ambulances, loading it with some trioxin from the warehouse and using it as well as the two now controlled zombie to expose what the government is up to! Once back in the warehouse Spider and Ernie take out Tarman who has placed his head back on as zombie Frank and Freddy get the trioxen from the basement and load it, and then the group escape and hide as the army is moving in with foot soldiers and vehicles again and have orders to kill everything in site! Ernie and the others watch as all around them the zombies and soldiers are clashing with both sides losing members. Our heroes end up in a mall parking lot and have to kill a truck driver they saved that got bit before arming themselves and having to fight off the attacking zombies who have even killed the military general! As Tina and Casey move the vehicle away from the battle Ernie, Spider and Chuck armed with tons of firearms start blasting the undead. Ernie and the others are able to escape and get away and come in contact with the military and after a brief standoff Ernie, Tina, Spider, Casey and Chuck are able to trade the remaining trioxen and the dead Frank and Freddy for their freedom. While back with the military, the zombies arrive and both Frank and Freddy as well go on the attack and kill them all as even one of the canisters cracks open and creates a new Tarman. The comic ends with Ernie and the others getting to freedom as back in front of the warehouse Burt is alive and fighting off zombies.

Revenge Of The Living Dead is a pretty entertaining read but is also kind of a letdown on several levels as it does not feel like it even is the same universe as the film its based on and while many of the films characters are around, they seem off and not like they should as it was very clear that Don Calfa was one of the writers as the character he plays Ernie is the main focus and is the main hero with all the other returning characters playing background players to his story of survival. The graphic novel’s plot has the bomb attack by the Government on Kentucky being a failure and with that many of the zombies are still running wild but also Ernie, Spider, Chuck, Tina and Casey also have survived and are trying to find away out of the warzone as now armed soldiers are being sent out to kill anything moving, and a subplot has Ernie figuring out that embalming fluid can help keep the undead under control for a short amount of time and uses it on Freddy and Frank to help him and the others get out alive. Ernie is the hero of this GN as he is the one that gets all the remaining punks together, sets all the plans in motion, finds a possible slowdown for the zombie infection and is the one that uses his mind to get himself and the others out of harm’s way buy bribing the military for their freedom. And Spider, Tina, Casey and Chuck are along for the ride taking orders from Ernie and being background players and only doing something big to help when Ernie commands it…and that is a big disappointment…as is the fact Ernie’s ankle injury seems to vanish really quickly as the story goes on. The GN also spends a lot of time with the military and the Generals arguing and being really bad at their jobs, and this “humor” is a little silly and felt more at place in a Looney Tunes cartoon. The zombies are all around with even Tarman and Trash making appearances and are super hungry for brains and the kills are bloody and gooey, plus we even get to see the body of Suicide still in the basement of the warehouse right were Tarman left it. The cover for this graphic novel is very cool and showcases all the main characters of this book, and Jason Miller is the interior artist who has a cartoonish style that is really good and cool…but not the style I would think of when it comes to Return Of The Living Dead. And that is kind of how I feel about this graphic novel as a whole; while it really is a “unofficial” sequel to the film, nothing about it even feels like the film, again sure characters and locations return but everything just seems off. I am glad I have this GN for my collection and it was a charming read, I sadly have to say I was over all letdown as I was looking for the punk rock charm that the film had in a comic, instead got the character of Ernie trying to be a more with it version of Ash from the Evil Dead films. I think I made my expectations way to high due to my love of the film and the fact Don Calfa wrote it. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Miller in this GN and see if you think it has that ROTLD feel.

I really wanted to like Revenge Of The Living Dead more than I did, I just could not get past some of the flaws that just took me out of it…like the mind controlled Freddy and Frank are dressed in suits and are acting like servants to Ernie, like why was that a thing as Frank burns to death in the film and Freddy was super scary as the blinded by acid zombie who was still trying to charm his girlfriend while talking about eating her brains…here in the GN they are just tools that truly add nothing to the story as the whole can be controlled by the embalming fluid goes nowhere. And sadly I am not the only one in my circle of friends who read Horror Comics that was letdown by this one. But let’s hope that sometime in the future a publisher like Eibon Press, HorrorHound Comics, Dynamite Comics, IDW or even a returning Fangoria Comics get a chance at doing a series based on Return Of The Living Dead and get all the right creators to make it what it should be and that’s a scary funny, brain eating, punk rock, fist shaking great time. With that, let’s leave the world of zombies behind and head into the world of voodoo as the countdown to Halloween 2024 continues and we take a look at Mardi Gras Massacre and the comic book based on it. So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update for a sleazy good time in the Big Easy.

Top Dog: The K-9 Who Ruled Star Comics

Posted on February 2, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Star Comics, the kids branch of Marvel Comics in the 80’s, was one of many reasons why I became a life long comic reader. They did some amazing comics based on some of the most popular cartoons and toys of the time with Masters Of The Universe and Thundercats being some of my favorites that I can remember getting issues of at the grocery and convenience stores, and I loved reading about the adventures of He-Man and Lion-O in the pages. Besides the popular licensed characters, Star Comics also did a slew of original characters,t some of which we have already covered like Wally The Wizard and others being Planet Terry, Meet Misty, Royal Roy, Spider-Ham. Among my favorites of the original characters is Top Dog, a boy’s pet who was always up for adventure and oh yeah, could talk! And for those wondering Spider-Ham was always my favorite original character created for Star Comics. This update will also be kicking off Dog Month as I have two other updates about classic comic canines on tap to make this February just a little more fun. So let’s sit back and relax and spend some time with Top Dog, that canine of mystery.

Top Dog is not like your normal dog as he can talk as well as is super smart, and comes to live with the Jordan family after he befriends the son Joey who knows of Top Dogs smarts but is sworn not to share his secret…cause Top Dog was actually an agent who worked for the Government for many years and this has made him a target of many criminals of all types. Throughout the run of the comic series Top Dog and Joey would have all types of adventures and would even meet the likes of Royal Roy, Peter Parker and Heathcliff. The character Top Dog was created by the team of Lennie Herman and Warren Kremer in 1985 for Star Comics and it would run for 14 issues and would end in 1987, but even after the series ended the character would appear sometimes in the Heathcliff comic series. And years after that Top Dog would appear in the Marvel Comics series X-Babies showing that the character will never fully go away. Top Dog was one of the original characters created for Star Comics and for the most part was I think at least in my circle of friends was one of the most popular ones as I knew more kids that read his issues than I did Planet Terry, Royal Roy and Wally The Wizard and he was only rivaled by Spider-Ham. It’s a shame that Top Dog is just sitting around Marvel Comics collecting dust as they could easily place him into the Marvel Universe again as I mean they have all types of strange creatures around now, he is smart why not place him in New York or even have him lead a Animal version of The Avengers with the likes of Spider-Ham, Howard The Duck, Devil Dinosaur and Rocket Raccoon. But Marvel these days lack the imagination that use to make them the House Of Ideas and seem to be more into their MCU and creating the same plotted movies over and over again with the same style humor recycled over and over. And I can hear you all saying now “but the movies make billions” and I get it, but I think if they spent more time on the comics as well with fresh and entertaining ideas their sales would pick up and they could even…gasp bring in new readers! But don’t get me started on the state of Marvel and DC Comics as I could go on forever and this update is about Top Dog and I should say that fans of Star Comics as well as classic kids comics should track down his issues and give them a read, as they are enjoyable.

So as you can see, Top Dog really is a fun character that brought entertainment to his readers in the 1980’s and is truly a character that should be used and be around to this day, and now I think this is the time that we start reviewing the comics and I have to admit I am very much looking forward to reading these comics again as I have not read them sense I was a kid and they were originally being released, so it will be interesting to see if they hold up and still hold that charm like they did decades ago for me. I would also like to thank Bell Book And Comic, Mavericks Cards And Comics as well as Lone Star Comics for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready, let’s see what kind of adventures Top Dog is going to have and if they are as awesome as I remember them being.

Top Dog # 1 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 1 of 14

Top Dog and Joey are playing baseball in the basement when his Mom hears him and they two have to be quite so that she does not learn Top Dog’s secret of talking. Then Joey and Top Dog think back about a few days ago and how they meet. Joey was playing baseball in the park with friends and chases a homerun ball into the woods and meets Top Dog a talking dog who friends Joey and the two make a pact to keep his talking a secret and Joey takes Top Dog home to live with him and his family. As Top Dog and Joey are walking home Joey tries to help Top Dog on how to act like a real dog, and once home Joey’s Mom falls in love with him as does his Dad and even his sister Lizzie seems to be coming around. The next day Top Dog and Joey start racing each other and rich kid Mervin Megabucks hears Top Dog talk and tries to buy him, Joey says no deal and denies the talking but Top Dog gets dognapped by Mervin and his chauffer Slyme and taken to the family mansion. And Top Dog watches as Mervin kicks out his old dog Bruno in order to make room for him, and in order to make Top Dog talk Mervin throws him into a heat box trying to fry him into talking. Joey sneaks around the mansion and ends up finding Tog Dog in the heat box and as Mervin and Slyme approach they trick them to let Top Dog out of the box by having him speak and then Joey makes it look like he was doing the voice to pull a prank on Mervin and then Joey and Top Dog make an escape from the Mansion even bringing down the robot guards that Mervin has sent after them, and once free they head home.

This is such a fun first issue and was a great one to get young readers hooked as it has lots of stuff to get their attention like a talking dog, a Spider-Man t-shirt wearing kid, robots, baseball and even a rich kid who gets made to look like a fool…so in other words those readers who dislike Ritchie Rich and Royal Roy will like seeing Mervin Megabucks being made a fool of as he truly is a terrible rich brat. Top Dog in this issue is hiding out in the park reading a newspaper and enjoying his life away from drama and his stressful life and finds that acting like a normal dog and living with the Jordan family could be a great life and get away for him, as it’s clear his new friendship with young Joey is something special as the youngster keeps his secret of being a super smart and talking dog. Speaking of Joey Jordan he is a normal kid who loves baseball and Spider-Man and is a good kid with a good family and is very loyal to his new friend and I guess pet Tog Dog. And while Lizzie Jordan is Joey’s mean older sister the true baddies of this comic is Mervin Megabucks who is a rich bratty kid who gets what he wants and steals a dog after not being able to buy it and then treats his old dog as well as his chauffeur Slyme terrible all the while seeming like he is taking great joy being as rude and snotty as possible. I mean you have to feel bad for his old dog Bruno that he just kicks out of his life when he thinks he has a new more special dog you know Mervin is truly scum. The stories are lots of fun and have that classic kids comic charm and yet also has that 80’s Marvel Comics charm to it making for a very enjoyable read that truly held up for me. The cover is great and very eye catching as it does a great job of showcasing Top Dog and the interior art done by Warren Kremer is great stuff and has that Marvel Comics charm with that dash of 80’s kid’s comic style. Over all a great read and if you have not read Top Dog check out this first issue as it does a great job of showing you want you are in for with the rest of the series.

Top Dog # 2 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 2 of 14

Joey Jordan has to go to sleep as it’s a school night and he has a big test the next day, as Joey gets ready for bed Tog Dog sneaks out the window to go disco dancing and later a dog that looks like Top Dog creeps into a hole in a fence at a military base and acts as the tech labs watch dog at night, they call him Spike and when everyone is gone Spike takes out a little camera and takes photos of all the Top Secret plans and deliveries them to Foreign Spies who call the Dog Vladamir via hidden in the morning paper. And the next morning Joey sends Top Dog out to get a paper so he can write paper for school and Top Dog runs into the spies who steal the paper form him thinking that more top-secret photos are inside, while Spike looses his paper and Tog Dog finds it and takes it to Joey and they find the film with the stolen secrets! You see Spike is really a little person named Vladamir who is acting as a dog in order to steal from the USA Military to help his country with these stolen tank blue prints. Top Dog and Joey set a plan in motion to get all the Spies captured by the F.B.I and after tricking Spike and getting the two other Spies to show up at the lab and Tog Dog acting as Spike and using things around the lab to trip up the baddies the F.B.I show up and arrest them as well as Spike who ends up showing up and getting blamed by his now captured spy friends for this missions failure. Joey and Top Dog sneak away and are heroes that helped save America from spies who wished our nation ill.

The second issue of Top Dog is just as much of a fun read as the first issue and in this issue Tog Dog and Joey Jordan setting up spies in order to stop them from taking stolen top secret tank designs back to their country, and after making the baddies look silly they are able to get them all arrested by the F.B.I who are more than happy to take them away. In this issue Top Dog is having fun living with The Jordan’s and being the best friend of Joey but also likes going out at night to hit the clubs, but when he stumbles on a Spy Ring he uses his smarts to bring them down. Joey Jordan is proud of his new “pet” dog as they two are quickly becoming best friends, and he is also very much down to help Top Dog bring down the spies as well and even endangers himself to do so. The Spies are tricky and use one of their own to dress as a dog and act as the bases guard dog in order to steal the plans, and yet they are also out smarted by a talking dog and a young kid. I like in this issue that we see that Top Dog is also good at throwing darts and likes to Disco Dance and will do what is right for America when he finds that people are trying to do our nation wrong. I also like that we get a look at Joey’s room and that he has a poster of The Incredible Hulk as all kids should. This issue also shows that Mom Jordan is wanting to know more about Top Dog as Lizzie Jordan is still being rude to the canine. The cover for this issue is very cool and eye catching as it shows Top Dog showing off is multi tasking skills. The interior artwork was done by the talented Warren Kremer again who I am a fan of as his kid comic work is great stuff and captures that 80’s style used in them. Over all a great issue and it as well held up really well for me as I liked this issue as a kid and like it now as an adult, lets see what issue three is all about.

Top Dog # 3 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 3 of 14

The TV News has been covering the Mad Biter a dog that has been biting people around town and has yet to be caught! While Joey and Top Dog are outside on a walk they run into Larry Lewis who wants Joey to go to the movies with him, but Joey tells him that he and Top Dog need to finish their walk and this upsets Larry who hates Top Dog and storms off only to be bitten by the Mad Biter! And Larry gets an idea and calls the cops and says that Top Dog is the Mad Biter and this leads to Top Dog betting arrested and put into a jail for criminal canines! But once Joey gets Top Dog out on bail and after visiting Larry late at night and making him think he his having nightmares about how he has wronged Tog Dog he is proving innocent and set free. Now Top Dog and Joey are looking for the true Mad Biter and they find a patron and know that he will attack next at the library and worse Lizzie is on her way to the library and finds herself in the path of The Mad Biter who goes for the attack but is knocked away by Top Dog who gets the dog to chase him into the park and then punches and knocks out The Mad Biter and the cops are able to take the crazed dog away and Top Dog is a hero. In the end Joey, Top Dog, Lizzie and Larry are all hanging out watching TV and enjoying the day.

Yet another great issue that held up and delivers a fun and entertaining read as this issue has Top Dog being framed for crimes he did not do and sent to jail and has to go to court in order to clear his name and when he finally does so he and Joey has to try and bring the real Mad Biter to justice as well as save Lizzie who is about to be the next bite victim! In this issue Top Dog is having a great day, but do to one young man’s jealousy he is blamed for a crime and finds himself in jail, court and later in the path of the true criminal dog and all the while the people of the town have turned fearful of him all besides Joey and his sister Lizzie who stick by him. Top Dog also in this issue shows that he can act like a dog even under pressure and can also fist fight with the best of them as he knocks the real mean dog silly with a series of punches. Joey Jordan is upset when his friend Tog Dog is blamed for the rash of animal attacks and even comes up with a good plan that ends up clearing his name and getting him out of doggie jail. And you also have to give Lizzie Jordan some respect as in court she stands with Top Dog and gives him credit when he saves her from being bitten. Larry Lewis who is a friend of Joey’s is the one that starts all the drama for him when he spreads the story that Top Dog is the canine going around biting people and this is all cause he feels that Joey spends to much time with his pet and not enough time hanging out with him! Oh course Larry learns his lesson and feels bad for what he has done to his friend innocent dog and makes things right. The Mad Biter is a dog that is mad at humans for some reason and is biting them all over town and causing fear and panic, but when he runs into Top Dog he gets knocked out and captured and now will pay for his crimes. The parts that have Top Dog in Doggie Jail is great stuff as he is surrounded by lots of mean dogs and even his fist fight with The Mad Biter are the highlights. The cover is really cool and the interior art once more done by Warren Kremer is solid great stuff. Another great kid comic read and shows why Top Dog was a well loved original character in the world of Star Comics.

Top Dog # 4 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 4 of 14

While at the mall Joey and Top Dog are looking around when a man named Morrison recognizes Tog Dog and this causes the talking canine to panic and he and Joey run all the way home. Once back and safe in Joey’s room Top Dog tells Joey that he use to be called Mr. X and was the creator of the super computer in Washington D.C and he is the only one that can work it, but he left due to the pressure and that Morrison is the only one who knows his secret, but they have been followed home as a rock with a note comes from the window telling Top Dog they need his help. Top Dog takes the job as he has to help his country and best part is Morrison has brought the super computer with him and the case is a threat that was made to the President about bringing down the country with fake money unless he is given real money and the criminal is Eddie Etch. Top Dog is able to trick Eddie and ends up in the criminal’s hideout but after going for a device that will drop the fake money all over America via a satellite in space goes off Top Dog and the computer must come up with a plan that will push all the money to the ocean and he is able to pull it off saving America from the fake cash drop. The government is able to arrest Eddie and the town people end up getting an Ice Cream shop as a fake one was built as a base and Top Dog makes Morrison open if for the favors that Government asked of him.

This fourth issue truly turns Top Dog into a man of mystery as his back story of working for the government is starting to come to light and now Joey knows just how smart and unique his new friend really is, as not only does he bring down a criminal but he is also the one who created and can control a Super Computer that America needs to solve some big problems. The comic also lets us know that this is only a small part of Top Dog’s secrets as it appears he did more stuff for our country than just the computer, and you know as this series goes on we will see more and more of his past. In this issue Top Dog goes from being in a panic about being found by one of his past co-workers to becoming a spy and hero that saves America from a rash of fake cash that will causes prices to skyrocket! Plus as before it shows just how smart and skilled Top Dog is as he uses them both in order to help America as well as the people of the town he now lives by getting them ice cream! Joey who is just a regular kid finds himself being apart of the plan to try and stop this attack and now being around Top Dog he finds himself on more and more adventures that most normal kids would never be able to go on. Eddie Etch is a criminal who wants to be rich and his idea of getting lots of money is to threaten to flood America with fake cash if he is not given real cash so that he can build a mansion, he also is super smart as he carries a remote control around that if he presses a button the fake money will fall from the sky as it will drop from space cause its all stashed inside of a satellite. Its lots of fun seeing Top Dog work his butt off super fast to solve this case and it’s also cool that we get to also learn that he is liking his life with the Jordan family. The cover for this issue is fun and has a big figure pointing at a shocked Top Dog and like before the interior art by Kremer is really great, and for some reason the way he drew Eddie reminded me of a drunk, addicted version of Bluto from Popeye. Over all once more a great issue and packs lots of fun and some silly moments and shows that Star Comics was the king of Kids Comics in the mid 1980’s.

Top Dog # 5 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 5 of 14

Top Dog has to do one more job for the government and he and Joey head to the backroom at the ice cream parlor and Morrison fills them in on what is needed and that is to stop the invisible criminal named Mr. Invisible who has grown bored of stealing jewels and money and now craves power as he wants the current President to step down and appoint him as the new President! Top Dog goes to work on the computer and finds that a pearl that is in Egypt can block the power of the amulet that give Mr. Invisible his powers. Once in Egypt Joey and Top Dog go looking for the pearl and unknown to them they are being followed by that sinister Mr. Invisible who makes it very hard for them to find the only item that can stop his crime wave. Once Top Dog has the pearl in hand Mr. Invisible tries to steal it from his hand, crashes their plane, pops their raft while at sea and tries to have one of his stooges get it…all attempts fail and in the end both the pearl and amulet fall into the sea and are lost and Mr. Invisible is arrested and his threat to America is over.

This issue has Top Dog and Joey Jordan once more on a mission for the Government with this time having to stop a invisible criminal who wants to become President of America in order to have power! Top Dog as always uses his smarts as well as skills to pull off this adventure as he is able to use the Super Computer, find the pearl, tricks Mr. Invisible and his Goon friend into dropping the amulet into the sea and is of course able to make the world think he is just a normal dog. Joey Jordan is also very helpful in this case as he helps trip up Mr. Invisible and he also is able to make people think he is Mr. X in order to cover for Top Dog. Mr. Invisible started out as a petty criminal and when finding the amulet during a museum heist gets the power to stay invisible and this helps him pull off bigger and better crimes, but also has driven him into a power trip as now he thinks he can bully the President Of The United States and force himself into that position…and of course he is wrong as Top Dog will not allow it! I like that in this issue Top Dog and Joey travel to Egypt and have to climb a pyramid in order to find a secret pearl hidden in one of the blocks, I wish that a Mummy would have showed up as that would have been lots of fun to see. Top Dog in these last two issues has truly turned into a canine version of James Bond as he is a government agent sent on missions that affect his country…just done more with a kids comic silly nature. The cover for this issue is pretty fun and has Top Dog and Joey being stalked by Mr. Invisible who has a gun pulled on them behind their backs. And to sound like a broken record the interior artwork is great and done by Warren Kremer who showcases just how great of an artist he is. We are five issues in and all of them have held up and are great solid reads.

Top Dog # 6 **1/2
Released in 1986 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 6 of 14

Top Dog and Joey Jordan are swimming at a water hole and Mervin Megabucks and his chauffeur Slyme show up once more as Melvin makes another offer to buy Top Dog as he wants him for his collection as he knows he can talk, and this offer of course is shot down. Melvin then heads to the two mad scientists Frank and Stein that live in the castle lab on his land and gets them to use a hypno beam on Top Dog that will force him to want to live with Melvin, and the beam works as Joey watches as his canine friend leaves with the two scientist back to the Megabucks estate. Once inside the castle lab Top Dog snaps out of his trance and comes up with a plan to act like a rabid dog and chases Melvin, Frank and Stein all around the lab growling and acting as if he is going to bite them! Joey comes to the Mansion to talk to Top Dog about his rude leaving without saying goodbye but instead is given back Top Dog as Melvin thinks the canine is crazy! In the end Joey and Top Dog head home as Melvin and his two looney scientists are left back at the lab happy to have not been bitten. Days later Joey has to take Top Dog to the vet for a checkup and things get crazy when after given gross tasting medicine Top Dog sneaks into a bathroom to brush his teeth and the Vet sees all the foam and thinks he is rabid! But in the end Joey covers for him and acts as if Top Dog eats toothpaste and once home and a prank pulled by Joey that has toothpaste in a dog bowl, Top Dog eats a good dinner to end a stressful day.

Issue six is a very fun read but does something that the other issues did not and that is have a backup story as well as two single page gag stories to fill the page count as the main story falls a little short in the length department. The main story while a fun is also this point the weakest of any of the main stories as the issue has Top Dog being brainwashed to want to live with the rich kid Melvin only for him to snap out of it and acted crazy in order to scare his kidnapper who in return give him back to Joey just to get him away from his estate. The stories is filled with two mad scientists Frank and Stein who add a dash of kid friendly Horror elements to the adventure, but they are mostly used as a gag as they each say each others name like they are introducing themselves to everyone who gets their names mixed up. Mervin Megabucks is as scummy as ever as he tries to once more buy and steal Top Dog and treats everyone around him like dirt, so it’s nice to see him be scared silly by Top Dog who does a great job of acting rabid. Joey Jordan in this issue is very sad when he thinks Top Dog leaves his family in order to love with Melvin as it hurt him that his canine best friend didn’t even say goodbye, he of course learns later that his friend was dognapped. The second story is ok and is more just a long joke about toothpaste and Top Dog brushing his teeth in order to get a bad taste out of his mouth. While this issue is good it just lacks a little of the charm of the past five issues and leaves it feeling a little more lackluster. The cover is very cool and has Top Dog in the hot seat while being looked at by two mad scientists and as you guess the interior artwork is done by Kremer still and is really good stuff. Over all a good issue that only slips a little but still delivers an entertaining read.

Top Dog # 7 ***
Released in 1986 Cover Price .75 Star Comics # 7 of 14

In the kingdom of Cashelot Royal Roy and his pet toothless alligator Gummy are listening as his father King Regal is arguing with the King of a surrounding natuon who wants to take over one of the kingdoms water reservoirs as there is empty and this is leading to a possible war between the two kingdoms. The United States steps in and calls on Morrison to call Top Dog in order to use the Super Computer in order to find a way for the war not to happen and for the nation of Lessavia to get the water they need. And the answer is for Top Dog to get to Cashelot and cook a great meal for the two Kings and this will cause the two to come to peace and work out this water crisis, and of course Joey has to go to Cashelot as well with Top Dog for his cover. Once at Cashelot Joey, Top Dog and Morrison under a hood going as Top Chef are greeted by Royal Roy, Gummy and Ascott who rush the three Americans to the castle, but unknown to them Count Archduke Von Krunch the sinister cousin of the Royal family is on the way to the castle as well to try and ruin the big meal to set a plan in effect that will have his take control of Cashelot. Once in the kitchen Top Dog gets to work on the meal as Joey and Morrison try and help keep everyone out of the kitchen, but when Joey is sent out to get some spices he is kidnapped by Von Krunch and this causes Royal Roy and Top Dog to rush out and find him and Morrison is left alone to continue the meal. Once Top Dog saves Joey from a locked room at the castle they all rush back to the castle only to find that the meal is done, and is super hot and both Kings have to help each other using water and this causes peace between the two nations as they both get a laugh out of the super hot meal.

This is such a cool issue as it brings Top Dog together with another Star Comics original character Royal Roy (Read Here For His Update) and it’s pulled off pretty well! In this issue’s plot Royal Roy’s kingdom is about to go to war with another kingdom over water and the only one who can save the day is Top Dog who is also a great chef and can make a meal that brings peace, but of course things go crazy when Joey is kidnapped and Top Dog and Royal Roy has to save him even though it puts the meal in trouble. Top Dog is shown now to be a chef that’s food is so good that it causes peace to breakout between warring nations. And because he is a talking canine he has to hide around the Kingdom of Cashelot as a regular dog and also must dodge Gummy the pet of Roy who wants the play. Joey does what he can to help Top Dog on this mission and is very honored to meet Royal Roy who is kind of an idol to many of kids. And poor Morrison has to wear a hood over his head and act as if he is the one known as Top Chef in order to cover for Top Dog so that the meal can be made. Royal Roy, Gummy and Ascott are around and do what they can to help get Top Dog and his friends to the Royal Kitchen as well as find the missing Joey when he is taken by the issues main villain that goofball baddie and Royal Roy cousin Count Archduke Von Krunch who fails in his attempt to try and ruin the meal and take over the Kingdom. I like how Gummy who is a toothless alligator that acts like a dog wants to play with Top Dog who tries his best to get away from him as he has a world saving meal to make, I also like that Royal Roy and his cast take more of a backseat and do not outshine Top Dog and Joey who are the main stars throughout. The cover is cool and showcases both the main Top Dog and Royal Roy characters and yep the interior is great and done by Kremer again. A very cool crossover issue that was a blast to read back then and even now as it did both comic series justice.

Top Dog # 8 ***
Released in 1986 Cover Price .75 Star Comics # 8 of 14

Top Dog hears Mom Jordan and Lizzie talking about a surprise party the next day for Joey’s birthday and he leaves a note and heads out to find a gift for his friend, but the note is very basic and makes it sound as if Top Dog was leaving for good. While out looking for a gift Top Dog is hit by a car and this leaves him confused on who he is and the older couple who hit him take him home and call him Woofer. Meanwhile Joey is so upset that he cries throughout his Birthday Party and his family start to worry about his sadness. Soon the old couple find that Woofer is super talented and take him to an agency that gets him work for dog food commercials under the name Horace The Dog and when Joey and Lizzie see it they know that this new mascot star is their old missing dog Top Dog. Joey tracks Top Dog to the film studio and notices that his canine friends mind seems to be off as he does not recognize him, but after an accident that has a lighting rig falling and hitting Top Dog on the head he gains his memory back and gets himself fired from the commercials and returns home with Joey as the two friends are once more back together.

This issue has the plot of Top Dog loosing his memory and becoming a TV star and only after being hit on the head does he gain his memory back and return home to Joey as well as get himself out of the spotlight of being famous. You have to say poor Top Dog in this issue as he not only gets hit by a car and gets a head injury he also then take a hit to the head via a light and each time he has head trauma making you wonder if he has brain issues. Joey in this issue has a terrible birthday as he thinks his friend and pet dog Top Dog has ran away and this causes him to cry throughout his party and make his friend and family very uncomfortable. But Joey does not give up on his friend and tracks him down and helps him regain his memory and find his way back home. The plot of this issue is really simple and is very basic, as it has been done lots of times before in comics, cartoons and TV Shows and because of this familiar plot it makes for a read that brings a smile to your face as you know it will have a happy outcome. The cover is fun and has Top Dog being a superstar and the interior artwork is great and is of course Kremer who has done all the issues this far in the series and has done a great job every issue. Over all a simple plot but a very fun issue that brings the entertainment.

Top Dog # 9 ***
Released in 1986 Cover Price .75 Star Comics # 9 of 14

It’s Pet Day at the museum and Joey Jordan and Tog Dog are attending as is Iggy Nutmeg and his cat Heathcliff who is very much into seeing the fish as he wants to eat them! Joey and Iggy decide to team up as they are both working on a project about Egypt and Top Dog makes a promise to Joey that he will keep an eye of Heathcliff to keep him out of trouble, and after the two you boys head to the exhibit Heathcliff escapes the pet area and Top Dog has to follow him and the two even fight with Heathcliff making his escape once more, Top Dog alerts Joey to the cats rampage but says he will stop it. Heathcliff is causing mischief all around the museum and Top Dog is given chase. Meanwhile both Joey and Iggy find themselves taken prisoner when the stumble on a robbery plot at the museum and one of the crooks is even dressed as a Mummy. Heathcliff stumbles onto the crime as well and is able to take the stolen jewels and after finding Top Dog the two pets keep the robbers busy and even set off the silent alarm, and once the police get their and Top Dog uses the Mummy’s bandages to wrap up the crooks the jewels are returned and Heathcliff and Top Dog are the heroes of the day.

This is yet another super fun crossover that has two of Star Comics popular characters coming together for one fun issue as this time around Top Dog is paired up with Heathcliff who was super popular not only in Star Comics but also on TV and Comic Strips. And this pairing was a great idea as these two were the Star Comics icons when it came to animal main character based comics. In this issue Top Dog and Heathcliff start off as enemies as the two just do not get along but their human owners Joey and Iggy do, but after a theft takes place the two animals team up and make a great team as they bring down the crooks and save the day as well as the priceless jewels the baddies were trying to steal. One of the best parts of this crossover is the brief paw fight between Top Dog and Heathcliff as paws are thrown and that makes for a fun few panels. I also feel that they use both Joey Jordan and Iggy Nutmeg well as they quickly become friends and work on a school project together and even both stumble on and taken prisoner when they find out about a robbery. The comic also has a cameo from Heathcliff characters Muggsy Faber and his bulldog Spike and that adds to the fun nature of this crossover. The villains of this issue are the three crooks with one that is wearing a Mummy costume while they are thieves they are not that dangerous and are out smarted really easy by Top Dog and Heathcliff. I should also note that while Top Dog and Heathcliff stop the criminals in the end, its clear that Top Dog is annoyed by the attitude of his feline friend. The cover is great and has Top Dog and Heathcliff running from a Mummy and yep you guessed it the interior art by Kremer is as good as ever. Once more a great Top Dog comic that held up for me and of course if you are a fan of Top Dog give it a read, but also fans of Heathcliff should check it out.

Top Dog # 10 ***
Released in 1986 Cover Price .75 Star Comics # 10 of 14

Comic World the local comic shop is having Spider-Man as a guest and Joey is helping Danny the son of owner Mark Carter hang posters for this event, and once done Joey is paid in comics for his help and Top Dog wonders why people would read comics as they seem silly to him. While Joey is still looking Jim Osborn enters the shop as he is the actor who will be playing Spider-Man for the public appearance and all the kids in the shop want the actor to sign their comics. As Comic World is about to close for the day a man named Magee shows up just as Danny leads Joey, Jim and Top Dog to his house, but something does not set right with Top Dog who goes back to the shop and hears Magee tells Mark that he wants the money back that he put into the comic shop and that they should burn the shop down and collect the insurance money! Meanwhile Danny goes to Joey’s house for dinner and Top Dog has to wait to tell his friend what he over heard, and when he does Joey is torn about calling the police about the possible arson as it would really hurt Danny. But after talking to “Spider-Man” or Spider-Actor Jim about keeping secrets Joey comes up with a plan and goes to Comic World and confronts Mark on the arson plan, this causes the owner to change his mind but before they can call the police Magee shows up and at gunpoint locks Joey, Mark and Top Dog into a storage room with the idea of burning them alive inside the shop! But Top Dog is able to escape and gets help from Danny who is also quickly captured and thrown into the storage room. But Magee was not ready for Jim as Spider-Man who swings into action via a banner and knocks Magee silly and saves all his friend locked in the storage room and proves he his a hero not just an actor playing one and also saves the comic shop from a fiery death. The Comic Shop is now doing well and Danny is now working with his dad at it and Jim Osborn is a local hero and Top Dog and Joey meet Peter Parker who has been sent to take pictures and even see J. Jonah Jameson shows up to rant about Spider-Man.

This is the crossover that all the readers had been waiting for and sadly while it’s a good issue those who want to see Spider-Man and Top Dog work together to bring down criminals will be very much let down as the Spidey in this issue is just a goofy actor and the real Spider-Man is only shown in a cameo and as Peter Parker. The plot of this issue has Joey’s friend Danny and his Dad not having much time to spend together as the dad has made a bad business deal with a criminal to get his comic shop up and running and now faces the threat of arson in order for the shop to turn a faster profit, but of course Top Dog, Joey and an actor play Spider-Man save the day and bring down the criminal and turn the comic shop into one of the towns must stop shops. Tog Dog in this issue is the one who discovers the plot of arson and is also taken back by Joey who does not want to call the cops over it as he fears it will hurt Danny’s feelings, we also see that Top Dog does not like comic books and thinks Spider-Man is cheesy. Joey ends up saving Mark Carter the father of his friend Danny by not calling the police and also getting him away from Magee who is a true scumbag who wants to burn up a store full of comic books! One of the cool parts of this comic is seeing Peter Parker and J. Jonah Jameson at the comic shop covering the Spidey Actor saving the day, and its great that Joey who is a big Spider-Man fan not knowing that he is that close to his idol who is taking photos at his local comic shop. The cover for this issue is very iconic as I remember many of my friends having this issue in their comic collection and its super eye catching as it has Spider-Man swinging with Top Dog! The interior art this time is done by a team as Warren Kremer did all the normal Top Dog stuff and John Romita drawing Peter Parker and J. Jonah Jameson, making this a very fun comic to not only read but also look at. A great issue that holds up for me after all these years, and yes I do wish Spider-Man in the comic was really Spidey.

Top Dog # 11 ***
Released in 1986 Cover Price .75 Star Comics # 11 of 14

Joey and Top Dog are heading downtown as a new comic shop as just opened and when they reach town they find that everything ran by computer has gone crazy so they rush to the Ice Cream shop and to the Super Computer that is going crazy, and after quickly fixing it Top Dog learns that his brother Dirty Dog is the one who made the computer go crazy and that he wants to meet his brother alone on top of a near by mountain. Morrison films Joey in on who Dirty Dog is and this causes Joey to follow Top Dog and once on the mountain they are both captured by Dirty Dog’s trap door. Top Dog learns that his brother has built human like robots of all the worlds leaders that will allow him to control the world, but he needs Tog Dog’s help to build in their speech and uses Joey as a hostage to get what he wants. Dirty Dog sends out a robot version of Joey to report back to Morrison and even stay at his home and be the perfect son to his parents, while Top Dog tries to figure out a plan to save the day. Top Dog ends up freeing the real Joey who goes and gets Morrison for help and he also has programed the World Leader Robots to fight his brothers robots and they all destroy each other, but before Dirty Dog can be captured he escapes inside a rocket. In the end Top Dog and Joey head home and have to take apart the robot Joey that has been living at the Jordon house while the real one was held prisoner.

This issue pits brother against brother as Top Dog has to face off with Dirty Dog as one wants to help the world while the other wants to rule over it. Dirty Dog is the dust cloud caring canine brother of Top Dog and is just as smart as his brother, but is also very bad as his whole world is just about him and his want to be a ruler. Dirty Dog is so smart that he knows how to hack into the Super Computer as well as can build robots that can look and act like anyone. Dirty Dog due to his creative and smart mind makes him very dangerous to all of the world as his mean nature knows no bounds. Meanwhile Top Dog in this issue uses his smarts and creative ways for good and is able to stop his brothers plans as well as get his friend Joey to safety, it’s a shame that the two canine brothers are at odds with one another and have different values. Morrison also is a hero of sorts as he comes to the aid of Top Dog and causes Dirty Dog to flee the scene of his crimes. I like that when characters are around Dirty Dog the sneeze as a dust cloud of dirt follows him, think Pigpen from Peanuts. This issue also makes the stakes seem high as Top Dog fears what his brother can do as he knows just how dangerous he is and the fact they can match wits makes for a entertaining showdown and read. The cover for this issue is fun and has the robot called Max holding Joey and Top Dog as Dirty Dog mocks them. And yep you guessed it the interior art is once more done by Kremer and is very great stuff! One other really cool thing I should say that in the letters page called “Star Signals” they ran a reader poll and the winner of “Favorite Character” went to Top Dog with the characters Lion-O (Thundercats) and Wicket (Ewoks) both tied for second place! I would have really loved to have seen the full list as were did He-Man (Masters Of The Universe), Royal Roy, Spider-Ham and R2-D2 (Star Wars: Droids) place on this list! But to sup this up another great issue from the Top Dog team and I can see why he was so popular back in the 80’s.

Top Dog # 12 ***
Released in 1987 Cover Price .75 Star Comics # 12 of 14

Joey Jordan and Top Dog are heading to their booth at the school’s science fair and soon find out that their neighbor is Mervin Megabucks who is as rude as ever. Mervin tricks Top Dog with a kite that he claims only he can fly, and when Top Dog tries it turns into a rocket and flies the canine back to the Megabucks estate and to the lab of Dr. Frank and Dr. Stein who are waiting and once more capture Top Dog. Mervin gives Joey a ride to the lab and then informs him that they will be switching minds so that he can prove that Top Dog talks and with the help of a machine made by Frank and Stein they do just that! The switch only lasts 24 hours and once its done Joey who is really Mervin heads to Top Dog who wakes up in a fake version of Joey’s room that has been built at the castle. When Top Dog does not speak and Mervin who is really Joey shows up the plan is a bust, but Joey who is really Mervin decides that he will do the next best think and that’s ruin his nemesis life! The fake Joey tries his best to ruin the reputation of the real Joey at home and school but everything keeps backfiring as all his bad doings keep falling on Mervin and making him look like the bigger jerk. In the end a mix up at the lab turns Joey back to normal but Mervin, Frank, Slyme, Stein, a Rooster and a dog get all mixed up and the machine shorts out making it take time before they can all be back to normal.

That mean rich brat Mervin Megabucks is at it again in this issue as he once more makes an attempt at owning Top Dog and proving that he can talk, this time he even uses a machine the switches minds….but this of course backfires for him as by the end his mind ends up in a dog that has fleas! Mervin is such a rude young man who treats people and animals terrible and thanks his money makes him powerful, when in reality it just makes him a not likeable person with a massive ego. The Mad Scientist Frank and Stein are goofy doctors who just do what they are told and that includes kidnapping a kid and a dog. Top Dog is two smart to fall for this mind trick, well and he looses his voice for a short time that causes him not to speak to the fake Joey. Speaking of Joey the real one he is the true hero here as he saves Top Dog as well as stops all the antics of the fake Joey and even tricks Mervin into going back home so that they can switch minds back. This issue really does feel like a cartoon and is packed with lots of silly humor as well as a dash of Sci-Fi fun and that is why it’s a good read. The cover for this issue is silly and has the mind switching machine hard at work and the you know the deal with the interior artwork being great and who did it by now. So with that lest see what issue thirteen has in store for us and if it will hold up as well as all these issues have for me.

Top Dog # 13 ***
Released in 1987 Cover Price .75 Star Comics # 13 of 14

After watching TV and a sci-fi show about time travel Top Dog tells Joey that he has ben working on a time machine and the two rush off to the Super Computer that is hidden at the ice cream shop that is watched over by Agent Morrison. But before they get their Top Dog helps out Brutus a dog that is being miss treated by his owner Tommy Turner by setting him free from pulling a wagon full of groceries. Once at the computer something goes wrong and causes the machine to go off and zap Joey who finds himself in the year 2007 and everything has changed from travel, to dress to locations and this makes Joey confused as he rushes to the new location of the Ice Cream shop and meets Morrison and later Top Dog who are both very old now and confused by why the younger Joey being there and the worse they are not sure how to get him back to his time! And worse he finds out that Vladimir and enemy of the state has captured the adult version of himself who is now an agent, and the mind of Top Dog is starting to go. But with the help of young Joey Top Dog is able to save older Joey and arrest Vladimir and send Joey home by accident when they bump into the time machine that blasts Joey back in time.

This is a fun issue as it really has a Sci-Fi feel to it as Joey is sent to the future by accident and must save the older version of himself from a spy that has taken him hostage! Top Dog when older is slowly loosing his smarts, but still is very much a fighter and still has is attitude and humor that makes him the well loved canine of comics. Joey lands in 2007 and well sense it’s 2022 nothing they predicted the future to be like came true…but Joey does learn that he will become a Government agent. Morrison as an old man still works at the Ice Cream shop as the secret base for the Super Computer. The issues villain is Vladimir who goes down really easy when Top Dog frees the adult Joey and he is punched in the face. While this issue does not have any real “danger” feeling to the mission it does bring some wonder as you start to wonder just how young Joey will get back to his time, and of course its just like the way he got to the future. The cover is funny and shows the future in the background and young Joey trying to talk to the very old Top Dog. And once again you know the deal when it comes to the interior art so I am not going to say it again. Over all a pretty fun issue that sadly leads us to the final issue in the series.

Top Dog # 14 ***
Released in 1987 Cover Price $1.00 Star Comics # 14 of 14

Joey Jordan is waken from a nightmare that had his best friend Top Dog leaving, and when up he and Top Dog head to the Super Computer to give it a tune up and meet up with Agent Morrison who is happy to see his friends. But unknown to them all they have been followed by Dr. Ominous who pulls a gun on them all and is ranting that he is the one who truly created the Super Computer (called The Brainstrain) and that Top Dog took the credit for it, and Morrison admits that Ominous built some of the computer but had a mental breakdown before it was even close to being finished and that Top Dog was indeed the one who finished it and made it better. Dr. Ominous is not hearing it and uses a transport ray gun to steal the computer and then also blasts Top Dog and himself leaving Joey and Morrison to have to rush to the basement to use a very talkative and old Super Computer to try and get the answer of were the Super Computer is now. Meanwhile Dr. Ominous threatens the lives of the Jordan’s in order to get Top Dog to help him install a new feature and then operate the Super Computer. Meanwhile the changes used allows Dr. Ominous to steal all the worlds landmarks from the Great Pyramids to The Statue Of Liberty all because the scientific world thought he was washed up when he had his breakdown, but of course Top Dog along with Joey Jordan and Agent Morrison stop this mad man and send the landmarks back, but Dr. Ominous is able to escape being captured. In the end Top Dog tells Joey that until Dr. Ominous is captured that he can no longer live with his family as it would put them all in danger and with that Top Dog leaves.

And with that ends the Top Dog series that ends kind of sadly as our canine hero has to leave his best friend and really his family behind all because of a fat crazy scientist by the name of Dr. Ominous who has threaten to hurt the Jordan family in order to get to Top Dog. I think the real kicker in this is that at the end they promised a new Top Dog series was in the works and would be released soon after the currant series ended, and we all know that it never happened and Marvel Comics was the master of not allowing Star Comics series to end in a proper manor…so imagine being a kid and reading this issue and the last image you see of Top Dog a character that you have read every issue of and have grown to love is him crying and running down a street away from his best friend who is also crying sad tears in the street in front of his home….like way to go Marvel! Sadly the new Top Dog series was never made and I truly do feel that this was a missed character opportunity as he was very popular with readers and already we seen that he was in the normal Marvel Universe as he crossed over with Spider-Man so why not continue is adventures in Marvel proper? The one thing that Marvel did at least somewhat right is they allowed this Star Comics character to have a final issue that alerted the readers that this was it for them on this run, as so many before and after just ended with no send off and true ending for the characters. I mean I would have really loved to have seen a comic that would have has Top Dog along with Agent Morrison and yes Joey Jordan going around the world taking down spies and villains on their hunt to bring Dr. Ominous to justice and along the way they could have meet up with The Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Luke Cage and even Spider-Man once more. Or even imagine an issue that had Top Dog in Florida and having a run in with Man-Thing that would have been awesome. Top Dog really was a well written kids comic that started out like your typical Harvey Comics with a dash of Archie Comics but really quickly it turned into something very special and of its own as it added many different elements together from action to sci-fi to even comedy it brought it all. I mean it also did a great job of having crossovers with such characters as Spider-Man, Heathcliff and Royal Roy and each was done really well. Speaking of Heathcliff for those wondering Top Dog would appear in solo back up stories in that series, so in a way he did continue on after his series ended. The cover for the final issue is sad and shows Top Dog crying and the interior art by the talented Warren Kremer was really great stuff throughout the series. While much time has past I say to Marvel Comics it’s never to late to bring Top Dog back into the world of comics and you should do so as he still has many adventures left to have with us his readers. Checkout the artwork below to see they style used by Warren Kremer.

I have an idea for Marvel Comics that they should do as they own Star Comics, Malibu Comics and CrossGen Comics all three they do nothing with…so why not mix them together in their own universe that runs separate from Marvel but gives the characters new life and makes their old readership happy to see them back, plus could give creators more to work with as well as give readers something different from their bland stories they are spewing out in their main titles…as some of modern Marvel is unreadable at this point. But we all now this will never happen as they have been a shell of a company sense Disney bought them and only care about films and shows with the characters. But with that I will say I was a Top Dog fan as a kid and after reading these issue again I am a Top Dog still! Dog Month continues with our next update as we will be taking a look at that comic strip canine called Belvedere. So until next time, read a Star Comic or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we spend some time with a dog with some major attitude.

The Second Richest Kid In Comic History: Royal Roy

Posted on February 2, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink! As you can see, we have found ourselves in the kingdom of Cashelot, a place that has the old world and modern mixed over the watchful eye of King Regal and Queen Regalia as well as their son Price Royal Roy, who love those who live on their land! But I guess I should say that it’s time once more to step into the world of Star Comics and talk about one of their original characters that tried to make Star the place for young readers to go when it came to kid’s comics! And for those wondering, Royal Roy was Stars answer for Ritchie Rich and caused the company a little bit of a headache, but we will get into that a little later in this update so if you are ready, let’s enter Cashelot and see what the Royal Family is up to.

Royal Roy is a young prince of the Kingdom of Cashelot, and he is loved by the people and is a well-behaved and noble kid who will do what he can to make things right to all he rules over. His parents are King Regal and Queen Regalia, and they are as well good people with King Regal being a little silly and Queen Regalia being sweet natured. Roy’s pet is a toothless crocodile named Gummy that acts like a dog and is as well friendly and protective of Roy. Speaking of protection, Roy also has a bodyguard named Ascott who watches after him as well as his parents. The castle also has some butlers including the older gentleman named Shuffles and the snooty Lord Proper who are also around and both watch after and help Roy. The creator of Royal Roy was Lennie Herman who was a longtime veteran of comic art and stories for Harvey Comics who sadly passed away in 1983, or so it is reported. The series of Royal Roy would only last six issues and almost got Marvel Comics, the parents company of Star Comics, into a lawsuit with Harvey Comics who claimed the character was too close to theirs…you guessed it, Ritchie Rich…nothing came of the lawsuit. And strangely enough in the early 1980’s, Harvey Comics was having money issues and Marvel was in talks to publish many of their classic characters, that is until two of the Harvey Brothers clashed over this and the deal was void. But really thanks to Harvey as Star become something better than just publishing comics based on dated characters for the then modern kids. Give me Royal Roy over Ritchie Rich and give me Star Comics over Harvey Comics any day! And with that said, I do enjoy some of Harvey comic series and characters.

I know this sounds like a broken record for you long time readers, but I have to stress that I truly think that Marvel pulled the plug on Star way too fast as some of the comics clearly found their readers as Top Dog, Thundercats, Care Bears, Heathcliff, Muppet Babies and Spider-Ham all lasted for pretty long runs, and I knew many kids from school that were reading them with Muppet Babies and Thundercats being very popular among my classmates. But also comics like Masters Of The Universe, SilverHawks and Ewoks were also read and discussed in the halls and on the playground. The part of the history of Star Comics that I find really weird is when Marvel decided to remove the Star brand from the covers of releases new and old but left the Star Comics Presents on the first interior page and ones that come to mind are Camp Candy and Police Academy both of whom started with issue one having Marvel on the cover and Star on the inside…just odd. And with it being 2023, I still would love to see Marvel Comics bring back the Star Comic line as younger readers right now are not being reached and it’s a big missed opportunity as the comic readership market is shrinking, and while I think bringing back Star would be a great idea, you know as well as I do that Disney will not invest any more money into the comics as they are way too busy flooding the market with the similar plotted and brand fatigued Marvel Movies and Streaming Shows to the masses. I miss the classic Marvel Comics Universe that for me defined the 1960’s-1990’s as I felt like the comics had great stories and that the company in general took more risks and the creators put more passion into the issues. The modern Marvel Comics seems to be more concerned with getting social media fans that are non-comic readers to be excited about social topics that they are shoehorning into the Marvel Universe in comics as well as all media. While I doubt this ever will happen, I hope that Marvel Comics one day can break away from Disney and become the leader in comic book industry and masters of creativity that they used to be.

When I was a kid, one of the things that I loved to get in the mail next to my comic subscriptions was the Del Monte Country Yumkins Plush Dolls, very cool plushes based on vegetables, fruit and even other things you would find on a farm like Scarecrow and a Black Bird. If I remember, you would have to send some proof of purchases and a little cash to Del Monte and they would then send you the plush you chose. Now I had a ton of these growing up as my Mom seemed to really enjoy ordering them for me as well and my top three favorite ones were Cobbie Corn, Cocky Crow and Sweetie Pea. They were made by Trudy and to me these little guys were great promo items to promote Del Monte canned & frozen fruits and veggies and as well was a great way to get kids to eat these types of foods. The County Yumkins started in 1982 and ran through around the early 1990’s and really was the company’s most popular promo items of all time and to say that the promotion was a hit would be an understatement. And in 2022 I was chatting with Juliet about them, and we decided that we were going to order four of them and display them in our upstairs workspace. And the first one I was able to get was Sweetie Pea from Etsy and then I got Cobbie Corn & Reddie Tomato from Ebay and finally we got Cocky Crow from Ebay to make up our shelf. And I broke down and had to get Snappy Bean that I picked up on Ebay and also got Country Stawberry off Etsy as they both had to join the collection as they were some of my favorites as well as a kid. Now I am not saying that all the other fellow Country Yumkins plush will not be bought to join the collection in the future, just not anytime soon. Check out the pictures below for the plush we bought as these are the pictures that the sellers used at the time of them being for sale.

So as you can see, Royal Roy was truly Star Comics attempt to capture the readership of Ritchie Rich and also I think was a “slap” to the face of Harvey Comics for not allowing Marvel to publish their characters and this was a way of saying see we can just create our own and compete for that kids comic market. And now it’s time for me to reread the Royal Roy series and see if it not only holds up to what I remember but also if it was a good alternative to Ritchie Rich. I would like to thank Lone Star Comics and Bell Book And Comic for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. So before we dive into the money pit, I would like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s see is Royal Roy holds up from what I remember as a kid reading.

Royal Roy # 1 **1/2
Released in 1985 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 1 of 6

“Mystery Of The Missing Crown” in the Kingdom of Cashelot the people are happy to celebrate the birthday of their Prince Royal Roy and his father and mother (King Regal & Queen Regalia) are very proud of him as well, as he is kind and an over all great kid. But when King Regal and their bodyguard Ascott go to the royal vault in order to fetch the royal crown for the prince they find that it’s missing! King Regal gets all his men to search the castle and even his sister the Duchess Of Muchess shows up and lend her time to try and help. Meanwhile Roy and his toothless crocodile pet Gummy also start looking around and find that the missing crown is in a picture of their ancestor William The Warhorse and he was not wearing it earlier, but before Roy can show his dad, the crown is gone again. That night Roy gets a visit from the ghost of William The Warhorse who tells him that he stole the crown as a test and that he is proud of him and returns the crown and Roy wears it for the ceremony before all his people. The second story is called “Crocadog” and has Royal Roy and his toothless pet Gummy capture some bad poachers that have been hunting in the kingdom.

The first issue of Royal Roy really is a good standard 80’s Kids Comic that really would have been at home at Archie or Harvey Comics showing that Star Comics really was a competitor in that market at the time. The first story’s plot has a the ghost of a multiple-great grandfather of Roy stealing the youngster’s crown in order to test him to see if he would look for it himself, and after Roy does that The Ghost is proud of him and gives the crown back and all ends well as the people of Cashelot get to see their Prince get his crown. The second story is a quick one and has Gummy and Roy stopping some animal killers. Royal Roy, while rich and the Prince of a whole kingdom, is very caring and well behaved and is well loved by all that meet him. His pet Gummy is also very good and acts like a dog. Because he is missing his teeth, he is harmless and Roy also has parents that care and watch after him as well as a whole staff that works for his family that also seem to adore him. This issue has two stories with the first one being the best as I like the idea of a Ghost from his bloodline testing him to make sure Roy is worthy of caring on the families legacy. The stories do have a touch of Ritchie Rich, but has its own touch to the kid comic trope of a sweet rich kid whose money does not affect him being a good person. And best of all, I feel that they stories are charming and hold a very magical feel for young readers who wanted something more than just superheroes. The cover is eye catching for the time fit right at home in layout and design for kid’s comics. The interior art by Warren Kremer is great stuff and you can tell he was a veteran of Harvey Comics. Over all a good start to this series and let’s see what Roy has in store for us next.

Royal Roy # 2 **1/2
Released in 1985 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 2 of 6

“The Grand Ball” Royal Roy is giving a tour of the castle and after the last one The King shows up and says he is happy it’s over as it makes him nervous having hundreds of tourists in the castle, and with that he runs into a young girl named Crystal Clear who he ends up giving a late tour to and then asks her to be his date for the ball that night, but this annoys Lorna Loot who has a crush on Roy as she wants to be a princess and is very rich and does not understand why Roy would choose a commoner girl over her. And she gets an idea after seeing the book Cinderella on her bookshelf. “Strangest Stranger” the night of the ball Roy and Crystal are having a great time when Lorna now dressed as Cinderella shows up complete with glass slippers annoys everyone trying to get Roy to notice her, and of course this does not work and Lorna leaves without Roy’s attention. The next day Roy calls Lorna to invite her to go on a hike with Crystal and him only for Lorna to yell at him cause her feet are swollen from the slippers. “Maneuvers” Royal Roy is woke up early in the morning by General Battlescar as it’s the day that Roy must attending the maneuver drills for the kingdom’s army, and Roy soon finds out the drills are just he and the General as Cashelot does not have a full army as they have not been in a war for over 900 years and all their weapons are made of cardboard! After playing along for a bit the drills are over, and Roy and the General head back to the castle and Roy is praised for his skills.

This second issue is just as fun as the first issue and has two tales of Royal Roy and his kingdom with one story being told in two parts. And I have to say all the stories in this one is lots of fun and I would say the two part story is the better of the two and that is barely as both are silly fun. Royal Roy once more in this issue shows that he is a caring young man who loves the people that make up his kingdom as well cares about the feelings of everyone, even people who annoy him. It’s also cool to see him fall in love in this issue and also shows that he kind of has a stalker who wants to be with him in order to become royalty. Crystal Clear is a young blonde girl who is very nice an captures the heart of Roy who clearly is crushing on her, and while she is from the common side of town, the Royal Family seem not to care as they see she is a good person. Lorna Loot is a very rich dark haired girl who is mean, pushy and has a crush on Roy’s power as she wants to become a Princess so bad, and will do whatever she can to get his attention. General Battlescar is crazy and seems to want a bigger army with weapons as he so wants to be in charge of soldiers, plus I love that he acts as if the cardboard weapons have real effects. This issue also has cameos by King Regal, Ascott and Shuffles all help add to the fun of the issue. The cover for this issue is pretty fun and showcases Roy pushing a crown that has a massive diamond on the top of it an the interior art by Warren Kremer is great as always. Another fun read an was just as entertaining as I remember it being as a kid, so let’s see if issue three holds up.

Royal Roy # 3 **1/2
Released in 1985 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 3 of 6

“Curse Of The Prince Roy Dollar Bill” King Regal & Queen Regalia have decided to make a new dollar bill for the kingdom that will feature the face of Royal Roy who is a little embarrassed by this act. Meanwhile Archduke Kraven Von Krunch, the second cousin of the King wants to take over the kingdom and adds itching powder to the ink of the bills that way everyone who handles it will have a bad case of being itchy! And as this spreads all over the kingdom Roy along with Crystal Clear head to the creepy castle of Von Krunch to get answers as Roy knows his relative is to blame. “Into The Kreepy Kastle” Roy gets Ascott to drive him to the castle and tricks Von Krunch into touching the itchy dollar bills and finds that he has a cure for the itching that Roy takes to his kingdom, and also even though he did a bad thing Roy gives Von Krunch a gift of a box of coal and that makes him happy. In the end new Royal Roy bills are printed this time featuring the back of his head in order for people to tell the difference between the good and bad ones. “Driving Him Crazy” Royal Roy wears a mask in order to take his driving test and Ascott goes along for the ride, the tester is in a bad mood and makes the test super hard for the youngster who ends up passing due to the car having some hidden features. “What’s In A Name” a world famous mapmaker named G.O. Graffic gets a tour of the land by Royal Roy so that he can make a map of the kingdom and finds that the land is filled with pearls, oil, gold and silver and that the shape of the kingdom makes a dollar sign, hence the name of the kingdom being Cashelot.

This third issue delivers three tales of adventure for Royal Roy with one being told in two parts. And I would say that the best story has to be the one featuring the itchy dollar bills as its classic kid comic stuff and even features Archduke Kraven Von Krunch who has a castle that is protected by robotic skeletons as well as werewolves and masked henchman and this adds a kids horror comic feel to the tale. And this issue takes Roy from a haunted castle to getting a diver’s license to finally giving a tour of his land, and all are silly tales that deliver some cheesy entertainment for readers. Royal Roy shows that he also has the skills of a detective as he cracks a case that is affecting all the kingdom as well as knows how to drive like a stuntman and once more proves he is a good tour guide. Archduke Kraven Von Krunch is a jerk who wants to bring down his second cousin all because he wants to be the King, and he puts the townspeople through itchy pain in order to try and bring chaos, plus he also surrounds himself with monsters and ghouls. This issue also has many cameos from past issues including Crystal Clear, King Regal, Queen Regalia, Ascott, Lorna Loot, General Battlescar, Duchess Of Muchess, Lord Proper and added a new character to the lineup of sidekicks with that being G.O. Graffic. One thing that is odd is that Gummy, Roy’s pet toothless alligato,r disappeared for many issues and is not even mentioned after the first issue. The cover is pretty cool and has Roy standing being a giant cardboard cutout of a dollar bill and the interior art by Warren Kremer is as always great stuff and is what comes to mind when you think of classic kids comic artwork. The third issue is another good one and keeps the fun nature of the series going as well as keeps building on the world of Royal Roy by showing more people who live in the kingdom as well as landmarks in it. I will also say that this issue is just as fun as I remember it being when I first read it as a kid and I do love that they added some spooky stuff in the issue to add a truly amusement park haunted house feel.

Royal Roy # 4 **1/2
Released in 1985 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 4 of 6

“The Curse Of The GoldEngaged Bridge” Royal Roy and Crystal Clear are hosting a TV Show about the sites and legends of Cashelot and all the while hiding and watching is Lorna Loot who is mad that Crystal is on TV and not her. But when Roy tells the legend and law of the GoldEngaged Bridge that is if a man is captured by a woman on the bridge they are set to be married in three days, it’s Lorna that rushes the bridge and captures Roy and now the two are set to be married so Lorna can be The Princess of Cashelot! Roy is upset by this law and tries to talk sense into Lorna only to find her to be a Bridezilla ordering massive cakes, rings and being just a spoiled brat. While on the bridge Roy and Crystal are talking and something she says gives him an idea to get out of this wedding. “Practice Makes Prefect” Roy has a great idea and with the help of his friends they are setting up Lorna for a tiring Princess training! She first is woke up super early to run war drills with General Battlescar, she then has to take Gummy, the toothless crocodile, for a wild walk, Lord Proper makes her wear over sized and heavy robes and crowns, the ghost of William The Warhorse tries to scare her away and the final straw is when she had to mix with the common people and she calls off the wedding and Roy is single once more. “Space Race Ace” General Battlescar is behind on time and wants for Cashelot to send a person to space and join the space race, but he only has around $24.00 to make the rocket ship! And he makes the ship from weird parts including a rowboat and a hot air balloon and quickly forces Royal Roy into a suit of armor and then onto his ship, and unknown to them all Gummy is asleep on top of the balloon! But things get scary when the balloon gets a hole in it via a hawk, Roy crashes into a river and it’s Gummy who gets him safely to shore! And in the end Gummy gets a medal for being Cashelot’s first every astronaut.

This is another fun issue that has two stories as well as a single page joke that is at the expense of Lord Proper. The main story has Royal Roy being forced to marry Lorna Loot because of an old legend and law and has to find away to break up the engagement as he wants nothing to do with her as she is a brat! The second story has Roy and his pet Gummy being forced into a make shift rocket ship that when crashing could have lead to Roy drowning if not for the help of his loyal crocodile pet. Both stories are really good but if I had to choose one, I would say the best is the Rocket Ship but only slightly as both adventures are really good! This issue also show cases many of the classic characters we have seen in past issues and is the return of Gummy who has been missing for many issues up to this point. I also like that the ghost of William The Warhorse makes a return as well and tries his best to scare away the would be Princess. We also now get a clear view that Royal Roy is in love with Crystal Clear and even thinks about making her his bride, and that they are now also co-hosts of a TV show. Lord Proper also shows a side of himself as he is helpful in the quest to break off the wedding of Roy and Lorna, showing that while he is a snob, he still does care about the Royal family he serves. The cover is pretty fun and has Royal Roy and Lorna Loot in the middle of her massive engagement ring and the interior art by Warren Kremer is as always great kid comic stuff! I am also very much looking forward to what the next issue has in store for me.

Royal Roy # 5 **1/2
Released in 1986 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 5 of 6

“The Royal Olympics” The Kingdom of Cashelot has been selected to be the place to hold the Royal Olympics and Roy is selected to enter the games and has to be run through Royal training by the likes of Lord Proper, General Battlescar and his aunt Duchess Of Muchess and is all about things like eating soup right, pinning medals as well as proper hand writing. This goes on for days and Roy finally snaps under the pressure and is upset that he will let his parents down, but of course his father calms his nerves and assures him that they will love him no matter what. The next day is the Olympics and the first event is the soup eating, but before it can begin, a massive thunderstorm breaks out and the crowd starts to panic and almost riot to get away from the rain and lightning, and it’s Roy who ends up grabbing a microphone and getting them all to calm down and to get to shelter and out of the rain, and due to this behavior and the events getting rained out that Royal Roy is given the gold medal. “Ship Shapes” Royal Roy takes Crystal Clear to the family’s yacht that is something very special as he plans to race it that weekend in a contest, but also in the water is Archduke Kraven Von Krunch is wants to sink the boat so that he can save Roy and he thinks the King will give him whatever he likes for doing so, but every time he tries he fails as the yacht can turn into a submarine, a helicopter as well as an off road vehicle. In the end it’s Archduke Kraven Von Krunch who is saved by Royal Roy as he almost goes over a waterfall and to show his gratefulness he becomes the janitor of the yacht during the big race that Roy of course wins.

We get two Royal Roy adventures in this issue and both a very different in nature with the big connection is both are about competition with one being how to be Royalty and the other being ready for a boat race! The first story is about the Royal Olympics and that Roy is feeling the stress of it all do to all his training that is all about being perfect, and this makes him feel like if he screws up that he will be letting his parents down. The second story has Roy on his super yacht sailing around and he is trying to show off to his crush Crystal, all the while his relative is trying to sink the ship in order to be a “hero” that saves him. Both stories are entertaining in their own way but the better of the two is the Royal Olympics that has Roy learn how to eat soup and even has cameos from many of the characters we have meet along the way in previous issues. Also I have to mention that the Archduke Kraven Von Krunch who is a blood relative to Roy so badly craves power and riches that he is willing to put his own family in danger in order to try and gain them both…like he uses bombs and such to try and sink a ship…the explosions could have also killed Roy! The cover on this issue is okay and has Roy running a race to get to a crown finish line, The Royal Olympics art is done by Warren Kremer and is great and the interior art done by Ship Shapes was done by Steve Stiles and is as well good stuff. The fifth issue keeps up the entertaining value of this Star Comic series and let’s see if the sixth and final issue has in store for us.

Royal Roy # 6 **1/2
Released in 1986 Cover Price .65 Star Comics # 6 of 6

“The Secret Power Of Cashelot” while in the Royal Library in the castle Roy and his friend Crystal Clear find an old map in one of the books that leads to the power of the kingdom! And of course Archduke Kraven Von Krunch who was visiting the King over hears the kids talking about the map and decides that if he can find this power than he can be in charge of the Kingdom! Royal Roy, Crystal Clear as well as Ascott head down a secret passage deep into the basement of the castle and all the while behind them is Von Krunch who ends up getting lost and is so mad that he jumps up and down in a fit of anger. Roy and friends end up finding that the power that is spoke about on the map is just a big fuse box! And in the end the floor under the silly Von Krunch gives way and he falls into the fuse box and gets burnt up and has to make up a lie in order to explain why we was following them. “Great Scout” in this adventure Roy wants to become a Royal Scout and learn about nature and camping, but sadly he is shutdown when Lord Proper gets involved and takes the fun out of all things camping. But after a bear scares Proper and he and Roy get lost in the woods, it’s really like scouting that gets them back home and causes Royal Roy and Lord Proper to come up with a new club called Roy Scouts.

Well we are at the final issue of Royal Roy and it has been a six-issue adventure that really was a fun and silly read and showcased why younger readers in the mid 80’s enjoyed this comic series as for me Royal Roy was way better than Ritchie Rich who I did read when I was a kid as well. The two stories in this issue are pretty good with the first one being a mystery map that is said to lead to the power of the kingdom that of course is just a big fuse box and then the second one is all about Lord Proper taking the fun out of scouting and learning a lesson that learning about the land and nature is better than royal rules. The first story called The Secret Power Of Cashelot is the better story of the two as it has a mystery feel and even a hint of spooky haunted house as Roy and his friends travel down a dark staircase with only a candle to light the way. While I feel that the story Great Scout is good is also is slightly bland compared to the other stories we have had in the past issues. In the final issue we also get two small gag pages and one of them allow Gummy to have his final appearance in the series. Speaking of other characters, besides of course Royal Roy the other characters that appear in this swan song issue includes Crystal Clear, Lord Proper, Archduke Kraven Von Krunch, Ascott and King Regal. And I have to say that sadly this does not feel like a final issue and it’s clear that the creative team was not aware that the series was coming to an end as it seems like the characters as well as the readers just did not get closure and that’s a real shame as for an original character like this for Star Comics he should have gotten a true final issue. The thing about Royal Roy is that at first glance to really do get that Ritchie Rich knock off vibe, but when you read his issues you see that he truly is a different character and the only real connection between the two is that they are young and rich. It would be interesting if Marvel Comics would revisit the classic Star Comics characters and set them in modern time so characters like Royal Roy, Planet Terry, Wally The Wizard would all be older and we could then follow the relative of Top Dog! For me that would be an interesting idea, and I think they make them for the ages for the readers who grew up with these characters so we see what their lives are now like. The cover for this issue is cool and has Roy opening a glowing door and the interior art by Warren Kremer is as good as always and his kid comic work is top notch. Over all Royal Roy is a great kids comic and a great Star Comics original characters and if you have not read this series you should check it out and I would also say it could be a good comic series to get younger readers into comics that are not superheroes. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Warren Kremer used in this series.

Royal Roy and the people of Cashelot sadly have been long forgotten at Marvel Comics and with Disney in control I fear that they never will see the light of print again in new stories and adventures, and we will be lucky to get them in reprint paperback novels and digital comics (Yuck!). But while I feel Marvel Comics has been a shell of itself for decades now I hope some day the House Of Ideas returns to it’s full glory, and we get the amazing stories and characters back as the focus away from pleasing social media none comic readers with “topical” tales that lack heart. Well for your next update heart and muscles is what you would have to have in order to win as we will be heading to a “Made For TV” update and cover the 1977 World’s Strongest Man contest! So until next time, read a Star Comic or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host! Oh and make sure to lift those weights and drink that protein shake as this Strongest Man contest is all about the power.

Marvel’s Fastest Gun In The West…Rawhide Kid

Posted on February 22, 2019 by bloodlinematt

Once upon a time western comics were all the rage for young readers, and cowboys like Lone Ranger, The Rifleman, Billy The Kid, Roy Rogers and so many others entertained and captured imaginations. In fact besides comic books, westerns also use to rule the box office as well as TV airwaves and cheap paperback novels, and it seemed like every kid wanted to be the cowboy when playing “Cowboy And Indians”. But like all super popular media, it, of course, also had a big fall and has lost its hold on the youth today who seem to prefer video game heroes to those from the old wild west. Growing up, I loved films like Once Upon A Time In the West, Magnificent Seven, Young Guns and Quick And The Dead, not to mention the classic true tales of Billy The Kid, Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok! Plus no joke. The Rifleman is one of my all time favorite TV shows, and Lone Ranger was a hero of mine when I was a kid! So while westerns in media even by the time of my youth were not as popular of a genre, they still had their hooks in my entertainment. I mean let’s be honest, many of you readers growing up have played Cowboys and Indians and even looked up to the likes of Roy Rogers or John Wayne. For this update we are going to take a look at a western hero from the Marvel Universe and after looking at all the options, I decided to take a look at Rawhide Kid and his 1985 mini series. So get your spurs on, find a trusty horse and let’s head out to the wild west and see what Marvel has in store for us when it comes to Cowboy heroes. This update will be a quick one and should be a fun one for fans of classic Marvel western heroes.

Some of you younger readers I am sure do not remember the Rawhide Kid as Marvel Comics over the years have not really done much with him besides give him a MAX series and turn him into a raunchy character to try and be edgy in 2003, and then in 2010 he had another mini series put out this time again simply released by Marvel. But before we dive too deep and start the review of Rawhide Kid, I want to share a little of the character’s back story and history with you readers who might be unfamiliar with Rawhide Kid’s slinging ways. As a baby, Johnny Clay had most of his family killed by Indians, and he was left behind as his brothers fled and one was even captured and taken. Ben Bart, a fast Texas Ranger gunslinger, took in the infant Johnny and raised him as his own family on an old ranch, where Johnny at the age of 18 became the fastest gun in the west. One day Johnny heads to town for supplies, and while away, some gunslingers sneak onto the ranch and kill Ben and this sparks Johnny who finds the body to become on a quest of revenge. Once tracking them down and out-dueling them both in a gun fight, Johnny turns his adoptive father’s killers in and decides to change his name to Rawhide Kid and to use his fast shooting skills to help others. And after having it out with an evil ranch owner that leaves the man shot, the Rawhide Kid becomes a wanted man when a sheriff fails to see that the Kid was only saving the day. But even as a wanted man, the Rawhide Kid used his gun skills to help people and to fight crime. Over the years Rawhide Kid has teamed up with the likes of Two-Gun Kid, Kid Colt, Phantom Rider and even Iron Man! This character ran from 1955 -1979 and lasted 151 issues for his first solo run and would come back in 1985 for a four issue mini series. While Rawhide Kid is not a popular Marvel Comic character nowadays, he was one who made his mark for the company and is one that deserves respect for being one heck of an entertaining western comic character. Growing up, I read many of his adventures from comics that my Grandma Brassfield would buy for my brother from garage sales, and can remember enjoying them pretty well but still always preferring the superhero and horror comics. If you like classic western movies and TV shows and also enjoy reading comic books, give Rawhide Kid a chance as the early stuff is lots of fun and holds a real classic feel. Oh and I should also note that Rawhide Kid’s drink of choice is milk, and him asking for it at bars and saloons is a running gag in the series.

Cowboys also made a mark in the world of video games with most modern gamers agreeing that the Red Dead Redemption series is one of the over all best games going! But one of the earliest western games I remember was for the Atari 2600 and was called Outlaw and has you having to outdraw an outlaw in order to score points. And when getting this update together I figured it would be fun to take a small NES Challenge on a western themed game for the Nintendo and decided to settle on Gun.Smoke released in 1985 by Capcom. So I picked January 22, 2019 as the day to play this game and hooked up the RES (Retro-Entertainment System) and was ready to just sit back for a few minutes and just have fun and play this game and see how far I could get. My goal this time around is to not even beat the game but to just replay it after all these years, I want to thank Game Swap Kettering for having the game in stock for me to buy and make this quick play a reality. So after pouring myself a tall glass of water and eating a good meal of home made chicken and dumplings, I set out to take a shot of surviving the 8-bit wild-west! And the game was just as fun as I remember as I just ran around shooting all the baddies in town with my goal being to collect a bounty put onto the head of a criminal. The longer I played the more I enjoyed it, but also the longer I played it my hands became more and more cramped as the game forces you to always move up and you must be dodging and shooting at the same time. Capcom should make an updated version of this game and make it like an alternative to Red Dead Redemption and have the player play as a man on the side of the law whose goal is to capture some of the worst gun slingers the wild west has ever known…just an idea. If you enjoy classic NES games and also like wild west shooters, make sure to check out Gun.Smoke as I think it’s a forgotten gem for that system that is worth your play time.

I am not a big soda drinker, but from time to time I do enjoy a good soft drink, and for those wondering it really is hard to pick between Pepsi or Coke as each I think go well with different types of meals with Coke being the best with Pizza and Pepsi going well with Mexican food. But in October 2018 I must say I had one of the worst sodas I have ever tasted (minus those weird ones like Ranch and PB&J) and it was called “Moxie Original Elixir” and my gosh it had one of the worst after tastes of any soda I have drank as it tasted like cough syrup…it was so gross! So this is just a warning for you cola soda drinkers, stay clear of Moxie unless you have a bad cough cause who knows it might help ya!

While working on this update, I got thinking about the old steakhouse Ponderosa that was really inspired by the old west and flavors of the past as well as the TV show Bonanza. Growing up here in Ohio, we had a few of them around and I can remember that my Grandparents on my Dad’s side really loved eating there. I can remember eating the salad bar and loading up on small steaks and baked potatoes and chatting with my brother about toys, comics, video games and horror movies as we ate. But while they were popular places to eat here for a while, they faded away from the Dayton market and all went out of business with the longest one to hold on being on Airway Road. So I wanted to have a meal at Ponderosa in order to celebrate Rawhide Kid and Marvel Western Comics and to relive a little bit of my youth. The nearest Ponderosa is over an hour away from where I live and is in Hillsboro, and after calling up my pal Josh Weinberg, we hit the rode to have a good lunch at an old staple restaurant for our family growing up. The only downside is that I no longer eat red meat and must find some food I can eat from a place that is a steak house. We hit the road on January 15, 2019 to the good old Ponderosa, and on the drive there we chatted a little about the future of the Wolf Hunter movie series as well as a wrestling and baseball talk. It took a little over an hour to get there, but once we did, the place was pretty epic and from the outside was one of the biggest Ponderosa’s I have ever seen! The setup inside was very nice and clean, and Josh and I decided to eat the salad bar buffet. Our waitress was super cute and looked like she could have been a model or a pop star country singer. I chose water as my drink of choice and during my lunch I had chicken wings, mashed potatoes with two types of gravy, mac & cheese, green beans, ham and chicken noodles. And I must say it was all pretty good with the mac & cheese and chicken wings being the stand out and the most tasty. Over all while the inside was very Texas Ranch looking, the meal was good southern style cooking and flavors. On the ride back we talked lots more about MLB aka the Cincinnati Reds and had a hoot as we spotted in someone’s yard a statue of the Apple Pie Tree from McDonalds. It was worth the drive to eat once more at Ponderosa Steakhouse and over all was a fun cold day in Ohio. Below are pictures I took on that day.

So now that I have my belly filled with some good old Ponderosa food, I think it’s time we sit around the campfire with a cup of coffee and start our look at Marvel Comic western hero The Rawhide Kid and the 1985 mini series I have chosen to cover for this update. Now I want to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you’re ready readers and friends, let’s review the Wild West adventures of The Kid! Oh and I want to thank Bell, Book And Comic for having this whole mini series in stock.

The Rawhide Kid # 1 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 1 of 4

The Rawhide Kid is an old man now and is making his way atop Nightwind to town when railroad workers spot him, and the oldest member of the team shares the story of Rawhide Kid being the fastest gun in the west and how he avenged the murder of his adoptive father. After hearing the story, a young city boy on the rail team decides to quit his job to follow Rawhide Kid into town and asks him to train him in gun slinging. Rawhide Kid finds a saloon to relax in as the youngster also enters the bar and hears some of the men talking about the greatest gunslingers of the west and he chimes in Rawhide Kid and points him out to everyone as being the best! The saloon owner refuses to serve Rawhide Kid a good breakfast now as he thinks he is an outlaw and worse as he is about to leave some of the railroad workers have shown up for lunch and bait Rawhide into a massive fist fight that he is winning and is broke up by Sam the town Sheriff and friend of his who takes his old friend to the jail in order to give him a place to rest. That night the City Boy breaks down the wall of the jail to “free” Rawhide Kid who was not even locked up, and this makes the town go crazy as they all start firing at him and his new young goofy friend! But Rawhide Kids still keeps them safe and the Sheriff is able to calm the towns people down, as the City Boy comes to learn that the Rawhide Kid is really in town to put a flower on a grave of a young kid he gunned down in the city many years back.

This Marvel Western Comic is lots of fun and this first issue was a fantastic read to kick off a mini series as it blends his old adventures and his current story really well and brings new readers up-to-date on who the character is and was. The plot of this issue has the Rawhide Kid now an old man who returns to a town that he killed a young gun slinger in and soon finds that the town dislikes him and look at him as an outlaw, that his friend is now the town Sheriff and he also has a young city boy who idolizes him and wants to learn to become a gun slinger like him. Rawhide Kid is an aged fast draw gun slinger who is a man that is haunted by his past as he has taken so many lives with his guns. Plus I like that even though he is an old man he don’t take guff from people who want to try and test him and his legend. I also like that he just wants to avoid trouble and that all he really wanted to do in town is have some ham, eggs, bread and of course a glass of milk before visiting the grave. The City Boy is a young man who gets wrapped up in the stories of how great Rawhide Kid is and decides that by being trained by him will lead him closer to fame and fortune instead of working hard for his money. While he is a good kid, he also is a screw up and causes Rawhide Kid lots of issues with the locals in this issue. The townspeople are all mostly judgmental who hate Rawhide Kid due to old wanted posters that use to hang, forgetting that he was the one who gunned down a madman who killed many of the townsfolk many years back. Sheriff Sam is the only one who seems to know that Rawhide is a good man and he has to be the voice of reason when it comes to them getting trigger happy. And Nightwind is still the same old fast horse long time readers love. It’s great to see that Rawhide’s trusty horse is still alive and helping his owner to get out of tough spots. The comic does a great job of building up a good story that shows our hero is an aging man who still is as skilled as he was in his youth as the world around him is changing and his good deeds are out shined by damning words from the past. The cover is great and has a real classic look and the interior art is done by the iconic Herb Trimpe who is one of my favorite classic Marvel artists. I am surprised on how much I enjoyed this issue, and I am very much looking forward to reading what’s to come in issue two. So with that let’s see what Rawhide Kid gets up to in his next adventure.

The Rawhide Kid # 2 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 2 of 4

Rawhide Kid and City Boy board a train to get out of town and to check one of Rawhide’s bank accounts in a nearby town as he is owned money from a writer who has been writing dime store books about Rawhide Kid’s past adventures as well as tall tales about him and who has not paid! While on the train City Boy gets real nervous when two men approach and even tries to shoot them with a gun he has hidden in his boot causing panic on the train and for Rawhide Kid to also be the target of the two men who turn out to be the law as City Boy is a wanted man! Rawhide Kid and City Boy escape the train and the law as City Boy shares his story of how he accidentally murdered his old boss in Chicago defending the honor of his sister. The pair find an old abandoned shack and spend the night there only to wake up and find that they are in the practice area of Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show! And after some talk Rawhide Kid joins the cast of his traveling road show as does City Boy. While working for the show he runs into the writer who he makes pay him all the money owed and also runs into Annie Oakley who was an old fling of his. But the lawmen also show up and he and City Boy must race off as Oakley and the rest of the crew run distraction.

This second issue has Rawhide Kid once more being on the wrong side of the law thanks to his new student City Boy. We find out his real name is Jeff Packard and he is wanted for murder back in Chicago of a slaughterhouse owner who employed him and his sister. Our plot of the issue has two main storylines with one being City Boy and his running ways from the two officers out to get him and the other is Rawhide Kid who has been ripped off by a writer who owes him lots of back pay money for books he wrote about the living legend. Rawhide Kid is very noble and not only wants what’s owed to him but also wants to teach and protect him from the law who wants to take them both in. Jeff Packard aka City Boy is a young man who still has the idea of being a gunslinger will bring him money and tells a tale of why he is wanted in Chicago that involves a man using and abusing his sister, and when thinking about it, I am not sure I believe him and I think he killed the man in a botch theft as City Boy is very much into money and is saying this in order to get the help of Rawhide Kid to escape the law. What really is cool about this issue is the fact they add in real Wild West people like Wild Bill Cody and Annie Oakley and have them at the Wild West Show! Makes me hope that more real cowboys show up in this mini series! The over all feel of this issue is the great chase as our heroes spend the issue on the run from the law who are outclassed by the fast and adventures style of Rawhide Kid who always is one step ahead of them. The cover for this issue is great and holds a classic western comic look and once more Herb did the interior and is fantastic. Over all this second issue is, as good as the original and I cannot wait to see what issue 3 has in store.

The Rawhide Kid # 3 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 3 of 4

Rawhide Kid and City Boy have made camp outside of a town were Rawhide is teaching him how to be fast with a pair of six shooters. Meanwhile the law has hired a former slave now turned bounty hunter to bring in the pair of “fugitives”. While at the camp, Rawhide Kid goes for a quick swim as City Boy goes to make breakfast and is attacked by the law and Bounty Hunter who informs him that his sister is fine and is now to be married off, but thanks to Rawhide Kid and Nightwind, they are able to free City Boy and they ride off to find shelter and a place to hide and regroup in the near by town. Once in town they find that it is made up of former slaves and all the males have been killed and the women and children are hiding in the church and tell Rawhide kid that a hate group killed all the males and are returning for them all because they want the town cause oil has been discovered under it. The Bounty Hunter leaves the law behind and tracks his bounties down to the same town. Once the Bounty Hunter finds them in the church a showdown is about to happen until the hate group shows up and they have to join forces in order to save the locals as well as themselves. In the end the good guys win and kill and chase off the hate mongers and the Bounty Hunter drops out of turning them in and decides to stay in the town and help them rebuild and protect them from others trying to steal the oil. Rawhide Kid and City Boy ride off still on the run but also as heroes.

Wow this is a great issue and shows that Rawhide Kid is a good man who does what’s right and is also teaching City Boy the same morals. This issue has Rawhide and City Boy being hunted down by a skillful Bounty Hunter who ends up joining with his bounties in order to protect a town that is being slaughtered by a group of hate and greed filled men. Rawhide Kid is still a man trying to avoid his legend as he knows that much of it was made up by writers and storytellers, and while some think he is an outlaw, he is really a man who does the right thing and even risks his own life to save others. He also has zero tolerance for those who hate due to skin color and has no issues standing up for what he thinks is right and putting haters in their place or even six feet under. So I have to say I was wrong about City Boy as it looks like he was telling the truth about killing the man over his sister, and he in this issue is learning not only to be fast with a gun but also how to be a better person and to help others. The lawmen are desperate in this issue and go looking for help to capture their “outlaws” by hiring a bounty hunter and once more when they go for the arrest they fail. The Bounty Hunter is a former slave who also fought in the civil war and is now super skilled with a gun and always gets his man and seems very happy to be hired to take down a legend like Rawhide Kid, and in the end he learns that he needs to also look at valuing innocent human life and not just look at all people as dollar signs. This issue really does take a look at racism and does it in your normal Marvel Comics way and shows that they tackled all types of issues in their comics. One of my favorite moments in this issue is when the Bounty Hunter tricks members of the hate group into a barn and traps them inside and burns them alive…very brutal! The cover for this issue is great and showcases true comic western action and interiors is once more done by Herb and is fantastic! With the next issue being the final in the series, I am wondering how this will all wrap up and if City Boy will be reunited with his sister and if Rawhide Kid will find the retirement he so badly wants. Well let’s not delay and see what issue four has in store for our cowboy hero.

The Rawhide Kid # 4 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 4 of 4

Rawhide Kid has a terrible nightmare about having to save a faceless woman from a pack of skull faced baddies who all represent death while the town around them burns! City Boy is startled but warns him that it sounds like one of the tall tales from one of the dime novels written about him and they go back to bed after Rawhide burns the book in the campfire. The next day they ride into town and Rawhide Kid finds it’s the same town from his dreams and after City Boy goes to feed the horses a woman runs to Rawhide asking for help and out comes a pack of men who are the law looking for City Boy! Rawhide Kid tells the lady to warn City Boy to leave town and out smarts and moves the lawmen who warn him they will never give up till they get him! Rawhide Kid finds City Boy who is sick of running and is going to stand his ground against the lawmen and even sucker punches and knocks out Rawhide Kid who tried to talk him out of fighting. When Rawhide Kid comes to he finds that City Boy has been shot dead by the Lawmen and in a dazed state he refights the ghosts of his past leaving them once more dead. When he comes to he finds that he has killed all the lawmen who killed his new friend and this also allows him to bury his past and embrace his legend and to move on in what’s left of his life into the sunset.

This fourth and final issue in the mini series brings together all the stories that ran through it and gives a closing to Rawhide Kid who just wanted to retire and get away from his legend. The plot of this issue has Rawhide’s nightmare of a burning town with people trying to kill him coming to life and while he is able to face his inner demons and let go of his past, he also loses his new friend City Boy in the process. Rawhide Kid is an old man who has a bad rep with some people and others view him as a hero…and all he really wants is to be left alone and enjoy the time he has left on this world without having to fear that some upcoming gunslinger wants to put a bullet through him. The thing about Rawhide is that he is very loyal to his friends as well as to his morals of what he finds right, and because of this as reader I found myself feeling bad for him as trouble always seems to find him. In other words Rawhide Kid is a western hero who has baggage and guilt for those he has had to gun down in the past and would love to just disappear and never shot another person again. Poor City Boy I really did judge him all wrong, and he is no liar or coward in fact he is a young man who has warped views on how to be a good guy and what it means to be a true gunslinger, but means well. It’s crazy that in this issue he is gunned down and his body is just left on the back of his own horse for the town to see…no wonder Rawhide Kid has to go all quick shot on some lawmen ass! The major downside to City Boy dying is that he does not get to see his sister before he died. The lawman in this issue are very cold blooded and seem to get joy in trying to gun down the “outlaws” and are proud the shot and killed a young man who only killed to protect his sister. But while they are cocky at first, they all end up dead when they piss off Rawhide Kid who out classed them and leaves them all dead in the dusty streets. The end gun fight between the lawmen and Rawhide Kid is well down as he is still dazed from being knocked out by a sucker punch and envisions old baddies he has killed as well as loved ones he has lost, and with each re-kill or re-lose he is letting go of his past that haunts him. This mini series is great and really shows that Marvel has always made the best western themed comics with some of the most interesting original characters. The cover for this issue holds a little horror element to it and is very eye catching and as I have said before Herb Trimpe’s interior art is amazing! If you like westerns, cowboys and classic Marvel Comics check out this mini series!

So while Marvel Comics has left the Wild West far behind and have not had an ongoing series for decades their ones from the past live on for readers to discover at their local comic shops as well as conventions. I would recommend tracking down such titles as Kid Colt Outlaw, Two-Gun Kid and of course Rawhide Kid if you enjoy old western films and comics as they are really entertaining reads. For our next update we are going to stay in the world of Marvel and take a look at one of their most popular Superheroes The Amazing Spider-Man…but there is a twist as we will be looking at his Power Records Book and Record release that features an original story! So until next time cowboys and cowgirls, read a comic or three, watch a classic western film or two and as always support your Local Horror Host! See next update for a web slinging good time!

Garfield vs. The Ghost Pirates On Halloween Night!

Posted on September 22, 2018 by bloodlinematt

October is almost here. The air is turning cold, and the ghouls and ghosts are gearing up to run the streets in preparation of Halloween, which is only slightly over a month away! For this third countdown to Halloween update I wanted to take a look at something that I owned as a kid. The TV special it was based on was something I watched every year, and of course I am talking about “Garfield Halloween Adventure” that was shown on local TV and was something I truly had to watch when on. Garfield is a comic strip character I grew up reading in the Sunday Funny Papers; next to Peanuts it was a must. I also grew up watching all of his TV specials as well as his regular cartoon series. While I love the toon “Garfield and Friends,” the specials all hold a special place in my heart. Not to mention I also would buy his books, and between my brother and I, we had many of his toys and stuff animals. Garfield really is an iconic character who for the most part has withstood the test of time, and it’s with great pleasure that on this update we not only get one step closer to Halloween but also take a look back at things from my childhood. So get a costume on and let’s go trick or treating with Garfield and Odie.

On October 30^th 1985 CBS premiered the 24-minute “Garfield Halloween Adventure,” which combined two of my favorite things Halloween and Garfield! My brother Bryan and I were glued to the TV and watched with pure delight as the cartoon special brought some scares and lots of entertainment. We also made sure to tape it on Beta and watched it all the time year round. The best part of this airing was that it was paired with the very classic “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and made for the perfect Halloween season viewing. I can also remember many of the kids on the playground chatting about it, and everyone flipped when the comic strip book adaptation of it was offered in the Scholastic Book Club order form, with almost every kid I knew ordering it. The cartoon also did well in the TV ratings and almost all critics loved and praised it making it a staple for the holiday up until 2015 when it was finally taken off the schedule for good. The special also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program and was the third Garfield special to win it, showing that he was one of the 80’s most popular cartoon characters. After its airing, the special would go on to be released on VHS and DVD and still is a well loved classic Halloween TV special.

So at this point I am sure you’re ready to take a Halloween Adventure with that lasagna loving fat orange cat Garfield and his simple minded canine friend Odie. I know that I am as I have not read this comic strip book since I was a kid, and am looking forward to seeing if it holds up as I loved it when I was a kid and re-read it every Halloween up until I was a teen. This is in my opinion is a great way to gear up for October and is a perfect third update for our countdown to Halloween. Before we get our trick or treat bags ready, I need to remind you that I am grading this book on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. I want to think Amazon for having this in stock and making this update possible. So lets costume up and go out with Garfield and see how much candy or even rocks we can get!

Garfield In Disguise # 1 ***1/2
Released in 1985 Cover Price $5.95 Ballantine Books # 1 of 1

Garfield is awoken by Binky The Clown on TV who screams and demands that all of the viewers exercise with him, and right as Garfield turns off the TV, he hears the words Free Candy and quickly turns it back on to find out that it’s Halloween! Garfield goes around the house under a bed sheet and scares Jon and Odie and even has a little breakfast before tricking Odie into going trick of treating with him so he can get double the candy. Garfield and Odie go to the attic and look through old clothes and items and decide to go as pirates when finding costumes in a chest. After stealing Jon’s lasagna dinner, Garfield and Odie head out and start trick of treating! As they wander the streets getting candy and being spooked by real life ghouls and ghost, they end up getting into a rowboat and by accident they lose the paddles and float until they land on shore. The only house around is an abandoned one lit by a fire. Once inside, they warm themselves by the fire and are surprised by a very old man who warns them that the island is haunted and that the ghosts of pirates from a hundred years back will be back at midnight to claim their buried treasure! While Garfield and Odie are shaking with fear, the old man steals their boat and leaves them at the mercy of the coming ghost pirates! Garfield and Odie hide in a cabinet as the ghosts appear and bring up their hidden treasure, and when a sneeze alerts the ghosts who chase them out of the house, Garfield steals a ring from the treasure chests. He and Odie jump into the water and swim to shore. Once on shore they find their candy and the boat and head home only to be attacked by the ghost pirates who followed them home. Once Garfield returns the ring they disappear, and Garfield and Odie go home where Garfield shares the candy with Odie and Halloween comes to an end.

This comic strip book is a great mood setter for Halloween as it captures the playful nature of trick or treat and the spooky feeling of that night. Our story has Garfield and Odie going out for Halloween in order to get lots of free candy. When Garfield gets greedy, he leads them to an old abandoned haunted house, and they are witnessed and stalked by ghost pirates who have returned after 100 years! As I said the feel and atmosphere of this comic strip book is fantastic and much like “Legend Of Sleepy Hollow” really captures the feel of Halloween. Garfield lives up to his normal behavior and is self-absorbed, self centered and always looking for food to gorge on, but while he is sarcastic, he also does have a caring and grateful side. Odie is your typical dog that is loyal, goofy and smart and several times in this adventure saves Garfield’s butt from danger. Jon is just around in this one, mostly carving pumpkins and tying to enjoy meals that his cat ends up stealing. The old man who once worked for the pirates some 100 years ago is creepy and seems to get joy scaring those who stumble into his old home, plus the Ghost Pirates are very much mean and scary but really just want their treasure. This comic strip book does justice to the made for TV cartoon special and does a great job of capturing the mood and only thing missing is the musical numbers. Jim Davis, who is the creator and mastermind behind the world of Garfield, does the art and story, and both are well done and show why Garfield has remained a popular comic strip character all these years. The cover as well is amazing and eye catching and has a real kid friendly Halloween look to it. If you enjoy Garfield and love Halloween, this is a great read and one that brought back lots of great memories of my youth, and this comic strip book held up well and is a great read. So check it out as well as the art from it.

I hope that this update has put you into the Halloween spirit like it did for me writing it! Made for TV Halloween specials are something that almost seems as if they are dying off as most broadcast stations only focus on their current shows and allow them to do a Halloween episode that most of the time are not very good with only a handful of series being able to pull it off. But for me just like “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” the Garfield Halloween Special is a one of my all time favorites and is one I suggest you watch every year. But now we have to leave the world of Garfield and the ghost pirates behind for our next update as we are now in full countdown to Halloween mode and our next one will have us looking at another in what I call “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” as we look at the killer Metalface and his film series Playing With Dolls! So until next time, read a comic or two, watch a cartoon or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for a bloody good time.

The DC Detective Superhero Jonni Thunder Cracks The Case!

Posted on May 14, 2018 by bloodlinematt

Here at Rotten Ink I really enjoy taking a look at all types of heroes, villains and characters from all types of comic companies, and one that I really do enjoy showcasing when it comes to underrated and misused heroes are those of DC Comics. In the past we have taken a look at characters like Red Tornado, Hawkman and STEEL, all topnotch superheroes that seem to be afterthoughts in the world of the DC Universe. For this update I have chosen a character who took over the role of superhero from her father, and I am talking about Jonni Thunder aka Thunderbolt a private detective who also has the power to turn into a powerhouse electric hero! So if you’re ready to solve a mini series with a super powered gumshoe, let’s take a quick case with Jonni Thunder!

Jonni Thunder and her father Jim Thunder came together in California and opened “J. Thunder Detective Agency” after Jim was fired from the police force but still felt he could help people. For years father and daughter try and help people with their skills and have lots of great success. But over the years her father Jim Thunder is slowly killing himself with hard liquor and cigarettes and dies from his bad vices leaving Jonni to have to run the agency on her own. While on a case of murder she is offered money by one of her father’s friends for a statue that turns out to hold the power of Thunderbolt, and once free the creature bonds with Jonni and she is able to control it and hence a superhero is born. The downside for her is that while she takes control of Thunderbolt, Jonni herself passes out and is left open to attacks and dangers. Jonni would later, as Thunderbolt, get involved in the Crisis On Infinite Earths and took on Knodar and also would later become romantic with superhero Skyman and would join the team Infinity Inc, that is until she would lose her power and gain it back only to find that the Thunderbolt that attached itself to her was in fact a alien who had bad attentions. Once she lost her powers and Skyman passed away, Jonni Thunder left Infinity Inc. and faded way back to normal life. So while her time as Thunderbolt and a superhero might have been short, Jonni still was a cool and interesting character that once more DC dropped the ball with and misused over the years.

So as you can see Jonni Thunder by all accounts is a normal strong willed woman who owns and runs her own business that by luck gets the power of a superhero. But like many of the characters created by DC, she was not given the chance to become a mainstream character as it has always been clear that if they were not Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman they just don’t have much for you at the time. With comic characters now being used in other forms of media like video games, novels, TV shows and movies the folks at DC seem to be more open to using the none A-List characters. But we are now at the time of this update were we will do the review for the Jonni Thunder mini series, and I want to thank Bell Book And Comic for having them in stock. I also want to remind all you readers that I grade these on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you’re ready, lets see what Jonni Thunder is all about and if Thunderbolt can save the day.

Jonni Thunder # 1 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 1 of 4

It’s a stormy night in California as Private Investigator Jonni Thunder returns to town after her father’s funeral. Once back at her office she finds a body of a would-be client dead with gun shot wounds, and after the cops question her, she gets a weird phone call that says if she seeks answers to why the man was murdered in her office she must meet them at the tar pits. Jonni jumps into her 1957 Thunderbird and in the pouring rain finds that her mystery caller was a no show. When returning to her office she finds a weird metal insect waiting to try and kill her and with lots of luck and after escaping her office via the window in the ally she is able to make the machine blow up with a well places umbrella to the metal machines eye. After the attack the cops once more give Jonni guff and act as if her story of a killer robot is fake and takes the word of a drunk who claims he was in the ally and seen and heard nothing. Jonni storms off and heads to the office were she finds a note to meet one time western actor and singer turned TV mogul Slim Chances who makes her an offer to buy an old statue of her fathers that has a story of power around it. Jonni knows that the statue was turned into a lamp at the office and when bringing it to the set up meeting spot she is attacked by the old bum who has a high powered laser gun and he as well wants the statue and even tells her he is the one who sent the metal bug assassin! As he tries his best to kill her with his laser gun the statues starts to glow and a being of energy comes out of it and Jonni passes out and is now controlling it and chases the old man who falls off a cliff and dies! The flying energy being returns to Jonni who awakens and is confused on what just happened.

This first issue in the mini series is fantastic and a great way to kick it off and bring readers in. The thing that works the best for this comic is the nice mix of classic detective comic with a touch of superhero comic by the end. This issue’s plot has Jonni Thunder after the funeral of her father being the target of a hit that by the end of out story all revolves around a statue that was sent to her father when she was young that was stolen from a foreign country that has stories of powers. Jonni Thunder is a good detective, who is skilled at her job as she is always looking for clues and always paying attention to things going on around her and best of all she is sharp witted with good survival skills. Jonni also is very skilled at combat and is a strong willed character who does what she can to get the job done, plus she does not take any guff from anyone…she is a really cool basic detective character. Thunderbolt is a female being of energy that can fly and shoot energy blasts from her hands, she has the mind of Jonni and at this point Thunderbolt does not speak nor do we really know much about her yet. The main villain of this issue is the old man who clearly wants the statue and will kill in order to get it. At this point we don’t know who he is, but I am thinking he might be the man who originally stole the statue decades past. I also don’t trust Slim Chances as this old time western actor seems a little too interested in buying the statue and even never showed up at the meeting spot, making me wonder if he hired the old man to kill the daughter of his one time friend. This far the story is well done, and I am looking forward to seeing how this all plays out as well as I hope to get the answer of who the old man is and who hired him. The cover is pretty eye catching and is very 80’s DC Comics. The interior art is well done and is done by Dick Goirdano. To sum this issue up, it’s a great first issue and introduction to a character that had/has lots of potential, and I am looking forward to seeing what issue two has in store for us.

Jonni Thunder # 2 **1/2
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 2 of 4

The police have shown up to the crime scene and find the dead body of the old man at the bottom on the cliff, they of course have it in their mind the Jonni Thunder is the killer but they have no proof and seem to get joy in given her a hard time. Once she leaves the crime scene she goes home and tries to figure out what this statue is and why it has given her powers in times of need. She goes home and thinks about her next move when she finds a private detective like herself named Harrison Trump digging through her mail, the two get into a struggle and Harrison gets away before she can figure out why he was snooping. Jonni goes to the office and finds Slim Chances and his bodyguard Roadblock waiting for her and they are not their as friends as they search her purse for the statue and leave when they think the cops are on their way. Jonni who has hidden the statue finds the Harrison has stolen it and she travels to San Francisco to get it back. She soon finds that Harrison was working for night club owner and dancer Red Nails who has turned on Harrison and is trying to figure out the power of the statue when Jonni breaks in and confronts her. The two women share some words and Red throws the statue at Jonni knocking her out but also allowing her to turn into Thunderbolt who chases Red around but should have taken her out fast as Red picks up a gun and is about to shoot the knocked out Jonni in the head!

The second issue has Jonni Thunder at odds with many people all who want the statue minus the cops who think she might be covering murders that are happing by not giving them all he details. The poor detective is also having to deal with the fact that a statue has given her powers that turn her into a living raw energy power superhero! Plus she gets attacked and bullied all through the issue as Slim Chances and his bodyguard try and rob her, sleazy private detective Harrison Trump snoops around her house and does rob her and club owner beauty Red Nails knocks her upside her head and also tries to rob her!! Jonni Thunder in this issue is tough and also confused as after the death of her father her life is becoming stranger and stranger and she herself is trying to solve her own case of what’s the deal with the statue and why the world wants it and why does it have weird powers. The cops are no real help, and they keep just blaming and investigating Jonni instead of listing to her statements. The old western actor Slim Chances and his former NFL player bodyguard Roadblock are scum and are greedy for the statue and try to bully their way into getting it and even try and use money as means to get it. Harrison Trump is a P.I from San Francisco who is not a good one as he is willing to steal for his clients and even is willing to fight against a woman in order to get his case closed, funny thing is he is a fool and becomes a hostage of his own client! Red Nails is a pretty red head woman who owns a dance club and is clearly cold blooded and willing to kill in order to get the statue as she wants it’s power for herself. The cliffhanger ending of this issue is really well done as it’s clear that Thunderbolt has to be fast in order to save her own life! The cover for this issue is great again and is classic 80’s DC Comic stuff and the interior art by Dick Goirdano is great once more and is great classic art stuff. To sum it up, this is a great DC Comic for a female hero they sadly seem to have forgotten for the most part. So lets see what issue three has in store for me!

Jonni Thunder # 3 **1/2
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 3 of 4

Red Nails forces Thunderbolt to retreat back into Jonni Thunder’s body as if the hero don’t she threatens to shoot the host body in the head! Once awake Jonni and the still captive Harrison Trump are handcuffed and forced by Red and her henchwomen to sewer tunnels where they are shown a giant electric machine that was built by Red who besides being a stripper is also a whiz of electricity machinery and has designed a massive laser gun that she plans on powering with the power of Thunderbolt, but first she wants to use it on Jonni and Harrison! But when the statue doesn’t power the laser gun, Red Nails sends her goons to kill Jonni and Harrison instead who end up escaping right after Jonni is able to grab the statue. The pair find themselves on the run and end up being kidnapped by Slim Chances whose limo is now being chased by Red’s lady goons on motorcycles! Jonni and Harrison leap from the limo just in time and find themselves having to work together to really get out of harms way. But their escape is cut short when Red Lips starts to use a lightning machine try and stop them forcing Jonni to become Thunderbolt and for Harrison to try and control the run away car that the body of Jonni is passed out at behind the wheel! With some luck and power Thunderbolt is able to electrocute Red Nails ending her reign of terror, and return to her body and she hopes this is the end.

The third issue once more is a solid read and shows that Jonni Thunder when pushed can take care of business and truly has the will to live when faced with odds that are stacked against her. In this issue Jonni is kidnapped and set to be murdered by a laser cannon, but is able to escape and stop her enemy who is using the cities electric power to try and kill her and gain back that statue. Red Nails is one mean woman as she is unfazed by the chaos she is creating and the lives she might be taking, she also clearly only really wants power and money…too bad she gets none and finds herself fried like a piece of chicken. Slim Chances the one time movie cowboy turned TV tycoon is also a true scumbag as in this issue he even turns to kidnapping in order to get the statue and it’s power. Harrison Trump who is the goofy private investigator who really help start this drama shows that he is not a fully bad guy as he risks his neck to not only try and save his own hide but that of Jonni’s as well. Thunderbolt is shown that she does have a weakness as all the electric power of the city really zaps and hurts her, but she also shows that with the mind of Jonni she is smart and quick to come up with answers to major problems. This issue helps build up the story really well as it once more shows you that this statue is something special and has bonded with Jonni who cant get a moments peace in order to figure out what and why! The cover for this issue is very eye catching and good use of the colors yellow and red with interior art once more being handled by Dick Goirdano who once more captures the feel of DC Comics in the 80’s. Over all this is another solid issue that makes me look forward to the fourth and final issue to see how our story plays out.

Jonni Thunder # 4 **1/2
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 4 of 4

Jonni Thunder and Harrison Trump are driving back home when they are pulled over by the cops and as Jonni is taken to the station as Harrison steals her car! After being questioned by the cops a call comes in from the higher ups to leave Jonni alone who leaves only to be once more taken by Roadblock to meet with Slim Chances. Once at the mansion Jonni beats up and kills Roadblock and soon finds that Slim is the man who hired the laser gun madman who tried to kill her at the meeting spot and that he also is the one who shot the man who died in her office! Slim also tells her that the statue came from space and that he and Red Nails had nothing to do with each other, but he goes too far when he is about to kill Jonni with his laser gun and Jonni turns into Thunderbolt and electrocutes Slim killing him before in a daze back as Jonni she leaves the mansion with two dead bodies left behind and lots of thinking to do as she returns to her office. Once back she finds her friend beat up bad on the floor and a note left behind by Harrison for her to meet him alone, Jonni is in a rage as she thinks he has beaten her friend near death and rushes to bring down Harrison who she quickly learns is innocent and that Red Nails is still alive and she and her goons are the ones who beat up her friend. After tricking the goons Jonni targets Red who she lets in on the secret that the statue no longer has power, as she is now the source of the energy. Red in a rage tries to shoot Jonni and a struggle ensues that leaves Red shot thanks the cops that have been called. In the end Jonni has cleared her name, she has the power of Thunderbolt living inside her and she now has friends in the police department as well as Harrison Trump a fellow P.I.

This is a mini series that does a great job of bring the world of comics and cheesy detective pulp style novels together to deliver a very entreating adventure. In this issue Jonni Thunder learns that she truly has the power of Thunderbolt and is able to clear her name as well as deal with all those filled with greedy wants and needs that all breaks down to the statue. Jonni Thunder is good at her job and knows how to find the information she needs to close a case as well as survive any and all bad situations that come her way. But while Jonni is smart and tough as nails, she still has a soft side as it’s clear she loved her dad and cares about her friends old and new. When as Thunderbolt she has massive raw power and energy and will do what she has to do to save her hide and others, also as Thunderbolt her power could easily kill a human. Whats weird is the power of Thunderbolt lived in the statue for awhile but once bonding with Jonni the power makes it’s home inside her. Harrison Trump is a sleazy dude who was willing to steal to make money and only after being saved and almost killed does he really come around to be a decent guy. Plus I think once he started to having romantic feelings for Jonni his attitude and look out on life changed. Slim Chances and his ex-football player Roadblock were slimy rich people who wanted the power of the statue and looked at human life as disposable! Plus for their greed and power hungry mindset both Roadblock and Slim meet their deaths by the hands of Thunderbolt/Jonni. Red Nails and her goons as well are terrible and greedy people who meet their ends as well trying to get power. Plus the cops while a thorn in the side of Jonni finally turn out to be heroes when one of them shoots and kills Red Nails before she could end the life of Jonni. Over all this is a nice action packed detective romp mini series that does a great job of blending noir and superheroes to make me as a reader wondering what turn was next for our characters. The cover for issue # 4 is ok and by far is the weakest one in the series. The interior art is still great and done by Dick Goirdano again. Over all if you enjoy detective comics that have a hint of superhero this mini series is for you! Check out the art below to see the style of Goirdano.

DC Comics has a bad history of really back burning many of their characters in favor of just focusing on the same main A-List heroes. I think they dropped the ball on Jonni Thunder as I think she could even have been a great side character in one of their mainstream books like they could have had her move her office to Gotham and enter the world of Batman! But sadly I just don’t see this changing at DC as they will always be the comic company that Superman and Batman built, and they will always only focus on them and a handful of other heroes. For our next update we will be walking away from DC Comics and one of their many forgotten heroes and take a journey with another detective, but this one is like none other as he is a talking dog named McGruff The Crime Dog! So until next time, read a comic or three, remember an old superhero or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we take a bite out of crime!

The Red Twister Man-Droid Of The DC Universe!

Posted on June 21, 2017 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink, my readers and friends. For this update I have decided to take a look at another DC Hero, one that always captured my attention as a youngster thanks to the Kenner toy Super Powers. The hero I am talking about is the Red Tornado! Growing up I was more of a Marvel comic reader, and 8 out of 10 times while at the comic newsstand at Hearts, I would pick a Marvel book over a DC or independent as I was always more into their characters like Hulk, Captain America and Spider-Man. But I still always enjoyed reading DC heroes Batman, Superman, Swamp Thing and even Justice League Of America. With that said, I still really enjoy DC and enjoy discovering the characters they have created to entertain the comic readers worldwide and that’s why I choose to cover Red Tornado. One thing that has always driven me crazy about DC Comics is the fact they have a rich history of characters, but they only ever really want to focus on the same handful when it comes to major storylines and even merchandising. I mean look at how many items and major comic plots go to Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern and how little go to characters like The Creeper, Captain Marvel, Black Canary and Red Tornado. But on this update here at Rotten Ink, I am going to give Red Tornado his time to shine in the comic spotlight! So dress warm as this wind might chill you to the bone while Tornado is on the loose to save the day!

So who is the Red Tornado and what is he all about? Let me take a moment to fill you readers in on his past as I am sure you will find his weird and complicated history interesting. The thing that I must stress about DC and their character histories is that they can get very weird and confusing as they have many “Earths” that have different timelines, and this makes the bios very murky in my opinion, but let’s try and give this a shot. Red Tornado was created on the planet Rann in the Earth-One universe and was made up of two different beings, Tornado Champion and Tornado Tyrant, and became a bad guy who attacked Adam Strange only to lose. This loss made it take a looks at itself and choose to be good as he found that side to be the stronger. But this ultimately did not matter as the bad side won the inner war that raged inside the split identity body. As the evil Tornado Tyrant, he comes to Earth-Two and fights the Justice League Of America and this allows the Tornado Champion side to dominate. He is tricked by evil criminal T.O Morrow into tricking Tornado Champion to take over an android that he had built. This wiped the memory of Tornado Champion and now a new life-form was born named Red Tornado! After being used as a tool for evil, Red Tornado turns on his creator and turns to the ways of good and becomes a member of the Justice League Of America and tries to live his life as an android superhero as well as tries to have a human life side. Later Tornado Champion breaks free from the android body and becomes a weapon for Anti-Monitor and ultimately fails returning to the android body and Red Tornado was once more! After this, he became a nature protector, guided the members of Young Justice and has even been an off and on team member of the Justice League Of America! Say what you will about Red Tornado; he has been good and he has been bad but one thing is for sure, this android hero is one of DC’s coolest B-Listers!

In 1985 Kenner decided to add a second series of heroes and villains to their popular Super Powers line of action figures, and among the likes of Martian The Manhunter and Mantis was the one and only Red Tornado. Growing up me and my brother loved to get our hands on Super Powers as we both loved comic books as well as the movies and cartoons based on the DC heroes. Between the two of us, we owned almost all of Series 1 minus Brainiac whom we never could find, and we also had many of the figures in series 2. When I was in the first grade in the Waynesville, while on the bus home a fellow bus rider had a Red Tornado action figure, and I can remember being obsessed with it and for weeks trying to trade other toys in order to get it from him. Sadly he never would trade nor did we ever get the figure until many years later when my brother bought it to add to his Super Powers collection. But this figure is what made me become obsessed with Red Tornado and who he was way back when I was just a six year old lad. My brother who was 9 years old was the one who told me what he knew about the character that he had learned from issues of Justice League Of America. Below are some pictures of the Kenner Red Tornado figure loose, in the package and a look at the mini comic that came with the toy. One day I should get myself this figure just to remind me of my youth and the time I discovered Red Tornado. I should note that other figures over the years have been made of the Red Tornado, but for me the Super Powers is still the best one.

So besides in comics and toy,s Red Tornado has also had other appearances in media that include being in the animated series “Justice League Unlimited” and being voiced by Powers Boothe, “Batman: The Brave And The Bold” voiced by Corey Burton and “Young Justice” voiced by Jeff Bennett showing that he has made his mark on the world of DC animation. He also appeared in the 2010 animated film “Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths” but was just a cameo and didn’t even speak a word! He also also been in a handful of video games like “DC Universe Online” and “Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham” and also whirlwind, the pixel world! More recently he was in the live action show “Supergirl” episode called Red Faced and is played by Iddo Goldberg and is portrayed as an android ready for combat. So while he is by no means as in demand as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman or even Green Lantern, he still over the years has tried to get his time to shine in other media besides comics.

So now that we have had a crash course of the history of Red Tornado and have also taken a look at the character in the world of merchandise and other media, I think we should twist our way down to the comic reviews and see what this 1985 mini series has in store for our android superhero! Shockingly enough, this will be my first time reading this mini series, and I must think Dark Star in Yellow Springs for having them all in stock. I can hear these words in the whirling wind: “I grade these on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story.” So if you’re ready, I am ready to see what this Red Tornado mini series has in store. So avoid the wind gusts and let’s dive in shall we!

Red Tornado # 1 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 1 of 4

New Jersey is having a massive tornado that is destroying property, and as Lana Lang is reporting live, Red Tornado appears and saves the day when he reverses the funnel cloud and rushes away as he still thinks the world fears him even if he is a member of the Justice League Of America (JLA). Once back home, he turns into his alter ego John Smith and takes his girlfriend Kathy Sutton and young orphan friend Traya out to dinner and a movie. After the film is over, robots come from the ground and have their sights set on taking out John Smith who has to turn into Red Tornado in order to lead them away from his loved ones and innocent people! After beating the robots, he returns back to being John Smith, and while watching the evening news, he is heart broken when he sees Lana Lang report that he was responsible to the tornado and that it destroyed thousands of dollars worth of property! And worse, as the report goes off, Superman along with fellow Justice League Of America members call Red Tornado outside only to fire him from the team. As the sad android hero flies away, we soon learn that the robot villain The Construct is mind controlling the JLA and others in order to push all the human feelings out of Red Tornado so that robots can kill off man and rule the world, as he knows that Red Tornado could stop him and his plan.

This first issue in a four issue mini series is a great way to introduce Red Tornado to readers who might not know who he is, as well as a cool way to start off our story! The plot of this issue has Red Tornado trying his best to gain the trust of humans. As he does his best to stop crimes as well as natural weather disasters, he is filled with doubts about being accepted not only as the android hero but also as his “human” life John Smith. While he battles his inner thoughts, unknown to him, an evil robot power is in play as The Construct is controlling all the bad things happening to him and even controls his firing from the Justice League Of America! Red Tornado is an android on a mission to save human life and uses his weather powers to do so, but he is very much bothered that the whole human race is not hip to the fact he is a good guy and wants to do no harm to them. His ability to become a tornado is his main defense against crime, but he is also very smart. I also really like in this issue that while he is an android, he does show signs of having feelings and this makes the character deeper than just a hunk of metal with powers. As his “human” life John Smith, it’s clear that he doesn’t know how to be human as he is just going with the flow of what life he thinks he should have by working a so-so day job and even being boring with his girlfriend by not understanding they don’t always need Traya around to go out! It’s odd, it almost seems like as John he shows less emotion than he does when he is Red Tornado, making it clear that his mechanical mind is trying its best to figure out what it means to be human. Kathy Sutton is a sweet woman who has fallen in love with John Smith, even knowing that he is not human showing that she has a big heart, and I hope by the end of this mini series she finds happiness. Traya is a young girl who was saved by Red Tornado many years back and thinks her friend and savior can do no wrong nor even lose a battle. She really does care about her friend and never questions why she has to sit in a orphanage and Red Tornado never has adopted her. The Construct is one mean machine as it has made its life mission to destroy mankind, defeat and out smart the JLA and ruin a normal life for Red Tornado by making him feel that every thing he loves has turned on him! I can’t wait to see how its plan plays out and how Red Tornado will defeat him! Another great aspect of this comic is the fact that it has cameos from Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and many more making it truly feel like a mainstream DC Comic series. The cover is fantastic and eye catching as it shows Superman talking harshly to Red Tornado making the reader want to open the book and find out why. The interior art is done by Carmine Infantino and is solid and great work and has that 80’s DC charm. Over all I really enjoyed this first issue as I liked the atmosphere of a rain soaked big city under the gloom of some unknown power. I like the cameos and most importantly I really dig the book’s title hero as he is pretty interesting and has layers to his odd personality. So let’s see what issue two has in store for us and if this mini series keeps up the good art and writing that this issue has set up for the whole run.

Red Tornado # 2 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 2 of 4

Red Tornado stays out in the rain all night wondering what he did wrong and why he has been booted from the JLA as his girlfriend Kathy Sutton has worried about him all night! The Construct is happy thus far as his plan to mentally break his android nemesis is going perfectly, and his next movie is to mind control Superman once more to set up a meeting with Red Tornado who thinks they are allowing him back into the JLA but soon finds himself ripped into pieces and thrown over the Brooklyn Bridge into the cold water below by Superman, his one time friend! Red Tornado brings himself back together and is now filled with anger as he does not understand why he has been targeted and snubbed by his friends As our hero is deep in thought, The Construct starts his plan on taking over machines all over the world. All the scientists and labs are coming up with no answers to why the machines are acting up, and it’s only Thomas Oscar Morrow who figures out that The Construct is the world’s attacker but he doesn’t know what to do as he is a criminal and also the creator of Red Tornado! While walking in the park as John Smith, a call goes out about a massive fire where helicopter pilots and kids are in danger and once while saving them all from a terrible death, the crowd turns on him calling him a monster and evil machine. He leaves and goes to the orphanage and is told by Traya that she no longer wants him around and that he is a soulless machine! And just as Kathy Sutton find him, Red Tornado snaps and turns on all the humans and tells them he no longer will be their hero as they have done nothing but demonized him and he leaves them all behind swearing never to help and see them again. Kathy Sutton is heart broken as she watches her boyfriend fly away, and as this happens The Construct has taken over all the world’s machines and is now in charge of the world!

This second issue follows Red Tornado as he is attacked by Superman and told never to help mankind again, only to go against orders and save some kids from a fire to have the crowd as well attack him. His breaking point comes when his own friend Traya turns on him and tells him to get lost! This enrages the android who turns his back on trying to be human and leaves the world open for the attack by The Construct! Red Tornado just can’t get a break in this issue as everyone he tries to help or call a friend turns on him with Kathy Sutton being the only one who is not affected by The Construct’s mind control but it’s even to late for her to try and stop his rage of being blamed and spit on by mankind. You have to feel for Red Tornado as he really does wants to feel like a real man and only wants to help and can’t see that the world around him is going mad! Poor Kathy Sutton is worried to death about her man but seems helpless in reaching him before rages takes over and his feeling turn as cold as steel, and his friends Traya and Superman are used like puppets to drive him cold. The Construct’s plan is perfect as he clearly got under the skin of his only nemesis that can fight off his mind control and by doing so drives him away and opens up his path for world domination. This issue also makes me wonder how Thomas Oscar Morrow, the only scientist to figure out what’s going on will get help as he is not liked nor trusted by those who could help! This second issue does a great job of piling on bad events for Red Tornado to drive him off and does so that I as a reader was getting mad at characters and their behaviors! Now that’s a good sign of a solid writer in Kurt Busiek, who penned this story. The cover once more is very eye catching and has Red Tornado in pieces with the interior art once more being done by the talented Carmine Infantino who captures the mood so well of 80’s DC. Over all, this is a very solid second issue that brings the story closer to the final battle and showcases how cool Red Tornado is and how evil The Construct is! Lets see what issue # three has in store for us, shall we?

Red Tornado # 3 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 3 of 4

The Red Tornado is away enjoying just being an android and not having any connection to humans, while around the world citizens and superheroes alike are fighting the machines being controlled by The Construct that are ready to take over the world, and to make things worse, the evil machine is now also controlling the minds of humans! Kathy Sutton is not infected yet and goes to a trip to find Thomas Oscar Morrow as she thinks he can help track down Red Tornado who can stop this madness. As Morrow tells her the location and shows her his force matrix field to hold The Construct, his mind is taken over and now Kathy is alone on her quest to save the world. Kathy travels to the mountains of Colorado and finds Red Tornado who is so disconnected from mankind that he is watching as two campers face death from a fire that surrounds them. Kathy explains that the world did not turn on him, that The Construct mind controlled people and he is still cold. She explains that she never turned on him and loves him and still nothing. But when she points out that he does have a soul and that’s why he questions his own being, it snaps him out of his robotic mood and he saves the campers, shows his love for Kathy and swears to destroy The Construct and save the world!

The Construct has made the world a terrible place to live as he has brainwashed many humans and is using robots to do so and attack those who stand up to his rule! Our only hope is Red Tornado but he has turned his back on mankind as he feels they have done to him and it takes one woman to put her safety on the line and get the world’s only savior back on track! This is the cool plot of this issue that follows Kathy Sutton as she has to dodge and listen to the evil taunts of The Construct who mocks her at every turn! What works the best for this issue is that Kathy is not just a throw away girlfriend character but takes the lead and becomes the key to help save the world! Poor Thomas Oscar Morrow tried to be the world’s hero, but his brain is zapped and he becomes a mindless zombie before he can do so. But I am sure his new invention will come into play to bring down The Construct. Red Tornado is so cold for most of this issue and think about just how cold blooded it is that he was just watching people about to be burnt to death, but once he realizes that he in fact does have a soul and is more human than he ever thought, his cold fish manner disappears and back is the hero that was a member of the Justice League. The Construct is cocky and almost enjoys messing with humans that he finds weak or no threat to his goal of world domination. It will be great to see him taken down a peg or five. Another cool aspect of this issue is that once more it has cameos from other DC heroes who are fighting robots like Superman, The Creeper, Batman and even Green Arrow. The cover is eye catching and has Red Tornado standing around the piled up bodies of brain washed humans as Kathy begs him for help and he just is not having it! The inside art is once more great and done by Carmine Infantino who really is bringing Red Tornado alive on the newsprint pages. Over all this is another great issue that is building us up for the final showdown that is coming up next issue!

Red Tornado # 4 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 DC Comics # 4 of 4

Red Tornado heads toward the hideout of Thomas Oscar Morrow to find out if his machine is still intact, only to find that The Construct is waiting for him and has built himself a massive robot body and is ready to fight it out to the death with the world’s only hope. The fight is powerful as each robotic fighter tries to take down the other but finally The Construct overcomes Red Tornado and brings his broken body to the matrix field that was built to bring him down. The Construct then finds Kathy Sutton and takes over her mind as now everyone in the world is under his control when even Red Tornado allows him to enter his in order to get free of the matrix field. But as The Construct enters Red Tornado’s mind, he soon finds out it was a trap and our hero takes down The Construct on his own home turf of the electronic dimension by making him question if he is just a machine or something more! Once he beats The Construct, he traps him in the matrix field and even is able to break his bond with Thomas Oscar Morrow, freeing himself from everything that has tied him down. The world is saved and Red Tornado as John Smith decides that he fully wants to live life and along with Kathy and Traya he plans to try and partake in all the cool things our world has to offer.

This final issue in the series plot is: Red Tornado knows that he is a living being with feelings goes head to head with the worlds conquer The Construct who is out smarted when he must face the facts that maybe he is more than just a machine! This is a fitting way to end this series as Red Tornado finds the peace he is looking for and truly looks inside himself to see that he is a living thing complete with a soul, and he has wasted so much time trying to be what he thought a human should act like. The Red Tornado shows that he can have multiple moods in this series from super smart over thinking superhero, to hurt feelings when he feels he is being unfairly judged and even cold as a dead fish when he decided being human was not worth the time to please mankind. He also uses his tornado powers as well as his smarts to win this major fight throughout to not only defeat his enemies but also save lives. As John Smith he also grows from being a boring homebody and becomes a fun loving let’s go out and discover boyfriend. Thomas Oscar Morrow who is a bad guy seems like over this mini series as well is trying to change from being a villain to a hero and wants so much to have the respect of his creation the Red Tornado that he soon finds he must earn and not command. Kathy Sutton sticks by her man and is the only reason Red Tornado found his inner soul and decided to save the world, so the whole world owes her a thanks! Traya is your typical kid sidekick character who is around to idolize their hero friend and be used as a pawn when things hit the fan. With that said, she is an okay character who filled her role well. The Construct was a great bad guy who for the most part seemed unbeatable until he is tricked to over think his own existence that leaves him open for defeat. I mean think about it, he controlled the mind of Superman that shows you how powerful he was! Speaking of Superman, it was cool to see him in a cameo role for many of this series issues and it was great to see him act like a jerk to not only Red Tornado but also a young teenager who just wanted to thank him for help after the massive storm. While many might not like the way the final fight ends with Red Tornado using his smarts to defeat The Construct I found it very cleverly done and helped add a layer to this character and storyline. The cover for this issue is cool and while not as eye catching still holds a classic DC look mixed with TRON for me. The interior art is once more done by Carmine Infantino and is fantastic and really makes me want to see what other comics he did for DC. I must also praise the inker Frank McLaughlin and colorist Tom Ziuko of whom both really made this comic pop and come alive. Over all this was a great read and I would have loved this comic as a kid as it had robots fighting as well as showed Red Tornado doing what he does best and that’s be a hero the world needs. If you like 80’s DC or even have a little bit of interest in Red Tornado, I would suggest checking out this mini series as it’s a great read and well worth your time. Below is some artwork for this series and showcases the characters, you will encounter in this series.

While Red Tornado is by all accounts considered a B-Hero and not one of DC’s mainstream like Batman, Superman and Green Lantern, for me he has always been a great superhero who has always captured by attention and imagination. But while this update has us walking away from Red Tornado, for our next update we will however stay in the DC Universe as we will be taking a look at a classic public domain character they tried to bring back to the reading masses called Fighting American that was co-created by Jack Kirby. This will be just in time for July 4^th our nation’s Independence Day! So until next time, read a comic or three, buy a classic action figure or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for fireworks and a classic comic hero, see you then readers and friends.