From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: House II The Second Story (1987)

Posted on September 13, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update that is all about those awesome comics that are based on creepy horror and sci-fi films that give the fans a little more scares from their favorite films and movie baddies. I love talking about these types of comics and they are super fun to write about. This update will be a fun one as it’s about the horror comedy film House II: The Second Story and the Marvel Comics adaptation of it. Back in the day Marvel was a very cool company who made some great comics not only with their superhero series but also with their horror as well as the strange. So if you are ready, we have just been handed the keys from Marvel Comics and now it’s time for us to enter the House….House II that is.

Let’s first start off with talking about the main villain of House II and that is the undead supernatural outlaw cowboy named Slim Reeser and his ways of dealing death to those who cross his path. Slim Reeser in life was a cowboy adventurer who would help discover an Aztec Temple that house a crystal skull and after having falling out with his exploring partner and being shot and left for dead, his spirit felt wronged and could not find rest and returned to the land of the living twice as a zombie in order to get the skull back. Slim Reeser is undead and has a rotten zombie appearance and dressed in his cowboy gear. The sight of him alone is frightening and can cause panic and distress to those he crosses paths with; his voice is also very unearthly and can send a shiver down spines. Slim can also pass through time and this makes him very dangerous and unpredictable as he can come and go from current time back to his past time. Slim Reeser’s most deadly weapon are his guns as he is a good shot and is skilled with using six shooters the kill his enemies by pumping their gut full of lead. He is also fast and seems to kind of have teleporting ability. He can also take gun shot wounds and shrug them off. Even though he is a zombie, Slim Reeser does have weakness and can be stopped kind of as if takes a heck of a lot of bullets, his whole head being blown off and then having his body set on fire. Slim Reeser is pretty dangerous and can kill with skill with his guns, and while he is not like the other zombies we have covered here on Rotten Ink, he is a very evil one that we have covered on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update.

So as you can see, Slim Reeser is one mean outlaw cowboy who can deal out death with his trusty six-shooter and because he is supernatural he is very hard to kill. But let’s now take a look at the film he is from and that of course is House II: The Second Story. And for this part of the update I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and after that I will be writing about the film’s production and then after that I will be writing about my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s grab the Aztec Crystal Skull and hide as I am sure Slim is still looking for it.

House II: The Second Story (1987)

“Jesse moves to his biological parents’ house with his girlfriend Kate and soon he hosts his friend Charlie with his girlfriend. Jesse reads old documents and decides to go to the local cemetery with Charlie to unbury his grand grand grandfather to seek out an ancient powerful Aztec skull. They reanimate Gramps that soon befriends Jesse and Charlie. But demons cross gateways in the house to retrieve the magic skull and Jesse and Charlie need to go to other dimensions to retrieve the skull and keep Gramps alive.”

The 1986 Horror Comedy film House was a big hit for New World Pictures, and they as well as producer Sean S. Cunningham wanted to get a sequel out fast to cash in on its success. Ethan Wiley, who was the scriptwriter for the first film, returned to write the second film as well as would get on board the direct. House II: The Second Story was given the budget of $3 million dollars and was aiming for a PG-13 rating in order to get more younger viewers to the cinema to see it as it was going to play more for laughs as well as introduce a new mansion with silly characters. The film would not be connected to the first film and would be a sequel in name only and would showcase another haunted house this time tied into a Aztec Crystal Skull that also featured characters from the Wild West. The film would cast Arye Gross, Johnathan Stark, Royal Dano, Bill Maher, John Ratzenberger and Lar Park Lincoin in main roles and would also feature Kane Hodder, Mitzi Kapture and the voice work of Frank Welker. The film was shot fast and cheap, and Harry Manfredini was brought in to do the score work again. It was released to theaters on August 28, 1987 and was met with mostly negative reviews from critics and very mixed reviews from viewers. The film would go on to bring in over $10million dollars and would help spark two more sequels in the series and would be #94 for the year at the American box office. The film would find a bigger fan base when released on VHS and was a popular rental at the time of release. The film when released along side such other horror films in 1987 as Hellraiser, Evil Dead 2, The Lost Boys, A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 3: The Dream Warriors, Jaws The Revenge, Creepshow 2, Slaughterhouse, Monster Squad, The Video Dead, Predator, Slumber Party Massacre 2 and The Howling III to name a few. So as you can see, it kind of got lost in the shuffle of horror.

House II was one of those films I can remember seeing for the first time on HBO and watching it several times alongside my brother as I found it to be a fun film geared more towards kids and I was one of them at the time of seeing it. While even back then I would say that it was not even in the same league as the first film, it did bring something new to the growing series as it took place in a new home and featured a new group of people being tormented by the supernatural and added in the old western characters that made it stand out even more for me as I liked the look and badass nature of Slim Reeser and Gramps McLaughlin was silly and made me laugh when he had to try and get use to life in the 1980’s. Plus seeing actor John Ratzenberger, who I knew as postman Cliff Clavin on the sitcom Cheers, play the part of Bill who was a electrician was really cool as George Wendt plated Harold Gorton the neighbor in the first film and he was Norm on Cheers…so the House series has a connection to Cheers. And House II was one of those films that as I got older more and more people I knew who liked Horror would trash it and even many would rank it as one of the worst sequels in Horror film history. I think that is a little harsh as while it is not perfect I have see way worse from bigger series. The thing with House II is that it came out a big year for horror that featured many big series debuting and having sequels and I think House II was just lost in the shuffle and to be honest the PG-13 rating I think really hurt it when it came to horror fans checking it out. And when on home media I first owned the film on VHS and currently have it on DVD and have no plans to upgrade to the Blu-Ray release. House II was fallowed by House III: The Horror Show in 1989 and House IV: The Repossession in 1992 and with the fourth film the series would end it and no new plans for any future sequels are in the works as of this update. If you like 80’s horror comedies and have not seen House II, give it a watch and see if you enjoy it.

So now that we have talked about House II: The Second Story the film and Slim Reeser, the main villain of the film, I think it’s time that we take a look at the Marvel Comic version based on it that was released back in the day when New World Pictures owned Marvel Comics and they were making issues based on some of their films and TV shows and House II was one of them that got this treatment. I would like to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having this comic 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, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to that old McLaughlin Mansion and see if Gramps and the Crystal Skull are still around and what kind of danger they are into this time.

House II # 1 ***
Released in 1987 Cover Price $2.00 Marvel # 1 of 1

At the McLaughlin Mansion, a young baby is taken away to safety as the parents are gunned down shortly after by a stranger in a long coat. Decades later that baby has grown up and is Jesse McLaughlin, and he and his record executive girlfriend Kate have inherited the mansion now and right as they move in Jesse’s best friend Charlie Coriell and his punk rock singer girlfriend Lana come to visit and help, and as Kate thinks about signing Lana to a record deal Jesse and Charlie come up with an idea to dig up his great, great grandfather as they think he might have been buried with a priceless and rare crystal skull after finding some old books about the families history. While at the graveyard Jesse tells Charlie about his great great grandfathers outlaw past and how he and his one time partner Slim Reeser became enemies. And once they open the casket they see the crystal skull and crazy enough the dead man rises as the skull has given him eternal life as long as its around and they end up taking him back to the mansion. They end up calling him Gramps and the next day he tells them about is life in the Old West as Kate and Lana go out to lunch with John Statmen the boss of the record company with the ladies unaware that Jesse’s dead relative is staying in the basement. Jesse and Charlie spend all day in the basement drinking beer and listening to Gramps tell stories, but as they hear a noise and head upstairs they find that a Halloween party is taking place an worse for Jesse his old girlfriend Rochelle is around and Gramps has made his way up stairs and is now at the party! As the party goes on a mountain of a barbarian shows up and steals the Crystal Skull and even knocks around Gramps before he makes his escape into a room that is now housing a jungle, and Jesse and Charlie go into it after sending all the party guests home in order to find the skull as with it away Gramps is getting weaker and dying. But they also make Kate and Lana angry who leave the mansion in a huff, but once in the jungle Jesse and Charlie watch as the barbarian is eaten by a dinosaur and when they get the Crystal Skull back they bring back also a baby pterodactyl and a Cater-Puppy! And before they can return the skull back to the mansion’s fireplace mantel Kate returns home and finds that Rochelle is still at the mansion and thinks Jesse is cheating and leaves the house for good this time, and after they also get Rochelle out of the house Gramps is attacked by a Aztec Warrior who takes the skull and disappears in the mansion with it. Jesse and Charlie thanks to an electrician named Bill Towner find a hidden dimension behind a wall in the mansion and they go in and defeat the Aztec Warriors and get the Crystal Skull back and even save a Aztec Woman who was going to be sacrificed. Once back at the mansion Bill leaves and Jesse has a “family” dinner with Charlie, Gramps, Aztec Woman, Cater-Puppy and the Baby Pterodactyl but the meal is interrupted by Slim Reeser who shoots Gramps and is able to not only grab the Crystal Skull but also kidnaps Charlie and the Aztec Woman and takes them to a western town! Jesse armed with a shotgun has a gunfight with Slim inside and outside the western town an the gunfire alerts the cops who arrive and surround the house! In the end Jesse is able to kill Slim for good, the cops open fire on the house when one of Slim’s bullets hits an officer and this sparks a house fire, Gramps dies from his bullet wound and Jesse returns to the western world and stays their with his new “family”.

House II made for a very fun comic and proves that Marvel Comics should have one more adaptations of New World Pictures Horror films when the film company owned them. The comic’s plot is very simple and has a young man being left a massive family mansion that has a curse around it all because of a Crystal Skill that is said to have powers including eternal life, but after his Great, Great Grandfather returns from the grave the mansion becomes a hotbed for other dimensions and many baddies want to get their hands on that skull and that includes a western outlaw that was once the friend of Gramps. The main hero of this story is Jesse McLaughlin whose parents were murdered and had to grow up in foster care, and once his Gramps returns from the grave he will do whatever it takes to keep him as well as his friends safe from the curse. Charlie Coriell is a goofy man but a loyal friend who goes along for the strange ride and adventure with his best friend and not only risks his life but also just accepts all the strange going things happening. Gramps McLaughlin has been dead for over 70 years when he returns to share his wild stories of the wild west as well as explain the powers of the Crystal Skull that has kept him alive some ways after all these years, but while he talks a big game he is the reason for all the trouble and looses the skull several times in the short amount of time its been back at the mansion, in other words besides stories Gramps is kind of a pain. The other characters like Kate, Rochelle, Lana, John Statmen, Aztec Woman, Baby Pterodactyl, Bill Towner and Cater-Puppy are all around and help the story in their own ways. Slim Reeser is the comic’s main villain and is a undead outlaw gunslinger who wants to get the Crystal Skull as he feels he should be the owner and not Gramps as they found it together, Slim is skilled with his guns and has killed many people in his time and will do what it takes to get that skull. Also around wanting that skull and adding danger are a massive Barbarian and Aztec Warriors all who will also do what it takes to claim it! This is a well done adaptation and while many elements are missing or told a little different to keep the page count down and the story moving along, it still for the most part keeps true to the film. The film is not bloody at all but does have several moments of death with my favorite kill of the issue being the death of Slim Reeser as he gets his head shot off and then his body is hit with multiple bullets and then catches on fire…a true brutal death for such an evil undead outlaw. The cover for this comic is really cool and eye catching as it show cases Slim standing in front of the mansion as the hands of Gramps are coming out of the ground, spooky stuff for the young readers. The interior art was done by Alan Kupperberg who is a talented artist, and his style fit really well in bringing House II to the world of comic books. He is also known for his work on Spider-Man titles for Marvel. Over all, this is a really fun adaptation that showcases a time when Marvel Comics was making some amazing Horror titles that tied into films, so if you have not read it make sure to do so if you enjoy the film. Checkout the artwork below to see the style of Kupperberg used in this comic.

House II is truly one of those sequels that fans either love or hate, but even those who hate it have to admit that it is pretty cool that the film got the Marvel Comics treatment. In fact, some years back, I did a write up about the House II comic book for a horror magazine released in Spain called Monster Mash by Fester Entertainment. I would also like for you readers to take a moment to think about what other horror comics based on New World Pictures you would have liked to have seen Marvel Comics do around this time as keep in mind they also did release Hellriaser and Elvira Mistress Of The Dark comics. But as you can see, we have reached the end of this From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update and I would like to say that our next update will be another From Horror Movie To Horror Comic one as our countdown to Halloween 2025 continues as it will be about the 1986 Musical Remake of Little Shop Of Horrors! 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 an update that will entertain you with both fear and laughter.

DC’s Hero Master Of The Elements Metamorpho!

Posted on June 3, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we find ourselves once more back in the world of DC Comics as we take a look at yet another superhero that they seem to overlook. I am talking about Metamorpho this time around, a hero who can turn himself into every type of element and is another overlooked character in the DC Comic Universe. When thinking about the updates for 2025, I wanted to at least cover two superheroes from DC. I knew that Plastic Man was a must, and I covered him back in May; and when choosing the second hero to cover I was torn between several as Catwoman, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Green Arrow were all considered but in the end I wanted to go for a hero who was not as mainstream as the above mentioned and that is why Metamorpho was chosen to get the Rotten Ink treatment. So with that, sit back and relax as we take a fun and brief look at Metamorpho, a DC Hero that is on the verge of being forgotten.

Rex Mason was a very famous archaeologist who found some of the world’s most priceless treasures. He was mostly on the payroll of Simon Stagg, the owner of Stagg Enterprises who needed him to go to Egypt and find The Orb Of Ra, and during this time Rex would even fall in love with Sapphire Stagg, the daughter of Simon. But once in the pyramid that held the orb he was attacked by Java, the bodyguard of Simon, and exposed to a meteor that disfigures and turns him into Metamorpho The Element Man as he got the power of turning himself into every type of element! He would also soon find that Simon could use the Orb against him to keep him for getting revenge for this betrayal. And while a good guy, Metamorpho can never turn his appearance back to normal and has spent most of his life trying to find a cure even at one point getting the help of Green Lantern whose Power Ring even fails to get turn him back normal. Over the years he has worked alongside such teams as The Outsiders, Justice League Europe, Doom Patrol and even had a crime fighter partner named Element Girl. He also has a son Joseph Mason who has the powers of turning object into other elements. And like every DC Comic character, Metamorpho of course has many different versions from all the different Earths with each having different paths and adventures. Metamorpho was created by Bob Haney and Romona Fradon in 1965 and first appeared in The Brave And The Bold # 57 and is a classic character that has also appeared in cartoons and animated films over the years. This is just a quick crash course lesson on Metamorpho and who he is and what he can do.

Metamorpho is one of those classic DC Comic characters that I remember seeing in issues of Brave And The Bold when I was a kid and while I liked his look, I never truly connected to him as I was way more into Plastic Man who had a similar ability and was created many years before him. But for some reason this weirdly colored hero always did get my attention as I can remember asking my brother all the time how you pronounce the character’s name as well as what his deal was because to me he looked like a super villain and not a super hero. Over the years as I was getting more and more comics thanks to comic shops and garage sales, I was able to read comics with Metamorpho in them as a hero and I found myself enjoying them as well as finding his powers cooler than I originally thought, as how cool it is that he can turn his whole body or even parts of his body into elements like gold, silver, helium and tin to name a few! Plus such things cannot hurt him as bullets and knives and only an ancient Egyptian orb can truly hurt him. And while he is not a topnotch hero in DC, I do find that they seem to overlook him when it comes to appearing in more comics as well as live action films as I think it’s time he gets to shine on the silver screen. I also have to say that back in 1975, as part of a vinyl record called “Songs And Stories Of The Justice League,” Metamorpho has his own song done by Arthur Korb and you must listen to it as its super catchy and can be found on YouTube. Also after reading this update, head to your local comic shop and grab yourself some comics featuring Metamorpho and give him a chance.

Well as you can see, Metamorpho is a classic superhero from DC Comics that has been around sin d the 60’s and has made his way into being a member of the Justice League as well as appeared in some animated shows and films and in the 90’s even got his own mini series again to showcase this hero to the comic reading masses. I would first like to thank Bell, Book And Comic for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. 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 see what Metamorpho has in store for us as this mini series will be a first time read for me and I am excited to see what kind of action awaits in these pages.

Metamorpho # 1 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $1.50 DC Comics # 1 of 4

Rex Mason is an archaeologist on an adventure to get the Himalayan Ice Crystal and has to escape a pack of Yetis to get away. Years have passed and Rex is now the superhero Metamorpho and visiting the museum looking back at some of the items he had uncovered and talks with his friend Haney who runs it all. They chat about the past and why Metamorpho no longer gets these items, they speak of Joey who is the son of Metamorpho who is also cursed with powers due to his dad…and the possibility of a cure. Enter Jillian Conway, a fellow archaeologist who thinks a cure can be found inside a pyramid in Egypt due to some wall carvings she found and it is The Orb Of Ra that can reverse the super powered curse. Jillian also shows Metamorpho and Haney that she as well was exposed to the meteor that transformed Rex and his son as her face is hidden behind a mask, and she blames Simon Stagg who is the ex-father in law of Metamorpho and who is rich and abuses his power…he was also the last owner of The Orb Of Ra and claims it has been stolen and could be in Ireland. Metamorpho agrees to help Jillian to get the orb and tells her to get an extra seat for the plane ride as he heads to Stagg’s mansion and gets his infant son away from all the armed guards, as he wants the item that can cure him of his curse once and for all.

This is a pretty interesting first issue in a mini series that features Metamorpho, a hero who can transform himself into every type of element, and this series skips going through his origin story and takes it that you already know who he is and what he can do. The plot has Metamorpho teaming up with another archaeologist by the name of Jillian as they both have been effected by a meteor that was found in a tomb in Egypt and this has caused them to gain superpowers as well as be very badly disfigured and now they think that they might have found a cure and this is important to Metamorpho as this also has infected his infant son and he will do whatever he can to cure his son. Metamorpho is a hero who misses his old life of collecting artifacts and while he uses his new superpowers for good, he does feel guilty that his powers also has passed onto his infant son, and will do whatever he can to help his son and that even includes taking orders from his sleazy ex-father in law who only truly cares about money. Simon Stagg is that scumbag who runs his own company that collects artifacts and use to be the man behind paying for Rex’s quests to get the artifacts. He also is trying his best to ruin the relationship between Metamorpho and his ex-wife and baby’s mom Sapphire when he hides the note left for his daughter written by Metamorpho as to why he took Joseph from the Stagg mansion. And while the issue is not super action packed, the moments of Metamorpho fighting the Stagg Security Force and robotic Nanny are pretty cool as he kicks their butts and showcases his powers well. I also like that we get a look at some Yetis and that for some reason the flashback to getting the Himalayan Ice Crystal reminds me of Indiana Jones! The cover for this issue is pretty cool as it features Metamorpho looking all smug, and the interior art is very well done and was done by artist Graham Nolan. And if you are like me, I am sure you want to see if this orb can truly cure Metamorpho and his son Joseph and if they can trust Jillian Conway who I am starting to think might not be telling the full truth to our hero as I got a vibe from her that made me not trust her.

Metamorpho # 2 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $1.50 DC Comics # 2 of 4

While on the plane heading to Ireland, Metamorpho remembers back to the time he was attacked in the pyramid by Java and left for dead, but instead found himself changed and infected by a powerful meteor. Jillian snaps him out of his day dream and talks up her theory that the Orb Of Ra will be the key to their cure. While back at Stagg Mansion Sapphire is besides herself as her son Joseph is missing and her father Simon is still acting clueless on why Metamorpho attacked and took the child, and when Java is raged and wants to go after Metamorpho to get Joseph back he is shot and killed by Simon who claims to Sapphire that her new husband went insane and that he had to kill him in self defense…he then makes some very creepy remarks to his daughter. While in Ireland Metamorpho and Jillian do some tracking and call in a few favors and find that a man named Peter O’Grady might have or know who does the Orb Of Ra…but once at the bar Peter hangs out in, a big brawl breaks out and lots of guns are fired and even a flamethrower used with Metamorpho standing tall as many goons are knocked out on the bar room floor. But while he beat up lots of goons he finds that his son Joseph is in the hands of Peter O’Grady who has a gun to the child’s head and is threatening to end his life!

Oh man what a cliffhanger to end this issue as poor young Joseph Mason is in the dangerous hands of the scumbag named Peter O’Grady who is known for being a thief and killer. Makes me wonder just how Metamorpho is going to save his son’s life…or I wonder if the son’s own powers will save the day is he touches O’Grady. The plot of this second issue can be summed up like this Metamorpho with his small group land in Ireland and find big trouble with criminal Peter O’Grady while at the Stagg Mansion Simon continues his sneak plan as he keeps his daughter in the dark and also kills her new husband for not listening to his orders. Metamorpho in this issue shows that he cares about his son as well as ex-wife and will do whatever it takes to get the orb if it’s a key to heal them of this terrible super powered curse. And with his powers he is able to beat the heck out of a bunch of goons as well as show off his amazing ability to shake off attacks. Peter O’Grady seems to have been waiting for Metamorpho to come for him and thought that he and his men could take the hero down, but soon found that he was wrong and comes to the final plan of trying to take the heroes son hostage. Jillian Conway is clearly new to having these powers and almost seems afraid to use them, but does so in the bar brawl to help Metamorpho out, maybe I was wrong about not trusting her. Simon Stagg is pure scum as he is a cold blooded killer, has to be in control at all times and almost seems to like to see his daughter Sapphire suffer…and I think he was also hitting on her…gross. Java was the new husband of Sapphire and the bodyguard who attacked Rex in the pyramid. He was also a caveman that was melted out of a block of ice who finds himself dead when he questions the orders of Simon who made the murder look like self defense. The cover for this issue is just ok and not as cool nor eye catching as the first issues, and like before Graham Nolan is the artist who did the interior artwork and it is solid good stuff. Over all another great issue in this mini series and thickens the plot a little more as Metamorpho seems to be finding himself more and more enemies on his search for the cure.

Metamorpho # 3 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $1.50 DC Comics # 3 of 4

Peter O’Grady gets the shock of his life when Joseph touches the gun and it melts away, as Peter drops Joseph it’s Jillian that catches him and Metamorpho goes on the attack and gets the information out of O’Grady that he needs as the orb has been sold to Emir Abd-Al-Aziz from Egypt and that is were our hero heads next. Meanwhile Simon has his security force remove the body of Java as Sapphire heads to her room knowing now what kind of master her father really is as he still talks about the killing being self-defense. But once back in Egypt Emir finds his palace under attack by invaders and Metamorpho and Jillian save the day and are given the Orb as a reward…but this is a fake and Metamorpho figures out that a conman named Delacroix is the one who must have it now. This leads them now to Casablanca and to a little bar where Delacroix hangs out and learns that the Orb has been returned to the pyramid it came from, and while there Metamorpho also finds is able to read some of the papers of Jillian who has headed to the hotel to put Joseph to bed. Metamorpho learns that the orb can only cure one person and that Jillian was going to use it on herself and the two end up having an element fight with Metamorpho making a mistake and getting hurt just as Jillian revels that she has been working with Simon Stagg the whole time who is as well in Casablanca now, but unknown to them all is that Sapphire is also there.

I knew it Jillian Conway should not be trusted and while she tricked me into thinking that maybe she was not a baddie her true colors come out in this issues as she is really into hurting people, watching people be hurt, is enjoying her powers now and was just using Metamorpho in order to track down the orb so that she could use if on herself as the cure is a one and done. Plus it tells you want kind of person she is when her business partner is Simon Stagg, the rich scumbag who seems to really get his jollies in making life terrible for Metamorpho who is his ex-son in law. And while this issue is a cat and mouse game of Metamorpho trying to track down the orb from location to location it very much is a very fun issue as you as a reader feel like you are apart of this adventure to find this cure. Metamorpho also proves that he will do whatever he has to do in order to cure his son and that includes fighting baddies and uncovering every clue he can. Also it is great to see in this issue that Sapphire is starting to truly see the monster that his her father and with her now hearing his plan as well as the lack of care to have her son be cured will I hope make he help her ex-husband get to the orb first. Having a part of the comic take place in Casablanca was very cool as one panel has a person at the bar look like Humphrey Bogart and his character Rick Blaine from the 1942 film Casablanca…nice touch guys. The action is lots of fun as Metamorpho, Joseph and Jillian all use their powers to fight off baddies and in the case of the two adults against each other in a showdown on who will get the orb first to get the cure. The cover for this issue is cool and has Metamorpho’s hands as blades and he is looking very angry and like the past issues the interior art is done by Graham Nolan and is really cool stuff. With issue three being another great issue I am looking forward to the fourth and final issue to see how this story ends.

Metamorpho # 4 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $1.50 DC Comics # 4 of 4

Metamorpho wakes up to see Sapphire and the two make up when he tells her about the note and she tells him how her father killed Java and now together they are heading to Egypt to get their son and the Orb to try and cure him. While at the pyramid Jillian holding Jonathan and Simon start their search for the Orb and are discussing the cure it could hold, and Simon lets her know that he wants to use it to cure Metamorpho so that he will return back to Rex so that he can kill him! Meanwhile Jillian knows she cannot trust Simon and has kept the fact it can only cure one person to herself figuring out a way to get the Orb in her hands to do so. As Simon and Jillian find the Orb Metamorpho and Sapphire arrive and are ready for a fight in order to get and cure their son, and as Sapphire attacks her father Jillian is able to sneak away with the Orb as Metamorpho gives chase. The Orb was no cure and when Jillian uses it on herself she turns to dust and dies as Metamorpho rushes to get his son and ex-wife to safety. In the end Simon Stagg is beaten up, Sapphire finds her inner power, Joseph is cured when he touches the meteor and Metamorpho gets his family back together and is happy once more.

The final issue has a happy ending for our hero as he gets his family back and his son is cured of his super powers by the meteor that had started this nightmare from the start! Metamorpho does what he can to bring his family back as it is clear that he has never truly gotten over Sapphire and loves her just as much as he does his son. And when the two find that common bond again its clear that she feels the same way about him. Metamorpho also while not sure caring towards others that he feels have done him wrong does try and save Jillian from her fate of turning to sand and dying, but she would not listen to his warnings and just wanted to be pretty again no matter the coast. And that is the thing about Jillian is that she used so many people to try and cure herself and would kill anyone that crosses her path and even is mean to a child in her attempt to make herself normal again. It is also great to see Simon Stagg get what is coming to him as he is beaten up by his daughter and even out smarted by Jillian when it came to getting and using the Orb and by the end of the issue he is a very broken man. Sapphire also finds her inner fighter and is sick and tired of being bullied by her father and fights back and because a stronger person by the end of this adventure. You also have to be happy that Joseph is cured of his powers, as that youngster would have had a super hard life if he had to live with them. And I am kind of shocked on how much I really did enjoy this mini series and how it really did remind me of a super powered version of an Indiana Jones adventure and Metamorpho was a pretty cool hero as while he is strong and powerful he also finds himself getting beat up and hurt throughout the series and that helps add to the drama and cliffhanger style endings. The cover for the final issue is pretty cool and is super eye catching if you are a fan of the character and like before the interior artwork by Graham Nolan is very good and his work is solid throughout the mini series. If you like Metamorpho as a character or just enjoy superhero comics that have a classic cliffhanger adventure feel make sure to give this mini series a read. Checkout the artwork below to see the art style of Graham Nolan used in this series.

Well that was a fun comic series to read and I truly miss the days of DC Comics like this as I feel that the modern stuff just doesn’t have the magic touch like these classic issues due. And I myself find myself being a bigger fan of Metamorpho now after reading this as he really is more of an interesting character than I gave him credit for. But with that, our time in the DC Comics Universe has come to an end for now as out next update will take us back to the Rotten Ink Arena as we will be talking about the masked heel known as The Dark Patriot! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! The Dark Patriot was a wrestler I grew up watching and his R.I.W Legend Update Event should be a fun one!