Baseball Journal July: Harry Potter Night

7-24-26

The MiLB Free Game was the Syracuse Mets versus the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Railriders.    I’d seen the Railriders’ stadium, PNC Field, before and loved it.    It’s nicely modern, but set in a hollow with a granite hill and a forest beyond the outfield.    There are unfortunate large black sheets on poles forming the batter’s eye in front of hill.

The hosts, a man and woman, were talking about trade deadline.    They mentioned that the object of everyone’s desire, Tarik Skubal, has said he’d like to stay in Detroit.    Tomorrow night was going to be busy at the ballpark with a Venezuelan relief drive, along with a Christmas in July toy drive.    (Bring a toy; get a free ticket.)    Also, there’s a Hawaiian shirt giveaway.    Whew!

In the fifth, a Railrider outfielder lost a flyball in the twilight.    The Mets got two on.    The Railrider pitcher had a runner picked off, but both runners took off both ended up safe.    A single to the wall brought them in to make it, 5-1 Mets.    In the bottom, the Railriders loaded bases with 2 outs.    There was a pitching change.    The pitcher being taken out was all smiles.  He just seemed happy to be there.    There was a big flyball afterward, but the ballpark held it.

The broadcasters were still talking about the Trade Deadline.    The female announcer was offering herself as part of a deal for Mason Miller, Adley Rutschman, or Skubal to get them to the Yankees.    (That sort of trade has happened once.    It brought Ernie Harwell to the Dodgers from the Atlanta Crackers.)    It was 8-1 Mets late and the announcers were discussing LeBron James going to the 76er’s and basketball in general.    In the ninth, a Railrider player forgot the number of outs and tried to run off the field after the catch.  The announcers were like, “Nice try.”    8-1 Mets final.    The Yankees’ Triple-A players have some fielding issues.

Meanwhile, the Chihuahuas were at Las Vegas.    In the second inning, the EP catcher called for time for a bird in front of home plate.    The umps had discuss this and I think the pitcher was charged with a step off.    LV loaded the bases, but the pups got out of it unharmed.  Protecting the bird bought them some good karma.    However, their luck ran out in the third with an 11-batter/7-run Aviator inning.    The Chihuahuas lost, 15-9.    It was not that close, as it was 15-3 until the seventh.   

7-25-26

The Rangers beat the Mariners today, 7-1, after winning yesterday.  It was good win over a team chasing them in the AL West.    Even better, I had full reception for the whole game, mostly because it only lasted two-and-a-half hours and finished before sundown.

The good fortune continued.    As that game finished, the Chihuahuas at Las Vegas began.  Even better, KROD didn’t power down their station at sundown, which occurred right after the game started.    They tried to power it down a couple of times, but it stayed up.  There were 7,800 at Las Vegas Ballpark for Harry Potter Night and presumably fireworks.    Broadcaster Tim Hagerty gave out the disturbing stat that the Chihuahuas had left 45 runners on base in first four games of the series, 3 of them losses.

In the seventh, a ball got stuck in the wall, which robbed Chihuahua Nick Pratto of an inside-the-park home run.    The ump actually jogged to the outfield to test that the ball really was stuck.    Pratto was left stranded.    It was that kind of night, as the Chihuahuas lost, 5-1.    At least the crowd had a good time with an enthusiastic sing along to Sweet Caroline between innings.

I was about to go to bed, but noticed a Juarez Indios game going on versus Madera.    It was 9-9 in the eighth, so I couldn’t go to sleep.    Madera scratched out a run in the top to take the lead.    In the bottom, the Indios had runners on the corners.    A low dying liner was caught with an impressive diving catch, but the tying run scored.    The runner at first stole second and then stole third.    He came home on a wild pitch.    The large crowd went wild.    I think I saw priest cheering.    The game ended in the ninth on a caught stealing.    11-10 Indios and I’m going to bed.       

7-26-26

It was Mariners versus Rangers today.    I was getting the TV coverage on a Mexican channel and the radio call in English, so that worked out well.    It was Harry Potter Day in Arlington, like it was in Las Vegas last night.    It must be a promotion for the upcoming cable show, which will disappoint everyone.    (That’s not much of a prediction given how the entertainment industry is going.)    In the pregame show, they were sorting players into different Hogwart houses.    The Rangers were wearing their powder blues with their regular blue hats, but with black bills.    I like that hat.    (Those powder blue uniforms look like pajamas.)    They had a huge crowd there today in Arlington.

Ezequiel Duran sac’d in Joc Pederson in the first for a 1-0 Rangers’ lead. The M’s tied it in the third after a triple and a single.    Ranger fielders had chances on both balls, but couldn’t quite get to them.    The Rangers have a vinyl record giveaway coming up?    Did I hear that right?    (I did and they are.)

In the fourth, there was a routine play at third for Josh Smith, but an errant throw had Jake Burger laying flat out on the ground for the ball.    He was pulled off the bag, but managed to reach back with his foot to tap the base.    In the bottom, Evan Carter drove in a run to get the lead back.    A muffed possible double play went awry and another run came in.    3-1 Rangers.

In the fifth, Wyatt Langford made a great running backhanded catch.    In the sixth, Ranger starter, Jacob deGrom, was chased after letting on two, but they were left stranded.    Suddenly, it all went wrong.    The Mariners took the lead in the seventh on back-to-back pitches from a new reliever on a 3-run home run by Dominic Canzone and then a solo shot to Randy Arozarena.    5-3 Mariners.    Duran hit out a solo shot in the eighth, but that was all.    6-4 Mariners final.    That kind of ruined my afternoon, along with the 100+ degree heat melting my brain.   

It was the Yankees at Philly for NBC’s Sunday Night game.    It’s the Yankees again.    Yay.    What’s up with the Phillies’ hats?    Instead of a cursive “P,” it’s a block “P.”    Surprisingly, there were a bunch of Yankee fans there.    They piped up with the first Yankee hit.    There was some comedy with John Kruk in the booth trying to figure out a Pitch-com device and also trying to figure out putting on a tie.   

   

Bryson Stott homered in the second to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.    In the third, Alec Bohm cleared loaded bases with a double, 5-0.    Joe Girardi in the booth said before the pitch, “This is the whole game right here.”    The guy knows baseball.    The Phils added another run to make it, 6-0.    After scoring 1 run in the last two games against the Yankees, they’d busted it open.   

In the fifth, a bad pickoff throw by Christopher Sanchez brought in the first Yankee run.    The crowd collectively groaned.    More mishaps followed handing out free bases like Halloween candy and it was 6-3 Phillies.    (I saw Halloween stuff out at Dollartree yesterday, by the way.    Way too soon.)    The Phillies busted out again in the sixth with 5 runs to run it up to 11-3.    The final was 11-4 Phillies.    This was like a pre-pitch clock Yankee/Red Sox game, though it was actually about three hours.    It felt longer.

In Las Vegas, the Chihuahuas faced the Aviators’ new starter, Dallas Keuchel.    He signed at 38 years old.    The A’s needed pitching and Dallas wasn’t ready to retire, I guess.    The pups greeted him with 3 runs in the first and a home run in the second to make it, 4-1 Chihuahuas.    Dallas came out after two innings’ work.    In the third, Blake Hunt homered again off the new pitcher for three runs and the pups piled on.    It was a 14-batter, 9-run effort in the inning to make it, 13-1 Chihuahuas.

The station powered down at sundown, but it kept trying to come back to full strength, oddly.    In the bottom of the ninth, there was a near detached equipment error for a three-base error, but that ended up not being the call.    Broadcaster Tim Hagerty was disappointed.    The final score was 15-9 Chihuahuas.    It wasn’t that close.    Tim observed Dallas signing autographs for a bunch of people after the game.    There was a late Mexican League game on TV with the Dorados versus the Mineros.    There wasn’t much to report on that.

7-28-26

The Rangers’ game against the Mariners did not come on the radio on Monday at noon.    I had mixed feelings about that, since I had poor reception anyway.    The Rangers won, 7-3, taking 3 of 4 of the series.    Tonight, the Chihuahuas were starting a home series with the Isotopes.    After the first inning, the radio call over the Internet went away and turned into an endless commercial loop.

On the other hand, it cut off before the Isotopes had an 8-run second inning.    The pups came back with 2 in the second and 5 in the third.    Unfortunately, they didn’t effectively stop the Isotopes from scoring and the final was 15-9.    That was quite the barrage to miss.    I hope I’ll have better luck the rest of the week.

7-29-26

Ethan Salas, the Padres #1 prospect, was up with the Chihuahuas tonight facing the Isotopes.    He’s the youngest player in Triple-A.    Salas got a cheer from the fans for his first at bat.    He got a double and would be driven in.    The score was tied at 2 until the sixth, when the Chihuahuas broke through with a run.    Salas came up and tripled in 2 more runs and lost his hat running the bases.    It was 5-2 Chihuahuas, when Brenton Doyle tied it with a 3-run homer in the seventh.

The game went to a tenth inning.    An error and a near error helped the Isotopes score 4 in the top.    The Chihuahuas scored twice in the bottom.    Salas got his third hit of the game.    With two runners on, a foul tip strikeout ended it, 9-7 Isotopes.   

7-30-26

Happy Birthday to me!    I got a call from my Aunt Judy wishing me well and I got my Ranger game on radio this morning with good reception.    The broadcast began reporting on a trade with the Angels.    The Rangers got catcher Logan O’Hoppe and pitcher Chase Silseth for a prospect.    Yeah, the team actually needed hitting.    In the pregame there in Tampa Bay, the crew gave a shout out to Rays’ mascot, DJ Kitty.    This was the rubber game in their series, as the teams had split the first two games.    Yesterday’s game was the first game since 2012 without a single being hit.   

Shane McClanahan started for the Rays.    He was backed up by great running catch by Victor Mesa Jr. in the outfield that would have brought in a first inning run for the Rangers.    In the bottom, Junior Caminero gave one a ride that was surprisingly caught at the wall.    The broadcast went to commercial too soon.    The Rays challenged that the ball had hit the “D” ring on the roof or a wire.    It was unsuccessful.    Broadcaster Jared Sandler remarked, “If a player hits the “A” ring at the top of the Trop, he should win a stuffed animal.”    His partner, Matt Hicks, commented that they have to review the ground rules at this stadium every series.

In the third, Yandy Diaz drove in the first run of the game for the Rays.    They threatened for more, but Ranger pitcher, Marco Gonzales, got out of it.    In the fourth, McClanahan hit the first batter and walked the next and was suddenly taken out for an injury.    He left the game having not given up a hit.    A muffed double play ball that would have ended the inning, instead brought in the tying run for the Rangers.    In the bottom, the Rays again loaded the bases, this time with one out.    Gonzales got a double play to end the threat.

In the fifth, Wyatt Langford doubled to drive in a go-ahead run for the Rangers, 2-1.    But in the sixth, Jonny DeLuca homered to tie it for the Rays.    In the eighth, Cedric Mullins hit a dinker over the left field wall to give the Rays back the lead, 3-2.    (Did I know Cedric was on the Rays now?)

A drama-filled ninth followed.    The Rays brought in their closer, Bryan Baker.    Nicky Lopez challenged two third-strike calls and worked a walk.    The Rangers’ dugout was barking at the ump afterward.    Another great catch by Mesa robbed Evan Carter of a double.    Langford had a full count with two out and the PA played Final Countdown music, but he walked.    Ezequiel Duran came up with two on, but would strike out.    Rays win, 3-2.    I’d be disappointed, but that was a good game and I was happy to have gotten hear it (and hear it clearly) this morning.   

Later in the evening, the Chihuahuas took on the Isotopes with both teams battling a 102-degree temperature at the start of the game.    Dustin Harris took the first Isotopes’ pitch deep and the pups would take a 3-0 lead in the first.    In the second, EP pitcher, Jagger Haynes, got the yips and balked twice in a row, which sent a runner to third, who eventually scored.   

I was busy at work and had trouble keeping up the game.    The Chihuahuas kept scoring and the Isotopes kept scoring.    I wasn’t able to start paying attention until late.    Ethan Salas doubled in the seventh and drove in a run.    In the eighth inning, he threw out a base stealer from behind the plate and the crowd started chanting for him.    The kid is legit.   

A foul ball went into a suite.    It bounced into another suite and there was a scuffle over it.    Broadcaster Tim Hagerty mentioned growing up and going to Red Sox games and seeing two or three fights every game over foul balls.    He thought it was normal.    Unfortunately, the Isotopes tied score and took the lead with an 11-batter, 5-run eighth inning, 12-9.    (Finally, I wrote down the score.)

The Isotopes scored 4 more in the ninth, including one on a passed ball by Salas.    (He still needs some polish before sending him to the Bigs.)    Fans started shaking hands and heading for the exits.    Tim noted that Isotope Charlie Condon has his own booing section in the park.    Salas doubled in another run in ninth, but it was a 16-10 loss for the Chihuahuas.    Interesting stat, umpire Trevor Matthews went 4 for 4 on challenges tonight.

7-31-26

There was an MiLB Free Game tonight with the High-A Rome Emperors versus the Hub City Spartanburgers.    I checked.    That is their actual name and not some alternate identity.    Their logo is an anthropomorphic hamburger.    I didn’t see their mascot, Mayor McCheese.    Hey, he’s had some hard days since McDonald’s fired him and the rest of the McDonald Land characters.    Of course, Grimace got that lucrative gig with the Mets a couple of years ago.       

It was another sweet-looking stadium.    It was very comfortable-looking. There were tables behind home plate. The camera views around the stands showed a bunch of happy kids and a pretty blonde reporter in the dugout.    Later, there was shot of fans wearing foam hamburger hats, before the Hamburglar ran off with them.    It was another Christmas in July game with Christmas music playing between innings.    Is this becoming an official holiday, along with Harry Potter Night?

The Emperors were starting the Braves’ top prospect, Cam Caminiti.    He is a cousin of big leaguer, Ken Caminiti, but never met him as he’d passed away when Cam was a baby. In the second, an Emperor runner at second strayed too far, tripped, and got picked off by the catcher.    In the third, another Emperor runner stole second and then stole third, but was nearly picked off third straying off base.   

The announcers had a couple of interesting guest/sponsors in the booth for a couple of innings.    The ballpark is in the Morgan Square Entertainment District and an ombudsman was talking about the bars and restaurants in the area.    Next, they had a lady from a local grocery store talking about grilling.    I’m sure it was informative, if you own a grill.

In the fifth, the Emperors scored 4 with the help of a bases loaded walk and then an infield hit. Caminiti finished his night going 6.2 innings with 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and 14 strikeouts!    He’s moving up in the near future.    There was a shot of guys warming up in the bullpen with a football.    I saw them do that in the Aggie bullpen this year.    It was a 6-2 Rome win, their fourth in a row, but I’ll bet the Spartanburgers had a great postgame meal at the grill.

The Chihuahuas faced the Isotopes again tonight.    There was a violin Anthem before the game.    It was raining here in Las Cruces, but not in El Paso, though it was cloudy there.    The pups were in their alternate identity as the Bootmakers.

In the top of the first, the EP starter got two visits from the trainer.    They were seeing something from the dugout and finally had to take him out.    Our storm seemed to be moving in, as the wind there suddenly picked up. The Isotopes would score 4 in the inning with the wind and the unexpected pitching change.

The Isotopes added to their score after an error in the fourth.    The Chihuahuas struck back in the bottom with a solo home run by Dustin Harris.    In the fifth, Isotope Zac Veen hit a light tower shot to make it, 6-1.    Officially, it was 412’, but broadcaster Tim Hagerty was skeptical that it wasn’t longer.   

In the bottom of the fifth, a roll of thunder got a cheer out of the crowd. The Chihuahuas loaded bases with no outs.    The crowd also cheered that. A wild pitch brought in a run, there was a fielder’s choice RBI, a single brought in a run, two runners advanced on a stolen base, and there was an error on the catcher. A light rain ended the inning with the score, 6-4 Isotopes.

Back from commercial and it was suddenly pouring.    It seemed to catch everyone by surprise. It was an official game by this point, but play resume after a bit more than an hour.    I rejoined the coverage in progress.    The Isotopes added 2 more runs to make it, 8-4.    I think a good deal of the crowd was still there waiting for fireworks.    In the bottom of the sixth, the Chihuahuas loaded the bases again with no outs.    There was a sac fly for a run.    The bases were reloaded, but a double play with a rundown ended it.    Another run did score thanks to that rundown, 8-6.   

The Isotopes scored 3 more in seventh and scored in the eighth and ninth.    14-8 Albuquerque was the final.    For the Chihuahuas, Dustin Harris had 4 hits, including a home run.    Nick Solak reached base 4 times, also including a home run.    Offense is not the Chihuahuas’ problem.    The over 7,000 crowd had thinned out by the end.    There was loud music coming from outside the stadium.    It might have been from the car show next door.    Tomorrow, I will be reporting on a ***Chihuahuas game** in person.

Comics Review: A Review 6-Pack—X-Men Outback, Turtles, Youngblood

Continued from Part 1

X-Men Outback #1

This was hard to resist on the rack with this appealing Psylocke cover. This is her armored warrior phase, before the proper English girl got turned into an ethnic Asian ninja. In retrospect, that was a questionable editorial decision. I guess Jim Lee wanted to draw a hot Asian girl. I’m not really complaining, I think. This did lead to Olivia Munn playing her in an X-Men movie, the part she was born to play.

What does it say about the current state of the X-Men that Marvel is publishing three different “retro” X-Men titles this month and another to come next month? The X-Men 97 cartoon has been enough of a success to merit a second season and convince Marvel to publish a comic book that readers actually want. If they went “backward” with their entire line, they might sell more comics than DC and their Absolute “Hulk/Batman” creature.

This series is meant to supplement the X-Men’s time in the Australian Outback. It was an odd moment where the X-Men were thought dead and were hiding out. An Aboriginal teleporting mutant, Gateway, provided them the ability to easily the travel the world, even from such a remote location. This era didn’t last long and was mostly known for Marc Silvestri’s excellent artwork.

The story is Sabretooth finding the X-Men and attacking them. Psylocke has to adjust his memory afterward, so that he forgets the encounter. I suspect this sort of thing will be happening a lot in this series to explain why nobody knows about these new adventures. The comic is not exactly a throwback. The artwork is half-anime/half-splatter horror film. It’s cute and bloody.

In the dialogue, there’s also a definite undercurrent of current day writing, which is functionally Chris Claremont’s 80’s writing. The subplot is Wolverine telling Storm to take command. I guess it’s trying to explain why Logan isn’t in charge, which didn’t need to be explained. She’s been in charge before; Wolverine hasn’t. It just gives Logan the opportunity to tell Storm how amazing she is several times.

It’s the right idea and reasonably well done. The creative team knew the source material well. (I think this even starts with an off-panel Mojo cameo.) It’s a little too close to Claremont’s 80’s stories and maybe that’s the problem. You would put up with certain things from Claremont, because he’d bring originality with it. If I were planning on going to the comic book store next month, I’d probably pick up the next issue and give it another shot, but I wouldn’t be going just to get it. I doubt you’re going to see anything really fresh or novel in the rest of the series. They have to work within established canon and it’s not like anyone at Marvel has had a good new idea in years.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #20, 300-th Issue Special

I think I’ve only ever had one TMNT comic (11-22-19) and the Palladium RPG book, which included a Turtles story done just for the book. I never had any of the toys, but I enjoyed the original cartoon and some of the movies well enough. In spite of the $7 price tag, I was a sucker for the retro cover and an anniversary issue to boot. I did pass up a couple of “blind bag” issues for the same price with possibly valuable variant covers. It won’t be the first time I’ve made a poor investment decision with a comic.

I was glad I got this. It was most definitely goofy, silly Turtles, but there was a tremendous amount of character motivation, backstory, and a good plot. There are real stakes, emotions, foreshadowing, betrayal, and loyalty. You’re getting the gambit of storytelling. I was impressed. Unfortunately, the main story was continued and I don’t plan on going back next month. The artwork is also very well done and finely detailed.

The other story in this was a nostalgic retrospective on the different styles of Turtles stories that have occurred over the past 299 issues. Mostly, it was meant to show that however much the Turtles change, some things never change with them. If I’d been following along with the comics all this time, I’m sure I’d have more to say. And there’s a gallery of all 300 covers (as thumbnails).

This is another IDW production. It feels like they really take care of their properties. Nickelodeon is listed in the credits. I don’t know if that means that they own the Turtles, but the corporate oversight is paying off in quality material. Now that I’ve read this, I could see getting a TMNT trade if I see one that looks this good.

Giant-Size Youngblood #1

In honor of Rob Liefield’s artwork, I’m writing this review with my mouth open and screaming. I’ve been listening to Rob’s podcast for a while and mostly enjoying it. I appreciate his enthusiasm for the art form and criticisms of the comic book industry, while I’m skeptical of his fanboying of Hollywood.

There’s a trade of Liefield’s run of New Mutants at Zia Comics that I’ve passed over several times. Since I already have the first appearance of Deadpool from that run 11-21-22 and didn’t think much of it, I haven’t been willing to buy it. (It’s also not well-reviewed and it’s full price, unlike the other trades I’ve bought there lately.) There have been a few issues of the new Youngblood on the rack. I’d recently seen a video on Liefield. There was a description of the Youngblood premise in it that made it sound more interesting than I thought it was. Today was the day I decided to try an issue.

In contrast to the standard “Liefield” style, this super-group has a decided lack of small pouches on their uniforms and is totally lacking large firearms. This is a 64-page square-bound book with no ads. This is the nice portion of the review.

Is this the worst comic I’ve purchased on a price-per-page basis? I think it might be. I can’t remember a comic with a more relentless lack of characterization and plot. It’s a context-less fight scene and it even wasn’t much of a fight. Rob’s rants about writers being nearly unnecessary compared to the artist’s contributions are actually how he does comic books. And he seems stunningly unaware that all of his favorite comics that he spotlights are well-written. (He even sued Marvel over not getting credited as a writer in a reprint.)

Oh, and the art, it’s not that great either. In the 90’s, this was a fresh new style and it would be sort of iconic. That’s not to say it’s good; it’s just distinctive. Rob reminds me of my own art. Occasionally, I might make a nice drawing, almost by accident. The difference is that I’m not a professional artist and Rob’s been at this a long time. He should be much better than this in art and storytelling.

Just to rub it in, this large issue is half, if not more than half, just reprinted pinups. You could probably argue that the whole book is nothing but pinups. Four of the pinups featured Obama to let you know how old they are and who Rob voted for.

If I were a long-time fan of Youngblood, I’d be infuriated with this, since I doubt the original series was this bad. As is, I’m wondering if I should ever buy another comic I’m not familiar with . . . if I should buy another comic at all. This sounds like hyperbole, but I’ve declared a moratorium on buying comics until I get this taste out of my mouth. I’m not going to ask Rob for my money back (it won’t help with the emotional damage anyway), but I’m putting everything he says from now on in context with this comic.

Whew! What a roller coaster ride from this trip to the comic book store. Regardless of the highs and lows, I do think I’ve been a little too indulgent buying comics for the last couple of months and need a break. I’d finally cleared out some shelf space and I just filled it right back up. I’ve been done with comic books several times, but I wonder when they’ll be done with me.

Comics Review: A Review 6-Pack—Moonstar, Grimm, Zatanna

It was a successful trip to Zia Comics and a disaster. I’d gone for one comic (Moonstar) and ended up with six comics and a Barbie magnet and $40 lighter. I’d even put back a couple of issues before going to the register. A couple of these were gifts, but I did not mean to go nuts buying comics today. It’s a pretty rare trip that I find this many comics I’m interested in sitting on the rack.

The Barbie magnet was a gift for my co-worker, Toni. I couldn’t find comic for her, though I did on last month’s trip. That time I’d bought another Captain America trade from the 90’s, since I’d enjoyed the other one I’d gotten (6-23-26). (I haven’t finished it yet to review it.)

(Consider these a couple of bonus reviews.) Toni’s fiancé is a Godzilla fan. She’d bought him a couple Godzilla comics from Zia Comic for his birthday. One of them was a series with Godzilla versus America, where he stomps various cities. (This is a lot like the 70’s Marvel series, actually.) A new issue came out with Godzilla vs Portland. It was double-sized and $7. I looked over it (she was on vacation when I’d bought it) and was profoundly disappointed. It mostly was kids with crayons-level artwork and a bunch references that only Portland natives would get. Godzilla’s appearance was an afterthought and a joke. I apologized when I gave this to her.

Over the weekend, I was over at Barnes & Noble and noticed this trade, Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth. This looked a lot more like what I was intending to get. Like the IDW Rocketeer trade I’d gotten (6-22-26), this was very reasonably priced, so I picked it up. It was about 300 pages, so I didn’t have time to read it over the weekend before I gave it away, but it looked great. It had the whole toy box of Toho monsters fighting in it. (The old Marvel series did not have the rights to anything beyond Godzilla.) I’d recommend this for a Godzilla fan, even without reading it. No apologies necessary here.

Boy, did I get a look from the woman cashier buying this while buying the Captain America trade and the Godzilla comic. This one was for another girl, Zee. She’d seen me with some comics and mentioned she loved the old Vampirella magazines from the 70’s. That’s a little surprising. She liked that Vampi kicked ass and looked good.

This issue from Dynamite is #3 (#690 in legacy numbering). What a cover! It was easy enough to buy this based just on that. Regrettably, that was the best of it. The artwork inside was okay, but I was lost on the story. The old magazine featured self-contained stories. This issue was part of an ongoing series and I had no idea what was going on with the characters and their actions. I didn’t understand enough of it to really give an opinion on it, other than I decided this was a mistake. A detailed recap page might have been helpful. I again pretty much apologized when I gave this away, but Zee was very happy with it.

Moonstar #5

This is the comic I went to the store for. It’s the final issue of the series, though it doesn’t say that it is or that it was a limited series. (If it sells well enough, maybe they’ll continue it later.) I won’t reiterate what I’ve said in the previous reviews about the series (7-3-26).

This issue is the big climatic battle with Kyron and his evil sword, Dainsleif. That’s basically the whole issue, except for a quick wrap up at the end. I’d be lying if I said I really understood what happened in the story. I thought I was comfortable with the plot, but I wasn’t really getting what Dani did to end the threat. Was it too complicated or was it BS?

In any case, super-villain defeated and we get a happy ending. This is the first time I’ve seen Dani get romantic. If she’s had any other relationships, I never saw them. This pleased me, but the moment was nearly ruined with Kian literally saying, “You were amazing,” like he was her gay friend at her workplace. I guess Dani was hard up enough for a man that she’d take what she could get.

Also, Kian’s partner, Yanisa, who I thought had been killed, got better. And Beta Ray Bill shows up at the end for some reason. (You’re a little late to the party, pal.) “You are a great warrior, Dani Moonstar. I’m excited to see what you do next.” I swear the writing was not this bad in the previous issues.

Okay, just to see a character that I like in her own series, I’m okay with buying these issues. Unless you feel the same way about Moonstar, you’re likely not getting anything out of these.

Grimm Fairy Tales Vol. 3 #4

This was another gift for Zee. I was determined to get her a good comic. None of the Vampirella comics on the display seemed to have a self-contained story or even a good cover like the other one. It occurred to me that maybe she might like a Zenescope comic.

I’d bought an issue of this title before (11-6-20). My review was so badly written that I didn’t even mention what fairy tale characters were used in it. I don’t remember and I no longer have the comic. I picked up an Oz-inspired trade that I liked better this year (1-13-26). I would have liked something with a better cover and maybe a first issue, but this is what they had available. (Actually, they were stocking the shelves while I was there. I feel like I should have waited around a bit.)

Is this Red Riding Hood fighting wolves? I guess from the cover that’s the motif, though the main character in this issue isn’t wearing one in the comic and isn’t called, “Red.” Another cast member is wearing a red hood, but she’s not in the main action. There’s plenty of action, though not much resolution. I wish I knew more about the setting in this. There is a recap up front, but it assumes you understand the basic premise. This issue doesn’t seem to have anything in common with the previous issue I’d read years ago. (That was from a different volume of the series.)

Honestly, I wish one of these other issues had been there to buy. These Zenescope guys really know how to do an eye-catching cover.

Zatanna #4

I bought a Zatanna trade paperback a couple of months ago, but lent it out (to Toni, who I got the Barbie magnet for) and haven’t gotten it back yet. This issue is probably not related to that series anyway.

Swell cover and Zatana looks really classy. In this issue, we are establishing that she is the Sorcerer Supreme and . . . What’s that? Oh, excuse me. She’s the Prime Magus and consulting with the previous holder of the title, Zehuti, about what this means. “It means you get a mansion in New York City, babe, the Sanctum Sanctorum, and an Asian man-servant.” Actually, she has a hidden city of magicians and a horse that “mews.”

Jokes aside, this issue is well-illustrated. Some pages remind me of artist Alphonse Mucha’s work. The story is a series of three vignettes showing Zantana in her role as the Prime Magus. It’s kind of weird and abstract in presentation, but in a good way. It reminded me of Sandman and Books of Magic. While she’s wearing a top hat and fishnets and speaking spells backward in these scenes, it does not feel silly.

This was likely the best of the bunch. It was even $4, which cost less than the other comics I got. I’d be willing to get more of this, but I’m not going to the comic book store every month. If I’m there and see more, I’ll get them. (I showed this one to Zee and she loved it immediately. I ended up giving it to her, as well.)

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