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.)
***Part 2***
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