Comic Book Mixtape #3, January 2024 (ft: Popscars, Darkwing Duck, Elvira In Monsterland, PeePee PooPoo, Space Outlaws & The Rocketeer)

It's been a few months but I'm back with a new installment for 2024.  My plan this year is to catch up with the stack of comic books I have, review some other comic books on the side (outside of this, but still on the site as it were) and eventually get to a point where I go to the comic book store one weekend and those issues become this column later that week.  

I'm still fine tuning all of this and have some back issues to catch up on then obviously some of the series I've started I'll need to go online to order issues to fill in what I've missed- especially with the series that are limited to four or six issues.   But I'm hoping to catch up with what I have already by Free Comic Book Day 2024 and, yes, I might posting more than one of these per month!

Popscars #2 (Pat O'Malley / Santi Guillen) (Sumerian Comics)

While this story is progressing it is taking some weird turns.  We see a little bit of the movie set, with the shark film being made.   The woman in the pink ski mask is staking out an apartment while the man who reminds me of Kingpin is going onto set to create his own way (with the help of some ladies) to get this movie shut down.

As the woman in the pink ski mask interrupts the wrong party, she has to fight everyone off in this most violent manner.   She thinks everything is under control and at the end of this issue she is actually bonked on the back of the head, so she is kind of left captive.   It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out and more importantly how much longer it can go on before the wheels must really be in motion.  

Darkwing Duck #3 (Amanda Deibert / Carlo Lauro) (Dynamite Entertainment)

I'm not sure how long Dark Wing Duck can survive as Drake Mallard.  I thought that maybe halfway through this issue or so we would see him put the mask and cape back on.  But this issue was about gardeners being kidnapped and eventually by the end, children as well.   All the while, Drake Mallard is just trying to live a normal life and not be a super hero any more.

The thing about being a super hero- which you'll know if you read enough super hero comic books- is that it's something you can't really avoid.  It's not a switch you can turn on and off.  So as Drake Mallard's own daughter (and friend) have been taken hostage, it seems as if he will have to come out of retirement in favor of saving them.  Drake Mallard will hopefully realize he must be Dark Wing Duck not only to save Gosalyn.

Elvira In Monsterland #2 (David Avallone / Kewber Baal) (Dynamite Entertainment)

Elvira is traveling through films starring Frankenstein's monster and as she does so, she wonders if someone smarter is behind all of this.   Elvira also asks the big question of if Vlad is creating this unholy army where everyone is being kept.  These are questions- seeds which are being planted- which will hopefully be answered in time.

During this second issue it is revealed that Vlad is less interested in Frankenstein's monster and more interested in Henry Frankenstein himself.   Why take the monster when you could have a man who would build you monsters?  By the end of this issue, Elvira finds herself in England and we are going into the werewolves next!

Space Outlaws # 1 (Marco Fontanili) (Scout Comics)

This comic book begins somewhat like the Terminator only instead of being about time travel it's about space travel.   An alien wanted across many galaxies travels to Earth where it takes over the body of a human farmer about to kill himself because his farm had a drought and he reacted to that with whiskey.   A robot of sorts has been sent to chase this alien down and catch it, stop it.

I like Space Outlaws because this feels like more visuals than words.  The color scheme sticks to black and white with only red (and shades of red) mixed in.  It's not so much that this is trying to look noir or something but rather many of the scenes so far haven't really needed greens or blues.   I like that it has this look to it- visually it is appealing.   I hope the story really takes off.  

PeePee PooPoo #420 (Caroline Cash) (Silver Sprocket)

This is a collection of stories by Caroline Cash, some are only one or two pages while others go on for a few pages more.  While it is larger than a typical comic book in physical dimensions, it also has a newspaper type feel which really brings me back to the older days of comic books.

What I really like about this is that it's funny and if a story isn't really holding your interest, it'll be over soon.  It's not like this entire issue is about the upstairs neighbor who is annoying.  But it's very down to earth and gives off that vibe that anyone can create a comic book if they have the artistic talent (or a friend who can draw) and a story to tell.  

The Rocketeer: The Great Race #2 (Stephen Mooney) (IDW Publishing)

This second issue of "The Great Race" moves the story along.   The pilots entered into the race meet each other and have their disagreements off the field while the issue comes to an end with the race just beginning.    I am under the impression that this is a four issue series so it feels like for the next issue they might just be spending a lot of time flying.

As some of the other pilots have been knocked out of the race, our hero Cliff is trying to figure out why that German pilot seems so familiar and, yes, this is that point in time when Germans are the villains.    This issue also ends with The Rocketeer blowing through all of his gas so his plane is going down over the ocean.