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Bump-bump-baaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And we’re off to the races with a ton of of things to look at this week!
First I have to just say, I miss the television series Kissyfur! I can’t be the only one. Anyone else out there miss this thing?
Next, I do have to comment that  this character on Sym-Bionic Titan, airing on Cartoon Network, looks suspiciously like the classic Japanese superhero Kikaida:

VERSUS

Just saying, know where your roots are.

Earlier this week here on Comicattack.net I reviewed this amazing collection of Mighty Samson reprints from Dark Horse, check it out here.

And now on to our first review:

Out On Stands Now: Muppet Sherlock Holmes #3
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Writer: Patrick Storck
Artist: Amy Mebberson

Boom! Comics continues their awesome takes on Muppets meshing with classic stories with the third issue of the Muppet Sherlock Holmes mini-series. The team of Storck and Mebberson have done a great job with this title so far, and out of all the Muppet classic-story comics, I think Sherlock Holmes is the best and fits right in with the likes of Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island. If there is one that I hope continues beyond just being a mini-series, this title would be my pick. Storck’s writing is fantastic, a gem of classic Muppet-humor. You can practically hear the characters voices if you are a Muppet fan. The artwork by Mebberson is also great and does the job well. Her takes on the Muppets and how’d they look in this period are dead-on and a lot of fun visually.

The plot of this issue follows Holmes (Gonzo), Watson (Fozzie the Bear, who also narrates), and LeStarde (Kermit), as they go on a case given to them by Pepe, to investigate the strange Red-Headed League, which leads them on a hysterical caper. The moments from them trying to join the league, leading right up to the discovery of the villan are packed with laughs. Awesome fun on stands now!

Out On Stands: Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #21 (Final Issue)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writers: Art Baltazar and Franco
Art: Mike Norton

So the final issue of Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! came out about two weeks back, and I couldn’t write about it that week, but now that I have room in my column, let me say the following about the canceling of this title: EPIC FAIL DC! Yes Billy Batson has had its ups and downs as a series. When it first started it was amazing, but then the artist changed and the middle issues, aside from the single issue drawn by DeStefano, were rough. However, recently with Mike Norton on the title, the art has gotten amazing again, with ridiculously good fight scenes. The writing has always been solid from the team of Art Baltazar and Franco; over 21 issues they’ve weaved a great take on the Marvel family.  So what’s to blame? I’d say the combination of the cheap looking art work in the middle issues and DC’s lack of ability to successfully market most kids’ titles. However, what’s done is done, and Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! will surely be missed. There’s not even another title from DC that can replace it right now. I suppose until they can cook something up, I’ll mosey on over to Marvel Comics and dig Marvelman.

As for the final issue, we couldn’t have honestly been supplied with a nicer wrap up to Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! The Marvel family leads off in their final battle against an over-powered Black Adam, with amazing battle scenes drawn by Norton. We get a moment where Captain Marvel gets all of the Wizard’s power himself (although there is a twist here, unlike how it played out in the current DC universe before 52), and a nice cameo by the Justice League. Norton, Baltazar, and Franco have given us the nicest wrap-up Captain Marvel and company could deserve. Highly recommended. On stands now.

Collection of Awesomeness: Darkwing Duck: The Duck Knight Returns
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Writer: Ian Brill
Artisit: James Silvani

Also out on stands this week is this little collection of awesomeness, Darkwing Duck: The Duck Knight Returns, collecting the first handful of issues of the hit Boom! series. Tip of the hat to Boom! for letting us “get dangerous” again with our favorite duck of superhero fame. Every single thing you enjoyed about the Darkwing Duck TV show is all right here, not a beat missing! Between Brill’s fantastic writing and Silvani’s art, Darkwing Duck feels like the TV show never stopped. The plot is basically that it’s been a year since Darkwing Duck has roamed the nights of St.Canard fighting off villains. The city has become policed by robots, and everyone, heroes and villains, has seemed to complacently accept this in a short amount of time, and just now work at the corporation that makes them. However, after being pushed to find out the truth behind the corporation one night, Darkwing Duck takes foot again, and just in time too, for it seems his greatest villains have decided to join forces and return to terrorize the city again! All the adventure, action, and of course humor that we love out of Darkwing Duck is right here!

Something To Watch: Golden Eagle
A.K.A Insee Thong, A.K.A. Red Eagle
(note: Red Eagle is a mis-title. Golden Eagle is part of the Red Eagle series, however the title Red Eagle is also that of the first movie in the series. However, there a few DVDs out there that have mis-labeled the box or mis-subtitled the credit.)

Do you like your Batman served with Pad Prik King and a cold, tall Singha? Then Red Eagle is the hero for you! Straight out of Thailand, here he comes to save the day! He’s a detective by day, and by night he wears a mask and takes the identity of Red Eagle to fight crime outside of the law. And he has a drinking problem just like Tony Stark! Now, I know I am writing this fairly light heartedly, but honestly Red Eagle is a great Thai-superhero who last month just received a multi-million dollar reboot that many are hailing as the Thailand version of The Dark Knight Returns. Originally, Red Eagle was a movie series, and this film, Golden Eagle, was the last entry to the original series made in 1970. Golden Eagle is a ton of fun. It seems someone is committing murders disguised as Red Eagle, and so the real Red Eagle has to adopt a new identity and become the Golden Eagle to fight back! Crime-fighting ensues as he battles the Red Bamboo organization who want to take over Thailand, and is led by a man who has the powers of hypnosis taught to him by Rasputin himself (honestly, that’s the plot)! There are a ton of great action scenes, and of course: cross-dressing! Woot-woot! Fun-fact-that’s-not-so-fun: the actor Mitr Chaibancha who played Red Eagle in all the movies died falling off the helicopter while filming the final scene of Golden Eagle! Wow! My pick for something for you to watch this weekend 100% is Golden Eagle!

That’s it for this week, see you in two! And remember, Hedorah, the Smog Monster loves you!

Drew McCabe
drew@comicattack.net