Way back when I was initially assigned the rigorous duty of reviewing the kiddie comics, one of the first I took on was Teen Titans Go. I can’t recall for sure but I think that I was less then enthralled. (Editor's Note: JR's review of Teen Titans Go #36 can be found HERE) So I decided to take another look. Well, maybe old age is setting in but I must say that this return visit was a bit better than the initial outing. Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not exactly calling this the next Watchmen. But I do feel the level of storytelling has improved. This issue centers on Raven. After a recent run-in with Trigun, where parts of her psyche were fractured into multiple beings, Raven has not told her young super-powered pals that one part of her psyche, the dark portion, is still on the loose. Her reasoning is that since the dark psyche has not been returned to her, her life and demeanor has become much happier. Unfortunately, the dark being is wreaking havoc on the city. Raven comes to realize that she must have this portion of her personality returned to her even though it means she will be unhappy. Outwardly this looks like just another take of the evil twin chestnut but more so, the story is about sacrificing ones own happiness for the greater good. Heady stuff for a kid’s comic and a pleasant surprise. Put this book in your child’s hands and you may end up having some interesting conversations about it. Recommended.

This wonderful little comic, concerning the aftermath of the attack of the Alice Monsters on the great Queen of Hearts and all of Wonderland, is from Slave Labor's new line of Disney comics. Sonny Liew's gorgeous pencils are over-laid with delicate watercolor.
The title primarily concerns Mary Ann, the White Rabbit's maid who he mistook Alice for, who is about to experience the trouble that comes with being a girl creature with hair and a dress thing after a similar girl creature brings havoc to the land. Wonderland is one of the results of collaboration between SLG and Disney to create comics that continue the stories of some of Disney’s beloved yet more fringe properties like Haunted Mansion, Gargoyles, Tron and Alice in Wonderland. Wonderland picks up the story where the Disney’s Alice in Wonderland left off. Inspired by that animated film and its source material by Lewis Carroll, Wonderland manages to be fantastical and whimsical, menacing and playful, a real combination of flavors that will appeal to both young and mature fans of the material. Wonderland’s characters exhibit the otherworldly sensibilities originated in Lewis Carroll’s book, yet Kovac maintains that quality without simply rehashing the original material. Tommy Kovac scripts this impossible task, writing a book for children that does not talk down to them or feature mindless, repetitive rubbish like Dora the Explorer or Teletubbies. Have a child that you would like to share your love of comicbooks with? Wonderland is the place to start. I can think of no better way to get a child hooked on comic books than to hand them a copy of Wonderland #1 and tell them that this is what the medium offers when creators enjoy and care about their work. Very highly recommended.

Marvel Comics dips its toes into the Classics Illustrated waters with a new line of comics based in literary works. Before Johnny Depp stumbled off of the Black Pearl, before Errol Flynn took us on swashbuckling journeys, and even before "Lucky" Jack Aubrey took to the water, Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins thrilled fans of high-seas adventure. "Treasure Island" tells the story of one young Jim Hawkins. It starts off in the simple setting of a family-owned inn where we are introduced to Billy Bones, an old seadog who has a secret. After a couple of visits from some strange characters, a confrontation occurs and a treasure map lands into the hands of Hawkins. Even though the rating on the cover of this issue states for teens, there is nothing here that will give even the littlest child nightmares. Mainly the reason for the rating would be the subject matter. It may be a bit over the heads of the tots. But for everyone else including adults, this is a fine introduction to one of the great adventure novels of all time. Some subplots appear to have been truncated but the main story remains intact, right down to the “shiver me timbers” dialogue. The artwork is quite good. Artist Mario Gully avoids the temptation to be overly showy and provides some terrific renderings. Highly Recommended.

With or without a television series to drive it, this comic marches on. And doing a fine job of it, I might add. This all ages friendly book tells the story of Superman entering the Phantom Zone when it’s discovered that the Zone is starting to bleed through to reality. At first the man of steel believes it to be the work of General Zod. But he soon learns that much smaller hands are manipulating reality. The appearance of Zod in this book seals the deal that Richard Donner’s cinematic take on Superman has firmly cemented itself into the mythos. While the plot here is understandably simple, being told for a young audience, it is never condescending or bland. Interestingly, the artwork uses the animated series as somewhat of a template but then adapts the characters to look somewhat more detailed and richer than their tv versions. Solid in storytelling and art, JLU is worth a read