AQUAMAN/GREEN ARROW DEEP TARGET #1 DC COMICS
I was actually hoping for a repeat of the classic 1959 cross-over story from Adventure Comics #267 where Green Arrow persues his villian underwater while Aquaman has to persue on land and the problems they have switching elements. Now that’s good reading! But Brandon Thomas’s story brings us a tale of the actual switching of powers and positions between Arthur and Oliver. And while I appreciate the fact that these days, Arthur and Oliver look a lot alike (a theme that was used in a Warlord/Green Arrow crossover years ago) it really brought nothing new to the table. And I suspect that all this mixitup schenanigans is due to a The Fly movie type set up with perhaps a touch of time travel paradox flavoring thrown in. We’ve even got a Dr. Doom inspired Time Platform for the villain. Ronan Cliquet’s art is excellent as he bounces from space to forests to underseas landscapes. An interesting attempt for a mini-series by DC, just not sure what the goal was here aside from being different. I give it a 6 out of 10 Grahams. 
ADVENTUREMAN #6 IMAGE COMICS
The Whiz-Bang creative team of Matt Fraction and Terry & Rachel Dodson continue their epic story after the first story arc that ended last issue. And we are immediately introduced via flashback to new old hero, the Crossdraw Kid and his grandson who is about to make a genuine life change. And Tommy starts asking questions that AdventureMom (she hates that!) needs to know the answers to. And more importantly, who are the icy blue spectres that have arisen from the subway! Well paced and plotted, this issue proves that this series has a long shelf life if given the chance! I give it a 9 out of 10 Grahams.
AND NOW A SPECIAL HALLOWEEN TREAT!
TOMB OF DRACULA #49 MARVEL COMICS (OCTOBER 1976)
The late 1970’s were a strange time for Marvel Comics’ line of horror comics. Extending past their initial storylines, characters such as the Monster of Frankenstein and the Werewolf at Night had graduated into becoming part of the larger Marvel Universe. Secondary and tertiary characters were gaining strength and … well … the storylines were getting a bit strained. One issue shy of it’s big 50th issue, Marvelous Marv Wolfman, Generous Gene Colan, and Terrific Tom Palmer took everyone’s favorite vampire into a Twilight Zone like adventure.
By this time, Dracula was now married (?!), and had teamed up with weirdo Anton Lupeski to forward the Church of the Damned cult. After returning to his wife for the evening, Dracula is suddenly transported away pleading to return to his beloved Domini and their unborn child (?!). What follows is a wonderful jaunt through literature and into the Outer Limits as Dracula finds himself draw into a library from which he cannot escape. Interacting with such iconic characters as Huck Finn, Robin Hood, D’Artagnan, and Frankenstien’s Monster (this is not a crossover!) It is only through his arrogence and cruelity toward the librarian that Dracula proves that he is a real being and not a character from “That foolish novel Stoker half-based on my diary” and he is granted release. The ending is a bit tragic and sad but certainly an interesting read.
Meanwhile Blade, Vampire Killer battles his evil self while Hannibal King watches, while Rachel Van Helsing, Frank Drake, and Harold investigate the Church of the Damned. (Told you the secondary characters were gaining strength!) A weird little tale that was worth the thirty cents of my allowance. It certainly did live up to it’s cover blurb of “The Most Bizarre Vampire Thriller Ever!” I give it an 8 out of 10 Grahams. 