Flight Explorer Volume 1

Flight Explorer Volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Various
Published by Villard

Flight is a big comic filled with a lot of different short stories about a lot of characters. A lot of them are funny and some of them are kind of strange and there are some action stories. I liked most of the book but I’m picking my three favorite stories to review from the book because there’s too much stuff to review the whole thing.



Big Mouth (by Phil Kraven) is my favorite story in this collection. It’s basically about a silly looking creature who talks really loud and even though he’s friendly he annoys people because he talks so loud and has a big mouth. I like when Big Mouth was shouting everything, especially when he was saying ‘Hello’ and ‘What’ when he met a little creature. He sat down on a bench next to someone to watch ducks in a park and just really annoyed the other person because he took up so much space. My favorite part was when everyone was playing basketball and Big Mouth tried to pass the ball but hit someone in the eye with it and the guy got really angry. The other people were really annoyed by Big Mouth and said they were going to go somewhere else to play away from him.

Then there was another guy who was picking on a little guy from the beginning of the story and saying that he couldn’t hear him. Big Mouth came over because he felt bad for the little guy and told the bully to ‘leave him alone’. The little guy was very happy and offered to buy Big Mouth a frozen treat. He shared the treat with Big Mouth but Big Mouth swallowed the whole thing by accident so he gave the little guy his treat in trade.



Snow Cat (by Matthew Armstrong) is the next story. This story is about a monster and a girl who are friends. They start off hugging each other and when they do that a little heart is drawn next to them. I thought it was funny when the girl gave the monster a little kiss and then he gave her a big lick and accidentally ate her. Her legs were sticking out of his mouth and kicking him and so he spit her out. She smacked him after she got spit out and the monster got very sad. He tried to lick her again when they became friends but she held his mouth closed so he couldn’t eat her this time.

I thought it was interesting because there are no words in this story so everything is told by pictures. The drawings are very good. I like how the monster is drawn and how he looks so scared when the girl gets mad at him.



Fish and Chips (Steve Hamaker) is about a fish who is stuck in a fish bowl and the fish bowl gets attached to a robot body so he can walk around and stuff. The fish is mad because his partner is a very lazy cat who just sleeps through everything. The fish sees a red alert sign go off because a big asteroid is going to hit the Earth and they have to stop it. Because the cat is asleep the fish has to do everything by himself. He keeps trying to wake up the cat but he’s not waking up. So he goes into space by himself and leaves the robot body on the asteroid. The body throws the fish bowl head back to Earth and the body becomes a bomb and blows up.

After everything happens the news thanks the cat and fish for all their help and the cat wakes up and says, ‘all in a days work’ and then goes back to bed. He didn’t even do anything but he takes the credit for it. I like this story but wish it was a little longer.

Big Mouth was my favorite story because it was the funniest and I liked the way it was drawn and how the character just keeps getting people angry because he talks so loud.
I like that there were a lot of different stories in the book about so many different types of things. I didn’t like all of the stories, but I liked most of them. I think it’s cool that there were a bunch of different stories in the book that could be read.

My Rating: 10 out of 10

Amazing Spider-Man #576

The Amazing Spider-Man #576
Written by Joe Kelly and Illustrated by Chris Bachalo
Published by Marvel Comics

I like how this cover had Spider-Man punching Hammerhead in the face and the other cover before had Hammerhead punching Spider-Man.

I like how everyone was shooting at Hammerhead but he couldn’t get hurt because of all the steel under his skin. It was cool how Spider-Man figured out how to escape by breaking open the floor with his fists and he fell down to the next floor and there was glass everywhere. I like when Spider-Man smashed through the window with the gangster that he was trying to save in the other comic. He’s always jumping through the window with the same kid trying to make him good. I thought it was cool how Hammerhead was firing his gun at him and had the blood and broken glass all over him.

It was pretty cool when Spider-Man bashed his face against the wall to fix his jaw and then webbed his mask shut because he was going to pass out. This way no one could take off his mask when he was asleep. I also like the part where they showed half of Hammerhead’s face with the metal skeleton.

It was neat how Peter Parker had to lie to his roommate about how his face was all beat up because he didn’t want him to figure out that he was Spider-Man. I thought it was funny that he told Vin that he got his bruises because a remote control fell on his face.

I didn’t so much like the part where Peter and the girl were walking around. I don’t think she’s that interesting. I did like that Peter had to get away and find a way to tell her why he was going to change into Spider-Man.

A really cool part was when Spider-Man found out where all the gangsters were and they reshuffled their guns and said they were going to shoot him. The gangsters aren’t sure what to do. Hammerhead is trying to get them to join him and kill Spider-Man. If the gangsters listen to him they get to live. If the gangsters don’t kill Spider-Man then Hammerhead will kill them. I really liked the part where Hammerhead shows up and Spider-Man makes a web wall in front of him. And when Hammerhead breaks the web wall it was really funny when Spider-Man was like, ‘oh poop’.

There were a lot of funny parts in the book. The other really funny part is when Spider-Man snuck up behind Hammerhead and was wondering whether he should be honest or do sneak attack and a little devil and angel Spider-Man both told him to be sneaky.
I also like how at the end Spider-Man broke one of Hammerhead’s hips to stop him and warned him that he would break the other hip if he ever tried to bother the kids again.

I did like the part where the girl said she’d bet ten dollars about going on a date and Peter was all nervous about going on a date. I like how he still had all of the bruises and stuff even at work and then when he was going out with that girl a couple days later they were gone. And I like how Mr Negative is drawn how he’s all black and stuff. I also like the girl repairing Hammerhead.

The art was great again, too. One of my favorite pictures was when it showed Spider-Man jumping all around Hammerhead doing his webs and stuff. The little devil and angel Spider-Man drawings were good, too. I liked how there was a lot of detail in the picture where Spider-Man webs Hammerheads legs and he falls on his face. There are broken teeth and glass all over the place. You can see all of the little things all around the pictures. The other picture I liked a lot was when Spider-Man broke out of the window with the gangster. It was a cool pose and looked really good.

This was one of my top favorites of the books I’ve been reading since doing these reviews.

My Rating: 10 out of 10

New Brother

Liam will be back for new reviews next week.

In the meantime he would like to welcome his new younger brother, Evan, to the world.
Evan was born at 8pm on Wednesday and both he and mom are doing well.

Both Liam and Ethan are excited about their brother's arrival and look foward to having him particpate in future reviews.

Amazing Spider-Man #575

Amazing Spider-Man #575
Written by Joe Kelly and illustrated by Chris Bachalo
Published by Marvel Comics

The Spider-Man story with the Goblins and Venoms lasted a long time and now this issue had a new story with a different bad guy in it. I like Anti-Venom, Venom, Menace and Green Goblin but this issue was really good, too.

The story starts with Spider-Man rescuing the girl hobo from a bunch of people dressed like clowns and there is a robot rat. I don’t know what the rat had to do with anything but it was pretty fun. I like how Spider-Man was teasing the hobo and wondering what she ate because she smelled so bad. At the end she kissed Spider-Man for saving her and he threw up inside his mask which was gross and funny.

I like when all the gangsters were meeting and they try to attack Hammerhead but he is so strong that they just end up getting their butts kicked.

I like when Peter Parker was talking to the little kid about being a genius but then the kid’s older brother took him away. The older kid is a gangster and Peter is trying to talk to him but ends up getting into a fight instead. He changes into Spider-Man and follows them back to their house and uses his webs to pull the gangster out of the house. I thought it was a funny part because Spider-Man is trying to tell the gangster that he’s doing the wrong thing and he shouldn’t be in gangs but accidentally calls the kid a skunk and they both laugh about it.

When Spider-Man goes back to the house he finds out that Hammerhead has beaten up the other gangsters really bad and is ready to attack the little brother. The fight between Spider-Man and Hammerhead is awesome. They’re fighting each other really hard. Spider-Man hits Hammerhead so hard that he breaks his hand because Hammerhead has a metal skeleton underneath his skin. Then Hammerhead breaks his foot and keeps smashing Spider-Man into different parts of the house. In the end Hammerhead head butts Spider-Man really hard and pretty much knocks him out. Spider-Man is all bloody and can’t talk anymore. He just mumbles.

Hammerhead is really tough in this comic. He looks like a regular human except for his big head and he doesn’t wear a costume or anything but he is super strong and can’t be hurt because of the metal under his skin.

One thing that I really liked was the art in the book. There is a lot of detail in the drawings. On one page they’re all in the kitchen and there is stuff on the table like guns and knives and you can see stuff on the shelves and the floor. There’s a lot of little stuff in the pictures. And in the fight with Spider-Man and Hammerhead there is broken glass and furniture that is shown and there is blood all over Hammerhead from the people that he’s beaten up.

I like how the characters are drawn, too. I like how he draws Spider-Man with a bigger head and bigger eyes than other artists. I’ve seen Spider-Man drawn a lot of different ways but this way looked really different and cool. He drew the hobo lady cool and gross, too, with all of her teeth missing and she looked really crazy.

I’m sure Spider-Man is going to win and the next comic shows him punching Hammerhead in the face real hard, but it was still a very good issue. Hammerhead is a pretty interesting bad guy.

My Rating: 9 out of 10

Secret Invasion #7

Secret Invasion #7
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu
Published by Marvel Comics

This issue was really good because there was a lot of action in it. There were a lot of parts where a whole bunch of super heroes were fighting the Skrulls and some funny parts, too.

The first pages were awesome because it was a big two page picture with all of the super heroes and bad guys teaming up and fighting all the Skrulls. I like how Norman Osborn and Nick Fury were fighting and arguing at the same time and told each other that they should both be in jail. I thought it was really cool when the Skrull Yellowjacket turned really huge and said, ‘hi honey’. I liked that the girl got really big, too and then her and Yellowjacket were fighting up high over everyone else.

There were a lot of great fights in the comic. One real cool part of the battle is when Bullseye shot Yellowjacket in the eye and he came crashing down on everyone else. It looked like Bullseye was going to shoot Spider-Man but he shot the Skrull instead. Another good part was when Wolverine and Skrull Spider-Woman were fighting. Wolverine was clawing her and trying to kill her but she used her powers to electrocute him and took him out. The best fight was the one guy picked up the bow and arrows and started shooting all of the Skrulls. He got like five of them out and then he shot an arrow into Spider-Woman’s face when she was fighting Wolverine. That was awesome how he took them all out.

I thought it was really funny when Spider-Man told people not to worry because they should only be scared if the Watcher was there and then on the next page the Watcher shows up.

I thought it was really creepy when the Avenger’s friend was taking care of the baby for the other super heroes and then he turned into a Skrull at the end. I don’t know if he’s going to hurt the baby or not, but it looks like he will. I thought it was weird when the Wasp started turning into a giant, too and she got super huge but even though she is a good guy the Skrulls are happy. They did something to her that makes them think she’s going to be able to help them win. I’m not sure what she did but all the good guys were getting hurt at the end.

I like this series a lot. I like seeing all of the good guys and bad guys teaming up to fight the Skrulls. There are some funny parts with Spider-Man and a lot of action in it, which makes it even better.

I like the art in the book, too. There are a lot of pages where a lot of characters are drawn and it looks really cool to see them all together like that. I like how he drew the Skrull Yellowjacket and part where the Watcher shows up and the part where the guy with the bow and arrow kills all the Skrulls and their green blood is squirting out.

My Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Stinky

Stinky
Written and Illustrated by Eleanor Davis
Published by Toon Books

This book is about a monster named Stinky who lives in a cave in the swamp and he’s very happy there. But he does not like humans and doesn’t want any of them coming to his swamp.

Stinky has pet rats, bats and likes eating pickled onions. He also has a pet toad named Wartbelly. It was funny when he comes out of his cave because all of the birds and squirrels outside have clothespins on their nose because he smells so bad. He carries Wartbelly around in a wheelbarrow. Stinky says that he loves mud, slugs and things that smell bad like onions.

When Stinky is sneaking around with his toad he says to be very quiet because there is a human town close by and they don’t like monsters. He’s mad at human children because they don’t smell and take baths and eat things like candy and apples. Stinky gets really mad because a kid named Nick comes to his swamp and he’s eating an apple. Stinky doesn’t like kids or apples. Nick made a tree-house in the middle of the swamp and that makes Stinky even madder and Stinky wants to get rid of him by scaring him away.

The first thing he does to scare Nick is that he puts Wartbelly in the tree0house but Nick loves frogs and toads and decides to keep Wartbelly as a pet and names him Daisy.

Then Stinky tries to get rid of him by stealing his hammer and he throws it in the middle of the swamp. When Nick goes to look for flies for Daisy to eat he also finds his hammer in the swamp and is very happy. Nick thinks that the swamp may be haunted and have ghosts so Stinky dresses up as a ghost and yells ‘boo’. That didn’t scare Nick, though. Stinky’s ghost costume comes off and Nick sees him and chases after him and Stinky hides in a tree.

Stinky finds Nick’s hat and throws it in a deep pit and that makes Nick sad. Stink feels bad because Nick liked the hat a lot and tries to get the hat but he falls in the pit and gets stuck. Nick found out that he was trapped and used a rope to help get Stinky out. Stinky was very happy that he got saved and him and Nick became friends. Nick gave Stinky an apple and Stinky was surprised that he liked them so much. He offered Nick a pickled onion but Nick didn’t answer. I think that Nick wanted to be nice and tried the pickled onion even though they didn’t show it.

I like that on the last page there is a map of the swamp that shows Stinky’s cave, the town where humans live, Nick’s tree house and other things. That was a cool drawing.

I think it would have been a little better if the boy was scared because it would have been funnier to see someone scared by the monster. It was still a good story, though. And this was another comic that had easy to read words and one that was sent to me from the company. I got a lot of cool things in the mail to read.

My Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Amazing Spider-Man #573

Amazing Spider-Man #573
Written by Dan Slott and Illustrated by John Romita Jr
Published by Marvel Comics

This is the last part of the big Spider-Man story with Green Goblin, Venom and Anti-Venom. This story has been a lot of fun. Spider-Man got to fight a lot of cool bad guys and a new bad guy came out called Anti-Venom. He was the first Venom. And the new Venom got a cool new Scorpion costume. There was a lot of good stuff in the story.

I really liked the picture of Spider-Man and Anti-Venom that took two pages. They look very cool swinging above the city and I like how Spider-Man has put webbing over all his injuries but there is still blood all over his costume. Spider-Man is really funny the way he talks to Anti-Venom. I like that he tells Anti-Venom they’re going to split up because he doesn’t like him. And he says that Anti-Venom is a really stupid name and should have picked a better name. One cool part was how Eddie changed his suit so he looked like Spider-Man and then his suit started to change and it looked like a mix between Spider-Man and Anti-Venom. That was a cool looking drawing.

I thought the battle between Spider-Man and Green Goblin was really good but it should have been longer. I like how Spider-Man jumped on his back and tried to get him to leave Harry Osborn alone. And I like how Goblin presses a button to get his glider to come out in a remote control out of a secret spot. And Spider-Man gets really mad that the Goblin keeps pressing buttons and different bad things start happening. Spider-Man takes over the glider and makes it crash into the wall and starts bashing Goblin’s head against it to beat him.

I really liked the fight between Scorpion/Venom and Anti-Venom. It was very cool how the Scorpion Venom used his tail to slice into Anti-Venom and that hurt him real bad. The Scorpion Venom was able to make Eddie get really weak and the costume disappeared off of him.

The fight with Spider-Man and Green Goblin is a tie. The building blows up and they both just go to their own spots. I like how Peter was looking for clues in the destroyed office and was trying to reach for the book and Harry’s girlfriend took his arm and kissed him. Peter got nervous because he didn’t want Harry to get mad, but Harry didn’t see. I think she knows that the secret Goblin equipment is back there and she stopped him on purpose. My prediction is that she is Menace Goblin because they both have long hair and she knows where Goblin equipment is. And Menace uses a gun and sometimes girls like guns. You’ll see I’m right.

There was a lot of good art. I like the picture of Anti Venom and Scorpion Venom fighting and how the suit came off of him. I like the big picture of how the Green Goblin was jumped on by Spider-Man. I like how Spider-Man had Green Goblin in a neck lock and then punched him in the head to get him to shut up. That was a real cool move.

This would have been a 10 but I didn’t like that there was another story in it that was sort of weird. I didn’t really like the guy who’s running for President. I never even heard of him before. I think it would have been cooler to see Spider-Man team up with John McCain or Barack Obama. I got those comics, too, but didn’t review them yet.

This comic had two great battles in it but my favorite one was the Venom vs Venom because they both have the same types of powers and Venom with Scorpion powers is great. I think a great idea would have all of the Goblins fight next. Harry and his dad could fight Menace Goblin and Hobgoblin. That would be awesome!

My Rating: 9.5 out of 10