DC and Monsters, The Good, the Bad and the...

Seriously, what in the hell was that crazy awesome thing?

But before we reach that story ...

Let's start with the Good.

Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong was well done, and met my high "crossover based" and fan of both franchises" based expectations for art and story.

It's clearly an "Elseworlds" but with completely recognizable DC characters and Multiverse Vibrational Rules. The Kaiju are directly adapted from the Legendary films. Kong, Godzilla and a couple of friends have the personalities and the abilities shown in those movies. The artwork impressively captures how massive they are. 

Godzilla outclassing Superman in straight up power, but Superman being able to use his individual powers more intelligently and coordinating with others fits with both characters. Kong's traditional protector of humanity role works right into a super heroic universe. The DC heroes and their foes follow the "modified Super Friends" plan. They're basically the rosters of the Justice League and Legion of Doom from that show. However, they have their most recent costumes, abilities, and supporting casts. (Because when Godzilla shows up, you call EVERYONE.) The one hero's death was tragic, though less so than it could have been given the version of the personality of that character chosen. However, the aftermath was too awesome for words.

It was well worth going against my normal dislike of hardcovers to get a well put together, awesome collection.

The Bad

DC Vs Vampires.

I bought both volumes of this based on DC's multiple past successes with vampires.

Superman has had a couple of one shots. One was a team up with Batman in an annual (Action Annual 1, 1977, Byrne & Adams) against a "lost and persecuted girl in the woods" that turned out to be a vampire in a classic Horror Comic set up. The other was a one issue story (Superman 180, May 2002,  Loeb/ Johns & Churchill) where the fact that Clark stores solar energy in his cells saved him from the Count, which is why it was rendered in only a one issue story. 

Then there's the Batman and Dracula Red Rain trilogy, (1991, 1994, 1998) one (er... three) of the best of all the Elseworlds. Doug Moench and Kelly Jones gave us truly creepy tales that used both of the famous, night based characters, and their mythologies excellently.

Even 2009's  "Superman and Batman Vs Werewolves and Zombies" (written by Kevin VanHook) was a hoot and a bunch of fun. The art was by my favorite comic run's Tom Mandrake, one of my "unholy trinity" of perfect horror artists, along with Kelly Jones and Norm Breyfogle.

Heck, even the normally lighthearted Batman Brave and Bold had a fun but scary vampire episode. 

I blame Marvel Zombies for the tone of this recent one, as that's where this story goes. Using a bunch of moments that are counter to the DC characters' personalities and how their powers normally work, it sets up a "vampire plague" across their Earth via some supposedly "shock" moments, turning many heroes and villains into evil vampires.  

Vampires are apex predators, and they work best in small numbers with secret plans. This was mostly a depressing display of manufactured surprises to show the heroes and villains getting bit or otherwise disposed. 

The annoying part: 

Where the story ended was a much cooler idea than all the set up through the two volumes. The idea of the tiny group of heroes left on a Vampire world forming a resistance is much better, and allows for more in-character actions, than the tale of how it got that way... 

Meaning I'll probably try the sequel. 

As should be crystal clear by now, I have SEVERAL problems.

Then, there was whatever the hell this was.

Jurassic League, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Juan Gedeon, was insane, hilarious and a wonder to behold.

The Main DC heroes and their foes were reimagined as sentient dinosaurs on a Flinstone's like world where they co existed with cavemen. However, the human/dinosaur scale was far closer to correct. The story was cute and fun, the art was fantastic, and they threw in every terrible prehistoric pun they could think of from Brontozarro to (the truly awesome) 

Metraaaaaghpolis. 

Woo Hoo!!

None of it makes a lick of sense and it was amazing!

Wonderdon is a Triceratops, because it looked cooler, but she did have an invisible Pteranodon.

The "Kents" and "Robin" were both from the caveman populations the Jurassic League often had to protect. (And the villains tried to eat.) Their language was never translated, except by Supersaur, who was not only a sauropod, but also the last survivor of an alien world of dinosaurs. Because of course he was.

Flashraptor was a Velociraptor and Jokerzard was a Dilophosaur, both from the Jurassic Park franchise, because why not? The Green Torch's Parasourolophus "duck bill" looked more out of a Warner Brother's cartoon than a paleontology textbook, and it was lovely.

Bring on the sequel!

Oh dear Lord they're making an animated film!!!!

With one of the Minions guys writing it!!!!!

I CAN'T WAIT!!!