BARON RAT AND THE GREAT CHEESE CAPER

“The Great Cheese Caper”
Writer: Troy Vevasis
Artist: Aleksandar Jovic

Its another morning at the home of Mr. Crypt. As he leaves for work he finds the morning newspaper and gives it to his friend Baron Rat. Baron reads the paper and finds out that today a cheese festival is going on. He immediately heads out and tries to lift a big wheel of cheese. Only the owner chases him away with a broom. Not the be deterred Baron then climbs up on the roof of a building and repels down. He loads up a bag of cheese and takes off running. This pisses off the local residents who get together with a pitchfork and torch welding mob. Baron manages to evade them and make it home to gorge himself on all the cheese he can eat. Later Mr. Crypt comes back and tells about the news that some horrible monster had taken all the cheese. He asks Baron if he saw it and of course Baron Rat shrugs his shoulders innocently.

So Baron Rat the pet rat of Mr. Crypt gets his own one-shot issue. It is a charming little comic. Obviously written for children but I still found it entertaining as an adult. Troy Vevasis has an enjoyable humorous ability to make his characters so lovable. I have heard that next month a new mini-series called The Adventures of Mr. Crypt and Baron Rat is coming out. Looking forward to the enjoyable adventures of these two.

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THE WICKED RIGHTEOUS #6

“Ashes to Ashes!”
Writer: Terry Mayo
Artist: Lucas Romero

So all the opposing factions have started in a melee. Lucas and his brothers manage to escape the building but Uncle Abe and his girlfriend remain. Unfortunately crazy Billy the creepy kid planted dynamite that goes off killing the two. Then he takes the youngest brother Johnny hostage. At this time JC escapes from her father and joins the brothers. The fighting stops when the Chin-Am army arrives. Made up of conscripted teens. The young conscripts rebel and shoot their officers. Then Berg takes her vengeance on Cruz and Fox. Cross manages to take out Cruz’s right hand man Guapo. Crazy Billy takes Johnny up in some museum and throws him down. Lucas then beats Billy and starts to choke him. JC comes and convinces him not to kill. So the four brothers are reunited and JC and Lucas are together.

The final issue of this series was all I hoped it would be. It had some tragedy in Uncle Abe’s death. It also saw justice to all the assholes. It ended with a happy ending. I hope that this series continues for the whole world it introduced is fascinating and so many questions left unanswered. The prologue had a scene two years ago where the cowardly President has a general give a press briefing to calm the public about the plague. It was a man made creation which still needs to get an origin. Also how the country was divided. A very enjoyable post-apocalyptic series.

THE WICKED RIGHTEOUS #5

“–Suffer the Little Children…”
Writer: Terry Mayo
Artist: Lucas Romero

Lucas and JC come back to warn Abe and the others to get out. Only Abe is in bad shape and not going to make it. The rebels that Cross is working with are on the way but Cruz and the Horsemen are already there. Cruz is JC’s father and that is why he is after them. JC agrees to surrender if her friends are left unharmed. Cruz agrees but after getting his daughter he has his men start to burn down the building. Fox is rebelling because Cruz is leaving him to Berg. Just then Berg’s men come in guns blazing. The rebel Air Cav is about to arrive but has news that the Chin-Am is also on the way.

The story is moving along at a fast rate. All the players are coming together for a big showdown. This issue also focused on Uncle Abe. We find out he was estranged from his brother and was some kind of criminal and drug user. He manages to reconcile with his family. Still don’t know the importance of JC to the rebels but should find out in the final next issue. This has been a real enjoyable series.

THE WICKED RIGHTEOUS #4

“Love in the Time of the Apocalypse!”
Writer: Terry Mayo
Artist: Lucas Romero

Three months ago JC is at home in Mexico. She witnesses her father kill a man that he accuses of being responsible for the plague. Now she is with Lucas running from her father. She takes Lucas to where she was living. She has a tent and four poster bed inside the San Diego Zoo. They have a moment that results in them sleeping together. Meanwhile Cross has got in contact with his people. He talks about soon having the girl as the rebel aircraft continue on to San Diego. JC’s father tortures the information out of Berg’s father and practically cuts off his head before he is done. Fox is in a panic because now his Horsemen gang will have to fight Berg. Crazy Billy comes and tells where they can find where Lucas lives. At the end Lucas has a dream that his family is in danger.

The story is getting better and better each issue. I am really liking this title. Each issue more of the story is revealed and also more questions are raised. Obviously there is something important about JC. Everyone wants her. It is building up to a big spectacular action packed finale.

THE WICKED RIGHTEOUS #3

“….Where They Go Death Follows!”
Writer: Terry Mayo
Artist: Lucas Romero

The creepy boy Billy we find out was committed to an asylum. Now he watches the family from a distance. The family has a meeting. Cross wants his sat phone and Uncle Abe wants to make a deal with Berg. So Lucas with one of his brothers takes him to the ballpark. The ballpark is a main gathering in the city. They find Berg a scary woman participating in a gladiatorial game wearing an exoskeleton that shoots acid. At the gathering they bump into JC who didn’t like being left behind. One of the Horsemen notices her and is approaching but Cross intercepts him and drags him off after killing him.

So they go to Berg’s place and meet her father. They negotiate for a sat phone when Fox comes. JC and Lucas sneak out since JC is very scared of Fox. Fox leaves but creepy Billy points out to them that one of their men was killed. At the end Berg’s father is visited by Fox and another man who is looking for his daughter.

This post-apocalyptic world is getting more interesting. We get some more glimpses of the outside world. Berg’s father has a map that shows the division of the country. In addition to Chinese dominated west coast their is a Caliphate dominated northeast , a breakaway south and Republic of Texas. Cross is revealed to be working for the Southern States. It also looks like JC is the daughter of a very important man. The only real complaint is that the story has these continuity jumps. Like it is never explained how JC and Lucas get separated from the others. Still a solid series.

THE WICKED RIGHTEOUS #2

“The Fury of the Fox!”
Writer: Terry Mayo
Artist: Lucas Romero

Two years ago in San Quentin. The plague is killing everyone and a guard decides to let out an inmate. Back to the present and that inmate is the one helping Lucas and his family. His name is Cross and he is helping this group for his own mercurial reasons. The group holds up in an abandoned apartment as the gang looks for them. The gang is lead by Fox and are called The Horsemen. Seems the girl the group rescued cut Fox’s face. Yet some more powerful figure is in charge and wants the girl.

Cross needs a new satellite phone since his last one was damaged by a stray bullet. Uncle Abe is dying from a bullet to the gut and promises Cross a new one if he gets his nephews back home out of the city. The group makes its way out and come on two guys abducting a woman. Cross doesn’t want to get involved but Lucas threatens to so Cross expertly shoots the two guys. Oh and that creepy kid from last issue is watching them.

So there is a lot of mystery to Cross. He seems like a cold killer concerned only for himself. So why is he helping Lucas and his family. The girl that was rescued JC is also a bit mysterious. Someone powerful wants her. Maybe Cross knows why. Also the Chin-Am are training an army of young boys at the ballpark. And creepy boy is still hanging around. A good post-apocalyptic series.

THE WICKED RIGHTEOUS #1

“…And The Children Will Lead Them All!”
Writer: Terry Mayo
Artist: Lucas Romero

A virulent plague is sweeping the world and civilization is collapsing. Four brothers in San Diego have to watch their parents die. Two years later one of the brothers Lucas is going through a pharmacy to look for inhalers for his brother. He is surprised and almost shoots another kid. He misses the kid Billy but offers him food for accidentally almost shooting him. The kid is creepy and Lucas leaves him since he has to get back to his family. Billy is somewhat mentally unstable and goes all psycho at being abandoned.

So Lucas links up with two of his brothers and uncle. They come on a young girl being chased by some of the psycho gang members that inhabit the city. They intervene but the gang has a member that ambushes them. Luckily a mysterious man comes and saves them.

The first in a new post-apocalypse series. Apparently in this future the Chinese are in control of the western coast. There is mention of the Chin-am army that still is active and weird Chinese type American flags all over the place. There drones make daily patrols of the city. There are also gangs that are referred to as psychos. Also children were the ones mostly immune to this mysterious plague so they make up most of the survivors. This first issue started out slow but has enough intriguing ideas that is shows possible potential.

MR. CRYPT #3

“On Vacation…Welcome to the Jungle!”
Writer: Troy Vevasis
Artist: Alexandar Jovic

As Mr. Crypt goes to work he finds an envelop on his doorstep. Its from the mayor’s office and has a ticket with a letter telling Mr. Crypt that he deserves a vacation. The ticket is for a visit to an uncharted tropical island. Mr. Crypt is all ready for a vacation. With Baron Rat’s help he gets his vacation look which is a flower pattern shirt, straw hat and of course his mustache.

So he finds himself on a boat as the only passenger. Indeed there is only one crew member a Captain Bartholomew Candlewax. Candlewax lied about the vacation. He needed help in stealing a golden skeleton from the natives and heard of Mr. Crypt’s reputation as a vampire hunter. So his vacation is turning out to not be all that great. He worries about Baron Rat that he might be lonely. Far from it as the rat is partying with all his animal friends.

So on the island the two find a doll and this springs a trap that captures Candlewax. Crypt hides as the natives come and take the captain away and start to burn him at the stake. Mr. Crypt finds the golden skeleton only its a regular skeleton with gold paint. He gets the idea to paint himself gold and scare the natives. This works but the cheap paint fades quickly and the two run for their lives. Safely on board the two depart and Mr. Crypt arrives home needing a vacation from his vacation. The place is a mess and Baron Rat is passed out with a cowboy hat. At first Crypt thinks someone robbed the place and forced Baron to wear the cowboy hat. Then he hears about the party and is relieved. Baron Rat cleans up the place.

The final issue in the limited series was as lovable as the first two. I really do enjoy this series. It just makes you feel happy. I still get a kick out of how nobody recognizes him as a walking skeleton just because of the mustache. I know that Baron Rat is getting a one-shot special later this year so I have a feeling we haven’t heard the last in the adventures of Mr. Crypt.

MR. CRYPT #2

“…Meets Vampires”
Writer: Troy Vevasis
Artist: Aleksandar Jovic

A man named Godfrey comes into the library that Mr. Crypt works at. He is a hunter of the undead and has heard of an evil skeleton terrorizing the village. Mr. Crypt starts to panic but luckily Godfrey is more interested in vampire hunting. He is looking for a book about them. The book tells of a brother and sister named Sofia and Ivan. They are in town. He then wonders why Mr. Crypt has such a familiarity with the undead section. Crypt panics and decides to tell him that he is also a vampire hunter. Godfrey asks for him to meet him at the tavern later in the evening.

So Mr. Crypt goes home and tells Baron Rat about his new friend. Baron offers to give Mr. Crypt a wooden stake but he feels that is too dangerous. So instead Baron give him a whole garlic. Later at the tavern he meets Godfrey and they split up. Mr. Crypt is to go to the clock tower and get Sofia. Along the way another evil skeleton comes out of the ground and chases Mr. Crypt until he shows him that he is also a skeleton. At the clock tower Sofia tries to bite Mr. Crypt but breaks her teeth on his neck. She then starts a spell that will turn the whole town into vampires. Mr. Crypt picks up a gear lying on the floor and throws it. It shatters her ring crystal and this turns Sophia into dust.

Later he finds Godfrey being chased by Ivan and joins him in running away. Ivan turns into a bat and gets ahead of them. Mr. Crypt pulls his garlic and throws it in Ivan’s mouth. This causes Ivan to explode. Later Mr. Crypt receives the key to the city from a grateful town that he saved from the vampires. When he arrives home he is startled by Baron Rat pretending to be a vampire but the rat gives his friend a trophy of a skeleton with the words #1 hero.

The second issue was even more lovable than the first. This comic is just hilarious. Mr. Crypt comes out the hero with his improbable antics and is now an accepted citizen of the town. That is as long as the glue holds up for his fake mustache.

MR. CRYPT #1

“Introducing Mr. Crypt: The Living Skeleton!”
Writer: Troy Vevasis
Artist: Aleksandar Jovic

1932 in a small village. On a stormy night a bolt of lightning animates a skeleton in the graveyard. The skeleton crawls out and wonders where he is. So he goes into town and immediately the people go ape shit over a walking skeleton. The skeleton is chased and hides out in a clothing store. There he appropriates a coat, tie, top hat and phony mustache. This is enough to fool people so the skeleton adopts the name of Mr. Crypt. He finds an abandoned shack in the graveyard and a giant rat living there. He makes friends with the rat who he names Baron Rat. With a new friend he goes to buy his pet some cheese.

So after buying a huge block of cheese his mustache is blown off and people recognize he is a skeleton. So they chase him to the graveyard which the mob won’t enter because it is creepy. So Mr. Crypt settles in. He finds some flowers growing at another home that he appropriates for his. He has a run in with a dog that takes his hand and he is apparently recognized by the mob with his phony mustache because they chase him again. He takes refuge in a library where the kind old librarian gives him a job. She doesn’t say anything when his hat falls off and Mr. Crypt is optimistic that life won’t be so bad after all.

This has got to be the most lovable character I have come across. Poor old Mr. Crypt just wants to get along. My first impression of a walking skeleton would be that its the work of Satan. So I guess you can’t judge by first impressions. He is so friendly and optimistic you just can’t help loving him. I love that the mustache seems to make a difference in his disguise. He doesn’t wear pants or shoes. Has no eyeballs or skin but the coat, top hat and mustache make him look human. I guess people just don’t look that closely. This was written for young children but I find it quite amusing as an adult. Something a little out of the ordinary.