MR. CRYPT & FRIENDS #3

“Family Reunion”

Writer: Troy Vevasis

Artist: Aleksandar Jovic

Mr. Crescent is being transported to the prison in Fancy Town. His thugs manage to stage an escape. He goes to the Great Seer, a guy in a hut wearing horns. The Great Seer gives Mr. Crescent the ability to summon the ghost of Mr. Crypt’s father. The next day Mr. Crypt and his friends are gathered at his home to play cards. The mailman delivers a letter that informs him his father was seen in the forest. Naturally Mr. Crypt and friends go to check this out. He does find his father but is trapped in a mystical circle. Mr. Crescent then opens a portal to the underworld. His friends try to save Mr. Crypt, but he gets sucked in. Baron Rat gets so angry he knocks Mr. Crescent into the portal. The portal spits out Mr. Crypt. He takes his father to be reunited with his mother.

This is sadly the last issue of Mr. Crypt according to Alterna. That is a shame for I really enjoyed this character. He is so lovable, and all his friends are lovable. Thankfully they went out on a high note. Mr. Crypt is reunited with both parents. The evil Mr. Crescent gets sent to the underworld where he belongs. A really fun series make with kids in mind but as an adult I enjoyed it immensely. Hope the character comes back in some form.

MR. CRYPT & FRIENDS #2

“The Wrath of Mr. Crescent”

Writer: Troy Vevasis

Artist: Aleksander Jovic

Mr. Crypt has invited his friends Bigfoot and Mr. Carlisle to visit his mother. During the visit they notice that the forest is on fire. Bigfoot goes off and Miss Carlisle goes after him. She does tell Baron Rat to take Mr. Crypt to the shack. He does and they find an old WWI FT-17 French tank. It is in bad repair but Baron Rat fixes it up in no time and even gives it a fresh paint job. He also manages to paint his picture on the turret. Mr. Crypt figure out how to drive it and off they go.

They arrive in time to find the evil Mr. Crescent in a German WWI tank. He has started the fire to burn down the forest because well I guess he is just evil. The two tanks have a battle with Mr. Crypt managing to maneuver behind him and destroy Mr. Crescent’s tank. He is taken into custody for his evil ways and sent to the town jail. Mr. Crypt and friends win the day and save the forest.

Another fun and lovable story with Mr. Crypt and friends. This one had the cool idea of a tank battle. How these tanks came about in an isolated part of 1920’s America? Don’t know but who cares. Nice to see that his mother now has friends to ease her lonely live. A fun lovable story with a simple message.

MR. CRYPT & FRIENDS #1

“Aye Aye Aye!”

Writer: Troy Vevasis

Artist: Alexander Jovic

Mr. Crypt and Baron Rat decide to visit their friend Bigfoot in the wild. They find him beating up on a guy who Bigfoot claims was transporting an endangered animal. The guy only knows of taking it to a camp and is released. Just then a plane comes and lands in the nearby lake. It is Miss Carlyle who has come with news that a Mr. Crescent has kidnapped a rare Aye Aye. He plans to eat it at a feast. So they go to the camp and Bigfoot charges in. Mr. Crypt confronts Mr. Crescent and frees the Aye Aye. Crescent tries to escape in his blimp and Mr. Crypt jumps on. He scares the guy when he takes off his mustache, revealing that he is a living skeleton. Crescent knocks the controls and sends the blimp crashing into the ground. Fortunately, Mr. Crypt was able to jump to the plane that Miss Carlyle was flying. Everything ends happily but Mr. Crescent survives the crash.

I really enjoy this series. All the characters are lovable, and it has such an upbeat story. Mr. Crypt just has to take off his mustache to cause a panic. Seems they are setting up a main villain for this series run. Mr. Crescent is a great typical evil villain with his thin mustache and top hat. An enjoyable series for kids and adults.

BARON RAT #3

“Baron Rat and Cheeseland”

Baron Rat is enjoying the day eating cheese when he sees a gnome with a wagon of cheese. He runs over and gets caught in the portal the gnome opens. The gnome was lost and on his way to Cheeseland. Only Baron Rat manages to eat the whole wagon of cheese. Baron hears from the gnome that today is the annual contest to see who can become the king of Cheeseland. The current king has won for the last twenty years. Baron Rat goes to the city and finds it made of cheese. He challenges the king and must beat him in an eating contest of cheese. Naturally Baron Rat wins but decides to decline the kingship. He instead goes back home to Mr. Crypt.

As the cover says. this is the last Baron Rat issue. Apparently Alterna is discontinuing the world of Mr. Crypt and Baron Rat. There will be a final Mr. Crypt series which will start next week. Anyway, this issue was a fun one. A simple story that shows Baron Rat does love his cheese. He also loves Mr. Crypt more so abdicates the throne. Yet he is so lovable that they give him a flute to get home and can be used to visit anytime. I will miss this character and hope he finds a home somewhere in the future to continue his adventures.

BARON RAT #2

“Baron Rat and the Haunted House on Rottenwood Avenue”

Writer: Troy Vevasis

Artist: Aleksandar Jovic

Baron Rat is home and bored, so he decides to visit Mr. Crypt at his job at the library. Only he gets lost in the fog and ends up on Rottenwood Avenue. The only thing there is a creepy haunted house. He checks out the place despite the warning sign and runs into a ghost. He runs away but hears the ghost crying. He goes back and she is a friendly ghost. She is also lonely and wants the place cleaned up, so it doesn’t look so creepy. Baron Rat gets started and fixed up the place. He finds a picture and the ghost says it was her husband and son. The son’s face is damaged, but the description sounds like Mr. Crypt. He runs out and finds Mr. Crypt coming home and brings him to the house. He gets reunited with his mother.

This issue of Baron Rat was a lovable story as all the stories usually are. Baron this time finds Mr. Crypt’s mother which is a really heartwarming story. Now we don’t know how Mr. Crypt looks when he was alive or his name. Seems stuff like that is forgotten when you come back as a ghost or living skeleton. Go figure. A simple story but enjoyable and hints at a father that dies out of town and a future family reunion.

THE ADVENTURES OF MR. CRYPT & BARON RAT #3

“Slay Bells Ring!”
Writer: Troy Vevasis
Artist: Aleksandar Jovic

It is Chirstmas and Mr. Crypt comes home with some big news for Baron Rat. Miss Carlyle is coming and the three are going to visit Bigfoot. Miss Carlyle comes in a snowcat and the three go to the forest. While walking in the forest they are met by Bigfoot. He warns then to leave because some hunter is after him. Naturally the friends stay to help out Bigfoot. They stretch a rope across the trail and make plenty of snowballs. Soon the hunter comes in a sledge pulled by two dogs. The rope trips the sledge and Mr. Crypt disarms the hunter with a well thrown snowball. Without his rifle the hunter turns coward and slinks out with his tail between his legs. The friends go back to Bigfoot’s cabin and exchange gifts. Baron Rat painted a picture of him and Bigfoot together that he gives him. Miss Carlyle gives Mr. Crypt a trophy commemorating his race win. Mr. Crypt gives her a book on racing. Just then the wood fairies come and they listen to them sing.

So the final Christmas issue. A bit late but a fun and enjoyable issue. Mr. Crypt has all his friends together for Christmas. They chase out a hunter that was after Bigfoot. A very heartwarming Christmas issue. While Christmas has been over for a while it still gets me in the Christmas spirit. A fitting end to the this limited series. Hope to get more in the future.

THE ADVENTURES OF MR. CRYPT & BARON RAT #2

“Buckle Up, Mr. Crypt-The Great Race is Here!”
Writer: Troy Vevasis
Artist: Alexsandar Jovic

Mr. Crypt comes home and finds Baron Rat gone. Just then a race car drives up and it is driven by none other than Baron Rat. Baron Rat says the car is a gift to Mr. Crypt. Mr. Crypt doesn’t know how to drive but gives it a whirl. Soon him and Baron Rat are speeding through the streets. Apparently at such high speeds it becomes apparent to the locals that a living skeleton is driving the car. Soon a torch and pitchfork welding mob is after them. An approaching truck delivering tar and feathers has to swerve to avoid collision and dumps it’s contents on the mob.

Just than a woman stands in the road demanding that Mr. Crypt stop. She is the real owner of the car and had it stolen while gassing up. Miss Carlyle is impressed with Mr. Crypt’s driving and invites him to drive her car in the upcoming race at Fancy Town. He reluctantly agrees and with Baron Rat they accompany her to Fancy Town. Seems Miss Carlyle owns the town and takes them to the Fancy Palace home of the million dollar menu. There she orders plates of cheese which Baron Rat gorges himself on. Next morning Mr. Crypt drives in the race. He gets a flat tire but Baron Rat pull through with a quick change. Then Mr. Crypt wins the race and the beautiful trophy.

So this story has Mr. Crypt getting himself into another reluctant adventure. He also gets another friend in Miss Carlyle who knows that Mr. Crypt is a skeleton and will keep the secret. Baron Rat is proving the be the perfect companion for our lovable living skeleton. Another fun and simple story about the lovable Mr. Crypt and his adventures.

THE ADVENTURES OF MR. CRYPT & BARON RAT #1

“Bigfoot in the Wild!”
Writer: Troy Vevasis
Artist: Aleksandar Jovic

Mr. Crypt one bright morning finds a message from the mayor on his doorstep. The mayor needs to see him right away. So he goes down to his office and finds out the village needs him. Seems Bigfoot has been terrorizing the locals and since Mr. Crypt is such a renowned vampire hunter he should have no trouble taking care of this new menace. Reluctantly Mr. Crypt agrees and goes home. After delivering the news to Baron Rat his friend gets some new hunting clothes for both of them and off to the forest. There they find Bigfoot and he is really scary. He chases Mr. Crypt who trips and loses his hat and mustache revealing him as a skeleton. Bigfoot warms to Mr. Crypt since both have so much in common. He invites both Mr. Crypt and Baron Rat back to his cabin for cheese. Mr. Crypt agrees to get him food and books so he doesn’t have to go into the village anymore. He informs the mayor that Bigfoot will not be a problem anymore and goes to spend time with his new friend.

So now Mr. Crypt and Baron Rat are prominent in the stories. I approve of this since his rat friend is also lovable and the two work well together. Once again an enjoyable simple story about friendship and not judging people by appearances. Mr. Crypt has made a new friend and saved the day. Mr. Crypt and his friend Baron Rat are just as lovable as ever. Bigfoot while starting out very scary turns out to be a lovable guy. A fun book for all ages.

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.

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.