After the first omnibus of The Mask, volume 2 is more of 'fillers' with some good stories, some not. As always, the formula of the stories aren't much different than the rest. Here's the low down of what's inside of volume 2:

The Hunt for Green October - Every mercenary in the world is looking for the green mask and now, Ray Tuttle, a poor pawn shop owner bought the green menace and wear it to wreck havoc in Sky City! With so much chaos, Lieutenant Kellaway will do any thing to stop Big-Head from destroying people's lives! (3.5 out of 5)

World Tour - The Mask has gone to another dimension... Dark Horse Universe style! When mentally unstable General Blaire wears the mask, he visits Steel Harbor, Arcadia and Golden City to make chaos looks like a walk in the park. All the heroes from DHCU will do anything to stop Big Head! (2.5 out of 5)

Southern Discomfort - The Mask is now in New Orleans! Voodoo and madness stumbles upon the south where Big Head (worn by Eric Martin) is looking for his missing sister. He will tear New Orleans apart to find her, even if the supernatural and alligators is in his way! (3 out of 5)

Night of the Return of the Living Ipkiss... Kinda - The return of Stanley Ipkiss, zombified and wearing the mask to seek revenge in this short story! (3 out of 5)

Toys in the Attic - Aldo Krasker is on the edge and looking for new ideas to create a new toyline of toys when he bought a mask that gives him the idea he needs... and more! Out for revenge when he was mocked and ridicule during his younger days, Big Head is fulfilling what he wants, which is revenge, in a way New York City will never be the same again! And Lieutenant Kellaway is going to stop (again) Big Head from destroying the city. (3 out of 5)

Various writers have wrote their version of The Mask and so far, I enjoyed Evan Dorkin's The Hunt for Green October the most. The rest felt like a repeated formula that doesn't serve any better than the original two. Overall - I love and enjoy reading The Mask and its one of those comics that Dark Horse had a title that truly defines DHC.

The real deal is the comic book version, not the movie adaptation. The movie was more of a friendly, nicer and fun comic with Jim Carreytaking the role of Stanley Ipkiss but for this original version, the comic takes place in characters that taken to wear the mask, and a more darker sinister approached but funnier than the movie. This is the second edition of an out-of-print omnibus of The Mask that collects The Mask, The Mask Returns and The Mask Strikes Back.

The Mask - When Stanley Ipkiss bought weird looking green color mask for his girlfriend Kathy, little did he know that what he holds will give him whatever he wish, true his dark side. Better known as Big-Head Killer, Ipkiss wretch havoc all over town and attracts mobsters and a giant named Walter that will stop him with any thing... if only they know the real power is in the mask.

The Mask Returns - The Big Head is back and now the mobster has it. More chaos, more havoc and more destruction... but is Big Head a 'he' or a 'she'. Lieutenant Kellaway had took the mask and took advantage of it and only Kathy will do any thing to stop Big Head... including Walter.

The Mask Strikes Back - When a young guy discovers the mask, his dreams come true - to be Big Head. Three of his friends too wants to be Big Head. The sighting of Big Head attracts Lieutenant Kellawayand the mob and will do any thing to stop the madness... including Walter.

The first two mini-series is a classic of its own. Writer John Arcudireally creates an interesting character that delves into the hidden desires of a person that corrupts a soul before the mask takes over. Doug Mahnke artwork had change to a more solid outline from the first appearance to the last (except for The Mask Strikes Back). While the second sequel pale in comparison of its two predecessors, this second edition is for those who missed out the first omnibus series, that has bad binding. This edition the binding is much more solid. If you haven't read The Mask of any of the comic books or you had enjoyed the movie adaptation but wants to read it (and believe me, its a whole different read), you can always pick up this edition at your local comic bookstores. I really love it.

What a convoluted mess of a storyline. Morrison must have been tripping on some magic mushrooms to come up with this event. Not impressed at all, and the "intermission" of the crisis to go into two Superman tie-ins to the Final Crisis was worse than the major plotline.

I need science fiction to make sense if I am willing to suspend my disbelief; the science fiction in this book (issues #1-7, plus Final Crisis: Submit issue 1) is just random buzz words from tech bros combined with philosophical bullshit. It was headache inducing.

This wasn't just about saving humans/Earth, but all peoples and all planets in the 52 universes that make up DC. So a lot of minor characters show up without context or the need to have them there. Major characters are given the short stick in terms of page counts and panels. There are also so many plotlines; the JLA are all separate and just doing their own thing and yet the reader has to read about all their separate outings. It was a constant channel surf without a focus. Wonder Woman, Batwoman, and Catwoman go evil and become Darkseid's Furies yet we only get a glimpse of how WW went evil. Batman gets put in a jail cell early in the story and then disappears for 200 pages, just to show up again to die. There are three The Flash (Adam, Barry, and Wally), four Green Lanterns (Hal, Jon, Guy, and Alpha), and Too. Damn. Many. Alternate. Supermans (all from parallel universes). I don't think I even knew the real enemy - Monitor? Dark Seid? That stupid otherworldly vampire whose name I already forgot?

The Superman tie-ins were all about Superman and his parallel selves fighting Monitors to get an antidote to save Lois Lane. Not a fan of LL, so I didn't care about these issues at all. 

The artwork was okay, but so many fights and explosions was draining on my eyes. The minor characters' costumes seemed to blur into a sea of blue and yellow after a while.

A confusing, headache is what this event was. I can't recommend. At least I got another square filled.

Here we go for DC!

1. Black Canary: Kicking and Screaming.   I didn't buy some of this, like how no one knew Dinah was Black Canary.   Even with its faults, though, it's a fun read and a little bit of a girl group/girl power read.   Fun times, with Dinah as the lead singer in a  girl band.   Surprise Hero, Grrrl Power, and Newsworthy would all fit this series. 

2. Deadshot: Bulletproof.   Fascinating look at one of the Suicide Squad members in a solo jaunt.   Awful things happen to children, though, so if that makes you squeamish...  Family Ties, Surprise Hero, Parental Issues, Dead Parents, and Not Dead Anymore would all work for this volume. 

3. Batgirl: The Batgirl of Burnside.   Fun, fun take on Batgirl, despite her hipster costume that could be so much more effective if it was more armored.   Complications with school life and balancing that with Batgirl become issues in Babs' life.   Grrrl Power, School, City Boy, Diversity and and Family Ties are all appropriate squares here. 

4. Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals.  Nuanced reboot of Wonder Woman.  I couldn't stop reading this volume, and I was cheering Diana on as she adjusted to Man's World.   Grrl Power, School, Newsworthy, Parental Issues, and Not Dead Anymore would all be appropriate squares for this volume.   You could argue Kink with her, y'know, tying people up and forcing them to tell her the truth...

5. Justice League of America: The Tornado's Path.   A focus on one of my favorite characters, the JLA's resident android.   Family Ties, Not Dead Anymore, and even Kink would work here. If you're me.   Human/robot relationships are my thing, although I take them more seriously than Kink.

6. Batman: Hush.   An epic mindfuck of a story.   I don't want to give too much away, but, yes, this?  You should read it if you can get your hands on it.   Glasses Confuse Everyone, City Boy or Evil Genius are the squares I'd use for this volume. 

7. Batman: A Death in the Family.   Epic tale of how everyone voted for Robin to die, and then they killed him off in the most brutal way possible.   Teens, Insanity, City Boy and Family Ties would all work for this square.    And of course, Batman is always Dead Parents.   

8. Suicide Squad: Trial By Fire.   Villains do good to get less prison time, and so they don't get parts blown off.   it's pretty epic watching them get corralled into this and having to try to figure out how to work together.   Surprise Hero, Insanity, and Romance Gone Wrong would all work, since there is not only therapy but also a therapist falling for her patient.   And all before Harley Quinn, I believe!

9. Batman: Killing Joke.   The Joker tries to prove one bad day can send anyone to the nuthouse.   Insanity, Evil Genius and Family Ties would work here.   

10. Batman: Under the Red Hood.  Is Jason Todd really dead?  (Joker killed him in Death in the Family.)  Or is it more mindfuckery?  Family Ties, Parental Issues, and Not Dead Anymore could be used for this volume.   And of course, Batman still has Dead Parents.  

I'm hitting the beach.   I'll do general comics later tonight or even tomorrow.