The comic book permeates all levels of popular culture. This feature reviews some recent examples from the world of digital video discs (compatible with DVD-ROM-enabled computers and home entertainment centers) and also includes a recommended sequential-art reading list to extend the multimedia adventures. Read Zadzooks other reviews in my Saturday column.

'The Secrets of Isis: The Complete Series' (BCI, Rated TV Y7, $29.98)

Within my childhood's worth of Saturday morning television memories, one live-action heroine stood out for her moral convictions and the life lessons she dished out every week  not to mention the fact that she was gorgeous and looked great in a short skirt.

The mighty Isis was my infatuation in the mid-1970s, and this three-disc DVD set compiles her work in the “Shazam/Isis” hour as well as her short-lived series “The Secrets of Isis.” Viewers get a nostalgic 22-episode trip back to a time when mean-spirited practical jokes and the theft of answers to a test could bring down the wrath of an Egyptian goddess.

JoAnna Cameron starred as science teacher Andrea Thomas, who found an amulet during an archaeological dig that gave her the power of Isis and the screen time to impose her moral code upon viewers for 20 minutes or so every week.

The transfers of the shows are pretty ugly and definitely were not digitally remastered. Still, they provide a window into a simpler world of children's programming when the paramount concerns were to teach the importance of telling the truth and to show that two wrongs do not make a right.

Best extras: BCI has done a fantastic job with the set. It's spearheaded by two hours' worth of current interviews with some of the stars and the creators. Miss Cameron's presence is glaringly missing.

Also noteworthy is an episode of the cartoon "Freedom Force," which starred Isis (not voiced by Miss Cameron), and access to all 22 scripts in a PDF format, for those who pop the third disc into a computer with a DVD-ROM drive.

Read all about it: DC Comics offered an eight-issue series ($1.50 for each in near mint condition) based on the television show back in 1976; good luck finding that pulp. Those in need of an immediate Isis comic-book fix need only pop the third disc into a computer to find a PDF version of the complete first issue of Bluewater Productions' latest sequential-art ode to the Egyptian heroine.

Parents beware: This is not your daddy's Isis. Violence and the heroine's healthy attributes help define this version.

'Space Ghost and Dino Boy' (Warner Home Video, Not Rated, $19.99)

I found it nearly impossible to keep a straight face when watching this four-sided, two-disc DVD set collecting the entire animated television series from 1966 that starred some classic Hanna-Barbera characters.

I can thank Cartoon Network, which in the 1990s turned one of the most powerful heroes in the galaxy, Space Ghost, into a frustrated talk-show host with his archenemies as second bananas.

Despite the later silliness, viewers get all 20 episodes of the classic series. Each 21-minute episode is broken up into three seven-minute segments that give viewers two doses of Space Ghost and his team and a prehistoric adventure of a modern boy and his caveman companion, Ugh.

The reason this program will continue to be remembered fondly is for the excellent design work of Alex Toth, who guided other animated properties, such as the Herculoids, Super Friends and Birdman, and will be remembered as one of the great visionaries of both the sequential-art and cartoon mediums.

So viewers just relish the 420 minutes' worth of Saturday morning fun, and Adult Swim fans should try not to snicker.

Best extras: The only extra is a fantastic 75-minute documentary on Mr. Toth, who kept it simple up to his passing in 2006 and continues to influence comic-book artists and cartoonists.

Legends such as Joe Kubert, Bruce Timm and Paul Pope reflect on his legacy, while friends and family - along with photographs, tons of illustrations and his own words - provide a very personal look at the visual genius.

Mr. Toth had been a recluse for years before he re-emerged to fans and family, and especially poignant is a look at his final days. His children's memories are very emotional as they describe his wanting to be a part of the family and the art worlds he helped refine.

This excellent documentary defines the "Space Ghost" DVD set and makes it mandatory for any comic-book or animation fan in the household.

Read all about it: DC Comics offers a trade paperback ($14.99) of the six-issue miniseries from 2004 developed by the team of writer Joe Kelly and artist Ariel Olivetti. The book is aptly titled "Space Ghost."
— Joseph Szadkowski

This chronic feature lets me review what's recently passed my bloodshot pupils. So pull up a chair, break out the sarcasm filter and welcome to: Mr. Zad's comic critique. Read Zadzooks other reviews in my Saturday column.

X-Men Endangered Species (Marvel Publishing, one-shot, $3.99)

A funeral sets the stage for a quest for life by one of the greatest hairy Homo Superiors in the X-Men universe as the Beast sets out to find the cure for his dying species.

When Wanda Maximoff uttered the words “no more mutants,” she almost completely wiped out the unique gene in her comrades, who now total fewer than 200.

The super brain Hank McCoy, aka the Beast, is the remaining mutant population's last hope. This issue begins his adventure and explores how the accidental death of a genetically gifted child brings together a powerful set of heroes and reminds them of the fragility of life.

The issue also kicks off a massive, weekly backup story, all concocted by writer Mike Carey, that runs in eight-page segments through the core X-Men titles (Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, X-Factor and New X-Men).

The first four chapters finds the Beast nearly begging the brightest of super-villains to take up his cause to re-establish the mutant gene. He even visits the mighty High Evolutionary, who only offers hints to the possible solution.

This story is a great starting point for readers who completely missed out on the entire House of M/Decimation epic as they find one adventure to tie the complex X-Men soap opera together while exploring the latest exploits of the famed mutant teams.

— Joseph Szadkowski

Thanks to the proliferation of film, comic-book and cartoon characters, companies are bombarding consumers with an incredible selection of action figures. With tongue in cheek, let's take a peek at some of worthy specimens. Also, read Zadzooks other reviews in my Saturday column.

Sideshow Collectibles' Holographic Darth Sidious is surrounded by Wiz Kids' Marvel Heroclix: Avengers. [Photo by Jacquie Kubin/Special to The Washington Times]

Zad's Toy Vault -- Strange but cool

A short look at bizarre products with a pop-culture twist.

Holographic Darth Sidious (Sideshow Collectibles, $44.99)

The designers at Sideshow have created the perfect piece to complement their 12-inch line of Star Wars figures ($49.99 and up).

Paying homage to Neimoidian technology and long-distance meetings between a Sith lord and his accomplices in "Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace," this in-scale, 6-inch-tall, bluish translucent resin statue is perfectly manicured to resemble the insidious Darth Sidious and sits atop a spidery robotic structure called a mechno-chair.

Thanks to the electronics wizardry of a tiny light positioned in the chair, a turn of a switch gives the Dark Lord a ghostly glow as he might communicate commands to his minions via the chair's holoprojector.

My only gripe with the beautifully sculpted and authentically detailed limited-edition piece is trying to keep the chair's legs perfectly positioned to hold the weight of the future emperor. It may cause owners to tap into the powers of the Dark Side (or epoxy) to accomplish this mission.

Marvel Heroclix: Avengers (Wiz Kids, $9.99)

The premiere collectible miniatures game for superhero fans continues to chronicle battles in the Marvel Comics universe with an expansion pack celebrating the publisher's legendary superhero team.

Heroclix combines dice rolls, tokens, trading cards and figures anchored to a combat dial that is twisted to reflect a character's current status and powers. It's a complex role-playing challenge but fun to learn.

This 60-figure set offers a wide range of Avengers members from the past 47 years for gamers to put into their team and includes finely sculpted and painted miniatures, roughly 2 inches tall, of legends such as Luke Cage, Bucky Barnes, Moon Knight, Captain America and the original Giant-Man (towering at 3 inches tall).

For $10, purchasers get five figures with character cards and either a bystander token, feat or battle condition card (no dice or rule book included).

Because I have yet to decipher all the nuances of the game, my favorite additions to the set are the character cards that each present a comic-book cover of the hero or villain's first appearance and a short biography. It makes the Avengers expansion set an educational opportunity for the sequential-art fan.
— Joseph Szadkowski