Issue(s): Sleepwalker #4
Cover Date: Sep 91
Title: "You can't tell a book-worm by its cover"
Credits:
Bob Budiansky - Writer
Rick Leonardi - Penciler
Al Williamson - Inker
Kevin Kobasic - Assistant Editor
Don Daley - Editor

Review/plot:
The one thing that Sleepwalker had going for it was Bret Blevins. So i am smacking my head at the fact that he already needed fill in art for issue #4.

One thing that Sleepwalker does not have going for it is a good rogues gallery. So i shouldn't be surprised that this issue's villain is Bookworm, a guy that reads lots of books and gains the power to pull images out of books. That is so lame, i think i saw it first in Spidey Super Stories.

There are a few things i like about this issue. One is the way that Rick and Sleepwalker have to communicate with each other. They were able to talk directly in issue #3, but i guess that was a one time deal. Having to leave each other notes, and maybe even picto-grams (not sure if Speedwalker can read or write in English), creates interesting challenges (although the ability to leave messages on the answering machine instantly defeats that).

The second thing i like is that Alyssa is finally trying to get Rick some help, by bringing him to a sleep clinic.

One of the two assistants is the guy that will become Bookworm (thankfully a one-shot villain). The other is Whitney Cooper III, who will appear in future issues.

The final thing i like is that Bookworm's origin is tied into Sleepwalker. He gets his powers while studying Rick's brain waves as he's falling asleep. That actually makes a kind of sense. And might as well tie the guy's powers in to the existing Mindscape concept instead of introducing someone totally new with powers out of nowhere.

Oh, Bookworm is defeated when Alyssa hands him a blank book. Yeah, i don't know.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I think the Spidey Super Stories Bookworm was actually a big green worm that ate books. There was also a Bookworm in the Adam West Batman TV show, but not in the comics.