What I Read This Week

Once again, it's two -- two -- two weeks in one here at the Bunker!

The Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks #0 -- Moonstone relaunches their Phantom series with this special-priced retelling of the origin of the first Phantom, wherein he was shipwrecked by the Singh Brotherhood and helped lead the Bandar from captivity.  As a preview of things to come this is neat and worth reading if you are interested in the adventures of The-Ghost-Who-Walks.

Batman And The Outsiders Special #1 -- Setting up the new status for the Outsiders team, as well as introducing us to new members the Creeper and Owlman (sort of).  Tomasi seems to have a solidly defined plan on where he wants to go, and Kubert's work is every bit as nice as it was on Last Will And Testament, so it's a shame that he is not doing the monthly book (although I understand the rationale).  Top notch all the way.

Batman #686 -- Part 1 of "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is different from what I expected it to be, but still really enjoyable reading.  I like Gaiman when he takes on "mainstream" superheroics and once more with the Kubert.  Stinks that I have to wait so long for the conclusion over in Detective!

Batman Confidential #26 -- Featuring the comic book debut of King Tut!  As they say in showbiz, "WILD!"  With a rash of murders taking place in Gotham City by a self-styled pharoah who tells his victim riddles as he does them in, Batman immediately suspects the Riddler.  But he is locked up tight in Arkham Asylum... right?  Really fun detective romp as Bats tracks down King Tut before he kills again.  I wouldn't mind this Tut becoming a regular part of the Bat Rogues.  (Maybe I should polish up my Shame story pitch?)

Kull #4 -- Kull and Brule go on the offensive against the Snake-Men, with predictably bloody results.  A bare-chested, blood-soaked S&S comic in the best tradition of the genre, this is a tale of two men putting aside their ancenstral grudges to kick snaketail and take names.  Nelson and Conrad are really hitting their stride, and I hope we see more of the Valusian King from these two.  This is a badass comic book.

Black Lightning: Year One #3 -- The new origin of Suicide Slum's defender continues, as we learn more about Gambi's history with Jefferson's father, and the 100 make their big move against Black Lightning.  I am still enjoying this fast-paced and fresh-sounding series, although it looks like my "Fire Man" prediction may have been wrong.  May have.

House of Mystery #10 -- "Love Stories for Dead People" comes back to where it all started as the mysteries of the basement are explained and Miranda and her nightmares take center stage.  The backup tale, depicting young Fig's adventures in the world where stuffed animals move on their own, is equal parts charming and heart-breaking.  Every time this title comes out, it makes me smile.

Invincible Iron Man #10 -- Tony Stark has to go on... the... run... zzzzzzzzz.  Someone wake me up when this coma-inducingly boring story is over.  So far we have had three issues of the exact.  Same.  Thing.  This title really is becoming the Iron Man title for people who are not Iron Man fans.  Even Larocca's art is starting to turn me off.  I had to wait two and a half weeks for Marvel to send me this?

War Of Kings: Darkhawk #1 -- Chris Powell is trying to put his life back together and overcome his dangerous anger issues.  But things look like they are taking a turn for the worse when an alien -- who looks a lot like his alterego of Darkhawk -- crashes into his Long Island neighborhood.  Cebulski seems to like the character and spends a lot of time fleshing out Chris and his issues.  I am not familiar with artist Harvey Tolibao beyond his work on the Iron Man Annual from last year, but his work is very flashy and effective. Also features a full-color reprint of Darkhawk #1, which I also enjoyed.  (I think that may be a longer post at some point, by the way.)

Futurama Comics #41 -- Fry, Leela, and the Professor volunteer at Amy Wong's soririty's (that is, Kappa Kappa Wong) kids summer camp, only to find that the camp is brainwashing kids to be President Nixon's new intergalactic army!  Hilarious effort from the fine folks at Bongo.

The Pick Of The Pile is Batman And The Outsiders.  I almost gave it to either House of Mystery or Kull, but the overall package of the Outsiders Special carries the banner this week with it's great mix of story, page design, and characters.

So, what did YOU read this week?

Critical Commentary: Invincible Iron Man #7

As you can probably judge from the title of this post, I received my copy of Invincible Iron Man #7 from Marvel yesterday, a couple of days later than I normally receive my subscription copies.  But that's alright, at least I have it in my possession.  I'd heard good things about this issue online, and a team-up with Spider-Man is usually fun, right?

Oh Sweet Christmas how wrong I was.

When the last issue of Iron Man v.4 (AKA Iron Man: Director of SHIELD) ships later this month, Shellhead will be back down again to one monthly ongoing.  And if we can expect more like this out of Fraction and (to a much lesser degree) Larroca, then it's about to a lean period for Iron Fans.

The plot for the issue is straight-forward enough.  Ben Urich wants to get a big scoop on the "superterror" attacks at Stark International by speaking to the people on the ground: the techs, the janitors, the administrators.  He brings along Peter Parker to get the shot which will accompany the article, since Urich thinks that since Pete used to work for Stark, he can get some favor with him.  From there it moves into Tony's mission to shut down the black market super-weapons ring he used to flush out Ezekial Stane in the opening arc.  Spidey, of course, tags along and helps out, despite Tony's protestations.

It's the details which unravel the whole thing.  First off, as Ben and Pete drive to Stark's facility on Long Island, we see a news van with it's station call numbers starting with a "K."  In Long Island.  I suppose they drove cross-country to get the story instead of picking up the national feed?  Later we see Iron Man moving debris in the attack site, only to have it topple and threaten some other workers, and Tony is paralyzed with indecision before Spidey saves the day.  Last week in Iron Man: The End, when faced with a similar but more complex situation, Tony managed to think it out and make the save.  But not here.  
After the ensuing argument, Spider-Man tags Shellhead with a Spider-tracer.  Nevermind that the armor didn't negate it outright, but where was Extremis to detect it?  When Iron Man tracks down the Terrible Tinkerer to a derelict motel in Jersey City, he simply walks up to the front door and knocks, which gives the Tinkerer time to activate his rocket-powered wheelchair (I can't believe I am typing this).  Of course, the wheelchair flies out of control and out the window, dumping the Tinkerer off.  And, wouldn't you know it, but Iron Man is just too slow to save the Tinkerer and stop the wheelchair from causing damage, so it's a good thing Spidey is there to save his butt.  Again.

When it's all said and done and the ring is broken, Tony and Spidey (who has not unmasked, remember, since he is unregistered, as Fraction has Tony harp on endlessly) discuss the night's activity, wherein Stark puts over Parker's Spider-tracer, calling more advanced than anything he has ever seen.  Spidey takes the opportunity to run down Stark in his head, saying how before the Civil War, Tony always was confident and cool, but now he's just a sad sack.  The story ends with Spidey getting a picture of Tony in his armor silhouetted against the rubble of SI.

I have to think pretty hard to remember an issue of an Iron Man ongoing that was not a tie-in to a major event storyline that is as bad as this mess.  Probably something back during the Grell run.  Which, I suppose, is appropriate, as one of the main complaints about Grell's run was how he depowered and devalued both Tony Stark and Iron Man, same as Fraction does here.  Stark comes off as a petty jerk, constantly reminded the "real" hero Spider-Man about how he is a criminal and he needs to register.  In times of crisis, he doesn't act but damns the situation that forces him to act.  Meanwhile, Spider-Man swings about having a jolly old time.  It's almost as if Fraction is audtioning for getting on the ASM writing team.

I can't say much about Sal Larroca that I haven't said before.  His human work, such as faces, can be a little weird to look at, but it's not bad, and his action work is quite nice.  I will give credit where credit is due and say that the art is perfectly fine on this title, even if it is a little different from what one might expect.

Much like the Thor cameo in "The Five Nightmares," this entire issue serves only one purpose: to remind readers who are new to Iron Man's adventures that he is a jackass, a snob, and an egotist who needs to be redeemed in order to be a hero again.  I'm not sure why exactly Marvel feels the need to mandate this, as we all saw in Iron Man that Tony Stark can and is a fun character who is not "broken" or "inhuman."  I can only hope that coming out of Secret Invasion and into Dark Reign or whatever the heck is next, that someone gets a lightbulb over their head and says, "Hey, maybe we should portray Iron Man as a hero again, ya know?"  Unfortunately I am not holding my breath.

Fair Trade: Tor V.3

Having been introduced to Tor only very recently (pretty much when I stumbled upon that same Dial B For Blog post about the DC Explosion which introduced me to the awesomeness that is Beowulf, Dragon Slayer), I was unaware of the rich history Joe Kubert's hero from the time of "one million years ago."  I just thought it was a short-lived DC series about a caveman.  Boy, was I wrong!  And, while this is the third volume of three hardcovers collecting Kubert's body of work on the character, this book (checked out from my local library) does a lot to expand upon the mythos of the character and my knowledge therein.

This volume begins with the first issue of the DC Explosion series, which itself was a reworking of Kubert's comicstrip proposal.  But this is not some simple panel swapping: Kubert created full page tableaus for his strip panels, formatting the story with not only a comic book design sense but also adding plenty of new art and information to digest.  The story, involving a young Tor running into a strong youth from another tribe, is incomplete here, but is a tempting introduction to the lush world Kubert created.  (I have all six issues of the DC series, so I am not concerned about the story being "incomplete" at the moment.)  The light and somewhat washed-out coloring, clearly a product of the mid-70s, helps the overall look of the issue, even if its on substantially better paper.

The bulk of the volume is Kubert's four issue Tor series from Marvel's "Heavy Hitters" line from the early 90s (a choice I applaud, since DC could have easily just reprinted their own series and left the Marvel work out).  This story is a very important one in the history of Tor in that it was the first to introduce really fantastical elements.  Sure, Kubert had bent the truth a little bit by having some dinosaurs appear previously, but it clearly was meant to be the last remnants of the thunder lizards -- well past their heyday and trying to hold on in the face of Man.  But this story introduces a tribe of scaly, lizard-like Men, whom Tor encounters when he witnesses them sacrificing a young woman to their gods of thunder and fire deep within a volcano.  The girl survives, thanks to Tor's help, and the two are soon embroiled with both the lizard Men and their strange reptilian god, as well as fighting the Hairy Men who murdered Tor's father and took over his tribe.  This series originally appeared on glossy paper, so the deep colors and moody inks Kubert employed are transferred perfectly.  The story is exciting and visceral -- the kind of stuff one would consider for a Tor screenplay, if such a thought wasn't too outlandish to consider.

Also included are some short backup stories, as well as sketches and thumbnails from Kubert's roughs on the Marvel series, with notes from the artist.  There's also a great foreword by Roy Thomas, and an introduction by Kubert.  The book itself is oversized, which really lets the reader study the detail work which Kubert pours into each page.  The fact that the entire book is Kubert's work makes for a consistantly beautiful primitive world, filled with creatures both familiar and alien, but all believably so.

If you are interested in trying some heroic stuff which isn't your typical Superhero or S&S fare, then definitely see if you can pick up a copy of this volume, or one of the two previous ones.  I know I am hunting them down, much as I sought out the original DC series, and am eagerly awaiting the next two issues of the current DC series.  Tor is a classic of the 4 Color world which should appeal to most comic book fans, and this volume, despite being the last in it's line, makes for a good introduction.

What I Read This Week

Captain Britain and MI13 #4 -- Hey, you know Doctor Who?  That show that used to be popular and then got cancelled and then came back and got even more popular, on both sides of the pond?  Everybody likes Doctor Who, right?  That would explain why this series is trying so darn hard to be Doctor Who.  After the really unethused reaction I had to the first issue, I said I would give it the first storyline to win me over, and it I have done that, and now am dropping the title.  Disappointing.

Tiny Titans #7 -- It's Titans in Space as Starfire is called home to clean her room!  But will her friends get in trouble for being away from home for days on end!  Plus, the debut of the Tiny versions of the Brain and M. Mallah!  The extra this month is a pinup page by Franco, which is a nice change of pace.  Very fun as usual, with a really funny cameo by some members of the Justice League.

The Pick Of The Pile is a no-brainer with Tiny Titans.  Some folks may enjoy the "Excalibur-via-Cardiff" take in Captain Britain, but I am not one of them.

So what did YOU read this week?

What I Read This Week (A Little Late)

There's a lot of these, and my time is short at the moment, so this is a special "ES" edition -- that is, "Extra Short."

Final Crisis #3 -- I am really enjoying this series for it's depth and really unpredictable twists and turns.  The cliffhanger in this issue is one of the best ones I have ever seen in an "event" comic like this one.  

Hawkman Special #1 -- Hawkman has to face the perils inside of his own mind if he has any chance to survive.  Starlin has some definite ideas for the character of Hawkman, but it's a bit uneven on the whole.  I'll put more detailed thoughts over on Being Carter Hall.

House of Mystery #4 -- Fig learns what the "locals" do to unwind in the House, while exiled witch princess Daphne tells the tale of she and her white tiger bodyguard Floyd deal with the "real world."  Great fun in a very Vertigo manner.

Storming Paradise #2 -- The invasion plans begin to form up as the Allies bomb the Japanese beachfronts, and then the potentially most bloody landing ever takes place.  Harsh historical fiction, which should satisfy War comic fans.

Tor #4 -- Escaping from the subterranean tentacled beastie Tor and the female ran into last issue, it's out of the frying pan and into the fire -- then pack into the the frying pan.  Kubert's caveman epic is so timeless that it doesn't matter when he created it, the quality never slips or wavers.

War That Time Forgot #4 -- The GI Robot loses his diefied seat, while Colonel Jape finds himself under an apparent mutiny.  This series alternates between rip-roaring and slightly goofy, and this issue is the latter.

Invincible Iron Man #4 -- Tony Stark tries to put together a plan of action to deal with the rapidly mobilizing strikes of Ezekial Stane, while Pepper Potts recovers quite surprisingly from her injuries.  More of a quiet issue than the last few, but still pretty good.  Remains second-place to the senior title, which is of course why the senior title is changing format.

Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas #2 -- Tony meets up with Elsa Bloodstone as Fin Fang Foom is reborn in Sin City.  Very pretty Granov digi-painting covers a pretty lightweight story.

Venom: Dark Origin #1 -- It's a trip down memory lane as Eddie Brock has to deal with hsi desire for fame, his anger, his cowardice, and the pursuit of the "truth."  I really didn't care for Eddie being portrayed as a coward, and while the cartoony artwork was unexpected, it is not exactly out of style for the character.

The Pick Of The Pile is Final Crisis.  Obvious, perhaps, but sometimes the obvious choice is the right choice.

So what did YOU read this week?

Weekly Dose Of Weird!

Journey Into Mystery v.2:no.16 -- Okay, I am willing to look past the leisure suit, and even the girl evidently wearing a cvoat as long as her skirt, but heels? Heels?

I. "The Man Who Said 'No'" -- Bascombe is very rich and very cruel, enjoying sending ants tumbling down hills after they struggle up. When an old friend asks for funding to finish his cellular formula, Bascombe tells him "no." Going to his friend's house to gloat, Bascombe accidently activates the formula when it is struck by lightning, and he is shrunk -- to the size of an ant, and subjected to his own brand of torture by a young child.

II. "The Rag Doll!" -- Fred and his family have to move away after his father dies suddenly, leaving them penniless. His daughter wants to keep her precious ragdoll, a guft from her grandfather, but Fred refuses. The doll, naturally, shows up at their new house, and seems unwilling to go to the trash heap. Fed up, Fred rips the doll apart, finding all of his father's hidden money.

III. "The Old Man's Secret!" -- An American travels to Tibet to find a man who knows the secret of immortality, who lives in the mountains with his son. Tricking the younger man into letting him take his eldery charge, the American thinks he has stolen the secret -- only to discover after an arduous trek back to civilization that the young man was the father and the old man his son.

IV. "The Thing In The Jungle!" -- Adventurer Cliff Morgan travels to Africa to find a mysterious temple -- but when he finds it, he sees that three other men have also found it! The temple, it seems, is not a temple, but actually a spaceship sending out subliminal messages to rescue the crew of another ship which crashed on Earth years ago! But Cliff knows he is not an alien -- so what is he to do? Beg off and risk getting attacked, or board the ship and kiss Mother Earth goodbye?

V. "Inside The Mummy Case" -- Museum guard Joe is spellbound by the thought-projections emanating from a sarcophogus, telling him that if he comes at midnight and presses a button on the tomb, he will recieved a priceless jewel. The curator tries to stop Joe, saying the mummy inside was a hypnotist and a magician. The men struggle, and in the fight the button is pressed, revealing not a gem but a deadly booby trap instead.

Overall Weird Factor: 1 (out of 5).

This is another Marvel Weird comic with a mummy on the cover which just doesn't live up to it's hype. Makes me wonder if I would have bought these with any consistancy if I was alive back in the 70s. Anyway, the real standout this issue is the fourth feature, which is just strange, and the fifth, which has some really nice Joe Orlando artwork.

What I Read This Week

Batman And The Outsiders #9 -- With Metamorpho back from his jaunt in space, the team has redoubled their effort to figure out just who benefits from Jardine's bizarre plan.  Meanwhile, bad things seem to be brewing back in Gotham as well.  As a pure superhero comic book, this title can't be beat; it is much like the original title in that sense.  I don't know if Dixon is going to have time to settle all of these plotlines, but I am interested in seeing where they all end up nonetheless.

Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge #1 -- In the wake of the murder of Bart Allen, the Salvation Run, and the death of the Trickster, Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Mirror Master, and Weather Wizard are in a bad way.  But back in Central City and looking to go off the grid, it looks like things are going to get worse before they get better.  The fan favorite team of Johns and Kollins revisits some of the characters they helped elevate to the top of the food chain in this tie-in to Final Crisis.  It looks like the stuff is really going to hit the fan in this mini, and I am eager to see where it goes.

Flash #242 -- With Iris suddenly aged and getting older, Spin falls to the backburner as Flash tries to figure out how to stop his daughter from being older than he is.  Then it's back to Gorilla City as we learn more about Spin and see Grodd's plan fall into place.  This comic is an odd duck.  It's not particularly bad, but it's not particularly good either.  Too slow and with a lot of exposition about a character who doesn't show up in the issue.  This story has been fun, but just like the fifth chapter in the last storyarc in this title, this piece feels like padding.

Tiny Titans #6 -- Say hello to Supergirl and Blue Beetle and his talking backpack!  Too bad his backpack can't remember to pack his lunch.  More adorable fun from Artie and Franco, including a glimpse into the homelife of Raven and Trigon.

Iron Man #31 -- Things are not going so well for Tony Stark.  He's got a nano-nuke terrorist trying to blow up a small former Soviet Republic, he's got Palladin using anti-Stark technology against him, and a rogue SHIELD agent has activated a doomsday device and delpoyed it against the Helicarrier for revenge.  "With Iron Hands" pushes to it's climax here, with seemingly everything going wrong at once for the Director of SHIELD, but Tony keeps cool under fire and doesn't back down.  Even with Stuart Moore filling in for the Knaufs, I still like this title better than Invicible Iron Man.

Moon Knight #20 -- As Marc Spector lays injured and exhausted in his hidey hole, he flashes back to an encounter with a racket running underground werewolf fights, and into the top dog himself, Jack Russel!  As a stand-alone werewolf fight, this is pretty decent.  But Knight and the Werewolf spend precious little time on screen together, and Jack himself has little to do until the finale.  I get that this is Moon Knight's title, but I was expecting a little more WBN action here considering.  And if this is a flashback how can this be the Werewolf's "reintroduction" to the Marvel U?  The Legion of Monsters story was much better.  Also features reprints of Werewolf By Night #32 and 33, featuring the first appearance of Moon Knight.

The Pick Of The Pile is Rogues' Revenge.  The return of Johns and Kollins, and working on the Rogues for that matter, is a difficult hurdle to overcome.

What I Read This Week

Final Crisis: Requiem -- The final moments and the final wishes of the Martian Manhunter play out in this one-shot special.  Tomasi and Mahnke deliver a really solid piece of superhero pathos here, as the brief death and funeral scenes from Final Crisis are fleshed out with a retrospective on the life and times of everyone's favorite Martian.  The ending got me pretty choked up!

Captain Britain and MI:13 #3 -- With the Magic Super-Skrull ready to overrun Great Britain's last lines of defense both mundane and mystical, only Pete Wisdom can unlock their savior.  Continues to improve from the inauspicious debut, with really nice art and a pretty compelling story.  Well, the main plot at least, I still don't like Faiza.  And the new Cap's costume looks an awful lot like the new Captain America's costume, don't you think?

Justice Society Of America #17 -- With the last remaining god of the Third World, Gog, committing blatant acts of peace all over the world, what are the Justice Society and Justice League supposed to do?  Demonstrating once more that heroes just can't handle when things go right, this is a slower, character-driven issue, but things pick up at the end, setting up where the story is turning.  Worthwhile.

Guardians Of The Galaxy #3 -- The Guardians battle with the Universal Church of Truth's faith-powered bishops, while Mantis and Major Victory have their own problems back at Knowhere.  Fast paced and fun, this series is a blast to read without feeling like 4 Color junk food.

Invincible Iron Man #3 -- In the wake of Exekial Stane's latest attack, Tony Stark has to find a way to save his trusty Gal Friday Pepper Potts-Hogan, as well as figure out how Zeke is able to pull off these attacks.  Fraction and LaRocca deliver the goods here, with an unforseen twist involving Pepper which should yield a new type of status for the character.  A lot of this issue is recap for those of us who aren't newbie Iron Fans brought in by the movie (who Obadiah Stane was, how he controlled Stark International, and so on), but it's nice recap.  This remains a solid, healthy spin-off title.

Dead, She Said #2 -- PI Joe Coogan is in trouble.  Found at the scene of a murder by the cops, he is the only suspect in the case.  And did I mention that he is dead and currently rotting?  Wrightson's art is the perfect vehicle for Niles noir-horror cross-breed, with rain soaked alleys juxtaposed with bloodstained floors.  Very enjoyable from both sides of the coin, with a conclusion coming in the next issue; I cannot fathom how the two storylines are going to be resolved.

Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #4 -- Facing down a demon which would put super sentai monster Dora Algos (look him up) to shame, the mystically empowered Iron Man and Doctor Doom have to figure out how to use their new abilities to stop the eradication of the entire planet!  The finale to the Iron Man-Doom trilogy does not disappoint, as Layton, Micheliene, and Lim all turn in dynamite performances, making this series one of the most fun Iron Man stories in years.  Readers who want a sample of old school Iron action should definitely either pick of the back issues or wait for Marvel to collect this one.

Nova #15 -- Trapped on a dying planet, Nova faces some pretty ridiculous odds.  And even if he somehow is able to make it off-world, will he be able to survive the horror of Harrow?  Exciting space opera stuff, with Wellington Alves and Geraldo Burges both turning in beautiful pages depicting Galactus and his giant ship, as well as the true form of Harrow.  The cliffhanger pushes the title in something of a new path for the next storyarc, and I am very eager to see it.

The Pick Of The Pile is Final Crisis: Requiem.  Yeah, sappy of me I know, but the story of J'Onn J'Onzz's death and rememberance were really well handled, and the story stands completely on it's own outside of the larger event.  You should definitely check it out.

So what did YOU read this week?

The Third Dimension: Tales of Suspense

Comics are not out until tomorrow, thanks to the holiday last week, so here is some three-dimensional goodies to tide us all over. Check out my Iron Man movie toy swag!

Who's a cool exec with a heart of steel? Why, it's the Golden Avenger himself, Iron Man, of course!

Who would challenge the mechanical might of our hero? From deep behind the Iron Curtain, a rival emerges! Straight from Siberia, it's that roughouse Russian Boris Bullski, AKA: Titanium Man!

Both of these toys are quite nifty. The Iron Man Mk.III armor design from the movie is excellent, and translates well to action figure scale. The Titanium Man armor, which is seen in the video game adaptions, is a cool take on the classic green duds that Boris rocks in the 4 Color world. I like the gunmetalish grey with the green trim, which makes the armor a little less colorful for this movie-esque application, but still pretty easily reconizable as T-Man. There's no mistaking him for Crimson Dynamo, or Force, for example. Very happy with both of these purchases!

SHOWDOWN ON THE COFFEE TABLE! Who will survive this titanic struggle?!

Not Blog Ex?

Alan Davis is back!  That's all you need know!  Well, that, and to check out Not Blog X, where G Kendall will clue you in on all your favorite and not-so-favorite X-Books from the 90s.

Excalibur #61

Truth And Consequence  
Credits: Alan Davis (Script), Alan Davis (Pencils), Mark Farmer (Inks), Glynis Oliver (Colors), Chris Eliopoulos (Letters).

Summary
Deep in space, the Phoenix (and Rachel) stirs from her healing slumber and runs smack dab into Galactus, who has begun to feed on an inhabited world.  Phoenix will have none of it, and the two begin an intense battle, slinging huge amounts of cosmic energy at one another.  Meanwhile, back on Earth, at Braddock Manor Captain Britian and Nightcrawler train (with Cerise creating armor for Nightcrawler so he doesn't get hurt).  Cap is unfocused, angry about Sat-Yr-9's escape and raving about wanting revenge for Courtney, which upsets Meggan so much she storms off.  At the same time, in London, Micromax is kidnapped by a supposed agent from a competing radio station.  

A little later, we catch up with Brian and Meggan in the Caribbean, and after talking about his feelings and how he has been treating her, Brian proposes marriage.  While that is going on, in the caverns below the Manor, Kitty tries to make heads or tails of the changes, which Feron refuses to help with.  Out of nowhere, Widget pops in again, once more disappearing before Kitty can figure out his message.  Out in space, the battle having raged for some time, Galactus shows Phoenix the damage -- the inhabitants of the planet have become collateral damage of their battle, and her supposed desire to save them has been forgotten in Phoenix's lust for power.  Galactus tells her that he serves a purpose -- reclaiming the energy of worlds which have lived their lives, but the Phoenix simply sucks up energy from those who have yet to live -- the unborn.  Back on Earth, Kitty is contacted by Alistaire Stuart, claiming to have found out who blackmailed his sister, before he too is kidnapped.

Continuity Notes
Micromax is working as a DJ even though I am pretty sure he became a British agent in an earlier story.  Brian and Meggan's marriage wouldn't happen until more than fifty issues later, in the series finale at #125.

Review
It's so good to have Alan Davis back!  Immediately, the older plotlines are reintroduced (a welcome return after basically being ignored for four months), and the plots for the remaining stories in his run are planted, with the kidnappings as well as Widget's continued re-appearance.  There's a lot of little stories here, which makes the summary pretty confusing, but it's handled well in the comic, with a full page of Phoenix and Galactus in-between each other subplot to remind us that, yes, they are still fighting.  Also, I was happy to see Brian's rage about Courtney being addressed; obviously, it didn't get much attention at first, but his response here fits the character -- and his proposal to Meggan is a good step in the larger personal arc for Cap.  The art is typical Davis, which suits this series much better than Kollins, and runs the gamut from cutesy (Kitty and Feron) to nearly Ditko-esque (the fight between Phoenix and Galactus).  Overall a substantial improvement from the fill-in issues, even if it doesn't do all that much beyond offer an epilogie of sorts to the Phoenix issue from a few months earlier.

4 Color Cinema

The Incredible Hulk

As if going to HeroesCon and dropping entirely too much money on comics is not geeky enough, Adam, Joe, and I simply had to head to the cineplex on Saturday afternoon to catch the newest Marvel offering.  And after the desensitizing effect of the Con, with the massive and nearly overwhelming stimulation overload, how would a mere motion picture stack up?

The verdict: Quite nicely!

The story is pretty straightforward: on the run from the US Army after a gamma experiment goes wrong, Dr. Bruce Banner is hiding out in Brazil, trying to divine a cure for the beast hiding inside him with the help of the mysterious online contact "Mr. Blue."  A freak occurance puts General Thunderbolt Ross onto his scent, and Banner is only able to avoid capture by the Black-Ops team lead by aging warhorse Emil Blonksy by Hulking out.  Making his way north, Banner tracks down his old flame and colleague (and the General's daughter) Betty Ross, needing data from the original experiment to create an antidote.  The General has other plans, proposing using a mothballed genetic serum on Blonsky to turn him into a super-soldier, making him faster, stronger, and able to bounce back from injuries which would kill a lesser man.  After an explosive confrontation at the university where Betty works, she and Banner are on the run again.  They end up in Manhattan, where they meet Mr. Blue -- a research professor by the name of Samuel Sterns, who has been experimenting with a blood sample Bruce sent him, creating not only a potential antidote but also lots of other samples for research.  When the General and the Army catch up to them, Bruce is arrested and taken into custody, while Blonsky undergoes a transformation which makes him something not human.  Can Banner use the rampaging force he has inside him to save the city and stop Blonksy?

The Incredible Hulk is not going to win any Academy Awards for it's screenplay or the acting.  It's a very no-nonsense action movie, with lots of setpieces to keep the popcorn munching crowd satisfied.  But that's not faint praise, because it does the action scenes very well, making for a very fun, fast-paced ride which is seriously entertaining on both a fanboy and plain-ole summer movie levels.  

Ed Norton's Bruce Banner is a riff on the Bill Bixby version of the character, a haunted, lonely man who has been on the run so long that being homeless appears second nature to him.  He gives a credible sense of intelligence to the character -- not that Eric Bana didn't in Ang Lee's film, but Bana always struck me as being almost too cool for Banner.  Norton's take is nerdy, albeit slightly, but nerdy nonetheless.  I'm less enthused about Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, as I thought that Jennifer Connelly was very well suited to the role.  Tyler has some good scenes though, especially one with her father, and she does a good job with the character, so I cannot complain too loudly.  

The villians are similarly mixed, performance wise.  William Hurt is alright as General Thunderbolt Ross, but again, I really liked Sam Elliott as Ross in the earlier film, so this change was one I was not entirely on board with.  Hurt does play him as more of a villian than Elliott did, which is dictated by the screenplay but not unwelcome nor uncommon.  His performance is believable, and if Elliott had not played him in the earlier film, I'd have no problem with his place here.  Now, Tim Roth as Emil Blonksy I can get behind.  Updating the character out of his Cold War origins (Blonksy is now a Russian-born English soldier on loan to Ross instead of a Soviet sabotuer), Roth portrays Blonksy as a goal-oriented badass, a man who knows how to get things done but is finding himself in the winter of his useful span as a soldier.  His drive and dedication are admirable, but clearly he takes everything personally; after seeing the Hulk in action, he becomes a man obsessed.  In both his human and monsterous forms, Blonksy is a viable and legitimate threat to Bruce and Betty, and you know he would stop at nothing to hunt them down, and makes for one nasty villian.

Technically the film is very sound.  I liked the effects in the last film, but you can see a natural progression here.  The Hulk looks a little more fluid and naturalistic (if not realistic), and I cannot overstate the importance of the motion capture work not only for the full body movements, but also for the facial reactions and emotion, which brings a deep humanity to the Hulk (and inhumane cruelty to Abomination).  Speaking of which, the advances in mo-cap tech from the first film is noticeable; when Abomination moves, we see the same gait and style that we saw from Blonksy earlier in the film.  It's a little thing, but it helps sell that it is Blonksy, and not just a creature.  Hulk himself is ripped and jacked, like a linebacker who's been shooting every form of performance enhancing drugs and just let loose - a real monster, which I liked.  (Lou Ferigno's voice acting, while limited to 3 actual lines and lots of growls, helps here as well.)  

There's a few flaws, as there typically is for this type of film.  While generally things move very quickly, there's a handful of scenes between the university and New York which drag a little bit.  In retrospect, I don't know if the scenes themselves are slow paced, or if my over-anxious brain just wanted more Hulk Smash -- probably the latter.  Another aspect which was surprising, if not necessarily bad, was the intensity of the action.  Hulk's first appearance is that of a monster straight out of a horror movie, and the first big clash between Ole Green Genes and the Army is rough, with tons of punishment being heaped on our hero.  The clash between the Hulk and Abomination is a brutal one, surprisingly more violent than I would have predicted -- so be careful and think about if you want to bring the kids along.  Understandably that does not apply to everyone, but it is something to consider.

All things considered, I found The Incredible Hulk to be a substantially enjoyable and entertaining film, more on target I think with what Marvel fans expect from a Hulk film.  It's not perfect, but it was exactly what I was hoping for it to be, and thus it really satisfied me.  If you haven't had a chance to check this out, I'd heartily recommend it.
(Yeah, I know, which was better, this or Iron Man?  As a straight action film, Incredible Hulk is superior, but Iron Man is a better movie all around.)

True Tales From HeroesCon

Overheard while shopping at a dealer selling bootleg DVDs:

Random Guy 1: (holding the Japanese Spider-Man tokusatsu show) See! I told you the Japanese created Spider-Man!

Random Guy 2: When was that made?

RG1: The 70s! I told you!

RG2: Stan Lee created Spider-Man in... the 60s!

RG1: Whatever, I told you so! Spider-Man is Japanese!


Personally? I weep for the future.

What I Read This Week

Iron Man #30 -- Stuart Moore is still handling the scripting chores as Tony Stark's history catches up with him in a tiny former Soviet Republic.  Meanwhile, bad things are going down back stateside as a mothballed SHIELD superweapon gets a little more super thanks to some outside interference.  Another solid issue in what is turning into an interesting two-pronged story, with action going down on two continents.  De La Torre's art pairs up nicely with the techno-thriller setting and Moore has a good handle on Tony Stark, both past and present.  If the Knaufs are leaving the title, Moore would be a good candidate to replace them based on this arc so far.

Batman And The Outsiders #8 -- Batgirl has to save her teammates from the Chinese army, with a little help from some friends.  With Chuck Dixon's exit, it seems that what I have dubbed the "Jardine Saga" (in fact, I recommend DC collect the story under that title, as "Saga" always makes things sound dramatic) will be his sole story arc on the title.  But that's okay, as I am enjoying it.  Outsiders is an action title, and that is what we get: action.  Lopez's art is dynamic and fluid, and a great fit.  My main complaint: Where's Geo-Force?  We saw him last issue, so we know he was out on the Navy ship, but he doesn't show up this time.

Guardians Of The Galaxy #2 -- Time, Adam Warlock tells us, does not necessarily repeat itself, but sometimes, it does rhyme.  Such a case happens here as the newly formed Guardians discover a certain familiar shield frozen in a block!  This title is quickly establishing itself as fast-paced and fun, with a good mix of characters and a wide-open concept.  And anything featuring a talking bipedal racoon and a Russian talking dog, who just so happen to be at odds with one another, is a winner for me.

Flash #241 -- Speaking of talking animals, Gorilla Grodd is in town, and a guy of his stature makes the new supervillian Spin seem pretty tame by comparison.  Plus, just what have Brother Drive and Brother Think done by kidnapping Jai and Iris?  I have really liked "Fast Money," and Peyer has a nice voice for all aspects of Wally West -- hero, father, and regular guy.  He spends a good amount of time this issue in examining Wally's thoughts on how he dealt with Inertia after that dweeb murdered Bart.  It's interesting stuff, but at the same time one does wonder how this ties into the larger story... well, I mean, I see how it does, but it's very circuituous.  Williams' art looks fast, which is a good trait for Flash.  I am liking this team on the title, but I am not sure how long they will last.

Captain Britian and MI:13 #2 -- With Captain Britian dead, the Skrulls pour into Avalon in an attempt to secure all of the Earth's magic for themselves, forcing Pete Wisdom to call in a favor of sorts from the fairie folk.  Better than last issue by a good measure, Cornell does a good job of putting over the loss of Captain Britian as a blow to the entire island, as well as to the magical community.  I'm still not sold on the series -- it's hard to tell in the middle of a "SI" crossover -- but I can see how this is a setup for a superteam that deals with threats both normal and supernatural... you know, like Excalibur.  I'm less enamored with the new girl taking the role of British Kitty Pryde at the moment, but I have to give that angle more time to develop.  Penciller Leonard Kirk's work is very nice, I must say.  

The Pick Of The Pile is Iron Man.  Yeah, I know, a bold choice for me.  But it really was the best book of the bunch this time out, continuing the trend of mixing superheroics with intrigue and political machinations, all without reading like a poly-sci major's blog.  I actually really enjoyed all of the comics I bought this week, so between that and HeroesCon, it was a good Four Color Week.

So what did YOU read this week?

What I Read This Week

Iron Man: Legacy Of Doom #3 -- Fresh from escaping from Hell, Iron Man runs into Merlin -- whom he has not yet met -- and has to stop Dr. Doom from acquiring the scabbard of Excalibur, which will make completely unstoppable.  Of course, Doom has other ideas.  I know that this series is just a one-off, with no bearing on the ongoing title, but as far as I am concerned this is part of my so-called "personal canon" for Shellhead.  Bob, Dave, and Ron nail the classic tone and look of Iron Man and so far have really delivered on their promise to produce a third installment of the Iron Man-Doom trilogy which lives up to the others.  Top notch stuff which should make a good trade paperback in a few months.

Captain Britian and MI:13 #2 -- Did not ship locally, evidently.  Hopefully it'll be in this week.

Caliber #2 -- In the West, Arthur nearly runs into his lady friend Gwen, while his party runs afoul of the local law.  Meanwhile, the keeper of the great weapon finds his Chosen One.  This series has a great setup, but it's just confusing as all get out.  Garrie Gastonny's artwork is beautiful, but his storytelling is a little iffy, and his characters tend to look alike, so it's difficult to tell one from the other.  Sam Sarkar's script doesn't help differentiate them as much as I would like, either, so while it looks amazing, the overall effect is frustration as I try to puzzle out just what is happening.  Would probably benefit greatly from a second reading, or perhaps read in one sitting.  Still, I am going to stick with it.

Tiny Titans #5 -- Say hello to the Tiny Titans East!  Marvel at just how fast Inertia can run around the world!  Shiver at Enigma's nonstop knock-knock joking -- and Speedy's inability to escape it!  Witness the lamentation of Brainiac... I mean Psimon!  All this, and is it Robin or Nightwing?  Simply TOO CUTE for words.  It's fun and funny, and that's all I ask for from this title, and it consistantly and effectively delivers.

Robin/Spoiler Special -- Two tales from recently-destaffed scribe Chuck Dixon focusing on Spoiler, her relationship with herself, her relationship with Dr. Tompkins, her relationship with Robin, and finally, her relationship with her foot -- namely, driving it into punks' faces.  The first feature, with art by Rafael Albuquerque, details Spoiler and Robin have a "non-date" which ends with them tracking down a kidnapped little girl and laying some down some smack.  The backup, pencilled by Victor Ibáñez, flashes back to Stephanie's time in Africa with Dr. Tompkins, and her decision to return to Gotham City.  I picked this up on Lilbones' suggestion, and was very satisfied with it.  Doxon has a knack for writing the Bat-characters, and Steph and Tim are no exception.  As someone who came in with little-to-no knowledge of Spoiler, I walked away liking her as a character, and not adverse to seeing more of her adventures.  Ibáñez's art in the backup is smooth and eye-pleasing, while Albuquerque's is more of an urban take, harsh and immediate.  I like both of them -- Albuquerque's Robin has a sort of punk face which I would not like for Dick Greyson but looks great for Tim Drake -- and thought they both worked well for their stories.  As a one-shot, this is a solid pickup for Bat-fans or those who are interested in either Robin or the newly-returned Spoiler.

The Pick Of The Pile is a no-brainer with Iron Man: Legacy of Doom.  I had three really, really good reads this week (Caliber just didn't have it), but the combination of a personal favorite creative team with old school armored action that speaks to this fan specifically, I had to go with it.

Discount Bin Finds -- "Conan The Barbarian" #195

My RL- and online-pal Adama snagged this one for me, along with several other issues of Marvel's long running sword-and-sorcery epic, during a quarter-bin hunt at one of his local comic shops down in Atlanta, Galactic Quest. See, it pays to have friends who are also into comics, as they will find stuff like this for you even when you are not around. Thanks, Adama!

Anyway, our story opens in a temple with the remains of the Devourer of Souls, who was defeated by the hero Kaleb The Destroyer, leaving only his cloak, cowl, and massive sword. A looter decides to pick up the sword, and faster than you can say "bad idea," the Devourer is reborn, and swears his vengeance as is typical. Meanwhile, Conan, who has been traveling with a group of soldiers and a princess named Annika, broods uncontrollably, much to the dismay of Annika. Another member of the party, an Eastern prince named Kobe, clashes with the captain of the soldiery, Shapur, after Kobe allows the command horses to run free. Sending Kobe to retrieve the horses, the prince is set upon by bandits lead by the warlord Bahkt.

Shapur eventually sets out to find Kobe, only to discover that Conan has gone ahead to confront the well spoken Bahkt. Our favorite barbarian easily defeats the bandit lord, while Shapur rescues Kobe from the poison-spiked prison he was being held in. Back at the camp, Kaleb's daughter Solaise has some strange -- that is, arcane -- interactions with her cat, causing several blinding flashes of light at the bandit's camp, while off in the capital, Emperor Strabonus hires a certain She-Devil with a Sword to hunt down Conan and bring an end to his travels in this region.

Overall, this issue is confusing on the details but decent on the action. There's a ton of characters, most of whom are not introduced very well or expanded upon all that much. This makes it very difficult for a reader coming in without having read the previous chapters to make heads or tails about the relationships of these characters. Why is Conan traveling with these soldiers? Who is Annika, and why is she so concerned with Conan's brooding? What is the Emperor's connection to all this? It's all very dense reading which is hard to comprehend, and scribe Jim Owsley doesn't seem interested in explaining all that much.

Beyond that, though, this is a perfectly fine example of the long-running series. Valdis Semeiks, who's name sounds like a character one might encounter in a Conan story, turns in a good set of pencils which portray the Hyborian setting nicely. His Conan is big and beefy, as he should be, and the action sequences, though bloodless, flow nicely. The Andy Kubert cover is nice, too. It's a simple enough story underneath the details -- just a rescue, essentially -- and it moves along at a good clip while setting up some future conflicts at the same time. In a sense it's nice to see some thought being given to driving the bigger story forward instead of 22 pages of hack-n-slash; even if the end results end up being confusing to the casual reader, I suspect that the long-term subscriber would enjoy such developments.

If I had the other installments in this saga, I think this issue would have been much better. But as it stands, this can be safely skipped as a single -- look for a run, instead.

Luke Cage & Iron Fist Fantasy Series: Year 2

Well, the first part of my fantasy summaries (link: http://ljaconesbunker.blogspot.com/2008/06/luke-cage-iron-fist-fantasy-series.html) seemed to be pretty popular with everyone here, so I am unfurling the second year of the series for your perusal.  This bacth contains my favorite story of the bunch (#17-18), and builds to a climax of all the main plots of the first two years in #25.  Frank commented that he liked the street-level approach to the series; the third and fourth year would have introduced more fantasy elements as the focus shifted slightly over to Iron Fist and K'un L'un, as a sort of balance.  But, for good or ill, here is the second year of the existing-only-in-my-mind Luke Cage & Iron Fist series.  Enjoy!

#13 "It's Just A Game" -- Hired to protect the controversial and outspoken football player Londell "Bad Boy" Jonas, Danny and Luke are forced to put up with the prima dona and his rodent-like agent. But even as Jonas gets the job done on the field, Luke becomes more and more impatient with his racial rhetoric, as "Bad Boy" sprouts epithets against anyone in sight. The climactic confrontation between Luke and Londell doesn't come to blows, but is a knock down, drag out fight nonetheless.

#14 "New York Underground" -- Lt. Scarfe contacts Luke and Danny asking them for help with a case he is working on involving several mangled, mutilated bodies of underground-dwelling homeless. Scarfe and the police think it is a crazed killer, but when the boys venture into the tunnels under the city, they find something quite different: A hideous, carniviorous, subterannean beast with an appetite for human blood!

#15 "West Coast Heroes For Hire pt.1: La-La-Land" -- Brought out to LA to meet with entrapanuer Grant Nettles, the boys meet with the eccentric billionaire and learn his plan -- he wants to "franchise" the Heroes For Hire brand and put locations all over the country! Danny is shocked, but Luke immediately goes into business mode, talking about licensing fees and intellectual property copyright. The negotiations are cut short, though, when the Wrecking Crew make their presence known!

#16 "West Coast Heroes For Hire pt.2: Down In The Valley" -- The LA Freeway is brought to a halt as Luke Cage and Iron Fist brawl with The Wrecker, Thunderball, Piledriver, and Bulldozer! Businessman Grant Nettles looks on with glee as the 6 men pummel one another during the middle of rush hour and right in time for the news stations to pick up live footage! What is his connection to the Crew? And what of his franchise idea?

#17 "Vice City pt.1" -- Luke and Jessica are caught in the middle of a drive-by on the streets of Harlem, and only Luke's quick thinking -- and thick skin -- keeps his lady from harm. Pissed off beyond belief, Luke begins to investigate into the shooting, and they find a twisting path of heroin, corruption, and sex, all leading to the man known as... Piranha Jones?! And where the Pirhana is, you know the Cockroach soon follows!

#18 "Vice City pt.2" -- Now facing down Piranha Jones, Cockroach Hamilton, and the barrels of "Josh," Luke and Danny learn that Jones runs all vice in Harlem -- and has been for years, right under Luke's nose. Further, they learn that Jones isn't the top of the food chain -- Power Master is! The fight spills from the tenements of Harlem down into the sewers, as its Cage's strength and Iron Fist's skill against Jones's steel teeth and Hamilton's now even more lethal Josh!

#19 "Interview With The Living Weapon" -- Jessica convinces Danny to do an interview with a new reporter from The Bugle, after ensuring him that she will only toss him softballs. Turns out Jessica is more correct than she realizes, as the young reporter, Jeanie Akers, has a bit of a crush on the handsome martial artist. While Luke complains that he would make a much better interview, Danny takes the girl to dinner to conduct the interview. It's all going swimmingly at the posh penthouse establishment, until dinner is interrupted by the might... the menace... the muscle of... Stilt-Man?!

#20 "A Double Dose of Iron pt.1" -- After the boys were unable to apprehend The Ghost last year, he has begun to make trouble again -- this time at a subsidiary of Stark International! Taking the gig partly for the money, and partly for revenge, Cage and Iron Fist search high and low for the mysterious corporate saboteur. Just as they are about to give up, having found nothing even close to a lead, who should pop up to help by Iron Man!

#21 "A Double Dose of Iron pt.2" -- Now working with Iron Man, Cage and Iron Fist track down the physical hideout of The Ghost while Shellhead works on protecting the Stark facility from further harm. When the Heroes for Hire surprise The Ghost, though, they are in for the fight of their lives, as he can not only negate the effectiveness of Danny's attacks, but reach right through Luke's skin! Can the boys hold out long enough for Shellhead to make the assist?

#22 "The Calm Before the Flood" -- With no cases on docket, Luke and Danny each take a day off to relax and unwind. Luke spends the day with Jessica, and Danny spends the day in meditation and training. Unknown to the Heroes for Hire, Power Master is also taking the day off -- getting a massage and making last minute preparations for next week's "big day." Caesar makes good of some free time as well, honing his skills and swearing that he will kill both Luke Cage and Iron Fist!

#23 "Gang War pt.1: The Rising Tide" -- The heads of the Maggia families are meeting in New York, and Power Master is not about to let this opportunity slip past him. He assembles an army of both powered and non-powered thugs -- including Caesar, Piranha Jones, Cockroach Hamilton, Hardcore, Wreckage, Stiletto, Discuss, Scimitar, and the Steel Serpent -- and sends them to "retire" the Maggia bosses -- so he can step in and take control! But, the Maggia are not so easily brushed aside, and have assembled their -own- forces to defend their interests, including Blizzard, Whirlwind, Shocker, Mr. Hyde, the Unicorn, Crossbones, Tombstone, the Rhino, and Hammerhead! Its all out war on the streets of Manhattan, and with the Avengers gone and the FF missing, its up to the Heroes For Hire!

#24 "Gang War pt.2: Never Tell Me The Odds!" -- On one side, Power Master's army is bearing down, while on the other, the Maggia's forces are standing their ground. And who's in the middle but the Heroes For Hire, outmanned and outgunned. Its a desperate fight, but in the end, Cage and Iron Fist have to retreat lest they become casualties of the Gang War. But all is not lost, as some phonecalls are made and REINFORCEMENTS are called in!

#25 "Gang War pt.3: Back In Business!" -- Double Sized Issue. With the Gang War raging out of control, Luke Cage and Iron Fist call in some backup -- in the form of Hercules, Black Knight, Sersi, and She-Hulk! The HEROES FOR HIRE are back! But can their combined might be enough to save Manhattan before Power Master and the Maggia destroy it all in their bids to run the Underworld? And what about Caesar, and his vow to kill Cage and Iron Fist? Its all out chaos on the streets as the three way battle roars to its conclusion. Plus: What will the fate of Power Master be?

What I Read This Week

Justice Society of America #16 -- I am reminded of the line from Ghostbusters: "Ray, if someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!"  The JSoA face down the true Gog -- god of the "Third World" who has re-emerged on Earth.  A pretty seamless transition from the previous story, Johns keeps things moving along and pushes in new and interesting directions.  New artist Fernando Pasarin does a good job rendering the towering Gog as well as keeping the look of the various colorful heroes at the same time.  Very enjoyable from start to finish, even if it does require you to know a few things about DC history to really appreciate and understand.  

Tor #2 -  This comic is many things, and almost of them good.  From the simple text on the cover to the pacing and progression of the story, from the timeless depction of Kubert's caveman to the feral visciousness of the saber-toothed cat, everything comes together very smoothly on this title.  For something which I would deem as "experimental" insofar as DC is publishing it now in 2008, this is a simple tale of survival and adaption, and making the most of what you have, even when you have nothing but your wits.  I wouldn't mind at all seeing DC getting Kubert to produce sporadic Tor minis or specials after this one wraps up.  Definitely worth your time to check this one out.

The War That Time Forgot #2 -- Ah, now things are getting good!  Last issue had a lot of setup to deal with, but this time we jump a bit more into the conflict, as we meet the other faction on the island and their strange diety.  The introduction of the Viking Prince and his friends on the side opposite from Tomahawk, Firehair, and Enemy Ace makes perfect sense, at least from the story standpoint, and sets up a very interesting dynamic.  I think that this series is really going to pick things up and just go bonkers.

Invincible Iron Man #2 -- Any comic with Advanced Genocide Mechanics and their leader, MODOG, automatically has a certain special something to it already.  Fraction pushes the "cool exec" mode just as hard as last time, and it's a good comic, but the artwork by Salvador Larroca did nothing for me.  For one thing, everything looks flat and static (a criticism levied often at Adi Granov that I do not share); for another, characters just look strange.  Pepper looks like a man for crissakes!  The Thor cameo will tickle fans of the Thunder God, but it smacked of more jobbing to this admittedly dyed-in-the-wool and paranoid Iron Fan.  Still, beyond those complaints, I really liked this issue, and this series is shaping up to be pretty fun.

Nova #14 -- Similar to above, any time Galactus and the Silver Surfer show up, generally, I am happy.  Throw it in with the awesome work that DnA have been turning out with this title, and Wellington Alves brutal pencils, and you have a recipe for success.  As Nova tries to appeal to Galactus to give him a few hours to get everyone off-planet, the Surfer shows why you don't mess with a Herald.  TI called this Marvel's answer to Green Lantern, and I mean that: DnA have the same affection for Nova and the Marvel cosmos that Johns has for the GL universe, and that affection shows on the pages.  

House of Mystery #2 -- The mystery deepens, as is appropriate.  Tig gets her bearings at the House and tries to figure out just how she got here, while the patrons hear a story from the greatest supernatural process server of all time.  Sturges and Willingham have a tight grip on their main story here, and while the introduction of the side stories does slow things down a bit, I don't mind; I like the idea of a broad backdrop of stories and characters to flesh things out.  The pacing and style remind me of Sandman, and that's pretty high praise from me.  The art in the main section by Luca Rossi retains that lmost minimalist, quasi-realistic quasi-fantastical look which I always liked on Sandman.  And Jill Thompson's art for the short is whimsical and fun, fitting with the narrator's tone.  All this plus the same awesome paper stock.  I think Vertigo has a winner on it's hands.

The Pick Of The Pile is a hard call this week, as everything was quite good across the board.  I am going to go a little out of the ordinary for me and go with Tor, which was exciting and intresting and just all around really well done.  But another good week from top to bottom, I must admit.

So what did YOU read this week?

Weekly Dose Of Weird!

Vault of Evil #19 -- I think I saw this in a movie once... it starred Abbott and Costello though.

I. "Inside The Tomb!" -- Two Egyptologists walk out of a crypt and promptly collapse as if in a waking death. Their partner, telling his girlfriend not to worry, enters the crypt and fumbles to the solution: his cohorts were hypnotized by the Pharaoh's mummified mentalists, their staring eyes still powerful some thousands of years after their death.

II. "Beware! The Ghosts Surround Me!" -- A German thief turns on his partner and hides out in an abandoned house. Needless to say he is surprised to find that the house is a weak point between two dimensions, and he has a conversation with spectral aliens! He's not conerned, since they can't touch him, but these things never work out well: when the police find him, it's only a matter of time before he discovers that he now exists in a limbo state between the two worlds.

III. "Strange Doings in Cell 4-B!" -- A viscious con is celled-up with an old man who seemingly has the power to wish whatever he wants into existance. The young con forces the old man to conjur him weapons and a getaway car, but just as he and his buddies are going to make their escape, everything vanishes. Should have gotten there sooner, as the wished-for items only lasted while the old man did.

IV. "The Evil Eye!" -- A shunned old hag is avoided like the plague -- literally -- thanks to her "evil eye." Driven from her hovel, she winds up in an old farm house, and discovers the strange object called a "mirror"... and promptly brings doom to herself in the process.

Overall Weird Factor: 2 (out of 5)

Not a bad reprint mag, as Marvel was known for at this time, featuring tales originally from Uncanny Tales, Strange Tales, World Of Fantasy, and Astonishing Tales. The second and fourth features are the best, while the first one is somewhat disappointing in that it really is not even close to the cover image, honestly. It's funny reading these, because just reading the anthologies makes it seem like Marvel was phoning in their Wierd stuff from this era, but of course that is not true; all the Weird talent was working on the Horror books like Werewolf By Night and Tomb Of Dracula. Also of note is a subscription coupon inside, which details just how many titles Marvel offered in 1975: 59 normal comics, plus Giant-Sizes and magazines. Yikes!

Luke Cage & Iron Fist Fantasy Series

Inspired by Frank's little "fantasy booking" of the DCU, I've decided to share a similar project I undertook (admittedly on a smaller scale) a few years back.  In the midst of "Avengers: Disassembled," I accepted a challenge on a Heroes For Hire message board to create a new HFH series.  I took this literally, and wrote the following plots/summaries for the never-gonna-happen Luke Cage & Iron Fist series, which was rendered moot when Cage became a member of the New Avengers, and later Fist got his own title.  Anyway, this is the first half of the two years worth of plots.  If you guys like this part, I will post the second half.  Enjoy!  

#1 "The Boys Are Back In Town!" -- The setting: Modern day MArvel Universe. Cage is working a case in Midtown, his old stomping grounds, when he runs into DW Griffith. Turns out that DW was willed the Gen Theatre after his uncle's passing, and DW sold the theatre to a big developer firm (it IS in Times Square) and made some big bucks! Luke and DW reminisce for a while, until the conversation turns to Danny. Luke laments than he hasn't seen his old partner since he moved out west...

Cut to Iron Fist busting into a Denver warehouse which is being used as a chopshop! Danny busts up the operation, but finds out that it is just one of many satelite operations controlled out of New York. 'Looks like I'm heading back home...' Danny thinks to himself, as he begins the cross country trek back to the East Coast.

Meanwhile in Manhattan, Luke is closing in on his prey: a flunky for a up and coming drug czar who has been making his presence known as of late. After Luke makes short work of the flunky's securty and makes some thinly-veiled threats, the flunky gives up that his Boss is not just in drugs, but has his fingers in all sorts of pies at once, effectively linking him to everything from numbers rackets to protection. With Jessica working on the "official" end of the investigation, Luke tracks down the supposed whereabouts of the "Street Lord," only to run face first into... Iron Fist!

The man who Cage was after is the same man Fist is looking for. Happy to see each other, the two men exchange information and agree to join forces to take down this guy. Cage and Fist make their way into the swank midtown office of their target, busting their way through heavily armed guards and into the armored (!!!) office of their employer, who is sitting with his back to the boys in his office chair at his desk.

"Alright, we've taken down all your goons, punk..."

"...So we suggest you show yourself!"

The man obliges, turning slowly, saying, "Now now gentlemen. Let's do try to be civil. This is my place of business." And as he turns he reveals himself to be... POWER MASTER?!!

Cage and Danny stare in shock. "No way... you're dead!" "Oh yes. Such a nuisance, that." And with that, the fight is on! A knock down, drag out brawl ensues, but in the end Power Master escapes. Luke and Danny go to Luke's place in Harlem to clean themselves up and sort things out, and end up talking about the old days and the old business. Luke gets a devilish grin, to which Danny can only look on in puzzlement as Luke grabs his cell phone, and makes a call to DW Griffith...

#2 "His Mother's Keeper" -- The first new case the Heroes For Hire take is an unusual one -- hired by a pimp to protect his ladies from a killer stalking the streets of Manhattan killing prostitutes. Faced with the life these women lead, Danny is shocked and appaled, while Cage puts on his best "not my problem" face. When they track down the maniac, he turns out to be the mentally unhinged son of a prostitute, taking vicarious revenge on his mother.

#3 "Midtown Mayhem pt.1" -- After several small businesses run by Palestini-Americans are bombed, a group of store owners get money together to hire Cage and Iron Fist to find the culprit. Without any real leads, the Heroes set a trap for the bomber, hoping to flush him out. When they find him, however, they are shocked to discover that the man is like a walking anti-tank squad! Enter: WRECKAGE!

#4 "Midtown Mayhem pt.2" -- Wreckage is revealed to be a former Army anti-armor specialist who, after the Gulf War, settled down with his Israeli wife. But when she was killed by a suicide bomb while she was visiting family, he snaped, and decided to bring his brand of "justice" to all those he blames for her death! Cage and Iron Fist are game, but can they stop Wreckage and his arsenal of explosives before any other innocent people are killed?

#5 "Road Trip!" -- Picking up a bounty for an escaped convict, Luke and Danny hit the road down South to make what they think will be some easy money. But nothing is ever easy for the Heroes For Hire, as they run into everything from road hazards to crazy chilli cooks to crocodiles! Will the boys survive their stint in Dixie -- and will Dixie survive their visit?

#6 "High Rollin'" -- The Heroes are hired by a multi-millionaire real estate developer who has had some strange goings-on taking place at his new, state of the art hotel in Midtown. Electrical systems seem to short out for no reason, and workers are nearly killed in an elevator accident -- saved only by the timely intervention of Luke and Danny. Who is behind these acts of sabotage? Would you believe... The Ghost?!

#7 "He Doth Stride Across The Earth..." -- Tracking down a lead on Power Master's syndicate, the smash front after front until they arrive at the Syndicate's nerve center. The Power Master himself is on hand, but informs the boys that he won't dirty his hands with their blood, leaving that to his "associate" Caesar! Cage and Iron Fist are in for a rude awakening, though, as Caesar is not only as fast and agile as Iron Fist, but as tough and invulnerable as Cage! In the end, Caesar and the Heroes fight to a standstill, and Caesar escapes. When Cage and Iron Fist reinvestigate the area, the nerve center is gone without a trace.

#8 "Close To Home" -- Cage agrees to take a case brought in by a little girl -- for a nickel. The girl is afraid for her mother, who is dating a man who can be as sweet as a puppy one minute, and a brutal sadist the next. Danny warns Luke that this is a matter best left up to the police, but Luke refuses to listen, hiding the girl and her mother in his apartment and going after the guy himself. What Luke doesn't know is that the guy's name is Calvin Zabo -- AKA Mister Hyde!

#9 "Due Process" -- Hired by a grieving widow to bring her husband's killer to justice, Luke and Danny head to some seedy neighborhoods to track down the young man she thinks is responsible. One problem: He's innocent! So says Daredevil, who listened to the kid's heartbeat and knows he is not lying when he said he didn't commit the crime. And he's not about to let them take the kid away without a fight!

#10 "Street Justice -- Its street level action as the Heroes For Hire and Daredevil bust heads and take names in their search to find the perpetrator of the cold blooded shooting they were hired to investigate last issue. Once they find the shooter though, will Daredevil's insistance on letting the law take its normal path be enough to counter Luke's desire to turn the guy's face into hamburger?

#11 "The Razor's Edge" -- While Luke and Jessica take a much needed long weekend in the country, Danny tries to take it easy as well. But his plans are dashed as he is attacked, seemingly out of the blue, by Scimitar! The two clash time and again, culminating in a brawl around, on, and in the NY Public Library. Who is behind this attempt on Danny's life? And more importantly, will he survive?

#12 "S.M.I.L.E. Time" -- Double Sized Issue. The Heroes For Hire arrive at their office one afternoon only to find the unpredictable Gordy sitting inside, waiting for them. Seems that S.M.I.L.E. has a use for them, as Gordy explains that the largest European arms dealer is in New York -- and packing some serious hardware for the highest bidder. Luke and Danny infiltrate the auction site, and find every conceivable sort of scum, villian, and generally not-so-nice type trying to get ahold of the weapons!

Yeah, I don't think anyone would actually buy this series, but hey.  You never know, right?

Not Blog Ex?

I just wouldn't be a Marvel Comics fan if I didn't like at least one team at least partially composed of mutants. But first, you should click on through to Not Blog X and let G Kendall's knowledge of all things X work it's sweet, sweet magic.

Excalibur #60

Braddock Of The Jungle
Credits: Scott Lobdell (Script), Scott Kolins (Pencils), Jon Holdredge (Inks), Mike Thomas (Colors), Ul Higgins (Letters).

Summary
In Wakanda, Icon holds Captain America, Iron Man (Jim Rhodes), the Black Panther, a one-piece clad Kitty Pryde, and a disguised Meggan captive with his transmorgified tree-men, demanding their surrender. Kitty triggers Icon's weapon to fire into her phased out person, so that Iron Man can scan the energy signature for a countermeasure. Panther then agrees to the surrender in order to prevent any unnecessary bloodshed. At the same time, Brian, along with Lockheed, manage to escape the portable prison through the mud. Wearing just his ruined pants, Brian does his best Hulk impression and is immediately dubbed "Jungle Man" by Meggan to protect his identity. Trying at a rescue, Brian is surprised to find himself fall flat on his face, his powers not working. After much arguing and threats, Icon's time suddenly runs out -- his power to change flesh to wood is temporary, and time is up. Icon changes back into Dr. A'Kurru U’mbaya, a Wakandan scientist who's daughter was poisoned by commercial waste while in the "outside world," the very thing the coalition is in Wakanda to try to solve.

Meanwhile, back in England, Nightcrawler and Cerise continue to track down the Knight Errant, who appears to be an elderly man with delusions of granduer, and the technology to back it up. Following him to a pub, a blast from the Knight's lance reveals a small nuclear bomb hidden inside. Nightcrawler lets him go, which gets Kurt a scolding from Dai Thomas. The Knight Errant is revealed to be William Matson, a retired industrialist who seems to like playing a hero.

Continuity Notes
Captain America recognizes Kitty as Shadowcat, and deduces that the other woman must be "the shapeshifter" Meggan from the outfit she is wearing. Jim Rhodes has never heard of the supergroup Excalibur, evidently.

Review
A lackluster conclusion to an underwhelming story. The main plot, with the heroes in Wakanda, is derailed of any suspense by the strange way in which Lobdell handles Icon -- true, he's not really evil, and new to being a villian, but what kind of danger can the heroes be in when the villian doesn't even seem to believe in his own cause? The fact that Brian, Kitty, and Meggan are given so little to do doesn't help either. The secondary story with Nightcrawler and Cerise is actually much more interesting, but since the Knight Errant would never appear again, it's really pretty pointless as well. Kollins art remains inconsistant, and the colors make it look really flat. Overall a big disappointment; good thing Davis is back with the next issue.