Slugfest!

Inhumans vs X-Men #6

2017-03-17T20:28:00.001-07:00

What an ambitious yet convoluted mess of a story. Unfortunately, even the central story does little to save this series. Why not? Well, IvX builds upon the superb mini-series, Death of X, written by the same creative team responsible for IvX, Jeff Lemire (who also writes Extraordinary X-Men) and Charles Soule (who also writes Uncanny Inhumans.)

In Death of X, the X-Men visit Muir Island and discover Jaime Madrox (Multiple Man and all his duplicates) have died as a result of exposure to the Terrigen clouds circling the earth, which causes the M-Pox, a virus deadly to most mutants. When the X-Men set about destroying one of the Terrigen clouds, which are considered sacred to the Inhumans, it leads to a battle in Madrid, Spain between the two factions that seemingly results in the death of Scott Summers (who by all appearances is killed by Black Bolt.) This is a secondary catalyst that propels the X-Men to wage war upon the Inhumans. The twist is Scott had actually succumbed to the M-Pox virus upon arrival on Muir Island and Emma Frost was manipulating reality to make it appear as though Scott were still alive, so Black Bolt was blameless for Scott's death. Why is this so important to IvX? This fact is completely ignored throughout the IvX storyline! As if the readers of these comics are clueless, the synopses provided at the beginning of each issue (with the exception of #0) insist that Black Bolt killed Scott.

So the primary premise for the war between the Inhumans and the X-Men is based upon the Dr. Hank McCoy's discovery that a second (and final) Terrigen cloud has begun to dissipate and will soon permeate Earth's atmosphere creating an environment that is toxic to the the X-Men, which will result in the death of many mutants.

Another problem with these expansive mini-series is whether or not to read the crossovers. How essential the tie-ins are to the main story, frustratingly, varies from editor to editor, so the role of the group editor is critical. Readers know that most of the time crossovers are used to bulk up sales on other books in the editor's group. But if the stories actually provide in-depth detail to the central story, then those books certainly are worth reading. So who edits these books? Are the editors actually communicating with each other so crossovers are released on time and provide seamless transition from the central mini-series? In this case, no. The main problem wasn't because crossovers were not interesting reads; it was because Marvel kept changing the reading order of the books and some books were released late. For example, Extraordinary X-Men #18 was released after IvX #3 and clearly the story (written by Jeff Lemire) belongs in continuity before IvX #3. Even if readers are supposed to imagine the story is supposed to be told in flashback, since Lemire is the writer for both books (IvX and Extraordinary X-Men) it is clearly an editorial problem.

Yes, I realize it is very tricky for two co-writers to try and overlap the stories running concurrently in other titles with the central story, but it appears as though X-Men group editor Mark Paniccia did not coordinate things well enough to pull off this much hyped Marvel Event, primarily with the major continuity gaff (the circumstances surrounding the death of Scott Summers.)

But the writers are not entirely without fault, as IvX #6 resolves the fight with the arrival of Ahura (Medusa's and Black Bolt's son) who had played such a very minor role in the series that he was only mentioned in one of the previous issues. His inclusion in the resolution of this series seems like an afterthought, despite the importance of the destruction of the Ennilux airship. I would have thought that Prince Maximus the Mad, Black Bolt's brother who was featured prominently in the Uncanny Inhumans crossover issues, would have been included in the resolution since we learn he is able to synthesize Terrigen crystals, thus making the destruction of the final Terrigen cloud a moot plot point. And, it is Young Scott Summers who reveals Emma's deception to the X-Men and the Inhumans (even though the readers already know this.) It would have made more sense if Marvel had left this as the big reveal at the end of the IvX rather than at the end of Death of X.

So the war ends with the Inhumans confused as to why the X-Men simply didn't communicate the problem with the dissipation of the Terrigen cloud and it's lethal effects upon the X-Men, rather than start the war. Hmmm...a communication problem, seems like an ongoing theme in this debacle. This conclusion renders the entire series as a disappointingly cheap puff piece of miscommunication, leaving readers feeling cheated by such a simplistic resolution.

Overall, this series had a lot of good ideas that ultimately wound up being rather poorly executed (groan.) In the final issue, Moon Girl one ups Forge and create a miniaturized version of his machine that eventually destroys the rogue Terrigen cloud. During the pivotal final confrontation between Medusa and Emma Frost, Alex Summers ends up teleporting Emma Frost away from the ire of the all parties, which makes for an interesting developing plot line (Havok and Emma Frost as enemies of the X-Men.) I like seeing Emma Frost resume the role of villain and her new costume looks foreboding.

Also, Medusa abdicates the throne with Iso (Xiaoyi Chen) assuming leadership of New Attilan. Perhaps the writers are looking to create a relationship between Iso and Ahura as the NuHuman royals? And Medusa ends her controversial relationship with Johnny Storm and reunites with Black Bolt.

One other thing that irked me, were typos found on the synopsis pages (one of them can be seen in Uncanny X-Men #17.) I know it is a small thing, but if the editors cannot be bothered to proof-read the work before publication, what does that say about their concern of the books they publish? Plus, the font used on the synopsis page makes the word "WAR" look like the word "WAA". (But, hey, maybe they were trying to fit Howard the Duck into this story!)

On a positive note, Lenil Yu's artwork looked good, even though he did not illustrate every issue of the mini-series (Javier Garron completed issues #3-5.) Here, Yu's artwork is reminiscent of Bill Sienkiewicz's mid-1980s work on the New Mutants. I don't think that was necessarily intentional, but it helps contextualize how the entire series primarily serves as a lead into X-Men ResurrXion (which sound so much like Rebirth) which is attempting to reestablish more traditional X-Men and establish a return to the status quo. Let's see where those books lead us.

Dead No More: Clone Conspiracy Omega #1

2017-03-02T14:27:00.002-08:00

Clone Conspiracy Omega presents three stories as a bridge between the Dead No More storyline and the next stage of the Spider-verse. Don Slott's and Christos Gage's first story entitled "Collateral Damage" deals with survivors coming to terms with the Jackal's (Ben Reilly) megalomaniacal decisions and the aftermath of the Carrion Virus, the plague that affects the inhabitants of Marvel's alternate earths and turns them into zombies.

Dr. Rita Clarkson leads Spider-man, Kaine Parker (Earth-616), Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy of Earth-65), and Anna Maria Marconi (Earth-616) to a vault as terminally ill New U patients awaken from their cold sleep chambers. When Anna Maria tells Spider-man not blame himself since there was no way of knowing what could have been done to prevent the tragic loss of lives, Spider-man turns on Kaine and questions why he wouldn't reveal what he knew would happen. Max Modell and S.H.I.E.L.D. arrive on the scene to assess the biohazard risk and transfer everyone to Horizon Labs for medical aid. Dr. Clarkson cooperates by relinquishing a list of New U clients and explains that she thought New U was doing something good.

Meanwhile, Kaine confronts Spider-man in an effort to find Ben Reilly and is angered when he learns that Spider-man believes that the Jackal's cloned body disintegrated. Spider-Woman reminds Kaine that he is still dying from the Carrion Virus and suggests they go back to Loomworld to find a cure among the billions of universes. Kaine explains his decision to remain behind and search for Ben Reilly. Gwen opens a portal to return to Loomworld.

Spider-man leads S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to the room where the Jackal kept the remains of dead people he cloned and takes time to reflect upon Reilly's offer to clone Uncle Ben. Peter's attention turns to the Rhino, who goes on a rampage dealing with the death of his wife's clone. Spider-man manages to talk Rhino down by reminding him that even though people we love are gone, we move forward and honor their memory by remaining true to the person they would want you to be.

Later, at Horizon University, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents escort a shackled Rhino to a secured location and Max tells Spider-man that tests reveal that nobody is contagious. Meanwhile, beneath San Francisco, Dr. Kurt Conners has managed to sequester his cloned family who have received the Connor reptile treatment to save their cloned lives!

It is surprising to find that so many characters actually are supportive of what the Jackal was doing. It is an exploration of the ambivalence and transitory nature of whether characters are purely good or bad, most recently reminiscent of themes in Civil War. If the clone has all the memories up to original person's death, is the clone still the same person? As they begin their new life in a cloned body, should they be viewed as an inferior version of the original person, and should contempt for the violation of ethics and morals surrounding death translate to a rationale and justification for discrimination?

This special issue's second story, "Give Us a Wink" is written by Peter David with art by Mark Bagley and inks by John Dell. In a set-up for the upcoming Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider series, Ben meets with Dr. Rita Clarkson at a pub and explains how he made his escape. They debate the ethics of New U's endeavor as Rita contends they were playing god, while Ben counters that god is inhumane too. As they speak, Dr. Clarkson is approached by two hostile men who lost a loved one in the New U fiasco. Ben steps up and puts a quick stop to their malicious intentions, and when they hear Ben's voice they realize he was the Jackal. The story ends with Rita giving Ben money, presumably to start his new career as the Scarlet Spider. The creative team seems well suited for the upcoming series, with both PAD and Bagley closely connected to the 1990s comics that brought about the initial Scarlet Spider storyline. I'm curious to find out how prominently Kaine Parker will figure into the new series.

Finally, the last story, "King's Favor" by Don Slott and new Amazing Spider-man artist Stuart Immonen is a prelude to to next issue of Amazing Spider-man with Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, tantalizing Spider-man with a thumb drive containing information about Spidey's greatest enemy.

The new storyline, The Osborn Identity (with apologies to Robert Ludlum) kicks off with a 96 page issue!

Justice League of America #1

2017-02-26T19:10:00.000-08:00

In a project that has developed out of the Justice League vs. Suicide Squad mini-series, DC was very thorough in setting up the new Justice League of America (Vol. 5) releasing a series of one-shot issues featuring each of the supporting characters: Black Canary (Dinah Drake-Lance), Vixen (Mari McCabe), The Ray (Ray Terrill), The Atom (Ryan Choi), Lobo (The Last Czarnian), and Killer Frost (Caitlin Snow). They also published a Rebirth issue to establish how Batman personally recruits each team member with the exception of Lobo, who was recruited by Black Canary. It's a series somewhat reminiscent of the original Batman and the Outsiders, with its varied assortment of metahumans.

Steve Orlando does his best to create the internal dynamics of the fledgling team, and Brazilian artist Ivan Reis and a team of inkers (Joe Prado, Oclair Albert and Julio Ferreira) bring the book together visually.

The issue opens with everyone in various locations: Batman and Vixen prowl through Gotham City, The Ray and Black Canary are in the city of Vanity helping to evacuate people from a burning building, Lobo is somewhere over the Pacific Ocean dealing with baddies, and Atom and Frost are in The Sanctuary in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island working together to fix the Troubalert, a program which will alert the team so they will know where they are needed.

Meanwhile, in Saratoga, New York, Lord Havok and the Extremists cross "the weakened universal membrane" in an energy bubble. Luckily, Caitlin and Ryan get the Troubalert working in time to see Havok and company beginning their assault. Batman is immediately alerted and contacts each member of the team as they prepare for the transmitter surge to transport them to the site.

As the destruction of Saratoga begins, Lord Havok espouses that since governmental structures cannot be trusted to protect its citizens and unchecked freedom only lead to disaster, only authoritarian, despotic leadership can offer people protection.

The JLA arrive just in time to counter Havok's claims! The battle erupts and when the Atom attempts to infiltrate Havok's armor, he is repelled by an electric shock. Havok then grabs Atom by the throat and when he is about to use his axe to kill Atom, Batman offers himself as the sacrifice...to be continued!

I was a little skeptical when I read that Lobo would have a place on this team, but he adds levity to an otherwise very serious team of characters. The Extremists are interesting choice for the initial issue and similar to Marvel's Squadron Sinister (who mimicked DC's Justice League....see Slugfest reviews of Avengers #69-71...heh), as each member is patterned after Marvel counterparts: Lord Havok (Doctor Doom), Doctor Diehard (Magneto), Dreamslayer (Dormammu), Gorgon (Doctor Octopus), Tracer (Sabertooth) and Brute (Hulk).

DC's measured Rebirth has slowly expanded to larger proportions with Steve Orlando now handling the task of writing Supergirl and this book. It's great to see Ivan Reis on a regular gig instead of the one-off Rebirth issue (Batman #6 and Superman #14) and Rebirth covers. I'm curious to find out if where the Extremists energy bubble came from will be fully explained. Also, what exactly does Havok mean by "the weakened universal membrane" and is it connected to a larger story in DC's Rebirth? It will be interesting to see where this series takes us.

The Old Guard #1

2017-02-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

Greg Rucka opens his story of immortal warriors by quoting General Douglas MacArthur ("Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.") and sets the tone for his new series from Image Comics. The Old Guard is lushly illustrated by Leandro Fernandez, who shares a wonderful visual style and vocabulary similar to his Argentine compatriot, Eduardo Risso.

The story centers around Andromache of Scythia ("Andy"), who is phenomenally exhausted with the repetition of events and scenarios she has experienced as an immortal; nothing seems new or different. While in Barcelona, Andy and her team of mercenaries (Nicky, Joe and Booker) receive a tip for a job from Copley, an independent contractor working security and intelligence for different clients. The team has worked for Copley before when he was with "The Company", and they debate the danger of working for the same client. Ultimately, the lure of money decides their course of action.

When Andy and Nicky go to Paris to meet Copley, he tells them of a situation in North Africa in which seventeen girls were abducted from a school and time is critical. Andy reluctantly accepts the job and relays the information to the rest of the team.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, a squad of Marines is searching a town looking for a specific target. After entering a home, a gunfight erupts as the target is acquired. One of the marines named Nile becomes a casualty of the operation.

Andy and the team are geared up when they arrive in South Sudan. As they enter the bunker to rescue the hostages, it initially appears to be empty, but suddenly they are assaulted by a company of soldiers who hit them hard with a rain of bullets. After the smoke clears, we see Andy and her team's wounds heal immediately and set about evening the score. Andy "gets medieval" when she breaks out an axe to finish the job. Afterwards, they search the bunker only to find it truly empty. They realize they have been duped when the only thing they can find is a digital camera which has been transmitting the entire battle to reveal the team of immortals secret.

The issue ends as we return to Afghanistan and find that Nile has completely recovered from her seemingly fatal wound.

All in all, a very satisfying issue of a new promising series. This issue raises many questions: Is Copley responsible for the assault on the team and the recording, or is Copley being played by one of his clients? What is Nile's connection to the team? In what seem to be a sly tip of the hat to Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's series, 100 Bullets, one of the characters (the Marine who holds Nile as she bleeds out) is named Dizzy (like Isabelle "Dizzy" Cordova..."The Girl".) Looking forward to the next issue!

The Avengers # 71

2007-05-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Continuing the third part of the Squadron Sinister story from the previous post, Avengers # 71 featured the first appearance of the Invaders with the original Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, and Captain America using the original shield. The story is titled "Endgame!" (December 1969) and was written by Roy Thomas with artwork by the team of Sal Buscema and Sam Grainger, with letterwork done by Sam Rosen. Much of the first part of the issue is spent recapping the previous two issues, and the art team uses many large, "widescreen" type panels to illustrate the action.

Still more than a little confused as to exactly what has transpired, Dane Whitman returns to Garrett Castle to light the Brazier of Truth and awaken Sir Percy of Scandia, the original Black Knight. When Sir Percy appears amidst the flames, he reveals a series of visions which explains the agreement Kang made with the Grandmaster and the subsequent Game of the Galaxies involving the Avengers.

Dane finally understands how he has interferred and realizes the Avengers have been returned to the future to finish the deadly game. The flames of the Brazier of Truth also looks in on Kang as he paces thru the his sanctuary, cursing the day he accepted the fatal challenge of the Grandmaster.And Dane Whitman comes to understand that Kang has risked the fate of Earth in the hope that the Grandmaster will revive his beloved Princess Ravonna so that she can rule at his side.

Dane continues to gaze into the flames and view the events as they transpire. The second and final phase of the game begins as Kang once again sits before the Time-Scanner to watch his three remaining Avengers (Black Panther, Vision, and Yellowjacket) as they are sent to Nazi-occupied Paris of the Second World-War. The Avengers are attacked by a garrison of goose-steppers, but the real trouble happens when the Grand Master's proxies, Captain America, Sub-Mariner, and the original android Human Torch, a.k.a. the Invaders, appear and mistake the Avengers for the enemyThe flames of the Brazier of Truth abate and Dane Whitman knows he cannot assist the Avengers in the past and risk interferring again. Since he is mystically connected to his Ebony Blade, he begins to concentrate intently in order to form astral contact with the sword and reunite himself with his weapon. He is transported across time and space to the era of Kang.
The Black Knight finds he is in a room where Captain America, Goliath, Thor, and Iron Man are imprisoned, each with their head enveloped in the mind-numbing Spheres of Solitude. Dane quickly retrieves his Ebony Blade which lies on the floor in front of Goliath. Suddenly, in true Slugfest! action, he is attacked by two of Kang's guards, one who wields a Ray-Spear which he fires at the Black Knight. But when it strikes the blade which was forged by Merlin, the ray rebounds and strikes the guard rendering him unconscious.

The Knight's attention is drawn to a faint cry for help from the Wasp. After breaking through a wall to find her, Jan Pym prevails upon him to free the Avengers. Meanwhile, back in occupied Paris, the battle between the Avengers and the Invaders rages on! The Black Panther attacks Captain Amercia, but Cap raises his shield and the Panther runs headlong into it. The Panther rolls with the punch and manages to use both hands to grab Cap in choke-hold!

Nearby, in an attempt to get Namor to listen, Yellowjacket stings Sub-Mariner with an energy blast. As Namor strikes back, Yellowjacket shrinks to avoid the blow and sends a swarm of bees to attack the Sub-Mariner. At the same time, the Vision emits occular heat-blasts in an attempt to subdue the Torch, who counters by flying through a transparent Vision as the android manipulates his density to zero. While the Torch begins to wonder how they arrived, the golden-age Cap uses his original shield to whack the T'Challa. The Panther realizes the Avengers have been holding back, fighting a defensive battle, and only a decisive victory can save Earth.When the Invaders renew their attack, the Panther puts his plan into action as he and Yellowjacket fall back onto a side street in an effort to get their foes to chase them. Once the Vision learns what he has to do to end the battle, the android becomes partly solid as he flies through the bodies of the Invaders and wins the battle!

Kang gloats, and the Grand-Master explains that since the first phase of the game ended in stalemate, Kang will not be allowed to completely claim his prize. Rather than winning the power of life and death, he must chose between giving life or taking it. As he transports the Vision, T'Challa, and Yellowjacket back to 4000 A.D., Kang remembers his pledge to save the Princess Ravonna and is about to choose the power of life when Thor, Captain America, Goliath, Iron Man, the Wasp and the Black Knight burst into the room and interrupt the decision.

The Avengers explain that they are willing to overlook Kang's manipulations if he will simply return them to the 20th century. Kang scoffs and once again prevails upon the Grand-Master to have the power of death to slay his enemies and life to restore his beloved Ravonna. But when the Grand-Master forces him to choose, Kang elects the power of Death!

Kang is immediately infused with lethal, limitless power which Captain America believes is even greater than the power of the Cosmic Cube. T'Challa urges Captain America to attack, but Thor flings Mjolnir directly at Kang, who makes his body permeable. As the hammer flies through, Kang unleashes a fury of energy and attacks the Avengers!

But unknowingly, the Black Knight has escaped the initial barrage. (You would think with limitless power you wouldn't miss much.) The Knight attacks Kang and downs the murderous villain!He wonders aloud how he was able to defeat Kang. As the Grand-Master fades away, he explain that Kang was given supreme power to defeat the Avengers, and since the Knight is not one of their serried ranks, the Knight was able to exploit his weakness and win!! As the Grand-Master fades away, he returns the Avengers to their mansion in the 20th century.

The Avengers recover, and upon their return, their first order of business is to welcome the Black Knight into the ranks of the Avengers.

The Avengers # 70

2007-05-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

Back when Stan Lee was still editor at Marvel, writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema, along with inker Sam Grainger, put together the first Squadron Sinister story from November 1969 titled "When Strikes the Squadron Sinister!" But it was only the second part of a 3 part story that began with previous issue (Avengers # 69: "Let the Game Begin"; Oct. 1969) and ended with the following issue (Avengers #71: "Endgame!"; Dec. 1969) The story featured Kang the Conqueror, the Grandmaster, the Growing Man, the Black Knight, the first appearance of the Invaders with the golden-age Captain America, Namor, and the original android Human Torch, as well as the Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Wasp (Janet Pym), Goliath (Clint Barton), Yellowjacket (Henry Pym), Black Panther, Thor, and the Vision. The Squadron Sinister actually made a one-panel appearance in issue # 69, but issue # 70 is the real Slugfest! What follows is a complete review of the first two parts of the story.

Following a battle with an android imposter Iron Man created by Midas and Madame Masque (Iron Man # 17 & 18), Tony Stark is at death's door and is recovering at the city hospital with SHIELD agents holding close watch in a restricted area of intensive care. When the Avengers arrive on the scene, Vision wonders aloud why Tony Stark's bodyguard, Iron Man, wasn't around to protect him. (I have no idea in which issue Tony finally revealed his identity to his fellow Avengers, but you would think the Vision, with his super-android brain would simply put two and two together!) Meanwhile, Thor has managed to locate Dr. Santini, Stark's best hope for recovery.

While Cap and Vision discuss medical issues with the doctor, Janet notices what apppears to be a little glowing doll under a cabinet. She picks it up and examines it until Yellowjacket chides saying, "If that child's toy fascinates you so much, bring it along to the waiting area!" Feeling a little embarrased, she drops it into a garbage tin and fails to notice it suddenly growing! But the ever-vigilant SHIELD agents do take notice as it climbs out of the garbage can, and thinking it might be a walking bomb, they reach to grab it.

The Growing Man pulls a judo move on one agent while another fires a blaster right between the eyes. Of course, since the Growing Man is a stimuloid android whose artificial cells multiply each time it is struck, it only results the increasing the size of the Growing Man, whose single objective is to kidnap Tony Stark.

The Avengers are alerted by the ruckus, and when the Growing Man crashes through the wall of Tony's hospital room, swats away Dr. Santini, and gathers up Stark's nearly lifeless body, Cap's shield strikes Growing Man upside its face! Then the rest of the Avengers join in the fray until they notice that each time they strike him, it grows. Thor calls for everyone to halt the attack when he finally recognizes Kang's emissary. (I guess even a god of thunder has memory lapses once in awhile.)

With Stark firmly in his grasp, the Growing Man crashes through the exterior wall of the hospital to the streets. Goliath increases his size to match Growing Man and challenges him to a face off. But the Growing Man will not be detered from his mission, and it doesn't matter anyway because suddenly Clint becomes dizzy from growing too quickly. Growing Man takes advantage of Goliath's sudden lapse and delivers a crushing blow!

Then he calls upon Kang to send "the Light of the Centuries" and becomes enveloped in a blinding fiery light which causes him to shrink down to human size as he is drawn skyward toward a dazzling sphere. Captain America and Thor fearlessly step into the Light and are swept up in the chase, and the rest of the Avengers follow as they are transported through a whirling void of time and space.
The Avengers find themselves in a palace throne room with Kang sitting upon a dais and his beloved Princess Ravonna held in a suspended state in a nearby cylinder. Also floating beside Kang is a pulsating tri-sphere, and at his side, a glowing sphere that contains both Tony Stark and Kang's stimuloid. The Avengers realize they are in 4000 A.D., the 41st century!Kang is in no mood to entertain their questions and tells them, "You are here to serve me!" Thor's pride is offended and he responds by saying, "Thor..and the Avengers...serve no man!!" Suddenly, Kang's legions appear and the room erupts into a melee! After vanquishing nearly every last one of his guards, the Avengers prepare to close ranks on Kang when they are suprised by the sudden appearance of one of their own, the Black Panther, who intervenes on behalf of Kang imploring the Avengers to join forces with him for the survival of Earth.

Kang recounts his tale of how a year earlier the Grandmaster appeared and offered him the power of life and death to save Princess Ravonna if Kang would only defeat him at the Game of the Galaxies, a game similar to chess. Kang has chosen the Avengers to serve as his chess pieces. But if he loses, Kang consigns himself and Earth to oblivion....to vanish as if they never existed. Captain America agrees to participate only if Kang will only return Tony Stark to the 20th century. Kang agrees and informs the Avengers that Stark was simply a pawn in his game.

When the Grandmaster originally appeared, he promised he would be back in one year, which happens to be within an hour. (Talk about procrastination! Kang waited until now to make plans to stop the Earth from being relegated to oblivion?!?) And so the Grandmaster arrives...and the game begins! Things proceed quickly as the Grandmaster directs his hand toward Captain America, Thor, and Goliath, causing them to fade and shrink and appear on one of the platforms of the tri-sphere, with other figures resembling chesssmen on the other two platforms. Then the tri-sphere transforms until it becomes one with the Earth itself. Then the heroes find themselves on that version of Earth facing the chessmen the Grandmaster has created by telepathically sending data to the living computers on his far-off home planet. Enter the grandmaster's chessman: Dr. Spectrum, Hyperion, Nighthawk, and the Whizzer.....the Squadron Sinister.
Meanwhile at a dining table in the 41st century, Kang directs his guards to remove the food from his dinner table because he hungers for the main course....battle! He heads over to a room where the Grandmaster and the remaining Avengers, Vision, Yellowjacket, Black Panther, and the Wasp, await the coming Game of the Galaxies. The Grandmaster directs their attention to a device called a Time-Scanner which has a viewscreen to watch Thor, Goliath, and Captain America witness the approach of the fourth and final member of their team, Iron Man. Cap quickly explains the situation and what is at stake: Earth will be relegated to oblivion!

The Avengers turn their attention to astral images of the Squadron who explains how the Grandmaster altered four Earthmen into super-villains for the sole purpose of besting them in the cosmic game. Their images fade and are replaced by images of four of Earth's most famous monuments: The Statue of Liberty, the Taj Mahal, Big Ben, and the Sphinx. Iron Man flies off first to the Taj Mahal, and Thor swings his enchanted hammer to transport the others to the fields of battle.
Captain America finds himself on Liberty Island where the statue has become the prize in the deadly game. As Cap moves in closer, his feet become ensnared in a rope that pull him upside down and slam his body against the base of the statue. When he regains consciousness, Cap finds himself aboard Nighthawk's plane which is carrying Lady Liberty by magnetic grapples. In his hand, Nighthawk holds a detonator which is wired to destroy the Statue of Liberty. Cap flings his shield and slices the device in two, rendering it useless. Nighthawk makes his escape through a hatch in the floor to try and manually disconnect the statue from the grapples. Cap dives down and delivers a powerful blow but Nighthawk quickly recovers and swings around one of the spikes on the statue's crown, connecting with a double-kick that sends Cap flying. With Cap off balance, Nighthawk throws an explosive pellet toward Cap, who reacts quickly and blocks the blast with his shield. The backlash of the blast knocks Nighthawk unconscious and Cap wins the battle!

Back in the room where the rest of the Avengers and the Grandmaster watch the viewscreen on the Time-Scanner, Kang exults over Cap's victory. But the Grandmaster quickly reminds him that one isolated skirmish is only part of the final outcome.

Next, Iron Man arrives at the Taj Mahal and recognizes the glowing figure on the roof as Dr. Spectrum, who is listening to his sentient power prism's voice directing him to strike the golden Avenger. When the blast strikes Iron Man squarely on his breastplate, he is knocked down. Spectrum comes around from behind to deliver the final blow in the form of a image construct of a hammer, but Iron Man hears the prism's voice and evades Spectrum's attack. Iron Man counters by firing his repulsor rays, but Doctor Spectrum is unfazed and gloats by saying, "The Grandmaster designed the prism to protect me from all harm. Nothing gets thru its poly-chromatic shield!" Iron Man uses the information Spectrum has shared to devise a plan, but before he can put it into action, Spectrum uses the prism to sideline shellhead.

Once again as Spectrum is about to deliver the decisive blow, Iron Man reaches for a stud on his chestplate that activates an ultra-violet beam, exploiting Spectrum's one weakness: color above the prism's power spectrum! And although Iron Man takes heart in his triumph, he's left to wonder the outcome of the other battles.

Over in the land of the pyramids, Thor approaches the Sphinx and feels the earth quake beneath his feet. Hyperion explodes from beneath the ground catching Thor unaware. Then he grabs a giant boulder and flings it toward the immortal one, but Thor manages to sidestep the attack. Hyperion takes time to explain his origin and tells Thor he comes from the first atom split by a man-made cycltron. The Grandmaster rescued him and imbued him with enough power "to obliterate your puny planet."

Thor flings the uru hammer at Hyperion, but when it strikes his chest, it bounces off leaving him unharmed.Thor tries to reason with Hyperion and tells him that his vengeance will be his undoing. But Hyperion flys toward him, knocks him down, then turns the burning glare of his atomic vision on Thor. The thunder god uses Mjolnir to absorb the searing bursts and calls for Odin's aid. Hyperion boasts that he will allow the mallet to strike him before he seals Thor's doom. But when the hammer whirls around him, it creates a vortex that shrinks him and forms a bubble of glazed sand that traps him. (Basically, Thor puts Hyperion in time-out!)

Once again, back in the room where Kang, the Grandmaster, and the rest of the Avengers (Vision, Yellowjacket, and Black Panther) watch the outcome of the battle on viewscreen on the Time-Scanner, Yellowjacket figures out how Thor beat Hyperion. He says, "His hammer duplicated...and reversed...the atomic process that gave Hyperion his powers!" But the Vision reminds them to temper their optimism until all the battles are fought.

Then the scene on the viewscreen changes they see Goliath near Big Ben in Britain. Unexpectedly the Black Knight arrives. Not wanting any interference, Goliath tells him to "flake off". The Black Knight is angered by the rebuff, but before he leaves both Goliath and the Knight witness a disturbance in the distance; the clock face appears to be obscure in such a way that it almost seems to disappear! Goliath realizes this is his cue for battle, and as the Black Knight follows him, he once again tries to get him to leave telling him, "This's gotta be strictly an Avengers show!"

But of course, Goliath is going to need all the help he can get because the final member of the Squadron Sinister, the Whizzer, is the cause of the disturbance and wastes no time in trying to sideline the giant. The Whizzer attacks Goliath by speeding around him, creating a tornado that envelops the Avenger. The Whizzer then stands back to enjoy his victory, but the Black Knight attacks him from behind, striking him with the flat of the Ebony Blade! Then Goliath snatches the blade from the Knight's hand angrily explaining he had simply been "playing possum" and had shrunk down to normal size.
But the damage has been done. The Grandmaster appears in the sky and intervenes by tearing through the fabric of time and space and telling the Black Knight, "You have interfered in the game! And in doing so...you have prevented a clearcut victory!" The Grandmaster gathers up all the "chessmen" and begins preparation for the second and final phase of the game, leaving behind a very confused Black Knight.

Dane Whitman realizes they have taken the Ebony Blade with them. Now he must somehow find a way to journey to the future and retrieve his enchanted sword. (But notice the big artistic continuity gaff in the picture below: He still has the Ebony Blade sheathed at his side! Oops!)

Man, did some of these 70s storylines get convoluted! But Marvel did a great job of coordinating the storylines with the Avengers and Iron Man. Members of the Squadron Sinister would later be incorporated into the Squadron Supreme. Of course, its apparent to any comics' fan that the members of the Squadron are thinly-veiled replicas of their DC counterparts: Hyperion= Superman; Nighthawk=Batman; Doctor Spectrum=Green Lantern; Whizzer=Flash. The whole idea is also similar to JLA vs. the Earth 3 counterparts (see Justice League of America #29 and #30); in fact, the cover to issue #70 is like one of the battles between the multiple-earth heroes featured annually in the pages of Justice League of America.

Next, I'll get around to a comprehensive review of Avengers # 71, which not only concluded this three-part story, but also featured the first appearance of the Invaders.

DC Comics Presents # 87

2006-03-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

With Infinite Crisis, any reader who has never read Crisis on Infinite Earths must be shaking their head wondering, 'Who is Superboy Prime?' Back in 1985, readers were asking the same question. He first appeared in DC Comics Presents # 87 (Nov. 1985) in a story titled Year of the Comet written by Elliot S! Maggin and drawn by Curt Swan and Al Williamson. And the second feature in that book was the story The Origin of Superboy-Prime! written and illustrated by the same creative team. The two stories connect in an unusual narrative format. You begin reading the first story, Year of the Comet, and when you get to page 7, you are instructed to jump to the second story The Origin of Superboy-Prime! And when you finish the origin story, you are instructed to continue on page 7 of the previous story, Year of the Comet. And of course in true comic book fashion, Year of the Comet continues in Superman # 414 (Dec. 1985: "Revenge is Life--Death to Superman!" written and illustrated by the same creative team: Elliot S! Maggin and Curt Swan/Al Williamson). The focus of this review is on the second story, The Origin of Superboy-Prime!

The idea for Superboy Prime belonged to the editor of the Superman line, Julius Schwartz. He wanted to do one final parallel worlds story; thus Clark Kent, Superboy of Earth Prime, from the dimension that is supposed to be our own, where superheroes were comicbook characters. His second appearance, and likely the most commonly read, was in Crisis on Infinite Earths # 10 (Jan. 1986).

Superboy Prime's origin begins like every other Superman origin: the red sun is about to nova as Jor-El passionately addresses the science council. One of the council members suggests they form a committee to study the problem. Jor-El responds in anger and Councilor Durkin tells him he is out of order. Councilor Marya intervenes and reminds Jor-El that everyone has copies of his proposals and understands the urgency. Jor-El politely requests the council's leave and returns home to Lara and his son, Kal-El. Jor-El realizes that he has narrowly escaped being banned from further developments and from speaking in public.As time passes, Krypton is affected by the same maladies that affected many worlds during the original crisis: red skies, shifting magnetic fields, wicked gravity, electomagnetic pulses which affect vehicles and machinery, volcanic eruptions, and more. After what is probably too much time, the council begins to consider that it might be wise to heed Jor-El's proposal. So they visit his home to find what progress he has made on his teleportation experiments.

He demonstrates a machine that is capable of teleporting anything of fifty pounds or less to the far end of the room or the far end of the universe. He suggests building larger versions of the prototype, one capable of moving cities full of people at a time. He takes a grundoon, a small furry animal, and transports it to Earth Prime. We follow the animal to its destination, a quiet trail where Jerome (Jerry) Thornton Kent and Naomi Clarke Kent are hiking.

Meanwhile, back on Krypton an incredibly powerful solar prominence strikes! Realizing Krypton is about to be reduced to ashes, Jor-El hustles his visitors out the door and leaves the lab to check on Lara and baby Kal-El. Together, Lara and Jor-El prepare the baby for the transporter. As Lara throws the switch, Jor-El begins preparing the computations for teleporting themselves next. But Councilor Durkin, who has been eavesdropping outside the window, confronts the couple and places himself in the transporter. When he flicks the switch the device explodes. And simultaneously Krypton is consumed by the expanding red giant.
On Earth Prime, as Jerry and Naomi continue their hike, they are alerted to sounds of a babbling child. They pick him up and Naomi immediately decides to call him Clark. Jerome is a little concerned about naming a child after a character from a comic book, but reluctantly agrees. Time passes and Clark is raised in the New England seacoast town where his father owns a successful computer business and his mother practices law.

Growing up, Clark does not exhibit any super-powers and is teased by his peers because of his name. As a teenager, Clark and his girlfriend Laurie Lemmon attend a costume party at the beach. Clark wears a Superboy costume and Lori wears a mermaid costume. As a group of their friends head off to nearby Hampton Beach, they reminisce about an old comic book story in which Superboy had a girlfriend named Lori the mermaid. As they arrive a park officer monitoring beach traffic warns them about unusual tides.

As Clark and Laurie stroll along the starlit beach, Clark takes a running start and pretends to ascend into flight but crashes headlong onto the beach. It summertime, 1985, and Halley's Comet is approaching Earth but will not be visible to the naked eye for about another six months. So Clark is quite surprised when he can see the comet. Thinking it looks almost close enough to touch, he extends his right hand upward and attempts to point it out to Laurie and begins flying off toward the stars. As he turns a couple of somersaults in the air, he encounters Superman from Earth-1. And the story continue on page 7 of Year of the Comet.

I find it a little odd that DC chose to create yet another Superboy for the original Crisis series. It seemed as though it only served to add more confusion to the already convoluted series and further complicated the various incarnations of Superman/Superboy. Also, Superboy Prime really had very little to do with the final resolution of the original Crisis. But the character has proven to be a little more substantive as a pawn of Alexander Luthor in the current Infinite Crisis.

DC Comics Presents # 87 can be read online here http://superman.ws/tales2/comet/
and the follow-up story in Superman # 414 can be read online here http://superman.ws/tales2/revenge/

Legion of Super-Heroes # 13

2006-01-31T15:52:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that it has been over a year since Mark Waid and Barry Kitson rebooted Legion. Last issue's all-out battle against Terror-Firma and its leader, Praetor Lemnos, was so entertaining, it was a shame to have to wait so long for the next issue to read the conclusion of the story. Since the story in issue #13 is untitled, it makes me wonder if it was originally intended to be published in one giant-sized issue, which would have been great. Of course it would have probably set the cover price somewhere around $6 or $7, but it would have made the story more eventful. Plus, issue #12 was released on November 30, so everyone had to wait seven weeks for the conclusion!

Well, issue #14 comes out this week (only two weeks after the release of #13), and I should mention that it seems like it would be a good jump-on point for new readers, especially if you enjoyed reading a cosmic, space-faring series like Rann-Thanagar War. Waid has done a really good job of slowly re-introducing the legion of Legion characters a few at a time. This time in issue #14, it's Atom Girl a.k.a. Shrinking Violet, who had a brief cameo in issue #12.

Issue #13 opens at the moment Lemnos give the command to attack! His troops are poised before hundreds of transmatter gates as they prepare to invade dozens of worlds from the enemy's baseworld at the charted edge of space, and as a result, just beyond the United Planets' jurisdiction. A team of Legionnaires on the planet Ttrxlian manage to shut down the teleportation transmatters, preventing the galactic assault.

Caught unaware, Lemnos troops turn to the Legion as the staging area erupts into a slugfest! After Projectra aids in releasing the captive, Brin Londo (Timber Wolf), Brin then joins the Legionnaires as the battle intensifies when Lemnos' elite guard, Terror Firma, arrives to exert even more pressure.

Meanwhile, Rokk Krinn (Cosmic Boy) and Dirk Morgna (Sun Boy) locate and confront Lemnos himself in order to put a final end to his bid. Lemnos and Cos exchange words and both realize how their goals are so similar: they share a vision of spurring the United Planets away from complacency in the hopes of ushering in a new era of interstellar progress. Of course, they differ because Lemnos intends to accomplish the goal by starting an interplanetary war!

Then a cadre of Lemnos' elite guard, Terror Firma, seemingly come to his rescue. They trap Dirk in a stasis field, and Lemnos orders them to execute Morgna. But suddenly, the tables turn as Lemnos' guard refuses to participate in murder or fight what is by all accounts a losing battle. Cosmic Boy is livid as he fails to understand how the band of renegades can think they will simply be able to walk away from all the damage they have caused. The members of the guard explain that they only joined Lemnos in order to gain retribution against the United Planets for being born in exile as children of the criminals the U.P. simply left for dead among the planets on the far-reaches of the galaxy.

Never one to miss his cue, Lemnos uses the opportunity to make a break for it. With a sizeable lead, and thinking he's made good his escape, he is suddenly confronted by a transmatter portal from which Braniac 5 emerges! Querl Dox zaps and subdues Lemnos, then hauls him back through the portal.

And on the battlefield, the last vestiges of the Lemnos troops have succumbed to the Legion's battlefield tactics! Once again, a teleportation gate appears and Braniac emerges. Cos and Brainy exchange words about Lemnos fate, but Brainy cuts him off and directs him to give the order to direct the Legionnaires home, or what's left of it seeing as how Legion headquarters was destroyed by Lemnos right hand man, the terrakinetic Elysion. Cos acquiesces and is about to instruct what will be done with the Terror Firma agents in custody, when Dirk Morgna tosses his Legion flight ring to Cosmic Boy's feet and announces, "They're with me!"

Having been on the verge of quitting the Legion for several issues, Dirk takes this opportunity to start his new life and help the Terror Firma members find their way.

This issue also has a 6 page back up story that focuses on Dream Girl titled The Hours, written by Stuart Moore. And it include another illustrated letters page. If you haven't bought a Legion book lately, you should at least flip through one to check out how Waid and Co. conduct their letters page! Also, every issue of Legion clocks in with at a whopping 40 pages: 28 pages of story and art; 30 pages of art if you include the illustrated letters page. All a pretty good bang for your buck.

Spider-Woman: Origin # 2

2006-01-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

I tried to resist. I mean, Spider-Woman??? Marvel has been tossing out so many different mini-series lately, it makes it hard to commit to five issues. I had paged through the first issue on a couple of different visits to the local comic shop, but I still wasn't convinced. But then I saw the cover to issue #2 by Jonathan Luna. And inside: Hydra. The High Evolutionary. Bova. The TaskMaster. A story written by Brian Bendis and Brian Reed. Art by the Luna Brothers (Joshua does the layouts and Jonathan does pencils, inks, and colors.) Okay, I'm in.

Another plus for me is I got a sneak-preview copy of the book thanks to the fine folks at Hobbies and Heroes in McAllen. This book will be on the shelves next week with the January 18th releases.

Previously, Dr. Miles Warren (a.k.a. the Jackal), and Doctors Jonathan and Miriam Drew are working on genetic experiments at Wundagore Mountain in a project funded by the British government, all under the auspices of General Wyndham (a.k.a. Herbert Edgar Wyndham, i.e. the High Evolutionary.) They use a machine called a DNA compiler, a laser that records genetic information of various spiders and insects in an attempt to transfer and activate key traits of the various species to other species.
When the DNA compiler accidentally bathes Miriam Drew in its laser light, her unborn child is exposed to parts of the genetic sequence of the Wundagore Widow (latrodetus wundagore), a deadly spider that is native to the European hideaway. Initially, test show a few variances in the baby's prenatal development, but when Jessica Drew is born, everything seems fine.
Just as things between Dr. Warren and Dr. Jonathan Drew go sour, and the project begins to unravel, Jessica, who is now 10 years old, begins to demonstrate some unusual behaviors: she is able to handle the Wundagore Widow with her bare hands without being bitten, and her fingertips get stuck to a window sill. Her father takes a blood sample and after he runs it through the DNA compiler, he finds the genetic information matches the Wundagore Widow. Realizing he is on the verge of breakthough with his experiments, he begins to use Jessica as a test subject. When Jessica's mother, Dr. Miriam Drew, finds out, she intervenes and an arguement ensues which leads to Jonathan assaulting his wife. Jessica is witness to the violence and responds instinctively by attacking her father with a series of electro-magnetic pulses which come through her hands.

The second issue begins with Jessica Drew (now seventeen years old) coming out of a coma "after 11 years." General Wyndham is at her side to guide her through the ordeal and help fill in the missing time. Turns out General Wyndham no longer works for the British government; rather, he is part of Hydra!

Jessica still has the mind of a child. Wyndam employs one of Hydra's psychic operatives to probe her mind in the hopes of revealing exactly what happened to her parents at Wundagore. She sees Bova, the bovine-hybrid who served as her nanny (as well as the nanny for Pietro and Wanda Maximoff many years back), and remembers her father assualting her mother. Except in her mind, it seems her father's irrational behavior began when he transformed into a wolf-like being, perhaps the result of another accident or misguided experiment on himself (or experimentation by the High Evolutionary when he tried to create his NewMen.) After killing her father, who killed her mother, she runs outside and looks up to see the High Evolutionary standing witness to all the events.

The sudden shock of the revelation causes Jessica to unleash the electo-currents on the psychic operative who is sent flying against a far wall. Jessica then collapses onto the floor.
After some time passes, Jessica begins her training with the TaskMaster. Also, she has begun spending time with another Hydra operative named Jared. Jared explains Hydra function to Jessica: the richest people in the world control all the world's resources and the media, and as a result control the world's political leaders too. And in their attempt to grab more power and wealth, they are slowly poisoning everyone on Earth. Hydra is the organization that fights back.

Three months pass, and Jessica is still undergoing her training with the TaskMaster, but he is disgusted because although she easily defeats her enemies, she continues to rely on her anger and emotion for each victory. And as a result, he can still kick her ass too. (Ooohhh! the TaskMaster can beat up girls!)
Jessica approaches General Wyndam to request that she be allowed to participate in Hydra missions. Jared leaves on a mission to Latveria, and after a few weeks Jessica gets her Spider-Woman uniform in preparation for her first mission: to rescue Jared who has gone missing. Hydra believes he has been captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. and is being held in Monaco.

The issue closes with Agent Arachne (Jessica Drew's original codename) attacking Nick Fury as he pounds away at Jared. The last scene of the book fits in seamlessly with Spider-Woman's original story in Marvel Spotlight # 32, which was recently included few months back in Spider-Woman Giant-Size # 1, as well as in the Essential Spider-Woman Vol. 1 reprint collection Marvel released in connection with this series and Spider-Woman being featured in current issues of The New Avengers. So I guess you could say Bendis really has a mad on for Jessica Drew.

Jonathan Luna's artwork really works well with this story. As you can see, the brothers use large, long panels that convey a lot of information and help pace the story. Frank Quietly uses this same visual style (which can be seen most recently in All-Star Superman # 1.) I've not read the Luna Brother's work for Image (Ultra and Girls), but I certainly have noticed they have been getting more and more attention lately. Their work reminds me of Udon's work when he illustrated Deadpool toward the end of volume 2. And strangely enough, those issues featured the TaskMaster too!

I find it very interesting that Bendis and Reed have chosen to portray Hydra as the sympathetic heroes, when they have always functioned as a villainous terrorist organization. And these issues are not without other problems. In a glaring continuity gaff, Jessica is 10 years old at the time of the coma in the first issue, but when she comes out from the coma "eleven years later", issue 2 says she is 17 years old.

But the errors and political subtext aside, the books have been a fun read. I hope the rest of the series is at least as entertaining and has further interesting plot twists.

Marvel Zombies # 1

2005-12-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

Marvel Zombies has a cool logo. Zombies have really been popular lately, so it's no surprise that Marvel tapped writer Rob Kirkman to write a story where all the heroes are....well, zombies. The painted cover by famed artist Arthur Suydam does a good job of beginning the desecration. Yeah, that's a take off the cover of Amazing Fantasy # 15 (originally done by Jack Kirby.) I think it's what they call a "homage"...heh. The smog filled sky is a nice touch. But the question is: Is it entertaining? Is it worth tracking down the issue that seems to have flown off the shelf? Is it even worth the cover price of $2.99??? (First of 5 parts...collect them all!)

Marvel has yet to announce a second print...er...Marvel Must-Have edition of the book, but they waited a looong time to reprint Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe. I mention PKtMU because it's kind of in the same vein. Kinda like Sergio Aragones Destroys the Marvel Universe or Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe. But where those are funny "haha", Marvel Zombies is funny rancid. Funny rancid because this is a story that takes place within the current continuity....of the Ultimate universe books.

Previously in Ultimate Fantastic Four #21-24 in a story titled "Crossover" , Reed is duped into traveling through a portal to a dimension where using the Sentry as a host, a virus from another infected universe lands on Earth and within a 24 hour period infects all the heroes turning them into flesh-craving zombies. Fortunately, the only way to become infected is get bitten by one of the zombies. Unfortunately, Reed is targeted for their next meal. And he does what you might expect from one the smartest minds in the universe....he runs!

Luckily, he finds someone who has managed to remain uninfected....Magneto. Then Reed realizes the zombies are going to use the portal to travel to his home dimension and begin the infection. And that's exactly what happens. Fortunately, the Ultimate FF manage to quarantine the zombie version of the FF, then they use the portal to head to the zombie dimension to find Reed. Finally, they safely return home, leaving Magneto behind to destroy the portal and save the Ultimate universe. (Even though the zombie version of the FF is still in quarantine in the Ultimate universe.) Of course, this entire story was written by Mark Millar and lavishly illustrated by Greg Land....who even manages to make zombie-girls look "hot".

Now what does this have to do with Marvel Zombies # 1? Well, Zombies is a follow up to the excellent Ultimate Fantastic Four story. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near as clever. But it does have a cool logo.

Super-Star Holiday Special

2005-12-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

Since it's Christmas Eve, here at ol' Slugfest! we've dug out a Christmas treasure Super-Star Holiday Special (DC Special Series vol.4 #21) from 1979 (never mind that April 1980 cover date!) featuring several of DC's mainstays. First off is the bounty hunter himself, Jonah Hex. Ol' Hex must have been really good this year because he even got to see the return of his own comic series! But back in '79, as the first run was getting underway, he was featured in a story titled The Fawn and the Star written by Michael Fleisher and art by Dick Ayers and Romeo Tanghal.

It's the day before Christmas, and Jonah rides with two companions: death and gunsmoke. As dusk settles in, the stars fill the sky and Jonah can't help but notice one in particular "off tuh the south, sparklin' like a diamond big as all Tennessee!" So he decides he's going to take advantage of the starlight to track Barlow Tull and his brother, who can't be too far off on account of the .30-.06 shell Hex lodged in Tull's neck day before last!

Suddenly, he comes upon a man aiming at a little doe in the snow and the man's daughter, a little girl named Holly imploring, "No! You can't shoot him again!" Hex listens as the father tries to explain to his daughter that the deer is simply Christmas dinner for the family. When Hex greets them, the man tells him, "Stay outta this, mister! This is just a family matter..." But Holly takes advantage of Hex's entrance and gets him to aid her in saving the injured fawn. Jonah dismounts and tells little Holly, " 'Pears like yore little deer has went an' busted his leg!" He directs her to get some strips of cloth from his saddlebag. When Holly's father sees Hex setting the leg, he speaks up. But before he can voice his protest, Hex tells him, "Seein' as how ah stole yore Christmas dinner from yuh, ah'm gonna go out an' find you a substitute dinner!" Holly's dad agrees but tells Hex, "If'n you ain't back here by sunup, ah'm gonna shoot thet deer an' me'n muh family's gonna eat it fer dinner!"

As Jonah rides along, he realizes why he has gotten involved in this situation. His mind drifts back to a time when he was little and he rescued a raccoon from a bear trap, took it home, patched up the leg that had been caught in the trap, and named the little critter Roy. He also recalls how when his dad arrived all liquored up and found him coming out of the woodshed, Jonah explained how he had found the raccoon and told him, "A-ah'm keepin' 'im inside the woodshed! Thet's okay fer me tuh do--ain't it, Pa?" Hex's dad replied, "Shore, boy!" then sent him off to mend the back fence and chop a cord of firewood before supper.

Later at dinner, Jonah's mom noticed that he was eating his dinner like something was after him! He explained that he was in a hurry so he could try and scrounge up some food for Roy. Mom was puzzled until Hex's dad explained that Roy was a raccoon that Jonah "brung home from the forest this mornin'!" Mom whispered, "Y-you mean the one we're---" In disgust, Jonah tossed away his glass of milk and upset his plate saying, "You killed Roy? Y-you killed my raccoon?" Hex's dad tried to make his son understand telling him, "A raccoon is a raccoon, boy, an' people is people! You an' me an' yore maw, we is people!" But in anger Jonah shouted, "I hate you! I wish you were dead!" Soon the haunting memory fades and Jonah realizes that his chances of finding game on this moonless night are next to nil. And seeing as how the bright star in the south is the only light in the sky, he decides to follow it to see "if'n mebbe it cain't bring me a little Christmas luck!" Hours later, still coming up empty, he comes upon a cave and decides to check it out thinking he might be able to "flush me out a hibernatin' bear!" Well as rotten luck would have it, there's something worse than a bear in the cave; it's the Tull brothers, Barlow and Homer!

They spot Jonah approaching the cave and Homer sends off two rounds in Hex's direction. Hex collapses, but Barlow is suspicious because "thet Hex kin be mighty crafty!" And as they leave the cave to check on their quarry, Hex bolts upright with a blazing six-shooter and yells, "Here's a little somethin' fer yore Christmas stockin', skunk!" Homer goes down, and Hex tells him, "Come on outta thar wi'f yore hands up high!" When Barlow refuses, Hex lights a cord of dynamite and hurls it toward Barlow telling him, "Ah shore wouldn't want tuh lose out on the reward money bein' offered...just on account'a yore remains turnin' out to be unrecognizable!" Then the cave erupts in a thundering explosion.

When the smoke clears, Hex approaches the cave and thinks to himself, "Well ah guess it's turnin' out tuh be a profitable Christmas fer me, but thet ain't gonna be much consolation tuh little Holly!" But then he spies a backpack and thinks, "It just could be thet Holly's little fawn is gonna make it through the holiday season after all!"

As dawn breaks, Hex finds himself on Holly's doorstep being greeted by Holly and her family. First thing Holly notices are the two dead bodies trussed up on the two trailing horses. Hex tells her, "Never mind them, Honey!" Then he turns to Holly's dad and gives him the backpack. The man quickly opens it up and says, "Wha---!? There's nothing in here but trail provisions: hardtack an'....an' beef jerky!" Hex reminds him he just promised he'd "feed yore family fer Christmas!" He tells Holly, the fawn is yores now, Honey!" Holly's dad explains that he would never have been able to shoot the deer anyway.

Hex rides off thinking, "If'n ah wuz a religious man, ah'd be tempted tuh say it wuz thet lucky star up thar whut led me tuh the Tull brothers an' thet knapsack full'a vittles!"

This issue also features what must have been one of Robert Kanigher's last Sgt. Rock stories. It also includes a story from the House of Mystery written by Bob Rozakis, a Legion of Super-Heroes story written by Paul Levitz (with the Phantom Girl and Saturn Girl in the great 70s costumes!) But what is probably most desireable about this issue is the Batman story written by Denny O'Neil with artwork by Frank Miller. This particular story is Miller's first work on Batman, and although you can see glimpses of his signature style, I decided against a comprehensive review because the story is practically unintelligible. However it does have an unusual ending for a story in a comic book: a Bible verse from Luke 1:78...."To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Hellblazer # 215

2005-12-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Mike Carey's superb run on Hellblazer comes to an end with issue # 215 in part 2 of the story R.S.V.P. And we are treated to one last cover of Constantine by Tim Bradstreet before the new writer and cover artist come aboard. Bradstreet uses a story motif of shattered glass with each shard depicting images used on the covers throughout Carey's run, which began with issue # 175; so forty issues in all, like Jaime Delano's original run! What follows is a complete review of issues #214 and #215.

In the wake of the death of his sister, Cheryl Masters, John has returned to London to bury the dead; back to his old haunts and old habits; in short, he's up to no good. While drinking alone at a local pub, an illusory zombie delivers an invitation to a black tie affair at the Tate Club, to mark its 200th anniversary, to be held on the soltice, natch.

John exits the bar and unsuccessfully tries to contact Chas, when he is approached by a guy by the name of Etheridge, who constructed the illusion. He explains that he is with Tate's event committee and is hoping to secure a verbal R.S.V.P. from John to speak at the event. Constantine is unimpressed and chastises him for his little ruse, and tells him to stuff his invite.

Next, he hails a cab and heads to Brixton in search of Chas, but when he finds he isn't home, he continues the cab ride to Streatham to Chas' cousin Norma's flat. Norma is not happy to see John and attempts to turn him away, but Chas approaches the door and reluctantly invites in John. Chas proceeds to tell about all the problems he's experienced as of late: he's out of work, and his wife Renee has left him with his daughter. John tries to empathize, but at the heart of it, Chas blames John for all his hard luck and a fight ensues. Norma calls the police and Constantine ends up in jail.

Alone with his thoughts, John tries to reconcile Chas' accusation: John become addicted to magic. He's brought before a judge who quickly realizes just how slippery Constantine can be when he notes that his records with American penal system have been lost and his psychiatric profile from Ravenscar seems to be "air-brushed from history." He corrects the judge by telling him, "It was a blowtorch. I just burn my past every few years. Get rid of the rubbish."

Clarice Sackville winds up bailing him out and paying his fine, all to the tune of 1000 pounds. Then she gives him a warning, "You're swimming with good, strong strokes--straight downwards. There isn't any bottom." Of course, like all advice John gets, it falls on deaf ears.

With Chas' words still ringing in his ears, he heads to his lock-up, a storage space with a sorts of stuff he's accumulated, and mulls over the odds and ends of his life. In a somewhat impulsive decision, he set everything ablaze; a blowtorch to his possessions that further obscures his past and his identity.

As he contemplates the results of his handiwork, Map Ondaatje shows up and John sends him off with a message to Clarice: He'll attend and speak at The Tate anniversary after all.
The following day, John finds himself in a nihilistic mood. He walks over to the botanical gardens and begins speaking to a tree and minutes later Swamp Thing's visage appears in the wood. John tells him about his sister's burial and ask that he "drop a couple of flowers on her grave for me." Meanwhile, over at the funeral Angie Spatchcock and Gemma, John's neice, listen to the parson's words and witness the results of John's request.

Over at the Tate Club, the guests begin arriving. Clarice shows up unescorted and the host are left wondering whether or not Constantine will show up. Everyone is seated, and when it seems that John will be a no-show, like a bad penny, he turns up. And so with everyone thinking it'll be a couple of jokes, an inspirational message, and a toast to the club, John begins.The message is much like the one he delivered to Etheridge, but not quite as succinct: The universe is unwinding down. Things fall apart. Once things fall apart--they do not put themselves back together again. And if you play with fire, you're gonna get burned.

Then he pulls a hair from his head and sets it to the flame of a candle. As it burns, it summons the angel of death and the perceptions of reality for each guest explode like glass into a million fragments with the revelation of their mortality.

Clarice is appalled by the turn of events and tells Constantine, "They'll never forgive you." But John shrugs it off and reminds her there is no point in kidding yourself.

Constantine makes a quick exit out the back only to find the prescence of all the ghosts of his past. Some innocents, some not so innocent. They clear a path for him, and as the sky opens up, the rain runs down his face leaving us to wonder if those are really tears.

So a little something for everyone, as longtime reader's will catch references from Delano's run (issue # 24:Family Man) and Ennis' run (issue #64:Fear and Loathing), among others. Or spot characters in the panel above like Judith, Frank North, Sister Annie-Marie, Benjamin Cox, and Gary Lester. But of course, all the back story aside, this story is completely accessible to new readers and even works as a good jump-on point prior to the beginning of Denise Mina's run. But Mike Carey will be a tough act to follow.

All-Star Comics # 58

2005-12-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

This weekend here at Slugfest!, up for your consideration is the much ballyhooed first appearance of Power Girl in All-Star Comics # 58, which sports a cover by Mike Grell. Although this issue is cover-dated Feb. and the indicia says Jan.-Feb. 1976, this book actually hit in stands in November of 1975. Gerry Conway handles the writing and editing, while Wally Wood inks over Ric Estrada's pencils.

When this issue hit the stands, Conway was editor of the DC line of comics and was introducing a slew of new titles, many of them very short lived, like Man-Bat, Blackhawk, Blitzkreig, Freedom Fighters, Sherlock Holmes, and Batman Family. He also had his first Justice League of America story published (issues #125-127), so it must have been quite a thrill to also spearhead the revival of one of the most revered DC series. So does this issue live up to the sensationalism of late? You be the judge!

On Earth Two, Doctor Mid-Nite has called together five other members of the Justice Society to inform them of the coming danger: Within twenty-four hours the world will end! Disaster will strike three cities within the next day! So Hawkman, as acting chairman, splits the groups into three teams: he and Doctor Mid-Nite will head to Seattle, Washington; Flash (Jay Garrick) and Wildcat are sent to Peking, ROC; and Dr. Fate and Green Lantern (Alan Scott) are on their way to Capetown, South Africa.

The scene switches, and we see the Star-Spangled Kid using the Cosmic Rod to fly through the skies of Seattle. He explains that Ted Knight (Starman) is disabled with a broken leg, so he using the Rod for the time being. Lucky for him because a group of armed robbers is making off with the loot from the First National Bank. Using the Rod, he creates a force-field and melts their guns. After a few action-filled panels, the excitement is over and the Kid sits along a curb and thinks back to the time warp that stranded him in the present. (see JLA # 102: And One of Us Must Die! recently reprinted in Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 3) But the Kid's mope session is quickly cut short when an earthquake suddenly strikes! As he realizes that Cosmic Rod or no Cosmic Rod, he is in over his head. Hawkman and Doctor Mid-Nite arrive on the seen but decide not to intervene because "offering our help now would destroy what self-reliance" the Kid has managed to regain. Sheesh! Must have been the 70s "Your O.K., I'm O.K." brainwash!

And speaking of brainwashing, we finally get to get a peek as to who is masterminding this whole "destroy the world" scheme: Brain Wave! Driven mad after the Justice Society imprisoned him, the man named Henry King no longer exists. In fact, he looks nothing like the villain that originally appeared in All-Star Comics # 37 as a member of the Injustice Society of America (see picture on left, below.) Anyhow, we learn Brain Wave's real intent is the destruction of the JSA, but if the world gets destroyed in the process....well....

Over in Capetown, while serving as an ambassador for the United Nations, Richard Grayson attends a function and discusses his intentions of recommending a study of U.N. attitudes toward policies of Apartheid. Without warning, an explosion is seen and heard in the distance, and a noxious gas emanating from the blast site quickly blankets the city. Quickly, Robin heads into action!

Doctor Fate and Green Lantern arrrive on the scene after the explosion. After Green Lantern more closely examine the gas with his ring, he discovers it is an artificial disaster, and Doctor Fate realizes the connection between the computer message received earlier at JSA headquarters and the catastrophe. Green Lantern is suddenly overcome by the fumes, but Doctor Fate generates a spell of magical lightning in order to have a natural phenomenon disperse the gas. They quickly trace the gas to the source and find a hole from which it is still escaping. Green Lantern creates a huge plug and corks up the hole, then discovers Robin passed out on the ground.

With the gas under control, Robin revives and Green Lantern and Doctor Fate suspiciously begins to question him asking, "Aren't you a little far from home, pal?" But as Robin protests, the gas hole blows Green Lantern's cork covering sky-high. The force of the mighty explosion knocks out Fate and Lantern, but this time Robin is left concious and on his own to attempt to resolve the problem.

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the world, Wildcat is being swept along in Flash's backdraft as they arrive in Peking to witness the birth of an inexplicable new volcano spewing ash, smoke and lava. Wildcat appropriates a motorcycle from one of the local residents and both heroes race toward trouble. Flash uses friction as he runs to dig a trench that temporarily stops the lava flow. With the situation in hand, they look up and see Power Girl. She grabs hold of a lava flow and turns it onto the volcano's vent and proceeds to stomp on the lava flow until it completely plugs the conduit and stops the eruption. All while wearing heels!

Next, she approaches Flash and Wildcat and introduces herself. Of course, they leave out the part where she has to repeat the explanation five times because the boys can't seem to concentrate on what she is saying!

But the introduction is cut short when a small band of Chinese militia begin an attack. Wildcat starts punching 'em one at a time, until Power Girl literally steps in. She stomps her foot and practically the whole cadre is knocked out! Feeling like she's taken all the fun out of the slugfest!, Wildcat tells her, "Lady, a man could get to hate you."
Power Girl points out that something is seriously amiss because in Seattle, the Star-Spangled Kid is handling the city's disaster on his own; in Capetown, Robin is taking care of a menace neither Doctor Fate or Green Lantern could defeat; and here in Peking, she has done all the work as Wildcat and Flash have stood by helplessly. So she suggests forming a new team, a strike force composed of the JSA and Robin, Star-Spangled Kid, and herself known as the Super-Squad!

So the issue ends as their first mission begins with the search for Brain Wave.

So whadda ya think? Every comics' fan knows the rumor that when Wally Wood created Power Girl, he planned to draw her bust increasingly larger with every subsequent issue until someone called him on it. Personally, I've always considered the anecdote to be apocryphal. This issue also includes a letters page titled All-Star Comments which features missives from two of the biggest Justice Society fans on the planet: Dr. Jerry Bails and Roy Thomas. Back in 1975, both were rather enthusiastic about the return of the series, although the good doctor was a little ambivalent about the whole Super-Squad idea. And unfortunately, people must have agreed with him because the All-Star Comics revival only ran to issue # 74 for a total of 17 issues. However, it is still very interesting to note that 30 years later there is still interest in these books.

Giant-Size Invaders # 2

2005-12-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

Some of you may be wondering, 'Where is Giant-Size Invaders # 1? Did I miss it?' Well, if you were buying comics during the summer of 1975, you might have been lucky enough to pick one up then. See, Marvel has decided to resume publishing the "Giant-Size" specials and keep the old numbering from the 70s. But all the confusing numbering aside, as the black banner at the top of the cover states, this issue features an all-new story written by original Invaders scribe Roy Thomas. Jay Anacleto incredible cover alone is nearly worth the price of admission. The new story titled A Drive in the Country features pencils by Lee Weeks and finishes by Jesse Delperdang, Mike Perkins, and Lee Weeks. I suppose the title is meant to be a play on words refering not only to actual story events, but to the sweeping patriotism fueling America's current mission.

The story opens with a splash of the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, and Miss America (Madeline Joyce) flying through the sky during the summer of '42 as they escort a mysterious guest aboard an aircraft. The guest turns out to be Winston Churchill and the destination is Hyde Park, Franklin D. Roosevelt's family estate. Namor recalls the day Churchill gave the group their name and comments that in retrospect it seems to be a "bad joke" because he wonders, "Who do we "invade"?" I'm a little surprised at this comment because it's obviously meant to be a dig at current foreign policy. But I guess I shouldn't be too surprised considering some of the anti-Bush comments recently published in Alter Ego, Roy Thomas' magazine. Personally, I've always regarded the name The Invaders to be a boast: We invade territories that have been invaded by our enemies!....in this case, the Axis forces.

Anyway, Namor seems his usual moody self and thinks it is beneath him to play bodyguard to other heads of state, so he heads off to spend some time alone in the Hudson River and wait for the conference to finish. Captain America is on the ground with Roosevelt and after Churchill's plane lands, both leaders head off for a drive in Roosevelt's car, which has been modified for him to drive. He speeds off so quickly he leave his secret-service agents behind.

Elsewhere on the estate, two German operatives working directly for Hiltler have managed to sneak onto the President's property fully aware of the secret meeting taking place. Their plan: to kill the leaders! Both swallow special capsule that turn them into giants, and when the car carrying the two dignitaries approaches, the giants assualt the vehicle. But luckily, Torch and Miss America are nearby and engage the giants in a slugfest!

Miss America is quickly knocked for a loop as one of the giants backhands her and sends her flying off. But the Torch is a little more formidable and manages to go toe-to-toe for a while. Unexpectedly, one of the giants pulls out a laser gun and fires it directly at him, momentarily knocking him down. The giants use these stolen moments to try to complete their devious mission. Then Cap shows up and gives them what for. Yet, even Cap can't seem to best them, as they knock him down too.

Meanwhile, in an effort to escape from the Germans, Roosevelt accidentally winds up driving the car into a shallow part of the river. So as the Huns once again attempt to complete their deadly mission, Namor surprises them by providing the necessary protection. Then Miss America, Captain America and the Torch join in the fray. The Torch surrounds them in a ring of fire, and immediately the giants scream in agony. So Torch quickly puts out the fire. They witness the giants shrivel down to corpses and realize it was not the flames that killed them. Cap search them and finds the carrying cases which contained the pills that induced their transformation. Cap deduces that the rapid growth caused by the pills is ultimately what caused their death.

In the most poignant point in the story, Cap wonders if the enemies were aware they would die once they took the pills and says, "If the day ever comes when America confronts a horde of suicidal fanatics--it's liable to find them even harder to defeat than an army."

Marvel kinda kills a couple of birds with one stone with the release of this book since it includes reprints of two golden-age stories from the upcoming All-Winners Marvel Masterwork volume, as well as featuring complete reprints of the first two issues of Invaders with the story The Ring of the Nebulas! written by Roy Thomas, who will be the feature writer in the upcoming Marvel Visionaries to be released in January.

Marvel should have reprinted the first Giant-Size Invaders story because the first issue of the regular series from 1975 was a continuation of the story begun in the first Giant-Size issue. Getting to see Frank Robbins artwork vibrantly reprinted on the nice paper is a real treat. During the original run of this series, I was always ambivalent about Robbins' talents, but as an adult, there is no doubt about it....he's the real deal. Heck, even Vince Coletta's inks over Robbins pencils look good here!

The reprints of the golden-age material are the real tease here. The reproduction quality looks great, so the Masterwork volume should be fun reading. And of course, this package saves the best for last as they reprint a Joe Simon/Jack Kirby Captain America story titled The Strange Case of the Malay Idol.

Jack Cross # 4

2005-11-26T18:53:00.000-08:00

The first story arc titled Love Will Get You Killed comes to a close this week in
Jack Cross # 4. This series features characters written and created by Warren Ellis and artwork by Gary Erskine.

In the opening scene in the first issue, four-armed assailants, a girl, a mechanic, a mailman, and a shooter, steal a suitcase from a group of South African men in a Chicago tenement and blow up the building to cover their tracks. So the questions: what's in the briefcase? and who's gone to extremes to acquire it? form the basis for this four-issue thriller.

National Security Council operative Karen Huang calls in Cross to interrogate a Department of Homeland Security agent, James Wilkie, who has been captured after he turned on his own security team as they were intercepting the suitcase weapon from a South African terrorist outfit: PAGAD, or People Against Gangsterism and Drugs. In exchange for interrogating Wilkie, Cross gets "two million dollars and an additional three years of total freedom and official nonexistance"; presumably to continue with his political activism, like staging a protest march in San Francisco that includes "takes against the occupation, rights infringement, and the way the country's changing."

Under the watchful eyes of DHS assistant-director Tom Morden, Cross uses some unforgiving tactics on Wilkie and uncovers a CIA cell hidden within DHS. In the second issue, Wilkie explains that the weapon is a Neurological Derangement System device: a non-lethal psychotronic warfare unit which induces a specific kind of permanent brain damage, making its victims docile. Wilkie went rogue in an effort to acquire the weapon as a bargaining chip to free Yasamin Saad, an anti-Saddam activist he believes is wrongly interned at Guatanamo Bay...who he happens to be sweet on. (aww!) But as no good deed goes unpunished, a back-end PAGAD squad foils Wilkie's scheme and acquires the briefcase, leaving him alive to lie his way out of the mess he's created.

After a little more harsh treatment, Wilkie divulges the members of his cell: Paul Philip Pogue, Harry Gouvea, John N.J. Snow. Then Cross promptly shoots him in the head. Assistant-director Morden immediately confronts Cross, who responds by putting him in his place saying, "You don't get to question me. I have sold my sanity for the last ten years in defense of this country. Real defense. Real threats. Including the ones we made ourselves."

When Jack flies to Miami for a rendezvous at Guatanamo Bay, Cuba, he is met by Lauren Charlton, a DHS agent assigned by Morden as a "handler" for Cross. While Charlton drives Cross to his hotel, they exchange stories and find they have a bit in common, as they both grew up as military brats. Cross soon realizes they are being tailed and pulls some high powered slugfest! action to stop his assailants. Artist Gary Erskine uses some Sam Pekinpah style techinques as he slows the action down to a frame by frame pace to develop nuances of this graphic sequence. Cross and Charlton bring their vehicle to a stop and approach the dying men who mumble, "...killed my people..blew up the whole house...and you call us terrorists...." Cross recognizes the accent as South African. Back at the hotel, Cross contacts Huang as news reports of the Chicago tenement bombing are hitting the TV airwaves. Jack surmises the device Wilke was trying to acquire is still at play.

Issue three begins the next day, as Cross and Charlton arrive at Guantanamo to meet with Yasamin Saad to learn more about the Neurological Derangement System, or NDS device. A chaplin accompanies Saad and remains in the interrogation room along with Charlton as Saad explains that DHS agents contacted her two weeks prior. But when Cross asks for the names of the DHS agents, all-out action cuts loose as the not-so-holy chaplin pulls out a high-powered weapon to prevent Saad from talking! After 6 pulse-pounding pages of slugfest! action, Cross uses more of his convincing techniques to get the vicar to reveal that he's actually CIA. And not only that, he recognizes Cross and calls him by his real name, John Craske. Saad then reveals the names of the visitors: Snow, Pogue, and Gouvea....the CIA operatives in Wilkie's cell planted in the Department of Homeland Security!

Cross hustles it out of Guantanamo, contacts Huang to prepare a jet in anticipation of their arrival, and along with Charlton, boards a helicopter to return to the mainland. But it's out of the frying pan and into the fire as an aggressive Apache helicopter targets them and shoots to kill! This time it's 7 pages of slugfest! action in the air! Agent Charlton reminds Cross he is in an unarmed helicopter, and Jack tells her: "Guns make you stupid. Guns make you forget that anything can be a weapon." Then he directs the helicopter toward the side of the Apache resulting in a collision that spells the end for the instigators.

Later, back at the FBI office in Miami, issue three concludes as Cross posits that the National Security Council should have enough evidence to make the CIA "come clean." Karen Huang shows up by surprise and informs them that on the guarantee of agency immunity, the CIA director revealed that the device is in San Francisco and is going to be used on the protestors in order to quell civil disobedience in the bay area for a generation. Huang says, "The CIA doesn't have to guarantee free speech to anyone. Protestors aid the terrorists. Heard that one before?"

So as issue four begins, Warren Ellis completely blurs the line between comicbook reality, current events, and his own personal agenda.

Cross now has a personal stake in the matter since he organized the protest march. Ellis reveals his entire plot: In our post-911 world, the Department of Homeland Security is comprised of sixteen agencies including the FBI. DHS does not include the CIA. Ellis proposes that DHS was created to snub the CIA for their failure on 9-11, and the FBI was included in DHS to allow them "to make good."

So, back in comicbook reality, the CIA has infiltrated the DHS with two cells: 1) Wilkie, Snow, Pogue, and Gouvea ; and 2) the backup cell of assailants who blew up the tenement at the beginning of the story: the girl, the mechanic, the mailman, and the shooter. All in an effort to use the weapon on protestors undermining governmental authority by expressing free speech, and to pin it on the DHS. On the jet ride to Chicago, Warren Ellis again uses Cross to prostelitize, proposing that since there was no terrorist activity on the Millennium, the intelligence community did their job....without the aid of DHS or "without impacting the rights of the American people or our visitors. Free speech is not a terrorist activity."

As they land in Chicago, they are met by the FBI and board a helicopter. Cross and Charlton continue their conversation, and Charlton questions how protesting will change anything. Jack responds with another question: "What did taxation without representation change?" Charlton responds, "Not a lot without the revolutionary war." And Cross gets the last word in: "Then maybe that's next."

Pretty heavy handed stuff for a comic book, if you ask me! So where the slugfest!?! action??? Why, on the next page! It's practically non-stop slugfest! action for the rest of the book!

With photo IDs of Snow, Gouvea, and Pogue in hand, the FBI spots Pogue. Cross wastes no time. As he directs the helicopter pilot to decend, he grabs a rope until he low enough to drop onto the roof of a car....glass flying in every direction from the impact. He targets and assaults Pogue with a direct hit! But Snow is close by, and although he arrives too late to provide back-up, he engages Cross in a fire-fight while they use parked cars for cover. Next, Jack uses his marksman skills to puncture the gas tank of the car Snow is hiding behind. He then lights his lighter and sends it toward the puddle of gasoline spilling onto the street, engulfing Snow in a ball of fire as the vehicle erupts into flames!

The protestors march on and we see single panels of the surviving members of the cells. Time ticks by as the Neurological Derangement System device is primed for detonation. Gouvea spots Cross and fires a slug that hits him in the gut! But Cross' training supercedes the pain and he puts a bullet in Gouvea's brain and keeps moving.

Meanwhile, Agent Charlton has the helicopter land and proceeds on foot in search of Jack. Amidst the protest march, Cross fires his gun into the air causing the crowd to disperse. Well, that is everybody except the man with the briefcase! In the final confrontation, Jack points his gun and directs him to give up. Then the shocker! He hears the voice behind him instruct him to do the same; it's Lauren Charlton....revealed as "the girl" in the second deep-cover cell! She tells him, "...there has to be limits to freedom. Because dissent scares people. Jack you kill him. I kill you." Cross responds, "See? Guns make people stupid."

Then Jack fires a direct hit at the briefcase device which bursts into flames. Charlton fires the bullet, which Cross has anticipated. It strikes Jack in upper left arm as he turns and fires a bullet through Agent Charlton's heart, then turns to the man engulfed in flames and does the same. Before Cross blacks out, he see Karen Huang standing over him, reassuring him that help is on the way.

The story closes with BBC news reports stating the tenement explosion was a result of a "gas leak" and CIA director George Tarrant was found dead at home in an apparent "burglary gone wrong."

In the end, Jack is back at home recovering from his wounds. And adding a little cross-shaped cutting to his body in memory of Lauren Charlton, as he does for every person he sends to the grave.

Warren Ellis gives a whole new meaning to the old adage: Just because you think you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you. Even if you not a huge fan of his work, you have to admit he is certainly one comicdom's most prolific modern writers. But from my own perspective, he seem to be one who's work shines when under close editorial scrutiny. I say this because some of his stories published independently seem to lack the focus of work he has generated through mainstream publishers. However, I enjoy reading stories featuring characters he has created rather than see him redefine or remain constrained to previous continuity.

Jack Cross, like many of Ellis' other characters, is a tough-as-nails maverick, whose single-mindedness plays out in dead ahead storytelling. With Cross, Ellis gambles blending elements of science-fiction and the dangers of jingoism, into a character with questionable moral idealism. Ellis liberally uses Cross as a platform for his personal opinions; much of it bordering on didacticism....in other word, sometimes Ellis seems to take himself a little too seriously! For example, when in the FBI offices in Miami, Cross lectures Charlton on the definition of a conspiracy by saying, "When someone is ordering an operation, and others are tasked to perform it, that's not a conspiracy." Or when on route to the protest, Charlton says, "It's not a global village we're in. It's a global city. And people who live in the city don't leave their doors unlocked." C'mon Ellis! Lighten up a bit!

DC seems to be taking a chance publishing this book sporting a DC logo, as it seems it would more logically fit under the Vertigo imprint. I seriously doubt that Batman or Superman will be showing up within the pages of this book....ever. But more and more, DC seems to be including titles like Jack Cross or the upcoming return of Steve Gerber's Hard Time under the DC umbrella. Perhaps they are considering collapsing the Vertigo imprint post-Infinite Crisis.

Although the indicia states this is a monthly title, anyone who reads Planetary knows Warren Ellis won't be held to a timeline! So it's no surprise that the next issue blurb says, "Stay tuned, in a few months, for the next chapter in the Jack Cross saga!" And those of you who enjoyed it....will. Hey, I'd rather wait and see a complete story released in a timely manner than have to wait months for them to finish it. Wouldn't you?

X-Men: Deadly Genesis # 1

2005-11-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Professor X is missing, presumed dead. Earth's mutant population has been reduced to a fraction of its previous size. And in the aftermath, the X-Men are left to pick up the pieces under the watchful gaze of a Sentinel positioned outside the mansion for government surveillance. Billed as "the greatest mystery in the history of the X-Men", X-Men: Deadly Genesis written by Ed Brubaker with pencils by Trevor Hairsine and inks by Kris Justice, revisits the story presented in Giant-Size X-Men # 1 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its release.

After a one-page recap, the story moves past the exosphere (heh) where the crippled space-shuttle Prospect is host to a dead crew. And from the depths of space, an unknown visitor appears with glowing eyes and hands, his body alive with energy. He says, "No...it can't just be me..." leading us to believe there were others who were accompanying him on his journey. In an attempt to orient himself, he approaches the dead astronauts, and simply by touching one he gets a glimpse into the past and how they met their demise: a flash of light and its resultant energy surge. And although the reader is only left to wonder, the blazing eyes of this visitor seem to understand exactly what has transpired. After boarding the ship, he realizes he is now in the 21st century, abandoned or exiled by "them", and none to happy about it.

Over at the mansion, Piotr finds Kurt lost in thought as he examines a photo of the original "new" X-Men team: Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, Banshee, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Professor X....with Sunfire and Thunderbird noticeably absent. The point made a little more apparent when Kurt says, "And it occurs to me this is one of the few times all of us have been together since this picture was taken. All who are still with us." Meanwhile, reluctantly under the supervision of Kitty Pryde and Lockheed, Emma Frost is using Cerebra in an effort to try and locate Professor X and instead picks up on an "omega level" energy signature. As she tries to lock on its position, a psychic slugfest! knocks Emma unconscious, with Kitty witnessing Emma's mental projection of the shuttle Prospect as it crash lands.

As Hank and Scott rush Emma to the infirmary, Kitty relates the events and Scott decides to take action. With Rachel and Logan, he boards the Blackbird as he wonders aloud who else beside Professor X might possibly register as powerful a signature. Once they out-manuever the Sentinel on guard, they proceed toward the crash location in upstate New York.

Back in the mansion, Kitty trying to recover from the entire incident, screams as she looks into a mirror and momentarily sees a reflection of a walking, decayed corpse. As she turns to face the horror, she see Piotr instead, who has come to check on her. Simultaneously, Kurt is walking about in the woods surrounding the mansion and finds himself confronted by an angry mob with murderous intent, which harkens back to the time he was rescued by Professor X. Just when it appears that there is nowhere left to turn, Kurt realizes it is all just an abberant vision.

Back in the Adirondacks, somewhere near Lake Placid, the team in the Blackbird flies over a fist of clay which has risen out of the earth and is clutching the shuttle, Prospect. Surmising this is not the work of Charles Xavier, Rachel's psy-scan of the area reveals the prescence of an "omega-plus level mutant.

Meanwhile on Muir Island, Sean Cassidy is on a mission to go through Moira MacTaggart's files in an effort to find clues to the Professor's whereabouts. McCoy tells Cassidy, "If anyone knew Charles' secrets, it'd be her." Sean experiences a vision similar to Kitty and Kurt, and thinks he see Moira.

And at the crash site, Scott, Logan, and Rachel have disembarked and begin their search. They too experience a strange vision in what appears to be Jean. Rachel falls for the ruse and pursues the image only to captured by the visitor. Cyclops and Wolverine spring into action!

On Muir Island, the vision of Moira leads Sean to a set of offices before he realizes what he is witnessing is impossible. As he wanders into the building, he finds what appears to be a zip cartridge labeled "Charles Xavier's notes: Important".

Meanwhile the visitor attacks Wolverine with a lightning bolt which lifts him off the ground rendering him totally helpless. The visitor tosses Wolverine toward Cyclops and knocks him down. As Scott scrambles to his knees and the battle reaches a fever pitch, Cyclops fires an optic blast which is not only deflected with the wave of the visitor's hand, but is also sent back in their direction which essentially finishes the battle. In the wake, Cyclops is still conscious and listens to the visitor call him by name and asks, "You don't remember me?" Scott finally loses consciousness and we witness the visitor drag Cyclops into the cave.

The issue closes with Sean viewing the zip tape of Moira accusing Charles of being a "total and utter bastard." And the over in the Adriondacks, Wolverine has regained consciousness at the same moment the Sentinel and a cadre of military choppers converge upon the crash site informing him he is under arrest.

The X-Men have always explored characters and relationships, many times at the expense of a lot of real action. And here in this first issue, we get more of the same. The Charles Xavier I know isn't a "total and utter..." And I'm hoping by the end of this story we return to the status-quo.

Brubaker should pick a good villain to dump on instead of creating some bit of retro-continuity which seems to be...Moira hates Charles because he knocked her up and never accepted responsibility for their relationship and their child: Proteus. Yes, my money is on the visiting alien being revealed as none other than Moira Mac Taggart's son, Proteus a.k.a. Mutant X. Although for a second, I was thinking it might be Xavier's son, Legion, who has time-travelling powers, or perhaps one of the Upstarts.

Either way, long about issue 5 or 6 of this mini-series, hopefully things will heat up to a frenzy and make it slugfest! worthy material. But my advice for now is to read comprehensive reviews (like this one) until this action comes around.

What raises my eyebrow most about this story is billing it as "the greatest mystery"...blah...blah..blah. It suspiciously smacks of an Identity Crisis type story where "everything you thought you knew about the characters"...blah...blah...blah. But I'm willing to play along for now.

As for the artwork, I enjoyed Hairsine's work in Ultimate Six, so if you liked the artwork there, you'll enjoy his work here too. His has good storytelling style and helps keep this character centered story from becoming visually dull. I chose the Mark Silvestri cover over the Quesada cover because it had a little more snap. But how could it not, especially since it is a take off of Gil Kane's classic cover to Giant-Size X-Men # 1!!!

This issue also includes an 8-page back up story titled Petra, written by Brubaker with art by Pete Woods. It seemed a little odd including this story here when readers are supposed to be agog by the fact that so many mutants have simply vanished overnight, yet here's the story about one you've never heard of.

All-Star Superman # 1

2005-11-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

This new book in the All-Star line up provides an excellent canvas for writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely to do their thing in a story titled ...Faster.... Unlike the approach that Frank Miller has taken with All-Star Batman, All-Star Supes is not written like a complete primer for new Superman fans.

Morrison never talks down to his audience and begins his story with a one-page recap of everything you need to know about the Man of Steel's background, succinctly explained in four phrases: "Doomed planet."; "Desperate scientists."; "Last hope."; "Kindly couple." Then Quitely takes charge with one of the nicest two-page splashes ever published of Superman flying near the Sun's chromosphere, replete with solar flares blazing in the background.

The set-up: Big Blue is attempting to rescue four genetically engineered astronauts lead by scientist and philanthropist Leo Quintum aboard the spaceship the Ray Bradbury on a mission to map the sun. And who is responsible for the genetic engineering? Why none other than Lex Luthor, of course! Or so it seems.

As the ship's shields and engines begin to fail, one of the astronauts goes rogue and the first one-panel slugfest begins! The rogue punches a fellow astronaut's head through a control panel and reveals himself to be "a genetically modified suicide bomb in human form." And we find Luthor remotely controlling his genetic-weapon using a voice command sequence from Earth.

Luthor has been released from jail and is working for the military under the watchful eyes of General Sam Lane, Lois' dad. Of course, Luthor has his own agenda, and an expose of his criminal misdeeds is plastered all over the front page of the Daily Planet.

Meanwhile, Superman enters the capsule and engages in an all-out battle with the rogue assailant. And with the help of Astronauts Flora and Quintum, Superman is able to safely move the dramatic, explosive finish away from the capsule to the confines of space!

Back on the moon after the rescue, Leo Quintum performs tests on Superman to find that exposure to "critical levels of stellar radiation" has tripled his strength and caused the manifestation of "one new super-power" (which is yet to be revealed), but unfortunately the exposure has also resulted in apoptosis, cell death from super-saturation of solar energy. Superman laments that the source of his powers may be the one thing that kills him, as Quintum realizes Luthor has successfully used the mission to theoretically kill Superman.

Quintum explains that he is involved with the resurrection of the the DNA P.R.O.J.E.C.T. dedicated to rebuilding a new race of superhumans: photosynthetic giants, Bizarro drones, anaerobic meganthropes with liquid nitrogen for blood, genetically modified P.R.O.J.E.C.T. nanonauts that are "unlocking the mysteries of the cell, atom and the infinitesimal yoctosphere"; all in case anything should happen to Superman.

The issue closes with Superman returning to Earth to offices of the Daily Planet. Quitely renders an awesome panel of Clark Kent in action!

And the issue ends with Luthor getting arrested for attempted murder and crimes against humanity. He goes willingly prepared to witness the results of the plan he has set into action from the safe confines of a guarded cell. Meanwhile, with the apparent end in sight, Clark reveals his identity to Lois in this issues' cliffhanger.

Morrison peppers his stories with a good mix of hard-science and psuedo-science to produce a great story. And although he populates his stories with a few of his own quirky characters, he is fairly straight when it comes to writing the mainstream characters. And so even though this issue is a little weak in the slugfest dept., overall Morrison and Quitely hit one out of the park in their first trip to the plate. I'm looking forward to next issue's exploration of the Fortress of Solitude!

The Thing # 1

2005-11-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

The inaugural post here at Slugfest! begins with none other than Mr. Grimm's new series written by Don Slott with art by Andrea DiVito in a story titled Money Changes Everything.

Ben Grimm has gained control of his quarter of Fantastic Four Industries and is now living in the lap of luxury in Atlas Towers, his new digs off of Central Park West. Ben comments, "Hard to believe this place is on the same planet as Yancy Street, let alone the same island!"
The inclusion of a romantic interlude with his current girlfriend, actress Carlotta LaRosa, and her gripe with her antagonist, Milan Ramada (Paris Hilton?) make the story run a little thin, especially when Milan drives out to Luna Park to secure what seems to be a contract on Carlotta for snubbing her out of an invite to a party?!? And the plot really starts treading on thin ice when Ben and Carlotta attend the party hosted by Irma Roberts (Martha Stewart?) who happens to have a penchant for collecting sculptures of the Thing done by none other than Alicia Masters. Ben's reaction: "Guess I'm like a walkin' Warhol soup can to you people."
So when guest-stars Kyle Richmond, Nighthawk, and Frank Schlichting a.k.a. the Constrictor show up to the party, along with Tony Stark, who does not appear in costume, it almost makes having to endure the sappy set-up worthwhile.
Once the slugfest begins at the party, things (heh) start to get more interesting, but Grimm is much too quickly put down for the count. "Wotta revoltin' development." Fade to black and fade-in to what initially looks like a scene from Lost, but turns out to be this issue's cliffhanger, as Thing, Nighthawk, and the Constrictor find themselves facing Arcade at Murderland.

DiVito artwork is spot on. I really liked his work on Brath but didn't follow the series because the characters and concepts didn't really grab me. But I'm glad to see him work at Marvel. His artwork reminds me of George Perez/Joe Sinnott artwork from late 70s Fantastic Four. Unfortunately, the awesome first page montage of a lot of Marvel characters (Can you name them all???) is slightly marred by poor placement of a story caption.

Hopefully Slott will up the excitement factor next issue by letting the Thing cut loose alongside his pals.