Category: Marvel Superheroes

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Essential Classic X-Men volume 3


By Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, Werner Roth, Steve Englehart, Tom Sutton & various (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3060-4

X-Men was never one of young Marvel’s top titles but it did secure a devout and dedicated following, with the frantic, freakish energy of Jack Kirby’s heroic dynamism comfortably transitting into the slick, sleek prettiness of Werner Roth as the blunt tension of hunted outsider kids settled into a pastiche of the college and school scenarios so familiar to the students who were the series’ main audience.

The core team still consisted of tragic Scott Summers/Cyclops, ebullient Bobby Drake/Iceman, wealthy golden boy Warren Worthington/Angel and erudite, brutish genius Henry McCoy/Beast in training with Professor Charles Xavier, a wheelchair-bound (and temporarily deceased) telepath dedicated to brokering peace and integration between the masses of humanity and the gradually emerging race of mutant Homo Superior.

Jean Grey/Marvel Girl had recently returned to the team which was also occasionally supplemented by cosmic powerhouse Havok and magnetic minx Polaris although they were usually referred to as Alex Summers and Lorna Dane.

However by the time of this final massive black and white tome (collecting issues #54-66 of the turbulent teens’ original series, guest appearances in Amazing Spider-Man #92, Incredible Hulk #150 and #161, Marvel Team-Up #4 and spin-off solo series The Beast from Amazing Adventures #11-17), despite some of the most impressive and influential stories and art of the decade, the writing was definitely on the wall for Marvel’s misunderstood mutants…

The mayhem begins with ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive… Cyclops!’ (X-Men #54, March 1969, by Arnold Drake, Don Heck & Vince Colletta), which introduced Scott’s kid brother Alex just in time for the lad to be kidnapped by Egyptian acolytes of The Living Pharaoh. It appears the boy had a hidden power the Pharaoh coveted, which necessitated framing the X-Men’s leader…

At that time the back of the X-Men comic was running “untold origins” of the team, and ‘The Million Dollar Angel’ by Drake & Werner Roth, began the tale of Warren Worthington III, a precocious rich boy rushed off to prep school where he grew wings and concealed them by making himself the most despised and lonely person on campus…

Roy Thomas returned as scripter for #55’s ‘The Living Pharaoh!’ illustrated by Heck, Roth & Colletta which saw the full team follow the Summers brothers to the Valley of the Kings and soundly thrash the faux king’s minions only to have the new mutant’s unsuspected power go wild. Meanwhile, in ‘Where Angels Fear to Tread!’ (Thomas, Roth & Sam Grainger) little Warren has left school and planned a superhero career until an atomic accident brought him into contact with a couple of kids code-named Cyclops and Iceman…

Nobody knew it at the time – and sales certainly didn’t reflect it – but with X-Men #56 superhero comics changed forever. Neal Adams had stunned the comics buying public with his horror anthology work and revolutionary adventure art on Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman, but here, with writer Thomas in iconoclastic form, they began to expand the horizons of graphic narrative with a succession of boldly innovative, tensely paranoid dramas that pitted mutants against an increasingly hostile world.

Pitched at an older audience, the run of gripping, addictively beautiful epics captivated and enchanted a small band of amazed readers – and were completely ignored by the greater mass of the buying public. Without these tales the modern X-phenomenon could not have existed, but they couldn’t save the series from cancellation. The cruelest phrase in comics is “ahead of its time…”

‘What is… the Power?’ (Thomas, Adams & inker extraordinaire Tom Palmer) revealed the uncanny connection between Pharaoh and Alex Summers and as the Egyptian mastermind transformed into a colossal Living Monolith, the terrified boy’s mutant energies were unleashed with catastrophic results. At the back, the unbalanced Angel had become ‘The Flying A-Bomb!’ but luckily he was defused in time to become the newest X-Man.

Issue #57 brought back the team’s most relentless adversaries in ‘The Sentinels Live!’ as a public witch-hunt prompted the mutant hunting robots to hunt down X-Men across the globe. Amongst the first victims were magnetic Lorna Dane and Alex Summers but the sinister Sentinels had their unblinking eyes set on all mutants… That issue also saw a rundown on Marvel Girl’s abilities in the last back-up feature ‘The Female of the Species!’. From the next issue Thomas and Adams would have an entire issue to play with…

‘Mission: Murder!’ ramped up the tension as the toll of fallen mutants increased, with Iceman, the Pharaoh, Angel and Mesmero all falling to the murderous mechanoids, but when their human controller discovered an unsuspected secret the automatons struck out on their own…

With all other mutants in the Marvel universe captured, Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Beast were reduced to a suicidal frontal assault in ‘Do or Die, Baby!’, pulling off a spectacular victory, but only at the cost of Alex Summers, now known as Havok…

Badly injured, Alex was brought to an old colleague of Professor Xavier’s named Karl Lykos – a discreet physician hiding a dark secret. ‘In the Shadow of Sauron!’ revealed that the not-so-good doctor had been bitten by Pterodactyls from the Antarctic Savage Land and become an energy vampire. Now with a powerful mutant to feed on, his addiction fully manifested as Lykos transformed into a winged saurian with hypnotic powers, determined to sate himself on the other X-Men.

After a shattering struggle in ‘Monsters Also Weep!’ Lykos was defeated, instinctively flying South to the Savage Land. Drained of his power he reverted to human form and when the X-Men tracked him down the tormented leech chose suicide rather than become Sauron once more. Searching for his body Angel was also attacked by Pteranodons and crashed to the bottom of a vast crevasse, precipitating the mutants into another primordial encounter with wild man Ka-Zar as ‘Strangers …in a Savage Land!’

Marooned once more in a lost world Angel was healed by the enigmatic Creator, a wounded genius protecting the Savage Land’s mutant population with his own team of X-Men counterparts. As his team-mates search for him the Winged Wonder switched allegiance, unaware that his benefactor was actually the X-Men’s oldest enemy…

‘War in the World Below!’ saw the villain’s plans revealed and finally thwarted by the heroes and Ka-Zar, leaving the returning team to tackle a controversial Japanese extremist in ‘The Coming of Sunfire!’ (#64, with stalwart Don Heck doing an impressive fill-in job for Adams) whilst the next issue brought back the long-dead Professor Xavier – only to nearly kill him again in the Denny O’Neil scripted alien invasion yarn ‘Before I’d Be Slave…’ an astounding epic that ended Neal Adams’ artistic tenure in grand style.

All the staffing changes were hints of a bigger shake-up. With X-Men #66 (March 1970), the series was cancelled despite all the frantic and radical innovations crafted by a succession of supremely talented creators. ‘The Mutants and the Monster’ by Thomas, Sal Buscema & Sam Grainger, sent the team hunting for Bruce Banner in an attempt to save Professor X from a coma induced by his psychic battle against the aliens. Unfortunately when you hunt Banner what you usually end up with is an irate Incredible Hulk…

Although gone, the mutants were far from forgotten. The standard policy at that time to revive characters that had fallen was to pile on the guest-shots and reprints. X-Men #67 (December 1970) saw them return, re-presenting early classics and with Amazing Spider-Man #92 (January 1971), individually and collectively the Merry Mutants began their comeback tour. ‘When Iceman Attacks’ (Stan Lee, Gil Kane & John Romita Sr.) concluded the Amazing Arachnid’s battle against corrupt political boss Sam Bullit, as the ambitious demagogue convinced the youngest X-Man that Spider-Man was a kidnapper. Despite being a concluding chapter, this all-out action extravaganza efficiently recaps itself and is perfectly comprehensible to readers.

Alec Summers had left the X-Men, terrified of his uncontrollable cosmic power, to isolate himself in the deserts of New Mexico. When Lorna went looking for him in ‘Cry Hulk, Cry Havok!’(Incredible Hulk #150 April 1972, Archie Goodwin, Herb Trimpe & John Severin) she encountered a menacing biker gang and an Emerald Giant violently protective of his privacy. Mercifully Havok proved a match for the rampaging titan…

The previous month Marvel had launched a reinvented X-Man in a solo series as a response to the world horror boom which shifted general comicbook fare from bright shiny costumed heroes to dark and sinister monsters. Premiering in Amazing Adventures #11 (March 1972), written by Gerry Conway and illustrated by the incredibly effective team of Tom Sutton & Syd Shores, ‘The Beast!’ told how the brilliant Hank McCoy had left Xavier’s school and taken a research position at the conglomerate Brand Corporation.

Using private sector resources to research the causes of genetic mutation McCoy became embroiled in industrial skullduggery and to hide his identity used his discoveries to “upgrade” his animalistic abilities – temporarily turning himself into a fearsome anthropoid creature with startling new abilities. At least it was supposed to be temporary…

Steve Englehart assumed the writing reins and monster maestro Mike Ploog took the inker’s chair for ‘Iron Man: D.O.A.’ as McCoy, trapped in a monstrous new shape, took extreme measures to appear human as he desperately strove to find a cure for his condition. Unfortunately Brand was riddled with bad characters and when Tony Stark came to visit it was inevitable that the Beast and Iron Man would clash…

Incomprehensibly that battle led to Iron Man’s death – or so McCoy thought. In fact the monster had been mesmerized by the villainous Mastermind in a scheme to force the outcast to join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. ‘Evil is All in Your Mind!’ (Englehart, Sutton & Frank Giacoia) also reintroduced two characters from the wildest fringes of Early Marvel continuity who would both play major roles in months and years to come. Patsy Walker was an ideal girl-next-door whose wholesome teen-comedy exploits had delighted readers for decades since her debut in Miss America #2 (Nov. 1944).

She starred in seven separate comicbooks until 1967. Now she joined the cast of the Beast as the tag-along wife of her boyhood sweetheart Buzz Baxter who had grown from an appealing decent goof to a rather daunting military martinet and Pentagon liaison. As McCoy was throwing off the psychic influence of Mastermind Captain Baxter was laying plans to capture the maligned mutate…

Meanwhile the other X-Men were not forgotten. New horror-star Morbius, the Living Vampire was making things tough for Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up. In #4 (September 1972) the Human Torch was replaced by the mutant team as the Wall-crawler’s partner in ‘And Then… the X-Men!’ a terse, tense thriller written by Conway, inked by Steve Mitchell and illustrated by the magnificent Gil Kane at the top of his form.

Bloodsuckers literal and metaphorical were also the order of the day in Amazing Adventures #14. ‘The Vampire Machine’ (inked by Jim Mooney) saw Iron Man return as computer assassin Quasimodo attacked Brand Corp. in an attempt to steal the technology to build a new body, whilst #15 ‘Murder in Mi-Air!’ (with art from Sutton, Giacoia & John Tartaglione) found a gravely wounded McCoy make an unexpected ally and confidante, before the Angel came calling, encountering a hideous monster named the Griffin en route.

This tale reintroduced another old friend of McCoy’s and neatly segued into another Incredible Hulk crossover (#161, March 1973), but not before our hirsute hero battled an old foe in the Halloween thriller ‘…And the Juggernaut Will Get You… If You Don’t Watch Out!’ by Englehart, Bob Brown & Frank McLaughlin.

‘Beyond the Border Lurks Death!’ (Englehart, Trimpe & Sal Trapani), saw the Hulk and the Beast as reluctant allies in a battle against the Mimic, another old X-foe, whose ability to absorb the attributes of others had gone tragically, catastrophically haywire.

It was the last time McCoy would be seen in a full tale until the bombastic Beast joined the Avengers. Amazing Adventures #17 featured a two-page framing sequence by Englehart, Jim Starlin & Mike Esposito (included here) which bracketed an abridged reprint of the Beast origin back-ups from X-Men #49-53 (which are not – so see Essential Classic X-Men volume 2 for the full story).

Although a little scrappy and none too cohesive in layout these disparate stories are wonderful comics sagas that were too radical for the readership of the times but have since been acknowledged as groundbreaking mini-masterpieces which reshaped the way we tell stories to this day. Moreover this brilliant blockbuster still has treats to share. Included at the end are the 29 covers of the X-Men reprint run (#67-94 and Annuals #1-2) an unused Adams cover and 8 original art pages from #64, which make this comprehensive collection an unquestionable treasure no fan should be without.

© 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 2009 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Cloak and Dagger in Predator and Prey (Marvel Graphic Novel #34)


By Bill Mantlo, Larry Stroman & Al Williamson (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-8713-5125-8

Cloak and Dagger are two juvenile runaways who fell into the clutches of drug pushing criminals. With a group of other kids they were used as guinea pigs for new designer drugs but whereas all the others died horribly Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen were mutated by the chemical cocktail and became something more – or less – than human.

Isolated, alone, vengeful they determined to help other lost kids they hunted drug dealers and those who preyed on the weak in the blackest corners of New York City, guest-starring all over the Marvel Universe and occasionally winning and losing a number of short-lived series all of their own. They were created by Bill Mantlo and Ed Hannigan, first appearing in Spectacular Spider-Man #64 (March 1982).

Cloak is connected to a dimension of darkness; able to teleport, become intangible, terrifyingly amplify and feed on the wickedness in people. His unceasing hunger for these black emotions can be temporarily sated by the dazzling “light knives” emitted by Dagger, a shining, beautiful super-acrobat. Her power too has advantages and hazards. The power can cleanse the hunger of dependency from many addicts, but constantly, agonizingly builds within her when not used.

Cloak’s incessant hunger can be assuaged by the light-knives and his seemingly insatiable darkness proves a vital method of bleeding off the luminescent pressure within Dagger.

One of the perennial themes of the extended epic was the true nature of their abilities: were they mutants, transformed humans or were greater spiritual forces at play in their origins and operations…?

In Predator and Prey creator/writer Bill Mantlo describes a transformative moment when the symbiotic couple split, as Cloak’s ravening hunger and bleak nature clashed with Dagger’s increasing need to rejoin the larger world: a desire fostered by the obsessive attentions of Catholic priest Father Francis Delgado, who grants them shelter and sanctuary in the bowels of the Holy Ghost Church. Delgado believes that the beautiful young girl is an actual Angel of the Lord whilst Cloak is a demon straight out of Hell… and he’s apparently not completely deluded…

When an exorcism painfully affects Ty Johnson, shaking his previous belief that his powers stemmed from mad science and not the supernatural, he removes himself from the sustaining contact of Dagger. Alone, driven and desperate Cloak’s ravenous nature is revealed to be at least partially caused by a demonic entity named Predator who uses the teleporter’s dark energies to siphon human life force to itself. Greedy and malign, fed up with Cloak’s resistance it resurrects one of its old agents to take over the process, but the willful ghost that was Jack the Ripper has its own agenda…

Framed for a spate of murders and cop killings perpetrated by Jack and distanced from each other, Cloak starves whilst Dagger’s light grows and boils within her. They have never needed each other more or ever been further apart….

Once Marvel led the publishing pack in the development of high quality original graphic novels: mixing creator-owned properties, licensed assets, new series launches in and oversized and key Marvel Universe tales such as this one in extravagant over-sized packages (a standard 285mm x 220mm rather than the now customary 258 x 168mm) that always felt and looked like far more than an average comicbook no matter how good, bad or offbeat the contents might have been.

By 1988 Marvel’s ambitious line of all-new epics was beginning to founder and some less-than-stellar tales were squeaking into the line-up. Moreover, the company was increasingly resorting to in-continuity stories with established and company copyrighted characters rather than new properties. Moreover hastily turned out movie tie-ins became an increasingly regular feature. The line began to have the appearance of an over-sized, over-priced clearing house for leftover stories – but this isn’t one of them.

Tension-filled, bleak, brooding and potentially controversial this exploration of society’s darker sides, set amidst the casual ruthlessness of 42nd Street’s capacious, innocence-devouring seediness blends horror, superheroics and social conscience into a gripping and effective tale of hope, redemption and just punishments.

Produced on luxuriantly large slick pages, lettered by Ken Bruzenak with colouring from John Wellington, Larry Stroman and the incomparable Al Williamson, despite displaying the American’s total inability to draw English Police helmets (sorry – such a pet peeve!) have crafted a gem of a thriller that is worthy of another look by horror-lovers and Costumed Crusader fans alike.
© 1988 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Ultimate Spider-Man book 2: Chameleons


By Brian Michael Bendis, Takeshi Miyazawa & Davis LaFuente (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-84653-466-9

The Marvel Ultimates project began in 2000 with a drastically modernizing refit of key characters and concepts to bring them into line with contemporary consumers – perceived to be a separate market to the baby-boomers and their declining descendents who seemed content with the assorted efforts which sprang from the hearts and minds of Kirby, Ditko and Lee.

Eventually the stripped-down new universe became as overcrowded and continuity-constricted as the original, leading to the 2008 “Ultimatum” publishing event which thinned the new herd – and millions of ordinary mortals into the bargain.

Although a commercial success the epic was largely slated by the fans who had bought it, and the ongoing “Ultimatum Comics” quietly soldiered on without “mentioning the War…”

The key and era-ending event was actually a colossal tsunami that drowned the superhero-heavy island of Manhattan and this second post-tidal wave collection (assembling issues #7-14 of the relaunched Ultimate Comics Spider-Man) picks up the story of young Peter Parker and his unique house-guests all slowly readjusting to their altered state.

Parker is sixteen (but looks 12), the perennial hard-luck loser kid: a brilliant geek just trying to get by in a world where daily education is infinitely more scary than monsters and villains. Between High School and slinging fast food (Burger Frog is his only source of income since the Daily Bugle drowned) he still finds time to fight crime although his very public heroics during the crisis have made him a beloved hero of police and citizenry alike – which is the creepiest thing he has ever endured.

He lives in a big house with his Aunt May, and despite his low self-image has stellar hottie Gwen Stacy for a devoted girlfriend, but perpetually endures the teen-angsty situation of equally stellar hottie Mary Jane Watson (his ex-squeeze) hanging around and acting all grown-up about it. He briefly dated mutant babe Kitty Pride: remember when not having any girlfriend was the textbook definition of “loser”?

Many kids are homeless after the deluge, with schools and accommodation stretched to breaking point, so feisty May Parker has opened her doors to a select band of orphaned super-teens like the Human Torch and Iceman, as well as Gwen. Peter’s secret identity was constantly threatened before; how can he possibly conceal his adventurous life when two such famous characters are suddenly sharing the bathroom and his exploits…?

This second delightful collection opens with a new presence in the Ultimate Universe as near-neighbour Rick Jones is possessed by an ancient intergalactic presence. Cool Youngbloods Spidey, Torch and Iceman befriend the bewildered lad and are dragged along on a tumultuous fact-finding mission to secret base Project Pegasus just in time to clash with the sexy sirens of the all-girl Serpent Squad and discover that poor Rick – now calling himself “Nova” – is a cosmic “Chosen One” destined to save the World…

That two-part, laugh-packed thriller leads into decidedly darker territory in #9 as shallow jerk Johnny Storm finds the girl of his dreams in a new mysterious Spider-Girl whilst anti-mutant feeling grows and Kitty Pryde is almost snatched from school by brutally heavy-handed government agents.

On the run, Kitty goes dangerously rogue whilst her friends attempt to go public with the Authorities’ quasi-legal black-bag operation, enlisting the Fourth Estate in the form of the newly-restored Daily Bugle…

Unfortunately whilst trying to break the story of the Government’s anti-mutant agenda Peter Parker is abducted by an enigmatic shapechanger who borrows his form, his powers and his life. Issues #11-14 detail the Chameleon’s vindictive campaign to trash Spidey’s private life whilst using his stolen powers to go on a highly profitable, very public crime spree.

Meanwhile the real Peter is the prisoner of a second psychotic shapeshifter, who also has J. Jonah Jameson under wraps. In close proximity with Pete for days, the wily veteran newsman has deduced the boy’s greatest secret… The climax is breathtaking and portentous. Although temporarily safe, Parker’s life is about to go very badly wrong…

Combining smart dialogue and teen soap opera dynamics with spectacular action – beautifully rendered by artists Takeshi Miyazawa, David Lafuente and colourist Justin Ponsor – Brian Michael Bendis blends hilarious hi-jinks with staggering tension and shocking plot-twists to produce one of the most enjoyable takes on the wall-crawler in decades.

This series goes from strength to strength: a marvellously compelling and enjoyable costumed drama that easily overcomes its troubled origins. Absolutely worth any jaded superhero fan’s time and money Ultimate Spider-Man is well on the way to becoming an unmissable hit…
™ and © 2010 Marvel Entertainment LCC and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. A British edition released by Panini UK Ltd.

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Essential Iron Man volume 3


By Archie Goodwin, Gerry Conway, George Tuska, Don Heck & various (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2764-2

Having finally overtaken the aging colossus of National/DC, upstart Marvel Comics sometimes seemed to be at a loss for what to do next. The answer is obvious to us: more of the same… but back then the rules were being constantly rewritten, the country was changing and conflict was everywhere. Perhaps what was needed was more experimentation…

Created in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis and at a time when “Red-baiting” and “Commie-bashing” were American national obsessions, the emergence of a brilliant new Thomas Edison, using Yankee ingenuity, invention and wealth to safeguard and better the World, seemed inevitable. Combine the then-sacrosanct belief that technology and business could solve any problem with the universal imagery of noble knights battling evil and the concept behind the Invincible Iron Man seems an infallibly successful proposition.

Of course where once Tony Stark was the acceptable face of 1960s Capitalism; a glamorous millionaire industrialist/inventor and a benevolent all-conquering hero when clad in the super-scientific armour of his alter-ego Iron Man, the tumultuous tone of the times soon resigned his suave, fat-cat image to the dustbin of history and with ecological disasters and social catastrophe from the abuse of industry and technology the new mantras of the young, the Golden Avenger and Stark International were soon confronting some tricky questions from the increasingly socially conscious readership.

All of a sudden maybe that money and fancy gadgetry weren’t quite so fun or cool anymore…?

This third gleaming black and white chronological compendium covers that transitional period, reprinting Iron Man #12-38 and also includes a tumultuous team-up with the Man Without Fear from Daredevil #73, which held a key portion of an rather complex comics crossover.

Writer Archie Goodwin and artists George Tuska & Johnny Craig continued their sterling run of solid science-flavoured action epics with the introduction of a new sinister super-foe in #12 with ‘The Coming of the Controller’ a twisted genius who used the energy of enslaved citizens to power a cybernetic exo-skeleton and the embezzled funds of Stark’s girlfriend Janice Cord to pay for it all. Of course Iron Man was ready and able to overcome the scheming maniac, culminating in a cataclysmic climax in ‘Captives of the Controller!’

With #14’s ‘The Night Phantom Walks!’ Goodwin paid tribute to Craig’s past history drawing EC’s landmark horror comics as the artist pencilled and inked the tale of a zombie-like monster which prowled a Caribbean island destroying Stark Industry installations. As well as being a terse, moody thriller this story marked the first indications of a different attitude as the menace’s ecologically inspired reign of terror included some pretty fair arguments about the downsides of “Progress” and rapacious globalisation…

Tuska returned with #15 and ‘Said the Unicorn to the Ghost…!’ as the demented former spy allied himself with Fantastic Four foe Red Ghost in a bid to find a cure for his drastically shortened his life-span. Attempting to kidnap Tony Stark the Ghost betrayed the Unicorn and retrenched to an African Cosmic Ray research facility in the concluding ‘Of Beasts and Men!’, and it took a risky alliance of hero and villain to thwart the phantom mastermind’s ill-conceived plans…

An extended epic began in Iron Man #17 as an android designed to protect Stark’s secret identity gained sinister sentience and actually replaced him. ‘The Beginning of the End!’ also introduced the enigmatic Madame Masque and her malevolent master Midas, who planned to take control of America’s greatest technology company.

Dispossessed and on the run Stark is abducted and aligns with Masque and Midas to reclaim his identity only to suffer a fatal heart-attack in ‘Even Heroes Die!’ (guest-starring the Avengers) before a ground-breaking transplant – still practically science fiction in those distant days – gave him renewed hope in ‘What Price Life?’ The opportunist Midas instantly struck again whilst the enigmatic Madame Masque switched sides…

X-Men’s alien nemesis attacked the restored hero in ‘Who Serves Lucifer?’ (inked by Joe Gaudioso – AKA Mike Esposito) before being returned to his dungeon dimension whilst an African-American boxer, Eddie March, became the next Iron Man in #21’s ‘The Replacement!’ as Stark , free from the heart-stimulating chest-plate which had preserved his life for years was briefly tempted by a life without strife. Unfortunately, unknown to all Eddie had a little health problem of his own…

When armoured menace Titanium Man resurfaced, another old threat in the form of the Crimson Dynamo returned in #22’s classic ‘From this Conflict… Death!’ and a vengeance-crazed Iron Man went ballistic in the innovative action-thriller ‘The Man who Killed Tony Stark!!’ before finding solace in the arms of Madame Masque as Johnny Craig returned to fully illustrate the superb mythological monster-mash ‘My Son… The Minotaur!’ and stayed on as Archie Goodwin pinned Iron’s Man new Green colours to the comic’s mast in #25’s stunning eco-parable ‘This Doomed Land… This Dying Sea!’

Teamed with and battling against antihero Sub-Mariner the Armoured Avenger was forced to destroy one of his own hyper-polluting facilities, subsequently changing his company’s ethical position and business model – although his attempts to convince other industry leaders to do likewise met with the kind of reaction that tragically typified America’s response to the real-world situation.

Original Iron Man artist Don Heck returned for the fantasy-fuelled romp ‘Duel in a Dark Dimension!’ (inked by Craig) with guest villain The Collector and racial tensions took centre-stage in ‘The Fury of the Firebrand!’ which introduced an inflammatory radical with secret and highly personal agenda of hate aimed squarely at Stark and the fat-cat he represented. He was also a human napalm grenade…

Goodwin bowed out with #28’s riotous return match ‘The Controller Lives!’ so Mimi Gold scripted an old-fashioned commie-buster yarn, drawn by Heck and inked by Chic Stone, as Iron Man freed a tropical paradise from its enslaving socialist overlords in ‘Save the People… Save the Country!’ before Allyn Brodsky took over as scripter with #30’s ‘The Menace of the Monster-Master!’ a rousing rampage full of Maoist menace as a giant lizard ravaged Japan until the Golden Avenger stepped in and took charge…

Far more intriguing were ‘Anything… For the Cause!’ wherein back-to-nature hippie protesters were manipulated by an unscrupulous businessman, and which introduced new regular cast-member Kevin O’Brian, and #32’s ‘Beware… The Mechanoid!’ (illustrated by Tuska & “Gaudioso”) which related the salutary tale of an alien explorer who made the lasting mistake of exploring America whilst disguised as a black man…

Heck & Gaudioso handled the art for ‘Their Mission: Destroy Stark Industries!!’ as corporate raider Spymaster unleashed his Mission: Impossible-inspired team the Espionage Elite to deprive America of both the inventor and his company, a fast-paced thriller which concluded in the bombastic finale ‘Crisis… and Calamity!!’

Something of a comics wunderkind, Gerry Conway assumed the writer’s reins in Iron Man #35 as the Armoured Avenger sought ‘Revenge!’ on the Spymaster but was distracted by an ongoing battle between Daredevil, Nick Fury, Madame Masque and criminal network called Zodiac – all contesting the ownership of an extra-dimensional wish-granting super weapon. That battle spilled over into Daredevil #73 ‘Behold… the Brotherhood!’ (Conway, Gene Colan & Syd Shores) before messily concluding halfway through Iron Man #36 (art by Heck & Esposito) before the Steely Centurion was waylaid by terra-forming aliens in ‘…Among Men Stalks the Ramrod!’

Incapacitated and with his new heart damaged, Stark revealed his secret to Kevin O’Brian ‘In This Hour of Earthdoom!’ (inked by Jim Mooney) before the invaders were finally repelled. This volume ends on a pleasantly low-key note in an engaging gangster drama from Conway, Tuska & Esposito wherein Iron Man is forced to respond quite assertively ‘When Calls Jonah…!’

With this volume Marvel firmly paced itself in the camp of the young and the restless experiencing firsthand the social upheaval America was experiencing. This rebellious teen sensibility and increased political conscience permeated the company’s publications as their core audience grew from Flower Power innocents into a generation of aware activists. Future tales would increasingly bring reformed capitalist Stark into many unexpected and outrageous situations…

But that’s the meat of another review, as this engrossing graphic novel is done. From our distant vantage point the polemical energy and impact might be dissipated, but the sheer quality of the comics and the cool thrill of the perennial dream of man in perfect synchrony with magic metal remains. These superhero shenanigans are some of the most underrated but impressive tales of the period and are well worth your time, consideration and cold hard cash…

© 1969, 1970, 2008 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Incredible Hulk: Return of the Monster


By Bruce Jones, John Romita Jr. & Tom Palmer (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-7851-0943-3

Bruce Banner was a military scientist accidentally caught in a gamma bomb blast of his own devising. As a result he would unexpectedly transform into a giant green monster of unstoppable strength and fury when distressed or surprised. As both occasional hero and mindless monster he rampaged across the Marvel Universe for years, finally finding his size 700 feet and a format that worked, becoming one of young Marvel’s most resilient features.

An incredibly popular character both in comics and more global media beyond, he has often undergone radical changes in scope and direction to keep his stories fresh and his exploits explosively compelling…

One of the most impressive runs of recent vintage was by noted thriller and horror writer Bruce Jones (see especially his impressive Hitchcock pastiche Somerset Holmes) who injected some long-neglected suspense and pure menace back into the saga. This slim volume (re-presenting issues #34-39 of The Incredible Hulk comicbook from 2001) combines his moody, humanistic writing with the ponderously powerful pencilling of John Romita Jr. and the slickly realistic inking of Tom Palmer to stunning effect.

Always running from the authorities and himself, Banner has finally lost all hope in the aftermath of one of the Hulk’s bouts of mindless destruction which devastated Chicago and resulted in the death of a little boy, Ricky Myers. This book opens with ‘The Morning After’ as a cold and emotionally dead Banner hides in a sleazy hotel where he encounters Jerome, a kid so smart that he knows joining a gang is the only thing that can keep someone with his kind of brains alive.

The desperate lad gets a glimpse at another option after he tries to burglarize the skinny, repressed white guy down the hall and when Jerome gets in over his head it is Banner not the Hulk who is the solution…

Incognito, restlessly wandering but with a mysterious ally keeping him one step ahead of his myriad pursuers Banner is slowly reconnecting with the humanity he has avoided ever since the monster was first created. In the wordless, deeply moving ‘Silent Running’ the fugitive narrowly escapes capture at a diner due to the inadvertent assistance of an autistic child, whilst ‘The Gang’s All Here!’ introduces a mismatched pair of assassins hired by the secret organisation actually behind the current manhunt for Banner and the Hulk.

Both the lethal killer Slater and his rival/partner Sandra Verdugo have been co-opted by a cabal of Men in Black with an unspecified interest in ramping up anti-Hulk hysteria and they definitely want Banner. They also appear to have the literal power of life and death over their unwilling agents…

With Banner’s old friend Doc Samson lured into the pursuit the cabal makes its move in ‘You Must Remember This…’ but when the gamma-fuelled psychologist is distracted by a small child’s experience of school bullying the Hulk-hunters converge and generate a colossal amount of collateral damage at the ‘Last Chance Café’, before events get totally out of hand and terrifyingly weird in the concluding ‘Tag… You’re Dead!’

Using the theme of troubled childhoods and imagery based on the classic Frankenstein films that were such an integral part of the Jade Giant’s conceptual genesis, these tales focus on Banner and judiciously limit the use of his emerald alter ego to the point where the monster almost becomes a ghost. Ever-present but never seen (the monster is only on 21 of the 144 pages of this collection and that includes covers, dream-sequences, flashbacks and spot illustrations) like a catastrophic Rebecca haunting a Midwestern Manderley, the Hulk is a oppressive force of calculated salvation and last resort rather than mere reader-friendly graphic destruction and gratuitous gratification.

Like all great monsters he lurks in the shadows, waiting for his moment…

One of the most beguiling and impressive Hulk yarns of all, this book is the first of three self-contained volumes which utterly reinvigorated the character and completely refocused the series for the 21st century. If you’re new to the series or looking for an excuse to jump back on, this is the book for you…
© 2001, 2002 Marvel Characters Inc. All rights reserved.

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Essential Fantastic Four volume 4


By Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott & various (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-7851-1484-X

This fabulous fourth black-and-white compendium of the classic and landmark “Stan & Jack” Fantastic Four sees the feature achieve its highest potential in a string of superlative tales that proved the bold boast on every cover… “World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!”

Jack Kirby was in his conceptual prime and continually unleashed his vast imagination on spectacular plot after plot whilst Stan Lee scripted some of the most passionate superhero sagas that Marvel – or any publisher, for that matter – has ever seen. Both were on an unstoppable roll, at the height of their creative powers, and full of the confidence that only success brings, with Kirby in particular eager to see how far the genre and the medium could be pushed.

This volume, covering the early career of comics’ First Family covers Fantastic Four #64-83 (July 1967-February 1969) plus the fifth and sixth annuals, a bombastic blend of super-science, soap opera and stunning action that has seldom been equaled and never bettered.

The magic commences with ‘The Sentry Sinister’ (inked as always by Joe Sinnott) a frenetic adventure romp which pitted the team against a super-scientific robot buried for millennia by an ancient star-faring race. This tropical treat expanded the burgeoning interlocking landscape to an infinite degree by introducing the imperial Kree who would grow into one of the fundamental pillars supporting the continuity of the Marvel Universe.

Although regarded as long-dead the Kree themselves resurfaced in the very next issue as the team was attacked by an alien emissary ‘…From Beyond this Planet Earth!’ The formidable Ronan the Accuser turned up looking to see what could possibly have destroyed his Sentry. Simultaneously The Thing’s blind girlfriend Alicia was abducted by a super scientific stranger…

The mystery of her disappearance was revealed in #66 in ‘What Lurks Behind the Beehive?’ as the heroes trailed the seemingly helpless girl to a technological wonderland where a band of rogue geniuses had genetically engineered the next phase in evolution but lost control of it even before it could be properly born…

‘When Opens the Cocoon!’ revealed the secret of the creature known only as Him and only Alicia’s gentle nature could placate the nigh-omnipotent creature (who would eventually evolve into the tragic cosmic voyager Adam Warlock), after which the tight continuity gradually paused to allow the Inhumans (a time-lost race of paranormal beings long secluded from mortal men) and the Black Panther to share the stage in that year’s Annual, wherein the sinister invader Psycho-Man attempted to ‘Divide… and Conquer!’

Frank Giacoia actually inked this wrongly attributed yarn that pitted the emotion-bending invader against both the King of Wakanda and the Royal Family of hidden Attilan until the FF could pitch in, delayed as they were by the news that the Sue Richards was pregnant – and soon to confined in the most appallingly sexist manner until the birth…

The Annual also included another comedy insight into the creation of Marvel Epics as Stan, Jack and Frank asked ‘This is a Plot?’ and after the now customary Kirby pin-ups (Inhumans Black Bolt, Gorgon, Medusa, Karnak, Triton, Crystal and Maximus, a colossal group shot of Galactus the Silver Surfer and others and a double page spread of the FF themselves) a rapidly rising star-in-the-making got his first solo appearance in ‘The Peerless Power of the Silver Surfer’ a pithy fable of cruel ingratitude that reintroduced the Mad Thinker’s lethal Artificial Intelligence creation Quasimodo…

In FF #68 the Thinker himself enacted his latest plan and ‘His Mission: Destroy the Fantastic Four!’ as the cogitating criminal replaced a famous doctor and subverted a potential cure for The Thing’s rocky condition into a mind-warping scheme to turn the Thing against his comrades (inked as ever by the remarkable Joe Sinnott). The scheme progressed in ‘By Ben Betrayed!’ as the newly malevolent Grimm attempted to murder the rest of the team only to be driven temporarily away. Desperately searching for him the FF soon captured the Thinker and freed Ben from mind-control in ‘When Fall the Mighty!’ but the victory left the heroes unconscious and only Sue conscious to tackle the villains last-ditch killer android in ‘…And So It Ends…’

With baby on board Reed and Sue resigned, leaving Ben, Johnny and the Inhuman maid Crystal to hold the fort when cosmic calamity came calling. In ‘Where Soars the Silver Surfer!’ the sky-born wanderer imprisoned on Earth by the world-devouring Galactus went cage-crazy and attacked humanity, forcing Reed’s return, whilst #73 presented the conclusion to a long-running Daredevil (see Essential Daredevil volume 2) story wherein the sightless crusader was ousted from his own body by the Iron Dictator Doctor Doom.

Warning the FF of imminent attack the Man without Fear then subsequently defeated Doom – but neglected to tell the heroes of his victory… outmatched and unable to convince them any other way DD enlisted Thor and Spider-Man in ‘The Flames of Battle…’ to solve the problem Marvel style – with a spectacular pointless and utterly riveting punch-up…

The Surfer was back in #74 ‘When Calls Galactus’ as the planet-eater returned to our skies demanding that his one-time herald once more become his food-finding slave, but despite his increasingly violent probings, Galactus cannot locate his target. That’s because the Surfer had departed for ‘World Within Worlds!’ forcing Reed, Ben and Johnny to follow. When attacked by Psycho Man they are ‘Stranded in Sub-Atomica!’ and as they struggle to survive Galactus applies ever-more pressure… ‘Shall Earth Endure?’

Turning himself in to save Earth, the Surfer is summarily returned to his captivity here as soon as ungrateful Galactus is finished feeding, just in time to begin his own landmark series – but that’s the subject of another review, another time…

Meanwhile in FF#78 another attempt to cure Ben Grimm goes awry in ‘The Thing No More!’ due to interference from old foe The Wizard and, in ‘A Monster Forever?’, Ben’s choice to stay a rocky monster and save his friends from the bludgeoning Android Man.

A brief change of pace took the team to the Indian Lands of old friend Wyatt Wingfoot to solve an eerie mystery ‘Where Treads the Living Totem!‘ before the sixth Annual spotlighted the birth of Franklin Richards. Unfortunately however, not before Reed, Ben and Johnny invaded the anti-matter Negative Zone to confront a monstrous creature named Annihilus whose power was the only thing that could prevent the death of Sue and her unborn child. ‘Let There Be… Life!’ is a groundbreaking 48 page epic that is as stunning to read now as it ever was, passionate thrilling and mind-boggling in its visual intensity.

With Sue a new mother faithful Crystal became the first new official member of the team and promptly showed her mettle by pulverizing the incorrigible Wizard in #81’s ‘Enter… the Exquisite Elemental!’ and this volume concludes with a classic two-part clash against the inhuman Maximus as he once more attempted to conquer mortal humanity. ‘The Mark of… the Madman!’ saw the FF come to the aid of the imprisoned Royal Family of Attilan before together trouncing the insane despot in ‘Shall Man Survive?’

Did I say concludes? Not quite as this book still finds room for a selection of 6 original art pages from Kirby and his alternate cover for issue #65, you lucky, lucky people…

These are the stories that confirmed Jack Kirby as the absolute master of superhero storytelling and gave Marvel the push needed to overtake the decades-dominant DC. They’re also some of the very best comics ever produced and as thrilling and compulsive now as they ever were. This is a must-have book for all fans of graphic narrative.

© 1967, 1968, 1969, 2005 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Essential Daredevil volume 2

New, Revised review


By Stan Lee, Gene Colan & various (Marvel)
ISBN 0-7851-905239-1462-9

Marvel Comics built its fan-base through strong and contemporarily relevant stories and art, but most importantly, by creating a shared continuity that closely followed the characters through not just their own titles but also through the many guest appearances in other comics. Such an interweaving meant that even today completists and fans seek out extraneous stories to get a fuller picture of their favourites’ adventures. In such an environment, series such as ‘Essential’ and DC’s ‘Showcase’ are an economical and valuable product that approaches the status of a public service for collectors.

This particular edition, reprinting the exploits of a very different Daredevil to the one radicalised into a grim urban vigilante by Frank Miller and his successors from the 1980’s onwards, covers the period from March 1967 (#26) to January 1969 (#48), and includes the first Annual plus Fantastic Four #73 where a long-running storyline concluded (see what I mean about cross-collecting?).

The adventures are fairly typical 1960’s action-fodder. Matt Murdock is a blind lawyer whose other senses hyper-compensate, making him a formidable acrobat and fighter, and a human lie-detector. Very much a second-string hero for most of his early years, he was nonetheless a popular one, due in large part to the incredibly humanistic art of Gene Colan. He fought gangsters and a variety of super-villains, and even the occasional alien invasion. He also joked and wise-cracked his way through life, unlike the grim and moody quasi-religious metaphor he’s been seen as in latter years.

The action commences with marked improvement in overall story quality as Stan Lee began to use longer soap operatic plot-threads to string together the unique fight scenes of increasingly bold Gene Colan, who was finally shaking off the last remnants of his predecessor’s art style. In a very short time John Romita had made the character his own before moving on to Spider-Man, so when Colan took over he kept the clipped solid, almost chunky lines whilst drawing the Man without Fear, but increasingly drew everything else in his loose, fluid, near-tonal manner.

This clash of visuals was slow to pass but by the time of ‘Stilt-Man Strikes Again’ (DD #26, March 1967) a leaner, moodier hero was emerging. The major push of the next few issues was to turn the hopeless romantic triangle of Matt Murdock, best friend/Law partner Foggy Nelson and their secretary Karen Page into a whacky quadrangle by introducing fictitious twin brother Mike, who would be “revealed” as Daredevil to divert suspicion from the blind attorney who actually battled all those weird villains…

Confused yet…?

Also skulking in the background was arch-villain Masked Marauder who was closing in on DD’s alter ego. He got a lot closer in ‘Mike Murdock Must Die!’ (inked by Frank Giacoia) as Stilt-Man teamed with the Marauder and Spider-Man clashed with old Horn-Head before the villains met their apparent ends.

DD had his first clash with extraterrestrials in #28’s moody one-trick-pony ‘Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Planet!’ a Dick Ayers inked thriller wherein the invaders’ blindness rays proved inexplicably ineffective against the Crimson Crime-buster.

John Tartaglione inked the next tale, a solid, action-packed gangster thriller entitled ‘Unmasked!’ whilst issue #30 began a protracted and impressive epic clash with old Thor foes the Cobra and Mister Hyde, complete with Asgardian cameo in ‘…If There Should Be a Thunder God!’

Attempting to catch the criminals DD masqueraded as Thor only to encounter the real McCoy, and was ambushed by the villains once the Thunderer departed. As a result DD lost his compensating hyper-senses and had to undertake a ‘Blind Man’s Bluff!’ which almost fooled Cobra and Hyde… Sadly it all went wrong before it all came right and against all odds Murdock regained his abilities just in time ‘…To Fight the Impossible Fight!’

Daredevil #33 saw the entire cast head to Canada for Expo ’67 (the World’s Fair) encountering another borrowed villain in ‘Behold… the Beetle!’ and its frenetic sequel ‘To Squash the Beetle!’ The first Annual follows; a visually impressive but lacklustre rogues’ gallery riot as five old foes ganged up on Daredevil in ‘Electro and the Emissaries of Evil!’ with the Man without Fear putting a pretty definitive smack-down on the electric felon, the Matador, Gladiator, Stilt-Man and Leapfrog.

Of more interest are the ‘Inside Daredevil’ pages, explaining his powers, how his Billy Club works and the Matt/Mike Murdock situation, with stunning pin-ups of Karen, Foggy, Ka-Zar, DD and a host of old foes. Rounding out the experience is a short comedy tale ‘At the Stroke of Midnight!: an Actual Unrehearsed Story Conference with (and by) Stan and Gene!’

‘Daredevil Dies First!’ pitted the sightless wonder against old Fantastic Four foe Trapster, but Horn-Head was only a stepping-stone in his complex plan to destroy the World’s premier super-team. However DD managed to turn the tables in #36’s ‘The Name of the Game is Mayhem!’ (inked by Giacoia) a clash that left the blind hero weakened and easy prey for another FF arch-foe. Tartaglione returned to ink the startling ‘Don’t Look Now, But It’s… Doctor Doom!’

Helpless before the Iron Dictator DD was trapped in ‘The Living Prison!’ (Giacoia inks) as Doom swapped bodies with the sightless crusader to facilitate an ambush on the FF which culminated in a stupendous Battle Royale in Fantastic Four #73’s crossover conclusion as the Torch, Thing and Mr. Fantastic fought DD, Thor and Spider-Man in ‘The Flames of Battle…’ (by Lee, Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott). When involved in mind-swap cases it’s always prudent to advise your friends when you regain your original body…

DD finally got to battle some of his own bad-guys in #39 as old foes the Ani-Men returned with a new name and a new boss. ‘The Exterminator and the Super-Powered Unholy Three’ (inked by George Tuska) reintroduced Bird-Man, Ape-Man and Cat-Man in the pay of a criminal genius working with time-based weapons, but the real meat of the tale was Foggy Nelson’s campaign to become New York City’s District Attorney and his revived relationship with ex-con Deborah Harris: now Matt Murdock’s only rival for Karen’s affections was his imaginary twin brother Mike…

That story proceeded in #40, resulting in a spectacular clash ‘The Fallen Hero!’ (inked by Tartaglione) and concluded the only way it could in ‘The Death of Mike Murdock!’ as Matt took advantage of his final battle with the Exterminator to end the charade. He didn’t come clean though, as Daredevil revealed that Mike was only one of a number of Men without Fear in the first part of a prolonged battle with a new nemesis as ‘Nobody Laughs at The Jester!’ (inked by Dan Adkins).

The Malevolent Mountebank only wanted to be more successful as a criminal than he had been as an actor until mayoral candidate Richard Raleigh hired him to spoil incorruptible Foggy Nelson’s campaign for the D.A. post; precipitating a protracted saga which kicked off with a temporarily befuddled DD ‘In Combat with Captain America!’ (inked by Vince Colletta) before being framed for killing the Jester’s alter ego Jonathan Powers in #44’s ‘I, Murderer!’

Defeated by the Jester in ‘The Dismal Dregs of Defeat!’, Horn-Head became a wanted fugitive and after a frenetic manhunt was finally arrested before snatching victory in the thoroughly enthralling conclusion ‘The Final Jest!’ as inker extraordinary George Klein began a long and impressive association with the series.

With the Vietnam War raging a story involving the conflict was inevitable, but #47’s ‘Brother, Take My Hand!’ was so much more than a quick cash-in or even well-meaning examination of contemporary controversy, as Marvel found a new African-American character (one of far too few in those blinkered times).

Newly-blinded veteran Willie Lincoln turned to Matt Murdock and Daredevil for help on his return home. A disgraced cop framed by gang-boss Biggie Benson before joining the army, Lincoln was now back in America to clear his name… at all costs. This gripping, life-affirming crime thriller not only triumphs in Daredevil’s natural milieu of moody urban menace but also sets up a long-running plot that would ultimately change the Man without Fear forever.

The book ends with the return of Stilt-Man in ‘Farewell to Foggy’ as Matt’s oldest friend wins the election for D.A. but acrimoniously turns his back on Murdock, seemingly forever.

This is a good place to end as Stan Lee would hand over the scripting to Roy Thomas soon after this and the social turbulence that marked the end of the 1960s would begin to transform the dashing, wise-cracking Daredevil into something closer to his current dark archetype. But that’s for another volume…

© 1967, 1968, 1969, 2004 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Annihilation Conquest Book 1


By various (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-8751-2782-6

Annihilation was another of those company-wide publishing events that “Changed The Marvel Universe Forever” (and don’t they all?) which ran for most of 2006, and involved most of the House of Ideas’ outer space outposts and cosmic characters. Among the stalwarts in play were Silver Surfer, Galactus, Firelord (and a host of previous heralds of the world-eater), Moondragon, Quasar, Star-Lord, Thanos, Super-Skrull, Tana Nile, Gamora, Ronan the Accuser, Nova, Drax the Destroyer, a Watcher and a host of alien civilisations such as the Kree, Skrulls, Xandarians, Shi’ar et al., all falling before a invasion of rapacious negative zone bugs and beasties unleashed by the insectoid horror Annihilus.

If you’re new to the Marvel universe and that bewildering list of daunting data didn’t leave you screaming in frustration, then please read on…

As is usual in these public thinnings of the herd, a number of good guys and bad died and had their trademark assumed by a new and glitzier model whilst some moribund careers got a successful and overdue shot in the arm…

The event spawned a number of specials, miniseries and new titles, (subsequently collected as three volumes plus a Classics compilation that reprinted key appearances of a number of the saga’s major players) and inevitably led to a follow-up event: Annihilation: Conquest.

The first volume of this surprisingly engaging sequel series collects Annihilation: Conquest Prologue, Annihilation: Conquest Quasar #1-4, Annihilation: Conquest Star-Lord #1-4 and Annihilation Saga, opening on a scarred and war-torn realm of known space, decimated and still reeling from the chaos of the Annihilation Wave and its aftermath.

The Kree and Skrull empires are splintered, the Nova Corps of Xandar reduced to a single agent, ancient gods are loose and a sizable portion of the Negative Zone invaders have tenuously established themselves in territories stolen from the billions of dead sentients that once populated the cosmos. The Supreme Intelligence is gone and arch-villain Ronan has become a surprisingly effective ruler of the Kree remnants. Cosmic Protector Quasar is dead and Phyla-Vel, daughter of the first Captain Marvel has inherited both his powers and name…

In ‘Prologue’ (written by Dan Abnett & Any Lanning, illustrated by Mike Perkins and coloured by Guru eFX) Phyla-Vel and psychic demi-goddess Moondragon are working with the pacifist Priests of Pama to relieve the suffering of starving survivors, whilst Peter Quill, one time cosmic champion Starlord, is working with Ronan and the remnants of the warlike Kree on the planet Hala to shore up the battered interstellar defences of the myriad races in the sector.

Quill has brokered an alliance with the Spaceknights of Galador (an old noble cyborg species most famously represented by 1980s hero Rom) that should enhance the all-pervasive etheric war-net, but once uploaded the date instantly causes disastrous problems throughout the system. In seconds all technology in the region is compromised: overruled by a murderous, electronic sentient parasitic species known as the Phalanx, whose cybernetic credo is “peace and order through assimilation”. Once more organic life is facing total extinction…

On planet Pama, Phyla and Moondragon are targeted by enslaved Kree automatons as the Phalanx attempt to destroy any credible resistance before spectacularly cutting off the entire quadrant from the rest of the universe. If life is to survive this threat it must be saved by the champions trapped inside…

The miniseries ‘Starlord’ (written by Keith Giffen, with art from Timothy Green II, Victor Olazaba & Nathan Fairbairn), finds the one-time Cosmic Avenger stripped of his powers and technological enhancements – all now liabilities when facing a predator species that infests electronic devices – and seconded to a Kree resistance division. Here he is tasked with turning Kree prisoners into a Penal Strike Force (a highly engaging intergalactic Dirty Half-Dozen) and taking out the Phalanx base where the invaders are perfecting a more efficient way to assimilate organics into their mechanistic hive-mind.

Once a major bad-guy race in the Marvel mainstream, whoever the Kree consider criminals look surprising like failed heroes to me. Firstly there’s Galactic Warrior Bug (originally from the 1970’s phenomenon Micronauts), the current Captain Universe (ditto), the Shi’ar berserker Deathcry, failed Celestial Madonna Mantis, anamorphic adventure Rocket Raccoon and the gloriously whacky “Kirby Kritter” Groot, a Walking Tree and one-time “Monarch of Planet X.”

With this reluctant team in tow and using natural abilities and decidedly primitive weapons the squad invades Hala, now the central beachhead of the Phalanx, to discover and destroy the augmented assimilation project, but they have drastically underestimated the remorseless ingenuity and creative callousness of the electronic invaders…

Sharp, witty and ingenious, this is a magnificent romp full of thrills and worthy sacrifice that no comic fan could possibly resist, and is promptly followed by the epic tragedy of Phyl-Vel, the new Quasar as she and her lover Moondragon endure a terrible quest to the heart of the imprisoned Quadrant, following a mysterious voice that urges them to save the one being who could possibly turn back the seemingly irresistible tide of Phalanx assimilation.

‘Quasar: Destiny’ (written by Christos N. Gage, illustrated by Mike Lilly, Bob Almond, Scott Hanna, Mark McKenna, Roland Paris & Stephane Peru) sees the couple journey to a hidden world of hope, dogged by the deadly Earth automaton Super-Adaptoid, now a fully-integrated Phalanx super-warrior possessing the powers of the Avengers and Phyla’s father the first Captain Marvel. Moreover, even plagued by overwhelming berserker rages and cut off from her power source, the untried Quasar must succeed before her abilities fade forever…

Little does she realise that Moondragon, her bedrock in these times of overwhelming trouble, is slowly undergoing an inevitable contamination potentially more hideous than Phalanx assimilation…

This epic race across the universe ends in a tragic surprise and one final glimmer of hope for the desperate champions of organic life – which will have to wait until the second volume to flourish or die.

This tome doesn’t end here, though. Rounding out the book is a selection of design sketches from Timothy Green II & Nathan Fairbairn and the invaluable and incisive Annihilation Saga, written by Michael Hoskin – a 34 page text précis using a huge selection of illustrations from the various Annihilation storylines to fill in and bring up to speed any readers (such as myself at the time so I can verify its usefulness and efficacy) who missed the original event.

Artists and writers sampled here include Aleksi Briclot, Nic Klein, Matt Wilson, Andrea DiVito, Laura Villari, Mitch Breitweiser, Scott Kolins, Ariel Olivetti, Kev Walker, Rick Magyar, Renato Arlem, Gregory Titus, Jorge Lucas, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Mike McKone & Sean Chen.

I admit to having a deep-seated antipathy to and suspicion of these vast inter-connected, braided mega series; always worrying that readers are subjected to unnecessary pressure to include titles and tales they normally wouldn’t care to try (and usually subsequently discovering that they needn’t have once the super-sagas are concluded) but every so often the publishing stunt is elevated by sheer quality of material and those rare instances result in pure comics gold. Annihilation: Conquest, with its blend of bombastic derring-do, metaphorical war allegories, dashing adventure, dry humour and Armageddon politics is one such example and I wholeheartedly commend it to your house…

© 2007, 2008 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Marvel Zombies 2


By Robert Kirkman, Sean Phillips & Arthur Suydam (Marvel)

ISBN: 978-0-7851-2545-7
With the nights drawing in and assorted haunts roaming the land I thought I’d follow-up a previous graphic novel review with another nervous peek at one of modern Marvel’s most successful niche-franchises: a canny blend of gratuitous sarcasm, knowing, measured respect for canonical comicbook lore and sheer necrophilic bravado starring the departed-but-not-gone denizens of an alternate Marvel Universe.

In Marvel Zombies: Dead Days a dire extra-dimensional contagion ravaged Earth, and heroes, villains and all creatures in-between were eradicated by fearsomely frightful and discomfortingly familiar flesh-eating superheroes who weren’t so different from the ones we all know – except for a rapacious, all consuming taste for living flesh that only paused when there was no-one and nothing left to eat…

Against all odds a small band of mortals and mutants survived the catastrophe and the subsequent manic hunts of the zombies for one last morsel of living meat… until an ill-considered visit by the Silver Surfer and Galactus. These cosmic paragons were, after a cataclysmic struggle, utterly consumed by the undead super-humans, but not before the walking dead’s ranks were reduced to six – Tony Stark, Luke Cage, Giant-Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine and the Hulk.

Engorged on the extra-galactic planet-eater’s cosmic power and with all other food sources apparently consumed the cosmic sextet abandoned Earth: for the next forty tears they scoured their entire dimension, killing and eating every thing and every civilisation they could find, on the way swelling their ranks with the dead infected carcasses of intergalactic powerhouses Gladiator, Phoenix, Firelord and Thanos who had all fallen in battle against the unstoppable horrors.

Now, with the universe emptied of all life, but still just as ravenously, insatiably hungry, the zombies turned back towards Earth, intending to use the Fantastic Four’s old trans-dimensional travel technology to find a new universe – and eat that too.

In four decades the Earth’s meagre survivors had developed into a small but by no means viable colony, led by the aged T’Challa, onetime superhero Black Panther. With the aid of mutant machinesmith Forge he had welded an uneasy alliance between Humans, Homo Superior and another more startling faction: zombies who had lost their appetite for flesh…

It would seem that if the undead don’t taste flesh for long enough the irresistible hunger fades – a fact that was slowly becoming apparent to some of the cosmic zombies making their way back home through a universe cleansed of all life…

Life on Earth was no picnic either. Despite the end of the world, species tension remained undiminished and a civil war was brewing, human against mutant, fomented by the insanely ambitious Malcolm Cortez, leader of the long-gone Magneto’s Acolytes. An assassination attempt on T’Challa precipitated a final crisis, but when the cosmic undead arrived, intent on escaping to fresh hunting grounds, they discovered one last tasty snack just waiting there to tide them over on their intended journey…

However some of the monsters, tempted by the sight of hunger-free zombies battling beside their proposed last meal, change sides…

By no means as bleakly black and comedic as the first volume, this story thunders along as a far more cohesive tragic adventure, with a diminished gratuitous death-toll, coherent characterisation, genuine dramatic tension and spectacular action replacing the shock tactics and mordant slapstick of earlier tales: more a “What If?” crossover than a stand-alone, exploitative event, and the gripping saga ends on a moody downbeat that promises more and even better to come…

This book, reprinting the comicbook miniseries Marvel Zombies 2 #1-5, also includes the wealth of alternate and variant cover reproductions by painter Arthur Suydam whose astounding pastiche images of pictorial landmarks from Marvel’s decades-long-history has done so much to make the series a commercial success.

Although still very much a one-trick pony, there seems to be no way to sate the avid appetite of fans for these tales, which depend greatly on a deep familiarity with the regular Marvel pantheon, a fondness for schlock horror and the cherished tradition of superheroes fighting each other. Not for the squeamish or continuity-purist hardliners, there are certainly loud laughs, poignant pauses and frissons of fear awaiting the open-minded reader…

© 2007, 2008 Marvel Publishing, Inc, a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Fire & Water: Bill Everett, the Sub-Mariner and the Birth of Marvel Comics


By Blake Bell (Fantagraphics Books)
ISBN: 978-1-60699-166-4

Win’s Christmas Gift Recommendation: 9/10 Perfect for art lovers, Marvel Zombies, wannabe illustrators and lovers of pure comic magic

There’s currently a delightful abundance of beautiful coffee-table art-books/biographies celebrating the too-long ignored founding fathers and lost masters of American comic books, and this fabulous tome highlights the astounding wizardry of one of the most accomplished draughtsmen and yarn-spinners of that incredibly fertile early period.

As always you can save time and trouble by simply buying the book now rather than waste your valuable off-hours reading my blather, but since I’m going to froth on anyway feel free to accompany me as I delineate just why this tome needs to sit on your “favourites” shelf.

This lavishly illustrated, oversized tome traces the tragic life and awe-inspiring body of work of possibly the most technically accomplished artist of the US comicbook industry: a man of privilege and astonishing pedigree (he was a direct descendent and namesake of iconoclastic poet and artist William Blake) haunted by illness, an addictive personality and especially alcoholism, but a man who nevertheless raised a family, shaped an art-form and left twin legacies: an incredible body of superlative stories and art, and, more importantly, broken lives saved by his becoming a dedicated mentor for Alcoholics Anonymous.

William Blake Everett was born in 1917 into a wealthy and prestigious New England family. Bright and precocious he contracted Tuberculosis when he was twelve and whilst recuperating in Arizona began a life-long affair with and battle against booze. For the rest of his chequered life “Wild Bill” vacillated between magnificent artistic highs and heartbreaking personal lows, covered with chilling frankness in this excellent biography, written in conjunction with the artist’s surviving family.

Although telling, even revelatory and concluding in a happy ending of sorts, what this book really celebrates is not the life but the astounding legacy of Bill Everett. A gifted, driven man, he was a born storyteller who had the sheer naked ability to make all his own worlds real; and for nearly five decades his incredible art and wondrous stories, which began in the heydays of the Pulps (see also Spicy Tales Collection) enthralled and inspired successive generations of fellow dreamers.

His beautiful artwork featured in a variety of magazines before his fortuitous stumbling into the right place at the right time secured Everett’s place in history forever with his creation of the first anti-hero in comics.

Yet even before the advent of the mutant hybrid Sub-Mariner who, along with his elemental counterpart The Human Torch, secured the fortunes of the budding Marvel Comics (covered in a fascinating and detailed account which clears up many controversies that have raged amongst fans ands historians for decades) Everett was a valued and admired writer/artist/letterer/designer whose early seminal triumphs are lovingly covered here in many reproduced strip extracts, sketches and an utterly invaluable collection of original art pages.

Bill Everett was a jobbing cartoonist who drifted into the new world of comicbooks: a budding industry that combined his beloved drawing with his other compulsion – making up stories. The first chronological art selection here features a plethora of his compelling and irresistible covers for Amazing Mystery Funnies, Blue Bolt, Target Comics, Amazing-Man Comics, Victory Comics, Heroic Comics, and the landmark Motion Picture Funnies Weekly (for which he produced not only the pre-Marvel/Timely Sub-Mariner, but also the all-important back cover sales pitch) and many designs and roughs for unpublished titles, interspersed with pages and spreads from early creations Amazing-Man, Dirk the Demon, Skyrocket Steele, Music Master, The Chameleon, Hydroman, Sub-Zero and of course Prince Namor.

The early days of Marvel Mystery Comics and the Sub-Mariner’s own feature title are thoroughly represented with many pages of original art starring not only his aquatic antagonist but also The Fin and Human Torch, and this section is also full of delightful sketches from his four years of service in the Army Corps of Engineers.

The industry had changed radically by the time Everett mustered out: superheroes were on the wane and other genres were rising in popularity. Returning as a freelancer to Marvel/Timely, Everett worked again on Sub-Mariner and even created the sexy spin-off Namora and stillborn kid crusader Marvel Boy, but it was with the series Venus that he moved in a new direction: glamorous, glorious horror.

For over a decade he brought a sheen of irresistible quality to the generally second-rate chillers Timely/Atlas/Marvel generated in competition with genre front-runners EC Comics. It’s easy to see how they could compete and even outlive EC, with these lush and lurid examples of the hundreds of stunning covers and chillingly beautiful interior pages selected from such titles as Mystic, Menace, Astonishing, Adventures into Weird Worlds, Uncanny Tales, Suspense, Marvel Tales, Spellbound, Mystery Tales, Men’s Adventures and others. My only quibble is that unlike the companion volume featuring unsung genius Mort Meskin (see From Shadow to Light) there are no complete stories collected in this otherwise perfect primer.

Despite being unacknowledged as a master of terror, this period was probably Everett’s most technically adroit, but he also excelled in the other genre-ghettoes of the period. His ability to freeze manic action and convey tension into a single image made him the perfect choice for lead cover artist in the burgeoning military comics fields as can be seen in examples from Man Comics, Navy Tales, Battlefield, Navy Action, Navy Combat and others.

Everett truly excelled in the lush, stylistic depiction of action and horror themes – as well as the seductive delineation of sexy women, although he was equally effective in less histrionic arenas such as merchandising art, wholesome western, romances, cartoon and Bigfoot comedy styles, represented here by pages and covers from such diverse publications as Marvin the Mouse, Nellie the Nurse, Cracked, Jann of the Jungle, True Secrets, Girl Confessions, Bible Tales For Young Folk, Tales of Justice, Quick Trigger Western, Yellow Claw, Sports Action, Pussycat and so many others.

His final creative period follows his return to Marvel after time in the commercial art world and covers the creation of Daredevil, unsatisfactory runs on the Hulk, Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, Rawhide Kid and others as well as his stints inking Jack Kirby, Gene Colan, Ross Andru, Herb Trimpe, Dan Adkins and Barry Windsor Smith, before, clean and sober after decades, he produced a landmark run on his signature Sub-Mariner.

Tragically, decades of smoking and alcohol abuse had taken its toll, and only four years after turning his life around he died of complications arising from heart surgery, just when he seemed on the cusp of a brilliant creative renewal as remarkable as his meteoric rise in the 1930s and 1940s.

Evocatively written by biographer Blake Bell, with dozens of first hand accounts from family, friends and contemporaries; the sad, unjust life of this key figure of comics art is lovingly recounted here with hundreds of artistic examples from school days, army service, commercial and cartoon illustration and many intimate photographs supplementing the treasure trove of comics images. By tracking Everett’s early career as a pulp magazine illustrator, through his pioneering superhero art to the moody masterpieces of the 1950s and the Pop Art comics renaissance of the his later years, Fire and Water offers an opportunity to revel in the mastery of a truly unique pillar of America’s sequential Art establishment.

Most importantly for collectors and art-fans there is a overwhelming abundance of beautiful comics magic; from compelling page layouts, sketches and compositions to bold, vibrant pencils and slick luscious inking, and for we comics cognoscenti, the jackpot of never-before-seen unpublished pages: penciled, inked and camera-ready art-boards, as well as illustrations, family pieces and examples of his non-comics career

Brilliant, captivating, and utterly unmissable, this is the book Bill Everett deserves – and so do you.

© 2010 Fantagraphics Books. Text © 2010 Stephen Brower. All art © its respective owners and holders. All rights reserved.