Captain America and the Falcon, Vol. 1: Two Americas

The Falcon has gone rogue!

Sam Wilson has infiltrated Guantanamo and broken out a prisoner. Now reports have it that the Avenger has taken the escapee to a known drug lord's Cuban compound. What's going on here? Has Wilson reverted back to his Red Skull evil origins?

Captain America has been granted 24-hours to locate the Falcon and get to the bottom of the rogue hero's actions. When his time is up, SHIELD will neutralize the Falcon without prejudice. Normally, such an assignment is easy peasy for the Sentinel of Liberty. But an incoming hurricane to the Caribbean is making it difficult for Steve Rogers to safely arrive on Cuban shores. 

Eventually, the Captain catches up with Sam Wilson and the escaped prisoner. It turns out that the fugitive is a reporter for the Daily Bugle who uncovered a biological weapon in one of the operations of the drug cartel. Post-9/11, the kingpin has been providing key information on terrorist cells to the American intelligence community in exchange for immunity. To wipe out such valuable Intel would severely hamper the new war on terror. 

Thus, the CIA or some other clandestine government agency has sought to silence the reporter who happens to be a close associate from Sam Wilson's past. With Captain America now on the scene, it appears Sam's friend will return to the Big Apple to reveal the scoop of the century. But when Captain America slaughters the drug lord's entire headquarters of bodyguards and lieutenants, it's revealed that something is seriously wrong. There's an impostor Cap assigned to terminate all parties related to the blotched biological weapon, including the real Steve Rogers!

This 2004 book was one of the worst Captain America and the Falcon volumes that I have ever read. Actually, the writing was pretty good. Christopher Priest, going just by his last name at the time pens an Ed Brubaker level story of espionage, betrayal and conspiracy. It was the art and the layouts that were a hot mess. So maybe this is one of the worst stories starring some of my favorite characters that I have ever looked at.

First is the artwork by Bart Sears. The heroes look ridiculous. Overly muscular. Proportions are all wrong. The eyes look googly, like they're all cross-eyed. And the body language is rather silly looking like our heroes have to pee really bad. It would be funny if this was a work of parody like MAD or Not Brand Echh.

Then there's those layouts. They're all over the place. Several pages are framed with unnecessary posed images of Cap and the Falcon. Then there's those 2-page splashes that are supposed to go from left to right and somehow end up those wandering paths taken by Billy in The Family Circus. If ever those black trail dashes were needed to guide the reader's eyes as to where to travel, it was here in the pages of this opening salvo. 

The first of 2 volumes, other than what was the truth behind the super bug bio-weapon that Falcon and his reporter friend discovered, I've no interest in knowing what happens next. That's how awful Sear's art was. Maybe if I found a copy for $3 or less. Otherwise, a quick search on Wikipedia should suffice. This one is definitely getting turned back in for trade credit.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

Essential Avengers, Vol. 1 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Comic Book Quiz Time: True or False - the Fantastic Four appear in the first issue of The Avengers.

The answer is TRUE. In fact, Marvel's First Family play a very large role in the formation of Earth's Mightiest Heroes becoming a superhero team. 

The Norse god of mischief, Loki, would like nothing more than to defeat his boastful half brother Thor. However, due to being banished to a forbidden zone within the Seven Realms, Loki has to use a proxy via his magical inclinations to defeat the god of Thunder. The chosen lackey is none other than the Incredible Hulk who is duped into destroying a train track after Loki used an illusion spell to make the green behemoth believe there was dynamite about to explode.

Using a ham radio, the Hulk's teenager sidekick, Rick Jones attempts to summon the Fantastic Four for help, as they had dealt with him previously. However, the Fantastic Four must decline and they recommend Jones summon Thor, since he's a heavy hitter. You'd think this is just what Loki was hoping for. Only his ultimate trap is far from set. So when Rick Jones attempts to radio Thor, his transmission is received instead by Iron Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp. 

Eventually, Thor joins the fight against the Hulk with the other heroes. Rick explains that the Hulk is innocent of the mass destruction and Thor with assistance from the All Father, defeats Loki. Enjoying their adventure together, the heroes, along with the Hulk, decide to make this a regular thing. With suggestion of the Wasp, the team take on the name of the Avengers and comic book history is made.

Marvel characters had already been interacting with each other for a couple of years prior to the debut of The Avengers. As mentioned earlier, the Fantastic Four attempted to defeat the Hulk in issue #12 of their first series. Spider-Man asked the FF for a job in his first solo issue. With each of these crossovers, Marvel developed a cohesive universe which was a delight to readers.

As fans were demanding more of such adventures, Stan Lee got the idea to develop a group team title that would hopefully introduce readers to some of the struggling (in popularity) heroes and hopefully enticed them to pick up their solo books as well. Besides, DC has been having similar success with it's flagship group title, Justice League of America. Thus in Stan's mind, what was good for the goose must be good for the gander.

By issue #4, the Hulk departed the Avengers feeling hated and unwanted by his teammates and the remaining Avengers added the World War II legend, Captain America, since frozen in an iceberg, to the roster. Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man now going as Giant Man, the Wasp and Captain America: they may not have been the original lineup. But they are considered by many to be the most iconic membership of the team's 60 year plus history.

Jack Kirby was Stan Lee's go-to artist and collaborator whenever a new project arose. Kirby was allowed to select the original roster of the Avengers. When asked in interviews years later why he went with the 5 characters that made up the Avengers by the end of issue #1, the King responded 'they were all characters that I had created' and was comfortable drawing. Plus, Kirby felt that he'd receive a higher working wage if he used only characters that he had created previously at Marvel. Familiarity and money might have been the reasons why The Sub-Mariner became a one-time adversary of the Avengers as well as the return of the Sentinel of Liberty, Captain America.

By issue #8, Kirby became bored with the title, as he often did, and went on to plot and pencil other projects at the House of Ideas. Don Heck took over as the series' regular artist. The co-creator of such Avengers stalwarts as Iron Man and the Wasp, Heck would oversee the team's biggest roster shake up in Avengers #16 when Captain America would now lead the team, comprised of former baddies Hawkeye, The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Heck would stay on until issue #40. Dick Ayers inked a majority of the first 2 dozen issues with lettering completed by Artie Simek at Sam Rosen. 

Completing this review completes Task #14 (A Volume of Marvel Essentials or DC Showcase) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Unofficial Marvel Hostess Ads Collection

From 1975-82, the heroes of the Marvel Universe had a secret weapon: baked goods from Hostess! To battle the bad guys, the stars of the House of Ideas used Twinkies, chocolate iced cupcakes and the ever arresting Hostess Fruit Pie in ways more effective than your run of the mill Spidey-sense or enchanted Asgardian hammer. 

It's a theory that I would love to test out now. You have a villain plotting destruction or theft. You first try your super powers to overcome the antagonist. But it doesn't work. So using your wits and a large amount of sugar, fat, flour and real fruit filling, you fling a couple dozen goodies from Hostess (then owned by International Bakeries) at the enemy and the day is saved!

Trident Studios has done it again! This time, the Esty seller and publisher, has collected over 80 one-page ads starring your favorite Marvel superheroes as well as some of the most iconic baked goods to ever be sold at your local convenience store!

The malefactors that peppered these advertisements were generally generic rogues. A zany costumed cad with a gimmick was the typical character who couldn't resist golden sponge cake or tender, flaky crust. Characters such as Captain Marvel, Iron Man and Daredevil would occasionally take on space aliens, inter-dimensional monsters or even the militia of a banana republic in these ads. However, on more than one occasion, the heroes took on legit enemies, such as the god of mischief Loki and the Red Skull, complete with Cosmic Cube! The combined might of Abomination and the Wendigo actually beat the Incredible Hulk to a pulp in one ad which sees ol' Mean Green having to be revived by some kids carrying Hostess pastries with them.

There was even some a-list help for the good guys in these ads. The Lady Sif and the Voluminous Volstagg give the Mighty Thor a hand in a couple of ads. Nick Fury appears in no less than 3 ads with Captain America and the Agent of SHIELD actually saves the Sentinel of Liberty with some fruit pie know-how of his own! Peter Parker's girlfriend Mary Jane Watson appears in several of the Spider-man ads. She often makes comments about how Petey always disappears when criminals arrive on the scene. Yet, Mary Jane never makes the connection that Spider-man comes about during those moments of 'cowardice.' 

3 of the Fantastic Four go it alone in a series of ads. Mister Fantastic, The Thing and the Human Torch all have solo adventures. I'm thinking either Marvel or Hostess--- OR BOTH!, didn't think women would make good sales people for boys and their need of fried dough. Personally, I think She-Hulk or Spider-Woman would have made great spokes models for Twinkies. Don't feel quite so bad for Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman. She, along with son Franklin Richards, do make an appearance in one Fantastic Four team ad with Marvel's First Family going on a canoeing trip somewhere in the American mid-west. 

I greatly appreciate the efforts made by Trident Studios to bring as many of these ads together as possible. Once again, the print job on these pages are just amazing. Whatever remastering that was done on the ads was well worth the effort. The coloring was so brilliant. 

I don't think I can judge this book on the ads themselves. They were hokey then and they are hokey today. Don't believe me??? Those Hostess ads are still the thing of parody and satire in memes and modern day comics, such as Deadpool. The plots were really far out, as was the dialogue. Yet, how much of a story can you do in just 1 page? The artwork was always superb, though I am not sure who was really behind which work. I know that Sal Buscema, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito crafted some of these ads. Just don't ask me which ones that they did. 

These ads brought back a lot of memories. Oh, to go back to a time when all our problems could be solved with cake. I only wish that I had a couple of those fruit pies on hand as I read this book. That would have made this sugary trip back in time all that more the sweeter!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

(Note- The Unofficial Marvel Hostess Ads Collection is not an officially licensed product. It is a labor of love that saves collectors hundreds of dollars if they were to try and collect the 80 plus comics from which these ads were culled.)

The Avengers, Vol. 1: World Trust

Washington D.C. has disappeared. So has dozens of other world capitals, which appear to have disappeared off the face of the earth. The planet is in crisis. The United Nations is operating under a skeleton crew. Once again, Earth's mightiest heroes are called upon to save the day. Only this time, the Avengers aren't defending us from a colossal menace like Kang or Galactus. Instead, they're acting as the de facto leaders of the world under special commission from the UN.

The first half of this book sees very little action. What we get from Geoff Johns is a political Armageddon story on par with Tom Clancy. Seeing Captain America acting as motivational leader of the world with She-Hulk as his political law adviser and Iron Man acting as the head of the World Bank was a welcome change from super hero stories full of fisticuffs and violence. There's a ton of political intrigue as many of the Avengers have trouble trusting the intentions of both T'Challa and the Sub-Mariner, both world leaders, who have joined the team recently. Nobody trusts Henry Peter Gyrich, the Avengers former liaison who oversaw a dramatic retooling of the superhero team in the 1980s. But, Gyrich is about the only government man from D.C. left on the planet and he knows how to play the political game.

I was disappointed when the story shifted over to the menace behind the chaos. On one hand, I like the villain and his reasons for his treachery kinda ties in nicely with the baddie's M.O.. But there was a component of a new player who is more on par with Doctor Strange matching wits with, as opposed to the Avengers. Okay- I admit it! Scarlet Witch and her chaotic hex powers does make her a perfect protagonist to take on one half of the extinction level foes unleashed by the story's main villain. I just hated to see this amazing story devolve back into typical comic book theatrics.

World Trust was another example of why I like the Avengers. They've never really disappointed me. I think one reason they work so well is because of how much they distrust each other.

Great additions of Jack of Hearts and the Scott Lang Ant-Man to this story. They added a distrustful tension to the story which each other really hating the other guy's guts. Plus, both have such tragic story lines going on at this point, that their inclusion in this adventures added a ton of heart. 

Definitely a keeper in my Avengers collection of reads. I just wish there was more crisis-level drama than over-the-top superheroing in this grouping of issue.

Oh, and the back-up story was awesome. If you ever wondered what the Avengers would look and act like if they existed in the Simpsons universe, here's your chance. Simpsons Comics' Bill Morrison crafts a wacky tale in which Loki seeks to regain the title of God of Mischief by playing a bunch of sophomoric pranks on the Avengers. It's another fun tale that was so unusual and extremely refreshing to read that I want to see more of!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Ghost Stories

A celebration of nearly 40 years of Marvel inspired ghostly tales. This slightly larger than digest sized trade paper back features stories with the Silver Surfer, the West Coast Avengers, Damon Hellstrom, and many more.

My favorite tale was taken from an issue of Marvel's 1970s combat series War is Hell. The series' first non-reprint tale was from issue #9. It introduces us to John Kowalski, a former Marine ex-pat forced to live in 1930s Poland after being dishonorably discharged. Cursed by a member of the Polish resistance for not warning the American government of the Nazi invasion of Poland, Kowlaski is forced to wander the world as a specter to save others from the spoils of war. His first mission is to wrestle the life of a young girl from the literal grasp of the grim reaper. 

Fans of Ghost Rider get to encounter another character from the ill-fated War is Hell. The ghost of the World War I ace, the Phantom Eagle seeks revenge on the German general who killed him in combat.

There's a Halloween set story with Captain America summoned to the estate of the Red Skull. Set during one of several time periods when the Skull is dead, Cap encounters a variety of ghosts, both bad and evil in a holiday tale that morphs into All Saint's Day when the clock strikes midnight. 

My least favorite stories were the most modern tales. Both stars Damon Hellstrom, the son of Satan, who is just too demonic for my comfort. The West Coast Avengers story wouldn't have been so bad except for the prominent use of a pentagram and the revelation that the character of Mockingbird was drugged and raped by one of the incarnations of the Old West superhero, the Phantom Rider. That's really strong stuff for 1990s era Marvel.

The final story, which was taken from Hellstrom's short-lived series from the early 90s, was a great Exorcist kinda tale, if you like that kind of thing. I personally do not. 

I found this book for sale at a local coffee shop. You might be wondering why after hating the Hellstrom stuff did I buy this book. I think I was more enticed by the $5 price tag that I avoided noticing the big evil image of Hellstrom in his devilish garb. I should have paid more attention and I really do regret being impulsive and allowing myself to be open to such creepy material. The Silver Surfer two-parter starring Mephisto was also a read I did not favor.

This isn't a book I will keep. Nor is it a book I can resell. That's because of the really poor adhesive Marvel used for the cover. My copy's soft cover is barely hanging on to a thin strip of glue. If you happen to be at the Hillsborough Walmart recycling center on Monday, check out the free book shelf. My copy might still be there waiting for you...

Lastly, I want to implore Marvel to seriously consider producing a collection of the John Kolwalski stories. I really enjoyed that story and I much would have rather owned a copy of that book that doesn't exist than this collection. As for the Captain America Halloween story, I'll place it on my holiday wish list since I am not holding on to this book.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Captain America: Operation: Rebirth

Immediately just to clarify, Operation: Rebirth is NOT in any way related to Heroes Reborn. So don't get confused. 1996's Heroes Reborn was a return of several beloved Marvel icons, including Captain America, to the 616 Universe after a very stupid (and poorly received) attempt to modernize some aging super heroes. Instead, Operation: Rebirth begins right after Steve Rogers dies in the 616.

The Super Solider Serum inside of Steve's body was deteriorating. For a brief period of time, Captain America had to operate inside a suit of armor built by Tony Stark as he had lost his super strength. Ultimately, Cap also lost his life. 

The general public is aware of all this. In fact, there was a very public funeral at Arlington held for the World War II veteran. What the populace doesn't know is that the casket is empty! That's because soon after Steve Rogers died, someone stole the body!

The story opens with Steve Rogers in return to his super strong form thanks to the Red Skull! Why is the Sentenil of Liberty's greatest foe helping him to the point of fantastic resurrection? It's because someone has gotten their hands on that blasted Cosmic Cube and altered reality. AGAIN! The Third Reich is still in power in this new world, having never lost the second world war. Normally, the Red Skull would be okay with this; if he was the man in charge. Instead, the leader of these Nazis is none other that Adolph Hitler himself, the Hate Monger!

With this story taking place in 1995, that would put ol' Adolph in his late 80s. Suffering from dementia and extremely paranoid, the Hate Monger fears being deposed. Armed with nukes and ready to use them, this new reality stares down the barrel of World War III. With his arch-enemy on one side and a blast from his past on the other, Captain America must find the Cosmic Cube and change history back or it will be up to only the Watcher to prevent a global nuclear apocalypse!

This trade paperback collects issue #445-448 of Captain America. Mark Waid was the writer and he does an amazing job as usual. True, I feel like I've read this story before what with Cosmic Cube changing the world and all that. But as I said before, this book collects material from 1995 and some of those stories came AFTER this tale. So I can't fault Waid for a lack of originality. (I might accuse Nick Spencer with his Hydra Cap storyline of it...) 

The artwork was my biggest complaint. Ron Garney seems to be a student of the Rob Liefeld School of Over-Exaggerated Comic Book Art. But I don't think he was an honor student as it wasn't that bad. But just enough to get on my nerves. I will admit that Garney's Red Skull is perhaps one of the most menacing versions of the villains that I've ever encountered. But I don't want to give too much praise for a Nazi...

A good story, though I've read it before. The artwork was very 90s but not my least favorite of the era. 

Cap and Red Skull- a match made in hell. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Captain America #750 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

A team of about a dozen talents crafted this special anniversary issue to both versions of the Sentinel of Liberty: Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson.

There are 2 main stories in this oversized special. The first is an origin into how Sam obtained his own version of Cap's shield. Story #2 has Steve Rogers and his dwindling number of pals from over 80 years of crime fighting celebrating the life of a fallen ally.

The Steve Rogers story follows the recent events of 'Cold War' in which a secret organization called Outer Circle, worse than Hydra and AIM combined, is targeting the original Capt. as well as his friends and loved ones. This feature also ties into the upcoming Captain America Finale one-shot that has some fans speculating if Steve's about to be put on ice once again. (J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz are about to helm a new Captain America series later this year. Whether this series is a reboot, reset or continuation remains to be seen.)

After the two main stories, there are several shorts that examine the history of both Captains. While the Sam Wilson refresher mentions him as the Falcon helping the people of Jamaica, there is nothing about how the hero was originally a sleeper agent created by the Red Skull. Steve Rogers and his wavering faith in the American government is ignored in these tales as well. Readers catch a glimpse of Steve and Sam taking on the Hate Monger. But Steve's time as Nomad, the unaffiliated Captain persona and that time Red Skull used a cosmic cube to turn Rogers into a member of Hydra are omitted as well.

What promises to be a tribute to the spirit of Captain America really only focuses on Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. Bucky Barnes appears. But no reference to his time as Captain America is mentioned. And to not have even a passing tribute to Isaiah Bradley, the first Captain America, who was also a black man, seems like an offense to the character and his growing legion of fans. 

Captain America #750 shows a lot of the good. But this book is not all peaches and cream. The racism Sam Wilson experienced as a member of the Avengers and from those who consider a black Captain America to 'not be their Captain' is explored. Steve's childhood as a bullied child is also explored. However, when it comes to the wrongs both characters have committed as symbols of the American Dream, this oversized issue is lacking. 

And no reference to the werewolf Captain America?! Come on, Marvel! That's a beloved segment of Captain America history! For shame...FOR SHAME!

Featuring the writings of Tochi Onyebuchi, Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly.
Artwork by R.B. Silva and Carmen Carnero.

This book was recommended by the staff at Acme Comics in Greensboro, NC and Totally Awesome Comics in Mebane, NC. 

Completing this review completes Task #38 (Recommended by a Comic Book Store) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Captain America: The Ghost Army (Family Comic Friday)

Last Summer after finishing Shuri and T'Challa: Into the Heartlands, I was treated to a preview of Captain America: The Ghost Army. Needless to say, I was excited. I just didn't know it would take almost an entire year to get to read it!

In Central Europe, Captain America and Bucky are assisting a British Unit getting swamped by Nazis. Things look dire as the nearest squadron that could help is miles and miles away. Then all of a sudden, sounds of tanks, fighter planes and a whole lot of soldiers are heard in the nearby woods. The Nazis flee and Capt. and company appear to be saved- by theatrics!

Meet the Ghost Army of the United States government. Led by Private Jim Morita, posing as a 4-star general, the Ghost Army is actually composed of inflatables, cardboard cutouts and large speakers playing the top hits of the Allied Forces. Based on a real battalion during World War II, this isn't the only Ghost Army in the book. That's because a villainous sorcerer is working on creating his own army of the undead for the Nazis!

Amazon rates this book as appropriate for readers in grades 3-7. Honestly, I am okay with that rating. But I really think that it's going to be the adults who really get a kick out of this book. There are so many classic characters that appear in the book. Ones like Dum Dum Dugan, a beloved member of the Howling Commandos, who'll later become a beloved agent of SHIELD. The average 10 year old just isn't going to appreciate Dum Dum's addition to this book. Nor will they get the numerous inside jokes and references to both mainstream and deep dive characters and story arcs like the adults will!

That all being said, writer Alan Gratz did one heck of a job on this book. But he couldn't have done it without the artwork of Brett Schoonover. Gratz might have made countless references to nearly 80 years of Marvel Comics history, but it was Schoonover who made those references come alive. The pair did such an amazing job that I am willing to overlook and forgive the anachronistic use of many of the legendary members of Marvel Horror used in a pivotal scene just because it was such a fun scene. Being a continuity purist, I consider it to be a guilty pleasure!

The Ghost Army was supposed to come out in January. Delays stretched it out to May. I had to wait until July to find a copy. But it was all worth it as that was one of the most thrilling, fun, and a little bit scary reads that I have enjoyed without complaint in a very long time. Perfect for the 4th of July or Halloween!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Mini-Books Collectible Box-Set

This deluxe box set collects over-sized facsimiles of the 6 Marvel mini-books kids could get out of bubblegum machines way back in 1966. The original mini-books were barely the size of a postage stamp and yet they were each 48-pages in length!

The stars of the 6 minis were Sgt. Nick Fury, The Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, Millie the Model, The Mighty Thor and The Incredible Hulk. (Note that the order in which I listed these characters is also the rating I give of the 6 books from best to worst). Licensed by anow defunct tiny novelty company based in Chicago, Il., not a lot is known about the production of these little reads. Mark Evanier (Garfield: TV or Not TV?) does a very good job of recording what he knows in the 7th book in this collection, Marvel Comic Mini-Books: A Mini-History. 

Evanier makes a very good point that many of the artists and writers who might have been behind this project have passed away. Evanier was able to determine that Marie Severin (Not Brand Ecch) was behind the Sgt. Nick Fury story. I also think the Thor and Hulk stories were drawn by her. Mark Evanier also reveals that Denny O'Neil was the writer of the Captain America book.

The main problem I had with Mark Evanier's book is something that probably wasn't even his fault. The history book contains reprints of the 6 books in their original size form. If you read that book first, it spoils the reading of the 6 books, which were what you paid hard earned money for. So if you ever get your hands on this beautiful set, read the supplemental book LAST!

This was a product of its time. Marvel was way behind DC in terms of marketing its big name faces. One might wonder why Millie the Model got included in this set. In 1966, Millie starred in no less than 3 monthly titles. Plus, having a book starring a female character was a smart way to ensure that it wasn't just the boys who spent their allowances on a chance to snag one of these treasures.

While the books themselves are looked at as collector items, not every book is a classic. The Hulk book doubles as a goofy joke book. Plus, the Mean Green Machine talks more like when he's the intellectual Grey Hulk than his regular speak in monosyllable when verde. The Thor book was pretty good. It just had some rather odd looking artwork, the ending was silly and the God of Thunder is really more of a minor character than the star. The Millie book started off with a rather clever story. But the second half devolves into an outdated list of beauty tip cliches.

I thought Nick Fury's story was fantastic. It was a clever mystery tale about the Howling Commandos attempting to rescue a missing general somewhere in Nazi occupied France. Captain America's story is a spy thriller comprised of some goofy named fiends. But full of action. The Spider-Man story was silly. But then 1960s Spidey was pretty silly himself. Plus that story guest-stars a certain caped character from the Distinguished Competition. 

I really didn't know the hardback versions of these books existed. I knew of the minis from '66. But I'm not willing to pay $30 for such a tiny book. (Heck, I'm not willing to pay $30 on a regular comic unless I determine it to be an amazing deal!) But I found the whole set at a book store used for only $15. That deal was a freakin' steal!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The 25 Baubles of Pop Culture! Advent 2022 Day 4

Ornaments representing Marvel Comics is next on our Advent. I start off with my favorite decoration. From Hallmark, this 2011 release is part ornament and part comic book. Some of the ornaments I adore most was a set of Little Golden Book ornaments from the mid-80s. These books were exact 2in x 2in replicas of some classic kids books that I adored as a kid. Well, the same thing kinda happens here.

The ornament boasts a replica to the cover of Avengers #4, which marked the resurrection of the character into the Silver Age of comics. I just love how Hallmark has Cap. literally leaping off the page. Then inside there are several pages that reprint Earth's Mightest Heroes and their first encounter with the revived World War II hero.

After Captain America, my next favorite Marvel property is the Fantastic Four, Marvel's First Family. Unfortunately, a quick Google search doesn't seem to uncover any ornaments starring the whole team. There's a couple made of the Human Torch. But they just look hokey. So I chose this early 2000s miniature set from Hallmark. Spider-Man, The Thing, The Hulk and Wolverine at one time or another were members of the FF. I guess technically this counts. One of the cool things about this ornament is that you hang the 6 heroes individually or you can combine the bases for one deluxe ornament. 

Spider-Man is another favorite of mine. If my wife didn't hate spiders so darn much, I would have tons of Spidey stuff all over my house. One of my favorite ornaments is of Spider-Man hanging upside with his webs. It's such a beautiful piece. But then I saw an ornament that looked just like it only instead of webs, the wallcrawler is using Christmas lights. Well, I had to pick that one instead! It's also from Hallmark, dated 2019.

Hallmark doesn't have the monopoly on great Marvel tree decor. Pottery Barn has an adorable set of hand stitched felt replicas of Black Panther and Spider-Man. Disney offers a resin ornament of Nick Fury. While this is of Nick Fury Jr and not of his dad, the former WWII Sargent, I like this one because he's decked out in the classic blue and white SHIELD uniform. Lastly, I really dig this painted wooden ornament for sale on musicdope80s.com. It's of the Hulk's head, adorned with a Santa hat. I think the image is taken from a classic work by John Romita or Sal Buscema. 

Marvel Comics Presents #81

Weapon X's slaughter of his captors continues. But this time, I know that it's all an experiment done by a virtual reality simulator attached to his noggin! You can fool me twice, Marvel and Barry Windsor Smith! But not thrice!

The Wargod story starring Captain America was great. Too bad the twist was spoiled in the last issue. Also, too bad that they didn't mark that last issue with a 'To Be Continued.' I really thought this was a one-and-done story. (Okay- maybe I did get fooled thrice!)

The one-shot stories are amazing. The Scott Lang Ant-Man story proves just how good a character Scott Lang is! It got Lang pulled in 3 directions- struggling ex-con, single dad and super hero. Classic Marvel-type story. I loved it.

Then Daredevil takes on slum lords. When an elderly woman refuses to leave her tenement, the landlord hires some thugs to evict. The finale is thrilling and falls into that supernatural mystique of how Matt Murdock's costume plays on the fears of villains and even the elect!

I love it when superheroes take on your standard thug. It helps make them seem more real to me than battling your Red Skull, Doctor Doom or mere Batroc the Leaper. Probably my favorite segment of the book. But even with the Weapon X ruse, I really enjoyed this issue!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #80

I'm a little annoyed. Not because of this issue. Instead, I'm peeved because last night I had written up this wonderful review for a good 30 minutes, only to have the entire thing lost because Blogger or my WiFi or both were temporarily disabled. I also discovered that other minor changes I had made to some other previous posts didn't save either. So, forgive me if I am just too mentally tired to do as great a job on this revision as I had on the first draft.

Barry Windsor Smith continues to fake out the readers by showing us another Weapon X escape and assault on his captors. Only this time, instead of this being all part of Logan's imagination, this is a simulation done by a virtual reality headset attached to Weapon X's head like a visored helmet. Needless to say, the professor in charge of the project is literally crapping bricks because with every kill Weapon X makes in this program, feedback seems to indicate that Logan really enjoys it.

The next story stars Captain America. But the title character, at least according to the editors is a brand new armored character named Wargod. This story has a great twist ending that I did not see coming a mile away.

Mister Fantastic challenges a troubled youth to better himself instead of wasting his time playing video games. Now if this story was done today, the kid could have made a very compelling case that there is money to be made in becoming a professional video game player. But in 1991-92, the award money for winning a video game competition was small potatoes. This was a good story. But it really was dated.

Lastly, Jo Duffy (Power Man and Iron Fist) returns with an 8-pager starring Misty Knight and Colleen Wing: The Daughters of the Dragon. I thoroughly enjoyed their appearance in issue #42. This detective style story was just as great as the first. Yet, it is beyond me why Marvel never had the insight to produce a Jo Duffy penned Daughters of the Dragon book as either a regular series or a mini. This was a major missed opportunity I think for the House of Ideas.

Even though I keep getting mixed-up and confused from the Weapon X story, this was a great issue. 3 fantastic one-and-done tales. A couple of which post some what if scenarios based on publishing choices and not the work of Oatu the Watcher.

Hmmmm... This wasn't a bad rewrite. Okay, I'm a little less ticked off now...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Captain America: The Korvac Saga (Family Comic Friday)

It's confession time. I've never read the entire Korvac Saga. I've read the first few issues of what is considered the prelude. When I was reading the original Guardians of the Galaxy Omnibus, I read the issues of The Avengers that guest-starred Yondru, Charlie-27 and Vance Astro. I had every intention to read the rest of the story. But I got to reading something else and next thing I know 7 years have passed. 

Recently, I found this book. A little big bigger than a digest, this volume reprints the 4-issue miniseries of the same name from 2011. This version of the Korvac Saga takes place quite early in the revived career of Captain America. A born military leader, Cap is butting heads with Iron Man over leadership of the team. Iron Man is more used to going with his gut on making a plan. For Captain America, everything is a chess game in a strategic plan of attack. 

As the story is opening up, the Avengers are getting their butts handed to them by a bunch of C-listers like Quasimodo and the Living Laser. Thanks to mostly sheer luck, the Avengers discover that these underdog villains had their powers and armor upgraded by a supposedly random nobody hacker named Michael Korvac. The capture of Korvac feels too easy to Cap. So he goes to the local jail in hopes of getting some answers. Instead, Captain America is meet by a group of super-powered mystery men who claim to be a sort of intergalactic police force from the year 3000 and they want Korvac back immediately! 

Then everything goes wonky...

Now Steve Rogers finds himself thrust into future. Kovac has revealed himself to be an insane android. And did we mention Korvac has taken control of future Galactus' warship? Threatening to destroy the entire universe, Cap must team with these Guardians of the Galaxy by storming the TAA II and claim the ultimate nulifier in order to stop an ultimate evil!

Captain America: The Korvac Saga was a fun read. But it was rated A for All Ages. Based on the fact that the original Korvac Saga was Comics Code Approved, it was all ages too. Technically. So why did we need a reboot? Was this an attempt by Marvel to garner interest in Captain America in younger readers in anticipation for 2011's The First Avenger? If so, why use the Guardians? 

And don't say that this book was designed to boost the Guardians in the eyes of young readers! Their movie wasn't for another 4 years. Plus, this isn't even the Star Lord, Groot and Rocket Raccoon version the team we're dealing with! And with Sony owning rights to Galactus and considering how obscure Korvac is to the casual Marvel reader, this miniseries being rated All Ages just doesn't make sense to me.

Don't get me wrong. This was an exciting book. Justice League Unlimited's Ben McCool's story is modern with a nostalgic touch. Craig Rousseau's (Marvel Her-oes) art and inks are dynamic. But the dialogue is terse, the vocabulary is too advanced and the lines are too thin for an All Ages read. I'd say this was more of a 11 and up type read. Maybe go 12 or 13. I know that kids read and differing levels. But I can't see a 4 year old reading this.

Featuring Avengers #167, the opening salvo of the original Korvac storyline, this is a volume older readers will probably enjoy more than the kiddies. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Present #47

Once again, the 3 back-up stories are far more superior than the cover tale. 

In the one-and-done stories, we've got Captain America and a character referred to as the Arabian Knight. 

With Cap, he's at a VA hospital doing a physical demonstration for some vets. For some reason, a bunch of terrorists decide to invade the facility. The cool thing about this story was how it showed that despite age and disability and discharge, vets can still be heroes!

The Arabian Knight is a Bedouin prince named Abdul Qamar who first appeared in pages of The Incredible Hulk in 1980. Somehow with his moniker and harem of Arabic beauties, I don't think this character would fly in today's comics. At least not with Millennial and Gen Z readers. 

Anyways, a demon has possessed the prince's tribe; including his bevy of wives and his infant son. As with any devil, there's a twist decision that regardless of his decision will result in Adbul Qamar living in a tormented inner hell till the end of his days. The Arabian Knight must either kill his son and save his people or kill all his kin to protect his progeny. 

Speaking of devils, the hero Devil-Slayer is down in Central America. His most recent bout with a pack of soldiers of fortune led by the ghost of a pirate captain, has caused Devil-Slayer's costume to be damaged beyond repair. Only his magic cloak seems salvageable. That's all well and good as the cloak can still provide the hero with an arsenal of machine guns, grenades and bazookas. The magic mantle seems to also be able to dress Devil-Slayer up as a 3rd-rate Rambo...

The only thing of note about the fourth and final story in this book is that Wolverine's battle with white and black shadow demons comes to a close. Once again, it ends tragically. Big surprise there!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

Marvel Comics Presents #34

It's Meggan's time to shine. Though she's a bit of a bleached-blonde airhead on the surface, deep down, Meggan has a heart of gold and the tenacity of a beast. Literally!

In Meggan's entrapment, the Loonies have placed the mutant into a setting very similar to the Munsters. With Meggan playing the cousin Marilyn role, the rest of the family despise her and call her a freak which only opens the old wounds of being not quite human. Meanwhile, Kitty Pryde has managed to escape and it's revealed that the Loonies are under the control of a big boss. Only we don't quite know who the mastermind is. Yet!

With the Black Panther story, the favorite character of mine turns out not to be hurt at all! Thus Gene Colan and Don McGregor are forgiven for the red herring cliffhanger from last issue. 

Coldblood's story keeps getting interesting. The next issue is the last chapter. 

Our one-shot story stars Captain America in a team-up with Thin Man. I thought he was the leader of the Great Lakes Avengers. Turns out, he's a minor member of the Liberty Legion whose last appearance, up to this point, was 1976! Interesting paring of heroes. Okay story. 

Marvel Comics Presents continues to be like a roller coaster. This issue just happens to be one of the peaks. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #2

In the second issue of Marvel Comics Presents, Wolverine survives his first taste of the Madripoor nightlife only to come face-to-face with an old friend. Then in the political saga involving the Man-Thing, we get lots of conspiracy and intrigue but very little-to-no Man-Thing. Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung-Fu, is reunited with a lost love. But things appear complicated with a new mystery man added to the reunite clandestine team's line-up. The fact that the paramour gets kidnapped by thugs doesn't help thing either. 

Lastly, in the lone stand alone story, Al Milgrom brings back the Fear Eater. On the menu today is The Captain. Not Captain America. Just The Captain. But it's still Steve Rogers and with the former World War II non-com comes the baggage of the death of sidekick Bucky Barnes. It's that sort of grief that makes for some tasty vittles for the Fear Eater!

A good second issue. No sophomore slump here. The Wolverine story is that sort of gritty B-movie action flick stuff you'd expect from the late 80s. But it's intriguing. The Shang-Chi story has the titillating edge found with adventure flicks filled with femme fatales. And Al Milgrom's Fear Eater stories are great.

I just can't put my finger on the Man-Thing story. Why is he even in this thing? It's a good story. But with Man-Thing maybe appearing in one or two panels- what's the point of having him in this tale? I think people would have read this minus a main Marvel character's inclusion. But what do I know? I've only been reading comic books my whole life...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Avengers: Season One

The purpose behind Marvel’s Season One was to update the origins of many of the publisher’s most popular super heroes in order to A) help appeal to a newer audience and B) put the origins more in line with the various film properties of the Marvel Universe.

But with Avengers: Season One, you don’t get a reboot of their origin. What you do get is an awesome “lost tale” of the early days of Earth’s mightiest heroes. Angered by his exile at the hands of the Avengers, Loki works his magic pitting Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America in myriad of suspicious happenings while the trio hunts for the Hulk.

Peter David is such a brilliant writer and he works his magic with the awesome tale. There’s also a preview of Avengers Assemble. I loved what I read and hated that the preview ended as quick as it did.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Avengers: Endgame

Endgame is in my opinion, the second most anticipated film of 2019. With nearly 40 years of wait for the ninth Star Wars film, I think 'Rise of Skywalker' beats the Avengers if only for the length of wait time. All that being said, with the number of people wanting to see this film and how 10 years and 21 Marvel movies comes to a close; I'm going to have to do my review a lot differently. 

ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS!

If you have been following the speculation behind Endgame, some fans hit the plot right on the head. While this is the story of how the Avengers fight back against Thanos and seek a way to reverse the universal-wide mass murder; above all Endgame is a 3-hour thank you to the millions of fans. 

There are literal tons of Easter eggs in this movie. While not every character that ever appeared in a Marvel film is in this movie, there's quite a few cameos. I'm not going to list who's who. Instead, let's focus on the Jar Jar Binks of the Marvel Universe: Carol Danvers.

Brie Larson's portrayal of Captain Marvel and the very silly way usually gruff Nick Fury comes across was a big put off for some fans. Well, if you are not wanting to see Endgame because you think it's going to be a giant love fest to the modern feminist icon, you can sleep well at night. Danvers is barely in this movie. She's so underused here that it's a bit of a head-scratcher as to why invite her to the party at all.

If you are a fan of the original 6- Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow and the Hulk, then this is the film you've been waiting for. They all play a major role here. Plus you've got the added elements of Ant-Man, Rocket, Nebula and War Monger and this makes for the ultimate superhero flick!

Endgame is 3 hours long. And yet not a single minute was wasted. The first 2/3 of the film is filled with exciting twists and turns. And then you've got that third and final act. Wow. Just, wow. And the finale for one of my all-time favorite characters- it was perfect!

This feels like a vague review. But with almost a billion dollars in ticket sales and more to follow, I don't want to risk any sort of plot slip. This was the perfect Marvel film. So perfect that I am going to give Endgame a rating that I hardly ever give-

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 11 out of 10 stars!

Avengers/Thunderbolts, Vol. 2: Best Intentions

I go from the very first Thunderbolts story to one of their last. 

Baron Zemo has reformed the Thunderbolts and is on a mission to rid the world of nukes and other abnormal energy sources that he fears will result in the ultimate destruction of mankind. Of course, Captain America and the Avengers do not trust the goosestepping hero. For Capt., it's once a Nazi, always a Nazi. But for Hawkeye, one-time leader of the Thunderbolts and a former baddie himself, he sees a opportunity for good in his former teammates. 

Hence one of the most action-packed and thrilling stories I have ever read, whilst doubling as an almost to-dull-for-words morality play. There's just so much poetic waxing about human goodness with an unclear debate over nature vs. nurture and self-reform in this book. It's the type of Marvel story that could have only been thanks to the influence of Stan Lee. Too bad, The Man didn't write it...

While I was pleased with the story by Thunderbolts creator Kurt Busiek*, I thought the art was kinda weird. Baron Zemo looks like he's wearing Uggs. Anybody not wearing a mask appears to be turning into a Klingon with odd looking winkles on their head. And what's with everyone looking puffy in this book? It's like George Perez did the art and then all of the characters put on about 20lbs of water weight. Who is to blame on this- Barry Kitson or Tom Grummett?

Another thing I took issue with was the character design for a character known as Blackheath, AKA Plant Man. This character is tapped into the Earth's mystical growing powers known as THE GREEN (I thought that was Swamp Thing's thing). Formerly a costumed villain, Blackheath is now comprised of organic plant-based material. With an afro made of a shrub and fu-manchu moss, there's no other way around it- Marvel stole Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, and made him a Thunderbolt! How did that one escape DC's law department?

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'm very intrigued to not only collect the original Thunderbolts series but to learn more of Hawkeye's tenure as team leader. However, I don't think that I need to hold on to this volume in order to feel like one day, my collection will be complete. But this was a good starting place for someone trying to decide if the Thunderbolts is worth pursing. If you've read the very first issue of Thunderbolts, there's a great moment that acts as an Easter egg to the team's first adventure. And you see a decent progression of how many of the characters have evolved,

For me, Avengers/Thunderbolts Volume 2 is Worth Consuming, I just don't feel that it's worth keeping. This one's going to the used book store for trade credit. 

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

*Fabian Nicieza (New Warriors) was also a writer on this book.

Deadpool: World's Greatest, Volume 10: Secret Empire

The world Deadpool knows is no more! Captain America has made his intentions known and the United States of America is now under the domain of HYDRA!

In order to keep his daughter Ellie safe, Wade Wilson will burn all of his bridges. That includes his relationships with Agent Preston, the Avengers, the Mercs for Money and even Rogue!

It's been alluded to for several volumes now that the Merc with a Mouth was going to bottom out and this is the beginning of that downfall.

Secret Empire was a great read. It's another Gerry Duggan triumph! I just hate seeing bad things happen to Deadpool. I know that he deserves a lot of what is coming to him. But this wasn't one of those things he deserved. 

Man, is that HYDRA Cap slimy. It's no wonder Captain America has fallen from being my favorite superhero of all-time to 4th or 5th. He and Marvel have a look of restoration to do to put him back in the top position. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.