Marvel Comics Presents #133

We close the book on a lengthy and ludicrous Iron Fist story to roll right into... another Iron Fist story??? Steve Lightle is back on art duty. But the writer for this one is Dan Slott (Fantastic Four)! 

Now it's only the first chapter. But so far, so good. Assisting Danny Rand are the Daughters of the Dragon, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing. Unlike in the previous Iron Fist story, they're both being used appropriately. It's a good thing too, as they're all pitted against the Yakuza led by Sabretooth! Looks promising. Fingers crossed.

The one-shot story is a vampire tale starring Cloak & Dagger. A female vampire has her sights on Dagger- in particular that strange void-like power of his. As a kid, I always thought Dagger was a vampire. So it's interesting to see that the writer of this story, Chuck Kim (Doctor Strange) felt the same I did.

For our continuing stories- I'm in opposite directions. I love the Midnight Run sort of turn the Wolverine and Cyber story. That band of cannibal islanders has turned against Cyber. Seeing his mutant power as part of a well fortified meal, the Wolverine foe must team with Logan or else they'll both be on the menu!

As for the Ghost Rider and Luke Cage story, I've given up on it. The concept of some sort of demon that thrives on love instead of hate is just absurd. The parts where Cage is trying to solve the murder of one of his exes is great. Why writer Karl Bollers (Sonic the Hedgehog) couldn't have just stuck with that is a real head scratcher. I don't think Ghost Rider or any of his supernatural elements add anything to this story. 

A good offering with a promising introductory Iron Fist chapter.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #122

By far one of the most uninteresting issues of the whole series.

The Wolverine and Venom story ends not with a bang but a whimper. 

There's a new Speedball story. But without the legendary Steve Ditko behind this, it lacks that umph. 

The Marvel UK super team Knights of Pendragon make their American debut. This is one British Invasion that should have been repelled. 

The only thing that is decent about this issue is the finale of the Ghost Rider/Cloak & Dagger story. Dagger has been groomed to become the bride of an evil dragon character. The countdown to rescuing Dagger reminded me of those classic endings to The Princess Bride or Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. And the ending. So tragic and unforgettable. 

1 out of 4 stories was worth reading. Very disappointing.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #121

It's the penultimate chapter of the Wolverine/Venom story. It's been 5 chapters so far and really not much has happened except for a lot of mutant and symbiote backbiting. 

Yet, we get this 8-pager starring a minor Atlantean character called Andromeda and more happens in that story that 40 pages of Wolverine and Venom plus another 24 pages of a really weird adventure seeing Ghost Rider assisting Cloak & Dagger!

In the Andromeda story, the warlord Attuma has once again captured Atlantis and is about to lead an assault on the surface world. With Namor nowhere in sight, Andromeda and a bunch of bourgeois Atlanteans get together and overthrow one of Attuma's warlords by unleashing the Kraken! Literally!

In the other 8-pager, the Native American member of the New Mutants Moonstar. Recently, Moonstar discovered that she's got some Asgardian gifts and abilities after a recent adventure in Valhalla. Wanting to make sure Moonstar doesn't forget her heritage, a pair of Native American deities seek to test the young mutant by guilting her into forsaking the world of the white man.

Why is it that the one shot stories seem to get more done than the supposedly way better flip-cover stories starring Wolverine and Ghost Rider? I'm glad I didn't pay full price for these books back in the 90s. I think I would have been so peeved by the crappiness of the main lead stories that I never would have finished the complete run. Thus, resulting in missing out on a lot of really good short stories starring characters that I never would have known even existed.

Here's to Marvel doing an amazing job on its lesser known properties with a lot of up-and-coming talent. I just wish this extended over to the heavy hitter stuff.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #120

Why, Marvel, Why? 

During the early 90s, why didn't you make a series out of the anti-hero character of Constrictor? 

The 2nd half of the Constrictor story was brilliant. It's got a morally ambivalent character fighting his own personal demons while getting his revenge by taking it out on a completely moral-less character. It's got payback. It's got a heartwarming ending. And it's got Nick Fury of SHIELD!

What If's... Paula Foye wrote a great short story that I was in love with. And Marvel Comics was a fool to let her slip through their fingers. According to my count, Foye worked on no more than 2 dozen books for the House of Ideas. To be fair, I think the entire comics industry was a fool because I can't find evidence that she did anything further. But based on those 16 pages I've read, I became a fan!

As for the other 3 segments in this issue, there are highs and lows. The Wolverine/Venom story adds a mysterious girl to the story. A minor inclusion. But it ups the interest factor as the previous 3 chapters have been duller than butter knives. However, the flip cover was horrible. It's got Venom playing Weekend at Bernies with Wolverine's body against an animal skulled creature with a fat hairy butt!

With the Ghost Rider/Cloak & Dagger story, Cloak and Ghost Rider must join forces to save Dagger who has been kidnapped by a grouchy purple dragon creature. The dialogue seems like something from a soap opera. The plot is all over the place. But the flip cover of the dragon dude taking on the 3 heroes is bad-assed!

As for the Spider-Man one and done story, I literally have zero recollection of this. So obviously, it made zero impact on me unlike that Constrictor story.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #119

Two new multi-parters debut in this issue. First up has Ghost Rider teaming with the duo of Cloak & Dagger. Dagger has been kidnapped by an inter-dimensional being called Grimbat. He's like an uglier, meaner version of Kitty Pryde's dragon Lockheed and he's decided to make Dagger his new bride!

In the second, the villain turned mercenary Constrictor is hired for a job that involves an abusive father and his son. The crime boss pop has kidnapped his kid from the mom who's got legal custody. Only this job is bringing up memories of his abusive childhood and it's severely affecting Constrictor's ability to do the job he was paid for as well as his conscience to do the right thing.

The one and done story has Simon Williams, Wonder Man, taking an acting job with that wicked media mogul, Mojo! Mojo's staff have tricked Wonder Man into an unbreakable contract. But with the help of Simon's agent, Neal Saroyan, who might just have a few tricks of his own to get Wonder Man out from under Mojo's thumb.

As for the Wolverine/Venom story, it's really not going anywhere. 3 parts have progressed now and Nightmare hasn't even officially shown up yet. It's really just a battle between mutant and symbiote. For early 90s comics fans, this was a dream come true. But for me, it's just boring.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #115

The duo of Cloak & Dagger make a single issue appearance. For a story appearing in MCP, a fairly major character dies in this issue. And no, I'm not talking about a villain either. I didn't read a ton of Cloak & Dagger as a kid. But the little bit I do recall, the character who gets the axe was a fairly big supporting player to the Cloak & Dagger mythos. 

I really don't have any complaints about this issue. Wolverine continues to be about 1 step behind Typhoid Mary, who is indiscriminately taking out just about any guy who ever wronged her in the past.

 With the Bill Foster Giant-Man story, another baddie enters the story. It's Goliath! No. Clint Barton hasn't gone back to wearing that hokey harness. Nor is he living a life of crime again. This is the Goliath who later as part of Baron Nemo's Thunderbolts, becomes Atlas.

And then the Ghost Rider/Iron Fist story. The last member of the Legion of Vengeance is introduced. Named Strontium-90, we now know that all of these characters got their powers from nuclear science testing that went out of control. As a result, this quartet has a very short half life and as they burn out, they plan on taking any and everyone they can with them; including Danny Rand!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #9

There's 2 one-and-done stories in this issue. The first has Cloak, from Cloak and Dagger, on a solo adventure. A youngster has disappeared in a cave and the reason for the disappearance has sinister origins. Or does it? Mole Man's Moloids are behind the kidnapping. When it comes to many of their actions, its often due to a sort of culture clash kinda confusion and almost always comical... Not here! 

Writer Marcus McLaurin (The Punisher) has this what should be lighthearted adventure go quite dark.  It just wasn't necessary. Yet, that's the gritty late 80s Marvel for you. DC went light and offbeat. The House of Ideas wanted to be more mature with a social relevance slant. With a story like this, it just doesn't work.

Thankfully, in story #2, the writers do go light! X-Men's Scott Lobdell, who is known for having a bit of a funny bone, spins a yarn about a Marvel superhero so obscure, I've never even heard of him. The Spaniard El Aguila, is a mix of Zorro, Captain America and The Tick. In Lobdell's story, El Aguila returns to his home town, only to find it overrun by a mutant crime lord whose powers are derived from contact with the earth. El Aguila, despite being a mutant himself, is grossly outmatched. But the hero is far from outwitted. This was such a great story. I hated to see it end. I hate even more to find out that Lobdell and El Aguila never got a chance to reteam in some sort of humor action comedy series. 

That's the gritty 80s Marvel for you!

No real changes occur in the very interesting Man-Thing story (that has very little Man-Thing). There's only 1 chapter left in the Wolverine story. Can't wait for something new to take it's place. But I love the cover from Brian Murray. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Volume 5

 

 It's been a year since Miles Morales' epic fight with Venom and the conflict still haunts him as it left one parent dead and the other crippled. Vowing to never again put friends or family into harms way, Miles has destroyed his suit and tried to go about life as a normal kid. But the life of a crime fighter isn't so easy to give up as friends, SHIELD agents, and superheroes are constantly trying to get Miles back in the game.

    It looks like the Ultimate universe will have to do without a Spider-Man. So when Miles witnesses an attack by the mysterious duo the media is calling Cloak & Dagger, his curiosity isn't peaked. That is until he learns that the ruthless Roxxon Corporation, that was behind Miles getting his spider powers, is now working behind the scenes attempting to recreate a new Spidey out of runaways and kidnap victims. Now it's full on war but will Miles fight alone or can he gain the trust of SHIELD and these new heroes in order to bring down the global giant?

    I'm not sure if Marvel had the entire Ultimate universe undergo a 'One Year Later' scenario or if it's just this title that jumps ahead 12 months. I've not been able to readily get my hands on other Ultimate Comics titles at my library. So, I'm not very familiar with anything else new under the Ultimates imprint. But, I liked the idea of having Miles' story jump ahead some.

   I've long felt that Miles was just too young and too frail looking to be Spider-Man. He has the attitude and the athletics but let's face it, he's a bean pole. With this transition, Miles has gained some much needed bulk and height. I'm not so afraid that if a strong guy like Juggernaut got a hold of him that he wouldn't break the kid in half anymore.

   Bendis continues to do a fantastic job with this new Spider-Man and the level of heart, angst, humor, passion, and action is top notch. Sadly, this volume is the last of Bendis' run on the Ultimate Comics Spider-Man title. Marvel has this hair-brained idea to now only run a series about 12 months to 2 years in order to produce better quality stories and, of course, make more money.

    (I mean, hey, if the cover says issue #1, it must be going to be worth a million days one day, right?)

But worry not true believers as Bendis, Miles,  and company will be back in the pages of Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Fanfare #19

The entire content of issue #19 features Cloak & Dagger, one of the least familiar Marvel duos to this reader. I know they’re some kind of metaphor for teen runaways and drug use in the 80s. But, even then, they just weren’t my cup of tea.

This story focuses on how Dagger needs Cloak to keep her grounded and vice versa. When the two separate, the drug lords of the Big Apple look to take down their biggest competition.

Again, I am just not a Cloak & Dagger fan. Their appearances in Vaughn’s Runaways are amongst my least favorite issues of that series. This issue being all C&D is perhaps one of my least favorite of the entire series. But, I will give credit to quality writing and artwork when it is due. Here in issue #19, the artwork is stunning, the pin-ups of the pair are fantastic, and the story is very good. I guess these crimefighters just rub me the wrong way.

Worth Consuming- if you are a Cloak and Dagger fan.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.