Marvel Comics Presents #145

It's another round of 'Siege of Darkness' stories in this issue. 

Morbius, the Living Vampire comes face-to-face with the half-Vampire vampire hunter, Hannibal King. It's not Morbius whom King is after. It's a young Lilin child that Morbius feels should not be held accountable for the sins of the father or mother Lilith in this case.

A blast from Doctor Strange's past returns in the midst of this crisis. She's being haunted by her own demons. However, when she learns who her truth father is, things suddenly fall into place.

Danny Ketch is back at one of his favorite haunts, the Cypress Hills Cemetery, where an ally of the Midnight Sons is being held captive by a faction of Lilin.

Finally, Blade makes contact with an ally from his Dracula hunting days. Unfortunately, the guys buried under a ton of rubble and time and air is running out.

All 4 of these stories were good tie-in segments to the 'Siege of Darkness' crossover event. But if you were to read all of the main titles and glossed over this issue, I really don't think you'd miss anything. Of the 3 tie-in issues of MCP (thus far), this is perhaps the issue that most captures the origin anthology spirit this title intended. But geez- that flip cover of Morbius by Steve Lightle and Fred Harper. Man, what a mess. That's why I went with the Ghost Rider cover instead to represent this issue.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #144

Another issue, another round of 'Siege of Darkness' segments. 

The main feature has most of the main players of the story line. Since the enemy, Lilith, is also the fabled mother of vampires, the group known as Midnight Sons are distrustful of one of their allies, Morbius, the Living Vampire! The Midnight Sons are saying that their distrust is due to the revelation in the last issue of a traitor in their midst. But I call BS. 

Blade is part vampire. Yet, his allies haven't turned against him. In a social relevance twist that could only be dreamed up by Marvel, the prejudice is against Morbius because he looks like a vampire! The racism Blade experiences along with the recoil people have against one who looks like Morbius bleeds over into a second segment starring the two.

Meanwhile, Scarlet Witch is still battling a demon within the computer cyber realm that I imagine would one day be called the Internet. And at a school play, the Werewolf by Night, Jack Russell has tracked a group of Lilin. They seek to kill the parents and teachers in attendance while Russell is out for blood. The action unfolds on stage to the awed crowd. This is the best Halloween pageant ever!

Last issue, I thought all of the stories were pretty extraneous to the cross-title plotline. I do not feel that way here. Those first two segments involving Morbius and the traitor are some important pieces of information that readers of regular titles like Doctor Strange and Ghost Rider might be missing out on if they don't read this bi-weekly (or has it gone monthly now?) anthology title. 

As for the extra entries, I don't really see the point of the inclusion of the Scarlet Witch. I've heard of ghosts in the machine but not demons. However, the Werewolf By Night story was sheer gory delight. It didn't move the Midnight Sons story along. But it was magnificent in such a marvelously morbid way.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #143

After wrapping up several multi-part stories, MCP #143 is poised to introduce 4 all new tales. But things are a bit different in this issue. Instead of 3 multi-part stories and a one-shot tale, all 4 segments in this issue are supplemental chapters to the Marvel cross-company story arc 'Siege of Darkness.'

Lilith, the mother of Demons is launching an all-out attack on the Marvel Universe. In order to take over the world, she must first rid the world of its supernatural defenders. In order to do this, Lilith summons the Lilin, her satanic spawn of super-powered demons!

A lot of action has already transpired in the pages of titles such as Doctor Strange and Ghost Rider. I don't have those issues, nor have I read them prior. So forgive me if I don't have all the details 100% accurate.  

Johnny Blaze is alive! Along with Danny Ketch and the new Spirit of Vengeance, aptly named Vengeance, Blaze is separated from the forces mustered by Doctor Strange. It's kinda fortuitous as the trio of hellraisers learn that there's a traitor in the midst of heroes referred to as the Midnight Sons.

Elsewhere, Jack Russell attempts to rescue a group of trick-or-treaters who have been kidnapped by Lilin. The Scarlet Witch learns that demons can also exist in digital form. Rounding things out, the Devil-Slayer, Eric Payne, fights a duo of demons- baby Lilin called Infinks as well as the damning call of the bottle.

Everything that transpires in this issue as well the couple of issues is all going to refer to the 'Siege of Darkness' story line that introduces Marvel's Midnight Sons imprint. As mentioned previously in other reviews, I read these issues months prior and am just now getting caught up. As the Midnight Sons thing hasn't been something to pique my interest, my forthcoming reviews will probably be less than stellar. It's a lot harder to explain a bunch of vignettes that may or may not offer anything to the story than a quartet of stories that are split up into multiple chapters.

I think the overall concept is intriguing. And there's a bunch of differing characters being used. No Wolverine! No Iron Fist! But 3 times as many Ghost Riders! But this issue of MCP is what comic fans would consider a supplemental money grab as the segments don't really do anything to move the overall plot along. Well, maybe that Spirits of Vengeance chapter does with its revelation of a rat in the midst of Doctor Strange's group of heroes. But it's such an insignificant bit of information that otherwise could have been included elsewhere.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.