Marvel

Many comic book collectors and fans consider Kingdom Come to be Alex Ross' best work. I like that possible future of the DC Universe. But it's not my favorite of his. I absolutely adore the Alex Ross/Kurt Busiek collaboration from 1994 known simply as Marvels. It follows the span of the Marvel Universe through the eyes of a human newspaper photographer trying to make sense of a world full of superheroes and villains.

So how in the world did I miss Ross' 2020-21 follow up, Marvel? 

Well, for one thing, I'm sure it had something to do with the pandemic. As much 'free time' as I supposedly had as a teacher having to go virtual, I did very little reading. I did even much less comic book shopping. During the pandemic, I had to attend so many useless Zoom meetings that should have been emails because the high ups in my district were terrified of being accused of not doing anything by political detractors. Plus, my anxiety was at such an all-time high, I had trouble focusing on reading. 

But once the pandemic was over and we all started exiting our homes like Punxsutawney Phil looking for his shadow, how did it still take me 4 years to discover this book? A very recent chance trip to Ollie's helped me to find this trade paperback for a very good deal. (If you're in the Durham NC area, there's still a couple dozen volumes of this book if you like to save money like I do.)

Marvel is what Alex Ross originally envisioned Marvels to be. It's an anthology unencumbered by the scope of current Marvel canon. An assortment of creators were to craft stories of their favorite characters in situations as realistic or far fetched as the imagination could reach. No timeline was off limits. Past, present, future or even alternate timeline was a possibility for the tales to be contained. Ultimately, Marvel Comics passed on this project, citing it to be an idea just too lofty for a relative newcomer in the comic book industry to tackle. So Ross put the idea back on the shelf, teamed up with Kurt Busiek and Marvel Comics history was made! (Made ironically by exploring Marvel Comics history.)

Jump forward to the approach of the 25th anniversary of Marvels. The House of Ideas approached Ross for a follow-up to the ground breaking mini. A couple of sequels, including a dark timeline 2-parter had already been done. Ross didn't really want to go back to that storyline. So he pulled deep into his portfolio and dusted off his original plans for Marvels. This time the editors whole-heartedly agreed to the miniseries.

The various stories that make up Marvel is framed with a Doctor Strange epic throughout the 6 issues of the mini. The demon Nightmare has placed the entire Marvel Universe into a deep sleep. His plan is to become the most powerful entity in the universe by drawing upon the hopes, fears and dreams of the heroes, villains and deities of the 616 Universe!

There's a ton of adventures in this book. Too many to give proper attention to. So I'll focus on just a trio of my favs. 

Alan Weiss explores an early adventure of Prince Namor set in the early days of the second World War. He's asked to infiltrate a new underwater mega-structure to determine if its a refuge for the wealthy hoping to avoid the coming global holocaust or is secretly an Axis underwater base. It's a story that shows a much more swashbuckling Sub-Mariner as opposed to the snobbish ruler of Atlantis that we know of today. Very thrilling and completely unexpected.

Speaking of unexpected, in a futuristic story set after 'The War of the Worlds', we see the apocalyptic gladiator games that Killraven was forced to compete in would be like if they were populated by super-heroic survivors of the alien invasion of Earth. I won't spoil the surprise of who makes it to the games. But it's an idea that if Marvel ever decided to expand on, I would making it a part of my pull list in a heartbeat. Featuring dynamic story and artwork by Daniel Acuna.

My choice for third is a tie. That's because we get a pair of stories starring my favorite non-superhero member of the Marvel Universe: Nick Fury. Adam Hughes crafts a Sgt. Fury story set at the very tail end of WW2. Greg Smallwood designed a whirlwind look at the Steranko era of Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD. Both were bookend looks at a fantastic character that to choose one over the other would be like a father picking a favorite child. 

This collection was tons of fun. The unexpected ending was both bizarre and yet perfectly fitting. Marvel might have supposed to have been a celebration of 1994's Marvels but by story's end, it wound up being a love story to Timely, Atlas and Marvel Comics and the influence it has made on American pop culture history!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Age Fantastic Four, Vol. 3: The Return of Doom (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Before the advent of Marvel's all-ages Marvel Adventures imprint, the House of Ideas introduced young readers to their most popular characters with Marvel Age. Along with incorporating a handful of Manga inspired titles from Marvel's failed Tsunami line, Marvel Age retold the earliest adventures of Spider-Man, the Hulk and the Fantastic Four. Updated with modern twists, writer Marc Sumerak and artists Alitha Martinez and Joe Dodd followed the original plots of Marvel's First Family created by legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. 

Volume 3 of Marvel Age Fantastic Four, 'The Return of Doom' reprinted the last 4 issues of the all-ages series. 

Issue #9 sees Mr. Fantastic dogged by creditors in 'The End of the Fantastic Four.' Recent bad investments lead Reed Richards to accept an offer from Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner to star in a reality series starring the FF. In a challenge show similar to Survivor, it's a battle for survival as all of Namor 's challenges are secretly rigged as fights to the death!

Issue #10, the title story, ushers in 'The Return of Doctor Doom!' Victor Von Doom has escaped from am orbital prison constructed by Mr. Fantastic thanks to a pair of aliens called Ovoids. From the creatures' space ship, Doctor Doom discovers a way to switch bodies with Reed. Now Doom's mind is in Richards' body and the leader of the Fantastic Four is trapped inside the iron armor of Doom.

After escaping from the clutches of their arch-enemy, the Fantastic Four meet 'The Impossible Man!' In this retelling of the classic second story of issue #11, the are plagued by the madcap antics of the shape-changing visitor from the planet Poppup.

Issue #12 retells the team's epic first encounter with the green colossus, The Incredible Hulk. After another top secret project is destroyed, the United States Army calls upon the FF to investigate. General Thunderbolt Ross is convinced that the sabotage is the result of another Hulk rampage. Dr. Bruce Banner is convinced it's something else and he should know since he's secretly the Hulk!

Featuring modernized versions of some of the greatest Marvel stories ever written, the Marvel Age imprint only lasted from 2004-05. It's predecessor, Marvel Adventures vastly outlived Marvel Age, running from 2005-2012. The success was large part to the addition of Darwyn Cooke who crafted a story Bible that set Marvel's best and brightest into new adventures that were nostalgic without relying completely on the scripts of Lee and Kirby. The artwork was less manga heavy as the Marvel Age books were and reflected a more sleeker style that was more commercial. As with all good things, the imprint was dismantled in order to usher in books based on the Disney XD animated lineup that were set in the Marvel cinematic universe. Being that the Fantastic Four were the property of Fox Studios, young readers were no longer able to find new comic book exploits of Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, The Invisible Woman and The Human Torch by 2013.

Completing this review completes Task #8 (Starring the Human Torch) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Crypt of Shadows #1 (2024)

This is the third Halloween annual from Marvel based on the short-lived horror anthology from the 70s. Only this time the Crypt of Shadows, Vol. 3 issue #1 doesn't take place in the Crypt of Shadows. Nor is the anthology hosted by Doctor Strange's deranged brother Victor. This time around, Agatha Harkness, sitting in her intergalactic residence on the planet Amanna, is our hostess and she's spying on several characters of the Marvel Universe.

First up is Agatha's former pupil, the Scarlet Witch. When a magic door appears in her kitchen, Wanda Maximoff finds herself lured into a trap. An innocent nibble on the back of the Man-Thing unleashes a plague into the murky domain of the Sub-Mariner. Finally, the Werewolf by Night, Jack Russell finds himself the latest prey at the hands of Kraven the Hunter. Thankfully old friend, Blade is on hand to make it a fair fight.

First of all, that regular cover. How I wouldn't line up at my favorite LCS to pre-order a supernatural themed title with that lineup. Having Scarlet Witch, Vision, Prince Namor, the Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, Blade and Kraven the Hunter on the same team fighting some kind of magical threat? I'd be all over that series in a heartbeat.

The stories were pretty good. I didn't exactly like that the Scarlet Witch story was a lead up to upcoming events in the pages of her solo book. I understand that specials like these are paid for advertising for fledgling titles. At least it wasn't a cliffhanger that requires me to buy her book.

I also don't quite understand the changes with the host. There wasn't anything wrong with having Victor Strange as the host. Plus if you're going to call it the Crypt of Shadows, then it should at least take place in the Crypt of Shadows.

I do know that some of the changes were done to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For decades, Agatha Harkness has been either this ancient spindly old crone or dead. With a younger Harkness appearing in WandaVision, Marvel has once again changed the looks of a comic book character to reflect the live action version. I'm not too upset with that. Plus with the character's new Disney+ series Agatha All Along debuting now, I understand that Marvel Comics wants to cash in on that connection and is using their Halloween annual book to do it. I don't like it. But I understand the reasoning behind changing a great formula. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics, Vol. 1

In 1939, comic books were relatively still in their infancy. The previous year's debut success of National's Action Comics, thanks to a mysterious super man from planet Krypton, inspired countless publishers to test the waters of this new medium. New York City's Martin Goodman was one of those commissioners who took notice. 

Already having published several pulp magazine devoted to action and adventure, sci-fi and of course, sex, Goodman founded Timely Comics. Then taking the name for one of his publications, Marvel Science Stories, Goodman hired Funnies Inc. to produce a book's worth of new material for his first ever comic book called Marvel Comics.

The first and third stories are tales that I know by heart. They introduce a yin-yang pair of anti-heroes who will lay the foundation for the plethora of heroes that will define the Marvel Age of Comics and beyond. Carl Burgos kicked things off with an android that bursts into flames when exposed to oxygen. First deemed a menace to society, exposure to natural elements corrects the design flaw allowing the Human Torch to control his flammable powers. Then Bill Everett takes readers to the icy waters off the coast of Antarctica where a human-Atlantean hybrid is the underwater kingdom's newest weapon in a proposed attack against the land breathers. 

Compared to Carl Burgos work, Bill Everett's Sub-Mariner was year 3000 stuff. Compared to the adventures of Superman over at National, the first 3 stories starring Prince Namor was year 3001 material. Why Bill Everett isn't given the level of love and respect of Jack Kirby or Wil Eisner is beyond me. Dying in 1973 at a young age of 55, I think Everett's lesser body of work compared to other super stars of the golden age of comics is to blame for this. 

The rest of the material in issue #1 along with the other 3 issues contained in this collection are the stuff of the pulps. The overly powerful un-super powered Angel is much like the Shadow, taking on the dregs of the criminal underworld; only he's decked out in a blue leotard. Ka-Zar, who one day will become lord of the dinosaur filled Savage Land, got his start as a pulp hero. Much like Tarzan, Ka-Zar is able to communicate with the animals and acts as their protector from the greedy white men and fierce natives that seek African wildlife for game and sport. Rounding things out was a Western starring the Masked Rider, a clone of the Lone Ranger, who wore a full black mask in the desert heat as his took on cattle rustlers and claim jumpers. 

A name change comes in issue #2. Marvel Comics became Marvel Mystery Comics, perhaps to further differentiate the comic book from the pulp title. A new character debuts in the second issue. 'Perry Webb, American Ace' is a young lad who is traveling throughout Central Europe in his small propeller plane. The fictitious leader of a small European nation has amassed a small but formidable war chest and is about to begin a massive campaign to rule the world. Poor Perry Webb arrives in the first nation to come under attack and soon finds himself injured and with a wrecked air ship. As Perry recovers, the American Ace talks of needing to fulfill a special mission. Sadly readers will never discover just what that mission was as Issue #3 was Perry Webb's last appearance in Marvel Mystery Comics.

Younger readers will hate these books. The artwork is considered by many, including foreword author Roy Thomas, to be quite primitive. Because of the newness of comic books, that detriment can be overlooked. What many readers might not be able to excuse is the level of violence towards women, stereotypes of Asians and Africans, and other outdated portrayals that were overtly glorified in the pulps. Yet, with Martin Goodman's Marvel Mystery Comics, there's a level of respect towards minorities and females as well as aptitude to point out the sinful faults of white men that foreshadows a lot of groundbreaking stuff that Stan Lee will be championed for doing differently than the Distinguished Competition in the 1960s and 70s. 

If you wish to see what was the essential blueprint of 'Stan's Soap Box', these golden age collections are the things to read. Without them, there would be no Fantastic Four, no Black Panther, and definitely no Marvel Age of Comics. As for getting my hands on the other 6 volumes of this collection, I would love to read the rest. I don't think I'd want to add them to my collection as these books aren't really items I have on my wish list. I got this book in a grab bag years ago and Marvel Masterworks books are not cheap- hardcover or trades. Especially, since you only get 4 issues in each volume! But if I found further books for a good price, I would acquire and read them before trading for something else that I really needed to have on my bookshelf.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #149

There are no multi-part segments in this issue. It's all one-and-done's as the editors have something massive planned for the upcoming 150th issue!

Vengeance, the newest headlining feature in MCP, is on a quest to find a missing boy.

Fan-favorites Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, the Daughters of the Dragon, take on a case that involves domestic violence.

The Starjammers, led by Christopher Summers, try to quell a squabble on an isolated planet before it turns into a huge intergalactic incident. 

Finally, a crippled former Soviet submarine learns that despite Prince Namor's distaste for how humanity has spoiled the seven seas, there's a little bit of human blood beating in the heart of the Sub-Mariner.

I really liked both the Daughters of the Dragon story and the underwater adventure with Prince Namor. The detective story was masterfully written. I hated to close the book on the Sub-Mariner. Wonderful art and storytelling.

The character of Vengeance; I could take him or leave. Mostly leave. The dialogue of his human identity, Michael Badilino, is like that of a terrible 80s cop movie. And when in demon form, this version of the Spirit of Vengeance is just too hardcore for my liking. I honestly think Vengeance likes that the flames of Hell are always licking at his feet. At least Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch seemed repentant of the mess they got themselves into.

Lastly, that Starjammer story. My feelings on it are kinda mixed. I thought Kelly Corvese's (Spider-Man) story had good writing but a script that seemed too similar to the Vance Astro story from a little ways back. The only character I liked was Corsair. And I thought the artwork by Alexander Morrisey (Punisher Back to School Special) just wasn't that great. 

An okay issue that has a couple great stories. But I think the real fireworks are being held for the next issue which will be an anniversary giant!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #73

Wolverine's Weapon X story shows just how much pain and torture the mutant went through. No wonder Logan had no memories of this and his life prior for a very long time.

The Shanna the She-Devil story is going through what I consider a chess-move phase. Nothing huge is happening other than getting all the main players into position for the final act. Sometimes you only need 1 chapter to do this. Some writers take several. And it's not always a bad thing. We'll see if Gerard Jones, in his Marvel Comics debut, can do this succinctly or make too many moves and bore me to tears.

There are 2 one-shot stories in this issue. The Black Knight stars in one. Namor, The Sub-Mariner in the other. 

I've always thought that the Black Knight was an aesthetically fun character. But I hate the concept that he'll be eternally damned if he kills anyone with that family heirloom sword of his. If it was me, I'd ditch the bad sword for a non-soul crippling one. Or just not be a superhero and leave the hunk of junk on the family estate mantle. Only thing about this story I liked was the all too brief appearance by Doctor Strange.

The Namor story was a little better. He decides to help a sub full of Soviet/Russian sailors from destruction. A good story that showed the promise of the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of USSR. Unfortunately, in today's climate, it really seems that this archaic story could become timeless if certain evil parties succeed in Eastern Europe. 

Not a very thrilling issue. But one that is timely all of a sudden.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #59

 It's Hulk Vs. Wolverine Vs. Wolverine. 

The cover with the original X-Men in the background might reveal who this doppelganger is. I'll try not to ruin it just in case you wanna read this issue. Keep in mind, this is a 30 year+ issue. But maybe it's still too soon to spoil it!

The Werewolf by Night story along with the Namor adventure end in this issue. Both were great. I wish the Sub-Mariner tale was longer. It just had this great banter between the ruler of Atlantis and Sandra Rain, a documentary filmmaker with a quick wit and even sharper tongue. 

Finishing out the offerings in this issue is an 8-pager starring the Punisher. A youth is torn between the anti-hero and an arms dealer. A very powerful story with a message. It's classic Marvel storytelling at it's finest. 

4 very good segments.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #58

The mystery behind the alternate Wolverine is finally revealed. It's a satisfying reveal and it's a blast from the past!

The Werewolf by Night story is getting even more crazier by the minute. We've got an immoral clan of lycantropes with a thing for hedonism on one side. Then we've got a religious nut who thinks all werewolves are instruments of Satan. Poor Jack Russel is caught in the middle with 2 targets on his back. 

I really love the Namor story. The banter between him and Sandra Rains, the director of the underwater documentary crew, is epic. It ranks up there with Sam & Diane, Maddie & David, Kate Hepburn & Cary Grant. Yes- I am implying that there's a little sexual tension here.

The Iron Man one-shot tale is the weakest of the bunch. It's yet another story of somebody stealing Tony Stark's tech. I'm getting kinda tired of that old tale. It's not like other characters in comicdom don't have the same repeated plot. But when it comes to Batman and the Joker, Captain America and the Red Skull, The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, there's a thread of originality running through. Not when it comes to somebody trying to become an armored warrior by robbing Tony Stark. The only thing that changes is the serial number of the suit being targeted.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #57

A new wrinkle into the Wolverine/Hulk story. Logan seemingly died. And now Hulk is being attacked by said dead Wolverine. 

Nothing really memorable for this issue's offering from the Werewolf by Night story. 

A new multi-parter starring Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner. A documentary filmmaking team is attacked by unknown terrors of the deep. While Namor doesn't really approve of humans mucking around it his domain, he's also not going to stand for wanton killing of anyone under the waves either.

Lastly, the one-and-done story focuses on Alicia Hardy- the Black Cat. Can't really say much about the story itself. But I did like the surprise ending. Okay, maybe not a surprise in the sense of like a clown jumping out of a cake instead of a sultry dancer. More like a suspenseful 'oh, damn', moment like when all the pieces of a puzzle come together to reveal who Kaiser Soze real it.  

Not really a standout issue in the series. But not a stinker either.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #46

A new series begins in this issue. Starring the Devil-Slayer, it has the occult superhero going down to a fiction South American country. On his quest to rid the world of demons, Devil-Slayer comes across a mission under siege by a junta. 

Now I know what you are thinking- why should Devil-Slayer even care about getting embroiled with a banana republic. Well, maybe he'll save the day since the mercs are under the leadership of the ghost of legendary pirate ship!

In one of the single issue stories, the Christ figure Aquarian returns. I haven't seen him since the days of late 70s Fantastic Four and Marvel Two-In-One. Here, the hippie hero is wandering America looking to help whenever he's got a chance. With his log hair and peace & love persona, Aquarian becomes the target of a ultra-conservative group operating in the Midwest. It's a wild story that smacks of Billyjack or the David Carradine vehicle Kung-Fu. But not in a bad way!

In the other 8-pager, Namor, the Sub-Mariner teaches a lesson to 2 illegal whalers who make the mistake of trying to hunt one of the Atlantean's fishy friends. Okay- I know that whales are fish. But I was being colorfully alliterative. 

Let's talk about the cover story. Wolverine is still battling that black and white dual entity that in reality just a mutant with a glandular thing. The other thing of note is that Wolverine is starting to show affection to a female. A female whose lover died like 3 issues ago! Anyways, I think I know what's coming because anytime the mutant falls for someone it's a pretty sure thing that girl is gonna wind up dead. 

A decent issue with some memorable moments.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #7

The best story thus far is a very convoluted tale involving Iran-Contra, drug dealers and devil worshipers. Oh, and Man-Thing. But he's nowhere to be found. 

It's almost like somebody at Marvel wanted to do a story based on the Ollie North/Reagan Administration scandal and got the okay to do it. But in order to do it (and not get hit with a lawsuit), the creative team were told to add a Marvel character to the story. Man-Thing got selected. But in order to keep the nature of the story as in tact as possible, Man-Thing's presence is minimal. Ultra minimal!

The Master of Kung-Fu story also has an Iran Contra type scandal in the mix. But it's the reverse of the Man-Thing story as the political espionage is minuscule and Shang Chi's presence is rather large. Yet, this tale is rather lame. The Master of Kung-Fu was a great series during the 1970s, when it reflected the hugely popular trend of kung-fu movies. Now in the late 80s, with the trend being ninjas and karate, this story just doesn't resonate so very well.

The Wolverine story is okay. But I'm not really big on the whole 'I'm the best there is at what I do and what I do isn't very nice' 80s mentality of Wolverine. I'm more of a Hugh Jackman Wolverine era fan. But that one-and-done Sub-Mariner story involving Prince Namor and a submarine was rather fun. It reflected that classic 40s and 60s Atlantean anti-hero vibe. Too bad that wasn't a multi-parter...

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Untold Tales of Spider-man ’96 (Double-Size Spectacular)

Kurt Busiek, Pat Olliffe, and Mike Allred join forces to bring use a story so fantastic; they had to double the size of the comic to tell it! Tired of being put aside in favor of Reed Richards’ scientific experiments, Sue Storm accepts a date invitation from Spider-man. The Invisible Woman is looking to make Mr. Fantastic jealous and doesn’t really have any romantic intentions with Spidey. But you can’t tell Sue’s brother that! Looking to keep Spider-man from being his brother-in-law, the Human Torch will look to his most vaunted foe, Namor: The Sub-Mariner to break up the super heroes’ date.

I loved this issue. Usually, an untold tales series reprints old story lines in hopes of making super heroes a little more timely and appealing to new readers. But with this annual at least, Busiek and Allred craft an original tale that’s targeted for the more experienced comic fan. Set in the 1960s, this comic pays tribute to the brilliant tales of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and the original Marvel bull-pen.

The only complaint I have about this comic is that Mike Allred doesn’t do all of the art. I just love his thick inked style and the color palette used by his wife and partner, Laura. At least they kept her on for the entire story. The book also features a small story that tells how Busiek and Olliffe come up with their untold tales ideas. The tale is very tongue-in-cheek but it is very funny.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four #4



Alternate Cover to issue #4.

The uneasy alliance of the crew of the Fantastic, the Frightful Four, and Doom continues as all awaken to find that they have survived their plunge off the edge of the world. As a result, the characters find themselves in Atlantis, which in this reality, hasn’t sunk, only shrouded itself with some fancy “smoke and mirrors” to keep away nosy sailors. In other words, the world is round, but the residents of Atlantis have crafted the clever rouse of a flat earth in order to protect themselves from invaders.

The leader of Atlantis is you guessed it, Prince Namor- the Sub-Mariner. He’s got eyes for Sue Storm, whose recent burst of protective powers of the Fantastick has now made her the Visible Woman. Apparently, the Storm family in the 1600s is really hot, as Namor’s cousin Namorita has eyes for Jon Storm as well.

Once these Atlanteans have made their wanton intentions known, the diabolical Doom works in the shadows to bring an end to Reed Richards. In return for the betrothals of the Storms, the residents of Atlantis will destroy Richards, Grimm, and their ship. It’s classic Victor Von Doom callousness. Strangely, I like it. Though, Sue Storm mustn’t be showing very well, because I find it hard to believe that Namor would be so interested in her if he knew she’d been knocked up by a human (in this timeline, Richards and Storm are having their child out of wedlock, something I highly doubt Stan Lee would’ve allowed in the 1960s even if the Comics Code didn’t exist.)

I enjoyed this issue. I really thought the subterfuge behind the protection of Atlantis and sailors’ thinking they would sail off the edge of the world was a stroke of genius. I’m very interested in reading what happens next, though I must say, this was probably the weakest of the issues in the series thus far.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

All Winners Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special

 

The tribute story takes place during that brief period of time that All Winners was still published and the very end and just after WWII and contained Capt. America and Bucky as members. It explains that those heroes were replacements created by the government to prevent people from losing hope upon hearing that those symbols of freedom had “died” at the hands of the Nazis.

This is all said and good. However, when a zombie horde attacks NYC, the All-Winners are faced with a dead Capt. and Bucky. Both of which weren’t dead but in suspended animation. Did the writers and editors of this anniversary special forget that?

The reprint tale is quite good and the Simon/ Kirby art is awesome! I loved it. Not a bad issue, but there are some serious plot nits in the tribute tale.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Fanfare #43

 To commemorate the epic first battle between the Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch, Fanfare devoted this issue to 2 tales about Namor and the Johnny Storm Torch. Namor goes back in time and becomes the lover of a pirate wrench. Together they storm the high seas. The art is done by the fantastic Mike Mignola.

  The Torch tale is the best. Johnny Storm must rescue a hijacked bus of kids. The only problem: they’re being held prisoner in a very flammable Roxxon Oil refinery. Great story, great art, wicked ending. Loved it!

  Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Fanfare #16

Ever heard of the Sky Wolves? Sure you have, they're DC Comics property called Blackhawk. In this blatant rip-off, you’ve got a squad of experimental aircraft captained by a guy wearing a near exact Blackhawk replica costume, ordering around a bunch of ethnic sterotypes to blow-up Hitler. I really can’t believe Marvel got away with this copyright infringement.

The issue’s only saving grace is a beautiful Sub-Mariner tale that is a fable as to how the first sea horse came about. Adding to the excitement- it’s Mike Mignola’s (of Hellboy fame) first ever work published by Marvel. You can tell he’s a diamond in the rough here. That’s a rare treat worth the price of the book no matter how much Sky Wolves stinks up the issue’s first half.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Vol. 2

Cover to Issue #6, which was also
the cover to this collection.

Thor: Mighty Avenger was an all-ages series, but I suspect it was published not just to introduce a new generation to the god of Thunder, but to give young viewers of the Thor movie a book that was less gory than the standard Thor titles.

I thought it was a great series. The art was very retro and Thor’s love story with Jane Foster wasn’t gushy, but deftly written as a metaphor for Thor finding a place on Midgard. Sadly, the book ended after only 8 issues, yet that doesn’t stop the series from incorporating some of Thor’s greatest enemies and pals. The Warriors 3, Loki, Namor, and Iron Man all make appearances in this final volume. Unfortunately the identity of the mysterious Mr. K, who kidnaps and attempts to kill Thor in the final 2 issues was never revealed.

Includes reprints of Journey Into Mystery 85-86.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.