Marvel Comics Presents #84

The Weapon X origin story comes to an end with this issue. I just don't understand why this story is so beloved. It's got to be just the association with Wolverine. He remains to this day a popular character.

Don't get me wrong. The story is one of those guilty pleasure type things because of the level of death and destruction. But all that gore takes place in a VR simulation. I can't quite put on how this story got approved by the Comics Code Authority. It had to be the use of a simulation to get this thing by the censors.

There's only 1 other segment in this issue. Part 3 of the Firestar story has the mutant risking her personal freedom to safe her father. On one side is the White Queen, Emma Frost. On the other, Freedom Force. One looks to enslave Firestar as part of their evil cadre. The other is under orders from the American government to bring the teen hero in by any means necessary.

3 chapters of the Weapon X story. 1 chapter about Firestar. I'm glad that MCP doesn't deviate too often from the 4 8-page segment formula. It just doesn't work when Marvel strays from this and this issue is proof of that.

Sorry, Barry Windsor-Smith. I'm just not a fan.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #83

Fire seems to be the theme in this issue. 

First off, you've got the cover in which the Weapon X project attempts to destroy Weapon X with a napalm-like chemical. Jump to chapter 11 of the Weapon X origin story and it appears that Logan's ashes can regenerate just as well as a bloodied corpse could.

Then chapter 2 of the Firestar story continues with Angelica Jones risking her personal freedom to save the life of her dad.

There's an 8-pager starring Johnny Storm. His opponent is an all new character called Moth who has the ability to absorb flame. Let's just say that the story was explosive with a somewhat sad ending...

Only the one-and-done starring Hawkeye is the only story in this issue that appears to be fireproof. So, yeah with 3 out of 4 stories utilizing fire, I would have to say that this is indeed a fire themed issue of Marvel Comics Presents and the results for this whole issue was en fuego!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #82

A multi-parter featuring Firestar (Angelica Jones) begins in this issue. I remember the heroine as the fire half of Peter Parker's Fire and Ice powered allies from NBC's Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. I knew that when the cartoon debuted in 1981, Firestar was created specially for the show. Apparently Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, wasn't available due to licensing rights. Plus, NBC wanted to add a female hero to appeal to girl viewers. What I did not know was that Firestar ever debuted in comics later on.

The character's comic book debut was in a 1985 issue of The Uncanny X-Men. Later on, Firestar got the miniseries treatment. But this issue was my first print encounter with a character I've known since I was in Pre-K. And to experience this was so cool!

In this opening chapter, Angelica Jones is laying low as her father is terrified for her safety. He's convinced that should the US government uncover her whereabouts, Angelica will be submitted to harsh medical testing as Firestar is a mutant! 

Honestly, I didn't know this! I just figured Firestar was bitten by a radioactive bonfire. Okay. Not really. But you could have knocked me over with a feather when it was revealed that this character has the X gene.

Also appearing in this story is the Freedom Force. The Marvel Comics version of the Suicide Squad; this is a clandestine team of mutants lead by Mystique with the promise of pardon upon successful completion of their government sponsored missions. 

It appears that Papa Jones was right. Angelica uses her powers against dad's wishes and this sends Freedom Force after her. But also on Firestar's trail is the White Queen, Emma Frost, who wishes to turn Firestar into a disciple of evil. If only she had listened to daddy...

A good chapter with a great reminder from my youth. The Weapon X story continues to be gory. But I also know that it's all part of a VR simulation. Iron Man and Luke Cage also appear in this book. I read these stories a while back- I'm catching up on a lot of reviews- and I just can't recall either. So, if you balance things out, this just isn't a great overall issue despite a very solid opening chapter starring Firestar and some dastardly mutants.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

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.

Marvel Comics Presents #79

In the Crimes Against Comics Dept., the Howling Commandos/Dracula team-up comes to a close. After a mere 3 tiny 8-page segments!

A very bloody World War II story that goes to show that Vlad Dracul will overlook personal blood lust when it involves Nazis rampaging his beloved Romanian haunts.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #76

After 3 intense chapters worth of torture, Weapon-X escapes and gets some revenge. Finally. It's about as gory and rough as you can get without this issue losing its Comics Code rating. 

The Shanna the She-Devil story still hasn't concluded yet. But it's full of action, this chapter is. 

Death's Head, the Marvel UK answer to DC's Lobo has a solo shot story. The robot assassin has the tables turned on him as it's the target of an intergalactic big game hunter. Like somebody can out hunt Death's Head...

Then the D-list Marvel character Woodgod has the other one-and-done slot. Rarely seen unless in the pages of a Marvel team-up series or a Hulk comic, the human/animal hybrid goes head-to-head with the nefarious Roxxon. The mega-corporation wants to capture Woodgod and his fellow Changelings. The 'best way' to do this involves convincing one of Woodgod's underlings to turn against the de facto leader and then kidnapping all the female Changelings. Let's just say that Woodgod's reaction is definitely one that was lead not by his heart or his head but another part of his body...

An interesting issue. Each story segment was very good. I think the Shanna story is running a bit long. But overall, I enjoyed this issue quite a bit.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #72

Because of the cover subject matter, this is the most valuable and in-demand issue of the entire series. Price guides list a cover price of anywhere from $25-35 for a near mint cover. How I got this for just 32 cents is beyond me. 

Issue #72 presents the much requested Weapon X origin story of Wolverine. Not his origin story as it had been earlier revealed that Wolverine was way older than he looked and that he was not born with adamantium bones; this issue reveals how Logan got his metal infusion.

As for the first chapter, it starts off great. Then things go from your normal storytelling to the notes of an unknown professor who is tasked with putting Logan through a hellish amount of tests. Instead of straight-to-the-point record keeping, we get a bunch of supposition, cliches and flowing imagery. It's like this researcher is a doctor of literature not biology and genetics. 

The whole thing is the single work of Barry Windsor Smith (Machine Man). The art. The writing. The inking. Even most of the lettering. I like Smith's work. His art is great. But I don't like how he writes for the narrator. I just don't buy it that a ruthless medical researcher would be using his lab notes to write the next great American novel. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.