New Avengers #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

 Avengers: Disassembled.

It was the darkest day for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The Scarlet Witch realized that her twin boys, Billy and Tommy, weren't real. It just wasn't humanly possible for a mutant and an android to produce biological children. Going into severe psychosis, Wanda destroys the Avengers Mansion, murders her husband, the Vision, and kills a couple other Avengers, including one of the Ant-Mans. Public and government sentiment of the Avengers reached an all-time low seeing Tony Stark and Steve Rogers disband the team in return.

Now it's 6 months later. There's one less super group to save Manhattan. Freshly outted as Daredevil, Matt Murdock travels to the Raft, an ultra-top security containment facility for most of Earth's most dangerous villains underneath Ryker's Island. With Luke Cage in tow as a bodyguard, and perhaps to keep up the appearance that he's not really the Man Without Fear, Murdock is conducting legal business on behalf of Mister Fantastic with one of the inmates. 

Meanwhile, a mysterious person has hired Electro to take out the prison's electrical grid and free as many of its occupants as possible. The motive behind this action is just as unknown as Electro's new benefactor, but the member of the Sinister Six is ready to prove the he's got what it takes to bring Manhattan and the World to its knees all by his lonesome. All those he frees have to do is one day owe Electro a favor.

Though issue #1 of New Avengers has quite a bit of action, don't expect the team to be back in action just yet. This issue is to primarily get most of the players onto the game board. Along with Murdock and Power Man, this episode adds Spider-Man, Spider-Woman and Captain America to the fray. There's also Reed Richard's mystery client. But I am pretty sure that there's still a couple more heroes to add to the roster who are unaccounted for.

Brian Michael Bendis penned this opener into a new chapter of the Avengers. I know he's got a lot of detractors out there. But I like him. He's a lot like Tom King in that he makes a lot of enemies by screwing around with fan's favorite characters by either killing them off, or making them gay or trans or making them into bad guys. But unlike with King, I am mostly okay with Bendis' changes because they're very well plotted and make sense. I think Tom King just has a singular plan to ruin my childhood...

David Finch is the artist for this issue. He did an amazing job. However, I think it must be said that it wouldn't have been so amazing if not for the masterful brush strokes of Danny Miki as the inker. It's got that George Perez/Frank Quitely quality to it of which I am such a fan!

The iconic, and oft recreated cover was crafted by colorist Frank D'Armata.

An amazing 2005 issue that kicks off one of my most favorite incarnations of the Avengers!

Completing this review completes Task #11 (An Avengers Comic from the 2000s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Edge of Spider-Verse

While it was DC Comics that introduced us to the multiverse, Marvel's Spider-Verse storyline from 2014-15 is what has powered superhero movies for the last decade. 

This prelude to the Spider-Verse epic event reintroduces a fan favorite while establishing several new versions of Spider-Man.

* First up is the 1920s gangster filled world of Spider-Man Noir. Most of the super-villains have been put to pasture thanks to the vigilante hero The Spider, that at this point in time, Peter Parker is thinking about retiring.

*In a world where the radioactive spider bit Gwen Stacy, the aspiring drummer becomes known as Spider-Woman. Blamed for the tragic death of Peter Parker, Gwen must run one step ahead of the New York Police Department which is lead by her father, Chief of Police George Stacy!

*A research scientist who specializes in arachnids discovers that his work might be behind a horde of sleep-walking zombies that are kidnapping citizens as soldiers in their ever growing army. 

*Visit a world where Peter Parker is abused by his uncle Ben and as a result, kidnapping and torturing neighborhood animals in a truly horrifying take on the Spider-Man.

*Lastly, on a technologically advanced earth, a 10-year old girl is bonded to a bio-engineered spider and placed inside an Iron Man level suit of armor!

All 5 stories were amazing. Ironically, the story that I liked the least, the Spider-Gwen introduction, is everyone else's favorite. Don't get me wrong. I prefer Gwen over Mary Jane. I have no qualms with there being a Gwen Stacy version of Spider-Man. It's just that the 3 stories that came after Spider-Gwen's debut were so freaking awesome!

After the 'zombie' story, I couldn't wait to read Spider-Verse and I had to find out what happened next. The demented Peter Parker story had an EC Comics horror quality. ( I just wish that the last panel had much better art.) And I think I've become a Peni Parker and SP//DR fan! That Manga inspired world was so cool! Their Daredevil was so wicked! Where can I find more of their adventures? Are there any?

If you want the first appearance of Spider-Gwen and you can't afford first print prices, this trade is the affordable way to do it. I didn't initially realize what I was getting with that. I was just trying to read the prelude to the Spider-Verse tale and not be lost without it. 

My local library has 'Spider-Verse' collected as an omnibus. I realize now that the collected edition probably has the contents of this trade inside it. But I bought this book way before I learned about the omnibus being at the library. So I'll just skip that part if it comes to that. Though I might re-read the horror stories and the Peni Parker introduction. Considering that I don't like to re-read stuff (as there's so much never before read stuff out there for consumption), that's high praise coming from me!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman/Deadpool #1

The Dark Knight meets the Merc with a Mouth. 

This should have been the event of the year. If this had occurred 30 years ago, it would have made the front cover of Wizard Magazine, Entertainment Weekly and a host of other publications that have gone the way of the dodo. Even 20 years ago, such a cross company crossover would have made the news.

But it's 2025. There's so much media out there, this epic introduction was barely a blip on the radar. Still, getting the stars of the DC and Marvel universes together again for the first time in over 20 years was a crossover that established fans have been clamoring over for a very long time!

I must admit, I forgot about this one-shot happening. Earlier this year when the announcement was made, I promptly emailed my favorite comic shop and ordered a copy. I then put a pic of Batman and Deadpool together- officially!- on my Facebook pic. Then as time elapsed, I just forgot about it until I saw on a comic book website that the time had come. And yet, despite having been really excited about the meet-up, it was another week until I picked up my copy!

While Batman meeting Deadpool is the primary selling point of this book, there are several other crossovers contained in this Marvel published giant. After Deadpool is brought over from his universe to the DC one by a mysterious benefactor who hires the mercenary to off the Bat;  Wonder Woman and Captain America reflect on their past history which sees the DC and Marvel universes cohabitating as one. Then Daredevil and Green Arrow bump into each other in a story penned by Kevin Smith, who helmed classics starring the two characters. The Dark Knight Returns Batman and the Old Man Logan Wolverine are given the same treatment by an artist/writer who knows the pair rather intimately: Frank Miller! Then we get a tease that the Amalgam Universe could be alive and well with the introduction of Logo: a hybrid of Czarnian bounty hunter Lobo and the mutant Wolverine. 

Every story but 1 was great. Woman Woman with her World War II introduction to the world was the perfect team-up pairing with Captain America. Princess Diana must have a thing for Army men named Steve. Having Kevin Smith bring the Man Without Fear and the Emerald Archer together was another brilliant idea. And could it be true that we're going to be returning to the Amalgam Universe? Please say it's so! But man, has things fallen off for Frank Miller...

The artwork was primitive. But I can't really fault that. Arthritis and age have reduced many an artistic talent in the comic book industry to far cries of their glory years. But the dialogue for this piece. It was chopped full of cliches. It was such a jumbled mess. I didn't know what was happening nor what the hell either character was trying to say. 

Oh! And how could I forget that adorable play date between Krypto and Jeff, the Land Shark! Plus I loved the cultural exchange program between the Guardians of Oa and the Guardians of the Galaxy! Having Rocket Raccoon as a Green Lantern was hilarious. That adventure was way too short.

There was only one missed opportunity. No Deadpool meets Deathstroke. No Deadpool meeting Harley Quinn. Okay. That was 2 missed opportunities 

Thankfully, the DC/Marvel fun doesn't have to end just yet. In November, Batman and Deadpool will intermingle once more in a one-shot published by DC. Grant Morrison is set to pen it. Hopefully, Wade Wilson will meet Slade Wilson and Harleen Quinzel. Regardless, it should be epic. I can't wait. And hopefully, I won't forget about it this time!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Twisted Toyfare Theatre, Vol. 6

I splurged on a second volume of Twisted Toyfare Theatre. This volume features an introduction from professional wrestler Rob Van Dam. I didn't realize that he was such a geek. Had I, I might have been a fan of his.

I'm noticing in this volume several names pop up. Matthew Senreich and Tom Root among others. Add Seth Green to the list and you might be saying ' Oh, yeah. These are the guys behind Robot Chicken!' That means that TTT is either the father of the Adult Swim series or it's the TV adaptation. That's really interesting considering that DC Comics actually threatened to sue Toyfare for using their characters in satirical ways for TTT but on Robot Chicken, with Cartoon Network being a Warner Bros. property, DC Comics works were skewered almost in every episode. Just goes to show that anyone is willing to have a good sense of humor if they get paid for it. 

As with all the other volumes I have read, there's just too many segments to pay adequate attention to. Daredevil takes actor Ben Affleck to court for the hero's portrayal in the Daredevil movie. Hulk and Spider-Man attend a showing of Episode II: Attack of the Clones while fans also get a chance to see what Star Trek III: The Search for Spock would have been like if it took place in the Star Wars Universe. We see deleted scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and then take a tour of Cobra headquarters after dark, when everybody should be long asleep.

'The Official Handbook to the Twisted Toyfare Theatre Universe' was as usual, a delight. But those 'Slideshow' one-pagers that take screenshots of classic cartoons and rework them into skits was something that the editors should have buried long ago. I feel shame that I ever was a fan of Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors...

The main segments were great. A really neat glimpse at the genius behind Robot Chicken. But those creative forces should stick to using toys for the jokes. Riffing on classics just wasn't in their wheelhouse.

Sadly, this will probably be the last volume I'll be able to get my hands on. Volumes 8-11 are out of print. Apparently, the print run was really small as sellers are asking prices that I'd expect to pay for an Action Comics #252. Maybe I'll get lucky some day. But it will probably be a while before that happens.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Superior Iron Man, Vol. 1: Infamous

This is an example of how to not judge a book by its cover. I've been sitting on this book for probably 5 years now. It came in a Comic Book Bento Box as a gift from my bride. (Remember CBBB? They're were a graphic novel grab bag subscription service that was so fun to get in the mail each month. Now defunct. Long may it rest...) I had just finished a volume of Iron Man where Tony's brother Arno Stark was set to take on the mantle of Iron Man, when I received this book. I wasn't all that thrilled with Arno and thinking this book was chronicling his adventures, I waited to read it.

I couldn't have been more wrong in my assessment.

Superior Iron Man, Volume 1 takes place immediately after the events of AXIS. For those of you not familiar with Marvel's 2014's crossover event, AXIS was the Freaky Friday storyline where good guys became villains and villains became heroes due to the meddling of the Red Skull. When everybody went back to their normal selves, something went wrong with Tony Stark, screwing up his moral compass. 

So imagine what the billionaire playboy would have become if he never got injured from a land mine and had his life saved by Professor Yinsen. What we have at the beginning of Superior Iron Man is a hedonistic, unrepentant alcoholic Tony Stark intent on imposing his own personal Utopia upon the world. To change the world in his own image, Tony has set up base in San Francisco. He just released his latest version of Extremis as an app which turns users into Kardashian-like versions of themselves. There's a hitch to this however. Tony offered Extremis 3.0 as a trial. Now reverted back to their imperfect selves, the citizens of San Francisco must pay an exorbitant fee daily to feed their addiction to perfection.

I really loved this book. I devoured it in about an hour. Add Daredevil, She-Hulk, Pepper Potts and an all-new villain to the mix and I was hooked. Amoral Tony Stark. It's a brilliant experiment that left me reeling because I don't have volume 2!

I'm going to rate this book with a perfect score. However there was a continuity error that just stuck in my crawl. Towards the beginning of the book, Stark hosts this big event for Extremis 3.0 on Castro Street. However an issue later, Matt Murdock, fully into his internal dialogue says that the event happened on Canton Street. Just so you know, I researched and there isn't a Canton Street in the City by the Bay.

Castro Street in San Francisco is a historic area known for Harvey Milk and the fight for gay rights. Could writer Tom Taylor have received some flak from fans for setting that scene at such an iconic locale, that Marvel had to retcon things? If so, why didn't they change the name of the scene for this trade? I can see where having Tony Stark offer the people of San Francisco a way to change themselves into what they've always dreamed of being set on Castro Street as being perceived insensitive to the struggle of the LGBT+ community. I'm just flummoxed over the nit and I want to know more about the mistake.

The artwork by Yildiray Cinar and Laura Braga was amazing. One of the best sets of Iron Man armor ever!

Be on the lookout for the Full House Easter egg tribute! So clever!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Daredevil #31 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

When law partner Foggy Nelson and secretary Karen Page begin to suspect that attorney Matt Murdock might be the super-powered vigilante, Daredevil, Murdock invents the character of Mike Murdock. Matt's 'twin' brother, Mike is the antithesis of the real deal. He's brash, loud, charming and a bit of a jokester. Everything Matt Murdock has longed to be but keeps bottled up inside is allowed to flow out in the guise of brother Mike. 

In the previous issue, Mr. Hyde and Cobra have re-teamed. Instead of battling Thor, both go up against the Man Without Fear. Hyde concocts a formula that is intended to render Daredevil blind. Unknown to the villains, since Daredevil is already sightless, the chemical strips Matt Murdock of his radar-like abilities. 

Starting from where things left off, Mr. Hyde and his partner in crime are about to strike when the New York Police Department charges into the warehouse doubling as a criminal lair giving Daredevil a chance to escape. However, without his billy-club/white cane hybrid walking device, Daredevil is unable to make his way home. His stumbling attracts the attention of the populace, leading Daredevil to pose as Mike Murdock in order to convince friends Foggy and Karen that any reports of a possibly blind Daredevil is not linked to actual blind person Matt Murdock!

After convincing what has got to be two thirds of the most gullible law firm in all of New York, Daredevil must then fool Mr. Hyde and Cobra into believing that their compound didn't work and that the hero still has sight. With help from Foggy, Daredevil travels a tightrope strung between two buildings rather poorly. Yet the villains interpret the protagonist's clumsiness as showing-off and they retreat from their latest caper. Daredevil thinks he's bought some time and has Nelson escort him home. The chapter ends with Foggy being kidnapped by an unseen force and Cobra now pretending to be Daredevil's assistant. 

Speaking of gullibility, can Matt Murdock, who has been blind since childhood, really be fooled by the voice of Cobra as to being best friend, Foggy Nelson? It remains to be seen and in reality, it's pretty doubtful that he can be tricked. However, it's implied from the cliffhanger that everything is a-okay with Daredevil and fans should be terrified at the prospect of the Man Without Fear helplessly being at the clutches of his foes.

Fans of the Silver Age Daredevil, such as humorist Fred Hembeck, have pointed to issue #8, the first appearance of Stilt-Man, as the most absurd moment in the character's early history. This issue written by Stan Lee could easily be a contender for that distinction. The prospective cliffhanger is laughable. Did Stan the Man really think fans wouldn't expect Daredevil to know when he's being hoodwinked? A more plausible pause that would elicit an elevated heart rate would have a snipe aiming at the now super-powerless Daredevil. Just because Daredevil lost his radar ability, the change should not have diminished the enhanced hearing and other senses Matt Murdock has picked up since losing his sight. 

The artwork by Gene Colan saves this ludicrous issue from being a total lemon. John Tartaglione adds a smoothness to the dynamic artwork with his inks in panels that scream mid-1960s stylish Manhattan. Lettering by Artie Simek. Cover art by Colan with John Romita Sr. and Frank Giacoia.

Completing this review completes Task #17 (A Daredevil Story) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Crypt of Shadows #1 (2023)

For the second year in a row, Marvel releases a horror themed one-shot under the legacy banner of Crypt of Shadows. Unlike last year's offering, none of these stories seem to be set around Halloween. Also unlike last year's offering, every story was actually quite good!

Once again Victor Strange, the vampiric brother of Doctor Strange is our host. Trapped in that mirror somewhere in Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, Victor regales readers with creepy stories set in the Marvel universe while scheming to escape from his shadow realm prison. The main theme of most of these stories are team-ups involving classic 1970s Marvel horror characters.

Deadpool is hired to kill a priestess who seeks to rule both the world and underworld. But he's got to get through N'Kantu, the Living Mummy in order to obtain his bounty. Daredevil is nearly ripped to shreds by the ninja clan known as the Hand. Coming to his aid is the Man-Thing, whose touch results in death in those who know fear. Good thing Matt Murdock is the Man Without Fear. Then the Hulk is assisted by the Werewolf by Night from an all-out assault by Kraven the Hunter. 

The only story to not feature a team-up stars the Scarlet Witch. She fights a demonic force called Bricklayer. It's the villain's first appearance and it's a pretty darn good one. Years ago, this haunted house was destroyed. Only one of the bricks from the possessed domicile lodged itself into the chest of a vagrant. Now the vagrant continues the destroyed home's reign of terror by killing innocents as the super-strong and extremely evil Bricklayer. This was a villain I very much want to see more off and the tagline at the end of the story promises more of the character. Though I expect Bricklayer's legacy to be taken up by a new host body.

Fans are also promised more of Victor Strange in the pages of Doctor Strange. I'm excited for this prospect as well. It might actually persuade me to buy the books new when Marvel finally pits brother against brother once more. 

Marvel managed to make a Halloween special that was relevant and yet not preachy. Comics can tackle tricky subjects while still being fun. Finally, after several years of feeling like I was being targeted by the House of Ideas, it seems that the publisher finally understands that fans want to be entertained, not talked down too. If I wanted to spend my hard earned cash being made to feel like the source of all humanities problems, I'd enroll in an ethics course in college. When I buy comic books, I want to enjoy it and I actually enjoyed this horror comic.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #151

Typhoid Mary's return to Marvel Comics Presents was so massive, it had to spill over into a second issue. 

Mary is bent on revenge. Not just to any man who ever abused her but all creeps in general. After rescuing a young woman from a research facility similar to the one that tortured Mary, both heroes and villains are on the duo's trail. Wolverine wants to save Mary. Daredevil does too. Vengeance wants to exterminate Typhoid for her sins. And then there's Steel Raven.

Steel Raven is a brand new antagonist. Just introduced for the first time in issue #150, Steel Raven is a mercenary hired by the research team that Typhoid busted her little friend out of. This new character is a lot like Boba Fett in that money talks but there's also a strong moral code. With tresses like Silver Sable, a costume like Deadpool, and an arsenal to make Frank Castle blush, Steel Raven seems to be an amalgam of many characters. Thankfully, Ann Nocenti and Steve Lightle have done a fairly decent job keeping the character from being too one-note. However, her dialogue could use some work.

Another issue that has just 1 story, split into 4 chapters. Unlike the last issue where each chapter seemed to focus on 1 main character, this time around, the story feels more like a regular comic book caper. It's got a lot going for it. But that anthology essence is completely missing.

This story has a plot twist decades ahead of its time. Well for the cinema, this story probably got its inspiration from 1992's The Crying Game. But for a Comics Code Approved book, the big surprise reveal in this two-parter is a whole generation ahead of its time. 

Year 3000 stuff.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #150

When Wolverine and Typhoid Mary parted ways at the end of 'Typhoid's Kiss' in MCP #116, I suspected that their story wasn't over.

When the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider and Typhoid Mary said their goodbyes at the end of 'The Walking Wounded' in MCP #127, I was convinced that their story wasn't over. 

And now all I can say is- I WAS RIGHT!!! (kinda...)

In the extra special 150th issue of this bi-weekly anthology, Wolverine reunites with Mary Walker to save a young woman from a shadowy research facility. The experiments being done are eerily similar to the bio-science torture Mary underwent, and resulted in the unlocking of her Typhoid Mary psyche. 

Due to the special occasion, the story is divided into 4 chapters. Wolverine and Mary occupy the first couple of chapters. Vengeance stars in the third segment. Typhoid Mary arch foe and former paramour Daredevil rounds out the story in the last chapter. 

While Wolverine and Mary reunite, opportunities are missed with Michael Badilino replacing Danny Ketch as the Spirit of Vengeance in this story. I understand that at this point in Marvel publication history, Ketch is dead or at least trapped in some sort of limbo. But couldn't the editors or issue writers Ann Nocenti (Uncanny X-Men) and Steve Lightle (Daredevil) have said that this story took place before those events so we could have had Ketch and Walker met again? Would that have been such a big deal?

I've said frequently, that for this series to really work, it needs to be comprised of 4 different segments. But I also have no qualms with MCP mixing things up if A) it's done creatively and B) it still follows the spirit of utilizing 4 segments; or in this issue's case chapters. 

But man- a giant missed opportunity that prevents this from being the perfect Typhoid Mary reunion.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Daredevil Noir

The idea behind the Marvel Noir books is that instead of coming to being in the early 1960s, the Marvel Universe explodes in the 1930s or 40s. My first experience with the Noir universe was Nicolas Cage's voice over of the gumshoe Spider-Man from Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. Thanks to that occurrence, I know that the Marvel Noir books are supposed to be more edgy, sexier and deadlier than what you'd expect from an Earth-616 based comic.

Daredevil Noir was given an Parental Advisory rating. While it wasn't as tawdry as a Vertigo Comic, there was definitely an edge to this story. Probably because there was such a huge body count. 

Instead of being doused with radioactive chemicals, the Noir Matt Murdock was born blind but always imbued with his radar-like abilities. Known for being fearless and a bit of a daredevil as a child, Murdock works for attorney Foggy Nelson as his private detective. Nobody suspects a blind guy as being a snitch. 

Nelson and Murdock are hired by the girlfriend of an up-and-coming gangster. She's been abused by this thug and seeks revenge by having the guy brought down a peg or two. The fact that the crime boss is also the man who killed Matt's father in cold blood is just the icing on the cake to take the assignment.

This is one of those series that I have to blame my qualms on the inker or the colorist. Or both. The story by Alexander Irvine (Iron Man: Rapture) was pretty good. And the artwork by Tomm Coker (Black Monday Murders) was absolutely brilliant. But the coloring of this story is so dark that I had trouble making out characters. I'd know who were the main characters. But you throw in some smaller roles and with that constant addition of rain and shadow, this made it impossible for me to figure things out from time to time. 

Being published in a slightly larger format than that of a digest didn't help the visuals either.

Don't get me wrong. The ending was great. Open-ended but tremendously well choreographed. The big reveal towards the end was jaw-dropping. However, I wasn't such a big fan of including characters that had zero parallel to a modern Marvel counterpart. But I guess if you did that, then that major twist would've been ruined. 

When you add everything up, I think the pluses and minuses equal each other out. I was entertained. But it's not something I will consider keeping in my collection.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #136

 

All 3 multi-part stories come to a close in this issue.

The Iron Fist/Daughter of the Dragon adventure finally sees some action. In the vein of Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx, Marvel's resident kung-fu fighters take on the Yakuza and Sabretooth among the tenements of the Big Apple.

The Wolverine/Cyber story has two results. One unexpected- a death! One expected- Cyber double-crosses Logan with typical Marvel fisticuffs!

As for Ghost Rider and Luke Cage. We get all the poop on why Darklove betrayed Mephisto and decided to become a demon of love instead of hate. It's a pretty good ending to a story that was fairly ridiculous. 

The one-shot tale involves Daredevil. I'm a few weeks behind on reviewing that which I've read. But in the case of this story, I just can't recall anything about it. Truly a forgettable story starring the Man Without Fear.

A better offering of MCP. Maybe because 3 very long stories are coming to a close finally. But still not the best issue I've read. Not even close.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #91

The main highlight of this series is a team-up between Daredevil and the Impossible Man! It's an 8-page single issue romp. But 8 pages is enough for once. 

The Impossible Man has been either forbidden from or gotten bored with his interactions with the Fantastic Four. That's not really made clear. In search of a new superhero to pal around, Impossible Man pals around Daredevil. Yes, he helps Daredevil fend off an assault from his old enemy, Kingpin. But since Daredevil is blind, he can't be impressed by Impossible Man's shape-shifting talents, it's back to the FF for the lone survivor of Poppup! Lucky them!

As for the other 3 stories, there's nothing really memorable. In the Wolverine story, Tyger Tiger enters negotiations with a rival crime lord. It's about as interesting as the trade embargo segments from that Republic Senate scene in The Phantom Menace. More of Hank McCoy's past is revealed. We know that Professor X erased the memory of an old girlfriend of The Beast's. We still don't find out the how and why. Then in the Ghost Rider/Cable story, the pair of unlikely allies join forces to save a young girl from a cult of undead killers. Mostly just action and adventure. But nothing really in terms of why this cult wants the girl yet.

An insane tale mixed into the middle of 3 stories that basically put the major players into place for what will hopefully be an action packed issue #92.

Rating: 5 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 #70

 Oh my God- this awful Wolverine/Ghost Rider story just will not end. I'm getting so tired of it.

The one-and-done story stars Black Widow as she battles with an old Soviet era friend over the soul of another Russian colleague. I thought maybe that one of these extra characters might be from Natasha's family in the Black Widow movie, but they're not. Would've been cool if it was!

The Daredevil story continues to be really good. Except that the 1991-92 idea of what an NYC lock down would look like is nowhere near what the real thing in 2019-21 was. 

I am also torn as to the Shanna the She-Devil story. It's really good with amazing artwork by Marvel Adventures' Paul Gulacy and I love the character of Dubose Wilson. But they keep maiming these magnificent looking beasts. At least it was not a cute little puppy or pussy cat. But I hate it when they hurt animals. Yes- even when they are just drawings and not the real thing.

An okay issue. But not one of my top favs.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #69

I might be sick and tired of the Wolverine/Ghost Rider team-up story. But I am in love with this cover! It's by Sandy Plunkett and Alan Weiss and it just may be in my top-10 favorite covers of all time.

The Shanna the She-Devil story is building. No gratuitous animal murders in this chapter. But we do get introduced to a diamond smuggler named Dubose Wilson in this issue. He's been stiffed by the guy who killed the zoo animals in the last issue and he's on route to Africa as well. I see this character as being played by Richard Pryor back in the 90s. Today, he'd probably be portrayed by Kevin Hart. Needless to say that Dubose is smarmy. But he's also likable.

A new multi-parter starring Daredevil begins in this issue as well. There's a heatwave going on and the Big Apple is on lock-down thanks to some rabid wild dogs. The story is quite good. But based on what I know having just experienced a lock-down, I find it hard to believe that the entire city would be shutdown thanks to a bunch of ravenous dogs. It was barely shut down because of COVID. Clearly, there aren't any packs of dogs in Jersey. Couldn't the National Guard come in a terminate these pooches? There's just a big chunk of plausibility that's missing from this story.

Lastly, in a single issue tale, the Silver Surfer encounters a sentient space ship that has been so terribly lonely for way too long. A heartbreaking story that will leave you in tears over a flying saucer. 

Not a bad offering this time around. The cover is just a thing of beauty. It alone is worth the asking price.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #49

The Daredevil story titled 'White Messiah'. It's an 8-pager. And it's a stinker. It features a black gang leader with pre-cognitive abilities named Scope. So you take Daredevil's sonar and pit it against this guy's ability to sense when somebody is trying to harm him and I'm really surprised
either one was able to land a punch on each other. 

But that's not what made this one a clunker. It's the dialogue. I'd expect it from a 70s blaxpliotation movie. There's all these jive turkeys and honkys peppered in, mostly from Scope. I expect better from Wolfpack's John Figueroa.

There is also a lot of criticism of the white savior syndrome here. Scope questions Daredevil's right to guard Hell's Kitchen when he's white and most of the neighborhood population is black. I know the irony here is with Matt Murdock being blind, he can't tell who is what color. But if this story was published today, it would be polarizing. 

You'd have half loving the cultural relevance. The other half would criticize it as being woke. I see it as a sequential art take of The Defiant Ones between a hero who pictures himself a villain and a bad guy that sees himself as a savior of his downtrodden people. It's supposed to be poignant and ironic. Sadly, the poor dialogue makes this story more farcical that poignant.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #5

Thanks to an energy vampire, Wolverine is in some of the worst shape I have ever seen the mutant in this side of the live action Logan film.

With Man-Thing, things are getting even more weirder with this cult of Satan worshipers who have accepted the muck monster as a demonic answer to their prayers. Still not sure what they've got to do with selling weapons to fund rebels in South America. But I just can't put these 8 pages down!

I hate, Hate, HATE the Master of Kung-Fu story. An old frienemy of Shang-Chi's has joined forces in hopes of rescuing an old flame. But the kidnapper's overall objective, which involves selling drugs to fund rebels in South America is just too freakin' similar to the Man-Thing story. Why didn't the editors wait on this story until after the Man-Thing saga wraps up?

Lastly, in the 8-page closer, Daredevil comes across a teenager, mangled to a pulp, in an alley. The boy claims that someone is trying to kill him. The Man Without Fear persuades the lad to seek out Matt Murdock for help from the tormentor. But who the lawyer discovers is behind the stalking will shock everyone- including this reader!

Three very solid stories. And then there's the Master of Kung-Fu. Such a disappointment. Especially, considering how much I was looking forward to this tale. But I push on...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Zombie #1

This is one of those titles where when I saw the premise, I slapped myself in the head and was like 'why didn't I think of that!’

Back in the 1970s when the Comics Code eased the restrictions on horror comics,
Marvel bought the rights for the word zombie. They then quickly put out a comics black
and white magazine called Tales of the Zombie. It follows a young man named Simon
Garth whose turned into one of the undead by a voodoo priest. But unlike most
Zombies, Garth retains a small vestige of his humanity and becomes a wandering enemy
against practitioners of the dark arts.

Tales of the Zombie lasted only 10 issues. Marvel's trademark on the word ‘ zombie’ was
found to be too vast to litigate misuse. Any legal claim was soon forfeited. But what about
Simon Garth? Did Marvel give up on him too?

Marvel's original Zombie has come and gone over the years. Garth has appeared in
several team-ups titles and even had a miniseries and a chance at being one of the
Howling Commandos unit of SHIELD monsters. He even popped up in the fourth series of
Marvel Zombies. Only he wasn't really the Zombie old timers like myself grew up with---
until now!

This one-shot takes place sometime after God knows which latest chapter in the Marvel
Zombies series. Manhattan's remaining few is protected by just a small handful of
superheroes lead by Daredevil. Recon by Falcon is showing the zombie horde about to
prepare a final offensive when one of the child survivors befriends one of the walking dead
and allows it into camp.

It's Simon Garth and the heroes are quick to notice that due to a mysterious talisman worn
by him, thezombie can be controlled. Seeing their one chance at survival, the heroes are
going to make Simon into a suicide bomber of sorts! But will destroying such a gentle
creature as Simon turn the heroes into an even more uncanny monster than the dead
that stalk them?

This was a really good story. It had an insane ending. But it was jammed packed with action,
excitement and brains. I enjoy the art work by Stefano Raffaele and I didn't want this story
to end! Of course, this being the Marvel Zombies franchise, it's not going to end anytime
soon.

One of the best Marvel stories I have read in a year that has been more of a downer for
the House of Ideas than a plus.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Avengers Halloween Special #1

Though it was released on Halloween day, at least Marvel got in the spirit of the season and produced this special. Marvel, earlier in October, did produce an all-ages Halloween special, which I reviewed as a Family Comic Friday selection. However, in the recent past, the House of Ideas has been quite the Scrooge when it came to doing holiday one-shots of any type. 

The Avengers Halloween Special has 5 short stories, some of which are quite eerie. Case in point- the first tale starring Daredevil. It has Matt Murdock undergoing an eye transplant. But when the bandages come off, he is terrified by visions of the dead!

Next up we see a world where Doctor Doom might be the good guy! It has tones of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and I would love to see this explored further in an issue of What If... 

Then Tony Stark goes to the Antarctic to recover a project that his father was working on during World War II. If this sounds a lot like a certain John Carpenter film starring Kurt Russell, give yourself a pat on the back!

The fourth story takes place in France during the 1800s. In Jay Baruchel's writing debut at Marvel, he puts forth an epic in which asks what if the Punisher became the Phantom of the Opera?

Lastly, we go to upstate New York for a ghost story that involves a pair of trick-or-treaters, the destroyed remains of a school for gifted youth and a still functioning Danger Room.

The Daredevil and Doctor Doom stories were the best! I was truly creeped out in the first tale. It was quite horrific with an ending that rivals some of the twists of an EC Comic. The Doctor Doom story as I said earlier is so good and brilliant that it merits a return story in the pages of What If...

The X-Men and Punisher accounts were very good. They had gothic tones but weren't scary. Plus, they had good art. But they just weren't as perfect as the previous adventures I've mentioned. Besides, I thought doing direct tributes to works of literature was DC's Elseworlds kinda of thing to do... (Maybe someone needs to inform Jay Baruchel.)

Then we have the Thing/Iron Man fusion. It should have been good but it was flawed. For one thing, we've got Deadpool and Colossus added to the mix. I only thought these two characters were friends in the Deadpool films. Yet, they're buddy-buddy here. Then there's several deaths that just do not seem plausible based on the method of how they die. I really wish I could expound more, but that would be giving up some massive spoilers. One thing I will say is that if you like the ending of Carpenter's The Thing, you'll love the ending of this thriller.

This special is hyped as the Avengers Halloween Special. But really, they're not even a part of this one-shot. You've got individual characters who have at one time or another been Avengers. (Has Doctor Doom or The Punisher ever even members of the World's Mightiest Heroes?) What was wrong with calling this a Marvel Halloween Special? That being said, does that mean December's X-Men Holiday Special is not going to have the X-Men in it? 

This Halloween release had some great scares as well as so-so moments. I would have liked this to have dropped the week before Halloween so I would have had a chance to read this before All Hallow's Eve. But better late than never I guess. OR you can wait until next Halloween season to give this comic a read.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stories.

Deadpool, Volume 4: Temporary Insanitation

     A not-so-scrupulous accountant has crossed too many players of Manhattan's underbelly. Seeking protection and sanctuary, the money-man (and his laptop full of incriminating evidence) goes straight to the top for help- DEADPOOL! But these crooks aren't willing to blink and they've brought in a heavy hitter to take in the turncoat accountant- Typhoid Mary!! Enter the wildest team-up and the first (and probably only) single issue multi-issue crossover in comics history.
     Guest-starring Daredevil, Power-Man, Iron Fist and most of the sanitation crew at Fresh Kills landfill!
     Then things get supernatural when a horde of inter-dimensional beings invades Deadpool's wife Shiklah's subterranean kingdom. This Last Days of Magic tie-in will shock long-time Deadpool fans and looks to change the game for the Merc With A Mouth for some time to come. 
     The first storyline was classic Deadpool! It's crazy funny and a shining moment in a era of Marvel that's been sub-par at best. But why does Gerry Duggan, along with writers Charles Soule and David Walker insist on making Wade Wilson such a tragic character!? He's much better when he's funny and surreal than a homicidal version of Charlie Brown. That's why I buy the book- fun and games not going down in flames...

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.