Fantastic Four #6 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 2003, Marvel established an imprint for all ages. Unlike Star Comics in the 1980s, this imprint would star the heroes of the 616-Universe. First titled 'Marvel Age', the plots were taken directly from the earliest issues to bear the Marvel Comics brand name. Written by Stan Lee and featuring the art of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others. Marvel Age Spider-Man and Marvel Age: Fantastic Four. The retellings would be written by the best and brightest of the Marvel Bullpen with Manga inspired artwork by up-and-coming artists from the Japanese inspired medium. 

In this issue which reimagines Fantastic Four #6 from 1962, the Fantastic Four's most deadliest foes, Doctor Doom and the Sub-Mariner have joined forces. Doom has invented a device that can control the gravity of any object. The plan is for Prince Namor to visit the Baxter Building under the rise of a proposed truce. While there he will hide Doom's device inside the recesses of the skyscraper. 

It's actually not very hard for the Sub-Mariner to hide the device. While Sue Storm is Mister Fantastic's girlfriend, she's been developing feelings for Namor during their recent skirmishes with the ruler of Atlantis. Ben Grimm and Little brother Johnny Storm want to mop up the floor with Namor. Sue wants to finally have a chance to sort through her feelings. Meanwhile, Reed Richards smells a rat and right he is! Because Doctor Doom has activated his gravity device, sending the Baxter Building into outer space with the Sub-Mariner aboard! Heading directly towards the sun, with the oxygen running thin, I guess only so much can be said about honestly and loyalty when you make a deal with Doctor Doom!

The writing by Marc Sumerak was quite good. I've read this issue a number of times. The original, I mean. So it is a bit weird to experience this plot with references to more modern pop culture icons like Jerry Seinfeld. Though, did kids from 2005, when this Marvel Age issue was published, know who of the comedian and star of a TV series that went off the air 7 years prior? So the references are a bit awkward- too  awkward. But this is something that the big two publishers have been guilty of for decades. But it's also forgivable. Trying to relate to kids is hard. Not everyone can do it.

What, in my opinion, isn't quite so forgivable is the art. I should be a crime to think that you can't make a comic book for children without dipping into the Manga ink well. Sure, Manga is what has inspired a large number of artists who hit the scene in the past 30 years. But it should not be the only style of artwork that young comic book readers are exposed to. Especially for such an iconic family the Fantastic Four. That ever-changing look of characters based on their emotions which is a Manga staple just doesn't work with The Thing or the Human Torch. Heck, it doesn't even work with the plastic fluidity of Mister Fantastic. You'd think that it would considering that he's stretchy. But here, it just looks weird. Blame artist Alitha Martinez for that. However, I'm really confused as I've experienced some of her work before and it did not look like this. Maybe early in her career she tried the Manga route. If so, I am glad it was a phase or the comic collecting world would have been deprived of one of the most talented female artists of the past 2 decades.

If this  wasn't a FF comic book, I probably wouldn't keep it. But just like when I listen to Queen, a bad Fantastic Four comic is better than no Fantastic Four comic book at all!

Completing this review completes Task #8 (Fantastic Four Comic from the 2000s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

Fantastic Four #268 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

This 1984 issue of Fantastic Four has heartbreak, mystery and tons of action. Not to mention a bunch of guest stars!

The story takes place after the Secret Wars. The Thing has temporarily stepped away from the team in order to find himself on the Battleworld. Taking his place is She-Hulk. Jennifer Walters has been on the team for a couple of weeks now and seen action as the FF's heavy. But she's yet to seen the interior of the Baxter Building. Sue Richards has just previously experienced a miscarriage. So in order to give Sue and husband Reed a chance to mourn, Johnny Storm thinks now is as good a time as any to give She-Hulk the deluxe tour of the team's headquarters. 

One of the areas where Johnny takes Jen is to a little seen 'trophy room' full of tech recovered from the Fantastic Four's numerous encounters with baddies. One of the newest additions to the room is the mask of the recently deceased Doctor Doom! And it gives both the Human Torch and She-Hulk the creeps . Rightfully so! Because all of a sudden the mask comes alive and starts destroying the entire building!!!

I had mentioned that this issue had a bunch of guest stars in it. Assisting with the complications of Sue Richards gamma infused pregnancy are some of the Marvel Universes leading experts in gamma radiation. Dr. Michael Morbius, Dr. Bruce Banner, Professor Walter Langkowski (Alpha Flight's Sasquatch) are consulted to tragic circumstances. Even the diabolical Otto Octavius is given a day pass from prison on the good and desperate word of Mister Fantastic. But alas it just wasn't meant to be.

As a parent of multiple multiple miscarriages, I can completely sympathize with Reed Richard's. Knowing my wife was suffering and that my children were at risk, I too would have moved Heaven and Earth to save them. God knows I tried.

Speaking of Bruce Banner- he actually makes 2 cameos! That's because during her tour of the Baxter Building, She-Hulk recounts her origin story to Johnny Storm. Thanks to a blood transfusion from cousin Bruce, Jen first became the Savage She-Hulk before gaining full control of her rage and emotions as the Sensational She-Hulk!

The characters all with beady little eyes. The blondes all with Farrah Fawcett style hairdos. The dark blue uniforms with the white collars. She-Hulk in all her Amazonian stature and allure. This is quintessential John Bryne Fantastic Four! The only thing missing is Wyatt Wingfoot. But don't worry; he's teased to be returning in the next issue.

Lastly, I have to marvel at the cover. It's a combination of an actual photograph of Doctor Doom's mask and John Byrne's version of ray beams shooting out of the mask's eyes! The creator of the real life Doom mask is Eliot R. Brown. Some of you might recognize his work of the famous live action cover of 1985's Amazing Spider-Man #262! Note: The image I have used is a hi-definition version found on Marvel.Com. Here you can see the full outline of the mask and the rivets. On the original cover, all that is really hard to make out. One of the few times that digital beats paper...

A great issue with action, adventure and sadness! But absolutely powerful. 

Completing this review completes Task #6 (Fantastic Four Comic from the 1980s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 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.

Marvel Meow #1 (Family Comic Friday)

The popular Marvel Infinity web comic has arrived at your local comic shop! Celebrating the felines of the Marvel Universe along with their heroic and sometimes dastardly owners, Marvel Meow is a read that should delight many a fan of cats.

I'm a huge cat person. I've owned a cat everyday of my life except for 3. The joke has always been that those were the best 3 days of my life. But in reality, I just can't imagine my life without at least 1 gato in the thick of it.

While I think that the average cat fan will really enjoy this all-ages special, I don't think the casual Marvel fan will understand a lot of things that are going on. Since when did Doctor Doom get to walk around without a care in the world at an Avengers fete? Why is Mister Sinister interacting like a best friend with the X-Men? I didn't know that 2 of Marvel's most fierce foes became teddy bears, not just with their kitties but with the heroes of the MCU as well.

I also think that if you're not a fan of Manga, you might not enjoy this book as much as the average Otaku; a fanatic of Japanese comics. As with manga, the characters change shape, art style or overall appearance when they display intense emotions and for a reader not familiar with that technique, it can be confusing. A lot of the stories and skits in this book rely on pantomime and emoji. Again, it's a standard Manga technique. And they are beautifully illustrated by artist Nao Fuji. But it's kinda unusual for us Generation X and older comic book collectors. Call me a 'boomer' if you want but without word bubbles, it's hard to follow the plot of those stories sometimes.

If you are a regular reader of Marvel Meow online at Marvel Unlimited, you might be wondering why should you read the print version? Well, it's not all reprints. There's an all-new exclusive story added to the mix. Plus an assortment of new covers!

I for one am appreciative of Marvel putting it's digital material into print form. They've done it as well with a couple of specials starring the breakout character of Jeff the Shark, who does appear in this book! I've been trying to show my support by buying up some of these collections. I just hope Marvel will take the hint and release a paper copy of their Unlimited holiday specials! I'd be first in line to not just reserve my copy but to buy it as well. For now, I'm excited with this tribute to the cats of Marvel, even if Manga isn't really my thing.

As they say: cats rule, dogs drool! 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

What If? Dark Avengers

I really think What If?, the alternate reality series from Marvel Comics, works better the more you're familiar with the subject content. There are 6 issues reprinted in this collection. Of those 6, the stories I liked the most was a switcheroo in which Tony Stark becomes the roommate of the dreaded Victor Von Doom instead of Reed Richards and a bloody romp in which Deadpool becomes the host of the symbiote Venom. Stories involving Spider-Man succumbing to some weird spider curse and Norman Osborn's reign of terror that comes about with the leader of SWORD conquering Asgard were my least favorite stories because I haven't read Grim Hunt or Reign. (Okay- who am I kidding, the Spider-Man: Grim Hunt one-shot was hot garbage.)

The remaining 2 stories were fair reads. Mostly because I am quite familiar with the characters and have a passing knowledge of the original stories. Wolverine: Father explores what would happen if Logan raised his illegitimate son Daken. This wasn't a story based on an established story. Instead, this truly was a What If? story that explores the conflict of nature vs. nurture. Tale #6 has Hawkeye succeeding in killing Norman Osborn preventing the madman from taking over the super-spy agency SHIELD and preventing the Dark Reign of super heroes from happening. This story was a thrilling manhunt as the superheroing world has to undo the damage Clint Barton caused and that means having to take down one of their own!

I want to own all of the What If? stories. But cost is something that is keeping me from owning some of those stories as individual first run issues. Thank goodness for collections such as these. That Deadpool/Venom issue is not cheap. I think the most affordable copies I have seen are being listed for $200 each. I got this traced paperback used for less than $10. I'll take affordability over authenticity any day!

This volume reprints what is considered the 200th overall What If issue printed over the Marvel properties vast print runs since it first debuted in 1977. That anniversary issue has a bunch of cool extras like a story that ponders what if the Watcher killed Galactus?, a reprint of a Daredevil story from the first series and overview of all 200 issues published from 1977-2011 (when this collection was first print). That database was actually a big help with some missing gaps in my collection.

I would assume that the quality of 5 of the 6 stories was really good. I just wasn't familiar with everything in order to get the most enjoyment of this read. That's okay. I saved a ton of cash on that Deadpool story. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #100

To celebrate MCP reaching the century mark, Marvel goes epic. Instead of 4 unconnected episodes, writer Howard Mackie (Spirits of Venom) and artist Sam Keith (The Maxx) take a single story and have it presented in 4 separate chapters.

Building off stories from the past couple of issues, the Doctor Strange villain, Nightmare, has decided to invade the slumber of a trio of Marvel Universe characters. First up, Doctor Doom. Nightmare has been using his insecurities as the totalitarian leader of Latveria. 

Then Wolverine, who for a couple of issues now, has been using Professor X's help to navigate a reoccurring night terror, faces Nightmare and causes the dream lord a tiny bit of battle damage. Which is something unthinkable in Nightmare's realm!

Last on Nightmare's hit list is Ghost Rider. The past couple of issues, Nightmare has been using some pesky little blue demons as weapons against Danny Ketch. Now licking his wounds from tussling with Wolverine, Nightmare goes for broke against the Spirit of Vengeance.

With Chapter 4, expect 3 very pissed off super-humans to pay Nightmare a visit!

While I hate the idea of this anthology series going away from 4 different tales, I was okay with this. It was a one-time thing. It was done to celebrate a milestone. And it felt like 4 different stories that were interconnected and not an overdrawn novel-length story.

A really enjoyable read. As long as MCP doesn't make a habit of straying away from its roots, I am pleased with the results of issue #100!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Marvel Comics Presents #75

The best segment of this issue didn't even really happen. It's all a dream of Franklin Richards and it focuses on his fears of his family being constantly targeted by Doctor Doom. This Dave Cockrum (Uncanny X-Men) penned and inked story is rather poignant. Has their ever been a story where Franklin gets in the middle of a battle and confronts Doom as to why why is he always hurting his daddy? If not, this story might be the closest we ever get to it! 

And if this idea happens sometime in the future, I hope I get contributor credit. Okay, at least a free autographed copy of the book. Sound good, Marvel?

I also liked the Meggan and Kitty Pryde centered Excalibur tale. It has them being held captive in the lighthouse while the rest of the team is away getting provisions on the mainland. It's a lot like Home Alone as these gunmen have zero idea just who they've taken hostage. 

The Weapon-X tale continues to go nowhere. The Shanna The She-Devil story looks to head into the final battle. I think the next chapter or so will be rather explosive. But this chapter still moved slowly. 

The artwork however, especially of an African priestess conducting a ritual, is rather alluring. Maybe it's the lack of clothes sported by the practitioner of black magic. Maybe it's the artwork of Paul Galacy (Master of Kung-Fu). Maybe it's Maybelline... Regardless of what it is, it's what helped bump this issue up into the Worth Consuming range.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #48

After about 4 dozen issues, Spider-Man is finally given the chance to star in his own multi-part series and what do you know? He's gotta share the spotlight with smelly old Wolverine. It's all part of MCP's new plan to have Logan play host a la Marvel Team-Up or Marvel Two-In-One with members of the Marvel Universe. I'm all for a team-up. They're one of my favor genre of superhero comics. But enough with the Wolverine already!

As for this story's plot- a mutant girl and her father are targets of a gang of baddies. Both Spider-Man and Wolverine have history with the pair. So cue up the team up!

The two 8-pagers were fan-dam-tastic! The Wasp comes face-to-face with an obsessed fan with tragic results that come with a twist. Then the mistress of meteorology Storm is reunited with, of all people, Doctor Doom. Apparently, the two have a platonic history to which puts Storm up there with Reed Richards and Doom himself, as the only people who share the Latverian leader's respect.  

My thoughts of these 2 stories. 1) Give Wasp her own mini in this book! Just make sure that the creative team is Dwight J. Zimmerman (Sensational She-Hulk) and Rodney Ramos (Transmetropolitan) 2) Where can I find that Storm/Doctor Doom first meeting? This issue has piqued my interest so badly!

Rounding things out, the Devil-Slayer story keeps getting more bizarre and I love it! The characters change should be only temporary, hopefully. But for now, I really dig it!

4 great segments. Even if Wolverine continues to steal the show!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four, Part 2: The Review

After decades of waiting and a chance posting on Facebook, this madman finally got to see one of the most elusive comic book motion picture holy grails- Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four.

Yesterday, I explored the myth and history of the making of the film. Today, I share with you my review. While it’s clearly no Avengers Endgame, this low-budget take on the First Family of the Marvel Universe is surprisingly not bad!

The Fantastic Four (1994)
Starring: Alex Hyde-White, Jay Underwood, Rebecca Staub, Joseph Culp
Directed by Oley Sassone
Distributed by New Horizons Films
Run Time: 94 minutes

When Roger Corman was approached by German producer Bernd Eichinger to create a full-length live-action movie of the Fantastic Four, the legendary filmmaker was only given a budget of $1 million dollars. That meant Corman would be faced with cutting a number of corners in order to get that project done. It wasn’t something that Roger Corman was unfamiliar with. Corman is known to be the McGuvyer of filmmaking. But with such a small budget, that meant not having any established stars in the cast.

Faced with casting a quartet of relative unknowns, only Jay Underwood playing Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, had any real meaty acting credits prior. Underwood had  starred in a trio ABC/Disney TV movies based on the Not Quite Human young adult series by Seth McEvoy. A cameo by George Gaines (Punky Brewster, The Police Academy films) as Reed and Ben’s physics teachers is perhaps this film’s only real household name. 

The premise for the Fantastic Four film is pretty close to accurate for the comics created by Lee and Jack Kirby. Radiation during a botched space flight imbues 4 astronauts with special powers. After crash-landing, the quartet run afoul of the evil Doctor Doom who seeks to siphon the team’s powers to make himself the most powerful man in all the world!

Doctor Doom is played with maniacal aplomb by Joseph Culp (Mad Men.) His acting is perfectly over-the-top for a comic book villain. And his costume is 5000 times better than any of the modern Fantastic Four movie versions of the character. It’s just a shame that you can barely understand anything Doom is saying as the mask he wears really muffles the actor’s  voice. 

There’s another villain in this movie called the Jeweller. This subterranean leader of a band of homeless misfits is obviously based on the Fantastic Four issue #1 villain, Mole Man. But why this guy isn’t called by that name here is a mystery. Maybe the producers didn’t have the rights? 

The Jeweller is the comic relief of the movie. It’s his actions that cause the malfunction of Reed’s spaceship. But his goofiness just can’t hold a candle to the outlandishness of Doctor Doom!

The special effects are a mixed bag. The stretching scenes of Mister Fantastic are anything but. What do you expect for a million bucks? For most of the movie, only Johnny’s hand catches flame. But in the climactic battle with Doctor Doom’s cronies, Storm finally goes full flame-on. Though it’s clearly CGI done with 1990s era computers, it’s actually not bad animation for the time period. 

The make-up and suit made up for Ben Grimm’s transformation into The Thing was kinda hookey. You can tell it’s a foam rubber suit. But it actually looks tons way better than Michael Chiklis’ version of Ole Blue-eyed Benjamin!

Costuming for the movie was far more superior than some modern day superhero epics. Like I said, Doctor Doom’s armor and costume were the best I’ve ever witnessed in a motion picture. The FF’s uniforms are pretty comic book accurate. And when it comes to form fitting on Sue Storm actress Rebecca Staub- va-va-va-voom! 

There have been 4 live-action films starring the Fantastic Four. Roger Corman’s take on the team was by far, the best one! The 2005 origin story was good but it lacked heart. The Silver Surfer sequel was completely unfaithful to the source material with having Galactus be a huge cloud of destructive space gas. And 2015’s FF… That’s 2 hours of my life I want back.

At just over 90 minutes, this forgotten Marvel movie was a good distraction. I didn’t think once about the COVID-19 pandemic while watching it. That right there says a lot. This wasn’t the best movie. But it wasn’t Thor: The Dark World either. 

Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four was hampered by a tiny budget. In today’s dollars, that only comes to about $1.75 million. With such a small allotment, Corman’s team did some big stuff. Imagine how much better the CGI and make-up could’ve been with an extra million bucks or two. The Jeweller’s minions might actually have looked like Moloids. Doc Doom’s army might have actually been Doombots and not pasty white guys in green hoods!

Yes- you will get some unintended laughs if you ever get the chance to watch this film. But I don’t think you’ll be very disappointed either. For what Roger Corman pulled off with the number of barriers in his way, he made a B-movie classic out of one of our all-time favorite bands of superheroes! I don’t know if Stan Lee was proud of this movie. But as a life-long fan of the FF, I sure was!

Excelsior, Mr. Corman! Excelsior in deed!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com. 

Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four, Part One: Production

After decades of waiting and a chance posting on Facebook, this madman finally got to see one of the most elusive comic book motion picture holy grails- Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four.

The Fantastic Four (1994)
Starring: Alex Hyde-White, Jay Underwood, Rebecca Staub, Joseph Culp
Directed by Oley Sassone
Distributed by New Horizons Films

I remember thumbing through an issue of Comics Scene in 1993 when I first became aware of B-movie master Roger Corman’s plan to release a full-length motion picture starring Marvel’s First Family. I was at a B. Dalton’s Bookstore when I saw the first official photo of the actors in costume and make-up to play the Fantastic Four. According to the article, the movie was intended to be released in May 1993. A huge fan of the superhero team, I was thrilled to say the least.

Well 1993 came and went. No FF made it to the big screen. Nor did it arrive direct-to-video as some clunkers do. Instead, Corman’s production had a brief one time showing in 1994 and then it faded away into myth and obscurity.

A film starring the Fantastic Four was going to be a big deal. It was supposed to rival the Batman films directed by Tim Burton over the past few weeks. So why did this movie never make it to theaters?

Legend has it that the Roger Corman produced Fantastic Four movie was never intended to be seen by the general public. In the early 80s, German producer Bernd Eichinger obtained the rights to a Fantastic Four motion picture for his production company Constantin Films. His deal with Stan Lee was good for 10 years. But it could be renewed if Eichinger made a movie about Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben. That’s when Eichinger teamed up with Roger Corman.

Roger Corman has been known to make a fairly decent movie on a not so decent budget. The driving force behind films such as A Bucket of Blood, Rock n’ Roll High School, and Battle Beyond the Stars, Corman has launched countless careers. Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and James Cameron are just a handful of directors whose career was helped along by Roger Corman. With a budget of only $1 million dollars, Corman and his production team at New Horizons Pictures was also the only person who could get the movie done.

Filming ran for about 25 days starting on December 28th, 1992. Roger Corman and Eichinger selected music video director Oley Sassone to helm the project. A majority of the film was produced on a sound stage in Venice California. On-scene locations included Loyola Marymount University for a key scene involving the origins of Victor Von Doom!

Post-production took up the majority of 1993. The Labor Day debut was pushed to early 1994. Composers David and Eric Wurst actually used some of their own funds to conduct a 48-piece orchestra for the Fantastic Four soundtrack. Meanwhile, Corman and his advertising team began a PR campaign that would herald the arrival of the Fantastic Four to the silver screen. That includes that issue of Comics Scene I remember so fondly.

Finally, the big debut came. On January 19, 1994 at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, the stars and production crew joined for a huge premiere. Sales of tickets for the opening was to benefit the Ronald McDonald House and other charities. But at the 11th hour, Bernd Eichinger pulled the plug on the entire project.

Eichinger’s team of lawyers handed all of the actors and crew cease-and-desist orders. Eichinger reportedly then handed Roger Corman a check and informed the director that the film would never be shown in public. With the negatives in the possession of Constantin Films execs, it looked like this version of the Fantastic Four would never be seen by fans. Thankfully, someone made a bootleg copy of the movie and it made its way online.

So that’s the myth, legend and fact behind Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four. Tomorrow, I’ll review the forgotten film. You might actually be surprised by the rating I give it. Until then, Excelsior!

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com. 

Secret Wars Too, #1

This comedic one-shot tie-in to Marvel's 2015-16 Secret Wars event was a bit of a disappointment. Over the year's Marvel had developed a number of 'Not Brand Echh' style parodies of their annual massive event story lines. Many of them have been quite funny. But not this time around.

The main story is a metaphysical story in which Secret Wars scribe, Jonathan Hickman has just finished pitching the idea to Marvel's think tank to great success. However, Hickman realizes that he doesn't have a clue how it's going to end. Enter Doctor Victor Von Doom for a funny pep talk that goes off an a great tangent about hot dogs. 

Unfortunately, this story is peppered with jokes about how the issues in the miniseries will not ship on time as well as groaners about too many tie-in comics. My question is: If Marvel knows that this is a problem, why do they repeat themselves time and time again?

The other stories in this book were pretty forgettable. There's a yarn about how not killing off Uncle Ben would actually be one of the worst follies to ever befall the Marvel multiverse. Aside from the clever puns of alternate Peter Parker heroic personas, it was a stupid story. A tale involving the tragic character of D-Man was naturally quite sad. We also had a couple of episodes involving a universe of Bear Marvel heroes and the computer hacking adventures of Spidey, Jessica Jones and Daredevil that started out great but got ridiculous pretty quick. 

Only the dimension shifting adventures of Kate Bishop and America in their quest for something called 'pizza' and a Eric Powell parody on a reality series starring Doctor Doom were back-ups in this one-shot that were any good. 

An excellent question is posed thanks to the last story: why hasn't Marvel signed The Goon creator, Powell, to any sort of contract. I bet something by him and Donny Cates would kick serious booty!

Thankfully, I only paid a buck for this book. Quite a disappointment really. But it's from the Axel Alonso era. So could you expect anything less?

Rating: 5 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.

Doomwar

Doctor Doom unleashes a war on multiple fronts against the tiny, but powerful nation of Wakanda. But the despot can't just openly invade the homeland of the Black Panther, least he have to face an onslaught of UN forces, not to mention the superhero community. So, Doom secretly funds a coup which grants him diplomatic immunity in order for the leader of Latveria to legally claim all of Wakanda's remaining resources of vibranium.

    Since the government of Wakanda changed hands under a peaceful coup, the United Nations has tied the hands of former King T'Challa and his sister, Shuri, the current Black Panther. Even the superhero community cannot get involved to save Storm, accused of witchcraft, from the death penalty, without repercussions.
   
    Secretly, a small handful of X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and even the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool come to the assistance of the deposed royal family in an attempt to wrestle the massive stockpile of vibranium weapons that Doom has amassed. But since T'Challa has been soundly defeated by Doctor Doom time and time again using technology, the former Black Panther may have to use magic infused physics to free his people and reclaim the throne of Wakanda.

     This is my second foray into works by the team of Jonathan Mayberry and Scot Eaton (The zombie epic Punisher Vs. the Marvel Universe was my first.) Unfortunately, I was not such a fan of this work as I was the apocalyptic thriller. The biggest reason for this is that in the first two issues, there is so much going on. There's minimal panelling, so I couldn't follow where the art was flowing. It also didn't follow any sort of set pattern. Sometimes it would go straight across the page. Sometimes it would go counterclockwise and the next would be clockwise. Then vice-versa a few pages later. It was very confusing. 

    There were only 6 issues in this miniseries. So, I'm wondering if there were originally supposed to be 7 or 8 but due to time or economics, the series was reduced to a half-dozen. Thus in order to not really lose any of the story, Mayberry and Eaton just crammed everything in those first couple of issues. I really think this is the case as the last 4 issues really flowed a lot better.

    The art itself was quite good. It was as outstanding as the 'Punisher Vs.' mini. In fact, there were some awesome double full-page spread scenes that featured Doctor Doom's face that were even better than that first series. Sadly, the covers by John Romita Jr. were not so good. They looked amateurish and didn't properly reflect his talent.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Avengers & X-Men: Axis

  During a combined effort of X-Men and Avengers to take down the Red Skull, his newly acquired psychic abilities combined with the chaos magic of the Scarlett Witch and the orderly spells of Doctor Strange causes heroes and villains to swap sides. Now Carnage is your friendly neighborhood symbiote. Deadpool has fore-sworn violence and the X-Men and Avengers have vowed to exterminate each other. 

    Thus, the Marvel Axis is tipped and man what a fun ride. Anyone present during the Red Onslaught affair has occurred a Freaky Friday like change from good to evil and vice versa. Only a few heroes haven't been affected by this switch, such as Spider-man, Steve Rogers, and his son Ian: the New Nomad. With Manhattan now a human-free zone of Apocalypse and the X-Men, Steve must work in secret to come up with a new band of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. 

    While seeing who Steve Rogers recruits might be a shock to the system, the real surprise is the level of camaraderie between the original Captain America and his new ally, the White Skull (formerly, that dastardly Nazi, Johann 'Red Skull' Schmidt.) Why even Doctor Doom's level of evil is tilted to the side of good and the citizens of Latveria finally live in peace under Doom's benevolent rule. There are some many more surprises in this volume that if I got on, I'll spoil all of the fun.

    This story along with the art was fantastic. I was blown away by it and I didn't want it to end. I must say that as this story takes place in the post-Wolverine Marvel world, his presence is sorely missed. But the action, adventure and insane banter between Spider-man and Deadpool help to fill up the void left by the vacuum of the mutant's death.

   Oh, and you must check out the variant cover gallery. There's a very funny cover along with a stunning alternate cover to issue #1 starring the Scarlett Witch and the Enchantress.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen #5

 

  As an infection rattles his body, Superman must fight off Famine. Batman and blast from the past, Snapper Carr battle each while fending off Plague. Wonder Woman unleashes her inner fury as she tackles War over the Pacific. That leaves Death, whose taken his army of the undead from Bialya and transferred it to Oolong Island. Who will defend the island of villains? Enter: the original Doom Patrol! (Wait a minute, aren't they dead too???)

   This is an action-filled issue. But I really am confused about the appearance and role of the original Doom Patrol. The team for the longest time been the Uncle Ben of the DC Universe. It other words, they're dead and the stay dead (Okay- to be fair, Robotman survived and Miles Caulder wasn't even there when the Doom Patrol died in the final issue of the original series with the same name (issue #121, 1968.) So, when did they come back? Or because the Horseman Death can raise the dead, have members of the Doom Patrol been revived as well?

  Worth Consuming but man do I have questions.

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Adventures of the Thing #1 (of 4)

Ben Grimm, unhappy with his current state- a living, breathy mound of orange rocks, decides to take Doctor Doom’s time machine for a bit of a trip back in time to change him back into human form. See, Mr. Fantastic has just created a serum that will return the Thing back into his human form, but his body has gotten so used to the changes, the cure would’ve only worked right after Ben and the rest of the Fantastic Four’s space shuttle crashed back to earth. So, Ben Grimm travels backwards in hopes of getting himself to take this magic cure, only the younger Thing is so angry and so misshapen, he doesn’t realize that he’s come face to face with himself. So, naturally, the two have an epic fight. Its Thing vs Thi---- Hey, wait a minute, I’ve read this before! Sonofa-

Once I read this story, I flip the page only to find the original cover from when this story was first published back in the 1980s. That’s right- the entire 4-issue miniseries of Adventures of the Thing is a bunch of reprints from the classic 80s team-up series Marvel Two-In-One (This book reprints #50 of MTIO.)  If you already have that series collected, you don’t need this mini.

   Thankfully, I didn’t pay very much for these. No more than $2 apiece or less. But it took me about 2 years to finally get all of the books. I look at this more as a waste of my time than my money. 

  I don’t have all of Marvel Two-In-One yet. So, I may come across a couple of tales I’ve yet to have in my collection or even better- NOT READ YET!!!

I’m torn on how to rate this book. The cover was awesome. The story is a classic. But I got duped into buying a handful of reprinted comics. I’m a bit miffed. Buyer be aware!

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Fantastic Four: Big Town #2 (of 4)

In the distant future, Manhattan has virtually eliminated crime and poverty thanks to Reed Richards and Tony Stark. While the rest of the world has benefitted from their achievements, the Big Apple has reaped the most rewards thanks to the oversaturation of superheroes living in the city. A cabal of some of the Marvel Universe’s biggest and baddest enemies have struck an uneasy truce in hopes of destroying their adversaries under the banner of equal access to technology for all of earth’s peoples.

   The concept behind Big Town is starting to round out. It’s basically an allegory to how technology, often seen as societies’ savior can become humanities worst warden. I also think there is a little bit of commentary on the gap between the lower and middle class versus the upper class. Think about it, Stark and Richards are billionaires, who live in penthouse apartments looking down on the peon citizens that they’ve taken upon themselves to ‘benefit’ through their technological advances. The heroes seem charitable but at what expense to the evolutionary process of humanity. Plus the people living in Queens live like paupers compared to the super heroes in Manhattan.

Thus it’s easy to see why people are standing up behind the likes of Doctor Doom, Magneto, and the Red Skull. It’s like in the film “The American President” if people are thirsty enough and nobody will lead them to water, then they’ll listen to the person shouting loud enough “Drink the Sand” and the masses will!

Big Town was published in 1999-2000 and was meant to take place in the not too distant future. With Occupy, Obamacare, and the constant struggle to make ends meet with food prices getting higher and higher while the amount of our annual raises get smaller and smaller, it’s a little eerie how familiar this comic is. Did somebody have a crystal ball or has it finally reached the boiling point?

I’m still not sure if this book is meant to be future Marvel universe canon or an imaginary story, but I like it. Big Town is full of action, excitement, and at the bottom line- it makes you think. Stan Lee must’ve been proud with this one.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Damage Control (Series 1) #2 of 4

Damage Control has a new project- to restore the Latverian research lab in the Latverian Embassy in Manhattan. Looks like a fairly routine job. But Damage Control also has a new delinquent account- The Latverian Embassy in lonely upscale Manhattan. That same Latverian Embassy that is home to one Victor Von Doom!

Will the company’s accounts executive be able to make Dr. Doom get his accounts up to date? Will the new intern be in need of clean pants after his visit to the embassy? Can the lab be fixed?  Will puppies be injured? All of this and more await you in this original story that I don’t think Stan Lee or Jack Kirby would’ve ever seen possible in a million years.

The writing continues to be very clever and the plots are just brilliantly executed. The art is still a little rough but it works. It’s another great chapter to one of my favorite mini-series of all-time.

Worth Consuming.

                                                                                Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four #5

It’s the final battle between Reed Richards and Von Doom with Atlantis stuck in the middle. The battle is epic and with some awesome cameos at the end, it’s leaves the reader with an unsettling conclusion and a mind-blowing opening for a sequel. Though, it’s been several years since this book was published, so I highly doubt that will ever happen.

 

The thing about this book I hate the most is the cover. Reed looks like he’s mutating into a cross between that pointy Spider-man villain Stryke and Man-Bat. It’s pretty gross looking.

 

With awesome art, a Fantastic storyline, and a careful eye for detail, especially in regards to trying to be as historically accurate as possible, it’s a must for fans of Fantastic Four or alternate timelines. It’s a very good read.

 

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.