Marvel Comics Presents #174

With the penultimate issue, a few loose ends are wrapped up before the epic finale.

For instance, Michael Badilino gets vengeance against Diabolique for the death of one of the members of his meta-human task force. 

Then the courses of Lunatik and the Silver Surfer finally converge on a no-holds barred battle. The stakes- the lives of a tribe of peaceful inhabitants of some random planet and the Surfer's surf board.

Nick Fury and his Agents of SHIELD are back in action for the third straight issue. This time around, A.I.M. has gotten its hands on a Shi'ar spacecraft. Should Advanced Idea Mechanics uncover the secrets of this ship, it could very well tilt the balance to A.I.M. against SHIELD in the battle for global freedom. So it's up to Fury to steal the ship or destroy the whole base. Or both! You know, a normal Sunday afternoon for the good Colonel. 

Lastly, it's a mixed up time caper with Excalibur, Moon Boy, Devil Dinosaur and those extra-dimensional bounty hunters from Technet! 

This issue was a lot of fun. The Lunatik story ended up being some sort of ersatz trilogy. It was good to finally see evil like Diabolique get what was coming to her. The Nick Fury story was 24 pages of action and adventure crammed into 8 little pages. And once again, the Excalibur crew play fast and loose with space-time!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 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.

Excalibur: Weird War III (2022 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

With the July, 1989 issue of Excalibur (#10), the world was introduced to the 'Cross Time Caper'. A pac-man shaped robot that was an inter-dimensional gate along with a time traveling train took England's answer to the X-Men through time and space. The first alternate world the mutants visited was one in which the Nazis won World War II. 

Over the course of 12 issues, Excalibur's ranks grew by one when they visited King Arthur's court and added the tiny purple dragon Lockheed. They then took on some Silver Age members of the Marvel Universe, discover a UK inhabited by Cowboys and Indians, participate in a madcap grand prix and revert to alternate versions of the X-Men; all the while narrowly avoiding a group of extra-dimensional bounty hunters called Technet. 

With the conclusion of issue #24, the caper was over. Or was it?

In 1990, Excalibur would return to the world that started it all, Earth-597. The world where the Axis powers win the war! Hitler is now confined to a wheelchair with the Red Skull by his loyal side. Not confined is Charles Xavier. In the role of Goebbels and Hauptmann, this Charles Xavier is making a play to overthrow the Fuhrer by experimenting on mutants and turning their life-force into unlimited psychic power. 

During the 'Cross Time Caper', Excalibur battled their evil selves. In Weird War III, the heroes have melded into one with their evil halves. Earth 616 and 597 have synced together, possibly as a residue aftermath of said Caper. Thus, as reality bleeds together, the two worlds become a bit of a chaotic mess.

I am a big fan of the 1988-98 regular series version of Excalibur. It was wacky fun by Chris Claremont and Alan Davis. With writer Michael Higgins' (The Infinity War) take on the 'Cross Time Caper', the story is incredibly dark and serious. I understand that Nazis aren't funny. But Weird War III felt more like a continuation of X-Men's 'Days of Future Past' than anything in the Excalibur repertoire. The same goes with the artwork by Tom Morgan. It's gritty and gangly. Very similar to Morgan's work on West Coast Avengers and Punisher 2099.

Overall, this story just doesn't feel like Excalibur. This is more like a Marvel MAX tale. And for fans, the results can be rather jarring. While the regular series relishes in the weird, Weird War III is not the right type of weird. Nor is it a proper spin-off.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #21 (Graphic Novel Under 100 Pages Long) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Marvel Comics Presents #38

The 25-chapter long Black Panther story 'Panther's Quest' is finally over. And T'Challa's replacement in Marvel Comics Presents is.... drum roll... Wolverine!

Big surprise.

Really, Wolverine. Again?

The story is interesting however. In the middle of Hong Kong, an entire city block has just disappeared. Something so big and sweeping doesn't seem to be Wolverine material. So I am intrigued to know where this one is gonna go. 

Wonder Man, Simon Williams, is the star of another multi-parter. The Avenger actor has been hired to portray the original android Human Torch in a major blockbuster. This is rather ironic since Wonder Man has a connection with the World War II era character in the creation of another Avenger, The Vision. 

Lastly, the Excalibur adventure comes to a close. The 80s Excalibur series was an wild ride and this conclusion is no different. Especially when the heroes create further Warner Bros. inspired android opponents to battle the Loonies. Too bad they didn't create Disney inspired characters. But I am sure such a thing would have been a lawsuit waiting to happen. 

With a Mr. Fixit one-shot rounding out the line-up, this was a pretty good issue. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #37

I liked how this chapter of the Excalibur story pays attention to Kitty Pryde's dragon Lockheed and the inter-dimensional gatekeeping bot Widget. People tend to overlook these but Lockheed and Widget are important members of the Excalibur team too!

The one-and-done story involves a character I've yet to ever encounter. Called Devil-Slayer. He's a cape with a cape that houses a vast repertoire of weapons and other tools of defense against the dark arts. It was originally the property of a demon or wizard and the minions of the villain will do anything to get it back. Like set a trap inside a crowded airport lounge filled with demons disguised as humans.

Lastly, The Black Panther story finally comes to a close. Very satisfying. In fact, it was so good I read this chapter twice. 

I wonder two things about this story. 1. Why was is so gosh darn long? Was in supposed to be a mini-series or graphic novel that got scraped? And 2. Was this story ever collected as a trade paperback? Being so huge, I'd be surprised if it was never collected.

Answer to question 2 upon further research- it was- in 2018! Now I wonder why it took nearly 30 years to get collected!

Another good issue. Can't wait to see who will be taking Black Panther's lengthy residency in the pages of MCP new...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #36

Rachel Summers comes face-to-face with her Phoenix persona when the Loonies put the mutant in a scenario straight out of the future! Her future! Days of Future Past, that is! Mutants are hunted indiscriminately. Kitty Pryde is now in her mid-40s. Going by Katherine Pryde and accusing this future Phoenix of her murder, can Rachel survive in a future that is not her own?

The one-shot story has Hellcat Patsy Walker taking on a drug ring after failing to save an undercover cop dressed as a bag woman from murder. Good action. A little convoluted plot involving making the homeless become drug manufacturers under duress. 

The remaining half of this issue is devoted to Black Panther. That's right! This issue of MCP only has 3 story segments! They doubled up the pages meaning they actually doubled the action for once. Will 16 pages finally be enough to get us through 24-parts to finally see T'Challa in a mother and child reunion? God, I hope so. This story has dragged on forever!

Not a bad issue of the anthology. Having 16 pages of the Black Panther story instead of the usual 8 just through off the pace of this very formulaic series. 

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #35

The Coldblood story by Doug Moench concludes in this issue. It was a charming little sci-fi story that had a lot of twists to it. Too bad this character never got his own series. Maybe Marvel felt that it had too many similarities to Deathlok.

With just 2 chapters left, Black Panther finally makes it to the compound holding his mother. But before he can find her, he's got to penetrate the fortress-like defenses first. 

In the Excalibur story, my favorite member is highlighted- Kurt Wagner, AKA Nightcrawler. The Loonies and their mysterious boss have put Kurt into a circus setting. This is normally Nightcrawler's forte. But as with his teammates simulated prisons, this circus is designed to play on the mutant's insecurities and fears. Usually those fears are about Nightcrawler looking like a demon with blue skin, fangs and a tail. But how will Kurt react when he discovers that at this circus, he's human and the performers are all monsters?

The one-shot story stars Her. Her is the whom the scientists if the Enclave create after Him revolted and fused into Adam Warlock. Her has taken on the monikers of Paragon, Ayesha and Kismet over the course of her 40 year plus history. Why Fabian Nicieza decided to call the character Her could be because the heroine was still known as Her in 1989. Or, the Deadpool co-creator decided to write a story during her early days. Such past stories aren't unfamiliar territory in Marvel Comics Presents. It's just not made clear whether this is a earlier set tale or not. And I don't know enough about Her's history to know further.

4 decent stories. Not perfect. But I enjoyed it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #34

It's Meggan's time to shine. Though she's a bit of a bleached-blonde airhead on the surface, deep down, Meggan has a heart of gold and the tenacity of a beast. Literally!

In Meggan's entrapment, the Loonies have placed the mutant into a setting very similar to the Munsters. With Meggan playing the cousin Marilyn role, the rest of the family despise her and call her a freak which only opens the old wounds of being not quite human. Meanwhile, Kitty Pryde has managed to escape and it's revealed that the Loonies are under the control of a big boss. Only we don't quite know who the mastermind is. Yet!

With the Black Panther story, the favorite character of mine turns out not to be hurt at all! Thus Gene Colan and Don McGregor are forgiven for the red herring cliffhanger from last issue. 

Coldblood's story keeps getting interesting. The next issue is the last chapter. 

Our one-shot story stars Captain America in a team-up with Thin Man. I thought he was the leader of the Great Lakes Avengers. Turns out, he's a minor member of the Liberty Legion whose last appearance, up to this point, was 1976! Interesting paring of heroes. Okay story. 

Marvel Comics Presents continues to be like a roller coaster. This issue just happens to be one of the peaks. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #33

This issue's Excalibur focus is on Captain Britain. I don't mean to offend the people of the UK, but Brian Braddock is the worst member of England's mutant superhero team. Captain Britain is so powerful and yet he's completely insecure. His got a woman who is head over heels in love with him and he treats her like crap. Why did they make him the leader of the team???

So when the Loonies have older incarnations of the hero beat the crap out of him, I kinda cheered. I lie. I really did cheer!

With it comes to the Black Panther story, I hate it! First they killed off a friendly little dog. Then they killed off an innocent child. Now the best character in the whole story gets gunned down. And no, it's not Black Panther! Don McGregor and Gene Colan (Daredevil) have better not have made another poor decision and kill off this guy! 

The 8-page single story stars Namor, The Sub-Mariner. It's a poignant tale about the mass pollution and destruction of our oceans. Unlike other relevant comics stories that have been a part of this series, this story was actually good despite being preachy. I think artwork by a young Jim Lee (X-Men) has something to do with this! Don McGregor redeems himself. Well until I find out what happens in the next Black Panther segment.

Worth Consuming! But just barely!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #32

Part two of the Excalibur story and we don't have the whole team. That's okay. Writer Michael Higgins (Power Pack) keeps the insanity up with this Shadowcat starring chapter. It appears that the Loonies have placed each team member of Excalibur into a fantasy world that both plays against their fears and insecurities and also sorta negates their special abilities. 

Quite natural to star things off with Shadowcat. Kitty Pryde might not be the team leader. But she's always been the brains of the outfit!

The Black Panther story continues to improve. Last issue, Black Panther received a letter from his mother. It appears to be a forgery or something written under duress. After an altercation with a would-be assassin, T'Challa finally gets his first real lead as to who may be behind his mother's imprisonment. 

The Coldblood story continues to be amazing.

Lastly in our one-and-done story, the mutant Sunfire stars in a story set against an all-new villain with energy powers that can manipulate matter. I've always felt that Sunfire was an underused character. I disliked that he left the X-Men after his initial mission with the team. So I greatly appreciated having him back if only for 8 pages of story. 

4 great chapters. Here's hoping the series is finally going back in the right direction after several very weak issues. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Comics Presents #31

A new series starring Excalibur, the British mutant superhero team, begins in this issue! I am so excited! I've have the complete first series run. To have an all-new (to me) story to read is such a treat. And such a treat the first chapter was!

The team gets attacked on their home turf by a group of cartoony characters called the Loonies! Based on those beloved Looney Tunes characters from Warner Bros., these Loonies are a little bit psycho and a lot bit deadly!

Adding to my enjoyment of this issue, Coldblood gets ever more closer to a final confrontation with the Big Boss. The Havok story starring Wolverine, thankfully comes to an end. And Black Panther gets a big ole gut punch when he is given a handwritten letter by his mother!

After a couple of very poorly produced issues, quality has returned to MCP with all 4 stories!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

"X-Men: Excalibur Classic, Vol. 4 - Cross-Time Caper, Book 2"

WORTH CONSUMING!

The Cross Time Caper is beginning to lose its welcome. With Kitty Pryde out of action, Excalibur is still enjoyable with characters like Nightcrawler and Meggan. But Kitty is the pride of the comic and makes the series very much worth consuming! With Kitty out of action for 80% of the book, it loses some of its appeal!

Also, has anyone notice how much Alistar looks like the current Doctor of Doctor Who (David Tennant) in both look and style? What’s more- Al keeps making references to Doctor Who. Is this a coincidence or did David Tennant read Excalibur as a lad and that’s where he came up with his version of the Doctor?

I really would like to know.

"X-Men: Excalibur Classic, Vol. 3 - Cross Time Caper, Book 1 (v. 3, Bk. 1)"

WORTH CONSUMING!

There are a lot of missed opportunities in this series of issues. Instead of focusing on dozens of alternate timelines, Excalibur spends 2 or more issues on a single timeline and it makes the series become a little stale and not as fast paced as volumes 1 and 2.

  Now, the intro of Jamie Braddock is an interesting twist. This guy is EVIL and is a villain you love to hate. Great job, Claremont! And the Speed Racer and John Carter of Mars timelines were inspired.

 

X-Men: Excalibur Classic, Vol. 2 - Two-Edged Sword"

WORTH CONSUMING!

Excalibur just keeps getting better. The Inferno Storyline was pretty good- for a tie-in in which I know nothing about. The mystery of Widget deepens and the alternate Nazi victory timeline is awesome. No wonder I love Excalibur, it takes after some of my favorite storylines, What If…. and Elseworlds.

X-Men: Excalibur Classic, Vol. 1 - The Sword is Drawn

WORTH CONSUMING!

As a teenager, it was a treat to get Comic Book starter kits and find several copies of Excalibur inside. Nightcrawler is my all-time favorite X-Man, and Kitty Pryde is a close 3rd.

Full of absurdist humor, awesome inside jokes, and a flare for eliminating the fourth wall, this is my favorite mutant title.

Excalibur : Mojo Mayhem

WORTH CONSUMING!

Claremont is a genius, as usual. 5 out of 5 stars. It’s way fun. Excalibur is in a caliber unto itself. One of the best of the series. Check it out.