Man Solo is the Silver Surfer. How cool is that! Dude where’s my board? Or am I…..

Who would win? One guys says this:

Let’s ignore Avengers Annual 11. Silver Surfer and Iron Man fought in that one, but I’ve never liked how writers power down Galactus’ heralds whenever they happen to battle their favorite popular hero.

Surfer, with all of his powers at his command, wins any number of ways. Surfer can restructure molecules, so he could simply weaken the molecules that bind Iron Man’s armor together. Bye bye, Shellhead. The Silver Surfer can also use his board to imprison iron man in an impenetrable, nigh-indestructible prison, and then command his board to fly into the sun and release its captive there. That armor is pretty tough, but I bet it doesn’t last very long at the sun’s corona, let alone at the sun’s surface. Bye bye, Shellhead. Or the Silver Surfer, who has shown some time manipulative abilities in the past, can simply create a time sphere around Iron Man, rapidly aging the man within the armor until all of his vital organs fail. My bet is that the liver will be the first to go.

Too esoteric?

Well the Surfer could always use the Power Cosmic to create a simple gravity field in Iron Man’s chest, ever increasing the intensity of that gravity field until Iron Man collapsed upon himself.

Or put another way, anything that Magneto and Graviton can do to Iron Man, the Surfer can do to the Nth degree. The only limitation, of course, is Norin’s kind nature.

Norin’s kind nature is his weakness. And also the dude forgets that the Surfer can be convinced to spare Earth by the only person on Earth who can stand up against him, Iron Man. Magneto, Mr. Fantastic, and even Doom do not have enough guts and haven’t hit the rock bottom the way Iron Man has multiple times. Since Iron Man has suffered like the Surfer has suffered trying to protect his homeworld, the Surfer would combine forces with Iron Man letting him go after their skirmish. Also Iron Man has a team of heroes helping him including Captain America which would inspire and impress the alien being. Also Iron Man is very amoral similar to the Surfer’s amoral nature. Am I right or am I right? Yeah baby! Also remember the most important thing is that Iron Man just has to protect the Earth not defeat the Surfer or Galactus. He just has to convince them that Earth is worth saving and it is. There is kindness on planet Earth. There is peace and not everyone is a jackass though some people are I guess. And what will Tony do with the armor after the Surfer and Galactus leave? Will the military force Starks to make more Iron Man weapons and then destroy the planet anyway? Tony has to train with the Surfer to get strong enough to protect Earth as well as convince Galactus that Earth should be spared.

by Kieron Guillen (writer), Billy Tan (pencils), Batt (inks), Christina Strain, Emily Warren, & Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Thor confronts Doom, only to discover the Latverian dictator’s pet project.

What’s Good: Billy Tan is putting out the work of his life on this comic.  I’ve never really been a big fan of his, but this is fantastic, cinematic stuff with a really slick, “high budget” feel.  There’s a lot of detail, a lot of big, flashy images, and Doom’s creations look all kinds of awesome.  Also, while it’s thanks to a combined effort by Tan, Batt, Strain, Warren, and Mounts, the issue does wondrous things in its combinations of light and dark.  The team does “night in Latveria” really well.  Everything feels inky black, navy blue at best, while Thor’s flashes of lightning and the torrential rain really sets the mood and only highlights Tan’s already impressive work.  Tan also draws a deceptively “nice guy” Loki.  It’s a joy just to flip through this book.

Meanwhile, Guillen’s Doom is a really enjoyable read, equal parts inferiority complex and trademark arrogance.  It’s issues like this that prove why Doom is one of the most beloved villain in all of comics.  One moment he’s getting whooped by Thor and sniveling over how his entire scheme was born out of his hatred of gods trying to “lord over” him.  The next moment he’s military pressing a dead Asgardian god over his castle ramparts, while taunting his immortal assailants.  He’s a joy to read and unlike last month, Guillen heavily reigns back on the camp and Doom’s referring to himself in the third person.

There’s also a really well done portion near the issue’s opening, where Guillen parallels Doom’s monsters with their former selves, alternating panels of Balder’s fight with the cyborgs and his memories of who they were.  Balder’s internal monologue captures the difficulty well, with Guillen actually giving individual character to three otherwise faceless goons.  In fact, it draws attention to Doom’s greatest crime: he’s turned individuals into, well, faceless goons.

It also bears mentioning that Guillen gives us a lot of “angry Thor” this month, which is always a blast.

What’s Not So Good: Doom’s tried and true Doombot switcharoo is getting a little too much play these days.  He does it again this issue, after just doing it last issue to Kelda.  Of course, he also did it in Siege: the Cabal.  That’s two issues in a row and three times in a month.  How Doom, even with his power level, can combat an army of pissed off gods has been a concern with this arc and Siege in general, and the repeated Doombot trickery may give evidence of that.  I hope it stops for the near future, as it’s already getting old.  At the very least, the major development at the end of this month’s issue seems to suggest an end to the old ploy.

I also felt that the issue’s last few pages leading up to that major development were a bit overly decompressed.  It takes 7 pages of a 22-page issue for Guillen to finally give us this reveal on the last page, and it feels stretched.  Doom built something cool and Guillen wants to milk it for all its worthwhile having it establish its power by beating on Thor.  This did not need seven pages and frankly, Guillen’s taking so many pages effectively kills any surprise the last page was meant to have.

Conclusion: A really flashy, enjoyable issue of Thor that shows there is life after JMS.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

by Kieron Gillen (writer), Billy Tan (pencils), Batt (inks), Christina Strain (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Balder begins his war with Doom, as the Latverian dictator’s experiments stand revealed.

What’s Good: Gillen and Tan have a very unenviable task in following one of the greatest Thor runs of all time.  Thankfully, Gillen tries his best to work in the spirit of JMS’ final few issues.   There are no problematic shifts in character voices.  Balder and Loki in particular remain just as sound as ever.  If anything, Loki seems a little less sinister and a little sleazier under Gillen’s hand.  His manipulations are just a little more blunt and obvious, but for the time being, it works given the circumstances.

Gillen also gets the award for writing the most arrogant and pompous Doom of the month.  At times it’s a little over-the-top, but ultimately, Gillen successfully straddles the line between badass and campy. Gillen’s Doom is a vibrant, scenery-chewing read and really dominates every page he appears on.

In the meantime, there’s a rather humorous Fantastic Four cameo in the book that got a smile out of me and I actually felt Gillen’s Balder to be an improvement over JMS’ portrayal of the character over the past few issues.  While still a far cry from Reed Richards, Balder actually isn’t a dumbass under Gillen’s pen, despite maintaining his standard heroic shtick.

On art, this is some of the best work I’ve seen Billy Tan produce in some time and is head and shoulders over his recent New Avengers work.  It’s clear that Tan put absolutely everything he had into this issue.  It is easily up to the standard that Coipell and Djurdjevic have set for the series.  It’s very detailed, while maintaining a dark and epic atmosphere and mystique.  Tan’s effort is close to faultless and superior to Djurdjevic’s rushed work last week.  Despite my concern, if Tan can maintain the quality he showed this month, he was definitely the right man for the job.  Also, his illustrations of Doom’s “experiments” are fantastic.

What’s Not So Good: I was nothing less than irate over Gillen’s treatment of one of JMS’ original characters.  In my review of last week’s finale, I stated that JMS’ massive change in direction for this character was perhaps the most interesting strand he left open at the end of his run.  Gillen, however, seemed to have nothing for the character and so, decides to kill said character off.  He basically took one of the most interesting dangling plots that JMS left behind and completely snuffed it out.  The fact that he does this in literally the very first scene of the book is nothing less than insulting.

Even if the character isn’t dead, it doesn’t change the fact that Gillen has placed the character in a passive position of distress, in need of being saved.  This would be a massive step backward from the terrifyingly pro-active state JMS left the character in.

Other than that, Doom, while enjoyable, does refer to himself in the third person a little too much.  Also, there’s a bit of dialogue where Donald Blake essentially out-thinks Reed Richards.  That Reed would not be able to figure out a basic line of reasoning, especially one related to technology, is ridiculous.

Finally, in an effort to convey Jane’s shadowed surroundings, colorist Christina Strain somehow manages to change poor Jane’s ethnicity.  I had no idea Dr. Foster was Hispanic.

Conclusion: It’s far from the horrific drop-off some predicted, but there are some small glitches and the character death is absolutely unforgivable.

Grade: C+

-Alex Evans

Full review posted to comixtreme.com.

Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Michael Lark (pencils), Stefano Gaudiano (inks), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: The Cabal implodes and lines are drawn.

What’s Good: The issue’s strongest point is its characterization.  Dr. Doom is written well by Bendis.  He’s the same absurd bad guy who insists on referring to himself in the third person. but, as usual, Doom backs all that egotism up in a big way.  In this issue, his self-righteousness and arrogance actually make him feel somewhat jarring as a character, unrealistic even, yet Bendis’ display of Doom’s power validates it.  Doom feels like he doesn’t belong because he doesn’t; he functions on a different level from Osborn.  He’s the all powerful, cackling old school villain while Osborn is something more convoluted and modern and Bendis’ depiction of this collision is well-played.

Speaking of Osborn, Bendis does a fantastic job on him as well.  Compared to Doom, Osborn actually sounds realistic; a scary thing, when Bendis essentially cements this month that Osborn’s sanity is bound to implode any day now.  The fact that Osborn’s fear of the Asgardians is based largely on advice from the Green freaking Goblin is evidence of that, and it also makes for a fantastically written conversation.

Overall though, this issues functions just as it should, truly feeling like the beginning of a slow collapse, as Norman’s finally confronted by limitations to his power. Publically, he’s reminded that he isn’t the President of the United States.  Privately, he’s bitten off more than he can chew with Doom.  And he seems to be in denial on both these points.  In probably the most beautiful bit of dialogue in the issue, he accosts Doom for making a “huge, dumb, arrogant mistake.”  When I first read that line, I thought Osborn was speaking of himself and apologizing to Victor.

Art-wise, there’s absolutely nothing to complain here.  With his signature dark, scratchy feel, Lark ably captures the action and the tense conversations with ease.  It’s a good looking book, and I couldn’t expect much more.

What’s Not So Good: For the start of Marvel’s last major event for the foreseeable future, I expected the start to have a bit more of a bang to it.  A character death perhaps, or at least a major event that leaves some sort of irreparable damage.  That I didn’t get either was a bit disappointing.

And it’s not like Bendis didn’t have his opportunities, he just seemed hell-bent on holding himself back.  Take for example the attack on Avenger’s Tower, which basically sparks off the Siege event.  There’s a beautiful illustration by Michael Lark that makes it look as though the Tower itself is on the verge of collapse, as though it were being eaten away.  I loved the idea of the Tower being destroyed.  I mean, damn, that is a way to start an event!  Of course, a couple pages later, and Norman’s back in his office and the Tower is just fine.

Well, at least Bendis can fulfill the promises Marvel has laid out in its ads and solicitations for this issue by revealing his secret partner, right?  Of course not.  Instead, we just get some glowy, vaguely humanoid shape letting loose with a couple of energy blasts with no major hint as to his/her/its identity. Great…

Bendis puts all the characters where he wants them and does what he needs to do to get an event started, but he just doesn’t bother to shoot any higher.

Conclusion: It’s an entertaining issue with very solid character work, but it could’ve been more.

Grade: B -

-Alex Evans

Thor #604 Preview

COVER BY: Billy Tan
WRITER: Kieron Gillen
PENCILS: Billy Tan
INKS: Matt Banning
LETTERED BY: Chris Eliopoulos

THE STORY:
Has Doctor Doom crossed a line…? And what role did Loki play in Doom’s sinister plans? What did Loki know…and when…? Now, as Thor heads to Latveria to settle the score, only one thing can happen: Thor sitting Doom down and having a serious chat about their feelings. By which we mean, STATE-OF-THE-ART SLEDGHAMMER SKY-SCRAPING SUIT-SMASHING SUPERHEROICS! Billy Tan (NEW AVENGERS) draws the action-packed escapades while Kieron Gillen (NEW UNIVERSAL: 1959, DARK REIGN: ARES, Phonogram) starts his six issue run. Hold onto your runestones, True Believers – things get hectic quick! Rated T …$2.99

You will be missed Kelda Stormbringer

Review by Mike Wilson

Since one of the topics of this blog is nostalgia and I’ve been reading comics since the late Seventies, when Heidi asked me to contribute I thought I could combine the two by writing about some classic (or not-so-classic) comics from back then.   The Seventies were an interesting time for comics; the restrictions of the Comics Code were starting to loosen and socially-conscious stories were becoming more prevalent.  But the Seventies are usually looked back on as a dark time for comics, full of heavy-handed writing, silly characters (the Hypno-Hustler, Razorback, Brother Power, Prez…do I need to go on?), and covers riddled with word balloons.  All these things are true, but looking back now, we can appreciate some of the stories FOR their silliness and unrealistic plots…kind of like how “Plan 9 From Outer Space” is now considered a “classic” movie.  Well, a lot of Seventies comics could be considered classics too, for sheer wackiness…maybe none moreso than the one I’m reviewing here, Marvel Super Special #1 starring KISS.

Yes, this is the infamous comic that had the bandmembers’ blood mixed in with the red ink before printing.  I was 5 years old when this came out and I still remember what a big stir it caused…Holy crap, there’s actual blood mixed in with the ink!  Of course, with the hype surrounding it at the time, people expected the comic to come off the shelf dripping blood all over the place; it’s a little disappointing to find out there was just a vial of blood from each bandmember and it was pretty diluted.  Oh well.  I never actually got a copy of this comic back then, so I’ve often wondered what the story was like sans the hype.  Well, I managed to find a copy (digital unfortunately, so no blood-stained hands) and read it.  Now I’ll share my thoughts on it.  There are SPOILERS AHEAD, so read at your own risk.

It starts with a few text pages talking about how the comic came about and giving a biography of Dr. Doom, who is the big bad villain of the story.  When the actual story starts, we see Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley walking down a street in Manhattan, talking about “the Man” and “toeing the line” and all those great clches about growing up.  Obviously, this story was aimed at young people, (KISS’s main audience) who always seem to  feel oppressed.  Not that the points they make about conformity and acceptance and such are wrong…but they aren’t exactly subtle.  It seems to be implied here that Paul and Gene are quite young, maybe still teenagers, but it’s explicitly stated that the setting is 1977, so the band would all be in their mid-twenties or older.  Again, probably done to appeal to the disaffected youth.

Anyway, Paul and Gene come across some freaky-looking dude (Dizzy the Hun) getting mugged by a gang of bad guys.  Dizzy (who talks like someone from the Middle Ages) throws them a box and tells them it’s their destiny.  Of course the bad guys start chasing Gene and Paul, who run to the arcade (that’s a PINBALL arcade for all you young people) where their friends Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are hanging out.  Ace’s characterization is especially interesting, since he talks like a college professor and calls everyone “Curly”.  I’m not sure how true-to-life that was back then, but I’ve read more recent interviews with Ace and he sure didn’t sound like that.  Maybe all the booze and stuff took its toll on his vocabulary.  Gene and Paul toss the box to Ace and Peter and hide in a photo booth.  But since Ace and Peter don’t know about the bad guys looking for the box, they stand there looking at it until they’re spotted.  They duck into the photo booth too, where they’re all cornered.  Ace opens the box and they find four talismans (three of which look suspiciously like KISS dolls.)  Just as the baddies are about to rush the photo booth, there is a flash of fire and they are confronted by…(you guessed it)…KISS!  Apparently the mystic talismans transformed the guys into a bad-ass band complete with face paint and leather.

The box also gave them superpowers, which they use to kick the crap out of the bad guys.  Peter has the agility of a cat, Paul can shoot an energy beam from his eye which controls people’s emotions, Gene breathes fire (of course) and Ace has a teleportation ability which is activated when he sticks out his thumb like a hitchhiker.  (For some reason, I find that last detail so cool…there are lots of people who can teleport, but only one who does it by “thumbing”!)  Anyway, they teleport away and are soon confronted by a bunch of hot gypsy women and their evil master…Dr. Doom!  He explains that the box is called the Box of  Khyscz (pronounced “kiss”…you see where this is going?)  They use their new powers to fight him and the gypsy girls (who turn out to be robots,much to Gene’s disappointment), but Doom escapes.  Ace uses his “magic thumb” to follow, but goes a liitle too far and they end up in some weird spaced-out dimension.

Back on Earth, it’s time for the superhero cameos: Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and the Defenders all make appearances.  (And Daredevil, who’s with the Defenders for some reason…I’m not sure why.)  Then there’s an interlude in the middle of the comic which includes an interview with the band, photos of their blood being taken and a really cool fake tourist ad for Latveria, Dr. Doom’s home country (The ad is for Air Latveria, who offer flights TO Latveria but none coming back…their slogan is: “We get you there…getting back is up to you!”)  After all that we get back to the story.  Gene and Paul are taken to “heaven” which turns out to be hell in disguise.  They fight Mephisto the demon and escape.  Meanwhile, Ace and Peter are in an interstellar disco where they meet a cat-lady and fight off some ruffians (no, seriously).  All of them wind up back on Earth, fight more of Doom’s robots, then are whisked off to an asteroid to confront Doom himself.  It isn’t much of a fight, and they win by appealing to Doom to remember his lost youth, which he’s tried to forget for so long.  It’s corny, but it works…he lets them go and they end up back in New York.  They’re now back to their normal selves and have to return the talismans to the box, but Dizzy (who started all this, remember?) says that the box of Khyscz will “make you kings of the nighttime world, but you must live the days…with the same courage to explore.”  So I guess this is the “secret origin” of the band, since they take the name of the box as their new identity (it’s pronounced “Kiss”, remember?).

So, is this comic worth reading?  Well, it’s not exactly great literature (and don’t get me wrong, I believe comics ARE literature), but then it probably wasn’t intended to be.  It was meant to be fun and despite all the weirdness (or maybe because of it) it is a fun read.  There are some good points at the beginning and again at the end about having the guts to go for your dreams and not falling into conformity just because it’s expected of you.  But don’t worry, it’s not a preachy comic; it just makes some interesting observations.  If you remember the Seventies, or if you’re just curious and want to check out a one-of-a-kind comic, get ahold of a copy and give it a look…just make sure you don’t take it all too seriously.

by J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils & inks), Danny Miki & Allen Martinez (inks), Christina Strain (colors), and Joe  Sabino (letters)

The Story: Bill’s final fate is determined while Sif and the Warriors Three battle the doombots.

What’s Good: If you approach this book as just another 22-page issue of JMS’ run on Thor, it really is pretty solid and is consistent with the series’ quality as of late, at least as far as the writing is concerned.  It’s also got a couple of moments that’ll have you saying “hell yeah.”

Chief among these scenes is one involving a very angry and very naked Volstagg that is a perfect combination of comedy and pure awesome.  It is, of course, that same combination that defines the character himself.  The sequence is outrageously badass, but maintains Volstagg’s characteristic charm.  Oh, and Hogun and Fandral are absolutely on fire this month with the fat jokes.

Most readers are probably coming to this issue most concerned about the fate of Bill.  At first, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed.  That said, if you expected him to scream “I HAVE THE POWER,” turn into a god, and battle Doom, you’ll be sorely disappointed, but really, such an ending would be just a little stupid.

Instead, Bill’s ending is the best he can manage by just being Bill, and so Straczynski maintains the integrity of the character and his sub-plot.  Make no mistake, he is a hero and, ultimately, he is accepted as an Asgardian, but he does so without abandoning his humble roots or acquiring superhuman powers.  Bill’s tale has always been about being a mortal, a little guy in a world suddenly populated by the very large.  Bill’s fate is only so poignant because JMS retains this theme; Bill remains that little guy, but even so, he manages become a hero among the biggest of the bigs.

Meanwhile, JMS leaves us hanging regarding Kelda.  I think we all suspected she was more powerful than she let on, and now we’re going to see that in action.

What’s Not So Good: It’s hard not to be a little underwhelmed by this issue.  JMS’ run has had such an epic quality, that it’s hard not to expect his final issue to be grander.  What we get isn’t really any sort of massive flourish or cataclysmic ending.  Rather, we just get another solid JMS issue that simply lives up to the quality of his previous issues, no more and no less.   This final issue really has no feeling of closure and though the cover may say “finale,” that’s not what we’ve gotten.  That said, the issue also didn’t contain the sort of “hot potato” landmark shift in status quo that writers often leave off their runs with.  Ultimately, this feels like the last issue of a story arc, but certainly not the last issue of a run.

Finally, this may be the worst looking issue of Thor that Djurdjevic has drawn.  While the art is by no means unbearable, it’s weak by the standards Djurdjevic and Coipel have set for the series.  It reeks of an artist desperately trying to make a deadline.  The level of detail continually falters, with many of the more zoomed out shots and smaller panels suffering a great deal.  There are also a few panels where Donald Blake looks like a substantially younger version of himself.  Having three different inkers on the book also certainly didn’t help, making the book feel even messier with its details even more in question.  It makes the book feel sloppy, chaotic even.

Conclusion: It’s a strong issue of Thor, but it’s not the “finale” it claims itself to be.

Grade: B

-Alex Evans

Marc Faber Sees War Against an Invented Enemy and a Big Financial Bust

by Michael Shedlock

Inquiring minds are reading In his gloomiest prediction yet, Marc Faber sees big financial bust leading to war.

Marc Faber, the Swiss fund manager and Gloom Boom & Doom editor, said eventually there will be a big bust and then the whole credit expansion will come to an end. Before that happens, governments will continue printing money which in time will lead to a very high inflation rate, and the economy will not respond to continued stimulus.

Speaking at a conference in Singapore on Wednesday, Faber said: “The crisis has not solved anything. On the contrary there is less transparency today than there was before. The government’s balance sheet is expanding, and the abuses that have led to the one cause of the crisis have continued”.

“I think eventually there will be a big bust and then the whole credit expansion will come to an end,” Faber added.

“Before that happens, governments will continue printing money which in time will lead to a very high inflation rate, and the economy will not respond to stimulus”.

In one of his Gloomiest predictions, Faber, referred to as Dr Doom, said “the average family will be hurt by that, and then in order to distract the attention of the people, the governments will go to war”.

“People ask me against whom? Well, they will invent an enemy,” Faber said.

“At some stage, somewhere in future, we will have a war – that you have to be prepared for. And during war times, commodities go up strongly,” said Faber.

“If you want to hedge against war, you don’t want to own derivatives in UBS and AIG, but you have to own them physically, like farmland and agricultural commodities. That is something to consider for you as a personal safety and hedge. You have to own some commodities,” he added.

Discussion of Ideas From The Article

Faber: There will be another war and it will be against an imaginary enemy
Mish: I certainly agree the next war will be against an imaginary enemy. Nearly every war is against an imaginary enemy and/or of no vital interest of the US. WWI, Korea, Vietnam, and Gulf War II were all needless. WWII was a direct result of WWI. The “War on Terror” is preposterous. Terror is a method. Waging a war on a method against an enemy that has no real country is bound to fail and waste a lot of money in failure. As for where next, given Obama’s sabre rattling against Pakistan, that is one place to keep an eye on. Iran is another.

Faber: The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones will go down relative to gold.
Mish: I concur. The question is in what way. The key word in the above sentence is “relative”. Gold can easily stay flat, rise, or drop while the bottom falls out of the S&P.

Faber: Eventually there will be a big bust and then the whole credit expansion will come to an end. Before that happens, governments will continue printing money which in time will lead to a very high inflation rate, and the economy will not respond to stimulus.
Mish: The economy is not responding to stimulus right now, at least in any meaningful way. 100% of the GDP growth was directly related to government stimulus. The idea that government spending can start a genuine economic recovery is ridiculous. Nonetheless, government spending can start an artificial boom. The housing bubble is an example of an artificial boom. However, for a boom to start, individuals and businesses have to be willing to go along.

That is the way it works in a credit based economy. Right now personal credit is contracting, credit card lending is falling, and businesses simply do not want to expand in the face of tax increases and high unemployment. Unless and until the Fed reignites another credit boom, high inflation is unlikely. The fear now should be more of what Congress does than what the Fed does. Yet it seems Congress is getting a bit leery over these huge deficits. Congress will spend of course, but will it be enough to matter much? I doubt it, at least until we have more purging of consumer and corporate debt via bankruptcy.

Faber: US government will increase its stimulus spending should the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fall toward 900.
Mish: Agreed but it will not help for reasons stated above.

Faber: The S&P will not drop below 800 or 900, and eventually will go higher in nominal terms, but not necessary in real terms. A correction is coming in the near term.
Mish: I doubt the bottom is in, but it could be. If it is in, then I expect a retest closer to 700 than 900. It is conceivable the S&P drops to 500, which by the way I think is fair value. Japan had two lost decades and I expect the US will have them as well.

Faber: The capitalistic system ‘as we know it today’ will collapse.
Mish: Agreed. The credit based fiat model of fractional reserve lending and fabrication of money out of thin air has reached its pinnacle. See Fiat World Mathematical Model for more details. Global wage arbitrage and outsourcing are icing on the cake. Mathematically it is impossible for the current Ponzi scheme of ever increasing levels of debt to survive. When and how it finally blows up is the only issue.

Faber: Central banks will continue to print money at full speed, but long-term this strategy will lead to a fall in purchasing power and living standards, especially in developed countries.
Mish: Agreed

Faber: The years 2006 and 2007 were “the peak of prosperity” and the world economy is not likely to return soon to that level.
Mish: Agreed. I had quite some time ago proposed Peak Credit and her twin sister Peak Earnings have arrived. Here is a snip from the former. … That final wave of consumer recklessness created the exact conditions required for its own destruction. The housing bubble orgy was the last hurrah. It is not coming back and there will be no bigger bubble to replace it. Consumers and banks have both been burnt, and attitudes have changed.

Faber: The best way to deal with any economic problem is to let the market work it through.
Mish: Agreed

Faber: The way communism collapsed, capitalism will collapse.
Mish: I disagree on a technicality. Capitalism will not collapse, because we are not practicing capitalism. Instead, we are practicing a perverse blend of corporate fascism, socialism, corruption, and padding of the pockets for and by those running the country. Yes, that will collapse.

Faber: “No decent citizen should trust the Federal Reserve for one second. It’s very important that everyone own some gold because the government will make the dollar (in the long term) useless.”
Mish: No decent citizen should trust any central bank anywhere. The problems go far beyond the Fed and in the long run all fiat currencies are worthless. Fiat currencies do not float, instead they all sink at varying rates.

Mike “Mish” Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post ListMike “Mish” Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific

How long was the depression? 24 months, 3 times as long and 3 times as deep then any for the past 60 years…

Deflationary trends are predictable due to the over supply from the previous period of easing credit allowing for over production and unsold inventories prior to the decline, as that inventory will continue to depress pricing until sold.

G20 will provide tripling of investments capital to head off the global collapse. Contraction not as bad as last year yet lingering onward, with many financial institutions becoming insolvent more bad news to come as a number of countries currencies collapse, as the bottom is not to be seen until the end of the 2011…

No one predicted the current crisis as accurately as Nouriel Roubini. His frequently bleak forecasts have earned him the nickname Dr. Doom. In his speech at Osec’s Forum for Swiss Foreign Trade and Investment, Roubini fully lived up to his name.

Source: Credit Suisse Group AG

Hundreds of Gifts, All Under $10! Gift Ideas from Entertainment Earth

Marvel Fantastic Four Super Hero Squad lot today. Consisting of :

• Human Torch - Johnny Storm
• Thing – Ben Grimm
• Invisible Woman – Sue Storm
• Mr Fantastic – Reed Richards
  
• Galactus
• Namor – The Submariner
• Mole Man
• Dr Doom
• Silver Surfer
• Super Skrull

The waiting and wondering is over. Our eyes have seen the glory of the full line-up of Leader characters for the inaugural set of the Marvel Superstars Trading Card Game, and it is good. We have a Halle Berry.

Zap! Storm is joining Wolverine and Professor X as the first Leaders of the X-Men team affiliation.

Ouch! Ghost Rider burned a path to the final Marvel Knights spot on the Leader list. Hot times ahead.

How perfect! Mr. Fantastic will be joining his invisible mate as a Leader in the Marvel Premier set, which means that the Avengers will be left with only Hulk and Iron Man to represent.

Wow. The line-up is set, and it is simply magnificent. Here are the final 15 announced Leader characters. Get ready for a cardboard party unlike anything mankind has ever seen:

Avengers: Hulk and Iron Man

Fantastic Four: All four.

Marvel Knights: Blade, Elektra, and Ghost Rider.

X-Men: Professor Xavier, Storm, and Wolverine.

Villains: Abomination, Dr. Doom, and Magneto.

The Marvel Superstars Trading Card Game will elevate certain myths above the rest. These will be called Leader characters and they will be the basis for your personal strategy. So far we have learned the identity of eleven out of fifteen leaders in the inaugural Marvel Premiere set. Today we will run down the list and flash a bit of eye candy to get you all excited. As you can see above, the rivalry between Professor X and Magneto will be renewed on Legendary Cardboard…

Hulk and Abomination will be shaking card tables near you…

Iron Man soon shall soar in a whole new stratosphere…

Wolverine will be ripping shreds in enemy trading cards everywhere…

Human torch will be setting things ablaze…

Elektra will be roundhousing on your very own kitchen table…

Blade will be avenging demons in tournament halls…

Dr. Doom will be getting diabolical, while Thing clobbers some cardboard of his own. Pick your Leader Character and get ready to swing on some enemies, Marvel Superstars has a lively list of legends lined up to choose from with five more left to be announced. Cardboard combat will never be the same again.

Marvel Legends Titanium 3 inch Fantastic Four Lot:

• Dr Doom
• Human Torch – Johnny Storm
• Thing – Ben Grimm

I love the Super Hero Squad toys from Hasbro.

The tiny little good guys and bad guys make nice desk decor.

They’re so popular that everyone from DC to Dark Horse has gotten into the act.

Green Arrow, Thor and Hellboy

So it came as no surprise that Marvel would spin these little moneymakers off into a cartoon series.  What better way to sell the toys.  Its a time honored tradition.

My kids were jacked up about the debut of the cartoon, so I set the DVR.

I told Stephe, who had already seen an episode.  His response?

They’ll love it.  It might kill you.

Worrisome?  Sure, but I sat down and watched it with them.  My response to David on Monday?

It made my head hurt.

I understand the show is geared for kids and in that respect its a great jumping on point for them.  They’re getting exposed to the Marvel Universe in a manner their brains can handle, much the way the Super Friends was the entry to DC Comics when I was a kid.  A few episodes in and they already know who Misty Knight is.  That can’t be all bad.

My biggest problems have been with the handling of Thor, one of my all time favorites.  In one episode he was banging himself in the head with his hammer.  In an episode this morning, he was using Mjolnir as a squeegee.

Why?

Did I mention the part where Dr. Doom was blowing a bubble out of his mask?  No?  Nevermind.

The Super Hero Squad Show is a mixed bag.  Take a couple of Tylenol before you sit down with the kiddies and you might just enjoy yourself.

Here’s a taste of what you can expect:

It currently airs on Cartoon Network weekdays at 8:30 am EST.

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Welcome back Steve Rogers….maybe?  Sort of?

What’s Good: Over the course of my reviews of Reborn, I’ve repeatedly stated that the comic is better the more it focuses on Rogers, as I’ve thus far found most of the present day portions to be relatively dry.  This month bucks that trend, as while much of the comic is in the present, I nonetheless found myself interested.  This is largely thanks to Brubaker bringing in the villains.

With Doom, Red Skull, and their henchman stomping about, getting their way, and generally acting like the cackling, arrogant villains that they are, these present day portions have a vitality that they’ve lacked through much of Reborn.  It’s always fun to see some of the Marvel Universe’s bad guy power players in the same room at once and Skull and Doom have long been two of the most bombastic of the lot.  Better still, their direct involvement in Reborn provides the miniseries with the specific, pointed adversaries needed to add fuel to the narrative’s conflict; they’re more tightly linked and unique to this struggle over Rogers, as opposed to Osborn, who is everybody’s bad guy these days.

Meanwhile, Rogers’ portions continue to be strong, channeling that sense of torment and entrapment that’s worked so well thus far.  Though it’s still scaled back from, say, issue 2, that doesn’t mean that what’s here isn’t enjoyable.

Overall, this feels just as a blockbuster, widescreen mainstream comic should.  It’s got action, it’s big, it’s loud, and it has those diabolical villains, all of it leading to a great ending that’s sure to leave you hankering for issue five.

Hitch and Guice’s work on art once again works fairly well, magically channeling much of the style and spirit of the late 80s, early 90s while nonetheless retaining that layer of modern gloss and polish.  The Cap flashback scenes are especially fantastic, with one rainy WWII-era scene being an absolutely gorgeous reflection of the misery it’s meant to reflect.

What’s Not So Good: Despite this being and generally good-looking book, I couldn’t help but feel the artwork to be a little inconsistent in style and execution.  Several panels look to be drawn by different hands, and it can be a little weird.  With the art already meant to shift to accommodate the flashbacks, these inconsistencies only help the make the book feel a little chaotic at times in terms of style.

I also felt that while the villains were great, the scenes with Richards, Pym, and Vision felt a bit weaker.  They’re just not as interesting as they could’ve been and barring one hypothesis by Richards, it just perpetually feels like they’re one step behind the comic and the reader.

Conclusion: Despite its underwhelming start, Brubaker has really turned Reborn around.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

Artigo interessante do Roubini, vulgo Dr. Doom, sobre o momento atual. Ele argumenta que a taxa de juros baixíssima nos EUA, aliada às injeções de liquidez dos governos e ao enfraquecimento do dólar, estão possibilitando um carry trade gigantesco, no qual investidores tomam crédito nos EUA e compram ativos em outros países. Como o dólar vem enfraquecendo, os investidores estão emprestando a taxas efetivamente negativas, e ganhando também no trade cambial.

Com isso, ativos de risco (como ações, commodities etc) no mundo todo subiram muito e de maneira sincronizada, ou seja, a volatilidade dessas classes de ativos diminuiu muito, enquanto as suas correlações aumentaram. Individualmente, as classes de ativos parecem menos arriscadas do que antes, enquanto que no agregado o risco aumentou sobremaneira, já que diminuiu a diversificação entre as classes de ativos.

Roubini acredita que, cedo ou tarde, essa nova bolha irá estourar, com um rally no dólar (os carry traders fechando suas posições vendidas) e colapso dos ativos de risco no mundo todo.

The vast stable of Marvel motion pictures are the epitome of the word “action”. When our favorite superhero movies are translated across to the cardboard world of the Marvel Superstars Trading Card Game, this concept will go exponential. As you play, you will choose a Leader character to base your strategy upon. Then you will add Supporters, in the form of additional versions of your Leader or totally different heroes and villains. Characters can only be played on your turn, so what is a legend to do when the enemy has the intitiative? Action cards!

This is the official wording from the Marvel Superstars starter set:

C. Actions

Actions represent the skills of your leader and events in the Marvel universe. They are the only type of card that can be played on an enemy turn.

When you play an action, it joins your side. As it does, charge your leader, follow the action’s instructions, and then eliminate it.

The type lines of some actions have the additional word “special.” Such actions benefit a specific character. They are easiest to use if that character is your leader.

So there you have it. Action cards are the only possible play on an enemy turn. This will demand deckbuilding finesse and spectacular strategic thinking. Some action cards will be especially suited to correspond to a particular Leader, and we have learned two more of their identities. Get ready, we will soon be building decks around Dr. Doom and Human Torch.

Hot times ahead.

Kirin Hobby is now accepting preorders for Marvel’s Scarlet Witch from Kotobukiya, designed by Shunya Yamashita. Also coming up from Koto is the Asuka You Can Not Advance figure from the new Eva movies, plus new figures of Clalaclan and Celestia from the Shining series and the re-release of the Inu Yasha statues — Inu Yasha, Kagome & Shippo, Sesshomaru. Last but definitely not least are the exciting new releases from the Figma line of action figures from Max Factory featuring the Requiem for the Phantom Ein and Canaan!

New in stock is the World of Warcraft (WoW) Illidan Demon form and the Ame Comi Batgirl and Catwoman statues from DC Direct. More Marvel Minimates goodness with restock of series 14, 23, and 26.

Enjoy!
Edward

Shining Wind: Clalaclan (Waitress ver) [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Shining Wind: Celestia [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Asuka Plug Suit You Can (Not) Advance [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Marvel Bishojo Collection: Scarlet Witch (Shunya Yamashita) [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Inu Yasha: Sesshomaru Ani-Statue [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Inu Yasha: Kagome & Shippo Ani-Statue [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Inu Yasha: Inu Yasha Ani-Statue [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Lucky Star OVA EX: Kagami (Miku) & Konata (Yuki) Cosplay ver. Set of 2 [Figure] by Sega
Nendoroid Requiem for the Phantom: Ein [Action Figure] by Good Smile Company
Figma # 054 Requiem for the Phantom: Ein [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 053 Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: Nanoha Takamachi The Movie 1st ver. [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 052 Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: Vita (Knight clothes ver.) [Action Figure[ by Max Factory
Figma # 048 Canaan: Canaan [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 003 Fate/Stay Night: Saber (Armor version) [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 002 Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: Suzumiya Haruhi (School Uniform ver) [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 001 Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: Yuki Nagato (School Uniform ver) [Action Figure] by Max Factory
World of Warcraft WoW Series 5: Illidan (Demon Form) [Figure] by DC Unlimited
Ame-Comi Catwoman v.2 [Figure] by DC Direct
Ame-Comi Batgirl v.2 [Figure] by DC Direct
Minimates Marvel Villains: Dr. Doom, Magneto, Green Goblin, Red Skull Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Series 26: X-Men Origins Wolverine Set of 4 [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Series 23: Set of 4 [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Series 14: X3 Set of 4 [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Secret Invasion: Phoenix, Beast, Wolverine, Jewel Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Punisher War Zone: Civilian Frank Castle, Jigsaw, Thug, Assault Punisher Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Invaders: Captain America, Bucky, Sub Mariner, Human Torch Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Heroes: Spider-Man, Captain America. The Hulk, Wolverine Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select

A few months I posted up a little trailer for a Superhero Squad cartoon airing on Cartoon Network. Now I live in in the UK and wasn’t expecting to see this anytime soon but thats not the fact.

Marvel themselves are making the cartoon viewable online. I’m not sure if there is a delay or whatever from the TV airing but upto now there are 8 episodes you can watch. Now the animation style is aimed squarely at younger children but that being said if you like superhero cartoons you should enjoy this. The character team interaction is actually quite sarcastic and funny at times and there is alot of guest heroes and villains appearing I would say some for the first time in a cartoon.

Ok I have gone on enough I’m sure you just want to know where you can see the cartoons well they can be found HERE So make yourselves comfy and enjoy.