by Matt Fraction (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: The X-Men attempt to stave off the Predator X attack.

What’s Good: This is an action comic, pure and simple and in that capacity, it delivers; it’s big, bloody, and explosive.

Better still, Matt Fraction makes the most of the fact that it’s a team based action comic.  One really gets a sense of strategy in the X-Men’s dealing with the Predator Xs.  Abilities are used in perfect concert and the X-Men feel like a well-trained, well-oiled machine.  Multi-level, cooperative strategy is employed as the mutants essentially combine and chain each other’s abilities in a sort of cooperative harmony that was clearly quite well thought out by Fraction.

Taking this perhaps a little more literally is Fraction’s use of Rogue.  He uses her power absorption ability to synchronize X-Men mutant abilities, allowing him to essentially play a cool and creative game of mix and match with mutant powers.

While action-based, the issue is nonetheless not without development.  A very interesting Phoenix-related occurrence happens with respect to the Cuckoos that is foreboding and is sure to pay dividends at a later date.  Furthermore, the last page of the book is similarly intriguing, as we get a look at Danger’s idea of a prison.  Those who have read William Gibson’s foundational cyberpunk novel ”Neuromancer” will probably get a kick out of the scene.

On art, Greg Land actually acquits himself quite well, particularly for his often-weak standards.  While certain female faces do lack detail or appear a little awkwardly photo-referenced, there aren’t any real catastrophes this month.  Compliments are due, however, for Land’s drawings of the Predator X monstrosities, which look horrifyingly savage and distinctly alien.  That last page with Danger was also quite beautiful.

What’s Not So Good: While the use of teamwork in harmonizing abilities and employing strategy was impressive, that doesn’t change the fact that this is just one big, extended action scene across 21 pages.  In other words, it’s hard not read this without realizing that while you’re entertained, the book nonetheless feels strangely hollow, shallow even.  Indeed, this is mainstream comics at its most popcorn superficial, the sort of book that the indie comic fan no doubt points to in horror.  That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but it also means that the book doesn’t summon any sort of emotion beyond the base-level amusement that comes with reading a good action scene.  It’s not a smart read in the slightest, nor is it a dense one, though it is enjoyable for what it is.

Also, some of Fraction’s voices are still off.   He struggles with Rogue’s colloquial accent, for starters.  At times it disappears altogether or is at least very minimal, while at other times, she sounds like a painfully exaggerated hillbilly.  Fraction can’t seem to find a middle ground, nor can he find consistency.

Magneto’s voice also feels problematic this month and reminds me of Fraction’s struggles to write Xavier’s voice in past issues.  At times, Magneto just sounds too young, hip, and catchy, particularly with his battle banter.  Worse still, in a later scene, he goes back to the more aged, formal tone we saw last month.  Like Rogue, not only is the voice problematic in itself, but it also lacks consistency.

Conclusion: Enjoyable for what it is, this issue still feels a little thin due to its not striving to be anything more.

Grade: B -

-Alex Evans

Dark Avengers #3

A continuación, comenzamos con una serie de resúmenes de lo que hasta ahora ha sucedido con Dark Reign, la forma es sencilla, como es una saga que abarca varios títulos Marvel, iremos dando resúmenes generales de  varios de esos títulos, comenzando en este caso con Dark Avengers, a disfrutarlo:

Después del final de Secret Invasión, donde Norman Osborn se ve convertido en el nuevo héroe americano,  ha quedado a cargo de la nueva fuerza policial de la tierra, solo que ahora ya no será llamada SHIELD, sino HAMMER, para ello, contacta a Victoria Hand para que sea su asesora, además, Osborn se lanza en la búsqueda de los que serán los nuevos miembros de los Avengers, siendo  su primera opción nada menos que Bullseye, la siguiente opción es Carol Danvers, quien decide no seguir en un grupo que estará bajo las órdenes de Norman, ahí, Danvers se entera de que tanto Ares como Sentry han decidido unirse con Norman, Danvers se vá de la Avengers Tower mientras Norman dice: “Hay más Miss Marvel de donde vino esa”, dirigiéndose entonces a Moonstone, ofreciéndole el puesto y el nombre de Miss Marvel, obviamente Moonstone acepta.

El siguiente es Venom, quien como sabemos ahora está unido a Mac Gargan, el antiguo Scorpion, justo después de haberse comido a uno de los Skrulls capturados en la gran batalla final de la Secret Invasión, Norman le da una fórmula a Venom que lo hace ver mucho mas humano, mas presentable, si es que cabe el término, aquí si cabe el término, Mike Deodato, hace gala de  su ingenio y la pose en donde Venom adquiere su forma “presentable” es la misma  que aquella en donde Peter Parker se unía con el alien de Venom en el clásico Secret Wars, el siguiente miembro de los Dark Avengers es Daken Akihiro, el hijo de Wolverine, quien tiene prácticamente los mismos poderes que Logan, el último en integrar el equipo es Noh-varr quien tomará el lugar de Captain Marvel, una vez reunidos todos en la Avengers Tower, Osborn se da cuenta de que hace falta algo en el equipo, Ares le dice a Norman que lo que le hace falta al equipo es un símbolo, ya que tanto el Captain America o Iron Man representaban mas que simples hombres, son símbolos,  entonces es cuando Norman con ayuda del ser conocido como Ghost abren una de las puertas secretas de Stark, en donde están guardados varios diseños de armaduras de Iron Man, Osborn se convierte en Iron Patriot y hace su presentación pública de sus Avengers, cuya alineación queda como sigue: Ares, Sentry, Miss Marvel ( Moonstone), Wolverine (Daken Akihiro), Hawkeye (Bullseye), Captain Marvel (Noh-varr), Spider-Man (Venom) y Iron Patriot;  justo en eso, Doom que había sido llevado de regreso a Latveria como un gesto de buena voluntad de Norman después de su reunión con otros grandes villanazos de la tierra, se ve atacado por Morgan Le Fay, quien busca venganza por que según dice ella, Doom la ha utilizado para hacerse de conocimientos sobre magia y ocultismo.

Mientras Norman Osborn les presenta a sus Avengers a Victoria Hand, quien será la segunda al mando, Doctor Doom es atacado por Morgan Le Fay y una horda de seres demoníacos, Doom intenta oponer resistencia pero sucumbe ante el poder de la hechicera, y cuando ésta está a  punto de acabar con el, aparecen los Dark Avengers para salvar a Doom, y en un acto de suprema violencia, Sentry, por órden de Norman asesina a Morgan Le Fay, arrancándole literalmente la cabeza del cuerpo, y cuando los Dark Avengers creen que el peligro ha pasado, Sentry repentinamente explota, mostrándose Morgan de regreso, diciendo que ha utilizado sus poderes de viajar en el tiempo para volver justo exactamente después de morir, pero de un tiempo un poco mas atrás, Morgan usa sus poderes para convertir a Venom en un mostruo mas irracional del que ya es, atacando éste a Ares, tratando literalmente de tragárselo.

Resulta que Morgan Le Fay ha usado sus conocimientos de viajes en el tiempo,  para ir conociendo los poderes de sus enemigos, y asi poder derrotarlos es por eso que cuando llega de regreso a la pelea con los Dark Avengers, sabe cuales son sus puntos débiles, y justo después de escapar del intento de ser tragado por un irracional Venom, Ares es convertido en piedra, mientras el resto del equipo sigue enfrentándose a las hordas demoniacas de Morgan, en eso, el nuevo Hawkeye, le mete una andanada de flechas que  acaban con Morgan Le Fay, otra vez, pero ella de nuevo regresa, lanzando un ataque aún mas fuerte, Iron Patriot se lleva Doom quien ha recuperado la conciencia, pero no la movilidad tratando de encontrar una respuesta para vencer a Morgan Le Fay,  Doom al principio se niega a darle acceso a Osborn sobre control del tiempo mediante un cubo temporal, pero al final accede, el plan es viajar en el tiempo para derrotar a Morgan antes de que ella viaje al presente a enfrentarlos, asi lo hacen, viajan en el tiempo para enfrentar a Morgan, Doom ya recuperado usa sus conocimientos en magia para mandar a Morgan Le Fay a la época de los Dinosaurios, ya que si la mataba, alteraría su propia línea de tiempo, mientras los Dark Avengers que realmente la pasaban mal,  quedan libres después de que Doom vence  Morgan, los demonios han desaparecido, así cuando los Dark Avengers vuelven a la Avengers Tower ven en tv que Clint Barton, ha aparecido en los medios acusando a Norman de ser un psicótico asesino, y diciendo que  tarde o temprano, la gente se dará cuenta de que poner a Osborn al mando es un error, ya que está usando a criminales haciéndose pasar como héroes y que necesita ser detenido, en esas están cuando  al llegar a la torre se encuentran con que ahí esta Sentry, quien supuestamente había muerto en la pelea con Morgan Le Fay

Ya en la torre Avenger,  los miembros del equipo han decidido tomarse un descanso, Ares regresa a su casa en la ciudad, concretamente en el Bronx, mientras Osborn trata de limpiar su  nombre y justificar sus acciones en una entrevista en televisión, Miss Marvel (Moonstone) tiene un encuentro sexual con Noh-varr y  la ciudad de Los Angeles se ve atacada por un ejercito de seres de debajo del mar, la entrevista con Norman es interrumpida, los Avengers deben hacerse cargo de la situación de inmediato…

Namor es mandado llamar para una reunión con The Cabal, asi se hace llamar la reunión secreta de villanos,  Norman le ordena literalmente a Namor que se haga cargo de la situación, ya que los atacantes de Los Angeles han sido identificados como Atlantes, Namor se niega rotundamente, mientras tanto, Noh-Varr ha desaparecido después de su encuentro con Miss Marvel,  lo que causa que el resto del equipo crea que Miss Marvel ha manipulado al nuevo Captain Marvel de alguna manera.

Entonces, Norman ordena a Sentry que se haga cargo de la situación en L.A., asi lo hace, atacando una base atlante en el fondo del mar, pero llevando a un prisionero con él, que termina siendo la merienda de Venom, quien al tragarse al ser, solo dice: “Sabe a Sushi”,  Norman entra al  lugar en donde están las armaduras de Iron man, cuando se desploma y  comienza  a decir: “No… yo estoy a cargo…Yo, no tú….. Yo…. Yo estoy a cargo…” y una voz  que curiosamente está enmarcada por globos de texto verdes le dice: “Oh Norman… Norman, Norman…. Deja de engañarte… Estoy aquí….Siempre estoy aquí”

Aquí es donde se cruza el cómic de Dark Avengers con  Uncanny X-Men, en el crossover Utopia, en donde Norman trata de apoderarse de los recursos y manipular a los mutantes que ahora viven en San Francisco, tiene lugar la  creación de unos Dark X-Men, que incluyen a Namor, White Queen, Mimic, Cloak, Dagger, Wolverine (Daken)  y Weapon Omega quienes enfrentan a unos rebeldes en San Francisco, esos rebeldes incluyen a Hellion, Avalanche, Lorelei, Sunspot, Adam X, Meld, los Dark X-men sofocan la revuelta rápidamente, al mismo tiempo, Cyclops se reúne con Norman Osborn en Alcatraz, Osborn trata de manipular a Cyclops, pero éste solo le dice a Norman que se rinda, Osborn se sorprende de las agallas de Cyclops, mientras  los capturados en la batalla son llevados ante Osborn, quien ha desarrollado una maquina llamada Omega Machine, en complicidad con  Dark Beast,  los Dark Avengers están algo celosos del equipo de Dark X-Men, lo que provoca ciertas fricciones entre ellos, en el complejo donde tienen detenidos a varios prisioneros, entre ellos Beast y Charles Xavier, quien contacta telepáticamente a Emma para pedir su ayuda, desafortunadamente, Emma tiene que seguir con el engaño con Osborn para no comprometerse….

Siguiendo con el cruce en Utopia, los Dark X-men se encargan de Simon Trask y su banda de Bio Sentinels, cada dia de la semana van limpiando el desorden en San Francisco, pero entonces, cuando Dark Beast se propone drenar las energías  mutantes de Henry Mccoy para darle mas poder al Weapon Omega, mediante la Omega Machine aparece X-Force,  (Wolverine, Domino, Warpath, X-23, Arcángel) acompañados por Magik, quien ha sacado a todos los prisioneros de ahí, y se preparan para darle una paliza al Dark Beast, quien clama por la ayuda de Weapon Omega, en eso los Dark Avengers que se preparaban para salir hacia la costa este de los USA, son avisados del ataque, pero Norman ordena que sean los Dark X-Men quienes se hagan cargo de X-Force, cuando el enfrentamiento esta a punto de darse,  Emma Frost se encarga de Daken y Namor se encarga de Mimic, lo que deja claro que Emma y Namor siempre estuvieron del lado de Cyclops y no del lado de Norman,  Cloak y Dagger quienes ya tenian dudas de seguir con los Dark X-Men se unen a  X-Factor en la huída, en eso, Cyclops, quien está aliado con Nick Fury pone en Marcha el plan secreto,  emerge del Mar el complejo llamado Utopia, justo en la bahía de San Francisco,  como ha sucedido en las últimas semanas, Cyclops utiliza los medios, para informar que ya no serán perseguidos ni cazados y que el resto de la humanidad no debe temerles, pero ya no tolerarán mas abusos, Norman pierda la cordura y Ordena  que le lleven la cabeza de Namor, el corazón de Frost y que Cyclops sea testigo de todo eso….

Ares regresa a su casa en el Bronx y encuentra a su hijo Alexander, quien tambien es un dios, concretamente el Dios Phobos, sabemos que la relación entre ellos no es la ideal entre padre e hijo, Alexander dice que ha visto a Ares en la TV  y le pregunta si “el asunto de los mutantes” ha sido lo correcto” y Ares le dice que trabajar con Norman Osborn es lo correcto, Ares se va y en eso, llega al departamento EarthQuake, quien es parte de los Secret Warriors de Nick Fury, Alexander se va con ella, pero en eso, se descubre que Ares los está siguiendo a través de la ciudad, cuando llegan a la base “secreta” de los SW, Ares comienza a destrozar el lugar, Nick Fury le hace frente, tratando de hacerlo entrar en razón. Ares decide que si Alexander ha decidido unirse a Fury es por decisión propia, asi que lo deja  a cargo de Fury y se aleja del lugar. En la Torre Avenger, Lindy la esposa de Sentry  le dispara con un arma especial que al parecer le hace bastante daño.

Después de eso, los Dark Avengers se hacen cargo de Man-Thing, mientras dos chicas desaparecen literalmente en un pueblito llamado Dinosaur, en Colorado, una de ellas es hija del Secretario de estado, asi que los Dark Avengers deben hacerse cargo, para eso, mandan a Sentry de avanzada, pero al llegar, algo comienza a atacarlo, sus manos comienzan a incendiarse, mientras un tipo de sombrero lo contempla divertido, Sentry explota y los Dark Avengers llegan a ayudarle, cuando llegan al pueblo, las comunicaciones se pierden y Norman tiene un lapsus, cierra sus ojos y al abrirlos se lee una voz que le dice: “Y aquí esta….Norman Osborn…. Rey del mundo… me parece chistoso… por que no me parece que estés a cargo de nada…” la persona que habla es nada menos que Molecule Man, quien esta sentado en una especie de trono, pero no solo eso, está acompañado de Mephisto, Zarathos, Enchantress y el Beyonder…

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 time has come once again to walk down the hall of mighthavebeen and look out of the window to the fields of neverwill with this installment of Dream Team.

This go round, we’re not looking at a title so much as a super team within a title. This one is going to read more like a fantasy football roster.

It’s a little known fact that I enjoy Marvel’s Defenders. The premise appeals to me more than the line-up: a group of heroes who don’t really like eachother or know each other that well get together infrequently to stop extinction level events.

Sure, this is how most teams start out. The beauty is that the Defenders never go on to gel as a team. There’s no headquarters, no signal, no symbol, no table that everyone sits around…nothing. It’s the team your dad would put together if he needed help working in the yard one weekend. Anyone helping out is there because they didn’t have anything better to do. And so help me, I love ‘em for it.

So who do I put on this farm team for the Avengers? While the “membership” grew over time, I’m going to contain myself to the original format of only four members.

1. The Punisher. To say that Frank Castle is not a team player is like saying that Chris Claremont is a little wordy, but that’s the general idea of The Defenders. From a story telling point of view, I like the idea of the Punisher on the team because he’d add a twisted fish out of water spin. He’s also really good at improvising in a pinch. So what that he relies on guns and explosives? You’re facing the Punisher and he just ran out of ammo? Don’t stop to gloat. Sure as anything his next move is to fuck your shit up with whatever is at hand…even if it’s your hand.

2. Hank Pym. How this loser is still an Avenger is beyond me. He shrinks; he grows; he whines; he creates robots bent on killing him and his friends, and yet he’s been on practically every roster of the team. Being this much of a gomer is automatic nomination to Defenders for me. Besides, every team needs a science guy.

3. Namor. He helped get the ball rolling with the original team. Why is he a Defender? Being an Avenger is too much drama; Reed won’t let him near the FF; and Atlantis pretty much runs itself. I’d like to see him teamed with Pym. Imagine the boundless insults and slurs. It doesn’t hurt that he’s got his own army and is really strong.

4. Rounding out the roster is Valkyrie. She’s got history with the team. She’s got a great costume, a sword, and a winged horse. A WINGED HORSE.

That’s my Defenders team. The book I read when I dream at night. Enjoy comics tomorrow.

A pouco tempo descobri um herói do qual gostava muito mas não tinha muito conhecimento sobre, apenas da “divindade cósimica” da qual ele representava.

“Nota do autor e editor: Não gosto de recorrer ao Wikipédia para desenvolver um post, mas o tamanho imenso com o qual o post se finalizaria, foi dividido em 2 partes, para a leitura não ficar cansativa. A primeira parte, retratando da primeira aparição dele, a segunda parte, a sua revista solo e recomendações. Espero que LEIAM e se interessem, por isso estou aqui.”

O  Surfista Prateado

O Surfista Prateado tem uma trama triste e reflexiva para com os padrões e hábitos terrestres, dentro deles, a destruição do meio-ambiente, a discrimanação e etc.
Stan Lee enquadrou toda a melancolia de um amor galático impossível ambientado em um planeta longíquo muito semelhante ao nosso planeta Terra.

O ano é 1966, um pequeno lanchinho entre Stan Lee e Jack Kirby resulta em varias questões de como seria a nova empreitada do Quarteto fantástico nas suas revistas mensais, que já contava com seus tão famosos e rotineiros vilões; Dr.Destino, Toupeira, Namor e por aí vai.

A vontade de jogar a familia fantástica em algo grandioso, maior do que todas as passadas, foi algo trabalhoso e difícil de se idealizar.

A nova proposta da dupla era ultrapassar qualquer tipo de barreira em questões de vilânia; Não poderia ser um simples homem, alguma raça alienígena ou um grupo de super-vilões, mas sim um ser do qual se assemelharia um grande senso de poder, temor e quase onipotência nos seus atos, que poderia destruir um planeta quando bem entendia, quando estava entediado, coçando a bunda em alguma constelação distante. Simples assim.

Conheça nosso amiguinho escarlate:

A chegada de Galactus na Terra foi marcada por essa página inteira, mostrada de um ângulo em que a sua maioridade sobre os humanos era reforçada.
Stan Lee fala que sua divindade cósmica ultrapassava qualquer clássificação genética humana, equivalente a superioridade do homem a uma simples formiga. Acertou em cheio.

A forma com a qual Stan Lee escrevia seus roteiros, o até nomeado “Marvel Way” (que foi descartado com o tempo), possibilitava uma participação maior dos desenhistas ao meter o bedelho e adicionar ideias em cima, criando personagens e acrecentando conceitos ao que bem lhe desejassem.
Com essa possibilidade e abertura de roteiro, Jack Kirby adicionou em seus desenhos que até então, incluam apenas Galactus, um homem careca,que usava como meio de transporte uma prancha e tinha a pele prateada.
Baseado na obviedade das características do personagem, Stan Lee o batizou como Surfista Prateado (Silver Surfer).

Kirby idealizou o personagem como um cavaleiro de poderes supremos dados pelo seu até então mestre, Galactus.
A tarefa do Surfista se baseava em apenas averiguar quais planetas seu mestre devoraria, seus atos são superficiais nos primeiros instantes de sua vida a terra, dos quais ficariam mais claro e justificados no futuro.

Dada então as ideias e as características, Stan Lee começou a trabalhar nos aspectos de diálogos em cima do Surfista, se baseando na forma com a qual a Jack Kirby o desenhara, viu que o personagem havia criado  um potencial muito além de um mero coadjuvante e decidiu criar características próprias do personagem, formando uma aura distinta e diferente em cima do personagem.

Stan Lee desenvolveu uma nobreza, uma conduta espiritual. O padrão de discurso do personagem, se assemelharia a um apóstolo que cruzava as galáxias. O Surfista teria atitudes bíblicas, algo totalmente puro e magnificamente inocente. Tornando-o em um ser de aspectos semelhantes a personagens religiosos.

Voltemos agora a parte em que o Planeta corre perigo…

O Surfista, cumprindo o papel que fora dado por seu mestre, prepara e analisa os padrões terrestres para que então seu mestre, consuma o planeta e sacie sua “fome”.
Entra em cena, então, o Vígia. Um ser cósmico que mora na Lua e  observa todos os grandes acontecimentos terrestres  sem mover um dedo , mas vendo que o planeta Terra não teria salvação, decidiu meter o bedelho na história e entregou a Reed Richards, a única arma capaz de deter o devorador de mundos.

Tarde demais, já que o trabalho do nosso amiguinho prateado já havia sido concluído, dando chegada ao seu mestre. Como você pode ver na imagem um pouco mais acima nesse mesmo post.

O Surfista então, se encontra com a namorada cega do Coisa, e se dá conta da semelhança dela com sua amada, da Terra com seu planeta natal e com a maldade e arrogância do seu mestre.

Advinha então o que ele fez quando bateu aquele peso na consiência?

A parafernalha do Vígia deu certo, mas a revolta do seu Arauto, fez com que Galactus banisse o Surfista da galáxia, e o prendesse na órbita do planeta em que ele adotou, fazendo o Surfista Prateado lamentar durante toda a sua estada por aqui.

A história da chegada do Surfista na Terra, até a primeira aparição de Galactus na terra, se desenrolou em três edições (Fantastic Four #48-#50) e foi apelidada pelos fãs, como a Trilogia de Galactus.

No próximo episódio: A vida e a morte do Surfista Prateado! NÃO PERCAM!

Marvel Super Hero Squad Fantastic Four are on the loose.

• Johnny Storm – The Human Torch
• Ben Grimm – The Thing

and their sometimes villians and sometime allies

• Namor  – The Sub-mariner
• Silver Surfer - Herald of Galactus
• Moleman

Immaginate New York nel 1939. Vi do anche un indirizzo preciso: il 330 di West 42nd Street, al McGraw-Hill Building. È qui che grazie all’estro di Martin Goodman, nacque la Timely Comics che, dopo aver cambiato il nome in Atlas Comics, diventerà la Marvel Comics. Ed è sempre qui che presero forma personaggi a noi cari come La Torcia Umana o Namor e più avanti Capitan America e ancora tutta una serie di nomi che è inutile che io stai qui ad elencare… Ma non è che tutto è andato subito per il verso giusto… Sempre in quel posto e in quel momento, sempre tra quelle mure, presero vita anche tanti altri personaggi che per un motivo o per l’altro non ci sono familiari come quelli appena citati. Qualche nome? Rockman, Il Testimone, Dynamic Man, Excello, L’Uomo che Ride… Vi dicono niente? Probabilmente no. Questo perché non hanno incontrato il favore del pubblico. Perché di fronte a un uomo che può andare a fuoco, uno senza alcun poter specifico con l’aggravante di essere conciato come un Errol Flynn degli strapoveri non ci fa una bella figura… Insomma, chi avremmo dovuto scegliere? E quindi, dopo qualche numero, dopo qualche inutile scorribanda sulle pagine di quei primi fumetti, la loro storia sembrava già conclusa. Per loro era già arrivato il tempo della pensione. Ma i veri eroi – lo spapete meglio di me – non smettono mai di lottare.

Ed è proprio grazie a uno sceneggiatore “a rischio” come J.M. Straczynski (gli perdoneremo mai Soltanto Un Altro Giorno? Su ragazzi, la risposta è semplice… ripetiamola insieme: NO!) che questi eroi sono tornati a vivere. L’espediente narrativo alla base di The Twelve è dei più semplici. Mercoledì 25 aprile 1945 a Berlino, mentre Cap e altri mettevano la parola fine alla Seconda Guerra Mondiale, dodici uomini mascherati entravano nella base delle S.S. Quello che poteva essere il loro giorno di gloria, si trasforma nel loro ultimo giorno: vengono imprigionati e ibernati dai Nazi che li vogliono vivisezionare e studiare al fine di creare il vero superuomo. Fortunatamente le cose non sono andate per il verso giusto per i tedeschi e quella sporca dozzina è rimasta dimenticata in quel sonno criogenico fino ad oggi. Fino a quando per caso, una ruspa non sfonda un muro di un vecchio scantinato e… i Dodici, The Twelve, tornano in vita dopo più di 60 anni.

E come si può trovare un eroe nato alla fine degli anni ‘30 nel 2008? Beh, non è difficile da immaginare: un po’ spaesato. Le cose sono cambiate. Noi lo sappiamo bene: è anni che sbandieriamo ai nostri amici e parenti più stretti che ancora ci guardano con sospetto, che il fumetto supereroistico si è fratto più maturo. È ormai da una vita che quell’ingenuità iniziale è scomparsa per lasciare spazio a quelle zone grigie nelle quali i nostri beniamini si trovano spesso a dover affrontare problemi ben più gravi della “cara e vecchia” rapina a mano armata. Bisogna fare i conti con un mondo in cui i valori sono cambiati. Se prima bastava dire “patriottismo” per andare sul sicuro, oggi le cose semplicemente non stanno più così. E in più… 60 anni sono 60 anni. Se prima di essere surgelati avevate un pargolo di 8 anni, oggi quel pargolo è più vecchio di voi. Probabilmente la vostra mogliettina è finita sottoterra e se vi dicessero che nello studio ovale oggi è seduto un afroamericano… Beh, insomma, immagino di aver reso l’idea. The Twelve è un fumetto di una tristezza lancinante che continua ad alternare – in una serie di flashback (quasi) mai banali – un presente grigio e senza speranza ad un passato solare, in cui tutto sembrava possibile. Questi sessant’anni sono stati devastanti per tutti. L’unica soluzione è quella di non guardarsi né indietro né avanti, e continuare a fare quello che si sa fare meglio senza capirne bene il significato. Si va avanti a testa bassa senza farsi domande… Chiunque invece si fermi anche solo un secondo per ragionare e fare i conti con ciò che si era e ciò che si è poi diventati, è destinato a scoprire che la prima cosa ad andarsene con il tempo è l’innocenza… E, contro ogni aspettativa, Straczynski non si lascia prendere la mano da questi perdenti e, invece di farli diventare degli adorabili rincoglioniti (come va di moda ultimamente a Hollywood. pensate a The Wrestler, Anvil: The Story of Anvil, Best Worst Movie… siamo circondati da lovely losers…), ne fa un ritratto spietato e tutt’altro che conciliante. Ai disegni Chris Weston che riesce, col suo tratto volutamente anacronistico, a rendere al meglio questo senso di nostalgia. Insomma: acquisto consigliatissimo.

Back in the 60’s, before I was around… Marvel Comics hit the TV for a while, entertaining all comic book lovers, with animation and corny intro songs. Dope shit though. I remember watching some of these as Re-Runs in the 80’s.


Spider-Man, 1967

The Incredible Hulk, 1966

The Invincible Iron-Man, 1966

Captain America, 1966

Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner, 1966

The Mighty Thor, 1966

The Fantastic Four, 1967

Marvel Super Heroes, 1966 this is basically The Avengers

A bicicleta do príncipe atlante foi fotografada às margens do Reno, em Basel. O Homo mermanus ainda não aderiu às fixas, alega que debaixo d’água, seus bons e velhos V-Brakes funcionam melhor que o famigerado skid.

Since my three exciting days in costume at the San Diego Comic Con this year, I’ve been thinking a great deal about costumes, their design (both from the artist’s and the character’s p.o.v.), and functionality (Incredibles pegged it right: capes are a pain).

The biggest mystery remaining is the briefs on the outside that some heroes wear. Why? But more importantly why do heroes that survived the Golden Age intact uniformly wear these?

Superman invented them, Batman’s got them, so do Spectre, Captain America, and Namor.

Why? From an artist’s stand point it does a couple of things.

a. breaks up large areas of a single color. Think about when they briefly revamped Batman back in the 90’s sans briefs. There was too much gray, and the inkers were placing shadow there anyway. The fight was lost and Batman regained his dignity.

b. conveniently gets rid of the need to draw even the hint of the old twig and berries.

But as Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent why? When they were cobbling these outfits together why?

I’m willing to concede that modesty might have played a factor. A sports cup would have achieved the same goal.

A friend pointed out that in Superman’s case his mother designed the costume after Kryptonian fashions. They’re aliens and culturally underwear is worn on the outside.

In Namor’s case, it makes sense. He’s a swimmer and needs to weigh less and not create much drag.

I don’t know why for the other characters, but I have noticed that those with the extra layer seemed to have fared better in the void between the Golden Age and the Silver Age. With the exception of Hawkman, all of the DC characters that received a revamp didn’t wear briefs. By the 50’s they didn’t need them either. Flash didn’t sport them, neither did GL. The Silver Age wasn’t so worried about modesty I guess.

Any thoughts? I think I’ve spent too much time thinking about this.

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Alan Davis (Pencils), Mark Farmer (Inks), and Nathan Fairbairn (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I actually like the concept of The List series quite a bit. It works as a new reader grab and as a compliment to current ongoings. The Daredevil one-shot actually made me interested in following the ongoing series. As for the New Avengers book, it served as a nice compliment to one of the major threads of the series.

The Story: Norman Osborn’s got a secret weapon that he plans to use against Namor and the rest of the Atlantean race.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Thanks to Alan Davis’ solid, kinetic artwork and Matt Fraction’s entertaining, surprisingly funny dialogue (“Ex-wives. What can you do?”), Dark Reign: The List – Namor,..er…X-Men is one of the most fun “X” books I’ve picked up in quite some time. And really, isn’t that what it’s all about sometimes?! The answer to that question is “Yes…yes it is.”

In all honesty, there isn’t really a whole lot to the latest addition to The List one-shot series. Norman Osborn sets loose a raging sea creature that can only sense and feed off Atlanteans. Some of Namor’s people die and, naturally, Namor needs to take action. The X-Men get involved and the creature is dealt with. It’s simple storytelling, but it’s also effective and lends itself well to a one and done comic.

The biggest negative about the latest The List one-shot, outside of the fact that Namor’s signature saying gets interrupted, is that it really isn’t much of a Dark Reign book. In fact, it’s not really much of an X-Men book either. Sure, the X-Men are in it and the creative team makes great use of the characters during the lengthy, well executed action scene (Fastball Special anyone!?), but as a whole it feels as though the team is in the book only because they happen to be associated with Namor, Osborn’s true target. Neither issue is a major flaw as far as the quality of the book is concerned, but readers should be aware of what they are actually buying.

Conclusion: While the latest List one-shot doesn’t really do a whole lot with the concept of the Dark Reign series, it excels as a one and done “X” comic. So, in short, it’s easy to recommend to X-Men/Namor fans, but not so easy to recommend if you’re just looking for something with strong Dark Reign ties.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

by Matt Fraction (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Justin Ponsor (colors) and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Cyclops struggles to deal with the day-to-day running of Nation X and tensions form between its leaders.

What’s Good: While it’s not always the most exciting thing to read, I do like it when comics focus on the logistics or common sense difficulties.  That Fraction actually has Cyclops grapple with the physical problems of establishing Utopia, explaining how the place gets its water and electricity and, hopefully, its food and medical supplies, is very much appreciated, as this is the sort of thing that could have easily been glossed over.  I honestly feel that paying heed to little issues like this ultimately make for a smarter comic.

There’s even a couple of alternately touching and interesting scenes involving what to do with the dead and the imprisoned; with the latter bringing back a Whedon-created character in a bit of a surprise, and the former working well through an odd balance between the touching and the pragmatic.

Much of this issue is spent on characterization through a series of conversations, all of which are fairly strong and do a good job of establishing roles for the characters in the story arc to come.  The dialogue felt intelligent, necessary, and logical.   Scott discussing his own weaknesses and vulnerability felt human and true to the character.  Emma revealing what the sliver of the Void is doing to her personality was also quite intriguing and very promising story-wise.

All in all, when this comic focuses on dialogue, it’s actually pretty good.  This issue makes for engaging character moments, new tensions, and interesting interpersonal dynamics.

What’s Not So Good: Greg Land.  While this isn’t the greatest catastrophe he’s ever drawn (thanks mostly to Fraction having most of the issue spent in quiet dialogue between level-headed characters), it’s still bad.  While it’s not his worst, Land’s trademarks are all here.  Static poses remain, as do Land’s poorly plotted action scenes.  There’s a frame early in the book depicting a kung-fu speedster that I still don’t understand.  The action scene, while again, not his worst, is more of a collection of single images than a flow.

Then there’s the old Land problem with faces.  As always, the man just can’t handle it whenever a character, particularly if female, has a strong emotion.  For instance, an exasperated Sinclair clutching her head ends up looking like a woman in pure sexual bliss tossing her hair back in Herbal Essences-fueled ecstasy. Whenever a character has a reason to dramatically change facial expression, Land misses the mark by a mile.

He’s also, dare I say, slacking off.   A lot of times, I noticed blank slates of color where a little more detail or shading could’ve been used.  For example, many of the female faces seem to have freakishly high cheekbones due to their faces essentially being two slabs of peach color.  A smiling Psylocke also has none of her teeth distinguished.  Land cuts corners on the little things detail-wise and hopes we won’t notice if he slaps on enough gloss.

Writing-wise, I’m still not digging Fraction’s Xavier, whose voice sounds too young and hip.  Also, though this issue does what needs to be done, this also leads to its being  pretty much all set-up, with an out-of-nowhere cliffhanger.

Conclusion: A fairly good issue with Greg Land drawing it.

Grade: B -

-Alex Evans

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ORIGINS OF SIEGE
SIEGE is almost upon us! And this special giveaway issue contains everything readers will need to prepare themselves for the ultimate conflict to hit the Marvel Universe, six years in the making! Showcasing an ALL-NEW lead-in story featuring Loki, the God of Evil, ORIGINS OF SIEGE also contains an ALL-NEW origins section covering all of the major players in the battle, as drawn by the biggest artists at Marvel, as well as pinups and a checklist so you don’t miss a single important issue. All that and a preview of SIEGE #1! It’s time!

Click to Enlarge

SIEGE: THE CABAL
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by MICHAEL LARK
Cover by DAVID FINCH

THE SIEGE STARTS HERE!!

Remember when you were first introduced to the Cabal, the gathering of the most sinister members of the Marvel Universe, and you said to yourself: Well, that’s going to blow up in everyone’s face! Well, you were right and it happens right here!! Norman Osborn faces off with Doctor Doom and his mysterious threat to Doom is revealed. All of this is setting the stage for next month’s explosive event: SIEGE!

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THOR #605
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Pencils & Cover by BILLY TAN

The invisible hand of Loki’s sly tricks has made plain the treachery that lay in store…and after the devastating events of THOR: DEFINING MOMENTS GIANT-SIZE and THOR 604, everything comes to a head! The volatile balance of power in Latveria is tipped, and all sides march toward all-out war!

He and She were eating dinner at their favorite burger shack, a place on the lagoon that is the central feature of the Hawai‘i Kai community. On the other side of the restaurant’s tiki torches, there was a dock with several small boats.

The name on one of the boats caught his attention, but he couldn’t read it from where he was sitting, so he asked her to read it for him.

She: “Submariner.”

He: “Hmph. Boat doesn’t look much like a submarine to me.”

She: “No it doesn’t. Of course, the owner could be a sandwich maker.”

He: “I suppose. But why would he, or she, wish to be?”

She: “Well, why not?“

He: “Have you ever tried to eat a submarine sandwich? Way soggy. Way too much salt. And you have to be real careful when you go to take a bite, or you’ll get way more than you bargained for.”

She: “Kinda limits your options when you chomp into a hot pepper, too, doesn’t it? Don’t breathe in …”

He: “Yeah. You go try eat a sub sandwich, you gotta be a real hero.”

She: “Oh, marvelous.”

He: “Are you accusing me of having pointy ears?”

She: “No. A pointy head.”

  - O Ceallaigh
Copyright © 2009 Felloffatruck Publications. All wrongs deplored.
All opinions are mine as a private citizen.

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

The Story: Bucky and Falcon battle the Thunderbolts, Cap’s glass coffin is exhumed, an old “friend” returns, and Cap battles skrulls in space… again.

What’s Good: From the haunting first page, to the contents of Cap’s coffin, the time traveling plot of this miniseries is once again handled surprisingly well, maintaining a surreal feel throughout.  I especially liked Cap’s method of getting a message to his friends in the present day, which was a definite “why didn’t I think of that” moment.  Once again, it’s great when Cap “breaks character” and discusses his time traveling dilemma with a person from his past, as there’s always this intangible sense of excitement when he does.

Seeing Cap having to re-experience his battles in the Kree-Skrull War was also rather neat, and had a totally different effect from last month’s tragic reiteration of Cap’s origins.  This really did feel like a 70s-era space-based Avengers comic repackaged under a modern lens, and it felt utterly bizarre.  The clash of a past comic under modern artwork was jarring, which I suppose was appropriate, given that this miniseries is about a wrongful collision of past and present.

Though I suppose it was inevitable, the ending of this month’s issue still had a definite impact.  Seeing the return of an old character, one that I’m sure I’m not the only fan of, is never a bad thing.  I’m also all in favour of the character’s new appearance.  It’s very 60s sci-fi, as though it lept off the pages of Brubaker’s Incognito.

Art-wise, you get more of the high-standard you’d expect from Hitch and Guice: an incredible level of detail, excellent shading, and an impossible work-ethic.  I especially enjoyed the team’s depictions of high-altitude flight, which were bright, rosy, and gorgeous.  Hitch and Guise also let loose with the splashes and double-page spreads this month, making some truly iconic work, here.  One particular spread of Namor will certainly elicit its fair share of reader profanities.

What’s Not So Good: Unfortunately, this month’s issue takes a step back from much of what made last month’s such a step up in quality.  The present day portions are still less engaging than Steve’s scenes, but while last month chose to focus more on Rogers, this month spends more time with his present-day friends.  As a result, the issue just feels a bit more bland.

And when we do get Steve, there just isn’t the same level of introspection.  The sense of loss, tragedy, and helplessness just isn’t as poignant.  Instead of the monologues regarding his torment that made #2 so great, we instead just get a barrage of admittedly impressive spreads and splashes.  Brubaker seems to have decided to go heavier on the action side with Steve this month, and the result is a lot lighter.  There just isn’t the same level of gravitas and emotional weight, making the entire comic suffer.

Also, readers of that monthly comic will be quick to notice that Brubaker’s Thunderbolts sound nothing like Diggle’s.  For instance, Ghost sounds like the leader of the team, which is just downright wrong.

Finally, while Hitch and Guice’s artwork is unbelievable, their panel layouts are not.  For some reason, they’ve gone totally wild with the wide panels (widescreen shots) this month.  It’s an almost non-stop barrage that’s repetitive, uninspired, and just annoying.

Conclusion: Fairly good and still better than issue #1, but a step down from last month.

Grade: B -

-Alex Evans

A volte capita che anche i super eroi debbano fare attenzione quando vanno in giro da soli in posti mal frequentati. Potrebbe capitare che un disegnatore perverso e poco talentuoso ti agguanti alle spalle e che con un panno imbevuto di cloroformio ti faccia perdere i sensi per approfittare di voi nelle maniere più assurde con le sue matite, e il tutto reiteratamente dal numero 207 al numero 213.
Ecco cosa è successo a Logan quando in una notte che non dimenticherà mai , invece di prendere un taxi, per tornare a casa decise di fare due passi all’aria aperta:

Never Again

Ma sentiamo la sua viva testimonianza:

E quella degli amici (clicca per ingrandire):

Quando perde le staffe:

Lottiamo assieme affinchè quello che è successo a Wolverine non capiti di nuovo… cosa? Madureira  e Thor?!

DADX

Writer-Matt Fraction

Artist(s)-Mike Deodato, Terry Dodson

I had high expectations for the Dark X-Men event that was to occur as part of the many splintered series that have sprung up from Dark Reign. To cut things short, it was disappointing. Fraction did a fine job at handling the X-Men but his handling of the Dark Avengers and even the Dark X-Men was touch-and-go, at best. Namor and Sentry, two of the heaviest hitters in the Marvel U., became busboys for the ever daunting Norman Osborne and his Iron Patriot alter ego. The other characters, although interesting, were given no depth or growth. In fact, three members of the team (Cloak, Dagger, Weapon Omega), are and have been heroes fighting for the side of justice since their inception into the Marvel Universe. I get why they are on the team, Norman has something on them, but why are they so accepting of their tasks at hand and the execution of his orders. But that was the series, not this one shot.

This single issue is explosive enough, packed with so much grandeur and eye grabbing action, that it makes up for the mediocrity that preceded it. The story is balls to the wall action at it’s best, all the while maintaining a proper and clean narrative, concluding with a positive resolution. To be quite frank, it really does showcase Fraction at his best. The characters are written down to a tee, precise and accurate, and Fraction writes each of them as he had created them himself.

The dialogue between Scott and Norman is definitely a highlight amongst the pages and the banter that occurs between the X-Men themselves is the spotlight of the comic. Deodato and Dodson keep a tight rein on the events at hand which is feat in itself considering how much is going on. Normally the darker and muddy aspects of Deodatos art is irksome but because of the chaos at hand it fits the fight scenes quite nicely.

Not only that but we see a number of scenes that play right into the fanboy imagination: X-23 and Wolverine against Daken, Colossus facing off with Venom, and even the fist pounding air combat between the Sentry and Namor. The entire issue is filled with great one liners, amazing fight scenes, and a powerful hold over the reader that should have been there the entire series. The end is brilliant, seeing the shocked expression of Norman when he realizes his odds, but it does end without a lot of resolution. The characters that were once super heroes are still on the Dark X-Men and it’s unclear what is even going to happen with that time but this is about the only complaint I have with the issue. One hell of a climax Mr. Fraction.

Rating:

-Ryanscribbles

SPIDER-MAN: THE VIDEO GAME
original platform
arcade
developer/publisher
SEGA

SEGA enters the beat-em-up fray with a game that features awesome scaling sprites and occasional side-scrolling, shooting action.  Playable characters include the really odd combination of Spider-Man, Black Cat, Sub-Mariner, and Hawkeye.

Spider-Man: The Video Game was inducted on September 9th, 2009.

Return to the National Game Registry to view more inductees.

Doodle 203 - Namor meets King Triton

Poor Namor, Disney went and took his whole “Ruler of the Oceans” gig away.  Hopefully King Triton will be able to punish us surface dwellers with the same fury as Namor always did.  I wonder if he’ll bring Sebastion along the first time he has to assist the Avengers.

Por Ícaro

O Mistério de Atlântida (1976), livro de Charles Berlitz, possui um dos assuntos mais fantásticos na cultura mundial: toda a lenda e a mitologia por trás do continente perdido. O livro em questão não é tão grande, mas o autor conseguiu reunir bastante material, para a década de 70 é muito material, para este livro.

Aí, o quanto devemos acreditar nestas informações é algo totalmente diferente. Assim como Erich Von Däniken, o autor se baseia em uma série de informações e te faz concluir algo. Algumas pontas soltas em diversas culturas, como suas origens e a própria mitologia destas, são usadas para interpretar a existência do continente. Outros fatos que explicariam seu sumiço estão em achados arqueológicos e o futura comprovação da existência desta em presságios de videntes (!).

A primeira citação de Atlântida foi de Platão em dois de seus contos. O livro descreve, em base nesses contos,  que Atlântida teria sido uma ilha/continente situada no meio do mar a oeste da Grécia antiga,  e lá, uma sociedade extramamente desenvolvida poderia ter existido, baseada na harmonia de uma ciência avançada com misticismo, algo parecido como Aquaman e Namor mostram em suas HQs. Animais e plantas de diversos gêneros habitavam a ilha/continente que teria desaparecido no mar após um cataclisma. Sobre este cataclisma, o livro sugere diversas hipóteses, desde geológicos à conhecida causa citada no mito do efeito Deus Ex Machina.

Atlântida é realmente um estranho fato, creio que seja uma das poucas lendas que tenha alcançado diversas partes do globo, tornando-se conhecida em diversas sociedades. Se tiveres oportunidade, leia, mas realmente só se gostar muito do assunto, creio que o livro seja um pioneiro da literatura de Dan Brown, uma junção de assunto aleátorios que causam efeitos nas pessoas com falta de inteligência intelectual, como diria Carl Sagan.

Pobre Aquaman, nunca mais foi o mesmo depois das vinhetas do Cartoon Network...

Some Thoughts Before The Review: While it’s been far from spectacular, I actually think I’ve enjoyed the Dark X-Men mini-series more than I’ve enjoyed the Utopia main event so far.

“Hidden Depths”

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Leonard Kirk (Pencils), and Brian Reber (Colors)

The Story: Allowed in, Emma Frost travels through Namor’s subconscious looking for answers to some of her questions.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: On a technical level, “Hidden Depths” is one of the best stories to be featured in Dark X-Men: The Beginning. Paul Cornell’s sharp script really captures the complex dynamics that exist between Frost and Namor in regards to both their relationship and mutantkind. The artwork by Leonard Kirk and Brian Reber is appropriately surreal and does an excellent job of making the most of a cool story setting. From the twisted mutants to the incredible memory collage, the work by Kirk and Reber proves to be surprisingly memorable.

The problem I have with “Hidden Depths” is that it seems to conflict a bit with what was revealed in Dark Avengers #8. It’s obvious Emma and Namor are on the same page in that book, but there’s absolutely no sense of that they truly are (where it matters – I’m trying to avoid spoiling anything here) in the mini-series story. Some mention of the ultimate plan would have been quite welcome.

“Get Mystique (Slight Return)”

By Jason Aaron (Writer), Jock (Art), and Dave Stewart (Colors)

The Story: “Get Mystique” serves as an epilogue to Jason Aaron’s excellent Wolverine arc of the same name.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: “Get Mystique” is quite possibly, one of my all time favorite Wolverine stories. So, needless to say, I’m quite pleased to see Jason Aaron back to clean up the only real loose end of that arc. As expected, Aaron effortlessly delivers one badass Mystique and a great Norman Osborn. Aaron’s dialogue is top-notch and makes “Get Mystique” one hell of a fun read. On the visual side, Jock’s gritty artwork could not possibly be more fitting. Stylish, violent, and (I hate to use the word again, but I have to) badass, it makes one hell of an impression. I can’t wait to see what Jock does when he’s given a full arc to work with.  Also worth mentioning is how much Dave Stewart’s color work adds to what Jock does. It makes Jock’s work dark and moody, yet strikingly vivid.

“The One Who Got Away”

By Simon Spurrier (Writer), Paul Davidson (Art), and Rain Beredo (Colors)

The Story: Jeanne-Marie Beaubier (A.K.A. Aurora) adapts to Norman Osborn’s tactics in an unusual way.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Since everyone knows the Dark X-Men lineup by now, the effect of Simon Spurrier’s story doesn’t really make any sort of impact as far as Osborn’s team is concerned. That said, Spurrier definitely makes the most of what he has to deal with. Aurora’s unique psychological state is used quite effectively and her confrontation with Osborn is far more fun than one might expect. As for the artwork, Paul Davidson’s visuals are a bit problematic. While it tells the story well, the character work is inconsistent as can be. Osborn looks different in almost every panel, Aurora’s body proportions are all over the place, and some panels just look downright strange.

Conclusion: Dark X-Men: The Beginning #3 isn’t flawless, but the best of the mini-series was definitely saved for last. I recommend checking it out if you’re looking for some short, cool stories.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

     Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting, the team behind the modern epic that is Captain America, are now working on The Marvels Project, a story that chronicles the beginnings of the superhero age.  It begins in New York in 1939, where a doctor talks with an old man who tells of the future and all the superheroes who will live in it.  The doctor thinks he’s just hallucinating, but when the old man dies, he gets two pistols from the old man as a present.  He realizes that the old man was the Two-Gun Kid, who had been sent back to his own time from the future.  Meanwhile, Franklin D. Roosevelt talks with Vincent Astor about the synthetic being that will become the original Human Torch, and Namor attacks a group of Nazi ships who are kidnapping Atlanteans.  The original Human Torch is becoming popular and frightening the Nazis, but it also frightens a lot of Americans, and public opinion plus the government force Dr. Phineas Horton to agree to have the Torch buried in cement.  In Germany, Dr. Erskine begins to contemplate defecting, and Nick Fury and his old pal Red Hargrove are recruited by the U.S. to help Erskine do just that.  Dr. Horton decides to teach the Torch about the human world by way of headphones, even while the Torch is entombed, but the Torch manages to break out of his prison.  In the ensuing fires, a group of thugs attack an innocent woman, and the doctor from the beginning of the story rescues her and helps other innocents.  He is Dr. Thomas Holloway, the man who will become the original Angel.

     Of course, Ed Brubaker would do wonders with this time period.  Today, he is probably the greatest authority on Marvel Comics history in around World War II, which is when the age of superheroes began.  He can connect everything together, including all the threads he’s created in his Cap work.  And he does a great job of it.  By using Angel and the Two-Gun Kid, he’s framing this story brilliantly.  All these separate stories are being made to make sense in the modern Marvel context.  The only question is: why is this story being written?  Was there some call for a revamp of the Marvel Universe’s origins?  Is there some story that ties into this?  I don’t know.  I mean, it’s absolutely awesome, but I’m not sure why it’s now that this story is being told.  But even so, this is a superb story.  All the various strands of this era are being woven together by a master storyteller so that it all makes sense.  And Steve Epting is the perfect artist to put this work on the page.  He’s so good at statuesque, sculpted faces, and that’s just what a story like this calls for.  I may not have been clamoring for this story to be written, but Brubaker’s doing a fine job anyway, so I’m not going to miss out on it.  Fans of his run on Cap will not be disappointed.

Plot: 9.0      Art: 9.4      Dialogue: 9.1      Overall: 9.1