The Cape Miniseries

The Cape Miniseries

Back in April of last year, I reviewed The Cape, a fantastic one-shot which was nominated for an Eisner award (which it lost to Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben). I thought The Cape was absolutely fantastic, and so was quite happy when a four part miniseries was announced and released last year. With all of the recent events from the big two, it’s taken me a while to finally get to it, though that is certainly no reflection on the quality of the series. Why? Because it’s as gripping and intense as the one-shot upon which it is based. Please note this feature is full of spoilers Before we get started on the story, which is likely to have you re-evaluating the mind of a the common super-villain, I have to mention the brilliant artwork by Zach Howard and Nelson Daniel. Both have returned, after the stellar work that they did on the original one-shot, and brought with them their A-game. As you can see from the 4 covers alone, Howard and Daniel are able to convey a wealth of emotion through facial expression, mood, setting and lightning. There were some fantastic variant covers for this run, but that said, even the originals were absolutely fantastic.        This caliber of art is required, if it’s to do justice to a story this gripping. As with the one-shot, the writing in this miniseries is gritty, intense, emotional and exceptionally powerful. We continue to follow Eric in his decent into madness. At this point, it has become quite clear that this is not occurring in Eric’s mind, and that the cape is in fact allowing him to fly. Despite the clear intent in the one-shot, the reader’s rational brain still fights against the possibility of a child’s cape which allows flight. You keep thinking that this must be happening in his mind. Unfortunately, that is not the case. What the cape is also allowing, is for Eric’s most disgusting personality traits to come to the surface. At the end of the one-shot, we got to see that once Eric’s cape was returned to him, he did not choose a “heroic” life, but rather allowed his insecurities to feed on his weak mind. His jealousy, pettiness and sleaziness bubbled to the surface and we saw that he instead chose to become a villain. The Cape miniseries is as unapologetic as the one-shot, in terms of how it depicts Eric. There is no sugarcoating the character, nor any attempts to rationalize his behavior. He’s an ass. Plain and simple. Certainly, if you dig, you can say that it’s because of the loss of his father (which justifiably hit him very hard), as well as the insecurities which plagued him after the accident, however those are weak arguments when compared to the wrath which he doles out once he gets his hands back onto that cape. Murder is easy for him… to the point where he is creative with it. Wether dropping bears or cinder blocks on cops, or ripping through jet engines with a chainsaw, Eric actually appears to take pride in killing. Of course, it’s not only that he is killing, but also who he is killing. Sure, he’s taking down anyone who is getting in his way, but they are getting in his way of killing those whom he believes have wronged him over the years. Having already knocked off his girlfriend in the one-shot, Eric sets his sights on both his mother and his brother. We see his mother run for her life several times in the series, as well as stand up for her other son in one tense scene which sees her fighting back against Eric (which also demonstrates that he is not invulnerable). That said, there isn’t much Ma can do when Eric launches that chainsaw into the jet’s engine (see image above). I’d like to say that this scene is shocking, because this goes above and beyond actually threatening his mother. He actually kills her, along with the hundreds of others on the jet. However by this point, the reader has absolutely no faith in Eric, nor in any chance of redemption. We understand that he’s an absolutely terrible person who will continue this melodramatic, self-obsessed violence until someone finally ends him. And our only hope appears to be Eric’s brother, who takes several graphic beatings, but still maintains his integrity and strength throughout. Ciaramella does a phenomenal job of keeping the tension active till the very last moment; and though it could have been cliched, instead there is truth in the writing which allows for closure on the reader’s part. We were never expected to cheer for the story’s main character, nor want him to get better. As with all villains, we want him beaten. And unlike the big two who refuse to kill off their villains (or at minimum, allow them to stay dead), Ciaramella gives us the resolution that we want, and deserve. The Cape four part miniseries is a fantastic read from start to finish, and I highly recommend it. The Cape Issue 1-4 IDW Story: Jason Ciaramella (based on the short story “The Cape” by Joe Hill Art: Zach Howard, Nelson Daniel Note that it is a graphic series, not intended for young readers....

iZombie – Where Do I Start

iZombie – Where Do I Start

I’d seen all of the iZombie issues at the comic book store since the series began in July of last year, but having flipped through a few of them and found the art to be absolutely terrible, I’d always decided against reading the series. That isn’t to say that I can’t appreciate a good story regardless of the art, because I obviously can, being a writer. However, bad art in a visual medium really puts me off. Still, when I read that it was nominated for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best New Series, I decided I should give it a shot. I picked up eleven issues putting myself completely up to date, able to not only give the series more than a fair chance if it needed it, but also to give myself a strong foundation for this feature. Sadly, getting through all of these issues was an exercise in patience, disgust and determination (to get my money’s worth). And for the record, that disgust was not a pleasant disgust in the brain-eating content, but rather disgust at the fact that such tripe is actually published and given a nomination for Best New Series. THAT, more than anything else, is what bothered me about reading this series. iZombie is the story about Gwen Dylan, a zombie. Bet you didn’t see that coming. Obviously, writer Chris Roberson is trying to capitalize on the whole “i” craze, however it makes little to no sense to use it in this context. But I digress. Gwen works as a gravedigger, which is quite convenient. Not to mention cliché. Once a month, Gwen must dine on brain matter, otherwise she will turn into a stereotypical, brainless zombie… the kind that Shawn would have thrown old vinyl LPs at. So she digs up corpses which she’s recently buried and cracks open their head with a pretty, red spade. The only problem, other than the taste apparently, is that in so doing, Gwen absorbes many of the deceased’s memories. This leads her onto journeys to resolve issues which the deceased never got a chance to take care of prior to dying. In some cases, the deceased’s murderer still roams free, and Gwen takes it upon herself to confront this person. Apparently once you’ve already died, you no longer need backup… or common sense. If all of this is not cliché enough for you, how about we toss in a ghost girlfriend from the 50s. Or perhaps a were-terrier. You read that correctly. Not werewolf. Were-terrier. Still not cliché enough for you? Well hell then, why don’t we add vampires, mummies and what would this all be without Monster Hunters! I know what you’re thinking. Roberson would not possibly have Gwen fall for a Monster Hunter. That would be too much for even the most forgiving of clichéd, melo-dramatic, teen zombie fans to endure. I am sorry to report that yes… they do fall in love. They bump into each other a few times, an immediate spark in their eyes (of course), and even spend a “perfect” date together, finding out that they are in fact, soul mates. (By the way, click that link to see an example of some of the absolutely terrible art that you can expect to find in this series.) Over the course of the eleven issues I read, Gwen had to eat a couple brains. Roberson is using this as a means of keeping the series alive (bad pun), however it’s a tired mechanic which we’ve seen all too often. As such, I’ve absolutely no interest in any of the extended characters which Gwen forces herself to speak to in order to quiet the voices in her mind. The series also spends way too much time on the vampire college girls. It’s as if Roberson wants to try to attract as many emo-vampire readers as possible by filling pages with attractive college girls with sharp teeth. And just in case that doesn’t cover all the bases, he also tosses in the Bride of Frankenstein and a possessed chimp. (Editor’s Note: I am massaging my temples as I type this.) There is absolutely no clear course in this series. It is all over the map, and with each turn, more stupidity slaps you in the face. And then there’s the aforementioned art. I have seen better art from junior high school students. With the exception of a few panels, the entire series to date has been this bad. The art is very simplistic, though not stylishly so. It also appears to be colored with pencil crayons in some panels. I doubt it was. I’m just saying it actually looks that bad in some cases. Sadly, colors and shading are just as pitiful as the original pencils and inks. In some instances, facial proportions are completely out of whack, which leads me to wonder about Michael and Laura Allred’s art education. It is possible that the work is rushed, simply because they do not have the time required to make it better. If that is the case, then there’s not much that can be done to improve upon it. I tried to think of a lot of ways to approach this review wherein I could provide more constructive criticism, however the only critiques I can offer would be to replace the art staff, get a new writer who isn’t so hell-bent on clichés, trim the story to a manageable arc that’s tight and interesting, and change the name of the series to something that actually makes sense. Then I realized my constructive critique was basically to start from scratch. iZombie Vertigo/DC Story: Chris Roberson Art: Michael Allred, Laura Allred...

Chew: Eisner’s “Taster’s Choice”

Chew: Eisner’s “Taster’s Choice”

At last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, “Chew” was awarded the Eisner for Best New Series. This year, it’s nominated for Best Continuing Series, and I assure you, that nomination is very well deserved. “Chew” is going up against heavy-hitters like “Locke & Key“, “Echo“, “Morning Glories“, “20th Century Boys” and “Scalped“. “Chew” is published by Image Comics (who have racked up quite a number of Eisner nominations). The series is written and lettered by John Layman and drawn and coloured by Rob Guillory. The fact that so much of the series is handled by just these two guys astounds me… especially when you consider the caliber of the work. “Chew” is one of those rare series where the writing and art not only compliment each other so perfectly, but also that each is absolutely fantastic. Both are highly original, detailed and entirely full of life. For those who’ve never picked up an issue, “Chew” revolves around Tony Chu, the central character. Tony is cibopathic. Don’t bother looking that up in the dictionary. It isn’t there. A cibopath is someone who, with one bite of anything edible, gets a flash of memories in terms of that objects life, as well as its demise. Oddly though, he does not get this psychic sensation from beets… which is why he eats so many. Immediately you know that though this isn’t going to be a costumed super-hero series, it sure as hell is not going to be normal. That said, from the get-go, it seems very, very interesting… and that sense continues to grow as the series progresses. The first issue of “Chew” lays the groundwork for establishing the world; one where chicken has been outlawed and the F.D.A. (Food and Drug Administration) is one of the most powerful agencies in the world. The first issue also introduces several key characters who will play important roles throughout the series; John Colby (Chu’s early partner while he’s still on the police force), Agent Mason Savoy (F.D.A), Tony’s older brother who had a nervous breakdown on live television, and an F.D.A informer who’ll return to the series often, D-Bear. A lot occurs in this first of the series, however the issue never feels rushed. Considering how much has to be conveyed so that the reader doesn’t feel hopelessly lost, it’s a testament to Layman’s writing that he never loses us. And then there’s the aforementioned art. This is where Layman gets a helping hand, because so much of the story is conveyed through Guillory’s work. Facial expressions are insanely accurate and allow you to immediately get a feel for a scene. Guillory’s colors also speak volumes. He is able to control the emotional pacing of the story brilliantly through the palettes he uses. In the last panel of the first issue, we see Chu getting whisked away by the F.D.A. to work for them as part of their Special Crimes Division. It’s there that he discovers that he is not the world’s sole cibopath. Agent Savoy too is one, and he explains to Chu that as part of their job with the Special Crimes Division, they are asked to eat a great many disgusting things, however it is always for the greater good. Their boss, Mike Applebee, cares little for cibopaths, and so makes Chu’s life a living hell at the F.D.A. Each issue spotlights cases which Chu and Savoy work toward solving, however woven throughout are clues regarding the chicken prohibition, the avian flu which killed millions, and a conspiracy which would put any X-Files episode to shame. New characters are constantly being introduced, however it is always to further develop the story. By Issue 3, Chu’s found the love of his life in what is perhaps one of the funniest moments I’ve read in comics in a long time. Amelia Mintz will elude Chu as a love interest for several issues before finally they hitch up, however during that time, she’ll still manage to sneak into the occasional story-arc. Amelia is a saboscrivner; someone who can write about food so accurately that people who read her words actually get the “sensation of taste”. You may not have picked up on this yet, however food plays an integral role in nearly every single plot-line in “Chew“. That said, it’s all so damn original, quirky and drop-dead funny at times that you’re never bored. Layman’s managed to create gripping suspense using food as the main methodology. Layman and Guillory also keep the pages fun to read by inserting real world and cult references.         You really get the sense sometimes that these guy are just having a lot of fun with this series. By Issue 5, more of Agent Savoy’s puzzle pieces come into play. He leaves the F.D.A., however remains a powerful force in the series. Issue 6 sees the return of Chu’s original partner, Colby, patched up from the butcher’s knife he took to the face, and reassigned to the F.D.A. as Chu’s partner. I loved the re-introduction of Colby in both the series and in Chu’s life. He’s the perfect counter-balance to Chu’s by-the-books mentality. Also, I love that Layman had the courage to make him gay. He sleeps with Applebee and then essentially blackmails him into being nice to Chu, which results in absolutely hilarious scenes. Whether we’re introduced to ninja-like U.S.D.A. agents or wanna-be vampires, the series never lets up for one moment. Each issue is intricately woven together, yet able to be appreciated on its own merit as well. The quirky conspiracies, insane characters and killer rooster always make for a fun issue to read that still manages to be suspenseful. Recently, Layman decides to turn the heat up on the series by putting the entire planet on red-alert. Alien writing has been blazing across the sky, and the last time we saw this, it lead to the destruction of an alien planet. This has thrown the series on its head. No longer is the F.D.A. all that concerned with black market chicken dealers. They’re too busy trying to decipher the message in order to save the world. Out of all the nominees in the Best Continuing Series category for the Eisner awards, of the ones I’ve read, I can honestly saw that “Chew” is by far my favorite. Of those which I intend to read, they had better bring their effin’ A-Game, because that is what they will need to top “Chew” as my current favorite in this category. “Chew” has also received the following nominations: John Layman for Best Writer, and Rob Guillory for Best Penciller/Inker. Go get ’em, boys. Chew Image Comics Story: John Layman Art: Rob Guillory...

Superboy Issues 1-5

Superboy Issues 1-5

When I’d read that this year’s Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards nominations contained a lot fewer superhero titles, I expected that the few that had made the cut would really shine out as stellar examples of the genre in the past year. Taking that into consideration, I was quite surprised to see “Superboy” listed for Best New Series. “Superboy“? Seriously? I’d read the first issue, and having been somewhat underwhelmed, had not bothered keeping up with the series. Seeing as it was given a nomination, I figured I’d catch up with Connor Kent and see what he’s been up to. Turns out, he’s been having to deal with a lot… though nothing out of the ordinary for a DC superhero. So why the nomination… Allow me to shed some light on what has transpired in the first five issues, and from there, you may come to your own conclusions. However before we start, just so folks don’t think me overly harsh due to some pre-conceived opinion of the character, allow me to say that I’m a huge fan of the Teen Titans. We’ve also been watching Young Justice on TV, and I loved the introduction of Superboy in the series. I think the character has been very well handled in Young Justice, making him one of the more interesting ones to see develop. I can’t say the same for this comic book series, however. Issue 1 starts with a narrative from Connor wherein he states how he wishes he could have had a childhood. Writer Jeff Lemire and artist Pier Gallo go with a cliched image of a boy, garbed in a superhero outfit, running through a field of wheat in Smallville. I do like that Lemire didn’t allow Connor to wallow in self-pity, but rather is forcing the character to mature quickly, accept his creation, while still granting him a wide berth for self-discovery. Almost immediately, Superboy is visited by Phantom Stranger who informs him that great peril is coming to Smallville, and that Superboy should prepare. Despite the fact that Superboy makes light of the “ominous, cryptic shtick”, it’s still a lame setup. Being told that danger’s afoot isn’t really all that suspenseful. Trouble does in fact arrive, in the form of the Parasite… though not before we’re forced to endure several painful panels of Connor Kent interacting with Lori Luthor (Lex’s niece) and Simon Valentine, who has discovered that Connor is in fact Superboy. This revelation should have been quite shocking, however the manner in which it was presented instead made it feel as though it was just an unimportant plot-point to be skimmed over immediately before the Parasite’s surprise attack. That said, apparently Connor needs some tips on keeping his secret identity, well, a secret. Ripping off your shirt in a barber shop full of people, revealing your Superboy black T-shirt, will not help you toward that goal. Overall, Issue 1 feels rushed. Although I will admit that the Parasite fight was well choreographed… still I would be remiss if I did not point out how disgusted Vince was with the fact that the Parasite was defeated by wheat. If the same attention to detail could have been used with the rest of the script, we’d have had a great comic. Though even then, I would not have given it an Eisner nomination. So let’s move on to Issue 2. Poison Ivy made an appearance at the very end of Issue 1, and I was very curious to see how this would pan out. I love when villains travel to new cities, and seeing Poison Ivy out of Gotham seemed like it may be fun. Before we go further however, allow me to shake my head, ever so slowly, toward Pier Gallo, for catering to the lowest common denominator when drawing Poison Ivy.              Congratulations. Those anatomy classes paid off. You know how to draw an ass. This is something which I’ve discussed at length in a feature for my personal site (and I may yet import that feature into this site to stir up some comments). I’m tired of these costume designs and virtual camera angles that are meant only to titillate. Honestly, grow up. We have. Luckily this is not the norm in “Superboy“, otherwise I’d have given up on the series entirely and chalked it up as a young, pubescent boy’s series. As for Gallo’s style as a whole, I know I haven’t discussed it yet, but that’s because I’m torn. There are panels which blow me away… followed by, well let’s be honest, tripe. Overall, I’m not a fan of the style, however I can appreciate the man’s talent. Getting back to the story, the Poison Ivy content was brief, and quite obviously, predictable. Though she pretended to want to ally herself with Superboy for a greater good, she of course turned at the end… only to then be defeated by parasitic frogs. Seriously. Apparently, this shit can be made up. This issue served to add more suspense to the ongoing mystery. The entire reason for Poison Ivy’s visit is explained in the final page of Issue 2, and you’re left to wonder how everything is going to tie in together. This issue also further defines the working relationship between Superboy and Simon. It becomes quite obvious that the two are going to be working together more closely, though it’s difficult to tell whether it will be as an equally ranked duo, or as lead and apprentice. And lastly, the issue lays the groundwork for Smallville… so to speak. The recent battles have ripped the crops apart and Superboy feels it is his responsibility to see to it that the farmers do not suffer needlessly because of it. Still with me? A’ight then, let’s flip through the third issue and see what awaits us. If you were expecting a rational splash page for the third issue, you will be seriously disappointed, as you may be with the entire issue. It seems there’s a force at work that is causing everyone but Lori Luthor to pass out; or in Connor’s case, struggle with consciousness, staggering around to find the source of the psychic assault. It’s during these first few pages that Lori discovers that Connor is Superboy. He decides to remove his plaid button-down in the hall, revealing his black Superboy T-shirt and she hides from him upon seeing this. Again… seriously Connor… secret identity. Hell, at least Superman found a phone booth. We’re three issues in, and already two of your classmates have discovered your identity. But I digress. Issue 3 was entirely character driven. We see Connor giving Bart (Kid Flash) a call to setup a fundraiser race to raise money for the local farmers. We also see Connor telling Simon Valentine that their friendship must come to an end if their superhero partnership is to continue. Apparently Connor’s worried about folks figuring him out if they see Simon with both Connor and Superboy. But ripping off his shirt in public, that’s cool. /sigh This issue also introduced us to the time travelling physic (responsible for the initial collapse of the schools population); Sajan Mehra, codename Psionic Lad. You’d think that by 2216, they’d have given up on calling teenage boys “lad”, but apparently they’re stuck with that stupidity for hundreds of years to come. I’d like to say I’m interested in Psyionic Lad, or the Hunting Party which followed him to Superboy’s time, however I simply am not. There is nothing original here. We’ve seen these tired scenes time and time again over the ages (pun intended). Issue 4 starts with Psionic Lad and Superboy tackling the Hunting Party, only for them to leave “mysteriously” when Simon happens upon the fight. Apparently a CODE-1 is pretty heavy. From that point on, the rest of the issue is entirely character and story driven. There is not one panel of action. We get more information about Psionic Lad, only to find out later that it’s quite likely all a lie (sorry, uh, spoiler?). We also get some melo-drama between Connor and Lori. I understand that in a series that revolves around a teenager, you will get drama. That is to be expected, and in the hands of a sufficiently talented writer, it can still be engaging for an adult. However there’s a fine line between drama and melo-drama… and you have to be very careful how you dance upon that line. Too much melo-drama will make the adults who are reading simply sigh and roll their eyes. This issue also cemented my opinion of Gallo’s panel pacing, and the verdict is not good. I simply do not like how he arranges his panels. In some instances, it’s painful and destroys the story’s pace.              You only realize how important this is when you see it done so poorly. Although that said, having read Issue 6 with art by Marco Rudy, I can see that this will be a problem which plagues “Superboy” for some time yet to come. The panel placement in Issue 6 was absolutely terrible… however we’ll leave that for a separate review, as we’re only covering issues 1-5 in this feature. Let’s just skip to Issue 5, which actually was my favorite. This issue sees Superboy racing Kid Flash around the globe in an effort to raise money for the farmers whose crops were devastated by Poison Ivy. The question though is haven’t we seen this all before?                                  Now, some may argue that “Superboy” is paying homage to the original “Superman vs The Flash” issues… but to them I would argue; enough is enough. There comes a point where you are no longer paying homage, but rather being a lazy writer. Ironically though, and I hate to say it, this was still my favorite issue of the five. I enjoyed the camaraderie between Connor and Bart. I enjoyed their stupid race, and I chuckled at the outcome. Still, I wish Lemire could have been more original. In addition to the race, we also got some brief relationship moments between Superboy and the Teen Titans. Not much else occurs in this issue. Lori jumps the shark in terms of potentially finding an excuse for shifting toward the “dark side”. Her emotions seem completely unreasonable, though Lemire may be relying on teenage drama as a justification… or the “mysterious” alien artifact upon which she’s been dropping her cigarette ashes during her midnight smoke-breaks away from her catatonic mother. We’ll have to see in future issues. Or rather, you’ll have to see in future issues. I feel I’ve given this series a very fair chance, and taking everything into consideration, I’ve little but disappointment when thinking of where it’s been and where it appears to be going. Not only did they not “hook” me from the beginning, but they didn’t hold me when I forced myself to read more than I otherwise would have. Also, I routinely felt as though I was being force-fed regurgitated, cliched scripts… and I don’t have the time for that. If I’ve already read the same concept several times over the years, I’m not likely to want to sit through it yet again… and I certain don’t want to lay down any bills to add further issues to my collection. Honestly, I don’t know why this series was selected as a nominee in the Best New Series category for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. I can think of many others, in the superhero genre, which have pushed the boundaries of what we have grown accustomed to. I strongly disagree with this nomination, and as a rating for the series as a whole, so far, the most I could give would be a 6/10. Perhaps a 6.5. I did not see any spark of potential, to tell you the truth. i imagined some, but that was from my own ideas of where the series should go…. not because of anything the writer created or suggested. Superboy (Issues 1-5) DC Comics Story: Jeff Lemire Art: Pier Gallo, Jamie Grant...

Guide to Marvel Cosmic, Part 2: The Story

Guide to Marvel Cosmic, Part 2: The Story

With the completion of The Thanos Imperative, Marvel brought an end to several years of epic storytelling in their Marvel Cosmic line of comics. Envisioned and given life by Marvel heavyweights like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Jim Shooter and Jim Starlin, the Marvel Cosmic setting reached its height of popularity in the 70s and 80s. While the characters would continue their grand adventures over the years, the setting wouldn’t see major success again until it was revitalised in 2005’s “Annihilation” event. Since then, the Cosmic comics have been delivering some of Marvel’s best writing and its most consistently high-quality stories. For the last few years, and especially since the start of The Thanos Imperative, I’ve been recommending these comics to everyone. However, due to the relative obscurity of many of these characters as opposed to Spider-Man or Captain America, it’s hard for many to get into these stories. So, I present to you my Guide to Marvel Cosmic, this time detailing the Story. Of course, there will be spoilers here. My goal is to give readers a general understanding of past events, so if they find a particular story interesting, they have some knowledge going in. I also believe that having a general understanding of the events of a storyline won’t negatively affect your enjoyment of the writing, artwork and smaller details. Annihilation The primary writer for the “Annihilation” event was Keith Giffen. While he has experience with cosmic stories from his work on Legion of Super-Heroes, Giffen hasn’t been known for serious stories. Still, he pulled together an absolutely epic event that nobody saw coming and the quality was astounding. “Annihilation” was released as a prologue issue, a collection of miniseries focusing on the characters of Nova, Silver Surfer, Ronan the Accuser and the Super-Skrull, then finally the Annihilation miniseries itself. Annihilation: Prologue focuses on the events of “Annihilation Day” where the forces of the Annihilation Wave pour out of the Negative Zone and destroy the Kyln power generators and prisons as well as the entire Nova Corps, cutting off the galaxy’s best defenses immediately. The leader of the Annihilation Wave is revealed to be none other than Annihilus. In the Annihilation: Nova miniseries, Nova has to deal with being the last member of the Corps. He bonds with the Worldmind, gaining the collective knowledge and power of the entire Nova Corps. He helps Quasar and Drax evacuate the residents of a planet about to be hit by the Annihilation Wave before attacking Annihilus himself, a battle that would end with the death of Quasar. Annihilus would go after Galactus and his Heralds in Annihilation: Silver Surfer, pushing the Surfer to once again ally himself with the World Eater. Ronan would be accused of treason in Annihilation: Ronan, meeting Gamora while on the run, while Super-Skrull would sacrifice himself to stop a planet-destroying weapon in Annihilation: Super-Skrull. The various minis leading up to Annihilation aren’t central to the plot, but they set everything up and introduce the characters, moving all the pieces where they need to be. Of course, there’s some great stories to read in there, too. Annihilation tells the story of Nova and his allies fighting against Annihilus, now allied with Thanos, as if one massive threat weren’t enough. Annihilus has decided to invade the “normal” universe since its never-ending expansion is starting to encroach on his territory in the Negative Zone. He believes this gives him the right to claim our dimension as his own. Thanos, seeing the destruction wrought by the Annihilation Wave, sees this as an excellent opportunity to please Death. Thanos takes down Galactus and the Silver Surfer, enabling Annihilus to steal their Power Cosmic. Drax manages to accomplish the purpose he was created for by killing Thanos and freeing Galactus, who destroys a majority of the Annihilation Wave forces in retaliation. Ronan frees the Kree homeworld from Annihilus’ control, and is chosen their new leader. With his forces diminished and his footholds in the galaxy slipping, Annihilus is the last target to be taken down. Nova, Star Lord and Phyla-Vell lead the charge. Phyla claims Quasar’s Quantum Bands from Annihilus, becoming the new Quasar and weakening the beast enough for Nova to finish him off. Though it’s a term thrown around quite a bit these days, “Annihilation” was nothing short of epic. Huge battles, worlds in danger, cosmic power; it had it all. “Annihilation” was so successful, Marvel would start a new, ongoing Nova series, as well as a follow-up event. Annihilation: Conquest “Conquest” in 2007 would be the beginning of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s reign over Marvel Cosmic. After writing the Annihilation: Nova mini, as well as the Nova ongoing, the duo known as “DnA” would mastermind the entire line for years to come. Again, the event would be published as a series of lead-ups, ending with the main miniseries. Annihilation: Conquest: Prologue again set everything up, as well as leading the way in colon usage. The Kree Empire, still rebuilding after the Annihilation Wave, would come under attack once again. Its robotic sentries came under the control of a mysterious force, attacking the Kree. All of Kree space was cut off, leaving the Phalanx, a conquering race of sentient robots, to take control. A tie-in with Nova would see the titular hero attempt to break through the shield surrounding Kree space, only to be flung across the galaxy. He fought a Phalanx-infected Gamora and Drax, becoming infected himself. All three would be cured and break through the shield in time to save their allies. Annihilation: Conquest: Star Lord focuses on Peter quill and his resistance to the Phalanx on the Kree homeworld. This miniseries would bring Star Lord together with future Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Bug and Mantis. Phyla-Vell would come to terms with her new role in Annihilation: Conquest: Quasar, finding the man who could be the Kree’s only hope: Adam Warlock. Annihilation: Conquest: Wraith introduced a new character to the cast. The man known simply as Wraith, the son of a Kree outcast. He returned to Kree space to get revenge for the death of his parents, but proved to be a powerful ally against the Phalanx. Again, all the pieces were now in place for the main event. Before long, the driving force behind the Phalanx would be revealed as the long-time Avengers villain, Ultron. As usual, the insane robot wanted to wipe out all organic life. Ultron would capture Adam Warlock and transfer his essence into the “perfect being,” granting him unimaginable power. With Star Lord and his team backed into a corner, Nova would arrive just in time to save the day. While freeing himself of Phalanx control, Nova came across the Technarchy, another cybernetic race, among them the X-Men ally Warlock (not to be confused with Adam Warlock). The Technarchy were the ones responsible for creating the Phalanx, but with the Technarchy on their side, Nova, Star Lord and the rest of the heroes quickly turned the tide. Phyla-Vell and the returned Adam Warlock would deal the final blow to Ultron, with an assist from Wraith. While not necessarily as epic as “Annihilation,” “Conquest” was more character focused. This attention to their large and varied cast would be the signature of DnA’s stories for the next several years. Many of the characters featured in “Conquest” would band together for another new ongoing series, Guardians of the Galaxy. War of Kings 2009’s “War of Kings” would be DnA’s most expansive epic. It would feature a multitude of miniseries, one-shots, as well as taking up quite a few issues of Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy. Interestingly enough, the events leading up to “War of Kings” wouldn’t even happen in the Cosmic comics. Instead, they would be stories branching out from the “Secret Invasion” event and the X-Men titles. The “War of Kings” was the power struggle between the rulers of the two largest galactic empires, the Kree and the Shi’ar. After the Secret Invasion, the Inhumans, a race of early humans genetically modified by the Kree, returned to their makers. The Kree were in no position to put up a fight, so Black Bolt, Medusa and the rest of the Inhuman royal family assumed control of the Kree Empire. Meanwhile, Vulcan, Gabriel Summers, had just staged a coup of his own, becoming new emperor of the Shi’ar, though his brother, Havok, was still leading the resistance against him. In order to solidify their rule, Black Bolt and Medusa promised their daughter as a bride to the former Kree leader, Ronan the Accuser. On the day of their wedding, Vulcan would send the Shi’ar Imperial Guard to attack, kidnapping Lilandra Neremani, rightful heir to the Shi’ar throne and guest at the ceremony. The Inhumans swore revenge on Vulcan and the war was on. Gladiator, the leader of the Imperial Guard would abandon his duty to help Lilanrda, though Lilandra would not survive. Meanwhile, Black Bolt and Vulcan were both killed in a massive explosion. Medusa would take her husband’s place on the Kree throne, while Gladiator would ascend to lead the Shi’ar. Wishing to end hostilities, Gladiator swore loyalty to Medusa, officially making the Inhumans the most influential political power in the galaxy. While “War of Kings” is a decent enough story on its own, it really serves as more of a setup for things to come, with the events of many of the tie-ins having little to do with the main plotline. Nova would face his own issues rebuilding the Nova Corps, trying to maintain peace in the war-torn galaxy. The Guardians would be warned of a forthcoming disaster and Wendell Vaughn would be reborn, returning to his role as Quasar since Phyla-Vell had moved on to another calling. “War of Kings” would see a small followup in the form of “Realm of Kings.” This mini-event would solidify the arrangements between the Kree and Shi’ar, as well as bring an end to the Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy series. The Guardians would have the biggest plot developments here, as they explored the rift created by the explosion that killed Black Bolt and Vulcan. They would discover that the rift led to a parallel dimension where Death no longer existed. Without Death, Life has grown wild, expanding like a cancer, ready to spill over into our universe; this dimension was dubbed the “Cancerverse.” Meanwhile, Phyla-Vell would meet her end at the hands of the reborn Thanos. The Thanos Imperative Perhaps because of the vastness of “War of Kings” or just in an effort to tell a better, more controlled story, The Thanos Imperative was told in only a single miniseries with a one-issue prologue and epilogue. As established in “Realm of Kings,” the Cancerverse, populated by twisted versions of our universe’s heroes, is ready to expand into our realm. Since Death does not exist in the Cancerverse, the Avatar of Death, Thanos, may be the Guardians only hope at defeating Lord Mar-Vell and his Revengers. An uneasy alliance is formed between Thanos and the Guardians; Drax is particularly hesitant. Meanwhile, all-out war has erupted at The Fault, with every warship in the galaxy engaging the forces of the Cancerverse. The Kree, Shi’ar and others are fighting a losing battle before the Silver Surfer, Galactus and the god-like Celestials show up to fight for the survival of their universe. The Cancerverse escalates the hostilities, calling in a massive war machine constructed from their version of Galactus, once again swinging the momentum in their favor. Realizing that the war can’t be won from this side of The Fault, Nova proposes a strike team consisting of the six most powerful warriors in the galaxy; Quasar, Ronan, Gladiator, Beta Ray Bill, Silver Surfer and himself. As they lead the assault, Thanos and Star Lord continue their mission to bring Death back to the Cancerverse, though Drax loses his composure, leading to his death. Nova’s assault would be minimally effective, only serving to put Thanos and Lord Mar-Vell on a collision course. When the dust settled, Death was restored to the Cancerverse, Lord Mar-Vell was defeated and Thanos was trapped in a collapsing universe with Nova and Star Lord. In the end The Thanos Imperative was a fitting conclusion to DnA’s efforts with Marvel Cosmic. It had all the epicness of “Annihilation” with the character development and writing of “Conquest” topped off with the universal impact of “War of Kings.” But is it the actual end of Marvel Cosmic? DnA may be giving Heroes for Hire the Guardians of the Galaxy treatment, but they may not be done with the characters they’ve dedicated the last several years to. Marvel’s new miniseries, Annihilators, tells the story of Quasar, Ronan, Beta Ray Bill, Silver Surfer and Gladiator as they play the role of “Cosmic Avengers,” safeguarding a galaxy that finds itself truly defenseless. I hope this guide has been informative, but I hope even more that it has generated some interest in these lesser-known and underappreciated comics. Get out there and read!...

Should Batman Kill The Joker

Should Batman Kill The Joker

I haven’t had as much time to read comic books since stopping our comics podcast several months ago. It isn’t that I haven’t wanted to read specific titles, but rather that I’ve been working on several novels. I’ve read the two newest Guild Wars novels, which I will most likely write about soon, as I loved them so entirely… as well as the first in the Diablo: The Sin War trilogy, Birthright, which I’ve not yet finished as I find I have to muscle through various parts due to my dislike of Richard A. Knaak’s style. However I’m not here to discuss his shoddy writing....

Guide to Marvel Cosmic, Part 1: The Characters

Guide to Marvel Cosmic, Part 1: The Characters

With the completion of The Thanos Imperative and the coming release of the one-shot epilogue, The Thanos Imperative: Devastation, Marvel is bringing a close to several years of epic storytelling in their Marvel Cosmic line of comics. Envisioned and given life by Marvel heavyweights like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Jim Shooter and Jim Starlin, the Marvel Cosmic setting reached its height of popularity in the 70s and 80s. While the characters would continue their grand adventures over the years, the setting wouldn’t see major success again until it was revitalized in 2005’s “Annihilation” event. Since then, the Cosmic comics have been delivering some of Marvel’s best writing and its most consistently high-quality stories. For the last few years, and especially since the start of The Thanos Imperative, I’ve been recommending these comics to everyone. However, due to the relative obscurity of many of these characters as opposed to Spider-Man or Captain America, it’s hard for many to get into these stories. So, I present to you my Guide to Marvel Cosmic, beginning with the Characters. When first examining the Marvel Cosmic setting, the first thing to look at is the three empires constantly at war over territory; the Kree, the Skrulls and the Shi’ar. The Kree The Kree are a human-like race, known for their incredible intelligence and advanced technology. Initially discovered by the Skrulls, the Kree were deemed unworthy and lashed out, killing many and stealing their technology. Before long, the Kree had reverse-engineered interstellar travel and started an all-out war between the two races, lasting hundreds of thousands of years, never reaching a resolution. During this war, Earth would be a major factor, as our solar system lies directly between the two empires. The driving force of Kree culture is their attempts at advancing genetically, as their own evolution had halted, even conducting genetic experiments on early humans. They attempted cross-breeding with other races, leading the traditionally blue-skinned species to turn pink, making them essentially indistinguishable from humans. Supreme Intelligence: An organic computer created from the Kree’s greatest minds, the Supreme Intelligence was originally created to advise the Kree and help them in their war with the Skrulls. Eventually, the Supreme Intelligence would gain its own personality and become the ruler of the Kree, even worshipped as a god by many. Seemingly killed by a group of Avengers, the Supreme Intelligence has managed to survive in one form or another for years, but never regain its power. Ronan the Accuser: As a member of the Kree’s blue-skinned nobility and one of their most powerful warriors, Ronan quickly rose through the ranks of the Kree Public Accuser Corps, becoming Supreme Accuser. As Supreme Accuser, Ronan was responsible for upholding the law across the breadth of the Kree Empire, second in power only to the Supreme Intelligence. Recently, Ronan has been central to the reformation of Kree society, acting as their leader for a time. Captain Marvel: Mar-Vell was a young Kree hero, selected for a mission to Earth, though he was an unwitting pawn of both Ronan and the Supreme Intelligence. Mar-Vell became one of Earth’s greatest heroes, even forming a bond with long-time Avengers sidekick Rick Jones. Time and time again, Mar-Vell would defy orders, fighting the Kree on behalf of Earth, thwarting their plans. Mar-Vell died of cancer, surrounded by his friends and allies, as one of the greatest heroes the universe has ever known. The Inhumans: Thousands of years ago, in one of their many genetic experiments, the Kree created the Inhumans on Earth by exposing early humans to a substance known as the Terrigen Mists. The Mists caused genetic abnormalities, leading to extraordinary powers. Though the Inhumans would interact with many Earth heroes, most notably the Fantastic Four, they spent most of their existence in seclusion from the rest of the world. The Inhumans are led by their king, Black Bolt, whose voice is so powerful merely uttering a single word can destroy an entire city. After the Secret Invasion tore their society apart, the Inhumans left Earth to return to the Kree, even managing to take control of the empire. The Skrulls The Skrulls’ defining traits are their green skin, pointy ears and their ability to shapeshift. A race of warriors, the Skrulls rapidly increased the size of their influence, building one of the largest empires in the galaxy. While the Kree saw Earth as a way to enhance their genetics, to the Skrulls it was just another planet to conquer. The fact that it was valued by the Kree only increased the Skrulls desire to conquer it. When one of their early invasion attempts ended with Reed Richards convincing the Skrulls to shapeshift into cows and then hypnotizing them to believe they actually were cows, the Skrulls’ desire to conquer the planet grew exponentially. For years to come, the Skrulls would replace key members of Earth’s governments and superhero teams, waiting for the perfect time to strike. With the Skrull empire almost completely destroyed, they launched their “Secret Invasion,” attempting to claim Earth as their new homeworld. The Skrulls were defeated, leaving only small remnants of their race spread across the galaxy. Super-Skrull: Kl’rt was a Skrull warrior selected for a special project; he was imbued with the powers of each member of the Fantastic Four. Over the years, Super-Skrull would repeatedly clash with the Fantastic Four and later, as an agent of Thanos, Captain Marvel. More recently, Kl’rt sacrificed himself in an attempt to save the Skrull empire from the Annihilation Wave. He was later resurrected with a new outlook on life, helping Ronan liberate the Kree and even fighting against the Skrulls in the Secret Invasion. Paibok: Paibok the Power Skrull was another frequent enemy of the Fantasic Four, though never gaining the notoriety Super-Skrull did. During the Annihilation Wave, Paibok was mind controlled and forced to fight for the destruction of the galaxy, even against his fellow Skrulls. Queen Veranke: With the Skrull empire devastated, Veranke rose to power over the remnants of her race. A religious extremist, Veranke was convinced that it was the Skrulls’ divine right to claim Earth as their new homeworld. She knew of the plan to replace Earth’s heroes with Skrulls and led the Secret Invasion. At the end of the battle, she was killed by Norman Osborn. The Shi’ar The Shi’ar are a bird-like race of humanoids with the largest known empire in the galaxy. The Shi’ar are most known for their interactions with the X-Men, both as enemies and allies. They serve more as a force of order in the galaxy, attempting to contain the likes of the Phoenix Force and even Galactus. Much conflict for the Shi’ar is not with other races, but rather within; there are constant power struggles and civil wars, frequently drawing in the X-Men and other heroes. The largest of these struggles was when Vulcan, Gabriel Summers, attacked the Shi’ar, wanting revenge for the death of his mother, overthrowing the government and declaring himself emperor. The former empress, Lilandra teamed up with a group of X-Men and the remaining crew of the Starjammer to lead the rebellion. Both Lilandra and Vulcan were killed, leaving Gladiator, the head of the Imperial guard as the new leader of the Shi’ar. D’Ken Neramani: As the long-time emperor of the Shi’ar Empire, D’ken was a brutal dictator. Growing increasingly unstable, D’Ken attempted to use the power of the legendary M’Kraan Crystal to gain absolute power. He was defeated by the combined efforts of his sister, Lilandra, the X-Men and the Starjammers. Lilandra Neramani: D’Ken’s younger sister, Lilandra, knew her brother needed to be stopped before he destroyed the universe. She travelled to Earth, enlisting the aid of Professor X and the X-Men. She ruled the Shi’ar Empire in relative peace for years after, until she was deposed by a returned D’Ken. Deathbird: Lilandra and D’Ken’s older sister Cal’syee was determined, too bloodthirsty to rule the Shi’ar and was exiled before she could take the throne. She was a constant threat to both Earth and the Shi’ar before she married Vulcan to help cement his rule. Vulcan: Gabriel Summers, the long-lost third Summers brother was long thought dead, even his existence unknown to all but Professor X. When he was discovered alive, he left Earth for the Shi’ar Empire to exact revenge for the murder of his mother. Vulcan allied himself with D’Ken after he had reclaimed the throne from Lilandra and married Deathbird. He eventually turned on D’Ken, killing him and becoming the new emperor. The Imperial Guard: The elite forces of the Shi’ar, the Imperial Guard is made up of the strongest fighters from across the empire. They are loyal to the throne, and will fight for the leader of the Shi’ar, regardless of right or wrong. For years, the Imperial Guard has been commanded by Gladiator, one of the strongest fighters in the known universe. The Starjammers: After their abduction and the murder of his wife, Christopher Summers, father of Cyclops, Havok and Vulcan, took the name Corsair and led the crew of the Starjammer in a rebellion against D’Ken. When D’Ken rose to power the second time, Corsair was killed, with Havok and his fellow X-Men Polaris and Marvel Girl taking over leadership of the Starjammers. While the three empires may be the largest and most influential members of the Marvel Cosmic line, they’ve by no means the only ones worth talking about. Next we’re going to look at some of the heroes attempting to maintain peace and order in the war-torn galaxy. The Guardians of the Galaxy The original Guardians of the Galaxy were a team of superheroes in the 31st Century. They fought to protect Earth from the threats it would face 1000 years in the future. They would occasionally travel back in time, even becoming honorary Avengers before being lost in a space/time rift. The latest version of the Guardians was formed after the Phalanx attack in Annihilation: Conquest. Star Lord brought together the heroes who had fought the Phalanx, citing a need to prevent any future problems. They established a base of operations in Knowhere, a bizarre space station constructed in the head of a dead Celestial. Star Lord: Peter Quill was granted the mantle of Star Lord to serve as a sort of intergalactic cop, righting wrongs and generally doing good. Star Lord was an obscure character until he was freed from a prison by nova during the Annihilation Wave. While he has no powers beyond those of a normal human, his leadership abilities proved vital in the coming battles. Drax the Destroyer: Drax was a being created for a sole purpose; to kill Thanos. He assisted the Avengers in that goal years ago and wandered the galaxy, lost without purpose, for many years. Freed from the same prison as Star Lord during the Annihilation Wave, he helped Nova and the others once he found out Thanos was involved. Later, after being freed by the mind control of the Phalanx, Drax stayed on as a member of the Guardians, lending them his immense power Gamora: “The Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe” was once a pawn of Thanos, before she turned on him and allied herself with Adam Warlock. She was drawn into battle against the Annihilation Wave, and much like Drax, joined the Guardians after being freed by the Phalanx. Rocket Raccoon: A badass raccoon with a big ass gun. Rocket’s backstory is about as goofy as it gets. All you need to know is he was assigned to Star lord’s team by the Kree to combat the Phalanx, serving as a tactician. Groot: He’s an incredibly strong, sentient tree than can regenerate his body from almost nothing. A powerful fighter, he is good friends with Rocket Raccoon and was also assigned to Star Lord’s team by the Kree. Bug: A master thief, Bug joined Rocket Raccoon and Groot as prisoners selected for Star Lord’s assault team. Mantis: This former Avenger is a powerful telepath. She foresaw the coming of the Annihilation Wave and made her way to space to help, often putting herself in the line of fire to protect her teammates. When the Guardians were formed, she used her telepathy to influence some of the members into joining. Major Victory: Vance Astrovik was one of the original Guardians of the Galaxy. When Star Lord’s team discovered him on an asteroid which had emerged from a space/time rift, he was disoriented and shouted a rallying cry for the “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The fledgling team had a name and a new member. In the 31st Century, Vance obtained Captain America’s shield, which he still uses. Jack Flag: A former protege of Captain America, Jack was paralyzed resisting the Superhuman Registration Act and thrown into the Negative Zone prison, 42. When the staff evacuated during an attack, Jack took over as warden, attempting to keep the prisoners under control. He was rescued by Star Lord and healed on Knowhere. He decided to stay with the Guardians, as he was still a wanted fugitive on Earth. Cosmo: Cosmo was a dog used during the Soviet Union’s space experiments in the 1960s. His rocket went off course, somehow finding its way to Knowhere. Cosmo gained telepathic communication due to a mutation and has served as Knowhere’s Chief of Security ever since. Nova There have been two major Marvel characters to go by the name of Nova. The first is the former love interest of the Human Torch and Herald of Galactus, the other is who we’re focusing on here, the hero known as Richard Rider. Nova is basically Marvel’s version of the Green Lantern in concept. The Nova Corps are the police force protecting the entire Marvel Universe. For much of his superhero career, Rich alternated between helping the Nova Corps out in space and fighting with the Earth team of young heroes, the New Warriors. When the Annihilation Wave hit, its first target was the Nova Corps and their base of operations on New Xandar. Rich was the only Nova Centurion left alive in the entire galaxy, and he now possessed the Nova Corps Worldmind. In order to preserve itself and the Corps, the Worldmind downloaded itself into Rich’s Nova helmet, granting him access to all the combined knowledge and power of the entire Corps. Supercharged, Nova became the front line of defence in the many crises to follow and has begun to rebuild the Corps. Adam Warlock Adam Warlock was created to be the perfect human being, the height of human potential, though he has the potential for great good or great evil. In one of his early adventures, Warlock encountered an insane future version of himself gone mad with power, known as Adam Magus. Knowing what may lie in store for him, Warlock sought to do some good in the universe, constantly clashing with Thanos. During the Annihilation Wave, Warlock’s Cosmic Awareness caused him to feel each of the billions of deaths, nearly driving him insane. A partially recovered, but still unstable Warlock would assist in the defeat of the Phalanx and briefly joining the Guardians of the Galaxy. He used his Cosmic Awareness to guide the team in attempting to repair the universe, but would not remain long. Once Mantis’s mental influence over the team was discovered, many members, including Warlock would leave, though he would return soon… as Magus. Quasar Wendell Vaughn was a guard at a Stark Labs facility investigating the cosmic artifacts known as the Quantum Bands. During an attack, he put the bands on and was able to harness their power. As Quasar, Wendell was named Protector of the Universe, the successor to Captain Marvel. He would fill that role admirably until his death during the Annihilation Wave. The Quantum Bands would pass to Phyla-Vell, Captain Marvel’s daughter, making her the new Quasar. Phyla-Vell did her best, but was killed when Thanos returned to life prior to The Thanos Imperative. Wendell was later reborn as a being of pure energy and reclaimed the Bands. Beta Ray Bill Beta Ray Bill was chosen as the champion of a dying race, the Korbinites. He was given a cybernetic body in order to protect them and guide them to their new home. During their journey, their ship flew close to Earth and Thor was sent to investigate. Bill defeated Thor in battle, even proving worthy enough to wield Mjolnir. Bill later proved his worthiness by defeating Thor once again in a battle designed by Odin to teach Thor humility. In recognition of Bill’s worthiness, Odin commissioned a weapon for Bill, Stormbreaker, equal in every way to Mjolnir. Bill would spend the next years battling foes both cosmic and Asgardian, even confronting Galactus on more than one occasion. Silver Surfer Norrin Radd lived a peaceful life on the planet Zenn-La until the day Galactus arrived to consume their world. Norrin offered to become Galactus’s Herald in exchange for sparing his planet. As Herald, Norrin would seek out worlds fit for Galactus to consume, but free of sentient life. Galactus accepted the offer and transformed Norrin into the cosmically-powered Silver Surfer. Over time, Galactus’s hunger eclipsed his will and he altered the Surfer’s mind, causing the Surfer to lead him to inhabited worlds and, in time, Earth. Though the Surfer turned on Galactus to protect Earth and spent years fighting evil on his own, he would return to Galactus’s service in order to combat the Annihilation Wave. Of course, heroes would be nothing without threats to combat. On Earth, villains want to rob banks, blow up buildings and conquer small countries. Not content with such simple goals, cosmic villains just want to end all life in the universe. They’re a badass bunch, and it’s understandable that it would take an assembly of all the heroes above to take down just one of them. Galactus The Devourer of Worlds is a being of almost unimaginable power. Unfortunately, all that power must be fed, hence the title. In order to sustain himself, Galactus breaks down suitable planets into their base energy and consumes them. Aided by the Silver Surfer and his other Heralds, Galactus constantly seeks out new worlds to devour, as his hunger continues to grow. Once thought to be a great evil, in recent years Galactus has been accepted as more of a force of nature, a necessary balance in the universe. Thanos Thanos was born on Saturn’s moon, Titan, populated by a race of godlike beings known as Eternals. Born with a genetic quirk making him an outcast, Thanos grew isolated and jealous, growing in power to compensate for his perceived shortcomings. Thanos’s dark thoughts eventually led him to become obsessed with Death. Yes, with a capital ‘D.’ Thanos fell in love with the cosmic embodiment of Death and has spent his entire life attempting to please her by destroying all life in the universe, going to seemingly impossible ends to do so. The problem is, Thanos has gained so much power in his desire to please Death, he has become nearly immortal himself and may never be able to join her. In the heirarchy of Marvel badasses, Thanos may not have the power level of a Galactus or any other actual cosmic entity, but his power combined with his desire makes him the most dangerous individual in the universe. Annihilus The Negative Zone is a parallel dimension made entirely of antimatter. In the rampaging chaos there, a being known as Annihilus was formed. The creature quickly grew in power and influence, eventually becoming paranoid of his own survival to the point where he attacked anything perceived as a threat. Not knowing when to leave something alone, Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four would repeatedly clash with Annihilus on experimental excursions to the Negative Zone. When Annihilus saw that our universe was expanding into the Negative Zone, he claimed that our universe was now his by right and started the Annihilation Wave to conquer it, leading to the Annihilation event. Phalanx The Phalanx are a technological alien race bent on conquering anything in their path. Even after the Phalanx War, little is known about them. They are able to infect other biological and technical entities with a virus, enslaving them to the Phalanx. With most of the galaxy devastated in the wake of the Annihilation Wave, the Phalanx thought it was the perfect time to strike. Their first target was the Kree empire, leading to the second big Marvel Cosmic event, Annihilation: Conquest. The Cancerverse A massive explosion at the end of War of Kings opened a rift into another universe. In this universe, Death no longer exists. Without Death, there is no end to life, and the universe is growing too fast for its own good; it has become a Cancerverse. This Cancerverse is populated by twisted versions of Earth’s heroes, who worship the “Many Angled Ones”, bizarre extra-dimensional beings looking to expand their influence. The Cancerverse is ruled over by none other than Lord Mar-Vell. With the characters established and the basic layout of Marvel Cosmic set up, be sure to check back for Part 2: Story. There’s some great stuff here I’d recommend to anyone, and hopefully giving you a taste of what’s going on will interest some to check these fantastic comics out....

Avengers Assemble

Avengers Assemble

May 19th, 2010 was “Avengers Day.” For the first time in five years an actual issue of Avengers hit the shelves, completely relaunching the Avengers franchise. Adjectiveless, New, Mighty, Young, West Coast, Secret or any of the related teams have been the central comics of the Marvel Universe for decades. So, there was no better way for Marvel to launch their “Heroic Age” initiative than with a whole new lineup of Avengers titles. With Secret Avengers just wrapping up its first story arc and Avengers and New Avengers halfway through their introductory arcs, I figured now is a good time to step back and look at them one-by-one. Avengers Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Pencils: John Romita, Jr. Lineup: Captain America (Bucky Barnes), Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Wolverine, Protector, Maria Hill (Director) This is the primary title in the Avengers lineup. It features many of the characters fans associate with the Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, as well as some new additions to the roster. Overall, it’s an interesting team, but Bendis seems to miss on some character traits. Throughout his career, Bendis has been more of a character writer than a story writer; it’s what I’ve liked about much of his work. Unfortunately, the overall narrative in some of his comics has gotten lost behind all the dialog. So, in Avengers, it’s almost as if he’s trying too hard to tell the bigger story and losing some of the smaller details that made him famous to begin with. His Spider-Man seems too inexperienced and his Thor and Iron Man are just bland. When the story slows down though, the true Bendis style comes through. The story itself took a little while for me to get on board with. Time-traveler Kang the Conqueror, one of the Avengers oldest villains appears to tell the Avengers that their kids are wrecking the future, if they’re not stopped the entire timestream could collapse. It’s pretty cool to see the characters from the Next Avengers animated movie being brought into continuity, and some later reveals, such as the Maestro really caught my interest. Sadly, once time travel was introduced to the plot, the next couple issues got a bit complicated. First of all, you have a bunch of exposition explaining everything, then it all gets weird. With the time stream weakening, all kinds of insanity crosses over to the present-day Marvel U. The Avengers fight everyone from Apocolypse and his Four Horsemen to Galactus. It all seemed to be spiraling out of control until the recent Issue 4. Near the end of the issue, Bendis finally seems to be getting the plot on track, and I’m interested once again. The art has been widely praised, and rightfully so as Romita is one of the greatest artists of all time. I do have some complaints, though. As prolific as he’s been throughout his career, I just don’t feel that Avengers is a good fit for him. When I think of Avengers, I think of bright, vibrant, larger-than-life characters. Romita’s style isn’t BAD, I just don’t think it’s the right one for this title. Additionally, some of his character designs just feel off. Romita draws Spider-Man better than just about anyone else in the world, and his agile characters like Spidey and Hawkeye all look great, but some of the more iconic characters just feel off to me. His Iron Man is way too blocky, and his Cap and Thor just seem stiff. Again, I’m not saying it’s bad, and I love Romita, but the overall presentation just doesn’t work for me. However, I can’t wait to see Romita get ahold of Red Hulk in Issue 7. New Avengers Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Pencils: Stuart Immonen Lineup: LUKE F’IN CAGE, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ms Marvel, The Thing, Victoria Hand (Director) The way I see it, Avengers is the comic Bendis HAS to write. New Avengers, however, it the comic Bendis WANTS to write. Every aspect of New Avengers is just perfect. The team fits together more naturally, opening more options for Bendis to have fun with them, and he certainly does. The banter between Wolverine and Spider-Man in Issue 2 is just priceless, but it’s easy to see that Bendis just enjoys writing this one. The only complaint I have is that there’s just too much overlap between the two teams’ rosters. The story is just big and fun. Dimensional invasions and demonic possession isn’t much simpler than time travel, but it all flows a little better here. Bendis doesn’t waste time trying to explain too much of it; we just accept whatever Doctor Strange tells us, and everything that doesn’t make sense at this point is just a mystery to be solved later. Science and sorcery aren’t that different, thematically, but the difference in how they’re handled sets the tone of the story. A writer feels the need to explain the science, but sorcery is supposed to be mysterious. Also, the pacing is much better in New Avengers. Each issue builds on the one before, leading to an epic resolution. THIS is what an Avengers comic is supposed to look like. Immonen knocks it out of the park here. There really isn’t much to say, because it’s just damn good. My only issue is I feel the double-page spreads are a bit over used, but I have nothing but praise for the quality and style. Secret Avengers Writer: Ed Brubaker Pencils: Mike Deodato Lineup: Steve Rogers, War Machine, Beast, Black Widow, Valkyrie, Nova, Moon Knight, Ant-Man (Eric O’Grady), Sharon Carter (Director) Ed Brubaker has stepped up to the plate with his own team of Avengers, with a completely unique style. While Avengers and New Avengers are big action, Secret Avengers is more subdued, with a slower pace and more depth. There’s a reason this guy has been Writer of the Year three times. The team the former Captain America has assembled is astounding. They’re going up against a wide range of threats, and you have a great combination of strength, stealth and science. Each member compliments the others. You can tell Brubaker is still growing into this one and trying to get a handle on some of the characters. His Moon Knight feels a bit off at times, but I love his Ant-Man. Obviously, after spending several years with the character, Brubaker does a GREAT Steve Rogers. The concept of Secret Avengers is an interesting one. While the other, higher-profile teams are mostly reactive, this one is proactive. They use their intelligence-gathering capabilities to find threats before the threats find them. There’s a lot of fun espionage and black-ops going on here, but when it’s time to throw down, it’s handled well. The first story arc was a bit of a surprise, with this “secret” team getting into a huge battle on Mars, of all places. Hopefully the story will be getting back to what we’re expecting after some recent revelations. Secret Avengers doesn’t fit my archetype for what an Avengers comic should be, but I like that. Secret Avengers is supposed to be something different from the norm for the franchise. It’s written differently and it should look different. There are lots of shadows, but it never feels dark. The big fight at the end of Issue 4 was suitably epic for two forces of that magnitude clashing. I just can’t wait for the team to get back to Earth and out of those stupid space suits. Moon Knight without a cape just looks stupid. Overall Of the three primary titles, I absolutely feel like New Avengers is the best of the bunch; great story, great characters, beautiful art and just tons of fun. It’s definitely the Avengers title to buy. Avengers isn’t bad, but I just have too many personal issues with it at this early point to flat-out recommend it. For those that want a nice change of pace, you can’t go wrong with Secret Avengers; though if it’s your only tie to the Avengers franchise, you may miss out on some of the more important stories. Beyond that, the Avengers family of comics has more to offer. Avengers Academy teams iconic characters like Hank Pym and Quicksilver with young heroes learning to use their powers for good. While the students have been told they’re the best of the best, they were actually chosen because they’re the ones most likely to turn to the dark side. The kids know the truth, but the instructors don’t know that the kids know. Good fun. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade started off great, with the second issue FINALLY being published just after this writing. The former Young Avengers are on a quest to find the Scarlet Witch. Magneto is a central character in this story, and I’m very interested to see where things go, assuming they ever finish the damn thing. I’m not sure if the world needs Avengers Prime. The miniseries is supposed to be telling the story about how Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and Thor all become allies again after some serious issues between the “Big Three.” However, two issues in, I’m just not seeing it. They’ve been separated, which is fine, but the story doesn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to reunite them, and with only three issues left, that’s a lot of loose ends to tie up. One of my favorite comics in the bunch is the second cousin to the Avengers; Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts have long been a team of supervillains varying between pretending to be heroes and actually being heroes. This iteration of the team consists of Luke Cage honestly trying to rehabilitate a bunch of prisoners. With teammates like Crossbones (the man who shot Steve Rogers) and the damn JUGGERNAUT, Cage constantly has to watch his back and try to keep the team under control. Some of the characters legitimately want redemption, but not all of them. The comic is heavily character-driven, with a ton of badassery to balance it out. All in all, it seems like Marvel’s Heroic Age is off to an impressive start. While there are still some opportunities for improvement, we’re only three and a half months into this new era of the Avengers. There’s plenty of time to grow and improve. For anyone who’s a newcomer to the comic scene, it must be truly exciting, as it has been a long time since we’ve seen “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” doing what they do best....

The Perfect Mini-Series

The Perfect Mini-Series

In comics, a miniseries is actually a pretty difficult thing to pull off well. Sure, there are plenty successful ones out there, but it takes a little something special to go from “good” to “great.” It takes even more to be Perfect. There are three ways to pull off a miniseries. First, you can go completely Original. This style is best seen in works like Kick Ass and just about everything worth mentioning from Frank Miller and Alan Moore. The Original Miniseries gives the creator free reign to do whatever their imagination (and artist) can come up with. However, none of these are the Perfect Miniseries. In an Original Miniseries, there is a limited amount of time to introduce your characters, set up the plot and reach a conclusion. It makes for a fun, fast-paced story that can be the start of something bigger, like Hellboy, but without the time and space for deeper development, these minis fall just short of Perfect. The one that comes closest is Watchmen, which I’ve previously selected as one of the five best comic stories ever. Unfortunately, at twelve issues, it’s hardly “mini.” Next, we have the Continuity Miniseries. Minis like Crisis on Infinite Earths, Civil War or smaller, character-focused ones like the first Wolverine miniseries. Continuity Miniseries can cast aside some of the issues holding Original Miniseries back. We already know the characters, we’ve likely even seen the beginnings of the plot. Though, again, the Perfect Miniseries is not found here. The very thing helping with the development of a Continuity Miniseries is what holds it back from being Perfect. The stories just don’t stand apart on their own. Crisis could have easily been told as a Justice League story, Civil War as an Avengers story. They just don’t hold up well on their own. If you were to read one, with no knowledge of the events before or after, you would be left feeling incomplete. The character-based Continuity Miniseries stand up a little better here, but still require quite a bit of knowledge going in. The final category is the Outside Miniseries. This type takes established characters or events and tells its own story with it. Sometimes within continuity, but usually taking place in an alternate reality, changing established details to create something new, or even telling a well-known story from an alternate point of view. Marvel Zombies twists reality by turning Marvel’s greatest heroes into… zombies. It’s right there in the title. Superman: Red Son asks the question, “What would happen is Superman landed in Russia instead of America?” Marvels re-tells many of Marvel’s most famous stories from the point-of-view of a normal human, a photographer. The thing that sets an Outside Miniseries apart is creative freedom. An Outside Miniseries can tell a story that would almost never occur in the pages of the regular monthly publications. Everybody knows Superman, most comic fans know the origins of the Marvel Universe. An great Outside Miniseries takes that basic knowledge and tells a completely unique story with it. That is why an Outside Miniseries has everything it takes to be the Perfect Miniseries. A simple, self-contained story with the space to fully develop. Of course, the ability to create an Outside Miniseries at their own pace, only publishing it when its ready, enables the writers and artists to put out some of their best work. So, what do I consider the Perfect Miniseries? Kingdom Come, published by DC in 1996. Written by Mark Waid, with art by Alex Ross The first thing that sets Kingdom Come up as the Perfect Miniseries is the art. Alex Ross is the freaking man. He’s not a penciler, as is normal for comic artists. Ross is a painter. As such, each page takes longer to create, and he rarely does full art for a comic, usually sticking to covers or concept art. Kingdom Come is one of the rare occasions where he does all the art. Normally, I’m not a big fan of photorealistic art in comics, mostly because it never looks good, it just takes too much time to pull off. But, being an Outside Miniseries, DC gave Ross all the time he needed and the results are phenomenal. The art alone is only half the visual package, though. With Kingdom Come taking place in the future, Ross’s character designs are a comic nerd’s wet dream. Great art is nothing without a good story, and Waid capably backs up Ross’ vision. Set decades in the future, Earth is a frightening place. Years prior, society had begun to favor a new generation of heroes, ones whose methods were more extreme than the Justice League. Disturbed by the change, Superman retired, with many of his allies following him into seclusion. Now, that new generation of “heroes” is threatening the civilians they’re supposed to protect. When a fight gets out of hand and Kansas is destroyed, Wonder Woman talks Superman into coming back. With the old heroes coming back to set things right, conflicts with the new generation escalate. Those who don’t voluntarily join Superman’s side are forced into sharing his point of view. With no peaceful end in sight, humanity grows increasingly worried. Normal human beings, those without power, begin to wonder if Earth wouldn’t be better off without the entire superpowered community, with the familiar face of Bruce Wayne sharing the sentiment. Eventually, things reach critical mass and the United Nations decide to put an end to things with a single, decisive action. While not a happy ending, exactly, Kingdom Come does end on a hopeful note. Published in the mid-90s, a time of excess in the comic industry, Kingdom Come can be seen as a cautionary tale of the future of some of DC’s competitors at the time, as they were moving in an increasingly mature direction. That, in addition to the artistic and story aspects is what makes Kingdom Come the Perfect Miniseries. It left behind a legacy. It would see a sequel several years later in The Kingdom. Additionally, Marvel commissioned Alex Ross to give their characters a similar treatment in the Earth X trilogy. Years later, the Kingdom Come story would be a large part of the monthly Justice society of America title. Magog, the leader of the “new generation,” would appear as part of the core DC Universe, even getting his own ongoing title. The comic industry is full of copycats. Years later, writers are still trying to recreate Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns. The only person who has been able to recreate the perfection of Kingdom Come is Alex Ross himself, nobody else has even tried. Instead, DC’s stable of creators are happy to simply build on it. The Perfect Miniseries not only stands on its own as a model of perfection, but inspires future generations to live up to its legacy....

The 5 Greatest Comic Storylines of All Time

The 5 Greatest Comic Storylines of All Time

Comics get a bad rap. I find it interesting that people who play video games, long considered a “kids” hobby, will discount comics as being immature. Proponents of traditional books find the medium completely without merit. That’s not how things work here at BDTU. Each work should be judged on its own merit. Personally, I’ll go anywhere for a story, and as a medium, comics can deliver a story that no other format can. In a novel, some details or events take paragraphs, even pages to describe. In a comic, you can just show it and move on. In a video game, interactivity is a concern. The gameplay has to drive the narrative, and vice versa. That’s not to say it doesn’t work in many instances, but it’s easier for the story to be the focus of a comic. As long as the art is pleasing to the eye, you can focus on the story. Movies and television are dependent on actors to deliver the performances and special effects to drive home the action. Without a prohibitive budget, many comic stories just couldn’t be done on the screen. So, now that we’ve established comics as a valuable storytelling medium, it’s time to take a look at some of the actual stories. I’ve assembled five stories that I feel are the best they have to offer. There are spoilers involved here, but for stories of this caliber, if anything, it will make you want to read them more. The Dark Phoenix Saga Uncanny X-Men 129-137 (January-September 1980) Chris Claremont & John Byrne Growing up, Uncanny X-Men was without a doubt my favorite book to read. So many heroes have a complex origin, being aliens or bitten by radioactive animals. The X-Men were just born that way. For the first time, a hero didn’t need special circumstances to be “special.” It’s a theme that really resonated with me as a kid. When it comes to the X-Men, the discussion pretty much starts and ends with Chris Claremont. Stan Lee may have created the team, but Claremont is the one that really developed the characters. Before Claremont took over, the book was failing, it had been publishing reprints for years. Look at it now, it’s one of the most popular titles in Marvel’s library. Much of that success can be attributed to the amazing success of Claremont’s first major story arc, “The Dark Phoenix Saga.” Jean Grey, one of the original X-Men, had become host of the super-powerful cosmic entity known as the Phoenix Force. As Phoenix, Grey had near limitless power, but her personality was becoming increasingly fragile. This made her a target for the Hellfire Club, a corrupt group of the world’s social elite. The Inner Circle of the Club used mind control to trap Grey in a hallucination, making her believe she was their Black Queen, and allowing the Phoenix Force to grow corrupt. Enter the X-Men. They raid the Hellfire Club and are… soundly defeated. All would have been lost if not for the rise of Wolverine. You see, prior to this point, Wolverine was nowhere near the sensation he is today. In fact, the fans HATED him. The only purpose he served on the team was as an antagonist, constantly causing friction within the team. When the X-Men were defeated by the Hellfire Club, Wolverine was supposed to die. John Byrne, the artist for Uncanny, a Canadian (nobody’s perfect), refused to let the one high-profile Canadian superhero die, and asked Claremont to give Wolverine one more chance. And so, Wolverine was unleashed. Wolverine finally had his heroic moment, tearing through the Hellfire Club, unleashing the berserker rage that’s made him so famous, all in an effort to save his captured teammates. He would be too late for a total victory. During the rescue attempt, Cyclops was engaged in a psychic duel with Jean’s captor. In the psychic plane, with Jean watching, Cyclops was killed. Jean snapped, breaking the illusion and fully unleashing the Phoenix Force. Unfortunately, the completely unrestrained entity could not be controlled. Corrupted by the Hellfire Club’s influence, the Phoenix Force craved more power. It took control of Jean’s body, becoming the Dark Phoenix. And that’s only HALF the story. Out of control, the Dark Phoenix threatens all life in the universe. After multiple attempts to stop it, only a heroic sacrifice would bring the nightmare to an end. Watchmen Watchmen 1-12 (September 1986-October 1987) Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons No book in the history of comics is more influential that Watchmen. Countless writers have attempted to recreate Alan Moore’s masterpiece, and none have come close. The sheer amount of planning, thought and detail that went into this book is staggering. I’ve read through it a half dozen times, and I still find hidden clues and foreshadowing that I missed previously. Moore and Gibbons meticulously plotted out every aspect of Watchmen in advance. The story is solid, following the lives of a small group of costumed heroes. Nite Owl, Silk Spectre and their compatriots have had their time, but have since been outlawed by the government. Many of them happily live out their live in retirement until an unknown enemy starts coming after them. What follows is a thrilling mystery that slowly uncovers a conspiracy to destroy the world. Or is it to save the world? Watchmen has so many well-done plot twists, it will always keep you guessing. “I did it thirty-five minutes ago,” has to be one of the best lines ever. Watchmen is so much more than a simple story, though. There are so many elements that set it apart from just about everything else. First of all, there’s the setting. Most comics from Marvel, DC and other companies claim to take place in our world, or at least one much like it. However, Watchmen is the first to actually feel like a REAL world. How would normal people react when faced with a being of unimaginable power? Would they cheer him on, or live in fear? What exactly causes someone to dress up in a funny outfit and fight crime in the first place? In the end, did these people cause more harm than good? These are all subjects that Watchmen explores. Of course, there’s the aforementioned attention to detail. Upon a second reading, knowing the secret identity of Rorshach, it’s enlightening to see him working behind the scenes. Seemingly insignificant panels of the story suddenly gain new meaning. Once you know who’s behind the conspiracy, it’s truly fun to see just how far-reaching their influence is in every aspect of the story. Then, there’s the seemingly impossible. Issue 5 is titled “Fearful Symmetry,” and it’s not just a name. The entire issue really is symmetrical. Open the book to the center spread and you’re treated to a near-mirror image. Each page and panel from there outwards is a mirror image to its counterpart, if not visually then at least thematically. One often overlooked feature is the “Black Freighter.” Two minor characters, a newsstand owner and his friend serve as the audience’s tie to the fantasy world of Watchmen. The offer commentary on the events from a normal person’s perspective. One of the characters is reading a comic book called Tales of the Black Freighter. In a world where superheroes actually exist, pirates are the stars of their comics. Parts of Black Freighter are actually intertwined with Watchmen, and the story of its main character parallels the story of one of the main heroes in the larger plot. All these reasons and more are why Watchmen is held in such high regard. The actual story itself may be merely “good,” but the way it’s told, with all these elements coming together are what makes it “great.” Kraven’s Last Hunt Web of Spider-Man 31 & 32, Amazing Spider-Man 293 & 294, Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man 131 & 132 (October-November 1987) J.M. DeMatteis & Mike Zeck Throughout his history, Spider-Man has always been a fun character. Over the years, many attempts have been made to tell more mature stories and many of them have failed. “Kraven’s Last Hunt” is one of the few that got it right. Sergei Kravinoff, aka Kraven the Hunter, was one of Spidey’s oldest villains, though not one of his more successful ones. Unconcerned with robbing banks or any of the usual mundane supervillain fair, Kraven only wanted one thing: to hunt and kill the greatest prey, Spider-Man. Defeated time and again, Kraven formulates a plan for one last hunt. With his powers and his sanity waning, Kraven catches Spidey by surprise by using a new tactic: a gun. Always claiming to be a true hunter, using only his hands and a knife, the fact that Kraven would resort to a rifle, casting aside his own ideals, shows just how far gone the villain truly is. Thinking Spider-Man dead, he buries the body. Then, things get very interesting. While the surface story is plenty good in its own right, “Kraven’s Last Hunt” takes things even deeper. It delves into the psyche of Kraven. Kraven doesn’t fear Spider-Man, but he does fear “The Spider,” the ideals that Spider-Man represents to him. He fears the fall of his homeland, Russia, and American dominance in the global stage. He fears that he’s a relic of a bygone era in a modern world. Defeating Spider-Man himself wouldn’t be enough. Kraven had to defeat the IDEA of Spider-Man, so he starts wearing Spidey’s costume, out to ruin his reputation. Thankfully not dead, Spider-Man returns to stop Kraven. Kraven, finally content that he has conquered “The Spider,” takes his own life. The remainder of the story involves Spider-Man facing his own fears, his fear of mortality, his fear of leaving those he loves behind. Thankfully, Spidey has something in his life that Kraven did not: a reason to keep living, a reason to keep fighting, a reason to not be afraid. Though now called “Kraven’s Last Hunt” this story was originally titled “Fearful Symmetry,” as it showed just how much Spider-Man and Kraven have in common, and how easy it would be for the former to follow the latter down the dark path. The title was likely changed to avoid confusion with the recent Watchmen issue by the same name. The Killing Joke Batman: The Killing Joke Graphic Novel (March 1988) Alan Moore & Brian Bolland Yep, Alan Moore is on this list twice. Frank Miller’s recent hit, “Batman: Year One” was a re-telling of the origins of Batman. “The Killing Joke” was Moore’s attempt at telling the Joker’s origin story. Though, it’s told from the memory of the madman himself, and the truth is questionable. As Joker himself states in reference to his story, “Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another… if I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!” The flashbacks do serve an important purpose. Way back when, Joker was just an ordinary guy. He fell on some hard times and found himself indebted to a group of criminals. He is forced to help them break into the chemical storage facility he works at, and things go horribly awry. The point that Joker makes is that a normal person, under extraordinary circumstances can become “evil” because of one bad day. The Joker chooses a test subject, Commisioner Gordon, and does everything in his power to give Gordon his “one bad day.” He shows up at his house and shoots the Commisioner’s daughter, Barbara, the former Batgirl. While his henchmen take care of the Comissioner, Joker focuses on the helpless Barbara. Later, Gordon wakes up in an amusement park, naked and tied to a roller coaster. The ride starts and Gordon is shown pictures of his daughter, bleeding and paralyzed, at the mercy of Joker. It’s never stated what happens in those pictures, but the implications are horrible enough. Before Gordon can completely break, Batman shows up, but it’s a close call. He chases Joker and the villain has a revelation. Batman, himself, had “one bad day.” Why else would he do what he does? Even Batman comes to realize just how similar he is to his nemesis. Gifted & Unstoppable “Gifted:” Astonishing X-Men 1-6 (July-December 2004) “Unstoppable:” Astonishing X-Men 19-24 & Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men 1 (February 2007-March 2008) Joss Whedon & John Cassady These are technically two separate story arcs, but they tie together into one amazing story. Joss Whedon’s award-winning run on Astonishing X-Men starts with “Gifted.” It starts with two seemingly unconnected events: the arrival of a hostile alien and the invention of a mutant “cure.” The X-Men soon find the connection between the two. The alien, Ord, came to Earth to put an end to mutants, as a prophecy declares that one of them will destroy his planet. He has been abducting mutants to perform tests, trying to find a way to stop this from happening. One of the mutants he’s holding prisoner is quite a surprise. Several years after his emotional death, Colossus finally returns to the X-Men, in one of the biggest “HELL YEAH” moments I’ve ever read. Whedon finishes his run with “Unstoppable,” which manages to be even better than “Gifted.” The reason Colossus was chosen as one of the test subjects by Ord is he’s the mutant specifically referenced in the prophecy. So, a branch of the government that deals with extraterrestrial threats takes the X-Men to Ord’s planet, Breakworld, to fulfill that prophecy. Vastly outnumbered, the X-Men keep fighting, looking for a way out of their predestined fates. When the story reaches its conclusion, the X-Men have come to accept their lots in life. De-powered, Cyclops finally develops into the leader he’s be trained to be his whole life. Beast finally comes to terms with his appearance, finding someone willing to accept him for who he is. Wolverine regains a bit of his humanity through his interactions with a new protege. Best of all, Colossus and Kitty finally reach the culmination of their on-again-off-again romance spanning decades of comics. This is what separates Astonishing X-Men from other books. The story is good, the story is important, but never more important than the characters involved in it. Whedon is more than happy to stop the overall plot development, even if only for a panel or two, to give the X-Men these series of great moments. That’s what I will always remember Astonishing for, those moments when the characters I’ve loved nearly my entire life fulfill every aspect of their personalities. Reading the last pages of the Giant-Size special, a grown man, reading a freaking COMIC BOOK, I got a little choked up at a heartbreaking moment. I was emotionally invested in the story, I can give no book higher praise than that....