I’ve been numbering my entries, picking up where I left off with the I LOVE COMICS 3000 CHALLENGE as one of the participants on the Captain Blue Hen Facebook page. This started as a challenge from friendly comic shops in Ohio and Texas, originally as the 1,000 Comics Challenge, then the 2021 Comic Book Quarantine Odyssey, and then I Love Comics 3000 - - all goals met by the group of Captain Blue Hen customer participants. I’m curious to see how long it takes me to read that many comics. My journey began with the 1,000 Comics Challenge on approximately March 15, 2020.
#703 VENOM #1 (Marvel Comics, July 2018) This was the beginning of Donny Cate’s version of Venom, which has become a fan favorite.
In this set-up issue Eddie Brock is taking anti-psychotic drugs to contain the symbiote’s voice, although Venom’s nightmares begin to enter his own dreams. Eddie learns of a former government sym-soldier operation birthed long before Flash Thompson’s bonding with Venom. Those soldiers all went mad from the experience, and Eddie is recruited to help rescue them.
#704 MONSTERS UNLEASHED #1 (Marvel Comics, June 2017) This is aimed at younger readers, in both art and story. Enormous giant monsters begin raining out of the sky as a young boy can conjure monsters by drawing them. Elsa Bloodstone is hunting some down, but they are so big!
H.E.R.B.I.E. (from an old Fantastic Four series) gets picked to tutor the kid, Kei, now isolated on the terraformed island of Mu. But Kei’s monsters talk to him, and he uses them to fight the other monsters that are showing up, all conjured by the new “Intelligencia” - - comprised of M.O.D.O.K. 2.0, The Mad Thinker, The Leader, and Mister Sinister.
Too many characters, too cute of a story for me. TWO STARS.
#705 THE AUTUMNAL #2 (Vault Comics/Nightfall, October 2020) The creep factor ramped up another notch with Issue #2. I’ve also got a better appreciation for main characters Kat and Sybil (mother and young daughter)as they bond together trying to adjust to Comfort Notch as they settle Kat’s deceased mother’s estate.
Neighbors and strangers are friendly and helpful up to a certain point, but exhibit strange behavior. Don’t hang around the park after dark.
There’s something about the leaves everywhere, and when Kat rakes the yard, encouraging her daughter to invite some boys to have fun jumping into piles of leaves, a neighbor gets abusive. FOUR STARS.
#706 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE LAST RONIN #1 (IDW Publishing, October 2020) “Wish For Death”. It’s great to have the original creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird working on this series, especially Eastman’s pencils. This is a quality production, oversized on premium paper that makes the colors pop, and with a hefty cover price as well.
Only one TMNT remaining, and on a quest to infiltrate the fortified island city and exact revenge on the despotic ruler Oroku Hiroto. There are many nicely choreographed fights but this doesn’t end as you might expect. First a failure, and then a surprise.
I enjoyed this and will pick up the next issue but I expected to like it quite a bit more. I don’t feel vested in the story, perhaps because the reasons for revenge haven’t been detailed - - as well as any explanation of the current situation at all. The lone TMNT (name-dropped in the last panel) talks to his disembodied brothers. The banter is typical of TMNT, and is fun to read.
There are Easter eggs hidden in the art that will bring smiles to regular fans. I guess the magic has worn off a bit for me. THREE STARS.
#707 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5 (Marvel, November 2018) Part 5 of 5 of “Back To Basics”. I didn’t think Ryan Ottley’s art on this one was up to his usual high standards. Looks rushed.
What happens in this story arc is an Isotope Genome Accelerator in Dr. Curt Conners’ (the Lizard) lab splits Peter into a responsible powerless Peter Parker and a reckless powerful Spider-Man.
Kindred (from the current Last Remains storyline) makes an early appearance here for a few panels. Naturally Pete and Spidey get back to the machine and reunite. How that is accomplished is what makes the issue interesting.
Kraven shows up on the last page. I think I’m okay with not grabbing the trade paperback to read the full story. THREE STARS.
#708 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9 (Marvel, January 2019) Part Two of “Heist”. All of the Avengers’ old costumes plus Tony Stark’s armor and Spidey’s web shooters have been stolen.
Black Cat knows who did the deed (Odessa Drake & a guild of thieves) and leads Spider-Man to their lair. They almost get away with the recovered loot, but oops! - - - discovered.
There’s an interesting side story with Mary Jane and Jarvis involving a super-hero supporter’s support group. Nope, I don’t to seek out the full story of this one either. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#709 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #19 (Marvel, June 2019) Part Three of “Hunted”. Kraven the Hunter hired Arcade to turn Central Park into a hunting ground and surround it in a force field. Taskmaster and Black Ant captured animal-themed villains and Arcade created android big game hunters that can be operated remotely (eliminating the risk) by rich thrill-seekers.
The prey include two more animal-themed characters closer to Peter-Parker - - the Black Cat and the lizard-like son of Curt Conners. Now, a clone of a younger Kraven traps Spider-Man under Arcade’s dome.
The captured villains don’t get along. Vulture tries to unite them and lead them to freedom. They obviously don’t get along with Spider-Man. The Lizard gets captured and added to the hunting ground. Ho hum. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Arcade is playing both sides, and gives Vulture a device to weaken the hunters, who will die if their drones are destroyed. Spidey figures out everybody is in danger and tries to find and confront Kraven, except a herd of animal villains is in the way. Spidey and Dr. Curt Conner are chained up together. To escape Spidey will have to help Conner revert to The Lizard, even though it may kill him.
I wouldn’t have minding seeing a fight between Spider-Man and Kraven, but looks like that’s not going to happen until the final issue. There’s not been much of him in these two issues. Nah, I’m not going to look this one up either.
Think I’ll just stick with the Last Remains storyline as long as it remains interesting. THREE STARS.
None of those things happened for me, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a worthwhile story. I just decided I didn’t want to make that monetary commitment to a weekly series expected to run 16 issues. (I’d been sucked into “52” and “Batman and Robin Eternal” to my regret. The memory was still painful.)
The story by Mark Waid, Al Ewing, and Jim Zub starts out in blockbuster fashion with major catastrophic events erupting around the world, calling the Avengers into action. Communication with heroes in outer space is shut off, and some heroes become immobile, frozen like statues. Some minor league characters get a small spotlight, and the issues ends with the introduction of Voyager. She shows up at the last minute, claiming to be a founding member of the Avengers, who will help lead this out of this dilemma. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
big gaps in the front of the storyline, but I was able to pick up an idea of what happened from the credit page summaries. Here’s the recap on those issues I did read.
#712 - #716 AVENGERS #682 (Part 8), #686-#689 (Parts 12-15) = (Marvel Comics, April-June 2018) So, what’s been happening is that the Earth has been removed from orbit and used as a game board for a contest between The Grandmaster and The Challenger.
Various Avengers were pulled to serve as the Grandmaster’s Lethal Legion to go against The Challenger’s Black Order - - both serving as chess pieces in the game between these self-serving elder gods. The game seems to be a variation on Capture The Flag with both sides trying to obtain “Pyramoids” (like giant D&D five-sided dice). However, whoever claims a Pyramoid is instantly disintegrated.
Issue #682: The battle scenes are too chaotic for my preference, and cluttered with characters. The side stories are more interesting. Hawkeye and Red Wolf become friends. (Opening the way for Occupy Avengers?) The Beast and the new Wasp try to revive Jarvis from his coma. Amidst all this, somehow the Immortal Hulk is revived.
Issue #686: One Pyramoid left in the game. Turns out The Challenger resurrected The Hulk for his side; but The Grandmaster has been cheating. Voyager is really his daughter and doing his bidding. She and Hulk are vying for the last Pyramoid. Wonderman tries the non-violent diplomatic approach with limited success.
Hulk turns the tables with a trick move, handing the win to Grandmaster. But he’s caught cheating when Voyager is exposed. So the two gods go at each other.
Issue #687: Like spoiled kids who don’t win, the two gamers decide to knock over the chessboard, purging the planet, heroes, villains, and all who are on it.
Issue #688: Quicksilver and Hulk get most of the panel space this issue, as the team learns that a beacon is what’s keeping many Avengers frozen. Quicksilver bets he can outrun and catch it and turn the tables.
Voyager decides to team up with the Avengers in one final battle against The Challenger, who’s now claimed the title of Grandmaster Prime.
Issue #689: All the other issues get a rating of THREE STARS. I never got engaged with this story. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just that between Marvel and DC books I’ve read this kind of fare many times over.
However, this penultimate issue leading up to the final issue (the aftermath) deserves FOUR STARS for the various heartfelt mini-soliloquies that really get to the heart of what the Avengers is all about. I detect Mark Waid’s deft hand on the dialogue here, if I had to guess.
The next and final issue (which I didn’t get to read) supposedly ended this era of The Avengers, dropped the legacy numbering on issues, and started over (again). I believe this was the lead-in to Jason Aaron’s run.
In conclusion, this is a pretty good story but really not that original. Am I going to pick it up in trade so I can read the full story from beginning to end? Nah, I’m good.
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