In 2021 I’d like to cross over the 1,000 comics review barrier, meaning reviews that I (Mike Clarke a.k.a. pghhead) contribute to the blog. That’s what this odyssey is about, beginning January 01, 2021.
I needed to end June with 500 comics read in order to be on track. I’m going to make a bigger effort from this point forward. Wish me luck. . . . . . .
#437 - #439 BLACK FRIDAY #1, #2, #3 (Scout/Black Caravan, April-June 2021) You could label this the perfect “revenge book” for former disgruntled Wal-Mart employees, or anyone who has a grudge against the super-store.
It’s the end of the Black Friday sales day, about 3 a.m. in the morning as the remaining StarMart staff members clean up. A bloody smear appears across the toy aisle, leading to a portal in the floor that releases vicious hairless demons with rending abilities.
The first issue introduces the characters, and keeps us in suspense as the mystery behind the blood is slowly revealed. Then it’s all-out mayhem in the remaining two issues with an ending that will surely satisfy those unhappy employees/customers. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Supposedly, Deadpool killed Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D, the beloved mentor of Daisy Johnson a.k.a Quake, and she has murder in her eyes. Her former team of Inhumans, the Secret Warriors, has fragmented after the betrayal of Karnak and the members have gone their separate ways.
They come back together to 1) stop Daisy from making a mistake, and 2) to sort out the threats posed by Karnak’s new alliance with Ennilux, the Inhuman company owned by Ahura Boltagon. Ennilux’s Dark Beast has been kidnapping inhuman children in hopes of finding a new catalyst for Inhuman powers.
The other members are Lunella Lafayette a.k.a. Moon Girl (with Devil Dinosaur), Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, and Dante Pertuz, a.k.a. Inferno. The story is kind of fun, although some of the characters are a bit immature in goofy ways. THREE STARS.
#442 - #443 SECRET WARRIORS #10, #12 (Marvel, 2018) Mr. Sinister is revealed to be the main villain behind some of the nefarious activities that occurred in prior issues, although he doesn’t make a physical appearance in Issue #10. Instead, the story revolves around the cold shoulder treatment of the Secret Warriors at New Attilan, the Inhuman Refuge as well as some inner turmoil among the members plus a budding romance.
Issue #12 was the final issue, and writer Matthew Rosenberg provides an unusual but amusing (and character revealing) send-off. For almost the entire issue the members gather at Moon Girl’s house (under the guise of either baby-sitting her or attending a fake birthday party) and playing a Marvel Universe version of the Risk board game.
As much as I liked this, it left me with the same feeling from watching almost any episode of the various DC series on the CW television network: aimed at a much younger viewership than I, and full of teenage angst and personality crisis. THREE STARS.
Issue #28 was the final issue, and at this point it was 100% Jonathan Hickman’s baby. There’s no conflict here, as it’s a wrap-up loose ends and farewell issue, but a well-done finale with some good moments. Hydra has been neutralized with Baron Strucker dead and The Contessa turning herself in to Interpol.
The best scenes are between Nick Fury and Steve Rogers at the end of the book, in a discussion of ideals and methods. There’s also a neat twist in the final two pages. THREE STARS.
Mark Waid picks up the writing chores, with an able assist from artist Ron Garney, and does a commendable job of restoring Captain America to the prestigious character portrayal that he deserves. Waid keeps the moralizing to a minimum, instead focusing on how Cap once again adjusts to a world in which he is a man out of time. (By the way, MAN OUT OF TIME is the best Cap series that Waid ever wrote- check it out!) After his return, people want to put Cap on a plateau and he’s not comfortable with that.
Issue #1 deals with Cap’s awakening in Japan and dealing with a terrorist (backed up by Lady Deathstrike) who’s anti-Westernization but uses violence to make his points. There’s a nice foreshadow at the end with Agent 13 and then Kang, hinting at some future appearance.
Cap and Commander Rebecca Houston initiate the self-destruct and use the explosive force to people them through a torpedo tube. Upon release they separate beneath the ocean. Houston becomes unconscious and Cap’s shield is broken off his back. Cap chooses between the two, saves Houston and loses his shield in the ocean depths.
Issue #3: Realizing that the shield is lost forever (even Namor can’t find it - needle in a haystack, etc) Tony Stark builds a new one for Cap, but he can’t get the right balance. Hydra, out for revenge, lures him to the Smithsonian where they have booby-trapped the historical displays. Cap removes the original triangular shield from the Smithsonian display and gets the situation under control. A grateful institute gifts him with the shield.
Issue #4: The new supreme leader of Hydra, calling himself Sensational Hydra, is really unlikeable (even by Hydra members) and makes erratic decisions. He sends an enhanced Batroc The Leaper after Cap to make a public display. Hawkeye is on hand to assist Cap in the battle, make some jokes, and bond with his former teammate. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS for the quartet of issues.
A younger Dick Grayson breaking up three rich privileged bullies beating on a less-entitled victim leads to his first meeting with Barbara Gordon. Later, Alfred has some words of wisdom for Dick who’s feeling like he made the wrong choice to step in and defend: “I’m glad DIck Grayson steps up when someone is in need. It takes a different hero to help without a mask.”
In the present day, Nightwing stops a different batch of bullies from abusing a puppy and earns a new loyal companion. Babs delivers a letter to Dick written by Alfred and intended to be opened after his death. It’s a message that I won’t spoil here, but may bring out some tears or warm memories. The information also may change DIck’s life and his purpose/mission going forward.
The main story thread running through all three issues is the ascension of Melinda Zucco to Mayor of Bludhaven. She’s been raised by a crime family and her obligations to the Maroni crime family as well as new kingpin Blockbuster run deep. She has a connection to Dick Grayson in that her deceased father murdered his parents. There’s another and even more significant connection revealed at the end of Issue #81, but I won’t spoil that either.
Villain Heartless is creepy, using a taser-like gun that rips hearts out of bodies, leaving a gaping hole. The big battle scene is in Issue #81. Good stuff. I need to keep a better check on what’s going on with this character instead of devoting all my Bat-attraction to the main title. FOUR STARS.
#452 CAPTAIN AMERICA #5 (Marvel, 1998) Drat! This is the last issue of the Waid/Raney run on Captain America that I have. Of course, it’s a continued story with a cliffhanger ending.
The big reveal is that new Supreme Leader Sensational Hydra is a Skull, who’s been baiting Cap so that he could capture him and then impersonate him. (Shades of Secret Invasion, etc!) FOUR STARS.
#453 CAPTAIN AMERICA, SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #7 (Marvel, 1999)
Roger Stern with Ron Frenz & Roger Langridge create a cool story with a Revolutionary Captain America in 1781. Turns out this is Steve Rogers doing a little genealogy research on his ancestors.
Back up story “An Ending” is written by now famous, then new guy Brian K. Vaughan featuring a heart-warming meeting between Cap and President Roosevelt.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#454 CITIZEN V AND THE V-BATTALION: THE EVERLASTING #1 of 4 (Marvel, 2002)
The text page at the end of the book reveals just how much detail/research writer Fabian Nicieza put into this limited series. There’s a lot of primary and secondary characters from the original INVADERS series here. Too bad the story is little plodding and un-interesting. I wish he hadn’t tried to get everybody into the mix (sometimes just in reference) this first issue.
This might have been a good series, but there’s nothing happening here to make readers pick up the rest of it. TWO STARS.
#455 SECRET WAR: FROM THE FILES OF NICK FURY SPECIAL EDITION (Marvel, 2005)
This text-encyclopedic issue was released somewhere between the final issues of SECRET WAR in 2005. That mini-series was mostly meh for me, with the exception of some cool art by Gabriele Dell’Otto. Dell-Otto is back to art some head-shots to the data files here, but the art is reduced too much to really appreciate.
I read about one-third through this and gave up. It’s just a rehash of character portraits that we already know, and then some notes/observations/commentary by Nick Fury on each of the files.
Plus, the font was so small I had to hold it close and squint. No thanks. TWO STARS.
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