Marvel Age 39

Posted by John Klein III on January 5, 2017
Posted in: Review, Websites. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Marvel Age 39

Cover Dated June 1986

After mistakenly buying Marvel Age 93, I rectify that with buying the issue I initially wanted.

http://uncannyxmen.net/secrets-behind-the-x-men/homesick-colossus

Before the story in Classic X-Men #29 appeared, Marvel Age #39 announced: “The big news this month is the upcoming Colossus Limited Series. Feeling somewhat guilty for not protecting his Soviet homeland, the armored X-Man (accompanied by his younger sister and New Mutant,  Illyana) will travel back to his native land for the first time since he joined the X-Men. This odyssey will give Peter the opportunity to question his role in the world, and to wonder whether he is actually accomplishing anything as a super hero. This six issue series is being written by Chris Claremont and pencilled by Rick Leonardi. Watch for it this summer (1986)!”

The Colossus mini-series never appeared, however.

I bought an entire issue just for a Magik reference in a text piece.  I know no limits.

Marvel Age 39 Colossus USSR Miniseries Magik

Here is the text piece, I would have totally bought that miniseries.  Heck, I would buy that now as the Rasputin siblings need to talk again.  Unless Mikhail shows up, then forget about it as that guy gave his little sister the Legacy Virus.  I’m sure the Michael that Kitty dreamed up in Astonishing X-Men, is named after Piotr’s older brother, which is horrible!  Though I think only us readers know about that.

Coming Attractions

March 25

Cloak & Dagger 7
He-Man 2
New Mutants 41
Peter Porker, Spectacular Spider-Man 8
Supreme Squadron 11
West Coast Avengers 10

April 1

Alpha Flight 36
Power Pack 24
Amazing Spider-Man 278
Vision and Scarlet Witch 10
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition 8

April 8

Marvel Age 40
Avengers 269
X-MEN 207

April 15

Fantastic Four 292
X-Factor 6

Bullpen Birthdays

February 9 Jo Duffy
February 16 Ron Wilson
March 1 Tom Orzechowski
March 6 Al Milgrom

Top Ten

For December 1985

  1. X-Factor 3
  2. X-MEN 204
  3. Alpha Flight 33
  4. Marvel Universe 5
  5. Fantastic Four 289
  6. Avengers 266
  7. Firestar 2
  8. West Coast Avengers 7
  9. Amazing Spider-Man 245
  10. New Mutants 38

There are letters about how people are guessing who the fifth member of X-Factor are.

Fred Hembeck tries to promote a new Team-Up title, starring Brother Voodoo

Feature promoting Marvel Saga, that quits before the 1980s

Heathcliff spotlight

Marvel Age features part two of 1971

Wizard Toyfare Exclusive Kitty Pryde Action Figure

Posted by John Klein III on January 4, 2017
Posted in: Bragging Rights, Toy. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

When Wizard was still printing Toyfare, in fact, in their very second issue, they offered an exclusive Kitty Pryde action figure in her classic blue uniform.  I knew I must own it and in April 1997, I probably had to ask my mother for the money and she agreed (she’s supportive like that) and a few weeks later this came in!

Toyfare Kitty Pryde

http://www.comiccollectorlive.com/Index/CoverTitle.aspx?id=fa5e5bf9-10ee-4fcd-8557-80f5dc797a04

For anyone else who may be interested in the other exclusives that they offered.

Can’t believe they started out with Molten Man of all characters.

Hulk Team-Up

Posted by John Klein III on January 3, 2017
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Hulk Team-Up

Writer Marc Sumerak

Penciler Sanford Greene

Inker Victor Olazaba

Colorist Sotocolor’s C. Garcia

Letterer Ed Dukeshire

Cover Dated November 2009

Inside front cover is for Batman Arkahm Asylum, such a good game.

Gamma Base, New Mexico.  Not long ago.  This story takes place during the events of Hulk 4, 5 and 6, as per Proper Placement Paniccia’s editor note.  A harem of Harpies are seeking out the Hulk.

San Francisco.  Iceman and Angel are having a cup of coffee and catching up.  On the Golden State Bride, Red Hulk punches Hulk off of the bridge as Thor watches on.

Hulk Team-Up Kitty 1

Graymalkin Industries.  New Headquarters of the X-Men.  One Hour later.  With how nice Beast is being to Cyclops, this is prior to Utopia, which also makes since as they are not on Utopia.

That’s Kitty on the right side of the page, right?  Comicbookdb suspects so, that’s why I bought the issue.  The costume is generic enough to be her’s.  Above the Cuckoos and below Darwin and whoever that blonde guy is.

Storm is not responsible for the latest thunderstorm.  There is a report that a mutant is responsible but Cerebra isn’t detecting the threat.  Cyclops is worried about losing the public support of their newly adopted city.

Hulk Team-Up Kitty 2

A giant earthquake occurs.

That has to be Kitty, right?  Running along with Colossus?  comicbookdb states it is her but Marvel Database doesn’t list her, but they don’t list like three other people either.  I get that Marvel Database wants to be certain but I am on comicbookdb’s side on this issue.

The X-Men go around and start saving folks.  Emma senses rage coming from the Golden State Bridge and Wolverine smells a familiar scent.  Cyclops sends Angel and Iceman to investigate.  The two of them come across the Hulk.  Angel references how the Hulk is an old friend of the X-Men, Past-Tense Paniccia tells us to see the clasic Hulk Annual 7.

Hulk goes back to fighting Red Hulk.

Monument Valley, Arizona.  Soon . . . For some odd reason, Angel and Iceman are going to a state over and seeking out the Hulk.  They follow some giant foot prints but come across a second pair of foot prints.  Angel wants to split up but Iceman doesn’t, he wants to stick together and follow the small of the two sets.

Bruce Banner is walking about the desert and at this point, I feel like there was a crucial page that is missing.  The Harpies attack Bruce and he turns into the Hulk.  My only experience with the Harpies is that Betty Ross was turned into a Harpy, once.

There is a double page ad for the Honda Insight, so go buy one of those.

The Hulk is taken back to Gamma Base, where he was created.  The harpies start attacking him, he sees a vision of Betty and stops.  Iceman freezes one of them, Hulk asks if he froze Betty, Bobby says he did before he realizes that he said what he said.  So he now has an angry Hulk to deal with.

They try to remind him that they are friendly but silly Iceman hurt ‘Betty.’  Apparently in Hulk Annual 7, they fought robots together, thanks Master Mark.  So they use that to describe these Betty robots.  Hulk starts ripping harpy faces off.

There is a double page ad for Ultimate Alliance 2, it could have been better.

For those who might need this tip, Angel’s therapist has this to say – physical activity is a healthy way to work out aggression.  So take that advice if you are so willing.

Iceman isn’t sure what this desert fight as to do with the city on the bay and I’m not sure what even got them to come here.  Cyclops shouted their names, and they said on it.  I guess they followed Hulk here but that is a long way to track someone.  The two original X-Men get into the fighting harpy battle.  One of the harpies slices Iceman into two and Angel loses his mind for a tad and turns into Archangel.  Why he wastes time as Angel, is beyond me.  I get that he is super aggressive as Archangel but that isn’t too bad.  Archangel makes very short work of the harpies.

Hulk mistakes Archangel as a harpy and is about to smash him with a rock.  That’s pretty clever, Mr. Sumerak.  Angel tells him that the big birdie is deep within him, and he hates it.  Hulk can relate as he hates what is inside of him, Puny Banner.

Iceman wonders what happened, Hulk tells him ‘blue man’ saved the day and he assumes the Green Goliath is talking about him.  Warren rather not let on that he has a killer instinct within him that is also a personality that gets out. Pretty understandable

Speaking of colors, Hulk tells them that Red Hulk is bad Hulk.

Issue ends with Hulk returning to look for Red Hulk and the two X-Men going back to their new home.

An odd little story, that I’m not sure what the point of it is, except to get the X-Men and Hulk into a comic without messing up either one’s stories.

There is a Savage Hulk v Hulk pin up and an additional story starring Dazzler and Hulk that doesn’t reference X-Men Unlimited 32, which is disappointing.

The final page promotes Incredible Hulk 602, Hulk 15, Son of Hulk 15 and Incredible Hercules 134.  So I guess this was Marvel’s way of letting us X-Men know that there are a slew of Hulks and we might find one we like. But like Hulk’s response to Bobby’s comment about how there are more than one Hulk out there, only one matters.

Back cover ad is for the Kia Soul.

 

Slideshow Collectibles X-Men VS Sentinel Diorama series

Posted by John Klein III on January 2, 2017
Posted in: Bragging Rights, Statue. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

The third one in the series :

Slideshow Sentinel Vs 3

The other two are nice from what I remember but this was the only one I ever wanted to own.

Being that Wolverine is present on it, there is a variant version of this statue that should be titled, Logan and Kitty, as he’s in a white undershirt – which I rather only own the Wolverine one.

This is by far the tallest statue I own.

Batman Songs

Posted by John Klein III on January 1, 2017
Posted in: Cartoon, Fun With YouTube, Songs. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Seal – Kiss From A Rose

Thanks to IntheBeginnin’s channel for hosting this video

This is another song that I crank up the volume up, whenever it comes on the radio.

Then I wish they would play R Kelly’s Gotham City

Thanks to EclosionFruitee for hosting this video.

As much as I adore this song, there is just something about it I really like – I have absolutely no clue what city he is referring to.  I mean, really, has this song ever align with any version of Gotham City, from comics or film?  I guess maybe the 66 show?  Or the Brave and the Bold cartoon?

Referring to, as such –

How great is the Mayhem of the Music Meister (episode 1 x 25) of Brave and the Bold?  (not sure how long the video will stay up for)

Thanks to YouTuber Batman Full for being brave enough to host it

Here is the Batman 66 theme song, with Batgirl!

Thanks to YouTuber Bat-Mania for hosting this video.

As I’m always looking for ways, and failing, to sneak my love for Jewel onto S&FwM –

Thanks to YouTuber Atlantic Records for hosting her official video.

Her “Foolish Games” was featured on the Batman & Robin soundtrack, along with R Kelly’s Gotham City song.

Flaming Lips’ Bad Days is featured when we see the Riddler in Batman Forever –

Thanks to YouTuber flaminglips for hosting their own video.

Here is the scene where I instantly enjoyed the song –

Thanks to YouTuber Z1DO4U for hosting this clip from the film.

Batman, of course, is involved int eh Ultimate Showdown –

Thanks to YouTuber Sub Sub Sub!!!!!! for hosting this video!

I know I’ve included this song before but since I want to make this all inclusive –

Batman, Maybe

Thanks to YouTuber wekejay for hosting this video!

Harley Quinn singing “Say We’re Sweethearts Again”

Thanks to Milton Pereira for hosting this video!

From the Harlequinade episode of Batman the Animated Series, 3×14

The Birds of Prey (Catwoman, Huntress and Black Canary) singing –

Thanks to SirLeopoldXXIII for hosting the video!

From Batman : Brave and the Bold, 2×17 – Mask of Matches Malone

Might as well end this post with Batman, himself singing, Am I Blue –

Thanks to metalgodmaiden for hosting this video!

This happened in episode five of Justice League Unlimited, Season One – This Little Piggy.

. . .

Happy 2017, Everyone!!!

Fantastic Four Roast

Posted by John Klein III on December 31, 2016
Posted in: Review, Websites. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Fantastic Four Roast

Story & Layout Fred Hembeck

Plot Assist & Editing Jim Shooter

Art Almost Everybody

Lettering Joe Rosen

Coloring Wein / Yanchus

Catering Iriving Forbush

Cover Dated May 1982

This issue celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Fantastic Four, and the Marvel universe.

Hembeck provides very little art assists for this issue.

The Fantastic Four are about to be roasted by their fellow superheroes.  Heroes like Thor, Nova and Spider-Man.

Fantastic Four Roast Kitty X-Men
art by Michael Golden

Other hero groups attending are – the Avengers, Defenders, X-Men and the Legion of Monsters.

Spider-Man is the first to roast the Fantastic Four, followed by the Sandman which segues into other villains getting in on the action.  The Inhumans follow them, and the Fantastic Four are not having a great time.

Captain America and Reed Richards exchange some silly barbs.  Iron Man roller skates to the podium and Narmor takes the opportunity to flirt with Susan.  The Hulk intimidates the audience to laugh.

Fantastic Four Roast Kitty eating
art by Mike Vosburg and Terry Austin

Wolverine proves that either Canadians or mutants have terrible table matters – to Kitty’s delight.  Susan can’t take much more of this, and they have barely begun.

I like how, if indeed every artist shows up, then the pages make sense, as whoever was the main artist is providing the art for that appearance but there is no credit page.  The entirety of the Avenges show up and it looks like when the Best Picture award is given out and the stage overfills, except that everyone gets to talk.

One would think that the individual artists could have gotten their names on each page.

Thor sticks around and provides his own extended speech.  That is followed up by Uatu the Watcher and the Silver Surfer, both seem to be having a good time.  Also having a good time, is Daredevil.

Fantastic Four Roast Kitty X-Men Roasting
art by Denys Cowan and Joe Rubinstein

The X-Men take the stage, they are – Wolverine, Colossus, Cyclops, Storm, Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler.  Cyclops does most of the talking.  Cyclops wishes the X-Men were the ones being roasted, as they are more popular than the Fantastic Four.  Susan thinks about how stinky Nightcrawler is when he teleports.

Cyclops makes a tasteless joke about Nightcrawler writing a book titled, Mein Bamf.  Which really?  A parody name of Mein Kamf, that isn’t a joke that should be made.  He makes up for it (only slightly) for calling the Fantastic Four, senior citizens.  Storm crates a thunderstorm above the Thing.  Cycops turns his attention to the Human Torch and optic blasts his chair BUT he mentions how Torch has a hot seat in more ways than one, then optic blasts it.  But Cyclops’ optic blasts are not flame related, so that joke shouldn’t work.  I suspect it doesn’t.

To make the situation worst, Wolverine threatens to stab Reed.  Torch can’t take this and wants to know why the X-Men are being such jerks.  Cyclops quickly comes up with Magneto is controlling their minds and they leave the stage.  Torch remembers that isn’t Magneto’s power set.

A fun page, but the heck!?!

Doctor Strange takes the stage before dinner.  Ghost Rider, in a tuxedo, is up next.  We get a mixture of folks – The Inhumans, Nova, Shang Chi, Captain Marvel (the alien guy) and Kazar & Shanna.

The Thing fights some living ice cream.  Doctor Doom shows up, though he’s confused why everyone keeps calling him, Doctor Doom.

Fantastic Four Roast Kitty everybody
Jam piece, X-Men by Dave Cockrum

Reed leads the charge against Doom.

Turns out, in a twist is referenced on the cover, it isn’t Doom but the Fantastic Four’s mailman, Willie Lumpkin.

We get another page of randoms – Wyatt Wingfoot & Tomazooma, the living Totem / Agatha Harkness / Quicksilver & Crystal / Moon Knight/ Spider-Woman & She-Hulk / Ant-Man / Howard the Duck & Man-Thing / Thundra and Tigra.

The page after that has Dazzler / Guardians of the Galaxy (the originals!), Brother Voodoo, the Impossible Man and Aunt May powered by Captain Universe.

The Fantastic Four now get in on the roasting.  First is Human Torch, next is Reed, then Sue and finally Thing.  Grimm finishes with “what can I say, but things for the memories” which cracks Black Bolt so much that he laughs out loud and brings the entire building down.  Which ends the very fun issue.

. . .

http://www.comics.org/issue/36361/

Good ol’ comics.org has the breakdown of artists.  I’m not sure how they got them all, especially the inkers but they do know their stuff so I’ll trust that they got it right.

Script:Fred Hembeck; Jim Shooter (plot assist)Pencils:Fred Hembeck (layouts); “Almost Everybody” (finished art) —

Ron Wilson (page 1,4); John Byrne (pages 2, 6, 8, 17, 31); Michael Golden (page 3, 28); John Romita Jr. (page 5); Al Milgrom (pages 7, 30); Mike Zeck (page 9); Bob Layton (page 10); Alan Weiss (page 11); Sal Buscema (page 12); Mike Vosburg (page 13); Kerry Gammill (page 14); Bob Hall (page 15); Keith Pollard (page 16); Frank Miller (page 18); Denys Cowan (page 19); Marshall Rogers (page 20); John Buscema (page 21, 25); Don Perlin (page 22); Gene Day (page 23); Walt Simonson (page 24); Various (pages 26-27, see notes); Frank Springer (page 26 Dazzler); Brent Anderson (pages 27 Ka-Zar, 32); Steve Leialoha (page 27 Spider-Woman); Dave Cockrum (page 27 X-Men); Bill Sienkiewicz (page 29)Inks:Fred Hembeck (Hembeck figures); Chic Stone (page 1, 4); Terry Austin (page 2, 13, 20); Michael Golden (pages 3, 28); John Romita Sr. (page 5); Joe Rubinstein (page 6, 19); Al Milgrom (page 7, 30); Joe Sinnott (page 8, 17, 25); John Beatty (page 9, shield in panel 2 by Bill Anderson); Bob Layton (page 10); Alan Weiss (page 11); Sal Buscema (page 12); Ricardo Villamonte (page 14); Dan Green (page 15); Keith Pollard (page 16); Klaus Janson (page 18); Bob McLeod (page 21); Don Perlin (page 22); Gene Day (page 23); Walt Simonson (page 24); Various (pages 26-27, see notes); Frank Springer (page 26 Dazzler); Brent Anderson (pages 27 Ka-Zar, 32); Steve Leialoha (page 27 Spider-Woman); Dave Cockrum (page 27 X-Men); Bill Sienkiewicz (page 29); John Byrne (page 31)Colors:Glynis Wein; Andy YanchusLetters:Joe Rosen

Which is a very impressive list of talent and legends!

I wish the page numbers were on there, it would make matching them easier.

Further down the page of that website, they explain how they figured it all out

Art credits indexed 2005 by Steven Tice. Credit confirmation and additions 2005 by Fred Hembeck, including the Bill Anderson page 9 shield credit, Bill’s first published work. Al Milgrom credits confirmed 2005 by Al Milgrom.

Nice of Hembeck to answer the question of who was involved, he would know.

I counted the pages so I hope I got the right creative teams above.

Diamond Select Bust

Posted by John Klein III on December 30, 2016
Posted in: Bragging Rights, Statue. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

By Steve Kiwus

Mine is 110 / 3000

Diamond Select Steve Kiwus

Fallen Angels 7

Posted by John Klein III on December 29, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

Fallen Angels 7

Writer Jo Duffy

Breakdowns Kerry Gammill

Finished Art Tom Palmer

Letterer Bill Oakley

Colorist Petra Scotese

Cover Dated October 1987

I own the first two issues of this series.  I own this for the Magik appearance, which is part of the flashback to the first two issues and if you can make out Magik on that page, you are better than me.

Fallen Angels 7 Magik New Mutants flashback

As I guess she is one of the nameless faceless ones but they are all accounted for, if you count their heads.

So I feel pretty foolish for buying this but I am the fool who is collecting all of Magik’s appearances, so that is on me.

This issue is so weird!

Issue opens with Chance about to undergo a forced makeover.  The Fallen Angels, including Sunspot and Warlock, coming running to her rescue.  Sunspot makes some chauvinist comments, whoever thought the worst New Mutant could carry a book, should have their head examine.  It makes complete sense that this book will be has all over the place, as it has to be.

Boom Boom shows up and throws a little spark bomb down Sunspot’s pants, which explodes and exposes him.  Sunspot is all ego so he is highly embarrassed.

We get that flashback sequence from above.

Ariel and Chance have a conversation that implies that they are setting up the Fallen Angels.  Boom Boom is confused but walks away.

Siryn and Multiple Man (but not the real one, a rogue dupe who can make other dupes) arrive.

Some little dude start talking to Boom Boom, she hints that Ariel may be a mutant and not an alien.  Two guards overhear this.

Jack Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy are also on this spaceship, I love these two so much!  They are not as fun here as they typically are.  I think they are mostly confused why they are there.

I guess Ariel’s plan was to sell the mutants to a space warlord.  Now that the guy knows she is a mutant, they take her as well, as the issue ends.

Bowen Designs Bust

Posted by John Klein III on December 28, 2016
Posted in: Bragging Rights, Statue. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

By Jim Madden

Mine is 1364 / 2750

Bowen Jim Madden

Excalibur Volume Two Issue 4

Posted by John Klein III on December 27, 2016
Posted in: Review, Websites. Tagged: , , , . 2 Comments

Excalibur V2 4

Writer Ben Raab

Penciler Pablo Raimondi

Inker Walden Wong

Colorists Avalon Studios’ Matt & Ian

Letterer Tom Orzechowski

Cover Dated May 2001

I got this for the final page.  Widget is reported to being in this issue and I kept flipping through the issue and couldn’t find him.

I was looking for the cute round Widget, not the human form Widget.

Widget two forms

Then I tried Googling it and went to the character’s Wikepedia page :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widget_%28Marvel_Comics%29

At the very end of the four-part limited series Excalibur: Sword of Power, Widget was seen with Kang the Conqueror, observing events from space. Apparently, Kang had orchestrated the events shown in the limited series, but it is not revealed exactly why Widget was with him.

Excalibur V2 4 Widget final page Kang

So that’s him on the final page.

But is this Widget still piloted by Kate Pryde’s consciousness?

So Marvel gave the guy who killed the original Excalibur ongoing, a miniseries.  Marvel circa 2001 was crazy!

So what happens in this issue?  It seems all over the place, but I’ll give the review a chance.  From time to time, I buy a comic for a sole appearance and the rest of the comic doesn’t do much.

The brunette with the white bra slash shirt combo is Betsy Braddock, Psylocke.

Issue opens with Mastermind, a computer humanoid created by James Braddock, the father of Captain Britain, Psylocke and crazy Jimmy James.  So Mastermind got jealous, he took over Otherworld.  Brian is in chains and Roma is in an energy cage.

Meggan, Psylocke and Black Knight are also prisoners.  Psylocke’s chains are built for her telepathic abilities, but she switched those with Jean so now she is a telekinetic.  That swap is still not explained, as far as I know.

Brian is about to get his head sliced off when Sir Benedict (the red skinned guy from the cover) shows up and saves Brian.  Apparently, Brian saved him earlier.

Black Knight breaks Roma out.  Mastermind tries to stab Roma but gets electrocuted.

Captain Britain picks up the legendary sword, the Excalibur, and his eyes start glowing.

On the Marvel Bullpen Bulletins page, X-Treme X-Men 1 is coming out.  Other titles coming out are – Amazing Spider-Man 31 / Cable 93 / Iron Man 42 / Spider-Girl 34 / Black Panther 32 by Christopher Priest / Generation X 75, the final issue – which I forgot that Generation X ended right when X-Treme X-Men started, it feels like two different eras in my mind.

Before the Kang scene, Captain Britain claims the throne of Otherworld, making Meggan the Queen of Otherworld, so that status quo is established.

There is a giant crowd scene and I thought that was where Widget was but nope.

Not sure how Kang the Conqueror is involved nor Widget.