Writer Peter Sanderson
Cover Dated December 1989
Ogun and Kitty on the cover? That can only mean the awesome Kitty Pryde and Wolverine miniseries takes place during this!
Book Three : The Man Reborn
Also covered is the legendary Paul Smith era!
This issue has 42 pages of text with various artists work shown.
Issues covered are –
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine 1 – 4
Wolverine Miniseries 1- 4
Uncanny X-Men 145 – 147, 151, 159, 162 – 166, 172 – 176, 178, 181, 183
Uncanny X-Men Annuals 4 – 7
Writer Peter B. Gillis
Penciler Rich Case
Inker Randy Emberlin
Letterer Janice Chiang
Colorist Bob Sharen
Cover Dated January 1989
Technically, this title is “Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme” so websites such as Marvel Database refers to it as such. I find that a little silly, as it is clearly Doctor Stange’s third self-titled ongoing. So that is why I call this Volume Three.
I like how this issue has several editorial footnotes, I miss those. There are so many, that Carl Potts, the editor, comments that one of them is the last one, then another shows up!
Speaking of editors, Tom DeFalco is credited as, Editor Supreme.
This is due to the series, Strange Tales, ending and the two features both get their own bi-monthly series that spin out of it. Doctor Strange and Cloak & Dagger, one rotating with the other. Which is why Cloak and Dagger get the Marvel 25th Anniversary cover treatment in November of 1989. If it was October or December, it would have been Doctor Strange getting that cover treatment.
Doctor Strange, a character I don’t have much experience with. When Marvel Knights first launched, he was given a miniseries, that I really liked. I also like that he is an original member of the Defenders.
I would not say I am a huge fan of Marvel, or any company’s, magical characters – besides Magik, of course.
I will always be confused by Marvel’s decision to not make a Doctor Strange film at the height of the Harry Potter craze. That would have worked out nicely. I would have always made a Spider-Man verses Morbius during the whole Twilight phenomenon.
Issue opens with who we believe to be Doctor Strange but quickly, we and Wong (and some gal named, Sara Wolfe) discover that Dormummu has taken control over Strange’s body! They are powerless to do anything as now he has unlimited power.
Doctor Strange, unfortunately, had no body to go to while out enjoying his Astral Self (hence, how Dormummu was able to take over his body) and had to find a nearby rat to jump into.
Dormammu updates us on what has been happening to him since last we saw him in Doctor Strange 81. Next, he was in Strange Tales, second series, issue 14. He took over Strange’s body at the end of last issue. Which I do own and will review it sometime. Most likely if a Doctor Strange film is made, some day.
When Dormammu left the room, he threw several trinkets onto the ground. Wong picks up the Wings of Needless Sorrow, last seen in Strange Tales 4.
Rat Strange wants to find Clea, his old girlfriend and Dormammu’s niece, as she helped stop him the last time Dormammu tried this plan. It happened in Doctor Strange 73.
Strange thinks about those who can help him, which he thinks of the novice Magik – which is insulting but he does place her in the same sphere as – Doctor Druid, Talisman, Thor, Hercules, Doctor Doom and Scarlet Witch. Thor and Hercules are mostly for the brute strength to fight Dormammu and the others are those who can attack them magically.
None of these heroes can help Strange as he cast a forgeticus spell in Strange Tales 2, so they think him dead.
Dormammu locates the Four Freedoms Plaza and uses the portal to the Negative Zone to bring forth his fellow dark lords.
Rat Strange wants to summon Gaea, Mother Earth herself, plus mother of Thor, also the lady who kept giving the Planeteers things to do. She helped Strange fight back Dormammu in Doctor Strange 8.
He doesn’t need actual magic to call her, he just needs some water and sticks.
Strange seesca pond in Central Park. Once he approaches it, this gang of frogs see him and attack! During Inferno, rats were attacking everything. Poor Rat Strange takes quite a beating, until he can croak a ribbit.
Rich Case reminds me of Ig Guara, the Pet Avengers artist, in that he puts a lot of personality into Rat Strange and the frogs. The animals look like the actual animals, but very animated. Just because he was drawing animals, he didn’t half arse it.
One of the green frogs is constantly talking about their ‘mysterious champion’ who we know to be Thor. Though Thor isn’t named by the frogs. I wonder if this frog is the human who was turned into a frog, next, found a shard of Thor’s hammer and then became Throg? Also, if I added this to Throg’s list of appearances over at comicbookdb, if anyone would be disappointed that it is an unconfirmed appearance. His coloring and obsession of Thor, makes me feel like he is that frog.
The frogs agree to help Strange, they move some sticks around. Strange summons Gaea but all he senses is that she is weak. The footnote states to see recent issues of the X-Men. I wish they named the issue as well, as now that it is 25 years later, I am not sure which issue that is referencing. This is also the footnote that this will be the last footnote.
Dormammu summons his fellow dark lords. One of them is a Dire Wraith, who hates this planet. The footnote states the reason why is chronicled in ROM and the X-Men.
The dark lords will follow Dormammu. We are on page 14, and I start getting the impression that this is the beginning of a multi-part story.
The frogs say their farewell to Strange. Which is, Cool Water and Shade to You. I need to incorporate this into my goodbyes.
Rat Strange heads back to his sanctum. Along the way, a woman wants her gentleman companion to kill the rat. He asks her with all the crazy things that has been happening in the city, her concern is about a lone rat. She states she doesn’t care about any of the nonsense in the sky.
Rat Strange continues on his way. He does wonder about how the citizens of New York City can cope with all of the dislocations that they have to deal with on a regular basis. I too have wondered about the day to day living of New Yorkers.
Poor Strange gets hungry and has to eat garbage, as that is what his body is craving.
He is across the street from his home when he gets picked up by Topaz. Before he recognizes her, he bites her hand. She is not effected by the bite. I do feel bad that Topaz got bit, she isn’t hurt by it but her hand is bleeding from the bite. Which one would think it would be one or the other. That it would hurt and bleed, or she would have just shaken it off and there be no blood.
The two of them come up with a plan. Rat Strange is small enough to squeeze his way into his house. The roof was damaged back in Strange Tales 2.
Once there, the two old enemies duke it out.
Due to some trickery on Strange’s part, Dormammu’s magic only makes Strange stronger. Clea shows up, and distracts so that Topaz can do her thing.
Since Dormammu is technically a virus in Strange’s body, Topaz can heal him away.
Strange is given back his body and even his eye has been healed.
Topaz will keep the female rat. I wonder if we ever see her again.
I wouldn’t say that the story wrapped up quickly, everything is earned but the way it felt at the midway mark, I thought this was going to be the start of a new status quo.
Next issue, the New New Defenders show up! Which I like Gillis’ idea here, start a new Doctor Strange ongoing, start it with a tie in to the big X-Event at the time, have the New Mutants show up for a bit, second issue, have Strange’s greatest enemy show up, and now, have his friends the New Defenders show up in the third issue. That would make for a great and exciting way to launch the title.
I can’t even imagine current Marvel even trying a bi-monthly book but back in the late 80s, they didn’t have any qualms about doing so.
There is an house ad (actually several) celebrating some anniversary issues of some Avengers titles – Avengers 300 (which I own and will review as it also has a New Mutants cameo), Thor 400 and Captain America 350. Back cover has an ad for a Punisher graphic novel, Assassin’s Guild. Alpha Flight, Wrath of the Dream Queen, is a four part story starting in issue 67.
The letters page has some good letters. It is how I learn how Strange and Cloak & Dagger got their new ongoings.
Thanks to a letter written by The Unnamed Few, we get to see how Marvel officially pronounces certain characters and items in Doctor Strange’s world. It ends with the letter responder, either Carl Potts or Assistant Editor Marc McLaurin, stating that the names are essentially pronounced how one would imagine. But it is nice to have it be official. Comics are interesting like that, it wasn’t until my time at Hastings when I had conversations with fellow comic book fans that I actually experience how other people pronounced certain words. They just look like a grouping of letters that my mind associates with that one thing and I move on. Sort of like people’s screen names on message boards, I don’t really think of how to pronounce their names, I recognize that is their screen name and continue on with my posting.
Stephen – yew-jeen
Dormammu – Dor-mali-moo
Agamotto – Aga-mot-to
Vishanti – Vih-shahn-tee
Watoomb – Wah-toomb
Faltine – rhymes with saltine
Clea – Klee-uh
Oshtur – Osh-tur
Dyzakk – Dye-zack
Balthaak – Ball-thahk
Hoggoth – Hah-gath
G’uranthic – Car-uhl Pahtz
Other letters are from Michael Hanley McNamara from Millerton, NY, Kevin Hall from Carson, VA, John Traver from Philadelphia, PA, Tina Reno from Anaheim, CA and A. Quigley of Palo Alto, CA.
. . .
Post 1,225!
Writer Peter Sanderson
Cover Dated November 1989
Book Two : The Animal Unleashed
46 pages of text with various artists work included.
The text is based off of the following comics :
Alpha Flight 17
Classic X-Men 9 – 22, 22, 26 – 33
Iron Fist 15
Marvel Team-Up Annual 1
Marvel Treasury Edition 26
Uncanny X-Men 101 – 105, 107 – 116, 120 – 129, 131 – 139
Uncanny X-Men Annuals 3 – 4
That’s right, ya’ll, Kitty Pryde has made it to Wolverine’s life!
Writer Peter Sanderson
Cover Dated September 1989
With art from various comics.
Book One : Beginnings
The impressive feat that is accomplished over this four issue series (I own them all and going to review them all in short matter – ideally) is to chronicle, in order, Wolverine’s life. It is a massive accomplishment.
I own this one for the two pages Ogun appears on as I am collecting Kitty’s arch nemesis’ appearances. Ogun and Emma Frost. She has two but Emma loses points for being a hero but their friendship is fun to watch.
It is 42 pages of almost full text.
The last page creates the writers and artists that are seen and the works the text comes from.
The issues that are recapped are –
Alpha Flight 17 and 33
Classic X-Men 1 – 10
Giant Size X-Men 1
Incredible Hulk 181 and 182
Wolverine 9 and 10
Uncanny X-Men 94 to 101
Writer Peter B. Gillis
Penciler Richard Case
Inker Randy Emberlin
Letterer Janice Chiang
Colorist Bob Sharen
Cover Dated November 1988
We kick off Doctor Strange Month!
I like Doctor Strange, but mostly as a concept, I haven’t read many of his adventures. I own this issue and the second issue of this series (and you can expect that review in two days) so hopefully we get some answers that this issue raises. Such as, why does he sporting a Nick Fury eye patch?
This issue opens with Doctor Strange casting what appears to be a big and ancient spell.
Meanwhile, in New York City – we get to the pages of why I own this issue.
The Avengers, Fantastic Four and the X-Men have arrived for Doctor Strange’s funeral. He’s about to get cremated. The X-Men include Shadowcat, proving that this is a big moment.
Apparently this is fallout from Secret Wars II 9, which I own and will review one of these days – but not this month.
Strange was believed to be dead, during his battle with the Beyonder.
Who is the lady standing behind Wolverine? It is like early 80s Kitty behind him and late 80s (current) Shadowcat to his right.
Wong being sad makes the funeral seem legit to me.
On the very next page, Wong’s girlfriend – she’s nameless on this page – turns off the telecast. Apparently it isn’t real, it is all part of a spell by Strange to cover his tracks. He needs the world to believe him dead. All due to events in Strange Tales V2 3.
Strange is still casting that spell, and he sinks an island. A cruise ship gets caught up in the wave of the ocean but Strange corrects it.
Strange is doing all of this due to an alien wizard, Urthona – who stoled Strange’s home – the Sanctum Sanctorum. HE took the fight to Urthona, destroyed all of his shit and after that, he had weakended the barriers that allowed older threats to start arriving. In dealing with them, he lead the world to believe he was dead. He had to team up with an old foe (and teacher, does he have other foes that don’t fall into that category?) Kaluu.
Strange thinks to his great love of his live, Clea. I didn’t know she was the daughter of Umar, who is the sister to Dormammu – Strange’s greatest villain! Clea, at this time, is the ruler of the Dark Dimension, which is typically under Dormammu’s rule.
Strange is back home, he is greeted by Wong’s lady friend – Sara. Rarely done in a comic, Sara explains to Strange that the “Stephen Strange Memorial Metaphysical Institute” is being well established. It is even being looked over by the tax-exempt authorization. I wonder if this institute is still around today? I imagine these businesses are not as hard to dissolve as they would be in our world. Murdock and Walters have probably made these memorials super easy to be created and made it even easier for heroes to get all of their stuff back, once they have returned.
At meal time, new house guest – Imei – continues to recant how complicated Strange’s life has been up to this point. When he leaves the table, the other three (Sarah and Wong are the other two) they comment on how Strange seems to be warmer these days. Imei also feels a sadness from Strange.
At night, Strange is not being able to go to sleep. He senses someone is hurting an innocent. As his body is still too tired, he’ll investigate in his astral form. So he’ll be completely useless in whatever he is about to discover. While floating to the location, he thinks to himself how nice it is to have the Eye of Agamotto again. I can’t imagine Strange not having the Eye of Agamotto, it is up there in like the five essentials of Doctor Strange.
1. He was a doctor, not he is the Sorcerer Supreme.
2. He has a buddy name Wong.
3. He often fights Dormammu and Baron Mondo.
4. He lives at the Sanctum Sortorum Sanctorum.
5. He uses the Eye of Agamotto.
Maybe I just don’t know enough about Strange, he has a sweet red cape would be a sixth item.
Strange sees it is a demon and knows he has to go back to his body. Which would have been the case anyways, so this whole thing seems silly. Strange gets home but he sees his body has been taken by another.
But who stole Strange’s body?
Strange’s greatest enemy and his girlfriend’s uncle – The Dread Dormammu!!
I imagine Strange casts protective spells to prevent this type of thing from happening but Dormammu is so powerful, that wouldn’t have stopped him. Why he hasn’t tried this before, is beyond me.
Being in Strange’s body gives Dormammu access to all of Strange’s powers.
In the classic Dr. Strange 52, Strange blew up Dormammu. In the someday-to-be classic, Strange Tales 14, Strange’s body was shattered in a fight against Shuma-Gorath. In his quest to regain his health, Dormammu sneaked behind Strange’s eye patch and has been waiting there ever since.
Dormammu sends the the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak (yep, that one) after Strange’s astral form. Strange flees but once of them catches up to him. In his desperate struggle to get free, his uses so much of his remaining power to escape that he’s the size of an ant. Another band follows up on him and he jumps into a body of a rat and goes unnoticed. Now he’s stuck in this rat body, as the issue ends.
To make this even better, all of this happens in the recently abandoned Morlock tunnels.
There are several house ads in the back, proving how great this era of Marvel truly was.
Punisher War Journal is a new series with writing & layouts by Carol Potts with finished art by Jim Lee, coming out every six weeks.
Wolverine’s original ongoing series begins by Chris Claremont and John Buscema, it is a monthly title.
Silver Surfer gets an original hardcover graphic novel by Stan Lee and John Buscema.
Bullpen Bulletins. Pro File is of Gregory Wright.
Hype Box –
Punisher War Journal 1
Sub-Mariner Limited Series 1
Avengers Annual 17
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 8
Wolverine 1 – Yes, its the series you’ve been demanding! There’s blood searing and death in store when Wolverine leaps into savage solo action doing what he does best! Will Southeast Asia ever be the same after Wolverine comes to won? Written by Chris Claremont, penciled by John Buscema and inked by Al Williamson. 32 pages, Baxter page. $1.50.
Doctor Strange 1 – Fresih from hsi recent stint in STRANGE TALES, Doc returns to the pages of his very own series! But there’s no time for celebration when Doc faces the return of his greatest foe – the Dread Dormammu! And you won’t believe your eyes when you see how Dormammu returns! Love is the Spell and the Spell is Death is written by Peter B. Gillis, penciled by Richard Case and inked by Randy Emberin. Direct Sales only. $1.25
Inside back cover ad is for The ‘Nam 24. With the back cover ad being for Semper Fi’.
Writer Jonathan Maberry
Artist Jason Shawn Alexander
Colorist June Chung
Letterer Simon Bowland
Cover Artist Arthur Suydam
Part Three of Five
Cover Dated November 2009
Issue Five is on my Wishlist, one of these days, I shall own it.
Thanks to this great website for hosting the comic –
imgur.com/gallery/iVn1Q
Inside front cover ad is for Batman Arkham Asylum – such an amazing game! I liked City too but haven’t played Origins nor Knight yet. I would like to, one of these days.
So after the original Marvel Zombies, the zombie heroes left for the cosmos. At some point, Spider-Man lands on Earth-Z (for Zombie, I imagine) and starts looking for a cure to the Hunger. The recap page states that Giant Man also arrived on Earth-Z but he isn’t in this issue at all.
Tokyo, Earth-Z. Two Years After Chapter Two. Kitty Pryde, Mutant Phaser and Rookie Member of the Uncanny X-Men. Kitty is super late, she’s suppose to be meeting Wolverine to break up a fight club situation.
Instead of running into her Wolverine, she runs into Zombie Wolverine!
I like how Kitty just phases a charging Wolverine through her and feels bad for the Hand jerks who were standing behind her. It isn’t until Zombie Wolverine starts eating ninjas that she starts to get concern. Concern and grossed out.
There is an ad for the Nissan Cube, so go out and buy one of those!
Spider-Man shows up and webs Zombie Wolverine and asks Kitty to come with him, if she hopes to live.
I guess Spider-Man isn’t on Earth-Z so he has to explain who he is to her. He also has to break the news that not only are zombies a thing to worry about but a version of her mentor is a zombie.
Spider-Man offers to give Kitty a cliffs notes version of what has been happening with him. He opens the door to his apartment and Kitty is taken back by the stink.
Sentry came to the Soon-To-Be-Zombie Earth and inflicted the Avengers and in a matter of days, the world was eaten. It is important that Spider-Man keeps referring to the zombies as “them” or “they” or “their.”
When Zombie Wolverine showed up on Earth Z, he had lost his cosmic power. Going from being all powerful to regular powerful, he was in hiding for months. When he ate people, he had to eat them fully. Now he’s confident again and is probably going to be careless soon.
Spider-Man’s cure is mostly to shut down the need to eat, once the unstopping need to eat is gone, he’s hoping Zombie Wolverine will make better decisions.
Kitty really must be swept up in the story as she isn’t bothered by the flies until the story is over and Spider-Man is explaining his goals. He needs her Wolverine’s blood to finalize the cure.
There is a double page ad for the Honda Insight.
Meanwhile, Zombie Wolverine is interrogating a Hand ninja. He does that classic bit where he pops the two outer claws on either side of the ninja’s head. Then, in an awesome twist, Zombie Wolverine loses focus in a middle of a monologue and pops the middle claw. So that interrogation is over in an hilarious way.
Sunfire flies by and tries to stop Zombie Wolverine, as he has gone off the deep end. During their fight, they crash into the the fight club, the underground fight club.
There is a double page ad for Ultimate Alliance 2, I can’t believe this game came out at the same time Batman Arkham Asylum did. UA2 wasn’t as good as its previous game but it was nowhere as good as AA.
In the fight club is Iron Fist and Shang Chi. Zombie Wolverine kills all three of the heroes. Just then, Earth Z Wolverine has arrived.
Meanwhile. Kitty, bored by Spider-Man’s experiments, decides to investigate the smell. She opens a door and sees some dangling heads.
Naturally, Kitty freaks out. To try to calm her down, he takes off his mask. He’s been Zombie Spider-Man, this entire time!
It is with that larger bottom panel, when I realize that I haven’t read a Spider-Man comic in a very long time.
The two Wolverines are fighting. If you are Wolverine, fighting another Wolverine, wouldn’t you just go for the head, and try to dislocate it? Instead, Logan keeps clawing Zombie Wolverine’s guts. It doesn’t make any sense. That goes on until Elektra and the Hand arrive. Zombie Wolverine kills Elektra, and instantly regrets it as he wouldn’t mind having Zombie Elektra has some arm candy.
Zombie Spider-Man explains that he hasn’t ate a living person, in a long time. He’s been following Zombie Wolverine and eating his leftovers.
Kitty isn’t trusting of Zombie Spider-Man, that dude is a freak.
Zombie Spider-Man explains how Kitty is super safe, if he tries to attack her, she can just phase him through her. Not only that, he gives her a stake and instructs her how to kill him. If that doesn’t create trust, I don’t believe anything else will.
Is this Kitty wearing the pink outfit from the Kitty Pryde & Wolverine series?
It sure does look like it.
The Wolverines are still fighting, neither really going for kill shots.
Zombie Spider-Man and Kitty arrive to the fight. Logan pops the two claws around Zombie Spider-Man’s head but doesn’t lose focus.
Kitty tries to kill Zombie Wolverine but it doesn’t take. Zombie Wolverine backhands Kitty and Logan charges at him.
Since Zombie Wolverine is down, Logan wants to know what is happening here. Zombie Spider-Man takes the 15 minutes to explain what has been happening.
Zombie Wolverine was pretty careless and Logan has to kill all of these new zombie ninjas.
One Hour Later. Spider-Man has Logan’s blood and is able to create the cure.
What does that last panel represent, that Logan is hurt and thus has the infection? That he and a 16 year old Kitty may have something more going on? What does it all mean? I imagine it is the former but what an odd choice.
Back cover ad is for the Kia Soul. Three car ads, unbelievable!
. . .
Happy Halloween everybody!
Writer Jason Aaron
Penciler Nick Bradshaw
Inker Walden Wong
Colorists Laura Martin & Matt Milla
Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover Dated August 2013
Hellfire Saga Part Two of Five
Corporate Headquaters of Kilgore Arms. Midtown Manhattan. Kitty and Iceman have broke into the place.
Iceman created the creature from The Thing. Iceman points out that Kitty was the one that tripped the alarm. Now Kitty owes him a plate of pork buns from Momofuku.
Kitty states that the security was impressive, it almost took her a full minute to hack into it. They cannot locate Kilgore.
To make this not a complete bust, Iceman destroys the top fifty floors of the building! People probably were not in it.
Chaparanga Beach, Indoesia. Doop and Warbird are at a spaceship graveyard, looking for clues.
Somewhere Above the Atlantic Ocean. Beast is determine to locate this 12 year old who is harassing him so much. Angel isn’t thrilled that he didn’t get to the newly located heroes in time.
30,000 Feet Above New York. Poor Rachel is trying to read the mind of everyone on Earth. The numbers she is coming up with are horrible –
2,789,567,282 people sleeping
8855,499 making love
198,062 dying
0 who know where the new Hellfire Club is located
79,477 dancing
23,556 plotting murder
3,999 screaming
Storm is with her, just nagging at Rachel and stopping all progress.
Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
I love Bradshaw’s Lockheed, he looks awesome! Also, Aaron writes him as great as I would say Kieron Gillen. That’s right folks, I’m apparently keeping track of people who write Lockheed well.
So jarrod from the Comic Book Resources’ X-Books thread keeps referring to Lockheed as Headmaster Lockheed and like a good fellow poster – I just go with it, not really knowing or getting the reference. But liking the idea of Lockheed running a school. Then I finally own this issue thanks to MileHighComics.com and my wife getting me the gift of comics for Father’s Day and now I totally get the reference.
This Lockheed is a Lockheed that deserves to rule er, I mean, run a school. He’s totally bad arse and in charge.
Lockheed was given a collar that translate his words to English. He’s a dragon from space. Friend of Lady Pryde. Sometime special agent of SWORD. Slayer of untold brood – may they burn in the fires of the black sun for all eternity. He’s also the working headmaster and sole instructor in all aspects of life.
If I read this comic within the last two years, I would have been clamoring for an Arron / Bradhsaw Lockheed ongoing or at least miniseries. I may just start doing that, regardless!
Today’s assignment? Do not anger Lockheed. He breathes fire and is carnivorous. So do the math, seriously do your math! Such fun and great dialogue!
Wolverine is going around just slashing the walls. He sees that the Bamfs like his whiskey and starts forming a plan.
Meanwhile, at the Hellfire Academy. Master Pandemonium is torturing Quentin Quire. Philistine comes in to relief the other villain, who has demons for hands. That has to be awkward.
We get Philistine’s origin. He’s really into the Siege Perilous.
The Teacher’s Lounge. Mystique is trying to get an update from everyone. Sauron is there, Dog Logan, a lady Mojo, the space alien who likes to collect Broods.
Toad thinks they should let the captured Jean Grey students go, so they can maybe lead regular lives. This embarrasses Husk.
Wolverine has made a deal, the Bamfs can drink his whiskey but they have to take him along the trail the Hellfire Academy left behind.
Sabretooth and Kilgore are talking. Sabretooth is being paid very handsomely. Kilgore wants him to be the Headmaster.
Lord Deathsike is also a member of the teaching staff.
Issue ends as Wolverine and the Bamfs have located Lord Deathstrike, so Wolverine is getting closer!
The Secret, Unsuspected Sanctum Sancyouverymuch of Doctor Deranged Cosmic Trusts-Mystic Might-Lottery Tickets
Story Peter B. Gillis
Art Phil Foglio
Letters Jim Novak
Colors Bob Sharen
Editor Carl Pottts
Two Doors Down and to the Right Tom DeFalco
Now this entire issue is a huge step up from the first one!
Story opens with Doctor Strange being harassed by the Marvel magical characters, including Magik. Magik is upset as her demon is in black and white, which of course is Cerebus, by Dave Sim. Which is a take off of how S’ym was her main demon henchman and he was a tall pink demon. Its all connected!
This entire issue finally explains that if they are going to harpoon and parody other company’s characters, they have to the same with their own characters.
Doctor Strange teleports himself to the crossroads of between comic companies.
A sexy brunette with a white half shirt and fishnet stockings seduces Doctor Strange. He follows her. He steps first through a door and with that, he is stuck in the DC Universe! Zantanna covers just enough of the log that maybe it is the BC universe? She dons her proper outfit,
Up first, Doctor Strange meets the Stranger.
Next, Doctor Fate. Good thing Access and Professor Xavier were not around or we could have gotten Doctor Strangefate! One of the few Amalgam titles I kept, as it is one of the few comics that Access has appeared in.
Then, Deadman shows up.
The Spectre doesn’t care for this intruder here in the Distinguished Competition. Before he can get rid of Strange, the Anti-Monitor also appears.
This new universe is too silly for Doctor Strange and he just leaves. Unfortunately, he arrives in Pittsburgh right at the moment the New Universe is created. uh oh
Other stories in the issue are :
Superbman vs Fantastical Four written and with art by John Byrne. I’m sure the Inevitable Woman has never looked so good. Byrne also, of course, draws an awesome Superman.
Knick Furey in retirement
Wolverine with the X-Men, I like how the silly parody names from the previous issue are used again here. Sort of this the universe What The exists in a feel that it is all connected within it. Plus, I can only imagine how difficult and maddening it would be to keep coming up with different ways to spell their names.
The Doctor Strange story is the last of the four stories.
When Titans Bunch!
Words Peter Gillis
Ott Jon Bogdanove and Al Milgrom
Leddens Joe Rosen
Cullus Greg Wright
Two Cents in Carol Potts
and Raise You Five Tom DeFalco
This series has to be the hardest title to Google that Marvel has released!
So Magneto is having the X-Men and New Mutants train together. They all have silly versions of their names, for copyright reasons, I guess?
Cannonball – Sam’in’ball
Dazzler – Fizzler
Wolfsbane – Wolfstain
Wolverine – Wulvoream
Ororo – Ororororo
Piotr – Pewter
Sunspot – Some-Spots
Rogue – Vogue
It isn’t great. Luckily, Magik doesn’t have to suffer with any of that.
Doug, Sigh-for, is nervous as he has no place on the team with his powerset. Magma, Smegma, yells about his thought balloon being too repetitive, which is funny.
There is a quick conversation about how to pronounce, Magneto. Mag-neat-toe, is how I do it.
British Psylocke, Bipsycle-locke, detects a message from the Offengers (Avengers) that they have been taken over by the Puppet Mister and the X-Men have to stop them.
The Avengers are – Doctor Druid, Captain America, Wasp, Captain Marvel, Black Knight, She-Hulk and Namor.
Not sure why the artist gave Magik vampire teeth (I guess because she is lord of all demons?) but at least she got her soulsword.
So all the heroes fight. The Fantastic Four shows up. They are Thing, Human Torch, Ms. Marvel (not Carol) and Crystal.
Then the West Coast Avengers (Guest Host Offengers) show up – Iron Man, Wonder Man (Wonderbread), Tigra, Mockingbird, Moon Knight (who moons them – something the character would never do!) and Hawkeye (Hawk guy) shows up.
Even X-Factor and Alpha Flight show up. Then everyone else does too! Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Daredevil even.
The Beyonder asks if this is part of Secret Wars III and they all stop what they are doing and tell him to leave.
Captain America tries to get them all to use their words instead of their fists and he gets punched and elbowed by Wolverine and Spider-Man for his thanks.
Story ends with the artist having an heart attack and the moral of the story is – Team Books Kill.
The art is goofy but so is the story. Its fun and light and the names can be ridiculous but it adds to the story.
The other stories in the comic involve –
Punisher
Bower Brats Meet Clunk and Dagnabbit
This one
Secret Wars III
I did buy the second issue at MileHighComics.com as part of my Father’s Day comics present, so I should be reviewing that one soon. I already own issues three and four but that’s it for me and this 26 issue series.
Writer Zeb Wells
Penciler Angel Medina
Inker Scott Hanna
Colorist Avalong’s Matt Milla
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Dated December 2008
I like Spider-Man but I always found Venom to be only okay. Maybe as I was a Spider-Man fan in the 90s, so there was plenty of opportunities to see Venom that I never grew to miss the character.
In the previous issue, we saw (apparently) Eddie Brock ruin his career with the Sin-Eater fiasco. Which if you haven’t read Peter David and Rich Buckler’s excellent Death of Jean DeWolfe, do so as soon as possible! Slight spoilers, at one point, there is the real Sin-Eater and a guy who claimed he was the Sin-Eater. (Everytime I type Sin-Eater, I keep typing Sin-Easter) Eddie has the unfortunate experience of interviewing the fake one and didn’t do enough fact checking that embarrassed the newspaper and he was ruined.
Essentially, issue three, is the issue that anyone who knows Venom, or saw Spider-Man 3, is familiar with.
Eddie Brock is in the church, contemplating suicide. He looks up to the heavens, and for his thanks, gets a symbiote in his face and eyes.
The symbiote, of course, is the same one from Secret Wars, otherwise known as Spider-Man’s black costume.
Which leads to the reason why I bought this comic :
Lockheed’s involvement in Secret Wars, keeps paying off! See him on the bottom right corner? Looks like he is fighting the Lizard there!
With Eddie’s screaming of these new memories, and for being attacked by black goo, the priest and cops start coming into the church. The police take a beating.
I really like the image of a body builder in the black costume. We haven’t gotten the classic Venom with the mouth and the tongue, he still has the close face mask like Spider-Man do.
Here are some ads here. Like the two page embracechange.org website (that sadly doesn’t work any longer) to promote Secret Invasion. An ad for Astonishing X-Men Ghost Boxes part one of two, the second issue is the one to buy. But just barely. Also, Marvel Zombies 3 was about to come out. As well as Spider-Man Noir – which I haven’t read but he was my favorite sections of Spider-Man : Shattered Dimensions.
Back to the issue. Venom has the priest forgive him for his recent actions.
Eddie quickly learns that the symbiote costume can change its appearances and he now has a fancy suit. He signs his divorce papers to Ann with the ink from the symbiote.
Ann looks quite different here than she does in her first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man 375. Maybe she is suppose to very very tan here. Maybe?
Eddie, as Venom, looks himself in the mirror and starts laughing at the possibly of finally being able to get his revenge on Spider-Man. His laughter is so much that it makes the symbiote laugh as well as we get the famous Venom with Teeth and Tongue face that we all know from Amazing Spider-Man 300 and on.
It took this series three issues to finally unite Eddie and the symbiote, I wonder what the next two issues do as pretty much, this is the only issue you need to know about the two characters.
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Shadow and Flame with Magik 