Ultimate X-Men 29

Posted by John Klein III on October 21, 2016
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Ultimate X-Men 29

Story Mark Millar

Pencils Adam Kubert

Inks Danny Miki

Colors Dave Stewart

Letters Chris Eliopoulos

Cover Dated April 2003

Return of the King, Part Three of Seven

This website has the entire comic to be downloaded, it is where I got the scans :

http://www.spumonte.com/files/pdfs/_Ultimate%20X-Men%20[Series%201]%20Vol%201%20(01-100)_/Ultimate%20X-Men%20[Series%201]%20Vol%201%20-%20Issue%2029/

The X-Men at this point are : Xavier, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Storm, Wolverine, Shadowcat, Beast and Colossus.

Issue opens in the Savage Land, four weeks ago.  This was Kitty’s first mission, though she snuck onto it.

Ultimate X-Men 29 1

Ultimate X-Men 29 2

Wolverine left Cyclops for dead, so he can have sex with Jean some more.  He told the team that Cyclops is dead, so no one is looking for him.

Day One for Cyclops, is no good.  He is badly broken, I can’t take my eyes off of how his left arm is wrapped around his neck.

Austin, Texas.

Ultimate X-Men 29 3

Ultimate X-Men 29 4

Kitty broke into a SHIELD base to learn if they know where Magneto is.  They don’t.  The X-Men want to find him, as Magneto has given a deadline that he will strike at the end of it.

These are the only pages Kitty is in the comic for.

Downtown Los Angeles, Wolverine and Colossus are fighting some Brotherhood extremists.  Colossus wants to try out a new maneuver he has thought if – a fastball special.

Day 26 for Cyclops.  We see four soldiers land in the Savage Land.

There is an ad for the Daredevil soundtrack, which is so good!  Fantastic Four s first soundtrack and the one for the Avengers’ film are good as well.

San Diego.  Beast and Storm, who are broken up at this point, are in the Blackbird.  He still wants to know if Xavier was forcing them together.  Storm still loves him.

There is an ad for Dardevil v Spider-Man DVD, I own it and it is good.  The Fantastic Four episode that Dardevil appears in, is included.

Camp X-Factor, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  Xavier and Nightcrawler are prisoners.  It reminds me of the Dark Avengers / X-Men crossover, Utopia, when Xavier and Beast were prisoners together.

Issue ends on Day 31 for Cyclops, as he is on Magneto’s floating base.

I will be reviewing issue 30, soon.

At the back is a Ballot for the Wizard Awards 2003.

Here is who I would have voted for –

Favorite Writer

Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man)

Mark Millar (Ultimate X-Men)

Favorite Penciler

Adam Kubert (Ultimate X-Men)

Favorite Inker

Danny Miki (Ultimate X-Men)

Art Thibert (Ultimate Spider-Man)

Favorite Letterer

Chris Eliopoulos (Ultimate Spider-Man)

Favorite Editor

Tom Brevoort (Avengers, Iron Man)

Favorite Hero

Spider-Man (Ultimate)

Favorite Heroine

Emma Frost (New X-Men)

Though I would have really wrote in Kitty Pryde on the line.

Favorite Villain

Green Goblin (Ultimate)

Favorite Supporting Character

Mary Jane Watson (Ultimate Spider-Man)

Favorite Ongoing Series

Ultimate Spider-Man

Favorite Mini-Series

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume Two

Spider-Man : Blue

Favorite Publisher

Marvel Comics

Favorite Comic Merchandise

HeroClix : Marvel Clobbin’ Time (WizKids)

Marvel Legends Action Figures (Toy Biz)

Favorite Comic TV or Movie Project

Blade II

Justice League

Smallville

Spider-Man

X-Men Evolution

Since, I would have voted for all five, I would choose X-Men Evolution

Dream X-Men Roster

Posted by John Klein III on October 20, 2016
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

My dream roster would have to be:

Kitty Pryde

Lockheed

Magik

Nightcrawler

Rachel Grey

Cyclops

I always like a smaller group for teams, no more than seven members and if we count Lockheed as part of the team but not as  person who sits in a chair, and takes up an extra place at the table, I would throw in

Emma Frost

Wolverine

Those seven have never made up a team together, which isn’t too crazy as they have been in different places throughout their tenure of being members of the team.  The only real omission would be Storm as it is essentially a “friends of Kitty” with Emma thrown in there for chemistry.   There is just something about Storm that is leaving me cold these days.  And it isn’t like she is everywhere to me, I can easily do without her.  And it isn’t like she is displaying a bold new attitude I don’t care for and I was all for Punk Storm in the 80s.  Maybe it is that I’m not crazy about her and Wolverine being together.

Storm

Heck, I’ll just add her.  Eight isn’t too many.  Do feel tempted to add two more to make ten that is way too many.

Doug Ramsey and Iceman as alternates and to round out the team to ten.

Get two original X-Men, three All New All Different, Kitty, Lockheed, Emma represents the villain turn hero quota, (though we should stop referring to that era of hers at this point), two New Mutants, and people love seeing them graduate. to the main team,

Rachel is there to represent the future as an offspring, legacy character.

That team literally has someone on there for everybody!  Lots of team dynamics and history with all the characters in one way or another.  Pretty sure Kurt and Bobby have never been on a team together.

Beast

Shoot, now I want Beast on there as he and Kitty have some fun playing off of each other.

Twelve members would be something right? Like the Knights of the Round Table, or something like that.  It may be the Greek Gods that I am thinking of.  I just remember Morrison’s JLA hit 12 members and they were meant to relate to Mount Olympus.

I know the obvious choice would be Colossus but I would never add him to a Dream Roster of mine, even if he is in the 12th slot.  Pete Wisdom wouldn’t work here.  Angel and Jean wouldn’t work.  If you add Rogue, I feel like Gambit would need to be in this.

Karma

Karma is the perfect choice for 12th, can’t believe I didn’t think of her sooner.

Three New Mutants on the main team, that would excite some people.

Kitty Pryde / Lockheed / Magik / Nightcrawler / Rachel Grey

Cyclops / Emma Frost / Wolverine / Storm

Doug Ramsey / Iceman / Beast  / Karma

Not a horrible team, they will need a pretty decent base.  Pending on how Battle of the Atom works out, either this team has no chance of forming or a high chance of maybe one day forming.

That is far too many characters but I would be happy with any combination of seven of those.

As long as the core five made the team.

Ultimate Fallout 1

Posted by John Klein III on October 19, 2016
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Ultimate Fallout 1

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Penciler Mark Bagley

Inker Andy Lanning

Colorist Justin Ponsor and Laura Martin

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover Dated September 2011

Part One of Six

I own all of these minus issues four and five.  Issue six’s variant cover is on my Wishlist as it is the X-Men portion of the poster.

Inside front cover ad is a Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern Got Milk ad.

Peter Parker died in Ultimate Spider-Man 155 at the hands of Norman Osborn, Green Goblin.  I own that issue and issue 150, which is so great as it is Peter’s last good day before the Death of Spider-Man storyline began.

On the credit page, it takes states Peter died in the arms of his one true love – Mary Jane.  Which has to hurt Kitty’s feelings, as I like to think there is at least a debate of who is his true love.

Issue opens up various people’s reactions to Peter’s death.  I like how the image from the newspaper is the cover from Ultimate Spider-Man issue one.

Gwen feels she is cursed.

J. Jonah Jameson is trying to write an article on Peter but can’t get the first sentence completed.

Humam Torch, still a brunette, goes super nova on top of the Empire State Building.

Ultimate Fallout 1 Kitty 1

Ultimate Fallout 1 Kitty 2

Ultimate Fallout 1 Kitty 3

These three pages are why I bought the issue.  I really liked Kitty as Ultimate Shroud, the best use of Shroud, there ever has been, since the 90s.

Flash Thompson is the only student in the classroom.

Mary Jane is spying on SHIELD on the Queensboro bridge.

Captain America’s first film is coming out soon, as he is being used to promote gum and contests.

Mary Jane is caught, Fury lets her go with a warning.  She wants to prove that Fury and SHIELD are responsible for Peter’s death.

Tony Stark is on his way to Peter’s funeral in a limo with Aunt May and Gwen. He is going to pay for the funeral and anything else.

I love the shot of the church, with what has to be thousands out to remember Peter.

There is a great moment with Aunt May and a little girl who Peter saved from a fire.  That hug, made me want to cry.  I swear, having a baby has my emotions all over the place.

Inside the church, Captain America in his military uniform and ge tells her he is responsible for Peter’s death.  Which ends the issue.

Secret Wars II 3

Posted by John Klein III on October 18, 2016
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Secret Wars II 3

Scripter Jim Shooter

Penciler Al Milgrom

Inker Steve Leialoha

Letterer Joe Rosen

Coloring Christie Scheele

Cover Dated September 1985

Part Three of Nine

Lockheed being in Secret Wars keeps paying off!

Inside front cover ad is for issue four and its tie-ins.  I would think it would be better at the end of the issue and the ad for issue threr be repeated up front, so people know what other issues that need to be bought.  That’s just how I would do it.  But an ad for subscribing to the Star Comics line of comics is better suited at the end, right after an ad for the proper Marvel Comics line.

Issue opens with a blonde Beyonder in human form, sleeping on a street corner.  He is still new to the whole Earth situation.  A police wakes him up and he moves along.

Beyonder is still tired when he meets Toots, a lady of the night.  She offers her services and recommends a nearby hotel.  Beyonder creates a gold bar and that scares her off.

He goes to the hotel and gets a room.  The fronk desk clerk plans on stealing from him, once he is sleeping.

Fortunately, Vinnie – the local mob boss – has other plans.  Vinnie will show the Beyonder around town, explain life and what is worth doing.

Vinnie wants to know the Beyonder’s story.

Secret Wars II 3 Lockheed

Which begins a three page recap of Secret Wars and the previous two issues.

Look how cute Lockheed looks between Iron Man and the Human Torch.

Vinnie teaches him how to eat.

Beyonder cures all of Vinnie’s . . . gals of the evening, of any diseases they may have.  Beyonder starts creating gold bars by the barrow load.  On top of that, he transforms Vinnie’s wife’s body back to the way it was when Vinnie first met her.

Vinnie teaches Beyonder about gambling.

Days later, Beyonder has moved up Vinnie’s ranks.  He also is a brunette, which is how I remember him as.  He doesn’t wear the white track suit / Elvis outfit yet.

Beyonder runs into Toots and tells her that he sees people as people.

Over at Vinnie’s estate, he tells Beyonder that he is meant for bigger things.  Vinnie is comfortable where he is on the ladder of life.

Beyonder starts getting bored and wants more.  He takes over the Kingpin’s criminal empire.  Next, America.  Then, the World.  Later, all molecules.  It escalates fast as this is all done in three pages.

Molecule Man notices his molecules are trying to be tampered with and fixes his own.  Volcana, his girlfriend, does feel odd.  Molecule Man knows this is the work of the Beyonder, so he corrects her molecules.  They go back to watching F Troop.

Beyonder runs into Circuit Breaker, the lady cyborg from the Transformers comic.  Good thing they don’t show up, as then Marvel wouldn’t be able to reprint this issue.  Transformers 9, is referenced.

Beyonder revisits his friends and they all are also super content.  He runs into Toots, who has decided to go back to a normal life.  Luckily, she tells Beyonder that people need free will to strive.  Beyonder releases his hold on everyone.

He goes to Avengers Mansion to learn from other gifted people, how they cope with using their powers but not dominating weaker beings.

Jarvis tells him that the Avengers are off planet, dealing with the Skrulls.

Issue ends with Beyonder disappearing to help them, immediately returning and regretting making things worse.

Beyonder’s next step is to hire Matt Murdock.

Between this issue and the next, Marvel recommends we read :

Daredevil 223

Hulk 312

Avengers 260

As Secret Wars II affects the New Mutants in a major way, mostly in their own title, I own a large number of these issues.  Rachel tries to fight the Beyonder at some point, so the X-Men get involved as well.

Of the nine issues, I only don’t own issues – 2, 4 and 6.  Not too bad, for a crossover.

So I will get around to reviewing those issues eventually.

New Mutants Volume Three

Posted by John Klein III on October 17, 2016
Posted in: Retrospective. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Now that I own the final issue of New Mutants Volume Three, I can do this Retrospective!

I own these issues :

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 45, 47 and 50

Magik was an original member of the team, thus, I own most of them until she left.  Doug joins later during Necrosha.

The storylines and tie-ins this title had were :

Return of Legion

Necrosha

Siege

Second Coming

Fall of the New Mutants

Rise of the New Mutants

Age of X

Unfinished Business

Fear Itself

Exiled

Fear the Future

Fight the Future

The creative team for the series have been :

1, 2, 3, 4 – Zeb Wells and Diogenes Neves
5 – Zeb Wells and Zachary Baldus6, 7, 8 – Zeb Wells and Diogenes Neves
9, 10 – Zeb Wells and Paul Davidson
11 – Kieron Gillen and Niko Henrichon
12, 13, 14 – Zeb Wells and Ibraim Roberson
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 – Zeb Wells and Leonard Kirk
22, 23, 24 – Mike Carey and Steve Kurth
25, 26, 27 – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning and Leandro Fernandez
28 -Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning and Michael Ryan
29, 30, 31, 32 – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning and David Lafuente
33, 34, 35, 36, 37 – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning and David Lopez
38, 39, 40 – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning and Leandro Fernandez
41 – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning and David Lopez
42, 43 – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning with Kieron Gillen and Carmine Di Giandomenico
44, 45, 46 – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning and Leandro Fernandez
47, 48, 49, 50 – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning and Felix Ruiz with Klebs

Pretty cool how they kept getting artists back to the title, it really does add synergy.

I have 13 issues on my wishlist, most of them are Variant covers –

1 – Ross, Benjamin, McLeod, 2nd Printing
4 – 70th Anniversary Frame Variant
6 – Zombie Variant
10 – Deadpool Variant
13 – Heroic Age Variant
15 – Art Adams Variant17 – Regular Cover (I own the Variant) Magik is on the regular cover, so that’s why I still want it
24 – Regular Cover
25 – Art Adams Variant
37 – Regular Cover

So I really just want 24 and 37 as I’ve already read issue 17.  But it would be nice to knock off some of these variants one day.

 

New Mutants Volume Three Issue 50

Posted by John Klein III on October 16, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

New Mutants Vol 3 50

Writers Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Artists Felix Ruiz (pages 1 – 6, 19 – 25) and Klebs (7 – 18)

Colorist Val Staples with Jesus Aburto

Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cover Dated December 2012

Cover Artist John Tyler Christopher

Final Issue!

The New Mutants, from the cast page, are – Dani, Sunspot, Magma, X-Man, Blink, Cypher and Warlock.

Issue opens with a page of Tyro, a fellow member of Warlock’s people – the Phalanx.  Tyro is trying to fight off his father, who is co-habitating in his body.  That is one of the aspects of that species, the son is meant to kill the father.  Warlock didn’t to and it appears Tyro, also had difficulty.  Everything I know about Tyro, comes from this issue.

San Francisco.  Cannonball, Sunspot and X-Man are trying to grill outside.  Sam doesn’t know how to light a grill, so he over does it and destroys it.

Magma shows up, rightly insulted that she wasn’t originally asked to help, and creates a mini volcano so the boys can grill.  Good for her!  Plus, I always enjoy seeing mutants using their powers in practical ways.

Karma, with both legs, and Dani are making a salad.  Doug is still moping about.

New Mutants Vol 3 50 Kitty Party

Look at all the people who showed up!

Kitty is taking a picture that she isn’t included in, so she should turn around and take the picture properly.  But then, we wouldn’t know that Kitty was in this issue.

What I like most about this issue is that it really is the combination of everything that came before.

Doctor Strange shows up.

Cannonball interrupts a conversation that Dani and Nate were having.  I am not sure if those two were an official couple, I do know they flirted but that doesn’t mean anything.

The Disir, from the Exiled storyline, show up.

Doug speaks with team therapist, Mr.Grim.

Mephisto, in a more human form, but still red, shows up.  He is still trying to pursue Magma.  Sunspot gets jealous, like he do.  Magma thinks he is sweet and kisses him on the lips.  These two are always on and off, but never officially on.

Wolverine tells Dani that that the New Mutants have successfully accomplished Xavier’s dream of unity.

We are reminded of Cyclops’ goal for the New Mutants – to clean up the mess that the X-Men leave behind.

Then the action sequence of the issue begins, as Tyro has crashed into the backyard.

New Mutants Vol 3 50 United Heroes

We are treated to a pretty impressive double splash page of all the heroes coming together to fight Tyro.

Doug saves the day by using his knowledge of the future to calm Tyro and deletes his father’s programming from his system.

Everybody goes back and enjoys the barbeque.

In a rare instance, the cover image actually happens in the issue.  I like how it is the first image we see and the last.

Covers use to reflect the contents of the issue but nowadays, they work more as mini posters than as a preview of what is to come.

New Mutants Vol 3 50 Final Panel

There is an ad for Avengers that sports Cannonball and Sunspot as members.  That Sam, always earning his big league status.  From what I have read, they are essentially the comedy relief.

Dani joins Fearless Defenders.

Karma joins Astonishing X-Men.

Warlock and Doug take a year off, before joining All New X-Factor.

Not sure what happens to Magma or to X-Man and Blink, for that matter.

Shame that Magik couldn’t make it to this final issue.

New Mutants Volume Three Issue 47

Posted by John Klein III on October 15, 2016
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New Mutants Vol 3 47

Writers Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Artist Felix Ruiz

Colorist Val Staples

Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cover Dated October 2012

Fight the Future Part One of Three

The last issue of the series I own, is issue 45 so something clearly happened between the two issues.  I believe it was issue 46.  I know this is the continuation of that last arc so things wrapped up and the New Mutants made it out safely.

in San Francisco, at a Ribstickers BBQ restaurant – which I’m not familiar with – the New Mutants are enjoying a meal after returning from the future where they fought TrueFriend, who was Doug at his most evil.

The New Mutants are – Dani, Sunspot, Magma, X-Man, Cypher, Warlock and Blink.  Not the worst line up.  That is from the credit page, Sunspot and Karma are also on the team.  Not sure why they only went with seven faces when there is nine.

Apparently, Magma almost got a job at this restaurant.  Though, why she would need a job and no one else, is beyond me.  Doesn’t sound intriguing enough to warrant a Google search.

Also, when the waiter serves you your food, they have to say – Ribstickers hopes it all sticks to your ribs.  I would hate that after my third visit there.  Especially, as I’m sure, some of the wait staff would hate doing this, 70 times a day and won’t be able to hide it.

Cannonball appreciates that they all get to sit and share a meal together, they don’t get this opportunity too often.  All it took was a megalomaniac ruler to do it.  Dani tells Sam that he just ruined the mood as that ruler was Doug.  Sam apologizes and Doug is clearly worried if that is what the future has in store for him.

Doug notices that something isn’t quite right but the team chalks it up to the time travel.  Nate Gray, X-Man, who I don’t remember being this fun during his solo ongoing from the 90s, makes a great reference to his own situation.  Time travel is weird, you can go back in time and only be ten years younger than your father and have a niece from a possible future timeline that may or may not never exist.

Blink makes a toast and they all cheer.

Jean Grey School.  Doug is being looked over by Beast.  Beast believes what Doug is feeling is a hangover.  He is a light weight.  Doug isn’t sure that is what it is but is glad that nothing is overly wrong with him.  Beast gives Doug some pills for the hangover.

Kitty shows up and is glad that Doug is feeling better.  Doug turns in shame.  Kitty offers to them that they can stay at the school for as long as they want.  Dani says that is a nice offer but they agreed to stick with Cyclops after the split.  This confuses Kitty as Cyclops and Wolverine only had a little argument and the school was the compromise.

This all makes sense to Doug now, they are in an alternate timeline!  The restaurant’s color scheme was wrong, Kitty’s X is on the wrong side (though it is a completely different costume, altogether) – he needs to figure out what else is different.

New Mutants 47 Kitty Pryde

This is what Kitty Pryde looks like in the alternate timeline.

Greenwich Village.  The New Mutants, minus Doug, are at Doctor Strange’s house.  Who knew that when I made that order at Mile High Comics that I would have gotten three comics with Doctor Strange in them?  I wonder how many other appearances of the good Doctor do I own now?

Doctor Strange is in not good shape.  He’s gone a tad bit crazy as he first detected the change in the timeline but no one believed him.  Others who also felt the change have gone insane or killed themselves.

When Blink teleports the team, it looks just like Magik’s stepping discs and it is this that makes me realize that this team always needs a teleporter.

Apparently, Doctor Strange and the Defenders helped the New Mutants out on a previous adventure but this isn’t the same timeline.

Jean Grey School.  Kitty is checking on Doug, who hasn’t taken a break in a long time.  This new timeline doesn’t make any sense.  It has contradictions and paradoxes, the timeline was created and forced together.

Karma brings Face, one of the Inferno babies who is now all grown up from the last storyline Magik was in, maybe twenty issues ago, I guess he’s been traveling with the team this entire time.

Face sees Doug, and freaks out and blasts at him.  Doug gets tackled to the ground, just missing the blast.

Once the dust clears, Kitty announces that Karma (still with both legs!) is dead!

Though I’m not sure how that could have happened and Face pushed her behind him before the blast but oh noes!

Don’t worry, Karma gets better as she is a later member of the final Astonishing X-Men cast.  That’s all I know.

The next issue I own is issue 50, the series finale so we will have to try to figure out how this story concludes with who is left standing at the beginning of that issue.  I have plans to review issue 50 relatively soon.

Masters of the Universe 4

Posted by John Klein III on October 14, 2016
Posted in: Fun With YouTube, Review, Websites. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

Masters of the Universe 4

Writer Mike Carlin

Breakdowns Ron Wilson

Finishes Dennis Janke

Letterer John Morelli

Colorist Bob Sharen

Cover Dated November 1986

Unfortunately, Hordak is only on the cover.

Speaking of which, this is – of course – one of the Marvel 25th Anniversary cover!

Just like the Transformers issue, Carlin does a great job of introducing the characters by having everyone state their name or address the other person by their full time.  Sometimes both.

Issue opens with Prince Adam and Orko having a friendly competition with Rio Blast and Snout Spout.  I feel like I own Rio Blast’s action figure but I know for sure that I own Snout Spout, Prince Adam and Orko.

Masters of the Universe 4 Prince Adam Sword

Seeing Prince Adam’s sword, took me right back to being a kid and how the art team did a great job of making everyone look just like their action figure plus accessories!

Masters of the Universe 4 Rio Blast Snot Spout

Rio Blast mistakes Snout Spout’s nose for a snake and we get the first of three references (in two pages!) that he really hates snakes.  Which makes sense as Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom is still fresh on people’s mind.

Rio Blast isn’t going to have a good time as this issue is titled, Snakes Alive!

At one point, Prince Adam calls Orko, Ork and that doesn’t seem right.  Did he do that on the cartoon?  I get that it makes it seem like they are friends but it sounds wrong in my head.

So the winning duo are named, but they keep bickering with each other.

Meanwhile, at Snake Mountain.  Which is the right name, but looks nothing like the cartoon.  Here it is like a small village, whereas the cartoon has it being a giant mountain, the shape of a snake.

Skeletor is tired of coming up with all the schemes.  He brings in Kobra Khan.  He tells Skeletor about the legendary Snake Men.

Masters of the Universe 4 Snake Men

I own these toys – King Hiss, Tung Lashor and Rattlor.

Kobra Khan came with a pack on his back that would spray water.

King Hiss, from the waist up, will break off – revealing a torso of snakes.

The Snake Men agree to help Skeletor find He-Man, in hopes that the hero will help them thwart Skeletor and they can be the Masters of the Universe.

They find our heroes and capture Cringer.

Adam was about to transform when Rio Blast and Snout Spout shows up to help.  The duo split up and Adam does his thing.

Masters of the Universe 4 He-Man

How amazing does that page look?  Wilson and Janke really did an excellent job with this entire issue.

The duo even split up from each other, they bicker that much!

Orko, unlike the cartoon, is able to successfully perform magic and teleports the two to Snake Mountain.

Masters of the Universe 4 Snake Mountain / Cartoon Snake Mountain

I owned Castle Grayskull and my wife was cool enough to own Snake Mountain.  If only we knew each other then.  We also own She-Ra’s palace.

Masters of the Universe 4 Snap-Dragon

I also owned Skeletor’s two gauntlets, Snap-Dragon.

He-Man gets distracted by the Snake Men and Skeletor grabs his sword of power.

The duo are now regretting splitting from each other, almost as if there is a lesson there!

Skeletor sends the Snake Men to fight the duo.  The heroes, once united, defeats them.  Rio Blast is able to overcome his disdain for snakes.

Orko casts another spell, giving He-Man, his sword back.

Masters of the Universe 4 Skeletor Suicidal

Orko wants He-Man to kill Skeletor.  He-Man isn’t going to do that.  Weirdly, Skeletor says aloud, “He is stalling!  He never ends our conflicts.  Curse you!”  Does Skeletor want He-Man to kill him?  Bizarre!

There is a page of Spider-Man saving a kid who was trying to crawl down a wall.  Don’t do that kids!

The Snake Men leave.  Snout Spout grabs Skeletor, but he vanishes.  The day is saved.

Pretty good issue, brought tons of memories back for me.  Now I am in a mood for more He-Man!

Big thanks to this website :

http://www.he-man.org/publishing/item.php?id=1046&image=22070

This website has the entire comic, you have to work to read it in page order but still, a great resource.

. . .

I can’t do a He-Man post without having the awesome theme song represented!

Thanks to YouTuber Its a Blast from the Past for hosting the video!

Also, one of my favorite aspects of the franchise is the He-Man / She-Ra Secret of the Sword origin story.  Mostly for the incredible song that I can never get tired of, and I am happy to finally have an excuse to post it on here.

Thanks to YouTuber silvap for hosting it!  Love how the film makers went all out to make the opening sequence feel like a real movie.

So cheesy but I love it so much.

YouTuber gutz1981 compiled the entire movie and put it on YouTube.  That’s pretty thoughtful!

Not as cheesy as the Christmas special.  Oh man, that is terrific too!

YouTuber He-Man Official is hosting that video as well!  I remember learning that He-Man’s mother is from Earth blowing my mind.

I’ll end this revisit to my childhood mentioning the Masters of the Universe with Dolph Lundgren and a young Courtney Cox.

Thanks YouTuber kegorogers for hosting the movie trailer.

The film is okay, and I get why Orko and Battle Cat are not present and that they had to get Earth involved as non-cartoon lovers wouldn’t see a movie based entirely on the children’s cartoon.

If you watch it as if it was a lame adaption of a beloved animated series or as a weak Jack Kirby’s Fourth World film.

Apparently they are in development for another He-Man film but I will believe it once casting officially begins.

There has been additional He-Man cartoons.

Thanks to YouTuber joezilla1995 for hosting this video, bless you!

1990’s New Adventures of He-Man – no good

Thanks to YouTuber CartoonIntro, the animation is very good!

The 2002 series, which was interesting but I couldn’t get over the fact that I may be too old for it now.  Plus, I feel like Cartoon Network moved it around the schedule too much and I didn’t have a DVR to just record new episodes easily.  Now, I could totally follow it.

Marvel Year in Review 5 (1993)

Posted by John Klein III on October 13, 2016
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Marvel Year in Review 5 1993

Cover Dated 1993

Cover by Sam Kieth, of awesome Maxx fame!

Marvel Year in Review 5 1993 Khaos

I pretty much only own this for the article regarding the 1993 Annuals, that I’m obsess with.  Owning this now, means that I own every appearance by Khaos of Excalibur Annual 1 fame.

More information about the annuals can be found here :

http://multiversitycomics.com/interviews/multiversity-comics-presents-return-of-the-1993-marvel-annuals/

This article is written by Tom Brevoort and Mike Kanterovich

Other items in the issue to point out are :

Some great ads for Arcade’s MurderWorld.  There are other Marvel centric ads as well.

There is a fun element to this entire issue.

A Bruce and Clark try to get jobs as Marvel heroes.

Couple pages giving heroes a foreign twist.

An Infinity Saga Bored Game

An Interview with Morbius

Highlights of the year’s storylines

Know Your X-Villains

Classifieds

What I didn’t know was that this was a magazine sized issue.

Marvel Tarot

Posted by John Klein III on October 12, 2016
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Marvel Tarot

Writer / Designer David Sexton

Cover Dated 2007

I really like this handbook – it is one of those ones that isn’t just a picture of a character and a summary of who they are.  It is done in a very clever way.  It feels like we are looking through the character’s eyes at his desk and what he is seeing.

The jist of this issue is that Ian McNee, a sorcerer, has this Tarot Deck that was given to him by Doctor Strange.  He has had it for a decade and now he is noticing that magic is falling apart.

This issue serves as a jumping on point for the Mystic Arcana series of one shots.  I own only a few of them.  This one, the Magik issue and the proper Handbook.

Marvel Tarot Magik 1 Air

There is this cool opening page of the four elements and Magik represents air.

Black Knight is Earth.  Scarlet Witch is Water.  Sister Grimm is Fire.

Marvel Tarot Limbo Winding Way

Magik’s Limbo and the Winding Way are referenced as The Archipelago of Anguish and Redemption.

This poor stylish Handbook regarding magic in the Marvel Universe, had to make a reference to the Superhero Civil War.  For shame

Marvel Tarot Winding Way

The Winding Way gets its own page.  On it, Amanda Selfton, her mother and Nightcrawler are referenced.  Amanda’s time as Magik is mentioned, as well as, that her tenure in the role may be coming to an end.  Which it really is.

Marvel Tarot Magik 2 Justice

Then on page 31, we see that Magik is the face on the Justice card.  Except for when it is Valkeryie, both characters were dead at the time, so is unsettling.

Marvel Tarot Cards

Here is the collection of the Tarot cards that has Magik on it.  There is some simply amazing art in this.

The rest of the issue is pretty interesting as well.  I am not much of a magic type of reader but even trying to skim the issue just for Magik references, there is a lot of time and effort that went into designing this issue and researching it as well.

On June 21, Ian McNee first notices the Tarot cards are broken.

On July 7, 2007 – he starts doing the research into the cards and keeping track of it in his journal.