Captain America #250 (October 1980)

Captain America in the White House. Could you imagine that happening? In fact, it nearly did.

It nearly happened during the era of Roger Stern and John Byrne on Cap's book. It was a short run, only nine issues, but I consider it a rather fun run. This run, alongside Mark Gruenwald's run, is one of my absolute favorite runs on Captain America.

Considering recent events, I thought it would be appropriate to review a Captain America comic. But which one? I thought about it until it hit me. There was an issue where Captain America nearly did become President of the United States. I thought that would be fun to take a look at that issue. So, here it is, Captain America #250!

The cover is a simple one, a campaign button. It's a well-designed button, and it's front-and-center. Even better, it illustrates what story you're going to get inside, Cap is on the campaign trail! Let's take a look at the interiors, shall we...

"Cap for President"!
Writer: Roger Stern (with Don Perlin and Roger McKenzie)
Penciler: John Byrne (with Ed Hannigan on the last page)
Inker: Josef Rubinstein
Letterer: Jim Novak
Colorist: George Roussos
Editor: Jim Salicrup, Bob Budiansky
Editor-In-Chief: Jim Shooter

The issue begins with a group of terrorists. They have seized control of a room where a political party is hosting a convention, and got a hostage. However, their little crisis would not last long.

Yup! Captain America, the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan, bursts into the room and proceeds to do what he does best: Giving the bad guys their proper thrashing. After he does so, the police mop up, led by an FBI agent. A man runs up to Cap, and is very eager to meet him.

The man introduces himself as Samuel T. Underwood, who is the chairman of the New Populist Party convention that was just held up. He wants to introduce Cap to his staff.  The FBI agent assures him that he and the police have got things under control, and Cap agrees to the offer. After all, what could happen, right?

Underwood remarks that as a boy, he saw old newsreels of Cap in action during WWII (remember, this comic was published in 1980), and he would consider it a great honor to meet the man himself. Underwood introduces Cap to his staff, and a couple of them even remark they were vets of WWII themselves (again, 1980). Underwood gets an idea, and comes right out and says it: Captain America should be the party's presidential candidate.

Cap states he's not a politician, but Underwood states that the country needs a leader. He points out that the people need an alternative to the current crop of candidates (In 1980, the election was between Ronald Reagan (Republican), Jimmy Carter (Democrat, who was the incumbent President), and John B. Anderson (Independent)), and Cap could be the viable alternative the NPP are looking for. Yeah, this cynicism and "All the candidates suck" mentality is nothing new. Underwood's staff think it's crazy at first, but become convinced it just might work.

Cap tells them that he'll think about it, but he doesn't intend to think about it too seriously. However, Underwood decides to play to the sleazy politician stereotype and call the Daily Bugle to tell them about Cap running for President. Yeah, Underwood's a jerk.

Steve comes back to his apartment, where he gets a visitor: Josh Cooper, a neighbor of Cap's who teaches disabled children. I like Josh. He shows some mail to Steve, which is from the Army. He also reminds Cap that they have to help a woman named Bernie move in to her apartment.

The woman is Bernie Rosenthal. She was a love interest of Cap's back in those days. She would go on to become a lawyer. Josh and Steve help her move in, Josh noticing that Steve hasn't even broken a sweat after all that manual work. Super-Soldier Serum and regularly beating up bad guys really helps the stamina. The three enjoy some coffee and start talking slightly about politics, when Mike Farrel shows up. He has a glorious moustache.

Farell, a firefighter, reveals that he was involved in a discussion at the firehouse about some news.

This newspaper panel is used rather cleverly to reveal the creative team of this comic.

Mike, Sharon, and Josh are amazed, while Steve is concerned. What does he know about the issues? The others say that Cap just seems like someone they could trust. Cap arrives at Avengers Mansion, only to be swarmed by reporters. He finally manages to swim his way through the reporters and get to the mansion. In a bit of a funny moment, Beast bounces in, eagerly showing his support for Cap.

 love this take on Beast. I always have. I miss the fun-loving Beast who was popular with the ladies. I mean, look at Cap. Even Cap is amused by his antics. Look at that panel! We see that smile, Cap!

Steve then encounters Iron Man, Wasp, and the Vision, who give their two cents about Cap's possible candidacy.

Cap is shocked that anyone would take this seriously, as none of it was even his idea. He decides he needs to do some thinking. We then get a view of some people on the street, as well as a couple of other superheroes.

I have to point out here that here's some great use of layout in this part and the scene with Iron Man Wasp, And Vision giving their opinions. Another funny moment in this comic, Robbie Robertson suggests that Spider-Man could run for mayor of New York. Jameson's response is great.

Cap is patrolling the city, lost in thought, when he encounters an old abandoned building. He realizes he went to school in this building back in the thirties. He then reminisces about his schoolboy days, and one of his old teachers, a Mrs. Crosley. Cap remembers her a tough teacher, but a fair one, standing straight as a ruler at the chalkboard...

It's a nice little moment for many reasons. Mainly, it gives us a glimpse of Cap's childhood, and is a rare opportunity for the reader to see a little bit of what Steve Rogers's life was like before WWII and the Super-Soldier Serum came into his life. Also, it helps us show that Cap may be one of the most admired heroes in the MU, but he has his heroes, too. There were people that inspired and helped shape Steve Rogers into the man he is today. Cap decides to give Mr. Underwood a call (to ream him over this whole thing, I hope), and make a speech.

A few hours later, Captain America is standing at a podium in a convention center, and Underwood is introducing him to a wildly cheering crowd. Cap then goes into his speech. He explains he understands the importance of the Presidency, and the responsibilities it entails. However, Cap swore a duty to protect the American Dream, and that that duty could compromise his ability to live up to the responsibilities of the Presidency. As such, he turns down the candidacy. He expresses his hopes that the people can find the people they need to keep the nation strong and free.

He then leaves through the crowd, and they disperse, all accompanied by a quote rom the late John F. Kennedy: "The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle...but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. A man does what he must--in spite of personal consequences...in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures...and that is the basis of all human morality." 

Captain America #250 is a fun comic. John Byrne's art is very well-done, and Josef Rubinstein's inks compliment his pencils well. Ed Hannigan did the last page, and to be honest, I never noticed that until now. I wonder how that ended up happening. Roger Stern also has done some enjoyable writing here. It is an interesting idea, a superhero possibly running for public office. I can't think of any major weak spots in the comic. If you find this comic in the back issue bins, pick it up. If you want to read more of their work on Cap, I recommend picking up the War and Remembrance trade paperback. The trade was originally published in 1990, but it was reprinted in 2007.

I own the 2007 trade, and it's one of my favorite Cap trades to read through. The 2007 trade comes with special features, including an interview with Roger Stern, a foreword by him, and six pages of Byrne's pencils for a tenth Stern/Byrne Cap story that never got completed.

Next time, I intend to look at a story focusing on one of my favorite superheroes: A certain wise-cracking web-slinger...

ARMS Trailer, My Thoughts

With the Switch on the way, Nintendo has also got some hot new games on the way for it. I've looked at the reveal trailers for Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and now there's a third game trailer I want to look at. The game is called ARMS. Yes, it's all in caps.

The trailer starts with a tough-looking dude in a shirt and tie walking towards the camera. We next then see a Japanese schoolgirl walking towards him. I'm a bit of a movie fan, so I'm expecting the schoolgirl to bust out a meteor hammer at any moment.

It looks like they're getting ready to fight each other. The schoolgirl raises her arm, and the girl's arms turn into what look like...candy-striped phone cords with boxing gloves on the end? The man rolls up his sleeves, loosens his tie, and his arms undergo a similar transformation, just with different colors: His arms are blue with pink gloves at the end. Real Men Wear Pink, indeed.

The two then start throwing punches, the arms extending out, stretching like rubber, showing insane reach. The trailer then transitions to two characters from the game, fighting each other. It's insane to watch. It's so colorful. The fighters are throwing hands in a massive arena. It's so cool! They're leaping, dodging, and twirling in the air.

We see the man and the schoolgirl throwing punches in the air, holding Joy-Cons in their hands. This gives us an idea of how the game will be played. Evidently, you gotta move to play this game! Well, you can if you want. I have heard that this game also supports standard-style controls.

It's also a clever way to show what a player can do in the game. They can dodge, they can block, they can throw power-packed punches. Essentially, it's a boxing game on LSD.

The trailer with some brief glimpses of other characters, and we also get some brief glimpses of these other characters' techniques. One has what looks like buzzsaws for gloves, another uses a mech that fires multiple punches at once. I'm guessing each of these characters will have their own strengths and weaknesses, and players can find one they feel fits them. Hey, it would be fun if Little Mac was an unlockable character in this game, with his own extendy-arms.

This looks like a really fun game, I hope it does very well. Maybe this will end up being another popular choice for the competitive circuit, like Super Smash Bros. Melee. This trailer was awesome!

Squadron Supreme #1 (September 1985)

The Squadron Supreme. Earth's Greatest Heroes. When the world was menaced by evil, the Squadron Supreme would rise to the occasion and save the day.

But, who were these mighty guardians of good? Who were this great group of true-blue heroes? Well, quite simply, they were Marvel's answer to the Justice League. First appearing in Avengers #85 (February 1971), they were created by Roy Thomas and the late John Buscema. They would make various appearances over the years, and the team would get a couple miniseries.

This is where the late Mark Gruenwald stepped in. Known for his love of continuity and trivia (which is something I greatly admire about the man, and I do think more writers at the Big Two should follow his example more in that aspect), Gruenwald's comics career was made at Marvel. However, his favorite superhero team was the Justice League. Sadly, the Gru, as he was known, never got to write the JLA themselves. I imagine this is why the Squadron Supreme appealed to him so much.

Gruenwald also another opportunity with this miniseries. He wanted to do something different with the Squadron. Many superhero teams reacted to crimes, but they never attempted to attack the causes of crime and actually make things better. It was a noble cause, but it would clash with the individual rights of people, and it was something Gruenwald wanted to explore. The temptations of the power this ersatz Justice League had to truly reshape their world for the better.

Continuity would give Gru the big chance to explore this with the Squadron. In Defenders #112-114 (October-December 1982), the Defenders and the Squadron Supreme save their native world, Earth-712, from the Over-Mind and Null the Living Darkness, but Earth-712 is left in ruins. It provided the perfect launching point for the mini that Gruenwald considered his magnum opus. So, let's dive in.

I do admit, I like the cover here, the Squadron Supreme charging into action, with Nighthawk looming in the background. It does show some foreshadowing when it comes to the story  in the book, based on Nighthawk's position. However, I wished that the cover showed the Squadron in their old costumes, not the new ones they take up in the mini. Yeah, I get that the creative probably wanted to show off the new looks of the Squadron, but I think it would've been a nice surprise.

"The Utopia Principle"
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciler: Bob Hall
Inker: John Beatty
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-In-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Hyperion, the Superman of the group, trying to stop a large object from falling to Earth.

However, Hyperion realizes he can't save the object, and has no choice but to help it crash down to Earth. Hyperion, with great effort, manages to guide the falling object down to splash into the ocean. Hype has to rest, as the object's great weight taxed even his power. He then gets the thumbs up from Amphibian, the Aquaman analogue of the Squadron, showing he landed in the right place.

The Whizzer and Dr. Spectrum, the Squadron's Flash and Green Lantern analogues, arrive to help get the object out of the ocean. Whizzer and Amphibian push on the satellite, while Hyperion and Dr. Spectrum pull on it thanks to Spectrum's ability to create energy constructs.

The object is revealed to be the Squadron's satellite headquarters. It's a nod to the time in the JLA comics when the League had a satellite headquarters, although at the time of this miniseries, the JLA was in the Detroit-era. The nod is also continued by the fact that the Squadron's roster in this miniseries is a nod to the League roster of that era, which was pretty big.

Doctor Spectrum laments that they couldn't get to the satellite sooner so they could have saved it, but Hyperion remarks that maybe it was meant to crash down on them, much like recent events have already brought ruin to the Squadron's world. Whizzer reminds the other heroes that they have a meeting with the other members of the Squadron, and they rush off.

Elsewhere, Power Princess, the Wonder Woman analogue, and Nuke, the Firestorm analogue, are flying towards what appears to be a robbery in progress. They're joined by Cap'N Hawk (the Hawkman analogue) and Arcanna (the Zatanna analogue).

Hawk commands the thieves drop their stolen goods. However, the thieves reveal that they're just starving people who want some food. Hawk then tells them he didn't see anything, and the Saudron will let them take the food in the trucks. They're shot at by some military men. Arcanna and Hawk protect the truck while Power Princess and Nuke deal with the shooters. Power Princess tries to calm them down, but the soldiers still fire. Nuke loses his temper, and blasts their guns and jeep.

Over the Midwestern US, Tom Thumb (the Atom analogue), Golden Archer (the Green Arrow analogue), Nighthawk (the Batman analogue), and Lady Lark (the Black Canary analogue), flying in an aircraft. They lament how bad things have gotten, but Tom Thumb and Lady Lark are optimistic. They believe things will get better in time.

They discover a massive inferno raging due to a gasline. Nighthawk wants to let it burn as they aren't able to deal with it, but there's another problem. There are natural gas tanks nearby, and if the fire reaches them, the city will go up in flames. Nighthawk and Thumb go to shut off the tanks while Archer and Lark go see if they can do something to stop the advance of the fire. Archer and Lark find a water tower, and the Archer is hit with inspiration. He fires some arrows at the tower, causing water to blast from it, dousing the vicinity. Despite that, the fire is getting closer, and Lark sends the signal.

Nighthawk and Thumb get the signal. There are still three tanks to shut off, and Thumb decides to try and shut them down. The plant goes up, but Tom Thumb manages to escape. The plant is a loss, but they managed to prevent things from getting worse. The group then arrive in a mountain, where the rest of the Squadron are waiting. With that, the meeting begins.

Hyperion believes the Squadron themselves should take the blame for how the world crumbled into shambles. Nuke quickly states that the whole thing was the Overmind's fault, because he took control of the Squadron's minds and made them do the dictator bit. Nuke kind of has a point. Yes, the Squadron Supreme did take over the world and become dictators, but they were acting as unwilling agents of a malevolent force. It's not really their fault. I do get the Squadron's guilt, but really, it wasn't their fault.

Nighthawk is especially down about it, as he wanted to help the world in a different way. He recalls his retirement from crime-fighting to become a Congressman, then President. He then recalls when the Overmind took control of him and the Squadron, with only Hyperion being able to escape.

Then they remember the Overmind using them to set up a dictatorship and a nuclear arsenal to attack other worlds.

Nuke and Arcanna remind the Squadron that Hyperion and the Defenders were able to stop the Overmind and free them from his control.

Whizzer reveals he traveled the world thanks to his super-speed and he saw horrors: violence, starvation, the world had fallen into chaos.

The Squadron feel they have lost a lot of their credibility as heroes and that simply telling people that an evil being controlled them would do nothing to help things. I doubt it could make anything worse, personally. I mean, in a superhero universe, are heroes getting mind-controlled really that implausible?

Anyway, Power Princess says they're being rather defeatist about the whole thing, which is an opportunity to show her origins a bit. She comes from Utopia Isle, a island that was isolated from humanity from centuries.

Her people were the Utopians, a civilization that new no racism, discrimination, war, or crime. They built an advanced world when humans were still in caves. The utopians were descended from humans who were experimented on by the Kree. So, yeah, the Utopians were the Earth-712 version of the Inhumans. Which does make me wonder, did the Utopians ever discover the Terrigen Mists? Based on the brief glimpse we get of them, I don't think they have.

Hyperion then talks about his origin, which essentially is Superman's. He's starting to think that maybe he could do more to help, that his parents told him not to live up to his full potential. There's also a flashback to the Squadron's formation, with an interesting thing to note.

See the Skrull there? He's called Skymax, the Skurllian Skymaster. He's essentially the Martian Manhunter analogue of the Squadron. This is only appearance here. I'm serious. In the whole mini, he is not seen again, nor even mentioned.

Hyperion suggests that the group use their power to remaking the ruined world into a Utopia, actively try to solve the world's problems, abolish war and crime, cure disease, feed the world, that kind of thing.

However, one Squadron member is against this idea: Nighthawk.

He fears that such a course of action will lead the Squadron down a bad path, and that a such a thing should not be handed to humanity. Instead, they should earn their Utopia. The group put it to a vote.

The vote is ten to two, the only holdouts being Nighthawk and Amphibian. Amphibian agrees to go along with the Squadron's plan despite his reservations, but Nighthawk can't. His conscience drives him to resign from the Squadron. Nuke mocks him and says he's leaving because he's jealous the Squadron may accomplish the goals Nighthawk could not in his presidency. Hyperion tells him to essentially shut up. Dr. Spectrum suggests the group unmask, as their new roles will leave them no more room for secret identities and Arcanna suggests that they warn their loved ones before they do this.

This part of the comic is one I really like because it really gave us little glimpses of the Squadron's personal lives, and showed they weren't just pastiches of the JLA. It was a step in showing they were unique characters in their own right. They may have been inspired by the JLA archetypes, but they are not the JLA.

We see Hyperion meeting a woman named Lonni (Basically Hype's Lois Lane). He tells her about his dual identity as Mark Milton, and they can't be together because of their being different species. Whizzer meets his wife and children in a special shelter he built for them. Dr. Spectrum returns to his trailer home and calls his girlfriend. Cap'N Hawk goes back to his parents' home and learns his father (once a superhero called American Eagle) had died of a heart condition, and the two didn't get a chance to reconcile. However, Hawk's father left him a letter expressing his pride in him following in his footsteps, no matter what identity he took...and a new costume for him.

Zarda comes home to her now-elderly husband, Howard Shelton. They met during WWII, and had been together ever since.

This scene with Zarda helps show the deconstructionist nature of this mini-series. It makes sense that  a man she loved for (at this time) four decades would age whereas she doesn't (or at least very slowly), thanks to her Utopian nature.

Amphibian goes to the water and meets some dolphins. Golden Archer and Lady Lark return to their apartment and find it ransacked. Archer even finds a dead body. In a bit of a heartbreaking moment, Nuke goes to a hospital, and meets his parents, who are suffering from cancer. He decides not to tell them his secret, as he doesn't want to burden them further. And in a happier moment, Arcanna reunites with her husband and children. Tom Thumb flies out to the destroyed satellite, and finds Aida, the supercomputer that was part of the old satellite. He really adores the heavily-damaged Aida. Really show the depths of just how lonely Tom Thumb feels.

The scene then shifts to Nighthawk driving home. He returns to his mansion and dons his old costume, only for Hyperion to come knockin'.

Hyperion and Nighthawk start talking. Hype regrets that Nighthawk would never get the chance to show how great a President he could've been thanks to the Overmind, and he hopes that despite their differences on how to help the ruined Earth-712, they can still be friends. Hyperion then flies off. Nighthawk is left racked with indecision, and decides that the Squadron's plans must be stopped.

He goes down to a hidden vault, and pulls out a chunk of Argonite, a radioactive substance that is one of the few things that can harm Hyperion. I wonder if this is where the Superman writers got the idea to have Superman entrust Batman with a piece of Kryptonite. Despite his wondering if he has the willingness to use it to kill Hyperion, he carves a bullet out of it.

The next day, Nighthawk in his civilian identity of Kyle Richmond is getting ready to make a address before the American people. He has the gun in his hand, the Argonite bullet loaded.

The world that can tunes in as Kyle Richmond steps down from the Presidency. Hyperion prepares to make his speech about how the Squadron will fix the world in one year. Nighthawk prepares to fire the gun...

...but he can't do it. He can't find it in himself to but a bullet in his friend's back. Hyperion vows that the Squadron will fix all the world's problems in one year. If they can't, they will willingly step down from the authority they've been given to do so. They then unmask, revealing their new costumes, and Nighthawk vows to find another way to stop the Squadron Supreme.

Issue number 1 of Squadron Supreme is a very strong start to the mini. Yeah, it did have plenty of recapping, but unlike the last comic I looked at (Marvel Fanfare #10) the recapping did not dominate the issue.

This issue is freakin' packed with stuff, and I mean in the good way. We get to see all the members get some spotlight, which with a team this big (this Squadron has 12 members), is tough to pull off. Gru not only does it, he makes it look easy. And we also get a glimpse of a couple of the Squaddies' origins, so that's pretty neat. This issue was fun to read through.

Bob Hall does good art here, but his art here is t its best when he's doing up-close shots, and it does suffer slightly when he is required to do distance. Maybe it's the inking? It's not a major complaint, but it's just something I noticed.

Still, if you find this in the back issue bins, I implore you, get it. Get all twelve issues. Hunt down the trade. Fun fact: The original trade was printed with ink that had Mark Gruenwald's ashes in it. I imagine it is a bit of a collector's item, but it was reprinted in 2013. I highly recommend it. This mini needs more love.

Next month, we'll take a look at issue 2, where the Squadron starts on their plan to fix the world, and the tragedy starts...

In the meantime, considering what happened recently, I'm feeling the need to look at a comic featuring a certain Sentinel of Liberty...

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Trailer, My Thoughts

The Nintendo Switch is on its way, and with it comes a new entry in one of Nintendo's most beloved series: The Legend of Zelda. That's right, Link is back, and he's going on another epic adventure. However, this one is like none he's been on before. Welcome back to Hyrule, and get ready to learn about the Breath of the Wild...

The trailer begins with some gorgeous views of some incredible landscapes. Seriously, this game's take on Hyrule is absolutely incredible! It's such a joy to look at. The music that is heard during the trailer sounds wonderful, too.

We zoom into a forest, and a clearing...where we see the Master Sword embedded in a rock, waiting for Link to take it up again. This must be the Lost Woods. That's where the sword would be found in Link to the Past.

We next cut to Link staring over the incredibly well-made horizon. I will admit, it does feel a bit odd to see Link wearing a blue tunic as part of his default outfit. It's not bad, it does look good, and it is something that doesn't really bother me. I just notice things like that. Considering all the green grass we see Link running around in, having him choose a new outfit color would be a good idea.

Next we see Link climbing a mountain, running on a bridge, running in the snow, and riding a horse. I think that horse might be Epona. Looks like Epona. Next, we hear a woman talking. She's talking about how the Royal Family's line of Hyrule is also connected to Ganon, or as he's called here, "Calamity Ganon". We get more views of the scenery. A strange tower explodes out of the ground, and then we see a castle with a mist on it, and then a dragon's head...no, not a dragon. A pig's head. That's gotta be Calamity Ganon.

We next see Link fighting some monsters. A moment makes me think of Midna from Twilight Princess. And there's more footage, which is really awesome to watch.

We then see what appears to be the Great Deku Tree talking to Link, and it says Link has no memory of him. Interesting. The Tree also remarks that Link is ready to be told about something that happened one hundred years ago...hmm. I wonder what that could mean?

And there's a brief moment of Zelda bathing. Oh, my...

I have to admit, I love the monsters that Link is seen fighting in this trailer. They look so...otherworldly and strange. I love them. I get a mechanical vibe from some of them. They could be robots. That would be neat.

We do see some glimpses of Zelda. I wonder what role she'll play in this game. And for the first time...she speaks. Possibly. All she has done, huh? Who has said that? And what have they done? Was it Zelda? Did Zelda do something terrible in an attempt to save Hyrule?

There's a brief scene of Link standing with some people facing an object. I'm thinking Link may get some allies to aid him in this little adventure.

We get some visuals of what I'm assuming will be characters in the game to end the trailer, with a "post-credits" one of Link being told to open his eyes by a mysterious voice, who may or may not be a friend.

This trailer was amazing to watch. It does leave me very curious and excited for this game. I am eager to learn more about this land that Link lives in. I want to fight those monsters. I want to meet those characters. Bring it on, Breath of the Wild.

Marvel Fanfare #10 (August 1983)

Old-school comic review time again! This time, we'll take a look at an issue that gives some spotlight to Marvel's number one super-spy, your favorite comic book femme fatale and mine, one Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow!

Created by Stan "The Man" Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck, Natasha first started weaving her webs in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964). She first appeared as an antagonist of Iron Man, a Russian spy.

Natasha would eventually defect to the United States, and over the next five decades, she would prove her heroic nature by serving with the spy organization SHIELD, and superhero teams the Champions and the Avengers.

Natasha would reach a whole new level of popularity and mainstream attention thanks to Scarlett Johanssen portrayal of the character in several films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact there has been a long demand for Natasha to get a solo film of her own, something I think would make a great film for fans of the spy genre.

Natasha has had her fair share of solo adventures over the years. She's had numerous mini-series, features in other comics, and even currently has her own ongoing series.

I had obtained the trade paperback Black Widow: Web of Intrigue, which collected some of her solo adventures, and I thought it would be fun to look over one of them. So, let's take a look at Marvel Fanfare #10!

I love this cover. Well, I admit, I am a sucker for George Perez's artwork, and he never fails at putting out a well-drawn cover. It's Natasha about to shoot you with her Widow's Bite, and she's holding some mook who looks like he got his face blasted off. The web in the background is really nice. It's a simple cover that explains what you're going to see: Black Widow kicking some butt.

"Widow"
Writer: Ralph Macchio
Penciler: George Perez (Also co-plotter), Bob Layton, Luke McDonnell
Inker: Brett Breeding
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Colorist: Petra Scotese
Editor: Al Milgrom
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Nick Fury Sr. walking through what looks like a technological wonderland, described as a "computerized fortress", the Manhattan headquarters of SHIELD.

I have to admit, I love this page. The sheer amount of insane details in this page makes it a feast for the eyes.

Nick Fury is heading for a meeting with Sam "Happy Sam" Sawyer. Back in WWII, the two served together and were old friends. Sawyer is in charge of a case involving the Black Widow, and Fury is none too happy with him using the Widow for this case. Sam thinks that he has no faith in Natasha, and arranges a little test to reassure him of her talents.

A futuristic helicopter flies towards the Waldorf Towers in Midtown Manhattan, where Natasha is residing.

Again, I love George Perez's artwork here. Look at the panels! So much detail in such thin panels. I also like that the thin panels do give a sense of claustrophobia, like there's danger coming. My only complaint about this scene is that thanks to the scene before with Happy Sam, we don't really get the idea that Natasha is in danger. We know it's a SHIELD test, so we figure she'll ace it.

Natasha tosses a mirror at one of the men, and hits the lights.

One of the men manages to get the lights back on, but finds some of the other men have been beaten down, but the exits are still guarded, so Natasha has to be in the building. Another man notices something by the door, and goes to check it, only to see an angry Black Widow standing at the door.

I can't help but wonder how she managed to get her suit and gear on so fast. Maybe that's what the man had spotted before Natasha blasted his face off. Seriously, look, his face is on fire. If he's not dead, he's not going to be able to show his face in public any time soon.

Fury explains he wants Widow off the case because it would be a personal one for her. He then goes on to talk about Ivan Petrovitch, a character who has been linked to Natasha for many years. He was her father figure, chauffeur, best friend, and a badass in his own right.

Fury then goes on to recount Natasha's early history, including how she became the Black Widow.

Back at the hotel, Natasha is fighting off her attackers, only to be ambushed by an airship. The airship's attacks force Nat to the edge, giving her no choice but to fight back, blasting at the ship with her Widow's Bite bracelets. The airship blasts the ledge, knocking Natasha senseless and causing her to plummet to the ground.

The second chapter of the story starts with Natasha on her way to becoming sidewalk pizza. There is an artist change here as the penciling duties switch from George Perez to Bob Layton and Luke McDonnell. It's a bit of shame, actually. Nothing against Layton or McDonnell, they're great artists themselves (and I love Layton's Iron Man work), but it would've been nice to have had kept one artist for the whole comic for the sake of consistency.

Luckily, Natasha is able to save her by somersaulting, blasting a hole in a convenient water tower with her Widow's Bite, and then diving into the drink. She returns to her apartment and grills one of the men who attacked her. Meanwhile, Nick Fury Sr. continues recounting Natasha's history, up to her early days as a spy and her first appearances as the Black Widow.

This page is Layton and McDonnell clearly trying to imitate Perez's layout style. It's not bad, it's well-drawn, but it does make me wish that Perez did the art duties for the whole issue.

Nick Fury goes on talking about her days in the Avengers, her decision to retire from the spy business and live as a socialite. She would eventually decide that life wasn't for her, and then she went back to action, creating her iconic look, the red hair, black bodysuit, and golden belt and bracelets. Yeah, we're just recapping Natasha's history up to this point. That's pretty much what's happening here.

Anyway Fury recounts her time adventuring with Daredevil and then her time in LA and being in the Champions. A furious Widow storms into the room, demanding to know why SHIELD sent goons after her. Happy Sam explains it was to test Natasha's fitness for the mission, and Fury reiterates that he does not want her on it because of it being personal for her. Fury then reveals to Natasha that they want her to go after a missing man, fearing he may have defected to the Soviet Union. That man?

...Ivan Petrovitch.

This comic, is it good? I have to admit, I have a hard time trying to judge this thing. The problem is that it's not much on its own. It's just a recap of Natasha's history until 1983. That's really it. The artwork is very nice, but it's inconsistent due to the fact that two artists with different styles were doing this book. I'm guessing the reason why Perez couldn't pencil the whole book was he was also doing New Teen Titans at the time (This was 1983), so maybe he couldn't do the whole issue.

If you find this comic in the back issue bins, I would not recommend getting it on its own. If you do find this issue, try and pick up the other issues of Marvel Fanfare that continue the story with it. (Issues #11, 12, and 13) or even better, hunt down the trade paperback Black Widow: Web of Intrigue. It collects the storyline, and a couple other solo Black Widow stories.

Next time, I intend to take a look at the first issue of a mini-series, a superhero deconstruction that ended up sadly becoming rather forgotten thanks to another famous deconstruction that has been weaving its way into the DC Universe. Join me as we travel to Earth-712, and witness the beginnings of the downfall of the Squadron Supreme...

Super Mario Odyssey Trailer, My Thoughts

Yesterday, Nintendo did a big presentation of their next console, the Switch. And with it came some teasers for some upcoming games for the system. One of them is of course, a Mario game. It's called Super Mario Odyssey. Here's the trailer!

With a title like Super Mario Odyssey, I can't help but get the idea that maybe this game involves Mario going on an epic journey. The description dos say Mario will go on an epic journey, and this will be a sandbox-style game. A Mario sandbox game. Can't wait to see how Nintendo will pull this off.

The trailer begins with the camera panning over a city. Heh heh, New Donk City. Makes me think that we'll see a giant Donkey Kong climbing the Mushroom State Building with Pauline in his hand. Get it?

The camera then goes down to a city street, focusing on a manhole. A taxi drives over it, the cover twitches, and Mario pops out from the sewers. He probably smells awful after that journey. A smiling Mario twirls his cap in his hand, puts it on, then runs through the city. I have to admit, it is insane to look at.

A nice touch is that the traffic lights look like question blocks. Maybe they are question blocks. Although I can't help but wonder, how do the people in NDC avoid traffic accidents with traffic lights like that? Do the question marks change color? Can Mario get items out of them? And it seems every car we see is a taxi. That's weird.

One bit that made me chuckle is that Mario then jumps on a taxi's hood and bounces off it like it was a trampoline. If Nintendo wanted to make it more realistic, we should hear a driver cursing Mario out for that, ha ha!

Mario shows us he still has his moves, he can wall kick, hang off ledges, all that stuff. I wonder if this city is some sort of hub world, like Station Square in Sonic Adventure. We see Mario do a long jump off a building, and I don't see that ending well.

Mario then gets into a floating airship, leaving New Donk City, and going to a desert. One neat new thing he shown to do is the ability to curl up into a ball like an armadillo and roll down hills. I wonder if that's supposed to be an evolution of the sliding he can do in the 2D games. He rolls into what looks like a possible Western-style town painted by someone with a neon fetish.

One interesting note: He bounces up to a building, and we see Mario on a roof, collecting these purple triangle things. They're arranged like coins are, and they make sounds like coins when Mario collects them. Are these what the coins in this new game will look like? It's an odd change if so.

The trailer next goes from the desert to a jungle, where we see Mario run past these yellow robot watering can-looking things. What are those?! He next runs on a river, and during his running, I noticed his arms were out like he was about to fly. Traditionally, if Mario makes that pose when he's running, that means he's getting ready to fly once he gets the right power-up. Mario may be able to fly in this game, there may be a power-up that can accompany that.

We see some gorgeous scenery, and one sticks out to me: The one world? Level? That looks like a giant fruit bowl. Mario is carrying a turnip on his head. Shades of Mario 2! All that turnip needed was a face on it, like this one.

We see Mario encounter a Hammer Brother, but instead of hammers, it appears to toss frying pans at Mario. Maybe that one ran out of hammers. Those frying pans are poorly constructed, though. They shatter when they hit the ground. Then a pot explodes on a neon volcano. Nintendo's directive to the level designers clearly was, "Go nuts. Go completely nuts."

Mario shivering, Mario jumping rope with some New Donk City citizens, and Mario talking to what looks like a fork in a chef's hat. Yup, the designers were allowed to just go nuts with this game. Dancing with a boombox, burning his butt on what I think is hot soup, yeah, this is crazy.

In Western Town, we see Mario go into a building called Crazy Cap. A billboard appeared of it in the first shot of New Donk. It's important.

Next is Bowser, actually looking quite slick in his white suit and top hat, which he pitches at Mario like Oddjob's bowler from Goldfinger.

We then see that Mario can toss his own hat like a boomerang. I'm guessing this'll be the big mechanic of the game, much like the cat suit in Super Mario World 3D. Got that game for Christmas, a LOT of fun! The mechanic has a practical use, as it seems when he tosses his hat, Mario can use it to jump higher and over longer chasms by bouncing off it. Pretty cool.

Mario rides a lion. That's awesome, but I hope Yoshi doesn't get jealous.

Some gameplay footage, and Mario spots a billboard, Bowser's going to force Peach to marry him. Bowser stomps on Mario's hat. Maybe that's a preview of the final battle?

We get some brief glimpses of what may be new characters in the game, possibly bosses. I wonder if we'll get any previous characters returning. I wouldn't mind seeing some of the Mario 2 bosses making a surprise comeback.

Mario's hat has eyes. It has eyes. Of its own. Maybe that's how Mario can toss his hat like a boomerang? It would make sense.

This trailer was epic. I am excited to get the Switch and this game. I hope that like with 3D World, it'll be one of those games I can't put down. It does look like it. Shame this isn't a launch title, but based on what I saw of Breath of the Wild, I think the Switch will do fine.

Double Dragon IV Teaser, My Thoughts

This year, the Double Dragon franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and Arc System Works plans to celebrate by putting out a new game. Say hello to Double Dragon IV!

The trailer starts with a "Double Dragon 30th Anniversary" card, then the video goes into an effect that resembles the turning on of an old CRT TV, complete with tracking issues. The sequence gives us a glimpse of what we can assume is the game's title screen, which seems to resemble the title screens of the NES Double Dragon games. Interesting.

Then it shows a TV showing footage of the intro cutscene and some gameplay of the original Double Dragon. The music is a slowed-down version of the what I believe is the theme song. The snow hits, and...

It switches to what I think may be footage of the new game. I have to admit, I am kind of disappointed that this new game isn't in the style of Double Dragon Neon, as I really enjoyed Neon's look and soundtrack. However, I'm sure making it look like it the NES will be a nice thing for those who grew up with the series on NES. Neon was the first game in the series I really sat down and played. I do remember playing a little bit of the original in an arcade many years ago, but that was really it with me and the series.

I will admit, that take on the theme is pretty awesome, and the game does look fun. Shame it's only going to be coming to PS4 and Steam.

Action Comics #674 (February 1992)

Yup, it's a comic review! This time, I decided to take a look at an old issue of Action Comics from 1992. On New Year's Day, I went down to the mall to get some winter boots. While I was there, I also got a copy of the trade paperback for the Superman storyline known as Panic in the Sky!

I have to admit, I made a mistake in my last blog entry. When I said I didn't review any comics last year, I goofed. I reviewed six comics: Captain America #372, the 1983-84 Falcon mini-series (Issues One, Two, Three, and Four) and Justice League #221. Give them a read! I hope you enjoy them!

So, as part of my New Year's resolution, I decided to review a comic that was part of this storyline, and what better to start with was the first issue of the storyline: Action Comics #674!

First of all, I have to say, I do like the cover. It is a bit generic, but it is very well-drawn thanks to Dan Jurgens and Bob McLeod's inks compliment it wonderfully.

You may notice the triangle with the number on it. You see, at the time, there were four books focusing on Superman and his friends and enemies: Action Comics, Superman: The Man of Steel, The Adventures of Superman, and just plain Superman. Yup, there literally was a new Superman comic coming out every week. As a result, the creative teams of the books would collaborate to push the story along (They held regular "Super-Summits" to plot out storylines, which helped maintain cohesiveness). The triangles on the covers of the books basically were a little visual aid to readers to help them figure out in what order to read the books. The triangles made a brief return during the whole New Krypton thing a few years ago.

Anyway, let's take a look at the story itself!

"The Past is Prologue"
Writer: Roger Stern
Penciler: Bob McLeod
Inker: Denis Rodier
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore

We come to the planet Kletus-4. This planet looks kind of like something you would find in Bravestarr or Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers. One of the patrons is getting a little too touchy with a server. However, another patron does not take kindly to it. Who is this patron?

It's someone doing their best Clint Eastwood in the Dollars Trilogy cosplay. It's not bad, but the poncho should not really be that colorful. The Man With No Name would have found that incredibly gaudy.

Mr. Touchy Feely doesn't take too kindly to Clint's objection, and tries to cut his chest. When that fails, a fight breaks out. Clint easily kicks the butts of everyone in the bar, revealing...Superman?!

You may be wondering why Superman seems so...off in these following panels. His costume is gray-and-black. His cape is missing. And he blasts a man out of the bar with his eyes.

Well, minor spoiler alert...that's not Superman. You see, that's Matrix, a shapeshifting lifeform. As for how Matrix took this form,  I recommend you check out my review of Action Comics #644. I chose this issue at random. I swear. Anyway, an alien that looks kind of like a blob in a gray spacesuit finds Matrix and drags Matrix away.

Anyway, the fight is revealed to be a story that a patron is telling to Draaga, an alien warrior Superman fought and defeated recently. If you ever saw the episode of the 1990s Justice League cartoon episode "Warworld", you'd get an idea of who Draaga is. Anyway, Draaga is angry because he had challenged Superman to a fight to the death, and Superman beat him. At the time, Superman was under the mental influence of a Kryptonian artifact, and nearly killed him, before Draaga was rescued. Draaga feels his honor has been insulted, and desires to finish what he started with the Man of Steel.

Draaga finds himself encountering Maxima, who offers to help him with his quest.

The scene transitions to Metropolis, in which Jimmy Olsen is helping Bibbo Bibbowski shovel snow out of the front of Bibbo's bar, the Ace o' Clubs. Evidently Jimmy has lost his job, and Bibbo let him work for him, saying he remembers what it's like himself to be out of work. I like Bibbo. He's a really underrated part of Superman's supporting cast, and it's a shame he's been rather forgotten in recent years.

In a bit of a funny moment, Jimmy accidentally hits a mailman with a shovelful of snow.  Bibbo has a laugh about it and Jimmy is apologetic.

Bibbo checks through the mail and Jimmy gets his pictures back from the developer. It was the early 90s. Jimmy is overjoyed because his pictures he took turned out very well, as he's hoping they will get him his job back.

The scene then transitions to Superman bursting into a warehouse. The men inside exclaimed that Superman shouldn't have been able to find them because the warehouse was lined with lead. However, Superman explains that since the warehouse was lead-lined, it stuck out like a sore thumb from the other warehouses. Whoops.

Superman then easily defeats them, revealing that the men are leftover members of Intergang, a mafia-style organization that used technology from Apokolips for its operations.In a small awesome moment, Superman grabs an Intergangster's gun and crushes it in his hand, making it explode.

Awesome. The Metropolis PD cleans it up, and Supes is on his way. I'm beginning to think that the creative team of Superman: The Animated Series were big fans of this era of Superman. Dan Turpin, Intergang, Bibbo, all appeared in the series. Anyway, we then get a brief cameo of the Hellgrammite, who is observing this, biding his time so he can assassinate Lex Luthor.

Superman then encounters Jimmy Olsen, who is celebrating how his pictures turn out. We then go to space, where an alien tries to remind Matrix of a previous adventure, thinking the alien is Superman. Matrix tries to explain that her memories are intertwined with Superman's, but the alien is not getting it. Maxima's ship arrives, and Draaga makes planetfall. Draaga calls Matrix out, thinking she's Superman. Matrix tries to clear things up, but Draaga is having none of it.

The alien tries to get Draaga to stop, but the former gladiator is hellbent on fighting the faux Superman to the death. Maxima watches this from her ship.

Clearly, she finds it more entertaining than her Almeracian soaps. I imagine Almeracian soap operas have lots of brawls and swordfights. Draaga continues the beating, and Matrix decides to turn invisible. Draaga is enraged, telling the alien that if Superman doesn't show himself, Draaga will beat the alien to death to avenge his honor, much to the alien's fright. Matrix then uses her invisibility and psychokinetic powers to get one up on the gladiator, confusing Maxima, because she's never seen Superman use those powers in the past. She reports this to an unknown party, who tells her to keep observing.

Draaga is able to get the upper hand and is about to finish Matrix off, when he shapeshifts into his Supergirl form. Draaga is understandably confused by this. And then Warworld appears.

The artificial planet transports the two into the arena, where a figure in a purple robe announces himself.

Supergirl revives, her eyes glowing green. She then beats the tar out of Draaga, mush to the crowd's joy. They're calling for her to kill the alien gladiator. Maxima and the alien appear next to Purple Robe. Maxima looks annoyed by him, but Purple Robe reminds her that her world is his. Basically, Warworld conquered her homeworld of Almerac and wrecked its forces.

Consider what I know about Maxima, I can imagine her trying to find some way to get some payback. I can't imagine a proud feisty warrior queen like her taking Purple Robe's order-giving for very long...

Supergirl stands triumphant over Draaga, Purple Robe reveals that Supergirl's artificial body makes not just her body malleable, but her mind as well. Supergirl announced to Purple Robe that she has defeated Draaga, and Purple Robe tells her to spare him, as he may still be useful. Purple Robe uses his power to make Supergirl think Superman is her enemy, and he reveals who he is...

...Brainiac. Yup, the metallic mental madman has control over Warworld, and seeks the destruction of Superman. And he intends to use Supergirl and Warworld to do it.

This issue was a rather enjoyable one. It had good action, and some great set-up for the storyline to come. I also thought it cleverly used dialogue to transition to a new character and location. That was one of the best parts of the issue to me. It managed to touch on every little storyline without dragging on, and it referenced past issues in a way that I could understand what was going on. I also thought McLeod's artwork was great. The art and colors were wonderful to look at. It's a setup issue, but it does it rather well.

This was a fun issue and it got me excited to read the next part of the story! If you find this issue somewhere cheap, pick this up. Heck, if you find the Panic in the Sky trade, pick it up to read the whole thing.