Iron Fist Trailer, My Thoughts

A new trailer for the Iron Fist Netflix series is here! This was quite a surprise to me, so I thought I'd give it a looksee!

The trailer begins with Danny Rand in the big ol' City that Never Sleeps. It's been about 15 years since the magical martial arts land of K'un-Lun took him in and raised him into the living weapon he now is. The Immortal Iron Fist has come home at last.

It's pretty funny how this trailer starts. Poor Danny introduces himself to the secretary of his family's company, only for a couple of guards to try and throw him out. They try, anyway. Speaking of Rand Enterprises, what is it exactly that they do? What do they specialize in? Pharmaceuticals? Aerospace? Manufacturing shuriken?

Anyway, the guards try to throw him out, but they get their butts handed to them. Rand is next seen in an elevator. Yeah, Danny, way to not look like a desperate crazy man.

We next get glimpses of his origin, and his return to civilization. It's very remisicient of Tony Stark in the first Iron Man movie blended with a bit of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins. We also see him interact a bit with Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing. I'm hoping she meets Simone Messick's Misty Knight and they get a detective agency spin-off together. Daughters of the Dragon, the next Netflix/Marvel smash hit right there!

We also see Danny kick butt. I expect lots of butt-kicking in this series.

There's some brief flashes of Danny's training in K'un-Lun. Clever nod here, we do briefly see his gi is yellow-and-green. Nice.

David Wenham then appears as Robert Meachum, who was a partner of Danny's parents. Yeah, he caused their deaths in the comics, so it's safe to assume that he's a bad guy here. There's a woman in shadow telling him there's no place for Danny Rand. I think it's possible that here, Meachum is a flunky for a Bigger Bad. Some bigger is going down.

Hey, it's Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple! She's the Netflix Nick Fury, bringing the future Defenders together. Heck, her speech here is in the vein of Nick Fury's speech as to why he brought the Avengers together.

What are those songs in the trailer? They're great.

Was that Madame Gao from Daredevil at 1:27? If that is, I wonder what role she has here. Hmm, it's all connected indeed. She's probably thinking, "First that Devil in Hell's Kitchen, now this guy. For Pete's sake..."

Lots of fighting footage, which is good. And the Iron Fist itself is awesome, the way it glows. I think we may also get a little romantic tension between Danny and Colleen here. Interesting, but I was kind of hoping that it's be between Danny and Misty Knight, as they were a couple in the comics.

Claire, what does the Iron Fist mean? It means if he punches someone with it, the recipient will be hurting.

This trailer was fun to watch! Loved seeing all the action in it! Can't wait for this series, and the upcoming Defenders! Bring it on!

New Logan Trailer, My Thoughts

What is one thing the Super Bowl is known for? The game itself? The insane half-time shows? The commercials? Well, yeah. But among the commercials this year were new trailers. One was for Hugh Jackman's supposedly final appearance as Wolverine. The film is called Logan. And it has a new trailer! Since this is a Red Band Trailer, I have to warn you, this will contain some brutality and cursing. And you can look here for my thoughts on the last Logan trailer.

The trailer begins with a little girl (It's X-23) in a convenience store taking a can of Pringles and eating them. She then takes what might be some soda or energy drink. Finally, she helps herself to a pair of pink sunglasses. The clerk is understandably not happy with little Laura Kinney's five-finger discount shopping. She flees, he cuts her off, and she judo flips him and gets ready to punch him in the throat. Logan then stops this and tells her what she's doing is NOT OKAY, and then leaves...after taking some jerky. Dude, you could've at least left some money for the stuff X-23 took. Jerk.

One part of the trailer made me chuckle. Logan with the X-Men comic book. He says it was mostly inaccurate. In his time, the X-Men didn't wear costumes that were colorful. What I'd like to know is...how did that work, exactly? Did the X-Men license out their brand to a comic company? Did they have a PR agent? How did that work, exactly?

Logan is then encountered by a blond man with glasses. As I said before, I believe this man is Donald Pierce, and his men are basically his Reavers. He demands the girl, Logan's like, "Who?", and Pierce ain't in the mood for Logan's denials, so he has Logan get beat up and sends some men to get her. However, X-23 is enjoying her morning Corn Flakes, and everyone knows you do NOT bother X-23 when she is eating her Corn Flakes.

The moment were we get to finally get a glimpse of X-23's claws was awesome. And Logan's reaction was great. It was like he realized, "Oh God, she IS my kid!"

What is the song in this trailer? It's a cool song.

Logan tells X-23 that he's not what she thinks he is. Which leads me to wonder what exactly what he thinks X-23 sees him as. In X-Men: Evolution, she blamed Wolverine for her rough life and wanted revenge. What does Laura Kinney see him as here?

The trailer ends with lots of footage of Logan in action, but among it is a moment of him and Laura holding hands, aww. Xavier gets a HILARIOUS line at the end. Poor man just wants some sleep and some food.

This was a neat trailer, and it has a nice mix of funny, action, and sweet moments. This movie sounds like it will be a lot of fun to watch.

Amazing Spider-Man #68 (January 1969)

It's time for some web-slinging action, my friends! That's right, folks! We're going to take a look at an issue of a comic that focuses on one of my favorite superheroes: Spider-Man.

To me, Spider-Man is one of Marvel's greats, a man who never gives up and keeps on going, no matter how things are stacked against him. That's why I like him. That, and he makes jokes when punching bad guys. He's fun.

The comic I'm going to look at was made during a very interesting time in Spider-Man's history. Stan Lee was still writing the title in 1969, but Steve Ditko had left the book through circumstances that have ever really been revealed, although the main theory was that he and Lee couldn't agree on a lot of things. Artist John Romita Sr. was brought in in his place, and the title looked better than ever. Romita's take on Spidey would be the take on the character for about twenty years.

This is also an interesting choice in issue, as it was part of a bigger saga, involving the crime boss Silvermane, and his search for a way to become young again, which ended up getting adapted into the Spider-Man animated series in the mid-90s. Pretty neat! But for right now, let's see Spidey deal with the Crisis on Campus!

The cover is very well-drawn, depicting Spider-Man swinging over a group of protestors. It's a nice tease of what is in the issue, if a bit misleading.

"Crisis on the Campus"
Writer: Stan Lee
Artists: John Romita Sr. (credited as Johnny Romita), Jim Mooney
Letterer: Sammy Rosen

The issue begins with the Kingpin and his men looking at an image of a clay tablet projected on a wall.

Wilson Fisk is determined to get his big hands on the tablet, and he is told it's on display at the Empire State University campus. Kingpin thinks he'll have an easy time getting the tablet, but one of his men reminds him it's under heavy guard, and Spider-Man is often seen in the area. Kingpin...takes this rather well.

He decides it's time for his daily workout, and challenges a group of men to attack him all at once. Fisk smashes his way through the men, ranting and raving about how powerful he is.

After thoroughly wrecking the men, Kingpin fires them, and demands a larger crew for his next workout. He vows that he and Spider-Man will have their "final reckoning" when they next meet. Yeah, I think we can safely say that Wilson Fisk is not a member of the Spider-Man fan club.

The scene then shifts to Spider-Man swinging back to his dorm room, feeling dejected. After his last battle with Mysterio, he has no pictures of it to sell to J. Jonah Jameson, so he's got no money. There's a bit of a funny moment with him trying to get back in.

The next day, Peter Parker is moping about his financial problems, when he gets introduced to a new friend: Randy Robertson, the son of Joe Robertson.

The two get off on a good foot, and Peter is approached by a man named Josh. Josh asks Peter his thoughts about the exhibition issue. Peter say he has no idea what that's about. Josh explains that after the exhibition of the ancient clay tablet is over, the hall it's being shown in will be used as a private dorm for visiting alumni. Peter recalls that it's supposed to be for students. Josh says he's been petitioning for the college to use the hall as a dorm for more financially-strapped students, reasoning the rich alumni can use hotels. So, Josh and Randy are planning a protest.

Peter then gets a surprise: Gwen Stacy is on campus!

The scene then shifts to the Daily Bugle. J. Jonah Jameson is being his usual pleasant self, grousing to Robbie Robertson about Peter not getting any pictures of Spider-Man's last battle with Mysterio. Robbie, always the reasonable one of the two-man act, says he should be grateful Parker shows up and sells him pictures at all, considering how Jonah treats him, which leads to this funny panel:

Yeah, I doubt it's intentional, but the way that Jameson's eyes are drawn here, makes it look like he's about to completely go bonkers. He storms out, which leaves Robbie alone to ponder his thoughts...and worries about Randy. He worries about his son, like any good dad.

We next see Peter and Gwen go to meet Aunt May, who was at this time, living with Mary Jane's aunt Anna Watson. Aunt May is ill...yeah, in the early days of Spider-Man, Aunt May was possibly the world's frailest old lady. Seriously, you could've left the door open in summertime and she would've gotten a massive cold. They hang with her with a bit and leave. Anna notices May looks a little pale, and asks why she didn't get a doctor. May explains she didn't want to spoil Gwen and Peter's happiness...okay?

The next day, Peter arrives on campus, and finds a big protest going down.

Josh and Randy encourage Peter to get more people to join the protest, so they can march on the exhibition hall. Peter is still a little lost, and Josh explains that they are protesting "The Establishment" getting the hall. Peter wants to know what the dean thinks, but Josh says he isn't buying what the Dean is saying. Peter decides not to get involved, and Josh calls him a chicken.

Peter walks into the hall, where in his thoughts, he admits he does agree with the protestors about the dorm issue, he just didn't like Josh pushing him. He notices the guarded tablet, and wonders why the dean is so obstinate about the decision to not make the hall into low-rent dorms.

The protest begins, and Josh encourages everyone there to take over the hall to get the attention of the media. They charge in, and the Bugle is on it. Robbie Robertson sees this on TV and goes to cover it.

The Kingpin also notices this, and decides to use the protest as a cover to obtain the tablet. Back at ESU, things are getting tense. The protestors are angry, and the guards are worried. Josh gets the idea to steal the tablet and essentially hold it for ransom. Both Randy and Peter rightly think that's a BAD idea. One of the guards pulls a gun in a threatening gesture, and Peter is worried that a riot will break out.

As long as he is there, Peter decides to get some pictures for Jameson, as he could use the money. The Kingpin's car arrives at ESU, staying out of sight. The Kingpin waits for the distraction to begin.

The explosion goes off, and Kingpin and his boys take advantage of the chaos to get the tablet. This part of the comic kind of bothers me. I get that Kingpin would want to make sure his boys get the tablet without damaging it or anything like that, but wouldn't it be really risky, if not downright stupid, for Fisk HIMSELF to be there? I mean, I can imagine even at this time, he was a public figure. People know what he looks like. There's a chance that someone will catch sight of him and recognize him. And that most likely did happen when we continue on here.

Kingpin and his men burst into the building, in front of a whole bunch of students. Yup, Fisk just exposed himself and possibly his entire criminal empire. Yeah, Wilson Fisk at this point was not the smartest criminal mastermind. In a minor funny moment, Fisk shoves Peter aside, and for a moment, senses something special about him.

Peter deduces he's after the tablet, because of course. He changes into Spidey, and swings into action.

You know, the Kingpin never kept that blaster cane for very long. You'd think considering his later battles with Daredevil, he'd want to keep that around. I do get why it was likely dropped, considering the Kingpin was later revamped into a more realistic crime boss, but considering that he is a world with super-powered heroes, such a weapon may come in handy.

Spidey and Kingpin get into a brawl, Fisk showing that his strength and fighting skills allow him to keep up with the webhead, despite Peter's own superior strength and agility. Randy Robertson tries to help, but gets swatted away for his trouble.

Stick to running away, Randy. Spidey nails the Kingpin with some spider-powered blows, then goes to check on Randy. However, Fisk gets to his blaster cane and blasts the wall. Spidey tries to swing himself and Randy away, but the rubble from the former wall buries them. Fisk gets the tablet and makes a run for it.

Spidey and Randy turn out to be okay, and Spidey swings away as the cops arrive. Due to the earlier explosion, the cops believe the protesters were connected to it, and make some arrests, including Randy and Josh. Spidey lets the cops handle the mess, as he has a fat man to chase.

This comic is...honestly, I've read better than this issue. It's kind of...meh. The Kingpin here is a complete bonehead. You'd think that, being the man he is, and being in the position he is in, he'd at the very least be smart enough to not accompany his men to the retrieval of the clay tablet. You'd never see this from Frank Miller's Kingpin. The comic does have a meh story, but it does have some positives. The art is well-done, and the Spider-Man/Kingpin fight was pretty good. It also does set up a possible Aunt May story (probably she's just really sick again), and it ends with a bang.

I would only get this issue if it is collected in a trade. I got this in Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks: Volume 8. I'm not sure if it was put in any Epic Collections yet.

Next time, it's February, it's Black History Month, so we'll take a look at a Luke Cage comic!

Beauty and the Beast Trailer, My Thoughts

The Walt Disney company has been on a bit of a kick with the live-action remakes of their animated classics. Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Pete's Dragon, and I've been hearing one for Mulan is in the works. As such, it doesn't really surprise me that the animated film that is considered the very best of the Disney Animated Canon would get this treatment. That film? Beauty and the Beast.

To be honest, I am still a little confused as to the point of this. Why make a live-action remake of an animated film? Especially if the animated film is...quite hard to top. It was the first animated film to win a Golden Globe, and the first to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. This film's got quite a shadow over it.

My thoughts on the animated film? Well, I do remember watching the film a couple times, and it did grow on me, but back in the day, it wasn't one  Anyway, here's the trailer.

The first thing I have noticed with this trailer is that it has a very colorful look to it, which is rather nice. Reminds me of the original film in a way. I also like that we see Emma Watson in an outfit that resemble the original's. I think we get the impression here that she is a bit of a local schoolteacher based on the scene with the young girl.

This bit with Gaston talking to the mirror and Belle's reaction made me chuckle. No one loves himself more than Gaston.

It seems this film will follow the basic plotline of the original Disney movie, which makes sense. Although I am hoping they do some things a little differently. Having it completely word-for-word and beat-for-beat would make this whole thing kind of pointless.

Got a look at the new Beast. He looks...okay. We meet the new Lumiere, and Lumiere actually looks pretty cool. We also got a brief glimpse of Cogsworth, and I have to admit, the new Cogsworth really ruins my attempt to make a "emerged from a steampunk Hell" joke. We also get to see brief glimpses of Mrs. Potts and Chip. I like that they kept Chip's...chip. I know some people will complain about the CGI, but I think you'd have a lot of trouble pulling off the talking teapot and teacup with practical. Just sayin'.

And it would not be a Disney film without a musical number or two. It just would not.

Who is singing this cover? It's pretty good.

I do like the brief glimpse of Belle and the Beast in what look like duplicates of their outfits from the ballroom scene. Gotta admit, the outfits look great in live action.

What did I think of this trailer? Well, it was certainly pretty to look at. I have to admit, I never really had a lot of interest in this movie. I'm not against Disney doing this, as hey, it'll make them some money. I am a bit curious as to the thought process that led up to this, though. Also, for me, Beauty and the Beast wasn't one of the Disney films I had to watch. It never stuck with me like Great Mouse Detective or Hunchback of Notre Dame did. Still, it was a neat trailer to watch, and I hope it turns out well.

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...