Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 (May 1985)

The Crisis on Infinite Earths rages on! Yes, a mysterious force of evil has committed itself to the cause of wiping out the entire DC Multiverse. And the only ones that can stop it are a gathered group of heroes and villains. Can they stop this threat? Let's find out!

Previously on Crisis on Infinite Earths: A mysterious white wall is consuming Earths, including the Earth of the Crime Syndicate. The only survivor is a baby boy named Alexander, the son of that world's Lex Luthor. Under the orders of a mysterious master, a woman called Harbinger gathers a group of heroes and villains to combat an equally mysterious threat. They battle some Shadow Demons, and Harbinger's master reveals himself: The Monitor.

And with that out of the way, let's look at Crisis on Infinite Earths #2!

The cover is pretty neat. It depicts a giant Shadow Demon looming over members of the Harbinger Group (and Kamandi, too!) on one of the Monitor's technological towers. It's a cool image, despite the fact that not all of the Harbinger Group members are in this issue.

"Time and Time Again!"
Writers: Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, Robert Greenberger
Penciler: George Perez
Inker: Dick Giordano
Colorist: Anthony Tollin
Letterer: John Constanza
Editor: Marv Wolfman

The story beings with Anthro, the First Boy. The young caveman spots a threat to his people's village. There's a mammoth stampede on the way to do some trampling. As such, Anthro decides to do something about it.

He's gonna ride the lead mammoth like a boss. But the mammoths really don't care, and they continue on their way. After some spear-jabbing, he is able to get the lead mammoth to turn, and the mammoths turn with it, saving the village. Anthro is so thrilled with himself he doesn't look ahead, and he gets a conk on the head from a tree branch that knocks him off the mammoth. He keeps that up, he'll also be the first death from CTE. Anyway, Anthro gets up and sees something shocking.

A futuristic shining city, in the middle of the Stone Age? Something funny is going on here... He summons the rest of his tribe to check it out, but when they arrive, the future city is gone. And the mammoth stampede is gone, too. Embra, Anthro's wife, think he's just suffering from an effect of his knocking his head. The First Boy got the First Concussion. Anthro decides its not worth wondering about and heads back to the village.

The scene shifts to the 30th century. Several members of the Legion of Super-Heroes are investigating Dawnstar's disappearance. Brainiac 5 alerts the Legionnaires of a disturbance in a place called "Plaza Square". He's hoping it's just a joke.

Nope, it's not a dream, not a joke, not an imaginary story. The stampede of mammoths did some time-travelling! The Science Police get ready to shoot down the prehistoric animals, but Phantom Girl stops them, saying the Legion have this handled. Wildfire blasts at the herd to confuse them, then Chameleon Boy leads them away in the form of a mammoth. Colossal Boy gets big, and gets ready to grab the herd, but they vanish. Brainiac 5 calls in with an urgent alert. The mystery of the mammoths and Dawnstar are going to have to wait. His computers have detected a wall of anti-matter heading for the Earth. And it's powerful enough to consume the universe.

The scene shifts again. The time: the then-present of 1985. The place: A mansion on Earth-One. Particularly, the mansion of J. Standish III. Now deceased.

The Joker has just made sure the old man went out with a smile. The Clown Prince of Crime wanted Standish's copyrights to a bunch of silent comedy movies. If he owned the copyrights, and underwent a computerized colorization progress, they'd be worth a cool 26 million dollars. I don't know, Joker. Wouldn't altering films like that reduce their value? Batman smashes his way in through the window, and gives the clown a Mighty Punch. Joker blasts the Dark Knight with a flower containing a foam that acts like glue, causing Batman to be pinned to the ground. The Joker is about to finish the Bat off when he spots something strange.

Barry Allen, the Flash, screaming for help. He looks clearly haggard, and thinned out. His costume is practically hanging on to him. Someone get him a sandwich with lots of meat in it. Batman notes that Barry had vanished in Flash #350 (October 1985). He takes advantage of Joker being distracted and gets something out of his handy-dandy utility belt. Joker exclaims that this ain't Central City, and Flash isn't welcome here. He tries to fire at the haggard Flash, but Batman disarms him with a batarang.

Flash looks around, screaming for his wife Iris and insisting the world around him is dying. Joker flees, and Batman asks Flash where he is. Much to the Caped Crusader's horror, Barry Allen just says the world is dying and pleads for help while disintegrating into dust right in front of his eyes.

Back at the Monitor's satellite, he is briefing the gathered Harbinger Group on the big crisis. A wall of antimatter is consuming universes left and right, and it already has destroyed a thousand of them, the latest being Earth-Three. Firestorm demands to know why he's been secretly selling weapons over the past year. A tired Monitor promises to explain everything. An infuriated Psimon (he tried to buy weapons from the Monitor, but got turned down) tries to blast Monitor, but he easily stops it with a protective forcefield.

Lyla notices that the Monitor is unusually weakened. He whispers to her that he's growing weaker because his foe is getting stronger, and he's going to need Harbinger by his side. She agrees, but feels a strange growing hatred for him, undoubtedly an effect from the Shadow Demon overtaking one of her duplicates in the last issue. Earth-2 Superman suggests they hear him out. The Monitor explains that he is linked with all matter, and he is growing weaker because the anti-matter is destroying everything. He explains this group is the initial force in his plan to save the remaining worlds.

Harbinger explains that there are five towers placed in crucial points in time that can halt the anti-matter wave. The group need to protect those towers from the Monitor's mysterious enemy and his Shadow Demons. Arion senses the growing darkness in Harbinger and is spooked by it. She sends them on their way, then heads out to contact the Monitor's enemy, her thoughts indicating she is not doing this of her own free will.

The scene next shifts to Oa, at the center of the Earth-One universe. The Guardians of the Universe, the bosses of the Green Lantern Corps, have discovered the anti-matter wave. This confuses them, as they should have detected it earlier. The Guardians decide to summon the entire Corps, but even then, they still fear this universe will fall. A strange voice declares that the Corps will not stand in their way, and a massive blast of green energy erupts from the Central Power Battery, knocking the Guardians into next week. Not literally, figuratively.

In Earth-One Metropolis. Superman flies towards the Daily Planet, noting that Batman's summons had something he never heard before from the Dark Knight: Fear. Superman lands, and Batman tells him about his encounter with the Flash. The Fastest Man Alive had vanished after his trial, and no one knows where he went. Pariah then suddenly appears in front of the World's Finest, and pleads for their help, but then vanishes.

I love the layout of those panels. It's a regular Perez trick. I can see the character moving in my mind's eye as my actual eyes go across the panels. It's pretty cool. Batman notes that Flash was screaming about the world dying too, and it leaves him dumbfounded.

The scene shifts again, to a destroyed world. A post-apocalyptic hell called...the Great Disaster.

Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth, is investigating this strange tower. A Shadow Demon emerges from the tower, cutting the rope Kamandi is using to climb the tower. He falls seemingly to his doom, but is saved by the Earth-2 Superman. Their exchange pays a nod to Kamandi #29 (May 1975), in which Kamandi found Superman's costume. The E-2 Supes isn't alone, though. He's got King Solovar and Dawnstar with him. Kamandi does briefly confuse Solovar with one of the villainous gorillas of "Czar Simian", but the king of Gorilla City reassures him that it's not the case.

A group of Shadow Demons erupt from the tower. Dawnstar attacks one, noting these ones seem much weaker than the ones the Harbinger Group encountered in Monitor's satellite. One grabs Kamandi's shoulder and burns it, but Solovar saves him. The Demons flee, and Dawnstar offers to track them down. Solovar nixes it, reminding her that the mission is to protect the mechanical tower, and pursuing them would leave it defenseless. Solovar fears that greater danger is coming, and poor Kamandi just wants to know what is going on here.

Back t the Monitor's satellite, Lyla is checking on the baby Alexander Luthor, Jr. The Monitor wants the baby brought to him, but she's not quite able to bring the baby to him.

Yup, the last child of Earth-3 has done a bit of growing up. I'm thinking it's that starfield on him. That can't be healthy. We next go to ancient Atlantis. Arion, Psycho-Pirate, and Obsidian are observing the tower...that was planted smack-dab in the middle of the city. Yeah, nice work, Monitor. I bet you made life miserable for a lot of people there. Psycho-Pirate is overjoyed at all the emotions there. Arion basically tells him if he tries anything...Arion's response will not be a nice one.

Psycho-Pirate senses terror, and he spots Pariah nearby, wanting to know where he is. The Pirate tells him he's in Atlantis, and unable to resist any longer, the Pirate makes the purple-haired time-jumper laugh. He gets some magic to the back from Arion for his trouble. Pirate uses his powers to make the sorcerer and the Atlanteans terrified. Arion tries to fight back, but his fears are affecting his spell-casting ability. Obsidian saves him by concealing him in his shadow forms. If the Pirate can't see faces, his powers are useless. Before he can do anything more, the Pirate vanishes in a beam of pink light. Huh. I guess Linkara was right. Too much pink energy is dangerous.

The Psycho-Pirate was taken to a black void, where a voice tells him he is needed. The emotion-manipulator demands the new voice show their face, but gets his face erased in response.

The voice taunts the Pirate, saying that without an outlet, the emotions he's holding will tear him apart. The voice gives the Pirate his face back, demanding an answer. The Psycho-Pirate agrees. His loss is not unnoticed by the Monitor and Harbinger. His powers were needed to combat the Monitor's enemy. Lyla suggests recruiting Raven of the New Teen Titans. However, the Monitor can't find her. If you read Terror of Trigon, you probably would know why Raven is apparently missing. He then says it's time for plan B. He wants the file on the new Dr. Light, because it's time to create her.

Back in Atlantis, Pariah explains he was originally from the first Earth that fell to the anti-matter wave. He explains that his presence means that disaster is about to hit. Arion is disbelieving, as the Monitor's tower is meant to prevent that. One Atlantean points at the sky. The anti-matter wave is coming. The Earth's lifespans is only hours. Obsidian screams that the Monitor lied.

In his satellite, the Monitor observes the antimatter wave heading for Earth-One. This is a big problem for him, as he hasn't yet finished arranging for the creation of the new Dr. Light. Also, he's weakening due to the antimatter wave consuming all matter. Lyla reports this to the Monitor's enemy, but the enemy is not worry, as the Monitor has failed to stop tem before, and the enemy's strength grows with every Earth consumed. The story ends with Lyla in conflict, as her better nature fights against the enemy's growing control over her.

This issue is pretty darn good. The main thing I love about it is that it gives an idea of the epic scope of the DC Universe, from Anthro in prehistoric times, the ancient Atlantis of Arion's time, the modern Heroic Age with Superman and Batman, the postapocalyptic madness of Kamandi's world, and the bright sci-fi future of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Lyla's turn to evil is interesting, as it's clear she's being forced to work against the Monitor unwillingly. It's rather heartbreaking, as the story makes clear that the Monitor was like a father to her and she clearly loves him. The scene with Anthro fighting the mammoths was a nice one, as it allowed for just a nice little touch of humor.

As for the art...well, it's George Perez. He can't do bad artwork even if he wanted to. Even his weaker works like I-Bots (You can watch a review of that here) are still great to look at. His using of layouts really enhances the storytelling, and it's just a treat for the eyes.

Next time, I'm going to give a VERY belated Valentine's Day gift, as the Defenders deal with issues of the heart...  

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2 Switch Trailer, My Thoughts

The Mega Man series, back in the day (and still is), one of Capcom's most beloved series of games. The titular robotic Blue Bomber was practically Capcom's mascot. The original NES series would be regarded as one of the best, and most difficult games, on the system that saved the video game industry. And the games are coming to the Switch in special packs! Let's look at the trailer!

I love the bit with the 8-bit and 16-bit incarnations of Mega Man running towards each other under the Capcom logo. It's like they're running up to each other, asking if they're ready to kick Wily butt, then teleport into action.

I know they released the first Mega Man Legacy Collection for the 3DS in the past. The trailer says there will be new features. I do hope that means there will be more new features than the 3DS version. Personally, I'd think it would have been really cool to see the original six get enhanced remakes. Improved graphics (Because who would NOT want to play these games with 16-bit-style graphics), maybe the addition of an "easy mode", that kind of thing.

I like the rewind feature, though. I imagine that would really reduce the frustration level. I'm sure some retrogamers will grumble about it, but for me, I think it's a welcome feature for people who want to try the series, but is intimidated by the difficulty, like me. I'm hoping that's not the only new feature.

Legacy 2 collects Mega Man 7-10. Basically, Mega Man 7 originally for the SNES, and Mega Man 8 originally for the PlayStation, and the retro NES-styled 9 and 10. This will be the first time Legacy Collection 2 will be released on a platform that can be played on the go, as it was originally for PS4, Xbox One, and the PC. That's really cool. I'm happy they can be played on the go. Who doesn't love being able to play games on the go?

I think the Challenge Mode is really neat. Will provide a fun extra for veteran Mega Man players.

The Sound Mode is another cool feature. I know the Mega Man series' music is popular, so being able to kick back with it would be fun.

The Museum Mode is the one that really fascinates me. I love that this feature will give behind-the-scenes look on the history and the development of these games. I love that kind of stuff, and it gives me a great appreciation of the people who worked hard to make these games.

Well, this seems pretty darn cool. I hope Switch owners who've never played the Mega Man games give it a try and have some fun.

Skyscraper Trailer, My Thoughts

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a machine. Seriously, the man is some kind of machine. Not only does he have a film based on the classic arcade game Rampage on the way, and now this movie. Let's look at the trailer for Skyscraper!

The trailer begins with the Rock getting ready for something. We next see him with what looks like a bunch of Army guys.

Wait, his character is FBI? Since when do FBI guys dress like they were in the freakin' Army?

His character is an amputee. I'm guessing the Army guys bit was flashing back to how he lost his leg. And hey, Neve Campbell! Nice to see her in things again.

Yeah, that's totally not a supervillain lair.

I get the feeling this film was originally intended to be a remake of Die Hard. This makes me think of Die Hard, only I'm betting the bad guys may be actual terrorists this time.

MIGHTY LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAP.

Well, this seems...interesting, despite the Die Hard vibes. I think it might be one of those films that will be good if you're just looking to enjoy something silly fun for a couple of hours. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Text Play: Pokemon Mega Adventure #1

I am a Pokémon fan. I have been one since Red and Blue first came out twenty years ago. In recent years, I discovered Pokémon fan games thanks to Linkara's Let's Play of the Pokémon fan game Pokémon Omicron.

One of the games I've been playing is Pokémon Mega Adventure. As such, I thought it would be neat to document my journey through the region in the game, which can be downloaded here. I was inspired by J. Michael Shearer's Text Play blog entries. I highly recommend them, especially if you are a fan of Final Fantasy. So, with all that out of the way, let's begin the journey through Pokémon Mega Adventure!

I admit, I'm not going to start completely from the beginning, as I had been playing for about three hours of the game or so, and I'm getting ready for the first gym. The game started in the classic Pokémon way, with Professor Oak introducing himself, and you getting your first Pokémon. The choices were the original Kanto three: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.  I chose Bulbasaur, because I did so in Red back in the day. I named him Biollantus. I really want to watch that movie.

There is one thing I want to point out. On the way from the starting town (Okimira Town) to Kagawa City, this was how many Pokémon I managed to encounter and catch.

And here's my current party.

Yeah. That's a lot of Pokémon. And thanks to the Mystery Gift, I got all three Alola starters, too. Catching a Bidoof and Buneary was a bit of a pain. The first time I encountered a Bidoof, I got a critical hit when I really did not want one. You see, the journey from the starting town to Kagawa City is...an adventure in of itself. I passed through two routes, and the Corrda Forest. And in the Corrda Forest, there was a little tree, where if you played Gold and Silver...

The apricorns take me back. In Gold and Silver, certain trees provided an apricorn every day, and one could take it to a person who could make it into a special Pokéball for you. Different colors made different balls, and I guess that feature is coming back in this game. That's neat. Evidently, according to the man there, a "Mr. Kurt" on Route 3 can make them into Pokéballs. Well, it's nice to see that back.

There's an area full of lakes on the way, but fishing there so far has revealed no Pokemon. Maybe I just need a better rod. There are Surskit floating on the lakes, though. They have to be artificial lakes, because they are rectangular. Perfectly rectangular.

One cool thing about this game is that a player can see Pokemon actually running around on the grassy areas in places. Like, literally see them running around. It's really cool, and it also helps give a preview of what you could catch there. I love it.

As for my plans for the game, well...take on the Kagawa Gym. I already beat the other Trainers, and now just the leader himself. He appears to specialize in Rock-types. I have a Popplio and Rowlet, they could be a big help to my Bulbasaur and Azurill...

Xeodrifter Trailer, My Thoughts

I once said the Nintendo Switch will probably have one of the strongest libraries in video game history. Not just because of the first-party games and the ports, but also the indie games coming to the system. And another one is here. Say hello to Xeodrifter.

The trailer begins with a spaceship coming to a planet. I'm guessing it went to the red planet because it has that awesome diner. Yeah, the Freon Fries and the Betelgeuse Burgers there are to die for, especially when you wash them down with a cool Cesium Chocolate Shake.

I like the soundtrack. It's like the Metroid series soundtrack and retro new wave had a baby.

Our astronaut player character is fighting a...monster? Robot? Monster robot? It's a big cubic thing with a laser-shooting eyeball on it. I'm guessing that's what happens when one lets tofu get moldy. I wouldn't know, I never had tofu.

Does the astronaut turn into a submarine when he jumps in the water? How does that work? Is the astronaut a Transformer?

Evidently Piranha Plants have found their way to this game. They are weeds, alright. With teeth.

Ooh, you can jump into the background. That's neat. I imagine that is done to maybe solve some puzzles.

I have to admit, I like the general look of the game. It feels like an 8-bit Metroidvania game on steroids.

This game looks like a ton of fun!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

This day is a day to celebrate romance. It's celebrated all over the world, but it's not considered a public holiday anywhere. So, for those who have a significant other, enjoy this day. And for those who do not, just know this: You are loved, too.

Cage #2 (May 1992)

Since this month is Black History Month, I thought it would be nice to return to Luke Cage's 1990s series for this week's review. I looked at the first issue last year, and looking back...maybe I was a bit harsh on it. So maybe the second issue is going to be better.

So, back when we last looked at Cage's series, he got himself a bit of a deal going with the Chicago Spectator. Basically, they advertise his services as a Hero for Hire, and they get exclusive coverage rights. Meanwhile, a new villain: the lipstick-wearing diamond-nailed classics-quoting Hardcore has plans for Cage.

And with all of that, let's take a look at Cage #2!

The cover is pretty neat. It focuses on Luke fighting a robot. His facial expression is pretty understandable, considering the robot is firing a laser at him. Luke Cage may be invulnerable, but I can imagine taking a laser to the face would still hurt like heck. And if you look carefully at the corner, you can see another guy getting the Homer Simpson treatment.

"Creative Hate"
Writer: Marcus McLaurin
Pencils: Dwayne Turner
Inker: Chris Ivy
Letterer: Chris Eliopolous
Colorist: Mike Thomas
Editor: Kelly Corvese
Editor-In-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Our story begins with Luke Cage...getting socked so hard he is sent flying.

Where is he supposed to be, a silo? Or maybe a very odd stadium. The stadium idea makes more sense, as in a bunch of text boxes, it's revealed that Cage was given what was thought to be a simple job: Bodyguarding. But instead of protecting Whitney Houston, he's protecting a popular new rapper called MC Large. Large is a bit of a controversial figure, hence the need for a superhuman bodyguard. I bet right now, he's wishing he was protecting Whitney Houston. Heh heh, 1992 joke.

There had been bomb threats which led to the cancellation of Large's last two attempts at holding a show. Man, some people really take their dislike of his music too far. The threats were all talk, but this time, someone was willing to put some action into them, hence the robot. With a cartoony angry face on it. I love comics.

Heh heh, I loved In Living Color too, Cage.

Mickey Hamilton, the photographer for the Spectator, is watching this with MC Large (wielding a 'black bat', but the art makes it look more like a police baton), his manager Kurt Lockley, and some kid called "Troop" (I'm thinking he either wanted to be a Boy Scout or was a fan of Goof Troop). Troop wants to help out, but Mick advises him to stay in the skybox.

The robot, calling itself Hammer, tries to blast Cage, but our hero has steel-hard skin, and all it does is annoy him. Hammer decides that this brawl was pointless, and takes off like a rocket. However, if the show goes on, he will return. Cage is all "No, you get back here and take your beating", and leaps at the robot. He smashes the robot's gyro-stabilizers, making it lose control and veer all over the place.

Troop runs out to help. However, Cage has it handled. And he's made another discovery. The Hammer is not a robot.

It's a racist teenager in a mech suit. MC Large gives him a punch to the mouth. I like MC Large. His music may not be my cup of tea, but I can respect a man who enthusiastically punches racists. Cage stops him, but Large gets in his face, calling the Hero for Hire a hypocrite. Lockley isn't surprised. Large's music shocks people, but it sells records. And some, like the racist teenager, don't like what he's saying in the music. Lockley states if the cops get this guy, the show will be cancelled.

Lockley convinces Cage to basically...keep an eye on the kid so MC Large can perform, and then he can be turned in to the cops afterwards. Micky tries to convince Cage otherwise, but Cage reminds him that he follows his own rules, and agrees to sit on this for a while.

The scene then shifts to the previous night at the Spectator's building. It's security is being checked by a private investigator, one Dakota North. And she finds a pretty big hole in the security.

North pulls a gun, but the intruder throws a shuriken while complimenting her skill. The shuriken hits North in the arm, and she shoots at him. He's able to dodge her and flee from a helicopter, while quoting Lord Byron's 1815 work Hebrew Melodies. North checks the files the intruder was looking for. There was a breach, but North says that some of Cage's information is undocumented. And that info could be very dangerous. However, she is being listened to. In the helicopter, the intruder unmasks while listening in, revealing that it's Hardcore! Hardcore is the master of strategy! I love Hardcore. I hope he appears in the Luke Cage Netflix series in all his lipstick-and-diamond-wearing classics-quoting glory.

Back to the concert, Cage has tied up the wannabe Hitler Youth (Hope he remembered to take the kid OUT of the suit before doing so), and is moving some big speakers. He and Micky are discussing Cage's dad. You see, Hamilton knew Cage's dad, and It has annoyed Cage a bit. Cage's dad died thinking Cage was a criminal...until this series would reveal his father was actually still alive.

Micky and Cage argue a bit about his dad, but MC Large butts in. Large feels that Cage is a sellout. Cage warns him that he's becoming no different from the racist white armored kid. Cage crushes Large's baton, saying that even though  he's his own side, he is not Large's enemy.

In a hidden compound, it's revealed the kid was from a group of men which is called The Hammer, originally formed from Cameron Hodge's anti-mutant organization called The Right. I love this little detail right here, showing subtle connections to the rest of the Marvel Universe. The Hammer have decided to some expanding. This group is not just going after mutants, but anyone else they consider "subversive". Which basically means anyone who isn't straight and white. Yup, I'm gonna enjoy seeing Cage beat these guys down.

It's time for the big show! MC Large is performing, and Cage isn't a fan. I've always imagined him to be a rhythm and blues head myself. Lockley hints that Large isn't as bad as his public persona makes people think. Troop states the same, saying that Large helped him out and got him off the streets.

And...dang it, Cage! How long have you been doing this?! Why did you not take the kid out of that armor?! The kid easily breaks his handcuffs, because Cage decided to be stupid. As the little racist does this, Troop explains that MC Large had grown up alone on the streets, and was a former criminal. However, he met Mr. Lockley, and the manager was able to help Large find a less destructive channel for his anger through hip-hop.

The armored kid then grabs Troop and holds him hostage. Nice work, Cage. You had to let the kid stay in the suit, didn't you? However, despite the fact that he's in metal armor, Troop is able to break free and hit him with a judo throw that would make James T. Kirk proud. The kid runs his big racist mouth, screaming that Hammer is not some super-villain codename, it's the name of a group. And that's their cue.

Yes, their armor suits have cartoony angry faces on them. I know, it makes me laugh, too. Cage leaps into action, and does what he does best: Kick some bad guy butt. MC Large grabs another black bat (I'm betting he has a bunch of them in case of things like this), and has plans of his own in mind. Cage struggles with the flying Hammer members, turning the stadium into a warzone.

The armored kid calls out for one of the Hammers, but the commotion makes him hard to hear. The lead Hammer blasts at Cage with his armor's weapons, and chokes him like he's Homer choking out Bart. The lead hammer, named Ralphie, thinks Cage killed his brother, the armored kid. They spot the kid, and MC Large is about to smash his head like a melon with his bat. Both Cage and Ralphie are horrified by this. Ralphie's armor is still blasting, and it makes a big boom.

Cage and Ralphie end up working together to save the kid (named Donny), and MC Large. They get to the ground, and thankfully, they'll be alright. However, despite Ralphie being grateful to Cage for saving his and Donny's lives, he still sees Cage as an enemy. Thus, he still tries to kill him.  Donny is not a very intelligent man. Troop tries to whack Ralphie with the bat, but it does no good. This kid was able to judo flip Donny in his armor earlier, but not do any good against this guy now? I'm guessing he hasn't gotten his special meter filled back up yet.

Cage grabs Ralphie's fist and sends him to Dreamland with a Mighty Punch. The chaos does result in the concert getting cancelled, but Lockley is optimistic. It's a setback, not the end. He also comes to the realization that maybe he and MC Large are not the best people to keep an eye on young Troop. How did he end up with them, anyway? Troop refuses, saying he can handle himself. Cage reminds him of something Troop himself said earlier: "Only so much one can take alone".  He then heads up to take Troop back to Chicago to find some family.

Three figures head up towards the Spectator's lobby. They meet a security guard who checks the three out.

Three bad dudes here. Tombstone, superhuman mob enforcer and sparring partner of Spider-Man. Nitro, explosive maniac who helped bring about the death of the first Captain Marvel: the Kree warrior Mar-Vell. And...I'm calling him Shemp, I have no idea who he is. Hang on one second. *reads ahead in the trade* Okay, he's called Kickback, and he has big feet. Which he can kick really hard with. The guard pulls a gun on them, but the bulletproof Tombstone gives the guard a blast to the face from his shotgun in response.

He reveals the three are a new team: The Untouchables. Somewhere, Eliot Ness is facepalming really hard. Kickback kicks down a window, even though they could have just used a door. Nitro stays behind. Ana Medina sees this from a hall, just as Nitro lives up to his codename.

Kaboom. The story ends with a literal bang.

This story is...alright. It's not terrible. We get to see Luke Cage kick some racist butts, so that's a plus. This issue is certainly an interesting one because in a way, it's a bit of a snapshot of its time. MC Large to me, makes me think of gangsta rap artists like N.W.A. (who were gaining popularity at the time), and I can imagine his music was talking about his own life in the hood, like theirs did. His music is regarded as highly controversial, much like real-life gangsta rap was. The story is trying to deliver a message that I think is important: When you fight hate, you can't let that make you into a monster yourself. So kudos for that. As I said, it's not a terrible story, and it is cool to see Luke Cage beating up racists.

The art is decent. There certainly would be worse art becoming prominent in comics. One aspect that does make me chuckle is the way that Turner drew lower jaws when some characters' mouths were open. It's almost...cartoony for a lack of better words. It's kind of funny.

See what I mean? It's funny stuff. Next time, we return to the DC Universe, as the Crisis on Infinite Earths rages on...