Legends of the Dark Knight #16 (March 1991)

Batman is one of DC Comics's most famous, arguably the most famous superhero in its fictional universe. The character is regarded as one of its "Trinity" alongside Superman and Wonder Woman, its "Big Three" superheroes. Each of the three represent different aspects of the DCU. Superman represents the cosmic, the science fiction aspect due to his being an alien refugee dedicated to protecting the planet that took him in. Wonder Woman represents the fantasy aspect, the Amazon with ties to Greek mythology who fights monsters. And Batman represents the human aspect, the detective of peak mind and body who solves crimes.

Unlike the Kryptonian Superman and the Amazonian Wonder Woman, Bruce Wayne is human. He's a man who has great athletic abilities and one of the most brilliant minds on Earth, but he is still human. He has limitations that Superman and Wonder Woman do not have. And as a result, he is more prone to failure. Early in his career, one such failure drove the Dark Knight to try and prevent another one. This is the beginning of Batman's first encounter with the super-steroid known as Venom. This is Legends of the Dark Knight #16.

The cover is a Jose Luis Garcia Lopez piece. It depicts Batman holding a lantern as he's walking through a sewer. It's a well-drawn cover, if a bit basic. It looks like it should be a poster. It would be a nice poster though, don't get me wrong. I would hang this up on my wall. 

"Venom: Part 1"
Writer: Dennis O'Neil
Pencilers: Trevor von Eeden, Russell Braun
Inker: Jose Luis Garcia Lopez
Colorist: Steve Oliff
Letterer: Willie Schubert
Editors: Andrew Helfer, Kevin Dooley
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with the Dark Knight trudging through a sewer. He isn't doing this because the man is bored, but because he is on a mission. The Caped Crusader is looking for someone. And he hears the voice of the person he is looking for. 

The little girl's name is Sissy Porter (yeah, I think they likely meant Cissy, like singer Cissy Houston). The girl is tied up, and water is coming up fast.

The girl is behind some very big rocks. Batman promises to get her out as he tries to move the rocks. However, the rocks are very big. Big, and heavy. As the water keeps rising, Batman desperately tries to move the rocks away. However, the last rock he needs to move is a big one. Too big for even him to move. Sadly, little Sissy Porter ends up drowning. As he returns to his home, Batman is naturally broken up about it. He was able to track the girl down, trace the kidnapper...all for seeming naught. 

Alfred points out that even Batman is going to fail. After all, the Batman is many things, but he is still only human. The butler suggests Bruce let him launder his costume. After all, he was just in a sewer, and he can not be smelling good.

But the Gotham Guardian still has one piece of business to take care of: giving his condolences...and his apologies to her father: pharmacologist Randolph Carter. Carter's reaction to his daughter's death is rather...bizarre. He claims that it's a shame his daughter died, but then tries to be optimistic about it, saying that bad things could still happen to her if she lived. Batman asks exactly what her kidnapper/killer was after. The kidnapper didn't want money. They wanted some little pills.

These are Carter's magnum opus, pills designed to enhance human potential. He offers one to Batman, saying that maybe if he had one, maybe Sissy would still be alive. However, Bruce isn't interested. The Dark Knight then senses that Carter's got a guest. However, it's four in the morning, Carter lives alone, and he's not expecting any guests. Batman shoves him into the next room as a man shoots his way into the room. Batman easily knocks the killer into dreamland with a Mighty Punch. He tells Carter to call the cops, as this is likely one of the kidnappers. He then jumps out a window and lands on the other kidnapper's, truck as it races off. 

The rain is pounding down, and the roof of the truck is smooth, making it very hard for Batman to keep a grip on the vehicle. The driver wildly swerving the truck is not helping. Eventually, the van hits a pole, causing the Caped Crusader to slip off, and he is left in the mud on his butt. A frustrated Bruce Wayne returns home and opens the grandfather clock that functions as the entrance to the Batcave. Alfred notes that it's set on the exact time his parents died. This makes the Englishman realize he's tormenting himself. He comes down and sees Bruce preparing to lift a heavy barbell.

Bruce calculated that the heavy chunk of cement he was unable to move weighed around 630 lbs. That's how much weight he put on the barbell. He tries to lift it, only to tear his shoulder. 

Alfred recommends he sees a doctor, but Bruce just wants the car. The two head back to where Bruce fell off the van. Bruce finds traces of the van's paint on the pole. He examines the paint under a microscope to identify the brand of paint that was used. He then makes some calls to various body shops in Gotham to see who uses that particular brand. Bruce then visits the shops and bribes the owners to let him look at their records. He also makes some calls to the pre-Two-Face Harvey Dent, who was the District Attorney at the time. Dent told him that one of the names of the body shop's customers has a record, including being suspected of kidnapping. Bruce wants to pay him a visit. 

Alfred advises against it. Bruce has a wounded shoulder, and he's been going nonstop for 96 hours. Yeah, Bruce has been going nonstop for four days. He's barely able to function as Bruce, much less Batman. Dude, get a doctor for that shoulder and go to bed.

Bruce refuses, as he is clearly still very haunted by Sissy Porter's death. He couldn't save her...but he can catch the men who kidnapped her. Alfred thinks Bruce's obsessive nature is pushing him too far, and he threatens to resign. Batman heads out anyway. Inside his apartment, the two men talk about things. Carter strangely didn't press charges, so the kidnapper got to walk free. The driver grumbles that he could have taken Batman. Batman climbs in, telling them they will confess their actions to Gordon and Dent. The driver thinks he can take on the Dark Knight, and thanks to his injured shoulder, the driver has a fighting chance. 

Bruce is tired and hurt, which allows the two men to easily beat the tar out of him. The two are able to literally punch Bruce out the window.

Ooh, he's going to be picking glass shards out of himself for a week. The kidnappers want to finish him off, but a figure orders them not to. After all, it's not time yet.

Later, Bruce has a very trippy dream.

Yeah, no more pepperoni and ham pizza before bed for you, Bruce. He wakes up back in Wayne Manor, clearly feeling a lot better. Alfred explained he took Bruce to a doctor, claiming that he fell from a hot air balloon...and landed on a table full of cheese blintzes. Although, saying "cheese blintzes" is a bit redundant as blintzes traditionally have a cheese filling...mmm...cheese...

Bruce gets out of bed and puts on his Batman costume, much to Alfred's consternation. However, Bruce isn't going to find some trouble. He needs to go see a man. Who? Randolph Carter, of course. 

Carter is not surprised to see the Dark Knight. And he knows what the vigilante wants. Carter gives him one of his pills, saying it will help Bruce stay in top shape. Just take one a day. Bruce takes a pill, and Carter gives him an envelope containing a month's supply. 

Bruce heads back to the cave, and he doesn't feel any sort of worry. After all, he just put a strange new substance in his body. He didn't even examine the pill or ask what was in it. That should worry him. He tries to lift the 630-pound bar again. And this time, he succeeds. Afterwards, he goes to find the two kidnappers for a little rematch. 

He finds the two men hanging out at a bar. Batman easily tosses one of them into a table. The bigger one, the driver, is feeling cocky. He was able to take the Gotham Guardian on once, he can easily do it again, right?

Wrong is an understatement. Bruce has had some time to rest and heal up...not to mention Randolph Carter's little wonder pill enhancing his strength. Bruce easily knocks the big man out and tosses him through a window. The story ends with the Caped Crusader looking over his handiwork...and letting out a shriek-like laugh of triumph.

I did enjoy this comic. Now, I can imagine that some may ask why Batman is taking his failure so hard, but keep in mind, this story is set rather early in the Dark Knight's superhero career. This story is telling the tale of Batman's first major failure to save someone. I can imagine this would have brought back all the feelings of powerlessness and helplessness he felt when his parents were killed. 

Von Eeden, Braun, and Russell are a very formidable artwork team. I love the final product of their work. Great storytelling and work on the facial expressions. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2012 trade paperback Batman: Venom. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Blue Beetle Final Trailer, My Thoughts

 Let's look at the trailer!

I like that Jaime is wearing a blue tracksuit. Very Power Rangers.

(nice)

Jaime: "I believe I can fly! I believe I can touch the sky!"
Scarab: "WHO IS DOING THE FLYING HERE?!"

Okay, this makes me wonder. She said she had no idea the Scarab would activate. But in the last trailer, we saw Dan Garrett and Ted Kord's costume, implying they were Blue Beetles in the past. Ted not being able to use the scarab makes sense. He never could get it to work for him...but Dan could. Did Ted not know this?!

(huh)

Scarab: "You had a pretty face and seemed just smart enough to do as you're told."
Jaime: "...thanks. 😒"
Scarab: "You're welcome! 😊"

Flying scenes look cool!

(thumbs up)

Military tech? So, this version of the Scarab is not connected to the Reach? But then again, the comics have gone back and forth on whether the Scarab is technological or magical. 

Carapax looks cool as ice.

(nice)

THE BUG! 

(woo-hoo) 

Seeing this makes me sad that Ted Kord has basically been reduced to "guy who dies so Jaime can take the mantle." I'd love to have seen him mentor Jaime.

Never mess with an armed grandma. 

Navajo Code Talkers Day

Today is Navajo Code Talkers Day.

This day is about honoring the members of the Navajo Tribe that used a code based on their language to transmit and receive important messages and information during WWII. Most famously, the Navajo language was used as a basis for codes, but other languages from other tribes were used, including Comanche, Hopi, Mohawk, and Cherokee. These "code talkers" can be credited with aiding in several major victories in WWII. 

Code talkers were actually first known to be used during World War I, thanks to Cherokee soldiers in the 30th Infantry Division. They transmitted messages in their tongue during the Second Battle of the Somme. 

During WWII, a city engineer for Los Angeles named Philip Johnston proposed using the Navajo language as a basis for secret transmissions. Johnston himself was the children of missionaries to the Navajo and knew a dialect of it. Why that language? Well, Navajo has a complex grammar, and even by the 1930s, it was still an unwritten language. It also had a lot of dialects, which made it hard to translate for those who were not heavily exposed to it. The code that developed from the language would not be deciphered until 1968. 

The first Navajo Code Talkers Day would be declared in 1982 under Ronald Reagan. In 2008, President George W. Bush would sign the Code Talkers Recognition Act into law in 2008, which awarded every Native American soldier that served in the World Wars with a Congressional Gold Medal. These Gold Medals were awarded to the tribes as a whole, with silver medals given to the surviving talkers at the time or next of kin.

Eternals #8 (May 1986)

It's that time again! It's time to join the Eternals in their greatest battle against the Deviants! Last time, Thena and Kro, who are now seen as traitors by their peoples, on the run. Kro makes a shocking discovery about a brutal ritual about his people. So, what's the followup from this? Where do those two go from here? Let's find out in Eternals #8!

The cover is a Keith Pollard piece, and it's pretty cool. In my opinion, anyway. it depicts the Eternal known as Ikaris attacking a bunch of Deviants that are deciding to crash one of Sersi's parties. 

"When Titans Party!"
Writer: Peter Gillis
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colorist: George Roussos
Letterer: Rick Parker
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with a view of the Celestial known as Arishem.

“I thought I’d try a new look.”

Arishem is arguably the most famous of any individual Celestial, thanks to his appearance in the MCU film Eternals. In the comics, every Celestial has a function/specialty. For example, in the comics, there is a Celestial called Oneg the Prober. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Oneg was called that because his job was to experiment on things. And then there's Eson the Searcher, who is tasked with, like his name says, seeking/finding things. Arishem is known as "The Judge", as his job is basically judging whether a planet's civilization should be allowed to continue surviving...or be exterminated. And his attention has been turned back to Earth. In the past, Arishem has determined that humanity is worthy of survival. 

But enough about potentially massive cosmic events, another big event is happening! Sersi is throwing a party!

“I hope I ordered enough pizza…”

Why is she throwing a party? It's Sersi. She'll throw a party just for the fun of it. I can imagine that during her time in the Avengers, the Mansion itself could tell stories of the debauchery she brought it. And her party's going to have a pair of unexpected guests. 

“I told you to take that left turn at Alberquerque, Thena!”

Thena and Kro really have nowhere else to go at this point. Both the other Eternals and Deviants think they're traitors. Sersi points out that it's understandable, considering their actions. Kro tries to point out that whatever Ghaur has planned, it's about far more than the old Eternal-Deviant wars. The world could be at stake. Sersi isn't interested at first, as she puts it, "the world has a way of going on, my lord Kro, no matter what we do". Thena then tries another tactic: helping in the name of love. 

That gets her interest. Sersi has long known that Thena was in love with Kro and had waited centuries for her to admit it. 

She agrees to help, so she has her two human friends, Sam Holden and Dave Chatterton, help provide outfits for them. After all, this is a costume party. The party begins, and things are swinging. Even Kro and Thena are getting into it.

“Stop steaming up my tail! You’re gonna wrinkle it!”

I like to imagine it was Sersi's idea to have Thena in the Playboy Bunny costume just because she thought it would be funny. I do think classic Sersi would not be above a bit of minor trolling like that. Kro and Thena agree to split up, as it would provide less chance of discovery. And Thena finds herself making...a friend. 

Remember this cowboy. 

Dave Chatterton is minding the door, when the other Eternals arrive, and they're not here to party. 

“Candygram for Sersi!”

That's a shame. Sersi's parties are a lot of fun, from what I heard. The lady herself greets them dressed like Scarlett O'Hara. She tells the Eternals that Kro and Thena aren't there, and they're free to look around. It does give Sersi a problem, though. She really did not want this fight to come to the party. Especially since the party has some other...special guests.

Obligatory superhero cameos.

Those guests are in the form of Namor the Sub-Mariner, Edwin Jarvis, and Warren Worthington III, aka the Angel. They're here on invitation from Sersi after the events of Avengers #248. Warren is confused why he was invited, as he wasn't an Avenger at the time. Give it time, Warren. Over the years, many X-Men served as members of Earth's Mightiest. Beast, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Firestar (she was an Avenger first in her case), and most recently (as of this writing) M and Psylocke. Your time will come, Wings. Sersi greets them dressed as Captain America. 

Meanwhile, Thena has decided to hide out in another room, where she finds herself talking with another partygoer. A Deviant tries to get Thena through the window, but her new friend sent him packing with some mace.

“YOU LIKE BEAR MACE, BRAH?!”

Sam Holden and Sersi also spot a group of Deviants. This annoys the dark-haired Eternal (who decided to switch to a Doctor Strange cosplay), and she uses hypnosis to make them into waiters. Ikaris then spots Thena, only to discover that Sersi has switched costumes again. She donned a duplicate of Thena's suit, and a blonde wig.

Ikaris is furious, but Sersi responds by teasing him. She trolls him by revealing that several other women have matched Thena's bunny suit. Ikaris is not having a good day.

Sam Holden observes this, and notes how insane this whole thing is. Two offshoots of humanity barreling into war, and they're fighting it out on a dance floor. And then things get worse.

“I’m looking for a murderer.”

Page 369, Panel 4"I wish to indulge in waht you humans call...hors ordure's." Yup! Ghaur himself now has shown up! Evidently, he heard that Sersi's parties are the life of the town and wanted to see one for himself. 

Ghaur ends up meeting with the cowboy from earlier, who turns out to be Hercules. The two discuss the nature of gods and their idea of boons. Meanwhile, Namor and Ransak are having their own conversation. Ransak is being miserable as usual, and Namor thinks he's drunk. Would not surprise me. It would be funny that for all his bluster and anger, Ransak is a massive lightweight when it comes to alcohol. Meanwhile, Kro is spotted by Ghaur. Yup, he's a dead man. Well, dead Deviant, but you know what I mean.

Dave Chatterton sees the two, and immediately gets worried. He is the only one who can do something about this. His fear is understandable, though. Ghaur is ruthless enough to kill a man in cold blood if he needs to, and thanks to Sersi, he's slowly growing an aversion to dying. But the man is hit with a bolt of inspiration. 

He gives a block of ice to Ghaur and socks the drunken Ransak with his best Mighty Punch. This allows Kro and Thena to quietly and quickly slip away. The inebriated and furious Deviant tries to attack Dave, but Ghaur unwittingly saves the human by knocking Ransak away with the ice block...and ends up flying into Namor.

Sersi (who now has whipped out her She-Hulk cosplay) is not too happy with the idea of a fight breaking out in one of her parties. Ghaur orders the Deviants to move in, but she foils and confuses them with a little distraction tactic: turning everyone’s costumes into duplicates of Ikaris’s. Thank the space gods Deviants are dumb. 

Ikaris catches up with Kro and Thena. Thena calls him stubborn, and then teleports away with Kro. Before she leaves, she says that if Ikaris is willing to listen, she'll explain. But Ikaris is in no mood to listen. He swears to track her down and make her pay for betraying the Eternals. 

I have to say, this is one of the more...unique entries in the miniseries. I did enjoy it, but I do admit, considering the drama of the last issue, this story does feel a bit jarring. I was also surprised by the cameos of other superheroes. I can see why some would look at this as a bit of a forced reminder that "this story is set in the Marvel Universe", but I did like the issue subverted the expectation that these guys would get into a fight. I do feel that this would have also been a great opportunity for a bit more character development, mainly for Sam and Dave. Maybe this party (as well as his socking Ransak in the last issue) can help show that Dave is growing more confidence and starting to embrace life again). 

Despite the issues, I still enjoyed it. Sersi throwing a party is always fun. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2020 trade paperback The Eternals: The Dreaming Celestial Saga. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

World Lion Day

Today is World Lion Day!

In honor of this day, here's some lion facts courtesy of MSN.

1. Baby Lions have spots.

When lions are young, their fur has little spots on it. These disappear as the cubs grow up.

2. Lion manes have a purpose.

Male lions' manes look cool, but there's also a point to them. Much like glam rockers in the 80s, male lions use their manes to attract mates. However, the manes also help provide some protection for their heads and necks.

3. Lions are pretty fast.

While they're no cheetahs, lions are no slouch when it comes to speed. they can run at speeds up to 50 miles per hour for brief periods to catch prey.

4. Lions are LOUD.

Lions do not do things small. That includes roaring. A lion's roar can be heard up to five miles away, thanks to it reach the ear-splitting height of 114 decibels. This is handy as a lion's roar has a variety of purposes, including intimidating away others from its territory.

5. Lions are great leapers.

When we think of animals that can leap, for many of us, frogs and kangaroos come to mind. Which is understandable. After all, leaping is their thing. But lions can leap pretty far, too. A healthy lion can leap as far as 36 feet. A lion would be handy to have on the long jump. 

6. Lions love sleep.

Like many other cats, lions love to sleep. Sleep is their passion. In fact, they can sleep for up to 20 hours a day. 

7. Lions are big.

Lions are pretty big animals. On average, a male lion weighs over 410 pounds. The more active female lions can weight only almost 280 pounds on average. But then again, the female lions are significantly more active. 

8. Lions are big eaters.

As I said before, lions do nothing small. They are big, their roars are big and loud, and so are their meals. A lion can eat up to nearly 90 pounds of food per meal. Maybe that's why male lions are so big? 

9. Lions are nocturnal hunters.

Lions may sleep most of the day, but the remaining four hours of the night? It's hunting time. Yup, night is when the lion goes to get some food.

10. Lions are endangered.

Like the tiger, the lion is a very endangered species. It has lost almost all of its historical range, and it's believed there are only about 23,000 lions left in the world. Yeah, like the tiger, it's in big trouble, population-wise.

So, yeah. Ten facts about the lion. They are fascinating, beautiful creatures. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get 

The Last Voyage of the Demeter Trailer, My Thoughts

In 1897, the novel Dracula was published, written by Irish author Abraham "Bram" Stoker. This novel would help codify the vampire in the imagination of the West, and over 120 years later, Dracula was a character that has managed to make his way to just about every form of media imaginable. From June to October 2021, the film The Last Voyage of the Demeter was filmed, and is now on its way to release.

Written by Bragi F. Schut, Jr., the film was inspired by a chapter of the book, called "The Captain's Log". Basically, this film is taking Dracula's voyage from Romania to London on the Demeter from the book and making it into a stand-alone film. Schut Jr. was inspired to write the screenplay after seeing the model of the ship that was used in the 1992 film Bram Stoker's Dracula. The film will be directed by Norwegian filmmaker Andre Ovredal, and its cast includes Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, and David Dastmalchian. Let's look at the trailer!

Wait, how do you know he's called "Dracula"? Did he introduce himself or something? "Hello, my name is Dracula, I'll be eating all you sailors tonight."

I'm joking. Dracula is a legend. Everybody knows Dracula. He throws some fun parties.

I see their take on ol' Drac here is drawing from the Nosferatu/Count Orlok well. 

I'm sure nothing bad is going to happen to anyone on this ship, and it will be a smooth, relaxing journey. Yup, just clear skies and calm waters the whole way.

And I'm sure those "private crates" totally do not contain a monster and his dirt. Dracula loves his homeland dirt. He's no fan of sand, though.

I hope the dog makes it.

Ahhhh, crud. This voyage is gonna suuuuck...

Quite literally in Drac's case. he'll be doing a lot of sucking.

"You slaughter a bunch of animals and people for their blood to survive, and they call you evil incarnate. Sheesh!" 

I have to admit, the idea of taking a chapter from a book and making a film based on it is...a choice. I can see why someone would do that here. The Captain's Log is an opportunity to tell a closed-in story about a doomed crew desperately fighting for survival against a seemingly invincible monster. I admit, I'm not a "horror guy", but if I was, I'd give this film a shot, as it looks really good. If you like horror, you may like this movie. 

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you lik it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Spider-Man: Lifeline #1 (April 2001)

When people think of sequels, people tend to think of movies. But comics also do sequels as well. One storyline that got a sequel was the original Lifeline Tablet Saga, which ran from issues #67-75 (December 1968-August 1969) of The Amazing Spider-Man. You may be familiar with the tale if you watched the 90s Spider-Man cartoon. 

If you're not, let me fill you in. The Lifeline Tablet Saga told the tale of Spider-Man's fight against the debuting criminal Silvio "Silvermane" Manfredi, a Sicilian-born Maggia (the Marvel Universe's version of the Mafia) Don. Silvermane was getting up there in years and heard about a clay tablet. The tablet's writing claimed to be a recipe for a potion that was essentially a Fountain of Youth. Long story short, he'd get the formula, but he would end up deaging out of existence. In your true comic stylings, he would return, and even become a cyborg in the 1980s. I love comics. 

What does this have to do with sequels? Well, the Lifeline Tablet Saga would get a sequel in 2001: The three-issue miniseries Spider-Man: Lifeline. How did this miniseries come about? Well, editor Ralph Macchio was approached by writer Fabian Nicieza to do a sequel to the Saga, including bringing in Steve Rude (most famous for Nexus) to do the art duties. Macchio was a fan of the original story, and he had wanted Steve Rude to draw on a Marvel title. And from there, the rest is history. So, how did this story go down. Was it the start of a worthy sequel, or were you just better off reading the original? Let's find out in Spider-Man: Lifeline #1!

The cover is a Steve Rude piece. It's a bit of a basic cover, but I do think it's very well-done. It depicts Spider-Man swinging while around him, surrounded by people and moments from his past. I think it's honestly a strange choice for the cover, as it doesn't really seem to preview the story within. It's still a nice cover, though.

"Part One: Pieces of Fate"
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciler: Steve Rude
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Colorist: Greg Wright
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada

The story begins with our man Peter Parker attending a museum opening. He's there as a member of the press, getting some pictures. His Spider-Sense goes off, confusing the Web-Slinger. A man named Louis Wilson steps up to the podium, revealing that he has been working to unearth more fragments of an ancient tablet from a pre-Sumerian civilization.

Peter has a history with the man and the tablet. Peter never learned the fate of the Lifeline tablet afterwards, but here Wilson showed that not only does he have it, but the tablet was also incomplete. Certainly explained what happened to Silvermane. Peter notices that one of the waiters bears a remarkable resemblance to Michael "Man Mountain" Marko, one of Silvermane's former Maggia lieutenants. 

Peter thinks this is hardly a coincidence that he's here, considering that he was involved in the original Lifeline Tablet saga. The photographer's suspicions turn out to be dead on the money, as Marko makes for the tablet pieces. Peter goes to the bathroom to switch his civvies for his classic Spidey red-and-blues, but the door is locked.

Parker luck, indeed. Petey's going to have to improvise. 

I admit, that is funny. Marko runs for it, but Spidey is able to web his ankles. However, Marko ends up accidentally tossing the collected tablet pieces in the air...and causing a giant caveman to come tumbling down. Marko gets away, but Spidey's able to save to save the tablet pieces and the caveman. He quietly returns the tablet pieces, despite J. Jonah Jameson's screaming about Spider-Man being the cause of the whole mess. Spider-Man watches Wilson leave with the fragments. He follows him, thinking Marko will try to get the fragments again. And again, Spidey's instincts are dead-on. 

The Man-Mountain was just a distraction, though. Another man made off with the fragments. Spider-Man tries to pursue the perpetrator, but they're slippery. Slippery as...an Eel. Spider-Man, realizing this, goes to talk to Wilson about it. After all, the Eel's involvement makes sense as well. Both Marko and the Eel once worked for a Maggia lawyer named Caesar Cicero...who once bailed Wilson out of jail during the original saga. Wilson insists he's legit now, but Spider-Man doesn't believe it.

Wilson is telling the truth. You see, he could profit more from those fragments himself than he could working for Cicero and the Maggia. Since his parole, he searched for the missing pieces of the original Lifeline tablet. He discovered the tablet was linked to the Hyborian Age (the era of Conan the Barbarian), Lemuria (linking it to the Deviants) and Atlantis. He realized that the formula that de-aged Silvermane to nothingness was flawed because it was not complete. Spider-Man notes that if Wilson was able to discover this...so would Cicero. 

The scene changes to Cicero's estate in Long Island. The corrupt lawyer hopes that obtaining the fragments will make the Maggia look at him with a bit more respect. But a new player busts in to wreck that plan: The Boomerang.

Not feeling that particular costume design, but that's a minor thing. Feel tries to attack the Australian merc, but a glue boomerang puts an end to that. He makes off with the rocks, as he was paid to grab them. Spider-Man goes to consult Doctor Strange about the Lifeline tablet. Strange confirms that the fragments do alter the formula, but due to the complexities of the language used to record the formula, he can't quite tell how exactly the formula was altered. He'll have to consult a friend. Peter himself also has a friend to consult in Queens: Mr. Arthur Stacy.

Arthur and Spidey have crossed paths before. Peter is...a friend of his family. You see, Arthur was the brother of the late police captain George Stacy...and the uncle of the equally late Gwen Stacy. Arthur possesses some journals written by his late brother regarding the cases he worked on during his life. We get a recap of Spidey's history with the Stacys. Arthur returns with one of the journals, revealing that after the events of the original Lifeline Tablet saga, the titular tablet was placed in police storage. Yeah, it was dumped in a warehouse like the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Arthur makes some calls. You see, he has some friends in the NYPD thanks to his late brother, and he learns that the Lifeline tablet is missing. The last time the inventory was checked was six months ago, so it had to be taken after then. Spidey has some suspects and asks Arthur to keep on checking. We next head to Brooklyn. There, the Boomerang takes the tablet fragments to the man who hired him: the metal-headed 1930s-loving gangster known as Hammerhead. There is another man with the two, and he assures the gangster that the fragments will be able to help improve on the original Lifeline formula of youth. Hammerhead tells the man they'd better, or else the man's family will meet with...an unfortunate accident.

Who is that man? Dr. Curt Connors, aka the Lizard. He's only doing this to protect his family...and he hopes the Lifeline formula will be able to free him from the curse of the Lizard.

I really enjoyed this comic, and I do think it's a very good start to what seems like a great sequel to the original Lifeline Tablet Saga. Nicieza gets Spidey, and he makes it so you can read this on its own without having to read the original saga. I got a good chuckle out of some of the quips he uses. I Steve Rude's artwork is also spectacular. His style has an old-school flair to it that really fits a follow-up to a 1960s storyline. In fact, I think this miniseries is very underrated. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2017 trade paperback Spider-Man: The Lifeline Tablet Saga. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!