The Thing [2025] #1 - Marvel Comics

THE THING No. 1, July 2025

Described by “Marvel Worldwide” as being “perfect for newcomers and True Believers alike”, Issue One of “The Thing” certainly starts out rather well – thanks largely to Tony Fleec’s script almost immediately transporting the reader to the Negative Zone so they can witness the Fantastic Four battle a gigantic, multi-tentacled space squid. In fact, the only slightly disconcerting element to so sense-shattering a shenanigan is the “critically acclaimed” comic book creator’s decision to suggest that Ben Grimm isn’t really giving the punch-up his very best effort on account of suffering with some serious self-doubts.

Happily however, the titular character’s rather puzzling lack of confidence in his formidable super-strength doesn’t last terribly long, and once the former Yancy Street gang member has showered/slept the American author wastes absolutely no time in getting him neck-deep into this mini-series’ central storyline; “I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for -- It’s my sister Shelly’s kid… We can’t find her.” Such succinctness really does help maintain this twenty-five page periodical’s impressive pace, and also adds an extra element of determination to Benjy’s investigation as he wastes absolutely no time in visiting Josie’s drinking bar for a lead.

Also well worthy of mentioning has to be the multiple Eisner Award-nominee’s ability to surprise his audience with the presence of Melvin Potter’s villainous alter-ego. Initially penned as being unconscious with drink, this classic Daredevil foe doesn’t at first appear to be any sort of threat to one of the world’s biggest hitters. However, despite the Gladiator not even wearing his trademark “wrist-blade thingies”, he’s still sure to make many a bibliophile sit up in shock when the Thing unwisely wakes him from the man's drunken stupor.

Infuriatingly though, what does rather let this publication down is some of Justin Mason’s pencilling. Now there should be little doubt that the Kentucky-born illustrator’s drawing style contains all the ‘raw energy’ which Stan Lee would apparently always look for in his artists. Indeed, many an onlooker will undoubtedly wince whenever a combatant throws a punch in this book. However, some of the panels debatably seem to have been rather rushed, with figures’ faces and expressions appearing awkwardly angular, and Potter in particular appearing far less defined than Grimm’s highly-detailed countenance.

Writer: Tony Fleecs. Artist: Justin Mason & Color Artist: Alex Sinclair

The Amazing Spider-Man [2022] #5 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 5, September 2022

Ending “the first arc of this historic new volume” of “The Amazing Spider-Man”, this twenty-page periodical arguably still proved something of a good jumping on issue for those Wall-crawling fans unsure of Zeb Wells’ pedigree writing “one of the most popular and iconic comic book superheroes of all time.” Indeed, courtesy of its narrative exclusively focusing upon the fall-out of Web-head single-handedly destroying the Rose’s criminal organisation, this particular edition actually makes quite an enjoyable stand-a-lone instalment of the ongoing series.

For openers, the American author rather enchantingly uses the green-skinned villain Vegas Thirteen as an intriguing, and somewhat tongue-in-cheek, bookend, who not only helps illustrate just how disastrously far Richard Fisk has fallen from power. But also suggests at the end that perhaps the Schemer’s sole-surviving henchman may still be in a position to win back some of his boss’ lost turf before he’s been released from police custody; “Digger found us! We got nothing that can stop him! We’re losing everything!”

Similarly as proficiently penned is arguably the “Robot Chicken” director’s depiction of the forimably-powerful criminal Maggia, with a victorious Tombstone still being unwilling to risk the wrath of his surviving peers if they ever get wind of his ‘close relationship’ with Peter Parker’s alter-ego. In fact, despite this sadly somewhat short-lived meeting of the marvel Universe's mafia almost being suffocated out amidst some much more action-packed sequences, the ‘sword of Damocles’ it creates above Alonzo Lincoln’s head remains in play for the rest of the comic - especially towards its end when Spider-man surprisingly appears at the albino’s home and threatens to reveal all to the likes of Madame Masque.

Definitely providing the brutally battered titular character with some disturbingly visible facial bruising is artist John Romita Junior, who manages to help sell a good deal of this book’s tension with just a look in each character’s eyes. Furthermore, the Eisner Award-winner does a very good job in illustrating both Digger’s pent-up anger and frustration, as well as the hoodlum’s concern that the Rose will “hunt me to the ends of the Earth when he gets out”, even when it’s done via the “Gamma-irritated being” humorously tossing a half-eaten ice cream cone out of a car before his employer sees him.

Writer: Zeb Wells, Penciler: John Romita JR., and Inker: Scott Hanna

The Amazing Spider-Man [2022] #26 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 26, July 2023

Touted by “Marvel Worldwide” as far back as February 2023 as being “a heartbreaking issue that will have fans everywhere talking”, this thirty-one-page periodical definitely throws its audience straight into the deep end with a sense-shattering opening which features Spider-Man squaring off against the seemingly all-powerful Doctor Benjamin Rabin. True, those unfamiliar with the “monumental story unfolding” during Zeb Wells’ current run on this title might momentarily be scratching their heads in confusion at Norman Osborn’s Gold Goblin alter-ego, and Mary Jane Watson’s surprisingly intimate long-term relationship with “the mysterious Paul”. But a quick perusal of this book’s introductory synopsis arguably provides enough plot threads for the vast majority of this comic’s readers to hold onto as they’re pulled through a narrative packed full of super-heroes, maniacal monsters and edge-of-the-seat chases down debris-filled alleyways. 

Furthermore, the “Annie Award-winning writer” does a sound job of further filling in some gaps for the ‘uninformed’ via a series of flashback sequences featuring Kamala Khan’s job interview at Oscorp Tower, as well as an understandably tense confrontation between Peter Parker and his former wife when she reveals the new love of her life is actually the murderous Emissary’s son. These insights genuinely help explain some of the characters’ motivations during this publication’s climatic battle and coupled with the somewhat antagonistic exchanges between Web-head and the Fantastic Four, suggest just how much of an arduous journey the Wall-crawler has been on during his efforts to rescue Watson; “Maybe a thank you is more appropriate. Reed whipped together a flying car just to come help you.”

Debatably this comic’s greatest asset though, alongside Wells’ thoroughly engrossing penmanship, is John Romita Junior’s pulse-pounding pencilling, which marvellously captures all the ferocity of the battle taking place in New York City. Whether it be the fast-paced flurry of fists smacking into the Scribble-man from a variety of super-powered sources, or the incredibly well-drawn giant Xibalba dragon summoned to aid Rabin in his deadly death march, the artwork is a veritable feast for any bibliophiles’ eyes. Indeed, it’s arguably difficult not to actually feel the heat emanating from an incredibly angry Spider-man as he desperately batters his evil foe within an inch of his life with a parking meter or hear Ms. Marvel’s final, choking breaths as she ultimately sacrifices herself to save both the world and Mary Jane.

The regular cover art of "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" #26 by John Romita JR

The Amazing Spider-Man [2018] #23 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 23, August 2019

Whilst Nick Spencer’s narrative for this “Hunted epilogue” debatably delivers when it comes to neatly sowing up the multi-issue event’s numerous outstanding plot-threads, the overall tone of the former politician’s penmanship, as a highly agitated Spider-Man desperately rushes back to Mary Jane’s flat to supposedly save her life, probably still struck many a bibliophile as being a little disconcertingly flat. True, Peter Parker’s love interest has indeed shockingly splattered her blood across the carpet as a result of a decidedly nasty injury, but the gory wound is disappointingly revealed to be as a result of the woman accidentally tripping over the laundry rather than her being attacked by a deadly super-villain.

Equally as disinteresting is arguably the American author’s handling of “an army of costumed criminals” who have suddenly “been set free in the middle of Manhattan.” This potential wave of violence could easily have become the basis of a storyline in its own right, as the cold-hearted killers make a dash for their liberty and perhaps to have their revenge upon some of New York’s outnumbered finest. However, quite miraculously, their escape occurs just as the likes of the “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” and Fantastic Four show up to quickly wrap things up within the space of a handful of panels; “So yeah, bad guys of all shapes and sizes getting what they deserve. And hopefully that sticks this time --”

Quite possibly this publication’s saving grace therefore lies in the funeral of Kraven and his distraught son’s subsequent acceptance of his father’s name and heritage. Initially enraged by Sergei Kravinoff’s death and visibly reluctant to follow in the big game hunter’s footsteps, this intriguing emotional piece surely must have whetted the appetites of Spider-Man fans everywhere as to the pair’s future confrontations in print.

Just as frustratingly inconsistent as the writing though is Ryan Ottley’s pencilling, which despite being well-drawn in many places, such as Parker’s dynamic entrance into Mary Jane’s apartment, appears frightfully angular looking in others. Indeed, the panels portraying She-Hulk smacking Antonio Rodriguez’s alter-ego Armadillo straight in the jaw as the Avengers make a triumphant appearance, and an incarcerated Vulture re-establishing the Sinister Six, could well be mistaken for having been sketched by an entirely different artist.

Writer: Nick Spencer, Penciler: Ryan Ottley, and Inker: Cliff Rathburn

Iron Man [2020] #16 - Marvel Comics

IRON MAN No. 16, March 2022

Seemingly determined to make Tony Stark appear even more egotistical than ever before, Christopher Cantwell’s narrative for Issue Sixteen of “Iron Man” was probably rather hard to wade through for those fans of Shellhead who recall the genius inventor’s simpler days when he was just a man fighting a carousel of super-villains in a technologically-advanced armoured suit. Indeed, the American producer’s reimagining of the Golden Avenger as a cosmically-transformed Iron God disappointingly doesn’t arguably lead to any sort of action whatsoever, but rather ensures that this twenty-page periodical predominantly consists of several characters just talking to one another; “Steve. Let me just wrap this -- Steve. Can I just. Finish. Please?”

Foremost of these dialogue-driven discussions is the silver-coloured deity’s disagreement with an understandably concerned Captain America over the billionaire’s ill-thought out idea to imbue everyone in the world with “my intellect”, and turn them into “Stark-level geniuses.” The sheer hubris on display by the titular character in this ‘set-piece’ is both absolutely breath-taking and extremely well-penned, as the Chicago-born writer makes the narcissist’s words all the more threatening by occasionally switching the spotlight onto the troubled concerns of his apprehensive audience, rather than focusing purely on the giant-sized figure towering over Washington Square Park.

However, instead of Tony’s poorly-planned decision leading to some exciting, action-packed adventure where the ultra-evolved industrialist’s misguided good intention causes a criminal mastermind to lay siege to New York City using their enhanced intelligence quotient, or even commit a minor felony for that matter, Cantwell’s script instead rather tamely just depicts a drawn-out series of tongue-in-cheek ‘six-panel long’ insights into how Iron God’s unrequested gift has impacted upon the lives of everyday mortal folk.

Perhaps therefore this publication’s best moment is when Jackson Weele is suddenly startled awake from a coma, and momentarily appears to be about to cause chaos to the Big Apple’s traffic network whilst dangerously driving a gigantic Big Wheel. Dynamically drawn by Julius Ohta, this initially intriguing confrontation looks set to pit Hellcat against a classic Spider-Man minor league foe from the late Seventies, yet lamentably swiftly peters out due to Stark simply unceremoniously cocooning Marv Wolfman’s co-creation within an energy bubble.

The regular cover art of "IRON MAN" #16 by Alex Ross

Chris Claremont Anniversary Special #1 - Marvel Comics

CHRIS CLAREMONT ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL No. 1, January 2021

Perhaps best known by comic collectors everywhere for his unprecedented writing spell on “Uncanny X-Men” from 1975–1991, there can surely be little argument that if any “Marvel Comics” contributor deserved a fiftieth anniversary special to celebrate their “enormous impact” on the New York City-based publisher’s long-running success, it is Chris Claremont. But whilst this thirty-two page periodical undeniably contains a plethora of “characters created and defined by the pen of” the British-born American author, the publication’s rather choppy plot makes it debatably easy to see just why such a well-meaning commemorative work was only the eighty-eighth best-selling title in January 2021 - at least according to the Direct Market distributors for that month.

To begin with, Dani Moonstar’s “mission across time and space for an incredible psychic showdown against the Shadow King” isn’t all that obvious until some way through the narrative. Up until this point, the Eagle Award-winner’s storyline seems to just lurch from antagonist to antagonist as Mirage initially appears to face the fiery fury of Dark Phoenix, followed by the utterly bizarre villainous super-team of Mister Fantastic, Doctor Doom and the Sub-Mariner. Admittedly, all of these foes are later shown to have been manipulated by Amahl Farouk, but it isn’t until a watery image of the “multiversal manifestation” is finally pencilled in a panel that is becomes clear this mismatch from various realities is being stage-managed; “I so love it when my victim’s fight. Their souls become much yummier. Wonder who’ll die first?”  

However, Just because any perusing bibliophile now knows that Professor X's nemesis is behind Moonstar's subsequent encounters doesn't help provide them with any particular rhyme or reason for specifically occurring. A thoroughly ferocious fist-fight between Binary and a possessed Rogue is probably the best of the bunch, with Claremont's unusually blood-thirsty incarnation of Anna Marie disconcertingly appearing all-too keen to dispatch Carol Danvers with an energy blast through the chest. Yet, despite being dynamically drawn, even this action-packed sequence becomes head-scratchingly surreal when it appears to have been simply a holodeck simulation concluded by the sudden appearance of Corsair and the rest of his Starjammers.

Perhaps this comic’s biggest let down though comes with its ending, which abruptly follows the lone New Mutants’ ultimately successful fight against an utterly sadistic Gambit. Having been beaten to tears by the Shadow King, and then subsequently saved by ‘Ro Munroe, Dani is depicted triumphantly flying away into the night’s sky on Brightwind only to then be shown aiming an arrow at Hela's head in the very next panel. This jolting transition apparently marks the point where the Goddess of Death becomes convinced Moonstar was good enough to become a Valkyrie, and bemusingly congratulates the understandably angry youth for passing “thy test.”

The regular cover art of "CHRIS CLAREMONT ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL" #1 by Salvador Larroca

What If? #6 - Marvel Comics

WHAT IF? No. 6, December 1977

Initially re-treading the somewhat familiar old ground of the Fantastic Four’s origin story, this thirty-three page periodical certainly seems to take a while to get going with its unusual premise of depicting Marvel’s first family with “different super-powers”. Indeed, Roy Thomas’ script for Issue Six of “What If?” somewhat surprisingly opens with Reed Richards’ famous blue-costumed quartet initially battling a group of ‘every day’ armed robbers for a good dozen panels before the Watcher even steps in to suggest that the cosmic rays which mutated Jack Kirby’s co-creations could have given the heroes other special abilities if their personality traits had been less distinctive on the day of their unsuccessful space mission.

Disappointingly however, such a disconcertingly long wait isn’t arguably worth it either with Uatu’s unimaginatively retconned “New Fantastic Four” from an alternative reality consisting of a giant floating brain, Ben Grimm sprouting wings and Sue Storm pitifully just taking on the plasticity of her future husband from Earth-616. Only Johnny’s transformation is debatably intriguing, with the hot-headed youth changing into a living robot which has an “empathic ability to turn on any kind of machine”, courtesy of his apparent “fascination with and knowledge of [all] things mechanical.” 

Just as head-scratching is Thomas’ central storyline, which follows in the footsteps of Doctor Doom attempting to steal “the priceless treasure of Blackbeard the Pirate” for his own evil ends. Rather than have Invisible Girl abducted though, as per Stan Lee’s narrative for Issue Five of “Fantastic Four”, Latveria’s monarch instead matter-of-factly walks into the Baxter Building unharmed and convinces Reed’s bodiless intellect that he can build him a humanoid body capable of enjoying “the succulence of a superb meal” if he would accompany him back to the Doomstadt.

Of course, the small eastern Kingdom’s supreme leader has absolutely no intention of actually helping his hated rival reignite his romance with Sue through an “anthropomorphic housing”, and soon reveals he merely requires “Big Brain” as a power source for the heavily-armoured dictator’s infamous time machine. This nightmarish scenario, admittedly well-pencilled by Jim Craig and Rick Hoberg, certainly provides the rest of the team with some excellent opportunities to demonstrate their various powers. But ultimately depicts all three protagonists individually failing in their efforts to defeat Victor in hand-to-hand combat, and therefore becoming wholly reliant upon Richards to save the day by permanently sending “my mind into Doom’s body!”

Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas, and Pencilers: Jim Craig and Rick Hoberg

The Immortal Hulk #50 - Marvel Comics

IMMORTAL HULK No. 50, December 2021

Boasting a “giant-sized finale” which would supposedly see the titular character have all of his numerous questions fully answered by the One Below All, this whopping eighty-two-page periodical certainly contains plenty of room for Al Ewing to bring “the last issue of The Immortal Hulk” to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. But whilst this weighty tome ends with a successfully liberated Bruce Banner confidently making his way out of the Fantastic Four’s Baxter Building, it is arguably not particularly clear just how the Gamma-based boffin’s Joe Fixit persona actually managed to achieve such a euphoric victory over the Leader behind the Green Door.

Indeed, considering that this ongoing series has apparently been heading for a fateful confrontation between the founding Avenger and Samuel Sterns’ monstrously malformed alter-ego for some considerable time, this punishingly long publication seems to be debatably lacking any pulse-pounding pugilism whatsoever; “Smashing ain’t gonna do it. He’s too big. But I figure this cr*p goes right into his giant brain -- and I figure we’re strong enough to pull it inside out.”

Fortunately though, “Of Hell And Of Death” is blessed with a much more enthralling secondary plot set way back in Ohio 1901. This seemingly unlinked tale of treachery and holier than thou murder focuses upon the Reverend Robert Sterns visiting his brother, Samuel, to purportedly witness his scientifically minded sibling’s discovery of Gamma radiation. Steeped in a positively palpable Edwardian era atmosphere, the prolonged flashback sequence is rivetingly penned and takes on an entirely darker tone once the physically intimidating preacher reveals he knows his close relative has been secretly having an affair with his wife, Beatrice [Banner].

In addition, Joe Bennett is on top form when it comes to pencilling this ongoing series’ super-sized culmination. Along with inkers Ruy Jose and Belardino Brabo, as well as colorist Paul Mounts, the Brazilian really manages to project the increasingly hostile presence of Robert Sterns during the aforementioned altercation with his wretched brother. However, it is probably the artist’s ability to sketch some of the stomach-churning atrocities spilling out of the supreme ruler of the Multiverse which will probably ‘haunt’ this comic’s Hulk-heads the longest, especially the likes of an emaciated Leader, whose mortal shell is torn from out of a gross-looking, egg-shaped brain sack.

The regular cover art of "IMMORTAL HULK" #50 by Alex Ross

Shang-Chi [2021] #4 - Marvel Comics

SHANG-CHI No. 4, November 2021

After promising its readers a truly titanic tussle by purportedly pitting the titular character against the New York City-based publisher’s foremost family, Gene Luen Yang’s actual storyline for this fourth instalment to his “Shang-Chi Verses The Marvel Universe” probably came as something of a disappointment considering that the combatants only trade punches for two pages. However, despite this lack of pulse-pounding pugilism, the comic still arguably provides an enthralling hook in the shape of the world’s greatest heroes becoming increasingly concerned that the Master of Kung-Fu is fast-becoming a major criminal threat.

Indeed, Reed Richards’ sudden cold-hearted withdrawal of an offer to help Brother Hand rescue his sister from the Negative Zone because the incredible inventor arrogantly believes his worst fears as to the martial artist’s change of morality are true is wonderfully penned by the American author. The so called scientist simply assumes all the rumours as to Shang-Chi’s association with his dead father’s nefarious organisation are true, and then adopts a holier-than-thou attitude later on when his own pitiless inaction forces his former friend to ‘borrow’ the Baxter Building’s transit vehicle; “You broke into my lab?! Used my equipment without my permission?!”

Equally as intriguing though is Mister Fantastic’s response to directly contact Captain America once the deadly assassin and the Five Weapons Society’s House Champions have peacefully departed. It is clear that the human mutate has quite made up his mind as to the felonious status of “the Chi-Meister”, and seemingly intends to put a stop to whatever machinations he erroneously believes Zheng Zu’s son is plotting with the help of the Avengers. Such a sanctimonious stance debatably typifies the self-righteous Richards’ creed that only he knows best, and, as with this book’s narrative, seems destined to actually ‘push’ Shang-Chi into behaving precisely as the super-team’s leader dreads.

Ably assisting Yang in depicting this ‘long game’ plot point is Dike Ruan, who manages to present a rather impressive visualisation of Jack Kirby’s surreal Antimatter Underverse. The concept artist’s praying mantis-like aliens are suitably disconcerting, as are the illustrator’s prodigiously pencilled panels showing the Master of Kung-Fu besting a cocksure Benjamin Grimm by simply applying two fingers to one of the Thing’s pressure points.

The regular cover art of "SHANG-CHI" #4 by Leinil Frances Yu & Sunny Gho

The Immortal Hulk #49 - Marvel Comics

IMMORTAL HULK No. 49, October 2021

Consisting of nothing more than a carousel of splash pages each accompanied by a few paragraphs of text, Al Ewing’s decision to turn Issue Forty Nine of “Immortal Hulk” into more of a children’s reading book than an actual comic doubtless perturbed a fair few of this ongoing series’ followers. Indeed, coupled with the lack-lustre storyline of the titular character simply being invited to walk through the Forever Gate by Benjamin Grimm, many readers were probably of the opinion that this penultimate instalment to the British author’s overall narrative was nothing more than a ‘filler’ edition prior to its “giant-sized” finale.

Admittedly, that isn’t to say that this publication doesn’t generate a modicum of interest with its word-heavy transcript approach, as Joe Fixit’s alter-ego encounters the increasingly dislikeable Avengers and, owing to a non-disclosed communication error, ends up once again fighting the entire roster of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. But it’s arguably difficult to get particularly excited by a single picture of the “Green Goliath” battering upon Captain America’s infamously tough shield, even when the artist is Joe Bennett; “I didn’t see who threw the first punch. Someone must have.”

In addition, whilst Ewing’s short tale does somewhat make sense as far as the Hulk seeking out the help of Reed Richards to finally confront the Leader in “the city of suffering”, just how this option becomes a possibility is never properly explained. Instead, Jackie McGee and Jen Walters simply escort the nonchalant behemoth through the night-time streets of New York City to a presumably pre-arranged rendezvous at the Baxter Building, where he encounters the likes of an extremely hostile Captain Marvel, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther and Nova.

Likewise, the Avengers’ presence is never rationalised, and simply seems to have been unceremoniously crowbarred into the comic so as to give the writer an opportunity to include at least one pulse-pounding punch-up amidst all his prose. In fact, the Thunder God and his team-mates are quite clearly depicted as the ‘villains of the piece’ for this book, with Invisible Woman’s scathing look of absolute disgust at them when she is forced to separate the fighting forces speaking a thousand words.

The regular cover art of "IMMORTAL HULK" #49 by Alex Ross

Fantastic Four Annual #3 - Marvel Comics

FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL No. 3, October 1965

Containing some stunning sense-shattering prenuptial shenanigans involving an all-encompassing cast of Marvel Universe characters, as well as complete and unabridged reprints of two of the “most requested Fantastic Four issues” since the ongoing series first hit the spinner-racks, this weighty tome surely lived up to the New York-based publisher’s boast of being “possibly the greatest annual of all time” when it was initially released upon an unsuspecting public in 1965. Indeed, considering that Stan Lee’s “Bedlam At The Baxter Building!” somehow manages to incorporate the likes of the Avengers, the X-Men, S.H.I.E.L.D., Daredevil and Spider-man alongside a truly impressive rogues gallery of the New York City-based publisher’s super-villains, it’s incredible to believe the then Editor-in-Chief was able to pen anything even resembling a coherent narrative, let alone one which not only contains plenty of ‘screen time’ for its titular characters but additionally produces numerous stand-out moments, such as the Mole Man’s surprise attack from beneath the very foundation of the Baxter Building and his minions’ subsequent defeat by Professor X’s mutant students.

Admittedly, the basic premise behind this comic’s narrative is undeniably contrived with Doctor Doom “skilfully manipulating my high-frequency emotion charger” so as to “fan the flames of hatred in the heart of every evil menace in existence” and resultantly create “a veritable army of the most deadly villains alive” with which to destroy Reed Richards’ famous quartet. Yet the utter simplicity of the ‘hokey’ plot point does allow for the reader to be rapidly immersed in the mad machinations of the “paranoiac” Puppet Master, and no sooner has his poison-armed pawn been subdued by Nick Fury’s undercover agents, than Ivan Kragoff and Harvey Rupert Elder make their separate moves to bring Su Storm’s imminent wedding ceremony to a deadly end; “Ahh! The coast is clear now, my beauties! And so, the time has come for the Red Ghost and his Super Apes to finish the job they’d begun many months ago!” This rapid succession of threats and foes is so successfully implemented that any thoughts as to the dubiously manufactured nature of the script is swiftly forgotten and replaced with a genuine sense of awe at Lee’s sheer vision, with even Attuma, “merciless warlord of the deep”, deciding to seize the moment and threaten the land-dwellers with an invasion of his trident-carrying legions.

Of course, just how enjoyable this carousel of costumed crime-fighters and malevolent Machiavellian evil-doers would be without the dynamically-charged pencilling of Jack “King” Kirby is hotly debatable. The Manhattan-born artist’s breath-taking visuals for this comic provides every punch, kick and energy blast portrayed with just the sort of bone-crunching energy one would expect from an illustrator “widely regarded as one of the medium’s major innovators.” Whilst his incredible splash-page “photo of a journey thru the Fourth Dimension” which depicts the Watcher transporting Mister Fantastic to “a laboratory whose wonders beggar description” was certainly worth the twenty five cent cover price of this book alone.

Written by: Stan Lee, Drawn by: Jack Kirby, and Inked by: Vince Colletta

What If? Civil War #1 - Marvel Comics

WHAT IF? CIVIL WAR No. 1, February 2008

Utilising a brief tale by Ed Brubaker entitled "The Stranger" as “a framing device around which the other two stories revolve”, Issue One of “What If? Civil War” probably helped the vast amount of its 58,909 readers in December 2007 appreciate just how wrong Tony Stark was to persecute his fellow heroes for not voluntarily submitting to the Superhuman Registration Act, as well as just how highly (and wrongly) Steve Rogers thought of his long-time friend before their differences arose. Indeed, Christos Gage’s plot for “What If Iron Man Lost The Civil War” lays the entire blame of the “Marvel Comics Event In Seven Parts” squarely upon Iron Man’s armoured shoulders for blatantly lying to the Sentinel of Liberty regarding his “plans for my twenty-first century overhaul.”

Admittedly, this particular eighteen-page epic undoubtedly lacks a lot of the emotional response Mark Millar’s mini-series generated, courtesy of a sugary-sweet plot which sees Cap team-up with an “honest” Shellhead so as to overcome a homicidal Thor cybernetic clone. But what it does provide is perhaps the only sensible solution to the super-powered pairs’ dilemma of just one government or person ultimately being responsible for both the training and secret identities of every costumed crime-fighter in the United States; “It’s not enough to be against something. You have to be for something better.”

Slightly more action-packed is “What If Captain America Led All The Heroes Against Registration?” by Kevin Grevioux, which manages to recreate much of the anger and resentment generated by the original 2006 crossover storyline. With Stark already dead following an Extremis injection, this marvellous reimagining unashamedly pits Steve Rogers and most of the Marvel Universe directly against the Senate and S.H.I.E.L.D. in a battle which somewhat resembles that seen in the “X-Men” comic book narrative "Days of Future Past".

Crammed full of pulse-pounding punch-ups against the impassive Sentinels, and the death of the spectacular Spider-Man, this dynamically pencilled fight-fest sets up Henry Gyrich and Maria Hill as two of the most despicably treacherous characters to inhabit a publication, with the deputy director’s cold-blooded murder of Jim Rhodes and subsequent framing of a dead Captain America proving particularly unforgivable. Indeed, such is the utter loathing engendered by Gyrich in his journey to become President and the despicable Hill’s ambition to be carried along on his coat-tails, that in many ways it is a shame this well-penned conspiracy from an alternative universe wasn’t awarded a limited series or ongoing title of its own.

Written by: Ed Brubaker, Kevin Grevioux & Christos Gage, and Art by: Marko Djurdjevic, Gustavo and Harvey Tolibao

Civil War #7 - Marvel Comics

CIVIL WAR No. 7, January 2007

Having read Mark Millar’s narrative for Issue Seven of “Civil War” it is arguably easy to see just why this comic book mini-series “polarized critics but… was a commercial success.” For whilst some within this publication’s 265,886-strong audience were undoubtedly rooting for Tony Stark’s mishmash of government sanctioned superheroes and supposedly reformed members of the Masters of Evil, those applauding Captain America’s defiance of the Superhuman Registration Act were probably left utterly disillusioned as to just what the Sentinel of Liberty was trying to achieve with his defiance.

True, Steve Rogers’ apparent obsession to knock the seven bells out of his armoured former friend for imprisoning so many of their team-mates inside the Negative Zone does cause the First Avenger to inadvertently wage an incredibly destructive war upon the very civilian population which he thought he was protecting. Yet, it’s difficult to imagine being bundled to the ground by a handful of emergency service operatives would shake the World War Two veteran so badly that he’d instantly remove his famous winged cowl and allow the authorities to place him in handcuffs; “Oh my god. They’re right. We’re not fighting for the people anymore, Falcon… Look at us. We’re just fighting.”

Similarly as disconcerting is this twenty-eight page periodical’s aftermath, which somehow tries to sweep all the damage and death caused by the Pro-Registration faction’s determination to incarcerate anyone who disagreed with their viewpoint, right under the rug simply because the likes of Mister Fantastic “cried for a full ninety-three minutes” upon seeing his estranged wife using her invisible powers to help with the clean-up. Reed Richards was so convinced that he was 'fighting the good fight' that he became partially responsible for the cold-blooded murder of Bill Foster. However, rather than be held accountable for such dishonourable actions, his experiments “on the whole” are apparently deemed “an enormous success” and Sue incredibly returns to her husband's side within the space of just a fortnight.

Tony Stark too seems to suffer no ill-consequences for his disappointingly dark actions, and is actually rewarded by the President of the United States with the directorship of S.H.I.E.L.D. Such pay-offs for unforgivably allying themselves with the likes of Radioactive Man, Venom and a seriously-deranged Thor clone really are quite baffling, and although the so-called “radicalised” likes of Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and Power Man form an Underground Movement to continue their opposition, Millar’s extreme lack of consequences for so many of this event’s main players probably left something of a bad taste in many bibliophiles’ mouths.

Writer: Mark Millar, Penciler: Steve McNiven, and Inker: Dexter Vines

Civil War #6 - Marvel Comics

CIVIL WAR No. 6, December 2006

The best-selling title of January 2007, at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”, Issue Six of “Civil War” must have fairly surprised some of its 259,251 readers with its depiction of both lead antagonists dipping into the dark well of the criminally “insane” in order to achieve their goals. True, Captain America quickly realises his mistake in recruiting the Punisher to his cause once Frank Castle cold-bloodily guns down the Plunderer and Goldbug following the villainous pairs’ attempt to join the rebels. But before this moment of murderous clarity, Steve Rogers seemed fairly content to allow the vigilante to access the Baxter Building’s incredibly complex security system for him and retrieve “the plans on the Negative Zone prison”.

Mercifully though, the Sentinel of Liberty’s lack of judgement doesn’t prove too detrimental to his anti-registration side’s plans to attempt a rescue of their super-friends incarcerated by the American authorities, and even provides Mark Millar with an opportunity to demonstrate just how much in awe Castle apparently is of the living legend when the vicious vigilante refuses to defend himself against Rogers during their distinctly one-sided fist-fight; “Get him out of here! And throw his guns in the incinerator! I must have been out of my mind to give that animal a shot on this team!”

However, the same realisation, and subsequent rejection of ‘dealing with the devil’ cannot be found with the increasingly flawed shenanigans of Tony Stark, who actually appears proud to be leading a group of shadily-sanctioned operatives such as the Taskmaster, Radioactive Man, Bullseye, Elektra and Venom into battle against many of humanity’s most morally-righteous freedom fighters. Indeed, this twenty-two page periodical’s double-splash conclusion provides an abundantly clear difference between the two opposing theologies, with Captain America’s so-called unlawful resistance comprising of some of Stan Lee’s mightiest heroes, whilst Iron Man’s ‘holier than thou’ agents strongly resemble the despicable Masters Of Evil…

Somewhat disconcertingly, this particular instalment to the “Marvel Comics event in seven parts” also arguably shows some signs of the impact its print deadline was having upon Steve McNiven’s artwork. Everything looks great up until the point, towards the end of the book, when the Golden Avenger unleashes his ambush upon the rebels’ prison break, and then, presumably due to the sheer amount of figures suddenly ‘on screen’ the Canadian artist’s pencilling momentarily deteriorates before picking back up again for the magazine’s final few pages.

Writer: Mark Millar, Penciler: Steve McNiven, and Inker: Dexter Vines

Civil War #5 - Marvel Comics

CIVIL WAR No. 5, November 2006

Apparently delayed by two months “to accommodate artist Steve McNiven”, Mark Millar’s plot to Issue Five of “Civil War” arguably focused far more upon Tony Stark’s fast evaporating relationship with Peter Parker than it did with the larger implications of “Marvel Comics' event in seven parts”, and in doing so demonstrated to this mini-series’ 272,584 strong audience just how desperate the billionaire industrialist had become to win the fight. In fact, the Scottish author’s similarly unscrupulous portrayal of S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander Maria Hill makes it difficult to imagine that their literary counter-parts and comic book fans alike would ever like/trust the two so-called heroic characters ever again; “Guess that’s thirty-one pieces of silver you’ve got now, huh? Sleep well, Judas.”

Similarly as disturbing as the egotistical pair’s utter arrogance in believing that they are completely justified to pursue any avenue, no matter what the cost, in order to secure victory over Captain America’s so-called rebels, is the Coatbridge-born writer’s debatably demeaning portrayal of “little Peter Spider-Man” as a seemingly helpless victim of Iron Man’s Machiavellian manipulations. Having finally found the courage to challenge Stark’s utilisation of a cyborg killing machine cloned from Thor, Web-head’s personality is seemingly regressed back to the human mutate’s adolescent days in the Sixties, when the teenager is still developing both emotionally and physically.

Resultantly, the unbelievably experienced costumed crime-fighter appears to do little else but surprisingly panic in the face of his pursuers Jester and Jack O’Lantern. Indeed, despite the pulse-pounding nature of the subsequent action sequence, which sees the two ‘reformed’ super-villains batter the wall-crawler into semi-unconsciousness with an exploding toy and a whiff of pumpkin gas, Millar would have any perusing bibliophile believe that a pitiful Parker’s alter-ego requires the help of the Punisher to defeat his two opponents, whilst the ordinarily hot-headed Johnny Storm is calmly shown serenely evading the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D. Capekiller Team Nine and Eleven in the very next scene.

Happily however, despite this apparent ‘nerfing’ of Spider-Man’s super-abilities, this comic still provides plenty of sense-shattering entertainment on account of McNiven’s excellent pencilling. The aforementioned clash between the Web-slinger, Jester and Jack O’Lantern within the confines of a stinking underground sewer is superbly paced, with Stark’s colourfully-garbed recruits really socking it to the all-too vulnerable Parker within the space of a dozen beautifully illustrated panels.

Writer: Mark Millar, Penciler: Steve McNiven, and Inker: Dexter Vines

Civil War #4 - Marvel Comics

CIVIL WAR No. 4, October 2006

Absolutely pulverising the sales of “DC Comics” most successful title of September 2006, “Justice League Of America”, by almost a hundred and thirty thousand copies, this fourth instalment to the “Civil War” mini-series by “Marvel Worldwide” certainly must have stunned its 272,547 audience with its brutal depiction of Iron Man seemingly going to almost any lengths in order to defeat his old comrade-in-arms, Captain America. Indeed, in many ways it’s hard to reconcile Mark Millar’s incarnation of the ‘win at all costs’ billionaire industrial with that of the Golden Avenger’s character during the Bronze Age of Comics…

Fortunately however, Tony Stark’s single-mindedness undeniably leads to some sensational confrontations within this twenty-two page periodical, most notably his patronisation of a badly-beaten Captain America, who despite his jaw “practically hanging off”, still has enough steel inside of him to stand up against the fully-armoured “pampered punk”. Utterly oblivious to all the pain and suffering his sonic attack is causing to all those super-heroes around him, the “mechanical engineer” genuinely seems to enjoy watching the Sentinel of Liberty suffer, and even goes far as to demean the “tough old bird” for “still getting up” when other people’s brains would have simply shutdown due to the sound waves.

Easily this publication’s most shocking moment though, has to be the horrific death of Goliath at the hands of a scarily-deranged Thor. This tragic moment is clearly the tipping point for some of Stark’s less convinced followers, such as Invisible Woman and Spider-Man. But also goes to show just how coldly calculating Iron Man has apparently always been when it is subsequently revealed that the murderous Thunder God is simply a cybernetic clone created from a strand of hair Tony covertly acquired from his furniture following “the first meeting of the Avengers.”

Ably enabling this comic to additionally be a visual tour-de-force are Steve McNiven’s layouts and Dexter Vines' inks, which really help imbue even the more sedentary scenes towards the back of the book, with plenty of emotional energy. Bill Foster’s killing is tremendously well-drawn, and the sheer horror upon all those who witness his dreadful demise is clearly etched in everyone’s facial expressions; “I thought you said you knew what you were doing, Tony. I thought we were doing this so no one else got hurt.”

Writer: Mark Millar, Penciler: Steve McNiven, and Inker: Dexter Vines

Civil War #3 - Marvel Comics

CIVIL WAR No. 3, October 2006

Perhaps due to Mark Millar possibly prevaricating a little too much as to just which side of the Superhuman Registration Act each (and every) leading character within the Marvel Universe was on, some of this twenty two page periodical’s 290,672 readers probably felt this book’s narrative was a little bit too sedentary for a crossover storyline focusing upon “the conflict between freedom and security.” However, such lethargy is arguably easily forgotten once Captain America’s team teleport to Geffen-Meyer Chemicals and discover that the emergency distress calls emanating from the petrochemical plant are actually a well thought-out ruse by Iron Man and his iniquitous cronies; “Get the hell out of here, boys! It’s a trap!”

Indeed, the confrontation at the abandoned division of Stark Industries between the two wildly diverging ideologies is debatably one of the mini-series’ highlights, with Steve Rogers’ side deciding to momentarily stand and fight for what they truly believe in, despite facing both overwhelming odds, as well as the sudden loss of both Cloak and Wiccan to some tranquiliser darts. Furthermore, the scene also quite shockingly shows just how deceitful the Golden Avenger has become in siding with the authorities, by additionally depicting Shellhead co-operating with known Masters Of Evil members Radioactive Man and Atlas, presumably because there aren’t enough powerful super-heroes to follow his orders..?

Of course, the best part to the Coatbridge-born writer’s plot is Captain America’s flurry of fisticuffs with his former friend, and the sheer savagery of the conflict once Tony has rerouted his armour’s primary power systems so as to put the billionaire industrialist back on his feet. Initially, it seems that the Sentinel of Liberty is ‘content’ simply to floor his opponent for taking “down two of my boys” with a couple of shield blows to the chops. But something clearly snaps within Stark’s mind at such an effrontery, and his subsequent ‘attack from the rear’ is so villainously vicious that Hercules clearly fears for Rogers’ life.

Packing this comic’s action-packed sequences with plenty of pulse-pounding vitality is Steve McNiven, whose pencilling of the aforementioned battle between Tony and Cap shows just how much physical damage a swing from Iron Man can cause, even when its connecting with the jawline of a human whose super-strength has been significantly enhanced by the super-soldier serum. In fact, even this book’s less exciting scenes, such as Miss Frost’s interview at Professor Xavier’s Mansion in Westchester, or Goliath’s disappointment at being given the false persona Rockwell Dodsworth, prove riveting reads on account of the Canadian artist’s awesome illustrations.

Writer: Mark Millar, Penciler: Steve McNiven, and Inker: Dexter Vines

Civil War #2 - Marvel Comics

CIVIL WAR No. 2, August 2006

Actually outselling its first issue following "reorders”, Mark Millar’s script for the second part to this “Marvel Comics” crossover storyline is arguably a little more sedentary in nature than its preceding edition, thanks largely to the Scottish author’s focus upon the reasoning behind just why the likes of Iron Man and Mister Fantastic position themselves in direct opposition to Captain America’s disapproving stance on the Superhuman Registration Act. In fact, many of this best-selling book’s 253,868 strong audience in June 2006 probably remember this publication more for its depiction of Spider-Man revealing “his secret identity as Peter Parker to the entire world, during a meeting at Congress” than for its notable action sequences involving a clearly out-gunned Eli Bradley, and Steve Roger’s outrageous rescue of the Young Avengers from right under the noses of a heavily-armed S.H.I.E.L.D. transportation unit.

However, just because this twenty-two page periodical doesn’t provide a plethora of pulse-pounding punch-ups doesn’t mean for a second that it isn’t a thoroughly riveting read, with Tony Stark and Reed Richards’ fanaticism as to them being wholly in the right proving one of this comic’s most mesmerising attributes. The Golden Avenger in particular is penned as being especially devious with those super-heroes closest to him, one minute earnestly promising his fellow team-mates She-Hulk and Tigra that Cap is entirely wrong in his opposition to the Government’s legislation, and then in the next confiding to Happy Hogan that he has some serious doubts as to whether he’s “doing the right thing here” when the act becomes law.

Such two-faced haughtiness really does grate upon the nerves, and ultimately seems to show the industrial tycoon as little more than a master manipulator, who even when he himself isn’t entirely convinced by his actions, is perfectly happy for the likes of an impressionable young Peter Parker to unmask himself before his entire rogues’ gallery, simply to help the egotistical Stark appear supremely confident in front of the world’s press; “See the Registration Act gives us a choice: We can continue the trend that Captain America advocates and have people with powers completely unchecked or super heroes can go legitimate and earn back a little public trust.”

Adding enormously to this comic’s success is Steve McNiven’s pencilling, which really does a first-rate job of physically showing the emotions running through this book’s considerably-sized cast. The Canadian’s ability to illustrate an increasingly doubtful Sue Richards’ body language as she sceptically listens to her husband manically wax lyrical about revolutionizing “every meta-human in America” is specifically well-drawn, with Invisible Woman’s concerns about Reed’s viewpoint being obvious in each and every panel.

Writer: Mark Millar, Penciler: Steve McNiven, and Inker: Dexter Vines

Civil War #1 - Marvel Comics

CIVIL WAR No. 1, July 2006

Shipping an impressive 260,700 copies in its first month, and thereby apparently just “missing the Twenty-First Century record held by July 2005’s All-Star Batman And Robin Issue One by a mere four hundred copies”, this opening instalment to Mark Millar’s “Marvel Comics Event in seven parts” must have thoroughly entertained the vast majority of its imposing audience with its emotive introduction of a Superhuman Registration Act in the United States. Indeed, it is arguably difficult to imagine a more polarising narrative than the one which the Lanarkshire-born writer brings to “Civil War”, as the likes of Tony Stark, Speedball and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Acting Head demonstrate just the sort of egotistical arrogance and overconfidence in their warped viewpoint of the world that makes a reader want to wring the very life out of their literary characters.

For starters Maria Hill’s portrayal in this thirty-three page periodical is as utterly mesmerising as it is despicable. Brilliantly pencilled by artist Steve McNiven wearing just the sort of supercilious sneer upon her face that one would expect from a long-time underling suddenly promoted to the top of her department, the trained agent makes it abundantly clear straight from the start of her awesomely tense confrontation with Captain America that she simply views him as a tool for her to use (and abuse) as she sees fit.

The fact that the Commander knew Steve Rogers’ strong moral compass would vehemently oppose the government’s viewpoint makes Nick Fury’s successor even more dislikeable, as the woman is clearly looking for any excuse to start persecuting non-compliant super-heroes, and blatantly provokes the First Avenger into a fight by threatening to tranquilise him on the spot if he doesn’t comply with her demands; “Weapons down or I will not be responsible for what comes next -- This is insane! Completely insane! Damn you to Hell for this, Hill…”

Similarly as sensitive is Millar’s handling of Robert Baldwin’s alter-ego, who quickly gets ‘under the skin’ with his utter conceit and desire to grab record-breaking viewing figures for the televised second season of the “New Warriors”. Admittedly, the more generous-hearted bibliophiles who hold a soft spot for Steve Ditko’s co-creation might put down some of this haughtiness to the rookie hero’s inexperience. But it’s hard to pity a crime-fighter who is more worried about the skin complexion of a co-star than he is for the welfare of innocent bystanders when the costumed vigilante is about to tackle a villain who “almost took down the Hulk.”

Writer: Mark Millar, Penciler: Steve McNiven, and Inker: Dexter Vines

True Believers: Fantastic Four - The Wedding Of Reed & Sue #1 - Marvel Comics

TRUE BELIEVERS: FANTASTIC FOUR - THE WEDDING OF REED & SUE No. 1, September 2018

Featuring a reprint of Stan Lee’s “Bedlam At The Baxter Building!” storyline from Annual Three of “Fantastic Four”, this twenty-three page reproduction sold a staggering 16,987 copies in July 2018 and arguably demonstrated just how great a story the original October 1965 adventure was with its intense sense-shattering prenuptial shenanigans and all-encompassing cast of “Marvel Universe” characters. Indeed, considering that the then Editor-in-Chief somehow manages to incorporate the likes of the Avengers, the X-Men, S.H.I.E.L.D., Daredevil and Spider-man alongside a truly impressive rogues gallery of the New York City-based publisher’s super-villains, it’s incredible to believe the Will Eisner Award Hall Of Famer was able to pen anything even resembling a coherent narrative, let alone one which not only contains plenty of ‘screen time’ for its titular characters but additionally produces numerous stand-out moments, such as the Mole Man’s surprise attack from beneath the very foundation of the Baxter Building and his minions’ subsequent defeat by Professor X’s mutant students.

Admittedly, the basic premise behind this comic’s narrative is undeniably contrived with Doctor Doom “skilfully manipulating my high-frequency emotion charger” so as to “fan the flames of hatred in the heart of every evil menace in existence” and resultantly create “a veritable army of the most deadly villains alive” with which to destroy Reed Richards’ famous quartet. Yet the utter simplicity of the ‘hokey’ plot point does allow for the reader to be rapidly immersed in the mad machinations of the “paranoiac” Puppet Master, and no sooner has his poison-armed pawn been subdued by Nick Fury’s undercover agents, than Ivan Kragoff and Harvey Rupert Elder make their separate moves to bring Su Storm’s imminent wedding ceremony to a deadly end; “Ahh! The coast is clear now, my beauties! And so, the time has come for the Red Ghost and his Super Apes to finish the job they’d begun many months ago!” This rapid succession of threats and foes is so successfully implemented that any thoughts as to the dubiously manufactured nature of the script is swiftly forgotten and replaced with a genuine sense of awe at Lee’s sheer vision, with even Attuma, “merciless warlord of the deep”, deciding to seize the moment and threaten the land-dwellers with an invasion of his trident-carrying legions.

Of course, just how enjoyable this carousel of costumed crime-fighters and malevolent Machiavellian evil-doers would be without the dynamically-charged pencilling of Jack “King” Kirby is hotly debatable. The Manhattan-born artist’s breath-taking visuals for this comic provides every punch, kick and energy blast portrayed with just the sort of bone-crunching energy one would expect from an illustrator “widely regarded as one of the medium’s major innovators.” Whilst his incredible splash-page “photo of a journey thru the Fourth Dimension” which depicts the Watcher transporting Mister Fantastic to “a laboratory whose wonders beggar description” is certainly worth the one American dollar cover price of this digitally re-mastered book alone.

Written By: Stan Lee, Drawn By: Jack Kirby, and Inked By: Vince Colletta