The Infernal Hulk #7 - Marvel Comics

THE INFERNAL HULK No. 7, July 2026

Whilst it’s never ever really explained just how the Infernal Hulk suddenly “exerts [a] mysterious control over all mutantkind” and begins “drawing them to his growing army in the horrific Living City”, it’s probably a safe bet that many a fan of this ongoing series will give Phillip Kennedy Johnson a pass due to the unconvincing notion setting up a scintillating scrap between the titular character and the X-Men. True, the confrontation only features those super-heroes located at the Factory Merle in Alaska – so doesn’t include such notable team members such as Wolverine, Rogue, Emma Frost and Ice Man. But this comic does still show Cyclops, Magneto and Magik doing their best against Eldest’s host body.

Furthermore, having horribly killed Marrow when the firstborn of Vinruviel kidnapped the Morlock Leech, the tense atmosphere inside the Sentinel manufacturing plant is arguably pretty palpable during the fight, with a few of the lesser known mutants certainly seeming to be close to a grim, grisly death whenever the Hulk turns his attention upon them. Indeed, at one point even Illyana Rasputina genuinely appears to be upon the cusp of being cut in two by the ‘daughter of horrors’ when the sorceress' Soulsword is taken from her; “This blade is bound… to your life force. Yes? What would happen, then… If I took your head with it?”

Perhaps far less impressive though is how the American author depicts the rest of the leading members of the Marvel Universe, who seem to be huddled up within the safety of the Baxter Building. Only Iron Man has actively challenged the might of the Hulk face-to-face so far, yet the way Reed Richards talks to such untried power-houses like Carol Danvers, Spider-Man, the Scarlet Witch and the Vision, any resistance against Eldest is disappointingly already doomed before it’s even begun.

Likewise, Adam Gorham’s artwork debatably doesn’t do the pulse-pounding punch-up much good either, with poor Sarah’s aforementioned death appearing to be overly gratuitous for no obvious reason. In fact, if it wasn’t for a hastily-sketch Pyro calling her by name some readers might even struggle to recognise that the figure sketched in the comic is actually Marrow, and not some other poor unknown Morlock. Furthermore the illustrator tries to cram in so much action into such thin panels, that there’s little room to really see who is doing what to each other when the action heats up – e.g. Magik actually stabling Hulk through the heart area with her hand-weapon.

The regular cover art of "INFERNAL HULK" #7 by Nic Klein

Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons Of Vengeance Alpha #1 - Marvel Comics

GHOST RIDER/WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF VENGEANCE ALPHA No. 1, October 2023

Packed full of spine-chilling supernatural shenanigans, and some truly disconcerting physical horror, most bibliophiles perusing Issue One of “Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons Of Vengeance Alpha” probably agreed with its New York City-based publisher that its “hotshot writer” Benjamin Percy was indeed “a master at crafting hair-raising sagas for Marvel’s most hardcore anti-heroes.” In fact, those readers caught up with its narrative about “a demonic serial killer [who] is murdering innocent mutants” would be hard-pressed to find any faults with this thirty-one-page periodical.

To begin with, the American author decides to depict the titular characters’ “(never before seen!) first meeting” via a well-penned flashback, and in doing so transports this comic’s audience back to a classic era of the Uncanny X-Men, when Professor Charles Xavier was busy mentoring the likes of Colossus, Storm, Angel, Nightcrawler and Shadowcat. These scenes set “many years ago” genuinely tap into an ultra-nostalgic vein, and also help sell a significant plot twist when it at first appears that super-powered little Bram Straub will swiftly receive safety inside the School for Gifted Youngsters; “Nobody wants him… including the Orphanage he keeps returning to.”

Just as enthralling though is the terrifying creature which lurks within the poor boy’s soul and seemingly comes out whenever the youngster is disappointed or upset. Somehow able to readily defeat the most formidable of Logan’s team-mates within a matter of minutes, this giant, flame-headed entity readily grabs all the attention whenever it manifests itself – especially when his appearance results in the formation of a stomach-churning flesh column which consists of various hapless children’s twisted corpses.

Readily willing and able to assist Percy in this book’s storytelling is “acclaimed artist Geoff Shaw” of “Thanos” and “Guardians Of The Galaxy” fame. The illustrator does a first-rate job of making the ordinarily warm and welcoming X-Mansion as creepy as possible once tiny Straub crosses its threshold during an electrical storm. Whilst simultaneously prodigiously pencilling Johnny Blaze’s jaw-dropping attempt to break the record of jumping eighteen burning buses on a motorbike. In addition, the University of New Mexico graduate wonderfully captures both the fiery menace of the Ghost Rider and dangerous, quick-moving mannerisms of Wolverine, once the pair clash heads towards this publication’s end.

The regular cover of "GHOST RIDER/WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF VENGEANCE ALPHA" #1 by Ryan Stegman

X-Men Legends #8 - Marvel Comics

X-MEN LEGENDS No. 8, December 2021

Pushing a plot which is predominantly obsessed with pulse-pounding pugilism, Larry Hama’s narrative for Issue Eight of “X-Men Legends” probably pleased the vast majority of its readers after a debatably shaky start. True, the American author should certainly have got any perusing bibliophile’s senses reeling with Wolverine’s early battle against an entire crew of thugs who were hired to secure a Shanghai pier for the mysterious Jie Jie. But once “Ol’ Canucklehead” has sliced his way through the low-tier minions, this twenty-page periodical’s tempo somewhat slumps as its panels are packed with exposition explaining such unconvincing contrivances like Yurei just happening to also be able to conveniently time travel, as well as teleport Logan to the southern estuary of the Yangtze River.

Thankfully, such manufactured moments are soon forgotten once Jubilee has impressively broken free of her bonds, and teams-up with her fellow X-Man for a serious showdown with Lady Deathstrike. This action-packed sequence is absolutely spot-on, with all the combatants attempting to best one another with plenty of insanely fast punches, a bellyful of serious physical damage and some highly enjoyable quips; “Is a frog’s butt watertight?”

Perhaps however the surprising star of this comic is the mutant adolescent Yurei, who soon demonstrates a deliciously sadistic persona when it comes to selecting a location to abandon her would-be assailants in. Ranging from a zoo’s tiger pen just as feeding time approaches to a deadly mine-laden swamp, the politely spoken schoolgirl is equally as entertaining when it also comes to a killer quip just before she leaves her latest victim stranded.

Far less impressive is probably Billy Tan’s artwork, which due to the sparsity of this book’s script, definitely needs to shoulder the lion’s share of work. Indeed, at times it appears the Malaysian illustrator is desperately attempting to pad out his layouts by monotonously pencilling numerous cargo crates, forklift trucks and empty loading bays. Such ‘filling’ genuinely starts to bog down the storytelling and proves particularly noticeable once Jie Jie arrives at Shanghai supposedly in a hurry to complete her sale only to spend an eternity walking along the disconcertingly empty pier in an effort to liaise with her buyer’s Russian agent - Omega Red.

The regular cover art of "X-MEN: LEGENDS" #8 by Billy Tan & Chris Sotomayor

Ms. Marvel & Wolverine #1 - Marvel Comics

MS. MARVEL & WOLVERINE No. 1, October 2022

Rather enthusiastically proclaimed by its New York-based publisher as containing a team-up with “one of the Marvel Universe’s most lauded heroes in an oversized action-packed adventure”, this opening instalment of a three-issue saga certainly showcases both the body-morphing abilities and endearing characteristics which helped win Sana Amanat’s co-creation “the Hugo Award for best graphic story in 2015.” In fact, Kamala Khan’s innocent uncertainty as to just what is going on throughout the assault upon Central Park’s “crazy futuristic treehouse” rather nicely matches that of the audience, and thus arguably helps them share a common bond together as the storytelling progresses.

Of course, perhaps this comic’s biggest selling-point is the inclusion of Wolverine, as well as the rest of the highly popular X-Men, and Jody Houser’s writing definitely doesn’t disappoint in providing the mutant super-group with plenty of scintillating spotlight. Ever grumpy and willing to take a bloody hit just to get a deadly strike of his claws home, Logan clearly takes the centre-stage whenever the Canadian is featured in a pulse-pounding panel. Yet rather pleasingly, that doesn’t mean for a moment that mainstay team members Rogue, Marvel Girl, Cyclops, Storm and even the likes of Hisako Ichiki, aren’t also given plenty of robotic bug-busting action to get their teeth into whenever the opportunity allows.

Furthermore, the Eisner Award-nominee doesn’t simply settle for having the planet’s protectors effortlessly whip their miniscule opponents within moments, courtesy of Scott Summer’s devastatingly sweeping visor-blasts or Ms. Marvel’s all-encompassing “embiggened hands.” Instead, preferring for the protagonists to overcome their foes’ sheer weight of numbers with a well-thought out, coordinated plan involving Wolverine and Ororo Munroe; “I suppose it was too much to hope that my visit to Earth wouldn’t coincide with some sort of attack..?”

Equally as enthralling as the mysterious motivation behind the tiny, murderous machine’s Machiavellian mission are the excellent layouts of Ze Carlos and colorist, Erick Arciniega, who together provide this thirty-page periodical with plenty of attention-grabbing eye-candy. Indeed, the art team’s portrayal of its colourfully costumed female titular character is worth the comic’s cover price alone, especially once she starts using her great size to swat, stomp and splat as many of the metallic bugs as possible.

The regular cover art to "MS. MARVEL & WOLVERINE" #1 by Sara Pichelli & Federico Blee

X-Men Legends #7 - Marvel Comics

X-MEN LEGENDS No. 7, November 2021

Proudly proclaiming that “the ultimate team-up is back, bub!” this twenty-page periodical’s script is arguably packed full of the violent, no-nonsense close combat which helped make Wolverine “Wizard” magazine’s top Comic Book Character in 2008. In fact, Larry Hama’s writing for Issue Seven of “X-Men Legends” is arguably so good at promptly transporting its 27,254 strong audience back to the American author’s celebrated run on “Wolverine” in the Nineties that it is hard to believe the book was only the one hundred and seventh best-selling title of September 2021; “I hear there might be somebody here interested in some fresh merchandise.”

For starters, “Kidnapped!” drops the reader straight into its “all-new adventure” by having both Logan and Jubilee immediately face deadly danger on the rain-soaked streets of Osaka, Japan. Obviously, the super-powered pair’s apparent enfeeblement is all a ploy to lower the guard of their overconfident ‘captors’. But with so many blades being bandied about, and their owners' evident willingness to lethally stick them into the “Gaijin” without any remorse, it is debatably difficult to peruse the resulting fracas without at least worrying a little about Jubilation Lee’s wellbeing.

Indeed, one of this narrative’s most enthralling threads is Hama’s incarnation of Wolverine almost flat out refusing to dodge any incoming sword slice or stabbing motion, as he seemingly prefers to just rely upon his healing factor to survive the torrent of chops, hacks and cuts he receives whilst fighting his way through an almost overwhelming number of the Hand’s deadly assassins in an aquarium. This utter abandonment provides some mesmerising moments, not least of which is one of this publication’s earliest incidents when a child trafficker nonchalantly ‘befriends’ the seemingly unsuspecting Logan and sticks him with a long knife straight through the chest.

Capturing all the frantic, fast-paced flavour of this tale in the Kansai region of Honshu with his prodigious pencils is Billy Tan, whose ability to project the sheer loathing Lady Deathstrike holds for her colourfully costumed rival is genuinely palpable. Likewise, the Malaysian artist does a corking job in illustrating the sheer number of voiceless assassins who suddenly descend upon the X-Men with their furious, brutal ninjatō swords and Wolverine's evident frustration at "these ladies" blocking his path to Yuriko Oyama.

Writer: Larry Hama, Artist: Billy Tan, and Colorist: Chris Sotomayor 

X-Men Legends #6 - Marvel Comics

X-MEN LEGENDS No. 6, October 2021

Packed with plenty of courtroom drama and sense-shattering shenanigans at the Latverian Embassy, Peter David’s script for Issue Six of “X-Men Legends” certainly delivers the goods when it comes to recapturing the atmosphere of the American author’s run as the writer on “X-Factor” during the early Nineties. Indeed, the opening scene of Havoc losing his temper with the police force when they overrule his promise that the local authorities “won’t open fire” upon the renegade mutants must have immediately taken most of this comic’s audience back to the days when Alex Summers and his team were still badly mistrusted by the government, even though the roster was salaried by the Pentagon.

However, perhaps this twenty-page periodical’s greatest ‘hook’ comes with its handling of Doctor Doom, and the disconcerting question as to whether the terrorists opposing the tinpot dictator are just as cold-heartedly evil as Victor or not. This conundrum as to where the readers’ sympathies lie is raised just as soon as Beltane is shown triumphantly displaying an unconscious Rahne Sinclair upon a crucifix on top of the consulate’s roof, and the sheer horror Valerie Cooper expresses upon seeing such an appalling sight.

Perhaps understandably, Wolfsbane guts the white-haired psychic within an inch of her life once she regains both consciousness and her wolf-form. But its then later shown that the rest of the ‘holier than thou’ fanatics feel their comrade-in-arms has been greatly wronged by the former New Mutant and try to take some moral high ground over Sinclair when they find her remorsefully sat at Beltane’s bedside in hospital. This self-righteousness is more than irritating and seeing as it comes at a time when the likes of Samhain were going to quite happily murderously massacre the embassy’s entirely innocent staff simply because "we have to show the world we're serious", arguably loses the 'freedom fighters' any empathy which their opposition to the heavily armoured monarch might have initially generated.

In fact, many bibliophiles will doubtless take a great deal of satisfaction from this publication’s final few panels, in which Todd Nauck beautifully pencils Rahne knowingly stepping aside for an enraged Doom as he enters Beltane’s medical room to doubtless enact a truly terrible revenge upon the Zefiro Clan for killing his subjects, defiling his New York City-based mission and even attempting to assassinate the Supreme Leader for the Kingdom of Latveria himself; “You dare bark orders at me? Do you still not appreciate the gravity of your situation.?”

The regular cover art of "X-MEN: LEGENDS" #6 by Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg

X-Men Legends #5 - Marvel Comics

X-MEN LEGENDS No. 5, September 2021

Tightly crammed between Issue Seventy-Five and Seventy-Six of “X-Factor”, this “all-new adventure” by Peter David surely must have pleased its 32,561 ‘true believers’ in July 2021. Admittedly, the storyline is primarily set inside the United States Capitol during a dialogue-driven congressional hearing. But rather than prove a lack-lustre, sedentary reading experience, the senators' hostile interrogation of Valerie Cooper's colourful team continues to hold the audience’s attention throughout the twenty-page periodical, as well as provide plenty of intriguing background as to why the government-sponsored mutant team were called in to deal with a super-powered terrorist attack upon the Latverian Embassy, and not the heroic Avengers or Fantastic Four.

Similarly as intriguing, is the motivation behind Samhain’s assault upon his people’s diplomatic building and the dilemma his initial murderous actions cause for any bibliophile who feels sympathy for his mission. On the face of it, the radical’s desire for the United Nations to “oust Victor Von Doom from power and change our country into a democracy” is a compelling one. However, such support arguably soon falters when the ruthless killer shockingly disintegrates the hapless administrator who welcomes him into his Embassy without any warning whatsoever; “Disposing of one will serve as a lesson to the others. One fatality up front ensures far fewer down the li --” 

This savagery also establishes the violent tone of X-Factor’s subsequent attempt to liberate the hostages, with Madrox the Multiple Man and Strong Guy’s head-on assault packing every panel with pulse-pounding pandemonium. Indeed, Guido Carosella’s painful confrontation with Samhain is probably the highlight of the comic, as Chris Claremont’s formidably sized co-creation struggles to endure the extremist’s deadly mystic flame, and eventually must withdraw back outside to regroup with his bewildered team-mates.

Helping this publication’s sense-shattering shenanigans along with plenty of “FWAZAAAAAAK” and “WAM WAM WAM” are Todd Nauck’s simply sumptuous pencils and Rachelle Rosenberg's colours. The Texas-born artist does an astonishingly good job of imbuing all the characters sat talking during the senate’s hearing with plenty of emotion, with Quicksilver’s haughty disdain for the politicians coming across particularly well. Yet it is debatably the illustrator’s depiction of all the swirling spectral details of both Samhain and Imbolc’s mutant abilities which really help sell the revolutionaries as legitimate threats to Havoc’s comrades-In-Arms.

The regular cover art of "X-MEN: LEGENDS" #5 by Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg

X-Men Legends #4 - Marvel Comics

X-MEN LEGENDS No. 4, July 2022

As entire comic book length battles go, Louise Simonson’s script for “Tools!” doubtless satisfied the best part of its 39,098 strong audience in June 2021, due to some truly sense-shattering action sequences involving numerous laser bolts, writhing hydraulic tentacles and a veritable avalanche of murderously metallic rectangular plates. Indeed, it’s hard to recollect a more intense fracas appearing upon the printed page as Apocalypse’s “deadly robot attacker” initially appears to have the upper hand over a frantically back-peddling original X-Men line-up, and actually threatens the very well-being of Marvel Girl’s infant son, Christopher Summers.

But due to this “all-new tale” being set just before the events of Issue Forty-Three of “X-Factor”, when an entirely intact team venture off into hyperspace together, any sense of Scott’s colourfully-garbed comrades-in-arms actually being in jeopardy during their confrontation against a mechanically-enhanced Cameron Hodge is arguably lost – even when two thirds of the way through the publication En Sabah Nur confidently announces that the super-heroes are about to die at the hands of their former public relations agent; “Brave talk. But the fight is all but over. Cyclops, Jean, Iceman, and Beast have fallen. Death and the infant are next.”

Fortunately however, the Atlanta-born author does try to make up for this debatable lack of tension, by posing the question as to just how the badly-battered mutants will ultimately overpower so seemingly invincible a robotic body as the one Apocalypse has conjured up for Warren Worthington’s old college roommate. The “metal monster” genuinely appears unstoppable at the start of the skirmish, with legendary artist Walter Simonson even pencilling Cyke’s ruby-red eye-beams harmlessly bouncing off of the towering brute’s armoured carapace and dangerously firing off wildly about the field leader’s surroundings.

In addition, “Weezie” pens an excellent insight into the psychological workings of Hodge’s mind, as he tries to seek his revenge upon an X-Factor who are wholly ignorant as to the true identity of their opponent. Cameron’s ability to mentally direct his behemoth’s physical properties in order for him to use his adversaries’ formidable abilities against them helps turn this comic’s narrative into more of an intriguing game of chess or cat and mouse, than an uninspiring, straightforward slugfest, and as result provides some surprising depth to the character's hatred of all Homo sapiens superior.

The regular cover art of "X-MEN: LEGENDS" #4 by Walter Simonson & Edgar Delgado

X-Men Legends #3 - Marvel Comics

X-MEN LEGENDS No. 3, June 2021

Proudly proclaimed by “Marvel Worldwide” as the return of the original so-called mutant-hunters for hire, and featuring an all-new tale set before Issue Forty-Three of “X-Factor”, this particular return to the “classic era with legends” Louise and Walter Simonson probably initially pleased its fans with an atmosphere highly reminiscent of the super-team’s heyday in 1986. In fact, it’s hard to think of a more disturbingly impactive opening than the one the Atlanta-born author pens for this publication as the treacherous Cameron Hodge not only has his head severed by Archangel, but subsequently survives the encounter as little more than a conscious dismembered body part; “When Death decapitated you, it seems he destroyed your vocal cords.”

However, by the time this twenty-page periodical is half-way through, some within this book’s audience were probably wondering just where the Eagle Award-winner was going with her plot concerning the heroes’ “sentient spaceship Ship” inexplicably trying to suddenly kill its occupants, including Cyclops and Marvel Girl’s infant son, Christopher. Admittedly, the huge vessel’s autonomic response to murder the likes of Beast and Iceman inside a fast-shrinking shuttlecraft makes for a few panels of pulse-pounding action. Yet it is arguably hard to get too excited about a narrative which wholly relies upon a killer computer to inform the reader as to what is going on when the artificial intelligence’s exposition is easily lost amidst a torrent of decentralised brains, redundant functions, two thousand year old damage, encrypted languages, and various information hubs.

Perhaps therefore this comic’s biggest hook is the all-pervading presence of Apocalypse, and En Sabah Nur’s chilling agreement to provide Hodge’s head with a new invulnerable body if the duplicitous lawyer agrees to kill X-Factor before they can further investigate their craft’s bizarre malfunction. These conversations really are incredibly well-written, with the hateful relationship between Cameron and his mutant benefactor literally leaping off every panel once the Homo Superior has fitted his “silent friend” with a working voice box.

Equally as enthralling has to be Walter Simonson’s "arting", which immediately conjures up memories of the earliest X-Men’s highly-popular adventures during the late Eighties. Indeed, this monthly’s cover is so highly reminiscent of the American penciller’s first front page illustration for the colourfully-costumed protagonists that it is easily worth the magazine’s price alone.

Writing: Louise Simonson, Arting: Walter Simonson, and Coloring: Laura Martin

X-Men Legends #2 - Marvel Comics

X-MEN LEGENDS No. 2, May 2021

Starting with a seriously sensational opening splash page depicting the fallen body of a head-shot Adam Neramani, and Corsair’s matter-of-fact explanation that in committing the cold-blooded shooting he had “saved the lives of several trillion people”, writer Fabian Nicieza immediately sets a disconcertingly deadly tone to this comic’s storyline which permeates throughout every subsequent scene in Issue Two of “X-Men Legends”. True, the Buenos Aires-born author manages to inject a slight element of humour into this book, courtesy of a running gag which sees Havok finally “have a little brother that I can boss around”. But even these brief glimpses of ‘family fun’ within the Summers household are tainted by Adam-X’s perpetual gloomy mood; “Ray of #$%&% sunshine, this one is.”

Fortunately, such solemnity really does suit the Starjammers’ brutal battle against Erik the Red, and Davan Shakari’s cult-like Crystal Claws on the blue area of the Moon. As Alex admits to his brother at the very start of the fight, it “feels really great to finally cut loose” with a no-holds barred punch-up which has “the fate of the galaxy at stake”, and Deadpool’s co-creator definitely doesn’t disappoint in seizing this opportunity to show just how “terrifying” the Ascendant One’s awesome ability “to ignite the electrolytes in exposed blood” can truly be.

In addition, Nicieza does a first-rate job in depicting Christopher Summers as the ever wily opportunist, who always seems to be considering the profit potential behind each and every situation he encounters. Corsair’s revelation that as a contingency plan he had actually contacted the “super-guardians of the Shi-ar Empire” is a great example of this, and even causes the intergalactic freebooter’s own sons, along with this comics’ audience, to momentarily doubt his true motivations.

Sublimely supporting this book’s prodigious penmanship is Brett Booth’s marvellous pencilling, which genuinely helps sell the sheer speed Neramani is able to attain on the battlefield when he’s darting in between the numerous deadly blows of his assailants. Furthermore, the artist also manages to provide a few visual gags within the odd panel, such as Adam-X’s evident physical discomfort at being cuddled by his half-brothers, and Christopher’s relief that Raza was ultimately able to safely secure his elderly parents from Erik’s despicable clutches.

The regular cover art of "X-MEN LEGENDS" #2 by Brett Booth

X-Men Legends #1 - Marvel Comics

X-MEN LEGENDS No. 1, April 2021

Proudly proclaimed by “Marvel Worldwide” in their pre-publication hype as a title containing “all-new tales starring your favourite X-Men” and “spanning classic eras”, there is certainly some sort of entertainment to be found buried beneath this comic’s substantially numbered word balloons and text boxes. Yet for those readers who were looking forward to enjoying “a story decades in the making”, there is Fabian Nicieza’s opening salvo of dialogue-driven exposition to disconcertingly navigate first.

Indeed, arguably the opening half of this considerably-sized thirty-page periodical is bogged down in both an overly-long rationalisation as to just why Erik The Red would abduct Scott Summers’ grandparents from the Providence Hospital with a flock of Crystal Claws, and the history behind Adam Neramani covertly residing in Iowa on the planet Earth; “On the day my powers manifested, I learned I was not Shi-ar, or Mephitisoid, or even really Human. I was none. I was all. I was more. I was a mutant.”

Happily however, once Cable makes an appearance to convince the “Disciple of the Claw” to seek out Cyclop and Havok of the X-Men, the pacing of “Shattered Crystal, Scattered Dreams” transforms into a seriously sense-shattering thrill-ride which debatably doesn’t let go until its well-handled cliff-hanger. The arrival of Hepzibah and the cyborg Raza Longknife lead to some utterly insane dynamic action sequences, which not only mange to drum up plenty of suspense as to Adam-X’s survivability when facing the two lethally-skilled Starjammers. But also manage to progress the book’s central plot without resorting to too many of the aforementioned speech bubbles.

Without doubt though, this comic’s greatest asset has to be Brett Booth’s incredible-looking layouts, which must have lured many an unsuspecting bibliophile perusing “X-Men Legends” into placing it at the very top of their Pull List. Whether it be sheer speed with which Erik’s Crystal Claws literally tear through an instantly overwhelmed line of gun-toting Police officers, or the Forsaken One’s formidable fight against Hepzibah and Longknife in a head-tall corn field during the dead of night, the artist’s style encapsulates just the sort “certain Nineties' vibe” this book was presumably aiming for with it nostalgia-inducing “fan-favourite runs.”

The regular cover art of "X-MEN LEGENDS" #1 by Brett Booth

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

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

Avengers [2016] #2.1 - Marvel Comics

AVENGERS No. 2.1, February 2017

On paper there’s probably a good dozen or so reasons as to why “Marvel Worldwide” believed that a mini-series focusing upon Captain America’s untold task of “turning the members of this ragtag team into Avengers” would prove to be a good seller. For starters “Cap's Kooky Quartet” would appear to hold a special nostalgic place within the hearts of those who can remember the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes during the mid-Sixties, whilst those too young to have lived through the Silver Age of Comics arguably might enjoy an opportunity to experience ‘first-hand’ the super-group (once again) going “through their first major membership change”.

Unfortunately for this particular issue of “Avengers” 37,746-strong audience though, Mark Waid’s script predominantly emphasizes the foursome’s lack of team-work and perturbing personality issues, rather than their desire to prove themselves as suitable replacements for Thor, Iron Man and the rest of the Old Order. In fact, two of this twenty-page periodical’s most aggravating elements is its constant obsession to dwell upon the heroes evident dislike for one another, and a disconcerting desire to belittle almost everything which they do; “Will you people shut up about Thor?”

Worse, predominantly because of this pervading thread of ill-placed humour, there’s never any real sense of “the mighty pretenders” being in danger, even when the Alabama-born author has Hawkeye, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch and Captain America face the all-power Stranger. This “composite being who possessed the combined strength and intellect of the billions of humanoid beings who once lived on the planet Gigantus” is a far cry from the “Atlantean refugee” this book provides as an early adversary, and is so terrifying that even Professor Xavier refuses to have his X-Men overtly antagonise him for fear of repercussions. Yet, despite “the enormity of the danger he poses” Steve Rogers boastfully baits the cosmic being and rather cowardly has Clint Barton fire an explosive arrow into his back?

What “Death Is A Stranger” does do well however, is provide Barry Kitson with ample opportunity to show off both his admirable pencilling and engaging story-boarding. The British comics artist does a superb job of imbuing the Avengers battle against a deep-sea monster with plenty of pacey panache, such as Pietro’s mesmerizing speed-blur, and proves similarly successful in capturing the likenesses of the original X-Men, Angel, Cyclops, Beast, Marvel Girl and Ice Man.

Writer: Mark Waid, Penciler: Barry Kitson, and Inker: Mark Farmer

Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX #4 - Marvel Comics

GIANT-SIZE LITTLE MARVEL: AVX No. 4, November 2015

Despite documenting the twins’ exploits with both the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Inhumans, as well as the series’ diminutively-sized titular characters, Skottie Young’s all-too familiar storyline for Issue Four of “Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX” doubtless disheartened many of the book’s 28,025 buyers with its worrying repetitiveness and over-reliance upon endless panels simply portraying Iron Man, Cyclops and their respective team-mates furiously yelling at one another. Indeed, this seemingly incessant conveyor-belt of shouting, threatening, arguing and gesticulating even appears to get too much for the Inkwell Award-winner himself, who towards the end of the eighteen-page periodical goes so far as to have an extremely agitated Zachary and Zoe scream at everyone to “Shuuuuutttt Up!” as they’ve “had just about enough of all of you!”

Admittedly such reservations about essentially reading the same plot repeatedly over the course of a couple of comics doesn’t necessarily apply to the entirety of this publication’s narrative, with the American author’s decision to incorporate the wide-ranging physical enhancements of the Attilans’ mutagenic Terrigen Mist arguably producing some of the series’ biggest laughs yet; “Ha Ha Ha! Hey we’re the Inhumans! Join us and you’ll get hit with a green fart cloud, wrapped in to a rotten egg and turned into one of these! Ha Ha Ha!” But even this sequence ultimately results in yet another round of everyone just squawking at one another after Black Bolt flattens the X-Men’s sarcastic leader with a single sound, and Zoe matter-of-factly hints she is “thinking of jumping over the zombie wall and calling it a day.”

Potentially of far more interest is Young’s ‘last gasp’ suggestion that perhaps the twins would actually prefer to join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants rather than one of the superhero teams. Swiftly attired in black capes and cowls, courtesy of the speedster Quicksilver, and surrounded by the villainous ‘cutesy’ likes of Magneto, Loki, Doctor Octopus, Ultron and Venom, this plot development seems a far more likely source of inspiration and levity than the Fairbury-born writer’s mundane re-treading of old ideas. Sadly however, such a diabolically intriguing opportunity is infuriatingly never actually explored on account of the mini-series ending without warning or resolution on that very splash page…

Words and Art: Skottie Young, Colors: Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Letters: Jeff Eckleberry

Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX #3 - Marvel Comics

GIANT-SIZE LITTLE MARVEL: AVX No. 3, October 2015

Containing an astonishing number of cutesy cameos including Devil Dinosaur, Red Hulk, She-Hulk, Fin Fang Foom and Lockheed the Dragon, Skottie Young’s humour-filled narrative for Issue Three of “Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX” must have absolutely delighted its steadfast 32,003 followers in August 2015. Certainly, the twenty-page periodical’s script would have pleased fans of both “The X-Men” and “The Avengers” alike with its inclusion of the “Beast’s Science Lab”, “The Danger Room”, “Asgard”, Captain America’s “Boot Camp U.S.A.” and Jarvis’ reimagining of the Hulk-Buster into “The Iron Twinz!”

Somewhat disappointingly however, so very many ‘guest star appearances’ and swift location changes, aren’t particularly conducive to constructing a terribly elaborate storyline. Thus, whilst the Fairbury-born writer manages to keep things moving along swiftly enough, courtesy of giving the reader a tour of “The X-Tree Mansion” and The Avenger’s not-so secret Headquarters, it probably isn’t until the twins encounter both Galactus and his equally cosmic-powered companion, Thanos, that the former “Marvel Mangaverse” illustrator’s script finally gets interesting. In fact, apart from “the blue X-doggie-cat-thing” transforming Zachary and Zoe into a humanoid mouse and hulking brute respectively, both tours of the two super-teams’ clubhouses and their accompanying “all-out brawls” are actually pretty clichéd.

Fortunately, once the “giant kid with a very impractical headpiece” and “the flying kid sitting in a flying recliner” do make an appearance, Young’s ‘Little Marvel’ (Battle)world suddenly becomes an infinitely more intriguing place to visit on account of its most recently-arrived inhabitants discovering that the place is ‘protected’ by an all-encompassing unbreakable force barrier. This potential hint at just where the cartoon series tangibly sits within Emperor Doom's multi-title Battleworld is just the sort of ‘hook’ the Inkwell Award-winner’s storyline arguably needed, and of course, the magazine’s cliff-hanger panel featuring Star-Lord offering the twins a place alongside “the Guardians of the Galaxy” rather helps ramp up the publication’s pleasure factor too.

So crazy a comic book will always rely upon colourful, well-articulated visuals in order to help carry its audience along with the zany antics on show, and Skottie Young’s incredibly dynamic breakdowns, portraying a fast-moving ice-made roller coaster one moment and then a Sentinel-invading Savage Land double splash the next, more than succeed with just such a task. Indeed the America illustrator’s drawings of Nick Fury being ‘splatted’ by Hawkeye, and Thor subsequently ‘smashing’ an ice giant in the head with Mjolnir are arguably worth this publication’s cover price alone.

Words and Art: Skottie Young, Colors: Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Letters: Jeff Eckleberry