53. Out There #1 to 6 ... Image ...

Once upon a long ago, Image Comics various superstar creators decided to launch new "tier two" Image and the Cliffhanger Imprint was born. Unfortunately, it didn't last as people like J Scott Campbell and Joe Mad didn't stick around for long to built it. Only Humberto Ramos did. And naturally, the Imprint died

This is Ramos' second series for Cliffhanger after his smash hit Crimson

Continuing in a way in terms of theme from Crimson, we see this as a small town where everyday is happy to their neighbours, life is well and everyone is so perfect. So what is the problem? Well, there seems to be one and what a big one it is and this is what some school kids stumbled across

You see, some of them realized that they are born different with odd physical and mental talents (Mutants?). And one of these is seeing these cute little creatures with pointy ears and sharp teeth jumping all over the place. As the kids started to band together after a few incidents, the cutesy creatures stopped being so cutesy anymore. So what are they doing here? Who are they serving? And who can the kids trust to go to for help and advise?

And so the adventure begins

And it continues for a good 18-issue run although for me personally, sometimes the issues felt like too much padding. This is not manga. It is about 22 pages of story. While the artwork here is cute sy with huge empty spaces, unfortunately sometimes all it took is 5 minutes to flick through the pages and when not enough happens to move the story along, the comic lost its hook. I am not sure if it was meant to be 18 issues only but am glad it ended. I actually didn't feel compelled or attracted or hooked after this first arc and subsequently bought the loose issues only when they reached the discount bins

Sorry, Ramos, this is a negative

Ratings: 5 (7 for art but 3 for story)

52. Namor Ltd Series #1 ... Salvador Larocca ...

This series is odd. For some weird reason, Marvel decided to release a maxi (12 issues) on Namor in his younger days. Yes, Namor has always been a popular supporting character in Fantastic Four and for a time was even a member of the Avengers but in his own solo series, he was never a hit and only survived during the comics boom of the 90s

Anyway, with this series, they hooked in Salvador Larocca. If memory serves, Salva was working on one of his many hit series. He was great, he hit the deadlines and is a fan favorite. So obviously he wasn't thrilled to be moved to this but apparently it was something like Singapore's "National Service" for good old Marvel

Anyway, on my part?

I loved this. Just check out the artwork. Beautifully crafted panels, details, soft lines and awesome colours that makes you think back to innocent times. Obviously this would not work in the long run but hey! for a limited series, it is excellent

So yes, Namor is young and just becoming a teen thus feeling rebellious. So what happens is that one day he comes across a surface dweller and for some reason being kids and generally innocent ... they fell for each other first as childish love and growing older to become affectionate and more ... sincere and heartfelt?

Naturally his and her parents object. Stuff of all good romance novels, right?

So what happens in the end? We all know because we know the Namor of today but still the stories are interesting and that artwork? Wow! If only Salva still draws like that unlike his art in later X-titles or current on Iron Man.

Ratings: 10/10

51. Moon Knight vol 3 #1 to 6 ...

Moon Knight ... Marvel's twist on Batman from DC?

Well, whatever you may think, sad to say, this is one character that is unique enough in terms of origin (Hello Khonshu) but yet no matter what, the series has never been a sufficiently big hit to last long enough. There is a volume that was longer than this but you know what? It was famous for its last few issues prior to cancellation because it introduced the world to a new artist called Stephen Platt (love, love, love me some S.Platt)

After some one-shots and limited series, we are finally back to the right mix for this series to kick off with a bang and what a bang it is. We have DAVID FINCH (looooooooooooove me some Finch). He is awesome on the X-titles and on the New Avengers and now he is a superstar lifting this series from the doldrums. The only sad thing is that Finch didn't stay on long enough and neither did the writer so after more than a year it slowly died a natural death. After this, there has been 2 more incarnations but none survived a year or so even when it had Bendis as writer and Maleev as artist. Come on! Maleev is great but he is no Finch or Platt in the sense of style

Anyway back to this the first arc. What is great is that it shows us where Marc Spector is now i.e. a broken man both physically and mentally (and spiritually) ... living his days hidden in his house ... friends and girlfriend has left him because of his refusal to budge out of his downward spiral ... and in flashbacks, we get to see why

However, we are left wondering about his mental sanity and all those people and images are real or imaginary. For example: the psycho Bushman is definitely imaginary (at first) and what about the Moon God, Khonshu?

However, like it or not, there are some people who will not leave Marc alone and amongst some of the more interesting people they assembled to take Marc down includes a new chap who is like some sort of super profiler and even the trainer for villainous goons, Taskmaster

So Marc was jolted out of his depression and in no uncertain times forced to take up arms. There are some super nasty scenes but in this series, it makes sense. No punches were held back in this series and with that awesome FINCH artwork? It's a treat

Dude this is as good as it gets. Naturally not long after this, Finch went to work on Batman! Hehehe! But even then his work there cannot match this. This is like the perfect vehicle for Finch!

Ratings: 10/10

50. New Mutants vol 1 #18 to 20 ... Marvel ...

The big 5-0 ... deserves something meaningful and for me, it is the New Mutants. This is the first series that I collected almost regularly from #17 to about the #60s ... after that it became spotty because of 2 things: Bret Blevins on art and the meandering storyline ... but that's another story for another day

For these 3 issues, I got them off a mate who decided to sell and I was so glad because I had 17 and then 21 and 23 onwards. This is back in the old old old days before internet orders for back issues. So getting back issues are never easy and a hunt to be treasured. Sometimes, I think that adds to the charm of comic collecting, eh? Kind of like stamp and coin collecting

Okay. The cast consists of Cannonball, Sunspot, Magma, Magik, Rahne and Dani Moonstar (Psyche or some such lame ass name that she uses). This arc focuses on Dani. In the past few issues, there is a hint that she is fearing a mystical bear that supposedly made her an orphan coming back after her. Her teammates thought it is a groundless fear but then Dani started programming the Danger Room with bear scenarios. As her power is Psyche and will not really kill a demonic bear, she decided to practise with real arrows

Anyway the bear turns out to be real and not in her imagination and it comes from some nasty badlands in an alternate earth where its power is strong and it is trying to break through to our world. So it comes after Dani and injures her badly. However, it could not finish its job in one go and comes back for round 2 only to find the Mutants around. They were stunned the first time and almost got their asses handed to them. However, marshalling all their limited resources together, they decided to go after the bear next and prayed that it was enough

Highlights from these issues? The Bad Ass Artwork

Bill Sienkiewicz showed everyone that comic art can be real art. Check out the 3 covers. They have the same techniques on background but different styles on foreground. 18 is almost real. 19 is cartoony and 20 is a mix between real (Magik) and cartoony exaggeration (Magma). And as for the interiors? It's a lot of shadows, blobs and splashes of inks everywhere. I also loved the way he uses a chart to show the bear's influence on the grounds spreading. Good work!

Ratings: 10/10

49. Marvel Team Up vol 1 #150 ... Marvel (obviously) ...

Back in the 80s, even though the sales of comics were good, there are not many spin off tales and when there are, there is great interest. The idea of Marvel team-up is great. Spider-Man being the most popular solo character (sorry Wolverine) at that time has had many titles and the powers-that-be decided to create one where each month Spidey gets to hang out with his friends in the Marvel U

Almost all the issues had Spidey as one-half of the team-up with the occasional break only. And almost all the issues are standalones but there are the few that continues with the next issue. And all in all? It's a good series

I started almost at the end ... as I was not a Spider fan and only commenced with issues 148 ... I have since then gone back and bought nearly 50 issues worth from the back catalogue but time and fund permitting will try to get more

So this 150 is monumental because it is the final issue of this series. Subsequent incarnation of Team-Up has never recaptured the energy and appeal of this and always fizzled out fast

For this issue, we have a few specials to highlight:

1. It continues somewhat on a personal note from 149 where Spidey encounters Cannonball of the New Mutants

2. X-Men was at their peak popularity and by having both of them in one book guarantees a great sales numbers for the final issue of this series i.e. end on a high note

3. And the villain of the piece is none other than Juggernaut. The right villain for huge fisticuffs without too complicated a storyline

Conclusion: we are not going to tell you the actual story except that you will not be disappointed!

Ratings: 8/10

48. Magik #1 to 4 ... Marvel ...

Well, we are back to the world of Marvel. Is there any doubt? Hehehe! This is a 4-issue limited series during the time when limited series were the rage and they were generally slightly more expensive than the regular comics. However, as there were not that many spin off, total titles or even big publishers, such books become a mini event of itself

I remember being a new X-Men fan and seeing this on back issue lists but so much more expensive than cover price that I wondered when I would ever be able to afford this! Now I could but that's because I got them off the dollar bin after their popularity fell off the charts

So basically this comic is about Magik - Illyana Rasputin, the younger sister of Colossus who is a mutant teleporter and sorceress. Here is a quick rundown of her back ground. Basically she is young like pre-teen when she got caught up in the world of the X-Men. However, before big brother can take her home to Russia, they got stuck in a mysterious islands that had teleportational discs and before you know it, a demon from another realm named Belasco has nabbed Illyana

The X-Men sought to save her and Kitty did but she sort of lost her grasp of Illyana for like the fraction of a second between dimensional gates but that was all it took. Why? Because those discs move people through time and space and a kiddie Illyana became a teenager in that split second

In the main X-Men book and New Mutants, Magik's story was not disclosed. This limited series then tells the story of what happened and what happened is this. When Belasco got a hold of little Illyana, he saw within her the potential to convert her to his dark causes and started training her in the dark arts hoping to corrupt her

All the while, in that dimension, some of the X-Men went through only to be trapped there, died in fights like Wolverine or grow old and potentially die there without ever returning to their world like Storm. But would Illyana stay loyal to Belasco? This is the question

Of course modern day readers knew her to be a mainstay in the Mutants but back then no one knew the future and that's what made this such an important read

Good storyline, enough character development and workmanlike artwork

Ratings: 7/10

47. Lucifer #1 to 3 ... DC Vertigo ...

Finally we take a breather from the Marvel archives (a temporary reprieve we assure you hehehe) and go to the world of Vertigo. This series is finite and has ended but while it was running, it has a significant online chatter and cult following

Basically it is a spin off from one of the early issues of Sandman where Lucifer (yes that Lucifer) has decided he has had enough of the games of running Hell and being disliked/ despised and decided one fine day to lock up Hell and go off into the world of men. That's at the obvious thrust of the storyline

But naturally as this is Vertigo there are layers upon layers of substory threads running through and nothing is what it seemed but for this first few issues we are shown the opening moves of Lucifer's gambit and nothing is what it seemed

Lucifer is now on Earth establishing a nightclub where some really odd characters come by for their entertainment. A lady of unearthly origins signs on to assist in performance and shares odd remarks with him. Yet all the while though Lucifer seems to run the club on the outward, inwardly what is he truly scheming? We are shown hints throughout the series as he has bigger things on his mind

And hell?

Hell is actually now run by reluctant angels because ... hey ... apparently Hell is a necessity in the greater scheme of things. This series may not be for everyone or general consumption but there are certainly some interesting ideas thrown about

Ratings: 7/10 (merely for being different)

46. Killraven #1 to 6 ... Marvel ...

Yes, yes, and yes! This is yet another review from the archives of old Marvel. If you are bored with so much Marvel and want to call us Marvel Zombies, by all means, do so! Hehehe!

There are many different series and series within a series on old Killraven. And usually each subsequent series retells the main story of how the world as we know it has ended after the Martians invaded. Yes, this is an alternate future assuming Wells War of the Worlds came true and that the bulk of all heroes and soldiers failed. Martians enslaved our world and used humans as slaves for work and entertainment

In the arena like Rome of old, warriors of human breed were trained to fight and kill for the pleasure of their alien overlords and it is in this arena that Killraven, an orphan child was raised. He became one of the fiercest warriors there but not satisfied with staying the same and waiting to one day die by the sword something PINGed inside of him and he strove for freedom

This is their tale

It shows how they finally managed to break free, their travels in the outside world, the wonders and shocks and awakenings while hot on their heels are aliens, machines and other humans who are loyal or programmed to be loyal to the aliens. Will there be a happily ever after ending? Please go buy this and find out for yourselves

Ratings: 8/10

45. Jack of Hearts #1 to 4 ... Marvel ...

In Marvel's wonderful character trove, there is yet another chap who is unique. He is currently dead thanks to Avengers Disassembled storyline like 10 years plus ago ... unless he has made a resurrection. Everyone who died in that story is back including Hawkeye, Vision and the Witch ... so let's see, yes?

Anyway, Jack

Yes, Jack is unique as his parents are one half earth human and one half alien. Hence he is born with that weird skin look. In addition, he is able to generate vast amounts of a type of energy. And for some weird reason, he decided to use it to do good

Somewhere along the line, he needed a special suit to help him control the energies within in order to stay alive!

Well this miniseries shows Jack having had enough of life on earth ... one fine day ... and decides to find greener pastures abroad as in outer space ... he is that cosmic. So will he find some place he can call home? Or will he find more troubles ahead before he can find peace?

It's a comic book. It has to last 4 issues with action sequentials. So what do you think? Hahaha! I believe the story is good but that the artwork though adequate for the era in which it was printed ... could be helped a lot using today's production quality!

Ratings: 6/10

44. Iron Fist vol 2 #1 ... Marvel ...

Marvel did a very odd thing just a few years ago ... among its stable of characters that could have benefited from an ongoing series ... they selected Iron Fist. I liked Iron Fist and enjoyed reading the first volume (about 15 issues if memory serves) when it was re-released in collection format in black-n-white ... and to a certain extent his adventures subsequently with Power Man ... but even then I have doubts how long it would survive and to its credit, it survived more than 2 years with even special one shots, annuals and what-not during the height of its popularity

So what made this lame ass martial artist become a hot property when this volume was launched?

Artist: David Aja's almost realistic, quiet, not over the top workmanlike style ... and a generally engaging storyline that doesn't require you to know Iron Fist background ...

The change in uniforms also work and the stress to show you how Danny came to be where he is ... his corporate multi millionaire side of his life ... and the forthcoming problems from his role as Iron Fist .. as he finally learns that it is more than channeling his chi unto his fist making it "like unto a thing made of Iron" ... it's just plain entertaining and makes you want to come back for more

In this first issue, we are shown Iron Fist today with problems coming in the form of his corporate world even as we are shown glimpses of something coming from Kun Lun the fabled mystical city where Danny disappeared to learn his martial arts skills. All is not well there and we are not just talking about the villains but apparently there is a bigger problem brewing across the various classes in that world

And as if that wasn't enough, we are shown that there are other mystical cities ... and that each of them have their sworn champion ... and there comes a time every few years where the stars aligned and the champions will come to do battle!

See? A lot of new information to make Iron Fist interesting. If you have never read this, I do encourage you to pick up the first TPB

Ratings: 8/10

43. Infinity Gauntlet #1 to 6 ... Marvel ...

Jim Starlin is Marvel's original superstar creator (writer and artist) when it comes to cosmic storylines and he did a bang-up job with the first of many Infinity mini-series including last year's/ this year's latest itineration

So what's this one about?

Basically, Thanos comes from the moon Titan except that where everywhere is zen like, he is the total opposite. He so loved the concept of Death that he finally found a way to contact the cosmic embodiment of Death who appears to him as a skeletal lady in a purple robe and who never speaks. To win her "love and approval", Thanos decides that he must kill in massive genocidal quantities and in order to do so, he goes out to locate the Infinity Gems. Basically each of these ancient gems have a certain aspect of godlike abilities. If someone can somehow find them and fitted them onto the special glove/ gauntlet, he/ she will be like unto a god as long as he or she can mentally handle the sudden availability of such power

The 6 gems? Space, time, mental, soul, strength, reality and whatever the actual words are. So our earth superheroes find out about this and together with cosmic characters try their best to stop Thanos. That's it ... but it's a good fun ride!

Unfortunately, the immediate 2 sequels got worse with each issue. Sigh! I am talking about Inifinity War and Infinity Crusade. Years later there was Infinity Abyss and that's generally abyssmal as well. Sigh! The recent version is good though. All these will be reviewed at another day, eh? 

Ratings: 8/10

42. Iron Man vol 1 # 189 & 190 ... Marvel ...

While my last Iron Man posting was a trip down memory lane, about the only thing memory lane on this review is 189 as I picked up Iron Man hoping for it to be regular and NOPE no way ... so 190 is bought years later from Mile High ... hehehe

Why?

Well if Vibro isn't enough for villain of the day to be trashed, let's introduce the Termite. A guy in a suit who disintegrates stuff ONLY if he touches them. Shoot! We are talking Iron Man. Iron Man sees him, Iron Man shoots a repulsor ray at him and he is out for the count, right? Sigh! Talk about your lame-ass villains. This guy should be peeing in his underwear when he sees Iron Man!

So anyway, what is more interesting is the back story soap opera as we see Tony and team now moving forward faster on their new business venture while Rhodey who is currently Iron Man is having more and more problems with his migraines to the point that he is wondering if he is being set up. The Scarlet Witch is a guest star simply because Iron Man now is a member of the West Coast Avengers ... and nothing more ... she doesn't get to do much ... The Termite, man, we are talking the Termite. Why would Iron Man need help?

Ratings: 3/10

41. Eternal Warrior vol 2 #1 to 4

When Valiant first came to prominence 2 decades ago with its stable of titles, I will be the first to admit that I paid it no heed because Image was knocking everyone aside thanks to their stable of flashy artists and over-the-top posing. Sorry mates but that's the truth

After all the hub-bub has died down, after Valiant folded, then only did I started picking up Solar and subsequently sampled here and there Turok, Eternal Warrior, Archer and Armstrong and Harbinger. Eternal Warrior then didn't enthralled me and I didn't follow up on the back issues unlike Solar

But when this came out in TPB, the cover looked violently interesting that I plunked down the money, took the book to a local coffee chain and read it ... cover to cover ... it is that good

Gilad Anni Padda - if you do not know his past, it doesn't matter. If you do not know the current launch of the sister titles, it doesn't matter. All you need to know is that this chap is a Sumerian from man's prehistoric times. We see the opening sequence where he has aligned himself with the Geomancers of Earth, a special individual each generation whose gift is to communicate with the spirit of our world. He is its Fist and Steel ... which means he kills to maintain whatever the Earth dictates and killing is what he loves ... until one day, we see in flashback, he harbours 2 children, a boy and a girl

Although both are killers like him, the boy understands the importance of life while the girl, with her own opinions, believe in ends justifying the means and in one bloody combat (SPOILERS) kills her own brother deliberately so that he cannot slow her down in exterminating the entire opposition. With that, Gilad has had enough and disappears

Cue the present and said daughter hunts him down because something is coming for all of them and it is the spirit of many of the world's different embodiment. But is Gilad interested in rejoining the fold? And where does his daughter's true loyalty lies? And is there really a spirit or spirit gods or have they all been fighting for nonsensical justification?

Violence, gore and more abound in each issue and it ROCKS! I wished though they had gotten a different artist. Sorry, the current artist does a good job but his style is just not my taste

Ratings: 7/10