Review- GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: TOMORROW'S AVENGERS VOL. 1

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: TOMORROW'S AVENGERS VOL. 1 (Marvel, First Printing, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Marvel Super Heroes #18, Marvel Two-In-One #4, 5, Giant-Size Defenders #5, Defenders #26-29, and Marvel Presents #3-12 (cover dates January, 1969- August, 1977)

Writers: Arnold Drake, Steve Gerber, Roger Stern, Gerry Conway, Roger Silfer, Len Wein, Chris Claremont, Scott Edelman, and Stan Lee

Artists: Gene Colan, Sal Buscema, Don Heck, Al Milgrom, and John Buscema, with Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, Vince Colletta, Pablo Marcos, Howard Chaykin, Terry Austin, Bob Wiaceck, Dave Hunt, John Tartaglione, and Joe Sinnott

Reading this book was about as much fun as chewing chalk. Mediocre is the kindest word I use when describing these stories. This book is for masochists and completists only.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

It was acceptable for parents to hit their kids in the '70s. Believe me. 

Linework and Color restoration: Fair but not Marvel Masterworks level. It doesn't matter though, as the material is weak and the best restoration in the world couldn't save it.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock. This is my favorite of all of the paper stocks, as it feels high end yet looks like a comic book.

Binding: Perfect bound.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS VOL. 1

FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 (Marvel, First Printing, 2011; Hardcover)

Collects Avengers #233, Fantastic Four #209-218, 220, 221, 232-260, Fantastic Four Annual #17, Marvel Team-Up #61, 62, Marvel Two-In-One #50, and Thing #2 (cover dates August, 1979- November, 1983)

Writers: John Byrne with Roger Stern (Avengers #233), Marv Wolfman (#209-217) (Bill Mantlo (#217, 218), Stan Lee (back-up story #236), and Chris Claremont (Marvel Team-Up #61, 62)

Artists: John Byrne with additional Inking by Joe Sinnott, Bjorn Heyn, Dave Hunt (Marvel Team-Up #61, 62) and pencils by Ron Wilson ( Thing #2) along with the Jack Kirby (back-up story #236)

This double and sometimes triple* dip weighs in at seven pounds. I bought all of these issues in the Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne trades in the previous decade. This is top shelf material and I am currently buying it in “high def” Marvel Masterworks format.

*My mom bought me #210 and 214 at Farmer Jack when they came out. I still have that original copy of #210 from when I was a little kid.

Bad light glare in the basement due to the LED bulbs. I read by incandescent light bulbs in my bedroom.

Note that this review is for the first printing with the Direct Market variant dustjacket. The current 2018 printing uses thinner paper and cheaper casewrap on the boards and weighs less as well as having a different dustjacket.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Linework and Color restoration: The overall restoration is a bit...rustic by modern standards. Some of it has since been remastered in high-def in Marvel Masterworks (#209-218) and that will resume with this fall's release of Vol. 21. I am looking forward to upgrading this material, as Byrne's run is the second golden age of the title. This book is like early DVD restoration in a 4k world.

Paper stock: Thick coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Sewn binding. The book block has a slight sag to it after a few years, a common ailment for these Omnibus books. Some folks wouldn't notice it, but I do and so would you since you are reading this.

Reading the book resulted in these ugly creases on the spine. 

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Laminated dustjacket. The casewrap has the faux leather grain and foil stamping which you will not find on the 2018 edition.

Review- AVENGERS VS. THANOS

AVENGERS VS. THANOS (Marvel, First Printing, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Iron Man #55, Captain Marvel #25-33, Marvel Feature #12, Daredevil #105-107, Avengers #125, Warlock #9-11, 15, Avengers Annual #7, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2, and the Thanos back-up story from Logan's Run #6 (cover dates February, 1973- Annual 1977)

Writers: Jim Starlin, Steve Gerber, Mike Friedrich, Steve Englehart, and Scott Edelman

Artists: Pencilers- Jim Starlin, Bob Brown, John Buscema, Don Heck, and Mike Zeck

Inkers- Jim Starlin, Sal Buscema, Dave Cockrum, Mike Esposito, Dan Green, Klaus Janson, Steve Leialoha, Pablo Marcos, Al Milgrom, Don Perlin, Joe Rubinstein, Joe Sinnott, Chic Stone, Sal Trapani, and Mike Zeck

If space aliens landed and asked me Hey Earthling, could you point out some good superhero comics for us to read?, I would hand them this book. While it would appear on the surface to be a scattershot collection of stories featuring Thanos and a mix of then-present and future Avengers in reality it is surprisingly cohesive and reads like one huge event.

I love the Bronze Age of comics. Modern fans accustomed to made for the trade six issue arcs bemoan the amount of dialogue and third party narrative caption boxes in these old comics but they allow so much more ground to be covered in much less space and time. I am of the mindset that modern comics are padded and bloated, with all of them breath and life sucked out of them in order to fit a calculated page count. Page after page of talking heads are not character development. Superheroes being snarky and self deprecating are not heroic.

Newcomers arriving to comics after seeing the movies would have their minds blown by the scope of this book. It starts out in Iron Man #55, a landmark issue which not only introduces Drax The Destroyer and the Blood Brothers but Thanos as well. Well...flashback Thanos and robot Thanos, but close enough for Rock and Roll. Things get kinda sorta convoluted but fun, as Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) gets caught up in a scheme between the Skrulls, the Controller, and Thanos. Captain Marvel fights the Hulk and the Thing before he encounters Eon, who helps him destroy and then find himself as part of some grand cosmic scheme that eluded me. At least the end justified the means.

Drax The Destroyer and Iron Man reappear, as does the Thing. I enjoyed the Thing and Iron Man's battle with the Blood Brothers. The scene then shifts to San Francisco, where Daredevil and the Black Widow encounter Moondragon and Captain Marvel, leading us back to Captain Marvel's magazine with #31. The Avengers and Drax The Destroyer become involved as Thanos finally absorbs the power of the Cosmic Cube, essentially becoming one with the universe. This could well be the end of the book, as Thanos is defeated (I won't tell you how) and the day is saved.

Fortunately there is more, this time over in Warlock's series. Adam Warlock enters into an uncomfortable alliance with Thanos in order to defeat the Magus after Thanos' creation, Gamora, fails to assassinate him. There is all kinds of Bronze Age philosophy and timeslip psychobabble that works in the context of the era and the material but wouldn't make one iota of sense if you read it here.

The climax is a crossover with Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2, where Thanos harnesses the power of the Soul Gem and intends to use it to destroy our sun, thus destroying all life in our solar system as an offering to the love of his life, the lady Death. This is Thanos at his most grim and gruesome, a completely evil creature that takes the combined might of The Avengers, Adam Warlock, Spider-Man, and the Thing to defeat. The battle scenes, especially those between Thor and Thanos, are incredible. This is how comics are supposed to be done, kids. Things end with a bang, and by the time that you are done this feels like a major league event, even though it took place across four years' worth of comics.

Jim Starlin pushed the limits of the cosmic epic, all before the world had ever heard of Star Wars. I am sure that Star Trek and 2001: A Space Odyssey were an influence on him but it is cool seeing a science fiction and superhero hybrid done before Star Wars, as the impact of that movie was so severe that nothing that came afterward was the same. His artwork and writing helped elevate the sophistication of comic books during this era. A few embarrassingly adolescent double entendres aside, this is adult stuff without being graphic or lewd.

So if you happen to encounter any space aliens or inter-dimensional travelers and they ask you to point out some good superhero comics, fork over a copy of this book.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- I love these think chunky trade paperbacks. I cannot resist the lure of 400-500 page books with this paper stock.

Linework and Color restoration: Many of these issues use the files from the Marvel Masterworks (Captain Marvel, Warlock, etc.) and are excellent. The rest are very good overall.

Paper stock: Off white matte coated stock. This is the same stock found in softcover Masterworks, Classic line trades, and Epic line trades. It is my favorite paper stock for comics with flat coloring.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- MARVEL MASTERWORKS: FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 16

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 16 (Marvel, First Printing, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Fantastic Four #164-175, Fantastic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-In-One #20, and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1 (cover dates November, 1975- October, 1976)

Writers: Roy Thomas with Bill Mantlo (#172 only)

Artists: Pencilers- George Perez, John Buscema, Rich Buckler, and Sal Buscema; Inkers- Joe Sinnott, Vince Colletta, John Buscema, Sam Grainger, John Tartaglione, and George Roussos

You could title this one Double (and Triple) Dips Are Fun or I Hate My Money. Issues 164-175 were all recently collected in the Crusaders And Titans trade paperback. I bought and dumped that one on eBay when this book was announced. Issues 164-167 and 170 were all collected in Fantastic Four Visionaries: George Perez Vol. 1, which I had and dumped years ago with the announcement of the Crusaders And Titans trade. Then we have Fantastic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-In-One #20, and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1, which were all collected in The Thing: Liberty Legion hardcover a few years ago. So this entire book was a reread and a double dip, albeit now in “high def”.

I have always envisioned Reed Richards as the Professor from Gilligan's Island.

Since I have already reviewed these issues in those books, I will allow you to refer to the links in the paragraph above. They held up well on the reread, although some of Roy Thomas' dialogue is dated, which is forgivable when dealing with comics nearly 40 years old. I could have kept the other books which collected these issues but the notion of getting them with superior restoration and keeping my Fantastic Four Masterworks library intact proved to be too great of a lure. A pox upon you, completist OCD!

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Marvel Masterworks are my poison of choice. For Masterworks of this book's vintage, rest assured that this is the definitive Blu-Ray edition of this material. No line bleed or off register printing. No mouldering pulp paper. The art and the colors look like the artists intended and are not hampered by primitive four color printing processes.

Linework and Color restoration: Painstakingly restored linework and a color palette that is 100% faithful to the source material. Those who claim that the colors are too bright or miss the “artistic choice” of Ben Day dots have obviously never seen an original color guide from this era.

Paper stock: Thick coated semi-glossy coated stock that has that sweet, sweet smell that all Chinese manufactured books have. I theorize that this delectable aroma is caused by the toxic stew of broken asbestos tiles, lead paint chips, heavy metal industrial waste, and mercury from recalled thermometers combined with the blood, sweat, and tears of the Chinese children working the sweatshop printing presses. The frosting on this delicious cake scent is the paper which is likely sourced from virgin Amazon rainforests.

Binding: Rounded book casing and Smyth sewn binding allow this book to lay completely flat in one hand as Godzilla intended.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Spot varnish on the dustjacket, faux leather grain casewrap with dye foil stamping.

Review- THING: THE SERPENT CROWN AFFAIR

THING: THE SERPENT CROWN AFFAIR (Marvel, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Marvel Two-In-One #64-67 and Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 (cover dates June, 1980- Annual 1982)

Writers: Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, and Steven Grant

Artists: Pencilers- George Perez, Jerry Bingham, Ron Wilson, and Mark Gruenwald; Inkers- Gene Day and Jim Mooney

So good! Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio's run on Marvel Two-In-One is such an underrated classic. They really understand characterization, and by that I mean they dive into what makes The Thing tick. Many fans confuse characterization as endless pages of breakfast table conversation that do nothing but pad out a page count. It's not. Issues 64-67 are fantastic, and I hope that we get the entire series collected in Marvel Masterworks hardcovers. So far there is only one volume available.

The Serpent Crown is one of the '70s continuity-porn things with a twisty-twervy history. It takes several of those story recap pages in MTIO Annual #5 just to bring a new reader up to speed. I can imagine little Aloysius in Boise, ID buying this off of a spinner rack thinking that it is clear as mud. If you drop that aspect and just read it as a crown that possesses the wearer and tries to bring about the return of the serpent god Set then you will enjoy this more. Once you factor in alternate Earths and countless Serpent Crowns like you see in MTIO Annual #5 things get ridiculous pretty quick. This issue cost the book a full point.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

Buy THING: THE SERPENT CROWN AFFAIR HC at InStockTrades!

Also available in Direct Market Variant flavor!

The OCD zone- The late, lamented Marvel Premiere Classic line was a sort of junior Masterworks line, where material was presented in a high quality format but at a much lower MSRP than the Marvel Masterworks. The line reached well over 100 books but petered out because Marvel flooded the market with them.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Front and back dustjacket covers minus trade dress, which are fully rendered versions of #66 and Annual #5. (2 pages)

Linework and Color: The linework is tight and clean. Not Masterworks level but I am fine with it. The coloring is faithful to the original issues.

Paper stock: Thick coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding, six stitches per signature; lays completely flat. Yes, lays, not lies. My Facebook watchdog group, Collected Editions Consumer Resource Center, was originally called DC Collected Editions Fans Who Want Sewn Binding And Books That Lay Flat. Along the way some smarmy idiot challenged my use lay saying it should be lie, all the while not being aware of the whole direct object thing. You know, you lie on a couch but you lay a book on a table. So to that grammatically challenged know-it-nothing, know that I am still laughing at you.

Cover notes: Dustjacket with spot varnishing. The hardback itself has faux leather casewrap with orange die stamping.

Review: ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 4 TP

ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 4 (Marvel, 2011; Softcover)

Note: Book actually released in 2012

Collects Marvel Two-In-One Nos. 78-98, 100 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual Nos. 6, 7 (cover dates August, 1981- June, 1983)

Writers: Tom DeFalco, David Michelinie, Doug Moench, David Kraft, Jan Strnad, and John Byrne

Artists: Pencilers- Ron Wilson with Alan Kupperberg; Inkers- Chic Stone, Gene Day, Jim Mooney, Jon D'Agostino, Ricardo Villamonte, Bob Camp, Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, Dan Green, and Armando Gil

Sometimes I think that I am jaded and cynical and too hard on Marvel these days. Gosh, maybe my tastes have changed and I am “over” superhero comics. Then I'll read something like this book, which is material that I have mostly never read before, and it becomes apparent to me that I am not over superhero comic books, it's that many modern Marvel Comics simply suck balls.

This series is the yin to Marvel Team-Up's yang. The Thing teams up with random second stringers each month, and the series has a real supporting cast for a while. The general vibe of this series is offbeat. Pretty much anything goes. I really enjoyed how this weaved in and out of ongoing Fantastic Four plotlines. I also enjoyed how the Thing's temper kept getting him in trouble.

Tom DeFalco writes the bulk of the issues collected in this book, and he is something of a Marvel scholar. DeFalco studied at the altar of Silver Age Marvel and learned the lessons of Stan Lee well. He knows what makes these heroes tick and he knows how to expand on continuity without making it the focal point of the story. It sounds so simple to do but is actually quite difficult to pull off.

Most of the artwork is handled by the team of Penciler Ron Wilson and Inker Chic Stone. Wilson stuck around even after this series was cancelled and relaunched a few months later as The Thing. Both provide excellent, “true” Marvel house style art.

This is the fourth and final book in this line. Aside from the licensed issues being omitted*, we have the entire run collected. Vol. 1 of the Marvel Masterworks line was released a year or so ago. It would take at least 8 more volumes to collect this entire series in that format. Bring it!

*#99 is omitted from this collection due to the fact that it has ROM, Spaceknight in it. ROM tops many fans' lists of most-wanted collected edition. Until Hasbro or Parker Bros. or whoever holds the license wants to play ball it would appear that our only option is to collect the floppies.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Buy ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 4 TP at InStockTrades!

The OCD zone- These chunky 500 page black and white phonebooks are the height of pre-2003 trade paperbacks, meaning that they are ever so slightly shorter than standard trade paperbacks. Most sane folks wouldn't notice such a thing, but those of us who frequent The OCD zone are not quite sane, are we?

DVD-style Extras included in this book: None.

Linework restoration rating: 4.5 out of 5. There are a handful of dropped letters or very mild scrapes, but by and large this is pretty tight linework-wise.

Paper rating: 3 out of 5. Pulp paper. While it is cool because it is authentic feeling, it is also uncool because I know that it will do what pulp paper tends to do. Namely it will yellow or brown and feel “filmy” over time. I do love the smell or mouldering pulp paper, though.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. Laminated cardstock.

Junk Food For Thought in 3-D

THE SUPERMAN CHRONICLES VOL. 7 (DC, 2009)

Collects Superman Nos. 12, 13 and selections from Action Comics Nos. 41-43 and World’s Finest Comics No. 4 (cover dates October- December, 1941)

Lots of fun Golden Age Superman here. From the menace of Lex Luthor to the Archer, it is refreshing to Superman fight villains instead of your garden variety thugs. The story where he takes care of a baby was hilarious, and closer to the truth than most parents would care to admit. I truly dig on the Chronicles line of softcover trade paperbacks. I just wish that they would have raised the price by a buck or two rather than cut the page count by 24 pages. Oh well, it's all good and will come out in the wash so to speak, right?

SPIDER-MAN: DIED IN YOUR ARMS TONIGHT (Marvel, 2009; Hardcover)

Collects Amazing Spider-Man Nos. 600, 601, Amazing Spider-Man Annual No. 36 and selections from Amazing Spider-Man Family No. 7 (cover dates August- October, 2009).

Wow, Issue 600 already? It seems like it was only yesterday that we got #500 (it was 'late '03 or early '04), and like last week when I rode my bike to the Book Bank to buy issue 300 the day that it came out (back when Venom was cool and had teeth instead of fangs and a tongue). Always nice to see old friends (Doctor Octopus, John Romita, Jr.'s pencils) with a new spin. With its now thrice-monthly publication schedule, Amazing Spider-Man should hit #700 in just 3 years time.

ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 3 (Marvel, 2009)

Collects Marvel Two-In-One Nos. 53-77 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual Nos. 4, 5 (cover dates July, 1979- July, 1981)

Marvel's Essential line of black and white phonebook sized trades have had an uptick in price of $3 while simultaneously having a slightly lower overall page count (from 500-560 to about 500). They are still the biggest bang for your entertainment buck that you will get in spite of this. I just wish that Marvel would follow DC and Dark Horse, who put page numbers on their phone books. The bulk of this book is written by the team of Ralph Maccio and Mark Gruenwald who provide excellent characterization for Benjamin J. Grimm, a/k/a the Thing, the anchor character for this title. Lots of great arcs here, lots of great artists here, this is just a lot of fun Bronze Age goodness.

SPIDER-MAN: RED HEADED STRANGER (Marvel, 2009; Hardcover)

Collects Amazing Spider-Man Nos. 602-605 (cover dates October- November, 2009)

Fred Van Lente is a solid Spider-writer, having cut his teeth with the character on the kid-friendly Marvel Adventures Spider-Man and now in the big leagues with this title. ASM remains a great read, and is my favorite title that Marvel is currently publishing.

WOLVERINE/ POWER PACK: THE WILD PACK (Marvel, 2009)

Collects Wolverine/ Power Pack Nos. 1-4 (cover dates January- April, 2009)

This was as enjoyable as the rest of the Power Pack mini-series that have come out over the last few years. I wish that Marvel would try out a full-on series with Louise Simonson and June Brigman back on board and/or drop the cute-sy, mangish artwork.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 VOL. 3: VAMPIRE STATE (Marvel, 2009)

Collects Captain Britain and MI13 Nos. 10-15 and Captain Britain and MI13 Annual No. 1 (cover dates April- September, 2009)

A satisfying end to the title. It's a shame that this book didn't catch on, as it had a great line-up: Captain Britain, Megan, Black Knight, Blade the Vampire Hunter, Union Jack, and Dracula as a nemesis.

CREEPY ARCHIVES VOL. 4 (Dark Horse, 2009; Hardcover)

Collects Creepy Nos. 16-20 (cover dates August, 1967- May, 1968)

There is a definite shift in quality from the earlier issues, with Archie Goodwin relinquishing much of the writing duty to hands less capable, ditto the artists stable. Not all was lost, as many of the greats still contributed to this series, just not as often. I have been told that the quality picks back up, and I hope so. This wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't as spectacular as the previous volumes.

ESSENTIAL PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN VOL. 4 (Marvel, 2009)

Collects Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Nos. 75-96 and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual No. 4 (cover dates February, 1983- October, 1984)

I started buying this title monthly with issue 92, and stuck with it well into the 140s, maybe even 150s. I bought pretty much every issue contained in this book as cheap-o back issues in the mid-80s, and it was a blast to go back and re-read these. Back in the day, I used to re-read the previous issue when a new issue came out, i.e I re-read issue 92 when 93 came out, etc. This continued until around Issue 100. I used to read my new purchases multiple times back then. These days, with trades and hardcovers, I haven't even read everything that I own once. I do have a system, though, and rotate stock religiously. I was a stockboy as a teenager, and the lesson of rotating the stock to keep it fresh is so ingrained into me, even when I put away dishes, etc., to this day. 

Bill Mantlo wrote this series until just before I started buying the title regularly, when Al Milgrom (who also handled the artwork with inker/finisher Jim Mooney throughout the entire book) took over. This is such a solid read, with great characterization and stories. Milgrom's artwork lives and dies by Mooney's solid inks. When Milgrom does his own finishes like he did in Secret Wars II, he sucks, but here he was on. I bought Annual #4 from the Book Bin on my 11th birthday that year. My Mom drove me there, and since it was a direct market retailer, they received their books 3 weeks ahead of newsstands like 7-11 where I did my regular purchases circa 1984. It was like taking a trip into the comic book buying future! The story was an even better read as an adult as it was as a child. OK, enough gushing and nostalgic rambling.

INDIANA JONES- THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OMNIBUS VOL. 2 (Dark Horse, 2009)

Collects The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones Nos. 13-24 and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Nos. 1-3 (cover dates January- December, 1984)

I bought The Temple of Doom mini-series off of the stands back in the summer of 1984. In the days before home video, comic book adaptations and trading cards were the only way to relive a movie, as they generally took years to appear on network television, and would often be edited like crazy when they did. That would change a year later, when we got our Beta in 1985.

On to the comics! These were all fun reads, with artwork by Herb Trimpe, Jackson Guice, and Steve Ditko. Issue 19 was particularly good, as it featured a dragon which bore a striking resemblance to Fin Fang Foom, from Marvel's late '50s/early '60s monster days. They never named him as such, but it was obviously a wink to that long forgotten tale. The Dark Horse Omnibus line is always a treat, with it's chunky page count and nice paper coupled with an appealing price point.

MASQUERADE VOL. 1 (Dynamite, 2009)

Collects Masquerade Nos. 1-4 (cover dates February- June, 2009)

More goodness from Alex Ross and the rest of the Dynamite crew. The Project Superpowers universe continues growing at a cautious pace, and my wallet is thankful for that. I am really enjoying these titles and am curious to see what happens next.

An interesting sidebar: My wife went into labor with my daughter the day that this trade came out. We went to the Dr.'s first thing in the morning and her contractions were far enough apart that we had hours before we were to report to the hospital. My wife, knowing that it was new comic book day, said we should go to the comic store and waited in the car while I picked this up. Now that is love. Would your wife let you pick up the week's new releases while she was in labor with your child? I didn't think so!