Recently in Inhumans Category

Adam Hughes has always excelled at drawing babes and adding a little humor to his compositions as well.  In 1994 he contributed a number of stellar pinups for the fourth Marvel Swimsuit Special--which took place in Attilan and the Blue Area of the Moon.

The cover featured Sue Storm getting her freak on with Namor the Sub-Mariner.  Is there any reason why Sue wouldn't want to have a fling with the undersea prince?  She looks pretty fantastic and her leg is slightly opaque to reveal Namor's speedo.

Janet Van Dyne looks pretty luscious in this one piece outfit.  My first impression was there is nothing funny going on here.  But look behind the Wasp to see the bulging thongs behind her, belonging to Wonder Man and Captain America.

This Scarlet Witch pinup is really clever.  She's not wearing a swimsuit per se.  Wanda has used her magic to disassemble her costume--helmet, gloves, cape, etc--leaving only her red centerpiece intact.  How many thirteen year old boys fantasized about undraping the Scarlet Witch?  Adam Hughes sure did.

Here is the funniest piece of this 1994 set.  The Sensational She-Hulk--a must-have babe for any swimsuit special--sitting on top of my favorite dog in the Marvel Universe: Lockjaw!  Clearly, Jen has been using Lockjaw's teleportation powers to zip around to the best beaches.  They've been to Rio and Jamaica and god knows where else, from the stickers plastered on Lockjaw's back.  Jen's bag is packed with thongs, and the creepy Watcher is lurking in the background on the left.  I pity poor Lockjaw, he just looks exhausted from hauling Jen all over the world!  Nuff said.

How many Fantastic Four covers did Jim Steranko produce in the 1970s?  Only three to my knowledge.

Fantastic Four #130 was produced during Steranko's flurry of 1972 covers for Marvel.  This issue featured the return of the Frightful Four, with an interesting twist.  Medusa, once a member of the Frightful Four in 1960s, had switched sides and become a member of the FF.  Taking Medusa's place?  Thundra, the Femizon who wanted to make babies with Benjamin J. Grimm.  The Thing looks great on this cover.

Fantastic Four #131 featured the answer to a mystery that began in Avengers #104--whatever happened to Quicksilver?  The last we had seen of the silver speedster, he had heroically sacrificed himself to defeat a Sentinel.  Seriously injured, Pietro saw something horrible approaching him.  Then he vanished, leaving the Avengers and his sister Wanda to wonder where he had disappeared.

This issue gave us the answer!  Quicksilver had been approached by Lockjaw, the teleporting giant bulldog from the Inhumans.  Lockjaw brought Pietro to Attilan, where he was nursed back to health by Crystal.  Crystal melted Quicksilver's icy exterior and he fell in love.  Naturally, when Johnny Storm discovered them together, a massive fight ensued.

It was a pretty darn good soap opera moment in the Marvel Universe.  Unfortunately, it had the side effect of removing Quicksilver from the Marvel playground for a number of years.

While the 1972 FF covers are good, they don't seem like iconic Steranko.  But the cover to the Fantastic Four Marvel Comics Index in 1977 is really groovy and psychedelic, man.  Nuff said.

No matter how critical you are of Marvel (and judging from the message boards on various websites, fandom is very critical), you've got to admit that Marvel has their shit together about shipping comics.

Captain America #600 was released on June 15th and now Captain America Reborn #1 was released on July 1st.  There were many covers released for this one--my favorite was the Bryan Hitch cover that you see above.

The story by Ed Brubaker weaves together a lot of dangling plot threads from the regular Captain America series.  In the conclusion of the Red Skull arc, we saw that Arnim Zola had attached Sharon Carter to a crazy device.  I was left with the impression that this machine had something to do with Steve Rogers...and Reborn proves that I was right.  The device was a Doc Doom style time machine designed to bring Steve Rogers back from the past into the present.  Sharon upset their plans in that story, and now Rogers is unstuck in time--shades of Slaughterhouse Five, as Brubaker mentioned in a tweet this week: "Trying to remember if Vonnegut wrote Final Crisis or Lost... or was it Slaughterhouse Five?"

This is a really top notch comic book, with great artwork by Hitch and Guice, and superb color.  The opening scene of Cap in World War 2 (on D-Day) makes me think that there isn't that much difference now between the Ultimate Cap and the regular Marvel 616 Cap.  I also liked how this story involves the rest of the present Marvel Universe, including HAMMER and the Dark Avengers.

I'm wondering if the secret to Captain America's return is to pull him out of the past into the present?  That would kind of push the big reset button, having Cap experience that fish out of water feeling all over again.  Lots of problems to solve there, although I am sure Brubaker could pull it off.  I could be wrong--Marvel tried this stunt with Captain Marvel during Secret Invasion.  I was excited about that gimmick as well.  I guess I'm easy--any excuse to bring my favorite characters back and I'm happy.

Marvel's cosmic event, War of Kings, has also been well orchestrated, with new chapters being published every one to two weeks.

War of Kings #5 propels this story to its climax.  Lilandra really is dead and riots are erupting all over the Shi'Ar homeworld.  Vulcan's megalomania has threatened his throne--now his allies, such as Talon (from Darkhawk) are ready to withdraw their support.  On the other front, Black Bolt has decided to end the war by launching a T-Bomb (Terrigen powered) at the Shi'Ar.  It's a crazy plan.  The bomb will uplift the Shi'Ar and somehow this will transform them into a peaceful society.  And Black Bolt has to commit suicide in order to launch the bomb.  It's crazy, but really imaginative.  You have to give Maximus a lot of credit!  He's become my favorite nut in the Marvel U.

On the very last page of this issue, we are teased with the big showdown we've been waiting for, when Vulcan finally meets Black Bolt.  Next issue we'll see those two powerhouses duke it out.  It should be a great fight, although Vulcan seems much more powerful than Black Bolt.  Wouldn't he win easily just by dragging the Inhuman king into outer space, where his voice would be useless?

We've certainly seen a lot of Matt Fraction's X-Men recently--almost one new issue every week!  Last week's Uncanny X-Men #512 was an excellent done-in-one story about the Beast's team travelling back in time to discover the origin of the mutant species.  And causing the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in the process! 

Uncanny X-Men #513 is a good first act to the war between Norman Osborn and Scott Summers.  This is really a great excuse for Fraction to turn Cyclops back into bad-ass Mr. X-Man.  However, in this chapter, Cyclops pretty much watches the TV coverage of Osborn's mutant crackdown on TV.  He even applauds Osborn for being an excellent chess player.  Hopefully he will spring into action in the next chapter.

Chapter 2 of Utopia (the Dark Avengers vs X-Men event) introduces the Dark X-Men: Emma Frost (now wearing black instead of white), Daken, Cloak, Dagger, and Namor were all evident from the cover.  The Angel looking dude is really Cal Rankin (surprised that he is still alive), and if you think about mutant shape-shifters, you will realize who is impersonating Charles Xavier.  I have to believe that Emma has a plan for undermining Osborn--why else would she bring the Sub-Mariner on her team?  Namor has got it in for Osborn as well.

There are many cool elements in the Utopia storyline.  Setting it in San Francisco, where people protest at the drop of a hat, makes it a natural place for people to protest for Mutant rights.  The initial mutant confrontation with the Dark Avengers takes place in the Castro district.  A curfew in San Francisco?  No way that people would obey that.  Simon Trask is also running around, turning people into human Sentinels.  But worse than Sentinels--Norman Osborn may be the greatest enemy the X-Men have ever faced.  Because he's not only using force against them, Osborn is also using public opinion and political forces.  He's worse the Magneto.  Fraction has really concocted a great threat here, let's see if he can pull off a good second and third act as well.  Nuff said.

I'm always looking back on the Bronze Age of my childhood, but I read modern comics as well.  I tried initially to write new reviews here and failed miserably.  I just can't review each and every comic that comes out each week.  But I can review three comics that I read which made an impact on me.  They won't necessarily be from the past week, just the ones I read recently.

The War of Kings has absolutely floored me ever since it spun out of Secret Invasion in January.  It elevates one my favorite teams, the Inhumans, to super-star status in the Marvel Universe.  It brings together the Starjammers, Lilandra, the Imperial Guard, Havok, Ronan the Accuser, Darkhawk, and Vulcan in a summer blockbuster that Hollywood would never be able to film.  This issue ratchets up the action with Lilandra making a bid to take over the throne on the Shi'Ar homeworld.  But things go terribly wrong and Guardian proves that sometimes he is indeed fallible.

There are quieter character moments in this series that make it better than average.  Crystal was forced into marriage with Ronan the Accuser, who she once thought repellant, but now her emotions are changing.  The Inhumans are trying to find a way to use the Terrigen Mists on the Kree--think of David Brin's Uplift novels--but this plan seems to have failed.

War of Kings has sucked me into the rest of Abnett and Lanning's star-spanning Marvel mythos.  The Darkhawk mini-series and War of Kings: Ascension has brought Talon into WoK #4.  Talon is a fellow Raptor who has pledged his services to Vulcan, who he believes serves the "Great Purpose" to keep the Shi'Ar Empire strong.  Now I am catching up Guardians of the Galaxy and the past Annihilation issues as well.  Great stuff.

I've liked lot of the things Dan Slott has brought to Mighty Avengers.  He's brought back a lot of classic Avengers elements (Jarvis, Vision, Quicksilver, Hercules, etc) while twisting them for the current Marvel universe.  He really faked me out big time with the Scarlet Witch in the first three issues--who turned out to be Loki in disguise.  That's a con that goes way back to Avengers #1.  While Slott's stories have been good, I haven't really cared for the artwork.  It's a shame.  Bendis has been given superlative art on the other Avengers titles.  I think Slott's run would really pop with better artists.

Another thing I don't care for: Pym calling himself the Wasp.  It seems stupid.  I'll always prefer Yellowjacket.  What are they going to do when Janet Van Dyne returns from the whatever limbo she's residing in?

Despite the art, the story in issue #25 kicks off a new storyline gives us a lot of fun that only Slott can bring.  Pym's incredible new Avengers Mansion (or his super fantastic new lab), which exists outside of time and space, is losing it's connection to Earth when the Avengers escaped from Norman Osborne in the previous issue.  Pym can fix the problem if he can get Bill Foster's Wave Inducer, which is in the possession of Reed Richards--the MacGuffin for this arc.  Richards refuses to give it to Pym, because of his past mental problems.  Even more insulting, Richards tells him, I know more about Pym Particles than you.  Pym replies, It's on, bitch.  And then he goes about designing a full-on invasion of the Baxter Building and how his merry band of Avengers will take on the Fantastic Four.  I always like to see two super-teams fight each other, no matter how weak the excuse!

Matt Fraction has revitalized Uncanny X-Men since he took over, but it always seems one taco short of a combination plate.  I must confess that I am lost in the current Return of Madelyn Pryor arc.  I thought she kidnapped Psylocke to take over her body, but apparently she really wanted to inhabit Jean Grey's dead corpse?  I don't get it at all.  I find Greg Land's artwork very disorienting during the actions scenes.  The fight scene (where Pryor's Sisterhood team invades the X-headquarters) in last month's UM #510 very hard to follow.

I know Marvel thinks having Land and Terry Dodson on the art puts two of their best super-stars on the title.  But it's really strange going back and forth between them.  Land's X-men seems to take place in a world resembling Vogue magazine.  Dodson's X-Men takes place in the world of Maxim and Stuff magazine.  One month Storm is built like Angela Bassett, the next month she's got the body of Vivica Fox.  I like each woman, but call me old-fashioned, I'd just like a little consistency.

The current issue, Uncanny X-Men #511, was a little bit better and gives me hope for the future.  There are two terrific battles which are well executed.  Storm, the White Queen, Karma, and Dazzler take on the Sisterhood's HQ in San Francisco.  Cyclops, Wolverine, and Colossus head to the X-Men's old hangout in Westchester to stop Pryor before she unearths Jean Grey's body.  If all of this wasn't enough, Domino shows up as well!

What is really good about this issue is the soap opera elements.  Cyclops and Wolverine aren't talking after the revelation that Logan kept a lock of Jean Grey's hair in his room.  The dialogue between Madelyn and Scott is perfect: You always wanted me to be Jean all over again.  And when all the fighting is over, Hank McCoy pierces the thin bubble surrounding the secrets kept by Scott and Emma Frost.

Those are steps in the right direction.  The X-Men isn't an action comic, it's a soap opera drama.  Nuff said.

It took a while for The Inhumans to break out in their own self-titled series, but it finally happened in 1975.  Doug Moench and George Perez were the creative team, and it was solid book, but it lasted only 12 issues.  Gil Kane drew this terrific cover to Inhumans #8 (1976).

Having a group of super-heroes charging at the viewer is a theme you see often, but Kane makes it really dramatic by putting everyone in a dynamic pose.  Black Bolt is flying toward the reader, Gorgon and Triton are at his side, even Lockjaw is galloping behind them, while explosions are set off in the background.  Dan Adkins inked this Kane cover.

The original black and white version is even more impressive than the full color cover.  I found this over on ComicsFun's gallery, where you can find the original art from Kane, Kirby, etc.  Nuff said.

Marvel often tried to put two characters together in a series of ads or anthologies that often left me scratching my head.  So let’s celebrate those double feature specials!

Morbius and Lilith.  Kind of makes sense, both vampires, right?  Wrong.  Morbius is a scientifically created vampire, while Lilith was magically created.  OK, I’m a nit-picker.

Brother Voodoo and the Son of Satan?  Competing religions right there!  The Mark of Satan was the original title for Daimon Hellstrom’s series. 

Hey, we’re launching Man-Thing #1, and just because you love monsters so much, you should also buy Ka-Zar #1!  Well, both series have characters running completely naked in the great outdoors.

How about putting Ka-Zar in Astonishing Tales along with Doc Doom?  Jungle tales combined with evil dictator conquering tales—peanut butter and jelly!  We just weren’t ready for that jelly.  I just noticed that Zabu’s head is the hyphen in Ka-Zar’s logo.  Too bad Zabu’s head was also the same color as the background!

And then there was Amazing Adventures with the Inhumans and the Black Widow.  That didn’t make sense either; you would think the Inhumans and Doctor Doom would be better off sharing a title!

Amazing Adventures #7 is almost a crime, because you have 2/3 of a great cover ruined by the Widow at the bottom.  What’s more dramatic, some dude with a bionic arm threatening to burn down San Francisco or the lithe Black Widow karate kicking a fat guy?  I think I know which one Neal Adams preferred.  Nuff said.

I finally got a chance to read last week’s Secret Invasion: War of Kings one shot by Abnet/Lanning and Paul Pelletier.  This issue takes the Inhumans to places you never imagined before.  Spoilers ahead…

Black Bolt is mad as hell after recent events in Secret Invasion: Inhumans; I guess being tortured by the Skrulls in front on his son can really unhinge a guy!  Sick and tired of being the target of both the Skrulls and the Kree, Black Bolt finally takes the leash of Maximus and actually works with his demented brother for a little payback.  Maximus has been creating an arsenal of bizarre weapons for years, one of which is this awesome helmet that converts Black Bolt’s vocal utterances into waves of interstellar destruction—aimed at a fleet of Skrull ships!  Oh, and the spaceship that the Inhumans are riding?  Attilan itself.

A lot of things happen in this one issue.  If you remember your Marvel history, you will know that the Inhumans are the byproduct of an experiment by the Kree.  In an earlier mini-series, Ronan kidnapped the Inhumans to forge them into a super-powered strike-force.  After dealing, with the Skrulls, Black Bolt races to the Kree homeworld Hala and engages in a short but sweet battle with the Kree.  In the end, Ronan is forced to declare Black Bolt his Lord.  Black Bolt is now the leader of the Kree, and about to go to war with the Shi’ar and Vulcan.

Paul Pelletier’s artwork in this special is off the charts.  He’s right up there with Alan Davis.  War of Kings is off to a great start.  Long Live Black Bolt!  Nuff said.

What's up with the Inhumans?  That's always a question in my mind.  The Inhumans are a super-group that never seem to get much attention.  They've had brief period of love after their creator, Jack Kirby, let them go.  Neal Adams did a great short run in Amazing Adventures, and of course, Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee's Inhumans maxi-series put them in the forefront of the Marvel Universe for a while.

What has happened to the Inhumans during the past year?

About a year ago, the Inhumans mini-series, Silent War, ended.  During the war against Earth, we saw Black Bolt make some very questionable decisions.  Medusa started acted strangely, having long private conversations with Black Bolt's brother, Maximus.  As many long-time readers already know, Maximus is totally insane and usually sits in his jail cell waiting an opportunity to seize Black Bolt's throne.  At the end of Silent War, Black Bolt's plan has misfired and destroyed Attilan.  Maximus is free and not only has the throne, but the hand of Medusa as well.  I could not believe that Black Bolt could just sit back and let this all happen.

But then, six months ago, we all read the concluding chapter of New Avengers Illuminati (issue 5).  In this shocking panel, we see the mute, silent Black Bolt speak for the first time.  Except it's a Skrull--the second mind-blowing Skrull revelation after Elektra!  Suddenly the events of Silent War appear to make more sense, if that Black Bolt was indeed not the genuine article.

Now, in May 2008, we see an alternate version of the Inhumans in Clandestine #4.  Clandestine and the classic Excalibur team (on the Cross-Time Express) visit an alternate earth where Maximus has all of the Inhumans under his command.  I always prefer the classic take on Marvel characters, and in this splash page, Davis has the Inhumans in their classic Kirby-designed costumes.  I rather like seeing Crystal with the Kirby headbands and mask.  I wonder if Alan Davis would consider doing an Inhumans series?  I wonder if Marvel would let him do it?

Talk about madness...I was just about to refer to the above as in-continuity until I re-read the issue and saw the words "alternate earth".  But I feel the need to track the Inhumans wherever they go.  Nuff said.