Marvel’s Siege: The Death Watch

There’s an old saying that the two things certain in life are death and taxes.  Since we’re coming up on the end of January and into the throes of the official tax season, we know that this is a certainty in our world!  For the comic book world, where no one ever seems to have to pay taxes, death is always a certainty!  When Marvel recently kicked off its dramatic new crossover event, “Siege”, savvy readers knew that someone, somewhere and at sometime would have to die in this epic event.  How could they not?  This is what it’s all been building to for Norman Osborn and the rest of the Marvel universe.  His hand ever-reaching for more power, Osborn has launched an all or nothing assault on Asgard, home of the Norse gods.  The odds are mighty, the forces powerful and the question about what will happen to Norman Osborn hangs in the balance!  Who will not make it out alive?? Read more

Thanks for the Comic Book Memories: Memorable Deaths of the 2000’s

2009 saw some of the most memorable deaths in the entertainment and political realms in recent memory.  Icons, legends and established figures were taken from the world, some on the verge of a comeback and some in their prime.  Comics have also lost some icons, not only this year but in the past decade.  Death in the real world is a vastly different thing from that of the fictional world, with the prospect of return always a possibility where comics are concerned.  With that in mind we look back at some of the more memorable losses in comics over the first decade of the new millennium.  While not everyone who died is on this list, it hopefully covers those comic book deaths that were surprises, twists or the loss of those who were near and dear to the hearts and minds of readers everywhere for one reason or another.  Read more

Comic Book Highs, Lows, Misses and More for 2009!

Get out the champagne, party horns and confetti!  The new year is soon upon us, and like most other people who are out there reflecting on the year that was, we’re taking stock of the triumphs, the tragedies, the highs and the lows.  Of course there are those “did that just happen” moments as well, just to keep things interesting.  Let’s take a trip back over the past twelve months, shall we, to see the highs, lows and wth’s over this year in comics, using our own unique system of categories, labels and examples! Read more

Earthquakes, Crises and Wars, oh my! 10 Memorable Comic Book Disasters

Does there exist a more threatened group of people than those who inhabit the earths and universes of our beloved comic book heroes and villains?  What other fictional population seems to live under the constant threat that at any given point their world could be turned into zombies, an earthquake may shut down the city, or that their universe may cease to exist altogether!?  The past few decades have seen several major disasters, manmade, natural and perhaps supernatural, that have caused devastation and damage beyond the norm for several comic book universes.  Here, in no particular order, are ten of the most memorable and, pardon the pun, earth-shaking disasters and crises to hit the comic book populace. Read more

Comic Book Previews for the Week of September 23rd, 2009

The days of summer are slowly waning, soon we’ll break out sweaters and jackets, and pumpkins, hopefully not of the bomb variety, will pop up everywhere.  That doesn’t mean we have to slow down our reading of comics, especially THIS week!!  Marvel brings the long-awaited, much-ballyhooed, debut of the new Spider-Woman solo series is HERE!!  Spider-Woman #1 arrives, courtesy of power team Bendis and Maleev.  What will await Jessica Drew as she makes her way in a savage new world?  Dark Reign: The List takes aim at the X-Men this week, and also look for the one-shot Dark Reign: Made Men, which will focus on the lesser villains of Marvel and how Osborn’s world has affected them.  Amazing Spider-Man #606 brings old flame/nemesis/ally The Black Cat back into Spidey’s life, and look for Ms. Marvel #45 as the battle between the original and current Ms. Marvel reaches its climax!   Read more

“Mighty” vs. “New”: A Tale of Two Avengers Series

When the Marvel Civil War ended a couple of years ago, the superhero community was beginning to put the pieces back together after being split down the middle over the issue of registering their identities with the government.  When the pro-registration/Iron Mad led side won, a new team of Avengers was created, determined to be the face of this new law.  With Ms. Marvel at the helm, this group of Mighty Avengers debuted in Mighty Avengers #1, but wait.  Weren’t there “other” Avengers before this?  Great question, glad you asked! Read more

Comic Book Previews for August 26th, 2009

The kids back in school this week aren’t the only ones starting a new term and a new direction, as this Wednesday gives us the highly anticipated debut of the Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham creative team behind The Fantastic Four with issue 570.  A new story arc also begins in Secret Warriors #7, as the Dark Avengers, Thunderbolts and Nick Fury’s Secret Warriors find themselves on a collision course, with Ares’ son the prize!  New Avengers #56 promises some shocking action, as the events of the previous issue unfold with several heroes having their power drained.  The Incredible Hulk #601 sees the return of the recurring title with a new world for Bruce Banner and company.  Dark X-Men: The Beginning wraps up with issue three, bringing to a close the origin of this deceptive, Emma Frost-led team. Read more

My Marvel Memories: A Personal Reflection on Marvel’s 70th Birthday

One of the things my late grandfather was always lamenting to me was his treatment of comic books when he was a youngster in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s.  I started collecting comic books when I was in high school, the mid-1990’s, and my grandfather was always quick to tell me about how they used to be a dime, how he couldn’t believe he got rid of them, and of how they burned so many of them for warmth or used them for various bodily functions and household cleaning.  

I know for a fact, based on his observations, that several of those long-lost comics came from Marvel, then known as Timely Comics.  The comic book collector/reader/writer I am today cringes when I think of all those lost gems and characters and my grandfather’s memories of them, but I know, on this 70th birthday of Marvel’s, that I will have plenty of my own memories for years to come. Read more

Comic Book Previews for August 12, 2009

What could be causing part of the oppressive heat this summer, at least this Wednesday anyway?  Those SEVENTY candles on the top of Marvel’s cake, that’s what!  Happy birthday to the home of some of the most recognizable characters in pop culture today!  With that, Marvel has a big birthday bash planned, with several powerful new releases this week!

First up for the birthday boys and girls is Marvel Comics #1: 70th Anniversary Edition.  It starts here!  The original Human Torch, Ka-Zar, and Sub-Mariner are all here, brought to you in a stunning new edition by some amazing talent in the industry today!  That’s not all birthday fun!  The Marvel’s Project #1 debuts, with this Ed Brubaker penned tale kicking off the ultimate origin story of the Marvel universe!  Look also for the releases of Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 and Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1.  Both of these titles will give us a post-Ultimatum look at the Ultimate universe.  Look also for the continuation of the powerful Dark Avengers/X-Men crossover, Utopia, in Uncanny X-Men #514.   Read more

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