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Post by spoon on May 4, 2024 13:01:49 GMT -5
I finished the rest of Essential Defenders vol. 4, reading Defenders #69-91. Aside from two earlier issues co-written with David Anthony Kraft, this constitutes the entirety of Ed Hannigan's run as writer. I had been more familiar with Hannigan as an artist, particularly of covers.
A number of the plotlines take up plotlines from other titles. I had found Lunitak's previous appearances dissatisfying, as a weirdo wielding a staff was able to hold the Defenders at bay. Hannigan salvages it by tying Lunatik's origins to some off-the-wall aspects of Man-Wolf stories I haven't read. It looks like the publication dates don't line up, so this may have been retooled explanation rather the intended plan at the time of Lunatik's introduction. We also get introduced to a realm called Tunnel World. The Defenders team up with a cool-looking wizard ally named Xhoohx.
Then, there's an arc that brings over plot threads from Omega the Unknown (which I also haven't read). First, Foolkiller II shows up. He's like a less annoying version of Lunatik. Then, Omega shows up who is dead, but not dead, but dead again. Along the way, we meet his supporting cast. It's hard to follow who's who, as I think there was an additional woman in the supporting cast who I didn't notice at first. Moondragon shows up to sort of help, but eventually condescend and criticize in her inimitable style. Along the way, I learn that Moondragon trained Hellcat in psychic power and Hellcat owns a magic cloak. I've actually read the Avengers and Defenders stories where both of those things apparently happened, but couldn't remember those events for the left of me. Nighthawk temporarily quits the Defenders while this is happening, the Wasp temporarily joins, and the Hulk is off somewhere. Which means for a bit we have an all-female roster. Yellowjacket follows Jan, but it's unclear whether he's considered to have rejoined. But it's a non-team.
I wonder if the sales figures were flagging for the current roster, because the original team of Doctor Strange, Hulk, and Sub-Mariner are back for their own arc in Tunnel World that runs parallel to the arc of the newer members on Earth. In these issues, the originals are featured on the cover even when the newbies may have a higher page count.
I know that being the strange & ridiculous team title is sometimes a distinguishing characteristic of the Defenders, but during the early part of the Hannigan run (and the end of the Kraft run before) it goes a little overboard. The team is inept at times and Nighthawk is a peevish annoying guy. Nighthawk is under an investigation by various government entities. It's totally confusing what the factual underpinnings of what the charges were supposed to be. My most charitable theory is that it's supposed to be Kafkaesque mess with no real explanation plus a pretext to write Nighthawk in and out of the team's battles as needed. One issue focuses on a surreal investigation into the Defenders. I'm not sure if an explanation was planned by Hannigan, but it doesn't get resolved in his run. Mandrill is also brought in as a villain with his icky "only in 70s" power of mesmerizing women in his scent. Although I have to admit that the equivalent is sometimes done with the Enchantress, for example. Among Mandrill's minions is Mutant Force, the revival of the all-new, totally cheesy version of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants introduced during Kirby's mid-70s return to Captain America.
One brief arc features a war/misunderstanding between Atlantis and Wakanda that seems to prefigure the conflict of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie. That also spawns a story/PSA where Hulk stands up for the whales against overfishing; it's actually kind of good.
With Nighthawk's property impounded, the team relocates to a home Patsy Walker (Hellcat) inherited from her mom in Montclair, New Jersey! As a New Jersey resident whose sister went to Montclair State, I find it pretty cool. Not particularly recognizable though.
Hannigan's run ends will the resumption of Mandrill's machinations. It's not quite as icky as the earlier run. Matt Murdock is also brought in as a lawyer for Nighthawk and previous enemy of Mandrill. Hannigan actually comes up with an aspect of Mandrill's revenger plot that makes him a little interesting.
Hannigan's run ends with a message of thanks to the fans and a moment between Valkyrie and Hellcat. Those two are really the heart of his run in terms of story involvement. But his treatment of the characters is off more about vibes and personality then building up the personal lives and history. Having started Defenders from the beginning after not reading it when I was young, I never realized Hellcat was a member for this long (and still going as of #91).
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Post by spoon on Apr 30, 2024 21:51:51 GMT -5
She's really just in #129, because the first few pages are in the aftermath of the previous arc. She does appear in a few brief interludes of a page here and there during the Dark Phoenix Saga, but that's about it. It may not have registered, because it probably seem a random, unmemorable thing detached from the context of previous plotlines. I've read a few fan theories over the years about how the Proteus arc from UXM #126-128 should be included with the Dark Phoenix saga as kind of a prelude. Part of that may in an effort to better clarify Moira for any first-time readers. In a way I can see it but I've never had a problem with it's absence from the main Phoenix story. Aside from that, we get bits of Mastermind's plot in the Proteus arc. So if someone wants to read the whole storyline, including when it was a subplot rather than the main plot, there's an argument to include #125-128. Also, #125 has a handy summary of Phoenix's backstory in just a couple pages. On the other hand, the fact that the Dark Phoenix content is a subplot rather than the main plot in the Proteus arc are a good reason to use that as a dividing line. There's actually an instance of the Fastball Special in #100 where Wolverine call it by its name.
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Post by spoon on Apr 28, 2024 20:24:11 GMT -5
Moira MacTaggert rings a bell because you've read something with her before. You mentioned months back that you read a Dark Phoenix Saga HC. She's in the first few pages of Uncanny X-Men #129. Ahh...right, that must be it. I don't really recall her from that arc but since she's in it, that must be why the name rings a bell. She's really just in #129, because the first few pages are in the aftermath of the previous arc. She does appear in a few brief interludes of a page here and there during the Dark Phoenix Saga, but that's about it. It may not have registered, because it probably seem a random, unmemorable thing detached from the context of previous plotlines. But fun fact: one of the leprechauns is the first character to refer to Wolverine as Logan. It's toward the end of #103, after Colossus tosses Wolverine too the opposite side of the castle. One of the leprechauns talks to Wolverine and calls him "Mr. Logan" much to his surprise.
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Post by spoon on Apr 28, 2024 19:38:51 GMT -5
So, I recently read X-Men issues #96–103 for the first time. These issues find Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum really finding their feet with the new X-Men. Issue #96 opens with the team mourning their fallen comrade Thunderbird, with Cyclops in particular feeling very guilty about his death. This issue also sees the arrival of the bonny lass Moira MacTaggert and almost immediately a burgeoning romance between her and Banshee is evident – though Professor Xavier also seems romantically interested in her. The name "Moira MacTaggert" really rings a bell with me, though I'm not sure why. I strongly suspect that she must eventually become a superhero and I hope someone reading this will be able to let me know. Moira MacTaggert rings a bell because you've read something with her before. You mentioned months back that you read a Dark Phoenix Saga HC. She's in the first few pages of Uncanny X-Men #129. She first appears in #96, but she becomes an off-and-on recurring character over the years. There's more to her than her initial appearances you've read here, but I don't want to spoil things. Thus begins Claremont's long tradition of building up to future stories in subplots, although many will be drawn out longer than the Steven Lang story. The reason Cyclops remarks with shock that he's Eric the Red is because it's a disguise he used in a Silver Age story. If you've had your fill of Eric the Red, I have to break it to you that you're not done with him. That probably won't be a surprise since he brainwashed Havok and Polaris. The ethics of the image inducer will be revisited in the future. It's also the subject in one of the backup stories in a Classic X-Men, a series that reprinted X-Men from Giant-Size X-Men #1 through Uncanny X-Men #206 (skipping over a handful of issues), with new backup stories. Owning a castle is also not terribly consistent with Banshee being portrayed as more of a working class guy. Yeah, there's lack of clarity for a while about the extent of Phoenix's powers. I think this story is the weakest of Cockrum's first run. But fun fact: one of the leprechauns is the first character to refer to Wolverine as Logan.
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Post by spoon on Apr 22, 2024 18:33:10 GMT -5
What would you folks say are the best parts of the first Marvel series? I have read much of it. I've read just an issue or two past the issues that adapted the first movie, but I may be interested in checking other stuff out.
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Post by spoon on Apr 21, 2024 15:30:29 GMT -5
I read Batman #460-461, a two-part arc immediately after the Norm Breyfogle hardcover I read recently. Alan Grant writes and Breyfogle pencils. However, Tim Sale inks #460 before regular inker Steve Mitchell returns in #461. I like Sale's work here.
The arc titled "Sisters in Arms" focuses on female characters in these pre-Birds of Prey, pre-Harley Quinn days. The "sisters" here are Catwoman, police sergeant Sarah Essen, and Vicki Vale. There's also a runaway from Arizona who Selina Kyle has taken in who Selina calls . . . Arizona. I'm starting to realize that Vicki Vale has had more appearances in comics across eras than I realized growing up. When she showed up in the Batman movie I'm sure I had ever seen her in a comic. I guess she sneaks under the radar because Bruce never seems to get serious enough with her to have consequential storylines. Grant & Breyfogle do a good job of portraying Catwoman as bad, but not too bad, so I'm okay rooting for her. They also do a good job with the action sequences. Of course, there are aspects of superhero comics that are inherently unrealistic, but Breyfogle has a way of depicting Catwoman fighting male thugs that comes across as somewhat plausible.
On the supporting cast front, the Commissioner Gordon cliffhanger from #459 thankfully is picked up with some mundanely reassuring hospital scenes. Legs, a homeless amputee, continues as a recurring character as he thanks Vicki for her photo feature on homelessness. He has a memorable personality. The Breyfogle HC had a pinup of someone called Joe Potato. I thought, "Who the heck is Joe Potato?" Well, I get to know that P.I. in these issues.
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Post by spoon on Apr 20, 2024 22:08:18 GMT -5
I cracked open Essential Defenders vol. 4 and read Defenders #61-68. It was a little difficult remembering where the story left off. It's been a while since I read the previous Essential. Since Defenders was cancelled right when I started reading comics, I didn't grow up reading the series, even as back issues. These issues are written by David Anthony Craft, with Ed Hannigan later joining the writing team. Hannigan, Sal Buscema, Don Perlin, and Herb Trimpe handle pencils on various issues.
These issues include a fight against Lunatik guest-starring Spider-Man (#61), the Defender for a Day arc (#62-64), an issue mainly focused on the Presence and the female Red Guardian against a radioactive giant amoeba (#65), and the Val in Valhalla arc (#66-68). I remember Steve Gerber being very good at hitting the right tone of the with the oddball elements and humor. It feels like Kraft does not do that as well. The fact that Lunatik, a guy with a staff, can hold the Defenders at bay, makes them look ridiculous. My recollection was that in early issues the character involved some commentary on college campus issues. Defender For a Day was interesting for all the cameos, but it also made a lot of the characters involved seem dopey. Watching Nighthawk flip out actually isn't that entertaining. The Val(kyrie) in Valhalla story is more of a straight action story, but it gets a little confusing to follow. The impression is given that Barbara Norriss, whose body Valkyrie occupies, is pretty awful, and I don't really remember who much that jibes with prior stories. There are some interesting aspects of that story, and we get some cool action with the Hulk. The cover for #67 is also used as the cover for the TPB, but it has some false advertising. Dr. Strange is on the cover, but he doesn't appear at all in the issue. The Presence/Red Guardian subplot gets a couple pages in each issue until its the main plot in #65. It doesn't tie in with the team's current members (or non-members); the idea essentially seems to try to bring some closure to the story of Red Guardian as a former member. Frankly, I find it very creepy given my recollection of how disturbingly possessive the Presence was in prior stories. Reuniting with him is not cool. I read a Marvel Comics Presents story from years later than I think is in a Black Widow TPB, that I think tried to grapple with how messed up that was. Also, I got to say that Codename: Sergei is a silly alternate name for the Presence.
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Post by spoon on Apr 20, 2024 15:42:33 GMT -5
Me: When was Wolverine from the X-Men born?
ChatGPT: Wolverine's exact birth date is somewhat shrouded in mystery within the Marvel Comics universe. However, according to the comics, Wolverine, whose real name is James Howlett, was born in the late 19th century, likely around the 1880s or 1890s. Over the years, different storylines have hinted at various possible origins and ages for Wolverine, but a definitive birth date has never been firmly established.
Me:
What degrees does Professor Charles Francis Xavier hold?
ChatGPT:
In the Marvel Comics universe, Professor Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X, is depicted as having earned several advanced degrees. Among them are:
Doctorate in Genetics
Doctorate in Biophysics
Doctorate in Psychology
These degrees reflect his expertise in various fields relevant to his role as a leading expert in mutant genetics and as the founder and headmaster of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, also known as the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, where he trains mutants to control their powers and advocates for peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans.
Me: Can anything move the Blob?
ChatGPT: In the Marvel Comics universe, the Blob, also known as Fred Dukes, possesses a mutant ability that grants him an incredible degree of immovability and resistance to physical force. His body is extremely dense and virtually immovable by conventional means. However, there have been instances where the Blob has been moved or displaced under certain circumstances:
1. **Extreme force**: While the Blob is incredibly difficult to move, characters with superhuman strength or immense power have been able to displace him, albeit with significant effort. Characters like the Hulk or Thor, for example, have been shown to be capable of moving the Blob under extreme circumstances.
2. **Psychic manipulation**: Since the Blob's powers are purely physical, they are not resistant to psychic manipulation. Characters like Professor X or Jean Grey, with powerful telepathic abilities, have been able to influence or incapacitate the Blob by manipulating his mind rather than physically moving him.
3. **Technology**: In some instances, advanced technology or specialized equipment has been used to move or contain the Blob. This might involve devices specifically designed to counteract his mass or restrain him through technological means.
Overall, while the Blob is exceptionally difficult to move through conventional means, there are certain circumstances, often involving extraordinary powers or advanced technology, where he can be displaced or manipulated.
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Post by spoon on Apr 20, 2024 9:50:05 GMT -5
MeDid Roy Thomas create Wolverine? ChatGPTNo, Roy Thomas did not create Wolverine. Wolverine was created by writer Len Wein and artist John Romita Sr. The character first appeared in "The Incredible Hulk" #180 (cover dated October 1974) in a brief cameo, and then had a full appearance in issue #181. The character was later developed further by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum in "Giant-Size X-Men" #1 (1975) and became a central figure in the X-Men comics. Roy Thomas, however, made significant contributions to Marvel Comics during his tenure, including co-creating characters like the Vision, Ultron, and Iron Fist, among others. It's a pretty big breakthrough in comic book historiography that ChatGPT discovered Claremont was the actual writer of Giant-Size X-Men #1.
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Post by spoon on Apr 20, 2024 9:43:27 GMT -5
If you ask hypothetical or general question it's ok, but it suffers from hallucinations when you ask things like the plot of this or that issue. Which is strange since that's very very easy to google. It really comes across like ChatGPT is the kid who didn't do the reading and is now trying to bluff its way through the book report. Inventing a plot summary for Brother Power the Geek #3 is a good example.
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Post by spoon on Apr 14, 2024 21:58:18 GMT -5
I read DC Comics Presents #28 and #43. Then I read Batman #450-451.
The two issues of DCCP both have Mongul as villain. I don't own his first appearance in #27, but the second page of #28 has a recap. It does a decent job of presenting the threat of Mongul against the team of Superman and Supergirl, even though a face-to-face conflict is avoided. We don't get to see the full extent of what a populated Warworld would be like, but the famed Superman Annual gave a hint. Jim Starlin draws Mongul like a body builder who regularly skips leg day. The inks by Romeo Tanghal result in a final product that's a little different from what I think of from Starlin. Len Wein handles the scripting. There's also a "Whatever Happened to Johnny Thunder?" (the western hero) backup. This might be the first appearance by the character I've ever read. Coloring one's hair doesn't seem like a great disguise. I'm glad that those crazy kids, Johnny Thunder and Madame .44 got together even though I didn't really know them before then. Johnny's secret identity is John Tane, and he ends up with a "bouncing baby boy, Chuck." Namesake for a 30th century hero?!
Then, DCCP #43 has a Legion of Super-Heroes team-up written by Legion scribe Paul Levitz and drawn by Curt Swan. Swan draws a very different Mongul, and we actually get a big of slugfest. We also get a few Justice League members casually slipped in the story to get beat up. I have yet to read the original Sun-Eater story, but this is one of numerous references to that tragic story I've read. I like the casual story-ending laughter about how it's not bad that Wildfire seems dead because he won't really die.
I read Batman #450-451 because it jumps off from a story in the Detective Comics from the Norm Breyfogle HC. I think there might've been some miscommunication between Marv Wolfman and Alan Grant. In Detective, the evidence that the Joker is back is some hallucinations/visions by Batman, but suddenly it's taken as a sure thing. It's an interesting story involving a real estate mogul running get rick quick seminars, plus two rivals Jokers. The real Joker is a little bit out of it, and actually less brutal in the story than he has been. So the big dramatic death of the Joker at the end of A Death in the Family lasted about a year and a half. Commissioner Gordon seems somewhat competent than what Grant & Breyfogle did, but he still seems to be losing a step. Events in A Death in the Family and The Killing Joke both loom over this story. Jim Aparo is more up my alley than Breyfogle.
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Post by spoon on Apr 13, 2024 23:10:58 GMT -5
I finished the rest of the Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle vol. 2 hardcover, which was Detective Comics #613-621 and Batman #455-459. Detective #615 is actually stuck at the end of the book as it's the middle chapter of a story that otherwise took place in the pages of Batman. Sticking strictly to theme of the hardcover, we only get the Breyfogle drawn chapter.
We get a couple of social message stories involving how much trash society produces and juvenile delinquents. Writer Alan Grant seems to think that trash collectors are competing to pick up the trash from certain streets rather than operating under contracts, and I don't know how he gets that conclusion. If you can somehow gloss over that, it's a decent story. Detective #616 is a very weird supernatural story that grows out of the Penguin three-parter at the end of the book. It's also a good story, although it's an odd fit. Even though it's sort of explained, it's still a bit of a mystery, but it works. Detective #617 is hallucinatory Joker story that leads to an apparently real Joker story in Batman #450-451 (not reprinted here). I'm realizing from my spreadsheet that I actually own Batman #450-451, so maybe I should read them now. But the hallucination story works very well on its own.
Detective #618-621 is a four-parter that involves voodoo and takes place partly in Haiti. The main purpose of the story seems to be having really bad stuff happen to Tim Drake's parents. My sporadic Batman reading as kid mostly ended right around A Lonely Place of Dying, so I wasn't really familiar with his family. The story strikes an odd tone, because it makes them comedically unlikeable before visiting tragedy upon them. Was Tim living with Bruce through some agreement with Tim's parents while they were traveling the world? Anyway, while there are some good parts to this arc, in general it really drags. It feels like it could be done in two issues. Maybe folks who are better versed in Batman can trace how significant the portrayal of Bruce/Batman as a dysfunctional, anger-issues guy has been through the evolution of the character. Here it seems to more from subtext to text, as there indications that Tim following on Bruce's path might be a bad idea. We also get Tim tracking down a hacker, who turns out to be Anarky in juvy hall. It's funny, because I though the revelation of Anarky's identity in his initial two-issue arc was a commentary on dumb, self-righteous kids who are all over the place ideologically and overestimate their intelligence. Think of the 1989 equivalent of very-online people. But then I read that Alan Grant later announced himself to be an anarchist and the character as a vehicle for some of his thoughts. Oy vey!
In spite of the notes of caution in the prior arc, we get a three-parter in Batman #455-457 where Tim gets in on the action and debuts the new Robin costume at the end. It's the 90s, so he gets full leggings instead of the tighty greenies previous Robins had to put up with. Anyway, it's a very grim but very good story involving the Scarecrow. Grant really likes to have villains rack up the body counts.
Then, #458 is another message story about a mute hunchbacked electronics expert that was introduced in the three-part Penguin story that we only get one-part of later in the book. It's funny to see the repercussions of this editorial choice. In a story that was a quarter century too early for Q-Anon people to pay attention to, we learn that just because someone is a little different doesn't mean angry mobs should be falsely accusing them of being pedophiles. Batman #459 is a story which yet again have Batman reflecting on the deaths of his parents, but mostly deals with Jim Gordon rekindling romance with an old flame (I think from an extramarital affair in Batman: Year One). Gordon has been ineffectual in this hardcover and I'm not a fan of how Breyfogle draws him. I'm much more of Jim Aparo's rendition of Gordon and his competent presence, but the Commissioner does get some focus in this issue. In several recent issues, Batman has been needling Commissioner Gordon's smoking sucks. I thinking smoking sucks, but Batman's approach is more judgy & pushy than supportive & information. So wouldn't you know, Jim Gordon's happy issue ends with a health scare cliffhanger.
The out of order part 2 in Detective #615 makes it harder to get a grasp on the whole story, although I think I read part 1 when my older brother bought it off the shelves. The main takeaways are that Grant seems to really like writing Penguin and make his a sociopath. Also, birds are scary. There's also an actress that the Penguin is obsessed with as a supporting character who is very compelling in just a few pages.
A few other things worth noting. At least in the early issues of this book, the Batmobile matches the Kenner Batmobile toy we had. Every time it was on the page, I thought to myself, "That looks like a toy." Also, the HC reprints some pinups by Norm Breyfogle from Who's Who (I think probably the looseleaf version).
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Post by spoon on Apr 13, 2024 14:28:09 GMT -5
Yes, and actually almost all of them take place in the contemporary world. IIRC, it may only be "Hound" and "The Adventures" that are set in the Victorian Age. You know, putting What If?… aside, because Marvel could only tell the tales they wanted in that kind of book, I did hate how comics went down the path of designating Earths for this and that, an Earth for mainstream Marvel stuff, an Earth for the Spidey/Transformers team-up, an Earth for the early DC/Marvel crossovers, etc. It seemed to suck the joy out of it. Earth-One and Earth-Two are a whole different ball game, but as far as Marvel and DC are concerned, did we need designations for the aforementioned tales? It was fun seeing Spidey show up in a Transformers comic, and I was in awe of those early DC/Marvel crossovers. I didn’t over-think it as a kid or an adult. It all simply happened as presented. But then you’re told years later that, actually, the early DC/Marvel crossovers took place on an Earth different from the one in the regular books. Why even come up with pedantry? (It’s a hill I’ll die on) I feel like the best way to avoid overthinking these funky crossovers would be simply not to worry about the post hoc alternative universe explanations. Having joy sucked out the stories and dying on hills feels contrary to insisting alternative universes are unnecessary. Spider-Man appearing in Transformers was cool in its own right; that doesn't depend on the story happening or not happening in the same continuity.
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Post by spoon on Apr 13, 2024 12:22:31 GMT -5
(...) I'm going with my PS Artbook facsimile edition of one of the earliest graphic novels, with gorgeous art by the inestimable Matt Baker... It Rhymes with Lust
This week it's my turn to express pleasure at seeing a book here that I also own. It's a wonderfully done reprint, with - obviously - beautiful art and a pretty good story as well. So this week, I'll pick something similar: another rather recent, and nicely done, reprint of a book that until then had been pretty hard to find at anything resembling a reasonable price. I'm talking about Alien: The Illustrated Story by Archie Goodwin and the incomparable Walt Simonson that was originally published by Heavy Metal Magazine...
I've gushed about this adaptation at length before, both on this forum and on other comics-related sites, so I'll just say here that this is a book I'm so pleased to own. I think it really sets the standard for how movies should be adapted to comics.
I have a 2012 reprint of Alien: The Illustrated Story. I was thrilled when I learned such a thing existed, because I'm a big fan of the original film. There was also a high school here in New Jersey that put on a stage production of Alien. It went viral on the internet, so they put on an encore performance and I drove there to see it.
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Post by spoon on Apr 12, 2024 10:50:59 GMT -5
I have to say I am a bit surprised by this, I mean it seems Byrne rehashed just about everything else from the Lee/Kirby run of FF when he was on the book (as he rehashed a lot of stuff in his short Hulk run and on his Namor run...) I would have thought he had done this too. -M Maybe events in Hulk's title were an obstacle for him. A good portion of Byrne's FF run corresponded with the period when Hulk had Banner's mind, then was reduced to totally savagery, then got exiled to the Crossroads. So maybe he wanted to do a more traditional take on the Hulk than what he could've done during the first two periods. Then, during the Crossroads year, the Hulk wasn't even on Earth.
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