Slugfest!

Marvel Zombies has a cool logo. Zombies have really been popular lately, so it's no surprise that Marvel tapped writer Rob Kirkman to write a story where all the heroes are....well, zombies. The painted cover by famed artist Arthur Suydam does a good job of beginning the desecration. Yeah, that's a take off the cover of Amazing Fantasy # 15 (originally done by Jack Kirby.) I think it's what they call a "homage"...heh. The smog filled sky is a nice touch. But the question is: Is it entertaining? Is it worth tracking down the issue that seems to have flown off the shelf? Is it even worth the cover price of $2.99??? (First of 5 parts...collect them all!)

Marvel has yet to announce a second print...er...Marvel Must-Have edition of the book, but they waited a looong time to reprint Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe. I mention PKtMU because it's kind of in the same vein. Kinda like Sergio Aragones Destroys the Marvel Universe or Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe. But where those are funny "haha", Marvel Zombies is funny rancid. Funny rancid because this is a story that takes place within the current continuity....of the Ultimate universe books.

Previously in Ultimate Fantastic Four #21-24 in a story titled "Crossover" , Reed is duped into traveling through a portal to a dimension where using the Sentry as a host, a virus from another infected universe lands on Earth and within a 24 hour period infects all the heroes turning them into flesh-craving zombies. Fortunately, the only way to become infected is get bitten by one of the zombies. Unfortunately, Reed is targeted for their next meal. And he does what you might expect from one the smartest minds in the universe....he runs!

Luckily, he finds someone who has managed to remain uninfected....Magneto. Then Reed realizes the zombies are going to use the portal to travel to his home dimension and begin the infection. And that's exactly what happens. Fortunately, the Ultimate FF manage to quarantine the zombie version of the FF, then they use the portal to head to the zombie dimension to find Reed. Finally, they safely return home, leaving Magneto behind to destroy the portal and save the Ultimate universe. (Even though the zombie version of the FF is still in quarantine in the Ultimate universe.) Of course, this entire story was written by Mark Millar and lavishly illustrated by Greg Land....who even manages to make zombie-girls look "hot".

Now what does this have to do with Marvel Zombies # 1? Well, Zombies is a follow up to the excellent Ultimate Fantastic Four story. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near as clever. But it does have a cool logo.

Since it's Christmas Eve, here at ol' Slugfest! we've dug out a Christmas treasure Super-Star Holiday Special (DC Special Series vol.4 #21) from 1979 (never mind that April 1980 cover date!) featuring several of DC's mainstays. First off is the bounty hunter himself, Jonah Hex. Ol' Hex must have been really good this year because he even got to see the return of his own comic series! But back in '79, as the first run was getting underway, he was featured in a story titled The Fawn and the Star written by Michael Fleisher and art by Dick Ayers and Romeo Tanghal.

It's the day before Christmas, and Jonah rides with two companions: death and gunsmoke. As dusk settles in, the stars fill the sky and Jonah can't help but notice one in particular "off tuh the south, sparklin' like a diamond big as all Tennessee!" So he decides he's going to take advantage of the starlight to track Barlow Tull and his brother, who can't be too far off on account of the .30-.06 shell Hex lodged in Tull's neck day before last!

Suddenly, he comes upon a man aiming at a little doe in the snow and the man's daughter, a little girl named Holly imploring, "No! You can't shoot him again!" Hex listens as the father tries to explain to his daughter that the deer is simply Christmas dinner for the family. When Hex greets them, the man tells him, "Stay outta this, mister! This is just a family matter..." But Holly takes advantage of Hex's entrance and gets him to aid her in saving the injured fawn. Jonah dismounts and tells little Holly, " 'Pears like yore little deer has went an' busted his leg!" He directs her to get some strips of cloth from his saddlebag. When Holly's father sees Hex setting the leg, he speaks up. But before he can voice his protest, Hex tells him, "Seein' as how ah stole yore Christmas dinner from yuh, ah'm gonna go out an' find you a substitute dinner!" Holly's dad agrees but tells Hex, "If'n you ain't back here by sunup, ah'm gonna shoot thet deer an' me'n muh family's gonna eat it fer dinner!"

As Jonah rides along, he realizes why he has gotten involved in this situation. His mind drifts back to a time when he was little and he rescued a raccoon from a bear trap, took it home, patched up the leg that had been caught in the trap, and named the little critter Roy. He also recalls how when his dad arrived all liquored up and found him coming out of the woodshed, Jonah explained how he had found the raccoon and told him, "A-ah'm keepin' 'im inside the woodshed! Thet's okay fer me tuh do--ain't it, Pa?" Hex's dad replied, "Shore, boy!" then sent him off to mend the back fence and chop a cord of firewood before supper.

Later at dinner, Jonah's mom noticed that he was eating his dinner like something was after him! He explained that he was in a hurry so he could try and scrounge up some food for Roy. Mom was puzzled until Hex's dad explained that Roy was a raccoon that Jonah "brung home from the forest this mornin'!" Mom whispered, "Y-you mean the one we're---" In disgust, Jonah tossed away his glass of milk and upset his plate saying, "You killed Roy? Y-you killed my raccoon?" Hex's dad tried to make his son understand telling him, "A raccoon is a raccoon, boy, an' people is people! You an' me an' yore maw, we is people!" But in anger Jonah shouted, "I hate you! I wish you were dead!" Soon the haunting memory fades and Jonah realizes that his chances of finding game on this moonless night are next to nil. And seeing as how the bright star in the south is the only light in the sky, he decides to follow it to see "if'n mebbe it cain't bring me a little Christmas luck!" Hours later, still coming up empty, he comes upon a cave and decides to check it out thinking he might be able to "flush me out a hibernatin' bear!" Well as rotten luck would have it, there's something worse than a bear in the cave; it's the Tull brothers, Barlow and Homer!

They spot Jonah approaching the cave and Homer sends off two rounds in Hex's direction. Hex collapses, but Barlow is suspicious because "thet Hex kin be mighty crafty!" And as they leave the cave to check on their quarry, Hex bolts upright with a blazing six-shooter and yells, "Here's a little somethin' fer yore Christmas stockin', skunk!" Homer goes down, and Hex tells him, "Come on outta thar wi'f yore hands up high!" When Barlow refuses, Hex lights a cord of dynamite and hurls it toward Barlow telling him, "Ah shore wouldn't want tuh lose out on the reward money bein' offered...just on account'a yore remains turnin' out to be unrecognizable!" Then the cave erupts in a thundering explosion.

When the smoke clears, Hex approaches the cave and thinks to himself, "Well ah guess it's turnin' out tuh be a profitable Christmas fer me, but thet ain't gonna be much consolation tuh little Holly!" But then he spies a backpack and thinks, "It just could be thet Holly's little fawn is gonna make it through the holiday season after all!"

As dawn breaks, Hex finds himself on Holly's doorstep being greeted by Holly and her family. First thing Holly notices are the two dead bodies trussed up on the two trailing horses. Hex tells her, "Never mind them, Honey!" Then he turns to Holly's dad and gives him the backpack. The man quickly opens it up and says, "Wha---!? There's nothing in here but trail provisions: hardtack an'....an' beef jerky!" Hex reminds him he just promised he'd "feed yore family fer Christmas!" He tells Holly, the fawn is yores now, Honey!" Holly's dad explains that he would never have been able to shoot the deer anyway.

Hex rides off thinking, "If'n ah wuz a religious man, ah'd be tempted tuh say it wuz thet lucky star up thar whut led me tuh the Tull brothers an' thet knapsack full'a vittles!"

This issue also features what must have been one of Robert Kanigher's last Sgt. Rock stories. It also includes a story from the House of Mystery written by Bob Rozakis, a Legion of Super-Heroes story written by Paul Levitz (with the Phantom Girl and Saturn Girl in the great 70s costumes!) But what is probably most desireable about this issue is the Batman story written by Denny O'Neil with artwork by Frank Miller. This particular story is Miller's first work on Batman, and although you can see glimpses of his signature style, I decided against a comprehensive review because the story is practically unintelligible. However it does have an unusual ending for a story in a comic book: a Bible verse from Luke 1:78...."To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Mike Carey's superb run on Hellblazer comes to an end with issue # 215 in part 2 of the story R.S.V.P. And we are treated to one last cover of Constantine by Tim Bradstreet before the new writer and cover artist come aboard. Bradstreet uses a story motif of shattered glass with each shard depicting images used on the covers throughout Carey's run, which began with issue # 175; so forty issues in all, like Jaime Delano's original run! What follows is a complete review of issues #214 and #215.

In the wake of the death of his sister, Cheryl Masters, John has returned to London to bury the dead; back to his old haunts and old habits; in short, he's up to no good. While drinking alone at a local pub, an illusory zombie delivers an invitation to a black tie affair at the Tate Club, to mark its 200th anniversary, to be held on the soltice, natch.

John exits the bar and unsuccessfully tries to contact Chas, when he is approached by a guy by the name of Etheridge, who constructed the illusion. He explains that he is with Tate's event committee and is hoping to secure a verbal R.S.V.P. from John to speak at the event. Constantine is unimpressed and chastises him for his little ruse, and tells him to stuff his invite.



Next, he hails a cab and heads to Brixton in search of Chas, but when he finds he isn't home, he continues the cab ride to Streatham to Chas' cousin Norma's flat. Norma is not happy to see John and attempts to turn him away, but Chas approaches the door and reluctantly invites in John. Chas proceeds to tell about all the problems he's experienced as of late: he's out of work, and his wife Renee has left him with his daughter. John tries to empathize, but at the heart of it, Chas blames John for all his hard luck and a fight ensues. Norma calls the police and Constantine ends up in jail.

Alone with his thoughts, John tries to reconcile Chas' accusation: John become addicted to magic. He's brought before a judge who quickly realizes just how slippery Constantine can be when he notes that his records with American penal system have been lost and his psychiatric profile from Ravenscar seems to be "air-brushed from history." He corrects the judge by telling him, "It was a blowtorch. I just burn my past every few years. Get rid of the rubbish."

Clarice Sackville winds up bailing him out and paying his fine, all to the tune of 1000 pounds. Then she gives him a warning, "You're swimming with good, strong strokes--straight downwards. There isn't any bottom." Of course, like all advice John gets, it falls on deaf ears.

With Chas' words still ringing in his ears, he heads to his lock-up, a storage space with a sorts of stuff he's accumulated, and mulls over the odds and ends of his life. In a somewhat impulsive decision, he set everything ablaze; a blowtorch to his possessions that further obscures his past and his identity.

As he contemplates the results of his handiwork, Map Ondaatje shows up and John sends him off with a message to Clarice: He'll attend and speak at The Tate anniversary after all.
The following day, John finds himself in a nihilistic mood. He walks over to the botanical gardens and begins speaking to a tree and minutes later Swamp Thing's visage appears in the wood. John tells him about his sister's burial and ask that he "drop a couple of flowers on her grave for me." Meanwhile, over at the funeral Angie Spatchcock and Gemma, John's neice, listen to the parson's words and witness the results of John's request.

Over at the Tate Club, the guests begin arriving. Clarice shows up unescorted and the host are left wondering whether or not Constantine will show up. Everyone is seated, and when it seems that John will be a no-show, like a bad penny, he turns up. And so with everyone thinking it'll be a couple of jokes, an inspirational message, and a toast to the club, John begins.The message is much like the one he delivered to Etheridge, but not quite as succinct: The universe is unwinding down. Things fall apart. Once things fall apart--they do not put themselves back together again. And if you play with fire, you're gonna get burned.

Then he pulls a hair from his head and sets it to the flame of a candle. As it burns, it summons the angel of death and the perceptions of reality for each guest explode like glass into a million fragments with the revelation of their mortality.

Clarice is appalled by the turn of events and tells Constantine, "They'll never forgive you." But John shrugs it off and reminds her there is no point in kidding yourself.

Constantine makes a quick exit out the back only to find the prescence of all the ghosts of his past. Some innocents, some not so innocent. They clear a path for him, and as the sky opens up, the rain runs down his face leaving us to wonder if those are really tears.

So a little something for everyone, as longtime reader's will catch references from Delano's run (issue # 24:Family Man) and Ennis' run (issue #64:Fear and Loathing), among others. Or spot characters in the panel above like Judith, Frank North, Sister Annie-Marie, Benjamin Cox, and Gary Lester. But of course, all the back story aside, this story is completely accessible to new readers and even works as a good jump-on point prior to the beginning of Denise Mina's run. But Mike Carey will be a tough act to follow.

This weekend here at Slugfest!, up for your consideration is the much ballyhooed first appearance of Power Girl in All-Star Comics # 58, which sports a cover by Mike Grell. Although this issue is cover-dated Feb. and the indicia says Jan.-Feb. 1976, this book actually hit in stands in November of 1975. Gerry Conway handles the writing and editing, while Wally Wood inks over Ric Estrada's pencils.

When this issue hit the stands, Conway was editor of the DC line of comics and was introducing a slew of new titles, many of them very short lived, like Man-Bat, Blackhawk, Blitzkreig, Freedom Fighters, Sherlock Holmes, and Batman Family. He also had his first Justice League of America story published (issues #125-127), so it must have been quite a thrill to also spearhead the revival of one of the most revered DC series. So does this issue live up to the sensationalism of late? You be the judge!

On Earth Two, Doctor Mid-Nite has called together five other members of the Justice Society to inform them of the coming danger: Within twenty-four hours the world will end! Disaster will strike three cities within the next day! So Hawkman, as acting chairman, splits the groups into three teams: he and Doctor Mid-Nite will head to Seattle, Washington; Flash (Jay Garrick) and Wildcat are sent to Peking, ROC; and Dr. Fate and Green Lantern (Alan Scott) are on their way to Capetown, South Africa.

The scene switches, and we see the Star-Spangled Kid using the Cosmic Rod to fly through the skies of Seattle. He explains that Ted Knight (Starman) is disabled with a broken leg, so he using the Rod for the time being. Lucky for him because a group of armed robbers is making off with the loot from the First National Bank. Using the Rod, he creates a force-field and melts their guns. After a few action-filled panels, the excitement is over and the Kid sits along a curb and thinks back to the time warp that stranded him in the present. (see JLA # 102: And One of Us Must Die! recently reprinted in Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 3) But the Kid's mope session is quickly cut short when an earthquake suddenly strikes! As he realizes that Cosmic Rod or no Cosmic Rod, he is in over his head. Hawkman and Doctor Mid-Nite arrive on the seen but decide not to intervene because "offering our help now would destroy what self-reliance" the Kid has managed to regain. Sheesh! Must have been the 70s "Your O.K., I'm O.K." brainwash!

And speaking of brainwashing, we finally get to get a peek as to who is masterminding this whole "destroy the world" scheme: Brain Wave! Driven mad after the Justice Society imprisoned him, the man named Henry King no longer exists. In fact, he looks nothing like the villain that originally appeared in All-Star Comics # 37 as a member of the Injustice Society of America (see picture on left, below.) Anyhow, we learn Brain Wave's real intent is the destruction of the JSA, but if the world gets destroyed in the process....well....



Over in Capetown, while serving as an ambassador for the United Nations, Richard Grayson attends a function and discusses his intentions of recommending a study of U.N. attitudes toward policies of Apartheid. Without warning, an explosion is seen and heard in the distance, and a noxious gas emanating from the blast site quickly blankets the city. Quickly, Robin heads into action!

Doctor Fate and Green Lantern arrrive on the scene after the explosion. After Green Lantern more closely examine the gas with his ring, he discovers it is an artificial disaster, and Doctor Fate realizes the connection between the computer message received earlier at JSA headquarters and the catastrophe. Green Lantern is suddenly overcome by the fumes, but Doctor Fate generates a spell of magical lightning in order to have a natural phenomenon disperse the gas. They quickly trace the gas to the source and find a hole from which it is still escaping. Green Lantern creates a huge plug and corks up the hole, then discovers Robin passed out on the ground.

With the gas under control, Robin revives and Green Lantern and Doctor Fate suspiciously begins to question him asking, "Aren't you a little far from home, pal?" But as Robin protests, the gas hole blows Green Lantern's cork covering sky-high. The force of the mighty explosion knocks out Fate and Lantern, but this time Robin is left concious and on his own to attempt to resolve the problem.

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the world, Wildcat is being swept along in Flash's backdraft as they arrive in Peking to witness the birth of an inexplicable new volcano spewing ash, smoke and lava. Wildcat appropriates a motorcycle from one of the local residents and both heroes race toward trouble. Flash uses friction as he runs to dig a trench that temporarily stops the lava flow. With the situation in hand, they look up and see Power Girl. She grabs hold of a lava flow and turns it onto the volcano's vent and proceeds to stomp on the lava flow until it completely plugs the conduit and stops the eruption. All while wearing heels!

Next, she approaches Flash and Wildcat and introduces herself. Of course, they leave out the part where she has to repeat the explanation five times because the boys can't seem to concentrate on what she is saying!

But the introduction is cut short when a small band of Chinese militia begin an attack. Wildcat starts punching 'em one at a time, until Power Girl literally steps in. She stomps her foot and practically the whole cadre is knocked out! Feeling like she's taken all the fun out of the slugfest!, Wildcat tells her, "Lady, a man could get to hate you."
Power Girl points out that something is seriously amiss because in Seattle, the Star-Spangled Kid is handling the city's disaster on his own; in Capetown, Robin is taking care of a menace neither Doctor Fate or Green Lantern could defeat; and here in Peking, she has done all the work as Wildcat and Flash have stood by helplessly. So she suggests forming a new team, a strike force composed of the JSA and Robin, Star-Spangled Kid, and herself known as the Super-Squad!

So the issue ends as their first mission begins with the search for Brain Wave.

So whadda ya think? Every comics' fan knows the rumor that when Wally Wood created Power Girl, he planned to draw her bust increasingly larger with every subsequent issue until someone called him on it. Personally, I've always considered the anecdote to be apocryphal. This issue also includes a letters page titled All-Star Comments which features missives from two of the biggest Justice Society fans on the planet: Dr. Jerry Bails and Roy Thomas. Back in 1975, both were rather enthusiastic about the return of the series, although the good doctor was a little ambivalent about the whole Super-Squad idea. And unfortunately, people must have agreed with him because the All-Star Comics revival only ran to issue # 74 for a total of 17 issues. However, it is still very interesting to note that 30 years later there is still interest in these books.

Some of you may be wondering, 'Where is Giant-Size Invaders # 1? Did I miss it?' Well, if you were buying comics during the summer of 1975, you might have been lucky enough to pick one up then. See, Marvel has decided to resume publishing the "Giant-Size" specials and keep the old numbering from the 70s. But all the confusing numbering aside, as the black banner at the top of the cover states, this issue features an all-new story written by original Invaders scribe Roy Thomas. Jay Anacleto incredible cover alone is nearly worth the price of admission. The new story titled A Drive in the Country features pencils by Lee Weeks and finishes by Jesse Delperdang, Mike Perkins, and Lee Weeks. I suppose the title is meant to be a play on words refering not only to actual story events, but to the sweeping patriotism fueling America's current mission.

The story opens with a splash of the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, and Miss America (Madeline Joyce) flying through the sky during the summer of '42 as they escort a mysterious guest aboard an aircraft. The guest turns out to be Winston Churchill and the destination is Hyde Park, Franklin D. Roosevelt's family estate. Namor recalls the day Churchill gave the group their name and comments that in retrospect it seems to be a "bad joke" because he wonders, "Who do we "invade"?" I'm a little surprised at this comment because it's obviously meant to be a dig at current foreign policy. But I guess I shouldn't be too surprised considering some of the anti-Bush comments recently published in Alter Ego, Roy Thomas' magazine. Personally, I've always regarded the name The Invaders to be a boast: We invade territories that have been invaded by our enemies!....in this case, the Axis forces.

Anyway, Namor seems his usual moody self and thinks it is beneath him to play bodyguard to other heads of state, so he heads off to spend some time alone in the Hudson River and wait for the conference to finish. Captain America is on the ground with Roosevelt and after Churchill's plane lands, both leaders head off for a drive in Roosevelt's car, which has been modified for him to drive. He speeds off so quickly he leave his secret-service agents behind.

Elsewhere on the estate, two German operatives working directly for Hiltler have managed to sneak onto the President's property fully aware of the secret meeting taking place. Their plan: to kill the leaders! Both swallow special capsule that turn them into giants, and when the car carrying the two dignitaries approaches, the giants assualt the vehicle. But luckily, Torch and Miss America are nearby and engage the giants in a slugfest!

Miss America is quickly knocked for a loop as one of the giants backhands her and sends her flying off. But the Torch is a little more formidable and manages to go toe-to-toe for a while. Unexpectedly, one of the giants pulls out a laser gun and fires it directly at him, momentarily knocking him down. The giants use these stolen moments to try to complete their devious mission. Then Cap shows up and gives them what for. Yet, even Cap can't seem to best them, as they knock him down too.

Meanwhile, in an effort to escape from the Germans, Roosevelt accidentally winds up driving the car into a shallow part of the river. So as the Huns once again attempt to complete their deadly mission, Namor surprises them by providing the necessary protection. Then Miss America, Captain America and the Torch join in the fray. The Torch surrounds them in a ring of fire, and immediately the giants scream in agony. So Torch quickly puts out the fire. They witness the giants shrivel down to corpses and realize it was not the flames that killed them. Cap search them and finds the carrying cases which contained the pills that induced their transformation. Cap deduces that the rapid growth caused by the pills is ultimately what caused their death.

In the most poignant point in the story, Cap wonders if the enemies were aware they would die once they took the pills and says, "If the day ever comes when America confronts a horde of suicidal fanatics--it's liable to find them even harder to defeat than an army."

Marvel kinda kills a couple of birds with one stone with the release of this book since it includes reprints of two golden-age stories from the upcoming All-Winners Marvel Masterwork volume, as well as featuring complete reprints of the first two issues of Invaders with the story The Ring of the Nebulas! written by Roy Thomas, who will be the feature writer in the upcoming Marvel Visionaries to be released in January.

Marvel should have reprinted the first Giant-Size Invaders story because the first issue of the regular series from 1975 was a continuation of the story begun in the first Giant-Size issue. Getting to see Frank Robbins artwork vibrantly reprinted on the nice paper is a real treat. During the original run of this series, I was always ambivalent about Robbins' talents, but as an adult, there is no doubt about it....he's the real deal. Heck, even Vince Coletta's inks over Robbins pencils look good here!

The reprints of the golden-age material are the real tease here. The reproduction quality looks great, so the Masterwork volume should be fun reading. And of course, this package saves the best for last as they reprint a Joe Simon/Jack Kirby Captain America story titled The Strange Case of the Malay Idol.