Flatliners, the comic!

I am positive I saw Flatliners--the original!--in theatre; even if I have no recollection of why, or the movie itself. I do know they were more hands-on in trying after death experiences, than the jerk in this comic: from 1974, Black Magic #4, reprinting "Last Second of Life!" from 1950's Black Magic #1. Script maybe by Jack Kirby, art by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

After his partner dies terrified and screaming, tycoon Matthew Crane starts investigating what happens after death, by trying to find someone just about to kick off and getting them to spill the beans. It's a morbid little search, where he examines and discards several terminally ill people that weren't going to die soon enough for him, finally settling on a young girl with maybe a week to go. He's furious when she lasts longer, but when the time comes, berates her to tell him what she sees...and she does. Spoiler: Matthew doesn't take it real well.

Also this issue: "The Girl the Earth Ate Up!" from 1951's Black Magic #6, with art by George Roussos: a woman wants something to control her partying daughter, and gets a magic pair of scissors from the black magic of Old Min. She thinks it will scare her daughter straight, and instead it sends her directly to hell? Well, she did look scared. And "His Father's Footsteps!" also from Black Magic #1, with Mort Meskin art: a hangman is afraid of his son following in his footsteps, and takes to murder to try and prevent it. But, as usual, blood will tell...(I'm not sure about the coloring on that one, it looks like he's going to nurse that kid.) 

Aw, I could've scheduled this for Jack's birthday the other day, but I'm never that organized! Well, this is pretty close, anyway.

Who saw that coming...? OK, everybody.

I don't have a lot of these issues, but this is like the second I've seen where the pretty girl love interest for Korak ends up dead, which is kind of worrying. From 1976, the Tarzan Family (Featuring Korak) #63, featuring "Song of the Dolphin" Written by Robert Kanigher, art by Rudy Florese.

We saw a later issue with a giantess a while back; but this month Korak's raft gets swamped by a killer whale, and while the dolphins try to help, he gets sucked down to an underwater cave, where he's found by Andra. The meet-cute is immediately stepped on by the attack of a giant crab, but Korak manages to knock a stalactite loose and impale it. Andra was already pretty won over, since she was looking to leave her home in New Atlantis, because it was...I don't know, boring? Stifling? Oppressive? The locals mention putting up with her, like it was a recurring chore; and net Korak, since he was a violent, pollution-bringing surface-dweller, and as such had to die; but they weren't prepared for him to fight back. Andra leads Korak to an escape route to the surface, and they take it, which should probably lead to the bends (not like that!) but instead Andra shrivels up and dies. The story seems to think it's due to pollution, but I'd say the pressure change? It could've been sunlight, oxygen, the common cold, anything. Anyway, the friendly dolphins help Korak to safety, probably for something else terrible to happen to him.

Also this issue: John Carter of Mars, in "Death Has Three Heads!" This has an odd framing sequence, as an aquatic Myoposan has recovered the secret diaries of John Carter from the sea-bottom--what sea? Mars was dry as hell in those stories, wasn't it? John had rescued the Princess Tanna from inside an emerald, but they are then attacked by a three-headed pterodactyl thing, then sucked into a strange craft. Kinda all over the place, this one: Tanna looks more like a white girl, than the usual natives of Barsoom. (Written by Robert Kanigher, pencils by Noly Zamora, inks by Vic Catan.) Then, another Carson of Venus story from Len Wein and M.W. Kaluta; as Carson fights a giant spider, but loses a friend. Finally, get out your reading glasses, for two months worth of Hal Foster's Sunday Tarzan strips! I think the standard comic pages are way smaller than this would've originally appeared. Also, it's weird that Tarzan's two soldier friends this story are D'arnot and Carnot.

Maybe those are run-of-the-mill French Foreign Legion names, I don't know.

EDIT: I'm not sure how this scan got here! Hey, there's also a USPS statement of ownership: Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 129,054.

"Magnificent."

We're swiping pretty liberally from Doctor Who this time, with Death's Head regenerating, and having a "companion." Which we'll get more into next time! Since Marvel doesn't have those rights anymore, Death's Head probably wouldn't get to refer back to the Doctor by name: come to think of it, he probably wouldn't be able to refer to the Transformers as such, either. Weird to have two holes like that. From Death's Head #8, "Time Bomb!" Written by Steve Parkhouse, pencils by Art Wetherell, inks by Steve Parkhouse.

Invariably, the first guy Sunfire punches turns out to be a good guy; he's pretty used to that now.

Another Death's Head II appearance today! Almost like I planned it, but you all know better. From 1993, Black Axe #2, "The Immortality Gambit" Written by Simon Jowett, pencils by Edmund Perryman (Bagwell), inks by Rodney Ramos. Cover by John Romita Jr.

We saw the first issue some time back; as the immortal warrior Black Axe got beat first by Death's Head II, then by the Sisters of Grace. This issue finds him in Japan trying to get his mojo back, both by meditation and training, and by having his namesake weapon repaired by Kaori Tamayoshi, the latest in a long line of sword-makers. Unfortunately, the Hand also want Kaori, in a quest for a mythical "Great Sword." The Hand also tries their hand, as it were, at modernizing; bringing in Mandroids. Because when you think of stealth and success, you think Mandroids, sure.

The head Hand guy recognizes Black Axe from way back, then Sunfire shows up to try and fry him. Kaori stops him, and Sunfire admits he might have either jumped to conclusions, or not paid a lot of attention at his briefing. Sunfire and Black Axe make short work of the Mandroids, then Kaori and Sunfire see Black Axe off to the airport, where he's attacked by another couple Hand. But, he has a rematch coming with Death's Head II, which might be interrupted by Mephisto...! This issue went pretty quick, and the title only ran for like seven issues; but pretty sure the later ones are tougher to run across.

I was waiting for my Death's Head to show up from Fed Ex, so we dug this one up, which I think I picked up twice lately but wasn't sure I had read? From 1992, Death's Head II #4, "2020 Vision!" Written by Dan Abnett, pencils by Liam Sharp, inks by Andy Lanning and Liam Sharp.

The 2020 of Earth-9939 is probably worse than that of either here or the traditional 616 Marvel universe, as Baron Strucker V has taken over the body of Death's Head and become Charnel. I may have forgotten how that boiled down, as Death's Head's personality ended up one of like 104 in the "Minion" and took it over to become Death's Head II; and his old sidekick Spratt might have been deceived and later killed by Strucker. Punisher leads a suicide run against Charnel; to steal his time-travel doohickey, so Captain America and the remaining heroes can try to go back to 1992 and stop Charnel. Meanwhile, in 1992, Death's Head II, Tuck, and Dr. Necker are at an abandoned mall purchased by A.I.M; awaiting the menace from the future. They have a brief scuffle with Wolverine--breaking one of his claws!--before Cap settles everyone down, since he knows DH II wasn't the big threat.

Charnel arrives, in a body still half-resembling the original Death's Head; and plans on setting up shop there to create the crap future the other heroes had just come from. DH II doesn't really understand why they'd commit suicide like that: either Charnel kills them, or they wipe out their timeline by killing him. Still, he admires Wolverine's fighting spirit; but things go south when Charnel drains the Scarlet Witch's power, and shreds Wolvie. DH II has a last-gasp plan: using two time-jumpers and a Scarlet Witch hex, he sends Charnel to the past and the future, splitting him in two. (He'd be back!) The heroes disappear, as their timeline ends; and Death's Head II gives Dr. Necker an earful: her actions had led to nothing but death, and he wasn't her "Minion" anymore. (As typical for a lot of these I've read, Tuck and Dr. Necker are drawn entirely too similar! Also, a coloring plate seems to have shifted on the second-to-last page, leaving everything in a magenta tone.)

DH II and Tuck split in a stolen semi, while a scowling Dr. Necker sees the Avengers from the present arrive, and leaves rather than talk to Cap. The Fantastic Four and Avengers both take off after Death's Head II and Tuck, as the miniseries ends. A regular series was forthcoming, but they would guest in Warheads first.

My love for you is like a truck...wait, I still know I've done that before.

Probably? Or close enough! Just enough time for another quick Aliens comic: from 1995, Aliens: Berserker #4, written by John Wagner, pencils by Paul Mendoza, inks by Andy Mushynsky.

This was the conclusion of a mini-series, and as was traditional, not everybody makes it out: with some of his friends captured, and the battlesuit's pilot used up, young Ellis is forced to get in his mech to save them. Or, at least one of them: still, good effort. The suit isn't strictly mechanical, though: there's a painful looking interface to his skull, and I think it's shooting him full of fake adrenaline and such. While Ellis seems to take to the job, he and the rest of his "Berserker" crew are betrayed by their C.O, "Pops," who takes the Company line, but does insist on saving the one girl, Lara, for himself. Lara doesn't want anything to do with Pops, even when he pops open a mini-fridge for champagne--and gets a facehugger launched at him! (A page I knew I had seen before, on Sleestak's Aliens vs. Archie!)

Jess, Lara, and Ellis manage to escape before Pops's "failsafe" goes off; although Ellis looks pretty fried. The trio would go on to another mini, Aliens vs. Predator: War, which featured some other returning characters as well. Ugh, I think I just remembered the battlesuit or whatever from 2018's the Predator, a movie like Aliens: Covenant, that was so bad it's almost completely fallen out of my head. (I found Prometheus for a couple bucks at the pawn shop, so I was able to watch that with the Youngest; I still think it's interesting but not great. Then we watched a bunch of bonus features/deleted scenes/really pretentious footage that just makes it seem like a monster movie with a swelled head.)

The overall effect is like the Tankies got a sponsor.

Actually, it's more like getting sponsored for something you were already doing! From 2018, World of Tanks: Citadel #5, written by Garth Ennis, art by P.J. Holden, colors by Michael Atiyeh.

I thought World of Tanks was a mobile game; and maybe it is, but there's an ad for PS4/Xbox One/Xbox 360 on the back of this issue. This was the second of two mini-series tying in for the game; but reads more like another of Ennis's Battlefields; and this issue was the conclusion of the Battle of Kursk. The Germans had overextended themselves, and their new Panther tank wasn't a success. Ennis probably does the best-researched war comics ever; I'm going to have to see if any of the other issues turn up.

Just a random issue here, but it shows how good strategy and planning can be completely undermined by shoddy equipment and bad luck.

"Tummy."

I don't 100% remember this, but I went through a stretch in first grade where I would eat a baloney sandwich for lunch, run around outside for the rest of the lunch hour, then come back to the classroom and puke my lungs out. Not just once, but like multiple times, before somebody figured out, maybe don't give that kid baloney? I don't care for it now, I haven't eaten it maybe since. I think I threw up a lot even for a little kid; then grew out of it a bit, in time for teenage drinking to bring it back. (Don't call it a comeback!) 

Hey, a new She-Hulk! Making her one of those characters that's a different figure every time she shows up here.

I don't think I'm doing this bit all week. I probably could, sure, but...

This is another one I had at some point, and recently pulled from the dollar bins at least twice, so by rule...From 1989, Batman Annual #13, "Faces" Written by James (Priest) Owsley, pencils by Michael Bair, inks by Gray Morrow.

So over on Progressive Ruin, there was a recent discussion about whether or not Commissioner Gordon knows Bruce Wayne is Batman. The consensus is, probably? But he pretends not to know, out of respect for his friend, and doubtless for liability reasons, to protect the department. I'd like that more, if Jim still hung out with Bruce; especially after an issue like this one, where Alfred would be serving brandy and Bruce would have to sit there and nod politely while getting read the riot act secondhand: "Batman absolutely screwed the pooch on this one, Bruce. Completely dropped the ball. The nerve of that guy, who does he think he is...?" Probably a solid 45 minutes of that.

This issue begins with a prologue to (arguably) cheerier times, although it's maybe a brief window, when Jason Todd was Robin and Batgirl was still occasionally active. A cop is killed in a bombing, and Batman tells Gordon it was planted by Freddie Richards, an associate of Two-Face. Both Freddie and Two-Face are captured; and Gordon briefly confronts Batgirl, saying he thought Barbara had hung up the cape: I didn't think he knew that!

Years later, Freddie was going to get the chair for killing a cop, but Bruce watches a tape of a Jack Ryder news special, interviewing members of Two-Face's gang hiding out in Santa Prisca, and one admits he killed the cop Freddie was going to fry for. Batman goes to Gordon to request custody of Two-Face for 72 hours; but doesn't pick the best time: asking him at his wife's grave, with the now-wheelchair bound Barbara. Gordon flatly tells him no; Batman proceeds anyway, disguising himself as a doctor and busting Two-Face out of Gotham. (I wonder if Bats uses his Batman-voice so Harvey knows him, but Two-Face claims he knew immediately.) Batman feels like he helped finger Freddie--ugh, phrasing--and refuses to let him die for a crime he didn't commit, regardless of what he would have to do. Starting with, keeping Two-Face in a cage in the Batcave, while Bruce Wayne plays dumb with Gordon during a Wayne Mansion fundraiser.

Batman and Two-Face hitch a ride on a cargo transport dropping medical supplies for Santa Prisca, and Two-Face is more than a little irritated that his crew has forgotten their place. Batman is more mad, since in the background of the Ryder interview, was the cop that had allegedly been murdered in the first place! He'd been on the take; which doesn't quite line up: Barbara had been a friend of his, she probably would have recognized him and could've backed up Batman's side of this story. Batman suggests Two-Face let the coin decide, but his goons show up first, and his 'coin' is cracked open, revealing some kind of gyroscope: Batman had slipped him a fake! Two-Face is livid, sure, but also disappointed: Bats had cheated, which seemed unworthy of him. He leaves Batman in a death trap, that he of course escapes from; and Batman realizes a crooked cop might find work in a crooked country as a crooked cop again.

While he manages to get both the crooked cop and Two-Face to the airplane, they both take off running, leaving Batman with a perverse Sophie's Choice: he only has time to catch one of them. Batman chooses the cop, and manages to get a stay of execution for Freddie Richards, but Gordon gives him an earful. There had been a body in the bombing, who's to say Freddie didn't kill whoever that had been? He hadn't been an innocent by any account. And what crimes would Two-Face commit while on the loose? Batman knows, he kind of broke his trust with Two-Face, and he could be worse going forward. Let's see if we can run that down: this came out April 1989, and I think Two-Face would next appear shortly in "A Lonely Place of Dying," but that was a crossover with Titans and introduced Tim Drake, right? I don't know if this issue was mentioned. And Priest would get to write some Batman again, but it would be a while.

Also this issue: "Waiting in the Wings," by Kevin Dooley and Malcolm Jones III. Mid-Year One, Alfred tells Bruce he's quitting, to pursue his acting career. (Spoiler alert: he doesn't!) There's also several updated Who's Who style pages, including one for Vicki Vale, who had virtually been written out of the book by then.