What do Lone Wolf and Cub and Marvel Adventures Avengers have in common? Well, I've probably got all of both of them, spread out across like four different formats. Today we've got one of the collections that I believe were sold at Target, per the indica: Target Avengers: Mischief, reprinting Marvel Adventures: Avengers #5-8, written by Tony Bedard, pencils by Shannon Gallant, inks by John Stanisci, Cory Hamscher, and Norman Lee.

As always, these are fun, light adventures; with a line-up I kind of like: mainstays Cap, Iron Man, and Janet Van Dyne as Giant-Girl; Wolverine and Storm, Spider-Man and the Hulk. Most of these issues feature Loki, creating foils for the team just to see what would happen: this was pretty close to the Wrecker's usual origin, and he fits into Juggernaut's as Cain Marko's guide "Loquito" and points him at the temple of Cyttorrak. Loki later disguises himself as Cap and the Juggernaut as the Hulk, as they breakout the recently created U-Foes to join their little team. (It's easy when you can pick up four members at once!) Loki leads an attack on Avengers Tower, in a flying middle school (Irving Forbush!) reasoning they wouldn't know what to make of it, until it was too late! Still, Cap works out what Loki wanted--to regain reverance over "twerps" like Spider-Man--and embarrasses him on national TV as a bully.

This collection is a hair bigger than a usual comic, but I also have several of the digest-size books. I didn't have this one, though; in fact I had less of them than I had thought! A lot of that shelf were the later collections which usually spotlighted Spidey, Cap, Iron Man or Thor; or some team-up pairing thereof. But, I have some as they were originally published, as regular comics. I might have to take a bit to re-read the last collection of the series--there was a relaunch afterwards--and the team had added Tigra by that point, which is even better! Read more!

Yes, I bought the second issue again; it's just easier, all right?

I wonder where I bought it, but three years back we checked out the second issue of this; and last week we found the whole series for $2.50! From 2004, Identity Disc, written by Rob Rodi, pencils by John Higgins, inks by Sandu Florea. (Today's scans are from the fourth issue.)

A.I.M. has the titular disc at their secret rocket base in Manhattan, and the guys' infiltration has not gone well: Vulture had put up quite a fight to disable the power, so Juggernaut, Sabretooth, Deadpool, and Bullseye could get past a retina scan; but the base commander wasn't fooled. While in the middle of a mighty rant, he's interrupted by massive explosions: Vulture warns that A.I.M. shot up their generator shooting at him, and the whole place could go up. Sabretooth wants to push on to the disc, apparently unwilling to risk being blackmailed, while Vulture attempts a break for it.

Swarmed by A.I.M. troops, Deadpool plays decoy, to give the rest time to get to the elevator. Sabretooth heads down, while Juggernaut and Bullseye argue who should hold the line: Bullseye judo-flips Juggernaut down the shaft, where he lands on Sabretooth, flattening him like a cartoon character. Juggernaut pushes on to the disc, then checks to see if it's real--and is shot in the mouth by "You! You're the one behind this!" Whatever he was shot with, Juggernaut goes down, as explosions destroy the base.

Outside, one survivor makes his way out: a wounded Vulture crashes, immediately swarmed by cops. He was kind of the whipping boy/low man on the totem pole most of this series: After Sandman is seemingly killed, Sabretooth sneeringly tells Vulture he doesn't have his "boy toy" to protect him; and Deadpool is pretty disparaging of him too. But will the proverbial worm turn in the last issue?
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Feeling a bit run-down today.

It's his second issue, how did he have so many damn subplots going? From 1993, Thunderstrike #2, "Family Matters!" Written and co-plotted by Tom DeFalco, penciled and co-plotted by Tom DeFalco, finishes by Al Milgrom.

Admittedly, a couple subplots are actually bleeding over from Avengers: when Thunderstrike has Black Knight examine the Bloodaxe (that would eventually lead to his demise…) he notices Crystal and the Knight's attraction, as well as Sersi "glaring" at those two. What he doesn't notice, is that the Black Knight would probably be the best person in the world to discuss a cursed, blood-crazed magic weapon with; and as such doesn't really open up about it, even though the axe was already giving him nightmares. Still, he has other things on his mind as well: Eric was going to take his son Kevin to visit his parents; so of course something is bound to come up and wreck that.

Two things, actually, both of them throwing "We're family!" around, although technically neither were! Kevin's stepdad Bobby had beat up his mom, and was acting erratically; their drive was about to be held up by the Juggernaut, who is surprisingly level-headed this month. A genetic engineering treatment for his longtime partner Black Tom Cassidy was starting to fail, so Juggs needed to pick up his medical records. Huh, this issue actually predates HIPAA, but Genetech still won't release Tom's PHI without signed authorization. Juggs figures, probably correctly, he can intimidate them into coughing it up.

Juggernaut literally walks all over Thunderstrike, although Eric does get an unseen assist, I believe from Stellaris. Seeing his son with Bobby, Eric wanted to wrap this one up quick, and is forced to use the Bloodaxe...to chop off Juggernaut's helmet, and get his attention. Eric helps him get the file, and Juggernaut pays for the damages, even chipping in some extra for the volunteer fire department that had tried to hold him off. (He was impressed!) While he wonders if this compromise was a good idea or not, Eric gets to his parents' house, where Kevin is waiting safe and sound: Bobby had dropped him off and disappeared. The issue isn't over yet, though, as later Eric sees a familiar looking signal, from the lady Sif! In another just awful costume!

Sif has actually gotten two action figures in recent years, both of them in better outfits, thankfully. Still no Marvel Legends Thunderstrike, but maybe someday.
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"Lorna."

Sometimes, when a long-standing character finally gets an action figure, even if they've been waiting years for it, collectors can still feel pangs of regret if they don't get a preferred look for said character. A superhero--or heroine--could have dozens of outfits or variations over the years, but only get one plastic incarnation. Ask some fans about "safari jacket" Wonder Man, or '80's Outback/video game Dazzler. Today, we've got the brand new Marvel Legends X-Men Polaris, who features a somewhat modernized version of her best-known costume. And looks positively thrilled about it. Seriously, she seems a bit glum.

I liked Polaris's first X-Factor uniform, but I think the only Marvel Legend in that era's style would be Quicksilver. Probably not finishing that lineup any time soon.

We're referencing an old bit of continuity, from 1976's X-Men #97, when the Shi'ar agent using the alias Eric the Red (which had been previously been used by Cyclops!) abducted and brainwashed Havok and Polaris to fight the X-Men. It's a great fight there, although I'm not sure Eric the Red's storyline was resolved that cleanly.

Also, it took me a bit to balance, but Juggernaut is standing on Wolverine's back in the third picture--but he's blocked by Alex and Lorna!
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"Fauxhold."

Sadly, the panel with the two Hobgoblins, was supposed to have a third one: I still have the previous version from the Spider-Man line of some years back. (We see him in an episode of "Timing," an old series here that got away from me like this one!) I think it would compare pretty favorably with the new Marvel Legends version, and might even have a better glider.

I kind of liked the Baron Mordo figure from Dr. Strange, although he didn't come with his Staff of the Living Tribunal, just a stick. He also seemed like too classy a guy to give Satana a lot of hassle.
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Is this a mockbuster, then?

There are few comics that burned as much goodwill with me as DC's Identity Crisis, which ran from August 2004 to February 2005. But right next to it on the racks was today's book, from August to December 2004: Marvel's Identity Disc. Specifically, we've got #2, written by Rob Rodi, pencils by John Higgins, inks by Sandu Florea.

There's a pretty good recap page: claiming to work for fabled super-criminal mastermind Tristram Silver, mystery woman Valeria Merrick brings together Sabretooth, Sandman, Juggernaut, Deadpool, Bullseye, and the Vulture. Using blackmail and threats, she wants them to help her get the fabled Identity Disc, which supposedly contains the secrets of every hero in America. Sandman doesn't buy it, and chafes at the threat to his mom; and Valeria kills him. (Yeah, like Sandman doesn't die every third appearance.) The bulk of this issue is not unlike a typical caper story, with Sabretooth and Vulture doing a smaller job for intel against A.I.M, while Deadpool and Bullseye hit a computer lab for a special decryption key, and Juggernaut watches an A.I.M. installation.

I kind of suspect both Pool and Bullseye are lying here, about their "blackmail stories." It's a little stalker-y even for Deadpool, while I can't imagine Bullseye caring if a dozen syndicates were after him: that's just more targets for him. And is it feasible to blackmail someone with no shame or fear of consequence? Bullseye tries to do a little research on Merrick, but after they hear a Tristram Silver story from a bartender, Bullseye decides he's out, double-crossing the others on his way by stealing the key. And finding pretty quickly he bit off more than he could chew, as Juggernaut and Sabretooth demolish him. (With Pool delivering a kick or three while he's down.) Merrick arrives before any permanent damage is done, taking the key and telling the team the timetable has been moved up...

We've mentioned "mockbusters" before: they usually mean the knock-off films meant to capitalize on a blockbuster film, like Trans-Morphers. Was Identity Disc intended as such, getting sales by confused comic buyers? This is a trifle compared to Identity Crisis, but at least it doesn't try to be more than it is. Namely, a riff on a modern classic crime movie, the name of which I won't mention since it could be considered a spoiler! Although, I think this post on one issue is longer than the Wikipedia entry for the entire series. And even more oddly, the disc was apparently legit! I was betting it was horsecrap at this point.
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"Sinisters."

The last issue of Superior Foes of Spider-Man came out a couple of weeks back, but I have to say I'm still digesting it. There's a bit of a new status quo that may or may not be followed up on; but even if it's not, it wouldn't take away from the book. I've already heard one person say, Sony should consider a Superior Foes movie instead of a Sinister Six...

Is this the first strip here with the Constrictor? Man, his tentacle-whip things are kind of useless. It's definitely the first strip for Wolvie's kid Daken, since I got him on the cheap earlier this year, yet hadn't bothered to open him yet. Will he turn up again? Enh...
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Click through to all sizes for datable size!

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Really, really looking forward to Incredible Herc now, and really not looking forward to the end of Cable & Deadpool. Even if it hasn't been firing on all cylinders the last issue or two, I like it a lot better without Cable. Deadpool is gonna need another job, and game show host wouldn't be a bad fit for him.

I re-read "Trial of the Juggernaut," or whatever the hell those issues of Uncanny X-Men were, where Cain and Jen sleep together. Hmm, on further thought, I'm pretty sure I only made it through one of those, which is just as well since they've been retconned out. Anyway, I like Juggernaut as a villain, but not the main villain, since he's a one-dimensional clod the best of times.

I haven't read She-Hulk's book regularly since her first series, oddly enough: when I was little and had a subscription to Star Wars, my sister got a sub to various Marvel books that got cancelled, like Spider-Woman and She-Hulk. Would it be too broad to say She-Hulk has a bad reputation as being, um, promiscuous? And yet, there is no way she was moreso than Herc or Iron Man. Hooray double standards!

Iron Man's 'cell' is the remote control to the Happy Helmet, and came with Ren. The desk and card are from Space Ghost, and you had best have one, it's still a classic. Jen's chair is from the Norman Osborn figure from the first Spider-Man movie line. You can't tell from the pics, but Herc and Iron Man have folding chairs from some cheapo wrestling figures, Juggernaut's on the Space Ghost stool, and Wade has a chair from the Strange Brew toys--man, ton of accessories from that one. And the background behind Wade is from the Playmates Simpsons line...Sideshow Bob? Hmm. Read more!