"The End" Week: Nexus #80!

Every year, there's always one issue I'm surprised we haven't hit before! We might have mentioned it, but time to dig in: from 1991, Nexus #80, "Prelude to a Kiss-Off" Written by Mike Baron, pencils by Hugh Haynes, inks by Arne Starr. Cover by Les Dorscheid. 

Dragon lady-type (not literally!) Ursula is torturing her kids' nanny, former interim Nexus Lonnie Loomis, to see if she still had powers: she decides no, but then finds her young daughters Sheena and Scarlett spying on her, and drags them off for punishment. Lonnie did have at least some powers left though, and manages to escape, accidentally killing a guard in the process. Meanwhile, on Ylum, Horatio Hellpop was Nexus again, and kills a corrupt businessman who was buying a condo there. (That seems like a poor choice of location for a murderer to buy a place!) Horatio is a little put off that he had to snuff a guy in front of his wife, but honestly, that was how he rolled: he wasn't going to wait and kill him in the bathroom or anything. Sundra tries to comfort him, but also light a fire under his ass, since they had to go a museum opening, since Horatio had donated most of the exhibits.

A ton of fun cameos there, from Badger and his supporting cast, Grimjack, Skeevo from Dreadstar (a great character I wish could still be used!), Space Ghost, Bruce Lee, and Elvis...Unfortunately, at the opening Horatio has to deal with the new ambassador from Earth and her husband, but when he and Sundra leave, Lonnie is in their car, and warns them the ambassador was actually a spy for Ursula, who was building an army of women. (The women were treated as second-class citizens by their religious zealot men, but were now fanatics themselves for Ursula, who trained them and gave them opportunity to prove themselves.) It's bad news, but then Horatio has to tell Lonnie that when he had to kill the replacement Nexus Stanislaus Korivitsky, Lonnie's little sister Michana had been powering him, and Horatio had been forced to kill her as well. Lonnie says no, she couldn't tell how, but Michana was still alive...

Somewhere, deep in an asteroid belt, Michana has a tea party with a stone copy of her stuffed animal Otis, and fantasizes about her mother and sister Stacy coming for her, and not that rat traitor Lonnie. (The Loomis sisters all got powers in the Next Nexus limited, to avenge their dad, who of course had been killed by Horatio.) Michana's mom doesn't come for her, but Ursula does; which might be biting off more than she can chew. Michana was a formerly spoiled little girl turned stone psycho-killer, with all the Nexus fusion-casting powers and zero compunction against killing...to be continued? 

Eventually! As we mentioned when we looked at Grimjack's last issue, First Comics was trying to transition from monthly comics to squarebound one-shots or limited series. On the creative side, that seemed like a good idea: less burnout, more time to make something a special event. But on the sales side, that sounds like a nightmare: unless you have a lot of books in the pike, you don't have the steady stream of income like you would with monthlies, and pre-internet First would've had to maybe spend more to get the word out? Sadly, First Comics would go under in 1992. But Nexus would return, with original artist/co-creator Steve Rude for the Origin and Alien Justice in 1992 at Dark Horse, although it felt like a much longer gap. The letters page for the last First issue also mentions Nexus the Liberator as a two-issue deluxe, but it would instead also be released by Dark Horse in 1992 as a four-issue mini. Nexus continues, sporadically, to this day: the most recent was Nexus: Scourge from 2024. Oddly, both Baron and Rude are still working on Nexus, but separately! I don't know if there was any animosity, or if they both just wanted to do their own things with the character, or maybe their schedules didn't line up to keep working on it together.

Read more!

There wasn't a garbage can to leave the costume in, but Horatio nails the Spider-Man walking away thing.

We haven't seen an issue of this one in a couple years, and although I'm pretty sure I had it I bought it with a bunch of other First comics from the quarter bin. From 1989, Nexus #52, "Take This Job and Shove It" Written by Mike Baron, pencils by Paul Smith, inks by John Nyberg.

Events in the crossover Crossroads, along with the loss of his friend Kreed, have finally pushed Horatio to the point of quitting his 'job' as Nexus. Deep in the caves of Ylum, he confronts his alien benefactor, the Merk, who remains immobile and silent as Horatio renounces the title, his powers, and his costume; no longer caring if the Merk tortured him to death with dreams of murderers. Convinced the Merk's silence wasn't consent, but another of his attempts at manipulation, Horatio leaves, facing a long hike through the caves. (He had left equipment, so he wouldn't have to go in his underwear!) He pauses when he finds a stone, covered in glyphs: earlier, Horatio had been digging up artifacts of Ylum's earlier civilization, only to later be told by the Merk that he had created them all, in a single night, possibly to give him something to do. But this stone, was apparently the work of a race of demons, now believed extinct. Maybe not completely extinct, as one introduces himself...

In Ylum's habitations, it's election season, with capitalist huckster Vooper against the incumbent Tyrone. Tyrone was a somewhat stern individual that took his duties exceedingly seriously, so he had hired young Casper Wineburger (from an earlier issue) as campaign manager. Vooper's partner, the sour Swerdlow, notes he was an experienced "rabble-rouser," and sets his security staff on him, with laughable deniability. Dave, long a voice of reason in Ylum, makes a courtesy call to Vooper and then Tyrone, to let them know Sundra, Horatio's girlfriend, was entering the race. Casper recognizes her as a legitimate contender, while Dave fears they might split the vote and leave the door open for Vooper, who could easily outspend them both.

Back in the caves, Horatio has a pleasant conversation with the demon, who explains he had evolved past his malicious nature: that was how he avoided the Merk's wrath, and why he didn't kill Horatio on sight. The demon also claims to have known Horatio's father, but admits meeting a demon might have severely disturbed him. Horatio seems to be malingering a bit, as he sits in a hot spring with the demon: he didn't want to get mired down in Ylum's politics, and wasn't sure what to do with himself going forward. The demon, Farouk, advises a task: when he returns, the first person he sees will provide an answer.

Swerdlow's security man lures Casper to a trap, where he's sucker-punched by some goons who plan to drop him in a crevice. He almost escapes, but catches a knife in the back, just as Horatio arrives. Reflexively, Horatio tries to burn the goons down with a fusion blast, then has to kill one with a shovel and the other with a kick into that crevice. The dying Casper asks Nexus to avenge him, assuming his killers were from his homeworld Flatlandia. Carrying Casper's body, Horatio then is greeted by Sundra, who after brief dismay over the body, has to tell him she's running for president. Which strikes Horatio as funny, she had originally come there as a spy.

The story closes with the reading of Kreed's will: among other things, there was proof of Swerdlow's treason, and he and his goon are arrested. (Horatio appears to hold the security man at 'gunpoint' merely by pointing at him, as he would've assumed Nexus still had powers!) Next up, debates! How often do you see those in comics...Also this issue: "Baron's (Nonlinear) Guide to the Nexus Universe." Man, I feel like this series could've gone so much further, if it hadn't been ankled when First went under. It would go on at Dark Horse, but I feel like a lot of momentum was lost.

Read more!

Love this book so much I crammed it in the scanner. Well, a spare copy, anyway.

Today, a book I genuinely love, and one that I think has influenced me a great deal, for good or ill. From 1988, Nexus #50, written by Mike Baron, art by Steve Rude.

This 52-page issue wrapped up a number of storylines, including the six-part Badger crossover...y'know, that wasn't really a crossover as much as a guest-spot. Nexus, Judah, and Badger have returned to the mysterious Bowl-Shaped World to enlist the help of its creator, Ashram. The manta-like alien could manipulate black holes and suns, but had been overthrown by the tyrant Sklar. Sklar, for his part, is overthrown and fried early on this issue; and the weakened Ashram plans to reach into our universe to drain power from a star...but Nexus has an idea.

In our universe, the black hole/gravity well project at space station Stacy is nearing implosion, which would probably destroy earth's entire solar system. Mars, for its part, seems unperturbed, but does postpone the execution of the mass murderer Kreed. (Kreed was one of Nexus's closest friends, yet he and Sinclair had gone kill-crazy trying to cross names off Nexus's list of mass murderers.) As panic grows, and refugees swarm to the now-swamped haven of Ylum; Nexus and Ashram plan to save both Ashram's sun and the gravity well. But first, Ashram wants to tell Nexus how he finds Ylum:

"But Ylum's a mess! Housing shortages! Overcrowding! Crime!"

"Au contraire, Nexus. It is a most exciting experiment in democracy...even taking into account those Ylumites who don't understand democracy...who have no hope of ever comprehending democracy..."

I've mentioned that exchange before, I've always liked it. Again, I'm not sure that this was Baron or Rude's intent, but I've always felt like it meant that Ylum is great because it's trying to work with people that don't understand democracy, don't wanna understand democracy, and may never understand democracy. And I've always really liked that idea. It makes me feel like used properly, a democratic society will eventually wear down extremists, tyrants, and opportunists. It's a hopeful line, that even though it seems like no one gets along and everyone is filled with generations of hate, eventually people will work it out. I don't know if either Baron or Rude would agree with me on that now, though. Hell, I don't know if I agree with me now, but it still makes me hopeful.


Ashram sends our heroes--and tinpot used-car salesman and chiseller Honest Crocus--back through the black hole, where Judah and Nexus are able to use their fusionkasting abilities to help stabilize Ashram's sun and the black hole, saving both. (Badger is sucked back through the black hole, presumably back to his own book! Judah and Nexus aren't terribly broken up, perhaps expecting such to happen, or perhaps six issues is a long time to spend with Badger.) Having saved the solar system, Nexus lobbies for greater acceptance of his world Ylum, as well as commuting Kreed's sentence. Kreed begs to differ, that saving him sends the wrong message: Nexus argues some people would always say such, Kreed argues back that with his death...they would say it less. With a final farewell, Kreed dies, apparently willing himself to do so.

Although Ylum and the rest of the universe seem to celebrate him, and Horatio is glad to be back with Sundra, he claims he is through being Nexus. His boss, the alien Merk, can "find another sucker." Sundra worries that it seems wrong...as the Loomis sisters, daughters of one of Nexus's victims, find a tank not unlike the one that gave Nexus his powers, on neighboring Headworld...and one of Horatio's daughters, Scarlett, has a terrifying vision of a man with "a long scar running down his left eye..." That would be Grimjack, who with Dreadstar would face Nexus in the Crossroads crossover.

While several new plots were being warmed up there, this issue felt a lot more like an ending than a beginning. Co-creator Steve Rude would be drawing the Next Nexus mini-series, while Paul Smith drew the main title for four issues--and you could do a lot worse than Paul Smith! Rude would return with #58, but would only stay until #60, then not return until the series' relaunch with Dark Horse and Nexus: the Origin.

Also this issue: a glimpse into Baron and Rude's process. Baron gives Rude rough layouts and dialog, with the caveat "Remember to forget my layouts!" I love that! I've been working off that idea for years now: if I had a proper artist, I would have them go nuts on my stupid panel layouts...

Read more!

OK, this (last) week's comics:

I haven't done one of these in a bit, but here's the stuff I bought last week.

First up, Amazing X-Men #5, "The Quest for Nightcrawler, conclusion" Written by Jason Aaron, pencils by Ed McGuinness, inks by Dexter Vines. A number of plot threads Aaron had brewing for some time come together, as the Red Bamfs and the Blue Bamfs battle at the Jean Grey School, Nightcrawler's regathered the X-Men to fight the demon hordes of his dad Azazel and save heaven. The late Professor X tries to get Kurt not to go through with his plan to stop Azazel, but Kurt feels it's his responsibility, and pays the price for it. It's a pretty, pretty issue; but feels a bit rushed, and slightly grimmer than the art would indicate. Also, I know Wolverine doesn't have his healing factor currently, but I thought he did at the start of this one!

Somewhat conversely, we're up to the seventh issue of Satellite Sam, and the question the book started with--who killed Carlyle White, the actor who played Satellite Sam?--is seemingly no closer to being answered. It's still a fun, smutty ride, though I wonder: does it need closure on the murder, or will that wrap up the book? This issue will probably read better collected, a common trend for today's books. (Written by Matt Fraction, art by Howard Chaykin.)


The end of the world continues in both B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth #117 and Abe Sapien #11. (B.P.R.D. written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by James Harren, inks by Dave Stewart; Abe written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, art by Max Fiumara, and colors by Dave Stewart.) This issue of B.P.R.D. is the third of a five-parter, but still feels like there's some forward progress; as Liz Sherman and her team, along with the freaky Iosif of the Russian Special Sciences Service, fight through the monster-infested New York City to get to the mysterious Zinco Corporation and the Black Flame. Meanwhile, in Abe's book, a former Satanist makes some progress in Seattle, while Abe seemingly fails to save the small town of Payson, Arizona. Abe's book seems to be spinning it's wheels a bit, but still works as part of a larger tapestry.

The twelve-part crossover concludes in Transformers: Dark Cybertron finale, written by John Barber and James Roberts, with layouts by Phil Jimenez, pencils by Brendan Cahill, inks by Brian Shearer. The wrap-up is to come and will set up a new status quo for the two Transformers books, but not one but two former villains may have found a measure of redemption here. It remains to be seen how much it sticks, and if the death from the previous issue (which I still need to find!) does either.

Brandon Graham does most of the art for this week's Empowered: Internal Medicine one-shot, written by Adam Warren. Empowered and Ninjette race to help an alien living spaceship deliver it's baby, at a somewhat-deranged superhero hospital. It's cheesecakey fun! Except there may be more than a bit of foreshadowing for later issues.

Dark Horse Presents #34 was purchased mainly for the conclusion of Nexus: Into the Past. It's not Baron and Rude's best on the book, but seems to draw a line under thirty-three years of stories. (On and off!) I may have been better off waiting for it to be collected, because aside from the recent short Hellboy serial, there hasn't been much else in the anthology that's grabbed me, and it's $7.99 a pop. Still, it only has two issues left, so we'll probably ride it out.

Another book I may not keep for much longer: Regular Show, since this issue finds the gang at the park fighting the 90's for the second straight issue, and it's been moving a little slowly. For four bucks an issue, it wasn't enough.

Speaking of four bucks, I did splurge for Silver Surfer #1, written by Dan Slott, art by Michael and Laura Allred. Marvel's pricing seems a bit steep, but it is a good start to the series, as the Surfer is recruited to save the massive alien city the Impericon, and a young girl is placed in jeopardy to motivate him. Only, the Surfer has no idea why. Doctor Who may be an influence this time around, but both the story and the art place the book far and away from the usual gloomy, soliliquy-spouting Surfer. I may be in for at least another issue at this rate.

All this, and I missed Warren Ellis's Moon Knight! I'll have to hold out for a second printing.


Read more!

This month, Nexus subcontracts some jobs...

Ever been at a job you hated so much, but couldn't quit; so you decided to try to get someone else to do your work for you? Well, Nexus may have had a bad experience outsourcing, but he's getting a little tired of killing mass-murderers himself. Hence, from Nexus #41, "The Experiment" Written by Mike Baron, pencils by Steve Rude, inks by John Nyberg.

Nexus dreams of four murders on an industrial planet named Clockwork: a child murderer, a slaver, a religious assassin, and a psychotic. Starting with the child murderer, Nexus starts a series of dominoes to take out all four. Tailing the assassin, he finds the killer's target, a bride-to-be. The psychotic wants to kill a priest, so Nexus points him towards the upcoming wedding. Posing as ex-military police, he then warns the slaver of an assassin trailing her. Then, he points the child murderer at a prospective victim...

At the wedding, Nexus convinces the priest to let him take his place, then plays dead as the assassin "kills" him and takes the priest's outfit. Before he can kill his target at the wedding, the psychotic murders him with an axe, then runs out of the church, where the slaver kills him with an arrow, before she's grabbed by the child murderer. Planning to torture her on film (the slaver looked younger than she was...) the murderer gets overly excited and kills her. Nexus takes out the last one himself, describing it as a pleasure.

Man, considering Nexus had "fusion-kasting" powers (think Space Ghost with death beams) and telepathy, Clockwork seemed like way more work than just outright killing those four. Still, at this point in the series, Nexus was burning out on murder (even righteous murder) and wouldn't get his groove back for some time.
Read more!

80-Page Thursdays: Dark Horse Presents #13!

Today, another 80-pager I had been waiting for: Dark Horse Presents #13, featuring stories from John Arcudi, Steve Niles, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Mike Baron, and more; and art by Sam Kieth, Steve Rude, Dean Motter, Phil Noto, and more.

This issue features the first chapter of the relaunched Ghost, which is well-done, although I'm not sure I'm in for the long haul with it yet. (I read the original series to the end, and was planning on checking out the last issue next week.) Nexus, Finder, Alien: Inhuman Condition, and Mister X all continue, while the serials for Black Beetle, Criminal Macabre, the Occultist, and the Creep all wrap up. All rock solid--I wasn't really a fan of either the Occultist or the Creep, but both were strong here.

As usual, we'll be looking at a lot of DHP for 80-Page Thursdays; although a couple of them might be 84 pages or so. #14 is 104 pages, for the same price, with more self-contained stories than usual. #15 will come up sooner or later...

Read more!

80-Page Thursdays: Dark Horse Presents #12!

I know it's possible, but for my tastes? Man alive, Dark Horse is going to have the devil's own time topping this issue: Dark Horse Presents #12, featuring stories and art from Dean Motter, Evan Dorkin, Carla Speed McNeil, Francesco Francavilla, and more.

Even though their last series wasn't their best, I am always glad to see more Nexus from Mike Baron and Steve Rude. I don't know how many chapters they're going to run, but they're off to a good start, as a mysterious new, and evil, moon suddenly appears over Ylum.

Evan Dorkin's Eltingville Club strips are always hilarious and yet usually slightly depressing, as the obsessive fanboys inevitably end up taking themselves and their hobbies too seriously and too far. This time, it's a zombie walk that predictably goes awry; although I do agree with them in regards to fast zombies...sadly, although there was a Milk & Cheese strip as well, I think this was Dorkin's last DHP for the time being.

Also starting this issue was Dean Motter's Mister X (which I hadn't read before, but another good start) and a John Layman/Sam Kieth Aliens strip, which looks like it's going to be heartbreaking even before the Aliens start eating things. Throw in more Black Beetle, more of the Creep and Finder and Criminal Macabre and a pretty solid Occultist, and it's a great package. I'm just a little sad that no matter how good the next issue is, for me it's not going to be as good as this one; and I wish it was selling better--looks like, per the Beat, it's running a little over 7,000 copies or so right now. Give it a go.




Read more!

Hopefully not getting Baron & Rude in as much trouble as Parker & Stone:

Even as I still can't watch that episode of South Park that I missed and Everybody Draw Muhammad Day falls through (links via The Bureau Chiefs) I knew this reminded me of something. The Prophet Mohammed (spelled such there, I'm not sure if 'Muhammad' is the more accepted nowadays) appears in Nexus: God Con; along with Jesus Christ, Buddha, and Yahweh, among others.

This storyline opens with Nexus's world of Ylum plastered with posters for "God Con One," placed by the Buddha, who appears as a young boy. After establishing his bona fides, Buddha explains that by popular demand, the gods are there to debate the question, how can a just god permit suffering, cruelty, and death?

Later, Horatio (the titular Nexus) is visited by Jesus, and is more than impressed with him.

Jesus is concerned about how his father will take this, being an Old Testament, 'thou shalt have no gods before me' kind of God; but actually seems more worried about what evil will do when it shows up. And it does, causing a bit of a ruckus before settling into a more pleasing, seductive shape:

Playfully, evil introduces herself to Nexus as Bernice.

Badger also shows up, not for his god Myrtle, but working security for a Thune earth mother. As the con opens, Jesus and Buddha work the dunk tank for charity, in probably the best scene of the book:

The first issue ends with Bernice opening up a ton of hell, and Yahweh arriving to put an end to evil forever. You can probably guess how well that's gonna work...
Hmm...reminds me of that Savage Dragon, "Don't **** with God" bit, although offhand I couldn't tell you which came first.

I think there may have been a few offended readers of this one, and long-time Nexus inker Gary Martin comments on the letters page about the story's liberties taken with Jesus and God. I don't know if Muslims were put off, though. Personally, this wasn't my favorite storyline either, since I'm mostly godless; but if you're offended or your feelings are hurt or you don't think your deity would act like that or you don't believe in any of them, you can just say it's a mysterious alien power taking a shape that would be recognized.

I've been a fan of Mike Baron's writing for years, but I also always thought he was on the liberal side of the fence; and in recent years his conservative views have been made more public. So I've been wondering if I've been seeing messages in his work that aren't there, or completely missing the point of what he was getting at. I thought the moral of God Con was that the real root of suffering and injustice in the universe was that there's always going to be the weak and the wicked that choose the tempting path of evil and wreck things up for everybody. I could be wrong...but I'm sticking with that one.

Scans from Nexus: God Con #1, written by Mike Baron, pencils by Steve Rude, inks by Gary Martin.

Read more!

Yes, I can see how there would be...confusion.

Guest artists are great, but it didn't seem right to do a week of Nexus posts without any Steve Rude art; so we'll take a quick look at one of the Dark Horse issues.

When a death-row inmate on Mercury is broken out of prison, moments before his execution, by a fusionkasting vigilante, blame quickly falls on Nexus. Even though Nexus' mandate is to kill murderers. And his costume is a different color. And, um, other stuff...

The inmate then commences a new murder spree, and Horatio is forced to leave off his archeological dig on Ylum with Sundra, and set out as Nexus again. In his journals, Horatio tries to work out why he continues the Merk's mission: was he bred to kill murderers? Is he a force for justice on this side of death? Or does he just enjoy his work?

Horatio's current sponsor, GQ (another of the Merk's race, but seemingly far more stable and reasonable) asks him to devote his energies elsewhere this time. Horatio senses there is something unspoken there, but is not swayed.

Before Nexus can finish the inmate, he is stopped by his newfound opposite number: Plexus. (If you ask, "Why Plexus?" you might as well ask "Why Nexus?" Because it sounds cool. And somewhat off topic, back in the First comics days, I think editor Rick Oliver had a great column about how First sank a ton of money into subliminal advertisements in grocery stores, then realized their books were direct sales only and not even available there. All they did was drive up sales of some stupid shampoo...)

Nexus and Plexus are too evenly matched, and their prolonged use of fusion power is starting to have adverse affects on the sun and the solar system. Plexus points out that "You don't cure murder with more murder." Nexus argues back that they "can no more cure murder than we can the common cold!" Both have points: while Plexus' accidental release of the inmate led to more murders, when Nexus kills someone, they're dead with no chance of appeal.

Eventually, the two are forced to stop and repair their battlefield, and both sponsors appear: Kimbo for the Plexus, and GQ. Both claim to be the last of their race.
Nexus innocently suggests the sponsors withdraw their power, so the men can settle it man to man...then throws a shard of glass into the inmate's chest, taking away any reason for the fight. (Where Horatio used to be a bit hapless without his powers, over the course of the years he became pretty hardcore.) Plexus accuses Nexus of being a thrill killer, who picks unsympathetic victims and kills with style, but a thrill killer nonetheless. Kimbo and GQ start at it with eyebeams, then both disappear. (I would've preferred a slapping match, it suits them...)

Poor Plexus is left without juice, or a ship, or the sympathy of the casino the inmate had terrorized. Nexus returns home to Sundra and the (seemingly) cheerful insanity of Ylum. Sadly, we haven't (yet) seen Plexus return, nor is it even clear if his powers returned. From Nexus: Executioner's Song #3, "Negative" (or "Plexus") Written by Mike Baron, pencils by Steve Rude, inks by Gary Martin.


Read more!

Possibly my favorite Nexus hit, or the oddest:

After the death of replacement Nexus Stanislaus Korivitsky (I suspect because Baron tired of typing the name...) Horatio returns to the job. Ostensibly, it's to keep the fusion power from falling into the wrong hands, but Horatio may feel there is nothing he does as well as being Nexus.

Luckily, Nexus has worked out some better working conditions now: instead of suffering through terrible dreams of mass-murderers, now he's working off a list. Today's target: Dexter Qassat, who admits he was a passionate warrior who killed hundreds "who raised no hand against me" during a war for independence; but now lives as a simple farmer. An old man now, Qassat was waiting for his daughters, and Horatio spends the day with him, eventually coming to believe Qassat was "rehabilitated."

Nexus plans to move Qassat down the list, or "work overtime" so his quota is met, but finds the indignant Merk waiting for him on his ship. Horatio maintains Qassat's death would serve no purpose now, and the Merk compromises: finish three other executions instead. Horatio agrees, and the first hit is pretty straight-forward, but the next one...

Is the standing cop Grimjack, also of First Comics? Well, that's the least of my questions: did Nexus kill a baby? A bad baby, but even so? Or did he lobotomize it, which would be worse somehow? Or did he somehow wipe Glom Norr out of the baby? This page also shows why Nexus sometimes didn't enjoy the best of reputations...

From Nexus #79, "Skip Day" Written by Mike Baron, pencils by Hugh Haynes, inks by Randy Clark. This would be the second-to-last First issue...First Comics, that is. And Haynes was the regular artist for the last year or so, but we've got one more artist to check out tomorrow...

Read more!

Good idea, bad idea:

When Horatio plans a visit to his daughters Scarlett and Sheena (which involves working around their mother, the master schemer Ursula...) he gives the Quatros Kreed and Sinclair the Merk's list of 218 mass-murderers that need putting down. The Quatros are loyal and enthusiastic, but Judah wonders if this is wise. Horatio not only has other things on his mind, but appears to be a bit strung out by the Merk "overloading the plate:" while Nexus is expected to kill one mass-murderer a month to maintain his fusion power, Horatio explains the Merk "floods his mind with a thousand hideous selections and expects me to choose."



From Nexus #32, "The Visit" Written by Mike Baron, guest pencils by Jackson Guice, inks by John Nyberg. I've enjoyed "Butch" Guice's work since Micronauts, so I didn't want to forget this issue; and it was a good place to give Rude a break, since the next issue would be a big one. No spoilers, but...

...yeah, Kreed and Sinclair's performance review is not going to go well.

Read more!

Strictly speaking, not a Nexus artist...

...but Luke McDonnell did the art, and Mike Baron the story, for Crossroads #5. A five-issue, prestige format, limited series from First Comics, Crossroads brought together most of First's titles at that time, rotating two or more per issue: Sable, Whisper, Badger, Luther Ironheart (of American Flagg!, Judah Maccabee all appear; Judah also guests here with Dreadstar, Grimjack, and Nexus. When Vanth Dreadstar crosses over into the pan-dimensional junction Cynosure; the Merk is more than a little upset: he's an insane alien who tasks Nexus to kill mass-murderers, and Vanth destroyed his reality's Milky Way galaxy. (Back in Jim Starlin's Metamorphosis Odyssey, which is like the one chunk of Dreadstar I've never read; but frankly, it didn't come up a lot...) Calling Dreadstar "the Anti-Nexus," the Merk rather forcibly sets the reluctant Nexus on him. Vanth does have one piece of luck: running across John Gaunt, a.k.a. Grimjack. Gaunt gives Vanth the head's-up on Cynosure's hit-and-miss laws of physics. Determined to track down Dreadstar, Nexus blows up Munden's Bar; and I don't know why it is called that, since it's Grimjack's bar. After that, it's on, and a sidetrip to a no-power dimension later, Nexus gets a good deal of comeuppance. The whole issue could be subtitled "Honorable men can differ," and in the end Judah, Horatio, and John share a drink at a different bar; with Horatio promising full restitution. But, somewhat differently for a crossover series like this, there would be repercussions in Nexus' home book: this would be the final straw for Horatio, who would quit as Nexus in issue #52. Read more!

I suppose a Nexus/Hellboy crossover is never gonna happen, huh?

From Nexus #23, "Uncle" Written by Mike Baron, with guest penciller Mike Mignola, and inks by John Nyberg and Rich Burchett. This was from a three-issue stretch of guest artists, where Mignola was followed by Rick Veitch, then Jose Luis Garcia Lopez.

Previously, Horatio's lone surviving relative arrived on Ylum, his crazy Uncle Lathe. And he's not, 'gets drunk at family holidays' crazy, Lathe is an insane Luddite who steals Ylum's newest weapon, to try and destroy the Web's black hole/energy generation project, space station Stacy. And even faced with certain death, Stacy isn't too fond of Nexus, since he killed the station's previous head, General Loomis.

Rude had taken some time off in 1987 to work with Doug Wildey on Johnny Quest, then on his Mister Miracle one-shot. But Baron didn't take the time-off: the regular plotlines continued without waiting.
Read more!

From an 8-page Nexus back-up from Ship of Fools #2:

I wish I remembered how I found this one:

"Where in the world do the mass murderers come from?" Subtitled "A Tale of the Nexus by a Mike Baron wannabe & Avon." The main feature was written by Bryan J.L. Glass and art by Michael Avon Oeming; Ship of Fools had a run at Caliber, then another at Image, but I'm unsure how many issues total it had, or if it completed its story or was merely cancelled. (It was one of several black and white books Image put out seemingly all at once.)
Read more!

Guess this Nexus artist:

Here's a hint: he's better known for his cover work.

Answer after the break!

From Nexus #57, "Trade War" Written by Mike Baron, inks by John Nyberg...

This month, Kitty Pryde, I mean, Sundra Peale fights a demon, Horatio returns to Ylum, and the Merk's latest candidate for the job of Nexus makes his first hit. The Next Nexus introduces himself as Stanislaus Korivitsky, and seems personable enough with Horatio, yet also seems like the Merk has a firmer leash on him.

Give up on the artist yet? Adam Hughes! I swear he must've been twelve when he did this one, back in 1989...
Read more!