Someday a Marvel movie will end with the Snarks or Friday showing up, and the true heads will lose it.

I was pleasantly surprised that I liked Eternals when it got to Disney+. While I think it maybe could've used a bit more of the bombast and color of the classic Kirby art; there is a bit more characterization and plotline; and since they didn't all have the laundry list of powers they had in the comics, they were more vulnerable as well. (As in, not unstoppable, unkillable tanks!) 

A mild spoiler: not all of the Eternals make it to the end, but I was surprised that one did, who I thought wouldn't cost out. She was basically Wonder Woman with early-onset dementia; and I hope she shows up again! But two characters I also didn't expect to show up in the MCU appear at the end: somehow I managed to avoid spoilers on that one, or I saw it and pushed it out of my skull...not these characters anyway. Not yet! From 1989, Power Pack #50, "Friday's Children" Written by Jon Bogdanove, pencils by Tod Smith, inks by Mike Manley and Al Williamson.

The Power Pack--with Franklin Richards--had finished one adventure only to immediately start another: their Kymellian friend Kofi returns, to enlist their help. The smartship Friday, that originally gave the Powers' their powers, was gravely ill; and Kofi thought they could help. Somehow, the Power kids are able to talk their parents into letting them zip off into space for a couple days--it seems weird to the kids, that they're being reasonable-slash-borderline negligent. I don't think we see Franklin call his folks, but for him even at that age going into space was probably like going to the 7/11. They arrive too late, though: Friday's "spark" has gone out, the smartship is dead.

After an interlude with the Snarks' Queen Mother looking to drop some serious quatloos on a doomsday weapon (that's two Star Trek references and a Transformers one so far!) the kids are not keeping it together at Friday's funeral, jumping on the coffin and wailing. Of course it works, rekindling what lifeforce the ship had left. Meanwhile, the Queen Mother checks out the "Galactus-matic DLX" at the dealership--hey, that's just the Doomsday Machine from the Star Trek episode of the same name! They even name-check the neutronium hull! (The dealer, Crazy Freddie, admits they did lose one of those things, when somebody accidentally left one on automatic.) The test-drive goes well: "Note the smooth trigger-action, the maniacal feeling of power!" Until the Queen Mother blows up Crazy Freddie's asteroid dealership. Arms sales seem tricky!

Back on the Kymellians' orbital habitat, the kids can't help but pick up on the bad vibes: they had accidentally blown up their homeworld with anti-matter power, which necessitated their new home. Old folks that remembered things like skies and grass were pretty depressed, while most everyone else was pacified by technology. They also meet, somewhat unwillingly, the Kymellians' own super-horses--er, heroes; Force 4. Kids with powers were raised by the state and treated like superstars, so they were dicks, except for their leader Ghostmare. She had phasing powers, and an affinity for nature her people didn't share anymore. But she does look forward to meeting them in battle!

Battle? It's supposed to be more like training: the argument is, since the Powers got their powers from Kymellians, they were responsible for teaching them how to best use them. Alex thinks it's unnecessary, they had been doing fine on their own, and was also upset that it was a spectator sport in a stadium. Of course there's some anti-earther sentiment to boot, those that felt they shouldn't even have Kymellian powers. Predictably, the kids are curb-stomped the first round; until their wild card, Franklin, is able to use his powers to distract one and turn the tide. Since they are kids, they're also going to play as rough as they're played with: the adults are predictably aghast, but later Force 4 apologizes: they were following orders and were sorry. 

Increasingly disillusioned, the kids then get to see Friday installed into a new smartship body--new and improved, with much more weaponry. Kofi's father tells them their "rapport" with Friday wasn't special, it was merely following programming; but also has another revelation: the Powers no longer have to worry about their parents freaking out. He had altered their personalities slightly, to be suggestable to whatever the kids told them: if they wanted to stay up late, have ice cream for dinner, or go into space; the folks would nod and agree. The Powers, and Kofi, are furious--OK, honestly I could see Jack being completely on board with that, he could be a bit of a stinker.

While the kids smash some furniture, Friday realizes she does care for them, and could not simply be property: her former captain, Whitey, had freed her from restrictions and directives. She breaks free, gathering up the kids and Power Pack's newest member: Kofi, who no longer feels like he belongs with his people. They take off, with the Kymellians trying to track them, but there was a sudden interference: the Queen Mother's arrival, as she appears to destroy the Kymellian sun...! 

 This was a double-sized issue, and a dense, and wordy, one. I was also surprised to see Bogdanove as writer instead of artist; I think he would write a couple more and do a bit more art later.  

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Ah, I'm dumb: even though this says "Fall of the Mutants" right on the cover, I was thinking Mutant Massacre. Well, maybe I've finally read all of Fall of the Mutants, then. From 1988, Power Pack #35, "Life or Death!" Written by Louise Simonson, pencils by Jon Bogdanove, inks by Hilary Barta.

The older Power kids are grounded today, leaving the phone and the TV under the thumb of the youngest, Katie; who leaves them watching "Goo-Gams." No relation! Their dad calls from a business trip, with their mom on her way home on the subway, when a blackout hits. After some shenanigans and squabbling looking for the flashlight and radio, they learn this is no ordinary blackout, it's the work of the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse. (As we previously saw in Daredevil #252, and Incredible Hulk #340 was a tie-in as well.) Since she wasn't grounded, and she knew what route their mom took, Katie uses her lightspeed powers (the rainbow-flying ones) and takes off to look for her. In the subways, the Horseman Pestilence is making people sick, and Katie tries to lure her away from the subway cars. Giving chase, Pestilence manages to touch Katie, but then flies into a wall. Sick, Katie takes the exit to the surface, and lands in a dumpster: Pestilence follows but doesn't see her.

Back home, the rest of the Powers wish they could have stopped Katie, then see the arrival of Apocalypse's massive Ship. That prompts them to break their grounding and head out, and they send a power-ball signal, which Katie sees. Reunited, the kids knew how to heal themselves from an earlier visit to Snarkworld (I thought this was Snarkworld...) but then have to save people from debris, caused by Ship colliding with buildings. They see Marvel Girl and Cyclops trying to stop the antenna from the Empire State Building from falling, and Pestilence going after them. Julie knocks her off her horse, and Katie tries to save Pestilence from falling, but gets sick again in the attempt. Pestilence both falls and a good chunk of the antenna lands on her; and Katie is still sad she wasn't able to save the mean old woman. Marvel Girl tries to comfort her; maybe she wanted to die. Doubtful, but it's a polite thing to say after a try like that.

As Cyclops and Marvel Girl take the fight to Apocalypse, Power Pack might get the tougher job of keeping the Ship from crashing into the Statue of Liberty. They succeed, and see X-Factor victorious: they also hear a news report about X-Factor's previous mutant-hunting secret identities, which confuses them, too. (Relax, that never made any sense to anyone.) Racing home, they arrive as their mom returns, from having gone looking for them: Katie admits she went out first, and the rest had to come looking for her, but mom is too glad they're all safe.

Man, Power Pack kind of had a rep of being a 'kiddie' book, but it was pretty solid sometimes. This one holds up!

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I wasn't expecting some of the shots this book takes, but I wasn't expecting H.E.R.B.I.E. on the prowl, either.

I needed a light, cheery, fun book to read to get my mind clear; luckily I had just picked up a bunch that fit the bill! From 2008, Skrulls vs. Power Pack #2, "U.G. Universal Gangstaz" Written by Fred Van Lente, art by Cory Hamscher.

The Power Pack kids have been dragged off to space jail Hadith-VI, but luckily their pal Franklin Richards is following in their smartship Friday. I don't think he ever appeared in the original series, but accompanying Franklin is his robot sitter H.E.R.B.I.E, who is also a million times better comic relief now than he was on the old Fantastic Four cartoon. It's like it took a few versions...

Power Pack manages to free themselves and join Franklin, but feel they have to clear their names before they can return to earth, or more and more bounty hunters would just come after them. They haven't been missed at home yet, since they've been replaced by Skrulls! They plan on using their "dad" to gain access to SWORD, but the Skrull commander "Katie" is perturbed that private "Jack" is a little too into his role as a preteen layabout.

Back in space, the real Jack has a plan to lure out the fake Pack: pretend to be the fakes, do some crimes, and lure them out. He doesn't explain it well, but it's still a solid scheme, even if they have to dress 'gangsta' to sell the role. They build their rep by picking a fight with the Kree "crew of the Gestalt schooner the Marvel..." Hey, that sounds familiar.

Yeah, that's from Grant Morrison's Marvel Boy! I did not expect a shot at that here.

Also this issue: four Mini-Marvels pages from Chris Giarrusso! It's the Fantastic Four vs. Skrulls, and I had seen part of this before, but still a treasure.


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"The End" Week: Power Pack #62!

Traditionally, it used to be the last issue of a title might wrap up their plotlines; but not always. Based on Priest's first issue of Deadpool, I thought Ka-Zar might've got cancelled out from under him while the hero was still blind and deaf; but that might not quite have been the case. Well, at least he wasn't left a horse. From 1991, Power Pack #62, "Lo, There Shall Be an Ending." Written by Michael Higgins, pencils by Steve Buccellato, inks by Don Hudson.

Alex Power isn't a full-on horse, but he been transformed into a horse-like Kymellian; the alien race that originally gave the Power children their powers. The family had come to Reed Richard's for help, and their attempt to change Alex back was interrupted by the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, who have knocked out the Pack, the Fantastic Four, but seemingly not his dad. As his dad fights the apes, Alex manages to return to solid (horse) form at least; but the Ghost defeats 'dad,' really a shape-shifting Elan. (From waaaay back in Fantastic Four #24; the third green shape-shifting alien the FF would face in like 13 issues. The FF ostensibly guest-star here, but while the Invisible Woman shows at least a bit of reasonable concern at little kids fighting super-villains, the Torch and the Thing may have ducked out for a drink midway through.) Red Ghost wanted the brain of Friday, the Powers' "smartship," and nearly bluffs his way out taking their addled mother hostage; but Franklin Richards checks: the real Mrs. Powers was with their friend, Raymond--the original Human Torch's sidekick Toro, although he splits before anyone sorts that out--and the Ghost was using the shape-changing ape. Franklin must be responsible for interfering with the Ghost's powers, which gives Mr. Powers the opportunity to punch him out.

Reed has to tell Alex he can't make him human again--look, Reed had never had a lotta success on that front, had he? Seeing the then-human Ben Grimm with She-Thing Ms. Marvel makes him feel a little better, but he does have to let his girlfriend move on with her life. Intent on curing their mom after mental tampering, the Pack would guest in Excalibur, and another issue would be burned off in Marvel Super-Heroes, but with no luck they decide to head into space, out to Kymellia, to see if they can find help there. That would be it for Power Pack for several years, and I'm not sure their mom was ever herself again.

I do believe Power Pack got spoofed in an issue of What The--?!--the first issue, as it turns out!--that depicted the Power parents as blind; utterly clueless to their kids' super-powered activities. And I think they were for a good chunk of the run; but here the dad seems like a too-active participant, while the mom is a pliable victim in a nightgown clinging to him. That's...weird and icky. Am I reading too much into this, or was this going to turn into Power Dad if it had continued?
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The power was out for a bit tonight, so just a quick one for today: from 1986, Power Pack #18, "Kurse!" Written by Louise Simonson, pencils by Brent Anderson, inks by Scott Williams. And a Walt Simonson cover!

This was a Secret Wars II crossover, as well as with Thor: the Beyonder had taken the fallen dark elf Algrim, and given him a nice set of armor and immense power, to see how the newly minted Kurse would do on his single-minded quest for revenge. Power Pack's only non-family member, Franklin Richards, was having nightmares about Kurse destroying the team; but it's their mom Margaret Power that is injured by Kurse as he rampages through the city. Alex in particular takes it hard, feeling responsible for his mom being in the wrong place at the wrong time; and pushes the team towards his own revenge. Together, they wreck a building under construction and drop it on Kurse, but he wasn't done yet. Meanwhile, the Beyonder is mildly helpful to the kids, but not especially, he wants to see what happens next.

I read the Thor chapters when they first came out, but I don't think I read any Power Pack until years after the fact. And they weren't bad!

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80-Page Thursday: Marvel Super-Heroes Summer Special #6!

I believe I referred to the lead story as "dire" earlier, but "dated" may be more accurate. From 1991, Marvel Super-Heroes Summer Special (#6), featuring stories by Roy & Dann Thomas, Michael Higgins,Jack Herman, and more; art by Jim Redington, Steve Buccelato, Rich Buckler, and more.

The X-Men lead story is already dated since it was set during the Australia/Reavers era, when the team was believed dead. (Coincidentally, I was reading some Atlantis Attacks annuals, and they were set during the same time!) It's also dated since there are two solid pages of expository flashbacks, which I don't think you see as much anymore; and they also tie in to comics Roy Thomas wrote before!

The Sentinels have returned, specifically the Mark-II, which were both particularly formidable and nutty, having tried to stop mutants by sterilizing humanity more then once. They're after gamma-powered individuals this time for research, and have captured the Abomination and Doc Samson, and this chapter ends on a cliffhanger as Storm is captured as well! You would've had to wait 'till the next quarterly issue for the conclusion, even though Storm probably appeared in at least three books before then.

Also this issue: burning off a Power Pack fill-in, albeit one from pretty late in that series run. (Alex had a horse's head there.) Sabra, Speedball, and Cloak & Dagger shorts: C&D don't even make the cover, but their story does feature an unfortunate sign of the times. On an Entertainment Tonight-type show, Dagger hears of the death of an old friend, who fell in with a bad crowd, became a porn star, and died of an overdose...at the age of 16? That's probably a reference to Traci Lords, but still. As Kate Beaton's pointed out, it does make Dagger's costume in questionable taste.


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I didn't set out to get all Madcap's early appearances, but here we are.

Today, safety lessons your mom should've taught you! The definition of "'sponsible"! And how long it takes two super-powered children to realize someone's not right in the head, in 1988's Power Pack #34, "Child's Play" Written by Howard Mackie, art by Larry Alexander and Louis Williams, inks by Tony DeZuniga.

Katie, the youngest of the Power Pack, is bored out of her mind, and gets in trouble for trying to pull a practical joke on her older brother Jack. Meanwhile, at Four Freedoms Plaza, the visiting Franklin Richards is likewise bored, and gets in trouble for trying to pull a practical joke on the Human Torch, and nearly getting disintegrated in his father's lab. Franklin's age and power levels seem to vary wildly, but today he seemed younger than usual, and had the power to appear elsewhere in a "dream form," so he visits Katie. Together, they catch an episode of the Madcap Mystery Hour!

Presumably the show was public access, but I could see it catching on. Katie and Franklin decide Madcap would be a fun guy to hang out with, and with their powers they're able to find him for a visit. And Madcap's game for running around with super-powered children, since he's crazy. Madcap sticks his head in a garbage truck, squashing it and his hat flat, but both recover: Madcap has a healing factor, I'm not sure what the hat's excuse is...Madcap tells the kids the pursuit of fun is the only thing that matters, and gets them all sticks to play pirate. The kids point out their respective moms told them not to run with sticks, lest they poke an eye out, so naturally...

When Madcap turns his insanity power on the crowds, the kids have to try to keep anyone from getting hurt. Katie has to swipe a Porky Pig-like mask, to protect her identity, as Madcap interferes with a bank robbery. But the kids both learn responsibility...from the example of someone utterly without it.

I think there have been a few stories with an aged-up Power Pack: getting most of them up to tweenage, maybe? And Alex has shown up in Fantastic Four in recent years. Still, if this issue had been written today, it probably would've featured Deadpool in Madcap's role...even though there are probably laws in place to keep Pool away from kids.
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Those boots do look made for stomping.

I'm not particularly well-versed in this title, but the guest-stars on the cover sold me on a cheap copy of Power Pack #29, "Obsession!" Written by Louise Simonson, pencils by Jon Bogdanove, inks by Dan Green.

From 1987, this book couldn't be more eighties: local bully Johnny is going to get even with that "mutie" Alex Powers, after the eldest of the Powers family whupped him with super-strength. Johnny's got his gun, but Alex doesn't have his powers anymore--at least, not his gravity powers, since the whole family switched powers, and he now has Katie's "energizer" powers. Which would be helpful, if Alex wanted to disintegrate his bully...!

Johnny and Alex face off after school, and Johnny pulls the gun he found when a crack dealer ditched it. Although tempted, Alex refrains from using his powers; but the fight is further complicated by the arrival of...the Hobgoblin!

Chased by Spider-Man, Hobgoblin grabs both boys, but when Alex shakes up his goblin-glider, Hobby drops Johnny! Torn between his rage and his need to keep his powers a secret, Alex disintegrates some of Hobgoblin's gear, but can't bring himself to turn his power on the villain, even when called a "creepy little mutant brat!"

Spidey had already saved Johnny, then arrives in time to rescue Alex as well; who feels useless since he couldn't blast Hobby or save himself when thrown off a building. The Hobgoblin of course escapes (EDIT:...despite the fact Alex destroyed his goblin-glider, and that he only distracted Spidey for seconds at best, and he was on the top of an apartment building. His "escape" is mainly because the issue was over and they weren't going to resolve several years of storyline with a cameo in Power Pack, no matter how hilarious that might've been. It's not like he could've disappeared in a crowd, but now I'm picturing Hobby getting a taxi home...) but Spider-Man tells Alex a secret, about when he wanted to kill the original Green Goblin, but didn't think having the power was the same as having the right. His secret safe, Johnny and Alex make friends after their shared experience, although Johnny still throws the M-word around a lot...
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Quarter book roundup!

I think I see why I don't do this very often. Typing up the list alone was a pain in the rump, then the random comments on the ones needing commenting on pro or con, then a chunk of the list mysteriously disappeared when I took the dogs out. And more possibly tomorrow, if I'm lucky.
Marvel Spotlight: Civil War Aftermath (An ad. Totally missable.)
Ms. Marvel #13
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season Eight) #1 (I watched the show when it was on, and this was a solid read. I might not buy it every month, but I'll probably at least read it when it's done.)
X-Factor #17 (Probably the best book I should be buying here.)
Punisher Xmas one-shot
Justice League Unlimited #28
Blade #4
Infinite Holiday Special (Four Christmas issues in a row. It doesn't help that it's been like 90 degrees here lately, but while none were terrible, none were holiday classics either.)
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #212-213 (#213 has a very stylized Walt Simonson cover, I'll be blogging this one later)
Punisher War Journal #2
Robin #156
Wonder Woman #5 (This and the Robin above? After school specials. Good, but that's what they were.)
Spirit #2 (Darwyn Cooke draws the hell out of it, but I just have never really gotten on board with the Spirit, possibly because he never seems like the main character.)
Flash #11
Supergirl #13 (Not one of the worst issues, but the build-up of Powerboy is just to make his heel turn "surprising.")
Uncanny X-Men #481
Agent X #5 (art by Udon)
Fell #8 (I had these last three already. While Fell is probably better, I make no bones about my love for Agent X. If you don't have the Gail Simone or Evan Dorkin issues, be sad now.)
Son of M #6
Spider-Man: Reign #2
Agent of Atlas #5
Star Trek: TNG The Space Between #2-3
Fantastic Four: The End #4-5 (And now a smattering of random limited series issues. The Trek issues were good, FF: The End made me want to buy the last issue, but the Agent of Atlas issue made me want the whole series.)
Superman #659
X-Men/Power Pack #4
Spider-Man/Power Pack #3 (I like these a surprising amount, since I never liked Power Pack in their heyday, but Marc Sumerak writes the hell out of them, and Gurihiru has been great on the main stories. But Chris Giarrusso's back-up features make this one, as you can see in the panel above. I heard his World War Hulk piece was the MVP of that issue too...)
Family Guy: Peter Griffin's Guide to Parenting (If you're a fan of the show, it's not terrible, but $6.95? Bullplop.)
Frontline #10 (Wake me when we get to the issue where Speedball/Penance/Whippingboy has to break Squirrel Girl's heart, it would make more sense.)
Catwoman #62, 64 (Not bad, despite the copout of Helena's father. Oh, it is a copout.)
Conan #37
Ultimate Power #2 (Honestly, not as terrible as I was expecting, but when does it end?)
Mighty Avengers #2 (Ditto. Bendis and Cho.)
Detective Comics #828
Ultimate X-Men #77
Astonishing X-Men #19-20 (Feels like more should be happening, somehow, even without the extended wait between issues.)
Green Lantern #17 (I think I'd have preferred a full issue of a cracked-out Batman tearing around with a yellow power ring, but not bad.)
World War III #1-4 (I read something by Mark Waid on Kingdom Come, how it wasn't a story about every little superhero footsoldier, it was a Superman story. I thought that was dumb, since I was more interested in some of the footsoldiers. I was wrong, Mark, I was wrong.)
52 weeks 34, 37, 45, 50 (What are...the weeks I'd skip any given year of school? Ah, my Karnak needs work.)

And that's the lot. I'm all about the quantity here. Read more!

Cap shouts that out no matter who's there: X-Men, Fantastic Four, Lightning Rods, Big Hero Six...


Out of office today, I'm afraid, so please enjoy this nice panel from Avengers/Power Pack Assemble! #4 "Conquered!" Written by Marc Sumerak, art by GuriHiru. I wonder if 'GuriHiru' is a single person, or a studio like Udon (of Street Fighter and Deadpool/Agent X). Regardless, I've liked what I've seen of these Power Pack books, and that's from someone who never, ever read it before. And he manages to sneak Nightcrawler into a fight scene, always a plus.

I mentioned before having seen the Target collections of Power Pack and the Marvel Adventures line, books that traditionally are barely a blip on direct market sales. Here's hoping they've found their audience outside of the usual comic shop, and I encourage you to pick one up with your Christmas shopping. At the very worst, you'll have picked up a harmless little comic you can pass on to a deserving kid somewhere, right?

That said, if the MODOK issue of Marvel Adventures Avengers doesn't sell through the roof, my faith in the blogosphere, man, and God may be utterly shattered... Read more!