It's kind of the inverse of the opening of UP; except there's ducks. And Badger. And a professional wrestler...

One simple trick for writing action-hero type material, whether for TV or movies or comics, is that sometimes the writer can make the bad guys such rat bastards that the audience is completely onboard with whatever the hero has to do to make them pay. Property damage, excessive force, violations of the laws of god and man, whatever, as long as those scumbags pay. Which is where Baron seems to be taking this one, but is there a twist...? From 1987, Badger #25, "The Duck Lady" Written by Mike Baron, pencils by Bill Reinhold, inks by Jim Sanders III.

"The Duck Lady" is rather dismissive, as Minerva Kuipers led a rich life in addition to that aspect: she had been a teacher, and her husband had built their house by the side of a Wisconsin lake. Retiring, the couple was happy there until he died in 1975. She stayed in the house, feeding and caring for the ducks on the lake; until years later, when sleazy developer Jerry Grate built a house next door, moving in with his three sons. (The oldest, from a previous marriage, it's noted.) Grate offers to buy Mrs. Kuipers out, but she declines. The next morning, after a late night partying, Jerry is awakened by the ducks, and throws a fit. He confronts and calls the cops on her for feeding them, then with his youngest two sons shoots several of the ducks. With seemingly nowhere else to turn, she writes a letter to a man she had only seen on television...you were expecting Morley Safer, maybe? Of course she wrote Badger, who's there almost immediately. He crashes the Grate family's latest party, giving the two younger brothers a bit of the what-for.

Badger had known this would escalate, and had already set up a tent in the woods to keep Mrs. Kuipers safe, as high and pissed, the Grates burn down her house. In a white camo version of his usual costume, Badger then kicks the tar out of them, leaving them calling for their big brother: pro wrestler Killdozer! Who had a girl up in his room, did not give a rat's ass what happened to his brothers, but maybe can't let somebody just run all over his dad, despite having nothing but admiration for Badger. Their fight doesn't go the distance, partially because Badger seems to be just dodging him, since Killdozer both didn't seem to have done anything wrong and was large enough to crush him. Instead, it's Mrs. Kuiper that saves the day, cracking her former student Brian 'Killdozer' Harris with a ruler! Despite his repeated mangling of the king's English (each followed by a crack from that ruler!) Killdozer still respected "the only teacher who ever cared about me," and says his dad will replace her house. Which Grate does, selling his place to Killdozer, and leaving Mrs. Kuiper and her ducks in peace, possibly only maybe disturbed by Badger. (Badger could speak with animals, although the ducks seem dubious.)

Also this issue: another installment of Clonezone, an odd name for a strip about a "lizardgator" hack comedian: basically Borscht belt, in the setting of Nexus. It's somewhat odd, and I have the feeling Baron enjoyed doing those more than any fans took to it, but it did sometimes have jokes! I swear there was one with a Gong Show-style rendition of "Feelings" that was so bad I could hear it, which is a mean feat for a comic book. Read more!

The Return of Son of Update to Index of "The End" Week:

Urg, I hadn't updated this in like four years? This'll be fun...Behind the break, links to "The End" posts, going back to 2009!



Action Comics Weekly #642

Adventures of the X-Men #12

Agent X #15

Alf #50

The All-New Batman: the Brave and the Bold #16

All-Star Squadron #67

All-Star Western #34

Alpha Flight #130

Alpha Flight #20


Anarky #8

Aquaman #13

Aquaman #63

Aquaman and the Others #11

Area 88 #42

Arrgh! #5

Astro City #52

Atari Force #20

Avengers Arena #18

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes #7

Avengers West Coast #102

Aztek #10

Babylon 5 #11

Badger #4 (Capital)

Batgirl #24

Batgirls #19

Batman #713

Batman Aventures #17

The Batman Adventures #36

Batman and Robin Adventures #25

The Batman Chronicles #23

Batman Confidential #54

Batman: Gotham Adventures #60

The Batman Strikes #50

Batman '66 #30

Battlestar Galactica #23

Black Cat #10

Blackhawk #273

Black Widow #12

Blood of the Demon #17

Bloodhound #10

Blue Beetle #24

Blue Devil #31

Bongo Presents Futurama Comics #81

Booster Gold #25

The Brave and the Bold #200

Buck Rogers #16

Cable & Deadpool #50

Captain America #19

Captain America #454

Captain America: Steve Rogers #19

Captain Atom #57

Catwoman #82

Chase #1,000,000

Claw the Unconquered #12

Challengers of the Unknown #87

Champion Sports #3

Cloak and Dagger #11

Conan #11

Conan the Barbarian #275

Conan the King #55

Contest of Champions #10

Creatures on the Loose #37

The Creeper #1,000,000

Crystar #11

Daken: Dark Wolverine #23

Daredevil #18

Daredevil #380

Daredevil #512

Daredevil #36/LEG #648

Dazzler #42

DC Super-Stars #18

Dead of Night #11

Deadpool #63

Deadpool #69

Deadpool Team-Up #883

Deathlok #34

Death's Head II #16
Defenders #152, #12

the Demon #16

the Demon #58

Detective Comics #881

Doctor Doom #10

Doctor Strange #81

Doom Patrol #22

Doom 2099 #44

D.P.7 #32

Drax #11

Dread of Night #2

Dreadstar #64

Eclipso #18

Edge of Spider-Verse #4

Elektra #19

Eternals #19

Excalibur #125

Exiles #4

Exiles #100

Extraordinary X-Men #20

Extreme Justice #18

Fantastic Four #416

Fantastic Four #611

Fantastic Four #16, 645

Fear #31

Fell #9

Fillerbunny #3

Firearm #18

Firestorm #5

Firestorm #100

Flash #52

Flash #230

Flash #350

Flinch #16

Force Works #22

Freedom Fighters #15

Gen 13 #77

Generation X #75

Ghost Rider #81, #94

G.I. Joe Special Missions #28

Godzilla #24

Goofy Adventures #17

Gotham Central #40

Gotham City Sirens #26

Grave Tales #3

Green Arrow #50

Green Lantern #67

Green Lantern #181

Green Lanterns #57

Green Lantern Corps #63

Green Lantern: Mosaic #18

Grimjack #81

Guardians of the Galaxy #27

Guardians of the Galaxy #62

Guardians of the Galaxy #18 (LEG #180)

Guardians 3000 #8

Guy Gardner: Warrior #44

Harley Quinn #75

Hawk & Dove #28, #8

Hawkgirl #66

Hawkman #17

Hawkman #33

Hawkman #49

Hawkworld #32

Herc #10

Heroes for Hire #19

The Hulk #27 (magazine)

Human Torch #12

Immortal Thor #25

Impulse #89</>

Incredible Hulk #474

The Intimates #12

Invaders #15

Invaders #41

Iron Man #332

Iron Man #89/434

JLA #125

JLA Classified #54

John Carter, Warlord of Mars #28

Jonah Hex #92

Jonah Hex #70

Journey Into Mystery #521

Judge Dredd #18

Justice League Odyssey #25

Justice League of America #113

Justice League Task Force #37

Justice League Quarterly #17

Justice League Unlimited #46

Justice League 3001 #12

Justice Society #10

Kamandi #59

Ka-Zar #20

Ka-Zar the Savage #34

Kobalt #16

Kull #10

Kull the Destroyer #29

Legends of the DC Universe #41

Legion Lost #16

Legion of Super-Heroes #23

Legion of Super-Heroes #63

Legion of Super-Heroes #50

Major Bummer #15

Manhunter #24

Marvel Adventures #18

Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #48

Marvel Adventures: Spider Man #24

Marvel Comics Presents #175

Marvel Fanfare #60

Marvel Spotlight #33

Marvel Super Action #37

Marvel Super-Heroes #15

Marvel Tales #291

Marvel Universe #7

Master of Kung Fu #125

Masters of the Universe #13

Micronauts #11

Micronauts #11 (IDW)

Micronauts #20

Micronauts #59

Mockingbird #8

Moon Knight #12

Moon Knight #17

Moon Knight #38

Moon Knight #30

Moon Knight, Fist of Khonshu #6

Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #15

Motormouth & Killpower #12

Mutant X #32

Mystery in Space #117

New Mutants #50

Nexus #80

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #47

Nightcrawler #12

Nightstalkers #18

Night Thrasher #21

Nomad #25

Nova #25

Nth Man #16

OMAC #8

Orion #25

Over the Edge #10

Outsiders #28</>

Power Girl #27

Power of the Atom #18

Power Pack #62

Punisher #103/Punisher War Zone #41/Punisher War Journal #80

Punisher #18 (1997)

Punisher #12 (2023)

Punisher War Journal #26 (Not #29, I had to edit that!)

PunisherMAX #22

Quasar #60

The Question #36

R.E.B.E.L.s '96 #17

R.E.B.E.L.s #28

Red Hood/Arsenal #13

Red Lanterns #40

Red Sonja #2 (1983)

Robin #183

Robocop #23

Rune #7

Sam Slade, Robohunter #31

Savage Avengers #28, #10

Scavengers #14

Secret Defenders #25

Secret Six #36

Sergio Aragonés Funnies #12

Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #167

the Shadow #19

the Shadow #25

She-Hulk #15

Shogun Warriors #20

Silver Surfer #14

Silver Surfer #146

Solo #12

Spider-Man 2099 #46

Spidey #12

SpongeBob Comics #85

Starman #45

Star Trek #56

Star Trek #60

Star Trek #80

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #15

Star Trek #18/Star Trek: the Next Generation #80/Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #32

Star Wars #107

Star Wars #20

Star Wars #50

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #42

Static #45

Stormwatch #50

Strikeforce Morituri #31

Suicide Squad #66

Suicide Squad #15

Superboy and the Ravers #19

Superboy #100

Superior Foes of Spider-Man

Superior Iron Man #9

Superman Family Adventures #12

Superman: the Man of Steel #134

Super-Villian Team-Up #17

Tales of Suspense #104

Tarzan #29

Team Titans #24

Teen Titans #100

The Terminator #17

The Thing #36

Thor #502

Thunderbolts #32

Thunderbolts #81

Thunderstrike #24

Transformers: Generation 2 #12

The Twilight Zone #4

Unbelievable Gwenpool #25

Uncanny Origins #14

Unexpected #222

Unknown Soldier #25

Unknown Soldier #268

Valor #23

Vigilante #50

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #42

Warlord #16

Warlord #133

Wasteland #18

Web of Spider-Man #129

Weird War Tales #124

Werewolf by Night #6

What The--?! #26

The Witching Hour #85

Wolverine #13

Wonder Woman #329

World's Finest Comics #323

Xander in Lost Universe #8

X-Men #41

X-Men: Evolution #9

X-Men: Gold #36

X-Statix #26

X-51: the Machine Man #12

Young All-Stars #31

Young Justice #25

Young Justice #55

2000 A.D. Showcase #54

2099: World of Tomorrow #8

And the rest! There are still somehow a few that weren't blogged year-end.

Double ugh: the next task, besides maybe clearing a few extra line-breaks, would be putting the year behind each entry; to justify things like why "Suicide Squad #66" is ahead of "Suicide Squad #15." Although you can just click through and figure it out, so...

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"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!

"I can't feed on the powerless, when my cup's already overfilled..."

This was an "Age of Ultron Aftermath," but not what I thought it was going to be, and it leads right into another event because of course it does. From 2013, Hunger #1, written by Joshua Hale Fialkov, art by Leonard Kirk.

I no longer have an innate sense of when crossovers were or in what order, since I thought this was going to be after the Galactus appearances, with Ultron, in Infinity Countdown, but this was five years earlier? Really? So, I wasn't expecting the lead for this one to be Rick Jones--the Rick Jones from the Ultimate universe. Boo. Rick Jones has cosmic power here, from a Watcher, which in the Ultimate U. isn't a big bald guy, but a really judgey-sounding fancy pillar. Rick didn't seem like he was getting a lot in the way of training or even basic instructions, but "abandons his post" to go to earth for a burger (those Ultimate kids love their burgers!) which he doesn't get to eat, as he's teleported to the middle of the Kree/Chitauri War. Which is interrupted by the arrival of the Gah Lak Tus swarm.

The Watcher doesn't so much guide Rick, as much as tell him how momentous everything is; particularly when Galactus from the 616-proper Marvel Universe arrives, is swarmed by, and then merges with Gah Lak Tus! Directing the swarm as a herald, Galactus hungers...Rick would get an upgrade a bit further in the series, but that feels like they just wanted to get that character into the Ultimate Universe before wrapping it up; since this leads directly into Cataclysm. Of course, the Ultimate U. is being rebooted again now, so... 

 Anyway, I went into this expecting something else, so that's on me.  

  There was a sequence that reminded me of a bit I like a lot better, in Baron and Rude's Nexus: Alien Justice, where the Merk "phases out" Horatio as Nexus, to give aliens a shot at the job: he later complains, the demon he gave powers to took them and the costume and hadn't been seen since!

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Always some mothersmurfer bringin' a badger to a dog fight.

Wait, that would be effective. And I would wear that tracksuit now if I could get one! From 1984, Badger #4, "Dogfight" Written by Mike Baron, art by Jeffrey Butler.

An oil sheik gets the red carpet treatment from Carl Avery, "the sportin'est man in southern Wisconsin," meaning his fingers were in a lot of gambling, including dog fights. While a small-time thug fronts the money for a fight, it's pre-empted by the sudden arrival of Badger, who claims his 'dog' can take both of theirs. Despite protests that it's definitely a badger, Badger is more than able to thump anybody that would say otherwise. Avery isn't buying, but the thug thinks his pit bull could take the "glout hound." Instead, Badger whistles, perhaps a warning to the pit bull, who rolls over and gives. Badger does have to adminster a beating to the thug, but has attracted the attention of the pretty Pamela Sue, who's looking for action. Maybe not the kind you would think, though.

Pamela Sue takes Badger to Avery's bar--the real one, beneath a plain front upstairs. A local picks a fight with Badger, but Avery had put him up to it on a bet, and has another in mind: 5 G's to take Herkimer Kropenski, who looks to have a solid foot and change over Badger. Badger eventually triumphs, which costs Avery $25,000 to the sheik: Badger isn't mad, but does spit in his hat for the dog fight. And Pamela Sue was still up for more action...meanwhile, the sheik bids Avery thanks and good night, then removes his disguise: Badger's boss, druid wizard Ham! Up $75,000 and a new dog; but later Badger realizes what he had in mind for the dog: a ritual sacrifice, to create a low pressure area. (Later in the series Ham's powers seem somewhat more esoteric, but early on he was a "weather wizard," and possibly much less benign than all that.) Increasingly unstable, Badger tries to stop Ham, who is reluctantly forced to banish him to limbo. Well, maybe it'll do him some good. Or not. Whatever. Unfortunately for Ham, his secretary (and Badger's somewhat beleaguered therapist) Daisy saw that, and says she'll quit if Ham doesn't let the dog go and bring Badger back. Ugh, such a hassle...

But, unfortunately, this was the last issue of Badger...from Capital Comics, anyway. Badger, Nexus, and Whisper would all go on at First Comics. And, this plotline would as well, as Badger's next appearances would be in Nexus #6-#8. Read more!

"The End" Week: Grimjack #81!

We saw the previous issue some time back--three and a half years ago! I guess we've waited long enough. From 1991, Grimjack #81, "Final Acts" Written by John Ostrander, pencils by Flint Henry, inks by Bruce Patterson.

The high school friends of the man they knew as James Twilley are more than a little concerned at his recent actions as Grimjack: to try and save his family from karmic foreclosure, he had threatened the family of vengeful adjudicator Jagart with death. Even though Jagart wouldn't back down, that still seemed like a bit much; and Jagart had ordered a illegal hit on Grimjack, which was on top of the usual batch that wouldn't mind seeing him dead. One by one the Twilley's are 'foreclosed' upon, with one selling out their own sister to try and save himself. Jagart's family is seemingly abducted, forcing him to take up arms himself.

Although his friends try to help, in the ensuing shootout Grimjack is eventually shot down, since he won't kill his old friend Spook, who had been retroactively corrupted by his old foe the Major. (If I have this right, in a previous issue, the Major had travelled back in time to become a father-figure to her, so when Grimjack killed him she would avenge him.) But, much as he might talk a big game, Grimjack wasn't hard enough to kill innocents: Jagart's family was unharmed, although more than a little mad, disowning him. He was also found to have abused his position, and the karmic debt was passed to him, with any surviving Twilley's to be freed. If any; we don't see them here, since there were only two pages left! Jagart kills himself, while Twilley's friends mourn him, Munden's Bar closes, and...curtain.

Also this issue: the conclusion of the back-up "Youngblood," the horrible childhood of young John Gaunt. (Written by John Ostrander and Kim Yale, art by Steve Pugh.) Either by intention or a lucky accident, good thing it ended here, since this was the last monthly issue of Grimjack, as First Comics had intended to transition away from monthly 32-page "floppies" to 48-page squarebound books. Only a few actually reached publication, though; and Grimjack wouldn't return to comics shelves until 2005. Ostrander and co-creator Tim Truman appear to have gotten the rights back; and there may be more projects with some version of him, someday. 

Hmm, I don't think I've gotten around to the last issue of Nexus, but the second-to-last features a cameo by a Grimjack-looking type! And before I even started doing these "The End" posts, we looked at holiday favorite Badger #70, another of First's last issues at the very end.

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Ereshkigal is a lot more sympathetic now, I think.

I said I was going to do more of a write-up on this issue, um, twelve years ago. Better get started! Actually, maybe we'll appreciate it more now, since something else from it has come up since. From 1993, Quasar #50, "Horizon of Holes" Written by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Andy Smith, inks by Ralph Cabrera. 

In the Man-Thing's swamp in Florida, the Nexus of Realities is visible today, which I think means the barometric pressure is dropping. No, it may be because of recent events in New York City: up until a couple minutes ago, Kayla Ballantine had possessed the Star Brand, accidentally passed to her by her boyfriend Wendell Vaughn, Quasar. Since she thought she misused it while lost in space, she gave the Brand to her friend Holly Steckley, who turned out to really be Ereshkigal! 'Holly Steckley' was the identity previously used by Moondragon to get close to Quasar; Ereshkigal picked it up when she stopped using it; there may have never been a real Holly. Ereshkigal claims to have tricked much smarter people over the millennia, but I didn't think Deviants lived anywhere near that long, usually. She also says she's not really evil, just "motivated in a very egocentric manner." (I like her motivation from the database better, trying to free herself from restrictions, even if the restrictions are from Eternity and the Living Tribunal. They're not the boss of her!) 

Quasar had been nearby in the hospital, visiting his mother; and was surprised to realize Kayla was back. After catching up with her and realizing what had happened, Quasar goes to check on Kismet, who had lost a fight with Kayla and was currently in a cocoon in the East River. (Think Adam Warlock!) Erishkigal hadn't just been sitting on her wings, though: she went to the Nexus of Realities, slightly annoyed that it was in a swamp. Attacked by Man-Thing, Erishkigal blows him up with the Star Brand, although not necessarily maliciously: she just didn't want it to stop her, and it was "a miserable creature doing a thankless job." Now, she had easy access to multiple realities, and checks a few out, before sending a pulse into several. 

The Silver Surfer cosmically notices something is up, and approaches a lava planet to use another Nexus of Realities, but finds it guarded by a creature calling itself Anakalak. (I didn't think there were multiple Nexuses here and there; just one per reality!)

Several extra-dimensional entities answer Erishkigal's summons, since the Star Brand was a power none of them recognized. She gives them the option of maybe doing something other than being multiversal custodians, and some side with her, including a big green cheese, and off-brand Starro and Ren & Stimpy! Erishkigal wipes out the rest. The Living Tribunal then appears, with Lord Chaos and Master Order; but that just tells her she's on the right track, and she's willing to destroy as much multiverse as she has to, to get out from under their thumb. Quasar and the Surfer arrive, as she starts using her power, increasing Lord Chaos and diminishing Master Order. The Tribunal doesn't let them hear the conversation, but offers a tournament of champions, because direct confrontation would do too much damage. With both heroes convinced the other was "fighting for little Miss Universe Wrecker!" they start the fight. 

Quasar may not have had the juice the Surfer did, but was adept at redirecting power. However, after taking a couple hits in a row, he notices Master Order grew when the Surfer hit him, and realizes he was going to have to throw the fight! He fights enough to not make it obvious, but gets thrashed. Erishkigal seemingly immolates herself with the loss, but I'm glad she would return. The Living Tribunal takes the Star Brand away, to determine how to dispose of it, and the Surfer and Quasar return through their Nexuses; Quasar to a ton of guest-stars that had come to help him out! (Pity they didn't squeeze Excalibur in there!)

This issue has a "foil enhanced prismatic cover," so I think it sold fairly well? You can probably find one pretty easily; even if I have more than one around here somewhere...

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I had a pretty good quarter book (well, dollar book nowadays, honestly) haul a couple months back: I'm 90% sure they were all picked up with the same collection. Lot of Nexus and Starlin Dreadstar's, some war comics, this and that. And three issues of this series, which damn near killed me: from 1994, The Tale of One Bad Rat #1, by Bryan Talbot. 

Although I had seen covers or ads for it, I'm not sure I knew what it was going to be about until I started in. Helen is a young runaway in London, with suicidal thoughts and a pet rat. She's withdrawn and completely averse to anyone touching her; but still bright and clever, with a particular fondness for Beatrix Potter. One evening she's accosted by a drunken souse, a small band of homeless teens help her out, incidentally robbing the souse, who turns out to be a local politician of some sort.

Glasses-wearing Ben offers her a room in their "squat," and after a night's consideration in the rain Helen takes him up on it. But she's not sure if she fits in, and memories of her home life still haunt her...

It's a dark book, to be sure--with the subject matter and London and all, it'd almost be more suited to a 90's Vertigo style, all shadows. But an artist like that probably couldn't nail the Potter style too. Helen's little rat is realistic, yet always friendly and charming-looking. I pulled the first three issues out easily enough, but after reading them I had to go back and scour the shop's quarter bins until I found the fourth issue! Knew it had to be in there somewhere...Absolutely worth reading.

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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.

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"The Wolverine serial prior to Weapon X" would be a Jeopardy answer nobody gets.

Partly because the title is better known for something else, partly because it's not very good. From 1991, Marvel Comics Presents #69.

Ghost Rider shares the lead with Wolvie in "Acts of Vengeance, part 6: Brass Tactics" Written by Howard Mackie, pencils by Mark Texeira, inks by Harry Candelario. But this is the origin of Brass: Navy SEAL, ninja, badass, Poochie. His girlfriend was killed during the Acts of Vengeance crossover (off-panel, until now at least) and he swore well, vengeance, on the Mandarin, and the rest of his conspirators; the Red Skull, the Kingpin, and Magneto. Ooh, don't forget the Wizard! And Loki!...you sap. That sounds like a really good way to commit suicide, but so far this seems to be played straight, like Brass thinks he could do it. Wolvie and Ghost Rider aren't the type to laugh in his face, or talk somebody out of killing themselves either, I guess.

This issue also has another Shanna the She-Devil chapter that we won't go into, but she barely appears in it. Next, the first of a four-part Daredevil serial, "Redemption Song, part 1 of 4: Hot in the City" Story and layouts by Sandy Plunkett, pencils by Dwayne Turner, inks by Chris Ivy. Pirate radio, mad dogs, and possibly a mad scientist all bother DD.

I liked the next one better, the Silver Surfer in "A Howling in the Void" Written by Len Wein, pencils by Hugh Hayes--that's Hugh Haynes, he had been the artist for the last First issues of Nexus! He draws a nice little Surfer vs. alien zombies story.

Am I buying Marvel Comics Presents issues whenever I find cheap ones, so I have a quick book to blog? That may be too much planning to give me credit for.
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