"Dove Patrol."

I don't know if English has the right words for the mess of emotions I'd feel if DC announced a new Doom Patrol comic...with art by Rob Liefeld. "Conflicted," would be one way to put it. On the other hand, he probably wouldn't be the worst possible choice. (I know someone just wrote a piece on Liefeld's Doom's IV book, but can't remember where I saw it.)

Anyway, the "Doom Idol" strips continue sporadically here; partly because they're contingent on what figures I get. I actually have a couple plotted out, but am still short a couple DCUC I've never seen locally. MattyCollector.com hasn't even hinted at an Elasti-Girl figure yet (giant or normal sized) but it looks like the Golden Age Flash sold out in less than a day; so hopefully they'll see that as a success and keep the line going online. Otherwise, if someone could get me a pair of boots to fill in for Rita...





Read more!

I do love a Starlin recap page:

Especially when I had this issue for some time before getting the previous chapter: Marvel Fanfare #21, "The Clash, part two" Story and art by Jim Starlin, pencils and inks by Al Milgrom.

This was set during a tough time for the Thing: just returned from the Secret Wars Battleworld, Ben had quit the Fantastic Four, and was on his way to pack. Then Dr. Strange summons him, to fight the demon jailers of Xandu. Xandu's also got his hands on the Ruby of Domination, and has taken over everyone in Manhattan, yet can only control one mind-slave at a time. As the Thing laments, Xandu didn't pick the Hellcat...

Starlin cheats a little, since at the time the Hulk was mindless and lost (around issue #300) but he's back to more-or-less normal under Xandu's control. Except, he's sluggish, and the Thing mops the floor with him. Until Xandu releases the Hulk, who is understandably upset that "Rockman" has been punching him for the last twenty minutes...

Dr. Strange is pretty entertaining in this one too, even though he spends most of the story captured. But he makes a pretty good straight man for Ben Grimm. I need to keep an eye out for Starlin's Hulk/Thing graphic novel with Bernie Wrightson.

Read more!

In which we see what Batman doesn't need in his trophy collection.

From 2004, Justice League Adventures #34, "Past Tense" Written by Stuart Moore, pencils by Tim Levins, inks by Mick Gray.

Batman and Superman narrate over their respective origins, but what they don't notice is a familiar bracelet-laden arm reaching through a bright light to take a shell casing from the Wayne murder scene, and a piece off of Kal-El's rocket. An ancient, bald man in a wheelchair orders Wonder Woman to place the items and her tiara in a shrine, putting his plan in motion.

Meanwhile, Batman is in Metropolis, following up on a rumor that Lex Luthor is planning revenge on Superman and himself. Bats is also dismayed to be discovered by Superman about thirty seconds in. They begin to check out the under-construction Metropolis Museum of Tomorrow, but are suddenly stricken by a mysterious energy that saps their strength. They push on to the "Ultimate Time Capsule," a lead-lined bunker within the museum; where they find Luthor. Not the Luthor they know, but one from the future, and one that's expanded his repetoire to include "Qabalah" and magic. By travelling in time, old Luthor has figured out Bruce and Clark's secret identities (in JLU continuity, I don't think Diana's ID was secret) and had his plan leaked to lure them in. The spell will suck all the life-energy out of Supes and Bats, killing them; and feed it into Wonder Woman, blowing her up. But for good measure, Luthor orders Diana to beat them to death. And seems to enjoy that a little too much...

Fighting off Luthor's control, Diana throws Supes into the "Qabalah" altar, destroying it, and with his future possibly changed, Luthor disappears. Meanwhile, in prison, the present-day Luthor has an idea:

Back at the JL Watchtower, Superman shares his newfound memento with the rest of the team, thankful for a reminder of his birth-parents, and friends to share it with. While in the dark of the Batcave, Batman drops the shell casing in a chasm: he can see his parents' death every day, and therefore needs no reminders.

This was the last issue of Justice League Adventures, although there would be another 46 of Justice League Unlimited. Adventures may have been stronger overall, though...
Read more!

Still avoiding spoilers, thanks.

Man, have I even read a comic this week? Scan from What If? #5 (Second series, 1989) "What if Wonder Man had not died?" or "What if the Vision destroyed the Avengers?" Words and pictures by Jim Valentino, brushes by Sam De La Rosa. It's a retro-flavored little thing, where instead of recanting too late and spending a lot of time dead; Wonder Man instead reveals himself as Baron Zemo's pawn in time for Henry Pym to save him. Joining the team years earlier, the Avengers history is drastically changed. Aside from the above page, where the big three come charging in against an Ultron you wouldn't recognize; there's a fun bit where the Swordsman refuses to take the Mandarin's job of infiltrating the Avengers and gets fried for his lip.

I've told a few people already, but I'm going to the Avengers movie Saturday: I would've gone earlier, but it didn't seem fair to go without the kids. "Sorry, son, but you know, spoilers." Ugh, today is just going to seem like drudgery now. Still, later today we might watch the other Marvel movies (and the season finale of Fringe, guest-starring Leonard Nimoy!) which might mean we may finally open the DVD of the Incredible Hulk that I think I bought before Christmas 2008. I liked that one, but we just never got around to it, and then it was funnier not to open it, so...

Read more!

80-Page Thursdays: Even More Secret Origins, Replica Edition!

Hey, kids! Ready for the thrilling secret origin of the Blackhawks?

Oh, goddamnit...from 2003's replica edition of Even More Secret Origins, featuring stories from Edmond Hamilton, John Broome, Bob Haney, and Gardner Fox; with art by Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, Lee Elias, Joe Kubert, and Gil Kane.

Among other reprints, this issue features the first appearance of Eclipso; which was a relatively straight-forward Jekyll-and-Hyde setup, without any of the later agent of Chaos/Wrath of God business that came in later. Eclipso had a OK run, for a villain that could be defeated by a tanning booth...

There's also the Silver Age classic "Creature of a Thousand Shapes!" that introduced the Hawkman and Hawkgirl from Thanagar; then the secret origins of the Jimmy Olsen/Robin team and of Green Lantern's oath. I don't know how many of these Secret Origin specials they did, but if they were down to or were successful enough to get to those last two; they were either doing something really wrong or really right.

Read more!

"Date of the Dove."

Oh, sure, a girl falls in love with a ghost (like Dove and Deadman) and it's "tragic" and "romantic." But a guy digs up a corpse, and it's gross...wait, it is gross. I don't know where I was going with that. And I think Dove dated the alive Deadman before he was dead for like the fifth time, but letting that go...


Y'know, an Angry Birds/Hawk & Dove skin would be a lot of fun. And I've often figured coming back from the 23rd or 30th centuries to the present has to just be gross: imagine going back to the 14th century. I guarantee it's less fun than you just pictured.

Ugh, I didn't get Booster's first balloon positioned well there. Well, too late now. Somehow, more Hawk & Dove next week!
Read more!

OK, I marred that first panel a little.

This one has a couple things I like: random cameos and continuity with characters from other creators, in this case Warblade and Stormwatch; and Walter Simonson art. And then there's a few things I don't like: reams of backstory and Cyberforce. Problematic, since it's Cyberforce #0, "Mindgames!" Plot by Marc and Eric Silvestri and Walt Simonson, and Simonson did the art and script; with his usual letterer John Workman.

This is about the second, of two, Cyberforce issues I've ever read: I'm pretty sure I gave 1992's Cyberforce #1 a shot. Maybe I stuck out the whole initial miniseries? It was...man, I don't want to say a knock-off; but it was pretty obviously X-Men but with "mutants" struck out and replaced with "cyborgs." Wait, they actually had mutant cyborgs, for god's sake. Taking, cough, "inspiration," in itself might have been forgivable, but it was like Silvestri wanted the same level of in-depth continuity Uncanny X-Men had when he was working on it; for his own book, from day one. Done right, it would seem like the characters had a rich life outside of what the reader had seen so far. Done wrong, it would be an incomprehensible mess. Well...

Thankfully, this issue is a little more focused: as the Cyberforce team faces off against their foes, the mercenary S.H.O.C., rookie merc the Ace of Blades is left behind when the op goes bad, and is rescued by the four-armed Striker. Later, in the hospital, Ace recovers, with a chip removed from his head; and to explain why Styker tells Ace about when he himself worked for S.H.O.C. and the evil Cyberdata, with a similiar chip in his own head.

The art carries this one, since I don't know if anyone is overly attached to the characters. And it boggles my mind that Stryker has four arms, three on one side and one on the other, and that was apparently his mutant power.


Read more!

Taking "straight repaint" off the table as an option.

I was actually looking for this issue, then ended up reading Mark Waid's entire (second) run of Captain America. And the twenty-some issues after it...and some of the Marvel Knights run. This is from 1991's Captain America #386, "For Righteousness's Sake" Written by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Danny Bulanadi; and guest-starring USAgent.

Since I was thinking about the possibly forthcoming USAgent action figure, I wanted this panel, to reference the height difference between Cap and USAgent. Oddly, I think Cap is likewise taller than Bucky-Cap, so USAgent must've towered over him, before his current status quo in Thunderbolts. But poor John's status quo seems to be extremely up to the writer. More so than most characters, I mean.

This particular issue, USAgent wants in on Cap's current case, involving the militia group the Watchdogs. An old friend of Cap's and his old girlfriend Bernie are involved, so Cap doesn't want him involved. Especially since he knows the Agent's parents were killed by a Watchdogs group, and John might be a little bloodthirsty in bringing them in. But USAgent plays it a little smarter than usual this time; both planting a bug on Cap's shield, then restraining himself from killing any of the Watchdogs this time. It's a better showing for the Agent than he would usually get in the pages of Captain America: he did not fare well in the issues I mentioned reading above, but we'll take a look at that some other time.

Also this issue: no animals were harmed.

Read more!

Between the rain every morning when I get up, and being tied up with some stuff at work, and general blogging issues (which may have resolved themselves, we'll see!) I haven't been overly productive this week. Still, a quick look at some stuff:

It's more than a little disheartening to realize the next DCUC figure I buy could very likely be my last; barring eBay or comic show finds. I picked up Indigo Lantern the Atom yesterday on clearance--I had missed him on sale for $9.99, then bought him a week later marked down to $8.18. Oddly, It's All True said he had great neck articulation, but mine didn't seem to move up at all. Maybe I have to work on it.

The markdown price really sold Ray, even though I like the Atom; since I didn't like the Burning Man Blackest Night look. I would've preferred a straight, Sword of the Atom version, honestly. That and making Ray an avatar of hopefulness after DC crapping on him almost constantly since Identity Crisis, well...EDIT: Wait, Indigo is compassion, isn't it?

My only other toy purchases of late have been bags of these little Avengers chibi toys. They're at Target, $2.99 for a bag of three, with 12 characters blind-packed. Now, the first three bags I got nine different characters, which is great, but now the odds on finding the other three get longer: still need Cap, Loki, and the Hulk. The partial set is now on my monitor at work, mounted with sticky-tak-stuff.

I probably won't see the Avengers movie until next week or so; barring disaster. But I did go see Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance at the cheap theatre last week; having apparently cleared my conscience over any Marvel guilt. It's not bad, better than the first one at any rate, but it was directed by Neveldine and Taylor of the Crank films yet felt like they were restraining themselves somewhat. It felt like they wanted to push things further, go completely balls-out crazy, but didn't. Still, again, not terrible; and it'll be at Redbox or on FX or something for you later. The showing I saw was a Thursday afternoon, the last showing for the movie in town. As I ate my popcorn, I tried to remember the last time I saw a movie at that theatre: X-Men: First Class, likewise a Thurday, last showing. In both cases, the films may have been out on DVD by the time I got around to going to see them...

I guess I did get some reading done this week, though: I found some old copies of Conan the Buccaneer--which I've read a couple of times before, either the novel or the Marvel Savage Sword adaptation--Stormbringer--which I've also read before, but this is an older cover--and the Six Million Dollar Man novel Cyborg 6. I read that one about a dozen times out of the library as a kid: it's really a love letter to the 70's aerospace program, post-Apollo, pre-space shuttle. You know how Green Lantern comics sometimes pay some lip service to test pilots being completely awesome? Cyborg 6 sells it a lot better.

Read more!

80-Page Thursdays: All Star Comics 80-Page Giant!

Another Thursday, another 80-pager: from 1999, All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant, with stories by Mark Waid, John Ostrander, Tomy Peyer, and more; and art by Adam DeKraker, Denys Cowan, David Ross, and more. We looked at the Joe Kelly/Duncan Rouleau Spectre/Starman story "P.O.V." before, but let's check out the rest:

Waid opens with a story that remembers the original Atom's main motivation for being a hero: he was barely five foot one, and being a superhero gave him an outlet to get back at everyone that made fun or picked on him for his height. But, charging in on a stealth mission, Al picks up a suspension from JSA chairman Hawkman; which leaves him getting angrier and angrier. Dr. Mid-Nite helps out with a bit of therapy, teaching Al to reach his non-violent happy place. Which leaves him too mellow to help Wildcat and Mid-Nite against the Gambler...

In "The Way of the Amazon," Wonder Woman tries to work with Phantom Lady and Liberty Belle, before finding a surprising embodiment of Amazon ideals. Then, Hourman faces a radium-powered foe, "The 90-Minute Man." Next, Firebrand and the Shining Knight fight a Nazi-raised Thor in the White House in "Thunderstruck."

Next, in "Waking Nightmare," the Nazi dream assassin Kali Guri turns Wonder Woman and Hawkman against each other, and only the Sandman can save them. Finally, in the present, Jack Knight boxes with Wildcat, and we see what Jack's made of...even though he was probably pretty close to retiring at that point. "The Ropes" also features Stargirl as a ring girl, which she's probably a bit young for...

I got this issue for a dollar, but it's not bad.
Read more!

"Ditkos before Bro's."

So, I bought DCUC 20 Hawk and Dove a couple weeks back. You can't just get one of them, it doesn't work that way. They're like salt and pepper, Milk and Cheese, gin and tonic, assault and battery...

Actually, I'm only guessing, since I don't think I've ever read an actual Hawk and Dove comic. Not a Ditko one, not a Liefeld one, although I have seen a few of their appearances here and there; like their cameo in the membership drive in Justice League America #42, or the surprise reveal of Armageddon 2001 #2. (How did DC roll that back? Not that it made a helluva lot of sense in the first place...)

Anyway, Dale convinced me I'd be better off buying those two now, rather than wanting them after they sell out. And then that week there was a great deal of discussion about Mattel and DCUC maybe circling the drain and the general unlikelihood of them getting more figures on the shelves in the near future. There's a...well, either "spirited debate" or "mean-spirited finger-pointing" depending on who you ask, about why DCUC is struggling. And I'd argue the reason said debate rages is because fans either like, or at least want to like, the line. Personally, I'd as soon it continue to DCUC 40, since there are still a ton of characters I'd love to see. I don't see why they didn't do a military-themed box set with Wal-Mart: Sgt. Rock, Blackhawk, Enemy Ace, Unknown Soldier, Mademoiselle Marie...

But, there was another reason I broke down and bought Hawk and Dove: Tons of vile speculation and berserker rage after the break!


The week before, at the nearby Wal-Mart there was a white DCUC 12 Mary Marvel figure. That's a figure that's like two years old at this point. It's a terrible figure no one wants, and I could pick up like three in twenty minutes locally if I had a burning need to piss away fifty bucks. And I'm virtually positive someone returned it to said Wal-Mart, probably making off with Captain Boomerang or Bronze Tiger--figures someone conceivably would've paid cash money for. Mary stood there, blocking the pegs from any possible restock, until she was marked down, inexplicably marked up again after the other figures sold out (like Toyman, for instance!) and eventually back down to five bucks. Which still wasn't enough to convince me to finally buy her: I remember picking her up, saying meh, and deciding she could wait until I was buying something else. But, one day she disappeared.

Only to turn up at the Target a couple blocks away. It's the same one, she wasn't there before, and some troll bastard traded her in for a DCUC 20, probably Green or Red Arrow. That Mary Marvel figure is going to block that peg for the rest of the line, since I think Target's stock system will read any DCUC figure as the same SKU; and they probably won't restock until they sell through, or almost through. Which seems increasingly unlikely, since they have a couple Sinestros, a Negative Man, and I think a Captain Cold that aren't going anywhere. (I really like that Negative Man figure, but I suspect he and Cold were brought in by that same bastard. Incidentally, I find Poe is often too kind in his 'Karmic Curses' for Toy Aisle Trolls, since mine would be "May you be dragged into the street in the dead of night and shot behind the ear with a small-bore pistol; your carcass left in the gutter for three days before pickup.")

So, I bought Hawk and Dove because I couldn't bear the thought of leaving them for some toy-exchanging bastard. You know, some of you may blame DCUC's current woes on DC Comics mismanagement of their properties, or Mattel's distribution and quality control and pricing. I blame trolls and local retailers. Think about it the next time you see a Big Barda or Kid Flash growing moss at a nearby store...




Read more!

Happy Hogan kicks so much ass in this one:

Through happenstance and dumbness on my part, I ended up out of office Monday. Way out of office. But, it did give me time to re-read William Rotsler's Iron Man novel, And Call My Killer...Modok! It's pretty solid. I know I have a couple more of the old Marvel novels from 1979 or so, although I missed them the first time around and got them at a used bookstore over a decade later. But this one's probably my favorite. Wouldn't mind reading Holocaust for Hire, though...

Anyway, new strip tomorrow, although I'm at a loss why I didn't do an Avengers one; or set up any themed posts for this week. Asleep at the damn wheel, is my guess.

Read more!

Please don't use this in your art history class.

I thought I had blogged this issue already, but I may have just been remembering that I found the trade sometime afterwards: from 2006, The Thing #7, "Dis Man, Dis Monster, Disarmed!" Story by Dan Slott, art by Kieron Dwyer.

It's Alicia Master's birthday, or least it was that morning...in the present. Ben's having a hard time with Alicia having a new boyfriend Arlo, made even harder since he isn't a super-villain, he's a good guy. Feeling jealous already, Ben is further crushed when he hears Alicia gush over her birthday present from Arlo: a handsculpted replica of the Venus de Milo, her favorite work of art. With Lockjaw in tow, Ben tries to take Alicia to the Louvre, but that doesn't seem impressive enough. Back to the Baxter Building...

Meanwhile, in ancient Greece, Alexandros of Antioch is working on a new sculpture, of none other than Hercules. Who is bored as hell of standing around, and more than a bit drunk. Herc is loudly wishing for "a woman to woo...a monster to--" presumably fight, when he hears Alicia and Ben arguing. Alicia is starting to get pissed at being dragged into the past, and that Ben keeps calling her baby, when an awkward moment is averted by Herc punching Ben in the face.

While Alicia is praised as a blind oracle for "seeing" what's going to happen, i.e. clobbering time; Ben knocks Herc into his wine, ruining it and the stupid lion-hide he was wearing. Herc then socks Ben into several statues, smashing them and knocking the arms off the 'Aphrodite of Melos,' as it was known then. Hercules apologizes, but Alexandros isn't bothered: "According to the oracle...I'm gonna be huge in France!" Alicia breaks up the fights, and Herc apologizes for the misunderstanding as well; although he enjoyed the fight.

Alicia tells Ben she doesn't think they could ever be what they were before, having "been broken so many times." Still, Ben says just because something is broken--like the Venus--doesn't mean it's not a classic. Later, back at the Baxter Building, Sue had made up a story to get Ben and Alicia to watch the kids, which seems like a crappy birthday present, Sue.

Reed does notice that Ben's altered the timeline, as New York City now has a Greco-Roman design; but shrugs and says he'll fix it in the morning.

This was a fun little series, although I'm not sure how much if any of it is remembered: I couldn't say if Arlo was brought up again after it. Anytime anybody changes the Alicia/Ben relationship, someone else rolls it right back. There's also a bit of mood whiplash, as those early panels seem to indicate a much more melancholy story than this turned out.

Also: Blogger's schedule function? Still broken...I have to look into that.


Read more!

"DUM-DA-DUM DA-DUM." And mashed potatoes. That's all I remember.

Oh, I don't have all of Walt Simonson's Alien adaptation, but I have this: Marvel Super Special #3, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," edited and adapted by Archie Goodwin, illustrated by Walt Simonson and Klaus Janson, based on the Steven Spielberg movie.

I know damn well I've seen Close Encounters, but it's probably been twenty years. Seriously, even re-reading the comic, it seemed familiar, but like hearing a story someone told you once. Still, I'm glad to have this beat-up old copy of it, and there's a nice afterword from Goodwin on the difficulties of adapting any film to comics (particularly one so intertwined with its John Williams score) and a thank-you to everyone he worked with on it.

Read more!

80-Page Thursdays: Dark Horse Presents #7!

80-Page Thursdays is probably going to continue for a while, since it looks like I'll be guaranteed at least one a month for the foreseeable future, with Dark Horse Presents! With the addition of Mike Mignola's Hellboy and B.P.R.D. and with Evan Dorkin and the return of Nexus coming up, I'm in.

Issue #7 features a Hellboy feature set in Mexico, 1956; when HB spent several months drunk as a lemur. And still fighting monsters. Andi Watson's Skeleton Key and Carla Speed McNeil's Finder deliver another two solid chapters, and Stan Sakai brings an good Usagi Yojimbo short.

Brandon Graham's "The Speaker" is interesting, but not the coolest thing I've seen from him. Ditto Neal Adam's "Blood" and Howard Chaykin's "Marked Man," both of which continue. I missed a couple chapters of those, but am still not sold on them. We'll see if I come around on the next issue!
Read more!

"Welcome home, Star Boy...if you think we're calling you Starman, think again."

Starman, if you must call Thom that, is from the DC Direct Justice Society series. If you're a fan of him or the Legion, you may or may not want to hold out for the upcoming-at-some-point DCUC online one; since he's huge. Hell, I think he's big even with other DC Direct figures. I saw some review commenting on the likeness of Thom and Star Trek: The Next Generation's Commander Riker. Star Boy's beardy look predates that by a few years, though; but you can pretend they're both big guys.

Star Boy wasn't one of my favorite Legionnaires, since in the old 60's stories I read reprints of, the power of making stuff heavy wasn't especially dramatic. That may be because it's not an especially visual power; or it may be because if used properly, it would be a drama-killer since he could end almost any fight in three seconds by making any combatants too heavy to move. Light Lass's powers of making things not-heavy were in the same boat; although in recent years writers using Brainiac 5 have pointed out between them they control one of the fundamental forces of the universe.

This started out as a deadly serious strip with the Legion of Super-Heroes trying to piece together what happened to their friend Star Boy: James Robinson made him part of the sprawling Starman legacy--because, that's why. I'm pretty sure Evil Star, Red Star, Starro, and multiple versions of Starfire would've been included as well if the book had gone on. I think Robinson also added as much tragedy as he could cram into Thom: possibly the implication of mental problems, and probably foreshadowing an upcoming tragic end. Then, Star Boy was sent back to the past, for some reason, and ended up, as he mentions, in a mental institution and the Justice Society. Um, then Magog, Gog, something, reboot, reboot, reboot...

I posted reference for the LSH Clubhouse a year and change ago, and finally got around to it. Very artsy, yes? I wanted to do the "Super-Hero Club" sign in Interlac, and even had that reference, but my lettering skills are weak.
Read more!

We've checked out a couple issues of DC's Conan-style character Claw the Unconquered, but today we've got a Conan issue swiping Claw! From 1981's Conan the Barbarian #161, "House of Skulls!" Script by Michael Fleisher, art by John Buscema.

Coming back from a bar, Conan is nearly robbed and killed, except for the intervention of a large man in a cloak: his old friend Fafnir, last seen in Conan the Barbarian #20. (I wouldn't get to read that issue for another six years, until it was reprinted in Conan Saga #7.) Fafnir lost his left arm to an arrow and infection, at the siege of Makkalet; and was thrown overboard and left to die. Barely surviving, now Fafnir was on his way to get a new arm, at the House of Skulls. Fafnir's upset over losing his directions during the fight, but had them memorized, so no harm done.

Conan's been around at this point, and should probably know this is a bad, bad idea; but they get attacked by a barbarian-eating tree before he can say anything. The old witch of the House gets them down from there, scolding them for not feeding her tree a rabbit or an infant--it's poor tummy would be upset if it ate two full-grown men. The witch had been expecting Fafnir, and after discarding unsuitable options like a demon-bat wing or snow-falcon talon, hooks him up with a nice new demon arm. Twenty gold pieces, thank you, come again...except a couple thugs found the address and got to the witch first.

Coming through the marsh, Conan and Fafnir come across three slavers chasing two girls. They make short work of the slavers, but Fafnir's new arm chokes one to death without his control. Still, Conan points out the slaver had been going for a hidden dagger, so the arm did OK. They don't realize, the thugs and the witch have control over the arm; and later that night the arm attacks one of the girls, seemingly driving Fafnir insane with rage as well.

Fafnir, aghast with remorse, is about to cut the demon-arm off, but the witch turns him on Conan instead. Still, Conan is an even match, until the witch brings them to her, so she can focus her power on the arm. Now outmatched, Conan is on the verge of being crushed, but manages to destroy the witch's power-glass with a thrown rock. The witch, and the arm, collapse into ash; and the thugs try to get revenge themselves. As you'd expect, they fail miserably, but in a nice touch the surviving girl gets to avenge her friend. Fafnir sadly joins Conan and the girl, as they ride off.

Fafnir would hang out with Conan--after Dr. Who, I can't really call him a companion--for another five or so issues. He would tend to be overshadowed and outshined by Conan, though; so it's not surprising he didn't stick around. Aside: I had 'outshined' the first time I wrote that last sentence, and the spell check wanted 'outshone.' Which sounds, eh, not as good there, anyway...
Read more!

Today, Iron Man riding a dragon:

I was looking for something else, but stumbled into a couple of issues I hadn't read in some time: Iron Man #275, "Dragon Doom!" Pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Bob Wiacek, written by John Byrne. (That was the order they usually were presented in their run.)

The Mandarin has taken over a good portion of China, but he's come to realize he's only the pawn of Fin Fang Foom and his alien-dragon comrades. The dragons now want their rings back, and only Iron Man can stop them from taking them and the world. Rhodey is there, but in bad shape; and the Mandarin is a bit mopey over being played. Tony isn't doing much better: his nervous system was deteriorating, and he had to leave the battlefield a previous issue to switch from a remote piloted suit to showing up in person.
Rhodey gets knocked into another timezone, and Tony commandeers and overclocks the Mandarin's rings, causing a sixteen-hour explosion, in which the Mandarin and the dragons disappear. (And Tony comes out with a bleached-white suit of armor...)


I always liked those panels at Marvel, where some big cosmic thing would be going down and various characters like Dr. Strange and Spidey would sense it. The rest of the issue is a sad wrap-up to Tony's visit to China: his doctor, Su Yin (yet another Dr. Love-Interest...) was forced to lie to him, and his condition is hopeless. Tony tries to get Yin to run away with him; but relents after meeting her husband.

Read more!