Another MCP I don't think I've read before. Or have any other chapters for these serials! From 1990, Marvel Comics Presents #57, with a cover by Dale Keown. The traditional Wolverine chapter guest-stars the (grey) Hulk, who feels kind of bad that Wolverine is dead as hell, and pending an autopsy! He stops the morticians from cutting him open, claiming it was a close call. Yeah, for the morticians: that saw would've skidded right off of his adamantium bones and probably embedded itself in one of them. While Wolvie splits the hospital and steals some pants, the Hulk hears news of a Wolverine-lookalike taking hostages at a pharmaceutical factory, and opts to go defend Wolvie's good name. But the Wolverine-alike recognizes the Hulk--and has claws of his own! ("On the Road, part 4: Death Don't Have No Mercy" Written by Michael Higgins, pencils by Dave Ross, inks by Dan Day.)

The Werewolf serial seemed familiar, because I think we've seen the sequel: Jack Russell had been saved from the magic-hating Silver Dagger (an old Doctor Strange baddie, but seems a natural here) by the Braineaters, a biker gang of werewolves! Jack had torn through a biker gang "two years ago" (more like seventeen if the caption box is right and it was in Werewolf by Night #6, that was 1973!) and infected them with lyncanthropy. He tries to resist the gang's sexy alpha leader, Layla; realizing the Braineaters retain their human intellect as werewolves by giving into it, and worse: "Braineaters" was not a clever name, it's literal! Changing in the full moon, the Werewolf turns on the Braineaters, with no one realizing the Silver Dagger had been watching...("Children of the Beast, part 4: Leader of the Pack" Written by Len Kaminski, pencils by Jim (James) Fry, inks by Brad Joyce.)

This issue was August 1990, so this Namor three-parter was running concurrently with the John Byrne series, but not related. Deep in the Atlantic Ocean is a hole in the bottom of the sea the strange vortex, Neptune's Eye. Even Namor doesn't know what that's about, and with Marrina dead and himself currently dethroned, he considers swimming into it to explore...or die. Still, he's interrupted by some James Cameron-style surface dwellers, including a thrill-seeking Sandra Rains, who are attacked by plants and strange creatures. Despite losing a cameraman, Sandra still manages to convince Namor to explore the Eye, and take her with him. ("Neptune's Eye, part 1: Strange Visitors" Written by Robert Denatale, pencils by Mike Collins, inks by Mark Farmer.)

Lastly, the only 8-pager this issue, the Black Cat in "The Crown Jewel Caper." Felicia is working with a one-handed fence, on finding the lost crown jewels of France; but she's being conned: the fence is taking orders from the Kingpin. Despite no longer having her powers (which is seemingly mentioned 20 times in an eight-page story) she's able to ditch the cops, and plant stolen goods on the fence at the airport. 

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Sometimes, when life doesn't make sense, it's time to read a comic that doesn't make a lot of sense! From 1982, Brave and the Bold #190, "Who Killed Adam Strange?" Written by Mike W. Barr, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Sal Trapani. 

The lead story was only 17 pages, so it has to zip along; with Batman taking the zeta beam to Rann, fighting his way through some young guards, and getting to Adam Strange's wife Alanna by page 4. Bats had received a letter from Adam's "earth lawyer," that was to be delivered if Adam went missing for more than six months. (Which I thought would've been often, for an archeologist back then!) Batman followed the letter's instructions and took the zeta beam, to find out what happened to Adam. Good news, he got a statue! Bad news...

Bats admits to Alanna he did not know Adam well, but there's a sense of admiration: like maybe if his parents hadn't died, he could've led a life like his. (Doubtful! Bruce would've been idle rich. I don't think he would've been Elon Musk-level terrible, but probably not great.) As Rann is attacked again, Batman is directed to Alanna's father, Sardath; since Batman's detective skills were what they really needed. Rann was under attack by their "ancestral enemies" (who I don't think we've ever seen before) the Kirri, who are crushing Rann's forces with their "aqua-ray" that turns their foes into water. Adam had stopped the Kirri before, so Sardath was certain they arranged his murder. 

Viewing footage of the crime scene, Batman notes that even though he had been shot multiple times with a ray-gun, Adam still tried to write something in his own blood. Watching Adam's other cases, Batman has a revelation: when the zeta-beam wears off, Adam is always returned to earth, in the same state he left. (Today. That may not be a hard-and-fast rule.) Sardath withdraws the zeta-radiation from Adam's corpse and Batman, returning them to earth--and Adam to life! Catching another zeta-beam back, Batman does advise, don't try that again. Oh, and Batman has solved the mystery.  

Yes, by bluffing! He tricks one of the guards that first attacked him into confessing. Adam then leads the charge against the Kirri, even as Batman wonders if being dead has brain-damaged him; but Adam figures out how to stop the aqua-ray: it can't penetrate ice. Using massive chunks of ice as shields, they rally and defeat the Kirri, who promise to restore their aqua-victims. Batman and Adam have just about a page to hang out with Alanna, before the zeta ray brings them to earth again. 

Also this issue: a Nemesis back-up! Man, I think DC has slept on him for a while.

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"Puppies."

Back in Amazing Spider-Man #258 (which we'll probably reference more than once...) Spidey freaks out when he feels the symbiote is trying to attach itself to him permanently. Would it, though? The What If? version went with the symbiote possessing him, instead of just attaching itself; but I can't recall how often I've seen the symbiote take the proverbial wheel.

And of course we just got the Venomized Captain America, by god we're going to use him! I don't know if I'd necessarily need a whole bunch of Venomized heroes (I know Funko pops are going that route) but I'd probably take the Symbiote Supreme and Nightcarnage from Marvel Contest of Champions.

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Kind of worried he'll look like a jackass here. More so than usual, I mean.

I also have to wonder if this book's regular readers were pleased to see today's guest-star. From 2013, All-Star Western #19, "Panning for Gold" Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, art by Moritat.

There's a new sheriff in town--kind of. By default. It's Booster Gold, who dropped square in the middle of what would've been a routine Jonah Hex plot: after his brother is arrested for "lifting skirts with a stick" over at the saloon, Emmit Stone first attempts to break him out, then escalates to murdering the sheriff of Red River Junction. Booster arrives only in time for the sheriff to say who killed him, and clocks Emmit and throws him in jail, but is left sheriff until a replacement could be found. Later, he finds Jonah Hex standing over three bodies by the river; although Hex didn't kill those men, it was the Clem Hootkins gang. Who proceed to shoot up Red River Junction while Booster is gone... Hex isn't thrilled about the carnage, but he's seen worse; and Booster remembers what he knew about Hex. Hex is more than a little suspicious about that, but still plans to track the Hootkins gang down in the morning and "have them sorted" by tomorrow night, so time for a drink! 

Booster tells Hex he's from the future, which Jonah just seems to find funny: although he calls him "future boy" from then on, it's unclear if he believes him or not. They set after the gang, after Booster pukes out his lungs. (I can't remember, but then again probably wouldn't, being so drunk that sunlight made me throw up. Booster's goggles do nothing!)

Also this issue: a Stormwatch...western? With werewolves? Alright, whatever. And a Channel 52 promo piece referencing this issue, with Ambush Bug, Calendar Man, and Zardoz Vartox wearing Booster Gold masks!  

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I'd love to finish the team, but now I want variant costumes.

All together now: "some time back," we saw the previous issue; we may finish this storyline someday! From 2011, Thunderbolts #164, "Golden Age Thunderbolts" Written by Jeff Parker, pencils by Kev Walker, inks by Terry Pallot.

This feels selfish, but kind of necessary.

So...that was a week, all right.

You might have thought 2020 would have prepared you for anything, but nope! I'm not even sure we've reached the very bottom of the barrel yet. And yet, I'm still going to take a couple minutes to blog about a comic, if for no other reason than it takes me away from doomscrolling Twitter. And it's a good one, that fits in a little with last week's books--but just a little! From 2000, Section Zero #3, "Ground Zero: part 3" Written and inked by Karl Kesel, pencils by Tom Grummett.

Sam Wildman has gone solo at the start of this issue, on a quest to rescue Section Zero's leader, his ex-wife, Doc Challenger. He starts with the mystic shop of Curio--think a really mercenary Madame Xanadu/Dr. Strange type. She's also colder than either of those, but seems amused by Wildman, or knows how to use him. Curio's artifacts point him in the direction of the sewers, which pits him against the Morlock-like Minions of the Rat King! The rest of Section Zero has followed Sam, but alien member Tesla is knocked out and held hostage, forcing the rest of the team to submit to being chained. The Rat King knew and had plans for Sargasso--his healing abilities would keep the cannibals fed for some time--but Sam and Thom, the 24-Hour Bug, are going to be given to the albino alligators!

When the heroes get free, the Rat King attempts to use another mystic thingee to exile them all, as had been done to Sargasso years prior; but the energy revives Tesla, who grabs it and unknowingly knocks the Rat King into the alligators. But, before they have time to plan their next move, mercenaries arrive for the thingee, with a hostage that they've already poisoned, leaving him ten hours to live...

I didn't read this when it came out, but that may be just as well, since this was the last issue and it ends on a cliffhanger! It would be eighteen years before co-creators Kesel and Grummett would complete their series with a Kickstarter-funded book, which would later be reprinted as single issues. It's a really fun book that I'm glad I backed; and I just got Kesel's latest Kickstarter book, Impossible Jones, yesterday! Give both a shot if you see them, and check out anything else they have going: they both seem super-nice, and I don't think I've read a bad book from either of them.

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I'm still not sure I've ever seen it; this didn't ring a bell.

Do me a favor, and don't search how many times I use "some time back" on this blog; it's just a side-effect of doing it so long! But, some time back, we saw the comic book adaptation of Superman III brought to us by Carls Jr. and 7-Up. Apparently, I had to get this one my damn self: from 1987, Superman IV: the Quest for Peace, written by Bob Rozakus, pencils by Curt Swan and Don Heck, inks by Frank McLaughlin, Al Vey, John Beatty, and Dick Giordano. The GCD doesn't give the "adapted by" credits, but you can check the IMDB for that.

I have been trying to recall if I've ever actually seen this one: it's reputation was pretty bad, even when it came out, and I don't think it has come to be appreciated in the years since. That IMDB page notes the budget was way lower than previous movies, among other problems. Also, like a lot of 80's kids, I had that vague background worry about nuclear armageddon, exasperated by the Day After and a bazillion post-apocalyptic Road Warrior knockoffs, so maybe a movie where Superman very specifically doesn't take away nukes wasn't going to cut it. (Well, he does, then relents.) I did just have to look if the movie used more footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El--since Jor-El makes a brief appearance in the comic, and that Brando footage cost the producers a chunk of change so I could see them shoehorning it in; but apparently not.

Mariel Hemingway appears as the daughter of an investor who takes over the Daily Planet and is more interested in sales than journalistic integrity: I think I've hit a couple books from the late 80's that warned us about what was going to happen to the press; and it's pretty obvious now that we didn't listen. She's also a potential love interest for Clark, or at least a complication: there's a double-date type thing with her, Lois, Clark, and Superman that's as the kids today say, just cringe. The whole thing may be best remembered for Jon Cryer as Lenny Luthor, slapstick sidekick for Gene Hackman's Lex: Cryer would years later appear as Lex Luthor on the CW's Supergirl, where he's been a solid villain.

Also, while I love the John Williams Superman theme, you have to admit it's about five minutes too long. Don't @ me. The best way to watch this, might be as a double feature with Batman: these were only two years apart, but might as well have been a hundred.

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"Leg Day."

In-continuity, Deadpool is of course closer to Spidey, since they had a team-up series for 51 issues or so--and Nightcrawler guest-stars in #14! I haven't read all of it, so I'm not sure on the continuity: Pool was reset at some point, so he may not recall his Spider-adventures; and I'd be surprised if Pool still knew Spidey's secret identity. In fact, soon we'll see someone else with a surprising friendship with Pool...

I kind of feel like Venompool is acting out a little here; like he doesn't need his friends anymore. Which may have come from this one:

 

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By random chance, they should go together thematically at least sometime...

Usually, the first figures of the year are clearanced; but only one was for 2021: the X-Men movie Mystique, marked down to eleven bucks from Wal-Mart. But we also got our order for the Wal-Mart exclusive Venomized Captain America! It's a good exclusive in the sense that it's neat but 100% not necessary, but a bad exclusive in that I never saw one in stores. (I never saw the Star Wars Black Holiday Snowtrooper in a Wal-Mart, either.)

Marvel Legends has the Stilt-Man/Into the Spider-Verse and Krakoa X-Men waves out shortly...and I'm not all-in on either? In fact, the couple figures I could be tempted on, I probably don't need to throw twenty bucks at: it's neat they're making Frog-Man, but I'm not expecting him to go for forty bucks in June, either.

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The Fifteenth Annual, Random Happenstance, Year in Toys!

We're not here to praise 2020, just to bury it. Let's dance on its grave, with the Year in Toys!

For new readers: For years now, I have been keeping a running total of every action figure or toy I buy. Hopefully, each entry has the figure's name, the line, the price, and where I bought it; and possibly a link to a cartoon or strip that toy was used in. (Unless that figure's unloved or unphotogenic, I guess. Or I'm lazy...) Totals will usually include postage and tax. Usually. Any prices or totals listed in parentheses were purchased with store credit or points instead of paying money, and aren't counted towards the actual total spent. This is by no means a "Best of" list or anything, just what I bought. For reference, here's links for 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006.

1-3 Marvel Legends Spider-Woman, $11.99; ML Rock Python, $12.49; total $24.48, Fred Meyer.

1-9 ML Thing, Invisible Woman, $19.87 each, total $43.19, Wal-Mart.

1-12 ML Citizen V, $13.53, Fred Meyer.

1-19 ML Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, $19.87 each; Star Wars Black Yavin Luke, $14.99; total $59.27, Wal-Mart.

1-24 ML (She) Hulk, $14.99, Walgreens; ML Shang-Chi, $19.87, Wal-Mart; ML Stepford Cuckoos, $21.61, another Walgreens.

1-25 ML Doctor Doom, $21.57, Target.

2-1 Fortnite Wild Card, $4.99, Fred Meyer.

2-4 Mezco One:12 Moon Knight, $47.78, Amazon.

2-10 Figures Toy Company WWE shopping cart, $14.99 shipped, eBay.

2-12 ML Vulture, $19.99, Hydro-Man, $13.50, McFarlane Batman: Hellbat suit, $19.99; total $58.23, Target.

2-15 Wrestling accessories, pop machine, $33.76 shipped, eBay.

2-18 2 McFarlane Fortnite Wild Card, $11.48 each, $27.00 total, Ross.

2-21 ML Molten Man left arm, $12.00 shipped, eBay.

2-24 ML Molten Man left leg, $7.61 shipped, eBay.

DC Multiverse Gotham by Gaslight Batman, $0.09, Amazon.

3-1 Avengers basic Chitauri, $5.28, Fred Meyer.

3-4 ML White Rabbit, $19.84; Union Jack, $9.89; Fortnite Leviathan, $12.97; Rabbit Raider, $9.99; Abstrakt, $9.14; total 61.84, Amazon.

3-9 ML Odin BAF, $12.99, EntertainMart.

3-15 Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, $12.99, Wal-Mart.

3-20 WWE Wreckin' Slam Mobile, $24.99, eBay.

3-26 Disney Classic Black Hole V.I.N.CENT/B.O.B, Maximillian, Rocketeer, $86.02 shipped, Big Bad Toy Store.

4-19 ML Rescue, Shuri, War Machine, Loki; $19.95 total, Amazon.

5-7 Scooby Blue Falcon/Muttley, Dynomutt/Shaggy; $9.99 each, total $21.60, Wal-Mart.

5-8 ML Iron Man 2020, $21.61, Walgreens.

5-16 Fortnite Wildcard, Galaxy, $24.99 total, Fred Meyer.

5-23 ML Leader, Captain Mar-Vell, Mach-1, Rage, $19.89 each; Fortnite Rex, $14.96; total $100.14, Wal-Mart.

6-3 SWB Empire Han, $15.00; McFarlane Bloodshot, $5.00; $20.00 total, Wal-Mart.

6-4 SWB the Child, $0.00, Amazon.

6-9 SWB Jannah, $5.97; Jurassic Park Malcolm, $7.97; total $13.94, GameStop.

6-12 ML Stan Lee (suit), $25.99 shipped, eBay.

6-15 SWB Zorii Bliss $19.99, Mandalorian, $19.87; total $40.15, Amazon.

6-17 ML X-Man, Morph, Wild Child, Sunfire, Jean Grey, Weapon X, $18.84 each, total $122.42, Wal-Mart.

6-20 ML Ms. Marvel, Iron Man, $19.87 each, $43.28, Wal-Mart.

7-1 Justice League Knightcrawler, $17.41 shipped, Mercari.

7-2 ML Black Widow deluxe, $22.24, Target.

7-5 G.I. Joe Classified Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, $19.84 each, total $43.87, Wal-Mart.

7-6 ML Havok/Polaris, $44.99; McFarlane Fortnite Overtaker, $11.50; total $61.24, GameStop.

7-17 2 SWB Sith Jet Troopers, $11.00 each, total $23.83, Wal-Mart.

7-22 ML armored Daredevil, $19.99; WWE Slambulance, $39.98; total $65.32, Target.

7-23 ML Spymaster, $11.00, Wal-Mart.

7-31 ML Black Tom, Pirate Deadpool, X-Force Deadpool, Shiklah, Sunspot, Warpath, Maverick, $19.96 each, total $151.31, Wal-Mart.

8-8 Fortnite Havoc, $11.99; Overwatch Mercy/Pharah, $9.99, Ana/Soldier 76, $9.99, Junkrat, $4.99, Reaper, $4.99, Zarya, $3.49; total $45.44, Ross.

8-13 ML Gwen Stacy, $22.48, GameStop.

8-27 Power Rangers in Space Psycho Blue Ranger, $4.31, GameStop.

9-4 ML Spider-Man, $22.99, GameStop.

9-9 Re-Ment Mens Room #6, $20.68 shipped, eBay.

9-12 ML Moon Knight, $16.12, Walgreens.

9-18 Fortnite A.I.M, $11.88, Ross; 2 SWB Offworld Jawas, $7.06 each, total $14.12, GameStop.

9-23 Fortnite Peely, $11.99; Doggo, $19.99; total $13.75 (with credit), Amazon.

9-26 Bandai Souchaku Henshin Kamen Rider, $17.35 (shipped, with coupon), eBay; ML Silver Centurion Iron Man, $21.61, Walgreens; Fortnite Fishstick, X-Lord (Scavenger), $9.99 each, $21.61 total, Ross.

10-1 McFarlane Fortnite Red Strike, $16.37, GameStop.

10-9 NECA Aliens vs. Predator Dutch and Lynn, $9.31 (with credit) Amazon.

10-11 Fortnite Valkyrie, $10.80, Ross.

10-13 Marvel Select Nightcrawler, $23.95, Mercari.

10-23 ML Thunderstrike, $0 (points) Amazon.

11-3 ML Spider-Man, Phage, Morbius, Carnage, movie Venom, Gwenom, Miles Venom, $149.60 total, GameStop.

11-6 Diamond Select Gunslinger, Man in Black, $9.99 each, $20.68 total, EntertainMart.

Star Wars Black Holiday Clone Trooper, $24.99, GameStop.

11-7 SWB Holiday Range Trooper, $27.01, Target.

11-11 SWB Holiday Sith Trooper, $27.01, Best Buy.

11-14 Apex Legends Pathfinder, $21.61, Wal-Mart.

11-18 ML Jocasta, $21.61, Wal-Mart.

11-20 Boss Fight Studios Sam and Max, total $91.84.

11-24 SWB Holiday Stormtrooper, ML Kang, total $33.34, Amazon.

11-29 ML Cyborg Spider-Man, Negative Zone Spider-Man, SWB Probe Droid, total $42.72, Target.

12-16 ML J.Jonah Jameson, $15.74; Black Cat, $20.94; Firestar (preorder) $20.99; total $79.58 shipped, Entertainment Earth.

12-21 SWB Holiday Snowtrooper, $33.55 shipped, Mercari.

Total: $2345.67. 2019: $2472.30. 2018: $1752.31. 2017: $1968.71. 2016: $1753.72. 2015: $1895.35. 2014: $1523.25. 2013: $1101.93. 2012: $706.32. 2011: $564.71. 2010: $966.10. 2009: $558.16. 2008: $555.16. 2007: $426.00. 2006: $620.00. 

All these years of doing this, yet I'm still always surprised by the totals! And how I can be cheap as hell sometimes, and other times just throw my money at something. There were a few figures I probably could've waited on, or gotten cheaper; but also several that I scored on: nine cents for Gotham by Gaslight Batman? Nothing wrong with that!

I noted last year I wanted some "higher end" figures like the Mezco One:12 Moon Knight and the Boss Fight Studios Sam & Max, and we did get those! The Black Hole figures were also a pleasant surprise; although I found their stands a little iffy. Iron Man 2020 was a long awaited figure that pretty much had to come now; let's just remember none of this was his fault. Probably. 

 
Let's see, I usually count off the Build-a-Figures as well: Super-Skrull, Molten Man, Avengers: Endgame Hulk, (video game?) Abomination, Sugar Man, Strong Guy, and Venompool. I also picked up the alternate head for the DC Multiverse Collect-n-Connect Lex Luthor and a used but complete BaF King Thor. 

 
What does the next year hold? There are a few figures I've already paid for that will hopefully show up eventually: we counted the Firestar pre-order already since it was lumped in with that order, but the rest I guess will be in next year's totals. Oh, like this is 100% accurate anyway. Hope you all get all the figures you want, too.

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