Given enough time, I wonder if we'll get this whole series blogged.

Well, we've blogged like three out of 28 (and 3 annuals!) for Marvel's run, and I'm fairly sure they're out in the garage; so never say never. From 1978, John Carter, Warlord of Mars #12, "City of Skulls!" Written and edited by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Rudy Nebres.

Dejah Thoris and Tars Tarkas's daughter Sola are on their way home; but while Dejah makes it to Jangor, Sola doesn't make it to her dad: following music out into the desert, she is captured by skeletal hands reaching from beneath the sands. When Sola hadn't returned in a few days, Dejah asks John to go look for her. When Tars learns Sola was missing he was taken aback: the green Martians usually weren't that close to their kids, but he was. Searching in a flyer, John and Tars are taken down by a sandstorm, but find a massive, skull-shaped edifice in the desert.

Searching the structure, Tars is zapped from behind by a shaggy-looking thing, while John fights some skeletons. Grabbed by hands reaching from the walls, John turns to see Tars, obviously hypnotised, and intent on killing him...to be continued! Read more!

80-Page Thursdays: Infinite Frontier Secret Files #1!

Hmm, I had thought this was from more recently; but it's also our first 80-pager of the year! And it won't really fit in the scanner, but we'll see what we can do. From 2021, Infinite Frontier Secret Files #1, cover by Bryan Hitch.

This was a print collection of six digital-first stories, with the framing device of DEO director Mr. Bones going through various files and reports, since defending the country from the multiverse was also his problem now. Bones also later takes the lead in "Truly Two," as he has to contain a Captain Boomerang, who is also now a Doomsday? I don't love that for Boomerang, but it does have an amusing moment where Bones is distraught that Doomerang was tearing bone spikes from off his back and throwing them at him. (Written by Joshua Williamson and Stephanie Phillips, pencils by Phil Hester, inks by Ande Parks.)

"The Third Question" is a good one, as a man finally comes face to face, with the Psycho-Pirate. Allegedly, if you can put on his Medusa Mask and survive three questions, the Pirate will share his power: this guy makes it to the third, before getting his mind blown; but there may be something even beyond what the Pirate can see...(Written by Joshua Williamson and Dan Watters, art by Christopher Mitten.) 

 But, my favorite bit this issue, was in "The Two Totalities." Martian Manhunters from different realities test their teams, which admittedly weren't the most trustworthy lot; but I liked the meeting room in J'onn's mind, and the meeting table:

The sad thing is, I don't know if there's anybody on J'onn's little team that would appreciate that. (Story by Brandon Thomas and Joshua Williamson, art by Inaki Miranda.)

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"Disarm."

Kaine seems stuck with the Scarlet Spider tag now, since Ben has moved to Chasm, but in-story neither of them particularly love the name. (I also read a recent issue of Amazing where Ben seemingly tries to be helpful, before deciding Peter's problems were stupid and they were both better off without them.) I also thought that maybe gamma bombs might have gone through a redesign or two, to be disarmable in a hurry if needed, since someone had a bad experience with that once. (Do gamma bombs even need any radioactive material to build?) Read more!

Over the years, we've done this a lot: pick up a random comic, find out it's part 19 of 47, and press on regardless. Today's might be a tough one, though! And not just because to me the title character's name sounds like they were trying to workshop something better than "Major Bison." From 1992, Iron Marshal #28, "The Exterminator" Written by Henry Wright, art by Lee Chi Ching.

Further elevating the difficulty level, beyond having fewer points of reference than usual, this was pretty far into the series run: Iron Marshal would end with #32, and that link notes the last issues for most (if not all) of Jademan's other titles. At least in the U.S. Iron Marshal and those other titles may have continued to this day...actually, the other titles, maybe; I'm not sure this was ever the breakout or fan-favorite, but good on them for having a midrange title. This issue features a fight between Choppy and Supremo, as Choppy tries to puzzle out Supremo's technique, which seems to involve a knife strike from nowhere, even with his hands bare. How does Supremo do it? You will never guess. Iron Marshal is in this issue, but doesn't really do a lot; as several kung-fu masters have been saved from death, but have still been poisoned in a way that would kill them if they used their chi. (Kung fu in these books had progressed from "guys what kick real good" to channelling inner energy for amazing feats.)

Overall the effect today is like showing up really late for an old kung-fu movie: you're not going to figure out the plot, just watch the fights.   Read more!

Somehow, Atlantis Attacked...again.

I poke fun, but I also don't know if I remember seeing this when it was coming out. If I had, maybe I would've remembered it was five issues, not four. Grrr...From 2021, Atlantis Attacks #4, "Secrets Revealed" Written by Greg Pak, art by Ario Anindito and Robert Gill, color art by Rachelle Rosenberg.

This would've been based on much more recent continuity, not going back to the 1989 annual event, or even to Namor's then fairly recent demise (and return) at the hands of the Squadron Supreme. Instead, this followed the creation of the new Agents of Atlas in War of the Realms and was somehow a King in Black crossover as well. High point recap: Jimmy Woo had both his new and original Agents, mostly defending the Pacific rim. Billionaire Mike Nguyen had built a "portal city" called Pan, which featured a teleportation network that could reach numerous cities worldwide, including Tokyo and NYC. (This would've been when the mutants had Krakoa, did everyone teleport everywhere for that stretch?) But, of course there's a dark secret--uh, no, not the dark you're thinking of when billionaires come up--the city was powered by scales of a captured Atlantean dragon! Namor, of course, won't let that stand: most of the Agents aren't especially keen on enslaving the dragon either, but maybe don't want millions to die if the Atlanteans attack the city. Throw in another underwater faction, the Sirenas; who hated both Namor and the dragon, and partnered up with Nguyen against them.

Even with assorted forces closing in Atlantis, Namor is still prepared to fight his way through whoever and destroy Pan himself. Nguyen appears to him via hologram, wanting to cut a deal, since he thought he had all the cards. Namor realizes, as civilians try to defend their homes, that Nguyen had opened the city to refugees not out of benevolence, but more to use as human shields. Nguyen thinks he, Namor, and the Sirenas would be unstoppable together; Namor counters, no one could stop him now, and he wasn't about to make a deal with someone he couldn't trust...a lesson politicians in the real world are maybe starting to learn in dealing with the U.S, but that's neither here nor there.

Namor's fight with newcomers Luna Snow and Aero is cut short, as M-11 hacks Nguyen's mainframe, which exposes Jimmy Woo's secret: there were more dragons. In fact, earth was perhaps secretly ruled by dragons, including Woo's consigliere of the Atlas Corporation, Mr. Lao. But, Woo went along with it, because if the dragons weren't fighting with human proxies, they could destroy the world themselves. The argument continues, while young hero Wave saves Atlantis from the dragon: the second time she'd save Atlantis in this series, so she was pretty popular there, even when Namor shows up. Back in Pan, Amadeus Cho discovers Nguyen's secret bunker, but Nguyen then takes control of Cho with a robot crab, beefing him back up into the Totally Awesome Hulk! To be continued...which is super-annoying, since I found four issues in the same box. That fifth, though... Read more!

On the advice of my attorney, I'm not supposed to discuss any "crystal in my blood."

We added a tag for "Starstream" but this'll be the last one! From 1976, Starstream #3.

I looked up the author of the first story here, Jack Williamson, since I thought "Born of the Sun" might have been an early death-ray story; the "poison flame!" Nope, but he did come up with the word "terraforming" first. This is an end of the world story, with a scientist, his girl, and his gunslinging uncle trying to escape both the doomed planet and the Cult of the Great Egg. The Cult, while creepy and evil, is legitimately right about a few things...(Adapted by Ed Summer, art by Don Heck.

"A Day in the Life of Dr. Moon" is another original, as opposed to an adaptation of a pulp story; which follows a doctor sweating out 15 years on the moon to cover his medical school bills. He's run pretty ragged with a plague-carrier on the loose, assorted moon-crazies, and performing a plastic lung transplant; all on two hours of sleep! If this was updated at all, that doctor would be on so many drugs...(Written by Harry Dawes, art by Frank Bolle.)

"Microcosmic God" by Theodore Sturgeon feels like another story that has been stolen from bit by bit over the years: an enterprising young scientist and an up-and-coming financier team up, which is profitable for several years, until the scientist starts devoting himself to some real science: creating life in the lab, then through selective breeding raising a miniature society of hyperfast lizards! Giving the lizards problems like changing their environment, the scientist is able to copy their work for even more advances, but the financier decides to use those discoveries to blackmail the entire earth. Ooh, a financier turns out to be a dick. Shocker. (Adapted by Arnold Drake, art by Adolfo Buylla.)

"Last Voyage of the Albatross" is an A.E. Van Vogt story about the missing crew of a whaling ship--y'know, screw them, leave whales alone. (Adapted by George Kashdan, art by Al McWilliams.) Those pages could've been used for more of Anne McCaffrey's "The Crystal Singer" since that would go on for a trilogy of novels and more. When young Killashandra's hopes of being an opera singer are dashed, a chance meeting with a member of the Heptite Guild gives her a new--and dangerous--opportunity. With her perfect pitch, she can hear the crystal 'sing,' and can mine it for the big money; but the call of the crystal is addictive, and fatal in the end...Still, Killashandra was unwilling to do anything, if she wasn't going to be the best at it; but for her first mission, guild by-laws say she has to be accompanied by a partner, who is obviously fried. (Adapted by Dan Weiss, art by Frank Bolle.) Read more!

It's weird that the world ended six, seven years back.

Honestly, it makes a lot of sense though, doesn't it? From 2019, B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #13, "Ragna Rok" Written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, art by Laurence Campbell.

This was the unlucky 13th issue of the series, but it's really B.P.R.D. #160, and very nearly the end of a storyline that had been running for 25 years at that point! The entire planet was besieged by the monstrous, Lovecraftian kaiju Ogdru Hem--369 of 'em, give or take--and the Bureau had recently lost long-standing members Kate Corrigan and Johann Kraus. (I'm not sure Kate was really dead, although I might be thinking of an earlier story; and Kraus had been a ghost the whole series, so...) With S.H.I.E.L.D.-like aircraft and troops, the B.P.R.D. fights on, trying to get as many people as they can to safety in caves; led by agents Fenix and Howards. Both were later additions: if I recollect, Fenix had a ghost watching her back as she tried to save her friends, but those may both end here; while Howards had been a typical agent until grasping an ancient, and distinctive, sword; he was basically Conan now.

But, three of the B.P.R.D.'s finest were still there, at their darkest hour: the pyrokinetic Liz Sherman, and returning from their own journeys, Abe Sapien and Hellboy. In a nice touch, Hellboy recalls another lost member, Roger the Homunculus, remembering the bigass thing (another of the Ogdru Hem) they killed at Hunte Castle. Hellboy is almost confused, though; since for years he had been told that he was going to be the one to bring about the end of the world, but it seemed to be ending just fine without him.

When a group of humans, including (whatever was left of) Fenix's friends, get to a cave, her ghost Eris takes her leave, saying she was finally free. Howards leaves some agents to hold the entrance against the monstrous 'frogs,' as they push into the caves. Back in New York, Hellboy has a brief talk with the ghost of Edward Grey, who confirms that yeah, this one was going to hurt. Abe calls for Hellboy, as they see Rasputin rising like a kaiju himself in the distance... 

I have a longbox full of Hellboy and related books, including all of B.P.R.D., but I found the last three a couple weeks back in a dollar bin, which was a great chance to revisit the end. There were two issues left, but while there have been numerous Hellboy series since, those have been set in the past; with possibly only Frankenstein set going forward. No spoilers: it's not a completely unhappy ending but it's not without a lot of changes.

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