Mera takes on the League in JUSTICE LEAGUE #24

 I love being on Twitter because it helps me know about characters appearances.  I probably would have missed Mera's showing up in the pages of Justice League.  I have Aquaman on my pull list at the LCS, Ssalefish Comics.  I know how Mera became so tormented.  I also get that this happens because of the events in Atlantis.

So, it was a no-brainer that I would need to get this issue.  It was AMAZING!  If you thought Batman could take the League down, then you should see what Mera can do even on the verge of exhaustion.  It is a beautiful ballet of systematic take downs.  Oh how wonderful.

This is just pure happiness as I watch one of my favorite characters and she is written so well.  This is more than Aquaman's Mermaid here.  What has been running since the New 52 in the Aquaman title is carried into the DCU.  That is nice to see happen.

It could have been a vastly different portrayal.  Mera could have been written as a crazy woman lashing out because her man is gone.  Instead she is lashing out to make sure what Arthur had fought for in keeping peace between the surface world and Atlantis was held tight.  Yes she is hurting, but she puts duty and honor above and because of that the League may have gained a new member that is better than the rest.

Wonder Woman also has a great moment here.  Batman gets surprised.  Everyone else gets schooled.  Worth the price of admission.

BDS

Wonder Woman is a movie that Inspires

I was feeling so many emotions as the credits rolled on the Wonder Woman Movie.  The most prominent was a renewed sense of hope.  After the US election in 2016 I felt lost.  A man I did not respect and who through his life showed himself to be the opposite of everything I believed in was President.  I saw in this man the opposite of everything I taught the youth and children that had been under my care over the years.  As a Christian Minister I felt like the Gospel message of Love had been stomped upon.

Watching Gal Gadot bring Wonder Woman to life helped me feel a sense of calmness.  I feel the inspiration that has been my guide for so long.  I teach how Love is the strongest thing there is in the universe.  As a Christian I hold to Love as a sacrifice that was made so people had the choice to choose a life of goodness.

I liked having that feeling.  I did understand as well why people had said they were tearing up and crying.  There are two very emotional scenes, well more, but two that affected me.  I felt that this film would have been great for Memorial Day.  While being a film that preaches peace, it never makes the soldiers look bad.  It shows the horrors of WWI.  The backdrop worked well for Diana's origin.

It is an origin that takes all the various incarnations and melds the best parts to give us a strong female to admire and love.  The story works on so many levels.  Patty Jenkins crafted the best film of the year.  She deserves to direct more of the DC movies.  Her take and sense of visuals would do well for DC in making us care more and connecting with non-comicbook people.

Go see this movie.  Take any young women and older girls.  Younger girls can see it safely I think, but it will take some maturation for them to appreciate fully just how special this story and Wonder Woman are.  Wonder Woman really delivers everything a movie should be.

BDS

DC Universe Rebirth: Aquaman #1 - #6

 I have come to realize that I like Aquaman.  I think much has been done to malign this character over the years.  It is strange because so very talented people have written some outstanding stories over the many years of his existence.  Recently I have seen a more cohesive stance taken on this character and his place in the DC Universe.  I liked it and have been following for a few years now.  The way we see Aquaman as a joke is used here to great effect in a confrontation with Superman.

With the restart of some stories in this Rebirth era it was nice to see some threads remain as Aquaman moved forward.  If you recall, Wally saw Arthur and Mera as a positive in a bleak world he was trying to return to and set right.  Mera remains a strong female character and in the first six issues shows her commitment to Arthur, but also that she will bust walls and heads to ensure the safety of the one she loves.  Her balance as a warrior queen and a surface "wife" works well for comedic tension.

The idea of an embassy on the surface was a carry over and was used in terrific manner as a means to set Aquaman up.  Black Manta attacks and the death toll rises.  This prompts the US Government to go all paranoid on Aquaman and Atlanteans.  The Patriot Act is used and Aquaman surrenders himself after being treated unfairly as a Dignitary on US soil.  This sets up a fantastic rescue by Mera and a run to the sea where the Army attacks and Aquaman tries not to kill anyone.

There are two great punches in Issue Six.  One is Aquaman laying Superman out.  It shows that he is one the power level of Superman and Wonder Woman.  We seem to forget that sometimes.  He is one powerful meta.  It also allows for him to explain to Clark how he is seen as a joke in the Justice League.  It is a slight that has been endured by this King.  There are many looks at how he commands respect from his people and he shows just how powerful he is as a King.

I mentioned two punches.  Mera knocks the Man of Steel for a loop as well.  It is a cool scene for a favorite character of mine.  It also serves as a reminder of the power in this character and the power that the two combined have.  The response by a military observer is priceless.

Want awesome story and cool adventure, then read Aquaman.  It has mystery and political intrigue as well.  Black Manta does something shocking in the end of the book as well.  It will be a problem waiting for Aquaman I am sure.

BDS

DC Universe Rebirth Green Lanterns #1 - #6

 I remain loyal to my Green Lantern Titles and hope they stay strong.  On Earth we add another person to the ever growing cadre of Green Lanterns.  Her name is Jessica Cruz, a person with some anxiety issues.  I have no idea what happened to her in apparently Justice League titles and dealings with the Forever Evil story-line.  She is a very messed up gal that suddenly is placed with the Green Lantern that has the biggest chip on his Shoulder, Simon Baz.  The first Muslim Green Lantern and mainstream DC hero I guess comes from the time before Rebirth.  He has a cool back story that I encourage you to get and read.  He is the opposite of Cruz, he has no problems with self assured and cocky confidence.

Hal Jordan has placed them in charge of Earth.  You see Hal has taken off to find the rest of the Corps who disappeared and had their own wild adventures in the Universe before this one.  No time to train or teach the rookies teamwork so he comes up with a typical Hal solution.  He merges there power battery and now they must both be there to recharge.  No the best idea if you ask me, but Hal didn't.  The Justice League is their mentors and they are having a time of it over in that book.  Here in their book they are pushed into the deep in of the pool straight off.

Red Lanterns have returned.  Dex-Starr and Atrocious lead Bleedz and some I thought were Dead Reds to create something they call the Hell Tower on Earth.  The whole thing is a scary story with people becoming rage zombies and attacking anything that moves.  Our Greens are not immune either.  Family is caught up in the mess as Jessica's sister is infected.  Simon and Jessica fight to find an answer and we get plenty of back and forth from them as to why they dislike each other.  The thing is that to survive they will have to learn to trust each other.

There are some strange things happening to Simon as well.  He has developed new powers.  Some kind of healing effect through the green willpower is able to even break the rage of a Red Lantern and turn them back.  That was originally only possible by the ring of a Blue Lantern.  He also is having some kind of Green Vision where he can see the future or when someone is in trouble.  Both use tremendous energy and the levels spike when he taps into each.  

Add a rogue Guardian and the revelation of a new ring that is soon to be loosed on the Universe and this has been a great book so far.  It was a trill ride start and soon we should get some more action as things resolved but did not truly end.  They have a bunch of trouble ahead.  Both of them must learn how to work as a team and trust each other.  They have to watch each others backs.  Oh, and Jessica needs to figure out how to make constructs.

BDS

HEROES CONVENTION 2015: part 1

My posting for Heroes Con 2015 seems to have gone like my posting for this year, very poor.  I did get all my pictures posted on Google +.  I guess I didn't feel like it mattered since I never got included in the Heroes Con Blog report on sites with pics.  I did all kinds of stuff to get noticed, but I just did not have the energy and with my Blogging being so limited it did not seem to matter.  I think I suffered so depression during the trip.  If my friend Richard were not with me I believe I would have had a very bleak weekend.  I tried so hard to recapture the magic of the last few years, but it just felt off.  Some cool things happened, but i just felt lost a bit.

One thing was wanting to be CosPlaying.  I want to dress up so bad, but have just been behind in creativity and money for doing something.  I know whatever I do will look silly, but as long as I can make some people and kids smile it would be OK.  Knowing my body type is limited on the character I can play makes it challenging.  I want to at least attempt to look credible.  So I think that hampered me a great deal.

This was one of the biggest attendances in a long time.  Friday was especially busy this year.  It was hard to enjoy and get around on Friday and i got tired really fast.  The diabetes just sapped my strength.  It was different dealing with it this year.  Made me struggle to be able t stand around any length of time.  

I did get my three commissioned pieces set and agreed upon Friday.  They are awesome.  I held back mostly until Sunday for Prints.  One Liono print did come with me Friday.  I had to get it.  $5 trades was what I spent money on early.  This was the common early deal of the convention floor.  There was a crazy trend with customized Legos this year.  I never got a pic, seemed like those vendors would be the nit picky ones about pics.  

There were outstanding CosPlayers around.  Some of the costumes just blow your mind.  Lots of kids.  That was cool to see.  The number of future geeks.  It means that these kids will read and dream.  They will be the type to grow up with the type of hope where a man can fly or a tragic lose doesn't crush you.  

More later.

BDS

Flashback Friday: 1 For 1 Ghost #1

I need to point out that this is the original cover for this comic.  The one I have is a special edition that was part of a $1 comic special where Dark Horse put beginning issues out to allow for new reader's to access them better.  The price I snagged this one for was 60 cents.  It confirmed what i already suspected, I would be enjoying this book if I were collecting it.

Ghost will be on my list as I look through collected editions at HeroesCon.  I will be getting Dark Horse that way for now.  They do seem to be producing some good books.  I just don't have the cash to commit $3.50 an issue to them.

The character has been around for some time now.  This rendering is the first time I have felt I understood and could follow her adventures.  The explanation on the inside cover page was helpful.  I am told how Elisa Cameron was an investigative reporter that uncovered a demonic conspiracy which lead to her banishment to a hellish dimension.  She comes back, sort of, as a supernatural being with fragmented memories.  She took down her original adversaries and now hunts down the demons that worked for the demonic mayor she beat.

Ryan Sook is well suited as artist on this book.  I know his work from the early days of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  He has a good balance of realistic people and scary good monsters.  I am glad that he has pulled back on the use of shadow here that was a trademark of his early Buffy TVS work.  Likewise, Kelly Sue DeConnick & Christopher Sebela have crafted a plausible backdrop for this woman caught between to realities.  The supporting cast come off as well rounded and all things make you want to know more.  It is a good book.

I will be looking to get the first two volumes of this current Ghost series.  It has sparked more interest.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Batgirl #53

I will be getting this one in just under the wire for Friday according to Eastern Standard Time.  I made up my mind at about 10:38 PM to do a Flashback Friday post, but my computer is not behaving well.  I think that Microsoft did an update to screw with Windows XP.  That is just a conspiracy theory, but why would I still get updates when they said I would no longer receive them?  Anyway, we have a tale of Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) and Robin (Stephanie Brown).  They will face off against the Penguin in this story.  

It is really just a nice action story that has much fighting and major damage.  They make the most of the martial arts and the ability of Robin to make an entrance.  The light-hearted aspect is balanced by a chilling twist that will place one little girl in the middle of the Gotham underworld.  It hits close to home for both heroines, Stephanie especially.

It is cool to see Stephanie and Barbara Gordon together and think of how one day there will be a Batgirl title for Steph and Oracle will be guiding her.  The plot is good and this is an issue that one can own and not need to have the preceding or following issues to understand things.  It stands alone.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Velocity #1 (1995)

Yes, I am getting a Flashback Friday posted.  I am in a very blah mood, but just needed to do something to break this feeling of tiredness I have battled all week.  I received the 25 pounds of comics this week and was a bit disappointed in one way.  I really question that the kid friendly and teen friendly tags they used and the guarantee of majority Marvel and DC was met.  I mean I had an issue of Violator #1 in the kid friendly pack.  Anyway a problem I figured did happen.  I had a few issues I wanted to pull out and keep for me.  Velocity #1 is such an issue.

I have no real connection with the character.  I know enough to tell a person on the street that she is a speedster and on a team called Cyber-Force.  That pretty much is my know ledge of her.  I have always liked the character design for her.  The colors work for me.  I like the red hair.  She of all the Image characters from that period seems to be someone I would like.  Otherwise I have little in terms of collecting to do with Cyber-Force.

In this opening book of her 1995 series we get a glimpse of her as a team player.  Things stand out real quick about her.  Carin is a very sympathetic woman.  She cares and that can be enough to sense a reason she is using her abilities for good.  She wants to help.  It becomes real clear that she feels less than able to help.  From her own thoughts we see her as the weakest of her team.  She has doubts and fears.  We are shown a memory image of her sister Ballistic, whom Image readers would know, but I don't.  Carin tells in her narration that her sister is the tough and courageous one.

Now the plot.  A serial killer of super humans.  Through the turns and twists of the story he separates Carin and we get a look at his powers.  They are impressive.  He has Velocity's genetic marker and plans to hunt her.  We know that this is now a cat and mouse hunt where she will have to become the hero she doubts she is to survive.  It really is a good start to a story.  Not knowing about this world I still can become invested in seeing the adventure take place.  I get enough info to pull for Carin and want to see her prevail.  Maybe one day I will find the rest of the story and know how it ends.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Danger Girl Trinity (All four Issues)

I really should have had this done earlier in the week, but the antibiotics and cough pill have really made me tired and dizzy.  Still, I did pull out my guilty little pleasure of comicbook collecting and reading.  I didn't fall for the Danger Girls when they first appeared.  I saw the cheesecake covers (and yes I do own a copy of the famous Abbey Chase Bubble Bath cover) and was not a purchaser of comics for art.  I was in my early days of returning to comics as well.  I didn't delve into the Image waters much.  It would be many years later that I would find some Danger Girl comics in collected and single forms for a steal and buy them.  I liked those early issues well enough.

What has really captured my imagination has been the last ten years or so of Danger Girl.  It has comeback in limited series forms many times and I like that.  I have bought a few and really have enjoyed how the characters have grown since those early cheesecake days.  TRINITY was the last one I purchased and IDW now has the franchise.  The downside of which is the cost of a single issue, $3.99.  Still, I was doing better back when this came out and picked each issue up off the shelf.  I have put the covers I own in the posts.  If you know anything about Danger Girl, it is that there are always multiple covers.

For those that do not know about Danger Girl, it is a great spy/action/adventure comic.  It all started with the recruitment of Abbey Chase, Archaeologist and Relic Hunter.  She gets brought into the Spy group Know as Danger Girl.  There are sisters Sydney and Sonya Savage as well as Deuce and Valerie.  Deuce is a former British Intelligent Agent and the surly leader of the team.  Valerie is the teenage tech whiz that aspires to be like Abbey.  It is Abbey, Sydney, and Sonya that are the three main femme fatales.  Each gets there own cover this series.

That is good since it reads as a three part action tale that will converge in issue #4.  Abbey is abducted very politely by a desert king and taken for some unknown reason.  She always is falling into trouble like this and it leads to her Indiana Jones like saving of the day.  It was Sydney that got some of the sex appeal action and funny relationship stuff as she is called to save Abbey while with a nice guy.  He ends up in some strange situations because of her.  Oh, there is also a group of assassins that are after her.  That leaves Sonya as she is retrieving a bounty and anther group of killers have it out for her.  The guy she has captured ends up as her buddy during many high octane escapes.
 
All this leads to Abbey figuring out who is the baddies and who needs help.  Her Danger Girl pals arrive and everything gets explosive.  This is a group of characters that are used as typical sexy women in comic art ways, but stories like this feel more rendered as it has some well done writing to accompany all the great art.  People will buy Danger Girl stories for different reasons.  So far, I have enjoyed the recent adventures.  I would urge you to not just judge these gals by there covers, but try out the stories.  You might be surprised at how independent and strong these female characters have become.

BDS 

Malibu Mondays: Siren Special #1

I bought this comic on Friday at Heroes Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina and read it that night in the hotel.  I noticed that Randy Green did the cover.  I carried it back Saturday hoping to get it signed, but sadly for me, his kid had a baseball tournament and he was only there on Friday.  Just a side story.  Now on to talking about the comic.

If you have never read a single Malibu comic or have no clue about Siren and Shuriken, then please do not just grab this out of a back issue box and read it as a way to jump into this comicbook world.  You will be very lost.  I kind of know about Siren and I was lost.  It helps that I have the run except for the first issue of The All New Exiles.  I at least know the whys and hows of Juggernaut and the reason Siren is sent after Shuriken. I get that maybe the end of this has something to do with Ultraforce.  Everything else is just a patchwork.

Siren is given an origin.  She is brought back from her stay in the Marvel Universe I guess.  It really is just a guess.  I think Siren is neat and here we get some cool uses of powers, but truthfully I never do really understand her origin completely.  The action in the story is really cool and the art top notch.  It is a good grab for my collecting of all the Malibu Universe.  Just wonder if I will collect enough to see the big picture of where this "special" fits into the larger scheme of things?

BDS

Flashback Friday: Tomb Raider #18

My secret is revealed with this post.  No, I do not scan every book I write about.  It is tedious and only something I do when I can find no suitable image online.  Besides, the scanner usually has stuff on top that has to be moved.  So I do not own I copy that has Adam Hughes signature on it like the image here.  Instead I just got this issue this week in a bagged group of four comics sold as a random assortment.

It was in issue I did not have in my collection as I started late in reading the series.  This tale is a great stand alone issue.  I really have had a take it or leave it with Dan Jurgens writing for this old Top Cow series.  He was the writer that started out from the beginning and never hooked me so I had the first issue and then fell away for a time.  I must say that this issue was one of the better reads I have with him as Lara's scribe.

This is a basic "day in the life of" story.  I photo-journalist that has written negatively in the past about "tomb raiders" is tagging along on one of Lara's adventures.  Along the way he keeps trying to get her to use his first name, which she never does.  It foreshadows that Lara has a suspicion that the guy is not honorable, so she never is informal with him.  He turns into a scuzz-ball later and then transforms again literally.  The action is quick and well suited to Ms. Croft.

The death traps are elaborate and there is a mystical side to the tale.  In the end this is a find that will help me complete the series, but is not an outstanding piece of work.  It does what a Tomb Raider book should do and entertain.  There is nothing more to say unless I give all the plot away.

BDS

Tomb Raider #1 Survivor's Guilt

I was able to check out a bookstore that carries comics and other geeky stuff today while on a Greenhouse supply run.  Picked up Tomb Raider #1 from Dark Horse to check out what a favorite writer Gail Simone had done with the title.  Seems that this version comes from a new Tomb Raider video game that places Lara back as a newbie in the relic hunting world.  That is the premise for the new comic.  This works well for Dark Horse.  It gives a fresh view of our gal and separates her from the well known Top Cow version of Ms. Croft.

Top Cow had my interest as the run hit its stride in that series.  The crossovers with The Witchblade and other Top Cow characters was something I followed.  I even got free copies from time to time of the specials as a reviewer.  I liked that version of Lara and really believe that Fiona Avery wrote some of the best Tomb Raider stories ever.  Giving this new comic a retro start will help it attract a new group of readers I hope.  Gail Simone has written a good start for this book.  It does what it needs to do as a new book.

My problem comes from investing $3.50 each month.  I have cut around seven titles from my pull box.  I just can't add this book, as good as it was, to the list.  I will have to wait and try and grab it in trade form later on.  My not adding it should not stop any of you out there from considering this book.  It looks promising and has a strong beginning tale that it is weaving.  It is good to see Lara Croft back in a monthly series.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Grilfrenzy! Superman: Lois Lane #1

DC used to love to do what was called a Fifth Week Event.  There are a slew of these collections of special and themed comics out in the Universe that were produced when a month had five weeks.  The Girlfrenzy! event is no big surprise, focused on female characters.  Some were newbies that were being introduced or fleshed out more as a character, some were like the lead in this book, old stalwarts of the DC Universe.  This is a great solo tale of Lois Lane.

One of the great things about this story is that Lois sees her love Superman in the very start of the book, but he leaves and the adventure is all hers.  It is good to see this intrepid reporter excel at the craft she practices.  It has been easy over the many years of stories with Lois and Superman in them to see her as the "damsel in distress" all to often.  Here we are reminded that the character could anchor her own title.

In the Arctic Wilds we have Lois awaiting a source that never appears.  This has her striking out on her own with the local sheriff and a woman that takes an interest in the polar bears that are missing.  Seems some kids are missing as well.  It turns into a freakish corporate experiment when Lois infiltrates and discovers the secrets of a research station on the ice.  This is a good story and there is a surprise guest that I will not name.  I will hint that it is a secondary DC character.  Lois still controls the spotlight throughout the tale.

This is a must for any Lois Lane fan.  It also is a good comic that you could give to a young female reader to enjoy.  It has a strong female lead and the testosterone fueled art is left off the radar in this one.  A good back issue find if you come across it sometime.

BDS

Mantra Monday: Mantra #19

"IT'S ALMOST FUNNY.  AFTER MONTHS OF LIVING AS EDEN BLAKE, I FINALLY TRANSFER MY MIND INTO A MALE BODY, GIVING EDEN HER BODY BACK -- AND LETTING US BE TOGETHER.  NO SOONER DOES THAT HAPPEN THAN EDEN BECOMES NINE MONTHS PREGNANT OVERNIGHT AND GIVES BIRTH TO OUR BABY GIRL, WHO'S MYSTICALLY AGED HERSELF INTO MY WORST ENEMY -- NERCROMANTRA.  I'LL LAUGH LATER."

That explanation by Lukasz in the opening page of issue #19 is all you need to understand what is happening.  I did not give away the identity of Necromantra as the attacker from last issue because it was too god of a surprise.  It also leads into a weird territory about just how Thanasi escaped death on the Godwheel.  Seems the coward fled to the next egg in Eden's womb to hide figuring that her and Lukasz would find a way to survive.  The he just waited for nature to happen and then accelerated the process.  Born a she now without the ability to body hop any more.

I have thought about Marinna a bit over the years of reading this story.  I have come to the conclusion that this really was Thanasi born and not the guy pushing the unborn soul out.  It makes sense when you read this issue as Necromantra takes Eden and little Evie hostage to drain their magic.  The child born from Eden and Lukasz already would have a genetic magical makeup.

Big battle in this issue.  It is sad in so many ways.  The resolution between two friends now turned father and daughter is rough enough, but this fight will see one hero sacrifice to ensure that there is a Mantra.  Pinnacle provides a good counter balance and asks the question at the end that makes one want to cry.  Another cliffhanger and I will not spoil it.

I do not have the next couple of issues.  So not sure what next Monday will bring.

BDS

Mantra Monday: Mantra #18

This is the all romance edition of Mantra.  Looking at the cover I bet you readers can guess what romance leads to in the end.  We begin with Lukasz and Eden's triumphant return from the Godwheel Mini Series.  They appear in the middle of the lab owned by J. D. Hunt and are surrounded by Aladdin Troopers.  It is a lopsided escape as Eden is still spastic with her magic abilities.  In fact that bugs me a bit.  They kind of make her an airhead.  They escape and are now aware it is New Year's Eve and they get some clothes and a hotel room.  After dancing the night away the two fall into each others arms and fade to black.  Let your imagination guess what they did.

When they wake up they get a shock.  Eden is suddenly very pregnant.  They are frantic and shocked and happy.  Still, they need help.  Luckily Pinnacle (Penny) from last issue survived her death at the hands of Necro Mantra.  She now has her own lab and freedom.  Of course she helps them out and we soon get a strange delivery.  After the little girl is born and named Marinna after Lukasz's long dead wife all seems well.

The problem is that this is a magical pregnancy that went to term in a matter of days.  I am not going to spoil the surprise until the next post.  Let me just say that the old foe is not so dead and gone as we thought.  Big fight coming.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Godwheel #3

We conclude the week with the end of the Godwheel Mini-Series from Malibu Comics.  As I said, I felt this story was advanced to use as a start to the Marvelication of the Ultraverse.  This is the issue that Thor will at last appear and that all this fighting over the Crucible of Life will conclude.  It is a satisfying end and doesn't let off the accelerator as we speed along to the end.

When we stopped there was one team and one item left on the quest for power.  Lukasz and Warstrike had teamed up to find the Crystal Crown and by doing so stop Argus in his quest to return to ultimate godhood.  It was no surprise to the reader that Necro Mantra would be the one that they would face.  Why they were surprised was funny in a way as they should have realized it would come down to that match up.

The battle is strange and at one point Eden Blake takes control back from Thanasi.  While the romantic angst is playing out Warstrike finds and dons the Crystal Crown.  It activates his pre-cognative abilities and he sees the Earth drowning in blood as people are mutilated around a throne.  Warstrike sees himself on the throne and he is served by Necro Mantra.  This vision melts his mind.  In the end Necro Mantra retrieves the Crystal Crown.

I could bore you with the action, but I will instead hit the high points.  The Crucible of Life is activated.  Pressure stumbles out as we find out she has been replaced by Rune during the Quest.  Boneyard might be dead.  Necro Mantra betrayed Argus.  Argus outsmarts her by using Primevil.  Millions of tiny Lord Pumpkins.  Big old fight.

Rune attacks Necro Mantra and Thanasi flees leaving Eden Blake as Mantra.  Mantra plays a big role as it is her magical interference that brings Thor over.  Of course with Thor rallying the Ultra Heroes the day is won and we get a extra crossover as Loki slips into the Ultraverse unseen.  It is here that I felt maybe new Ultra character would be used if the buyout had never happened.  Maybe even Ogma being returned and the start of an area where secrets of the Ultraverse would be told and the battle between Rex Mundi and The Alternate brought in.

Over all this is a great read.  Having knowledge of the Ultraverse would help, but is not necessary to enjoy.  It is too bad that months from now Marvel will beging a round of lay offs and budget cutting that will destroy the Ultraverse as if Argus had won this battle.

BDS

Godwheel #2

This is the bridge issue of this mini series.  I call it that because we are at the point where much must occur to cross into the climax and final confrontation.  Here is where the fight to gain the three items of power begins in earnest.  The items are The Windsword, Roc's Egg, and crystal crown.  In issue #2 here we will see the acquisition of the sword and egg.

I wish I had more knowledge of the characters from the FREEX comic.  I would be more understanding about Feline, Cayman, Flygirl, and especially Pressure who acts very strange according to Cayman.  Not knowing her I would think this Valerie is a smart and knowledgeable woman.  We watch her understand the science on this godyacht and even how to operate these systems at first glance.  Later she seems cold and uncaring.

We also have more distrust of Boneyard.  Knowing him it is clear that they should not trust the guy.  What we have in terms of action is division into teams to retrieve the items and Argus waiting to see where they go and sending his operatives there.  Cayman, Feline, and Pressure go after the Windsword and face off against Primevil.  It is here that we watch Cayman get swallowed and being digested by Primevil.  His teammate Pressure stands there and watches him being killed.  The shock comes as Feline takes the Windsword and chops Primevil's head off and frees Cayman.  Now Cayman looks less like a human crocodile and more like a man that has portions that look like a crocodile.  Feline has bonded with the sword and Pressure seems very unhappy.

The next team is Flygirl and Hardcase.  The ship makes a great new costume for Hardcase and it helps us not have to look at his still messed up appearance after the battle he had in his book with the MN-E thing that is a bane to all the Ultraverse.  Flygirl hits on him and it is used I think to make us sympathetic for her later.  Lord Pumpkin arrives and he fights off both and even "kills" Flygirl.  I do not know for sure if she is dead, but from here own she is no longer with the rest of the group.  Hardcase freezes up seeing her "die" and suffers flashbacks to others he has lost in battle.  Lord Pumpkin attacks and is using the Roc's Egg to finish Hardcase off when Argus brings him back.

For his betrayal Lord Pumpkin gets his pumpkin smashed and all that is left is his candle.  Two objects found, one in the Crucible of Life.  The crucible is what will give power to the one who collects all the items.  All this and the war is explained by the simulation of Ogma as the heroes and Boneyard travel to the Godwheel.  Lots of explanation about the Godwheel and what will happen if Argus succeeds.

Lukaz and Warstrike are the third team and we all know who they will face next issue, right?  Necro Mantra is up and these are two guys that care for Eden Blake who is trapped in the body that Thanasi now controls.  The question is, will Warstrike kill Mantra to stop Necro Mantra?  Will Lukasz let him?  Still so questions left as we go toward the final issue and the climax of the series.

BDS

Godwheel #1

So when we last left the series from Malibu Comics known as Godwheel, Necro Mantra had volunteered to kill all the other Ultras and serve Argus.  They flirt some and we have Thanasi show off the Necro Mantra powers and that he can be a better woman than Lukasz.  The magic sort of impresses Argus.  The thing is he needs three to collect the items of power.  So Necro Mantra is given leave to choose her allies.  Of course the first thing she does is pick Lord Pumpkin because every team needs a suit wearing Jack O Lantern.  Then we get the shock of the moment as she blast the Prime husk and gives it life.She names him Primevil.  All looks lost for the frozen heroes as death is to be there fate.

Now comes the fighting.  She Pressure was knocked out and not frozen.  She awakens in the nick of time to blast Argus and that causes him to lose concentration.  We have another free for all until a leader steps forward, Boneyard.  Yes, I was shocked as well.  Being a Mantra collector I figured he would weasel his way to Team Argus, but he decides that the heroes are the team to eventually betray.  This does help get some focus for the group.  Hardcase gets a wicked punch in that floors Argus and the heroes flee.  We also learn that Argus is losing power fast.

So the group is fleeing and really have no clue until Lukasz steps out of the shadows.  The soul of Eden Blake is shown with a relieved face.  Seems Necro Mantra teleported instead of disintegrating Lukasz.  Maybe Eden had a bit to do with that happening.  So the thing is that Lukasz found a ship.  It is alive and it was the Pleasure Space Yacht of Ogma named Zumas.  Poor old Pressure gets tossed and beaten all the time here and even has rocks fall on her before making it to the ship.  They fly off with a computer sim of Ogma telling them the need of finding the relics.  Ogma was the head god of these gods who killed each other.  He also shows us the Godwheel.

Thor has his first cameo as he is not fully shown.  It was cheesy and probably just some Marvel suit wanting a Marvel character in there somehow since Thor is being advertised all over for this series.  Next comes the team ups and the search for the items.

BDS

Godwheel #0

Following the last installment of Mantra Monday is the Ultraverse Mini-Series called Godwheel.  It begins as many Ultraverse titles had characters disappear at the end of a story.  More on that in a bit.  I am going to state an opinion I have about this series.  it is purely speculation on my part and I have no idea if it is even close to the truth of the events that surround the story.

My opinion is that Godwheel was not suppose to have happened this quick in the growth of Malibu Comic's Ultraverse.  This is the origins of a comicbook Universe laid bare and a place you could change direction with characters and even jumpstart the Ultraverse with new characters.  I believe that the buyout by Marvel Comics brought this origin tale forward and it then became the way Marvel would try and market their characters through this purchase.

It just feels forced in so many ways.  Like it was rushed.  The reason for speculating that it is the origin of the Ultraverse comes from the pages included in the series that explains out the characters and the Godwheel.  It looks like a blueprint that writers would have had to know the origins, but never tell us until many years down the road.  Near the end when Marvel puts a footprint in the Ultraverse you can easily imagine a different outcome using characters unique and new.

So what was Godwheel?  Basically you have a Supergod who is dying.  He comes home to find it in ruins and the other gods dead and gone.  Three items of power have been scattered across this massive cosmos spinning wheel where vast geography and beings make up a place where power comes from.  This Supergod is named Argus.  He has been followed by the creepy Ultra Rune and a fight between them gives Argus the ability to use the gems that Rune had to see and call forth beings of power to find the items.  He just brings them to this place called Vahdala.

He brings a very beat up Hardcase, Lord Pumpkin, Boneyard, Warstrike, four of the Freex (Feline, Flygirl, Pressure, and Cayman), Prime and Mantra.  The problem is he does not get Prime, but a Prime husk that is frozen to keep it viable.  Mantra is not Mantra as we know from Mantra #17, it is Necro Mantra.  Of course Lukasz in his new male body is brought as well because of him being Mantra.

Basically those with grudges begin beating the stuffing out of each other.  Necro Mantra strikes Lukasz and seems to disintegrate him.  Lord Pumpkin and Boneyard have a history.  Throw in Warstrike being confused by Necro Mantra and you can see that this is a great confusing battle.  It is until Argus freezes them all, except Necro Mantra.  In the end she, the male Thanasi, flirts and schemes her way into his good graces.  She even declares that as a show of loyalty she will kill the rest of the Ultras.

This is a very action packed start to a mini that will redefine the Ultraverse.  As I said, it feels rushed.  Stay tuned for the next issue of Godwheel.

BDS   


#Ultraverse  #Godwheel  #Mantra

Mantra Mondays: Mantra #17

Welcome back to Mantra.  We take up where we left by looking at issue #17.  It is not strange that things would take a fast pace in the Ultraverse.  In fact I wish there were a way to have DVD type commentary about the stories of certain companies and the comics they produced.  I have mulled it over and think that this story gets made because of the buying and merger of Malibu Comics by Marvel Comics.  See, I think that maybe there was to be a longer build up to what happens in this issue and the mini-series that starts directly at the end of this story. 

We get a great deal of story in this one issue.  Lukasz infiltrates Aladdin's hidden depths to find information that will lead him to freeing his soul and Eden's from the same body.  They have fallen in love and now want to be together, but we still get that old song and dance of Lukasz wanting to be a man again.  It is fun watching Mantra use stealth by way of her powers.

The funeral for Uncle Moe, the nearly dead senior that Mantra trapped Thanasi inside, and it reveals that maybe Thanasi is not gone.  We quickly get to something good.  Lukasz spending time with the kids and we find out it is Christmas time as well.  It is good to have him being a mom and enjoying it.  Plus Eden can enjoy her kids.  Little Evie reminds us that she knows her mommy is Mantra before the two who share one body are off to find J.D. Hunt.

Hunt is one of the Ultraverse's standard villain and Ultra creator.  He made Electrocutie of the Strangers and we see her replacement as Mantra battles Pinnacle (Penny).  She appears as a new bimbo made to order for Hunt, but she is an Ultra and the fight is cool and the magic mixing with science gives us a great outcome.  After Hunt is being mind controlled there is a great scene that does not translate well in comic form of Penny walking Hunt into a wall.

Male body made and it looks like Lukasz and Eden can find happiness.  Enter Thanasi.  A man that is very comfortable taking a female form.  Little back and forth before we have both the newly self named Necro Mantra and Lukasz disappearing.  That is where Godwheel begins.  Many other Ultra books have similar disappearing tales that leads us to this explanation in a way of the origins of the Ultraverse.

The question really needing to be asked is what has happened to Eden Blake?

BDS