The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling

Just watched this documentary last weekend and what a quality production  it is too, while it isn't quite on a par with the fantastic documentary made in 2005 Heroes of World Class, it does have a dozen or so actual matches on the second disc to make up for it.
   When your talking about World Class the Von Erich family immediately springs to mind, but the the promotion was top heavy with some of the finest talent in wrestling during the early-mid 80's. One legendary tag-team stands out in that era, the Fabulous Freebirds, legendary front-man Michael Hayes, 'Bam Bam' Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts. Their feud with the Von Erichs ignited a territory that was already thriving and made it the number 1 promotion in the states. World Class was the only company in the US that had a true international following, even in places like Israel, not a country particularly noted for it rabid mat fans.

Michael 'PS' Hayes, Leader of the Fabulous Freebirds

Particularly interesting is the patriarch of the Von Erich's, Fritz's rise to prominence both as a heel and eventually as a successful promoter.
   Also well handled in the early part, of the doc is the description of the groundbreaking presentation techniques the World Class people were using, ie getting close ups of the action in the ring and using video profiles to enhance the talents' television characters and gimmicks. Sounds so basic now but nearly 30 years ago this was fresh and paved the way for the direction wrestling was to go. The WWF and Jim Crockett would later expand on these techniques but I believe World Class paved the way for a new type of product. Anyone, even the most casual wrestling viewer knows about the tragedy of the Von Erichs (6 brothers dead with only Kevin left) and has some idea of the circumstances surrounding some of them.It is not the purpose of this review to detail all of them, but let me just say that all of the deaths are detailed here and it makes for sad and sometimes uncomfortable viewing. It is observed here that David Von Erich would have been a huge stat probably on a par with Ric Flair had he lived and the are lengthy tributes to mans prowess as a ring general and mic man.   Of course brother Kerry's  NWA world title win over Flair in 1984 at the David Von

Erich memorial in front of 40,000 fans is given good coverage and is David's death is highlighted as turning point in the company and that World Class not as strong after his demise.
      The other big stars of the company get very good coverage such as the tragic Gino Hernandez, who also would have done great things in the business until his untimely death in 1986 from drugs. Gary Hart provides poignant recollection of Gino. Chris Adams also features strongly who also sadly passed away. Details of the brutal stabbing of the legendary Bruiser Brody in a dressing room in Puerto Rico is also recounted. It is often noted from Kevin Von Erich the last surviving member of the clan that the Texas style of wrestling was hard hitting and was often extremely physical. The promotion really took a turn for the worse when 'the Modern Day Warrior' Kerry Von Erich, by now the biggest star of the company was involved in a motorcycle accident in 1986. He was out for months and the promotion floundered and lost much momentum  even more tragically Kerry lost half a foot as a result, yet with the aid of a prosthesis he was still able to compete at reasonable level, although it was clear to those around him that he was in great physical pain. Other bad booking decisions caused the promotion to flounder further such as the introduction of 'Lance Von Erich' a pseudo Von Erich said to be a cousin. The fans saw through it for what it was, and Fritz came out on television eventually to tell the fans he wasn't the real deal. The fans lost some faith in the Von Erichs as a result. Booking really reached its nadir with the worked 'heart attack' of patriarch Fritz, Kevin rightly observes that people were eventually thinking after that that it got uncomfortable for the fans, watching tragedy after tragedy. One of the last topics discussed was the sale to Jerry Jarrett and World Class becoming CWA. Truly the end of an era. Also discussed is Kerry's move to the WWF where he became the Texas Tornado as most fans probably remember him. Jim Ross comments that Kerry was a bit frayed at the edges and wasn't the athlete he was, but I remember him being a hugely charismatic addition to there roster at the time and Triple H says that Kerry had 'IT'. Kerry did well for a while winning the Intercontinental Championship from Mr. Perfect and was hugely popular with women, kids and fans in general, but sadly the plug was pulled on his big push soon after as Kerry was becoming unreliable; his drug problems were spiraling out of control and by 1993 he was facing jail for possession, rather than disgrace his family he decided to end it all, shooting himself in the chest, Kevin gives a harrowing account of that day. The documentary ends with Kevin saying he's had a good life, and I it is a testament to mans strength that he is as well balanced as he is after all that went on with his family.

Kerry as the Texas Tornado in 1990

The story of World Class is a story of fame, excess, great wrestling, tragedy and a degree of disillusionment. To say drugs were large part of downfall of many involved with World Class would be an understatement. The second disc has some really good matches from the era. The Von Erichs Vs The Freebirds feature heavily, also Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher in a gore-fest  Fritz takes on Kong Kong Bundy. Kerry takes on Flair in excellent cage match. There are a great many interviews, TV spots etc also. A very good set and well worth your time and money.

Ghost Rider by John Byrne

Found this fantastic commision by John Byrne from his Facebook Page. absolutely stunning.

The new 52 Action Comics, Superman

Just read Grant Morrison's new 52 reboot of Superman graphic novel and it wasn't bad. However it was far from great. There is a beautiful scene at the end of #6 which was fantastic, where Superman with his new costume takes off into the sky after winning the hearts of the Metropolitans he's saved, and being given the key to the city that warmed my heart. It was nearly worth the 25 bucks I paid for the book. But, however in general i found it to be quite boring at times. I believe the thoughts of the reboot and the novelty factor of the new costume, a reboot of comicdom's most famous character, was enough to keep me engaged with this book. In truth it wasn't that bad, really. It just didn't live up to the hype that surrounded it. The story was disjointed in places and it lacked emotional impact apart from the aforementioned scene. That new costume is the business. Superman is a lot younger here and lacks the lantern jaw he always sported in earlier incarnations. Even in the main Superman title which is set 5 years later, Supes is a lot slimmer than he had been, basically this is what Smallville should have been, give me John Byrne's Man of Steel any day over this. Ambivalent towards it. Maybe in six months time I'll spot a few things in it that I didn't spot on first reading that will change my view. Bought from Sub City comics, Exchequer St.. Dublin, Ireland, a great place to hang out and browse a few issues, staff very knowledgeable and friendly too, although they maintain the erudition and coolness that sets them apart from the posse.

Make your own mind up..

Superman cartoon early 40's Max Fleisher studios

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6pFloO9YKM&feature=related

'Faster than a speeding bullet..'Max Fleisher's Superman. click on link above .

This is the classic cartoon created by Fleisher Studios. A true classic. Forty years ahead of its time. tears strips off all Superhero cartoons for 50 years up until the excellent Batman Adventures arrived on the scene in 1992, which paid homage to the darker style and tones of this cartoon. Superman's comic book fans will recognise the black & red chest symbol as the one that was used to denote the Earth-2 Superman, who still lived in the 40's and Mark Waid's Kingdom Come versions of the hero.  I believe this is in homage to this masterclass in animation. The realisism was provided by;   ( from Wikipedia:)
"Rotoscoping, the process of tracing animation drawings from live-action footage, was used minimally to lend realism to the human characters and Superman.^[2] Many of Superman's actions, however, could not be rotoscoped (flying, lifting very large objects, and so on). In these cases, the Fleischer lead animators, many of whom were not trained in figure drawing, animated roughly and depended upon their assistants, many of whom were inexperienced with animation but were trained in figure drawing, to keep Superman "on model" during his action sequences"  
Fleisher only made seventeen of these trailers which were played in cinemas at the time before the main feature.

Spider-Man: Birth of Venom (Bargain of the week)

Scene from Secret Wars  #9

Picked this edition of the Ultimate Marvel Graphic Novel Collection up for 3 quid, and enjoyed it thoroughly.I was never a huge fan of Venom but must admit his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #300 is a classic. Being a proud owner of that much coveted issue it was nice to have it in reprint form, so I can read it and not worry about damaging the valuable original.
        However the real reason I enjoyed this so much is because of the classic alien costume saga, which details Spidey's battle with the evil black suit which eventually bonded with bitter, hate-fueled reporter Eddie Brock to form Venom. This version  has less material than the Marvel US version but it still weighs in at a chunky 200 pages in sturdy hardback.

Spidey gets suit removed and ends up
with paper bag  over his
head and old FF uniform thanks
to the Torch.

      It's really Spider-man at his downtrodden angst ridden best as Tom Defalco brings that sense of reality to the character that made him great in the first place. I'm a huge fan of Ron Frenz and his artwork lovingly apes some of the creepier elements of Spidey's co-creator Steve Ditko, imbuing the story with that sense of paranoia and angst. We learn about Mary Jane's tragic upbringing as she reveals to Parker that she always knew he was Spidey, making these stories particularly historic in the Spider-man canon. We also see the first appearance of the Puma who would feature in Parker's life intermittently over the next few years.

Puma

   The story moves at a brisk pace and engages the reader, the only problem  I have is that the sub plots with the Kingpin, Rose and the Hobgoblin were not resolved within this volume. (I have my eye on the Origin of the Hobgoblin book, and would be nice if this book featured the climax of that story).
     A worthwhile investment even at full price!

Starfire from the New Teen Titans by George Perez

 One of the most exotic creatures in all of comicdom, Starfire, as brought to life in this wonderful commision from George Perez. (I found this one on the Twelfth Night website, a great resource) Princess Koriander's story is a troubled one, sold into slavery by her evil sister Komandr and forced to endure untold horrors at the hands of her alien slavers, hers is a story of survival. Her origin can be found in Tales of the New Teen Titans # 4 (1981) an exellent story by the great team of Wolfman and Perez. The great news is it can usually be picked up for one or two bucks..Unlike those whingers over in the X-Men, no matter what problems the Titans had, and they had a lot  individually and collectively, they never let them grind them down and always had time for a laugh and some fun, and that is one of  great charms of this comic book in an era of gritty socially conscious storytelling. Starfire always maintained a beautiful innocence even in light of the tortures and degradations she recieved, A wonderfully conceived character, apart from her obvious charms.

Out of print posters by Mike Zeck (The artist of Secret Wars & Punisher)

Taken from mickzeck.com.

John Romita JR and SR in great video interviewed by Stan Lee

Great archive footage of two of the biggest talents form the 60's and 80's Father and son John Romita's Jr. & Snr.

All Time Classic:Fantastic Four #262 'The Trial of Reed Richards'

This issue just has to be one of the greatest comics of the 1980's, I just read it again over the weekend and had forgotten how good it was.It's almost like it takes every major concept Kirby created for the Fantastic Four in the 1960's and it just grabs that ball and runs with it.
      Sure, Byrne's figures are sleeker and a little more elegant, than Kirby's, with his ultra dynamic posing and robust powerful figure work, but this story remains true, to the flavour of what Lee, and more so Kirby, envisioned to be the cosmos as it exists within the Marvel Universe.
      The plot; Richards is made to answer for saving the life of the planet devourer Galactus back in issue 245 (I think) and is put on trial for his actions.After Galactus' life was saved he only went off and destroyed the Skrull throneworld killing 8 million beings, as you do, this is the reason Rchards is on trial.
       The jury is mostly composed of other races that have survived Galactus' assault on their world, so it's pretty obvious that Richards will be found guilty. In the public gallery there is a great assortment of the weirdest looking aliens, kind of like the bar scene from the first Star Wars film, all of them baying for Reed Richards' blood. Richard's pleads guilty to the charges levied against him..This further incites the partisan jury.
       Richards answers that he is merely guilty of the charge of saving Galactus' life, and reasons that Galactus is beyond good and evil and is therefore neutral and that Galactus has a greater role in the universe than merely destroying planets, that there is a higher purpose to his actions in the grand scheme of the cosmos. Princess Lilandra discounts this logical  thought progression of Richhards as 'childs arithmetic' where as the Watcher acting in Richards' defense says 'here this lone human has the intellect to understand the cosmos using simple logic'.

Then Galactus himself shows up telling the court that Richards' is among the few if any mortals he acknowledges as friend, and the interesting scene here is that all the different races perceive Galactus differently as their mortal mind  cannot comprehend a cosmic being of this magnitude.He appears humanoid to us but differently to all the different alien races. this is conveyed wonderfully in a beautiful splash page which shows Byrne at the height of his imaginative and artistic powers.The Watcher warns Galactus that he is doing Richards no favours by appearing at the trial as he is he is inciting the gallery to a combination of fear and hatred.

Galactus and how he is perceived by us and all the other races in a masterful touch by Byrne

The Watcher sends the Torch off to get get Odin of the Norse Pantheon and the assemblage is awe of the being in the presence of a God. He claims that Richards is not guilty of anything as Galactus is a force of nature and not the malevolent being that the assemblage thinks. This cuts some ice and nearly gets Richards off the hook. The final testimony is from Eternity the corporeal form of the universe itself and we are treated to a recounting of Galactus's origin and Eternity explains that Galactus exists to test planets and to weed out planets that do not pass the test, and reiterates that Richards is innocent.The trial ends. The Fantastic Four are returned to Earth.
John Byrne appears in this story as he is at a loose end on what to write in the next issue of Fantastic Four and he is told by the Watcher to recount the tale of the trial of Galactus while it is fresh in his mind as in his words 'such knowledge will fade as it is not meant for mortal minds' (Gotta love the Watcher.) The episode ends on an ominous note as the Watcher says the day Galactus is stopped and defeated , 'Let the universe mourn'.

Final Page;The Watcher and writer/artist John Byrne

Hinting,not so subtly, that it would be the end of everything. A true classic and a fine example of the shared Marvel Universe being used to its full potential, in crafting an intelligent science fiction thriller.

Galahad Lager e7.99 for 12 in Aldi

It's almost an urban legend; 12 cans of lager for the princely sum of e7.99. I often got it for 5.50 just because the wrapper was damaged.
    The question is; is it piss? The answer is a resounding no.. It may taste a bit bland and once you get past the sterile ambiance of the packaging and can design, it goes down easy, and is very drinkable. It is far from unpleasant, and no, the rock bottom price did not sweeten my palette. It's slightly weaker than most lagers at 3.9%.
    Someone tried to suggest to me that the can is unlined inside, which is bull. If that was true it wouldn't be allowed on the shelf. This comment came from a gentleman as he reclined in his armchair a midst the decadence of a six pack of Dutch Gold.
         If bereft of transport and within walking distance of supermarket, a good idea is too have a durable reusable plastic bag with two strong handles (The brown reusable ones from Dunnes Stores are the daddy) as the ones sold in Aldi will not always take the strain as it is a heavy motherfucker.. It exerts quite a bit of stress on   most bags as it swings when you're avoiding human traffic, prams etc en route to HQ.
         There's probably some beer snob out there scoffing at this man's folly for championing an inferior brew, but just because it wasn't brewed in the austere cloisters of a sheltered Bavarian monastery since the 1600's does not necessarily mean it's piss. A winner...

Shawn Michaels My Journey: Review

Just watched Shawn Michaels My Journey 3 dvd set. It's great. This format was a departure from WWE's normal format. Michaels talks you through the matches beforehand in a candid and relaxed fashion, rather than having one disc devoted to a documentary, and then 2 discs featuring matches and interviews. The match quality of course is fantastic, as you'd expect from a wrestler of Michaels' calibre. Interviewer Michael Cole asks many pointed questions regarding the matches on this set. Michaels answers them in wholeheartedly, and in the most candid fashion, he's not afraid to knock either himself or the WWE and Vince McMahon.
    If you want to catch Michaels' more famous bouts you need to buy 2003's From the Vault or 2007's Heartbreak and Triumph, which also has a documentary aswell giving a great career overview, with great contributions from former partner Marty Janetty on their rockers days, as well as Ted DiBiase, Jim Ross and longtime cohort Triple H.

Classic:Action Comics #597 (1988) 'Visitor'

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    This is one of my favorite Superman comics ever. It is written and drawn by John Byrne. It occurs right in the aftermath of 1988's modestly successful, critically and commercially, Millenium crossover, which ran through nearly all of DC's line in '88.
         The plot is quite simple; Lois travels to Smallville to get answers about the Manhunter androids who had taken over the denizens of Smallville. Lana Lang had traveled to Metropolis and ripped Clark Kent's shirt open (luckily Kent didn't have costume on) and flew out of the Daily Planet window using her Manhunter powers.This prompts reporter Lois to make the trip to Smallville.
         When she gets to Lana's house she finds Superman and Lana in an embrace. She is quite shocked as are Lana and Superman, by her sudden, unanounced arrival. Lois is starting to put two and two together about Superman and Clark Kent. She directly puts the question directly to Superman.


 Luckily Ma and Pa Kent arrive on the scene for the save. Pa thinks on his feet and tells Lois how he and Ma Kent raised BOTH Superman and Clark.



 Lois reacts with disgust, feeling that Superman fed her the odd scrap as Superman gave all the good stories to Clark, including the exclusive story of the first appearance of Superman. She feels she's been played for a fool and storms off in a huff. Clark later comes by her hotel room to explain and an irate Lois slams the door in his face. Clark sort of talks her around as the page becomes split in half, one half showing the conversation and the other showing Lois' relationship with her military and chauvinistic father. In a masterful touch by Byrne we get to see some of what makes Lois tick in these flashbacks as Lois is made to feel second best by her father as he had always wanted a son. The parallel here is between the similarity she imagines between Clark/Superman's treatment of her and her father's. It is obvious that the fallout from this perceived deceit will not heal overnight.
       The next day as Lois is leaving Smallville Lana brings her to a small diner to discuss the situation and tells Lois that Clark loves her. Lois visits Jose (Gangbuster) Delgado in hospital. He's been crippled by a supervillain created by Lex Luthor. Jose is very bitter, and he and Lois have a very touching scene. Superman then walks in and tells Jose he did well to still be alive. He asks Lois if she wants a lift home and

Jose Delgado (Gangbuster)

  she says she'd rather walk from now on, meaning their relationship has changed irrevocably.      

       What's great about it; this is one of those rare issues where there is absolutely no superheroics and is a great example of character study. In this issue we learn more about the Post Crisis Lois Lane than ever before through a simple flashback scene. The famous love triangle shared-by-two dynamic takes on a completely new wrinkle, and it is this that gives the story it's impetus. It's beautifully paced. Every so often Byrne cleverly drops visual hints that this is a time of change as we see in the foreground or background, browning, falling leaves. The passage of the seasons mimicking the changing dynamic of Clark/Superman and Lois' relationship. Of course then there is the artwork. Byrne depicts Smallville wonderfully with long windiing fences and furrowed fields. There is also vast open spaces and little farmhouses dotted around. It is almost Rockwellesque. Lana's house has that wonderful homely feel. The diner is evocative of a million other small town diners across the world in terms of it's decor and mood. Kenneth Starr's inks take away some of the slickness of Byrne's pencils in an effect that emphasizes the hazy feel of an autumnal afternoon in a small country Hamlet. A winner.

Batman Premiere Shooting, Aurora, Denver Colorado.

My heart goes out to the people of Aurora, Denver, Colorado today. It's a sad reflection of the times we live in today when innocent movie goers are butchered wholesale. What drives this mindset? Is it a reflection of a deep sickness at some level of society? Who knows. As I write this it is breaking news. I find it deeply disturbing and may God bless the victims and families involved.

New Superman costume 2012

This is the picture of Henry Cavill as Superman. I HATE THIS COSTUME!!!! It's too dark and where are the trunks? Cavill sure looks like the Man of Steel and he's got the build. But where are the red trunks???He looks like he's auditioning for Swan Lake in that rig out...

Uncanny X-Men #176 (1984) Random Review

This is a random review of issue I dug out of the boxes during the week..and it's pretty cool... I love this era of the Uncanny X-men because after a little bit of a lull after John Byrne left, Claremont had really hit his stride again. Not that the issues, the first 18 or so, that were done after Byrne were bad, far from it, it's just that they paled in comparison to what had come before when Byrne was co-plotting the book.

 Byrne was better at pacing a story and making the events in a storyline unravel in the most organic way. Nothing seemed forced. During their collaboration events and circumstances took the characters along and they developed.

Claremont now was on his own plotting the book and conversation and character development carried the stories instead, with a lot of action thrown in..

            Artist Paul Smith took over after Dave Cockrum left and the series looked very different. X-Men #176 was future superstar John Romita's first full art job on the book...and it looks gorgeous...

            Claremont really played up the public fear of mutants during this era, and the stories are much darker than they were during the earlier run with John Byrne, and very few artists could  capture urban decay or reality at Marvel at that time than Romita Jr. When he drew a subway scene or he took you into a darkened alley (visually, ahem!) you felt like you were there with the graffiti , cigarette smoke, pimps and just general urban sleaze.

             This world looked a hell of a lot more dangerous than the polished and perfectly coiffured artistic world of Byrne and Terry Austin, as great as that style was. Romita, unlike Cockrum, was in tune with the zeitgeist of the era. Romita Jr. was his early 20's  at the time he captured the fashions and the 'vibe' of the mid 80's perfectly.

             This issue is basically the story of Cyclops and Madelyne Prior's honeymoon as the plane they are flying becomes stranded at sea. They end up being attacked by a giant octopus and they eventually escape as Cyclops blasts it into submission and the plane starts again. Pretty basic stuff. But it is obviously intended as one issue thriller in the mould of Jaws, except with an octopus, and this works really well and the sense of peril and life threatening danger is palpable.

            Other important stuff happens in the form of interludes with a two page vignette with Wolverine in Japan trying back Mariko who jilted him at the alter after being brainwashed by mastermind. She tells Logan that she needs to take care of enemies in the form of the Yakuza as a matter of honor and then she may be free to be with Logan. The Morlocks plot against Shadowcat, and there is a governmental meeting discussing the 'mutant menace' and these interludes keep things moving  along quite nicely outside the main plot.

One to avoid....Justice League of America#227 June 1984

It's true that a good portion of any comic collection is absolute dross, and this issue of Justice League of America has to be one of the most boring, uninspired pieces of crap in my long boxes. This issue is the climax of the 'Fiat Lux' trilogy and features a generic looking Fu Manchu type, called imaginatively enough, Lord Claw and his dreadful looking winged dragons (see cover-left) The artwork is solid, if uninspired, by Chuck Patton and is written by Joey Cavalieri. The plot is as follows; the JLA defeat Lord Claw...It was the cover got me; the wave of bronze age nostalgia washed over me when I saw Black Canary's fishnets and the majestic Justice League of America Logo.A lot of the JLA issues from this era are fun and provide a not too taxing 20 minutes of escapism. But this issue had no characterization, weak generic plot, and stilted (even for the era) dialogue. I'm sorry I didn't spend the twenty or so minutes I spent with this issue cleaning underneath my cooker hood, it would have provided more entertainment value...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED....


If anyone out there in the Geekosphere can point to any redeeming qualities in the comic, feel free to comment, I won't bite (hard..):-)

Iron Man #200 (One to own)

  Easily one of the best Marvel Comics of the 80's. This issue is partly the inspiration for the first Iron Man movie. It's an anniversary issue and the culmination of a mammoth storyline that stretched over 40 issues where Stark met his match in a new nemesis called Obadiah Stane who takes over Stark industries in a hostile takeover, and plays on Tony Stark's one overpowering weakness, alcohol.

              Tony hits the bottle hard after Stane manipulates Stark's business and personal life to an extreme degree. Tony's life spirals out of control as he slowly hits rock bottom, and ends up living in flopho   uses and eventually on the street with only his insatiable thirst for hard liquor providing solace.
              Writer Denny O' Neil handled Stark's descent into alcoholism with maturity and sensitivity. This was not the first time Stark battled alcohol but as good as the famous 'Demon in a Bottle' storyline was, the whole issue of Tony Stark's alcoholism was just wrapped up a little to quickly and cleanly and never referred to again until Denny O' Neil came along.

The other big development was Tony handing the Armor to his pilot James Rhodes, or Rhodey. Around issue #182. Stark truly hits rock bottom and ends up in hospital with hypothermia after being caught in a blizzard with no shelter as his fellow derelict and girlfriend gives birth. The woman dies in a touching scene but Tony and baby both live on and this whole traumatic and cathartic event sets Stark on the road to recovery as he slowly pulls himself up by the bootstraps to start up a new fledgling company in California.

Scene from Iron Man #182 as Stark roughs it out with a bottle of Bourbon.

Anyhow, at the start of #200 we learn that Stane has struck again destroying bombing Stark's new business killing one of Stark's employees,Morley Irwin, who had been a supporting character, along with his sister Cly, for the last 30 or so issues. This promotes Stark to don his new silver armor and seek a confrontation with Stane.

This armor was always my favorite Iron Man armor. It was big and bulky and interesting to look at. It looked far more powerful and technologically advanced the his older red and yellow armor. I love this dramatic splash page showing Stark's rebirth as the new and more powerful Iron Man as he dons the armor in the labs of the West Coast Avengers mansion.

What follows is a quick bit of exposition explaining what new abilities this armor has as Tony prepares for his showdown with Stane.

     As it turns out Stane has kidnapped several employees such as Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan and Mrs Arbogast all of whom he has trapped in the underground catacombs of the Stane/Stark complex.

Stane as Ironmonger; another great image by artist Mark Bright

Stane has also designed a suit of armor based on Stark's original armor called the Ironmonger and when he learns of Iron Man's approach decides to take direct action. In this scene we get a view of the new armor in action against some of Stane's lackey's

Ironmonger and Iron Man have a titanic tussle as all the employees of the company evacuate the complex. In  a truly classic moment Ironmonger takes a small baby and threatens to crush it to a pulp unless Stark takes off his helmet, leaving him vulnerable. 

In a moment of ingenuity Stark realizes that the Ironmonger armor is being controlled from within the Stane complex and unleashes his new weapons, pulse bolts, at the building and Ironmonger freezes, while Stark saves the hapless newborn, who should have died from fright as he is left to fall from 200 feet. But that's comic books; a certain suspension of disbelief always aids the reader.

Ironmonger is now defeated with no further tricks up his sleeve and in a shocking moment decides to end it all rather than give Tony Stark the satisfaction of victory. This is a moment that shocked me as an 8 year old and still is powerful today rereading it years later.

Why is this issue a classic? Very simply it has everything a good Iron Man story should have. Like all great Iron Man stories it shows that it's the resolve and character of Tony Stark to overcome his own personal failings rather it being than a souped up suit of armor that make Iron Man the hero he is. 

Stane/Ironmonger as villian is portrayed as the perfect nemesis for Stark,a man who understands what makes a man like Stark tick and plays on it to the utmost. The measure of a hero is the quality of the adversary he faces and in Stane Iron Man had truly met his match, a man with the intellect and ruthlessness to bring Stark to his knees in every sense.

.A very well written and well paced issue, full of drama and twists and turns.The truly climactic and shocking ending with Stane's suicide let you know that this is a milestone issue. The artwork of Mark Bright is a joy to behold almost as good as his work on the Armor Wars. This issue is available in the Ironmonger trade paperback, The Many Armors of Iron Man TPB and the original issue shouldn't cost more than 5 bucks for a near mint copy if you are lucky enough to happen upon it..

Classic:New Avengers:Illuminati One-Shot 2006

This issue is easily one of my favorite comics of all time. I'm not a big fan of Brian Bendis, even though I find myself enjoying much of his work. Other times I detest it with a passion. It's a real love/hate relationship. Even though ,at times, he is able to pen an extremely interesting and enjoyable story arc, it's his tics and his smart-ass dialogue and talking heads that often leave me shaking my head in abject despair. Deeply polarizing within the comic reading community, there is no taking away from his talent, even if I acknowledge that grudgingly. (He killed Hawkeye and the Vision, BASTARD!!!!!!) Only joking.
         If you were to string together every negative line of text posted about Bendis' dialogue and protracted storylines the end result would rival the meandering length of the Rhine.
         But my aim is to tip my hat at some of the good, and indeed, the great, comics of the last 30 years, and Illuminati most certainly belongs to the latter category.

Artist Alex Maleev really captures the
 tension
in this 'vote' scene.
         THE PLOT: In the wake of the Kree-Skrull war Tony Stark decides to organize a meeting with the main figureheads of the Marvel Universe; Mr Fantastic, fellow genius and leader of the Fantastic Four, Professor X of the X-Men, Blackbolt of the Inhumans, Dr Strange, the sorcerer supreme, Namor, king of Atlantis, and lastly, T'Challa, the Black Panther, king of Wakanda. It's obvious that the whole business with the earth being imperiled during the Kree-Skrull war has left Stark shaken and his pitch to the others is that they share any information they have together to prevent being caught on the 'wrong foot' the next time some cosmic entity, or whatever, threatens to destroy the earth. Sounds plausible. He also requests that the meetings are secret and that no team members or family are to know about these meetings. He maintains that all the members had little pieces of information that were not shared and had it been shared the earth would be a safer place.

Artist Alex Maleev really captures
 the  tension in this 'vote' scene

Professor X has his doubts...

       WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT IT?: I'm not a fan of retcons, I believe they show a lack of creativity and forward thinking, but Bendis has fitted the existence of the Illuminati seamlessly into the fabric of the Marvel Universe. No small feat, only the most anal of continuity freaks could really find evidence to contradict it based on past stories. The dialogue; unlike some of his other work Bendis allows each character to have their own voice (apart from Blackbolt) and shows their political and personal stance within the different stages of the Marvel Universe's development. Xavier represents the Mutants who are feared and hated in society and his primary concern is his 'dream',
Namor has no time for the surface world's problems and only cares about Atlantis and its people as its head of state. Mr Fantastic and Stark are celebrated public figures and scientists and do not have secondary concerns regarding the Illuminati's existence. Dr. Strange can see the bigger picture on a more intuitive level than either of the empiricists. It is these differences that give the story its dramatic impetus.

Favorite scene in book 'BOOM'

The caustic interplay between Namor and Iron Man is excellently handled ans Namor's underlying distrust of the smooth talking surface dweller is expressed beautifully, as is Stark's tiring of Namor's imperious and headstrong manner. This of course erupts in a great fight scene and the only physicality seen in the book.
Namor: 'I am a king.'
Stark:'Not up here you're not'
BOOM
classic...

Good Reading: Fantastic Four #305

Here is an issue I pulled out during the week. Was it great. Hell no. But it was solid entertaining, and fun. Basically it is dealing with the Thing still moping around after Johnny married Alicia in #300 who Reed has elected to lead the FF as he and Sue retire to the suburbs to raise Franklin. Ben is considering who he should  ask to replace the Richards when who comes floating by only Crystal of the Inhumans, in a wonderful coincidence that can only happen in comic books.

    There is some history here as Crystal was Torch's first love and the Thing's motives for recruiting her are not completely in the interests of the team; he hopes Crystal will pry Johnny back from his wife Alicia. Crystal has come to collect her psychotic and estranged husband Quicksilver and bring him home to Attilan. It is also revealed Crystal was playing around with a real estate agent behind Pietro's back. Infidelity was rarely dealt with in mainstream comics of this era.

     Anyway the torch rightly suspect Ben's motives in hiring Crystal and confronts him on the rooftop of the Plaza building. This leads to an entertaining fight. And they ain't messin' around. Eventually cooler tempers prevail.
      Sue also questions Crystal's character in an interesting exchange quizzing her over her extramarital affair (the little minx) setting up plotlines for further dissension down the line which could have been utilized but sadly were not.
      Quicksilver is shown to be out to lunch as he and crystal talk smack to each other in Reed's makeshift jail/asylum where he is keeping both Kristoff (the kid that Doom brainwashed into believing he was Doom) and Pietro, this results in fracas between the two former sweethearts. All in all this was a very entertaining issue. John Buscema's art is rock solid, but sadly it looks a little dated unlike his work on Avengers where he was inked by the incomparable Tom Palmer who gave his pencils depth and grit.It was said at this point Big John had lost interest in drawing superheroes and it shows, but even a sub-par John Buscema is still a master of his craft. Steve Englehart had really shook up the status quo here with the new line-up (the new Ms. Marvel, Sharon Ventura joins in the next issue) and this title looked like it was going places after John Byrne's stellar run ended but sadly a lot of what was to come was dross. So bad Englehart had use the pseudonym 'John Harkness', first cousin twice removed from Agatha.;-)

Iron Man By Bob Layton

The classic cornerbox illustration by Bob Layton (what memeories!)

Starting in the late 70's no one artist has been as synonymous with a character as Bob Layton has been with Iron Man.Working closely with writer David Michelinie, Bob was jointly responsible for  some of the greatest Iron Man stories (Demon in a Bottle, Armor Wars,Doomquest the Kathy Dare Shooting and so many more) perhaps his greatest contribution to the character was creating a uniform look for the character. No matter if he pencilled and inked himself, or inked over John Romita JR, Mark Bright or Jackson Guice's pencils, Bob made sure Iron Man looked great. He really kept a uniform look to the character and book no matter who was drawing it. Bob emphasised the shiny metallic element to the Iron Man armor, something which escaped almost all  other artists since 1963. lets face it, when the armor is drawn without these effects it looks very bland and uninspired. Bob made sure the eyelets and mouthpiece details were well defined in all drawings.

Must have used turtle wax..

        He was also responsible for designing the Silver armor of the mid '80s as Jim Shooter requested a more 'samurai warrior' look. This armor first featured in the classic Iron Man #200 where Stark took back his company from Obadiah Stane (Ironmonger). A real classic issue too,  and one the greatest Iron Man stories ever. Here is a great example of that shiny armor effect that Bob did so well. His Iron Man looked amazing.
Bob returned to work on a mini series with David Michelinie in 2000 called Bad Blood and in 2008 with Michelinie again with Legacy of Doom, which starred, funnily enough Doctor Doom. Here's one of my favorite Michelinie/Layton issues, #244 where the then crippled Stark redesigns his armor to enable him to walk again. I love the split cover design, a real Layton hallmark. The love the man had for the Iron Man character shines through all his work. Respect...