Blog Archives
Tales from the Longbox – Iron Man #149-150 (1981)
Every other week, Jason Shayer will highlight an issue or a run of issues pulled from the horde of comic book long boxes that occupy more room in his house than his wife can tolerate. Each of these reviews will delve into what made that issue or run significant as well as discuss the creative personalities behind the work. “Long Box” refers to the lengthy, white cardboard boxes most comics find themselves stored within – bagged, alphabetized and numerically ordered.
Iron Man #149-150
Aug-Sep 1981
“Doomquest/Knightmare”
Writers – David Michelinie/Bob Layton
Artists – John Romita Jr./Bob Layton
Iron Man #149-150 is a great two-part story celebrating Iron Man’s 150th issue. Michelinie and Layton would revist this storyline in a sequel published in 1989 in Iron Man #249-250.
Tony discovers that an executive in his company has sold technology to Latveria, a country on Stark International’s black list. Iron Man intercepts the technology before it gets into Doom’s hands, but all that does in infurate Doom who then dispatches his minions to steal the technology back. They succeed and Tony decides to pay a “diplomatic” visit to Latveria and confronts Doctor Doom as Iron Man.
Their discussion leads to a physical confrontation: “You should not have done that, Errand boy. I was going to make your death a swift one!” But before anything can be resolved, one of Doom’s minons with a grudge, Hauptmann, sends them both back in time.
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Age of Ultron: Back to the Future
Everything has changed in the Marvel Universe of the Age of Ultron maxi-series. In a bid to save everything, Wolverine has traveled to the past and murdered the Avenger Hank Pym before he can create the artificial intelligence known as Ultron – who in the present has conquered the planet and decimated mankind.
But we all know what happens when you mess with time, don’t we? Yep, that’s right. Biff kills your dad, marries your mom, and makes her get back-breaking breast implants. Things may have gone from bad to worse for Wolverine and his traveling companion, the Invisible Woman. Find out why, in my review of Age of Ultron Book Seven, after the jump…
Age of Ultron: The Ghost of Avengers Future
The worst thing that can happen has happened to the Marvel Comics universe. Ultron, the Avengers’ most dangerous enemy, a machine monster built by one of their own, has conquered and laid waste to the planet, and decimated and enslaved mankind. The few surviving heroes of the world have escaped to the Savage Land where they have come up with a plan to save us all.
With access to Doctor Doom’s Time Platform, half of the heroes have decided to go to the future, from which Ultron has masterminded this conquest, and defeat him once and for all. However, Wolverine has different plans, he will go to the past and kill the Avenger Hank Pym, who created Ultron in the first place, before it happens. Now, enter the two Ages of Ultron, after the jump…
Age of Ultron: The Plan
For the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes of Marvel Comics, the worst thing that could happen has happened. The Avengers’ most monstrous enemy, the evil artificial intelligence known as Ultron, whose only desire is their destruction, machine domination of the planet, and enslavement of mankind, has won.
Earth lies in ruins, and the Avengers are hunted by Ultron’s robot Sentries. They have fled to the Savage Land at the bottom of the world, and now they have a plan to stop Ultron once and for all, but can they actually go through with it? For my review of Age of Ultron Book Five, and lots more, join me after the jump.
Mighty Marvel March: Hickman’s Avengers
This week saw two different yet similar Avengers releases from Marvel Comics, both written by Jonathan Hickman – Avengers #8 and New Avengers #4. Both show vastly different sides of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in drastically different yet similar situations. You’ll have my thoughts, after the jump.
Marvel Says NOW! To New Avengers #1 On The Wednesday Run – January 2, 2013
I don’t know if it’s a champagne hangover I’m currently sporting or if it’s one brought on by comic books.
Between Christmas gifts and Boxing Day sales, I’ve been reading a lot of sequential art in my free time over the last seven days. Perhaps you have too! But Wednesday, January 2, 2013 is the first “new comics” release date of the brand new year and, like every other Wednesday, there’s something that has me raising a quizzical eye and more than a little excited at storytelling possibilities.
And yeah, you need to get it NOW!
With FF #1 Your Fantastic Future Has Finally Arrived On The Wednesday Run – November 28, 2012
Ah, the future is a fickle thing in comic book land.
Just when you think it’s become the present, the unpredictable nature of time – and time-hopping, time-altering, time-adventuring superheroes – tends to radically change all expectations.
It can be confounding, yes. But it can also make for amazing storytelling, keeping readers on the edge of their seats while following their favourite (or new favourite) characters in their tempus-inspired escapades!
That’s the premise behind the first issue of FF – the latest comic book re-launch in the post Avengers vs. X-Men, Marvel NOW! initiative.
Tales from the Longbox – Fantastic Four #258 (1983)
Every other week, Jason Shayer will highlight an issue or a run of issues pulled from the horde of comic book long boxes that occupy more room in his house than his wife can tolerate. Each of these reviews will delve into what made that issue or run significant as well as discuss the creative personalities behind the work. “Long Box” refers to the lengthy, white cardboard boxes most comics find themselves stored within – bagged, alphabetized and numerically ordered.
Fantastic Four #258
“Interlude”
September 1983
Writer/Penciler/Inker/Cover Artist: John Byrne
This is my third blog post on John Byrne’s Fantastic Four; you can find the two earlier ones, here and here.
With Fantastic Four #258, Byrne was firing on all cylinders with this issue as he walks us through a day in the life of the Fantastic Four’s archenemy, Doctor Doom. In the space of 22 pages, Byrne gets you into Doom’s head and allows you to understand the man behind the mask as the different facets of his life reveal different things about him.
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