Hopefully this will all hang together, and by taking one (and only one!) panel from each of the ten randomly selected issues I can bring you an entertaining tale!

A month later, outside a mansion in Manhattan’s exclusive Bleecker Street …

For Papa Jambo was found not in the jungles of that faraway nation, but the concrete urban jungle of New York City, and over the next five years he trained the young shaman rigorously until at last it is time to graduate …

His advice is, to say the least, if not the last thing Jericho expects, still pretty far down the list.

Meanwhile, at a small mountain drilling site just outside the city …

Unfortunately the successful completion of the drilling into the supposedly empty cavern has explosive, literally earth-shaking results.

Even as whatever it was makes its way from the formerly hidden mountain chamber, other enemies of Papa Jambo and Jericho have decided to take advantage of the quake’s distraction to strike at last!

As the outer wall of the mansion is stripped away, Jericho gestures and nods as Papa Jambo had directed, and at last has the disguise long worn to protect her in a man’s world stripped away, revealing not a poor frightened boy from Haiti, but the strong and lethal Hellcat!

Yet when she leaps forth, she sees the mysterious, hulking stranger from the mountain cavern has already destroyed the marauding tank, and has a shocking announcement:

To the accompaniment of a snide comment by Papa Jambo’s assistant, of course.

How had the beast known Jericho was a woman, much less where to find her, and why does it seek the abomination of marriage between demon and shaman? Tune in next week to see the exciting conclusion!*

*Not actually continued next week. Or ever. Although Xemnu is kind of cute, for a “bear”.

1. “Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme”, Vol. 1, No. 16, ©1990 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Roy & Dann Thomas, writers; Jackson Guice, artist; Tony DeZuniga, inking assist; Janice Chiang, letterer; Gregory Wright, colorist. The Jackson Guice “All My Women Lounge Languidly As If They Were Posing for Playboy” soft core porn-a-thon continues. What is it about vampire story lines that always involve gorgeous scantily clad women? And why couldn’t Jackson Guice afford to buy a decent reference book for female poses that wasn’t published by Hugh Hefner?
2. “What the –?!”, Vol. 1, No. 9, ©1990 Marvel Entertainment Group. Image from the “Hotel Galactus” story, Scott Lobdell, writer; Dave Hoover, art; Brad K. Joyce, letterer; Kelly P. Corvese, colorist. “Hotel Galactus” is definitely the best of the four shorts in this issue, with strong art and gags that are actually funny on occasion. Galactus has been forced to retire and buys a hotel, and is trying to make a good impression on the inspection agent. Hijinks ensue.
3. “What the –?!”, Vol. 1, No. 6, ©1990 Marvel Entertainment Group. “Origin of the Pulverizer” story, Doug Rice, co-writer; Hilary Barta, co-writer/artist; Willie Schubert, letterer; Linda Lessmann, colorist. I’m glad people at the time realized that The Punisher had gotten a little out of hand. OK, a lot out of hand. This parody is a fun re-telling of the character as a man bent on getting revenge on a mobster for kicking his puppy into space. Perhaps if they’d let Rice and Barta co-write the actual Punisher this way, and we’d all be less riddled with bullets right about now.
4. “The Sensational She-Hulk”, Vol. 2, No. 7, ©1989 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. John Byrne, writing and pencils; Bob Wiacek, inking; Glynis Oliver, colorist; Jim Novak, lettering. I am slowly figuring out that the John Byrne She-Hulk is exactly like “What the–?!”, only less so. Less funny, less relevant, less intelligent, less interesting, and less clothing. Much less clothing. He’s deconstructing the comic book (if you don’t mind my getting all “English Lit major” on you), having the characters reference issue numbers, upcoming ads, other titles and artists, and talking directly to the reader. But it doesn’t work. The point of deconstructing something, or of giving it the ol’ post-modern treatment, is to say something relevant, new, or interesting about the original source material. But all this is, really, is John Byrne sticking his tongue out at people stupid enough to buy comic books, saying “I’m the God-Damn John Byrne, I can draw and write whatever I want and you’ll like it, bitches!” Only I don’t. Like it, I mean. It’s all just so self-serving and indulgent, it’s a real turn-off. Which is a darn shame, because John Byrne can flat-out draw. I wish he’d have just stuck to that instead of trying to be ironical.
5. “Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme”, Vol. 1, No. 19, ©1990 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Roy & Dann Thomas, writers; Gene Colan, guest artist; Heisler/Novak, letterers; George Roussos, colorist. No Jackson Guice on this one, and the languid, scantily-clad women are conspicuous in their absence. Which is downright refreshing, especially since this is that rarity in the modern comics world, a one-issue self-contained adventure. Heresy! No crossovers, no “Secret Infinity Crisis Gauntlet Wars” tie-ins, no guest appearances to promote another title, no multi-issue complicated story arc, just a nice, solid, well-told tale of killer crystal mists. “Aha!” I hear you say, “how can you have a crystalline mist, since crystals are by definition solids and mists are, like, gases, hunh Mr. Smartypants?” To which I can only say, “It’s magic, home slice, eat it!”
6. “Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme”, Vol. 1, No. 32, ©1991 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Roy & Dann Thomas, writers; Chris Marrinan, penciler; Mark McKenna, inker; Pat Brosseau, letterer; George Roussos, colorist. Jackson Guice again takes an issue off, this time so they can sponsor an “Infinity Gauntlet” tie-in. This issue features exciting scenes like “Dr. Doom drinks from a cup!” and “Cosmic entities lounge around talking about nothing much!” and “Dr. Strange has an argument with his wife!” Apparently understanding how lame this whole idea was (which is how you could tell it was an “Infinity Gauntlet” tie-in), they threw in a story of some one-eyed muscle-bound old man priest with the ridiculous name “Silver Dagger” who stole an eyeball from a trans-dimensional worm-god who tries to whip Dr. Strange’s butt, only to have the butt-whipping turned back on him by the Misty Bands of Mordammammumamma or somesuch silliness. I don’t know if it’s the Sorcerer Supreme himself, but somebody sure as hell was doing drugs on that book. And it sure wasn’t me, which is a pity because that’s about the only way I can see that this whole thing would make any damn sense at all.
7. “Web of Spider-Man”, Vol. 1, No. 71, ©1990 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Danny Fingeroth, writer; Dave Ross, penciler; Keith williams & Andy Mushynsky, inkers; Rick Parker, letterer; Bob Sharen, colorist. This story of Peter Parker trying to help a retired super-hero track down his mortal ex-Nazi enemy and former girlfriend is pretty good, but betrayed by the art. It does, however, feature such well-known onomontoPOWias as “Byow”, “Klangg”, “Blangg”, “Bwop”, “Brakkatta”, “Thwipp”, and “B’zzaanng”. I don’t know what it is about that particular gun that makes an apostrophe necessary, but I have an aversion to arguing the finer points of grammar with loaded weapons. That’s just how I roll.
8. “What the –?!”, Vol. 1, No. 7, ©1990 Marvel Entertainment Group. “Patsy Walker” story, Richard Howell, script, art, letters and colors. Hats off to Mr. Howell, as he takes us on a visual tour-de-force, juxtaposing the teen-adventure stylings of Al Hartley and the more modern super-hero style, flipping Hellcat back and forth between the two genres. It’s not entirely original, of course, but it’s very well done and quite entertaining. I kept waiting for Jughead or Archie to make an appearance, only to get eaten a few panels later. Plus, any comic that successfully incorporates “Bad Super Costume” honoree “Mad-Dog” deserves a ton of credit. Well done, sir!
9. “The Sensational She-Hulk”, Vol. 2, No. 36, ©1992 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. John Byrne, writing and pencils; Keith Williams, inking; Marie Javins & Glynis Oliver, colorists; Jim Novak, lettering. She-Hulk soothes John Byrne’s ego, ruffled by the fact that the guy who took over writing chores from him on Fantastic Four dropped She-Hulk’s love interest, by hooking up with him. I know this because She-Hulk says so, much to the confusion of both her new old boyfriend and me, the irritated reader. She also goes home and delivers a Christmas miracle to her father. Somehow I suspect this will not be turned into a very special Christmas special.
10. “The Sensational She-Hulk”, Vol. 2, No. 8, ©1989 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. John Byrne, writing and pencils; Bob Wiacek, inking; Glynis Oliver, colorists; Jim Novak, lettering. Remember that “Christmas Miracle” I referred to in that last entry? The one from “She-Hulk” number 36, in 1992? Three years later than this here issue? Well this is where the miracle in question is first given to the main character. See kids, this is the kind of powerful storytelling keeping the same writer on a book can bring ya! Suddenly the Creator Shuffle doesn’t look like such bad corporate strategy.

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So without further ado, off we go into space!

Elite forces of the two warring Keystone factions, the Asgardians and the Zendaks, have met at a small town outside the capitol city in a clash of arms.

The Asgardian leader, Judson Jakes, unleashes his Mindless Horde in a final push, hoping to force the Sendak patriarch Harokin into battle.

The Patriarch takes the bait, but is met unexpectedly by the trenchcoated Jakes himself on the field of battle.

An instant’s hesitation, a flurry of guns drawn, and then …

Harokin’s aim is unerring and deadly, virtually shredding his rival in instants, forcing an immediate retreat from the Asgardians!

The infighting of his lieutenants as the enemy leaves the field threatens to bog down the army’s initiative, infuriating Harokin.

Unfortunately, his demands for unity among the usually fractious legions under his command meet with little success.

Both armies now in disarray, one from the death of its leader and the other from bickering over who will get the spoils of victory, the battle is surely destined to rage on, much to the dismay of the ordinary people who inhabit the Keystone Quadrant; war, as ever, is hell on the little guy.

1. “Rocket Raccoon”, Vol. 1, No. 1, ©1985, Marvel Comics Group. Bill Mantlo, story; Mike Mignola, pencils. Al Gordon, inks; Christie Scheele, colors; Ken Bruzenak, letters. I only thought I was kidding last week when I claimed that Mike Mignola did every single comic in the eighties and nineties. The guy is everywhere! This issue is one of his first as a penciler, according to the end notes by editor Carl Potts, apparently before doing “Marvel Fanfare #10″ he was an inker only. This “Rocket Raccoon” series is good fun, featuring sentient animals riding herd on a bunch of insane asylum descendants on a cordoned-off planetary system. You know you’re in for something different when there’s a big ol’ walrus screwing in laser-shooting tusks. There’s one weird sequence where the alluring female protagonist hottie — an otter — strips down and goes swimming. Shouldn’t that earn this a Mature rating? I’m just sayin’ …
2. “The Question”, Number 12, © 1987, DC Comics, Inc. Dennis O’Neill, story; Denys Cowan & Rick Magyar, art; Jaspar, lettering; Tatjana Wood, coloring. Since when does a letter get off having just one name? Does he think he’s the Madonna or Prince of the comic book lettering world? I never read “The Question” when it was being published, but it was part of the “mature movement” in the mid-late Eighties. He’s an investigative reporter who wears a featureless mask to uncover crimes and corruption, then goes on to report it. As far as I can tell he has no super-powers or anything, just good training and a fit build. It’s a funny character, because of course everyone knows that television news anchors have blank brains, not faces.
3. “Rocket Raccoon”, Vol. 1, No. 3, ©1985, Marvel Comics Group. Bill Mantlo, story; Mike Mignola, pencils. Al Gordon, inks; Christie Scheele, colors; Ken Bruzenak, letters. The battle between rival toy makers over who gets to control the sale of their wares to the insane human residents rages on, with rocket-riding, laser-firing assassin ninjas and doughty space raccoons along for the fun of it. I think the laser-spitting (literally) chimp-blimps might be my favorite bit.
4. “Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme”, Vol. 1, No. 22, ©1990, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Roy & Dann Thomas, writers; Jackson Guice, penciler; Tony Dezuniga, inker; Pat Brosseau, letterer; Renee Witterstaetter, colorist. Man, Jackson Guice likes to use Playboy pictures as reference. A woman can’t even walk down stairs in this issue without the pointy toes, nightgown hiking up her thighs, and hair seductively strewn over one eye. It’s a little much. The issue, though, features the story of Dormammu retaking the crown of the Dark Dimension from Strange’s lover, Clea. Apparently the “Sorcerer’s Name Store” has a sale each week on certain consonants so various characters can fill their monikers out properly and it was “M Day!” when Dormammu was shopping. Some of the names they came up with for various Strange bits were really out there. And I can’t ever get past the feeling that Strange was actually operating some sort of cocaine dealership out of that mansion, with the trippy colors, hipster capes, gold medallions, and throngs of scantily clad women lying languidly about, draped on every available piece of furniture.
5. “Tales of Asgard”, Vol. 2, No. 1, ©1984, Marvel Comics Group. Stan Lee, writer; Jack Kirby, penciler; Vince Colletta, inker; Sam Rosen, letterer; George Roussos, colorist. As far as I can tell, this is a collection of various back-up stories that ran in Thor comics over the years. But it’s by Lee and Kirby and, as such, is impervious to any attempted mockery. Plus it features the great Asgardian trio of Hogun the Grim, Volstagg the Vast, and Fandral the Dashing, which I always love. Good stuff.
6. “The Question”, Number 14, © 1987, DC Comics, Inc. Dennis O’Neill, story; Denys Cowan & Rick Magyar, art; Steve Haynie lettering; Tatjana Wood, coloring. Notice that the Letterer With Only One Name has been removed by this issue, just two months later? Nobody likes a snotty French guy, Jaspar! As far as the actual comic, I challenge you to name another issue where the main character spends the entire thing buried up to his neck in dirt. Give up? Me too. Good issue, although it all wraps up a little too neatly at the end. Well, as neatly as a bunch of guys blowing their brains out until one of them digs out the protagonist while bleeding his guys into the rain can be.
7. “Wordsmith”, Vol. 1, No. 1, ©1985, Dave Darrigo. Dave Darrigo, author; R.G. Taylor, illustrator. This is essentially a pulp magazine story told in a comics format, and all in black and white. Frankly I’m dubious that a comic that’s essentially about a guy sitting around writing a story would be a success, but still, this is a good story and well told. This was one of the first projects done by Deni Loubet after she left the company publishing “Cerebus”. Not for everyone, but an interesting experience nonetheless.
8. “The Man of Steel 2 Silver Edition”, ©1986 DC Comics. John Byrne, writing and penciling; Dick Giordano, inker. This is a reprint of the classic Byrne Superman retcon that really breathed new life into DC. It ages well; the story and art both still feel relevant and engaging. Lois wears some truly unfortunate outfits, but I blame that more on the Eighties fashion scene than on anything wrong Byrne did. I don’t think he ever really hit this level again, “Man of Steel” feels like his career pinnacle to me. I could be wrong on that, I didn’t follow his career all that closely, but nothing since then really jumps out at me.

“Trinity”, No. 2, ©1993 DC Comics. Michael Jan Friedman, plot; Mark Waid and Gerard Jones, script; Barry Kitson and Chris Hunter, pencils; Dan Davis, Dennis Kramer, and Frank Percy, inks; Albert DeGuzman, letters; Stu Chaifetz, colors. Here’s a free tip for any of you comics industry bigwigs out there. If your project requires a scripter and a plotter, two pencilers, and three inkers, it’s going to suck. Witness “Trinity”, an unholy multi-space-going-comic-characters crossover featuring L.E.G.I.O.N., the Green Lantern Corps, and the Darkstars, with all of the cringe-inducing anticipation of crap you, the savvy reader, would expect. Dreck.

9. “Starstruck”, Vol. 1, No. 3, ©1985 Elaine Lee and Michael Wm. Kaluta (published by Marvel Comics under their “Epic” imprint). Elaine Lee, writer/creator; Michael Wm. Kaluta, artist/creator; John Workman, letterer; Steve Oliff, colorist. Seriously, you need to be high on something before you read this. Because otherwise you’re going to be really really confused afterwards with nothing to show for it. What a weird, strange, unpleasant experience reading this comic was. It felt like someone took over Moebius’s artistic skills and threw them into a blender with Bruce Willis’s scriptwriting abilities. Blech.

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“For instance, I designed this pullover for ultra-thin heroin-chic-heroines who want to tell the whole world their waist size, but who don’t want to be recognized doing so!”

“Sometimes the men are hard to convince, but if you’re going to have ‘Stranger’ in your name, I say you should look strange, and what’s stranger than a fashionable sixties-era gold medallion, chained cloak, and sporty fedora, especially when matched with white gloves and a mock turtleneck?!”

“Of course that was nothing compared to the effort of getting Rick Flagg to wear my gorgeous cowboy boots, Bavarian knee socks, sleeveless leather vest with popped color, black business tie, and knee-length rolled-up Boy Scout shorts, but luckily he went for it!”

“I’ll never forget the great reaction from the crowd at the Milan Fashion Show, they loved that American Flagg costume as much as I did!!”

“I love it when I get ideas from old movies, so when SHIELD came to me for new agent uniforms I jumped at the chance to introduce my ‘Producers’-inspired ensemble, along with a new eye patch for Nick!”

“But I don’t want to forget the everyday people, the little people, those who keep us going every day, who have also inspired some of my great super-hero designs like the one for the gender-sensitive crusader …”

“Of course sometimes you’ve just got to go whole hog and throw in the kitchen sink, for that one-of-a-kind ‘I was drunk when I designed this’ look!”

“In fact, I think I have a YouTube video here from that period in my design career …”

Meanwhile, behind the camera …

“Ha ha, maybe she needs an eye doctor, but otherwise she’s fine, or so say I, Barbie, Ace Reporter, and now back to the studio!”

1. “Barbie”, Vol. 1, No. 9, ©1991, Mattel, Inc. (published by Marvel). Lisa Trusiani, writer; James Brock & Anna-Maria Cool, pencilers; Jeff Albrect, John Lucas, & Roy Rochardson, inkers; Janice Chiang & Mike Heisler, letterers; Mike Worley, colorist.
   It takes this many people to put together a freaking Barbie comic book?! By that measure “Hell-Boy” ought to require two hundred people slaving away night and day! And what would Marvel not whore itself out for in the nineties? Damn continuity, pride, or a commitment to quality, if someone’ll pay us money we’ll put it in a comic! Get ready for “Captain Crunch Adventures”, kids!
2. “Power Pack”, Vol. 1, No. 16, ©1985 Marvel Comics Group. Louise Simonson, writer; June Brigman & Bob Wiacek, art; Glynis Oliver, colorist; Joe Rosen, letterer.
   I know a lot of people hold the “Power Pack” series in high esteem, but I frankly don’t get it. Their costumes are silly, and the whole idea of putting kids in mortal danger all the time is frankly unsettling. I’m glad that in this issue you get a taste of what kids of super-heroes must go through as little Franklin Richards co-stars and complains about his frequently-missing parental units.
   Plus, no self-respecting half-horse alien child would wear leg warmers.
3. “The Phantom Stranger”, No. 3, ©1987, DC Comics, Inc. Paul Kupperberg, writer; Mik Mignola, breakdowns; P. Craig Russell, finisher; Sean Workman, letterer; Peter Scotese, colorist.
   Geez, what didn’t “Hell-Boy” creator Mike Mignola work on in the eighties and nineties? This book seriously suffers from the fact that Mignola was only doing breakdowns, as P. Craig Russell (whoever that is) seriously lacks the ability to breath the same kind of dark life into the panels that Mike does when left to his own devices. The whole issue looks like a bastard child of Rob Liefeld and Jim Aparo, with random lines drawn across figures like berserker cross-hatching. None of the brooding, psychedelic feel anything involving the Phantom Stranger should have shows up here, just relics of a mis-spent Seventies disco era like the flashing gold medallion and white “Jazz Hands” gloves. Sad.
4. “American Flagg”, Vol. 1, No. 5, ©1983 First Comics and Howard Chaykin. Howard Chaykin, artist/writer; Leslie Zahler, colorist; Ken Bruzenak, letterer.
   I’d like to find Howard Chaykin’s zipitone collection and burn it. This issue features more crazy neo-Nazi sympathizers, cross-dressing street hustlers, and fascist city-states, all patrolled by a bunch of guys in knee-socks. Only in comics, my friends, only in comics.
5. “Timespirits”, Vol. 1, No. 5, ©1985 Steve Perry and Tom Yeates. Steve Perry, writer; Janice Chiang, letterer; Steve Oliff, colorist.
   Six years later, letterer Janice Chiang would be working on Barbie comics (see above), proving once again that it’s easy come, easy go in the comics biz. One day you’re lettering a cutting-edge comic about time-traveling Native Americans who bring Jimi Hendix to life in order to fight a future techno-company from making profits off of kids at fake rock concerts (no, really), the next you’re slave to the ridiculously-proportioned queen of plasticity. Hope things have picked up for you, Janice!
   Seriously, this comic concludes with a Native American boy from the 1600’s hopping into a time portal with a bowler-wearing era-hopping salesman, a prototypical near-naked furry cat-woman, a down-on-his-luck cigar-chomping trenchcoat-wearing concert promoter, and Jimi Hendrix. Somebody pass the bong, stat!
6. “Bullwinkle and Rocky”, Vol. 1, No. 2, ©1988 PAT Ward (published by Marvel Comics). Dave Manak, writer; Ernie Colon, penciler; Al Milgrom, inker; John Wellington, colorist; Grace Kremer, letterer.
   Seriously, Marvel in the late 80’s and early 90’s = Whore. Really.
7. “Bullwinkle and Rocky”, Vol. 1, No. 1, ©1988 PAT Ward (published by Marvel Comics). Dave Manak, writer; Ernie Colon, penciler; Jacqueline Roettcher, inker; John Wellington, colorist; Grace Kremer, letterer.
8. “Timespirits”, Vol. 1, No. 5, ©1985 Steve Perry and Tom Yeates. Steve Perry, writer; Janice Chiang, letterer; Steve Oliff, colorist.
   I think this issue really suffers from lack of a dead 1960’s drug-abusing rock star, but the appearance of an eyeball-headed spirit lizard largely makes up for it. Largely.
9. “Beavis and Butt-Head”, Vol. 1, No. 4, ©1994 MTV Networks, Inc. (published by — wait for it — Marvel Comics). Mike Lackey, writer; Rick Parker, art; Bob Sharen, colors.
   Ok, seriously, after reading this I have to wonder what Stan Lee wouldn’t put his name on. And calling Marvel a company willing to whore itself out to literally any property is, upon further reflection, an insult to whores everywhere. The art in this is actually fairly interesting, with an underground-comics feel full of vibrant colors and energy. I liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day, and this issue is exactly what you would expect from the series. Raunchy, juvenile, vibratory, and obnoxious. Pretty good, all in all.
10. “Power Pack”, Vol. 1, No. 13, ©1985 Marvel Comics Group. Louise Simonson, writer; Brent Anderson, Penciler; Bob Wiacek, inker; Glynis Oliver, colorist; Joe Rosen, letterer.
    In this issue, we see kids watching a baseball game! No, really. That’s the issue. I know, I know, baseball is arguably one of the most boring things you can watch on TV, but this takes the fast-paced, action-packed game into the fabulous static world of comic books!! The big draw for the kids in this issue, what really gets them pumped about going out to the ol’ ball game, is that there might be fireworks afterwards. Why this would be exciting to children who can, literally, throw gigantic exploding balls of light and power into the sky on their own is beyond me.

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Little do they suspect that the woman is actually a spy, Field Agent Samantha “Sam” Coburn, of the Alien Legion Intel-Corps, who is there to unearth the identity and location of the infamous space pirate known only by his codename …

Sam quickly makes contact with the most promising recruit to hit the Legion in a decade, hot-shot teenage marksman and Galaxy-class athlete J’Onn J’Onnson, giving him the location of the pirate who’d killed his father fifty years before.

A week later, with the raid ready to go, assault shuttles are in place and an eager J’Onnson awaits the order to land.

While the main attack begins, J’Onnson makes a commando raid on the pirate base’s headquarters, desperately hoping to find “Rosebud” at last.

Ironically “Rosebud” — actually the viking-helmeted pirate lord Prinn Longnose– is even then leading the counter-attack on the Legion forces, having learned through an informant that the son of his long-dead enemy had finally come for him.

As the battle rages, Prinn “Rosebud” Longnose becomes enraged, desperate to kill his hunter before anyone else gets the chance.

Even as the words hang in the heavy atmosphere of the moon, however, J’Onnson appears, blaster in hand, taking steady aim, putting the lie to the shouted order as Prinn at last takes his final breath.

With the mop-up complete, J’Onnson debriefs with Sam.

Wherever pirates lurk, they are learning to fear the deadly blaster of J’Onn J’Onnson, Alien Legionnaire!

1. “Sweet Sixteen”, Vol. 1, No. 5, ©1991, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Art and Story by Barbara Slate, Letters by Patrick Owsley, and colors by Laz.
   Apparently Marvel tried in the early Nineties to expand back out into non-super-hero books. This is a series of very short “stories” centered on a haughty princess, a humble potter who loves her, and various other poorly-drawn folks who inhabit this corner of the Roman Empire. I know it’s Roman because they only use Roman Numerals throughout. Which is almost as irritating as the art and the “stories”. I keep putting that in scare quotes because they’re really more like vignettes than stories, with little purpose and less interest. Seriously, it’s no wonder girls don’t like comics if this is the kind of drivel written for them.
2. “Showcase ‘96″, No. 12, story “Roots”, ©1997, DC Comics. Tom Peyer, writer; Derec Aucoin, Penciller; Martin/Branch, inkers; Adrienne Roy, colorist; Ken Brubenak, letterer.
   This is the second or third time this issue has turned up. I don’t know why so many people were eager to dump it, since it features a neat story about Brainiac Five, always one of my favorites. I’m a sucker for Legion stories. And for stories wherein the villain is defeated by means of hitting him over the head with a tree branch.

   The second story deals with Jesse Quick, the “fastest woman alive”, losing her powers because she’s stressed out. Seriously. Can you imagine that story being written for a male character? Lois:”Superman, we need you to defeat Luthor!” Superman: “Sorry Lois, I’m so worried about the subprime mortgage mess, my super-powers are just pooped!”

   Finally, there’s a great little story about King Farraday and Sarge Steel, two characters I knew nothing about, stopping some hijackers. Dick Giordano’s inks really make Stuart Immonen’s story come to life (he was both penciller and writer), and the tale’s a lot of fun.

3. “She-Hulk”, Vol. 2, No. 21, ©1990, Marvel Entertainment Group. Steve Gerber and Buzz Dixon, writers; Tom Artis, guest penciller; Jim Sanders III, inker; Jim Novak, letterer; Glynnis Oliver, colorist.
   This issue is a gold mine. You’ll be seeing lots and lots of panels from it all week, because not only does it feature the always-slightly-ridiculous She-Hulk herself in all her muscle-bound soft-core-porn garter belts and torn clothing, but the blond-wig-wearing “Abominatrix”, the incredibly silly “Captain Rectitude”, and some of the best out-of-context dialog I’ve found yet. I don’t know why John Byrne took the issue off, but I am very very happy he did.
4. “American Flagg”, Vol. 1, No. 8, ©1984, First Comics, Inc. and Howard Chaykin, Inc. Howard Chaykin, artist and writer; Ken Bruzenak, letterer; Leslie Zahler, colorist.
   I’ve gotten an awful lot of issues of “American Flagg” in the Great Random Comics Pile, and it’s always a challenge for this particular sort of mash-up. Chaykin’s dialog and visual plotting are very dense, it’s hard to chisel out bits for anything else. And the weird shading he uses — is it pencil left in place to print? — makes copying the art difficult. The stories feature so many characters it’s hard to keep track of who’s who, especially when I’m reading them all out of order and sporadically, from week to week.

   Having said that, I’ve finally plugged enough of the holes to get a sense of what the book’s all about, and I can see why it made a splash in the early Eighties. It’s very raw, very uncensored, very in your face. There’s a lot of racial, political, and sexual content that must have been quite shocking at the time in comic-book form. Now, however, it all seems a little too much. The story’s there, but it’s so burdened down with the dense narration and heavy visuals that it’s hard to really get into.

   And people have sex with a lot of hot Nazi conspirators. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but for what it’s worth, there it is.

5. “American Flagg”, Vol. 1, No. 11, ©1984, First Comics, Inc. and Howard Chaykin, Inc. Howard Chaykin, artist and writer; Ken Bruzenak, letterer; Leslie Zahler, colorist.
6. “The Batman Adventures: The Lost Years”, No. 5, ©1998, DC Comics. Hilary Bader, writer; Bo Hampton, penciller; Terry Beatty, inker; Rick Taylor, colorist; Tom Harkins letterer.
   I have to say, I really have enjoyed this and the other “Batman Adventure” comics based on the animated series with Bruce Timm’s distinctive styling. The stories are very clean, very pure, very engaging, particularly after wading through the incredibly dense and “Adult” stuff like “American Flagg”. These are comics like I remember falling in love with as a kid, and if I had children I’d definitely be getting the series for them. This particular series tells the story of how Dick Grayson became Nightwing, which I’d actually never read before. It’s pretty cool, featuring Dick traveling the world to find instruction from a variety of native mystically-inclined tribespeople in an effort to complete his training.
7. “The Alien Legion”, Vol. 1, No. 1, ©1984, Carl Potts. Carl Potts, creator; Alan Zelenetz, writer; Frank Cirocco, penciller (can we please all agree on the proper way to spell penciller, please?!); Terry Austin, inker; Bob Sharen, colorist; Jim Novak, letterer.
   I really like space opera, and I loved the “Legion of Super-Heroes”, so this series seems like a natural fit for me. The story’s pretty much what the title suggests, the French Foreign Legion in space, and it works pretty well. It has a very “Sergeant Rock” feel to it, too, which is always a good thing — tough officers kicking butt and taking names, surly recruits being chivvied along by the veterans, and all with a nice leavening of sociopaths who chose Legion service over prison. Good stuff.
8. “Sergio Aragones’ Groo the Wanderer”, Vol. 2, No. 32, ©1987, Sergio Aragones. Sergio Aragones, art and writing; Stan Sakai, letterer; Luth & Cohen, color.
   If you’ve never read an issue of “Groo”, you really should. The epically stupid barbarian’s adventures are genuinely funny, and Aragones’ frenzied, busy, hectic, incredibly detailed art just really sings. Awesome book.
9. “The Batman and Robin Adventures”, No. 17, ©1997, DC Comics. Paul Dini, story; Joe Staton, pencils; Ty Templeton, dialog; Rick Burchett, inks; Linda Medley, colors; Tim Harkins, letters.
   Having just earlier sung the praises of this series, this particular issue is a bit bland. It may be that I just don’t find the Mad Hatter all that interesting as a villain, but the whole storyline is just a bit too “Just So” for me. Still, there’s plenty of villain-smacking goodness to go around. One thing I like about this series in general is that Robin genuinely kicks butt. He’s not just a sidekick, he often is at least as effective as Batman in terms of actual combat, more than once saving his butt from the fire. It’s quite different from the early days, when the Joker accurately labeled him “Robin, the Boy Hostage”.

   I also can’t believe this is inked by Joe Staton, although his style certainly fits with an animated world. He’s very much restrained here by Timm’s overall style, though, that his originality doesn’t really come through. Which, I have to say, is probably a good thing — all of the work here is much better than his Green Lantern rubber-faced Corps days, or his early “E-Man” stuff. Sometimes, limits on a creative person actually help make him or her better than they would be otherwise.

10. “American Flagg”, Vol. 1, No. 10, ©1984, First Comics, Inc. and Howard Chaykin, Inc. Howard Chaykin, artist and writer; Ken Bruzenak, letterer; Leslie Zahler, colorist.

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And now I feel the cold hand of Death reaching for me as I type, spinning out this tale of woe and evil …

A dark house on a quiet suburban street, a strange invitation for an all-neighborhood gathering, a hesitant knock …

More guests arrive, unsuspecting and yet hesitant, wondering where the other guests for the “pool party” are hiding …

Neighborhood children, unaware of their parents’ growing uneasiness, fascinated by the bones and shards left on display …

And suddenly, there, behind the skulls and bizarre runes carved into mysterious stones, hanging in a hidden alcove from a hook like a butcher’s display case, the child finds the horrible secret of this grim house.

With realization comes the fear, the blood freezing in veins, the whimper …

… too late.

A panicked rush to the door, the desperate bid for freedom, the sweet smell of open air immediately overcome by the foul stench of what chases them, and then — a glimpse, a glimmer of hope …

… a flash of primary colors and a ragged battle cry that in other circumstances would sound forced or false, but to these ears, newly escaped from the bowels of a terrible damnation, sweeter than a mother’s lullaby!

Unable to withstand the bright light of hope and power, the sinister monster corps slinks back in loathing and dread …

And so the minions of evil slink away, to heal and plan and hate …

… for the day when they return, for return they shall, to plague our dreams and haunt our hearts, until once again a proud and courageous few take up the mantle of “super-hero” to save us all.

Note: I’m introducing a new featurelet this week, where I talk about the issues that make up the Mashup after the story’s complete. Hope you like it.

This week’s batch of ten was in some ways the strangest yet. I found three of the four “Jack Kirby’s TeenAgents” awaiting me, but with three separate copies of issue number 3. Sometimes I struggle to find even one good panel in an issue, so I was a bit nervous about having to pull three from just this one. Luckily the page count is high and the story entertaining, so I didn’t have too much trouble.

Of far more concern was the “Barbi Twins 16 Month Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar”, put out by Topps. How this abomination ever got into print is beyond me … no, wait, that’s not true. Strangely proportioned women with abnormally large breasts paired with bikinis and comic book illustrations? I’m surprised they don’t have one every year. Truly awful, though, even considering that the Barbi twins are pretty much already cartoons in real life. And how do you incorporate a no-dialog pinup calendar illustration in something like this? That pretty much set the tone for the whole installment, since I knew I had only one decent choice from that set to work with. I lucked out and found a month drawn by John freakin’ Byrne, slumming it like no one else can.

I also found myself with four issues of “Ray Bradbury Comics”, which feature comic book adaptations of short stories from the sci-fi master. I’ve done three of these issues before, which was a challenge because I don’t like re-using panels if I can avoid it. And the issues each contain two to three different stories by different artists, so getting anything coherent that matches anything else is tough.

Finally, I was pleased to see the adaptation of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, not because I liked the movie (I didn’t) but because the comic is illustrated by the great Mike Mignola. I hadn’t realized that his film experience included this movie, long before “Hellboy” made it to the big screen. Mignola also illustrated one of the Ray Bradbury stories, and the guy’s intense shadows and almost stained-glass-cutout artwork suits both tales admirably. I love his clean, sharp, terrifying inks and layouts, the guy’s just incredible.

In fact, looking back over it, for a random batch of comics I managed to score some really huge talents. Ray Bradbury, Kurt Busiek, Mike Mignola, John Byrne, Matt Wagner, and Harvey Kurtzman are all giants in the industry, it’s really neat to find them lurking in an unmarked group of books like this.

Anyway, on to your credits. The panels above are from the following materials, in order of appearance:

1. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, Vol. 1, No. 1, ©1992, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. Published by Topps, script by Roy Thomas, Pencils by Mike Mignola, inks by John Nyberg, colors by Mark Chiarrello, and letters by John Costanza.
2. “Shane and Shia, the Barbi Twins, 16-Month Swimsuit Comic Art Calendar”, ©1995, The Barbi Twins, artist John Byrne (yes, that John Byrne!)
3. “Ray Bradbury Comics”, Vol. 1, No. 3, ©1993 Byron Preiss Visual Publications Inc. Story featured here is “Besides a Dinosaur, Whatta Ya Wanna Be When You Grow Up?”, adapted by Mike Kucharski, Colored by Carla Feeny, Lettered by James Osten.
4. “Ray Bradbury Comics”, Vol. 1, No. 2, ©1993 Byron Preiss Visual Publications Inc. Story featured here is “It Burns Me Up”, adapted by Harvey Kurtzman (of MAD Magazine fame) and Matt Wagner (of Mage), Lettered by Tim Sale.
5. “Ray Bradbury Comics”, Vol. 1, No. 1, ©1993 Byron Preiss Visual Publications Inc. Story featured here is “A Sound of Thunder”, adapted by Richard Corben (of “Heavy Metal” fame), Lettered by George Roberts.
6. “Ray Bradbury Comics”, Vol. 1, No. 4, ©1993 Byron Preiss Visual Publications Inc. Story featured here is “The City”, adapted by Mike Mignola (of “Hellboy” and “BPRD” fame), Lettered by Willie Schubert.
7. “Jack Kirby’s TeenAgents”, Vol. 1, No. 1, ©1993, Jack Kirby. Written by legendary comics creator Kurt Busiek, penciled by Neil Vokes, inked by John Beatty, lettered by Starkinos/Gaushell, and colored by Carl Gafford.
8. “Jack Kirby’s TeenAgents”, Vol. 1, No. 3, ©1993, Jack Kirby. Written by legendary comics creator Kurt Busiek, penciled by Neil Vokes, inked by John Beatty, lettered by Starkinos/Gaushell, and colored by Carl Gafford.
9. “Jack Kirby’s TeenAgents”, Vol. 1, No. 3, ©1993, Jack Kirby. Written by legendary comics creator Kurt Busiek, penciled by Neil Vokes, inked by John Beatty, lettered by Starkinos/Gaushell, and colored by Carl Gafford.
10. “Jack Kirby’s TeenAgents”, Vol. 1, No. 3, ©1993, Jack Kirby. Written by legendary comics creator Kurt Busiek, penciled by Neil Vokes, inked by John Beatty, lettered by Starkinos/Gaushell, and colored by Carl Gafford.

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Largo has no idea how right he is, as Air Force test pilot Jack Jacobson walks into the town bar to unwind …

His dreams of a quiet retreat are quickly shattered by Ron Samuels, a small-time hoodlum with big-time plans.

Jacobson’s confidence is short-lived, however, as Samuels proves to be quite a tough customer.

Before the local police (led by the prescient Chief Largo) can arrive, Samuels has dragged the unconscious pilot back home, sharing a daring plan with co-conspirator Hank Rollins.

Rollins, uninspired (to put it charitably) by the plan as he is, nonetheless agrees and the pair quickly force Jacobson to smuggle them aboard his secret test craft, planning on selling it to the Chinese for a nation’s ransom.

Rather than let the pair get away with their treasonous plan, Jacobson flips a hidden switch, turning off the ship’s stealth capabilities, drawing a rapid response from Strategic Air Command.

Missiles overwhelm the hyperdynamic fighter, despite the fears of his colleagues for Jacobson’s life.

Luckily he is able to trigger his own ejector seat just before the crash, leaving the two erstwhile conspirators to their fate.

The pilot, narrowly escaping a fiery death on the desert floor, recovers physically, but the emotional wounds will take far longer to heal …

An international plot foiled, two men’s lives ended, and an American patriot saved, but at the cost of a key element in the nation’s secret arsenal; Chief Largo finds scarce comfort in the fact that his presentiments were directly on target, for it had been an abnormal day indeed.

The panels used in today’s Mashup are from the following issues, in order of appearance:

1. “The Incredible Hulk”, Vol. 1, No. 429, ©1995, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc..
2. “Hollywood Superstars”, Vol. 1, No. 3, ©1991, Mark Evanier and Dan Spiegle.
3. “Hollywood Superstars”, Vol. 1, No. 2, ©1991, Mark Evanier and Dan Spiegle.
4. “Spider-Man Saga”, Vol. 1, No. 2, ©1991, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.
5. “Hollywood Superstars”, Vol. 1, No. 4, ©1991, Mark Evanier and Dan Spiegle.
6. “Detective Comics”, No. 610, ©1989, DC Comics, Inc.
7. “Six From Sirius”, Vol. 1, No. 2, ©1984, Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy.
8. “Six From Sirius”, Vol. 1, No. 3, ©1984, Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy.
9. “Independence Day”, No. 2, ©1986, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and Twentieth Centry Fox.
10. “Hollywood Superstars”, Vol. 1, No. 1, ©1991, Mark Evanier and Dan Spiegle.

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With that, we’re off!

The pair of thrill-seeking adventurers continues towards the fabled city of sin, but the trip seems interminable, and their worry grows that one of the roving gangs of thugs rumored to surround the city will assault them before much longer.

Unfortunately their fears prove all too well-founded, as just outside the safety zone they get assaulted.

The gentleman’s hopes that one of the two Monaco Police Gangs will soon ride to the rescue are dashed by a gleeful gang leader.

With the news that the couple are truly on their own, the seemingly foppish young man’s countenance quickly become much grimmer and more powerful.

Undaunted, the gang members give the tourist a fighting chance.

Meanwhile, back at the Monaco PartyHub the couple’s friends watch the entire episode via satellite spy cam.

Before the conflict between the couple and the “gang” get too violent, all is revealed as a practical joke by the world-weary party-goers.

The other party-goers laugh uproariously at the successful prank and continue in their wild abandon.

Strangely, the young man who came so close to unleashing his righteous anger seems more sad than relieved at his sudden reprieve.

For in that one searing moment when true death seemed to hang on a knife’s edge, he has — at last — come to realize that a life lived as a series of pointless jaunts from foolish party to foolish party is no worthy life at all. Perhaps — just perhaps — something new has been born in his heart on this day, a desire to make something more, something real, out of existence.

Images in this week’s Mashup in order of appearance are:

1. “Jon Sable, Freelance”, No. 11, ©1983, First Comics, Inc.
2. “Cadillacs and Dinosaurs”, Vol. 2, No. 2, ©1994 Mark Schultz.
3. “Action Comics 1 Reprint”, ©1992 and 1938, DC Comics. I am so sick of this issue.
4. “American Flagg”, No. 2, ©1983, First Comics, Inc. and Howard Chaykin, Inc.
5. “Cadillacs and Dinosaurs”, Vol. 2, No. 2, ©1994 Mark Schultz. There were two copies of this issue in the bundle, one the premium version on high-quality paper and the other, not so much.
6. “Jon Sable, Freelance”, No. 10, ©1983, First Comics, Inc.
7. “WaRP Graphics Annual”, Vol. 1, No. 1, ©1986, WaRP Graphics, Inc.
8. “Darkstars”, No. 2, ©1992, DC Comics, Inc.
9. “Judge Dredd”, No. 3, ©1984, Eagle Comics.
10. “Jon Sable, Freelance”, No. 13, ©1984, First Comics, Inc.

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The mob is led by Doctor Raas, an environmental activist bent on destroying the industrial world’s ability to contaminate all the Earth with their foul effluvium.

Accompanying Doctor Raas is Henri Joucot, one-time head of the police detachment guarding the factory, who has hard questions for his former colleagues.

Sensing the mood of their protectors shifting, the Overlords of the factory cry out …

When the guns and bullets fail, the Overlords turn to mechanical laser turrets, not knowing that Raas has previously sabotaged them.

The Overlords blame not their enemies, however, but the workers themselves, casting the foremen and supervisors into a disintegration chamber!

Finally galvanized into action and fed up with waiting for a rescue from a costumed adventurer, the senior surviving member of the workers leads the charge against their taskmasters.

She fights her crew free, carrying with her the terrible secret of what lay beneath the concrete and metal temple to profits, but her injuries are too severe for her to survive.

Only one other person knows what was really being guarded at that installation …

In the dead of night, the protesters and Doctor Raas all long gone, Stone meets one of the sinister Overlords back at the factory site, finally revealed as …

Discover what lies behind the door, what horrible weapons of death and destruction the Overlords are hiding in next week’s all-new exciting installment of the Monday Random Mashup!

1. “Skreemer”, No. 6, ©1989, DC Comics, Inc.
2. “Ms Mystic”, No. 1, ©1982, Neal Adams.
3. “Trollords”, No. 4, ©1989, Scott Beaderstadt and Paul Fricke.
4. “Showcase ‘93″, No. 8, ©1993, DC Comics.
5. “Showcase ‘96, No. 12, ©1996, DC Comics.
6. “Pinky and the Brain Christmas Special”, No. 1, ©1996, Warner Bros.
7. “Showcase ‘96, No. 3, ©1996, DC Comics.
8. “Ms Mystic”, No. 2, ©1982, Neal Adams.
9. “Showcase ‘93″, No. 9, ©1993, DC Comics.
10. “New Gods”, No. 21, ©1990, DC Comics, Inc.

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“It was just another standoff with a bunch of punks holding hostages, or so I thought — that testosterone-driven freak Reagan had already gotten there with his armored goons in blue, and it was getting ugly.

“I got inside before any bullets started flying, but what I found there was … disturbing.”

“I don’t know if it was the shock of seeing human beings turned into living robots, or maybe some residual toxins in the air, from the zombification process, but the guards seemed freakish to me, grotesque cartoons of cruelty and hunger …”

“One of them, Pa, I swear he had no expression on his face at all, he pulled a gun on one of the young women like she was nothing more than a snake to be cleared out of the fields.”

“Before I could move she was dead, I couldn’t believe someone could be that callous but he put that bullet through her like it was nothing … ” he says, his voice shaking, overcome with emotion.

“Pa, they said I was the one who wasn’t human, that I was an alien, a thing, but it was them, they’re the animals, they’re the ones with no souls, no hearts, no link with anyone other than themselves, and I was the one who let that girl die, who should be put away, I failed her, I … ”

But the father’s words cannot penetrate the dreadful darkness that has consumed his super-son, the alien who all too painfully has become aware of just what it means to be a mortal human after all.

“I’m sorry, Pa, did you say something?” he asks, his face a fallen mask of blame and self-loathing, the pain too much for his father to bear.

There comes a time in the life of even a Super man when muscles and speed and flight will not suffice, when words seem cold and pitiful comfort, and only the embrace of a father — even (or especially?) an adopted father, whose love is as much a choice as an obligation of biology — can help ease the pain of a broken heart.

The comics appearing in today’s Monday Mashup are, in order of appearance:

1. “The Man of Steel 1 Silver Edition”, ©1986 DC Comics.
2. “The Man of Steel 2 Silver Edition”, ©1986 DC Comics.
3. “Showcase 96″, No. 3, ©1996, DC Comics.
4. “Loony Tunes”, No. 4, ©1994, DC Comics.
5. “Rai and the Future Force”, Vol. 1, No. 25, ©1994, Valiant.
6. “The Man of Steel 3 Silver Edition”, ©1986 DC Comics.
7. “Man-Bat”, No. 1, ©1996, DC Comics.Written by Chuck Dixon, who I believe just left his latest tenure at DC under quite a bit of acrimony, comparing the current editorial direction there to a work camp.
8. “Firebrand”, No. 2, ©1996, DC Comics.
9. “Chiaroscuro”, No. 3, ©1995, DC Comics. A very ambitious effort chronicling the early life of Leonardo DaVinci, when he is accused by the Court of Public Morals for sodomy.
10. “The Man of Steel 6 Silver Edition”, ©1986 DC Comics.

Note that there were four issues of the reprinted John Byrne Superman reboot in this stack. On rereading them, I have to say they’re really good, somewhat to my surprise. I don’t know why I would be surprised, I suppose I just figure at this point that most of what I liked growing up was actually crap. I present “The Dukes of Hazard” and “The A Team” as prime exhibits of what I am talking about. Byrne’s Superman, though, really holds up well, that guy could really tell a good visual story when he was into it.

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For our new adventure, we explore a side of comics you rarely see — what happens in the aftermath of one of these big giant super-hero fights? Our story begins in the present:

Something about the description in the reports, the timing of the appearance, or some other imperceptible clue drives Fortune to eventually set up a clandestine e-mail correspondence with the “monster boy”, resulting in a heart-wrenching confessional.

Fifteen years earlier, the lad writes, his story began with the theft of an Avengers Quinjet by none other than Colonel John Fortune!

The jet winged over the Pacific, headed to a secret British-American air base, despite the trepidation of the very young, and very pregnant, woman accompanying the Colonel.

CIA Special Agent In Charge Shortridge, commander of the secret base, grew livid at Fortune’s unauthorized intrusion, which threatened to upset years of careful planning.

Keeping the young woman and her unborn child away from the always-dangerous clutches of over-powered government super-groups and ultra-secretive multinational military cabals was all that Fortune cared about, but for once he’d stepped on too many toes.

Fortune was thrown clear of the explosion, but he never found the young woman, flung by the hand of fate into the arms of a kindly vicar who lived nearby.

When it became clear just how much danger the young woman represented, the vicar’s first impulse was to turn her in, an impulse quickly squashed by his outraged wife.

“The young woman died in childbirth a few short days later,” Colonel Fortune tells his servant tiredly after setting the emailed missive down, “and the vicar raised the lad for fifteen years, but you know what the big problem is?”

Tune in next week* to learn the heartbreaking secret of the relationship between Fortune and the Monster Lad, a secret that threatens to disAssemble the Avengers!

*(Not really continued next week.)

1. “Green Arrow Annual”, No. 1, ©1988, DC Comics Inc.
2. “Scare Tactics”, No. 4, ©1997, DC Comics.
3. “West Coast Avengers”, Vol. 2, No. 47, ©1989, Marvel Comics.
4. “West Coast Avengers”, Vol. 2, No. 46, ©1989, Marvel Comics. Featuring the first appearance of the Great Lakes Avengers!
5. “Bold Adventure”, Vol. 1, No. 2, ©1984, Bill Dubay.
6. “The Batman Adventures: The Lost Years”, Book 1, ©1998, DC Comics.
7. “Cloak and Dagger”, Vol. 1, No. 6, ©1989, Marvel Comics.
8. “Aquaman”, No. 30, ©1997, DC Comics.
9. “Green Arrow”, No. 7, ©1988, DC Comics, Inc.
10. “Void Indigo”, Vol. 1, No. 2, ©1985, Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik.

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