INVINCIBLE versus TITAN

(Image)
Where: Invincible #1 When: January 2003
Why: Robert Kirkman How: Cory Walker

The Story So Far...
Mark Grayson may seem like any ordinary boy, but as a young child his father revealed himself to have an incredible secret -- he's the superhero Omni-Man!

Nolan had come to Earth from the planet Viltrum, and in puberty Mark would be destined to develop super-powers of his own: super-strength, speed, and flight!

In his teens: Mark enthusiastically embraces his powers and the legacy of heroism that comes with them. Devising a makeshift costume to hide his identity while he practised flying -- he eagerly embraces his first test when he happens upon an early morning diamond heist!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Invincible 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Invincible 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Invincible 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Invincible 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Invincible 3 (Acrobat)

Fighting: Invincible 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Invincible 30 (Super)

We're going right back to the very beginning! Invincible doesn't even have a superhero costume or name yet! He's still just Mark Grayson: two weeks into developing super-human strength, speed, invulnerability, and the power of flight -- perks that come from having an alien father from the planet Viltrum!

Mark hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father: visitor from another world who integrated into human society as one of its greatest champions - Omni-Man!

In the 1980s Nolan found a life with a woman he once rescued. He and Deborah Grayson were married, and thanks to the relative similarity between human and viltrumite DNA, they sired a healthy boy destined for great power.

The first test of Mark Grayson's responsibility is Titan: a low level criminal enforcer with the ability to generate a durable layer of rock over his entire body.

The casing grants Titan super-human strength and a hide capable of surviving heavy impacts -- even if he still feels the sting of bullets and other blows.

Mark only has a couple of weeks experience with his newfound powers, which could roughly be compared with Superman. Will that give Titan the edge to send the future Invincible home with a loss in his opening bout? Let's find out!

The Tape: Invincible Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...

The arrival of local law enforcement sends two well dressed diamond thieves fleeing from the scene of their successful heist. Between them is the rock-skinned Titan -- chided for failing to fulfill his intended role holding the cops at bay.

"It was a diamond heist! We knew there would be cops there! Why do you think we brought you along?!"

The super-powered enforcer makes up for his reluctance to stare down a half-dozen armed cops by tucking the suited men under each arm and leaping them over an obstructing fence. A clean getaway? Not quite...

On the other side of the fence the thieves land right in the path of a waiting masked man who delivers a powerful uppercut to Titan!

The suited thieves spill unconscious to the ground as the mystery man follows his attack on Titan with a leaping stomp that drives both feet into his chest!

The rocky villain fires back with a hard right hand that knocks his attacker off of his chest!

Titan dives through the air to take the offensive, unsure of the masked fighter's intentions. He asks: "Who the hell are you? Are you trying to stop us or rob us?" 

The hero responds with his fists -- unleashing a powerful haymaker that smashes the stone from Titan's body! A knock-out that declares his intent to stop them.

The Hammer...

The budding hero apologizes for mixed messages his handkerchief mask and goggles might be sending, but the thieves are already out cold, awaiting collection by the proper authorities.

Omni-Man happens to catch his son in his first heroic outing, and the confusing bandit chic of Mark's makeshift costume prompts the father to take his super-powered son on a rite of passage to the tailors. The next step on the path to becoming the Invincible you know and love!

The way I remember it Invincible was a relatively quick cult sensation, but in his foreword for collected editions of the series: Kurt Busiek, writing circa May 2003, describes his conceited dismissal of the new title, and its apparent slow start.

"Like the vast majority of smart-thinking Americans, I passed up INVINCIBLE #1 at least twice. Heard about the new Image "superhero line," saw the books in the catalog, and breezed right by INVINCIBLE. Just another superhero book, I thought. I've got a complete run of Nova. Of Firestorm. Of Speedball, for Pete's sake. This isn't anything I need."

I can relate to Busiek's experience.

He'd probably quibble semantics, but my thinking was somewhat similar. At first glance the Invincible #1 cover is not very remarkable. Plain even. The costume always made me wonder if it was all just somebody's joking attempt to turn the Image Comics logo into a mascot. The internal influences seemed uncomfortably obvious as well: Superman meets Spider-Man, with Savage Dragon action. A hint of Dragon Ball Z flavour may or may not be deliberate.

Busiek goes on to tell us that Firebreather and Dominion were his choices from Image's new wave of the time. Not being a smart-thinking American, I connected with the deepcuts of UK import Jack Staff.

Jack Staff wasn't particularly veiled with its references either, but it pulled from the far less common source of 1960s British comics. Curiosities that I'd enjoyed as a young boy and was eager to do so again, even though I'm not nearly that old. I just happened to discover one of the vital joys of comics at an early age -- back issues!

I like a certain amount of complication. It's the cornerstone of shared universes and one of the great and unique strengths of serial comic books. If things were too simple they'd be boring. Yet by 2003 online comic book fandom had begun to organize around some burgeoning ugly ideas.

Viral myths deeming Superman uniquely "unrelatable" and impossible to feature in "good" stories began to spread. The deeply regrettable phrase "new reader friendly" was coined to give common short-hand to a confused and anxious group convinced history had made American comics uniquely unapproachable. A hideous contradiction that would make human existence impossible. I did not approve.

Invincible seemed to be participating in both of these unfortunate preoccupations, but that wasn't the whole story. Sure, it reduced the Superman archetype to a fallible teenager, and very famously indulges in the increasingly common trope of the evil Superman. It does attempt to be "new reader friendly" and succeeds at that feat very effectively, but it doesn't do it at the expense of comic book excess.

Some of the impression that Invincible was overly-simplified comes from the relatively straight-laced earnestness of it all. It's only post-modern in the most basic of facets, a byproduct of passing time. Otherwise, it avoids commentary or subversion to its betterment. It is unabashedly a superhero comic. Apparent with its references, but still determinedly individual enough to join the pantheon.

Invincible's costume is one of the few meta gags worked into the first issue, using Robert Kirkman's search for an iconic design as part of Mark Grayson's origin story, and the invention of Arthur Rosenbaum: superhero tailor.

The idea of a specialist tailor, or armorer, was an emerging trend of the new millennium fixation with pseudo-practicality. Kirkman gets more out of the idea by using scrapped design concepts to tell his story. The orange & yellow costume Mark Grayson tries on first, and Rosenbaum's assumption that solar batteries would be a useful accessory to a Superman-esque character, directly references Kirkman's earlier conception for his character, then called Bulletproof.

He later spins the serviceable, if slightly generic, earlier design into another character -- Zandale Rudolph -- benefitting from the work done in this first issue. New reader friendly? Pff! You just got backdoored into big boy comics, buddy!

There's "continuity" all over this first issue that will eventually pay off later. It's implicit in the very first pages, where Cory Walker lays out an effective cold open action scene that features a fully realised Invincible grappling with what might, at first glance, appear to be a suicide bomber. A topical assumption in 2003 that gets flipped on its head in future issues.

For the record: I like Cory Walker's artwork. It's got the hallmarks of a modern American superhero comic artist, but a character all its own. Its simple linework lends well to the series' future in animation, and his sense of action is energetic and bombastic. The thin sharpness of his lines, and quirky details feel a little bit European, but there's an anime flavour bubbling beneath the surface, too. I say anime, rather than manga, because a sense of movement is a common feature.

Like the less-than-remarkable cover -- occasionally the staging of scenes is a little too underdone -- but I also greatly appreciate the anime-style stillness he's able to achieve in quieter moments. Scenes of domesticity are as natural as the Kirby by way of Larsen bursts of bombastic wall breaking. You don't always get both.

It'll take an unfortunately long time, but today's featured fight antagonist, Titan, will also take on far greater significance. He gets a little lost in the shuffle, sitting out dozens of issues as the series juggles human drama, other high concept fun, and a commitment to the alien aspect of the title-character that becomes the series' signature. I know you know about Omni-Man, but we'll get to that another time.

If you don't know about Invincible but want to start learning you can start your journey with a tiny bite of Invincible Vol.1: Family Matters or devour the first year of issues with Invincible: The Ultimate Collection Vol. 1. By using the Amazon purchase links provided you'll not only get an easy and convenient deal, but also help support the site at no extra cost to you!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! If you'd like to see more Invincible, or just help support this project in general, you can get involved on Patreon. As a thank you you'll gain access to additional updates, polls, and options to choose future feature content.

Discover more by exploring the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fight articles in order of publisher, series, and issue number. If you've entered into the world of comics through invincible it's a nice way to go deeper into the comic book multiverse! Follow links throughout posts to search for specific subjects.

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Winner: Invincible
#345 (new) Invincible
#955 (new) Titan

DRAGON versus SPAWN

Messiah (Image)
Where: Spawn #52 When: August 1996
Why: Todd McFarlane How: Greg Capullo

The Story So Far...
With a simple choice, Al Simmons was returned to the fires of Hell when he spent the last of his powers curing former friend, Terry Fitzgerald, of malignant cancer. The decision rescued his wife from the heartbreak of losing her new husband, but damned Spawn's soul to torment in the fourth level of Hell.

Enduring torturous reflection, and the extraction of his heart, Spawn is soon whisked to the fifth level, where he's greeted with the torment of praise. The coming of such a savior was foretold in scripture, but the fifth level denizens, tinted green with envy, are divided by their faith.

A prophet walks among them, predicting a forty thousand year wait for the one true savior. He is Officer Dragon: sent to Hell by the malicious Fiend. His vision is no more true than the religion it is based on, but he must never the less prove himself by the law of an eye for an eye -- even if it costs Spawn!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Dragon 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Spawn 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Dragon 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Spawn 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Spawn 4 (Trained)
Energy: Spawn 5 (Lasers)
Total: Spawn 29 (Metahuman)

As two of the founding heroes who established Image Comics, their meeting was inevitable -- but who will reign supreme in this clash of comic book icons?!

Spawn was black-ops assassin Al Simmons when he was murdered by his own partner while on mission. Tainted by a life of killing; Al's soul was damned to an eternity in Hell, where he chose to make a deal with the devil Malebolgia.

In exchange for joining the army of Hellspawn, Simmons was granted a return to the realm of living, so he could see his beloved wife, Wanda, one last time.

Al returned with a face like burnt cheese pizza, but damnation does have its perks! Spawn is fully furnished with a variety of hellacious abilites, including: a living costume & cape, super-human strength, speed, durability, teleportation, necroplasm energy blasts, shape-shifting, spiked armor, and much more!

He's gonna need all of those skills, plus his extensive training in hand-to-hand combat and military tactics, if he's gonna keep down Officer Dragon!

Dragon predominantly relies on super-human strength and durability to defeat his opponents. He's a proficient brawler who's damn near unkillable. We saw that when Overlord left him impaled on a building spire in Savage Dragon #7!

Spawn is pretty unkillable himself, and with this fight taking place in Hell after he resubmitted himself, he's no longer beholden to a countdown every time he uses his necroplasm power. That means Dragon is getting the whole hog, and that could well tip the balance in favour of Spawn. Let's find out if it does!..

The Tape: Spawn Ranking: Dragon (#385)

What Went Down...

Spawn stands on the battlefield while offerings of sacrificial tribute are thrown in the path of his coming opponent. The huddled masses become a makeshift arena, surrounding the exalted New God and Prophet on the infernal plane.

Spawn observes his challenger closely but cannot place him. They are strangers -- warriors pitted against one another by little more than circumstance. Were they to meet anywhere else they might be allies. Hell has made them enemies.

Dragon bares his teeth and launches into just one more fight for survival!

The opening blow is Dragon's! His charging fist collides with Spawn's exposed face -- sending him reeling with a thin spray of green ectoplasm from the mouth. First blood, by any other name.

Dragon presses his advantage, bringing his powerful fists smashing down upon Spawn like two brutal sledge hammers! He drives his knee into the hellspawn's mid-section, then rains down with more ground pounding punches!

Caught between the rocky floor of Hell and Dragon -- Spawn lashes out!

He snaps with a back-handed fist that viciously slams his spiked gauntlet against Dragon's chin. The explosive strike launches him across the field!

Spawn burns with necroplasmic energy and grim determination. Like a living freight train he charges at his opponent -- callously smashing through the crowd on his unrelenting path to destroy the Dragon!

Spawn's fists smolder with raw power as he looms over his naked and battered opponent. Dragon is hunched on the ground, struggling to hold himself out of a smoking impact crater as blood pours from his face.

Through a blood stained grin, Dragon lets out a tiny laugh. It's drowned out by the stampeding mob incensed by his defeat. Battle has proven him a false prophet. Spawn is their victor. Spawn is their savior.

The Hammer...

The angry mob seizes upon their defeated prophet, further pummeling him for daring to incite hope. He's tied to a stick and carried away. Despite the brutal beating, still giggling as he's taken to be ceremonially befouled, fed, and doused in urine. Light preparations for crucifixion and a stoning death.

Spawn attempts to use his newfound status as savior to help Dragon, but soon finds himself sharing the same fate. No savior would ever preach mercy!

The two heroes are rescued from their crosses at the very last moment when Malebolgia teleports them away. His torment of Spawn will continue elsewhere in Hell, while the denizens of the fifth layer continue to suffer their eternally unfulfilled faith. Only the devil knows their religion is based on a lie.

The Spawn/Dragon team-up carries into Savage Dragon #30, where Dragon persists in defiantly insisting his predicament is little more than a bad trip. This treats fans to Erik Larsen's good natured ribbing of the grim melodrama found in Spawn, while also bringing back classic SD villains The Fiend, and Overlord.

Speaking of Erik Larsen: How about that image of Dragon slugging Spawn?

The long bulky muscles, and Kirby-inspired composition that extends toward the reader, looks an awful lot like an Erik Larsen panel! It's a nice touch from artist Greg Capullo, who is otherwise vivid in his own renderings of this world.

Capullo is a great Spawn artist. He seems to smooth out some of the stylistic quirks of McFarlane's art, using more conventional layouts to tell a consistent story. Blocks of prose still litter pages, but the flow of panels feels a bit easier to digest than some of McFarlane's singularly designed pages.

I don't know if Larsen had any hand in this particular issue's finished art. He's been known to ink and contribute to a number of books. Todd McFarlane shares inking credits with Danny Miki on this one. I'd imagine seeing a character in another artist's style is as much the fun for the creators as it is the reader, so it might just be a character-driven homage. I dig it.

I'm pleased to finally be paying homage to Spawn #52. It's been on the docket many times over the years, but never quite seemed to get through. That's left Spawn to be one of the glaring omissions in our rankings. It just seemed wrong for one of the biggest (and most violent) independent comics icons to sit it out!

Image Comics weren't quite the lightning rod of excitement they'd been for other readers in the early nineties, but a fascination with Todd McFarlane's operatic designs, and the grim existential crisis of Spawn, was undeniable.

The taboo of demons and Hell didn't seem all that dangerous in the nineties, particularly outside of America, but it probably made the series a little tougher to find. This wasn't a comic I could always pick up on a whim from the newsagent's rack. This particular issue arrived at my door through a mail giveaway offered with the purchase of VHS copies of the HBO animated series.

The cartoon had its upside, but the preoccupation with sex and violence always played more like a distracting gimmick. It was a mature rated show, but there was often more sophisticated storytelling during after school hours on Batman.

The comics allow for much more indulgence and bombastic thrills, but one thing they can never match is the velvet lined pocket full of stones that is the voice of Keith David. What an actor. What a voice!

He recently returned to the role of Al Simmons for Spawn's inclusion in Mortal Kombat 11. That was as good a reason as any to finally take a closer look at the comics. At some point we'll return again to talk more Spawn battles.

If you'd like to get your own hands on today's featured issue, you can find it collected in Spawn Origins Volume 9. Use the Amazon link provided to get your self a good deal and support the site at no extra cost to you!

If you like what Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is all about and want to see more of your favourite characters you can support and interact with the project via Patreon. Patrons have access to schedule updates, bonus voting polls, options for special articles, and featured fight selections.

You can find hundreds of more featured fights for free by diving into the Secret Index for a complete archive organized by publisher, series, and issue number. You can discover even more by following links throughout this post, or by subscribing on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day!

Winner: Spawn
#334 (new) Spawn (Al Simmons)
#394 (-9) Dragon

DRAGON & NINJA TURTLES versus COMPLETE CARNAGE

(Image)
Where: Savage Dragon #22 When: September 1995
Why: Erik Larsen How: Erik Larsen

The Story So Far...
When a construction worker violated sacred ground, he was destined to become part of a cosmic struggle of good and evil. Transformed into the demon Complete Carnage, he was a being of total evil until finally slain by his pure counterpart Radical and The Ninja Turtles.

Two years later, a new version of Complete Carnage has emerged to wreak havoc on the modern marvels he draws strength from! His existence: the product of scientific experimentation on a severed limb by the Whelan-Freas Research Centre! The product: an even more savage clone!

Radical is forbidden to intervene, forcing The Ninja Turtles to catch the train to Chicago alone. They won't have to look far for an ally in the fight with Complete Carnage, though. Officer Dragon is reporting for duty!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Dragon 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Donatello 5 (Professor)
Speed: Turtles 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Dragon 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Turtles 4 (Gymnastic)
Fighting: Draw 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Turtles 2 (Projectiles)


Just when you thought it was safe to crawl out of the sewers -- we've got an inter-company crossover on our hands!

The Turtles are: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael & Michaelangelo.

We join the teenaged ninja-ones in the midst of a good old fashioned superhero team-up with none other than Chicago PD's finest: Officer Dragon!

You may remember him from his epic showdown with evil armored arch-nemesis Overlord, way back in Savage Dragon #7! Kinda appropriate, given, when last we left The Turtles on The Comic Book Fight Club, they were taking out their own notorious, evil armored nemesis: The Shredder - in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1!

As if that wasn't enough in common: these heroes are all mutually mean, green and good for your environment -- provided you don't mind a little collateral damage with your thwarting of evil-doers!

The bad guy in question is Complete Carnage: A humble construction worker who violated sacred ground, placing a curse that manifested when he was struck by lightning whilst repairing a concrete wall. The event mutated him into the evil demon Carnage, whose mastery over cement and steel allows him to control both substances, draw strength from them, and even pass through them!

To combat the specialist demon The Turtles usually rely on specialist help - namely Radical, who was struck by the same lightning as the construction worker, and possesses powers of pure good. She was instrumental in destroying Complete Carnage once and for all, by trapping him in a liquefied road.

This particular Complete Carnage is a clone derived from a dismembered arm. Radical was ordered not to intervene by her spiritual guides due to the creature's illegitimate existence. That means The Turtles can only rely on Dragon when the creature goes on a rampage in concrete jungle of Chicago!

Officer Dragon certainly has the muscle to stand toe-to-toe with a jacked up, construction powered demon clone. Power reserves supplied by the cityscape could pose a problem in fighting and/or containing Complete Carnage, but The Turtles are there to supply invaluable tactical knowledge!

The Math: Dragon & The Turtles Ranking: Donatello (#169)

What Went Down...
Police Officer Dragon and The Ninja Turtles tumble into the Chicago streets as a building collapses behind them! Still trapped inside: the hulking demon known as Complete Carnage - alive again after two years through scientific tampering!

Drawing strength from man-made objects of concrete and metal, the creature is super-charged by the bricks and mortar that rain down on him! A giant purple fist punches through the wreckage before the demon explodes free!

Michaelangelo attacks first - leaping into the fray with his nunchaku leading the way! They smash against the bridge of Carnage's nose. The demon returns the favor, swinging a giant purple right hand that clobbers the bashful turtle!

The rest of the brothers aren't far behind - Leonardo leading as they take the fight to the cloned monster. Donatello recognizes extreme differences in the creature cloned from Complete Carnage's arm. This version lacks "the finesse of his predecessor" and shows a greater savagery!

Michaelangelo is pinned beneath the beast as he brothers attack, but the ground soon gives way beneath them - sending all five plummeting into the dark void of the underground sewers below! Reluctantly - The Dragon dives in after them!

Shrouded in darkness, falling uncontrollably - the ninjas strike! Nunchaku smash, blood sprays, a sai stabs into the demon's neck - it lashes out! Raphael is swatted away. Then The Dragon arrives like a piledriver - fist-first into evil!

Raphael tries to use the opening to get another shot in, but is knock away by gigantic limbs. The Dragon is knocked away, too. He takes a straight shot to the nose with a krak! Ninja silhouettes dance all around. Donatello's staff extends like a limb to strike the demon in the side of the head. The demon goes wild!

Flailing limbs and confusion keep Complete Carnage from focusing enough to utilize his power over man's sewer tunnels. The Turtles try to use it to their advantage, but they're in Chicago. Officer Dragon has dibs on this beat!

The two powerhouses collide in the dark! Dragon's powerful fists are hammers of justice, but the collapsing building has kept Complete Carnage strong. He fires a punch that launches The Dragon into the sewer structure. The next one sends him exploding out of the sewer - into Lake Michigan!

The Turtles take charge, whomping on their nemesis' clone while Officer Dragon is forced to swim back to shore. Donatello does some damage with his wooden staff. When Dragon arrives he's soaking wet - and hopping mad! He snatches Complete Carnage from behind and tosses him into the air like a ragdoll!

The heroes watch on, waiting for the rampaging demon-clone to return - but he does not! Little do they realize - another demonic entity is lurking beneath the surface. A creature driven by pure hatred for Dragon: The Fiend - Bonnie Harris!

The Fiend's red hand clutches Complete Carnage by the skull. Bubbles froth into the water as the clone is confronted with its fate. While Carnage searches for breath, The Dragon springs into action from the shoreline, leaping into the lake!

When Dragon arrives - it's already too late. The Fiend has disappeared, leaving only the drowned corpse of the Complete Carnage clone.

Dragon hauls the remains back to the sewer exit, where The Turtles are stunned by the ease of its defeat. Clearly a pale shadow of the original Complete Carnage that caused them so much trouble! Officer Dragon is left to believe it was his actions that led to the death - an act he hoped to avoid.

The Hammer...
It was one helluva superhero team-up, but in the end, it was the surprise influence of a villain that gave us a victory shared by The Fiend & The Dragon! Take nothing away from The Ninja Turtles, though! They'll take away a well earned assist stat you can see in the rankings update at the bottom of this entry.

If you weren't paying attention, you may like it clarified that this is Bonnie Harris as The Fiend - the third incarnation of Dragon's infernal nemesis.

As noted throughout; this incarnation of Complete Carnage is a significantly discounted version of the deadly Ninja Turtles adversary. He was cloned by The Whelan-Freas Research Center in a twist that feels equal parts Terminator 2 and Aliens.

The fact that he was a clone doesn't ease the burden on Dragon as he and the Turtles leave the scene. It's an interesting contrast of morals. Even in 1995, the grim 'n' gritty red clad turtles of the comics aren't too fussed about slaying an enemy. Not that I typically think of Dragon as being one to pull his punches, either.

This the second outing of both independent creations on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. In both cases, we've talked about the influence of Frank Miller. In the case of Eastman & Laird, I tend to think of the influence as conceptual, and a matter of content. Without the influx of ninja into Daredevil's New York City under early eighties Miller, we may not have four humanoid turtles in 1984 [see; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1].

In the case of Larsen and Savage Dragon, established in print eight years later, it seems to be the artwork of Miller that has the biggest impact. We saw that earlier in the series [Savage Dragon #7], and it's on display in this issue, again.

In both instances, Larsen seems to invoke the Frank Miller of Sin City, casting heroes in blood spattered silhouette in staccato action. You can see the effect in one of the panels featured above - half a page wide, with a grid of eight panels to its right. This goes on throughout the sewer fight - an effective tribute.

In both cases, the creators and their creations are part of a generation drawing direct influence from their predecessors. Once upon a time I would've thought of all concerned as contemporaries, but as we venture through mainstream comics of the 2010s, I'm spending more time thinking about the fractured narrative of generational comics creation, and less on the continuum of the whole.

Perhaps due to the slightly tongue-in-cheek nature of it all, or because of the youth behind their creation, there's an unmistakable sense of "independent comics" about TMNT. The characters have an enthusiasm for the same disjointed logic I remember thinking as a child, yet trying to fight. Irradiate anything and a gimmick is instantly justified. Reverse engineering the creation process from an idea one of the Big Two hasn't stamped their name all over yet. A concrete construction worker mutates, becomes evil, a purple demon, and can move through cement? Sure!

It's the rough sketch impression of comic books I remember existing among the uninitiated for a long time, yet never related to the comics that seemed to inspire it. A weird, toxic mutation rising from the muck of misspent youths ripping through comics long forgotten in front of B-movies on TV. A post-modern accident that gave the culture a whole new wing? What ever it is - I enjoy the enthusiasm and quirkiness it created.

I'm a lot less enthusiastic about the degrees of separation fuelling todays retro franchise fixation, but what can you do? Talk about old comics and the fights that bind them - I guess!

This entry was once again inspired by the theatrical release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (June 3rd). A wonderful excuse to pick out a couple of now-classic Ninja Turtles comics and bring them back to the light. That's all the turtles we've got time for this month, though. If you're reading in the future, you can use labels and links throughout this post to find more, or log in to the Secret Issue Index for a full archive of reviews!

Want to read the comics for yourself? Use Amazon links provided for your convenience [like the one to your right] to check out the full collected editions of the comic reviewed! Next week: The Brexit?! Not quite...

Winners: The Fiend & The Dragon
#174 (new) The Fiend (Bonnie Harris) [+1 kill]
#332 (+443) Dragon
#128 (+41) Donatello [+1 assist]
#129 (+41) Leonardo [+1 assist]
#145 (+140) Raphael [+1 assist]
#146 (+140) Michaelangelo [+1 assist]

THE DRAGON versus OVERLORD

(Image Comics)
Where: Savage Dragon #7 When: January 1994
Why: Erik Larsen How: Erik Larsen

The Story So Far...
Life could've been real tough for a hulking, green, amnesiac man-dragon with nothing but the fin on his head. That is - if it wasn't for the friendship of police Lieutenant Frank Darling. Frank helped The Dragon get a job with his cousin Fred, but he soon saw cop potential in Chicago's newest super-powered resident. When The Dragon refused, Frank organized a visit from some local villains -- getting his cousin killed in the process!

The Dragon may've become a badge carrying member of the police force, but Lt. Darling was still indirectly responsible for his cousin's death - and the criminal underworld knew it! Led by Overlord, The Vicious Circle ran Chicago, and now they had Darling. One word from them - and his career would be over. One word form him - and he'd be dead.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Lt. Darling did his best to keep his super-human best friend away from The Vicious Circle's operations. When Cyberface - a former associate of Overlord - agreed to testify, the jig was up. With warrant in hand, The Dragon and Frank Darling are coming for Overlord!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Dragon 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Overlord 3 (Street Wise)
Speed: Dragon 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Dragon 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Overlord 5 (Lasers)

What a pleasure it is to welcome two unranked modern legends into The Comic Book Fight Club! One is among independent comics' most recognizable heroes - the other is perhaps his deadliest arch-nemesis! It's a heckuva start for both characters, but the perfect legendary battle to continue celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

If you know one thing and one thing only about The Dragon - it's that he's made a career out of punching the snot out of bad guys!

As a Chicago cop, or member of Special Operations Strikeforce [SOS], he may've shown a range of other skills, but when it comes to the final word - it's usually spoken with two big green fists! So conclusive are these fist-made arguments, not many menaces last long when The Dragon is on their case! It's a major statement about his effectiveness as a fighting hero, but also a major statement about the staying power of Overlord!

The armored leader of The Vicious Circle is the top dog in crime-ridden Chicago! Over time, others have come to bedevil Dragon wearing the Overlord armor, but this incarnation is the original: mob boss Antonio Seghetti.

Seghetti had his associate "Cyberface" Sebastian Kahn build the armor as a response to an emerging class of super-powered opposition. The armor is maxed out on defense and offense - ensuring Overlord can stand up to the toughest superfreaks who might challenge his empire!

It's fair to say today's feature showdown lives on as a premium example of the durability of The Dragon -- an important factor any time he stands against a powerful opponent! Those details will be explored more in the next section of the usual format. For now, we have the classic example of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object!

Dragon's a rampaging powerhouse, but Overlord's a walking fortress! A rough sketch of both characters in stats rewards Overlord for diversity, but you can never count out the big hero! I'm hedging my bets - lets find out who wins!

The Tape: Overlord Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...

The Dragon reflects upon the events that have brought him to be standing next to best friend Lt. Frank Darling on an elevator ride to destiny. Their floor: the very top - where armored Chicago crime boss Overlord is waiting to meet them!

Guns drawn, the lawmen do their job. Dragon orders Overlord to face the wall with arms behind his head - no sudden moves. Not in Overlord's town. It's the cops who'd better follow orders and he proves it with a single gesture of his hand and explosive blast of energy!

Dragon's gun explodes into a million tiny pieces. Frank Darling's flesh vaporizes, leaving broken charred bones suspended for a moment as they crumble. There's an officer down and he was The Dragon's best friend. Now it's personal!

The Dragon furiously rushes at Overlord - but his armor isn't just for show. Arrogantly prepared for a physical confrontation, Overlord meets him with a mechanically enhanced body shot. It sends the muscle bound supercop flying!

The Dragon gets airborne again, taking an uppercut to the jaw. Concrete explodes around him - breaking as he falls. Overlord declares himself "the meanest son of a bitch in this town". He might be right. Dragon doesn't care.

"DOOM!" The building thunders as Dragon unleashes his strength on Overlord!

He slams the crime boss into a support column and keeps unloading! His fist pounds into Overlord's body like an unforgiving pile driver! Yes, the fist is definitely the problem - and you don't become leader of The Vicious Circle without being able to solve problems. The Dragon learns it the hard way.

Whatever The Dragon is - it's tough. Only his hand disintegrates when Overlord fires his first gauntlet blast at point blank! When a second shot connects with his mid-section, it leaves a gaping bloody hole - but his body holds up!

A left hook sends the arresting officer flying toward the skyscraper windows! Overlord calls the result as it shatters. "Tomorrow morning they'll find what's left of you and I'll be back to running this town--" A warning to others who might cross Overlord's path, he says. He got one thing wrong: they won't find Dragon tomorrow.

The Dragon's body hurtles through the air, finding the spire of one of the surrounding lower buildings. His body slides down the spike, staining it with his blood. "In your next life, when somebody suggests you leave or face their wrath. Leave."

The Hammer...

Those more readily versed in the usual Marvel/DC fare may have wondered how this battle would factor into our 10th Anniversary celebrations. December is all about bringing untapped, legendary superhero showdowns to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! Now that you've read the What Went Down recap -- I'm confident you'll understand exactly why this ranks among the modern classics!

The winner, in no uncertain terms, is Overlord. The degree to which he claimed victory is one of the reasons this remains a stand-out from 20+ years of Savage Dragon! It made quite the impact, mythologized by publications like Wizard Magazine. Before I was reading the series - I knew how this issue ended.

There are only 21 "panels" in the issue: it's told entirely in full page. 13 pages focus specifically on the fight in progress, with the only double page spread among them. Overlord dominates in 9. Dragon falls from Overlord's tower in an effective 3 page sequence. He's impaled on the third. The issue ends with a close up of his limp arm - the one that still has a hand - streaming with blood.

The moment of impact is a lasting image [above], and a shocking finish to a thorough ass whooping for the title hero! There are no reassurances here. No comforting copy. "Next Issue: Now What?"

You were entitled to wonder about the future. Heroes were dying in the early 90s, and the Image logo was on and off books with alarming inconsistency. Come back next month to find out what happens, fanboy. If there is a next month! A bold move so early in the life of a new series, at least in isolation...
 

I wasn't reading Savage Dragon at the time. Bad first impressions from other books meant a decade of what could only be called prejudice. Image was the home of unsatisfying, dodgy knock-offs. The publisher of the unwanted crap they sandwiched with a Fantastic Four back issue in the cheap 3-packs.

This, of course, wasn't true of the publisher as a whole. I've never really been one to bemoan Rob Liefeld as an artist, but his abundant creations kept me dismissive of the publisher (and brand) for far longer than was fair. I can't imagine anyone making the same mistake today. I may be an old superhero tragic, but it's clear Image Comics are one of the most dynamic publishers going in 2015. Their modern output could never be mistaken for poor imitations - led by a diverse catalogue of counter programming. Image is the perfect antidote to increasingly insipid, corporate steered IP juggling at the neurotic "Big Two".

During my time away from Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, I specifically came back to Savage Dragon. Modern issues were making a good impression, and fresh eyes allowed me to reconnect with things I love about the early issues.

From a certain perspective, they're pretty standard fare. B-grade characters come and go with little to no sub-text. Visuals, for the most part, take priority over higher ideas. There's clearly no master plan at work, or history to drawn upon. Maybe a mental sketch of an upcoming issue - steering toward a future showdown with a big bad. What you see is mostly what you get. Brutalizing the title hero in his first year may seem like a risky proposition, but it's really just another day at the office, another issue on the rack, a cliff hanger plot to be resolved next issue. Sometimes that's all you really need from a good comic. In 2015, it's a healthy dose of comic book reality that feels sorely missing.

"Uncomplicated" is a word I can't escape when I think about Erik Larsen - the writer, creator and man. His run on Amazing Spider-man -- one of my favourites -- is ancient history. He'll gladly tell you he's living the dream: creating monthly comics based loosely on a childhood creation. I believe him. I admire him. This blunt force perspective has never been a recipe for stagnancy. Larsen is well educated in the art of creating comics, and calls upon a gamut of influences and ideas to always keep it fresh. Just as life has its ups, downs, inconsistency and surprises - so too does over 200 issues of Savage Dragon represent evolving characters and worlds.

Savage Dragon #7 is an interesting example of Larsen's penchant for experimentation. Even in the big, bawdy, pin-up world of early 90s Image, an issue comprised entirely of full page splashes is a big shift! If I'd read it at the time, I might've felt a little ripped off, but years later, I'm in awe of the way it underscores the weight of Overlord as an arch-villain. The same approach was used a couple of years earlier for Superman's final showdown with Doomsday during The Death of Superman event. Both have pros and cons, but overall I think the Savage Dragon example keeps its eye on storytelling a bit better.

Each spread shows good visual consideration - rarely an issue for Larsen. The first page kicks it off with flavor: all recap, riddled with narration boxes on a black void where there would be elevator walls. It's an overhead shot, heavy on shadow and pregnant with expectation. It's an obvious homage to Frank Miller, who was working on Sin City these days, and is a well noted Larsen influence. That Miller twist is common in these early days, gets especially fun when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show up, but I digress.

 

Frank Darling doesn't make it more than a few pages before he's a vaporizing skeleton. It's the right type of over-the-top lethality for Miller, but I'm reminded of another of the influences Larsen has cited over the years -- Dick Tracy. You might not see it in the pencil rendered figures, or the oh-so nineties villains, but it's there! Tracy's villains are famous for the big impact they made, but few were around for long before they met a grim end. Crooks in The Dragon's town don't tend to stick it out for long, either. The Mafioso behind Overlord's obvious Dr. Doom inspired façade will get his. The fun is waiting to find out when!

Somewhere around the middle of the issue: DOOM! A lettering effect right out of Walt Simonson's early eighties Thor. Is Chris Eliopoulos having making full page comics, too? How could you not?

Larsen is still pushing his books forward, with a Dick Tracy-esque cutthroat timeline that waits for no one - sentimentality be damned! Dragon Jr's the title character now, and Larsen's putting him through the paces just like pop. A bit like the eras of Tracy, I think I prefer the early examples, but it's still good stuff. These early books feel raw, motivated, uncertain, but full of energy and the sharp edge of a pencil with something to prove. I won't ever tell the man I like his old stuff better than his new stuff. He doesn't want to hear it, and it's not strictly true. Because Larsen knows comics, and he's got a twenty year canon all his own, and some accumulated extra stuff that he ain't afraid to use. Don't I know it? Don't I love it!

 

Welcome to The Comic Book Fight Club, Savage Dragon! I'm sure it won't be the last time! I'm certain it won't be the next time, though. Next week we'll continue to celebrate ten years of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths with another legendary superhero showdown, and here's a clue: I made a reference to it in this very post. See you next week!

Winner: Overlord
Stats: Overlord - 1 fatality (Frank Darling).

QUICKFIX: LEI WULONG vs BRYAN FURY
What's This Life For? (Image/Namco)
Where: Tekken Forever #1 When: December 2001
Why: Dave Chi How: Paco Diaz

The Tape...
Strength: Bryan Fury 5 (Superhuman)
Intelligence: Lei Wulong 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Lei Wulong 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Bryan Fury 6 (Generator)
Agility: Lei Wulong 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Lei Wulong 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Bryan Fury 2 (Projectile)

Math: Lei Wulong Ranking: Draw (NR)

The Fix...
In the couple of years we've had with the Infinite Wars, we've learnt there's an inevitable sentimental throughline that creeps into each year. Previously it was the underlying ranking support given to Daredevil (2006) and Black Adam (2007) that defined our years, but with the release of four 'now generation' sequels from major fighting game brands; 2008 has been the year of the beat 'em up.

Namco's share of the market has been two-fold, boasting new additions to both the Soul series, and more importantly for us, the sixth core sequel to Tekken!
Yet to make it's way home to the Playstation 3; Tekken 6 has been part of what might be described as a mini arcade revival, expanding this week [September 18] to include a brand new iteration dubbed, Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion.

Like the PSP/Arcade expansion for the last game, ("Dark Resurrection"), Bloodline Rebellion boasts a host of updates, including; two new playable characters, expansions to the customization system, and new fighting arenas. As would be expected, it also contains everything Tekken 6 does, including newly introduced projectile attacks - a first for the Tekken series!

As with Tekken 6; Tekken Forever centres it's twenty-two pages on the struggle of wills between Kazuya Mishima and his estranged son, Jin Kazama. In that respect, it might seem unusual that we would first shine our quick fix spotlight on the dangling subplot of Bryan Fury's superhuman rampage, but stay with me!

For those who came in late: Tekken Forever was the product of ill-fated licensing by now defunct publishing studio, Dark Design Works.

Despite grand plans revealed on their website - DDW's attempts to reveal the truth behind mysteriouso Tag Tournament boss, Unknown, along with expansions to other game plots, failed to reach beyond the introductory content of the first abrupt issue of Forever. This failure to release subsequent issues and spin-off mini series, (King of Iron Fist and Tekken Infinity), was the subject of curiosity in our last entry on the issue [February 05].

I chose this particular fight because it allowed us to stick to our conventional format, while also highlighting several relevant points. The scene, built around Interpol maneuvers against Kazuya Mishima's forces in Egypt, contains examples of the typical best and worst of what DDW had planned for the Tekken franchise.
It also features Lei Wulong in combat with stalwart cyborg, Bryan Fury, whose nigh indestructable form gives him the edge to overcome Interpol's armed forces, including an M-16 packing Wulong himself.

In follow-up to Knightstone Comics' dismal Tekken 2-inspired efforts; DDW undoubtedly lined up a far more impressive visual take on the gaming icons, putting forward solid, contemporary comic artwork with an attention to the designs of then-looming Tekken 4. Alas; visual competence could not accomodate a mediocre script that, by admission of the creators, struggled to connect the dots of available information in the games. Making cheesy dialogue the more difficult to read, lettering that defies industry standards, let alone any moderately experienced Photoshop user.

On the subject of the newest game, the comic prophetically makes a comment on the decision to include projectile attacks into the standard fighting platform of the game. Wulong's gun-toting advances, proving insufficient, are quickly replaced on the advice of his antagonist with martial arts prowess -- something that's always been a unique backbone to the series, in contrast to previous icons of the genre, like; Street Fighter, King of Fighters, and Mortal Kombat.

Like most of the major franchises hitting shelves in 2008; it seems Tekken has failed distill it's sequel with the necessary balance of progress and consistency, continuing a stylistic vein introduced in Tekken 5, that has now removed the series from much of it's asthetic and core focus.

Projectile attacks, some of which quite pleasantly play to established character beats, are but an incidental accompaniment to larger concepts. In painting an apocalyptic vision of the blood war between inheritors of the Devil-gene - Kazuya Mishima and his son, Jin Kazama - the series has opened up to an asthetic reminiscent of the Mortal Kombat series. T5, in truth, bore many subtlties common to their American counterpart in music, stage design, and some characters - like the newly introduced Chinese kung fu antagonist, Feng Wei; whose design and concept echoed the inspirations of vintage MK.

I wanted to talk about details like these in more detail, but, in researching the fate of DDW, I found myself compelled only to touch on the necessary details that would entail in an honest, respectable review and discussion.

This issue and series is dedicated in loving memory to Linda B and all those whose flame of life was extinguished by acts of terrorism.

The issue bares a publishing date of December 2001.
Linda B, as far as I know, was Linda Baker, a moderator on the message boards excitedly patrolled by DDW staff. In pursuing what became of these comics, the epigraph took on unfortunately obvious post-9/11 meaning.

Sadly, and maybe disturbingly, information on Dark Design Works is exceptionally scarce. Usually a Google search will touch on something vaguely related, but if it's there, it isn't turning up for my searches. Perhaps, despite the group's online presence at the time, it's a symptom of the revolutions of short attention spans that have dictated the modern face of the internet. 2001 was quite a while before Wikipedia, after all. Maybe someone with the facts will create a page later, because finding people who were there to know is like pulling teeth.

Comics, with their spirit in New York City, was irrevocably touched by the impact of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Centre. I don't doubt that there were many in the industry greatly affected, but for me, this is the first time I've come close to encountering any direct link to this horrific event.

As a fan and critic I probably have more things negative, than positive, to say about this comic. I imagine direct market sales were unimpressive, as would be the general reception of the issue by the few even aware of it. That really doesn't seem to matter, however, in the context of this particular review.

Lei battles valiantly, but is overpowered by Bryan Fury's cyber-organic strength.
Yoshimitsu, another popular cyborg character from both the Tekken and Soul Calibur series, comes to the Hong Kong hero's aid, with no conclusion.

I'm sure I would have liked to have known how the story ends.
If, as I'm led to believe by word-of-mouth, that DDW, or at least one or more of it's representatives, were located in the Twin Towers, I'm pretty sure it shouldn't have ended like this. This is the footnote that makes this issue more than a licensing oddity in a collection of martial arts video game tie-ins. This is what makes Tekken Forever #1 a very important milestone, I'm sure, to the people who made it, and a piece of comic book history.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 4
Winner: Draw

Tekken Forever boasts a considerable amount of martial arts action, moreso than many of it's genre licensed counterparts. We will almost certainly take another less dramatic look at the content of the issue at a later date! If you have more information about DDW, why not contribute it to a Wikipedia page, and inform us in the comments. Cheers!