BATMAN versus HUSH
Heart of Hush: The Demon in the Mirror (DC)
Where: Detective Comics #850 When: January 2009
Why: Paul Dini How: Dustin Nguyen

The Story So Far...
Thomas Elliot was once the childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, but as they grew apart into adulthood, a parent's constant references to the budding young billionaire fostered a deep resentment in Elliot. Tethered to an ailing mother who survived the severed brakes that killed his father; Elliot's dark urges only grew deeper as she held him to ransom with an inheretence and her ill condition, never passing an opportunity to belitte or berate.

After smothering his mother in a fit of rage, Elliot finally attained the level of freedom he had envied Bruce Wayne for. With his family fortune, Elliot travelled the world, studying various disciplines, before finally fulfilling his dream of practising medicine. A revered surgeon, it was an easy manipulation to return to Bruce Wayne's life when he orchestrated a mortal fall for the Batman, who had unwittingly been subjected to months of hypnotic suggestion.

Dedicated to his vendetta, Thomas Elliot faked his death to remain in Gotham, forever transformed as the villainous underworld figure, Hush. Enduring through battles with other prominent rogues, such as Joker and Poison Ivy, Hush remains a lurking threat present in the shadows of Gotham City and the darkness of Batman's subconscious. At least, he was, until returning to strike at his nemesis once more, this time with the intent to seize Batman's fortune. Once again relying upon a grand orchestration to strike at the Dark Knight from all sides, Hush removes Selina Kyle's heart, forcing Batman to recruit Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Nite in a race to save her life, while Elliot himself enters the sanctum of Wayne Manor under the guise of Bruce Wayne himself. His gambit brings him to the threshold of victory, but the Batman is not so easily manipulated...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Batman 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Batman 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Power: Batman 4 (Arsenal)


- After witnessing the street murder of his parents, the young Bruce Wayne's destiny was forever shaped to be one dedicated to an ideal. Having spent his formative years studying the various sciences, martial arts, and crime fighting techniques, Bruce is ultimately inspired to become the one-man war on the criminal element in Gotham City: Batman.

Perhaps Batman's greatest power is the millions inherited from his industrialist parents, and the various facilities that came with that. They prove crucial in the design and construction of his many weapons, which are typically non-lethal, and have a variety of uses.

Complimented by his keenly strategic mind is Batman's expertise in the martial arts. He is extensively trained in multiple fighting styles, and commonly regarded to be one of the greatest hand-to-hand fighters in the world.
He is also extremely proficient in urban warfare.

- Born into wealth; Thomas Elliot spent his childhood in loathing of his parents. In an effort to gain independence and control of his family's estate, the child orchestrated a murder plot to sever the brakes on his parent's vehicle, after convincing them to pardon their driver. The horrific accident that ensued would bring the socialittes under the knife of Dr. Thomas Wayne, father to Elliot's best friend, Bruce Wayne. The doctor would fail to save Tommy's father, but leave him an ingrate mother to suffer and care for.

As Hush; Elliot is soon revealed to be the manipulator whose influence had led Batman to call upon his services as a surgeon when he suffered head injuries from a fall, also part of Hush's plan. Having teamed with The Riddler and an adult Jason Todd; a spiteful Elliot fulfils a lifelong goal of revenge for the Waynes' part in his mother's survival, and the jealousy felt toward Bruce for living the life he wanted and was constantly measured against. Taking this vendetta to new a level, Elliot underwent radical plastic surgery to alter his appearance to actually look like Bruce Wayne. His disguise failed to fool Wayne's confidants.

Additional: Their only previous reviewed battle was the penultimate chapter of Hush's introduction, in Batman #619. Though Batman technically suffered a physical defeat at the hands of his newest enemy, it was his relationship with Harvey Dent that saw victory slip through Hush's gloves, awarding Batman only an assist.

History: Inconclusive (0-0-1)
Math: Batman Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...
Foiled in his attempts to fool Alfred into believing him an injured Bruce; Elliot prepares to descend the Batcave with the brutalized butler in tow. Unbenknownst to the villain, Batman was able to escape his crazed staff, returning home to launch a final assault against his arch-nemesis!

Hush fires his twin pistols at the moving shadow of the Bat, jeeringly noting the suitability of their encounter beneath the watchful stare of a painting of the deceased Waynes. Batman strikes silently in retaliation, diving at Hush to send them both tumbling down a hidden stairwell to the Batcave.

On his home turf, the Batman descends from the shadows, disappearing from a landing kick that fails to slow Hush. With his surgical scars beginning to bleed, Elliot wraps his head in his trademark bandages, sticking to the light whilst admiring the magnificence of the secret cave.

Elliot reveals some of the unknown complexities of his history, walking through the trophy area of the cave into the Batman's sights. A stiff left hook does well to snap the killer's face around, but a two-pump burst from his pistols knocks Batman through the glass of one of his trophy domes.

Elliot looms with his guns drawn promising the final blow, but a thunderous "thoom" serves a fitting distraction. Batman pulls himself from the glass, while Hush goes on the hunt for Alfred, who, manning the Batcave computer, shows a steely resilience against Hush's murderous confidence...

... His confidence becomes clear as the cave's model dinosaur lurches to life!
A hail of bullets reduce the towering monster's facade to nothing, exposing the robotic under structure to his shots. It tumbles to a hault, destroyed, but serves a purpose in delaying the villain.

Robin and Nightwing drop from the upper levels, challenging Hush to an acrobatic scrum. Elliot, not without his own combat training, fends off Robin with a kick, while Nightwing leaps over his head. Hush avoids a baton strike, striking Nightwing at the base of the skull a whip of his pistol. Outnumbered, he abandons his plans, instead seeking a means of escape.

Batman reemerges; tossing his cape aside to pursue Hush as he commandeers a one-man autogyro. The Batman leaps onto the bottom of the "whirlybat," clinging gingerly to the contraption as it becomes airborne.

Elliot sneers at his opponent's decision to hang from the machine, taunting him with references to childhood games, whilst gloating over his opportunity to return to claim the Batcave at any time. His words are accompanied with the tip of a blade that slashes the Batman's hand. The last laugh, however, belongs to him.

With Elliot's bandages partly unfurled, the Batman draws his attentions to the hazards of live rotor blades and loose materials. The realisation comes far too late for Hush who becomes entangled as Batman dives into the waters below, leaving his doppelganger to careen out of control into the cave wall in a spectacular explosion.

The Hammer...
With the vital assist provided by Alfred, Nightwing, and Robin, we give to you the first winner of Season 2009: Batman!

Wow! At this point we're running nearly three weeks behind schedule, but it's nice to open the account for the year with a really great recent issue! Christmas was good to us, on the Wars.

"Batman RIP" branched out from the Grant Morrison plotline that pitted Batman against a strange new menace; Dr. Hurt's criminal organization, The Black Glove. The story featured a host of Silver Age touchstones revived for a plot that drove Batman to the edge of insanity and forced him to challenge the very notions of how he operates as a superhero.

The story made international headlines, with major press outlets reporting under the impression that Batman had died in a smouldering helicopter wreck. The truth, however, would prove to be much vaguer. Fans keen to learn the true fate of Batman in "RIP" were steered to Final Crisis, specifically, issue #6, where the final fate of Batman was said to finally be revealed.

Right around this time you might be wondering where Hush factors in.

Initiated fans will be well versed in the marketing strategies of major comics publishers. If one title is gripped by a major storyline, then there's often no reason surrounding titles can't benefit from that same attention.
Admittedly, in it's capitalist principle, it's not a very admirable method of doing business in a creative medium, but I have to give Paul Dini and the gang some measure of credit. Why? Because it's bloody good!

Good logic tells us Heart of Hush probably sits somewhere just prior to Morrison's core story, sharing nothing in common with the psychadelic trip of RIP-proper. Instead, this tale provides yet another emotionally draining struggle for the Batman to overcome. For a dark hero as closed-off as he; dealing with the sight of one of his few loves sliced open and filled with pipes (where a heart should be), is sure to be a particularly disturbing situation. Particularly given his sense of responsibility.

The real triumph of this story isn't what it does for Batman, however. Rather, Dini assures a future for two major supporting characters in Catwoman and Hush, who have returned quickly to the pages of an empty book.

As disappointing as the conclusion to the year-long mystery of Hush was, I have to admit, I haven't had the venom for the character other readers have. Though dependent on conveniences, I felt Jeph Loeb contributed a bold new character to the Batman universe with great opportunity for potential. Potential that has been exploited with a beautiful simlpicity in Heart of Hush, by Dini.

Amidst a fairly typical arc of mental and physical confrontation, Dini and Nguyen lace in further exploration of the character's backstory. What they add really only embellishes what we already know, but does so as an organic step forward in taking the cypher of Hush as a character, and building something more specific around it. This exploration shows foresight for extending the character in both directions -- adding further complexity to Thomas Elliot's origins -- while also redefining his obsession with Bruce Wayne and the nature of his vendetta.

By engaging Batman on such a personal and dramatic level, some might feel Hush, from inception, bares a disturbing resemblence in nature to destructive characters from the mid-nineties (ie; Bane). With this follow-up, however, I think we see the character's future significance assured, even if it walks a tight-rope that will no doubt be exploited in the upcoming Battle for the Cowl. Afterall, a villain who possesses Bruce Wayne/Batman's face is a very intriguing thing, not just for the psychological implications, but his potential to usurp the mantle.

Dustin Nguyen deserves full credit for his work on Heart of Hush.
I've mentioned before that he really does deliver a Batman balanced beautifully between stylized darkness, cartoon simplicity, and hyper-realistic brutality. His style almost seems to mirror a Mignola sensibility, lending itself moreso to action, versus Mignola's skill for moments of still.
Derek Fridolfs (inker) and John Kalisz (colours) also deserve heady praises for interacting with the artist's pencils with a touch that truly enhances the mood of the story, and the art of the pencils. I might miss the grey tones of a more recent gritty era of Detective, but the vibrant and cool colours are welcome.

Nguyen also provides gorgeous cover art that not only lends a unique ink wash finish to his pencils, but possess a design sense that really made these issues of Detective stand-out above the Alex Ross fare of Batman. Superb!

The true fate of Batman is something we'll discuss at a later date. I'm particularly looking forward to getting January traditions out of the way to dive into Final Crisis -- a series I have found myself thoroughly enamored with over the holiday season. From the central issues, to the spin-offs, this is the event that defined 2008!

That's a subject for a later date, however.
Next up: More Batman!? Stay tuned!

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 6

Heart of Hush might just be the best Batman story of 2008!
If you want to get hold on it yourself, why not take advantage of Amazon's prices and customer service? By using purchase links provided, you help sponsor the Infinite Wars, which is important! You can find this story, as well as collections of most other reviewed tales, all on sale in the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe! Happy New Year!

ORION versus DARKSEID
Darkseid Equals Death (DC)
Where: Countdown #2 When: June 2008
Why: Paul Dini, Sean McKeever & Keith Giffen How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
When the prophecized death of the New Gods begins; Darkseid begins siphoning the powers of each of the deceased for future use in his attempts to create the Fifth World on Earth. In need of a storage vessel, Darkseid recognises Superman's best pal, Jimmy Olsen, as one of the most protected individuals in the cosmos.

Though the mysterious development of these strange powers gives Jimmy hope of becoming his own type of superhero; the intrepid photo journalist soon discovers the truth about his many fantastic transformations! After being reunited with Superman, Darkseid is able to take control of Olsen's new abilities, forcing him to emit Kryptonite!

The intervention of the Atom gives Jimmy a chance to take control of his powers, but even with the giant-size energy of a New God, he's unable to overcome the dark lord. Just as all hope seems lost for Superman's pal a boom tube ushers the arrival of a New God thought dead - Darkseid's son, Orion! Intent on putting an end to his father's darkness once and for all, can Orion fullfil the prophecy?

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Darkseid 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Darkseid 5 (Professor)
Speed: Orion 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Darkseid 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Orion 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Draw 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Darkseid 6 (Mass Destruction)


- The second son of the New God despot, Darkseid; Orion was part of a peacekeeping trade between frictioned twin planets.
While Mr. Miracle would take his place on the destructive world of Apokolips, Orion would have a lighter life raised by the Highfather Izaya.
Izaya taught Orion to control his inherent rages, making him one of the greatest warriors the universe has ever seen! His legend includes a brief reign as ruler of Apokolips, and member of Earth's Justice League.
It has been prophecized that Orion will one day destroy his father, plunging his body into the depths of firey pits.

Orion, a New God, possesses fantastic strength, speed, and endurance.
With the aid of an Apokoliptian Mother Box, Orion is capable of maintaining a calm, while also focusing his energies. His astro-harness also allows the funneling of destructive energies from The Source from which the New Gods came, and also facilitates travel through almost any environment.

- Born to Yuga Khan and Heggra; the New God named Uxas would ultimately change his name to Darkseid as part of a reinvention that would include the assassination of his mother, and ascension to ruler of the planet, Apokolips.

In his desire for universal domination Darkseid seeks the Anti-Life Equation; an ability that will grant him omnipotence over all thought and being. This quest has brought him into regular conflict with the denizens of a distant planet called Earth. It is Darkseid's belief that the recesses of the human mind retain lost fragments of the Anti-Life Equation.

Darkseid's power rivals and maybe even dwarfs any of his New God peers, or even those from other pantheons of godly order. Ungauged levels of strength and invulnerability provide a baseline for the enduring despot, with other abilities, such as his Omega Effect, providing a lethal projectile offensive said to be inescapable and nigh impossible to survive.
Also at Darkseid's disposal are endless hordes of parademon soldiers, fiercely dedicated and willing to die in his name.

The Math: Darkseid Ranking: Darkseid (#79)

What Went Down...
Just as the fates of Ray Palmer and Jimmy Olsen seem sealed a boom tube explodes spewing forth an astro-harnessed Orion who survived a death that took him directly to The Source. He is none too pleased to see his father.

Channeling the very power of the mystic Source, Orion blasts Darkseid with a devestating blast of energy from his harness. Darkseid laments his disappointment, summoning his own energies for a clash of New Gods!

A raging Orion warns the heroes of the Justice League away; allowing the fullest of his powers to swirl like a maelstrom of raw force! Declaring his intent to fullfil his prophecized victory, Orion doesn't see the bending beams of energy coming up behind him -- Omega beams!

Orion survives Darkseid's occular assault reduced to a smouldering mess.
His dark father is unremorsful when punting his burning son. Orion's body hurtles to the ground with explosive impact. Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Donna Troy reluctantly watch on, aware of their helplessness.

Darkseid pins Orion's skull beneath his heel to gloat. The strategum only serves to provoke Orion's untapped rages further. He bursts from his self-made crater, toppling Darkseid, only to take a mount position and unleash blows that rock the already destroyed city of Metropolis!

Crackling energy bursts from the two titans as they lock in close quarters like the ancient gods of Olympus. Darkseid mocks the details of his prophecized downfall, "... I don't see... your precious firepits, Orion..." The Apokoliptian despot feigns a moment of joy for his son's promise to sacrifice his own life to kill him, and then...

... Orion plunges his fist into Darkseid's chest!

Darkseid drops to his knees as firey energy pours from the cavity in his chest. Orion stands over his father a vision of stoicism, "Ever so arrogant, this Darkseid. Straight through to the end. Goodbye, father."

Metropolis is bathed in the explosion of energy before the heavens open to a pacifying deluge. Darkseid's boney remains glow like embers and Orion walks into the pouring night -- victorious.

The Hammer...
In one of the most epic battles of the year: Orion wins! Fatality!

We're running disgustingly late after a week of delays, but I'm pleased to finally have this battle up on the Infinite Wars. The pipedream would be to give the best few reads this sort of treatment each week as a gauge of the year's progress. That just isn't realistic for me, but it's nice to pick up a big battle like this one.

This fight vaguely connects to the on-going Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe discussion, because here is a prime example of the combative chops of the DCU. Orion would undoutedbly be at home with morally ambiguous warriors like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while Darkseid, to me, is the most obvious lead villain the makers of the game could choose to pair-up with an MK menace.

Of course, as much as MKvsDC has been a driving force on the Infinite Wars, there's a whole lot coming from the comics side of the fence the next few months! As you'll see in the shipping list; it's going to be a big week of books, particularly with DC simmering away with it's upcoming Final Crisis efforts.

By now more information is surely presenting itself, but I haven't really been keeping up. Which I think I like. I'm enjoying having little preconceived notion of what Grant Morrison plans to do with his final chapter in the 'Crisis Trilogy.'

Particularly after the DC Universe 0 special, I'm enjoying the notion of DC heroes ascending to fullfil the void left by the dead New Gods. It seemed foolhardy to expect Bruce Wayne to be among this new pantheon, but the speculative return of Barry Allen instills a faith in me that this is a concept that really could work.

Of course, I'm not entirely sure that's the destiny laid out before the deceased speedster. Initially I was very fond of the idea of a zombified Barry Allen as part of the new Black Lantern Corps and many sources have since suggested that what I thought was a cosmic Barry Allen in DCU0, was actually Darkseid being reborn. So I really don't know where this is all going, but I'm excited.
More surprisingly, I'm excited about the New Gods!

I mentioned at the beginning of the month [Super Powers #5] that I'm not a New Gods fan, but I certainly appreciate the weight of the characters.

Countdown [to Final Crisis] has come under heavy criticism for struggling to maintain a direct line to the stories it's been responsible for instigating. I'm certainly surprised to see this monumental battle told outside of the pages of Death of the New Gods, but to DC's credit, this book has done the unthinkable, and actually gotten me retroactively interested in the related mini.

I'm disappointed that Darkseid is almost certain to return soon.
If I had a greater affiliation for the character, I might disagree, but my preference for death to end in death applies even moreso to the New Gods. Granted, there's a cyclical precedent in the canon, but I just don't feel that's justification for one of the most played out scenarios in comics. Worse still was the immediate fakeout of Orion's death which played specifically into the conclusion of the story of the New Gods.

Scott Kolins is an artist whose stock dropped dramatically when he produced some of the very worst covers I've ever seen, for New Invaders. From that point sloppy digital looking inks have been a constant disappointment of his artstyle, but not so here. Kirby overtones were welcomed in this 'final' clash of New Gods, and helped round this issue out as a strong stand-alone clash.

I was a little disappointed, particularly given that the entire issue is dedicated to battle, that it didn't quite live up to the epic standards of recent comparisons; like World War Hulk #5. The epic nature of the battle was well communicated in concept, but failed to really be reflected in the quality of the artwork. There were glimpses of grandeur very similar to the concluding issue of World War Hulk, but all too often the action was broken by the mundane. This is one time I could undoutedbly call for the popularized 'widescreen' presentation that, although not showing a great respect for the economy of the page, lends a lot of power to a story.

Keith Giffen wears a story consultant credit, suggesting to me a role pertinent to the written side of things, more than the role as layout artist he had for 52. If this assessment is at all correct, it does tend to make you wonder if Kolins might have benefitted from the added direction, but I wouldn't want to be too harsh on the penciller. His inks, though a little rough and imperfect, were a refreshing change from the unconfident and spotty lines I've come to associate with him.

I quite enjoyed the issue on the merit of it's own context, but wish I could've had more scope for the surrounding chapters. I tend to imagine the segmentalized nature of the series probably lends to my selective purchase, but it still might have been nice to have experienced more that led to the gravity of this issue.

I imagine we'll revisit the earlier part of the issue for the Darkseid/Jimmy Olsen showdown, but for the mean time, hopefully this was worth the wait. I'm certainly pleased to have finally added one of 2008's big showdowns to the record!

The Fight: 6 The Issue: 5.5

Missed out on all the New Gods action and keen to catch-up? If your appetite's whetted head over to Amazon where you can find all the information for pre-ordering the collections of those issues! Amazon not only has all the titles you need at affordable prices, but if you use purchase links provided on the site, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! You can find more titles in the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe!
Thanks for your continued support! Stick around as the Infinite Wars rolls through overdue posts!

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #14 (February 2007)
JOKER versus ROBIN
Slayride (DC)
Where: Detective Comics #826 When: February 2007
Why: Paul Dini How: Don Kramer

Quick Fix...
Well, I'm posting this on the sixth, so I'm pleased to say I'm nearly caught up completely! More on that when you scroll down to the Hammer, but for now...

Another exciting debut for Secret Wars on Infinite Earths this time in the form of the clown prince of crime - The Joker! Which is kinda strange, when you think about the guys who have been featured. [Looking at you, Dr. Dorcas...]

I kinda had to check this issue out, because I've been a bit sour on the turn in direction for Batman, and this single issue was hyped beyond compare. So, it's a good thing there was some action in there, otherwise I couldn't tell you all what I thought.

I'm going to start with a negative to soften you up, and that negative is the artwork. That first Dini issue with JH Williams promised a great deal, and pointed toward something familiar but different enough to be interesting.
Unfortunately this issue does not feature that kind of treatment, with fairly plain pencils from Kramer and a heavy (but erratic) ink from Wayne Faucher. Colourist John Kalisz does not fade his colours far enough to fall into an eighties homage along the lines of Killing Joke, but it is certainly heading in that direction.
A direction that I'm really not very fond of. [See; Detective Comics #817]

One of the things I had come to enjoy in Detective Comics was the visual style that danced between something along the lines of the Dini-involved animated series, if not in style, in colour palette, drawing largely on greys and urban tones.

Dini's writing actually steers closer to that enjoyable period on the title, with more street orientated stories about the Dark Knight. Granted this issue features Robin, it still maintains a level of reality that distances itself from the caped crusading of the flagship book.

The issue itself probably got more fan-press than it really deserved.
Putting Dini and Joker in the same sentence pretty much guarantees premature fanboy e-reaction, but that considered, it probably wasn't as misproportionate as it could've been.

Dini tells a comptent and interesting done-in-one story that features the Joker nabbing Robin from peril, and taking him on a lethal hell ride across a Christmas decorated Gotham. Some people seem to have over extended this as some sort of revolutionary take on the character, but this is no great character analysis. It's just a fun, single, floppy read.

Our fix begins toward the end of the issue, where Robin has managed to free himself of his shackles by removing his glove, and is baiting Joker with reference to Three Stooges movies.

He riles the Joker by deliberately confusing a line from one film with another, which distracts Joker enough for Robin to throw on damned hard punch.
He then wrenches the rearview mirror from it's place and uses it quick and hard to attack the Joker. Robin willingly acknowledges that he needs to hit hard and fast, wasting no energy on quips and gags.


Robin dives into the back seat, using one of Joker's victims as a shield against a wirey arm that throws a stiff fist. The gawking grin produced by his own toxin leaves Joker with cut knuckles from the move.

As the Joker grimaces, Robin drives the back of his head into the car ceiling and finds the lump of a gas deploying weapon. He blasts it directly into the clown's face, forcing him out of the car onto the highway.

Gasping for breath, he doesn't notice the oncoming truck until it's too late.

In what is usually a good Joker moment, he remarks on his certain doom with a light heart, and laughs hysterically as his limp body is thrown into the air by the velocity of the impact.

Batman ultimately arrives on the scene, but the Joker's body is nowhere to be found. What he does find is pride for how Robin handled the situation, despite many fatalities and a bungled job involving rival gangs.

This one really could've gone either way in terms of being cartoonishly hilarious, or brutally threatening, and to the credit of the art team, they really do sustain the menace of the situation. The decision to play it serious is probably more interesting, although, with the minimalist style seen in the cartoons, this easily could've been one of the more light hearted Joker episodes.

Who am I really critical of? I guess the purveyors of the medium, who have perhaps misplaced previous adoration when promoting or reviewing this book.
It is by any take a very good and enjoyable read, but not the ultimate Joker story.

The Fix: 4 The Issue: 5

The Top Five...
I have to admit, it feels really wrong leaving behind the top five of 2006. A lot of those characters spent most of the year with us, so discarding them in favour of a new year is very strange. Especially with some of the choices I made for this month's entries. Anyway...:

#1 Moon Knight (new) (new) (Marvel)
Class: [Champion] Last Opponent: [Taskmaster]
Win Percentage: [100%] Features: [1]

You ever have a friend who dumped his girlfriend and then started going out with a girl who looked and acted just like her?
That's kinda what this feels like. We've traded Batman at the top spot for what is essentially a Batman analogue, and it just doesn't feel right... Despite being a hot property right now, I couldn't expect Moon Knight to stick around here for long.

If you look at the beginning of the first year of the site, you can see this organic approach is fairly different to the name loaded first month that produced a fairly worthy first ever top five.
Consider this one an abberation folks. Apologies to the Mooney fans.

#2 Spider-man (-) (6) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Tombstone]
Win Percentage: [87.5%] Features: [8]

Well, a new year for the top five and Spider-man still can't quite get to the top spot. I might not be pushing Batman anymore, but apparently I'm still happy to hold the Spider-MAN down.

Jokes aside, it's bound to be a big year for Spider-man. As the new mugshot [featuring art by Casey Jones] might suggest, the Black Costume's coming back in '07, and that's thanks in no small part to a third feature film.

I've been pretty silly for Spidey villains lately, too. Heck, even the X-Men are featured fighting The Lizard, who's being rumored for a fourth Spider-man movie.
So, I guess that's indicative of Spider-man's staying power at Secret Earths.

#3 Red Hood (+26) (new) (DC)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Brick]
Win Percentage: [100%] Features: [2]

Another abberation, one would have to imagine.
As much as I've enjoyed the larger aspects of Jason Todd's return, you just couldn't say he's top five material. Not when we've come used to seeing the likes of Batman, Spider-man and Superman.

His story gained momentum in the pages of Judd Winick's Batman, so it's little wonder a recent turn in Green Arrow has salvaged what was otherwise a fading career for the reborn vigilante.

His story is not one of grand motivations and ideas, but rather the active reentry of an old character in a new way. It would be a real shame if Red Hood were to fall victim to the shift in priorities of the core Batman books, because this has been a surprisingly positive return!

#4 The Punisher (new) (new) (Marvel)
Class: [Champion] Last Opponent: [Rhino]
Win Percentage: [100%] Features: [1]

Another debutant on the top five, and at fourth, slightly less disappointing than the top spot Moon Knight.

Punisher's return to the Marvel Universe has made him a much more likely candidate for feature here. As much as I love the MAX book, there just aren't enough fisticuffs to get it on a site dedicated to superhero fights.

With Civil War and War Journal thrusting him back into the superhero domain, he becomes a much more accessible character for a website like this.
My appreciation for Punisher has grown over the last few years. As a kid he was never really a character I could get behind. I probably disliked him second only to Nick Fury, who was another gun-toting guy I never really got.

#5 Beast (+50) (new) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [The Lizard]
Win Percentage: [50%] Features: [4]

Rounding out the list is another less likely top-fiver, but a goody no less. For some of the movie-going audience joining us, you'll no doubt have been riveted to learn Beast was not always a blue fuzzball!

The X-Men have only arrived on the site here in the last few months, but I have to say they've been a welcome addition. Things seem pretty quiet around the X-universe, so I wouldn't expect to see the blog taken over by mutants, but interest in diversity might keep a Beast floating around the top.

Super Stock...
1. Batman (-) (DC)
2. Spider-man (-) (M)
7. Superman (-) (DC)
15. Red Hood (+14) (DC)
18. Beast (+37) (M)
19. Sub-mariner (-2) (M)
23. Silver Surfer (-2) (M)
24. Robin (-2) (DC)
51. Doppelganger (-) (M)
52. Moon Knight (new) (M)
53. The Punisher (new) (M)
56. Professor X (-) (M)
66. Tombstone (-16) (M)
67. Angel (+120) (M)
68. Iceman (+120) (M)
69. She-Hulk (-4) (M)
193. Taskmaster (new) (M)
194. Space Phantom (new) (M)
195. Rhino (new) (M)
196. The Lizard (new) (M)
200. Toad (-5) (M)
201. Magneto (-5) (M)
202. Brick (-8) (DC)

The hammer...
And so, there goes another big month of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!
Finally looking like we might be caught up and running smoothly, despite persisting computer gremlins! With a lot of hits coming in lately, hopefully we'll be able to continue to sustain your readership!

Speaking of hits, gotta throw a shoutout to Rokk's Comic Book Revolution!
A great review blog I came across recently who've been kind enough to be among the select few super-sites to link to Secret Earths! Clearly a genius blog, indeed.

In other business, as much as it gives me diahorrea to do so, I've got make an amendment to a previous post. In the December Punch-Up we featured a fight between Venom and Spider-man in Beyond! #1.
I've since been informed that this character was not Spider-man, but rather the Space Phantom masquerading as the hero. So, as you may have noticed in the top five, Spidey's win percentage is readjusted and the Space Phantom joins the Secret Earths super stock race! Apologies to any perturbed by this misinformation, particularly those of you pregnant with Skrull babies.

You'll have noticed a distinct slant toward 2007 in the most recent posts.
This is in part due to the fact that I got a whopping big stack of comics for a late Christmas, but also because all the cool blogs either review new comics.
The interest of diversity will kick in, and no doubt you'll see more [not so-] classic comics thrown back into the mix, but for the time being, enjoy being contemporary!

Since we're trying to be a bit more free flowing these days I can't tell you what's coming up, but I've been looking at a lot of fun reads lately, so I imagine we might have some Deadpool and maybe some more Beyond in our future.
Even though I've actually been reading some great DC [like Checkmate], it looks like it's still going to be tilting toward Marvel for a while. Sorry about that guys, but hopefully for you DC fans, I'll have some especially strong reviews there. Possibly a look back at a classic we featured around this time last year.

I should make a point of referring to my own comics work. My pencilling collaborator Pedro, and I, are inching ever closer to printing the first issue of the series Kirby Martin Inquest. Don't visit Nite Lite Theatre just yet, because I have a lot of updating to get to, but I'll be directing all my fellow comics fans there as soon as possible.
Pedro and I have also been discussing some other possible projects, that is, if Grant Morrison can stop stealing my ideas for more than a day.

Also, I should put an end to rumors that I'm involved with any upcoming movies starring The Shadow. Actually, that isn't a rumor, but I'm hoping maybe I can get that out there...

As always, please feel encouraged to drop a comment or a question or a request or something. We're supposed to be one of the more friendly blogs around, even if I scare most of you away with excessively long posts filled with aliterations.

Thanks for sticking with Secret Earths, and stay tuned folks!

January Hit Count: 3947* (+567)

* Hit count was recorded February 1. Hits for January posts may be reflected in the February count.