THE SOCIETY versus POWERGIRL
The Survivors (DC comics)
Where: Infinite Crisis #2 When: January 2006
Why: Geoff Johns How: Phil Jiminez

The story so far...
Long ago there was a crisis that threatened existence across dimensions. The champions of the multiple Earths opposed the existential threat, and through their triumph came a rebirth of reality, and a merged existence.

A select few survivors from worlds before the crisis were able to escape to a life exclusive to the redefined reality that was unfolding, some infiltrating the new central Earth with no memory of all that once was.

They were the likes of Powergirl and Psycho-Pirate, and they integrated into their new lives well, but such was not so for the refugees in non-space. Trapped in the crystaline universe they had made for themselves, they were forced to watch as life evolved in a very different, darker way, and their ideals were betrayed. Able to take it no more, these super forces take full advantage of unfolding instabilities, and reemerge to shape the worlds again...

Previous Form:
The Society [#20]: The Society represented an army of villains united, led by Lex Luthor, who used the fate of Dr. Light as a scaremongering motivator.
Powergirl: Making her overdue debut in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Mr. Atom 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Giganta 5 (Professor)
Speed: Powergirl 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Powergirl 6 (Generator)
Agility: Clayface 7 (Infinite)
Fighting Ability: Powergirl 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Powergirl 5 (Lasers)


- This particular collective representing The Society includes; Psycho-Pirate in a leading role as a core member of the villainous cartel, with the muscle-bound team of Clayface, Giganta, Mister Atom and Girder assigned to capture Powergirl.

- While the majority of the team represent super strength, Psycho-Pirate is a much less offensive character. His powers revolve around the Medusa Mask, which can influence and amplify the emotional state of most targets.
Rare exceptions of exceptional will-power have been shown to resist the effects of the mask, such as Black Adam. [Infinite Crisis #6]

- Infinite Crisis served to clear away a garbled history, reinstating Powergirl's origins as a Kryptonian from the universe once identified by Earth-2. As such, Powergirl exibits powers closely resembling Superman, including; super strength, speed, invulnerability, heat-vision.

- A refugee from a world before the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Powergirl is apparently immune to the effects of Kryptonite from the contemporary DC Universe. In this respect, she is potentially more effective than her cousin.

The Math: Powergirl (Average) The Society (Total)
The Pick: The Society

What went down...
Somewhere in a city on Earth, a building shudders as Powergirl bursts through one of it's stone walls at the behest of a rampaging force of nature. Mud animate Clayface extends like a plank from the building, carrying Powergirl into a hard descent into the road below.

Psycho-Pirate emerges at street-level, reassuring Powergirl that she need not be worried, given that Luthor has expressed a requirement to have her alive.
It comes as little consolation as the Pirate's accompanying quartet of Society thugs loom over the street, Girder lamenting on the possibility of roughing her up.

Powergirl meets the challenge head-on, defiantly blasting her way through Clayface's swirling muddy mass with focused beams of heat-vision.

Mr. Atom, the robot that challenged Captain Marvel to his very limits, steps up to the plate, taking flight to knock the airborne Powergirl down with a super swing of his robotic fist. PG's descent brings her into the clutches of Giganta.

Just as Girder steps up to insinuate more harm for Powergirl, the storming clouds over Metropolis part, giving way to the bathing warm glow of Earth's yellow sun.

Something streaks by faster than a speeding bullet, clipping across Giganta's face to shake her grip, and free Powergirl from her enormous clutches.

More powerful than a locomotive, the same red and blue streak charges through the battlescene once more, achieving the impossible to rip through the super-durable frame of the robotic Mister Atom!

For Psycho-Pirate the writing is on the wall, but Powergirl can barely believe her eyes. There, hovering above the wrecked bodies of the Society's muscle, is someone familiar yet alien to Powergirl, soaking up the life-giving energy of the yellow sun that embues her.

With greying temples, there flies Superman.
"It's been a long time, cousin. Too long."

The hammer...
Coming in at the crucial moment to score a decisive win is Superman, from Earth-2, of course. Not that his Earth is Earth-2 now that we have fifty-two very specific Earths courtesy of Mr. Mind, and a megaverse revamp by Grant Morrison and the team.

Y'know, I very nearly defaulted to one of my pre-scanned stand-by issues of Wolverine, but I didn't want to let the Marvel/DC imbalance get away from me again, and despite Wolverine's relevance, the justice discussion has thus far hovered around the icons of the DC Universe, so we're following suit.

This was also a great opportunity to initiate Powergirl into the Infinite Wars, which is something I've wanted to do for quite some time, and this issue was on the hitlist, having been sitting on top of a pile for quite a while now.

What makes this issue such a great segue, apart from what's listed above, is that Powergirl was right at the centre of the Infinite Crisis mini-series as a crucial part of the underlying discussion of the nature of justice.
For the refugees of former Earths, their own desire for familiarity is largely defined by the methods of justice employed by heroes of their respective universes. We then, through the conclusion, see a divergence of justice, with characters like Superboy-prime and Alexander Luthor each following paths of what could be interpreted as villainy.

Typically I don't like to confuse an entry with images from unrelated sources, but I'm going to break format because, otherwise, we don't get to talk about this.
What I essentially want to do is try to add some depth to the theory of the totem of justice that has formed the spine of much of the discussion over the past month of Infinite Wars, and even abroad. [See; Infinite Crisis #1, Hawkman #23, JLA #118, Action Comics #824]

In trying to break down the degrees of force and intent in justice, I think I was able to break it down into eight levels, four representing the "light" and the "dark" of the matter. Obviously characters are known to fluctuate, and some of these examples build on my own personal inflections and ideas.

Level 1: No harm, no foul -- "Peachy keen"
There's an interesting resonance to placing a character like Captain Marvel at the top, just because Black Adam so clearly represents the other end of the scale.

This is the level representing heroes who exist on the greatest abstraction. For the most part they are entirely removed from the kinds of situations and scenarios that would bring them into moral conflicts, instead representing a wholesome simplicity. They fight monsters and aliens whose plans are reasonably transparent, and may even find themselves resolving battles with conversation. After school specials.

Level 2: Ideal Superhero -- "Best case scenario"
Writers have put Superman in positions that see him sliding up and down this scale, but on an idealistic level, he is closest to the child-friendly variety of vintage wholesome. What sets him apart is his connection to the human world, and specifically his inevitable confrontation and acknowledgment of elements much deeper on this list.

This is a hero who will do their best to resolve conflict through passive or defensive means, always reactionary, never pro-active. They are bound by a strict code of process, which sees a villain privvy to even the right to privacy.
He's the hero that exists in a world much more like the ideal compromise between freedom and injustice.

Level 3: Common superhero -- "Soft prevention"
Fairly typical of most superheroes, and maybe the defining quality of the Silver Age. These are heroes who will take preventitive measures wherever possible, but for the most part meet criminal activity with non-lethal force.

Much like a Superman, characters that fit into this category have probably seen darker times throughout their careers, but then, this isn't about defining a character like The Flash. This is about setting the paramaters by which characterization can be measured. This being around generic.

Level 4: Law enforcement -- "Extenuating circumstances"
This is a character who most resembles real-world law enforcement agents, such as police officers. Force is used where necessary, prevention through intelligence is a valued, and when situations dictate, lethal force may be reluctantly introduced.

There are a lot of characters who will resemble this scenario, and Superman is certainly one that comes to mind, with cases like the time he was forced to regrettably condemn criminals to the Phantom Zone.
Ultimately I think it's important to stress that these characters are not quick to use violence, even though it is a part of their arsenal. Mr. Terrific, on the merits of his current associated with Checkmate, is a positive example of this.

Level 5: Excessive force -- "On their terms"
This is the turning point, for me. Where the hero doesn't necessarily become more ambiguous, but his methods do. While his motivations may be pure, a Batman will meet characters with intimidation and force.

Batman makes a fantastic, vivid example because his code is very specifically against killing, even though he gladly endorses crippling force, broken bones, and severe psychological trauma.

Level 6: Longterm prevention -- "An eye for an eye"
Like a level 5, this is a heroic character still unwilling to take a life, but unlike Batman, much more content with exerting higher degrees of force. It is a much more primal force for justice, quite likely to react to a crime and deliver a punishment accordingly.

We saw Hawkman deliver just such a punishment in a recent entry, where he severed the arm of the Matter Master, when he threatened a gala with his matter-altering wand [Hawkman #23]. Cause meets effect for this type of character, and the ends justify the means, but death is still a reluctant and unnecessary extension of this brutal force.

Level 7: Longterm solution -- "A life for a life"
This is what we saw when Wonder Woman broke Maxwell Lord's neck and when the Justice League were attacked by Mongul [Infinite Crisis #1], and is where lethality is much more freely endorsed.

While all of the other levels would experience remorse or reluctance in taking a life, it's my opinion that this is the point in the justice scale where lethal force is a ready part of the arsenal the second this character opposes tyrrany. It does not necessarily entail wreckless behaviour, perhaps coming with good judgment, but is certainly a darker brand of good.

Level 8: Blanket wrath -- "Punishment and suffering"
This is where it gets decidedly old testament.
This is the realm of characters like The Spectre, or Black Adam, who readily dish out the most brutal and deadly kind of punishment.

It is typically a hero of unwavering character, with the potential to become so incorruptable they are blind to the lines of what is necessary, and what is not. This is the extreme that Level 7 would live in threat of, and perhaps even be personally fearful of.

It brings us full circle, distanced from common reality by an impossible position of judgment that deals with humanity in the same way Level 1 does not. It represents the darkest end of the scale, just as Marvel does the lightest.

There may very well be flaws in the deeper logic of some of this, and certainly the specifics of the examples may lead to some confusion, but to place some kind of structure on the rules of our recent discussions, this totem will suffice.

It is important to remember that it is ultimately a totem of justice, and while a character like Black Adam fell into a depiction more explicitly evil, that is not the focus of this list.

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 5.5
[On the strength of her handling of Clayface, I'm going to give Powergirl a win stat here, even though her effect was minimal. Powergirl evaded me through my formative comic reading years, but through the efforts of creators like Geoff Johns, PG has not only earned a spot at the forefront of the DCU, but also the enjoyment of a reader who never paid much attention. And yes, I'm straight.]

THE SOCIETY versus FREEDOM FIGHTERS
Infinite Crisis (DC comics)
Where: Infinite Crisis #1 When: December 2005
Why: Geoff Johns How: Phil Jiminez

The story so far...
The world is in crisis, and the heroes are divided to fall, while the villains are united in a way never before seen.
The Justice League is falling apart at the seams, struggling to recover from events such as Wonder Woman's brutal execution of the traitorous Maxwell Lord, where she very publicly snapped his neck; and the death of Firestorm.

Heroes such as the members of Uncle Sam's Freedom Fighters do their best to pick-up the slack, but with a united front of evil willing to cross any lines, it becomes more difficult than ever.

Having received information regarding a transmission between Silver Ghost and Mirror Master; Uncle Sam leads his Freedom Fighters to a seemingly abandoned refinery where they believe the supervillains are organizing weapons for terrorist activity. Unfortunately for them, Uncle Sam's suspicions prove valid.
Now the team need not only put a stop to evil, but also fight to survive.

Previous Form:
The Society [#15]: Unsuccessful against the team of Batman & Red Hood.
Freedom Fighters [#19]: Slaughtered by the World's Finest; Superman/Batman.
Black Adam (#13): Undefeated after battles with the Four Horsemen of Apololips.
Dr. Light (#109): Present for Deathstroke's battle with the Justice League.
Psycho-Pirate (#255): Ultimately killed by Black Adam after this alliance.
Uncle Sam (#163): Unsuccesful in team-up with Wonder Woman against Batman/Superman.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Bizarro 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Dr. Light 5 (Professor)
Speed: Zoom 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Black Adam 6 (Generator)
Agility: Cheetah 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting Ability: Deathstroke 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Sinestro 7 (Solar Power)

I think you pretty quickly realise you're in trouble when you open the door and one of your guys gets shot through the chest. We'll get to that soon enough, but let's take a look at the daunting stats of the tape first up, which paint a pretty grim picture for the Freedom Fighters!

A team of nine villains is bad enough. A team of villains consisting of; Black Adam, Sinestro, Deathstroke, Dr. Light, Dr. Polaris, Zoom, Psycho-Pirate, Bizarro and Cheetah - even more bad news. A team of these particular villains as oganized by Lex Luthor, who is fronting a united new era for bad guys? Down right scary!

The tape indicate just how well rounded this particular team is. Nobody tips below a five, and even those come in the less common categories, and of the nine, seven of them register as the top characters in their respective category.
That isn't even taking into account things like the comparable strength levels of Black Adam and Bizarro, or the intangible forces controlled by Polaris, Light and Sinestro. Or even things as obscure, and difficult to measure, as Psycho-Pirate's emotive suggestions.

The Freedom Fighters are outnumbered, nine-to-six.
Among their rag-tag mob of heroes are most notably Uncle Sam himself, Human Bomb, Damage and The Ray. Their powers are strong enough to at least register where some of these villains are concerned; Sam bringing a degree of stamina and strength, while the Ray can control and manipulate light in a variety of imaginative ways.

The Human Bomb and Damage pose perhaps the greatest key to victory, but their potential also rests on the potential destruction of their fellows. If either of these atomic-scale heroes really unloads, to the point where they can defeat or waylay The Society, it will probably come at the final hour, with their fellows already fallen.

Black Condor really affects very little influence on this particular fight. Given the scope and brutal power of characters like Black Adam, Deathstroke and Sinestro, it's just simply not in the realm of possibility for a character like Condor to be of use. Likewise, Phantom Lady's illusions and Savate expertise are going to be of little use here.

The Math: The Society
The Pick: The Society

What went down...
Infiltrating the secret arms factory, the Ray uses his powers to manipulate the laser light grid that provides a net of security over the entrance, diverting the light to himself. With that, Human Bomb uses his powers to destroy the control panel for heavy blast doors, and as they open...

A blast of cynical yellow energy cracks it's way through the air, piercing the exposed chest of the unsuspecting Black Condor. Waiting on the other side of the door is the cream of The Society's villainous crop. An apparent ambush.

Bizarro ironically greets the Freedom Fighters with a misplaced Good-Bye, which is all too accurate, given the situation, as Sinestro sneers from beneath the glowing yellow energies of his fear-borne power.

Uncle Sam orders his troops to hold nothing back as they charge into battle with the murderous members of The Society.

The order is as good as worthless.
In a volley of violence and destruction the Society find themselves set upon by some of the deadliest villains known.

The Ray is the first to fall, victim of Dr. Light's similar, but apparently superior, powers.
He sucks the light from The Ray's body in a way that could only be imagined as incredibly painful.

Damage finds himself at the mercy of Zoom's fists, as he swirls around the hero in an unstable, translucent blur. Zoom promises to make them stronger heroes if they survive. His barrage triggers Damage's explosive powers, which send him hurtling out of the building.

Phantom Lady's illusion of invisibility proves to be of little value against the feline senses of Cheetah. She quickly sniffs the Freedom Fighter out, leaping atop her before ripping away at her flesh.

With the Phantom Lady pinpointed and bleeding, Deathstroke charges in with his sword to finish the job. He drives his blade deep into her chest as she rematerializes. Her final word is, "Why?"
For Deathstroke, it is simply a matter of professionalism.

The Human Bomb's explosion topples Sinestro, Dr. Light and Deathstroke, and he cries for them to get away from his fellows.
Shaken by Phantom Lady's death, the Human Bomb runs amongst the carnage before Dr. Polaris floats down to revel in the defeat.

"Oh, she's dead, Human Bomb. Didn't you hear that delicious shriek?"

Enraged, the Human Bomb tears at his protective suit.
If it is death and war that delights Polaris, then the Human Bomb shall deliver more than he can handle. The Human Bomb glows with energy and explodes, blowing Dr. Polaris clean out of the sky.

Bizarro, attracted by the "pretty lights", descends atop the Human Bomb.

Declaring his affections he begins to pound the Bomb's bare flesh, incurring massive explosions with every thunderous punch. For every blow with the strength of a Superman, Bizarro encourages an equal amount of explosive force, until eventually the Human Bomb begins to disipate.

Eventually, with his blood and chest covered in blood, Bizarro is disappointed. The Human Bomb stirs no longer. He has exploded for the final time.

"No more pretty lights."

In spite of the many explosions, the fight rages on amongst the surviving heroes and villains. Uncle Sam finds himself with the uneasy task of battling Black Adam, perhaps the strongest man present.

Adam flies like a human torpedo, knocking Uncle Sam into the air.
Cheetah catches him on the ground, clawing at his face while Zoom buzzes around like a ghostly apparition.

The Ray, alive but weakened by Dr. Light's attack, finds himself at the mercy of the otherwise uninvolved Psycho-Pirate.

As The Ray spits threats at Psycho-Pirate, the medusa mask begins to shift from it's blank state to a calm, comforting smile.
"Don't be angry. Don't be afraid."

The Ray, relaxed, gives in to the exhaustion, allowing himself to be dragged away for the purposes of one, Alexander Luthor, for whom The Society does their bidding.

The last of the Fighters to fall is the first to rally them - Uncle Sam. Though he continues to fight valiantly against overwhelming odds, he is far outmatched, numerically and super naturally.

Sinestro uses his yellow energies to blast at the patriotic hero, sending him hurtling into the air. He eventually comes to land in a swamp somewhere nearby, and while his story is not through, the Freedom Fighters are through, and the Society free to carry out their evil machinations.

The hammer...
Conclusively the winners: The Society!

Meanwhile, Uncle Sam's resumé isn't looking terribly impressive right about now. The last time the character was featured, he and his team were completely wiped out by the tyrannical might of Superman and Batman. [Superman/Batman #15]
This time around things went a little better for the Freedom Fighters, but even still, to come out with a fifty-percent survival rate isn't really all that impressive by anyone's means. Maybe the X-Statix are about the only team impressed by those figures... Yeesh...

At the time this particular issue - the first of a major mini-series at the core of a company-wide event - caused quite a bit of controversy. Given the promotion of the event, a large part of the concern was rating standards, with this issue baring no kind of forewarning for the violence contained within.
Of particular interest at the time was Phantom Lady's brutally depicted murder, which sparked the obligatory discussion of misogynism in comics, and questions of violence against women.

I'm not so much interested in the censorship of violence against one sex over another. We've discussed before that, in fiction, I think it's nice for that equality to exist. I sometimes feel the violence needs to be more prevelent for both sexes, to continue to remind us exactly what kinds of threats these superheroes are dealing with. But I digress...

What struck me immediately having just completed the review was that I was declaring a team who just slaughtered the superheroes - victorious!
I think with the features we've looked at over the past year and a half I've come to build up an association with the declaration of a winner. Usually, even in the cases of the hero losing, there's a certain degree of honor and thrill to it.

Declaring The Society victorious here, however, after killing the heroes the way they did. There's something that just doesn't feel quite right about that.

Not that it really has to go beyond that.
I'm not sure this particular cast of characters was really what you'd call invaluable to the DC lot, and to the company's credit they have continued a tradition of reinvigorating properties in the newest incarnation of the Freedom Fighters. It's not all new, of course. Uncle Sam found his way out of the swamp after compelling one of the new leads to find him, and they have an all new, all-government approach, at least to start with.

I guess there's a triumph to come out of the deaths of these heroes, at least in some kind of creative off-shoot of a way. I admit, I'm usually not one to advocate wanton slaughter of worthwhile characters, but at least they've stayed dead for this long, and an attempt to revitalize the concepts has been made.

Though the book is mostly a vignette-packed primer for the DC Universe as it was becoming heading into Infinite Crisis, there's also a fantastic battle running parallel to this one on the moon, featuring the 'DC Trinity', so hopefully some time in the future we'll get a chance to revisit the story from that perspective.

For now, I've got to check out and head to bed, and hopefully get back to catching up again soon. We've got FF action next-up, cheers!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5.5

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #17 (May 2007)
BLACK ADAM versus PSYCHO PIRATE
Touchdown (DC)
Where: Infinite Crisis #6 When: May 2006
Why: Geoff Johns How: Phil Jimenez, Jerry Ordway, George Perez, Ivan Reis (If you know which, post a comment)

Quick Fix...
There's a very simple reason for going back to Infinite Crisis for this month's Quick Fix. Actually, there are more accurately two reasons. The most culturally relevant is the nature of the story, which has recently been revealed to have had greater repercussions than we actually knew.

As of 52 #52 the revelation has been revealed that the multiverse within the DC universe has been reduced to fifty-two very specific Earths. From what I gather, each Earth was apparently identical to the DC planet we read, but the time travelling inteference of Mister Mind has resulted in anomolies on each. Thus, we have places like the Wildstorm Universe.

The secondary reason, of course, is an opportunity to talk about Black Adam, who has easily burst out of season 06/07 as the most improved player in mainstream superhero comics. I struggle to think of any character that even challenges his rise to stardom in scope, or in creative quality, which has been with Black Adam in abundance right back from his return in JSA under Geoff Johns [and David Goyer].

I'm still a few entries behind, so I won't brood on this section too much, particularly given that this is a quick fix in the truest sense (spanning barely half a page of comic), but there are a few things that should be said.

I tend to have a lot to say about the modern comics reader, and how certain things are approached. That's probably no different here. Infinite Crisis was dealt it's fair share of criticisms, but for me, as a reader excited more than intimidated by the unknown and historical, this issue had a lot to enjoy.

Johns employs his fanatic knowledge and interest in approaching the DC Universe without a sly smirk, to bring the entire range of DC characters to the forefront in this mini-series. Granted, the vignette storytelling style does not leave room to elaborate, but it allows the freeflow of important bits to drive the story through it's necessary stages and moments. This particular issue pays service to many ideas, including Superboy, who is ultimately terminated in this particular issue.

The benefits of the vignette storytelling may not be seen fully until 52, where a similar structure is put upon the various central characters of that series. Not that I mean to imply Johns invented the concept of switching between stories and locales. This perhaps just laid out a positive way of looking at the concept.

In this particular fight Psycho-Pirate, a fan favourite character who was said to be one of the few to remember the Crisis of Infinite Earths, is taking the fight the heroes of the DCU.

Just as the character prepares to use his emotive abilities to drive Powergirl to beat The Ray in a bitter rage, an unexpected is checked in by Black Adam.
The Psycho-Pirate attempts to manipulate fear into the heart of his former ally, but the will of Black Adam is indomitable. The crisis-survivor doesn't last long.

With his super strength, Adam pokes through the Pirate's head with his fingers, to the shock and disgust of the heroes present. Powergirl remarks, "Was that necessary, Adam?", to which he coldly replies, "Absolutely."

It's this cold, yet purposeful and driven characterization that has made Black Adam one of the most compelling characters coming from DC comics. He really is the most valuable player of 2007, and although his Shazam powers were recently stripped from him in the World War III off-shoot of 52, I eagerly look forward to seeing his future. A future that presumably will involve delving into his past, if not recapturing his power and seeking retribution from someone.

The Fix: 6 The Issue: 7
Winner: Black Adam

The Top Five...
#1 Spider-man (-) (9) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Atlantean Military]
Win Percentage: [73.33%] Features: [15]
Season 2006: [#2] Current Ranking: [#1]

With Spider-man 3 hitting cinemas this month, and in turn five Wednesdays dedicated to the web-slinging hero, it seems unlikely his sticky fingers are going to slip off this particular wall.

Web-Slinging Wednesdays will feature the three major villains from the big screen sequel, as well as an all in fight against the 'Sinister Twelve', and a special fifth week bonus that will see Spidey tackle one of his oldest foes.

There doesn't seem to be anything on the horizon for Spider-man, which might lead one to speculate whether or not he has the eight-legs to last the year at number one. After May, we might find ourselves all Spidey'd out!

#2 Batman (-) (15) (DC)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Superman]
Win Percentage: [78.57%] Features: [14]
Season 2006: [#1] Current Ranking: [#2]

Despite seizing the top spot back twice during the month; Batman again finds himself in unfamiliar territory this year, trailing the all-encompassing dominance of Spider-man in 2007.

In Season '06 Batman shook off hot competition from Daredevil, Captain America, Hulk and Superman, but with the Batbooks suffering from a glut of fill-ins, there isn't much promising an upswing for the character.

Never the less the longevity of Batman and his relevance as a supreme fighting character cannot be denied. While a slip may be inevitable, history may suggest his longterm success may be even more assured than Spider-man's.
News of 2008's Dark Knight will no doubt be key to keeping in the picture.

#3 Wolverine (+1) (10) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Atlantean Military]
Win Percentage: [47.1%] Features: [17]
Season 2006: [#4] Current Ranking: [#3]

Wolverine claws his way up the ranks, mooching somewhat off of the success of his involvement in things like the Avengers double header the past two Mondays.

Wolverine, like all of the top five, has a connection to film/television projects.
While the Wolverine solo-movie remains uncertain, the character has taken a title role in a new cartoon; Wolverine and The X-Men. The series appears to share, if nothing else, a stylistic direction with X-Men: Evolution, and will join Spider-man on the small screen.

Despite utter disinterest generated by Jeph Loeb's current efforts on the core title, and the unnecessary plodding of Daniel Way on Origin; Wolverine continues to force his relevance on a site dedicated to big-two superhero fights.

#4 Ghost Rider (-1) (2) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [The Avengers]
Win Percentage: [66.7%] Features: [3]
Season 2006: [N/A] Current Ranking: [#16]

With the success of the Nic Cage feature film now in the past; Ghost Rider's days in the top five have to be considered numbered as he slides down the list. If anything, it's surprising the character has endured in the spotlight, carried partly by an obscure cameo in Marvel Zombies.

Efforts to revive and capitalize on the character's mainstream success have been average, at best. While the new on-going book does not suffer quite to the degree of Guggenheim and Chaykin's Blade, it continues to unimpress, with bland storylines and significant character appearances of only a superficial nature.

Of course, the irony is that an upcoming World War Hulk tie-in issue seems shoe horned at best. As much as I'd love to be squeezing these kinds of issues onto the site, for the fight alone, unless someone donates some dosh into the PayPal account, it's not going to get a purchase here. And that's probably a good thing.

Marvel continues to be at a loss for what to do with characters who attract mainstream attention out of their comic book obscurity. With other seventies revivals like Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman, this is especially disappointing.

#5 Green Arrow (RE) (4) (DC)
Class: [Champion] Last Opponent: [Superman]
Win Percentage: [66.7%] Features: [6]
Season 2006: [#11] Current Ranking: [#9]

Green Arrow makes a charge for the top just in time to save DC from embarassment in the 2007 top five! A solo victory over Red Hood, coupled with a guest-spot in Dark Knight, enough to secure.

As much as I've enjoyed the Batman/Red Hood involvement in the title, cancellation looms for the Green Arrow comic, as the character begins grooming for the new year-long event, Countdown. Whether or not this is going to be a good thing for the character remains to be seen, but if 52 is any indication, it might not be until 2008 that we see any real action for GA.

Interestingly enough, Green Arrow represents the only top five contribution this month that hasn't been in a feature film. Even so, the media continues to have a subversive hand in our decision, the character being a focus in TV's Smallville, as part of the current Justice League inspired stories.

Super Stock...
1. Spider-man (-) (M)
2. Batman (-) (DC)
3. Wolverine (-) (M)
4. Iron Man (-) (M)
5. Hulk (+3) (M)
6. Daredevil (-1) (M)
9. Green Arrow (+2) (DC)
15. Human Torch (+14) (M)
16. Ghost Rider (+2) (M)
19. Winter Soldier (+37) (M)
20. Venom Symbiote (-1) (M)
21. Storm (+4) (M)
23. Wasp (+7) (M)
24. Red Hood (-9) (DC)
30. Atom (+49) (DC)
31. Shadowcat (+59) (M)
32. Black Widow (+82) (M)
35. Moon Knight (+20) (M)
36. Black Bolt (+21) (M)
37. Black Adam (new) (DC)
38. Black Mask (-4) (DC)
50. Machine Man (-4) (M)
61. Harley Quinn (new) (DC)
62. Crimson Dynamo (new) (M)
63. Tommy Jagger (new) (DC)
64. Flash [Barry Allen] (new) (DC)
66. Silver Surfer (-39) (M)
70. Invisible Woman (-42) (M)
73. War Machine (-41) (M)
82. Fin Fang Foom (+81) (M)
83. MODOK (+94)
87. Wingless Wizard (-15) (M)
88. Venom [Eddie Brock] (-10) (M)
100. Phoenix [Rachel Summers] (-8) (M)
105. Gambit (+11) (M)
106. Speedball (+18) (M)
107. Yellowjacket [Hank Pym] (+3) (M)
133. Isis (new) (DC)
134. Nova (new) (M)
135. Vulture (new) (M)
136. Captain Marvel (new) (M)
137. Crystal (new) (M)
143. Luke Cage (-9) (M)
150. Falcon (+30) (M)
151. Hercules (+34) (M)
152. Uncle Sam (new) (DC)
155. Phantom Lady (new) (DC)
156. The Ray (new) (DC)
157. Doll Man (new) (DC)
158. The Human Bomb (new) (DC)
159. Zorrm (new) (DC)
200. Patriot (-14) (M)
233. Karate Kid (new) (DC)
238. Yurrd (new) (DC)
239. Azraeuz (new) (DC)
240. Roggra (new) (DC)
241. Titanium Man (new) (M)
242. Mysterio (new) (M)
243. Crossbones (new) (M)
244. Attuma (new) (M)
245. Lord Krang (new) (M)
250. Wonder Woman (-122) (DC)
255. The Joker (-48) (DC)
256. Bane (-96) (DC)
257. Brick (-35) (DC)
258. Magneto (-37) (M)


#8 Hulk
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Atlantean Military]
Win Percentage: [50%] Features: [12]
Season 2006: [#6] Current Ranking: [#5]

I'll be honest, if it wasn't for the Quick Fix, I'd be using this opportunity to talk about DC's MVP, Black Adam. With that subject well and truly covered, and more to come, there was only one other character I could possibly feature this month. In fact, I didn't want to feature this guy, but I had to.

World War Hulk has begun, and if you've seen the Marvel solcitations for the next few months, he's going to be making himself nice and at home when he comes back to Earth. I'd love to be speaking from the experience of the first issue, which is on sale now, but unfortunately comics are very expensive, and noone has made any PayPal donations. Not that I'm hinting or anything...

But seriously, the Civil War is officially over, simmering down to be The Initiative, which is more of an overall theme and plot for the Marvel universe to deal with. So, does Hulk have the legs to carry a multi-title crossover off the heals of Marvel's biggest events? I'd love to say no. I haven't enjoyed the Hulk in a long time, and even after enjoying much of Civil War, I have to wonder if this is really the answer. Is it really worth another Paul Jenkins Frontline, even at half the issues? I don't know... One thing's for sure, the Hulk is a character to watch in this middle part of 2007!

The Hammer...
What the heck is even going on? Where am I?!
It's been one of those months, and it's probably going to continue. Delays abundant, largely due to dentist appointments, and there's another one coming up, so we'll have to play it by ear. Sorry guys.
Hey, maybe I might actually get something done this time!

So with big issues coming out like the resolution to 52 and World War's III and Hulk hitting the stands, it's just killing me not having the money to pick these things up. As we discussed this month [Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #9], I do things the right way! Every panel you see on this site is scanned by yours truly, for review purposes only. Which means when the money runs dry, as it tends to do, I'm up the creek when it comes to keeping you informed on recent and exciting comic bash ups! Bummer!
If you feel my year and a half tenure as your number one source of fun and facts has earned it, PayPal donations are welcomed, but certainly not required. You can find the donate button in the right menu somewhere back up near the top.

Speaking of the menu, you might also notice a new header for the "User Top 10". This is just another opportunity to help you navigate your way through topics of interest, but using the hits each character label gets to determine a top ten list as influenced by you. Because let's face it, not everyone is interested in my choices that lead us back to Batman being in the top two...
So, if you want to influence that, do so by following the links to your favourite characters!

Going back to the issue of money, you might be wondering why I'm so strapped for cash. Well, aside from everything else, there is the small issue of financing the print run of my first forray into independent story telling. It's taken quite a while to actually get something hammered out -- long than I care to think -- but finally The Kirby Martin Inquest will be available for purchase in the coming months! If you're interested in learning more about this series, you can check out the preview available on ComicSpace!

I'd love to hear from you and get your thoughts on what you've seen.
You might be surprised to find the writer behind Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has NOT done a comic solely about fisticuffs, but rather a study in introducing a depthy character. I've gone to great lengths to try to use the canvas to fill you in and really bring you in to the character of White Ghost/Charles Scott, and the world he lives in. Don't be fooled, though. The series will pack action a plenty as we dive into the seedy criminal underworld ruled by Anthony Romano, and various other characters. In many ways this is a fairly ambitious first project, but it's the kind of story I've always wanted to see.

Fans of Judd Winick's work on Batman, or even Brubaker's Daredevil will probably be able to slot into some of the logic that will unfold as the series progresses. If you've been reading my posts here, you've seen me talk about the "chessboard of continuity" a lot. Take a look at the preview, and prepare yourselves for more info in the coming months on how you can get a hold of that.
The series features pencils by Pedro Cruz, and cover artwork by former Shadowhawk artist and cover artist for an upcoming Brubaker series -- Ted Wing III.

That's probably just about everything covered!
With the addition of the new stat counter I'm getting some great data on how you're finding Secret Earths, and what you're looking for. A lot of Google searching for Spidey 3 information, so hopefully we'll be able to at least service the lighter side of those needs with the upcoming Web-Slinging Wednesdays.
Hey, maybe I should go get on the scans for 'tomorrow's' Sandman update!

All the bet guys!

BONUS!: Hey, if anyone can narrow down which artist drew the Black Adam/Psycho-Pirate portion of this issue of Infinite Crisis, drop me a comment to let me know! You don't have to be registered to comment, and I will be eternally grateful. And hey, thems bragging rights, junior!

April Hit Count: [4235/12793] (+885)