Hero of the Week #21: Carnage

CARNAGE (Marvel)
Real Name: Cletus Kasady
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-man #344 (March, 1991)
Group Affiliation: NA
Gaming Credentials: Spider-man 2 (1992); Spider-man & X-Men: Arcade's Revenge (1993); Amazing Spider-man: Lethal Foes (1994); Spider-man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994); Venom & Spider-man: Seperation Anxiety (1995); Spider-man (2000); Ultimate Spider-man (2005); Spider-man: Friend or Foe (2007); Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #543

Today; 1up reported [video] that Cable will follow Psylocke in the growing list of PS3/360 Ultimate Alliance 2 DLC updates to the moderately popular Marvel action-brawler. For today's HOTW, however, I want to take you back to the previous week, when Carnage was announced as the first character joining the MUA2 cast.

My first instinct is to call it an unlikely announcement, but that would fly in the face of updates like 1up's, which have described the villain as a "fan-favourite" inclusion. The thought occurs that neither assessment is actually especially wrong, which connects in a curious way to a lot of the discussion that's been undertaken on my 1up blog over the past few months...

When last we saw Carnage in the comics, he was being taken on a one-way trip into deep space courtesy of The Sentry. It was the debut of the hero into official Marvel continuity, and was also the stage upon which the company were launching a brand new all-star line-up for the long-running -- and then-recently disassembled -- Avengers franchise. A super-villain prison break was the event to bring the new team together, consisting of many new inclusions featured in Ultimate Alliance 2, but I'm just getting distracted now.

The point I'm trying to make is, that, as an indication of the worth of the Carnage character to the current Marvel Universe, The Sentry took the symbiote villain into deep space and quite literally ripped him apart!

While, yes, this was a suitably 'bad ass' moment within the fiction, it was also the realisation of a contempt writer Brian Bendis had previous voiced for the widely maligned character. This is significant because being ripped in half in deep space is, generally speaking, not a fate likely to befall a Dr. Doom, or Magneto, any time soon. You don't get bisected and left to experience Newton's laws of motion first-hand, unless you're reasonably expendable, and that's pretty much the case for the once heavily promoted villain.

Comics fans in the aggregate have come to regard the symbiote characters, Carnage in particular, as conceptually unmotivated characters of little substance or worth. While I might not necessarily agree with such sweeping dismissal, it's difficult to make a case for the character when the sum of his influence generally revolves around lengthy Dragonball Z-esque tours of murdered bystanders and super-powered fight rematches.

Gamers have very different expectations for Carnage.

As the titular star of one of the first memorable outings for Spider-man in a video game; Maximum Carnage; and a feature villain in several others, it's easy to see how gamers could have a different perspective on the character.
Their experiences have probably been more positive partly due to the fact that video games, particularly in the technologically prohibitive early nineties, are and were more forgiving to a character built almost exclusively around gimmick-driven action.

While mainstream story-driven successes like Batman: Arkham Asylum have at least introduced a counter argument, it's fair to say we're in an age sympathetic to the same mindset of the action-driven nineties. Ergo; despite being completely uninvolved (and still drifting in space) during the superhero Civil War and reviled by many comics fans, it stands to reason that there's a market and a different identity in video games, for a character like Carnage.

My reaction to the character tends to be reponsive to the opinions around me.
As a comics fan; I think it's a disappointing and short-sighted mob mentality that dismisses any potential the Carnage character might have. At the same time, in respect to video games, I think the inclusion of Carnage also speaks to the negatives of that audience, who are in a contrasting rut of familiarity and shallow concepts [RE: the proliferation of shooters].

Take what you will from the striking similarity between some screenshots of Carnage's living costume in action and the nineties-styled chainz, bladez, n XTREME powers in the open-world superhero game, Prototype. Maybe Marvel are taking a little back for themselves?

At present, it seems character DLC isn't going to be the platform for new elaboration in the game's story, so narrative influence probably isn't a criticism to dwell on too extensively. Not in respect to Carnage specifically, at least. Previously on the blog, I did talk a little bit about the potential for the MUA franchise to represent the Marvel Universe more elaborately. You might like to check that article out, as well as recent story-driven blogs about Oddworld Abe, Tekken 6, and Street Fighter, to get a sense of the continuity of discussion!

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is currently available for all major platforms.
There is currently no release date for the PS3/360 downloadable content pack, which will include; Carnage, Psylocke, and Cable. More characters are expected to be announced in coming weeks, and can be previewed upon availablity at the MUA2 developer blog.

<< Hero of the Week 11/01: Solomon Grundy       [Home]       Hero of the Week 10/18: Flash >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9007781

Hero of the Week #20: Flash

FLASH (DC)
Real Name: Wally West
First Appearance: The Flash #110 (December, 1959)
Group Affiliation: Justice League, Titans
Gaming Credentials: Justice League Task Force (1995); Justice League Heroes (2006); Justice League Heroes: The Flash (2006); DC Universe Online (TBR)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #21


It was only a few years ago now that Flash was one of the most prestigious characters and series being published within the DC pantheon. Alas, even superheroes can fall on hard times, and after intervening in the events of DC's Infinite Crisis, the Wally West version of the character slipped into obscurity.
After being briefly (and unsuccessfully) succeeded by his junior [Bart Allen], the West version of the character is now to be upstaged by his predecessor, the Silver Age's Barry Allen, who is part of a revamp designed to restore DC's iconic vision of the hero via Flash: Rebirth.

The hard-luck story of Wally West continued this week when it was revealed that recently defunct developer, BottleRocket, were six months into working on a solo game starring the scarlet speedster!

If DC's nominations for the 2008 fighting crossover Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe are anything to go by, then there's a good chance the game was set to further establish Barry Allen as the most significant character to be dubbed the fastest man alive, but there's a modern flair about early screenshots of the game that speak to the Wally West version.

A rare moment for the Flash, appearing idle in development screenshots leaked by BottleRocket.

Rightly or not, video game adaptations haven't got the greatest reputation these days.
Comments on 1up's feature detailing the aborted Flash game come with mixed opinions in the comments section, many expressing lethargy, despite the recent triumphs of Batman: Arkham Asylum. To their credit, one game hardly assures quality investment from all studios handling comic book properties, but gamers should take something positive away from a long awaited live demonstration of possibilities.

Licensed properties like comic book superheroes might be a way for studios to bet on installed fanbases, but they aren't without their greater purpose. Characters with vivid expectations provide an end goal that may require various lengths of technical and conceptual innovation. I talked a little about this in a previous blog about the potential of the upcoming Green Lantern game, and think the same potential applies to Flash, to a less elaborate extent.

Once upon a time the mere existence of Sonic the Hedgehog was enough to consider the possibility of a Flash video game (which roughly equates to the Sega platformers inspired by the TV series, in the early nineties).
These days however, we expect a little bit more than running quickly from one side of the screen to the other. As the games move into more realistic territory, the balance between creating the illusion of superhuman speed and keeping the player in control becomes key. The development of motor racing in video games has created one of the most prominent new perspectives for what is expected of speed in a game, and is probably the logical reference point for any modern engine attempting a game about a character who runs fast.

Taking a character like this off of the racing track can clearly be a tricky thing.
The balance between high speeds and directional gameplay have been something the Sonic franchise has struggled with in it's various 3D modern equivalents, where controlled high speed running has been captured through the use of race tracks. For a superhero, who has become a regular fixture of sandbox cityscape environments, these kinds of options become less flattering.

It's a tricky situation for any character, but a superhero like the Flash has an entire universe of fiction to draw upon, making his transition to video games potentially about much more than just moving quickly. Batman: Arkham Asylum reminded us how valuable a world of fiction can be when filling in the gaps of design and motivation that make gameplay function.

You might not know it to look at them, but the Flash has one of the greatest lists of villains you'll find in superhero comics. Don't let the hokey costumes and gimmicks fool you! Under the watchful eye of writers like Mark Waid and Geoff Johns, the beloved Flash rogues (who actually call themselves The Rogues) have developed into characters as fleshed out and elaborate as any comparable hero. Their potential to exist in an interactive world and even become playable options is as exponential as imagination. It doesn't hurt that Flash is also associated with some of the best known superheroes in comics, also, who have just as much claim to cameos and guest spots as Captain Cold or Zoom!

It's been a busy weekend, so I'll leave it to you to ponder what might've been had BottleRocket finally brought the Flash back to the spotlight. The various incarnations of super speedsters will be present when DC unleash their MMO, DC Universe Online. Team Flash are also readily available in the DC Comics mini-series, Flash: Rebirth, telling the tale of the return of former HOTW Barry Allen, his arch-nemesis Professor Zoom, and the adjusting purpose of Wally West! West will also star in co-features when a new Flash series launches in the future.

<< Hero of the Week 10/23: Carnage       [Home]       Hero of the Week 10/04: Green Arrow >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9007311

Remembering T. Haseloff
1991-2009

Hero of the Week #18: Green Arrow

GREEN ARROW (DC)
Real Name: Oliver Queen
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73 (November, 1941)
Group Affiliation: Justice League
Gaming Credentials: Justice League Task Force (1995); Justice League Heroes (2006); DC Universe Online (TBR)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #24


A guy in Robin Hood cosplay might not immediately sound like an impressive superhero specimen, but not too long ago, Green Arrow was one of the hottest properties selling comics. Since, the character has made the transition to animation in Justice League Unlimited, and live-action with a stylized interpretation in Smallville. He's been floating around movie developmental hell, as part of a DC Universe prison-movie called Supermax, and has also just been announced as the latest confirmed character for the action MMO, DC Universe Online!

Still not convinced? Once upon a time the character was compared negatively with Batman due to the derivative nature of his vigilante persona, but I think since Green Arrow developed a strong brand of his own, that's a great way to sell the character. I mean, it's not that you're going to get GA gliding around the city fighting clown-chic terrorists, but if you've been a fan of the tool-wielding escapades of the Dark Knight [ie; Arkham Asylum], you can at least understand the language that lies beneath the green jersey and uber-Errol Flynn goatee.

It hasn't necessarily been anything inherent to the concept of a bow-and-arrow superhero that's driven Green Arrow into the upper echelon of superhero comics. Like Batman, it's the gritty urban crime drama that's unfolded around his saga, with occasional splashes of superhero epics like dealing with his return from the dead, that have made this such an intriguing character. Not that being a modern-day Robin Hood hasn't presented an interesting layer to the character, communicated through his strong liberal leanings.
This side of the character brought him to be briefly serve as Mayor of Star City in the mid-2000's, and has created the beloved dynamic of tension between he and Hawkman, who represents a more extreme dynamic of justice than the romantic Green Arrow's. Not that GA isn't prone to cutting corners and confronting the shades of grey that make up superhero justice. GA has famously delt with drug addiction and HIV through his sidekicks, and alongside buddy partner Green Lantern, race relations, in seminal stories from the '70s that remain a pre-Watchmen benchmark in the constructive clash of reality and fiction that has come to define modern comics.

Green Arrow is a politicized urban vigilante that represents the type of diversity in characters you'll (theoretically) encounter throughout the course of your playtime in DC Universe Online. He's also a prime example of how DCUO will be able seperate itself from a homogenized medium that has typically imitated, and subsequently been crushed by, World of Warcraft.

While the ability to create and develop superhero avatars will be common to other MMO games, it's the opportunity to interact with a world vividly established over seventy years of comics, film, and television, that will make this a whole new experience. DC has the benefit of drawing upon a long list of iconic fictional environments like Metropolis, Gotham City, and Green Arrow's Star City, that will encourage gamers to seek out the equally famous characters that reside within. With any luck, quest-like storylines running through the game will also be able to capitalize on the strong characterization of heroes like Green Arrow, replicating not only the good-vs-evil struggle of their regular adventures, but also more complex reactions, like the Ultimate Alliance-esque riff that formed in DC's 2004 series Identity Crisis, over similar themes of invasive law enforcement.

You can currently find Green Arrow appearing in both the Green Arrow/Black Canary on-going series shared with on-again-off-again flame, Black Canary [Duh!], and in the mini-series building toward a new JLA team, Justice League: Cry for Justice. Check out DCcomics.com for more info, and keep an eye on DC Universe Online (also on MySpace) for more character announcements, like the one that made GA this week's HOTW!

<< Hero of the Week 10/18: Flash       [Home]       Hero of the Week 09/26: Deadpool >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9006061

Hero of the Week #17: Deadpool

DEADPOOL (Marvel)
Real Name: Wade Wilson
First Appearance: New Mutants #98 (February, 1991)
Group Affiliation: X-Force (upcoming)
Gaming Credentials: X-Men Legends II (2005); Marvel Ultimate Alliance (2006); X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009); Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #56


In the scheme of things; Deadpool is still a relatively new character in the world of Marvel comics. Despite debuting some thirty-years after many of his popular Marvel contemporaries, you need only take a tour of the internet to see just how ingrained in the culture the character has become. Even a dubious cinematic debut -- which deviated drastically from popularized versions of the character -- served only to energize what has already been a growing phenomenon that far exceeds the guest-villain status of his early appearances.

Co-created by infamous nineties penciller, Rob Liefeld; Deadpool was far from the crowning jewel of the company when he first appeared in New Mutants. Resembling an unremarkable mish-mash of DC's Deathstroke (Slade Wilson) and a dark Spider-man, the villain developed a special place in his scarred heart for menacing the young mutants led by Cable, who soon became X-Force.
After a string of recurring appearances as villain, Deadpool earned two four-issue mini-series in '93 and '94 that allowed talent such as Mark Waid to add new material, before eventually gaining a true foothold of popularity in 1997 with the first issue of an on-going series.

Some of the best known comedic beats were established with the first issues of the nineties series, written by Joe Kelly, where he built strong ties with other secondary Marvel characters (ie; Taskmaster), and played heavily with references to mainstream and obscure pop culture, including elements unique to the comics themselves.
It's these traits that have endeared the character to a broad audience of both comics fans, and others, such as gamers, who were readily included in Kelly's gag-filled mining of pop. He bridged the gap with non-comics readers with simple and classic comedy, initiating running gags that would continue as other writers took over, and a decade later would become internet "memes."

Deadpool joined the cast of Ultimate Alliance 2, reprising his role from the previous game, which itself carried over from appearances in X-Men Legends II. This recent return to form -- not to mention the previously referenced farce of his role in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine spin-off -- makes him a must-have HOTW for 2009!

The game not only features the quip-heavy dialogue you'd expect, but also capitalizes on the unforgettable addition of the character's legitimate superheroic skills. Armed with a healing factor borrowed from Wolverine and an arsenal of lethal weaponry he wields with little regard for others; this merc' with a mouth can kick butt with the best of them, and still has a tendency to fall into line with the other heroes, like so many other popular bad guys turned anti-heroes.

Of course, his moral compass isn't the only thing that's changed as Deadpool has gained popularity...
The comedy of the character has arguably suffered dramatically in later iterations, as Deadpool, at times, becomes an obxious parody of himself. Many late-coming fans have been oblivious to the things Deadpool has mocked, creating a self-fulfilling indulgence of bad internet humor, and shlocky gimmicks, like the recently added Alley McBeal-esque, 'Deadpool Vision.'

This (de)evolution of the character has made navigating comic appearances a minefield, compounded by the company's recent expansion of series and guest-spots, so be warned newbs!

Fortunately; Marvel have also begun to reintroduce previous runs of the series through trade paperback collections, and in amongst the thoroughly average work, there are still occasionally digestable helpings.

Deadpool: Suicide Kings was a mini-series that recently wrapped, and had DP on the run from The Punisher - framed for a bombing he did not commit! Though not terribly complex, the action-packed mini had Deadpool team-up with fellow urban heroes, and Ultimate Alliance 2 playable characters, Daredevil and Spider-man, as well as the Punisher himself, in their battle against super-strong mobster, Tombstone. All in all, it was a fun romp, and a soft and cushy entry point into the world of Marvel comics.

Deadpool of parallel Earth-2149 also dropped in for some fun, terrorizing heroes posted in Florida near the Nexus of Realities in Marvel Zombies 3, before spreading the plague as a decapitated head in Marvel Zombies 4!
"Z-Pool" now stars alongside the original in, Deadpool: Merc' with a Mouth, but as much fun as a decapitated zombie head might sound, you might be better served checking out MZ3 and MZ4.

No matter how you slice and dice it, Deadpool is one of comics' newest icons. With this success comes promise of a solo-film starring Ryan Reynolds, and with a bit of luck, a long awaited forray into gaming. With so many unique reference points, a Deadpool film and game has the potential to do the comedic equivalent of Arkham Asylum. Here's hoping we get that same irreverence and reference-filled mania that made the character great to begin with! The possibilities are endless!

Remember! For your chance to win a PlayStation 3 Slim, Marvel Civil War comics, and a copy of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, all you have to do is blog about where your allegiances lie -- Captain America, or Iron Man? I know who I'm with! For more information about the competition, dare to register, and visit the competition page!

<< Hero of the Week 10/04: Green Arrow       [Home]       Hero of the Week 09/18: Iron Patriot >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9005223

Hero of the Week #16: Iron Patriot

IRON PATRIOT (Marvel)
Real Name: Norman Osborn
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-man #14 (July, 1964)
Group Affiliation: H.A.M.M.E.R, The Avengers, Thunderbolts, The Cabal
Gaming Credentials: Spider-man (2000); Ultimate Spider-man (2005); Spider-man: Battle for New York (2006); Spider-man: Friend or Foe (2007); Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009); Marvel Super Hero Squad (TBA)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #759

With the release of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, we've all been reliving the fun of picking sides for the superhero Civil War. I went with Iron Man (over Captain America), but what if we didn't have to choose? What if we could have the best of both heroes in one single, iconic, All-American unit? Allow me to introduce you to the Iron Patriot!

Iron Patriot: Director of HAMMER and leader of the (Dark) Avengers!

Whoa there! Do not be fooled, true believer! This all-too-perfect a solution is exactly that!

In fact, it was the cunning scheme that has allowed Norman Osborn [aka; Green Goblin] to seize control of the world's most powerful intelligence agency (SHIELD), and become one of America's newest beloved heroes as the leader of the Avengers! This "Dark Reign" is the legacy of all that went down in the Civil War -- the future resulting from our MUA2 decision! Allow me to explain: technically, Iron Man won...

In a final grand battle between the two factions, Captain America surrendered so as to avoid further collateral damage from their in-fighting. Iron Man was promoted to Director of SHIELD, while Cap's incarceration allowed his enemies to position themselves to assassinate him, ahead of his trial.
The death afforded established unregistered heroes some freedom of movement, as IM accepted some responsibility for publically parading Cap, and the sympathies of both the establishment and public returned to the gallant heroes whose identities remained hidden. So while the likes of Daredevil, Iron Fist, Hawkeye, and other Secret Avengers continued to fight the good fight on the streets; Iron Man led the official Avengers against some of the worst of the worst, who threatened America, and the fate of the world.

Despite the grace afforded to the unregistered heroes, every so often the two groups would clash, or in rare instances, team-up. It was the unveiling of a Secret Invasion that forced just such a team-up, when evil shape-shifting Skrull aliens were revealed to have infiltrated all corners of the Marvel Universe. Unfortunately, that included infiltrating SHIELD, which allowed Norman Osborn to fire the war-winning shot that ended the Invasion, and branded Iron Man a corrupt coward-cum-fugitive. Which brings us back to the present.

After ousting Tony Stark, Norman seized all property funded by SHIELD, including the most recent incarnation of his armory. Seeking a design that would inspire the public to rally behind his (Dark) Avengers, Osborn attempted to merge the iconography of two of the team's greatest icons -- Iron Man and Captain America. Thus, he donned the armor, tweaked it to his own specs, and gave it a red, white, and blue paint job, creating the Iron Patriot!

Like his cinematic counterpart; Norman Osborn was long thought dead, after being impaled upon his own Goblin Glider. He returned in the late nineties to bedevil Spider-man once more, however, and before becoming Iron Patriot, served as Director for the Commission on Superhuman Activities -- a role that allowed him to manipulate the team of government-sponsored villains, (redeemed and/or pacified), called The Thunderbolts.

It's through this association that he joins Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 as a playable character, appearing alongside other T-bolts such as; Songbird, Venom, and Penance.

If you're looking for more Norman Osborn/Iron Patriot, you won't have to look hard!
Dark Reign is currently spread across the entire Marvel catalogue. You'll find plenty of spillover events and guest appearances in various titles, alongside Iron Patriot's regular starring role in Dark Avengers.
Also currently hitting stands are a series of special Dark Reign: The List specials that have Osborn and his Dark Avengers targetting specific threats to his sinister domination. You can find more information on all of that via Marvel.com and their Dark Reign mini-site!

Remember! For your chance to win a PlayStation 3 Slim, Marvel Civil War comics, and a copy of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, all you have to do is blog about where your allegiances lie -- Captain America, or Iron Man? I know who I'm with! For more information about the competition, dare to register, and visit Mike Cruz' blog!

<< Hero of the Week 09/26: Deadpool       [Home]       Hero of the Week 9/11: Spider-man >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9004603

Hero of the Week #15: Spider-man

SPIDER-MAN (Marvel)
Real Name: Peter Parker
First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy #15 (August, 1962)
Group Affiliation: Secret Avengers
Gaming Credentials: Questprobe #2 Spider-man (1978); Spider-man (1982); Spider-man & Captain America in Dr. Doom's Revenge (1989); The Amazing Spider-man (1990); Amazing Spider-man vs Kingpin (1990); Spider-man: The Video Game (1991); Punisher: The Ultimate Payback (1991); Spider-man: Return of the Sinister Six (1992); Spider-man & X-Men: Arcade's Revenge (1992); Spider-man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994); Amazing Spider-man: Lethal Foes (1994); Spider-man (1995); Spider-man & Venom: Separation Anxiety (1995); Marvel Super Heroes (1995); Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems (1996); Spider-man: Web of Fire (1996); Marvel vs Capcom (1998); Spider-man (2000); Marvel vs Capcom 2 (2000); Spider-man: Mysterio's Menace (2001); Spider-man 2: The Sinister Six (2001); Spider-man 2: Enter Electro (2001); Spider-man (2002); Spider-man 2 (2004); Ultimate Spider-man (2005); Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (2005); Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006); Spider-man: Battle for New York (2006); Spider-man 3 (2007); Spider-man: Friend or Foe (2007); Spider-man: Web of Shadows (2008); Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (TBR); Marvel Super Hero Squad (TBR)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #2

Coming off the announcement of Disney's intended acquisition of Marvel Comics, how could I not defer to the company mascot for this week's HOTW? Not only is Spider-man one of the most enduring and recognisable characters to come from comics, but he also has a rich pedigree in gaming, spanning four decades and a mammoth library of titles! [You might have noticed the absurd list of games, compiled above...]

There's a lot to like about Spider-man video games!... Maybe not quite THAT much, but still...

Batman: Arkham Asylum might have declared it's legitimate contention for "Game of the Year" by succeeding where previous Batman titles have failed, but hype might've twisted the perception of it's value to comics games as a whole. You simply cannot go past Spider-man for some of the boldest movements in comics licensed games, both for storytelling, and innovation in gameplay.

At their heart, most video game mascots are effectively super-heroes. Ergo, when it came to adapting comics characters into the medium, it was easy to slip them into existing conventions popular at the time. Most heroes translate easily into a basic system of jumping and fighting, with the odd trademark projectile thrown in for good measure. Spider-man, however, suggests a whole new set of expected abilities that are unique and inherent to the character.

Few games can claim to have tackled wall-crawling and web-swinging before Spidey jumped into platformers in the eighties and nineties, and even now, they remain trademarks of the character that are rarely repeated. They're the skills around which you might claim the modern Spider-man gaming dynasty was built. Just as they once provided a point of differentiation to rival platforming titles, so too did they provide a foundation for games that explored with expanding his movements around the iconic New York cityscape.

Spider-man (2000) might not have played as significant a role as the likes of GTA, but it made the first important step in establishing superheroes in a city. Though it only featured the tops of buildings, it provided a blueprint that was iterated upon until Spider-man 2 (2004), where an entire Manhattan was built for players to swing through!

Big City Nights: Swinging through the streets of NYC is a vital part of any Spider-man experience.

Like Mickey to Disney; Spider-man has been front-and-centre for the Marvel brand in video games, appearing in an expanding list of titles that boast larger chunks of the Marvel Universe. Capcom made an agile fighter out of the webhead with their Versus series of titles, while Ultimate Alliance made him party to a tour of the greatest evils alongside the greatest heroes! Even Spidey branded games, like the less notable, Friend or Foe, recall the classic Marvel Team-Up model!

As an indomitable pop culture icon, Spider-man has dominated not just comics and games, but also film, television, and just about any inanimate object you can think of. The Disney acqusition will no doubt take full advantage of this, particularly as the character angles for a fourth feature film, and who knows what else! That's why he's our HOTW!

Should you find yourself seeking more Spider-man, you'll find the web-slinger appearing three-times a month in Amazing Spider-man and monthly in New Avengers. In October, Marvel will relaunch Web of Spider-man with a new volume, and have recently done the same for Ultimate Spider-man. You can find more information from Marvel.com and good comics sites!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club is updated with varying consistency, promising a feature fight for every Friday on the calendar (even if sometimes they're late). The site acts as an information resource, discussion site, review blog, and proportionate good time to that of a spider.

<< Hero of the Week 09/18: Iron Patriot       [Home]       Hero of the Week 09/05: Scarecrow >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9003974

Hero of the Week #14: Scarecrow

SCARECROW (DC)
Real Name: Jonathan Crane
First Appearance: World's Finest Comics #3 (Fall, 1941)
Group Affiliation: The Society
Gaming Credentials: Batman: The Animated Series (1993); Adventures of Batman & Robin (1994); Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (2004); Batman Begins (2005); Lego Batman (2008); Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009); DC Universe Online (TBA)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #313

By inferrence, if not popular demand, I am compelled to spotlight Scarecrow as Hero of the Week!
If there's a phrase I've heard more than 'zOMG Mickey & Spidey' this week, it's that Scarecrow "steals the show" in the critically acclaimed comic book release, Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Since his creation in the forties, Scarecrow has gone on to be one of the enduring stars of the famous Batman rogues gallery, but arguably never quite reached the A-list status he received from appearing in the cinematic revamp, Batman Begins. The character gets another boost into the mainstream consciousness through Arkham Asylum, where the outlandish potential of the villain is explored with a fitting visceral interpretation sure to solidify his status with gamers.

Over the decades, Scarecrow has been interpreted in a multitude of ways. The movie appearance inspired a new subset of horror fans who saw great potential in the fear-inducing villain, while in the comics, the character has ranged everywhere from an inconsequential weakling fighting out of his weight class, to a torturer fixated on the torment of his victims. With a consistent undercurrent of "fear" -- the Scarecrow has proven to be as versatile a character as The Dark Knight himself.

One of my favourite interpretations is of a Dr. Jonathan Crane who, after years of experimentation with fear gasses and innoculations, has himself been rendered almost incapable of feeling such an emotion. A distanced character of esoteric interests and reference, unaffected by the threatening world around him, and consequently empowered to devise his own nightmares.
This version was implied in a 2004 B&W Geoff Johns/Tommy Castillo back-up story in Batman: Gotham Knights #49. It suggests a version of the Scarecrow motivated to commit crimes both in the interest of experiencing the fear of others, while also dancing with the fate of fearing Batman himself. A poetically double-edged sword of horror and delight for the demented villain.

Batman: Arkham Asylum makes full use of the context of the character, using it to create scenes in the game that capture an unsettling atmosphere befitting of the gothic Arkham setting. It's no doubt those Silent Hill-esque scenes of nightmarish hallucination are what led many to proclaim Scarecrow as the unlikely star of the game, even though battling the villain takes on a disappointingly conventional and stilted "video game" approach. I discussed exactly that in a previous article about the game, which you might like to read.

Despite any flaws, I think Arkham Asylum has to be considered a resounding success. It has made a contrasting effort to balance the harmony of game and comics license, and in doing so, consequently made it impossible to deny Scarecrow as this week's HOTW!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club is updated with varying consistency, promising a feature fight for every Friday on the calendar (even if sometimes they're late). The site acts as an information resource, discussion site, review blog, and frighteningly good time.

<< Hero of the Week 09/11: Spider-man       [Home]       Hero of the Week 08/25: Joker >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9003394

Hero of the Week #13: Joker

JOKER (DC)
Real Name: Unknown
First Appearance: Batman #1 (Spring, 1940)
Group Affiliation: NA
Gaming Credentials: Batman: The Caped Crusader (1988); Batman (1989); Batman (1990); Batman: Revenge of the Joker (1991); Batman: The Animated Series (1993); Adventures of Batman & Robin (1994); Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000); Batman: Chaos in Gotham (2001); Batman: Vengeance (2001); Batman: Dark Tomorrow (2003); Lego Batman (2008); Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe (2008); Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009); DC Universe Online (TBR)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #333

In a week that saw the release of what's already being touted the 'best Batman game ever', how could you possibly look past the lead antagonist for "Hero" of the Week?

The Joker has been a cultural phenomenon for decades, but was most recently reinvigorated by the Academy Award winning performance of the late Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. Mark Hamill successfully leaps out of that long shadow, however, to reprise his critically acclaimed take on the clown prince of crime from the 90's Animated Series, delivering a more traditional take on the character when he gets the plot rolling in Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Fans who favoured the PS3 version of the game will have the added treat of being able to play through as the Joker himself, in what I would describe as a rare advantage for the Sony version of a cross-platform title, in this generation.

It's interesting to think about what the Joker has to offer in a video game, let alone one that's so specifically attempted to live up to the prestige of the brand. In a medium where interactive elements have inherently demanded a succession of difficulty, you wouldn't necessarily expect the Joker to lead as many gaming titles as he has. Previous generations have let the killer prankster get by on the kinds of gimmicks that have typified the character's more friendly appearances, but with modern video games preoccupied by the advantages of realistic simulation and technology erring to favour the visceral, a skinny clown isn't what you'd expect for an ultimate showdown.

Arkham Asylum will live and die by it's story, I would imagine.
Plenty of lip service has been played toward capturing Batman's iconic role as a supreme martial artist and astute detective, but at the end of the day, it's the characters and plotlines that will sell an identity for the game. In 2009, the Joker had to be a part of that image, but I wonder if his role as puppet master in a 'house of horrors' game will hold the title of 'greatest appearance' for very long.

With it's moody art direction and reasonably faithful recreation of the iconic world of the comics, this is definitely a far superior affair to any film tie-in The Dark Knight could have produced. In Arkham Asylum there can be no doubt that there's a pointed design to the experience, which can provide as much as any new release comic book or "graphic novel" with a greater chance for interaction.

Unfortunately, often times there's more to Batman than fighting and detecting.
Certainly, the dynamics of the relationship between Batman and Joker go much deeper than simple cause and effect, which is how a physically unimposing character has maintained his role as the Batman's arch-nemesis. It will be very interesting to see how the game can explore this, particularly when taking control of the character. Here's hoping Arkham Asylum delivers a more involving experience with the Joker than the Green Goblin play-through of 2002's Spider-man.

If you haven't already, check out 1up's rundown of the Batman titles of the past.
Glancing through a catalogue that includes the promising all the way to the justly maligned, I can't help but ruminate on the past and present. There've been a lot of Batman games said to have topped the others, but Batman Forever stands out in my mind as a release to make the most significant switch from revered, to maligned. Granted, digitized beat 'em ups have suffered this fate on a whole, but it makes me wonder further what the future might hold for Arkham Asylum, and if, and how, future generations can improve on the mould.

Preferably with a version that doesn't give the obnoxious emo kids a cypher to channel their whiney teen angst and rebellion through. Buncha chumps!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club is updated with varying consistency, promising a feature fight for every Friday on the calendar (even if sometimes they're late). The site acts as an information resource, discussion site, review blog, and a Generation Y-hating good time.

<< Hero of the Week 09/05: Scarecrow       [Home]       Hero of the Week 08/17: Aquaman >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9002297

Hero of the Week #12: Aquaman

AQUAMAN (DC)
Real Name: Orin
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73 (November, 1941)
Group Affiliation: Black Lantern Corps
Gaming Credentials: Justice League Task Force (1995); Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis (2002); Justice League Heroes (2006); DC Universe Online (TBA)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #54


Comics fans know Aquaman as one of the classic "big seven" members of the Justice League, but even they have a hard time not making fun of the guy. Let's face it, when it comes to the gammut of superpowers, a guy who can communicate with your pet goldfish isn't exactly the first person you talk to when trouble's afoot. He's more like the guy you get to take care of said-goldfish, while you show Batman where the nasty men nabbed you.

So lame has Aquaman's career been that, after spending the nineties with a beard and a hook for a hand, DC finally gave up on trying and killed him off in 2006. For ordinary folks like you and I, being deceased would probably really effect our careers, but three years later, Aquaman's about to get the respect he sought for so long!

If you thought Aquaman had a bad attitude in the nineties (after Charybdis had pirhanas eat off his hand), then you clearly haven't had a chance to read his "return" in last week's Blackest Night #2! The series, DC's blockbuster summer event for 2009, tells of the prophecized creation of a brand new army of powerring wielding agents -- the Black Lantern Corps!

See, it turns out the Green Lanterns were just first out of the gates, and there's actually an entire spectrum of primordial powers based upon emotive energies that can be harnessed through energy rings. Yellow Lanterns harness fear, Blue Lanterns hope, Red hate, Orange avarice, Violet love, and Indigo compassion. What's black, I hear you ask? Black is the all consuming darkness of death and they're recruiting everyone you ever loved and lost!

So, what was the first order of business for the Black Lantern Aquaman?
Like so many evil dead tend to do, he spent his time hurting the ones he loves. He slapped around his grieving widow (who had the sense to impale him with a trident, mind you), sent some dead ex-girlfriends to literally rip out Aqualad's heart, and used his Dr. Dolittle trick to get some sharks and eels to do the heavy lifting when it came to slicing and dicing some Atlantean soldiers. Even when he's got an evil powerring, he's still too weak and lazy to do the killing himself! Whatta prick!

Sadly, Midway missed out on a prime opportunity to make a lasting impression on Aquaman with their last hurrah, Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe. I think it would've been a prime opportunity to do the character justice, but alas, if you're keen to get your mits soggy in this generation, you'll have to wait for next year's universe-spanning hero-filled MMO extravaganza, DC Universe Online.
There you'll have the opportunity to not only bump into Aquaman, but also most of your other famous (and infamous) heroes and villains from the DCU comics. A prospect probably a little bit more attractive than going back to play the Gamecube/Xbox clunker, Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis. Ecco the Dolphin, it wasn't! Ouch! To think Hawkman hasn't been in a video game yet, but that atrocity was created! Here's hoping Battle for Atlantis stays dead and buried!

Blackest Night and Blackest Night spin-offs are on shelves most Wednesdays, from DC comics. You can find out more information from the official DCcomics website, IGN's Blackest Night mini-site, or various other sources. Blackest Night #2 -- starring Aquaman -- should still be available from good comics retailers!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club is updated with varying consistency, promising a feature fight for every Friday on the calendar (even if sometimes they're late). The site acts as an information resource, discussion site, review blog, and a whale-slapping good time.

<< Hero of the Week 08/24: Joker       [Home]       Hero of the Week 08/10: Batman >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9001702

Hero of the Week #11: Batman

BATMAN (DC)
Real Name: Bruce Wayne
First Appearance: Detective Comic #27 (May, 1939)
Group Affiliation: Justice League
Gaming Credentials: Batman (1986); Batman: The Caped Crusader (1988); Batman (1989); Batman (1990); Batman: Revenge of the Joker (1991); Batman Returns (1993); Batman: The Animated Series (1993); Adventures of Batman & Robin (1994); Justice League: Task Force (1995); Batman Forever (1996); Batman & Robin (1997); Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000); Batman: Gotham City Racer (2001); Batman: Vengeance (2001); Batman: Dark Tomorrow (2003); Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (2004); Batman Begins (2005); Justice League Heroes (2006); Lego Batman (2008); Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe (2008); Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009); DC Universe Online (TBR)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #1

Back in June "we" made current-comics Batman, Dick Grayson, the second HOTW.
Bruce Wayne might currently be MIA in the comics, (as a result of a run-in with Darkseid), but the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum demands recognition of one of the most enduring legacys in comics history -- the one true Batman!

As one of the most widely recognised superheroes in the world, you'd think Batman would've had a better record of representation in video games. Sure, he doesn't have the immediate lure of heat vision, leaping tall buildings, or hocking school buses at alien pro-wrestlers, but when it comes to the pantheon of superheroes, few are held in as high regard. With a library of must-read stories that include Batman: Year One, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Long Halloween, and many more, the 1939 costumed detective has had one of the most impressive runs in the history of the medium! Throw in exploits in television and film, like Tim Burton's 1989 Batman; Christopher Nolan's contemporary updates, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight; the celebrated Animated Series of the nineties, and the sixties live-action show, if you're feeling generous; and you've got an empire that pretty much leaves only video games to conquer!

So, what is the Batman's secret to success over seven decades?
Arkham Asylum probably presents one of the best examples of exactly what that is!

By showing a wonderful ability to walk a fine line between the grim plausibility and urban reinvention of the recent Nolan films, and the more fantastic comic book images that have been the foundation of this media dynasty; Arkham Asylum is able to tap in to all things that make Batman great!

You've got grand visions of villains like Joker, Bane, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, and Harley Quinn, who all service a greater plot of story provided by animated series and comic book scribe, Paul Dini. Dini is joined by fellow cartoon collaborators, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, who reprise their roles as Batman and Joker respectively, further adding to the credibility of a game that never loses sight of the power fantasy aspects of playing as the Dark Knight. Often absent emphasis on the detective skills of Batman add to the brain/brawn formula of a DC hero often described as the absolute ultimate in human ability. Players have these incredible natural skills enhanced for them by in-game modes and tech-upgrades, whilst simultaneously combatting Arkham foes with the Dark Knight's martial arts expertise and penchant for urban warfare tactics of terror -- the "theatricality" lamented on by Batman Begins.

The iconic Arkham Asylum itself plays an integral role to the game, serving up a fixed landscape akin to Silent Hill, with it's grim and dim rusted facade and tortured hospital soul. It's a brilliant way of creating a Batman experience that doesn't rip over the expectations of a sprawling Gotham City encounter. Instead, it's a very personal, driven experience that's contained enough to allow for a constant monitor of story that coexists with action.

This truly is the Batman gamers and comic fans have been waiting to see!
With the Dark Knight out of action in the comics, it's the perfect way to get a Bruce Wayne Bat-fix, too! A real triumph for DC Comics, who've been slow to really capitalize on their powers in feature films and video games in contrast to Marvel's runaway successes. This might just be the turning point in the same way Batman Begins and The Dark Knight put them on top of movies!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club is updated with varying consistency, promising a feature fight for every Friday on the calendar (even if sometimes they're late). The site acts as an information resource, discussion site, review blog, and a Kryptonian good time.

<< Hero of the Week 08/17: Aquaman       [Home]       Hero of the Week 08/03: Ryu >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9001043

CAPTAIN AMERICA versus MASTER MAN
(Marvel)
Where: Reborn #2 When: October 2009
Why: Ed Brubaker How: Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice

The Story So Far...
With the superhero factions split by an ideology of freedom and rights, it seemed appropriate for Captain America to lead them against his former comrade and newly appointed Director of SHIELD, Tony Stark. With the registration of powered individuals being enforced with extreme prejudice by Stark's SHIELD, it made perfect sense to take the fight to the other side as hard and true as they would any other force who threatened these basic principles. It made sense to enter into a Civil War with former friends, allies, and loved ones -- until the fighting filled the very streets that were tainted by a battle that killed hundreds, and it was time to surrender to a greater good.

By giving himself to Tony Stark -- Captain America seemingly confirmed the fear and suspicion that had seen him branded a rebel and traitor. He had appeased the establishment enough to declare an effective ceasefire to the superhero Civil War, but sacrificed himself in the process. His legend would appear to have one final passifying role to play, however, when, grandstanded infront of an audience of citizens and reporters, Captain America was gunned down and killed...

To the world, sniper fire by Red Skull's right-hand assassin, Crossbones, was responsible for killing the hero. In truth, it was a blow dealt by Sharon Carter -- Cap's former lover, ally, and an Agent of SHIELD. A blow dealt under influence from the Red Skull's brainwashing, with a far more devious plan in tact. For Captain America would not simply be murdered before the world's eyes, but rather, displaced in time and space, allowing the Skull and his co-conspirators opportunity to pluck Steve Rogers into their grasp at any moment.

Thus; the great Captain America is thrown from the turmoil of one war, to the nightmare of those wars he had already fought, his consciousness shunted from one time to another, reliving the horrors, but unable to act. In the theatre of 1944, the Captain awakens beside soldiers he knows will die, in a battle against another of the Red Skull's right-hand men, with the future so far away.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Master Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Capt. America 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Master Man 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Capt. America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Capt. America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Capt. America 2 (Projectiles)


- With a frail body unable to support the willing spirit it contained, Steve Rogers was deemed a fitting candidate for an experimental Super-Soldier Serum devised by defected German scientist, Abrham Erskine. Operation: Rebirth was a success and the once feeble Steve Rogers was transformed into the ultimate man, nimble and strong, brilliant and adept. The Super-Soldier came with a price, however. Dr. Erskine was murdered by a double-agent during the experiment, before his serum could be shared. Thus; Steve Rogers is forced to walk alone as Captain America, the sentinel of liberty, America's finest fighting hero in the Second World War!

Alongside the finest soldiers the Allied Powers could muster, Captain America led many successful missions, a dynamo beyond human imagining. Even though he started alone, the Captain would eventually find equals and employ the aid of a boy sidekick -- the deceptively skilled Bucky Barnes! Together, they joined the likes of Sub-Mariner and Human Torch in forming the allied super-powers known as The Invaders! Their battles against the Red Skull, Baron Blood, and the many powered menaces of Hitler's Nazi Party, would make them the stuff of legends!

Possessing enhanced physical attributes as a result of the Super-Soldier serum, extensive training in hand-to-hand combat, and an invincible vibranium compound shield, the Captain would even continue his fight into the decades that followed the Second World War! After being frozen in suspended animation and floating lifelessly in arctic waters, Captain America was discovered by the Avengers! Thawed out in the modern day, he continues to fight for truth, justice, and the American way, an uncompromising ultimate man who stands with gods!

- A frail American Bundist and Nazi sympathiser; Wilhelm Lohmer threw himself upon the scientific mercy of the Nazi Party in an experiment using an alternate version of the Super-Soldier Serum created by scientist, Dr. Abraham Erskine. The results embued him with powers far surpassing those of his US counterpart, Captain America, granting him super-human strength, speed, endurance, and flight. The powers proved temporary, initially, but were later made a permanent part of his arsenal as he became the Aryan Übermensch, Master Man.

Master Man regularly battled the allied heroes of The Invaders throughout the Second World War, and returned to terrorize their surviving members in the modern age, having been placed in suspended animation by Baron Strucker in the mid-forties, along with his female counterpart, Warrior Woman.

Additional: Since his retroactive introduction in 1975, Master Man has become a relatively regular fixture of Marvel's fictional Second World War setting. Another Ed Brubaker flashback, in Captain America #5, Captain America and The Invaders were successful in defeating Master Man and the Red Skull. At present, this is the only other battle between the two characters featured on the site.

History: Captain America (1-0-0)
The Math: Captain America Ranking: Captain America (#7)

The Fight...
In 1944, the mind of a Captain America who has lived more than half a century beyond this point awakens. Trapped within his own body he relives an experience he remembers well. On a hill, there is a castle, and in this keep, the Red Skull attempts to enlist the occult influence of demons in the name of his Fuehrer and the Nazi agenda. With hard fighting soldiers at his front and back, the Captain knows they will win this fight. Even if Master Man -- Hitler's favourite ubermensch -- will succeed in dealing death to the side of right.

Even as he remembers, gunfire ricochets off his shield. He dives toward to his men, warning them of an incoming attack. They spill back and the Master Man leaps into the air, defying gravity with designs to destroy Captain America.

The human missile is sorely mistaken if he believes himself an unstoppable force. Like a clash of ideologies, star and swastika collide, Captain America's invincible shield against Master Man's invulnerable chest. The Captain's strategy to cut his opponent off eventuates with spectacular success, a mortal man taking the wind out of a superhuman monster! The blow sends them hurtling toward the castle backdrop, Master Man's body absorbs the impact.

Calling upon fantastic enhanced strength and agility, not to mention months of training and determination, Captain America repells off the face of the broken keep wall, leveraging Master Man's body out of the hole it made, and over his. The gymnastic maneuver positions him above the fall, once more, with speed enough to prevent Master Man any chance of reply

The two figures plummet downward, courtesy of gravity and an impressive move on the Captain's part. As he falls with shield pressed against Master Man's body, he considers the weight of knowing what is going to happen. When he lands atop Master Man, who crushes a bystanding vehicle, he considers the expertise of a Reed Richards or Tony Stark, who might make better sense of his time travelling predicament.

Master Man lies unconscious, for a moment or more, we cannot know for sure. The battle will play out as it always had, without the pondered influence of a Captain America from this time's future, to victory none the less. The world begins to fade from the confused Captain's conscious perception, and once more, he becomes displaced in time...

The Hammer...
This fight may have ended with a potentially inconclusive result, but we certainly saw Master Man in a state resembling defeat, and Captain America himself told us how the fight ends at the beginning, any way. Hey! If you can't trust Captain America, who can you trust? Thus, I give you our winner.

The time travelling theme of Reborn certainly fits the nature of this post, which is being written in November 2010 as part of a backlog series. It has been my feeling that the stories and battles of 2009 were simply too good to ignore. 2009 was also the first year this humble Comic Book Fight Club had the opportunity to reflect the year itself, with featured fights running concurrent to the comics themselves. The freshness of these reviews is obviously long past, but the desire to crown a 2009 champion from 2009 reviews is still relevant.

It would be difficult to talk about a project like Reborn without acknowledging developments that have come since. At the time, it was comparable to Flash: Rebirth, another secondary 'event comic' that bolstered the presence of a once absent hero. Ultimately, the specifics of Reborn were far closer to Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne, which is only now [in 2010] concluding a similar tale of an iconic hero displaced in time. For Batman, it was his Final Crisis trist with Darkseid that created the circumstances for an apparent death, and his shunt into time. By inevitable comparison, the Batman tale proved superior in origin and conclusion, a more satisfyingly conceived tale, simpler in it's details despite an apparently convoluted series of circumstances.

Despite his acclaim, I have found myself very critical of Ed Brubaker's work in the past. Unfortunately, that criticism remains a throughline on this site, where Reborn ultimately felt underwritten in it's execution, and ill considered in it's specifics. Where Grant Morrison has taken superhero comics into a new era by revelling in the absurdity of their aged and justified design, Brubaker appears much less confident, creating an understated tone that's appropriate to portions of the tale, (the WWII sequence featured), but clashes awkwardly with vital mechanics and characters that should have more energy around them. Bryan Hitch's pencils and the inks and colours they're oft associated with contribute to some of the uncertainty of this direction. For a story of this nature, a greater sense of adventure and embellishment might have been appreciated.

By running concurrent to Brubaker's similarly plodding revamp of the WWII-era Marvel Universe [The Marvels Project], scenes that retell Cap's famed beginning seem like even more unnecessary interruptions. A fight with Master Man is a fun action sequence for five opening pages, but with yet nine more dedicated to the origin, and several pages to an unremarkable fight scene between the Dark Avengers and Cap's allies, the issue feels bloated with air.
With Chris Evans set to star in Captain America: The Fist Avenger mid-2011, it's hard not to be a little suspicious of Reborn's preoccupation with restating Captain America's origins. Some similiarities between the design Evans will wear, and the part-Golden Age, part-Ultimate outfit worn in Reborn, are noteable. Might this have been part of Marvel's efforts to return the honus of redefining characters for the screen to the comics? I guess we might never know. The only alternative seems to be aspirations of a definitive work -- a functional honor I can't see Reborn claiming beyond it's monthly readers, and not just for negative reasons.

While I would've preferred an indulgence more in keeping with Brian Bendis' work on New Avengers; Brubaker's Captain America finally crawls out of an isolated corner, to rejoin the Marvel Universe. As a means to an end, Reborn succeeds in inititating the necessary stages to bring us to Marvel's Heroic Age, which might even justify the visual tone of Reborn as a juxtaposition, if not it's slow script.
I'm personally uncomfortable with some of the details, like whose body was where, and why Red Skull and Arnim Zola would go to such absurd lengths to displace and reclaim bodies, fake deaths, and other devices handled bettern in the Batman version, but at the end of the day, as a book that restores Marvel's iconic conscience, it is something new, and something necessary.

It wasn't bold and indulgent, but the invitation of Dark Reign into this book, and the appreciable build-up to Siege, is also a nice thing to see. Captain America's death was a small and personal affair, chiefly contained within that isolated run of Captain America. It seems like balance to have everyone involved in his return. Of course, it's connection to Dark Reign and Siege inherently defines it as a piece of the puzzle, and a less apt example of Marvel's fictional Second World War than the Brubaker's sister series, The Marvels Project. Earlier, more direct accounts of Captain America's origin exist, but if film-going audiences need Bryan Hitch to be tricked into absorbing the comics shared universe, then maybe I shouldn't be so critical. Let's wait and see how successful it is, though.

At the end of the day, I think modern audiences have come to accept certain things that may or may not make a good comic book. Reborn #2 contains maybe threads connecting it to other characters and realms of Marvel Comics, but doesn't contain too many contexts or plotlines. I find it hard not to be cynical about this cult of personality and acceptance of quantity over quality, but I don't want that to overwhelm the fact that there are enjoyable facets to this comic.

I chose to feature the fight between Cap and MM over the bigger battle between Dark Avengers and Avengers because, at the end of the day, it's one of the most enjoyable sequences in the comic. Master Man might actually be a creation of the modern age, but he is a reflection of our on-going relationship with history in this medium. The rest of the book might not feel savvy, but in that opening fight, I feel Brubaker and Hitch embue the smart things about comics. It's a simpler version of the colourful indulgence with which I believe [Grant] Morrison paints, and it is good. Just as it's been good to see both series embracing their legacy components, Bucky Barnes (Captain America) and Dick Grayson (Batman).

At the end of the day, Reborn is a series that amounts to 'Captain America is back', and that's really all you need to know. I would recommend investigating further before making a purchase, but would also suggest that it might slot neatly into holiday shopping if arranged with other stories.

Civil War, Death of Captain America, Siege, and their many spin-offs and tie-ins come together to form a saga that has shaped the Marvel Universe. Reborn interacts with each in a different way, and may be worth consideration in that context.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4

Captain America: Reborn is available in a single collected volume. By using Amazon purchase links provided, you help give back to the site. The Infinite Wars Amazon Shop contains collected editions of most issues reviewed in the five years of Infinite Wars spotlight reviews. You can find more info on all of the competition in the Secret Archives. Cheers!