SUPERBOY-PRIME versus BLACK ADAM
Touchdown (DC)
Where: Infinite Crisis #6 When: May 2006
Why: Geoff Johns How: Phil Jiminez, Jerry Ordway, George Perez, Ivan Reis (If you know which, post a comment)

The story so far...
Long ago a crisis tour the fabric of reality asunder, giving birth to a new age of fact, and universe of heroes reborn.
Unbeknownst to even those aware of events, a pocket dimension housed a band of survivors from the infinite earths, where for decades they have watched.

Disatisfied with the darkness that has befallen their counterparts of Earth-One, these heroes of old have escaped the confines of their self-imposed exile, and come to usher in a new reign of existance in the universe, even if each member has a different goal in mind.

Manipulated along with the entire villainous community; Black Adam soon discovers he is little more than a power source for the world altering machinations of Alexander Luthor Jr (of Earth-Three). With the lives of millions at stake, the dark Marvel turns on the villains, and after destroying Psycho-Pirate, directs his attentions to the out-of-control Superboy of Earth-Prime...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Black Adam 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superboy-Prime 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Superboy-Prime 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Black Adam 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Black Adam 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Superboy-Prime 5 (Lasers)


- Once, long ago, a technologically advanced civilization lived in a period of utopia sustained by the people's own magnificence. Despite their brilliance, the people of the distant planet Krypton would condemn themselves to a destiny of self-destruction, determined by cosmic conspiracies far beyond them.

Thermonuclear energies from deep within the planet's core simmered to the surface, resulting in a plague that killed thousands of Kryptonians. Despite fair warning, the elders of this civilization were unable to relinquish a total ban on space travel, decreed after the destruction of one of their two populated moons, the result of weapons testing by the scientist, Jax-Ur.

Jax-Ur's colleague, a kind man named Jor-L, would reluctantly imprison his mentor in a pocket dimension of non-space dubbed, the Phantom Zone.
Having learnt of his planet's doomed fate, but unable to change the whims of his seniors, Jor-L went about ensuring the Kryptonian legacy by using his technology to teleport his only son, Kal-L, to a world eventually dubbed Earth-Prime.

Discovered alone in a forest by Jerry and Naomi Kent; Kal-L becomes their adopted son, whose history remains a complete mystery to them. Even so, fate has it that they name their new son Clark, despite the name's association with a popular fictional superhero called Superman.

The passing of a comet awakens Clark Kent of to his Kryptonian powers, and drawing power from Earth-Prime's yellow sun, he becomes Superboy!
By escaping exposure to Krypton's radioactive remnants, he evades it's weaknesses, whilst sharing the same powers as his Earth-One counterpart.

Anguish over the destruction of his home at the hands of the Anti-Monitor, and decades sealed in a pocket dimension, eventually lead Superboy to become a villain to the people of Earth-One, where his zealous quest for nostalgia makes him Superboy-Prime. Armours based on the Anti-Monitor's enhance his powers, supplying him direct with yellow based energy.

- In ancient Egypt, the Wizard Shazam grows weary of his duties and comes to recognise the need for a champion to rid the Earth of the evil that infests it.
Impressed with the deeds of an Egyptian Prince, Teth-adam, he grants him the powers of a pantheon of Egyptian gods, his powers being: the stamina of Shu; the swiftness of Heru; the strength of Amon; the wisdom of Zehuti; the power of Aton; and the courage of Mehen. Their initials spell Adam's magic word, Shazam!

Alas, Adam is seduced by evil, and overthrows his Pharoah to earn the name of distain: Black Adam. Despite his power, Adam would disappear after his betrayal of the Wizard, to resurface thousands of years later when he would be reincarnated at an archaelogical dig. This resurrection eventually gives the immensly powerful Adam an opportunity to repent, turning his massive strength, speed, and endurance to a complicated new life in modern times.

The Math: Black Adam Ranking: Black Adam (#13)

What Went Down...
Having been freed of Alexander Luthor's Anti-Monitor Tower, and killed Psycho-Pirate [Infinite Crisis #6], Black Adam finds himself the target of renegade, Superboy-Prime, who delights at the challenge he presents.

Not inclined to compromise, the betrayed Black Adam prepares the fullest of his strength, with little inclination to show mercy on the murderous teen.
Having successfully faced Superman in combat, Adam procedes with an arrogance he soon regreats, as the Superboy of Earth-Prime reveals a distinct difference between he and his senior counterparts.

Suffering the blows of a legitimate powerhouse, Superboy-Prime feigns greater sensitivity, playing to Adam's understanding of the regular Superman.
Powered by the armor modelled after the Anti-Monitor's, Superboy easily recovers from Adam's mighty blows, and retaliates with a punch that sends the dark Marvel hurtling across the battle scene.

Adam's trajectory sends him so far into the air his proximity to the Anti-Monitor Tower becomes too distant to sustain him in the neutral plane. Though still ready to battle, Black Adam finds himself in the strangely unfamiliar Earth-S, transported back to his original Earth. A fate no longer accessible to Superboy, who remains insanely desperate to return home.

The Hammer...
So, after a year of sponsorship we finally got Black Adam a decent mugshot. Too bad it couldn't come with a victory over the ever-topical Superboy-Prime!

Gosh, there's so much to talk about here, and a lot of it has very little to do with Adam, whom we've covered considerably throughout 2007. You can probably stay tuned if you're looking for more on him, but in the mean time, it might interest you to know Black Adam was among the top ten characters of 2007, which get first bite at 2008!

Strangely enough, despite this being the first appearance of the character in the Infinite Wars, we actually have a sub-clause concerning Superboy-Prime and the existence of significant alternate-universe counterparts. [For a taste of the unwritten rule book, check out the Doombot Decree!]

If you're a first time reader of the Infinite Wars you'll be a little in the dark, so let me fill you, and even the unwitting long timers on the situation.
Amidst the many things we do here, monitoring the results of superhero fights is chief among them. By tabulating those results we accumulate a sports league style layout for our yearly reviews, and a running tally for the overall feature that seeks to measure the fighting prowess of the major superheroes and villains.

In a genre constantly in flux, certain contingencies are in place to allow us to operate with fluidity. One of those is the rule to measure alternate universe counterparts [like Dark Knight Returns Batman] as connected variations of a character.
That is to say; if DKR Batman defeats the Joker, the stats for both results are attributed to Batman and the Joker as a generic. Likewise, this allows us to visit film and television versions of characters without an excess of labels.

Superboy-Prime, as a topical example, provides us an exception to the rule that recognises the interactions of a unique alternate version, and dubs it necessary to consider them as individuals. This not only acknowledges the canonical relevance of a characater like Superboy-Prime, but also prevents dead-results from a confrontation with our Earth-One Superboy.

Another example of the rule, for Marvel fans, might be the Exiles version of Calvin Rankin, aka; Mimic, who crossed over with the Marvel Universe proper, and also possesses differentiating distinction from the original character.

Of course, while we tried to think of everything, the convoluted nature of comics fiction, which is constantly in flux, throws us some curve balls. DC went to lengths to make things very difficult with their recent streamlining of the multiverse, with a new fifty-two Earth layout originally referred to as the megaverse, (by Grant Morrison, one of the influential writers behind it).

This newly specific Megaverse meant exploration between worlds, many of which are dervied from famously abandoned Elseworlds tales, was infinitely more approachable. Interdimensional travel has been a core concept explored with the recent Countdown weekly series, and it's many spin-offs, including Arena.

Arena represents our problem in a nutshell, because this story, built solely around gladiatorial combat - perfect for the Infinite Wars, brings together triplets from the Megaverse. This means we now have to decide whether or not three versions of Superman deserve individual recognition, or should remain under the original alternate universe rule.

If you've made it this far through the garbled discussion about alternate universe, then you're probably a savvy or at least interested War Monger (reader), and are the perfect person to help the decision. Scroll down a little to the comments section where we'd love to get your opinion on whether or not Megaverse counterparts deserve individual recognition, or if we should be selective with who deviates from central characters in the ranks.

In the mean time, I would imagine we can all stay tuned for more on Superboy-Prime, who you'll notice has been tagged as Superman-Prime.
Legal disputes between DC and the estate of Superman creator, Jerry Siegel, have resulted in widespread avoidance of the Superboy name. This meant not only a last hurrah for "Conner" in Infinite Crisis, but also a not at all out-of-character promotion for the self-absorbed Prime. More on those events, in the not too distant future...

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 7

The Black Adam/Superboy-Prime fight represents a very tiny piece of what is an overflowing book. In a previous review we gave the issue seven for the unashamed investment in DC history and future, with a buttload of content coming from this single issue. Infinite Crisis has shaped much of the DCU as we know it now, and is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the greater context of Countdown, and all other events currently occuring. A great way to catch up is by picking up the collection at best-price from Amazon -- and by using the link, you help sponsor future entries thanks to Amazon kick-backs! Whamee!

IN STORES: January 16, 2008
You can probably find complete shipping list updates on most major comics sites. Consider this an opportunity to either do all your info-shopping in the one place, or get a speculative perspective on what might be worth checking out. These are untested reads. Secret Wars on Infinite Earths can offer no guarantee or endorsement of quality. These are simply titles that may be of potential interest. Some items may ship late.

Thin and Crispy...
NOV073421 BONE COLOR ED SC VOL 07 GHOST CIRCLES $9.99
NOV070183 BOOSTER GOLD #6 $2.99
NOV072189 CABLE DEADPOOL #49 $2.99
NOV070166 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 15 $2.99
MAY071848 FELL #9 $1.99
NOV070044 GRENDEL BEHOLD THE DEVIL #3 (OF 8) $3.50
SEP070219 HARLEY QUINN PRELUDES AND KNOCK KNOCK JOKESHC $24.99
OCT072100 IMMORTAL IRON FIST #12 $2.99
NOV070208 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #17 $2.99
NOV072161 MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #5 $3.99
NOV070267 PROGRAMME #7 (OF 12) $2.99
NOV070047 UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #5 (OF 6) $2.99

The Deep Dish...
- NOV070193 CATWOMAN #75 $2.99
This Salvation Run tie-in pits Catwoman against her fellow villains, which really reminds me why I like the character so much. Sassy charms aside, it's just fantastic to see a character that has instant drama with both hero and villain, alike. I quite comfortable with a Catwoman more on the side of angels, but I enjoy the inherent duplicity.

- NOV070204 CHECKMATE #22 $2.99
Not as smart a book as some people would have you believe, but then, that's just another reason to pick it up! This beurocratic corner of the DC Universe has struggled with sales, but is undoubtedly a title that deserves to exist, and is more accessible than first glance would have you think.
It looks like some heavy hitters will be connected to the title in the near future, but in the mean time, any issue is a great place to start.

- OCT072102 INCREDIBLE HERCULES #113 $2.99
Details on the Marvel website list this as "classified."
If the contents can live up to the promise of the cover - a Hercules/Ares showdown - then it just might be worth diving in blind! I haven't had a chance to catch the Hulk title before, or after it's shift to Hercules, but I've been wanting to for a while. And fights like this just demand a spot on the Infinite Wars fightcard!

- NOV072156 MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #35 $2.99
Venom wants to reform and become Spider-man's official side-kick?
Granted, this isn't going to put an end to the argument of which line of "continuity" is better, but the simplicity of this story really puts One More Day/Brand New Day to shame. Spider-Boycott: 2008 continues!

- OCT072101 PENANCE RELENTLESS #4 (OF 5) $2.99
Dr. Doom's the kind of character I always feel should be better considered when constructing the broader machinations of the Marvel Universe. Of course, I also feel his characterization should be less overtly evil, but that just brings up a whole mess of debates.
This story could easily go either way -- really good, or really bad -- but the idea that Penance would have any reason to travel to Latveria to confront Doom is intriguing!

- NOV072188 WOLVERINE ORIGINS #21 $2.99
Solicitations constantly make this sound like a book I'd love to read, largely due to the successive appearances of guest characters like this arc's assassin: Deadpool!
If only the writing (and art) could live up to the hype. If I was the kind of guy who had more money for comics than sense, I'd probably give this a shot. Thankfully, I'm not.

COMIK-POLITIK: Brand New Day (A Stern Talking To)

"I was starting to zone. I like comics to a
certain extent but that explanation was getting a little...
I was like 'what the fuck was going on?'"
Comedian Artie Lang says what many are thinking, on The Howard Stern Show.

Average Joes flabbergasted by unnecessarily complicated Spider-man.
EIC "Joey" Quesada struggles to justify to broader audiences.
Shock jocks far from shocking. Polite acceptance; Aunt May also wanted dead!
Obsessive Compulsive fans eager for Brand New Day week two!
Other Obsessive Compulsive fans crippled by change in routine.
Sales bouyant. New readers, unlikely. Jackpot: Not worth price of admission.
[Comic Related: Quesada Interview Transcript]

COVER TO COVER: 25 NEW BEGINNINGS - Round 3!
It's a brand new year of Infinite Wars and we're opening this new chapter with a whole mess of other new chapters! Over two years we've accumulated quite a few reviews of first issues, and late in 2007 the quality of such an issue became a hot topic of discussion. Now's our opportunity to look at them all at once!

We're touring through the mid double-oh's as we hit eleven through fifteen.
Many of these titles will be fresh in mind. How will the benefit of hindsight have changed your opinion of how they developed? Were they as good or bad as you first thought? Why not let us know in the comments section?

Street Fighter #1 (September 2003)
"Stage 01" Siu-Chong/Lee
The tendrils of the international crime syndicate "Shadaloo" reach far and wide across the globe, even to the streets, where petty criminals like Birdie do their best to provoke the interests of the dark overlord: Bison!

When Birdie and his thugs threaten a restaurant, the travelling martial artist Ryu is on hand to stand up for the weak. Not that he has to! Law enforcement is also on the scene, and under the leadership of Guile, more than happy to clean up a little Shadaloo trash!

The first issue of UDON's all-star handling of the Street Fighter franchise. Never have SF comics looked so good!

Green Lantern: Rebirth #1 (December 2004)
"Blackest Night" Johns/Van Sciver
The fall of any hero is a devestating case, but for Hal Jordan his legacy is one of destruction, and the end of the proud tradition fostered by the Green Lantern Corps.

Despite his passing he remains a beacon in the universe, and when one of his old foes comes looking for a long forgotten artifact in the care of Oliver Queen; aka Green Arrow; Jordan pays an unsolicited visit.

It's Green Arrow and his ward, Mia Dearden, up against the surprise incursion on the Queen Estate by the Black Hand, who has come looking for a trinket from the past. What he will find, instead, is vengeance from the Spectre!

Solo #1 (December 2004)
"Date Knight" Cooke/Sale
Lighter fare as the Dark Knight detective pursues clues to a robbery where Selina Kyle - aka Catwoman - is waiting for a little alone time with her would-be lover.

In the vein of the Batman animated series comes this derivation on the 'catch me if you can' formula, as Catwoman runs Batman through the smashmouth gauntlet of romance as only she can.

Flowers, dinner, and dancing; but come the end of the night, will Batman get his kiss, or will he taste the bitter sting of this cat's claws? Find out in the first issue of the exciting defunct anthology series from DC, that showcases the work of Tim Sale!

Street Fighter II #1 (November 2005)
Siu-Chong/Arn
Some might say it is here that the Street Fighter legend begins. Though the truth was remained a mystery to gamers for years, here we see the brutal reveal of the death of Ken and Ryu's legendary master - Gouken!

Displaying the terrifying potential of the dark hadou Gouken's own brother is swallowed up by his own murderous intent, turning the ancient ansatsuken style to it's most vicious technique -- shun goku satsu!

It's the aftermath of this very scene that will prompt Ken and Ryu to enter the Street Fighting world and seek out their master's killer, who is not the vile Bison, but rather the legendary disgraced warrior: Akuma!

Captain Atom: Armageddon #1 (December 2005)
"A Scream Across the Sky" Pfeifer/Camuncoli
Having been selected to pilot a rocket into an oncoming Kryptonite asteroid that threatened the mighty Superman; Nathaniel Adam - aka; Captain Atom - disappears in what seems to be a great sacrifice.

Instead, the strange properties of the alien alloy that encases him reacts with the explosion, peeling away as he too peels through layers of reality, to emerge in a new universe!

Destined to become Earth-50: the world of Wildstorm becomes the new home of Captain Atom, at least, until he can stop fighting Mr. Majestic and employ his help to find a way home!

WOLVERINE versus THE HAND
Enemy of the State: Part 1 (Marvel)
Where: Wolverine #20 When: December 2004
Why: Mark Millar How: John Romita Jr

The story so far...
For the slow-aging mutant called Wolverine, Japan represents many things. A lifetime ago he took a wife, and it's those family ties that bring him back once again, despite the painful memory of her murder.

One of his late wife's cousins, a limousine driver for a far richer man, becomes desperate enough to contact the X-Man when police fail to garner any leads in the search for his kidnapped son, who had apparently been mistaken for the richman's son with which the child played baseball.

Wolverine turns his expertise to finding the child, and before long he is ready to make contact with the gangsters who are willing to trade the boy for substantial amounts of cash. Unwilling to negotiate, Wolverine soon comes to realise that something sinister is lurking beneath the surface, and the identity of the kidnapped boy may be far more pertinent than previously realised...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Gorgon 5 (Professor)
Speed: Gorgon 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Gorgon 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Gorgon 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Draw 1 (None)


- Born a mutant late in the 19th century, James Howlett's life would be a long and arduous one. Baptised by death, he would discover his latent mutant abilities during the traumatic murder of his parents during his adolescence.

This history would become lost to Howlett's own trauma, and the many manipulations he would suffer through decades of his life as a vagabond.
The interferences of veiled agencies and enemies would help shape a life of turmoil and rage, creating various interruptions in a life peppered with service, and training in the arts of war and combat.

The convoluted details of his past would lead Howlett to a defining milestone in his life when he would become involved with the tenth iteration of a secret program funded by the US, and conducted by Canada's Department K, called Weapon Plus.

As a subject of Weapon X, Howlett's mutant healing factor made him the perfect subject for a delicate procedure to brace his skeleton with the unbreakable metal called adamantium. The metal was even added to Howlett's retractable mutant claws located in his wrists, making them far more effective offensive weapons than their previous bone state.

Code-named Wolverine, James "Logan" Howlett would eventually find more permanent station with an invitation into the paramilitary group, the X-Men.
Wolverine's keen tracking abilities, healing powers, fighting skills, and dedicated grit would make him one of the most active heroes in the superhero community, seen in his more recent admission into the Avengers.

- Tomi Shishido is a gifted mutant and child prodigy with a range of skills and abilities. After hatching various schemes he was able to earn his way to the top of the criminal organization, Hydra, but not before leading his own death cult from pubescence, called Dawn of the White Light, and later fighting to earn admission into the ninja sect, The Hand.

Through his childhood Shishido accomplished feats as an artist, operatic composer, philosopher and mathmetician, but it would be in his teens that he would manifest his mutant ability to turn men to stone with but a glance, earning him the nickname, The Gorgon.

Having trained with The Hand, Gorgon becomes one of the world's most skilled warriors, earning him the reputaiton of having the ability to kill anyone whom he lays his eyes upon. This becomes an extension of his mutant ability.

The Math: Gorgon Ranking: Wolverine (#3)

What Went Down...
Having met his friend's kidnappers in a Christian graveyard, Wolverine soon discovers exactly what lies beneath when instead of cash, he hands over two large dufflebags of packaged shirts.

Two of the armed gangsters fall before Wolverine's swift blades, but the leader is able to call for help, summoning the eerie guard of an army of unfeeling ninja from the Hand sect. They burst from the hallowed ground, weapons drawn, undetected by Wolverine's keen senses due to their lifeless mystic qualities.

Wolverine tosses the bodies of the two dead gangsters, and charges at the the Hand ninja, claws drawn. Already known for his killing prowess, Wolverine shows little regard for the lifeless sacks of animated meat.

As he battles the stench and the onset of even more descending ninja, Wolverine begins to realise the larger plot at play. He slashes cleanly through handfuls of ninja, spraying stinking smoke and green where humans would normally leave entrails. Even if it isn't a trap, Wolverine's going to give them hell for every lousy detail of his trip, and his life, and their folly.

The ninja fall like dominoes, while from the perch of a tree, their leader watches on with morbid curiosity about Wolverine's abilities. He is the Gorgon, and it is his plan that has brought Wolverine and his connections into this conflict.

The Gorgon holds the finishing blow, leaving his pawns to tire Wolverine out, arrogantly implying the certainty of his victory.

Wolverine processes his predicament in an orderly fashion, dealing with the slaying of his many undead adversaries in a similar manner. His body becomes a living weapon, skillfully slicing, dicing, and doing away with the ninja. His methods prove brutal, unforgiving, but above all else, efficient.

With the last of the ninja violently dispensed, Wolverine again turns his attentions to answers only the mobster leader can provide. Having left him alive, Wolverine presses the pudgy Japanese man against a tombstone and threatens to earn him one of his own, brandishing a fist full of adamantium.

It is unclear if it's Wolverine or his employers that the mobster fears, but either way they prove warranted, the interrogation cut short by the penetrating sting of a long blade. Wolverine, sandwiched by his victim and his attacker, soon gets the awful answers to his question, delivering mercilessly by the Gorgon.

And with that, Wolverine's disbelief turns to darkness as the Gorgon delivers the killing blow. So begins the path to making Wolverine an Agent of Hydra.

The Hammer...
Time and energy are rare enough commodities to come across at the best of times, but you can thank Wolverine's blasted thirty-year history of bull for the delays on this one. Good grief! Thankfully I was able to load up on some tournament sport (tennis), and get my energy levels high enough to bring the Gorgon's victory!

For those of you just joining us, we're counting down the top ten heroes of 2007, giving them the first opportunity to join the ranks in 2008!
If you don't understand what all of that means, then be encouraged to surf around the site and devour what is essentially a superhero fight league!

I could be accused of spending too much time on Mark Millar, particularly given that it was only last week we talked a little about another Millar project from 2004 [Marvel Knights: Spider-man #1], but they're both stories I've really been itching to revisit, so... I'm making the executive decision!

We've touched on Enemy of the State a handful of times in our two year period, and it was a later chapter that marked our very first [Friday] fight, way back in 2005! [Wolverine #25] As a story it's premise is reasonably thin, but as much as we all pride the Infinite Wars as a source of astute discussion, the spine of the site is controlled by superhero fisticuffs -- and that's what Millar brings to Wolverine, arguably a long time overdue!

Enemy of the State does away with exactly the kind of hogwash that made writing Wolverine's tape entry such a chore, and simplifies the character down to a seventeen [counted] kills, rampaging claw machine. It puts him in a situation that is almost exclusively physical, and while that doesn't sound like the makings of a great twelve issue run, the pure popcorn of Millar's writing has made this one of the few memorable arcs in the title's recent history!

Like MK: Spidey, there's an element of this being a tour of characters.
Everyone from Daredevil, to the X-Men, to the Fantastic Four make appearances, with Elektra serving in a prominent supporting role. It manages to connect itself to a lot of events that would be spun in and around, without bogging the thinly veiled plot of carnage down with references, exposition, or embarassment.

With so few new characters coming from the big two companies, it's almost a shame that Gorgon serves as a finite villain. He is unique to this story, but ultimately, that's exactly what makes him such an appreciated contribution.

Gorgon isn't a particularly unique villain. If you saw Kill Bill, Tomi Shishido's history is going to feel very familiar, but as much as this is a character built on familiar clichés, he manages to do one better than many of his contemporaries.

We touched upon the ceremony of certain villains [Captain America #4] and how that often undermines a character who should be supremely efficient, but must sustain an on-going franchise. Gorgon is free of this constraint, able to unleash his powers on the pseudo-immortal Wolverine, while also suffering that same level of punishment at the end of his twelve issue role.

There's a lot of talk about the future of comics, and a popular theory amassing that the prevelance of the paperback trade will swallow up storytelling. While I don't necessarily believe in the immediate relevance of pseudo-manga packaging, I do think there's something interesting to be said of chapters or sagas in the serialized storytelling of superhero comics.

I think we've seen the foundations of this notion, at least from a presentation stand point, done particularly well with the Hellboy/BPRD franchise.
To the betterment of new readers it's probably not well known that each series often very specifically recalls previous events, but gets away with it largely because of an in-built aura of mystery, and strong intrigue-based writing.
It's almost the happy medium between the ideals of indefinite superhero franchising, and more encapsulated storytelling.

I like the notion of a character like Gorgon being chief antagonist to a 264 page adventure. I especially like the idea of giving a character that license to exist in a very vivid context, even if it means the most honest conclusion is to eliminate them at the end. In the vaguest sense it really does recall ideals more commonly seen in manga, but I think also speaks the message of the importance of investment in characters.

Gorgon might not be the best example of a strong, original creation, but I don't think the notion of deeply involving backstory should distract from more trivial qualities of characterization. Gimmicks work when there's an investment there to justify it in that context; something big two new releases often lack.

But, as this discussion becomes increasingly disjointed, that might be best left to another entry. Stay tuned as we wrap up the top ten, and be sure to drop a comment and browse the archives!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5

Has your interested been piqued? Why not check out more on Enemy of the State, as previously featured on the site, and think about using Amazon.com! By using Infinite Wars referrals you can find Amazon's best price, and help fund future entries in the Infinite Wars! Make up your own mind about Gorgon, Hydra, and Wolverine, as he becomes a murderous puppet of the terrorist organization, and is turned against his greatest friends and allies!

FANTASY FIGHTS: CAPCOM/MARVEL ROUND 2!
In the first round of Fantasy Fights from the Infinite Wars, Marvel proved their overall superiority in fifteen seperate battles that culminated with your vote deciding their fate. Now, with DC vanquished, the Marvel Heroes are back to tangle with some old enemies: The world warriors of Capcom's Street Fighter!

By popular demand the Fantasy Fights are sticking around for seven more rounds of non-stop non-canon action! When the characters met in the video games, they were united against common goals, but this time some of Marvel's greatest fighters will be initiated as they duke it out for supremacy over the SF classics!

FEI LONG versus SHANG-CHI
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Draw 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Draw 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Draw 1 (None)


The Hook...
To the best of my recollection, never before in the Infinite Wars have we ever had two fighters statistically identical. That fact alone highlights how intense a match-up we have on our hands, but when you take into account the fighting prowess the two characters represent to their respective universes, it's all the more exciting.

Both characters are product of the popularity of 1970's grindhouse Hong Kong cinema, and as the visuals clearly show, are direct responses/homages to the late great action star, Bruce Lee.

In divising our scientifically researched ratings system we took careful consideration when representing martial arts. Perhaps moreso than traditional stats, we try to recognise the match-winning power of a skilled fighter, positioning that somewhere between one-note powers, and cosmic omnipotence.

To their respective universes both Fei Long and Shang-Chi represet characters regarded as among the greatest fighters in the world, but at the same time, occupy tiers substantially below the A-list characters. This means unpredictability, and when that's duplicated? Well, let's find out!...

The Math: Draw Ranking: Fei Long (#71)

The Battle...
I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll try to make this quick...

While I tend to think this might be one of the closest fights we'll see in our Fantasy Fights, it's also one of the least complicated. At the end of the day these guys are two extremely dedicated and skilled martial artists, and on a fictional level, we've all seen that kind of thing done.

Since we try to come at these from the perspective of an actual comic book, the only requisite one can imagine, without breaking it down to panel by panel script form, is an array of high intensity martial arts action!

At the end of the battle there has to be a winner, and it's not easy to make the call. Splitting hairs, I think I'm inclined to suspect Shang-Chi would have the endurance and skill necessary to find some edge against Fei Long.

Despite being a regularly honed fighting machine, Fei Long's film career sees him operating in a world decidedly different from the superhero populated landscape of the Marvel Universe. Shang-Chi is going to be able to take this fight places Fei Long might struggle with, and that's where they break.

The Hammer...
I feel like Shang-Chi just isn't a guy you hear enough about in a modern context. I'm hardly any kind of Master of Kung Fu diehard, but I feel like a world that's become increasingly familiar with martial arts in cinema should be representing!

Then again, it's not like he hasn't been around.
Shang-Chi's been showing up in the recent Heroes for Hire revamp, and it wasn't so long ago there was a MAX treatment I know absolutely nothing about. So, I guess I can't really say he hasn't had a shot at a come back!

Speaking of come backs, if you've found yourself disgruntled with one of our Fantasy Fight decisions, or want to pitch a hook of your own, drop a comment!
The Fantasy Fights, though servicing my love of Street Fighter, remain a section of the site very specifically geared toward connecting with you, the reader!

We're running a little behind schedule, but as always, if you're looking for more be sure to use the navigational aids available. Though he hasn't made an official entry into the Infinite Wars yet, Shang-Chi shows up as an incidental character in the Marvel Zombies mini-series, which is just one of the series listed in our issue-based review index! You can also track your favourite creators, characters, comics, and companies with the use of tags at the bottom of every post!

WINNER: SHANG-CHI
1 versus 1

WEEKEND WARZONE: GOMDULLA STRIKES!

Get the full written report: Spider-man Family #3!
[Contrary to the title, I wouldn't expect to see these weekly!]

FANTASY FIGHTS: CAPCOM/MARVEL ROUND 1!
In the first round of Fantasy Fights from the Infinite Wars, Marvel proved their overall superiority in fifteen seperate battles that culminated with your vote deciding their fate. Now, with DC vanquished, the Marvel Heroes are back to tangle with some old enemies: The world warriors of Capcom's Street Fighter!

By popular demand the Fantasy Fights are sticking around for seven more rounds of non-stop non-canon action! When the characters met in the video games, they were united against common goals, but this time some of Marvel's greatest fighters will be initiated as they duke it out for supremacy over the SF classics!

BLANKA versus BEAST
Strength: Beast 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Draw 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Blanka 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Draw 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Blanka 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Blanka 3 (Explosives)


The Hook...
It doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out what makes this such a perfect pairing of sparring super-sapiens, but if it does, we've got Dr. Henry McCoy (aka; The Beast) on hand to clear everything up for us!

As Beast would no doubt tell you, these two fine physical specimens represent the ultimate combination in mutant super strength, speed, and agility. Sharing many common traits with their simian counterparts, both Beast and Blanka possess impressive maneuverability and grace given their bulk. Though we rate Beast a little stronger on the scale, they are essentially a perfect match.

That is, until you take a look at the IQ scores.
Blanka is a child-like friend to the kind of heart, but to those who would purvey evils on this world, he becomes a wild animal hardened in the jungles of Brazil! Complimenting his ill temperment is the ability to channel electric energy through his body like an electric eel, making for shocking results.

While Beast isn't capable of any energy based retorts, he does possess one of the keenest intellects on the Marvel Universe and is particularly well versed in biology and genetics, giving him all the skills and information to out strategize his conductive counterpart. Failing that, ol' Hank McCoy has a wild side of his own!

The Math: Beast Ranking: Beast (#19)

The Battle...
As tends to be the case, there's often a little introduction to inter-company battles. Invariably at least one pairing, if not more, will express some sort of dismay about their forced predicament. I imagine something like that for these two, who are essentially relatively peaceful creatures, contrary to their exterior.

Exhibiting a child-like distraction for one of the many X-gadgets Beast might drop, Blanka is unwittingly being observed by his brilliant counterpart who intends to put him down gently with a sedative, but guess what? Blanka doesn't like needles, and he doesn't take too kindly to being ambushed!

Violently retaliating, Blanka would inevitably take the fight to Beast with a varied combination of diving tackles, punches, and kicks. Placing our battle in the jungle village familiar to Blanka's scenary, Beast distances himself defensively, using his own powerful limbs to leap into the trees above.

As Blanka apes around a bit, Beast would launch into an attack of his own, taking the physical fight in a stir of green and blue fur. The two tumble, before breaking to again allow Beast to make a strategic exist into the dense jungle surrounding.

This time Blanka takes his search to the treetops, making up for his eratic pattern with competence and speed moving amongst the jungle canopy.
Beast makes a strategic play, utilizing one of the X-Men's holoprojectors to create a veil of invisibility around himself, before again tackling Blanka.

The Brazilian man-beast lets out confused animalistic cries as Beast begrudgingly unleashes a barrage of blows from his powerful paws. Believing himself to be the victor by strategy, Beast relents and in doing so, gives Blanka the opportunity make a last ditch instinctive attack: the result -- fried X-Man.

The Hammer...
As far as I know, we don't seem to attract too many X-Maniacs around the Infinite Wars, probably due to the relatively low review figures. Still, if we did, I can only imagine the furor a result like this might create. As is always the case, feel encouraged to make your own case in the comments section, and tell us just how wrong we got it!

I had actually intended to get back to the Fantasy Fights last weekend, but as these things tend to do, it got away from me bet. Really that works out well, because after four months of Street Fighter entries, I'm happy to have the characters represent, but seven fights should just about do me.

Through various sources I've received some Fantasy Fight requests, which I'll be saving up for future features, but to cull the list I'm going to encourage anyone making suggestions to devise a hook to help me decide whose picks I'm going to go with. The best way to make Fantasy Fight requests is in the comments section of this, or any of the other Fantasy Fights previously featured!

Something that hasn't previously been featured is Blanka!
I tend to get the impression Blanka made a bigger impact with American audiences, and as much as I have a warm spot for the instantly recognisable Street Fighter mutant, I also think he's a character all too often used to give license to some of the less worthwhile concepts in SF history.

We talked alot during our four months of Street Fighter Sunday's about the central conceit of Street Fighter as a universe with a rich fight culture, and entire world of characters representing different fighting disciplines and ethnic identifiers. On that basis, Blanka is really out of place in the Street Fighter world, but to observe him on the merits of the first appearance, he joins the other Street Fighter II fighters as a represented of a specific type of character and energy.

Beneath the various arcade trademark techniques are motivations that see characters like Vega, Balrog, Zangief represent baseline human character; guys like Ryu, Ken, Sagat who all possess ki-based arsenals; and Bison, who represents another side of ki and technological warfare.

Of course, the things that make Blanka so different, are also the things that typically relegate him to cameo appearances. The Street Fighter film, which features a version of the character who'd make Lou Ferrigno blush, probably highlights some of the teething problems of trying to insert what is essentially a mutated Tarzan into an otherwise grounded storyline.
Even the animated SFII movie; which goes to great lengths to feature all major world warriors; can only manage a tangential cameo for the character. Full credit, the film is probably better for it, and quite intelligently presents Blanka as an oddity paraded for the amusement of bloodthirsty high society types.

A great character, but maybe best left to isolation.

WINNER: Blanka

1 versus 0

COMIK-POLITIK: Red, White, and Boobs!

"... That champion of truth, justice,
and American sensuality, Wonder Woman."
Playboy Playmate of 2005, Tiffany Fallon, appears on cover painted as WW.

Playboy fighting for #1 Men's Magazine status!
William Moulton Marston rolls in grave. Submissively.
Wonder Woman downgraded from Miss America to Playmate. Fan interests aroused.
Lasso of truth directs American women to garage toolbox' everywhere.
Articles said to be more interesting than WW comic has been in years.
Feminists enraged by existence of nude pictorials in magazines. Welcomed to 1950s.
Commentators exceed projected figures for easy jokes and innuendos in January 2008.
Infinite Wars Amazon referral rate increases mysteriously.
[Pink Raygun: You're no Wonder, Wonder Woman! (NSFW)]

COVER TO COVER: INFINITE CRISIS RECAP!
As informative as the Infinite Wars attempts to be, we are by no means a comprehensive omnibus of information. We do our best to maintain an interesting balance between frivilous fun, and fact finding -pedia, but with so many cross references, the Blogspot search engine is crippled by repetition.
To accomodate readers there's always the Issue Index, or to pique your interest, this kind of entry which helps direct you to the spread of touched upon informations regarding topics such as popular crossovers!

It wasn't so long ago we featured Civil War, so it only seems appropriate to offer the same service to DC's big event of 2006: Infinite Crisis. Quite thankfully it was an event that failed to live up to it's name, allowing us to isolate five finite entries from battles and discussions past. Enjoy them with compliments from us; the good people at Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.

Superman #206 (August 2004)
"For Tomorrow" Azzarello/Lee
Superman finds himself locked in battle with triumverate of villains as the world reels from the worldwide disappearance of thousands into the Phantom Zone.

Supes goes head-to-head with the bio-tech villain Equus as tensions in the Middle East reach boiling point, and mass genoicide become the method of change, leaving many to shallow mass graves in the desert.

While General Zod plots his revenge from the Phantom Zone; Superman does his best to protect truth, justice, and the American way, far from home. He remains blissfully unaware that the menace of a new OMAC will affect a close friend, and grow into a far greater crisis.

Infinite Crisis #1 (December 2005)
"Infinite Crisis" Johns/Jiminez
With the Justice League satellite headquarters in ruins, and the stationed Martian Manhunter nowhere to be found, the League falls into disarray like never before.

The iconic trinity of leaders gather amongst the wreckage to ponder their next move, and encounter only further mistrust as they are forced to recognise great division between them. Even as they pull together to defeat the opportunist, Mongul; the trinity are torn further apart by their differences.

So begins the grounds for a series of events that will threaten to tear the entire multiverse apart if the heroes cannot band together in time!

Infinite Crisis #2 (January 2006)
"The Survivors" Johns/Jiminez
Powergirl finds herself the target of machinations breeding from the united front of the secret Society of villains.

Confronted by a unit specially formed to bring her down, PG does her best to battle the brute force of Girder, Mister Atom, Clayface, and Giganta, as led by Lex Luthor's Society General, Psycho-Pirate.

As she struggles to prevent mass civilian casualties as a result of the urban skirmish, the embattled Powergirl finds salvation from the most unlikely of sources. Is it a bird, is it a plane, or is it a Superman from a forgotten time? The Infinite Crisis ramps up as cousin Kal-L makes an unexpect visit just in the knick of time!

Infinite Crisis #6 (May 2006)
"Touchdown" Johns/Perez
The leader of the united villainous Society has been revealed, and Alexander Luthor's plans of interdimensional tailoring are finally uncovered as his Generals bring to him conduits of great significance in the Multiverse.

Black Adam, tired of being a pawn in Luthor's games, turns on the Society at the crucial moment, putting an end to the Psycho-Pirate, who was an unlikely survivor of the last crisis to threaten the multiple Earths.

Though the powerful Black Marvel proves a potential decider in the struggle for existence, his strength will truly be tested when he is forced to face far stronger opponents.

Blue Beetle #1 (May 2006)
"Blue Monday" Giffen/Rogers/Hamner
With the crisis of the Brother Eye satellite and the armies of OMAC converts brought to an end, the crucial contribution of a new Blue Beetle goes unthanked, when young Jaime Reyes is hurled back to Earth by the mystic blue scarab.

Desperate to escape the Green Lanterns for reasons unknown, the blue scarab's worst fears come true when it's the Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, who discovers Blue Beetle upon his crash landing in the desert.

Unhinged at the best of times, Gardner is driven to madness when his ring responds to the magic of the Blue Beetle, and so, Reyes is forced to defend himself, even if it isn't he who's doing the fighting!

MOLEMAN versus FANTASTIC FOUR
Repercussions (Marvel)
Where: Fantastic Four #2 When: December 1996
Why: Jim Lee & Brandon Choi How: Jim Lee

The story so far...
When battle with the psionic villain Onslaught leaves Earth's mightiest heroes trapped in a pocket dimension; the Fantastic Four and Avengers become destined to relive their past, oblivious to their former lives as heroes.

When a team of phony SHIELD agents commandeer control of the space operation "Excelsior", led by Dr. Reed Richards, he and his team escape imprisonment to launch their space shuttle, designed for interstellar investigation. Their target is a bizarre space anomaly which has garnered the attentions of hidden rival and sponsor of Dr. Richards' plight - Victor Von Doom!

Ill prepared, the team of Richards, Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, and Johnny Storm find themselves overwhelmed by the cosmic energies emitted by the space phenomena, which appears to be a wormhole in space. With insufficient shielding in their prototype ship, the team are bombarded, and crash land on a remote island, where they climb from the wreckage to discover their ship's powersource - the quantum core - about to go nuclear.

Not only that, but as each space explorer discovers the effects of the cosmic radiation, they quickly come to rely upon they find themselves at the mercy of a madman calling himself master of the subterranean realm -- Mole Man!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thing 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Human Torch 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Thing 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Invisible Woman 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Human Torch 7 (Cosmic Power)


- Ridiculed for his scientific theory that the Earth was hollow; eccentric and homely scientist-cum-explorer, Harvey Rupert Elder, would embark on his own expiditions to prove the validity of his claims to his dismissive peers.
One such outing would lead him to discover the fabled Monster Island, where he would be partially blinded by an underground deposit of diamonds in a subterranean maze that confirmed his theories.

Rejecting life on the surface, Elder renames himself Moleman, and takes leadership over hordes of creatures dubbed Moloids. Utilizing strange alien technologies, Mole Man uses his armies and machines to lorde over the subterranean realm, and terrorize the surface world. His influence beneath the Earth comes to extend to a great many other underground lifeforms, including the many monstrous creatures that earned Monster Island it's name.

- The Fantastic Four are: Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing.

The original Fantastic Four were exposed to cosmic rays when Reed Richards led the team in a race to beat the Russians to space. Without sufficient preperation time, the shuttle lacked the shielding needed to filter the cosmic radiation, resulting in unique transformations in each member.

Reed Richards, already a potent force given his genius for invention, exploration and theory, gained the ability to stretch and contort his body with limited restriction.

Sue Storm is able to manipulate invisible forcefields to create a variety of objects, typically bubbles, platforms and shields. She is also able to cast a veil of invisibility over herself, others, or objects, and do so in a variety of creative ways.

Johnny Storm is the Human Torch, literally capable of englufing his body in flame. This fire can be projected, reach extreme temperatures, result in blinding light, and produce a wave of heat sufficient to propel his body through the air.

Ben Grimm, better known to the world as the ever lovin' blue-eyed Thing is a rocky bruiser of incredible size, strength and durability. The power of his fists is dwarfed only by the power of his heart, which refuses to quit, even in the face of the greatest adversary.

The Math: Fantastic Four Ranking: Mr. Fantastic (#8)

What Went Down...
Having regrouped after being seperated, the Fantastic Four find themselves face-to-face with the Moleman! Despite the threat it poses to them all, the Mole Man lordes the ruptured Quantum Core as a trinket, mentioned in babblings as a potential offering to "the great one."

The hot headed Johnny Storm is the first to reinitiate conflict, leaping into the air to use his new powers of ignition as the Human Torch. He charges the Moleman, but finds himself victim of a blast from the underground monarch's staff!


Moleman exhibits surprising agility for one of his runtish stature, combining i with well with guile and technology. He laments on the foursome's powers, recognising them not as children of the great one, prompting the consideration of their potential as offerings to the hypothetical pseudo-deity with which he hopes to gain favour.

Moleman again utilizes his staff, tapping it to the ground to excite a mutated lichen fungus capable of both grappling with the youngster, and dousing his flames. With the Torch incapacitated, Moleman leaves his rampaging monsters to continue the fight with the other three.

Two hulking dinosaur-like creatures descend, one of them able to snatch the Thing up in it's jaws before he is able to fight back. Reed Richards comes to his aid, leaping into action with his elastine capabilities, using it to wrap himself multiple times around the legs of each creature.

Sufficiently bound by the bands of Richards' stretch body, the two monsters are meagre victims for the super strength of the rocky Ben Grimm!

With the monsters levelled, Richards begins to hatch a plan of escape for his he and his fellows. He orders Thing to wrench free one of the giant diamonds, used by the underground civilization to perpetuate the ambient glow of filtered light from above.

Richards directs his financer (and fiance) Susan toward the underground cieling, where she is called upon to use her powers of invisibility to project a field that will allow a clear shaft of light from above. Richards is able to deduce this capability from her first encounter with the power, which included projecting transparency to her clothes, as well as her person.

As Susan struggles to maintain focus, the light beams into the cavernous underground, allowing the soon-to-be Mr. Fantastic to reflect it into the diamond held by Thing. the orchestration of teamwork is capped off by the bound Torch, who is at close enough proximity to snatch away the Moleman's protective visor, exposing his sensitive eyes to the explosion of luminosity!

With Moleman and his minions sufficiently distracted, the foursome are able to make their escape thanks to the thing's earth-moving muscles! Their escape tunnel allows even more light into the underground, assuring their getaway.
That is, until another obstacle reveals itself to be waiting outside with a synaptic-scrambler, and a helicarrier to take them into custody...

The Hammer...
Ladies and gentlemen, your Friday night winners, successful as a result of teamwork: the Fantastic Four!

If you're just joining us, you might like to know that we're kicking off a new year of Infinite Wars by giving the 2007 year end top ten characters first bite at the rankings cherry. Since all four of the FF factored into the 2007 top ten, we're going to sum them up with this single entry, allowing us to move onward.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the internet, Bahlactus made his triumphant return to Fridays with the first of a brand new round of FNF's. We spaced last week, but we're well ready to represent, throwing out the FF for cosmic representation!

Speaking of the FF, I finally got to see Rise of the Silver Surfer last weekend, and I've got to be honest: I was pretty darn disappointed. It should be noted that I was not at all impressed with the first film, but felt some of the backlash and the benefit of experience and budget might have allowed for a better outing. Trailers which used the Silver Surfer/Human Torch chase from the film only helped build promise of what had every opportunity to be a fantastic do-over.

Alas, in it's own ways, Rise manages to disappoint all over again.
I actually contemplated the notion of using the film as the basis for this entry, but time and circumstances conspired to reserve my ire for another day, or as is the case, a less direct post. A post that shouldn't afford me opportunity to go into great specifics, but honestly, I find it hard not to.

If for some reason Barbershop and the Taxi remake fooled you into thinking Tim Story was going to be the perfect man for the job, you might have gotten a rude awakening. Then again, somehow I think if you had arrived by that assumption, there's every chance you loved Fantastic Four and it's sequel... Yeeeah...

Not surprisingly the simmering undertones of an agenda to incorporate African-American characters into the WASP world of the FF persists, but I am actually pleased to report that it seems to inadvertently benefit the film. Part of me still isn't entirely convinced by Fishburne's casting as the Silver Surfer, but really, the Matrix star's stoic delivery of lines in that velvety voice are key-perfect for the warm, but distanced portrayal familiar to the Silver Surfer.
Likewise, Andre Braugher seems under developed as the military hardman who plays antagonist to Gruffudd's Reed Richards, but brings a suitable stature to a role that could've easily turned into a clash of brawn versus brain.

Ironically, the criticisms start to rear their head around the more important facets of the movie, like the core cast and plot.

Defying all belief, Dr. Doom is bungled further still, narrowly avoiding what could've been a turn around reminiscent of the Ultimate fixing of the character, instead opting to disregard the negatives of the first film to continue to distance Doom from much of what made him the greatest villain in comics. Any good will earned by solid performances like Evans and Chiklis as the comedically feuding Human Torch and Thing, is completely nullified by the sheer miss of Doom.

Julian McMahon remains thoroughly unlikable, without the balance of intrigue, again leaving that cinematic performance to Darth Vader, who was inspired by the 1960's FF villain. The negatives spiral outward from this point, facilitating the familiar power-stealing plot by downgrading the Silver Surfer's vulnerabilities to be little more than a well placed shove.

Confused fans googling for answers managed to find their way to an Infinite Wars feature [Silver Surfer #107] that sees the Silver Surfer explicitly set the record straight in his own words. The issue reviewed there is ultimately quite insigifnicant in the scheme of comics, only highlighting the many sources available to inspire a device superior to placing all of the Surfer's powers in the board which he controls and manipulates freely.

From there you can get into further minutia, like Susan Storm's arc, which reduces the already hard-to-take-serious Jessica Alba to little more than a whining, selfish, tabloid wife. This is, to my recollection, contrary to the performance that was strong and reflective of the comics character; if a little slanted toward promoting the banner actress over traditional team leader, and far less bankable UK counterpart, Ioan Gruffudd.

If I had one final complaint I simply had to squeeze into a post that isn't even about the film, it would be a double red X for the visual effects.
One of the long recognised constraints on feature versions of the FF and Iron Man was the speculated special effects budget, due mostly to the nature of the characters, and CG-heavy filmmaking, pre-intergration reneissances seen over the past few years.

Given the money presumably saved on practical effects like the Thing suit (which remains less than convincing), and the one hundred and thirty million dollar budget, basic effects shots like Reed Richards stretching, or various green screen backgrounds, should've been far better than they were.

Attacking the CG department is also a convenient way to round out criticisms of design and concept of Galactus. Story defends the decision as considerate to plans for a Silver Surfer spin-off feature that he would not be directly involved with. [Story] explains the vague depiction of Galactus as opportunity for another director to put his stamp on what's required. Ultimately, the intrusion of weakening the Silver Surfer, and defining Galactus as much as they do, places enough intrusion on any following creative team that, I think the point is moot.

Frankly, the more I hear anything from Tim Story, the less impressed I am.
For a comic that has been such a success in the past, and remains a gem in the Marvel crown, it's so disappointing to see these films under perform the way they do. Sure, they make a lot of cash, but then, so does Britney Spears...

Bringing it back to the comics, we take a look at Heroes Reborn, which reinvents the heroes in a way the Ultimate versions would repeat a few years later.
This version of the FF manages to outdo it's Ultimate counterpart with an inter-connected series of associations that services the outlandish qualities of the superhero sci-fi, but lends a grounding by domino effect.

The anomaly explored in the Heroes Reborn universe is ultimately the Silver Surfer arriving in our galaxy through a wormhole. The entire line builds to a conclusion revolving around the arrival of Galactus, but before that, Fantastic Four manages to explore many of the classic heroes and villains with quite logical connection to "the great one", or, world devourer.

Personally I've always regarded connecting the FF's creation to Galactus as a reasonably logical one. Not only does it preemptively lend credence to their opposition of the space deity, but also lends a credibility to the sequence of events of the cosmic rays (which have never, to my knowledge, been elaborated upon in the central canon), and the arrival of Silver Surfer/Galactus some forty-plus issues later.

My perspective as a writer has always been to look at Galactus' need for planets that sustain sentient life, and his ability to embue sentient life with cosmic energy, as a potential means to an end. If an unexplained wave of cosmic radiation is what gives birth to the FF, why not connect the dots to assume Galactus sends out a wave of his energy with the intention of it travelling through space until it reaches a populated planet and dissipates over an entire populous, granting them all minute traces of the power cosmic.

The theory there would be that the power cosmic provides a signature beacon easily traced, making the search for planets a little more sophisticated than the groping orienteering heralds supposedly go on. The FF's intervention of the wave would provide a comparison to other worlds where denizens are not powered, and maybe even start to contribute explanations to the mutant population, and other unlikely super powers in the Marvel universe.

I consider myself a reasonably competent writer [and future Marvel hopeful], but I tend to imagine any well versed FF fan could probably come up with any number of two-hour alternatives that would surpass what was ultimately a very dull and boring sequel to an equally average summer blockbuster.

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 4.5

Agree, disagree? Though our discussions have been fairly critical over the past week or so, we hope to remind fans that there's no shame in having confident opinions, or critical analysis. Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is not a website built to "bash" certain products, but discuss them with familiarity, reference, and recognition of materials, good or bad. It just so happens the bad is often where more discussion can be found.

We encourage all who support either of the products discussed to head over to Amazon to pick them up at the most affordable price, where we will gladly collect Amazon kick-backs. Hooah!