SHIPPING LIST: DECEMBER 24, 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.

The Infinite Wars now has a gift shop!
Now you'll find Amazon purchase links to hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and other collections, not only on regular entries -- but also new releases at the bottom of the Shipping List, and now a whole catalogue of potential purchases via the Infinite Wars: Amazonian Gift Shop. [Men are also welcome!] By shopping with Amazon via our purchase links, you not only find yourself a great deal, but also sponsor future entries on the Infinite Wars.

READ THE PREVIEW - VISIT THE SITE - BUY THE COMIC
The Independents...
OCT082266 AMERICAN FLAGG DEFINITIVE COLL TP VOL 01 $19.99
OCT082283 ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #11 (RES) $2.99
OCT084344 ATOMIC ROBO DOGS OF WAR #5 (OF 5) $2.95
OCT082291 GUERILLAS #3 (OF 9) $5.99
OCT082293 INVINCIBLE #57 (RES) $2.99
OCT082299 SAVAGE DRAGON #143 $3.50
OCT082251 SPAWN #187 $2.95
OCT084404 STREET FIGHTER II TURBO #3 CRUZ CVR A $3.95
OCT080029 UMBRELLA ACADEMY DALLAS #2 $2.99

The Corporates...
SEP080113 BATMAN #683 $2.99
OCT080126 BATMAN GOTHAM AFTER MIDNIGHT #8 (OF 12) $2.99
JUL080175 BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM #3 $2.50
OCT080144 BRAVE AND THE BOLD #20 $2.99
OCT082432 NOVA #20 $2.99
SEP082372 PATSY WALKER HELLCAT #4 (OF 5) $2.99
OCT082443 PUNISHER WAR ZONE #3 (OF 6) $3.99
OCT080203 PUSH #3 (OF 6) $3.50
OCT080116 REIGN IN HELL #6 (OF 8) $3.50
OCT080139 SUPERMAN SUPERGIRL MAELSTROM #4 (OF 5) $2.99
OCT080199 TOP 10 SEASON TWO #3 (OF 4) $2.99
OCT080093 TRINITY #30 $2.99
OCT082453 WHAT IF SPIDER-MAN BACK IN BLACK $2.99

The Spotlight...
- OCT082402 DAREDEVIL #114 $2.99
The Hand's in town, so presumably that is why The Owl is alive, well, and hairy on the cover. Grumble, grumble. Whinging about the meaningless cycle of death in superhero comics, aside, it sounds like the Lady Bullseye action is about to kick up a notch as "everyone who can kick" is invited to a battle royal in the streets of New York. Sounds like our kind of party!

- OCT080146 FLASH #247 $2.99
Since Infinite Crisis, it's been an awful few years for Wally West.
Lumped with a couple of freak kids with no business existing and playing second fiddle to just about every other Flash that's existed, things haven't looked so good for the scarlet speedster. Final Crisis might be providing a brief moment of reprieve, but it looks like the spotlight's about to fall squarely on an unfortunately revived Barry Allen. With Flash #247 delivering the ominous possibility of Wally West's death, realistic or not, I can't help but feel it's been an unfair run. Here's hoping we aren't trading one Flash, for another. I'm still not convinced the resurrection of Barry Allen is at all a good thing.

- OCT082409 HULK #9 $2.99
It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong, but sometimes, even other guys can do it!
Maybe it's because only grabbed a couple of issues, but damn. Jeph Loeb's Hulk, even without Ed McGuinness, isn't nearly as bad as I made it out to be. Sure, don't come if you're looking for anything informative or intelligent, but as far as a parade of superhero fights goes? Man, even this Hulk/Rulk double feature split is kinda neat. Pushing it's luck a bit, but neat, and as the current home of She-Hulk and the Lady Liberators, it's that much more interesting. Damn it!

- OCT082412 IMMORTAL IRON FIST #21 $2.99
Experimentation will kill this series, and Marvel comics will be all the worse for that.
As awkwardly as I feel about the Phantom-esque legacy backstory added to the character, I like that this title is still doing things you don't typically see. I just dread the stubborn ignorance that will see the book to it's death.

- OCT082345 NEW AVENGERS #48 DKR $2.99
Billed as the first major roster change since the beginning of the series, I find myself laughing snidely. If the cover is to be believed, the addition of Captain America might be a very nice touch, particularly in the development of Bucky Barnes in the mantle. Let's just hope we can actually spend some time with this team. Time that doesn't involve an endless drag of recruitment, semi-nudity, and event-driven solo distractions. New Avengers actually remains one of the better Marvel titles, but under a brand that is all too often a misnomer. Here's hoping for some fluidity to these Avengers in 2009!

- OCT082449 SHE-HULK 2 #36 $2.99
If you felt stung by the She-Hulk cancellation, then you need to buy this issue!
As discussed at the beginning of the month [Punch-Up #36], Marvel had no reason to keep the book going. Don't like it? Send a message through sales! Or bitch about it on the internet! Or check out Hulk, which is arguably a better read right now, anyway.

- OCT080098 VIGILANTE #1 $2.99
Marv Wolfman returns with a vengeance to take a stab at yet another Vigilante series!
Not sure this one will do any better than the others, but it's nice to see DC commit.

- OCT080157 WONDER WOMAN #27 $2.99
Wonder Woman continues to contend with the threat of Libra and the Society's secret weapon - Genocide! Having just dived face-first into Final Crisis over Christmas, I'm into it, even if I'm preoccupied with wondering where in the timeline this fits. A question I quite enjoy, perhaps benefitting from reading the core series in one easy-to-understand sitting. She's finally got a respectable ranking on the site, so here's hoping Wonder Woman survives the ordeal!


Advertise here! Contact for more!
Know Your Trade...
OCT082266 AMERICAN FLAGG DEFINITIVE COLL TP VOL 01 $19.99
SEP080233 CRAYON SHINCHAN VOL 06 (MR) $7.99
OCT082519 OFF HB MARVEL UNIV A TO Z PREM HC VOL 06 $24.99
OCT082531 ONSLAUGHT REBORN TP $14.99
OCT082502 ULTIMATES 3 PREM HC WHO KILLED SCARLET WITCH $24.99
OCT082540 WHAT IF CLASSIC TP VOL 05 $29.99
OCT082538 X-MEN COMPLETE ONSLAUGHT EPIC TP BOOK 04 $29.99

COVER TO COVER: TWENTY-FIVE UP 1999-2003!
1999-2003 Top 25
#1 Sentry (2000)
#2 Stargirl (1999)
#3 Mimic (2001)
#4 Nocturne (2000)
#5 Zoom (2001)
#6 The Hood (2002)
#7 Hurricane (2000)
#8 Night Ranger (2002)
#9 Randal (2002)
#10 Guardian (2002)
#11 Eradicator (2002)
#12 Kenshi (2002)
#13 Sadler Cyborg (1999)
#14 Bo' Rai Cho (2002)
#15 Shun (1999)
#16 Elsa Bloodstone (2001)
#17 Beak (2001)
#18 Fantomex (2002)
#19 Esme Cuckoo (2001)
#20 Stepford Cuckoos (2001)
#21 Angel Salvadore (2001)
#22 Dr. Mid-Nite (1999)
#23 Squire (1999)
#24 Scout (2002)
#25 Speedy (2001)
It's a very strange prospect to observe a period as modern as 1999 as ten years ago! Granted, some of you whipper snappers probably like to erroneously refer to it as "old school," but damn! Too soon!

If you're just joining us, we're royally screwing with the timeline by posting late 2008 posts that look back over the past twenty-five years in 2009. Mmm. Probably needed some grammar in there.
Join the flashback by checking out: 1984-1988, 1989-1993, 1994-1998, and last year's flashbacks, which are listed in the '84 stack.

This period represents a real moment of change in popular comics.
With the end of the collector's boom leaving numbers significantly lower, we see a noted investment in storytelling again. The celebration of mindless visual indulgence is gradually replaced by the value of the word. Pretty pictures don't really suffer under this regime, which isn't surprising, given that it's really just a readjustment of logical proceedings. Harmony is rediscovered in a world where the ideas are actually pilotting a ship competently constructed by well qualified pencillers no longer slavishly imitating less inventive contemporaries.

Ironically, in this period of conceptual exploration, some concerns to the minimal input of new creations. Glancing the list of debuting characters from the period, one appreciates that, even if it we aren't seeing lasting input to the value of the forties, sixties, seventies, or eighties, we are still enjoying new inventions. Inventions that, admittedly, benefit greatly from a continuously growing understanding of context and history within the comics medium and the super-genre of superheroes. It's this retroactive exploration of history and the fundamentals of superheroes that typifies some of the best works of the last twenty-five years.

Here we have a small selection casting a light on a very interesting period!

Street Fighter Alpha (1999)
"Dr. Sadler's Ultimate Weapon" Yamauchi/Yoshida/Romersa/Thornton
Having been approached by a young Brazilian boy claiming to be his long-lost younger brother; Ryu embarks on a journey of self-discovery with his oldest friend; Ken Masters; and new allies, including Interpol agent, Chun-Li.

Struggling to contain the tempting dark hadou energies that represent the evil side of his ki-harnessing martial art, Ryu opts to observe from the sidelines at the street fighting tournament that has lured Ken Masters from his home in the US, back to Japan.

It's whilst fighting the hulking Russian wrestler - Zangief - that Shun suffers over whelming odds and begins to tap into the powers of the dark hadou, forcing Ryu to step into the combative arena and face his own dark energy. Though he is able to resist whilst defeating Zangief, a new opponent presents himself instantly, pulling Ryu once more into his internal battle.

Batman: Dark Victory #3 (February 2000)
"Toys" Loeb/Sale
With the Holiday killings still fresh in the memory of Gotham city gangsters, freaks, cops, and heroes; the Dark Knight Detective finds himself confronted with a brand new slew of serial killings committed in conjunction with the calendar -- and this time the killer is a Hangman!

The cast of the Long Halloween reunite as the Falcone empire becomes embroiled in a new battle with Batman, Catwoman, and the police, as the lines between mobster and freak begin to blur.

In the early goings Batman is launching a preemptive assault, seeking answers wherever they may lie, beginning with the gangled silence of Jonathan Crane: Scarecrow!

Tekken Forever #1 (December 2001)
"What's This Life For?" Chi/Diaz
Once an officer of Interpol; Bryan Fury was killed in the line duty in a shoot-out while investigating in Hong Kong. Fury's body came to be in the possession of one Dr. Abel, an aging scientist whose research expanded beyond conventional medicines to explore the realms of cyber-organics and other radical sciences.

Dr. Abel reanimated the deceased officer as a cyborg with the intentions of utilizing his skills to steal vital mechanical secrets from his rival, Dr. Boskonovich. Instead, Abel unleashes a madman upon an unsuspecting world. Bryan Fury uses his invulnerable body to observe his own agenda, indulging in the darkness that had long followed him.

It was this darkness that Detective Lei Wulong discovered, while investigating the Hong Kong drug trade. Together with Boskonovich's own cybernetic warrior, Yoshimitsu, they do their best against the killer cyborg.

Spider-man: Blue #2 (August 2002)
"Let's Fall in Love" Loeb/Sale
Bitten by a radio active spider; gawky high school nerd, Peter Parker, finds himself with the unlikely proportionate strength, speed and agility of a spider. With this new-found power, and his own inventive brilliance, Parker sets out to take on the ultimate responsibility of a vigilante!

As Spider-man, Peter comes into conflict with many others with rare and unique gifts. Men who would do great good, and great evil in this world. Men who would use their abilities to pursue him in personal grudges. Men who would hunt him like a rare and unique animal.

Men like the Rhino who, while being held under gas induced sedation, finds himself free to seek revenge on Spider-man after a mysterious enemy sets him free. Rampaging through the city, Rhino looks for payback, and the web-slinger is all too happy to oblige, but does he have it in him to defeat the Rhino again? Or will the mystery man step out of the shadows to capitalize? Stay tuned!

Batman #619 (November 2003)
"The End" Loeb/Lee
When a dramatically mutated Killer Croc partakes in the kidnap of a rich man's child; Batman unwittingly enters into a game of manipulation design to break his will, and lead him down a path toward destruction.

Having suffered severe injuries after a fall from a batline, severed by an anonymously thrown batarang; Wayne recalls the name of renowned surgeon, and former childhood friend, Dr. Thomas Elliot. The doctor returns to Gotham to perform the surgery and reacquaint himself with the city and his former friend, but the trip is cut short when the Joker and Harley Quinn raid a stage show. After taking pursuit of the clown prince of crime in an effort to recover a family heirloom; Thomas Elliot is murdered -- or so it seems!

In reality, this is but another chapter in the tale of Hush, the newest villain to enter Batman's murderous rogues gallery! Vengeful over wrongs commited when they were children, Hush has manipulated the heroes and villains of Gotham City in an effort to play Batman for a fool, but even as the dark knight desperately tries to unravel the mystery, the bandaged villain prepares to play his final hand.

C2C YEAR IN REVIEW: DC COMICS IN 2008!
Cohesion was the keyword for DC's 2008 line-up as the entire Universe moved around an editorial structure led by some of the finest minds in comics -- not that it wasn't without it's hiccups!

Leaving many scratching their heads is Final Crisis; the core-series telling the spine of DC's most harrowing event yet!
The disorientation of readers hasn't been entirely inappropriate, however. The story spirals around the disorienting shifts in time that have led to the final days of free humanity, and the triumph of evil, ushered in by the hand of Darkseid's fallen New Gods and the unleashed Anti-Life Equation.

While Final Crisis provided a strong conceptual spine for the DCU this year, it has by no means overwhelmed the entirety of proceedings. Prominent headline grabbers - like Batman RIP - connected readers to the event in a tangential manner. Likewise, other major events unfolded with varying connection, such as the aftermath of the Sinestro Corps War, the rise of the Red Lanterns, the Death of the New Gods, and much more!

With skilled architects maintaining their brands, DC continues to show an expert maturity in handling it's many properties. The likes of Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns have sustained a balance that's come to typify DC at it's best, bridging the golden age to the new school with respect and logic. Characters like Darkseid, Mr. Terrific, Powergirl, Green Lantern, Nightwing, Flash, Libra, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Legion of Superheroes, and a host of others, have all benefitted in some way from recent developments.

As we exit this bold exchange of 2008, we look forward to seeing what comes of 2009!
First, let us look back through just a few of the hits of 2008!

Superman/Batman #42 (January 2008)
"Release" Burnett/Nguyen
After negotiating his way out of his imprisonment within the mythic Source Wall, the New God, Darkseid, finds himself with only a fraction of his titanic power.

In an effort to reclaim the Omega Power, Darkseid has his loyal minion, Desaad, recruit the fear obssessed villain, Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka; Scarecrow. The Gotham madman aids in the manipulation of Superman - the man originally responsible for trapping Darkseid in the Source Wall.
With Superman under his control; Darkseid damns him to an act of irony, sending the Man of Steel to recruit the staff of the Highfather - a conduit for the power Darkseid seeks, housed at the Source Wall.

In an effort to find his ally, Batman travels into space to face the overwhelming odds of a New God on the planet Tartaros. There he finds a valued ally in Bekka, the fighting wife of the New God, Orion. Together they track Darkseid to the threshold of the Omega Force where they share one final passionate exchange, before an act of treachery by Desaad affords them the ultimate time to strike...

Green Lantern #25 (January 2008)
"Birth of the Black Lantern" Johns/Reis
In the wake of the crisis that saw Alexander Luthor Jr and his Society of supervillains rock the very fabric of reality; Sinestro's involvement becomes redefined. Having served as a super powered lackey under Luthor, Sinestro escapes from battle to the anti-matter universe, where he encounters a restored Anti-Monitor, who had reborn along with a new Multi-Verse.

The Anti-Monitor joins Sinestro in creating a new Corps of agents with the intent to use them as heralds of his conquest over the positive realm. Harnessing the yellow power rings of Qward; the antithesis to the Green Lantern's Oa; the Sinestro Corps operate on a design of fear, using it to control their yellow energy the same way the Lanterns us willpower.

Tricked into believing the Sinestro Corps were to attack Oa, the designates of Sector 2814 soon find themselves four against an army as the Anti-Monitor and his heralds emerge in the Milky Way. They launch their attack on Earth, central to the new multi-verse, but the rest of the Green Lanterns, along with the heroes of Earth, soon join the war. Amidst the chaos, more personal skirmishes break out, and in an intimate exchange, Sinestro finds himself facing off with his two greatest Earth-born rivals...

Catwoman #78 (June 2008)
"The Long Road Home" Pfeifer/López
After a spate of especially violent superhuman crimes, the secreted United Nations agency called Checkmate set about plans to 'relocate' the world's super powered criminals on a distant planet called, Salvation.

Amanda Waller leads the initiative with her group of reformed and controlled criminals, the Suicide Squad, in an effort to round-up the powers, and redistribute them with the use of Apokoliptian Boom Tube technology.

Catwoman finds herself among those trapped on the hell planet, which is actually a training ground for the New Gods. Populated by deadly and malicious creatures designed to harden those trained there, Catwoman has much to contend with, not only the wildlife, but also arch enemies like Hammer and Sickle...

Countdown #2 (June 2008)
"Darkseid Equals Death" Dini/McKeever/Giffen/Kolins
When the prophecized death of the New Gods begins; Darkseid begins siphoning the powers of each of the deceased for future use in his attempts to create the Fifth World on Earth. In need of a storage vessel, Darkseid recognises Superman's best pal, Jimmy Olsen, as one of the most protected individuals in the cosmos.

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

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

Final Crisis #1 (July 2008)
"D.O.A.: The GOD of WAR!" Morrison/Jones
When the last of the New Gods clashed, the very Earth shook, but in the end it was the fist of Orion that plunged into his father's dark heart and left a gaping wound of defeat. On that day, Darkseid died, but triumph was far from the domain of good.

The seemingly victorious last of the New Gods was stumbling toward his own special death - by a bullet - while forces behind the scenes orchestrate a grand plan destined to bring about the return of Darkseid and the end of all!

Libra emerges to request control of The Society of Super Villains, promising their wildest desires in a world where the villains will be sponsored by gods! While the ego of Lex Luthor and the like is not so easily persuaded by the mysterious villain's claims, others prove all too willing to throw in with the latest mastermind of crime. Dr. Light and Mirror Master prove exactly that as they hunt the junior heroes of the League of Titans in a race to claim a cosmic artifact!

SMASH HITS: MARK COLLIE


Mark Collie - In Time (2004)


2004's Punisher, directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, presented a curious blend of ideas in realising the Punisher on the big screen. Completed removed from the 1989 debut of the character on film, Hensleigh drew heavily upon his own influences, presenting a gunslinger, more than the traditional urban vigilante that is, Frank Castle.

In maintaining the ties between his film version and the comics, Hensleigh peppers the film with references to the Garth Ennis storyarc, Welcome Back, Frank, while adding his own comic book influenced curiosities. Among them, Mark Collie as the Johnny Cash-esque mercenary, Harry Heck.
Collie, a musician, delivers an original track written as a folk ballad tribute to Frank Castle.

While not tone-perfect to the source material, details like these, that further enhance a Western sensibility do make for a strangely enjoyable film.

If foreboding ballads tickle your fancy, why not march over to the Pandora Message Board!? The "music genome project" gives users (in the US) the chance to tour the music landscape without the risk of ill-placed investment - more vital than ever in today's failing global economy!
The Pandora Message Board (and Infinite Wars: Smash Hits) are sponsored by Energizer Advanced Lithium!
Lighter, longer lasting, and perfect for portable devices! Booyah!

IRON MAN versus THE TEN RINGS
(Marvel/Paramount Pictures)
Where: Iron Man When: May 2008
Why: Jon Favreau & John August How: Robert Downey Jr, Shaun Toub, & Faran Tahir

The Story So Far...
Tony Stark: industrialist, inventor, playboy, sole inheritor of the Howard Stark empire. Tony continues his father's work, developing advanced mechanics and improving upon a range of technologies exponentially, with particular success in his father's area of expertise, the weapons sector.

With the world at his feet, Stark unveils the latest war tech from Stark Industries, travelling to Afghanistan to personally oversee testing of a cluster missile called The Jericho. The visit would prove life altering as Stark's US military entourage comes under fire from militant terrorists. Using stolen Stark weapons, the Ten Rings successfully abduct the inventor, and demand he design for them a Jericho of their own.

Imprisoned with Dr. Yinsen, Stark wakes in his cave prison to discover shrapnel from the Ten Rings' attack is lodged dangerously close to his heart. With the help of the doctor he develops an advanced "arc reactor" to power technology to prevent the movement of the shrapnel that could prove fatal. This miniature super-battery becomes the lynchpin around which the pair devise an invincible suit of armor, instead of the weapons of destruction.

Under the watchful eyes of Raza and his Ten Rings terrorists, the pair do their best to disguise their true work on the ultimate escape plan - Iron Man!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Iron Man 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Iron Man 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Iron Man 4 (Trained)
Energy Power: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


- While on a field tour to observe the effects of weaponry designed by his corporation for the United States military; billionaire industrialist, Tony Stark, soon finds himself face-to-face with the bold consequences of his actions.
Caught in a rebel booby trap, Stark suffers a near fatal wound that lodges a piece of shrapnel inches from his heart. The rebels take Stark hostage to demand he apply his genius to the design and construction of weapons built from their limited resources. In doing so, they provide Stark the means to construct a suit of armor that preserves his heart, and turns him into an invincible Iron Man!

Stark's mastery over technology allows him to bring his designs home, where the availability of rapidly upgrading technologies allow him to continue to refine the build to become increasingly mobile and efficient. Stark soon dons the Iron Man armor on a regular basis, not only as insurance against his life threatening injuries, but as an opportunity to atone for the wanton destruction delt by his weapons of death. Stark protects his secrets through the duality of a secret identity, projecting to the world the image of Iron Man as a hi-tech bodyguard.

Advancements in Stark's arsenal have advanced to a point where he has now undergone cybernetic synthesis on a genetic level. The armor now not only provides him with superhuman strength and an array of offensive weapons, but also gives Stark full wireless control over the armor and other peripheral devices, as well as access to information databases, including SHIELD resources under his control as Director of SHIELD. Iron Man remains a staple of the Avengers roster.

- In the 1963 origin for Iron Man, the industrialist found himself the guest of Vietnamese communists. Stark was tasked with the objective of designing weapons from scrap salvaged by the enemy. Instead, he was able to save himself from a fatal wound, while also fashioning a powerful suit of armor with his patented micro transitor technology.

The 2008 feature film reimagines this scenario with a contemporary spin.
Replacing the communists are an Afghan group of militant terrorists called The Ten Rings. Led by Raza, they attack Stark while on tour to observe new weapons, and as with the original origin, seek to employ him to design advanced weaponry for them. Raza replaces Wong-Chu, a Vietnamese warlord, from the original.

Stark's prison mate, Yin Sen, remains in tact from the original, albeit, in a revised form, more youthful than the original. The technology Stark utilizes is also modern, giving the original "fridge" armor grounding in missile tech.

Additional: Previously reviewed versions of the origin include; Tales of Suspense #39 (1963) and Iron Man #5 (2006). The latter provides a modern update to the origin which served as inspiration for the feature film version.

Math: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

What Went Down...
With his armor built, Tony Stark employs the aid of fellow prisoner, Dr. Ho Yinsen, in suiting up obscured from the vision of monitoring cameras. Having already rigged their cell door with explosives, the duo buy time to download programming into the machinery, but the massive amounts of data do not transfer quickly.

With heavily armed terrorists charging to the cell, Dr. Yinsen deviates from their escape plan to afford the necessary time to complete the data dump. Leaving Stark immobile in his armor, Yinsen retrieves one of the guns from the terrorists who had the misfortune of triggering their bomb, and charges into the meandering bend of their cave prison.

Dr. Yinsen goes only so far before being confronted by an armada of armed Ten Rings soldiers, led personally by the mastermind, Raza. Meanwhile, the final percentage of the Iron Man program completes it's download, sapping the cell of lighting. The arriving soldiers observe the carnage of their fallen comrades, unaware of the beast that has awoken within the cell.

With hydraulic power the Iron Man raises it's hand, sending one of the soldiers flying through the gloom. The remaining soldiers fire wildly from the doorway, doing little to effect more than dramatic lighting in the darkened cave. They learn the lesson of their ineffective shooting as the Iron Man bursts from the darkness, sending they too into the air with strikes of his mighty gauntlets.

At point blank, the last standing sentry fires his machine gun to no avail!
The bullets ricochet from the armored exterior, allowing Tony Stark the luxury of a cumbersome but powerful right hand! He is Iron Man!

Like a sentinel of doom Stark marches fearlessly through the cave tunnels that had kept him from the outside world. Bullets do little. A charging terrorist does even less. The heavy metal of the Iron Man armor does all the work, dropping his enemy with an unforgiving lariat. Those that wait for the Iron Man give him chance again to exercise the technology that lets him move massive arms.

Iron doors do little to prevent Iron Man's march, but his titanic strength soon presents a negative when a wild swing buries parts of the armor into the cave walls. While Stark tugs at his trapped arm, one of the terrorists looks to take advantage of the opportunity, closing in for a point-blank headshot with a handgun.

The soldier pays for his sneak attack at the pistol's bullet ricochets back at him!

Free from the wall, Iron Man stomps ever closer to freedom. His path confronts him with the cost of his efforts -- the bloodied body of Dr. Yinsen. The dying scientist shouts a cry of warning, giving Stark the split second to avoid a missile fired by the Ten Rings leader, Raza!

Iron Man counters with a missile of his own, fired from his gauntlet!
The explosion topples his nemesis, allowing him the opportunity to come to the aid of his wounded friend. Slumped over stolen US supplies, Yinsen reveals his willful sacrifice to Stark. The Doctor's dying words inspire renewed rage in Tony Stark's wounded heart.

Outside the cave, a small army of terrorists gather with guns at the ready.
A thunder rumbles from within the darkness of the cave, heralding the arrival of the Iron Man! The terrorists let out a war cry and open their barrels, sending a spray of sparks from the armor that looks all the more magnificent in daylight.

The wall of bullets barely trembles the looming colossus.
With a voice as cold as the metal around him, Tony Stark makes his vengeful declaration -- "My turn."

Wrist-mounted flame throwers spew fire across the surrounding encampment, forcing the Ten Rings soldiers to flee. Crates of Stark's own munitions burst into flames as his fire seeks to destroy the stolen instruments of destruction.

From the raised vantage point of surrounding terrain, one of the terrorists reaches a powerful mounted machine gun. The force of it's artillery is the first attack to pause the Iron Man! Those that had fled return to lend their firing power, eventually hitting exposed mechanics of a knee joint!

On one knee, Stark raises his arm, counter attacking with yet more flames.
They do little to deter the distant gunmen, but add to the inferno of the camp. Time is on Iron Man's side as the flames finally reach the volatile components for the terrorist's weapons. Explosions distract the terrorists, allowing Stark to seek his final trump card - a primative propulsion system!

With the mountains engulfed flame, Iron Man emerges from the exploding fireballs, heading skyward like the missile he was kidnapped to build!
The makeshift machinery proves capable of supplying only a brief moment of relief, as Stark's jets cool, reducing him to metallic dead weight!

It is a small price to pay for freedom.

The Hammer...
It might be a bit of a hollow victory, but despite this being the third time we've run through the origin, I give you, Iron Man!

It seems undeniable that Iron Man has set yet another benchmark in the development of superhero adaptations. One could arguably trace the bridge to this new era through Blade (1998), but it was the 2000 release of X-Men that truly declared superheroes to Hollywood.
Since, there's been a deluge of superheroes on the big screen, building upon a legacy of acceptance that has only enhanced what these films are capable of.

Iron Man undoubtedly benefits from a process - a genome - that has been in development for a decade. Films like Blade, The Matrix, and X-Men were vital to addressing comic-style storytelling and ideas to mainstream audiences, disguised beneath the black leather of contemporary cinema. X-Men in particular indulged the expectations and restrictions of superheroes in film, suffering a script worthy of a Saturday morning cartoon, riskily establishing itself through a soft introduction, before arriving at a far more admirable representation in X-Men 2.

With their many successes behind them; Marvel enter the arena for the first time as producers of a Marvel property. With that in mind, it should come as no shock that Iron Man does Spider-man 3 one better in mirroring the design sense of it's print counterpart. So literal was the translation that armor designs were actually overseen by one of the modern era's definitive Iron Man artists, Adi Granov.

All of this goes a long way to endear to a ravenous fanboy audience, but Iron Man's success did not end there. The film premiere ranked among the top grossing comic properties, entering into an echelon previously dominated by Spider-man, and it's sequels. Certainly no mean feat for a character with a much lower pop culture profile than Spidey; one of the world's most recognised heroes.

Critical success soon followed financial gain for the armored avenger, but this is where the Infinite Wars drops off. Jon Favreau deserves full credit, as does much of the cast, for delivering an adaptation that went above-and-beyond competence in navigating the mythology surrounding the character. Introducing eighties Iron-foil, Obadiah Stane (aka; Iron Monger), as the film's lead villain, proved to be a stroke of genius, despite defying the convention of leading with more recognised foes. This decision, which nixed the mystic influences Tony Stark's iconic arch-nemesis, The Mandarin, embodies an intelligence and understanding of the material that sets Iron Man on a level above many other adpatations.
It is a decision making process that resembles and reflects that strong connection to the comics that inspired the project.
That said; the same decision ultimately undoes the film in what feels like a thoroughly lazy third-act. A superhero showdown between the armored Stane and Stark - complete with an obligatory unmasking to give actors screen time - felt like a betrayal to a film that had otherwise made great sacrifices to honor the strength of the source material.

A casualty of this approach was Terrence Howard; whose role was drastically minimized with the hopes of expanding the franchise to include his character's armored counterpart, War Machine, at a later date. Howard incidentally failed to impress in the role, lacking the presence of a character well known for his internal strength, and ability to combat Tony Stark's extroverted dominance.
Though reports vary, it seems difficult to imagine the relegation to supporting role did not influence the departure of the actor for it's sequel [replaced by the equally baffling recast, but no less respected, Don Cheadle].

On the subject of actors, one cannot look past Robert Downey Jr and Jeff Bridges. Each actor appeared to comfortably nestle into roles that naturally complimented them, but together, they had a chemistry that could have commanded a film all to it's own. Bridges in particular, sporting a smoothly shaven head and smug sense of corporate satisfaction, shines not only as his own character, but as a textbook portrayal of what Kevin Spacey and Bryan Singer's Lex Luthor could have been, (in Superman Returns). His interactions with Downey immediately gave Obadiah Stane the spark of life, and made him a villain I loved to hate.

Corporate espionage crossed into the world of contemporary politics as Stane was adapted to become that much more evil, tied to the terrorists responsible for Stark's near-death abduction. Like Ra's Al Ghul's in the Bat-origin of Batman Begins; it was a tweak made palatable by adequately representing the original characters, while also creating connective tissue that provided far greater resonance in the transition from 'origin story' to 'adversarial showdown'.

Of course, as much as the film set benchmarks for relating to the source material, the film was far from perfect.

I have to react somewhat baffled to the fever that surrounded the film.
While faithful, Iron Man emerges into a landscape of saturation in the superhero film genre. On it's own terms, I honestly felt it was a decent summer action picture, but nothing terribly special. As a comic book vehicle, it was nothing much I hadn't seen before. Sure, the practical and CG effects of the Iron Man armor went quite a bit beyond something like Robocop, but aside from bringing robotics to the table, the film felt structurally bland. While quieter moments are tended to - like the fun filled development of Stark's armor technology - true exploration of the character and his motivations feels ironically stunted.

The triumph of the movie, at least from Marvel's perspective, has to be the monetary gains of the film. In that respect, I don't think you can fault the commercial sensibility of a movie that, at times, goes through the motions.
On the other hand, I can't help but be distracted by the feeling that beneath the family-friendly entertainment is a series of mature and involving films.

The moment that excited me most in promotional trailers, and the film itself, was actually the handicam moment of Stark fleeing the destruction of his military convoy. In that single harrowing moment, when the sound drops away with Stark's macho bravado, glimpses of a very different, and very powerful, film emerge. Probably something more akin to what I might have imagined of the long rumored Tom Cruise/Michael Bay scenario.

It seems wrong to pick at a movie for not being something imagined, but this potential specifically reflects upon the mediocrity of a film that indulged it's inspirations quite well, but forgot it's self. It is probably this single detail that differentiates the creative triumph of The Dark Knight and it's legitimate claims to 'best picture' or 'best director' Oscar nominations, from Iron Man's.

Sitting through a film that breezed through familiar elements, I couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed. A little expecting. Nothing in Iron Man went to any length to surprise me, but for that, I don't want to be scathing. Again, the faith in the comics is a glaring positive. What was a disappointing distraction, however, were the clear lines that dissect Iron Man into trilogy of ideas.
While commercially unviable, I wish the entire first film could've centred around his time in Afghanistan. By embellishing those moments before, during, and after, I feel a far better, maybe even Oscar worth movie, would have emerged.

If not for the looming pressure of an Avengers franchise, I could've seen a sequel that dwelled on the development of new Iron Man technology and the changing philosophy of Tony Stark; from blazé warmonger, to righteous superhero. A film that could've either ended (or continued in a third movie) with the intercompany politics pushed by Obadiah Stane, the introduction of SHIELD, and the dedicated screen time of a war with Iron Monger.

Ultimately, Iron Man is a satisfying cinematic experience.
Like the X-Men franchise before it; I can't help but wonder if the Iron Man sequel might fullfill my desires a little better, freed from the burden of explaining the most told story in a character's history - the origin. Strong rumors suggest the second Iron Man feature will skip the long rumored Hulk battle, instead introducing yet more armor concepts through Tony Stark's historic rivalry with Russian counterparts. Casting calls suggest the distinct possibility of Titanium Man, Crimson Dynamo, and perhaps even, Black Widow. The success of this, however, could very likely hinge on the daring of Robert Downey Jr, whose own personal demons made his casting as Tony Stark, a recovering alcoholic, all the more enticing. Certainly, while the treatment of the origin cannot be redone, we hope the absence of dwelling character moments can be expanded.

A solid film, but unless the shift from powers to shiney robots was responsible, I'm not sure I'll ever understand the lavish praises heaped upon it.
No prizes for guessing what's up next!

The Fight: 4.5 The Movie: 5

"Iron Man" is available on DVD and Blu-Ray. The 2-Disc Ultimate Edition features behind the scenes behind-the-scenes documentary, brief discussions with previous Iron Man writers and artists, and revealing featurettes on the cutting edge design and special effects of the film. While not as abundant as other releases, they are sure to please the comics fanboy and film buff, alike. You can grab both versions via Amazon and by using purchase links provided, you help sponsor future scathings on the Infinite Wars. By navigating the Amazonian Gift Shoppe, you can also find other previously reviewed media!

SHIPPING LIST: DECEMBER 17, 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.

The Infinite Wars now has a gift shop!
Now you'll find Amazon purchase links to hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and other collections, not only on regular entries -- but also new releases at the bottom of the Shipping List, and now a whole catalogue of potential purchases via the Infinite Wars: Amazonian Gift Shop. [Men are also welcome!] By shopping with Amazon via our purchase links, you not only find yourself a great deal, but also sponsor future entries on the Infinite Wars.

READ THE PREVIEW - VISIT THE SITE - BUY THE COMIC
The Independents...
SEP084246 2000 AD #1613 $4.50
SEP084247 2000 AD #1614 $4.50
SEP083905 BLACK TERROR #2 $3.50
JUN080060 END LEAGUE TP VOL 01 BALLAD OF BIG NOTHING $12.95
JUN082265 MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #12 $3.50
OCT082277 NOBLE CAUSES TP VOL 08 STAR CROSSED $15.99
OCT084285 TALES OF TMNT #53 $3.25
OCT082301 WALKING DEAD #56 (RES) (MR) $2.99

The Corporates...
OCT082451 AGE OF SENTRY #4 (OF 6) $2.99
OCT080128 BATGIRL #6 (OF 6) $2.99
OCT080127 BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #14 $2.99
OCT082406 GHOST RIDER #30 $2.99
OCT080151 MANHUNTER #37 $2.99
SEP082368 MIGHTY AVENGERS #20 DKR $2.99
OCT082429 MOON KNIGHT #25 $2.99
OCT082487 PUNISHER MAX #65 (MR) $2.99
OCT080129 ROBIN #181 $2.99
OCT082352 SPIDER-MAN NOIR #1 (OF 4) $3.99
OCT080156 SPIRIT #24 $2.99
OCT080134 SUPERGIRL #36 NEW KRYPTON $2.99
OCT080118 TANGENT SUPERMANS REIGN #10 (OF 12) $2.99
OCT080105 TERRA #4 (OF 4) $2.99
OCT082434 THOR GOD SIZED #1 $3.99
OCT080092 TRINITY #29 $2.99
OCT082463 X-MEN LEGACY #219 $2.99

The Spotlight...
- OCT080141 BIRDS OF PREY #125 $2.99
Okay, so, the Joker happened, and now that that's taken care of, the gals go on a much needed break. That sounds nice enough. What's really cause for note is the Frank Quitely cover which surely makes the issue worth picking up off the rack! A word of warning, however; the interior work is Scott McDaniel, so, with all due respect, do not expect anything nearly as spectacular inside.

- OCT080145 DCU HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2008 $5.99
Santa's Secret Origin from beyond the moon; the lady Dr. Light with decorations; and a very Nightwing/Robin Christmas. Probably worth a look if you've got money to spare and are feeling the cheer. Not likely to be stellar, but a good bit of fun that's actually in print. Unlike Marvel's digital-exclusive HUMBUG edition! Booo!

- OCT080194 EX MACHINA #40 (MR) $2.99
I can't claim to be any sort of Ex Machina expert, but a fourth-wall challenging issue starring Brian K Vaughan and Tony Harris sounds like too much fun to miss out! Features a range of guest artists and tells the tale of the comics creator's pitch to create an in-universe Mayor Hundred comic. In-jokes aplenty, and fun fun fun!

- OCT082422 MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS #31 $2.99
Marvel Adventures continues to be the home of fun at Marvel Comics, and this issue doesn't sound likely to disappoint! The all-ages book starts with a friendly fishing contest between angling rivals, Iron Man and Luke Cage, but quickly turns into the showdown of the century when Iron Man accidentally raises the Sub-Mariner! What's that Hulk? You'd like to say something about that? Oh, okay, well, it's all yours, big guy... "HULK SMASH!!!"
David Hahn can actually draw Namor, too!
'Nuff Said, puny humans.

- OCT082438 THUNDERBOLTS #127 $2.99
Norman Osborn lets the inmates loose in Thunderbolts Mountain in preperation for an all-new Dark Reign edition of his villains-in-disguise, forcing Songbird to fight for her life as she's stalked by a blood thirsty Venom and Bullseye! An inevitable conclusion comes to one of the most intriguing Marvel series of the last few years, sure to continue to be an important piece of the universe puzzle as Dark Reign takes hold!

- OCT082454 WHAT IF NEWER FANTASTIC FOUR $3.99
What if just isn't what it used to be, but with a shuffle of ideas, including the New Fantastic Four, it might be worth a look! Iron Man steps in for Ghost Rider in the replacement quartet (also classically manned by; Spider-man, Hulk, and Wolverine) as they collide with an Infinity Gauntlet wielding mad titan called, Thanos!


Advertise here! Contact for more!
Know Your Trade...
AUG080174 BATMAN PRIVATE BOOK HC $19.99
JUN080060 END LEAGUE TP VOL 01 BALLAD OF BIG NOTHING $12.95
OCT082491 MMW AVENGERS HC VOL 08 $54.99
SEP080197 PROGRAMME TP VOL 02 $17.99
OCT082508 PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL PREM HC VOL 04 JIGSAW $19.99
AUG082429 SECRET WARS OMNIBUS HC $99.99
SEP080180 SHOW PRESENTS BRAVE & BOLD BATMAN TEAMUPS VOL 03 $16.99
SEP080178 SUPERMAN PAST AND FUTURE TP $19.99

COVER TO COVER: TWENTY-FIVE UP 1994-1998!
1994-1998 Top 25
#1 Sheeva (1995)
#2 R. Mika (1998)
#3 Green Lantern (1994)
#4 Stryker (1995)
#5 Dark Claw (1996)
#6 Thorion (1996)
#7 Lethal (1995)
#8 Akuma (1994)
#9 Zauriel (1997)
#10 Access (1996)
#11 Sakura (1996)
#12 Burnout (1994)
#13 Jin Kazama (1997)
#14 Rose (1995)
#15 Onslaught (1996)
#16 Quan Chi (1997)
#17 Lei Wulong (1995)
#18 Bryan Fury (1997)
#19 Yoshimitsu (1994)
#20 Vaporlock (1994)
#21 Super-Soldier (1996)
#22 Bucky (1996)
#23 Joystick (1995)
#24 Century (1994)
#25 Swordsman (1996)
We continue our look back across the last twenty-five years of comics.
If you're just joining us, flashback to 1984-1988 and 1989-1993!

Glancing the list of characters who debuted during these five years, you see the changing landscape of comics and certain video game properties. Though distant, the two mediums share a common concern for popular cultre, and arguably feed into each other as time goes. 1995's Mortal Kombat 3, relayed through debuting characters (such as Sheeva and Stryker), reflects prominently on the unmotivated violence that became prevelant in a period of "extremes."

Widely regarded as an era of (questionable) flash over substance, it is during the early/mid nineties that comics suffer a crash they have yet to truly recover from. The popularity of superheroes in cinema today spotlights the creative recovery sponsored by a renewed investment in writers in comics that came in the final years of the nineties, and has pushed development through the early 2000's. In spite of this creative improvement, sales figures in the millions are well and truly a thing of the past for American comic book superheroes.

Curiously, it is video games who reveal the most about their development in our list. The emergence of Tekken 3 marks the undeniable arrival of the series, while Street Fighter makes it's final contributions of note, and Mortal Kombat begins it's pop culture decline into mindless irrelevance. It is a shift in that medium that almost seems to forecast the changing tastes of consumers everywhere.

Gathered here is a time capsule of these five years, through previous features from the site.
On reflection, one can almost see the changing landscape of creative direction in comics, moving from the dated fragility of brightly coloured ninjas, to 1998's reinvestment in concept.

Mortal Kombat: Blood & Thunder #6 (December 1994)
"Mortal Mayhem" Marshall/Rolo
When Lt. Sonya Blade followed career criminal, Kano, onto a docking ship, she could have had no notion of the destiny she was about to fulfil. Unwittingly chosen to represent the realm of Earth, Sonya was to be ferried, along with Kano and other fighters on board, to an ancient tournament called Mortal Kombat!

Held once every generation; the sanctity of Mortal Kombat was intended to be Earth's saving grace by pitting their greatest warriors against the forces of Outworld in controlled one-on-one contests. Representing their evil emperor, Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung and Outworld's fighters need only win ten straight tournaments to be granted freedom to invade the Earth.

Shang Tsung's desire for victory led him to the mysteries of an ancient book of power called, the Tao te Zhan. This deviaton has corrupted the tournament in which Earth's final hopes dangle. Now, scattered across the realm of Outworld, the warriors of Earth wage their own personal battles in Mortal Kombat...

Green Lantern/Silver Surfer (December 1995)
"Unholy Alliances" Marz/Banks
The day begins as simple as it can for any cartoonist-slash-intergalactic lawman. Using his alien ring, Kyle Rayner stencils designs, when he is rocked without warning from his drawing table by an explosion! Thus, the Green Lantern charges his ring before flying to investigate!

As Kyle Rayner discovers the granite alien Terrax, he could not possibly conceive the interdimensional ballet occuring across space. In another world, a chrome warrior suffers a similar fate, happening upon a destructive warrior that appears to be more machine than super-man.

The truth can wait! As protector of truth, justice, and the space ways, Green Lantern must summon all his powers to defeat the cosmically charged Terrax.
Still inexperienced, Rayner may be facing the biggest challenge of his short career, but little does he know, the grand plot designs an ally in the wings!

Onslaught: X-Men #1 (August 1996)
"Traitor to the Cause" Lobdell/Waid/Kubert/Green
When the Juggernaut falls from the heavens to crash land in Hoboken, it begins the mystery of a new villain who will attack the X-Men at their most personal core. The entity called Onslaught contacts Grey in an effort to recruit her into his mission to destroy the divide between humans and mutants, but before she can submit, the Juggernaut reveals to her the true identity of the armored monster.

Having overcome the mutant forebarer Post; the X-Men find themselves summoned to Charles Xavier's headquarters when the search for an attacking Juggernaut is called off. Little do they realise the Juggernaut is trapped within the crimson gem of Cytorrak sitting on a desk right under their nose, and the true enemy that endangers all of them is right before them -- Professor X!

Thunderbolts #1 (April 1997)
"Justice..." Busiek/Bagley
Earth's mightiest heroes are dead: Killed saving Manhattan and humanity from the threat of the dreaded Onslaught!
In their stead they leave a gaping justice-shaped hole and a population of villains ready to take advantage of the power vacuum.

Then, as if from nowhere -- Justice like lightning!
Enter the Thunderbolts! A team of mysterious heroes with strange and fantastic powers, led by the courageous WWII inspired patriot, Citizen V.

The Thunderbolts represent a new wave of protectors, tackling threats like the Hulk and the Masters of Evil! Or do they? Though these mysterious heroes have manipulated the media to cement their success, what dark secrets lie beneath their colourful costumes and masks? Maybe the Wrecking Crew will find out!

Fantastic Four #2 (February 1998)
"Be it Ever so Humble..." Lobdell/Davis
After the battle with Onslaught, the world believed the Fantastic Four and Avengers had perished, but to the delight of the world, the heroes returned a year later to the world they had left behind.

Unfortunately for the Fantastic Four, life had moved on in their absence, and their base of operations had been liquidated and revamped as the headquarters for the new team of super heroes: The Thunderbolts.

In need of a home, Reed Richards moves his family to his storage facility on the highliy appropriate Pier 4, but even as he gives his loving wife a new tour of their base of operations - something sinister is lurking in the shadows. Peril waits not for the Fantastic Four, as the Invisible Woman finds herself targetted by a mysterious assassin from another world!