SAVIOUR versus SUPERMAN
Scarlet Salvation (DC comics)
Where: Action Comics #713 When: September 1995
Why: David Michelinie How: Kieron Dwyer & Denis Rodier

The story so far...
Three years prior, the world watched in horror as the alien creature Doomsday fought Superman to a stand-still, the two dying in the street by each other's hands.

Having returned after the destruction of Coast City, Superman returns to resume his battle for truth, justice and the American way -- but not everyone is convinced!

After a sinister plot orchestrated by the Kryptonian cybernetic fiend, Braniac; a doubt is cast in the minds of all when an illusion is cast to reveal Superman still dead in his coffin. Though the truth was eventually revealed, deranged serial killer, Ramsey Murdoch, remains unconvinced.
Believing himself to be a self-proclaimed saviour, Murdoch prepares himself to destroy the one who poses as Superman.

Previous Form:
Superman (#8): Victories over Hulk, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, & Mongul.
Saviour: Making his debut in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Superman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Sound Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Superman 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Saviour 6 (Mass Destruction)


- Saviour's abilities are psycho-kinetic in nature, allowing him to convert thought into physical reality. Applications of this ability commonly include an increase in size and strength, potentially to gargantuan proportions; and the creation of physical artifacts like weapons, and creatures.

- Saviour is driven by his own righteous perception of truth, making him physically susceptible to a good argument. Mentally imbalanced, this argument need not even be true, just acceptable to Murdoch's logic processes.

- Superman has endured through the decades as one of the most prominent heroes of the DC Universe. A spiritual leader, Superman has a wide array of physical capabilities to back it up, the stalwarts being; super strength, flight, heat-vision, super breath & super speed.

- Though not typically depicted as such, Superman also has a keen intellect, his Kryptonian brain enhanced in much the way his body is. A keen strategist, Superman also has a broad understanding of sciences and battle tactics, but is often hindered by his own sense of caution and responsibility.

The Math: Superman The Pick: Superman

What went down...
Having escaped prison, the ominpotently powered madman, Ramsey Murdoch, finds his way to Planet reporter Ron Troupe. Having covered Murdoch's trial for a string of murders connected to Murdoch's mission to destroy "deceivers", Troupe makes himself a dangerous enemy in Saviour, but finds himself saved by a bigger concern pertinent to his agenda.

In a public show, Murdoch takes Troupe hostage in a Metropolis street, garnering the attentions of the man calling himself Superman. Referring to the hero as the great deceiver, Murdoch waves the proof of a newspaper photograph of Superman's coffin in the air, insistant that Superman appears in the picture.

Unable to talk the killer down, Superman resorts to heat vision to melt Murdoch's knife. Ron Troupe is able to flee to the sidelines as Murdoch turns his attentions to Superman, revealing from beneath a headban the Superman shield he has carved in his own forehead -- a mark for the truth he believes he stands for.

Murdoch dedicates himself to Superman's cause, growing in proportions and using his ability to turn regular streetwear to the red and blue of Superman. The red S begins to bleed as his transformation turns the costume to black.

Recognising the undeniable escalation of the situation, Superman leaps into action, flying directly to his enlarged opponent. Unfortunately for him, Murdoch's strength is proportionately adjusted, matching that of the Hulk's!

Saviour pounds Superman into the street, repeatedly pummeling with power that baffles even the travelled Superman.

The fight, taking place in the middle of a crowded Metropolis city street, sees a child innocently playing a part in the battle. Pointing a toy gun, the small boy terrifies his mother by making an effort to save Superman.

The toy gives the otherwise uninspired Saviour a model upon which to shape his reality altering powers. Manifesting a weapon in his own hand, he demonstrates far more lethal capabilities than whirring sound makers and flashing lights.

Believing Superman's defeat, Saviour lords over the crater created by his imaginary gun's blast. Like a lazarus, Superman rises from the hole, bursting out to connect with a flying uppercut that sends Saviour flying!

Landing outside a bar, Saviour lies slumped against a wall as a baffled drunk passes. Inspired once again by the seemingly insignificant, he takes the drinker's exclamation, creating a literal stampede of giant, tusked pink elephants!

With the watching public scattered in a panic, Superman goes to work on the giant pink elephants, utilizing his impressive strength to use fist and brawn to take them out. Pink skulls collide as he hoists one elephant over his head by the trunk, colliding it with another.

Saviour takes full advantage of the distraction, wrapping his hulking arms around Superman in a sneak attack from behind. Taking the battle close quarters gives Superman a sure fire shot with his heat-vision, which connects with enhanced bicep at point blank range.

Pained but ultimately unaffected by the blast, Saviour retaliates with his own literal translation of heat-vision. The burst scatters the last son of Krypton, and engulfs the entire street in uncontrolled flames!

Though the street was cleared by the rampaging elephants, Superman still finds himself with an obligation to protect and serve the people inside the engulfed buildings. He has no choice but to ignore Saviour, turning his super powered lungs to the matter of the blaze.

Showing no honor, Saviour charges the occupied Superman to pound and taunt him. "Liar, liar -- brain on fire!"

Watching from the shadows, Ron Troupe struggles with the scene he's witnessing, but as he ponders his lack of super powers he considers another way to influence the course of events: the information gained from research he conducted for the Ramsey Murdoch article he wrote!

Troupe courageously steps into the battlefield to challenge Saviour and his self-proclaimed truth. He recounts Murdoch's unimportance in the world, and tendencies to blame everyone but himself for his predicaments.
Terrified but commited, Troupe continues to psychologically attack Saviour, buying Superman time to put out the fires that threaten citizens of Metropolis.

Troupe's attack manifests itself physically as Murdoch is confronted with his shortcomings, reflected by Saviour's psycho-kinetic powers.

Reduced to a worthless whep on the ground, Saviour is quickly revived by Troupe's call to Superman. Big blue swoops in to clean the deck before Saviour can again reconceive his invulnerability, allowing the polish hammer to do the job of knocking the villainous Murdoch out.

He is taken into custody by STAR Labs, where their advanced facilities are used to keep Ramsey Murdoch in a suspended state of sleep, at least until he would next awake to terrorize Metropolis.

The hammer...
With the crucial assist of Ron Troupe, Superman prevails in the name of just truth, on this particular occasion. Although, justice and the American way may be called upon to testify, so they should be well forewarned. Hussah!

Having just filled in some of the previously featured Superman battles, it occurs to me that we really need to step it up with the villain battles. Good grief. For a site that rarely strays before the nineties, let alone the fifties, you'd think we'd have Superman painted in a better light!

Anyway, moving on... I'm going to be one hundred percent honest here: I may not be at the top of my game. No, I know, you'd never notice! Alas, there has been a pressure in my head that continues to rob me of clarity, let alone any kind of half-arsed pseudo-intellectual musings on superhero books.

We're here because damned if I'm going to let allergies stop me delivering unto you some of the least important fights in comic book history, and because I'm enjoying pouring as many stats into our sporting-styled database.

Why this less than memorable issue of Action Comics, I hear you ask?
A jaded portion of our community might say I made a very wise decision, but way back in the mid-nineties I passed up the event that was The Death of Superman.
At the time the event was somehow so very real, despite an already rich history of superhero deaths and resurrections. Maybe it was the fact that DC had effectively wiped their slate clean ten years prior, or maybe it was the mass media coverage, but for some reason, Superman's death seemed certain.

Even in the face of what was potentially one of the most historically significant events since the creation of Superman, I felt it wasn't warranting of purchase. I was still a youngster at the time, far less interested in Watchmen and the so-called comics 'mus-haves' of the time, instead seeking out things like Spider-man joining the Fantastic Four, or the Phantom taking up boxing for charity.

Some may say I dodged many a bullet (including early Image Comics), but ten-fifteen years later, I kinda wish I'd fleshed out my collection just a little more. So when Superman: Doomsday hits DVD, I can flick back over some of those stories and reminisce about different times. Heck, I'd even settle for some electric Superman issues, gar!

Anyway, things happen over the years, and next to owning an unusually large amount of Steel comics [for a middle-class white guy who listens to techno]; Action Comics #713 is about as close as I get to Superman's death.

I have not seen Superman: Doomsday, and given my current financial situation, probably will not see it for quite some time. Honestly, I don't consider that any great loss, although I would gladly see it if for no other reason than the purpose of review, which has probably been thoroughly accounted for by other websites and blogs. Maybe one of these days we'll get a sponsor, or something...

As for this issue; look, I like David Michelinie, mostly for his work on Amazing, but I couldn't in good conscience call this a great issue. Honestly, it's the kind of thing you really read in one sitting, and throw over your shoulder like a used pink elephant. Everything from the characters to the inks and colours are pretty uninspiring, to the point where I think maybe even with the blinders of zeitgeist, you would readily have identified this as insignificant at the time.

[If monsieurs Dwyer or Rodier have amounted to major things in the comics industry, and I just can't think of them, then colour me red-faced. Yessir.]

Even so, Saviour manages to be one of those interesting concept-characters who is the writer's equivalent of the DJ's Rob Dougan before the Matrix movies.
He's the kind of forgotten character you can lay down in a new way and just totally blow a crowd's mind.
Of course, Saviour did resurface some years after this issue, I'm led to believe presumably to the same ineffectual ends. So while he isn't the secret weapon of a writer in waiting, you'd still have to wonder what could be done with a nutter who can create anything from his imagination.

And wonder we shall, as I disappear into the gloom, a little less congested than when we began. Which is hopefully good news for when we come back to do it all again tomorrow at our usual Friday timeslot. (I'm looking at you, Bahlactus!)
Oohhhhhh, you see what I did there? No? I'll tell you tomorrow! Get off my back for crying out loud, I've got allergies! Geez!...

The Fight: 6 The Issue: 3
[A thoroughly mediocre issue that really does little to enhance the reputation of the much maligned mid-nineties. Saviour is definitely a character of interest for the Secret Earth, but barring an unforseen investment, don't expect to see him any time soon. Seriously, how great would a sponsor be?...]

FANTASTIC FOUR/X-MEN/X-FACTOR/NEW MUTANTS versus AHAB & THE HOUNDS
Days of Future Present Part 4: You Must Remember This (Marvel comics)
Where: X-Men Annual #14 When: 1990
Why: Chris Claremont How: Art Adams

The story so far...
For humanity there exists a dark potential future.
A time where mutants have been hunted to near extinction, and humanity lives enslaved by the robotic Sentinel armies that police the streets so vigilantly.

Franklin Richards and Rachel Summers, refugees from this dark time, escape back to seek protection in a more placid time where their parents stood triumphant and hopeful against these evils. Unfortunately for them, their time travelling escape is not the only shift made from this future.

Dr. Roderick Campbell, the man-Sentinel known as Ahab, follows the two mutant rebels back through the timestream, hoping to use the environment to manipulate a final showdown with his longtime targets. Unfortunately for him, the mutants are far from extinct in this time, and despite his advanced technology and many powers, he may find himself overwhelmed...

Previous Form:
X-Men [#1]: The X-Men have defeated the future's super-Sentinel, Nimrod; among others.
Fantastic Four [#2]: Killed in a future where Death's Head II became AIM super-weapon, Charnal.
Invisible Woman (#12): Prominent victories over Iconoclast, Frightful Four and others.
Cyclops (#45): Invaluable in the X-Men's defeat of Xorn, and Executioner.
Ahab: Making his debut in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Ms. Marvel 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Cannonball 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Ahab 6 (Generator)
Agility: Warlock 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Cable 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Human Torch 7 (Solar Power)


Okay, so if you're a regular reader you might be scratching your head, trying to figure out what Ahab has to do with Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Rightly so, too, since this is a late post for Monday's on-going celebration of the villains from the video game.

Well, we're closing evil clone month off with a positively epic entry! Pictured to the right, an assembly of the Fantastic Four and X-Teams of the time -- but wait! Can you spy two notable exceptions?

Yes, in his timespanning mission to capture and destroy Franklin Richards and Rachel Summers, Ahab has transformed one of each of their parents into dark versions of themselves -- turning them into sadistic, sinister versions of themselves.

The missing parents in question are of course Invisible Woman and Cyclops, and they're going to be front and centre amongst the nameless Hounds, representing Ahab with mad respect, yo. Days of Future Past style, can you dig?

It might not surprise you to know I'm thinking about folding this section up to include only the statistical information, because I think we're reaching a point where I'm just killing time in this section. There are sixteen heroes assembled in the attack on Ahab, and while that doesn't sound like a lot, and scenarios or predictions are only going to be more boring than they usually say.

Suffice to say, there's a tremendous advantage in the number of heroes, and I'm going to probably just go along with that.
Ahab; a super baddy cyborg from a future where mutants are on the brink of extinction and Sentinels patrol the streets, is a tough customer, but come on.
You've got all kinds of Mr. Fantastic, Beast, Forge combinations there, and the Human Torch, and She-Thing, and all kinds of muscle power there...

The Math: FF/X-Men (Total) Ahab & Hounds (Average)
The Pick: Fantastic Four/X-Factor/X-Men/New Mutants

What went down...
The massive collective of heroes sound Ahab's mutant detecting alarms as they burst into his hi-tech stronghold. Distracted from his torture of the former-mutant hunting hound, Rachel Summers, Ahab turns to face many would-be rebels already deceased in a future where he probably killed many of them.

Reed Richards recognises the green garbed humans by Ahab's side as the twisted forms of Scott Summers and Susan Richars -- Cyclops and Invisible Woman, respectively. Boastful of his powers, Ahab sets his Hounds on the invaders.

The armoured Cyclops is the first to do damage, unleashing his optic blasts with enough force to shake even the She-Thing, Ms. Marvel!

Mr. Fantastic steps up to use his elastine body to absorb the brunt of the plasma blasts, while Jean Grey does her best to telekinetically stem the flow of Invisible Woman's malicious invisible forcefields.

The move frees Ms. Marvel up to do more damage where she's better applied, against the nameless bruisers of Ahab's sinister collective of Hounds. The young mutant Cannonball struggles with the moral fact that many of the Hounds were innocent mutants before they met the control of Ahab's machinery.

Meanwhile, Jean Grey suffers moral conflicts of her own, struggling to battle Invisible Woman without inflicting any mortal injury on her during this murderous state. Recognising the issue, Mr. Fantastic taps Banshee to disarm his wife with the non-lethal means of his sonic scream.

Busy grappling with Grey, Invisible Woman is easily blindsided.
Meanwhile, Cable comes up with a plan to use Warlock's tech receptors to absorb the power from Cyclop's power blasts.

Warlock neutralizes X-Factor's jaded leader, while the battle rages onward around him. Cable and Ben Grimm do their best to use non-lethal weaponry to subdue the Hounds, while Gambit, Ms. Marvel and Boomer opt for more physical methods.

Cable, having subdued the Hounds in immediate opposition, sees a path to make a frontal assault on their half-Sentinel leader, Ahab!

Cable lunges at the suspiciously similar looking Ahab, finding himself a little out of his own cybernetic depth. Clutching at Ahab's harpoon staff in the defensive position, Cable soon discovers it is directly connected to Ahab's own power.
With his hands burning, Cable finds himself unable to let go of the weapon, forced to stare into the face of the enemy. Ahab taunts him, asking the mutant whether he sees someone he knows, before swatting him away with the staff.

Storm, suffering the youthful affects of a previous encounter with The Nanny, finds her way to the imprisoned adult Franklin Richards. She does her best to summon Franklin's senses before Ahab can act, but it turns out his trump card affects more than the pod-bound son of Mr. Fantastic.

With the push of a button, Ahab levels the playing field of both his enemies and allies. An energy field attacks the heroes and Hounds alike, attacking their living tissue to the point of incapacitation. Only the mega-powered Franklin Richards is left standing, glowing with incredible mutant energies.

Ethereal, Franklin destroys Ahab's machines of harm with but a gesture.
Unsure and intimidated by the threat he's faced with, Ahab summons his Hounds to heel, including Rachel Summers. Courageously Summers defies her former master, prompting him to toss his harpoon spear for her defiance.

Franklin and Jean Grey intervene, stopping the spear in mid-air with their respective powers. The pressure situation proves more than the adult Richards is able to deal with, impeding his ability to exert his fantastic powers over the mechanical weapon. Likewise, Jean Grey struggles to maintain her telekinetic hold over it.

As Ahab's weapon propels itself gradually closer, Jean Grey unleashes all of her energy, diving between her daughter from the future and the weapon in a last ditch effort. Exhausted in her daughter's arms, Grey is successful.

Seemingly out of tricks, Ahab finds himself surrounded as Reed Richards declares his imminent defeat. The cyborg from the future taunts Richards with the promise that regardless of his fate in the past, Ahab has the last laugh in battle with the heroes. With that he teleports away, leaving the gift of his mark on their loved ones; Cyclops and Invisible Woman.

The hammer...
Woof, well, after all of that, your winners, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, X-Factor and New Mutants. Since everyone is seen to be active in at least panel dressing, I think I'm forced to hand the win to everyone, regardless of the weight of individuals like Franklin Richards. Rachel Summers proved uninvolved in this fight, but for provoking Ahab to seperate from his harpoon, an assist stat.

So, with the pleasantries out of the way, we can finally wrap this one up.
Y'know, it actually turned out to be a lot more straight forward than I felt like it was going to be. I guess part of the issue was that it probably wasn't until the advent of the Fox/Saban cartoon series that I really became a fan of X-Men.

I could be wrong, but this might just about be the first X-Men comic I ever owned, and even then it was probably more because of the story running through from the Fantastic Four annual. Even so, I have to admit to fond memories of this particular issue. Crammed full of characters and action, it actually ranked considerably higher with me at the time than the more subdued FF instalment.

It introduced me to characters like Cable, who was appearing with the New Mutants, a book I was even less interested in than the more recognisable X-books. I mean, I had a passing interest in Wolverine, and Cyclops, and Colossus, and some of those characters, but the New Mutants were barely on the radar!

I couldn't say why that really was. Long before the internet blogosphere, I was pretty removed from the reading public, so I certainly didn't indulge in the Liefeld sensation, or the general X-boom. I can't say if it was all the tail-eating future stories, or the boring similarity amongst the costumes, but something just turned me away from that X-corner of the Marvel universe.

Of course, it's not like there weren't convolusions across the board at the time.
Ben Grimm was finally cured of his rocky predicament, metaphorically passing the curse to Sharon Ventura, who was mutated in much the same way, becoming the affectionately referred to -- She-Thing.
If you've been reading the Infinite Wars recently, you'll know Sharon Ventura eventually showed up, in her human form, to woe the emotionally conflicted Grimm who had again become the Thing [Fantastic Four #367]. If you stay tuned, we'll be filling in some more of those gaps in the coming month.

Fortunately, the combined brilliance of Forge, Beast and Reed Richards, all exibit expertise in fields of mechanics and genetics, are able to use intelligence from the wreckage of Ahab's abandoned facility to return their loved ones back to normal.

The story of Ahab, however, would never enjoy that kind of satisfaction. There are many fabled tales of editorial changes made throughout Chris Claremont's legendary affiliation with the X-Men, and the Ahab character is one of the many.

The reference to seeing someone he recognises during Cable's attack on Ahab alludes to the conceptual conclusion that Ahab was in fact the unfortunate progression undertaken by Cable. The trademark skunk streak, scarred eye, and expanded cybernetics were all indicative of a corruption at some point in the mysterious Cable's future.

Cable would undergo many permeatations, absorbing new pieces of his history and future to eventually become one of the many maligned creations of the X-Universe. His close association with Rob Liefeld and subsequent pad/weapon/pocket heavy design also made for a shakey relationship between fan and character coming out of the declining nineties.

I don't know if you could rightly call this comic fantastic.
It's got that event-heavy action packed quality of the time, with an execution typical of Claremont, occasionally creeping into the embarassingly explanatory.

At the same time Art Adams' artwork is thoroughly effective, and really sticks out in my mind for a lot of reasons. Quiet moments have an odd energy about them, but likewise carry a consistent emotional weight that's prevelant even in the action scenes. His style is beautifully complimented by a slew of inkers, and colours by Brad Vancata which somehow seem to exceed what was typical of the era.

I find myself searching for a reason to call this one of the most enjoyable comics you could ever read, but it's just so hard. Maybe I'm tainted by vague, fond memories from 1990, I do not know. I think what ultimately shines through here is everything positive about this kind of nineties comic book, still sporting the musk of the less spiteful decade of the eighties.

There's playful mystery to the characters, dynamic action sequences, and a pretty clear line between the heroes and the villains. It's not about the internal conflict, even though two heroes are turned to fight against their fellows. It's just about an evil killer cyborg from the future, and a massive collection of heroes culminating their efforts in one big battle.

I'm going to borrow from Bully's criteria, and just call this comic fun!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 6
[Days of Future Present ran in the 1990 annuals of the titles starring the four respective teams involved. The story played off of the previous decade's famous X-story, Days of Future Past, detailing a dystopian future where mutants are hunted to the brink of extinction. The Claremont/Byrne story from 1981 remains one of the most popular alternate universe tales, heavily influencing the grim future depicted in the recently returned NBC series, Heroes.]

QUICK FIX DOUBLE FEATURE: Sho-Ryu Ken!
KEN versus RYU
Stage 01 (UDON/Image)
Where: Street Fighter #1 When: September 2003
Why: Ken Siu-Chong How: Alvin Lee

Quick Fix...
Y'know, in it's own way, UDON and their Capcom books are a really interesting look at "independent" comic books.

I do this blog thing for many reasons, one of the important ones being the enjoyment I get from taking a little time to discuss, review, and observe these pieces of entertainment that I find so joyous. Of course, as much as I'd like to derive world dominating noteriety from this blog, I'm not so sure there's a long future for me in comics review.

What I do feel very strongly about is writing and creating comic books.
Sure, that's not an unusual aspiration. Most fans and their silly photographed cats want to write comics, but I like to think there's something inevitable about comics and I. I'm not one to believe in destiny, but I think if you plucked anyone who's known me through my lifetime, none would be shocked to learn I had found fate in a creative field. It's just one of those cosmic things.

That said, it's not like capability, flair and know-how instantly get you the job.
As submission processes become less common, and technology becomes more readily available, the intrepid fan pursues the dream of self-publishing to a quality unparalleled in the previous two decades of small press.

Of course, that only solves part of the problem. As one of the thousands of wannabes who are rightly or wrongly convinced of their birthright, self-publishing methods provide you but the uterine goal for your up-stream battle.

What I like about UDON is their initiative to take full advantage of their power as a studio of pencillers, inkers, colourists, and digital artists.

They did the work-for-hire thing generating work for top companies (like the superb, unutilized, costume revamp for Taskmaster), they co-opted with the pseudo self-publishing process provided by Image Comics, and then finally stepped firmly out on their own as UDON Entertainment, producing a fine line of self-published comics. Bravo!

See, the difficult thing for a would-be comics writer, no matter how brilliant he is, is that comics are a visual medium. A writer who cannot pencil finds himself staring down the barrel of nothingness if he can't secure a penciller to work with him, and as many writers would testify to, often that involves surrendering your conceptual brilliance, and/or making a multitude of compromises.

Like it or not, even in this industry that has so thoroughly promoted the conceptual idea and the written word, the "artist" has the controlling stock.

Perhaps, then, the only thing more bitter than struggling to get along in this publishing jungle, is when the penciller makes no effort to capitalize on his natural, controlling gifts. Sure, pencillers often write like pencillers, but with the ruling power in the equation, they have the luxury of producing as little, or as much, as they like.

UDON manage to write a little better than that underhanded remark implies.
In this issue we're privvy to accurate characterization drawn from both the video games and other sources from the Street Fighter mythos, and while it sometimes isn't the most brilliant script, you can never doubt their visual efforts.

Ken and Ryu represent the hallmark, mascot characters for the series.
Though the best of friends, various outlets story their fierce but friendly rivalry as martial artists of comparitable skill and determination. For Ken Masters, heir to a wealthy fortune, the joy of the fight is playful and exciting, involving martial arts competitions and many victories across the world.
For Ryu, a nomad who has only known the martial arts, it is meditative and spiritual crusade that takes him across the world, and deep into himself.

Having received an invitation to Ken's San Francisco mansion, Ryu travels across the globe to visit his old time friend. Barking dogs meet him at the edge of the compound, but as he soon discovers, it's not just the canines that are waiting for him.

Ken attempts to surprise his best friend with a flying kick, but finds himself swiftly blocked by his martial arts equal. The sparring session continues, Ryu confidently blocking and dodging through Ken's aggressive assault.

Ken playfully challenges his buddy to make an offensive, leading with his own, but Ryu's block is the final in their session. The fighters conclude their battle with the arrival of Ken's girlfriend, allow Ryu a pause to deliver grim news: Their master, Gouken, is dead -- murdered by the fallen warrior, Akuma.

Street Fighter doesn't lay out a canvas that immediately speaks to Eisner-award winning story telling, and I sometimes wonder about the quality of script, largely given the benefit of the doubt by my sheer love of the characters and brand, but I like to think even these two panels alone are proof. UDON are masters at what they do, and it's fantastic that they're doing it on their own terms.

Though not particularly important in the scheme of the American comics market, I struggle to think of any collective of artists who have made such a bold move since the formation of Image. So, while I bide my time as a writer-in-waiting, hopefully inching closer to the goal through works of enthusiasm, like this blog, and works of craft and experimentation, The Kirby Martin Inquest, let the pencillers and artists be active!

The Fix: 4 The Issue: 6
Winner: Draw

[UDON wrapped up their first "volume" with Image Comics as the numberless "Street Fighter" with fifteen issues, before reassessing their efforts with the self-published and re-titled "Street Fighter II."
UDON continue their relationship with Capcom, developing work for a revamped video game, and translated Manga from Japan.]

---

KEN versus RYU
Akuma: The Dark Master
(Group TAC/Capcom/Manga Entertainment)
Where: Street Fighter Alpha When: 1999
Why: Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Joe Romersa, Reiko Yoshida, & Kirk Thornton How: Kane Kosugi/Matthew Austin & Kane Kosugi/Steven Jay Blum

Quick Fix...
Sometimes you can be so close to the stats and information, recall of what you actually want can be a little interrupted. Especially when you're writing at 2:27am, but even so, I struggle to think of an American superhero comics equivalent to the rivalry shared between Ken Masters and his martial arts buddy, Ryu.

They really represent the penultimate friendly rivalry, but it isn't all sunshine, lollipops, and romps through shutdown ruined parts of cities overrun by ninja and mobsters, no sir. There's an underlying darkness to these two that makes a constant theme through the Alpha series of games, manga and movie.

The basic philosophy of good and evil runs common between these two.

The Street Fighter universe is littered with fighters who have found their way to a sinister end. We've seen already Sagat; the Muay Thai champion who fell from grace when he was defeated by Ryu, in the employ of the villainous Bison. A fighter who showed great nobility in a later confrontation with Ryu in the pages of the second UDON series [Street Fighter II #2].

The SFIIV [television] series highlights their struggle as both moral and primal. The yoga master Dhalsim refers to them as fighting monsters, and guides them on internal journies to stem their violent tendencies. In Alpha the philisophical struggle takes a turn for the literal, manifesting in the potential corruption of the Hadou ki energies fighters of Ken and Ryu's styles harness.

For Ryu, an orphan who was raised and trained by the master Gouken, the threat is the more prevelant, logically so. Branching from the Evil Ryu game token, Ryu's lifelong association with the martial arts makes him especially susceptible to the sinister temptation of the murderous intent of the Dark Hadou.

Among the students of the unnamed Ansatsuken art, Gouken's brother and rival, Akuma, is most legendary for succumbing to the temptation of the Dark Hadou.
It was he who murdered Gouken [see above] and continues to live in seclusion, honing his fighting art and accepting only the challenges of worthy opponents.

Concerned about his shrouded past and potential predisposition to give in to the Dark Hadou, Ryu travels to the mountains to confront Akuma, accompanied by Chun-Li. With ambiguous results, Ryu returns to his life disillusioned.

Chun-Li probes Ryu for answer he does not know, standing on the beach with no true understanding of what it is the Dark Hadou represents.
Knowing his best friend well, Ken emerges on the beach, knowing Ryu would have travelled to see Akuma about his current predicament.

Ken, concerned about his friend's plight borne of the fight, strips down to join him in ponderous combat. Chun-Li finds herself confused by their method of bonding, seeing the catalytic nature of combat for immersion in the Dark Hadou, but can only stand and watch as the martial arts legends collide and spar.

Ryu swiftly ducks and dodges Ken's aggressive combat, in much the same way he did in the first half of this entry, before throwing his own punches. The two batter each other across the beach, Ken charging for a gravity defying kick barely blocked by Ryu.

While those that care about them ponder their reasons for fighting, Ken and Ryu break and pose. They indulge in acrobatic swirls and flips, flying into the air to throw kicks that finish each other off. They fall to the sand with a thud.

Taking faith in his friend's skill, determination and spirit, Ken enthusiastically speculates Ryu's ability to overcome the Dark Hadou. More solemn about his predicament, Ryu makes plans for the future, asking of his friend a promise to finish him off should he lose the struggle, and appear to be manifesting.

Rising from the ground with a stagger, Ken remains grimmly silent in response.

Before we wrap up a customary thanks to When Fangirls Attack, who included the dubious discussion about Catwoman from our last entry in one of their reference lists. The enthusiasm and interest of that readership is always enjoyed and welcomed, and maybe one of these days we'll talk about something interesting.

No doubt there'll be more Dark Hadou discussion in the coming Sundays as we continue to sponsor the Street Fighters in 2007. Now I'd better get to work on catching up on our Monday Marvel Ultimate Alliance post!

The Fix: 6 The Movie: 5.5
Winner: Draw

[Draws all over the shop today and yesterday! Ken and Ryu remain the two most likely fighters to be sponsored into the top five rankings through our weekend initiative. Still plenty more to come from the Street Fighter Alpha movie, including individual battles!]

QUICK FIX DOUBLE FEATURE: Under the Influence/Ones We Love
ROBIN versus BATMAN
As the Crow Flies Part Four: Shotgun (DC)
Where: Batman #629 When: August 2004
Why: Judd Winick How: Dustin Nguyen

Quick Fix...
So, Galactus and I might not have a lot in common, but there is one indisputable commonality: We're both sticklers for rules, especially our own.

Which brings us to now. Up against the wire, I feel an obligation to turn in a Street Fighter post for Sunday, a Marvel Ultimate Alliance post for Monday, and, well, okay, that's really about all... But still, here we are, as the clock ticks over to Sunday (here in the future), and I'm starting a post for Saturday! Egads, what sinister plot could provoke such madness?!

A couple of days ago The Fortress Keeper had some interesting things to say about the state of Batman, with a particular slant towards an evolution away from the grim and gritty mania that has gripped the character for the best part of three decades. I, of course, subscribe to that classic take within reason, actually fairly disinterested in progress being made by Grant Morrison to return the hairy chested love-god to his globe trotting throne; but I digress...

Inevitably one travels from Batman's world and state of mind, to the relationships important to his life.

There's a purveyance of opinion that says Batman, in his grittier and more obsessive incarnations, is a two-dimensional character devoid of layers. It's perhaps because of that opinion that many people draft their complexities onto the characters surrounding the Dark Knight Detective. Right or wrong, it provides us another nice segue to use a dangling quick fix from our last entry, but first...

It's actually been quite a while since I've fawned over Judd Winick's run on Batman. Or maybe it isn't, and the increased activity just makes it seem like it's been a while. Regardless, not the case today, as we take a look at the standalone "As the Crow Flies" arc, which preceded Winick's bulky, on-going stay on the book, which I am particularly fond of. Incidentally, it was the graceless intrusion of the interrupting War Games story that broke-up Winick's work, but incidentally set-up much of what I enjoyed so much.

The majority of this story revolves around the cagey relationship between Jonathan "Scarecrow" Crane, and the Penguin, who has employed the former to contribute to his criminal investments. Coinciding with this alliance is the emergence of a hulking Scarebeast, more monster than man, who terrorizes Gotham City and the criminal underworld by night.

Despite his best efforts, Batman is unsuccesful in confronting the Scarebeast, succumbing to it's own unique brand of fear toxin.

Falling into the abyss of fear and panic, Batman's dedicated training sees him able to escape to the Batmobile, where it's autopilot technology can navigate to the Batcave. The mobile also puts Batman in much needed contact with trusted butler, Alfred, who is able to talk him down from his panic for at least part of the long journey home.

With hallucinations setting in, Batman flails his limbs at an imaginary Joker and Two-Face. His fevered attacks damage the Batmobile console, severing his connection with Alfred, and perhaps even sanity. Concerned, Alfred summons the aid of the boy wonder, Robin, who pursues atop dirt bike.

Where there rides a Robin, the unsettled Batman sees the demon of his greatest failure, the supposedly deceased Jason Todd. Still haunted by the tactics employed by the villainous Hush (and Todd), Batman pops the Batmobile hatch and yanks the young Tim Drake from his motorcycle.

Though Robin lodges a verbal appeal in an attempt to navigate Batman back through the forest of hallucination, he continues only to see Jason Todd. Prompted by imagined taunts, the Batman clutches at Robin's throat, squeezing.

Barely able to overcome the hostility of his adopted-father, Robin manages to lift from a whisper to a call, requesting Alfred to blow the rooftop via remote from the Batcave headquarters.

The sudden rush of air rips the tiny Robin from Batman's vice-like grip. His acrobatic training helps the young hero maneuver himself to catch the tail of the Batmobile as it thunders into the hidden entrance of the secret Batcave.

Batman is thrown from the convertible vehicle, coming to land in a tangled, bloody mess. Robin makes a far more graceful landing, joining Alfred at his master's side to administer an anti-toxin. For the sidekick, a job well done.

I touched on the fact that I'm one who quite enjoys the darker side of Batman.
Traditionally I'm not a fan of Robin the side-kick as a part of that, but here actually lies a pretty good example of ways to make the character acceptable.

I tend to think Robin is at his best as a character who has grown up to leave the nest. I think that relationship of father and son is one of the most dynamic qualities of the duo, and that's played to particularly strong effect here.

While it doesn't really seem to be examined as the soul focus of what is essentially a strong, if grounded, episode in a superhero adventure; there's a strong undercurrent of fear and what is fear. For a child, I think there are few scarier scenarios than this, where the father is completely out of control.

I don't mean that just in the violence of the way Batman lashes out, but the fact that Batman is such a staunch pillar of certainty. I suppose stability is an important part of a child's life, and as much as an unstable environment can be damaging, it also reshapes a sense of normality. For someone who has viewed a personal aquaintance as an unshakable force of of strength, few things can be more frightening than the dissolving of that.

It's looking at the character's psychological flaws and darkness in manners like this that make me greatly appreciative of the grim and grit of the character.
I tend to feel I can find well-adjusted superheroics, and gadget filled adventure from a lot of avenues, but few characters bring such a rich tapestry of psychological layers, and motivations.
I personally feel in the assumed flat characterization, there is actually more juice than in the showy, gallavanting Batman. The more he supposedly shuts down, the more we learn about the character. The less spoken, the more said.

Winick does well to inject that into what is essentially a monster story, even if Nguyen's kinetic pencils ground it in a more superhero, capes and tights motiff.

The Fix: 5 The Issue: 6
Winner: Inconclusive

[No one really wins or loses in this quick fix, but it should be noted as but a tiny portion of what turns out to be quite a fun comic.
If most Bat-villains are justified as mirrors held up to Batman, Scarecrow represents the detached. A character who does not distract his reflection through a filter of antagonism, forcing Batman to confront himself quite literally, rather than through a green and white abstraction.]

---

BATMAN versus CATWOMAN
Crisis of Conscience: Part Four (DC)
Where: JLA #118 When: Early November 2005
Why: Geoff Johns & Allan Heinberg How: Chris Batista

Quick Fix...
I like the idea that Gotham is an old fashioned city.
A city with a certain musk to it's looming skyline, that eventually colours the denizens within it. It wasn't always as corrupt as it is now, but even the Green Lantern (Alan Scott) will tell you, it had that intangible quality to it.

Robin, in all his colourful glory, tends to represent much of the hope, promise and innocence lost to Gotham City, and to Batman. He personifies, in many ways, a future where Gotham might not need the protection and aid of a man garbed in emotionless black and grey. A man, who like many of Gotham's others, has been dragged so deep into the skirmish that he is almost what he fights.

I like to think Martian Manhunter represents a bit of that, too.
As much as he has walked the streets and tasted the dusty air of Gotham's criminal underworld, he remains the city's secret Superman. An alien from a world outside Gotham, who hides beneath the muted browns and greys of his store bought suits the vibrant green of blossoming nature, and a perspective of everything the city may be.

They don't necessarily enjoy each other's company, or agree on the degrees of what's required to achieve good in the world, but I like to think Batman and Martian Manhunter are always bound by the mutual understanding of Gotham.

While Batman represents a brutal, corrupted version; he remains a pillar on the non-lethal side of the justice scale we've been talking about. Far more harsh than anything Martian Manhunter would usually subscribe to, but still on the same wave length of what is and isn't crossing the unspoken line.

It's this commonality that brings the two characters together in the pages of Crisis of Conscience, which deals with the aftermath of the revelation that Zatanna spent her career with the League wiping the minds of villains and heroes alike.

For Batman, the matter is a direct issue of intellectual intrusion and doubt, while for Martian Manhunter it's a question of power versus responsibility. As a telepath with the capability of carrying out the same function, he holds dear a moral code that denies any such invasion of personal space.

It is on this level that Martian Manhunter is challenged by the master manipulator of events surrounding the exposure of Zatanna and the League's secret -- Despero. After defeating both J'onnz and Aquaman [JLA #118] he marches them to the Batcave, where he seeks to usurp control of Batman aswell.
Confiding in Catwoman over the anguish and uncertainties brought on by the gaps in his memory, Batman is vulnerable to the surprise attack. Despero quickly takes control, and turns him against the potential interference of his lover.

The Batman swats Catwoman into his computer console, following quickly with a stiff kick narrowly blocked by the beseiged burglar. She retaliates in a characteristically independent manner, shedding any personal loyalties to slash Batman across the head.

Though unsuccessful in harming the possessed Dark Knight, it does reveal a glowing third-eye beneath his cowl, the trademark of Despero's telepathic control.

Catwoman is obviously a big part of the Bat-family, even though the two have been somewhat distanced of late.

I like to think she represents a part of the corruption brought about by life in Gotham. I think she connects to the thought processes that govern Batman's brand of harsh justice. She highlights the fact that he has taken the fight so close to villainy, he freely associates with a thief on the merit of her inner goodness. For Batman, the cramped highrises of Gotham prevent scope of the bigger picture, leading him to hold onto only what he knows is explicitly right and wrong.

Sometime in the next week or two I'd like to take a more specific look at the relationship between Catwoman and Batman, but in the mean time, I think it's been a long warm day, and I've become too distracted to wrap this up well.

The Fix: 3 The Issue: 4
Winner: Inconclusive

[The briefest of quick fixes to be sure, but now you have the full picture for that particular issue. As much as I enjoy Batista's pencils, there a frustrating resemblance to Michael Keaton in his Batman that really bugs me. It's probably just because of the way he draws lips, I don't know... Leave me alone!]

DESPERO versus MARTIAN MANHUNTER/AQUAMAN
Crisis of Conscience: Part Four (DC comics)
Where: JLA #118 When: Early November 2005
Why: Geoff Johns & Allan Heinberg How: Chris Batista

The story so far...
With their dirty little secrets exposed, the Justice League is imploding into itself in a maelstrom of disapproval and mistrust. The revelations over Zatanna's mind-wiping practises regain their relevance when members of the Secret Society of Super-villains discover the true identities of the heroes.

Unknown to the league, the foe responsible for awakening the minds of the Society, Despero, is hurtling toward Earth in pursuit of a helpless Martian Manhunter. Unable to locate the league, the Manhunter plummets Earthbound with one member in mind -- Aquaman!

Will J'onn J'onnz find the assistance he needs, or has the inner turmoil of their actions exposed a weakness in the League, and allowed Despero the opportunity to finally seek a final revenge on those he has called enemy?

Previous Form:
Aquaman (#73): Gained an unlikely victory over the Sub-Mariner.
Despero, Martian Manhunter: Each making their Infinite Wars debut.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Martian Manhunter 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Martian Manhunter 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Despero 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Aquaman 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Aquaman 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Despero 5 (Lasers)


So, this is the first time we've talked about Martian Manhunter, which is kinda one of those travestys of justice you tend hear about. I guess if there's a reason, it might be because J'onn J'onnz traditionally isn't one to pursue combat as actively as others, but that's something you can read more about in the hammer, later in the entry.

Still, like the Batman animated series, I feel like this might be one of the few glaring omissions to what I've done, so it's nice to rectify the situation. Shame about Aquaman. Ho ho, tee hee, ha ha. Yes, I think that's out of the way now.

Yes, I'm a Sub-mariner man, but I'm going to try to be impartial about Aquaman's total inability to have anything but an anchoring effect on this scenario. I of course mean this purely from a statistical standing, which sees Aquaman's particular brand of unique abilities less expressive on the statistics listed above.

Despero's a pretty tough customer. He's one of those space foes that's got a wide bredth of capabilities, and specialist skills like telepathic manipulation, and laser beams, and all that kinda stuff that compliments your usual flight and super strength. He's a character that has to work on a scale of both Superman alone, and also a team that includes Superman, so his capabilities are broad.

Martian Manhunter is on a Superman level, and I'd like to think on his day he could single handedly take Despero out. His telepathy tends to range everywhere from the incredible, to the struggling bare minimum. I like to think of it as levelling out somewhere in the middle, so telepathic dominance might not be within reach for ol' J'onn, but he's got other tools to combat Despero.

Aquaman remains a conundrum on the comic landscape. I don't think anyone is really one hundred percent committed or comfortable with the theory that he has super strength, even if it makes perfect sense for the same reasons Namor's strength makes sense: A lifetime spent in the crushing depths of the ocean.

Together, I'd probably like to lean toward the heroes on paper, even though Despero does represent one of the prominent threats to the League. Right about now I'm too tired to wax much harder on it, saving my energies for later, so...

The Math: Martian Manhunter/Aquaman (Total) Despero (Average)
The Pick: Martian Manhunter/Aquaman

What went down...
Escaping the Justice League's moonbase headquarters, the Martian Manhunter hardly notices the searing heat as he hurtles through Earth's atmosphere followed by another. Blazing a trail toward San Diego, he telepathically calls to the members of the League, but they're both too busy, and out of reach, as Martian Manhunter combats the dampening effect of Despero's strong brand of offensive telepathy.

Climbing bruised from a crater created by his impact on a barren construction site; Martian Manhunter is picked up by the following Despero. He boasts of the League's distractions, while burying his fingertips into the Martian's malleable flesh, as though to create a physical manifestation of his telepathic invasion on J'onn J'onnz' mind.

Having already unlocked erased memories from the minds of members of the Society and sent them in the direction of the hero's loved ones, Despero declares off the back of his machinations, that there is no one left to save the Martian.

A defiant answer comes in the form of a spiked piece of construction metal, piercing Despero's alien shoulder in a spray of blood: Enter Aquaman!

The Atlantean monarch continues his assault, knocking Despero through the surrounding barrier of the construction site, into the surrounding ocean.

The grizzled Aquaman calls ahead, telepathically summoning the aid of sharks to "Make. Him. Bleed."

The deep sea monsters do as commanded, gnawing viciously at the hulking frame of Despero. Aquaman plummets into his domain to strangle the beseiged victim of his patrons, presumably with the advantage in the familiar surroundings of water.

Meanwhile, Martian Manhunter recovers from the assault suffered at Despero's hands. He dusts himself off, telepathically coaching Aquaman in combat.
He offers a stern reminder of Despero's tactics, ensuring Aquaman is ready to defend himself mentally, should Despero find himself unable to match him on the physical plane of combat.

Aquaman stoicly welcomes Despero to try psychic attack, avoiding a laser blast from the alien's powerful third eye, and an equally dangerous fist that buries deep into the ocean floor.

Aquaman returns Despero's hostility in kind, using his water-bound strength to uppercut Despero out of the water!

The break in the action provides Aquaman the first opportunity for some face-to-face discussion with his Martian teammate. J'onn J'onnz is able to finally reveal his intention to seek out Aquaman, with the hopes that together they could use their combined telepathic influences to overcome the mentallist threat in Despero.

Battered, but not defeated, Despero rises to challenge the Justice League duo to test their strategy to disarm him.

Though they presumably fight valiantly, the pair are apparently unsuccesful, emerging next as king and rook in Despero's league against the league.

The hammer...
Well, how would you be? We finally invite Martian Manhunter to the party, and what do we do? Serve him up on a platter to our winner, Despero. That's bloody charming, eh?

On a tangent, I came across info regarding The Batman cartoon. You know, that redundant one with the monkey-Joker and other assorted disappointing revisions of classic villains, and the indulgence of Adam West as Gotham City Mayor. As if it weren't redundant enough, it looks like they're spinning the Justice League out of this new Batman. Groan.

The thing that bugs me more than the creatively questionable efforts of the series, is the fact that it's actually filled the few voids I felt the Timm/Dini animated series overlooked. Those, of course, are appearances by Martian Manhunter in Gotham, Solomon Grundy, and the still as yet unchecked emergence of Gotham's Green Lantern, Alan Scott. Oh, give them time...

So, we've been talking a lot about harsh justice lately. It's probably the subject that's kept me from becoming completely derailed, because it's a vaguely interesting subject. We talked about Wonder Woman and then Hawkman and Black Adam, but specifically amongst the royals of the DC Universe there was one more name mentioned -- Aquaman!

I fully realise that so-called "harsh justice" teeters dangerously toward the same kinds of watered down, poorly justified gimmicks of anger and grim and grit that have led many characters down an unsavory path. I fully realise Aquaman is one of those, who enjoyed brief recognition for a revamp dependent on poor grooming, the loss of a hand, and the loss of innocence.

I'd like to think that the saving grace of my suggestions is that there's a vaguely intellectual reasoning, providing some sort of foundation to the ideas. A motivating question about the differences of culture, beliefs, and justice.

For me, these two characters [Aquaman, Martian Manhunter] are a perfect litmus test. When I think of Martian Manhunter, I think of a character deeply driven for common justice, working both close to the streets on a human level, but also through subversive methods, by way of his powers which give him scope to deal with alien threats, too. I kinda see the character the same way Darwyn Cooke looks at him in New Frontier, forever impressed upon by a story in Secret Origins #35, that depicts J'onn J'onnz' early days as a detective in a similar fashion.

I think of Martian Manhunter as an unrelenting force for justice by the book, with exceptions where circumstances dictate. On the other hand, I'm more likely to adopt that more contemporary consideration of Aquaman.

Aquaman is a character who seems to have simply failed to maintain his relevance. In a world where the greatest dangers emerge from humanity itself, it's hard to find a place for a man so far removed from it. A man traditionally more concerned with the rising threat of tri-colour sea monsters and oil spills.

Without an insane agreement to keep the character constantly in-print, like Wonder Woman; Aquaman falls by the wayside, by the bayside. He needs a reason to exist, especially in those uncomfortable situations where he finds himself thrust into the so-called "big seven" of the Justice League, impotent and awkwardly ineffective until the villain takes a dip in the ocean.

In ironic juxtaposition to the Martian Manhunter, we've already talked about the potential to give Aquaman importance as a perspective alien and harsh to other members of the League. Like Wonder Woman, Aquaman's references are Roman and Greek, built on the epic tradition of Atlantis and the warrior code.

He has an opportunity to be a character aware of more than just the territory of the United States of America, opening the League up to it's oft overlooked International jurisdictions. Perhaps as Black Adam was in Black Reign, or Wonder Woman against the corrupted tyranny of Maxwell Lord; Aquaman could be a proactive force, using his immunities and broad world reference to bring justice to communities and nations that might not otherwise see it.

This might put the character(s) at odds with the likes of Martian Manhunter, who believe in due process, but without the injected personal insanities seen in Black Adam's downward spiral, that only makes for interesting and dynamic friction in the superhero community. It also arguably serves as an investment in the certainty of a character lost to a crisis of identity and characterization.

It need not be event driven blanket stories like Amazons Attack, involving the vast kingdoms characters like these represent. The point here is about the attitudes and directions of the characters, who have exhibited these sensibilities at one time or another, but who have not been courageously thrust into the world of moral ambiguity.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4

[Chris Batista's clean, crisp, well inked artwork is a joy to behold, but this story feels all too run of the mill for a big-name double feature like Allan Heinberg and Geoff Johns. The benefit of hindsight shows just how little it has meant in the developing world of the Justice League post-Identity Crisis. Fun, but disappointing.]