SADLER'S CYBORG versus RYU
Dr. Sadler's Ultimate Weapon (Group TAC/Capcom)
Where: Street Fighter Alpha When: 1999
Why: Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Joe Romersa, Reiko Yoshida, & Kirk Thornton How: Kane Kosugi, Hidenari Ugaki, Reiko Kiuchi, Kazuya Ichijô

The story so far...
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.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Cyborg 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Ryu 2 (Average)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Cyborg 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Ryu 3 (Explosives)


- The exact nature of the cyber-organic creature created and utilized by Dr. Sadler is unknown, but it's chief purpose is to antagonize the custom attacks of skilled ki fighters in an effort to absorb and gauge them.
To fullfil this role the cyborg was designed to be on the highest level of both resistance and physical strength. It's fighting arsenal includes focused energy beams, as well as simulated fireball attacks. Despite it's incredible size, the cyborg is deceptively fast and agile, which may suggest limited ki control.

Though controlled by Dr. Sadler, the cyborg exhibits limited degrees of independence in it's ability to strategize in combat. It appears capable of speach and emotion, although, this is typically replaced by an unemotive silent smile.

- Ryu is a Japanese fighter who was orphaned and raised by the master of the mysterious unnamed ansatsuken fighting style, Gouken. A life of training would develop Ryu into one of the greatest fighters in the world, utilizing Gouken's fighting techniques and mastery over the hadou ki energies.

Ryu is an incredibly well rounded fighter capable of harnessing his ki for trademark attacks such as; the Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku hurricane kick, Hadou-ken fireballs, the Sho-ryu ken dragon uppercut, along with an array of variations of each.

The Math: Sadler's Android Ranking: Ryu (#15)

What went down...
The metaphoric shadow of Akuma looms over him as Ryu probes the battered young boy who claims to be his younger brother. Before he is even able to digest the prospect that Akuma may have fathered them both, a new enemy descends through the dust, to resume the battle that Zangief lost. [Street Fighter Alpha]

The monstrous silver-haired fighter blocks Ryu's knee, but takes an airborne roundhouse kick to the side of the head. The move fails to phase him, allowing the giant to unleash a barrage of heavy swinging punches.

Ryu is nimble enough to dart around each fist and again launches a conversive response with his feet. Another roundhouse, followed by a leaping kick that finishes with a flip over the giant, again highlights his eerie strength.
Ryu gathers his energies for a devestating straight punch to the gut.

Though the punch fails to move the beast, it reveals his secret nature. A green scanning lense pops from the socket of his squinted eyes, recasting the Cyborg's dumb grin and hollow eyes as incidental, rather than any sign of true power.

The Cyborg launches his own offensive, firing off a crackling electric beam of green energy, which Ryu easily side-steps, leaving it to strike another piece of the already crumbling building they fight in.

Interpol agent, Chun-Li, having been but an unwitting spectator through the tournament and destruction, leaps onto the arena platform to join the fray.
She charges at the mechanical beast with her own energy attack, in the form of a kikou ken fireball. Alas, the Cyborg not only defends against the attack, but deflects it straight back to the source!

With Chun-Li skidding to a messy halt, the Cyborg allows itself to be distracted from Ryu, looming over the fallen fighter to deliver a devestating kick that sends her flying across the battlefield into a piece of crumbling wall.

No doubt motivated by both the woman's plight, and the safety of both he and his newfound little "brother", Ryu again waves his pledge to avoid combat, charging the attack that moments ago nearly swallowed him in darkness.

Despite Ryu's impressive powers, his hadou-ken joins Chun-Li's attack in failing to break the Cyborg's defensive capabilities, deflected harmlessly into the dirt.

The smiling Cyborg charges another electrical strike to respond in-kind, but this time the results differe grealty. Presumably fearing for his brother's readiness after the deflected attack, the young Shun leaps to his feet to absorb the impact of the attack.

Blood spatters from the boy's mouth as an ominous chuckle is prompted from the Cyborg's grinning visage. Shun tries to tell Ryu, "Big-- brother-- I'm not...", but before he can finish, slips into unconsciousness.

The injury to the young boy effects Ryu's heroic heart greater than any of the Cyborg's punches or energy blasts. With the boy cradled in his arms, Ryu is swallowed by the abyss of his dark desires.

Wind swirls and a pink hue takes the fight space as the dark hadou begins to grip Ryu's soul. The energies burn the Cyborg's jacket from his cyber-organic body, prompting an unlikely moment of discourse, "I'll give you a taste of that, too."

Charging his hadou, Ryu slowly stalks his way toward his inhuman opponent, who continues to boast his claims of victory. The Cyborg fires off four fireball attacks that are all easily dodged by the slow moving Ryu, who continues to charge his dark hadou powers into his fists.

Ryu edges his way directly infront of the mechanical beast, burning with an intense energy. Despite his non-offensive stance, the Cyborg appears unable to launch any preemptive attack as it's swallowed up by the dark hadou.

Ryu's powers blast through the Cyborg's core, enveloping it in the blue glow of the hadou-ken. Only a dark shadow from within the blast indicates the Cyborg's gradual decay from machine, to melted slag.

The blast destroys the remaining upper levels of the abandoned urban tower, leaving it exposed to a helicopter that soon descends. While an exhausted Ryu is incapacitated totally by the horror of his actions, a concerned Chun-Li is seperated from the wound young Brazilian boy by the Copter's gunfire.

Despite the best efforts of Chun-Li's partner, Wallace; the victory is made hollow by Shun's abduction by an escaping Dr. Sadler. Thus, the remaining heroic powers are left to contemplate their next strategy, freed of the Cyborg menace - for now.

The hammer...
With a welcome assist from Chun-Li (and Shun), (and the dark hadou), Ryu! Those keenly following the track exploits of our Street Fighter Sundays, which approach the opportunity for one of the SF characters to enter our top five rankings, will note that this puts Ryu right on course.

It's amazing, with one more Sunday left in 2007, to reflect not just on the staggering number of Street Fighter entries we've no had, but all the entries still available to us. Though I'll probably take a break to recover from fatigue; the lead-up to Street Fighter IV, and the much talked-about feature film that now boasts Kristin Kreuk in the lead role of Chun-Li, pose a lot of incentive to return to the Street Fighter universe.

Still untouched is the entirety of manga series, including; Street Fighter Alpha, Hang in there Sakura [Sakura Ganbaru], Street Fighter III: Final Ryu, and Versus SNK: Chaos. Also lacking representation is much of UDON's first volume; Malibu's ill-fated licensing product, complete with Sagat's infamous scalping of Ken; the US cartoon series; and last, but not least, the legendary SFII animated movie.

Y'know, coupled with remaining entries from SFA, SFIIV, and SFII, you can almost imagine an entirely seperate blog! That might sound like a subtle hint for 2008, but trust me, it's just the post-Christmas ponderings of someone who should really be catching up on sleep at 2am in the morning [as opposed to polishing off late blog entries -- this now being the 29th, for those just joining us].

With so much to draw upon, it's become a little disheartening, when reading new materials regarding SFIV, to see so much attention toward gameplay. Granted, it's always going to be a major part of the Street Fighter series, but for the most part, very little seems destined to change in the basic mechanics of the SF series. Even in it's darkest hours, Street Fighter has remained, to the unfamiliar picking up a joypad, unmistakable.

It's probably naive, after examining even contents from contemporary outlets like Ken Siu-Chong's work for UDON, to expect a more thorough examination of characters and their motivations and plot. It's this area, despite visually and conceptually brilliant characters, that has probably eluded Street Fighter from it's very beginnings, but in that respect, I thought it might have been the first to change.

Street Fighter IV goes up against genre mainstays like longstanding Midway rival, Mortal Kombat; and more recent contenders like Namco's, Tekken. Both share much in common with their founding father, but surpassed their predecessor in an era of 3D graphics, and character development that saw each telling their stories in unique ways.

Tekken, much like SF, struggles to expand it's story beyond it's chief protagonists, but compensates with a layer of self-relevant characterization that is very thin, but particularly enjoyable in high quality CG FMV.
Vivid characters remain key to Tekken's intrigue, and to further solidify it's qualities as inheretor to Street Fighter's throne; characterized fighting styles make even palette swapped character a unique experience to enjoy.

On the other side of the fence, Mortal Kombat has made shakey attempts to improve upon their fighter's individuality. Though not entirely freed of their past, the MK team developed motion capture based fighting techniques for their in-game dial ins. Intially styles exhibited great diversity in Deadly Alliance, but soon became more uniform exchanges in high kicks, high punches, and so on; stripping individuality from the fighter's moves to recall earlier MK outings.

The newest MK games have prospered mostly in their creativity, finally wrenching the colour coded palette swaps of games past, to tailor logic and individuality into it's cast of characters. Though stubborn fans have ensured the lingering presence of the ninja masked swaps, for the most part even characters like Sub-Zero and Scorpion have enjoyed divergence and originality in their new looks.

Likewise, as the appearances of characters has developed, the story surrounding them has gone deeper than ever before. The realm spanning battles of it's martial arts characters saw the development of one of the most involving storylines in video game history, full of character-based agenda, and universal influences of circumstance and convenience.

So; while Street Fighter IV is almost assured of it's place in history as a solid entry into the beat 'em up genre, what of the story? Popular belief currently suggests a return to Street Fighter II, with nothing specific to suggest any kind of elaborative qualities to the story. Then again, there really isn't much of any tangible information to go on right now, without picking apart translated quotes.

Some phrases suggest the incorporation of returning faces from subsequent installments of the series, with one quote said to be indicative of an effort to balance up the sexes. This could mean any number of things, such as; the inclusion of iconic fan-favourite, Sakura; in an SFII revamp, the inclusion of Bison's army of dolls, represented by Juni and Juli; baseless fleshing out with relevant cult characters like R. Mika; or maybe an insurgence of newbies.

Though inclined to be critical, I suppose it's only fair to reserve some hope, with plenty of information yet to come before the game's release in 2008.
Likewise, though not typical of what one would expect, you have to imagine that Kristin Kreuk's involvement with the feature film represents not only a step forward for her career, but a step forward for the movie's status.

While neither Chinese, nor particularly known for her exploits as an action star [I'm not sure a few spin kicks against Michael Rosenbaum counts, fanboy...], I tend to think there's at least a glimmer of hope for a solid story.
Again, I'm unfamiliar with any specific details, although the film is said to be part of a Capcom initiative to revive the series with film, television, and games.

Even with the bad taste of Generations lingering, I say, it's just great to see some effort going into it. And as reluctant as I am to play that card, anything's better than April "Ming-Na" O'Neal.

The Fight: 6 The Film: 5.5

You'd never know it reading through, but one of the delightful things about these reviews is that our accounts focus on the linear events pertinent to each fight. This means while you get a very good taste of the film/comic in question, there's plenty for you to discover upon further investigation, and fewer examples could be truer than Street Fighter Alpha.
Purchasing the film from Amazon not only gives you an opportunity to fill in the many conceptual/story gaps (ie; the unmentioned presence of Ken Masters and Sakura), but also presents the high quality art in it's fullest form, beyond the select few caps used to lure you in.

FANTASY FIGHTS: DC/MARVEL ROUND 11!
By popular demand, the Infinite Wars are about to go where they've never been before! After two years of comprehensive canonical fight fact coverage, we're delving into the fictional world of fantasy fights, because you demanded it!

In the spirit of the immensly popular '96 DC/Marvel crossover event, we're pitting fifteen of each company's most relevant characters to 2007 against one and other! Stay tuned as we take a look at the imagine struggles of the superhero stars that have propelled the Infinite Wars across two full years of fisticuffs!

BLACK ADAM versus HULK
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Black Adam 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Black Adam 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Black Adam 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Black Adam 3 (Explosives)


The Hook...
In 2007 there were two characters who were very, very angry.
They say you won't like them when they're angry, but even so, they were responsible for two major selling events dubbed World Wars in their respective universes.

One was World War III, which saw a grief stricken Black Adam devolve to a maniacal killing machine: the opening shots saw the deaths of millions [52 #45].
Unable to strip him of his powers literally; the new keeper of the Shazam totem, Captain Marvel, was instead able to switch the magic word out from under his black sheep counterpart, rendering him powerless upon his final change.

World War Hulk promised far more catastrophic results, but ultimately simmered to a battle with few casualties, making an ironic footnote for a grief strick Hulk's return to his home planet. Much like Adam, Hulk too was ultimately undermined by his human alter-ego, reverting after a lengthy battle, and the reveal of a betrayal far closer than his human conspirators.

By now Adam has found his new word ("sorry"), but on the otherside, Bruce Banner has been taken into SHIELD custody, leaving us to await the emergence of an all-new, all-different red Hulk who is, as far as we know, someone entirely different. Because of this, we're going to break convention and represent the Banner Hulk in WWH condition.

The Math: Black Adam Ranking: Hulk (#6)

The Battle...
This is probably the hardest battle to draw the lines on.
There's undoubtedly a degree in the details to be found, and in this case, I would consider that the "lightning ambush" is off the cards, which probably makes a difference to the outcome. I mean, I don't think a magic bolt of lightning is going to seal the deal for Black Adam, but it's a pretty big weapon!

I prefer Black Adam as a blunt trauma character, who wouldn't really be as inclined to use the trump card strategy the way the Marvel family seems to.
There's also recent events that saw him foiled by resorting to just such a strategy, so I'd like to think now, more than ever, he'd be least likely to resort to it.

So what would he be doing? Those unfamilar with the character would've learnt well from 52 that, when angered, Black Adam isn't one to be messed with. After the death of his adopted family he slaughtered around three million - a nation - to get to his enemy. That statistic is frightening in it's own right, let alone when you compare it to Hulk's "World War", which began with an evacuation of a city.

I don't think World War Hulk's follies as a plot concept should really impede on the simple truths here: Hulk is one tough customer, and the madder he gets, within the reason, the stronger he gets. Getting pounded by Black Adam? Bound to make him mad!

There's a simple answer that, much like Hulk/Superman, hands the win to the jade giant out of respect for the branding.

We're supposed to be a bit more technical than that, but honestly, there's a lot to be said for the power of a name, and as much as I like Black Adam, there is that frustrating X-factor in the Hulk's power supply.

From a standing-start I think Black Adam probably measures up the stronger of the two, but as a fight wages on, Hulk's motivations are inherently stronger than Adam's, even on the level of their gladiatorial mentalities. Black Adam isn't exactly the kind of customer who gives up, but he's not as easily invested in a battle as Hulk, whose classic motiff is to just prove he's the strongest one there is!

As a script this is inevitably a checkerboard of textless panels featuring snapshots of blow, after blow, after blow. Under other circumstances it might even prove to be a draw of mutual exhaustian, but this time around, I'm going to give it to Hulk who, despite the conclusion of World War Hulk, is supposed to be coming at things with a strategic perspective, and a mourner's rage.

The Hammer...
Y'know, even now I'm stuck thinking about Black Adam, the Shazam magic, and the lightning ambush; but I'm going to do my best to press on.
As has been the case with all battles, readers should feel encouraged to express their opinions and/or disagreements, because frankly, I might even agree!

For the Infinite Wars, it's been a real shame to not feature more of the two events that inspired this entry. 52: World War III and World War Hulk marked an uncharacteristic opportunity to build events around singular combat concepts, which has traditionally been hampered by sins past. I don't know how successful these stories were, particularly the lengthy and awkward WWH, but they served their purpose.

It's with particular chagrin we continue to omit WWIII from our catalogue, particularly considering it's significance in the saga of Black Adam.
The character's simmering rise has been documented in previous entries [Hawkman #24] and as much as it began years prior to even 2006's 52, it was in 2007 that the character really exploded with the events that preceded WWIII.

It's our hope that in the New Year we can finally bring to you that final chapter of the character's exploits, and perhaps even look at catching up on those other events that have eluded us. The Infinite Wars readership continues to grow, reaching thousands of visitors daily, and if you think you're an online retailer looking to promote your service, sponsoring the unique weekly activities of the Infinite Wars might just be a great place to do it!

And with that little promo done, we should probably wrap this up and get on with the show! Combat waits for no one -- not even Santa Claus! (And if you want to make the nice list, remember to vote in the poll! Just a few days remain!)

WINNER: Hulk
6 versus 5

TERRAX versus GREEN LANTERN
Unholy Alliances (DC/Marvel)
Where: Green Lantern/Silver Surfer When: December 1995 Why: Ron Marz How: Darryl Banks

The story so far...
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!

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Terrax 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Green Lantern 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Terrax 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Terrax 6 (Generator)
Agility: Green Lantern 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Terrax 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Draw 7 (Solar Power)


- On the planetoid Birj, Tyros was the tyrannical ruler of the city Lanlak. It was his legendary callousness that brought him to the attentions of the space faring devourer, Galactus.

Believing the betrayals of his former heralds to be weaknesses brought about by their underlying compassion, Galactus seeks an alternative to mercilessly scour the universe for sentient planets upon which he can feed.

Granted a portion of the legendary power cosmic, Tyros was reborn as Terrax the tamer!
Along with the standard benefits of cosmic power; super strength, durability, ability to survive travel through space, energy blasts; Terrax' inherent abilities to manipulate most forms of rock and earth, were further enhanced.
Terrax was also granted a cosmic axe, which contributed greatly to his already impressive fighting skills.

Ultimately Terrax' selfish ambitions would see him turn on his master as many before, leading him to become a feared warrior in his own right.

- Having succumed to the effects of the Parallax entity; Earth's most famous Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, would lead a grief stricken rampage against his fellows in a bid to gain power enough to resurrect his obliterated city.
At the cost of the few survivors, the Guardians of the Galaxy would pool their energies to create one final, immensly powerful ring, which would be sent out into the universe with the last surviving Guardian from Oa; Ganthet.

The ring would come to be the inhereted by Kyle Rayner.
The young graphic artist's imagination would make him an ideal recipient, his creative mind opening up a realm of possibilities to the ring's powers of solid manifestation. These iconic Green Lantern powers would come to Rayner with the added responsibility of being the last of the Corpsman - a footnote that would continue to be a part of his education right until the return of the Corps.

The Math: Terrax Ranking: Green Lantern (#255)

What went down...
Knocked from his desk by a powerful explosion, Rayner charges his ring before leaping into action as the crab-masked Green Lantern! He soon discovers the blast to be for his benefit, designed to lure him into the open of his Greenwich Village stomping grounds, and into the sights of Terrax the tamer!

Despite being a completely alien quantity to his interdimensional foe; Terrax declares war on the Green Lantern, as the described "only obstacle" in his quest to conquer the parallel universe.

Taking exception to the notion of having the universe conquered on his watch, the inexperienced Green Lantern summons his ring's energies into an energy blast, but is struck by a rising stream of earth before he can discharge it!

Turning metaphor into reality, Rayner visualizes Terrax' cosmic strength and earth-moving abilities and returns them in kind, fashioning his ring's power into a literal bulldozer. The make-believe machine ploughs through the rubble caused by Terrax' attacks, but is swiftly cut down by the cosmic axe he grinds.

Rayner ejects to safety, inventing advanced weaponry to fire green bolts.
Alas, they go to waste, easily absorbed by Terrax' cosmic axe, as he drifts through the air atop a psionically manipulated chunk of earth.

Unable to stem Terrax' charge, Rayner is again reduced to defensive, narrowly escaping decapitation as the cosmic axe continues to press it's advantage as the superior weapon.

Rayner spits wit, mocking his foe's intent to inflict injury. It's quickly the Green Lantern who is made the fool, suffering a chunk of rock to the back of the head, highlighting Terrax' experience as a well rounded warrior.

As Terrax closes in for the kill, Rayner manages to slip in a final gag, a reference to Superman. At that moment a massive beam of energy blazes down from the sky to knock Terrax off his feet -- not the heat vision ray of Superman, but rather the unlikely energy projection of Thanos!

Recognising his attacker as the man who actually sent him to the DC universe; Terrax launches a renewed attack, this time at the mad Titan!

Thanos, riding on board a giant throne, catches the cosmic axe inches before it strikes his head.
In a display of power that is not lost on the Green Lantern, Thanos channels his own energies back through Terrax' axe, sending feedback that flash fries the former herald of Galactus!

With Terrax unconscious, Thanos reaches for dials on his throne, to send the cosmically powered warrior back to the universe he belongs in.

From here, the mystery behind Thanos' appearance is revealed. Courting the interests of Kyle Rayner, Thanos dismisses Terrax' claims of familiarity as the rantings of a deluded madman with aspirations of impossible universal conquest.

Proving his intergalactic intelligence to be well researched; Thanos makes an attempt to recruit Rayner and his GL power ring in an effort to maintain the balance of reality. He plays to facts vaguely true, declaring a rift created by a DC character, who has crossed over in an effort to pursue his own agendas -- the fallen Green Lantern -- Hal Jordan!

The hammer...
Two years into the Infinite Wars and somehow we're still servicing the introduction of characters onto the site. Unbelievable!
Under represented entrants include today's winner, Thanos; the assisting Kyle Rayner; and Infinite Wars first-timer, and the narrowly defeated -- Terrax!

It's the holiday season and we're running late again, so, as is often the case in these situations, I'm going to say I'm going to try to wrap this up reasonably quickly, but will probably take more paragraphs than is necessary.

Riffing on the opening sentiments, it's just amazing that two years of Infinite Wars still affords us so many opportunities to have 'firsts.'
Whilst swathing about in the Christmas festivities, it dawned on me that the last two Decembers [2005, 2006] we didn't do the X-Mas thing. Sure, there were a lot of reasons why, but if you're like me and are curious what filled that void, the closest posts were: Dark Knight Returns #4; Spider-man Unlimited #1; and Superman/Batman #21. Not terribly festiv!

Projecting ahead, on the best-case assumption, we'll have a whole bunch of materials for you to read on Christmas Day, and if you haven't already, you should use the 'older posts' tab at the bottom of the front page to check out the mass of materials that have been all over the Infinite Wars lately.

One of those materials has been the Fantasy Fights, which have provided a point of inspiration in the absence of alternatives. It was during Round 9, earlier in the week, that the continued lack of representation for the character did nothing to reflect his status spinning out of Countdown, the Search for Ray Palmer specials, and of course, Sinestro Corp Wars, which featured a spotlightingthat saw Rayner's role to Jordan reversed, as he became compromised as the Parallax host.

Financial constraints have kept the Infinite Wars from making direct reflections of the comics atmos, so consider this, all you Rayner fans, a faint gesture to represent the character's ascendance in 2007. For the critics, the obligatory Lantern-gets-hit-in-head shot.
It's not quite 'unmngha', but I think it does the job.

My outsider perspective of the character's Countdown role in the second half of '07 would be comparable to what 52 did for Black Adam, making him our site-sponsored MVP.

This crossover issue has been requested in the past, and as a special entry I've held off until this point, but there's an added layer of personal significance that makes this one of my favourites.

As far as these things go, it's got a lot going for it!
It precedes the ever popular DC vs Marvel mini-series to introduce iconic elements of that story, while also setting the scene for a Silver Surfer rematch which recalled their meeting, and presented them with familiarity.

It also packs an interesting array of characters. Sinestro Corps fellow, Hank Henshaw, is present as Terrax' misplaced counterpart in the Marvel universe; while the Parallax-Hal Jordan plays the Thanos to Silver Surfer's hero spot.

As a story there isn't a lot to it. We've come to refer a great deal to cause-and-effect comics, and contrivances aside, this is very much a case of that in it's simplest form. The cosmic scope lends a believability to the extension of desires that sees the villainous quotient of Parallax and Thanos attempting to exploit foreign powers for their own maniacal gains. Fights ensue.

For me, it was one of the first times I really felt convinced by digital colouring. While it lacks the grit of contemporary colouring styles, Digital Chameleon's work compliments the standard superhero pencils of Darryl Banks, presenting confident colours, and a hand tailored attention that sets it apart from lesser digital efforts characterized by lazy gradiant effects.

It's interesting to see experimentation in the Silver Surfer, using coloured lines in place of traditional blacks for details in his face and reflections. It's highly questionable whether or not the effect is successful in capturing the chrome of the character, but it's a design I wasn't familiar with prior, and quite enjoyed.

Likewise, my scans fail to capture the delightful dotted colouring of Terrax. It's a colouring style I've seen years prior in Marvel's work, but it's on the palette of this vibrant prestige format paper that the well contrasted palette of cosmic blacks, and bright colours, really show off those finer details. Like the Surfer, I'm not sure the dotted pattern achives any kind of granite effect for Terrax, but it's an intriguing visual that gives him a suitable otherworldy quality.

For me this comic represents not just a really fun time, but also a moment of personal triumph. It was at the peak of an Australian summer heatwave, without any kind of air conditioning, that I was gripped by an allergenic fever.

Upon arrival at a hotel the change was almost instant, and although still a little shakey, I decided to wander down to the hotel newsagency. It was quite a novelty, this tiny winding store, with it's location adjacent to the side-entrance valet drop-off. It was there that I first encountered and bought this comic, and despite fever yet to come, it remained a beacon of that positive change.

And there you have it, folks. DC and Marvel; Green Lantern and Silver Surfer; uniting their powers to do great good in this world!

Hopefully this little entry will satisfy many of you, particularly those who've been searching for this, and more Thanos, in the Infinite Wars. I know some of you are out there, and even though Rayner failed to pick up the win, there's still plenty of fodder in this special alone, so no doubt we'll be seeing more in the future. For the time being, happy holidays all, and stay tuned!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 6.5

There'll be plenty more from this very special DC/Marvel crossover, but while you wait, remember to check out more from the Infinite Wars Fantasy Fights! Be sure to hit up the poll and vote for who you think will win overall, and feel encouraged to lodge your opinion in the comics section here, or anywhere else!

SPIDER-MAN versus MEPHISTO
Hopes and Fears (Marvel comics)
Where: Marvel Holiday Special (1993) When: 1994
Why: Steven Grant How: Pat Broderick

The story so far...
A night of lugging presents turns sour when Peter Parker takes leave of his beloved wife, Mary-Jane, and is forced to jettison their Christmas goods to take up the great responsibility of the amazing Spider-man!

A shooting star proves to be something far more extraordinary as an angel falls from the heavens, burning a hole through the New York streets, subway, and under crust!

After saving a subway car full of citizens, Spidey finds himself in a tumble that leads him to a destination most infernal -- no! Not Jersey! -- HELL!
With the holidays in full swing, Spider-man finds himself face-to-face with the devil Mephisto, who has plans to destroy the angellic spirit of Christmas once and for all. Spidey's making a wager for his soul in a battle for one more day -- of cheer!

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Mephisto 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Mephisto 7 (Infinite Wisdom)
Speed: Mephisto 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Mephisto 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Spider-man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Mephisto 7 (Solar Power)


- Often confused for the devil; Mephistopheles, (better known to friend and foe as Mephisto), is in actual fact an entirely different infernal demon intent on corrupting and collecting souls. Even so, Mephisto is often seen to cultivate the misconception, using Satan, among other names, as an occasional alias when tormenting humans.

Coming into regular conflict with magic and cosmic entities such as the Silver Surfer, Thor, Dr. Doom, and Dr. Strange; Mephisto is begrudgingly regarded as an important part of the natural cosmic balance between good and evil.

As a demon of the highest level, Mephisto has powers to manipulate reality, summon deamonite spawn, steal souls, and generally cause of a lot of mystical mischief.
Despite these awesome powers, Mephisto often plays by an obscure ruleset, valuable in curbing the interferences of other powers, but often coming with deceits and manipulations.

- A bite from a radioactive spider should have killed highschool nerd, Peter Parker, but instead it would irradiate his own blood, granting him extraordinary powers.

Spider-man possesses the enhanced strength, speed, and agility of a spider. Adding to his arsenal, a precognitive spider-sense that warns him of pending danger, and self-made webshooters, which have since been replaced by a further mutation.
Unlike his previous mechanical build, Spidey's organic web-shooting ability has been shown to be nearly endless, likely reliant upon biological factors.

The Math: Mephisto Ranking: Spider-man (#1)

What went down...
Mistaking, at first, a flaming angel falling from heaven for a shooting star, Spidey leaps into action to save whatever portion of Manhattan is in the firing line.
He of course soon realises his error and after saving a subway full of passangers, falls through into the bottomless pit made by the angel's descent, falling into the infernal pits of Hell. Mmm, because it just isn't Christmas without a hero's journey into the inferno!

Spidey comes face to face with Mephisto, who is pleased to have the company of a witness, despite his incessant mockery. The quipping Spider-man soon takes a more dramatic tone when Mephisto reveals the angel to be the living embodiment of the spirit of Christmas, which he intends to crush in the jaws of a medieval torture device to which the Spirit is strapped by demons.

Some objection is noted from the Spider-man, leading to a wager. (Uh-oh!)
Never one to pass up a good soul, Mephisto offers Peter Parker the opportunity to rescue the Spirit of Christmas unopposed, with the catch being, if he fails, Mephisto not only obliterates holiday cheer, but also claims his soul.

Unable to turn his back on hope for all humanity, Spidey agrees, but suffers the first twist in Mephisto's ploy, forced to leap into action without warning!

Spider-man leaps into the maw of the trap just in time, wresting control from it's iron clamp with the use of the proportionate strength of a spider.

Spidey mocks the ancient design of the torture device, but Mephisto proves just as apt in dialogue, undermining Spidey with every strain and twitch of his superhuman muscles.

Despite his best efforts, Spidey fails, and the Spirit of Christmas is chrushed in a shower of feathers, and the crush of the spiked trap.

Mephisto summons Peter Parker's soul, leaving the visage of his alter-ego limp in the hellacious dirt. Spidey's soul howls in terror, prompting an unlikely act of restitution from Mephisto - the granting of Peter Parker's soul - key to his escape from the infernal landscape of Hell.

Mephisto, content with the destruction of hope and merriment, ascends to observe the misery he has inflicted upon humanity, only to get a nasty shock. All across the land New Yorkers are united in carol.

To Mephisto's chagrin, the angel Spirit appears alive and well and reveals that his powers draw from the humans' hope and joy, and not the reverse, as the demon had callously believed. Thus, despite his defeat, Spider-man is left to swing again, and enjoy the holidays with an unwitting wife, who very nearly lost her husband for Christmas. (Cue ominous music!)

The hammer...
Despite the happy ending, it's the uncharacteristic mercy of Mephisto that make such a conclusion possible. Within the confines of their opposition, it is he who is victorious!
Merry Christmas, indeed.

By now you can probably imagine the synergy behind this week's classic Friday entry, drawing upon events in belated issues of Amazing Spider-man. One More Day is the storyline already infamous for it's alleged intent to fullfil Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada's well publicized whims to dissolve the spider-marriage once and for all.

Quesada has famously grappled with the situation for most of his duration as EIC. Regularly has he voiced a desire to keep the character's good nature intact; (thus ruling out the once dangled prospect of divorce); but never the less remove the so-assumed baggage of a wife who has apparently sucked the life out of the character. It would be at this junction I would lodge the point that I'm not even inflecting greater emphasis here, but in fact accurately reflecting sentiments.

Like many longterm readers, I'm very comfortable with Mary-Jane's role as the Parker wife, and actually quite enjoy her presence. I would argue, if anything, there's a diversity of character to be explored on an on-going basis, drawing upon the same realistic beats that are supposedly to be reinstated by the removal of the character.

The reputation of a 'juvenile boys club' has been represented of Marvel's current guard of chummy acquaintances.

As figure head; Quesada's general distain for the marriage no doubt contributes greatly to this image. Dialogues regarding motivation for the shift - that include granting Parker the fantastic ability to browse for online porn - while ultimately overblown jokes, probably don't help much on the juvenile front.

Popular speculation currently predicts Quesada's apparent ultimate solution is the intervention of Mephisto, who proposes an obscure choice to Peter Parker: Leave his beloved Aunt May to die, or sacrifice his marriage in exchange for a second-chance.

In our own way we may present a bizarre sense of synergy, depicting just one instance where Mephisto may have come to enjoy the notion of inflicting pain on Peter Parker. No doubt there are far more ingrained examples to be found, but it should be noted, that that flimsy point is there to be made.

On the other hand, such intervention is absurd, and far from a brilliant solution to what has been a delicate problem. Of course, here and now, there's nothing yet set in stone. J Straczynski has publicly lodged a distaste for what he has been asked to write in OMD, but there's every chance this is little more than subterfuge to disguise what is yet to come, because there's an undeniable truth to come from all of this.

Love or hate Quesada and his methods, he has created a mythology outside the comics that can move as many units as any A-list creative team. The simple notion that this might finally be the straw that breaks the back is enough to have the internet aflame with Spidey chatter, and bated anticipation.

Never one to value a much desired career in writing superhero comics [comedy!] -- we lodge an opinion in the resounding negative.
If this is to be the end of the Spider-marriage, then there's every liklihood our promotion of the character as the biggest name of 2007, will be critically reversed by some form of a boycott in 2008.

However, the point remains, there's odds still predicting massive amounts of egg on the faces of rabid fans everywhere. We're on the fence enough to defend ourselves from such an outcome, with the life of a character who has already died, and should arguably remain that way, on the line.
Aunt May was resurrected in one of many strokes of absurdity that have coloured the Spider-man universe as a discombobulated mess. Restoring the situation would be a late, but acceptable gesture to restore that reality, and project the character into a logical stage of forward momentum. The apron strings have to be cut eventually, and with movie roles a large factor in today's comics, Aunt May's reduced role in Spidey 3 makes for a better argument than lead romantic interest, Mary-Jane, even with Kirsten Dunst's shakey commitment.

The will they/won't they of One More Day will make it an undeniable checkpoint for early 2008, but whether or not the character will prosper beyond, remains to be seen. Online voices have a way of distracting from actual outcomes, making sales figures arguably more intriguing than the prospects of the stories themselves, and in that respect, the Infinite Wars will be very interested!

On the other hand, having MJ throw herself on the coals for an apparently immortal Aunt would be an act of tedium far more offensive than May's resurrection, and quietly restored youth. So here's hoping, folks.

With no irony and in the face of solicitations describing a swinging and fancy-free Spidey, I'm going to make the prediction: Mary-Jane Parker remains.
On Aunt May I'm going to cop out and wait and see. ;-p

Happy Holidays!

The Fight: 1 The Story: 3.5

Bringing Spider-man into a battle between heaven and hell never seems like a good idea, contributing an extra layer of vitriol to an already volatile story in One More Day. Of course, a disposable twelve page Christmas tale suffers far greater than even the most offensive Spider-crossover. Go figure!

FANTASY FIGHTS: DC/MARVEL ROUND 10!
By popular demand, the Infinite Wars are about to go where they've never been before! After two years of comprehensive canonical fight fact coverage, we're delving into the fictional world of fantasy fights, because you demanded it!

In the spirit of the immensly popular '96 DC/Marvel crossover event, we're pitting fifteen of each company's most relevant characters to 2007 against one and other! Stay tuned as we take a look at the imagine struggles of the superhero stars that have propelled the Infinite Wars across two full years of fisticuffs!

MR. TERRIFIC versus IRON MAN
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Iron Man 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Iron Man 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


The Hook...
Much like Martian Manhunter/Professor X; we get another opportunity to take a look at the secretive side of superheroics, drawing upon the intrigue and subversive qualities of Checkmate and The Illuminati!

Of course, both characters maintain public fronts as the governing faces of well known superhero groups, the Justice Society of America, and Avengers, respectively. Parallels between Mr. Terrific's duties with the United Nation's Checkmate are also evident when observing Tony Stark's role as Nick Fury's replacement as Director of SHIELD.

The similarities between the two characters don't end there.
As heroes they each employ extensive technologies of their own design, allowing them to compete on a par with many of their mutagenically, or extra terestrially powered contemporaries. In both cases their affiliation with technology has gone beyond the simple holstering of hardware to extend to physiological relationships granting them superhuman powers of some forms.

The Math: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#4)

The Battle...
Every week, we here at the Infinite Wars employ our ever popular system to depict some sort of unversially independent analytical of the abilities of characters, hoping to reflect the liklihood of victory those skills might afford.
You can see in this very entry how that works with the individual measures represented by the superior character in each field, and then the final mathematical equation rated just above, followed by a win/loss ranking.

Our system is comparable to the sciences employed by the two characters represented here today. Michael Holt and Tony Stark are both well known for their technological and tactical competence - it is in both instances one of their key roles in any group, making their strike rate incredibly accurate.

Of course, our statistics are rigid by nature, and fail to take into account certain variable qualities that can encompass the nature of any given battle.
The same unwavering robotic indifference that gives us so many accurate predictions falls before the unique compound of certain combined powers.

After employing an experimental process; called Extremis; Tony Stark created for himself an entirely new physiology. This man who had relied so inevitably on technology made his Iron Man armor a wireless peripheral to his own brain and body, thus; Tony Stark becomes as much machine as he is man.

Mr. Terrific really only has one notable superpower: He is invisible to machines.

If you didn't already know where this battle was going, you can probably now imagine the kind of conclusion we foresee. Despite Iron Man's extensive arsenal that's been proven against even the likes of the Hulk; Mr. Terrific has the obscure advantage of total stealth. While his T-spheres and other technologies might fall before Tony Stark's defenses, he ultimately has the freedom to elude every form of analysis employed by the industrialist, leaving a simple nerve pinch, or sleeper hold to close this battle out.

The Hammer...
... Which is why nothing is infallible, kids!
We're ten deep into the DC/Marvel Fantasy Fights, but I have to say, that was one of the most fun! Unlike some fans, I don't personally hold any kind of malice toward the Iron Man character, so the enjoyment here isn't derived from some sort of fiction-blurring revenge plot for the Civil War. The thrill of this scenario is that it's just good comics. Good, fun, cause-and-effect comics.

Mr. Terrific has been a real breakout character over the past few years, due in no small part to the careful guidance of Geoff Johns on the JSA title.

The tumultuous nature of Checkmate saw the opportunity to somewhat pass the torch as Rucka continued to add another layer through the espionage title, including a love interest in former Bat-flame, Sasha Bordeaux.
Of course, recent tensions between Rucka and DC saw a symbollic split as the 52 writer voiced frustration, and opted not to renew a writer-exclusive deal with the company [What's all the Ruckas?]; thus raising some question to Terrific's, and the already tenuous B-tier title's future.

If we're going to use this opportunity to talk Checkmate, it's probably worth noting that the title has seen a co-writer for quite some time in television writing convert, Nunzio DeFilippis. While the name may prove unfamiliar to the casual observer, many will be familiar with he and wife, Christina Wier's, writing credits on Arli$$, Kim Possible, and Marvel's Academy X comics, amongst other projects, including a string of projects for Oni Press.

One might almost sound critical of the title when describing it as a politically driven comic book that fails to involve itself in any great complexity. The uninitiated may take time to familiarize themselves with characters old and new; and referencial dialogue pertaining to character's roles within the organization could take some getting used to, but for the most part it remains a fairly streamlined and accessible exercise in maneuvers and International pseudo-espionage.

For my money, this actually makes for a positive, allowing easy entry for even the intimidated. Granted, there's still a general mentality to overcome.
A self-conscious industry has somehow managed to not only indulge in, but purvey, the absurd fear of the unknown being carried by many readers. So persistent is this new mentality that it's infiltrated even familiar readers.

Relationships take a vaguely soap operatic emphasis, but play more to the network of different motivations and agendas that are regularly engaged in political negotiation to reach certain goals within certain rulesets. In this respect characters within the organization have the capability of fullfilling roles of 'hero' and 'villain', as much as the characters field agents are sent to battle.

Even so, this isn't nearly as smart a book as that makes it sound.
Checkmate remains a superhero comic at it's heart, and by that very nature, is easily absorbed by anyone willing to jump in and start reading.

The style of combat in the book has made it difficult to incorporate as a regular review on the Infinite Wars, so pleased, consider this the opportunity to recommend it vehemently. It might not be the book for you, but it's certainly worth flicking through a few issues to know for sure, because this series packs in not only it's own stories, but the underpinnings of events percolating beneath the surface of the DCU.

Oh yeah. I'm sure Iron Man is very nice, too...
If you want to tell the world IM is good, or debate the nature of a post-Extremis Iron Man in relation to our result, be encouraged to do so. Few sections of the Infinite Wars are as inviting as the Fantasy Fights.
Also, be sure to scroll back up to vote in the poll that is taking five of you by storm!

WINNER: Mr. Terrific
6 versus 4

FANTASY FIGHTS: DC/MARVEL ROUND 9!
By popular demand, the Infinite Wars are about to go where they've never been before! After two years of comprehensive canonical fight fact coverage, we're delving into the fictional world of fantasy fights, because you demanded it!

In the spirit of the immensly popular '96 DC/Marvel crossover event, we're pitting fifteen of each company's most relevant characters to 2007 against one and other! Stay tuned as we take a look at the imagine struggles of the superhero stars that have propelled the Infinite Wars across two full years of fisticuffs!

GREEN LANTERN versus NOVA
Strength: Nova 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Nova 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Nova 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Green Lantern 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nova 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Green Lantern 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Green Lantern 7 (Solar Power)


The Hook...
There's a popular belief that Marvel has built their empire on making characters relatable -- characters with "headaches" who grapple with day-to-day life as much as they struggle against the tribulations of their alter-egos.
The Mickey Mouse to this notion is Spider-man, who for the first few decades was well characterized as a gawky, nerdy teenager who couldn't get girls, had a sick aunt, and was constantly cash strapped.

This common misconception often sees Kyle Rayner; the most recent headlining inductee into the Green Lantern Corps; compared to his web-slinging contemporary. Of course, asthetics aside, there's a character Rayner shares a great deal more in common with. He's a member of a cosmic guard, and in the recent cosmic crossover, Annihilation, he became the sole inheritant of the legacy of this Corps of intergalactic lawmen.

The Nova Corps are Marvel's none-too-subtle answer to their green counterparts, created in the mid-seventies by comics legend, Marv Wolfman. Like Rayner, Richard Ryder's status as Nova has bounced back and forth between being the last of the Centurion, to relinquishing his powers all together. Of course, for the most part, Ryder did much of this before Rayner.

Rayner has had his brushes with omnipotence, absorbing the powers of his predecessor, Hal Jordan, in an instance that saw him become Ion for the first time. This makes for yet another vague parallel, with Nova until recently being the sole possessor of the Nova Worldmind, and the sum of the Corps power.

Both characters are well known for their periods as green around the gills youngsters, but each has been baptized by fire. Today, both are well intergrated into their universes, representing the next generation of superhero leaders.

The Math: Nova Ranking: Nova (#66)

The Battle...
So, I suppose this represents our first foray into the space battle.
We've danced in and around prosey scripted versions of these battles, but as I'm a bit behind, and not feeling terribly visual at the crack of dawn, we might talk about this one from outside the box.

Rayner's had a tumultuous 2007 that we've been unfortunately unable to reflect. The character has seen fluctuations from returning to the Ion identity, to absorbing the Parallax in Sinestro Corp Wars, to traversing the DC mega-verse as a new breed of 'Challenger.' For the sake of this exercise we'll assume he's streamlined to be somewhere around the standard for a Green Lantern, albeit with a costume that straddles the line between retro-chic and plain hideousness.

On the flip side, we're going to give Nova the benefit of his 06/07 transition as the sole possessor of the Nova power. So, I guess it's from this conceit that we're inevitably going to derive our final result.

While the 'yellow imperfection' has been removed and personified as Parallax, there's a fun sort of synergy to the Nova powers being typically represented as yellow. This almost represents the new association of the Sinestro Corps, even though I doubt Nova will inspire fear in the young Green Lantern.

Rayner's been here before, having suffered defeat at the hands of the Silver Surfer, but I'm not sure how much that experience is going to benefit him.
The way I see it, Rayner's going to approach this with the head-on police strategy that's been established in the GL books. While the subject of lethal force has krept up again through the Fantasy Fights [Wonder Woman/Ms. Marvel], I don't think that final resort would apply here, despite the reaffirmed Lantern Corps law enforcement powers.

I would imagine the two would engage each other with a moderate offensive strategy. A lot of the typical Green Lantern constructs are inevitably going to come into play, presumably calling upon regular features in the Rayner arsenal, like suits of armor, and imaginative offensive weaponry.

I think this would keep the pair on even pegging for a while, and the unknown quantity of the Lantern ring is probably going to reduce the Worldmind to speculative insights, at best. Though Nova would be off balance to start, I think that larger pool of independent energies is going to give him the ability to blast through the GL energies, and secure a hard earned victory, perhaps even calling upon more traditional bruising that was absorbed through the Annihilation Wave.

The Hammer...
Wow! Is it just me, or has the Christmas season really taken a toll on quality around here? I think inspiration is going to be an issue bandied about in the upcoming Friday feature, but while we're here, we may as well talk a bit about Kyle Rayner.

It's hard not to feel like there's almost a beat of bad comedy about this result. I would certainly argue that it's a conclusion I believe in, but the Green Lantern is supposed to represent a power unlike any other, so to go down against the Silver Surfer and Nova, would seem like a bit of a bitter pill. Especially for those die hard Rayner fans who already have the feeling they're being slapped in the face time and again.

Between the heavy nostalgia gripping the industry, and contemporary efforts to keep a sense of forward momentum, a character like Kyle Rayner can sort of fall by the wayside. As a product of the nineties he's neither here, nor there, with powerhouses like Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison willingly revelling in the flavours of anywhere from the fifites, to the seventies.

Even the eighties revival of properties like Suicide Squad and Checkmate seems to have left the mid-nineties Lantern somewhere in limbo, and ironically, that's probably been his greatest strength in Season 07.

Countdown has continued the tradition of 52; presenting characters of mixed representation in starring roles. The uninitiated listening a little too carefully to Countdown-criticism might not know that the Green Lantern, whilst starring in Sinestro Corp Wars, has also had a feature role joining Donna Troy and Jason Todd in a mega-verse spanning quest to find Ray Palmer.

This has incorporated not only feature spots alongside Karate Kid and Mary Marvel, but also spin-off one-shots featuring well known universes from DC's now defunct Elseworld books.

While it continues to be a point of chagrin that the Infinite Wars simply cannot support analysis of regular output from the big two, one does tend to assume there's at least a bit more going on than the harshest critics would have you believe. Among other things, the opportunity to show Kyle Rayner in an individual sense is no doubt to great benefit, along with the chance to elevate him beyond the youthful inexperience that has all too often been the defining quality of this newest Lantern.

By this point I'm not sure how much we're actually saying, but then, at 7am in the lead-up to Christmas, I don't know how much you're reading into this, anyway. As such a polarizing character, no doubt someone is stirred to opinion, and as always, feel encouraged to lodge your opinions in the comments section!

The Infinite Wars does it's best to cater to the many fans seeking obscurities and informations, and though our features are often built around one-sided discussions, the ears of the internet are always listening. Yes, even to crazed Green Lantern fans!

And hey, if you're the shy type, why not lodge your opinion through the abstract anonymity of our current poll! This battle brings Marvel back up to a dramatic one-point deficit, but will it be enough to secure victory in our Fantasy Fights?
By this point I'd be lying if I didn't say I had some idea, but in truth, the result is still anyone's! Alas, for now:
WINNER: Nova
5 versus 4

IN STORES: December 19, 2007
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 quick list...
OCT072085 AVENGERS CLASSIC #7 $2.99
OCT070137 BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #3 $2.99
OCT070165 BIRDS OF PREY #113 $2.99
OCT070155 CATWOMAN #74 $2.99
OCT070170 CHECKMATE #21 $2.99
OCT070122 COUNTDOWN ARENA #3 (OF 4) $3.99
OCT070129 COUNTDOWN RAY PALMER SUPERWOMAN BATWOMAN #1 $2.99
OCT070168 COUNTDOWN SPECIAL THE ATOM 80 PAGE GIANT #2 (OF 2) $4.99
OCT070116 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 19 $2.99
OCT072146 EXILES #100 $3.99
OCT070036 GRENDEL BEHOLD THE DEVIL #2 (OF 8) $3.50
SEP072197 IMMORTAL IRON FIST #11 $2.99
SEP072201 INCREDIBLE HULK #112 $2.99
OCT070176 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #16 $2.99
JUL071979 MADAME MIRAGE #4 $2.99
OCT072114 MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL $3.99
AUG072243 MIGHTY AVENGERS #6 CWI $2.99
OCT073691 PHANTOM CVR B #17 (O/A) $4.50
SEP070215 TALES OF THE MULTIVERSE BATMAN VAMPIRE TP $19.99
OCT070048 UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #4 (OF 6) $2.99
OCT072129 WHAT IF CIVIL WAR $3.99
OCT072103 WORLD WAR HULK WARBOUND #1 (OF 5) WWH $2.99

Go deeper...
- OCT072085 AVENGERS CLASSIC #7 $2.99
For some weird reason it's always with chagrin that I find these issues so very enticing. It's been good to see Oeming sticking to what he does best (drawing), and revisiting the vintage flavour of a no-strings-attached Avengers is great. I guess classic retellings just rub me up the wrong way.

- OCT070155 CATWOMAN #74 $2.99
As much as I like the shake-up going on in the Gotham underworld right now, I can't help but feel events have torn Catwoman away from a lot of what's made it so enjoyable. Whether or not the character and title is lost remains to be seen. Then again, relief is probably due, given the book hasn't been dragged down by the return of Ra's Al Ghul. (Ugh!)

- OCT070116 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 19 $2.99
Difficult to review this series without being there every week, but from an outsider's perspective looking in, it really seems like some criticism came too soon. Much like 52 the book seems like it's gearing up for a strong third act, and personally I like the prospect of the sampler aspect of the book as it overlays a good cross section of the DCU.

- OCT070122 COUNTDOWN ARENA #3 (OF 4) $3.99
Not the most cerebral read on the racks, but oozes fun.
McDaniel's art is a sticking point as a style that always has a way of feeling unfinished, and I think it ultimately reflects poorly on the book. Starting with marks against it for being an exercise in Secret Wars style comics; McDaniel's cartoony sketches serve only to undercut any noble intentions, depicting it as more throwaway rag than is perhaps deserved.

- SEP072197 IMMORTAL IRON FIST #11 $2.99
Iron Fist in martial artsy action should be a good thing, but this one seems to be suffering from that Brubaker fatigue we've talked about before [Captain America #25; Daredevil #91]. Matt Fraction isn't enough to pull this one back from the pits of boredom. Dramatic changes aside, I think this one might be falling by the wayside. Might be nice to see some familiar faces popping up, ala the recent redemption of Daredevil.

- OCT072114 MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL $3.99
Approaching this one with caution. Cover looks great and is a fun homage to Justice League covers of past, but as we discussed recently [Marvel Holiday Special 1992], these things have a way of being thoroughly average. Which is a shame, because you'd think something so fancy and free would deliver. CB Cebulski seems enthusiastic, but then, he was also very positive about the recent Morbius one-shot he took part in, which, though hinting at potential ramifications for the Marvel Universe's vampire community, was an overpriced floppy.

- OCT072129 WHAT IF CIVIL WAR $3.99
A fun prospect, but seems much too soon, particularly with fallout from the Civil War still resonating through the Initiative, and various other major events spiralling outward.
The effort to justify What If projects seems to have detracted from the longterm hindsight of the classic tales, resorting either to impractical conclusions, or frivilous Elseworlds style reimaginings (ala; feudal Daredevil).