OG Secret Wars: Part 2

We continue our issue by issue throwback to the Original Secret Wars(1984).  In our first article we looked at the first issue and how Team Heroes and Team Villains wound up on Battleworldin this Contest of Champions set up by the Beyonder.  We examined each of the teams of good guys and bad guys and the issue of course ends on a splash page tease of the first battle.

You can find the link to the first article and the podcast associated with it listed here

OG Secret Wars Part 1

Secret Wars Podcast

Whereas issue 1 ended on the viewpoint of the villains on attack, issue 2 opens with the heroes under attack.  The opening page has everyone getting ready for what they knew was already coming.  Now if you listened to the podcast, you know that we felt the villains are quite undermanned.  Yes they have Galactus and Dr. Doom, but the rest of the villain squad is made up of some, lackluster evildoers so this battle is gonna go they way most would expect it.

Cap is our leader and he begins barking out orders from the start.  Our villains found some weaponry at Doombase that helps sort of even the score but, like a squash match in the WWE, you know eventually the star is gonna win out and hit this jobber with their finisher.

Cap recognizes immediately after this first wave of offense that their attack is unorganized.  And really that should not be a surprise.  There is not a leader in the bunch of Team Villains- with Dr. Doom having left before the battle even began.  I guess the leader would be Kang, but even that is a stretch.

Once Captain America figures out their attack and Team Heroes go on offense, the battle comes to a quick end.  Thor, who could beat all these dudes by his damn self, takes out most of the Wrecking Crew in one fell swoop and the Hulk finishes off the rest of them.  And then when the Enchantress tries to fight back against She Hulk, her beautiful face gets smashed.  Notice in the early panels tho how many Xmen are laying on the ground.  Marvel had very little respect for mutants then.  How the tide would change in about 5 years.

Meanwhile, as the battle rages on, Dr. Doom has gone back to find Galactus, who was knocked the fuck out, when he attempted to take on the Beyonder in issue 1.  Doom is present when Galactus silently rises.  Doom makes the decision to stake out on his own in this battle against the Beyonder, but knowing full well he will need the others on Team Villains to help his plan succeed.  He goes back and rejiggers Ultron to make him his bodyguard and now turns the Team Villain base into Doombase.  When the other members of Team Villain return, Doom informs them they are working for him now and those who attempt to resist, are whipped back into submission by an Ultron attack.

Team Hero after the battle retreat to their homebase.  Being the good guys that they are, they place the captured members of Team Villain into healing chambers as they set out to find living space and plot to what the next steps are.  Captain America and Mr. Fantastic are calling the shots- the only real dissenter verbally is Wolverine, who for some reason is not buying into Cap as a leader at all.

Meanwhile, the Magneto problem winds up making its way to Team Hero Base. Magneto, after being distrusted by most of Team Hero, left them all before the first battle.  Leaving his personal home base, Magneto goes to Team Hero base with a plan.  He manipulates the power core and draws all the heroes to him and as he slips out after their attack, he, for some reason, takes Wasp with him as his prisoner. In an attempt to save Wasp, Thing tries to attack, but reverts into human form and back into Ben Grimm.

The issue ends with the Galactus standing near the top of a mountain with Team Hero watching him and wondering what he is going to do next.

That concludes issue 2.  It moves at a quick pace from  start to finish and ends on a good cliffhanger.  I remember from back then the change of Thing back to Ben Grimm kinda freaking me out.  Plus, when Secret Wars ends, he gains control of his powers to switch back and forth from Ben to the Thing.  I've never liked the tortured Thing character as he is more interesting being able to switch back and forth.  Not changing makes him just a orange version of the Hulk.

Join us in a week for issue 3 review.  And if you can, join us on our Secret Wars Podcast tonight as we review issues 3 and 4.

The Producer

Archie #4: Comic Review

In our continued review of the Archie relaunch, we have issue number 4 by Mark Waid and new artist, Annie Wu.  Upfront, I have to say I was not a big fan of the artwork with Annie Wu.  Her pencils are not nearly as clean as the previous artist, but that would be me nitpicking.

Finally this issue reveals the #lipstickincident.  Its been hinted at since issue #1 as to why Archie and Betty are no longer the "It" couple at Riverdale High!  The issue starts off with Jughead and Archie playing in Archie's garage and of course Archie being the klutz, something happens.  As he is regrouping himself, Jughead offers him a Goo-Bar and this makes Archie pause and walk off.

Archie breaks the 4th wall and begins to narrate to us why the Goo-Bar is a bad reminder of the worst day of his teenage life.  He begins with the recap of young love blooming in Riverdale.  Archie and Betty have been best friend since they were kids and now are each others first love.  This plays out wonderfully in the panels.  Teenage, high school puppy love and the artwork and splash pages are fantastic.

On one of these teenage dream dates, the young lovers share a Goo-Bar and somehow that bar is infected with ants and this sends Betty rushing in a panic to the public bathroom.  There she runs into Riverdale gossip and fashion hound, Sheila Wu.  They tell Betty she needs a make over and invite her over to change everything about her( clothes, make up, and even her name "Lizzy".)  For some reason, Betty consents to the make over before her next date with Archie and we see all the pedis and plucking and combing to turn our sweet Betty Cooper into something she is not.

When Archie comes to pick her up.... I love the fact that he does not have the old, red jalopy, he sees the New Betty and does not know how to react.  Betty looks hot, but not in that tomboy kinda hot. Betty is smoking hot in a red dress and Archie is blown away- but not in a good way.

Their date is awkward and they move throughout not really knowing what to say to one another.  They go to eat and to a movie with hardly anything in terms of convo.  Finally the dam breaks and Archie admits he does not like the New Betty. He liked Old Betty and that sends Betty over the edge and she swipes at Archie with her lipstick- hence the #lipstickincident.

The book follows Archie after the #lipstickincident as he tries to reconnect with Betty... all via text- never a phone call.  That is such an updated version of kids/adults today!  Archie comes back and breaks the 4th wall to let us know that is what happened and as he heads back to the garage to link up with Jughead, he finds that Juggy is gone but Veronica is there and she would love to have Archie play her a song.  To which he happily obliges. The air lifts Archie's tune, "Veronica" to the ears of Betty at her home and this infuriates her.  She and Jughead have decided that Archie needs to be rescued from that she-devil Veronica and they could only think of one vile and deceitful person to make that happen..... Reggie Mantle.

Big fan of this issue and finally the introduction of Reggie.  He is such a vital piece to the friendship puzzle in Riverdale and of course he would be involved somehow/someway in something to screw with Archie and Veronica.  The fact that Betty and Jughead seek him out only adds to the intrigue.

Great book and a continued awesome read in this relaunch!

The Producer