Site Updates Archive

So Who’s This Guy Miracleman?!

In the brand new AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #5, there’s a new superhero in town just as the world is turning against superheroes, Miracleman!

SECRET AVENGERS (2014) #3 features a villainous poet, a suicidal nuclear weapon, and Lady Bullseye appearing out of nowhere! Just a regular day for the Secret Avengers!

AMAZING ADVENTURES #15 pits Beast against the vicious Griffin! Guest-starring Angel!

THOR (1998) #72 sees the planned rebellion against Thor start to come together!

WWH AFTERSMASH: WARBOUND #4! There’s only one way to stop Gammaworld and that’s by the death of Hiroim!  

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #272, NEW MUTANTS #97, X-FACTOR #62, the conclusion to the X-Tinction Agenda, and the two-part NOVA #12 and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #171, the two heroes solve a murder mystery!    

And another thing ...

IRON MAN #10 wraps up the Whiplash stuff and Happy Hogan explains (sort of) what happened to him and how he recruited the group of heroes who are worried about Tony Stark, 2 of whom (Reed & Sue Richards) turn up at the end. Oh, and Moonstone's been put in charge of the Vault.

In T Vernon's AMAZING ADVENTURES #25 the War Of The Worlds/Killraven story introduces a new villain Skar, and Don McGregor starts to show the writing quality that he already had on the Black Panther strip in Jungle Action.

FANTASTIC FOUR #44 begins the Inhumans saga by introducing us to Gorgon and the concept that he and Medusa belong to a different people. Oh, and Dragon Man's back as well.

In NOVA #4 Richard Rider answers a distress call from the Kree Empire and finds himself attacked by Kree Sentries and trapped there by a barrier. Oh, and his love Gamora's 1 of the enemy.

While in AVENGERS ARENA #11 Hazmat and Reptil's beach idyll is interrupted by other teens also trapped behind a barrier and determined to go to the rescue of Nico Minoru.

--RobFJ

The March to Hulk War Continues! Cap Makes a Decision!

INFERNAL HULK VS. THE FANTASTIC FOUR pits Marvel’s First Family against the monster that challenged the world!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #139 has Steve Rogers making a fateful decision, remain a superhero or join the police force! In short, Cap or Cop?

AMAZING ADVENTURES #14: Beast confronts the military and the living computer called Quasimodo!

THOR (1998) #71 gives the time-shifted Thalfi an eye-opening look at the flaws of Thor’s kingdom!

SECRET AVENGERS (2014) #2 sees the team heading toward outer space to rescue Fury and Coulson who are slowly plummeting toward Earth!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #271, NEW MUTANTS #96, X-FACTOR #61, the middle of the X-Tinction Agenda, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #170, Spidey versus Doctor Faustus!

PeterS

Let there be lists

The Queen In Black event ends in QIB #5 with a totally new King In Black. And it's not Venom. Or Mary Jane Watson. Or ...

T Vernon's AMAZING ADVENTURES #24 completes the 3-parter featuring Mint Julep. Or was it Sabre? Or maybe Abraxas? Or ...

FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3 features the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. And Dr Doom. And the X-Men. And ....................

ANNIHILATION: PROLOGUE starts the Annihilation: Conquest event after Annihilation with a new set of invaders, the Phalanx. It carries over Star-Lord. And Moondragon. And Phyla-Vell. And ...

In AVENGERS ARENA #10 Apex and the cyber-beings she controls can now openly attack Nico Minoru. And X-23. And ...

--RobFJ

And the Secret Avengers Return to These Pages!

Our coverage of the Secret Avengers resumes with SECRET AVENGERS (2014) #1 with SHIELD making a second attempt to form their own group of Avengers for covert missions!

Advertising supplement SPIDER-MAN AND THE INCREDIBLE HULK (Kansas City Star) features Kraven the Hunter stalking Hulk at the Kansas City zoo! Spidey to the rescue! Of Kraven!

THOR (1998) #70 shows us Thor’s totalitarian reign over Earth in the year 2170! Yikes!

AMAZING ADVENTURES #13 sees Beast joining Blob, Unus, and Mastermind in a jewel heist!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #138 has Cap and Falcon and Spider-Man teaming up to fight a gangster called Stone-Face/Stoneface/Stone Face! Consistency isn’t a big deal in the mob, I presume!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #270, NEW MUTANTS #95, X-FACTOR #60, the beginning of the X-Tinction Agenda, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #169, J. Jonah Jameson discovers that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, sort of!

PeterS

An FF tale reaches a conclusion and Queen In Black nears 1

I've been unable to access the site for 3 weeks due to a severe Internet problem. So now I've got several new issues to post reviews for:-

In IRON MAN #9 our hero loses his fight against the 2 Whiplash's and discovers that Citizen V is his old friend Happy Hogan who he 'left for dead' years ago.

In QUEEN IN BLACK #4 various battles against alien Symbiotes continue until Venom absorbs all Symbiotes into 1 combined Venomworld that engulfs the Earth.
Meanwhile in QUEEN IN BLACK: DEFENDERS OF LIGHT AND DARK #3 the away teams turn to Plan B which pits Hela and Knull against each other. Knull wins and now has their combined powers to face Venomworld.

I've still got space for a couple of old issues:-

T Vernon's AMAZING ADVENTURES #23 sees Killraven and his allies defeat another minion of the Martians. This time it's a mutated rat-man called Rattack and his horde of rats.

FANTASTIC FOUR #43 ends the Frightful Four story with 'evil' Thing cured and 'evil' Human Torch revealed as only pretending.

--RobFJ

Huzzah! Black Widow is Complete!

That’s right, with BLACK WIDOW & HAWKEYE (2024) #4, we claim to have written up all of the appearances of Natasha Romanova in her own titles, miniseries, and one-shots! Tune in next time to see where we’re going next in her stead!

And it’s Beast versus Iron Man in AMAZING ADVENTURES #12, the first big name guest star in Hank’s fabulous furry solo series!

WORLD WAR HULK AFTERSMASH: WARBOUND #3 has the Leader unleashing the monster Horde as the Warbound try to protect the people trapped in Gammaworld!

And THOR (1998) #69 picks up the story of Thor’s reign over Earth in the year 2170!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #137 has Cap and Falcon chasing Spider-Man who they think is a bad guy! In short, the usual meeting of heroes!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #268, guest-starring Captain America and Black Widow, UXM #269, Rogue versus Ms. Marvel (again), and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #167-168, introducing Will-o-the-Wisp!

PeterS

A New Hulk Battle! A New Volume of Thor! And a Bushel More Firsts!

The “March to Hulk War” begins with INFERNAL HULK VS. WOLVERINE! And it’s every bit as intense and violent as you would imagine!

And the new THOR (2026) #801 starts off a new volume in the Thunder God’s saga! “The Quest for Thor” begins as Sigurd Jarlson seeks to resurrect his alter ego!

How did Henry “Beast” McCoy get all furry? The answer’s in AMAZING ADVENTURES #11, beginning his first solo series way back in 1972!

BLACK WIDOW & HAWKEYE (2024) #3! And now Hawkeye has a nasty symbiote of his own!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #136 gives us “Captain America Fights a Gorilla—at the Center of the Earth!”

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #266-267, the first (intended) appearance of Gambit, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #165-166, Spidey versus Stegron and Lizard!

PeterS

A Crazy Cap Cover and Some Older Classics!

This week’s AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #4 has been postponed until next week--but no, here it is two days tardy!

THOR (1998) #68 shows us that Thor’s rule over Earth was a police state from the first, with the cops after the fugitive Scarlet Witch! Set in the far-flung future of 2020!

BLACK WIDOW & HAWKEYE (2024) #2 sees Hawkeye poisoned and the only hope for his life is Natasha’s nasty symbiote!

Our profile of Hank “Beast” McCoy continues with X-MEN ORIGINS: BEAST, another version of his debut in the Marvel Universe!

1980s advertising supplement SPIDER-MAN AND THE INCREDIBLE HULK (Denver Post) has Spidey and Hulk mixing it up with Doctor Doom…at a Colorado ski resort!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #135 is the oddball “Captain America Fights a Gorilla!” issue and the ape on the cover is wearing lipstick!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #264, Genosha versus the X-Men, UXM #265, the Shadow King is after young Storm, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #163-164, Kingpin is stealing Spidey’s life-force!

PeterS

Black Widow as You’ve Never Seen Her Before!

BLACK WIDOW & HAWKEYE (2024) #1 is a team-up with a twist: Natasha now has a symbiote to do the dirty work for her, to Hawkeye’s dismay!

Our survey of individual Defenders resumes with the Beast and UNCANNY ORIGINS #6 gives us the short version of his origin! Uncanny!

THOR #67! And here we go: the start of the Reigning, Thor’s plan to conquer the world and rule over it from Asgard!

WWH AFTERSMASH: WARBOUND #2 sees Hulk’s wartime henchmen trapped in the Leader’s Gammaworld!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON (1968) #134 pits Harlem’s newest superhero team against a drug dealer called Stone-Face!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #262-263, the saga of Forge and the new Morlocks, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #161-162, Spidey joins Nightcrawler and the Punisher against Jigsaw!

PeterS

Avengers Arena gets (more) serious

T Vernon's AMAZING ADVENTURES #22 starts a 3-issue arc of Killraven in War Of The Worlds adding new char Mint Julep and others. But they're not full-length tales and each issue is rounded out by a reprint of a 'Monster Mag' story.

FANTASTIC FOUR #42 continues the fight against the Frightful Four with the 'evilised' Thing. And then Human Torch is turned against his team too.

ANNIHILATION: HERALDS OF GALACTUS #2 really *is* the end of the Annihilation event, with aftermath tales of Firelord and Silver Surfer.

AVENGERS ARENA #8-9 begins a 5-issue arc called Game On. In these 2 issues most of the abducted teens get together and Apex's personality count and body count both increase.

--RobFJ

The End of the Defenders…and the End of Cap!?!

The brand new CAPTAIN AMERICA #15 has Cap facing the Red Skull on the battlegrounds of Hell itself! Next up: Mephisto!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #152 brings the series to a close pitting the team against their former member Moondragon for an epic final battle!

THOR #66 features an attempt to assassinate Thor—with a nuclear weapon!

FURY/BLACK WIDOW: DEATH DUTY sends Natasha back to her Russian homeland to find the mysterious vigilante called the Night Raven!

And SPIDER-MAN AND THE INCREDIBLE HULK (Dallas Times Herald) pits Spidey and the Big Green Guy against Sandman in the Texas oil fields in a 1980s advertising supplement!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #261, Wolverine, Psylocke, and Jubilee versus the Harriers, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #159, Spidey and Doc Ock versus Hammerhead, and ASM #160, Spidey versus the Spider-Mobile!?!

PeterS

Ch-ch-ch-changes

In the new QUEEN IN BLACK: DEFENDERS OF LIGHT AND DARK #2 Cloak & Dagger endure a cosmic trial by the In-Betweener before returning to the battle against Hela and Knull with enhanced powers.

T Vernon does AMAZING ADVENTURES #21 where the Killraven series gets a regular writer Don McGregor (also scripting Black Panther in Jungle Action at this time, along with lots of stuff in Marvel Magazines) and a new regular char Carmilla Frost.

FANTASTIC FOUR #41 starts a 3-issue tale where the Frightful Four turn Thing evil and against his teammates.

ANNIHILATION: HERALDS OF GALACTUS #1 has 2 post-Annihilation Wave tales which follow Terrax (with Paibok and the Delinquent) to a planet ruled by the Space Parasite (who?!), and reveal the origin of Stardust (alongside Galactus).

AVENGERS ARENA #7 pauses the current storyline to tell us how Arcade's new assistant Miss Coriander gave him his new Murder World and his seeming superpowers.

--RobFJ

Can Thor Raise the Dead? And Other Burning Questions!

WORLD WAR HULK AFTERSMASH: WARBOUND #1 is a mouthful of a title and a tie-in to an older event! SHIELD is on the trail of Hulk’s faithful warriors and an even bigger menace is after them too!

THOR #65 asks the epic question: Since Thor is a god, can he raise the dead?

There’s an underground menace? Who you gonna call? BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #4 teams Natasha with Storm and…the Mole Man?!? And you won’t believe how it ends!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #151 pits the team against their most obnoxious enemy—who? Manslaughter!

WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF ARMAGEDDON #4 wraps up the miniseries that explains why the new Captain America, Dave Colton, has such extreme powers!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #259, Colossus fights some bad guys in New York City, UXM #260, Dazzler has a deadly stalker, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #157-158, Doc Ock haunted by the ghost of Hammerhead!

PeterS

Dr Doom and Annihilus defeated but it's not over

New QUEEN IN BLACK #3 continues to cover the activities of Hela's Symbiote forces on Earth, especially her attempt to get hold of Dylan Brock, the Prince In Black.

In AMAZING ADVENTURES #20 T Vernon relates how Killraven and his Freemen's fight against the Martians leads them into a trap.

FANTASTIC FOUR #40 brings the fight of the team plus Daredevil against Dr Doom to a conclusion with an epic battle between Doom and Thing. But Ben Grimm quits the FF because he'd been forced to give up his humanity again.

ANNIHILATION #6 concludes the main Annihilation Wave event title with the death (and rebirth) of Annihilus, but Ravenous and the Wave still in charge of much of 'local' space.

AVENGERS ARENA #6 brings most of the surviving teens together to witness Apex admit her crimes and Anachronism behead Kid Briton.

--RobFJ

Thor Hits a Major Milestone!

And that issue is #800 by the legacy numbering! The extra-large issue features the next chapter of Mortal Thor and a couple of offbeat backup stories!

AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #3 continues the current epic event with the superpowered Captain America (David Colton) going out of control, trying to destroy all weapons in the world!

SPECIAL EDITION: SPIDER-MAN AND THE HULK #1 is a newspaper giveaway from 1980, teaming the two heroes for some Hulk mayhem! Sorry about the cover!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #150 is another special issue (from 1985) with the team going into deep space to battle the Star-Thief! Plus “Sassafras, the Dog Filled with Fear!”

BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #3 teams Natasha with the original Ms. Marvel as she and Carol battle terrorists in Israel!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #257-258, Wolverine, Jubilee, and Psylocke versus the Mandarin and the Hand, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #155, a weird whodunit, and ASM #156, the wedding of Betty Brant and Ned Leeds!

PeterS

The Annihilation War is nearly over but it's early days for the War Of The Worlds

In QUEEN IN BLACK #2 Hela is prevented from carving her runic symbol writ large on the Earth but the Symbiote Intelligence and Noh-Varr get hold of Dylan Brock, the Prince In Black, for her.

In T Vernon's AMAZING ADVENTURES #19 Killraven and his Freemen are captured by some Sirens but escape from the gladiatorial games. And this series gets the spotlight because it didn't get it last week.

In FANTASTIC FOUR #39 Daredevil leads the powerless team against Dr Doom in their own HQ, the start of an elegantly simple but powerful 2-issue story.

In ANNIHILATION #5 Drax frees Galactus, and Ronan kills the current Kree rulers (and the deposed Supreme Intelligence) leaving himself in charge.

And AVENGERS ARENA #5 concentrates on the Braddock Academy kids who split up while Cammi and the Runaways team up, successfully this time.

--RobFJ

The Real Hulk is Back! And a Bit Different!

In brand new INFERNAL HULK #10, the evil Hulk is heading for Washington and New York but not to worry: Bruce Banner is Hulk again! And he’s gray again!

In THOR (1998) #64, Thor’s new worshipers clash with the more traditional types! And it's all Loki's fault, of course! He's on the cover!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #149 presents us with the “origin” of Cloud and it’s a strange one!

BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #2 has BW and Wasp seeking to escape from Latveria with Doctor Doom on their tail!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #133 sees MODOK sending a giant android to wreck Harlem as revenge against Cap and the Falcon! Plus, MODOK’s origin is revealed!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #256, Psylocke is brainwashed into being an Asian ninja which is how most people remember her, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #153, a poignant tragedy centering on a kidnapping, and ASM #154 wherein Sandman returns to give Spidey some headaches!

PeterS

Read all about it! Drax kills Thanos!

The new IRON MAN #8 pits our hero and the mysterious Citizen V against 2 Whiplash's.

The nearly-new QUEEN IN BLACK: DEFENDERS OF LIGHT AND DARK #1 has Iron Man and Beta Ray Bill leading 2 teams against Knull and Hela.

The perennial T Vernon heads off in a bold new direction as AMAZING ADVENTURES #18 begins the saga of Killraven and the War Of The Worlds.

In the quite-old FANTASTIC FOUR #38 the Frightful Four, in only their 2nd outing, rob the FF of their powers.

And in the middle-aged ANNIHILATION #4 Thanos dies for the 2nd time, this time at the hands of his nemesis Drax The Destroyer. But unfortunately just before he was about to set Galactus free to destroy Annihilus and the Annihilation Wave.

--RobFJ

More Armageddon Related Stuff!

Brand new CAPTAIN AMERICA #14 has Cap leading the forces of Hell against, er, the other forces of Hell! It’s better than it sounds!

Sort of new WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF ARMAGEDDON #3 fills us in on the new Captain America as Logan has Nuke on his tail!

BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #1 was a team-up book starring Natasha! For the first entry they match her with…the Enchantress!?!

In THOR #63, “The Reigning” continues as King Thor helps out a poverty-stricken town and attracts worshippers!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #148 features the return of the wacky Cutlass and Typhoon (and the even wackier Rufus T. Hackstabber) in another parody of pulp adventures from the 1930s!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us a pair of two-parters: UNCANNY X-MEN #254-255, the Muir Island X-Men are formed to battle the Reavers, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #151-152, Len Wein takes over as writer, bringing back the Shocker!

PeterS

Dark vs light but all in colour

QUEEN IN BLACK #1 starts a new event where Tony Stark leads the defence of Earth when Hela with the power of Knull and Knull with the power of light fight over the planet with symbiote armies.

T Vernon finishes the 2 Ultimate Iron Man mini-series with v2 #5. This is also the end of T's IM odds & sods. Next week he'll head off in a totally new direction.

FANTASTIC FOUR #37 ties up a loose end as the team go to the Skrulls' planet to bring the killer of the Storms' father to justice, who conveniently dies.

In ANNIHILATION #3 the United Front *lose* the war against the Annihilation Wave. Now it's up to individual superheroes to do what armies couldn't.

And in AVENGERS ARENA #4 the Avengers Academy kids and the Runaways try to team up but fall out disastrously.

--RobFJ

The Invaders Reassemble!

But first, the new MORTAL THOR #13 shows us the career of Magni, son of Thor, taking the throne of the All-Father and falling into the trap set by the Enchantress!

GIANT-SIZE INVADERS #2 from 2005 reassembles the WW2 team in a mix of new and old stories! Guest appearances by FDR and Churchill!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #147: the team takes on the demonic dandy Hotspur in a Central Park orgy!

BLACK WIDOW: PALE LITTLE SPIDER #3 concludes the dark miniseries with Black Widow (Yelena Belova) caught up in an unbelievable conspiracy centering on a sinister Moscow sex club!

WOLVERINE BATTLES THE INCREDIBLE HULK #1, a reprint of the classic THE INCREDIBLE HULK #180-181!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us UNCANNY X-MEN #253, Storm becomes a child again, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #149, introducing the clone (yes, that clone), and ASM #150, the aftermath of the appearance of the clone!

PeterS

The 1st sign of the Inhumans

T Vernon's ULTIMATE IRON MAN v2 #4 continues the adventures of this alternate Tony Stark who finally works out who the real big bad is.

FANTASTIC FOUR #36 brings 3 old foes (of Human Torch) together with the mysterious new Madame Medusa to form the Frightful Four

There's no rest for the good in ANNIHILATION #2 as Annihilus' special forces attack the United Front.

AVENGERS ARENA #2-3 concentrate our attention on Death Locket and Cammi.

--RobFJ

The 1st sign of the Inhumans

T Vernon's ULTIMATE IRON MAN v2 #4 continues the adventures of this alternate Tony Stark who finally works out who the real big bad is.

FANTASTIC FOUR #36 brings 3 old foes (of Human Torch) together with the mysterious new Madame Medusa to form the Frightful Four

There's no rest for the good in ANNIHILATION #2 as Annihilus' special forces attack the United Front.

AVENGERS ARENA #2-3 concentrate our attention on new Death Locket and relatively-new Cammi.

--RobFJ

Can’t Think of a Title Here So…More Cool Stuff!

Left over from last week is INFERNAL HULK #9! Bruce Banner enters the Soul Cage, which nearly killed the Hulk last time it was tried! And Hulk’s scary sidekick Charlie returns!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #146 introduces a new hero, Andromeda, to take on a new villain, Hotspur!

THOR (1968) #62 starts to show us the dark side of Thor’s Reigning, as a trio of conflicts turn shockingly violent!

BLACK WIDOW: PALE LITTLE SPIDER #2 has Black Widow (Yelena Belova) investigating the grisly murder of her mentor!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA #132 reveals the big secret behind the comics’ first fake Bucky Barnes!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us a pair of two-parters: UNCANNY X-MEN #251-252, Wolverine and Jubilee against the Reavers, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #147-148, Tarantula, Jackal and clones, oh my!

PeterS