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Classifying Claremont

// October 28th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Comics, Review, Scifi

It’s easy to look at writer Chris Claremont’s current work and dismiss him as a has-been.   The truth is that is current work is abominable and the further he pushes the envelope of his creative shelf life, the further he dilutes his legacy.

But there was a Chris Claremont before New Exiles.  There was even a Chris Claremont before Jim Lee became the Jimi Hendrix of comics.  The writer isn’t a legend for any of those things.

Christopher Claremont is the man who made the X-men household names.   He took Wolverine from the bowels of obscurity and crafted a uniquely loved character of equal parts Clint Eastwood gunslinger, Ronin ninja and psychotic serial killer into one of the five most beloved comic characters of all time.  Many of the concepts and scenarios he created are still recycled today, not only in comics, but other areas as well.   Every time the show Heroes jumps forward in time to find a dystopian future that they have to change, they’re referencing Days of Future Past by C.C. and John Byrne.

Of course these are things every long-term comics fan knows.  But without delving into that history, we often forget how good the ‘good old days’ really were.

Sifting through my storage bin for old comic trades, I found one of my very first comic TPBs.   It was twenty years old, and a little worse for wear, but in shockingly good condition considering it’s age.

From the Ashes isn’t a storyline in the sense that modern storylines exist.   Back then, comics didn’t have distinctive arcs.  For the most part, each issue was connected to the next as equally as the ones before.   Foreshadowed themes and ideas sometimes took years to play out fully. They weren’t mini-novels played out in 6 issues– they were life taking place as it always does, day to day.   And though everything was connected, most of the time, you could pick up any single issue and enjoy it on it’s own merit.

While modern comics storytelling is arguably superior in terms of realism, the style of that era has a quality all it’s own.  Nowadays, fans complain constantly about how nothing ever seems to happen, and what little change introduced is later retconned with the introduction of a new creative team.   Not so back then.

From the Ashes covers 8 issues.  (Uncanny X-men 168-176)  Within these mere 8 comics, the following takes place:

• Scott Summers moves on from Jean Grey’s death (and gets some)
• Kitty Pryde adopts her alien dragon, Lockheed
• Morlocks debut
• Ororo becomes their leader by gutting Calisto!
• Cyclops meets Madeline Pryor (later revealed as Jean’s clone)
• Rogue joins the X-Men!
• X-men go to Japan for Wolverine’s wedding!
• The X-men are poisoned and Logan goes hunting Lady Viper with Rogue.
• The Wedding is called off.
• Storm gets a mohawk.
• Kitty Pryde makes a move on Colossus (and Peter does indeed rock the cradle of love)
• Dark Phoenix returns!
• Mastermind returns!
• Cyclops fights the X-men all at once (and kicks- their- @$$).
• Scott marries Madelyn.
• Then he fights a Shark and an Octopus.  I’ll say that again.  CYCLOPS FIGHTS A SHARK.

All of this happens in the span of eight issues, and it never once seems forced or out of place.  The fact is, many of these story points are still there today.  Kitty’s relationship with Peter was reignited in Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men and ended with Kitty’s “death”.    Rogue not only became an X-man, but at times has led them and continued to be a valued member.   And Mariko Yashida went down as one of the great loves of Logan’s life.  Show me that in any modern comic.   You can’t. That kind of story, that kind of writer doesn’t exist.

Sure, some of the dialogue is cheesy and expository, but its a testament to Claremont’s talent that it still holds up decades later.   Of course part of the credit goes to his partner in crime, Paul Smith.

In re-reading From the Ashes, I was reminded just how fantastic Smith’s pencils were.  Sure, the coloring was atrocious, but Smith’s clean lines and dynamic layouts run the gamut between simple and profound and mind-blowing.  His action sequences feel kinetic.  When Night Crawler *BAMFS* (and why don’t they use that word anymore?) you almost imagine him appearing before your eyes.  The trade actually receives assists from two other legendary artists, Walt Simonson and John Romita Jr (panel to the left), yet it is Smith’s work that it memorable here.

Together with great artists like Smith, Byrne, JR jr and yes– Jim Lee, Claremont redefined the X-Men, and consequently the comics medium.  His legacy may be blurry of late, but his effect on the industry can never be diminished.

Every comic fan owes it to him/herself to pick up some of this old gold in your nearest comic shop back issue bin and remember when comics were relevant.

Deep in the Woods

// October 26th, 2009 // 4 Comments » // short fiction

When I was a child, the world was only the size of my backyard, yet somehow felt infinitely larger than it actually is.

We grew up in a small suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of New Orleans from generations of poverty.   We were blissfully ignorant of what we lacked, riding bicycles and playing on community swings, thankful that we were better off than our grandparents.  Back then we only had 2 Nintendo games and 3 basic channels, forcing us more often than not to play outside.  We were happy to do it.

Our Huffy bikes had playing cards in the spokes to make them sound loud and tough.  And they took us everywhere … everywhere but there.

At the end of Grandma’s street was a big yellow sign.  DEAD END.  Where the street ended, the woods began.   We knew we weren’t supposed to go into the woods.  The woods marked the end the neighborhood.    It was massive and frightening and no one knew what was really back there. There were stories, legends of children who had disappeared into it and never returned.  They were probably just stories, we thought, but…  Anything could be hiding, from snakes to the men that steal careless girls and boys in the night.  The adults made it known, we were never to enter the woods.

But that taboo just made it so much harder to resist.

What was in the woods?  Why weren’t we allowed to go?  Teddy and I talked about it all the time.   “Let’s go.”  “NO!”  “Why not??”

Why not?  I didn’t really have an answer.  It’s just that I was that kind of kid.  I did what I was told.

My cousin Chris wasn’t particularly fond of that trait, or me for that matter.   He was 3 years older than me, and while I always wanted to play with him, his idea of a good time was punching me in the face until I cried.  When he wasn’t hitting me, he was taunting me.

“Little baby scared to go in the big bad woods???”

“NO!”

“Chicken!”

“Am not!”

“Prove it!”

“I don’t have to prove anything!”

“I knew it.  You’re scared.”

“I’ll tell MawMaw on you!”

“Whatever, baby.”

“Shut up!”

“If you weren’t so chicken, you’d do it.”

“…  fine.  I’ll go.”

“No no no, not noooowwww.  Tonight.”

“Tonight?  But we’re supposed to go trick or treating!”

“Tonight, or everyone will know you’re scared! DARE.”

I had no choice.  Playground rules.  He’d dared me.

That Halloween I’d begged to be Han Solo.  My Grandmother sewed this amazing costume for me; it was about as close to the real thing as I was ever likely to see, complete with a cheap toy gun holstered to my belt.  I expected to spend that night having old people rave about my awesome costume while shoveling candy into my plastic pumpkin candy holder.  Instead, I was holding the cheap plastic blaster in my chubby, trembling hands at the foot of wooded hell.

The wind was unseasonably cold and biting, making me wish I’d worn a wookie costume instead.  Perhaps then whatever I would face might fear me as well.  The wind howled and rustled trees with great and mighty swipes.   The other kids stood behind me.  Some like my cousin taunted me, while others stayed silent for fear they might have to join me.

“Get going!” Chris had roared, and all at once I felt his hand on my back shoving me forward. I stumbled and fell to my knees, and laughter echoed all around me.  My eyes welled up, but I wouldn’t let them cry.  I wouldn’t give the other the satisfaction. Instead I stood up on unsure legs and crept forward.   Though slow at first, I kept moving.  Behind me they were still roaring for my failure, but as I paced slowly through the dark, hovering trees and stealing, concealing brush, I heard them less and less.  Until finally I was alone.   I turned around and found myself trapped by the darkness.   It was at once terrifying and peaceful.   I’d made it.  I’d wandered into the abyss and lived to tell the tale.   The mighty Adam, triumphant!

WOOSHHHHHH!!!!

I nearly jumped out of my handmade Han Solo boots as the sound of moving foliage shocked me.  Something was moving.  Something was there with me.   My body froze as I waited it’s approach, but all was silent again.

Slowly, I kneeled to the ground and reached into my left boot.   Chris had insisted I go in with nothing to prove my courage.  Still, I managed to hide my father’s mini-flashlight in the boot. Chris was stronger and faster and better liked, but even at a young age, I was cleverer by far.   It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Guided by the thin trickle of light, I got moving again.  I aimed the flashlight like it was my shield, as if whatever ghouls lingered in the night would burn at it’s blinding touch.  Deeper into the woods, the bushes got thicker and closed in around me.  Thorns clawed at my clothes and uncovered arms, leaving nicks and scratches.  And suddenly the sound was behind me again, moving closer.  Spinning around, I swung the flashlight like a sword, both to find my stalker and to ward it off, but the thick, vile woods would not allow for either.  Whatever was there was hidden by the night, still coming for me.

And so I ran.  I ran and pushed through sticks, thorns and bush, collecting all manner of cuts and bruises and pain, but never stopping.  The wind carried a deep, sickening voice.   “wwwwhhhhhhoooooooossssss thhhhheeeerrrrrreeee??”  And I doubled my speed, running running running, unsure of where I was or where I was going.  My only instinct was to keep moving.   Run run run.

It could have been miles or feet, but I didn’t stop until the woods reached out from under me and grabbed my foot.  My face flew forward and down, slamming against a piece of plywood on the ground.  I picked myself up, and reached instantly for my right leg.  I’d twisted it a bit and the pain was searing.  To make matters worse, the flashlight had fallen from my grasp, and I couldn’t see even a glimmer of light to find it.  Once I’d gotten my bearings, I realized what I’d stumbled into.   It was an old children’s fort, made of plywood scraps and cardboard.   Time, rain and termites had made a mess of it. Still, a part of me was glad to find something that resembled real life, instead of the uncaring woods.   I was almost happy.   But then I heard the voice again.   “Whhhhhhooooosss theeeeeerrreee???”  Motionless, I stood as the source of it, crept out of the woods on the opposite side of the fort.   He was tall and large; his face was hidden by the hood of his sweatshirt and shadow.  The only light on him was the moon reflecting off of the thing in his hand.  A big, silver hunting knife.  He held it like a man on the hunt.  And it was clear he was hunting me.

A child’s instincts took over, and I could feel the screams of terror well up within me, seconds from release, and then there was a hand on my mouth, yanking me to the ground and silencing my wail.   The hooded man turned in our direction but saw not a glimpse of us.  When my eyes focussed, they found a girl.  She was young, like me, but beautiful.  She put her finger to her lips, pleading me to keep quiet.   I tried.  Oh how I tried, but I was scared.  I wanted my Mother or my Father to come and rescue me.  I didn’t know what to do.   As if she could read my thoughts, the girl put her arms around me and held me until I calmed.  “It’ll be okay.” she whispered.  And for whatever reason, I believed her.  My eyes drifted shut as we waited.

Maybe minutes later; maybe hours, our big bad wolf moved on.   My eyes opened as she released me from her arms and leaned back.  I smiled at her, and asked her name.  Instead she said only one word.  “RUN.”  And immediately her skin glowed like the stars and burst into nothing.

I can’t tell you what happened next.  But I remember running.  My twisted knee sent fire up and down my leg, but I would not let it hold me back.  I ran and ran and ran, praying I was headed back in the right direction.  I shut my eyes and didn’t stop.  I ran and ran and ran, clearing the brush and…. THUMP! I hit something both hard and soft at the same time and fell back onto the ground.  It was a person!  I shut my eyes begged my attacker not to hurt me.

“Adam!?”  My father’s worried voice reached down to me, followed by his hands.  “Where have you been, boy???”  He pulled me to my feet, and I wrapped my arms around him, unwilling to let go.

When Chris had turned up to go trick or treating without me, my family had forced the truth out of him and come looking for me.  He was punished for a month after that.  MY family felt far too sorry for me to ground me similarly.  I had suffered enough, they’d figured.

Of course that just made him hate me that much more.

As for me, I never went into the woods again.  I don’t know what that was, or what it meant.  And though I may always wonder, I have no interest in finding out.   Even now, decades later, I still get chills when I visit that old house.   I get the strangest feeling, as if something is out there waiting for me.

*copyright Adam Relayson 2009

Reborn: Revealed?

// October 17th, 2009 // No Comments » // Comics, Humor, Rumor

There’s a lot of good that comes from the internet.  It may be the greatest invention since toilet paper.   But one thing that the internet has managed to ruin is suspense.

Yes, the internet has become spoiler central for any upcoming event you can think of. Now, often it isn’t such a big deal.  I have a tendency to look for movie and television spoilers.   But if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s accidentally stumbling onto a spoiler unintentionally. Such is the case with Marvel’s Reborn mini-series.

I’ll be honest.  I don’t particularly care for the series.  The fact is, I like Bucky Cap, and he’s only had a year with the Shield.  It feels cheap to bring Steve Rogers back so soon.  Furthermore, the series just isn’t up to the standards of the regular Cap comic. Though I am a fan of both artists, Hitch and Butch Guice do not work well together.  The art looks incredibly muddy.  And I’m not sure Brubaker was all that into doing this so soon.  Publicly, he has assured us that it was all his doing and not Marvel editorial, but we’ve heard that line before.   Granted, the last time Marvel told him what to do, he left Daredevil.  Still, nothing feels right on Reborn.

Still, I’ve been reading it.  I’m curious as to how it unfolds.  Unfortunately, after reading IGN’s exclusive solicitations for Marvel’s upcoming Seige event, I no longer need to wonder who will carry the Shield.

As much as I would love to show you Stuart Immonen’s gorgeous cover, I can’t stomach spoiling it for you as it was done to me.

Ah, soliciations… you’ve screwed me again.

Jack Knight Returns???

// October 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // Comics, Rumor, Scifi

Knight's End?

I guess Dan Didio got tired of being asked where the hell Starman is.

In this week’s edition of DC Nation, DC Editor Dan Didio’s version of Stan Lee’s Bullpen, he announced the reason behind January’s Blackest Night absence.   While the event takes a brief hiatus, DC will be resurrecting 8 cancelled comic series for one month only.

While each has it’s own interesting twist (Question #37 in particular), without a doubt the stand out of the bunch is Starman #81.

James Robinson will be returning to the book that launched him into stardom.   Starman is one of the best comic series of all time.  Period.   It is in many ways the pre-cursor for all modern comic book story telling.  Robinson’s nuanced writing of hero Jack Knight became an instant classic after spinning out of the Zero Hour mini-series.   Unlike most cape books, particularly in the adrenaline drenched 90s, it focused more on the relationships between characters than in muscle-broached adventures.  Jack is a young hipster who wants nothing more than a quiet life selling antiquities and pop culture collectibles.  Unfortunately as the son of legendary hero Ted Knight, he is called upon to protect Opal City, the home that has cradled him.  It’s a story about legacies.  More than that, it’s a story about a father and his son.

When last we saw Jack, he left Opal for the last time with his son.  Jack had passed the mantle on to the Justice Society’s Star Girl.  He’d set out to San Francisco to marry his girlfriend Sadie and live out his days in the quiet and peace he’d always longed for, raising his children.

So with the arrival of Starman #81 this January, what does this mean for Jack, if anything?  While the issue is definite, there hasn’t been any specific mention of the titular hero.   I wouldn’t put it past Robinson to pull a fast one on us.  That said, any return to the shores of Opal City are welcome.

It is worth noting though that these issues all relate to Blackest Night and the return of dead characters.   Jack has a history of talking to the dead, and even is said to have limited psychic powers.  ”Talking with David” was an annual feature in the book in which Jack conversed with his dead brother David.

Whatever the case, Starman fans will be exuding palpable excitement as the New Year draws on.    It’s been a long time, Jack. We missed you.

UPDATE:  Solicitations suggest that Jack Knight will not be a part of the issue.  Instead the story will feature the return of one of the Starmen of times past as a Black Lantern.  The Shade will serve as the story’s unwilling “hero” who protects Opal.  There have been a number of Starmen over the years, but the Black Lantern will most likely be one of the Knights.  Also of note, Weird Western Tales #71 also arrives in stores as part of the event.  Shade’s dead best friend, Matt O’Dare, had been the reincarnation of Scalphunter, a hero in the old west.  Scalphunter returns as a Black Lantern in WWT 71.  Does it mean anything?  Probably not, but it’s interesting.

The Long Goodbye

// October 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Comics, Review, Scifi

The best book you've probably never read.

Ask anyone in the know. Warren Ellis is a sadist. He’s an evil genius the likes of which the world and scotch whiskey have rarely seen and never understood.  But damn if he’s not a bloody genius.

Sure, he looks like just another crazy, drunk Englishman, but don’t be fooled by this scraggly-bearded devil; he’s brilliant.

For proof of this, one need look no further than he and artist John Cassaday‘s magnum opus, Planetary.

While modern comics is fill of deconstructionist subtext thanks to worshippers of the almighty Watchmen, Planetary is perhaps the pinnacle of this trend.  Typical of Ellis, the series picks apart scifi conventions, shines a light on every nook and cranny, then punches it in the mouth and makes out with it’s girlfriend.   But as much as Planetary is an examination of superhero storytelling dynamics, it also does what Ellis does best: telling a damn good story.

Elijah Snow is a cranky old man literally drinking dog piss out of a dirty coffee cup in a diner in the middle of a desert no one would every think to look for him.  And then one day, someone does.  Jakita Wagner, leader of the Planetary Corporation’s archaeological team offers him the opportunity to leave his hellish life and help her find the secret history of the world in exchange for one million dollars a year for the rest of his life.  When offered the chance to keep drinking dog piss or get a job, he strongly considers turning her down.

The world Snow, and by extension, we the reader get sucked into is more than a life of dinosaur fossils and lost Arks.  It’s a world where other dimensional Pterodactyls still fly and an immense database of souls lies beneath the streets of Hong Kong.   It’s a world secretly owned by sociopathic alternate versions of the Fantastic Four who have sold all our souls to the highest bidder in exchange for a chance at godhood. And the only person who can stop it is an amnesiac old prick named Elijah who’d much rather be left alone.

The first issue dropped in mid-1999.  The epilogue arrived in stores this past Wednesday.  Counting all 27 issues, the series took just slightly over a decade to be completed and the finale came out over a year ago.  Granted, some truly great work was produced by both creators including Ellis’ second best book, Nextwave and Cassaday’s collaboration with virtual unknown Joss Whedon- a little thing called Astonishing X-Men (which is known for more than a few delays itself).  Still, heroin addicts don’t like having to wait 6 months to a year between fixes, and neither do Planetary fans. Torturous?  Just a bit.  Worth it?  Abso-frakkin-lutely.   But damned is Ellis doesn’t enjoy twisting that knife.

Subtle, ain't he?

Take his last issue for example.   The previous issue had seemingly wrapped every story thread that was introduced since the first issue, all except one.   The epilogue deals with the previous leader of the Planetary, Ambrose Chase.  Chase had seemingly died during a mission to a fictional sub-universe which had been created by the Four.  Though he was bleeding out after 3 shots to the chest, there was no body.

Elijah refuses to accept that Ambrose is dead, and sets out to prove just that.

Though I had been eagerly awaiting the release of this issue more than any other comic since Ultimates 2 #13, the experience of reading it is bittersweet.

While the ending is reasonably satisfying, it also constantly teases bigger and greater adventures for the Planetary team.  Ellis doesn’t skip a chance to taunt us with the further stories of our favorite archaeological crew which we’ll never see nor read about. As I said, the man is a mean son of biscuit eater.

Also, while not a problem, the epilogue was not nearly the ride that issue 26 had been.  It probably would have read stronger if the gap between them weren’t so chasmal.  When the Planetary saga is finally collected, I’m sure I’ll change my mind.

And that’s really all we have left to hope for; a Planetary Absolute Edition- perhaps with some sketches and unused story ideas.  That sick old English bastard has strung us along for a decade, and now he leaves us lost and scattered, looking for something …anything to fill the void.

It’s fucked up … but man, what a ride.

24 Hour Comic Day

// October 4th, 2009 // No Comments » // Comics, Humor, Scifi, Uncategorized

photos courtesy of Jason Grazulis

Saturday, October 3rd at 12 pm saw the beginning of this year’s 24 Hour Comic Day event.

The annual event was created as an… experiment I suppose you would call it.  Artists/ writers gather at a local participating comic shop.  Starting at noon they have 24 hours to  produce a 24 page comic.  In the past both fans and creators have participated, and there are several anthologies of the results of past events.

This was the first year that New Orleans’ favorite BSI Comics has participated.   Since taking over BSI post-Katrina, owner Jason Grazulis has made it his goal not only to expand BSI as a viable business entity, but to strengthen New Orleans’ comics community.

By that standard of measure, 24 Hour Comics Day was a huge success.

Artists of many disciplines showed up including painter and sequential artist Wendy Warrelmann and hometown – boy- made good Robby Musso (IDW’s Tranformers Spotlight and Speed Racer) among others.

Lacking any substantial art talent, I stuck around for only 13 of the 24 hours as a reporter, moral support and heckler.

Even in black and white, creating a 24 page comic in one day is no small feat.   But while the goal was productivity, the spirit of the event was clearly one of camaraderie.  The pages produced by our local talent was absolutely mind-blowing.  But in between bits of penciled and inked genius, we just had a good time.  We talked comics and bitched about George Lucas.  We recounted our favorite movie lines and watched youtube videos.

Artist Wendy Warrelmann slaving over pages of art.

The overall effect is a subtle reminder of why I love comics and why I love being a geek.   In the age of the Signal, print medium is slowly but surely becoming a relic of ancient times.  But while its’ older cousins are going the way of the dinosaur, comics remains a viable entity in book form.

Maybe some day the medium we love will go away, but it won’t be because the internet killed the comic book stars.  There is no substitute for what we find as a community.  Our local shops are more than our water-coolers.  They are our place of refuge against the world.  The one place where everything is still the same as it was when you were a dorky kid in high school.

As the saying goes, it’s the place “where everybody knows your name.”

See you at next year’s event.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

// October 4th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Comics, Review, Scifi, Uncategorized

Marvel barbecues are always... interesting.

Though DC’s Batman: Arkham Asylum may have eclipsed news of any other comic-based game, it’s not the only big release out there.   Late September saw the release of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, the latest in a series of multiplayer action games based on Marvel Comics’ characters.   The original MUA game is actually third in line following the releases of X-Men Legends 1 & 2.

MUA2′s story primarily covers Marvel’s Civil War event from 2007.   When a tragic accident kills an entire North American city, the US Government enacts the Superhero Registration Act, forcing all heroes to register and be trained as a licensed hero with SHIELD.  The act splits the hero community right down the middle. Captain America rebels against the order and goes underground to fight. On the Pro-Registration side Iron Man, Mr Fantastic and Hank Pym lead a team of registered heroes to take down Cap and his rebels.   Players can choose to be either a rebel or a government sanctioned hero.  But that’s only part of the story.  MUA 2 also covers Secret War which was published over 4 years ago, as well as diverging into an original story as well.

Iron Man is a dick.

Though MUA 1 was released on next gen platforms, the new game takes full advantages of those systems.  The main release is intended toward the X-Box 360 and Playstation 3, but this game also sees a multi-platform release that even covers portable game systems like the Nintendo DS.  That said, it is very clear that the game-makers had little interest in fully realizing the game’s potential on lesser powered gaming systems.

I’m currently about 3/4s of the way through MUA2 on my Playstation 2.   MUA 1 was a thoroughly enjoyable game that expanded and improved upon the X-Men Legends series.  MUA2, sadly is a step down somewhat in quality.  While the game is extremely entertaining, it has a multitude of hindrances.  The primary complaint is that it contains multiple glitches.   At certain points the game simply locks into place so that the player can’t continue.  The only way to fix these scenarios is to reload the most recent auto-save (a new feature which loads at check points). This can be incredibly annoying as you lose all progress, and if you’ve saved your game since the last time you auto saved, you may have to go back a whole chapter into the game.

While the auto-save itself is a nice touch in theory, it also contributes to one of the other major set backs.  The game is incredibly slow to load.   There are moments when one wonders if you could get your laundry done between levels.  Since the average game player isn’t known for their patience, long load times are a big negative.

One of the best parts of the first game was the exotic locales you visited.  Asgard, the Skrull homeworld, the Shi’ar Imperium, Lateveria and even HELL.  Something new was always around the corner.  It was a huge plus that fulfilled every fanboy’s childhood fantasies.  With MUA2… not so much.  Sure you go to the Negative Zone, but pretty much every level is arguably identical to the next.  It’s frustrating. To put it another way, in the original you fought freaking GALACTUS.  Here you fight Black Goliath.

Still, it isn’t all bad news.  The gameplay is excellent.  The character selection is really great.   I’m personally a big fan of the inclusion of the Thunderbolts from Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato’s run.   The fusion attacks are cool and fun, though occasionally they malfunction.   The game isn’t easy for moderate players like me, so having a challenge is nice. The cut scenes are breath-takingly beautiful. And over-all it’s worth the 30 dollar price tag.

I’m giving Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 a 6 out of ten.  Even though it’s fun, the glitches and load times are a real drag.  Furthermore, one can’t help but feel like MUA2 is less like a sequel than it is additional content for the first game.  Altogether, I feel like the game company has branded me a red-headed step child simply because I can’t afford to shell out 300 plus bucks for a PS3.  That sucks.