Marvel Holiday Special 2006

December 3, 2006

Quick Rating: Good
Title: A.I.M. Lang Syne and other stories
Rating: A

A look at Christmas in the Marvel Universe.

Writer: Andrew Farago, Shaenon K. Garrity, Scott Gray, Mike Carey, Jeff Christiansen
Art: Ron Lim, Roger Langridge, Mike Perkins
Colors: A. Street, J. Brown, A. Crossley
Letters: Dave Lanphear
Editor: John Barber
Cover Art: Frazer Irving
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics once again delves into its rich history and pulls out a handful of Holiday tales for 2006. While not quite as good as last year’s special, there are a few good stories here, and a special bonus treat – the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe entry for Santa Claus.

The book starts (and middles and ends) with “A.I.M. Lang Syne,” a perplexing story about an A.I.M. New Year’s Eve party gone wrong. This is really the only clunker in the book, which leaves you wondering why it’s even here. The story is presented in short segments, one or two pages at a time, scattered in-between the other features. And it doesn’t work. It isn’t a framing sequence for the other stories, it’s not a story that is strengthened by showing the other tales in the interim, it’s as if the editor simply decided to cut it up for no reason. And even that wouldn’t be so bad if it were a good story, but it’s pretty boring.

“How Fin Fang Foom Save Christmas” is far better. Picking up on the Fin Fang Four special from last year, Scott Gray and Roger Langridge show us a down-on-his-luck dragon wandering the streets of New York, only to stumble headlong into a new bizarre attack by the forces of Hydra. This is a funny story, well worth the read, that actually draws out some real sympathy for Fin Fang Foom, which is a sentence I never thought I would type.

“A is For Annihilus” is next. Home alone while the rest of the Fantastic Four is out Christmas shopping and making merry, Ben Grimm gets bored (which is a terminally bad thing at the Baxter Building” and winds up accidentally freeing Annihilus from the Negative Zone. The story is told in an alphabetical rhyme scheme by Mike Carey, which occasionally feels forced, but overall works for the purposes of the comic book. Mike Perkins’ artwork, with colors by A. Crossley, is quite good, and the story is given a sort of brownish wash that makes it feel like you’re reading out of an old book.

There are a few more features in the book, most notably the OHOTMU page for Santa Claus himself. Jeff Christiansen does an especially good job with this entry, blending in the historical life of St. Nicholas, myths of Father Christmas from around the world and Santa’s appearances in Marvel comics throughout the years (even appearances in the old parody comic, What The?!) to give us a nice, cohesive history for the character as he exists on Earth 616. We also get three “cut-out” ornaments celebrating Civil War, Planet Hulk and Spider-Man: Back in Black, which are nice enough except that no one would ever cut them out and, even if they did, the paper is too flimsy to really hang them from anything. The book concludes with a cover gallery of other Marvel Holiday Special editions over the years.

It’s a pretty good package, with only the A.I.M. story falling flat, and something that Marvel fans will enjoy for the holidays.

Rating: 7/10

Incredible Hulk (2000 Series) #105

April 1, 2007

Quick Rating: Heartbreaking
Title: Planet Hulk: Armageddon Part 2
Rating: A

Hulk has brought peace to the planet Sakaar – but can that peace possibly last?

Writer: Greg Pak
Pencils: Carlo Pagulayan
Inks: Jeffrey Huet
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Cover Art: Ladronn
Publisher: Marvel Comics

After 14 issues of some of the best stories Marvel has been putting out in the last two years, “Planet Hulk” comes to its heartbreaking conclusion. After months of fighting on the planet Sakaar, the Hulk has taken the crown and taken an empress, bringing peace to a planet torn by war. He’s found joy. He’s happy.

Of course, it can’t last.

This issue turns on a dime, going from joyful and happy to horrifying and heartbreaking. You feel for the Hulk here like never before, and you’re almost anxious to see him lay waste to the planet Earth once he makes it home. I’m still wary of yet another event story so closely on the heels of Civil War, but Greg Pak has really made this lead-in to World War Hulk feel like a natural, organic outgrowth of the story.

Carlo Pagulayan, Jeffrey Huet and Chris Sotomayor provide some really fantastic art, and Pak gives us a text piece at the end that gives us some really nice insight into how the story was put together.

It’s hard to say much more without spoiling anything. Suffice it to say, if you’re looking for a happy ending, go read Uncle Scrooge or something. If you’re looking for a story that will genuinely affect you, make you feel for a character that’s always teetered between the man and the monster, this is the book.

Rating: 9/10

Incredible Hulk (2000 Series) #101

December 3, 2006

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Planet Hulk: Allegiance Part II
Rating: A

The sides are chosen and the battle lines drawn.

Writer: Greg Pak
Pencils: Carlo Pagulayan & Gary Frank
Inks: Jeffrey Huet & Jon Sibal
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Randy Gentile
Editor: Marc Paniccia
Cover Art: Ladronn
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I’ve never really been a huge Hulk fan. For me, he’s a character I’ve only gotten into when I was particularly fond of the writer at the time. I’ve heard a lot of buzz about how good this whole “Planet Hulk” storyline has been, but after sampling a few issues, I’m just finding it okay.

The Hulk and his allies are seeking out the Elders of the planet Sakaar in the hopes of enlisting them in their battle against the Emperor. He is taken away to relieve his history with this world and finds himself being tested. As he moves on, another battle lays in wait. The story is okay, and the continual question of whether the Hulk is or isn’t the prophesied “Sakaarson” is certainly reason to keep reading if you’re really into the story. The last battle scene works very well.

The shifting art teams aren’t too jarring, but the change-up from one artist to another is obvious in most cases. Both Pagulayan and Frank have a good handle on the character, as well as the varied, often bizarre aliens they encounter along the way.

It’s an okay issue, one you’ll enjoy more if you’re a true fan of the Hulk.

Rating: 7/10