Power Pack (1984 Series) #19

December 3, 2011

Title: Gues Who’s Coming to Dinner?

Writer: Louise Simonson
Pencils: Brent Anderson & Scott Williams
Inks: Terry Austin, Scott Williams & Sam De La Rosa
Colorist: Janet Jackson
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Cover Artist: Brent Anderson
Editor: Carl Potts
Publisher: Marvel Comics

It’s Thanksgiving, but the Power Pack kids don’t have a lot to be thankful for. Their mother is in the hospital, victim of one of their battles with the monster named Kurse, and Alex Power is blaming himself. Unbeknownst to her siblings, Katie is planning a Thanksgiving party whether they like it or not – with some very special guests.

At this point in the title, Franklin Richards was pretty much a regular member of the cast, but throwing in Beta Ray Bill, Wolverine, Shadowcat, and Cloak and Dagger (who apparently didn’t merit showing up on the cover with the rest of them) made for an interesting dynamic in this story. At first, it seems like a sort of random group of characters, but when Katie explains her rationale behind who gets a Thanksgiving invite, it makes sense in a six-year-old kind of way. That was one of the great things about Louise Simonson’s writing on this title – she understood and encapsulated the minds of these young characters extremely well. This issue in particular shows a lot about her understanding of child development – Alex and Jule, the oldest, are most aware of the danger their mother is in and find it hardest to enjoy the celebration. Julie is trying to play mother for the two younger kids, while Alex is shouldering the blame himself. Katie, the youngest and most innocent, is just looking for a way to make everyone happy again. And Jack, as usual, is pure id – which is completely appropriate for a boy of his age.

The strange assembly of characters works well and gives the book an odd sort of balance, while also helping to show just how far and where the finders of this title reached back in the 80s – from the pages of Thor and Fantastic Four to the X-Men to a pair of Marvel’s most obscure heroes, these kids were very much a part of the world around them.

Brent Anderson and Scott Williams, both of whom would go on to do amazing work on more notable books, do a fine job of depicting the Power kids and their friends this issue. The scene with Katie and Franklin riding the Mighty Mouse balloon from the Thanksgiving parade is in and of itself worth reading the comic.

It’s a good book, a very good book, and I’m glad these kids are finally starting to be noticed in Marvel proper again.

Rating: 8/10

Iron Man and Power Pack #1

November 16, 2007

Iron Man and Power Pack #1 (Marvel Comics)
By Marc Sumerak, Marcelo DiChiara, Chris Giarussso & Gurihiru

The newest Power Pack miniseries (I know it’s a marketing thing, but it kinda galls me that they never get top billing in these) kicks off with Iron Man’s old enemy the Ghost breaking into Stark Industries and setting free the giant robot called Ultimo. He suits up and heads out, only to find that the Power Pack kids are already on the case. Although these mini-series are essentially self-contained, people who read them all can feel bits of loose continuity here. Iron Man has encountered the kids before (in the Avengers and Hulk minis) and therefore doesn’t have to go through the stereotypical, “I’m an adult, you’re kids, stay back and let me handle it” nonsense that so often happens in books like these. Instead, he sees the kids and not only automatically recognizes them as being capable, but jumps right into a leadership role with them. It makes the book seem smarter than a lot of kid comics. There’s also a new Mini-Marvels back-up by Chris Giarrusso, and as always, it’s fantastically funny. May I say that I’d like to hereby plead with Marvel to fast-track the inevitable Elephant Steve miniseries? Right away, please?
Rating: 8/10

Hulk and Power Pack #4

June 8, 2007

Hulk and Power Pack #4 (Marvel Comics)
By Marc Sumerak & David Williams with Chris Giarrusso

The Hulk has been accused of a rampage, but Power Pack has discovered the real culprit is his old foe, the Abomination. Hulk has the Pack on his side… but every other superhero in New York is ready to try to take him down. I’ve been on board for this incarnation of Power Pack ever since Marvel relaunched it as a series of miniseries a few years ago, and this is hands-down the most ambitious issue yet. Sumerak does a good job of balancing a pretty massive fight scene, and still really making it about the kids in the end. The book has a great Mini-Marvels back-up story by Chris Giarrusso featuring the Hulk on his first date with Betty Ross. Lines like “Arrow Man not Billy Cosby” nearly made me roll off the couch laughing. There have to be enough Mini-Marvels stories done to put out another special, Marvel — c’mon, give us the goods.

Rating: 8/10

Fantastic Four and Power Pack #4

October 5, 2007

Fantastic Four and Power Pack #4 (Marvel Comics)
By Fred Van Lente, Gurihiru, Chris Giarrusso

The latest Power Pack miniserues wraps up in delightful fashion. Dr. Doom has succeeded in switching his brain into the body of Franklin Richards, trappign the son of his greatest enemy in his own suit of armor. Now, in the body of Frank, Doom plots the downfall of Reed, and only the Power Pack can stand in his way. This story is both a lot of fun and a wonderful nod to the original Power Pack series, which Franklin eventually became an integral part of. The story works in an old-school sort of way, and while there’s one “logic gap” that doesn’t really work for me, there’s more than enough humor to keep things going. This is perhaps one of the funniest issues in this series yet, and that’s before we even get to Chris Giarrusso‘s excellent Mini-Marvels back-up story. Even if this comic is totally out of continuity, I don’t care. It’s some of the most fun you can get in a Marvel comic these days, and wonderful both for kids and for old-school fans of the Pack.
Rating: 8/10

Fantastic Four and Power Pack #3

September 7, 2007

Fantastic Four and Power Pack #3 (Marvel Comics)
By Fred Van Lente & Gurihiru

Last issue, Dr. Doom sent Kraven the Hunter to kidnap Franklin Richards. What he got instead was not just Franklin, but half of Power Pack. As Alex and Julie prepare to rescue their missing siblings, the Fantastic Four mobilizes to find Franklin. Van Lente has really succeeded in capturing the playful, old-school tone for this series established by Marc Sumerak. While this series is definitely written for a younger reader than a typical Marvel comic, it isn’t writing down to them, and that makes a crucial difference. The way it’s played off, you can accept the kids holding their own against Dr. Doom — at least until he puts his true plan into action. We get a nice cliffhanger, great Gurihiru art — in short, this is a great showcase for the Power Pack gang.
Rating: 8/10

Somebody’s First Comic Book: Power Pack (1984 Series) #47

Wondering what Somebody’s First Comic Book is all about? The explanation is on this page!

TITLE: Elsewhere

CREDITS:
Writer/Artist: Jon Bogdanove
Finishes: Hilary Barta
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Carl Potts
Publisher: Marvel Comics

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: I’ve never heard of this before. The cover is… a flying kid holding a cartoon character and flying away from dinosaurs? Who are… biting her rainbow? Apparently, this is a comic book for and by people on a bad acid trip.

IMPRESSIONS: Oh – no, it’s a kids comic. Seems like our heroine, little 5 ½-year-old Katie Power (information helpfully given to me on the first page) and her sister and brothers are young superheroes, but their parents don’t know about this. Also, they’ve (evidently) recently switched powers somehow, which makes her older brother suggest they should also trade costumes so that everybody is wearing the right get-up. His reasoning is that because the costume changes along with them when they use their powers, clearly, they’ll also grow or shrink to size. Yeah, I see the logic there… But alas, it doesn’t work, and it didn’t occur to the oldest child that he would now be wearing the costume of his smallest, younger sibling.

Katie points out that their costumes magically go “elsewhere” whenever they shout “Costume On!” and that maybe whoever it is that launders and mends them while they’re there may be able to help. She reaches into her pocket (no, seriously) and falls into a portal that takes her “Elsewhere” and also turns the page sideways. From there, the book is all about Katie trying to find a way home.

This is actually a cute little book. The writer seems to have drawn inspiration from dozens of classic books for kids (there are shades of The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland here) and mixed them together with in-jokes about really old newspaper comic strip characters. I don’t really like the sideways pages we get while Katie is in “Elsewhere” (which is most of the book). Turning the comic sideways makes me feel like a centerfold is about to fall out, and a few of the pages where the orientation gets even weirder are really difficult to read.

But the story is cute and the writer tells me absolutely everything I could possibly need to know to understand it right in the first few pages. Plus, it’s a nice explanation for all those superheroes who pull off their quick changes without the help of a phone booth or bat pole. I think it’s something kids would probably like a lot.

GRADE: B

Hulk and Power Pack #3

May 18, 2007
Hulk and Power Pack #3 (Marvel Comics)
By Marc Sumerak & Andy Kuhn

When a green behemoth starts tearing up New York, the Power Pack kids think their friend the Hulk has lost control. As they set out to find him, to help him and — if necessary — to stop him, they soon discover the dangers of jumping to conclusions. As usual, one of the things I simply love about this series is how well Sumerak can slip in a moral lesson without getting preachy or heavy-handed. The same holds true here — the kids learn an important lesson, while at the same time engaging in a great old-fashioned superhero story. The ending is one of the best cliffhangers since the Power Pack franchise was releaunched a couple of years ago. As always, this is one of the best comics for young readers that Marvel — or anybody else, for that matter — is publishing.

Rating: 8/10

Mini-Marvels: Secret Invasion TPB

February 13, 2009

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Conspicuous Invasion and Other Stories
Rating: All Ages

The Skrull invasion of Earth – Mini-Marvels style!

Writers: Chris Giarrusso, Marc Sumerak, Sean McKeever, Paul Tobin & Audrey Loeb
Pencils: Chris Giarrusso
Inks: Chris Giarrusso
Colors: Chris Giarrusso
Letters: Chris Giarrusso
Editors: Nathan Cosby & Warren Simons
Cover Art: Chris Giarrusso
Publisher: Marvel Comics

There are few things in comics right now that are more entertaining than Chris Giarusso’s Mini-Marvels. What began as a short newspaper-style strip that ran on the Bullpen page has become an eagerly-anticipated back-up feature that can show up in any Marvel comic at any time, lampooning current events or telling brand-new stories, and always stealing the show.

This second digest collection of Mini-Marvels adventures begins with Giarrusso’s parody of Secret Invasion. The Skrull invasion of Earth goes somewhat differently in this universe, as the Skrulls’ initial attempt to discredit the Fantastic Four doesn’t work as planned. Can even the amazing Super-Skrull turn the tide? And is he really more invisible than the Invisible Girl?

Mark Sumerak handled the writing on the Civil Wards storyline. Fired from the Daily Bugle after Iron Man got him to reveal his identity to the world, Spidey takes a job babysitting the Power Pack kids. The job turns dangerous, however, when he tries to find them a place to play, only to get caught up in a struggle between Iron Man and Captain America over whether kids should have to register to use the playground. The story is a great little parody, and the way Spidey gets his identity back under wraps in this issue is about a thousand and twelve times more logical – and more entertaining – than the way it happened in the real Marvel Universe.

We get a series of shorts by other writers next – a wonderful Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends story by Sean McKeever, a few Hulk/Power Pack gags by Paul Tobin, and the really funny “Green Hulk/Red Hulk/Blue Hulk” pages by Audrey Loeb. All of these have their moments, and fit just fine in Giarusso’s universe.

The next – and most recent – story in the book is “Welcome Back Thor,” a reprint from this week’s Thor #600. Giarusso gives his take on the resurrection of Thor, from the beginning of J. Michael Stracszynski’s run right up to the most recent developments, and he’s funny as heck as he does it. “World War Hulk : The Final Showdown” wraps up that storyline as well. This is the one slightly incongruous bit in the book – the rest of the World War Hulk parody appeared in the first digest, Rock, Paper Scissors. I’m not quite sure why they felt the need to break it up.

The last story in the book is “Hawkeye and the Beanstalk,” a great series of gags that begins with Hawkeye trying to borrow the weapons of his teammates and concludes with him trying to save Earth from the appetite of Galactus! Giarusso’s version of Hawkeye, is enormously entertaining, second only to his Spidey, so it’s great to see him get a starring role.

The digest wraps up with a series of one-page gags and older strips from the original run of this series. There’s a ton of great stuff here, all funny, all sweet, and all a lot of fun. This is that rare comic that kids will read and enjoy, and that adults will read and laugh for a whole different set of reasons. It’s an awesome, awesome series, and I hope Giarusso gets to keep doing it for a very long time.

Rating: 9/10

Spider-Man and Power Pack #3

January 4, 2007

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Project: Run Away (Fashion Sense Tingling Part 1)
Rating: All Ages

Even with Power Pack’s help, can Spider-Man beat four Venoms?

Writer: Marc Sumerak
Art: Gurihiru
Mini Marvels Art: Chris Giarrusso
Mini Marvels Colors: Jacob Chabot
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Nathan Cosby
Cover Art: Gurihiru
Publisher: Marvel Comics

As a thank-you to Power Pack for helping him beat the Sandman, Spider-Man gives them four tickets for the hottest fashion show in New York, where Mary Jane just happens to be modeling. What neither Spidey nor the kids realizes, though, is that the designer’s got a brand-new fabric he’s trying out… a little souvenir from an encounter with Venom.

As always, Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru have created a comic book that puts together a wonderful, perfectly accessible story that even the youngest comic book fan will easily be able to get into. As I read it, though, it seems more and more like the sort of comic book story that I used to read as a kid in the core Marvel Comics – the heroes interact the same way, the stories shake out the same way… it’s all got the elements I love about superheroes without all the angst and baggage. People bemoaning the loss of simple, fun superhero stories will find exactly what they’re looking for right here.

Following the main story is part three of the “Civil Wards” Mini-Marvels story, with art by Chris Giarrusso. Spidey, still babysitting the infant Power Pack, decides to take them over to Stark Park to have some fun… but in order to play, Iron Man is going to require them to put their signatures on the dotted line. Captain America, meanwhile, has put together his own coalition of heroes opposed to the “establishment” taking over the playground. This story is an absolutely hysterical, spot-on parody of Civil War. In fact, the two-panel exchange between Lil’ Reed and Lil’ Sue this issue is more entertaining than anything else I’ve read connected to this crossover.

This is a wonderful, entertaining issue with a spot-on, side-splitting back-up. I hope these Power Pack miniseries never end.

Rating: 9/10

Fantastic Four and Power Pack #1

July 13, 2007

Fantastic Four and Power Pack #1 (Marvel Comics)
By Fred Van Lente & Gurihiru

The newest Power Pack features both a departure and a return — original artist Gurihiru is back, but original writer Marc Sumerak is gone, replaced by Fred Van Lente. Van Lente, fortunately, has a nice feel for these characters. As Jack Power laments his own lack of celebrity, a new kid comes to school that just makes him feel it even more — Franklin Richards, son of Reed and Sue of the Fantastic Four. Van Lente is having fun playing with the Power/Richards friendship here, which was one of my favorite aspects of the classic Power Pack series. Franklin and the Power kids being friends is a natural fit, and I’m really glad to see it hasn’t been forgotten. Gurihiru‘s return is welcomed — the artwork on the Hulk/Power Pack series was okay, but didn’t quite fit after the past few years of Gurihiru. So far, I’m quite enjoying this — now if only Marvel would put out an Essential Power Pack trade to go along with it.

Rating: 8/10