I was doing my Etsy rounds earlier and I stumbled upon this shop called Coolbeans717. this shop focuses on cases made of felt. It features cases for various gadgets like the iPhone, iPod (various models), and the Zune. There are around 40 or so cases on offer in the shop, but here are the ones that I think might interest you.

Spam Meat Can Felt Case

As you can see, it looks just like that good old Spam – who doesn’t like Spam? At the back of the case, you can make use of the pocket for headphones and other small items that you like to bring around with you. This case can fit iPhones, the iPod Classic, and the iTouch. Phones of similar sizes will also fit. This goes for $25.

Pac Man Clyde Ghost Felt Case

Now THAT’s classic, isn’t it? This case also fits the same items mentioned above, and it comes in other “ghost variations.” It will set you back $20.

Great Christmas gift ideas, don’t you think?

Unfortunately for the hungry, they’re not edible, but instead are made from polymer clay and miniature candles. They represent the standard icon set on the front page of the iPhone, as the photo below shows.

Definitely one to brighten up your fridge.

$38 for the complete set, which comes in a metal tin.

The Great Ten #1

Well Zombie-Watch is a little quiet this week, with the only zombie-action I have caught so far being the Doom Patrol crossover. I’m in two minds about the Doom Patrol series, I really enjoy the characters, and of course the classic Vertigo series, but I have yet to be sold on the current incarnation.

Having the Chief come face to face with his alleged former wife Celsius of the (not so) New Doom Patrol is intriguing, as I do not think they have been seen together before. I recall Chief saying to his team-mates a few years ago (post-INVASION!) that she never was his wife, just a very troubled woman, but then again truth and the Chief do not seem to frequent acquaintances.

This is a set up issue however, containing little more than the requisite “Oh My God! Zombies!” moment. Still with losing pages to the rather uninspiring Metal Men back up strip, there is very little room for much else.

I have to say that I am not really impressed with the art either. After the tradition established by the Vertigo series, the Doom Patrol art should be quirky, however Justiniano’s pencils and Livesay’s inks do not give these zombies the detail we have seen in other titles.

The one title I have really enjoyed, and have been awaiting since its announcements is The Great Ten #1. Not being a great follower of manga, Final Crisis Aftermath:Dance did not do a great deal for me. I assume it was heavily manga-influenced, but the insightful look into Japanese style-heroics did not really do enough for me. I know the series was supposed to have its facile elements, in fact that was probably the point of it, but still, I didn’t connect with it at all.

The Great Ten promises to be different, launching straight into an indepth examination of the Accomplished Perfect Physician. Rather than shying away from controversial topics, it dives immediately into the topic of Tibet (with an admittedly ‘Free Tibet’ slant, but that is not something I disagree with at all). As a first issue, the situation of Tibet is acknowledged, but it remains to be seen whether it will be explored in further depth.

However, the whole issue screams ‘China’ (or at least a western understanding of such, I would love to know what Chinese readers think of it), far more than Dance screamed ‘Japan’. Written by Bedard (what ever happened to first names?), this looks to be a very promising series. I really want to get to know these characters, and I really hope that the sensation of China I perceive is a genuine one, rather than simply a western view. I would say propaganda, but I think that is too strong a word to use here. We shall see. I hold high hopes for it at least.

Don’t strive too hard for that college degree – iPhone users place more value on the cool gadgets that you own anyway. If you were thinking to impress that guy or girl with a degree with lots of fancy words, chuck the idea. Just work hard to get money saved up to buy yourself a plethora of cool gadgets!

On a similar note, if you have “out-of-date” gadgets, forget your chances with an iPhone owner. The survey found out that one in three iPhone owners find old gadgets a turn off. So make sure you do not bring out that brick of a cell phone in front of them! Then again, perhaps you should just get an iPhone and forget all about everything else.

How’s this for irony: one out of four iPhone owners broke up with their partner for the simple reason that that partner spent too much time on his/her mobile device! I honestly don’t get this. I would have thought that the iPhone user would be spending way too much time on his/her toy as well.

For more of these “facts,” visit the whole article here.

New Mutants #6 Cypher returns in X-Necrosha

This week, Zombie Watch returns, with a whole new dimension!

When I first read of the X-Necrosha crossover in the solicitations three months ago, I was unimpressed. Now you know I love a good zombie as much as the next man, but I saw this X-crossover as simply a competitor to the Blackest Night, little more than a cheap marketing ploy. As if Marvel Zombies was enough. And let’s not get started about the eventually arriving Marvel Zombie Apes, or is that Marvel Ape-Zombies?

I could not of been more wrong. Forgetting that X-Necrosha was in my pile, I read New Mutants #6 first, as next to the Titans, the New Mutants have been my longstanding favourite team. I was also pumped to see the return of Doug Ramsey (Cypher), a character whose return has been dangled in front of us for years, such as the creation of Douglock, who it transpired was Warlock himself, but initially only having access to Doug’s memories.

I was not disappointed at all. Although Doug did cave in the skull of fellow New Mutant Magma on the direction of Selene, what really shone was the use of Cyphers gift of translation. Beneath every speech bubble that Cypher heard was his own interpretation of what was being said, which makes this issue an excellent jumping on point for new readers. The politics between the members is illustrated nicely, and there were a few points that really made me laugh. Take this interpretation of one of Dani Moonstars statements: “It is important that you see me speak for our team. I need you to know I still matter.” Beautiful! With just a few narration boxes, we can see how much some of the Mutants have changed, and how some still cling to their teenage insecurities.

So, I went back and read X-Necrosha #1, and I loved it. These are not your average zombies, but the bodies of many of the mutants dearly departed, reanimated by the technovirus. The original personalities and memories remain intact, but I doubt the question of their souls will even be raised. As I understand it, these are new beings, simply with the memories of the originals, which if they survive this storyline should lead to yet more heart-wrenching drama. In the meantime, they are under Selene’s domination, but carrying their own personalities, many are champing at the bit.

For the first time to my knowledge, the origin and nature of the Black Queen Selene is explored with some detail, and I believe it is worth the wait. I have never really taken her seriously in the past, even her exploits in Nova Roma (Magma’s hometown) never made her appear to be more than a throwaway villain. The long forgotten classification of External (immortal mutants), of which Selene is the sole known survivor is not even touched upon, but is implicit throughout the story.

Another return I fondly welcomed was that of the original Hellions, Emma Frost’s students from the now destroyed Massachusetts Academy. As these students come face to face with Emma, the horror aspect of this is revealed, although I am grateful to say it is not overplayed. These beings make the Black Ring Bearers seem quite two-dimensional in comparison.

Oh, and Destiny is back. You can’t miss this.

No offence meant to the guys over at Beastmoon.net, but I thought I’d recreate the article here with some nice images (no, not those kind of images) in place of the **** asterisks.

Here, you’ll see that word used 20 times — that’s TWENTY times. I can see why you wouldn’t want that word used so many times in a short article. particularly if you’re running Google ads.

This version should be safe. Anyway, you know what that word is, even if you choose to have the images turned off.

Brilliant! If you’re paranoid about **** fragments burying
themselves deep into your hard drive then you really should read this! (Funnily enough there was no download link on the original site, not that I’d include it here anyway.)

Delete today once and for all! You need to know how to delete from your hard drive. Deleting from your hard drive is not possible without the special software because the fragments bury deep into your hard drive and it becomes very hard to delete . Even fragmenting your hard drive wont get rid of it… You need to know how to delete as soon as possible or it can lend you in a lot of trouble!… You don’t even have to download yourself for it to get in to your computer hard drive, it comes from various sources and it starts to come up as pop ups and ads that are incredibly annoying and can cost you money!

What is the worst part about is it can lend you in some serious trouble and can cost you your family, your job and can even see you go to prison if you don’t successfully delete it from your hard drive and get caught by the computer forensics and cyber police! These guys keep a close eye out for suspicious information downloads and illegal and now they are catching illegal downloaders and fans more than ever before! Even if you didn’t buy or download and it entered the computer by itself through some kind of spyware and that will still get you in trouble even if you haven’t intentionally downloaded or knew it was there, So i suggest you delete from your hard drive now and the software that will help you is called Terminator…

I Downloaded the Terminator and within about 15 minutes it found over 1,346 fragments in the registry and my hard drive and it got rid of all of it for me, i can now sleep tight knowing that i don’t have to worry about having found on my computer! I encourage you to delete now that you know how to delete porn, You have a lot to lose because of on your pc, so delete ALL of it once and for all with Terminator!

Download Terminator Here…

Note how one instance of p**n slipped through the net in the second-to-last paragraph, just for good measure.

So, now you all know how to delete it from your hard drive. Sleep tight!

Self-improvement need not be expensive, thanks to the FREE online courses that are available to practically anyone that I stumbled upon. The web site, Online Courses, offers “100 Incredible Open Courses for the Ultimate Tech Geek,” and let me tell you this: the courses are indeed incredible!

Here’s a sampling of what they have. The general categories are as follows:

1. Computer Science and Engineering
2. Computer Security
3. Programming
4. The Web
5. Software
6. Information Technology
7. Communication Technology
8. Technology in Education
9. Tech Math
10. Technology and Society

Under each category, you will find the individual courses, all available for FREE. The courses are offered by various institutions which are already well known in their fields. Does MIT ring a bell? How about Teachers Without Borders? Relevant information such as the level of the course, requirements, etc. can be had by clicking on the appropriate course title.

I have to say that this is a perfect way to “kill time” when you find yourself without anything to do on the weekend. It’s a much more productive use of your time and you benefit from it!

The first pair were obviously conceived by Mac fans.

Whereas the second pair come from Windows fans.

No matter. No need for a tiresome debate on Macs versus PCs.

All I can say is that this would surely work for triplets, quadruplets, and more. Just buy more “Paste” T-shirts and you’re done!

Via

You should check the full article out, but here’s a tiny glimpse of what’s in store for you. Needless to say, they’re the ones that made my blood flow more quickly.

Twitter’s Fail Whale – who does not recognize this creature? Twitter has received a lot of flak for its intermittent service, although we have to admit is has become much better. Still, the fail whale has earned its place in history.

Firefox and IE – I use Chrome now since Firefox started to crash on me all the time about a month ago, and I haven’t used IE since forever, but these pumpkins still look awesome, don’t they?

Reddit – I love how they used a reddish hue for the lighting inside the pumpkin. This alien is cuter than ET, in my opinion.

Apple – of course. I could have thought of this myself if I didn’t see Mashable’s write up first (yeah right). A geek pumpkin fest will not be complete without an Apple carving, don’t you think? Maybe you can use Steve Job’s face for a more unique carving?

All photos courtesy of Mashable

The service is already available to select customers, and Wal-Mart is planning on having it fully available to everyone before the holidays ensue. This is perfect timing, as people will certainly be making lots of purchases during this season. More than the idea of a Geek Squad being cool, it also serves a very practical purpose. You and I may not have problems using electronics at home after buying them, but we all know those horror stories about people not knowing why their gadgets are not working (when they still need to plug the thing into the socket).

For sure, this new service will make purchasing electronics at Wal-Mart more attractive to the average consumer who may not be all that tech savvy. I cannot help but think about the person who does know how to fiddle with his toys, though. Would having its own Geek Squad make Wal-Mart a more viable alternative for these people? How about you? Would you be more enticed to go to Wal-Mart to buy electronics just because they have their own Geek Squad?

Guardians Of The Galaxy #19

I was going to title today’s column ‘Pointless Comics Books’ after reading the finale of The Last Days Of Animal Man. I said before how much I like Buddy Baker, but after reading all six issues, I feel cheated. Gerry Conway, pleasant as his writing is, is no Grant Morrison, so the appearance of the yellow aliens (who I would like to see more of) did nothing to satisfy me, or give me a reason why I have bought the entire series.

However, Blackest Night has continued apace, enough for me to forgive DC. In the conclusion of Blackest Night Titans, we have seen it’s not just the assembled corps of the emotional spectrum that can conquer the Black Rings, but also Dove (formerly of Hawk and Dove, erm, twice) has access to a power that is equally as devastating to the Black Corps. This is not without precedent either, after her role in the downfall of Extant back in JSA a few years ago.

What has really blown me away however is the latest Guardians Of The Galaxy, and the culmination of the Adam Warlock/Magus storyline. Despite the previous issue seeming a little tenuous, the conclusion more than justified the arc with a big story. One surviving Time Keeper; Kang leading an army of Starhawks (with a cute little aside between him and Mantis); a Cosmic Cube and Phyla Vell / Martyr (yes, it’s a silly name) receiving her comeuppance.

Looks like I was right the first time when I observed the Magus will not be featuring in the Realm Of Kings storyline. I should be disappointed, but after this issue, I’m not. We all know that Adam Warlock will be reborn, and thus so will the threat of the Magus, but that is in the future.

I also like how it is left open that Phyla-Vell may have got everything horribly wrong. The Champion of Life has been defined as the Magus (as he opposed Thanos in his own timeline) as well as Warlock. Maybe she killed the wrong guy. Still, it’s all moot now.

Lately, though, I have been noticing dresses and thinking that maybe, it’s about time to get my hands on some. Stumbling across this Tetris dress just might be the sign that I have been waiting for! I know it may not be “glam” for the fashionistas, but I think that it’s just perfect.

Now as I said, I am no fashion expert, but I think that the shape of the dress has an understated look, making it just right for those who do not want to turn too many heads. That will not matter much, though, as I think that the tetris design will definitely turn every head in the vicinity! I also like the touch of the neckline as it is not too low but low enough to show what some geek girls are hiding underneath those comfy shirts! ;)

Whatcha think girls, would you wear this dress? Guys? Would you hit on a geek girl wearing such a dress?

By the way, since we’re looking at a Tetris dress, you might be interested to know that there are other Tetris-themed accessories out there.

Feeling nostalgic?

If so, fear not, because a lot of the massive online neighbourhood has been rescued and now lives on at Reocities.com.

There’s a fantastic timeline of the making of Reocities which proves that it was no mean feat to pull off.

Read about fun with wget, Geocities bandwidth caps, broken links, spam sites, Greasemonkey scripts, and more.

The idea of preserving Geocities as Reocities is that any links to the now dead Geocities should, in theory, only require one letter to be changed — from G to R — for the link to continue to function.

Of course, there’ll be some discrepancies and omissions, but it’s a great project that preserves a whole section of the early web.

Via

Thunderbolts #137, Not zombies, honest guv

Thunderbolts is not a title that I have been reading regularly since it renumbered itself, however after picking up the last three issues, I may have to change that.

In the latest issue (#137), there was none of the original cast that I remember (although they have featured in previous issues), but nor did I care. However, if you are an old-time fan of the duo Power Man and Iron Fist, this is an issue not to be missed. The cover headline states they are joining the Thunderbolts, however they look more like refugees from Marvel Zombies.

I don’t want to give away the entire plot of the issue, but suffice to say that Norman Osbourne arranges for the capture and brainwashing of Danny Rand, in order to turn him into a weapon against Luke Cage, for revenge over something I obviously missed happening. (There’s only so many comics even I can read!). This tests their friendship and teamwork to the limit. Well, briefly.

The other ‘Bolts I am psyched about are the Ant-Man and Paladin. Now I have always liked Paladin ever since he dated Janet van Dyne back in the late eighties and also worked with Captain America for a while (in the Superia Strategem, oh how I loved Mark Gruenwald’s stories) and I feel he is a character who deserves a lot more attention and detail. I have still to find it in these pages however, but it seems everyone gets their turn. I’m even liking the Ghost!

As for Ant-Man, he is successful in escaping Osbourne’s clutches, but the escape route he has to take? Euuwwwww! I’m not gonna spoil that one for you, just don’t read this issue while you are eating.

Tomorrow, Zombie Watch begins again, with the climax of Blackest Night: Titans, Green Lantern #47 and Blackest Night #4 hitting the stands. I can’t wait!

Yeah it’s a silly game, but quite fun. Taking it further, here are some more that are worth taking a look at:

Geeks are…

Nerds are…

Steve Jobs is…

Steve Ballmer is…

Apple is…

Microsoft is…

Linux is…

1. Mens Steampunk Cufflinks Watch Movement with Gears Details

2. Industrial Steampunk Watch Cufflinks

3. Blue 20-Sided Dice d20

4. LEVEL red circuit board cufflinks

5. Red dice cufflinks

6. Green Single Tab Clear Vintage Typewriter Key Cufflinks

7. Circuit Board Cufflinks

8. Vintage Silver Dice Cufflinks

9. Vintage Telephone Keys Cufflinks

10. Robot Cufflinks

11. R2D2 Cufflinks

12. Pi Cufflinks

13. Pac-Man Cufflinks

14. Test Card Cufflinks

15. Guitar Hero Cufflinks

16. LEGO Wheels Cufflinks

17. Statistics Cufflinks

18. Spirograph Cufflinks

19. Computer Geek Cufflinks

20. Apple Cufflinks

21. Half Can Oscillator Cufflinks

22. DOS Circuit Board Cufflinks

23. SCRABBLE Tile Cufflinks

Mighty Avengers #30 - Finally they are starting to regroup

I’ve really enjoyed the issues of Mighty Avengers recently, and this weeks #30 is no different, although I do have a few reservations about it. The road to redemption for Henry Pym is a long one, and one he should have started a long time ago. The fact that he was replaced by a Skrull at some indeterminate point not withstanding, how many times has he broken down and tried to kill his team-mates? Beaten his wife? Created a machine dedicated to the eradication of all organic life?

So, nice to see the Macroverse after its scant attention in the pages of Fantastic Four, although it’s remarkably like the Dimension Of Manifestations as seen in Quasar and home to the beings that became the Magus Dopplegangers in the Infinity War.

Still, Scientist Supreme? Eternity trusts Pym? Avengers Forever intimated that Immortus may have been behind Pym’s breakdowns, and Eternity sees that as a qualifying factor?

Mind you, it was well worth seeing Eternity punching Pym out. I don’t want to spoil the issue if you haven’t read it, but what a scene.

The threat of the Unspoken is still gaining in importance, but what I didn’t like was that there was barely a tacit mention of Loki posing as the Scarlet Witch. Are all the Young Avengers under the same spell as Cassie now?

One other taster was the full page advert for the Realm Of Kings! Now that I am looking forward to.

Siege #1 cover, released in January

In January, Osbourne launches the Siege Of Asgard, with a central series and numerous tie-ins, the seeds of which have apparently already been laid. I think I need to go read my Thor issues. I rather hope that this will be more poignant that the Dark Reign:The List issues, which so far have been little more than amusing stories of Normans failure.

It’s nice to know there is light at the end of the tunnel, but that light won’t be dawning until at least April, as Siege is a four issue series. However, today’s release of Dark Reign: The List Avengers is included in the Road To Siege Hardcover, so I think that this will be one not to miss.

With the upcoming Necrosha, and Nation X, and the already commencing Realm Of Kings, it looks like the age of the uber-story is here for the duration. Great for continuity freaks like myself, but not so easy on the wallet. I hope once the dust settles from the Dark Reign, Marvel will allow each series freedom to pursue their own plotlines, but the solicitations don’t yet seem to reveal the threat posed by Adam Magus, the new, evil form of Adam Warlock. If they are paying homage to the original timeline of Jim Starlin’s Warlock, then I feel that may yet be waiting in the wings.

So in comparison, Blackest Night is certainly cheaper, but certainly not lower quality. And January’s solicitations have revealed what I knew! Nekron is the big, big bad. The only release this week is Blackest Night:Superman #3, I only hope this series in it’s final issue manages to be as relevant as the excellent Blackest Night: Batman.

My other recommendation for today? Zenescope’s Escape From Wonderland #2. If you haven’t picked any of this series up so far, you have missed a treat. The Wonderland they portray is even more twisted than in the original novels, and if you like your classic stories with a twist, this is the one for you.

Then again, there are those who have had enough of these “cute” little things. I can name a LOT of people who would call you out for using emoticons in your e-mails. I have to admit, though, that I do like to use a smiley or two every now and then; but what do you think of brightening up your home with emoticons?

Take a look at this shower curtain from Bed Bath & Beyond.

Dubbed the Text Talk 70″ x 72″ Vinyl Shower Curtain, this shower curtain will set you back $14.99. If you think it’s a little pricey, think about the fact that it can give you ideas for emoticons! More so, this shower curtain is made of PEVA material, which is eco-friendly. It also comes with metal hooks – heavy duty, no less (for the life of me, I don’t know why I would need heavy duty shower curtain hooks).

There’s more – check this out.

These are magnets from Shanalogic, and cost $15 for nine black and white 2.25” buttons. They might just look good on your fridge OR your office cubicle. I think I would prefer the shower curtain, though. What about you?

The first cake was baked by Sarenea for someone’s piano recital. Her post says that the special guy is called Corvat (now that’s a nice name!) and I bet he got a thrill out of his surprise. The cake is a three-layer cake with white and green on the other sides. Now this Rubik’s cube is all solved, so it’s easy to dig in without worrying about how to solve the puzzle.

The second cake was made by Tanya for an 80’s themed party. It’s a chocolate cake and this is how she describes it, courtesy of Walyou:

The chocolate cake was cut from a 250 x 350 cm slab tin, each square is 6″ and 2″ high, the top two tiers are on a small cake board for support. Covered in chocolate buttercream and black fondant, the colored squares were cut using a ribbon cutter then adhered to the cake with a little water. I used a metal ruler to mark an indented line between each row. I would recommend using a real Rubik cube to get the colored squares in the right place, this cake is impossible to solve!

So which one do you prefer? Personally, I prefer Tanya’s, if only because the cube is unsolved.

Action Comics #882

It’s been a good week this week.

I plugged REBELS in my last column, so I will say little more that pick up #9, where we learn what R.E.B.E.L.S stood for the first time round, Adam Strange, Captain Comet and Kanjar Ro join the fight, and the Omega Men travel to one of Starros home galaxies.

What really caught my attention was Action Comics #882. While the hunt for Supergirl, Chris and Thara heats up after they have been framed by General Sam Lane (always been such a lovable guy) and his agents Reactron and Metallo, it is the back up strip starring Captain Atom that has started to reveal its secrets. Trapped in a world of magic, a former enchanted slave of Mirabai The Forlorn, an ally of Lane’s, and it looks maybe responsible for his time as Monarch during Countdown. I had rather thought there was a lot more to Monarchs tale than had been revealed so far. Just being put in armour did not seem enough to send him so completely over the edge.

Now this is just a guess, but I assume she is tied in with the Lords of Chaos and Order if they still exist, considering Monarchs first incarnation was Hank Hall, carrying the powers of both Order and Chaos within him after the first death of Dawn granger – Dove.

Of course this is before he absorbed the powers of Waverider, became Extant, who was merely a pawn of the yellow fear demon Parallax possessing Hal Jordan. An unwitting agent of Parallax, Extant was also responsible for the creation of the Team Titans timeline, the Time Trappers interference in creating the second Terra, Mirage and Deathwing not withstanding.

Extant met his end in an arc of the JSA in a little universe he had created himself. Then again, Hank Hall has just returned as a Black Lantern, so depending on what the fates of these undead Lanterns will be, there may be more to add there. After all, is Hawkman dead again?

So Mirabai was responsible for Monarch II, erm make that III. In fact it’s IV, considering prior to Infinite Crisis in the pages of Extreme Justice, it was revealed that Monarch was the original Captain Nathaniel Adam (only in Action Comics it’s now Allen), and that Captain Atom was only the alien metal imprinted with Adam’s, erm, Allen’s personality and memories.

That’s what I like about Captain Atom/Monarch. He’s always been such a straightforward, simple character.

Considering this is being written by James Robinson, I am hoping that many of these plot threads will be touched upon, after all it is not like Mr Robinson to ignore the slightest detail, you only have to look at Justice League: Cry For Justice to know that.. And lets face it, there’s a minefield full of them here.

Oh, and if you want to know who the Black Beetle is, pick up Booster Gold #25. I hope this one is a lie. Oh, and for the most hilarious Thor/Hercules fight ever, read the Incredible Hercules #136

REBELS Annual 1, the Warlord Starro

I’ve always liked Starro as a villain.

There’s something about a giant mind controlling starfish that you just can’t hold a candle to. My first exposure to him was during my first exposure to the entire DCU, during the CRISIS On Infinite Earths. What a jumping on point eh?

In my early teenage years, I picked up #9 of CRISIS, as Brainiac gathered his army of villains without number to take over three of the five remaining earths. This was my first exposure to that lovable tyrant. In Brainiacs satellite Starro lumbered in the background, appearing again later in the massive battle on Earth-S. That was all I knew, but my curiosity was piqued.

My second exposure was in a back issue of Captain Carrot And His Amazing Zoo Crew. In no way could this be described as impressive, but I immediately loved the series and held them close to my heart ever since. The pathetic and endless puns amused me, small things for small minds I suppose. I very relieved in the climax of Final Crisis as the Zoo Crew were returned to humanoid form – can we have another series please?

Anyway, this appearance really didn’t do Starro any justice, but he rose in my estimation when he managed to con Justice League Europe into assisting one of his invasion attempts. That was my first glimpse of how all-encompassing he promised to be.

Where he really rose to prominence however was (of course) in the capable hands of Grant Morrison in the pages of JLA, where even the Sandman Lord Morpheus himself was forced to get involved. Cold, inhuman, hungry, unstoppable, Grant portrayed Starro in a manner that I don’t think anyway using a giant starfish had accomplished before. This made the appetite of Starro as voracious and implacable as the Borg of Star Trek.

So it was with some dismay that I read in recent issues of REBELS that there is a humanoid warlord in control of the Starros. The Dominion has fallen, and the Gil’Dishpan (who when I first saw them were called Dispan. Dishpan? DISHPAN?!? What the hell sort of name is that? Oooh, watch out, the evil Dishpan is coming for you! Sounds more like a nemesis for Betty and Veronica). Then out of the mists comes this warlord guy.

Fortunately, as revealed in last weeks REBELS Annual, it is not as simple as that, and Starros inhumanity has been preserved.. This warlord is like a cross between Marvel’s Overmind and the Spirit Of Vengeance, the final survivor of a telepathic race so filled with the hate of his entire race for the conqueror Starro that he dominated the group mind. Even so, he is driven for Starros hunger to be everything.

If you haven’t been picking up REBELS, here is space drama to rival the War Of Kings. Oh, and Vril Dox is as manipulative as ever, if maybe a little humbled. If you were a fan of the original L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S series, you can’t miss this. Space Opera is doing really well in comics currently, and as readers, we are all the better for it. Keep it coming.

Anyhow, so what else do I have to say about the show that I need to write a second post about it? For fellow Big Bang Theory lovers, you know that Penny (the hot blonde chick who lives across the hall and who has become one of the guys somehow) and Leonard (the geeky physicist who lives with the geekiest guy in the world, Sheldon) have hooked up. It happened right after the geeks came back from a 3-month expedition on the North Pole, courtesy of a study of Sheldon’s. I guess the separation made them (or Penny, rather) realize that there is something going on between the couple.

This brings me to my question: would anything like this actually happen in real life? Come on, while we have to admit that being a geek these days has become a rather cool thing, it’s still the hunky looking guys that gets the girls at the bar. If you don’t believe that, try going out tonight and hitting on some girls. (I am assuming you’re one of us.)

The Penny-Leonard thing is definitely one of the interesting plot points in the show, but I just can’t help but wonder if the writers are making a mistake on this. What do you guys say?

Blackest Night - Titans #2 A mothers love

Zombie Watch returns today with full effect!

By far the greatest of the Blackest Night crossover series so far is Blackest Night: Titans. I said this after reading the first issue, and now the second issue has hit the stands, that claim has only been reinforced.

Now my judgement might be biased, I have been following the Titans in all their incarnations for over twenty years. That fact however qualifies me to say that this is a good Titans story. It has been said elsewhere in Blackest Night that the hosts for the

Black Rings were chosen for their emotional impact, and this issue has it in spades. This was what I felt was missing from the Superman tie-in series, but then team books are more disposed to emotional interaction, especially if you have been following the characters for a long time. Basically, this mini is not to be missed by Titans fans.

I started reading the Titans at the time of the Judas Contract, where Terra, (Tara Markov, Geo-Force’s younger sister) infiltrated the Titans at the behest of Deathstroke, captured Changeling’s heart and then proceeded to betray them all.

Of course then there was the Terra who was a member of the Team Titans, and not a creation from an alternate timeline due to the machinations of Monarch/Hank Hall/Extant in the lead up to Zero Hour (and no, I’m not going to try and explain that one here!). She was not the original Tara, but an innocent girl genetically sculpted by a virus to become a duplicate of her. She was later killed by Black Adam in World War III

But now, we see the original back, again after Gar’s heart, accompanied by Lilith, also known as Omen, who makes some very good points about the Titans history, if a little skewed in perspective. Still, one has to admit, the Titans have left a trail of bodies behind them over the years.

The highlight for me however has to be the return of Donna’s late husband and son, Terry and Robert. That was one comics death that really hit me, I had watched the romance blossom between Donna and Terry over the years, and despite the fact it first seemed like the wish-fulfillment of a middle aged man (did I read you wrong Mr Wolfman?), the relationship grew, exhibiting a depth that caused me to become very fond of Terry. When Terry and Robert were cast aside by the writers, in a meaningless car accident, I confess, I was actually upset. It seemed like such a waste, and served only to emphasise how little connection Donna had with the life around her, after numerous continuity re-writes that were nothing to do with her per-se, but she fell victim to them. Wonder Woman rescued her from a burning building. Then she never existed, so it was the Titan Rhea. Then it wasn’t. Then she was a shard of Donna’s soul housed in a mystic doppelganger.

It took John Byrne in the pages of Wonder Woman to make it all make sense. Thanks to the evil Dark Angel, all of Donna’s histories are true, as she was sent ricocheting through time to live a life of misery and loss again and again and again.

So now, Donna is given a connection back to her old life. Her first instinct is to give her baby a hug, after all he will never grow up to be the megalomaniacal Lord Chaos now.

But of course, her baby is hungry, and wants to feed.

No Hero #7 Cover

Just how much has Warren Ellis been writing over this last year?

I’m suspending Zombie Watch (sort-of) for this column, just to draw attention to Mr Ellis’ prodigious output, mainly from Avatar.

Last week saw the release of No Hero #7, a story of super-powered men controlling the planet clandestinely, until they invite what is revealed to be a complete sociopath into their midst. Dripping with Ellis’ traditional warped sense of humour, he has engineered our sympathy for the lead character, only to rip it to shreds in the last two issues. You don’t want to see what the lead does with a teammates spine. If it weren’t so horrifying it would be funny. But as a finale to the series, I was blown away, with a remaining sensation of satisfied melancholy that stayed with me hours after reading. (God, that makes me sound emo!)

Now I do feel it is a shame there is no ‘Mature readers only’ label on the cover, for this is not a story that I would want a child of mine reading, but then maybe I am becoming more conservative in my old age. Still, Warren Ellis has been around long enough for anyone to realise this is not for a fourteen year old, and to strike fear into the Concerned Mothers Of America. (Are they still going by the way?)

If you have missed this, I highly recommend seeking out the back issues or grabbing the trade when it finally comes out.

Another helping of Ellis can be found in Avatar’s Gravel. There’s a little less gross-out in this storyline, and a lot more intrigue, and again the central character offers up surprises for the reader. When all the characters seem jaded in attitude, it is a nice surprise that as a reader, I do not feel the same way. Ellis seems to have a handle on mercenary attitudes, twisted with displays of compassion that only become apparent later. Then again, the contribution from Mike Wolfer may make all of the difference here.

Gravel has twelve issues on the stands so far, well worth a look.

Oh, and just a quick note on Zombie Watch. The conclusion of Marvel Zombies Return, and the next issue of Blackest Night: Titans hit the stands later today. As much as I am looking forward to them, I have just about had my fill of zombies already. Still, not long until the X-Babies return.

The new X-Monarchs?

Maybe I should rename this Zombie Watch!

Blackest Night: Superman #2 was a disappointment to me, and it looks like the entire mini is to be composed of one fight, unlike say the Titans tie in, which really moved the story forward. Don’t get me wrong, it was enjoyable enough, just sadly lacking in anything except battle. It did justify itself however with the closing scene, where Ma Kent inexplicably turns into the woman from the Night Of The Living Dead remake.

Marvel Zombies #4 however was a treat, especially considering the lacklustre performance of the previous issues. Despite the apparent difference in time between the issues (Spidey at school one minute, then we jump to World War Hulk?), now we are seeing some action. I only hope Spidey-Zombie has some plan, and has created some form of cure in the intervening years, as it is pretty obvious he hasn’t infected the world with the plague.

Project Superpowers Chapter Two #3, featuring the new duo of Truth and Dare seemed disjointed, it was difficult to quite tell what was going on, but it contained some great reveals. It doesn’t like this new duo will last very long, and this is not a jumping on issue at all. If you want to give it a try, go and read the trades first. As with any good series, the reveals create more questions than answers, but these reveals were not answers to questions I had even thought of asking, there was no sense of satisfaction with them. Still, am I mistaken, or are there two Kittens?

My favourite so far has to be the Uncanny X-Men #515. In the wake of the ‘victory’ of the Utopia X crossover, Cyclops has to try on a new role, that of statesman, and already the wear is showing. Emma is no use, having to remain in diamond form to contain a sliver of the Void, she has lost what little access to her emotions she had in the first place. Xavier whines and butts heads with Scott again, and in the meantime there is an island full of mouths to feed. Namor, in his traditional brusque fashion adds a dose of reality to Scotts ‘Cabinet’.

The X-Men do seem to have gotten too big. I never thought I would say this, but oh for the days following the Muir Isle Saga, when there was five separate mutant teams, rather than just one large tribe. Some of the more minor characters are not going to get the attention they deserve, even if story wise the whole thing makes sense. Maybe they should start doing 8-page back up strips?

Still, the one thing I liked about Utopia-X? Ariel, from the Fallen Angels mini-series is back, and in the X-fold. I hope we see more of her, and of Cloak and Dagger, who were conspicuously absent.

Nation-X promises to be one of the best directions of the X-Men for a long time. It may only have been made possible by the Dark Reign, but purely on the basis of the last few issues, I think it far outshines it.

For the first time in years, I am X-cited again! Oh, and not to give any spoilers in case you haven’t read it, but guess who turns up on the last page? The more things change…..

Realm Of Kings Advert

Tomorrow sees the release of Guardians Of The Galaxy and Nova, as we begin the build-up to the Realm Of Kings event. Excited about the return of the Magus, I went back to read his first appearance back in Strange Tales Volume 1 #178 – 181, and I aim to read the rest of story in Warlock #9-15 later. These were reprinted shortly after the time of the Infinity Gauntlet if I recall correctly as the Original Warlock, so you should be able to find the back issues cheap.

Back in the War Of Kings, Phyla-Vell was instructed to slay the Champion of Life at the precise moment she became aware of his identity, and thus was born Adam Magus. The original Magus too was destined to be the Champion of Life, engineered by Master Order and Lord Chaos to battle Thanos, the worshipper of Death.

Thus was Jim Starlins original story, full of big concepts and grandiose titles, seventies sci-fi at its metaphysical best. But our characters have grown since then, Thanos abandoned his love of death, only to finally receive her embrace back in Annihilation. The Magus was the champion of Oblivion when he faced Genis Vell in Peter Davids excellent Captain Marvel series. The one thing you can guarantee is the incestuous nature of the Magus history, born by the actions of the woman whose brother and father were his sworn enemies.

And of course, there is the soul fragment called the Magus who now exists as a phantom in the Soul Gem, it’s whereabouts last seen in Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers. Of course the Magus of the Infinity War was merely that, a subconscious fragment, and has no bearing or relation to the original Magus or this new Adam Magus, who may or may not be the same being. In fact by birth, they are the same being, they all are, but in a universe where the timeline diverges at eth drop of a sonic screwdriver, who’s to say if they remain the same being or not.

So where could this lead? The Thanosi, clones of Thanos created to pursue his agenda way back when, believe themselves to be followers of Death, or at least a warped view of her. Who now will be the Champion of Life? Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen.

Personally, my money is on Rocket Raccoon!

Brave and the Bold #27 Cover

My heart-strings were well and truly pulled last night as I read the start of this weeks crop, and surprising enough not by a black ringed zombie trying to eat it.

However, on the matter of the Blackest Night, the latest instalment really picked up the pace. Finally out of the set-up phase, the story begins to move along at a fast pace, as the heroes begin to realise the gravity of the situation, we finally meet the Indigo Tribe and Ronnie Raymond returns! Sort of.

I like Ronnie, and as much as I truly enjoyed John Ostranders run on Firestorm all those years ago, I always felt that Ronnie got a raw deal. And let’s face it, his short run in Extreme Justice really did not help a great deal.

So now we see the history of the universe as told by the Indigo Tribes perspective. The zombies are not the invaders, we are? Wow. Good point, but wow nonetheless. Way to go to make one feel safe.

Meanwhile in that other multiverse, the weekly Marvel Zombies Return has finally put forward a good issue. #3 brings together some of the threads we have seen so far, as we now know at least three (and thus probably all) of the zombies are on the same earth, christened Earth-Z. Spider-Man whines some more as he saves the native Kitty Pryde from the zombie Wolverine. Hearts abound, but again mainly as appetizers.

What really warmed my heart this week was the Brave And The Bold #27, starring Batman and, wait for it, DIAL H FOR HERO!

Robby Reed and his grandfather visit Gotham, and then the H-Dial is stolen. There’s a nice not-quite plot twist at the end, and despite the conclusion dripping in sentimentality,the whole story had a feel of the stories of the seventies, with a slight nineties style realism. It is not revealed which Batman is in the story (although by his words, it’s pretty obviously Grayson I think), but that is irrelevant, this is a story that focuses on Robby Reed, one another and the theme of redemption.

I have followed the H-Dial bearers since I discovered DC. I was too young to read Robby’s original adventures, by the time I discovered the H-Dial, Robby has split into the opposing beings of the Wizard and the Master, the H-Dial had spawned smaller dials carried by Chris King and Vicki Grant. I saw the tragic fates that befell that pair in the pagesof the new Titans, the new bearer of the Dial in Superboy And The Ravers (which is vastly under-rated, and I highly recommend that series, it’s a fun romp), and then the more serious H.E.R.O series. That’s not to forget Lori in the Reboot Legion titles, carrying the Dial into the thirtieth century.

Still, it’s nice to see the Dial back in the hands of its original owner, and I hope we are to see a lot more of Robby Reed. Is it time for a solo series? Or even a back up strip somewhere? Please?

Cover to The Shield #1

Isn’t it funny how the relaunch and revamp of a character is good, yet constant cover versions of music are considered bad?

Of course, the music industry and the comics industry are two very different beasts. Comics are not limited as much as the music industry is, the ‘big labels’ of comics demand new and innovative creations, of both original characters and re-interpretations of (probably second-string) characters. Then again, if it ain’t broke….

The Red Circle characters have returned, in what are quite impressive first issues. I can’t wait to see what they do with the Fly. Rocket Raccoon is back, and I think I have mentioned the X-Babies and Planet Terry make an appearance in a couple of months. Dynamite’s Project Super-Powers has continued the tradition of showcasing the Golden Age heroes established in Fem-Force and Terra Obscura, and even Marvel has picked up the ball and run with it, with Avengers/Invaders, the 70th Anniversary Specials and now The Torch and the Marvel Project.

It is a shame we have not seen anymore of New Universal, or even the more traditional versions of the New Universe as seen in the Untold Tales specials of a couple of years ago. Anyone remember that the original New Universe Earth is floating in space in the mainstream Marvel Universe, courtesy of the Starblast event of the nineties? Surely the energies of the Fault and Adam Magus may well be able to crack open the force-field placed around the planet by the Living Tribunal?

I think even the Blackest Night crossover will follow in this tradition. People say we have seen the Big Bad, but I don’t think so. My money is on Nekron, trapped as ever in the Land Of The Unliving, between the realms of life and death. After all, wasn’t it a plot point in Infinite Crisis that the doorway to death now swung open both ways? I don’t feel that that was fully resolved, you’re telling me that Raven and Kid Eternity between them sorted that one? I have several thousand Black Ring wielding zombies that would disagree with you there. Forcefully.

So, there is one more revamp I would love to see before the year is out, and again, I would use the Fault as a deus ex machina to bring it back. I miss the Ultraverse, and I want to see it again, even if it is the post-God Wheel version. What happened to the beings trying to create war between the two realities as seen in Ultraforce/Spider-Man? Inquiring minds want to know.

So, my recommendations from last week? The Shield #1, that started me thinking of all of this. It shows a lot of promise, and has decided to confront the similarity in origin with Magog almost immediately. Though why there is a gorilla on the cover eludes me, unless the secret (unrevealed within the pages) villain is of course Grodd. Which would make sense.

Todays shipping? I am most looking forward to Blackest Night #3 of course, REBELS #8 (even if my being screams “Sacrilege!” when they reveal the true Starro is not a starfish), Marvel Zombies Return #3 and the conclusion of Boom’s Unthinkable.

Irredeemable #5 cover

I want to move away from the two main universes today, and ask if you have looked at any of the offerings from Boom Comics. If you haven’t, then you are missing out.

As well as a growing line of licensed titles for the younger readers, Boom has delivered some very entertaining and sometimes thought provoking titles. From the worlds of H P Lovecraft or international conspiracy, to a stunning new take on the now age-old ‘Superman gone mad’ storyline.

With the first four issues already out in paperback, here is a story that is taking it’s time to reveal itself, and it benefits for that. Mark Waid’s ultimate super being is The Plutonian, and the story opens as he attacks and destroys many of his former comrades. Glimpses into the Plutonian’s perspective are few and far between as the story focuses on the survivors of his former colleagues, who as you can imagine, are scared witless, and very slowly dwindling in number.

Now a good H P Lovecraft story is not easily told in comics form, but the Fall Of Cthulhu series, and it’s sequels Godwar and Apocalypse mix an equal amount of visual and idealogical horror and surreality worthy of Lovecraft itself. The later series of Nemesis failed to meet up to the high standard set by the earlier series, but was nonetheless entertaining.

Events in Irredeemable are rising to a climax (I think) so now is the time to jump on.

In fact, that’s the most technological part of the whole effect. If you’re comfortable gaffer taping your beloved Apple phone to the inside of a crisp box, by all means try it out yourself.

Here’s the video with detailed instructions for doing just that. Should your first fancy dress idea of turning up to a party dressed as a Rubik’s Cube not work out, you can always fall back on this one.

Via

Marvel Apes: Prime Eight #1 Cover

I’m regressing again this week.

Last week was a big week for the Marvel Zombies, but I have to confess, the Marvel Zombies Return #1 was somewhat of a disappointment. It didn’t grab me like the previous stories had done, in fact it seemed more like a sterile intellectual exercise, more a lower grade “What If?” than a story that will keep me coming back for more.

The best zombie action was in my humble opinion in the Apeverse, with the Marvel Apes Prime Eight Special. A selection of Marvel Zombies, close to the original grouping but pretty obviously from yet another alternate arrive on this world, while the grand-daughter of Nick Furry (sic) comes back in time to ensure her timelines continued existence.

It was a long time before I would look at Marvel Apes, the concept seemed too much like another Peter Porker the Spectacular Spider-Ham to me. However, upon reading the later issues (I’m still hunting down the original series), I was hooked. The addition of the natural ‘survival of the fittest’ philosophy where the strongest monkeys raise to the top of their society took the series beyond just a cartoon version of the mainstream heroes. Not very far beyond admittedly, but far enough to engage me.

I have just developed a love of the Apeverse, and I do not want to see it fall prey to the zombies already, but there looks to be a very slow infection there. Prime Eight barely even touched on the story of the monkey Speedball, the Gibbon and their friends, but in no way did this detract from the issue.

Staying on the topic of zombies, after a very quiet week last week, today sees the release of Blackest Night:Batman #2, and Green Lantern Corps #40. If you haven’t jumped on yet, with the second printing of Blackest Night:Batman #1, now is an ideal time to grab both issues. I was sold on the Blackest Night, but the Batman tie-in has reawakened my love of all things Gotham.

Another catch-up this week is the trade release of the War That Time Forgot. An excellent series, that if you remember the days of the old war, historical or sci-fi titles of the sixties and seventies, is one not to be missed. It was a treat to see characters that have not been seen for a long time get an airing again. It looks like Merryman stuck in Limbo is losing friends hand over fist.

On that note, isn’t it time for a new Inferior Five series? Or at least Angel and the Ape?

Guardians of the Galaxy #17 Cover

I have to eat my words.

I haven’t read any of this weeks comics yet, but I have caught up with what I missed last week. Specifically the latest issues of Nova and Guardians Of The Galaxy, among others.

What did I say about no clear ending to the War Of Kings? Well, for me, that ending was reached in GOTG #17. Since it has been on the stands for a week, I think I am free to reveal that…….

The Magus is back. With the full force of the Universal Church of Truth behind him. Now that is a biggie, and one that I really look forward to echoing around the universe.

We see how the legacy of Mar-Vell has sunk to even greater depths, and Phyla-Vell reveals just what her bargain with Oblivion was, when she rescued her lover Moondragon. I think Phyla here far outshines Moonie in terms of heartlessness. She slays Adam Warlock mere seconds after he contains the Fault, revealing that she was told to slay the avatar of life, and she would know when to act.

Meanwhile, the great Cosmic Fault is prevented from expanding, but is not in the slightest sealed. Half of the team is trapped in a future seconds away from destruction, a future that is no longer the future of the Marvel universe, as it has been replaced with a timeline that nobody was using.

The timeline of the Magus.

Now this is what I wanted to see, and I think it deserved a special all of its own, rather than being tucked away in the GOTG title. This is the real consequence of the War Of Kings, and promises far grander stories in the future. In fact, this one event justifies the excellent build up that the War provided.

Just like elements of the Kingdom Come storyline have crept into the JSA over in the DC universe, here is another example of a long abandoned alternate future creeping back into continuity. This is a good choice as well, and I think Dan Abnett et al are the perfect creative team to pull this off.

For an older comics fan like myself, this is a total geekgasm.

On an incidental note? Pick up last weeks Fantastic Four if you haven’t already, there looks to be some good developments there. It looks to me like Reed is about to take over the world. Still, if anyone ca wrest control away from Norman Osbourne, Reed is the man.

X-Men Forever Vol 2 #6 Cover

I have refrained from commenting on Chris Claremonts return to the X-Men with the X-Men Forever series until we are a few issues in. Issued bi-weekly, the three months that have passed have given me ample time to comment.

Something about it seems off.

Although there are a number of ideas I like contained within, what little characterisation I see seems forced and two-dimensional. These are not the same X-Men who went up to Asteroid M. The tension between Jean Grey and Scott Summers has the emotional depth of a Dalek going shopping. Sabretooth is suddenly not a homicidal maniac after years of trying to kill the X-Men, and Shadowcat somehow through a deus ex machina develops one of Wolverine’s claws? Now, if Belasco or some other mage was involved, I could accept that, but as it is? Well I’ll let the title speak for itself.

“Kitty, in a moment when her powers were combined with Jean’s, Cortez’s and while phasing through Logan – has accidentally absorbed one of Wolverine’s adamantium claws.”

Huh?

Still the title has some good points. I really like the idea of the adult Storm being an impostor, and that there is still a child version of Ororo wandering around, and her amazement at the antics in the X-Mansion seems to fit.

But the last two issues contain the revelation that being a mutant puts strain on the body and all mutants tend to die young. Ignoring such contradictions as Wolverine himself, or the recently late Magneto, one would think that this revelation would have been discovered earlier. You know, the High Evolutionary might have noticed, or Hank Pym? Or even the Beast himself?

The instant distrust and betrayal the X-Men feel seems also very out of character. Where is the hand-wringing? The emotional confrontations between Xavier and his students? The pathos? In the events leading up to the Asteroid M incident, I remember the X-Men all being very close to the Professor, pleased by his recent return. The relationships contained a depth that seems to be absent here. I wonder if Storm was the only X-Man who has been replaced.

The whole series so far seems like a bad What If? Still, it holds some form of car crash fascination, and I will continue to follow this series. Maybe however, I now see what all of those Claremont critics were talking about, all those years ago. I hope he will find his stride again, but six issues in, I would have hoped that would already have occurred.

Yesterday saw the release of New Mutants #4, the conclusion of the first arc in the series, and I have to say I am suitably impressed. We have seen the return of Legion to the X-Men fold, Cannonball leading the team and already butting heads again with Dani. Just like old times, it’s as if they never left.

So far we have seen Sam and Dani, Magma, Karma who had risen to prominence again this last year, Sunspot of course and the newly returned Illyana. And Wolfsbane is cavorting in the Rockies with her Asgardian boy friend.

I enjoyed seein

g Legion back in the spotlight, in a fashion that illustrates perfectly how his powers and his condition operate. And there seems to me to be a slew of new personalities making a home in there now, and I hope that we will see a lot more of them.

These four issu

es have been a treat for those of us that remember the New Mutants the first time around. Remember Bird Boy? Or when Magneto was headmaster at the School for Gifted Youngsters? A time before anyone even knew the name of Cable!

Since those more innocent times, our team have gone through many trials. Sunspot confronted h

is father, had a rogue clone (sort of), and served time in the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club. Illyana spent years in the Inferno, and the question of whether she really did wipe herself out of existence or not seems a little moot. Rahne’

s nervousness around Illyana was maintained, even if Rahne has come to terms with her own

mutation to a far greater level since those early days.

Many of the old tensions are here as an undercurrent, though I wonder how much of this would be picked up by readers seeing the New Mutants for the first time. However, these factors are so subtly done that if you had no knowledge, it will come apparent in time, and the story has not been bogged down by having such a voluminous history.

Next month we see the return (maybe) of Warlock. So hopefully now we will find out if Douglock was or was not Warlock. I seem to remember he wasn’t, but not why, looks like I have an excuse to dive into my back issues. Shucks.