Earth X, Universe X, and Paradise X Revisited - Part 1

When I was a kid (a long long time ago) dinosaurs were easy to name and remember.  The reason?  There were only a couple they knew of; Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Pterodactyl, and a few others.  Now, there are dozens, if not hundreds that they can name, classify and put in Jurassic Park.

Comic books were no different.  You had Action Comics, Superman, Batman, Strange Tales, and a maybe a dozen or so more.  Now there are hundreds and hundreds.

The thing that never changed, though, was the backstory.  Superman was still from Krypton.  Spider-Man was still bitten by a radioactive spider.  Batman's parents were still shot and killed in an alleyway.  Frankly, it was rare that you ever revisited a backstory let alone change it.

Now things change almost weekly.

DC is having yet another rebirth hot on the heels of its Convergence event.

Marvel is talking changes again hot on the heels of their Secret Wars.

But what about a FUTURE story instead of one redefining the past?

This is the classic series that defined them all....Earth X.

If you don't remember, Earth X and it's sequels Universe X and Paradise X, sought to tell the story of a dystopian future of the Marvel Universe.  What made this so different from the rebirths and backstories of today?  It was done as a story told from one being to another and it was done in exquisite detail with no stone unturned or question unanswered.

As a matter of fact it may be the only time such a detailed story was told in such a manner.

For those of you still in the womb when these were released you should know that it was told in 3 parts; Earth X, Universe X, and Paradise X.

Earth X was done in 1997 and involved multiple storylines...none of which will be spoilers if you wish to continue reading.  In the story, Earth X is one of a number of planets that is implanted with something called a Celestial egg.  As with any story of this magnitude one expects the presence of a Watcher and, not to disappoint, Uatu is recruited.  This is where things go astray.  During certain Earth changing events Uatu is blinded and needs to recruit a new Watcher to take his place.  He calls on X-51 (Machine Man) and brings him to the moon to be his eyes.

What does X-51 witness?  Changes that redefined the Marvel Universe in a drastic manner.  (Spoiler alert!)

-Captain America kills the Red Skull and quits the Avengers
-Namor kills Johnny Storm
-The Absorbing Man absorbs Ultron
-Norman Osborn is elected President
-Thor is changed into a woman

And the list goes on and on.  It ends with Galactus consuming the Celestial egg after killing the Celestials and X-51 realizing Uatu's true purpose (to watch over the Celestial egg because one of the other Watchers killed an embryo).  In response he destroys Uatu's ears and decides to destroy all the Celestial eggs.

Here endeth Earth X and the scene is set for Universe X.  Look for my next blog!

I'm Back and the Blog Will Never Be The Same....

Due to health and family issues I was forced to take a hiatus from writing this blog.

The bad thing?  My inbox filled up with the questions I normally answer while writing the blog.

The good thing?  Reading them all at once gave me an idea of where I should be directing the blog.

So, in an effort to please the most people I am taking the blog in a different direction.  In the past I have written about topics that were up to the minute and relevant.  It turns out that what most people wanted were not me pontificating about these things, instead you wanted more of a history and information on comic books and their characters.  I even had a couple of requests to put something together that could be printed or saved that would make a reference guide of some kind.

One suggestion was to put out a bio on a character or metahuman group each day that could be saved or printed in book form.  Another suggestion was to put together a history of comic books, illustrations, and/or important figures in the comic book arena (such as Stan Lee) that could be saved or printed as a reference book.

I aim to oblige everyone I can.  One thing I need to remind everyone before I get started is that all of the characters and material have some sort of trademark or copyright on them and nothing I print or write can be sold for money.  It's for your personal use only.

So, without any further ado, let's get started.  Today we start with the top of the alphabet with the character that is arguably the strongest in the Marvel Universe:

The Abomination:

Real Name:                Emil Blonsky
Occupation:               Criminal
Base:                           Several locations, including the New York City sewer system
Height:                       6 ft. 8 in.
Weight:                      980 lbs.
Eyes:                          Green
Hair:                          None

First appearance:     Tales to Astonish #90, April 1967

Emil Blonsky was born in Zagreb, Yugoslavia.  He trained as, and became, a spy who infiltrated the US Air Force.  Specifically, the base where Bruce Banner was stationed.  (As an aside, it was at this point in Dr. Banner's life where he was attempting to commit suicide.)

Emil broke in to the base and found the equipment being used by Dr. Banner in his gamma radiation experiments.  He then decided, in all of his infinite wisdom, to use the equipment on himself.  I think it was the old, "I'll use it on me and then attach all those who have wronged me" philosophy.  He got it half right becoming the Abomination.

In an effort to take over the world the Abomination wound up fighting the Hulk numerous times with the first fight ending when he was kidnapped by the Stranger.  In a moment of complete lack of thought the crew of the starship Andromeda saved him.  To give his thanks, the Abomination acted as their First Mate until they returned to Earth.

As the Hulk demolished him time and time again the Abomination lost courage and self confidence causing him to make the New York City sewers his new home.  But he would have his own form of vengeance.

As he was envious of the supposed happiness shared by Bruce and his wife Betty Banner (and we all know how happy THEY were) he wanted to bring it to an end.  His solution?  Poison Betty Banner.

In the end, however, everything works it's way out.  If you remember, the Red Hulk would up shooting, and killing, the Abomination with a special gun designed to kill the Hulk.  And who was the Red Hulk?  None other than Betty's dad.

As a dad I would have done the same thing.


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Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens...A Breath of Fresh Water

Frankly, part of me wanted to write an article that featured nothing but the female phenom who was the lead character and part of me wanted a complete refund of my ticket price.

Hence the name of the article...the movie was a breath of fresh water.  Although the water wasn't polluted, I do prefer to breathe air when possible.

So, to do the movie full justice, I've put together 3 reasons that you should/shouldn't see this thrilling disappointment.  (This is FULL of spoilers, by the way, so don't read it if you haven't seen it and don't want to be slammed with spoilers.)

1.)  Did I Just See a Rerun?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this was the movie:

A lead character on a desert-like planet comes into the possession of a key piece of information tucked in a cute droid.

Although she doesn't want to leave the planet, she is forced to by ne'er-do-wells who are after the same information.

The rebel alliance is being, more or less, head up by very familiar, yet older, set of characters.

The bad guys are being, more or less, head up by a black clad guy with a dark helmet who reports to a mysterious wrinkled up manipulator of the dark side.

Dark side meets light side, fathers and grandfathers are revealed (including two "light siders" giving birth to a "dark sider"), and a young hero is revealed.

The "Death Station", for lack of a better term, is larger than it's predecessor, the "Death Star", and has a much larger weak spot to be exploited.

The light side wins, the dark side loses, the "Death Station" has its one weakness exploited, and there are 200 untied loose ends that require another sequel to tie them up.

Other than a couple of small changes, like a Stormtrooper who has a change of heart, wasn't this just a rerun of Episode IV?  Was the largest opening for a movie IN HISTORY nothing more than a rerun with better special effects?

2.)  Was the Casting Director Schizophrenic?

I am not sure I have ever seen a cast so filled with superstars and absolute catastrophes.  Here's a quick overview of a couple of key characters and a "casting grade" of A - F.

Chewbacca:  He was...well...a Wookie.  He seemed on par with his previous movies.
Grade:  A

Han Solo/Harrison Ford:  For some reason they tried to make every line of his funny.  It didn't work.  They took a perfectly good character and forced him into the role of a comedian.  It's not Harrison's fault, he did what they asked of him, it's just that even he couldn't pull it off.
Grade:  B

Leia Organa/Carrie Fisher:  This character was pulled off very well.  She came across as nothing more than an older Princess, which is what she was supposed to do.
Grade:  A

Poe Cameron/Oscar Isaac:  As the lead role in 'Ex Machina' he was superb.  There was not a single flaw in his role or his acting.  The problem is that this wasn't 'Ex Machina'.  He seemed all over the board and, somehow, not ready for this hero type of role.
Grade:  C

Finn/John Boyega:   What a find!  He can go from serious to funny in a heartbeat.  He's good looking.  He played the part of a Stormtrooper with a conscious, which had to be difficult, and he did it well.  I hope to see him in many Star Wars movies to come (because we all know there will be.)
Grade:  A

Kylo Ren/Adam Driver:    EASILY the biggest disappointment in the movie.  I know he was supposed to play a character who was torn between his good and evil side, and that he was supposed to be evil, and that he is supposedly a good actor, but he stank up this movie good and proper.  I know you're supposed to judge the acting, not the person, but how can you make judgement about one without making implications about the other?  So, let me try to be nice.  He could have NEVER fit the role of a bad guy.  His voice was all wrong, he didn't have "the look" (don't pretend you don't know what I mean), and his acting just wasn't good.  He couldn't pass for a good guy because of all of the same reasons.  He was just all around a bad choice for the part.
Grade:  F-

Rey/Daisy Ridley:    How can the same people who picked Adam Driver to be Kylo Ren be the same people who picked Daisy Ridley to be Rey?  This woman is AWESOME!  It's like she was born for the role.  Her acting was SO good, she carried that movie DESPITE the terrible job by Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac.  She is a hero's hero and proves that you don't need a man as your leading character. Daisy, I salute you.  I fully expect to see you, and John Boyega take the Star Wars franchise to a new level.
Grade:  A++

The bottom line here is that the casting crew really hit both ends of the acting spectrum when they picked this crew.  Let's just hope that Kylo Ren stays dead and Poe Cameron gets reassigned to a rebel force we don't see.

3.)  Where Can They Go From Here?  A good friend of mine was quoted as saying, "I waited all these years for this 'deja vu' movie?"  I have to agree.  It's almost like everyone was sitting at a table and said, "We need to put out a Star Wars before we're all lynched.  My idea is to put together a rerun that is marketed as a new movie because it has new actors."

One of my true beliefs in life is that there are 2 people involved in every lousy decision:

1.)  The person who comes up with the idea.
2.)  The person who says, "Yea, that's a great idea!"

I think we know who those two people are in this particular decision.

That being said, where do they go from here?  It took them 10 years to make this questionable film and it had no original concepts in it.  I have little faith that this next gap between movies is going to yield anything wonderful.

For those who don't know it, here is the release schedule for upcoming films:

Sequel Trilogy:

Star Wars Episode VII:        December 18, 2015
Star Wars Episode VIII:      May 26, 2017
Star Wars Episode IX:         May 24, 2019

Anthology Films:

Rogue One:  A Star Wars Story:     December 16, 2016
Untitled Han Solo film:                  May 25, 2018
Untitled Boba Fett film:                 2020

Other Films:

Star Wars:  The Clone Wars:          August 15, 2008

I can't help but blame myself for my feelings on this movie.  It has been so built up, and expectations have been so high,  I'm not sure there could have been any movie that hit my own expectations.  So, I take partial blame for my so-so feelings on the film.

Until next time, May the Farce Be With You.


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Namor is Dead - Does Anyone Know Besides Me?

It was a week ago today that I read Squadron Supreme #1.

As I read it I thought to myself, "This is freakin' HUGE!  This is going to send ripples across the Marvel Universe the likes of which haven't been see in quite some time!"

That was a week ago.  A quiet, frantic-due-to-the-holidays week.  A week of...nothing.

Where were the headlines?  Where was the interview with the writers?  Where was the huge funeral and ceremony befitting the ruler of Atlantis?

There weren't any.  Not even a 21 "Imperius Rex" salute.

But for those who haven't read it, and I've just spoiled it entirely, let's take a step back and see what happened in that fateful Squadron Supreme.

Out of the untold billions who died in the whole "Secret Wars" phenomena, the Squadron Supreme lives, as does Namor, and they are bent on making him pay.  Let's review the players, shall we?

Kyle Richmond, Nighthawk of the late great Earth-31916
Dr. Spectrum, of the late Earth-4290001
Marcus Hilton, Hyperion, of the late Earth-13034
Jeff Walters, Blur, of the late Earth-148611
Zara Shelton, Power Princess, of the late Earth-712

and

Namor, of the Earth that seemed to start it all.

The story begins as the Squadron Supreme renders judgement and passes sentence on Namor.  To quote Hyperion, "We all agree that Namor should pay for what he did--to you...and to this planet all the prior times he attached it.  AND for the threat he continues to pose."  In other words, Namor is to die.

Battle ensues with Namor questioning why he, and his city, are being attacked.  He thinks aloud, "Now I recall talk--of how you'd taken up with other OUTCASTS from MISPLACED realities.  I must say, Hyperion...your actions lack NUANCE from this association."

Then, the punch heard 'round the world.

Namor lands a blow on Hyperion that sends him clean out of the picture and into the position of executioner.

While the members of the Squadron Supreme keep Namor busy, Hyperion uproots the entire city of Atlantis...Namor's world.  Being a gentleman, Hyperion shakes all of the citizenry into the ocean before smashing it into bite size bits of Atlantis.

Namor, enraged, attacks Hyperion and...this is where it happens.  The moment all Namor-haters have looked forward to for ages!  A graphic moment.  A universe changing moment.

The moment where Hyperion decapitates Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

And the artists spare us none of the graphic imagery.

And we find some took pleasure in it while others did not.

But the Squadron Supreme offers no apologies

So, one has to ask, why the lack of press?  He is certainly known the world over.  A brief history shows that Namor (actual name:  Namor McKenzie) debuted in 1939, created by Bill Everett for Funnies, Inc.

In Namor's first comic he is, surprise surprise, an enemy of the US.  His first cover was Marvel Mystery Comics #4.

He was famous.  Here's a synopsis straight from Wikipedia:

Namor was listed as the 88th greatest comic book character by Wizard magazine.  IGN ranked Namor as the 77th greatest comic book hero of all time opining that "With the Atlanteans and X-Men both seeking their place in a dangerous world, Namor's role as leader is more vital than ever", and 14th in their list of "The Top 50 Avengers".  In 2013, ComicsAlliance ranked Namor as #16 on their list of the "50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics".

He was also infamous:

It leaves one to wonder if this was, perhaps, a dream sequence, or maybe Namor is joining the "dead only to be reborn" club of superheroes?  Or, maybe, I was the only one that got the comic where Namor died.  In the comic everyone else got, he lived.

WHY DIDN'T THIS CAUSE MORE RIPPLES IN THE COMIC BOOK OCEAN???

I mean, no matter what you thought of Homo Mermanus he deserved a better send-off than this.  Marvel should have, and still can, make this a book deal.  If they don't they're leaving money on the table.

Let me end with a more important question, however.  Can we expect more things like this to come of the Squadron Supreme and other areas of the Marvel Universe?  Are we now solving the "Should Superheroes Kill?" question?  Should there be other villains, or heroes, put out to pasture?  (OK, that's 3 questions).  I, for one, would not be opposed.

As a matter of fact, I have a list of people I think should go the way of Namor and his head....

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The Court of Owls - The Good, The Bad, and The Reality

Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time,
Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime.
They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed.
Speak not a whispered word about them, or they'll send the Talon for your head.

The Good

Perhaps one of the most intriguing cabals in all of comics, the Court of Owls perches...well...inside Gotham City.  No, I mean it.  INSIDE Gotham City.  In the walls, between the floors in hotels...THAT inside.  But you already knew that.

The Court of Owls has existed since colonial times (back in the 1600's for those who are history challenged) in Gotham City.  Overall, their jobs seem pretty simple.  Go to the circus, kidnap some high flying performers, and then train them to kill people as Talons.  It's good work if you can get it.

Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capello the Court of Owls is first mentioned in Batman #2 (2011) and make their first appearance in Batman #5 (as part of the New 52).

If you are following the members of the Batman family, you will find that the Court of Owls is back in action against the "Robins".  Yes, all of them, including the ones who died and came back to life and the ones who think they are Robin from "We Are Robin" fame.  I fully suspect that "We Are Robin" will be followed by other "We Are" campaigns including "We Are Tonto" and "We Are Bucky".  You can even try it yourself.  Just follow the "We Are (name your favorite sidekick)" format.

The Bad

Let's face it, as villains go this is about as scary as it gets.  These are the rich and wealthy hiding behind masks and carrying out theft and murder at their discretion.  This isn't some fictional scaly crocodile person, or a person with a muzzle and a backpack full of steroids that breaks bats, or even some purple suited, white faced, killer clown.  This is the person next to you on the train, your neighbor, your co-worker.  It's anyone.

This is the villain you don't see coming.  The ones you can't fight because you can't see, or even find, them.

It's like the difference between "Jaws" and "The Crazies".  I don't get scared of Jaws because I'm not a big beach goer and I don't have much to fear in my home of a rabid shark.  An unseeable bacteria that you get from drinking water that turns people into killers?  That bothers me a little bit.

The Reality

Is the Court of Owls really fictional?  Sure, I can't prove that some of the rich and wealthy in the world wear owl masks behind the scenes, but who knows?  What I do know is that you read about political killings all the time, covert operations by the government seem commonplace, and my security clearance isn't even high enough to know what my wife's making for dinner.

The fact is, history is littered with people and families that could have been the precursors to the Court of Owls.  For all I know they could be more of a metaphor than a villain in a comic book.

Fiction or Reality?  A little of both?  No matter what they are, the Court of Owls is one of my favorite threats to the Batman family.  If you want more pics check out my Pinterest page at https://www.pinterest.com/comicwhisperer/the-court-of-owls/

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The Darkseid War - Johns and Manapul are Brilliant

It's not too late.  If you haven't picked up all of the issues of Justice League: Darkseid War, drop everything and go get all the issues right now.  I'm serious...right now.

Go ahead...I'll wait.

You're back already?  Excellent!

Now that you have them, read them.  That's right, go ahead.  Nothing I have to say could top this type of storytelling.

Are you finished?  Awesome, right?

Now I have a question:  Does Geoff Johns EVER run out of good ideas?

Frankly, his writing, and the superb artistry of Francis Manapul, have given me hope that we are heading back to the old days of comic book writing.  You remember those days, right?  When the story telling was so powerful that the anticipation of upcoming issues was enough to give you a brain aneurysm?

For those who haven't read it, it can be summed up in a couple of DC Universe shattering sentences:

Darkseid dukes it out with the Anti-Monitor.  Darkseid loses.  Heroes become Gods.  Flash becomes death.  We find out Wonder Woman is a man.  (OK, so I lied on the last one, but how do you follow up a sentence like "Flash becomes death?").

For those of you without a scorecard here is the current state of things:

The Flash is now the "God of Death" (with an insanely cool costume)

Batman is now the "God of Knowledge" (he's also the new owner of the Mobius Chair much to Metron's dismay)
Superman is the "God of Strength"
Shazam is now the "God of Gods"
Green Lantern is now the "God of Light"
and Lex Luthor is the "God of Apokolips"

Wonder Woman remains a woman
Mr. Miracle is on more covers than when he had his own series
and Big Barda reminds us how she is a one woman wrecking squad.

And it all started with an Amazon no one seems to have heard of having Darkseid's child.

If all of this doesn't intrigue you, you should really be on an anti-depressant.

In the most recent issue Geoff and Francis leave us with Darkseid's child, Grail, who has taken possession of the Anti-Life equation and becomes, "Grail, Goddess of Anti-Life".

This is what comic books are all about...legendary storytelling that MAKES you want to talk about it.

I'm not talking about the Joker escaping Arkham for the 750th time or Thanos gaining complete control over every molecule in the universe at least once a quarter, I'm talking real storytelling.

This is the two most powerful villains in the DC Universe duking it out with one of them getting killed (even if the death may only be temporary)!

This is the Flash combining with the Black Racer to become Death!

This is Lex Luthor pretending to be Superman and becoming the God of Apokolips!

This is Batman in the Mobius Chair telling his unflinching version of the truth and almost coming to blows with Green Lantern who is the new God of Light!

This series also has spin-offs, as one would suspect, and each character is going to have a mini-series about what happens with them.  My guess would be that the unmatchable storytelling will continue throughout all of them.

It's fascinating, man/woman has been telling stories since time began and it hasn't changed much.  Stories on cave walls depict the great hunts and drawings on scrolls depict the efforts of people trying  to capture what the gods look like.  And here we are in 2015, still telling stories of hunts, kills, and trying to capture the look of the gods.  The only difference is that no one thought of spin-off caves or variant cover papyrus.

This series is well worth picking up and I highly recommend its purchase.  The reason, however, is not that it will skyrocket in worth or that it's a #1 or that it has great variant covers.  It's because this is storytelling at its finest.  You not only WANT to read the story, you CAN'T WAIT for the next issues to come out!

Now go to your local comic books shop, put these on your pull list, and tell them The Comic Whisperer sent you!


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What Exactly is a “Comic Whisperer?”

This has been quite the month for The Comic Whisperer.  The blog is now getting over 25,000 views monthly and the Facebook page and Twitter page are growing faster than ever.

One other thing that is growing faster than ever is the pile of messages asking, “What exactly is a COMIC WHISPERER?”  So, in an effort to explain this you’ll need to be bored a little with my background.

Hence, for your eyes only, here is a brief background that would be included in a biography about me if one were being written.

When it comes to comic books, my love for them spans almost 50 years.  

My earliest memories are of seeing wild comic books running on my uncle’s ranch.  There I would spend countless hours observing the behavior of the comic books, whether they were alone or in packs.  My obsession didn’t end there however.  

I started watching endless hours of TV and movies that featured highly trained comic books.  By my teens I knew exactly what industry I wanted to be in...pharmaceutical sales.  BUT my love for comics continued.

Putting everything on the line I moved to Connecticut and opened a shop specializing in the breeding, grooming, and training of comic books.  As my skills grew I took on the challenge of rehabilitating aggressive and hard to handle comic books.  My groundbreaking work is not mandatory reading in any learning institutions anywhere.

Now, almost 50 years later, it is agreed by 4 of the 5 voices in my head (the last voice was absent the day the vote took place) that I am the world’s undisputed comic book expert.  

I swear when I am appraising a comic book that I can hear them speaking to me.

I have no idea what biographer they didn’t pick to write this book, but I hear they were a very experienced writer.

So, the mystery is no more and the light of truth has shown upon you.  I look forward to you pretending to enjoy what I write!


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