AVENGERS #389

Stan Lee presents a tale of the mighty Avengers
"MESSAGE FROM HOME"
Story: Bob Harras & Terry Kavanagh | Script: Bob Harras
Guest Penciler: Fabio Laguna | Guest Inker: Scott Koblish
Colorist: Mike Thomas | Letterers: Bill Oakley & N.J.Q.
Boss: Ralph Macchio | Bigger Boss: Mark Gruenwald

The Plot: A Shi'ar ship emerges from the stargate in Earth's solar system and launches a probe toward Earth. Soon, in Manhattan, Deathcry battles a group of Federal agents in Mandroid battlesuits over a canister from the probe's landing site. The Avengers arrive and assist Deathcry in defeating the Mandroids, but the canister goes missing during the fight.

Henry Peter Gyrich arrives and accompanies the group back to their mansion, where he tells them that Shi'ar probes have come through the stargate to Earth four times recently, and that Deathcry was found at the latest landing point. Confused and angry, Deathcry runs away after Quicksilver expresses concern over her possibly withholding information from the Avengers. Gryrich orders the group to turn Deathcry over to the government, then departs. The Avengers head out in search of Deathcry, except for Hercules -- who remains behind in her room to greet her when she sneaks back into the mansion.

Hercules shows Deathcry that he retrieved the canister during the Mandroid fight. It contains a holographic message from K'rin, the woman who raised her. The message is corrupted, and all Deathcry and Hercules can make out is that K'rin loves Deathcry and is trying to tell her about her destiny. Meanwhile, in Shi'ar space, Lilandra is distressed to learn that the message was sent, and hopes that Deathcry will never receive it.

AVENGERS #386

"SHADOW HUNT"
Plot: Bob Harras & Terry Kavanagh | Script: Bob Harras
Guest Penciler: Angel Medina | Guest Inker: Scott Koblish
Colorist: John Kalisz | Letterers: Bill Oakley & NJQ
Editor: Ralph Macchio | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Gruenwald

The Plot: In a complex deep beneath the ground in Canada, the Red Skull escapes from the Avengers, leaving the Black Widow's beaten mentor, Ivan, behind. As the heroes tend to Ivan, Hercules climbs back out of the complex to get a medical kit from their Quinjet. Meanwhile, on the island of Boca Caliente in the Caribbean, a mystery man inflitrates another hidden complex. Back in Canada, Hercules emerges from the ground to find an injured Captain America waiting. But Cap stuns Hercules and reveals himself as the Red Skull in disguise.

Down in the complex, the Skull appears and knocks out Crystal, leavng Quicksilver and Black Widow the only Avengers standing. The Skull is about to kill Quicksilver when Black Widow rescues him. Back in the complex on on Boca Caliente, the mystery figure attempts a power drain on the computer, but instead the structure self-destructs. In Canada, Black Widow fights the Red Skull one-on-one. He gains the upper hand, but she uses her Widow's Bite to overlaod his powered suit -- however, the Skull still stands. But before he can finish the Widow off, he receives a transmission from Boca Caliente and aburptly teleports away.

The Avengers return with Ivan to their mansion, where they are greeted by Captain America, wearing a suit of battle armor.

X-MEN '92 INFINITE COMICS #5 - #8

"HEAD GAMES" | "TEN OUT OF TEN"
"KELLY'S HEROES" | "EVOLUTION"
Writers: Chad Bowers & Chris Sims | Artist: Scott Koblish
Colorist: Matt Milla | Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor: Heather Antos | Editor: Jordan D. White
Production: Annie Cheng | Production Manager: Tim Smith 3
Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso | Chief Creative Officer: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley | Executive Producer: Alan Fine

Before we get back to the X-MEN '92 story, I'll take a moment to discuss the format of these "Infinite Comics". I think they're something Marvel does at least somewhat regularly; digital-first stories, usually inconsequential to continuity, drawn and produced with digital consumption first and foremost in mind. This is the first one I've read, and it's pretty cool. It's meant to be read in a "landscape", rather than a "portrait" format like a traditional comic, presumably in order to better fit a tablet or computer screen. There are animated effects, word balloons disappear and appear in single panels as characters speak for extended monologues, and sometimes static images of characters move between backdrops as they talk. (In the earlier chapters, for example, as Cassandra Nova leads the X-Men through Clear Mountain, she also speaks with Professor X on the astral plane, and while her figure stays the same, her background changes between the two locales.)

Now my limited dinosaur brain will always prefer just reading a normal old-fashioned comic book without all these bells and whistles, but I do have to admit that the effects are cool as a novelty. Though I must wonder -- Marvel reprinted these stories in comic book format and then again in trade paperback, and I can't imagine how they were translated to paper! Specifically the bits where panels change and appear behind characters as they stand in static poses, talking... I can only assume there are several instances of repeated artwork in those books, which would look odd to a casual reader.

X-MEN '92 INFINITE COMICS #1 - #4

"HOPE YOU SURVIVE THE EXPERIENCE" | "HERE COMES TOMORROW"
"THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES" | "LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD"
Writers: Chad Bowers & Chris Sims | Artist: Scott Koblish
Colorist: Matt Milla | Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham
Assistant Editor: Heather Antos | Editor: Jordan D. White
Production: Arlin Ortiz | Production Manager: Tim Smith 3
Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso | Chief Creative Officer: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley | Executive Producer: Alan Fine

I seem to recall that advance buzz on X-MEN '92 explicitly described it as the continuation of the X-MEN cartoon series which aired on the Fox network from 1992 - 1997 -- and while the group lineup presented here supports that (Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Jean Grey, Gambit, Rogue, Jubilee, and Professor X), what we have, at least at this point, isn't exactly what was advertised. The reason is that X-MEN '92 debuted as part of Marvel's SECRET WARS event in 2015. I don't know a ton about the event, but I've gleaned that it featured a number of "Battleworlds", pocket universes joined together in some sort of large-scale multiverse governed overall (I think) by Doctor Doom.

So this world features the TV series lineup on a Battleworld called Westchester, ruled by Baron Kelly, Westchester's version of Senator Robert Kelly (who, in the cartoon's continuity, actually went on to become president). These X-Men are said to have fought in a mutant war, ultimately saving Westchester and becoming heroes to one and all.

But the majority of this Battleworld stuff is mere window dressing, thankfully. Aside from these sparse and occasional references, the story really could exist in the timeline of the X-MEN cartoon. As the action begins, the X-Men fend off an attack by a group of "free range Sentinels", and then travel to a facility called the Clear Mountain Institute, where the mysterious Cassandra Nova is overseeing the development of a large number of mutants, including a few bad guys like Toad, Blob, and Sabretooth. The scene where the X-Men first arrive at the facility, in fact, is a nice callback to the X-MEN show in a way, as we get a group shot of a bunch of totally unrelated mutants just sort of hanging out in their costumes. The cartoon did this often, especially in its first season.

UNCANNY X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #5 - 8

Story: Scott Gray | Coloring: Val Staples | Lettering: Blambot's Nate Piekos
Production: Paul Acerios, Damien Lucchese & Taylor Esposito
Assistant Editor: Michael Horwitz | Editor: Jordan D. White
Supervising Editor: Nathan Cosby | Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley | Executive Producer: Alan Fine

"THE KNIGHTS OF HYKON" | "THE SKY IS FALLING" | "THE SHATTERED WORLD"
Art by Nelson DeCastro & Scott Koblish

Art: Roger Cruz

Wow! I mean, wow! I have no idea what happened here. As covered last week, the first four issues of this series were decent at best. We had inappropriate artwork from Roger Cruz and lackluster stories, albeit with decent characterization, from Scott Gray. But now, suddenly, things have changed. First, Gray ups his game in the writing department as the Knights of Hykon arrive on Earth. These creatures are alien gladiators who travel from world to world engaging in duels which ultimately leave their battlegrounds completely destroyed. Of course when they arrive on Earth they meet up with the X-Men, and it falls to the merry mutants to save the entire planet.

Gray nails everything here. Characterization for everyone is spot-on. Thought balloons abound, giving us insight into what all the various characters are thinking with regards to the Knights, the battle, and even their own interpersonal relationships. Professor X has something to do, heading into space in his astral form and then traveling to the Knights' home dimension. Phoenix showcases her power by saving the SHIELD Helicarrier from a crash. Wolverine cryptically hints at his healing factor, which wasn't yet public knowledge at the time these issues take place.