• Detective Comics #800
• Strange #2
• Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes #1
• Ultimate Fantastic Four #6

• Astonishing X-Men #6
• Fallen Angel #17
• Exiles #54
• Superman / Batman #13

They were the Marvel Universe’s Mightiest Heroes. And one of the first books created by the team of Stan “The Man” Lee and Jack “King” Kirby. They were the Mighty Avengers, and this 8 issue limited series re-tells the story (with a lot of embellishment, of course) of the team’s earliest days. The timeline for this series takes us from the signing of the Avengers Charter to the point of the first major roster change in Avengers (volume 1) #16. With the exit of all of the original members in that issue, Captain America took charge of the team, leading the oddly named “Cap’s Kooky Quartet” of himself, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch (the latter three of whom debuted in the Marvel U as villains).
I debated over whether or not I wanted to pick this series up, mostly because Joe Casey leaves me lukewarm as a writer and I think Scott Kolins isn’t suited for this particular style of book (I loved his work on Flash, but didn’t care for it at all on Avengers, and am still not crazy about it). This first issue has definitely impressed me, though. The characterization is well done, portraying that sense of angst and anger that Lee and Kirby were going for in those early days, in order to combat the lightness and camaraderie of DC Comics’ Justice League of America (if you would like more information in this, please feel free to post questions in the forums). There’s also a lot of “retroactive foreshadowing,” for lack of a better way to put it. What I mean by this is that they hint at events that have taken place in the book since the original stories were printed, but have not yet taken place for the characters themselves. One example of this is Giant Man’s outburst at the Wasp toward the end of this issue; years later, in “Marvel Time”, he would have a breakdown during which he attacked the Wasp in a domestic incident (which, oddly enough, was paralleled in an early issue of The Ultimates).
The end of the issue marks a major event in the Avengers timeline, but you’ll have to read it to find out exactly what that is. There’s also a VERY interesting cameo by someone who will become very important to the Avengers mythos and a cornerstone of the team for years after. Definitely worth the time taken to read this book and I have to say that I enjoyed it. I look forward to the rest of this story, and am interested to see how Casey plays it out. -TMC-

This is the conclusion to the “Doom” story arc, and the second arc of this series.I like the way the Ultimate books tend to flow; they’re a quick read, but still give you a lot of story. The pacing is always fast, as it is here, but it still gives you time to absorb what you’ve read. The art is a little…well…I guess I’d say “quirky,” but I kind of like it. I don’t remember Immomen’s style being like this, but then again he hasn’t been on Superman for a very long time. -TMC-

This is the final chapter in the story arc “The Supergirl from Krypton.” If you haven’t read it, and don’t want to be spoiled, then please skip to the next review. For those who have read it, or don’t mind being spoiled, read on. But just in case:
*** SPOILER WARNING! DANGER! SPOILER WARNING!! ***
Well, having read the last page of this issue, my first question becomes, “What about the noble death that Kara suffered in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, because now that has been made meaningless. Why is that, you may ask? Because Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin from Krypton, has been brought back, further proving that the reboot should probably never have been done. After all, now we have Kara back again…we have Krypto…we have Kandor…Comet the Super Horse, albeit in a different form, appeared in the PAD Supergirl book…can Beppo the Super Monkey and Streaky the Super Cat be far behind…?
That being said, I have to admit that this was an EXCELLENT story arc. If you missed the first issues of it, I’m sure a trade will be put out in due order; but if you’re a fan of Superman and Batman, as well as a fan of Kara Zor-El version of Supergirl, you’ll be ecstatic.
Michael Turner’s art is, to sum it up, absolutely STUNNING. His Superman looks every bit the boy scout (especially when he’s in his Clark identity); his Batman is spooky, intimidating and threatening all at the same time; Wonder Woman is beautiful, and appropriately regal looking; and I’ve rarely seen Darkseid look so imposing, not to mention threatening…or so HUGE. Taken in whole, this guy’s work is just absolutely breathtaking. I wish he was staying longer…but such is the world of comics. Loeb spun a gripping tale, equal parts super-heroics and human interest; he even managed to make Batman appear…well…sensitive at points. And that’s quite a trick…
I would highly recommend this book. Not just for this story arc, but in general as well. It’s consistently well written and is on my list of can’t-wait-to-reads every month.
-TMC-