Silver Surfer #2

A re-read from my collection.

Title: Silver Surfer
Issue: 2
Date: August, 1987
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciler: Marshall Rogers
Inker: Josef Rubinstein
Colorist: Marshall Rogers
Letterer: John Workman
Editor: Michael Higgins

I remember being hugely disappointed in this issue when I read it in 1987. With some more years to look back on it, I've gotten a better understanding of what was going on here, but it still feels like it could have been handled better.

For all of his history up to this point, Norrin Radd's love for his lost Shalla-Bal was the heart of his story. Surfer was all about the tragic romance, and this issue was all about sweeping that completely under the rug so that Norrin (or rather, Surfer) could be freed up adventures in space. Unfortunately, if you go with the HEA, then you really don't have any reason to have an ongoing series.

But even if it was necessary, this felt rushed and did a disservice to the character of Shalla-Bal, who had good reasons to break things off, but failed to do a good job of expressing them and so came off as not even trying.

There was some intrigue involving the Skrulls, because Skrulls are gonna Skrull, and that aspect of the story was well handled with a good buildup of future subplots. But the dismissal of one of comics' best romances (Seriously? We get one kiss and that's it?) remains a disappointment.

Rating: 4/10

Silver Surfer #1

Another re-read from my collection.

Title: Silver Surfer
Issue: 1
Date: March, 1987
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciler: Marshall Rogers
Inker: Josef Rubinstein
Colorist: Marshall Rogers
Letterer: John Workman
Editor: Michael Higgins

Silver Surfer escapes from the barrier that kept him trapped on Earth and mends fences with Galactus by rescuing Nova (the Frankie Raye version of Nova), who is a hostage of the Skrulls. Along the way, he gets some much-needed help from the Fantastic Four and teaches the Champion a lesson in not bringing one's fists to a cosmic-power-blast fight.

The artwork here is gorgeous, particularly on the space scenes, which are given plenty of, well, space. Surfer and Nova look great. The interaction with the FF is a bit on the wordy side, with a lot of recap that seems mostly aimed at catching readers up on developments in the FF book (wait... Alicia married WHO?).

The portrayal of Galactus is a bit too humanized for a being that really needs to be an unfeeling cosmic force, but it does serve the plot, and accomplishes the important main objective of this first issue. Surfer is now free to seek out new adventures across Marvel's cosmic settings. This was a solid reboot for the character.

Rating: 7/10

Sonic the Hedgehog: Free Comic Book Day Edition 2007

From the Random Stack of Unread Comics by way of Free Comic Book Day 2007.

Title: Sonic the Hedgehog: Free Comic Book Day Edition
Date: 2007
Publisher: Archie Comics / Sega
Writer: Ian Flynn
Penciler: Tracey Yardley
Inker: Jim Amash
Letterer: John Workman
Colorist: Jacob Jensen
Editor: Mike Pellerito
Cover: Pat "Spaz" Spaziante

Eggman captures Sonic and uses a device to take control of him and turn him against his friends. Knuckles realizes that it's going to take a big punch to the head to get Sonic back in control of himself, and the fight is on.

This was fairly simple in terms of plot, and it could have worked just as well with fewer of the supporting cast, who didn't do much besides try to get in Sonic's way and get knocked down.

I did like the tease of a bit of intrigue between Eggman and Snively.

All in all, this was a decent look at what the series has to offer, and  should work well for a younger audience who knows the video games, but may not have read any of the comics.

Rating: 6/10

Sonic The Hedgehog #253

The last in my short series of kids' comics, representing most of the comics in my five-year-old son's small collection. To cap off this week, I bought two comics for the Kiddo yesterday, this one and the first issue of Avengers Assemble (which I reviewed yesterday). I read both to my son tonight and he enjoyed both of them. He seemed to particularly like the bits where Sonic was spinning around and bouncing off of objects. These scenes elicited a chorus of "Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!", so I know he was having fun.

While I was at Newbury Comics yesterday, I also picked up a couple of new comics for me. Those will be up for review next.

Title: Sonic the Hedgehog
Issue: 253
Date: November, 2013
Publisher: Archie Comics / Sega
Writer: Ian Flynn
Penciler: Tracy Yardley, Lamar Wells
Inker: Terry Austin
Letterer: John Workman
Colorist: Matt Herms
Editor: Vincent Lovallo, Paul Kaminski
Cover: T. Rex

This is the variant cover by T. Rex.

Unlike the other kids' comics I've reviewed this week, Sonic is a single chapter of a long-running ongoing story with no backup stories. And it's a pretty complex ongoing story.

Seriously. We're talking alternate realities and parallel universes. This is apparently part 1 of something called "Countdown to Chaos" but it didn't feel like the first part of anything. It did, however, feel plenty chaotic.

Sonic and Tails are trying to hit the quantum equivalent of a reset button to get their reality back to normal. They are getting somewhat inconsistent help from Nicole, an A.I. who may hold the key to reassembling reality, but who has been rather frazzled by the recent reality-alteration, and so is of less help than she might otherwise be.

Nicole has determined that Sonic needs to make contact with the freedom fighters who are opposing the dictatorial Dr. Eggman, who is also dimensionally displaced, but he is adapting quickly to his new situation in which he commands powerful armies and rules most of the world.

In spite of the need for a scorecard for all of this, the character interactions are pretty good, and Eggman's antics provide some nice comic relief.

This was entertaining in spite of me having not much idea what was going on.

Rating: 6/10