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Because publishers want you to buy their product every month, comics are typically serial in nature. However, occasionally (and more often nowadays than ever before) publishers launch a comic title that is only meant to last for one issue. While ongoing series often have multiple chances to hook in new readers, the comics highlighted in this ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: January 2000
Cover Price: $1.99
Writer: Joe Kelly
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver

In 1996, Marvel’s non-mutant super-heroes (the Avengers and Fantastic Four) were seemingly killed in a battle against Onslaught (a hybrid of Professor X and Magneto) but, actually, they were transported to an “imaginary world” created by Franklin Richards. The heroes’ lives and stories were reborn there, told slightly differently but utizlizing a lot of familiarity at the same time. A year later, the heroes returned back to the mainstream Marvel Universe … leaving the “Heroes Reborn” alternate world hero-less. In 2000, Marvel launched a series of one-shots that focused on characters found on the “Heroes Reborn” world.

With no one left to defend the innocent and good people of this world, a group of five would-be heroes answered the call to super-hero-dom!

Mant – a janitor who now wears Hank Pym’s Ant-Man suit
Miss Thing – killed Wolverine and is now armed with his remains
Panther Cub – the son of a Wakandan valet … wearing an oversized Black Panther costume
Amazo-Maxi-Woman – the Super-Adaptoid has gained sentience … and a female form
Sterling – the residual energies from the Silver Surfer … in a human form

 
Their mission, as assigned by S.H.I.E.L.D., is to take down a dangerous villain who has killed their best officers and stolen the helicarrier. This villain happens to be the very same man who united these five heroes into a team … the merc with a mouth, Deadpool (who was previously the Swordsman from the “Heroes Reborn” Avengers team)! So, the team storms the Helicarrier and fights their way to him in the Control Room. In a long-winded explanation, Deadpool explains how he went from a civic-minded super-hero to an overweight, crazy villain. Before the Remnants can even take their mentor down, he escapes on one of a dozen missiles aimed at the moon. Every bit as crazy as he is in the mainstream MU.

Now, I’m a fan of lame/obscure heroes and villains. I run the Great Lakes Avengers website, after all … but this team took lame to a whole new level. Remnants was an extremely appropriate choice for the team name … unfortunately that doesn’t redeem the rest of the book. We don’t even get to see any final battle at the end! The villain just beats a hasty retreat. And, the story’s not the only thing to pick on … Ethan Van Sciver’s art is inconsistent here, too. Some pages look great (page 6) and others look awful (page 17)… almost as if another artist was brought in. What makes this book a hidden gem is that it’s a little-known book featuring Deadpool … written by Joe Kelly (perhaps the most well-regarded ‘Pool writer). But, unfortunately it’s still not enough to make this team of losers appealing.

On Ebay: Heroes Reborn | Joe Kelly | Ethan Van Sciver

Because publishers want you to buy their product every month, comics are typically serial in nature. However, occasionally (and more often nowadays than ever before) publishers launch a comic title that is only meant to last for one issue. While ongoing series often have multiple chances to hook in new readers, the comics highlighted in this ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!

Publisher: Amalgam Comics
Cover Date: April 1996
Cover Price: $1.95
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Cary Nord

When the DC and Marvel Universes merged in Marvel vs DC, a new one was created: the Amalgam Universe. This one-shot invisioned Bruce Wayne (Batman’s alter ego) as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

In this tale, the Green Skull is deposed as ruler of Hydra by his daughter and her lackeys. Meanwhile, against Nick Fury’s orders, the loose cannon S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Bruce Wayne, has an assault against Hydra planned. In the invasion, both sides learn that the Skull’s last move was to set in motion a doomsday device that can’t be stopped. And, as it goes off in the last page, the question begging to be asked is “how far-reaching are its effects; and can our heroes possibly survive it?”

This is a quick, action action action read. Lots of cool characters thrown in on both sides of the book. The heroes have got Bruce Wayne, Nick Fury, Sgt. Rock, Moonwing (Moon Knight/Nightwing) and Huntress (Barbara Gordon). On the eeeeeeeeevil side we’ve got the Green Skull, Madam Hydra (Selina Luthor), a Mr. Freeze/Baron Strucker combo, a Nuke/Bane combo and Deathlok (the brought-back-from-the-dead Jason Todd cyborg). I wasn’t overly impressed with Nord’s art here but, long-time comic fans are sure to appreciate the amount of combo characters created here. And, even though it’s extremely action-oriented, the story hints at a lot of characterization, as well … including a romance between Wayne and Huntress … and the circumstances that led to Jason Todd’s death. The last page ends on a cliffhanger that’d make me want to read the next issue, which qualifies it as a success in my book.

On Ebay: Amalgam | Chuck Dixon | Cary Nord
On AtomicAvenue: Amalgam Comics