Cyberspace Comics market report, reviews and more

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: November 1991
Cover Price: $2.50
Writer: Roy Thomas with Dann Thomas
Artist: Mark Texeira

A mutate is loose on Earth, killing eighteen-year-old sets of twins. And, while this may seem unrelated to the Eternals, it’s actually quite important to them. Especially since they just found an ancient prophecy that predicts that the twin spawn of a Deviant and Eternal coupling will rise to power over all three species (Humans, Eternals, and Deviants) on their eighteenth birthday. Initially the Eternals suspect that the Deviants, who have long desired to be Earth’s ruling species, are behind this monster on the loose – but they quickly realize that the culprit could be an Eternal, too. So, the Eternals set out for Lemuria (the Deviants’ home) to discover who is commanding the mutate. Along the way, they Eternals will discover who spawned these twins [Answer: Thena & Kro] and just who is the mastermind behind the slayings [Answer: Dr. Damian].

I’ve just recently read through the first two Eternals series so I’m very familiar with the characters and, I assume that’s why I enjoyed this story so much. Even though the writers recap what has gone before in the Eternals’ history, I feel that without the grounding in their first two series, I wouldn’t have as much attachment to these characters. That being said, Roy & Dann Thomas pace this giant-sized tale really well and work in plenty of character moments that are truly fitting. The story even advances the Eternals’ grander storyline as one of the immortal beings dies in battle with the villain. It also introduces the first known spawn of Eternals and Deviants and carries right on from the events that previously happened in the last issue of the second series. Eternals fans should not miss this one!

On Ebay: Eternals | Roy Thomas | Mark Texeira
On AtomicAvenue: Eternals

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: March 2002
Cover Price: $2.25
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Lea Hernandez

The Punisher allows her captive, Kusugutai, to be freed in order to follow him. And, when he goes running back to Ho of the Skang Kee family, the Punisher is there to force the Skang Kee Family out of her city. What she may not have planned on was an assault by Yew, the Skang Kee’s oni enforcer. But, luckily for the Punisher, her sister has come to the rescue brandishing the ancient Tachi sword!

So far I’ve been quite disappointed with the Marvel Mangaverse one-shots. But, this time, Peter David’s name jumped off the cover! Finally! I’ll get a well-written manga version of a Marvel hero. Unfortunately, I was still let down. Even one of my favorite writers couldn’t make it interesting for me. The “adventure” wasn’t all that fun or interesting and the book included some lame humor that just didn’t click with the Punisher mythos. The Punisher’s name is Sosumi …. and the antagonist is Skang Kee Ho. Yeesh!

On Ebay: Mangaverse | Punisher | Peter David
On AtomicAvenue: Mangaverse