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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: September 2011
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Stuart Moore
Artist: Shawn Crystal

A dilpadiated Shi’ar Stalker is loose on Earth, searching for Jean Grey and killing everything in its path. Luckily for the city of Albuquerque, Wolverine is there to intercept the menacing robot. But, even the ferocious X-Man can’t subdue the automaton because it keeps teleporting a few feet away before he can destroy it. So, Logan sets out to find someone strong enough to withstand the robot’s attack and crazy enough to enjoy being the decoy … Deadpool, of course! But, when even that plan doesn’t work, the boys come up with a new idea: if the Stalker wants Jean Grey … it’s Jean Grey he’ll get!

Despite starting off with Wolverine, this is certainly a goofy, Deadpool story at it’s heart. Serious Wolverine and X-Men fans probably won’t enjoy the tale too much but, if you’re one of those irreverent Deadpool fans, seeing him in the Jean Grey costume alone might just be worth the price of admission. And, on top of that, there’s a back-up feature that reprints a Deadpool team-up with the Great Lakes Avengers.

On Ebay: Wolverine | Deadpool | Stuart Moore
On AtomicAvenue: Strong Guy | Wolverine | Deadpool

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