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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: Amalgam Comics
Cover Date: June 1997
Cover Price: $1.95
Writer: Alan Grant
Artist: Val Semeiks

When the DC and Marvel Universes merged in Marvel vs DC, a new one was created: the Amalgam Universe. This one-shot combined Howard the Duck with Lobo.

Lobo the Duck has been hired to take down the ultimate supreme unknown villain that has destroyed Manhattan. And, on his way to find his bounty, he comes across another bountyhunter (Ambush the Lunatik) looking for the same prey, a jealous ex-lover (Bevarlene) and old companions (Jonas Turnip, Gamorola & Billie the Millie) who know the villain’s identity! Unfortunately, they’re distracted before they can spill the beans. Crazily enough, the identity of the unknown villain is locked away within Lobo’s brain! And, he manages to intimidate himself enough to give it up … it’s Gold Kidney-Lady. And, now that he knows who he’s after, he takes her down easily … but not before her deadly Gravitoninoutometer has been activated, pulling the Moon towards the Earth for a deadly collision!

I know it’s nit-picky but, I don’t like my one-shots to end with “to be continued”. And, yes, the point of these Amalgam one-shots was to make them look like the first issue in an ongoing series … but still! Give me a conclusion, people! Anywho, Semeiks’ artwork is wonderfully cartoony and kooky. It’s super-busy and very fun to look at. Alan Grant’s story is very irreverent and follows no real logical path. It’s absolutely unhinged and couldn’t follow a straight line to save its own life. But, that’s what’s fun about it.. This one’s for you if you’re into kooky, krazy komix!

On Ebay: Amalgam | Alan Grant | Val Semeiks
On AtomicAvenue: Amalgam Comics

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 2010
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta

A power outage traps Dr. Kavita Rao, Madison Jeffries and Doctor Nemesis in their lab with their captive vampire. Only, it’s not so captive now – thanks to the lack of electricity. They must survive being locked up, as the vampire stalks them in the dimly lit laboratory. Can they figure out a way to neutralize the threat before they’re all killed?

I haven’t read a current X-Book in years so the only character I was familiar with was Jeffries (I know him as Box from his tenure with Alpha Flight). That being said, this makes a much better survival-horror story than an X-story. Once I managed to shift gears from X-MEN X-MEN X-MEN to SCARY HORROR TERROR, I was able to enjoy the tale for what it was. But, it certainly took me quite a few pages to get to that point. Clayton Crain’s cover art is spectacular! But, it makes Walta’s interior artwork look even that much worse in comparison. Although, once I mentally switched gears from x-story to horror story, the artwork seemd a better fit. The last question remaining is: Is this important to the Curse of the Mutants storyline? Only in the sense that our heroes discover a way to neutralize the “telepathic virus” that the vampires have developed.

On Ebay: Curse of the Mutants | Simon Spurrier
On AtomicAvenue: X-Men