Series Highlights
FEAR ITSELF:
- CAPTAIN AMERICA IS DEAD, LONG LIVE CAPTAIN AMERICA
In Fear Itself 3, Bucky Barnes, as Captain America, leads a small group of heroes against Sin/Skaddi, but is quickly defeated when her hammer is slammed into his chest. At the end of the issue, it is revealed that Bucky is badly wounded, and that the Serpent has returned. Unceremoniously, in the opening introduction to Fear Itself 4, it is revealed that Bucky Barnes had died, although no specifics were given. Due to this, Steve Rogers finally decides to once again become the one and only Captain America, and dons his iconic costume, with the odd substitution of a flight helmet instead of his mask.
- MONSTER MASH
A new Fearsome Four is formed with Howard the Duck, She-Hulk, Nighthawk, and Frankenstein’s Monster as members. Their mission is to subdue the Man-Thing, who has gone wild due to the widespread fear. Fearsome Four is a fun book worth a look or two, especially since it stars the always entertaining Howard the Duck.
- LINCOLN VS THE NAZIS
Secret Avengers 13 tells the story of the Nazi assault, known as Blitzkrieg U.S.A, on Washington D.C. Specifically, the tale revolves around a Congressman named Leonard Gary who refuses to evacuate the Senate during the Blitz, and demands to see Hank McCoy, AKA Beast. It turns out Leonard and Hank are old friends from when Beast was a Congressman. Leonary refuses to leave because he has the floor, and believes that if he leaves, he will never get a chance to propose a bill he’s been attempting for 5 years; one that would provide coal miners with proper health care. Beast tells Leonard that he understands his dilemma, but that the National mall won’t last too much longer. In response, Leonard states that “Washington D.C. can take care of itself.” At this point, we see the statue of Lincoln step from his chair at the memorial and start pummeling Nazi mechs. Following in pursuit, the entire mall turns into Night at The Museum, with dinosaurs, Aborigines, Civil war soldiers, cowboys, and various other figures from museums coming to life to defend Washington D.C., with General Washington leading the charge. It is at this point that it is revealed that Leonard Gary is a mutant, and in control of the newly amassed army. It is also revealed that Leonard asked for Hank, in hopes that he might help Leonard speak to, and reassure the American people by speaking to them via television. Hank fixes it so that every station in the world will hear him speak. After a small introduction evoking his Mississippi Mama, Leonard proceeds to recite the Gettysburg Address. He finishes the speech with tears in his eyes, and so did I. The way the issue was presented, reading the speech gave me goosebumps and filled my heart with pride. Although this issue did very little to move forward the main plot of Fear Itself, it was incredibly powerful, and showed what the event was supposed to be about. I look forward to the upcoming brawls of epic proportion later in this event, but I believe that this comic is the greatest issue in Fear Itself, and a great story in general.
- FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
Following an unforgettable issue, Secret Avengers returns with their 14th issue. Once again, the issue is a direct tie-in to Fear Itself; this time focusing on the origin of Valkerie, and the horrors of war, specifically how war affects loved ones. Much like the previous issue, it draws you in and makes you care for the characters, then pulls at your heartstrings at the end. Secret Avengers is some of Fear Itself at it’s finest.
- SPIDER-MAN: EVERYBODY GETS ONE
Welcome to three of the longest days in Peter Parker’s life. Taking place outside his regular book, Spider-man takes center stage in his Fear Itself tie in. This three issue arc is everything that Fear Itself promoted itself to be. It deals with what Spider-man actually fears, and the direct impact that a catastrophic event has on everyday people. On Family Guy, Spider-man always tells people he’s saved “Everybody gets one.” He lives up to this motto in these three issues, with him being seen constantly saving people and intervening in situations where people need help and guidance. Peter faces villains in these issues; Vermin, and a possessed Thing to be specific. However, the biggest foe he faces is people’s fear, mistrust, and hate. It is not a particularly exhilarating Spider-man tale, but it is one that exemplifies what makes Spider-man such a great character, and is the epitome of what Fear Itself should be.
- DEMON IN A BOTTLE
At the end of Fear Itself 4, Tony Stark travels to the ruins of Asgard in Broxton, Oklahoma in an attempt to speak with Odin and convince him to change his mind regarding Earth. In order to garner an audience, he makes a sacrifice to Odin; he shouts out “Here’s a sacrifice you cycloptic bully. I gave you my dignity..my integrity..and now I’m giving you the only damn thing I have left of value.” and proceeds to open and down an expensive bottle of French wine labeled “Demon Dans Un Boutelle” or translated, “Demon in a Bottle.” Recently Tony, as Iron Man, faced a hammer powered Grey Gargoyle in Paris, who had turned the entire city into stone, then made mountains out of the broken rubble remains of their broken bodies. This alone would be enough to drive anyone to drink.
- HITLER AND THE AMERICAN PANTHER
For months, the image of the American Panther has been teased and met with anger and confusion. Perhaps this was done to prove a point, as it turns out that the American Panther is not a new moniker of T’Challa as most people predicted. Instead, he is a racist, anti-immigrant agent of the new Hate Monger. The origin of this new Hate Monger is told in Black Panther: The Man Without Fear 521. It is a harrowing story about hate takes root, grows, and can become contagious. Although this new Hate Monger starts his journey simply inspired by the original, he is eventually possessed by the spirit of the original. What is not mentioned in the issue is that the original Hate Monger is Adolf Hitler himself. Although I’m not usually a big Black Panther fan, this Fear Itself tie-in left me wanting more. More about the characters, more about the storyline, and more about how the Hate Monger may be involved with Fear Itself, especially since it is to a certain extent about Nazis.
FLASHPOINT:
- SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN THE STATE OF THEMYSCIRA
On her first journey to “Man’s world,” Wonder Woman is besieged by a Kraken before she can reach land. She is saved by Aquaman and they fall in love. After a short courtship, they announce the existence of both of their empires to the rest of the world, as well as their upcoming nuptials. Representatives from around the world flocked to Themyscira to witness the union of these new kingdoms. On the day of the wedding, the bride’s mother Queen Hippolyta is murdered via a trident from the rafters. The trident was thrown by Artemis in a plot devised by her and Ocean Master. Garth, Aquaman’s ward, witnesses the murder, and tries to bring Artemis to justice, but is instead murdered as well, and framed for the Queen’s death. These events led to a war between the two nations that rock the world.
- Wonder Woman beheads Aquaman’s love, Mera, out of revenge, and wears her helmet as a trophy, and as a way to taunt her former fiance.
- The Amazons, under Wonder Woman’s leadership, have taken over England, and begun decapitating citizens, or putting them into death camps.
- Terra Markov, willingly allying herself with Wonder Woman and her Female Furies, uses her powers to raise England miles above sea level so that the Atlanteans can’t flood the area in the way they had done at the start of the war.
- In order to combat Terra’s power, the Atlanteans kidnap Terra’s older brother, King Brion of Markovia, and configure a way to use him as a weapon.
- DARKER KNIGHT/WAYNE’S WORLD
The big surprise in the first episode of Flashpoint was the revelation that the Batman of this world is a merciless killer of a vigilante, and none other than Dr. Thomas Wayne; meaning that little Bruce died that infamous night in crime alley. Further revelations as to the whereabouts of Batman’s allies and enemies were revealed through various different tie-ins:
The Penguin is Thomas Wayne’s business partner, and helps run Wayne Casinos (One of which is named “Wayne’s World,” I assume the establishment is “EXCELLENT!”)
- Jim Gordon never had kids, therefore no Barbara Gordon.
- Selina Kyle had kids, but they were killed by the Joker, who also paralyzed her. She is now Oracle.
- Harvey Dent is still DA, and has twins (who are abducted by the Joker.)
- Dick Grayson’s parents never died. He still travels with them as The Flying Graysons, part of Haley’s Circus.
- Clayface is a pirate aboard Deathstroke’s ship.
- Alfred Pennyworth remained a British Spy, working as an insider for the Outsider, before he was beheaded by Amazons.
- The Joker is drawn in a very Heath Ledger-esque manner, and is eventually revealed to be Martha Wayne, gone insane.
- RIDE THE LIGHTNING
Arriving in the Flashpoint alternate reality, Barry has no powers, and believes that if he does not tap back into the speed force soon, he will forget how the world is supposed to be. Thus, he attempts to recreate the event that made him the Flash, with the assistance of this world’s Batman. Where Barry’s original transformation occurred accidentally, in this instance, after dousing himself with chemicals, he straps himself to an electric chair attached to a lightning rod atop Wayne Manor. In the middle of a storm at the end of Flashpoint 2, Barry is struck by lightning….and is consequently electrocuted and burned from head to toe. After being bandaged like a mummy by Dr. Wayne, Barry insists that he only needs a bigger lightning bolt, and returns to the roof where he is pulverized by a bolt of lightning. This returns his powers, but because he’s still healing, he is unable to time travel yet.
- CAPTAIN THUNDER AND THE PLANETEERS, plus BATTLECAT
In the first issue of Flashpoint, Cyborg gathers together various heroes to try to stop the ongoing war. Among these people is a small group of children, including Billy Batson, Mary Batson, Freddy Freeman, as well as three others named Pedro, Eugene, and Darla. They each wear a thunderbolt symbol somewhere on their person, and are accompanied by Tawny the (non-talking) tiger, a bunny who I assume is Hoppy. They each possess a different aspect of the power of Shazam, with Billy having the courage of Achilles, and Freddy the Power of Zeus, etc. How they came by these powers is best explained when Freddy states “We’re just a bunch of kids who were stuck on a subway car that got hijacked to Hogwarts.” When all the kids say the magic word “SHAZAM!” at the same time, they are replaced by Captain…..Thunder, who seems to be basically the same as Captain Marvel, except that his costume has a different looking thunderbolt symbol, does not have a button flap, and he has deep scars across his face, courtesy of Wonder Woman. Also, while the children are replaced by Captain Thunder, Tawny the timid tiger is replaced by He-man’s trusty sidekick, Battlecat (sans the green fur).
- CANTERBURY CRICKET AND THE OUTSIDER
Two new characters; one a hero, the other a villain, both with interesting origins and stories. Both characters play small, yet integral parts in the Flashpoint universe, and I can only hope that they might in some way transfer over into the newly rebooted D.C. universe in a couple months. Check them out if you get a chance.
-SWASHBUCKLING SLADE/ A SPARK OF FAMILIARITY
Deathstroke the Terminator is now Deathstroke the pirate. His buccaneer nemesis is
Warlord, and with his villain filled crew, he searches the seven seas for bounty, but the greatest treasure he seeks is the return of his stolen daughter Rose. In Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager, Slade intercepts Warlord’s ship, and retrieves the precious cargo aboard in the form of a cryogenically frozen girl. Slade is disappointed to discover that the girl is not his precious Rose, but instead a metahuman by the name of Jenny Blitz, who seems suspiciously familiar to the beloved Jenny Sparks, of Stormwatch fame.
- BART TO THE FUTURE:
In Kid Flash Lost, Bart awakens from an induced nightmare to find himself powerless in the Matrix, and discovers it’s being run by Brainiac. Soon he is rescued by a female Hot Pursuit who reveals herself to be Patty Spivot. They realize that they’re in a future version of metropolis, in a world that appears to be controlled by Brainiac. Their troubles surmount in the last two panels. Bart begins removing his glove and states; “We’re not supposed to be here.” To which Patty responds “Why? How do you know?..” Cutting her off, Bart says “….because I saw this movie with Cassie…If we don’t get hit with some speed force lightning…I’m history.” Revealing on a full page, his hand begins to disappear a la Marty McFly, begging the issue to end with…
