Cap's Comics - Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime #1

Alex Ross Cover

Disney is having another comic book moment! Not since the days of Disney Kingdoms have we seen Disney push traditional Disney intellectual property into the hands of American comic book readers. And hopeful this time it sticks!

Lorenzo Pastrovicchio Variant Cover

“Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime #1” is a one-shot self-contained story featuring Uncle Scrooge in a multiversal adventure. Jason Aaron leads this effort, a well-renowned, experienced comic creator who loves classic Carl Barks and Don Rosa duck comics. Aaron reaches back to Barks’ “Christmas on Bear Mountain” story and asks what could have happened differently and pushed Scrooge away from family connections. This Scrooge McDuck used the power of his Number One Dime to enter other universes and become the richest duck in all universes, primarily stealing from Scrooge variants. Our hero Scrooge attempts to assemble a team to defeat Scrooge-Above-All and return all of the Uncle Scrooges’ riches. Along with Aaron’s original story, the issue reprints Barks’ “Christmas on Bear Mountain.”

Elizabeth Torque Variant Cover

I love 90% of what Jason Aaron writes. His Original Sin mini-series, how it reframed Nick Fury, and the impact it had on the Marvel universe is one of my favorite stories. He also tends with most of his best work to be dark, edgy, and not kid-friendly. Yet, as I mentioned, he loves duck stories because he shared them with his son. Aaron is a perfect choice for this story. He weaves the history and tradition of what a reader would expect from duck stories, like images and call-outs to Duck Tales, with Marvel story references. With me being more of a Marvel guy than a duck guy, Aaron gave me several Easter Eggs that made me chuckle, and finding myself a little shocked he went there. I also really love the fact that he choose to not make Uncle Scrooge McDuck prime the villain of this story and used a multiversal version to go all Thanos instead.

Ron Lim Variant Cover

I don’t know any of the artists. Every chapter has a different artist, and one can tell there are slight art changes. Paolo Mottura, Francesco D’Ippolito penciling with Lucio De Giuseppe inking, Alessandro Pastrovicchio and Vitale Mangiatordi, and finally Giada Perissinotto put Aaron’s words onto the page for each chapter. It makes a lot of sense why these unfamiliar to an American reader names take up the art chores. They are all Italian. And while duck stories fell out of fashion in the United States, duck stories flourished in Italy. And so if Marvel wants to put their best foot forward with this new Marvel Disney mash-up experiment, they have selected the most duck-influenced and experienced artists available. I also don’t think Disney needed a splashy well-known artist as I’m sure that much of the audience they are attempting to attract don’t even know that Jason Aaron is a superstar of the medium. 

Frank Miller Variant Cover

I hope this experiment leads to more. Disney has committed to two Donald Duck What If? Stories in the next few months. The ads in the comic advertise younger heroes that may be more all-ages or youth-friendly, all with “Perfect for Younger Readers!” stamps. I think a few years ago, the $7.99 price may have kept some prospective new readers away. But with current costs, it really is a fair price for the issue. I was worried when I saw a reprint that I would not feel like I got enough new material for the price. But I was glad that Bear Mountain was reprinted as Aaron made mention of it as his inspiration. So instead of me needing to track down that story, it was given to me and other readers who may not want to take the time to research it. The next two offerings are under $5 which I think will make them more inquisitive friendly. That under $5 perception could make it feel more budget-friendly, but I assume there will be fewer pages. A parent may be more willing at that price to pick it up for their young reader. I just want to see comics in Walt Disney World since Universal Orlando Resort already has them! 

John Romita Jr. Variant Cover

“Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime #1” makes me declare, Let’s Go. I really am a Jason Aaron stan so the news of this story instantly caught my attention. Disney and Aaron was a good bet for me. Storywise, it also makes me want to read some of the Barks and Rosa stories, because Aaron makes it clear Uncle Scrooge may be one of the multiverse's greatest adventurers.

Between Books - Avengers vs. Thanos

To provide a minor spoiler, I was saddened that the Iron Man 3 did not provide an overt reference to the villain Thanos. Since we were teased that Thanos was involved in the events of The Avengers I have assumed that he would return to the Avenger Initiative sometime in the near future. In fact I assumed that we will find that the movies of Phase 2 were all linked to Thanos, even if we are not shown the obvious clue in the first viewing of these offerings. The number of Marvel Thanos related projects, such as Avengers vs. Thanos, helps reinforce to me that Thanos is coming and I want to know as much about this super villain as I can.

Avengers vs. Thanos collects Thanos’ early appearances in the Marvel universe starting with Iron Man #55 in 1968 into appearances in the last 1970s. The stories frame Thanos as the conqueror of the moon Titan who seeks to expand his reach onto Earth. Amongst the tools that Thanos uses to implement his schemes are the Cosmic Cube. Readers also see a reoccurring pattern where Thanos uses people as puppets. Many of these stories go beyond Earth and have galactic settings as the scope of Thanos’ ambition grows. Throughout these stories Thanos fights the Kree Captain Marvel, Daredevil, Adam Warlock and the Avengers. Along with the introduction of Thanos the volume also introduces Drax the Destroyer and Gamora.

My first thought is where are the Avengers? I think readers should safely assume, by the title, that Thanos will be fighting the Avengers team throughout the volume. This is largely wrong. For the bulk of this volume Thanos’ major opponents are either Captain Marvel solo or Adam Warlock. The inclusion of the Avengers of a team is rare, though Avengers like Iron Man may have solo adventures against the Mad Titan. Honestly, I think a better title would just be Thanos! But honestly that title probably would not get casual comic readers to grab it off the shelf in a bookstore, where a link to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Avengers would.

I think one of the biggest revelations for me was that Drax the Destroyer was created solely to fight Thanos. And despite his non-human appearance, he is in fact a deceased human. This helps me understand why Star-Lord Peter Quill is able to get him to rejoin the Guardians of the Galaxy when he clearly does not trust Quill. He still has an attachment to his home. Also, in this volume we see the origin of another Guardian Gamora, who was raised by Thanos. However, her discovery of plans for a global genocide turned her away from her master. So to me this book supports The Guardians of the Galaxy film much better than it does Avengers 2.

The stories themselves are products of their times. But I feel that they are good quality when compared against other stories of that era. The art also varies, but overall what is presented is good stuff. I would not call the book one of the greatest trades I have ever read. But I did think it was good. But I am glad that I borrowed and did not buy this volume since I am likely not to pick it up again.

Thanos is coming to the Marvel Cinematic universe. While that Thanos will likely differ from the one in comics, Avengers vs. Thanos recounts the source material of Thanos’ early appearances including first instances of key Guardians of the Galaxy. The volume is definitely an interesting read from those wanting to prepare themselves for Thanos and his future confrontation with whatever Avengers are in the hero stable in the future.



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Comic Corner - Guardians of the Galaxy #1

Disney and Marvel announced an unexpected choice for an August 2014 theatrical release for the second phase of the Avengers Initiative. The Guardians of the Galaxy is a hero team that most Disney fans are probably not aware of. And I will admit, even though I feel prepared by a childhood of nerdy for anything Marvel could throw at us, I actually confused this group with another, Corsair and the Starjammers, when I first heard the news. And I have a feeling I am not the only one who knows little to nothing about these space warriors that includes a space raccoon!

Marvel and Disney likely recognize this low public visibility for a property that they are preparing a tent pole movie around. I think the Guardians have less public visibility than John Carter! So I would argue some audience education is needed. This orientation has formally begun with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy issue #1 written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Steve McNiven. While the general public will probably not pick up this title, it should help to mobilize the comic book core audience. And with the inclusion of Iron Man in the story, they may attract some casual comic book fans also.

The book opens with Peter Quill, Star-Lord, attempting to win over a young lady of non-Earth origin on a space station. Peter is confronted by his father, the King of the Spartax planetary system, who warns Peter that Earth is off limits due to an agreement by a shadowy council of galactic rulers. Peter does not feel obligated to follow this edict due to his half human origin, his spiteful feelings towards his father and a fear that this pronouncement will actually but Earth at peril. Peter gathers his team Gamora (the most dangerous woman in the galaxy), Groot (a plant like creature), Drax, and Rocket Racoon (yes, he looks like a raccoon). The Guardians of the Galaxy arrive in Earth space just in time to join Iron Man in defending the planet against an alien attack. Can these heroes protect the planet?

I have a hard time recommending this issue. Honestly, it is the start of a bigger story and it is difficult to evaluate as a standalone issue. I assume that the whole will be better than its parts, but this piece is a lot of setup for the future. I fully intend to read the whole story arc when it is collected together in one volume, but I will not be picking up issue #2.

One problem I have with the story is the inclusion of Iron Man. The reason that the Guardians bump into Iron Man, who is joy riding, is based on a statement that Peter made to Tony Stark either in another title at an earlier date or off screen. But the comments that leads to Stark’s joy ride are thin and it comes off as forced. I would have been happier if the reason that Stark intersected with the Guardians would have been pure coincidence and had no links to Star-Lord and his team. I understand the need for Disney to make their number one superhero cross paths to bolster the 2014 movie. But in this story it failed for me. I feel really sad saying that since I generally enjoy Bendis’ writing.

This issue really focuses on Peter Quill and not the members of the team. One friend, and Between Disney reader, noted that Bendis frames Star-Lord as a Han Solo type character. He is a touch of rogue with a sprinkling of hero. Honestly, placing Quill into the Solo mold may be a good choice for Disney/Marvel as this is a formula that has proven to work. The rest of the characters, even the raccoon, are not given much space to develop their characters. Marvel has introduced a set of free online comics that focus on the non-human members of the team and help put flesh on Drax, Gamora, Rocket and soon Groot. I personally think this is a good marketing choice. The Gamora issue helps establish a tie to Thanos, a character we know will be a major focus in Phase 2 of the movies. The Marvel name will help Disney sell this film, but the audience needs to be introduced to these characters if they really do want box office success.

Honestly, I am hopeful for the cinematic Guardians of the Galaxy. It has superheroes and sci-fi so I want it to be a hit. I want to know more about the Guardians, because my personality desires more and more information. But instead of following this title on a monthly basis, I am going to look forward to a collected trade edition of this story arc.

Between Books - Infinity Gauntlet

Do we really have to wait until 2015 for The Avengers 2? Yes I know we have Iron Man 3, Thor 2: The Dark World, and Captain America 2: Winter Soldier to pass the years. But I really do not want to wait until 2015 to resolve Thanos and his plans for earth. I want to know what is going on now. So, I created my own shortcut and I read Infinity Gauntlet, collecting the Marvel mini-series from 1991. Though this series is not the introduction of the villain Thanos, it does tie into another potential plot element, the Infinity Gauntlet. The stone in Loki’s spear in The Avengers is the Soul Gem, which allows the user to control others. And in Thor the Infinity Gauntlet is seen in Odin’s vault. I have a hard time believing that they would not have left us a trail to this story without looking to adapt it in the future within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In 1991's Infinity Gauntlet, written by Jim Starlin and illustrated by George Perez and Ron Lim, Thanos acquires the Infinity Gauntlet formed of the entire set of Infinity Gems in order to fulfill his beloved’s desires. The full gauntlet makes Thanos more powerful than a Marvel universe God. He hopes to impress Death by killing half of the universe, in the blink of an eye! Earth’s heroes unite under the leadership of hero Adam Warlock, who is very familiar with the Soul Gem (he lived in it), to battle Thanos and attempt to save the universe from chaos and death. The following are speculative thoughts from the story that could have impact on a future Avengers 2, if it was actually adapted for the next movie:

• The Stones: We have already been introduced to the Soul Gem, but there are actually six infinity gems. The full set is The Soul, The Mind, Power, Time, Reality and Space. When combined together in the Infinity Gauntlet, they give the holder unlimited Godlike power. Basically, the Gauntlet makes Thanos the badest baddy that the Avengers would fight yet.

• Star Wars, Nothing But Star Wars: This is a cosmic tale. Seriously, it’s out of this world. Yes, there is a fair amount of action that occurs on little old earth. But the final battle occurs in space. So take Tony Stark flying into space at the end of The Avengers and add Thor and other heroes zooming through space with him. And then add in that part of the confrontation with Thanos includes a delegation of cosmic entities like Entirety, Love and Hate, the Watcher, Galactus, Kronos, and others. If they follow this cosmic setting, the budget for the film would have to be huge. Cleveland was able to sit in for New York in The Avengers, but it would require a lot of special effects to frame this story on the big screen in the same way as the comic. Or some things like the cosmic entities may not be able to be seen on screen. I do see the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving this direction with concept art from Iron Man 3, spoiler, showing Tony within a deep space version of the armor.

• Where’s Waldo: The good news about the Infinity Gauntlet storyline is that Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk all have fairly big roles with Black Widow also in action. Now this Thor is not the Marvel Cinematic Universe Thor with a storyline that if he is separated from his hammer for a set timeframe he transforms into a regular human who is not Donald Blake. This plot point is small enough I am guessing that Joss Whedon would simply ignore it. But Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye is problematic. For almost the entire story Hawkeye is gone, and somewhere where he should never return from. I am fairly certain regardless of the number of heroes they add that the Disney executives would like to keep Renner with a significant role in a future Avengers film. I think it’s the law that Renner has to have a role in every action franchise, or at least it feels that way!

• Missing in Action: This is a big big Marvel story. It is literally cosmic and the role of heroes featured is massive. However, there are a ton of heroes who cannot be part of the story due to obligations to other studios. These missing heroes included Spider-Man, Wolverine, Professor X, and the Fantastic Four. And some characters I wonder if they have viable as they served as supporting characters on the non-Disney films. These include the Silver Surfer and Doctor Doom who have a pretty big role in this epic. I am guessing that currently these two are wrapped up with other studios and will be written out unless Disney pays a fee to access their characters.

• Introducing: There are several characters that could be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is a very “magical” story, where it is made equal to science. Therefore Doctor Strange plays a large role in the original story, so Avengers 2 if following this story at all could be an introduction to this character. I think this is likely since Kevin Fiege has announced that Doctor Strange will be part of Wave Three after Avengers 2. Another character who could have a role is Ant Man, who’s film is also considered part of Wave Three. Though I have to admit this original Avenger is not really one of my favorite characters.

• Leader of the Pack: What to do with Adam Warlock. He serves as the strategic leader in the conformation against Thanos. But to be honest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe he could only ever be a supporting character. And would they allow someone other than Nick Fury serve as the core leader? I do not think so. I expect that Fury might take over some of Warlock’s role if this storyline was made into Avengers 2.

• Stan’s Soapbox: No entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be complete without the Stan Lee cameo. And this story is ready for Stan’s arrival. One frame shows that the Hulk is visiting “Smilin’ Stan’s Bar & Grill. On this alone, I would green light this story for the core of Avengers 2.

Again, this is all nothing more than speculation and none of these guesses could come to fruition. But with two years to go, Infinity Gauntlet is an enjoyable book to visit and start building assumptions on a future movie. Let's be honest, this story could not become a feature film without major rewrites.  Even if none of these guesses come true, the story itself is an enjoyable superhero adventure sure to entertain fans of the Avenger Initiative.