You may want to construct a CTU character map, just like I did, and throw in some geographical notes. That should keep readers busy until issue #3 is released. By then, J.C. Vaughn may toss out a few more plot crumbs.

As a pilot episode for The Spirit, this one-shot shows promise. As a crossover, it fails. In a bit of cosmic irony, Batman slips on the same banana-peel that felled the Green Hornet forty-years ago.

Perhaps in the next issue, we'll see Conan's restraint gradually melt away, as he pursues his foe across the Hyborian landscape. The real challenge might be in returning to his throne, once the thrill of battle again rushes through his veins.

This issue collects the "FRSOAG" stories from X-Men #181 and Fantastic Four #534, along with two new stories. The original one-shot collected stories from Spider-Man Halloween Ashcan 2005 and the Power Pack four-issue mini-series.

Judging from the last panel (a full-pager), the real eruption will come between Superman and Lois. Knowing how temperamental she can be, he might want to take another swing at the lava.

Rich Harveys Bold Venture Press specializes in pulp fiction reprints. He was a consulting editor on The Spider Chronicles, an anthology starring the pulp hero, coming in January from Moonstone Books.

Rich Harveys Bold Venture Press specializes in pulp fiction reprints. He was a consulting editor on The Spider Chronicles, an anthology starring the pulp hero, coming soon from Moonstone Books. He prattles on about pulp fiction and comic books on his blog, The Public Domain.