_Marvel Premiere_ issue #28 is honestly pretty bad. It is a disposable story that fans of Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Morbius or Werewolf by Night can safely skip. Having said that, it is not without its own particular charms, making it not entirely unreadable. I expected more from the story by Bill Mantlo, though in retrospect, the concept of a "Legion of Monsters" seems like it would be difficult to execute well. Once one is (quickly) over the "wow, that would be _so_ cool" initial reaction, it quickly becomes evident that creating an interesting story around these four is problematic. The art by Frank Robbins isn't very good either, and his style is not well-suited for this genre or these characters. _Marvel Premiere_ issue #28 is laughably 70s, for better or (in this case, probably) for worse. The antagonist is "the Starseed" and he is cosmic in a "trippy" peace, love and "Age of Aquarius" way. The book is "dreamlike" with themes of redemption and evolution, but of course it also makes no sense (What did those people under the mountain _eat_ for all those millennia? How is the mountain in two places? If it's all a "dream"/vision, why was Sunset Boulevard wrecked in reality?); better to avoid those questions and meditate instead on the questions of monster and man and if the true evil isn't humanity itself. Rating: 2/5 (on the Super Pancake French Fry bell curve scale, where 3+ is green, 2 is yellow and 1 is red).

I was looking forward to this book and really wanted to like it, _but_... I have to agree with this quote from _Weird Science Marvel Comics_: > Captain America #0 is the type of comic you will enjoy… if you ignore the absurdity of the setup, the villain’s plan, and the clunky dialog. Better yet, simply ignore the words and canonical inconsistencies altogether to focus solely on the action pictures. And from _Comic Watch_: > [...] His [Sam's] dialogue feels off, too – at once point, he’s speechifying in a manner that’s more in line with Steve than him (and having him point that fact out mid-battle doesn’t help; it just makes the writers look self-conscious). By the opposite side of the coin, Steve feels a tad off, too – fist-bumping with Sam feels like someone’s grandpa trying to be hip and cool with the kids. I'm still looking forward to both Captain America books and I hope this was just a bit of a misfire.

I so want to like these "mech" limited series (I love the concept), but something always seems to not click with me when I read them. I'm not sure if it's the execution or simply the fact that the idea of super-powered heroes donning mech suits that mimic their own super powers just can't work (I find myself incapable of suspending disbelief and just going with it; I'm constantly asking "Why?" "Why is the Wasp donning a giant mech suit that shrinks?"). _Mech Strike: Monster Hunters_ #1 was, I suppose fine. On a bell curve scale of 1-5 with 3 being an average comic (3 would still be green for me! 2 is yellow and 1 is red), I would probably give this a "low" 3, possibly even a "high" 2. It's readable, _but_... time is limited and the inescapable question is--why read this? I'm bumping it to a 7 for this site because my 7-year old son loved it (a 10 for him). He also loved the first _Avengers: Mech Strike_ as well. So, if the target audience is kiddos and selling toys, this might be a 10 for you.

_Alligator Loki_, while insubstantial, is also low investment. It's cute and short and, while there's no particular reason to read it, there's also no reason not to, particularly on the train or while in line or, best of all, to your kids. My recently turned seven-year old loves this comic and eagerly looks forward to new issues.

_Alligator Loki_, while insubstantial, is also low investment. It's cute and short and, while there's no particular reason to read it, there's also no reason not to, particularly on the train or while in line or, best of all, to your kids. My recently turned seven-year old loves this comic and eagerly looks forward to new issues.

Similar to _Alligator Loki_, _Marvel Meow_ is insubstantial, but it is also low investment. It's also ridiculously cute. While there's no particular reason to read it (except, of course, kittehs), there's also no reason not to, particularly on the train or while in line or, best of all, to your kids. My recently turned seven-year old loves this comic and eagerly looks forward to new issues.

Similar to _Alligator Loki_, _Marvel Meow_ is insubstantial, but it is also low investment. It's also ridiculously cute. While there's no particular reason to read it (except, of course, kittehs), there's also no reason not to, particularly on the train or while in line or, best of all, to your kids. My recently turned seven-year old loves this comic and eagerly looks forward to new issues.

Similar to _Alligator Loki_, _Marvel Meow_ is insubstantial, but it is also low investment. It's also ridiculously cute. While there's no particular reason to read it (except, of course, kittehs), there's also no reason not to, particularly on the train or while in line or, best of all, to your kids. My recently turned seven-year old loves this comic and eagerly looks forward to new issues.

_Midnight Suns_ (2022) #1 was ok/good. While it definitely looks fun (the cover is "hot") and I enjoyed the first couple of pages, it became a bit average when the group vision occurred. Maybe it's my lack of familiarity with _Strange Academy_ and some of these characters, maybe it was simply the (fast) pacing and the lack of characterization, but things felt a bit rushed as we jumped right into the action (another apocalyptic threat is facing the earth and our heroes need to hero). While the setup is plausible enough, this first issue would have benefited from a higher page count and a slower introduction to the action. Note--There was nothing _wrong_ with this book, per se, just that it felt rather average Marvel (which is not a bad thing if you're a fan) to me. I'm rating it 7.5, which is the bottom of the "green" tier because the art is good, the story is pretty good and if one likes Marvel comics and the supernatural/mystic/horror heroes, one will probably like this. I'm not rating it higher because there doesn't feel like there's anything "essential" here and if you miss it, you're probably not missing out.

_Thor: Lightning and Lament_ is fine, which is fine. I'm not sure how anyone could expect it to be more for the same reason I"m unsure why it was made. (I mean, I know why it was made. If there was no Thor movie releasing this month, I"m certain this book also wouldn't exist). This one-shot is written by a "classic" Marvel writer, Ralph Macchio, and is set in the "classic" Thor era (the original Kirby and Lee Donald Blake Thor). This is not my favorite Thor (the post-Blake Simonson Thor is), but I have a soft-spot for the era and this is the type of comic I grew up on. On a bell curve scale of 1-5 with 3 being an average comic (3 would still be green for me! 2 is yellow and 1 is red), I would give this a 3. On a 10-point scale, probably 7, though I'm bumping it to 7.5 to make it "green" here, since, if you enjoy classic (60s-80s) Thor or are looking for a Thor one-shot or are a kiddo looking for a fun one-shot, this is probably the comic for you.

While I enjoyed this, I can't rate it higher than an 8, given that it's "disposable" (a continuity/timeline insert for a (meta) joke team that probably should never have been revisited). Having said that, I enjoyed all these characters at the time and bought FF #347-349 on the stand, so there is some nostalgia factored in for me.

Was _X-Terminators_ (2022) #1 good? I don't know. However, the art is great, the story is pretty zany and it's fun (despite of or due to all the blood, I'm not sure). Some of the interactions between the characters were a bit odd (Dazzler and Jubilee on the phone, for example) and Dazzler, Jubilee and Boom-Boom all act pretty bratty/immature (honestly, I'm probably too old for comics in general and this book in particular), but once the action starts, it's a breezy, random, violent yet surprisingly fun story. In terms of "grindhouse," this is all pretty comic and light; as a contrast, compare the lack of seatbelt and Boom-Boom's accident to the accident in Tarantino's _Death Proof_. The former is Looney Tunes, while the latter is grindhouse. Regardless, with art like this, I'm definitely looking forward to the next issue.

The "New Fantastic Four" arc by Walt Simonson and Art Adams is well-written, well-drawn and a lot of fun, both literal and meta (as it pokes fun of the crass commercialization Marvel was facing in the early 90s). This arc not only works well, it probably works better than it should at being both a rousing adventure romp with ties to Marvel history (Skrulls! Monsters! (FF (1961) #2 and #1, respectively)) as well as a marketing gimmick featuring some of Marvel's "hottest" early 90s characters (Spider-Man, Wolverine, "Grey" Hulk and Ghost Rider). Aside from the fun, action and humor/silliness, there's also some great characterization work done with the FF (in particular Mr. Fantastic) as well as some interesting continuity explorations (Is this the first time the Deviants, monsters and Skrulls were connected?). I originally purchased these from the spinner racks and read them when they were first released. I believe I liked them at the time, though I was disappointed in the direction that both the FF and Marvel appeared to be going post-Shooter. Having just re-read them now, I think they're a blast and definitely worth revisiting (particularly given the New Fantastic Four reboot). On a bell curve scale of 1-5 with 3 being an average comic (3 would still be green for me! 2 is yellow and 1 is red), I would give this a 4. On Comic Book Roundup's 10-point scale, it's really tough deciding between 8.5 and 9. I'm going 8.5 only because this is somewhat throw-away in the sense of the FF's serial storyline at the time, but, if these were standalone, 9 for sure.

The "New Fantastic Four" arc by Walt Simonson and Art Adams is well-written, well-drawn and a lot of fun, both literal and meta (as it pokes fun of the crass commercialization Marvel was facing in the early 90s). This arc not only works well, it probably works better than it should at being both a rousing adventure romp with ties to Marvel history (Skrulls! Monsters! (FF (1961) #2 and #1, respectively)) as well as a marketing gimmick featuring some of Marvel's "hottest" early 90s characters (Spider-Man, Wolverine, "Grey" Hulk and Ghost Rider). Aside from the fun, action and humor/silliness, there's also some great characterization work done with the FF (in particular Mr. Fantastic) as well as some interesting continuity explorations (Is this the first time the Deviants, monsters and Skrulls were connected?). I originally purchased these from the spinner racks and read them when they were first released. I believe I liked them at the time, though I was disappointed in the direction that both the FF and Marvel appeared to be going post-Shooter. Having just re-read them now, I think they're a blast and definitely worth revisiting (particularly given the New Fantastic Four reboot). On a bell curve scale of 1-5 with 3 being an average comic (3 would still be green for me! 2 is yellow and 1 is red), I would give this a 4. On Comic Book Roundup's 10-point scale, it's really tough deciding between 8.5 and 9. I'm going 8.5 only because this is somewhat throw-away in the sense of the FF's serial storyline at the time, but, if these were standalone, 9 for sure.

The "New Fantastic Four" arc by Walt Simonson and Art Adams is well-written, well-drawn and a lot of fun, both literal and meta (as it pokes fun of the crass commercialization Marvel was facing in the early 90s). This arc not only works well, it probably works better than it should at being both a rousing adventure romp with ties to Marvel history (Skrulls! Monsters! (FF (1961) #2 and #1, respectively)) as well as a marketing gimmick featuring some of Marvel's "hottest" early 90s characters (Spider-Man, Wolverine, "Grey" Hulk and Ghost Rider). Aside from the fun, action and humor/silliness, there's also some great characterization work done with the FF (in particular Mr. Fantastic) as well as some interesting continuity explorations (Is this the first time the Deviants, monsters and Skrulls were connected?). I originally purchased these from the spinner racks and read them when they were first released. I believe I liked them at the time, though I was disappointed in the direction that both the FF and Marvel appeared to be going post-Shooter. Having just re-read them now, I think they're a blast and definitely worth revisiting (particularly given the New Fantastic Four reboot). On a bell curve scale of 1-5 with 3 being an average comic (3 would still be green for me! 2 is yellow and 1 is red), I would give this a 4. On Comic Book Roundup's 10-point scale, it's really tough deciding between 8.5 and 9. I'm going 8.5 only because this is somewhat throw-away in the sense of the FF's serial storyline at the time, but, if these were standalone, 9 for sure.

Should this comic be rated higher? Quite possibly. I like this comic; it's different and the recipes certainly look appetizing. Unfortunately, they are beyond my meager skill to prepare (otherwise, this might be a 10!). My son (7) likes this comic as well, despite the fact it doesn't have much traditional action. In this issue, Chef Anna Ameyama looks prepared to become Tony Stark's personal chef. Her test is to prepare a dish that will please a discriminating palate, none other than... [j/k, j/k. No spoilers.]

I went in not expecting much (I never go into an infinity comic expecting much, *sighs*) and was pleasantly surprised. I hadn't read the solicit synopsis and didn't realize this was going to be an Invisible Woman and Deadpool team-up; I also didn't realize it was written by Gerry Duggan. Both funny and fun, this works surprisingly well!

Finger guns ftw! Who knew that Invisible Woman and Deadpool was the team-up we needed!?!

This is too good to simply be a Marvel Unlimited exclusive; this series deserves to be in print.

This continues to be a fun and funny read.

From the mouth of a seven-year old: Super fun; there were so many monsters and battles! Even the talking was ok. Great art!