Thursday

This raced through my head at the time as well.  Gee thanks Dan Bailey!

Not so New Comic Review: Universe X – Four

                While Earth X was only fourteen issues long (1-12 with a zero and an X issue as bookends), it looks like Marvel gave Ross and Krueger a bit more room to flesh out the story with the addition of these “Special Issues” (there are five in total).  The thing is, you would assume that a “special” would only add tangential material to the story and not be as integral as the Universe X Special Issues are.  There are slight recaps of the action that goes on here in the regular issues, but really, these are very important issues if you want a better understanding of what is going on throughout the story (and the story is very convoluted and can get kind of confusing at times with so many moving pieces, so anything that can clear things up even a little is welcomed).

                The first “Special Issue” looks at the Fantastic Four as its main subject.  Considering how integral Reed Richards was to Earth X, this is not a bad idea.  Of course, this also means that we get another retelling of their origin (at least it’s only a quick one pager this time) as X-51 is relaying it to Galactus (who, it turns out, is now Franklin Richards).  We are then back in Doom’s castle, the home of the “Fantastic Four” (who are now down to two members).  We get more solemn Reed as he remembers his fallen bride, and then another brief flashback to show how Sue and Johnny died at the hands of Namor.  This is not just window-dressing though as it sets up Ben Grimm’s journey to Atlantis to consult with Namor.  Captain Marvel, as a child of Him and Her (I know, kind of weird) has been raised in Atlantis for the last few years to avoid the general population’s wrath at something new and different (they are no longer able to have children, probably due in large part to the mutations).  Ben Grimm, master of a restraint, decides to forego the fetch quest in order to beat up Namor one last time for what he did to Johnny and Sue.  Namor fights back, and actually knocks Ben’s breathing apparatus off.  If it wasn’t for Namor’s quick thinking, and the rescue breathing he learned in his seventh grade health class, Ben Grimm would be no more. 

 

                Be wakes up and is greeted by Mar-Vell, as a child of course.  Marv, makes some comments about Sue and Johnny, and then lets out the revelation that he is actually in both the land of the living (as a child) and the land of the dead (as a seemingly omnipotent god-being).  Apparently, Marv’s big plan is to make a new realm for the dead, a paradise, if you will.  The issue is, to do so from the land of the dead, he will need help.  All of the heroes in death’s realm, well most of them anyway, don’t think they are dead, they actually think those that are still alive are the ones that have died.  In order to exit the realm of the dead, they will need to realize where they are, which is easier said than done apparently, which we see as Johnny Storm, who realizes that he is dead, tries to convince his sister of that very fact.  Sue states that the only way she will admit to being dead, is basically if Dr. Doom admits it first, so off goes Johnny to get that done.  The way he does that is by removing Doom’s mask and showing him that he is no longer the scarred monstrosity that caused him  to put the mask on in the first place (apparently when you die, your physical scars disappear). 

                Back in the land of the living, Grimm has returned to Latveria with Marv to get Reed on board with the plan, and part of the way to do this is to bring Sue back from the dead (which is why she needed to acknowledge that she was dead in the first place (which she does, because Dr. Doom, realizing he is also dead, apologizes to her and asks for her forgiveness).  We then get a brief Dr. Doom origin story before Marv brings Sue back to life.  In order to recreate her, with her physical body being long since dead and decomposed, Alicia Masters molds Reed’s arm like clay (which is easy to do when he is as malleable as he is) into the form of Sue.  The final piece of the puzzle is taking Adam Warlock’s soul gem and giving it to Sue as a vessel to house her soul.  With that, Marv works his magic and Sue comes back to life.  Reed loses an arm, but that’s a small price to pay.  I do find it odd that the Sue that is now alive, has aged just as much as all of the other characters, but I guess it kind of makes sense since Alicia never really got to see Sue before her death.  With that, this issue comes to a close with a warning from Uatu that everything is far from over.

Next issue: everything is certainly far from over because Universe X #1 is forthcoming.  What is Marv’s plan, and why is he doing it?  Will Reed and Sue retire to Florida and live out the rest of their days together?  Will Uatu continue to be super creepy?

Slogan

Week Fourteen- (The Playoffs round 1-A)

Standings:

Shrimp:		Assorted Freaks:
The Masked Shrimp	7-6	The Slugomatic	7-6
Fred	9-4	The Wormy Guy	5-8
The Masked Shrimpette	6-7	Mr. Happee	5-8

Schedule: 

Round 1                                          Round 2

Fred

Shrimpette

Sluggy

Shrimpy

Loser Bracket:

Happee

Wormy

My favorite football seasons are the ones where the Giants are a punchline.

I'll Take Washed Up for $200

This was an actual Jeopardy question.  I figured it would be a perfect opportunity to insert Eli's stink face.  

Memorial Day

Hey Shrimpophiles, 

The gang at Eat @ Shrimpy's is taking a day off to honor our veterans, as should you. Regular strips will return tomorrow. 

Enjoy your barbecues. 

Eli's Back Up Plan

Poor "Not Peyton".

Not So New Comic Review: Universe X #0

                When last we left this alternate reality (Earth X #X for those keeping score at home), the planet had been saved not once, but twice, first from the Red Skull (thanks to Cap’s handiwork with his shield) and from the Celestials (thanks to Galactus’ handiwork with…well, being Galactus, I guess).  Not only that, but Reed Richards designed devices to remove the Terrigen mists from the air, thereby “curing” people of their mutation.  What do the heroes get for putting their lives on the line like this?  Uprising and revolt by the individuals that want to keep their powers.  So grateful.  Wait, a revolt against those sworn to protect you?  Where have I seen that before?

                Anyway, we have new narrators for this series!  While X-51 is busy being the new Watcher and Uatu, the old Watcher is busy being blind, we get Nighthawk, who has been gifted the power to be able to see the future by Mephisto because of some fancy eyes, and Gargoyle, who is writing all these future predictions down so that future generations can read them, kind of like writing a history book before the history happens.  After a brief introduction to our new narrators, we go to Latveria, and Reed is still heartbroken over Sue’s untimely death (many, many years ago at this point).  We also get the explanation from Reed that the elimination of the Celestial host in the center of the Earth has thrown off the polarity of the planet, basically making it opposite day everywhere.  The poles are warm and the equator is cold, and it will get worse, according to Reed.  We are also introduced to Him, also known as Adam Warlock, who has had a child with Her, the woman created to be his wife.  This is the first new child since the mutations, and people are a little freaked out by it, so much so that they have split up Him and Her in order to prevent them from doing it again.

                We now take a trip to the Savage Land, where the X-Men and the Hulk stumble across Sentinel City (which is exactly what it sounds like).  We then travel from the South Pole to the North Pole and see that the kingdom that Iceman created is melting.  We then fly over Africa and see that it is completely frozen over, save for a man-made biosphere that surrounds Wakanda.  We then head to the moon to see Thor trying to come to grips with what Loki told her in Earth X, that they are not technically gods at all.  We then travel to New York, where Steve Rogers is swearing in Marshall Muldoon as the President (after Norman Osborn’s untimely demise at the hands of the Red Skull in Earth X).  We peek in on Immortus, who is watching the whole thing unfold and get a glimpse at the big role he will play as well. 

                In Egypt, Moon Knight is fighting the Sons of Set in a never ending battle, while in England, the Black Knight (Black Bolt and Medusa’s Inhuman son) is becoming king.  In Japan, Xen, the ninja clan fights the Tong of Creel (which will come into play pretty huge in the coming issues), while in Russia, Colossus is coming to grips with the fact that his job as the world’s grocery store will soon be coming to an end with the changing weather patterns. 

                Back in New York, Angel visits Gargoyle and Nighthawk, bringing them food and supplies.  Angel has become a good Samaritan as his namesake suggests, helping others in their time of need.  He does do everything he can to avoid hearing the future from Nighthawk though.  He states that what killed the majority of the X-Men was the fact that they knew the future, and working to prevent it just brought it about at a quicker pace, which makes a lot of sense in an overall sense, not just related to the mutants. 

                After Angel leaves, we get an ancient history lesson, about the Skrull and the Kree.  The Skrull were apparently already an advanced race when they met the Kree, and actually were prepared to offer science and knowledge to whoever was able to create the greatest advancement on the Earth’s moon, between the Kree and the Cotati, a race of plant looking people.  The Cotati won, because, while the Kree were able to build a huge, technologically advanced city, the Cotati were able to cultivate part of the moon to sustain life (this is how Marvel’s fabled blue area of the moon came into being).  The Kree, being such sore losers, massacred the Cotati and took that technology for themselves, while also seeding a hatred for the Skrulls deep within themselves, one that would carry over into multiple conflicts for generations to come. 

                We are then treated to the life and eventual death of Captain Marvel, the Kree warrior, as a lead-up to the fact that the new baby that was born of Him and Her, is actually Captain Marvel come back to life.  He has all of the knowledge of his past life, but he is just a child.  We end on an image of Captain Marvel, as a child, and Captain America, his nanny of sorts traversing the frozen wasteland (my guess is it’s somewhere in New Jersey.

Next Issue: What are Cap and Cap doing in New Jersey?  And what is this whole story even about?