Where last month's issue of Darth Maul acted as a bit of a catch up/primer for the new canon of Darth Maul, issue 2 feels like a retread of Star Wars Greatest Hits. In his search for the Padawan held for ransom by Xev Xrexus, Darth Maul has landed on the “Smuggler’s Moon” of Nar Shaddaa. Now, I'm of the opinion that if Obi-Wan had ventured to this Hutt-controlled moon before the events of Episode IV he might have rethought his characterization of Mos Eisley as the heart of scum and villainy in the galaxy. Needless to say, the Smuggler’s Moon is a rough corner of space and by opening this issue in yet another seedy cantina, author Cullen Bunn automatically invites comparisons to Mos Eisley’s Cantina and the events that transpired there. Now we know, thanks to Obi-Wan Kenobi, that if a Jedi walks into a bar, the odds are pretty good that somebody’s going to lose an arm, but when a Sith does it the collateral damage tends to increase. Darth Maul walks into the bar only to exit it shortly thereafter, dragging several thugs through the newly shattered window into the street.

Outnumbered, but hardly outmatched, Maul proceeds to dispatch the throng of malcontents without his lightsaber or the Force for fear of exposing the secret of the Sith too early. His most notable opponent in this first sequence is a squid-faced Quarren named Dirty Calgriz. Luke Ross’ skillful illustrations depict this Quarren employing an unexpected defense mechanism that was both surprising and visually stunning. Apparently the Quarren can spray ink at their opponents in order to blind them. That was an especially refreshing addition to the bar brawl that thoroughly impressed this veteran Star Wars fan. Having backed himself into a tight spot, Darth Maul seems to be on the brink of defeat as the circle of space misfits move in on the temporarily blinded Zebrak, when he is rescued by an unexpected trio: Bounty Hunters Aurra Sing, Vorhdeilo, and Cad Bane. The inclusion of Cad Bane, a fan favorite from the Clone Wars series, is, in my opinion, the second Greatest Hit that this issue relies on. While it is exciting to see the Clint Eastwood-esque blaster-slinger come to rescue of Darth Maul, his presence in the comic doesn’t really add much to a series that’s supposed to be about Darth Maul. It seems to be an odd match up that sounded cool in theory but distracts from Maul’s desire to keep a low profile.

As the unlikely foursome pick up the trail of the kidnapped Padawan, we are treated (and it is a treat I assure you) to possibly one of the silliest Darth Maul moments of all time. While interrogating the Haddex Gang’s protocol droid (FE-B3 or “Phee-Bee”) Darth Maul uses the Force to pop its remaining eye assembly out of its head, rendering the droid blind. Meaning to intimidate the droid into revealing the location of Xrexus’ Padawan auction, Maul’s blinding tactic comes across as quaint in the comic. Maul’s hand is so close to Phee-Bee’s face that it’s comical for him to use the Force to blind the droid. He could have just as easily ripped the optical sensor out with his bare hands, but using the Force here causes the desired seriousness of an interrogation to fall into levity. It just looks silly and is so uncharacteristic of the violence we've come to expect from Darth Maul. That being said, the silliness brought a smile to my face (as most interactions with droids do) in a comic that could easily slide into monotonous brooding. I’m sure that this was not the effect that Bunn was shooting for, but it's one of my favorite panels of all time. 

The third Star Wars Greatest Hit that Bunn sets up for Darth Maul is a Force cave sequence. On the way to Xrexus’ auction, Darth Maul’s mediation is interrupted by a flashback to a dead planet where Darth Sidious taught the young Zabrak an important lesson. In a pyramid temple haunted by the restless souls of murdered Sith, Sidious taught Maul the mantra, 'Far above, far below. We don’t know where we’ll fall. Far above, far below. What once was great is rendered small.' Beset by the vengeful souls of ancient Sith whose lives were ended by the first great conflict with the Jedi, Maul uses this mantra to harness and focus generations of rage and pain. Meanwhile, Cad Bane and Aurra Sing discuss the tenuous agreement they've struck with the mysterious Zabrak. Unsure of their future safety, the motley crew arrive at the auction and the issue ends as Maul discovers where the Padawan is being kept.

Now, there are some definite issues with this series: dressing up main elements of the original Star Wars trilogy and Clone Wars series in Pre-Clone Wars drag is a little disappointing as it seems to rely too heavily on the iconic elements of its predecessors rather than adding anything new to the Star Wars mythos. That being said, seeing a cantina brawl starring a Darth Maul who’s forced to use hand-to-hand combat and very little of the Force was very entertaining. Additionally, the Force cave-esque flashback did add some much needed depth to Darth Maul’s preoccupation with revenge against the Jedi. Before this issue there was really no basis for Maul’s specific hatred of the Jedi, so the added weight of vengeful Sith spirits filled in that gap nicely.

Also, I would be doing this issue’s artist, Luke Ross, a great disservice if I didn't mention the skill with which he is depicting the Star Wars Universe. Issue 2 is splash page city. I don't think I've seen so many two-page spreads even in the massive Marvel Civil War comic event. The trouble with including so many sweeping visuals is that the reader might get lost following the prose and dialogue but somehow, Bunn and Ross have struck a beautiful balance that flows well from panel to panel. Ross manages to give us pages that feel as densely and diversely populated as the Star Wars Universe should without allowing the reader to get lost. Until next time, Geek On!

This month it seems that Batman’s efforts to contain the plague set loose by Mr. Freeze have been successful thanks to the cooperation of Pamela Isley but during the course of that mission, Batman and Duke Thomas have been relentlessly pursued by a strike team known as the Blackhawks. This group of operatives are equipped with unique body armor that features an advanced camouflage technology which manipulates how the brain interprets eye movement in order to trick the mind into seeing whatever the user wants. Batman’s research on this advanced technology has led him to the lavish estate of Jervis Tetch and the Dark Knight has some questions for the madcap haberdasher.

Upon arriving at the Tetch Estate, Batman is confronted by Nightwing, Batwoman, and Red Hood. Picking up on subtle cues that lead him to believe that these people are not members of the Bat-Family, Batman proceeds to subdue each in turn. The crumbled heap of imposter’s camouflage falls away to reveal members of the Blackhawks. Batman then confronts Mad Hatter directly but quickly falls under the hallucinogenic influence of a gas Jervis has polluted the air with. This coupled with the appearance of more Blackhawks whose camouflage armor shifts and distorts Batman’s grip on reality, sends the caped crusader on a psychedelic journey.

The Mad Hatter’s mind control hats and his ability to manipulate his victim’s perceived reality has always made him a formidable opponent, despite his childish obsession with Alice in Wonderland, and this issue is no exception. One of the most fascinating components of the Batman mythos is when an author finds a way to explore an alternative series of events that might have taken place during the formative days of the dark knight. In this issue we get to see a distorted vision of what Bruce Wayne’s life might have been if the Hatter had gotten into his head before he became Batman. That version of reality, while thankfully hallucinatory, is haunting and fascinating. The cerebral focus of this issue is strengthened by the introspective style of narration that Scott Snyder uses. By letting us into Bruce’s thoughts as he navigates the topsy-turvy madness laid out for him by the Mad Hatter, Snyder intensifies our sense of disorientation as Bruce’s confusion becomes our own.

Hatter weaves a tale of manipulation going back to the first days of Bruce’s vigilantism, claiming that he slipped one of his reality twisting tags into Wayne’s ball cap and saw him take his first steps into Gotham’s underworld. He also claims to have fabricated the fantasy of Batman by activating the tag he planted with the Alice in Wonderland quote, 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat.' In this reality, Bruce broke his neck on his first outing into Gotham’s underworld, and Batman is the desperate fantasy of a man confined to a wheelchair. Through this lens, Hatter shows key members of Batman’s rogue’s gallery to be echoes of Alice in Wonderland characters: Monstrous Bane is the Jabberwocky, mischievous Catwoman is the Cheshire Cat, Riddler stands in for the Caterpillar, and Joker and Harley Quinn are the King and Queen of Hearts. Terrifying as this distorted reality is, Batman manages to break through the madness and interrogate the diminutive hat-maker. The issue concludes with Tetch hinting at an unknown villain who’s responsible for mobilizing the Blackhawks. But we’ll have to wait till next month to discover who the unknown puppeteer is as Snyder doesn’t give us any hint as to who the villain might be.

Something that continues to impress me about the All-Star Batman series is Scott Snyder’s determination to give Batman a sense of humor. In an issue as psychological and twisted as this month’s was, Snyder’s humor shines through all the more. Instead of taking Batman to the dark and gritty places made famous by authors like Frank Miller, Snyder lets Batman quip and play in a way that breathes new life into the character. That’s not to say that Snyder’s humor is heavy-handed or detracts from the narrative. Snyder adds just a bit here and there like when he’s fighting the Nightwing imposter, Batman clubs him with a mechanical lawn flamingo, like the Queen in Alice in Wonderland does when playing croquet, or when considering how he was able to identify the Blackhawks as impostors Batman says, 'My family knows how to #$%^ fight.' Perhaps my favorite example of Batman’s humor comes when he’s confronting Mad Hatter at the end of the issue, the tiny villain’s voice has turned into a high-pitched whine, to which Batman smirks, 'I let him tell Aquaman.' Snyder keeps enough humanity in this version of Batman to lighten the mood when necessary which allows All-Star Batman to avoid being dreary. Next month we discover the villain behind the Blackhawks! Until next time, Geek On!

Thank Marvel for cover art. Considering Spidey has a pretty extensive back catalog, I have never felt bad picking up an issue or two in the middle of a series as it would take me years to catch up on everything the web-crawler has been up to. This frees me from my completist impulse to read every panel of a given character and makes the Spider-Man comics section a great hunting ground for cover-based collecting. Issue 185 is a sinfully wacky comic book featuring not one but two Alice in Wonderland themed villains, a fluffy bunny getaway car, and an awkward family dinner with Spider-Man. Not to mention the two men in Frog costumes on the cover! Before I even start in on the storyline of this issue I have to praise this issue’s cover for just dripping confidence. It reads: 'Yeah, it’s Spidey. With giant frogs. You gota problem with that? (And they’re not the strangest thing in this issue!) Editor-in-Chief’s Warning: This story is Funny. On Purpose. Beware.' Eat your heart out Deadpool!

Spidey reunites with Eugene Patilio AKA the Fabulous Frog-Man, a hapless youth aspiring to be a superhero. Eugene doesn’t quite have the balance or agility necessary to be a successful crime fighter and Spidey, coming off of a 6-issue Green Goblin story arc, lays into him a little bit about the seriousness of becoming a superhero. Meanwhile, the White Rabbit, a scantily clad femme fatale with razor tipped carrot darts and a mad tea party themed lair, recruits the dimwitted Hubert Carpenter AKA the Walrus to help her exact her revenge on Frog-Man. Feeling guilty for being so harsh with him, Spidey decides to take Eugene up on his invitation to have dinner with his family. Now, don’t mistake my meaning, Spider-Man goes to an awkward family dinner. Not Peter Parker. Guess who’s coming to dinner? Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Eugene’s a sweet kid and his father Vincent (formally the villain Leap Frog) is kind and plays the friendly host well enough, but it's just so funny to see Spider-Man in such a domestic setting, having the same silly small talk conversation that you’d have with an aunt you haven’t seen in a while.

'So--how’re things going with you, Spidey? How’s work...how’s the family...nice weather we’re having, huh?' This awkward interaction is probably one of my favorite things I’ve ever read in a comic book mainly because of its silliness, but also because it highlights how difficult it must be for Peter Parker to interact with people. When the majority of your life is taken up by colossal threats to your family and your way of life, talking about the weather and your day job can seem even more trivial than normal. As Spidey plays the dinner guest he demonstrates that Spider-Man must tread lightly in casual conversation the way Peter Parker does. Showing how difficult the double-life of a superhero can be in this unique context is fascinating because it makes you think about how easy it would be to slip and reveal your secret identity in a domestic setting while presenting yourself as Spider-Man. Even the process of eating dinner becomes difficult as Spidey lifts up the bottom of his mask to have more of Aunt Marie’s pasta.

This issue is very aware of how silly comics can be, and offers a subtle commentary on what comic fans take for granted and how far they will suspend their disbelief. When Parker mentions how silly a Frog-themed superhero is by calling Eugene’s costume dumb, Mary Jane replies, 'You think those blue and red longjohns of yours are so fashionable?' The point she’s making is that a Frog-Man is no more ridiculous than a Spider-Man and we just take Spidey’s existence for granted because we’ve grown to love the character over the years. Author J.M. DeMatteis makes a similar comment on how villains make their plans when the Walrus questions White Rabbit’s scheme for drawing out Frog-Man. White Rabbit says, 'We are doing what all super-villains do when they want the attention of their arch-enemies: Creating general Mayhem and Havoc.' Confused, the Walrus replies, 'Wouldn’t it be better if we just robbed a bank and went to Acapulco?' White Rabbit sighs and says, 'You are never going to get anywhere in life thinking like that.' While the Walrus is portrayed as pretty dimwitted in this issue, his point is valid: if super-villains didn’t get hung up on revenge schemes and ploys to draw out their enemies, they would probably be more successful. But that doesn’t jive with what we’ve come to expect from comic book villains and we take schemes like White Rabbit’s seriously, though it doesn’t seem to make much sense.

Frog-Men, light-hearted commentary on the comic-book genre, and a superhero at dinner all make Spectacular Spider-Man 185 much more than 'Another Fine Mess' in my book. It can be easy to lose yourself in the stakes and seriousness of comics, so I love little issues like this one that add a bit of levity and silliness to the reading list. It’s nice when creators remind you that you’re reading about a kid with Spider Powers and that it should be fun. Until next time, Geek On!

I’m going to be honest with you dear readers, I wasn’t very excited to read the Poison Ivy issue of All-Star Batman. Coming off such a powerhouse combination of Scott Snyder’s storytelling, Jock’s incredible artwork, and one of my favorite villains, Mr. Freeze, I didn’t think that Poison Ivy or artist Tula Lotay would interest me all that much. I was wrong. Where Jock captured the temperature and isolation of the Mr. Freeze storyline, Lotay makes issue 7 every bit as lush and colorful as it needs to be to mirror its central focus, which is impressive considering this section of the ‘Ends of the Earth’ arc takes place in Death Valley, Nevada.

By and large my experience with Poison Ivy has not been a positive one. I believe the only comic book that I’ve read which featured the Pheromone Femme Fatale was her brief appearance in the 'Knightfall' story arc (an arc which I would wholeheartedly recommend as it features one of the most iconic moments in comic history, the breaking of Batman’s back). In Batman #495 'Strange Deadfellows' Ivy fights Batman with a host of entranced Gotham socialites who have fallen victim to her chemical charms and were interrupted as they rushed to give the object of their affection all their money. This is a similar storyline to what was probably my first introduction to Poison Ivy, the 'Eternal Youth' Episode of Batman: The Animated Series. In this episode Alfred visits a spa and is brainwashed into becoming a humanoid tree by Poison Ivy’s special brand of persuasion.
 
These two storylines, a particularly scenery-chewing performance of Uma Thurman’s, and the Arkham series video games constitute the extent of my knowledge of Poison Ivy, which is probably why I was not too excited to see an Ivy-centric issue. Before reading issue 7, I thought of Ivy as a seductress without much substance, but Snyder breathed new life into the character for me by playing up the passionate researcher and toning down the seductive temptress. Ironically, shifting from Freeze to Ivy was not as jarring a transition as I was anticipating (remembering the awkward pairing of the two in 1997’s Batman and Robin) as Snyder reminded me that Victor Fries has an awful lot in common with Pamela Isley. They have very similar origin stories, scientific backgrounds, and go to environmental extremes in pursuit of their goals.

The other refreshing aspect of Snyder’s Ivy is that Batman doesn’t have to thwart a world domination type scheme or have to fight through a horde of flora-infected goons to stop an extreme green world agenda in this story. He comes to Ivy in the midst of research, not scheming and we get to see a side of the femme fatale that is really endearing. Batman turns to Poison Ivy to assist him in containing the virus that Mr. Freeze had meant to unleash on humanity. Unfortunately, Batman’s clever response to Freeze’s plan in issue 6 wasn’t able to eradicate every microbe of the ancient plague and now a little girl’s life hangs in the balance. Still pursued by the mysterious strike team that caught up with him and Freeze in Alaska, Batman rushes to enlist Ivy’s help before both the young girl and Ivy’s research subject, an ancient descendant of the Tree of Life as Ivy refers to it, suffer messy ends.  

It is really impressive that after a 5-part story that shed so much light on the relationship between Harvey Two-Face and Batman, that Scott Snyder’s follow-up arc has been no less insightful. Using single issues and specific artists to capture the essence of a new villain each month, Snyder demonstrates that he is truly at home in the world of Batman. Whether he visits a member of the rogue’s gallery for a single issue, a five-month arc, or a panel-length cameo, All-Star Batman is in good hands with writer Scott Snyder. I also need to acknowledge Tula Lotay’s beautiful work with colors and contrast. The desolation she creates in her desert scenery and the cloud of color that follows Ivy from panel to panel are skillfully executed and add so much to the issue. Ivy's research tent is a lush oasis in the middle of a barren wasteland and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Lotay’s work from now on. Next month Batman takes on the Mad Hatter! Until next time, Geek On!

Issue 12 of Moon Knight marks the triumphant return of Moon Knight’s alter-egos. Seconds away from being eviscerated at the request of an angry mob in the Othervoid, Marc Spector is rescued by a crescent moon dart thrown by a familiar face: Moon Knight. The bizarre plane of the Othervoid allows Spector’s identities to come to his aid, as Moon Knight steps up to duke it out with the bloodthirsty guards, Steve Grant rescues Anput, and Captain Marc Spector appears with his starfighter to fly them all to safety. After their poignant parting in issue 9, their reunion with Spector is timely and heart-warming as Moon Knight asks, “Did you really think that we ever left?” This reunion is important because it reminds us that Marc is not alone in his fight, and his alternate personalities acknowledge their role as an internal support system and not as an external distraction. Bidding them fond farewell, Spector returns Anubis’ wife to him and frees Crawley. Anubis then fulfills his promise to ferry them back to where this all began.

On the origin side of this issue, Lemire treats us to a snapshot of Marc the Mercenary, following Spector and DuChamp on a snatch-and-grab operation in Saudi Arabia. This portion of the Spector origin story almost reads like a James Bond cold-open; showcasing a hero who keeps his cool and adapts to complications in the middle of an operation. Spector and Frenchie have been hired to extract a heroin dealer known as the Wolf and deliver him to persons unknown. I’m not sure what Marvel are planning for after Jeff Lemire leaves Moon Knight (holding back tears), but this issue made me think that a team-up series depicting the mercenary exploits of Spector and DuChamp could be a lot of fun (Maybe they could call it Marc Spector: Mercenary in honor of the second Moon Knight series). Something that really made these panels standout, especially next to the topsy-turvy Othervoid pages, was the use of color. I have given a lot of credit to everyone who has been a part of this series, but I have neglected one of the most important team members who has made these beautiful issues vibrant and complex: colorist Jordie Bellaire.

When a comic’s title character has a white suit as his signature costume you wouldn’t expect a colorist’s job to be that involved. But in this series we’ve seen Bellaire’s skill as she’s adapted to multiple artist's styles, colorful settings, and unique characters. Her contributions really make the panels pop whether they take place in the asylum, on the sands of New Egypt, or within the Othervoid. In this issue Bellaire shines as Spector infiltrates the Wolf’s secret backroom operation. The blue tint of these panels sets up a great cooling contrast to the desert warmth of the panels before and harkens back to the techno-noir style of Francesco Francavilla earlier in the series. It’s a true testament to Bellaire’s skill as a colorist for a panel to convey temperature so effectively and she’s done a wonderful job on this series. When I praise these flashback panels, I am of course neglecting to mention the incredible work Bellaire has done to bring the bizarre Othervoid to life. The wash of galactic starlight which characterizes every frame of this unique setting is breathtaking and Bellaire is responsible for bringing those panels into the light.

Throughout this series there have been several subtle touches that reference the spirit of the Moon Knight mythos. One that came to light in this issue was the way Marc Spector feels about his mercenary work. In the 1980 Moon Knight origin story it is made very clear that while Marc Spector commits violent acts as a mercenary, he does not take pleasure in making people suffer. He is a military operative first and in the first issue of the 1980’s series when he discovers that he’s been made to fight for the wrong side, he refuses to continue. Sure, he operates outside the law but he is not a malicious man and he has drawn a line in the sand he will not cross. Jeff Lemire’s Marc Spector holds the same stance. When we see Marc in the bare-knuckle boxing ring last issue he holds back from killing his opponent despite the bloodlust of the crowd.

Also, when confronted by the heroin dealer the Wolf about being a mercenary, Spector responds by reminding his captive that while he may be a mercenary at least he doesn’t destroy lives like the Wolf does. I’ve always found this component of Spector’s past to be very important. Though in many ways Moon Knight’s vigilantism was a way of making up for the violence of his mercenary past, Spector was never evil or vicious despite operating in a moral grey area. This is why he is redeemable and ultimately forgiven by Marlene in the original origin and it’s very wise of Lemire to establish that common thread in this issue. Next month we get to sink our teeth into one of the most ruthless villains in comics and Moon Knight’s arch-nemesis: Raoul Bushman. Until next time, Geek On!

--This article has been updated to correct and earlier mistake where artist Jordie Bellaire was incorrectly referred to as a male, when it fact Jordie is a woman. Our apologies to Jordie for this mistake.--

After his first dramatic clash with the Fantastic Four in 1966, Silver Surfer’s first series focused on the plight of a cosmic being trapped on earth. Plagued to remain among a violent humanity prone to misunderstanding, the Surfer desired to break the bonds of his exile and return to his home world Zenn-La and his love Shalla-Bal. The first series of Silver Surfer attempted to ground the character by shackling him to earth and pitting him against familiar heroes like Spiderman and the Mighty Thor and earth-bound villains like the Abomination and Mephisto.

I began reading Silver Surfer for the very first time a little over a year ago and though I loved the character and those first 18 issues, I was slightly disappointed that the Sentinel of the Spaceways had been grounded. Norrin Radd wasn’t surfing among the stars as I knew he did in later series and his string of interactions with the people of earth were frustrating and a bit repetitive. The second Silver Surfer series of 1987 finally allowed the hero to break away from Earth and return to the space lanes and I really enjoyed seeing Norrin Radd in his element. One of the most interesting issues I’ve read from the 1987 series of Silver Surfer depicts a man-on-planet conflict between a board-less Silver Surfer and Ego the Living Planet.

Any complaints I had about an earthbound Silver Surfer from the first series were quickly silenced by issue 22. The cosmic scale of pitting Norrin against an Elder of the Universe was instantly satisfying. From the first splash page revealing artist Ron Lim’s massive rendition of Ego to the final panel of the Surfer zooming away to stars unknown, issue 22 captures everything I love about this series. Ego, who has to devote the majority of his might to combating the propulsion unit that Galactus attached to him in a previous adventure, has now become a devourer of worlds in his own right and plans to make the Surfer his next meal. Learning from the mistakes of the other Elders of the Universe, Ego separates Silver Surfer from his board and writer Steve Englehart sends the Sentinel of the Spaceways on an exploration of the planet-being’s anatomy. With magma coursing through his veins and crude oil pumping through his lymph system, Ego fights Silver Surfer the way a body would fight off infection. Using Protozoids in the shape of bizarre tiger sharks, Ego tests the limits of the board-less Surfer’s power and resolve.

Ron Lim’s artwork really shines as Silver Surfer wields the power cosmic through magma and stone, demonstrating how massive Ego is while showcasing the wide range of the surfer’s powers. There's something about a single issue from the 1980’s that's really special. Maybe it's the quality of the colors, or the feel and smell of the ink on your fingertips as you flip the pages, but reading those comics will always feel special to me. You can feel the age of the comic in your hand in a way you can’t with the glossy modern issues that hit the shelves now.

If you’ve never read a Silver Surfer comic before, his massive back-catalog of issues can be a bit daunting.  With a character whose first appearance (Fantastic Four #48) can fetch thousands of dollars, it can be a little intimidating trying to start from the beginning. But thanks to a Marvel Unlimited subscription and the Marvel Essential TPB series, I was able to fill in the early history of the character without shelling out a lot of money. Silver Surfer can also be difficult to approach because of the alien stoicism that has been written into his character in recent years, but the Norrin Radd of the 1987 series is a lot of fun. As the Surfer hurtles through space there are great one-off issues that you can jump into without a whole lot of context, which is nice considering there are 146 issues in the second series. Strange colorful creatures, cosmic forces, and amazing exclamations like, “Nebulae Unfolding!” are just a few of the elements you can expect when you pick up a Silver Surfer comic, and issue 22 is a great showcase of how unique and profound Norrin Radd is. Until next time, Geek On!