No excuses, Plain fun: Marvel Team-Up #4

One of the coolest things about super-hero comics is the whole shared universe concept. There is just nothing better than having your two favorite super-guys meet, whale on each other a bit, and then work together to takedown an invading alien armada or a fifty foot slug-monster. That's why Marvel's new Marvel Team-up (or MTU, as the hip kids call it) is so much fun.

I admit, I loved the old Marvel Team-Up. No matter how flimsy the excuse for Spider-Man and Iron Fist to meet, fight, and team-up, I was there for the ride. OK, after 100 issues or so, it did start to seem a little forced but I never let that get in the way of the fun. And fun is really the focus of this series!

The beauty of this new series is that writer Robert Kirkman (the super-genius behind Walking Dead and Invincible) and artist Scott Kolins do not take the easy way out. They don't just randomly pick some second-rate hero to stick with Spider-Man and send them off to fight Mole Man or a washed-up X-Men villain. Kirkman has put together an ongoing storyline that really takes advantage of the shared-world idea. Different heroes meet, get entangled in the plot, and then move on to let someone else get the spotlight.

Kirkman clearly loves the Marvel U, and all the nifty characters he can play with. (And he writes them very well!) This series has already featured Spider-Man, Wolverine, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man (sort of), and the Hulk. Plus, there have been cool cameos like Nova, Willy Lumpkin, and many more cleverly worked into the background by Kolins. Any other creative team would be content with that line-up, but not these guys! They have also created some original, and mysterious, villains to throw into the mix. All in only the first four issues! (Don't worry though, you can easily jump in at any point.)

If you miss the days of super-hero comics that are just plain fun, then you will love Marvel Team-Up. The humor, action, and mystery are non-stop. Heroes punch each other! Things blow up! Aliens do mysterious things! What's not to like? Do yourself a favor and try out MTU #4 now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week!