Tough Life: Runaways #15

Even in the most normal of families, kids are frequently appalled by their parents. They dress funny, and say weird things, and are just embarassing all the way round. So you can imagine how much worse it is when your parents turn out to be evil super-villains who want to rule the world. Getting grounded would be the least of your worries!

That is precisely the problem that the young heroes of Runaways had to deal with. When these kids discovered that their parents were on the wrong side of the good/bad divide, they stole a bunch of their folk's villainous gear and ran away from home. Even though they eventually defeated their parents, the Runaways troubles are far from over. Not only do they have to fend for themselves in the world, but they have to deal with any threats that rise up to fill in the void left by their naughty moms and dads.

Of course, some threats are more personal than others. When friends of the Runaways' disgraced, and dead, former leader (Alex Wilder) try to ressurect Alex, they actually succeed in bringing back a young version of Alex's evil dad. (I know this is confusing, but that's what it's like to be a teenager, isn't it?) Needless to say, Geoffrey Wilder isn't any too pleased to find out what these bratty kids have gotten up to. As far as he's concerned, it is time for a SERIOUS spanking!

Runaways #15 is written by Brian K. Vaughan, with pencils by Adrian Alphona. Vaughan has a reputation for telling great stories (Y: The Last Man and Mystique, to name just two), and he lives up to that reputation here. The characters are well-developed, and the messes they find themselves in seem believable, even though they are firmly set in crazy super-hero world. Alphona's art is clean and simple, with enough style (and a bit of anime influence) to keep things visually interesting.

No matter how weird your family may be, your domestic troubles will seem like a breeze compared to the lives of the Runaways! So don't run away from home, pick up Runaways #15 today and you'll feel much better about your own life. Try it now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. It's way cheaper than counselling!

Pointed Truth = Wolverine: Origins #1

Wolverine: He's the best there is at what he does. And what he does is carry around an enormously convoluted backstory! For decades, Wolvie has been the go-to guy for enigmatic storytelling. He's had so many different phony origins and shocking revelations that were later revealed to be untrue, no one knows what to believe about poor old Logan. In fact, he's had enough fictional memory implants and episodes of amnesia, that even Wolverine doesn't know his real past.

Marvel is hoping to change all that with the new ongoing series Wolverine: Origins. It could be argued that, what with being in the X-Men, the Avengers, and his own book, we already have more than enough Wolverine each month. However; thanks to the events of the recent House of M series, this book does have a purpose in the Wolvie-verse. During the big M-event, Logan got the one thing he always wanted: his memory came back! Of course, a hundred years worth of returned memories does bring back a whole bunch of unfinished business that needs takin' care of.

Wolverine: Origins gives writer Daniel Way and artist Steve Dillon the opportunity to work through all of that unfinished business with Logan. This series focuses on Wolvie's attempts to take care of business and get some payback for all the crummy stuff that various governments and evil organizations have heaped on him over the last century or so. With these events all kept in this book, the creative team don't have to worry about any crossovers or world-changing catastrophies going on in the rest of the Marvel Universe. Just pure angry-Logan action!

The team is off to a good start in Origins #1. Wolvie doesn't fool around. Now that he has his memories back, he heads straight to the White House to ask a few "pointed" questions. (Get it? Pointed? Claws? Ha!) Unfortunately, nothing is ever simple for Wolverine, and SHIELD, a nuclear missile, and a huge killer robot all end up involved. Way's story is intense and fast-paced, as all the best Wolverine stories are. Dillon's realistic art brings a great, hard edge to this gritty tale. Nobody draws better tooth-gritting tough guys than Steve Dillon. Wolvie is clearly here to chew gum and kick butts, but he's NEVER been much of a gum chewer! Plus, for all you old-school fan folks, this series features Wolvie in his classic 1980s brown and tan costume!

If you like Wolverine, but don't want to read any of the universe-spanning crossovers he tends to appear in, this is the book for you. This title is all set to be great self-contained, butt-kicking fun. This is your chance to find all the answers about Wolverine's past in one convenient place. Give it a try, bub! Especially now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week.

Can you keep a secret? Illuminati Special

Shhhh! Can you keep a secret? I hope so, because we are gonna talk about some seriously classified stuff today. Secret society stuff. Don't mention a word of this to anyone, or we may have to send some men in black over to "re-educate" you. We understand each other? Good.

A lot of people believe that there are secret societies ruling the world from behind the scenes. Personally, I'm a bit sceptical. Our government can't even keep its bribery and adultery scandals secret, let alone hide alien spaceships or conceal the fact that the Freemasons are really ruling the world. I think some people find comfort in the idea of secret societies. If most of our elected officials seem incompetent, isn't it nice to think the REALLY smart people are in control behind the scenes?

Of course, the Marvel Universe is a bit different from the real world. In their universe, there really are some people who may just be smart enough to run things from behind the scenes. At least, Tony Stark (AKA Iron Man) thinks so. In the New Avengers: Illuminati special, the history of Marvel's secret society is finally revealed. After the Kree-Skrull War, Stark decides that the world's heroes need to unite, work together, and share information to prevent possible future disasters on the same massive scale. To that end, Tony gathers the leaders and great minds of the super-human community: Reed Richards, Charles Xavier, Black Bolt, Namor, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and (of course) himself. Unfortunately, great minds also come with great differences of opinion, and things don't work out quite the way Tony plans...

If you are planning to read any of the big events taking place in the Marvel Universe this year, you really need to read Illuminati. Planet Hulk, Civil War, and upcoming events in New Avengers, all spin out of this book. If you want a peek behind the scenes, to see who has been shaping the events of the Marvel U for the last couple of decades, you need to read Illuminati. If you like any of the other great books by creators Brian Bendis (who writes like 100 books a month nowadays) and Alex Maleev, you need to read Illuminati. So, to sum up, you need to read Illuminati.

We all know that one-shot specials often turn out to be pretty easy to pass up, having minimal repercussions and forgettable storylines. Don't make that assumption with this book! This is a key issue that will be pivotal to events in the months ahead. Get in the know, and read New Avengers: Illuminati! Just don't go running your mouth about it later. Loose lips and all that. Put on your extra-dark shades and skulk down to Four Color Fantasies to pick up a copy of this guaranteed Book of the Week. Ssshhhhhh!

Khonshu's Finest: Moon Knight #1

What kind of guy dresses up in an all-white outfit to go out at night and kick the crud out of evil-doers? The kind of guy you don't want to mess with. The kind of guy who is both nutty and dangerous. In other words, a Moon Knight kind of guy!

Moon Knight takes a lot of heat from the uninformed for being Marvel's Bat-Man wannabee. On the surface, the characters do have some similarities. At least one of Moony's personas is a rich playboy. Both heroes are regular guys, powered more by their own obsessions than by any super-abilities. Both heroes have a bundle of cool gadgets to help them thwart their enemies. Both heroes even have the scary, spooky "avenger in the night" vibe. So what makes Moon Knight different? He's a whole lot crazier than Bat-Man could ever be! In fact, Bats seems almost normal compared to Moon Knight.

For the uninitiated, Marc Spector (AKA Moon Knight) was a mercenary who "saw the light" when he died and miraculously returned to life in front of a statue representing the Egyptian deity Khonshu. Naturally, he assumed this meant Khonshu wanted him to go out and beat the daylights out of naughty people. Unlike most heroes, Spector wasn't satisfied with any one alter-ego. He developed a plethora of aliases, each with his own totally separate personality. When Spector takes on the roles of Jake Lockley, Steven Grant, or Moon Knight, it is not at all clear if he is playing a part or if he really thinks he has become someone else. This makes Moon Knight pretty unpredictable. You never know what he may be capable of, but he sure isn't playing by Bat-Man's strict rule book. I don't think Khonshu even has a rule book. (Hieroglyphics are such a pain!)

Crime novelist Charlie Huston, a long-time Moon Knight fan, definitely seems to be emphasizing the dark and unpredictable side of Khonshu's #1 disciple. This new series is not throwing out any of the old Moon Knight stories, but it is delving into a whole new phase of his life. Huston is clearly not afraid to take this character into some of the darkest places he has ever been. And Moony has never looked better with dark and detailed art by David Finch, last seen on New Avengers. Finch's take on the brooding Knight makes it very clear that you would NEVER want to run into him in a dark alley. Or anywhere else for that matter.

I have a feeling that, this time around, Moon Knight is gonna hit the big-time! He is finally going to earn the respect that a crazed vigilante in a moon-themed costume deserves. If you don't want to miss out, you need to pick up Moon Knight #1 while you can! You have nothing to lose while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week!!