Mythological Goodness: Thor #4

One of the best, and possibly craziest, ideas Stan Lee ever had was the notion to bring characters from mythology into the Marvel Universe. How awesome is it to have guys like Hercules and Odin running around with super-humans and mutants, delivering mighty, god-like, boots to the head of evil-doers? Verily, 'tis awesome in the extreme!

Of course, it is all too easy for these characters to be taken for granted. If writers treat a god of myth and legend like any other strong guy (No offense to Strong Guy!) in a cape, they can lose their godly grandeur. If Zeus just flies around busting bank robbers and muggers, you diminish the character AND you have a lame comic. Which brings us to our Book of the Week, Thor #4.

Thor has been absent from the Marvel Universe for a while, what with Ragnarok happening and Asgard vanishing into the mists of time and all. Fans knew the Thunder God would be back (Being immortal does tend to render Death a minor nuisance.), it was always a question of how and when. Lucky for readers, J. Michael Straczynski gets Thor. He brought the Son of Odin back with a bang, and with the awe-inspiring gravitas that is due a god who walks amongst men. This is the real deal, not some stupid clone/cyborg loser. (I'm looking at you, Stark!) Aided by the gorgeous artwork of Oliver Coipel, JMS makes Thor and Asgard as majestic and powerful as they should be.

In issue #4, Doctor Donald Blake (Thor's mortal alter-ego) and the Thuder God both strive to determine their place in this new world. Thor has brought back Asgard, but it is an empty kingdom. In this issue, Blake's medical skills find him helping a Doctors without Borders team in Africa. The people there are mired in a genocidal tribal war. It seems that no one from outside can help but, surely, there is something a god can do? And who are the three eerily familiar mercenaries who protect Blake's team?

If you are already a Thor fan, you'd be crazy to miss this new series! If you have never picked up a Thor comic, this issue is a great place to start! Either way, you need to try out Thor #4 now, while it is the guaranteed Book of the Week. This book is chock-full of mythological, butt-kicking goodness!

Annihilation: Conquest #1

Marvel has had a ton of big crossover events lately, and most of the hype and excitement has been heaped on to the Earth-centric action. Civil War and World War Hulk have been great stories, with some pretty serious consequences for the characters involved. However; the real, big-time, action has been going on way out in deep space. The universe-shattering wars of Annihilation make the superheroes little Civil War seem like a whole bunch of fuss over nothing.

Seriously, in the first Annihilation series, whole planetary empires were destroyed; strings of planets got blown up, major characters died in droves. You just can't get sci-fi, space-opera action on such a huge scale anywhere else.Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, along with penciller Tom Raney, sure aren't letting up on the action in the latest series, Annihilation: Conquest.

If you haven't tried out any of the Annihilation events yet, the first issue of Conquest quickly gets you up to speed. The Kree Empire has been crushed by the seemingly unstoppable Phalanx, and bunch of techno-organic alien conquerors who can corrupt your technology as quickly as they can your body. Kree citizens are being melted down for fuel while the Phalanx are building an army big enough to subjugate the entire universe. The only hope to stop the Phalanx comes from the small groups of rebels scattered around the galaxy and a newly reborn Adam Warlock. Of course, Adam doesn't remember who he is, and he may not feel like helping, so the future doesn't look too bright for the Kree. Or anyone else, for that matter.

With heaping helpings of cosmic action, gorgeous artwork, and an epic story, Annhilation: Conquest #1 is too good to pass up! Fight your way past the alien hordes to Four Color Fantasies this week so you can, with the added safety of a money-back guarantee, try out this space-tastic Book of the Week!

Crazier than the Punisher: Foolkiller #1

So, like many discerning readers, you like the Punisher. You like seeing the bad guys get what they deserve. When Frank Castle strings some guy's intestines around like Christmas tree lights, or runs over someone with a steamroller, you get a guilty (or not) thrill. But every once in a while you say to yourself, "The Punisher IS awesome, but he could be a little MORE crazy!" You, my friend, need to check out Foolkiller.

Foolkiller #1, by Gregg Hurwitz and Lan Medina, is a new take on this often forgotten character. The original was a flamboyant Steve Gerber creation who went around in buccaneer boots and a floppy hat, vaporizing stupid people. This new version, published under Marvel's mature readers Max imprint (Definitely NOT for the young or faint of heart!), is a whole different kettle of vigilante justice. This Foolkiller is a massively-muscled psychopath with a cane sword, a vicious dog, and an evil jester tattoo. He's traded in the goofy outfit for a wife-beater and a buzz cut.

Foolkiller #1 shows us more of the horribly creative results of his "work" than of the man himself. Seriously, the Punisher is a sentimental old softy compared to this guy. He dishes out "poetic justice" in ways that involve some seriously creative mutilations and slow, painful, deaths. His motivation is left unclear, but his targets range from petty criminals, to rapists, to white-collar, big business guys. No one is safe from the Foolkiller. You really don't want to attract this guy's attention.

Hurwitz introduces the character as a shadowy urban legend, who turns out to be very real. The Foolkiller is a menacing figure in the darkness, who leaves evil-doers with his calling card (a "Fool" from the Tarot deck) stapled to their stumps. The fact that we don't know who he is, or why he does this, makes him that much more intriguing. Lan Medina's dark, detailed, and often gruesome, art perfectly captures the hyper-real urban stalking grounds of this mysterious character. Scary stuff, kids!

As long as you've been keeping your nose clean, and you have a strong stomach, you should check out Foolkiller #1. If you've been tempted to do something naughty, this book just might change your mind. If you've already given in to the temptation, watch out when you walk down a dark alley, because the Foolkiller might be looking for you!