Secret Wars (Comics)

Secret Wars - copyright: Marvel Comics, written by Jim Shooter and art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton

When I am reading a comic book or watching a movie about superheroes, sometimes I start to reason “what if a different character would have done if he or she was there?” For example: imagine an action scene where Spider-Man is fighting both Dr. Octopus and the Lizard. In the final of the story, he loses the fight. Then, you could think: what if Captain America was there to help him? Would the battle final be the same?

If you know a little bit about how comics work, you will know that the Marvel characters (or many other comics company, such as DC Comics) live in the same universe, but do not interact very often. The reason is simple: characters like Spider-Man and Captain America have their own titles. Therefore, if you want to read Spidey stories, then you should look for his comics. Of course, they still interact in big crisis, in special stories or in hero groups like the Avengers.

There is even crossovers between the Marvel and DC comics (but that is a story for another post)

And if you think about the entire Marvel universe, then the encounter of all different characters and groups is even more difficult. And that one reason why the story called Secret Wars is so remarkable: it is considered one of the first comics to group such a large roster of characters. Secret Wars is able to satisfy (some of) the curiosity about how would it be if the heroes could help each other when facing a deadly menace. 

Secret Wars first issue front cover

Written by Jim Shooter and draw by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton for Marvel Comics in 1989, the story had twelve chapters and lots of action scenes and cliffhangers. Secret Wars main plot is not astonishing nowadays, as it is regularly (re)used by different series and stories. Nevertheless, it was very interesting when it was released. It even inspired some sequels (that are not as good as the original) and a modern “Secret Wars”, released three years ago with many similar concepts.

The story is as follows. A group of superheroes and a group of super villains from the Marvel Universe were gathered by a super powerful cosmical being, called Beyonder, with a single purpose: to fight and show to him what means “good” and “evil”. They are left in an unknown planet, created in a region many light-years away from the Earth. The planet is full of war bases and technological devices, courtesy of Beyonder, which increases the possibilities of how the conflict can be settled.

"The War Begins" 

The winners of the war will have all their wishes come true. The heroes rooster includes members of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, among other “independent” heroes: Thor, She-Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Mister Fantastic, Wasp, Magneto among many others. The villains rooster is also respectable, counting with Galactus, Doctor Doom, Enchantress, Ultron, Doctor Octopus, Molecular Man, and others.

The villains group is as strong as the heroes group

The plot develops along each edition, always full of battles and surprises, like the discovery of new war bases and extraterrestrial people. The presence of a Galactus adds new possibilities to the conflict, as he is a very powerful cosmical being like Beyonder. Besides, more than just battles and cosmical threats, it is very interesting to see the how the each character deals with the situations in a personal way.

The story is full of great action scenes

There are many great examples of individual struggles: Reed Richards is very worried about his pregnant wife, Sue, that stayed at Earth; Magneto, put in the heroes side, must deal with the distrust of his companions; Doom sees the conflict as an opportunity to gain great power; Ben Grimm, facing many “blackouts” in his “Thing powers”, have to choose his actions carefully; Captain America tries to be a leader worth of his team; Hulk, that at the time was intelligent, slowly started to become irrational again. All these elements (and many others) create a unique and rich story, with many great cliffhangers and changes in the story development.

A classical frame: Hulk saves the heroes literally holding a mountain on his back

The series had some effects over the characters regular series, such as the Thing leaving the Fantastic Four, being replaced by the She-Hulk, and the end of Colossus relationship with Kitty Pride. Probably the most significant is the first appearance of Spider-Man black uniform, which later would become one of the most significant villains of the neighborhood friends, the deadly symbiote Venom. Other characters were also introduced, such as the second Spider-Woman and the villains Volcana and Titania.

The appearance of the Spider-Man Black uniform

Secret Wars has two (minor) issues: the art standards and the plot consistency. While most of the time the characters and environments are nicely drawn, there are a few frames with poor quality. It is like the artists had to draw these frames fast, lacking precision and even the proportion of the characters. And talking about the plot, it is good in general, but sometimes the story fells a bit stretched. This can explain some of the characters inconsistent actions that only seem to exist in order to justify more pages. Nevertheless, these facts are just exceptions in the saga.

It is great to see all these characters together in the same story

If you always wondered how Wolverine, Thor, Spider-Man and The Thing would work together, wonder no more. Secret Wars is a comic books series where the Marvel greatest heroes and villains are set in a cosmic fight, where the winner side can have their dreams come true. It has a great story, good art and added/changed many characters and facts to the Marvel canon. More than a great comic by itself, Secret Wars was a pioneer in great crossover events and deserves its place among the most classic stories ever.

Along the trails of the West (Comics)

"Lungo i sentieri del West" - copyright: Sergio Bonelli Editore. Written by Antonio Segura and art by José Ortiz.

There are many countries that are well-known for some particular stuff. For example, when you think about soccer, it probably reminds you about Brazil. If you think about sushi, you possibly also think about Japan. And if you think about deserts, it reminds you of the Egypt. Finally, if you think about western stories, what comes to your head? Was it “United States”? Actually, the western stories remind me of Italy.

Well, at least in the comic’s world, my relation is completely correct. The Italian Sergio Bonelli Editore is the best western comic producer, where you can find stories worthy of the classical American bang-bang. And the name responsible for the success is basically one: Tex Willer. Created by Bonelli and Gallepini, Tex is icon for the western comics as Superman is for the superhero comics.

Tex Willer riding a horse

In continuous publication since its creation, in 1948, Tex’s stories are famous in many countries, being considered the best of its segment. Greece, Turkey, Spain, Brazil, and, obviously, Italia, are some examples of where Bonelli comics, that has many others interesting characters and stories besides Tex, is a reference of quality and fun.

Tex 500 cover (from left to right): Kit Willer (Tex's Son), Tiger Jack (Navajo Warrior), Tex Willer, Kit Carson (old Tex's friend)

In my opinion, one of the best Tex stories is “Lungo i sentieri del West”, in the original, or something like “Along the trails of the west”. First published on the volume Maxi Tex #13, in October 2009, this 324 pages story is full of everything that a great western story must have: stagecoach chases, desert travels, Indians wrath against some corrupted palefaces, quick draw duels, and more.

Maxi Tex #13 cover

The main plot of the story is a western classic: after many crimes committed by a group of outlaws, Tex, a ranger and a justice man, is on their trail to bring justice to their victims. However, the bandits do not give up, which leads to a chase across the west American territory. It is the Bonelli Editore quality standard in its highest level.

Stagecoach chase

During the travel, Tex helps a lot of people along the way, many of them victims of the outlaws. He faces dangers like tornados, cheetahs, and snowstorms. And if at first this looks too fantastic for a western comic, you better read it for yourself. The writer Antonio Segura created the adventure plot with passion, mixing action, drama, and thriller moments in a perfect balance. The story follows an exciting rhythm, but without forgetting the important details and the characters developments.

Tex and Carson in a saloon gun battle

The story “Lungo i sentieri del West” also has a great artwork. José Ortiz style is absolutely amazing, making the entire action look really credible and intense. You can almost feel thirsty in the desert, of feel nervous during a gunfight. As I said before, the story goes along the American territory, which makes you face different environments, all of them brilliantly designed.

From sandstorms to icy mountains

It is interesting to see that the Ranger meets many friends during the story. The stories of the Tex Willer universe are all connected (with a few exceptions). So, it is natural to see him talking about past adventures, or meeting with people met in previous stories. If you’re a regular reader, these facts are like funny memories; if it is your first story, these moments make you feel like “wow, this is not a simple cowboy story”, making you feel how depth is Tex fictional universe.

"In that same time at Prescott...", as a classic old west town

During the story, there are some plot twists that leave the chase in the background. However, this is not a bad thing, as these events take the reader to new and exciting situations. For example, there is a moment when Tex helps some traveler families to pass through a Ute Indian reservation. Tex is also the Chief of the Navajos (I will not tell how this happened, but if you did not know it, I suggest you to look for this great story in past Tex comics), a Native American tribe of the United States, and it is interesting to see how he deals with this dual responsibility: help the lost travelers, but not harm the Utes territorial rights.

Tex needs to show his abilities in order to survive an Indian fight challenge

As good as any western movie of John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, “Lungo i sentieri del West” is a perfect story for the genre fans. A great adventure, that takes you to shootouts and deserts, saloons and long horse ridings, in the company of Tex Willer. A tough but noble man, who does everything to bring justice against the outlaws, regardless their color, properties or native land. A complete western adventure, full of fun for everybody who likes a thrilling story.

Justice (comics)

Justice: copyright DC Comics

Superhero comic stories, in general, are structured in a familiar basic form: first, we are presented to the characters, the good and the bad ones; second, some villain(s) makes an evil thing, that affects all the heroes, preventing them of fighting back when all the planet is threatened; third, the good guys (and ladies, if it was the case) must overcome the obstacles to save themselves, and then, defeat the villain(s) to save the rest of the world.

Yes, we may know the start and (great part of) the end of the story, and even some check-points along the way. But it doesn’t matter, because the fun in reading a comic book is to discover how the things happen during the story. In another words, how the plot evolves, the heroes solve the problems, fight the villains, and save the day (again).

In my opinion, the best superhero comic story, which is written in this “classical” way, is called JUSTICE, from Alex Ross (plot and art), Jim Krueger (plot), and Doug Braithwaite (art). The story is centered in the fight of the Justice League against the Legion of Doom, and was published from 2005 to 2007.

Justice Deluxe Edition Cover

Regardless the simple structure, the story is very dynamic. Initially, we are presented to the heroes: Superman, Batman, Wonder-Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, among others. All of them are suffering vision of an apocalyptic future, where the planet is destroyed.

The Justice League, in an amazing picture... I mean, painting

However, the villains had the same nightmare: Lex Luthor, The Riddler, Cheetah, Captain Cold, Sinestro, Black Manta… and they started to make things to turn the world better, as ending wars and giving food to the starving.

The Legion of Doom

Of course, the things could not be that easy. The villains start to attack the heroes, claiming that their slack in fighting the world real problems make them as guilt as the bad guys. And there starts the falling of the Justice League, in the hands of the Legion of Doom.

Legion of Doom vs Justice League

The heroes must overcome all the defeats and difficulties, in order to defeat the villains and really save the world. As I said before, the story is predictable, but the plot is still amazing, with many great turning points.

Even those not used to read DC comics are able to enjoy the story. There are no previous chapters, or past facts that have happen some editions before. It’s like the characters are in the classical comic status quo, where everything is just how we all (or most of us) imagine. For example, Clark Kent is a reporter, and secretly also the Superman, who is weak to Kryptonite, always trying to save her love Lois Lane. Everything is very familiar, and that is perfect to the story.

There is nothing like glasses to change the appearance

Obviously, Alex Ross art could be the best of Justice for itself. His unique detailed “pictures” are famous in all the comics’ universe, making every story remarkable. As his work is complex, full of reference researches and meticulous paintings, his art is only reserved to the best works. Just as Justice.

Even the sketches are amazing

In twelve issues, Justice is able to deliver a high quality superhero plot, with one of the best arts available in the comics. Each number leaves you wanting to discover what comes next, and how the good will defeat the evil. The story cliffhangers are smart, adding some thriller to the adventure, which also has the traditional superhero humor.

We all know that everything ends fine; however, many times you will ask to yourself “will the Justice League be able to defeat the Legion of Doom save the world?” That’s the magic behind a great story: you get involved with the characters and end up hopping for happy ending. Justice has this magic in all its pages, being always one of the best superhero comics of all time.

Life and Times of Uncle Scrooge (Comics)

Life and Times of Uncle Scrooge: copyright The Walt Disney Company

Several people think that comics are a silly, childish media format. Among many considerations, some say that the art is, usually, too simple; others, that the structures are repetitive and appellative, lacking of historical; others, say that the stories are superficial, and don’t treat philosophical and social questions. I respectfully disagree of these opinions.

Of course, there are comic’s stories with these characteristics. Even the good ones may have a bit of these problems, but can deliver fun and entertaining. Although, the best comics are able to excel at all points, from the art style, to the plot and characters. They are not numerous, but the quality of them is undeniable.

For me, one of the top comics of all time is called: The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. Written and drawn by Keno Don Hugo Rosa, or just Don Rosa, it has been first published from 1992 to 1994. This work granted to Don Rosa a Will Eisner Award (or the comic’s Oscar) in 1997, and it was reprinted in many “collection edition” along the years.

Life and Times Companion Cover

As the title may suggest, the comic tells the biography of Uncle Scrooge, the well-known Disney characters. For those who doesn’t know, Scrooge is Donald’s uncle, by the mother side of the family, and the richest man of the world (in the Disney’s comics universe, men, ducks, pigs, gooses, dogs, and many others anthropomorphically beings naturally live together). “Life and Times” shows how Uncle Scrooge got his big fortune, though it’s not its main objective.

"King of the Klondike" is one of the key parts of the story

The plot of the comic story, and the reason why it’s one of the best stories of all time, is about Scrooge’s life, family and achievements, both material and personal. The story begins when he was a little duck, living with his poor family in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1877. Besides being poor, Uncle Scrooge is part of the McDuck clan, a very ancient and, in the past, powerful family.

Life and Times shows the past story of Uncle Scrooge

In order to conquer the clan proud, and to give his family a better life, the young duck start to travel around the world to get money. As he travels, Scrooge learns that, most of the times, the experiences lived are far more important than material goods, or that the ends do not always justify the means. The Life and Times ends when the duck turns to how we know him today, but, as Don Rosa does in others stories, with a different motivation: it’s not the amount of money that makes him rich, but the ways of how he get every penny that matters.

Don Rosa self (drawing) portrait - believe me, its equal

The story takes you to Scotland, United States, Australia, South Africa, Canada, among many others places. Each place was researched by the author, to turns the comic’s art a real face of the locations. Don Rosa is able to deliver fantastic environment drawings and fascinating and charismatic characters. Each frame is a well worked painting, which makes you feel as in the story.

The art work is amazing

More than a great art style, the author delivers a perfect plot, showing us the growing of Scrooge as he pass for misfortunes, problems and conquests. There are moments that almost make you cry, as well moments that make you feel angry, curious or impressed. All these feeling are present, with a lot of smart humor and an exciting adventure. Each chapter makes you want for more, as a stingy looking for a penny (literally speaking).

As this Disney comic universe doesn’t have a proper official history, the Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck isn’t a sanctioned biography of the rich duck. However, Don Rosa aimed to build a complete and self-sustained comic, with lots of references to historical facts, locations and people, and also references to his inspiration Carl Barks. For those who doesn’t know, Barks is considered the best “duck stories” artist of all time, being responsible for the most significant stories of Donald Duck and its family, and, inclusive, the creation of Scrooge McDuck.

Carl Barks (1901-2000)

Another great point of Life and Times is the new approach that Don Rosa has given to Scrooge McDuck. Most of the others authors show the duck as a “money hunter”, that looks for riches just to have them, regardless of the adventures or risks involved. For Don Rosa, the richness is not in having gold for itself: you need to deserve it, and never pass through the family, friends or anyone else to get it. That’s why his Scrooge McDuck is more proud of the adventures than the money, and that’s also why his stories are far more interesting. Inclusive, the famous “Number One Dime”, portrayed as the responsible to give good luck to the duck, and help him to be rich, is changed, for Rosa, to a symbol of how the hard work can lead you to anywhere you want, if you never forget your origins.

For Uncle Scrooge, the adventures lived are more valuable than all his money

Probably the best biography created for a comic character, “The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck” is an epic adventure, with incomparable art and plot. Based on citation made for Barks, in his comics, about the past of Donald’s uncle, and also in many real elements, Don Rosa created a forever literature classic. And, after reading, you will want to keep the comic inside a strongbox, safety protected as a treasure. Not because you’re a greedy miser, but because you will want to keep this classic for a next reading, full of adventures, humor, and, mainly, a fascinating and realistic saga.