Comic Book Time Machine

Yesterday saw the release of TWO comics that are related to the MCU . . . if not part of the MCU proper.  The Inifinty Watch #1 continues the event from last summer and spring, which featured the return of Coulson from the dead to take on the role of DEATH after becoming the Death Stone bearer. It’s not OUR Coulson, but it’s actually closer to OUR Coulson than the devil-worshiping murderer from a little bit ag . . . Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1 is the official prequel to the upcoming Disney+ series, which at one time was going to be part of the main MCU timeline but has now been revealed to be a branched timeline that’s part of the official multiverse. Ben read them today and released this episode to both Welcome to Level Seven and The Comic Book Time Machine!

The Comic Book Time Machine takes on something a little different from its usual fair of fanciful fantasy and artful action adventure . . . this time exploring a thoughtful and touching slice of life, with a graphic novel about parenthood, trauma, and dealing with the previous generation while raising the next. As a father and as a son, I found myself relating to this story and its exploration of what it means to be a man, deal with emotions, and generational trauma. Mad Cave Studios provided me with an Advanced Reader Copy, and I was so glad they did after I read it. CLAY FOOTED GIANTS releases October 8 and 9, 2024.

Coulson’s story continues in comics as he gets brought back to life and the newest Infinity Stone gives him some sort of death power . . . what does it mean? We find out a little bit more in the final six pages of the following annuals: Ms. Marvel Annual #1 (July 31, 2024) Wolverine Annual #1 (August 14, 2024) The Incredible Hulk Annual #1 (August 28, 2024) Moon Knight Annual #1 (September 4, 2024) Then Ben travels back in time to read Battle Scars #1-6 from 2011 and 2012, the comic series that introduced Philip Coulson to the Marvel comic book universe continuity!

Ben returns to the world of LOGAN’S RUN with a comic story that is TOTALLY NOT Logan’s Run, but TOTALLY IS Logan’s Run. What do you do when you have a Logan’s Run comic book issue, but don’t have the Logan’s Run license? You strip it of every specific detail that might link it to the movie it was based on and you put it in an anthology magazine as an original sci-fi dystopia story! You call it HUNTSMAN!

All four of this episode’s comics came in bags, but not blind bags. Still, Ben had no idea what to expect from these three IDW Transformers comics and one original Dollar Tree comic based on their original action figure line Final Faction. What Ben found inside: * A Transformers comic that was perfectly fine * A Transformers comic that was a LOT of fun * A Transformers comic that inspired him creatively and gave him some new structural storytelling methods to consider * And an action figure line that went FULL ON G.I. Joe!!!

“Wait. What?” ~ Ben’s exact words when he was looking at comic book soliciations for last month. But The Human Fly is back! It’s a new series! A new continuity! A new creative team! A new publisher! A new millennium! But the same concept: he’s the wildest superhero every . . . because he’s real! And he’s starting with two new stories in a #0 issue. So, what does Ben think about it? Find out here!

Philip Coulson died in the comics. Then he returned as an evil creation of Mephisto. And now he’s back again! This episode is being posted to both Comic Book Time Machine and Welcome to Level Seven since it deals with both the worlds of Agents of SHIELD and the comic books!

Ben digs into his stash of blind bags for some blind bag comics fun, opening a bag he doesn’t remember buying that reveals: A Superman comic he hopes will be good and is probably the reason he bought the bag (it’s an annual, meaning it’s a longer read A comic from Continuity Comics, a company he was familiar with because a friend read them, but this was his first real introduction to reading comics from this publisher A comic he thought he had read before in a previous blind bag episode . . . and (spoiler) he was right The question is: even if one of these comics is something he has read before in another blind bag episode, with the Annual’s extra length will this bag feel like a successful blind bag experience? Will the Superman annual be a satisfying story? And what’s the deal with Continuity Comics? All this and more (but not much more) in this episode of The Comic Book Time Machine!

Seven months ago or so, Ben took a look at the first two issues of a Marvel franchise crossover and a DC franchise crossover. He pitted the two debut issues against each other then, but now he’s BACK to follow up on these series not that they have concluded. And this time, there is a definitive winner. One of these comic series comes out on top as a winner in Ben’s estimation. But the crossovers are fun, using the different worlds and characters to their full advantage to tell two very different stories. Listen to the first episode discussing the first issue of each series here: PREDATOR VS WOLVERINE Verses JUSTICE LEAGUE VS KONG VS GODZILLA (Ben)- CBTM 186

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we’re exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. It’s the end of an era. Ben reads the final two issues of John Carter, Warlord of Mars from Marvel Comics, wrapping up another of Marvel’s Cosmic Comic Series. John Carter, the Marvel comic title, began before Star Wars and surely gained a slight boost because of Star Wars, but it did not last nearly as long as the Star Wars comic series did. Like The Human Fly, 2001, Man from Atlantis, and many other licensed titles, John Carter was canceled and faded into obscurity. But Star Wars DID give it some new life . . . in 1981. And Ben ALSO picks up two Star Wars comics from 1981 that connect to the John Carter comic series.

OK. It’s not a muck monster . . . and may not technically be a swamp, but a CREATURE from a LAGOON is close enough!!! Join Ben as he talks about a comic series he was wary about, but after taking the chance on the first two issues, he is ALL IN! (Sorry for the spoiler . . . but he liked it.)

For the first time in Comic Book Time Machine history, Ben reviews a comic from THE FUTURE! This basically means that thanks to Mad Cave, publishers of today’s comic book topic, Ben was able to read an advanced reader’s copy of GATCHAMAN #1 and GATCHAMAN – KEN: DEATHMATCH! So not as impressive as time traveling BUT it was still fun! (Thank you, Mad Cave!!!) Not unusual for the Comic Book Time Machine, these comics acted as a time machine that took Ben back into the past, and in this episode Ben nostalgically looks back at his Gatchaman fandom . . . which did not start out as Gatchaman fandom at all, but started with Battle of the Planets . . . the Americanized and sanitized version of Gatchaman brought to English speaking audiences by Sandy Frank Productions. So did he like the NEW series? You’ll have to sit through a lot of talking about childhood memories to find out!

Ben reads the smallest comics he has ever seen! And by “reads”, we mean “looks at and tries to read but they’re so small”! Join us for an unboxing of tiny figures with tiny comics!!!

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we’re exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. For this episode, Ben reads the FINAL three chapters in the 12-issue epic “Master Assassin of Mars” from JOHN CARTER issues 25-27, cover dated July 1979, August 1979, and September 1979! Coincidentally, there was a hiatus between issues 24 and 25 . . . just like there was a hiatus between the episodes covering those issues! For Marvel, it was like two months. For Ben . . . much longer. NOTE: For Marvel’s Cosmic Comics, Ben is choosing a BOLD NEW way of doing things that he’s going to try out with John Carter. Multiple issues per episode, and not month by month. This means he might jump around a bit between series and not go chronologically through the calendar, month by month.

In the days after the fall of the Galatic Empire, one man stands to seek justice for Emperor Palpatine.  Kir Kanos the last Imperial Royal Guard, seeks vengeance on all those who killed the Emperor as the last act of his sacred oath.  Daniel delves into this story and chronicles why he enjoys this new to him 25 year old Star Wars arc, what he finds works best for Star Wars storytelling, and what appeals to him about Kir Kanos. 

It’s a battle royale of battle royale comics! Predator vs Wolverine verses Justice League vs Kong vs Godzilla!!! Which comic book will win? Which has the better art? The better story? The better price? The better covers? And when it comes down to it, which ones will Ben continue reading???

Daniel is moving across the country, so he and Matt met one last time to talk comics and selling collectibles on eBay. Plus, a special guest appearance by Ben Avery!

Man-Thing celebrated his 50th anniversary recently, and so as time goes on the issues of his comic books have been celebrating their own 50th anniversaries! While I am not sure how long this will last, I wanted to take a look at these comics . . . about 50 years later. In this issue, Man-Thing is drawn into a conflict with a man and a woman who are in a conflict over a child . . . and the relationship trauma and issues and inter-personal dynamics may not be great, but the story sets up some of what’s to come from THE MAN-THING!!! MAN-THING’S ORIGINS (Savage Tales #1 and Astonishing Tales #12 and 13) Swamp Things Ep. 2 – CBTM103

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we’re exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. For this episode, Ben reads the next three chapters in the 12 issue epic “Master Assassin of Mars” from JOHN CARTER issues 21-23, December 1978, January 1979, and February 1979! John Carter? That’s not what was SUPPOSED to show up here! Ben is choosing a BOLD NEW way of doing things that he’s going to try out with John Carter. Multiple issues per episode, and not month by month.

Ben opens another blind bag, this one purchased from a store that purchased it from a Wal-Mart to resell it. Ben rescued it from a table filled with random items from Wal-Mart. The comic books inside are not anything that Ben would read on his own, but since he purchased the blind bag, well, he reads what’s inside. And what’s inside? Inside, Ben finds: Star Wars #14 [Second Printing Variant] Howard the Duck #3 [Second Printing] All-New Inhumans #3 [Second Printing] Secret Wars #7 [Second Printing] Doctor Strange #12 [Second Printing Variant] All-New X-Men #1 [Mark Bagley Cover] Secret Empire #7 [Second Printing] Here is a cover gallery of the comics from this blind bag: