“Yesterday’s” Comic> Jackie Chan’s Spartan X #1

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Jackie Chan’s Spartan X: The Armor Of Heaven #1

Topps (May, 1997)

Charlton Crenshaw seeks the Armor Of God, the pieces of which each grant certain powers but together are said to save or doom the world. Against the wishes of his daughter, Clyte, Crenshaw seeks the aid of soldier of fortune Spartan X, who has run afoul of a cult as part of Crenshaw testing his skills. Meanwhile. Spartan X (who also goes by “Jackie”) and Clyte goes to retrieve the helmet known as the “Mind Of God” from where it was being studied, but one of the scientists studying it put the helmet on and learns it allows him to read minds…and turned a little nuts in the bargain. As Jackie hitches a ride on his helicopter skid someone in another helicopter wants him dead…if the thief doesn’t kill him first!

What they got right: I haven’t seen Armor Of God (although I did see the sequel, Operation Condor), the Jackie Chan movie this story is inspired by. However, this does feel like a Jackie Chan movie, from Spartan’s stunts, to his being called Jackie, to the craziness his characters tend to deal with. There are also biographical articles about Jackie’s life and career spread out throughout the miniseries, written by Ric Meyers, who knows a lot about Chan.

What they got wrong: I don’t like Clyte at all. She’s the usual cold-hearted b##%% who you know will fall for the hero yada yada, and she could give Talia Al Ghul a lesson in father worship. There’s nothing likable about her at all.

Recommendation: This is a good start to the miniseries. It feels more like Jackie Chan than the Jackie Chan Adventures cartoon I admit to enjoying, and that was still pretty good. Chan’s fans should look for this. Too bad it was cut short.