Catch more from 87render on YouTube
That was really short. Let’s do a bonus one. It’s shorter.
It’s been a long time since we checked in with the Space Marines. For those you who missed our last bug hunt, Kenner created the Aliens toyline in 1992. This was to be joined by a cartoon, but that plan apparently fell through and the toyline itself never got past the fourth wave before disappearing. While Ripley was part of the Marines now the focus of the marketing was on Hicks, under the usual belief that boys didn’t want a toyline headlined by a girl. Apparently defeating a giant monster with a bipedal forklift wasn’t badass enough or something, despite Ripley usually being one of the go-to examples of a good badass female character done right. There are times I do not understand my own species.
In the previous look at the Aliens: Space Marines mini-comics I had to use YouTube video scans of the first three comics to get through the story. This is as lame as it sounds, as you needed to pause the video to have time to read the darn things, but it was the only source I could find. Thankfully someone on Flickr posted the whole set, though oddly issue #4 is lacking its cover. All that does is set up the story of the toyline anyway. Transcribed by the Aliens fan wiki:
Sometime in the future…
Humankind has begun to explore space, colonizing planets throughout the galaxy. Leading the way are the SPACE MARINES, the toughest heavy metal warriors in the galaxy! Armed to the teeth with state-of-the-art weaponry, they keep the peace in a universe filled with danger… and ALIENS!
Vicious, gruesome, and deadly, the Aliens spit acid, and use slithering face huggers to capture their prey. Led by their sinister Queen, the Aliens are spreading everywhere, mutating into more deadly forms as they go. Earth’s last defense: The Space Marines, known throughout the galaxy as the best bug-fighters around.
So lock and load, Marine, the invasion is on!
Tonight we’re looking at the fourth and fifth issue. Like issues one through three last time this seems to form a multi-part story that works on their own. We get to see more of Ripley than we did last time…and yet still she ends up having to be rescued by the dudes. Someone remind the feminists this was a boys toyline so the fact that she’s even there is a miracle, even if frankly the hero of the franchise until they mucked everything up (so I hear because this isn’t a franchise I follow) deserves better.
Even the covers seem to go together.
Aliens: Space Marines #s 4 & 5
Dark Horse Comics/Kenner (1992)
WRITER: Dan Jolley
LETTERER: Dan Nakrosis
EDITOR: Dan Thorsland
#4: “Jungle Attack” (packed with Gorilla Alien)
ARTIST: Tony Harris
COVER ART: Mark A. Nelson
#5: “Meltdown” (packaged with Sgt. Drake)
PENCILER: Rick Hoberg
INKER: Ian Akin
COVER ART: Joe Phillips
Tell others about the Spotlight:
“Nice poster art, but where’s the comic cover art? What do you mean ‘this is it’?”
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 [Free Comic Book Day Edition]
Marvel Comics (May, 2002; originally published November, 2000)
Notation from The Grand Comics Database: “This is a partial reprint of Ultimate Spider-Man (Marvel, 2000 series) #1 released for Free Comic Book Day in 2002. Parts of the story have been replaced by advertisements. It is edited in the same way as Ultimate Spider-Man Reprint “K-B” (Marvel, 2001 series) #[nn] (June 2001).”
“Powerless”
WRITERS: Brian Michael Bendis (script) & Bill Jemas (co-story)
PENCILER: Mark Bagley
INKER: Art Thibert
COLORIST: Steve Buccellato
LETTERING: Comicraft
EDITOR: Ralph Macchio
Tell others about the Spotlight:
The death of Han Solo didn’t bother me in The Force Awakens though I do agree he should have had a better sendoff. I found two old Entertainment Weekly articles from the same newsletter on the topic. One proves my point that Harrison Ford wanted to kill the character off a long time ago, while Carrie Fisher joked about being the one responsible.
That first article mentions that the writer would have liked to have seen Han and Boba Fett fight and I strongly disagree. For one thing, if Ford was finally getting his wish it seems wrong to have Boba be the one to do it because it ultimately robs Han of his victory. For another, as I noted recently, Boba Fett is overrated and there doesn’t need to be this huge rivalry. Han won, get over it!
Tell others about the Spotlight:
Chapter By Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.
Part 3: Talin chapter 10
Holidays and (hopefully) sick days behind us it’s time to get back to finishing this book. There aren’t a lot of chapters left so hopefully we’re close to find out what or who the true cause of all this mess is. Now that we have the band all back together it’s time to see them do what they do best. I’m not really sure what else I can discuss here so let’s get into this chapter and see if we can get this plot moving.
Tell others about the Spotlight:
We’re either late for Christmas or early for Halloween.
Swamp Thing #1
DC Comics (November, 1972; as posted to comiXology)
“Dark Genesis”
WRITER: Len Wein
ARTIST: Berni Wrightson
EDITOR: Joe Orlando
Wow, only three credits in a DC comic. Nowadays this wouldn’t even be half the list.
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Catch more from Funimation on YouTube
And watch the dub on their website. You’ll see why fans didn’t like the live-action show.
