Showing posts with label dc/marvel all access. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dc/marvel all access. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

DC/Marvel All Access #3 (1997)


DC/Marvel All Access #3 (Late February, 1997)
"In the Doctor's House"
Story - Ron Marz
Pencils - Jackson Guice
Inks - Joe Rubenstein
Colors - Lee Loughridge
Letters - Bill Oakley
Separators - Digital Chameleon
Associate Editor - Chris Duffy
Editor - Mike Carlin
Guiding Force - Mark Gruenwald
Cover Price: $1.95

Welcome everyone to Super Blog Team-Up #9 MAGIC!

 This is usually where I engage in a bit of self-depreciation about how my stuff will probably pale in comparison to the other great folks taking part... but I'll spare you all this time around.  So, no self-depreciation this time, got it?

 So, this week it appears we've got yet another comic book movie that I'm not going to see opening in theaters.  Anyone who has followed my blog for any amount of time knows that the flicks ain't my thang.  I'm all about the comics, however, if you dig the movies... that's cool.  I really hope you enjoy Dr. Strange.

 Speaking of the good doctor, today we're going to be discussing a run-in he had with a certain Caped Crusader of Gotham City.  This occurred during the All Access series that spun out of the Amalgam Universe clusterschmazz.  If you wanna get up to speed on this one, I did discuss the issue that came before it a few months back.  Long story short, Access... the only (to my knowledge) DC and Marvel co-owned character, has the power to travel between the universes.  He has been tasked with keeping them separate, as for whatever reason, they really seem to want to merge.  During this series, the universes appear to be doing just that.  Marvel characters are popping up in Gotham City, and DC characters are making the leap as well.

 What follows is my normal spoilery synopsis, a review, a smattering of interesting ads from the issue, and finally a listing of all the other great blogs taking part in the "hop".  If you've found me through one of them, I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time to check me out... and I hope you enjoy, and decide to pop back in from time to time!

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Picking up where we left off at the end of last issue, the Scorpion looms over Robin and Jubilee... Access is there too, being just as useful as we've come to expect.  Lucky for the tots, Batman just happened to be swooping by.  He knocks Scorp off his feet, and proceeds to engage in some Batmanny tough talk.

Scorpion, having not ever seen a Batman before, isn't terribly impressed.  If he knew any better he wouldn't come at the Bat with sass... but, he doesn't... so he does.  To quickly take him out, Batman THAK!'s him on the head with a batarang.  Makes me glad this didn't happen post-2000, or else the 'rang might have sliced the top of his head off... or at least cost him an eye!

With the threat neutralized, Batman looks to his sidekick to find out just what in the hell he walked into.  He lectures Tim a bit on engaging Two-Face all by his lonesome before turning his attention to the garishly dressed mutant girl and the shoulder-padded goofball who brought her here.  Access gets all "hommina hommina" and tries to tell Batman that folks have been appearing in the wrong universe.  Batman... wishes him luck figuring it all out.  Wow, that's cold Bruce.

Access pleads with Batman to help him get to the bottom of this... claiming he needs a detective rather than a powerhouse.  His appeal is met with... well, zero resistance.  Batman decides to throw in with our hero.  He informs Jubilee that it's time to go... but she don't wanna... she asks for just a moment of privacy with Robin... and makes Batman (and Access) turn their backs.  Okay, that was pretty cute.

What follows really makes me feel bad for Jubilee.  I mean, she's really hung up on the Boy Wonder, and he... well, he just doesn't seem all that into her.  Anyhoo, they kiss... though, I think Robin's just being polite.  To further drive the point home, a flyer for the Gotham City Playhouse production of Romeo & Juliet blows by in the breeze.  Oy...

Okay, with the goodbyes said... it's time to go.  Batman has Access transport him into the Marvel Universe.  Upon arrival, Access offers to take Jubilee home, however, she has another destination in mind.  We get a pretty neat shot of Batman thinking he's seen Catwoman... but it's really just the Black Cat.  Wonk wonk.

Access returns and shares with Batman the story of the Amalgam Universe.  Batman doesn't remember... which makes sense, because as far as Access can tell, he himself the only one who knows.  He tells Batman about the most powerful being in the Amalgamated Universe... Dr. Strangefate!  Now, Strangefate was so powerful that he was actually aware that the Amalgam U wasn't supposed to exist!

Access thinks to himself, and recalls recognizing the window of a certain Bleecker Street dwelling... and so, he escorts the Batman there.  Batman being the master detective and all-around shadowy fella that he is... decides to crash through that very same into, right into the home of Doctor Strange!

The two prepare to engage in spiritual and physical warfare.  Batman informs him that he believes Strange to be the key to saving both of their universes.  Before a single punch or magical blast is thrown/fired, Access pops his head in to ruin all the fun.  Jeez, this dude is a buzzkill.  

He shares his suspicion with Strange... but Steve is steadfast in his innocence.  Batman tells Strange that he's "comin' with him" back to the DC Universe for further observation.  The Doc really ain't feelin' that.

There is a sudden burst of light... and we find that the X-Men are now on the scene.  Not really sure which X-Man has the power of teleportation in this scene... but, we'll just allow it.  Batman tries to plead his case, but Cyclops has another plan in mind.  Jean Grey, the Phoenix can see if Strange is hiding any nefarious secrets.

Strange is cool with this option, and allows Jean into his mind.  She read him... and gives the "all clear".  There is nothing sinister lurking in the good Doctor.

Access is shocked!  Shocked, I tell you!

Batman takes Access' surprise as evidence that this mind-reading wasn't quite as extensive as he'd like.  He still insists on bringing Strange back to the DCU.  This ticks off Bishop, who throws a punch... and gets his be-hind knocked out for his troubles.

We've now got Batman vs. the X-Men... kinda.  Cannonball launches in Batman's direction, despite Cyclops' command to the contrary.  Batman uses Sam's momentum against him, and sends him flying directly into Storm.  It isn't long, however, before the numbers game catches up to the Bat.  He soon finds himself staring into the business end of Bishop's guns.

What the X-Men (and me, as the reader if I'm being honest) didn't notice was that during the fracas, Access left to seek reinforcements.  What he returns with is the JL-freaking-A.  This is the magnificent sev... well, six... and they ain't happy.  Clearly, this is... [to be continued...]

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 Well... this sure was an issue of a comic book.

 Ya see, I purposely didn't read this one until this past week.  I wanted to save it for the Doctor Strange film release... imagine my surprise when, despite being prominently featured on the cover... Doctor Strange is only in this issue for a handful of pages!  Despite my own X-Men origins, it's still sometimes hard to remember a time when they were so prominent in Marvel events.

 As we've come to expect, Ron Marz' script is quite good, and Jackson Guice's pencils are very nice as well.  Anyone who has been with me for a while knows my dislike for the coloring of this era.  Just so muddy... and really does a disservice to the pencils underneath.  Looking at any given page of this book, it looks as though I can drag my finger across it, and come up with color.  In my opinion, this glossy paper/digital coloring marriage came far too soon to look good.

 Now the "stars" of this issue.  Being a big 90's comics fan, I never felt as though we were clamoring for a Batman/Doctor Strange crossover.  I mean, last issue's Robin and Jubilee, I get.  The combos for DC vs. Marvel (or Marvel vs. DC) all made sense, and helped solve several comic shop arguments... while igniting a whole bunch more... but this just seems kinda random.  I mean, I get that it progressed the story the way it needed to go, just didn't do a whole lot to tickle me "what if?" itch.  Let's look forward to the next chapter... the JLA vs. ... the X-Men?  I mean, the Avengers are right there (relatively speaking)!  Now that's a team-up/battle we wanted to see.

 Overall... not a bad issue, but one that's hard to recommend.  It's an issue that... if you missed it at time of release, you probably don't need to seek out... however, if you were there in late 1996, you were likely foaming at the mouth for it.

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 No Letters Page... but we've got CREDITS!

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--

 Super Blog Team-Up Continues Below...
Between the Pages Blog
The Wondrous Worlds of Doctor Strange

The Crapbox of Son of Cthulhu
The Makings of a Sorcerer Supreme:Optimism and Sacrifice

Coffee & Comics Blog
Review: Dr. Strange #84

Longbox Graveyard
Doctor Strange vs. Dracula

Superhero Satellite
Strange Magic

DC in the 80's

The Unspoken Decade
The Daily Rios

Chris is on Infinite Earths
Batman Visits the Sanctum Santorum
Heyyy, that's me... you made it!

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Monday, July 4, 2016

DC/Marvel All Access #2 (1997)


DC/Marvel All Access #2 (Early February, 1997)
"Two Sides of the Same Coin"
Story - Ron Marz
Pencil Art - Jackson Guice
Finished Art - Joe Rubinstein
Colors - Lee Loughridge
Separations - Digital Chameleon
Letters - Bill Oakley
Associate Editor - Chris Duffy
Editor - Mike Carlin
Omniversal Monitor - Mark Gruenwald
Cover Price: $1.95

 Happy 4th of July to any and all folks from the USA... and anywhere else for that matter.  Shouldn't leave anybody out.  When I was trying to think of what to cover to commemorate Independence Day, my mind immediately went to this issue.  I figure discussing and issue with Superman standing in front of the flag, or an early-80's Freedom Fighters issue would be a bit too obvious...

 So instead... we're focusing on fireworks!  Lucky for me, there's this guy called Access who can bring characters back and forth between the Marvel and DC Universes... it's because of him that we can read a story about X-Men/Generation X member Jubilee in the DC Universe!

 I guess this also provides me with the opportunity to drop a mention of Marvel Mondays over at Weird Science DC Comics.  I will be their resident "X-Men guy"... so be sure to check that out.

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It's established during the open that all the Marvel and DC characters are back where they belong.  There's no more Amalgam Universe, and everything is back to normal.  We join Axel Asher, the man known as Access on a date with a woman named Ming.  They're sharing a carriage ride through (Marvel's) central park.  Axel is nebulously apologizing for his recent bout of disappearing acts when he becomes startled by a scattering of fireworks lighting up the night sky.

He eventually gets over it, and goes in to kiss Ming.  This romantic moment is immediately ruined by Generation X member Jubilee!  She drags him away in an odd scene that makes Ming think ol' Axel's been making it with a teenager.  He tries to deny it, but is jettisoned from the carriage before he can finish.

As the carriage rides away, Jubilee and Axel have themselves a walk 'n chat.  Jubilee doesn't dig the way things ended during the DC vs. Marvel/Marvel vs. DC event (yeah, take a number kid!) and wants to back to the DC Universe so that she can once again meet Robin.  Most of the heroes have forgotten the event entirely, but not Jubes... she had the foresight to keep a diary!

With her Generation X class/teammates Skin, Husk and Synch watching in the distance, Jubilee makes ol' Axel an offer he can't refuse.  If he takes her back to the DC Universe, she'll make things right between he and Ming.  Axel, who's never thought of buying a bouquet of roses as an apology, decides to take Jubilee up on her offer.  He "suits up" into his Access-Wear (right in the middle of the park!), and readies for teleportation.

After a brief goodbye to her friends, Access and Jubilee leave the Marvel Universe and as luck would have it, wind up in Gotham City... on the same rooftop that Robin is currently conducting his patrol (with the Bat-Signal lit in the night sky).  Robin must've been keeping a diary too, as he instantly knows who Jubilee is!

The hold hands, as kids do... and it begins to rain.  Jubilee leads Robin to a covered area of the rooftop where they can talk, and instructs Access to hit the bricks for a few minutes.

Access begins his soggy walk throughout downtown Gotham all the while lamenting his inability to understand women.  As he slumps against a brick wall to be all morose and introspective he is attacked from behind, pistol whipped, while the Bat-Signal still glows!

Back on the roof, the kids get reacquainted.  Jubilee immediately tries to snare Robin into a long-distance relationship... and is disappointed when she finds out that Tim's already gotta gal... Ari.  Their sorta romantic/sorta awkward conversation is sadly short-lived... interrupted by Two-Face!

Dent lunges at the Boy Wonder, and is fed a fistful of fireworks for his troubles.  The brightly colored teens run across the roof, dodging gunfire all the way.  As they approach the end of the line, Robin grabs Jubes by the arm... and, much to Jubilee's surprise, they jump to the next rooftop.

Having bought a minute, Tim rapidly concocts a strategy.  He tells Jubilee she must trust him, refers to their own battle from Marvel vs. DC/DC vs. Marvel, and leads her to an illuminated Gotham Savings & Trust sign shaped like a giant coin.

Momentarily, Two-Face arrives.  He sees Robin standing in full shadow in front of the giant coin.  He asks where his "girlfriend" is, and is advised that she's gone.  With a flip of a coin, Two-Face begins his approach.  As he draws nearer, it becomes clear that his bounty is not the Boy Wonder... but Jubilee in Robin's cape!  It's a good thing they have a similar haircut... the ruse wouldn't have worked otherwise!

Amid the confusion, Jubilee blasts Dent with a face full of firework plunder... and Robin swings in and dropkicks Two-Face into the giant coin.  Finally, Jubilee nails a leg sweep sending Harvey into the spotlight below the coin, rendering him unconscious.

As the pair celebrates, Access finally arrives on the scene.  He's anxious to get Jubilee back to where she belongs.  She argues, claiming she hasn't yet gotten any "quality time" with the Boy Wonder.  This conversation is also interrupted... by a very 1990's looking Scorpion!  And we are... [to be continued...]

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There are a few different ways to judge an issue like this.  First, on the novelty of it all.  Growing up in the 90's, we couldn't help but notice that there were a few... similarities between Robin and Jubilee.  Everything from their color scheme to their haircuts... and the fact that they were sidekicks... Robin to Batman, naturally... and Jubilee to Wolverine.  There was definitely a whole lotta Robin taken into consideration when the character of Jubilee was conceived.

 During DC vs. Marvel (or Marvel vs. DC, if you prefer), it seemed almost natural that these two would face off.  I don't recall if this is one of the fights we got to vote on... but, we/I were looking forward to it regardless.  What I didn't expect was for the pair to wind up sorta-kinda crushing on one another... which is the plot point that brings us to this issue.  I always enjoy when inter-company "non-canon" stories have ramifications that follow the characters back to their "home" universes... for that, I really dig this issue.  Like, rights issues aside, why wouldn't Superman remember his adventure(s) with Spider-Man?

 Following that entire event, the universes merged into something call the Amalgam Universe.  This fella, Access had his powers awakened by the cosmic representations of the Marvel and DC Universes... the "Brothers".  It was left to Access to keep the two universes separate... to stop them from re-amalgamating... 

 This story comes a little bit after all that, and as mentioned above, follows up on the puppy-love subplot.  This series feels like sort of a port-mortem for the entire DC/Marvel endeavor, and really helps (or at least helped me) draw a neat line under it all.  Ron Marz delivers a great script... which may have been difficult under the circumstances of this mini-series.  Jackson Guice, as per usual delivers wonderful art.  My only nit to pick is, and this is my usual complaint for books of this vintage... the coloring is a bit muddy.  This is a couple of years into the "slick paper era"... and it really does show.  I had a hard time coming around to this new-fangled paper, even at the time.  I hated the X-Men Deluxe line for this... and would have preferred to get the newsstand editions, if only I knew where to find one!

 All told... fun issue... but, really for those who've dipped more than a toe into DC and Marvel's universes.  Newcomers (if there is such a thing) would not get a whole lot from this.  Not an indictment on the book, mind, just a case of Marvel and DC "knowing the audience" for a project such as this.

 Apropos of nothing... gotta wonder what's going on with ol' Access nowadays.  Since the turn of the century, he's done (with a few exceptions) a helluva job keeping Marvel and DC apart... I know he's a "co-owned" character... Marvel and DC both own him... which kinda means Disney and Warner Bros. both own him... now that's a strange thought!

 Wonder if it came down to it... would either company fight for full ownership?  Or if asked, would all involved raise their hands up and say "Not it!"???

 Anyhoo... Happy 4th y'all... tomorrow we'll start our Christmas on Infinite Earths... in July spectacular.

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