Chris and Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill, Episode 134: Flash #268 (1978)

Chris and Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill, Episode #134

Flash #268 (December, 1978)
"Riddle of the Runaway Comic"
Writer - Cary Bates
Pencils - Irv Novick
Inks - Frank McLaughlin
Letters - Mike Stevens
Colors - Gene D'Angelo
Edits - Julius Schwartz
Cover Price: $0.40
From DC Comics
Episode Published March 31, 2019

One of our oft-used taglines was that we put 40-hours of research into every episode of the Cosmic Treadmill.  Welp, I'm going to somewhat shatter that illusion here, and suggest that a time or two, what it actually took was one of us to handcuff ourselves to our computer for an 8-10 hour stint.

This was one of those times.

Chris is on Infinite Earths, Episode 35: Crimson Avenger #1 (1988)

Picking up where we left off yesterday, Episode 35 of Chris is on Infinite Earths was sort of another "proof of concept" recording to see whether or not this could serve as the new (temporary) normal for future installments of the Cosmic Treadmill.

This was actually an episode that I'd really wanted to do with Reggie, as I feel the story-behind-the-story isn't one that gets as much discussion as it warrants.  Maybe it's just me, but there's a lot of sinister weirdness behind this one.  I thought this was right up the alley of a Weird Comics History X Cosmic Treadmill hybrid.


Download | Archives

I felt like doing this episode "solo" was kind of a waste.  The actual flagship show on the Chris and Reggie Channel is the one that gets the most listens... and, I thought just doing it as a Chris is on Infinite Earths was sort of doing the story a disservice as fewer people would listen... so, I really dragged my feet on actually pushing forward with it.

I was excited... but kinda nervous as well.  I had to use my own judgment and be very careful with my words, lest I make any undue allusions... and wind up getting the Channel into hot water with a prominent creator or two.  If none of this is making sense, maybe give the episode a listen... or, take a look at this piece I'd written about the True Crime aspects of this tale right here.

I was extremely excited for Reggie to hear this one in particular.  First, when I "pitched" this as an episode, he didn't know about Greg Brooks and what he'd done... which, lemme tell ya, it wasn't often I'd get to teach him something.  Also, once this recording was done... I had convinced myself that this was the right path/format for us to use for the immediate future of the show(s).

The day this episode went live... was also the day that everything changed.

On days where I'd release an episode, I'd usually do the social media "rounds" very early in the day.  I'm usually up by around 5-5:30am Arizona Voodoo Time... so, these are bright and early notifications.  Then, I wait a couple of hours and "check in" to see if there are any comments/likes/shares/problems.

When I checked on Facebook during my second "sweep", I had a couple of direct messages.  I very seldom use Facebook for anything other than dropping links, so this was quite weird.  The first message was from a friend, who said he was so sorry to hear about Reggie.

Now, me... being either far too dense, or uncharacteristically optimistic... just assumed they'd heard Reggie was back in the hospital with pneumonia.  I'd spoken to Reggie less than 24-hours earlier, and the last thing I knew was his pneumonia diagnosis (the doctors told him he'd be able to go home the next day).

The second message was similar, but with added anger toward 2020 (the year).  The clouds were starting to part for me at this point... but still, my knee-jerk thought was maybe... while pneumonia put him in hospital, maybe now he'd tested positive for COVID-19 on top of that... or something?

That, unfortunately, was not the case.  I popped over to his Facebook Page and found out what had actually happened.  The rest of that day (and morning especially) is a blur.  I know I was doing a few sets while doing this second social sweep... and I dropped one of my dumbbells, chipping the hell out of a tile in my living room floor.

I didn't tell very many people, at least initially... just a few close friends, as I thought they had a right to know.  I wasn't planning on making a "public" statement regarding his passing... mostly, as I didn't think it was my place, and I didn't want to do anything that put the focus on me.  Then, as they always do... the Twitter karma-farmers came, and tried making his passing all about them.  I had to make a statement at that point... because I felt it would've been weird if I didn't.

This episode of Chris is on Infinite Earths was pretty well received... and, it was just so weird getting likes and comments on it... in between receiving condolences.  It was such a strange disconnected sort of feeling.  Like, I dunno... a switch flipped in my head, and I thought about just removing the episode, and that day's blog post... just to make sure the focus was where I felt it needed to be.

I dunno.  I'm not good at this sort of thing... emotions, coping, and what-not.  Just a very surreal and sad day... that, will always sort of be connected with this Crimson Avenger "pilot" episode, which was supposed to inform the future of our recording process.

Welp, that's another weird stream of conscious piece... that I appreciate you reading.

--

Before we go, last night I was a guest on the Source Material Live Podcast on the Radulich in Broadcasting Network at W2M.  Mark and I discussed The Old Guard (2017) by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez from Image Comics.  If you're interested in checking that out, you can find it right here.

I'll be guesting on a few shows in the near future... an extended run on Source Material, Bill Bere's Bat-Pod, and WIZARDS over at the Retro Network.  I'm really looking forward to getting my "pod-legs" back under me again.  If anyone out there has a show that's needing a marble-mouthed Brooklynite to garble up the airwaves, hit me up.

Chris is on Infinite Earths, Episode 34: Leonard the Duck??? (1996)

Before starting today, I'd just like to share that we hit a blogging milestone yesterday.  Right around 9am Arizona Voodoo Time, Chris is on Infinite Earths broke 800,000 pageviews.  I'm not sure quite how accurate Blogger's stats are... but, in this game, we take any victory we can get.

I'm well aware that if we discount bots and folks who don't know how to spell the word "Crisis", there are probably a few dozen genuine "hits" there... so, any celebration is a little bit tempered.

Anyhoo, onto today's conversation...

--

I've been in a mindset where I'm really trying to focus on the future... exactly what that's going to mean and look like for my "content creation" side.  I still don't quite know... at least not enough to make a definitive statement about anything.  I have some ideas, but... that's really all I've got at this point.

I am still gathering my thoughts, planning goals, and deciding whether or not there's even still a place for me in the already overcrowded and back-bitey commentary community.  Again, I have ideas... but, that's about it.

So, what in the blue hell does my existential/inertial/motivational crisis have to do with Leonard the Duck?  Why am I throwing this character in y'alls faces again?  Well, this episode of Chris is on Infinite Earths was a result of the last time I took a look into the nebulous "future".


Download | Archives

If you're a long-time listener of my solo-output, you might have been able to tell that this Leonard episode was something of a departure from my usual way of "doing business".  Gone where self-indulgent stories and anecdotes from my life... replaced with actual comics facts and history.  It wasn't exactly a subtle shift in tone...

... and, that was intentional.

Y'see, this episode of Chris is on Infinite Earths (along with the episode that followed it) acted sort of as a "pilot" for what Chris and Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill was going to look like moving into the future... at least for the immediate future.

Following Reggie's stroke at the end of 2019, we had to put a pin in the old ways of putting together Cosmic Treadmill episodes.  Reggie suffered partial blindness and was easily fatigued when trying to read.  For a while, he wasn't able to make out words at all.  He wouldn't be able to read or write the sort of scripts we usually worked with... and so, we'd have to "pivot", reevaluate... and adapt.

We still wanted to deliver the sort of content we were "known" for (even if it was only us who "knew us" for it), but we had to be a bit more creative about it.  The answer was to sort of create a "hybrid" program, wherein we mixed elements from our Cosmic Treadmill, Weird Comics History, and Comix Tawk shows.  Bits and pieces from each, in order to serve as sort of a band-aid/bridge until Reggie was recovered and confident enough for us to go back to "business as usual".

This Leonard the Duck solo episode was sort of my "proof of concept"... showing that it was possible to mingle the Cosmic Treadmill with bits of Weird Comics History... and the editorializing of Comix Tawk.  I feel like it was successful on that front... though, unfortunately, I wouldn't imagine Reggie ever got around to listening to it.

In our final few phone calls, we brainstormed pretty heavily about what the "Chris and Reggie Summer" was going to look (and sound) like.  I've still got a handful of partially finished scripts on my Google Drive.  The gimmick was going to be less verbatim scripting... more off-the-cuff... more "bullet pointy", with a reliance on me to deliver/feed things like dates and factoids... while he would focus on elaborating and editorializing.  It... ya know, it just felt "right"... one of those "So crazy it just might work..." sort of things.

I feel as though this Leonard the Duck episode put me in the proper head space for the evolution in the way we were going to create together... and, the fact that I felt as though I pulled it off decently enough, gave me the confidence to know that we'd definitely be able to make it work.

Thanks for reading this odd little stream of consciousness piece... and thank you for helping this little blog break 800k views.

Cosmic Treadmill Presents... Comix Tawk, Episode 9: "Brian Hibbs' 10-Point Plan"

This episode of Comix Tawk was a request from several of our Patrons... and, might seem just a little bit "dated" to revisit a year and change later... but, I believe there's still plenty of good conversation here.


Download | Archives

The inspiration for this episode was a speech given by the long-time owner of Comix Experience in San Francisco, and prolific writer and commenter of the things going on in the industry, Brian Hibbs.  At the 2019 ComicsPRO Meeting, he would outline a 10-Point Plan which he felt would keep the retail side of comics healthy... and perhaps even extend the life of comics retail into the future.

It's a very common sense approach to the retail side of things... which is sadly, often overlooked by the distribution and publishing end.  It's almost as though the industry itself (excluding retail) takes for granted that there will just always be stores to carry their halfhearted wares.

Now, why did we cover this on the show?  Well, like I said, it was a request... multiple Patrons actually requested we comment on this, because... so much of what Mr. Hibbs says here, are the things we've discussed on earlier episodes of Comix Tawk.  Only difference between him and us is... he's legit, and we're mostly talking out our asses!

Hibbs' 10-Points have been covered plenty of places, and I'd wager some of the folks reading this are already familiar with them... but, even if that's the case, I hope you'll give us a listen anyway!  This was a very fun episode to put together, and allowed us to put our own personal spins/anecdotes on each of the points.

In case you aren't familiar with Hibbs' 10-Points... here they are (at their most basic):

1. Stop Mixing SKU’s
2. Sales Charts with a “penetration index” – # of accounts purchasing specific SKU’s
3. Abandon “meets or exceeds” thinking
4. Tie variant SKU’s to native base sales (1 variant per 20k sales)
5. Tie variants to percentage of publisher’s line (25%)
6. Shipping information in a box-by-box format, and review discounts and shipping
7. FOC locked no later than noon Fridays, including all aft and information otherwise 100% returnable
8. Every comic should be listed in PREVIEWS, not available only at FOC.
9. Data Summit to determine where and when to assign “Series Codes”
10. First three issues of every new series to be fully returnable from all publishers (including one-shots and mini-series)

From Claremont to Claremont: An X-Men Podcast, Episode 2 - November, 1991

One week ago today, I was supposed to deliver the third episode of From Claremont to Claremont... though, in a far superior timeline, I'd have been putting out the fourth.  That didn't happen... and, I probably should apologize to the folks who were both looking forward to listening, and those looking forward to participating.

It's been a pretty conflicting time for me of late, and I suppose over this past month, I suffered a bit of an "emotional relapse" of sorts.  I will be making an official "statement" (if you want to call it that) regarding all of my projects in the next couple of days.  I have received a handful of questions regarding the future, which I very much appreciate... and I apologize for dragging my feet on answering.

X-Force #2 (1991)

X-Force #2 (September, 1991)
"The Blood Hunters"
Plot & Pictures - Rob Liefeld
Script - Fabian Nicieza
Letters - Chris Eliopoulos
Colors - Brad Vancata
Editor - Bob Harras
Chief - Tom DeFalco

In my time as a comics fan and collector, I've seen many books fluctuate in value... go from "wall books" to "quarter-bin books"... and vice versa.  I don't believe, however, I've seen one as... I dunno, value-bi-polar as this issue.

X-Force #2 boasts the second appearance of Deadpool... which actually meant something back in 1991... and once again, means something today.  However, for much of Deadpool's existence, not a soul cared!  I feel like I was the only idiot buying his ongoing, fearing a cancellation notice month after month.

Jump back to the 2000's... and X-Force #2 was "just another Liefeld quarter-book".  This was a book you could find by the foot in any quarter bin in the land... comic shops couldn't give this one away!It's insane that now, since the mainstream (and comics fans alike) have decided to care about Deadpool, that it's once again a sorta-kinda coveted issue.  If I knew then, what I know now... well, I probably still wouldn't have bought a grip of 'em.

Now, if only some of these people gave half a rip about Deadpool back when Joe Kelly and/or Christopher Priest were writing him... he might actually be a character worth reading today!

Does anyone have any other "rags to riches" tales of comics valuation?  I can think of a few more, but this one takes the cake (much of the Infinity Gauntlet miniseries is up there too)!  Lemme know in the comments!

--

Last issue, ol' front-butt, G.W. Bridge suggested that they were going to need to enlist the aid of Weapon X in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s pursuit of Cable.  By the sound of it, you might've thought this meant we were going to be getting a Wolverine guest-spot... but, not so fast kemosabes... that ain't our guy.  Our guy... is Garrison Kane.  We meet him at the Port Menier Shipyards on Anticosti Island in Quebec.  He's there to track down another target... a certain Merc with a Mouth.

Kane gets the jump on Deadpool, and the two tussle over the course of way too many pages.  Wade makes with the snark, while Kane internally monologues Madonna lyrics.  We learn here that these two have some familiarity with one another... because, anytime a mysterious new character arrives on the scene, he's sure to know (and be known by) anybody who's anybody.

After repeatedly punching Deadpool in the jaw, Kane gets kicked into a stack of crates.  Weapon X rebounds by... literally firing his left fist back at the baddie.  When the hand reaches its destination... it wraps itself around Deadpool's throat!

Just then... G.W. Bridge makes an appearance!  While Wade wriggles on the ground, Bridge pitches Kane with the S.H.I.E.L.D. gig.  Garrison thinks on it for a moment... because, naturally he and Cable go way back... but ultimately turns Bridge down.  During this prolonged chat, however, Deadpool manages to get away.

We next shift scenes to the Adirondacks, where Cable has concocted a training exercise for X-Force.  The gimmick for this go-round is: Everyone vs. Feral.  The kids scoff at the one-sidedness of this event... however, Cable instills that they'd really oughta not take this so lightly.  The first Forcers to head into the woods are Sam and James.  Feral gets the jump on Cannonball while he's cannon-balling, and manages to "steer" him right into Warpath's chest.  Whoops... there's two down.

Next up, Feral runs into Boom Boom... who brags a bit about her new wrist-gimmick "launchers" for her time bombs.  Feral slips behind Tabby and points those very same blasters right at Cable!

Then... the ultimate showdown: Domino's boobs vs. Feral's feet!  This results in yet another win for the Cat-Girl...

But then... Shatterstar.  Oh boy, Shatterstar.  This goofball comes in and soliloquizes about how killing is "what he is"... to their credit, they both manage to keep a straight face long enough to face off.

In the distraction, however... Cannonball blasts into the scene, crashing into Feral, and smashing her into a nearby tree!

Feral responds by... eviscerating poor Sam!  Well, that's what supposedly happens here... though the art can't get all that explicit.  Sam looks... well, mildly discomforted?

Cable, realizing this training exercise has gone a bit too far, blasts Feral with one of his crazy guns... just kayoing her.

We shift scenes over to the World Trade Center, where Black Tom and his gal-Friday, Arianna have assembled an interdimensional locator and teleporter atop one of the towers.  Tom claims he can't wait to see his ugly friend again.

Back in the mountains... Sam wakes up, looking pretty good for a dude who just had his guts torn out.  He asks Cable what he's going to do about Feral... but, the main man hasn't a clue.

We wrap up back at the WTC... where, the teleporter starts to glow... and, once we turn the book sideways, we learn that Black Toms "pug ugly friend" is... the Juggernaut!

--

With everything we know about Todd McFarlane's departure from Marvel a couple of months after this, I'd like to draw your eye to the scene wherein Cannonball is eviscerated.  Scroll back up a couple beats in case you missed it... because, the way it was depicted, you very well might have!

In that scene, Feral goes... well, feral... and slices Sam's belly and guts open.  In the panel, however, it just looks like she tore his outfit a little bit.  If not for X-Force's reaction, we'd never know that this was a near-mortal blow.  Now, usually, I think I am a proponent of the "less is more" school of thought when it comes to gore and violence... which, is why I didn't think much about "missing out" on Todd's panel of Shatterstar running his knife through Juggernaut's eye in Spider-Man #16.  It was unnecessary shock and gore (shock and gaw?)... which only served to darken the issue.  The panel we got instead (again, from Todd), told the same tale, but in a way where we didn't have to actually see the blade go through Juggy's eyeball.

The fact that Todd would choose to draw the scene the way he (initially) did, says quite a bit.

• He wasn't used to people telling him "no"
• He could get away with a lot
• He was looking for a way out of Marvel that also gave him the creative "high ground"

and, most importantly for this analysis...

• He damn sure wasn't reading X-Force!

Had Todd been reading his peers' work, he would have definitely seen this very "Rated-PG" (at worst) take on disembowelment, and would have (hopefully) realized what you could and, more importantly, could not get away with when working alongside a book with an "X" in its title.

That all having been said... this Sam/Feral scene could have used a bit more explicit gore.  I'm not talking about seeing Cannonball's small intestine dragging on the ground... but, I dunno... maybe show a little bit of blood?  I knew this story before revisiting it, and was still a bit lost as to the import and gravity of Sam's injuries!  This goes to show that sometimes, even when it comes to gore, less is... less.

For the rest of the issue?  The Deadpoolishness was, ehh, okay.  He's still very much a Spider-clone (not that one) here, with his banter and design.  It didn't help matters that he was sharing the scene with some of the most boring characters of the era in Garrison Kane and "ol' Front-Butt" G.W. Bridge.

The Sunspot and friggin' Gideon bits trot on... and our big reveal is the return of the Juggernaut.  I can't remember if this was underwhelming at the time... but, nowadays, it seems as though: if Black Tom shows up, chances are the "big reveal" will be the Juggernaut bursting onto the scene as well.  No surprise then, no surprise now.

The art is... exactly what you want it to be.  If you want to defend Rob's work, you can.  If you want to mock it... well, I've got good news, there's plenty for you here as well!

Overall, a decent enough issue, heavy on subplots... several of which, will unfortunately go nowhere due to the Image X-odus the following year.

Uncanny X-Men #281 (1991)

Uncanny X-Men #281 (October, 1991)
"Fresh Up Start"
Plot - Jim Lee
Plot & Pencils - Whilce Portacio
Script - John Byrne
Inks - Art Thibert
Letters - Tom Orzechowski
Colors - Joe Rosas
Editor - Bob Harras
Chief - Tom DeFalco
Cover Price: $1.00

Ages ago following Schism, when Uncanny X-Men had it's first renumbering and "new #1", I concocted a list of times that would've made more sense to dump the legacy numbering.  Schism, wasn't quite as big of a deal as Marvel made it out to be... and was more or less just another Cyclops and Wolverine "falling out".

The issue we'll be looking at today is one of those times where I think Marvel could've "gotten away with" a renumbering.  I wouldn't have liked it... but, I could definitely understand it a bit more than following the nothing-burger that was Schism.

To me, if this book was ever going to be renumbered... it should have been either here, or when the book returned to new content following Giant-Size.

Let's get into it... and try not to feel too bad for poor John Byrne having to script these panels at the 13th hour.

--

We open in the Australian Outback, where the Reavers are having themselves a good time drinking and chatting.  All's not completely calm, however, as one of 'em is certain he'd heard something stirring from outside their camp.  Donald Pierce tells the fella to shut up... they're too far off the beaten path (and in the middle of a sandstorm) where nobody can find them.  Well, not so fast, kemosabe... just then, a group of rough-looking Sentinels peel the roof off the joint as though it were a can of tuna fish!

Meanwhile, in New York City, the X-Men's Gold Strike Force is attending a party at the Hellfire Club.  Turns out they were asked to come by Emma Frost herself.  Storm laments the fact that she had to wear a "preposterous gown" to the gala... but, it's looks more like a minidress to me.  She, Jean, and Warren are hanging out upstairs... while Bobby and Piotr mingle among the other guests... and members of Frost's own Hellions.

Naturally, there's a bit of friction between the two factions... however, before it can come to blows, Emma Frost hurls some armored woman through a set of double doors.  This is an assassin who had been sent to kill her... and it isn't the first time this happened (this week!).  Just as the cover copy suggests... this is the sorta thing upon which "desperate alliances" are built.

Elsewhere, Shinobi Shaw is being attended to by a whole bunch of scantily clad folks while chatting up a fella who we will soon know as Trevor Fitzroy.  They're comparing notes... and discussing a little "game" their group is currently playing.  Ya see, these two belong to the Upstarts... a group of assassins who try and rack up points by killing mutants... and assorted V.I.P.s.  Shinobi is currently the "king" of this organization... but Fitzroy might just be looking to challenge for the crown.

Back at the party, Frost is about to "peel the psyche" of her would-be assassin.  The X-Men naturally protest this sort of psychic torture, and intervene before it goes too far.

This triggers the Hellions to launch into battle... and before we know it, we're in the middle of a full-blown skirmish!  Remembering that they're there for a reason, Jean sends out a frantic psychic signal to get everyone to stand down.  When the dust settles, Frost reveals that the Hellfire Club is under attack... and suggests that the X-Men might be next.  Therefore, it might be in everybody's best interest for there to be a truce.

The Hellion Jetstream posits that they interrogate the armored assassin in hopes that she'll spill the beans on whoever might be behind these repeated attempts on their lives.  Before he can, however, Trevor Fitzroy pops onto the scene!

Back in the Outback, Donald Pierce is fleeing from his robotic pursuers.  Bashing through a wall, he runs into Lady Deathstrike. She proceeds to attack the Sentinel, slicing off it's arm.  Surprisingly, this Sentinel is able to reattach the lost limb without much in the way of inconvenience!

More Sentinels follow... and Pierce continues his escape.  He runs up a nearby hill, where he finds Gateway... the aboriginal mutant, with teleportation powers.  He demands the fella spin his "bullroarer" and send him to "the one responsible" for this assault.  No sooner does he step through the portal do the Sentinels arrive.  They appear to look at Gateway, but do not attack him.

Back in New York, Fitzroy is just having his way with the Hellions... killing two of their number (Jetstream and... uh, Beef) in as many panels.  Frost and the X-Men go on the offensive, however, the armor the baddie's wearing protects him from any psychic attacks.  Suddenly, Donald Pierce arrives on the scene, popping out of a portal...

... followed by a whole bunch of Sentinels!  The X-Men and Hellions team up to battle back the bots.  In the fracas, however, Emma Frost is struck dead!  Somehow, that is... the art isn't terribly clear.

The X-Hellions alliance continues to fight the good fight while Trevor Fitzroy looks on.  After engaging in a divide and conquer approach, it all comes down to a two-on-one confrontation between a pair of Sentinels and Jean Grey.

With one last desperate attempt, Jean does... something psychic-y (which will make a teensy bit more sense next issue).  The Sentinels confirm her death, and retreat.  Fitzroy looks on satisfied, knowing he just racked up a whole lotta Upstart points.

We wrap up with Colossus carrying Jean's lifeless body out of the Club while Senator Robert Kelly rushes onto the scene to give the heroes some grief.

--

I feel like when you talk to comics enthusiasts of the long ago, and you ask them which of the Image founders they like the least (insofar as art style), the immediate (almost knee-jerk) go-to is "Rob Liefeld".  For me, however... it's Whilce Portacio.  Fundamentally, he's a good artist, don't get me wrong.  There isn't (as much) wonky anatomy, though there's still a staggering lack of feet (Liefeld might be the least guilty yet most blamed for this phenomenon)... I, for whatever reason, just don't like looking at Whilce's work.

With that out of the way, let's talk story for a bit.

It's not great... but, it has some great elements.  Lemme tell ya, I absolutely love the idea of the Upstarts.  I feel like the X-Offices left money on the table with this concept... and there was just so much more that could have been done with it.  Imagine if this group was allowed to linger in the background for a bit... give them the ol' Claremont "bubbling subplot" treatment over the course of a few years... have them pick off random, perhaps "inconvenient", mutants for points... and finally crescendo into a confrontation.

Such a concept seems right up John Byrne's alley (circa 1991).  Byrne, feeling there were too many mutants to keep track of, was actually petitioning for a second Mutant Massacre around this time (I'll include the interview down below).  So, why not just have the Upstarts "take care" of that?

Well, a handful of reasons... first, John Byrne wasn't long for this era of X-Books.  Citing difficulty in effectively scripting the book due to the lateness of receiving the pages from Whilce and Jim... he'd skedaddle only a couple months into the assignment.  Then, less than a year later, Jim and Whilce would be gonzo from Marvel... then, a year after that, the X-Men had the Legacy Virus foisted upon them, which would more or less do the Upstarts' "job" of thinning the mutant herd, while being somewhat relevant in its analogousness to AIDS.

I'm still a big fan though!  I think the Upstarts could've been great.  Heck, I still do!  Guess it just wasn't in the cards.

Now, the rest of the issue... ya know, the actual "story"... ehh.  It was alright.  Back when I first read this, I didn't know a Hellion from a hole in the head, so I didn't really get how big a deal it was for Fitzroy to wipe them out.  After reading more about the Hellions... that disinterest turned to annoyance, as they really were "jobbed out" here just to establish Fitzroy as a threat.  That's a lot of history to dump just to give the new guy a shine.

The ending, with the apparent deaths of Jean and Emma?  Ehh, again.  I don't think anybody was buyin' it... then again, I don't think a lot of the folks who were literally "buyin'" this issue did so to check out the story in the first place.

Overall... an important issue... but, all told, not a very good one.

--

John Byrne Interview (from Wizard Magazine #3 - Nov, 1991):