Neil Gaimin pens Doctor Who script
The famed novelist/comics scribe has delivered a long-promised script for the series. And that's about all we know at this point.
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Last Lost: Thoughts on the finale and a rundown on STILL Unanswered questions
As a guy going into if filled with dread, I admit I was often moved and greatly entertained by the last episode of "Lost" last night.
But, as self-predicted, I also was disappointed.
Jack's sacrifice, the showdown with Smokey, the thrilling escape from Hydra Island, the touching reunions (particularly the one between Sawyer and Juliet) and the open-to-multiple-interpretations ending: I was good with all of it.
But I still feel cheated. Not because the producers failed to answer every tiny question I had about the show's myriad tiny mysteries. But because they failed to even touch on the big ones. To end this series without even an attempt to explain:
The mysterious numbers. What do they mean? Where do they come from?
The significance of the island? Why is it's survival so crucial to humanity? After all, it seems most of what it did was bring people misery?
Is a cheat and give the impression that the writers just couldn't come up with good answers for these, or the many other lingering questions from the series.
So, while greatly entertaining over the years, I have to say I find "Lost" ultimately a let down.
A year or two back, I imagined I'd want to re-watch the entire series once it ended, so I could see how -- "The Usual Suspects"-style -- the puzzle all fits together. But I now realize that wouldn't work. There are still too many missing pieces.
Fun characters aside, these unique mysteries are what made "Lost" truly special. But, in the last season, the producers dropped any intention of addressing them in a satisfying way. In other words, they failed the story.
So, that's that. I doubt I'll re-watch any of it. But, just out of curiosity, I'll likely rent the final season bonus disk that promised to address unanswered questions. Not holding up too many hopes that will be satisfying either.
Here's my list of STILL unanswered questions -- big and small:
* What is the history of the Others? Where did they come from? Why did they kill off the Dharma Initiative?
* What's up with Walt's powers? How did the Others know about them?
* How did Cindy the stewardess and the two children from the Oceanic flight come to be among the Others?
* Why exactly did Jacob pick these particular folks as his candidates? He tells them because they are "flawed." Seriously, this is the best the show's producers can do? By that standard, any random human fits the bill! Six years and all we get is, "they're flawed." Criminy.
* Jack is now Jacob's successor and it's his job to protect the magic golden light at the center of the island. But why? What has this light ever done for anyone apart from turn them into smoke monsters. What's so danged good about the island. Everyone on the danged thing has been threatened, beat up and killed, it seems like. Sure, it has healing properties. But, to what purpose? Locke was made able to walk again so he could get killed by an evil entity that wants to destroy the self-same healing island. This makes NO SENSE people. And if the point is that it's not supposed to make sense, that's not coming through clear either. It's all random and tossed together.
* Why was Ben selected the leader of the Others? And why, ostensibly in the name of Jacob, do such horrible things to people? Did Jacob intend this? Why did the Others go along with it? Why did Richard go along with it?
* Why did Jacob exclude Kate from being a candidate because she's a mother? Wasn't Sun a mother also? Wasn't Jin a dad? Aren't Jack and Sawyer also dads? Is Jacob a sexist pig?
* What was Ben's breakfast on the beach with Kate in season 3 all about? We didn't see any of their discussion. [I'm still a bit baffled by this scene. We've not been given any insight into what was discussed. Was Ben merely trying to persuade Jack to operate on Ben's spine? Or was there something more going on.]
* Why does the smoke monster kill some people and not others?
* Why did the smoke monster kill Eko, in particular? What did the monster see/sense in him?
* Why did the magic light turn the man in black into a smoke monster? If the light is such a good thing, why did it create an entity that goes around killing essentially innocent people?
* Why did the Others initially disguise themselves as shipwrecked pirate types complete with fake beards? [What was the point? To make the crash survivors think that the Others were merely fellow castaways, not an organized faction on the island with a secret history? What?]
* What's up with the sickness that killed off Danielle's team? [Were they killed by Smokey or turned evil by him? Or both?]
* Is the Dharma Initiative still active at all?
* Who was behind the air drop of Dharma supplies that has benefited the Oceanic survivors? [There was a drop after the Oceanic survivors arrived, wasn't there? Or was this an old drop that Hurley discovered? I may be misremembering.]
* Why do women on the island die instead of giving birth?
* Why did the Others steal children?
* What's behind the apparent healing properties of the island?
* What's responsible for the visions of animals and dead people the crash surivors sometimes see on the island?
* What's the deal with Libby, killed in season 2, who evidently gave Desmond the sailboat that landed him on the island and who once was in a mental ward with Hurley? [Despite Libby's recent appearance this season, these questions were not answered.]
* What's up with the giant statue? Who built it? What is its significance?
* Is there any explanation for why the man in the Dharma Initiative videos is at different times identified as Dr. Marvin Candle, Dr. Mark Wickmund, Dr. Pierre Change and other names and why the CIA agent who identifies himself as Joe Inman to Sayid tells Desmond that his name is Kelvin Inman?
* Why did the psychic in Australia encourage Claire to take the doomed flight?
* Who is the man Sarah left Jack for? Why is she so reluctant to reveal his identity? Is he somehow associated with the Dharma Initiative and/or the Others?
* What's up with that polar bear in Tunisia? Was Charlotte part of Dharma when she found it, or was she snooping into what Dharma is all about? [Pretty much answered, I guess. We know Charlotte was investigating her Dharma past? The polar bear likely transported from the island ala Ben and Locke.]
* Who is Penelope's mother?
* Why did Alpert want the body of Amy's husband? [Was it merely as proof of retribution to the Others? Or did they do something creepy with it?]
* Who created the ancient temple on the island?
* How did the Others save young Ben after he was shot? [They put him in the dark pool, most likely. But we weren't shown that this is the case.]
* What is Ilana's history with Jacob? Why was her face bandaged?
* Is Locke really dead? Will he return?
Additional unanswered questions from Lostpedia:
Questions from last week's episode
These aren't so much questions as writing that is bad and just doesn't make any sense:
But, as self-predicted, I also was disappointed.
Jack's sacrifice, the showdown with Smokey, the thrilling escape from Hydra Island, the touching reunions (particularly the one between Sawyer and Juliet) and the open-to-multiple-interpretations ending: I was good with all of it.
But I still feel cheated. Not because the producers failed to answer every tiny question I had about the show's myriad tiny mysteries. But because they failed to even touch on the big ones. To end this series without even an attempt to explain:
The mysterious numbers. What do they mean? Where do they come from?
The significance of the island? Why is it's survival so crucial to humanity? After all, it seems most of what it did was bring people misery?
Is a cheat and give the impression that the writers just couldn't come up with good answers for these, or the many other lingering questions from the series.
So, while greatly entertaining over the years, I have to say I find "Lost" ultimately a let down.
A year or two back, I imagined I'd want to re-watch the entire series once it ended, so I could see how -- "The Usual Suspects"-style -- the puzzle all fits together. But I now realize that wouldn't work. There are still too many missing pieces.
Fun characters aside, these unique mysteries are what made "Lost" truly special. But, in the last season, the producers dropped any intention of addressing them in a satisfying way. In other words, they failed the story.
So, that's that. I doubt I'll re-watch any of it. But, just out of curiosity, I'll likely rent the final season bonus disk that promised to address unanswered questions. Not holding up too many hopes that will be satisfying either.
Here's my list of STILL unanswered questions -- big and small:
* What is the history of the Others? Where did they come from? Why did they kill off the Dharma Initiative?
* What's up with Walt's powers? How did the Others know about them?
* How did Cindy the stewardess and the two children from the Oceanic flight come to be among the Others?
* Why exactly did Jacob pick these particular folks as his candidates? He tells them because they are "flawed." Seriously, this is the best the show's producers can do? By that standard, any random human fits the bill! Six years and all we get is, "they're flawed." Criminy.
* Jack is now Jacob's successor and it's his job to protect the magic golden light at the center of the island. But why? What has this light ever done for anyone apart from turn them into smoke monsters. What's so danged good about the island. Everyone on the danged thing has been threatened, beat up and killed, it seems like. Sure, it has healing properties. But, to what purpose? Locke was made able to walk again so he could get killed by an evil entity that wants to destroy the self-same healing island. This makes NO SENSE people. And if the point is that it's not supposed to make sense, that's not coming through clear either. It's all random and tossed together.
* Why was Ben selected the leader of the Others? And why, ostensibly in the name of Jacob, do such horrible things to people? Did Jacob intend this? Why did the Others go along with it? Why did Richard go along with it?
* Why did Jacob exclude Kate from being a candidate because she's a mother? Wasn't Sun a mother also? Wasn't Jin a dad? Aren't Jack and Sawyer also dads? Is Jacob a sexist pig?
* What was Ben's breakfast on the beach with Kate in season 3 all about? We didn't see any of their discussion. [I'm still a bit baffled by this scene. We've not been given any insight into what was discussed. Was Ben merely trying to persuade Jack to operate on Ben's spine? Or was there something more going on.]
* Why does the smoke monster kill some people and not others?
* Why did the smoke monster kill Eko, in particular? What did the monster see/sense in him?
* Why did the magic light turn the man in black into a smoke monster? If the light is such a good thing, why did it create an entity that goes around killing essentially innocent people?
* Why did the Others initially disguise themselves as shipwrecked pirate types complete with fake beards? [What was the point? To make the crash survivors think that the Others were merely fellow castaways, not an organized faction on the island with a secret history? What?]
* What's up with the sickness that killed off Danielle's team? [Were they killed by Smokey or turned evil by him? Or both?]
* Is the Dharma Initiative still active at all?
* Who was behind the air drop of Dharma supplies that has benefited the Oceanic survivors? [There was a drop after the Oceanic survivors arrived, wasn't there? Or was this an old drop that Hurley discovered? I may be misremembering.]
* Why do women on the island die instead of giving birth?
* Why did the Others steal children?
* What's behind the apparent healing properties of the island?
* What's responsible for the visions of animals and dead people the crash surivors sometimes see on the island?
* What's the deal with Libby, killed in season 2, who evidently gave Desmond the sailboat that landed him on the island and who once was in a mental ward with Hurley? [Despite Libby's recent appearance this season, these questions were not answered.]
* What's up with the giant statue? Who built it? What is its significance?
* Is there any explanation for why the man in the Dharma Initiative videos is at different times identified as Dr. Marvin Candle, Dr. Mark Wickmund, Dr. Pierre Change and other names and why the CIA agent who identifies himself as Joe Inman to Sayid tells Desmond that his name is Kelvin Inman?
* Why did the psychic in Australia encourage Claire to take the doomed flight?
* Who is the man Sarah left Jack for? Why is she so reluctant to reveal his identity? Is he somehow associated with the Dharma Initiative and/or the Others?
* What's up with that polar bear in Tunisia? Was Charlotte part of Dharma when she found it, or was she snooping into what Dharma is all about? [Pretty much answered, I guess. We know Charlotte was investigating her Dharma past? The polar bear likely transported from the island ala Ben and Locke.]
* Who is Penelope's mother?
* Why did Alpert want the body of Amy's husband? [Was it merely as proof of retribution to the Others? Or did they do something creepy with it?]
* Who created the ancient temple on the island?
* How did the Others save young Ben after he was shot? [They put him in the dark pool, most likely. But we weren't shown that this is the case.]
* What is Ilana's history with Jacob? Why was her face bandaged?
* Is Locke really dead? Will he return?
Additional unanswered questions from Lostpedia:
- Why did Desmond tell Charlie he saw a vision of Claire and Aaron getting on a helicopter that could only come true if he died?
- Why did Claire abandon Aaron?
- What caused the bad luck surrounding Hurley?
- What does Juliet's mark mean?
Questions from last week's episode
These aren't so much questions as writing that is bad and just doesn't make any sense:
- Smokey gets Ben to do his bidding by promising Ben that, once everybody is dead and gone, Ben will have control of the island. But at episode's end, Smokey tell Ben that he's going to destroy the island. And Ben seems ok with that. WTH?!!!
- In a previous episode, Ben confronts Charles Widmore. Widmore asks "Have you come to kill me" and Ben says "You know I can't do that." Yet, in the penultimate episode, Ben kills Widmore. So, it's suddenly ok now?
- Likewise, Smokey and Jacob's crazy mother says that neither can harm one another. Yet Jacob beats the snot out of Smokey and throws him into the magic light. I'm unclear on the definition of not hurting here.
Planet of the Apes prequel planned
From Variety:
James Franco has signed on to star in 20th Century Fox's "Planet of the Apes" prequel "Rise of the Apes."
Described as an origin story, "Apes" is set in present day San Francisco and deals with the aftermath of man's experiments with genetic engineering that lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. Franco will play a driven scientist who becomes a crucial figure in the war between humans and apes.
Pop links: Wally Wood, Major Matt Mason, Badfinger!
Lost: You've gotta be kidding me
According to Entertainment Weekly:
Will this be the Special "We Are Crappy Storytellers" DVD Edition on Blu-Ray?
C'mon! This season has been exceedingly poor and disappointing and now the producers so much as admit that they didn't even try to answer any of the show's lingering questions in the finale?
See my previous post for a list of still unresolved questions from the series.
Here's the thing: Yes, "Lost" has been pretty danged entertaining through its run. But the strung-out mysteries are what made it so interesting. To wind things up without resolving these mysteries or by attempting to answer them in lame, expository dialogue ("Oh, I know what those whispers in the jungle are!," "I picked you because you're flawed") is a cheat.
I remember the producers promising they weren't making this story up as they went along, that they had a definitive ending, that all the questions would be resolved, that this wouldn't be another "X-Files" or "Twin Peaks."
They let us down.
["Lost"] producers plan to address a selection of baffling bits of unfinished business on the season 6 DVD, which goes on sale in August. An ABC insider says the set will include “new content that addresses some of the unanswered questions in an entertaining way,” though disputed reports that there could be as much as 20 minutes worth of mystery-resolution material.
Will this be the Special "We Are Crappy Storytellers" DVD Edition on Blu-Ray?
C'mon! This season has been exceedingly poor and disappointing and now the producers so much as admit that they didn't even try to answer any of the show's lingering questions in the finale?
See my previous post for a list of still unresolved questions from the series.
Here's the thing: Yes, "Lost" has been pretty danged entertaining through its run. But the strung-out mysteries are what made it so interesting. To wind things up without resolving these mysteries or by attempting to answer them in lame, expository dialogue ("Oh, I know what those whispers in the jungle are!," "I picked you because you're flawed") is a cheat.
I remember the producers promising they weren't making this story up as they went along, that they had a definitive ending, that all the questions would be resolved, that this wouldn't be another "X-Files" or "Twin Peaks."
They let us down.
STILL unanswered questions on Lost, or "why this show sucks"
Lost is nearly done and the show's scripts read more and more like a thrown-together term paper written the night before it was due by a drunken college student. I mean, come on! Mysteries that have been strung out since season 1 are still unanswered. And when they are addressed, the "answers" are tossed off and lame.
At this point, I think there's little hope of a dramatically satisfying conclusion to the end of this series. This season has been horrendously bad.
Yet, I've watched thus far and will certainly be watching the conclusion this Sunday, hoping that it's not too bad.
That said, here are questions that STILL haven't been answered. I'm sure there are a ton more that haven't occurred to me:
* What is the history of the Others? Where did they come from? Why did they kill off the Dharma Initiative?
* What's up with Walt's powers? How did the Others know about them?
* How did Cindy the stewardess and the two children from the Oceanic flight come to be among the Others?
* Why exactly did Jacob pick these particular folks as his candidates? He tells them because they are "flawed." Seriously, this is the best the show's producers can do? By that standard, any random human fits the bill! Six years and all we get is, "they're flawed." Criminy.
* Jack is now Jacob's successor and it's his job to protect the magic golden light at the center of the island. But why? What has this light ever done for anyone apart from turn them into smoke monsters. What's so danged good about the island. Everyone on the danged thing has been threatened, beat up and killed, it seems like. Sure, it has healing properties. But, to what purpose? Locke was made able to walk again so he could get killed by an evil entity that wants to destroy the self-same healing island. This makes NO SENSE people. And if the point is that it's not supposed to make sense, that's not coming through clear either. It's all random and tossed together.
* Why was Ben selected the leader of the Others? And why, ostensibly in the name of Jacob, do such horrible things to people? Did Jacob intend this? Why did the Others go along with it? Why did Richard go along with it?
* Why did Jacob exclude Kate from being a candidate because she's a mother? Wasn't Sun a mother also? Wasn't Jin a dad? Aren't Jack and Sawyer also dads? Is Jacob a sexist pig?
* What was Ben's breakfast on the beach with Kate in season 3 all about? We didn't see any of their discussion. [I'm still a bit baffled by this scene. We've not been given any insight into what was discussed. Was Ben merely trying to persuade Jack to operate on Ben's spine? Or was there something more going on.]
* Why does the smoke monster kill some people and not others?
* Why did the smoke monster kill Eko, in particular? What did the monster see/sense in him?
* Why did the magic light turn the man in black into a smoke monster? If the light is such a good thing, why did it create an entity that goes around killing essentially innocent people?
* Why did the Others initially disguise themselves as shipwrecked pirate types complete with fake beards? [What was the point? To make the crash survivors think that the Others were merely fellow castaways, not an organized faction on the island with a secret history? What?]
* What's up with the sickness that killed off Danielle's team? [Were they killed by Smokey or turned evil by him? Or both?]
* Is the Dharma Initiative still active at all?
* Who was behind the air drop of Dharma supplies that has benefited the Oceanic survivors? [There was a drop after the Oceanic survivors arrived, wasn't there? Or was this an old drop that Hurley discovered? I may be misremembering.]
* Why do women on the island die instead of giving birth?
* Why did the Others steal children?
* What's behind the apparent healing properties of the island?
* What's responsible for the visions of animals and dead people the crash surivors sometimes see on the island?
* What's the deal with Libby, killed in season 2, who evidently gave Desmond the sailboat that landed him on the island and who once was in a mental ward with Hurley? [Despite Libby's recent appearance this season, these questions were not answered.]
* What's up with the giant statue? Who built it? What is its significance?
* Is there any explanation for why the man in the Dharma Initiative videos is at different times identified as Dr. Marvin Candle, Dr. Mark Wickmund, Dr. Pierre Change and other names and why the CIA agent who identifies himself as Joe Inman to Sayid tells Desmond that his name is Kelvin Inman?
* Why did the psychic in Australia encourage Claire to take the doomed flight?
* Who is the man Sarah left Jack for? Why is she so reluctant to reveal his identity? Is he somehow associated with the Dharma Initiative and/or the Others?
* What's up with that polar bear in Tunisia? Was Charlotte part of Dharma when she found it, or was she snooping into what Dharma is all about? [Pretty much answered, I guess. We know Charlotte was investigating her Dharma past? The polar bear likely transported from the island ala Ben and Locke.]
* Who is Penelope's mother?
* Why did Alpert want the body of Amy's husband? [Was it merely as proof of retribution to the Others? Or did they do something creepy with it?]
* Who created the ancient temple on the island?
* How did the Others save young Ben after he was shot? [They put him in the dark pool, most likely. But we weren't shown that this is the case.]
* What is Ilana's history with Jacob? Why was her face bandaged?
* Is Locke really dead? Will he return?
Additional unanswered questions from Lostpedia:
Questions from last week's episode
These aren't so much questions as writing that is bad and just doesn't make any sense:
At this point, I think there's little hope of a dramatically satisfying conclusion to the end of this series. This season has been horrendously bad.
Yet, I've watched thus far and will certainly be watching the conclusion this Sunday, hoping that it's not too bad.
That said, here are questions that STILL haven't been answered. I'm sure there are a ton more that haven't occurred to me:
* What is the history of the Others? Where did they come from? Why did they kill off the Dharma Initiative?
* What's up with Walt's powers? How did the Others know about them?
* How did Cindy the stewardess and the two children from the Oceanic flight come to be among the Others?
* Why exactly did Jacob pick these particular folks as his candidates? He tells them because they are "flawed." Seriously, this is the best the show's producers can do? By that standard, any random human fits the bill! Six years and all we get is, "they're flawed." Criminy.
* Jack is now Jacob's successor and it's his job to protect the magic golden light at the center of the island. But why? What has this light ever done for anyone apart from turn them into smoke monsters. What's so danged good about the island. Everyone on the danged thing has been threatened, beat up and killed, it seems like. Sure, it has healing properties. But, to what purpose? Locke was made able to walk again so he could get killed by an evil entity that wants to destroy the self-same healing island. This makes NO SENSE people. And if the point is that it's not supposed to make sense, that's not coming through clear either. It's all random and tossed together.
* Why was Ben selected the leader of the Others? And why, ostensibly in the name of Jacob, do such horrible things to people? Did Jacob intend this? Why did the Others go along with it? Why did Richard go along with it?
* Why did Jacob exclude Kate from being a candidate because she's a mother? Wasn't Sun a mother also? Wasn't Jin a dad? Aren't Jack and Sawyer also dads? Is Jacob a sexist pig?
* What was Ben's breakfast on the beach with Kate in season 3 all about? We didn't see any of their discussion. [I'm still a bit baffled by this scene. We've not been given any insight into what was discussed. Was Ben merely trying to persuade Jack to operate on Ben's spine? Or was there something more going on.]
* Why does the smoke monster kill some people and not others?
* Why did the smoke monster kill Eko, in particular? What did the monster see/sense in him?
* Why did the magic light turn the man in black into a smoke monster? If the light is such a good thing, why did it create an entity that goes around killing essentially innocent people?
* Why did the Others initially disguise themselves as shipwrecked pirate types complete with fake beards? [What was the point? To make the crash survivors think that the Others were merely fellow castaways, not an organized faction on the island with a secret history? What?]
* What's up with the sickness that killed off Danielle's team? [Were they killed by Smokey or turned evil by him? Or both?]
* Is the Dharma Initiative still active at all?
* Who was behind the air drop of Dharma supplies that has benefited the Oceanic survivors? [There was a drop after the Oceanic survivors arrived, wasn't there? Or was this an old drop that Hurley discovered? I may be misremembering.]
* Why do women on the island die instead of giving birth?
* Why did the Others steal children?
* What's behind the apparent healing properties of the island?
* What's responsible for the visions of animals and dead people the crash surivors sometimes see on the island?
* What's the deal with Libby, killed in season 2, who evidently gave Desmond the sailboat that landed him on the island and who once was in a mental ward with Hurley? [Despite Libby's recent appearance this season, these questions were not answered.]
* What's up with the giant statue? Who built it? What is its significance?
* Is there any explanation for why the man in the Dharma Initiative videos is at different times identified as Dr. Marvin Candle, Dr. Mark Wickmund, Dr. Pierre Change and other names and why the CIA agent who identifies himself as Joe Inman to Sayid tells Desmond that his name is Kelvin Inman?
* Why did the psychic in Australia encourage Claire to take the doomed flight?
* Who is the man Sarah left Jack for? Why is she so reluctant to reveal his identity? Is he somehow associated with the Dharma Initiative and/or the Others?
* What's up with that polar bear in Tunisia? Was Charlotte part of Dharma when she found it, or was she snooping into what Dharma is all about? [Pretty much answered, I guess. We know Charlotte was investigating her Dharma past? The polar bear likely transported from the island ala Ben and Locke.]
* Who is Penelope's mother?
* Why did Alpert want the body of Amy's husband? [Was it merely as proof of retribution to the Others? Or did they do something creepy with it?]
* Who created the ancient temple on the island?
* How did the Others save young Ben after he was shot? [They put him in the dark pool, most likely. But we weren't shown that this is the case.]
* What is Ilana's history with Jacob? Why was her face bandaged?
* Is Locke really dead? Will he return?
Additional unanswered questions from Lostpedia:
- Why did Desmond tell Charlie he saw a vision of Claire and Aaron getting on a helicopter that could only come true if he died?
- Why did Claire abandon Aaron?
- What caused the bad luck surrounding Hurley?
- What does Juliet's mark mean?
Questions from last week's episode
These aren't so much questions as writing that is bad and just doesn't make any sense:
- Smokey gets Ben to do his bidding by promising Ben that, once everybody is dead and gone, Ben will have control of the island. But at episode's end, Smokey tell Ben that he's going to destroy the island. And Ben seems ok with that. WTH?!!!
- In a previous episode, Ben confronts Charles Widmore. Widmore asks "Have you come to kill me" and Ben says "You know I can't do that." Yet, in the penultimate episode, Ben kills Widmore. So, it's suddenly ok now?
- Likewise, Smokey and Jacob's crazy mother says that neither can harm one another. Yet Jacob beats the snot out of Smokey and throws him into the magic light. I'm unclear on the definition of not hurting here.
Marvel Comics August 2010 solicitations: classic reprints
Highlights from Marvel's August offerings:
WOMEN OF MARVEL: CELEBRATING SEVEN DECADES OMNIBUS
Written by STAN LEE, LINDA FITE, JEAN THOMAS, GERRY CONWAY, ROY THOMAS, TONY ISABELLA, ED HANNIGAN, CAROL SEULING, STEVE GERBER, MIKE FRIEDRICH, JIM SHOOTER, DAVID MICHELINIE, JOHN BYRNE, TOM DEFALCO, DWAYNE MCDUFFIE, DWIGHT D. COYE, JM DEMATTEIS, JACK C. HARRIS & RICHARD HOWELL
Penciled by VARIOUS
Covers by OLIVIER COIPEL & RAMONA FRADON
For seventy years, Marvel Comics has been chronicling the adventures of heroes across the world — and now it's time for the heroines to shine! Featuring your favorite fighting females from across the decades! Millie the Model! Patsy Walker and Hedy Wolfe! The Wasp! The Black Widow! Night Nurse! Tigra! Shanna the She-Devil! The Dazzler! Firestar! Captain Marvel! She-Hulk! Storm! Against threats including Man-Killer, Nekra, the White Queen and the Silver Samurai! Collected together here for the first time in one titanic tome! Collecting TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #51-58, X-MEN (1963) #57, NIGHT NURSE #1-4, CAT #1-4, MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #8, GIANT-SIZE CREATURES #1, MARVEL PREMIERE #42, SHANNA THE SHE-DEVIL (1972) #1-5, KA-ZAR: LORD OF THE HIDDEN JUNGLE #2, DAREDEVIL (1964) #108-112, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #3, MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #12, #16 & #18, FIRESTAR #1-4, SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK: CEREMONY #1-2, CAPTAIN MARVEL (1989) #1, CAPTAIN MARVEL (1994) #1, MILLIE THE MODEL #100, PATSY AND HEDY ANNUAL #1, SOLO AVENGERS #9, MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #36 and MARVEL FANFARE #59.
1160 PGS
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE MARVEL COMICS VOL. 5 HC
Written by JOE SIMON, RAY GILL, ANDREW MCWHINEY & VARIOUS
Penciled by CARL BURGOS, BILL EVERETT, JACK KIRBY, PAUL GUSTAVSON, STEVE DAHLMAN, BOB OKSNER & BEN THOMPSON
Cover by ALEX SCHOMBURG
The greatest comic magazine of the Golden Age returns with the Marvel Masterworks! Headlining the heavy-hitters of the Timely era, Marvel Mystery Comics has it all—from top-of-the-field super hero action to bizarre mystery, otherworldly noir, jungle adventure and boy detectives! And it all starts off with the history-making Human Torch/Sub-Mariner team-up by the titanic talents Carl Burgos and Bill Everett! Then the Human Torch’s sidekick Toro, the Flaming Kid, makes his Marvel Mystery debut. Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, takes his uniquely anarchic brand of action straight to the Nazis’ noses, while the Angel’s origin is revealed and he begins a multi-part crusade against the sexy villainess, the Cat’s Paw. Rounded out by Jack Kirby’s eerie agent of vengeance, the Vision; the wonderfully weird Electro; Terry Vance, School Boy Sleuth; and the adventures of Ka-Zar, it’s the classic package that made Marvel famous! Collecting MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #17-20
280 PGS
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE DEFENDERS VOL. 2 HC
Written by STEVE ENGLEHART & LEN WEIN with TONY ISABELLA
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA & BOB BROWN with JIM STARLIN
Cover by GIL KANE
The Dynamic Defenders, comicdom’s most famous non-team, launch into their second Marvel Masterworks collection with the granddaddy of all mega-events—the Avengers/Defenders War! Thor vs. Hulk! Silver Surfer vs. the Vision! Namor vs. Cap! It’s a super hero battle royale orchestrated by the mystic menace Dormammu and the mischievous Loki. Concocted by Steve Englehart, the cross-title adventure is collected in full and has never looked better! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! This packed-to-the-gills collection also includes Attuma’s invasion of the surface world; Hawkeye’s joining the ranks of the Defenders; the all-time classic battle with the Squadron Sinister that brought Nighthawk into the Defenders’ fold; a team-up with Professor X to stop Magneto and the his Ultimate Mutant; and at long last, the return of the Black Knight! They’re classics that redefined super teams forever, one and all, so come join the revolution with the Marvel Masterworks! Collecting DEFENDERS #7-16, GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #1 & AVENGERS #115-118
312 PGS
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE SILVER SURFER VOL. 2 TPB
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA with JACK KIRBY
Covers by JOHN BUSCEMA & DEAN WHITE
The world’s favorite space-faring super hero in his continuing saga of anguish and adventure! He sacrificed himself to save his home world of Zenn-La from the planet-devouring menace, Galactus, saving those he loved in exchange for a life of servitude as the Silver Surfer. Now, after disobeying his master, Norrin Radd is stranded on the planet Earth—forever removed from his love, Shalla-Bal, and from the beckoning spaceways! A high point of epic adventure and lyrical drama, The Silver Surfer took the comic-book super hero to all-new heights. Using their ravaged protagonist as a lens through which they could comment on the social injustices of the era, Stan Lee and John Buscema turned the Surfer into the ultimate outsider archetype, reflecting the reader’s world in his metallic skin. In these pages the Surfer will face ghosts from beyond the grave seeking redemption, the horrors of war, the devious Mephisto, and mighty Marvel heroes from Spider-Man to the Human Torch and the Inhumans. So what more do you need to know, reserve that copy today, True Believer! Collecting SILVER SURFER #7-18
288 PGS
THOR: IF ASGARD SHOULD PERISH PREMIERE HC
Written by LEN WEIN
Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA
Covers by JACK KIRBY
To save the very universe, Thor and the Warriors Three travel through time to stop the deadly Time Twisters! Then, it’s off to Costa Verde to face the new threat of Firelord—but when Thor gets mind-controlled, only Jane Foster can save the day! And when Mangog storms the gates of Asgard, Thor must rescue his father Odin from Hela herself! Witness the God of Thunder in some of his earliest battles! Featuring the threats of Ulik, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man and more! Collecting THOR (1962) #242-253.
224 PGS
ESSENTIAL HULK VOL. 6 TPB
Written by LEN WEIN, DAVID KRAFT & ROGER STERN
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA, HERB TRIMPE, GEORGE TUSKA & JIM STARLIN
Cover by RICH BUCKLER
Life is never easy for the Hulk. And it only gets harder as he travels through time, across dimensions, under the ocean, to deserted islands and more to face his deadliest foes yet — including Constrictor, the Leader, Bi-Beast, Psyklop and Absorbing Man! When the woman of both Hulk and Banner's dreams, Jarella, comes to Earth, could our hero find happiness — or is he doomed for disappointment? Plus: Things aren't all wedded bliss for Glenn and Betty Talbot! Doc Samson versus Rhino! Guest-starring the Defenders, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Jack of Hearts! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #201-225 and HULK ANNUAL #6.
496 PGS
WOMEN OF MARVEL: CELEBRATING SEVEN DECADES OMNIBUS
Written by STAN LEE, LINDA FITE, JEAN THOMAS, GERRY CONWAY, ROY THOMAS, TONY ISABELLA, ED HANNIGAN, CAROL SEULING, STEVE GERBER, MIKE FRIEDRICH, JIM SHOOTER, DAVID MICHELINIE, JOHN BYRNE, TOM DEFALCO, DWAYNE MCDUFFIE, DWIGHT D. COYE, JM DEMATTEIS, JACK C. HARRIS & RICHARD HOWELL
Penciled by VARIOUS
Covers by OLIVIER COIPEL & RAMONA FRADON
For seventy years, Marvel Comics has been chronicling the adventures of heroes across the world — and now it's time for the heroines to shine! Featuring your favorite fighting females from across the decades! Millie the Model! Patsy Walker and Hedy Wolfe! The Wasp! The Black Widow! Night Nurse! Tigra! Shanna the She-Devil! The Dazzler! Firestar! Captain Marvel! She-Hulk! Storm! Against threats including Man-Killer, Nekra, the White Queen and the Silver Samurai! Collected together here for the first time in one titanic tome! Collecting TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #51-58, X-MEN (1963) #57, NIGHT NURSE #1-4, CAT #1-4, MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #8, GIANT-SIZE CREATURES #1, MARVEL PREMIERE #42, SHANNA THE SHE-DEVIL (1972) #1-5, KA-ZAR: LORD OF THE HIDDEN JUNGLE #2, DAREDEVIL (1964) #108-112, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #3, MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #12, #16 & #18, FIRESTAR #1-4, SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK: CEREMONY #1-2, CAPTAIN MARVEL (1989) #1, CAPTAIN MARVEL (1994) #1, MILLIE THE MODEL #100, PATSY AND HEDY ANNUAL #1, SOLO AVENGERS #9, MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #36 and MARVEL FANFARE #59.
1160 PGS
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE MARVEL COMICS VOL. 5 HC
Written by JOE SIMON, RAY GILL, ANDREW MCWHINEY & VARIOUS
Penciled by CARL BURGOS, BILL EVERETT, JACK KIRBY, PAUL GUSTAVSON, STEVE DAHLMAN, BOB OKSNER & BEN THOMPSON
Cover by ALEX SCHOMBURG
The greatest comic magazine of the Golden Age returns with the Marvel Masterworks! Headlining the heavy-hitters of the Timely era, Marvel Mystery Comics has it all—from top-of-the-field super hero action to bizarre mystery, otherworldly noir, jungle adventure and boy detectives! And it all starts off with the history-making Human Torch/Sub-Mariner team-up by the titanic talents Carl Burgos and Bill Everett! Then the Human Torch’s sidekick Toro, the Flaming Kid, makes his Marvel Mystery debut. Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, takes his uniquely anarchic brand of action straight to the Nazis’ noses, while the Angel’s origin is revealed and he begins a multi-part crusade against the sexy villainess, the Cat’s Paw. Rounded out by Jack Kirby’s eerie agent of vengeance, the Vision; the wonderfully weird Electro; Terry Vance, School Boy Sleuth; and the adventures of Ka-Zar, it’s the classic package that made Marvel famous! Collecting MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #17-20
280 PGS
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE DEFENDERS VOL. 2 HC
Written by STEVE ENGLEHART & LEN WEIN with TONY ISABELLA
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA & BOB BROWN with JIM STARLIN
Cover by GIL KANE
The Dynamic Defenders, comicdom’s most famous non-team, launch into their second Marvel Masterworks collection with the granddaddy of all mega-events—the Avengers/Defenders War! Thor vs. Hulk! Silver Surfer vs. the Vision! Namor vs. Cap! It’s a super hero battle royale orchestrated by the mystic menace Dormammu and the mischievous Loki. Concocted by Steve Englehart, the cross-title adventure is collected in full and has never looked better! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! This packed-to-the-gills collection also includes Attuma’s invasion of the surface world; Hawkeye’s joining the ranks of the Defenders; the all-time classic battle with the Squadron Sinister that brought Nighthawk into the Defenders’ fold; a team-up with Professor X to stop Magneto and the his Ultimate Mutant; and at long last, the return of the Black Knight! They’re classics that redefined super teams forever, one and all, so come join the revolution with the Marvel Masterworks! Collecting DEFENDERS #7-16, GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #1 & AVENGERS #115-118
312 PGS
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE SILVER SURFER VOL. 2 TPB
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA with JACK KIRBY
Covers by JOHN BUSCEMA & DEAN WHITE
The world’s favorite space-faring super hero in his continuing saga of anguish and adventure! He sacrificed himself to save his home world of Zenn-La from the planet-devouring menace, Galactus, saving those he loved in exchange for a life of servitude as the Silver Surfer. Now, after disobeying his master, Norrin Radd is stranded on the planet Earth—forever removed from his love, Shalla-Bal, and from the beckoning spaceways! A high point of epic adventure and lyrical drama, The Silver Surfer took the comic-book super hero to all-new heights. Using their ravaged protagonist as a lens through which they could comment on the social injustices of the era, Stan Lee and John Buscema turned the Surfer into the ultimate outsider archetype, reflecting the reader’s world in his metallic skin. In these pages the Surfer will face ghosts from beyond the grave seeking redemption, the horrors of war, the devious Mephisto, and mighty Marvel heroes from Spider-Man to the Human Torch and the Inhumans. So what more do you need to know, reserve that copy today, True Believer! Collecting SILVER SURFER #7-18
288 PGS
THOR: IF ASGARD SHOULD PERISH PREMIERE HC
Written by LEN WEIN
Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA
Covers by JACK KIRBY
To save the very universe, Thor and the Warriors Three travel through time to stop the deadly Time Twisters! Then, it’s off to Costa Verde to face the new threat of Firelord—but when Thor gets mind-controlled, only Jane Foster can save the day! And when Mangog storms the gates of Asgard, Thor must rescue his father Odin from Hela herself! Witness the God of Thunder in some of his earliest battles! Featuring the threats of Ulik, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man and more! Collecting THOR (1962) #242-253.
224 PGS
ESSENTIAL HULK VOL. 6 TPB
Written by LEN WEIN, DAVID KRAFT & ROGER STERN
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA, HERB TRIMPE, GEORGE TUSKA & JIM STARLIN
Cover by RICH BUCKLER
Life is never easy for the Hulk. And it only gets harder as he travels through time, across dimensions, under the ocean, to deserted islands and more to face his deadliest foes yet — including Constrictor, the Leader, Bi-Beast, Psyklop and Absorbing Man! When the woman of both Hulk and Banner's dreams, Jarella, comes to Earth, could our hero find happiness — or is he doomed for disappointment? Plus: Things aren't all wedded bliss for Glenn and Betty Talbot! Doc Samson versus Rhino! Guest-starring the Defenders, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Jack of Hearts! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #201-225 and HULK ANNUAL #6.
496 PGS
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