Category Archives: Anti-Heroes

Mickey Spillane’s Mike Danger Volume 1 #2

February 17, 2016 The Overseer Leave a comment

Mike Danger awakens from his lengthy sleep, only to realize he’s a man far out of his time. It’s 2052 and obviously, things don’t function quite as they did 100 years prior. At least Simon Holden, Mike’s new boss has set him up in a holographic room that mirrors his office in the past. He’s even accompanied by his old assistant… even if she is a hologram.

Holden takes the time to walk Danger through some of the events he’s missed over the years. He also gives the PI a glimpse of his new home and informs him that he’ll essentially be doing the same thing in 2052 that he did in 1952 – gettin’ his hands dirty.

Interestingly enough Mike runs into danger before he can even lay his head down for a little R&R. A man sneaks into his room, attempting to empty a hot one in our confused hero. But, Mike’s still got it, even if he hasn’t used those muscles in 100 years, he knows how to handle himself.

But who was that sneaky fellow with a firearm? And better yet, why is Mike Danger suddenly being arrested for murder when he acted in obvious self-defense?

Max Allan Collins does a great job of slowly introducing us (and Mike) to an entirely new and unorthodox world. He also eases us into Danger’s new line of work; he hasn’t been assigned any particular case, but we do know he’ll work as an investigator of some sort. And, while Collins transfers readers to a different time, Eduardo Barreto still keeps the old school look of the book alive, despite the futuristic building and space age contraptions cluttering the pages.

The story is still as engaging today as it was 21 years ago, when Tekno initially put this beast on the shelves. It’s a good thing my memory hasn’t held up quite as well, as the story has already offered me more than a single surprise.

Stay tuned for coverage of issue number three!

Rating: 5/5

Anti-Heroes, Marvel Comics

Cable & Deadpool #1

February 16, 2016 The Overseer Leave a comment

Deadpool is hired by a strange lot of kind-of-humans – members of the One World Church – to break into a major pharmaceutical manufacturer and snag a drug their developing. The drug, in the wrong hands, could put the world as we know it at riskl; in the right hands it could be a miracle drug. Either way, the One World Church wants it, and they’re willing to pay big bucks to ensure they get it.

Sounds like a perfect deal for the loud-mouthed merc, right? Right… all the way up to the point where Wade crosses paths with Cable, who’s got similar motivation for his appearance. Unfortunately, issue one reaches a close before we see these two use each other as punching bags before inevitably becoming best buds.

The positive? I’ve got ever issue of this book, so I’ll be bringing you up to speed soon!

Right now expect a strong, silly story from Fabian Nicieza and some damn slick artwork from the talented Shane Law of Udon. These gents work quite well together, and this is a match made in Marvel Heaven.

How long will these two anti-heroes tangle before realizing they’re essentially fighting for the same cause? How many wicked verbal barbs can Wade get out of his mouth before Cable puts a beatin’ on the man? And just how will this particular arc come to an end? Are these One World Church folks legit, or is there something shady goin on?

We’ll see soon!

Rating: 4/5

Anti-Heroes, Tekno comix

Mickey Spillane’s Mike Danger Volume 1 #1

February 16, 2016 The Overseer Leave a comment

Max Allan Collins and Eduardo Barreto’s strange, futuristic crime noir, MiKe Danger held major appeal to me as a teenager. Tekno comix hadn’t been around long (to my knowledge) and very few of their titles called to me, but I’ve always been a fan of the rugged PI type, and so I took my chance with Mr. Danger.

It was a good call.

Issue number one sees Mike Danger tell us a bit of his history in combat before meeting an old military buddy. But this fellow, who’s been a distant piece of Danger’s past for a great number of years, has always been a little bit… off. So, when he shows up and tells Danger that he’s encounter an ex-Nazi officer now moonlighting as a doctor, Danger takes it with a grain of salt and chalks it up to the over-imagination of a man who’s always let fantasies play out through his mind and out of his mouth.

But soon, Mike’s old buddy ends up dead, and just like that it’s Danger on the case. But Mike soon stumbles upon the very thing is old pal had attempted to inform him about. It’s a top secret room loaded with what amount to cryogenic holding tubes.

Some action unfolds, and Mike Danger inadvertently finds himself encased in one.

100 years later, he wakes up, and it’s time to get accustomed to an entirely new lifestyle.

This is an amazing and underrated book. As noted, I didn’t read too many of Tekno’s books, but this is a winner through and through. Max Allan Collins was born to write this kind of mystery, and Eduardo Barreto’s artwork couldn’t be more perfect. The book reads and looks like a vintage title. It’s convincing in that regard, but it’s also seamlessly assembled and one of the finest books you need to be tracking down.

Mike Danger rocks, and I’ll be reviewing every issue I own!

Rating: 5/5