Zombie (2006) # 1-4, The Zombie: Simon Garth (2008) # 1-4

(I originally read these comics in mid December 2016)

Marvel's adults only 'MAX' imprint seems to have been the place where a lot of moribund, old characters in need of trademark renewal got a brief shot at revival, with varying success. Unlike some others, this post-Romero updating of the '70s Simon Garth Zombie character is well worth a read. 

   

Bank Teller Simon Garth is having the worst day of his unremarkable life when two robbers burst into his branch, kill the manager and kidnap Garth and co-worker Layla because they need him to deactivate the paint canisters in their money bags - or so they think. Things get immeasurably worse, however, when the quartet is stopped in their tyre tracks by a chemical spill on the Interstate. This isn't your average chemical spill, though, as it has the effect of turning people into ravenous, undead cannibals, one of which bites Layla's throat out. The remaining trio take refuge in an abandoned burger joint with a rag-tag assortment of new characters, including an infected soldier who will inevitably 'turn', as the chaos outside swells to apocalyptic proportions and the zombie hordes attempt to claw their way in. As always in these situations, everybody's unsure of their allegiances and betrayal might lurk just around the corner. It's spoiling nothing to mention that, yes, Garth does end up infected. 

If you've seen any zombie film made in the last forty-eight years, then you'll find nothing groundbreaking here. However, the story by Mike Raicht is solid and is lifted higher by the atmospheric and super-gory artwork of Kyle Hotz. (You'll feel like you're sloshing ankle-deep through a sea of intestines, by the end.)

   

Raicht is gone for the follow-up series and I expected a dip in quality as remaining artist Hotz was an unknown quantity to me as a writer. However, he doesn't miss a trick and picks up right after the events of the first series with an infected Simon Garth, now a fully-fledged (yet benevolent) zombie, let loose after his rescue helicopter crashes. From here, another epidemic begins. Hotz has fun introducing a family of inbred hunters modelled after the Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Sawyer clan as adversaries for our zombie hero and now protector of a little girl, lost in the woods after a car crash. Hotz's artwork is as good as ever, like a latter-day Graham Ingels, and if you enjoy the first series you'll want to read this too. Before reading 'Zombie', I considered Hotz to be "like Kelley Jones, just not as good," but I'm forced to revise that opinion now.

Zombie (2006) # 1-4 are collected in:

Zombie (US)

Zombie (UK)

The Zombie: Simon Garth (2008) # 1-4 are collected in:

The Zombie: Simon Garth (US)

The Zombie: Simon Garth (UK)

Foolkiller (2007) # 1-5, Foolkiller: White Angels (2008) # 1-5

(I originally read these comics in mid July 2016)

I read both these series in one day. This iteration of the Foolkiller has no relation to the previous Marvel characters of the same name and belongs to the separate, supposedly more 'realistic' MAX Comics continuity.

  

 

In the first series, an enforcer for a gambling website rips off his bosses to the tune of twenty grand to fund his daughter's hospital bills. They're obviously patient, understanding gents because in retaliation he's beaten and has his hand stuffed down a garbage disposal unit. (On the bright side, it stopped him biting his nails.) Meanwhile, his wife is gang-raped and murdered (actually it's implied it's the other way around) and his youngest daughter has her neck broken. I think it's fair to say he won't be doing that again.

I did assume all this was leading to the dumb schlub taking up the mantle of the Foolkiller, but no. Instead, the titular vigilante comes to said schlub's aid. He hacks the gang members to pieces with his sword one by one and leaves them posed as 'art' for the cops to find, before they can act upon their threat to kill the one hospitalised but still living daughter if the debt isn't repaid. There's more to the story, but not much.

  

 

The second series, subtitled 'White Angels', is more of the same, with the Foolkiller up against a KKK-like group who are lynching Mexicans and blacks, etc. The Punisher turns up halfway through but writer Gregg Hurwitz's characterisation of him is off. Not even the MAX version of Frank would blow a shotgun load through an innocent security guard just to gain entry to a garage.

Both stories are enjoyable enough, if not for PC pansies. (These must be among the most violent comics ever published by Marvel.) Problem is that, bereft of any fantasy trappings, they feel like standard, super-violent vigilante thrillers created just to maintain trademark on the Foolkiller name, with the character's M.O. an afterthought that isn't satisfactorily defined. (What constitutes a 'fool' to all iterations of this character has often been somewhat vague, subjective and left to the whim of the writer.)

Foolkiller (2007) # 1-5 are collected in:

Softcover:

Foolkiller: Fool's Paradise (US)

Foolkiller: Fool's Paradise (UK)

Foolkiller: White Angels (2008) # 1-5 are collected in:

Softcover:

Foolkiller: White Angels (US)

Foolkiller: White Angels (UK)

Master of Kung Fu in Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 1-8, Master of Kung Fu: Bleeding Black (1990) # 1, Moon Knight Special (1992) # 1, Moon Knight (1998) # 1-4, Moon Knight: High Strangers (1999) # 1-4, Master of Kung Fu (2002) # 1-6

(I originally read these comics in mid/late June 2016)

I was eager to read some 'Master of Kung Fu', my first Omnibus having not long arrived, but won't jump into the series until I have it complete in front of me. So, I decided to read the few Shang-Chi stories Doug Moench has written since the conclusion of his initial run. I also decided to throw in the couple of stories he's latterly done with Moon Knight, the character he co-created. 

The first Shang-Chi story sees the son of Fu Manchu enjoying retirement but being pressed into action again by MI6 to save his former lover, Leiko Wu, she having been kidnapped by a hook-handed arms dealer, and being poisoned in the process. For the uninitiated, Bruce Lee meets Bond is an apt description of the tone. This 64-page tale is spread across the first eight issues of 'Marvel Comics Presents', an anthology comic. I just read the Shang-Chi story.

 

 

 

 

The 'Bleeding Black' one-shot collects a story originally intended for serialisation in MCP. Still suffering from being poisoned, Shang sets out on a quest to defeat a usurper to his father's throne and to save his own skin by securing possession of Fu Manchu's elixir of eternal life. 

The Moon Knight Special, from 1992 and co-starring Shang, is slight and jokey and not worth dwelling on. The Moon Knight limited series from 1998 is good though, and pits MK against all his most prominent foes in a plot orchestrated by Morpheus to cause a meeting of U.N. diplomats to spark World War 3. It must have been a sales success, because Moench followed it up with a second limited series in 1999, subtitled 'High Strangeness' (though mis-labelled 'High Strangers' on the covers). This one plops MK into a CIA conspiracy against an Aleister Crowley-alike who made a pact with aliens in return for possession of advanced mind control technology. Tommy Lee Edwards and Mark Texeira are the artists, respectively, and Edwards' blocky artwork with deep blacks is especially suited.

   

   

The last Shang-Chi story by Moench to date sees the resurrection of Fu Manchu (though never referred to as such for trademark reasons) and his plan to harness lightning into a weapon more deadly than 2,000 atom bombs. His errant son is again pressed into action to defeat him. It was published under Marvel's MAX imprint, and so includes swearing, but would have been just as enjoyable without it. Moench's frequent artistic partner Paul Gulacy also takes advantage of the new freedom by drawing a parade of sexy, scantily-clad females.

  

  

Master of Kung Fu (2002) # 1-6 are collected in:

Softcover:

Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu (US)

Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu (UK)