Micronauts - The Collection Concludes

Here we are, the end of the road.  Previous installments can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.  My Micronauts odyssey has been a lot of fun but it ends here.  For now, anyway.

59 - The Micronauts appear to be leaving Baron Karza behind forever.  It's a fitting cover for the last issue of the series.  Kelly Jones, who inked a fair number of issues during the last year, provided the art.  It's a good cover for what it is.

As the Endeavor II charges its engines, the Micronauts ponder all that has transpired and mourn the devastation of Homeworld.  Biotron and Microtron struggle to understand the feelings of their humanoid counterparts.

Not a lot happens apart from some flashback sequences.  It felt pretty unnecessary, even with Micronauts: The New Voyages on the horizon.  Kelly Jones' art is good but nothing like the art he'd later be known for on stuff like Sandman and Batman.

This issue might have worked better as the first issue of The New Voyages or being skipped all together.  It's kind of a fizzle as an ending or as a transitional issue.

And that's that.  Or would be if I hadn't wrangled an affordably priced copy of Micronauts #8!
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8 - The Micronauts have never had an artist as good as Michael Golden and it's great to see another of his covers.  This one depicts the Micronauts at Baron Karza's feet with Captain Universe coming to the rescue!

Talk about a blast from the past.  The Micronauts are back in Florida, in HELL, to be exact, and Baron Karza is taking on the army.  Dallan and Sepsis, it's weird reading this issue out of sequence.  Force Commander isn't a douche yet but is already a Centaur.  Rann isn't wasting his time meditating.  Microtron is actually funny!  The last year of Micronauts tales didn't have much in the way of humor.

Ray Coffin, as Captain Universe, arrives to save the day.  The Micronauts head back to the Microverse through the Prometheus Pit and intend to seal it behind them but Karza abandons Prometheus' body to give them chase.

The Enigma Force leaves Ray Coffin, letting him have a reunion with his son, Steve.

This issue would have had a bigger impact on me had I read it in sequence.  As it stands now, it was a reminder of how much the Micronauts lost on their quest to defeat Karza.  It was also a reminder of how often they got pushed into the background on their own book.

Why the hell is this issue so much more expensive than any other Micronauts issue?  Captain Universe has never been popular and probably has made less than 100 appearances in the last 35 years.
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Micronotes:

• Thus ends the first volume of The Micronauts.  While I'm tempted to track down Micronauts: The New Voyages, I think I'm going to leave things as they are for a while.
• I'm not sure I want to read any Micronauts material not written by Bill Manto.  Bill Mantlo is to the Micronauts as Larry Hama is to GI Joe.
• I'm even less sure about reading the IDW Micronauts series.  After you take away everything Bill Mantlo brought to the table, what's left?
• There are a couple issues of Cable set in the Microverse.  Again, no Mantlo.
• I plan on mining the Micronauts for source material for a Dungeons and Dragons game at some point.
• I've got Mantlo and Guice's next project, Swords of the Swashbucklers on deck.  If I continue suffering from Mantlo withdrawal, I might have to track down ROM.

X-Men and the Micronauts

Previous installments of my Micronauts raeding odyssey can be found here, here, here, here, and here.   In this installment, just before the ultimate chapter of Bill Mantlo's run of the Micronauts, we have a curious animal, a four issue crossover with the X-Men that actually has repercussions in the main book.

1 - The assembled X-Men and Micronauts are bearing down on a shadowy figure in front of them.  I think this cover has a sense of urgency but is also intriguing enough to get someone to pick up the book.  Then again, crossovers weren't as pervasive in the early 1980s as they are now so this was probably a big deal on its own.

The Micronauts have found themselves in an alliance with Baron Karza against an unknown enemy that is ravaging the Microverse.  That's one way to get people's attention.  I don't buy the alliance but we''ll see what happens.  The Micronauts confront the unknown enemy, a man in gold armor, and are defeated.  Baron Karza and Bioship escape.

Meanwhile, at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler, and some of the New Mutants are training when Baron Karza arrives and attacks Professor X, saying he is the source of the chaos in the Microverse.  Karza incapcitates Xavier and hands the New Mutants' asses to them until Storm and the X-Men arrive. 

Karza battles the X-Men.  Karza takes a pounding but uses his flying choke hold on Wolverine.  Kitty tries to phase through Karza but they end up swapping bodies because of his psychic abilities and armor.  Huh.  This is going to get weird.

Bioship shows up and settles things.  Karza almost gives himself away in Kitty's body by calling Lockheed a beast.  Bioship shrinks down the X-Men and whisks them away to the Microverse to help the Micronauts.

So, the creature in the Microverse is an evil aspect of Professor X, right?  Aside from having to swallow the alliance with Karza, this wasn't a bad issue.  It was mostly setup but it was interesting seeing the classic Claremont X-Men again.
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2 - The Micronauts, wearing original X-Men gear, loom over the X-Men.  It's an interesting image.  Side note - Huntarr keeps reminding me of Doctor Zoidberg from Futurama for some reason.  Maybe the lack of mouth.

The Micronauts are trapped in some kind of nightmare realm where they battle their worst fears.  They are all broken and The Entity frees them and makes them his thralls.  He dresses them as the original X-Men and promises to use them to ravage the Microverse AND the Macroverse.

The Bioship arrives in the Microverse with the X-Men on board.  Karza and Wolverine bicker.  Meanwhile, Karza in Kitty Pryde's body is lurking in the background while Kitty's mind is unconscious in Karza's body.

Karza returns to Homeworld to build a new fleet, leaving the X-Men on the Bioship to battle the Entity.  Bioship's link with Rann guides the X-Men to a planet, where they find a duplicate of Xavier's school.  The Entity is revealed as a dark Xavier with the Micronauts in X-Men garb behind him.  The Micronauts defeat the X-Men with The Entity's help and Karza, controlling his armor with Kitty Pryde's mind in it, escapes back to Homeworld.

I don't really see where this is going other than the X-Men and the Micronauts teaming up to settle the Entity's hash.  Jackson Guice does a good job drawing the X-Men, at least.
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3 - The defeated X-Men and Micronauts lie disheveled on the ground with the Entity's image in the background.

The vanquished X-Men and Micronauts battle Karza's Dog Soldiers.  Xavier feels every death back on earth.  The force defeats the Dog Soldiers and the Entity vaporizes Rann for his insolence before recreating him.  Damn.

The Entity destroys the asteroid outpost.  Meanwhile, Kitty gains control of Baron Karza's body.

The Entity puts the moves on Kitty Pryde, not knowing Karza's mind is in her body.  The Micronauts and the rest of the X-Men are tossed in some kind of dungeon.

Back on earth, Xavier is in some kind of trance, attended by the New Mutants.  Xavier goes astral and heads to the astral plane, where he sees the Entity and recognizes his armor as something he forged years earlier.  While the Entity is busy with Xavier, Kitty/Karza stabs him.  Xavier removes the Entity's helmet to find.. himself!

The X-Men and Micronauts wander the Entity's dungeon.  Meanwhile, back on earth, the New Mutants are unaware The Entity now controls Xavier's body.

Well, this has been an interesting crossover but the Micronauts haven't done a hell of a lot.  Let's hope that changes in the final issue.  I'm still impressed with the way Guice draws the X-Men, though.
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4 - The X-Men and the Micronauts battle Professor X on this cover.  This is the best cover in the miniseries.  Did Guice ever have an X-Men run?  He would have nailed it.

The Entity does some rapey things to Dani Moonstar to bend her to his will.  Meanwhile, Kitty has control of Karza's body and goes looking for hers.  Professor X in the Entity's dying body settles everyone down and explains the situation.

The Entity inside Professor X's body uses Cerebro to start wrecking the entire Microverse.  The X-Men and Micronauts board the Bioship to take the fight to Professor X.  Degrayde is killed in the carnage, as well as lots of planets.

The Bioship makes it back through the Spacewall but is dying.  The tiny X-Men and Micronauts battle the New Mutants.  Professor X and the Entity battle over Xavier's body.  Biotron dies as Nightcrawler carries The Entity's dying body away.  Xavier wins the battle and Bioship restores the X-Men to normal size with his dying breath.  Fireflyte sings the Micronauts back to what's left of the Microverse, just in time for Micronauts #58.

The X-Men/Micronauts crossover was okay.  I'm glad I read it for completist's sake but it was mostly a Baron Karza/Professor X story.  The X-Men and Micronauts were just pawns for the most part.  It did advance the plot of the Micronauts, though, with the death of the Bioship and destruction of big chunks of the Microverse.

Now, I'll get back to my regularly scheduled Micronauts reading.

Micronauts: The Collection Continues - part 4

Here we are, another installment of my Micronauts reading odyssey.  Previous installments can be found here, here, here, here, and here.  When we left the Micronauts, Bug and Acroyear were in jail, Marionette was gunning for Argon, Devil was at death's door, Microtron and Nanotron had already been kicked through death's door, and Arcturus Rann was reunited with Biotron, aging him in the process.  And now, here we go.

49 - On the cover, Biotron is entangled by a tentacled mass, presumably on his way back to Homeworld.  It's an okay cover, I guess.  Nothing overly spectacular.

Rann and Biotron fight their way back to Homeworld, denied help by the Time Travelers on the way.  Marionette and Huntarr spy on the impending royal wedding while Bug, Acroyear, and Pharoid are ushered into the Pleasure Pits to battle a giant spider creature.

Marionette and Huntarr ruin the wedding and join Bug, Acroyear, and Pharoid against the Death Squad.  Argon is unmasked to reveal Baron Karza and Biotron hits the scene!

Damn, Mantlo keeps knocking them out of the park.  The stage is set for Micronauts-Karza III.  I can't imagine this is going to go very well since the title of the next issue is "Sometimes the Good Guys Lose."

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50 - The Micronauts battle Karza and the Death Squad on this wraparound cover.  The layout is very interesting but it looks overinked as hell to me.

Arcturus Rann and Baron Karza clash psychically and Karza learns Rann no longer wields the Enigma Force.  Devil bursts into flames and crumbles to ashes, revealing a new Fireflyte.  Rann and Fireflyte leave Biotron to take on Karza physically as Marionette marshals the rebels and the remaining Micronauts to battle the Death Squad.

No one pulls any punches.  Karza kills Slug and Belladonna and then Pharoid as well. Marionette breaks Centauria's spine.  The Micronauts deal with the rest of the Death Squad in a similar fashion.  Biotron blasts away at the dog soldiers, giving the Micronauts a clear path to Karza.

Karza makes short work of Acroyear and tries to choke Bug with his flying fists.  Marionette tries to make the save but she gets taken out as well.  The big confrontation between Rann and Karza finally happens...

And Rann gets his ass handed to him.  The only thing that saves the Micronauts is Fireflyte teleporting them away.

Wow.  That was a very Empire Strikes Back ending.  How the hell are the Micronauts going to come back from that?  I'm guessing the final issues will be leading up to the final confrontation with Baron Karza.
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51 - Acroyear battles Cilicia on this cover.  It's been a long time coming.  It's a nice cover and I'm assuming Acroyear will have to find his people in order to ask for aid against Baron Karza.

The Micronauts are on the run after their defeat at the hands of Karza.  Marionette and Rann have a dust up and it looks like Marionette is giving the orders now.

After some zero-g combat, the Micronauts fight off their pursuers and regroup, only to run into the Acroyear fleet.  After a skirmish, Acroyear chooses to battle Cilicia in trial by combat to prove his innocence!

There's more friction in the Micronauts than there has ever been.  Arcturus has managed to drive a wedge between himself and Marionette.  I'm not sure how I feel about Huntarr on the team just yet.

Was it just me or was the coloring of Bug off in this issue.  Bug continues to be my favorite Micronaut.  If I decide to take on Micronauts: The New Voyages after this, it'll be odd to have someone besides Bill Mantlo scripting his dialogue.
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52 - Cilicia poses on the cover with Acroyear looking over her shoulder and an assembly of Acroyears in the background.  I'm guess the trial by combat happens in this issue. 

The issue opens with Baron Karza turning Seazone into a desert.  The only survivor is Lady Coral, who vows vengeance.  Yeah, what a way to establish Baron Karza as an evil douche bag right off the bat.

Meanwhile, the Micronauts are forced to watch as Acroyear and Cilicia prepare for trial by combat.  Acroyear and Cilicia got at it full bore.  Meanwhile, Arcturus Rann makes contact with the Enigma Force again and again the Time Travelers deny him aid.

Acroyear fights defensively only, infuriating Cilicia.  The battle stops when Acroyear breaks part of Cilicia's armor, revealing she is pregnant!

Mantlo set up more dominoes in this issue.  I have a feeling the storyline will span the rest of the title's issues.  That final battle should be quite the spectacle.
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53 - Not a tremendous fan of this cover.  While the composition is good, The Micronauts dressed in 1920s gangster garb is not my cup of tea.  What the hell is going to happen in this issue?

Acroyear receives a new set of armor and leaves the Acroyears behind with the Micronauts.  Arcturus Rann continues meditating.  After some discussion, the Micronauts head to Prison World looking for allies in the war against Baron Karza.

The Micronauts battle some lame ass aliens acting like gangsters until Karza's Dog Soldiers show up.  The gangsters join up with the Micronauts only to run into Karza's G-Men.

Yeah, I was not a fan of this issue, although it moved the plot along.  I hope the Micronauts aren't on Prison World for long.



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54 - Marionette is strapped into an electric chair with Bug, Huntarr, and Acroyear in disrepair around her.  Not bad but I'm still not fond of the Prison World setting.  Like, at all.

Marionette, Bug, Huntarr, and Acroyear battle the Dog Soldiers and are thrown in the clink.  They band together with the other criminals and bust out.  The End.  At least they'll be leaving Prison World behind next issue.

Since I didn't have a hell of a lot to say about the issue itself, I'll talk about the letter pages.  I love reading letter pages from 30 years ago!  The comics readers from back in the day are just as big nitpicking assholes as the ones we have today.  Some things never change, I guess.

I have to wonder how far in advance Bill Mantlo and Jackson Guice knew that issue 58 would be their last.  Was Mantlo stringing people along in the letters page by this point?  There are only four more issues penned by Mantlo left.
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55 - Huntarr goes up against some guy in a helmet on a walkway.  I don't mind Huntarr but he's definitely a second tier Micronaut.

WHAT?  Marionette and Bug boned?  Holy shit!  While Bug and Marionette have some pillow talk, Arcturus Rann astral-projects to the Temple of Time, only to find Baron Karza already there.  Rann and Karza clash, only to have Karza vanish.

Huntarr heads to Homeworld to go it alone against Karza's forces.  That explains the cover, I guess.  After Huntarr's mother commits suicide in front of him, he goes on a rampage in search of his sister with Lady Coral bearing witness from afar.

Huntarr finds his sister and frees her, only to watch her and the other breeders kill themselves.  Huntarr returns to the Bioship and offically becomes a Micronaut.

Aside from Bug boning Marionette, this feels a lot like a missing New Gods story.  I don't see things going well once Arcturus Rann gets his shit together.  The Micronauts appear to be headed to Kaliklak in the next issue.  Hopefully to gain allies.  Even if I didn't know there were only four issues left, I'd feel like the tale was winding down, heading toward a big confrontation with Karza.  At this point, I don't know who will survive besides Bug, Rann, and Marionette.

I really liked Jackson Guice's art in this issue, particularly on Bug.  It's no wonder he went on to bigger and better things post-Micronauts.
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56 - On this cover, Bug battles giant insects while on the back of a giant bat.  I'd say it was a little busy but the coloring does a great job of clearing things up a bit.

The Micronauts, aboard the Bioship, head to Kaliklak for help.  Unfortunately, Kaliklak is under attack by battle beetles.  Fireflyte protects Rann as he continues meditating, trying to contact the Enigma Force.  The Micronauts kill the remaining battle beetles on the ship and land on Kaliklak, only to find it ravaged.

The battle beetles are converging on the nest, intending on devouring the eggs containing the next generation of Insectivorids.  After a skirmish, Bug and company meet Treefern, Jasmine younger sister, much to Marionette's chagrin.

Meanwhile, Karza and Rann beseech the Time Travelers for aid.  The Time Travelers continue being impartial assholes. However, they do grant the power of the Enigma Force to both men.  Rann becomes Captain Universe while Karza becomes a white version of himself.

It's only a test.  Both men reject the Enigma Force and return to reality.

Bug and the Micronauts ride Battle Bats to Hideout to protect the eggs.  They arrive just in time to fight off Battle Beetles.  The Micronauts win the day but are AGAIN denied aid against Karza, this time by the Insectivorids.  However, as a consolation prize, Rann gets his ass in gear and rejoins the team.

A lot of stuff happened in this issue.  My favorite part was probably Marionette's jealously over Treefern and Bug.  However, she didn't waste any time jumping into Rann's arms.  Jackson Guice's art varies from page to page.  Some of them are, dare i say, Goldenesque but others look a little off.

On to some kind of winter world.  Only a handful of issues left.

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57 - The Micronauts fan out with some Aboriginal figure standing behind them.

After an interlude featuring war between some tribal folks, The Micronauts take the fight to Karza while Rann wonders if they're becoming too much like him.

Marionette strikes Rann in a dispute over Captain D'Ark, who reveals Karza means to destroy the world of Never-Summer.  He holds Never-Summer ransom with the Sun-Scope.  The tribal stuff continues, leading me to believe one of the tribesman is going to save Never-Summer using the Sun-Scope.

There is more tension between Rann and Marionette and the tribesman encounters the Bioship.  Rann reluctantly follows Marionette's lead.

Ojeeg, the tribesman, continues climbing the sacred mountain and battles a sasquatch-like creature.  Marionette throws her relationship with Bug in Rann's face.  Bug, by the way, is wearing his revolting garb from Prison World.

The Micronauts reach the top of the mountain to find Baron Karza!  Ojeeg arrives just behind them and finds the Sun Scope.  Karza uses the Sun Scope and mortally wounds Ojeeg.  Karza battles the Micronauts, giving Ojeeg time to wreck the Sun Scope.  It has melted the snows of Never-Summer and left it a paradise.  Sensing imminent defeat, Karza teleports away in centaur form.

Another action packed issue.  What the hell is going on between Rann and Marionette?  Rann's got nothing left so he'd better find the Enigma Force within himself fast.  Also, I hope Bug gets back into his armor in the next issue, which promises the Triump of the Micronauts.

But first, the X-Men/Micronauts miniseries!

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58 - Commander Rann stands, clutching Karza's helmet, before the other Micronauts, who look dejected for some reason.  It's a pretty strong cover for the last issue of Mantlo and Guice's run.

After the events of X-Men and the Micronauts, The Micronauts, minus the now dead Bioship, return to the Microverse and the Time Travelers seal the Spacewall behind them, forever separating the Microverse and Earth until the storyline demands otherwise.

The Micronauts return to Homeworld to find it devastated.  Baron Karza has used every last person to fuel the Body Banks.

Karza sends waves of creatures against the Micronauts.  Fireflyte, dying from her efforts to get the Micronauts back to Earth, wraps herself in a cocoon.  The Micronauts finish off Karza's creatures and go up against the big dukaroo himself.

Karza shifts to centaur form and Marionette goes after him.  Marionette stabs Karza through the heart and they both fall off a cliff.  Marionette awakens later in bed to find Karza dead.  The Micronauts wonder if they can adjust to a life of peace after years of war.

The people of the Microverse arrive to confirm Karza's death.  They are met at the Endeavor II by a new Biotron and Microtron.  The Endeavor II leaves Homeworld behind and Fireflyte's cocoon opens, revealing Devil!

And thus ends Bill Mantlo's Micronauts run.  It's kind of a sad ending.  The Micronauts have finally defeated Baron Karza but there isn't much of Homeworld left.  Also, Bill Mantlo leaving leaves a bitter taste in my mouth but it was probably time.

I'll soon be reading Swords of the Swashbucklers but I still have one installment of my Micronauts read left, where I'll cover Micronauts #59 and Micronauts #8, the first appearance of Captain Universe.  Better late than never, huh?

Micronauts: The Collection Continues - part 3

My sojourn to the Microverse and back again continues.  Previous expeditions can be found here, here, here, and here.  The last issue was a jumping on point since it was the first direct market issue.  I expect the next big plot to reveal itself soon, although it will undoubtedly involve Force Commander's vendetta against the Micronauts.

39 - This cover hearkens back to Micronauts #9 with the team surrounded.  Not surprisingly, it's a Michael Golden cover.  It's a great composition but I wish the figures of the Micronauts were bigger.

The interior art immediately put me off.  I love Steve Ditko on Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.  I do not love him on the Micronauts.

As if the direct market only thing hadn't been driven home already, the Micronauts arrive in a comic shop as a man's girlfriend explains the direct market to him.

As the Micronauts repair the Endeavor, Force Commander gives Belladonna permission to take Slug's body for herself.  Meanwhile, he's also setting Cilicia after Acroyear!

The Micronauts win a battle against the Acroyears but the Endeavor is disabled and gets washed down a sewer!

I'm curious how the Micronauts are going to get back to the Microverse this time, although I'm sure the Fantastic Four will factor into it since the teaser promises a crossover next issue.

Good stuff.  Ditko did better than I thought he would on art but I'm ready for some Gil Kane next issue.
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40 - Bug, Rann, Acroyear, and Marionette face down a giant orange rocky hand in Gil Kane's first cover.  It's a great first cover, if you ask me.

The book opens with the Micronauts battling sewer rats atop the crippled Endeavor.  The Micronauts settle things and leave the sewer for help.  I really liked Bug climbing a telephone stand to use a payphone.  Acroyear and Bug teaming up to use the phone was even better.  The physical comedy in Micronauts is very underrated.

The Micronauts head to the Baxter Building for help but only The Thing and Franklin are home.  The Micronauts enlist Franklin's help while Ben is napping, only to find the Reductocraft swarming with Antrons!

After a brief interlude in the Microverse where Argon shoots off his hand like Baron Karza to teach a scientist a lesson, Franklin and the Micronauts battle the Antrons.

Here's my one gripe with the issue.  The Micronauts could wait a few hours for Reed Richards to come back from his night out with Sue and Johnny to help them.  Instead, they go looking for Doctor Doom.  Okay... I've already seen the cover of the next issue but that seems kind of dumb.

Aside from that, this was my favorite issue in a while.  Gil Kane's art is pretty damn sweet after the revolving door of artists.  Mantlo's sense if humor is pretty underrated.  Also, this is weird sidenote but I keep imagining running Micronauts as a Spelljammer campaign.
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41 - Acroyear and Doctor Doom have a sword fight with Marionette, Rann, Bug, Devil, and Microtron looking on.  The poses look Star Wars-esque.  Not my favorite cover but interesting.

The Endeavor sinks beneath the waters of the sewers and things are looking grim for the Micronaut as they embark to look for Doctor Doom's castle in upstate New York.  Meanwhile, in the Microverse, Belladonna in Lady Slug's body tries to woo Force Commander, only to have him reject her.  Pharoid and Lady Slug, now in Belladonna's decrepit body, vow revenge.

The Micronauts enter Castle Doom and wind up in Liddleville from the classic Byrne Fantastic Four story!  Doctor Doom subdues the Micronauts and throws them in his dungeon with the mayor of Liddleville, Phil Masters, aka The Puppet Master.

The Micronauts and the Puppet Master break out of the joint and battle Doctor Doom.  Acroyear and Doom clash, only to have the Puppet Master cause Doom's downfall.

Not a bad story at all.  It was nice to see Liddleville again.  I have to wonder if Doctor Doom ever got a hold of The Puppet Master after this.
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42 - On this cover, the Micronauts appear to have invaded a coctail party.  There's a Reed Richards lookalike there.  Gil Kane knows how to put together a Micronauts cover.

The Micronauts are suffering from homesickness when Bug senses an insect-like female nearby and goes to investigate.  The woman happens to be Janet Van Dyne, aka The Wasp.  She's throwing a cocktail party and Doctor Nemesis intends to crash it and steal some armor Hank Pym once created.

Doctor Nemesis in adamantium armor chases a naked Wasp around the Van Dyne estate and the Micronauts join the fray.  The Micronauts and the Wasp, clad only in a napkin, defeat Doctor Nemesis, but not without cost.  Bug, Acroyear, and Marionette were shrunk to subatomic size.

The Micronauts are torn asunder once again.  Professor Prometheus returns in the next volume so that'll probably be how Rann, Devil, Nanotron, and Microtron return to the Microverse.
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43 - Professor Prometheus looms over Devil, Nanotron, Microtron, and Arcturus Rann.  This Gil Kane cover is okay but I think we should have seen more than the backs of the Micronauts.

Bug, Acroyear, and Marionette wind up back in the Microverse while Doctor Nemesis shrinks into nothingness.  A rebel helps the Micronauts escape into the sewers.  Meanwhile, Rann, Devil, Microtron, and Nanotron wind up at Avengers Mansion.  The Avengers prove to be of no help other than flying everyone to Cape Canaveral and the wreckage of HELL.

The defense of HELL come alive and the Micronauts battle back, only to find themselves up against Computrex and Professor Prometheus!

A lot of stuff went down in this issue.  I'm digging Gil Kane on the art and I'm wondering where things are going with Devil.  The confrontation between the Micronauts and Force Commander is due any issue now.
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44 - Marionette, Acroyear, and Bug lead the rebellion against Force Commander's forces.  This is quite a cover.  Marionette, Bug, and Acroyear are looking pretty noble.

Rann, Devil, Microtron, and Biotron battle Computrex and Professor Prometheus' rotting corpse.  Devil, on fire, falls down into the Prometheus Pit while Computrex reveals his plan to Rann.

Meanwhile, Marionette, Acroyear, and Bug rekindle the rebellion.  Slug, in Belladonna's body, breaks out of the clink and goes to stop the wedding of Force Commander and Slug. 

Devil, his fur burned black, climbs back out of the Prometheus Pit and goes on a small scale rampage.  Devil takes out Professor Prometheus and Rann, Microtron, and Nanotron battle Computrex.  In his death throes, Computrex reduces the Micronauts to light waves!

Yeah, that's sure not how I thought this issue would end.  I really liked some of Gil Kane's panel designs in this issue.  The parallel threads of the Rebellion on Homeworld and the remaining Micronauts trying to find their way back home gives the individual characters more time to shine.  Mantlo knew how to end an issue, that's for sure.
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45 - Devil, now charred, Nanotron, Biotron, and Arcturus Rann crash through a computer screen, presumably in Arcade's headquarters.  Not a bad cover but it looks over-inked to me.

Arcade tries to capture the X-Men with a transporter beam and winds up with the Micronauts instead.  In a very 1980s sequence, the Micronauts are trapped inside a video game and fight for their lives.

Back in the Microverse, the three cool Micronauts launch an assault on Force Commander's Body Banks.  Bug and Acroyear go to find Pharoid while Marionette goes looking for her brother, Argon!  Marionette battles Argon, in his energy form, and... loses?  Shit. 

The lesser Micronauts, led by Rann, escape Arcade's Murder World, only to have the whole complex self destruct.  How Rann and the others escape?

Damn, I thought the Micronauts were in trouble at the end of last issue.  Now, Marionette was last seen stabbed and falling out a window and Arcade's island is falling apart.

Sadly, this is Gil Kane's last issue and the revolving door of artists is doomed to start again.
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46 - In front of a long dead corpse, Arcturus Rann is carried off by weird looking aliens.  It raises some questions about what's going to happen inside this issue.  Who's Ed Hannigan?  Wait, I didn't realize the back cover was an extension of the scene.  Okay, the whole thing is pretty good.

Arcturus rounds up Devil, Nanotron, and Microtron and heads for an island.  Marionette manages not to die but wrecks her glider wings.  Slug and Belladonna have a heart to heart and Bug and Acroyear go to rescue Pharoid.

Rann's attempt at getting the rest of the team to the island goes tits up.  Microtron and Nanotron plunge into the waves and Devil goes savage.  Rann washes up on an island and is carried off by the weird aliens on the cover.  They happen to be Micronaut size and place him in a familiar looking coffin...

Wow.  I have no idea where things are going.  It looks like Bug, Acroyear, and Pharoid will be taking on the Death Squad, although that isn't certain.  What's really interesting is whatever is going on with Arcturus Rann in the Bermuda Triangle.

I can see why this wasn't a more popular book since it isn't straight up super heroes but it's very well crafted despite the revolving door of artists.  Fortunate, Butch Guice will take over soon and hang on until the bitter end.
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47 - I've never heard of Ed Hannigan but the man could put together a Micronauts cover.  This one features Bug and Acroyear going up against the Death Squad.  It's pretty damn snazzy and I'd put it up against any Broderick cover from the series.

Nanotron and Microtron sink to the ocean floor and find Biotron?  What the fuck?  Anyway, the natives of the island recognize Arcturus Rann as Time Traveler.  It turns out the beings are from a world Rann and Biotron visited during Rann's slumber and they built a massive Biotron starship and breached the Microverse with it.  Holy shit!

Bug and Acroyear go up against the Death Squad and Acroyear surrenders in order to save Bug's life.  Marionette goes gunning for Argon again but gets waylaid by Huntarr.  Devil interrupts the love fest between Arcturus Rann and the natives.  Rann save Devil and is saved in turn by the starship Biotron!

Well, that was some serious shit.  Biotron is back and will now probably be the Micronauts' ship if they ever get back together.  Bloody buggering hell that was a good issue.
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48 - Ed Hannigan supplies another gorgeous wraparound cover, this one depicting Biotron saving the collective bacon of Microtron, Biotron, Devil, and Arcturus Rann.  On the back, Bug and Acroyear are in chains, Marionette battles Huntarr, and Argon looks pretty douchey.  I'm going to have to look up Ed Hannigan once my odyssey into the Microverse is over.

Jackson Guice takes on the art reigns in this one and I'm pretty excited.  His Reign of Superman issues were pretty bad ass.

Rann escapes on the Biotron ship with Devil dying and Nanotron and Microtron lying inert.  Acroyear tries to take on the Death Squad but surrenders again when Lombros threatens to kill Bug and Pharoid.  Acroyear is stripped of his armor and the gang are tossed in the Pleasure Pits.  Slug and Belladonna go to the body banks to undo the body swap, Argon ponces around, and Marionette goes up against Huntarr.

Biotron reveals that Nanotron and Microtron gave up their lives to give him intelligence and he bonds with Rann, making him much like the Biotron of old.  Rann is visibly aged by the experience.  The issue closes with the last of the natives, plotting to kill Devil.

I have to wonder if Bill Mantlo already knew he was on his way out.  The Micronauts end with #59 and I have to think Bill was planning to go out in style, namely by bringing back Biotron and phasing out Nanotron and Microtron.  Like the last couple issues, this one had a lot of balls in the air.  I can't wait to see what happens next.

And this is the end of the third installment of Micronauts: The Collection Continues.  I'll start on the fourth installment as soon as I can.

Micronauts: The Collection Continues - part 2

Here we are, the fourth installment of my Micronauts read.  Previous installments can be found here, here, and here.

Anyway, the aftermath of the Micronauts' second battle with Baron Karza is a bittersweet one, with Cilicia leaving the team and Biotron dead.  And on with the show!

30 - This cover depicts the Micronauts battling a giant Anglerfish type creature.  This is probably my favorite Broderick cover to date and illustrates how much the current incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy owes to the Micronauts.

In the prologue, an obelisk is unearthed in the Indus valley with glyphs that look like early Sanskrit, but are actually the language fo the Microverse...

The Great Distress has begun and the only thing that can stop it is the Engima Force.  Now, the Micronauts must find the three keys that will enable them to contact it, keys Acroyear, Marionette, and Bug learned of while exploring Rann's mind last issue.  Simple, right?  Too bad Acroyear decides it's time to leave the team and go back to Spartak.  Fortunately, Pharoid joins the team.

There are some emotional moments in this issue.  Bug cries when Acroyear leaves the team.  Rann keenly misses Biotron.  Acroyear weeps when he returns to Spartak.

There are also cool battles, like the Micronauts against the Leviathan, the Anglerfish thing from the cover, receiving help from Lady Coral and her Dolphin Riders.  Rann and Marionette are swallowed by the Leviathan, only to be handed over to Aqon, lord of the sea, who has plans for them.  The last panel has a cameo by Doctor Strange, who recognizes the glyphs on the obelisk found in the beginning.

This issue was fully loaded, setting up the next big storyline and splitting the team up.  For once, Bug wasn't the one going off on his own.  I'd say this was my favorite issue since the original Mantlo-Golden run.  Great stuff.

On a side note, did anyone ever play this game?:

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31 - Who knew Frank Miller did a Micronauts cover?  This one depicts Bug, Arcturus Rann, and Marionette trying to get one of the keys from a giant hand.  This scene does not appear in teh book.  Frank Miller does a passable Rann and Marionette but his Bug is all over the place.

Doctor Strange learns the origin of the Microverse and heads there to stop the Great Distress.  Meanwhile, Bug, Microtron, and Pharoid follow the Dolphin Riders into battle against the Oceanians, who have Rann and Marionette prisoner.

The end sees the Micronauts with the first key but the Seazone destroyed and Pharoid revealed as a spy, only not to the Micronauts.

I'm not sure about this key business just yet but it's cool that the Time Travelers left them behind.  Not sure what's going on with Acroyear either.  My favorite part of the issue, besides Bug fretting about the water, was Microtron lusting over Nanotron.  The roboids are part human, after all...
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32 - Bug, Rann, and Marionette battle a large polar bear with the second key on its chest.  It's not a bad cover by any means but Marionette must be cold in only her bathing suit and thigh highs.

In the depths of Polaria, Prince Peacock stalks the Snowbear and misses it but meets Marionette, who leads him to the rest of the Micronauts.  Once the Micronauts learn of the second key, they help Peacock hunt the beast a second time.  Meanwhile, Doctor Strange continues trying to find a way into the Microverse.

The legend of the Snowbear and its slayer losing the thing he held most dear made the ending a little predictable.  Yet another bittersweet ending in a Micronauts tale.  Pharoid has second thoughts, probably leading to a valiant self-sacrifice in the near future, and Acroyear follows a comet, only to have his eyes burned out.

The Micronauts already have two of the three keys.  Something tells me this is going way too easy.
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33 - A blinded Acroyear is being stalked by an unknown beast in a Bob Layton cover.  I'm a Bob Layton fan from his valiant days and he draws a mean Acroyear, complete with Kirby crackles around the blade.  I'm pretty sure he takes over when Pat Broderick leaves.

Acroyear stumbles around Tropica, knowing a beast is one his trail.  I don't think he'll be killed but he's not listed as a member of the Micronauts on the title page.  Never a good sign.

Meanwhile, Polaria is melting after the death of the Snowbear last issue and King Argon is being kind of a douche about it to Rann and the Micronauts.  Not only that, Pharoid is dreading having to betray the Micronauts when they get to Aegypta.

After some standard super-hero misunderstandings, Acroyear meets Devil, a pinkish Beast-like humanoid, and Fireflyte, a fairy-like creature with sonic powers.  As fate should have it, Devil's people guard the third key and their civilization has fallen into disrepair because of it.

Acroyear clashes with Devil but gains the key.  Acroyear, Devil, and Fireflyte take the third key and head for the Dead Zone, where they'll undoubtedly encounter Doctor Strange, who arrives in the Microverse in the Dead Zone on the last page.

This was another issue where a lot of things happen.  I knew Devil and Fireflyte joined the Micronauts eventually but I didn't know it happened this soon.  I'm glad Acroyear got his eyesight back.  Why is Argon being such a douche?  Will Pharoid betray the Micronauts after all they've been through?

Heavy stuff.  It's great to see that Bill Mantlo doesn't coast.  Every issue advances the plot, sometimes by quite a bit.
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34 - King Argon stands over a fallen Arcturus Rann, branding the Micronauts outlaws.  What a dick!  Anyway, the cover does a good job of spoiling the contents of the issue.  Bob Layton's art on the main figures is okay but the faces of Marionette, Bug, Devil, and Acroyear looking on are very well done.

Pharoid betrays the Micronauts to Argon, who has a hard-on for them for some reason, and they get thrown in the hoosegow.  After a change of heart, Pharoid, Nanotron, and Slug bust the Micronauts out of the clink.

Doctor Strange finally arrives in the Dead Zone and begins piecing together what happened to the travelers from earth who came to the Microverse.  As he discovers the three keyholes, he is attacked by a demon!

Argon's forces duke it out with the Micronauts for the three keys.  After a brutal fist fight, Rann defeats Argon and grabs the three keys.  The Micronauts head for the Dead Zone with Argon hot on their heels.

Shit is getting hectic!  I wonder if Argon was tainted by Baron Karza's personality or if he was always secretly a douche.  The new additions to the team are going to take some getting used to.  I'm sure they stick around since I read Minimum Carnage a while back.  I'm pretty stoked to have Doctor Strange meet the Micronauts next issue.
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35 - The Micronauts battle an unseen foe with the Microverse in the background, presumably because the fate of the Microverse is in the balance.  This is my favorite Bob Layton cover so far and possibly my favorite non-Golden cover to date.

This is a double sized issue and a lot of shit happens.  Here we go.

Argon, looking more and more like Baron Karza, declares war on the Micronauts.  Pharoid and Slug put together a force to delay Argon's troops from catching up with the Micronauts but are crushed.

The Micronauts battle Dog Soldiers on the way to the Dead Zone and send Microtron and Nanotron back to the First Zone to get the Endeavor.  Meanwhile, Doctor Strange learns the full origin of the Microverse from a demon.  The Micronauts FINALLY meet up with Doctor Strange.

After some battles with demons, Rann uses the keys while the Micronauts battle Argon's grotesque Death Squad.  The Micronauts prevail and Rann uses the keys.  Once contact is made with the Enigma Force, Commander Rann and Doctor Strange become Captain Universe and repair the Spacewall separating the Microverse from the regular universe.

Just as Argon is preparing to kill the Micronauts, Nanotron and Microtron show up in the nick of time with the Endeavor and save the day.

Phew, that was something.  It felt like a two-hour season finale.  While the book always has a fair amount of action, it's the relationships between the Micronauts that keep me interested.  It's good to have the team back together, plus Devil and Fireflyte.  Microtron and Nanotron were surprisingly cute together.

All the dangling threads were wrapped up as far as I can tell.  It looks like Force Commander will probably be the villain from here on out.
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36 - The Micronauts battle unseen foes on what looks like a teacher's desk.  As if that wasn't clear enough, Return to Planet Earth has replaced They Came From Inner Space on the title.  It's a Bob Layton cover.  I'm curious while Bug isn't on it, though.

The Micronauts arrive at a school with the new and improved Death Squad on their tail.  After running Miss Glockenspeil out of her classroom, they eventually destroy the ship pursuing them.

This issue was mostly a long fight.  To be honest, it was a nice break after the last storyline, providing some breathing room before the next catastrophe.

A young, apple-cheeked Keith Giffen takes the reins on art in this issue, some nice foreshadowing of the super stardom he would later achieve on The Legion of Super Heroes for DC.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Bug and Acroyear acting as a team.  Marionette still gets exasperated at Rann, as most significant others do, as he rushes into trouble.  I'm hoping for a Marionette-oriented issue at some point.  She's a stronger character than most female characters of the time period but still doesn't get a hell of a lot to do.  The rest of the team is still adjusting to Devil, as am I.
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37 - This cover by Greg LaRocque shows the Micronauts in disarray, startled by Nightcrawler of the X-Men.  This was during that brief period where Marvel was pushing Nightcrawler as a solo character instead of Wolverine, if you can believe that.  Anyway, the cover is pretty good for one that shows most of the characters from behind.

The Micronauts are repairing the Endeavor when Huntarr, Argon's latest creation, comes for them.  In the running firefight, they wind up at a certain school for gifted youngsters, where Nightcrawler is on sentry duty.  Huntarr activates the damaged danger room and The Micronauts team with Nightcrawler to stop him.

There was lots of humor in this one, like Bug thinking Acroyear likes Devil better than him.  Nightcrawler interacting with the Micronauts was the best crossover in the book since the Fantastic Four showed up during the Psycho-Man debacle.

Huntarr lived to fight another day.  We'll see if he shows up again next issue, which is the first Direct Market only issue.  The next big storyline isn't apparent yet but it's clear that the Micronauts will have to settle Force Commander's hash sooner or later.

The team is getting numerous once again.  I can't help but think Nanotron is going to get the axe sooner or later.
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38 - What's this?  Another Michael Golden cover!  The Micronauts are charging toward the reader with what I'm assuming is Force Commander in the abstract background.  It's cool to see the team drawn by Michael Golden again but Bug's lower torso and Marionette's hair look a little off.  It's cool seeing his take on Devil and Nanotron, though.  Biotron and Arcturus look great.

The first direct market only issue serves as a jumping on point for new readers.  That doesn't make a ton of sense to me but whatever.

The first story is the tale of how Arcturus Rann earned the title Space Glider.  It's also his first conflict with Baron Karza.  No surprises here: Karza was a dick before he was a baron.  After a brush with death at the hands of his teacher, Karza, Rann battles a gang of assassins.

The second story is the tale of Bug's first meeting with Acroyear.  Gil Kane handles the art chores in this tale and is pretty spectacular.  Compared to some of the past issues post-Golden, this one had some dynamic panels and great art.

This issue did nothing to advance the plot but was a good jumping on point for new readers.  It's also a good time for me to take a breather.  In the next installment, I'll tackle issues 39-47.  Hard to believe I'm over the hump now and rocketing toward the end.  Until then, farewell, Micronuts!

Micronauts: The Collection Continues - part 1

After buying the first 20 issues of the Micronauts on eBay, I was hooked after reading the first issue, which I wrote about here and here.  Once I'd devoured those, I thought about savoring the rest of the series but decided to wolf them down as fast as I could.  So here we are.

21 - The cover of this issue depicts the Micronauts peeling back the corner of the cover to see Homeworld and Spartak inside.  The art on the Micronauts themselves is great but the cover concept isn't my bag.

In the main tale, Arcturus Rann and Marionette wind up in a New York City flower shop.  The proprietress and her beau exchange goodbyes and the beau winds up being Plantman!  Rann wants to head for the hills but Marionette convinces him to stay and fight for the missing woman's honor against Plantman and his carnivorous plants!  It's Plantman so he gets his ass handed to him.

In the backup tale, the first installment of Tales from the Microverse, we get to find out what's happening on Spartak, namely the resurrection of Prince Shaitan.

Pat Broderick did a great job in this issue.  Unfortunately, the joy that may have given me has been tainted by the knowledge that he frequently disregarded parts of Bill's plots.  Still, the man knows his way around a Micronaut.
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22 - This covers sees Acroyear, Microtron, Biotron, and Bug in the process of getting run down by a Mack truck.  It's another one of Michael Golden's kick ass covers.

After sorting out the Mack truck from the cover art, Acroyear, Microtron, Cilicia, and Bug wind up at McDonald's just in time to foil a robbery by the world's worst burglar in a pretty hilarious encounter.  They are finally reunited with Marionette and Arcturus Rann and go looking for Biotron and the Endeaver.

In the Tales from the Microverse segment, Slug sees all is not well on Homeworld and the signs lead her to... Prince Argon?  No!!!!

Well, I happen to know Baron Karza shows up soon so I guess we'll get the inside scoop soon enough.  Even though I'm aware of his personality clashes with Bill Mantlo, I'm still happy to have Pat Broderick as the regular artist at this point.

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23 - The Micronauts are about to be grabbed by The Molecule Man on this cover.  They look completely unaware.  My favorite bit of the cover is Bug hanging on Biotron, afraid to get his feet wet.  This scene never happens in the book but it's still a fun Michael Golden cover.  Get 'em while supplies last.

Biotron, stuck repairing the ship as usual, leaves Odd John's barn to scavenge parts.  He winds up in a scrap yard and startles a bum, who grabs a strange wand and gets possessed by the Molecule Man!  Biotron gives Molecule Man a running battle until he finally eludes him, just in time to meet up with the other Micronauts back at Odd John's barn.

The was a pretty good issue.  Biotron usually doesn't get much play but was star of the show here, barely eluding the Molecule Man.  Pat Broderick's art is going a long way toward making me forget Michael Golden isn't ever coming back.

The back stories were decent.  Microtron rolling in on Marionette and Arcturus Rann getting down was hilarious and it was nice to touch base with the events on Homeworld, which I assume the Micronauts will find themselves in the middle of in another issue or two.

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24 - Microtron, Bug, and Commander Rann battle some kind of psychedelic image on a computer.  In the corner, the page is ripped away to reveal Shaitan, hinting at the back story.  It's not a bad cover but it's Golden's last.  He should have went out on a higher note than this.

The Micronauts get the hell out of dodge but something takes over the Endeavor's computer systems.  The Micronauts find themselves at some kind of installation where they battle Computrex, an evil sentient computer.  As Computrex tries to take control of Biotron, Rann is forced to relieve his past memories and nearly beats Marionette to death in the process.  Heavy stuff.

In the backup story, Shaitan's uprising continues and he encounters Prince Pharoid.  Slug's on his ass, though.

While people compare Micronauts to Star Wars, it's far more a love letter to Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, primarily the epic Lee and Kirby run on Fantastic Four and Kirby's Fourth World.  The Micronauts feel more like a family than an Avengers style team and the character designs are Kirby-esque.  I shouldn't be this excited to keep reading a comic from 1981.
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25 - I may just be being pissy because Michael Golden isn't doing the covers but this one seems off to me.  Bug, Rann, and Marionette are battling The Fixer and Mentallo with the Endeavor in the background.  The perspective just seems out of whack on this one to me.

The interior is better.  After all the biological Micronauts except Bug get some action, The Micronauts battle The Fixer and Mentallo.  Eventually, they get the upper hand and Rann pries the secrets out of Mentallo's mind, being that they serve HYDRA and HYDRA is being controlled by someone in the Microverse.  The Micronauts decide to go to SHIELD for help and it's roll the credits.

In the backup story, we're told the origin of Baron Karza and Argon winds being host to Karza's personality.  I smell another epic confrontation on the wind...

The interior was better than the cover but The Micronauts are due to fight someone besides earthbound super villains.  I'm looking forward to the inevitable return to the Microverse and Micronauts vs. Karza II.

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26 - Nick Fury is locked in combat with a Hydra agent with the Micronauts assembled at their feet.  Baron Karza looms in the background, hidden behind the Hydra symbol.  It's an okay cover but I'd like it better if the Micronauts took center stage instead of the guest stars.

A ton of stuff is packed into this issue, a reminder of what we've lost in the name of decompression.  The Micronauts help SHIELD repel a HYDRA invasion of the SHIELD helicarrier and protect the ESPers from Hydra agents.  However, it is not enough to stop Baron Karza from seizing control of the Enigma Force from Arcturus Rann and reducing Marionette to atoms...

... sending her back into Microverse, where she warns everyone of the coming of Karza.  But it's too late!  Karza has control of the Time Travlers!  We're all fucked!

Ahem.  A ton of stuff happened.  Turns out SHIELD has a collection of Microverse artifacts.  For some reason, that made me very happy.  Bug releases Dagon, another Acroyear, and there's a big damn fight.  Mantlo didn't shy away from big events and there's a big one coming.  Microwar II is going to be spectacular.  Random thought - the Spacewall is a lot like the Source Wall separating the New Gods' universe from the DC universe.
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27 - Baron Karza battles Commander Rann with some kind of psychedelic background on this one.  It's a pretty average cover, which is a shame because Pat Broderick could do a lot more.

SHIELD and HYDRA duke it out on the helicarrier while Baron Karza battles Commander Rann.  The Micronauts are betrayed by Dagon the Acroyear and Biotron might be dead.  The issue closes with SHIELD on the verge of defeat and Rann comatose at Karza's hands.

Yeah, Mantlo really didn't mind throwing the Micronauts from the frying pan into the fire in almost every issue.  Big stuff is on the horizon.  I kind of wish they hadn't already revealed the fate of Marionette, though.

Bug teaming up with Dum Dum Dugan was my favorite part of the issue.  I can't wait until Dagon gets what's coming to him for what he did to Biotron.  And Karza's defeat, of course.

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28 - Baron Karza and Acroyear go toe to toe with the fate of the universe in the balance!  This is a pretty sweet cover with a lot of detail.  I didn't even notice the rest of the Micronauts in the background until after I stared at it for a while.

Microwar II comes to a head.  SHIELD and HYDRA battle in Fantasy Land, a stand-in for Disneyland.  Karza looks to be on the verge of victory until Shaitan betrays him and dies a second time.  Acroyear and Karza battle it out with the fate of two universes in the balance.  It ends as expected, with Acroyear and the Worldmind defeating Karza, leaving a naked King Argon behind.

So the team is reunited here but Biotron is presumably dead, Rann is in another coma, and Spartak is probably devastated.  Mantlo really knew how to push a guy's buttons.

I'm guessing the next issue will be the aftermath.  Good thing since I need a breather.  Mantlo and Broderick did a fantastic job of portraying such an epic scale conflict.
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29 - Acroyear battles some undead Acroyears while Nightmare lurks in the background.  This is an odd cover but a good one.  Acroyear looks like he's going to be overwhelmed by undead Acroyears.

Doc Samson guest stars in this issue that sees Bug, Marionette, and Acroyear go into Commander Rann's mind to save his life, kind of like Fantastic Voyage meets Doctor Strange.  Meanwhile, Dagon means to kill Rann with only Microtron standing in his way.

For an aftermath issue, this one had a lot going on. Cilicia calls Acroyear a coward for leaving the team. The truth behind Dagon is revealed.  Bug, Marionette, and Acroyear go up against Nightmare and finally save Commander Rann.

The Micronauts are returning to Homeworld in the next issue which makes this a good stopping point for me.  In the next installment, I'll tackle issues 30 to 38.  Until next time, Micronuts!

The Micronauts comics I bought on eBay - part 2

For some reason, I never managed to pick up a Micronauts comic as a kid.  Odd, since I had a Biotron I bought at the flea market when I was four or five.  Anyway, the series looked unlike anything else published during the time period and was written by the great Bill Mantlo so I grew more and more curious as I got older.  It took awhile getting there but I nabbed a bunch of early issues on eBay on the cheap.  I've already covered issues 1-7 and 9-12  and here are my thoughts on issues 13 thru 20.

Annual 1 - King-Sized Annual 1 features three stories of The Micronauts from the days before the team formed.  The first story features Arcturus Rann and Biotron encountering a vortex on their thousand year journey.  The second story features Microtron, Mari and Argon running afoul of Baron Karza for the first time.  The third story features Bug and Acroyear in the gladiator pits.

This is easily my least favorite Micronauts comic so far.  While I love Steve Ditko on Doctor Strange and Spider-Man, his art seems out of place here.  The three stories are acceptable but not exceptional.  The Bug and Acroyear story is by far my favorite.

Michael Golden was sorely missed in this volume.  It felt like Ditko was phoning it in, for the most part.  Mantlo's dialogue couldn't save the uninspired plots.  The King Size Annual felt like DVD extras for the first year of Micronauts, somewhat interesting but ultimately non-essential.

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13 - Michael Golden is back on cover chores in this one.  Bug is locked in combat with a few other Insectivorids with others looking on in the background.  Great stuff.

Bug wakes up on Kaliklak and runs into his old mentor.  Wartstaff, an old enemy has taken over the old gang and Bug's not having it.  Bug overthrows Warstaff, his father, with some help.  Meanwhile, Rann is recovering and itching to return to adventuring.

I was prepared not to like Howard Chaykin on art duties but Howie did an admirable job filling Michael Golden's shoes with Al Milgrom on inks.

Mantlo used this opportunity to flesh out Bug's background, revealing how he ended up in the pleasure pits way back in Micronauts #1.

I can't help but feel something is going to happen with Prince Argon.  He sure seems like he's up to something.  I'm also wondering what's going to come of the Microverse artifacts on earth.  For a bronze age comic, there's a hell of a lot of forward planning in The Micronauts.

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14 - Michael Golden provides the cover again, this time of Bug and Jasmine fighting for Kaliklak with the rest of the Micronauts watching on a monitor.  Nothing resembling this scene appears in the book but it's still a good way to showcase Bug while reminding us their are five other Micronauts.

Bug's revolution is in full swing in this one.  Wartstaff is presumably killed and the governor is deposed.  Meanwhile, Rann, Microtron, Biotron, and Marionette set a course for parts unknown and are reunited with Acroyear and Cilicia.

Back on Earth, a SHIELD agent takes the Microverse relics to one of earth's foremost minds, Reed Richards!  Since the crossover with the Fantastic Four against Psycho-Man is one of the reasons I wanted to read The Micronauts, I'm pretty excited.

Mantlo's writing manages to be emotional but still action packed.  I can't say enough good things about it.

I don't know what happened since the last issue but Chaykin doing layouts and Milgrom doing everything else didn't really work for me.  Bug was fine but a lot of the other figures looked squat.  The layouts were great so I'm laying the blame on Al Milgrom.  We'll see how next issue goes.

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15 - Michael Golden once again does the cover duties, this time with the Micronauts standing behind a fallen Microtron while hordes of Antrons bear down on them.  Not my favorite cover but even a lackluster Michael Golden cover is worthwhile.

The reunited Micronauts encounter a massive ship and decide to board it, only to be overrun by Antrons.  Meanwhile, on earth, the Fantastic Four and Agent M talk about someone from the Microverse that has invaded the Baxter Building, stealing something.  Reed, Sue, and Ben head to the Microverse, sending the Human Torch to Florida to investigate HELL.

Back in the Microverse, Microtron is killed and the Micronauts are captured by Psycho-Man, setting the stage for the next couple issues.

I sure didn't expect Microtron to die but I guess one sass-mouthed robot is enough and Biotron is a better character.  The Micronauts sure don't take it easy.

The art is better since the last issue.  Maybe Al Milgrom is more comfortable with the characters.  I wonder how long before Jackson Guice becomes the regular artist.
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16 - On this Michael Golden cover, Psycho-Man clutches the Micronauts in one hand and it doesn't look like the Fantastic Four is going to fare much better.  This one has a great composition and makes me want to read the interior as fast as I can, which I nearly did.

The Micronauts are thralls of Psycho-Man and his mood altering gizmo, sending them into fits of fear, doubt, and hate.  Eventually, they get their shit together, just in time for the Fantastic Four to show up to help.

The team of Chaykin and Milgrom is getting better after some bumps in the road.  The Micronauts team feels a little bloated, making me think either Jasmine or Cilicia is going to leave soon.  Poor Microtron, though.

Acroyear tying Mr. Fantastic in knots may have been my favorite part of the issue.
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17 - Psycho-Man has some weird stuff going on on this cover, while the Micronauts and the Fantastic Four are held captive.  Not my favorite cover but it still has a lot of interesting things going on.

After the Human Torch nearly burns off all the oxygen in Psycho-Man's ship, Biotron is torn apart and everyone else is held captive until the Fantastic Four and the Micronauts put their differences aside and launch a counter attack.

In the end, Psycho-Man is defeated, but not without a terrible price.  Jasmine is killed and Psycho-Man lives to fight another day.  At least Biotron and Microtron are back to normal at the end, however.

The art team of Chaykin and Milgrom continues to get better together but there were still a few panels I found problematic.

Side note: Bug and Acroyear are my favorite Micronauts by far.

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18 - The Micronauts battle mannequin-like figures while a giant human looked into the window.  It's a surprisingly creepy cover for a Micronauts issue, excellently done by Michael Golden.

The Micronauts escape Psycho-Man's clutches and themselves on an unknown world with titanic vegetation.  They wander to a mis-sized house and battle the denizens, robot-like dolls.  Yep, they're in a doll house on earth.

This one had a lot of emotional content.  Bug buries Jasmine and mourns for her and for himself.  The dollhouse reminds me of a creepy Doctor Who episode and the godlike child manipulating things reminds me of Kate's House.

One thing I haven't mentioned is that Marionette is written a lot stronger than most female characters of the time period, forcing Rann to treat her as an equal.

The next couple issues promise more amusing and probably terrifying adventures on Earth.  I cheated and looked ahead a bit.  It looks like Pat Broderick will be the new artist soon.  I liked his work quite a bit on Captain Atom so I'm looking forward to it.
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19 - On this cover, a giant hand clutches Space Gilder with a mutated version of Bug perched on its wrist.  The other Micronauts wrestle with mutant bees.  The layout is strong and dramatic with Bug and Arcturus in the center.  Another winner by Michael Golden.

Bug, on his own, discovers a barn and meets Odd John, a crazy scientist with an eye toward insect evolution.  The remaining Micronauts eventually track down Odd John, only to go up against a horde of mutant insects, led by a mutant Bug.  Things look grim as Odd John takes control...

This was another fun tale of the Micronauts venturing into the regular Marvel universe, complete with humorous misunderstandings.  Bug getting mutated and evil wasn't so humorous.  We'll see what happens next issue.

Pat Broderick's art is a welcome breath of fresh air after Howie Chaykin and Al Milgrom playing tug of war for page after page.
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20 - The cover of this one is in my top five of the series so far.  The Micronauts, plus special guest Ant-Man, battle mutant insects on a grocery store shelf.  Also, spotting the G on Micronauts covers is getting to be like finding the Playboy bunny back in the day.

Marionette uses a hammer to knock Odd John out and get the other Micronauts back into the game.  Meanwhile, the mutant bugs, our Bug included, are on a rampage and wind up at a supermarket.  Fortunately, Ant-Man is on the scene to lend the heroes a helping hand.

Bill Mantlo's writing doesn't get praised enough for my liking, a great blend of humor, drama, and action.  Microtron and Biotron had some great lines in this one.  Ant-Man's size reduction gas saves the day in this one, restoring Bug and the insects to normal.  I didn't know Pym Particles could do that but whatever.  I'm also digging Pat Broderick's art.


And thus concludes the Micronauts comics I bought on eBay.  Fear not, however.  I've since bought twenty-something more issues, plus X-Men vs. Micronauts, so I'll be tackling those in large installments in the near future.  Until then, farewell, Micronuts!