Michael Hancock
@personofcon.bsky.social
Phd haver and UWaterloo English instructor. Interested in games, digital media, comic books, and gamebooks. He/him
I saw the skeet without context and thought you were proposing a sokobond sequel.
November 11, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I saw the skeet without context and thought you were proposing a sokobond sequel.
And that's it! The What Ifs and their many, many oneshots really inflate the thread size.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
And that's it! The What Ifs and their many, many oneshots really inflate the thread size.
And there's some Weird Fiction stuff coming in in issue 87, as Buddy comes across the King in Yellow. Just one issue left, then I'm jumping to the more recent series.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
And there's some Weird Fiction stuff coming in in issue 87, as Buddy comes across the King in Yellow. Just one issue left, then I'm jumping to the more recent series.
81 has one of my favorite motifs, the comic book montage of weird events (in this case, a TV host explaining how animals have gone wild), and we see the spider in its human-ish form, as a naked pregnant woman.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
81 has one of my favorite motifs, the comic book montage of weird events (in this case, a TV host explaining how animals have gone wild), and we see the spider in its human-ish form, as a naked pregnant woman.
And it introduces a spider predator who feeds on stories (maybe?) which brings back Morrison's more meta approach. And the art is pretty good too. Here's Buddy's return from death after issue 79, in issue 80:
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
And it introduces a spider predator who feeds on stories (maybe?) which brings back Morrison's more meta approach. And the art is pretty good too. Here's Buddy's return from death after issue 79, in issue 80:
Jerry Prosser and Fred Harper then have eight issues, and then the series dies for decades, so I assumed it would be awful. But actually--I kind of like it. It pulls back Buddy's transformation into something more human.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Jerry Prosser and Fred Harper then have eight issues, and then the series dies for decades, so I assumed it would be awful. But actually--I kind of like it. It pulls back Buddy's transformation into something more human.
I'm also disappointed that there's no final scene between Buddy and Ellen; in a real way, their family and its fracturing is the core of the story, and it feels like it misses something without returning to that point.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
I'm also disappointed that there's no final scene between Buddy and Ellen; in a real way, their family and its fracturing is the core of the story, and it feels like it misses something without returning to that point.
And that's the run. It builds in an interesting way, but I'm not sure it reached a climax worthy of the run's length. At one point, Buddy admits he's glad he's been poisoned and dying, because he couldn't think of an ending otherwise, and you get the sense he's voicing Delgado's thoughts too.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
And that's the run. It builds in an interesting way, but I'm not sure it reached a climax worthy of the run's length. At one point, Buddy admits he's glad he's been poisoned and dying, because he couldn't think of an ending otherwise, and you get the sense he's voicing Delgado's thoughts too.
And in issue 79, Animal Man succumbs to an assassin's toxic cocktail, and dies, as his cult builds to an ecstatic orgy. A very white orgy. In the page below, Ellen walks from them, and retrieves her daughter.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
And in issue 79, Animal Man succumbs to an assassin's toxic cocktail, and dies, as his cult builds to an ecstatic orgy. A very white orgy. In the page below, Ellen walks from them, and retrieves her daughter.
Over the course of a dozen or so issues, Buddy goes back into Chimera form, and he and his resurrected daughter lead a new cult devoted to the earth, while various figures try to stop him. In 78, we get a peek behind the curtain, and see how much of him is left.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Over the course of a dozen or so issues, Buddy goes back into Chimera form, and he and his resurrected daughter lead a new cult devoted to the earth, while various figures try to stop him. In 78, we get a peek behind the curtain, and see how much of him is left.
In 67, we have Buddy's son, Cliff, breaking down in an emotional moment.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
In 67, we have Buddy's son, Cliff, breaking down in an emotional moment.
Over at DC, it's all Animal Man, issues 63-88. That covers the end of Delgado's impressively long run, and a lot of the 8 issue follow up by Prosser, Harper, and Temujin. Some highlights: Will Simpson's guest art in issue 65 (maybe one of the last Buddy/Ellen moments?)
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Over at DC, it's all Animal Man, issues 63-88. That covers the end of Delgado's impressively long run, and a lot of the 8 issue follow up by Prosser, Harper, and Temujin. Some highlights: Will Simpson's guest art in issue 65 (maybe one of the last Buddy/Ellen moments?)
And finally, there's What If... A Vs X, from 2013, which offers another take on that crossover over the course of four issues, by Palmiotti and Molina. It all hinges on Magneto pushing Hope towards a more villainous stance, and it really doesn't gel with where he was as a character at the time.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
And finally, there's What If... A Vs X, from 2013, which offers another take on that crossover over the course of four issues, by Palmiotti and Molina. It all hinges on Magneto pushing Hope towards a more villainous stance, and it really doesn't gel with where he was as a character at the time.
What If? Civil War (2007) features two stories; one where the government took a harder line in Civil War and Iron Man died before hand from Extremis; one where Iron Man and Captain America just make peace earlier and everything goes fine. They're both weird choices.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
What If? Civil War (2007) features two stories; one where the government took a harder line in Civil War and Iron Man died before hand from Extremis; one where Iron Man and Captain America just make peace earlier and everything goes fine. They're both weird choices.
What If? Daredevil vs. Elektra inverts their origins; Daredevil "dies" saving Elektra's father, she joins SHIELD, and he's resurrected by the Hand. Decent story by Karl Bollers, but amazing art by Rafael Kayanan.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
What If? Daredevil vs. Elektra inverts their origins; Daredevil "dies" saving Elektra's father, she joins SHIELD, and he's resurrected by the Hand. Decent story by Karl Bollers, but amazing art by Rafael Kayanan.
What If? Dark Reign (Jason Henderson and Sana Takeda, 2015) isn't really about Dark Reign at all; it's a story where Hawkeye decides to assassinate Norman. It feels a bit false that EVERY hero would side against him for that call. Takeda does great stuff with the colouring.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
What If? Dark Reign (Jason Henderson and Sana Takeda, 2015) isn't really about Dark Reign at all; it's a story where Hawkeye decides to assassinate Norman. It feels a bit false that EVERY hero would side against him for that call. Takeda does great stuff with the colouring.
In the 2018 What If Marvel Comics Went Metal with Ghost Rider, a heavy metal group comes to Marvel Studios and unleashes Lovecraftian monsters that consume the Marvel Universe. Not sure what Girner and Wijngaard were going for. The art's good, though.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
In the 2018 What If Marvel Comics Went Metal with Ghost Rider, a heavy metal group comes to Marvel Studios and unleashes Lovecraftian monsters that consume the Marvel Universe. Not sure what Girner and Wijngaard were going for. The art's good, though.
What If House of M, by Brian Reed, Jim McCann and Paolo Pantalena (2008) has Wanda saying no more powers, and depowered Avengers going up against cosmic cube powered Red Skull.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
What If House of M, by Brian Reed, Jim McCann and Paolo Pantalena (2008) has Wanda saying no more powers, and depowered Avengers going up against cosmic cube powered Red Skull.
The X-Men story looks at a ramshackle mutant team coming out of the ashes; Inhumans places Blackbolt as a sort of judasgoat; Guardians of the Galaxy is a bar story told by Rocket Raccoon; Thanos sells the idea of Thanos invading the Avengers; Dark Reign is a character study of Norman Osborn.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
The X-Men story looks at a ramshackle mutant team coming out of the ashes; Inhumans places Blackbolt as a sort of judasgoat; Guardians of the Galaxy is a bar story told by Rocket Raccoon; Thanos sells the idea of Thanos invading the Avengers; Dark Reign is a character study of Norman Osborn.
After that, there's five oneshots revolving around the Hickman Infinity storyline, where Thanos invaded earth with the weirdo team featured in the MCU storyline. And each oneshot features a different group coming out of that story. Points to Williamson--each has a different vibe to it.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
After that, there's five oneshots revolving around the Hickman Infinity storyline, where Thanos invaded earth with the weirdo team featured in the MCU storyline. And each oneshot features a different group coming out of that story. Points to Williamson--each has a different vibe to it.
In What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor (2010, by Michelinie, Layton, and Nolan), Stark is made Doom's roommate, and Doom swaps bodies with him to take Stark's "undeserved" legacy. There's a good chance this turns into the Doom MCU origin.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
In What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor (2010, by Michelinie, Layton, and Nolan), Stark is made Doom's roommate, and Doom swaps bodies with him to take Stark's "undeserved" legacy. There's a good chance this turns into the Doom MCU origin.
In the 2018 What If? Magik Became Sorcerer Supreme, Leah Williams and Filipe Andrade deliver a pretty great Magik story, where she gets trained by Stephen, and defeats Belasco. Very strong--probably my favorite Williams story thus far.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
In the 2018 What If? Magik Became Sorcerer Supreme, Leah Williams and Filipe Andrade deliver a pretty great Magik story, where she gets trained by Stephen, and defeats Belasco. Very strong--probably my favorite Williams story thus far.
In the 2008 What If? Newer Fantastic Four, they do the Infinity Gautlet storyline, with Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man, and Spider-Man in the lead. It has some fun ideas, though writer Paul Tobin stretches the characterizations a bit to get there.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
In the 2008 What If? Newer Fantastic Four, they do the Infinity Gautlet storyline, with Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man, and Spider-Man in the lead. It has some fun ideas, though writer Paul Tobin stretches the characterizations a bit to get there.