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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.
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