Nerdopolis

“…The End League walks the Earth.”

Brian Terrence is the miraculous Astonishman. Once upon a time, he was known as the defender of truth, justice and the American way of life. In May of 1962, he destroyed the world. After being misinformed about the intent of a mysterious alien humanoid race living under the sea, Astonishman detonated a nuclear warhead that set off a chain reaction in the alien vessel’s engines, causing The Green Event. Three billion would perish in the Event and, of the survivors, one in ten thousand would mutate from exposure to the alien radiation. The Magnificents would inherit the Earth.

The End League is a post-apocalyptic superhero series that deals with guilt, remorse and what happens when individuals with amazing, superhuman abilities are left to rule over a wasted Earth. Astonishman has kept the true origin of The Green Event a secret from his teammates; a rag-tag assembly of Magnificents, remnants of the Squadron of Righteousness. Thor the God of Thunder (no relation to Marvel’s or Rob Liefeld’s characters of the same name) has disappeared without a trace and the remaining heroes affiliated with Astonishman, a handful of survivors of the Day of Annihilation, futilely seek out the lost hammer, Mjolnir.

The End League is comprised of a melting pot of misfit mutants that resemble amalgams of some of the more popular heroes of the Marvel and DC universes. Astonishman is an obvious nod to characters derived from the Man of Steel, complete with cape. Arachnakid is a monstrous spider mutation reminiscent of the Doppelganger Spiderman. Brother Occult is a combination of Doctor Strange and every other sorcery based hero from the annals of comic history.

In this issue, The End League are tasked to secure a substantial and desperately needed food supply from a warehouse controlled by Scarecrow Sinister and Dead Lexington, the arch-villain responsible for leading Astonishman on the path that caused the Green Event. There is an encounter with Scarecrow Sinister’s forces that leads up to an unexpected betrayal and a surprise appearance by someone the heroes thought long dead.

This title, written by Rick Remender, scribe on Dark Horse’s Fear Agent, is highly story driven, with a plot that shows promise as Astonishman comes to terms with his folly and learns how to trust those around him enough to reveal his involvement in the Green Event, all while handling the threat of superior might from Dead Lexington and his syndicate of super-villains. With art by Mat Broome, inks by Sean Parsons and colors by Wendy Broome, this is a title worth your attention if you like your super-hero mythology to be dark and brooding, with not a glimmer of hope for the good guys.

“She lures men from stricken fields into the wastelands to be slain by her brothers, the ice-giants, who lay men’s hearts smoking on Ymir’s board. The Cimmerian has seen Atali, the frost-giant’s daughter!”

Dark Horse Comics is adapting the paintings of Frank Frazetta into an eight issue limited series, written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by Cary Nord, based on Conan, a character created by Robert E. Howard. The first issue is titled “The Frost-Giant’s Daughter” and is an interpretation of the Frazetta painting of the same name.

This comic doesn’t disappoint and meets every expectation when it comes to the exploits of the Crom worshipping Barbarian. It’s twenty-two pages featuring bloody battles and scantily clad maidens. Conan’s classic mirth, even in the heat of mortal combat, is cleverly scripted by Kurt Busiek. Nord’s portrayal of the cruel Cimmerian is presented in vivid detail and fluid movement, making every killing blow seem authentic and logical. At the very end of the issue are a pair of brief biographies on the inspirations for the comic book, Frank Frazetta and Robert E. Howard- both names any respecting fantasy aficionado should immediately recognize.

I expect this series will be successful given the source material and the reverence with which it has been treated. Each issue will apparently be a stand alone, having only to do with the respective adventure that has been immortalized in each Frazetta painting featured on the cover. I would recommend this series to fans of Frank Frazetta’s iconic art, Conan the Barbarian, Sword and Sorcery tales or any combination of these.