Marvel Fanfare #2Issue(s): Marvel Fanfare #2 Review/plot: This iteration of Marvel Fanfare was less about spotlighting special artwork and stories (the intended purpose of the original Fanfare) or dumping inventory stories (the actual purpose of the original Fanfare). Instead it seems to be an attempt to bolster Marvel's 99 cent line, which was a counter to complaints that comics were getting too expensive. In that sense, it was almost identical to Over The Edge, another anthology book (the other 99 cent books were more like origin retellings, although i'm including Untold Tales of Spider-Man in that, and that was actually a real comic and definitely the best of the bunch). I guess this issue (and next) does have Pop Mahn, who has an unusual style that might have fit well the the original series' puported purpose. I know Mhan from the Spyboy comic he did with Peter David. This is his first Marvel work; looks like he did scattered stuff for Image and other smaller publishers prior to this. I put him in a broad category with Pascual Ferry, Mike Wieringo, and a few others who were popping up around this time doing a somewhat more cartoony style than i'd like. Anyway, this second series was canceled after six issues, and if this issue is indicative, it deserved to be. Trying to learn to control his increasingly feral nature, Wolverine heads to Canada and deliberately provokes some bears! What the hell, dude? Not only is it rude to rile them up, you're acknowledging a real possibility that you might lose control and kill them. The Danger Room exists for a reason, buddy. Anyway, he's interrupted from his weird test by an alarm, which leads him to Heather Hudson who is supervising some cryptozoologists. They are Wendigo hunting. Hulk also winds up in Canada ("Plan was simple. Go North. Less people") and encounters the Wendigo (i mean, Canada's a small country, so it was inevitable). I swear to you that Wolverine and one of the cryptozoologists were following along in a car, but suddenly when they need to follow the Hulk, a SHIELD helicopter magically appears. This is a scrawny little Wendigo. Wolverine is mostly just observing but when he gets hit by a truck thrown during the fight, he goes into a complete berserker rage. Big violent fight with plenty of opportunity to notice Wolverine's bone claws. Hulk wants it made clear that he was not the one who went savage. Wendigo is subsequently captured and given to the cryptozoologists. It turns out that they know the person that got turned into the Wendigo. And that's all i needed to know. It's not the weird benign Wendigo. It's not the Department K "Yeti". And it's not a previous Wendigo with any history with the Hulk or Wolverine. Just a one off for this one story (Wendigo #6 by the MCP's count). This continued in issue #3 (with different heroes) but i don't need to care. Quality Rating: D+ Chronological Placement Considerations: I'm placing this in the same gap as Incredible Hulk: Hercules Unleashed #1. MCP has Wolverine here between Wolverine #106-107. References: N/A Crossover: N/A Continuity Insert? N My Reprint: N/A
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