Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1983-02-01 00:07:10 |
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Power Man & Iron Fist #90
Issue(s): Power Man & Iron Fist #90
Cover Date: Feb 83
Title: "The Untouchable!"
Credits:
Kurt Busiek - Writer
Denys Cowan - Penciler
Mel Candido - Inker
Denny O'Neil - Editor
Review/plot:
To my knowledge, this is Kurt Busiek's first comic for Marvel. It's a great little story and despite being rough in some ways it displays some of his characteristic trademarks. The story uses Unus the Untouchable in a way that seems "realistic", for lack of a better term. Unus doesn't have any great super-villain scheme. He's just a guy with a forcefield, so he walks into random stores and demands money, and no one can stop him.
PM & IF eventually beat him when Cage picks up Unus by his forcefield and then Danny jumps up and knocks him out with a kick when Unus is forced to lower his field to escape Cage's grasp.
Danny's Iron Fist is effective, also.
But the real highlight of the issue is Unus' casual demeanor throughout most of the events, while robbing stores, brutally beating a cop with a baseball bat...
...and even during most of the fight with Cage & Fist.
He truly feels untouchable.
Since this is Busiek's first issue, there's a fair amount of time dedicated to re-introducing all of the characters, including a scene with Jeryn showing Luke & Danny a commercial featuring them advertising their Heroes for Hire business.
A bit tedious if you've been reading the book all along, and the writing is a bit wooden, but it's leaps and bounds better than Denny O'Neil's run. Unfortunately Denys Cowan is still on art and everyone has a sketchy, misshapen look to them.
Quality Rating: B-
Historical Significance Rating: 3 - first Kurt Busiek
Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A
References: N/A
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
This issue did get some criticism in Amazing Heroes over the cop shooting at Unus, even though he hadn't made an actual threat and wasn't carrying anything more lethal than the bat.
Busiek confirmed in Comics Journal #216 that this was his first Marvel writing.
Agreed, this issue is a big improvement from the O'neil stuff. It has Luke and Danny dealing with a small time menace on their turf. And it has Unus actually using his powers in a realistic way. I have some fanboy problems with Luke picking Unus up by the forcefield (doesnt feel like that should work), but some nice teamwork on their part.
But, ugh, Denys Cowyan's art kills the story. Can't say anything good about it.
Unus's use of a baseball bat goes back to UNCANNY X-MEN #20.
