A mysterious government agent enlists Spider-Man’s help in solving a murder while Spidey also pursues Doctor Octopus. This annual features top-shelf art from John Byrne and Terry Austin but the story, by Marv Wolfman, leaves questions unanswered.
READDeathlok battles human drones in abandoned subway tunnels while Mike Travers frees Nina from Maj. Ryker. Rich Buckler is joined by Bill Mantlo and a “whole blame Bullpen” of artists, but this story simply idles in place.
READWulf joins forces with the Free Swordsmen’s Guild to save the city of Rama-Kesh from a magically induced drought. Another surprisingly strong outing from the Atlas (Seaboard) team of Larry Hama and Klaus Janson.
READKitty Pryde and Storm – who is trapped in the White Queen’s body – race to save the X-Men from the Hellfire Club. This one features a convoluted plot from Chris Claremont and solid art from guest artist Bob McLeod.
READKitty Pryde must transfer to Emma Frost’s academy; the X-Men are attacked by Sentinels that are under Hellfire Club control. A real mixed bag of an issue from Chris Claremont and fill-in artists James Sherman, Joe Rubinstein and Bob McLeod.
READWhen the Badoon subjugate Arkon’s world and kidnap three-fourths of the Fantastic Four, it’s the X-Men to the rescue. A solid annual offering from the creative team of Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson and Bob McLeod.
READIn order to save his daughter, the new Ant-Man must first escape the clutches of evil industrialist Darren Cross. Another solid story for burglar-turned-superhero Scott Lang, from the creative team of David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton.
READBad science and other silliness undermine what should have been a promising superhero anthology. Only the Neal Adams cover and some above-average Batman art from Michael (Nasser) Netzer save this one from being a total stinker.
READA powerful Romani sorceress hellbent on revenge sends Nightcrawler to infernal damnation – or does she? On its own merits, this is an interesting outing from the team of Chris Claremont, John Romita Jr. and Bob McLeod. But it feels like a letdown in the wake of “The Dark Phoenix Saga.”
READThe Question and Blue Beetle team to rescue Beetle’s Bug from the clutches of the Enigma. This Charlton experiment with free labor isn’t a total debacle, but the work of writer Benjamin Smith (with “A. Committee” and “Anon O. Mouse”) and artists Dan Reed and Al Val isn’t quite ready for prime time.
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