tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9163141447241149534.post1173011501722976872..comments2024-01-18T09:21:21.157-08:00Comments on Disciples of Boltax: Death’s Head Review: Issue #10 – The Cast Iron ContractJimtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18138709079942253485noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9163141447241149534.post-8404453127530016002011-09-29T05:12:56.069-07:002011-09-29T05:12:56.069-07:00I always took the arm changing gimmick to be taken...I always took the arm changing gimmick to be taken from the trail breaker toy, which featured inter changeable hands, though the gimmick does indeed date back to the micronauts (and prior to that microman/microchange from Takara) ironically the origins of the TF line too. <br /><br />This was possibly the best story of the last half of the series run and a great ending to a mostly fabulous series. Such a shame that Marvel UK pulled the plug after this on the American format monthly comics (until the new genesis line which I sincerely hope is next on the list of reviews...)<br /><br />As for Arno/ironman 2020, there really isn't that much of him to collect, he was featured in the Machine man mini set in 2020 and I beleive was introduced in a Spiderman annual, beyond that he's mostly been one panel guests. it is generally understood that since we are only 9 years away from 2020, his original adventures are a parallel universe where Tony Stark had kids back in the 80's, and no longer connected in any way to the current Marvel universe. Shame, because his mercenary outlook on heroism was quite intriguing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9163141447241149534.post-24854929594320173282011-09-27T14:25:30.207-07:002011-09-27T14:25:30.207-07:00Thanks Bumblevivisector, I don’t know much about M...Thanks Bumblevivisector, I don’t know much about Micronauts, but I don’t think Baron Karza was ever mentioned as an inspiration. Furman has said that he suggested an animal-skull head and some interchangeable arm-weaponry, and the rest was Senior’s imagination. I would say that a metal-man with horns and/or a grill-mouth is a fairly common starting point, from real-world suits of armour to Doctor Doom to Darth Vader to the Cylons (as for Karza influencing Vader, the timing would suggest coincidence).<br /><br />Speaking of Death’s Head kitbashes, I was impressed with the one I found here: http://bit.ly/o8OCTW <br /><br />I think the trade paperback you’re referring to was the 1990 version – the only other attempt at a Death’s Head collected works (to the best of my knowledge). I’ve never read it (published so soon after buying all the comics, I didn’t see the need), although I would have liked to have read Death’s Head’s narration.<br /><br />That collection was incomplete, and even the one I’m using the reviews doesn’t *quite* have everything (missing out the framing story that featured in The Incomplete Death’s Head series, as well his appearance in the Death’s Head II mini-series), but it’s the best one available. There will probably never be a definitive version, what with the Transformers reprints owned elsewhere, and Death’s Head making new appearances in S.W.O.R.D and Marvel Heroes.<br /><br />And if you want to be careful about spoilers, I’d avoid the next three reviews, as they cover the Furman/Senior graphic novel that is really worth a read. The remaining stories don’t really contain any surprises (until we get to Death’s Head II), and at least one was retconned into happening during the full series.Chufferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03100510579733340261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9163141447241149534.post-29920378285147630552011-09-23T18:45:33.922-07:002011-09-23T18:45:33.922-07:00I have yet to track down the rest of Arno's st...I have yet to track down the rest of Arno's story myself, but this issue compelled me to buy the Iron Man 2020 figure Marvel Legends released in their 3 3/4" scale series earlier this year. In the end, it just left me even more pissed that their 6 inch line has all but ended, and we never got a figure of any version of Death's Head, since that would have put him pretty much in scale with all of our TF collections. They could've milked it with costume variants too, RRRRGH! <br /><br />Though I suppose it wouldn't be too hard to kitbash him out of parts from ML Doctor doom, plus Baron Karza to give him interchangeable-wrist-weapon-firing action. <br /><br />Say, has Furman ever said if Karza was part of his inspiration for DH's design? I'm not big into Micronauts but I know he was a huge influence on Megabyte from Reboot. Did he influence Darth Vader, or does the timing make that impossible? <br /><br />Back on topic, this is as far as I've read up on Death's Head, so I'll likely just have to skim these reviews until I get around to buying the trades, choosing to avoid spoilers for the time being. Say, are you going to do some sort of overview of different collections? Most of what I knew of him was from a strangely spotty old trade which omitted not only the TF stuff, but also Doctor Who, the Claws, and others, awkwardly jumping from the first issue to Plaguedog. Then I found all but the last issue of Incomplete DH, making the title live up to its name in my collection. <br /><br />The funniest part about that old trade was DH's first person overview, rationalizing the inability to name TFs he encountered by having him complain that he REALLY doesn't like talking about that phase of his career. This always made me imagine an eventual epilogue to his time hopping in which a still human-sized Death's Head lands on prehistoric Earth, face to face with a certain purple sauropod and his team of renegades... <br /><br />DH: Oh, you've GOT to be sh!tting me, yes? <br /><br />BWM: Ye-eeeeeesss... <br /><br />Using your reviews as a guide, I'll finally know what order to read the rest in, so thanks! <br /><br />-BumblevivisectorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9163141447241149534.post-11542650978305111342011-09-22T09:33:37.478-07:002011-09-22T09:33:37.478-07:00I, too, found this to be a strong offering. So st...I, too, found this to be a strong offering. So strong, in fact, that I went and tracked down a bunch of Iron Man 2020 stories to read. For some reason, I've a soft spot in my heart for Arno.Jimtronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18138709079942253485noreply@blogger.com