Back Issue #165 March 2026 (magazine review).
In his editorial for this ‘Back Issue’, Roger Ash points out that he missed the Kree-Skrull War in the previous ‘Alien Invasion’ issue. Previous editor Michael Eury suggested calling this a rivalry issue and using that as its theme.
For those who don’t know, the Kree and Skrulls have rival empires, boarding each other’s ships and eventually escalating into an all-out war, with the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Captain Marvel and Rick Jones all caught in the middle. Written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Neal Adams, John Buscema and Sal Buscema, it spanned nine issues and, if you haven’t read it, you’ve certainly heard of it. There’s no excuse, as it’s available as a graphic novel and is regarded as one of the highlights of the period.
Writer Jarrod Buttery goes over the fine details and brings the three Skrulls who were hypnotised into becoming cows in Fantastic Four #2 back to the fore. He also sorts out what happened to the fourth Skrull and addresses one of Stan Lee’s early mistakes. After all, had that fourth Skrull been sent back with the main fleet after Reed Richards fooled them, they would have returned in an instant once the ruse was revealed. There’s also some additional background on the Celestials and their genetic manipulations. The Skrulls are essentially the deviants of their species, for instance. Plenty to learn here.
Over at DC Comics in the 1980s, they had a more personal rivalry between royal siblings, Koriand’r, aka Starfire, and her elder sister, Komand’r, aka Blackfire. Writer Brian Martin covers their history in ‘The New Titans’. Oh, and if you see Starfire’s eyebrows, she isn’t very happy.
Although I was never an Archie fan, writer Mark Arnold examines his rivalry with Reginald Mantle III, aka Reggie. No one seems to notice that Reggie is a dead ringer for a young Bob Hope. Must be the nose.
I remember reading the first Superman and Flash race around the world, where a restriction was placed on the Man of Steel that he couldn’t fly, so he had to swim the oceans. Surely, if he was as fast as the Flash, he would have been running on top of the water? What writer Ed Lute points out is that there have been seven races over the decades so far, mostly for charity, despite interruptions. Considering how fast both of them are, you’d think these races would be over in seconds. Me in analytic mode: the Flash might be the fastest human, but Superman isn’t human, he’s Kryptonian, so he’s unlikely ever to hold that title. It would be more of a contest if the Flash raced other speedy humans.
Writer Doug Zawisza looks at the Marvel Floating Poker Game, based on something the company’s creative staff did regularly. Here, though, it’s mostly the superheroes taking part. In some respects, I wish Zawisza had shown who won each time, but then you probably wouldn’t be tempted to seek out the individual comics. There’s also nothing to indicate what qualifies someone to join in, or who wouldn’t be welcome. I mean, would you really want a telepath at the table, or someone like the Scarlet Witch who could alter the odds? It certainly wouldn’t be about the ante. You do have to wonder whether any of the supervillains held similar games.
Writer Steven Thompson’s look at the comic book version of Donald Duck points out that it’s quite different from the cartoon version. Reading some of the panels here, I don’t hear the Clarence Nash voice for Donald, even in my head. I’ve never heard of lucky Gladstone Gander, nor of his rivalry with Donald Duck.
Lastly, writer James Heath Lantz examines the frequent battles between the Hulk and the Thing. As the Hulk grows stronger the angrier he gets, the Thing has to rely on being smarter. I think I might have added some comparisons showing how each of them has fared against equally strong opponents.
I hope this is a subject ‘Back Issue’ returns to again, even if under a different byline, because confrontation is a frequent ingredient of superhero comic books.
GF Willmetts
April 2026
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82-page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6904. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US)).
Check out the websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_54&products_id=1838&products_id=1838
