Comments on: Marvel Spinner Rack: Lockjaw & Pet Avengers #1, Iron Man #13, Wolverine vs. Hulk #5, New Mutants #1

By: Mary Warner

Mary Warner — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:13:02 +0000

Actually, back when Speedball had his own series, he was usually called the Masked Marvel. Seriously, he was. I’m not sure if anybody ever called him Speedball in the stories until the New Warriors.

By: Jamie Fickes

Jamie Fickes — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:31:04 +0000

Speedball=Penance

By: Kevin Lighton

Kevin Lighton — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:49:40 +0000

When did Speedball have a name other than Speedball?

I assume the name he changed from is his non-superhero name.

By: James Schee

James Schee — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:02:08 +0000

Two things about the cat changing his name. When did Speedball have a name other than Speedball?

The other is that the cat was hardly Speedball’s pet in any comics I read. It was a cat at the lab Speedball worked at, that got exposed to the same thing as Speedball.

In the issues I read, Speedball and the cat HATED each other. The cat would occasionally appear to harass the hero, or well annoy him as he tried to catch it. Especially since at least early on, it used its powers better than Speedball.

Okay.. I’ll got hide in my fanboy corner now.:)

By: Charles RB

Charles RB — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:36:16 +0000

“instead we get the cat telling us he changed his name to Hairball when his master changed his name to Speedball”

Wait, WHAT? Seriously?

By: James Schee

James Schee — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:33:49 +0000

You know, I always wondered whatever happened to the cat who had Speedball’s powers. (No really, I did! I’m one of like three people that liked the Speedball series apparently.)

I just can’t get past the title New Mutants. I mean calling a book starring the same characters that were last a team over 20 YEARS ago NEW as they did back then is just so … “ugh”.

If they are still new, then what does that make Generation X? That’s probably why you wonder why this team is together Johanna.

The first series, these characters were the next generation of mutants, forging their own place in the world. The title meant something. Now? Its there for nostalgia sake only apparently, as is the team.

Sorry for my fanboy rant! Its just that the first New Mutants series came out when I first started reading comics. Now to see it on repeat after all this time later. Well it reminds me of why I ignore superhero comics for the most part these days.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:15:12 +0000

It would be! But instead we get the cat telling us he changed his name to Hairball when his master changed his name to Speedball. Yawn.

By: Charles RB

Charles RB — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:54:30 +0000

That does sound like something that doesn’t fit what most buyers would want from a “superhero pets” comic.

That said, having a weepy angster and snob on the team doesn’t sound a problem – clashing personalities is an old Marvel trope.

(I hope when you say “too tied into other Marvel stories”, you mean that Norman Osborn is creating a Dark Pet Avengers team to go with all his other Dark teams. That’d be a laugh.)

By: Johanna

Johanna — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:44:12 +0000

I think there are more alternatives than just those two. I’d like to have seen something with some action and excitement and humor as well as a coherent plot. I found what we got boring and off-putting. It was disappointing, because I was really looking forward to it.

By: Jamie Fickes

Jamie Fickes — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:20:16 +0000

I didn’t think Lockjaw was “too talky”, and I enjoyed the issue. Sure there was a lot of exposition, but I’d prefer a little more talking than splash after splash with no coherent plot.