“I Slay By The Stars!”
Fish-man has fallen from the sky and now Hulk can’t wake him. Must Hulk smash in order to revive his friend? No! The doctor, the one who Hulk hates, must help revive Namor. But, Strange lives where Hulk hates the most, New York City!
As the Submariner lies comatose in a New Jersey parkway, a demonic figure has detected the mystical energies which binds the sleeping mutant. In one hour, a celestial alignment of the stars will bring power and immortality to the one who slays the prince of Atlantis. It will be up to the Incredible Hulk and Doctor Strange to unravel the mystery of the Undying Ones.
Who is the devil that challenges the very thoughts of Doctor Strange? Will falling bodies continue to plague the Hulk as he makes his way through the garden state? How many punches does it take to get to the middle of a mystical barrier? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
Who has two magical thumbs and swears like a drunken sailor on shore leave? Doctor Strange! I suggest that the first order of business for the Defenders is the acquisition of a new swear jar. Their clubhouse is about to become a profitable venture.
From the dialog here in issue one, the team known as the Defenders seems to already exist in some fashion. According to Doctor Strange, that is. For how long, or just who served on the team originally, the Supreme Sorcerer does not say.
As an introduction to a new comic book series is concerned, the plot is kept to a bare minimum. There are three converging storylines, each seemingly having run their course. Steve Englehart is in a tough spot right out of the gate. He has to write dialog for two characters not known for their conversational skills, and one over-educated sorcerer who talks in a florid manner. The next few issues will be interesting indeed. I give Defenders #01 three out of five stars.
Tag(s)
[altar – sacrificial altar of the nameless one], [artifact – gleaming crystal of agamotto], [barrier – mystical barrier], [borough – manhattan], [bridge – brooklyn bridge], [bridge – george washington bridge], [catchphrase – hulk smash], [caves], [city – new york city], [clock – atomic clock], [continent – north america], [country – united states of america], [demons], [demonym – stygians], [desert], [dimension – realm of the nameless one], [equipment – cloak of levitation], [equipment – eye of agamotto], [event – alignment of the stars], [evil], [hand weapon – hell-steel dagger of necrodamus], [headquarters – sanctum sanctorum], [hoary hosts], [hybrid – mutant atlantean-human hybrids], [idol], [idol – idol of the nameless one], [junkies], [magic], [mugger], [neighborhood – greenwich village], [planet – earth], [police], [police department – NYPD], [sorcerer], [sorcery], [spell – crimson bands of cyttorak (binding hold)], [spell – hosts of hoggoth], [spell – invisibility spell], [spell – levitation spell], [spell – rings of raggadorr], [spell – shades of the seraphim], [spell – time stoppage], [spell – vipers of valtorr], [stars], [state – new jersey], [state – new york], [subterranean cavern], [swear – by the gods above/below/and beyond], [swear – by the hoard hosts of hoggoth], [swear – by the roving rings of raggadorr], [swear – by the shades of the seraphim], [swear – vipors of valtorr], [tunnel – lincoln tunnel], [witchfire], [wound]
Character(s)
[agamotto], [barbara], [bright lady – oshtur], [cyttorak], [defenders], [doctor strange – stephen vincent strange], [harriet], [hoggoth], [incredible hulk – dr. bruce banner], [kenneth ward], [kenneth ward’s butler], [lars], [nameless one (god)], [necrodamus], [nightcrawler – kurt wagner], [oshtur], [raggadorr], [seraphim], [silver surfer – norrin radd], [sub-mariner – namor mckenzie], [undying ones], [valtorr], [yahweh – god of the israelites]
Writer(s)
Penciller(s)
Inker(s)
Colorist(s)
Letterer(s)
Cover Artist(s)
Editor(s)
!["Superman" (2025) Brings Heart, High Stakes, and Surprising Twists [SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW]](https://www.supermansupersite.com/Superman_2025_Retro_Poster.jpg)
English (US) · 