Written by (See Credits Below)
Art by (See Credits Below)
Cover Art by Rob Liefeld
SUMMARY:
Released for March 1990, this 32-page anthology comic consists of four tales.
- Wolverine in “Black Shadow! White Shadow!, Part 9 of 10: Assault!” Writer: Marv Wolfman, with art by John Buscenma; Phil Felix; and Nel Yomtov. To rescue a captive Mai, an injured Wolverine contends with the dual shadows (each seeking to destroy one another) manifested by a seeming immovable mutant’s psyche.
- Devil Slayer in “Lost Souls, Part 1 of 4.” Writer Dwight Zimmerman, with art by Rodney Ramos; Mark McKenna; Janice Chiang; and John Wilcox. On behalf of Mephisto, the demonic pirate, Dutchman, baits Devil Slayer seeking to make him his master’s latest henchman.
- Aquarian in “A Gift of Death.” Writer: Fabian Nicieza, with art by Hugh Haynes; Fred Fredericks; Agustin Mas; and Steve Mattson. One night, the wandering Aquarian finds himself drawn into mayhem after an undercover FBI operative’s homicide.
- Sub-Mariner in “The Eyes That See.” Writer: Hollis Bright, with art by Dell Barras; Marshall Rogers; Phil Felix; and Paty Cokrum. Amidst his quest for Marrina’s hatchlings, Namor becomes involved in an effort to protect an endangered whale from hunters.
REVIEW:
Despite visually fading thirty years later, the combined effort by four different art squads (plus the cover image) remains good, but there’s nothing spectacular here. It’s also predictable that none of these tales are long-lost gems.
In fairness, writer Hollis Bright offers a good fable of sorts, as Namor’s initial heroism has some unintended consequences worth exploring. It isn’t surprising that the best action sequence belongs to the Wolverine tale, including an obligatory cliffhanger. The Aquarian and Devil Slayer stories offer some okay reading – they’re written with intelligence, but neither one is likely to make the reader want more. Overall, Marvel Comics Presents # 46 is a decent package clearly belonging to the one-and-done pile.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The inside front cover is a table-of-contents and has synopses/credits for these stories. The inside back cover offers a letters-and-answers column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5 Stars
