The Torch #1-8 (2009)

[Jeff of Earth-J]

There aren’t just too many Marvel Comics I enjoy these days, but there is a subset of Marvel Comics I find myself enjoying very much, namely the titles which re-examine Marvels Golden Age roots (The Marvels Project) and even bring Golden Age characters into the present day (The Twelve, Avengers/Invaders), because I’m able to read those stories from the points of view of those characters cast into the dystopian future the Marvel Universe has become. The most recent of these series is The Torch, which, although it is said to feature the return of the Golden Age Human Torch, picks up with Toro directly following the events of the Avenger/Invaders mini-series.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ISSUE #2: You know, I never could wrap my mind around how or why an android designed to function as an artificial man could or would spontaniously busrt into flame when exposed to oxygen... until I read this issue, that is. Also: further revelations concerning the nature of Toro's powers, such as why, although resistant to fire and heat, he couldn't burst into flame until after coming into contact with the Torch.

Issue #2 presents a good psychological study of the Mad Thinker, too.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ISSUE #3: There's lots of good stuff going on is the third issue, but my favorite scene is the one between Jim Hammond and Tom Raymond, who (even though the Torch is not quite in his right mind) got an opportunity for a face-to-face discussion that Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes never had... at least not yet (post-"ressurection," I mean).

[Dagwan]

I've started skipping all the scenes that don't directly involve the Torch or Toro. This title feels even more padded and stretched than Avengers/ Invaders did to me.

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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." -Groucho Marx

Check out the Secret Headquarters (my store) website! It's a pretty lame website, but I did it myself, so tough noogies

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[Batmatt Beyond]

Hmmm...Mrs. Beyond and I have also been enjoying the exploration of Golden Age characters in The Marvels Project and, most recently, through the Project Superpowers and Black Terror trades. We'll probably check this one out in trade, too.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Dagwan said:

I've started skipping all the scenes that don't directly involve the Torch or Toro. This title feels even more padded and stretched than Avengers/ Invaders did to me.

Interesting... because I liked that one, too.

Come to think of it, all of the Marvel titles I've enjoyed recently [Invaders/Avengers, The Torch, Captain America (plus The Marvels Project)] are post-modern versions of classic characters. I guess, looking at today's dystopian MU, I identify with characters such as Bucky Barnes and Tom Raymond.

[Batmatt Beyond]

Jeff of Earth-J said:

Dagwan said:

I've started skipping all the scenes that don't directly involve the Torch or Toro. This title feels even more padded and stretched than Avengers/ Invaders did to me.

Interesting... because I liked that one, too.

Come to think of it, all of the Marvel titles I've enjoyed recently [Invaders/Avengers, The Torch, Captain America (plus The Marvels Project)] are post-modern versions of classic characters. I guess, looking at today's dystopian MU, I identify with characters such as Bucky Barnes and Tom Raymond.

I'm enjoying these titles because they're giving me the same sense of wondrous discovery I felt upon first getting into comic book universes. Even though some of the writing in Project Superpowers is clunky, my sensawunda overrides those flaws.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I recently read/re-read The Marvels Project, Avengers/Invaders and Torch #1-7 back-to-back. I enjoyed them all, but The Marvels Project didn't mesh as well with the other two as I had hoped. The Torch capped off its eight-issue run last week, and the best thing about it is the preview of the cover of the first issue of a new Invaders series coming in September! This is not going to be a lame immitation of the Invaders as the most recent series was. the cover features [SPOILERS] two Captain Americas (Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes), two Human Torches (Jim Hammond and Thomas Raymond), Subby, Union Jack, Spitfire, and (wait for it)... the Golden Age Vision! [END SPOLIER] this new series will be a Marvel/Dynamite Entertainment co-production (as were the previous two), so I have high hopes for it.

[Philip Portelli]

My only gripes about the series are the coldness of the Torch's personality which wasn't part of his Golden Age adventures nor his "Invaders" ones.

Also, with the Torch up and around, will we never see the return of OUR Vision? Must he be forever labelled a "toaster" who dared to marry a person? Where is the logical, enigmatic, longing to be considered human anchor of the Avengers? Must we and he be denied entry in this new Heroic Age?

[Jeff of Earth-J]

My only gripes about the series are the coldness of the Torch's personality which wasn't part of his Golden Age adventures nor his "Invaders" ones.

I'd argue that that was accounted for in the story itself, that he became cold and emotionless after his "death" and was reset to to Marvel Comics #1 parameters until he could reabsorb human emotions through contact with Toro. By the end of the series he was back to normal.

Also, with the Torch up and around, will we never see the return of OUR Vision?

I'm not certain of the Vision's status in today's MU but theVision and the Torch did co-exist for a while. Is that no longer the case?

[Dagwan]

The Vision's personality was rebooted some time ago, and has been a member of the Young Avengers, and Dan Slott's Mighty Avengers.

He is currently romantically involved with Cassie Lang.

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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." -Groucho Marx

Check out the Secret Headquarters (my store) website! It's much better now!

Listen to WOXY.com, it's the future of rock-n-roll!

---

[Philip Portelli]

I don't want Teen Vision, I want to know if having the Torch active is preventing the return of his altered self, the Vision in his original configuration.

[Figserello]

The Vision's personality was rebooted some time ago, and has been a member of the Young Avengers, and Dan Slott's Mighty Avengers.

He is currently romantically involved with Cassie Lang.

Maybe its all a story dreamed up by a lonely, lovelorn old goat who's been around since the 1940s, to get "romantically involved" with teen Cassie?

"It's ok - I've been rebooted..."

I don't want Teen Vision, I want to know if having the Torch active is preventing the return of his altered self, the Vision in his original configuration.

Perceptive board members might notice that I'm not unsympathetic to the synthezoid, but they've really done all they can with 'our' Vision. Feelings, team loyalty, love, heartbreak, fatherhood, then all that ghastly nonsense in the 90s. Busiek would have been like ourselves in wanting to bring the 'true' Vision back, but he wasn't able to do a lot with him that hadn't been done before when he did just that in Heroes Return Avengers. Reunited with Wanda, dealing with Wonderman as his brother/rival, listening to jazz while wearing polo-necks - there wasn't a lot to do with him.

At least we got that encore with the character.