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Writer: Scott Lobell
Artist: Clayton Henry
Story: You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me! Part 4 of 6

OVERVIEW:
[img=left:2ac23c6aab]http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/af3_4_review_2.jpg[/img:2ac23c6aab]The story starts with a page of teasers about the new characters. We see a baby Zuzha being protected by the original Puck, a picture of Nemesis without the costume, Yukon Jack with a knife in his chest, a young Rutherford Princeton, as a machine gun toting cop, and Lou Saddler Jr. taking his first flight on Thunder.

We hit a flashback of the original Major Mapleleaf teamed up with the Invaders, with him having Hitler in a headlock. Flash forward a few years, and we see young Michael and Lou Saddler Jr. proudly going through their fathers old memorabilia from his super hero days. Lou Sr. found his boys, and angrily struck out, hitting Jr. He goes on to yell at them, telling them they had no business going through his things. Sending Michael downstairs, Major Mapleleaf proceeded to beat his youngest son. This entire scene was narrated by a the grown up Lou Saddle Jr, seemingly in denial of his father's abuse, as he told his story to Yukon Jack.

Present time, flying through the air on the back of Thunder, Major Mapleleaf is telling his history to Yukon Jack. Jack however says he has no story, other than be having been born into royalty...beloved by a nation. We do however see a flash back panel of him covered in blood, holing the knife that had been in his chest. They land in a remote location in front of a small shack, which is apparently a Plodex entry portal.

[img=right:2ac23c6aab]http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/af3_4_review_3.jpg[/img:2ac23c6aab]In Calgary we find Zuzha Yu, feeling nervous about becoming a super hero. She makes reference to the fact that she does have powers. She even mentioned that she had been able to speak from the womb. Though the nature of her powers are not uncovered, Sasquatch is apparently going to tell her his theories behind her abilities. Just then Zuzha's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a crowd cheering Sasquatch on, as he was playing a Dancing game. As Zuzha begins to chide him for his behaviors, a hatch opens from under the game, and the two fall in.

Flying over the North Poll, Rutherford Princeton has Nemesis in his arms. Princeton is trying to think of a super hero name for himself. Unexpectedly Nemesis jumps out of his arms, showing him that she can fly on her own.

Major Mapleleaf and Yukon Jack climb down a ladder to a large cave. They find machinery, as proof of the Plodex having been there at some point. Yukon Jack also shows he has the ability to generate light as he makes his hand glow to light their path.

Sasquatch and Puck slide off a shoot into a large pit filled with an odd mud, that was akin to "Quantum-Nano technology" that could read a genetic template to create creatures to act as a defence mechanism. Just that happened, as several large mud creatures, seemingly in the form of Sasquatch emerge.

[img=left:2ac23c6aab]http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/af3_4_review_4.jpg[/img:2ac23c6aab]Caught in a Flashback to the Prohibition era in Chicago, are Nemesis and Centennial. Princeton explains that he was a Canadian police office who had been "on loan" to the Chicago PD during this time. Nemesis admits that she too knows this era quite well. They are approached by the Mayor of Chicago, and a woman who appears to be Nemesis of that time period. Nemesis slices the ghost of her self in two, shattering the illusion that was generated by the Plodex defense systems.

Back underground, we find Yukon Jack and Major Mapleleaf in a huge battle with the Mole Man's hordes of Moloids. They are captured and taken to the Mole Man. He assumes they are spies, sent by the Fantastic Four, but when he is told who they really are, lets them go free.

From three separate directions the heroes converge in a strange room, there appears to be no real up or down, and it is filled with old Plodex machinery.

The splash page for #5 shows Sasquatch acting as referee between new team and old. In the foreground we see what would appear to be a young Plodex child, that looks as though he could easily be the son of Marrina.

REVIEW:

I Loved this issue! It had a great balance between character and plot development. The flashback with the Saddler boys did quite a bit to show the true nature of Major Mapleleaf Sr. He was a violent man who abused his kids. It would seem to me that Jr. is in denial, but subconsciously want to make amends for his father's less than heroic behavior. This to me really fleshed out a character that seemed to be a boy scout.
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I'm really curious about Yukon Jack's history now. He's keeping it well hidden, but there is something there for sure. It was also nice to see a bit of his powers, but yet again, it was just enough to make me want to know more.

On a similar note, it was nice to find out that Zuzha has powers too. Since she is Puck's daughter, and he he wouldn't have had any actual powers when he conceived her, it will be interesting to find out how she came upon hers, and what the nature of them are. Lobell did a great job of keeping the nature of her powers secret by not showing the battle with the mud men, but letting us know that she was quite able to handle herself in that fight.

The part with Centennial and Nemesis was good to drive home the point about how old she really is. It's nice to finally put a face to the mystery, but those wide zombie eyes creep me out!

Now that last page just blew me away! I'm thinking that's gotta be Marrina's son. Is he somehow responsible for the whole thing? Can someone put me in a time machine and blast me ahead one month in time?

Henry's art has blown me away yet again. Each issue he proves how much talent he has, and that just keeps growing.

All in all, and awesome issue. Every page was a gem, and I came out of this really digging the new characters, and drooling for the next issue.