James Hudnall – Page 4 – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Hardcase #4

May 14, 2020May 12, 2020carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

When done right by really talented people, superhero crossovers within the shared universe of a particular publisher can be fun to read. In this retro comic book review, we are about to explore one of the earliest Ultraverse crossovers ever published. To put things in perspective, the Ultraverse imprint was launched in 1993 by Malibu Comics, and there were several titles that debuted like Prime, Mantra, Hardcase, The Strangers and Prototype to name a few. Unsurprisingly, in-universe crossovers were bound to happen shortly after launch and create new opportunities of fun for fans and readers.

Here is a look back at Hardcase #4 published in 1993 by Malibu Comics with a story co-plotted by James Hudnall (writer) and Steve Englehart, and drawn by Roger Robinson.

Early story

The story begins inside Hardcase’s home. He and Choice were surprised by the presence of The Strangers inside. While Hardcase was fuming mad, Lady Killer and her teammates tried to calm him down expressing they meant no harm and simply wanted to talk with him.

*Imagine having strangers inside your nice home without your authority.*

“Look—we’ve just come back from a fight with a bunch of ultras who wanted to kill Choice and me. And earlier today, another group showed up and took out part of my house. So, to put it mildly, I’m not exactly in a sociable mood,” Hardcase said calming down.

Eventually Hardcase and Choice talked with the Strangers….

Quality

For the most part, this comic book is less about spectacle (unsurprisingly) but more about exposition and character interaction. This does not mean Hardcase #4 is boring, in fact it’s still compelling to read. In clever ways, this comic book has some very relevant stuff for Hardcase fans specifically lots of in-depth, additional details about him (including details about The Squad) and how he changed to be an ultra. In short, this one shows Hardcase’s origin and what happened afterwards. James Hudnall’s script here not only connected nicely with the final Squad moments in issue #1 but also deepened the details. By the time I finished reading Hardcase #4, the tragic event that opened Hardcase #1 made even more sense to me.

The writing is this comic book’s biggest strength not only because it fully explored more of Hardcase’s past but also due to the nice interactions Hardcase and Choice had with the Strangers. I really like the short scene when Atom Bob thought about getting Choice interested in him since he finds her really charming.

Hudnall’s writing was indeed full of exposition and yet it was nicely paced and I never felt lost with the narrative. I should also mention that the presence of the secretive organization called Aladdin is felt even strongly in the story, building up the suspense for it.

When it comes to the art, Roger Robinson did a decent job visualizing the characters. For the most part, each member of the Strangers as well as Hardcase and Choice were still recognizable visually. For the action scenes, which are not that many, his art was satisfactory.

Conclusion

While Hardcase #4 lacked spectacle, its portrayal of the crossover between Hardcase and the Strangers still made it a good read. There is additional stuff for Hardcase fans and the interaction between him and the Strangers was nicely crafted. Ultimately, this crossover was the first of two parts leading to The Strangers #4.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Hardcase #4, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $4. The near-mint copy of the newsstand is priced at $13.

Overall, Hardcase #4 is recommended.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

A Look Back at Hardcase #3

May 11, 2020May 10, 2020carlocarrasco

I love it when improvements in comic books are pulled off in terms of writing, art and creativity.

Let’s start this look back at Hardcase #3, published by Malibu Comics in 1993 under the Ultraverse banner with a story written by James Hudnall and drawn by Jim Callahan.

Early story

The story begins in Mexico. To the surprise of armed, armored personnel, an explosion happened and Choice emerges. It turns out this was footage from the recent past being reviewed by two men in suits. They are aware that Choice is in California and has teamed up already with Hardcase. They speculate that the two are making their way to corporate headquarters.

The shadowy figure, a man who is not a man, in the room makes a decision.

“I’ve decided to provide you with some help for two reasons. One: I want to see Hardcase fall. Two: I want to test out a band of ultra-assassins I’ve concocted,” he said.

Elsewhere, Hardcase tells a police office that they were attacked. A man named Chuck arrives to talk to Hardcase. He is a friend of the sheriffs of Ventura and offers to help. Hardcase introduces him to Choice and tells him that armed assassins were after her to force her to return to the Choice corporation.

Suddenly, very eager TV news crews arrived to get the scoop compelling Choice and Hardcase to leave. What the two do not know is that they are being watched…..

Quality

In describing the quality of this comic book, I am happy to say that the fun, engagement and strong creativity is back. This is definitely a major improvement over Hardcase #2. For one thing, artist Jim Callahan returned to do the artwork and brought back the visual fun and flair of issue #1. There is a lot of action scenes in this comic book and each page is nicely drawn by Callahan. Nice impact on the hard blows too.

In terms of writing, James Hudnall did a good job balancing the spectacle with the narrative and characterization. The way Hudnall deepened the plot with intriguing new details is very solid, and he cleverly pulled off some twists here and there.

Conclusion

Hardcase #3 is a good comic book and it more than made up for the lackluster story in issue #2. It should be noted that this comic book efficiently links Hardcase with other elements of the Ultraverse’ shared universe, plus the final page delivered an excellent conclusion.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Hardcase #3, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition and the newsstand edition cost $4 and $8 respectively.

Overall, Hardcase #3 is recommended.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

A Look Back at Hardcase #2

May 8, 2020May 7, 2020carlocarrasco

When it comes to engagement with the Ultraverse, I could never forget the impact that came with Hardcase #1 specifically with the way it introduced its title character Tom Hawke. Hardcase was presented as a superhero living with the guilt of surviving a major tragedy from the past that resulted the deaths of two teammates and the permanent brain damage caused on his girlfriend. As part of his moving on, he put his talents to good use as a movie actor.

That being said, let’s take a look back at Hardcase #2, published in 1993 by Malibu Comics with a story written by James Hudnall and art by Cranial Implant Studio.

Early story

The story begins with a costumed lady on the run from something, distracting the many bystanders she passed. As she flies off the sidewalk, two armored men coming out of a truck fire their shots at her compelling her to activate her personal protective shield.

With explosions happening in the air near her, the two armored guys fly up to get near. One of them tells her to give up and come back to them. Suddenly the lady charged herself and fired beams from her eyes hitting one of the armored guys. She manages to escape.

Meanwhile, Tom Hawke/Hardcase attends the burial of Jamal. A brother of the deceased calls Hardcase’s attention and starts a conversation with him. Hardcase expressed how sorry he is for the death of Jamal and said that had he gotten to him sooner, he would have still been living. The survivor’s guilt really disturbs Tom.

Suddenly, a group of youth approaches Hardcase asking for his autograph. Hardcase receives from Jamal’s brother a card for calling.

Over at San Diego, California, two men in business attire discuss their search for the costumed lady who got away. Near them are monitors of products endorsed by the same costumed lady. Her name is Choice and one of the executives stated that, according to a team analysis, she arrived in California to meet with Hardcase…

Quality

As a follow-up to the compelling launch issue, this comic book is nowhere as engaging. To be fair to the creators, some space had to be made to accommodate and introduce Choice to readers, and give Hardcase someone to interact with. In connection with the first issue, Hardcase is nicely portrayed with having the survivor’s guilt and the Jamal burial scene was helpful in fleshing out his character. James Hudnall delivered a good story overall, just not as deep as the first issue.

The art meanwhile, done by Cranial Implant Studio, really took a deep dive down in terms of quality. Jim Callahan’s art in the first issue was very good and the art in this comic book really failed to keep up with the artistic quality established. Cranial Implant Studio’s art has a very cartoony look done with sloppiness instead of precision. In fairness, the action scenes were decently drawn.

*Really bad way of drawing the jaw of Hardcase done by Cranial Implant Studio.*

Conclusion

Hardcase #2 does not deliver the gripping storytelling and spectacle of the first issue. It’s not a terrible comic book of the Ultraverse, just average in quality. At the very least, the introduction of Choice and her meeting with Hardcase added some intrigue for further stories to come. Indeed, the Hardcase monthly series went on to last 26 issues in total.

*The art was rough but at least the action scenes were pulled off.*

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Hardcase #2, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $4 while the newsstand edition’s near-mint copy is at $8.

Overall, Hardcase #2 is worth buying below its cover price.

A Look Back at The Solution #1

July 23, 2019carlocarrasco

Back in the 1990s, there was a flood of superhero comic books that introduced brand new heroes, teams and even anti-heroes. A strong contributor to this was the market presence of Image Comics, Valiant Comics, Malibu Comics and other smaller publishers that tried their best to gain shares in what was back then the highly lucrative superhero comic book market which was long dominated by Marvel Comics and DC Comics.

With Malibu Comics, their Ultraverse franchise of superhero comics was a blast and I had a lot of fun reading comic books of The Strangers, Prime, Hardcase, UltraForce, Mantra, etc.

For this review, here is my look back at the Ultraverse team comic book The Solution #1 (September 1993).

RCO001_1469696446~2.jpg — *The front cover.*

Written by the late James Hudnall and drawn by Darick Robertson (inked by John Lowe), the story begins when Russian personnel get killed by a team of deadly people whose purpose is to raid the nuclear storage buildings.

As a result, several nuclear warheads were taken away without a trace. A KGB agent discusses the tragedy with an Aladdin agent and seeks help. In response, the Aladdin agent recommends to him The Solution.

“We’d like to (help) but our agency can’t give you any direct assistance. You know how it is. However these people might be what you need. Just remember…I never told you about them,” the Aladdin agent said.

RCO022_1469696446~2.jpg — *Meet The Solution.*

In Hong Kong, a member of the triad instructs his hired assassins to distribute a shipment of illegal substances without getting any interference from The Solution. Predictably, the said team happens to be with them in their secret venue which starts a wave of martial arts, shooting and use of magic.

Enough with the plot. The Solution is a team of super-human mercenaries composed of Lela Cho/Tech (the leader), Eara/Shadowmage, Vurk/Outrage and Dropkick. Quite literally, whenever a major problem happens someone will call The Solution (the answer) to solve it for a fee.

In terms of character design, The Solution has a rather visceral look which was clearly emphasized on the cover art. Outrage, for example, looks very monstrous and one could easily mistake him for an evil figure.

RCO011_1469696446~2.jpg — *Obvious antagonists.*

Illustrator Darick Robertson’s art is nice to look at and when the action happens, he sure delivers the goods making the hard action moves look intense. Even showing characters firing their guns look intense. The violence in this comic book is quite bloody and the opening scenes really show that.

Even with the non-action, talking scenes, Robertson’s art makes the members of The Solution look believably human. Facial expressions are good and they quite match the dialogue written. The team shot on page 21, which shows Lela Cho in the foreground talking to her teammates in the background, really looks nice.

In terms of writing, I found this comic book to be a bit bloated in terms of details and plot. Most notably, the pace of the story moves very fast and while it does its job establishing The Solution (and part of its purpose as a team-for-hire), the circumstances and the team’s place within the Ultraverse, the story felt really crammed even though there were 28 pages of story and art. I noticed that while the comic book is about The Solution, it ended up showing a total of three different teams (including the hired assassins).

In terms of character development, there was clear focus on Lela Cho which is not a surprise since she is the team leader. It turns out Lela has lots of vested interests in the corporate world and instead of being in a fancy office, she goes out in the field to get things done. She has a very direct, personal access to information online by means of wetware embedded in her skull. She also has a touch of business in her approach with leading The Solution.

“Our potential client has a problem with some Ultras. They want us to take care of it,” Lela Cho said on page 23.

RCO010_1469696446~2.jpg — *You got a problem? Call The Solution!*

While it may not look as prominent as The Strangers or UltraForce as far as Ultraverse superhero teams go, The Solution stands out nicely for it is unique and its team-for-hire concept is very interesting. When I first read this comic book long ago, I was convinced to pursue the succeeding issues. Even by today’s standards, this old comic book remains fun and engaging.

The Solution #1 is recommended.

A Look Back At Ultraverse Premiere #0

March 19, 2019August 23, 2019carlocarrasco

What is the one thing I love most about superhero comics of the 1990s? It’s easy – the Ultraverse! Launched in 1993 by Malibu Comics during the late stage of what is now called the Comic Book Speculator Boom in Amerca, the Ultraverse was a line of superhero comic books featuring all-new characters and concepts which were the result of intense brainstorming by the founders of the Ultraverse.

Back in mid-1993 here in the Philippines, I first got to discover the Ultraverse through print ads in comic books and take note that the Internet was not yet publicly accessible. By June that year, I visited a comic book store in BF Homes, Paranaque and was astonished to see the store’s wall with multiple Ultraverse comic books on display. With my limited funds at that time, I only managed to buy Freex #1 and Mantra #1. By the end of the evening, I greatly enjoyed what I read and became an Ultraverse fan ever since.

As the months passed by, I enjoyed reading more Ultraverse comic books. What was also fun to read were the special double-sized UV comic books, the Ultraverse Double Feature comic books (flip comic books) and then there was the Ultraverse Premiere #0 comic book which had a cover of Mantra drawn by the great Jim Lee! This is the one comic book I am taking a look back at.

UVprem1 — *The front cover drawn by Jim Lee!*

So what Ultraverse Premiere #0 and what made it special other than having a cover drawn by Jim Lee? Released in late 1993, the comic book is a showcase of separate stories featuring Prime, The Strangers, Rune, Hardcase, Mantra and Freex. It is also a showcase of the respective talents of a big mix of writers and artists that include Len Strazewski, Tom Mason, Gerard Jones, Steve Englehart, Barry Windsor-Smith, Rick Hoberg, James Hudnall, Mike W. Barr, Norm Breyfogle and others.

Given its release date, the stories served as preludes leading to the stories told in the launch comic books. For example, the Hardcase story shows Tom Hawke/Hardcase with his team called The Squad performing what turned out to be their last mission leading directly to the events that started Hardcase #1.

UVprem3 — *Tom Hawke/Hardcase with his lovely teammate during his time with The Squad.*

The story of Mantra in the comic book however was presented more like a side-story. Lukasz is already shown as Mantra with her mystical powers and revealing outfit in place. The short story adds a nice perspective on the personality of Mantra as well as her burden of having to take care of a daughter.

The Rune segment meanwhile was a look at the making of the character involving Barry Windsor-Smith and his art. In the text written by Chris Ulm, what caught my attention was the following segment.

After writing up the concept in the Ultraverse bible, I shortly added Rune to “Fusion”, the story of a conspiracy to develop the ultimate biological weapon by a covert group called Aladdin.

UVprem4 — *This opening of the Freex short story starts very strongly.*

Of course, there is also the fine story of Prime by Len Strazewski and Gerard Jones with great looking art by the late Norm Breyfogle. Remember in the early pages of Prime #1 when the overly muscular superhero claimed he saw the school coach touch the young girls? That got emphasized in the Prime short story in this comic book.

And then there is the one very memorable whole page art of Prime by Breyfogle.

UVprem2 — *I love this art of Prime by the late Norm Breyfogle.*

The stories and art, in my view, were done with a lot of passion by the creators. They make Ultraverse Premiere #0 a worthy comic book to collect even though Marvel (which acquired Malibu Comics in the mid-1990s) screwed the Ultraverse and left the characters and concepts in limbo with no clear sign of any revival coming.

Last but not least, there is this great art of the Ultraverse characters done by Art Nichols at the rear of the comic book.

Art Nichols’ work on the back cover is fantastic and timeless in my view. It’s great multi-character art that truly captures the spirit of the Ultraverse!

If you are going out to buy old comic books, I strongly recommend Ultraverse Premiere #0.

A Look Back at Hardcase #1

January 19, 2019February 1, 2019carlocarrasco

Released in mid-1993 from Malibu Comics under its Ultraverse line of superhero comic books, Hardcase #1 introduced readers to Tom Hawke who is an actor who went from a wanna-be to a celebrity. The story – written by James Hudnall and drawn by Jim Callahan – is not that simple and took a layered approach to presenting the protagonist’s exploits.

The comic book starts with a deeply hurt Tom Hawke (who was not yet Hardcase) whose three teammates D.J. Blast, Forsa and Starburst (his love interest) were being killed by a large robotic enemy whose head, jaw and color eerily resembled that of Xenomorphs in the Alien movies popularized by directors Ridley Scott and James Cameron.

In a desperate effort, D.J. Blast charged himself up to cause a desperate powerful explosion to destroy the enemy but not before Hawke took Starburst with him and jumped far away to escape the blast.

Unsurprisingly survival became hollow for Hawke as he struggled not only to recover from his injury but also deal with the critical condition of Starburst whose doctor confirmed that she sustained serious brain damage and that she was unlikely to recover.

Filled with grief and even guilt, Hawke struggled to change for the better and by utilizing his superhuman talent he eventually went into showbiz as an actor. In the present he got into making movies (during which he wore the costume that defined him in the comics), earning lots of money and talking with varied showbiz professionals on projects.

hardcase3 — *Hardcase doing movie production work.*

While life became more progressive, Hawke still was not at peace with himself deep inside. As he signed an autograph for a policeman’s son, he revealed that he was just lucky being the only survivor when his team – The Squad – met its tragic end and that even as an ultra himself, he felt that he was not any good in a serious crisis. Feeling guilty, he admitted he let his friends down.

Analytically, the creative team did nice a job fleshing out Hardcase from his days with The Squad to the present as an actor in good demand. The approach of showing him struggle with guilt over the tragedy that claimed two friends’ lives and disabling his love interest is pretty unique and at the same time engaging to read. In this way, Hardcase is a superhero who is not exactly the happy and stable figure to the public but one whose life is imperfect and having no choice but to pay the price of life through a major disaster that hurt him physically and on the heart. Not even the success and promising opportunities of showbiz could lift his spirit. Truly this guy really lived up to his name – Hardcase!

Even with his special powers, Hardcase still doubts himself in relation to dealing with big matters.

He said it best on page 11 – “Even if I am an Ultra, that doesn’t mean I’m any good in a serious crisis. I let my friends down…let them down in a big way.”

On other matters, the comic book had plenty of action and that includes some gruesome and bloody scenes. Not only that the transition from one scene to another was smooth and well paced.

Safe to say Hardcase is the flawed and struggling hero that people of different walks of life can relate with. For this concept alone brilliantly done by Hudnall and Callahan, Hardcase #1 is highly recommended for all comic collectors. It is a superhero comic book that succeeds in engaging me each time I read it.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this article, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to your fellow comic book geeks and Ultraverse fans. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format for you to order.

Author’s Note: This article was originally published at my old Geeks and Villagers blog. What you read on this website was an updated and expanded version. In other words, this newest version you just read is the most definitive version.

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