When I was a kid my favorite comic book monthly was the original Star Wars series that continued the adventures of Luke, Han, Leia, and the rest of the gang beyond “A New Hope,” meandering in and out of continuity through beautiful adaptations of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. They even had an early issue before TESB called “The Empire Strikes.” They created one of the best Expanded Universe characters to come along until Mara Jade and Grand Admiral Thrawn with one of our favorite borgs, The Hunter. After years of reading I finally bought a subscription. My first issue? Issue #107.
If you are familiar with that Marvel Comics Star Wars line, you know that 107 was the final issue of the series. Along with my first issue in the mail of Star Wars came a postcard with those dreaded words for fans of comic books and a message on the cover: “Last Issue.” So much for my subscription.
Hey, why is everyone smiling?
So it was with a certain raised eyebrow that I learned this month that my favorite series, Dynamite Comics’ Miss Fury, that time travelling superheroine story with mobsters and Nazis and parallel Earths, is cancelled. Tomorrow, comic book stores around the country will be selling Miss Fury, Issue #11, wrapping up Marla Drake’s story, at least for now.
I admit that when such things happen my mind’s eye recalls a headline (over a much more serious event) from decades ago on a street corner newspaper stand from the New York Post with the simple but effective boldface headline: “Bastards!” In this case I mean this in the nicest possible way, of course. Some titles get readership, some don’t do as well. Economics determine what goes and what stays. But keep in mind Miss Fury is a character who just celebrated her 73rd birthday. As Arnie might say, “She’ll be back.”
So here is a preview from the beginning of the end, Miss Fury, Issue #11, courtesy of Dynamite Comics:
