KANG FOREVER #9 (also known as AVENGERS FOREVER #9)
Reflections by Van Plexico

Wow.

Kang the Conqueror.

I have always liked the guy-- heck, he and Ultron constantly duel for title of "Van's favorite Avengers villain," with a different one seemingly coming out on top every time (no pun intended). But something about Kang-- his seemingly wacky nature, compared with the more staid and dull Dr. Doom, for example-- always make me think of the guy more fondly than just about any other baddie. If only.... if only he could ever quite live up to his potential.

But with this comic, Kurt has absolutely ripped up the foundations, and laid in their place a Kang who deserves to rank among the very greatest villains in all of Marvel-- heck, in all of comics.

This was "How Kang Battled His Destiny," or at least prepared to battle it, and it just rocked. Who'd have thought a comic that was 95% flashback/introspection could be so exciting, so... cool?

When Kang whipped out the two big guns and then "holstered" them, ready to "take care of business," I was ready to cheer. When it became apparent that, in battling to escape his own fate, he's also battling to save Earth from *its* fate... well...

Let's just say, I was ready to rank this comic in my Top Ten Comics Ever.

Maybe Top Five.

No kidding. It was that good.

Even with hardly a single appearance by those-- what do you call them? Oh yeah, Avengers people. Even without them.

Yeah, Kang has a great big boot, and there's just a whole lot of ass waiting to be kicked.

--Van