Thunder..Thunder..Thunder....

Let's take a break from talking about great comic-books and great comic-book moments shall we. For a change let's talk about cheese - 100% pure, unadulterated cheese.

Let's talk about Thundercats/Superman #1.

This idea was obviously conceived by some suit in the marketing department in the throes of some fevered wet dream. Next thing you know the powers that be are hiring Judd Winnick to slap together some half-baked story to float this madness and the rest is history.

The half-baked wackiness begins with a half-naked bald chick dropping in on Mumm-Ra's pyramid. Now you'd think being a wizened old mummy with only ugly mutant dudes for company he'd be glad of some female company but the choking and threats of neck-snapping that ensue suggests otherwise:

Damn you ancient spirits of evil! I wanted a blonde!

Anyway, to avoid being throttled Baldy tells Mumm-Ra that she can take him to a second 'Eye of Thundera' jewel in another dimension (Thundercats aficionados know that the 'Eye of Thundera' is the jewel set in Lion-O's sword - the rest of us frankly don't give a monkeys).

So Baldy whips up a dimensional portal and Mummsy and his mutant pals head off into the unknown. What they don't know is that Lion-O and his Thundercat clan have hitched a ride through the dimensional gate with them for some vague reason- they fancied a vacation or something I guess.

*Gasp* shock horror they wind up in downtown Metropolis!

The second Eye of Thundera is on display in the Metropolis museum, and who just happens to be there covering it for the Daily Planet? None other than Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane and Clark Kent! Convenient huh?

At this point Mr. Winnick just gives up on any pretense of a storyline and just gives the geeks in the cheap seats what they want. Superman on Thundercat action:Once the standard 'misunderstanding that becomes a brawl' has been cleared up Big Blue and his new cat buddies all turn their attention to the gem thieving mutants.

This of course leads us to our second geekgasm moment of the proceedings. Mumm-Ra ditches his funky bandages for his snazzy helmet and skirt ensemble to give us - Superman versus Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living:I know that pulse-pounding Clash Of The Fandoms has set your hearts a flutter so lets' just slow things down for a moment and talk about the one moment of this book that I enjoyed. At the end the bald, half-naked chick that started it all reveals herself to be classic Supes villain Mister Mxyzptlk in drag. The whole Metropolis trip was a diversion so Mxy could steal Mumm-Ra's orbs of power (which isn't as kinky as it sounds, honest). Mumm-Ra is left feeling angry, dejected and a little concerned that he was turned on by a leprechaun in a bowler hat pretending to be a chick:

PSYCHE!

This post is dedicated to my lovely wife. While not a comics fan she has a love for all things Superman that is only surpassed by her odd affection for that wizened old crusty Mumm-Ra.

I saw this book and thought of you.

It's just a shame it sucks so bad.