MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

You can thank the ultra talented Al Bigley for the image you're seeing. Ain't it a stunner? Al is a class act and one of the nicest guys I know. Always happy to work on a project, always happy to have an email chat and just too damn good.

So, that's 2006 done for. Home and hosed. I know, there's still nine days to go, but I think it's safe to have a look back and reflect upon the year that's gone and see what's coming ahead.

HIGHLIGHTS

Well, the number one highlight, easily, would be me finally taking the plunge and getting hitched. So far so good, I've not been told to go and sleep in the cat box just yet, so I must be doing something right. Congratulations flooded in from all over the world really, and colour me humble. As it stands the ceremony was everything I ever wanted to have, and if I could go back and do it all again I would. In a heartbeat. My other half is my muse, my everything. Without her I'd not do any of the things I …

So tell me, what's wrong with this comic? It's one of the more obscure titles from the Marvel line of comics, and one that pretty much everyone associated with has forgotten about, or chooses to forget about. Selective memory perhaps? Of course it is.

Solarman boasted some incredible talent for such a maligned book. Written by Stan Lee and with art by Jim Mooney and Dennis Janke on issue #1, and Mike Zeck and Nestor Redondo on issue #2, this was a book that should have scaled the heights. But sadly it didn't. So exactly why did it fail?

Solarman was created and funded by David Oliphant. The idea was that the comic book Solarman would be the start of a new toy series and a franchise that would remain outside of the Marvel Universe. Also promoted was a cartoon series that got as far as storyboards and layouts for the season and at least one episode, the pilot show, was completed and screened. Clearly the other show being developed at the time, The X-Men, was a better bet for …