Cover Art: Way too cluttered (which is "truth in advertising" as the inside artwork is just as cluttered as well, but I'll get to that in a moment). Should have lost the photo of KISS in order to help to keep it from being too busy. Bad selling point in mentioning that the comic is only 45 pages in a multi-page $10 book. This will not attract non-KISS fans.

Ken Kelley's poster (found as a fold-out on the inside front cover): A good start, and of course a parody of FANTASTIC FOUR #1. Obviously, this was to be the original wraparound cover of KISSNATION. It is smoother and more pleasing to the eye than what was used, but I can certainly see why it wasn't used for other reasons. Kelley seems to have been rushed at some point and some of the figures look unfinished (take a look at Ace's face for example). Some more work would have done wonders for it. Still, I like the general idea and a majority of the artwork.

The comic itself: [Side-note: As with the second Marvel KISS comic, the full comic book story does not have an over-all title (check it out, you'll see that it is true).] The following breaks the critique into three parts -- plot, script and artwork:

Plot: Weak. Incredibly weak. There really is no purpose for this story than to live out a fantasy of having KISS meet a couple of members of the X-Men. That last sentence is correct -- only two members (although Professor X makes a very brief appearance and Doctor Strange does fly by and advance the plot a couple of times). The added concept of the superhero-version of KISS meeting our reality's version of KISS is also lacking as well. For a story that KISS (meaning Gene) and Marvel had hashed around for some time before it finally went to press, there is very little going on in the story. More importantly, there is no resolution. The villain is used as simply a set-up for the circumstances that occur. Not only that, but it is a poor rehash of the most duplicated TWILIGHT ZONE episode ever (if you've ever been in a Creative Writing class, you'll see this plot come up at least once during the semester). A story that reintroduced the KISS characters into the Marvel universe would have been more fun and enticing to comic book fans than what was done here.

In all fairness to Gene, he did try to help develop the story beyond the grade-school antics represented in the book. This is clearly seen with his comments in the plot draft as seen on page three. Yet, with a weak plot, how good can the scripting be?

Script: Well, Stan Lee is never one to shy around from giving something his best shot. For people reading this who do not know how scripting is normally done at Marvel, scripting involved the actual writing of dialogue and caption boxes AFTER all artwork is finished. This means that the scripter is chained into trying to direct the story after the plot and artwork is set in stone (much like if one had to write the dialogue for a movie after it had already been filmed and was playing on the screen). Stan is able to inject his famous hyperbole into the chaos of a plot, but not enough to make it fun for a fan of his earlier work. Too bad. Ultimately the scripting ends up being not much better than the plot.

Artwork: A major complaint about the earlier KISS comics was that the band members did not look enough their real-life counterparts. That has been corrected. In KISSNATION they don't look anything at all like their real-life counterparts. I'm joking, some what. There are at six panels where KISS actually looks like KISS (and only two of those six features the band in makeup). The remainder of the comics reveals KISS to be four G I JOE dolls in KISS makeup.

Composition is very hard to follow. There were a few times where it is difficult to figure out if one is suppose to read straight across two pages or completely read one page before the next. As with the cover, the artwork is so cluttered that it is very difficult on the eyes and I found myself actually trying to rush through pages so I could move on and stop trying to make out what was going on. It is also quite obvious that the artists involved (especially Chlystek and Lusk) come from the Todd McFarlane/Jim Lee school of artwork. I'll be honest here so you can base your own judgment about the artwork.

I am not a fan of McFarlane's (I probably even spelled his name wrong here) or Lee's artwork. Chicken-scratches and misproportioned bodies that are about eleven feet tall and two inches wide is not what I can groove to. That's just my opinion, however. You may feel differently. If you like McFarlane, you may like the material here.

All in all, I just don't know what to think. I was going to say that there may have been a beginnings of a good story here, but I really do not think so. It would have been best to junk the whole story -- artwork and all -- and to have started fresh.

Articles: A lot of filler wasted on material that comic book fans will not care about, with the exception of other appearances KISS has made in comic strips. There was a longer article planned for KISSNATION that was to cover other comic BOOK appearances of the band (I believe) but this took its place.

As to KISS fans, there may be some fleeting interest in the cover bands and the man who made the boots for the band, but why not more from the band itself? At least the articles in the two previous Marvel KISS comics dealt with the band directly (maybe in a 16 magazine manner, but still directly).

There should have been more information about the convention tour or the reunion or the new tour that was done by the band itself, not by someone who works for them.

Also did not care for the commercial. . .no wait, I'm sorry. . .the article for bootleg videos. I really do not have a problem with bootlegs, but let's call a spade a spade here. The author tries to pretty up the notion of bootlegs into some crusade, and it just doesn't work. You want a video? Fine, get a video, but don't get on your soap box about it. I'll leave it rest there. No need to start a debate going in the middle of my review about KISSNATION.

In all, not a good start for the comic. I can see why Marvel moved slowly on this and I doubt that it will be a big seller among comic book fans. KISS fans may get more out of it, but I would consider waiting until the book is reduced for quick sale at the stores before buying it.

Sorry, guys. I know that you worked hard on it, but when dealing with KISS you always have to expect the best.