The Aladdin Effect

Marvel's original series of numbered, oversize graphic novels are out of print and difficult to find anywhere but through online back-issue vendors. Luckily, I managed to snag # 16, The Aladdin Effect, in a bargain bin for $ 1. The story is set in the Marvel Universe and has an interesting premise: weeks ago, an invisible force field sprang up and cut off an isolated Wyoming town from the rest of the world. As the inhabitants bicker among themselves and try to figure out how to survive as food and supplies run low, a mysterious voice commands them to turn over the "power source"--except, nobody knows what that means. In Mighty Marvel fashion, the answer isn't as interesting as the set-up, but it's still a pretty good story that also involves four of Marvel's 1980s female super-heroes: Storm, Tigra, She-Hulk, and Wasp.