New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America #8:  OK, so, initially, I didn't remember that Machinesmith appeared as the villain in "Steve Rogers:  Super-Soldier."  It wasn't until a fair amount of Google research that I "discovered" that, despite having read (and enjoyed, if I remember correctly) that mini-series.  Clearly, it merits a re-read, since Machinesmith looks like he's going to play a prominent role in the next few issues.  (To be fair, Steve mentioned in a recent issue that Machinesmith was behind the loss of his powers in that mini-series, so I probably should've taken Brubaker's hint and re-read it between that issue and this one.)  At any rate, I thought Brubaker did a great job setting up the reveal, making it seem like Sharon was in cahoots with someone as she's locking down the Quincarrier, but, in the end, revealing just how talented of a spy she is by having her be the only one to realize Machinesmith was still acting behind the scenes.  The only off-note in this issue to me was the Bravo sub-plot, in that I'm not really sure why King Cobra and his new Serpent Society robbing a bank would serve as a distraction from Baron Zemo trying to spring Bravo from the Raft.  I mean, it wasn't like the Raft guards were involved in foiling the robbery or like Cap and Sharon do nothing but guard Raft prisoners all day.  Overall, between my Machinesmith confusion and the Bravo sub-plot, I spent most of this issue confused, an unusual occurrence for a Brubaker book.  But, I'm willing to reserve judgment about this arc for another few issues while Brubaker continues unfurling the story.

Dungeons & Dragons #14:  I almost have to stop reviewing this comic because it's so good that I just can't stop raving about it.  Adric noting that it's a good rescue when Khal and Danni kiss?  Varis shooting Khal a look when he learns Khal has referred to him as his "sidekick" in his letters to Danni?  Bree wondering why villains never flee "to our lair at the pub?"  Rogers continues to deliver great moments in this title.  But, this issue starts to get us somewhere on a number of plots as well.  The immediate plot -- rescuing Danni -- thickens when it's revealed that her "colleagues" are actually foulspawn, serving a beholder who's waiting for some sort of celestial event to happen, for reasons that aren't quite yet clear.  But, it also serves as Khal's origin arc, given that we're learning more about him and his motivations.  Rogers also has Tisha start quizzing Varis about why he was exiled (something unusual for elves to do), implying (I think) that we might get some answers on Varis' origin story soon.  This arc so far has been tighter than the first few arcs of this title.  Although they were enjoyable, they blended together in a way that often got confusing, particularly when it came to getting down everyone's origin story.  By the end of this arc, we'll have wrapped up Khal's origin story and hopefully set the stage to move onto some of the other characters', including Varis'.  I'm excited to see where it goes.  (Also, we have still left hanging the mystery of Philomena and Justin, who Rogers implied in issue #7 would return after possibly coming by some trouble.)

Dungeons & Dragons #15:  We get a pretty great conclusion to Khal's origin arc here.  I loved Adric breaking the summoning circle, forcing the beholder to flee the now-unbound demon it had summoned (the whole point of the celestial event for which it was waiting last issue).  But, I was particularly impressed by Rogers' use of Tisha here.  He had mentioned in issue #12 that tieflings created kruthiks, but, here, we see why that comment was relevant, with the kruthik queen recognizing Tisha as her "maker" and bestowing upon Tisha her egg.  In so doing, the queen essentially gave Tisha control of the kruthik horde, which would do anything to protect the unhatched egg, which Tisha uses to rescue the team.  As he did with Varis last issue, Rogers hints at the stories about Tisha we don't yet know, particularly those that explore the darker side of her tiefling heritage.  But, for the meantime, I like how he uses that heritage to help her be the hero.  I mean, even Bree Three-Hands promises not to complain about Tisha being evil anymore.  It sounds like we're going to delve more into Adric's back story in the next arc, and I think that's a story I can't wait to hear.  All in all, good stuff. 

Secret Avengers #22:  I can honestly say I have absolutely no effing idea what happened in this issue.  Remender does an OK job establishing the changed roster for this title.  His main challenge, though, is that the previous authors used a pretty rotating set of characters in their stories.  Besides Captain America (and Sharon Carter, who apparently cannot exist independently of him), we're only really missing Moon Knight and War Machine, both of whom were pretty incidental to most plots anyway.  In their place, we get Captain Britain and Hawkeye.  Captain Britain now seems to be a member of a Green Lantern-esque organization that protects the Multiverse (rather than just the Universe, as GL does), something that you would think would keep him sufficiently busy.  But, instead, he joins the Secret Avengers.  Hawkeye's addition was covered in the most recent .1 issue.  Fine.  It's not the most eloquent "Look, we changed the team!" issue I've ever read, but it works.  But, then, it all goes to hell.  The Secret Avengers conveniently get a distress call from Pakistan on their first day of school, and they deploy...to do something?  From what I can tell, a Pakistani woman displays the ability to swallow in order to protect her and her son from a suicide bomber (because all Pakistani men are suicide bombers blowing up villages...in Pakistan...).  This event "activates" some other...people...around the world, who exhibit their own powers and have catchy names like "the Urn" and "the Swine."  Everyone converges on this woman's location, and one of the...people...creates "diminutive" Avengers?  Maybe?  I'm not entirely sure.  I think she does.  At any rate, a battle ensues (shocker) and the...people...take the woman and, unknown to them, Ant-Man.  In the end, it's revealed that some dude is manipulating events, sitting at the head of a table that includes the likes of Dr. Doom, Jocasta, a Kree Sentry, Lady Deathstrike, Nick Fury, Vision, a cyborg Wasp, and some other guy.  I'm guessing it's not really them, but, um, maybe it is?  Basically, as I said, I have no effing idea what the hell happened and I've half a mind not to buy next issue to get some answers.  I will, but, seriously, I need to see SOME answers if Remender is going to keep me reading this title.

Venom #9:  Um, wow.  First, I was excited about this issue before I even opened it, because, on top of Rick Remender writing the issue, we were getting the great Stefano Caselli to draw it.  Awesome.  I haven't been a huge fan of Fowler's art, so I found it a welcome change.  But, then, I read the issue, and, wow, I'm even more impressed than I thought I would be.  I mean, innocent people die.  I mean, not just people:  a small child dies.  To be honest, I can't remember the last time I read a comic where a small child died.  It's rare enough to read a comic where an innocent person dies, but, to have a small child died?  Don't get me wrong:  I'm not celebrating the fact that innocent people die.  In fact, I'm celebrating the fact that an author actually shows how awful deaths connected to costumed shenanigans are, given the fact that we usually only see heroes and villains die, only to be resurrected six months later.  Remender really hits you with a one-two emotional punch here, using these two deaths to remind us that not everyone gets resurrected and to drive Flash totally over the edge.  I mean, Flash doesn't even just kill "The Hijacker:"  he tortures him.  He breaks off his finger, drives him to terror, makes him beg for his life, and then bites off his head.  (If you haven't guessed, this issue isn't for the squeamish.)  I'm intrigued by where Remender goes from here, particularly since the end banner of this issue promises that next issue will be a "new beginning."  First, Flash clearly is falling deeper and deeper into a sociopathic well, and Remender compounds this tragedy with the fact that Flash knowing he's falling doesn't mean he's able to stop himself.  You have to wonder what hitting the bottom of the well is going to look like.  Second, if I'm not mistaken, the military has some way of knowing when Flash turns into Venom (the bad one).  Are we going to see some sort of repercussions?  I mean, Remender seems to have engaged in some gymnastics to keep Flash's moments of losing control hidden from his superiors.  At some point, someone is going to put two and two together.  It's all very interesting.