All-New, All-Different Avengers #12: Waid spends this issue driving home the point that the team is starting to act like one, as each member takes a turn fighting Annihilus in the Negative Zone. But, it's Vision immediately finding the second Nega-Band to switch places with Miles that got me. For too long, authors have written Vision as little more than a robot, unrecognizable from his days with the West Coast Avengers. Waid uses this moment of loyalty and selflessness to remind us why he's been such an enduring character for so long.
Black Panther #4: I could really just read Ramonda arguing with Changamire every issue. Changamire believes himself to be morally superior to the kings and refuses to provide information on the Great Mound massacre to Ramonda, asserting that he won't do the work of her agents. In other words, he's the pacifist who relies on others to keep him safe and refuses to acknowledge that. But, Ramonda isn't having any of it, lecturing him that philosophy never built a well or fed a child. Changamire laments a lack of wisdom in Wakanda and the fact that it was supposed to be a "Golden City." However, he provides no roadmap on how to make it so. As we learn, even his pupil, Tetu, has resorted to Zeke Stane providing him (I think) with the technology that grants him his powers. How will Changamire feel about that? He is essentially alone atop the hill. That said, Coates doesn't make it that simple, as we're also seeing the results of Ramonda being too operational. After all, her by-the-book condemnation of Aneka inspired the revolution that she and Ayo are now leading. The fact that I haven't even mentioned T'Challa yet in this review just shows what a complex and detailed story Coates is weaving.
Captain America: Steve Rogers #3: Spencer ups the ante in this issue, as we settle into the reality that Kobik has rewritten Steve's history to make him a HYDRA sleeper agent. Here, Darth Steve communicates via hologram with an Emperor-like Red Skull, explaining his success in killing Baron Zemo and Dr. Selvig (after sending their jet into a building) but acknowledging his failure to eliminate Jack Flag. The Skull obviously orders Steve to take out Flag, but Spencer shows that Steve is bucking his programming: he crushes the communications device and then asks Dr. Selvig, revealed to be alive, if he's ready to do what needs to be done. That said, we don't know what Steve thinks needs to be done. Does he think that the Skull lacks honor? (He mentions that he was upset that the Skull's plan wouldn't let Flag have a proper funeral and that he tried to save the agent sent to blow up the train because he felt that it was the waste of a good agent.) Even if he's rebelling against the Red Skull because he doesn't agree with his methods, he is still likely seeing HYDRA as a tool to take down S.H.I.E.L.D. In other words, we're not wrapping up this story quite yet.
Extraordinary X-Men #12: The "Apocalypse Wars" have been...odd. They were seemingly billed as a cross-over event, but the three series involved in the "event" never actually connected. "All-New X-Men" told the story of Evan trying to save En Sabah Nur in the past, "Uncanny X-Men" told some sort of story about Archangel and Warren in the present, and this title focused on stopping Apocalypse in the future. However, Lemire seems almost to run out the clock quicker than he expected. Storm is forced to bring a dying Apocalypse to the present with the team to save Colossus, but Apocalypse transports Colossus into Clan Akkaba's clutches. However, it's unclear when this Clan Akkaba exists. Plus, I'm really, really, really tired of Colossus always playing the patsy. First it was Juggernaut then it was Phoenix and now it's Apocalypse. Enough. Really. We also get some dark vision of a future that Sapna creates when she breaks bad, but I'm really struggling to care about that story. It might be interesting on its own, but Illyana's tutoring of her in magic has been mostly a distraction. I'd rather Lemire have taken the time to tie up the Colossus story before leaping into yet another story about an apocalyptic future.
Mighty Thor #9: I don't remember the Silver Samurai being anywhere near as cool of a villain as he is here, but I invite him to return as often as he wants! He's particularly awesome considering that he's part of the Sinister Six (or so) that Aaron has assembled here, working with Oubliette to learn all of Dario's secrets. In fact, this issue is all about excellent pairings: Jane and Roz are a fun (and tense) duo looking to save New York from the Agger Imperative, and Dario and Oubliette hate each other so much I expect that they'll be dating when the dust settles. We've been a little wobbly in this series lately, but I think Aaron is at his best when he leaves behind the Asgard shenanigans and focuses on Jane operating in the real world.
Also Read: Uncanny Avengers #11
Mighty Thor #9: I don't remember the Silver Samurai being anywhere near as cool of a villain as he is here, but I invite him to return as often as he wants! He's particularly awesome considering that he's part of the Sinister Six (or so) that Aaron has assembled here, working with Oubliette to learn all of Dario's secrets. In fact, this issue is all about excellent pairings: Jane and Roz are a fun (and tense) duo looking to save New York from the Agger Imperative, and Dario and Oubliette hate each other so much I expect that they'll be dating when the dust settles. We've been a little wobbly in this series lately, but I think Aaron is at his best when he leaves behind the Asgard shenanigans and focuses on Jane operating in the real world.
Also Read: Uncanny Avengers #11
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