Not-So-New Comics: The January 10 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #675:  And away we go!  First, I have to thank the writing team for starting off this event with the Living Lightning (now just Lightning) as he’s one of the few gay characters in the Marvel Universe.  The authors not only put him front and center here, but they also show him as a red-blooded gay man as he awkwardly (but successfully) asks out Detective Dan.  It’s still a big deal to me, particularly after Marvel seems to be responding to the people who want their comics maler, straighter, and most importantly whiter by de-diversifying its line-up.

But, Lightning isn’t just there as a set piece.  The action gets going almost immediately after he busts some thieves and ponders how he should be doing more with his life as a former (West Coast) Avenger.  Detective Dan tries to console him, saying he's still doing good work, but they're both startled when the Sun seems to go nova.  We quickly learn someone has stolen the Earth, causing all hell to break loose:  the loss of the ring of satellites around the Earth has crippled global communications, and the change in the Earth's geospatial position has unleashed a series of natural disasters.  The various Avengers teams leap into action, and the art team does a great job of showing the magnitude of their effort.  (Hercules catching the rolling globe the Atlas statue was holding was a particularly nice touch, and Carol’s dumb-founded expression as she stares at the space where Earth and the Moon used to be is hilarious.)

The authors kick it up a notch as several of the more prominent heroes are put, in Rogue’s words, on "pause."  Someone sends out an emergency distress symbol that manages to get through the communications black-out, and we’re only left with:  Synapse, Voodoo, the Human Torch, Thor, Falcon, Lightning, Toni Ho, Roberto, Cannonball, Red Hulk, Wonder Man, Beast, Scarlet Witch, Hercules, Rogue, and Quicksilver.  The (young) Wasp arrives to inform everyone Jarvis might die from injuries he sustained in trying to save a child, but she leaves in tears when Rogue suggests they don’t have time to help him.  (Rogue correctly asserts Jarvis would understand.)  Beast leaves with the Wasp, and the loss of his intellect seems like it's going to prove Rogue’s point that it’s a bad idea to divert important resources from the task at hand.  Then, a mysterious white-haired woman is revealed to have sent out the call.  The mystery isn't just her identity; it's that everyone seems to know her.  In fact, her likeness appears on the statue of the founding Avengers.

All in all, I’m really excited.  This issue felt like a classic Avengers story (particularly when Quicksilver got catty with Rogue).  The authors accomplish their main goal here, making us believe they’re telling so huge of a story they have to do it weekly.  “Batman Eternal” failed to convey that sense of urgency, which is why it eventually became a chore to read.  But, 16 issues is different than 52 issues, so hopefully it’ll be an easier task to stay on message.  At any rate, I'm in it to win it.

Darth Vader #10:  After issue #5 saw Anakin firmly rejecting redemption and embracing his apprenticeship to Darth Sidious, I was surprised here when he destroyed the memory crystal.  Jocasta essentially goads him into it, saying she understood Palpatine wanted to make more Darth Vaders from the children on that list.  She asks what he wants, and it's a good question.  Did he destroy the crystal because he was just happy someone cared what he wanted?  Did he do it because he didn't want the competition?  Gillen doesn't tell us, keeping (for now) Vader's motivations unclear.  I'm hoping we continue to see more moments like this one, where Vader's role as a committed villain comes under question.

Old Man Hawkeye #1:  I didn’t read “Old Man Logan,” but reading this issue makes me feel like I should’ve.  Logan makes an appearance here, with Clint asking him if he wants to join in getting revenge on the super-villains who wiped out the superheros 45 years earlier.  Why did he wait 45 years?  It’s because Claire Temple told him he only has a few weeks or months before glaucoma robs him of his eyesight.  Time is ticking, in other words.  But, Sacks doesn’t jump right into that story.  We begin with Clint working a job for a guy named Mr. Hammer (I’m assuming some connection to Justin Hammer), transporting cargo through Tannenbaum Gorge in South Dakota.  When a group of crazed Madroxes attack the truck asking for MGH, Hawkeye wonders whether Hammer has gotten him involved in something illegal.  (I wonder what the definition of “illegal” is in this world.)  Clint takes out all the Madroxes but one, and it's him missing his shot at that one that brings him to Temple.  Next time we see Clint, he’s at Logan’s homestead in California, where Logan rebuffs his attempt to recruit him.  Then, he’s in Hammer Falls, Nevada, visiting his daughter, Ashley Barton, who isn’t too keen to see him.  Meanwhile, the Venom symbiote attacks and consumes the one Madrox Clint didn’t murder in the hijacking attempt, and Bullseye realizes Hawkeye is active again when he finds the other Madroxes' bodies.  Reading the Wiki entry on “Old Man Logan,” I’m intrigued to see where Sacks goes here.  We know how the story ends, so we know Clint doesn’t get his revenge.  But, sometimes it’s about the journey.

Phoenix Resurrection — The Return of Jean Grey #3:  The gang finds Jean’s coffin is empty and realizes they need to find her.  Hank offers to rebuild Cerebro, but reminds everyone they don’t have any psychics.  So, Kitty tracks down Emma, who approves of the $*#!^ she’s become.  Kitty tells her Jean has returned, and Emma suggests she’s at a plateau in New Mexico that she knew meant a lot to Scott.  Kitty brings the whole gang to the plateau, and Magik uncovers a dome that had been trying to hide itself.  A door opens, and the X-Men prepare to enter the dome.  Meanwhile, Waitress Jean flees a version of her costumed self who appears to her.  Rosenberg seems to break what I thought was a rule here, as “Mr. Patch” and Dr. Reyes both appear, despite them not being dead.  Whatever.  It’s time to wrap up this story.  It’s starting to feel a little Keystone Cops, with everyone chasing something we all know they’re going to find.

Titans #19:  This issue is a great example of why I’m canceling this series.  Abnett relies on the old shtick of the Justice League condemning the Titans’ actions, which worked when they were young adults but doesn’t work now.  Batman says Donna and Wally need to be fully assessed.  But, he doesn’t mention Wally is hurt because his son stabbed him in the heart.  It also takes Roy to mention Donna is under suspicion because Diana lied about the fact she was made of clay.  Dick makes a half-hearted attempt to make these points to Batman, but then reverts to a disappointing-son role that he’s never, ever held.  It’s character assassination all around, and I won’t stand for it.  Bruce's insistence they failed at their mission also just doesn't make sense.  As Wally mentions, they nabbed Mr. Twister, Psimon, and the Key and defeated Troia.  What did they do wrong?  Not cause enough property damage, like the Justice League does?  Remember when Bruce gave a college scholarship to the girl who hacked Amazon and destroyed a town (in "Justice League "#11)?  I could continue, but I won't.  I’m done with this one, unfortunately.

The Wild Storm:  Michael Cray #4:  It’s clear the point of this series is for Michael to kill the Wild Storm versions of DC heroes:  he took down Green Arrow in the first two issues, we’ve seen reference to Bruce Wayne, he eliminates the Flash here, and Trelane sends him after “the Aquaman” next.  All these missions seek to steal the technology the “hero” (or “victim”) is using, but it’s unclear why Skywatch wants this technology and how it's going to use it.  It’s also unclear why this series needs to exist.  Ellis has made it clear he's telling an integrated story, so presumably the technology we see in this series will play some sort of role in the ongoing struggle between Halo, IO, and Skywatch in the main title.  It’s just unclear what it is yet.  Also, the terrible art on this series makes me realize how important John Davis-Hunt is to the magic of the main title.  So far, this series just seems like a random series of hits whose conclusions are foregone.

X-Men:  Blue #19:  OK, I totally, totally didn’t see that coming.  The denouement here actually makes a time-travel story make sense!  It turns out the reason why the X-Men saw themselves when they initially returned in time was that it was actually the future Brotherhood, lead by Charles Xavier II, pretending to be them.  It’s why in all the possible futures we've seen they were trying to enslave either human- or mutantkind.  As such, it also now makes sense why the timestream is collapsing due to their absence; the team actually has been missing form the timestream.  It turns out the Brotherhood created a Cerebro that puts Professor X under their control, amping up their abilities considerably.  Honestly, I didn’t see how Bunn could possibly resolve this storyline, but he actually stuck this landing.  This story might’ve just risen to “classic” level in my book.  I really enjoyed the Brotherhood’s initial appearance under Bendis, and I love the idea that they took the fight to the past since they failed in the present and the future.  

Youngblood #8:  Bowers is really getting going here.  The team tracks down a missing hero, Superstitious, to a freighter in the East China Sea.  They find her unconscious in a room filled with religious artifacts, but, before they can spring her, a fanatic tells them she’s the key to being invited to the next world after the coming Apocalypse.  (Of course she is.)  Then Interpol arrives and tries to arrest the team for ruining their months-long operation (to what aim, I don't know).  But, Man-Up destroys the freighter by embiggening in a burst of enthusiasm.  Later, Dolante complains to Vogue that Horatio (a.k.a., Man-Up) needs to leave the team because he’s reckless, but she’s not so sure.  Meanwhile, someone named Task is revealed to be underwriting this new iteration of Youngblood.  He asks Doc Rocket (his ex-girlfriend) to dinner, and it inspires Dolante to take up Vogue’s offer to meet her at a club.  (It's New Year's Eve.)  He’s just a little surprised to find Horatio there, too, kissing her.  Dun-dun-DUN!  Perhaps the most interesting part of this issue is Supreme is the one to save Superstitious in the wake of the freighter explosion, and Superstitious marvels at how little she knows about her powers and comments how important she is to this world.  Superstitious then sends her to another galaxy.  Dun-DUN-DUN!  I don’t really get the good-guy vibe from Superstitious, so I’m intrigued how she got on Vogue’s list of missing heroes in the first place.  I guess we'll see.

Also Read:  Bloodshot Salvation #5, Detective Comics #972, Ms. Marvel #26, Venom #160, X-Men:  Gold Annual #2