Astonishing X-Men Annual #1: This issue is creepy as hell, but it does something most X-Men stories don’t (but should): it presents Charles Xavier as an unapologetic asshole. Jean holds a reunion of the original X-Men (leaving a seat for Scott) and they ponder how far their lives are from the lives they wanted as adolescents. (Hilariously, they agree Bobby is actually doing pretty well.) However, "X" (as we're now calling him) arrives and whisks them to Lago, New York. It's the location of an anti-mutant hate crime that happened when they were students at the School. X reveals Lucifer — the alien who stole his ability to walk — has taken over the town. Underlining how different he is from Xavier, their conflict ends when X manipulates Angel into becoming Archangel to kill Lucifer. (The severed link also kills the townspeople, which X doesn't really seem to mind.) X uses the fight to tell the X-Men to shove their pity party, as the only choice they ever had was to save the world or die in it. Jean asks if he cared if they were happy. As he wipes away their memories of these events and departs, he says he had hoped they found happiness in doing good. The group replays their dinner the next night in a much happier mindset. It’s hard to know if X changed their perspectives forcefully or they're in a better place through the faded memory of the experience, but it is what it is. I still can’t say I’m buying “X,” but this issue does make me feel like Marvel should probably be doing more to get the band back together again. I'm fine with Scott staying dead for a while so we can finally see Jean without him, as we were able to see him without her. But, it doesn't mean we can't get the four remaining "originals" together to heal some of the wounds they identified before X mindwiped them. I'd read that series quite happily.
Extermination #1: I appreciate what Brisson tries to do here, but I don't know if it really works. "X-Men Blue" has been such a chaotic series lately that Bunn barely had time to imbue Bloodstorm with much personality, making it hard to feel as devastated by her death as Brisson wants us to feel here. Sure, I feel bad for Scott, but it's also hard to believe he was so attached, seeing how he recently spent a significant amount of time in space. Also, does anyone even remotely believe Cable isn't going to magically return from the dead? Brisson tells a more interesting story when it comes to the idea the X-Men are facing two seemingly unconnected threats. We don't know why Ahab decides to make a play for Cyclops here, but his presence in the present explains why Rachel's hound persona has been emerging lately. Meanwhile, young Nathan accuses older Nathan of neglecting his duty in not forcing the original X-Men to return to their time. According to young Nathan, this decision leads to a slaughter at the Mansion 20 years in the future. Older Nathan claims he's wrong; in a grammatically challenging sentence, he says "they needed them to see...what they became" so they could return to the past and be better. I'm assuming older Nathan means he allowed the kids to stay in the present in the hope they'd return to their time with some lessons learned. But I don't get that, because it assumes they'd remember their time in the present, which we seem already to know doesn't happen. Separately, it's possible Ahab and younger Nathan are working together, but the X-Men know that it wasn't Ahab who "killed" older Nathan. As we go forward, I hope Brisson keeps the focus on the kids and doesn't get lost in the sprawling time-travel narrative. If this story ends with the kids accepting a fate where they don't remember their time in the present, it means Bobby accepting returning to the closet, Jean and Scott accepting the deaths and heartbreaks in their future, Warren accepting the horror his life becomes, and Hank accepting the sadness that weighs on him today. Walking us through that heroism is the story, as I see it, and hopefully Brisson keeps that in mind.
Multiple Man #3: Emperor Jamie's shock troops make pretty quick work of the team, though Forge manages to create the time bracelets that send the dupes into the future to become the superhero versions of Jamie. (Super-Jamies?) Emperor Jamie has this Jamie brought before him, and we learn Emperor Jamie became unstable around the time the Beast gave him a serum to turn him into the Prime Jamie. (I don't get this part. Prime Jamie was the original Jamie. You can't just turn a dupe into Prime Jamie. What exactly did the serum do?) But, this Jamie says it's not why he became unstable; they were in that bunker in the first place because they were the "evil, megalomaniacal" version of Prime Jamie, plotting to displace him. Emperor Jamie doesn't necessarily buy that argument, but it doesn't matter, because he kills this Jamie. Yeah, I'm not sure I care anymore either.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #308: The thing about Chip Zdarsky is that he’s probably the best in the business right now of telling multilayered stories. He reminds me of Peter David during the “X-Factor” heyday. Here, we could just be getting a story of Sandman’s death, as his body can no longer stay cohesive. If it were just that, it would still be great. The scene where Spidey takes him to the beach at Coney Island is spectacular (heh). Zdarsky infuses it with incredible emotion, from Flint telling us how his mother would get plastered while he built sandcastles there to him telling Peter not to take off his mask because he doesn’t want to learn he’s Chris Evans handsome. (Flint tells us he always pictured Spidey as having an ugly mug.) It’s funny and wistful and meaningful. It has that certain je ne sais quoi that “Extermination” #1 lacked, that ability to convey emotions through dialogue and lines. I have to single out Chris Bachalo here as well, as he captures the scenery perfectly; I could hear the seagulls calling, the beach scenes were so evocative. But, Zdarsky goes one further. Using Sandman's dreams, he hints that one version of Sandman is living in our future and made of glass and another version of him faces a grimdark iteration of Spider-Man. These hints are what makes this issue so propulsive, elevating it from a simpler story. Even with Nick Spencer’s debut on “Amazing Spider-Man,” this title is the main Spidey title to me.
The Weatherman #3: Well, I certainly didn't see Nathan (allegedly) killing Cross coming. But, Nathan realizes that Cross doesn't care about him. From the start of the issue, Leheup hints Cross has some ability to differentiate Ian from Nathan and thus some sympathy for his plight. But, she also has her mission. It turns out Miriam Nyseth kept records of the minds she wiped, but she was gone when Fitch's agents got to her lab. Cross is now trying to find Nyseth's former assistant, Orin Wetzel, with the goal of getting back Ian's memories. However, Nathan realizes she intends to implant the memories into his brain, turning him into Ian so she can discover details about Jenner's plan. Leheup and Fox do a great job of showing Nathan on edge at this point. He and Cross spent most of this issue fleeing people in hot pursuit of them, after the two bounty hunters alert the news media to their presence in Tharsis. But, throughout this chase, he's actually in a good mood: he has a blast piloting the car while Cross opens fire on the pursuers, a sign of his inability to take anything too seriously. But, the grim look on his face as he (allegedly) murders Cross makes it clear Ian might not totally be gone. Meanwhile, other intrigue builds in this issue. The Martian president realizes Fitch had gone rogue when her team informs her Amanda escaped the Nebula before it was destroyed. It's an interesting angle, as I had figured Fitch was running a sanctioned operation in tracking down Nathan. Leheup also subtly implies we shouldn't rule out the Sword of God's motivations being more complicated than simply looking to do evil. Sure, it's hard to imagine how they would justify blowing up Earth was for the greater good. But, an answer may be out there. Meanwhile, Leheup and Fox continue to drive home the horror of that loss, as Cross and Nathan encounter a dead junkie addicted to a drug that allows you to re-live your memories. The woman has a stuffed bunny on her lap, and Cross explains that "tethers" help users stay attached to their positive memories while using the drug. It's hard stuff. Meanwhile, we're introduced to a crime lord who tortures to death a former employee who stole from him, though it's still unclear how that part of the story connects to Nathan's. I'm guessing it's not a happy connection.
The Wild Storm #16: At this point, as much as I'm enjoying this series, I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, with so few issues left. John continues his tour of Thunderbook subjects, this time meeting with a woman with pretty incredible powers over matter. Angie discovers she can directly access the internet, bringing her to Jenny's attention. Jenny decides Angie's a cool chick and invites her to work with her and the Doctor if she ever gets tired of Halo. After this interaction, Angie decides she's tired of hiding and asks Cole to teach her how to shoot a gun. It's all interesting stuff, but we only have eight issues left. If everyone goes to war, it's hard to see how it's going to happen in such a short time. Ellis had previously mentioned two series would follow this one, and it's hard to know which way he'll go. Will it be StormWatch and Wild C.A.T.s? I guess we'll see.
Also Read: Batman #53; Edge of Spider-geddon #1; Infinity Wars #2; Thor #4
No comments:
Post a Comment