Avengers #8: This issue is very talky. I mean, I’m feeling better about where this series is going, but, man, people are chatty here. I'll start by saying I loved Aaron hearkening back to the good ol’ days where the Avengers seemingly spend most of their time arguing over the bylaws and chairmanship. T’Challa’s taking on the role of chairman admittedly makes the most sense, given the extensive network of agents he controls; the Wakandans retrofitting of the dead Celestial’s body into a livable headquarters underlines that point. That said, Aaron makes it clear it’s not going to be a smooth ride, given the tension between Carol and Tony as well as the romance between She-Hulk and Thor. Thankfully, we’re not going to dwell on that too much longer, because -- in a turn of events I’m totally digging -- the Avengers wading into a war with Namor. I was considering canceling this series, but I’m glad I hung in there. This issue feels like a return to form.
Edge of Spider-geddon #3: After “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2, you have to wonder if Jason Latour had any trepidation in creating Spider-Ben and Spider-Peter, as it’s hard to believe he could catch lightning in a bottle twice. I'll admit this issue doesn't exactly rise to those heights. But, it would be impossible to do so, as Spider-Gwen's first appearance was one of the highest highs I've experienced in my 35 years or so of reading comics. (I remember closing the issue and wondering what I had just read.) That said, it comes as close to that high as one could reasonably expect. We’ve seen a lot of Uncle Bens over the years, but this one is the most real: the dying Uncle Ben who gets a blood transfusion from his superpowered nephew and steals back years of love with Aunt May and adventures with young Peter. We only know they’re both gone when we meet Spider-Ben, but their loss is almost impossible to bear by the end of the issue. Latour beautifully mirrors Ben's melancholy with Peter's in those first days after his Uncle Ben's death. Just like “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2, I had to read this issue twice to get all the nuances and references, but it’s well worth the time to do so. It's one of the most innovative takes on Uncle Ben that we’ve ever seen, and I now find myself genuinely excited about “Spider-geddon.”
Return of Wolverine #1: I didn't read Soule's "Death of Wolverine" miniseries, so I have to wonder if I'm as confused as I am here because of that. That said, Logan is also confused, so maybe not. Logan awakens with no memory of who he is, only to discover himself in a lab surrounded by dead bodies. A scientist named Delacroix is (barely) still alive, and he tells Logan he has to stop someone named Persephone before she kills everyone in the world. Delacroix is an expert in cloning, and it sounds like Persephone wants to clone everyone into amnesiac versions of themselves, as she seems to have done with Logan. (Delacroix tells Logan he was a great man until Persephone stole that from him and that she wants to do the same thing to everyone in the world.) Delacroix begs Logan to kill him, but a Soteira grenade does that for him. (Persephone runs Soteira, as far as I can tell. I also cannot help but confuse it with Sodexo, the French food-services conglomerate. After killing all the scientists, I assume the assassins then swapped out the linens.) Logan stumbles from the destroyed lab onto the nearby compound just in time to see Soteira gunning down everyone working for them. Before they do, though, they take a teenager with them for reasons that aren't entirely clear. His mother somehow (and suspiciously) survives the massacre and begs Logan to help her find her son because he's a "hero." I can't tell if the story about Persephone and Soteira makes more sense if you've read "Death of Wolverine," but Soule does a decent job of making the outlines of the story clear, even if you haven't. For an event as anti-climactic as this one, as we've known for months Logan is alive, Soule is doing the best he can to keep us engaged.
Thor #5: In any other author’s hands, Logan as Phoenix at the end of the Universe would’ve been an eye-rolling gimmick, recalling the era in the 90s where he was everywhere as Marvel sought to capitalize on his popularity. In Aaron’s hands, though, it somehow really underscores the tragedy at the heart of Logan’s narrative. On some level, it makes sense that he, and he alone, is forced to facilitate the end of the Universe. When Thor expresses shock that Logan wouldn't be thrilled that he (Thor) resurrected Earth, Aaron portrays Logan as the weary adult who can’t quite believe Thor remains the naive adolescent, even after all the is time. Logan refers to Earth as the most dangerous world that ever existed, and it’s part of a wider narrative Aaron has been advancing in the “Avengers” about why Earth attracts the trouble that it does. We are a poison on the Universe, and Aaron underlines that point by revealing the Big Bad is none other than an all-powerful Doom. I can’t wait to see where we go from here.
X-Men: Gold #36: I only read this far into the series because I knew it was being canceled, so I figured I'd hang in there for a few issues. Guggenheim unsurprisingly ends the issue by dedicating the run to Claremont. At the very least, I acknowledge he captured the spirit of Claremont for most of this series. But, he never quite displayed Claremont's knack for characterization, his ability to cram so much conflict and humanity into every issue. This issue is a perfect example of that.
We start with Kitty half-heartedly calling Piotr and leaving him a voicemail message telling him -- somewhat unbelievably -- that her breaking off their engagement at the altar hurt her, too, you know. (He should be glad he didn't marry someone who still leaves voicemail messages.) Then, she and the X-Men race to help a 14-year-old whose powers just manifested. Here, Guggenheim goes to an interesting place: once Kitty walks the kid through getting control of his power, some guy shoots him in the head. Kitty screams he wasn't hurting anyone, but the guy argues to the contrary, highlighting the devastation around them. This part could've gotten interesting. But, Guggenheim doesn't stick the landing. The doctor at the hospital eventually refuses to put the kid under anesthesia in case his powers activate, opting instead to let him die. Another doctor intervenes and says she'll do the surgery, because she feels like Kitty fulfilled the promise she made at the start: she earned back people's trust. You see, she's the woman who yelled at Kitty about mutants being dangerous in issue #1. Shocker! The woman assures us she now sees mutants as people, not mutants.
All I have to say is: ugh. Among the many problems here, Guggenheim totally dismisses the fact the original doctor raised a legitimate concern. Kitty and the other doctor scream at him about discrimination, but I would argue the only real discrimination is that he doesn't put any effort into trying to resolve the situation. He seemed to have a number of options here that he refuses to take. Like, they're in New York: no one has a hospital room equipped to handle mutants under anesthesia? But, again, it's hard to argue he's wrong that the teenager poses a threat. Kitty dismisses his concern as "unlikely," making a judgment she's really not qualified to make. Why is she so sure the kid's powers won't activate? Did she call Beast between panels? It's easy to imagine Claremont using this set-up to go to a much more interesting place. In other words, this story is no "God Loves, Man Kills."
One of the problems with this series from the start has been its inconsistent and often not-great art; this issue is no different. In one scene, Kitty looks like Mr. Fantastic while showing her mid-riff. But, the chaotic and hazy lines reflected the story all too well. There's not a single issue of this series that didn't feel rushed, and I can't say I'm sad to see it go. Claremont's amazing run on "Uncanny X-Men" was about the X-Men surviving against all odds, because of their commitment to each other and their cause. Guggenheim's run was about...Kitty and Rachel being crappy girlfriends? Whatever. Onwards and upwards, X-Men.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1; Captain America Annual #1; Mr. and Mrs. X #3; Multiple Man #4; Star Wars #54; Star Wars: Lando - Double or Nothing #5; West Coast Avengers #2
We start with Kitty half-heartedly calling Piotr and leaving him a voicemail message telling him -- somewhat unbelievably -- that her breaking off their engagement at the altar hurt her, too, you know. (He should be glad he didn't marry someone who still leaves voicemail messages.) Then, she and the X-Men race to help a 14-year-old whose powers just manifested. Here, Guggenheim goes to an interesting place: once Kitty walks the kid through getting control of his power, some guy shoots him in the head. Kitty screams he wasn't hurting anyone, but the guy argues to the contrary, highlighting the devastation around them. This part could've gotten interesting. But, Guggenheim doesn't stick the landing. The doctor at the hospital eventually refuses to put the kid under anesthesia in case his powers activate, opting instead to let him die. Another doctor intervenes and says she'll do the surgery, because she feels like Kitty fulfilled the promise she made at the start: she earned back people's trust. You see, she's the woman who yelled at Kitty about mutants being dangerous in issue #1. Shocker! The woman assures us she now sees mutants as people, not mutants.
All I have to say is: ugh. Among the many problems here, Guggenheim totally dismisses the fact the original doctor raised a legitimate concern. Kitty and the other doctor scream at him about discrimination, but I would argue the only real discrimination is that he doesn't put any effort into trying to resolve the situation. He seemed to have a number of options here that he refuses to take. Like, they're in New York: no one has a hospital room equipped to handle mutants under anesthesia? But, again, it's hard to argue he's wrong that the teenager poses a threat. Kitty dismisses his concern as "unlikely," making a judgment she's really not qualified to make. Why is she so sure the kid's powers won't activate? Did she call Beast between panels? It's easy to imagine Claremont using this set-up to go to a much more interesting place. In other words, this story is no "God Loves, Man Kills."
One of the problems with this series from the start has been its inconsistent and often not-great art; this issue is no different. In one scene, Kitty looks like Mr. Fantastic while showing her mid-riff. But, the chaotic and hazy lines reflected the story all too well. There's not a single issue of this series that didn't feel rushed, and I can't say I'm sad to see it go. Claremont's amazing run on "Uncanny X-Men" was about the X-Men surviving against all odds, because of their commitment to each other and their cause. Guggenheim's run was about...Kitty and Rachel being crappy girlfriends? Whatever. Onwards and upwards, X-Men.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1; Captain America Annual #1; Mr. and Mrs. X #3; Multiple Man #4; Star Wars #54; Star Wars: Lando - Double or Nothing #5; West Coast Avengers #2
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