Avengers #12: The idea of T'Challa assembling a team of agents to provide the Avengers with intelligence is so good that it honestly makes you wonder why no one else has thought of it before. As T'Challa notes, this team of Avengers is the most powerful one ever assembled, so it makes sense they wouldn't be the ones doing the legwork, be it investigating Namor's plans for the surface world or the brewing vampire civil war. Enter the Agents of Wakanda. My only concern going forward is I wonder how Aaron is going to juggle so many characters. We're probably at something like 20 identified characters here so far. I get Broo doesn't need to be involved in the A plot, but a lot of these characters are sufficiently well known (like Broo) that it would be disappointing if we only see them in brief moments. In other words, it could all be too much of a good thing. I'm guessing that probably means we're going to see an "Agents of Wakanda" series soon...
Batman #62: [Sigh.] King seems to be trying to tie some threads together here, but I still have my doubts. As Bruce tries to figure out how Professor Pyg captured him and why he's suddenly deaf, he ponders the events of the last few issues, from Catwoman leaving him at the altar to Bane controlling Arkham to Thomas appearing in the Batcave. King seems to be connecting all these events, and I would welcome some revelation that he hasn't just been shooting blanks in the dark. Of course, part of the problem is that the events of these last few issues -- Dick getting shot in the head, Alfred bleeding on the floor of the Batcave, etc. -- are repeated in "Detective Comics." So far over there, a weird Clayface-y creature exposed Leslie to laughing gas and someone stabbed Alfred, though I can't remember if he was stabbed as Zorro there or in this series. I mean, did the group editor just take vacation or something? No one saw a problem with this timing? That said, the issue ends with Pyg taking off his mask, revealing he's actually Damian, which begs the question if Damian was also the one who convinced the Batcomputer that "Zorro" was Commissioner Gordon. Or, wait, did that happen in "Detective Comics?" Whatever.
Die #2: Gillen sketches out an incredible amount of detail here without falling into the void of telling instead of showing. (Yes, he's that good.) It's a thrilling issue, and I can't wait to jump right into it.
First, we learn the Grandmaster was the one who told the kids how they could return: they all just had to wish it. He told them because he wanted them to spread word about him on Earth, since it meant (somehow) more victims would fall into his reality, called Die. It's why Ash initially created the geas, to prevent them from doing exactly that. After defeating the Grandmaster, the party made the wish to return. But, the Grandmaster managed to grab Sol just as they dissolved into our reality. Now, in Die, Sol doesn't want to leave, as they all realize immediately. He wants them to continue playing the game, and he disappears to his land in Twenty, where they presumably have to face him.
The party is left with few options other than traipsing across Die to get to Sol. But, some roads are more perilous than others. They decide to avoid Eternal Prussia altogether (for reasons that aren't immediately clear to me) and debate their two options. They can cross the Front, a war zone that Ash explains to us was so dangerous even when they were overconfident teenagers that they avoided it altogether. Or, they can sail across the seas of Gondol to Angria, where we learn they spent most of their time in the past. Their decision is made for them when a knight unexpectedly approaches them; he was Ash's lover, and Ash bound him to his word that he wouldn't rest until he saw Ash again. He died three years later, and he now exists as an eyeless zombie, unable to fulfill his oath. Isabelle offers a favor to one of her gods and restores his eyes. He finally melts with a curse on his lips for Ash, and they decide to avoid their past and head through the Front.
Before all that happens, an elf queen from the Dreaming Lands approached them asking for help as a "waking nightmare" has engulfed the Dreaming Lands (paging Silvanesti). But, Chuck quickly realizes she's a Fallen, this world's version of an orc, or a non-conscious "trap with legs." (Chuck had this epiphany because she offered to sleep with him.) It's here where we first see everyone's powers. For example, Isabelle calls in a favor that one of the gods owes her, making it seem like clerical powers here are based on favors. As she uses her powers to fight the Fallen and its minions, Chuck roots around the "queen's" discarded bags to find "gifts of the Fair," or elven treasure. We learn these "gifts" are what fuel Angela's powers. But, they only do so until the next day, essentially meaning that she's addicted to them. Now empowered, she starts turning off the Fallen's minions; in other words, she seems to have the power to hack into Die's underlying code, as if it really were a videogame. For his part, Ash uses his powers to make Matt feel grief that he doesn't feel so he can summon his Grief Knight sword and defeat the rest of the Fallen's minions.
In other words, wow. One of the best parts of this issue is when they all agree to treat Die as real. Isabelle takes the lead on this front, reminding them if they don't -- if they treat it as fantasy and it's real -- their actions will make them monsters. Angela reminds them that her cybernetic arm disappeared when they arrived in the "real" world, meaning that Die has to be real, on some level. This exchange essentially serves as Gillen's call for us, as readers, also to take the series' events seriously, which I totally do.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1: I'm a fan of the concept of this series -- focusing on Peter's immediate neighborhood -- since it likely entails exploring his supporting cast more than we have recently. Slott largely ignored Peter's family and friends, preferring to create his own characters, like the Horizon crew or the various Parker Industries employees. Other than the Horizon crew (to an extent), Slott's supporting characters usually served a very specific plot purpose. Conversely, back in the day, Peter's encounters with folks like Bambi, Candi, Randi, or Mrs. Muggins humanized him, making us feel like we knew him better. In other words, they weren't a means to an end. Taylor seems to be going that route here, and I approve. That said, Taylor also seems to be making Peter into a little too much of a saint. For example, when he saves a man and his daughter as their van plunges off a bridge, he has the man give the cash he was offering him to a group of homeless folks (whose names he all knows). They later treat Peter to a hot dog in recognition of how good of a guy he is, not knowing he's the reason they're flush in the first place. I'm not opposed to showing that side of Peter, but it can't be all we see of Peter. I'd love to see him trying to skip on rent like he used to do back in the day. But, that said, I'm still happy with the direction we're going, like when Peter's surprised by two kids in his laundry basket as he's changing into his costume in his room. We used to see those sorts of transitions a lot more, and they, again, remind us that someone is behind the mask. They're what has always made Peter so relatable, and here's hoping Taylor keeps up that focus.
Iceman #5: Grace manages to stick a wobbly landing here as he finally brings together the large number of threads he's been trying to weave into a coherent story. First, Bobby eventually explains to Kitty that he was trying to handle Sinister on his own because he felt she needed something (i.e., the mutant-pride festival) to go right, after her disastrous wedding. I probably would've worked that part in a little sooner, since I've been wondering about it since issue #1. It also requires us to take a lot on Bobby's efforts on faith, since Bobby seems to have been working off-panel with Bishop to prepare for Sinister's Ice Army to attack the festival. (As far as I can tell, nothing we've seen so far would imply they were as prepared for the Army's attack as they are here.) That said, I'm still not sure why Sinister would attack a mutant-pride festival. It feels...off-brand for him. Moreover, Grace also implies Bishop and Iceman were also on top of the anti-mutant soldiers attacking the festival, but I don't have any memory of them getting that information? Again, we seem to have to take it on faith, though at least we understand why they're attacking the festival. I really would've preferred to see more time between Bobby and Judah, as we get in a flashback here where Bobby has an unusual moment of reflection. Sitting alone on a beach with Judah, Bobby realizes he has to talk constantly not only to distract everyone from his anxiety but also not to fade into the background. It's a pretty incisive take on Bobby, placing his loneliness (particularly while he was in the closet) at the core of his characterization. It fits, and I really wish Grace would've focused on that part of him throughout this series. Instead, we get him weirdly claiming Sinister's just lonely, too, almost offering him a hug to stop him. (Seriously.) It's just a mess, but I guess it's the best I'm going to get. I still wish we'd get some sort of regular Bobby vehicle focused more on his coming-out experience, like the brief glimpse we get here with Judah. Fingers crossed.
Star Wars #59: This issue covers a lot of ground. First, Leia reveals her plans to Han, informing him that they gained access to Shu-Torun’s defense systems when they spiked into Trios’ ship. She explains she didn’t want to tell him and Luke before she was sure about her plan, since she didn’t want to raise “false hope.” Han hilariously notes his "false" hopes were on something else, and Leia just as hilariously evicts him from her room. At Han’s urging, Leia explains her plan to Luke, who asks why she couldn’t trust him. Of course, at dinner that night, Markona reveals Luke built the transmitter, prompting Leia to call him on his bullshit. Dinner is interrupted when Scar Squadron arrives, which Luke blames on himself until Tula explains her father blocked his signal: he just wanted to see if Luke would actually activate the transmitter. Kreel reveals they found the team after torturing Sana and tells Markona he’ll kill Sana if the Han, Leia, and Luke don't reveal themselves. The gang of course appears guns blazing, and Markona unexpectedly has Han and Leia stunned. Kreel is excited, but Markona explains he’ll face Luke in a duel as part of Markonan hospitality. This issue is all about tests of trust, as Luke fails his test by activating the transmitter but Han passes his test when he simply stuns a drunk who challenges him to a duel. Gillen keeps underlining how childish Luke is, not only from his actions but by how his dialogue is at its whiniest. In fact, it’s one of those issues where you can hear the actors’ voices saying the characters’ dialogue. For the fact this arc is all about inaction and isolation, it's been surprisingly good.
Uncanny X-Men #9: The thing is, X-Man is totally right: the X-Men did abandon him and Legion. They let Omega-level mutants with obvious issues — from Nate’s time displacement to David’s mental illness — just roam free with no to little support. It’s like how Reed Richards can miraculously solve every problem, except his best friend’s. Now, when one of those neglected children is powerful enough to do something they don’t want him to do, they suddenly care. Moreover, why don’t they want Nate to achieve his goal of Utopia here? I know why I oppose it, but I’m surprised the authors haven’t had anyone defect from Jean’s side, to think maybe Nate has a good point. It’s these sort of defections that made “Operation: Galactic Storm” and the first “Civil War” so gripping. Jean's been dead for years and everyone just blindly follows her? Really?
Also Read: Nightwing #56; Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #4; Thor #9
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