Amazing Spider-Man #17: I initially decided not to pin this issue with the Women in Refrigerator tag, given that Felicia threatens to gut Kraven herself if he somehow defeats Spider-Man. (Note to self: send Nick Spencer a muffin basket for returning Felicia to us.) But, then we had the Mary-Jane-as-Barbara-Gordon moment, and I decided it was appropriate after all. Beyond that, though, it's a solid start to what could really be a great event. Spencer leans heavily into characterization here, from Felicia's struggle to comfort Billy when they awaken as captives in the Plaza Hotel to Kraven's melancholy reflections on how this new world doesn't value his ethos. Spencer is also clearly having a great time; the twist that Kraven has everyone stashed at the Plaza is pretty great. But, Spencer is using enough foreshadowing to let us know that it isn't all fun and games. I applaud his decision to make Peter fight Kraven with the flu, because I feel like "Amazing Spider-Man" has always done the best job among comic-book series of showing how Peter's need to act as Spider-Man doesn't always happen at the most convenient times for Peter himself. (If I remember correctly, he also had the flu in "Kraven's Last Hunt.") Spencer doesn't just use the Mary-Jane-meet-coffee-table moment to show us how high the stakes are: Ramos does a spectacular (heh) job of really showing how Kraven's son beat Peter's ass something fierce. Then, he puts him in the black costume in a dome filled with his enemies, and you're like, "OK, game on, Spencer." Then, he introduces Kraven robots trying to kill everyone, and you're like "OK, maybe I can look past the Mary Jane problem..."
Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #6: Jackal working with Man-Wolf! McGuire does a good job here of introducing Gwen's new status quo, where she has to deal with the ramifications of outing herself. For reasons that aren't yet clear, we learn that Jackal and Man-Wolf are working together to take her down, sending a group of thugs to attack her so that they can learn her fighting style. But, they're not Gwen's only problem, as she suffers a series of headaches in the issue and is unaware that she appears to be shedding spiders. Are they going to form the real Venom eventually? I guess we'll see. Meanwhile, she's hiring out her services, and we know that's going to end well.
Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #5: This story's conclusion is pitch perfect. Han and his fellow cadets find Valance, only to discover a group of slaves seeking to escape the planet in the chaos of the Empire's attack. The cadets learn that the slaves mine farium, and Kanina is shaken to her core, as her boyfriend Weegee is a farium miner on her home planet in the Huru system. She realizes that the battalion heading to the Huru system means the Empire is going to enslave her people. Han convinces her to let the cadets and he fake her death so she can save her planet. If Marvel is looking for a good sequel to this story, Kanina leading a rebellion against the Empire on her home planet gets my vote. I've always liked Robbie Thompson, but he's been particularly impressive here, infusing Han's four fellow cadets with solid backstories and clear personalities in just five issues. Unfortunately, the emotional denouement -- Kanina arriving on her planet to fall into Weegee's arms as Han spends time in the stockade -- is ruined in part because of the art choices. Weegee looks identical to Han, and Prianto's use of a sepia tone makes it seem like Kanina is happy to see Han years later, after he leaves the Empire. I'm surprised the editors didn't catch that, particularly given how many editors the Star Wars line has at this point. But, overall, this mini-series was one of the strongest ones that we've had so far.
Transformers #1: As a child of the '80s, I was very excited about this comic. As often as I complain about reboots, I'll admit Dark Horse's universe of Transformers-related comics made it difficult to figure out where I could engage. In other words, I'm loathe to admit it, but this reboot was exactly for people like me; I apologize to long-time fans who just saw their continuity swept into the dustbin for us. But, I also think Ruckley does a great job of offering something for everyone, as this issue starts us at the time before the Autobots and Decepticons go to war.
The main story involves Bumblebee leading a newly sparked Transformer named Rubble to a transmission station to learn the wonders of "energon engineering" from a fellow Transformer named Brainstorm. In their journey they meet with a Transformer named Windblade. She works for Security Operations, and she asks to accompany Bumblebee and Rubble because she's also heading to the station after Brainstorm reported some "anomalies with the monitoring equipment." She hypothesizes that it's sabotage, leading Bumblebee to wonder if "the Rise" could be out this far. Along their journey to the station, we learn that Rubble is in a period of exploration that all newly sparked Transformers experience, as they journey to choose their alternate form. We also learn that they can later change their choice, as Bumblebee "left" Security Operations (where he met Windblade) to become a Search and Rescue worker. (Windblade implies that he didn't leave Security Operations so voluntarily.) Arriving at the station, Windblade senses something is wrong. While she and Bumblebee scout around a bit, Rubble stumbles upon a murdered Brainstorm.
The second story gives us context to this scene. We learn Megatron is the leader of a group called the Ascenticons. They're marching on a place called Tarm, which seems to have some sort of religious connotation to the Ascenticons. Concerned about safety, Orion Pax calls for a meeting with Megatron, as a fellow Senator and old friend. Ruckley doesn't give us much information here on the substance of Megatron's dissent. We only learn that his last rally left dozens injured, and he paints the Autobots as fascists seeking to restrict Transformers' freedoms. Moreover, Ruckley makes it clear that Orion uses "friend" a little too loosely here; Ruckley even mentions in his interview at the end of the issue that they aren't exactly "friends.'
In other words, Ruckley manages to make the comic feel familiar yet fresh at the same time. One of the most interesting developments is his introduction of an organic race of ape-like creatures called the Voin. Windblade dismisses them as scavengers, though it's unclear what they would be scavenging as Cybertron does seem entirely inorganic. Moreover, some of the Voin are connected to a floating aquarium containing a squid-like creature that speaks for the apes. In other words, we have a lot to explore.
Winter Soldier #4-#5: Issue #4 was so gripping that I just went ahead and read issue #5. Jesus fucking Christ. I've been following Higgins for a long time now, and he really takes his work on "Nightwing" to the next level here. He's gotten the tone of each issue exactly right. After all, RJ's cautious hope about his father, Richie, makes it clear that it's all going to end in tears, because it's a Bucky Barnes story and not a Steve Rogers story.
In both these issues, Higgins perfectly uses RJ as a mirror to Bucky's own feelings of doubt and mistrust. RJ desperately wants to believe Richie is trying to start a new life after he was released from prison. But, RJ is who HYDRA made him, so he's also suspicious. For example, he doesn't believe Richie's story that he recognized RJ on television, because RJ was only a year old when Richie went to jail. But, Richie shows him a picture that RJ's mother (allegedly) sent him, and he tells a moving story about how all he did for the time he was in prison was stare at that picture and imagine who his son was. It's enough for RJ.
But, it's not enough for Bucky. Higgins makes it clear that Bucky needs RJ. He needs to believe that he (and he alone) can save RJ from himself, because Bucky needs to believe that he can save himself. He learns that lesson hard in issue #5, but in issue #4 he still hasn't fully come to grips with his own motivations. The problem is that he's obviously not wrong in his suspicion of Richie. When RJ beats away some goons who came after Richie for money that he borrowed from them, it's the proof that Bucky needs that, at best, Richie is a small-time hood who can't go straight. After all, what kind of guy looking to go straight borrows money from a loan shark on his first day on the outside? But, RJ has faith in him, and he convinces Bucky to do for Richie what Bucky does for other people looking to leave "the life."
The problem is, Bucky is right. Sharon gets video of Colt paying Richie a visit, and it seems clear that Colt arranged his coincidental release to bring back in RJ. But, it's even worse than Bucky thought, as Richie is also using his old contacts to put together a job to rob a high-stakes poker game, figuring RJ's particular skill set would come in handy. But, Higgins goes one step further, in the other direction. When Bucky confronts Richie, telling him to leave town, Higgins has Richie full of fury over Bucky's sense of entitlement over RJ. Richie's right in this way: Bucky has decided he's better for RJ, and he's impatient to be rid of Richie. When Richie dies accidentally in their fight, Bucky struggles once again to come to grips with his lack of control.
Everything spirals into chaos in issue #5. Colt lays in wait for RJ at Richie's place, knowing he'll come looking for his father when he doesn't show for breakfast. He tells RJ the truth about what Bucky did, while Bucky calls Sharon for help as he plans on burying Richie's body in the woods. Higgins uses this scene perfectly to show how much Bucky is struggling to make his own good decisions. Sharon convinces him to tell RJ the truth, but his instinct not to do so calls into question his motivations. Higgins once again shows us that Bucky's need to save RJ is more about him than RJ. When RJ rejects his attempt to apologize, seeing how he heard from Colt first, Bucky is devastated. Sharon pulls in favors to get Richie buried in a proper cemetery, but she warns Bucky she's depleting that store of favors. Bucky tearfully admits to Sharon that he was trying to save RJ from the fate that he so clearly feels, from hating himself so much that he can't imagine someone not hating him. Sharon comforts him, reminding him that helping someone and saving them are different paths. She encourages him not to forget that, not to try for perfection. His hotline rings, and despite his misgivings he answers. Meanwhile, RJ takes out Colt dressed in his uniform and tearfully fades in to the night.
In other words, wow. This mini-series has been spectacular from start to finish, but it ends so fucking strongly. It's an amazing psychological study of Bucky, and I honestly don't understand why they aren't just handing Higgins the keys to this kingdom here. We rarely get an author explore the savior complex that runs through superheroes, and Higgins does it so perfectly here.
Also Read: Avengers: No Road Home #5
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