Amazing Spider-Man #16.HU: Of all the crimes that Dan Slott committed while writing "Amazing Spider-Man," turning Felicia Hardy into a villain was second on my list (after the Octo-Spider bullshit). As Nick Spencer carefully undoes Slott's legacy, I was thrilled when Peter revealed his identity to Felicia. He righted a great wrong by putting them back on good footing. Spencer even goes further here, treating Felicia, of all things, as a person with feelings. First, we now know that Felicia's heel turn was at least partly inspired by the sudden loss of her memories of Peter, a pretty unveiled swipe at how casually Marvel erased everyone's memories of Peter's secret identity. Then, Spencer explores what it's like for someone to experience a decade of those memories suddenly rushing back at them. Along the way, Spencer treats us to the greatest hits of Felicia and Peter's relationship, from Peter's wide-eyed amazement at how forward Felicia is to Felicia's ongoing surprise at how charming she finds Peter. The story culminates in Peter giving her the Spider-Tracer that we saw last issue, presenting it in a jewelry box that she understandably mistakes for something else. The fact that Felicia mistook it for an engagement ring tells us just how deeply she loved Peter, and it makes me mad all over again at how callously Slott treated that. But, it also means that I couldn't be happier with how Spencer is handling her. I highly recommend this issue for any Felicia fan.
Avengers #16: This issue is another solid installment of Aaron's vampire civil-war arc. First, the Shadow Colonel's motivations actually make sense. The first phase of the war involved purging vampiredom of the bloated old guard. The second phase is turning some of Russian's worst criminals into vampires to strengthen the ranks. To accomplish this second task, the Colonel sends the Rat Bombers' rats into the prison where the Winter Guard is holding Dracula, and their blood bombs usher in the transformations. Meanwhile, Red Widow shows her brutality by slaughtering Dracula's consorts into front of him, forcing him to give up his secrets. (For his part, Dracula thought he'd extract his own dacha from her for his secrets. I guess not.) Meanwhile, Blade somehow uses his vampiric powers to suck the poison from Robbie, allowing him to regain control of himself. He's incredibly shaken, crying on Cap's shoulder that he didn't meant to hurt them. He doesn't tell them he's also shaken because he ran across Johnny Blaze in Hell. Figuring he's an even worse monster than Blaze, Robbie isn't exactly optimistic about his future. Carol then voices what I'm sure most everyone is thinking as she wonders why they're involved into this civil war in the first place. Blade not incorrectly reminds her that they'll all come after the Avengers sooner or later, but you have to wonder if that isn't a bet worth taking, given the damage this fight has already done.
Batman #66: In reading this issue, I think Tom King doesn't understand Batman or Bruce at all, but he understands Selina perfectly. It's why the best issues of his run on "Batman" have involved her. Here, her conversation with the Question as he seeks the answer (heh) to why she left Bruce at the altar is the only thing selling me on "Knightmares." Bruce is unprepared for this assault, and he sends the Question to interview Selina. Selina insists that she left Bruce to make him stronger, but the Question rightfully points out her plan has left him captured, so maybe her plan isn't working. She then admits she lied. I think the real question is if I still care at this point. (Spoiler alert: I don't.)
Die #4: Gillen gives the party a rest as they arrive in Glass Town, the first town established in Die. An impenetrable, d20-shaped translucent barrier exists around it, and it sits on the edge of Eternal Prussia and Little England. The townspeople throw open the doors to the party, declaring them the Paragons that prophecy says will save them from the "Devil Boy." Realizing the townspeople are on their side, the party members settle into a night of drinking.
Before she can join them, Isabella makes peace with one of her gods, the Mourner, so she can heal her. As part of the deal, Isabelle is forced to read to the Mourner's followers from the diaries that she kept during their first time in Die, along the way discovering that they've become holy texts. (Mistress Woe, one of her other gods, apparently told Isabelle that she'll "pay [her] back in [Isabelle's] own time." Ruh-roh.)
Later, Chuck and Isabelle both press Ash to talk about why he chose to become a woman in Die, something for which Isabelle notes they didn't have the words to discuss when they were there the first time. Angela intervenes on Ash's behalf, but starts to bawl. Like Matthew, she worries about what her absence means to her children. She laments her terrible choice in partners, and here we learn that Chuck was her first boyfriend. But, she later confesses that her tears are about the spell that she's dying to cast, because it means she'll need to find Fair gold every day lest "he" dies. Conveniently, the dwarven drinking companion they've accumulated just happens to have Fair. As the issue's cover shows, Angela uses it to cast the aforementioned spell and summons her dog, Case. Her joy is clear, and Gillen does a good job of showing just how much Angela has to lose -- her arm, her dog -- in transiting to the real world again. Sure, she'll see her children again, but Case's arrival on the scene in Die ups the stakes.
Later, the town's leader (or, possibly, chief diviner) arrives, informing the party the road to Sol's fortress is blocked. To enter it, they'll have to get three keys, found in the depths of three dungeons guarded by 12 "perils." The party members are enraged, as it's clear that Sol is fucking with them with such an obvious quest. Isabelle wonder if they could even successfully destroy him at Twenty, since masters are the most powerful in their homes. However, Ash's idea for solving the problem shows how Sol might not be ready for the adult versions of his friends: Ash suggests they destroy Glass Town, which Sol has molded in his image, to bring him to them. That should go well.
Doomsday Clock #9: OK, we've officially moved past the careful storytelling phase of this event and entered the ass-kicking phase. The Justice League -- namely the Green Lanterns and Constantine -- examine the blast site in Moscow. They realize that someone was trying to kill Superman and pin the blame on Firestorm. They trace the energy to Mars and take virtually every hero on Earth with them to confront Dr. Manhattan. Meanwhile, Bruce awakens from his coma and tries to send a message to the Justice League, saying they're being played. Alfred reminds Bruce that he himself told Clark that Firestorm wasn't the culprit, but Bruce simply looks at Rorschach's journal and says he should've listened. Clark remains in a coma, and Lois is surprised when Lex comes to "visit." He tells her that he sent her the footage of the Justice Society heroes and that a "force" is undermining all existence. He then cryptically asks her if she's ever heard of Wally West. On Mars, Dr. Manhattan reveals to Firestorm that the Professor purposefully created the accident that merged them to examine metahumans from the inside. (Later, we learn that the Professor was the head of the Department of Metahuman Affairs and likely the creator of the metahumans revealed as part of the Superman Theory.) Wonder Woman addresses the United Nations, and President Trump renounces Superman (hilariously saying in his tweet that he'd done more for the world anyway). It all comes to a head as Batman's message fails to arrive with the League in time and Dr. Manhattan destroys all the heroes on Mars. Meanwhile, on Earth, Black Adam arrives with Giganta and the Creeper to break into the United Nations, announcing he's "making a move." Indeed.
Star Wars #62: "I hate to sound like your dad, kid, but what the hell are you doing hanging around with death cults?" Ha ha ha. Well played, Gillen, well played. Other than that line, the best part of this issue is Leia having to deny that it's a revenge mission as she gathers former allies and colleagues to destroy Shu-Torun.
Uncanny X-Men #13: I’m surprised to say it, but this series may be the most exciting one on the stands right now. For the first time in a long time, Rosenberg gives the X-Men a purpose, as Scott puts together a target list of the X-Men’s greatest threats and thorniest problems. (Logan calls it a kill list. Magik calls it a suicide pack. Probably most accurately, Alex calls it the invite list to the worst party ever.) First on their list is Dark Beast, who they capture only after learning he’s been torturing Jamie Madrox in an underground bunker. (My only complaint with this issue is this part. Not only has Marvel still not told us how Jamie allegedly survived yet another brush with death in "Death of X," when everyone was clear that Jamie Prime was dead even in the "Multiple Man" miniseries, but we have yet another villain torturing him. Can we please put this plotline to rest so we can get back the Jamie that we “X-Factor” fans know and love?) Rosenberg is at his best when he focuses on the team’s dynamic. Alex is the same disgruntled mess that we last saw in the promising “Astonishing X-Men.” In fact, by making the team live in the back of Harry’s Bar, Rosenberg seems to be (wisely) treating this series as an extension of that one. But, that said, Alex has pulled himself together a bit, as he threatens Scott here by telling him that he won’t let Scott become the man that he was (or the X-Men become the team that they were before they died). Rosenberg is underlining Alex as the moral center of the team, which makes sense on a team where the only other members in full charge of their faculties are Scott, Logan, and Illyana. Next issue, Rosenberg picks up where “X-Men Disassembled” ended, with the MLF hitting pharmacies that are distributing the mutant vaccine. The X-Men hiding in the shadows while trying to make the world a better place is exactly where they should be.
Also Read: Age of X-Man: Prisoner X #1; Avengers: No Road Home #4; Conan the Barbarian #4; Star Wars: Vader - Dark Visions #1
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