Amazing Spider-Man #23: This issue feels slapdash, but it does what it needs to do. Spencer ticks off the list of future threats emerging from "Hunted," with the Vulture reforming the Savage Six, Kraven, Jr. assuming the mantle of Kraven the Hunter, and the Chameleon thanking Sergei (at his grave) for sparing him the Hunt and pledging destruction and doom in the future. But, most importantly, Spencer thankfully throws out the "Women in Refrigerators" plot, as we learn MJ's injury came from slipping on Peter's costume and putting an arm through the coffee table. (She seems pretty OK given the severity of the cuts that should involve.) The creeper Goblin we previously saw hanging over her has taken the form of an inchworm -- yeah, I don't know how either -- observing Peter tearfully hugging her. The inchworm -- er, Goblin -- exposits that he's keeping MJ safe from her greatest threat -- Peter -- so that they can be together. If we were dealing with the post-collegiate versions of these characters, I'd say the creeper Goblin was Harry Osborn, but that makes less sense now. I guess we'll see, though I admit I have problems caring? Like, I thought the joy of Spencer getting MJ and Peter back together was that he'd avoid these sorts of clichés. Oh, well.
Detective Comics #1,005: I'll be honest that I'm not sure why DC felt the need to introduce the Arkham Knight to the comics continuity. In the video game, it was Jason Todd, thought killed by the Joker. As we learned last issue, it's now Jeremiah Arkham's secret daughter, Astrid. Raised in Arkham surrounded by convicts, she believed that Batman was the bad guy, particularly after he allegedly killed her mother. It's a lie Jeremiah allowed to persist because it meant that he could escape culpability in wife's death. (What a therapist, this guy.) After her previous dry run of setting off a small sun in Gotham, Astrid now tries to blind Gotham's citizens so they can't see Batman. To her, he's an agent of the darkness and shadows so, if everyone is blind, his power over them fades. In other words, she's crazy. For all the hoopla of introducing the Knight, it just feels so ho-hum, yet another lunatic with some diabolical plan that Batman easily foils. (Also, why go with the dry run and alert Batman to your existence? Why not just blind everyone from the get-go?) The end sequence of Batman and Robin surveying the city days later feels directly lifted from a "Batman: The Animated Series" episode, the first time I've felt that way about Tomasi's writing.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #7: I've been enjoying this series a lot, but this issue is an unfortunate miss. Taylor leans very, very heavily into eye-rolling clichés, from Marnie telling Peter that she didn't know May was a superhero to the cartoonishly villainous local businesspeople who prompt May's aforementioned "super heroics" when confronting her about opening F.E.A.S.T. It all feels rushed, as Taylor is more than capable of providing a better script that got across the same message.
Invaders #6: Zdarsky continues to make this series tense and unexpected as something that almost never happens in the Marvel Universe does here: the heroes lose. Cap fails to stop Namor from launching his bomb, which turns 3,000 people in a coastal Maine town (as well as Nay and Roman) into Atlanteans. Zdarksy also doesn't avoid pinning blame on Steve; in a character-honest approach, he has Tony frequently point out the fact that he told Steve they needed to act and not try to reason with Namor. I'm intrigued to see if Steve doubles down next issue on his belief that he can save Namor or if he accepts that he's too far gone.
Transformers #7: I had been disappointed by the slow pace of this series, but Ruckley really kicks it up a notch here. I can't believe he actually killed off Rubble! Bumblebee is devastated, and LaFuente and Burcham do a spectacular job here using the all-yellow panels to convey his grief, letting us know Rubble is dead before we're told. That event is the catalyst for all sorts of developments.
First, Ratchet informs Prowl that the modus operandi is different from the one that Brainstorm's murderer used, meaning that Cybertron has two different killers on the loose. Bumblebee isn't the only Transformer feeling guilt, as Prowl tells Chromia that he's going to get revenge, blaming himself for not finding the Voin more quickly. Ironhide informs Orion that Sentinel Prime, Starscream, and Nautica will all return from their colony tour once they reach the nearest Spacebridge; Ironhide isn't sure if it's a good or a bad thing.
Bumblebee visits the Ascenticon Guard after his conversation with Senator Soundwave last issue. Bumblebee tells Elita-1 that he needs to do something, as Cybertronians are dying, but Refraktor and Skytred make it clear that they don't want a Security reject on the team. Elita-1 isn't buying their toxic masculinity, telling Bumbleebee that the Guard wants to bring about the orderly and safe change that must come, as the Autobots' way of restraint is clearly not helping anyone. (Ruckley does a great job here of showing how the Ascenticons have a point. I'm also assuming Ascenticons are behind the murders.) But, Skytred can't keep his mouth shut and teases Bumblebee over Rubble's murder, sparking a fight between them and Refraktor. Elita-1 breaks up the fight, and Bumblebee notes that he isn't wanted, but also wonders where Quake is. (Dun-dun-DUN!)
Meanwhile, Cyclonus is clearly cuckoo for cocoa puffs, as he's haunted by the ghosts of Gridlock, Highfire, and an unidentified Transformer. Gridlock says Cyclonus is broken after Highfire wonders why he would hang around the Memorial Crater, the site of the last battle in the war "against the Threefold Spark." It seems the three frequently haunt Cyclonus (who Gridlock calls "boss"). Highfire encourages Cyclonus to stay focused on the "mission," but Gridlock tells him that he's wasting his time, because the war has ended and "Exarchon's gone." Cyclonus says that no one knows that, and he's surprised when he finds a loose cable at the Crater, part of his lament that no one is performing the necessary upkeep. He's surprised again when a smallish Transformer opens fire on him.
Again, Rubble's murder really injected some much needed energy into this series. I'm intrigued to see where we go from here.
Also Read: Star Wars: Vader - Dark Visions #5
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