Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Four-Month-Old Comics: The Top-Shelf November 10 and 24 (2021) Everything-Else Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Undiscovered Country #17 (November 10):  The thing about the Crossroad Devil's pitch -- that Ace use the Anything Engine to repopulate Possibility before using it to solve the world's problems -- is that it rings more plausible than Dr. Jain's pitch. 

Jain claimed that Prosperity's unique characteristics -- its dedication to technological innovation -- would eventually solve the world's problems despite the fact that she hadn't managed to do so yet.  The Devil offers the same deal, but it makes sense that he hasn't been able to save the world:  he needs humans to use the Anything Engine.  Moreover, saving the world's problems isn't actually his goal.  He's fine if the team winds up doing it, but it's incidental to the outcome that he wants, unlike Dr. Jain.  It's the first time where I thought that maybe the team should stay here, even though a deal with the Devil is inherently fraught.

It's that catch that ultimately makes Ace, Charlotte, Daniel, and Valentina turn against the offer, with Ace using the Anything Engine to replicate him and his friends to take on the Devil and his army.  But, it's a rushed denouement.  Charlotte and Daniel's opposition happens abruptly as just a few panels earlier they were considering the Devil's offer.  I would've like the team deliberate a little more, since, as it stands, it felt like they made this decision because the plot demanded it.

Star Wars:  Life Day #1 (November 24):  This issue makes not a lick of sense.  In each of the four stories (including the framing one), I have no idea what happened to get us to the denouement.  Given the art is also pretty lackluster, I'd recommend giving this issue a hard pass, even if it does feature Chewie and Han Solo.

Also Read:  Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #5 (October 13) and #6 (November 10), Dungeons & Dragons:  Mindbreaker #1 (October 20) and #2 (November 24); Newburn #1 (November 3); Where's the Furthest Place from Here #1 (November 10)

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