Amazing Spider-Man #72 (August 25): You know, this issue should feel absurd, but it doesn't. It actually makes a lot of sense. (I know, right?)
After Mendel Stromm eclipsed Norman professionally, Mephisto offered Norman a deal: success in exchange for Harry. Norman was ridden with debt, so he took the deal. As Mephisto informs him, it started slowly, but eventually Norman would get everything that he ever wanted while Harry's life would get more and more difficult. It seems like Mephisto also turned Norman into Green Goblin as part of the deal, though I think it's an open question if he also made him crazy.
At any rate, we're now dealing with two separate Mephisto deals, which seems like we're setting up a third deal of some sort to resolve the Kindred story. Given that Kindred admits that he isn't Harry, I'm expecting to see Ben under that mask next issue.
Cable: Reloaded #1 (August 25): This issue is good enough to convince me to read the 12-issue "Cable" series because, as surprised as I am to admit it, I already miss Kid Cable.
I've never been a fan of adult Cable. He's always been portrayed as a mutant version of the Punisher - a humorless, wounded man with a mission - and he's usually more of a caricature than a character as a result.
But, Kid Cable's presence is clearer in this Cable, who actually seems like a normal human being. Over the course of their mission, he expresses his pride in each X-Terminator team member for their contributions, a noted change from his cold-hearted, hard-charging persona of previous iterations.
I'm also intrigued by the fact that, at this point, Jean and Scott have basically raised him his entire young life. It obviously feels like a stretch that he knew that his younger self was going to kill him, but time-travel stories force one to make compromises as a reader.
In terms of the story itself, Cable and the X-Terminators storm Breakworld to steal a city-sized machine so they can turn it into a gun and transport it (thanks to Lila Cheney) to Arakko. (Did I mention that I enjoyed Lila basically telling us Sam is loud in bed?) It's part of the "The Last Annihilation" story, as Rocket uses mysterium to fashion a bullet, which I'm guessing that we'll be firing at Ego shortly.
Darkhawk #1 (August 25): Darkhawk was 100% my teenage 1990s hero, so it's weird to read about a teenage 2020s hero here. If Chris Powell was just a regular kid who happened to find the amulet shortly after seeing his police-officer father (allegedly) accept a bribe, Connor Young is the polar opposite: he's his high school's star point-guard and heading to ESU on a full scholarship in the fall. His father is managing his already burgeoning fame. The future, it is bright.
It all comes crashing to Earth (like the amulet) when Connor is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. While vlogging his feelings dockside, he witnesses an explosion. While trying to help a worker escape some rubble, his multiple sclerosis lays him low. He survives the spreading fire when he finds the amulet, allowing him to save himself and the worker. He then takes on the three guys responsible for the attack, who apparently used more explosives than needed. The guys flee, and Connor returns home to tell his father the news. Meanwhile, Connor's friend Derek turns out being one of the three guys, and they're all working for a guy named Shawn, Connor's predecessor as Woodlawn's MVP.
Higgins does a great job here of setting up all the characters. His father isn't just some awful dad-ager; he's legitimately concerned for Connor's health, more so than he is about the NBA career that Connor watches disappearing before his eyes. Ramírez is also great, as he delivers just about the coolest Darkhawk armor that we've ever seen. I'll definitely read the rest of this mini-series. If Chris Powell returns for some sort of mentorship role then I may stay for whatever the creators have planned next.
Also Read: Winter Guard #1 (August 25)
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