Dark Ages #1 (September 1): This issue is pretty solid, to be honest. I loved Taylor's work on "Earth 2," so I was happy to see that he was the one penning this "What If...?" story. This series picks up a popular science-fiction theme over the past few years, namely what happens if Earth lost electricity.
In this version of Earth, it all begins at the start of the Universe, when its creator(s) also created the Unmaker to stop entropy and consume black holes. Eventually, this mission to police the new Universe corrupted him, and the Living Tribunal was forced to stop him. Instead of destroying him, he buried the Unmaker's body in Earth's core just as the planet was forming. (I'm not really sure what the Tribunal's long-term plan was there.)
At any rate, he starts to awaken, shaking apart the Earth. Dr. Strange and Sue Storm go to the center of the Earth, and Dr. Strange manages to open up a portal to a dimension where electricity doesn't exist before the Unmaker kills him. Although Dr. Strange's plan worked, the anti-electricity field eventually grew to encompass all of Earth since he was unable to stop it. To make matters worse, when the Unmaker awakened, he somehow connected with Apocalypse, and it seems that Apocalypse is ready to take advantage of Earth's weakness to do...something.
Again, all in all, it's a pretty solid premise, and Taylor makes a good call using Peter as a narrator to keep it light when appropriate.
The Last Annihilation: Wiccan & Hulkling #1 (September 1): This issue is just lovely. From start to finish, it's a testament to both characters as individuals and to both characters as a couple. It walks us through their fears and insecurities, only for each one of them to move past them when they realize that they're never alone. As they remind themselves and each other, it's what marriage means.
But, their marriage goes a step farther. Teddy had their wedding rings forged from the ruins of Captain Marvel's Nega-Bands, allowing Billy and Teddy to switch places and address threats more suitable to their power sets. Teddy discovers that Billy reforged his sword using Dormammu's "Flames of Faltine," which he uses to disrupt Dormammu. Meanwhile, Billy arrives on Throneworld II in time to redirect the energy that the Supreme Intelligence was using to destroy the planet to take out the Mindless One fleet.
Along the way, Oliveira reminds us of how they first found one another, using the concept of quantum entanglement as a metaphor for whom they are now. Once linked, they remain linked. It's hard to write about love, but Oliverira does it well. The art team helps him enormously as they somehow manage to show how much these two boys love one another. It just so happens to be a love that'll save the galaxy.
New Mutants #21 (September 1): OK, now we're getting somewhere.
Although it's still pretty unclear the extent to which the Shadow King is manipulating the Lost Club, it's exceedingly clear that he manipulated Rahne, given that it seems like she killed Gabby. The Five agreed to resurrect Gabby (and basically tell the Council to go fuck itself and its "no clones" policy), and she recounts her final moments to the Five, the Lost Club, and Rahne. Rahne then tells Dani, Illyana, and Xi'an, and they're ready to beat down the Shadow King.
This issue's second plot is a lot harder to follow. Jimmy takes some of the other kids to the Moon for a little housekeeping around the Krakoa sphere, but it's hard to follow because we've never really met these kids before. Given they're all wearing spacesuits, it's basically just a bunch of faceless mutants doing things.
I'm fine with splitting the narrative between various groupings, but we need to spend more time getting to know the extended cast lest we spend every issue going, "Wait, who did what?"
Sinister War #4 (September 1): The Sinister War ends in a fairly believable way. Otto uses Black Ant's helmet to create a device that destroys the centipedes in everyone's heads, knocking out everyone. He tells Peter that he didn't do it to save him but because Kindred reneged on their deal. It's all very Otto. Along the way, though, Boomerang sacrificed himself to save Spidey. He had already risked his life last issue to help Peter flee, so his sacrifice here completes as much of a redemption arc as possible for Boomerang. Now, all we have left is Peter taking on Kindred. Did this event turn out better than I thought? Definitely. Am I ready for the Kindred story to end? OMFG, yes.
Amazing Spider-Man #73 (September 8): Oh, God, make it end, please, please, please, make it end. Am I thrilled that Spencer undoes "Sins Past?" OMG, yes! I'm beyond thrilled. It never made sense.
Spencer even does it well: Harry used Mysterio acting as Mary Jane's therapist to plant the conversation where Gwen "admitted" to Mary Jane that she and Norman had children. In the end, the Harry AI tells Norman that Gabriel and Sarah were LMDs whom he created to torture Norman, his version of the trauma that Harry inflicted on Peter with Mary and Richard Parker.
The unclear part is that Kindred seems to be both Harry and Sarah Osborn. It seems like Harry kept resurrecting Gabriel and Sarah each time they suffered advanced aging syndrome, driving them insane in the same way that the Jackal eventually drove Ben insane. But, Sarah keeps referring to this process as something that she, Sarah, did, when she couldn't possibly have been the one to do it? I guess we'll finally, finally see.
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