One-Month-Old Comics: The April 13 and 20 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Star Wars #22 (April 13):  This issue is like reading military history:  it should be exciting, but it's pretty dry.  That said, Soule manages to move the various parties into different positions than they were at the start of the issue, so hopefully that'll pay off next issue.

In exchange for the Alliance sourcing its supplies through Crimson Dawn, Qi'ra sets a trap for Zahra and her fleet.  She gives Zahra the Rebellion's Second Division's location and promises Leia that Zahra will be there.  (She also informs Leia that it's the last remaining Division, which stings, obviously.)  Qi'ra is definitely showing her cards more than she usually does, Zahra is too smart to believe that Qi'ra is trying to help.

Speaking of Zahra, I love that Soule makes her brutally competent (as opposed to most of her Imperial colleagues).  Zahra realizes immediately that Starlight Squadron is trying to distract her so that the Pathfinders can break into Tarkin's Will to rescue Shara.  Soule also highlights how similar Poe is to Kes.  If he had just waited a little longer, Leia would've been able to incorporate his rescue attempt into her plans to take out Zahra.  As Leia says, he's going to get people killed (just like his son).  That outcome becomes more likely when the Tarkin's Will jumps the hyperspace, leaving behind Starlight Squadron and, thus, the Pathfinders' ride.

Despite being pretty dry, Soule has efficiently put everyone in the same place for what I imagine is going to be a pretty fun series of issues.

Star Wars:  Darth Vader #22 (April 13):  This issue is extremely difficult to follow.  We've got so many double- and triple-crossing actors that it's virtually impossible to tell why anyone is doing anything.  

As far as I can tell, Vader "joins" Crimson Dawn simply to get the Dawn to take out Romodi and vice versa.  That said, I still don't know why he'd want to take out Romodi, given that he seems to be the Empire's only competent officer other than Zahra.  Moreover, I don't get why Sabé would simply hand over her command to Vader.  I get that he makes a compelling case that he can get the monsters to kill each other.  But, he himself is the monster, particularly where both Crimson Dawn and Sabé are concerned.  Maybe Sabé isn't privy to Qi'ra's goal of taking out the Sith, but it still seems a stretch that she'd ever view Vader as trustworthy.  

I'm also over Ochi, honestly.  I get that Ochi is in it for the power, but what does Sabé think is going to happen after the Dawn and Romodi eliminate each other?  The Empire is really going to impose order?

Captain America #0 (April 20):  This issue is beautiful:  de Iulis is perfection here.  

The story is also great, as Sam and Steve rush to foil yet another Zola scheme.  Onyebuchi, Lanzing, and Kelly make it clear that the threat - Zola's rocket turning everyone into zolosauruses - is real (if ridiculous), but Sam and Steve's biggest challenge is listening to a ranting Zola.  I loved Sam simply responding, "Yup, that America" when Zola asks if he really wants to save an America that commits [a long list of crimes].  

I'm excited that Marvel has decided not to make us choose between Sam and Steve, giving us series for each one.  I'm all for it.

Dark Beach #1 (April 20):  Ruíz-Unger does a solid job hooking you into both the immediate and larger stories that he's telling.  

It's pretty clear that Gordo is more than just a guy taking surreptitious crime-scene photos for his journalist friend.  It's also clear that he's stumbled upon a crime that connects to the series' mythos, namely that for some reason Earth removed itself from the Sun's orbit because it was killing humanity.  

I'm not sure where Ruíz-Unger is going with that overarching story, but given the beatdown that Gordo gets for sticking his nose into the murder it's clear that someone is invested in keeping it a secret.

Also Read:  X-Men #10

One-Month-Old Comics: The April 6 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

All right, I've gotten through enough of my superhero-comic backlog that I can finally start reviewing all my comics at the same time.  As such, I'll start reviewing the "Star Wars" and other "top-shelf" series with the superhero comics.  Onwars and upwards!

Devil's Reign #6 (April 6):  It's weird to be happy that Wilson Fisk gets a happy ending, but Zdarksy's brilliance is what makes that possible.  

After Luke inspires the freed Purple Child to summon the strength to break the Purple Man's hold on New York City, Wilson's plan is in shambles.  He doesn't care, though.  He thinks that he's killed Matt Murdoch, when we know that he's really killed Mike Murdoch.  When Daredevil hears that Mike is dead, he rushes to kill Fisk.  In the end, though, Elektra convinces him not to do it, because he isn't an assassin who strikes in shadows.  (Isn't he, though?)

As Wilson is brought to jail, Butch intervenes and brings him to the Stromwyns.  Wilson violently rejects their "offer" to make him president, potentially killing them in his rampage through their guards.  This entire experience has made him realize that he really just wants to be with Mary.  He tells Butch to tell everyone that Kingpin killed Matt Murdoch and Butch killed him.  

As such, "Devil's Reign" ends with both Daredevil and Kingpin free of who they were.  Daredevil agrees to help Elektra form the Fist, and Kingpin and Mary literally sail into the sunset.  Although primarily a Daredevil story, Marvel isn't wrong, for once, that this mini-series will have serious ramifications throughout the New York City-based hero community.  Fisk is no longer the mayor, and Luke Cage (!) looks set to become the mayor.  

As these events go, Zdarsky did much better than his colleagues before him.  He kept the story focused and didn't trying to do too much.  The story of Kingpin's fall as Mayor was literally years in the making, and I'm really satisfied with the outcome.

Marauders #1 (April 6):  This issue is uneven, but it's a solid enough start for this new team.  I feel like Orlando probably needed two full issues to tell the story that he wanted to tell here, first establishing the new team and its dynamic and then sending them on their first mission.  Then again, after the time that he had to spend establishing that Krakoa has determined Cassandra Nova is a mutant, maybe it was a good idea to end with a bang.  

And a bang it is:  Cassandra reveals that the Shi'ar have been holding the first generation of mutants captive for millennia.  As Kate and company head to the Imperium, Delphos reveals herself to Xandra as Delphos the Red, a member of a secret society created to keep the mutants imprisoned lest the Imperium fall.  She reveals their secret history to Xandra, who's sufficiently terrified of what would happen if the Marauders discover the truth that she sends Erik the Red after them.  

Looking at next issue, I'm hoping that we'll see some tighter art and writing, but, all in all, it isn't a terrible new start for Kate and company.

Spider-Punk #1 (April 6):  I'm hit or miss with Cody Ziglar, but this issue is seriously fun.  Hobie and his Spider-Band of anarchist, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ super-friends protect Brooklyn from Kraven and the Hunters, who've accepted weapons from a mysterious benefactor to help him gentrify the neighborhood.  It could be eye-roll inducing, but Ziglar infuses the story with enough heart and humor (i.e., "What's the Furthest Place from Here?" was missing) that it isn't.  If you want your Spider-Man a little more cyberpunk and a little more queer, this series is for you.

X-Men Red #1 (April 6):  This series is exactly what I was hoping it would be.  

Ewing uses Storm and Sunspot as our eyes into how difficult trying to fit Earth and Arakko societies together is going to be.  For Bobby, he's excited at the possibility that Arakko brings, looking to become Arakko's premier party planner, essentially.  It's the perfect role for him.  Fuck A.I.M.  Bringing disco to Arakko is his calling.  

But, Earth's misfit toys are causing trouble.  Vulcan loses his shit at the Red Lagoon, Bobby's bar, when a Shi'ar diplomat doesn't recognize him, his former "king."  Before Abigail Brand and Cable can calm down the situation, Vulcan starts waling on Bobby.  Then, Thunderbird arrives and loses his shit and he starts waling on Vulcan.  But, Brand understands the situation and does what I've been saying that the mutants' leaders need to do to keep the younger mutants in line:  Thunderbird and Vulcan just need jobs.

Meanwhile, Ewing shows that Storm is handling her task a little better than Bobby.  As imperious as Isca the Unbeaten is, Storm notes that she constantly abstains and refuses to accept the burden for decisions that Isca wants her (Storm) to accept.  (Because Isca so frequently abstains, Storm often has to cast the tying vote.)  To emphasize this point, Brand proposes that Storm create an X-Men for Mars.  She wants Storm to lead it as Queen of Mars, which leads Storm, as she does frequently throughout this issue, to insist that she's Regent of Arakko.

As these events develop, Magneto strikes up a friendship with the Fisher King, a human born in the Tarn's prisons who lives on one of Arakko's isolated continents.  Bobby later approaches Magneto (with the Fisher King present) about creating a new X-Men team to keep an eye on Brand, and Storm arrives to propose something similar.  Knowing Brand is going to build her own X-Men (presumably with Thunderbird and Vulcan on the team) for her own ends, though, Storm suggests that they are instead the Brotherhood.  Yes!

In other words, it's "John Carter of Mars" meets "Days of Future Past" meets "Blade Runner" meets "Red Mars."  In other words, it's spectacular.  Ewing excels at showing both Storm and Sunspot's strengths and weaknesses in one issue.  Storm's commitment to peace makes her turn an inadvisably blind eye to the Arakkii's true nature, but her experience, insight, and values make her capable of actually bringing about that peace.  Bobby is too optimistic, maybe, but also pays more attention than people think that he does.  Ewing is also putting together characters that we've never really seen interact, which makes it all the more exciting.  I can't tell if Storm is going to hate or love Bobby, but we'll see.

In other words, I am so fucking here for this series.

Also Read:  Moon Knight #10 (April 6)

Two-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero March 23 and 30 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Ben Reilly:  Spider-Man #3 (March 23):  OMG, talk about a deep cut!  Spidercide!  I mean, he was the worst, but I'm totally game to see where DeMatteis goes with him.  I also have to complement DeMatteis on not dragging out Ben's mysterious nemesis for too long.  It was clear that it was Díaz from the beginning, and a lot of authors would've burned through a few issues to hold the reveal until the end.  Now, I feel like we're going to get some real tension as we see if Ben can handle yet another angry clone brother coming after him.

X Deaths of Wolverine #5 (March 23):  Enh.  This issue isn't terrible and does what it's supposed to do, namely bring back Moira for her eleventh life as a cyborg.  I'm down with that, though, again, I feel like the ten-issue "X Lives and Deaths of Wolverine" saga probably could've been a three-issue mini-series.  

The most interesting part of this event, for me, was Beast admitting to Sage that they only succeed - Krakoa only succeeds - because Wolverine is a savage killer willing to get his hands dirty.  For all the diplomacy of the Quiet Council, it's Wolverine who preserves mutantkind.  It's a rough pill for Beast to swallow, but it's also the closest that I've seen any long-term X-Men come to acknowledging their debt to him, even if it comes with disdain, as it does with Beast here.

Amazing Spider-Man #93 (March 30):  Holy fuck balls, you guys.

For the fact that this issue ends the "Beyond" saga, it doesn't really wrap up any loose ends.  In fact, it leaves us with more questions than it answers.  How future authors answer those questions will determine what "Beyond's" long-term legacy is.  It's short-term legacy is a much-needed shot in the arm for the Spider-Man franchise.

First things first, Maxine's escape plan largely drives the story.  Ben makes quick work of the Slingers and reaches her office only for her to give him a device that'll allegedly transfer Peter's memories - the ones that Ben is missing - to him.  Although Wells never fully addresses whether Maxine is lying or not, her gambit works:  Ben leaves her to go after Peter.  She then orders a kill team to take out Marcus, telling him that she's given him a respectable death story in recognition of his service.  Janine manages to save Marcus (with the "Infantalizer," which turns the kill team into babies), and Ben finds Peter.

Wells excels in scripting this fight, as Ben's rage is so abundantly clear.  Peter can't reason with him, failing to convince him that maybe - just maybe - Maxine wasn't really telling the truth about the device that she gave him.  Speaking of Maxine, the Beyond Board authorizes the liquidation of the building's lower levels and attempts to assassinate her, only to discover that she's using a holographic decoy.  (The Board is outraged that she uses something that the Board reserves the right to use.)  I have to say that the only good news to this issue is that the Board somehow didn't promote Maxine.

Peter manages to destroy the device, which breaks Ben.  As Maxine's "quantum-shifting polymers in a psycho-reactive medium" begin to rewrite the matter in the lower floors, Ben falls into the goo.  Gleason is spectacular here.  Peter's face so clearly conveys the anguish that he feels as he watches the goo consume Ben, and Ben's face is angelically resigned to his defeat when he tells Peter:  "You have it all, Peter.  All the parts I'm missing.  I just wanted them back."  Marcus manages to save Peter as Beyond HQ becomes several floors shorter.

In the epilogue, Janine traipses through the goo to find Ben; she's started when his arm - full with some sort of psychic-energy tentacle - emerges from the rubble.  Weeks later, Mary Jane asks Peter to move into her apartment with her, only for a glowing mysterious figure to appear at the window, saying "A road of blood led to you...come with me."  Months later, Ben continues to see his face as that familiar void in the mirror.  Janine hears a crash from the other room and enters the bathroom to find him gone.  In the most spectacular splash page I've ever seen, Ben appears in a purple costume with a green psychic-energy aura exuding from him, announcing, "There is only a Chasm."  

Seriously, people, I got chills.

In terms of the overall "Beyond" saga, I have to say that I'm thrilled.  After Nick Spencer's ridiculously prolonged Kindred story, it was awesome to have such a compelling and detailed story presented in just 19 issues.  

On one hand, I'm devastated to see Ben end up this way.  I've been pulling for him for so long.  But, the Beyond Board honestly made a compelling argument that Ben was inevitably going to become Peter's archenemy:  he's gone through too much, been broken too many times, had his dreams ruined too frequently.  It's Spider-Man, so redemption is clearly on the table for him, when he has people like Janine, Marcus, and Peter all willing to help.  But, his appearance in the final page is so terrifying that it's hard to see how someone could redeem him.  He just seems too far gone.

As they say, I guess we'll have to tune in next month.

Immortal X-Men #1 (March 30):  Meh.  This issue is fine, I guess, though Gillen's use of Mr. Sinister as our narrator means that it's way too obtuse.  As always, he has schemes.

Two of said schemes are relevant here.  First, in 1919, Destiny told him...something, and he expects it to manifest at the Quiet Council meeting where Magneto announces his retirement.  That said, he doesn't think that Destiny knows that he knows, so maybe I'm wrong about that?  After all, didn't she tell him the "something?"  Second, he appears to have cloned Moira, and I'm not sure if we're supposed to believe that he's been willy-nilly resetting the timeline with her?  

I like the idea of this series in theory, of Gillen walking us through all the Council members' various schemes.  But, this issue shows how hard it is to do that in practice in a way that doesn't seem tedious.  It doesn't help that the main players are all incredibly unlikeable.  We'll see where we go, I guess.

Also Read:  Marauders Annual #1 (January 26); Devil's Reign:  X-Men #3 (March 23); Dark Ages #6 (March 30); Star Wars:  Bounty Hunters #21 (March 30)

Two-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero March 9 and 16 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #92 (March 9):  Thompson does a better job in this issue of keeping the humor to a reasonable level while focusing on Ben's increasingly disturbing descent into madness.

As Ben tears his way through Beyond HQ to get to Maxine, he contemplates the fact that he doesn't know what his values are without Peter's memories.  He keeps telling himself that he isn't a bad person and is clearly worried that he's going to cross a line as he's taking out guard after guard.  (He has to destroy his A.I. assistant Langston to break into the building and notes that the Peter part of him would've felt bad about that but that part of him is gone.)  But, Janine's memories are all his own; when she arrives, it helps ground him.  He then goes after Maxine while Janine goes to save Marcus.

Meanwhile, we learn that Lizard Z is actually Vampire Lizard Z after Colleen, Misty, and Spidey stumble upon a comatose Morbius.  I'm a little confused why Peter keeps calling Lizard Z "Dr. Connors," since I thought that they were still separated?  At any rate, Colleen and Misty free "Mike," which sets up "Beyond's" end-game:  Colleen, "Mike," and Misty will take care of Lizard Z in "Amazing Spider-Man" #92.BEY while Peter heads to help Ben in "Amazing Spider-Man" #93.

I actually find myself wishing that the "Beyond" arc could've lasted longer, which is the best compliment I can imagine.

Devil's Reign #5 (March 9):  This issue is a little chaotic, as Zdarsky references events or situations that I don't recall happening.  For example, the intro page says that Otto has control of the city, which seems a little more extreme than I remember from last issue.  I'm assuming one of the tie-in issues made that development more clear, so I'm just going with it.

At any rate, Jessica Jones and the Champions try to free the Purple Children from U.S.Agent and the Thunderbolts, but they only manage to free one Child before the Abomination forces them to flee.  Meanwhile, Butch plans on taking out Kingpin since revenues are down 80 percent while Mike Murdoch hopes to use his hidden Norn Stone to somehow fix the situation.

Elsewhere, Otto transfers the rest of the Purple Children's powers to Purple Man, but, Otto being Otto, is confident that he's safe from Kingpin due to his neural blockers.  As Kingpin says, Otto's short-term thinking is why Spider-Man always defeats him, and Kingpin takes control of Otto-Hulk to take out Otto.  Kingpin then orders Purple Man to kill all the heroes, which he plans on doing through his control of New York City's citizens.  Later, Fisk arrives at Mike Murdoch's place and, thinking that he's Matt, beats him to death.

In other words, it isn't going great for our folks.  That said, Wilson is so clearly over the edge that he's going to make some sort of mistake.

Devil's Reign:  Moon Knight #1 (March 9):  Fuck, man, this issue is intense.

It turns out Moon Knight let himself get captured and sent to the Myrmidon so that he could take out Man Mountain Marko, who threatened to kill his ex-wife (who came to Marc for help) and take their super-powered daughter.  Marc certainly isn't going to let that happen, so he moves his way up the fighting-pit circuit the guards have going to take on Marko, the reigning champion.  When Marko refuses to leave his ex-wife and daughter alone, Marc pokes out his eyes.  Oh, Marc:  such a softie.  

When Marc's cellmate, 8-Ball, asks whether the heroes will take him (Marc) with them when they inevitably escape, he says that they will since they need someone like him to take on Fisk.  I like McKay ending with this point.  As much as the Avengers view him as a problem that they'd love someone to solve, I'm pretty sure that they won't mind him taking on U.S.Agent and the Thunderbolts.

Hawkeye:  Kate Bishop #5 (March 9):  Eh.  This mini-series was fine, I guess.  Nijkamp wraps up all the loose ends (except for an escaped Pascal, about whom I care not at all) and maneuvers Kate home to New York.  I'm honestly not sure why Marvel gave us such a convoluted mini-series just to get her to New York since she could've just, you know, moved there.  I'm also still not really sure how Susan got her hands on a Cosmic Cube fragment.  But, Lucky the Pizza Dog getting a hold of said fragment and generating piles of pizza and stuffed toys was worth the price of admission, I guess.  It's as strong of a recommendation as I can make, so there you go.

X Deaths of Wolverine #4 (March 9):  Ugh.  This issue isn't terrible, but I still don't know why we're belaboring this story.  

Omega Logan and the Wolverine track down Arnab Chakladar, and Omega Logan informs Chakladar that whatever he's creating with Moira is what enables the machines in the future to destroy humanity and mutantkind.  Omega Logan promises not to kill Chakladar if he tells him where Moira went.  When Chakladar tells him that she went to Krakoa (using Banshee's skin - oof - to trick the gate), Logan lobotomizes him and orders the Wolverines to destroy the lab.  On Krakoa, Moira (allegedly) strips Forge of his powers with his gun before Logan (allegedly) kills her and succumbs to the Phalanx.

As I said, it isn't terrible, but I'm still not sure this story merits as much attention as it's getting with this five-issue mini-series.

X Lives of Wolverine #5 (March 16):  As expected, Wolverine manages to force Omega Red from his mind and, through their shared connection, locate him in Russia.  Logan kills Omega Red and returns the Cerebro Blade to Sage who then directs him to help the Wolverines fight off Omega Logan.  

Just like "X Deaths of Wolverine," I can't say that I minded this mini-series, but I'm still not sure what its point was.  Marvel's obvious attempt to turn them into the next "House of X"/"Powers of X" raised the bar way too high.  Those mini-series ended with the complete recreation of the X-titles, whereas the only outcome from "X Lives and Deaths of Wolverine" is maybe that Moira dies?  The stakes, they are low.

Also Read:  X Lives of Wolverine #4 (March 9); Amazing Spider-Man #92.BEY (March 16)

Two-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero March 2 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #91 (March 2):  I love Kelly Thompson, but I'll admit that her humor-based approach didn't feel like the best fit for this issue.  I mean, yes, it was the right fit for the demonic multiplying kitties, obviously.  But, the main point of this issue is Ben's increasing descent into madness as he loses more and more memories.  Thankfully, he remembers enough to go after Maxine but unleashes a souped-up Lizard on Colleen, Misty, and Peter so that they don't get in his way.  I get that he's unstable, but we never really get insight into why he thought that they'd get in his way.  In other words, it isn't a terrible issue, but I'd have enjoyed it more if Thompson treated Ben a little more seriously.   

Devil's Reign:  X-Men #2 (March 2):  To my mind, this issue is tied with "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2 (which introduced Spider-Gwen) as the best tie-in issue of all time.  I'd love to read a Duggan/Noto series about Emma's misadventures in '80s and '90s New York.  

In the past, Emma helps Elektra extricate Isabelle, the girl who witnessed her "work" last issue, before Kingpin can eliminate her.  Duggan shows a more brutal New York here than we typically saw in that era's superhero comics.  Kingpin learns about Isabelle after she tells her foster parents about what she saw and they go to the police hoping to collect a tipster reward.  (The police naturally tip off Kingpin.)  Emma is appalled that they just left her alone.  It all fits with Emma walking a darker road during that era than Daredevil or Spider-Man (which is saying a lot).  

When Elektra needs a hand taking out the cops that Kingpin sent to kill Isabelle so that Emma and Isabelle can escape, Emma calls in Spider-Man since he's swinging through the neighborhood.  It results in one of the issue's best scenes, when Emma reads Peter's mind to see why he does what he does.  "You were just a boy," she remarks, sadly, as she scans his memories.  She then kisses him on the cheek and thanks him for what he does before wiping his memory of their encounter.  Emma escapes with Isabelle, but one of the photographers that Kingpin has observing Emma gets a photo of her doing so.  

In the present, Kingpin uses the photo to accuse Emma of Isabelle's disappearance, which leads Emma to London to ask a now-adult Isabelle to appear in court.   Before Emma can find Isabelle, Union Jack arrests her so the United States can extradite her to stand trial for Isabelle's disappearance.  

Again, this issue is beyond excellent.  It opens with Emma interacting with all sorts of Marvel characters; my favorite vignette is a tie between her impersonating Sue Storm to mortgage the Baxter Building for $200 million and her interrupting a handcuffed Nick Fury during sex to get him to ignore something for Kingpin.  Duggan is definitely not pretending that Emma is a saint.  But, he picks up a theme that we've seen in "Marauders," as Emma helps remove girls and women like Isabelle and Lourdes Chantel from bad situations.

In other words, I'd be worried if I were Kingpin.

Moon Knight #9 (March 2):  Although we learn that Marc is now operating from a bar through pet peeve #1, I'll try to temper my annoyance.  After all, this issue is all about the Midnight Mission's destruction and Marc rebuilding it with his own Krakoa in the form of the House of Shadows.  It's brilliant, honestly.  Along the way, we're treated to Marc figuring out the House's identity as he's lost in its maze.  Given that "Devil's Reign" is still ongoing, McKay manages to deliver a self-contained issue that advances the series' overall plot without spoiling "Devil's Reign" outcome.  It's a high tightrope to walk, and McKay does it perfectly.

X-Men #9 (March 2):  I read somewhere that Abigail Brand was a traitor to the X-Men, but I didn't realize that it meant she was an Orchis Board member.  Jesus.  Given that we also don't know the identities of the "Culture/Narrative" and "Sociology/Modeling" chairs, I'm guessing that she isn't going to wind up being the only surprising Board member.  (Has anyone heard from Val Cooper in a while?)  

But, unless you're a former political-science major like me, the best part of this issue is Destiny and Remy squabbling as Remy and Rogue take out the denizens of a bar on a moon, Oblitus, that replaced Knowhere.  (Yay, Cosmo!)  Destiny quipping, "Hate you" as she mimes strangling Gambit is one of the best scenes I've seen in comics in a while!

Meanwhile, Duggan builds another story here, as we learn Arakko wants someone to find Redroot, the Forest, who apparently wound up trapped in Otherworld.  She seems to have chosen Sunfire as her champion, so that should be fun.  I also just want to note that Storm's new costume - particularly her headdress - is really spectacular.

In other words, Duggan being Duggan, he manages to keep a number of plots of burners without leaving you feeling bored or confused.  It's still a great time to be an X-Men fan!

Also Read:  Devil's Reign:  Spider-Man #1 (March 2)

Three-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero February 16 and 23 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #89 (February 16):  This issue is a totally serviceable origin story for Queen Goblin.  It walks us through her "Goblin Gaze" ability, which allows her to twist her victim's most deep-seated fear(s) into their dominant thoughts.  Black Cat almost commits suicide under Queen Goblin's influence, but Peter saves her at the last minute.  It turns out Ben sent Janine to talk to Peter at the hospital and Janine freed Peter from his bed after Felicia webbed him to it so that he wouldn't take on Queen Goblin while still wounded.  (Confusing, I know.)  It's pretty clear that Peter isn't really healthy enough to take on Queen Goblin, but that's never stopped him before.

X Lives of Wolverine #3 (February 16):  Percy does a solid job of keeping the three time periods in which Wolverine is active distinct here, but it still isn't the easiest of issues to follow.  

It is clear, though, that Marvel Girl, Professor X, and Wolverine are losing the battle.  Mikhail's control over the Cerebro Sword is improving, now allowing him to send Omega Red against Xavier's ancestor in Canada while at the same time sending him against Wolverine in Japan.  When Omega Red manages to take over Wolverine in Colombia, the situation goes from bad to worse.  

The best part of this series so far is that we get to see Wolverine as a person with actual feelings.  Watching him fight to save Daken's life before it begins was moving, and Logan is clear with Jean that he's struggling under his memories' emotional weight.  Logan is often portrayed as simply a killing machine, and Percy is doing a great job of putting that impression to rest.

X-Men #8 (February 16):  Oof, this issue is a lot.  It turns out Synch was the one to mindwipe Ben Ulrich only to discover that he thought that the X-Men were miracles, not threats.  The guilt over that discovery and the trauma of losing his Laura are too much for him.  After a dangerous and hilarious battle with M.O.D.O.K. on a cruise ship, Everett tells Cyke that he's thinking of leaving the X-Men.  Cyclops being Cyclops (or, well, Captain Krakoa), Scott tells Synch that he's done being an X-Men when Scott says that he is.  It sounds like an asshole move, but Scott is pretty great here, comforting Everett by telling him that he (Cyclops) has done far worse than Everett did for significantly less benefit to mutantkind.  We're eight issues into this series, and I'm still loving everything that Duggan is doing here.

Amazing Spider-Man #90 (February 23):  This issue is solid, as Gleason deftly moves us to the endgame's start.  

Peter fights off Queen Goblin's Goblin Gaze before she convinces him to drown in the East River and then takes her off the board.  Before he does so, he snags her crown, which allows him, Black Cat, and MJ to overhear Maxine (through the crown's audio) sending crews to Beyond's Staten Island facility.  In a flashback, Janine informs Ben that Maxine is creating her super-villains at said facility, so Ben heads there after he drops off Janine at the hospital where Peter is (as we saw last issue).  

Given that Maxine threatened to send Janine back to prison, Ben pretty clearly sees himself as having nothing to lose here.  Janine and Peter are increasingly worried about him as he struggles to remember Peter's name when they meet.  I'm not sure Ben's getting a happy ending, guys.

X Deaths of Wolverine #3 (February 23):  I originally thought that Phalanx Logan (or Omega Logan, as Moira calls him) returned from the future to kill her as part of the machine's war against humanity and/or mutantkind.  But, Moira has a different take:  mutantkind wants her dead.  

Moira tips off the CIA so that they're on hand to protect Arnab Chakladar, the Epiphany CEO, when Omega Logan attacks him at his event.  She then follows Chakladar home and reveals to him that whatever collaboration evolves from this moment works because the mutants returned to prevent it.  (It made more sense when she said it.)  Meanwhile, the Wolverines confront Omega Logan only for him to inform them that Krakoa's Resurrection Protocols at some point fail.  

At his lab, Chakladar agrees to help Moira.  He builds a device that allows "for a mental upload, guaranteeing [Moira's] 11th life."  I'm surprised by how clever this development is, that Moira's 11th life has nothing to do with her mutant power.  If I'm reading my review of "Powers of X" #6 correctly, it appears that the future where she killed Logan in that issue goes differently, as she seems to delight in murdering Logan here (which she didn't in "Powers of X" #6).  

In the present, Omega Logan tells the Wolverines that his death at Moira's hands was the end of one story but the beginning of another one.

I have to admit that I'm still not really sure where we're going with "X Lives and Deaths of Wolverine."  "X Deaths of Wolverine" seems to tie up some loose ends related to the future story that Hickman told in "Powers of X" (my least favorite one, to be honest), and it seems unlikely that "X Lives of Wolverine" will end with Omega Red successfully killing Professor X.  But, I definitely still don't see how they tie together, though I guess we have time for that to become clear.

Also Read:  Ben Reilly:  Spider-Man #2 (February 23); Dark Ages #5 (February 23)

Three-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero February 2 and 9 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #88 (February 2):  Hoo boy.  Beyond's Board members are less than thrilled Maxine lost the drive, so she puts her career on the line by doubling down and getting them to activate the "Halifax Protocol."  

As she later villainsplains to an imprisoned Marcus, Halifax was an oil-company CEO with a super-mansion full of bodies in Broxton, OK.  The police were on the scene investigating his crimes when Thor's fight with the Sentry happened in "Siege."  Maxine notes that no one cared about Halifax anymore.  As such, she reveals that Beyond's product - a question that I've had since the beginning - is chaos.  The Halifax Protocol is Beyond's super-villain division, and Maxine activates it by using Norman Osborn's sins (i.e., the contents of that creepy jar that she's been holding) to turn Dr. Kafka into Queen Goblin.

Meanwhile, Janine goes to MJ for help, and MJ brings her to Glory Grant at the "Daily Bugle."  Tracking Janine, Beyond sends Queen Goblin after them, and Ben arrives just in time to save Janine.  Queen Goblin manages to destroy the drive, but, to Maxine's surprise, Ben announces that it isn't his problem.  He departs with Janine, leaving MJ to face Queen Goblin by herself.  In other words, Ben is losing it.

X Lives of Wolverine #2 (February 2):  This issue at least gives us a better sense of what we're actually doing here.

At some point, Mikhail Rasputin stole the Cerebro Sword, which Magneto made from the Cerebro unit that Professor X was wearing when something (someone?) called XENO attempted to assassinate him.  (I'm assuming it happened in "X-Force.")  As such, Rasputin has some connection to Cerebro and discovered that X-Force tampered with Omega Red's resurrection, installing the surveillance chip and editing his problematic memories.  Rasputin provided that information to Omega Red when he was on a mission in Moscow with Domino and Wolverine, leading him to break into the Hatchery (as we saw last issue) to confirm the information.  

Meanwhile, we learn that Sage created a program to monitor any memory alterations since they could be connected to "timeline terrorism."  As such, she's able to detect Omega Red's attempt to eliminate Xavier and/or his ancestors, hence why Jean sends Logan back into the timestream.   However, Logan is starting to lose it as he comes face to face with his sins, particularly his actions with Team X.  Is Logan going to fuck up everything because he can't help himself?  Maybe.

Amazing Spider-Man #88.BEY (February 9):  OMG, I love this issue.  First, I love Hobie Brown.  I remember when he debuted in "Amazing Spider-Man," and I've always been disappointed that he's been such an underused character.

That said, this incarnation of him is fantastic.  First, I love him in the Hornet costume.  But, the premise is even better.  Hobie tells his wife that the destruction he witnessed during the "King in Black" event made him realize that Damage Control helps corporations but not people.  He talks about how his crowdsourcing platform, Fairplay, is full of people asking for help to rebuild their lives after super-powered events.  He figures that he can match their requests for help and the public's funding with his deep-pocketed superpowered contacts. 

As he's describing it, I'm realizing that it's the opposite of what Maxine describes in "Amazing Spider-Man" #88:  she wants to create chaos, and Hobie wants to end it.  As such, I wasn't surprised at all when Beyond suddenly buys Fairplay.  Hobie is initially furious...until he gets his $15 million parachute.  But, his wife Mindy notes that everyone got a parachute.  In fact, Beyond spent $200 million on a $70 million company.  

Suspicious, Hobie breaks into Beyond to swipe their records.  While there, Dusk sees him and follows him home.  She tells them that Beyond kidnapped Ricochet, and she needs help freeing him.  The files allow Hobie to find him.  While Mindy (who's a great character) goes through the rest of the files, Hobie and Dusk head to the farm where Ricochet is being held.  

But, it turns out Beyond just hired him the previous day to fight some inter-dimensional monsters.  He's only been gone so long due to temporal dilation.  Hobie works with Dusk and Ricochet to shut down the portal allowing the monster to enter our dimension, and Beyond is so impressed with his intelligence and physicality that they offer him a job.

Man, please, please, please let the Slingers get their own series.  This issue is one of the best issues I've read in a while.  The characters all have great charisma together, and I'd love to see Hobie in action with a top-flight creative team.

Devil's Reign #4 (February 9):  It feels like we're moving to our denouement early, so I wonder what else Zdarsky has up his sleeve.  When Kingpin accidentally uses his staff to make Typhoid Mary remember their past together, he realizes that he can use it on himself to remember Daredevil's identity, which he does.  He believes that doing so will end his insane drive for revenge, but, um, based on the expression on his face on the last page, I kind of doubt that we're going in that direction.

Moon Knight #8 (February 9):  This issue is odd.  

Badr is running the Mission since Kingpin locked up Marc, and a former detective, Flint, approaches him for help on a case.  Flint is apparently a long-standing Moon Knight character who works with Marc to solve crimes on the "freak beat."  He informs Badr that another former Moon Knight character, Stained Glass Scarlet, has reappeared, which is odd since she died a few years ago.  

Badr goes to the church where she died and learns that people seeking revenge venerate her.  As such, they her into a minor god.  But, she's no match for Khonshu, who helps Badr chase her from the church.  I'm guessing that McKay is going to return to this story at some point, because we never really learn why Scarlet is now just willy-nilly killing people, when in the past she only killed organized-crime figures (i.e., bad guys).  

I can't say that I disliked the issue, but it leaves a little too much on the table.

New Mutants #24 (February 9):  I haven't been a fan of Ayala's run, but she wraps up a number of threads here in a way that feels organic.  

The New Mutants realize that they haven't helped mutants who've been asking for help.  As such, the Five give No-Girl a new body (she now calls herself Cerebella), and Masque helps Cosmar find a form in which she feels comfortable.  The New Mutants escort Amahl as he leaves for Arakko to undergo therapy and eventually become a more productive member of Krakoan society.   Finally, Dani and Rahne clear the air between them, and I'm going to guess that they're going after Tier soon.  

But, it's Magik's conversation with Rictor that was the most interesting to me.  They discuss something that I've often mentioned during the "Dawn/Reign of X" era, namely the lack of anyone paying attention.  The pair note how the mutants still don't seem to communicate with one another well.  They're not talking about a language but a more basic emotional connection.  Rictor is apparently now a druid, and he and Magik commit to use their magical powers to make those connections possible.  To make matters even more interesting, Magik enlists a resurrected Goblin Queen to help!  (I'm assuming that the Five resurrected Madelyne after successfully lobbying for the Quiet Council to life the ban on resurrecting clones for Gabby.)

A little Google-ing revealed that Rictor and Shatterstar are back together.  As you can see in the below "Also Read" section, I went and read those issues.  In the meantime, I'd love to see them more involved with this series and their friends.

Secret X-Men #1 (February 9):  Howard loses control of the crosses, double-crosses, and triple-crosses in this issue, to the point that I'm not entirely sure what happened.  

I think that Delphos and Oracle - the Imperial Guard's precogs - convinced Xandra to set up a training exercise to test her "friends" from Krakoa.  It's unclear to me if Deathbird was aware that the alleged threat to Xandra wasn't real, but, at any rate, she recruits Roberto to help.  (We're apparently calling him Beto instead of 'Berto now.)  He assembles a team pulled from the mutants who were most disappointed that they weren't chosen for the X-Men.  

Later, it turns out he was under Xandra's influence in putting together this team, as she was impressed that they all commiserated like friends and didn't fight like enemies.  After Roberto and his team make their way through Deathbird's traps to find Xandra, someone kidnaps Deathbird.  The precogs appears to have known that it was going to happen, making it unclear to me why they would've green-lit this exercise given how essential Deathbird is to the Empire and Xandra.

I mean, sure, I enjoy Roberto and Sam action as much as the next guy, but Howard leans into that too much, as if their banter compensates for the lack of a coherent plot.  I hope that we get to see Xandra's "Secret X-Men" in action soon, but I'm not sure that I'd want Howard at the helm.

X Deaths of Wolverine #2 (February 9):  This issue is intense as fuck, but I still have no idea what exactly we're supposed to believe is happening.  

Future Logan is part of the Phalanx, so I guess that it's possible that the machines sent him back in time to kill Moira.  But, why?  Do they know Moira is now capable of dying?  If so, why would they want her dead now, given that it won't reset the timeline now that she's human.  I'm sure that it'll benefit them someway, but I'm not sure how.

In terms of Moira, Jane Foster tells her that she detected "floronic matter" in her cancer, and Moira supposes that the No-Place biome is somehow responsible.  In a truly graphic scene, she goes to a hotel, gets drunk, cuts off her Warlock arm, and cauterizes the wound with an iron (!) since she believes that Mystique is tracking her that way.  (I'm not sure that's true, but it seems like it's how Future Logan is/was.)  Moira at least gets in a lick when Mystique breaks into her hotel room only for a bomb to explode and kill her.

For some reason, Future Logan is now after someone named Arnab Chakladar.  Does he need him to find Moira now that he possibly can't track her?  I guess we'll see.

Also Read:  Excalibur #21 (June 9, 2021); X-Factor #10 (June 30, 2021); Hawkeye:  Kate Bishop #4 (February 9)

Four-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero January 26 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #87 (January 26):  My homosexual awakening was seeing Peter Parker in the cut-off "Animal" shirt in "Amazing Spider-Man" #249.  I want to thank Carlos Gómez from the bottom of my heart for resurrecting that shirt here.  I would also like to thank Jed McKay for giving us the Black Cat's quip-defining line, "Did you think I got bitten by a radioactive Eartha Kitt?"  

Beyond these excellent moments, McKay also delivers a solid story of Black Cat and Cap putting Peter through the paces to make sure that he's ready to resume the Spider-Man mantle.  Given that Ben seems to have significant cognitive issues at this point, the timing couldn't be better.  I'm also loving the Black Cat/MJ relationship, so I'm pretty excited about their one-shot.  I haven't made this statement in a long time, but it's an excellent time to be a Spider-Man fan.

Devil's Reign #3 (January 26):  Things aren't gong great for the heroes.  

Purple Man realizes that everyone's missing memory of Daredevil's secret identity feels familiar and thus is likely his children's work.  Kingpin commits to finding them since he can use their powers to amplify his Psycho-Prism, as we're calling it.  

Meanwhile, Jessica Jones feels the Purple Man's influence, leading Daredevil to demand that the team take out Fisk that night.  Before they can do so, Otto attacks.  

It turns out the Ghost Rider, Hulk, and Wolverine that he brought through the inter-dimensional gate are versions of him who took out those heroes like he did Spider-Man.  Otto was also using the Chameleon acting as Iron Man to have him run for Mayor to steal the seat from Kingpin.  With the New Avengers deciding to run Luke Cage instead, Otto figures he'll just kill Kingpin.  

The issue ends with Kingpin's associates possibly killing Foggy, who's serving as the lawyer for all the imprisoned heroes.  Matt'll take that well.

Devil's Reign:  Winter Soldier #1 (January 26):  This issue is melodramatic in both art and script, as the creative team belabors the guilt that Bucky feels over his time as the Winter Soldier.  But, in terms of the plot, it fundamentally changes Bucky's status quo in a pretty great way.

First things first, I totally buy that Bucky goes after Fisk after he learns that Fisk's safe contains files on the superhero community.  Lanzing makes the point that Steve bringing back Bucky with the Cosmic Cube meant that the world could forgive him; but, Bucky has to do the work forgiving himself.  

Hoping Kingpin's files will provide him the information that he needs to start making amends, he breaks into Gracie Mansion.  He encounters Fisk and tells him that he sold his house in Indiana so that he can pay him for the file.  In a heart-breaking moment, he tells Fisk that he doesn't need a happy ending:  he just needs to sleep.  It turns out Fisk's worsening rage over Daredevil altering his mind has resulted in him violently sleepwalking, and Kingpin brutally attacks Bucky.  Bucky barely manages to escape.  

Burning the rest of the heroes' files in an alley, Bucky seems to discover that the U.S. military shared him with the U.S.S.R.:  he killed 374 people over 78 operational years, but only 91 of those kills were part of the Winter Soldier program.  Bucky commits to kill the people responsible for putting together the file, which we learn Fisk stole.  

Bucky sets his closure (and future ability to sleep) as contingent on his operators' deaths..  Does it mean that Bucky may finally be able to move onto the next stage?  I hope so.

Mary Jane & Black Cat:  Beyond #1 (January 26):  This issue is perfection.  First, the hook is great:  Felicia and MJ tear through the criminal underworld to get Parker Robbins back his Hood so that he doesn't kill Peter.  But, it's Felicia and MJ's conversation on the rooftop that makes this issue a must-read.  First, she tells Felicia that she understands why Felicia is worried that she's just the "bad girl" for Peter because she (MJ) was the bad girl.  (She also reminds Felicia that she (MJ) had to compete with a dead girl.)  Then, in a wonderful moment, MJ then tells Felicia that she's important to Peter and to her.  As MJ says, Felicia isn't a footnote in anyone's life.  I love that validation for Felicia and hope that we see more Felicia-MJ moments in the future.

X-Men #7 (January 26):  Continuing from last issue, we learn that the world thinks Scott died while saving a baby from raging chimeras that Dr. Stasis released in New York.  The truth, though, is more complicated:  Scott collapsed in an alley after one of the chimeras, Bornan, wounded him, and Dr. Stasis - disguised as a EMT - finished the job.  

Interestingly, Scott awakens with no memory of that day, including Dr. Stasis whispering his secret base's location to him as a challenge to come after him after he's resurrected.  Scott tells Jean about his and Ben Ulrich's memory holes and proposes that they've got a two front war:  one with the Quiet Council and one with Dr. Stasis, whose identity remains hidden to them.  He definitely doesn't seem wrong.

Four-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero January 19 and 26 (2022) "X Lives and Deaths of Wolverine" Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

X Lives of Wolverine #1 (January 19):  This issue is hard to follow, though Percy makes it clear that it's supposed to be.  I'm going to impose a more linear narrative on this review than the issue has.

Marvel Girl and Professor X somehow send Logan back in time to stop Omega Red from murdering Professor X before he's born.  (Charles' parents are pretty solid fighters, I have to say.)  After he manages to save Chuck (cutting his umbilical cord with his claws in the process), Logan suddenly finds himself in Colombia.  He has no memory of this moment in his life, but Jean appears to tell him that he's there to save Professor X again.  

The only hint that we get of what's happening is that Mikhail Rasputin seems to be pulling not only Omega Red's strings but the Russian government's strings as well.  That bodes poorly for everyone.  Moreover, the issue begins with Omega Red taking out Goldballs and reviewing the Resurrection Protocols, revealing the Five's opposition to Beast's "edits" to Omega Red.  

Again, I'm not sure where that plot is going, but I'm going to guess that it's nowhere good.

X Deaths of Wolverine #1 (January 26):  Given this issue focuses almost exclusively on Moira's flight from Mystique after the events of "Inferno" #4, it looks like Marvel named this mini-series "X Deaths of Wolverine" just to match the other mini-series.  Ah, Marvel.  

Moira makes her way to Scotland only to realize that she's coughing up blood.  She visits Jane Foster in New York who seems unsurprised to learn that Moira is alive and confirms that Moira has Stage 4 lung cancer.  Before Moira can handle that news, Mystique arrives to kill her.  Jane turns into Valkyrie to buy Moira time to escape, which she does only to discover that the CIA is after her.  Meanwhile, an "egg" appears on Krakoa that produces a techno-organic Wolverine, which isn't good for someone. 

If you put aside the idea that this issue centers around Wolverine, it's solid.

Four-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero January 19 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #86 (January 19):  Holy fucking shit.  This issue is beyond (heh) intense, and I totally didn't see it coming.  

I mean, I should've seen it coming.  The blond hair, the old girlfriend:  it felt like the Beyond Board was ret-conning away the events of "The Clone Conspiracy" and "Scarlet Spider" to give us a "Clone Saga" era Ben.  

But, no, it turns out Beyond scrubbed away those memories at Ben's request, because he wanted a fresh start.  Dr. Kafka reveals that she's been helping him recover those memories against Maxine's orders given how dangerous she felt the "memo-surgery" was.  Of course, Maxine lied to Kafka about not monitoring their sessions, so she interrupts when Ben tells Dr. Kafka about the drive.  However, the memo-surgery to remove his memories of the drive goes badly; instead of just cutting away the memories that Maxine doesn't want Ben to have, Ben's entire mind collapses.  

Meanwhile, Janine uses her prison skills to take Marcus hostage and leave Beyond with the drive.  How does she have the drive?  It turns out Ben didn't lie to her last issue.  Instead, when he slipped her the mask to clean (itself a weird moment), he also slipped her the drive and told her that Beyond was lying to them.

As I said, it was fucking intense.  I honestly have no idea where we go from here.

Ben Reilly:  Spider-Man #1 (January 19):  For anyone who didn't read the Clone Saga, this series is a pretty essential companion piece to the Beyond story in "Amazing Spider-Man" as it really underlines the differences between Ben and Peter.  The edge that Ben occasionally displays in "Amazing Spider-Man" is on full display here given Ben only just returned from his "wilderness" years.  I had been feeling like the Beyond Board was overplaying that angst in the main title, but, after reading this issue, I realized that they're not.  Moreover, Ben's time as Spider-Man was pretty limited in reality, so it's fun to see him in action again.  Without all the Clone Saga baggage, it's a great read.

Devil's Reign:  X-Men #1 (January 19):  Oof, I do not like where we're gong here, and I mean that in the best possible way.  

Duggan wrote this issue, so it seamlessly fits with the ongoing "X-Men" title.  It focuses on the days when Elektra and Emma were, as Emma puts it, Kingpin's bad and good witches.  (I believe that "Marauders" #22 is the first time that we see Emma working for him, when she tries to convince him to develop a new identity for Lourdes Chantel.)  

Whereas Emma uses her powers to get people to do what Kingpin wants, Elektra obviously assassinates his enemies.  In the opening sequence, a young girl in her room spots Elektra crawling onto a balcony after killing someone.  In the present, Kingpin is enraged when Emma gets the United Nations to recognize Krakoa as a consulate, so he has Wesley tell the NYPD to open a cold murder case...of the young girl.

Kingpin seems set to pin the murder on Emma, and I do not imagine that Emma will let this provocation go without a fight.  As tie-in series go, this one is top-flight.

Moon Knight #7 (January 19):  First, I love Ben Grimm sending Marc Spector a Hanukkah card every year.  Moving onto the plot, holy shit, y'all.

Moon Knight is on a single-minded crusade to take out Zodiac, but Zodiac is one step ahead of Marc (so far) every time.  Eight-Ball sends Marc to Manslaughter Marsdale who won't snitch on Zodiac because he apparently saved his life.  (I'd love to hear that story.)  Before Moon Knight can shake down Clown, Zodiac cuts off his head, which he brings to Dr. Sterman's office.  (I'm not sure how Moon Knight made his way to Clown, but I'm just going to go with Eight-Ball squealing on him, too.)  Marc isn't going to take that well.  

Meanwhile, it turns out Tigra is watching Moon Knight for Black Panther, who's worried that he's too unstable to be left alone.  To Tigra's mind, she's clearly there to protect Marc from himself, though I'm not sure that Marc is going to see it that way.

Four-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero January 5 and 12 (2022) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #84 (January 5) and #85 (January 12):  This story is a two-parter, so I'm reviewing these issues together.  

Per pet peeve #2, Ziglar reveals that Dr. Octopus didn't just discover in issue #80.BEY that Beyond was using the Spider-Man name that he trademarked but also some inventions that he created.  Needless to say, he isn't happy.  

In issue #84, he breaks into one of Beyond's offices to steal a drive that Maxine later underscores is essential to Beyond's operations.  Spidey tries to stop him, but Otto somehow manages to use Beyond's own security system against him.  We're also treated to some "classic Doug" (as Ben quips) when he runs into the guy who gave him the anti-"weirdness" pill in issue #80.  Ben's interaction with Doug is an issue #84 highlight.

In issue #85, Otto storms into Beyond HQ to recover his inventions and take out Maxine so that he can take over Beyond.  I have to say that I don't totally buy this part; it feels too impulsive for Otto.  At any rate, Ben arrives in time to save Maxine from Otto.  Their fight spills onto a nearby rooftop where Otto gives Ben the drive to show him that Beyond chose him due to his unstable psychological profile.  Ben loses his shit over the revelation, as it undermines the sense of belonging that he finally found at Beyond.  Later, he smashes a mirror that showed a faceless reflection, which mirrors (heh) a nightmare about a faceless Uncle Ben that he's been discussing with Dr. Kafka.

In other words, we're going places, and all directions seem bad for Ben.  Ben lies to Maxine and Janine here, telling them that his fight with Otto destroyed the drive.  Before Dr. Octopus' roof-top revelation, Ben seemed off-kilter most of this issue, obsessively focused on the idea that he belonged and that Beyond let him do good.  Now that he's adrift, I worry where we're going.

Inferno #4 (January 5):  This issue begins with a bang.  

Surprising Magneto and Professor X, Nimrod and Omega Sentinel kill the Orchis soldiers who arrived with them in Terra Nova.  They explain to Magneto and Professor X that they hate humans as much as they hate mutants.  They crow that Magneto and Professor X's nightmare has arrived:  mutantkind has conquered humanity only for its real enemy - machines - to arrive.  

Confirming what I thought last issue, Destiny and Mystique left behind Moira's arm to draw Magneto and Professor X to Terra Nova and escaped to somewhere else.  Moire "reminds" Mystique that she can't die, and Mystique disagrees.  Mystique shoots Moira who...

...doesn't die.  It looked like she did, thanks to the excellent art team.  But, it turns out Mystique shot Moira with the weapon that Forge created to strip mutants of their powers.  (Hickman really is Chekhov, man.)  Setting up the moment, Hickman expands the scene from last issue between Destiny, Emma, and Mystique.  Emma tells the pair that Moria's tracker is in her arm (I was wondering how they knew to leave behind her arm) and gives them Forge's weapon.  

In the present, a now-human Moira admits to Destiny and Mystique that her hard-won knowledge led her to believe that the only way mutants win is by not existing:  her goal was to "cure" mutants before they manifested, a cure that we saw her create in her third life.  I have to admit, Hickman really sells this moment.  Moira clearly has PTSD from a millennium's experience with death and war, to the point where it's hard to fault her for taking the position that she does.  Despite Omega Sentinel's insistence that the mutants always win, Moira claims that they always lose, either to the humans or the machines.  

Before Mystique can kill her, though, Doug arrives, looking sexy as fuck.  He reminds Mystique that Moira is now human, so Mystique can't kill her under Krakoa's laws.  Mystique declares that she's going to kill him instead, though Bei, Krakoa, and Warlock make it clear that it won't be easy.  Destiny tells Moira that Doug is the axis around which they all didn't know they spun.  By deciding to save Moira, Doug creates three possible outcomes:  1) Mystique is exiled for killing him, and Destiny dies six months later and isn't resurrected; 2) they fail to kill him, and Mystique dies but is likely resurrected; or 3) they agree to let Moira go, and she and Mystique consolidate powers as does Doug.  They obviously choose the latter.  

Doug has Warlock provide Moira with an arm and Krakoa with a one-way gate that will close to her forever once she passes through it.  In a hilarious scene, she asks if he's going to wish her luck before she goes through the gate, and he simply replies, "Nope."  She asks Destiny and Mystique if they'll come after her, and Destiny tells her that it won't just be them.

After dying at Nimrod's hands, Magneto and Professor X are later resurrected.  Since Nimrod crushed Cerebro, they don't remember their conflict with him.  They also awaken to learn about the changes that happened while they were dead.  Professor X is condescending as usual when he asks Emma what she's done, and her answer puts him in his place.  She told the Council all their secrets, and they all agreed that the only thing that Magneto and Professor X did wrong was keeping their secrets to themselves.  As Emma says, the Council now becomes a curse, and Professor X gets to resume his status as primus inter pares because he's the guiltiest of them all.  Ha!  So true.

All in all, this series was excellent, and Hickman leaves us wanting more, which I assume that we'll see addressed in "Immortal X-Men."  To whit:

• I have to assume that Magneto and Professor X didn't know what Moira was planning.  When they learn, they're going to have to confront the fact that Destiny and Mystique were correct and they were wrong.

• I'm curious how and when Moira was planning to act on curing mutantkind.  Why was it necessary to allow Krakoa to come into fruition before she acted?

• As Destiny said, Moira's future is also unclear.  Does she join Orchis?  Does she focus on stopping the machines?

• It'll be interesting to see how the power dynamics evolve on the Council.  After all, Magneto and Professor X were working with someone bent on destroying mutantkind, and it was Destiny and Mystique who saved the day. 

• Of course, Cypher stopped them from killing Moira, opening up a new power center on Krakoa.  Doug's ascendancy is the most interesting story for me going forward.

I've talked a lot of smack about Jonathan Hickman over the years.  But, I am just beyond thrilled with what he's done with the X-Men.  Fair winds and following seas, Jonathan.

X-Men #6 (January 5):  Holy fucking shit, this issue is fucking intense.  

The issue starts "a week ago" with the appearance of a hero dubbed Captain Krakoa.  Six days ago, Scott is furious when the Quiet Council insists that he has to accept Captain Krakoa onto the X-Men's roster.  

Meanwhile, Feilong arrives on Phobos to colonize it, a move that, frankly, the X-Men probably should've seen coming.  But, I didn't see it coming and, honestly, I laughed out loud when it happened.  Brilliant.  When an Arakkii mutant arrives to take out Feilong, Sunfire tries to stop him, but Feilong doesn't need the help:  he uses his post-human powers to incinerate him.  

Duggan first hinted that something is amiss when we learn that Feilong found Nightcrawler's corpse on Phobos.  But, it all comes to a head when Captain Krakoa arrives at the Treehouse with a memorial to Cyclops underway.  We learn that Cyclops died recently in a public manner and that he's Captain Krakoa.  

When a furious Scott calls Ben Ulrich, likely to confirm his resurrection story, Ben has no memory of it.  The last panel is haunting, as a stunned Scott sits on a subway platform alone.  I have no idea where Duggan is going here, but this issue is so perfectly executed that I cannot fucking wait. 

Darkhawk #5 (January 12):  This ending is solid because it leaves a lot on the table.  Normally, I'd be annoyed by that, but Higgins does it in a way that shows how much potential Connor has a character.  

First, Connor comes with a lot of drama.  Derek's sister resents the fact that Connor defined her brother's life, a point that the paparazzi appearing at Derek's funeral to get photos of Connor underlines.  Plus, Shawn reveals that he knows that Connor is Darkhawk after Darkhawk's too quick appearance after Connor's departure last issue.  (That said, I'm glad Higgins went this route, because plenty of other authors would've pushed our willful suspension of disbelief by having Shawn remain clueless.)  I assumed that Higgins was going to kill off Shawn since he knows Connor's secret identity, but he doesn't, which really catapults Shawn into arch-nemesis territory.  Moreover, Connor outs himself to his teammates about his multiple sclerosis, and they encourage him to keep playing while he can.  It's all a lot for a teenager.

But, the Darkhawk drama isn't insignificant either.  It seems like Chris Powell is alive at the Tree of Shadows, though given how menacing he seems it could also be someone else, like Robbie Rider.  I'm also loving Connor's friendship with Miles Morales, and I hope that continues.

Again, we don't get resolutions here, but Higgins hopefully convinces Marvel that Connor has enough juice to give him a monthly title.

Hawekye:  Kate Bishop #3 (January 12):  I've read virtually every issue with Kate Bishop in it, and I still have no idea what Nijkamp is doing with her here.  The "ring" that her sister hired her to find is also somehow a Cosmic Cube fragment that her sister swiped from either her ex-husband or her father.  I think?  Also, it appears that the Circus of Crime is responsible and likely arranged everything to entrap Kate.  Maybe?  Honestly, I have no fucking idea.

Marauders #27 (January 12):  "Marauders" wraps up more or less how I expected, which isn't a bad thing.  

Emma and Shaw leave their posts to focus on the Quiet Council, which I assume is driven more by the upcoming "Immortal X-Men" series than any real desire on their parts to abdicate the roles that have defined their adult lives.  Lourdes will replace Shaw, and the Five in One will replace Emma.  

Again, I'm not sure that I buy Shaw leaving so easily, though Duggan makes a good go at explaining it as Shaw seeing an opportunity for Shinobi to take over the Hellfire Trading Company, which women now run.   (It's nice that Shaw still views Shinobi as his son, despite Leland being Shinobi's biological father.). You'd think after Emma, Kate, and Storm have all recently beaten his ass that he'd be more enlightened.  Ah, Shaw.

Duggan also throws in a surprise, as Kate seems willing to give Mr. Fantastic the knowledge that Charles wiped from his mind so that she can use the gates.  This step seems incredible dangerous on Kate's part, a level of selfishness that we don't usually see from her.  As such, I'm assuming that she has something else up her sleeve here.

My only real disappointment is that Iceman is leaving, though I'm hoping that it means that we'll see him somewhere else.  I did enjoy the idea that he's off flexing his muscles, something that clearly excites Christian.  Omega top time!

Also Read:  Dark Ages #4 (January 12)