Amazing Spider-Man #78 (November 10): I'm happy to say that I loved everything about this issue. I loved Felicia and MJ's conversation, I loved Colleen and Misty's banter, I loved Maxine's evilness and Ben's hotness: I loved it all.
Amazing Spider-Man #78.BEY (November 17): I loved this issue, too! Avengers Murder Mansion! How good is that!
The Beyond Board more or less answers my initial question of what Beyond gets from hiring superheroes: namely, they get research. For example, Martine initially refused to let Ben's doctor inject him with the Mobius anti-toxin last issue because she wanted to consider what sort of powers a vampire Spider-Man would have. She notably wants to consider that not just to power up Ben but because they might be able to replicate the powers for sale.
In this issue, she sends Colleen and Misty after an extraterrestrial Telletubby-like creature whom she calls Obsidian Star. She's furious when they return from battle without its power source, and Colleen and Misty "remind" her that the point was to help people. In reality, they give it to Monica Rambeau, who appeared last issue asking them for information about Beyond.
In other words, stuff is afoot.
Dark Ages #3 (November 17): This issue continues a great run so far. Laura identifies Apocalypse as Tony's kidnapper, and the team sends Pietro to see what Apocalypse is doing with him. But, Pietro is distracted when he sees his father in chains. Apocalypse also has Dr. Octopus working for him, and Otto's defenses take out Pietro in his moment of weakness.
Under Killraven's control, Pietro returns to the team and murders Johnny Storm and Okoye before Jean can free his mind. When he reveals that Reed is alive and working with the other subservient heroes, the team prepares to deploy. Knowing they will, Apocalypse readies Carnage-nom (Ve-nage?) to attack.
So far, Taylor is passing my main test for these "What If...?" series, namely whether the sequence of events feel logical to me. I wonder what other terrible things Apocalypse has planned...
Moon Knight #5 (November 17): Holy shit, this issue is fucking intense.
First, you have Marc's therapy session, where Dr. Sterman pushes Marc to admit that he's so invested in Moon Knight because it's cost him everything: if he isn't Moon Knight, he has nothing left. (He suggests that he developed D.I.D. because he'd rather be anyone other than Marc Spector. Oof.)
But, the shit hits the fan when it turns out Terry is the one watching Marc. Terry initially tells Marc that it's Soldier, whom we learn is an ex-HYDRA soldier. Terry uses Soldier as bait, though, forcing Marc either to leave the rigged room without saving Terry - proving himself a fraud, in Terry's eyes - or to die in the ensuing explosion. Marc being Marc, he has a plasma torch on hand and manages to save them both only to encounter Terry on the street, who puts on a mask and tells Marc to call him Zodiac.
McKay makes it clear that Zodiac is a formidable challenge for Marc, a change from the last few issue where Marc has mostly waltzed through his challengers. I'm excited to see what Marc can do if he lets loose.
Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #1 (November 24): This issue isn't terrible, but something about the delivery is odd. Nijkamp does a decent job of getting down Kate's voice, but she certainly doesn't shine the way that she did under Fraction or Thompson. Moreover, the plot is bizarre, with Kate's estranged sister engaging in some pretty ridiculous subterfuge to trick Kate into helping her. I mean, I'll read pretty much anything with Kate Bishop, but it's hard not to wish that this mini-series didn't involve Thompson revisiting the West Coast Avengers (RIP).
Also Read: Darkhawk #3 (November 3); Winter Guard #3 (November 3); Amazing Spider-Man #79 (November 24); X-Men #5 (November 24)
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