Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #5: I liked this series, but this ending is awful.
It's supposed to serve as Spidercide's redemption, as he sacrifices himself to save Ben before the convicts kill him. (Of course, Spidercide released the convicts in the first place, so...) But Spidercide saves Ben through the same endlessly new powers that he exhibited throughout this series. In addition to producing his "duplicides" and activating Whelan's "dormant DNA" to turn him into Vermin, Spidercide saves Ben by his ability to fill him with his "life force" (heh). Moreover, this change of heart comes at a particularly convenient time, drama-wise, given he dismissed Dr. Kafka's previous effort to get him to see his hatred of Ben as the other side of love.
The only positive thing I have to say about Spidercide is that his new suit is awesome, but he's dead now so I guess it doesn't matter.
I might have liked this issue more had it appeared before "Amazing Spider-Man" #93, when we still had hope that Ben Reilly was back for good. Given Ben's conversion into Chasm, though, the hope that this issue is selling falls flat.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1: Kelly and Lanzing take us down the shadowy conspiracy route once again. We've gone down that road plenty of times with Captain America, though they make a good show of it so far.
Steve is offended when someone dressed as Destroyer - previously, the identity of a former war buddy - plans on attacking New York's Fourth of July parade. Steve and Bucky manage to defeat him, and his mysterious benefactor kills him remotely to punish him for his failure. Before he dies, "Destroyer" tells Cap that the shield belongs to "them." Feeling the truth behind the kid's words, Cap is intent on exploring his legacy.
Meanwhile, Bucky takes the glowing crystal that he and Cap found in "Destroyer's" mask and announces that he has four enemies left. I'm assuming that it has to do with "Devil's Reign: Winter Solider" #1, where Bucky starts hunting down the men who used him outside the Winter Soldier program. To this end, in the epilogue, a shadowy figure informs similarly shadowy figures that he's put Captain America on the board again for the "century game." Declaring the last century a draw, the figure makes it clear that he plans on winning this "game."
Kelly and Lanzing make it clear that a central theme of this story will revolve around Cap needing to get past his age. For example, he's taking art classes at a local community college and befriends some youngsters who make fun of his lack of tech savviness. In addition, he finds out the Destroyer is going to attack the parade by following a series of numbers that he hears will chatting with his former war buddies over a two-way radio. (They call themselves Radio Company.) The Destroyer himself is a young man who derides him as a neofascist, which Cap hardly seems to understand.
Cap has been due for this reckoning for some time, so I'm intrigued to see where the authors go with it. So far, they've made the "century game" a believable villain to bring out this change, even with only a few panels dedicated to them. They seem to exist outside ideology, which makes it more believable that they've been able to manipulate people with ideology behind the scenes. A post-ideology villain seems very 21st century.
Hulkling & Wiccan #1: If I have one complaint about this story, it's that everyone is too emotionally actualized. Eidolon and Goebig exist only as perfect reflections of Billy and Teddy, making it no small wonder they both suspect something is wrong from the minute Billy unconsciously summons them.
Although it wasn't like I was expecting Trujillo to undermine Billy and Teddy's relationship in a one-shot, the stakes might have felt more real if Eidolon and Goebig themselves felt more real.
That said, Trujillo could do great stuff with Billy characters if given a chance. I think he made the right decision to frame their relationship in the sort of transitional phase that comes with marriage. It extracts them from the"will they/won't they" cliché that these characters are well past. But it doesn't mean that the road isn't going to have bumps (and not just sexy purple alien ones). With less pressure to wrap up the story as neatly, I'd be intrigued where that discussion goes.
Also, it's always fun to see a handsome, shirtless Teddy. Nishijima might go a little bit too kawaii at times for my liking, but I'm not complaining.
Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #2: I'm not really sure why I'm still reading this series, after I disliked the first issue so much. This issue is only marginally better. The last story is the best one, as Marc tracks down a mercenary who betrayed him years earlier. It forces Marc not only to address his past amorality taking advantage of African civil wars for profit but also his present white-savior complex when his impulse is to stay in Africa to "help." The first story is visually interesting though yet another story about whether Marc's mental illness or Khonshu's influence is driving the narrative. Moreover, it seems to exist outside continuity, which is fine, I guess, but the low stakes makes an already clichéd story all the less interesting. The middle story is the type of story that makes you roll your eyes at the abuse the hero suffers. In other words, I'm still a pass on this one, even though I am still reading it.
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