Miracleman by Gaiman and Buckingham: The Silver Age #3: This issue's sub-title should be, "Let's Talk about Sex, Baby." I mean, no one actually talks about sex. But the issue is all about Young Miracelman finding himself surrounded by breasts and dicks.
In his flight from Miracleman, Dickie for some reasons loses consciousness and reverts to his messenger outfit, crash-landing on Mt. Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas. A hiker named Jason finds him. Jason is a suspicious character mostly for his lack of curiosity over finding a besuited teenager in the snow in the Himalayas. He just assumes Dickie set out poorly prepared like he did as a kid. Conveniently, he has an extra thermal suit he lends Dicky.
Jason is apparently going to see Tom Caxton, a.k.a. Mister Master. We learn that Caxton was the first enhanced human Miracelman created but he eventually retired to Mt. Kanchenjunga. Jason tells Dicky that he was close to the top of the enhancement list but pulled his name from consideration, which is why he wants to talk to Caxton. Just as Jason complains about losing time (presumably due to helping Dicky), two enhanced humans on a flying motorcycle appear and offer to bring them to the lodge up the mountain. The woman introduces herself as Meta-Maid and the man as Deadlock the Demolisher. Dicky sits behind Meta-Maid on the bike, and she not subtly at all places his hands on her breasts.
That night, Jason (wearing a Kimota! t-shirt) reads from Caxton's book, which is essentially a screed against enhancement. Meta-Maid invites Dicky to sleep with her, but he declines, as does Jason. For the second time in the issue, Johnny Bates approaches Dicky in his sleep. Dickie awakens from the nightmare to find a buff and naked Jason crouched at the foot of his bed asking if he's OK. Something about Jason's nudity implies Jason's interest in Dicky might not be platonic. (In Buckingham's original sketches including in the issue's back matter, we see Jason from behind, his naked ass prominent, which means Dicky is looking straight at his junk.)
The next morning, Jason and Dicky depart for Caxton's abode, and Jason tells an odd story about how he once met Miracleman as a kid because he was chosen to have a conversation with him. It was staged as a play and later a movie, and Jason confesses that he doesn't remember what Miracleman actually said to Jason. Shortly thereafter, Meta-Maid appears, having dumped Deadlock (who admittedly seemed dull). They all arrive at Caxton's together.
That night, Meta-Maid tells the story about how her boyfriend left her for Kay after the Young Miracelman parade. (She implies her boyfriend will change into something after sex with Kay, which is interesting.) Deadlock offered her a ride to see the Himalayas, which is how we came to meet them.
For his part, Caxton tells the story of becoming the first enhanced human, a chance he won in a lottery. Interestingly, he says Miracleman originally thought everyone would become enhanced, so something clearly happened to disrupt those plans. Jason asks why Caxton decided to give up his enhancements, and Caxton says that he forgot what it was like to be a human. He eventually climbs Olympus and asks Miracelman to turn him into a human again. Miracleman asks Caxton if the project failed, and Caxton replies that he didn't think it did: he just came through it. Now, he's simply Tom Caxton again.
Jason tells Caxton that he'd answered most of his questions. When it's time for bed, Caxton has Jason come with him to get the sleeping bags and asks Jason if he's looking after Dicky. Jason says he is, and Caxton tells him to take care of him because he needs it. I wonder if Caxton knows Dicky is Young Miracelman?
Later that night, Johnny appears to Dicky again, but Dicky banishes him.
As I said at the top, this issue reads as hypersexualized, a vibe that Gaiman and Buckingham use to highlight Dicky's profound innocence in this new world. Jason's rugged handsomeness and humanity stand in contrast to Miracelman's perfection and visual blandness. In fact, Jason's attractiveness also stands in contrast to Meta-Maid's sexuality. If Dicky realizes Jason might want to fuck him, it would likely scare him less than if Meta-Maid wanted to fuck him.
It all just seems like it's going to be too much for Dicky.
Star Wars: Han Solo and Chewbacca #8: I don't know how he does it, but Guggenheim writes Phaedra in a way that makes me totally believe in her ability to smuggle Han and Chewie into Grand Moff Tarkin's office to steal the urn.
The issue stars with the trio shaking down Greedo in Mos Eisley. He tells them that Khel and her crew, Han's "dad" (i.e., Corbus Tyra), and he all went their separate ways after the last job. When Han asks about the urn, Greedo confirms that the Imperials picked up the urn when they scanned the Falcon and that it's in Tarkin's office on Coruscant.
Han reasonably assumes that it's unreachable, but Phaedra has a plan. Said pain relies on a mysterious person (or persons) owing Phaedra not one, but two, favors. Favor #1 involves said person (or persons) getting the trio hired as "waste-disposal personnel" because the Empire apparently doesn't do background checks on the people who keep the sewers working. Favor #2 involves said person (or persons) getting Phaedra the "full schematics for the sewer network and the Grand Moff's building." They're definitely convenient favors. But something about Phaedra makes you believe that said person (or persons) really does owe her these favors.
Of course, it isn't all smooth sailing for the trio, and I don't just mean Chewie falling off the roof of the train that serves as their get-away car. As they're going to work on Coruscant, Marshal Vancto tracks down Tyra who offers him Han's location (since he knows Han would go after the urn) in exchange for his freedom. Honestly, I almost think Corbus is Han's dad...
Also Read: Moon Knight #18; X-Terminators #4; Star Wars: Yoda #2
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