Blade Runner 2039 #11: This issue is a rare misstep for Johnson, as Ash takes a total fucking leave of her senses.
Picking up where we left off last issue, Cal gives Ash the name of his contact, telling Ash that the contact sources materials for Niander Wallace, Jr. and warning Ash that the woman is very dangerous.
Meanwhile, at Wallace, Jr.'s, an LAPD captain informs him of Luv's disappearance and complains that Wallace, Jr. provided them with a faulty product. (That's some chutzpah.) At the Underground's headquarters, though, it turns out Luv isn't dead — she's a live and captive, tied to a chair. Referring to Rash as a thing, Ash tells Freysa that they can't trust her. Rash offers to help get Ash close to Wallace, Jr., and Ash — not unreasonably — tells Rash that she doesn't trust her enough for that. Ash suddenly has a spell, and Freysa convinces her to take Rash with her to see Cal's contact.
As they fly to a nice villa, Ash again treats Rash as a thing, calling her a "machine built for murder." Rash — also not unreasonably — points out the "old man in San Francisco" was trying to kill her. At the villa, a small Japanese woman named Daisy greets them and offers them tea. When Ash tells her that they're there for information about Wallace, Jr., Daisy refers to him as "Nandy" and informs them that she was his nursemaid.
When Ash insists on asking questions, Daisy calls in her pleasure model, an enormous dude named Hanii. (Good for her, though. "Nandy" obviously hooked her up well.) Ash tells Daisy to cut the shit and asks what she sources for "Nandy." Daisy replies that she gets goods you can't buy — "organic," "fresh." Ash informs Daisy that she (Daisy) is going to set up a meeting with Wallace, Jr. for them at their usual spot; she tells Daisy to tell him that it's urgent and to come alone. When Daisy reasonably asks why she would do that, Ash tells her that both she and Hanii will be picking up each other's teeth if she doesn't.
I need to stress her how huge Hanii is (and, no, I don't mean huge that way, though he probably is). I get Ash sees herself as dangerous, but it's hard to believe that Ash —who just had a spell that prompted Rash to come as an escort — would seriously think she could threaten Daisy into setting up a trap for Wallace, Jr., even with Rash with her. If it were that easy, someone would've offed him ages ago.
At any rate, later, at the Griffin Observatory, Wallace, Jr. is prepared for Ash, who shoves a bound Luv at him. He informs Ash that he read about her "affliction" in her police file (which he used to build Rash) and devised a cure for it, which is how we end the issue.
Again, my main complaint here is that I don't believe Wallace, Jr. would be so easy to meet. I get Daisy is in Wallace, Jr.'s inner circle and it's a sign of Cal's connections that he could get Ash to her. But I don't believe Wallace, Jr. would leave himself so vulnerable, even if he was prepared for Ash (as he is here). Also the idea that Daisy would set up the meeting but not warn Wallace, Jr. is absurd.
Also, since we're resurrected pet peeves, we get an example of pet peeve #1 here, since Cal is only in this issue for a hot minute despite featuring prominently on the cover.
Cobra Commander #3: This series remains bloody and fun.
Ripper enters the Dreadnoks' bar with Zarana and shoots one of the patrons to get everyone's attention. (Heh.) Zarana reveals an Energon cube, which she calls "The Juice," expositing that they've all seen what it can do, that it's a kind of fuel unlike anything they've ever seen. In order to sell it to the highest bidder, Zarana reminds the Dreadnoks that they need to make sure no one steals it first. She informs them that Buzzer and Ripper saw someone sniffing around her brother's "old lab."
On cue, Zarana's other brother, Zandar, interrupts, arriving with a chained up CC, whom he's dragged from the alligator pit. Zarana remind her those swamps are off-limits (for reasons she doesn't explain), and Zandar dismisses her outrage, saying that he was trying to find the "good stuff." Buzzer tries to remove CC's helmet and gets shocked. Zarana asks who he is, and CC responds, "Your future master." (Heh.) Torch tries to use his blowtorch to get off the helmet but it doesn't work.
Over the course of several panels, we witness the Dreadnoks torturing CC for information. (At one point, Ripper hilariously uses CC's blood to draw a smiley face on his helmet.) Later, Zandar tells CC that he isn't like the other idiots — he does his homework — and notes that he's never seen the type of tech that CC is sporting, even on "the darkest parts of the web." CC tells Zandar that his brother (clearly Zartan) sent him on a secret mission because Zarana called him for help because she doesn't trust Zandar. Zandar falls for it and storms from the room.
Ripper then enters and CC tells him that he (somehow) knows that he was a former teacher obsessed with biker gangs. Ripper apparently threw away his old life and "got lost in the role," which is why he plays extra tough. Zarana and Torch then arrive, and CC taunts Zarana, asking if she's worried about Zandar because she's worried about losing control. At this point, Buzzer, Ripper, and Zandar break into the room in a brawl, and CC hits his tracking device, which he earlier disabled. The Dreadnoks then assemble outside in time for Protector to arrive.
CC stumbles into Protector's arms and Protector breaks his chains. Ripper then attacks Protector's face with his chainsaw, but it turns out it really isn't his face. CC informs Protector that he's found the Energon, which, to Protector's mind, means the Dreadnoks are trying to deny Golobulus his due. Protector then gets rid of his disguise, emerging from his outer skin with glowing yellow eyes and wings. We're then treated to three panels of CC's unmoving, smiley face-d helmet as the Dreadnoks scream in agony and pain.
I kind of feel badly for the Dreadnoks, honestly.
Dawnrunner #1: In terms of the story, the issue feels takes itself too seriously given Ram V is treading familiar ground here.
First things first, this issue is beautiful, reminiscent of the dearly departed "Nonplayer." My only complaint about the art is that it's so detailed that it's occasionally hard to tell what's happening, as if the lines in all their multitude get in their own way.
Moving onto the story, Ram sets out the premise well, giving details as we need them and not overwhelming us with information. Ninety-six years ago, a portal, dubbed el Desgarrón, opened over Guatemala, and a race called the Tetza entered our world. The Tetza were "an alien species with emergent and varying morphology," the only commonality being their "gargantuan size and the near-impervious nature of their skin."
In response, humanity did two things to survive. First, in the "largest military effort in human history," we built "the Wall," an 1,800-mile long, 100-foot tall structure that locks the Tetza in a specific geographic enclosure. Second, nations dissolved, and Earth's resources went to five corporations that build Iron Kings, or IK, the mecha that humanity uses to take out the Tetza.
Our introduction to the IK comes through the eyes of Anita Marr, an IK pilot, as she take control of Dawnrunner, the Cordonware Corporation's next-gen IK. Given the attention she generates in the media on her run, it's clear the pilots are celebrities. They're essentially athletes, as we see when a pilot named Xander tries to psyche out Anita by reminding her that he's only two kills behind her. As she starts her preparations with her escort, Anita wonders how humanity turned something that was previously an existential threat into a sport.
The issue's sense of foreboding comes from a conversation between Cordonware's CEO, Andro Lestern, and a linguist named Murali. Murali bursts in Lestern's office, furious that he's trying out Dawnrunner on a sole Tetza when they had an agreed Cordonware would only take action if at least three Tetza were present in the enclosure. Murali complains that he can't study the Tetza if Lestern keeps killing them, but Lestern, not unreasonably, notes that the linguists have spent almost a century studying the Tetza and still can't tell "a Tetza poem from a fart."
Later, it all comes together as Lestern explains to, I believe, the CEOs of the other four corporations that Dawnrunner and Anita will now connect to each other directly; instead of the pilot manipulating the IK's controls, it'll be like they're the same person. Meanwhile, Anita engages in combat with the Tetza, only unexpectedly finding herself merging with someone else's consciousness.
Ram doesn't clarify when we are, but it seems likely it's the past, when the Tetza first arrived. Against the backdrop of a devastated city, a fellow soldier rouses Major Ichiro Takeda and informs him the military is preparing to drop "the heavy stuff" on the Tetza. As Takeda tries to focus, Anita is trying to pull back her consciousness. Takeda finally gets control of the body and tells the solider that he has to get to the research complex where his wife and kids are. The soldier tells Takeda it's gone, but Takeda insists on going to find them. Anita and Takeda seem able to speak to each other, asking each other who the other is. They both answer, as does Dawnrunner, ominously.
Again, Ram and Cagle are onto something here, so I'm going to hang in there. But it took at least two reads for me to get what exactly they're presenting to us, which dampens some of the kinetic energy that they're trying to infuse into this issue.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #305: Hama throws so much at us here that I'm struggling to explain what I just read. Not helping matters, at several points, the characters know more than they should know based on what we've seen.
In Springfield, CC and his squad examine the remains of the Vipers who detonated themselves while fighting Dawn last issue. One of the men shows CC the surveillance video of the Vipers making their way onto the community centers's roof, and CC recognizes them as Vipers. Despite only seeing their shadows in the video, one of CC's men comments that the Vipers were modified with Revanche technology, prompting CC to realize they came at Serpentor Khan's behest. Hypothesizing that a third party took out the Vipers, CC orders a manhunt for the perpetrator.
At her parents', Dawn provides her report to Duke while Fred 23, the Morenos' neighbor, approaches the front door. Fred 23 tells Moreno that the community center altercation has all of Dawn's earmarks, which seems a stretch given that the only evidence of the altercation was the three burn spots where the Vipers self-immolated and a surveillance video showing their shadows. Fred 23 encourages them to turn in Dawn, and the Morenos attack him. Dawn is shocked, which surprises her father, who tells her that they'd never turn her into the authorities. They tell her to flee Springfield and that they'll follow her the next day after securing Fred 23. (Couldn't they just secure him and leave with her?)
At the Pit, Stalker tells Lady Jaye to take Multo to Spirit so they can figure out how they're going to deal with the Vipers poking around upstairs. Meanwhile, Airtight, Black Hat, and Mainframe are examining the remains of one of the Blue Ninjas who attacked Scarlett and Snake-Eyes, and we learn that they're 95 percent android, retaining only their human brain and spinal column. One of the hands — despite being disconnected from the body — attacks Black Hat, though Stalker shoots it before it hurts her.
Elsewhere, Spirit informs Lady Jaye and Multo that the Vipers can't figure out the way into the Pit. Getting permission from Duke to stop them before they find the entrance, the three Joes attack. However, one of the Vipers manages to pull the pin from a nerve-gas grenade. Spirit grabs his hands so he can't release the pin, and Lady Jaye kills him by shooting him in the head. As he mentioned, though, his "hands" are cable and steel, so Lady Jaye can't move his fingers. Instead, Multo uses his machete to cut off the hand holding the pin, handing it to Spirit. Ha! On Cobra Island (I told you this issue just keeps going), Serpentor Khan is apparently happy the three Vipers at the Pit have gone incommunicado, claiming it was all according to plan.
Moving to the Revanche facility in Baton Rouge, Dr. Mindbender notes a "glitch" in their covert plan there. A Python officer supervises the mutated casino guests getting in line for their transformation when a Blue Ninja tells him that one of the chips that they're planning to install isn't on the original specs. The Python escorts him to the storeroom, which is a comms dead zone, and attacks him, using his Clayface-like abilities to strangle him. (He initially stabs him, and the Blue Ninja comments that he missed his power core, which the Python seems to imply he did on purpose. But then why strangle him?) Khan exposits that Revanche will eventually realize the Blue Ninja is missing and the subsequent investigation will reveal the chip negates Revanche control but by then it'll be too late. (But will it be? Like, this one Blue Ninja is the only one in Revanche that knows that they're going to install an extra chip in the dozens of mutants they've got ready to go?)
Khan and Mindbender turn their attention to Scotland, where we learn the "Zartan" we see with Destro there is a simulacrum. They're trying to take out Zartan, as we see at the issue's end, to keep the charade going.
It's too much, honestly. Like, I feel like we needed at least another issue to cover what Hama throws at us here for it all to make sense.
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