All-New X-Men #19: For possibly the first time in the 30+ years I've read comics, a time-travel story ends in a way that makes sense. Hank uses his mystic powers to return the original X-Men to their timeline...and reveals they're actually still there. As Hank says, the only way for the present to make sense is if they never left the past; or, to put it another way, the present only has one past. As such, they can't go home again; they're essentially an unresolved paradox in time (though "X-Men Prime" #1 casts some doubt on that). Hopeless wisely doesn't delve too much further into the exact mechanics of the paradox. (Physically, if I had to guess, old Hank taking them from the "past" actually happened in old Hank's present, which means the "past" itself never changed. It assumes in a way the past and the present happen simultaneously. You see why it was smart not to go into the details?) Instead, Hopeless focuses on the kids' reactions. Bobby is obviously thrilled, as his present is going pretty well, with his handsome Inhuman boyfriend. Scott is less thrilled, as he's now condemned to a present where he's a villain (if not quite the villain Emma Frost made everyone believe he was). However, Jean makes a convincing argument to Scott it's as close to a happy ending as they're going to get. Looking forward, I hope the new series delves further into the kids' emotional responses to this development, the reality they're definitively stuck in the present. After all, they are just kids. Doesn't Bobby want to see his parents in the present day? Shouldn't Jean feel some sense of loss over the fact her parents are killed because of her destiny to become the Phoenix? It's a lot to process, and neither Bendis on the previous series or Hopeless in this one have really explored these questions as much as I think they could have. It seems a good place for the new series to start.
Black Widow #12: Samnee and Waid deliver a solid ending here, as Nat convinces the girls to abandon Recluse because she only sees them as a means to an end. That said, it is a deviation from the previous 11 issues, when it comes to Nat's characterization. Nat has been coldly calculating throughout this series, from pushing away Bucky lest he interfere with her mission to forcing the Lion to join her pursuit of the Headmistress and Recluse. She was never more cruel than her dismissal of Recluse as weak in issue #7. In fact, it's this harsh treatment that drove Recluse to use the girls as a way to get her revenge. As such, it's odd for Nat to suddenly go all soft here. If she had offered a hand to Recluse in issue #7, these girls might not have been in the situation we see here in the first place. Samnee and Waid never really explore Nat's culpability in the drama that unfolds or explains why her heart suddenly grew three sizes that day; even her role in the death of the Lions' father/uncle was never really held against her. I think this series would've ended on a stronger note if we had seen Nat consider how her inability to trust anyone brought her to this point. Instead, S.H.I.E.L.D. simply embraces her as the conquering hero, and we return to her status quo.
Mighty Captain Marvel #3: I'll be honest that I'm a little lost. I think I get the broad strokes of the story Stohl is telling. If I had to guess, the energy released at the end of "Secret Wars" created a genetic marker in a subset of folks across the Universe, and this marker seems to portend some sort of evolutionary jump. Carol doesn't have the marker, but "Bean" does and for some reason it interferes with Carol's powers. Carol and one of Tony's employees jump to the conclusion that the ten blue Kree kids the bounty hunter is trying to collect all have this marker. The bounty hunter later conveniently confirms that they do when he fights Carol to get his hands on Bean. That said, all we know at this point is someone is using them (and presumably their markers) to build some sort of monster. I think? The problem isn't so much that I'm still not sure if that's the plot, but more that I only know what I know because the villain exposited it. I get he's a bounty hunter but he should have enough professional ethics not to give up his client's plans. Carol accepts his version of events as true, though I'm not sure why she would. After all, we're assuming he even knows the real plans. Hopefully Stohl does a little less telling and more showing next issue.
Thunderbolts #11: Now we're getting somewhere! Bucky learns the truth in this issue as Kobik tries to include him in the Red Skull's "secret club" by working him into her "secret history." An appalled Bucky demands she change history to the way it was, stressing to her HYDRA is evil. Upset, she seems to erase Bucky from history. It's pretty clear it won't stick, but Zub significantly advances us toward the denouement. If Kobik lets Bucky retain his memories of their conversation, the jig is up for Steve.
Titans Annual #1: This issue isn't just solid on its own merits; it also introduces some intriguing new plot threads for the upcoming year. A character called "The Key" kidnaps the four Justice League and Titan members with mentor/protégé relationships. He hopes to cause enough conflict between them to create super-powered anguish and then use this emotional energy to open the door for someone in an unknown space (Dr. Manhattan?) to enter our Universe. He almost succeeds when Wonder Woman is forced to reveal Donna Troy isn't an organic human; she was made from magical clay as a weapon to be used against Diana, though the Amazonians were able to implant her with false memories and prevent her from becoming said weapon. Her anguish is real, but her friends are, too: the guys not only rush to console her (denying the Key access to her energy), but her anguish also breaks through the Key's telepathic shield and allows Omen to locate her. Abnett contrasts this warm friendship the Titans enjoy with the cold respect the League has for each other. In so doing, he helps you feel the warm fuzzies when it comes to the Titans and why their stories have always been more compelling. Abnett concludes by having the Key try to justify his failure to the aforementioned "someone," and it doesn't end well for him. It also doesn't bode well for the Titans.
X-Men Prime #1: Back in the day, an issue labeled "Prime" signified a new start for the X-Men. It usually showed a series of unexpected developments that flowed from whatever catastrophe the X-Men had just managed to avoid. It also usually involved the arrival or departure of Kitty Pryde. The authors check that box here, as Kitty returns to lead the X-Men. But, despite the title, nothing else really changes. For all her protestations to the contrary, Storm stays with the team, even if she's not leading it. Sure, the Mansion is moved to Central Park, but it's not exactly all that Earth-shattering as developments go. (Moving it to Limbo was actually the unexpected development.) The original X-Men "leave" the team, but they've never been "on" the team in the first place. In fact, the X-Men have pretty much neglected them from the start. As such, it's hard to embrace this launch as "all-different" or "all-new." We're pretty much exactly where we were before Kitty left the X-Men to join the Guardians. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I can't say it merits the splashy launch we're getting here.
Also Read: Avengers #5.1; Batgirl Annual #1; Occupy Avengers #5
Showing posts with label All-New X-Men (2016). Show all posts
Showing posts with label All-New X-Men (2016). Show all posts
Monday, April 17, 2017
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The February 8 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
IvX #4: As I've previously mentioned, this series got better when the authors started focusing less on the dubious science driving it. Unfortunately, we exchange one problem for another in this issue as the X-Men continue to underestimate the NuHumans...despite the NuHumans frequently kicking their ass. The X-Men are so unconcerned about the NuHumans they don't even bother to learn anything about them, allowing Mosaic to waltz onto Muir Island, hack into Magneto's brain, and figure out the mutants' plans. The only good news at this point for the X-Men is that Mosaic learns the truth about the their plight and tells the other NuHumans, forcing them to question which side is the right one. In other words, despite the X-Men's disdain for the NuHumans, they may be the ones who save them.
All-New X-Men #18: This issue unexpectedly reveals Emma's role in destroying the first cloud of Terrigen Mists to young Scott. After Mosaic possesses him, Scott's consciousness -- trapped inside Mosaic's -- encounters of an echo of Magneto's consciousness (who Mosaic had earlier possessed, as mentioned above). As Scott learns older him had nothing to do with destroying the cloud, Hopeless gives us a front row seat to his indignation and rage. After all, the X-Men's fight against the Inhumans has reminded the world of "older Scott's" "crime," stoking people's distrust of young Scott. Unfortunately, this issue also reminds us how ridiculous the world's outrage at "Scott" for "his" "crime" was in the first place. After all, it wasn't genocide in the way Medusa's genocide would be: the existing Inhumans would survive the destruction of the cloud, unlike the existing mutants. Moreover, the X-Men who were all so outraged by "older Scott's" actions have essentially decided maybe "he" had a point. But, no one ever acknowledges that, of course. (Storm couldn't possibly compare herself to such a villain.) On the plus side, this issue sets up younger Scott's all-out war on Emma. On the down side, though, it's a reminder of how Marvel managed to fuck up an event it spent years planning.
Detective Comics #950: One of the challenges of the DCnU -- even now -- is that it's hard sometimes to remember what we "know" from the DCU and what we "know" now. Currently, the "League of Shadows" is a myth perpetrated by Ra's al Ghul. He really runs the League of Assassins, but uses the League of Shadows as a bogeyman to scare people (for reasons that aren't clear to me, to be honest). Was that also true of the DCU? I feel like it wasn't. The Colony has questioned Bruce's certainty in embracing this "truth," believing the League of Shadows to be a threat he's ignoring. Shiva's appearance at the end of this issue complicates this "truth" further. Is she working for Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins? Or, is the League of Shadows a splinter group she started? Or, is it something else entirely? I was an intermittent reader of the DCU, so Shiva really only means something to me because she was one of Jason's possible mothers in "Death of the Family" and Tim's tutor in "Robin." I'm excited to see her here and learn more about her. The opportunity to learn about a character without going through 70 years of comics is the part of the DCnU that works for me as a new reader. But, as I said, it's still hard to know exactly what I'm supposed to "know."
Meanwhile, Tynion uses this over-sized issue to shore up the team, by first confirming the series' team concept isn't ending: Kate still seems to be on the team, Azrael has taken Spoiler's place, and Luke has taken Tim's spot. He also uses the extra space to take stock of the characters who haven't been the focus of the series lately: he delves into Cass' struggle to express herself, shows us Luke's desire to prove himself, and conveys Clayface's devastation at being able to spend no more than 12 hours a day as Basil. Moreover, he hints at future storylines. Most immediately, we have an artificial-intelligence Azrael lurking out there. But, we see a flashback where Tim brilliantly realizes Bruce is preparing for some sort of war as he uses his network of former Robins to keep tabs on all his major opponents and build up his alliances: Nightwing (at the time) was involved with Spyral and the Parliament of Owls, Jason was deep in Gotham's underworld, Damian was sent to form his own team, Duke was making his way through the Wheel for reasons Tim can't yet explain, and Bruce put together the Belfry team. We learn "Dark Days" are coming, and I couldn't be more excited. This series continues to be one of my favorites.
Doctor Aphra #4: This issue flies by pretty quickly, as it's mostly just Aphra and her gang's flight from Imperial troops. But, it gets interesting at the end. First, we learn Aphra's father wasn't as crazy as everyone thought, as the device he activated last issue sends them to the Citadel of Rur, seemingly proving the existence of the Ordu Aspectu. But, Gillen gives us the back story on Captain Tolvan, who Aphra narrowly escapes here. She's previously failed the Empire, and she's looking to avoid that fate in her search for Aphra. In other words, everyone's looking to prove herself or himself, but not everyone is going to succeed at that.
Unworthy Thor #4: On the letters page, the editors observes that she was holding her breath by the time she got to the last page of this issue, and I couldn't agree more. Aaron, Coipel, and company rocket us to the conclusion - of Thor finally getting a hand on the hammer - with a speed that would make even Toothgnasher jealous. Aaron does a great job of using the narrative to get us to this point. We learn Thor has often worried about his worthiness over the years, making it all the clearer why he feels Mjolnir's loss so deeply here, as it's his greatest fear realized. But, Aaron also makes clear Thor isn't going to have an easy path to redemption: Thor tells us he can hear Ultimate Thor's hammer asking where his Thor is. Trouble ahead.
Also Read: Black Widow #11; Ms. Marvel #15; Titans #8
All-New X-Men #18: This issue unexpectedly reveals Emma's role in destroying the first cloud of Terrigen Mists to young Scott. After Mosaic possesses him, Scott's consciousness -- trapped inside Mosaic's -- encounters of an echo of Magneto's consciousness (who Mosaic had earlier possessed, as mentioned above). As Scott learns older him had nothing to do with destroying the cloud, Hopeless gives us a front row seat to his indignation and rage. After all, the X-Men's fight against the Inhumans has reminded the world of "older Scott's" "crime," stoking people's distrust of young Scott. Unfortunately, this issue also reminds us how ridiculous the world's outrage at "Scott" for "his" "crime" was in the first place. After all, it wasn't genocide in the way Medusa's genocide would be: the existing Inhumans would survive the destruction of the cloud, unlike the existing mutants. Moreover, the X-Men who were all so outraged by "older Scott's" actions have essentially decided maybe "he" had a point. But, no one ever acknowledges that, of course. (Storm couldn't possibly compare herself to such a villain.) On the plus side, this issue sets up younger Scott's all-out war on Emma. On the down side, though, it's a reminder of how Marvel managed to fuck up an event it spent years planning.
Detective Comics #950: One of the challenges of the DCnU -- even now -- is that it's hard sometimes to remember what we "know" from the DCU and what we "know" now. Currently, the "League of Shadows" is a myth perpetrated by Ra's al Ghul. He really runs the League of Assassins, but uses the League of Shadows as a bogeyman to scare people (for reasons that aren't clear to me, to be honest). Was that also true of the DCU? I feel like it wasn't. The Colony has questioned Bruce's certainty in embracing this "truth," believing the League of Shadows to be a threat he's ignoring. Shiva's appearance at the end of this issue complicates this "truth" further. Is she working for Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins? Or, is the League of Shadows a splinter group she started? Or, is it something else entirely? I was an intermittent reader of the DCU, so Shiva really only means something to me because she was one of Jason's possible mothers in "Death of the Family" and Tim's tutor in "Robin." I'm excited to see her here and learn more about her. The opportunity to learn about a character without going through 70 years of comics is the part of the DCnU that works for me as a new reader. But, as I said, it's still hard to know exactly what I'm supposed to "know."
Meanwhile, Tynion uses this over-sized issue to shore up the team, by first confirming the series' team concept isn't ending: Kate still seems to be on the team, Azrael has taken Spoiler's place, and Luke has taken Tim's spot. He also uses the extra space to take stock of the characters who haven't been the focus of the series lately: he delves into Cass' struggle to express herself, shows us Luke's desire to prove himself, and conveys Clayface's devastation at being able to spend no more than 12 hours a day as Basil. Moreover, he hints at future storylines. Most immediately, we have an artificial-intelligence Azrael lurking out there. But, we see a flashback where Tim brilliantly realizes Bruce is preparing for some sort of war as he uses his network of former Robins to keep tabs on all his major opponents and build up his alliances: Nightwing (at the time) was involved with Spyral and the Parliament of Owls, Jason was deep in Gotham's underworld, Damian was sent to form his own team, Duke was making his way through the Wheel for reasons Tim can't yet explain, and Bruce put together the Belfry team. We learn "Dark Days" are coming, and I couldn't be more excited. This series continues to be one of my favorites.
Doctor Aphra #4: This issue flies by pretty quickly, as it's mostly just Aphra and her gang's flight from Imperial troops. But, it gets interesting at the end. First, we learn Aphra's father wasn't as crazy as everyone thought, as the device he activated last issue sends them to the Citadel of Rur, seemingly proving the existence of the Ordu Aspectu. But, Gillen gives us the back story on Captain Tolvan, who Aphra narrowly escapes here. She's previously failed the Empire, and she's looking to avoid that fate in her search for Aphra. In other words, everyone's looking to prove herself or himself, but not everyone is going to succeed at that.
Unworthy Thor #4: On the letters page, the editors observes that she was holding her breath by the time she got to the last page of this issue, and I couldn't agree more. Aaron, Coipel, and company rocket us to the conclusion - of Thor finally getting a hand on the hammer - with a speed that would make even Toothgnasher jealous. Aaron does a great job of using the narrative to get us to this point. We learn Thor has often worried about his worthiness over the years, making it all the clearer why he feels Mjolnir's loss so deeply here, as it's his greatest fear realized. But, Aaron also makes clear Thor isn't going to have an easy path to redemption: Thor tells us he can hear Ultimate Thor's hammer asking where his Thor is. Trouble ahead.
Also Read: Black Widow #11; Ms. Marvel #15; Titans #8
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The February 1 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
All-New X-Men #1.MU: Honestly, this issue is one of the best stand-alone issues I've ever read, let alone one connected to an event. Whitley really has an excellent bead on the characters' personalities. But, he goes beyond that, shows us those personalities when they're pushed into uncomfortable or new places: Warren adjusting to being the responsible one, Laura having to contemplate why she's part of a team, Idie reacquainting herself with her faith. On top of that, their interactions with each other really sing: you can really feel the warmth in Gambit and Laura's relationship, for example. (In fact, Whitley's Gambit is probably the best version of him I've ever read, getting to the person behind the accent and charm.) Plus, the action is legitimately fun, thanks to Barberi's great sense of motion. Honestly, it's a good time had by all. Laissez les bon temps rouler indeed.
Avengers #4: Yup, you guessed it: I still have no idea what the fuck is happening. Kang narrates this issue and, as amazingly beautiful as it is, I still wrestle with all the usual problems with Kang. As Waid walks us through Kang's "history," you just have to wonder how it's at all possible. How does he live eternally? Why does he live eternally? What motivates him? Why is conquering only one era not enough? This issue makes it clear Waid has big ideas when it comes to Kang, but every author has to answer these questions about Kang if their story is going to make sense. After the virtually nonsensical first arc, I have my doubts. Why does everyone insist on starting their run on "Avengers" with a Kang story? It's like learning to swim in the deep end.
Batman #16: If you've been reading this blog for a long time, you know that I'm pretty much obsessed with the need for the Bat-family to have a big group hug. I come as close as I'm ever going to get to that in this issue. King has the four living Robins go to Bat-burger with Bruce, where Jason admits that he loves Jokerized fries despite "the crowbar and all." We then see Damian and Jason engage in a food fight while Dick confirms to a bewildered Duke that, yes, Bruce, the man raised by the butler, eats his hamburger with a fork and knife. Although Bruce proves to be the downer when he angrily notes Tim's absence, I don't care. I would read an entire series devoted to the Robins having burgers with each other. King eventually has to get to the point of this meeting: Bruce asks the boys to vacate Gotham since Bane is on the way and he doesn't want any of them to die (again). But, it's really all about the meal at Batburger. Don't worry, Jason: despite what Damian says about your hairline, I'll still love you.
Hawkeye #3: I really love everything Thompson is doing here. It's the L.A. Kate Fraction was trying to write but never quite got right. Thompson has Kate's Scooby gang fully assembled here: handsome Johnny, grumpy but game Ramone, hacker Watson, and, most importantly, inside-woman Detective Rivera. My guess is the large dude looming over Kate at the end of this issue is nefarious surfer Brad, but we'll see. At this stage, we still don't know why he would be so obsessed with Mikka, so it's possible it is creepy Larry. On some level, it doesn't matter, because it's just fun to spend time inside Kate's head. Thompson has her internal narrative down pat, making even searching a house (and finding a dude on the toilet) an exercise in fun.
Moon Knight #11: This series has been all about Marc's past, but, in truth, we haven't seen much of it from a narrative perspective. We know his friends and his personas pretty well, but, if you're a new reader like I am, you don't know anything about the details of his life. Lemire remedies that problem here in a typically creative fashion, showing us flashes of Marc's past as he fights his way through the Overvoid. (He's trying to find something Anubis lost so Anubis will give him back his friend's soul.) We see Marc being released from the psychiatric ward where he seems to have spent years, a grown man at this point. He is released only for a time, to attend his father's funeral. Afterwards, he rebuffs his mother's assertion that his father would've been happy he came by reminding her how disappointed his father had been in him. Later, we see him lying to recruiters about his mental illness to join the Marines, but his strange behavior (including a sexy naked walk through a mine field) leads him to being dishonorably discharged. (That seems harsh, by the way. They discover he lied about his mental illness, but don't get him help?) Marc goes AWOL in Baghdad, and we eventually see him meeting Frenchie after he wins a bout at an underground fight club. Throughout this narrative, we see hints of Khonshu speaking to him, observing Marc will do anything he needs to do to be cured. (Lemire's Khonshu at this point is definitely the villain of the story, an opportunist looking to exploit Marc's weaknesses to be reborn.) In the Overvoid, Marc finds Aput, Anubis' wife, but he'll have to survive being sacrificed to the Overvoid's gods if he's going to save her. I still marvel (heh) after all these issues at Lemire's ability to tell so many stories on so many levels in so many time periods while still holding onto the threat of the narrative. It's a wonder to behold, and Smallwood's art infuses it with an emotional depth that's hard to explain. I don't think I've seen a better duo since Snyder/Jock on "Detective Comics." I also agree with Kaylee in the letters page: a great story plus the most handsome Mark ever? What more could you want?
Nightwing #14: Seeley has a pretty decent track record for wrapping up loose ends, and he does the same here. Dick and Shawn track down Jimmy thanks to Shawn poking through his finances and discovering an odd investment: his "quiet reflection project" that just so happens to be located in a toxic-waste site. Svoboda gets credit for the collar as planned, and Nightwing and the Run-Offs are exonerated. Dick even gets the girl, in a clever twist on a fantasy sequence, where Dick imagines telling Shawn who he is and she guesses anyway. (They kiss in both fantasy and reality.) Moreover, Dick's personal life doesn't get a boost just from his burgeoning romance with Shawn, but the fact he's taking over her position at the community center since she was fired given her connection to the murders. (This part seemed a little unfair, since she was definitively proven innocent.) I do wish Seeley spent a little more time on fleshing out Cherry and Jimmy's relationship, since we learn in this issue that Cherry was the one feeding Jimmy information about corruption. Seeley doesn't really tell us how Cherry came to use Jimmy as her avenging angel or why she felt so strongly about corruption in the first place. But, it seems possible we'll return to these characters at some point: at the end of the issue, an accident causes Jimmy's face to bond with broken shards of a mirror. Although Mirror-Face isn't a great name for a villain, it's clear that someone with that good of a shtick is going to return. Other than this small complaint, this arc really does establish Dick in Blüdhaven. Since Dick resumed being Nightwing in 2011, I don't think we've had firmer ground under our feet when it comes to Dick, and I'm excited to see where Seeley takes us.
Nova (2017) #3: As expected, Rich starts doling out girl advice here, telling Sam that the thing he learned by dying is that he wish he would've talked to more girls when he was alive. Sam is worried Lina -- (the girl whose name his brain screams, as Cosmo tells us) -- will reject him, and Rich tells him that he'll live if that happens. After all, again, Rich died, so he's got a pretty solid perspective on that front. But, Loveness and Pérez actually call into question here whether Rich "died" or "remains dead;" when he uses his powers here, he reverts to his Cancerverse self, even if no one else (or, at least, Sam) doesn't see him in that form. The mystery continues. At any rate, Loveness and Pérez really capture the Rich we all know and love, the caring and charming straight guy who feel responsibility for taking care of everyone around him. Speaking of girls and love, enter Gamora next issue!
Spider-Man 2099 #20: I enjoy Miguel having an archenemy in the present in the form of Man Mountain Marko. It adds a nice touch. Of course, his real archenemy, his father, is also at play here, so it does dim Marko's star a little. David does a great job using Tyler to remind us just how much Tempest knows about Miguel. I was worried he was going to spill the beans about Miguel being Spider-Man or being from the future, but Tempest already knows all that. I think the most significant conversation is actually when Tempest threatens to kill Tyler if he's lying about his ability to cure her, because that feels like clear foreshadowing and not an idle threat. Also, I haven't mentioned it for a while, but Sliney is really the perfect fit for this title. His clean lines really imbue it with a futuristic vibe. It's really smooth sailing over here.
Also Read: Champions #5; Midnighter and Apollo #5
Avengers #4: Yup, you guessed it: I still have no idea what the fuck is happening. Kang narrates this issue and, as amazingly beautiful as it is, I still wrestle with all the usual problems with Kang. As Waid walks us through Kang's "history," you just have to wonder how it's at all possible. How does he live eternally? Why does he live eternally? What motivates him? Why is conquering only one era not enough? This issue makes it clear Waid has big ideas when it comes to Kang, but every author has to answer these questions about Kang if their story is going to make sense. After the virtually nonsensical first arc, I have my doubts. Why does everyone insist on starting their run on "Avengers" with a Kang story? It's like learning to swim in the deep end.
Batman #16: If you've been reading this blog for a long time, you know that I'm pretty much obsessed with the need for the Bat-family to have a big group hug. I come as close as I'm ever going to get to that in this issue. King has the four living Robins go to Bat-burger with Bruce, where Jason admits that he loves Jokerized fries despite "the crowbar and all." We then see Damian and Jason engage in a food fight while Dick confirms to a bewildered Duke that, yes, Bruce, the man raised by the butler, eats his hamburger with a fork and knife. Although Bruce proves to be the downer when he angrily notes Tim's absence, I don't care. I would read an entire series devoted to the Robins having burgers with each other. King eventually has to get to the point of this meeting: Bruce asks the boys to vacate Gotham since Bane is on the way and he doesn't want any of them to die (again). But, it's really all about the meal at Batburger. Don't worry, Jason: despite what Damian says about your hairline, I'll still love you.
Hawkeye #3: I really love everything Thompson is doing here. It's the L.A. Kate Fraction was trying to write but never quite got right. Thompson has Kate's Scooby gang fully assembled here: handsome Johnny, grumpy but game Ramone, hacker Watson, and, most importantly, inside-woman Detective Rivera. My guess is the large dude looming over Kate at the end of this issue is nefarious surfer Brad, but we'll see. At this stage, we still don't know why he would be so obsessed with Mikka, so it's possible it is creepy Larry. On some level, it doesn't matter, because it's just fun to spend time inside Kate's head. Thompson has her internal narrative down pat, making even searching a house (and finding a dude on the toilet) an exercise in fun.
Moon Knight #11: This series has been all about Marc's past, but, in truth, we haven't seen much of it from a narrative perspective. We know his friends and his personas pretty well, but, if you're a new reader like I am, you don't know anything about the details of his life. Lemire remedies that problem here in a typically creative fashion, showing us flashes of Marc's past as he fights his way through the Overvoid. (He's trying to find something Anubis lost so Anubis will give him back his friend's soul.) We see Marc being released from the psychiatric ward where he seems to have spent years, a grown man at this point. He is released only for a time, to attend his father's funeral. Afterwards, he rebuffs his mother's assertion that his father would've been happy he came by reminding her how disappointed his father had been in him. Later, we see him lying to recruiters about his mental illness to join the Marines, but his strange behavior (including a sexy naked walk through a mine field) leads him to being dishonorably discharged. (That seems harsh, by the way. They discover he lied about his mental illness, but don't get him help?) Marc goes AWOL in Baghdad, and we eventually see him meeting Frenchie after he wins a bout at an underground fight club. Throughout this narrative, we see hints of Khonshu speaking to him, observing Marc will do anything he needs to do to be cured. (Lemire's Khonshu at this point is definitely the villain of the story, an opportunist looking to exploit Marc's weaknesses to be reborn.) In the Overvoid, Marc finds Aput, Anubis' wife, but he'll have to survive being sacrificed to the Overvoid's gods if he's going to save her. I still marvel (heh) after all these issues at Lemire's ability to tell so many stories on so many levels in so many time periods while still holding onto the threat of the narrative. It's a wonder to behold, and Smallwood's art infuses it with an emotional depth that's hard to explain. I don't think I've seen a better duo since Snyder/Jock on "Detective Comics." I also agree with Kaylee in the letters page: a great story plus the most handsome Mark ever? What more could you want?
Nightwing #14: Seeley has a pretty decent track record for wrapping up loose ends, and he does the same here. Dick and Shawn track down Jimmy thanks to Shawn poking through his finances and discovering an odd investment: his "quiet reflection project" that just so happens to be located in a toxic-waste site. Svoboda gets credit for the collar as planned, and Nightwing and the Run-Offs are exonerated. Dick even gets the girl, in a clever twist on a fantasy sequence, where Dick imagines telling Shawn who he is and she guesses anyway. (They kiss in both fantasy and reality.) Moreover, Dick's personal life doesn't get a boost just from his burgeoning romance with Shawn, but the fact he's taking over her position at the community center since she was fired given her connection to the murders. (This part seemed a little unfair, since she was definitively proven innocent.) I do wish Seeley spent a little more time on fleshing out Cherry and Jimmy's relationship, since we learn in this issue that Cherry was the one feeding Jimmy information about corruption. Seeley doesn't really tell us how Cherry came to use Jimmy as her avenging angel or why she felt so strongly about corruption in the first place. But, it seems possible we'll return to these characters at some point: at the end of the issue, an accident causes Jimmy's face to bond with broken shards of a mirror. Although Mirror-Face isn't a great name for a villain, it's clear that someone with that good of a shtick is going to return. Other than this small complaint, this arc really does establish Dick in Blüdhaven. Since Dick resumed being Nightwing in 2011, I don't think we've had firmer ground under our feet when it comes to Dick, and I'm excited to see where Seeley takes us.
Nova (2017) #3: As expected, Rich starts doling out girl advice here, telling Sam that the thing he learned by dying is that he wish he would've talked to more girls when he was alive. Sam is worried Lina -- (the girl whose name his brain screams, as Cosmo tells us) -- will reject him, and Rich tells him that he'll live if that happens. After all, again, Rich died, so he's got a pretty solid perspective on that front. But, Loveness and Pérez actually call into question here whether Rich "died" or "remains dead;" when he uses his powers here, he reverts to his Cancerverse self, even if no one else (or, at least, Sam) doesn't see him in that form. The mystery continues. At any rate, Loveness and Pérez really capture the Rich we all know and love, the caring and charming straight guy who feel responsibility for taking care of everyone around him. Speaking of girls and love, enter Gamora next issue!
Spider-Man 2099 #20: I enjoy Miguel having an archenemy in the present in the form of Man Mountain Marko. It adds a nice touch. Of course, his real archenemy, his father, is also at play here, so it does dim Marko's star a little. David does a great job using Tyler to remind us just how much Tempest knows about Miguel. I was worried he was going to spill the beans about Miguel being Spider-Man or being from the future, but Tempest already knows all that. I think the most significant conversation is actually when Tempest threatens to kill Tyler if he's lying about his ability to cure her, because that feels like clear foreshadowing and not an idle threat. Also, I haven't mentioned it for a while, but Sliney is really the perfect fit for this title. His clean lines really imbue it with a futuristic vibe. It's really smooth sailing over here.
Also Read: Champions #5; Midnighter and Apollo #5
Friday, February 24, 2017
Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The January 25 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Black Panther #10: Not unexpectedly, Coates gets even more philosophical in the last moments of peace before Tetu and his zombie-like forces arrive in the Golden City. T'Challa asks forgiveness from Changamire for his sins, particularly his pride in thinking he was better than his ancestors for not resorting to torture and then considering doing exactly that when his back was against the wall. But, T'Challa isn't the only one here who needs to repent. Although Changamire refuses to acknowledge he clings to a fantasy of how governments work, he is forced to acknowledge T'Challa doesn't want to dominate his people as king and, conversely, Tetu probably does. Similarly, Shuri gets the Dora Milaje to admit what they already know, that Tetu will turn on them once the Golden City falls. With these reluctant allies secured, T'Challa and Shuri show why they're the best there is at what they do.
Captain America: Steve Rogers #10: After "Mighty Captain Marvel" #1, I assumed Maria Hill was found innocent, since Carol discusses building the Shield. But, Spencer throws us a curveball here: Maria finally gets her comeuppance. (A lot of comeuppance happening this week, apparently.) She's found guilty and flees the Helicarrier to deliver the Shield plans to Carol. Needless to say, the Skull is furious: we learn his plan is to have the Chitauri invade Earth so he can come to power in the wake of the destruction they will inevitably cause. We still don't know exactly why Steve wanted to see Sharon put in charge instead of Maria, though. Does he think Maria more competent than Sharon? Is he worried she would suss out his plans more easily? Did he know Sharon would give the job to him? It also seems weird he'd want S.H.I.E.L.D. to be more powerful if the plan is for Earth to fall to the Chitauri. But, more powerful it will be, thanks to Sharon pulling out all the stops to get the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act passed, allowing it to become America's first line of defense in case of a Doomsday scenario or terrorist attack (or alien invasion). Sharon tells Steve he needs to be Director, since the person leading the organization with all that power has to be beyond reproach. If I had to guess, Steve plans on leading S.H.I.E.L.D. to failure in the Chitauri invasion so he can show even at its most powerful it's less effective than HYDRA. The only good news Steve gets in this issue is the revelation that Free Spirit pulled the plug on Jack Flag before he has to administer a drug to kill him. At least he's wrapped up one loose end.
Thunderbolts #9: I can't say I'm thrilled Marvel's sucked me into reading this series, but I have to admit I find myself charmed. The team is fun, and it's great to see Bucky again. That said, it's hard to see why "Captain America: Steve Rogers" #10 directed its readers to this issue. Other than the mere presence of Bucky, this issue is nowhere near as connected to Spencer's story as issues #7-#8 were. As far as I can tell, the only possible connection is if the alien race the Thunderbolts capture here are somehow connected to the Chitauri, meaning the beacon they activated will draw the Chitauri to Earth. But, no one even remotely mentions that here, so it's just a guess. I guess we'll see.
IvX #3 and All-New X-Men #17: Lemire does a pretty convincing job here of portraying the NuHumans as a threat the X-Men underestimated. Inferno gets the drop on Logan because he was overconfident, though Forge somewhat unconvincingly blunders into telling Iso exactly how to disable the machine he's building to eliminate the remaining Terrigen Cloud. It's still unclear how the Royal Family is going to escape Magik's prison to then break into X-Haven, but I have to admit it's a solid plan. But, it's Hopeless that grounds this event in actual emotions. If tactical conversations are par for the course in the main title, Hopeless makes young Hank sound ridiculous as he lays out the plan for Bobby, who just cares about finally kissing Romeo. The good news is he does, when he follows the X-Men into New Attilan simply to find him. Is it responsible? No, it's not. After all, if the X-Men don't win, Bobby's going to be dead in two weeks. Does it matter though? Nope. After all, Bobby essentially argues they wouldn't be at this point if people had the motivation to solve the impasse that he and Romeo have. He's not wrong. In fact, for the one taken the least seriously of all the X-Men, he's probably the only one thinking straight (heh) at this point.
Prowler #4: Hobie has always been a little arrogant, but Ryan makes him a downright asshole in this series. First, he continues lamenting he has to do everything on his own...even after Julia saves his life, getting him to New U and his pills in time. But, he also complains about her condescension when she refuses to see the Jackal as an agent of good. But, of course, Julia is right, so it's hard to argue she was just being condescending in refusing to believe him. Hobie doesn't even really try to argue his case: he just wants her to believe him because he believes it. I like Hobie, and I wanted to like this series. But, Ryan has him wallow in so much text-box misery that it's not the series for me, unfortunately.
Also Read: Avengers #1.MU; Extraordinary X-Men #18; Star Wars #27-#28
Captain America: Steve Rogers #10: After "Mighty Captain Marvel" #1, I assumed Maria Hill was found innocent, since Carol discusses building the Shield. But, Spencer throws us a curveball here: Maria finally gets her comeuppance. (A lot of comeuppance happening this week, apparently.) She's found guilty and flees the Helicarrier to deliver the Shield plans to Carol. Needless to say, the Skull is furious: we learn his plan is to have the Chitauri invade Earth so he can come to power in the wake of the destruction they will inevitably cause. We still don't know exactly why Steve wanted to see Sharon put in charge instead of Maria, though. Does he think Maria more competent than Sharon? Is he worried she would suss out his plans more easily? Did he know Sharon would give the job to him? It also seems weird he'd want S.H.I.E.L.D. to be more powerful if the plan is for Earth to fall to the Chitauri. But, more powerful it will be, thanks to Sharon pulling out all the stops to get the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act passed, allowing it to become America's first line of defense in case of a Doomsday scenario or terrorist attack (or alien invasion). Sharon tells Steve he needs to be Director, since the person leading the organization with all that power has to be beyond reproach. If I had to guess, Steve plans on leading S.H.I.E.L.D. to failure in the Chitauri invasion so he can show even at its most powerful it's less effective than HYDRA. The only good news Steve gets in this issue is the revelation that Free Spirit pulled the plug on Jack Flag before he has to administer a drug to kill him. At least he's wrapped up one loose end.
Thunderbolts #9: I can't say I'm thrilled Marvel's sucked me into reading this series, but I have to admit I find myself charmed. The team is fun, and it's great to see Bucky again. That said, it's hard to see why "Captain America: Steve Rogers" #10 directed its readers to this issue. Other than the mere presence of Bucky, this issue is nowhere near as connected to Spencer's story as issues #7-#8 were. As far as I can tell, the only possible connection is if the alien race the Thunderbolts capture here are somehow connected to the Chitauri, meaning the beacon they activated will draw the Chitauri to Earth. But, no one even remotely mentions that here, so it's just a guess. I guess we'll see.
IvX #3 and All-New X-Men #17: Lemire does a pretty convincing job here of portraying the NuHumans as a threat the X-Men underestimated. Inferno gets the drop on Logan because he was overconfident, though Forge somewhat unconvincingly blunders into telling Iso exactly how to disable the machine he's building to eliminate the remaining Terrigen Cloud. It's still unclear how the Royal Family is going to escape Magik's prison to then break into X-Haven, but I have to admit it's a solid plan. But, it's Hopeless that grounds this event in actual emotions. If tactical conversations are par for the course in the main title, Hopeless makes young Hank sound ridiculous as he lays out the plan for Bobby, who just cares about finally kissing Romeo. The good news is he does, when he follows the X-Men into New Attilan simply to find him. Is it responsible? No, it's not. After all, if the X-Men don't win, Bobby's going to be dead in two weeks. Does it matter though? Nope. After all, Bobby essentially argues they wouldn't be at this point if people had the motivation to solve the impasse that he and Romeo have. He's not wrong. In fact, for the one taken the least seriously of all the X-Men, he's probably the only one thinking straight (heh) at this point.
Prowler #4: Hobie has always been a little arrogant, but Ryan makes him a downright asshole in this series. First, he continues lamenting he has to do everything on his own...even after Julia saves his life, getting him to New U and his pills in time. But, he also complains about her condescension when she refuses to see the Jackal as an agent of good. But, of course, Julia is right, so it's hard to argue she was just being condescending in refusing to believe him. Hobie doesn't even really try to argue his case: he just wants her to believe him because he believes it. I like Hobie, and I wanted to like this series. But, Ryan has him wallow in so much text-box misery that it's not the series for me, unfortunately.
Also Read: Avengers #1.MU; Extraordinary X-Men #18; Star Wars #27-#28
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The December 14 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
All-New X-Men #16:
Hopeless has really gone places I didn't expect on this title, and
Hank's embrace of the occult is at the top of that list. His frustration is real
here, even as he eventually stumbles upon a spell that gives him the
powers he needs to save his friends. But, Hopeless implies this action will have consequences, and I would really dig it if we see Hank start working
with Dr. Strange to become better at spellcasting. Of all the original X-Men, he'd really be the one
diverging from his future self's path.
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #2: This issue is a lot better than the first one, mainly because MJ is the narrator. It's fun to get her perspective, particularly given her distinct lack of anxiety about the whole superhero business. Unfortunately, it serves as a reminder that Conway is playing up Peter's anxiety about it too much. I mean, he does a good job of explaining why Peter feels the way he does. It certainly makes sense that Peter would deeply understand the risks of being a superhero and be nervous about his wife and child following in his footsteps. But, this difference throws off the balance of the series; it's hard to tell if it's fun or serious. Conway is going to have to decide that question before too long. (I know you can do both fun and serious, as Duggan has done really well on "Uncanny Avengers." But, so far, I don't feel like it's working here.)
IvX #1: I don't think I've ever been less excited about an event than this one. (I believe I said the same thing in reviewing "IvX" #0.) In fact, "extreme apprehension" is probably a better way to phrase my current sentiment. Unfortunately, Lemire and Soule do little here to help the situation. The entire premise of this "war" makes no sense. As expected, Hank informs the mutant leaders assembled on Muir Island that the chemical bonds holding together the remaining cloud of Terrigen Mists are breaking, explaining the high level of Terrigen saturation on the Earth's surface. This dispersion is unfortunately progressing at an exponential rate, meaning they don't have much time to stop it. The leaders vote to attack the remaining cloud, implementing a plan that Emma, Magneto, and Storm created. (For the record, Rogue votes against the plan, despite admitting she doesn't like the alternative of living on Mars.) My problem -- well, I should say, one of my problems -- here is that I don't fully buy the "science." Is there really so much Terrigen in the remaining cloud that it would render Earth inhospitable to mutants when fully dispersed? Moreover, if it's already been saturated into the Earth so much that the mutants only have two weeks to stop it, shouldn't they have started feeling its effects? It seems weird that it'd have to be 100% saturated before anyone felt anything. Also, doesn't it have some sort of half-life? Would it really remain on the surface forever? Couldn't we just off-load mutantkind into X-Haven for a few weeks and solve the problem? Also, is it really impossible to trap the cloud again? The Inhumans were perfect happy when it was contained, so couldn't we just do that again? The fact Lemire and Soule don't even try to address these questions shows how rushed this event is, despite Marvel having planned it for months. Yes, it's totally cool to see the X-Men take out members of the Inhuman Royal Family, and I particularly loved Dazzler's part in that plan. But, even the terrible "Civil War II" event had a clear reason why everyone had to choose a side: you were either for predictive justice or you weren't. Here, we seem to have numerous options on the table to prevent the conflict based on the "science," but we're apparently just ignoring those because EVENT! [Sigh.] Is it over yet?
Reborn #3: OK, Millar has me sold. This series is really intriguing. We have a number of mysteries woven into the plot already. Is Bonnie's husband Lord Golgotha? Are we going to learn he was really a puppy-kicker in life? Where is her mother? Maybe she's Lord Golgotha? What exactly are Bonnie's powers? At the end of the issue, she assets they're making the right decision by jumping into that portal, but she seems to have been wrong, because they find themselves on Lord Golgotha's prison planet. So far, she's twice had a mental vision of her opponents, but it hasn't been clear what those visions are showing her. Are they like Midnighter's fight computer? But, the mysteries and mythology of "Reborn" isn't the only good part. The characterizations are really solid. Millar does a good job of using his limited non-action time to convey Bonnie's disorientation at her current predicament, even though I'd appreciate some more quiet time to really explore those feelings. Moreover, her relationship with her father is really moving, and, obviously, that dog better not be dead. All of these deft narrative touches are accentuated by Capullo's amazing-as-always renderings. The lion-headed dragon eating the flying elephant was honestly one of the most unexpected moments in a comic for me. Moreover, Capullo's ability to convey motion is unsurpassed, as we see here in Bonnie's flight with her father. You really got the sense you were running through the trees in a panic with a pack of elephants. Millar clearly has a very, very long game planned here, and I'm excited to see it unfold.
Uncanny Avengers #17: This arc has mostly been a fun romp, but Duggan ends it on a somber note, with Rogue contemplating the price the Avengers have paid for peace over the last year: Bruce dead, Thor missing, Hank gone, Wonder Man lost in Rogue's mind, Iron Man functionally disabled. Rogue is experienced enough to know it's probably a sign things are going to get worse before they get better. She's not wrong, obviously, given the cover for next issue involves the Red Skull. If there's a sliver of hope here, it's that the team stays together, committed to taking down the Skull. It's a nice moment, showing how far we've come from the first issue, where Rogue was basically waiting for any excuse to take out Synapse. In a world where Marvel has been pushing the Inhumans beyond all other groups, I really cherish -- though it may be too strong of a world -- this series' connection to Marvel's past and the importance the Avengers and X-Men once had.
Also Read: Detective Comics #946; Hawkeye #1; Poe Dameron #9
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #2: This issue is a lot better than the first one, mainly because MJ is the narrator. It's fun to get her perspective, particularly given her distinct lack of anxiety about the whole superhero business. Unfortunately, it serves as a reminder that Conway is playing up Peter's anxiety about it too much. I mean, he does a good job of explaining why Peter feels the way he does. It certainly makes sense that Peter would deeply understand the risks of being a superhero and be nervous about his wife and child following in his footsteps. But, this difference throws off the balance of the series; it's hard to tell if it's fun or serious. Conway is going to have to decide that question before too long. (I know you can do both fun and serious, as Duggan has done really well on "Uncanny Avengers." But, so far, I don't feel like it's working here.)
IvX #1: I don't think I've ever been less excited about an event than this one. (I believe I said the same thing in reviewing "IvX" #0.) In fact, "extreme apprehension" is probably a better way to phrase my current sentiment. Unfortunately, Lemire and Soule do little here to help the situation. The entire premise of this "war" makes no sense. As expected, Hank informs the mutant leaders assembled on Muir Island that the chemical bonds holding together the remaining cloud of Terrigen Mists are breaking, explaining the high level of Terrigen saturation on the Earth's surface. This dispersion is unfortunately progressing at an exponential rate, meaning they don't have much time to stop it. The leaders vote to attack the remaining cloud, implementing a plan that Emma, Magneto, and Storm created. (For the record, Rogue votes against the plan, despite admitting she doesn't like the alternative of living on Mars.) My problem -- well, I should say, one of my problems -- here is that I don't fully buy the "science." Is there really so much Terrigen in the remaining cloud that it would render Earth inhospitable to mutants when fully dispersed? Moreover, if it's already been saturated into the Earth so much that the mutants only have two weeks to stop it, shouldn't they have started feeling its effects? It seems weird that it'd have to be 100% saturated before anyone felt anything. Also, doesn't it have some sort of half-life? Would it really remain on the surface forever? Couldn't we just off-load mutantkind into X-Haven for a few weeks and solve the problem? Also, is it really impossible to trap the cloud again? The Inhumans were perfect happy when it was contained, so couldn't we just do that again? The fact Lemire and Soule don't even try to address these questions shows how rushed this event is, despite Marvel having planned it for months. Yes, it's totally cool to see the X-Men take out members of the Inhuman Royal Family, and I particularly loved Dazzler's part in that plan. But, even the terrible "Civil War II" event had a clear reason why everyone had to choose a side: you were either for predictive justice or you weren't. Here, we seem to have numerous options on the table to prevent the conflict based on the "science," but we're apparently just ignoring those because EVENT! [Sigh.] Is it over yet?
Reborn #3: OK, Millar has me sold. This series is really intriguing. We have a number of mysteries woven into the plot already. Is Bonnie's husband Lord Golgotha? Are we going to learn he was really a puppy-kicker in life? Where is her mother? Maybe she's Lord Golgotha? What exactly are Bonnie's powers? At the end of the issue, she assets they're making the right decision by jumping into that portal, but she seems to have been wrong, because they find themselves on Lord Golgotha's prison planet. So far, she's twice had a mental vision of her opponents, but it hasn't been clear what those visions are showing her. Are they like Midnighter's fight computer? But, the mysteries and mythology of "Reborn" isn't the only good part. The characterizations are really solid. Millar does a good job of using his limited non-action time to convey Bonnie's disorientation at her current predicament, even though I'd appreciate some more quiet time to really explore those feelings. Moreover, her relationship with her father is really moving, and, obviously, that dog better not be dead. All of these deft narrative touches are accentuated by Capullo's amazing-as-always renderings. The lion-headed dragon eating the flying elephant was honestly one of the most unexpected moments in a comic for me. Moreover, Capullo's ability to convey motion is unsurpassed, as we see here in Bonnie's flight with her father. You really got the sense you were running through the trees in a panic with a pack of elephants. Millar clearly has a very, very long game planned here, and I'm excited to see it unfold.
Uncanny Avengers #17: This arc has mostly been a fun romp, but Duggan ends it on a somber note, with Rogue contemplating the price the Avengers have paid for peace over the last year: Bruce dead, Thor missing, Hank gone, Wonder Man lost in Rogue's mind, Iron Man functionally disabled. Rogue is experienced enough to know it's probably a sign things are going to get worse before they get better. She's not wrong, obviously, given the cover for next issue involves the Red Skull. If there's a sliver of hope here, it's that the team stays together, committed to taking down the Skull. It's a nice moment, showing how far we've come from the first issue, where Rogue was basically waiting for any excuse to take out Synapse. In a world where Marvel has been pushing the Inhumans beyond all other groups, I really cherish -- though it may be too strong of a world -- this series' connection to Marvel's past and the importance the Avengers and X-Men once had.
Also Read: Detective Comics #946; Hawkeye #1; Poe Dameron #9
Monday, January 9, 2017
Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The September 14 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
All-New X-Men #13: I love everything about this issue. As a 40-year-old gay man, I can say we should all be so lucky to have a Romeo walk into our lives at Bobby's age.
Detective Comics #940: Tynion does something clever here by immediately disabusing us of the notion Tim is dead. I was rolling my eyes throughout the panels coming after his "death," just because we've been here so many times. Tynion did his best to engage me, and he almost got me when Bruce's hands shook as he read Tim's acceptance letter to Ivy University. But, at this point, a Robin dying is as interesting as heroes fighting due to a misunderstanding. It's why I retroactively liked this issue when we discovered someone had instead whisked Tim off the field in the nick of time. Tynion wasn't trying to be Slott swearing Peter Parker is really dead, and I appreciate that. At this point, we're still left with someone questions. The mysterious figure says he wanted Tim off the field because he had too many "connections," but he also clearly wanted him alive -- otherwise, he would've just let him die. Kate's father alluded to a Big Bad out there as justification for his actions, promising Kate will eventually understand why he did what he did. Is the Big Bad the same person as the mysterious figure? How does Tim figure into that plan? Somehow, I think the answer to that question isn't coming anytime soon.
Spider-Man 2099 #15: SO. MUCH. HAPPENING. We learn the Power Pack we saw at the end of last issue is our Power Pack, because their powers slowed their aging; we also learn Alex has been missing for decades. David reveals that the mysterious CEO of Alchemax is a still-living J. Jonah Jameson, another departure from whatever passes for the main 2099 timeline at this point. Also, Harry Mendez is still Roberta's husband in this new timeline and still subjected her to experiments; but, in this timeline, she died and they didn't have children. I also finally realized in this issue, with the appearance of Black Widow 2099, that the characters in the van are a combination of the Avengers and Defenders we saw in "Secret Wars 2099." However, I don't believe we're seeing an extension of that timeline. After all, Miguel was CEO of Alchemax then. According to this issue, the Sinister Six stole Alchemax from Jonah, not Miguel. As such, I think we've had at least three timelines in the last few issues: the Maestro timeline where 2099 is a radioactive wasteland, the "Secret Wars 2099" timeline where Miguel was CEO of Alchemax, and the Sinister Six timeline where Father Jennifer was Goblin 2099 and Gabe worked with Kasey (as Payback) to help her. However, it's possible this one is a fourth timeline: simply because Jonah took back control of Alchemax from the Sinister Six in this timeline doesn't mean it's the same one we saw. And the mystery deepens...
Also Read: Black Panther #6; Spider-Man #8; Uncanny Avengers #14
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The August 10 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
All-New X-Men #12: For the most part, this issue is a solid look into Laura's psyche as she goes on a bunch of solo missions Cyclops original meant for himself. He can't do them since he's still recovering from his encounter with Toad, and she can't relieve her boredom by playing video games. However, she's frustrated to learn someone else has made his way through the hit list before her, and it's no surprise when she learns it was Warren. Hopeless also provides us insight into Warren's thoughts, as we learn the powers he got from the Black Vortex are slowly consuming him. Laura understands this need to engage in violence, and their shared bloodlust brings them together again. Warren also apologizes for making her feel bad about said lust, explaining the "fire" is messing with his head. This part is the only area where I raised an eyebrow. Hopeless is essentially trying to make it seem like Warren was more scared by what he recognized of himself in Laura than by Laura herself. It makes sense, but I also can't help but feel like it's a ret-con, like Hopeless hadn't originally intended to go this route. We never really got a hint that Warren was motivated by anything other than his inability to be in a relationship with someone who he watched essentially get murdered every day or so. If we had seen those hints, it would've been easier to accept what Hopeless does here. But, since this issue is pretty much the first time we've mentioned Warren's new powers in this series, it feels like an overly convenient device to get them together, for whatever reason. That said, I am glad to see them together again, so I shouldn't complain too much.
All-New, All-Different Avengers #13: Whoa, I did not see that coming. I figured Vision would learn a lesson about free will, recognizing his own struggles with emotion and logic and leaving Kang to live his life the way he saw fit, an enemy to face in his prime. But, we do not get that ending here. Instead, the wraith-like figure we've seen assisting Vision throughout his journey into Kang's past whispers a secret to him, leading Vision to kidnap an infant Kang and, presumably, put him in the wraith's care. Waid makes it clear with this cliffhanger that he's playing a very long game here. It's the type of story we used to see in the '80s and '90s, where we got hints of threats lurking in the background as the Avengers confronted more immediate problems. It's more proof to me that Waid is going back to basics in this title. Everything feels like the good ol' days, before Bendis made the title feel like a TV show written for people with ADHD or Hickman turned it into an art project. On a side note, Waid gets ahead of the main series a bit when he reveals that Black Panther and Spider-Man both join Carol's side. I'm not surprised about T'Challa, but Peter surprises me, particularly given the developments so far in "Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man." I guess we'll see.
Amazing Spider-Man #16: [Sigh.] I'm really, really trying to keep an open mind. After all, the revelation that the Jackal (or, at least, someone calling himself the Jackal) resurrected the loved ones of Spidey's rogues gallery makes sense. Peter becomes aware of this technology when one of the Jackal's scientists -- representing "New U Technologies" -- approaches him, JJJ, Jr., and May about using it to cure Jay of his mysterious hereditary disease. (Side-bar: Jay apparently didn't tell JJJ, Jr. about said disease, despite the fact it appears early intervention can help. That seems...dickish to me, but I'm trying to stay positive.) Peter asks to vet the technology and excitedly declares to Anna Marie that he can basically cure death with it, since it regrows organs without any flaws an accident or disease might have caused. It's here where the story (once again) goes off the rails for me, because it shouldn't take Anna Marie to warn Peter about the ethical issues this technology would cause. But, Peter doesn't care, calling New U to use it on an employee hurt in an industrial accident. The Jackal mentions to his minions it's not "part of his plan," making it clear that using it on Jay was part of the plan. But, he does it anyway, in part to build up Peter's belief in the technology. But, Peter realizes something might be wrong when the employee sparks his Spider-Sense. Ruh-roh! Maybe moved a little too fast there, huh, Parker? At any rate, the stakes go up even further when the Jackal's scientist reveals to JJJ, Jr. that they've resurrected Marla. Also, it's pretty clear that Doc Ock is going to use the technology to resurrect himself. [Sigh.] At least the letters page announces they're launching a "Renew Your Vows" series. Can I just read that instead?
Black Panther #5: The brilliance of what Coates is doing here is clear when you realize you pretty much agree with everyone but T'Challa. When he interrogates the boy turned terrorist, I was totally on the side of the "terrorist" as he spat back T'Challa's indignation. After all, T'Challa was gallivanting with the Avengers as Namor drowned his village and the Black Order made his brother beg for death. The "evil men" behind the revolution are offering him something T'Challa is not: security. Similarly, when T'Challa looks down on the "counter-revolutionary" masterminds, I rolled my eyes as they did. Again, T'Challa clearly thinks he can be feared and loved simply because he demands to be, while the masterminds remind him he actually has to provide the aforementioned security to be feared and loved. T'Challa thinks that he can just dismiss the revolutionaries as dishonorable and be done with it, but it's not that simple, as I'm sure he's going to learn.
Darth Vader #24: We learn two conflicting lessons in this issue. First, Darth Vader is more man than machine, contrary to Cylo's comment at the end of last issue, as he uses the Force to will his body into motion, killing Cylo and reactivating the machine parts of his body. But, that "man" isn't Anakin Skywalker, as we learn through a series of hallucinations where he not only kills Anakin but Padme. He truly is Darth Vader. We end the issue with Vader going after one loose end (Cylo-VI?) and Aphra appearing before the Emperor to tell him she knows some stuff he needs to know. I have no idea where we're going from here, but it's going to be good.
Spider-Man 2099 #13: Due to my move, I stopped reading comics the week I started this review; it's now December, not August. As such, my recall of previous issues is a little...dim. David is telling a fairly complicated story at this point, with numerous timelines in play, and I admit the delay in reading this issue left me fairly confused at parts. After all, we're dealing with at least the third iteration of the 2099 Universe in just this run. But, David seems to be implying this iteration of the 2099 Universe is close enough to Miguel's* that he has a shot of actual reconstructing his timeline. Of course, he can't do that if he's in an Alchemax prison, where he seems to be headed after the Punisher quickly disposes of him. (I added the asterisk here as a reminder that even the baseline timeline that Miguel is trying to resurrect is different from the one we saw in the original run. But, you're all probably tired of me mentioning that, so I'll just stop here.)
Also Read: All-New, All-Different Avengers Annual #1
All-New, All-Different Avengers #13: Whoa, I did not see that coming. I figured Vision would learn a lesson about free will, recognizing his own struggles with emotion and logic and leaving Kang to live his life the way he saw fit, an enemy to face in his prime. But, we do not get that ending here. Instead, the wraith-like figure we've seen assisting Vision throughout his journey into Kang's past whispers a secret to him, leading Vision to kidnap an infant Kang and, presumably, put him in the wraith's care. Waid makes it clear with this cliffhanger that he's playing a very long game here. It's the type of story we used to see in the '80s and '90s, where we got hints of threats lurking in the background as the Avengers confronted more immediate problems. It's more proof to me that Waid is going back to basics in this title. Everything feels like the good ol' days, before Bendis made the title feel like a TV show written for people with ADHD or Hickman turned it into an art project. On a side note, Waid gets ahead of the main series a bit when he reveals that Black Panther and Spider-Man both join Carol's side. I'm not surprised about T'Challa, but Peter surprises me, particularly given the developments so far in "Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man." I guess we'll see.
Amazing Spider-Man #16: [Sigh.] I'm really, really trying to keep an open mind. After all, the revelation that the Jackal (or, at least, someone calling himself the Jackal) resurrected the loved ones of Spidey's rogues gallery makes sense. Peter becomes aware of this technology when one of the Jackal's scientists -- representing "New U Technologies" -- approaches him, JJJ, Jr., and May about using it to cure Jay of his mysterious hereditary disease. (Side-bar: Jay apparently didn't tell JJJ, Jr. about said disease, despite the fact it appears early intervention can help. That seems...dickish to me, but I'm trying to stay positive.) Peter asks to vet the technology and excitedly declares to Anna Marie that he can basically cure death with it, since it regrows organs without any flaws an accident or disease might have caused. It's here where the story (once again) goes off the rails for me, because it shouldn't take Anna Marie to warn Peter about the ethical issues this technology would cause. But, Peter doesn't care, calling New U to use it on an employee hurt in an industrial accident. The Jackal mentions to his minions it's not "part of his plan," making it clear that using it on Jay was part of the plan. But, he does it anyway, in part to build up Peter's belief in the technology. But, Peter realizes something might be wrong when the employee sparks his Spider-Sense. Ruh-roh! Maybe moved a little too fast there, huh, Parker? At any rate, the stakes go up even further when the Jackal's scientist reveals to JJJ, Jr. that they've resurrected Marla. Also, it's pretty clear that Doc Ock is going to use the technology to resurrect himself. [Sigh.] At least the letters page announces they're launching a "Renew Your Vows" series. Can I just read that instead?
Black Panther #5: The brilliance of what Coates is doing here is clear when you realize you pretty much agree with everyone but T'Challa. When he interrogates the boy turned terrorist, I was totally on the side of the "terrorist" as he spat back T'Challa's indignation. After all, T'Challa was gallivanting with the Avengers as Namor drowned his village and the Black Order made his brother beg for death. The "evil men" behind the revolution are offering him something T'Challa is not: security. Similarly, when T'Challa looks down on the "counter-revolutionary" masterminds, I rolled my eyes as they did. Again, T'Challa clearly thinks he can be feared and loved simply because he demands to be, while the masterminds remind him he actually has to provide the aforementioned security to be feared and loved. T'Challa thinks that he can just dismiss the revolutionaries as dishonorable and be done with it, but it's not that simple, as I'm sure he's going to learn.
Darth Vader #24: We learn two conflicting lessons in this issue. First, Darth Vader is more man than machine, contrary to Cylo's comment at the end of last issue, as he uses the Force to will his body into motion, killing Cylo and reactivating the machine parts of his body. But, that "man" isn't Anakin Skywalker, as we learn through a series of hallucinations where he not only kills Anakin but Padme. He truly is Darth Vader. We end the issue with Vader going after one loose end (Cylo-VI?) and Aphra appearing before the Emperor to tell him she knows some stuff he needs to know. I have no idea where we're going from here, but it's going to be good.
Spider-Man 2099 #13: Due to my move, I stopped reading comics the week I started this review; it's now December, not August. As such, my recall of previous issues is a little...dim. David is telling a fairly complicated story at this point, with numerous timelines in play, and I admit the delay in reading this issue left me fairly confused at parts. After all, we're dealing with at least the third iteration of the 2099 Universe in just this run. But, David seems to be implying this iteration of the 2099 Universe is close enough to Miguel's* that he has a shot of actual reconstructing his timeline. Of course, he can't do that if he's in an Alchemax prison, where he seems to be headed after the Punisher quickly disposes of him. (I added the asterisk here as a reminder that even the baseline timeline that Miguel is trying to resurrect is different from the one we saw in the original run. But, you're all probably tired of me mentioning that, so I'll just stop here.)
Also Read: All-New, All-Different Avengers Annual #1
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The July 13 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
All-New X-Men #11: From a character perspective, Hopeless does a great job here with Evan. He shows his anguish in a way that reminds us that he's a teenager: he's not thinking through the ramifications of his actions as he seeks to save En Sabah Nur from his future. When Hank is forced to return them home lest they do more damage, Evan is despondent, his chance at redemption lost. That said, from a plot perspective, Hopeless leaves so much on the table here that I have to assume we'll revisit this story one day. First, Hank trades a story of the future with the Mystic to get back the Mask of Horus, though we don't learn what story Hank tells him. Does Hank give the Mystic information that helps him mold En Sabah Nur into Apocalypse? Does he do it intentionally, given his belief he and Evan shouldn't change the past? Second, Hank tells Evan that the Mask showed him something on their journey to the present, but Evan refuses to hear what it is. It's presumably more important than the winning lottery numbers, so I'm assuming that we'll hear what it is one day. Finally, Hopeless more or less leaves us hanging when it comes to En Sabah Nur himself. His father pledges to basically brutalize him until he becomes a man. However, Hopeless did such a good job of showing us En Sabah Nur's decency that it's hard to believe that his father could ever be so successful. How does En Sabah Nur finally break? We really need another arc (or mini-series) to close this circle.
Civil War II #3: I don't have much to say except that I'm Team Tony all the way here. As Tony himself says to Carol, we're basically at the point where she could justify murdering everyone with powers, because Ulysses could, at some point, predict them going off the deep end. Bendis also makes Tony's position compatible with his position in the original "Civil War:" he believes that they need to be protecting people, but that also means protecting each other. Moreover, Bendis did a great job keeping the denouement of this issue a surprise. I was really expecting Carol to force Ulysses' vision of a rampaging Hulk to come true. When Hawkeye does what he did here, I was as confused as the characters, adding to the drama. I legitimately can't wait to see where we go from here.
Detective Comics #936: We get a surprising amount of answers here, given that I assumed we'd spend at least a year not knowing the identity of the organization hunting the team. Tynion gets right to it, though: it's called the Colony, Kate's dad is at least one of its leaders (if not the leader), and he's been training her explicitly for the purpose of joining him. He claims that it's an altruistic organization fighting global threats that Batman has ignored due to his singular focus on Gotham. They've got a target in Gotham, and they had to take down Batman since he'd likely try to stop them from eliminating it. That shadiness -- in addition to the years of lying -- leads Kate (and the reader) to conclude that they're probably not as altruistic as Kate's dad is pretending they are. Kate and the team escape, and we're really cruising for a bruising now. For me, the great part is that Tynion shows that he's playing for keeps here. The revelation that Kate's dad has betrayed her isn't something that a future author is just going to be able to ignore. Plus, Tynion digs into Kate herself; this story is about addressing her own self-doubts. He brilliantly uses Renée to reveal these doubts, as she notes that Kate seems all business to most people but the few people that know her well know that she needs direction. But, without Batman to lead, she's going to have to trust herself and her teammates. We're three issues into this relaunch, but it already feels like this team has been together for years. Team Belfry all the way, man.
New Avengers #13: You know, I'm really happy I hung in here. With the focus shifting to Bobby and Sam, I feel like we're getting the old band together again. They even have a secret "mutual friend" on the island! I was a little surprised when I learned that Sam is married with a kid, but a little Internet research reveals that it happened during the time period where the Avengers jumped eight months into the future. (If I'm not mistaken, we're now 16 months from that original point, since we're eight months after "Secret Wars." Maybe? Or is it the same eight months? Whatever.) Also, I'm starting to feel invested in the other characters, particularly Songbird. She really compliments Bobby, and I have to wonder, after all this time, if he hasn't met his match (other than Sam, obviously). When you add in there the Maker and a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent as enemies, every issue is really a series of unpredictable events. It was a slow, uneven start, but Ewing is finding his footing here. Score one for an event keeping me engaged in a series (he says, shocked).
Nightwing: Rebirth #1: Seeley somehow manages to wrap up every loose end from "Grayson" in a coherent narrative that unfolds naturally. The frame of the story has Dick on the hunt for a device that can disable the bomb that the Court of Owl put in Damian's brain at the end of "Robin War." Although Tiger isn't able to help him, Midnighter is, providing him with such a device. To warm up an unaware Damian, Dick brings him to the arcade to play his favorite video game ("Cheese Vikings"). Seeing the two of them together made me long for the days when they were a team, since their banter is so naturally good. As always, Dick brings out the best in Damian as a character (moving him beyond his often one-dimensional portrayal): when Dick tells him about the bombs, Damian demands more ice cream and video games, acting almost as a normal kid. With the bomb eventually defused, Dick is now freed from the Court of Owls. However, we learn that he's actually beholden to the Parliament of Owls, a more global group. (I had no idea they were two different entities, and I can't tell if we're learning that for the first time here or if we've known about it for a while.) At any rate, Lincoln March is crowing over his success in securing Dick to the Parliament, but he's seemingly killed by a Talon, expositing that they really want more direct access to Nightwing. They're going to get it, too, because Dick takes up the Nightwing persona again at the end of this issue specifically to take down the Parliament. As thrilled as I am with Seeley tying up all these loose ends, it was really Dick's brotherly time with Damian that I enjoyed the most. I hope that we see him frequently in the coming series.
Also Read: Bloodshot Reborn #15; Dungeons & Dragons: Shadows of the Vampire #3
Civil War II #3: I don't have much to say except that I'm Team Tony all the way here. As Tony himself says to Carol, we're basically at the point where she could justify murdering everyone with powers, because Ulysses could, at some point, predict them going off the deep end. Bendis also makes Tony's position compatible with his position in the original "Civil War:" he believes that they need to be protecting people, but that also means protecting each other. Moreover, Bendis did a great job keeping the denouement of this issue a surprise. I was really expecting Carol to force Ulysses' vision of a rampaging Hulk to come true. When Hawkeye does what he did here, I was as confused as the characters, adding to the drama. I legitimately can't wait to see where we go from here.
Detective Comics #936: We get a surprising amount of answers here, given that I assumed we'd spend at least a year not knowing the identity of the organization hunting the team. Tynion gets right to it, though: it's called the Colony, Kate's dad is at least one of its leaders (if not the leader), and he's been training her explicitly for the purpose of joining him. He claims that it's an altruistic organization fighting global threats that Batman has ignored due to his singular focus on Gotham. They've got a target in Gotham, and they had to take down Batman since he'd likely try to stop them from eliminating it. That shadiness -- in addition to the years of lying -- leads Kate (and the reader) to conclude that they're probably not as altruistic as Kate's dad is pretending they are. Kate and the team escape, and we're really cruising for a bruising now. For me, the great part is that Tynion shows that he's playing for keeps here. The revelation that Kate's dad has betrayed her isn't something that a future author is just going to be able to ignore. Plus, Tynion digs into Kate herself; this story is about addressing her own self-doubts. He brilliantly uses Renée to reveal these doubts, as she notes that Kate seems all business to most people but the few people that know her well know that she needs direction. But, without Batman to lead, she's going to have to trust herself and her teammates. We're three issues into this relaunch, but it already feels like this team has been together for years. Team Belfry all the way, man.
New Avengers #13: You know, I'm really happy I hung in here. With the focus shifting to Bobby and Sam, I feel like we're getting the old band together again. They even have a secret "mutual friend" on the island! I was a little surprised when I learned that Sam is married with a kid, but a little Internet research reveals that it happened during the time period where the Avengers jumped eight months into the future. (If I'm not mistaken, we're now 16 months from that original point, since we're eight months after "Secret Wars." Maybe? Or is it the same eight months? Whatever.) Also, I'm starting to feel invested in the other characters, particularly Songbird. She really compliments Bobby, and I have to wonder, after all this time, if he hasn't met his match (other than Sam, obviously). When you add in there the Maker and a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent as enemies, every issue is really a series of unpredictable events. It was a slow, uneven start, but Ewing is finding his footing here. Score one for an event keeping me engaged in a series (he says, shocked).
Nightwing: Rebirth #1: Seeley somehow manages to wrap up every loose end from "Grayson" in a coherent narrative that unfolds naturally. The frame of the story has Dick on the hunt for a device that can disable the bomb that the Court of Owl put in Damian's brain at the end of "Robin War." Although Tiger isn't able to help him, Midnighter is, providing him with such a device. To warm up an unaware Damian, Dick brings him to the arcade to play his favorite video game ("Cheese Vikings"). Seeing the two of them together made me long for the days when they were a team, since their banter is so naturally good. As always, Dick brings out the best in Damian as a character (moving him beyond his often one-dimensional portrayal): when Dick tells him about the bombs, Damian demands more ice cream and video games, acting almost as a normal kid. With the bomb eventually defused, Dick is now freed from the Court of Owls. However, we learn that he's actually beholden to the Parliament of Owls, a more global group. (I had no idea they were two different entities, and I can't tell if we're learning that for the first time here or if we've known about it for a while.) At any rate, Lincoln March is crowing over his success in securing Dick to the Parliament, but he's seemingly killed by a Talon, expositing that they really want more direct access to Nightwing. They're going to get it, too, because Dick takes up the Nightwing persona again at the end of this issue specifically to take down the Parliament. As thrilled as I am with Seeley tying up all these loose ends, it was really Dick's brotherly time with Damian that I enjoyed the most. I hope that we see him frequently in the coming series.
Also Read: Bloodshot Reborn #15; Dungeons & Dragons: Shadows of the Vampire #3
Monday, July 11, 2016
Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The May 11 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
All-New X-Men #9: Hopeless does a great job with Evan here as he celebrates his 16th birthday. He shows us Evan's birthday wish, that he could return to his idyllic childhood in Kansas. But, it turns out Evan didn't actually have that childhood; his cloners simply implanted those memories. (Even after reading "Wolverine and the X-Men" for as long as I did, I still didn't know that.) Hopeless also lets us know that Evan feels pressure to be "the smiley guy in the corner," as Bobby describes him: he's afraid that his friends will panic if they ever see him angry or sad, since he is, after all, Apocalypse's clone. However, before he can spend too long at this pity party, he visits Hank in his lab and absently puts on the mask that Dr. Strange gave Hank. Hank is testing a time-travel device at the time, and the two items interact. Evan and Hank find themselves in ancient Egypt, where Evan comes face-to-face with the young (and significantly less evil) Apocalypse. Although I still have no idea how these "Apocalypse Wars" stories are linked, this installment is just as interesting as the other ones that I've read.
All-New, All-Different Avengers #9: If you read "Free Comic Book Day: Civil War II" #1, you were left to conclude that the new Wasp was going to be an enemy, since she appears to take down the Vision in that issue. However, she isn't, by a long shot. She comes to the Avengers to inform them that she's Hank Pym's daughter: his first wife, Maria, was pregnant the Soviets kidnapped her. Nadia was raised in the Red Room, but she was able to escape after reverse-engineering a black-market Pym Particle that the Soviets had acquired. Of all the crazy "child of a superhero" stories, I have to say that this one is actually one of the more believable ones. It also perfectly shows what Waid is trying to do here: create a book that feels like an old-school Avengers comic while bringing the cast and stories into the modern era. Throughout this issue, I felt like I was reading something from the mid-200s, so I'd say that Waid is really doing a solid job implementing his vision.
Speaking of Vizh, he provides the action of the issue, as he begins to randomly displace in time and, in those moments, attack the Avengers. Nadia eventually uses her abilities to fix the problem (explaining what we saw in the "FCBD" story). Although the Vision is worried that Kang might still control him, Tony decides that the group is first going to help Sam find his still-lost father. Meanwhile, Jarvis provides the heart of the issue (as he usually does). When the Wasp initially appears, he berates her for daring to use Janet Pym's name, but relents when Nadia reveals the truth. In fact, after struggling at the start of the issue with the fact that he finds himself making tea on a hotpot, Jarvis decides to embrace change and take Nadia to meet her step-mother.
It's pretty clear that Waid has a lot of different stories on the burners here, and I'll admit that I'm surprised that he decided to go with helping Sam track down his father next. But, in some way, this narrative chaos might be the thing that makes this series, and particularly this issue, actually feel like an old-school Avengers story, so I'm hesitant to complain. We'll see where we go from here.
Batman #52: Tynion manages somehow to take yet another story about Bruce's decade of training and put an original spin on it. He focuses on a journal that Leslie Tompkins gave to a young Bruce use to explore ways to move past his parents' death. Bruce filled the book with all sorts of creepy lessons that explain the modern Batman, like "disappear" or "feel nothing." Alfred finds the journal and adds, "remember that your parents will always be proud of you." A young Bruce is outraged, but an older Bruce admits to Alfred that it's the one lesson that he struggles to learn. It's a touching message that manages to humanize Bruce, reminding us that he isn't the machine that we're always led to believe he is. Moreover, Rossmo is a great find. He's got a markedly different style than Capullo, but it's the same high quality. He not only does a great job portraying emotions, but he shows younger versions of Bruce that don't just make him into a miniature version of his adult self. I'd love it to see Tynion and he take over the series, since I enjoyed this installment of "Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told" even more than Snyder and Capullo's entry in the previous issue. The plot device that gets us to the emotional ending is a little forced (how exactly did the villain discover that Bruce was keeping the journal in a safety deposit box in a bank in the poor part of town, I wonder), but I'll happily suspend disbelief given how pleased I am with the issue overall.
Black Panther #2: Not surprisingly, Coates is telling a multilayered story here, based around a central theme: how do you recover what it is that you lost? For T'Challa, the answer to this question will force him to find a way to consider himself legitimate in his own mind. After many setbacks, he does not view himself to be the ruler that he once was, and he seems to believe that his sister, Shuri, would do better. But, she's currently dead-ish, so she's not an option: he has to find his way to redemption on his own. But, Coates isn't making it that easy for him. Wakanda is a broken place, full of thieves and warlords. The escaped Midnight Angels, Aneka and Ayo, free a group of women from confinement here and set their sights on overturning the patriarchal system of chieftains that so corrupts Wakanda. Meanwhile, Tetu from Niganda appears ready to overthrow T'Challa, arguing that he sits atop this corrupt system. Based on the attempted rapes that Aneka and Ayo stop, it's hard to disagree with him. In other words, T'Challa may be the only person not happy that Coates is at the helm of his story.
Dungeons & Dragons: Shadows of the Vampire #1: I really liked this crowd from Zub's "Legacy of Baldur's Gate" story, so I was excited to see them return. Minsc is as engaging as ever, though I'm excited for Zub to spend more with his three companions, particularly the blond rogue whose name I can't remember. However, Zub goes one better, dragging the characters to Ravenloft! The premise of the issue is that a group of wererats steals a relic from a church of Kelemvor that allegedly will hide them from Strahd, the master that they fear. The head priest of the church has hired the team to defend the relice, much to the annoyance of one of his paladins. However, the time on the clock expires, and they all find themselves in Ravenloft. As Zub says in his note at the end, this combination of fear and fun promises to be a great story.
Also Read: Darth Vader #20; FCBD - Civil War II #1
All-New, All-Different Avengers #9: If you read "Free Comic Book Day: Civil War II" #1, you were left to conclude that the new Wasp was going to be an enemy, since she appears to take down the Vision in that issue. However, she isn't, by a long shot. She comes to the Avengers to inform them that she's Hank Pym's daughter: his first wife, Maria, was pregnant the Soviets kidnapped her. Nadia was raised in the Red Room, but she was able to escape after reverse-engineering a black-market Pym Particle that the Soviets had acquired. Of all the crazy "child of a superhero" stories, I have to say that this one is actually one of the more believable ones. It also perfectly shows what Waid is trying to do here: create a book that feels like an old-school Avengers comic while bringing the cast and stories into the modern era. Throughout this issue, I felt like I was reading something from the mid-200s, so I'd say that Waid is really doing a solid job implementing his vision.
Speaking of Vizh, he provides the action of the issue, as he begins to randomly displace in time and, in those moments, attack the Avengers. Nadia eventually uses her abilities to fix the problem (explaining what we saw in the "FCBD" story). Although the Vision is worried that Kang might still control him, Tony decides that the group is first going to help Sam find his still-lost father. Meanwhile, Jarvis provides the heart of the issue (as he usually does). When the Wasp initially appears, he berates her for daring to use Janet Pym's name, but relents when Nadia reveals the truth. In fact, after struggling at the start of the issue with the fact that he finds himself making tea on a hotpot, Jarvis decides to embrace change and take Nadia to meet her step-mother.
It's pretty clear that Waid has a lot of different stories on the burners here, and I'll admit that I'm surprised that he decided to go with helping Sam track down his father next. But, in some way, this narrative chaos might be the thing that makes this series, and particularly this issue, actually feel like an old-school Avengers story, so I'm hesitant to complain. We'll see where we go from here.
Batman #52: Tynion manages somehow to take yet another story about Bruce's decade of training and put an original spin on it. He focuses on a journal that Leslie Tompkins gave to a young Bruce use to explore ways to move past his parents' death. Bruce filled the book with all sorts of creepy lessons that explain the modern Batman, like "disappear" or "feel nothing." Alfred finds the journal and adds, "remember that your parents will always be proud of you." A young Bruce is outraged, but an older Bruce admits to Alfred that it's the one lesson that he struggles to learn. It's a touching message that manages to humanize Bruce, reminding us that he isn't the machine that we're always led to believe he is. Moreover, Rossmo is a great find. He's got a markedly different style than Capullo, but it's the same high quality. He not only does a great job portraying emotions, but he shows younger versions of Bruce that don't just make him into a miniature version of his adult self. I'd love it to see Tynion and he take over the series, since I enjoyed this installment of "Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told" even more than Snyder and Capullo's entry in the previous issue. The plot device that gets us to the emotional ending is a little forced (how exactly did the villain discover that Bruce was keeping the journal in a safety deposit box in a bank in the poor part of town, I wonder), but I'll happily suspend disbelief given how pleased I am with the issue overall.
Black Panther #2: Not surprisingly, Coates is telling a multilayered story here, based around a central theme: how do you recover what it is that you lost? For T'Challa, the answer to this question will force him to find a way to consider himself legitimate in his own mind. After many setbacks, he does not view himself to be the ruler that he once was, and he seems to believe that his sister, Shuri, would do better. But, she's currently dead-ish, so she's not an option: he has to find his way to redemption on his own. But, Coates isn't making it that easy for him. Wakanda is a broken place, full of thieves and warlords. The escaped Midnight Angels, Aneka and Ayo, free a group of women from confinement here and set their sights on overturning the patriarchal system of chieftains that so corrupts Wakanda. Meanwhile, Tetu from Niganda appears ready to overthrow T'Challa, arguing that he sits atop this corrupt system. Based on the attempted rapes that Aneka and Ayo stop, it's hard to disagree with him. In other words, T'Challa may be the only person not happy that Coates is at the helm of his story.
Dungeons & Dragons: Shadows of the Vampire #1: I really liked this crowd from Zub's "Legacy of Baldur's Gate" story, so I was excited to see them return. Minsc is as engaging as ever, though I'm excited for Zub to spend more with his three companions, particularly the blond rogue whose name I can't remember. However, Zub goes one better, dragging the characters to Ravenloft! The premise of the issue is that a group of wererats steals a relic from a church of Kelemvor that allegedly will hide them from Strahd, the master that they fear. The head priest of the church has hired the team to defend the relice, much to the annoyance of one of his paladins. However, the time on the clock expires, and they all find themselves in Ravenloft. As Zub says in his note at the end, this combination of fear and fun promises to be a great story.
Also Read: Darth Vader #20; FCBD - Civil War II #1
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