Ewing's challenge here is that he's already telling a much better tale about inversion in this series than Remender is in "Axis." Loki already inverted himself on his own, making this issue's focus on his "sudden" inversion during "Axis" difficult to explain. In fact, if Loki really is trying to become a better man, wouldn't his inversion remove that impulse? Or, are we saying that he isn't really trying to become a better man and, therefore, the inversion turning him into a hero revealed the truth?
Ewing tries to side step those problematic questions, since answering them now would essentially close the shop on this series. The problem is that this issue makes little sense as a result. We're distracted by Amora taking a page from "Incorruptible's" Max Damage's book, becoming unflinchingly good to the point of absurdity. But, it's really about Odin and Thor not believing Loki has become nobler (again distracting us from the question of whether it's true or not). One challenge I always face with Odin is that he's such a spectacularly hypocritical asshole that I have no idea why anyone cares about his opinion. Peter Quill told his condescendingly imperious oaf of a father to go *$&% himself. I think that it's about time for Loki to do the same. But, he doesn't, and we instead get an overwrought sequence where Loki seeks to proving his nobility by wielding Mjolnir. He does, but, again, it's unclear if it's just because of the spell or if it's because he's really changed. Ewing even seems to imply that it's a former, with the narrative box seeming to imply the inversion was his only chance to be a hero.
At any rate, this issue is sort of the opposite of those issues that excel by using the event to further an ongoing plot in the series. Ewing is forced to awkwardly handle the "Axis" event without undermining the larger story that he's telling in this series. It's also complicated by the fact that, in just nine issues of this series, it's the second event to intrude, after the series was suspended for the "Original Sin" story. God only knows what horror "Secret Wars" will wreck.
** (two of five stars)
Showing posts with label Axis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Axis. Show all posts
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Axis #9 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
OMG, WHY? WHY WAS THIS SERIES SO BAD?
OK, OK. Sorry for that outburst. Let's regroup.
As predicted, little of the events that occurred in this series will wind up having any enduring impact. From the public's perspective, the main "event" of this series was Apocalypse forcing the evacuation of New York, seemingly with the help of the X-Men. However, thanks to a video that the villains conveniently taped and released, the public "knows" that the villains formed an Axis of Evil to manipulate the heroes into acting like villains. Unfortunately, this story doesn't really survive under any scrutiny, since it makes little sense why the non-mutant villains would help Apocalypse in his attempt to murder humankind, but I digress. In the end, the only permanent changes are Havok, Iron Man, and Sabretooth stay inverted because Tony created some sort of shield to keep him that way. That's it. I guess we were supposed to be moved by Evan being the only hero or villain to successfully fight past the inversion, but it's so overwhelmed by the noise of the rest of the issue that, needless to say, I wasn't.
It's hard to remember my excitement for this series before it start. After the amazing fight against the Apocalypse Twins that took up most of the "Uncanny Avengers" series, this series held such promise. Remender has teased the Red Onslaught since the start of that series, so it's clear not only that he'd given a lot of thought to this event but that it would also have a significant impact on the story that he's telling. I expected the Avengers and the X-Men working together to prevent the dark future of Ahab's camps from becoming a reality, bringing to a close a story that Claremont set into motion with "Days of Future Past." (Tony even alludes to that possibility in this issue, telling Xavier that he was going to mass manufacture Sentinels to eliminate mutants.)
Instead, we got...what we got. Rather than seeing the sort of heroism necessary to save the world from hate on a grand scale, we got long expository sequences telling us what heroism is. In fact, we never really see much heroism. Carnage sacrificing himself to save humanity is the only real sacrifice, and we rushed past it just like we did Evan asserting control over Apocalypse. I'd continue, but there doesn't seem to be a point.
* (one of five stars)
OK, OK. Sorry for that outburst. Let's regroup.
As predicted, little of the events that occurred in this series will wind up having any enduring impact. From the public's perspective, the main "event" of this series was Apocalypse forcing the evacuation of New York, seemingly with the help of the X-Men. However, thanks to a video that the villains conveniently taped and released, the public "knows" that the villains formed an Axis of Evil to manipulate the heroes into acting like villains. Unfortunately, this story doesn't really survive under any scrutiny, since it makes little sense why the non-mutant villains would help Apocalypse in his attempt to murder humankind, but I digress. In the end, the only permanent changes are Havok, Iron Man, and Sabretooth stay inverted because Tony created some sort of shield to keep him that way. That's it. I guess we were supposed to be moved by Evan being the only hero or villain to successfully fight past the inversion, but it's so overwhelmed by the noise of the rest of the issue that, needless to say, I wasn't.
It's hard to remember my excitement for this series before it start. After the amazing fight against the Apocalypse Twins that took up most of the "Uncanny Avengers" series, this series held such promise. Remender has teased the Red Onslaught since the start of that series, so it's clear not only that he'd given a lot of thought to this event but that it would also have a significant impact on the story that he's telling. I expected the Avengers and the X-Men working together to prevent the dark future of Ahab's camps from becoming a reality, bringing to a close a story that Claremont set into motion with "Days of Future Past." (Tony even alludes to that possibility in this issue, telling Xavier that he was going to mass manufacture Sentinels to eliminate mutants.)
Instead, we got...what we got. Rather than seeing the sort of heroism necessary to save the world from hate on a grand scale, we got long expository sequences telling us what heroism is. In fact, we never really see much heroism. Carnage sacrificing himself to save humanity is the only real sacrifice, and we rushed past it just like we did Evan asserting control over Apocalypse. I'd continue, but there doesn't seem to be a point.
* (one of five stars)
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Axis: Revolutions #4
OMG, this issue could not be more terrible. Iceman becomes some sort of broody teenage poet lusting after a woman that he thinks that he's saving, and Chaykin confuses misogyny for something that makes a character interesting. Ugh. This issue is why women feel like they're not welcome in comics
(zero of five stars)
(zero of five stars)
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Axis: Hobgoblin #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I realized in reading this issue that the reason that I liked this series was that it had very little to do with "Axis." Unfortunately, that changes here, and my enjoyment with it.
Shinick is eventually forced to toe the Axis line, with Steve Rogers recruiting Hobgbolin for the Avengers at the end of the issue. This offer comes after Hobby successfully foils Phil's plans to assassinate him at a public ceremony thanking him for his efforts to save the city. (Yeah, we're not even going to talk about it. Shinick cleverly uses an aside comment from one police officer to another to establish that they're going to "overlook" his previous crimes because they can't confirm that it was Kingsley under the mask when they were committed. It's weak, but I'll throw Shinick that bone, since Hobby's convoluted 30-year history isn't his fault.)
It gets interestinly only in a brief moment where Hobby seems to acknowledge to Phil that he is, indeed, still evil, after he seems to have killed his crew lest Phil use them against him. But, this moment is undermined by his subsequent revelation that he only "killed" holograms of his crew; they're all still fine. It's unclear then why Hobby gave his little speech. Moreover, the rules of the inversion in "Axis" have so far been air-tight. No one -- not a single person, so far -- has been able to shake off the inversion, not matter how inspired to do so they are. As such, Hobby's speech about being evil can't be true, because he literally can't feel that way.
I would've really loved to see what Shinick could've done here if he didn't have to set up Hobby being part of the "Avengers" in "Axis" #6. But, I pretty much feel that way about every "Axis"-related issue, so it's not really a surprise.
** (two of five stars)
Shinick is eventually forced to toe the Axis line, with Steve Rogers recruiting Hobgbolin for the Avengers at the end of the issue. This offer comes after Hobby successfully foils Phil's plans to assassinate him at a public ceremony thanking him for his efforts to save the city. (Yeah, we're not even going to talk about it. Shinick cleverly uses an aside comment from one police officer to another to establish that they're going to "overlook" his previous crimes because they can't confirm that it was Kingsley under the mask when they were committed. It's weak, but I'll throw Shinick that bone, since Hobby's convoluted 30-year history isn't his fault.)
It gets interestinly only in a brief moment where Hobby seems to acknowledge to Phil that he is, indeed, still evil, after he seems to have killed his crew lest Phil use them against him. But, this moment is undermined by his subsequent revelation that he only "killed" holograms of his crew; they're all still fine. It's unclear then why Hobby gave his little speech. Moreover, the rules of the inversion in "Axis" have so far been air-tight. No one -- not a single person, so far -- has been able to shake off the inversion, not matter how inspired to do so they are. As such, Hobby's speech about being evil can't be true, because he literally can't feel that way.
I would've really loved to see what Shinick could've done here if he didn't have to set up Hobby being part of the "Avengers" in "Axis" #6. But, I pretty much feel that way about every "Axis"-related issue, so it's not really a surprise.
** (two of five stars)
Axis #8 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
This issue is beautiful. It doesn't make a lick of sense, but Yu really pulls out all the stops in showing the heroes turn against each others and the villains.
I don't even know where to start. I read a review of a previous issue where the reviewer commented that Remender isn't really putting much effort into trying to imagine what heroes would sound like if they suddenly became villains. Instead, they all just sound like super-villains from the '40s. I'm not really sure that I believe an inverted Medusa would say, "All of you whimpering mutant dogs will be transplanted by Inhuman superiority!" (Maybe the Front Office made Remender include it to prove that they really are trying supplant the X-Men with the Inhumans.) Other than Thor and his unique typeface, you could pretty much just switch any of the heroes for another one and the dialogue would match.
But, the problem isn't just the characterization. Whole segments just make little sense. Magneto warns Wanda that if she kills people it won't be because of some manipulation, it'll be her choosing. Really? I mean, the whole point of this event is manipulation. No one is acting the way that s/he's supposed to be acting because s/he was manipulated (by Doom and Wanda's spell). It's like Remender can't even remember the story that he's telling.
Then, we've got the Spider-Man problem. The last time we saw him, last issue, he was fighting Nightcrawler in the street after Apocalypse hurled him and Deadpool from the room where they were trying to diffuse the human-killing bomb. During said fight, Apocalypse ripped off Deadpool's head, with the X-Men surrounding him to share in his triumph. Apparently, they all then went and got a cup of coffee, because Spidey was able to waltz right back into the room where the bomb was to try again to diffuse it. Examining the art in that issue, it's possible that Kubert screwed up sequencing. Carnage at some point saves Spidey from Nightcrawler; we then see Nightcrawler and Spidey re-engaging, in the scene that I just described. If you invert that sequence, it sort of makes sense. Nightcrawler and Spidey spar, Carnage knocks out Nightcrawler, and then Spidey has the chance to disarm the bomb. The problem, of course, is that the CLOCK STRIKES ZERO at the end of issue #7, meaning that he wouldn't have the time. Having re-read issue #7, I can see where Remender could be moving us back in time at the start of this issue to just before the bomb exploded, but it took that re-reading to remember that. It's just an example of how chaotic the events in this series are, that it's hard to remember where we are from minute to minute. I have to invert fight sequences and re-read previous issue just for scenes to make sense. For example, I had no memory of the Enchantress and Loki being defeated, as they appear here (as they regain their consciousness). In re-reading issue #7, I discovered that Nightcrawler dispatches them (somewhat unbelievably) in the background action in one panel. Does Remender really expect us to pour over every issue that preceded the most recent one just to have some idea of what we're seeing?
I haven't even mentioned the magical resurrection of Doctor Voodoo. Doom made a "Faustian pact with a demigod" to resurrect him? If we're just willy-nilly ret-conning everything, couldn't he have just made a pact to undo his and Wanda's spell? Wouldn't it be easier to do that than resurrect someone?
I just don't know. I mean, I just don't know.
* (one of five stars)
I don't even know where to start. I read a review of a previous issue where the reviewer commented that Remender isn't really putting much effort into trying to imagine what heroes would sound like if they suddenly became villains. Instead, they all just sound like super-villains from the '40s. I'm not really sure that I believe an inverted Medusa would say, "All of you whimpering mutant dogs will be transplanted by Inhuman superiority!" (Maybe the Front Office made Remender include it to prove that they really are trying supplant the X-Men with the Inhumans.) Other than Thor and his unique typeface, you could pretty much just switch any of the heroes for another one and the dialogue would match.
But, the problem isn't just the characterization. Whole segments just make little sense. Magneto warns Wanda that if she kills people it won't be because of some manipulation, it'll be her choosing. Really? I mean, the whole point of this event is manipulation. No one is acting the way that s/he's supposed to be acting because s/he was manipulated (by Doom and Wanda's spell). It's like Remender can't even remember the story that he's telling.
Then, we've got the Spider-Man problem. The last time we saw him, last issue, he was fighting Nightcrawler in the street after Apocalypse hurled him and Deadpool from the room where they were trying to diffuse the human-killing bomb. During said fight, Apocalypse ripped off Deadpool's head, with the X-Men surrounding him to share in his triumph. Apparently, they all then went and got a cup of coffee, because Spidey was able to waltz right back into the room where the bomb was to try again to diffuse it. Examining the art in that issue, it's possible that Kubert screwed up sequencing. Carnage at some point saves Spidey from Nightcrawler; we then see Nightcrawler and Spidey re-engaging, in the scene that I just described. If you invert that sequence, it sort of makes sense. Nightcrawler and Spidey spar, Carnage knocks out Nightcrawler, and then Spidey has the chance to disarm the bomb. The problem, of course, is that the CLOCK STRIKES ZERO at the end of issue #7, meaning that he wouldn't have the time. Having re-read issue #7, I can see where Remender could be moving us back in time at the start of this issue to just before the bomb exploded, but it took that re-reading to remember that. It's just an example of how chaotic the events in this series are, that it's hard to remember where we are from minute to minute. I have to invert fight sequences and re-read previous issue just for scenes to make sense. For example, I had no memory of the Enchantress and Loki being defeated, as they appear here (as they regain their consciousness). In re-reading issue #7, I discovered that Nightcrawler dispatches them (somewhat unbelievably) in the background action in one panel. Does Remender really expect us to pour over every issue that preceded the most recent one just to have some idea of what we're seeing?
I haven't even mentioned the magical resurrection of Doctor Voodoo. Doom made a "Faustian pact with a demigod" to resurrect him? If we're just willy-nilly ret-conning everything, couldn't he have just made a pact to undo his and Wanda's spell? Wouldn't it be easier to do that than resurrect someone?
I just don't know. I mean, I just don't know.
* (one of five stars)
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Amazing X-Men #14 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
This issue is probably the only "Axis" branded issue that I've read that really does something interesting with the premise of the inversion of the alignments of heroes and villains. Although everyone else may be confused by the events that happened in Genosha, Mystique is way too savvy not to put two plus two together. But, she not only knows that she's been inverted, but she also knows what Kurt's inversion would lead him to do, namely seek revenge on the people of his village, the ones that first made him an outcast. Moreover, it's the presence of her maternal instinct (due to the inversion) that even gets her to worry about Kurt in the first place. It's also fascinating to watch Kurt play Mystique's role as the detached member of the pair. Yost plays it perfectly, with Kurt still caring on some level (as Mystique has occasionally shown herself to do), opening the door to Mystique winning by confessing that she loves him. By switching the roles, Yost is able to get some truths about the characters. We should be seeing a lot more such truths with this event, and the fact that we're not means that Yost deserves all the more credit here.
*** (three of five stars)
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Axis: Revolutions #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Just like all the other event mini-series like this one, that feature two stories on the margins of an event, this series so far has been mostly skipable. I've mentioned the first two issues in passing, but I felt like this one merited comment.
The first story involves Kitty Pryde robbing a bank. It's interesting not only in the fact that we see just how amazing Kitty's powers can be if she uses them for evil, but also because it again raises the question of whether this entire story is going to wind up getting ret-conned. Between Thor's bender in Vegas and Kitty indirectly murdering people, it's hard to imagine any of the inverted heroes being able to return to their normal lives without some sort of legal ramifications. I feel like we've got an "Age of Ultron" ending coming.
The second story is actually a really solid character study of Sandman. He's inspired by the villains suddenly acting like heroes to break into a prison to save a former henchman-turned-snitch from an angry mob boss bent on silencing him permanently. It's interesting because Sandman does the right thing (at least from his perspective), but instead gets blamed for the chaos at the prison. It's a pretty solid commentary by Barbiere on people seeing what they're used to seeing (a.k.a. Sandman being a villain despite his actions).
Again, we don't get anything ground-breaking here, but it's the first issue of this series that merited its own comment.
*** (three of five stars)
The first story involves Kitty Pryde robbing a bank. It's interesting not only in the fact that we see just how amazing Kitty's powers can be if she uses them for evil, but also because it again raises the question of whether this entire story is going to wind up getting ret-conned. Between Thor's bender in Vegas and Kitty indirectly murdering people, it's hard to imagine any of the inverted heroes being able to return to their normal lives without some sort of legal ramifications. I feel like we've got an "Age of Ultron" ending coming.
The second story is actually a really solid character study of Sandman. He's inspired by the villains suddenly acting like heroes to break into a prison to save a former henchman-turned-snitch from an angry mob boss bent on silencing him permanently. It's interesting because Sandman does the right thing (at least from his perspective), but instead gets blamed for the chaos at the prison. It's a pretty solid commentary by Barbiere on people seeing what they're used to seeing (a.k.a. Sandman being a villain despite his actions).
Again, we don't get anything ground-breaking here, but it's the first issue of this series that merited its own comment.
*** (three of five stars)
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Axis #7 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Jesus. I thought this series couldn't get worse, but, man, Remender just finds new and creative ways to suck here. (I can't believe that I just wrote that sentence. Maybe Scott Lobdell has kidnapped him? That sentence would make a lot more sense if that were true.)
For some reason, Deadpool spends the entire issue speaking like a Humboldt County hippie, and we're supposed to believe that he's the emotional core of the series, as he exhorts Evan to try to overcome Apocalypse. Meanwhile, the "Avengers" (a.k.a. the villains) have rallied to take on the X-Men. It's really unclear who's leading them. Did Steve put them together? I can't remember that from last issue. If I cared, I'd do some research, but I don't, so I won't. You'd figure that it should be Magneto, particularly since Remender seemed to be establishing him as the figure to take on Apocalypse, but he's busy discovering that he's not really Pietro and Wanda's father. (Surprise! It's not like we've already been on both sides of this never-ending flipping coin for the last 30 years!)
At this point, the event has devolved into a clichéd race-against-the-clock (literally) plot, with Spider-Man and Deadpool failing in their attempt to disarm Apocalypse's human-eliminating bomb. The inverted Avengers seem to be scheming to find the absconded Red Skull, but I'm not really sure where Remender is going with that story. With only two issues left, I honestly don't have any idea where we're going with anything.
* (one of five stars)
For some reason, Deadpool spends the entire issue speaking like a Humboldt County hippie, and we're supposed to believe that he's the emotional core of the series, as he exhorts Evan to try to overcome Apocalypse. Meanwhile, the "Avengers" (a.k.a. the villains) have rallied to take on the X-Men. It's really unclear who's leading them. Did Steve put them together? I can't remember that from last issue. If I cared, I'd do some research, but I don't, so I won't. You'd figure that it should be Magneto, particularly since Remender seemed to be establishing him as the figure to take on Apocalypse, but he's busy discovering that he's not really Pietro and Wanda's father. (Surprise! It's not like we've already been on both sides of this never-ending flipping coin for the last 30 years!)
At this point, the event has devolved into a clichéd race-against-the-clock (literally) plot, with Spider-Man and Deadpool failing in their attempt to disarm Apocalypse's human-eliminating bomb. The inverted Avengers seem to be scheming to find the absconded Red Skull, but I'm not really sure where Remender is going with that story. With only two issues left, I honestly don't have any idea where we're going with anything.
* (one of five stars)
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Magneto #12 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
This issue is a fairly straight-forward look at the events of "Avengers & X-Men: Axis" #3, from Magneto's perspective. Bunn does a good job setting up the denouement of the issue, Magneto meeting Charles' spirit, but the series, at this point, is really just a pale reflection of the larger events occurring in the main series.
Charles and Magneto's "meeting" is notable in no small part because Charles tells Magneto that he was right, that he needs to take a firm hand with the humans in order to protect the mutants. It's also the first time, as far as I'm aware, that we've seen Charles after the inversion that took place in "Avengers & X-Men: Axis" #3. We've never really gotten proof in the main title that Charles is, in fact, in control of the Skull's body. Bunn doesn't exactly prove that with Charles appearing to Magneto here, given that Charles was also able to contact Rogue even when the Skull was still controlling his mind. But, it seems to confirm that the inversion of the Skull and Xavier worked. Moreover, Bunn ups the ante by implying that the Charles that we see here is also inverted, given that he's renouncing his dream that humans and mutants can live together in harmony. That twist, if true, complicates matters significantly. Originally, a Charles-controlled Skull would in theory be a good thing. But, it wouldn't be if Charles has been doubly inverted, with his alignment (so to speak) also inverted. It would actually be better in that scenario to have a "good" Skull, as mind-boggling as that sounds. (Will a "good" Skull overcome a "bad" Charles' control over their shared body and save the day?)
In other words, everything related to Charles is particularly unclear. Bunn's hinting at things, but never actually defines anything. But, Charles' appearance does lead to a tangible outcome, with Magneto, as we've already seen in the main series, accepting Charles' charge to lead the mutants. However, since his alignment has also been inverted, Magneto ignores Charles' plea to take a firm hand, setting up a conflict with Apocalypse, who's taking the approach that Charles seemingly advocates here.
With only three issues of "Avengers & X-Men: Axis" left and this series' tie-in issues now concluded, I have to wonder what long-term impact the event will have on Magneto. This issue leads you to believe that Magneto could come to take over the role of mentor to the X-Men, taking Charles' place. But, something about the way that the main series is developing leads me to believe that it's not going to go that way. If not, then it sets up the usual complaint with events, that we go through all this tumult -- emotional and physical -- only for the characters to exit unchanged. In this case, Magneto will once again be a lone wolf trying to protect mutants any way that he can. I guess we'll see.
Summing up a bit, Bunn does his best to make this issue stand on its own two feet, but it's the final outcome of the event that'll determine whether it was a worthwhile endeavor, in terms of its impact on Magneto.
*** (three of five stars)
Loki: Agent of Asgard...ahem...Axis #8 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
OK, I'll say right off the bat that this issue isn't the easiest to follow. It's not totally Ewing's fault because he's got a lot of balls in the air right now, some of them related to this series' ongoing story arc and some of them related to its presumably mandatory participation in "Avengers & X-Men: Axis." He does his best trying to put them together in a coherent fashion, but he doesn't necessarily do himself any favors by using the flashback approach that he employs here.
First, we have the framing device, namely the fight between Loki and Thor that we see in "Avengers & X-Men: Axis" #6. Loki initially learns of Thor's drunken antics in a Vegas casino from the tweets of a journalist following Thor (as seen in "Axis: Revolutions" #2*). But, before he finds him, Loki stumbles upon the robbery of a different casino by the Death Throws, a group of circus-themed ("super-")villains. Honestly, this fight is the best part of the issue. Ewing lets us know that the Throws consider themselves legitimate villains (one of them is even auditioning for a spot on the team), but we're allow to laugh at them with Loki as he makes quick work of them. They're the perfect group for Loki-as-superhero to confront. They're not enough of a challenge for him to require his full attention, so it allows him to toy with them (and a circus-themed group certainly lends itself to Loki's sense of humor). Once he defeats them, the cops send him to the casino where Thor is, setting up the fight in "Avengers & X-Men: Axis" #6.
Second, Ewing is also trying to tie up loose ends left from "Loki: Agent of Asgard" #6 and #7. At some point, the Enchantress, Lorelei, Loki, Sigurd, and Verity have all assembled in Loki's apartment. (The intro page tells us that the Enchantress is Lorelei's sister. I'm not counting that as an example of pet peeve #2, because long-time readers of this series and its predecessors may already know that.) It's a surprise to see them all together, since they were all in different places when we last left them. Eventually, we learn that the Enchantress and Loki called everyone to the apartment to let them know that they're good guys now, but it's not until well into the issue that Ewing establishes that. It results in the reader (or, at least, me) spending most of the issue confused, since we're not privy to the events that set up the scene and it's clear that a lot happened since we last saw everyone. I keep feeling like I had missed an issue somewhere.
In other words, Ewing is clearly rushed, trying to combine the epilogue to the events of "Loki: Agent of Asgard" #6 and #7 with the introduction of the changes to the Enchantress and Loki to this series as a result of "Avengers & X-Men: Axis" #3 as well as setting up the fight in "Avengers & X-Men: Axis" #6. It's a lot. As I mentioned above, I'm not sure if the flashback technique was the best call here. I get that starting the issue with a fight (and a well scripted one at that) is a better opening than the expository scenes that happen in Loki's apartment in the middle of the issue, but its impact is lost when the reader is suddenly throw a few hours into the past and left trying to put together the pieces. As I said, Ewing manges to do a better job than most authors with what he has here, but I think it would've been even stronger of an issue with a more linear approach to the events unfolding.
* I've previously mentioned "Axis: Revolutions" in passing, because it's really just filler. I'm not even reviewing it, since it doesn't really merit the effort. But, I'll admit that it would help to pick up issue #2 if you're totally lost here, because you really get a better insight into Thor's mindset.
*** (three of five stars)
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Axis #6 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
When will this long national nightmare end? [Sigh.] We have a number of problems here, but I'll group them together to try to make it seem like I'm not just randomly listing complaints.
First, it's still unclear why we care about where Remender is taking us. I'll admit that my "enjoyment" of this series isn't helped by the fact that I'm currently reading Boom! Studios' "Irredeemable" for the first time. Waid did such an amazing job of creating a world in that series, one where a superhero becomes a super-villain, that it's hard not to see this event as anything other than a pale shadow of it. In Waid's story, the drama comes from the fact that the Plutonian is, as the title implies, "irredeemable." Although I'm not entirely sure how the series is going to end, it's pretty clear that it's not going to involve everyone just shrugging and saying that it was understandable that he killed a few million people. However, this series has the air of forgettability to it. It'll either be ret-conned by the end like "Age of Ultron" or it'll be forgotten like "Secret Invasion." Thor is unlikely to go to jail for robbing a casino, Tony Stark is unlikely to have Stark Industries permanently taken from him as a result of releasing the dangerous Extremis app onto the market, and the X-Men are unlikely to face charges for invading Manhattan. In other words, the changes to the Marvel Universe would be so legion if the heroes faced consequences for their actions here that it's clear that they're not going to face them. Again, it raises the question of why we care about anything happening here.
Moreover, we've been down the road of "inversions" (if not mystical ones) so many times already, including with some of the characters here, that it's lost its meaning. Rogue and Wanda as villains, Magneto and Sabretooth as heroes: we're not talking about anything new.
Another problem with this series is that it's starting to feel like "Age of Ultron" in the sense that we've drifted far from the premise of the event. It's not like this series was called "Age of Red Onslaught" or anything, but it's odd that we no longer even seem to care about the Red Skull. All of a sudden, we've got Apocalypse establishing the "Age of Apocalypse" and the Avengers becoming fascist overlords. Who knows what we're going to see happen in the next chapter? The "Age of Wanda?" That prospect should be exciting, but it's just not. It feel like we're just cycling through plots and villains like we're playing "Street Fighter."
With only six issues left, I'm just not really sure if it's possible for Remender to give us an ending to redeem this one.
* (one of five stars)
First, it's still unclear why we care about where Remender is taking us. I'll admit that my "enjoyment" of this series isn't helped by the fact that I'm currently reading Boom! Studios' "Irredeemable" for the first time. Waid did such an amazing job of creating a world in that series, one where a superhero becomes a super-villain, that it's hard not to see this event as anything other than a pale shadow of it. In Waid's story, the drama comes from the fact that the Plutonian is, as the title implies, "irredeemable." Although I'm not entirely sure how the series is going to end, it's pretty clear that it's not going to involve everyone just shrugging and saying that it was understandable that he killed a few million people. However, this series has the air of forgettability to it. It'll either be ret-conned by the end like "Age of Ultron" or it'll be forgotten like "Secret Invasion." Thor is unlikely to go to jail for robbing a casino, Tony Stark is unlikely to have Stark Industries permanently taken from him as a result of releasing the dangerous Extremis app onto the market, and the X-Men are unlikely to face charges for invading Manhattan. In other words, the changes to the Marvel Universe would be so legion if the heroes faced consequences for their actions here that it's clear that they're not going to face them. Again, it raises the question of why we care about anything happening here.
Moreover, we've been down the road of "inversions" (if not mystical ones) so many times already, including with some of the characters here, that it's lost its meaning. Rogue and Wanda as villains, Magneto and Sabretooth as heroes: we're not talking about anything new.
Another problem with this series is that it's starting to feel like "Age of Ultron" in the sense that we've drifted far from the premise of the event. It's not like this series was called "Age of Red Onslaught" or anything, but it's odd that we no longer even seem to care about the Red Skull. All of a sudden, we've got Apocalypse establishing the "Age of Apocalypse" and the Avengers becoming fascist overlords. Who knows what we're going to see happen in the next chapter? The "Age of Wanda?" That prospect should be exciting, but it's just not. It feel like we're just cycling through plots and villains like we're playing "Street Fighter."
With only six issues left, I'm just not really sure if it's possible for Remender to give us an ending to redeem this one.
* (one of five stars)
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Axis: Hobgoblin #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Beyond all the jokes, Shinick does a good job of making sure that this series has an actual plot. An increasingly unhinged Phil Urich feels like Hobgoblin is dissing him through his high-profile return, since Phil knew that he had survived Norman's attack on him. But, it's his discovery that Roderick is in control of a amnesiac Lily that seems to really send him over the edge. Interestingly, Shinick sets up the possibility that Phil might actually win this one. Roderick seems to underestimate how angry the super-villains that he abandoned were, leaving Phil with something like a real Goblin Army. I'm intrigued to see what happens next issue. Moreover, the jokes really are good. The fake advertisements that appear throughout the issue were legitimately hilarious. For a tie-in series, this one is really carving out its own niche. Again, it's more of a "Goblin Nation" tie-in series than an "Axis" one, but I'll take it.
*** (three of five stars)
*** (three of five stars)
Friday, December 19, 2014
Axis #5 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
[Sigh.] Well, it was good while it lasted.
We start this issue with Spidey telling young Nova that his predecessor's name involved a joke "in there if you think on it," a "joke" that Remender has probably been waiting to tell since he was 12 years old. But, "'Dick' Rider" winds up being one of the more subtle moments of this issue.
One of the more interesting parts of last issue was that it was hard to tell exactly what happened to the Avengers and the X-Men. They seemed...off, but it wasn't totally obvious. As I mentioned in that review, I only realized that everyone's "alignment" was inverted when I read an advertising blurb for "Captain America and the Mighty Avengers" #2. But, Remender jettisons all subtlety here. Sue Richards, Wanda, and Sam Wilson are reduced to raging assholes. Honestly, I kept waiting for Sam to drink from a goblet filled with the blood of a virgin. It's just so remarkably over the top. It's actually an interesting experiment, taking Sam from LG to CE or Wanda from CG to LE, but Remender doesn't do the hard work of wondering what the character truly would be like under those circumstances. He just seems to embrace stereotypes of evil and goes from there.
The only decent moment is Spidey grabbing Nova and throwing him from Avengers Tower to prevent him from getting swept into Sam's dragnet, but that moment doesn't really go anywhere. Magneto just eventually nabs them and smuggles them to Steve. Remender does manage to raise some excitement about the prospect of us witnessing the beginning of the Age of Apocalypse, as he and the X-Men demand that all humans leave Manhattan, but, honestly, it's too little, too late.
* (one of five stars)
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Axis #4 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Remender makes it pretty clear that something is wrong as this issue unfolds, with the Avengers getting ready to kill the Red Skull and the X-Men blindly following Apocalypse. I'll admit that I was a little clueless until I read the advertising blurb for "Captain America and the Mighty Avengers" #2: "Will the inversion of Captain America and Luke Cage spell the end of the Mighty Avengers?" Aha! Dr. Doom and Wanda didn't just invert the Red Skull and Xavier; they inverted everyone on Genosha!
As a result, this second "book" will likely take us some unexpected places. Just in this issue, Jarvis risks his life trying to prevent the Avengers from taking a life, and Magneto and Quentin seem set to be the ones to challenge Apocalypse's control of the X-Men. (On a side note, the inversion thankfully explains why Evan suddenly turned into Apocalypse. I wonder if they're going to keep him that way. It would be an interesting way to resurrect Apocalypse.) It's fun (if that's the right word) seeing the heroes and villains act uncharacteristically: Thor excited about the slaughter of innocents, Storm rallying the troops to war, Carnage saving families. The mind boggles.
Plus, we only had one poop joke. Right there, this book is a big improvement over the last one.
*** (three of five stars)
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Axis: Hobgoblin #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
As I mentioned in my review of "Magneto" #11, I was hoping this issue would address my main unanswered question related to "Axis," namely why street-level villains like Hobgoblin would join Magneto's crusade against the Skull. I could see the Hobgoblin having a business argument either way. On one hand, he wouldn't want to see the Skull control the world enough that he would eliminate all competition. But, on the other hand, the Skull would likely be looking for some non-mutant enforcers. A guy in the business of supplying super-villains with identities and powers seems like the type of guy who could carve out a niche as a sub-contractor providing the Skull with said enforcers.
However, it quickly becomes clear in this issue that this series has no intention of answering any of those questions. In fact, it's really more of an epilogue to "Goblin Nation" than it is a tie-in issue to "Axis." We learn that Phil Urich has managed to retain the mantle of Goblin King (probably because no one else particularly wanted it) and Lily Hollister lost her memory as a result of Phil's botched attempt to rescue her. The "Axis" tie-in only provides the spark for the series: as a result of his newfound role as a hero, Roderick realizes that he has ignored an untapped (and even larger) market of people wanting to be superheroes. He immediately sets about filling that gap.
At first, I'll admit to being slightly annoyed. I mean, why am I reading about an infomercial for Roderick's pyramid scheme? Why are we not addressing the serious questions that I have about "Axis?" FANBOY ANGRY. FANBOY SMASH. But, then, when Roderick goes Tony Robbins for the special "few" customers that qualified for "Phase Three" of his superhero program, I just had to laugh. I mean, the "Ned Talks," named in honor of the first person to "successfully" participate in his "program?" That's freaking hilarious. Maybe it's just a reflection of how grim comics are lately or how badly written comics trying to do comedy (like "Axis," in parts) are. But, I really just found myself enjoying a comic book. Go figure.
Honestly, even if you're not reading "Axis" or never read "Goblin Nation," get this series. It's such a wry take on the superhero genre, reminiscent of "Damage Control" back in the '80s. But, if you are someone that read "Goblin Nation," it really is worth a read, since it explores the unsettled issues between the various Goblins in a way that we haven't seen in "Amazing Spider-Man." I wouldn't expect an occasional comic-book writer focused mostly on comedy to have such a good grasp on continuity or characterization, but, man, Shinick really delivers.
***** (five of five stars)
However, it quickly becomes clear in this issue that this series has no intention of answering any of those questions. In fact, it's really more of an epilogue to "Goblin Nation" than it is a tie-in issue to "Axis." We learn that Phil Urich has managed to retain the mantle of Goblin King (probably because no one else particularly wanted it) and Lily Hollister lost her memory as a result of Phil's botched attempt to rescue her. The "Axis" tie-in only provides the spark for the series: as a result of his newfound role as a hero, Roderick realizes that he has ignored an untapped (and even larger) market of people wanting to be superheroes. He immediately sets about filling that gap.
At first, I'll admit to being slightly annoyed. I mean, why am I reading about an infomercial for Roderick's pyramid scheme? Why are we not addressing the serious questions that I have about "Axis?" FANBOY ANGRY. FANBOY SMASH. But, then, when Roderick goes Tony Robbins for the special "few" customers that qualified for "Phase Three" of his superhero program, I just had to laugh. I mean, the "Ned Talks," named in honor of the first person to "successfully" participate in his "program?" That's freaking hilarious. Maybe it's just a reflection of how grim comics are lately or how badly written comics trying to do comedy (like "Axis," in parts) are. But, I really just found myself enjoying a comic book. Go figure.
Honestly, even if you're not reading "Axis" or never read "Goblin Nation," get this series. It's such a wry take on the superhero genre, reminiscent of "Damage Control" back in the '80s. But, if you are someone that read "Goblin Nation," it really is worth a read, since it explores the unsettled issues between the various Goblins in a way that we haven't seen in "Amazing Spider-Man." I wouldn't expect an occasional comic-book writer focused mostly on comedy to have such a good grasp on continuity or characterization, but, man, Shinick really delivers.
***** (five of five stars)
Axis #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Jesus, this issue couldn't have been worse.
First, Remender continue to do an uncharacteristically terrible job matching up characters with one-liners. To whit, I don't believe for a minute that the Enchantress would say, "That's the kind of oversight that gets you uninvited to fondue parties." But, it actually gets worse from there (if you can believe it).
We still don't have a good reason for why some of the super-villains are trying to stop the Skull. Carnage offers a half-hearted excuse that he doesn't want to live under the boot of the Skull, but I'm not sure that I buy that. Wouldn't Cletus be perfectly happy serving as one of the Skull's Horseman, if you will? Slaughtering innocent Inhumans and mutants? Why would the Enchantress care if the Skull took over Midgard? How about Jack O'Lantern? He's a pretty second-rate villain. Wouldn't he benefit from an association with the Skull? I get why someone like Doom, with his own designs on the world, would oppose the Skull, but Remender really needed to give us a better sense of why the less powerful villains joined the fight.
But, the wheels really go off the bus in the last few pages. First, Evan suddenly appears as Apocalypse with no explanation. Did it have something to do with Doom and Wanda's spell? No idea. In fact, the "inversion" spell that they cast might have put Charles in control of the Skull's body, but no one is really sure. Then, Sam suddenly becomes an asshole and declares that the Avengers are taking Xavier's body into custody, annoying the X-Men who desperately want to see if Xavier is alive. (The fact that the brain that the Skull stole from Xavier's decaying body might actually "contain" Xavier is starting to get increasingly more difficult to believe.) Thankfully, "Sir Steve Rogers, Patron Saint of Authority" arrives to sort out everything just in time.
Or not. Despite Steve giving his word to Alex that the Avengers will do whatever they have to do to see if Xavier is inside the Skull's body, Alex flies off the handlebars when Steve suggests that they still have to take the body to Avengers Tower. Given that Alex is an Avenger, this anger makes little sense to me. It's like reliving the fight over Hope from "Avengers vs. X-Men" all over again. But, it makes even less sense when Apocalypse suddenly takes control of the X-Men. Yup. Everyone just blithely follows him when he says that he has some sort of plan. (Remender better plan on revealing that the Skull was silently manipulating this development or I may have to burn every issue of this series that I own when it concludes.) Thus, thee issue ends with Alex leaving the Avengers because apparently following orders is equivalent to tyranny (as he tells Cap). Notably, Alex also leaves his wife in the process. Yup. Just leaves her. He disagrees with Steve, so he leaves his wife. It makes total sense.
Also, did anyone see Nomad? He's in the list of characters at the start of the issue, but I don't see him anywhere in the issue.
I just don't know what else I can say. I want to hope that this series can get better, but I just don't see how it's possible. We've already got too many unexplained developments weighing down the narrative, and it seems like that we'll resolve them before we add more. [Sigh.]
* (one of five stars)
First, Remender continue to do an uncharacteristically terrible job matching up characters with one-liners. To whit, I don't believe for a minute that the Enchantress would say, "That's the kind of oversight that gets you uninvited to fondue parties." But, it actually gets worse from there (if you can believe it).
We still don't have a good reason for why some of the super-villains are trying to stop the Skull. Carnage offers a half-hearted excuse that he doesn't want to live under the boot of the Skull, but I'm not sure that I buy that. Wouldn't Cletus be perfectly happy serving as one of the Skull's Horseman, if you will? Slaughtering innocent Inhumans and mutants? Why would the Enchantress care if the Skull took over Midgard? How about Jack O'Lantern? He's a pretty second-rate villain. Wouldn't he benefit from an association with the Skull? I get why someone like Doom, with his own designs on the world, would oppose the Skull, but Remender really needed to give us a better sense of why the less powerful villains joined the fight.
But, the wheels really go off the bus in the last few pages. First, Evan suddenly appears as Apocalypse with no explanation. Did it have something to do with Doom and Wanda's spell? No idea. In fact, the "inversion" spell that they cast might have put Charles in control of the Skull's body, but no one is really sure. Then, Sam suddenly becomes an asshole and declares that the Avengers are taking Xavier's body into custody, annoying the X-Men who desperately want to see if Xavier is alive. (The fact that the brain that the Skull stole from Xavier's decaying body might actually "contain" Xavier is starting to get increasingly more difficult to believe.) Thankfully, "Sir Steve Rogers, Patron Saint of Authority" arrives to sort out everything just in time.
Or not. Despite Steve giving his word to Alex that the Avengers will do whatever they have to do to see if Xavier is inside the Skull's body, Alex flies off the handlebars when Steve suggests that they still have to take the body to Avengers Tower. Given that Alex is an Avenger, this anger makes little sense to me. It's like reliving the fight over Hope from "Avengers vs. X-Men" all over again. But, it makes even less sense when Apocalypse suddenly takes control of the X-Men. Yup. Everyone just blithely follows him when he says that he has some sort of plan. (Remender better plan on revealing that the Skull was silently manipulating this development or I may have to burn every issue of this series that I own when it concludes.) Thus, thee issue ends with Alex leaving the Avengers because apparently following orders is equivalent to tyranny (as he tells Cap). Notably, Alex also leaves his wife in the process. Yup. Just leaves her. He disagrees with Steve, so he leaves his wife. It makes total sense.
Also, did anyone see Nomad? He's in the list of characters at the start of the issue, but I don't see him anywhere in the issue.
I just don't know what else I can say. I want to hope that this series can get better, but I just don't see how it's possible. We've already got too many unexplained developments weighing down the narrative, and it seems like that we'll resolve them before we add more. [Sigh.]
* (one of five stars)
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Magneto #11 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
If we would've gotten through this issue without someone mentioning "Acts of Vengeance," I would've asked for a refund. It only makes sense that it was Deadpool who got us there.
Bunn partially answers the question that I had from "Axis" #2, namely why the villains that join Magneto's little band of bad guys actually do so. Some of the recruits I get. Doom and young Loki don't want to see the world destroyed; Deadpool, Mystique, and Sabretooth have skin in the game when it comes to making sure the Red Skull doesn't imprison mutants in concentration camps; and Carnage will just enjoy the violence. I'm a little more sketchy when it comes to Absorbing Man, the Enchantress, and Hobgoblin. The Hobgoblin tie-in series might make it a bit clearer when it comes to him, but it would've been nice to get an answer about Absorbing Man and the Enchantress. But, given that Bunn does a better job here explaining how the villains get to the battle field than Remender has done with the heroes, I can't really complain too much.
Bunn doesn't just make this issue about Magneto setting up the team. I'm not a regular reader of this series, so I'm not sure who this Ms. Raleigh is. But, she does what she needs to do here, reminding Magneto that he's the type of man that, in the words of a woman that he saved, "can do the bad things so that we [the mutants] can survive." It's obviously a curated reflection on his history, since you could argue that mutants have suffered because of the reputation that Magneto has given them. But, it does the trick. (Plus, it's not the Skull is acting because he fears mutants given Magneto's history. He's just a racist asshole.)
So far, the tie-in issues in this series have been better than the actual main series, so I've got no complaints. It's all you can ask of a tie-in issue.
*** (three of five stars)
Bunn partially answers the question that I had from "Axis" #2, namely why the villains that join Magneto's little band of bad guys actually do so. Some of the recruits I get. Doom and young Loki don't want to see the world destroyed; Deadpool, Mystique, and Sabretooth have skin in the game when it comes to making sure the Red Skull doesn't imprison mutants in concentration camps; and Carnage will just enjoy the violence. I'm a little more sketchy when it comes to Absorbing Man, the Enchantress, and Hobgoblin. The Hobgoblin tie-in series might make it a bit clearer when it comes to him, but it would've been nice to get an answer about Absorbing Man and the Enchantress. But, given that Bunn does a better job here explaining how the villains get to the battle field than Remender has done with the heroes, I can't really complain too much.
Bunn doesn't just make this issue about Magneto setting up the team. I'm not a regular reader of this series, so I'm not sure who this Ms. Raleigh is. But, she does what she needs to do here, reminding Magneto that he's the type of man that, in the words of a woman that he saved, "can do the bad things so that we [the mutants] can survive." It's obviously a curated reflection on his history, since you could argue that mutants have suffered because of the reputation that Magneto has given them. But, it does the trick. (Plus, it's not the Skull is acting because he fears mutants given Magneto's history. He's just a racist asshole.)
So far, the tie-in issues in this series have been better than the actual main series, so I've got no complaints. It's all you can ask of a tie-in issue.
*** (three of five stars)
Axis #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
OK, I'm glad to say that this issue is better than the last one. First, Remender cuts the cute and focuses mainly on Tony, avoiding the cacophony of phony voices that weighed down last issue. Second, he actually tells a story here, rather than just showing us a random string of moments. Even better, the story is a decent one.
The use of Tony as narrator gives this issue a focus that helps us sort through the chaos portrayed in it. The Red Skull and his Sentinel minions make short work of the heroes, in a believable way. One problem that I often have with these events is that the villain suddenly becomes more imposing than he was in previous appearances. It would've been difficult to believe that the Avengers and the X-Men suddenly found themselves outmatched by the Red Skull and...the S-Men. But, Remender does a good job of showing how formidable Tony made the Sentinels, so the strain that the heroes feel in facing them feels real. The heroes start falling one by one, but we're encouraged to keep our focus on Tony rather than trying to follow each hero as s/he faces the Sentinels. It brings us step-by-step to the end, when only Tony is left standing. By that point in time, you feel as exhausted as he does, a testament to the energy that Remender infused into this issue.
This issue isn't flawless, however. Marvel is still pushing the Inhumans in a way that makes absolutely no sense. In Alex's narration, he talks about the Avengers, Inhumans, and X-Men coming together to realize Charles' dream of unity, even though I'm pretty sure Xavier spent probably no more than ten minutes in his whole life worrying about the Inhumans. Also, certain parts of the story still feel random. We have no idea why the Invisible Woman (on her own) and Medusa have pitched in their support, and certain characters that we had assemble at the end of last issue -- to wit, Beast, Cannonball, Hawkeye, Hyperion, Iceman, Iron Fist, Jean Grey, Kitty, Luke Cage, Psylocke, and Sunspot -- are nowhere to be seen. Given the sheer number of characters suddenly missing, someone has to explain their absence at some point, since it probably would've been a different battle had they been there. Along those lines, someone has to explain why the super-villains that we see on the last page have thrown their support behind Magneto. I get Deadpool, Mystique, and Sabretooth caring, since their mutants, but why the rest?
But, we've at least righted the ship a little. I can't say that it's the most enthralling event that I've read, but at least it's not terrible. (Man, my bar for these things has fallen.) Given Alex's narration about seeing some of the good left in Scott, I'm hoping it also means that we're building to his redemption and a unified X-Men. Fingers crossed.
*** (three of five stars)
The use of Tony as narrator gives this issue a focus that helps us sort through the chaos portrayed in it. The Red Skull and his Sentinel minions make short work of the heroes, in a believable way. One problem that I often have with these events is that the villain suddenly becomes more imposing than he was in previous appearances. It would've been difficult to believe that the Avengers and the X-Men suddenly found themselves outmatched by the Red Skull and...the S-Men. But, Remender does a good job of showing how formidable Tony made the Sentinels, so the strain that the heroes feel in facing them feels real. The heroes start falling one by one, but we're encouraged to keep our focus on Tony rather than trying to follow each hero as s/he faces the Sentinels. It brings us step-by-step to the end, when only Tony is left standing. By that point in time, you feel as exhausted as he does, a testament to the energy that Remender infused into this issue.
This issue isn't flawless, however. Marvel is still pushing the Inhumans in a way that makes absolutely no sense. In Alex's narration, he talks about the Avengers, Inhumans, and X-Men coming together to realize Charles' dream of unity, even though I'm pretty sure Xavier spent probably no more than ten minutes in his whole life worrying about the Inhumans. Also, certain parts of the story still feel random. We have no idea why the Invisible Woman (on her own) and Medusa have pitched in their support, and certain characters that we had assemble at the end of last issue -- to wit, Beast, Cannonball, Hawkeye, Hyperion, Iceman, Iron Fist, Jean Grey, Kitty, Luke Cage, Psylocke, and Sunspot -- are nowhere to be seen. Given the sheer number of characters suddenly missing, someone has to explain their absence at some point, since it probably would've been a different battle had they been there. Along those lines, someone has to explain why the super-villains that we see on the last page have thrown their support behind Magneto. I get Deadpool, Mystique, and Sabretooth caring, since their mutants, but why the rest?
But, we've at least righted the ship a little. I can't say that it's the most enthralling event that I've read, but at least it's not terrible. (Man, my bar for these things has fallen.) Given Alex's narration about seeing some of the good left in Scott, I'm hoping it also means that we're building to his redemption and a unified X-Men. Fingers crossed.
*** (three of five stars)
Loki: Agent of Asgard #7 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I've read several issues this week where the plot flowed logically from each event and I'm glad to say that the streak continues.
I wasn't entirely sure why Loki would be involved in World War Hate. I mean, old Loki, sure, he'd totally be on the front lines. But, young Loki is trying to make amends. Why would he be involved? But, Ewing has a great answer: Gram, the Sword of Truth. Valeria hooks up Gram to an orb that broadcasts its power throughout Latveria, saving the Latverians from themselves by showing them their actual emotions. Consequently, Doom faces the truth about himself; whatever it is, it horrifies him. In showing us this scene, Ewing reminds us just how self-deluded Doom is. It's not like we don't know that, but it's interesting to see it so clearly.
Moreover, Loki finding himself in Latveria just in time to save the day doesn't feel like an overly convenient plot device. It builds off the revelation that old Loki is lying to Freya, because the world of the future that he's trying to ensure comes to pass is only a golden age for him, with Earth ruined. Doom obviously wanted to avoid that happening, setting up the kidnapping of Loki. In other words, it's a logical sequence of events. By revealing old Loki's lies, Ewing also becomes one of the few authors to use a tie-in issue to forward the series' ongoing plot. It's solid work from start to finish.
**** (four of five stars)
I wasn't entirely sure why Loki would be involved in World War Hate. I mean, old Loki, sure, he'd totally be on the front lines. But, young Loki is trying to make amends. Why would he be involved? But, Ewing has a great answer: Gram, the Sword of Truth. Valeria hooks up Gram to an orb that broadcasts its power throughout Latveria, saving the Latverians from themselves by showing them their actual emotions. Consequently, Doom faces the truth about himself; whatever it is, it horrifies him. In showing us this scene, Ewing reminds us just how self-deluded Doom is. It's not like we don't know that, but it's interesting to see it so clearly.
Moreover, Loki finding himself in Latveria just in time to save the day doesn't feel like an overly convenient plot device. It builds off the revelation that old Loki is lying to Freya, because the world of the future that he's trying to ensure comes to pass is only a golden age for him, with Earth ruined. Doom obviously wanted to avoid that happening, setting up the kidnapping of Loki. In other words, it's a logical sequence of events. By revealing old Loki's lies, Ewing also becomes one of the few authors to use a tie-in issue to forward the series' ongoing plot. It's solid work from start to finish.
**** (four of five stars)
Friday, November 21, 2014
Axis #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Oy. All right, let's just do this thing.
The plot of this issue is pretty solid. Remender does a good job establishing the Red Skull as an overwhelming villain, showing the Avengers and Magneto on Genosha really struggling to land a hit against him. Moreover, Remender uses characters at their best and worst to advance the plot. Inspired by Xavier, Rogue manages to overcome the Skull's stoking of her mistrust of Wanda and, as a result, manages to save Wanda from him. Given what the Skull could've done with Wanda by his side, Rogue pretty much saves the day right then and there. But, the tension driving this sub-plot is our lack of certainty that Rogue will overcome her darker impulses, something that she failed to do for most of "Uncanny Avengers." Moreover, Tony Stark displays why he's the Marvel Universe's resident genius when he reveals that he found a way to block telepathic frequencies, freeing the Avengers from the sway of the Skull. But, the Skull reveals that he's been manipulating Tony's unchecked ego, using him to create two "Stark Sentinels:" they're crafted of adamantium and loaded with Tony's knowledge of the heroes' weaknesses, gleaned from his time running the world during "Civil War." By using Rogue and Tony's highs and lows to fuel the plot, Remender shows a great understanding of both characters. By using characterization and not convenience to get us from Point A to Point B, he also makes it all the easier for us all the more engage.
But, our ability to engage is overwhelmed by moments of just terrible writing. As he did in "Captain America" #25, Remender has inexplicably decided to emulate Bendis in the worst possibly way, randomly having characters spout one-liners without regard to the likelihood of the characters saying what s/he said. Storm in particular engages in banter that I don't for a minute believe would happen the way that Remender writes it. Moreover, the heroes that appear in Genosha do so with no explanation. I have no idea how the Skull got his hands on Cyclops, Genesis, or Quentin, and I've even read all the "March to Axis" issues. We're not given any hint how Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Storm discover that Alex and Scott are on Genosha. Don't even get me started on the random heroes that appear at the end in a two-page splash. Susan Storm without the rest of the Fantastic Four? Young Jean Grey by herself, despite the fact that she's currently lost in the Ultimate dimension? Beast, but not Rachel Summers, someone that seemingly would be helpful against Red Onslaught? Ditto Kitty, but not Emma Frost or the Stepford Cuckoos? It all makes not a lick of sense.
This issue started off so strong; Remender went straight for the heart strings. We see the Skull torture Alex by making him feel the comfort that he felt in bed with Jan and their daughter, only to take it from him. We watch Jan tell Tony about Katie, wondering why they all keep making the sacrifices that they make. We watch Rogue be reminded of the woman that she wants to be thanks to the fading image of her mentor. It really built up the sense that this series was going to be all about the characters and how this fight might be the one to break them. But, it all just goes off the rails, descending into the worst examples of cross-over excesses. It's disappointing, to say the least. If it was just one-liners, I could look past it, but it's just the shocking lack of attention to detail that sinks this issue. Maybe I'd be less mad if I hadn't read "March to Axis." I'd just figure that I missed something. But, I did read "March to Axis," so I shouldn't be this confused. I certainly shouldn't be this confused this early. It's usually not until halfway through the mini-series that the wheels come off the bus.
I really wonder what I should do at this point. I'm tempted to bail now, something that I normally won't dream of doing (hence why I have all "Original Sin" issues). Decisions, decisions.
** (two of five stars)
The plot of this issue is pretty solid. Remender does a good job establishing the Red Skull as an overwhelming villain, showing the Avengers and Magneto on Genosha really struggling to land a hit against him. Moreover, Remender uses characters at their best and worst to advance the plot. Inspired by Xavier, Rogue manages to overcome the Skull's stoking of her mistrust of Wanda and, as a result, manages to save Wanda from him. Given what the Skull could've done with Wanda by his side, Rogue pretty much saves the day right then and there. But, the tension driving this sub-plot is our lack of certainty that Rogue will overcome her darker impulses, something that she failed to do for most of "Uncanny Avengers." Moreover, Tony Stark displays why he's the Marvel Universe's resident genius when he reveals that he found a way to block telepathic frequencies, freeing the Avengers from the sway of the Skull. But, the Skull reveals that he's been manipulating Tony's unchecked ego, using him to create two "Stark Sentinels:" they're crafted of adamantium and loaded with Tony's knowledge of the heroes' weaknesses, gleaned from his time running the world during "Civil War." By using Rogue and Tony's highs and lows to fuel the plot, Remender shows a great understanding of both characters. By using characterization and not convenience to get us from Point A to Point B, he also makes it all the easier for us all the more engage.
But, our ability to engage is overwhelmed by moments of just terrible writing. As he did in "Captain America" #25, Remender has inexplicably decided to emulate Bendis in the worst possibly way, randomly having characters spout one-liners without regard to the likelihood of the characters saying what s/he said. Storm in particular engages in banter that I don't for a minute believe would happen the way that Remender writes it. Moreover, the heroes that appear in Genosha do so with no explanation. I have no idea how the Skull got his hands on Cyclops, Genesis, or Quentin, and I've even read all the "March to Axis" issues. We're not given any hint how Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Storm discover that Alex and Scott are on Genosha. Don't even get me started on the random heroes that appear at the end in a two-page splash. Susan Storm without the rest of the Fantastic Four? Young Jean Grey by herself, despite the fact that she's currently lost in the Ultimate dimension? Beast, but not Rachel Summers, someone that seemingly would be helpful against Red Onslaught? Ditto Kitty, but not Emma Frost or the Stepford Cuckoos? It all makes not a lick of sense.
This issue started off so strong; Remender went straight for the heart strings. We see the Skull torture Alex by making him feel the comfort that he felt in bed with Jan and their daughter, only to take it from him. We watch Jan tell Tony about Katie, wondering why they all keep making the sacrifices that they make. We watch Rogue be reminded of the woman that she wants to be thanks to the fading image of her mentor. It really built up the sense that this series was going to be all about the characters and how this fight might be the one to break them. But, it all just goes off the rails, descending into the worst examples of cross-over excesses. It's disappointing, to say the least. If it was just one-liners, I could look past it, but it's just the shocking lack of attention to detail that sinks this issue. Maybe I'd be less mad if I hadn't read "March to Axis." I'd just figure that I missed something. But, I did read "March to Axis," so I shouldn't be this confused. I certainly shouldn't be this confused this early. It's usually not until halfway through the mini-series that the wheels come off the bus.
I really wonder what I should do at this point. I'm tempted to bail now, something that I normally won't dream of doing (hence why I have all "Original Sin" issues). Decisions, decisions.
** (two of five stars)
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