New-ish Comics: The June 20 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #801:  This issue is lovely.  As I mentioned in my review of last issue, I have a complicated relationship with Dan Slott.  After I wrote that, though, I realized you have to have a complicated relationship with someone after ten years.  The people who claim they loved every issue of the 180-issue run?  I either don’t believe them or don’t think they’re paying that much attention.  Like Dan says, I’ve loved Spider-Man since I was eight years old, and I take that relationship seriously.  I couldn’t possibly love everything Dan did here.  In fact, the only real umbrage I took with Dan is the period when he implied if I didn’t love his work I didn’t love Spider-Man.  Thankfully, Dan moved off that position, and we’re better for it.  It’s like a relationship after successful couple’s therapy.  The scars are there, but you don’t focus on them anymore.  These last few issues — from “Go Down Swinging” to this one — are a reminder of the best Dan Slott had to offer, and I’m glad we got to go out this way.  Happy trails, Dan!

Avengers #3:  We don’t really learn too much here, to be honest.  Instead, everyone breaks into teams specifically to find out more.  Loki kidnaps Cap and takes him on an exposition tour of the situation, showing him the “Progenitor” Celestial at the center of the Earth who’s allegedly the cause of the current problems.  Carol and T’Challa head to Alpha Flight to learn more about the bugs emerging from the center of the Earth (the ones Dr. Strange and T'Challa fought last issue).  Tony takes Dr. Strange with him to see the Eternals and learn more about the dead Celestials.  Thor and She-Hulk go interrogate Odin about his role in the death of the Celestial that he and his Prehistoric Avengers allegedly killed.  Finally, Robbie hopes his car can track down Dark Celestials.  (I guess the car is his partner?)  All in all?  That's a bold move, Cotton.  Let’s see how it plays out.

Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #20:  I’ll admit I’m reading this series mostly from a sense of obligation at this point.  But, the good news is this issue is fun, and the surprise revelation at the end could set up a fun few issues.  (Hopefully.)  But, this Abigail storyline has to wrap up soon.  I don’t even understand why Ben is still working on it.  First, his face appears healed here, presumably after his heroics during “Damnation.”  I get that helping Abigail will help his soul, but he could probably do countless other things on a larger scale that would accomplish the same goal more quickly. I don’t understand why we’re stuck with this one.

Captain America #704:  OMG, this issue is a mess.  Man, I am glad Coates is coming soon.

Jack has somehow commandeered a laboratory that is conveniently full of scientists who know how to run a machine that can read Pursur's mind.  Jack has apparently deduced the Super-Soldier Serum is deadly to anyone with a Kree gene after he realized it was killing his son, Steve.  (Steve apparently has a recessive Kree gene, but we're never told which of Jack's ancestors mated with a Kree.  Whatever.  We have bigger fish to fry here.)  For some reason, after realizing the Serum was deadly to the Kree, Pursur decided to expose every human to the Serum rather than destroy it.  Jack says it's because destroying it would've raised "flags," but Waid never explains why exposing all of humanity to it was Pursur's only other option.  Plus, I'm still not sure what exposing humanity to the Serum accomplished for the Kree.  If they're all sleeper agents, why not activate them to prevent them from rioting and then use them against the Skull?  I mean, what's the point of sleeper agents if you can't activate them in time of distress?  Don't you have sleeper agents to avoid exactly the outcome we have here, where the Kree are forced to send its armada such a long distance to quell an uprising?  Anyway, Jack hopes to torture Pursur into revealing the locations of the storage facilities containing the Serum, but Pursur withstands the assault.  Jack then just uses his miraculous technology to painfully rip the information from Pursur's mind, uttering only a caustic "Pity" as he does so.  (Yeah, I'm definitely rooting for this guy, Waid.  He's a real winner.)

Meanwhile, we learn the Red Skull was able to broadcast Jack's message to all humanity last issue because somehow Jack's attack on the Cube imbued the Red Skull with its powers.  (That wasn't clear to me last issue.)  As such, he's now single-handedly taking on the Kree armada.  However, Jack realizes he can't do it alone, so, once he gets access to the Serum, he uses it to create large-scale chemical weapons and commits genocide on the Kree.  (Steve would def approve, Jack.)  With the Kree devastated, he then tries to warn the United States about the Skull, but the Skull stops him before he can.  He asks the Skull to honor their deal for the Skull to save his son, but the Skull refuses.  Although Jack was seemingly running the military base where the mind-reading machine was held, he now  claims he's a fugitive who would be killed by the first soldier who sees him.  I'm not really sure why, though.  He claims it's because he's collaborating with the Skull, but the whole problem is no one is aware of the Skull's existence.  If they were, Jack wouldn't need to rally them to his cause.  Anyway, Jack tells the Skull he'll capitulate to save his son, and the Skull is willing to accept his capitulation as a sign he won the war with Steve Rogers.  But, no, Jack doesn't have a change of heart at the last minute, realizing the real Captain America would abhor the tactics he used here.  No, instead he reveals the Skull is the Cube.  When Jack grabs the Skull's hand to kiss it, he reveals he's really using his touch to exert his will over the Skull as one would do over the Cube.  He then rallies all Americans to join their will with his will, defeating the Skull once and for all.  Later, he tells his son they have to show "eternal vigilance" as the cost of peace, as Steve taught them.

If Jack is supposed to be Steve's surrogate, Mark Waid apparently thinks Captain America is a genocidal, tortuous, xenophobic despot.  Oy.  Ta-Nehisi, take us away!

Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #1:  Man, I teared up again over a JJJ, Jr. story!  Zdarsky is really re-inventing him as a character.  I didn't know he needed to be re-invented, but Zdarsky makes a convincing case for it here, as Jonah continues to face the mistakes he made in the past.  It's a pretty compelling story, folks.

Spider-Gwen #33:  Latour gives us a fascinating take on Gwen's imprisonment here.  First, he uses her relatively light sentence (after Foggy drops any charges related to Peter's death) as an exploration of privilege, as Gwen realizes anyone who didn't look like she did would've gotten a tougher sentence.  But, she also feels like the lighter sentence robbed her of the punishment she feels she deserves for her role in Peter's death.  Her light sentence denies her her penance, meaning her responsibility still weighs on her.  When Captain America tries to recruit her for an Earth-65 Suicide Squad, Gwen refuses in part because she doesn't want that sort of redemption.  She doesn't want to be saved.  It's hard to see how Latour is going to wrap up this story in one issue, but, man, I'm there.

X-Men:  Gold #30:  This issue is beautifully drawn, which is a shame, because it's terribly written.  Unlike real life, everything one reads in a comic book comes from an author's mind.  The decisions characters make are ultimately decisions the author makes.  As the reader, we feel connected with those decisions if they feel right.  After years of following a character, you have a sense of how they'd respond to a given decision based on various authors using a consistent portrayal of them.  Remy proposing to Rogue on the spur of the moments makes sense, not only because he's a romantic but also because he loves her deeply.  Rogue accepting his proposal makes sense because, as Remy himself says, she sees in him the man he wants to be.  But, those decisions are based on groundwork other authors have laid, most notably Kelly Thompson in the recently concluded "Rogue and Gambit" mini-series.  Guggenheim's couple was Kitty and Pitor, and he fails them miserably here.  Kitty Pryde goes from the confident, self-assured woman she has always been to one easily swayed by her best friend's doubts.  She goes from taking the initiative to propose to Piotr to abandoning him in front of their family and friends when she suddenly realizes she can't marry him.  When he finds her, she can't even remotely summon an explanation.  Guggenheim is the one who ultimately set us on this path, and it seems unbelievable we end here.  I don't mean it in the sense that it's unbelievable we wasted so many issues to get to this moment.  I mean, it literally feels unbelievable that the events -- as they related to Kitty and Pitor -- would unfold the way they do here.  Everyone here -- Remy and Rogue, Kitty and Piotr, us readers -- deserved better.

Also Read:  Daredevil #604; Infinity Countdown:  Black Widow #1; Infinity Countdown:  Champions #1

New-ish Comics: The June 6 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Astonishing X-Men #12:  I like Charles Soule, but, man, this story was a mess.  We learn the Shadow King has been pulling the strings all along, using Proteus to seed the world with reality gardens that Farouk could then use to control the world.  (I still don't understand what these "reality gardens" are at this point, but whatever.)  Then, it turns out X was pulling the strings.  Surprise!  He teaches Betsy how to ask -- not demand, as they did last time -- every psychic in the world join their Psychic Friends Network, and Betsy somehow uses this energy to dismiss Farouk.  (It's not entirely clear the mechanics of that, but, again, whatever.)  Wrapping up loose ends, X finishes giving the X-Men his "gifts," wiping all memory of his existence from their minds...except for Betsy's.  Despite his claim to be free of Farouk's influence, he allows Betsy to retain her memory of him, just in case he isn't.  Um, OK, way to reassure us, X.  I don't really know what Soule wants us to feel here.  Xavier...I mean, X...could've easily just set up the Network the first time they tried it.  Why wait until now?  In other words, Soule doesn't explain why Xavier suddenly realizes permission is the key to harnessing the Network's power fully.  Moreover, X doesn't remotely feel like Xavier.  To be fair, he insists he's not Xavier, but then who is he?  He feels more like the latest iteration of Xorn, a convoluted plot device that future authors are likely to use and abuse for their own purposes.  It's just a mess, from start to finish.

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding - Robin vs. Ra’s al Ghul #1:  This issue is great.  Seeley draws such a good bead on the characters that every development flows logically from the previous one, as characters respond the way you think they would.  But, it doesn’t mean they don't surprise us with moments of growth either.  The issue starts slow, with Selena taking Damian to be sized for his wedding outfit and Damian rehashing his troubled origin for her as a way of saying he doesn’t need her.  Damian pops into the arcade to try to best his previous score on Cheese Viking, but he finds himself confronting Aion, who claims to be Bruce and Selena’s son from the future.  The conflict shifts to the future, where Damian from "Batman" #666 seemingly awakens from hallucinating the arcade sequence only to face Aion in his present.  But, the miniature Nightwing on his shoulder lecturing him about not killing Aion is his clue this moment, too, is a hallucination.  He then finds himself in the arcade once again, realizing his grandfather is his enemy.  He knows the drugs al Ghul used on him brought out his subconscious fear that Bruce will replace him with a "real" son.  For his part, al Ghul is here to kill Damian for allowing Catwoman to replace him.  Damian doesn’t win the fight so much as he persists.  Later, as Selina returns from her bachelorette party, he asks if she and Bruce are going to have children.  She resists answering the question as she doesn't see it as part of his business, but Damian puts his anxiety on display for her, a surprising sign of how deeply concerned he is.  But, Selina also surprises as Seeley allows her to be the adult we rarely see her be.  She tells Damian she can’t imagine raising a child, because s/he would have to carry not only her/his own baggage but also hers (and, implicitly, Bruce's).  Bringing a tear to everyone's eye, she then says she could never have a child who could overcome that baggage, because they'd never be as strong as Damian Wayne.  Damian is surprised and touched by this confession.  Selina tells him they need to stick together, as the only people in the house who aren’t goody-goodies.  She promises to have his back if he’ll have hers, and he agrees, with a smile that lights up his face.  It’s a lovely moment, and it feels hard-won.  Damian may be the bastard child Aion said he was, not raised from birth by Batman as Aion allegedly was.  But, Seeley makes it clear here he’s all the son Bruce and Selina need.  (That said, I’d be totally down with DC bringing back Aion!)  For all the cynicism I feel about this perceived money-grab series, this one is really worth the money.

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding - Nightwing vs. Hush #1:  This one is, too!  Man, who knew a tie-in series could be so good?  Seeley again nails characterization here.  Clark and Dick are taking Bruce to a pocket universe to go fishing for his bachelor party (after dinner at Batburger), but Hush unexpectedly attacks.  He and Dick tumble through the portal and find themselves in the Betwixt, a place where people without strong senses of self go to disappear.  The ghosts of these people attack Dick and Tommy, and their (convenient) guide to the Betwixt tells them to flee to Wayne Manor, since it’s where their identity is the strongest.  Seeley’s greatest twist here is to have Hush realize something he (and, frankly, we) should’ve realized long ago:  he wanted to be Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne’s best friend, not Bruce himself.  He reveals he’s changed his face to look like Dick, but the ghosts arrive and ultimately absorb him as he has no personality of his own.  Bruce and Clark rescue Dick, and, as he recovers, Dick overhears Bruce telling a departing Clark not to forget the ring.  Dick then asks Bruce if he made Clark his best man and Bruce awkwardly confirms he did.  When Bruce starts apologizing, Dick tells him not to do so:  Clark is always there for him, but Dick isn’t, because he left for Blüdhaven to find his own path.  Just as Selina is the unexpected adult in Robin’s version of this series, Dick is so here.  In other tales like this one, Dick could never accept this outcome.  But, here, he owns his decision to leave Bruce's side.  After the wedding, he makes Bruce promise they’ll spend time together, much to Bruce’s glee.  Like the Robin issue, this issue isn’t perfect.  Just as Damian’s recitation of his origin story was a drag, Hush’s insistence on becoming Bruce’s friend is so cartoonishly juvenile it's annoying.  But, it’s still a solid character study that reveals not really Hush’s fear, but Dick’s:  he, too, is afraid he’s being replaced.  But, like Damian, he realizes he needn't worry.  Meanwhile, Hush confirms it’s the Joker telling all of Batman’s villains about the wedding.  Oddly, we also learn Bruce and Selina themselves aren’t actually getting married, lest it raise too many questions about their secret identities.  After all, a billionaire marrying a criminal is a bit of a stretch.  (I still don’t understand how they’re going to keep that under wraps.)  Finally, can I make a pitch for Wilson drawing “Nightwing?”  Dick Grayson is often handsome, but he’s never been more handsome than he is here.  All in all, it's just a great issue.

Captain America #703:  I'm honestly just enduring this arc until we get to Coates.  Looking over the nine issues Waid has penned on this title, I'm still not sure what point he is trying to make.  First, I'm not sure it was a great idea to spend so much time so early in this run on two alternate-reality stories, particularly as one of them didn't feature Steve at all.  But, even if you put that aside, it also doesn't help that Steve's descendant Jack is a bumbling idiot.  He survives here only because his enemies -- first General Pursur and then the Red Skull -- very conveniently get so busy they ignore him.  Continuing with overly convenient plot devices, Jack gets out word that Pursur is using humanity as sleeper agents for the Kree via the Skull's apparently supernatural ability to manipulate technology to broadcast Jack's discovery to everyone.  Um, OK.  At this stage, we're also supposed to believe that Jack's son Steve is the key to somehow fending off the Kree, whose armada Pursur has dispatched to destroy Earth lest it successfully rebel.  We're supposed to believe Jack is a master strategist because he was "chosen" as a historian, but it's hard to believe he is if he didn't see Pursur taking this step, which he apparently didn't.  Unless we learn Jack's son Steve is the Phoenix, it's hard to believe he's going to single-handedly fight off the armada.  But, even if he does, I still don't get what this story tells us about Cap.  To repeat myself, it's a mess, from start to finish.

Dazzler:  X-Song #1:  I (heart) Dazzler.  I have every issue of her 1980s series.  Hell, I even read her cross-over appearances in "Secret Wars II."  Unfortunately, I'm sad to say she deserved better than she got here.  I'm not saying this issue is awful.  In fact, the premise is great:  Dazzler has to grapple with the fact anti-Inhuman mutants start appearing at her solidarity shows to make it clear that Inhumans aren't welcome.  However, Visaggio stumbles as every conversation in this issue dissolves into activist speak.  Although it makes sense, to an extent, that anti-Inhuman activists speak in talking points,Visaggio overdoes it.  Alison repeats her lines like a robot, particularly when it comes to rebuffing Piotr's oddly persistent attempts to get her to join the X-Men again.  If it were just a filler issue it would be OK, but it isn't OK when this issue was supposedly issue #43 of that 1980s series.  It's a disappointing color-by-numbers enterprise.

Infinity Countdown #4:  This issue is weirdly anticlimactic.  Surfer convinces Galactus to become the Destroyer once again, taking out Ultron's planet before he can spread his virus throughout the Universe.  (In exchange, Surfer becomes Galactus' herald again.)  Surfer's intervention helps Warlock get back the Soul Gem, though Ultron manages to escape.  After the Guardians squabble amongst themselves and with the Nova Corps over the Power Gem, Drax takes the Power Gem as Nova departs -- against Gamora's wishes -- to find his brother.  We also have a weird interlude where the Collector and Gamemaster present Peter with an Infinity Gem from another Universe.  That Universe's Phyla-Vell and Moondragon appear to collect the Gem, and we learn they're also looking for the identity of someone called Requiem, who seems to be the menacing figure in the intro pages these last few issues.  The weirdest part is how easily the Gems change hands throughout the issue; at one point, Adam Warlock literally just lops off Ultron's hand to grab the Soul Gem.  We'll see where we go from here.  Although the Gems have changed hands a few times, I'm not sure this mini-series is really bringing us to a different place than where we started.

Nightwing #45:  This issue is clever because it's so obvious.  Stories about AI and VR going haywire are rife at this point; Remender's "Tokyo Ghost" covered that ground well.  But, Percy goes one further here, as Wyrm -- the entity behind the Phantasm devices -- makes his play for Dick.  He comments how most people's information is useless, but some people's information is really important.  Figuring the former ward of billionaire Bruce Wayne is privy to a lot of secrets, Wyrm has uploaded a virus into Dick to steal them.  Meanwhile, Mirage -- the company behind Phantasm -- is rebuilding the train line destroyed as part of the "crypto-attack" we saw last issue (I think).  It's a project the mayor of Blüdhaven is (ominously) calling "Blüdhaven:  the City of Tomorrow."  It's clear we've got more going on here than just Wyrm making a play for cash, and Percy does a good job of building the suspense even as we learn more.

Star Wars #49:  The resolution of the Mon Cala rebellion is anticlimactic and rushed.  Despite an entire sky full of Imperial Star Destroyers, the Mon Calamari and Millennium Falcon manage to hold on long enough to allow some ships from the Rebellion fleet to join the battle.  Ackbar sacrifices one of the Mon Calamari ships to take out an Imperial Star Destroyer, somehow breaking the entire Imperial blockade.  (I guess the other Destroyers were only there for moral support?)  Initially, I thought Gillen was building to a long overdue defeat for the Rebellion; instead, they yet again miraculously pull out a win.  Moreover, I still don't understand the events of last issue, where Urtya goes from confiscating the video of Lee-char's call to arms to hurriedly playing it for all Mon Calamari.  Urtya claims he had to act quickly because the Imperials were imminently going to seize the Mon Calamari fleet.  Didn't he already know that?  I feel like their intent was pretty clear.  If he did know that, why not just explain the situation to Leia when she and the guys arrived on Mon Cala with the videotape?  If he didn't know that, how did he just suddenly learn that?  Did it happen off panel?  I don't feel like we saw any such revelation last issue.  At any rate, the good guys win.  Yay.  Gillen tries to make it interesting with the revelation that Trios has been working for Darth Vader all long and they intend on destroying the 12 fully crewed Mon Calamari ships.  I'm hoping Leia sees this treachery coming, because if she doesn't, I'm going to start losing some faith here.

Also Read:  Batman #48; Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #19; X-Men:  Gold #29; X-Men:  Red #5

New-ish Comics: The May 16 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #2:  First things first, I have to go on record as opposing the apparent reversion of Loki to his eviler incarnation.  Kieron Gillen (in "Young Avengers") and Al Ewing (in "Loki:  Agent of Asgard") did such amazing work on his character, evolving him from the God of Lies to the God of Stories, that I can't accept any story that undoes that.  Aaron had been seemingly undermining that story in "The Mighty Thor" with Loki stabbing Freya, but the revelation that he did it to save her life helped keep hope alive.  But, Aaron almost rules out that possibility entirely here, as Loki is revealed to be conspiring with the Final Host, seemingly to "cure" humanity of its heroes.  Loki implies heroes were created through a mistake the Celestials made a million year ago, presumably during their battle with the prehistoric Avengers.  I get the homage to Loki originally bringing together the Avengers, but I draw the line at any conclusion to this story that doesn't reveal a more nuanced approach to Loki than we're seeing now.  That being said, I'm still enjoying the story.  The banter between Cap, Carol, Thor, and Tony is great, though Aaron leans a little too heavily on exposition when it comes to the new Ghost Rider.  But, hopefully Aaron's conveyed everything he needed to convey with this monologuing and Robbie will join the banterers' ranks soon.

Batman #47:  So.  Goddamn.  Awful.

Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #18:  I haven't been too thrilled with this series lately, but this issue is solid.  Mysterio's daughter Misty plots to make Cassandra's casino disappear so she can get her hands on an artifact she believes is located below it, an artifact that her father Mysterio doesn't think actually exists.  Dusk has been tailing Misty (as we've previously seen), so when Ben becomes suspicious about Misty's intentions she and Ben join forces.  (Cassandra's henchman, Slate, is also concerned, but Cassandra insists it's just like David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear.)  Ben and Dusk watch the festivities from the outside while Ben has Kaine stashed on the inside watching Cassandra and Slate.  Cassandra is surprised when the casino actually disappears and they suddenly face an alien landscape filled with Mindless Ones.  Meanwhile, Ben and Dusk hightail it after Misty and Mysterio, and suddenly this series is a lot more interesting.

Captain America #702:  I want to be as gentle here as I can be, because I know this series means a lot to Mark Waid.  But, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do with this story.  Jack successfully flees to a safehouse that this reality's historians maintain; it conveniently isn't on the government's radar.  The safehouse also conveniently has house rules that nothing discussed within its walls can be discussed outside them.  Jack tells his story to a colleague, but she thinks this Kree "conspiracy theory" is insane.  An oldster named "Old Vic" (I'm guessing the Vision, given his reference to wearing many faces) conveniently (notice a theme?) uses a special monocle to show Jack that Cap and the Red Skull have been locked in battle inside the Cosmic Cube below Washington for decades.  The government raids the safehouse (likely because they followed Jack there).  Despite no real physical training, Jack manages to make his way through the ruins of Washington because the monocle conveniently (OK, I'll stop now) shows him exactly where the Cube is located.  Jack discovers Cap's shield conven...lying nearby, so he smashes the Cube with the shield, but only the Skull emerges.  Uh-oh?  I guess?  Clearly, the string of coincidences is too strong here to feel like we're reading a naturally evolving story.  Instead, Waid is doing the same thing he did last arc, manipulating events to show exactly the impression of Captain America he wants us to have.  But, the coincidences starts to lead you to believe Steve Rogers isn't really all that brave:  he's just been lucky.  I don't think that's the conclusion Waid wants us to draw, but I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to conclude here.

Daredevil #602:  The story continues to move along smoothly, as Matt declares a state of emergency to shut down the buses, schools, and subways in an attempt to keep New Yorkers off the streets.  He also brings in Foggy as his chief of staff so he can go hero.  Foggy notes the city needs him more as the Mayor than as a hero, as plenty of other heroes -- Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Misty Knight, etc. -- are on the case.  Matt wavers briefly, but when he learns One Police Plaza is under assault he and Blindspot hit the bricks.  Soule and Henderson do a great job with the action sequences here.  First, the guys have to rescue two cops who were late to the building so didn't get trapped inside it when the Hand swarmed it.  Then, they have to make their way through a kill zone the Hand established outside the building, forcing them to ignore the wounded officers on the ground begging for help.  (Blindspot gets hit when he's distracted by one officer's appeal.)  But, when they finally claw their way into the building, the Hand has somehow removed everyone -- by removing the center of the building.  Henderson is really on fire here.  Matt is all square jaws and determined glares; it's a good look for him.  Meanwhile, Soule really conveys the exhaustion everyone is starting to feel, particularly as they just dealt with the Kingpin imprisoning all the heroes.  I was wavering a bit on this series, but Soule focusing a little bit more and Henderson injecting a strong sense of energy into the story has helped establish a more stable equilibrium.

The Wild Storm #13:  This issue isn't bad, per se, but it isn't great given the unnecessary exposition Lynch and John employ to explain situations that we, the readers, already understand.  I wouldn't call it a miss, but it's probably the weakest installment of this outstanding series so far.

- Lynch tracks down Colonel Marc Slayton, the first volunteer for IO's experiment to embed into human beings the "viable, active genetic material" they found on alien beings in ancient burial sites around the world.  The Wild C.A.T.s' invasion of IO tripped the alarms Lynch set on the Thunderbook files, and he's there to warn Slayton someone may be coming after them.  (I'm pretty sure it was the Wild C.A.T.s who accessed these files, but Lynch thinks it's IO itself.)  However, Slayton has gone a little crazy after years of coexisting with an alien.  (We later learn he's been sacrificing people to send "many souls" to his alien's planet.)  Slayton claims he deserved to have been the only alien-human hybrid, and he's mad that Lynch made more.  Slatyon tells Lynch the aliens sense something different about him and then attacks, though Lynch manages to escape (as he always does, Slayton later laments to his alien reflection in the mirror).

- Miles orders King to task three C.A.T.s to destroy Skywatch's Ground Division in New York in retribution for Mitch's murder.  Similarly, Bendix orders his right-hand woman  (whose name I always forget) to develop plans to destroy some of IO's research facilities (a scaled-back version of the Science City Zero attack) or kill a lot of its people.  (He'll decide later.)  In the end, she complains Bendix and Craven are both too afraid of the big fight, which would expose them to humanity.  She proposes they engage in actions that "will radically destabilize life on Earth, break IO's control over the planet and make it impossible for any global order to replicate it."  Go big or go home, as she says.

- John records himself stripping off his human body and revealing his alien body, something he does once a year on the day he picked as his "birthday."  He sends the video to Jacob to taunt him, even speaking the name of their planet - Khera - despite Jacob banning its muttering.  John exposits he was just a solider, but Jacob ruining the Expedition and stranding them on Earth was the best thing that could've happened to him.

- Meanwhile, Jenny and the Doctor track down the Mayor (I think) and an alien appears to Voodoo while she sleeps and tells her to "dream of the world as it truly is."

In other words, we still have a lot brewing, over halfway through this series.  Even if this issue was a little slow, it's pretty clear this series is going to be pretty spectacular once this fight breaks into the open.

X-Men:  Red #4:  Taylor does a great job peeling back the onion slowly over the course of this issue.  Jean and the team eventually incapacitate Storm, and T'Challa scans her brain, revealing a nanite on her amygdala.  Jean uses Trinary's powers and T'Challa's knowledge of the brain to extract the nanite with her telekinesis, and Trinary's study of the still-active nanite reveals it's a sentinite.  Cassandra Nova (though they don't know it's her) is using them to turn everyone into a Sentinel, as the sentinites activate once they come in contact with a mutant.  Eventually, we learn Nova achieved this feat through bringing Forge under her control.  She then infects world leaders with the sentinites, ensuring the destruction of mutantkind.  However, Jean and her team have fled Wakanda for the more remote Atlantis, where a devilishly handsome Namor has provided them sanctuary.  Trinary and the Wakandans have whipped up some suits that can serve as a firewall for the sentinites, which cause mutants (as we see with Storm here) to attempt to commit suicide when they infect them.  (It unfortunately also means, in Gabby's words, Namor has to cover up "Abs-lantis.")  This story is brilliant mostly because it's ripped from the headlines:  it literally weaponizes the Russian misinformation campaign, as Trinary herself mentions here.  It's proving to be one of the smarter series on the shelves, and, with the excellent art team, is really starting to find its stride.

Also Read:  Bloodshot Salvation #9; Eternity #1-#4; Infinity Countdown:  Daredevil #1; Mighty Thor:  Gates of Valhalla #1

New Comics!: The May 2 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Astonishing X-Men #11:  I like Soule a lot, but I’m not sure what the story is here exactly.  If I had to guess, it sounds like the Shadow King created the X persona to win back his access to the psychic network Psylocke accessed at the start of the series (and accesses again here).  But, it's unclear to me at this point if resurrecting Proteus was an accidental by-product of this decision or a needed distraction.  Either way, we’re essentially where we started this series, with Shadow King in control of Psylocke once more.  It’s...anticlimactic.

Avengers #1:  To no one’s surprise, Aaron and McGuinness do an outstanding job here:  it really does feel like the band has gotten back together again.  They convey a certain excitement and scale that the Avengers have been missing for a long time.  In retrospect, even "No Surrender," for all its effort, failed to hit the marks that these guys do here in just one issue.  In a way, Aaron and McGuinness don’t have to use words to convince us how important Cap, Iron Man, and Thor are to the Avengers.  You can just feel the difference.  But, Aaron does actually use words to great effect.  The conversation that opens the issue reminds me of Bendis’ “Avengers Prime” mini-series.  In that series, they sat around a campfire and talked; here, they're at a bar.  (Don't worry, Tony has a Shirley Temple.)

In this conversation, Tony makes it clear he's not sure the Avengers need them.  He convincingly talks about how he could think of two dozen people that could take the Avengers to places they couldn’t.  Cap and Thor don’t disagree. Instead, they argue the opposite:  they need the Avengers.  Aaron and McGuinness really sell that idea, with Tony using their recent nicknames:  Nazi Cap, Coma Tony, and Unworthy Thor.  It’s time to get back their mojo.  The authors also give them a suitable threat:  dead Celestials start falling to Earth.  Carol Danvers manages to prevent one from falling onto Manhattan, but it’s obviously a problem.  Then, the Final Host arrives.  I figured they were just going to show up one day, but dead Celestials serving as their heralds is pretty awesome, to be honest.

Meanwhile, the Black Panther has called in Dr. Strange after a group of archaeologists died on a research mission.  The pair discovers a cavern buried deep in the Earth filled with green glowing pods.  The pods suddenly self-animate, attacking the pair; the new Ghost Rider has the same problem.  I’ve never been a Ghost Rider fan, but Aaron and McGuinness do a good job with the new kid; he's shades of the overwhelmed teenage hero Peter Parker once was.  When you add in there a Jennifer Walters trying to control her powers on the margins of the story, it’s a pretty great group.

Aaron is at his strongest when it comes to dialogue, and I’m really paying him a compliment there because, as I've made clear, the plot is great.  But, really, the scripting is even better.  The conversation between the guys at the bar really sets the stage, but other players, from Tony’s hilariously understated AI to Dr. Strange’s wonderful snarkiness, add to the fun.  Of course, I’m anxious for an entire issue dedicated to Carol and Tony having at each other over “Civil War 2,” but I’ll try to be patient.  In the meantime, it’s a great start to this series.  It’s one of the few times I believe restarting at #1 is warranted.  The Avengers are back, baby.

Captain America #701:  I can’t say I dislike this issue.  In fact, if it were the first issue of a mini-series like “Batman: White Knight,” I’d be pretty stoked, to be honest.  I love the idea of Steve’s great-great-etc.-grandson Jackson discovering Steve's legacy has been tarnished and finding himself in a moral quandary:  does he stop the President’s military advisor from using the Super-Solider Serum — now administered to every American as a matter of course — to turn America’s population into sleeper agents for the Kree, even if it costs him his son's life?  It’s the sort of dilemma even Captain America would struggle to resolve.  Waid implies the answer is going to come from Jackson’s son himself, whose inability to absorb the Serum now seems like a good thing.  But, I have to say, I really just want a Steve Rogers story.  I get what Waid’s been doing during his run, telling stories that highlight the philosophy Steve embraces.  You don’t have to read the ongoing discussion in the letters page about what Captain America means to the readers to know that.  But, Waid started his run in the midst of a much larger assault on the Captain America mythos:  Steve has to find a way to wind back America’s trust after the Captain Nazi business.  Waid has weirdly ignored that almost entirely, and I wonder when — if ever — it’s actually going to be addressed.  As much as I’m used to events being quickly forgotten, it seems unbelievable Marvel wouldn’t address the fallout of “Secret Empire” in “Captain America” beyond the brief fight with Rampart at the start of Waid's run.  Again, I'm not saying this story is bad, but I think we really should've addressed the Captain Nazi business -- even if it wasn't Mark Waid's mess to fix -- before getting into these sorts of hypothetical stories.

Infinity Countdown #3:  This issue is sort of silly, but a bunch of important things happen in it.  First, Rich’s brother Robbie tells him the Fraternity of Raptors put him in some sort of simulator and he subsequently realized the entire Universe is essentially a larger simulation.  (I don't think we ever learn why the Fraternity put Robbie in the simulation in the first place, but whatever.)  Robbie seems to be the only one to realize this Universe is different and, ipso facto, the Power Stone is different.  For reasons that aren’t entirely clear to me, he tells Nova how to control the Power Stone:  as the chart at the start of the issue says, it’s mind over matter.  The Guardians and Nova manage to control the Power Stone just in time to fend off the Chitauri, which delivers the pretty great moment of Drax playing a Power Stone-powered sax.  (This issue wasn’t all bad, obviously.)  Meanwhile, Adam Warlock heals the Surfer from whatever it was Ultron did to him.  Surprisingly, the Surfer immediately flees, and Adam fails to prevent Ultron from launching his surrogates to take over the galaxy.  Meanwhile, Norrin tracks down Galactus (now the Lifebringer) to ask for him to return to his old ways to destroy the planet Ultron controls.

Rogue and Gambit #5:  Man, this series was awesome.  Thompson had done a great job of explaining how we got to this point, so it was really just a matter of Rogue and Gambit landing their final punches before the kiss (which, honestly, didn't feel inevitable, to Thompson's credit).  Rogue realizes their therapist was one of Lavish's golems, and she destroys her to take on Lavish's powers to return people's memories and powers.  She then destroys all the other golems, absorbing everyone's memories and powers (as she can now later return them, given Lavish's powers).  She then discovers Lavish herself was just a golem, making Gambit wonder if they ever really faced Lavish.  Rogue then returns everyone's memories and powers, including Remy's, after giving everyone a chance to refuse them.  She also tells Remy the experience made her admit she's always been running from him because it was never perfect; she realizes it will never be perfect.  They kiss, and fandom cheers.  As the editor says, this series was clearly a passion project for Kelly Thompson, and I really hope Marvel just hands her the keys to the kingdom.  This mini-series and "Hawkeye" were two of Marvel's brightest spots of the last few months, and she deserves whatever she wants.

Spider-Man #240:  I really wasn’t sure how Bendis was going wrap up this issue, but it’s a testament to his brilliant understanding of Miles that he did so in the best way possible.  He manages to wrap up everything in a bow, from Ganke’s girlfriend confessing she loved him too much to sell Miles’ identity to a blog to Uncle Aaron sneaking into the hospital to tell him he was right that he could do better.  (I'm not sure the latter is necessarily a good thing.)  Bendis explains his thinking in the letters page better than I ever could in the letters page, so just read that.  I only joined Miles after “Secret Wars,” and I have to say I really felt privileged to get to jump on this bandwagon.  It's been a great journey.

Also:  Transformers vs. the Visionaries #1-#5; Star Wars #47; X-Men:  Gold #27

New Comics!: The April 11 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #17:  This issue is an uncharacteristic miss for David.  Ben prattles on all issue about his soul and his deal with Mephisto, and at some point I realized I just didn't care.  I'm OK with the existing supernatural component of this series -- Ben's need to repair his soul after his brush with Death.  But, the deal with Mephisto just feels like overkill at this point, as if Batman suddenly spent all his time hunting vampires.  Even David winking at us -- with Ben berating himself for thinking he's the only person dumb enough to make a deal with Mephisto -- made me roll my eyes.  David is usually great at playing the long game, but even the premise of Ben having to save Abigail is starting to feel old.  I feel like we could use a refresh here.

Captain America #700:  I’ll be honest and say I’m not sure Waid is the best writer for “Captain America.”  He leans into Cap's corniness in a way that makes him even more unbelievable than he normally is.  Cap stories are usually their best when he's forced to question his ideals, but for most this arc Cap spouted nothing but inspiration-poster bromides.  When he finally faces a seemingly unwinable challenge, he caves completely.  It's not my Captain America, to be honest.

We start several weeks after Steve and his allies defeated Babbington.  Liang and Banner want to send Steve to the present, so he can stop Rampart before it launches the missile and prevent the future from happening.  Steve refuses, saying he can't just abandon the future for Banner's "Hail Mary" pass.  However, this commitment to the future felt dishonest.  Waid never really explored the psychological repercussions of Cap finding himself displaced in time yet again.  In fact, Cap seems not even to remotely care he's never going to see Sharon or his friends again.  He's just a stalwart of dependability and determination and we leave it at that.  In so doing, Waid winds up undermining Cap's bravery in committing to this era, because he makes it seem like he doesn't care.

We watch as Cap and his supporters spend a year trying to expel the foreign invaders who have taken over large swaths of America while also rebuilding the agriculture and infrastructure of areas they control.  But, when someone nukes New York just as Cap and his troops liberate Philadelphia, Cap just surrenders.  He faces the reality he entered this conflict too late, and he accepts the only possible option is Banner sending him to the present.  It's jarring, to say the least, for him to go so dark so quickly.  (Even Banner is surprised by Cap claiming hope isn't a strategy, but, per pet peeve #3, I'm not going to give Waid credit for having a character point out the logical failings of the plot.)

Safely in the present, future Cap sacrifices himself to stop the rocket, and the ensuing explosion frees present Cap from the ice almost immediately after he was frozen.  It means present Cap doesn't take with him the lessons future Cap learned, and I'm not sure where we go from here.  Waid seems to be returning to Cap traveling America, but I don't really get why we detoured from that story for this one in the first place.  I think my main problem is I'm intrigued by this arc's premise, where Cap can't save the day.  That would've been a story worth telling.  We could've seen a story like Remender's "Dimension Z," where we watch Cap lose more and more ground and see how he handles that.  Instead, Waid essentially jumps to the end, and it cheapens Cap exactly at a time we're supposed to be celebrating him.

Detective Comics #978:  Whoa.  One of the advantages of Tynion -- beyond being a great writer with a clear sense of the characters he's portraying -- is that he's been working on Batman-related titles for years now.  He's been dropping hints for months about Tim's delicate mental state, given his alleged death, subsequent imprisonment, and Future Tim's subsequent arrival.  However, Tynion makes it clear we shouldn't have been worried, because Tim is still Tim.  Even in his weakened state, he rejects Ulysses' attempt to co-opt him, recognizing Ulysses is crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed.  In fact, Tynion takes a different perspective on recent developments than we've seen.  Previously, Tynion has mostly left the reader supporting Kate's position about some lines needing to be crossed to save lives.  However, Tim's resoluteness here reminds us how dangerous it is when someone like Ulysses -- and, by extension, Kate -- takes matters into his own hands.  Tim quickly realizes Ulysses is controlling the Colony soldiers while Bruce is at "stately Kane Manor" hearing from Kate and Jake that they didn't order the soldiers to open fire.  Watching the drama from afar, Ulysses wryly notes the Joker and the like have always had it all wrong:  the best way to take down Batman is to leave breadcrumbs to a mystery he feels a compulsion to solve.  Ulysses kicks up the crazy a notch here as he shaves his head and starts calling himself the General, using the Colony's integrated network to unleash the OMAC virus on its soldiers as well as Tim.  At this stage, the tension driving this story isn't just related to the (legitimately scary) rise of Ulysses and Brother Eye.  It also has to do with the sense Tim is quickly facing the moment where he will past the point of no return when it comes preventing his dark future.  We saw Future Tim was born when he kills Batwoman for killing Bruce for activating Brother Eye.  But, given the events of this issue, it's hard to see how that sequence of events would happen, particularly since Ulysses has already activated Brother Eye.  Does Kate take out Bruce because he activates it again at a later date?  Or, has Ulysses already changed the future (through his knowledge of it) by preemptively activating Brother Eye?  I guess we'll see.

Oblivion Song #1-#2:  In his letter in issue #1, Kirkland tells us he'll be telling a very different story at issue #30 than the one he's telling here, and it's easy to believe him when he says it's going to be a fast-paced story. As you read issue #1, you're pretty sure it's going to be a story about a man trying to find redemption by finding his brother.  Like Dr. Richard Kimble catching the One-Armed Man in the series finale of "The Fugitive," I expected Cole was finally going to find his brother Edward in the last issue and embrace him, a man at peace.  The only problem with that scenario is we've already met Edward, on the last page of issue #1.  It's a sign Kirkland means what he says; he's not going to dragging out stories too long.

The first two issues pretty convincingly lay out the basic framework of the story.  Somehow, Philadelphia and land from another dimension changed places.  Cole -- our main character -- was able to find the right frequency to access Philadelphia in this new dimension.  He and his team were able to save many people stuck on the other side.  However, at some point, Cole and his team stopped finding new people, and the government cut his funding.  We start the series with Cole in Oblivion (i.e., the transferred part of Philadelphia) finding and rescuing a married couple.  The couple reveals they were part of a group of 100 or so people living on the outskirts of the city; they only came into the city on supply runs, hence why Cole hadn't found anyone for a while.  Making matters worse for Cole, the couple have revealed their leader is named Edward, fueling Cole's anxiety over the possibility of finally finding him.  However, this group doesn't seem to want to be found, and we end the first issue with Edward observing Cole (not realizing who he is) and telling his followers to set a trap for him.

At this stage, I still don't think we know how people escaped Philadelphia after it was transferred to another dimension.  When Cole walks the couple through the museum dedicated to the "Transference," he explicitly mentions all sorts of people who escaped and survived in the first few days.  Did it take a while before the transfer was complete?  Cole shows the couple he rescued the barren area where Philadelphia used to be located, implying Philadelphia is (at least now) completely in the other dimension.  Moreover, we obviously don't know why the Transference happened, though it seems likely the government played some sort of role given their reluctance to keep funding Cole's excursions.  After all, why else would the government not want him locating people?  Cole is running everything using his own resources, so it's not like it would cost the government that much to give him a workable team.

Kirkland also doesn't sleep on the interpersonal drama.  Cole is supported by a married couple, Duncan and Bridget, though Bridget is carrying on an affair with the man she was dating before Cole saved Duncan from Oblivion.  Also, Cole asks Marco, one of his former team members, for help, but Marco refuses, commenting he has kids -- and sleep -- now.  It's an immediate refusal:  he doesn't even let Cole finish his beer before he walks into the house.  Cole himself is portrayed as a man possessed.  Although he's in a relationship with a woman who works for the government agency he wants to provide him funding,  Marco's comments on how Cole just appeared after a year of no contact imply he exists solely for the mission.

All in all, it's a strong début.  I wouldn't say I had the same visceral response to it as I did the first issues of "The Realm" or "The Wild Storm," but I'm definitely intrigued.

Rogue and Gambit #4:  Gambit and Rogue learn Lavish's powers here:  each time she drains someone of his power (which she then stores in a cloned body), she also steals his memories.  It's why Paraíso has so many mindless zombies wandering around the health unit.  Rogue realizes she and Remy have been getting along so well because, at this point in their stay, they've been stripped of almost all their baggage.  Disturbingly, Lavish can only access the power when she destroys one of the bodies (as she does here after Gambit injures her and she destroys a body with healing powers).  Rogue and Gambit make this discovery as they both take out one of the other's doppelgängers, resulting in them absorbing not only the other one's powers but also a specific memory.  (For Gambit, it's the love Rogue felt as he put the garter on her at Scott and Jean's wedding.  For Rogue, it's the hurt Gambit felt when Rogue didn't trust him enough to join the Avengers.)  They realize they need to take out only their own clones to limit their exposure to the other's innermost feelings and gain back their specific powers.  Rogue considers just standing pat, allowing them to leave behind their baggage by never reclaiming their memories.  But, Remy tells her essentially to have faith in them and their ability to find each other again.  Man, Thompson better keep them together this time.  I have a lot invested in this story.

X-Men:  Red #3:  I was sort of skeptical where Taylor was going with this series, but I have to admit he got me with this issue.  Trinary reveals she believes humanity is being programmed to hate mutants; someone (Cassandra Nova?) is using algorithms that push decontextualized stories and lies to people with known biases and concerns.  In other words, someone has essentially weaponized social media.  (Sound familiar?)  Gambit sees that first hand, as he tries to save a young woman who dared to defy an anti-mutant mob.  However, he fails to stop a gun-totting protester (similar to the ones we saw in India who Jean couldn't control) from opening fire.  In India, we learned the trio was able to resist Jean's power due to the presence of nano-Sentinels in their bloodstreams.  Taylor is taking a page from Spencer's playback in being obvious in his disdain for the far right; it doesn't take a journalism student to recognize the allusion to Charlottesville when Gambit makes fun of the protesters for using tiki torches in their march.  As folks in the letters page said, this series feels like it matches our time perfectly.  It's not trying to capture an old feeling (like Guggenheim on "X-Men Gold"), but instead tells an updated story about the persecution mutants face in the present.  It would be wrong just to repeat "Fall of the Mutants."  Taylor is telling a new story even if the theme is familiar.  The letters page also focuses on the fact Jean is finally standing on her own two feet; she's no longer defined by Cyclops or Wolverine.  Cyclops repeatedly got to spread his wings without Jean; it's time for her to do the same.  Finally, I totally agree with Tom from Columbus, who says Jean not knowing what to do but wanting to do something is all of us right now.

Also Read:  Avengers #688; Bloodshot Salvation #8; Darth Vader #14; Falcon #7; X-Men:  Blue #25

Not-So-New Comics: The February 14 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1:  Honest to God, I have no idea what’s happening here.  I’ve read every issue of this cross-over event, but I still don’t get it.  [Sigh.]  Let's just get to it.

We start this issue focused on a detective chimp named Bobo.  (Seriously, if you think that part is excessively problematic, you might just want to check out here.)  His continuing loss of IQ as well as water now boiling at 106 degrees give his (human) scientist colleagues their first hints that something is wrong with...physics.  (It seems related to Barbatos’ scream to the Armies of Darkness, but I can’t be sure.)  Then, we move onto Cyborg, Flash, and Raven aboard a ship called the Ultima Thule, which music apparently powers.  (The authors present everything here -- from the Thule itself to Cyborg, Flash, and Raven being on board it -- as information I should already have.  In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I saw Flash in this series; in searching my previous posts, I discovered it was in "Justice League" #33, when Cyborg convinced Flash and Raven to join him on this "Hail Mary" pass of a mission.)  They’re looking for the frequency that will lead the Thule to the House of Heroes (whatever that is).  We learn the Thule is apparently the Monitor’s ship and it’s searching for him, but Flash can redirect it because of his ability to control frequencies (I think).  However, the Batman Who Laughs is on their tail in a ship called the Carrier, which is powered by a baby universe.  (Yeah, just go with it at this point.  It gets worse.)  The Drowned reminds us her goal is to recreate her Universe, which is the only reason she’s helping the Batman Who Laughs.  (I wonder if she's going to side with heroes at the end and get her Universe resurrected.  This comment seems too specific to be random.)

Cyborg and Flash somehow realize they might be able to get the Multiverse back on track if they un-cage the baby universe in the Carrier.  (I don't know why.  If you do, hit me up in the comments.)  Flash speeds onto the Carrier and frees the universe, and the wave of positive energy results in the Red Death expunging Bruce’s persona and thus freeing Barry from their cohabitation.  (Sure.)  Barry-the-former-Red-Death agrees to stay on the Carrier until the baby universe is too big to contain, and Barry-our-Flash flees.  However, it turns out the Batman Who Laughs wanted the Thule to escape so he could fire warheads equipped with baby dark universes at it, turning the ship into a poison dart aimed at the center of the Universe (presumably the House of Heroes).  Meanwhile, analogues from the 53rd Universe contact Bobo, though the Dawnbreaker reminds us the 53rd Universe doesn't exist.  It turns out it does; they come from 2067, and they apparently have the answer to save the Multiverse.

Yes, talking chimps from the future are going to save the DCnU.  And comic-book fans wonder why people make fun of us.

I'm not really sure where we go from here.  We only have one issue left, and it seems impossible for Snyder to accomplish everything he set out intending to do.  In theory, he was supposed to show how he had left all these Easter Eggs scattered through his run on "Batman," and they were going to reveal how Barbatos has been planning his assault for a long time.  After all, we learned all the random metals mentioned during Snyder's run -- like batmanium, dionesium, promethium, etc. -- were part of Barbatos' plan to turn Bruce into his gateway to our world.  However, the metals and Barbatos himself quickly faded into the background after 'Dark Nights:  Metal" #2.  Barbatos seems little more than a mindless pawn of the Batman Who Laughs, and the metals have been replaced by a random collection of objects -- Hawkman's mace, Plastic Man's egg, etc.  Now, it's simply a matter of a series of deux ex machinas inevitably helping our heroes defeat the Batman Who Laughs and his hidden agenda.  It's a far cry from where we started.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #42:  This issue is a perfect annual story:  the main story ties up a loose end from a previous event that would be difficult to do in the main title, the back-up story is charming, and the pin-up feature at the end is funny.  Even if you're not a regular reader of "Amazing Spider-Man," it's a great issue if you just want a casual Spider-Man story.  (OK, you probably are going to be a little confused by all the clone references, but otherwise it's pretty solid.)

The story involves the now-resurrected Enforcers informing a mysterious figure that Ned Leeds warned Betty Brant about something called "Blood Creek" during the period of time he was resurrected during "The Clone Conspiracy."  Peter is angst-ridden as he watches Betty consult a psychic to try to connect with Ned again, as he knows she's not crazy.  But, he's playing up his role as a skeptic in part to get her to put Ned's call behind her.  Of course, Betty also reasonably points out they live in a world with Norse gods and Dr. Strange, so it's not insane to think she could speak to her husband in the afterlife.  (Good point, Betty.)

After some sleuthing on both their parts, Betty and Peter realize Ned's original source works at Empire State University.  He informs Betty the supposed Battle of Blood Creek from the Revolutionary War never happened.  Dun-dun-DUN!  Before he can elaborate further, the Enforcers arrive and take them hostage.  (Ain't that always the way?)  Spidey helps Betty escape, and they later head to City Hall to talk to Glory, who apparently still works there despite the Kingpin now being in charge.  (Would I want a former investigative journalist on staff with access to classified records if I were the Kingpin?  No.  No, I would not.)  They learn the statue in the park outside the building dedicated to Blood Creek was commissioned for millions of more dollars than it should've been.  Before they can learn more, they flee when the Kingpin and his security guard arrive, after an alarm alerted the Kingpin someone was looking into the Blood Creek records.  Yet another source helps Betty escape into "hidden New York," the vast network of tunnels laid for various unrealized purposes.  He informs her the statue is made of pure tritium, a particularly explosive material.  But, the Enforcers arrive before he can tell her more.  (These guys' timing has really improved over the years.)

Thankfully, the villain -- Ernesto Karnelli, the "long-hidden leader of the shadow arm of the Maggia, the Undermob" -- narrates the tale.  The Undermob built the sculpture at a significant loss outside City Hall as the ultimate Doomsday device; if one of its leaders is poised to be convicted of a crime and go to jail, the Undermob could blow up City Hall and the courts.  Devious!  Karnelli takes the Enforcers with him and flees, planning on detonating the bomb from a distance, but Spidey hears Betty's screams and arrives on the scene to stop them.  (In a public-service announcement, Spidey tells us always to scream.  Now you know!  And knowing is half the battle.  G.I. Joe!)  Meanwhile, Betty escapes to stop Karnelli's right-hand man from proceeding with the detonation using a control panel in the statue, and she arrives to find a homeless guy trying to stop him as well.  Once the dust settles, it turns out the homeless guy was Ned Leeds, who fades into the crowd!

You can tell Slott has been wanting to tell this story for a while, as it not only makes it a little clearer who escaped from "The Clone Conspiracy," but also firmly establishes Ned Leeds as one of the clones who survived.  One of the more frustrating parts of "The Clone Conspiracy" was Slott's decision to leave who survived intentional vague, so this issue at least goes some way to addressing that.  Plus, it's some time well spent with a supporting cast we haven't seen lately, with some great Spidey zingers to boot!

Avengers #680:  This issue is another solid installment, as the Avengers reel from the loss of Johnny Storm.  The authors do a great job showing everyone's emotions.  In fact, Voyager's speechlessness at the news (and particularly her struggle to convey her sympathy to Rogue) makes me feel like she may be a real character after all and not just some temporary plot device.  Voyager teleports Rogue and her team to Antarctica where the ice/water Pyramoid has appeared, and Rogue murders Corvus Glaive in a fit of rage and revenge.  Meanwhile, Sam has to address the fact he's not only down Johnny but also Red Hulk, as the General's "hour of power" expires.  Thankfully, Voodoo and Wanda use a spell with "difficult to source" ingredients to switch places with the General, bringing Sunspot and the Wasp with them.  (The "difficult to source" part is important, because Voodoo warns Sam -- and the reader -- he's not going to be able to do so again, complicating the Avengers' ability to arrive on time to meet the game's threats as they appear.)  Sam's team heads to Los Alamos via an awaiting Quinjet where the air Pyramoid has appeared.  (Separately, Toni has started to figure out the elemental connections.)  Meanwhile, Simon stops by the hospital where Hank and Nadia are caring for Jarvis.  Pushing his powers to the limit, Wonder Man confirms Jarvis isn't afflicted with radiation, undermining their "Avengers flu" theory.  Also, it seems pretty clear the Challenger's back-up guy is the Hulk.  In other words, it's bad out there, folks. 

Captain America #698:  This arc might've been OK if we hadn't just come from "Secret Empire," but Waid makes Cap way too over the top here when it comes to his fanboyish devotion to freedom.  We learn Rampart had Cap frozen so its leader -- now "King" Maximilian Babbington -- could set off a series of nuclear blasts that killed 90 percent of the population (i.e., "The Forty Minute War").  Earth's "do-gooders" all died containing the bulk of the radiation.  The remaining 10 percent of America's population is now forced to buy the necessities of survival -- treated water, hazmat suits, etc. -- from the new elite, who live in a castle floating above the ruins of Washington.  It's like "Elysium" meets "Hunger Games."  Cap awakens in 2025 after Liang, the rebel leader, liberates his statue from the castle, where he's been used as a symbol of America (but "America" now being defined as the elites themselves). They're surprised when it turns out he's the real deal.  A troop of "Rapidtroops" arrives to take out the rebels, and Cap is appalled when Liang has to sacrifice one of them because he didn't flee fast enough.  He then randomly lectures her about the Bill of Rights.  It's obviously tin-eared, given they're climbing through the ruins of Washington as he does so.  It's like Cap appearing in "The Road" and complaining the Father just had to have more faith.  Moreover, it comes after "Secret Empire" pretty extensively covered similar ground.  I thought he was still reeling from how easily everyone followed Captain Fascist.  Is his faith in freedom really that strong?  Does he really believe in the Bill of Rights, given how quickly it was discarded during "Secret Empire?"  After all, Captain Fascist made the point recently he never broke any laws; Congress gave him the power to do everything he did.  I thought the whole point of this series right now is to portray a shaken Cap trying to rediscover his faith, not a resolute one seeing freedom everywhere.  If I were Waid, I would quickly put aside the optimism we see in this issue and keep Cap focused on the challenge at hand, like in Remender's Dimension Z story.  

Detective Comics #974:  This issue is emotional, as Tim faces total collapse under the weight of the last few days.  He’s frantically trying to recreate the Belfry even though the team has decisively fractured:  Batman has expelled Batwoman, Azrael and particularly Batwing seem likely to go with her, and Spoiler leaves to get some time on her own.  Bruce tries to help, but Tim breaks into tears, feeling he can’t escape the curse of the dark Future Batman he now feels destined to become.  But, Tynion’s at his best when he pushes against comics’ most frequently cited tenet, that superheroes are supposed to be held to a higher standard when it comes to killing.  Kate justifies her actions as something any police officer or soldier would do (and be celebrated for doing), but Bruce, Cass, and Tim stress they’re supposed to be better than that.  Importantly, though, Kate points out they weren’t.  They don’t have a response to Kate’s assertion that they had already let Clayface kill a number of people, and they just sputter when she stresses he could’ve killed an untold number more while they were looking for an answer that allowed them to keep the moral high road.  Jake’s offer of a new outfit to Batwoman seems to presage the war between the Batpeople that Future Tim said was coming.  Tynion makes that an exciting prospect, given his commitment not to ignore the emotional undertones here.

Falcon #5:  First, I love the idea the personality Sam shed to leave Hell was Snap Wilson.  Unless Barnes is undoing the Remender ret-con of the Englehart ret-con, the Red Skull created the idea of Snap Wilson to strike at the heart of Sam’s perception of himself as a hero:  Snap is the man the Sam we know would never want to be.  But, even the possibility he could be someone like Snap has successfully worn down his spirit for years; shedding Snap in Hell is a sign he’s confident in himself in a way he hasn’t been previously.  Moreover, it creates a great antagonist, if Mephisto plans on resurrecting Snap as a real person to get revenge on Sam for bringing hope to Hell.  (He and Steve could bond over both having evil twins.)  Moreover, this arc wraps up nicely.  Barnes cements Sam’s relationship with his two protégés, building out the supporting characters who made his run as Captain America so strong.  In fact, Sam's ability to speak about his love for the boys seems a sure sign he's shed his baggage, embracing his role as a father figure in a way he hadn't previously (partly, I think, because of his conflicted feelings about becoming a father).  I love the three of them joining Daimon Hellstrom and Dr. Voodoo for a nice meal after everything.  I was skeptical when Barnes started down the supernatural road, but it’s hard to argue with his results.  Sam is the Falcon once again, with his baggage firmly checked.  It’s a great starting point for this next phase.

Marvel 2-in-One #3:  We learn in this issue that the Fantastic Four gets its powers by being tethered to one another, meaning the prolonged absence of Reed and Sue will soon leave Ben and Johnny powerless.  That’s some brilliant shit right there.

Also Read:  Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #14; Bloodshot Salvation #6; Darth Vader #11; Ms. Marvel #27; Old Man Hawkeye #2; The Wild Storm:  Michael Cray #5; X-Men:  Blue #21; Youngblood #9

Not-So-New Comics: The December 6 Non-X Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #148:  This issue wraps up a little anti-climactically, to be honest.  Drax discovers the Shi'ar traitors within the Nova Corps:  a group of Corpsmen who released Thanos as part of a deal with the Fraternity of Raptors to make the Corps look bad.  (I'm not sure what the Guardsmen got from the deal, to be honest.)  Drax stumbles upon this secret when he saves a woman and her two children from said Guardsmen.  They were going to kill the woman and her children because the Ultron virus had infected them, but the woman reveals to Drax the virus activated telepathic powers that allowed them to escape the virus' influence (as well as discover the Guardsmen's plans).  It's a little simplistic, but it works, and Duggan makes it clear we're going to see this woman again.  Meanwhile, Peter and Rich return, lying to Adsit that everyone on the planet they investigated was dead in order to protect the information about the power stone from falling into the traitors' hands.  Duggan does spend some welcome time on characterization, showing Peter's futile effort to engage with Drax and Gamora.  Gamora claims she didn't tell Peter about Rich because she didn't know he didn't know.  I guess it's a sign of how bad their relationship is right now, though I'm not sure I buy it.  With the announcement the series is ending at issue #150 so Duggan can move onto his grand plans for the Cosmic Marvel franchises, it feels like he's just trying to close the curtain as quickly as possible here, distracting from the excitement of seeing Peter and Rich in action together again.

Amazing Spider-Man/Venom:  Venom, Inc. Alpha #1:  I didn’t have too high of expectations for this issue, but Costa and Slott do a good job bringing those of us who are unfamiliar with Venom's status quo up to speed.  Flash is FaceTiming with one of his former students in Philly (I remember that part), and we learn she’s a symbiote-possessed hero called Mania.  He watches as a group of thugs attack her with fire and sonics, stealing the symbiote from her.  Flash asks Spidey to help him get back the symbiote from Eddie Brock (who apparently stole it from him at some point), since he’s worried the attack on Mania presages trouble in Symbioteland.  Spidey refuses, so Flash follows Eddie into Alchemax, where he apparently receives treatments to keep the symbiote’s anger under control.  Spidey follows Flash thanks to an audio Spider-Tracer he tagged on him, so he’s listening when Flash confronts Eddie.  We learn the scientist in charge of the project developed a whole batch of antidote, saying (inexplicably) it would be convenient to have a lot on hand in case he actually kills the symbiote.  (I honestly have no idea what he means by that.  How would the antidote save a dead symbiote?  Wouldn't it just make it dead-er?)  But, it's convenient from a plot perspective:  as the symbiote struggles to pick between Eddie and Flash, Spider-Man pours the antidote all over them, turning Flash into Anti-Venom.  Meanwhile, the thugs who stole Mania’s symbiote appear at a bar where the Looter is regaling the crowd with his story of how he barely survived an encounter with Venom; they then forcibly infect him with Mania’s symbiote.  Of note, they’re all also bonded with symbiotes, which seems...bad.  I’m not sure why they chose the Looter as Mania's host, but I’m guessing we’ll find out more later.  As I said, it’s a solid start, and it’s made all the better by Stegman’s outstanding art.  I’ve always felt like the Spidey books were under-using him, and I’m glad to see him given a chance to strut his stuff here.

Avengers #674:   I haven't been a huge fan of this series in part because it's lacked a certain heart:  everyone has been more assholic versions of themselves than usual.  But Waid delivers heart in spades here.  In their long journey to the center of Counter-Earth to disable the vibrational device, Vision admits to Viv she's meant to live a normal, human lifespan.  After encountering the version of himself who lived thousands of years, that means he's going to have to bury her.  It's why he's so protective of her, because he can't imagine having to do so.  It's an incredibly touching moment, made all the more so when Viv sacrifices herself to save the day.  Waid actually seems to imply Vision could've saved her but Viv chose to sacrifice herself, as if she saw something on the other side, where we encounter her at the end of this issue.  Waid's work with Viv has been the highlight of "Champions" and I'm definitely intrigued to see where he goes with her.  In terms of the "Avengers," this cross-over event did indeed feel like an old-school story, in line with the Legacy goals.  Of course, at times it felt a little too much like one, essentially replicating the plot of Hickman's run on the title.  But, I'm cautiously optimistic about the upcoming weekly event.  The Avengers have been meandering for a long time, possibly since Bendis' run on the title.  (I wasn't a fan of Hickman's aforementioned run, as he essentially told a "Fantastic Four" story with Avengers characters.)  If Waid could manage to evoke Bob Harras' Gatherers story or Kurt Busiek's Kang War, we'll be on the right track.

Batman #36:  King yet again does a remarkable job teasing out Bruce's emotions as Lois and Selena press Batman and Superman to call the other one about the engagement.  Over the course of unknowingly investigating the same case, the two men admit why they can't bring themselves to do so.  (Clark and Lois are investigating why some company called "Twenty Corp" is profiting from railroad insurance speculation while Bruce and Selena are following a plutonium shipment.  To be honest, I had to re-read the issue to follow these storylines.  King is making the point the subject of their search is less important than the conversations they're having, but, as the reader, he might've done a little more to make the plot clear.)  Each man respects what the other one has done with the losses he's suffered:  Clark marvels Bruce isn't trying to burn down the world after his parents were taken from him, and Bruce is amazed Clark doesn't squish us all like ants.  Clark respects Bruce's decision not to trust him completely because his past doesn't allow him to trust anyone completely, and Bruce feels his engagement would be beneath Clark's notice because he respects him as essentially a god.  (They also view the other one as choosing to do what he does, whereas they see themselves as having to do it.)  King happily doesn't give short shrift to Lois and Selena here.  In case Bruce is hesitating in introducing Selena to Clark because Selena would deduce his identity, Selena lets Bruce know she's already done so.  For her part, Lois also tells Clark to stop worrying it means Catwoman will know his identity because she's clever enough to have put two and two together a long time ago.  It all comes to a head when the two couples emerge on the same floor of an office building at the same time.  (In case you're wondering, Twenty Corp was run by Dr. Axe and Dr. Echs -- i.e, two Xs adding to XX, or 20 -- and they were using the proceeds from the railroad insurance to buy the plutonium.  How'd they get the money?  Why, by using their powers to destroy trains, of course.)  Again, it's another excellent character-focused issue from King, particularly since King essentially allows the tension -- and misconceptions -- between the two men remain.

Captain America #696:  You should read this issue for Chris Samnee's art (it's a wonder no one put him on "Captain America" until now) and Joe Caramanga's great testament to the American dream in the letters page.

Hawkeye #13:  Marvel remains committed to showing the aftermath of "Secret Empire" in a way we usually don't see.  Normally, events are maybe mentioned once or twice in the first month or so after they end, and then we never hear about them again.  But, several series, like "Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider" and "Captain America," continue to explore the aftermath months after the event ended.  It's...refreshing.  Thompson gets into the game here, re-introducing Eden Vale from "Generations:  The Archers" and sending her after Clint after her daughter died in the Las Vegas bombardment.  ("Generations" and "Secret Empire!"  It's a two-fer!)  Eden tries to recruit Katie into killing Clint by offering to use her powers to pull people through the time stream to bring back Kate's mother.  I'm not sure how Eden knows Kate's mother is dead, but she doesn't seem to know Kate's pretty sure she's actually alive.  We'll see where we go from here.

Nightwing #34:  This issue has...problems.  An enraged Blockbuster attacks Dick and Raptor, but misses punching them, something Raptor himself notes.  But, then Raptor crumbles; he's drawn as if his bones all turned to jelly.  He eventually dies, but I honestly don't have any idea if Blockbuster actually did hit him or if something related to the Blockbuster serum killed him.  Meanwhile, the Run-Offs manage to save everyone in the casino by putting Orca's antidote in the sprinkler system, but it seemed to me like they probably should've focused on the bigger threat, namely Raptor successfully using Pigeon's birds to distribute the serum to the whole city.  Also, Pigeon is maybe dead, and Dick used the last bit of antidote on Blockbuster.  It's almost like DC is canceling this series, given how hurriedly Seeley seems to be wrapping up loose ends here.

Also Read:  Batman:  White Knight #3; Darth Vader #9; Spider-Man #235