Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The November 23 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain Marvel #10:  So...much...talking...

Civil War II #7:  I feel like I've read issue #5 three times at this point.  The only interesting thing to happen here is that Ulysses has a vision of the future where Captain Marvel seemingly destroyed the world after Iron Man pushed her too far.  But, he isn't really sure.  In the present, it seems clear Ulysses' vision of Spider-Man killing Captain America isn't actually Miles killing Steve, but Miles holding Steve's body after Captain Marvel and Iron Man's battle killed him.  But, are we really going to kill Steve Rogers again?  At this point, it's either that or Ulysses is wrong.  Either way, it's going to be anticlimactic.

Death of X #4:  OMG, this issue makes no sense on a number of levels.  First, all the X-Men titles published after "Secret Wars" asserted Scott did something so terrible even mutants wanted nothing to do with him.  (I can't remember which series it was, but I distinctly remember a new mutant expressing horror at the idea she would be on Scott's side.)  But, all he does here is destroy one of the Terrigen Mist clouds.  Why is that so awful?  After all, Black Bolt (who I didn't even realize was still alive after "War of Kings") murders him in cold blood.  Isn't that worse?  How the hell could anyone think Scott was the villain here?  Scott didn't kill anyone, but Black Bolt murders him.  Why is everyone so accepting of the Inhumans' religious fervor over the Mists?  Does protecting them justify any action the Inhumans take?  The Inhumans asserting the right of the cloud to pass around the world even though it actively kills people is essentially like arguing a maniac gets to murder people because his religion puts a high value on death.  It seems pretty clear Marvel had something else in mind, but had second thoughts, unable to make Scott do something that couldn't be undone.  It actually gives me hope he's going to return someday, since Marvel seems concerned about his reputation.  (By the by, we also never learn why Scott was riding those...things in "Secret Wars" #1.)  But, I'm sad to report this debacle isn't the worse part.  We discover it wasn't Scott at all.  Scott died in the lab on Muir Island, almost immediately upon entering it.  Everything since then was Emma, who seems to have lost her mind as a result of Scott's death.  It's just too much.  First, we kill off Scott fucking Summers in a flashback sequence.  Moreover, he dies mewling on the ground at the horror of it.  Then, his name is desecrated (even though it shouldn't be) without him even committing the acts he's accused of committing!  Emma reveals the truth to Havok, and then he doesn't do anything about it.  I just don't understand how anyone could read this issue and feel satisfied.  We've been force-fed "suspense" about these events for the last several months, but Marvel treats it like a footnote to "Secret Wars."  I just can't with them and their events anymore.

Detective Comics #945:  This issue is spectacular because Spoiler is spectacular in it.  Stephanie comes out swinging when she sees through Bruce's feeble attempt to gather information about the Victim Syndicate by hiding behind two-way glass while Leslie Thompkins psycho-analyze her.  First, she calls out Bruce and his tendency to underestimate his own allies (something she proves by seeing through his ruse).  But, she also refuses to absolve him of Tim's death, saying he only cares about his colleagues' feelings when he needs forgiveness.  She is 100% correct.  I had never thought of it that way, but Tynion hits the nail on the head.  Plus, she identifies the team as a group of potential threats -- three daughters of super-villains and an actual super-villain -- that Bruce wants to control.  It's also something I hadn't put together, but it totally fits.  In one fell swoop, Tynion dismisses the Bat-family's long-standing ethos, where the colder and more technically minded you are, the better asset Bruce believes you to be.  It's why Tim always seemed to be higher in Bruce's estimation than Dick, Harper than Stephanie, Damian than Jason.  But, Stephanie isn't having it.  She's not only smart-smart but emotionally smart, and, Jesus, the Bat-family could really use someone like that right now.  Take 'em down, Stephanie.

Han Solo #5:  This issue ends pretty much the way I expected it to end, with the least likely candidate revealed to be the assassin and Han intentionally losing the race only to win.  Liu seemed to be writing for the trade with this series, because I'll admit I couldn't for the life of me remember why this "master list" was important.  I thought we just had to find the traitor?  But, more importantly, Liu manages to really sell Han's connection to Loo Re Anno, drawing a rare hint of emotion from Han as he contemplates his future of loneliness if he truly just sees himself "of the stars."  That said, Loo gets her happy ending as the gate at the end of the Dragon Void is revealed to be the connection to the rest of her people.  As a result, Han decides to stay with the rebellion for increasingly clear reasons, as he hand inches closer to Leia's.

Spider-Gwen #14:  The art change here is terribly, terribly timed.  Just as I'm tearing up a bit (a lot) as Gwen realizes May not only knows her secret but doesn't blame her for Peter's death, we switch to an exaggerated cartoon-y style as Jessica and her family appear for Thanksgiving.  It totally spoils the moment, the moment we've been waiting to see since Spider-Gwen was introduced.  Talk about an editorial blunder.

Star Wars #25:  I admit Aaron loses me a bit here.  I'm not entirely sure why it was necessary for the Rebels to hijack a Star Destroyer if the only thing they did with it was disable some moon bases and send down some escape pods filled with supplies.  Couldn't they just have warped into proximity and sent down the pods?  It didn't seem like the Empire was guarding the moon bases that closely.  Also, couldn't the Empire just take back the supplies?  It's not like the Rebels stay to defend the planet.  Are the Tureenians really that well equipped that they can hold off the Empire?  Aaron also has some lazier moments here that I find surprising from him.  For example, at some point in this arc, the Empire put the captain of a rebel ship on the prow, damning him to freeze to death in the vacuum of space.  (Similarly, Aphra almost immediately freezes to death after Vader expelled her from his ship in "Darth Vader" #25.)  But, here, Han and Leia are able to float totally safely outside the ship.  Separately, one of the members of SCAR Squadron gives Sana a weapon so she can fight to the death honorably.  It's a really comic-book-y moment that interrupts the realism Aaron has used throughout this series.  SCAR Squadron had even fewer agents on the ship than the Rebels; they didn't really have the luxury of giving everyone a fighting chance.  Overall, it feels like Aaron was forced to rush the ending for reasons that aren't totally clear.  This arc had great promise, so it's sad to see it end with a whimper.

Titans #5:  Abnett and Booth do their best to inject this issue with suspense, but it's ultimately hard to believe DC will get rid of Wally West five issues after they resurrected him.  As such, the tension we feel in this issue is mostly thanks to Booth's innovative panel arrangements, showing Wally's struggle to race faster than he's ever raced before.  Abnett also hints that the main point of this arc is Linda finally remembering Wally, perhaps because his sacrifice is so clear.  As such, it's particularly hard to believe he's lost in time; in fact, it feels like just another way to keep Linda and Wally apart, like we're in the umpteenth season of "Friends," where they're going to have to send Ross to prison for him not to be with Rachel.  My guess is we're going to see the Titans jump into the time stream to find Wally.  That could be interesting.  Here's hoping.

Also Read:  All-New X-Men Annual #1; Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1; Batgirl #6; Mighty Thor #12-#13; Prowler #2

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The July 27 "Civil War II" Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Civil War II #4:  Bendis continues to logically move us from event to event and increases the tension as he does.  The jury acquits Hawkeye, a decision that apparently 87 percent of America agrees was the right one.  Oddly, Carol seems outraged as she tells a now-conscious Jennifer the verdict, even though the incident only happened because she confronted Banner based on Ulysses' vision.  Didn't Hawkeye do what Banner told him to do?  Isn't Carol really responsible here?  Is she only squeamish about killing when she's not the one ordering it?  Meanwhile, Tony has had the chance to analyze the data that he took when he scanned Ulyssess' brain, and it confirms what he expected:  Ulysses' visions are really just guesses based on a complicated algorithm.  Carol initially dismisses the result, until the Beast confirms that Tony's conclusions are correct.  It's here where we're at the point of no return.  Tony asks Carol what level of confidence she needs to have in the data to act, and she basically says any.  (The statistics nerd in me loves that the outcome of this event is turning on confidence intervals.)  Carol decides to continue with using Ulysses' visions to guide her action, but she crosses the line for Tony and his allies when she kidnaps a banker that Ulysses claims is working for HYDRA to undermine the financial system.  Even Maria Hill is nervous, and Carol claiming that they'll get the proof ex post facto isn't exactly an inspiring approach to justice.  Tony uses Nightcrawler to break out the woman, and an outraged Carol asserts that she's going to arrest him.  They go to war as the Guardians of the Galaxy appear to help Carol even the odds.  At this stage, my only real complaint is that it seems obvious that Bendis supports Tony's side of the argument.  Carol is starting to become a caricature of an over-confident general.  It's not exactly outside her character to become that, but we're pushing the limits of that.  I think it would help next issue if we learn that the woman really was a HYDRA plant, since it would support Carol's argument that it might be guesswork but Ulysses is very often correct.

Captain Marvel #7:  Not surprisingly, the Gages do a better job than Bendis of making Carol's position seem like the logical one, though they hint at the weakness in her position.  First, the events of this issue take place before "Civil War II" #4, so Carol still doesn't know about Tony's analysis of Ulysses' powers.  But, she's forced to account for the fact that she committed a sin of omission in not telling the Board that the Inhumans' information about the future came from a precognitive Inhuman.  (I mentioned how I thought that she was a little fast and loose with the truth in my review of last issue, and I was happy to see the Gages hold her accountable for that.)  Carol is able to convince the Board -- and Ulysses, in a private conversation with him -- that they should act on the visions.  Her argument makes sense:  she sticks to the idea that it's giving the tools that people who put their lives on the line every day need to be even more effective.  But, it's still a short-run argument.  Carol ignores Tony's long-run concern, namely that they could be creating a new, sub-optimal future by acting on Ulysses' visions.  But, Carol's myopia here fits with the tactical way that she sees the world:  she sees a threat, she eliminates it.  In a way, this entire event is revolving around Carol adapting (or not adapting) to this new higher level of responsibility that she now has.  She seems to be acting like a soldier, not a general.  The outcome of the event seems to hinge on how she makes the junior-to-senior transition.

Ms. Marvel #9:  This week's tie-in issues are really doing a great job of fleshing out the philosophical arguments that Bendis is raising in the main title.  We learn in this issue that  Kamala's classmate Josh was thinking of starting a fire in the school because he wanted people to feel the pain that he felt when his girlfriend broke up with him.  He doesn't deny that.  But, it's also clear that he didn't commit a crime and that counseling is what he needs.  Instead, the Cadets throw him in the jail that they've developed in an abandoned warehouse in Jersey City.  Wilson is essentially opening up another front against Carol here.  So far, they've treated everyone from Ulysses' visions as criminals based on the crime that they're going to commit.  But, in Josh's case, he's more a screwed-up kid than a future criminal.  Carol's approach doesn't really allow for that level of ambiguity.  (I will say that, given how many people the Cadets have in their prison here, you have to wonder how many visions Ulysses is having exactly.)  Bruno hurts himself when he tries to break out Josh, and it looks like it's going to bring Kamala to Tony's side.  After all, the incident goes to Tony's concern about unintended consequences, since people are getting hurt (and emotionally scarred) from the heroes trying to prevent other people getting hurt.

Also Read:  New Avengers #14

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The June 29 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Black Panther #3:  Man, T'Challa just can't catch a break.  On one hand, he finally tracks down Tetu, but he seems to have become one with at least some part of Wakanda, displaying control over trees and the like.  Continuing on that theme, Shuri is encouraged in the afterlife to remember that Wakanda was great before it had vibranium.  Coates definitely seems to be telling a story where all the characters involved will need to get in touch with the Wakanda that was and use that connection to try to defeat each other.  Meanwhile, the Midnight Angels have realized that they need to form their own army of the women who they save to stop the White Gorilla Army.  Will T'Challa and Tetu take out each other, leaving Aneka and Ayo to step into the void?  Will Shuri return to find Wakanda destroyed by civil war?  I guess we'll see.

Captain America:  Steve Rogers #2:  Spencer goes down the route that I expected him to take, revealing that Kobik sought out the Skull after her "birth" and he used her to create Steve's "new" past as a loyal servant of HYDRA.  Spencer even goes one better, showing that "Avengers Standoff" was all part of the Skull's larger plan.  In so doing, he actually improves on that event, explaining some of its weaker moments (even though it was already a pretty solid event).  I know a lot of people were upset after the first issue, but I feel pretty comfortable now.  I'm hoping that Spencer doesn't make the mistake that Slott did with Spider-Ock, drawing out the story longer than he should.  But, I could see Spencer going with a year-long arc similar to what Remender did with Dimension Z.  If he does that successfully, we really will be in a golden age of "Captain America."

Captain Marvel #6:  This issue is fairly important to the overall story that we're seeing unfold in "Civil War II," because it sheds some light on why Carol takes the position that she's taken in this event.  First, the Alpha Flight Board -- led, of course, by Henry Gyrich -- calls her on the carpet for the last-minute save that she and Alpha Flight managed against the Satori (as far as they know).  Gyrich compares it unfavorably to the Avengers' commanding defeat of the Celestial with limited damage.  Carol alludes to the Inhumans' ability to predict the future in explaining the Avengers' success, though doesn't directly mention Ulysses.  The Board orders her to collaborate with the Inhumans, and she decides to do so after she fails to prevent Dr. Minerva from killing a group of townspeople with one of her experiments.  (She overlooks the fact that she saved everyone else in the town, though Minerva did manage to escape.)  The Gages show us that Carol's decision to employ Ulysses is grounded firmly in these losses.  That said, I still don't agree with her.  She's playing a little fast and loose with the truth at times in her conversation with the Board, and she's really only paying lip-service to Tony's worry that they're putting way too much faith in Ulysses.  It's clearly all going to end in tears.

Extraordinary X-Men #11:  We're at the endgame here, as Kurt and Storm face Apocalypse while the rest of the team fights the Horsemen.  The interesting part is that Kurt has gone totally over the edge.  Moon Knight (one of the Horsemen) even comments on it, telling him that he's almost as crazy as Marc Spector was.  Lemire shows us how true that is when Kurt kills Moon Knight.  Surprisingly, Storm doesn't comment on that.  Is it because it's the future, so it's not really killing people?  Lemire doesn't say.  It isn't until Kurt kills Apocalypse in a rage over him destroying the embryos that Storm sees fit to comment, but then only because Omega World begins to collapse without Apocalypse supporting it.  Beyond Kurt and Storm's sudden comfort with murder, the most interesting part of this issue for me is that the heroes lose:  Apocalypse does destroy the embryos.  It makes sense from a narrative perspective, since I think it would've been a little difficult to suddenly have the X-Men raising 600 babies.  But, it's rare that we see the heroes lose, and I'm intrigued to see how Lemire handles the fallout from that, assuming they all survive.

Spider-Man #5:  As I've mentioned before, this series is the first time that I'm following Miles Morales.  As such, I don't really know much about his supporting cast.  That becomes particularly relevant in this issue, because I'm not sure if the revelation that his father was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent is news just to me or if it's news to everyone.  Either way, Jefferson is now in some form of cahoots with Maria Hill without Miles' knowledge, and, in my experience, nothing good comes from being in some form of cahoots with Hill.  I wonder what Jefferson has promised in exchange for S.H.I.E.L.D. protecting Miles.  That said, he's not wrong that Miles needs the help:  it's only through S.H.I.E.L.D. wiping all record of him from all databases that prevents the Black Cat and Hammerhead from learning his identity.  Moving onto Miles, his use of a souped up venom blast to take out everyone is one of the cooler moments I've seen in comics in a while.  I was right proud of him, as I was when he later confronted the Black Cat with nary a hint of fear.  Pichelli does a really outstanding job of conveying this grit in his confrontation with Felicia:  even she saw the anger in him and knew that it wasn't time for a fight.  This entire sequence reminds us how brave and driven Miles is.  It's a good thing that he is, because he's now also got Jennifer Jones on his tail, after his grandmother hires her to figure out his coming and goings.  He's going to need all his cleverness and smarts to stay one step ahead of the now legions of people after him.

Uncanny X-Men #9:  Bunn has really lost me here, to be honest.  I get that Genocide is using his Angel's wings to create a "death flight" of Angels.  Angel comments how he agreed to submit to having his wings removed because he could feel the evil in them, so I'm assuming that his feather wings will become the metallic ones when placed on the members of Death Flight.  I still don't understand what plans Magneto has for Psylocke, but I assume that we'll get there.  But, the part that has me the most confused is Archangel's arrival.  First, he arrives with an entire squad of Archangels.  How did that happen?  He has his own Death Flight?  But, also, I don't get why the inhabitants of the town -- all seemingly mesmerized as servants of Clan Akkaba -- are so excited about his arrival.  They have their own Angel.  Why do they need an Archangel, too?  In other words, I am seriously confused. 

Also Read:  All-New, All-Different Avengers #11; Spider-Gwen Annual #1; Uncanny X-Men #9

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The May 25 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

In a programming note, I'm going to handle "DC Universe:  Rebirth" #1 in a separate post tomorrow.

Amazing Spider-Man #1.5:  Lately, I've been trying to be less...cranky on this blog.  I feel comfortable discussing aspects of issues that I don't like, but I regret some posts in the past where I made my dislike extend to the author, particularly with Matt Fraction on "Fear Itself" and Jason Latour on "Winter Soldier" and "Wolverine and the X-Men."  After all, I learned my lesson:  I came to love both of them during their respective runs on "Hawkeye" (at least in the early issues) and "Spider-Gwen."  (I stand by my dislike of Chuck Austen, though.)  As a result, I'll try not to get personal here.  I think I understand what Molina is trying to do with this mini-series, but he's really, really not getting there in terms of the execution.  Each issue I find increasingly incomprehensible.  With this issue, you have the same terribly forced jokes and unexpected emotional fluctuations that we've had all series.  But, now, we add even more truly absurd moments, like when one of the Santerians asks a de-aged and naked Anselmo if he's Jennifer Lopez.  His colleague asserts that he's obsessed with Jennifer Lopez, but I don't even see how it's supposed to be funny.  Does he think that Jennifer Lopez is a man?  Is that why he would confuse a man (particularly a naked one) with her?  I could continue, but I think the ridiculousness of this moment explains my point.  This story has been a mess from the start, and I'm surprised that the editorial staff didn't take a firmer hand at some point.

Captain America:  Steve Rogers #1:  Let's start with the good. Spencer does a phenomenal job showing the Red Skull's gift when it comes to rhetoric.  Over the course of a speech that he delivers to a packed room, he brilliantly pivots from the right to the left of the political spectrum, finding scapegoats wherever he can to illustrate his point.  He plays upon the fear that certain people feel in seeing migrants and refugees "invading" their homeland and decries the failure of politicians to stop it.  (Clearly, only he can stop it.)  He shifts left to observe that the bankers are taking advantage of this paralysis as they feast on the "carcass" of America.  It's important to understand this genius to understand why people buy the vision of hope, in Steve's words, that the Skull is selling.  If you do, you understand why they're willing to join HYDRA and sacrifice their lives for the cause.  Moreover, Spencer doesn't let the Skull's leadership of HYDRA go unchallenged, as Baron Zemo pledges to take back control.  Spencer has a great read on Zemo, particularly how his delusions of grandeur fly in the face of reality.  At least the Skull often comes close to achieving his goals.  Spencer reminds us that Zemo rarely does:  only three D-Listers heed his call to form a new Masters of Evil.  But, it would certainly be fun to watch Zemo try to dethrone the Skull as the head of HYDRA, just as it would be fascinating to see what the Skull could do in that role (assuming Zemo never actually succeeds).  Spencer could spend at least 25 issues just playing with these two plots.

Unfortunately, let's now get to the bad.  Spencer isn't going to focus on those two plots.  This issue is really about the fact that HYDRA recruited Steve's mother when he was a kid and that he's been a sleeper agent all this time.  To be fair, Spencer doesn't actually say that.  We're left to draw our own conclusions about the developments that we see here.  For example, Elisa Sinclair, the woman that courts Sarah Rogers in the past, simply gives her a flyer; we don't actually see Sarah join HYDRA.  (One of the many ridiculous aspects of this plot is that any sane person would see the creepy ass HYDRA logo and question Sinclair's assertion that they're a "community organization.")  Moreover, Steve simply says "Hail HYDRA" at the end of the issue.  I mean, he does say it after pushing Jack Flag from Zemo's plane, because Flag saw Selvig alive there.  It's pretty safe to say that he's probably not just on some sort of secret Avengers mission.  As such, we're left to assume that Steve is a HYDRA agent, presumably implementing the vision of Zemo's father (since he's pretty clearly not working with Zemo, Jr. here).  We also don't know why Flag seeing Selvig was a problem in the first place.  Finally, Spencer and his collaborators set up their back door by hinting that something is amiss in the past.  Saíz and Caramanga use coloring and lettering to imply that Elisa is somehow apart from her surroundings, and her seemingly prescient comments about Steve throughout the issue could imply some form of time travel.

The problem is that it all seems unnecessarily complicated.  I get that Spencer is trying to make a splash, but this one is a bridge too far, to be honest.  You could never connect all the off-panel dots that you would need to connect to sell anyone on the idea that Rogers has been a HYDRA sleeper agent for decades.  Moreover, these sort of storylines just don't work, as Dan Slott learned on "Superior Spider-Man."  You can keep them going for a while, but, at the end of the day, no one believes the central component, that Otto was going to be Spidey forever or, in this case, that Steve is going to be a HYDRA agent forever.  It's a lot of effort to get us to engage in a story that everyone just believes will eventually be ret-conned.  As such, it's hard to really embrace what Spencer is doing here, because experience tells me that it won't last long.

Captain Marvel #5:  When DeConnick initially took Carol off-planet, I was concerned, because it meant leaving behind her amazing supporting cast.  But, as Fazekas and Butters conclude their first arc, I have to say that it's now hard to see Carol anywhere else but the stars.  After all, the authors have given Carol a new amazing supporting cast, fleshing out the relationships just as well as DeConnick did in her run with her cast.  I could see future issues of this series focusing more on the Alpha Flight members than Carol herself.  That said, I did have to read the Marvel Wikia entry on the Eridani to figure out why "Garcia" sabotaged the negotiations.  (It eventually makes sense:  she's part of the slave class, and a renewed contract to haul waste from the space station means more hardship for the slaves.)  I feel like it's mostly a writing-for-the-trade problem, since it would probably have been easier to follow this sub-plot if you had read all the issues at once.  But, it's really a minor complaint.  This first arc has me pretty excited about where we're going.

Grayson #20:  For the fact that Lanzing and Kelly had to jump on this horse mid-stream, I think that they did a solid job wrapping up the loose ends as well as they could.  In particular, they make it clear that King was playing a long game from the start.  Dick offers his body to Dedalus in exchange for Helena, and, as expected, Dedalus uses Somnus to wipe clean all files and memories involving Dick.  To the world at large, he never existed.  (Dedalus does it so no one can track him in said body.)  But, Dick's years of training under Batman allow him to fight Dedalus in his own mind.  He destroys him, and he's able to awaken a new man, with the events of "Forever Evil" behind him.  Moreover, Helena reveals that she put an exception list into Somnus when she was trapped in Dedalus' mind, allowing people like Barbara and Bruce to still remember him.  Although it's certainly a ret-con of "Forever Evil," it doesn't feel cheap.  King -- and then Lanzing and Kelly -- mapped out every step to get us to this point; it feels like the logical conclusion to this series.  That said, some mysteries remain on the table.  We never learned (as far as I can tell) why Dr. Netz was using Agent 8 to kill Spyral agents.  Tiger assassinates Agent 8 here, so it seems unlikely that we'll learn the truth (or what she told him back in issue #11).  He also reveals that he's left Checkmate for Spyral, though Lanzing and Kelly don't tell us why.  But, to be fair, those are pretty minor loose ends, given how complicated this story has been.  After all, Dick ends his spy days in this issue, presumably returning to his role as a superhero; the loose ends related to the spy game are no longer his (or our) concern.

Justice League #50:  At some point, the "Darkseid War" started feeling more like a history lesson than an exciting event.  I acknowledge that it was perhaps the most ambitious attempt within the "New 52!" to update the DC Universe, tackling the histories of the Anti-Monitor, Darkseid, and the New Gods all at once.  Although Johns did his best to throw some emotions in there -- mainly through Diana's narration -- I found that I enjoyed these issues more when I stopping thinking about them as an emotion-provoking story and more as a non-fiction narrative.  That said, it was still confusing.  At some point between issue #42 and #46, I started to conflate Metron with Mobius.  (As you can imagine, I've been pretty confused for the last five issues.)  Wikipedia informs me that Metron succeeded Mobius -- the Anti-Monitor -- as the possessor of the chair, though it's unclear to me when we learned that.  (I'm also not sure why Mobius gave up the chair in the first place.  Presumably when he became the Anti-Monitor after the chair led him to discover the Anti-Life Equation?)  This confusion contributes to the sense that Johns has been writing-for-the-trade, since I'm pretty sure everything would make more sense if I read all these issues in one sitting.  It's also exactly this broad scope that makes the task of concluding the story so challenging.  Johns mostly sticks the landing, though it feels a little like Apollo 13 crashing into the ocean:  everyone's just happy to be on the ground.

First, let's start with the positive:  the death of Superwoman is amazing, a testament to Fabok's skill.  We learn that the father of her child is Alexander Luthor from Earth 3 and that he inherited his father's ability to steal other people's powers.  After killing Superwoman, Grail uses the baby to re-absorb the powers that some of the League members received when Darkseid died, starting with Clark and Lex.  Eventually, her plan is revealed:  she uses an Amazon ritual that resurrects an enemy in a chosen host to bring back Darkseid in the form of Superwoman's son.  As part of the ritual, Darkseid (and his now re-accumulated powers) is completely under her control.  Moreover, she also controls the Anti-Life Equation after using the baby (Darkseid's host) to re-absorb the powers from Steve Trevor.  However, I'm still not clear what her plan was once she accomplished that goal.  She orders a now fully grown Darkseid to destroy the League.  Was that it?  Couldn't she do that herself?  Last issue, Grail talked about how the Anti-Life Equation could be used for something more than destruction.  What did she have in mind?  All her motives remain really unclear to me.  Eventually, her mother convinces her to destroy Darkseid, and she does.  (For some reason, she has to do it by firing her blast through her mother.  This part made no sense to me.)

In the end, we're left with a radically changed status quo for a lot of characters.  First, let's start with the Crime Syndicate.  Grail used the baby's powers to free the Black Racer from Flash, and he demands a death before he'll leave.  We're left to believe that it's Jessica who dies, after she asserts control over Volthoom long enough to save Flash.  But, it's actually Volthoom that died:  Jessica is resurrected as a Green Lantern now that she has conquered her fear.  Owlman and Grid seem to be the only Syndicate members to survive, after Owlman sits on the vacated chair (once Grail had the baby re-absorb the God of Wisdom powers from Bruce) and Grid uploads himself into it.  But, the final page of this issue has a mysterious blast incinerating Owlman.  Theoretically, I guess Grid could still be alive, the last possible member of the Syndicate, though it's just as possible that they're all now dead.

But, Jessica isn't the only League member with a changed reality.  Johns sets up a number of plot hooks for the remaining members, though I'm unsure whether we'll see them carry into "Rebirth."  We learn that Grail used Steve as her God of Anti-Life because of an Amazonian prophecy about the first man to step foot on Themyscira being some sort of "chosen one."  However, we learn from Bruce -- and a dying Myrina confirms to Diana -- that Steve wasn't the first man to step foot on Themyscira:  it was Diana's twin brother, Jason.  (Todd?)  Moreover, Bruce tells Hal that the chair didn't give him the Joker's name:  it informed him that there were three Jokers.  (Dun-dun-DUN!)  Finally, Victor's father confirms that Superman is dying from the power that he gained on Apokolips while Lex returns to Apokolips to liberate it.  Again, I'm not sure how these revelations are going to play into "Rebirth."  The issue essentially ends with Grail holding the baby after she faked their deaths.  She's reverted him from his Darkseid form to the baby form and pledges to raise him to the light, though his glowing eyes cast doubt about that happening.

In the end, I couldn't help but wonder:  is that it?  The League prevented the Anti-Monitor from destroying the Earth?  It's hard to remember what the threat was.  How did Darkseid get involved again?  As I said early, what did Grail want?  Again, I suspect that it would all make more sense if you read it in trade form, because, right now, I'm heading to the Wikipedia page to see if it makes more sense that my memory does.

Star Wars #19:  Whoa.  This issue is intense.  As expected, the "villain" that took over the prison is Eneb Ray, from "Star Wars" Annual #1.  Aaron adds a twist, though, because Ray is revealed to have a deformed face; he implies that it's somehow related to the Emperor's touch and that he's dying as a result of it.  I don't recall anything like that happening during Annual #1, but Aaron also implies that we don't know the full story when it comes to Ray.  Similarly, Aaron hints that Aphra and Sana were more than just partners in crime (literally), as Sana is all too eager to follow Ray's demands and kill Aphra in exchange for Luke and Solo's lives.  But, Leia is the star of the show.  We see her tactical side as she has Artoo implement a previously developed plan, releasing an emp blast that takes out the bombs that Ray planted on Han and Luke as well as his gun.  But, she's not just a tactician on the battlefield:  she eventually allows Aphra to escape.  It may seem odd that she would, but Leia seems to know that Aphra has nowhere to go, with Vader on her heels.  I'd guess that Leia is betting on Aphra, too, realizing that the Rebellion is her only option, but she knows that Aphra will only get there if it's on her own terms.  Although Ray insists that Leia isn't sufficiently ruthless to defeat the Empire (a position to which Aaron shows some sympathy, given Ray's experience), Aaron reminds us that she really is.  (She does win in the end, after all.)  Leia is in full control, even if dark days may still be ahead.

Also Read:  Batgirl #52; Extraordinary X-Men #10; Mighty Thor #7; Ms. Marvel #7; Red Wolf #6; Tokyo Ghost #7