Not-So-New Comics: The December 20 Non-Spider Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Champions #15:  I know it’s clichéd to say so, but Viv really is the heart of this team.  This series has been hit or miss for me for a while, but Waid does a really great job of putting everyone’s emotions on display in this issue.  He uses Nova deciding to quit the team as his lens for their despair.  Nova saw Viv as the only member of the team who didn’t condescend to him; without her, he just doesn’t want to be there anymore.  The Avengers make everything worse through their own condescension, and my only complaint here is Waid didn’t have Kamala and Scott realize they do the same thing to Sam as they complain Falcon and Thor do to them.  But, it’s a minor complaint.  Kamala rallies to remind Sam he -- and not all the geniuses -- saved the day on Counter-Earth.  He confesses to her he just misses Viv, in a moment that makes me tear up a bit just writing about it.  Similarly, the Wasp trying to convince the Vision not to activate the new body he’s constructing for Viv is equally poignant.  The Wasp says it would dishonor her memory, but the Vision’s grief is so real here you understand why he might not care.  We’re also introduced to a mystery I never realized was out there as the Wasp asks Vision whose engram is the source of Viv’s personality.  Meanwhile, Viv discovers she’s where the High Evolutionary is, some plane of existence where they’ve essentially becoming data streams.  They’re aware Vision is trying to rebuild Viv in his basement, and the Evolutionary wants to piggyback on Viv’s data stream when the Vision eventually unifies it with her (synthezoid) body.  Viv refuses and somehow discovers how to travel to her father on her own.  Waid does a good job with this moment, since you think it’s just the Vision activating her body.  You’d be wrong, though, because we now have two Vivs!  I've made the decision to call it quits with this series, because it's too inconsistent and I have other stories out there I'd like to follow.  But, this issue was a great way to end.

Marvel 2-in-One #1:  Chip Zdarsky is one of my favorite authors lately, so when I saw Marvel green-lit him taking out Ben and Johnny for a stroll I was on it!  I’m glad I was, because this issue is everything I ever wanted it to be.  In a way, this series should really be titled “Marvel Three-in-One,” because Doom is poised to play a pretty significant role in it.  He reveals to an appalled Ben he raided the Baxter Building in the days after the incursion ended (of course he did), but he couldn’t find a clue that explained the Richards’ disappearance.  The only clue he thinks might exist was in an orb he couldn't open; Reed left it for Ben.  Doom gives it to Ben, and he opens it.  Reed reveals the device will play a recording based on the circumstances of his death:  in this case, if he, Susan, Franklin, and Valeria no longer exist in the Universe.  He directs Ben to a place only they know -- the location of their first adventure -- to recover a device called the Multisect, which allows access to the nexus of the multiverse.  He's obviously concerned it'll fall in the wrong hands.  He also beseeches Ben to keep exploring with Johnny, and he becomes the third voice pressing Ben to resolve issues with Johnny:  Ben himself has memories of Susan pleading with him to take care of Johnny as Battleworld dissolved, and Spidey earlier expressed his concern to Ben that Johnny is losing control.  When Ben finds Johnny, he’s literally in free fall.  But, Johnny reveals it was a test because he’s losing his powers, something he sees as an existential threat.  The best part?  Allegedly reformed Doom is watching from the shadows, clearly wanting to get his hands on the Multisect.  It’s this revelation that proves to me this series is going to be great.  Zdarsky manages to advance this story on three axes — emotion, humor, and intrigue — and I can’t wait to see where he goes with it.  I wasn’t a regular reader of “Fantastic Four,” mostly because I wasn’t a fan of Reed or Sue.  (Sorry.)  As such, this series is tailor-made for me.  It seems obviously it’s laying the groundwork for an eventual relaunch of “Fantastic Four,” and I’m OK with that.  In fact, it’s exciting to be on the ground floor of that.  In other words, I highly, highly recommend this book.

Mighty Thor #702:  As always, the story here is excellent.  Odinson makes a lovely and impassioned speech to Jane, telling her she needs to take care of herself because the Realms need Jane Foster as much as they need Thor.  It inspires her to throw away Mjolnir...and confront Odin over his absence, which isn’t exactly what Odinson had in mind.  But, it works, though not because Odin agrees to her plea to dispatch Asgardia to save the Realms:  Jane’s speech awakens Freya.  She agrees with Jane that Asgardia must act, but it may be too late:  Jane collapses on the steps of Odin’s citadel as the Mangog arrives at Asgardia.  But, as compelling as that story is, the art is just spectacular.  From beautiful Hercules and Odinson to dying Jane, Dauterman and Wilson infuse every panel with life-like wonder.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #15:  RIP, Flufto.  This entire issue is great.  Triple-Zero gives Aphra a ship full of mercenaries as staff on a mysterious mission; the only catch is she has to jettison one of them to make the ship light enough to fly.  (She chooses a fairly obnoxious Alderaan prince pretending to be a mercenary; he was off-planet during Alderaan’s destruction at the Pleasuredome VII.  Of course he was.  He then has to face a group of rampaging brutes on his own.)  Along the way, she successfully guesses Tripe-Zero wants to swipe something from the workshop of Tambor, the Techno Union’s leader.  We learn the Union was the most successful separatists when the Empire took over the galaxy, though clearly "success" is a relative term there.  (Aphra put two and two together by realizing their guide was from Skako Minor, where the Union was located, and their last job on Somelik focused on Clone War data.  It doesn't necessarily make sense to me, but it did to her.)  However, the guide Triple-Zero hired to escort them on Skaka Minor betrays them, turning over the prospective looters into the Imperials in the hope they’ll leave Skako Minor.  (They don’t.)  But, Aphra has an ace up her sleeve as always, namely Flufto, the cute little Pokémon-looking creature she’s carrying throughout the issue:  he’s really a bomb, and she uses him to take out the Imperials.  Good times.  Meanwhile, now-Lt. Tolvan is saved form the firing squad after word reaches the executioner that Inspector-General Thanoth nominated her as his legatee.  (She was going to be executed over her three demerits for her failures at Eadu, Yavin, and Somelik.  But, she’s saved when it turns out the ”investigative branches” allow for four demerits, rather than three demerits like the field corps.  Her executioner was going to continue with her execution because he didn't know that, earning him his third demerit...and his own execution.  Sloppy, as Tolvan said.)  Her first order of business is to ID Aphra, who she previously dreamed was rescuing her.  (Sexy time!)  However, Thanoth’s reports are redacted with a code that she learns was only available to the man for whom he was serving as adjutant:  Darth Vader.  Dun-dun-DUN!

Uncanny Avengers #30:  Over the course of three volumes and 62 issues (by my count), this series has consistently been the Avengers title to me as far as I concerned.  It felt like the authors of this series were the only ones to hit the right formula for an Avengers book:  a clever villain thrusting some outlandish scheme on the unsuspecting heroes, interpersonal strife and personal shortcomings that almost doom the team’s attempts to foil said scheme, a romantic spark along the way, and a final stand of inspiring heroism that saves the day.  In particular, Remender's stories felt like Avengers stories because failure often drove them:  Thor’s arrogance as a young man set up the Earth’s destruction (by empowering Jarnbjorn to cut a Celestial’s armor), Rogue’s initial and profound distrust of Wanda opened the door to the Red Skull stealing Xavier’s brain and then almost ruined Wanda’s plan to save mutantkind from the Apocalypse Twins.  Zub continues that trend here, as Pietro’s arrogance led to Synapse’s injuries and consequentially his departure from the team.  But, we also have the heroes who rise to the occasion, often at great personal cost:  Havok restores Earth even though it costs him his daughter, his relationship with Janet, and his face; Rogue holds together the team after Steve Rogers disbands it to defeat the Red Skull; and Deadpool survives the Red Skull’s brutal assault on him to get Magneto’s helmet to Rogue, allowing her to escape the Skull's control and defeat him.  It’s all...Avengers-y.  The good news is the series is coming to a close as all the Avengers series converge as a weekly series.  I can’t say I’m bothered by that; I reluctantly came to admit I loved “Brand New Day” in “Amazing Spider-Man,” so if they can pull off something similar here, I’m all on board.  But, in case “Uncanny Avengers” doesn’t return after that series, I just want to take a minute to mourn one of the best corners of the Avengers universe.  To me, the creative teams preserved the Avengers during one of the more inconsistent times of their history, and I thank them for that.

X-Men:  Gold #18:  I'll say right off the bat that the Negative Zone War is leaving me happier than previous arcs in this series.  Guggenheim does a solid job of faking us out a bit here.  It makes perfect sense for Kologoth to offer back Kitty and Kurt since his plans for the planet don't involve a group of outside do-gooders poking around the place.  However, when the team arrives to collect Kitty and Kurt, they discover Kurt is missing.  (Guggenheim reminds us of Kurt’s status quo here; he’s immortal because he’s exiled from heaven.  As such, he survives the impaling from last issue.  It makes me less mad about it, retroactively.)  Kologoth informs the team Kurt is dead, mainly because he really wants them to leave.  The team realizes Kologoth is lying, since they know Kurt can’t die.  As such, they correctly deduce Kologoth just doesn’t want them mucking around the place.  A fight ensues (of course), and it seems Kologoth didn’t want them there because he's resurrected his god, Scythian.  Ruh-roh!  Also, I’d like to praise Guggenheim for including some critical letters in the letters page.  One thing I hated about “Brand New Day” was Steve Wacker’s child-like rejection of any criticism of the book.  Guggenheim publishes an extremely thoughtful critique of his decision to reunite Kitty and Peter, and he responds with an equally thoughtful justification that he also acknowledges might not satisfy the writer’s concerns.  Respect and dialogue: it’s nice to see.

Also Read:  All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #149; Generation X #85; Ms. Marvel #25

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The August 2 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Champions #11:  Waid does a great job here showing us why the Champions decide to join Black Widow in taking down Cap, as they come up empty in their attempt to find anyone alive after Steve's destruction of Las Vegas.  (They eventually find a newborn, and it gives them some hope for the future.)  It's hard to see what they see and not conclude they have to do something.

Batman #28:  Although I still think the story King is telling has potential, we've gotten to the point where the framing device -- Bruce recounting the War of Jokes and Riddles to Selina -- is starting to weigh down the story itself.  Moreover, King's focus on vignettes from the fringes of the war makes these issues read like they're from one of those cross-over event anthology series.  Last issue, it was the origin of Kite Man; this issue, it's the fight between Deadshot and Deathstroke. (The latter is definitely the more interesting one.)  But, the actual war between Joker and Riddler essentially happens off-panel.  They've already split up the Upper East and West Sides and assembled their armies when this issue starts, even though we haven't really seen how they convince each villain to join their side.  (I think we've only seen Riddler's pitch to Ivy.)  We're shown how Bruce and Gordon are at their wits' end, but we're not really told why they haven't been able to get a handle on the situation.  Gordon tells Batman Joker has wired the entire city with explosives and Riddler has guards hidden throughout the city to unleash terror, but isn't that basically any given Tuesday in Gotham?  I think it's probably time for King to do a little more showing and a little less telling.

Nightwing #26:  It turns out Giz is really dead, and I have to admit I'm impressed:  it's rare we actually kill off good guys anymore.  Dick feels guilty since Giz died looking into the Second Hand, the organization smuggling superhero-killing weapons into Blüdhaven.  Helena appears at Dick's apartment to tell him she and Barbara are worried about him and offers to help him track down someone named Draculi.  (Did I mention Dick is naked in the shower when she arrives?  Well timed, Helena.)  Dick realizes she's only offering to help because Draculi is connected to organized crime and it advances the anti-Mafia crusade she's adopted since leaving Spyral.  (The mob killed her family, and I'm pretty sure it means DC is more closely aligning Huntress with her original DCU incarnation.  I'm guessing it's all happening in "Batgirl and the Birds of Prey.")  The duo track down a fixer in Rome who tells them Draculi has gotten erratic.  He sends them onto Draculi's home, but he's already dead.  However, he leaves a clue:  a flash drive explaining he's Agent 19 of Spyral and someone is messing with his mind.  Dick realizes the Second Hand is Spyral as we see Agent 1 with a group of other agents watching Dick and Helena from the rooftops; one of the agents remarks that they took the bait.  Although it's overall a solid issue, I don't get what we're supposed to believe when it comes to the clue.  It seems like Agent 1 wanted Dick and Helena to find it, but why would he want them to know Spyral was after them?  Isn't it better to surprise them?  Also, how orchestrated was it?  How did Agent 1 know Agent 19 would leave the flash drive connecting himself with Spyral?  Meanwhile, in Gotham, Shawn has decided to embrace Pigeon's war against capitalism.  Bad call, Shawn.  Bad call.

Spider-Man #19:  Bendis makes an admirable attempt to sell Ganke's argument Miles is off his rocker because he resents being a "Spider-Man cover band," but I'm not sure I really buy it.  It seems much more likely he's breaking under the pressure of juggling his secret identity while also dealing with the fact his parents are, at least for now, separated.  I get teenage boys aren't exactly in touch with their emotions, but I don't feel like you have to get inventive when it comes to pinning Miles' stress on a cause.  At the very least, you'd figure someone would mention it as a possibility.

X-Men:  Gold #9:  I've enjoyed Spencer's deft if obvious political and social commentary in "Captain America:  Sam Wilson," but Guggenheim forgets the "deft" part of that equation in this issue.  Kitty is called to Washington to testify before a Congressional sub-committee against a mutant-deportation bill.  If he had focused less on the soap-opera elements of this issue, Guggenheim could've delivered a clever metaphor for the current immigration debate instead of the anti-Trump screed we get here.  However, he's juggling too many balls to manage it; instead, he winds up dropping them all.  In terms of the soap opera, Logan convinces Kitty to take Peter to DC with her as her bodyguard.  Instead of slowly rekindling their romance over a few issues to the point where Kitty can't ignore her attraction to Peter anymore, Peter essentially proposes marriage and Kitty essentially accepts.  (No, really.)  Moreover, Rachel announces she wants to date Kurt because she discovered he was attracted to her when she read his mind a few issues ago and because it'll somehow ensure she doesn't become her mother.  (She's concerned about that because of these amped-up powers I don't really remember her getting.)  I thought Kurt had more self-respect than to dive into a relationship with someone who states the only thing she finds attractive about him is his attraction to her, but I guess Guggenheim doesn't.  When you throw in there the revelation Stevie Hunter is now a Congresswoman but somehow still wearing '90s era jumpsuits, well, it's just a mess from start to finish.

Also Read:  Archangel #5; Darth Vader #4; Hawkeye #9

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The May 3 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Free Comic Book Day 2017 (Secret Empire) #1:  This issue doesn't really provide a lot of material to review.  At first I thought it was a preview of the heroes' final conflict with Captain Nazi and Hydra.  However, after reading "Secret Empire" #1, it's actually showing the heroes' initial conflict with them, setting up the establishment of the totalitarian state that we see fully formed in "Secret Empire" #1.  The most interesting part is Captain Nazi picking up Thor's hammer.  Spencer is clearly toying with us here, holding out the idea Steve is still Steve, as he's said all along.  I'll address that more directly in the next section, but it's staking out some pretty strong territory.

Secret Empire #1:  OK, here we go.

Before I read the issue, I thought about the task Spencer has before him.  Given the string of incredibly disappointing cross-over events Marvel has imposed upon us lately, I have to admit said task seems Herculean.  First, he can no longer avoid spelling out why Steve believes in Hydra.  So far, Steve has simply stated Hydra can make "us" stronger, but he hasn't ever explained why he thinks we're weak.  Is it because homosexuals and women have rights?  Is it because Black Lives Matter exists?  Does he think Mexicans are stealing our jobs?  After all, Spencer has to remember the public outrage over this heel turn comes because he's saying Steve has been Hydra all along.  If he was simply under the Cosmic Cube's influence, we could easily accept this cognitive dissidence.  But, Spencer has gone to pains to say he's always been a Hydra plant.  As such, Steve supported Hydra throwing in its lot with the Nazis, even though they were supporting a genocidal regime.  How can he still be worthy of lifting Thor's hammer?  Spencer has so far waved his hands in front of the blackboard on that point, but he really can no longer ignore it.  Second, Spencer has to improve upon recent history when it comes to cross-over events.  Even the likes of Matt Fraction and Jeff Lemire have been brought low by an event that spiraled beyond their control.  (Marvel invoking the memory of "Fear Itself" with Steve picking up Thor's hammer may not have been a great idea.)  We've already endured "Civil War II" and "Inhumans vs. X-Men" in the last year.  Both those events are good examples for Spencer on how not to run a cross-over event.  (To whit, if the central conflict could easily be resolved by a phone call, it's a problem.)  But, it's been so long since we had a good event that I can't even point to an example for how he should manage one.

The good news is Spencer starts strong, mirroring the excellent first issue of "Age of Ultron" by starting in media res.  Instead of Ultron destroying the world, Steve and Hydra taking over the United States is a fait accompli.  Steve's top priority is finding the Cosmic Cube to "correct" history, but, in the meantime, he uses his dictatorial powers to impose his version of history on the people.  Spencer starts the issue by showing us schoolchildren "learning" it was Arnim Zola, not Abraham Erskine, who created the Super-Soldier Serum; it's suitably chilling.  Spencer then goes a step further; when the teacher reminds the students to dime out anyone who could be a traitor, one of the students reports that another students' older brother is acting "weird."  It turns out the older brother is an Inhuman; Hydra forces storm his house almost immediately after the report, and he's sent to a detention center for Inhumans.

At this point, Spencer pulls back the camera and we get a better sense of the larger status quo.  The mutants have seemingly avoided the Inhumans' fate by creating a nation of their own in the Pacific Northwest; it's called New Tian and seems to be run by Zorn, of all people.  Meanwhile, Carol is still stuck outside the Shield trying to hold off the Chitauri, and Las Vegas has become the site of the resistance, led by Hawkeye and Black Widow.  Spencer does a solid job of conveying emotion despite this rushed tour of the situation, as Hawkeye starts to crack under the pressure of the war of attrition he's fighting with Hydra.  Our eyes and ears here is the new Patriot we saw in "Captain America:  Sam Wilson."  He has contacted the Champions with information Rick Jones somehow gave him (Spencer doesn't elaborate how).  He claims it can save Steve, but Iron Man (or, at least, A.I. Iron Man) is skeptical.  Tony exposits for us that they've tried many times to prove Steve was a clone or under Faustus' mind control or something.  After suffering many casualties in these efforts, they eventually had to accept reality:  Steve is Steve.  Meanwhile, the Hydra Council pushes Steve to be more evil than he wants to be, and Elisa puts her finger on the problem:  they'll think he's weak if he doesn't take a harder line on traitors, but they'll know he's weak if he does.  Ultimately, he does; he has Rick Jones executed, and he orders Hydra to destroy Las Vegas.

Overall, the story...is actually pretty solid.  First, when Tony is talking about the various assaults on Steve, McNiven makes the "casualties" indistinct.  As far as I can tell, we never see, like, Iceman with a beam through his skull.  One of the problems with "Age of Ultron" was that it was pretty clear from the start this reality was going to get rewritten (as cool as it would've been for that not to happen).  Here, Marvel seems to hold out the possibility we're playing for keeps.  Rick Jones dying isn't that big of a deal; after all, we killed off Bruce Banner and (more or less) Tony Stark in "Civil War 2."  Even if we know -- as Marvel has repeatedly told us -- that Steve will be the freedom-lovin' hunk he's always been at the end of the event, it's not to say other parts of the Marvel Universe won't be a smoking crater of woe.  The longer Marvel can convince us of that, the more exciting this event will be.

Champions #8:  I love, love, love that Mark Waid gives Nova a win here by making him the only member of the team not gazing at his navel.  Everyone else was acting, well, adolescent, fretting about the Freelancers copywriting their name.  Only Nova realized the answer was simply telling people not to buy the stuff.  Bam, problem solved!  It seemed so simple, but Waid did a really great job of showing us why it was so hard for the rest of the team to get there.

Hawkeye #6:  I love everything about this issue.  The plot is almost irrelevant.  (Dahlia is an Inhuman; she emerged from her cocoon looking amazing, but she's also a dragon.  Brad promised her a new body but couldn't deliver.  He's an asshat.  Kate is going to put her in touch with the Inhumans.)  Thompson has given Kate such a very clear voice, it's a joy to spend time with her.  Also, Pizza Dog is back!  Hurrah!  The only thing I didn't understand is how Kate knew about the LMD angle.  Thompson shows us Kate's conspiracy board, where the acronym LMDs appear near her father's name.  I think we don't yet know why she made that connection; Thompson had to show it to us simply so we knew the connection existed.  It's a reminder how deep of a story Thompson is telling, because Kate knows a lot that we don't yet know.  But, we all know Brad is an asshat.  That part is clear.

Nova (2017) #6:  Ho, boy.  Loveness and Pérez reveal the truth about Richard's escape from the Cancerverse.  After years of dying at the hands of the Revengers in battle after battle, Rich eventually pours the entirety of the Nova Force into the Cosmic Cube he used to seal off the Cancerverse from our Universe.  He uses the revived Cube to open a portal to our Universe, inadvertently leaving behind the Worldmind as he escaped.  The Worldmind has now adapted, seemingly taken over all "life" in the Cancerverse.  As expected, Sam arrives to save Rich, but the Worldmind has already absorbed him.  Rich is in trouble, y'all.

Spider-Gwen #19:  With the conclusion of the pretty awesome cross-over event with "Spider-Man," Latour returns to this series' ongoing concern, namely restoring Gwen's powers.  The path he lays out here is...complicated.  If I'm following correctly, Matt Murdoch secretly recruited one of Norman Osborn's scientists, the foreshadowingly named Dr. Elsa Brock, to examine the radioactive isotope Frank Castle gave Osborn several issues ago.  (Latour reminds us Frank agreed to sweep Harry's crimes under the rug in exchange for Osborn unlocking the secrets of the isotope.  But, as Murdoch notes, Castle is now a fugitive, so Harry is still out there dangling in the wind.)  Brock informs us that Cindy Moon's research into the alien "spider parasites" that infected Jesse Drew (as seen in the "Spider-Women" event) led Curt Connors to develop his Lizard Formula.  (I'm not sure if we really have enough information about how Connors developed the Formula to make this connection on our own.  Was that also in "Spider-Women?"  I guess I should just assume it was.)  Given this connection between the radioactive isotope and the Formula, Brock thought she could use the former as a cure for the latter.  It worked, but not how she expected.  Instead of burning out the Formula's regenerative powers, the mixture created "venom."  (DUN-dun-DUN!)  It absorbs and amplifies the isotope, but unfortunately kills the host through the radiation it emits.  However, Gwen's body is immune to the radiation:  if she injects herself with the venom, she'll get back her powers, since its side effect is powers similar to the ones she had.  (That makes sense, given her powers and the venom come from the same source.)  Murdoch wants to infect Harry with the isotope, use the interaction between the formula in his bloodstream and the isotope to create the venom, and then draw out the venom in the process.  At this point, they can then inject Gwen with the venom and everyone's problems are solved:  Gwen gets back her powers, the venom has a home, Harry is cured, and Norman is happy.  Gwen asks what Murdoch gets from it, but he doesn't answer.  At any rate, feeling she has no choice but to help Harry, she agrees and heads to Madripoor, where Matt's Hand has located Harry.  In previous series, I feel like it's exactly this sort of complicated plot that made me dislike Latour, because it was rare that I understood all the steps that got us to the conclusion.  But, here, I get it, and I'm admittedly excited about it.  Latour could go a lot of different directions, building some genuine suspense.  Also, Wolverine!

Spider-Man 2009 #23:  David gets right to the point, as Miguel travels to May 15, 2019 to stop the disaster that sets the stage for the alternate future he's trying to prevent.  (That said, I still don't understand how it's connected to the actual future he's trying to resurrect, since someone clearly happened to turn New York into Nueva York.  But, I digress.)  He stumbles upon the cause:  a terminally ill Tyler Stone wants to release a virus that kills millions, though we're still not sure what his motivation is.  (I think it's just to be an asshole.)  Miguel tries to stop him, but the future Sinister Six get in his way.  However, Honey Bee -- i.e., Tempest in her insect form -- arrives and grabs the vial.  She's distracted when she sees Miguel, who she calls Spider-Man, and Tyler shoots her, regaining control over the vial.  However, seemingly the original version of Miguel -- in his original costume -- stabs him, and Tyler orders Aisa to release New York against the heroes.  It's now "our" Miguel, seemingly original Miguel, and Honey Bee against New York.  I'm not sure how the Fist got control over New Yorkers or where we go from here, but it seems like we're getting there soon.

X-Men:  Gold #3:  Guggenheim is really building momentum here.  First, Kitty is a bad-ass to the max, from coldly telling the students the rescue mission isn't a field trip (after Rockslide complains she only took him and Armor with the team) to using her powers to save Amara as the Brotherhood's HQ explodes.  But, she's at her best when she threatens Lydia Nance.  During their confrontation, Rachel gleaned from Mesmero's mind that  hired him to form the Brotherhood of "Evil" Mutants to further her own ends.  Professor X might've delivered some sort of speech about looking past their differences; Kitty threatens Nance and makes sure she knows she's being threatened.  We've got a new sheriff in town, folks.

Also Read:  Spider-Man #16

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The November 2 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #1:  All Kang stories are confusing, but this story is the Kangiest.  Let's start with the part I understand.  Kang and the Scarlet Centurion (his former self, not his estranged son) attack Vision in this issue, trying to discover where he stashed baby Kang.  In the exposition that follows, we learn that something is preventing Kang from traveling to the future.  (I'm not clear if it's the stolen baby Kang or something else at this point.)  However, Kang does seem able to travel into the past, because he goes there to steal the crystal where Vision off-loaded the information about baby Kang's whereabouts.  (Whenabouts?  Effing time-travel stories.)  Once he gathers this information, he can't (apparently) travel into the future to get revenge on the Avengers, so he continues further into the past to destroy them as babies.  I get all that (more or less).  However, whatever firewall is preventing him from traveling to the future also somehow created a time paradox allowing multiple versions of him to exist at the same time (hence why he's with the Scarlet Centurion here).  That part just doesn't make sense to me.  Isn't him getting stuck in the past only creating one alternate timeline (i.e., him stuck in the past)?  Or, is it creating a new timeline every time he journeys further into the past?  If so, how does him traveling into our present somehow create the Scarlet Centurion?  Did it somehow call him from the past?  After all, he was active much earlier than our present day.  Moreover, the firewall has apparently given him a new power, the ability to decay an item by (presumably) reversing time to when it wasn't built.  Maybe?  It's very unclear.  Also unclear?  Why the remaining Avengers -- Captain America, Thor, and Vision plus Hercules and the new Wasp -- hate Spider-Man.  Aside from Nadia (who hates him because wasps hate spiders, which makes no sense unless Nadia somehow thinks she's a wasp), I'm assuming it's because Spidey sided against them in the Civil War.  Peter has offered to fund the Avengers to replace Tony's funding (since he's apparently broke again), and he explicitly views it as a way to make amends.  But, I honestly have no idea which side any of these characters chose, because, as my review of "Civil War II" #6 probably made clear, that entire scene is a disaster.  Basically, the only highlight of this issue is Nadia riding Redwing.

Batman #10:  First, Janín is an excellent match for this title, giving off a similar vibe as Capullo.  However, we have moments here where his visual storytelling tells a story I don't quite believe.  It's not his fault, because he's working with the script King gave him.  But, we have a number of sequences that just don't make sense.  For example, we start with Batman fighting the dozens (if not hundreds) of troops who meet him on the beach when he arrives at Santa Prisca.  As he leaps into the melee, a number of troops open fire.  In theory, they might not be able to hit the great and powerful Batman, but it's likely they'd at least wing one of their compatriots.  That doesn't seem to happen, though.   Everyone just keeps on fighting Batman even though their colleagues have opened fire on them.  Then, we have Batman having his back broken not once, but twice -- the first time by Bane and the second time when Bruce inelegantly falls into the hole where Bane spent his childhood.  (Bane conveniently throws him into  said hole with his gauntlets and their razor-sharps fins, meaning Batman spends about 17 minutes there instead of 17 years, as Bane did.)  Through all these moments, Bruce is undaunted.  In fact, throughout the issue, he repeats the same phrases, making me think he was the Ventriloquist's dummy.  That would've at least explained his seeming immortality in this issue.  But, given the concluding scenes, I don't think he was a dummy.  He just now seems completely immortal, able to withstand dozens of troops firing on him and broken backs as if they were gnats or splinters.  It doesn't exactly make for great drama.

Champions #2:  If "Avengers" #1 was disappointing, it's probably because Waid put all his energy into this issue.  It's perfect in almost every way.  Unlike Bendis' interchangeable characters in "Civil War II," everyone has an incredibly clear and nuanced voice here.  For example, Kamala is bossy throughout this issue, but Waid has her specifically refuse to be the "mom," forcing other team members to do things they don't want to do.  Kamala's vision is one of adventure and justice, and the other team members are all on board.  The most touching moments involve Viv, from the name of her WiFi password ("evenanandro1dcancry") to admitting to Nova she's hasn't kissed anyone (in response to his question) to vouching for Scott because he tried to save them from the Hulk without even knowing them.  Kamala's refusal to be the authority figure and Viv's intuitive grasp of Scott's motives are just two examples of the unexpected insights that pour from Waid's keyboard.  The fact that it all happens over the course of a camping trip designed to help them get to know each other makes it teen-rific.  I honestly can't wait to see where we go from here.

Justice League #7:  It's hard to put my finger on what exactly is going so wrong here, but, if I had to guess, it's that Hitch doesn't seem to be trying too hard.  His Rao story in "Justice League of America" was legitimately breaking new ground.  The idea of a Kryptonian god returned to "save" Earth (and prolong his life in the process) put the characters in new situations, and it was fun to watch how they reacted.  This two-issue arc was the opposite of that.  It's based on the overused trope of the heroes having to overcome their greatest fears to defeat whatever monster it is that attacked them (Hitch never really gives us any details about it).  As such, we get a tour of the League's greatest fears in the process, and they're either too obvious (Batman worrying his guilt will overcome him) or too unclear (I'm not exactly sure what Wonder Woman feared).  Just as Aquaman and Wonder Woman are going to go all "Squadron Supreme" and conquer the world (for reasons somehow connected to their fears), Jessica dispels the monster because...she conquered her fear?  In other words, it's just a mess.  Hitch leaves out too much information to be able to understand what we're seeing, and it's over before we have a chance to get that information.  I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be getting this title...

Moon Knight #8:  I realized at the end of this issue that I was holding my breath.  This issue is really one of the issues of the year for me.  Holy crap.  The use of separate artists for each of Marc's personas pays off amazingly in the last panel, when we return to the series' original style and tone.  This abrupt change makes it clear that Marc is trying to assert control over his separate personas but that it's still unclear if he's going to be successful.  Exciting times, folks.

Nightwing #8:  Nope, I totally didn't tear up a bit when Bruce told Nightwing he didn't fall, but jumped since he knew Dick would catch him.  Nope.  Seeley really sticks a better landing than I thought he would in this issue.  I initially rolled my eyes at the idea of Raptor knowing Mary Lloyd, Nightwing's mother, because it seemed Seeley was going for the unseemly reveal that Raptor was really Dick's father (or something equally ridiculous).  But, thankfully, he didn't go that way.  Raptor was just a circus kid with leprosy who Mary treated well, and he loved her for it.  Facing discrimination as a Roma in France, Raptor's hatred of the one percent is real, and it drives his fury at Bruce Wayne giving Dick a future he feels Mary would've rejected.  If this issue has one failing -- and it's a slight one -- it's that I wish Seeley had more time to give us insight into Mary.  If I follow correctly, we learn she was French here, but after breaking into the home of the Mayor of Paris with Raptor -- payback for not distributing the leprosy medication to the circus earlier -- she goes on the run.  It's a pretty dramatic re-telling of her origin story (to the extent she had one), and Dick's vague memory of seeing Raptor at the circus as a child appears to confirm Raptor wasn't inventing it.  But, we never really revisit it one way or another as Seeley rightfully shifts his focus onto Bruce and Dick.  At any rate, this issue caps off this first arc in a solid way, putting the Parliament of Owls behind us and setting up Dick's move to Bludhaven.

Spider-Man 2099 #17:  I have to say, this series is really fun.  Miguel's world is often a dark one, but David always manages to inject a liveliness into it that few other authors can match.  Here, he finds it by pairing up Miguel with the Captain America of 2099.  They make for an excellent pair as they compete to see who has a drier sense of humor.  The plot is also getting more and more interesting.  We learn from Elektra that the Fist is an off-shoot of the Hand not satisfied with assassinations; it also wants to overthrow the United States.  (It's good to be clear on your corporate strategy.)  As powerful as the Fist may be, these three clearly intend to give it some trouble.

Unworthy Thor #1:  There is possibly no man sexier in the Marvel Universe than Coipel's Odinson.  Seriously.  Every time he draws him, you have to just take a moment and acknowledge why an unending legion of women has taken numbers to go to bed with him.  When you add in the brooding that his current state inspires, well, it's about all my gay, former French major heart can take.  As Aaron says in his note at the end of this issue, he's been planning this story for a long time.  This effort paid off clearly when I didn't roll my eyes at the revelation that another hammer exists.  Aaron clearly knew where this story was going when he originally took away Thor's hammer during "Original Sin," and it's Ultimate Thor's hammer from "Secret Wars" that opens the door to Odinson's return as Thor.  Given Jane's popularity, it was never going to feel right for Odinson to reclaim the hammer from her, but Aaron always knew it wasn't going to have to go that way.  Ultimate Thor's hammer gives us the opening, but Aaron makes it clear that Odinson still has to get through the door.  Doing so is made all the more difficult by the fact that someone stole Asgard, but we didn't expect it to be easy, did we?  One question I had here (beyond, obviously, what Nick Fury told Thor) is where Asgard supposedly was.  I thought Asgardia was Asgard, for all intents and purposes.  When Thor went looking for Asgard, are we talking about the planetoid on which the city of Asgard used to sit?  It would nice for that part to be a little clearer.

Also Read:  Midnighter & Apollo #2

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The October 26 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

All-New, All-Different Avengers #15:  In all seriousness (really), the best part of this excellent issue may be the letters page!  Roman's letter explaining No-Prize rules and Alanna's responses are LOL funny, and, as an oldster like Roman, it makes my FOM heart glad.

Captain America:  Steve Rogers #6:  The problem with this series at this point is that the shtick at its core -- Steve Rogers as a HYDRA agent -- is starting to get old.  I'm not saying it isn't well executed. In fact, Spencer has probably given us the best "Civil War II" tie-in issues, showing how Steve is manipulating the civil war between the superheroes to advance his own agenda.  But, at some point, we know this story is going to end.  The only suspense is how it ends.  Will Steve publicly be revealed as a HYDRA agent, destroying decades of credibility?  It would fit with the post-"Civil War II" theme we saw in the "Champions" debut, of a world that has entirely lost faith in its "heroes."  But, can Marvel really do that to the brand?  It feels more likely Kobik will just will away the entire experience.  It's that possibility that's starting to make this series feel tedious.  Marvel seems to have grand plans for the Red Skull ever since he took Xavier's brain in "Uncanny Avengers."  But, it's been over four years since that happened.  Are we ever going to see a reckoning?  Until then -- when presumably he'll lose control over Kobik and said wiping will occur-- we're just spinning our wheels here, waiting for the inevitable psychic plane battle between Johann and Steve that we already saw at the end of "Captain America:  Reborn."

Champions #1:  I don't have too much to say about this issue, since Waid hits most of the marks well. It's not the most exciting way to get the team together, but it works, so I'm not complaining.  Waid's decision to separate the younger Avengers from the team feels right, disgusted as they are in the way the adults spend more time fighting each other than injustice.  It's the sort of optimism the young can have despite all odds, so it makes sense that Kamala, Miles, and Sam hit the road.  The challenge for Waid is going to be to test them, but not leave them completely disillusioned.  "New Warriors" collapsed in part because everything was so grim all the time.  Waid probably needs to have Kamala's promise of a better way -- where people with powers aren't just pounding people who don't have powers -- persist in despite of adversity.  Otherwise, it's going to be just another team book, and these characters are too good for that.

Civil War II #6:  I officially have no idea what's happening anymore.  We've got a burning Triskellion that I don't remember ever being attacked.  We've got the fact that I'm not really clear on which side most of the characters have taken, a confusion exacerbated when a number of them switch sides this issue.  (When did Jean and Storm start worshiping Queen Carol?  Why is T'Challa an asshole simply for disagreeing with Carol based on pretty sound evidence that Ulysses' predictions can be wrong?)  We've got the false equivalency of Cap and Miles standing at the Capitol next issue proving Miles doesn't kill him, even though it only prove Miles doesn't kill him in that exact moment.  We've got the junior Avengers praising someone named RiRi for her actions on the field, but I don't remember even seeing her last issue, let alone seeing her do anything.  I could re-read issue #5 and then this issue and try to make sense of it all, but I don't really care enough to do so.  If Marvel doesn't care enough to put out these issues on anything approaching a regular schedule, why should I put in the work trying to understand the story?

New Avengers #17:  We learn three important things in this issue.  First, the Maker is trying to reconstruct the original multiverse and make it stronger so we're ready for some sort of coming war.  (Isn't there always some sort of coming war?)  Second, 'Berto didn't lose his powers, but doesn't use them because it costs him several years of his life every time he does.  Third, Dum Dum Dugan's prime body is alive.  Taken together, it clears up some of the mystery hanging over this series.  "Berto seems to be preparing to finish off A.I.M next issue and it seems like H.A.M.M.E.R is in his sights after that...if he survives the experience, as the cover to next issue implies.

Prowler #1:  I was excited about this series, since Prowler has been one of my favorite B-Listers ever since I first encountered him in "Amazing Spider-Man" #304.  These types of characters don't get a lot of chances to shine.  For every surprisingly successful "Hawkeye" run, there's a dozen or so "Black Knight"s or "Red Wolf"s, where the creative team isn't able to convince anyone beyond long-time fans to return for issue #2.  I'm worried Hobie is going to fall into that category.  Marvel is giving a number of B-Listers and C-Listers their own series this month, and I've read a few of the first issues.  The "Solo" debut was solid, giving new readers a good idea of his modus operandi but focusing enough on action to keep the casual reader engaged.  Unfortunately, Ryan fails to do that here.  He not only spends too much time narrating Hobie's past, but the casual reader has to be following all the twists and turns of the "Clone Conspiracy" event to have a hope of understanding what happens in this issue.  It's that sort of in-universe focus in a first issue that can kill a series before it gets off the ground.  My opinion is obviously colored by the fact that I'm not buying what Slott is selling in "Clone Conspiracy," but I feel like we don't even have a chance of Hobie getting to stand on his own two feet before the axe drops on this series.

Also Read:  Extraordinary X-Men #15; Ms. Marvel #12; Poe Dameron #7; Star Wars #24