Not-Very-New Comics: The September 26 Spider-Affinity Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #24-25:  I love Peter David, but this series has been a mess almost from the start.  To be fair, he inherited Dan Slott's terrible decision to turn lovable Ben Reilly into a crazed homicidal maniac, so he had a rough road before him.  He seemed to find his stride when he struck onto the idea that Ben would heal his soul -- and his face -- by doing good.  Ben really exemplifies the selflessness he used to exhibit here:  at the end of issue #24, he takes a bullet to prevent Cassandra from inadvertently running in its path.  Mephisto claims his soul and, to maximize the torture left in his wake, he allows Cassandra and Kaine to remember the truth about Ben.  To be honest, if David ended the series with someone allowing Ben to go to Heaven (instead of Hell), I'd be perfectly happy with how this series ended.  Ben died a hero, just as he did the first time he died.

But, it's here where David goes off the rails.  He brings back Abigail as the same kind of entity as Gabriel is, whatever that is.  To pay her debt to Ben, she returns him to life after proving Mephisto had stolen his soul prematurely.  (This part made no sense.  David seemed to be saying that Mephisto only won Ben's soul through machinations and as such he engineered it prematurely.  But...um...that's what Mephisto does.  Wouldn't everyone be saved if they were only going to Hell due to his machinations?)  Unfortunately, Abigail doesn't listen to Ben when he says Death told him he'd be irreversibly evil if he died and returned to life one more time.  As such, he is now fully evil, as he realizes when he kills a returned Misty without thinking.  (It turns out she's really a robot Mephisto created, so David hedges his bet here, allowing Ben to kill, but not really.)  He then seems to kill Kaine, but we know they're both in "Spider-geddon," so that seems unlikely.  Instead, the issue ends with him sobbing in the rain while Gabriel and his assistant somehow observe him.

In other words:  [sigh].  Again, David had a hard road here, because he had to undo the character assassination Slott committed against Ben in "Dead No More!:  The Clone Conspiracy."  But, I never really understood why he kept Ben in Las Vegas so long.  Originally, it seemed to be the first stop on his David Banner-esque journey across the country; he'd save Abigail, heal his soul a bit, and move onto the next case leading him down the road of Redemption.  But, instead, David got mired in Vegas, telling the same story about Abigail over and over again.  The interesting "The Incredible Hulk" premise was gone.  Ben Reilly deserved better than he got here, and I can only hope Marvel corrects course with "Spider-geddon."  Fingers crossed.

Edge of Spider-geddon #4:  Perhaps the most exciting part of this pretty exciting issue is the preface about this world being a relatively unexplored one.  It adds a layer of mystery, implying we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg and more will eventually be revealed.  In this reality, Peter Parker definitely seemed to have gained Spider-Powers, but it's unclear if he really became Spider-Man.  One way or another, he wound up working for Oscorp and a six-armed Norman, who apparently also gained Spider-Powers.  Peter and Harry eventually work against Norman, who seems all-powerful here in ways we've seen in other realities as well.  It's not clear why Harry and Peter finally turned against Norman, but at some point Norman discovers their treachery and kills Peter.  Peter's death activates a message to Harry, who makes his way into Oscorp HQ to retrieve -- in possibly the "Spider-Gwen" moment of this series -- the Kobold suit that he and Peter developed.  He successfully gets past Norman's defenses and discovers Norman has acquired a remnant of the Cosmic Cube, which Harry then dies destroying.  Before we can learn more, Spider-Punk whisks Spider-Norman into wherever it is the Spider-People are gathering.  It's all so great that I really wish we could get at least a miniseries showing how we got to this point.  At any rate, it only makes me more excited about "Spider-geddon," so mission accomplished, Marvel.

Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man #310:  I do not write the following statement lightly, given how many Spider-Man issues I've read, but Chip Zdarsky is possibly the best Spider-Man writer I've ever read.  I'm devastated he's leaving this title.  But, he leaves on the highest of notes, with a brilliantly laid-out tribute to Spider-Man.  He gets to the character's heart better than any other story I think I've ever read, at least since "Amazing Spider-Man" #314.  (Also, his Peter Parker is downright sexy.)  If you read one Spider-Man story ever, it should probably be this one.  Seriously.  I can't believe we only had a year and a half with him, but it's one of the best runs I can remember.  I'll see you in "Marvel Two-in-One," Chip!

Spider-geddon #0:  Oy.  As cool as it is to have the hero of the new Spider-Man video game make his first comic-book appearance, it would've been even the cooler if the story wasn't terrible.  I usually like Gage, but both Spidey and Otto sound like a 14-year-old boy wrote the script.  They're constantly confessing their feelings to each other, in a way that doesn't make sense for people who just met each other (particularly in Otto's case).  Plus, Gage overuses ellipses to make every statement of emotion seem...profound.  After five issues (including the "Edge of Spider-geddon" series), we at least finally learn in the back-up story how the Inheritors lay the groundwork for their escape.  I could've done with a lot more of the B story than the A story, though.

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #6

Not-Very-New Comics: The September 19 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #8:  This issue is very talky.  I mean, I’m feeling better about where this series is going, but, man, people are chatty here.  I'll start by saying I loved Aaron hearkening back to the good ol’ days where the Avengers seemingly spend most of their time arguing over the bylaws and chairmanship.  T’Challa’s taking on the role of chairman admittedly makes the most sense, given the extensive network of agents he controls; the Wakandans retrofitting of the dead Celestial’s body into a livable headquarters underlines that point.  That said, Aaron makes it clear it’s not going to be a smooth ride, given the tension between Carol and Tony as well as the romance between She-Hulk and Thor.  Thankfully, we’re not going to dwell on that too much longer, because -- in a turn of events I’m totally digging -- the Avengers wading into a war with Namor.  I was considering canceling this series, but I’m glad I hung in there.  This issue feels like a return to form.

Edge of Spider-geddon #3:  After “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2, you have to wonder if Jason Latour had any trepidation in creating Spider-Ben and Spider-Peter, as it’s hard to believe he could catch lightning in a bottle twice.  I'll admit this issue doesn't exactly rise to those heights.  But, it would be impossible to do so, as Spider-Gwen's first appearance was one of the highest highs I've experienced in my 35 years or so of reading comics.  (I remember closing the issue and wondering what I had just read.)  That said, it comes as close to that high as one could reasonably expect.  We’ve seen a lot of Uncle Bens over the years, but this one is the most real:  the dying Uncle Ben who gets a blood transfusion from his superpowered nephew and steals back years of love with Aunt May and adventures with young Peter.  We only know they’re both gone when we meet Spider-Ben, but their loss is almost impossible to bear by the end of the issue.  Latour beautifully mirrors Ben's melancholy with Peter's in those first days after his Uncle Ben's death.  Just like “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2, I had to read this issue twice to get all the nuances and references, but it’s well worth the time to do so.  It's one of the most innovative takes on Uncle Ben that we’ve ever seen, and I now find myself genuinely excited about “Spider-geddon.”

Return of Wolverine #1:  I didn't read Soule's "Death of Wolverine" miniseries, so I have to wonder if I'm as confused as I am here because of that.  That said, Logan is also confused, so maybe not.  Logan awakens with no memory of who he is, only to discover himself in a lab surrounded by dead bodies.  A scientist named Delacroix is (barely) still alive, and he tells Logan he has to stop someone named Persephone before she kills everyone in the world.  Delacroix is an expert in cloning, and it sounds like Persephone wants to clone everyone into amnesiac versions of themselves, as she seems to have done with Logan.  (Delacroix tells Logan he was a great man until Persephone stole that from him and that she wants to do the same thing to everyone in the world.)  Delacroix begs Logan to kill him, but a Soteira grenade does that for him.  (Persephone runs Soteira, as far as I can tell.  I also cannot help but confuse it with Sodexo, the French food-services conglomerate.  After killing all the scientists, I assume the assassins then swapped out the linens.)  Logan stumbles from the destroyed lab onto the nearby compound just in time to see Soteira gunning down everyone working for them.  Before they do, though, they take a teenager with them for reasons that aren't entirely clear.  His mother somehow (and suspiciously) survives the massacre and begs Logan to help her find her son because he's a "hero."  I can't tell if the story about Persephone and Soteira makes more sense if you've read "Death of Wolverine," but Soule does a decent job of making the outlines of the story clear, even if you haven't.  For an event as anti-climactic as this one, as we've known for months Logan is alive, Soule is doing the best he can to keep us engaged.

Thor #5:  In any other author’s hands, Logan as Phoenix at the end of the Universe would’ve been an eye-rolling gimmick, recalling the era in the 90s where he was everywhere as Marvel sought to capitalize on his popularity.  In Aaron’s hands, though, it somehow really underscores the tragedy at the heart of Logan’s narrative.  On some level, it makes sense that he, and he alone, is forced to facilitate the end of the Universe.  When Thor expresses shock that Logan wouldn't be thrilled that he (Thor) resurrected Earth, Aaron portrays Logan as the weary adult who can’t quite believe Thor remains the naive adolescent, even after all the is time.  Logan refers to Earth as the most dangerous world that ever existed, and it’s part of a wider narrative Aaron has been advancing in the “Avengers” about why Earth attracts the trouble that it does.  We are a poison on the Universe, and Aaron underlines that point by revealing the Big Bad is none other than an all-powerful Doom.  I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

X-Men:  Gold #36:  I only read this far into the series because I knew it was being canceled, so I figured I'd hang in there for a few issues.  Guggenheim unsurprisingly ends the issue by dedicating the run to Claremont.  At the very least, I acknowledge he captured the spirit of Claremont for most of this series.  But, he never quite displayed Claremont's knack for characterization, his ability to cram so much conflict and humanity into every issue.  This issue is a perfect example of that.

We start with Kitty half-heartedly calling Piotr and leaving him a voicemail message telling him -- somewhat unbelievably -- that her breaking off their engagement at the altar hurt her, too, you know.  (He should be glad he didn't marry someone who still leaves voicemail messages.)  Then, she and the X-Men race to help a 14-year-old whose powers just manifested.  Here, Guggenheim goes to an interesting place:  once Kitty walks the kid through getting control of his power, some guy shoots him in the head.  Kitty screams he wasn't hurting anyone, but the guy argues to the contrary, highlighting the devastation around them.  This part could've gotten interesting.  But, Guggenheim doesn't stick the landing.  The doctor at the hospital eventually refuses to put the kid under anesthesia in case his powers activate, opting instead to let him die.  Another doctor intervenes and says she'll do the surgery, because she feels like Kitty fulfilled the promise she made at the start:  she earned back people's trust.  You see, she's the woman who yelled at Kitty about mutants being dangerous in issue #1.  Shocker!  The woman assures us she now sees mutants as people, not mutants.

All I have to say is:  ugh.  Among the many problems here, Guggenheim totally dismisses the fact the original doctor raised a legitimate concern.  Kitty and the other doctor scream at him about discrimination, but I would argue the only real discrimination is that he doesn't put any effort into trying to resolve the situation.  He seemed to have a number of options here that he refuses to take.  Like, they're in New York:  no one has a hospital room equipped to handle mutants under anesthesia?  But, again, it's hard to argue he's wrong that the teenager poses a threat.  Kitty dismisses his concern as "unlikely," making a judgment she's really not qualified to make.  Why is she so sure the kid's powers won't activate?  Did she call Beast between panels?  It's easy to imagine Claremont using this set-up to go to a much more interesting place.  In other words, this story is no "God Loves, Man Kills."

One of the problems with this series from the start has been its inconsistent and often not-great art; this issue is no different.  In one scene, Kitty looks like Mr. Fantastic while showing her mid-riff.  But, the chaotic and hazy lines reflected the story all too well.  There's not a single issue of this series that didn't feel rushed, and I can't say I'm sad to see it go.  Claremont's amazing run on "Uncanny X-Men" was about the X-Men surviving against all odds, because of their commitment to each other and their cause.  Guggenheim's run was about...Kitty and Rachel being crappy girlfriends?  Whatever.  Onwards and upwards, X-Men.

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1; Captain America Annual #1; Mr. and Mrs. X #3; Multiple Man #4; Star Wars #54; Star Wars:  Lando - Double or Nothing #5; West Coast Avengers #2

Not-Very-New Comics: The August 29 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Edge of Spider-geddon #2:  Wow, this issue is intense.  It really invokes "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2, where we first met Spider-Gwen.  Thompson and Nadler fill out Peni Parker's story, introducing not only the VEN#m suit but also a lot of questions.  The authors start the issue by reminding us this Aunt May and Uncle Ben aren't the parental types.  They see Peni as little more than SP//dr's pilot.  May refuses to comfort Peni as she struggles with being "special," telling Peni she's not really special.  To May's mind, a lot of people work on the SP//dr project; Peni is just one of them.  This detachment sets the tone for the rest of the issue.  Peni is also understandably upset when she learns about the VEN#m suit, particularly the revelation it has equipment she doesn't.  It raises the obvious question of why Ben and May didn't just focus on making SP//dr better.  But, the decision to create a second suit might be explained by May's cryptic comments that Ben understood the dangers of the Sym engine when he installed it in VEN#m.  May tries to save VEN#m's teenage pilot as the engine possess her, but May is also lost to VEN#m.  Later, Ben only manages to admit to Peni he's not the best father when their conversation is halted when Spider-Ham arrives to take Peni with him.  As evident by this short review, Thompson and Nader cram in a lot of action and plot here.  Most importantly, they really nail the characterization.  I'm not sure we need a full-time series dedicated to SP//dr, but it's a thrill to see Peni and SP//dr back in the mix again.  

Extermination #2:  This issue is marginally better than the first one, as Brisson does a better job of conveying the original X-Men's emotions.  Scott serves as the reader's surrogate, reeling from the guilt he feels over Bloodstorm's death and the confusion they all feel over the situation.  Young Nathan ups the ante when he kidnaps Warren, though Jean and Scott are able to identify him before he disappears.  Meanwhile, Ahab arrives and appears to be acting independently of (and possibly at cross-purposes as) Nathan.  I'm guessing they're both trying to use the original X-Men to convince their older counterparts to advance their own agendas in the future, but that's still unclear.  However, I'm still not sure I care.  Although I mentioned Brisson does a better job of portraying the original X-Men's emotions, parts of this issue still make little sense or feel obviously wrong.  For example, Shatterstar seems an odd voice for outrage over Cable's death, given he's not really known for his emotions.  Second, it's hard to share his feelings since it seems unlikely Cable is going to stay dead for long.  Whatever.

Hunt for Wolverine:  Dead Ends #1:  This series of miniseries has really been much better than it had any reason to be.  The authors have really collaborated well on a story that strikes at the heart of the Marvel Universe.  It reminds me of the old days, when everyone would get together to attack a problem before we decided such stores had to revolve around how their personalities made that impossible.  Sure, Tony is an asshole, but he also knows it's Kitty's show after the mysterious Persephone kills ten mutants whose powers haven't manifested themselves yet.  I read "The Adamantium Agenda," so the revelation that Persephone swiped Mr. Sinister's DNA catalogue was particularly rewarding.  (FYI, it's how she's identifying the potential mutants.  Storm has to explain to Tony that she chose the perfect threat when she said she'd kill more unactivated mutants if they didn't stop hunting for Wolverine, since Cerebro can only track activated mutants.)  In "The Adamantium Agenda," we learned one of the mutants was a genetically-enhanced mole; I wonder how we're going to see that information unfold in "Return of Wolverine."  Meanwhile, I'm half-tempted to get Daredevil's Wolverine-related miniseries, particularly given the presence of Cypher.  All in all, I'm really happy how this understated event is developing, much to my surprise.

The New Mutants:  Dead Souls #6:  I'm honestly not sure what exactly we see happen here.  If I'm following the story correctly, the explosion in Warlock's cabin in Connecticut happened several months ago.  Xi'an sent Dani to find him, but he absorbed Dani because he was injured and needed her help.  Around the same time, Illyana realized that Xi'an was trying to weaponize magic, inspiring the team's off-the-books trips to New Orleans and the Arctic.  But, she's smart enough to realize it wasn't Xi'an so much as it was Tran manipulating Xi'an.  (Xi'an was motivated by a desire to give the mutants a company -- i.e., the Hatchi Corporation -- to control, like Rand, Stark, etc.)  We learn Xi'an's psyche has shattered as a result of years of Tran's manipulation and their eventual separation.  Surprising everyone, she possesses Illyana to attack Tran with the Soulsword, reabsorbing him.  Here, it gets weird.  (I know, as if it weren't already weird.)  It seems like Tran was somehow behind Warlock's problems.  Xi'an sent Dani after Tran not Warlock; Warlock was simply an unexpected complication.  (I don't think we learn how Tran came to possess -- as I'm assuming he did -- Warlock.)  But, Xi'an took advantage of the moment, and she's had Warlock stashed in a closet making replicas of the New Mutants all this time.  At this stage, it's fight time.  War-dani tricks Rahne into possessing her, and Illyana sends Boomer, Rictor, and Shatterstar to safety before summoning Guido.   But, Guido has a heart attack, and Illyana agrees to let Warlock try to save him.  (Guido has been in Limbo for years even though only 36 hours passed on Earth.)   But, it's a trap:  a now possessed War-guido takes control of Illyana.  Her/his plan realized, Tri'an calls "General Callahan" (as Tran) and promises test subjects (the New Mutants), but War-yana takes over Tri'an as well.  Unexpectedly, the issue ends there.  It seems pretty clear Rosenberg was planning to extend this series past six issues, and we seem likely to see something soon, as Dani, Guido, Illyana, Rahne, and Tri'an are left as part of the Warlock collective now.  But, Marvel might be right in having us stew with this shock for a few months before scratching our curious itch.

Nightwing Annual #1:  I've been pretty on board with Percy's dark-web story because it's an intriguing premise, the idea the machines are more actively controlling us than we think they are.  But, he always risked pushing too far with the social commentary, and we cross that line here.  This issue is essentially a screed against the modern news media.  Nightwing goes so far as to exalt the era when Walter Cronkite's had a total command of the truth.  Beyond the fact he was too young to remember that era (something he acknowledges), it's also a weird position to take.  (I'll let pass having Dick reminisce about the days when straight white men controlled the facts.)  I get that Percy has reinvented Dick as a Luddite, but that type of story feels very ten years ago.  No one living in this particular moment would think it's even possible to return to that world.  It's not about getting rid of technology; it's about managing how we use it.  I thought Percy was telling that sort of nuanced story, but the wheels seem to come off the bus here.  

X-Men:  Blue #34:  On the plus side, Bunn does an excellent job building to the moment when Magneto reforms Asteroid M and the Brotherhood.  After all, he's been building to this moment all series, and that careful spade work pays off here.  We're not seeing Magneto randomly embracing his dark side, as he often has in the past.  Instead, it's more like Scott Summers' gradual evolution into an extremist, with each development leading him farther and farther down that road.  Magneto is shaken to learn of the destruction in the future, though it's still unclear if it's all because of the war with the Reavers or not.  Nightcrawler, Jr. keeps insisting Magneto saved everyone from the Reaver virus, but older Scott tells Nightcrawler, Jr. he doesn't understand the full scope of Magneto's actions.  The older original X-Men try to prevent Mangeto from returning to the present after they realize he hasn't committed his greatest crime yet, but he manages to escape.  When he returns to the present, he finds the lab where the Reaver virus began and kills everyone there.  (Creepily, he leaves a statue of himself on the site, echoing the statues dotting the landscape in the future.)  My only criticism of these developments is Magneto is smart enough to realize that destroying the lab may very well be the "greatest crime" that sets in motion the events of that future.  He doesn't even pay that lip service here, which seems like an oversight.  Moreover, I'll admit it's hard to keep straight all the strains of time travel happening right now.  In "Extermination," we've got the young original X-Men in the present facing young Cable and Ahab from the future and here we've got the older original X-Men in the future facing Magneto from the present.  I like Bunn's story better, but it all contributes to the sense it really is time to wrap up the kids' story.

Also Read:  Dungeons & Dragons:  Evil at Baldur's Gate #5; Marvel 2-in-One #9; Ms. Marvel #33; The New World #2; Star Wars:  Lando - Double or Nothing #4