I've read several issues this week where the plot flowed logically from each event and I'm glad to say that the streak continues.
I wasn't entirely sure why Loki would be involved in World War Hate. I mean, old Loki, sure, he'd totally be on the front lines. But, young Loki is trying to make amends. Why would he be involved? But, Ewing has a great answer: Gram, the Sword of Truth. Valeria hooks up Gram to an orb that broadcasts its power throughout Latveria, saving the Latverians from themselves by showing them their actual emotions. Consequently, Doom faces the truth about himself; whatever it is, it horrifies him. In showing us this scene, Ewing reminds us just how self-deluded Doom is. It's not like we don't know that, but it's interesting to see it so clearly.
Moreover, Loki finding himself in Latveria just in time to save the day doesn't feel like an overly convenient plot device. It builds off the revelation that old Loki is lying to Freya, because the world of the future that he's trying to ensure comes to pass is only a golden age for him, with Earth ruined. Doom obviously wanted to avoid that happening, setting up the kidnapping of Loki. In other words, it's a logical sequence of events. By revealing old Loki's lies, Ewing also becomes one of the few authors to use a tie-in issue to forward the series' ongoing plot. It's solid work from start to finish.
**** (four of five stars)
Showing posts with label March to Axis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label March to Axis. Show all posts
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Captain America #25 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
At some point in this issue, you start to wonder if the diarrhea and flatulence jokes are going to end. No, really. It really starts to sound like Bendis had returned to write the Avengers. I know Remender meant to use these jokes to convey a sense of celebration, but they just keep going and going well beyond the time when anyone over the age of eight would find them funny. Moreover (and unforgivably), he slights Jarvis by implying that he failed to make enough food, a charge that, among all the unbelievable parts of this issue, is the most difficult to believe.
Speaking of the unbelievable parts of this issue, I don't really get why Jet flies off the handlebars at Sharon's accusations. I mean, sure, I get why she would be upset. But, would she really throw in her lot with her father so quickly? She didn't really see a middle ground? She evaded capture easily here. She could've instead hidden somewhere for a while, approached Sam, and negotiated her return. Or, if she really was innocent, she could've just surrendered. After all, she knows that Zola used her to spy, so it stands to reason that Tony could've found the device that he used. Again, I get why she's upset, but I don't know if I buy that she was so upset to return to Zola. I mean, she even rebuffs her long-lost brother's efforts to stop her, claiming that he had a moment to have her back. However, it wasn't like they had some huge meeting and he remained silent throughout it. Was he supposed to punch Cap or Sharon at some point during the one- or two-minute window when Sharon accused Jet of treachery and Steve tried to arrest her? Him trying to stop her from returning to Zola before they could get to the truth is him having her back.
The problem is that Remender doesn't really have time to do everything that he wanted to do. It's like he wrote a 44-page issue and Marvel cut 22 pages. He should've taken the full 22 pages to end the Zola saga and then addressed Sam taking over the shield. Instead, we're forced to summarily dismiss Jet and hurriedly introduce Sam as Captain America, and neither character deserved such a fate. To make matters worse, we get a four-page epilogue that establishes one of the long-serving Avengers as a traitor colluding with HYDRA and re-introduces the Drain. I know that it's supposed to set up the re-launch of the series as "All-New Captain America," but, honestly, I would've preferred that we at least sent off Jet in a way that made me understand why she felt the need to return to her father. Then, we could've set up Sam's debut. Sure, it might've meant that this series didn't end on the nice odd number of 25, but it would've been the ending that this amazing series deserved.
** (two of five stars)
Magneto #10 and Uncanny Avengers #25 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I'm including "Magneto" #10 with this review since it essentially takes places within the confines of "Uncanny Avengers" #24. We watch the Skull use Xavier's telepathic powers to torture Magneto with the memory of his concentration-camp jailer, until Alex, Rogue, and Wanda free him at the end of both issues. It's not essential to understand the events of "Uncanny Avengers" #25, so you can skip it if you're looking for tie-in issues that you can safely avoid. However, it does give the reader better insight into why Magneto ends issue #25 the way that he does, submitting to his rage and killing the Red Skull.
Notably, Magneto does so without using his mutant power, beating the Skull to a pulp with his own hands (and, later, a concrete block). One thing that "Magneto" #10 does give us that "Uncanny Avengers" #25 doesn't is the scene where Magneto bites on a capsule of mutant-growth hormone (MGH) once the Avengers free him, giving him the powers that we see on display in parts of issue #25. I'm not really sure why Remender didn't include that part in issue #24, to be honest. In fact, if I had one complaint, it's that the rescue scenes in both issues play out differently. Beyond the MGH discrepancy, the dialogue is also entirely different. It's not a fatal flaw, but it seems a weird oversight for two books where the authors are theoretically telling the same story.
Magneto's murder of the Skull actually allows for the release of Onslaught, clearly setting up the start of "Axis." Thankfully, Remender doesn't just use it to segue into the main event. He also shows how Magneto has returned to his roots. Despite his efforts to change, the Magneto that we see here is exactly the same guy that we saw when he appeared in Cape Citadel. He's not only fueled by his rage (a rage that we understand a little better after the trip down bad-memory lane in "Magneto" #10), but he's also confident that he, and only he, can save humanity. We're beyond him helping Scott Summers implement his vision for mutantkind. In other words, Magneto is back...just in time for the Skull to become Onslaught.
One interesting question left hanging out there is the future of Charles Xavier. Alex himself starts to raise the possibility that Charles' brain could be used to resurrect him, and Remender seemed to be leading us in that direction last issue as well, with Charles speaking to Rogue in her memories. Remender now appears to have taken that possibility off the table, with Xavier's brain clearly crushed in this issue, making me wonder what outcome this event is going to deliver. Also, I don't think we ever got an explanation of why the Skull kidnapped Alex, Rogue, and Wanda in the first place. Are we going to see him similarly start attacking the X-Men to fill his concentration camp? Or, were they just there to set the plot in motion?
On the eve of "Axis," I can't say that I have a firm grip on the Skull's plans. Sure, he's got his concentration camp, but it seems unlikely that he would think that he'd really manage to get every mutant on Earth into it. It's clearly just a stepping stone. The question is whether it's setting up something that we'll see in "Axis" or if it's going to be like "X-Men: Prelude to Schism," where it has no impact on the actual story. I guess we'll see.
*** (three of five stars)
Notably, Magneto does so without using his mutant power, beating the Skull to a pulp with his own hands (and, later, a concrete block). One thing that "Magneto" #10 does give us that "Uncanny Avengers" #25 doesn't is the scene where Magneto bites on a capsule of mutant-growth hormone (MGH) once the Avengers free him, giving him the powers that we see on display in parts of issue #25. I'm not really sure why Remender didn't include that part in issue #24, to be honest. In fact, if I had one complaint, it's that the rescue scenes in both issues play out differently. Beyond the MGH discrepancy, the dialogue is also entirely different. It's not a fatal flaw, but it seems a weird oversight for two books where the authors are theoretically telling the same story.
Magneto's murder of the Skull actually allows for the release of Onslaught, clearly setting up the start of "Axis." Thankfully, Remender doesn't just use it to segue into the main event. He also shows how Magneto has returned to his roots. Despite his efforts to change, the Magneto that we see here is exactly the same guy that we saw when he appeared in Cape Citadel. He's not only fueled by his rage (a rage that we understand a little better after the trip down bad-memory lane in "Magneto" #10), but he's also confident that he, and only he, can save humanity. We're beyond him helping Scott Summers implement his vision for mutantkind. In other words, Magneto is back...just in time for the Skull to become Onslaught.
One interesting question left hanging out there is the future of Charles Xavier. Alex himself starts to raise the possibility that Charles' brain could be used to resurrect him, and Remender seemed to be leading us in that direction last issue as well, with Charles speaking to Rogue in her memories. Remender now appears to have taken that possibility off the table, with Xavier's brain clearly crushed in this issue, making me wonder what outcome this event is going to deliver. Also, I don't think we ever got an explanation of why the Skull kidnapped Alex, Rogue, and Wanda in the first place. Are we going to see him similarly start attacking the X-Men to fill his concentration camp? Or, were they just there to set the plot in motion?
On the eve of "Axis," I can't say that I have a firm grip on the Skull's plans. Sure, he's got his concentration camp, but it seems unlikely that he would think that he'd really manage to get every mutant on Earth into it. It's clearly just a stepping stone. The question is whether it's setting up something that we'll see in "Axis" or if it's going to be like "X-Men: Prelude to Schism," where it has no impact on the actual story. I guess we'll see.
*** (three of five stars)
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Loki: Agent of Asgard #6 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Ewing dedicates a lot of narrative here to explain the obvious: Dr. Doom traps young Loki outside space and time because he's afraid old Loki is going to destroy the world; this worry comes after he stumbles upon a future dystopian Earth where old Loki is making sure that his failure to spark a war between Asgardia and Heven didn't result in Earth being saved. The back-up story is similar weighed under narration, as we discover that the Red Skull may have started World War Hate after a construction worker and, later, his colleagues go on an unexplained rage-bender. It's just sort of meh.
** (two of five stars)
** (two of five stars)
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Uncanny Avengers #24 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
First things first, I've got to stress that I'm still not buying Alex's burned face. In "New Warriors" #9, Sun Girl gets healed of the burns that she suffered in the fight with the Inhumans thanks to the "amazing" technology in Mount Wundagore. We're really saying that no one associated with the Avengers can find a magical or surgical way to heal Alex's face, but an anthropomorphic dog and cat named Jake Waffles and Mr. Whiskers (respectively) can do so? Sure, it's not like it's essential to the plot. But, it's a reminder of the elements of the previous story that I still find unbelievable, like Alex and Janet remembering their time on Planet X. Thankfully, Remender moves off it after a beat and hopefully these reminders will similarly fade into the background.
On the subject at hand, I thought that the entire sequence with Logan was great. I loved that Remender had him actually accept that he was responsible not only for creating the Apocalypse Twins and Horseman Daken, but also for the sundering of the Unity Squad (since he tried to hide these crimes due to his guilt over them). One of the reasons why I'm not a huge fan of Wolverine is that he's always seemed to get a pass that no one else gets. It's actually why I was skeptical of Cap's furious response to these revelations in issue #9, because I wondered why it was only now that people started caring about the fact that their teammate was a remorseless sociopath.
However, everyone is now paying a consequence for giving Logan that pass to do whatever he wanted without facing the consequences, and I'm glad that Remender finally has him own it. It shows some actual character growth, capping off his evolution from assassin to professor that we've seen in recent years. Moreover, it underscores the growth that Rogue has already experienced, transitioning not just from villain to hero but also from someone who couldn't control her powers to someone that could. It reminds us why she's so upset to see herself at square one again. Remender puts Logan and Rogue on the same road to recovery, reminding us of the trauma that this team has suffered over the last few issues.
In taking these moments to establish where everyone was, emotionally, at the conclusion of the fight with the Apocalypse Twins, Remender really conveys the sense that we're reading about real people. Too often, characters in comic books just bounce from trauma to trauma, but Remender makes it clear that the Avengers' current emotional states will directly influence the events of Axis. I gets across the sense that it's hard to see how they're going to hold it together to face such an overwhelming threat as Red Onslaught, but I guess that it's why they're called heroes.
On a lighter note, I loved Magneto thinking that Rogue and Scarlet Witch came to save him. Seriously, it was hilarious. I loved Wanda essentially rolling her eyes at his ramblings about them turning traitor, dismissing him as if he were her racist grandfather that she was trying to keep quiet. It was great stuff. Remender could've gone for a much more straight-forward approach here, but this dialogue was so unexpected that it really brought you into the story all the deeper.
In other words, although we've had a bumpy few issues and some development that I'd rather forget, Remender puts us on firm ground here. I'm ready for "Axis" now. Bring on the Skull!
*** (three of five stars)
On the subject at hand, I thought that the entire sequence with Logan was great. I loved that Remender had him actually accept that he was responsible not only for creating the Apocalypse Twins and Horseman Daken, but also for the sundering of the Unity Squad (since he tried to hide these crimes due to his guilt over them). One of the reasons why I'm not a huge fan of Wolverine is that he's always seemed to get a pass that no one else gets. It's actually why I was skeptical of Cap's furious response to these revelations in issue #9, because I wondered why it was only now that people started caring about the fact that their teammate was a remorseless sociopath.
However, everyone is now paying a consequence for giving Logan that pass to do whatever he wanted without facing the consequences, and I'm glad that Remender finally has him own it. It shows some actual character growth, capping off his evolution from assassin to professor that we've seen in recent years. Moreover, it underscores the growth that Rogue has already experienced, transitioning not just from villain to hero but also from someone who couldn't control her powers to someone that could. It reminds us why she's so upset to see herself at square one again. Remender puts Logan and Rogue on the same road to recovery, reminding us of the trauma that this team has suffered over the last few issues.
In taking these moments to establish where everyone was, emotionally, at the conclusion of the fight with the Apocalypse Twins, Remender really conveys the sense that we're reading about real people. Too often, characters in comic books just bounce from trauma to trauma, but Remender makes it clear that the Avengers' current emotional states will directly influence the events of Axis. I gets across the sense that it's hard to see how they're going to hold it together to face such an overwhelming threat as Red Onslaught, but I guess that it's why they're called heroes.
On a lighter note, I loved Magneto thinking that Rogue and Scarlet Witch came to save him. Seriously, it was hilarious. I loved Wanda essentially rolling her eyes at his ramblings about them turning traitor, dismissing him as if he were her racist grandfather that she was trying to keep quiet. It was great stuff. Remender could've gone for a much more straight-forward approach here, but this dialogue was so unexpected that it really brought you into the story all the deeper.
In other words, although we've had a bumpy few issues and some development that I'd rather forget, Remender puts us on firm ground here. I'm ready for "Axis" now. Bring on the Skull!
*** (three of five stars)
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Magneto #9 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Bunn does a solid job of using this "Axis" tie-in issue not only to flesh out some of Magneto's past, but also to show how it affects his present behavior. I'm not collecting this series, but I'm inclined to do so based on this issue. Moreover, the art is really spectacular. It's suitably grim and realistic. I don't think I've seen work by Hernandez (art) and Bellaire (colors) before I hope to see more soon.
Magneto is in Genosha to look into the Red Skull's new mutant concentration-camps, and the sight not surprisingly reminds him of his time in the Nazi's camps. But, Bunn doesn't leave it at a simple metaphor; he actively uses the parallel to give us more insight into Magneto. Magneto reacts to disgust when two mutants refuse his offer to free them, in part because of the shame that he feels over not freeing himself from the Nazi camps when he was a child. It's a reminder of just how damaged Magneto is, so quick to anger over something that reminds him of his own (understandable) failings.
This self-delusion is clearly on display when the S-Men quickly overpower him in his failed attempt to assassinate the Red Skull. He realizes just how foolish he was to think that he could accomplish that goal in his under-powered state, making it clear that he still struggles to accept his current limitations. Honestly, I had never really thought about super-villains' self-defeating behavior in terms of an anger-induced rashness, but Bunn really gets into Magneto's head enough to convey that message. If Magneto was more at ease with himself, the events of this issue wouldn't have happened.
In terms of "Axis," Bunn seems to imply that Professor X is still active somewhere in Red Skull's brain and, if true, this event is going to be full of surprises.
**** (four of five stars)
Magneto is in Genosha to look into the Red Skull's new mutant concentration-camps, and the sight not surprisingly reminds him of his time in the Nazi's camps. But, Bunn doesn't leave it at a simple metaphor; he actively uses the parallel to give us more insight into Magneto. Magneto reacts to disgust when two mutants refuse his offer to free them, in part because of the shame that he feels over not freeing himself from the Nazi camps when he was a child. It's a reminder of just how damaged Magneto is, so quick to anger over something that reminds him of his own (understandable) failings.
This self-delusion is clearly on display when the S-Men quickly overpower him in his failed attempt to assassinate the Red Skull. He realizes just how foolish he was to think that he could accomplish that goal in his under-powered state, making it clear that he still struggles to accept his current limitations. Honestly, I had never really thought about super-villains' self-defeating behavior in terms of an anger-induced rashness, but Bunn really gets into Magneto's head enough to convey that message. If Magneto was more at ease with himself, the events of this issue wouldn't have happened.
In terms of "Axis," Bunn seems to imply that Professor X is still active somewhere in Red Skull's brain and, if true, this event is going to be full of surprises.
**** (four of five stars)
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Captain America #24 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Sam fucking Wilson, everybody.
Nobody has ever written Sam better than Remender. Seriously. In fact, I'm hard pressed to think of a character with a better combination of heroism, humor, and integrity than Sam displays under Remender. Throughout this issue, I found myself hoping that Steve really does listen to Sam and takes off time to be happy with Sharon and Ian, because, man, I really want to read a series about Sam as Captain America.
Beyond just the awesomeness of Sam, the rest of this issue is also great. The heroes discover that Zola's mutate invasion is just a cover to distract them from discovering his true plan: to set off a bomb to destroy New York. The scenario is certainly one that we've seen countless times in superhero comics, but Remender finds a way to infuse it with emotion and suspense. First, he reveals that Zola engineered Jet to return to Earth with Captain America so that he could spy on the Avengers. Although I would like more information on how exactly Zola used Jet to spy, the revelation explains why Zola didn't simply detonate the bomb; he needed time to convince Jet to leave with him. As a result, Zola isn't just a stereotypical villain monologuing to give the heroes time to stop him; he's delaying putting his plan into action on purpose to try to win back his daughter. It's this attention to detail that prevents the story from falling into a cliché, and I hope other authors use it as an object lesson on how you take a familiar comic-book trope and make it feel fresh.
Moreover, it's the revelation that Sharon and Steve have a child together -- in the most superhero way imaginable -- that begins to bring this series to a close. Red Skull and Arnim Zola stole one child from them, but they give them another one in the form of Ian, as Remender reveals that Sharon raised Ian after Steve left. As Sam says, you really feel that they deserve to be a family, and it's the anxiousness that something might happen to Ian or Sharon before they have the chance at it that fuels the tension of the latter part of this issue. It's a rare comic-book author that can bring this sort of emotion to a story, and it was a pleasure to read. Moreover, this feeling is amplified by the fact that it comes organically from watching these characters' struggles over the last 23 issues. With one issue left, I'm just hoping that Cap gets to ride into the sunset for a little while.
**** (five of five stars)
Nobody has ever written Sam better than Remender. Seriously. In fact, I'm hard pressed to think of a character with a better combination of heroism, humor, and integrity than Sam displays under Remender. Throughout this issue, I found myself hoping that Steve really does listen to Sam and takes off time to be happy with Sharon and Ian, because, man, I really want to read a series about Sam as Captain America.
Beyond just the awesomeness of Sam, the rest of this issue is also great. The heroes discover that Zola's mutate invasion is just a cover to distract them from discovering his true plan: to set off a bomb to destroy New York. The scenario is certainly one that we've seen countless times in superhero comics, but Remender finds a way to infuse it with emotion and suspense. First, he reveals that Zola engineered Jet to return to Earth with Captain America so that he could spy on the Avengers. Although I would like more information on how exactly Zola used Jet to spy, the revelation explains why Zola didn't simply detonate the bomb; he needed time to convince Jet to leave with him. As a result, Zola isn't just a stereotypical villain monologuing to give the heroes time to stop him; he's delaying putting his plan into action on purpose to try to win back his daughter. It's this attention to detail that prevents the story from falling into a cliché, and I hope other authors use it as an object lesson on how you take a familiar comic-book trope and make it feel fresh.
Moreover, it's the revelation that Sharon and Steve have a child together -- in the most superhero way imaginable -- that begins to bring this series to a close. Red Skull and Arnim Zola stole one child from them, but they give them another one in the form of Ian, as Remender reveals that Sharon raised Ian after Steve left. As Sam says, you really feel that they deserve to be a family, and it's the anxiousness that something might happen to Ian or Sharon before they have the chance at it that fuels the tension of the latter part of this issue. It's a rare comic-book author that can bring this sort of emotion to a story, and it was a pleasure to read. Moreover, this feeling is amplified by the fact that it comes organically from watching these characters' struggles over the last 23 issues. With one issue left, I'm just hoping that Cap gets to ride into the sunset for a little while.
**** (five of five stars)
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