New Warriors #12 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I think that I've rated every issue of this series at three stars, meaning that it's been "consistently solid" if not "amazingly brilliant."  But, "consistently solid" clearly doesn't hack it in the comic industry now-at-days, so this issue is the last one.

Yost and Burnham do their best to wrap up the High Evolutionary saga, but it's obviously rushed.  We never learn why Zuras wanted to eliminate all non-humans; he simply blames it on the High Evolutionary misinterpreting his instructions (something that we all know isn't true) and "kills" him to prevent him from dissenting from this view.  Yost and Burnham are also forced to level up Vance to an almost unbelievable extent.  The newly defined pet peeve #3 is in full effect here as Speedball and Sun Girl marvel at how they didn't know that Justice was so strong; just because they acknowledge that it's from left field doesn't make it OK.  Moreover, the Warriors make short work of the Eternals, despite having fallen to them fairly easily the last time that they faced them.  You'd think that they'd be even less able to win this fight after going a few rounds in the High Evolutionary's life-force draining machine, but you'd apparently be wrong.

Despite all that, though, it's still a solid issue.  Maybe the Warriors just got a bunch of lucky critical hits and the Eternals got a bunch of unlucky critical misses.  It happens.  Also, nothing says that we always have to learn the villain's plans at the end of the arc.  Yost and Burnham make it clear that the Warriors aren't going to disband, so we'll just have to trust that they'll be on the alert if Zuras tries whatever it was that he was trying again.  After all, the sense of fun that Yost and Burnham have infused into this series makes you willing to make these leaps of faith.

Although this series was never my favorite, I'm still sad to see it ending.  The authors really seemed to be building to something.  But, it seems part of this trend lately to make sure no one ever gets to hit their stride.  You can't risk a few mediocre issues of "consistently solid" to allow a creative team to find its footing.  It's much better just to cut off the story and release a new #1 issue.  As such, it seems that we're just more and more never getting to "amazingly brilliant."  I'd really be game for a future arc where Vance finds the truth behind Zuras' plans and takes the fight to him.  But, we're probably just destined to see the Warriors as supporting characters in some cross-over event or some sort of limited series, maybe comprised entirely of #1 issues.  Fare ye well, Warriors.  You deserved better.

*** (three of five stars)

New Warriors #11 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

It's a shame that this series is ending, because Yost and Bertram really deliver a great issue this issue.  Speedball's narration is an effective device for conveying the seriousness of the Warriors' situation as they try to at least slow down the Eternals from committing various genocides (against clones, Inhumans, mutants, etc.).  The pair manages to work in moments of emotion (such as Kaine expressing unexpected fury at news that Vance may be dead) and humor (like Sun Girl telling Haechi that the noise he makes breathing fire is a totally acceptable rallying cry).  As a result, the team feels like one for perhaps the first time, making it all the more bitter-sweet that the series ends with the next issue.  But, Yost and Bertram promise us a helluva issue to close.  It's clear that the Eternals' leader isn't telling the truth about the real nature of his alliance with the High Evolutionary to the rest of his team, and Vance is going to be the guy to save the day.  I can't think of a better ending.

**** (four of five stars)

New Warriors #10 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

If I'm being honest, I can't say that I'm devastated that this series is being canceled.  It's been a solid outing, but it's definitely missing something.  I want to say that I'm really engaged with the New Warriors' fight with the High Evolutionary, the Evolutionnaries, and the sub-Celestial squad that appears at the end of this issue, but it'd be a lie.  "Atlantis Attacks" was really the High Evolutionary's moment in the sun, and every story in which he's appeared since then just feels like a re-hashed version of that.  This one is different only because we get the addition of the always-confusing Evolutionnaries, whose motives seem to change with every author that uses them.  I'm not sure if Yost made the best call starting this series with this arc, particularly since the Warriors that I remember were a lot more street level than this team has been.  But, again, it's not bad so much as it's just average, and average doesn't really cut it for series in this this market place that don't involve Wolverine.

*** (three of five stars)

New Warriors #9 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I was never really sold on the idea of Kaine in the New Warriors.  It seemed obvious that Yost hadn't gotten a chance to wrap up "Scarlet Spider" the way that he wanted, so he threw Kaine on the team to give him some more time with the character.  In other words, if any other author was writing this series, Kaine wouldn't be on the team.  But, I was totally OK with it, since I'm just glad to see Kaine.

But, Yost really sells me on it here.  Justice's speech to him at the end made as much sense to me as it did to Kaine.  Worry that you're a monster that's going to kill a lot of people?  Be on a team with people that can stop you.  Worry that you're not a good enough person?  Be on a team with people that can inspire you.  It totally makes sense.

Along the way, Yost offers up a pretty hilarious story of a mascot gone wild.  Honestly, this one could've gone really badly, but Yost totally makes it work.  He uses the mascot as the embodiment of threats to Houston, the city that Kaine called his own for a while.  It forces Kaine to stay and fight, reminding us how much he overplays the idea that he's really a villain.  (Vance essentially says the same thing to him at the end.)

My only complaint about this issue is that I would've loved to have seen a little more of Wally.  Yost does what he can with the exchange, making it clear that Wally's gotten over his anger at Kaine and sees him the way that he used to see him, as a hero.  Kaine clearly hasn't, and it would've been nice to give Wally a chance to sell him on it a little more.  But, that's probably more about me missing "Scarlet Spider" than any failing of the story.

All in all, this issue is the most solid one of this series, though, again, it's probably because I just want to see as much Kaine as possible.  Regardless, it's always a pleasure to read such a well constructed done-in-one issue.

**** (four of five stars)

New Warriors #8 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

For a series trading on the name of a 15-year-old team, "New Warriors" actually seems to be doing a better job making me care about the newbies than the veterans.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I love me some Vance and Robbie.  But, it's the newer characters' interactions with them that allow us to see them in a different light.  Vance has always been a paragon of virtue, something that the old Warriors appreciates.  But, seeing him through Kaine and Water Snake's eyes, he might as well be wearing a cardigan and telling them to get off his lawn.  Moreover, it's Hummingbird that realizes that Robbie might not exactly be as recovered from his days as Penance as his return to his old costume implies.

But, everyone isn't just here to play second fiddle to Vance and Robbie.  Though I find Marvel's commitment to this Inhuman renaissance almost insufferable, I found myself really liking Haechi here.  Yost walks us through the emotional roller-coaster of his origin story without making it feel clichéd; even though the notes sound familiar, the song still manages to invoke some emotion.  Also, Sun Girl challenges Vance as not only the paragon of virtue, but also the heart of the team.  I could see her heroism inspiring even Kaine to stay.

The only off-note of this issue for me was the scenes with Silhouette, because I didn't remember who this other group of Inhumans were.  They wanted to impress Lash, but how?  Were they the ones that kidnapped Haechi in the first place?

All in all, though, I continue to find myself surprisingly charmed by this series.

*** (three of five stars)

New Warriors #7 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I know Marvel is really trying to make this Inhumans thing happen, but it really needs Rachel McAdams to tell them that it's not going to happen.

I mean, OK, I sort of get where they're going here.  Some of the newly minted Inhumans decide that they're superior to human, probably because their lives as humans weren't so great.  They've somehow all found each other, and they seem to follow a leader called Lash.  I get that part.  Sometimes, bullies are just waiting to get power to be born.  However, I'm not quite sure why they're so hellbent on recruiting Haechi, since they don't seem to be trying to recruit all the new Inhumans and he doesn't seem particularly interested in joining their ranks.  But, it seems like we'll learn more next issue.

Meanwhile, we've got some Celestial-powered humanoids arriving on Earth and the team on Wundagore Mountain can't find the source of evil that possessed Water Snake.  I'm glad to see Yost stay on this latter story, since I was worried that it would fade into the background without us getting an explanation.

Despite Marvel pushing the Inhumans bit, I like Haechi.  I'm eager to see us wrap up his origin story here so that we can move onto other pursuits, but I'm willing to give Yost an issue or two more to do so before I start complaining loudly.

*** (three of five stars)

New Warriors #6 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

OK, this issue is pretty awesome.  I liked that Yost didn't drag out the story behind whatever it was possessing Water Snake.  We didn't have to wait 20 issues for a revelation that made no sense.  (Can you tell I've been reading comics too long?)  That said, I'm hoping that it's not over, since I'm not entirely sure what happened.  An agent from the elder demon Chthon tried to gain a foothold in the world, possibly through Water Snake?  OK, sure.  But, Yost still needs to tell us how Water Snake found herself as the vehicle for that in the first place.  Was it connected to Mount Wundagore somehow?  If not, it's feeling a bit random.  

Water Snake aside, Yost also does a great job showing Vance hold his own with the Avengers.  When Cap throws Stamford at him, he throws the Civil War at Cap and Tony, reminiscent of Billy asking the superhero community during "Young Avengers:  The Children's Crusade" why people like Wolverine don't have to pay for their sins but Wanda would never be allowed to escape hers.  The Avengers brand is as tarnished as the Warrior brand, and the Avengers not seeing that gives Vance all the more reason to try to make the Warriors into something that inspires confidence again.  Moreover, Yost didn't just drop Mount Wundagore into New York Bay to set up that confrontation; it's also going to be the team's new HQ.  It's this type of layered storytelling that makes for a good book, and Yost shows all the skill that he displayed in "Scarlet Spider" is still there.  Great stuff.

Unfortunately, we're now due for the obligatory event tie-in issue, but hopefully we'll escape with minimum damage.  (Apparently the Inhumans have bad guys?)

**** (four of five stars)

New Warriors #5 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Yost moves us into the next phase of this series, allowing the characters to interact with one another outside a battle setting for the first time and adding layers of mystery to several of the characters in the process.

First, we're treated to yet more of Kaine and Vance's antagonistic yet vaguely chummy banter, the unexpected cornerstone of this series.  We learn that Vance thinks that Water Snake is actually Namorita, though she swears that she's the servant of the Queen sent to find Namorita herself.  Water Snake also has some sort of connection to a mysterious figure that haunts her throughout the issue and tells Canninus, one of the High Evolutionary's New Men, that he can save the Earth from the coming Celestials if the New Warriors free him from his prison.  Hummingbird's powers reveal to her that Robbie still views himself as Penance, and Roche does an amazing job making this scene creepy as hell.  Also, Canninus moves Wundagore Mountain to the New York Harbor.  In other words, we cover a lot of ground.

Yost keeps us moving at a brisk pace throughout these revelations, succeeding most of the time in not making the issue feel too expository (except for Vance's conversation with Water Snake, which flowed not at all from the previous discussion).  He manages not to make the Warriors becoming a team a foregone conclusion, with several of the characters making it clear that they have no intention of staying once they're done cleaning up the mess from their confrontation with the High Evolutionary.  He also keeps a light-hearted feel to this book, despite the ominous threats gathering around the Warriors.  It's definitely a solid start to this series.

*** (three of five stars)

New Warriors #4 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

With the team now fully assembled, Yost does a great job establishing the team dynamics, particularly focusing on characters who we haven't previously seen interact.  I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Justice and Kaine as team leaders.  Yost makes it clear that they're both world-weary warriors (heh), though Justice obviously brings a bit more positive energy to the role than Kaine does.  (I loved their almost monosyllabic discussion over whether Haechi was on their side.)  They're just two guys trying to get the job done.

Of course, Vance defines the "job" more expansively than Kaine does.  I loved most of the Warriors refusing Vance's offer of assembling a team to continue fighting the High Evolutionary and the Evolutionaries.  As I've said since the start, Yost is going to have to sell us on the reason why Vance and Robbie had to get the band back together again.  Although fighting one group of villains is a pretty limited reason, it'll keep us going for a while.

Yost makes it clear in this issue that we're not getting answers to the High Evolutionary and Evolutionaries' sudden pro-human conversions any time soon.  In this issue, we just see a mysterious figure warn them of the need to purify the Earth before the Celestials come to judge us.  However, Yost doesn't give us any insight into why the figure was so convincing that the High Evolutionary and the Evolutionaries so quickly ditched their deeply held beliefs about evolution.  We'll need that piece of the puzzle eventually, though I'm happy to wait.

*** (three of five stars)

New Warriors #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I'm not a huge fan of Sam Alexander (hence why I no longer get "Nova"), but I have to say that I enjoy Kaine not just having one, but two, tweens to annoy him.

Yost gives us the explanation that we needed about the High Evolutionary.  Claiming that the Celestials are coming to judge Earth (though not explaining how he knows that), the High Evolutionary has "realized" that humanity isn't the corrupting factor when it comes to evolution; all the other off-shoots of humanity -- the mutates, the mutants, the Inhumans, the Atlanteans, the clones, the hybrids (magical and alien) -- are.  He's apparently developing a device to turn everyone human, and the Evolutionaries seem to be collecting samples of the other "species," if you will, presumably for him to perfect his device.  Although clearly insane, in a, to quote Sam, "space Nazi" kind of way, it does at least make a certain sort of (sick and twisted) sense.  Sam enters the picture because the High Evolutionary needs his helmet to use the Worldmind to make his device more precise.  When the Evolutionaries arrive with Hummingbird, Scarlet Spider, and Water Snake after their confrontation in Mexico, suddenly one half of the team is assembled.

In New York, the other half of the team argues over their role in fighting the Evolutionaries, with Justice wanting to wait for the Avengers (despite, as both Justice himself and Sun Girl note, him being an Avenger) and Sun Girl wanting to go fight them immediately.  (She claims that the Inhuman they saved last issue just didn't appear coincidentally, given that he ate the Evolutionaries' energy blasts in this issue.  But, I'm not sure what she's arguing.  Did they go after him specifically for that power?  Is that why it's not a coincidence?)  Justice decides they have to find Nova (though, again, I'm not entirely sure why), and you can see pretty clearly how the team will stand assembled next issue.

I'm not really sure how long I'm going to be getting this series.  I'm getting A LOT of comics right now, and, frankly, I'm only here for Kaine.  But, I'll definitely hang in there for this arc and then make some sort of decision.

*** (three of five stars)

New Warriors #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I'm still not entirely sure why the Evolutionaries have switched from pro-mutant to pro-human or why the High Evolutionary appears to have thrown in his lot with them.  But, Yost makes it pretty clear that he's getting there, so I'm not in a rush.  Meanwhile, he's moving everyone into position for the eventual team-up, sending Justice and Speedball to New York to look up the Evolutionaries in the Avengers' files just in time to meet Sun Girl as she tries to defend the Morlocks from the Evolutionaries.  Along the way, Yost continues to have a way with dialogue; I particularly enjoyed Sun Girl in this issue.  ("Step away from the weird sewer people.")  Yost's challenge after this initial arc ends is going to be to sell us on a reason why the Warriors are going to stay together as a team.  He seems to set up that reason here, since the now-global Avengers aren't even in New York to help Sun Girl.  But, again, I'm not rushing it.  For now, it's fun just to read a comic that so far isn't taking itself too seriously.

*** (three of five stars) 

New Warriors #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue is fun, but Yost doesn't rest on his laurels.  He makes it clear that he intends for us to have a good time but won't be skimping on the gripping stories.  I'm still skeptical of Kaine's membership in the New Warriors, but I'm at least glad that Yost is invoking the same sort of vibe that he used in "Scarlet Spider."  It should be a good fit for the Warriors.

That said, the High Evolutionary seems like an odd choice for the Warriors' first viallin, and I'm somewhat confused by his game plan here.  Why has he suddenly turned against the New Men and other mutants?  The Evolutionary seemingly kills Bova here, declaring that she was never meant to exist (despite the fact that he created her).  He also seems to have a mad-on for anyone not purely human, something that seems to be a deviation from his usual position, of wanting to advance humanity.  Hopefully all will be revealed.

In the meantime, Yost gives us some insight into the Warriors' lives before they join the team.  Aracelly and Kaine are in Mexico.  Although I'm glad to see them, I'll admit that I was annoyed by the description of Aracelly as a demi-god, since I don't think that we ever established that in "Scarlet Spider."  However, I'm glad to see that Robbie has returned to his wise-cracking ways and that Penance is a thing of the past.

In other words, it was a "fly by the seat of your pants" sort of debut, but it was sufficiently solid to get me to the second issue.

*** (three of five stars)