Batman #73: At this stage, my fervent hope is that, the day after DC publishes his last issue, Tom King tweets, "Can you believe I got DC to pay me all that money to set a bunch of public-domain poems and songs to pictures?" Because King engaged in some sort of long-game prank would be the only thing that would make this travesty of a run make sense.
Honestly, I don't know why I'm still reading. I guess I'm desperately hoping that King has some ace up his sleeve (and that Martha in a coffin in the desert isn't it). Ah, hope. Such a foolish thing. At this point I feel like you might accuse me of ad hominem attacks on King, but I fell like this issue, like its predecessors, is a failure if you measure it against any objective set of criteria.
First, the plot itself makes no sense. It's partly due to the DCnU/Rebirth ret-cons muddying the waters. King confirms that Bane broke Batman's back last issue, but it's hard to tell if it's the second time that he did so or if "Knightfall" never happened in the DCnU/Rebirth Universe. Either way, Thomas has fixed Bruce's back off-panel. Surgeons!
But, it goes beyond the DCnU/Rebirth problems. We're supposed to believe that Bruce has been unconscious for days and days and days. He was unconscious long enough for Thomas Wayne to fix his back, bring him to Khadym, and then drag him halfway through the desert without Bruce batting an eyelid. I assume that King wants us to assume that Thomas has drugged Bruce, but maybe King could've skipped one of the dozens of panels where Thomas is singing "Home on the Range" and have him actually mention that? Like, why have an author if we're just going to guess the plot? Just give all the money to Janín and we can make up our own dialogue in our heads!
We also have no idea why Bruce or Thomas does what he does here, particularly given that their actions don't really make any sense based on who we understand them to be. For example, Bruce pointedly asks Thomas why he worked with Bane, but Thomas doesn't answer. After all, if Thomas really just wanted Bruce to come with him to resurrect Martha, he could've just drugged him at the outset. Seriously. If we're to believe that Bruce doesn't have a resistance to whatever drug Thomas is presumably using here, we could've also believed that he was susceptible to it without the whole Bane subplot. Moreover, even when he eventually awakened, as he does here, Bruce Wayne would not be OK with resurrecting Martha. If Bruce wanted to put Martha in one of the Lazarus Pits, he had decades to do so. But, Bruce didn't. He did for his son, but he didn't do it for his mother. Maybe King is just asking us, hey, why didn't Bruce resurrect his parents but resurrected Damian? Honestly, that's not a bad question. But, he isn't asking that. I don't know what he's asking, but I'm pretty sure it's not that. So, I don't buy that Bruce just basically shrugs his shoulders and follows Thomas into the desert to do it now. I'm pretty sure Bruce would be aware that Gotham probably isn't doing great under Bane's control and would want to return to Gotham immediately. Instead, he and Thomas share a hug, and he all but starts calling him "Daddy."
I just can't with this series anymore. I guess I'll hang in there until issue #85, but, man, it's going to be rough.
Nightwing #61: This series is pretty much the only DC one I'm left enjoying (putting aside limited series like "Doomsday Clock" and "The Wild Storm"). In this arc, Jurgens has so far done a solid job of using the mysterious flame monster (or "Burnback" as Sapienza calls him) to allow each member of Team Nightwing to shine. But, this issue fell flat for me, as Jurgens leans on way too much narration to explain that Hutch's former partner -- the comatose cop at the center of the drama -- was a metahuman who could subconsciously summon the flame monster. Moreover, they don't actually know that; they're just like, "Huh, guess the guy was a metahuman. Brewskis anyone?". We also don't really get an explanation of how Burnback knew where to strike. Simply because he could summon a flame monster doesn't mean he can somehow keep telepathic tabs on his daughter, right? Whatever. After "Doomsday Clock" and "The Wild Storm" end, I might be done with DC.
Showing posts with label Nightwing (2016). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nightwing (2016). Show all posts
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Monday, June 17, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The March 20 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers #17: This issue is OK, though it felt rushed, to be honest. Aaron is trying to fit in a lot of plot here, so he resorts to having important sequences, like the Legion of the Unliving taking on the Winter Guard right before the Avengers arrive, occur off-panel. The battle itself between the Avengers and the Legion is fine, though Aaron again hurries the battle between Blade and Colonel, with Blade defeating him too easily. He also rushes to the conclusion that Dracula planned the entire "civil war." The Colonel is revealed to be his son, Xarus, and Dracula's goal all along was to get the Russians to imprison him in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, apparently because the radiation somehow heals him. (I'd love to see the physics of that.) But, this revelation doesn't explain why Dracula was willing to sacrifice all his subjects in Transylvania just to move his kingdom to Chernobyl. Couldn't he have just...snuck into the Exclusion Zone? Did he have to be invited to an entire geographic space? It isn't like Chernobyl is a house. Overall, it was still a strong arc, but I feel like an extra issue would've made it all the better.
Avengers: No Road Home #6: Although I know the authors are stoked about getting to use Conan and I'm loving Aaron's run on "Conan the Barbarian" itself, this issue was a dud to me. Even with the expanded length, they cover too much ground, literally and narratively. Conan and Wanda seem to cover the entire Thurian continent in search of the thieves who stole the shard. Some of the individual moments are great, but the authors move off them too quickly to advance to the next location. The arrival at Shadizar is a great moment, but it would've been even more impactful if I still hadn't been trying to figure out where they had been before they got there. Moreover, this specific flaw exacerbates the problem that I have with the regular series, where Aaron (and now the trio here) are telling stories across Conan's lifespan. Here, he loves Bêlit, but we haven't even met her in the regular series yet. I get that Conan fans will recognize all these various timeframes and characters, but it's a challenge for a newbie like me. As such, it feels like too much of the authors playing with a toy, particularly given the fact that Conan's presence here is a stretch from the start. I initially thought that they were going to connect Nyx with the Night-God whose worshipers Conan and Wanda encounter on the way to Shadizar. How cool would it have been if they had gone to all this trouble to shield Wanda's eyes so Nyx wouldn't know that they found the shard, only for the "Night-God's" worshipers to successfully open a portal to her? These missed opportunities are what make me feel like the authors are rushing through this mini-series just like Aaron is rushing through "Avengers."
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4-#5: For the fact that these issues involve Peter learning Aunt May has cancer, they're not as devastating as you'd expect them to be. But, it isn't necessarily a bad thing, to be honest.
In issue #4, Tayor wraps up the Underworld storyline in a fantastic way. The villain arrives demanding Spider-Man and the Rumor turn over his daughter and grandchildren, and they refuse. Fighting ensues. But, before we get there, Juann Cabal provides one of the greatest panels I've ever seen, akin to the famous Hawkeye mask covering Hawkeye's hawkeye. As Peter tells Johnny the story of saving Leilani from her father from the top of an alternate Empire State Building, Cabal given us a Super Mario Bros. background to underline the point. It is...mind-blowing. Moreover, during the aforementioned above-ground fight, he delivers an amazingly (heh) kinetic panel showing Peter dodging the thugs' bullets while also saving a cat and setting up the fight's denouement when Peter manages to web every gun and pull them towards him. The emotional denouement comes when a crowd gathers around Spidey to stand with him, eventually forcing the Kingpin -- who arrived on the scene to force Spider-Man and the Rumor to surrender Leilani and the kids -- to break his deal with the villain. This entire arc has been great from start to finish, focusing on Peter's New York as promised.
Even after Aunt May arrives in Peter's apartment in issue #5 to tell him she has cancer, Taylor keeps up said focus, when Peter catches one of the homeless kids from the neighborhood stealing a car. When it turns out he's running from his mother's abusive boyfriend, Spidey -- feeling a little guilty that he got distracted and broke the kid's wrist -- actually helps him steal said car to prevent from getting arrested. (I guess Peter learned how to drive at some point...) Peter winds up webbing the car above an alley to allow them to escape the ensuing police, a sequence you kind of have to see to appreciate. Peter brings the kid to see Dr. Strange, who (somewhat reluctantly) sets the arm. Peter confesses he broke the wrist because he's distracted by May's illness, and Dr. Strange jokingly refers to making a deal with an interdimensional demon to help her, though suggests that it could bring an eternity of torment. (Ha!) Peter wisely passes, and Dr. Strange tells him that some things are beyond magic and medicine. After originally telling Aunt May he has "a lot going on right now" when she asked if he'd go to chemo with her, he's there when she arrives, with the nurse touchingly referring to him as her "son." I always love the moments when May and Peter acknowledge their mother-son relationship directly, and this one is no different. Did I roll my eyes at Peter's initial response of saying that he was too busy to be at her appointment? Yes, because Peter probably wouldn't have responded that way. But, Taylor is killing it so much in this series, I can look past it. Also, Cinar and Woodard's art is so impressive here (including a beautiful Peter) that they convey emotions that Taylor's script alone doesn't necessarily convey.
In other words, just like "Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man," this series is increasingly my go-to Spider-Man series, no matter how much I like what Nick Spencer is doing in the main title.
Nightwing #58: This issue is a little heavy handed with the narrative, from Hutch's extended meditation on why he's not "cut out for this vigilante crap" to Joker's Daughter's eyeroll-inducing diatribe about the elites to Bab's earnestness in telling "Ric" that Dick would be proud of him. But, Lobdell and Kaplan still do a solid job of showing how Ric's membership in the Nightwings happens organically, to the point where this new status quo starts feeling more and more familiar. But, it's really Moore and Bonvillain who shine here; Hutch is so beautifully rendered in the first few panels that he looks almost lifelike.
Uncanny X-Men #14: Rosenberg continues doing a solid job here. By the end of the issue, you get the sense that Scott is going to find himself with his hands full of mutants, and Rosenberg implies then it'll really start to get interesting. After all, he added Logan in issue #11, Havok, Magik, and Wolfsbane in issue #12, Dark Beast and Multiple Man in issue #13, and now Chamber in this issue. (I don't really count Karma and Mirage from issue #12 since they've unfortunately been non-entities.) In other words, this issue really gets Scott's little war going. So far, he's really just struck against O.N.E. for holding Havok, Multiple Man, and the New Mutants and then Dark Beast. In this issue, we have the team chase down Reaper (only to learn he's depowered and not working with the MLF) and help the remaining Morlocks relocate to Chernaya after eliminating the fascist opposition forces left after X-Force's sojourn there. (I think they're the same place? If not, Marvel is really pushing the limits of credulity to make two made-up Eastern European countries into mutant havens with fascist uprisings.) Why do they need to relocate the "remaining" Morlocks, you ask? Because the Marauders killed the rest of them...again. (I'm imaging the Marauders are moving up Scott's hit list.) Also, the move to Chernaya killed a few too birds with one stone, as Scott and Logan got Valerie Cooper to agree to do them favors if they do her favors (like eliminating said fascist opposition forces). In other words, Scott's got a lot of irons in the fire. But, the team takes a well advised moment to celebrate the "small victories" only to have Captain America crash the party. Again, Rosenberg is doing a great job of making each issue complicate Scott's life even further, but I'm also glad he's giving the team some time to bond as well. As Jono himself implies, no one on this team has enjoyed a good run over the last few years. Most of them really need these wins, even if it's clear whatever limited roll that they're enjoying now is going to come to an end.
West Coast Avengers #9: This issue is great. It's like Thompson hit full speed as we got to the top of the mountain and she's just letting us enjoy the free fall as we make our way down the other side. Ramone and Johnny are children of a Dora Milaje? Ramone's powers allow her to fuse permanently with vibranium? Johnny and Marvel Boy might forget Katie and get together themselves? Katie's mom is a vampire? Each new development builds off previous developments, so it doesn't all sounds as random as it does here. Plus, we get the usual adorable crazy moments, like discovering Jeff the Shark loves Quentin and likes to sit in his lap. (The panel where Jeff is actually sitting in Quentin's lap should win Gang Hyuk Lim some sort of award. That, and the panel where Gwenpool, Quentin, and Ramone all put their hands to their chest in faux outrage, like they're grabbing their Southern ladies grabbing their pearls, after Kate's mom reveals that they're dealing with vampires, not Skrulls.) I've said it before, and I'll say it again: as Quentin's t-shirt says, West Coast, Best Coast!
The Wild Storm #21: As we approach the end, each issue seems much more focused now. Jenny Sparks' trip through Skywatch's computer system allowed her to discover the existence of Midnighter and Apollo. Wisely, she realizes their defense of the village meant not only that they were preventing Skywatch from making more people like them and the Mayor but also that they were probably good recruits for the still-forming Authority. Meanwhile, Miles orders Ivana to start creating a narrative that an "extranational terrorist network" is ramping up its activities in nuclear-armed countries, and it leads her to call someone to report that they "may have a situation." Bendix seems to believe IO shot down some Skywatch ships, but I can't tell if he's confusing Midnighter and Apollo's attack with IO or if he's referring to that fight at Skywatch's ground base a few issues ago. Bendix is ready to burn down the world, but Lauren warns him that he should focus on IO specifically to prevent them from having "supply issues." To help the Doctor recognize Skywatch ships when they enter orbit, Angie provides her with a device that allows them to communicate telepathically, projecting to her images of a Skywatch ship. (Interestingly, Angie is super aggro all issue, and it takes the Doctor confronting her to make her admit the events of the last few weeks are weighing on her.) Elsewhere, Jackie finds some sort of device in the IO equipment room, and the guy that Miles hired to kill her is on her tail. Later, Jenny confirms that the bot attack IO launched on Skywatch (though I think it was really the Wild C.A.T.s) allowed them to see the Skywatch space station. Jenny then observes that everything that's happened since Cray tried to kill Marlowe has meant that "the most powerful people in the world are terrified of everything and everyone," putting the world on the brink of annihilation. I'm not sure if Ellis is describing their world or our world, but there we are.
(NB: I tagged this post "Nova" because Richard appears in "Guardians of the Galaxy" #3, but I didn't review it. It's a fine issue; it just didn't seem to merit much discussion at this phase of the story.)
Also Read: Batman #67; Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish #1; Guardians of the Galaxy #3; Marvel's Spider-Man: City at War #1; Star Wars #63; Thor #11
Avengers: No Road Home #6: Although I know the authors are stoked about getting to use Conan and I'm loving Aaron's run on "Conan the Barbarian" itself, this issue was a dud to me. Even with the expanded length, they cover too much ground, literally and narratively. Conan and Wanda seem to cover the entire Thurian continent in search of the thieves who stole the shard. Some of the individual moments are great, but the authors move off them too quickly to advance to the next location. The arrival at Shadizar is a great moment, but it would've been even more impactful if I still hadn't been trying to figure out where they had been before they got there. Moreover, this specific flaw exacerbates the problem that I have with the regular series, where Aaron (and now the trio here) are telling stories across Conan's lifespan. Here, he loves Bêlit, but we haven't even met her in the regular series yet. I get that Conan fans will recognize all these various timeframes and characters, but it's a challenge for a newbie like me. As such, it feels like too much of the authors playing with a toy, particularly given the fact that Conan's presence here is a stretch from the start. I initially thought that they were going to connect Nyx with the Night-God whose worshipers Conan and Wanda encounter on the way to Shadizar. How cool would it have been if they had gone to all this trouble to shield Wanda's eyes so Nyx wouldn't know that they found the shard, only for the "Night-God's" worshipers to successfully open a portal to her? These missed opportunities are what make me feel like the authors are rushing through this mini-series just like Aaron is rushing through "Avengers."
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4-#5: For the fact that these issues involve Peter learning Aunt May has cancer, they're not as devastating as you'd expect them to be. But, it isn't necessarily a bad thing, to be honest.
In issue #4, Tayor wraps up the Underworld storyline in a fantastic way. The villain arrives demanding Spider-Man and the Rumor turn over his daughter and grandchildren, and they refuse. Fighting ensues. But, before we get there, Juann Cabal provides one of the greatest panels I've ever seen, akin to the famous Hawkeye mask covering Hawkeye's hawkeye. As Peter tells Johnny the story of saving Leilani from her father from the top of an alternate Empire State Building, Cabal given us a Super Mario Bros. background to underline the point. It is...mind-blowing. Moreover, during the aforementioned above-ground fight, he delivers an amazingly (heh) kinetic panel showing Peter dodging the thugs' bullets while also saving a cat and setting up the fight's denouement when Peter manages to web every gun and pull them towards him. The emotional denouement comes when a crowd gathers around Spidey to stand with him, eventually forcing the Kingpin -- who arrived on the scene to force Spider-Man and the Rumor to surrender Leilani and the kids -- to break his deal with the villain. This entire arc has been great from start to finish, focusing on Peter's New York as promised.
Even after Aunt May arrives in Peter's apartment in issue #5 to tell him she has cancer, Taylor keeps up said focus, when Peter catches one of the homeless kids from the neighborhood stealing a car. When it turns out he's running from his mother's abusive boyfriend, Spidey -- feeling a little guilty that he got distracted and broke the kid's wrist -- actually helps him steal said car to prevent from getting arrested. (I guess Peter learned how to drive at some point...) Peter winds up webbing the car above an alley to allow them to escape the ensuing police, a sequence you kind of have to see to appreciate. Peter brings the kid to see Dr. Strange, who (somewhat reluctantly) sets the arm. Peter confesses he broke the wrist because he's distracted by May's illness, and Dr. Strange jokingly refers to making a deal with an interdimensional demon to help her, though suggests that it could bring an eternity of torment. (Ha!) Peter wisely passes, and Dr. Strange tells him that some things are beyond magic and medicine. After originally telling Aunt May he has "a lot going on right now" when she asked if he'd go to chemo with her, he's there when she arrives, with the nurse touchingly referring to him as her "son." I always love the moments when May and Peter acknowledge their mother-son relationship directly, and this one is no different. Did I roll my eyes at Peter's initial response of saying that he was too busy to be at her appointment? Yes, because Peter probably wouldn't have responded that way. But, Taylor is killing it so much in this series, I can look past it. Also, Cinar and Woodard's art is so impressive here (including a beautiful Peter) that they convey emotions that Taylor's script alone doesn't necessarily convey.
In other words, just like "Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man," this series is increasingly my go-to Spider-Man series, no matter how much I like what Nick Spencer is doing in the main title.
Nightwing #58: This issue is a little heavy handed with the narrative, from Hutch's extended meditation on why he's not "cut out for this vigilante crap" to Joker's Daughter's eyeroll-inducing diatribe about the elites to Bab's earnestness in telling "Ric" that Dick would be proud of him. But, Lobdell and Kaplan still do a solid job of showing how Ric's membership in the Nightwings happens organically, to the point where this new status quo starts feeling more and more familiar. But, it's really Moore and Bonvillain who shine here; Hutch is so beautifully rendered in the first few panels that he looks almost lifelike.
Uncanny X-Men #14: Rosenberg continues doing a solid job here. By the end of the issue, you get the sense that Scott is going to find himself with his hands full of mutants, and Rosenberg implies then it'll really start to get interesting. After all, he added Logan in issue #11, Havok, Magik, and Wolfsbane in issue #12, Dark Beast and Multiple Man in issue #13, and now Chamber in this issue. (I don't really count Karma and Mirage from issue #12 since they've unfortunately been non-entities.) In other words, this issue really gets Scott's little war going. So far, he's really just struck against O.N.E. for holding Havok, Multiple Man, and the New Mutants and then Dark Beast. In this issue, we have the team chase down Reaper (only to learn he's depowered and not working with the MLF) and help the remaining Morlocks relocate to Chernaya after eliminating the fascist opposition forces left after X-Force's sojourn there. (I think they're the same place? If not, Marvel is really pushing the limits of credulity to make two made-up Eastern European countries into mutant havens with fascist uprisings.) Why do they need to relocate the "remaining" Morlocks, you ask? Because the Marauders killed the rest of them...again. (I'm imaging the Marauders are moving up Scott's hit list.) Also, the move to Chernaya killed a few too birds with one stone, as Scott and Logan got Valerie Cooper to agree to do them favors if they do her favors (like eliminating said fascist opposition forces). In other words, Scott's got a lot of irons in the fire. But, the team takes a well advised moment to celebrate the "small victories" only to have Captain America crash the party. Again, Rosenberg is doing a great job of making each issue complicate Scott's life even further, but I'm also glad he's giving the team some time to bond as well. As Jono himself implies, no one on this team has enjoyed a good run over the last few years. Most of them really need these wins, even if it's clear whatever limited roll that they're enjoying now is going to come to an end.
West Coast Avengers #9: This issue is great. It's like Thompson hit full speed as we got to the top of the mountain and she's just letting us enjoy the free fall as we make our way down the other side. Ramone and Johnny are children of a Dora Milaje? Ramone's powers allow her to fuse permanently with vibranium? Johnny and Marvel Boy might forget Katie and get together themselves? Katie's mom is a vampire? Each new development builds off previous developments, so it doesn't all sounds as random as it does here. Plus, we get the usual adorable crazy moments, like discovering Jeff the Shark loves Quentin and likes to sit in his lap. (The panel where Jeff is actually sitting in Quentin's lap should win Gang Hyuk Lim some sort of award. That, and the panel where Gwenpool, Quentin, and Ramone all put their hands to their chest in faux outrage, like they're grabbing their Southern ladies grabbing their pearls, after Kate's mom reveals that they're dealing with vampires, not Skrulls.) I've said it before, and I'll say it again: as Quentin's t-shirt says, West Coast, Best Coast!
The Wild Storm #21: As we approach the end, each issue seems much more focused now. Jenny Sparks' trip through Skywatch's computer system allowed her to discover the existence of Midnighter and Apollo. Wisely, she realizes their defense of the village meant not only that they were preventing Skywatch from making more people like them and the Mayor but also that they were probably good recruits for the still-forming Authority. Meanwhile, Miles orders Ivana to start creating a narrative that an "extranational terrorist network" is ramping up its activities in nuclear-armed countries, and it leads her to call someone to report that they "may have a situation." Bendix seems to believe IO shot down some Skywatch ships, but I can't tell if he's confusing Midnighter and Apollo's attack with IO or if he's referring to that fight at Skywatch's ground base a few issues ago. Bendix is ready to burn down the world, but Lauren warns him that he should focus on IO specifically to prevent them from having "supply issues." To help the Doctor recognize Skywatch ships when they enter orbit, Angie provides her with a device that allows them to communicate telepathically, projecting to her images of a Skywatch ship. (Interestingly, Angie is super aggro all issue, and it takes the Doctor confronting her to make her admit the events of the last few weeks are weighing on her.) Elsewhere, Jackie finds some sort of device in the IO equipment room, and the guy that Miles hired to kill her is on her tail. Later, Jenny confirms that the bot attack IO launched on Skywatch (though I think it was really the Wild C.A.T.s) allowed them to see the Skywatch space station. Jenny then observes that everything that's happened since Cray tried to kill Marlowe has meant that "the most powerful people in the world are terrified of everything and everyone," putting the world on the brink of annihilation. I'm not sure if Ellis is describing their world or our world, but there we are.
(NB: I tagged this post "Nova" because Richard appears in "Guardians of the Galaxy" #3, but I didn't review it. It's a fine issue; it just didn't seem to merit much discussion at this phase of the story.)
Also Read: Batman #67; Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish #1; Guardians of the Galaxy #3; Marvel's Spider-Man: City at War #1; Star Wars #63; Thor #11
Monday, April 8, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The February 20 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers: No Road Home #2: I was perfectly OK with this series not serving as a sequel to "Avengers: No Surrender." After all, the first series was a fun romp, so I was totally down with Marvel get the band back together for another one. But, the authors do actually make it a sequel in an unexpected way. In a flashback to Nyx and her children murdering the Olympian gods, we learn Zeus imprisoned Nyx somewhere until the sun disappeared. Well, the Challenge and the Gamemaster managed that when they moved Earth during their challenge, freeing Nyx to seek out her revenge. The authors then rely on a similar format as the first series, as Voyager sends three teams of Avengers to beat Nyx's children in capturing the shards of her soul that Zeus scattered around the Universe. But, the authors go one better here, as it isn't all about the action. Clint provides an increasingly dramatic narration throughout the issue, as he talks about how people often ask him how he does what he does, fighting alongside and against gods. He admits he's just lucky, but his luck seems to have hit a wall: he awakens in a hospital room missing the thumb on his right hand. Clint barely has time to process that when the Hulk reveals himself, ready to exact his vengeance. It shows the authors are working multiple stories on multiple levels, just like the first series. I'm definitely happy I picked up this one.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3: OMG, this issue was awesome. It turns out Leilani -- the mother of the two orange-skinned kids -- is the daughter of the dictator of Under York, an underground version of New York accessible by a magic elevator. We learn Under York used to interact with our New York, but the dictator cut off ties, forcing Under York to stagnate. (Apparently all our best ideas -- like the Empire State Building -- come from Under York.) Peter and the Rumor manage to break into the dictator's penthouse and nab Leilani. Peter gets shot in the process, but he manages to scale the miles-deep elevator staff with the two women after the Under Yorkers cut the power. The Rumor warns Peter to prepare for a small war. I know it sounds insane, but Taylor's script really sells it; I could read Peter and the Rumor bantering all day. Taylor manages to capture the spark of a Spider-Man story without weighing down the issue with all of Peter's usual bullshit. This issue really carries on the great tradition of Zdarsky's work in "Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man." I can't wait to see where we go from here.
Guardians of the Galaxy #2: OK, this issue is really good. Like, really good. First, Cates makes it clear that Peter is spiraling into alcoholism and depression because he can't get over the fact Gamora killed him. That's...sound. (To be honest, I barely remember her killing him, and I definitely don't remember how he got resurrected. Oh, "Infinity Wars." You were such a bullshit event.) Cates does a great job of not telling us this information, but showing it to us, through Peter's late-night call to Kitty. Phyla-Vell even tells him he looks terrible when he delivers some uniforms to her and Moondragon. But, Peter doesn't just get to sleep the sleep of the drunk, as he has to break up a fight between Ghost Rider and Groot. This part of the issue is the only part I disliked. I'm still struggling with the characterization of Groot as an adolescent surfer, and Ghost Rider doesn't really sound the way Frank Castle sounds. That said, their fight is hilarious, as Ghost Rider inadvertently creates an army of mini-Groots by cutting off parts of him. They're fighting as Ghost Rider learned Beta Ray Bill and Groot plan on saving Gamora. Peter invites him to leave if he wants, notably telling Beta Ray Bill and Groot to do the same, showing he has no intention of saving Gamora. Castle leaves, leading us to realize just how big of a story Cates is telling. The Shi'ar have rescued a now-scarred Starfox and some other "heroes" who fell into the vortex, and Castle joins their crusade to find Gamora. Also in this group is Nebula, who suggests they'll find Gamora through the "stupid boy she loves:" Nova. Peter might be upset about that, particularly since he thinks he and Groot are the only ones who know where Gamora is. We also see Hela and the Black Order in action here, as they shake down the Collector to discover Thanos' head is in the Negative Zone. Does no one burn a body anymore?
Nightwing #57: Although Lobdell's plot is fine here, it's Kaplan who really makes this issue sing. It's the first one in the Ric Grayson era where Ric feels like a character in and of himself. Kaplan makes it clear that Ric's moral compass is essentially the same as Dick's: he's moved beyond words when he accompanies Bea to a community meeting with a councilman eager to destroy a homeless shelter to build a parking lot for a new stadium. Bea reveals she grew up homeless, and it's a clever move on Lobdell's part. It would feel ridiculous to watch Dick Grayson, ward of wealth, try even to comprehend that, but Ric is another story altogether. Kaplan also really sells Ric finding himself agreeing to work with the Nightwings, particularly in playing up the hilarity of Detective Sapienza exerting such a sense of ownership over the identity. Despite the jumble of authors who've worked on this story, they've carefully built each supporting character piece by piece; no revelation has felt forced. At this point, they all feel like fully fleshed out characters at this point, and, regardless if Ric recovers his memory, I hope they all stay. But, it isn't all about the perfect tone Kaplan is able to strike. Lobdell using the Joker's Daughter in a war against elites doesn't feel over the top. She kidnaps the councilman and sends him into a fancy restaurant as a suicide bomber, interrupting all the conversations praising gentrification happening at the moment. If that isn't a 2019 plot device, I don't know what is.
Return of Wolverine #5: Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure what happened here. Like, sure, I get Persephone's evil plan to kill all of humanity and then resurrect them as her mindless slaves. But, I'm still not sure how Wolverine himself was resurrected. If I had to guess, his fire claws were some sort of secondary mutation that activated once he was encapsulated in the adamantium, allowing him to claw his way to freedom. Or maybe Persephone gave him that power? I honestly don't know. Soule does manage to wrap up the primary story about Persephone in a believable way (Logan destroy the space station, natch), but I'm surprised after all the preceding mini-series and then this series I'm still not clear on how we got to this point in the first place.
Uncanny X-Men #12: Man, you put Scott and Logan together and they can really find themselves some trouble. Logan somehow knows O.N.E. is keeping a group of mutants hostage, and he and Scott pretty roughly break into the relevant base. Logan tries for subtlety by posing as a O.N.E. solider and kidnapping another, but the plan goes hilariously awry when the kidnapped soldier yells out Logan is trying to break in the base. Once they deal with the soldiers, they encounter the en-Warlock-ed New Mutants, who O.N.E. has tried to turn into living Sentinels. We learn Magik and Rahne have managed to emerge from the techno-organic virus, with Rahne positing because they're also shapeshifters they have a certain immunity. They also discover a few Jamies as well as Havok, who O.N.E. is using to power the base. Magik is unable to use her powers to teleport, and O.N.E. soldiers pounce on them all as they try to escape. Someone at O.N.E. has implanted bombs in the Madri, and Strong Guy sacrifices himself to take the brunt of the blast. Thankfully, said blast knocks out the field disrupting Illyana's powers, and the team manages to escape, with O.N.E. Director Callaghan now aware the X-Men have returned. I have to say, Scott and Logan find themselves with a helluva team. Even if the New Mutants have to stay on the sidelines, an X-Men team of Cyclops, Havok, Wolverine, Rahne, and Magik is no freaking joke. As I mentioned in my last review, Rosenberg really imbues this issue with a "What If...?" sense, as if we're reading "Days of Future Present" come to life. You really have no idea where we're going next.
The Wild Storm #20: This issue is really more about letting Davis-Hunt and Buccellato run wild as they depict Midnighter and Apollo make short work of a Skywatch team sent to capture (or kill) them. But, we do learn some interesting things along the way. First, Miles is under obvious strain and asks Ben Santini, the leader of the Razors Alpha CAT, for advice. He suggests Miles uses IO's resources to engage in violence to distract people from the evils of "dark capitalism," implying IO has been behind civil wars, school shootings, terrorist attacks, and other violent acts. Miles listens to his advice and then dispatches Ben to give Ivana and Jackie their "pension plans." Meanwhile, Skywatch's spaceships arrive at Midnighter and Apollo's farm, and they annihilate them before they can hurt anyone in town. Along the way, based on a sketch of Apollo's eyes, it seems like he's actually some sort of android. One of the spaceship's pilots panics and hails Skywatch on an open line, allowing Jennie Sparks to travel to Skywatch HQ. Once Midnighter confirms no one in the town was hurt, the two of them depart.
Also Read: Avengers #15; Batman #65
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3: OMG, this issue was awesome. It turns out Leilani -- the mother of the two orange-skinned kids -- is the daughter of the dictator of Under York, an underground version of New York accessible by a magic elevator. We learn Under York used to interact with our New York, but the dictator cut off ties, forcing Under York to stagnate. (Apparently all our best ideas -- like the Empire State Building -- come from Under York.) Peter and the Rumor manage to break into the dictator's penthouse and nab Leilani. Peter gets shot in the process, but he manages to scale the miles-deep elevator staff with the two women after the Under Yorkers cut the power. The Rumor warns Peter to prepare for a small war. I know it sounds insane, but Taylor's script really sells it; I could read Peter and the Rumor bantering all day. Taylor manages to capture the spark of a Spider-Man story without weighing down the issue with all of Peter's usual bullshit. This issue really carries on the great tradition of Zdarsky's work in "Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man." I can't wait to see where we go from here.
Guardians of the Galaxy #2: OK, this issue is really good. Like, really good. First, Cates makes it clear that Peter is spiraling into alcoholism and depression because he can't get over the fact Gamora killed him. That's...sound. (To be honest, I barely remember her killing him, and I definitely don't remember how he got resurrected. Oh, "Infinity Wars." You were such a bullshit event.) Cates does a great job of not telling us this information, but showing it to us, through Peter's late-night call to Kitty. Phyla-Vell even tells him he looks terrible when he delivers some uniforms to her and Moondragon. But, Peter doesn't just get to sleep the sleep of the drunk, as he has to break up a fight between Ghost Rider and Groot. This part of the issue is the only part I disliked. I'm still struggling with the characterization of Groot as an adolescent surfer, and Ghost Rider doesn't really sound the way Frank Castle sounds. That said, their fight is hilarious, as Ghost Rider inadvertently creates an army of mini-Groots by cutting off parts of him. They're fighting as Ghost Rider learned Beta Ray Bill and Groot plan on saving Gamora. Peter invites him to leave if he wants, notably telling Beta Ray Bill and Groot to do the same, showing he has no intention of saving Gamora. Castle leaves, leading us to realize just how big of a story Cates is telling. The Shi'ar have rescued a now-scarred Starfox and some other "heroes" who fell into the vortex, and Castle joins their crusade to find Gamora. Also in this group is Nebula, who suggests they'll find Gamora through the "stupid boy she loves:" Nova. Peter might be upset about that, particularly since he thinks he and Groot are the only ones who know where Gamora is. We also see Hela and the Black Order in action here, as they shake down the Collector to discover Thanos' head is in the Negative Zone. Does no one burn a body anymore?
Nightwing #57: Although Lobdell's plot is fine here, it's Kaplan who really makes this issue sing. It's the first one in the Ric Grayson era where Ric feels like a character in and of himself. Kaplan makes it clear that Ric's moral compass is essentially the same as Dick's: he's moved beyond words when he accompanies Bea to a community meeting with a councilman eager to destroy a homeless shelter to build a parking lot for a new stadium. Bea reveals she grew up homeless, and it's a clever move on Lobdell's part. It would feel ridiculous to watch Dick Grayson, ward of wealth, try even to comprehend that, but Ric is another story altogether. Kaplan also really sells Ric finding himself agreeing to work with the Nightwings, particularly in playing up the hilarity of Detective Sapienza exerting such a sense of ownership over the identity. Despite the jumble of authors who've worked on this story, they've carefully built each supporting character piece by piece; no revelation has felt forced. At this point, they all feel like fully fleshed out characters at this point, and, regardless if Ric recovers his memory, I hope they all stay. But, it isn't all about the perfect tone Kaplan is able to strike. Lobdell using the Joker's Daughter in a war against elites doesn't feel over the top. She kidnaps the councilman and sends him into a fancy restaurant as a suicide bomber, interrupting all the conversations praising gentrification happening at the moment. If that isn't a 2019 plot device, I don't know what is.
Return of Wolverine #5: Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure what happened here. Like, sure, I get Persephone's evil plan to kill all of humanity and then resurrect them as her mindless slaves. But, I'm still not sure how Wolverine himself was resurrected. If I had to guess, his fire claws were some sort of secondary mutation that activated once he was encapsulated in the adamantium, allowing him to claw his way to freedom. Or maybe Persephone gave him that power? I honestly don't know. Soule does manage to wrap up the primary story about Persephone in a believable way (Logan destroy the space station, natch), but I'm surprised after all the preceding mini-series and then this series I'm still not clear on how we got to this point in the first place.
Uncanny X-Men #12: Man, you put Scott and Logan together and they can really find themselves some trouble. Logan somehow knows O.N.E. is keeping a group of mutants hostage, and he and Scott pretty roughly break into the relevant base. Logan tries for subtlety by posing as a O.N.E. solider and kidnapping another, but the plan goes hilariously awry when the kidnapped soldier yells out Logan is trying to break in the base. Once they deal with the soldiers, they encounter the en-Warlock-ed New Mutants, who O.N.E. has tried to turn into living Sentinels. We learn Magik and Rahne have managed to emerge from the techno-organic virus, with Rahne positing because they're also shapeshifters they have a certain immunity. They also discover a few Jamies as well as Havok, who O.N.E. is using to power the base. Magik is unable to use her powers to teleport, and O.N.E. soldiers pounce on them all as they try to escape. Someone at O.N.E. has implanted bombs in the Madri, and Strong Guy sacrifices himself to take the brunt of the blast. Thankfully, said blast knocks out the field disrupting Illyana's powers, and the team manages to escape, with O.N.E. Director Callaghan now aware the X-Men have returned. I have to say, Scott and Logan find themselves with a helluva team. Even if the New Mutants have to stay on the sidelines, an X-Men team of Cyclops, Havok, Wolverine, Rahne, and Magik is no freaking joke. As I mentioned in my last review, Rosenberg really imbues this issue with a "What If...?" sense, as if we're reading "Days of Future Present" come to life. You really have no idea where we're going next.
The Wild Storm #20: This issue is really more about letting Davis-Hunt and Buccellato run wild as they depict Midnighter and Apollo make short work of a Skywatch team sent to capture (or kill) them. But, we do learn some interesting things along the way. First, Miles is under obvious strain and asks Ben Santini, the leader of the Razors Alpha CAT, for advice. He suggests Miles uses IO's resources to engage in violence to distract people from the evils of "dark capitalism," implying IO has been behind civil wars, school shootings, terrorist attacks, and other violent acts. Miles listens to his advice and then dispatches Ben to give Ivana and Jackie their "pension plans." Meanwhile, Skywatch's spaceships arrive at Midnighter and Apollo's farm, and they annihilate them before they can hurt anyone in town. Along the way, based on a sketch of Apollo's eyes, it seems like he's actually some sort of android. One of the spaceship's pilots panics and hails Skywatch on an open line, allowing Jennie Sparks to travel to Skywatch HQ. Once Midnighter confirms no one in the town was hurt, the two of them depart.
Also Read: Avengers #15; Batman #65
Friday, February 15, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The December 19 and 26 Everyone-but-X Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Given how many events and series wrapped up December 19, this review might as well be called, "EVERYTHING ENDS!"
Batman #61: This issue is much more gripping than King’s previous work, though it does still have King's trademark of a literary quote that advances the plot not at all. Unfortunately, the issue has nothing to do with Batman, focusing instead on the kid who murdered his parents because he wanted to be like Bruce Wayne. But, wait, you might ask? Didn’t we end last issue on a cliffhanger, with Batman discovering his father, Thomas Wayne from the “Flashpoint” Universe, was colluding with Bane? Yes, fellow reader, yes, we did. But, I guess we have to take a good issue from Tom King when we get one.
Captain America #6: Reading this issue, it’s easy to forget Alexa Lukin isn’t actually a person, but a character. Coates is that good at showing the fire within her. Alexa understands that symbols matter. It’s why she resurrected her husband: she knows Russia needs a leader who can inspire them while she pulls the strings from the shadows. On the flipside, she also understands that she doesn’t need to kill Steve Rogers the man: she just has to kill Captain America the symbol. As such, she has someone murder Thunderbolt Ross and make it look like Steve did it. Hydra damaged Captain America the symbol almost beyond repair: with Alexa, we may be able to drop the “almost.” But, Coates also makes it clear that it's not a slam dunk that she's going to win. That warning comes from her mentor, Rasputin. He makes two observations; first, that she doesn’t understand the price of her “endeavor” and, second, that Lukin may not return the same man as he was. Coates makes it clear Rasputin understands that reality from first-hand experience, and it makes his warning all the more chilling. Coates also uses the conversation between the two of them to explain that Selene didn’t drain the lifeforce from Sharon to resurrect Lukin; she just needed a drop of his blood, as she was his killer. Alexa then used her magic to do the rest. I can’t wait to see where we go next. This series now enters, like, its 14th year of awesome, after the amazing runs by Brubaker, Remember, and Spencer. Cap fans, we are spoiled.
Darth Vader #25: Whoa. This issue does not disappoint. Soule pulls out all the stops here as Vader is forced to walk through his past — as child, adolescent, and man — to get to Padmé. (Camuncoli really seemed to enjoy the battle with the Jedi, in particular Vader spearing Yoda!) It all leads to the moment we knew was coming, but not before the Emperor and Obi-Wan battle to see who Vader’s father (spiritually, at least) really is. When the Emperor wins, it seems clear where the story is going. Vader makes his way to Padmé and resumes his Anakin form. But, Padmé tells him what we all now know: Anakin Skywalker is dead. (She then promptly falls off the balcony and disintegrates, to underline the point.) Vader grieves and then he’s expelled from Forceland. He awakens in his fortress on Mustafar, and he destroys the rock that allowed him to enter Forceland. He then uses his communicator to tell the Emperor he’s returning, having learned the lesson he needed to learn. Ouch. Soule doesn’t pull any punches here, and it’s great to see. As I’ve previously said, I read the first issue of the original series hoping we’d see an exploration of the remnants of Anakin in Vader. Soule delivered on that hope, and he also delivers a now fully formed Vader. Anakin Skywalker is dead. Long live Darth Vader.
Infinity Wars #6: This issue makes not a lick of sense. I get the sense if I read it again it might -- maybe -- make a lick of sense. In fact, maybe if I read all the issues together the event would make a few licks of sense. But, I also kind of doubt it. As far as I can tell, the Celestials show Loki his future, and he no longer needs the Infinity Stones. As such, he returns them to Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch, who in turn use the Stones to create a new planet and a new Universe. The planet serves as the new home for the Warps, and the Universe is where the Infinity Watch copies all the souls of the existing Universe. That way, when Devondra finally devours the Soul Gem and this Universe, everyone survives in the shiny new Universe. But, there's a wrinkle: Drax and his original self have to stay behind to keep open the portal. Drax's original self happily survives on Warpworld, but Drax's fate isn't clear. Once the transfer to the new Universe is complete, Moondragon and Phyla-Vell from the other Universe want Gamora dead. But,Adam Warlock asks the Infinity Stones to send her where she's most needed (apparently in the Soul Gem to raise a child-like Magus). He then imbues the Stones with their own souls, which makes, again, not a lick of sense, but it is what it is. This entire event made no sense, and I regret every dollar I spent on it. A curse on the House of Marvel!
West Coast Avengers #6: I don't know about you guys, but I wanted nothing more than to read a "West Coast Avengers" issue featuring the team stuck in a good ol' fashioned murder carnival. This issue is my everything: the (pec-tacular) smirk on Hawkeye's face when he hits the shark with a bolt from a slingshot he fashioned from his shirt, America showing actual emotions by cheering him when he did so, Quentin blowing up the shark-infested pool, Johnny pushing himself to turn into water, Kate telling her "mother" to go stuff it because obviously she's not leaving her team, NOH-FREAKING-VARR! I could just read this issue over and over again and be happy. WEST COAST, BEST COAST!
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #12; Fantastic Four #5; Infinity Wars: Fallen Guardian #1; Thor #8
Batman #61: This issue is much more gripping than King’s previous work, though it does still have King's trademark of a literary quote that advances the plot not at all. Unfortunately, the issue has nothing to do with Batman, focusing instead on the kid who murdered his parents because he wanted to be like Bruce Wayne. But, wait, you might ask? Didn’t we end last issue on a cliffhanger, with Batman discovering his father, Thomas Wayne from the “Flashpoint” Universe, was colluding with Bane? Yes, fellow reader, yes, we did. But, I guess we have to take a good issue from Tom King when we get one.
Captain America #6: Reading this issue, it’s easy to forget Alexa Lukin isn’t actually a person, but a character. Coates is that good at showing the fire within her. Alexa understands that symbols matter. It’s why she resurrected her husband: she knows Russia needs a leader who can inspire them while she pulls the strings from the shadows. On the flipside, she also understands that she doesn’t need to kill Steve Rogers the man: she just has to kill Captain America the symbol. As such, she has someone murder Thunderbolt Ross and make it look like Steve did it. Hydra damaged Captain America the symbol almost beyond repair: with Alexa, we may be able to drop the “almost.” But, Coates also makes it clear that it's not a slam dunk that she's going to win. That warning comes from her mentor, Rasputin. He makes two observations; first, that she doesn’t understand the price of her “endeavor” and, second, that Lukin may not return the same man as he was. Coates makes it clear Rasputin understands that reality from first-hand experience, and it makes his warning all the more chilling. Coates also uses the conversation between the two of them to explain that Selene didn’t drain the lifeforce from Sharon to resurrect Lukin; she just needed a drop of his blood, as she was his killer. Alexa then used her magic to do the rest. I can’t wait to see where we go next. This series now enters, like, its 14th year of awesome, after the amazing runs by Brubaker, Remember, and Spencer. Cap fans, we are spoiled.
Darth Vader #25: Whoa. This issue does not disappoint. Soule pulls out all the stops here as Vader is forced to walk through his past — as child, adolescent, and man — to get to Padmé. (Camuncoli really seemed to enjoy the battle with the Jedi, in particular Vader spearing Yoda!) It all leads to the moment we knew was coming, but not before the Emperor and Obi-Wan battle to see who Vader’s father (spiritually, at least) really is. When the Emperor wins, it seems clear where the story is going. Vader makes his way to Padmé and resumes his Anakin form. But, Padmé tells him what we all now know: Anakin Skywalker is dead. (She then promptly falls off the balcony and disintegrates, to underline the point.) Vader grieves and then he’s expelled from Forceland. He awakens in his fortress on Mustafar, and he destroys the rock that allowed him to enter Forceland. He then uses his communicator to tell the Emperor he’s returning, having learned the lesson he needed to learn. Ouch. Soule doesn’t pull any punches here, and it’s great to see. As I’ve previously said, I read the first issue of the original series hoping we’d see an exploration of the remnants of Anakin in Vader. Soule delivered on that hope, and he also delivers a now fully formed Vader. Anakin Skywalker is dead. Long live Darth Vader.
Infinity Wars #6: This issue makes not a lick of sense. I get the sense if I read it again it might -- maybe -- make a lick of sense. In fact, maybe if I read all the issues together the event would make a few licks of sense. But, I also kind of doubt it. As far as I can tell, the Celestials show Loki his future, and he no longer needs the Infinity Stones. As such, he returns them to Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch, who in turn use the Stones to create a new planet and a new Universe. The planet serves as the new home for the Warps, and the Universe is where the Infinity Watch copies all the souls of the existing Universe. That way, when Devondra finally devours the Soul Gem and this Universe, everyone survives in the shiny new Universe. But, there's a wrinkle: Drax and his original self have to stay behind to keep open the portal. Drax's original self happily survives on Warpworld, but Drax's fate isn't clear. Once the transfer to the new Universe is complete, Moondragon and Phyla-Vell from the other Universe want Gamora dead. But,Adam Warlock asks the Infinity Stones to send her where she's most needed (apparently in the Soul Gem to raise a child-like Magus). He then imbues the Stones with their own souls, which makes, again, not a lick of sense, but it is what it is. This entire event made no sense, and I regret every dollar I spent on it. A curse on the House of Marvel!
Nightwing #55: To be honest, this whole Ric Grayson arc is going much better than I expected. But, I did have a moment here where I was reminded of the plot we had before this arc started, where Vicki Vale and that guy were kidnapped by some sort of artificial intelligence come to life. I hope Vicki’s not waiting for Dick to save her. Maybe she can spend time with Thomas Wayne while we wait for this series and "Batman" to return to their previously scheduled programming.
Old Man Hawkeye #12: Sacks does a great job wrapping up this story. I'll admit the fire burning through the first few issues has seemed dimmer these last few issues, but Sacks at least manages to stick the landing. Perhaps the best moment is Kate using a sonic arrow to allow a now-blind Clint to "see" Bullseye. He fires an arrow that not only slices in half the card Bullseye was throwing at him but also lands in Bullseye's eye. Well done, Clint. Bullseye dies with the word "glorious" on his lips. (It's good for him that he doesn't survive to hear Clint confess to Kate he was aiming for his heart.) Clint excitedly tells Kate about the scientist giving him the 99 vials of Super-Soldier Serum. Kate realizes he's a lost cause; she had hoped killing the Thunderbolts would satiate his need for revenge, but she realizes it didn't. She tearfully deposits him at Logan's doorstep before driving into the sunset. My only complain is the last page seemed rushed to me, with too many panels on the page. I didn't even realize Kate was crying at first, reducing the impact of what we realize is her final good-bye to Clint. But, overall, Sacks delivers on the promise of the series, leaving Clint in no better place than where he began, a testament to the Wastelands if ever there was one.
Spider-geddon #5: This issue just sort of dissolves into chaos as Gage uses a series of dei ex machina to limit the impact of the series on continuity. To paraphrase Dickens, you're only going to like this issue if you buy the idea that Otto has found a way to use the cloning technology not only to resurrect people but also to reconfigure them. For example, Ben sacrifices himself to Jennix so his multiple lives drive Jennix insane. (Here, you have to accept that devouring Ben would drive Jennix insane and that Otto and Ben knew it would.) While the rest of the team fights the Inheritors, Otto resurrects Ben, apparently restoring him to his “factory settings.” (Remember how Peter David wrote an entire series about how Ben’s soul would be irreparably lost if he died again...and then he died again...but somehow it wasn’t lost? But then he died again again here, but somehow he’s actually better? I’d rather watch Ben work his way to redemption the hard way, as David planned, but Marvel couldn’t seem to make that work, so this way is the quick way I guess. Otto can alter souls with his machines. Got it.) Anyway, Otto then uses the technology to reset Solus’ children to actual childhood, for Spider-Ma’am to raise. How did Otto manage to do that? No one really says. Again, we're just supposed to accept Otto is a genius and found a way not only to clone them but also to de-age them. Gage tries to explain the positive outcome by saying Solus was the one who turned his children into monsters, torturing them and instilling the Hunger in them. Also, I didn’t read the “Spider-Girls” series, but apparently Annie from “Renew Your Vows” is the Patternweaver and she can remake the Web of Life and Destiny. She implies her knowledge of the Inheritors’ past means this revision will stick, but we’ll see. At any rate, Gage also ties up a loose end by seemingly having Gwen off-panel use her Web-Warriors watch to rescue Ashley, Charlie, and Kaine from the world where the Inheritors were trapped. He also has Spider-Girl’s father became The Other. Is it all sort of ridiculous and overly convenient, like Marvel had a list of ret-cons they thrust on Gage at the last minute? Yes, yes, it is. But, I like the outcomes of those ret-cons, so I guess I’m OK with them. Can we have a “Scarlet Spiders” series now, please?
Spider-geddon #5: This issue just sort of dissolves into chaos as Gage uses a series of dei ex machina to limit the impact of the series on continuity. To paraphrase Dickens, you're only going to like this issue if you buy the idea that Otto has found a way to use the cloning technology not only to resurrect people but also to reconfigure them. For example, Ben sacrifices himself to Jennix so his multiple lives drive Jennix insane. (Here, you have to accept that devouring Ben would drive Jennix insane and that Otto and Ben knew it would.) While the rest of the team fights the Inheritors, Otto resurrects Ben, apparently restoring him to his “factory settings.” (Remember how Peter David wrote an entire series about how Ben’s soul would be irreparably lost if he died again...and then he died again...but somehow it wasn’t lost? But then he died again again here, but somehow he’s actually better? I’d rather watch Ben work his way to redemption the hard way, as David planned, but Marvel couldn’t seem to make that work, so this way is the quick way I guess. Otto can alter souls with his machines. Got it.) Anyway, Otto then uses the technology to reset Solus’ children to actual childhood, for Spider-Ma’am to raise. How did Otto manage to do that? No one really says. Again, we're just supposed to accept Otto is a genius and found a way not only to clone them but also to de-age them. Gage tries to explain the positive outcome by saying Solus was the one who turned his children into monsters, torturing them and instilling the Hunger in them. Also, I didn’t read the “Spider-Girls” series, but apparently Annie from “Renew Your Vows” is the Patternweaver and she can remake the Web of Life and Destiny. She implies her knowledge of the Inheritors’ past means this revision will stick, but we’ll see. At any rate, Gage also ties up a loose end by seemingly having Gwen off-panel use her Web-Warriors watch to rescue Ashley, Charlie, and Kaine from the world where the Inheritors were trapped. He also has Spider-Girl’s father became The Other. Is it all sort of ridiculous and overly convenient, like Marvel had a list of ret-cons they thrust on Gage at the last minute? Yes, yes, it is. But, I like the outcomes of those ret-cons, so I guess I’m OK with them. Can we have a “Scarlet Spiders” series now, please?
West Coast Avengers #6: I don't know about you guys, but I wanted nothing more than to read a "West Coast Avengers" issue featuring the team stuck in a good ol' fashioned murder carnival. This issue is my everything: the (pec-tacular) smirk on Hawkeye's face when he hits the shark with a bolt from a slingshot he fashioned from his shirt, America showing actual emotions by cheering him when he did so, Quentin blowing up the shark-infested pool, Johnny pushing himself to turn into water, Kate telling her "mother" to go stuff it because obviously she's not leaving her team, NOH-FREAKING-VARR! I could just read this issue over and over again and be happy. WEST COAST, BEST COAST!
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #12; Fantastic Four #5; Infinity Wars: Fallen Guardian #1; Thor #8
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The October 17 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Astonishing X-Men #16: I'll be honest: I got lost here and didn't try all too hard to find my way home. At some point Bastion apparently implanted some sort of code in Alex's brain. Alex agrees to give it to the Reavers so they can find his X-Men and, for them, Donald Pierce. But, it turns out they lied to him that they needed it to find the X-Men: they always had the ability to communicate with Pierce. But, with Alex's code, they can now control Sentinels somehow? It would all be easier to process this confusion if I also didn't have to look at Greg Land's porn poses all issue. I mean, if you're going to give me a porn pose, Greg, at least give me a porny Alex. Maybe then I could get over the meh-ness of this entire enterprise.
Batman #57: Every time Tom King manages to get himself in my good graces he does something to fall from them again. Bruce wordlessly fights KGBeast here in a battle we're supposed to feel is climatic but doesn't look any more serious than Bruce's average back-alley encounter in Gotham. But, it all goes downhill from there. King dubiously asserts that both Bruce and KGBeast insisted their fathers read the same fable to them as children, about a hare, squirrel, wolf, pig, and fox who travel to a church but fall into a pit along the way. King spends a lot of time on the fable, dedicating several pages to Daniel's recreation of the storybook. In the story, the fox tricks the pig and wolf into eating the hare and squirrel with him, then the pig into eating the wolf with him, and then the pig into eating himself. But, the fox is still left in the hole. To me, the fable seems to teach the value of teamwork, as the animals never even try to escape the hole. But, King seems to view it as justifying Bruce using his grappling hook to break KGBeast's neck and leaving him to die in Siberia, his vengeance sated. Really? No editor was like, "Um, that doesn't seem very Batman-y of him?" I think King wants us to see how Bruce and KGBeast are still stuck down the proverbial hole, but I'm not honestly sure. It's just a fucking mess. Percy did great stuff with the aftermath of Dick getting shot in issue #55, but King just totally drops the ball here.
Nightwing #51: Putting aside the jarring change in artists, this issue is decent. It's not great, but it's not terrible. Detective Sapienza finds the burnt-out remains of Nightwing's HQ and eventually decides to put on the uniform to tackle the huge spike in crime that came with Dick's disappearance over the last four months. "Ric" is still driving his taxi, and he encounters Alfred at his bar. This sequence reminds me of "General Hospital," where amnesiac Jason Morgan only trusted one former member of his family; Alfred doesn't rub Ric the wrong way, the way Babs does. They have a civil enough conversation before Ric starts his shift. When he's carjacked, he's stunned to find his reflexes leave the would-be thief battered and broken on the ground. As much as I like this new direction, I loathe Scott Lobdell and worry he's now going to ruin Dick Grayson just like he ruined Jason Todd. [Sigh.]
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #311: This issue is great. Zdarsky's absence is less noticeable because Ryan does a great job showing us how disruptive Morlun's sudden attack on Peter is: we're all disoriented. Peter's been web-slinging all night, so he's really off his game when Morlun attacks. It's a nice touch, because it's a reminder superheroes don't always get to pick when their most powerful nemesis attacks them. Morlun's attack happens essentially in real time: from the moment he attacks to the end of the issue is probably only ten minutes or so. Frigeri does a great job of showing the frantic nature of this fight: his fight scenes are propulsive. He trades off some detail for energy, and it suits this story perfectly. So far, so good, "Spider-geddon."
Thor #6: I haven't said a lot about the last few issues mostly because they've been pretty solid. Among many unexpected developments, the revelation that the glowing green worm driving Ego the Necroworld insane was Loki was awesome. I laughed when he stood revealed on the last page, impressed Aaron had pulled off something so obvious and yet at the same time unexpected. Based on the young girl's comments at the end of this issue, Loki now stands poised to destroy all existence, with Doom, Logan, and Thor all dead. But, Aaron is also telling a larger story, as generations of Earthlings live with a cracking and shaking world, adjusting to the battle between Doom and Thor at their core. If that's not a metaphor for our times, I don't know what is.
Also Read: Darth Vader #22; Dragon Age: Deception #1; Mr. and Mrs X #4; The New World #4; X-Men: Black - Mystique #1
Batman #57: Every time Tom King manages to get himself in my good graces he does something to fall from them again. Bruce wordlessly fights KGBeast here in a battle we're supposed to feel is climatic but doesn't look any more serious than Bruce's average back-alley encounter in Gotham. But, it all goes downhill from there. King dubiously asserts that both Bruce and KGBeast insisted their fathers read the same fable to them as children, about a hare, squirrel, wolf, pig, and fox who travel to a church but fall into a pit along the way. King spends a lot of time on the fable, dedicating several pages to Daniel's recreation of the storybook. In the story, the fox tricks the pig and wolf into eating the hare and squirrel with him, then the pig into eating the wolf with him, and then the pig into eating himself. But, the fox is still left in the hole. To me, the fable seems to teach the value of teamwork, as the animals never even try to escape the hole. But, King seems to view it as justifying Bruce using his grappling hook to break KGBeast's neck and leaving him to die in Siberia, his vengeance sated. Really? No editor was like, "Um, that doesn't seem very Batman-y of him?" I think King wants us to see how Bruce and KGBeast are still stuck down the proverbial hole, but I'm not honestly sure. It's just a fucking mess. Percy did great stuff with the aftermath of Dick getting shot in issue #55, but King just totally drops the ball here.
Nightwing #51: Putting aside the jarring change in artists, this issue is decent. It's not great, but it's not terrible. Detective Sapienza finds the burnt-out remains of Nightwing's HQ and eventually decides to put on the uniform to tackle the huge spike in crime that came with Dick's disappearance over the last four months. "Ric" is still driving his taxi, and he encounters Alfred at his bar. This sequence reminds me of "General Hospital," where amnesiac Jason Morgan only trusted one former member of his family; Alfred doesn't rub Ric the wrong way, the way Babs does. They have a civil enough conversation before Ric starts his shift. When he's carjacked, he's stunned to find his reflexes leave the would-be thief battered and broken on the ground. As much as I like this new direction, I loathe Scott Lobdell and worry he's now going to ruin Dick Grayson just like he ruined Jason Todd. [Sigh.]
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #311: This issue is great. Zdarsky's absence is less noticeable because Ryan does a great job showing us how disruptive Morlun's sudden attack on Peter is: we're all disoriented. Peter's been web-slinging all night, so he's really off his game when Morlun attacks. It's a nice touch, because it's a reminder superheroes don't always get to pick when their most powerful nemesis attacks them. Morlun's attack happens essentially in real time: from the moment he attacks to the end of the issue is probably only ten minutes or so. Frigeri does a great job of showing the frantic nature of this fight: his fight scenes are propulsive. He trades off some detail for energy, and it suits this story perfectly. So far, so good, "Spider-geddon."
Thor #6: I haven't said a lot about the last few issues mostly because they've been pretty solid. Among many unexpected developments, the revelation that the glowing green worm driving Ego the Necroworld insane was Loki was awesome. I laughed when he stood revealed on the last page, impressed Aaron had pulled off something so obvious and yet at the same time unexpected. Based on the young girl's comments at the end of this issue, Loki now stands poised to destroy all existence, with Doom, Logan, and Thor all dead. But, Aaron is also telling a larger story, as generations of Earthlings live with a cracking and shaking world, adjusting to the battle between Doom and Thor at their core. If that's not a metaphor for our times, I don't know what is.
Also Read: Darth Vader #22; Dragon Age: Deception #1; Mr. and Mrs X #4; The New World #4; X-Men: Black - Mystique #1
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The October 3 DC Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batman #56: This sort of story lends itself to King's style, as Batman goes on a single-minded rampage to find Dick's would-be assassin. (King actually never confirms Dick has survived, by the by. You only know that if you're reading "Nightwing.") We learn the shooter is KGBeast who attempted to kill Dick as punishment for Batman costing him his arm in a previous fight. But, King doesn't just simply present that motivation as a fait accompli. He teases out KGBeast's motivation as he storms to his father's cabin in Siberia, where his father expresses disappointment in him. According to his father, arms are more useful than sons. This conversation shows King at his best, as he delves into the psyches of his players better than most authors. You actually feel sympathy for KGBeast. When he kills his father, it has the air of a man settling scores before he dies, setting the stage for what promises to be an apocalyptic showdown with Bruce next issue.
Nightwing #50: This issue wins this month's "most anticipated issue" award and I'm thrilled to say it didn't disappoint. In fact, I wonder where this Percy has been all this time. It feels like a mistake to take him off the title just as he hits his stride. Rather than telling the same old Nightwing story, we get an entirely new one here as Dick deals with the loss of both his identity and memory. His way of dealing is to become a sexy rogue (or, at least, sexier and rogue-ier than he normally is). As Barbara says, he drinks too much, he fights too much, he gambles too much, he does "everything" too much. (Hooya!) He takes up sexily sleeping in his tighty-whiteys in wealthy people's houses while they're on vacation (leaving them money for their trouble), and he bounces from back-alley card game to back-alley card game. Along the way, Barbara follows him, trying to convince him to get help. But, Percy makes a compelling argument for why he doesn't need or want help. As Dick says at the end, he has the chance not just to glue himself together in a way other people recognize, but to become his own man. Through flashbacks to a confrontation with Scarecrow when he was Robin, Percy reminds us Dick has been pursuing this goal for a long time. With only a vague memory of his circus life driving him, Dick decides to embrace being a ghost who can walk through time and walls. (One of the side effects of his injury is him losing time, waking up places he doesn't recognize.) It's honestly an exciting moment, and I hope DC doesn't rush him to remembering who he was. It really is a quintessential Dick Grayson story. It also helps that this Dick is dead sexy here. Moore not only portrays him as sexier than he's ever been with his shaved head, but he and Percy imbue him with a swagger unlike anything we've seen before. (I think Moore may be gay based on his blog, and I feel like it really took a gay penciler to reveal Dick in all his glory.) It's like a less fucked-up Jason Todd or a full-volume Dick Grayson. In fact, I'd love this Dick to meet Jason. That would be a story. At any rate, I am 100 percent on board with where we're going here. Did we jettison the Wyrm story? Maybe? Who cares? Vicki and Willem can escape on their own. I'm all about sexy Dick doing sexy, morally questionable things. Onward and upwards!
Also Read: Death Orb #1
Nightwing #50: This issue wins this month's "most anticipated issue" award and I'm thrilled to say it didn't disappoint. In fact, I wonder where this Percy has been all this time. It feels like a mistake to take him off the title just as he hits his stride. Rather than telling the same old Nightwing story, we get an entirely new one here as Dick deals with the loss of both his identity and memory. His way of dealing is to become a sexy rogue (or, at least, sexier and rogue-ier than he normally is). As Barbara says, he drinks too much, he fights too much, he gambles too much, he does "everything" too much. (Hooya!) He takes up sexily sleeping in his tighty-whiteys in wealthy people's houses while they're on vacation (leaving them money for their trouble), and he bounces from back-alley card game to back-alley card game. Along the way, Barbara follows him, trying to convince him to get help. But, Percy makes a compelling argument for why he doesn't need or want help. As Dick says at the end, he has the chance not just to glue himself together in a way other people recognize, but to become his own man. Through flashbacks to a confrontation with Scarecrow when he was Robin, Percy reminds us Dick has been pursuing this goal for a long time. With only a vague memory of his circus life driving him, Dick decides to embrace being a ghost who can walk through time and walls. (One of the side effects of his injury is him losing time, waking up places he doesn't recognize.) It's honestly an exciting moment, and I hope DC doesn't rush him to remembering who he was. It really is a quintessential Dick Grayson story. It also helps that this Dick is dead sexy here. Moore not only portrays him as sexier than he's ever been with his shaved head, but he and Percy imbue him with a swagger unlike anything we've seen before. (I think Moore may be gay based on his blog, and I feel like it really took a gay penciler to reveal Dick in all his glory.) It's like a less fucked-up Jason Todd or a full-volume Dick Grayson. In fact, I'd love this Dick to meet Jason. That would be a story. At any rate, I am 100 percent on board with where we're going here. Did we jettison the Wyrm story? Maybe? Who cares? Vicki and Willem can escape on their own. I'm all about sexy Dick doing sexy, morally questionable things. Onward and upwards!
Also Read: Death Orb #1
Saturday, November 3, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The September 19 DC Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Nightwing #49 and Batman #55: These issues are odd because they're in theory connected, but they aren't at all.
In "Nightwing" #49, Percy begins to bring his story to a close by curiously deciding to make it more complicated. The Silencer is apparently at the race to save Dick (not kill him) because he's become the target of all the Leviathan underbosses; Leviathan is essentially playing a meta-game at the race, with Dick as the trophy. If the Silencer can kill the underbosses, she's freed from her life as an assassin. I don't read "The Silencer," so her plight means nothing to me. But, even if I did feel for her, I'm pretty sure her insertion into this story would still feel awkward. We already had enough happening in this title; we didn't need to import drama from another title. After all, we still don't really know anything about Wyrm's plan, despite his dominating presence over the last six issues. In spite of constantly falling behind the other racers (given the need to evade the team of assassins after him), Nightwing somehow wins the race, because "time works differently" here, blah blah blah. At any rate, Nightwing manages to ask exactly the right question allowing Cimialcinnus to reward him with more time. Cimialcinnus pretends to be hacked so Dick has time to find a way to save Vicki and William. OK, fine. Percy wanted to tell a space-race story, and he did. It wasn't awful, but I figured we'd return to the Wyrm story to bring it to a close. But, I was wrong
Instead of Dick immediately trying to save Vicki and Willem, he goes to Gotham in "Batman" #55 again to spend time with a sulking Bruce. He's his jokey self as they take down yet another forgettable villain, this time called the Phantom Pharaoh. He does manage to goad Bruce into a diving contest, where they jump off a building and the first one to use a grapple loses. Just like last issue, Bruce isn't totally biting, but King does a good job of implying he appreciates Dick's presence, annoying though it may be. But, it's here where the B story collides with the A story. Throughout the B story, a one-armed man makes his way through Gotham: he arrives from overseas, buys a sniper rifle (and pays to expedite the background checks), scribbles on a napkin in a diner, and kills someone to use his apartment as a nest. It's surprisingly the napkin action that ruins the diving game, as Bruce responds to the Bat-signal. On the GCPD rooftop, Gordon tells them "the Napkin Man" (as Dick calls him) wrote, "Who's afraid of the Joker?" on the napkin, with an oversized question mark. Bruce mentions it's around the anniversary of the War of Jokes and Riddles, and Dick starts to make a joke. But, then, he's unexpectedly shot in the head. I admit I was surprised by it. But, the more I sat with it, the more I rolled my eyes, since it was clear Dick isn't dead.
I then did something I don't normally do and skimmed "Nightwing" #50 and "Batman" #56. Other than Dick looking finer than he ever has, it appears the point is Dick is going to lose his memory. I'm totally on board with this story. But, it's hard not to feel blindsided by it, as Dick is involved in at least three different stories -- the fight against Wyrm, the race with Cimialcinnus, and patrolling with Bruce -- over the course of these two issues. On some level, that only supports the impact of the amnesia story: tragedy doesn't strike when your arcs are conveniently summarized. But, we're not talking about real life here; we're talking about a comic book. If Percy merely drops the Wyrm story for this turn of events -- seemingly by editorial fiat -- I can't say I'm going to be a happy camper, at a time when I'm already still pissed at DC for "Batman" #50.
The Wild Storm #17: Whoa. Just, whoa. The thing that amazes me so much about this creative team is Davis-Hunt can deliver five pages of nearly wordless art, where we once again see the amazing extent of the Thunderbook subjects' powers, but Ellis can still advance the increasingly complicated narrative in a way that makes sense. It’s still a joy to read after all this time, and I get excited each time I open an issue.
- Lynch tracks down Stephen Rainmaker, a Native American whose alien apparently gives him the power to control the weather. We learn Rainmaker is the last person on John's list. He apparently feared Rainmaker the most, because he was always the angriest and “killed a lot of people.” (Given how many people the Thunderbook subjects killed, that’s...impressive.) John updates Rainmaker on everyone else's status and observes he no longer seems to be the most uptight. Rainmaker says he’s made peace with the alien by learning how to control his anger, breaking the feedback loop. (Ellis hints Rainmaker might not be aware that his "peace" might not exactly be true.) John asks if Rainmaker had any children, and he admits he did, after a suspiciously easy set of circumstances. (He had a one-night stand with the hottest woman he ever met, and a limo appeared two years later dropping off the kid.) John informs him everyone but Slayton had a child, and he wants to find them. (Gen13, here we come.) Rainmaker says Lynch can bring them to the reservation, because they’d be safe among people who understand what it feels like to be an alien.
- In a conversation between Jacob and Kenesha, we learned Lucy was known as Zannah, but, according to Jacob, she betrayed Halo. However, Kenesha notes she didn’t “betray” Halo so much as she didn’t agree with its goals. Jacob doesn’t see the difference. They then discuss their concerns over Angie getting too good at what she does, something Angie sees by spying on them through Jacob's Halo Angel voice-assistant device. (Amazing.) Kenesha then shows Jacob an article in the “Daily Planet” (also amazing) detailing how the singer Voodoo went to rehab and someone sold her files to a tabloid. In therapy, she drew out the monster who inspires her songs, and it's a Daemon. John is stunned to discover "they're still out there." Kenesha observes Michael Cray set off Jacob's "xenobiological alarms," which means he could also be a disguised Daemon. John dismisses that fear as paranoia, but Kenesha reminds him they're threatened.
- Meanwhile, a Daemon appears to Angie as she's watching this scene. The Daemon claims they've never meant any harm, but Marlowe and his crew have always misunderstood that, leading to a constant state of war. He claims 2,500 years ago a human named them "Daemon" and all they seek is "balance." Jacob, or Emp, and the other Khera are invaders who seek to "deform the growth of this world." Angie's act of selflessness tipped the Earth further off balance, so the Daemons must "speak." When they do, he suggests Angie seek out "Sparks" since she has the authority to restore the balance. He then disappears.
- Elsewhere, Slayton appears at a house on his hunt, but a shadowy Apollo and Midnighter scare him into leaving.
I recently read that the follow-on series to "The Wild Storm" are "Wild C.A.T.s" and "Zealot," and I have to say I'm pretty excited about getting to that point. I have no idea where Ennis is taking us in the meantime, but I know I can't wait!
In "Nightwing" #49, Percy begins to bring his story to a close by curiously deciding to make it more complicated. The Silencer is apparently at the race to save Dick (not kill him) because he's become the target of all the Leviathan underbosses; Leviathan is essentially playing a meta-game at the race, with Dick as the trophy. If the Silencer can kill the underbosses, she's freed from her life as an assassin. I don't read "The Silencer," so her plight means nothing to me. But, even if I did feel for her, I'm pretty sure her insertion into this story would still feel awkward. We already had enough happening in this title; we didn't need to import drama from another title. After all, we still don't really know anything about Wyrm's plan, despite his dominating presence over the last six issues. In spite of constantly falling behind the other racers (given the need to evade the team of assassins after him), Nightwing somehow wins the race, because "time works differently" here, blah blah blah. At any rate, Nightwing manages to ask exactly the right question allowing Cimialcinnus to reward him with more time. Cimialcinnus pretends to be hacked so Dick has time to find a way to save Vicki and William. OK, fine. Percy wanted to tell a space-race story, and he did. It wasn't awful, but I figured we'd return to the Wyrm story to bring it to a close. But, I was wrong
Instead of Dick immediately trying to save Vicki and Willem, he goes to Gotham in "Batman" #55 again to spend time with a sulking Bruce. He's his jokey self as they take down yet another forgettable villain, this time called the Phantom Pharaoh. He does manage to goad Bruce into a diving contest, where they jump off a building and the first one to use a grapple loses. Just like last issue, Bruce isn't totally biting, but King does a good job of implying he appreciates Dick's presence, annoying though it may be. But, it's here where the B story collides with the A story. Throughout the B story, a one-armed man makes his way through Gotham: he arrives from overseas, buys a sniper rifle (and pays to expedite the background checks), scribbles on a napkin in a diner, and kills someone to use his apartment as a nest. It's surprisingly the napkin action that ruins the diving game, as Bruce responds to the Bat-signal. On the GCPD rooftop, Gordon tells them "the Napkin Man" (as Dick calls him) wrote, "Who's afraid of the Joker?" on the napkin, with an oversized question mark. Bruce mentions it's around the anniversary of the War of Jokes and Riddles, and Dick starts to make a joke. But, then, he's unexpectedly shot in the head. I admit I was surprised by it. But, the more I sat with it, the more I rolled my eyes, since it was clear Dick isn't dead.
I then did something I don't normally do and skimmed "Nightwing" #50 and "Batman" #56. Other than Dick looking finer than he ever has, it appears the point is Dick is going to lose his memory. I'm totally on board with this story. But, it's hard not to feel blindsided by it, as Dick is involved in at least three different stories -- the fight against Wyrm, the race with Cimialcinnus, and patrolling with Bruce -- over the course of these two issues. On some level, that only supports the impact of the amnesia story: tragedy doesn't strike when your arcs are conveniently summarized. But, we're not talking about real life here; we're talking about a comic book. If Percy merely drops the Wyrm story for this turn of events -- seemingly by editorial fiat -- I can't say I'm going to be a happy camper, at a time when I'm already still pissed at DC for "Batman" #50.
The Wild Storm #17: Whoa. Just, whoa. The thing that amazes me so much about this creative team is Davis-Hunt can deliver five pages of nearly wordless art, where we once again see the amazing extent of the Thunderbook subjects' powers, but Ellis can still advance the increasingly complicated narrative in a way that makes sense. It’s still a joy to read after all this time, and I get excited each time I open an issue.
- Lynch tracks down Stephen Rainmaker, a Native American whose alien apparently gives him the power to control the weather. We learn Rainmaker is the last person on John's list. He apparently feared Rainmaker the most, because he was always the angriest and “killed a lot of people.” (Given how many people the Thunderbook subjects killed, that’s...impressive.) John updates Rainmaker on everyone else's status and observes he no longer seems to be the most uptight. Rainmaker says he’s made peace with the alien by learning how to control his anger, breaking the feedback loop. (Ellis hints Rainmaker might not be aware that his "peace" might not exactly be true.) John asks if Rainmaker had any children, and he admits he did, after a suspiciously easy set of circumstances. (He had a one-night stand with the hottest woman he ever met, and a limo appeared two years later dropping off the kid.) John informs him everyone but Slayton had a child, and he wants to find them. (Gen13, here we come.) Rainmaker says Lynch can bring them to the reservation, because they’d be safe among people who understand what it feels like to be an alien.
- In a conversation between Jacob and Kenesha, we learned Lucy was known as Zannah, but, according to Jacob, she betrayed Halo. However, Kenesha notes she didn’t “betray” Halo so much as she didn’t agree with its goals. Jacob doesn’t see the difference. They then discuss their concerns over Angie getting too good at what she does, something Angie sees by spying on them through Jacob's Halo Angel voice-assistant device. (Amazing.) Kenesha then shows Jacob an article in the “Daily Planet” (also amazing) detailing how the singer Voodoo went to rehab and someone sold her files to a tabloid. In therapy, she drew out the monster who inspires her songs, and it's a Daemon. John is stunned to discover "they're still out there." Kenesha observes Michael Cray set off Jacob's "xenobiological alarms," which means he could also be a disguised Daemon. John dismisses that fear as paranoia, but Kenesha reminds him they're threatened.
- Meanwhile, a Daemon appears to Angie as she's watching this scene. The Daemon claims they've never meant any harm, but Marlowe and his crew have always misunderstood that, leading to a constant state of war. He claims 2,500 years ago a human named them "Daemon" and all they seek is "balance." Jacob, or Emp, and the other Khera are invaders who seek to "deform the growth of this world." Angie's act of selflessness tipped the Earth further off balance, so the Daemons must "speak." When they do, he suggests Angie seek out "Sparks" since she has the authority to restore the balance. He then disappears.
- Elsewhere, Slayton appears at a house on his hunt, but a shadowy Apollo and Midnighter scare him into leaving.
I recently read that the follow-on series to "The Wild Storm" are "Wild C.A.T.s" and "Zealot," and I have to say I'm pretty excited about getting to that point. I have no idea where Ennis is taking us in the meantime, but I know I can't wait!
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The September 5 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Astonishing X-Men #15: I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about this series rubs me the wrong way. I mean, I like where Rosenberg is going with the idea the team is full of rejects: Kitty disavows them publicly, they have to take a bus instead of jetting everywhere in a Blackbird, etc. It's not only funny but it also puts them in situations we don't often see. How would a superhero team function if a wealthy patron wasn't paying the bills? Moreover, I'm enjoying angry and drunk Alex; he's super fun here, in a "total mess" kind of way. (Maybe he can drunkenly go bi-curious with Bobby?) But, I'm not sure I'm buying everything else. First, we have some odd character beats, like Proudstar being chatty and Dazzler calling Beast fat. Then, I'm still not sure I get what O.N.E. wants with the Reavers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a child of the ‘80s, so I love me some Reavers. But, I almost feel l like I missed an issue when it comes to their connection. When you add in the Greg Land porn poses, the series has some weaknesses that I hope get addressed because it also has potential.
Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #23: I'm totally on board with what David is doing here, so it's weird that I don't really seem to care. I mean, I love the twist here, with Mephisto killing Abigail by tricking Cassandra and Peter into thinking he was an immortal Abigail traveling back from the future with only one wish: to die. Of course, he goes one better and then implants false memories into Cassandra's and Slate's minds, making them believe Ben let Abigail die so he could sell the cure to a major pharmaceutical company. If Ben survives an hour, Mephisto will restore their (still fake, but better for Ben) memories! Hurrah! But, 23 issues into this series, I still feel like I don't really know Ben. Slott turned him into an entirely different character than the one we all knew and loved, but David hasn't really done much to give us any additional insight into his thinking. The entire series feels a lot more shallow than the typical David story, as if David doesn't really know who he wants Ben to be. As such, he just jumps from crisis to crisis. He doesn't really have a life or any supporting characters (other than possibly Kaine) who care about him. In fact, David seems just to tell the same story about trying to cure Abigail over and over again, a far cry from the road epic I thought we were going to get when this series started. In other words: meh?
Captain America #3: Coates is really on fire here as he shows how an entity called Power Enterprises stepped into the vacuum HYDRA left in fly-over country. At a street fair, Steve chats up an average Joe (henceforth, Average Joe, like the gym). He describes what his life used to be like: unemployed, wife on disability, son on drugs. Then, HYDRA came and did what the government couldn’t: reopened the mines, improved the schools, got people healthy. It’s morning in America, according to Average Joe. When HYDRA collapsed, Power Enterprises took over that role. But, Steve knows better: he entered the mines and discovered the "miners" were just moving around dirt. Later, he and T’Challa discuss how easy it is for the people to look the other way with their belief in how life is realized. (Steve also hypothesizes HYDRA got rid of anyone that would’ve caused problems.) With the remaining residents of the town blissfully satisfied, Power Enterprises has a great place to operate: the empty mine below the town houses Zeke Stane’s base, where he’s creating his army of Nukes. T’Challa briefs Steve on the Power Elite: they’re a coterie of criminals (including Stane) who fought HYDRA, so they enjoy influence in the new Washington. Steve and T'Challa discover someone in Washington is Stane’s handler, and I’m guessing it’s General Ross, who sees America in similar terms as Average Joe. Meanwhile, Sharon finds herself face-to-face with Selene in Albania, an interesting development to say the least. Honest, Coates is really telling a classic -- in all senses -- Captain America story. He’s really working through the thought experiment of what America would look like after a hostile takeover. (Actually exploring the aftermath of an event alone earns him a medal.) He explores the winners and losers, both within the government and outside it. Moreover, he has sympathy for Average Joe’s plight, but this sympathy has limits: Joe clearly only cares about what he gets, without wondering who paid for it. It’s a political story, but it’s not a partisan one. In fact, it underscores the challenge politicians have in this environment, where compromise is virtually impossible since no one wants to give up anything. Whereas I find myself bored with most of the other marquee titles right now, Coates is making “Captain America” a must-read one.
Nightwing #48: I totally dig the premise of this issue, because Dick Grayson definitely lends himself to a story about a secret cosmic motocross race. In fact, I feel like Percy rushed us too quickly into the story, as I would've enjoyed Dick doing his best Han Solo in the pubs before the race. We know two of the racers -- Flamingo and Professor Pyg in an ode to "Batman" #666 -- but Dick barely has time to register for the race before it begins, so we don't really know anyone else. It feels like a missed opportunity, but only because I dig the premise so much. But, the main problem is the fact this story ties into the larger Wyrm story. Dick informs us he's racing for his "friends" Vicki Vale and Willem Cloke (a sign Dick seems to use "friends" loosely). If he wins, he gets to ask Cimialcinnus, the Celtic deity of paths, a question. But, he apparently has to hack into Cimialcinnus' "techno-mythological" altar instead as part of his deal with Wyrm. (I don't really remember Wyrm asking him to do so, but there you go.) Dick's plan seems to be just to ride and hope he can figure out a way to avoid hacking into the altar as he goes. To make matters worse, DC has inserted Silencer into the issue. They've been pushing her heavily for months and for some reason she's here to kill Dick. All these twists just weigh down what could've been a pretty great story. I guess we'll see if Percy can stick the landing.
Star Wars #53: This issue is spectacular. It has everything you could possibly want. Han and Luke enjoy some banter, but then they get to work. Luke uses the fireworks rig from the commissioning ceremony to show Ackbar any ship broadcasting a Rebel signal can open the flight doors, getting the fleet back into action. Han is uncharacteristically all business here, and it’s a side of him we’ve never really seen. He and Chewie manage to crash-land the Falcon on one of the cruisers, and he immediately demands a ship to rejoin the fight. Gillen is really showing Han to be the hero he is when no one is looking. Meanwhile, Leia’s guilt eventually overwhelms her. When one of the hackers discovers the override codes are on the Executor, Leia impersonates Trios to get on board the ship, since the Imperials don’t know she bailed in an escape pod. The only problem is Vader has her dock in his own private hanger. The Rebels accompanying her then blast their way through the support staff as Vader approaches the ship. If the opening arc of this series felt like “Star Wars” 1.5, this arc feels like “Star Wars” 1.75. If Disney had any idea what it was doing, it would use this plot as the basis for the next movie.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Annual #2: This issue is nothing but fun. Throughout the issue, Spurrier keeps you guessing what Aphra's angle is and the reveal doesn't disappoint. He also introduces us to two characters that feel ripe for a miniseries or spin-off series. Aphra has shown Disney that this galaxy far, far away can tell stories outside the Skywalker saga, so I hope they embrace that lesson with Winloss and Nokk.
Also Read: Avengers #7; Batman #54; X-Men: Gold #35
Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #23: I'm totally on board with what David is doing here, so it's weird that I don't really seem to care. I mean, I love the twist here, with Mephisto killing Abigail by tricking Cassandra and Peter into thinking he was an immortal Abigail traveling back from the future with only one wish: to die. Of course, he goes one better and then implants false memories into Cassandra's and Slate's minds, making them believe Ben let Abigail die so he could sell the cure to a major pharmaceutical company. If Ben survives an hour, Mephisto will restore their (still fake, but better for Ben) memories! Hurrah! But, 23 issues into this series, I still feel like I don't really know Ben. Slott turned him into an entirely different character than the one we all knew and loved, but David hasn't really done much to give us any additional insight into his thinking. The entire series feels a lot more shallow than the typical David story, as if David doesn't really know who he wants Ben to be. As such, he just jumps from crisis to crisis. He doesn't really have a life or any supporting characters (other than possibly Kaine) who care about him. In fact, David seems just to tell the same story about trying to cure Abigail over and over again, a far cry from the road epic I thought we were going to get when this series started. In other words: meh?
Captain America #3: Coates is really on fire here as he shows how an entity called Power Enterprises stepped into the vacuum HYDRA left in fly-over country. At a street fair, Steve chats up an average Joe (henceforth, Average Joe, like the gym). He describes what his life used to be like: unemployed, wife on disability, son on drugs. Then, HYDRA came and did what the government couldn’t: reopened the mines, improved the schools, got people healthy. It’s morning in America, according to Average Joe. When HYDRA collapsed, Power Enterprises took over that role. But, Steve knows better: he entered the mines and discovered the "miners" were just moving around dirt. Later, he and T’Challa discuss how easy it is for the people to look the other way with their belief in how life is realized. (Steve also hypothesizes HYDRA got rid of anyone that would’ve caused problems.) With the remaining residents of the town blissfully satisfied, Power Enterprises has a great place to operate: the empty mine below the town houses Zeke Stane’s base, where he’s creating his army of Nukes. T’Challa briefs Steve on the Power Elite: they’re a coterie of criminals (including Stane) who fought HYDRA, so they enjoy influence in the new Washington. Steve and T'Challa discover someone in Washington is Stane’s handler, and I’m guessing it’s General Ross, who sees America in similar terms as Average Joe. Meanwhile, Sharon finds herself face-to-face with Selene in Albania, an interesting development to say the least. Honest, Coates is really telling a classic -- in all senses -- Captain America story. He’s really working through the thought experiment of what America would look like after a hostile takeover. (Actually exploring the aftermath of an event alone earns him a medal.) He explores the winners and losers, both within the government and outside it. Moreover, he has sympathy for Average Joe’s plight, but this sympathy has limits: Joe clearly only cares about what he gets, without wondering who paid for it. It’s a political story, but it’s not a partisan one. In fact, it underscores the challenge politicians have in this environment, where compromise is virtually impossible since no one wants to give up anything. Whereas I find myself bored with most of the other marquee titles right now, Coates is making “Captain America” a must-read one.
Nightwing #48: I totally dig the premise of this issue, because Dick Grayson definitely lends himself to a story about a secret cosmic motocross race. In fact, I feel like Percy rushed us too quickly into the story, as I would've enjoyed Dick doing his best Han Solo in the pubs before the race. We know two of the racers -- Flamingo and Professor Pyg in an ode to "Batman" #666 -- but Dick barely has time to register for the race before it begins, so we don't really know anyone else. It feels like a missed opportunity, but only because I dig the premise so much. But, the main problem is the fact this story ties into the larger Wyrm story. Dick informs us he's racing for his "friends" Vicki Vale and Willem Cloke (a sign Dick seems to use "friends" loosely). If he wins, he gets to ask Cimialcinnus, the Celtic deity of paths, a question. But, he apparently has to hack into Cimialcinnus' "techno-mythological" altar instead as part of his deal with Wyrm. (I don't really remember Wyrm asking him to do so, but there you go.) Dick's plan seems to be just to ride and hope he can figure out a way to avoid hacking into the altar as he goes. To make matters worse, DC has inserted Silencer into the issue. They've been pushing her heavily for months and for some reason she's here to kill Dick. All these twists just weigh down what could've been a pretty great story. I guess we'll see if Percy can stick the landing.
Star Wars #53: This issue is spectacular. It has everything you could possibly want. Han and Luke enjoy some banter, but then they get to work. Luke uses the fireworks rig from the commissioning ceremony to show Ackbar any ship broadcasting a Rebel signal can open the flight doors, getting the fleet back into action. Han is uncharacteristically all business here, and it’s a side of him we’ve never really seen. He and Chewie manage to crash-land the Falcon on one of the cruisers, and he immediately demands a ship to rejoin the fight. Gillen is really showing Han to be the hero he is when no one is looking. Meanwhile, Leia’s guilt eventually overwhelms her. When one of the hackers discovers the override codes are on the Executor, Leia impersonates Trios to get on board the ship, since the Imperials don’t know she bailed in an escape pod. The only problem is Vader has her dock in his own private hanger. The Rebels accompanying her then blast their way through the support staff as Vader approaches the ship. If the opening arc of this series felt like “Star Wars” 1.5, this arc feels like “Star Wars” 1.75. If Disney had any idea what it was doing, it would use this plot as the basis for the next movie.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Annual #2: This issue is nothing but fun. Throughout the issue, Spurrier keeps you guessing what Aphra's angle is and the reveal doesn't disappoint. He also introduces us to two characters that feel ripe for a miniseries or spin-off series. Aphra has shown Disney that this galaxy far, far away can tell stories outside the Skywalker saga, so I hope they embrace that lesson with Winloss and Nokk.
Also Read: Avengers #7; Batman #54; X-Men: Gold #35
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
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.
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.
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
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