Five-Month-Old Comics: The November 2 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Astronaut Down #4:  This issue is best enjoyed if you accept the metaphysical explanations at face value.

Newly arrived in another reality (again), Douglas hears from this reality's scientists that they just sent out their own astronauts when Douglas appeared.  Due to what the scientists call "shift theory," Douglas shifted to this reality almost immediately after its Douglas departed his body, since "neighboring realities have only slight variations and would be in the same crises and attempting the same mission."  This part I accept (more or less).

However, I raised an eyebrow at the next part, where the scientists explain that, by imbedding their reality's cure equation in every astronaut's consciousness pack, they ensure the neighboring realities would do the same.  First, I'm now sure about the causal directionality there.  It implies that events aren't happening independently in each reality.  In other words, the cancer might have occurred in Set B of realities only because it occurred sui generis in Set A of neighboring realities.  Second, if they had the cure, why did they need Douglas?  Did their cure not work in their reality?  At any rate, as I said, it's easier to accept it at face value:  Douglas arrives in this reality with the cure, which we know he found in his previous reality.  

The rest of the issue focuses on Douglas' guilt over saving this reality but not his own one.  Complicating matters, this reality's Maddie proposes they get together.  Douglas doesn't initially respond, but he later activates a message from Dr. Engle in which she confirms that they knew his mission may only save another reality.  She encourages him to live his life wherever he is, and he and Maddie get together.

Of course, just as Maddie tells Douglas she wants a baby, this new reality's scientists inform Douglas that they think they can send back his consciousness to his reality if they can retrieve some equipment from a warehouse in an area where the cancer's control is fading.  Of course, Douglas would die in said mission.  Poor Douglas.

Batman #129:  The irony of this issue is that the fight between Batman and Failsafe is almost boring.  

Just before Failsafe arrives in Atlantis and captures Aquaman, Bruce escapes to the Moon-based Watchtower.  He's surprised Failsafe makes it there as quickly as he does but manages to do some damage to him thanks to a gun that involves "three quadrillion watts and New Genesis steel."  

Batman then pulls a "Superman 2:"  figuring Failsafe destroyed all the Justice League's teleporters except one - which would inevitably lead him to a similar "Home Alone"-esque gauntlet the Justice League encountered in Gotham - Batman reversed the, I don't know, polarities.  As such, he sends Failsafe to the Hall of Justice, where he was planning on running Batman through said gauntlet.  But for some reason doing so caused the Watchtower to explode, leaving Batman floating in space with few options.  

Again, it's action-packed, but we're watching Bruce match wits essentially against himself, which makes it feel clinical.  We really need to amp up the emotional stakes with the Bat-family's lives on the line to make this arc as legendary as I think it's going to be.

Blade Runner:  Black Lotus #4:  This issue is a disappointing end to a disappointing series.  

First, Collins throws us an unnecessary curveball when it turns out one of the "hostages," Preston, was the one who initially betrayed the co-op.  He collided with Barnes to set up the assassination attempt on Miguel and the kidnapping of the hostages.  Why, you ask?  Because he loved Nyoko!  Men are such dummies.

After Elle defeats Preston, Kozlov sets up Miguel when he demands that he meet him alone at Junktown for "negotiations."  Despite Junkett warning Miguel that Kozlov was in town stirring up the townspeople against the co-op, Miguel insists on going - alone - because...I don't know, peace.  If he's really such an idiot, I'm surprised he survived his time as a Blade Runner.  

Elle rushes ahead of Miguel to fight Kozlov, forcing him to confess Barnes' scheme to the townspeople.  But she's such a fucking idiot that she goes full Replicant on a guy who barely has a face at this point, raising the townspeople's suspicions.  She decides that she has to leave to keep the co-op safe, which in and of itself doesn't make sense.  Making matters worse, she decides not to say good-bye, even with a wailing Kaja begging her not to leave.  She literally just gets on her spinner bike and tells the co-op folks to have a good life.

Elle deserved better than this series.

Star Wars #29:  I wanted to like this issue.  After all, it does what I've been asking Soule to do, to refocus on the main characters after his recent attempts at telling stories involving marginal characters haven't worked so well.  

Here, Amilyn Holdo bringing Chewbacca, Lando, Leia, and Luke on a wild goose chase to find the legendary lost Kezarat convoy and its hundred tankers full of tibanna coaxium.  We even get some surprisingly great banter between Amilyn and Lando.

But something about the issue's flow is clunky.  Maybe it's because Amilyn keeps going to ridiculous lengths to keep the plan from Leia, all under the guise that they're just on a vacation.  Maybe it's because Soule is forced to jam Amilyn's eventual explanation into too few panels after spending so much time setting up the denouement.  Whatever it is, meh.

X-Men Red #8:  Ewing exhibits a masterful control over the pace and tone of this story as he weaves together several seemingly unconnected events into drama.

Cable recruits a team to find a sample of his techno-organic virus that a race called the Progenitors stole from him.  (I would've appreciated an editor's note here to give me a little more information about when that happened.)  He explains that it involves eventually taking out Abigail Brand, though going about it the long way.

Using their combined resources, the team finds the virus on a planet in the gap between galaxies and stumbles upon the entities who buried Vulcan's dark side in "X-Men (2019)" #10.  Intrigued by the entitites' creepiness when the team finds them in some form of stasis, Cable (somehow) activates their memories.  The team (conveniently) sees their memories regarding tinkering with Vulcan.  Before Cable can warn anyone, Orbis Stellaris attacks, as he's apparently the progenitor of the Progenitors.

Meanwhile, the Kree-Skrull Alliance has called a diplomatic meeting in the Diplomatic Zone of Lake Hellas on Arakko to inform the Galactic Council that "new information" has come to light showing the Shi'ar were behind a massacre at a place called Shapeless Ridge.  (The Kree actually committed said killings during a lull in the Kree-Skrull War.)  Xandra arrives and confirms the information, as it was one of the Ten Shames the Kin Crimson was trying to hide.  Before Xandra and Paibok can agree to compensation, an unhinged Vulcan arrives at Lake Hellas to declare himself King of the Shi'ar.  The issue ends showing a gleeful Abigail Brand exulting in her plan coming to fruition.

In the back matter, we learn about said plan. Brand worked with Orbis Stellaris because he could retrieve Vulcan from the Fault and make him docile until Brand needed him not to be.  In exchange, Orbis Stellaris got "credits up front and favors down the line."  Brand also leaked the information about Shapeless Ridge to the Alliance.  By unleashing Vulcan at that moment, she ensured (to her mind) a Shi'ar civil war between Vulcan and Xandra while they're also fighting off the Alliance.

Honestly, I'm shocked by how much Brand's plan makes sense.  In order to strengthen the Sol system, she's unleashing war among (and within) our rivals.  Moreover, she's positioning Sol as the peacemaker.  The only problem with her plan that I can see is her hope that the X-Men will force the Arakkii to return to Amenth and S.W.O.R.D. will take over Arakko as a "diplomatic world."  But given how successful she's been so far, I don't put it past her to make that happen.

Also, as a Nova fan, let me just say that I love how the Arakkii acknowledge him as one of them given his heroics in the face of Uranos.  It's the respect he so deserves and rarely gets.

Also Read:  Star Wars:  Bounty Hunters #28

Three-Month-Old Comics: The June 29 Edition - Part Two (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Spider-Man 2099:  Exodus #3:  Thanks to Carlos' art, this issue at least feels like an old-school 2099 story.  Orlando is still using the "hero of the month" schtick that's plagued the 2099 line during its last few iterations, but the heroes he uses here at least make sense in terms of the larger story that he's telling.

To whit, Moon Knight contacts Spider-Man telepathically from her Crescent Crypt on the Moon, where she's been healing since the Masters of Evil killed the Avengers a year earlier.  The Masters at the time were the (Iron) Patriot, Black Knight, Enchantress, Melter, Radioactive Man, and Zemo.  (The Avengers themselves are never identified here; the only one I vaguely recognized one was a gray Hulk.)  After killing the Avengers, the Patriot showed his black card to the people recording the fight with their smartphones, making it clear that he and the Masters were now above the law.

Moon Knight is contacting Spider-Man because her alarms awoke her with the Celestial's arrival.  Her alarms sound again when the Masters (minus the Patriot) return to our solar system after traveling in their spaceship to plunder other systems (including the Cancerverse).  Enchantress exposits that Doom "is gone" so figures (correctly) that Osborn is behind pulling down the Celestial.  (We also learn that Zemo killed Black Knight for insubordination.). 

With Spider-Man agreeing to help Moon Knight get vengeance on the Masters (and stop them from helping Osborn secure the Garden), Moon Knight assembles the team:  John Eisenhart (the Hulk), Rowena Stern (Captain Marvel), Zhe Li (Aero), MacKenzie Salgado (Wave), Roberta Mendez (Captain America), and T'Shamba (Black Panther).  As an old-school 2099 fan, Eisenhart and Mendez's inclusion is the most exciting, as it's the clearest sign that we're gotten that we're operating in some version of the original timeline.  At some point, the Masters had control over Roberta and used John as a "doomsday device."  They also destroyed poisoned "Super Malay" (Wave's homeland) and Wakanda and murdered Rowena's fathers and Zhe's students.  In other words, everyone has a reason for vengeance.

As the fight begins, Miguel realizes that Osborn isn't with the Masters, meaning that they're just his soldiers.  Moon Knight reminds Miguel that they don't want the Masters in charge of the Garden either, so they fight in earnest.  The team makes fairly quick work of the Masters, and Black Panther takes them to Planet Wakanda to stand trial, since they're outside Osborn's black-card immunity.  Moon Knight declares to Planet Wakanda (and presumably Earth) that the Avengers have returned.  As she does so, four additional Avengers are standing with the team:  a Captain Britain, Kid Gladiator (if I'm not mistaken) a She-Hulk, and I think a Black Widow.  In the epilogue, Miguel tells Moon Knight that he's heading for Latveria for help taking down Osborn, though he doesn't explain why.

At any rate, it all is what it is.  It isn't terrible, and I can accept the "hero of the month" approach as long as it's ground in the story like it was in this issue (unlike last issue).  Black Widow and Hawkeye are up next, so we'll see if that peace holds.

Star Wars:  Obi-Wan Kenobi #2:  I don't usually have high hopes for these anthology series, but this issue is great.  One challenge I've found that trips up authors of these sorts of issues is that they imagine too complicated a plot or setting for one issue.  Cantwell successfully avoids that trap and keeps the narrative tightly enough focused that the story really sings. 

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan travel to a moon that has inexplicably descended into darkness.  When they arrive at the mine that sent the S.O.S., they discover bloodshed.  Qui-Gon discovers a thief who admits that he and his crew used a "non-incendiary photonic charge" to take out the outpost's power core.  Obi-Wan realizes that the charge likely resulted in the core's accelerite producing a radiation capable of supressing the light spectrum.

The issue's tension comes from the fact that one of the miners is from a light-sensitive, werewolf-like race.  The darkness has driven him insane, and it's only when Obi-Wan is able to reactivate the core with the help of the mining supervisor that the remaining miners and thieves are saved.  Obi-Wan is temporarily blinded (due to the supervisor having to raise the heat levels high enough to fuse the accelerite back together), which plays nicely to the issue's theme, of Obi-Wan getting lost in the facts in front of him and not feeling the larger context.

In sum, it's a great issue.  If you aren't reading the full series, it's definitely worth checking out this issue.

X-Men Red #4:  This issue is incredibly interesting, as it centers entirely around the question of death and what it means now that mutants are functionally immortal.

The issue arrises in three separate places:  Arrako, Earth, and the Proscenium.

• On Arakko, Ora Serrata, who sits in the Seat of Law, notes that Magneto and Storm are, on some level, cheating in holding seats on the Great Ring.  After all, the seats are won through combat in the Circle.  Ora Serrata caveats her statement by noting that the Great Ring has never allowed back a member who was defeated in the Circle but was somehow later resurrected.  As a result, she isn't saying that Magneto and Storm are cheating because if they died they'll get back their seats.  She's more asking whether Magneto and Storm really faced the same stakes as the rest of them since they knew that they couldn't die.  After some squabbling (particularly with Isca the Unbeaten), Magneto announces that he and Storm have destroyed their backups.  As Storm says, "to everything a season."

• At the Proscenium, Oracle has gathered galactic representatives to announce that Xandra is dead.  Fearing an astro-nuclear war as various Shi'ar factions jockey for control, Oracle is implementing a protocol that Deathbird put in place of shoring up support of the Empire's most important allies.

T'Challa gets around the issue by asking if Krakoa can resurrect Xandra, since she's a mutant.  Orbis Stellaris of the Galactic Rim Collective objects for two reasons:  first, the unfairness of an empress getting resurrected when her subjects do not have a similar option and, second, the possibility of an eternal Xandra becoming a helluva dictator.  Nova recalls resurrecting Xandar with the Nova Force and notes that Xandar was destroyed again during the Annihilation Wave. He stresses that no one is immortal; even if the mutants can resurrect people, it doesn't mean that they don't die.  He supports resurrecting Xandra since he doesn't regret giving the Xandarians a few more days' peace. 

Ororo then announces that Krakoa has already resurrected Xandra, since her father (Charles) heard her psychic broadcast just as Oracle did.  Ororo then basically tells Orbis Stellaris to go fuck itself since mutants won't bow to anyone.  Richard follows her and ask if he can spend some time on Arrako, since his "Nova-sense" has him worried that its Diplomatic Zone is the focal point of a coming "big" event.  Ororo agrees and welcomes him.  Again, I love seeing people like Ororo giving Rich the respect that he deserves.

• On Earth, Roberto is resurrected, since Isca the Unbeaten apparently killed him last issue.  Rockslide is there because he likes to observe the resurrections, though we learn that it really isn't "our" Rockslide:  "our" Santo died in Otherworld as seen in "X of Swords."  This Santo is somehow an amalgam of all possible Santos.  I had to Google to find out it happened in "X-Factor;" an editor's note would've been nice here.  At any rate, the kids called Rockslide "Wrongslide," which he doesn't mind because it at least addresses that he isn't "our" Santo.  He knows that his presence hurts people, which hurts him because he loves it so much on Krakoa.  Roberto echoes what Nova said, that everyone dies.  He then invites Rockslide to Arrako.

Again, I loved the big questions that Ewing is asking here, particularly because it's clearly setting up the next few months of stories given Scott's revelation of mutant immortality.  This series continues to feel like what "Immortal X-Men" is supposed to be.

Seven-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero September 22 and 29 (2021) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Guardians of the Galaxy #18 (September 22):  This issues goes pretty much as I expected, as we knew that Doom was going to get something from his involvement with the Guardians. 

Using Drax, Groot, Moondragon, and Star-Lord as the other points of the pentragram, Doom casts a spell to drain Dormammu of his powers.  He then uses part of this drained power to send the Guardians across the galaxy, to where Gamora, Nova, and Rocket are waiting with the gun that Cable helped Rocket build in "Cable:  Reloaded" #1.  With Peter powering the bullet, Gamora firing it, and Nova providing some extra oomph, it shatters Ego.  Dormammu is forcibly expelled to the Dark Dimension, and Ego is now an asteroid belt around Spartax.  Hurrah!

The only remaining question is what scheme Doom planned.  Of course, he kept the rest of Dormammu's power.  It turns out he was in cahoots with Sister Talionis this entire time.  As his Doombots have conquered Chitauri Prime, he gives it to her, from where she plans to launch her revolt against Hulkling.  Of course, Doom thinks that he's outsmarted everyone, but Rocket knows that Doom pulled some sort of fast one here so he's on the case.

The best part of the issue is Gamora, Pete, and Rich's interactions.  Before they shoot the bullet, Pete tells Gamora that he loves Rich, too, and Gamora says that she knows, that they'll always be family.  Rich then tells them that he loves them, too.  It's lovely.  Later, at Gosnell's, Rich confesses that peace means that he can actually do what he wants, that he doesn't have to feel so alone.  Storm then welcomes everyone to Arakko after Marvel Boy suggests that it's a good place for Rich to go have some fun.  As Gamora says, Rich may be a pessimist, but I'm thrilled that he has a chance just to be.

I'm sad that Marvel ended this title, but I'm sure we'll be seeing everyone again.  It was really a spectacular run, and I hope that it's Ewing who brings back the team soon!

X-Men #3 (September 22):  This issue is fun because the High Evolutionary's Evolutionary Guard hand the X-Men their asses.  

When the X-Men refuse the High Evolutionary's "gift" of a virus that'll sterilize humanity, he agrees to depart so long as he gets a drop of Synch's blood.  His interest in Synch makes it pretty clear that Duggan plans on making Synch and his seeming Omega-level powers a core part of the X-Men's story going forward.

I have to say that Duggan shows a real flair for writing Scott here.  I loved when Synch expressed concern that his decision to give the High Evolutionary his blood will haunt them, and Scott quipped, "First time with the High Evolutionary, huh?"  (He assures Synch that he made the right decision, because he saved as many lives as possible, particularly because every fight with the High Evolutionary ends this way.)  But, I really loved him telling the Evolutionary Guard member chocking him that it was his lucky day that the High Evolutionary stopped the fight because he had them right where he wanted them.  I mentioned the choking, right?  It wasn't just funny; it also underlined the X-Men definitely weren't going to win.  

As the dust settles, Jean and Scott decide to split the team after the High Evolutionary gives Jean more information on Gameworld, so I'm excited to see how Jean's team does in space.  But, it isn't like Scott is going to have an easy road.  First, Dr. Stasis gives Ben Ulrich the information that he needs (in the form of Scott's autopsy report) to write about mutant resurrection.  Second, Gyrich is working with Feilong, who wants a seat at Orchis' table in exchange for his plan - which has something to do with still colonizing Mars - succeeding.

No one said it was going to be easy, Scott.

Amazing Spider-Man #74 (September 29):  In terms of the positive developments during Spencer's run, I think that we have to give him credit for undoing "Sins Past" and most of "one More Day."  I thought that he'd undo all of "One More Day," with MJ and Peter remembering their deal with Mephisto.  In the end, he made it clear that he didn't need to do that.  As the kiss on top of the skyscraper shows us, they found their way back to each other.  It's even more profound than another snap of Mephisto's fingers.

But, I can't ignore Kindred.  

It turns out Kindred was Gabriel and Sarah, not Harry and Sarah.  Mephisto was the one who kept resurrecting them, though I'll admit that I'm not totally sure why he did so, other than possibly that he enjoyed them torturing Peter.  When MJ saves Peter from the rubble under which Kindred(s) buried him, Dr. Strange wins his bet with Mephisto.  As a result, Gabriel and Sarah die since their service as Mephisto's pawns was over.  

I'll admit this part doesn't make sense to me.  Mephisto was using them before the bet, if I've been following this story correctly, so I don't understand why he'd give up such useful tools simply because he lost the bet.  To be honest, I was hoping that he'd just free them from his service.  After all the trauma, they deserved to live a life on their own terms.  Either way, though, I don't get why their fates were tied to the bet.

I also can't ignore Harry.  Spencer confirms that he was a clone; when he died in "Spectacular Spider-Man" #200, he really died.  Harry went straight to Hell for his "Lifetheft" and "Sins Past" machinations (which Mephisto hilarious said were low, even for him.  There, Mephisto tells him that he's always been collateral damage in a larger game.  

This part also doesn't make sense to me.  For example, who activated Harry's clone?  I'm assuming that Mephisto did, but I don't really get why he wouldn't just resurrect him; clones aren't really Mephisto's deal.  I've read online that people thought that it was the Harry AI, which makes sense.  But, I re-read this issue and issue #73, and Spencer doesn't actually say that.  

All that said, I was surprised that Spencer killed Harry and left Norman alive, though I guess Peter needs some trauma in his life.  Notably, Mephisto honors his deal with Dr. Strange:  although I thought that he'd reveal his meddling in MJ and Peter's relationship, he releases Harry's soul.  It isn't a happy ending, but it's better than Harry soul's status quo was.

I'm less clear on where the Ben Reilly story is going.  I know of Janine only because I read the "Life of Reilly" blog; I never read "Spider-Man:  The Lost Years."  It seems a lot to ask of us to be emotionally invested in a character who appeared in two four-issue limited series over 15 years ago.  Moreover, it seems to ignore everything Ben Reilly has been through these last few years.  Some of it I don't mind:  I really disliked "The Clone Conspiracy" turning him into a villain without little explanation, and the series that followed it did little to undo that characterization.  But, I read "Free Comic Book Day 2021:  Spider-Man/Venom," and it didn't shed any light on how we went from Ben crying in an alley at the end of "Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider" #25 to (blond) Ben freeing the love of his life from prison here.

At any rate, it is what it is.  Kindred(s) is finally behind us, and I'm excited to turn this page.

Darkhawk #2 (September 29):  Man, Higgins really summons the angst and tension of the original "Darkhawk" series here.  Then, Chris Powell was trying to fight crime and support his family after finding out that his dad was (supposedly) a crooked cop.  Now, Connor Young reveals his secret identity to Derek after he realizes that Derek was one of the thieves.  

It all happens after Connor turns into Darkhawk to save Derek after he goes after some guys who stole the shoes that they just bought.  Higgins really ups the ante, though.  Connor doesn't just reveal his identity to Derek:  Derek sucker punches him with a bomb after revealing that he needs to steal the armor for Shawn.  Of course, when he later tells Shawn that he couldn't do it, Mr. Colt shoots him.  Is he dead?  Or is someone else under the grave next issue?  We'll see!  

Meanwhile, Higgins does a great job of reminding us how few options Derek had in Woodlawn.  As he explains to Connor, at some point he realized that he should simply rob the stores rather than work in them for the rest of his life for minimum wage.  I'm not sure that plan is going to work out so well for Derek, but I get the sentiment.

Inferno #1 (September 29):  Hickman has mostly focused on external threats so far but switches to internal ones here, much to my delight.

Staying on the external threats for a minute, though, Director Devo and Dr. Gregor review Krakoa's various attempts to take out Nimrod.  Devo expresses his surprise that the mutants haven't evolved and successfully taken out Nimrod.  Gregor suggests that they must not remember the attacks, which we know isn't true.  But, Omega Sentinel notes that someone remembers, which is why they keep trying.

Here, we segue to Moira's third life, as she and her colleagues have successfully developed a cure for mutants.  The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants attacks, killing Moira's colleagues.  Destiny and Moira then have the conversation that cues this event's premise, namely Destiny demanding that Moira spend her next life trying to help mutantkind instead of destroying it.  It's also the conversation where Moira learns that she has ten or eleven lives depending if she makes the "right choice" at the end.

In the present, Moira is visiting sites important to her and returns to her No-Place to find Charles and Magneto waiting for her.  We learn that they've ignored her previous advice, though it isn't particularly clear what she told them to do.  At any rate, they acknowledge that their repeated attempts to take out Nimrod have failed and basically admit that their way isn't working.  Moira notes that only two real threats exist:  Nimrod and Destiny.  She stresses that they have time to address the Nimrod situation but must take Destiny off the board immediately.  Moira suggests that they take away Mystique's leadership role and destroy all samples of Destiny's DNA.

When Scott resigns as Captain Commander due to his X-Men role and the captains promote Bishop in his place, Charles and Erik use this moment to suggest that anyone who wants to retire from the Quiet Council should do so.  It doesn't go according to plan:  instead of Mystique retiring, she introduces a resurrected Destiny to take Apocalypse's place.

All in all, I'm pretty thrilled with this issue.  Hickman has a number of plots moving here that could go in all sorts of ways. 

For example, it feels like Moira wants Destiny removed because she plans on betraying mutantkind and doesn't want Destiny to know that.  It seems related to her potentially 11th resurrection:  if she removes Destiny's DNA in this life, does it mean Destiny is gone in her 11th, allowing her to destroy mutantkind more easily?  Also, it appears that Mystique has somehow gotten around the Resurrection Protocols, which raises all sorts of issues going forward.

Moreover, Charles and Erik each clearly have their own agendas, and their difficult relationship with Moira implies to me that Nimrod isn't their own frustration.  (It does explain that they're not just being assholes in refusing to resurrect Destiny.  I wonder if they knew that Mystique would fail to take out Nimrod in "X-Men" #20 and thus could "promise" to resurrect Destiny.  If they didn't, I wonder how they would've done if she had succeeded)

In other words, all in all, I'm pretty stoked about this event.

Also Read:  Free Comic Book Day:  Spider Man/Venom (2021) #1 (August 14); The Last Annihilation:  Wakanda #1 (September 15); Marauders #24 (September 15); X-Men:  The Trial of Magneto #2 (TPB) (September 15); Moon Knight #3 (September 22); Winter Guard #2 (September 29)

Eight-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero August 18 (2021) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Guardians of the Galaxy #17 (August 18):  This issue trips a bit over the ever-confusing Cosmic Marvel continuity, as the issue's big reveal - that Ego and Galactus at some point bonded, meaning that the Dormammu-dominated Ego is now the Dormammu-dominated Galactus - comes after a lot of exposition.  Do I understand?  No, not really.

For me, the most relevant part of the story is Rich trying to convince everyone that they're trusting Doom way too much.  Ewing makes it seem like Rich is just immature as always, and everyone but Gamora ignores him.  (Remember those sparks?)  But, as Doom takes advantage of Dormammu conquering Chitauri Prime to colonize it for his Rigellian allies, the rest of the team reconsiders Rich's position.  I'm always thrilled when we treat Rich like an adult.  

All that said, this issue does reveal Dormammu's plan:  he's invading five ancestral worlds that form a pentagram to bring our dimension into his dimension.  In other words, it's pretty low stakes.  :)

Marauders #23 (August 18):  This issue starts poorly, as I had to Google a bit to discover what the fuck happened to the Marauder.  It's a poor showing to have the fate of the series' titular ship determined in a different series with nary an editor's note to tell us what the fuck happened.  The rest of this issue is fine, though, as Emma, Jumbo Carnation, Kate, and Tempo help Banshee stop rivals mobs from stealing Krakoa's medications from an Irish warehouse.  I'll be honest that I wish we'd stop focusing so much on Emma at the expense of characters like Bishop, Iceman, and Shadowcat.  But, we'll see where we go as the dust from the Hellfire Gala continues to settle.

Moon Knight #2 (August 18):  Cappuccio is spectacular in depicting this issue's villain lost in the sea of Marc's god-touched mind.  He builds the tension panel by panel to the moment when an enormous and monstrous Moon Knight appears in the villain's mindscape to destroy his mind.  In terms of the plot, the unnamed spectator hired the villain to confront Moon Knight.  We also start rounding out Marc's supporting cast here, as I'm pretty sure Soldier is going to appear again after Marc saved him and his mother from the villain and his mind-controlling sweat.  I mean, how could you not?

Sinister War #3 (August 18):  I mean, Spencer is really drawing out this story, but he does a better job making this issue fill less like the filler that last one was.  At some point, you start to wonder if Spidey really has a hope of surviving.  Usually, he manages to swing to safety, but so many villains are after him that he never gets that break.  It's hard to believe that we only have one more issue.

X-Men:  Trial of Magneto #1 (TPB) (August 18):  This issue is spectacular and as such difficult to review.  The summary doesn't quite do the emotions justice.  

X-Force and the X-Men watch as X-Factor investigates Wanda's murder, discovering that a supernatural magnetized object strangulated her to death.  Suspicion obviously falls onto Magneto, who loses his fucking mind when the Quiet Council refuses to resurrect her.  He almost kills Professor X with Cerebro and sermonizes about the Council's "hopelessly antediluvian human concept[s]."  It's just like the old days.  

X-Factor tries to arrest him after he storms from the Grove; to put it mildly, he resists arrest.  Polaris arrives to try to stop him, and he's brutal, calling her "unhinged and inconsistent at [her] best."  Lorna is withering in her response, asking:  "How many women is it now you once claimed to love who all perished during your brief window of affection and attention?"  

Before X-Factor and the X-Men can stop him, Quicksilver arrives and almost beats him to death.  Northstar stops him, and Quicksilver breaks into sobs on his shoulder.  (In one of the best "Dawn/Reign of X" scenes, Pietro arrives at the Blob's bar and has a drink with him, Mastermind, and Toad.)  Logan asks Jean if she can read Magneto's mind, but she says that his subconscious is just a nightmare of grief.  The issue ends with Wanda on some other plane of existence revealing that she's dead but also not dead at the same time.

This issue is a tense procedural until Lorna's and Pietro's grief leap off the page.  Although the Krakoan mutants should have known that grief drove Magneto's actions in the Grove, Jean reading his mind makes it clear that he's just as hysterical as Lorna and Pietro are.  It seems pretty clear that he didn't do it, and I'm a little surprised how quickly all the Krakoan mutants accept that he did.

Going forward, we have a number of unanswered questions.  Professor X says that Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were able to trick Cerebro into thinking that they were mutants, so back-up versions of them do exist.  But, I don't get how they did so.  Did Wanda do it?  In "Uncanny Avengers" #4, we learned that the High Evolutionary gave them their powers.  Why would Cerebro ever read them as mutants if they don't have the X-gene?  Are we preparing to re-ret-con this development?  Also, the obvious question is:  if Magneto didn't kill her, who did?  Virtually every mutant wanted her dead, as the celebrations after her death show.  It's part of the reason that I'm surprised everyone jumped to the conclusion that Magneto did it.

All I know is that once Billy learns that she's dead, someone is going to have Hell to pay.

Nine-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero July 21 (2021) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Guardians of the Galaxy #16 (July 21):  Everything goes wrong here.  I was skeptical of calling this event yet another "Annihilation," but Ewing really makes this issue hit all the important "Annihilation" notes:  despair, hopelessness, terror.  In other words, I'm pretty stoked.

Dormammu makes his debut on the galactic stage by sending not only Mindless Ones but Mindless-One asteroids to important planets in each galactic realm:  Aerie and Hala (Shi'ar), Spartax (Spartax), and Skrullos (Skrull).  Billy and Teddy initially defend Hala, but Kl'rt alerts them that Skrullos is under attack forcing them to split:  Billy heads to Skrullos while Teddy stays on Hala.  Meanwhile, Teddy instructs Kl'rt to call up Captain Glory, admitting that he was right and they need him.

The best part of this issue is Nova's conversation with Pete.  As they stand above the Valley of the Fallen on Arakko, Nova asks if Pete thinks that the mutants' takeover of Mars can last.  Pete is optimistic:  he notes that the X-Men settling Mars is better than some egomaniacal billionaire doing so and that mysterium has already saved the galactic economy.  Pete tells Rich that he knows that he's waiting for the other shoe to drop, and Rich admits that he's trying to be optimistic.  Pete puts his hand on his shoulder when Rich admits that he's seen so many new beginnings "wither and die," and Pete wisely encourages him to take it one day at a time.

Of course, their relationship is soon be put to the test.  When Moondragon alerts Pete and Rich that Dormammu has unleashed an attack, Nova sees Gamora under attack on the Almond.  He uses his Nova powers to get there just in time to save her (and Rocket), and the image of him carrying her makes it abundantly clear that that spark that they once had might have returned.

Moon Knight #1 (July 21):  McKay sets the tone for this series right off the bat as we never see (handsome, handsome) Marc Spector:  it's Mr. Knight's show.  

To that end, Mr. Knight has established the Midnight Mission for "travelers of the night."  Marc's first client leads him to a "vampiric self-actualization pyramid scheme cult" and the second one to Vermin(s).  You can see how this premise is fertile.  

But, McKay goes beyond that when he introduces the Hunter's Moon, Khonshu's left fist.  Posing as a doctor at the neighborhood's free clinic, Hunter's Moon believes that Marc has strayed from Khonshu in deciding to help the travelers of the night instead of freeing Khonshu, who apparently tried to take over the world in "Avengers" and whom the Asgardians are currently holding prisoner.  To make matters worse, someone hiding in the shadows pledges to break Marc's faith.  

Thankfully, Marc has a new therapist who doesn't seem intent on killing him.  She notes that MEG and MRI scans clearly show that Khonshu's touch has changed Marc.  Combined with Marc's seeming inability to die, she wonders at Marc's true nature, a question that he also can't answer.

New Mutants #20 (July 21):  This issue is an improvement over previous issues, as the Lost Club commits to saving Gabby.  They do so by sneaking into the Hatchery to steal a husk and Gabby's backup persona so that they can use their synergy powers to resurrect her.  I mean, it isn't a great idea.  But, along the way, they realize how supportive Gabby had been to all of them, and they realize that they failed her.   Again, I'm not sure if the Shadow King is manipulating them and they're just far enough from him to act like themselves or if he isn't manipulating them and they just had a learning moment.  Either way, it all goes South when they encounter Rahne, who maybe is doing the same thing?  

Meanwhile, Magik and Warpath lead a team to help a community recover after a girl's seismic powers activate and devastate parts of the island.  The team initially jumps to the wrong conclusion, that the islanders want to hurt her.  But, Warpath realizes that the islanders are worried that the Krakoan mutants are going to take her, and he calms down the situation.  It's a great leadership moment for Warpath, and it finally gives the New Mutants something to do.  In fact, they take some of the young Krakoan mutants with them to learn how to use their powers in non-combat situations.  If rescue and recovery becomes the teams' modus operandi, I think that's a solid decision.

Also Read:  Marauders #22 (July 21)

Ten-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero June 23 and 30 (2021) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #69 (June 23):  [Sigh.]  Spencer is engaging in a time-honored - and oft-hated - tradition of ret-coning Spider-Man's history to make it even more tragic.  If I'm reading the tea leaves correctly, Chameleon was one of many such agents - including possibly Teresa - that the Finisher created.  But, Spencer really pushes my willful suspension of disbelief when it turns out the Finisher agents comprise half the employees of Chance and the Foreigner's casino and the Finisher orders them to attack.  I'm guessing that it has to do with the Catalyst-powered Clairvoyant machine, but I may be having too much faith in Spencer.

Guardians of the Galaxy #15 (June 23):  I don't remember reading anything like this issue.  

Rich loses his shit when he discovers that Magneto is his and Peter's escort for the Hellfire Gala.  As he explains to Magneto later, Annihilus recently saved his life, he's got the Super-Skrull as his Man in the Chair, and Doctor Doom is a Guardian now.  He just couldn't take another super-villain.  After Brand stops their fight, Magneto admits that he, too, actually rashly.  He notes that men like he and Nova were once swashbucklers, but now they're all compromise and responsibility.  

It's honestly a really nice moment.  Rich is rash, but he's also an adult now.  Putting his reaction on par with Magneto's underlines the fact.  Moreover, Magneto seems legitimately impressed when Rich admits that he's wrong, and if Magneto respects you as a human you're pretty impressive.  All in all, it's a great meditation on where both these characters have been and hopefully where they're going.  I didn't expect Rich to have a heart-to-heart with Magneto when I opened this issue, but, man, I'm glad it happened.  

Oh, also, Ego hatches, and he's Dormammu.  I'm excited to see where Ewing goes with that development.  

One last thing I'll say, though, is that I'm really over Cosmic Awareness Peter.  It's like reading Starhawk, and I don't mean that as a compliment.  I want old Peter back.  I'm not saying that he has to be exactly like old Peter, but a little more old Peter than new Peter would be great.

S.W.O.R.D. #6 (June 23):  This issue is essential to understand what Hickman has done in turning Arakko into a planet.  

First, the X-Men make their play for Sol-wide control here.  At a presentation to galactic powers on the Peak, Krakoa/Arakko announces that they have created a metal called mysterium, which is stronger than "secondary adamantium," conducts electricity at 100% efficiency, is radiation-proof, and barely conducts or retains heat.  Krakoa/Arakko offers mysterium to the other galactic powers in exchange for recognition of Arakko, and not Earth, as Sol's capital.  As Wiz Kid explains, mysterium will essentially solve the galactic recession that occurred in Knull's wake.  It's a version of the deal that Krakoa offered Earth's nations, and, as we learn, most galactic powers take it.

Second, humanity is reeling, and it seems clear that a response is coming.  Doom appears at this confab and demands to know who the Arakkii emperor is.  In a moment that surprised even my jaded self, Storm appears and declares herself the Martian regent.  It's a brilliant move, since I'm pretty sure Storm's leadership will comfort some superheroes.  That said, on Earth, we see the Gala attendees still reeling at the news of the mutants annexing Mars.  Most interestingly, we see Henry Peter Gyrich telling a disoriented Guardian (of Alpha Flight) that he'd like to introduce him to Orchis.

Finally, mutant unity is starting to crumble.  "X-Men:  The Trial of Magneto" is coming, and I know that it's about the Scarlet Witch.  She appears here after the Gala, telling Magneto that she couldn't bear coming.  Magneto affirms that she's his daughter, even if she isn't biologically, though I feel like we'll be re-ret-conning that development soon.  Their moment at the end is beyond tender, a father who finds himself having accomplished everything that he's ever wanted except for giving his children the peace that they deserve.

In other words, it's the X-Men, so it clearly isn't going to end well.

Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man:  Chameleon Conspiracy (June 30):  Oh, for fuck's sake.  I don't understand what it is about Spider-Man that makes pretty much every author decide to write a story like this one, where some secret is revealed that calls into question his past.  From "Lifetheft" to the "Clone Sage" to "Sins Past" to this one, each story gets more and more ridiculous.  

First, the Chameleon wasn't always some faceless individual.  His "moldable" face appeared for the first time in "Amazing Spider-Man" #307.  As such, the idea that the Finisher ran an entire school of double-agent children with moldable faces is ridiculous.  Then, Spencer adds to that absurdity the possibility that Teresa may not only have been one of those children but also was so good at being a double agent that she can't remember if she is one or not.  I mean, I just can't.  

The Clairvoyant storyline is possibly even more ridiculous as the only way to save the crashing casino carrier is to hook up Clairvoyant to it?  That makes no sense.  It's a machine meant to predict futures not power...whatever.

Also Read:  Black Knight:  Curse of the Ebony Blade #4 (June 30)

Eleven-Month-Old Comics: The Superhero May 5 and 12 (2021) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Marauders #20 (May 5):  This issue is excellent, as Duggan has the team say farewell to Storm on the eve of the Hellfire Gala.  It involves everyone telling their favorite Storm stories and guessing how many knives she carries.  As usual, Emma steals the show, when she thanks Storm for making sure that the wind was at Hellfire Trading's back during its launch.  But, the issue's end is the most interesting, as it seems that Shaw is going to propose the Council bring back mutants before Cerebro came online.  (Time travel?)  Duggan also hints at the "Hellfire Expedition" proposal, which I'm guessing will define the post-Gala status quo for this series.  Given how uneven the last few issues have been, it's nice to have Storm's send-off meet the series' original promise.

Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man:  King's Ransom #1 (May 12):  Whoa.  I mean, it isn't all that surprising that Boomerang betrayed Spidey and was working for Kingpin this time.  In fact, his entire redemption arc only really makes sense because it wasn't true.  Still, poor Spidey.

Reading about Spidey vouching for Boomerang, I was reminded when Boomerang killed Jackpot's husband in front of her and her daughter in "Amazing Spider-Man Presents:  Jackpot" #2 (I think).  Sure, his moment at the Bar with No Name shows that he knows what he lost.  But, it's Boomerang.  He always knows what he's lost, and he does it anyway.  It took me a while to figure out that Fred's "disagreement" with the Kingpin on the "compensation package" is what led the Kingpin sending New York's underworld against him, even though he was still willing to provide Kingpin with the last fragment of the Tablet of Life and Destiny.

The big news is that Wilson decides to resurrect his son, Richard, instead of his wife.  (I was a little surprised Richard was resurrected fully dressed in his Rose outfit instead of, you know, naked.)  Wilson made that decision after Kindred refused to resurrect Vanessa and, in a scene we didn't see at the time, then asks him why he thinks that she wants to return to him.  He realizes that he could atone for Vanessa's greatest sin - murdering her son - and resurrect him.  I've been down on Spencer for a while, but, OK, this twist is actually interesting.  

Moreover, Spencer appears to be putting aside this need to have Peter blame himself for everything.  When he convenes the New Avengers to help him find Fred, he realizes (again) the extent to which he's isolated himself from his family and friends in a misguided drive to protect them.  

Guardians of the Galaxy #14 (May 12):  First, these Booth covers are awesome.  Moving onto the story, Ewing is finally telling the type of Guardians story that I was hoping we'd see in this series.  

First, on Rimworld #360-3715, Team B discovers that Sister Talionis is trying to open a "dark doorway" to allow He-Who-Waits to enter.  Kl'rt recognizes the three stars that she names and hypothesizes that Talionis is making a constellation from them to summon dark powers.  When he notes that the other star would have to be exactly in the right place for the spell to work, the team realizes that this suspiciously perfectly located "new planet" is actually Ego the Living Planet.  Ego is apparently He-Who-Waits' herald.  The team returns to the Almond (the Bowie's successor) as Talionis' minions slit their hands for a blood offering.  They then begin to die in terrible ways to make way for He-Who-Waits.

Meanwhile, on Throneworld II, Doom swaps bodies with Teddy so that he can wield the Sword of Space.  Ewing does a great job with Doom, as he has the team on the ropes for a while.  Moondragon eventually has the team goad Doom into switching bodies again (by implying that he chose Teddy given the similarity his powers have to Mister Fantastic's) and then hijacks his consciousness and places it into Rocket's.  Doom says that he's only trying to get the Sword of Space because he senses "something" coming, and Team A realizes that it's He-Who-Waits.  Peter then conscripts Doom into the Guardians to help.

Seriously, it's great stuff.  Given how difficult to follow this series' first twelve issues were, Ewing spinning a classic Guardian tale is all the more rewarding.

Spider-Man:  Spider's Shadow #2 (May 12):  First, I am here for a bearded Peter Parker.  It's like when Mayor Pete finally grew one.  

More importantly, this issue is intense.  By the end of it, Peter has killed Kingpin, Scorpion, and Shocker and broken JJJ, Jr.'s hand.  I mean, before he kills Kingpin, Spidey throws Scorpion and Shocker's dismembered limbs at him, since it was Kingpin who sent them after him.  In other words, it ain't your father's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Something I think that Zdarsky gets absolutely right is that people are underestimating Spidey because they don't quite believe that he's a killer now.  Kingpin actually taunts him, as if Peter wasn't going to kill him right then and there.  

Zdarksy shows Peter struggling with the shame, particularly after he confesses to MJ that he killed Hobgoblin, but it's clear that the symbiote is quickly taking over full control.  While Reed Richards has Johnny Storm trying to find him, Doctor Octopus is putting together the Sinister Six so they can kill him before he kills them.  

So far, each development makes sense to me, and, as such, I'm really worried for Peter where we're going.

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #65 (May 5)

Year-Old Comics: The Superhero April 7 and 14 (2021) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Marauders #19 (April 7):  The Marauders respect the letter, if not the spirit, of the law when they send in the Morlocks - technically not Krakoans - to save Lowtown.  Of course, they don't exactly respect the letter of the law, as Kate sneaks into Lowtown to plant the Krakoan gate that allows the Morlocks to enter and Bishop blows up Frankenstein's laboratory.  But, they don't get caught so it counts.  I have to say that I'm totally down with this series occasionally focusing on Lowtown - now Mutietown - stories featuring the Morlocks.  In sad news, the Reavers kill Lockheed's friend's (Ai Tran's) dad, but the Morlocks offer Ai a job running the Princess Bar.

Darkhawk:  Heart of the Hawk #1 (April 14):  If you've read this blog for a while, you'll know that Darkhawk is right up there with Nova and Spider-Man 2099 on my list of favorites.  He was a teenage '90s heroes roughly my age, and I always clicked with him the most.  He wasn't a nerdy genius like Peter Parker or a handsome dude like Rich Rider.  He was a normal teenager who felt overwhelmed with the responsibilities unfolding before him.  His story sang to me.  Marvel does a spectacular job of creating the perfect introduction to Chris for new readers with enough to get us committed fans excited.  

Danny Fingeroth somehow summarizes the original "Darkhawk" series in just a few pages as Chris accidentally finds himself on a date with the daughter of the mobster who corrupted his father.  It made me want to dig out my old back issues and remember all the twists and turns that those issues had when it came to Chris' father.  I had definitely forgotten that he was Savage Steel.

Then, Dan Abnett gives the same treatment to Chris' cosmic years, portraying him as a lonely figure trying to help where he can in the aftermath of the War of Kings.  Darkhawk's cosmic adventures often put Chris's story on the back burner as Darkhawk's armor's increasingly complicated and contradictory back story became most stories' focus.  This story puts Chris firmly in the story's center, thankfully, as he grieves the loss of heroes like Nova and Star-Lord and tries to do his best to bring justice to a broken galaxy.

Higgins seemingly shows us Chris' death.  At a breach point, Chris has spent the last three weeks trying to prevent "what's on the other side from coming through."  But, he can't prevent the "Shadow War" that he sees coming from happening anymore, as the ship has expended all its energy.  Before the ship explodes, he sends the amulet through Null Space with all his memories - his datasong - in the hope that someone  will find it and learn from his mistakes.  Ramírez's Chris is my preferred one here, once again a handsome yet normal guy who just happens to be a superhero.

All in all, I'm excited that Marvel seems ready to bring back Chris.  He seems a perfect fit for joining the new Guardians, and I hope we go in that direction.

Guardians of the Galaxy #13 (April 14):  This issue is great.  It's exactly what a "Guardians of the Galaxy" issue should be and yet somehow is still rare.  In a template that works well for future issues and stories, Ewing splits up the Guardians into two squads to address separate threats.

Nova leads the first squad to Throneworld 2, where an extra-galactic civilization called the Progenitors are attacking.  As a civilization willing to experiment on "lesser species," they're exposing the Kree to a mutagenic mist to study the results.  Nova, Gamora, Groot, Moondragon, (a shirtless) Peter Quill, and Rocket arrive to help Hulkling and Wiccan take out the Progenitors.  

Meanwhile, Phylla-Vell leads Drax, Marvel Boy, and Quasar to a newly discovered rimworld where a survey team vanished.  It turns out a Skrull cult - the Brethren of the Forgotten Flame -  waiting for the return of "He-Who-Waits" has taken over the planet (and killed the survey team).  Let's just say that they're not thrilled that a pacifist Earther child is running the Empire.

Ewing also includes some surprises here.  First, Wendell Vaughn is now sharing the quantum bands with Avril Kincaid, like Captain Marvel used to do with Rick Jones.  Second, when Gamora complains about how distant Peter is, he confesses that he had a son in Morinus.  Finally, the Throneworld team sends away the Progenitors only to get its ass kicked by...Doctor Doom!

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #63 (April 7); Spider-Man:  Spider's Shadow #1 (April 14)

Over Year-Old Comics: The Superhero March 10, 17, 24, and 31 (2021) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #61 (March 10):  We have good news and bad news here.

On the plus side, Spencer functionally abandons the Kindred story.  Do we know how Harry Osborn went from mild-mannered dad to villain-resurrecting devil?  No.  But, if Spencer is willing to ignore it, I'm willing to ignore it.  I assume that we're going to return to the story at some point (and it probably isn't a good sign that I'm dreading that.)  But, any day that I don't have to hear about Kindred is a good day.  

Instead, Spencer essentially engages in a soft relaunch, as Peter and Spider-Man take jobs with Threats and Menaces.  I'm not quite sure what Peter's job is, but Spider-Man accepts a new suit that JJJ, Jr. designed to let him serve as Spidey's Man in the Chair.  In fact, Spidey essentially becomes Screwball, using fan-sourced banter and allowing everyone to see his exploits through the suit's virtual-reality technology.  Is it a bad idea?  Probably.  But, Spencer makes it clear that Peter desperately needs the money, so he's willing to accept the suit-hijacking threat that clearly is coming later (probably when Norah needs more views).

On the down side, I feel like Spencer is really playing loose with Peter's secret identity.  After all, he and Fred start an Instragram page for Gog.  Kingpin sends Bullseye after Gog as Boomerang (in costume) sits with him at the park to pick up girls.  Meanwhile, Hydro-Man, Shocker, and Speed-Demon distract Spidey so that Bullseye can set up the shot.  Spidey is clearly going to save Gog, yet again tying him to Boomerang.  Given that Peter's connection to Spider-Man is pretty clear and Peter lives with Boomerang, it's like when Tony Stark wink-winked everyone that he wasn't Iron Man.  Given the likelihood of the aforementioned suit-hijacking threat happening, someone could also learn Peter's identity through said hijacking.

All that said, this story feels like a Spider-Man story, the first one in many, many issues.  If I have to deal with my willful suspension of disbelief getting pushed to its absolute limit when it comes to Peter's secret identity, I'll take it.

Black Knight:  Curse of the Ebony Blade #1 (March 17):  Given how terrible "King in Black:  Black Knight" #1 was, I was worried this series would be equally awful.  I'm glad to say, as a long-time fan of Dane Whitman, Spurrier does a much better job here explaining the broken Dane whom we saw in "King in Black:  Black Knight"#1.  

Dane has accepted that his darkness and rage are necessary to fuel the Ebony Blade and, thus, allow him to be a hero.  When the Avengers call him to help fight clay-like creatures invading Central Park, he's desperate to spend time with them.  As such, he's devastated when they make it clear that they only called him so he can use his magic to destroy the creatures.  Spurrier is at his best when he has Dane recalls all his darkest memories - from his mother's death to his father's abuse - to summon the necessary energy to do so.  

In the wake of him using his powers, a black-robed figure appears.  He disables the Avengers by whispering their deepest regrets to them, and only Dane proves immune (given how much time he frequently spends with said regrets).  After the figure uses a knife that Dane recognizes to decapitate him, the figure is furious that Dane's dead body won't release the Ebony Blade.  Dane is later resurrected when the young woman whom he's asked to teach him more about Arthurian legends actually cuts herself on the Ebony Blade.

My only complaint at this point is that I don't get why Spurrier decided that "dark" equals "pathetic."  As I mentioned in my review of "King in Black:  Black Knight" #1, Dane is a spineless, stuttering fool here.  He even continues to use olde-timey language that I don't recall him ever using.  I'd much prefer us getting the dark, edgy Dane whom I recognize and who makes the Avengers uncomfortable.

But, all in all, I'm happy where we're going, particularly if it brings back the Dane Whitman whom I know and love.

Amazing Spider-Man #62 (March 24):  I totally forgot about Robbie Robertson and Tombstone's, um, past, so I missed how it essentially turns Randy and the Beetle into Romeo and Juliet.  Tombstone discovers their rekindled relationship as he plans on holding Randy hostage to attract Boomerang and then kill him.  Oops.  Meanwhile, Boomerang is bereft as he and Spider-Man give Gog to MJ for safekeeping and swears revenge on the Kingpin.  As Bleeding Cool said about this issue, everyone around Peter (and Spider-Man) is living a more interesting life than Peter is.

Guardians of the Galaxy #12 (March 24):  I'll admit that I still don't entirely understand what Ewing was doing with the Olympians or really how it ended.  (Are Marvel Boy, Moondragon, and Star-Lord really "opposites" as the name "Union of Opposites" implies?)  But, I'm thrilled where we end, with the Galactic Council acknowledging that the post-Knull freefall that the galactic economy faces means that they can't restart the Nova Corps:  they need the Guardians to serve its rapid-reaction force.  Based on the last page, K'lrt and Quasar are joining the team, and I couldn't be happier.

Captain America #28 (March 31):  After the lull in this series that was the Madripoor mission, Coates is flooring it as he rushes to the end.  The Skull's plan to murder an idea, as Sharon says, is going pretty well.  

Toni brings in Agatha Harkness to examine the bomb that the Skull exploded in New York.  She reveals that it's a twist on a device that she created to rally people to fight; this device rallies them to hate.  It doesn't matter that the bomb slowly kills the people who came to the Skull's rally; more people gather in various cities.  They're drawn to the Skull's speech about men claiming the "sword of manhood" to prevent their nightmare from happening.  Coates and the Skull leave what the "nightmare" is intentionally vague, a way for these men to define it however they want. 

But, Coates makes it clear what he thinks of these men.  Cap meets a detective, Dane Brennan, in the burn ward at Lenox Hill Hospital.  He isn't just there to see how his men are doing; he's there because his brother, Jamie, was one of the men at the rally injured in the bombing.  Dane describes Jamie as the only non-NYPD brother of five brothers, a disappointment to everyone.  Cap correctly surmises the rest:  Jamie disappears into the internet and returns obsessed with the Skull's new theory of the world.  Dane is surprised that Cap knows that, but Cap tells him that it's how it always is, that weak young men eventually find a purpose.  He found the flag, and Dane found the badge:  his brother found the Skull.

In the end, Alexa and Sin trap Cap at the rally in Chicago, using a poisoned knife to ensure that Sin's Skeleton Crew can beat him to a pulp.  When Sharon comes to save him, it's the perfect propaganda for the Skull.  I don't know what Coates has left at this point, but I know that it's getting harder and harder to see our gang winning.  I can't remember a comic that I've read recently where I wasn't sure that the heroes would eventually win.  In other words, it's exciting.

X-Men #19 (March 31):  The short of this issue is that Darwin, Synch, and Wolverine's incursion into the Vault is successful.  

The City learned of Krakoa (presumably through Serafina's time outside the Vault) and realized that it had to create an unplanned generation of Children to defeat a reinvigorated mutantkind.  However, it didn't have the power to do so.  As a result, it kidnapped Darwin and used his evolutionary powers (by "atomizing" him) to begin generating the fourth generation of Children.  Upon realizing what the City is doing, Everett and Laura go through the Vault's shield, which strips them of their powers, to escape.  Laura sacrifices herself for Everett, who manages to get outside the Vault - and thus project his mind to Professor X - before the Children kill him.  When he's resurrected, Krakoa now has all his knowledge of the Vault.

My only complaint about this issue is that it's heavy on Hickmanesque hints and misdirections.  Do we know exactly how Orchis captured the second generation of Children?  What does "time debt inversion" mean?  I had to read the issue twice just to be able to piece together what I did here.  

I'm not saying the issue isn't good.  Hickman does a good job injecting it with emotion given the lifetimes-long relationship that Everett and Laura enjoy.  Synch awakens remembering their time together, and she doesn't:  it's a lot.  But, it's still asking a lot of the reader to go on this journey.  In other words, read this one sober.

Also Read:  King in Black:  Wiccan and Hulkling #1 (March 3)

Over Year-Old Comics: The Superhero February 3, 10, 17, and 24 (2021) Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

King in Black:  Black Knight #1 (February 3):  Honestly, this issue is almost incomprehensible.  I've read a lot of Dane Whitman stories, and the Dane Whitman whom we see here is almost unrecognizable.  Instead of a hero nobly trying to fight the Ebony Blade's dark and murderous impulses to help people, Dane is a spineless, stuttering fool begging the Blade to stop making him kill people.  Moreover, Spurrier uses Knull of all "people" to ret-con the Black Knight legend.  Apparently, Merlin chose Dane's ancestor Percy to wield the blade because he was the most craven, not heroic, knight.  Of course, Spurrier doesn't explain why the alien God of the Symbiotes is apparently the only entity able to understand Merlin's motivations in awarding the Blade to Percy; we're just supposed to accept that.  Plus, the "humor" throughout this issue is just bizarre.  Most of the issue's dialogue is dedicated to Aero and Sword Master's argument over whether Dane is crazy or not.  No, really.  Just like Knull, Aero and Sword Master are awkwardly inserted here for no real reason.  I could continue, but I've already wasted too much time thinking about this issue.

Amazing Spider-Man #59 (February 10):  It's clear that Spencer is drawing inspiration from Stern's run on "Amazing Spider-Man," where Hobgoblin's identity was a mystery for 50+ issues.  Throughout that period, Peter faced trials and tribulations other than Hobgoblin.  With the Kindred story fading to the background, Martin Li accepts his Mr. Negative persona to save Aunt May.  Later, Mr. Negative informs Kingpin that Lemuria also created a Tablet of Death and Entropy, which allows resurrection one time when combined with the Tablet of Life and Destiny.  Kingpin recruits Mister Negative to join other criminals whom he's hired to wrest the Tablet of Life and Destiny from Boomerang.  I'm on board with this sort of story, but Spencer has to do a better job of really letting go of the Kindred story.  If he isn't going to solve it anytime soon, he needs to put it on the back burner more fully.

Captain America #27 (February 17):  This issue is one of the best Red Skull stories ever told.  The Skull realizes that he doesn't have to stoke hate; he just has to direct it.  When the Fact Channel organizes a rally in Central Park to jeer Captain America's call to remember our better angels, the Skull has his New Watchdogs plant a bomb.  Speaking over images of Captain America trying to keep the various right-wing groups from killing each other before the bomb exploded, the Skull calls on these right-wing groups to stand against the man who tried to deny them their freedom of speech.  Coates wrote this issue a year before Putin's invasion of Ukraine, so his depiction of the far-right groups rallying to the Skull's cause rings particularly prophetic.

Guardians of the Galaxy #11 (February 17):  Ewing continues to bring all the pieces together, particularly when it comes to Nova and Star-Lord.  When the team decides to face the Olympians on Daedelus-5, a world that Annihilius destroyed during the Annihilation Wave, Rich walks through his feelings during a remote session with his therapist.  Although he's still unwilling to see himself as a hero, his therapist is maybe getting him to see that he isn't alone now, just like he wasn't alone then.  Later, though, he gets a moment that'll hopefully heal even more wounds.  When Rich apologizes for bringing Peter into the fight with the Olympians, Peter tells him that he should thank him for that, as it gave him his life on Morinus.  He also reminds him that, even if Nova didn't tell him about the Olympians, Star-Lord would've found out somehow and done the same thing.  He tells Rich that he may not be the man who he was, but that he's still him.  They hug, and I hope that hug means Rich may sleep through the night one night soon.  Of course, he has to survive the Olympians first.

Marauders #18 (February 17):  I'll admit that I'm not quite sure why the Marauders have decided to poke Verendi in the eye in Madripoor.  I mean, I get why they'd want to keep tabs on them and make sure that any mutants in Madripoor are safe.  But, actively buying property  in Lowtown to prevent Verendi from building its skyline seems unnecessarily aggressive.  As Kade says to Frankenstein, they're just screwing with Verendi to screw with them.  It not only distracts the Marauders from their goals, but it gives Frankenstein the excuse to roll out his new Reavers, humans who the various X-teams maimed in previous fights.  (I did like Bobby refusing to feel badly about the Reavers whom he maimed after the Red Queen's "death."  As he says, they were trying to kill him with the limbs that he took.)  The issue ends with the United Nations banning the Marauder from Madripoor given a brawl that Bishop, Iceman, and Pyro had with the Reavers there.  I still don't get why it's the United Nations' job to do so.  Can't Verendi, as Madripoor's government, do so?  Also, can't they just use public-domain law to seize the land that the Marauders bought?  At any rate, I've never liked the Kiddie Hellfire Club, and I still don't get why we're dwelling on them here.

Amazing Spider-Man #60 (February 24):  In my review of last issue, I said that I hoped that Spencer would let the Kindred story fade into the background.  Instead, we belabor it yet again.  This time, though, we have Peter delivering a truly ridiculous monologue about his angst over Kindred.  When I say "monologue," I mean "monologue:"  MJ has him deliver it in an abandoned theater.  Also, Mysterio seems to know Peter's secret identity, since he approaches MJ after Peter leaves?  I haven't really focused on this development because I basically keep hoping that it disappears.  [Sigh.]

X-Men #18 (February 24):  Darwin, Synch, and Wolverine's journey into the Vault is one of the better stories that Hickman has spun on this series.  First, the threat to Krakoa is clear:  the Children of the Vault seek to dominate Earth, and they (correctly) see mutantkind as hindering that goal.  Second, it isn't the usual characters:  I like all three of these characters individually (it's great to see Synch in action again after all these years), and Hickman has created a virtually indestructible trio in the way their powers interact.  Finally, it isn't clear which side will win:  the trio might be virtually indestructible, but the Children of the Vault are, too.  Whereas the plots of "Marauders" and "New Mutants" have meandered for quite a while (even before "X of Swords"), it was nice to read a story that has a point.

Also Read:  King in Black:  Marauders #1 (February 3); New Mutants #16 (February 24)