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!

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?

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

Not-Very-New Comics: The August 22 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #4:  I like Nick Spencer, and I appreciate him trying to bring back the fun to Spider-Man.  But, this story is just a mess.  I get why Spider-Man is acting weirdly, given Dr. Connors' explanation that his symptoms are side effects of the splitting process.  But, everyone else is acting weird as well.  For example, Spider-Man's lack of a sense of responsibility means his increasingly reckless battles have destroyed several city blocks.  But, by all accounts, he's more of a hero than he was before.  It doesn't matter he destroyed a dog park implied to be full of dogs at the time:  he's a guest on "The View," he's getting endorsement deals, he's awesomesauce!  (I was particularly mad when he was part of "Uber Hero."  Peter's inability to cash paychecks as Spider-Man for lack of a "Spider-Man" bank account has been a plot point for decades.)  It's all just bizarre and rushed.  I'm honestly surprised no one in the editorial team stopped it.  I get the idea of freeing oneself from continuity, but it doesn't mean you get to free yourself from making sense.

Avengers #6:  This arc was OK, I guess.  I know I'm supposed to be all, "ZOMG, giant-sized Avengers, Unimind, Dark Celestials, ZOMG!"  But, I have to be honest:  it all just felt a little meh.  This entire arc had little tension, as we all knew the Avengers were going to win.  In those situations, it's even more incumbent than usual for the author to use the extreme circumstances to tease out some previously hidden part of the characters'...well, characters.  But, Aaron doesn't do that here:  everyone just gets big!  To make matters worse, I don't entirely get their win.  Tony realizes the Celestials who declined to save Zgreb did so in the hope that humanity would eventually evolve to become the cure for the Horde.  Conveniently, he then remembers Ikaris told him the Unimind was the key to defeating the Horde.  Aaron never quite explains the details, but Ghost Rider somehow unites the Avengers' consciousnesses into the Unimind and the Horde apparently disperses.  Then, the Celestials and the Avengers make short work of the Final Host.  It's all pretty convenient how everyone magically knows what they're supposed to do.  It's like if someone had thrown Bruce Wayne's father a machine gun at the right moment.

Old Man Hawkeye #8:  Sacks wisely returns to telling a smaller, more character-focused story than the one he told last issue.  He shows Clint and Kate as still a study in opposites, with Kate insisting on paying for gas that Clint would've just as happily stole (from a mob boss, it should be noted).  Kate is also confused why she’s risking so much in helping Clint achieve revenge, when she should be at the orphanage helping the kids.  This moral dilemma is heightened when she refuses to follow Clint into the convent to kill Melissa, a former friend.  However, perhaps the most poignant moment is when Bullseye kills Bucky.  He’d been reduced to a mindless robot controlled by some guys in a room, and he thanks Bullseye for killing him.  However, Bullseye didn’t do it for Bucky; he did it to have the guys controlling Bucky perform some sort of brain surgery on him.  I'm assuming it's to remove his tracking chip so the Skull can't find him?  I’m sure we’ll see.  At any rate, this issue is a nice return to form as we start to get to the end.

West Coast Avengers #1:  Every time I read Kelly Thompson, I feel better about the state of comic books.  She crafts an excellent team book here, using her great sense of characterization to make us totally engaged with this group right from the start.  We’ve got Kate’s adorableness with Fuse, Gwen’s hatred of Quentin, Clint’s support of Kate:  this issue has it all.  Plus, using a documentary as the funding source for the team is a stroke of genius that I’m pretty sure we haven’t seen since “X-Statix.”  My sidekick obsession meant I was always a huge fan of “West Coast Avengers,” and I can’t imagine someone paying better homage to it than Thompson does here.  I mean, a 40-foot Tigra attacking Santa Monica in the first issue?  It’s just perfect.

X-Men:  Gold #34:  This Storm arc is turning into one of Guggenheim’s stronger stories.  It still feels like he’s rushing from plot point to plot point, but at least this time the progression makes sense.  Storm is rattled when she realizes her parents really do seem to be alive, but she’s too experienced to accept that on face value.  Instead, she goes searching and discovers a set of catacombs with the bodies of all the deceased villagers.  When she confronts Uovo, he informs her the “Reaping” is coming, and he converts all the bodies — and Storm’s parents — into zombies.  It’s obviously a legitimate conundrum for Storm, as she doesn’t want to destroy the bodies of her former worshipers (and parents).  She’s also disturbed to discover Stormcatcher is no longer answering her call, even though she could use the extra power as she faces down a zombie horde.  It’s nice to see Guggenheim ending on a strong note.

X-Men:  Red #7:  This issue is pretty clever.  I wasn’t sure how they were going to prove Jean didn’t kill the British Ambassador, but Taylor happily surprises me here.  The X-Men manage to retrieve the Ambassador’s phone from the plane upon which her possessions are being transported.  Trinary is able to pull the recording of Cassandra Nova whispering her plans (as she did in the first issue) off the phone, and Jean broadcasts it throughout the world.  (I don't remember how Jean knows the phone has any sort of recording that could be useful, but it's clear why she does when you read the story.)  Along the way, we get a pretty amazing battle on board the plane as Nova’s nano-sentinels hijack the new Ambassador.  He grabs one of the security guards' guns and opens fire on the X-Men in the cargo hold.  It’s a really sold mix of excitement and plot.  Taylor is also doing a great job with the characterization; I particularly enjoyed Gambit and Honey Badger’s interaction here.  Given the state of “X-Men Blue” and “X-Men Gold,” I feel like this series is really stabilizing the X-books at this point.

Also Read:  Detective Comics #987; Darth Vader #20; Mr. and Mrs. X #2; Star Wars:  Doctor Aphra #23

Not-So-New Comics: The July 18 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #5:  OK, this issue is (finally) pretty great.  The story Aaron has been (slowly) building finally hits full steam here.

Loki exposits the secret history of the Marvel Universe to Cap, revealing the Horde managed to infect the Progenitor while s/he traveled space; life on Earth began from his/her excrement and vomit.  (Nice touch, Jason.)  The divine and radioactive nature of said excrement and vomit is why we have so many superheroes.  The Progenitor’s lover, Zgreb the Aspirant, came to find the Progenitor, but instead the Horde infected him, too.  Odin and his prehistoric Avengers defeated Zgreb, and the First Host came to find him and the Progenitor.  But, they left without them, possibly for fear of the Horde infecting them, too.  The Horde innovated this time, turning Zgreb into a Dark Celestial (Zgreb the Sorrower) instead of killing him.  Somehow the Horde then got its many hands on other Celestials, creating the Final Host, which killed all the other Celestials.

With the history lesson complete, the team swings into action.  Black Panther manages to charge Carol and his suit with the same energy as the Horde emits, allowing them (apparently) to destroy its composite members.  Ghost Rider rescues Cap from Loki’s clutches in the Arctic Ocean, and Cap inspires him to go big, using his powers to take control of one of the dead Celestials.  She-Hulk and Thor ingest Ymir’s blood, growing to the same size as the Celestials, and Tony calls on his Godkiller MKII armor from Mars.  Now, these four "Giant-Sized" Avengers (again, clever, Jason) take on the Final Host.

It’s all pretty great.  I'll say I’m having some trouble buying Cap’s more jocular tone here, but otherwise Aaron has everyone’s voices down so well it’s like watching a Marvel movie, which I assume this arc will eventually be.

Old Man Hawkeye #7:  The problem with this issue is that it's hard to engage emotionally with it when you know it isn't "real."  In fact, it almost leaves you wishing you'd pick up an issue of an event that unfolded this way.  It would be truly shocking to see Magneto murder Wanda.  (Paging "Age of Ultron" #1.)  Instead, Sacks just hits his marks of shocking death after shocking death without really explaining how the villains got the upper hand.  I mean, sure, Magneto unexpectedly kills Wanda, which helps set the stage for the Thunderbolts' successful betrayal; Wanda would've definitely helped mitigate their impact on the battlefield.  But, we're never told why the Thunderbolts betray the Avengers in the first place.  In fact, Abe wants us to believe Melissa is devastated by her decision, though Sacks never explaining why she made it in the first place.  (I assume she made it under duress and we'll learn that once Hawkeye finds her at the convent where she's been hiding.)  However, Atlas gleefully murders the Black Knight and Quicksilver here, despite Hawkeye initially swearing he trusted Eric.  What changed?  Also, Creel's murder of Thor happens essentially off-panel; we're supposed to believe he managed to absorb Wanda's magic (after she died) and Thor's lightning and somehow became a god.  But, would Thor really be hurt by a lightning- and magic-powered Creel?  Isn't he lightning- and magic-powered?  I mean, it's not a terrible issue, but it's not as amazing as the editors wanted us to believe it was going to be.

Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man #307:  Man, Chip Zdarsky has to stop making me cry.  Between Peter and Tinkerer sharing each other's pain to Teresa's decision to turn herself into the authorities before she meets Aunt May, this issue is an emotional fucking roller coaster.  The next issue is a preview of Peter going against the Sandman, and I just hope it's a nice, normal slugathon.  My emotions need a rest.

Spider-Gwen #34:  As I've mentioned before, I wasn't previously a fan of Jason Latour.  I could go into details, but I won't:  let's just leave it at that.  Then, "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2 happened.  Now?  I'm hard pressed to think of a more consistently coherent and emotional story than the one he, Robbi Rodriguez, and Rico Renzi have told over the course of this series.  At no point did a loose end slip or a ridiculous arc drag.  Every moment was packed with emotion and honesty and it drove the next moment packed with emotion and honesty.  From Gwen's original sin of "killing" Peter to her tearful conversation with Harry in Madripoor to her resolved argument with her dad in this issue, this series has always been about her relationships.  Do I really, really hope "Ghost-Spider" involves Gwen traveling town to town with the Mary Janes, solving crimes and righting wrongs in a way that would make Bill Bixby proud?  Yes, yes, I do.  But, it doesn't have to happen.  Latour, Rodriguez, and Renzi have already told the story of a young woman coming to terms with the mistakes that she's made and overcoming the shame those mistakes inspired in her to become the hero she always was.  Origin stories can often glide over the emotional side of this phase, focusing instead on the hero simply learning (usually with an emphasis on comedy) how to use his/her new powers.  Unlike possibly anyone who came before him, Latour put the emotional and relationship mistakes front and center of Gwen's story.  She couldn't simply learn from her mistakes; she had to take responsibility for them.  That's who Gwen Stacy is.  It even took her a while to get there, making you wonder at some points if she would get there.  Now?  She's Spider-Gwen, damn it.  I can't wait to see what she does next.

Star Wars #51:  This issue reads like a goddamn movie and I feel downright privileged to have read it.  The rebels realize the Shu-Torun program only blocks the flight-bay doors from the inside; if someone can fly a ship broadcasting the Rebel frequency near the doors, they should open.  One of the generals tries to fly one of the shuttles (that I assume was attached outside the cruiser via airlocks), but the Empire easily destroys it.  However, Han unexpectedly arrives and, in a bid to impress Leia, takes on the task himself.  I can't tell you the joy I felt reading this issue, from Han putting Threepio on the shields and telling him "life-and-death stakes are a great motivator" to Threepio later yelling, "We're doomed" when Vader manages to hit them.  Did I mention that Vader appears from nowhere just as they're ready to activate the doors?  The first few issues of this series really captured the sense of watching a sequel to "Star Wars" and Gillen recreates that magic again, as everyone acts and sounds the way you expect them act and sound.  I couldn't be happier with this issue.

Thor #3:  It’s hard to believe this issue is only a standard size, given how much happens in it.  After the various children and grandchildren of Odin fight and squabble in hilarious fashion, Loki proposes Balder and Hel get married so they can unite the fractured armies of Hel behind them and take on Sindr before she destroys Niffleheim.  However, Thor reminds Loki the souls in these armies weren’t warriors in real life; they need the Einherjar from Valhalla.  However, you can’t get to Valhalla unless you’re dead, so Loki murders Thor at his request, just as Thor is telling him he still believes in him and loves him.  (It’s hilariously poignant.)  But, it all comes to a head as an unexpected figure stops the wedding:  Thanos.  Honestly, I totally didn’t see that coming, but I can’t get over how brilliant it is.  As ridiculous as this entire issue is (and seeing Thori as a flower girl is as absurd and awesome as it possibly could be), it all works because Aaron has everyone’s characterization and voices down so well.  As Sindr learns from Gar-Toom the Blooddrinker how to murder souls, we come to appreciate the threat Odin’s family faces and why this wedding maybe isn’t as ridiculous as it seems.  It all happens against the backdrop of some of the best art and colors I’ve ever seen.  Aaron and the creative team are quite simply on fire.  (Sorry, I couldn’t help it.)

Also Read:  Daredevil #605; Darth Vader Annual #2; X-Men:  Gold #32; X-Men:  Red #6

Not-So-New Comics: The March 28 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #686:  The authors continue to split their (and our) focus on the Hulk and Voyager here as we get more insight into both characters.  Simon appeals to the Banner persona he believes to be buried somewhere in the Hulk, but we appear to be dealing with an entirely different Hulk here.  This Hulk seems to be intelligent in his own right as opposed to the times he was intelligent because Banner was at least partially controlling him.  The Hulk dismisses Simon as an egotistical Hollywood star who's only a pacifist because he's immune to injury.  The Hulk threatens to injure him (making him question his pacifism), and Simon seems poised to face a spiritual crisis when Rogue and her team arrive.  Simon still believes he can appeal to the Hulk, but Rogue touches the Hulk, trying to drain his power.  She somehow sees inside the Hulk to Bruce, who exhaustedly tells her it's a whole new ballgame.  Meanwhile, Voyager confesses she's the Gamemaster's daughter, but pledges her support to the Avengers after their heroism inspired her.  When Gamemaster pushes her to activate the Pyramoid, she refuses, and she confirms for everyone -- including the Challenger -- her father used her to cheat.  But, the Hulk destroys the final Pyramoid, resulting in a negative point for the Challenger (since he was his pawn) and awarding the game to the Gamemaster.  Under blistering allegations of cheating from the Challenger, the Gamemaster offers a rematch, but the Challenger appears to kill him instead.  That's one way to solve the problem.

Daredevil #600:  Ho boy.  Matt's hole-filled plan for using New York's street-level heroes to take on the Kingpin proves how off his game he is.  Matt reveals the Kingpin has invited a group of Mob bosses -- including Black Cat, Hammerhead, and the Owl -- to a restaurant to discuss mayoral appointments right before his planned rally that night.  Matt plans on eavesdropping on the conversation and then using that information to call in the cops.  (His plan is based on the Supreme Court case he won, which makes information superheroes obtain legally admissible.  I'll admit I'm not sure why Matt would think a jury wouldn't find some reasonable doubt when it came to him testifying against the Kingpin.  Like, can we not get a recording, just to be safe?)  However, the heroes are skeptical, reminding him he's now Public Enemy #1 so the cops might not be so game to act on his tip.  Daredevil swears he has it under control, and they all get in position.  Meanwhile, "the Beast" offers Blindspot the power he needs to overcome the Muse, but Blindspot draws the line at killing him.  The Muse is irate at this refusal, running into flames on his own.  (This part made no sense to me.  I get the Muse is cray-cray, but I don't get why him killing himself somehow furthers "art.")  The Beast then pledges revenge for Blindspot refusing to take the Muse's life (though, again, I'm not totally clear why).  At the restaurant, Matt's plan goes awry when it turns out the Kingpin never appears; as Cat perceptively notes, he instead assumed the bosses would eventually turn on each other in the face of such boredom, which they do.  The heroes enter the fracas to stop them from killing each other, meaning they're on hand as the cops, who Fisk sent to the restaurant, arrive.  It allows the Kingpin to throw everyone -- mobsters and heroes -- in jail.  Daredevil escapes and confronts the Kingpin on the roof of City Hall, and the Kingpin beats him with a hammer after forcing Daredevil to stop him from beating himself (since he could blame the beating on Matt).  He then has Daredevil arrested.  However, even the Kingpin can't control everything:  the Beast sends the Hand to assassinate him.  At the rally, he's riddled with arrows as they swarm Central Park, and Daredevil thinks it's because the Beast is seeking revenge on him.  (If he isn't and it's because he's seeking revenge on Blindspot for breaking their deal, I'm not sure what his plan is.  Why attack the Kingpin to get revenge on Blindspot?  Matt thinks he's going after New York because it means everything to Matt, but I'm not sure it means as much to Blindspot.  If he is getting revenge on Matt, it does make sense, though presumably we'll see some other form of revenge involving Blindspot, too.  So much revenge, so little time.)  The plot thickens when the guy who had been reading all the regulations and rules to Matt reveals to Wesley that the Public Advocate used to be next in the line of succession, but the former mayor changed it when he ran for the third time and Kingpin hadn't changed it back yet.  The guy tells Wesley Matt had this information, which means Daredevil knows he's become acting Mayor given the Kingpin's incapacitation.  However, I'm not sure if that figured into Matt's plan.  After all, I'm pretty sure he wasn't expecting the Hand to incapacitate Kingpin while he was locked in a paddy wagon.  I guess we'll see.  (Also, I teared up a bit during the Foggy back-up story.)

Generation X #87:  I don't have too much to say here, other than the fact Strain does a great job maneuvering everyone into a solid place at the end.  Benjamin's love for Nathaniel is pure enough that it can survive (at least for now) his powers, and the X-Mansion seems like it now has two fewer virgins.  Quentin's powers are on the fritz, and he uses it as a justification for staying at the school.  Benji hugs him after his announcement, and it's a lovely moment, underscoring Jubilee's point that Quentin was more needed than he thought.  Quentin has always been a great character, and I'd love for someone to start teasing out his leadership potential, showing him a way to embrace the loneliness of leadership while getting past his ego to accept friendship (and love) when it's presented.  At the very least, he's gone a long way from Kid Omega.  Jubilee's resurrection doesn't feel forced, and Strain does a great job paying homage to this title by having Chamber, Husk, and Jubilee force Monet to remember who she is.  (To do so, they touch her, because Nathaniel purposefully "gave" her his powers, since he knew it meant they could use their links to her to overwhelm Emplate's link.)  Chamber gives Roxy a scarf as a sign of remembering who she is, and it's a really touching moment, the sort of non-romantic interaction we saw between Han Solo and Ubin in "Star Wars" #43.  In other words, all's well that ends well.  Like Grace on "Iceman," Strain clearly had other plans here, particularly when it came to often overlooked characters like Eye-Boy and Nature Girl.  I still find it hard to believe Marvel couldn't keep a teenage-focused mutant title running, but it is what it is, I guess.  All in all, Strain accomplished a lot in twelve issues, securing this next generation of X-Men in place after their absence since "Wolverine and the X-Men" ended.  I just wish it had been longer.

Moon Knight #193:  Although I like where Bemis takes us here, I found the fight with the Sun King concludes way too quickly.  Marc is pushed to the point where he thinks he’s going to die, and his personalities realize he has the “power of crazy,” i.e., the ability to make the truth irrelevant.  Motivated by Diatrice, Marc uses this power to beat the Sun King.  I get that part.  But, he really only gets in a few licks before he has the Sun King broken and recanting before him, claiming he now worships Marc.  At the end of last issue, Bemis seemed to be setting up Marc suffering a real crisis of faith, where he would have to reconcile his troubled relationship with Khonshu in the face of the Sun King's unwavering belief in Ra.  But, the personalities just basically have a chat, realize Diatrice is a good motivator for Marc, and send him into the ring to land a few punches.  It felt pretty anticlimactic.  That said, I like the idea of Marc taking over the Sun King's army as an advisor, teaching them how to "fight back against getting taking advantaged of like this again."  Every knight needs a few willing warriors, as he says.  We'll see how that plays.

Old Man Hawkeye #3:  Hawkeye arrives at Arcade's Murder World theme park at the start of this issue, and it's a pretty grim indictment of this reality (if you needed any more grim to make the point).  Hawkeye watches with profound dismay as some customers beat (possibly to death) the actor playing the "evil" Captain America, and it tells us everything we need to know about how Hawkeye feels about this brutal world.  But, he's there on a mission, and he achieves it:  he kills Atlas for siding with the villains.  As he makes his way to Atlas' tent, a seer -- whose identity isn't confirmed but almost seemed to be Rogue -- warns Hawkeye revenge isn't going to make him happy.  At the pivotal moment, Eric dares Hawkeye to kill him as memories of their time together as Thunderbolts race across Clint's mind.  Clint takes the shot, crying as he does so, proving the seer had a point.  Given the cover to next issue, he's going to move onto Beetle next, though Eric warned him Abner spends 18 hours a day making Doombots.  It was Eric's way of saying none of them benefited from this world.  But, Clint's got Bullseye and Venom-Madrox on his tail, so we'll see how that goes.

Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man #302:  The thing I don't get here is that I'm pretty sure Dr. Doom said Peter and his crew can't change the past, so I'm not really sure what the stakes are.  Right now, the Peters exposing Norman's identity to the world has led to JJJ, Jr.'s death (possibly) and Norman learning Peter's identity.  It's obviously a pretty significant set of developments, so does it create a new reality?  Are we now on Earth-x or something?  If not, then will it all revert to the "normal" timeline once they depart?  I don't really see a third option.  As I've frequently said:  ugh, time-travel stories.  Right now, the biggest development seems to be proof that Mary and Richard Parker "faking" a pregnancy as part of a mission (to steal secrets related to the L.M.D. program) was just a ruse, as she was actually pregnant.  We'll see if that sticks.

Star Wars:  Doctor Aphra #18:  I spent the early part of this issue rolling my eyes as Aphra asserts the Imperials will swap the Rebel general for Triple-Zero's memories.  After all, the Imperials I know don't make deals; they'd just take the Rebel general off Aphra's hands and kill her and her team.  But, then Aphra disables the general's tracker so the Alliance can try to rescue her, bringing about the distraction she needed to slip on board Hivebase.  After all, as she says, "Imps" don't make deals.  Well played, Gillen.  Well played.

X-Men:  Blue #24:  This issue is great.  Bunn and Molina hit all the right notes, with each scene showing their grasp of the characters' histories and personalities.  Again, they're telling stories on so many levels here it's hard to remember them all.  First, Shaw initially overwhelms Magneto with his new powers, but Magneto's insistence that Mothervine's "gifts" have costs proves true when Shaw's powers start feeding off his own cells' energy.  In the Mojave desert, Miss Sinister's Marauders try to recruit Xorn, but he refuses.  Xorn is always a difficult character to read, as he's been through so many iterations.  I initially thought he was going to be a threat to Bloodstorm and Jimmy, but instead he seems to be more aligned to his iteration as a peaceful teacher.  Xorn attacks the Marauders to try to convince them to leave, but they return fire, with Mach II cracking his helmet.  Xorn is forced to focus on keeping his energy contained (as he has either a sun or black hole for the brain, depending on which Xorn we have here), and Bloodstorm and Jimmy rescue him.  Meanwhile, Malice makes short work of the Raksha (she pretty brutally breaks Norio's neck and wrists), expositing that she's an alternate universe version of Malice and part of Miss Sinister's Marauders.  Lorna eventually repels her, as this Malice is a weaker version of our Malice.  In perhaps the best sequence, Briar walks through a club in Spain to find a shirtless (and sexy as ever) Daken, handing him adamantine blades Magneto himself carved for him as an invitation to help.  Daken seems to bristle at the idea of working for Magneto, but Briar encourages him to think of it as more an excuse to employ his talent for chaos.  The issue ends with Magneto meeting Alex and his team at a secret safe house he maintained off the coast of Scotland.  He talks about it as a reflective place, though admits that reflection rarely led him to change course.  Alex asks Magneto to work with them, but Magneto brings Shaw with him to show how astray they've gone.  Alex is dismissive of the costs, and Bunn makes it pretty clear he's going to pay for that.

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Not-So-New Comics: The January 10 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #675:  And away we go!  First, I have to thank the writing team for starting off this event with the Living Lightning (now just Lightning) as he’s one of the few gay characters in the Marvel Universe.  The authors not only put him front and center here, but they also show him as a red-blooded gay man as he awkwardly (but successfully) asks out Detective Dan.  It’s still a big deal to me, particularly after Marvel seems to be responding to the people who want their comics maler, straighter, and most importantly whiter by de-diversifying its line-up.

But, Lightning isn’t just there as a set piece.  The action gets going almost immediately after he busts some thieves and ponders how he should be doing more with his life as a former (West Coast) Avenger.  Detective Dan tries to console him, saying he's still doing good work, but they're both startled when the Sun seems to go nova.  We quickly learn someone has stolen the Earth, causing all hell to break loose:  the loss of the ring of satellites around the Earth has crippled global communications, and the change in the Earth's geospatial position has unleashed a series of natural disasters.  The various Avengers teams leap into action, and the art team does a great job of showing the magnitude of their effort.  (Hercules catching the rolling globe the Atlas statue was holding was a particularly nice touch, and Carol’s dumb-founded expression as she stares at the space where Earth and the Moon used to be is hilarious.)

The authors kick it up a notch as several of the more prominent heroes are put, in Rogue’s words, on "pause."  Someone sends out an emergency distress symbol that manages to get through the communications black-out, and we’re only left with:  Synapse, Voodoo, the Human Torch, Thor, Falcon, Lightning, Toni Ho, Roberto, Cannonball, Red Hulk, Wonder Man, Beast, Scarlet Witch, Hercules, Rogue, and Quicksilver.  The (young) Wasp arrives to inform everyone Jarvis might die from injuries he sustained in trying to save a child, but she leaves in tears when Rogue suggests they don’t have time to help him.  (Rogue correctly asserts Jarvis would understand.)  Beast leaves with the Wasp, and the loss of his intellect seems like it's going to prove Rogue’s point that it’s a bad idea to divert important resources from the task at hand.  Then, a mysterious white-haired woman is revealed to have sent out the call.  The mystery isn't just her identity; it's that everyone seems to know her.  In fact, her likeness appears on the statue of the founding Avengers.

All in all, I’m really excited.  This issue felt like a classic Avengers story (particularly when Quicksilver got catty with Rogue).  The authors accomplish their main goal here, making us believe they’re telling so huge of a story they have to do it weekly.  “Batman Eternal” failed to convey that sense of urgency, which is why it eventually became a chore to read.  But, 16 issues is different than 52 issues, so hopefully it’ll be an easier task to stay on message.  At any rate, I'm in it to win it.

Darth Vader #10:  After issue #5 saw Anakin firmly rejecting redemption and embracing his apprenticeship to Darth Sidious, I was surprised here when he destroyed the memory crystal.  Jocasta essentially goads him into it, saying she understood Palpatine wanted to make more Darth Vaders from the children on that list.  She asks what he wants, and it's a good question.  Did he destroy the crystal because he was just happy someone cared what he wanted?  Did he do it because he didn't want the competition?  Gillen doesn't tell us, keeping (for now) Vader's motivations unclear.  I'm hoping we continue to see more moments like this one, where Vader's role as a committed villain comes under question.

Old Man Hawkeye #1:  I didn’t read “Old Man Logan,” but reading this issue makes me feel like I should’ve.  Logan makes an appearance here, with Clint asking him if he wants to join in getting revenge on the super-villains who wiped out the superheros 45 years earlier.  Why did he wait 45 years?  It’s because Claire Temple told him he only has a few weeks or months before glaucoma robs him of his eyesight.  Time is ticking, in other words.  But, Sacks doesn’t jump right into that story.  We begin with Clint working a job for a guy named Mr. Hammer (I’m assuming some connection to Justin Hammer), transporting cargo through Tannenbaum Gorge in South Dakota.  When a group of crazed Madroxes attack the truck asking for MGH, Hawkeye wonders whether Hammer has gotten him involved in something illegal.  (I wonder what the definition of “illegal” is in this world.)  Clint takes out all the Madroxes but one, and it's him missing his shot at that one that brings him to Temple.  Next time we see Clint, he’s at Logan’s homestead in California, where Logan rebuffs his attempt to recruit him.  Then, he’s in Hammer Falls, Nevada, visiting his daughter, Ashley Barton, who isn’t too keen to see him.  Meanwhile, the Venom symbiote attacks and consumes the one Madrox Clint didn’t murder in the hijacking attempt, and Bullseye realizes Hawkeye is active again when he finds the other Madroxes' bodies.  Reading the Wiki entry on “Old Man Logan,” I’m intrigued to see where Sacks goes here.  We know how the story ends, so we know Clint doesn’t get his revenge.  But, sometimes it’s about the journey.

Phoenix Resurrection — The Return of Jean Grey #3:  The gang finds Jean’s coffin is empty and realizes they need to find her.  Hank offers to rebuild Cerebro, but reminds everyone they don’t have any psychics.  So, Kitty tracks down Emma, who approves of the $*#!^ she’s become.  Kitty tells her Jean has returned, and Emma suggests she’s at a plateau in New Mexico that she knew meant a lot to Scott.  Kitty brings the whole gang to the plateau, and Magik uncovers a dome that had been trying to hide itself.  A door opens, and the X-Men prepare to enter the dome.  Meanwhile, Waitress Jean flees a version of her costumed self who appears to her.  Rosenberg seems to break what I thought was a rule here, as “Mr. Patch” and Dr. Reyes both appear, despite them not being dead.  Whatever.  It’s time to wrap up this story.  It’s starting to feel a little Keystone Cops, with everyone chasing something we all know they’re going to find.

Titans #19:  This issue is a great example of why I’m canceling this series.  Abnett relies on the old shtick of the Justice League condemning the Titans’ actions, which worked when they were young adults but doesn’t work now.  Batman says Donna and Wally need to be fully assessed.  But, he doesn’t mention Wally is hurt because his son stabbed him in the heart.  It also takes Roy to mention Donna is under suspicion because Diana lied about the fact she was made of clay.  Dick makes a half-hearted attempt to make these points to Batman, but then reverts to a disappointing-son role that he’s never, ever held.  It’s character assassination all around, and I won’t stand for it.  Bruce's insistence they failed at their mission also just doesn't make sense.  As Wally mentions, they nabbed Mr. Twister, Psimon, and the Key and defeated Troia.  What did they do wrong?  Not cause enough property damage, like the Justice League does?  Remember when Bruce gave a college scholarship to the girl who hacked Amazon and destroyed a town (in "Justice League "#11)?  I could continue, but I won't.  I’m done with this one, unfortunately.

The Wild Storm:  Michael Cray #4:  It’s clear the point of this series is for Michael to kill the Wild Storm versions of DC heroes:  he took down Green Arrow in the first two issues, we’ve seen reference to Bruce Wayne, he eliminates the Flash here, and Trelane sends him after “the Aquaman” next.  All these missions seek to steal the technology the “hero” (or “victim”) is using, but it’s unclear why Skywatch wants this technology and how it's going to use it.  It’s also unclear why this series needs to exist.  Ellis has made it clear he's telling an integrated story, so presumably the technology we see in this series will play some sort of role in the ongoing struggle between Halo, IO, and Skywatch in the main title.  It’s just unclear what it is yet.  Also, the terrible art on this series makes me realize how important John Davis-Hunt is to the magic of the main title.  So far, this series just seems like a random series of hits whose conclusions are foregone.

X-Men:  Blue #19:  OK, I totally, totally didn’t see that coming.  The denouement here actually makes a time-travel story make sense!  It turns out the reason why the X-Men saw themselves when they initially returned in time was that it was actually the future Brotherhood, lead by Charles Xavier II, pretending to be them.  It’s why in all the possible futures we've seen they were trying to enslave either human- or mutantkind.  As such, it also now makes sense why the timestream is collapsing due to their absence; the team actually has been missing form the timestream.  It turns out the Brotherhood created a Cerebro that puts Professor X under their control, amping up their abilities considerably.  Honestly, I didn’t see how Bunn could possibly resolve this storyline, but he actually stuck this landing.  This story might’ve just risen to “classic” level in my book.  I really enjoyed the Brotherhood’s initial appearance under Bendis, and I love the idea that they took the fight to the past since they failed in the present and the future.  

Youngblood #8:  Bowers is really getting going here.  The team tracks down a missing hero, Superstitious, to a freighter in the East China Sea.  They find her unconscious in a room filled with religious artifacts, but, before they can spring her, a fanatic tells them she’s the key to being invited to the next world after the coming Apocalypse.  (Of course she is.)  Then Interpol arrives and tries to arrest the team for ruining their months-long operation (to what aim, I don't know).  But, Man-Up destroys the freighter by embiggening in a burst of enthusiasm.  Later, Dolante complains to Vogue that Horatio (a.k.a., Man-Up) needs to leave the team because he’s reckless, but she’s not so sure.  Meanwhile, someone named Task is revealed to be underwriting this new iteration of Youngblood.  He asks Doc Rocket (his ex-girlfriend) to dinner, and it inspires Dolante to take up Vogue’s offer to meet her at a club.  (It's New Year's Eve.)  He’s just a little surprised to find Horatio there, too, kissing her.  Dun-dun-DUN!  Perhaps the most interesting part of this issue is Supreme is the one to save Superstitious in the wake of the freighter explosion, and Superstitious marvels at how little she knows about her powers and comments how important she is to this world.  Superstitious then sends her to another galaxy.  Dun-DUN-DUN!  I don’t really get the good-guy vibe from Superstitious, so I’m intrigued how she got on Vogue’s list of missing heroes in the first place.  I guess we'll see.

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