Not-Even-Remotely New Comics: The June 26 and July 3 Non-Event Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #24:  This issue is really solid.  Spencer uses a session between Mysterio and his new Ravencroft therapist to tease out details about the mysterious goblin that we've seen lurking in the background these last few issues.  We learn that Quentin thinks that he went to Hell after he committed suicide in his battle with Daredevil.  (Wha?)  In Hell, we learn that this goblin endlessly tortured Mysterio and that the goblin is possibly a condemned soul who rose through Hell's ranks to devil.  He was also an enemy of Spider-Man, and he sent back Mysterio to enact his plan against Peter.  Spencer throws us off the trail here by having the therapist walk us through a theory that Quentin invented his death and condemnation as a way to deal with his terminal-cancer diagnosis.  The therapist provides a number of examples to support his claim, and you almost believe him at the end.  Of course, the goblin arrives, throwing that theory out the window and prompting the therapist to flee.  The goblin then unexpectedly murders Mysterio because he's somehow arranged Peter to see this moment in his dreams.  He taunts Peter by telling him that he won't appear to face him until he guesses who he is.  It seems clichéd, but Spencer really sells it.  This entire issue feels like "Faust," with all the bargains and side deals with devils.  It also explains why Peter's vision of Mary Jane during "Hunted" seemed so real, since we learn the goblin can (somehow) directly affect Peter's thinking through dreams and visions.  The goblin then provides a hint to his identity, calling himself "Kindred."  At first, I thought we were dealing with Harry Osborn, and we still may be.  But, now I wonder if it isn't someone like Ben Reilly or some other clone with a soul.  I'm just glad that we're getting some information at this point.

Mr. and Mrs. X #12:  Marvel seems insane to cancel this series.  But, it looks like sales fell in almost half from issue #3 to issue #12, so it did what it had to do, I guess.  Given "West Coast Avengers'" cancelation as well, I worry that readers aren't appreciating the kind of emotional yet hilarious stories that Thompson is telling.  Or maybe people just got tired of stories involving power-inhibitor collars?  I don't know.  Whatever the reason, I definitely feel like comics telling these stories aren't finding their footing lately, particularly since I see "Invaders" near this series on the sales lists.  At any rate, Thompson does her best here.  She gets to wrap up this series in less of a rush than "West Coast Avengers," and I'm glad that we at least got to walk down this road with her.  It's unbelievable that after so many years she's really the first author to explore the root of Rogue's problems with her powers, and I'm glad that she at least had time to do that.  Hopefully Marvel gets to a point where she can return to telling these sorts of stories soon.  I would love for her to take over "Amazing Spider-Man" one day.  Here's hoping.

Spider-Gwen:  Ghost Spider #10:  This issue ends the same way every other Spider-Gwen series has ended, with Gwen committing to live her life despite the challenges in doing so.  The problem is, the challenges never really change and she never really accomplishes this goal.  At first, we had Matt Murdoch as the shadowy figure and Rhino as the powerful enforcer; now, we have Miles Warren and Man-Wolf.  We had Gwen dealing with her Spider powers not working after she lost them and replaced them with shots; now we have her  Venom powers not working.  After fifty issues, it's hard to see such a great character just spinning her wheels.  It's like each successive creative team is nervous about doing anything that could impact the story that the next creative team will tell, so they just change the names and keep telling the same story.  We even return her to the Multiverse here despite her seemingly abandoning it in this volume, undoing the one step toward progress that we've had.  In other words, I sadly don't think that I'm following her into the next series.  Fare ye well, Gwen.  See you in the next inevitable "Spider-Verse" event.

Star Wars:  Target Vader #1:  I'll admit that my first thought was that I'd be more interested in this series if they didn't decide to make the protagonist a cut-rate Han Solo cyborg, down to (sort of) recreating the Greedo cantina scene and everything.  But, it was clear that I was supposed to recognize him, and some Googling revealed that he's the asshole from Han's squad in "Star Wars:  Han Solo - Imperial Cadet."  I feel like Thompson could've done a little bit more to help make that connection clearer.  Without it, it all feels derivative and rushed. Thompson also wants us to be surprised when it turns out the Hidden Hand isn't just a smuggler outfit running guns for the Rebellion, but actually part of the Rebellion itself.  I mean, is it that surprising?  They're a pretty scrappy group, the rebels, by definition.  At any rate, I feel like I shouldn't complain, because this premise is the sort of "edge of the Empire" story that I keep saying I want to see.  I just wish this one was a little more interesting at the start.

Transformers #8:  Ruckey is trying here, but, OMG, this series is moving at a glacial pace.  Even Megatron's conversation with Termagax is boring, despite Ruckey using it to hint at the larger story that he's telling.  Termagax implies that she's only willing to return from her exile if a series of events occur, such as the Ascenticons securing a quarter of the Senate seats or someone finding some unnamed artifacts.  (She also asks if the Autobots released so-and-so.  I'm assuming that so-and-so is the one prisoner who Orion Pax won't allow released, as mentioned a few issues ago.)  We learn later that Megatron wasn't there to convince Termagax to leave her exile, but to confirm that she doesn't plan to do so, so she won't interfere with his plans.  But, again, we're still just getting hints about plans.  At some point, someone is going to have to do something to put one of these many, many plans into action.  But, I'm pretty sure that I won't be here to see it.

Uncanny X-Men #21:  This issue is solid.  Rosenberg does an excellent job of staying in control of the chaos, as Emma sends the X-Men on a rescue mission to implement her plan of wiping away humanity's memories of mutants.  Although she succeeds in her mission, the cost is high:  Banshee is killed, Callahan strips Illyana of her mutant powers and thus brings back Darkchilde, Darkchilde tears out the Gem of Cyttorak and sends Cain...somewhere, and Hope and Logan are injured.  Earlier, Callahan also stripped Triage of his mutant abilities, and Logan mercy killed a dying Velocidad after Callahan used his powers to manufacture new Warlocks, who Rosenberg turns into the new Sentinels.  In the end, we're left only with Cyclops, Havoc, Mirage, and Multiple Man.  In other words, Rosenberg brings the X-Men to a moment of triumph, but one with few X-Men left to celebrate.  As usual, Marvel has ruined this moment with its relentless advertising of the upcoming Hickman era:  we already know that pretty much everyone is returning.  But, Rosenberg does what he can with the constraints that he's been given, and I applaud him for that.

The Weatherman, Vol. 2 #1:  If the first volume of this series was a breakneck tour of the galaxy's precarious status quo, LeHeup goes in the opposite direction here.  Rather than spreading his focus across several groups of actors as he did in the first volume, we have one team with one mission:  find Dr. Nyseth and, hopefully, Ian Black's mind somewhere on Earth.

After keeping Earth a mystery for the first volume, LeHeup somehow met all my expectations when we first arrive.  First, he starts off the issue with two soldiers' banter about how boring it is guarding Earth.  It's here that we first get the sense that everything isn't as it seems.  I think LeHeup had alluded to the fact that some people on Earth might be alive, but I had no idea that it was as many as we see here.  LeHeup makes it clear that entire cities of people are still alive, and you immediately begin to wonder if people off-Earth know that.  In a conversation the Martian president has with a lobbyist eager to kill the remaining population to cut up the spoils, LeHeup hints at just one reason the galaxy's leaders might want that information to remain hidden.

But LeHeup also shows that it isn't like life as normal is continuing down there.  We're introduced to one of the outposts, where people are sent on suicide missions by lottery, presumably as a form of population control.  We also learn that the remaining population is expected to succumb to the virus within three months.  LeHeup goes one step even further, as the team arrives in New York and is unaware a group of zombie-like humans are following them.  Now you begin to see the chaos in store for them.

But this series avoids sliding just into simple sci-fi conjecture with LeHeup's laser focus on Nathan.  He's his usual idiot self here, though he has moments of reflection, like when they stumble upon the skyscraper-sized pile of skeletons in New York.  But the most heart-breaking moment is when Nathan is left to eat alone after all his companions leave.  He's left simply with an image of his now-dead dog as company.  LeHeup and Fox turn it into a meditation on not just what Nathan has lost, but what everyone has lost.   It's hard to see any happy ending for Nathan, but the glimmer of one is one of the many things that keeps me returning.

The Wild Storm #24:  It's almost impossible to sum up this issue, coming at the end of Ellis' two-year journey in this world.  In a lesser author's hands, the denouement would feel rushed.  Craven kills Cray!  Jackie kills Craven!  Jackie takes over IO!  But, in Ellis' hands, it feels more like the dominoes all falling into place.  That said, Ellis leaves some dominoes still standing, leaving you at the end of this issue feeling like we've just gotten a glimpse of the complicated dynamics at play.

First, Ellis presents the hypothesis that we're at this point because Craven was an incompetent leader.  Slayton mentions how crappy of a manager of Earth Craven was right  before Clay kills Slayton and saves Craven.  Jackie refers to him as a "scared little emperor."  I accept this hypothesis at face value; you don't get to the point where Skywatch is willing to destroy New York in its war with IO and not believe that Craven didn't play a role in that escalation.  But, I wish Ellis had taken the time to go into a little more detail about why Craven sucked at managing the planet so badly.  Ellis hints at a larger reason as his eyes glow red with rage right before he decides to kill Cray.  Was he a Kheran?  Right now we don't know.

After the Authority takes out the Skywatch sleeper agents, Angie goes after Skywatch itself to stop the diamond spike that Bendix dropped.  Jackie agrees to help her.  The surprise comes when Craven tries to stop Jackie, believing that she's a traitor.  He's totally unhinged in this conversation, and Jackie fries him with some sort of electric blast from her head.  She then buys Angie time to synthesize all her powers.  Apollo flies Angie to the rapidly descending spike and then Shen sends a door through her telepathic link with Angie, allowing Angie to send the spike right at Skywatch.  Boom.

At IO, Baiul think she's going to take over IO, believing that she's rid of Jackie because she saw her kill Craven.  She gloats that she planned everything so perfectly and that she's surprised in the end that it was so easy because Jackie just vaporized Craven.  But, Jackie then reveals that she planted an "unauthorized" weapon on Baiul and security takes her into custody.  Jackie King:  IO chief.  Meanwhile, Skywatch now stands revealed and we learn someone (Angie?) dumped a bunch of IO-related documents on the internet.

Ellis includes all sorts of Easter eggs along the way here, like Voodoo seemingly using her power to save Angie (or Miles' husband, it's unclear to me).  He also recalls previous attacks on Skywatch:  Angie first has Jackie run her bot attack on Skywatch so they can get an image of the station, even though I though the Wild C.A.T.s did that first?  Isn't that the bot attack that started the war, with Bendix thinking it was IO but it was actually the Wild C.A.T.s?  Or did the Wild C.A.T.s just take advantage of IO's attack?  I can't remember.

Anyway, it's all complicated, right?  If I re-read this series from the start, I feel like it would be clearer to me just how many loose ends Ellis leaves here.  Voodoo never really materialized as anyone important.  Zealot initially seemed like she was going to play a major role but then faded into the background.  Ditto Michael Cray, and he even had his own series.  Most importantly, I can't remember the last time we saw the Wild C.A.T.s, as the last six or seven issues have mostly focused on the Authority.  The Comicbook Database tells me that we haven't seen Grifter since issue #16, which Ellis explains by the fact that he's in hiding because IO now knows that he's alive.  That makes sense, but would Marlowe really sit out this war?  Ellis wants us to believe that he would (as he does so here), but it's hard to believe that Ellis doesn't even bother to tell us what Marlowe and his team are doing right now.  They've got to be scheming somewhere, right?

What was it all about then?  In the end, Jenny Sparks says it was all about Angie learning how to use her powers so she could help people, not the secret history of the world.  But, that feels...unrealistic.  Angie spent most of the series in the background.  Sure, she saved New York, but that really just puts her in the same category as everyone else here, doesn't it?  In other words, I'm not disappointed, but I also can't say I'm totally satisfied.  I think it makes the most sense to look at this series as the first arc of a larger story, with Ellis setting the groundwork for the series and stories that will follow.  If so, I might find myself more satisfied as the loose ends that Ellis leaves here later get addressed.  I hope that's the case, given how exciting it was to read this series at the start.

Also Read:  Conan the Barbarian #7; Detective Comics #1,006; Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #8; Marvel Comics Presents #6

Not-Even-Remotely-New Comics: The May 29 Non-Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Doomsday Clock #10:  This issue is surprising in the sense that Johns lays all his cards on the table, which I didn't expect to happen until next issue.

We learn that Dr. Manhattan arrived in the DCU on April 18, 1938, the day that Superman appeared to the public.  He also meets Carver Colman on that day.  When Dr. Manhattan arrives, it's in an alley where Carver is sleeping; his grand plans to make it in Hollywood have definitively failed.  Dr. Manhattan subsequently meets with Carver every April 18 to tell him the events of his life for the next year.  I think Dr. Manhattan meets with Carver because he needs to focus on someone from this Universe to help him see its future.  This part isn't totally clear, though.  If I had to guess, Dr. Manhattan is also rewarding Carver for checking the pulse of the cop who struck him with a baton right before Dr. Manhattan arrived.  Dr. Manhattan's appearance knocked the cop unconscious, and he seemed impressed that Carver would show compassion to a man who hit him.

As the issue unfolds, Dr. Manhattan realizes that Superman's history keeps changing; at some point, he revisits April 18, 1938, and Superman isn't there.  Instead, Superman now appears in public for the first time in 1956.  Dr. Manhattan continues to observe the changes to the time stream as Superman's date of arrival is pushed farther and farther into the future.  Dr. Manhattan is intrigued as history shifts around Superman, noting the central role that Superman seems to play.  He begins to realize that, if someone alters Superman's history, s/he alters this Universe's history.  (He notes the Anti-Monitor and Extant have both done so.)  In so doing, Johns is telling the story of DC's constant ret-conning of its own history, and it's nothing short of brilliant.  Dr. Manhattan comes to the conclusion that the Multiverse reacts to this Universe, which he dubs the Metaverse.  Dr. Manhattan removes Alan Scott's access to his lantern to experiment on the Metaverse, which he realizes is always changing.  In so doing, he creates the Rebirth version of the DCnU.  But, Dr. Manhattan comes to realize that he's made a mistake.  When Wally West confronts him in the time stream, he realizes that the Metaverse is not passive; it takes steps to protect itself.  I'm not sure what that means for the series' eventual outcome, but it seems to be the key point, because it means Dr. Manhattan can't just do whatever he wants here.

In terms of Carver, the errata at the end of the issue reveals that his mother is the person who murders him.  He initially fled home after she found him kissing another boy, and she has been blackmailing him ever since.  Interestingly, his alter ego, Nathaniel Dusk, survives his encounter with death, as the errata also explains.  I'm still not sure where we're going with Carver, but the plot is definitely thickening.

The Wild Storm #23:  Man, DC really released all its mythology books this week.  This issue is surprisingly easy to follow, as Ellis continues to focus on the war between IO and Skywatch.  Bendix thinks that IO foiled his attack on Apollo and Midnighter, so he activates their triggers (as well as the Mayor's) to send them to New York to kill everything in sight.  Conversely, when Miles learns of the attacks, he orders the destruction of all of Skywatch's supply depots on Earth.  The Mayor is able to shake off the trigger due to the Doctor's conditioning, and she manages to free Apollo and Midnighter before they arrive in New York, thanks to Angie catching Apollo mid-flight.  They explain the situation to them, and Apollo (though surprisingly not Midnighter) sees that it's the other side of the same war; IO needs to exist to restrain Bendix and Skywatch.  Angie tries to get Marlowe to send in the Wild C.A.T.s, but he refuses, since it has nothing to do with his plans.  (I can see that.  A world without IO or Skywatch is probably easier for Halo.)  We'll see how it all converges next issue.

Also Read:  Detective Comics Annual #2; Transformers #6

Not-Even-Remotely-New Comics: The April 24 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Age of X-Man:  X-Tremists #3:  I officially have no idea what's happening in this series.  First, everyone speaks in some sort of literary tense; it's like reading 18th century French literature written in the passé simple.  Moreover, everyone seems to have their own delusions.  For example, we have Moneta believing in an Emmanuel Goldstein-esque Resistance and Blob somehow not realizing people hated Department X.  (Yes, Blob, they all loved you for erasing their memories of the people they loved.)  Betsy tells Blob about how happy she is that they put the "old ways" behind them, because she used to have an eating disorder and hated her body.  (I guess she doesn't hate it now that she doesn't love anyone?)  Also, everyone apparently no longer believes in the mission except Moneta, but no one actually says that.  Again, like Fred, they seem not entirely clear on what their mission is?  Honestly, I have no idea.

War of the Realms:  Uncanny X-Men #1:  This issue is truly excellent, definitely the best issue of "War of the Realms" to date.  Rosenberg does a number of clever things here.  First, he follows the formula of all good tie-in issues by not completely ignoring the team's  existing storyline.  When Dani gets Odin's call to assist the Valkyries (as seen in "War of the Realms" #2), she and the X-Men are fighting Nanny and the Orphan-Maker.  Moreover, the team's banter and challenges are even more on display here than they usually are in the main title.  Alex is the annoying little brother challenging his older brother, the New Mutants are a separate unit more dedicated to each other than the larger team, and Madrox is...Madrox.  Finally, Rosenberg wisely puts the X-Men on the sidelines of the action.  When they arrive in New York, it has already fallen:  Dr. Strange has evacuated the city's population, and Frost Giants and dark elves are just wandering the streets.  Rather than trying to insert the X-Men between panels of the main series, Rosenberg uses the team to show us the aftermath of the Battle of New York.  He really leans into the banter and challenges here as he has everything descend further into chaos:  Wolfsbane and one of Jamie's dupes fall down a hole, and Magik answers Cyclops' call to get reinforcements but can only find a full-snark Hope and a still-dead Banshee.  The remaining members of the party unwisely split -- Hope takes Chamber to find Wolfsbane and the dupe while Scott and company find a devastated Dani looking at the bodies of her fellow Valkyries.  Something about the nature of a tie-in issue really let Rosenberg spread his wings, and I look forward to seeing where the story goes.

The Wild Storm #22:  My concern at this point is that Ellis has done such an amazing job throughout this series of keeping all the plates spinning in the air that we're approaching the moment when they're all just fall to the floor.  He focuses simply on two stories in this issue, which seems unbelievable given how many threats we have out there.

First, Marc Slayton attempts to kill Jackie, but the "Battalion Device" that she swiped from IO protects her, disintegrating Slayton.  Jackie exposits that Angie was right:  the device is both scary and completely invisible to scanners, a point Elis and Davis-Hunt emphasized by opening the issue with Jackie getting scanned without incident while exiting the building.

But, we quickly move to the empty village in the middle of Utah, where Apollo and Midnight are awaiting the Skywatch ships after their shenanigans last issue.  Jenny and company arrive after the Doctor felt the ships "drop" toward the planet; Angie was able to see into Jenny's mind and triangulate the ships' destination.  Midnighter is understandably suspicious that they're Skywatch, given their use of teleportation.  Jack introduces himself as a scrambled Skywatch experiment, but Midnight isn't convinced.  Jenny then pledges to help them to prove their worth.  When Apollo asks why, she rather convincingly responds that they've all lost or escaped people who know what Earth is really like and that they're the last people left to save the Earth.  The combined team makes pretty quick work of the impressive-looking Skywatch ships, mostly due to Apollo and Jenny, who turn into a gigantic energy-being of some sort.

It's all totally fine.  But, with only two issues left, I find myself wondering about Voodoo, who we saw in the background of the first few issues but haven't seen since.  We also haven't seen Zealot or Marlowe and the Wild C.A.T.s in a long time.  It's starting to feel like Ellis' careful planning wasn't so careful.  Then again, I also know the 24-issues framework is a lie, as two mini-series follow this one.  In other words, I can be patient, but I also hope that patience is rewarded and this series maintains the high level of excellence we've enjoyed so far.

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #20; Detective Comics #1,002; Mr. and Mrs. X #10; Star Wars:  Vader - Dark Visions #3

Not-Very-New Comics: The March 20 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #17:  This issue is OK, though it felt rushed, to be honest.  Aaron is trying to fit in a lot of plot here, so he resorts to having important sequences, like the Legion of the Unliving taking on the Winter Guard right before the Avengers arrive, occur off-panel.  The battle itself between the Avengers and the Legion is fine, though Aaron again hurries the battle between Blade and Colonel, with Blade defeating him too easily.  He also rushes to the conclusion that Dracula planned the entire "civil war."  The Colonel is revealed to be his son, Xarus, and Dracula's goal all along was to get the Russians to imprison him in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, apparently because the radiation somehow heals him.  (I'd love to see the physics of that.)  But, this revelation doesn't explain why Dracula was willing to sacrifice all his subjects in Transylvania just to move his kingdom to Chernobyl.  Couldn't he have just...snuck into the Exclusion Zone?  Did he have to be invited to an entire geographic space?  It isn't like Chernobyl is a house.  Overall, it was still a strong arc, but I feel like an extra issue would've made it all the better.

Avengers:  No Road Home #6:  Although I know the authors are stoked about getting to use Conan and I'm loving Aaron's run on "Conan the Barbarian" itself, this issue was a dud to me.  Even with the expanded length, they cover too much ground, literally and narratively.  Conan and Wanda seem to cover the entire Thurian continent in search of the thieves who stole the shard.  Some of the individual moments are great, but the authors move off them too quickly to advance to the next location.  The arrival at Shadizar is a great moment, but it would've been even more impactful if I still hadn't been trying to figure out where they had been before they got there.  Moreover, this specific flaw exacerbates the problem that I have with the regular series, where Aaron (and now the trio here) are telling stories across Conan's lifespan.  Here, he loves Bêlit, but we haven't even met her in the regular series yet.  I get that Conan fans will recognize all these various timeframes and characters, but it's a challenge for a newbie like me.  As such, it feels like too much of the authors playing with a toy, particularly given the fact that Conan's presence here is a stretch from the start.  I initially thought that they were going to connect Nyx with the Night-God whose worshipers Conan and Wanda encounter on the way to Shadizar.  How cool would it have been if they had gone to all this trouble to shield Wanda's eyes so Nyx wouldn't know that they found the shard, only for the "Night-God's" worshipers to successfully open a portal to her?  These missed opportunities are what make me feel like the authors are rushing through this mini-series just like Aaron is rushing through "Avengers."  

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4-#5:  For the fact that these issues involve Peter learning Aunt May has cancer, they're not as devastating as you'd expect them to be.  But, it isn't necessarily a bad thing, to be honest.

In issue #4, Tayor wraps up the Underworld storyline in a fantastic way.  The villain arrives demanding Spider-Man and the Rumor turn over his daughter and grandchildren, and they refuse.  Fighting ensues.  But, before we get there, Juann Cabal provides one of the greatest panels I've ever seen, akin to the famous Hawkeye mask covering Hawkeye's hawkeye.  As Peter tells Johnny the story of saving Leilani from her father from the top of an alternate Empire State Building, Cabal given us a Super Mario Bros. background to underline the point.  It is...mind-blowing.  Moreover, during the aforementioned above-ground fight, he delivers an amazingly (heh) kinetic panel showing Peter dodging the thugs' bullets while also saving a cat and setting up the fight's denouement when Peter manages to web every gun and pull them towards him.  The emotional denouement comes when a crowd gathers around Spidey to stand with him, eventually forcing the Kingpin -- who arrived on the scene to force Spider-Man and the Rumor to surrender Leilani and the kids -- to break his deal with the villain.  This entire arc has been great from start to finish, focusing on Peter's New York as promised.

Even after Aunt May arrives in Peter's apartment in issue #5 to tell him she has cancer, Taylor keeps up said focus, when Peter catches one of the homeless kids from the neighborhood stealing a car.  When it turns out he's running from his mother's abusive boyfriend, Spidey -- feeling a little guilty that he got distracted and broke the kid's wrist -- actually helps him steal said car to prevent from getting arrested.  (I guess Peter learned how to drive at some point...)  Peter winds up webbing the car above an alley to allow them to escape the ensuing police, a sequence you kind of have to see to appreciate.  Peter brings the kid to see Dr. Strange, who (somewhat reluctantly) sets the arm.  Peter confesses he broke the wrist because he's distracted by May's illness, and Dr. Strange jokingly refers to making a deal with an interdimensional demon to help her, though suggests that it could bring an eternity of torment.  (Ha!)  Peter wisely passes, and Dr. Strange tells him that some things are beyond magic and medicine.  After originally telling Aunt May he has "a lot going on right now" when she asked if he'd go to chemo with her, he's there when she arrives, with the nurse touchingly referring to him as her "son."  I always love the moments when May and Peter acknowledge their mother-son relationship directly, and this one is no different.  Did I roll my eyes at Peter's initial response of saying that he was too busy to be at her appointment?  Yes, because Peter probably wouldn't have responded that way.  But, Taylor is killing it so much in this series, I can look past it.  Also, Cinar and Woodard's art is so impressive here (including a beautiful Peter) that they convey emotions that Taylor's script alone doesn't necessarily convey.  

In other words, just like "Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man," this series is increasingly my go-to Spider-Man series, no matter how much I like what Nick Spencer is doing in the main title.

Nightwing #58:  This issue is a little heavy handed with the narrative, from Hutch's extended meditation on why he's not "cut out for this vigilante crap" to Joker's Daughter's eyeroll-inducing diatribe about the elites to Bab's earnestness in telling "Ric" that Dick would be proud of him.  But, Lobdell and Kaplan still do a solid job of showing how Ric's membership in the Nightwings happens organically, to the point where this new status quo starts feeling more and more familiar.  But, it's really Moore and Bonvillain who shine here; Hutch is so beautifully rendered in the first few panels that he looks almost lifelike.

Uncanny X-Men #14:  Rosenberg continues doing a solid job here.  By the end of the issue, you get the sense that Scott is going to find himself with his hands full of mutants, and Rosenberg implies then it'll really start to get interesting.  After all, he added Logan in issue #11, Havok, Magik, and Wolfsbane in issue #12, Dark Beast and Multiple Man in issue #13, and now Chamber in this issue.  (I don't really count Karma and Mirage from issue #12 since they've unfortunately been non-entities.)  In other words, this issue really gets Scott's little war going.  So far, he's really just struck against O.N.E. for holding Havok, Multiple Man, and the New Mutants and then Dark Beast.  In this issue, we have the team chase down Reaper (only to learn he's depowered and not working with the MLF) and help the remaining Morlocks relocate to Chernaya after eliminating the fascist opposition forces left after X-Force's sojourn there.  (I think they're the same place?  If not, Marvel is really pushing the limits of credulity to make two made-up Eastern European countries into mutant havens with fascist uprisings.)  Why do they need to relocate the "remaining" Morlocks, you ask?  Because the Marauders killed the rest of them...again.  (I'm imaging the Marauders are moving up Scott's hit list.)  Also, the move to Chernaya killed a few too birds with one stone, as Scott and Logan got Valerie Cooper to agree to do them favors if they do her favors (like eliminating said fascist opposition forces).  In other words, Scott's got a lot of irons in the fire.  But, the team takes a well advised moment to celebrate the "small victories" only to have Captain America crash the party.  Again, Rosenberg is doing a great job of making each issue complicate Scott's life even further, but I'm also glad he's giving the team some time to bond as well.  As Jono himself implies, no one on this team has enjoyed a good run over the last few years.  Most of them really need these wins, even if it's clear whatever limited roll that they're enjoying now is going to come to an end.

West Coast Avengers #9:  This issue is great.  It's like Thompson hit full speed as we got to the top of the mountain and she's just letting us enjoy the free fall as we make our way down the other side.  Ramone and Johnny are children of a Dora Milaje?  Ramone's powers allow her to fuse permanently with vibranium?  Johnny and Marvel Boy might forget Katie and get together themselves?  Katie's mom is a vampire?  Each new development builds off previous developments, so it doesn't all sounds as random as it does here.  Plus, we get the usual adorable crazy moments, like discovering Jeff the Shark loves Quentin and likes to sit in his lap.  (The panel where Jeff is actually sitting in Quentin's lap should win Gang Hyuk Lim some sort of award.  That, and the panel where Gwenpool, Quentin, and Ramone all put their hands to their chest in faux outrage, like they're grabbing their Southern ladies grabbing their pearls, after Kate's mom reveals that they're dealing with vampires, not Skrulls.)  I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  as Quentin's t-shirt says, West Coast, Best Coast!

The Wild Storm #21:  As we approach the end, each issue seems much more focused now.  Jenny Sparks' trip through Skywatch's computer system allowed her to discover the existence of Midnighter and Apollo.  Wisely, she realizes their defense of the village meant not only that they were preventing Skywatch from making more people like them and the Mayor but also that they were probably good recruits for the still-forming Authority.  Meanwhile, Miles orders Ivana to start creating a narrative that an "extranational terrorist network" is ramping up its activities in nuclear-armed countries, and it leads her to call someone to report that they "may have a situation."  Bendix seems to believe IO shot down some Skywatch ships, but I can't tell if he's confusing Midnighter and Apollo's attack with IO or if he's referring to that fight at Skywatch's ground base a few issues ago.  Bendix is ready to burn down the world, but Lauren warns him that he should focus on IO specifically to prevent them from having "supply issues."  To help the Doctor recognize Skywatch ships when they enter orbit, Angie provides her with a device that allows them to communicate telepathically, projecting to her images of a Skywatch ship.  (Interestingly, Angie is super aggro all issue, and it takes the Doctor confronting her to make her admit the events of the last few weeks are weighing on her.)  Elsewhere, Jackie finds some sort of device in the IO equipment room, and the guy that Miles hired to kill her is on her tail.  Later, Jenny confirms that the bot attack IO launched on Skywatch (though I think it was really the Wild C.A.T.s) allowed them to see the Skywatch space station.  Jenny then observes that everything that's happened since Cray tried to kill Marlowe has meant that "the most powerful people in the world are terrified of everything and everyone," putting the world on the brink of annihilation.  I'm not sure if Ellis is describing their world or our world, but there we are.

(NB:  I tagged this post "Nova" because Richard appears in "Guardians of the Galaxy" #3, but I didn't review it.  It's a fine issue; it just didn't seem to merit much discussion at this phase of the story.)

Also Read:  Batman #67; Dungeons & Dragons:  A Darkened Wish #1; Guardians of the Galaxy #3; Marvel's Spider-Man:  City at War #1; Star Wars #63; Thor #11

Not-Very-New Comics: The February 20 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers:  No Road Home #2:  I was perfectly OK with this series not serving as a sequel to "Avengers:  No Surrender."  After all, the first series was a fun romp, so I was totally down with Marvel get the band back together for another one.  But, the authors do actually make it a sequel in an unexpected way.  In a flashback to Nyx and her children murdering the Olympian gods, we learn Zeus imprisoned Nyx somewhere until the sun disappeared.  Well, the Challenge and the Gamemaster managed that when they moved Earth during their challenge, freeing Nyx to seek out her revenge.  The authors then rely on a similar format as the first series, as Voyager sends three teams of Avengers to beat Nyx's children in capturing the shards of her soul that Zeus scattered around the Universe.  But, the authors go one better here, as it isn't all about the action.  Clint provides an increasingly dramatic narration throughout the issue, as he talks about how people often ask him how he does what he does, fighting alongside and against gods.  He admits he's just lucky, but his luck seems to have hit a wall:  he awakens in a hospital room missing the thumb on his right hand.  Clint barely has time to process that when the Hulk reveals himself, ready to exact his vengeance.  It shows the authors are working multiple stories on multiple levels, just like the first series.  I'm definitely happy I picked up this one.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3:  OMG, this issue was awesome.  It turns out Leilani -- the mother of the two orange-skinned kids -- is the daughter of the dictator of Under York, an underground version of New York accessible by a magic elevator.  We learn Under York used to interact with our New York, but the dictator cut off ties, forcing Under York to stagnate.  (Apparently all our best ideas -- like the Empire State Building -- come from Under York.)  Peter and the Rumor manage to break into the dictator's penthouse and nab Leilani.  Peter gets shot in the process, but he manages to scale the miles-deep elevator staff with the two women after the Under Yorkers cut the power.  The Rumor warns Peter to prepare for a small war.  I know it sounds insane, but Taylor's script really sells it; I could read Peter and the Rumor bantering all day.  Taylor manages to capture the spark of a Spider-Man story without weighing down the issue with all of Peter's usual bullshit.  This issue really carries on the great tradition of Zdarsky's work in "Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man."  I can't wait to see where we go from here.

Guardians of the Galaxy #2:  OK, this issue is really good.  Like, really good.  First, Cates makes it clear that Peter is spiraling into alcoholism and depression because he can't get over the fact Gamora killed him.  That's...sound.  (To be honest, I barely remember her killing him, and I definitely don't remember how he got resurrected.  Oh, "Infinity Wars."  You were such a bullshit event.)  Cates does a great job of not telling us this information, but showing it to us, through Peter's late-night call to Kitty.  Phyla-Vell even tells him he looks terrible when he delivers some uniforms to her and Moondragon.  But, Peter doesn't just get to sleep the sleep of the drunk, as he has to break up a fight between Ghost Rider and Groot.  This part of the issue is the only part I disliked.  I'm still struggling with the characterization of Groot as an adolescent surfer, and Ghost Rider doesn't really sound the way Frank Castle sounds.  That said, their fight is hilarious, as Ghost Rider inadvertently creates an army of mini-Groots by cutting off parts of him.  They're fighting as Ghost Rider learned Beta Ray Bill and Groot plan on saving Gamora.  Peter invites him to leave if he wants, notably telling Beta Ray Bill and Groot to do the same, showing he has no intention of saving Gamora.  Castle leaves, leading us to realize just how big of a story Cates is telling.  The Shi'ar have rescued a now-scarred Starfox and some other "heroes" who fell into the vortex, and Castle joins their crusade to find Gamora.  Also in this group is Nebula, who suggests they'll find Gamora through the "stupid boy she loves:"  Nova.  Peter might be upset about that, particularly since he thinks he and Groot are the only ones who know where Gamora is.  We also see Hela and the Black Order in action here, as they shake down the Collector to discover Thanos' head is in the Negative Zone.  Does no one burn a body anymore?

Nightwing #57:  Although Lobdell's plot is fine here, it's Kaplan who really makes this issue sing.  It's the first one in the Ric Grayson era where Ric feels like a character in and of himself.  Kaplan makes it clear that Ric's moral compass is essentially the same as Dick's:  he's moved beyond words when he accompanies Bea to a community meeting with a councilman eager to destroy a homeless shelter to build a parking lot for a new stadium.  Bea reveals she grew up homeless, and it's a clever move on Lobdell's part.  It would feel ridiculous to watch Dick Grayson, ward of wealth, try even to comprehend that, but Ric is another story altogether.  Kaplan also really sells Ric finding himself agreeing to work with the Nightwings, particularly in playing up the hilarity of Detective Sapienza exerting such a sense of ownership over the identity.  Despite the jumble of authors who've worked on this story, they've carefully built each supporting character piece by piece; no revelation has felt forced.  At this point, they all feel like fully fleshed out characters at this point, and, regardless if Ric recovers his memory, I hope they all stay.  But, it isn't all about the perfect tone Kaplan is able to strike.  Lobdell using the Joker's Daughter in a war against elites doesn't feel over the top.  She kidnaps the councilman and sends him into a fancy restaurant as a suicide bomber, interrupting all the conversations praising gentrification happening at the moment.  If that isn't a 2019 plot device, I don't know what is.

Return of Wolverine #5:  Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure what happened here.  Like, sure, I get Persephone's evil plan to kill all of humanity and then resurrect them as her mindless slaves.  But, I'm still not sure how Wolverine himself was resurrected.  If I had to guess, his fire claws were some sort of secondary mutation that activated once he was encapsulated in the adamantium, allowing him to claw his way to freedom.  Or maybe Persephone gave him that power?  I honestly don't know.  Soule does manage to wrap up the primary story about Persephone in a believable way (Logan destroy the space station, natch), but I'm surprised after all the preceding mini-series and then this series I'm still not clear on how we got to this point in the first place.

Uncanny X-Men #12:  Man, you put Scott and Logan together and they can really find themselves some trouble.  Logan somehow knows O.N.E. is keeping a group of mutants hostage, and he and Scott pretty roughly break into the relevant base.  Logan tries for subtlety by posing as a O.N.E. solider and kidnapping another, but the plan goes hilariously awry when the kidnapped soldier yells out Logan is trying to break in the base.  Once they deal with the soldiers, they encounter the en-Warlock-ed New Mutants, who O.N.E. has tried to turn into living Sentinels.  We learn Magik and Rahne have managed to emerge from the techno-organic virus, with Rahne positing because they're also shapeshifters they have a certain immunity.  They also discover a few Jamies as well as Havok, who O.N.E. is using to power the base.  Magik is unable to use her powers to teleport, and O.N.E. soldiers pounce on them all as they try to escape.  Someone at O.N.E. has implanted bombs in the Madri, and Strong Guy sacrifices himself to take the brunt of the blast.  Thankfully, said blast knocks out the field disrupting Illyana's powers, and the team manages to escape, with O.N.E. Director Callaghan now aware the X-Men have returned.  I have to say, Scott and Logan find themselves with a helluva team.  Even if the New Mutants have to stay on the sidelines, an X-Men team of Cyclops, Havok, Wolverine, Rahne, and Magik is no freaking joke.  As I mentioned in my last review, Rosenberg really imbues this issue with a "What If...?" sense, as if we're reading "Days of Future Present" come to life.  You really have no idea where we're going next.

The Wild Storm #20:  This issue is really more about letting Davis-Hunt and Buccellato run wild as they depict Midnighter and Apollo make short work of a Skywatch team sent to capture (or kill) them.  But, we do learn some interesting things along the way.  First, Miles is under obvious strain and asks Ben Santini, the leader of the Razors Alpha CAT, for advice.  He suggests Miles uses IO's resources to engage in violence to distract people from the evils of "dark capitalism," implying IO has been behind civil wars, school shootings, terrorist attacks, and other violent acts.  Miles listens to his advice and then dispatches Ben to give Ivana and Jackie their "pension plans."  Meanwhile, Skywatch's spaceships arrive at Midnighter and Apollo's farm, and they annihilate them before they can hurt anyone in town.  Along the way, based on a sketch of Apollo's eyes, it seems like he's actually some sort of android.  One of the spaceship's pilots panics and hails Skywatch on an open line, allowing Jennie Sparks to travel to Skywatch HQ.  Once Midnighter confirms no one in the town was hurt, the two of them depart.

Also Read:  Avengers #15; Batman #65

Not-Very-New Comics: The January 23 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman #63:  This arc reminds me of a plotline from "Calvin and Hobbes."  Bill Watterson was having Calvin wordlessly grow larger and larger, to the point where he was a lone figure towering above planets and then galaxies.  In one of the collected editions, Watterson explained he planned to keep the shtick going for weeks to test the readers' patience, but then realized it was a terrible idea to do that and stopped.  King didn't seem to learn that lesson.  Here, we have yet another a dream sequence, as John Constantine explores life with Bruce and Selena if she didn't leave him at the altar.  Of course, it's not Constantine; he's just a figure that Bruce's sub-conscious has seemingly created to tell him he's hooked to a machine whose operator wants to drive him insane.  The problem isn't just that we have three more issues of this craziness, but Janín's art reminds us of the good ol' days of Bruce and Selena before King set fire to everything.  I think it's fair to say I'm enduring this series at this point.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1:  I went into this issue with a certain amount of trepidation, because I've been down this road many times with the Guardians.  We get a great first few issues filled with Peter at his charming best, but the series grows stale quickly.  I wouldn't mind if the Guardians just bounced from job to job, leaning into Peter as a surrogate for Han Solo.  But, the previous series have been way too focused on the weirder aspects of the Guardians' personal lives, from Peter's Spartax heritage to Drax and Garmora's tragic backstories.

The good news is this series legitimately seems different.  For one part, Cates gives them a raison d'être immediately.  On Titan, Starfox has gathered together the galaxy's greatest heroes -- or, at least, the ones with a slightly skewed moral compass -- for a reading of Thanos' last will and testament.  Thanos reveals that he's transferred his consciousness into someone else's body, and Starfox wants the heroes to take out the most likely candidates, starting with Gamora.  But, the meeting is disrupted when the Black Order attacks.  They steal Thanos' headless body and detonate a bomb that rips a hole in the fabric of space-time.  Beta Ray Bill is able to hurl his hammer through the hole just as all the heroes are sucked into it.

Meanwhile, Peter is a drunk at this point, wandering the galaxy with only Groot as a companion.  He brings them to Knowhere to keep his bender going, but they're surprised to discover Knowhere is gone.  (We know from the attack on the heroes that the Black Order is using it as a base of operations.)  After a chat with some Nova Corps guardians, he's preparing to depart when Bill's hammer finds him.  Bill has managed to attach a rope to it, dragging Cosmic Ghost Rider, Moondragon, and Phyla-Vell with him from the other side.  Before the Nova Corps can take them into custody for questioning, Peter makes them part of his crew, forcing the Corps to get a warrant if they want to interview them.  

It's a clever moment, made all the more fun because this entire sequence reads like a police procedural.  This approach gives the series the sort of underpinning it's long been missing, but the "Star Wars" comics have.  Part of the importance of making it clear the galaxy actually does have a certain structure is so that you can appreciate when the Guardians rebel against it, as Peter does here.  It also gets us a new cast with a mission.  Even if we're going to find Drax, Gamora, and Rocket at some point, it's a fresh start that I think this team really needs.

Lando #1-#5:  I didn't catch this mini-series when it was first published, but I'm glad I found it now.  Of all the prequel "Star Wars" mini-series, this one is the most interesting, because it shows Lando in a very different place.  For example, Leia is Leia in her prequel mini-series:  she's noble to a fault.  Han, in both his prequel mini-series and "Solo:  A Star Wars Adventure," is explicitly portrayed as the good guy we've always known him to be, even if he didn't.  But, Lando really is a scoundrel here.  Here's a little more mature than the guy we saw in "Solo:  A Star Wars Adventure," but he's definitely more callous than the guy we eventually come to know in "Empire Strikes Back."  People die frequently in Lando's schemes, and he seems disinclined to care.  Here, when an old friend turns out being the bounty hunter the Emperor has sent after him (because Lando has inadvertently stolen his pleasure craft), Lando doesn't even consider the danger into which she's putting herself by helping him.  When all three of his accomplices are killed (one at his hand), he barely blinks.  But, it's when Lobot sacrifices himself (or, at least, his personality) to save Lando that Lando faces a crossroads, at last.  Lobot beseeches him to lead, noting Lando's "luck" comes from the people who naturally flock to him.  It recalls "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" perfectly and, most importantly, shows an evolution that feels natural.  It's a great read; I highly recommend it.

Star Wars #60:  This issue didn't go where I expected it to go.  I thought we were going to see Luke take out Kreel, but instead Tula sends him running to a graveyard...to meet her father.  It turns out Markona had been testing them the entire time.  He saw the Death Star as the Empire's test, and Han, Leia, and Luke's behavior as his guests was the Rebellion's test.  (Apparently, Luke didn't fail Markona's test when he activated the transmitter; he passed it, because it proved he was willing to do what he had to do to advance the cause.)  It's also clear Markona feels guilty for whatever job he did for the Empire that earned him the moon; if I had to guess, it seems like the data he swiped helped build the Death Star.  At any rate, Markona sacrifices himself to delay Scar Squadron while Tula leads the rest of the clan, Sana, and the gang to escape.

Uncanny X-Men Annual #1:  This issue is pretty solid, to be honest.  Brisson does a surprisingly good job of showing how young Cable resurrected Cyclops.  It involves the untold story of Cyclops saving a MIT student from a mad scientist, an obscure "Secret Avengers" issue, and a now-canon scene from "Phoenix Resurrection" #5.  But, you know, it actually works, mostly.  Most importantly, young Cable tests this new Cyclops, forcing him to choose between saving the now-grown MIT student from the now-free mad scientists and helping the X-Men in their confrontation with Nate Grey.  Brisson uses this decision to show how Scott recognizes his actions as a villain were wrong; Scott explains to Nate that he was so distraught over the plight of mutantkind that he couldn't stop himself from using the same tactics their enemies did.  I'm glad to see Marvel putting Scott on the right path.  (He saves the MIT student.)  I mean, don't get me wrong, I was impressed with how carefully they moved him to the villain role over years and years of storytelling.  That storyline was a credit to the fans, where we didn't just have Scott wake up one day as a bad guy.  He made his decisions based on his experiences and embraced the consequences.  But, it's also OK for him to acknowledge that he went too far.  Mostly, I'm just excited it means we're going to have a '90s era feel to the line sometime soon, with the gang all together again.

The Wild Storm #19:  Ellis more or less puts all his cards on the table here, using a variety of characters to explain the background of the Khera's war with the Daemons.  It isn't the most exciting issue as a result of all the exposition, but Ellis does his best to keep us engaged.

We begin with Jenny Sparks explaining her history to Angie, the Doctor, and the Mayor.  She was part of the Skywatch team that settled Mars in 1955.  The original group of settlers died of cancer within the first 18 months, revealing to Skywatch they had to place the colonies underground.  (Jenny notes they should've been underground anyway, given Skywatch's need for secrecy and civilians' ability to use telescopes to see the Martian surface.)  Jenny quits Skywatch where she returns because it was "full of maniacs," something that got worse when Bendix took the reins and believed he could basically terraform the solar system.  ("If Skywatch weren't above being seen, and could really go for it, you could walk around Mars in a breath mask and jacket in fifteen years.")  Jenny notes the treaties between IO and Skywatch kept everything in check, but Angie broke that truce when she used her hybrid IO-Skywatch suit to save Marlowe.  Angie informs the group Marlowe is also a "space alien with his own covert operations team," which eventually leads the Doctor to confront her council.

Before we get there, we get a new version of Midnighter (now African-American) and Apollo (now a brunette).  They're in bed together watching a video of a guy explaining how he saw lights in the sky 30 miles away and then a whole town disappeared.  Midnighter refuses to believe Skywatch is that brazen and supposes Apollo wants to investigate.  But, Apollo observes Midnighter was the one who insisted they didn't go after Skywatch until they were ready.  Of course Apollo then lists all the times Midnighter has gone after Skywatch because he can't "keep it in the holster."  Midnighter reminds Apollo they'd have to investigate at night, which isn't Apollo's strong suit, but Apollo dismisses his concern, saying he can just save up a good solar charge before they go.  (I'm sure we'll get a sexy shot of him sunbathing at some point.)  Midnighter jokingly asks Apollo why he loves him, and Apollo responds that he "blew up a secret experimental station in the middle of nowhere" so he could escape "an evil space empire" for him.

Meanwhile, the Doctor goes to the Hospital and demands to know more about the aliens Angie mentioned.  The Council reluctantly agrees.  They explain that the Khera have five types of species, "highly specialized sibling species in a single society."  Marlowe is Emp, a feudal lord from a species with a serious Napoleon complex.  The Khera travel the Universe looking for a client species to serve as their slaves to "forward escape," or transfer their entire species to a new Universe where maintaining life is easier.  ("This is a cold universe.  There is very little life in it.  It's very hard to stay alive.")  The Council isn't sure how exactly they plan to pull off the "escape," but they assume they need an entire planet of sentient beings, since presumably they would've just used robot slaves if that worked.  Marlowe was surprised when he learned the Daemons were already on Earth.  They also seek to help Earth move past the Gaian Bottleneck, but for more altruistic reasons, to get them to an autonomous culture.  The Khera are apparently unaware of the Daemons' Shaper Engine, the device they use to help a species evolve and survive, namely by creating defense mechanisms like Jenny Sparks.  In-fighting among the Khera as well as Daemon resistance eventually result in a disillusioned Emp scuttling the Khera's vessel and abandoning their mission.  His goal is now more in line with the Daemons', seeking to transform humanity into a companion, not client, species worthy of sharing the Universe with the Khera.  However, the Council warns the Doctor that Marlowe isn't as smart as he thinks, and he probably should've just modified the mission not abandon it.  The Council tells the Doctor she's going to have to serve as a combat medic.

In other words, Ellis connects a lot of dots here, but we still have a lot of questions.  Given the change to his mandate, Emp/Marlowe now more or less agrees with the Daemons, though it's unclear to me if he realizes (or embraces) that.  Moreover, I'm not sure what IO or Skywatch really knows about Marlowe.  IO sent Michael Cray to kill him in the first issue, but we don't know why.  Moreover, how does war between IO and Skywatch complicated Marlowe's and the Daemons' plans for Earth?  Ellis has a lot of ground to cover in the last four issues.

Also Read:  Avengers #13; Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #2; Star Wars:  Beckett #1; Star Wars:  Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #1-#3

Not-Very-New Comics: The October 31 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman Secret Files #1:  I don't exactly understand why we got this one-shot, but I can't say I'm disappointed, because it's really quite good.  Every story here is a solid one that goes somewhere unexpected.  Given how many comics I've read in my day, even one story going somewhere I didn't expect is saying a lot.  In fact, each story left me wanting more, because each author leaves Bruce stumped at the end.  He's unsure if he needs superpowers, he can't cure one of the Scarecrow's victims of his fear, he doesn't know how to prevent Wayne Enterprises' technology from falling into the wrong hands, he panics when he's on his own:  the Batman we see across these stories is one not entirely sure how to engage with the world around him.  I particularly wanted more time with Yeselle and Detective Chimp as they both force Bruce to confront his flaws in a way he normally doesn't.  All in all, it's a really solid outing.

Extermination #4:  Brisson really cranks up the pressure here.  We learn Ahab is in his past (our present) because he wants to kill one of the younger X-Men so s/he can’t safely return to his/her past, thus destroying their timeline.  We also learn young Nate killed Cable because his older self's sentimentality meant he allowed the kids to stay in the present, when he should’ve been doing everything he could to send them back to the past.  Young Nate (it's like he's a rapper) has taken on that burden himself, undoing the changes to the X-Men — like Angel’s cosmic wings — so they can return as Hank originally found them.  (Yes, it's super Nateus ex machina, but I actually didn't mind too much.)  But, Ahab surprisingly succeeds here, killing young Scott and making me legitimately wonder where we go from here.  The fact the timeline still exists implies Scott somehow survives and returns, but I’m intrigued how Brisson pulls that rabbit from his hat.  After all, Scott takes a spear to the chest here.  It's hard to write around that.

Marvel 2-in-One #11:  My problem with the Fantastic Four has always been that Reed is an arrogant asshole and I can't understand why anyone would love and trust him.  Although I don't think he intended to do so, Zdarsky proves that in this issue.  Reed brings Ben with him to retrieve the Thinker from the planet where they left him, and Ben confronts Reed about letting him and Johnny think they were dead.  At first, Reed claims he did so because he thought Ben and Johnny would be bored of all the science-ing, because he's apparently such a fucking idiot that he thought traversing the Universe as explorers wouldn't put him and his family in danger.  Ben doesn't buy it, particularly given the fact Reed could've just told them they were go exploring and wanted to do so on their own.  Dodging the issue, Reed then introduces Ben to an alternate Universe Doom who Reed befriended in their travels.  In this Universe, Reed is dead, and Doom is a mostly good guy.  Reed now says he let Ben and Johnny think he was dead because he thought that it would somehow enable them to save our Doom.  But, Reed is forced to admit even this "good" Doom is "Doom-y."  Ben chastises him for his belief he could fix everything and encourages him to trust his friends and family.  But, the whispered conversation Reed has with Doom at the end makes it clear he's not listening.  I'm pretty happy with my decision to stay with this title and the main title just through the wedding, but I'm also glad Zdarsky isn't letting Reed off the hook here.

Multiple Man #5:  This issue makes a certain amount of sense if you don’t think about it too hard.  Like, I’m pretty sure Rosenberg established one of the dupes sent into the future never returned, as we see at the end of this issue, but maybe he didn't.  It also makes a certain amount of sense that “our” Jamie becomes Emperor Jamie, that they're not two separate people.  But, it also doesn’t matter.  At some point, you just have to meet Rosenberg on his own terms and accept he’s telling a crazy Madrox story.  As other people have said, it wasn’t the Madrox story I wanted, but it’s the one we deserved.

The Realm #10:  Haun and Peck do a spectacular job evoking the ambiance of a good ol' fashioned dungeon crawl.  In the tension-driven plot, the goblins' master is surprised Will is able to hold even the fraction of the mysterious creature's power that he possesses.  He brings forth an amulet that severs Will's link to said creature and plans to dissect Will to learn more.  But, the issue's best parts are with Molly and the crew slowly but surely making their way through the dungeon.  For example, the room they entered at the end of last issue wasn't the room where Will was being held; it was a wizard's laboratory.  The team takes advantage of the moment and swipes all sorts of books, magical items, and scrolls for David to use later.  In perhaps the best sequence, given its nod to something from the original "Monster Manual," they stumble across a skeleton suspended -- along with his coins and sword -- in green slime.  Eli announces he previously encountered green slime in a subway, telling the group they'll be fine so long as they keep moving, as the slime is "slow and persistent."  It's all just so evocative of the red-boxed "Dungeon & Dragons" set, but as if running into green slime were a legitimate threat you could experience in your day-to-day life.  Meanwhile, the Queen reminds Johnny Eldritch that their master sent her after Will and his team, informing him she knows about the team he dispatched.  He's not particularly inclined to care.  Back in the dungeon, Molly and the team arrive just in time to save Will from the master's knife.  As the goblins start to combine into a gestalt, Zach knocks the amulet from the master's hands.  Eli grabs it and, before the master can kill him, Will cuts him in half.  Good times.  The team departs the dungeon to find dragons in the sky, but not before David picks up the amulet...

Spider-Force #1:  This issue is OK, I guess.  Spider-Kid is pretty insufferable as a character, in no small part because Priest has to define the street slang he uses, because we're not hip to the lingo.  It’s always embarrassing when comics do that, like your great-grandfather saying “dope” or “sick.”  The idea that this team is the Spider-People’s version of X-Force is a great one, but Priest makes it unnecessarily confusing by starting in media res.  We start on the planet where the Web-Warriors initially trapped the Inheritors, with Kaine announcing everyone on Spider-Force is going to die of exposure after their radiation suits are opened.  I mean, we all know they're not going to die.  I think it would’ve been much cooler to see Kaine and Ashley talk about starting Spider-Force and deciding on recruiting Spider-Kid and Spider-Women.  At any rate, we’ll see where we go from here.  Hopefully Priest just sticks to the story at hand and stops trying to cram every possible comic-book trope into this series.

The Wild Storm #18:  The team is apparently going on hiatus for a few months to prepare for the last six issues.  I said last issue that I wasn't sure how Ellis was going to manage to address all the possible loose ends before issue #24.  But, after this issue, I think I'm a believer, as he successfully sends everyone after Miles at the same time. 

• Jackie puts two and two together and tells Miles that Cole and Adriana aren’t working for Skywatch:  they’re involved in a rogue C.A.T. (or a Wild C.A.T., if you will).  However, Miles still seems to lump them into the same category as Skywatch as he lists his woes over the last few weeks.  (He alludes to "visiting punishment" on Skywatch's Ground Division as costing him two C.A.T.s.  But, I initially read that as him talking about the C.A.T. or C.A.T.s he lost when they tried to grab Angie from the safehouse.  The Wild C.A.T.s were responsible for that, not Bendix.)  At any rate, Jackie is sick of it, and she tells Miles it’s time to go to war with Skywatch because they killed one of their own (Mitch).  She recalls the speech Miles gave when he took over IO, saying they were the secret angels working to save humanity -- but, sometimes angels destroyed cities and didn’t just save them.

• In space, Bendix talks to Dr. Helspont, one of the original Thunderbook researchers.  Helspont explains the slave triggers in the Wetworks members were developed in three phases. The original triggers create uncontrollable violence in the subjects, and the second generation only points the subjects in a direction.  Apparently only Helspont's triggers work in actually controlling the subjects.  Slayton seems to fall in the second category of triggers whereas, disturbingly, Apollo and Midnighter might be from the last phase.

• Speak of the devil, Slayton tracks down Lynch, but Lynch convinces him — or, more specifically, his alien — to go after Miles since he’s the bad guy.  (Maybe it's just his second-generation trigger pointing him in a direction.)  As Lynch explains, the only people who can stop Slayton are IO, and his advantage is IO doesn’t know about Thunderbook.  Meanwhile, Michael Cray is heading to New York to kill Miles, or at least we assume he is.  Also, he may really have burnt down his father’s house after he tells a woman on the train his father would’ve sold information about his destination to “corporate headhunters” ten minutes after he left.  At Skywatch, Bendix also declares he’s going to destroy IO, so it looks like Miles is going to have a bad week.

• Angie defects to the Doctor’s team, where she meets a cleaned-up Mayor who explains Skywatch experimented on him.  (I think, but am not sure, Helspont likely did it after moving to Skywatch from IO/Thunderbook.  Earlier, we learned he made the move after Lynch shutdown Thunderbook.)  Angie says she came to them because the Khera spoke highly of them as “the authority.”  (Heh.)  Meanwhile, Marlowe and the C.A.T.s discover she’s gone but deploy to swipe a cosmic particle IO has caught.

• We have a super weird interlude between two disguised Khera sitting at a bar in Los Angeles who explain Zealot broke with Marlowe after Emp said he didn’t want to turn Earth into a slave camp anymore. (Zealot is at said bar, but doesn’t recognize them.)  Does that mean Marlowe still does?

In other words, Ellis really continues a masterful level of storytelling.  Miles comments about Skywatch vice the Wild C.A.T.s are the only ones that left me vaguely confused, despite Ellis alluding to storylines he started 18 months ago in issue #1.  If going on hiatus means the last six issues will be even more awesome, I'm all for it!

Also Read:  Avengers Halloween Special #1; Old Man Hawkeye #10; Vault of Spiders #1; West Coast Avengers #3; X-Men:  Black - Emma Frost #1

Not-Very-New Comics: The September 19 DC Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Nightwing #49 and Batman #55:  These issues are odd because they're in theory connected, but they aren't at all.

In "Nightwing" #49, Percy begins to bring his story to a close by curiously deciding to make it more complicated.  The Silencer is apparently at the race to save Dick (not kill him) because he's become the target of all the Leviathan underbosses; Leviathan is essentially playing a meta-game at the race, with Dick as the trophy.  If the Silencer can kill the underbosses, she's freed from her life as an assassin.  I don't read "The Silencer," so her plight means nothing to me.  But, even if I did feel for her, I'm pretty sure her insertion into this story would still feel awkward.  We already had enough happening in this title; we didn't need to import drama from another title.  After all, we still don't really know anything about Wyrm's plan, despite his dominating presence over the last six issues.  In spite of constantly falling behind the other racers (given the need to evade the team of assassins after him), Nightwing somehow wins the race, because "time works differently" here, blah blah blah.  At any rate, Nightwing manages to ask exactly the right question allowing Cimialcinnus to reward him with more time.  Cimialcinnus pretends to be hacked so Dick has time to find a way to save Vicki and William.  OK, fine.  Percy wanted to tell a space-race story, and he did.  It wasn't awful, but I figured we'd return to the Wyrm story to bring it to a close.  But, I was wrong

Instead of Dick immediately trying to save Vicki and Willem, he goes to Gotham in "Batman" #55 again to spend time with a sulking Bruce.  He's his jokey self as they take down yet another forgettable villain, this time called the Phantom Pharaoh.  He does manage to goad Bruce into a diving contest, where they jump off a building and the first one to use a grapple loses.  Just like last issue, Bruce isn't totally biting, but King does a good job of implying he appreciates Dick's presence, annoying though it may be.  But, it's here where the B story collides with the A story.  Throughout the B story, a one-armed man makes his way through Gotham:  he arrives from overseas, buys a sniper rifle (and pays to expedite the background checks), scribbles on a napkin in a diner, and kills someone to use his apartment as a nest.  It's surprisingly the napkin action that ruins the diving game, as Bruce responds to the Bat-signal.  On the GCPD rooftop, Gordon tells them "the Napkin Man" (as Dick calls him) wrote, "Who's afraid of the Joker?" on the napkin, with an oversized question mark.  Bruce mentions it's around the anniversary of the War of Jokes and Riddles, and Dick starts to make a joke.  But, then, he's unexpectedly shot in the head.  I admit I was surprised by it.  But, the more I sat with it, the more I rolled my eyes, since it was clear Dick isn't dead.

I then did something I don't normally do and skimmed "Nightwing" #50 and "Batman" #56.  Other than Dick looking finer than he ever has, it appears the point is Dick is going to lose his memory.  I'm totally on board with this story.  But, it's hard not to feel blindsided by it, as Dick is involved in at least three different stories -- the fight against Wyrm, the race with Cimialcinnus, and patrolling with Bruce -- over the course of these two issues.  On some level, that only supports the impact of the amnesia story:  tragedy doesn't strike when your arcs are conveniently summarized.  But, we're not talking about real life here; we're talking about a comic book.  If Percy merely drops the Wyrm story for this turn of events -- seemingly by editorial fiat -- I can't say I'm going to be a happy camper, at a time when I'm already still pissed at DC for "Batman" #50.

The Wild Storm #17:  Whoa.  Just, whoa.  The thing that amazes me so much about this creative team is Davis-Hunt can deliver five pages of nearly wordless art, where we once again see the amazing extent of the Thunderbook subjects' powers, but Ellis can still advance the increasingly complicated narrative in a way that makes sense.  It’s still a joy to read after all this time, and I get excited each time I open an issue.

- Lynch tracks down Stephen Rainmaker, a Native American whose alien apparently gives him the power to control the weather.  We learn Rainmaker is the last person on John's list.  He apparently feared Rainmaker the most, because he was always the angriest and “killed a lot of people.”  (Given how many people the Thunderbook subjects killed, that’s...impressive.)  John updates Rainmaker on everyone else's status and observes he no longer seems to be the most uptight.  Rainmaker says he’s made peace with the alien by learning how to control his anger, breaking the feedback loop.  (Ellis hints Rainmaker might not be aware that his "peace" might not exactly be true.)  John asks if Rainmaker had any children, and he admits he did, after a suspiciously easy set of circumstances.  (He had a one-night stand with the hottest woman he ever met, and a limo appeared two years later dropping off the kid.)  John informs him everyone but Slayton had a child, and he wants to find them.  (Gen13, here we come.)  Rainmaker says Lynch can bring them to the reservation, because they’d be safe among people who understand what it feels like to be an alien.

- In a conversation between Jacob and Kenesha, we learned Lucy was known as Zannah, but, according to Jacob, she betrayed Halo.  However, Kenesha notes she didn’t “betray” Halo so much as she didn’t agree with its goals.  Jacob doesn’t see the difference.  They then discuss their concerns over Angie getting too good at what she does, something Angie sees by spying on them through Jacob's Halo Angel voice-assistant device.  (Amazing.)  Kenesha then shows Jacob an article in the “Daily Planet” (also amazing) detailing how the singer Voodoo went to rehab and someone sold her files to a tabloid.  In therapy, she drew out the monster who inspires her songs, and it's a Daemon.  John is stunned to discover "they're still out there."  Kenesha observes Michael Cray set off Jacob's "xenobiological alarms," which means he could also be a disguised Daemon.  John dismisses that fear as paranoia, but Kenesha reminds him they're threatened.

- Meanwhile, a Daemon appears to Angie as she's watching this scene.  The Daemon claims they've never meant any harm, but Marlowe and his crew have always misunderstood that, leading to a constant state of war.  He claims 2,500 years ago a human named them "Daemon" and all they seek is "balance."  Jacob, or Emp, and the other Khera are invaders who seek to "deform the growth of this world."  Angie's act of selflessness tipped the Earth further off balance, so the Daemons must "speak."  When they do, he suggests Angie seek out "Sparks" since she has the authority to restore the balance.  He then disappears.

- Elsewhere, Slayton appears at a house on his hunt, but a shadowy Apollo and Midnighter scare him into leaving.

I recently read that the follow-on series to "The Wild Storm" are "Wild C.A.T.s" and "Zealot," and I have to say I'm pretty excited about getting to that point.  I have no idea where Ennis is taking us in the meantime, but I know I can't wait!