Amazing Spider-Man #28: I 100% laughed out loud when Randy called Janice a psychopath and she looked into space considering it: "Huh? No, there's a clear profit motive here. I could never get that plea--." The rest of this issue is a bit slow, with Spencer now starting to belabor the mystery of what information Boomerang has that the Kingpin wants. But, so long as Spencer includes moments like the one described here, I'm happy to hang in there.
Batman: Curse of the White Knight #2: This issue was a miss for me as Murphy leans too much on an overly convenient event to propel forward the series' narrative.
It isn't that the issue didn't have plenty of believable developments. Ruth reveals to Bruce that she knows that he's Batman and that she created the Batman Destruction Fund for Gotham's elites. She warns/threatens him that he'll destroy Gotham and everyone he loves if he reveals his identity to the public. After that conversation, however, she realizes that the Joker is right that he doesn't seem to care. As such, she throws in her lot with Azrael and company, telling him that he needs to become their Batman. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon announces that he's running for mayor to take down the elites, but the Joker crashes the party, publicly revealing that Barbara is Batgirl. Gordon not only pushes Bruce to reveal himself, but blames the Joker and the elites exposing Barbara's secret on Bruce's failure to do so, saying that he ruined his little girl's life. All that make sense to me.
I'm also fine with the mythology here. We learn that the Order of St. Dumas rescued Edmund Wayne in London where he was a thief. It's unclear how he survived the plague that apparently wiped out the rest of the Waynes, but I assume that Murphy will get there. The Order chose Edmund as its agent because they needed someone with a legitimate claim to win back Gotham Valley from crazy Laffy Arkham, though we're still not told how the Waynes have a claim in the New World in the first place. Again, though, I assume that we'll get there so I'm fine with this part.
But, I am not on board with how easily Azrael and company hack into the Batcave. Murphy really made his name with the first series by grounding his stories in some semblance of how they would happen in the real world, and this part is just totally unbelievable to me. I think that it's the Mad Hatter helping Azrael to hack into the Cave, but really? Are they paying him? And, if he could hack into the Batcave so easily, why didn't he do it himself? Why give someone else all the glory? Moreover, Azrael and company aren't only able to destroy the Batcave remotely but they also waltz into Wayne Manor and plant enough explosives to destroy it. It's a pretty overly convenient reach in my book. The problem is that this development is clearly going to be the fulcrum on which this series balances, so it's going to get harder and harder to believe the subsequent events if we don't believe this one. I guess we'll see where we go from here.
Captain America #13: Coates follows in Spencer's footsteps here as the Daughters of Liberty decide to have Steve seek redemption from the people by taking on the Watchdogs and their harassment of illegal immigrants crossing the border. Steve is initially uncomfortable with the idea of helping people break the law, even after White Tiger notes that he's wanted for murder. But, he becomes more comfortable with the idea when he realizes that the Watchdogs aren't doing anything legal by rounding up the immigrants; he's essentially meeting them in the same gray zone. He also leans into the fact that he certainly embraces the immigrants' ethos a lot more than he does the Watchdogs'. Coates really excels in giving us this insight into Steve's thinking, particularly because most heroes act from places of total confidence in their actions. It's fascinating to watch Steve work out his feelings on the issue in real time. I know some people are going to take issue with Coates trodding the same controversial ground that Spencer did, but I don't see how you avoid it. As we see here, Cap himself is grappling with how radically different America is from the one that he thought he knew, and I think Coates does a great job of showing how uncomfortable he is with this new America. He's forced to chose a side if he's going to find redemption, but it doesn't mean that he's happy about it or that it's easy to identify just one side. Meanwhile, the Dryad lures Nick Fury and his team to her base to present her case to them. Coates is holding his cards close to his chest on this front so we'll see how Fury reacts.
House of X #3: I have a relatively minor quibble with this issue. Hickman reminds us that Moira learned in her seventh life that she couldn't stop the rise of the Sentinels because humanity was bound to discover artificial intelligence. But, Hickman asserts that Moira believes that she can prevent the creation of Nimrod because his creators created him with a specific intent and in a specific set of circumstances. But, that intent and those circumstances are pretty universal, aren't they? Humanity was bound to improve upon Sentinels to create Master Molds and then Mother Molds and then Nimrod, no? I don't understand how the Sentinels are any different than Nimrod. I guess that Hickman is arguing that Nimrod is a very specific subset of the Sentinels, but it seems a reach to me to argue that no one other than the Orchis Protocols would create him, just like Moira discovered someone other than the Trasks would eventually create the Sentinels.
At any rate, the rest of this issue is great. At the Forge, I realized that I was wrong that the head at the center of the station was a Celestial: it's a Mother Mold. Dr. Gregor explains to Omega that Mother Mold isn't operational yet because they haven't confirmed that she's past the "Heller-Faust line," which, based on Omega's comment, seems to be the point at which they can be sure that she isn't a sociopath. (Ha!) It's a relevant point, because Omega had just pointed out a space station full on Master Molds will likely at some point identify humanity as a threat, since mutants come from humans. Dr. Gregor informs Omega that they have release collars attached to the Mother Mold just in case she does go sociopath; once activated, they'd drop her into the sun. The data file that Apocalypse and company swiped in the X2 timeline in "Powers of X" #3 apparently has the schematics to the Forge, explaining how Charles and Magneto knew about the Orchis Protocol in "Powers of X" #2. (I observed in "House of X" #1 that Xavier seemed unaware of the Orchis Protocols, but Hickman confirms last issue that he and Magneto knew via Moira.)
Using their Shi'ar spaceship, the X-Men head straight for the corridor on the Forge that gives them access to all four release collars. The Forge's security team expected them to land in the hangar (since ships generally land in hangars), and Erasmus is impressed when it turns out they can cut their own entrance into the station. He then sacrifices himself to explode the entry point, detonating the X-Men's ship as well. It's definitely a moment. One of my main complaints about Hickman previously was how robotic his characters are, but it isn't the case here. Erasmus' last words to Dr. Gregor are that he wasn't ever joking when he frequently said that he wished that they had children and that he wishes her luck in saving their species. Dr. Gregor is devastated as she realize what he's going to do, and you can see how she'll be even more motivated now to take out the X-Men!
This issue is the first one where all the various strands come together, so it's clear that the parts of this enterprise that will functionally reboot the X-Men are imminent. I honestly can't wait.
Thor #16: Toothgnasher! Honestly, Aaron had to do one thing for me here, and it was bring back Toothgnasher, so I'm a very happy camper. As Aaron himself says in the letter at the end of the issue, it's not really good-bye until "King Thor" #4, so I'll save my sappiness for them, since he says that he will, too. But, this issue is a wonderful coda to what he's done with present-day Thor. Thor decides not to attend his coronation ceremony, performing good works throughout the Ten Realms instead. (My heart was particularly warmed by his appearance in Svartalfheim, bringing the coronation buffet -- much to Volstagg's fury -- to the starving dark elves praying for help in a post-Malekith reality.) Odin is initially furious at Thor's absence, but Freyja understands: Thor wants to earn his position as king not have Odin hand it to him. Odin laments that he doesn't get to deliver the beautiful speech that he planned, where he thanks Thor for saving all of them, himself included. It truly is a beautiful speech. He also planned to thank Thor for his greatest feat of all, reuniting Odin with Freyja. I found tears in my eyes as Freyja told Odin that it wasn't Thor who reunited them (meaning that Odin and his change of heart did). Freyja and Odin happily depart Asgard as Jane, now Valkyrie, raises a glass for all Asgardians in Thor's honor, saying a storm doesn't wait for a coronation before it decides to go become a storm. Long may he thunder, indeed. Perhaps the most touching moment among an issue full of them comes after that, as King Thor and young Thor depart the celebrations to return to their timelines. King Thor encourages young Thor to take his time and not drink away all the bad because he might learn something. As they depart, he guesses that young Thor will head straight for Mjolnir to see if he's worthy. He does...and then decides that he has time to have life before he grows old. Enjoy, young Thor. Enjoy!
Also Read: Detective Comics #1,010
Showing posts with label Thor (2018). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thor (2018). Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Not-Even-Remotely-New Comics: The July 10 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Amazing Spider-Man #25: This issue is quite good, mostly because Spencer seems to have a better read on Mary Jane than he does any other character appearing in this series. It isn't that the scenes with Spider-Man trying to save Curt Connors from himself were bad; it's just that we've been down that road so many times. But, Mary Jane confronting her past and deciding to get back to acting was new. Spencer has Mary Jane allude to how ridiculous her career trajectory has been over the last few years. Her decision to return to acting feels organic, even if Peter's decision to return to graduate school felt obligatory. As far as I can tell, Spencer has essentially put us somewhere around "Amazing Spider-Man" #360. If I recall correctly, the "mystery" of Peter's parents starts the following issue, and it's the revelation that his parents were just clones that pushes him over the edge, leading to his estrangement from Mary Jane. To me, it was the heyday of Spider-Man, full of six-part storylines like "Round Robin: The Sidekick's Revenge" or "The Return of the Sinister Six." As excited as I am for us to be back to this era, I'll also admit that it's weird that we're functionally just ignoring 30 years of continuity. Spencer is at least trying to make it feel like an organic progression; in that way, he's showing Joe Quesada how unnecessary the deal with Mephisto was. But, you have to wonder how far Spencer is going to go. Beyond alluding to Mary Jane's time as CEO of Stark Industries, are we going to get to the point where we really just ignore the last 30 years? With Peter starting graduate school again, are we eventually not even going to mention the plagiarism, Parker Industries, or even Horizon Labs? Is it just going to be 1992 all over again? As much as I'm not necessarily opposed to it, it seems a little extreme.
Avengers #21: This issue is fun, but not as fun as Aaron thinks it is. As much as I love Aaron, this series has been so schizophrenic that I think it's time that I focus my energies elsewhere.
Batman #74: The problem with intensely disliking a run is that it starts to get hard not to dislike it. You go into each issue ready to be mad, and it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I've long felt like I'm punishing myself reading this series. In fact, I've often wondered if King is mocking us with his repeated use of tropes, like Bill Watterson's discarded plan to make Calvin wordlessly get bigger and bigger for several weeks until readers finally had enough.
But, this arc had given me some hope. Although it makes no sense on the face of it, removing Bruce and Thomas from Gotham also removed us from some of the zanier aspects of the story that King has been telling. If you could get past the ridiculousness of them dragging Martha Wayne's body through the desert, it was a pretty standard Lazarus Pit story. But, that was a good thing, in my book. It meant that we could strip away all the aforementioned tropes -- the literary allusions that never seemed to match the actual story, the wordless panels that left you confused instead of intrigued, the surprise reveals that had no basis in the actual story that King was telling -- and just focus on Bruce and Thomas. I mean, that's a story. Bruce gets to spend time with his father. It's almost literally a story 80 years in the making.
I took a short-story class once where the instructor encouraged us to "kill our pretties," meaning the sentences that we thought were beautifully constructed but that didn't really fit the story. King just can't do that here. Bruce and Thomas complete their journey to the pit, where Bruce reveals that he buried his mother's body in the desert so Thomas couldn't exchange her life for the life of the al Ghul minion that Thomas captured earlier in the issue. Unlike other issues, King at least seems to be going in an interesting direction here. After all, the more Thomas talks about resurrecting Martha, the crazier he seems. After so many issues where Bruce has been portrayed as the insane one, King flips the camera somewhat, revealing Bruce as biding his time as he waits for an increasingly unhinged Thomas to make a mistake. This story is one I'd like to see King develop.
But, as usual, King instead spends most of his time quoting literature, burning up valuable space that he could've actually spent on plot development. To make matters worse, he goes self-referential, as he's re-quoting the fairy tale that he invented for Bruce and the KGBeast. King could've spent the time revealing how Thomas made it into our world or even how Bruce and Martha were killed in his world. King even has Thomas hint her death wasn't "easy," but refuses to elaborate. Instead, he repeats the details of the fairy tale twice in this issue and throws them into the pit. Even when I try to give him the benefit of the doubt, I feel like a fool in the end.
Thor #15: Only Jason Aaron could imagine such an amazing torture for Malekith. I was surprised in Karnilla that she had become so evil as to force Malekith to watch his war dogs devour his innocent self -- the boy corpse gatherer -- each day. But, I needn't be surprised, because Aaron is nothing if not dedicated to characterization. Instead, she damns Malekith to watch a world where his innocent self frolics all day surrounded by the war dogs...who've reverted to puppies. It's just so perfect, Malekith forced to consider a world where he never found his raison d'être: war. Chilling.
Also Read: Detective Comics #1,007; Black Cat #2; Star Wars #68; War of the Realms Omega #1
Avengers #21: This issue is fun, but not as fun as Aaron thinks it is. As much as I love Aaron, this series has been so schizophrenic that I think it's time that I focus my energies elsewhere.
Batman #74: The problem with intensely disliking a run is that it starts to get hard not to dislike it. You go into each issue ready to be mad, and it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I've long felt like I'm punishing myself reading this series. In fact, I've often wondered if King is mocking us with his repeated use of tropes, like Bill Watterson's discarded plan to make Calvin wordlessly get bigger and bigger for several weeks until readers finally had enough.
But, this arc had given me some hope. Although it makes no sense on the face of it, removing Bruce and Thomas from Gotham also removed us from some of the zanier aspects of the story that King has been telling. If you could get past the ridiculousness of them dragging Martha Wayne's body through the desert, it was a pretty standard Lazarus Pit story. But, that was a good thing, in my book. It meant that we could strip away all the aforementioned tropes -- the literary allusions that never seemed to match the actual story, the wordless panels that left you confused instead of intrigued, the surprise reveals that had no basis in the actual story that King was telling -- and just focus on Bruce and Thomas. I mean, that's a story. Bruce gets to spend time with his father. It's almost literally a story 80 years in the making.
I took a short-story class once where the instructor encouraged us to "kill our pretties," meaning the sentences that we thought were beautifully constructed but that didn't really fit the story. King just can't do that here. Bruce and Thomas complete their journey to the pit, where Bruce reveals that he buried his mother's body in the desert so Thomas couldn't exchange her life for the life of the al Ghul minion that Thomas captured earlier in the issue. Unlike other issues, King at least seems to be going in an interesting direction here. After all, the more Thomas talks about resurrecting Martha, the crazier he seems. After so many issues where Bruce has been portrayed as the insane one, King flips the camera somewhat, revealing Bruce as biding his time as he waits for an increasingly unhinged Thomas to make a mistake. This story is one I'd like to see King develop.
But, as usual, King instead spends most of his time quoting literature, burning up valuable space that he could've actually spent on plot development. To make matters worse, he goes self-referential, as he's re-quoting the fairy tale that he invented for Bruce and the KGBeast. King could've spent the time revealing how Thomas made it into our world or even how Bruce and Martha were killed in his world. King even has Thomas hint her death wasn't "easy," but refuses to elaborate. Instead, he repeats the details of the fairy tale twice in this issue and throws them into the pit. Even when I try to give him the benefit of the doubt, I feel like a fool in the end.
Thor #15: Only Jason Aaron could imagine such an amazing torture for Malekith. I was surprised in Karnilla that she had become so evil as to force Malekith to watch his war dogs devour his innocent self -- the boy corpse gatherer -- each day. But, I needn't be surprised, because Aaron is nothing if not dedicated to characterization. Instead, she damns Malekith to watch a world where his innocent self frolics all day surrounded by the war dogs...who've reverted to puppies. It's just so perfect, Malekith forced to consider a world where he never found his raison d'être: war. Chilling.
Also Read: Detective Comics #1,007; Black Cat #2; Star Wars #68; War of the Realms Omega #1
Monday, March 23, 2020
Not-Even-Remotely-New Comics: The April 17 "War of the Realms" Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I'm back. Yes, I'm aware that this event happened almost exactly a year ago. I also became a parent almost exactly a year ago, explaining why I'm a little...late in posting. But, I figured why not get back on the horse where it threw me, right?
(Marvel didn't publish these issues in the same order as the reading checklist in the back of "War of the Realms" #1 shows them. I'm presenting them here in the recommended order, even though they're not all strictly "April 17" issues.)
War of the Realms #2: I don't have much to say here because Aaron is an expert at delivering this sort of pitched battle; I don't think anyone else does it remotely as well. Only the opening issue of "Age of Ultron" comes close in my mind to using so many characters so effectively to convey the increasing sense of desperation and then doom that falls over the heroes as they struggle against Malekith's horde. Aaron's characterization is stellar, from small moments (like Wolverine's "Good catching up" quip to the Punisher after Frank simply states that he's "reloaded") to larger ones (like Jane's persistent need to find Malekith to hand him his head). No one acts against character just to advance the plot, as we often see in these events. When Dr. Strange inadvertently evacuates everyone to Avengers Mountain, you feel the heroes' overwhelming sense of confusion, as they want to return to battle but also realize that they can't win in a head-on conflict. (Also, how often does someone make a mistake in these events? That alone was a breath of fresh air.) Aaron then does a great job setting the stage for the four different quests the Avengers and their allies begin: rescuing Thor from Jotunheim, destroying the Black Bifrost in Svartalfheim, taking out Roxxon so T'Challa can essentially reboot the internet, and defending Earth. Aaron is pulling in every thread of his years-long run on the various Thor titles, and it's a wonderful tapestry to behold. By the time Malekith murders Valkyrie, you begin to believe the scroll, that the time of gods and Valhalla has ended. I am very excited about this event.
Thor #12: Aaron cleverly uses "A Christmas Carol" as inspiration here, forcing Loki to confront his various selves -- past, present, and future -- as he dissolves in Laufey's stomach. Loki is forced to confront his long (and persistent) history of evil, from allowing Eldred, his mentor in magic, to starve to death in the prison where Loki first met him to facing Kid Loki's accusation that maybe poisoning his mother wasn't the best way to prove that he wasn't evil. In the latter case, Loki insists that he was doing it to save her, but he has a much harder time justifying his evolution into Loki the Necrogod. Perhaps mostly notably, for fans of Loki's "Young Avengers" and "Loki: Agent of Asgard" arcs, I think Aaron finally acknowledges Loki's attempt to become the God of Stories here. I've been waiting a long time for that moment, and Aaron doesn't disappoint. In the past, Aaron has seemed to ignore Loki's evolution in those series, but here he more or less confirms that people continue to misunderstand Loki. But, importantly, Aaron also has Loki embrace the "truth" underlying that misunderstanding, his desire not to be a villain. To that end, he seems to accept his death in Laufey's stomach in order to prevent his evolution into the Necrogod. I don't think that it'll stick, to be honest. But, again, it's nice to see Aaron not using Loki as simply a useful tool of evil, instead forcing Loki to confront the fact that maybe all his scheming with Malekith didn't work out exactly the way that he hoped.
Avengers #18: This issue is...weird. We learn Agent Coulson has made some sort of deal with Mephisto not only to return to life but also to exert control over the Squadron Supreme. He controls them absolutely, convincing them that they've been guarding the United States for years. I'm not sure if Coulson's heel turn has been covered in a S.H.I.E.L.D. series, but I'll say that it's jarring to see him this way. Aaron does a good job tying the team's debut to the War of the Realms, as they help fend off a Frost Giant attack on Washington, DC. In that way, it's a solid tie-in issue, using the event to advance an ongoing plot line (even if it's one at which Aaron has only hinted previously). But, I have to admit that it feels like a little too much, a development that the already ambitious "War of the Realms" story could've managed not to include.
Also Read: War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery #1; War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1
(Marvel didn't publish these issues in the same order as the reading checklist in the back of "War of the Realms" #1 shows them. I'm presenting them here in the recommended order, even though they're not all strictly "April 17" issues.)
War of the Realms #2: I don't have much to say here because Aaron is an expert at delivering this sort of pitched battle; I don't think anyone else does it remotely as well. Only the opening issue of "Age of Ultron" comes close in my mind to using so many characters so effectively to convey the increasing sense of desperation and then doom that falls over the heroes as they struggle against Malekith's horde. Aaron's characterization is stellar, from small moments (like Wolverine's "Good catching up" quip to the Punisher after Frank simply states that he's "reloaded") to larger ones (like Jane's persistent need to find Malekith to hand him his head). No one acts against character just to advance the plot, as we often see in these events. When Dr. Strange inadvertently evacuates everyone to Avengers Mountain, you feel the heroes' overwhelming sense of confusion, as they want to return to battle but also realize that they can't win in a head-on conflict. (Also, how often does someone make a mistake in these events? That alone was a breath of fresh air.) Aaron then does a great job setting the stage for the four different quests the Avengers and their allies begin: rescuing Thor from Jotunheim, destroying the Black Bifrost in Svartalfheim, taking out Roxxon so T'Challa can essentially reboot the internet, and defending Earth. Aaron is pulling in every thread of his years-long run on the various Thor titles, and it's a wonderful tapestry to behold. By the time Malekith murders Valkyrie, you begin to believe the scroll, that the time of gods and Valhalla has ended. I am very excited about this event.
Thor #12: Aaron cleverly uses "A Christmas Carol" as inspiration here, forcing Loki to confront his various selves -- past, present, and future -- as he dissolves in Laufey's stomach. Loki is forced to confront his long (and persistent) history of evil, from allowing Eldred, his mentor in magic, to starve to death in the prison where Loki first met him to facing Kid Loki's accusation that maybe poisoning his mother wasn't the best way to prove that he wasn't evil. In the latter case, Loki insists that he was doing it to save her, but he has a much harder time justifying his evolution into Loki the Necrogod. Perhaps mostly notably, for fans of Loki's "Young Avengers" and "Loki: Agent of Asgard" arcs, I think Aaron finally acknowledges Loki's attempt to become the God of Stories here. I've been waiting a long time for that moment, and Aaron doesn't disappoint. In the past, Aaron has seemed to ignore Loki's evolution in those series, but here he more or less confirms that people continue to misunderstand Loki. But, importantly, Aaron also has Loki embrace the "truth" underlying that misunderstanding, his desire not to be a villain. To that end, he seems to accept his death in Laufey's stomach in order to prevent his evolution into the Necrogod. I don't think that it'll stick, to be honest. But, again, it's nice to see Aaron not using Loki as simply a useful tool of evil, instead forcing Loki to confront the fact that maybe all his scheming with Malekith didn't work out exactly the way that he hoped.
Avengers #18: This issue is...weird. We learn Agent Coulson has made some sort of deal with Mephisto not only to return to life but also to exert control over the Squadron Supreme. He controls them absolutely, convincing them that they've been guarding the United States for years. I'm not sure if Coulson's heel turn has been covered in a S.H.I.E.L.D. series, but I'll say that it's jarring to see him this way. Aaron does a good job tying the team's debut to the War of the Realms, as they help fend off a Frost Giant attack on Washington, DC. In that way, it's a solid tie-in issue, using the event to advance an ongoing plot line (even if it's one at which Aaron has only hinted previously). But, I have to admit that it feels like a little too much, a development that the already ambitious "War of the Realms" story could've managed not to include.
Also Read: War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery #1; War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The October 17 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Astonishing X-Men #16: I'll be honest: I got lost here and didn't try all too hard to find my way home. At some point Bastion apparently implanted some sort of code in Alex's brain. Alex agrees to give it to the Reavers so they can find his X-Men and, for them, Donald Pierce. But, it turns out they lied to him that they needed it to find the X-Men: they always had the ability to communicate with Pierce. But, with Alex's code, they can now control Sentinels somehow? It would all be easier to process this confusion if I also didn't have to look at Greg Land's porn poses all issue. I mean, if you're going to give me a porn pose, Greg, at least give me a porny Alex. Maybe then I could get over the meh-ness of this entire enterprise.
Batman #57: Every time Tom King manages to get himself in my good graces he does something to fall from them again. Bruce wordlessly fights KGBeast here in a battle we're supposed to feel is climatic but doesn't look any more serious than Bruce's average back-alley encounter in Gotham. But, it all goes downhill from there. King dubiously asserts that both Bruce and KGBeast insisted their fathers read the same fable to them as children, about a hare, squirrel, wolf, pig, and fox who travel to a church but fall into a pit along the way. King spends a lot of time on the fable, dedicating several pages to Daniel's recreation of the storybook. In the story, the fox tricks the pig and wolf into eating the hare and squirrel with him, then the pig into eating the wolf with him, and then the pig into eating himself. But, the fox is still left in the hole. To me, the fable seems to teach the value of teamwork, as the animals never even try to escape the hole. But, King seems to view it as justifying Bruce using his grappling hook to break KGBeast's neck and leaving him to die in Siberia, his vengeance sated. Really? No editor was like, "Um, that doesn't seem very Batman-y of him?" I think King wants us to see how Bruce and KGBeast are still stuck down the proverbial hole, but I'm not honestly sure. It's just a fucking mess. Percy did great stuff with the aftermath of Dick getting shot in issue #55, but King just totally drops the ball here.
Nightwing #51: Putting aside the jarring change in artists, this issue is decent. It's not great, but it's not terrible. Detective Sapienza finds the burnt-out remains of Nightwing's HQ and eventually decides to put on the uniform to tackle the huge spike in crime that came with Dick's disappearance over the last four months. "Ric" is still driving his taxi, and he encounters Alfred at his bar. This sequence reminds me of "General Hospital," where amnesiac Jason Morgan only trusted one former member of his family; Alfred doesn't rub Ric the wrong way, the way Babs does. They have a civil enough conversation before Ric starts his shift. When he's carjacked, he's stunned to find his reflexes leave the would-be thief battered and broken on the ground. As much as I like this new direction, I loathe Scott Lobdell and worry he's now going to ruin Dick Grayson just like he ruined Jason Todd. [Sigh.]
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #311: This issue is great. Zdarsky's absence is less noticeable because Ryan does a great job showing us how disruptive Morlun's sudden attack on Peter is: we're all disoriented. Peter's been web-slinging all night, so he's really off his game when Morlun attacks. It's a nice touch, because it's a reminder superheroes don't always get to pick when their most powerful nemesis attacks them. Morlun's attack happens essentially in real time: from the moment he attacks to the end of the issue is probably only ten minutes or so. Frigeri does a great job of showing the frantic nature of this fight: his fight scenes are propulsive. He trades off some detail for energy, and it suits this story perfectly. So far, so good, "Spider-geddon."
Thor #6: I haven't said a lot about the last few issues mostly because they've been pretty solid. Among many unexpected developments, the revelation that the glowing green worm driving Ego the Necroworld insane was Loki was awesome. I laughed when he stood revealed on the last page, impressed Aaron had pulled off something so obvious and yet at the same time unexpected. Based on the young girl's comments at the end of this issue, Loki now stands poised to destroy all existence, with Doom, Logan, and Thor all dead. But, Aaron is also telling a larger story, as generations of Earthlings live with a cracking and shaking world, adjusting to the battle between Doom and Thor at their core. If that's not a metaphor for our times, I don't know what is.
Also Read: Darth Vader #22; Dragon Age: Deception #1; Mr. and Mrs X #4; The New World #4; X-Men: Black - Mystique #1
Batman #57: Every time Tom King manages to get himself in my good graces he does something to fall from them again. Bruce wordlessly fights KGBeast here in a battle we're supposed to feel is climatic but doesn't look any more serious than Bruce's average back-alley encounter in Gotham. But, it all goes downhill from there. King dubiously asserts that both Bruce and KGBeast insisted their fathers read the same fable to them as children, about a hare, squirrel, wolf, pig, and fox who travel to a church but fall into a pit along the way. King spends a lot of time on the fable, dedicating several pages to Daniel's recreation of the storybook. In the story, the fox tricks the pig and wolf into eating the hare and squirrel with him, then the pig into eating the wolf with him, and then the pig into eating himself. But, the fox is still left in the hole. To me, the fable seems to teach the value of teamwork, as the animals never even try to escape the hole. But, King seems to view it as justifying Bruce using his grappling hook to break KGBeast's neck and leaving him to die in Siberia, his vengeance sated. Really? No editor was like, "Um, that doesn't seem very Batman-y of him?" I think King wants us to see how Bruce and KGBeast are still stuck down the proverbial hole, but I'm not honestly sure. It's just a fucking mess. Percy did great stuff with the aftermath of Dick getting shot in issue #55, but King just totally drops the ball here.
Nightwing #51: Putting aside the jarring change in artists, this issue is decent. It's not great, but it's not terrible. Detective Sapienza finds the burnt-out remains of Nightwing's HQ and eventually decides to put on the uniform to tackle the huge spike in crime that came with Dick's disappearance over the last four months. "Ric" is still driving his taxi, and he encounters Alfred at his bar. This sequence reminds me of "General Hospital," where amnesiac Jason Morgan only trusted one former member of his family; Alfred doesn't rub Ric the wrong way, the way Babs does. They have a civil enough conversation before Ric starts his shift. When he's carjacked, he's stunned to find his reflexes leave the would-be thief battered and broken on the ground. As much as I like this new direction, I loathe Scott Lobdell and worry he's now going to ruin Dick Grayson just like he ruined Jason Todd. [Sigh.]
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #311: This issue is great. Zdarsky's absence is less noticeable because Ryan does a great job showing us how disruptive Morlun's sudden attack on Peter is: we're all disoriented. Peter's been web-slinging all night, so he's really off his game when Morlun attacks. It's a nice touch, because it's a reminder superheroes don't always get to pick when their most powerful nemesis attacks them. Morlun's attack happens essentially in real time: from the moment he attacks to the end of the issue is probably only ten minutes or so. Frigeri does a great job of showing the frantic nature of this fight: his fight scenes are propulsive. He trades off some detail for energy, and it suits this story perfectly. So far, so good, "Spider-geddon."
Thor #6: I haven't said a lot about the last few issues mostly because they've been pretty solid. Among many unexpected developments, the revelation that the glowing green worm driving Ego the Necroworld insane was Loki was awesome. I laughed when he stood revealed on the last page, impressed Aaron had pulled off something so obvious and yet at the same time unexpected. Based on the young girl's comments at the end of this issue, Loki now stands poised to destroy all existence, with Doom, Logan, and Thor all dead. But, Aaron is also telling a larger story, as generations of Earthlings live with a cracking and shaking world, adjusting to the battle between Doom and Thor at their core. If that's not a metaphor for our times, I don't know what is.
Also Read: Darth Vader #22; Dragon Age: Deception #1; Mr. and Mrs X #4; The New World #4; X-Men: Black - Mystique #1
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The September 19 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers #8: This issue is very talky. I mean, I’m feeling better about where this series is going, but, man, people are chatty here. I'll start by saying I loved Aaron hearkening back to the good ol’ days where the Avengers seemingly spend most of their time arguing over the bylaws and chairmanship. T’Challa’s taking on the role of chairman admittedly makes the most sense, given the extensive network of agents he controls; the Wakandans retrofitting of the dead Celestial’s body into a livable headquarters underlines that point. That said, Aaron makes it clear it’s not going to be a smooth ride, given the tension between Carol and Tony as well as the romance between She-Hulk and Thor. Thankfully, we’re not going to dwell on that too much longer, because -- in a turn of events I’m totally digging -- the Avengers wading into a war with Namor. I was considering canceling this series, but I’m glad I hung in there. This issue feels like a return to form.
Edge of Spider-geddon #3: After “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2, you have to wonder if Jason Latour had any trepidation in creating Spider-Ben and Spider-Peter, as it’s hard to believe he could catch lightning in a bottle twice. I'll admit this issue doesn't exactly rise to those heights. But, it would be impossible to do so, as Spider-Gwen's first appearance was one of the highest highs I've experienced in my 35 years or so of reading comics. (I remember closing the issue and wondering what I had just read.) That said, it comes as close to that high as one could reasonably expect. We’ve seen a lot of Uncle Bens over the years, but this one is the most real: the dying Uncle Ben who gets a blood transfusion from his superpowered nephew and steals back years of love with Aunt May and adventures with young Peter. We only know they’re both gone when we meet Spider-Ben, but their loss is almost impossible to bear by the end of the issue. Latour beautifully mirrors Ben's melancholy with Peter's in those first days after his Uncle Ben's death. Just like “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2, I had to read this issue twice to get all the nuances and references, but it’s well worth the time to do so. It's one of the most innovative takes on Uncle Ben that we’ve ever seen, and I now find myself genuinely excited about “Spider-geddon.”
Return of Wolverine #1: I didn't read Soule's "Death of Wolverine" miniseries, so I have to wonder if I'm as confused as I am here because of that. That said, Logan is also confused, so maybe not. Logan awakens with no memory of who he is, only to discover himself in a lab surrounded by dead bodies. A scientist named Delacroix is (barely) still alive, and he tells Logan he has to stop someone named Persephone before she kills everyone in the world. Delacroix is an expert in cloning, and it sounds like Persephone wants to clone everyone into amnesiac versions of themselves, as she seems to have done with Logan. (Delacroix tells Logan he was a great man until Persephone stole that from him and that she wants to do the same thing to everyone in the world.) Delacroix begs Logan to kill him, but a Soteira grenade does that for him. (Persephone runs Soteira, as far as I can tell. I also cannot help but confuse it with Sodexo, the French food-services conglomerate. After killing all the scientists, I assume the assassins then swapped out the linens.) Logan stumbles from the destroyed lab onto the nearby compound just in time to see Soteira gunning down everyone working for them. Before they do, though, they take a teenager with them for reasons that aren't entirely clear. His mother somehow (and suspiciously) survives the massacre and begs Logan to help her find her son because he's a "hero." I can't tell if the story about Persephone and Soteira makes more sense if you've read "Death of Wolverine," but Soule does a decent job of making the outlines of the story clear, even if you haven't. For an event as anti-climactic as this one, as we've known for months Logan is alive, Soule is doing the best he can to keep us engaged.
Thor #5: In any other author’s hands, Logan as Phoenix at the end of the Universe would’ve been an eye-rolling gimmick, recalling the era in the 90s where he was everywhere as Marvel sought to capitalize on his popularity. In Aaron’s hands, though, it somehow really underscores the tragedy at the heart of Logan’s narrative. On some level, it makes sense that he, and he alone, is forced to facilitate the end of the Universe. When Thor expresses shock that Logan wouldn't be thrilled that he (Thor) resurrected Earth, Aaron portrays Logan as the weary adult who can’t quite believe Thor remains the naive adolescent, even after all the is time. Logan refers to Earth as the most dangerous world that ever existed, and it’s part of a wider narrative Aaron has been advancing in the “Avengers” about why Earth attracts the trouble that it does. We are a poison on the Universe, and Aaron underlines that point by revealing the Big Bad is none other than an all-powerful Doom. I can’t wait to see where we go from here.
X-Men: Gold #36: I only read this far into the series because I knew it was being canceled, so I figured I'd hang in there for a few issues. Guggenheim unsurprisingly ends the issue by dedicating the run to Claremont. At the very least, I acknowledge he captured the spirit of Claremont for most of this series. But, he never quite displayed Claremont's knack for characterization, his ability to cram so much conflict and humanity into every issue. This issue is a perfect example of that.
We start with Kitty half-heartedly calling Piotr and leaving him a voicemail message telling him -- somewhat unbelievably -- that her breaking off their engagement at the altar hurt her, too, you know. (He should be glad he didn't marry someone who still leaves voicemail messages.) Then, she and the X-Men race to help a 14-year-old whose powers just manifested. Here, Guggenheim goes to an interesting place: once Kitty walks the kid through getting control of his power, some guy shoots him in the head. Kitty screams he wasn't hurting anyone, but the guy argues to the contrary, highlighting the devastation around them. This part could've gotten interesting. But, Guggenheim doesn't stick the landing. The doctor at the hospital eventually refuses to put the kid under anesthesia in case his powers activate, opting instead to let him die. Another doctor intervenes and says she'll do the surgery, because she feels like Kitty fulfilled the promise she made at the start: she earned back people's trust. You see, she's the woman who yelled at Kitty about mutants being dangerous in issue #1. Shocker! The woman assures us she now sees mutants as people, not mutants.
All I have to say is: ugh. Among the many problems here, Guggenheim totally dismisses the fact the original doctor raised a legitimate concern. Kitty and the other doctor scream at him about discrimination, but I would argue the only real discrimination is that he doesn't put any effort into trying to resolve the situation. He seemed to have a number of options here that he refuses to take. Like, they're in New York: no one has a hospital room equipped to handle mutants under anesthesia? But, again, it's hard to argue he's wrong that the teenager poses a threat. Kitty dismisses his concern as "unlikely," making a judgment she's really not qualified to make. Why is she so sure the kid's powers won't activate? Did she call Beast between panels? It's easy to imagine Claremont using this set-up to go to a much more interesting place. In other words, this story is no "God Loves, Man Kills."
One of the problems with this series from the start has been its inconsistent and often not-great art; this issue is no different. In one scene, Kitty looks like Mr. Fantastic while showing her mid-riff. But, the chaotic and hazy lines reflected the story all too well. There's not a single issue of this series that didn't feel rushed, and I can't say I'm sad to see it go. Claremont's amazing run on "Uncanny X-Men" was about the X-Men surviving against all odds, because of their commitment to each other and their cause. Guggenheim's run was about...Kitty and Rachel being crappy girlfriends? Whatever. Onwards and upwards, X-Men.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1; Captain America Annual #1; Mr. and Mrs. X #3; Multiple Man #4; Star Wars #54; Star Wars: Lando - Double or Nothing #5; West Coast Avengers #2
We start with Kitty half-heartedly calling Piotr and leaving him a voicemail message telling him -- somewhat unbelievably -- that her breaking off their engagement at the altar hurt her, too, you know. (He should be glad he didn't marry someone who still leaves voicemail messages.) Then, she and the X-Men race to help a 14-year-old whose powers just manifested. Here, Guggenheim goes to an interesting place: once Kitty walks the kid through getting control of his power, some guy shoots him in the head. Kitty screams he wasn't hurting anyone, but the guy argues to the contrary, highlighting the devastation around them. This part could've gotten interesting. But, Guggenheim doesn't stick the landing. The doctor at the hospital eventually refuses to put the kid under anesthesia in case his powers activate, opting instead to let him die. Another doctor intervenes and says she'll do the surgery, because she feels like Kitty fulfilled the promise she made at the start: she earned back people's trust. You see, she's the woman who yelled at Kitty about mutants being dangerous in issue #1. Shocker! The woman assures us she now sees mutants as people, not mutants.
All I have to say is: ugh. Among the many problems here, Guggenheim totally dismisses the fact the original doctor raised a legitimate concern. Kitty and the other doctor scream at him about discrimination, but I would argue the only real discrimination is that he doesn't put any effort into trying to resolve the situation. He seemed to have a number of options here that he refuses to take. Like, they're in New York: no one has a hospital room equipped to handle mutants under anesthesia? But, again, it's hard to argue he's wrong that the teenager poses a threat. Kitty dismisses his concern as "unlikely," making a judgment she's really not qualified to make. Why is she so sure the kid's powers won't activate? Did she call Beast between panels? It's easy to imagine Claremont using this set-up to go to a much more interesting place. In other words, this story is no "God Loves, Man Kills."
One of the problems with this series from the start has been its inconsistent and often not-great art; this issue is no different. In one scene, Kitty looks like Mr. Fantastic while showing her mid-riff. But, the chaotic and hazy lines reflected the story all too well. There's not a single issue of this series that didn't feel rushed, and I can't say I'm sad to see it go. Claremont's amazing run on "Uncanny X-Men" was about the X-Men surviving against all odds, because of their commitment to each other and their cause. Guggenheim's run was about...Kitty and Rachel being crappy girlfriends? Whatever. Onwards and upwards, X-Men.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1; Captain America Annual #1; Mr. and Mrs. X #3; Multiple Man #4; Star Wars #54; Star Wars: Lando - Double or Nothing #5; West Coast Avengers #2
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
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
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
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
New-ish Comics: The June 13 Marvel "N-Z" Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
The New Mutants: Dead Souls #4: This issue is great. I was pretty sure Rictor wasn’t dead, but the revelation that Illyana's dream sequence was Tran manipulating her into revealing Xi’an’s plans was brilliant. At this stage, we still don’t really know what those plans are, and it’s pretty clear Illyana is also getting impatient for them. But, Rosenberg is drawing back the curtain a bit for us, as Prodigy asks Xi’an if she wants to activate the second team as they look for the missing plane. Xi’an also seems to suspect Illyana might not totally be on her side anymore, making for an interesting conversation next issue. As Illyana points out here in her dream sequence, the places Tran has appeared seem random, so it’ll be interesting to see what the connection (presumably) is in the end. At any rate, as someone who just read the first few issues of the original “New Mutants” series, it’s hard to believe it’s taken this long for Tran to assert himself against Xi’an. I’m totally game for this ride.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #305: I love this series. It lost its way a little there, but it rebounds here, as younger Peter realizes it’s time he stops hiding. As Doom activates the time platform to send back JJJ, Jr., our Peter, and Tessa, younger Peter joins Gwen in trying to hold back the Sinister Six. When our Peter realizes what’s happening outside the building, he joins the fray, and the Avengers and Tessa later follow suit. Cap is killed during the fray, another moment that underscores for younger Peter that he can’t hide any longer. Our Peter is reluctant to leave with Osborn still out there, but he finally realizes everything can't be about his guilt. Happy to see younger Peter take up his role as Spider-Man again (and kiss Gwen), our Peter leaves with JJJ, Jr. and Tessa. It’s hard not to draw parallels to the Trump administration here, as Zdarsky shows Osborn as the lunatic he’s always been. But, our Peter tells Osborn he defeats him in every world in every way, and it inspires younger Peter to have the faith he can do the same. It's a helluva lesson for us all.
Thor #1: I honestly don't have a lot to say here, despite this expanded issue relaunching Odinson as Thor. Aaron is great as he always is, and del Mundo is an excellent successor (though not replacement) for Dauterman. He imbues the story with a cinematic sensibility; you can hear the seagulls calling as Thor returns to his boat. Thori and Toothgrinder make for excellent comic relief as always, and Loki’s presence adds the expected level of intrigue, as he offers to serve as Thor’s own Bifrost bridge...for an as-yet-unrevealed price. Thor wisely pulls Loki with him as Loki opens a portal to the heart of the war, and they find Balder greeting them in Hel/Niflheim. Aaron has been carrying on the War of the Realms for a long time at this point, and it definitely feels like it’s time for Thor to handle it directly. But, hopefully it won't be over too quickly.
X-Men: Blue #29: You’d be forgiven for thinking you missed a dozen or so issues picking up this one. Only a brief footnote lets us know that, in “Venomized” #5, all the Poisons were destroyed except the one inhabiting Jimmy. (I thought they were indestructible, which is why Scott had all the sads for Jean?) You’d also be forgiven for not caring. This storyline was maybe interesting for two or three issues, but it’s always been a forced cross-over event driven by the fact Bunn happened to write both series. Neither Venom nor the Poisons bring out anything particularly interesting in the team. It’s time to put this one to bed.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #305: I love this series. It lost its way a little there, but it rebounds here, as younger Peter realizes it’s time he stops hiding. As Doom activates the time platform to send back JJJ, Jr., our Peter, and Tessa, younger Peter joins Gwen in trying to hold back the Sinister Six. When our Peter realizes what’s happening outside the building, he joins the fray, and the Avengers and Tessa later follow suit. Cap is killed during the fray, another moment that underscores for younger Peter that he can’t hide any longer. Our Peter is reluctant to leave with Osborn still out there, but he finally realizes everything can't be about his guilt. Happy to see younger Peter take up his role as Spider-Man again (and kiss Gwen), our Peter leaves with JJJ, Jr. and Tessa. It’s hard not to draw parallels to the Trump administration here, as Zdarsky shows Osborn as the lunatic he’s always been. But, our Peter tells Osborn he defeats him in every world in every way, and it inspires younger Peter to have the faith he can do the same. It's a helluva lesson for us all.
Thor #1: I honestly don't have a lot to say here, despite this expanded issue relaunching Odinson as Thor. Aaron is great as he always is, and del Mundo is an excellent successor (though not replacement) for Dauterman. He imbues the story with a cinematic sensibility; you can hear the seagulls calling as Thor returns to his boat. Thori and Toothgrinder make for excellent comic relief as always, and Loki’s presence adds the expected level of intrigue, as he offers to serve as Thor’s own Bifrost bridge...for an as-yet-unrevealed price. Thor wisely pulls Loki with him as Loki opens a portal to the heart of the war, and they find Balder greeting them in Hel/Niflheim. Aaron has been carrying on the War of the Realms for a long time at this point, and it definitely feels like it’s time for Thor to handle it directly. But, hopefully it won't be over too quickly.
X-Men: Blue #29: You’d be forgiven for thinking you missed a dozen or so issues picking up this one. Only a brief footnote lets us know that, in “Venomized” #5, all the Poisons were destroyed except the one inhabiting Jimmy. (I thought they were indestructible, which is why Scott had all the sads for Jean?) You’d also be forgiven for not caring. This storyline was maybe interesting for two or three issues, but it’s always been a forced cross-over event driven by the fact Bunn happened to write both series. Neither Venom nor the Poisons bring out anything particularly interesting in the team. It’s time to put this one to bed.
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