Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The April 19 "Secret Empire" Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

OK, here we go.  If you've been reading my posts as we built to this event, you know that I'm not as vehemently opposed to Captain Nazi as some other fans are.  I think it's mostly because Spencer isn't out there swearing to God that Steve will be Captain Nazi forever, as Steve Wacker and Dan Slott did when they subjected us to Spider-Ock.  Spencer is telling a story that feels limited in its ambition; after 75+ years, it was probably time for Cap to have his heel turn.  If you come to the issue that way (and I totally understand why you wouldn't), then Spencer has to be judged by whether it's actually a good story.  A lot of cross-over events have started as great ideas only for the execution to rob it of all greatness.  ("Age of Ultron" is probably the best example to me of a cross-over event with an awesome premise that rapidly devolved.)  As such, let's see how Spencer does.

Secret Empire #0:  I inadvertently read this issue first, even though it eventually became clear I should've read "Captain America:  Steve Rogers," "Thunderbolts," and "U.S.Avengers" first.  Oh, well.

As widely discussed in the media at this point, Spencer implies the "true" story is the one we've seen unfold over the course of the last few issues:  a mystically powered Elisa Sinclair identified Steve as the agent of change HYDRA needed to take over the world. In this issue, starting in 1945, Kraken has revealed himself to be alive as Steve arrives at the "source of all HYDRA's powers" in Japan.  It's the remains of Ashomia, "a lost city of the wicked and the abandoned."  Steve is introduced to a mysterious figure, and Kraken informs us he's the man who "birthed HYDRA from the spear" and made him Kraken.  Let's call him Father HYDRA.  Father HYDRA tells Steve that the Allies' Cosmic Cube will allow them to re-write history so they win the war; in other words, the history we used to think was the "true" story.  As the Cube begins to do exactly that, Father HYDRA has Steve enter a pool so his memories are preserved; we see him fade into the block of ice where the Avengers will find him in the now "fake" story.  As he escorts Steve into the pool, Father HYDRA warns Steve the Cube will eventually become Kobik and the Skull (called the "usurper" here) will use Kobik to rekindle Steve's memory of the "true" story.  This part answers one of my main questions, namely why no one else remembers the now "true" history.  Spencer has sent conflicting messages on this front, but at least he comes down firmly here on one side (some evidence in previous issues to the contrary).

In the present, we are at a moment of crisis as three separate events happen at once:  the Chitauri horde arrives; Baron Zemo is leading the villains imprisoned at Pleasant Hill on a rampage o' revenge in New York city; and the Crescent, the Helicarrier Sharon sent to Sokovia in "Captain America:  Steve Rogers" #15, has gone missing.  In terms of the Chitauri invasion, a HYDRA suicide bomber has apparently blown up the Shield.  Ironheart (a.k.a. Riri Williams) and Iron Man (who's apparently alive again) are frantically trying to fix the Shield as Alpha Flight, Quasar, and the Ultimates hold off the Chitauri.  In New York, Luke Cage leads an expanded Defenders line-up to protect civilians; meanwhile, Sharon and Steve are heading to Sokovia on the Iliad to try to find out what happened to the Crescent.  Spencer makes it immediately clear Steve has orchestrated these events so the President will put into action the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act.  With Steve now able to rule the United States by fiat, he activates his plan.  Ironheart realizes the Shield is somehow not as damaged as she thought it was; they're able to activate it, and the world watches as the Chitauri are unable to cross it.  Eventually, Ironheart and Iron Man discover the damage to the Shield's hardware was superficial; it was lowered not because of the bomb but because someone at command used the software to do so.  Meanwhile, Sharon and Steve come upon the Crescent, which rams into the Iliad.  As mind-controlled S.H.I.E.L.D. agents rush aboard.  Steve reveals himself to Sharon; Dr. Faustus' voice is broadcast throughout the Iliad, bringing more S.H.I.E.L.D. agents fully under Steve's control.  Steve then tells Carol he's locking her outside the planet (with the Chitauri horde).  Finally, Baron Zemo uses Blackout to plunge New York into the Darkforce Dimension, taking all New York's heroes off the board.  Steve then heads to Washington to complete his coup.

All in all, it's not terrible.  Again, if you go into it assuming Cap won't be evil forever, then it's easier to enjoy the story.  After all, it's clearly Spencer has carefully constructed this story; the only weakness I can identify is some ambiguity in previous issues about why people didn't remember the new "true" history.  At this stage, I think the question for me is how far we really go here.  As I mention below, "U.S.Avengers" #5 shows us where I hope we won't go, with Steve being reduced to a mentally unstable cliché of a super-villain.  This event will be scarier if Steve is just as calculating and strategic as we know he can be.  If he is, then it could even be great.

Thunderbolts #12:  Reading this issue after "Secret Empire" #0, it feels like Zub had to rush the ending so he could make sure the Masters of Evil (with Atlas) could be in place for Baron Zemo's attack on New York.  Events move more quickly than they probably should have as Zub is forced to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible.  For example, I was surprised the main drama in this issue is Kobik apparently throwing such a temper tantrum that she threatened reality.  I get she's upset about Bucky not believing in HYDRA, but it feels like she's gone a little too far here, even for a child.  It would've helped to see more of Erik trying to calm her, since it would've established why she's so upset.  But, we move almost immediately to Fixer developing a device to strip Kobik of her personality (I think); instead, it shatters her into many pieces.  Zemo recruits Moonstone (easily) and Fixer to help him track down the pieces.  He also convinces Atlas to join them, a wink to Zub's characterization of Atlas as a follow at his core.  In the aftermath, Jolt is unconscious after Kobik's explosion (inexplicably) drained off her energy, and the Ghost swipes her.  (For some reason, she's also miniaturized by the blast, allowing Ghost to drop her into his pocket.)  After the team's now-abandoned headquarters collapses on them, Melissa emerges from the rubble, but Mach-X is missing.  Melissa trudges into the snow, and the series concludes behind her.  I have a feeling Marvel will revisit the team after "Secret Empire" concludes.  They had grown on me, and they deserve a better ending than they get here.

U.S.Avengers #5:  In terms of plot, this issue is solid.  Cap visit Roberto to remind him that he works for him, making sure Roberto is willing to follow orders he initially finds questionable.  Meanwhile, a HYDRA agent within A.I.M. convinces Red Hulk to allow him to override his safety protocol after he express frustration when he de-Hulks during a fight; Steve clearly plans to use a berserk Hulk at some point.  The most important development, though, seems to be Steve learning that Roberto has trained A.I.M. agents in Xavier's techniques to block telepathic incursions, meaning Dr. Faustus' mind-control techniques won't work on them.  (I know why that's important after reading "Secret Empire" #0.)  But, it's the characterization that leaves you scratching your head.  Steve acts like a cut-rate villain here, adopting various personas during his talk with Roberto.  First he's obsessed with people getting him coffee then he's berating Roberto for being elitist.  He seems totally insane; if his goal was not tipping off Roberto that something was wrong with him, it seems unlikely it worked.

Captain America:  Steve Rogers #16:  This issue completes setting up "Secret Empire" #0 in a number of ways.  First, the Masters of Evil (unexpectedly, to me) complete the search for the last fragment of Kobik.  I had initially thought their search for the Cube was going to occur throughout "Secret Empire;" after all, its reunification would clearly set up someone using it to rewrite history.  However, Spencer cleverly finds a way to delay this moment and take a major player off the board.  Dr. Selvig is disturbed by Zemo's insistence on reassembling the Cube and not letting Kobik pull herself together.  (Zemo wisely would rather a non-sentient Cube since it's easier to control.)  As such, Selvig sends the fragments to an unidentified place before killing himself.  Steve is furious when Zemo eventually tells him, since his plan was not only to conquer the world for HYDRA but use the Cube to "right" history.  However, Zemo is now free to lead the Masters of Evil on the assault of New York in "Secret Empire" #0.  Meanwhile, Maria Hill breaks into Taskmaster's computer and discovers the video of Steve saying "Hail HYDRA."  She tells Rick Jones Steve is an agent of HYDRA just before HYDRA captures her, but Cap calls Rick just in time, after Taskmaster alerted him to Maria's actions.  He tells Rick that Maria is off the reservation; in his story, she's going to use the override codes for the Shield as leverage to get back her old job.  Rick believes him and sends Steve the codes to the Shield.  Black Ant than knocks him unconscious, and we see the HYDRA suicide bomber seemingly blow up the Shield.  (However, we know from "Secret Empire" #0 that Steve uses the codes to take down the Shield; the damage to the Shield was purposefully superficial.)  Finally, Steve laments the loss of Xavier's brain to Elisa, but she reminds him of Dr. Faustus' powers; he takes control of the Cresent here.  The other big development is Steve allowing Zemo seemingly to kill Bucky in the same way his father died.  It seems unlikely Bucky is dead, but it's yet another player off the board for a while.  At this stage, the only people who know of Cap's treachery are Carol, who's stranded outside Earth, and Maria, Rick (to a certain extent), and Sharon, all of whom are in Steve's custody.

At this stage, Spencer has set up two main storylines.  We're going to have the struggle against Steve as he tries to impose his will on the United States.  But, I also imagine we're going to have the quest for the Cube, as both sides try to "right" history.  It feels like the story I thought we were going to get in "Age of Ultron," and I'll be a happy camper if Spencer accomplishes that.

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The March 29 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

All-New X-Men #19:  For possibly the first time in the 30+ years I've read comics, a time-travel story ends in a way that makes sense.  Hank uses his mystic powers to return the original X-Men to their timeline...and reveals they're actually still there.  As Hank says, the only way for the present to make sense is if they never left the past; or, to put it another way, the present only has one past.  As such, they can't go home again; they're essentially an unresolved paradox in time (though "X-Men Prime" #1 casts some doubt on that).  Hopeless wisely doesn't delve too much further into the exact mechanics of the paradox.  (Physically, if I had to guess, old Hank taking them from the "past" actually happened in old Hank's present, which means the "past" itself never changed.  It assumes in a way the past and the present happen simultaneously.  You see why it was smart not to go into the details?)  Instead, Hopeless focuses on the kids' reactions.  Bobby is obviously thrilled, as his present is going pretty well, with his handsome Inhuman boyfriend.  Scott is less thrilled, as he's now condemned to a present where he's a villain (if not quite the villain Emma Frost made everyone believe he was).  However, Jean makes a convincing argument to Scott it's as close to a happy ending as they're going to get.  Looking forward, I hope the new series delves further into the kids' emotional responses to this development, the reality they're definitively stuck in the present.  After all, they are just kids.  Doesn't Bobby want to see his parents in the present day?  Shouldn't Jean feel some sense of loss over the fact her parents are killed because of her destiny to become the Phoenix?  It's a lot to process, and neither Bendis on the previous series or Hopeless in this one have really explored these questions as much as I think they could have.  It seems a good place for the new series to start.

Black Widow #12:  Samnee and Waid deliver a solid ending here, as Nat convinces the girls to abandon Recluse because she only sees them as a means to an end.  That said, it is a deviation from the previous 11 issues, when it comes to Nat's characterization.  Nat has been coldly calculating throughout this series, from pushing away Bucky lest he interfere with her mission to forcing the Lion to join her pursuit of the Headmistress and Recluse.  She was never more cruel than her dismissal of Recluse as weak in issue #7.  In fact, it's this harsh treatment that drove Recluse to use the girls as a way to get her revenge.  As such, it's odd for Nat to suddenly go all soft here.  If she had offered a hand to Recluse in issue #7, these girls might not have been in the situation we see here in the first place.  Samnee and Waid never really explore Nat's culpability in the drama that unfolds or explains why her heart suddenly grew three sizes that day; even her role in the death of the Lions' father/uncle was never really held against her.  I think this series would've ended on a stronger note if we had seen Nat consider how her inability to trust anyone brought her to this point.  Instead, S.H.I.E.L.D. simply embraces her as the conquering hero, and we return to her status quo.

Mighty Captain Marvel #3:  I'll be honest that I'm a little lost.  I think I get the broad strokes of the story Stohl is telling.  If I had to guess, the energy released at the end of "Secret Wars" created a genetic marker in a subset of folks across the Universe, and this marker seems to portend some sort of evolutionary jump.  Carol doesn't have the marker, but "Bean" does and for some reason it interferes with Carol's powers.  Carol and one of Tony's employees jump to the conclusion that the ten blue Kree kids the bounty hunter is trying to collect all have this marker.  The bounty hunter later conveniently confirms that they do when he fights Carol to get his hands on Bean.  That said, all we know at this point is someone is using them (and presumably their markers) to build some sort of monster.  I think?  The problem isn't so much that I'm still not sure if that's the plot, but more that I only know what I know because the villain exposited it.  I get he's a bounty hunter but he should have enough professional ethics not to give up his client's plans.  Carol accepts his version of events as true, though I'm not sure why she would.  After all, we're assuming he even knows the real plans.  Hopefully Stohl does a little less telling and more showing next issue.

Thunderbolts #11:  Now we're getting somewhere!  Bucky learns the truth in this issue as Kobik tries to include him in the Red Skull's "secret club" by working him into her "secret history."  An appalled Bucky demands she change history to the way it was, stressing to her HYDRA is evil.  Upset, she seems to erase Bucky from history.  It's pretty clear it won't stick, but Zub significantly advances us toward the denouement.  If Kobik lets Bucky retain his memories of their conversation, the jig is up for Steve.

Titans Annual #1:  This issue isn't just solid on its own merits; it also introduces some intriguing new plot threads for the upcoming year.  A character called "The Key" kidnaps the four Justice League and Titan members with mentor/protégé relationships.  He hopes to cause enough conflict between them to create super-powered anguish and then use this emotional energy to open the door for someone in an unknown space (Dr. Manhattan?) to enter our Universe.  He almost succeeds when Wonder Woman is forced to reveal Donna Troy isn't an organic human; she was made from magical clay as a weapon to be used against Diana, though the Amazonians were able to implant her with false memories and prevent her from becoming said weapon.  Her anguish is real, but her friends are, too:  the guys not only rush to console her (denying the Key access to her energy), but her anguish also breaks through the Key's telepathic shield and allows Omen to locate her.  Abnett contrasts this warm friendship the Titans enjoy with the cold respect the League has for each other.  In so doing, he helps you feel the warm fuzzies when it comes to the Titans and why their stories have always been more compelling.  Abnett concludes by having the Key try to justify his failure to the aforementioned "someone," and it doesn't end well for him.  It also doesn't bode well for the Titans.

X-Men Prime #1:  Back in the day, an issue labeled "Prime" signified a new start for the X-Men.  It usually showed a series of unexpected developments that flowed from whatever catastrophe the X-Men had just managed to avoid.  It also usually involved the arrival or departure of Kitty Pryde.  The authors check that box here, as Kitty returns to lead the X-Men.  But, despite the title, nothing else really changes.  For all her protestations to the contrary, Storm stays with the team, even if she's not leading it.  Sure, the Mansion is moved to Central Park, but it's not exactly all that Earth-shattering as developments go.  (Moving it to Limbo was actually the unexpected development.)  The original X-Men "leave" the team, but they've never been "on" the team in the first place.  In fact, the X-Men have pretty much neglected them from the start.  As such, it's hard to embrace this launch as "all-different" or "all-new."  We're pretty much exactly where we were before Kitty left the X-Men to join the Guardians.  It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I can't say it merits the splashy launch we're getting here.

Also Read:  Avengers #5.1; Batgirl Annual #1; Occupy Avengers #5

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The February 22 Non-Spider Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Black Panther #11:  I'm not sure if Coates meant it this way, but we wind up getting a pretty solid lesson in the advantages that come with enjoying entrenched power.  T'Challa is able to summon the ghosts of past leaders of Wakanda and uses them as an army, overwhelming Tetu.  He also used his technological superiority to broadcast Changamire's appeal to the rebels to put aside their hate, winnowing down Tetu's army significantly.  In the end, regardless of the nobility of his cause, T'Challa wins because he has all the tools a King needs to win, an advantage Tetu can't overcome.  T'Challa needs to realize this truth; if he and Shuri are given this opportunity to put aside the mistakes of their past and heal Wakanda, they'll only succeed if they acknowledge how their power is the problem and solution at the same time.

Captain America: Steve Rogers #12:  Slowly but surely, Spencer is really starting to sell me on this story.  He's built it layer by layer, and it might be the most exciting one on the shelves because it's so difficult to predict where it's going.  At first, it seems like Taskmaster's video is going to get broadcast publicly after he offers it to Maria Hill as a way for her to get back her old job. (Brilliant.). But, then, Madame Hydra captures them and reveals herself to be Elisa Sinclair!  (Brilliant-er!)  In the past, Helmut reveals to Cap that Elisa is a traitor to HYDRA, though it seems unlikely she's betraying HYDRA to the Americans; she seems more like the type trying to keep the organization pure and running afoul of the leadership in so doing.  Moreover, Dr. Selvig is surprised by Helmut embracing Steve's story about their past friendship, and he starts to realize Kobik could be involved in this "secret history."  In other words, several of the wheels seem to be coming off the bus at the same time, and it's an open question if Steve is going to manage to get where he wants to be before it's too late.

Detective Comics #951:  Tynion adds evidence to Snyder's argument that Batman is actually a fucking moron as it appears Colonel Kane was right:  the League of Shadows not only exists, but Shiva appears to runs it.  Shiva comes to Gotham after capturing a Colony team sent to eliminate her three months earlier.  The head of the team tells her Batman (or, more accurately, Tim) prevented their attempt to eliminate the League in Gotham and they're now unable to return there.  She informs an underling that this information changes "everything," though we're not show why it did so in this issue.  In Gotham, she goes directly after Batman, framing him for the assassination of Mayor Hady.  (!)  Then, as they're reporting that story, two news anchors are killed by Joker gas, though Shiva's hand is pretty obvious behind this event.  Batman and the team deploy to Adams Square, where Jokerized citizens are attacking each other.  However, the citizens go from Jokerized to Shadowized almost immediately.  Again, it's unclear why Shiva is acting now and what her aim is, but we'll obviously learn both those things soon enough.  In the meantime, Bruce is probably going to have to admit his insistence (repeated again this issue) the League of Shadows doesn't exist is getting more and more difficult to believe.

IvX #5:  As expected, the NuHumans open the door to the X-Men's salvation, as Moon Girl helps Forge miniaturize his invention.  They head to Ennilux, apparently an Inhuman city, where they expect Black Bolt's son (who apparently rules there) to provide them with the materials necessary to build the new machine.  (I don't know why he'd help them destroy the last remaining Terrigen cloud, but I don't really care at this point.)  Separately, Mosaic possesses Emma during the X-Men's attempt to stop the NuHumans, so it seems likely everyone will learn the truth about "Scott's" role in the destruction of the first cloud.  That said, the X-Men are now trying to do what "Scott" was trying to do then, so I'm not sure why the truth would matter.  It's hard to see how some sort of deus ex machina isn't going to resolve this event, with only one issue left, but I feel like we all knew we'd be here, didn't we?

Occupy Avengers #4:  This issue is OK.  I don't really understand why Walker repeated the same parts of Nightshade's monologue throughout it; he clearly had a specific impact in mind, but the only one I felt was tedium.  I also still don't understand why Nighthawk hates Clint; I'm left to assume it's due to an altercation that occurred in his series.  (Really, Alanna?  No editor's note?)  But, it's fun to watch Hawkeye try to explain to Nick Fury why Ronald Reagan isn't President, so I guess that part is a plus.  Also, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to discover Nick Fury, Jr. is even alive, for how little we've seen of him over the last few months.  I like this series, but I keep expecting there to be more to the stories.  For example, it seemed like we were setting up the Fireheart brothers spending some time on the road with Clint and Red Wolf, but instead they just stayed in New Mexico.  We also seemed ready to learn all about Nighthawk's beef with Clint, but then Clint just takes his sidekick and leaves.  In other words, both arcs of this series so far felt like they should've been three or four issues each, not two issues each.  I'm not sure what Walker's rush is, but I'm OK with us slowing down a bit so we can fully explore the pretty great concepts he's putting out here.

Thunderbolts #10:  Damn it, Marvel.  Stop making me like this series.  I'm only reading it because of its connection to "Captain America:  Steve Rogers" and because Atlas is adorable.  (Wait, did I say that aloud?)

Uncanny Avengers #20:  The story Duggan is telling here really reminds me of Remender's original run on this title.  His sprawling (in the best sense of the term) Kang story was truly epic, involving a lot of supporting characters from across the Marvel Universe without forcing us to buy separate mini-series or tie-in issues.  (I'm looking at you, Dan Slott.)  In the latest installment of Duggan's epic, Wade goes to war with the Skull, as his immunity to telepathy makes him the only person capable of getting past Professor X's power.  It's the culmination of this entire series, as Remender's "Red Shadow" arc opened this title.  As Deadpool and his bros fight their way to the Skull, we get some stellar moments from Spider-Man, from a number of great quips to his legitimate panic at the Skull's threat to harm Johnny Storm.  (He's too pretty to hurt, the way Larraz draws him.  I swear the colorist invented a new shade of blond for his hair.)  But, Duggan also gives Wade some honest-to-goodness emotions here, as he gets increasingly nervous as events spiral into chaos.  I don't know where we're going, but I legitimately can't wait.  If not you're reading this one, pick up the last few issues and get ready for a roller-coaster ride.

Also Read:  Avengers #4.1; Batgirl #8; Champions #1.MU; Extraordinary X-Men #19; Mighty Captain Marvel #2; Pathfinder:  Worldscape #5

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The January 25 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Black Panther #10:  Not unexpectedly, Coates gets even more philosophical in the last moments of peace before Tetu and his zombie-like forces arrive in the Golden City.  T'Challa asks forgiveness from Changamire for his sins, particularly his pride in thinking he was better than his ancestors for not resorting to torture and then considering doing exactly that when his back was against the wall.  But, T'Challa isn't the only one here who needs to repent.  Although Changamire refuses to acknowledge he clings to a fantasy of how governments work, he is forced to acknowledge T'Challa doesn't want to dominate his people as king and, conversely, Tetu probably does.  Similarly, Shuri gets the Dora Milaje to admit what they already know, that Tetu will turn on them once the Golden City falls.  With these reluctant allies secured, T'Challa and Shuri show why they're the best there is at what they do.

Captain America:  Steve Rogers #10:  After "Mighty Captain Marvel" #1, I assumed Maria Hill was found innocent, since Carol discusses building the Shield.  But, Spencer throws us a curveball here:  Maria finally gets her comeuppance.  (A lot of comeuppance happening this week, apparently.)  She's found guilty and flees the Helicarrier to deliver the Shield plans to Carol.  Needless to say, the Skull is furious:  we learn his plan is to have the Chitauri invade Earth so he can come to power in the wake of the destruction they will inevitably cause.  We still don't know exactly why Steve wanted to see Sharon put in charge instead of Maria, though.  Does he think Maria more competent than Sharon?  Is he worried she would suss out his plans more easily?  Did he know Sharon would give the job to him?  It also seems weird he'd want S.H.I.E.L.D. to be more powerful if the plan is for Earth to fall to the Chitauri.  But, more powerful it will be, thanks to Sharon pulling out all the stops to get the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act passed, allowing it to become America's first line of defense in case of a Doomsday scenario or terrorist attack (or alien invasion).  Sharon tells Steve he needs to be Director, since the person leading the organization with all that power has to be beyond reproach.  If I had to guess, Steve plans on leading S.H.I.E.L.D. to failure in the Chitauri invasion so he can show even at its most powerful it's less effective than HYDRA.  The only good news Steve gets in this issue is the revelation that Free Spirit pulled the plug on Jack Flag before he has to administer a drug to kill him.  At least he's wrapped up one loose end.

Thunderbolts #9:  I can't say I'm thrilled Marvel's sucked me into reading this series, but I have to admit I find myself charmed.  The team is fun, and it's great to see Bucky again.  That said, it's hard to see why "Captain America:  Steve Rogers" #10 directed its readers to this issue.  Other than the mere presence of Bucky, this issue is nowhere near as connected to Spencer's story as issues #7-#8 were.  As far as I can tell, the only possible connection is if the alien race the Thunderbolts capture here are somehow connected to the Chitauri, meaning the beacon they activated will draw the Chitauri to Earth.  But, no one even remotely mentions that here, so it's just a guess.  I guess we'll see.

IvX #3 and All-New X-Men #17:  Lemire does a pretty convincing job here of portraying the NuHumans as a threat the X-Men underestimated.  Inferno gets the drop on Logan because he was overconfident, though Forge somewhat unconvincingly blunders into telling Iso exactly how to disable the machine he's building to eliminate the remaining Terrigen Cloud.  It's still unclear how the Royal Family is going to escape Magik's prison to then break into X-Haven, but I have to admit it's a solid plan.  But, it's Hopeless that grounds this event in actual emotions.  If tactical conversations are par for the course in the main title, Hopeless makes young Hank sound ridiculous as he lays out the plan for Bobby, who just cares about finally kissing Romeo.  The good news is he does, when he follows the X-Men into New Attilan simply to find him.  Is it responsible?  No, it's not.  After all, if the X-Men don't win, Bobby's going to be dead in two weeks.  Does it matter though?  Nope.  After all, Bobby essentially argues they wouldn't be at this point if people had the motivation to solve the impasse that he and Romeo have.  He's not wrong.  In fact, for the one taken the least seriously of all the X-Men, he's probably the only one thinking straight (heh) at this point.

Prowler #4:  Hobie has always been a little arrogant, but Ryan makes him a downright asshole in this series.  First, he continues lamenting he has to do everything on his own...even after Julia saves his life, getting him to New U and his pills in time.  But, he also complains about her condescension when she refuses to see the Jackal as an agent of good.  But, of course, Julia is right, so it's hard to argue she was just being condescending in refusing to believe him.  Hobie doesn't even really try to argue his case:  he just wants her to believe him because he believes it.  I like Hobie, and I wanted to like this series.  But, Ryan has him wallow in so much text-box misery that it's not the series for me, unfortunately.

Also Read:  Avengers #1.MU; Extraordinary X-Men #18; Star Wars #27-#28

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The BuckyNat Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Black Widow #7-#9:  As someone mentioned in a letters page at some point, Nat has often been softened up a bit in her portrayals.  Waid and Samnee make clear we're not getting that Nat here.  First, we learn the Weeping Lion and his cousin (the one depicted as his brother last issue) were involved in Nat's first kill:  she killed the Lion's father and thought she killed him, too.  But, his cousin was sleeping in the back of the car and managed to save the Lion's life (though not his voice, a result of Nat slitting his throat).  Nat is unaware of this past, probably thinking the Lion's cousin came after her just to get her secrets (and not because of an old vendetta).  But, any attempt to dismiss this viciousness as something she's outgrown is put to rest here.  After the Headmistress kills herself to avoid the Lion's cousin probing her thoughts, Recluse is distraught, in no small part given her fury over the Headmistress always loving Widow more.  I was waiting for Nat to be kind, telling Recluse she only loved Nat more because Recluse lacked viciousness, and that isn't a terrible thing.  But, Nat instead ridicules Recluse for being weak.  As a result, she leaves behind a powerful enemy as the Headmistress did when she herself showed Nat mercy (as a child).  But, Nat has more immediate problems, as it appears the Lion and his cousin are slowly collecting the girls from the Dark Room who Nat is trying to find.  She saves three of them in this issue, but it's clear to see the Lion's cousin is using the information he gleaned from the Headmistress to stay one step ahead of her.  It raises the question why Nat thinks she can trust him in the first place?  It's not like she really has any leverage over him. Also, shouldn't she have done a little research on the two of them?  If she did, she would've discovered her fairly personal connection with them.  Or, has she done that already and knows she's being played?  We shall see.

Thunderbolts #7-#8:  Bucky has loomed large in the Marvel Universe over the last few months, given his ongoing appearance in "Black Widow" and the unofficial cross-over event here with "Captain America:  Steve Rogers."  Steve is desperate to get his hands on Kobik, for reasons that you only fully understand if you're reading his title.  Issue #7 ends with Steve asking Bucky if he trusts him, but we never see the end of that conversation.  Bucky appears to have rebuffed Steve's offer (whatever it was) in issue #8, but Zub leaves out there the possibility they were putting on a show for the Thunderbolts.  Given "Captain America:  Steve Rogers" directs its readers to read these issues, it's clear they're going to have an impact on Captain Nazi's story.  I just have to wonder when eventually we're going to bring it to a conclusion.