** (two of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Though I personally wouldn't turn my back on today's grittier, darker, more morally ambiguous 'super heroes' for five seconds..." -- Spidey to Keemia, after he lies to her (bad Spidey)
Summary
Glory tasks Peter to take photos of the NYPD's crime lab to prove how efficient it is, in response to the revelation that three murder weapons disappeared over the weekend. The city plans on blaming it on Carlie Cooper (yes, who just happened to be on duty that weekend), who begs Peter to help her. Spidey investigates, discovering that one of the victims is the mother of a missing child (Keemia) and another victim was the mother's lawyer. Approaching Betty Brant (now a news blogger), Spidey learns that the third victim was a concert promoter who planned on setting up a concert series on Governors Island. Spidey heads to the island, where he discovers that the Sandman has created a castle for Keemia; Sandman had been in a relationship with Keemia's mother and he views Keemia as his daughter. After being knocked unconscious by Sandman, Spidey recovers and gets Keemia to free him, grabbing her and heading for the exit. Sandman pursues him, spawning several copies of himself. During the fight, it's revealed that, although Flint Marko knew nothing about the murders, several of his duplicates had grown sentient and committed the crimes. Spidey defeats Sandman Prime and delivers Keemia to Glory Grant, who puts her in the custody of child-protection services (who deemed Keemia's grandmother unfit to have custody). Peter is thanked by Carlie for saving her, but feels he let down Keemia, who we see in her new foster home waiting for Sandman to come get her.
Review
OK, I'm going to be honest. Something about Fred Van Lente's writing bothers me. I can't put my finger on it, but I consistently find myself ranking him lower than other Spidey writers. I can't say I felt substantively different about this arc than the Electro arc before it (which I ranked a full star higher). I did enjoy this arc overall. The motivations are similar (Electro needing some money, Sandman needing his daughter), the situations are similar (both characters have amped-up versions of their powers, but this augmentation comes at a price, in the form of Electro's health and Sandman's sanity). But, Van Lente seems to stumble in the details, leaving me with a series of nagging questions as the arc completes itself. If he can tighten up those details, I think he'd be a really imaginative writer. Until then, though, I find myself dreading his stories.
The Good
1) Encyclopedia Brown! I loved Encyclopedia Brown as a kid and I love the idea that Peter and I read the same books as kids.
2) I like how Betty Brant seems poised to play an almost Oracle role as "Bugle Girl." I really, really hope that happens. I've said before that I've always liked Betty Brant, and her sudden rise in prominence has been one of the best aspects of "Brand New Day." I really think having her play information broker for Spider-Man would be an awesome way to keep her involved in the comic and prevent her from fading into the background yet again.
3) I like the fact that this issue ends on the implication that we're going to see Keemia and the Sandman again soon.
4) The art is pretty great. I was particularly impressed by the Escher-esque style Javier Pulido used in depicting the insides of Sandman's castle.
The Meh
Carlie Cooper. Huh. Here's the thing. I was always more or less ambivalent about Carlie. She seemed to like Peter, then she went on that bizarre tirade during the "Mind on Fire" arc when Peter asked her on a date, then she seemed to want him to ask her on a date for May's wedding, and now she's suddenly a damsel in distress needing his help. The characters introduced during "Brand New Day" have mostly disappeared -- Vin is in prison, Lily is in hiding -- so her occasional re-appearances seem a little forced. I feel like she's been put in the old Betty Brant role, of occasional guess spots of varying degrees of importance. It's fine -- it's not like she has to be in every issue -- but it's still a bit odd considering that she seemed poised to play a bigger role at the start of "Brand New Day." I wonder if they made an editorial decision to move from the "Brand New Day" characters and toward the old-school characters, like Betty and Glory. Though, to be fair, Harry has been laying low since "American Son" ended...
The Bad
1) Ok, so, I've got to ask why exactly Sandman didn't unmask Spidey when he was unconscious. I know, at this point in my time as a comic-book fan, I should give any author a pass in these sorts of situations. But, I'm sorry, it always bothers me when a super-villain passes on a chance to unmask a superhero, and it particularly bothers me because it happens so often in "Amazing Spider-Man."
2) Um, not to put too fine of a point on it, but does Flint Marko really not have a penis? Really? Spidey says that he's "lacking some essential parts for baby-making." Also, how does Spidey know that?
3) How exactly would Peter Parker have saved Carlie, as she clearly thinks he did? He, what, took photos of Spidey defeating Sandman? I just don't understand why she thanks Peter for saving her, when she's got to know it was Spider-Man who did it. Unless they're saying she knows Peter is Spider-Man (which they're pretty clearly not), then it makes no sense for her to thank him.
4) I don't exactly understand how Peter defeats Sandman. He says he used up all his acid webbing in their first fight. But, then, he webs his feet with what looks like acid webbing. If it's not acid, what is it? I'm not sure if it's an art problem or a script problem (or both), but it was a pretty important point to leave some hazy.
5) Pet Peeve #2: The recap page in issue #616 tells us that Sandman thinks he's Keemia's father. Now, in issue #615, it was strongly implied that Sandman thought that...but it wasn't said.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Amazing Spider-Man #612-#614: "The Gauntlet: Power to the People"
*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "How come it's always my fault? Maybe it's the media. Or Sarah Palin. Or corn syrup. And, hey, whoever thought a talk show at 10:00 could work?" -- Spidey
Summary
Electro's powers are deteriorating, and he accidentally electrocutes a woman who spills a drink on him at a bar. His inability to stop drawing in energy from around him is causing black- and brown-outs throughout the city. Electro seeks help from the Mad Thinker, who tells him the surgery he needs will cost more than a million dollars. Electro's life savings were recently eliminated in the stock-market crash and he's enraged by the government bail-out of the newspaper industry, organized by "The DB!"'s owner, Dexter Bennett. Taking to the web (heh), he encourages New Yorkers to fight against the Bennetts of the world. Spidey fights Electro at a rally and discovers Electro's new unstable powers. Electro corners Bennett at his home and tells him he'll call off the mobs if he pays him the money he needs for the surgery. Peter, meanwhile, devises a device to track power surges so he can find Electro. He does so, just as the Mad Thinker is performing the operation. The interruption results in Electro essentially becoming a living lightning bolt. The newly-powerful Electro double-crosses Bennett, calling on all New Yorkers to turn on all their appliances so he can pull the plug on Bennett. Spidey tracks down Electro to "The DB!" where JJJ, Jr. enters the building as Bennett tries to flee. Spidey captures Electro with a special webbing he created for the purpose, but their fight damages the building's infrastructure and it collapses, paralyzing Bennett, who's caught in the collapse. While Electro is being brought to jail, he discovers his "guard" is the Chameleon, who leads him to Sash Kravinoff.
The Review
Wow, this issue gets dark and dramatic quickly. You think it's going to end in a normal way, with Spidey using his smarts to trap Electro, same old, same old. That happens, but we also wind up seeing Dexter Bennett paralyzed and "The DB!" destroyed. It's unclear what impact these changes will have. Peter exposits that this day cleaves history in two -- pre-collapse and post-collapse -- so the Web Heads seems to be underlining the point that some sort of change will come. Will JJJ, Jr. leave the mayorship and re-start "The Bugle?" Only time will tell. I was torn whether to give this arc two or three stars. Ultimately, I went with three stars, because I think the events of this issue will continue to have an impact on the upcoming storylines, a welcome change from some of the previous arcs, which made some changes that eventually get mostly ignored.
The Good
1) I don't entirely believe that any newspaper worth its salt would ever agree to a government bail-out, given the possibility (or even perception) of government interference in its editorial process. However, Waid really provides an arc that captures a moment in time, finding a way to have Electro reflect the anger and fear that a lot of Americans were feeling in late 2009, when this arc was written. (The publication date on the legal paragraph is January 2010.) Electro himself is an inspired choice as the vehicle for this anger, given that he's always been portrayed as having worse luck than your average super-villain.
2) The Black Cat back-up story in issue #612 was mostly odd (and mostly because of the weird anime art style), but I'm putting it in the good category because the possibility that Peter discovered the Black Cat's alter ego working at the Mayor's office is just too good.
3) I enjoyed Azaceta's pencils. They're a little rough, but, with the frequency with which he depicted Peter shirtless, I can forgive him the details. Moreover, the single-panel shot set against a black background of JJJ, Jr. watching "The DB!" collapse was haunting. It's evocative of 9/11 -- the blowing ash in the background as rescue workers try to help -- and it really does its job of conveying the impact of the loss of "The DB!"
4) The point of "The Gauntlet," based on Wacker's comments on the letters page, appears to be for Spidey to face souped-up versions of older super-villains, including ones who've generally been treated as jokes. We really see that here with Electro (as we also saw a few issues ago with Hammerhead). Electro is almost beyond Spidey's power level here, and I'm glad that Spidey had to use his smarts to defeat him. Science nerds unite!
The Unknown
We're not really shown how exactly the Kravens are manipulating the super-villains involved in "The Gauntlet." In fact, Kraven's wife only approached Electro AFTER the events of this issue. So, it seems that, rather than it being an organized attack now, it might prove to be one later, after Spidey deals individually with Rhino, Sandman, Mysterio, Lizard, Kraven (or, at least, his skeleton), and Electro.
The Meh
Electro's motives are a little unclear here. At first, it seemed that his "rage against the machine" schtick was just an elaborate plan to put public pressure on Bennett so he could blackmail him. But, then, after getting the money, he decides to continue the schtick and goes after Bennett. Now, Electro's never been the most stable of super-villains, so it's entirely possible (in fact, probable) that he wasn't even thinking about his motivations clearly. But, it resulted in some narrative confusion, since you were never really sure, as the reader, why Electro was doing what he was doing.
The Bad
1) I don't entirely understand why Waid felt it necessary to ret-con the fact that Peter got drunk at Aunt May's wedding. The story -- that he got drunk and slept with Michele -- made sense the way it was. Now, I'm left wondering why exactly he slept with her...and still wishing that we could see the last of her. Her brief moment of being an interesting character has long since been eclipsed by her morphing into a psychotic nag and I'll be glad when we don't have to suffer through her constant hazing of Peter. I honestly don't know why she's still being foisted upon us and I can't wait for it to end.
2) Pet Peeve #2: The intro page to issue #613 is bizarre. Instead of recapping issue #612, it more or less recaps issue #613 itself. It refers to the Mad Thinker "amping" up Electro's powers; however, in issue #612, we just think that Electro wants his powers stabilized, not learning that, in order for that to happen, the Mad Thinker has to amp up his powers until issue #613. Moreover, it refers to Electro using said amped-up powers against Spider-Man, but Electro's changed powers in issue #612 seemed more a result of their deterioration than the Mad Thinker's intervention. I actually had to flip through issue #612 to make sure I wasn't crazy. Sloppy work, Wacker.
Favorite Quote: "How come it's always my fault? Maybe it's the media. Or Sarah Palin. Or corn syrup. And, hey, whoever thought a talk show at 10:00 could work?" -- Spidey
Summary
Electro's powers are deteriorating, and he accidentally electrocutes a woman who spills a drink on him at a bar. His inability to stop drawing in energy from around him is causing black- and brown-outs throughout the city. Electro seeks help from the Mad Thinker, who tells him the surgery he needs will cost more than a million dollars. Electro's life savings were recently eliminated in the stock-market crash and he's enraged by the government bail-out of the newspaper industry, organized by "The DB!"'s owner, Dexter Bennett. Taking to the web (heh), he encourages New Yorkers to fight against the Bennetts of the world. Spidey fights Electro at a rally and discovers Electro's new unstable powers. Electro corners Bennett at his home and tells him he'll call off the mobs if he pays him the money he needs for the surgery. Peter, meanwhile, devises a device to track power surges so he can find Electro. He does so, just as the Mad Thinker is performing the operation. The interruption results in Electro essentially becoming a living lightning bolt. The newly-powerful Electro double-crosses Bennett, calling on all New Yorkers to turn on all their appliances so he can pull the plug on Bennett. Spidey tracks down Electro to "The DB!" where JJJ, Jr. enters the building as Bennett tries to flee. Spidey captures Electro with a special webbing he created for the purpose, but their fight damages the building's infrastructure and it collapses, paralyzing Bennett, who's caught in the collapse. While Electro is being brought to jail, he discovers his "guard" is the Chameleon, who leads him to Sash Kravinoff.
The Review
Wow, this issue gets dark and dramatic quickly. You think it's going to end in a normal way, with Spidey using his smarts to trap Electro, same old, same old. That happens, but we also wind up seeing Dexter Bennett paralyzed and "The DB!" destroyed. It's unclear what impact these changes will have. Peter exposits that this day cleaves history in two -- pre-collapse and post-collapse -- so the Web Heads seems to be underlining the point that some sort of change will come. Will JJJ, Jr. leave the mayorship and re-start "The Bugle?" Only time will tell. I was torn whether to give this arc two or three stars. Ultimately, I went with three stars, because I think the events of this issue will continue to have an impact on the upcoming storylines, a welcome change from some of the previous arcs, which made some changes that eventually get mostly ignored.
The Good
1) I don't entirely believe that any newspaper worth its salt would ever agree to a government bail-out, given the possibility (or even perception) of government interference in its editorial process. However, Waid really provides an arc that captures a moment in time, finding a way to have Electro reflect the anger and fear that a lot of Americans were feeling in late 2009, when this arc was written. (The publication date on the legal paragraph is January 2010.) Electro himself is an inspired choice as the vehicle for this anger, given that he's always been portrayed as having worse luck than your average super-villain.
2) The Black Cat back-up story in issue #612 was mostly odd (and mostly because of the weird anime art style), but I'm putting it in the good category because the possibility that Peter discovered the Black Cat's alter ego working at the Mayor's office is just too good.
3) I enjoyed Azaceta's pencils. They're a little rough, but, with the frequency with which he depicted Peter shirtless, I can forgive him the details. Moreover, the single-panel shot set against a black background of JJJ, Jr. watching "The DB!" collapse was haunting. It's evocative of 9/11 -- the blowing ash in the background as rescue workers try to help -- and it really does its job of conveying the impact of the loss of "The DB!"
4) The point of "The Gauntlet," based on Wacker's comments on the letters page, appears to be for Spidey to face souped-up versions of older super-villains, including ones who've generally been treated as jokes. We really see that here with Electro (as we also saw a few issues ago with Hammerhead). Electro is almost beyond Spidey's power level here, and I'm glad that Spidey had to use his smarts to defeat him. Science nerds unite!
The Unknown
We're not really shown how exactly the Kravens are manipulating the super-villains involved in "The Gauntlet." In fact, Kraven's wife only approached Electro AFTER the events of this issue. So, it seems that, rather than it being an organized attack now, it might prove to be one later, after Spidey deals individually with Rhino, Sandman, Mysterio, Lizard, Kraven (or, at least, his skeleton), and Electro.
The Meh
Electro's motives are a little unclear here. At first, it seemed that his "rage against the machine" schtick was just an elaborate plan to put public pressure on Bennett so he could blackmail him. But, then, after getting the money, he decides to continue the schtick and goes after Bennett. Now, Electro's never been the most stable of super-villains, so it's entirely possible (in fact, probable) that he wasn't even thinking about his motivations clearly. But, it resulted in some narrative confusion, since you were never really sure, as the reader, why Electro was doing what he was doing.
The Bad
1) I don't entirely understand why Waid felt it necessary to ret-con the fact that Peter got drunk at Aunt May's wedding. The story -- that he got drunk and slept with Michele -- made sense the way it was. Now, I'm left wondering why exactly he slept with her...and still wishing that we could see the last of her. Her brief moment of being an interesting character has long since been eclipsed by her morphing into a psychotic nag and I'll be glad when we don't have to suffer through her constant hazing of Peter. I honestly don't know why she's still being foisted upon us and I can't wait for it to end.
2) Pet Peeve #2: The intro page to issue #613 is bizarre. Instead of recapping issue #612, it more or less recaps issue #613 itself. It refers to the Mad Thinker "amping" up Electro's powers; however, in issue #612, we just think that Electro wants his powers stabilized, not learning that, in order for that to happen, the Mad Thinker has to amp up his powers until issue #613. Moreover, it refers to Electro using said amped-up powers against Spider-Man, but Electro's changed powers in issue #612 seemed more a result of their deterioration than the Mad Thinker's intervention. I actually had to flip through issue #612 to make sure I wasn't crazy. Sloppy work, Wacker.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Nova #19-#22: Big Trouble in the Living Planet
** (two of five stars)
Summary
Nova and the new Centurions take down the Serpent Society, whose members have barricaded themselves inside a compound with hostages (including their own family members) in response to the Skrull Invasion. Back Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Robbie and Darkhawk watch the TV coverage of the battle and gripe about being overshadowed by Nova. Returning to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Nova confronts Worldmind about beginning to recreate the Corps without telling him. Worldmind argues that Richard's disobedience had consistently put Xandarian culture at risk, forcing it to start the process of rebuilding. Nova acknowledges that the Centurions Worldmind chose were good candidates and asks it to stop adding new ones until they can properly discuss it. Worldmind informs Nova that it will not be re-uploaded into his helmet. Nova and the Centurions are called to stop some creature attacking New York and, upon returning to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Nova learns that Worldmind has called up 50 or so more candidates, including Robbie. Rich meets Firestar and Justice for beer and pizza and talks about his concerns over Worldmind's actions, but also his fear that he disapproves because he's not a team player. (In a flashback, we see Nova and Robbie fight, with Nova expressing concern for Robbie's safety and Robbie accusing Nova of being jealous.) Firestar and Justice assure Nova that he was a team player, but also note that it would've been helpful to have a fully functioning Corps to fight off events like the Skrull Invasion and the Annihilation Wave. The trio end their reunion, just in time for Nova to discover Ego the Living Planet hovering in Earth's orbit. Worldmind reveals that it overwrote Ego's "high functions in order to assume dominance" and that it plans to use the planet as the New Xandar. Nova expresses his disgust over Worldmind's actions, though Robbie defends Worldmind. Nova leaves to get some air, but runs into the Fantastic Four. He explains the situation to the team, giving a pretty eloquent defense of his position Robbie arrives to make sure Nova was "OK" and Mr. Fantastic converses with Worldmind, which implies, with Robbie's help, that Richard has begun to go insane under the pressure of containing the Nova Force. Expressing concern for his sanity, Mr. Fantastic convinces Nova to surrender the excess powers to Worldmind. At the last minute, Nova balks, and Worldmind strips his powers from him. Shortly thereafter, Worldmind begins to select dozens of people from Earth to become Centurions. Richard consults with the staff at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., who support his feeling that Worldmind is doing something wrong. They agree to run a full batter of psychological and physical tests on him and help him with the next stage of his plan, luring his brother to the compound. Upon Robbie's arrival, Dr. Necker convinces him and another Centurion to enter an isolation chamber. Once there, Richard appears and reveals that he hasn't been driven insane, according to the tests. However, he states his opinion that Worldmind has. Robbie argues, but then Richard observes that Worldmind has been manipulating them. Robbie and the other Centurion realize he's correct: they can no longer hear Worldmind subconsciously reassuring them. Richard notes that it's also infusing them with endorphins to make them feel good about its control. At that moment, other Centurions arrive and Worldmind reestablishes his control over Robbie and the other Centurion. They depart to stop an impending war between the Shi'Ar Imperium and the Kree Empire. Later, Dr. Necker reveals that Nova only has 48 hours to live, given the physiological damage containing the Nova Force did to him.
The Review
OK, I spent most of this arc annoyed. In fact, I did something I rarely do and skimmed issues #21 and #22 for clues about where the plot was going before I finished issue #20. But, in so doing, I realized that I should have had more faith in DnA, because, after all, they wanted me to be annoyed. I was afraid they were undermining the progress Nova has made throughout this series, treating him once again like a insecure goofball. Instead, Nova confronts that same fear and realizes that he's not the problem. It's the best hero type of moment, where the hero faces his fears, overcomes them, and attempts to conquer the villain who's trying to use his fears against him. All that said, it's still a pretty frustrating arc, exactly for those reasons. Although I can acknowledge how well written it is, I can't say I particularly enjoyed reading it.
The Good
1) OK, I (heart) the Serpent Society. I vividly remember the Serpent Society arc in "Captain America" in the 1990s. Something about it was just...cool. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it always seemed to really bring it when it came to fighting superheroes. The individual members might not be that powerful on their own, but together, with so many of them, they even gave Cap a run for their money.
2) So, as the "Meh" and "Bad" sections detail here, I wasn't a fan of the idea that Worldmind went behind Richard's back to re-start the Nova Corps. I acknowledge that it feels like the sort of thing that Worldmind would do, even if it weren't insane, given that it's not a human being and it's playing a long game. However, it still felt like DnA were unnecessarily adding drama into the series or, at the very least, doing so too early. However, they manage to take a plot point I disliked and turned it into one I loved: namely, Nova's conversation with Firestar and Justice. I love that Nova seeks out the two of them to work through the situation. Most authors would've just had the main character narrate his conflicted feelings via thought bubbles. But, here, we get an entire issue of character development. As I mentioned above, a lot of the reasons why Nova feels annoyed are the reasons I was annoyed. I liked Nova having sole access to Worldmind. I was jealous that Rich wasn't special anymore if Robbie also had powers. Of course, DnA are setting up that crisis of confidence just to show us that Rich has his own special attributes that make him one of the best Centurions ever, as Worldmind itself noted. Despite everything that's happened, Nova still doesn't trust that, and so, on some level, he wanted to avoid competition. I realized reading this issue that I felt the same way on his behalf, that I didn't want him to be overshadowed by Robbie or anyone else. But, just like Nova, I had to learn to trust him. After all, Nova eventually realizes that he's not motivated entirely by this fear of competition and correctly deduces that something else is afoot. The fact that DnA took me through a journey of my own emotions about the situation and showed how they mirrored Rich's? I mean, what more can I say? Genius.
3) The best part about this arc is how subtly DnA build the reveal that Worldmind isn't exactly acting "normal." At first, it appears he's just using his long view of the Corps' challenges to go around Nova, who approaches the numerous challenges from the narrower perspective of a human being. As I've previously mentioned, Nova himself questions whether or not his response to Worldmind's action was just jealous and petty. But, the nagging suspicion that maybe Worldmind was being more than just "strategic," if you will, started when it took over Ego the Living Planet. I mean, you're definitely leaving "good-guy territory" when you're "sublimating" Ego's intelligence to take over the planet. The fact that Robbie so quickly defended Worldmind also added to the sense that maybe something else was happening. Then, we heard Nova's conversation with the Fantastic Four, where he makes a pretty good argument why recruiting a whole slew of untrained Centurions wasn't really that great of an idea. At that point, you wonder, if Rich is making such a good argument, why Worldmind isn't listening to it. Again, Robbie plays an important role in playing up these suspicions when he suddenly appears to "check" to make sure Rich is OK. Then, when Worldmind starts talking about how "unstable" Nova has become, everything went a little Hitchcock. It all goes pear shape in issue #22, when you've got one of the new Centurions asking why anyone would ever leave the Corps and Worldmind assuring the new recruits that they should "remain calm" for this "great day." The reveal -- that Worldmind went insane controlling the Nova Force -- was great. Again, it wasn't fun getting there, but I can't help but applaud the artistry of it.
4) Re-reading some of the issues in order to write the summary, I have to note how pitch-perfect DnA got Robbie. They manage to show his jumping to Worldmind's defense as coming both from a sense of awe and gratitude to Worldmind for giving him the powers he needs to compete with his brother as well as from the fact that Worldmind is probably manipulating him. It's really through Robbie that DnA manage to cast doubt on Nova's motivations. Without him, it probably would've become more apparent sooner that Worldmind wasn't acting terribly nobly.
The Meh
1) OK, so, for most of issue #19, I enjoyed the sibling rivarly/friend jealousy sub-plot. Darkhawk and Robbie had a funny conversation about being also-rans to Nova. It served the purpose of highlighting how different Nova is now, something I mentioned in the last arc; DnA are capitalizing on the character growth we've seen over the course of this series by having other characters in the Marvel Universe acknowledge it. Awesome. The more we see them do that, the less likely we're going to get a return to the loveable-loser stories of the '90s. But, I feel like they overplay their hand here. Giving Robbie Nova powers? Really? I mean, by the end of the series, you begin to realize that Worldmind clearly picked Robbie not just for his scientific knowledge but also his ability to exert influence over Rich. But, it still felt like the cheap shot it was.
The Bad
1) I don't like Nova and Worldmind fighting. Although it's hard to argue with Worldmind's position that Nova taking the risks he has over the course of this series put Worldmind -- and, thus, the Xandarian culture -- at risk, I still didn't enjoy seeing them having a major rupture. Part of the joy of this series has been the witty banter between Nova and Worldmind. Although, again, I appreciated how well written this arc was, it's still disappointing that it's going to be a while (if ever) before we get back said banter.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Nova #16-#18: "Secret Invasion"
**** (four of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "So...? How's this play? Are you really Richie, or do I have to craddle your gunshot, Skrull-i-fied corpse in my arms and howl "NOOOOOO" at the ceiling?" -- Robbie Rider, making me hope we seem him more over the course of this series
Summary
Favorite Quote: "So...? How's this play? Are you really Richie, or do I have to craddle your gunshot, Skrull-i-fied corpse in my arms and howl "NOOOOOO" at the ceiling?" -- Robbie Rider, making me hope we seem him more over the course of this series
Summary
Nova, still Worldmind-less, arrives on Dendron to respond to a distress signal from a research team of botanists. There, he's the victim of a surprise attack by a group of Skrulls disguised as the botanists. Just as the Skrulls start to get the upper-hand, one of them reveals himself as the Super Skrull and helps Richard fight off his comrades. The two then flee from the pursuing Skrull warship until Nova decides to take the direct approach and destroy it. Kl'rt tells Nova that the events of the Annihilation Wave had changed him and he had begun to see the "vile, jihadist fervor afflicting the soul of [his] species." He then informs Richard that the Skrulls had intended to assassinate him to make sure he did not interfere in their plan to invade Earth. (He had joined the strike team to see who its target was, only discovering it was Richard when he arrived). Nova starts a hasty departure for Earth and Kl'rt requests to go with him, since his daughter is on Earth and he already lost his son to the Annihilation Wave. Nova agrees, and, upon exiting his stargate, they find themselves in the middle of the Skrull invasion fleet. Kl'rt pretends to kill Nova to distract the Skrulls, and Richard returns to Earth. He checks on his parents, who send him to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. to check on his brother, Robbie, who's working there as a technician. Upon arrival, Nova discovers the Skrulls have already attacked, and he's blindsided by Darkhawk (in a great splash page) who worries he's a Skrull. Robbie verifies Rich's identity and brings him to meet with Director Gruenwald (awesome). Nova learns that all the weapons that could fight the Skrulls are locked in the vault, which was super-locked (if you will) to keep the Skrulls from getting them. The one weapon available (that happened to be outside the vault for testing) requires a super-computer to process, but the Skrulls have infected P.E.G.A.S.U.S.' StarkTech. Nova and Darkhawk repel a Skrull attack and Nova requests to see the weapon in the test lab. Robbie and his boss explain that it's something called the "Quantum Flask," which they retrieved from the Negative Zone a few weeks earlier. Nova informs them about Worldmind being just the super-computer they need, but unfortunately being off-line, and Robbie's boss offers to try to re-boot it. They're successful in doing so, but the Skrulls attack in the middle of the process. Worldmind reboots, and, in so doing, opens the flask, revealing that its "contents" were Quasar, who's been brought back to life (or, at least, mostly to life, since he appears to be made entirely of energy now). Nova and Quasar arrive to provide support to Darkhawk and his men, beating back the Skrull advance. Worldmind links with Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.' computer and overrides Director Gruenwald's lock of the vault. He activates the Minion project, deploying a group of robotic defenders to help Nova and Darkhawk repel the attack. The Skrulls beat a strategic retreat, revealing their intent to destroy the base with one of their warships. Before Worldmind can route power through Nova, the ship is destroyed...by a group of Nova Centurions!
The Review
The Review
This arc was excellent. Seriously, seriously excellent. It's hard to put into words, but I felt like I had returned to the '90s, reading some of the best stories with some of my favorite characters. DnA give us all sorts of great moments here that show the emotional connections between these characters, like Nova telling Darkhawk how good it would've been to have had his support during the Annihilation Wave. It's why I'm so excited about them taking over "New Mutants," because I feel like they find ways to imbue emotions and history in all the interactions that Nova has with supporting characters. It's something few comic-book authors do well, and it's just such a joy to see them do it here, particularly when it comes to characters that I loved but Marvel put in dry-dock.
The Really Good
The Really Good
1) DnA really do a great job walking us through Kl'rt's soul searching. He talks about how the unity that all the various races of the United Front displayed during the war against the Annihilation Wave had taught him about priorities and he had begun to realize his race was locked on an "ignorant, religious crusade." As motivations to change long-held beliefs go, war and its aftermath are pretty good ones. I've been impressed by all the post-"Annihilation" stories because the authors have made the characters involved really struggle with the aftermath. "Annihilation" is going to be considered one of the best events of all time because, unlike every other event that promises to "shake the Marvel Universe," this one actually did. It actually had real impacts that weren't forgotten immediately in the first post-event arc. I'm so used to authors just changing the personalites of long-established characters because it suits their purposes for the time being. DnA do it the hard way here, building off years of various stories and works of other authors to bring Kl'rt to where he is when this issue starts. I give them a serious round of applause for that.
2) DARKHAWK, PEOPLE, DARKHAWK! Man, I LOVE that DnA brought back Darkhawk. He was one of my favorite characters in the '90s. His series unfortunately got kind of weak, if I remember correctly, at the end, but I remember being totally entranced by the first few issues. I was roughly the same age as he was, and I remember feeling more connected to him than almost any other character. I'm so stoked to see him here, with Nova, another character I loved in the '90s. I've got to find my flannel and listen to some Nirvana! The '90s live!
2) DARKHAWK, PEOPLE, DARKHAWK! Man, I LOVE that DnA brought back Darkhawk. He was one of my favorite characters in the '90s. His series unfortunately got kind of weak, if I remember correctly, at the end, but I remember being totally entranced by the first few issues. I was roughly the same age as he was, and I remember feeling more connected to him than almost any other character. I'm so stoked to see him here, with Nova, another character I loved in the '90s. I've got to find my flannel and listen to some Nirvana! The '90s live!
The Good
1) The cat-like alien in distress named "Botanist Maow?" Awesome. The Skrulls posing as kitty cats to lure Nova? Double awesome. I also love Richard's and Kl'rt's hilarious conversation about how despicable it was later.
2) Richard's conversations with Darkhawk and his brother when they're all first reunited were awesome. I loved Darkhawk telling us he's been attacked by Captain America, Thor, and Dick Cheney and constantly screaming "They all say that!" every time Rich tries to prove he's not a Skrull. I also loved the witty banter between Rich and his brother, the quote above being perhaps the best of a damn good bunch. Again, DnA with the great dialogue AND compelling plots!
3) I've talked a lot in these reviews of "Nova" about how happy I am to see Nova finally getting the chance to mature and for the other superheroes in the Marvel Universe to notice. To that end, I thought DnA did a great job showing that throughout this arc, with both Darkhawk and Quasar commenting on how capable he seems. You can see Chris idolizing him a bit here, inspired by his conversion to adult superhero (and maybe hoping he can pull of the same thing). Great stuff.
4) I'm glad we got some closure with Richard's parents. It was bugging me. Dude is busting his ass saving the Universe. He deserves to have his parents be proud.
The Bad
2) Richard's conversations with Darkhawk and his brother when they're all first reunited were awesome. I loved Darkhawk telling us he's been attacked by Captain America, Thor, and Dick Cheney and constantly screaming "They all say that!" every time Rich tries to prove he's not a Skrull. I also loved the witty banter between Rich and his brother, the quote above being perhaps the best of a damn good bunch. Again, DnA with the great dialogue AND compelling plots!
3) I've talked a lot in these reviews of "Nova" about how happy I am to see Nova finally getting the chance to mature and for the other superheroes in the Marvel Universe to notice. To that end, I thought DnA did a great job showing that throughout this arc, with both Darkhawk and Quasar commenting on how capable he seems. You can see Chris idolizing him a bit here, inspired by his conversion to adult superhero (and maybe hoping he can pull of the same thing). Great stuff.
4) I'm glad we got some closure with Richard's parents. It was bugging me. Dude is busting his ass saving the Universe. He deserves to have his parents be proud.
The Bad
1) The introduction page for issue #17 was bizarre. It was clearly meant to come first, because it talks about Kl'rt "betraying" Nova. But, it comes after we learn that Kl'rt didn't betray Nova, he only pretended to do so to save him. Weird.
2) I have to say, the only thing keeping me from giving this arc a five, which I had totally planned to do, was the anti-climatic ending. I feel like DnA threw us TOO much of a curveball having the Skrull threat -- the main plot of these three issues -- suddenly evaporate via the introduction of a new plot, the return of the Nova Centurions. I really liked the chaos of these three issues, with everyone haphazardly having to team together to fend off the Skrulls. As such, it felt a little like Nova, Darkhawk, and the Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. team were denied a win when the problem is suddenly magically solved by the Nova Centurions, whoever they actually are.
2) I have to say, the only thing keeping me from giving this arc a five, which I had totally planned to do, was the anti-climatic ending. I feel like DnA threw us TOO much of a curveball having the Skrull threat -- the main plot of these three issues -- suddenly evaporate via the introduction of a new plot, the return of the Nova Centurions. I really liked the chaos of these three issues, with everyone haphazardly having to team together to fend off the Skrulls. As such, it felt a little like Nova, Darkhawk, and the Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. team were denied a win when the problem is suddenly magically solved by the Nova Centurions, whoever they actually are.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Amazing Spider-Man #611: "This Man, This [Expletive Deleted]"
It's kind of hard to summarize and review a Deadpool issue. I mean, between the fourth-wall breaking and the unclear continuity aspects, it's all just a little hard to process. It's also hard to rate it, because a lot of the factors I take into account in rating an issue -- like believability -- just kind of go out the window. So, in the spirit of Deadpool, we're going to buck format here. I'm not going to rate it, I'm not going to quote it, I'm not going to summarize it, and I'm not going to review it. You just get some thoughts, an internal monologue, if you will, just like Wade's. (Well, maybe not quite like Wade's. But, you know, close.)
It's hard to pull out particular moments, but I'll try. It's a fun book, from the debut of Lady Stilt-Man (heh) to Wade's promised "Mamageddon" yo-mamma joke. Wade's "I'm not gay, I'm NOT!" schtick actually never got old, nor did his frequent references to "special hugging." I also thoroughly enjoyed Geoff Johns' "approving" Wade's reference to his "Blackest Night" nail polish. All in all, it's exactly what you expect in a Deadpool issue: you get to kind of put aside your critical, fanboy brain and just have some fun.
One thing that made it slightly hard to do that, though, is the fact that this issue actually serves a purpose and furthers the plot. Kraven's wife hired Deadpool to distract Spidey so he didn't bump into Arana, he didn't battle Anti-Venom, and Ana had a chance to kidnap Spider-Woman. The overall importance of these individual events (or non-events) isn't revealed; we only learn that Kraven's wife and Ana knew they were important thanks to Madame Web, who they captured a few issues ago. At any rate, based on Wacker's comments in the letters page, this issue sets up "The Gauntlet" event. We've seen Ana and her mom engage a number of super-villains (such as Diablo in "Long-Term Arrangement"), so it's pretty clear that "The Gauntlet" is going to be just that. I'm not sure if it was really necessary to tie the Deadpool issue into "The Gauntlet," but I'll admit it's at least clever to have the purpose of a Deadpool issue to be a distraction since, after all, Deadpool is a distraction.
It's hard to pull out particular moments, but I'll try. It's a fun book, from the debut of Lady Stilt-Man (heh) to Wade's promised "Mamageddon" yo-mamma joke. Wade's "I'm not gay, I'm NOT!" schtick actually never got old, nor did his frequent references to "special hugging." I also thoroughly enjoyed Geoff Johns' "approving" Wade's reference to his "Blackest Night" nail polish. All in all, it's exactly what you expect in a Deadpool issue: you get to kind of put aside your critical, fanboy brain and just have some fun.
One thing that made it slightly hard to do that, though, is the fact that this issue actually serves a purpose and furthers the plot. Kraven's wife hired Deadpool to distract Spidey so he didn't bump into Arana, he didn't battle Anti-Venom, and Ana had a chance to kidnap Spider-Woman. The overall importance of these individual events (or non-events) isn't revealed; we only learn that Kraven's wife and Ana knew they were important thanks to Madame Web, who they captured a few issues ago. At any rate, based on Wacker's comments in the letters page, this issue sets up "The Gauntlet" event. We've seen Ana and her mom engage a number of super-villains (such as Diablo in "Long-Term Arrangement"), so it's pretty clear that "The Gauntlet" is going to be just that. I'm not sure if it was really necessary to tie the Deadpool issue into "The Gauntlet," but I'll admit it's at least clever to have the purpose of a Deadpool issue to be a distraction since, after all, Deadpool is a distraction.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers: Solo #1: Yay, Hawkeye! OK, this issue is pretty fun. It has a lot of ins-and-outs that take some time to follow, but, unlike Tony Daniel's ability to confuse me thoroughly in "Batman" with similar feints-and-dodges, Van Meter laid out a story that even I managed to follow without having to re-read the issue three times. I only have two questions. First, Mel was at least in touch with Tuli and says that Trace was a friend helping her. So, if a friend of my friend is my friend, wouldn't Tuli also be working with Trace, if he were working with Mel? If so, why were Trace and Tuli fighting at the start of the issue? Second, Hawkeye tells Chance that he was just looking at his file that morning. Is it because he sort of looks like Trace? Otherwise, I can't figure out why Hawkeye would be randomly flipping through Chance's file. But, for a complicated story, it's pretty good that I only have those questions. As such, I'd say it's a pretty fine start to this new mini-series (particularly ending with Paste-Pot Pete, of all people!). Although Hawkeye says the detective business isn't really his deal, Van Meter seems to have stumbled on something that might be the perfect métier for Hawkeye. Rather than the espionage series we've gotten over the last few years, I'd totally buy a series where Hawkeye is a cranky private investigator with a hot-but-off-limits (possibly lesbian) Girl Friday. Maybe he could join X-Factor!
Captain America and Bucky #623: This title, at this point, has essentially become the Bucky Barnes show. I've seen enough hints on the Internet that Bucky isn't, in fact, dead (fingers crossed, I haven't gotten "Fear Itself" #7.1 yet) to know that the hope that this series was merely a way to keep Bucky in everyone's minds before they resurrected him will hopefully be rewarded. It seems all the more likely since we will pretty much dispense of the "Captain America and..." part in the next arc, given its focus on Bucky's Winter Soldier years. As the final issue focusing on Bucky's experience during the Second World War, therefore, Brubaker pulls out all the stops. He somehow manages to tell a story about concentration camps that, somehow, doesn't become overly burdened by the subject. We see Bucky grow here, given his reflections on how he reverted to old behaviors due to his rage over the sights he saw in the camp. I'm sure I'm inevitably going to be annoyed by the way they resurrect Bucky, so I've got to enjoy these issues while I can.
New Mutants #32: ...and "Fear Itself" finally, finally ends. This issue was fine, though I more or less rushed through it, since the sooner I can forget about "Fear Itself," the better. I was glad to see that DnA had Bobby providing guidance to Nate on how to focus his power, given that, for the last 31 issues, all we've seen Bobby do is pine over Amara. The art on this title, to my mind, has become its most significant weakness. I really wish we would get one stable artist who stopped drawing Sunspot like the Beast and Nate like Lou Ferrigno. But, this title has also, I feel, really started suffering from all the various cross-over event forced on it. By my count, it's had to handle "Necrosha," "Siege," "Second Coming," "Age of X," and "Fear Itself," just in its short 32-issue life. At this stage, we've gotten a third as many issues as the group's original run, an iconic series that inspired such devoted fans that we still clamor to read about them almost (gulp) 30 years later. It's time for the Marvel editors to stop with these forced events and let the great authors they've assigned to this title work their magic, to tell the stories that we'll remember 30 more years from now.
Secret Avengers #18: OK, I had decided that, if I didn't like this issue, I was axing this title. But, Ellis delivers an issue I actually not only liked, but enjoyed. I don't know why his handling of multiversally derived transmatter felt more grounded (and worked better) than his previous two topics (nuclear weapons delivered by Doom platforms and zombie robots engaged in body snatching). It's probably got more to do with Aja's amazing Escheresque pencils selling the story than anything Ellis does in particular. But, to be fair, Ellis injects some more vim and vigor into this issue than he did in issue #16, when the Secret Avengers chasing a doomsday device felt more like the Beast reciting his doctoral dissertation to us. Ellis also actually gives us some great moments of characterization here, like Steve telling Shang Chi he's acting like an Avengers when he locates the flight deck and telling Sharon Carter he loves her after she kicks some serious ass. I also like how Ellis has Steve lament the fact that this team doesn't act like one, despite doing so being the Avengers' strength. The lack of teamwork (or at least focus on the cohesion of the team) has been one of my complaints about this series, and I hope Ellis acknowledging it means he's planning to do something to fix it. I'm still left wondering when we're going to see Steve become Cap in this title, since it's the only one where he doesn't appear as such. (I also have no idea how the cover fits with the issue. Is that supposed to be Shang Chi?) At any rate, I hope this issue represents a departure for the title, with an increased focus on teamwork. If so, I might stick around longer than planned.
Teen Titans #2: Lobdell delivers a pretty solid issue here. He hints at all sort of past realities and future plots. Superboy is tasked to take down Wonder Girl? I think we can all see where that assignment is going to lead. It sounds like Kid Flash is no longer a rapid-aged superhero from the future, but just a regular kid, a fairly welcome change, if I'm going to be honest. (But, it does raise all sorts of other issues, like whether or not he's related to Barry.) Speaking of Kid Flash, I wonder who this "Danny" guy was and where he went. Lobdell continues to do a nice job developing N.O.W.H.E.R.E. as a bad-ass organization, and Tim gives Cassie a pretty compelling speech about the need to fight to make sure they don't get weaker while N.O.W.H.E.R.E. gets stronger. (I thought it was a nice touch to have Bart observe how many cells his holding facility had, underling Tim's point that the more meta-teens in the slammer, the fewer meta-teens in the fight.) I'm anxious to see Superboy get into the mix, mainly because I'm hoping, as I've said before, that this series and "Superboy" depict past events. I'm already over Conner being a personality-less drone. You can tell that it's going to be the Titans that set him free, and I'm ready to get that ball rolling. (Did I mention the awesomeness of Tim in the Green Lantern shirt?)
Captain America and Bucky #623: This title, at this point, has essentially become the Bucky Barnes show. I've seen enough hints on the Internet that Bucky isn't, in fact, dead (fingers crossed, I haven't gotten "Fear Itself" #7.1 yet) to know that the hope that this series was merely a way to keep Bucky in everyone's minds before they resurrected him will hopefully be rewarded. It seems all the more likely since we will pretty much dispense of the "Captain America and..." part in the next arc, given its focus on Bucky's Winter Soldier years. As the final issue focusing on Bucky's experience during the Second World War, therefore, Brubaker pulls out all the stops. He somehow manages to tell a story about concentration camps that, somehow, doesn't become overly burdened by the subject. We see Bucky grow here, given his reflections on how he reverted to old behaviors due to his rage over the sights he saw in the camp. I'm sure I'm inevitably going to be annoyed by the way they resurrect Bucky, so I've got to enjoy these issues while I can.
New Mutants #32: ...and "Fear Itself" finally, finally ends. This issue was fine, though I more or less rushed through it, since the sooner I can forget about "Fear Itself," the better. I was glad to see that DnA had Bobby providing guidance to Nate on how to focus his power, given that, for the last 31 issues, all we've seen Bobby do is pine over Amara. The art on this title, to my mind, has become its most significant weakness. I really wish we would get one stable artist who stopped drawing Sunspot like the Beast and Nate like Lou Ferrigno. But, this title has also, I feel, really started suffering from all the various cross-over event forced on it. By my count, it's had to handle "Necrosha," "Siege," "Second Coming," "Age of X," and "Fear Itself," just in its short 32-issue life. At this stage, we've gotten a third as many issues as the group's original run, an iconic series that inspired such devoted fans that we still clamor to read about them almost (gulp) 30 years later. It's time for the Marvel editors to stop with these forced events and let the great authors they've assigned to this title work their magic, to tell the stories that we'll remember 30 more years from now.
Secret Avengers #18: OK, I had decided that, if I didn't like this issue, I was axing this title. But, Ellis delivers an issue I actually not only liked, but enjoyed. I don't know why his handling of multiversally derived transmatter felt more grounded (and worked better) than his previous two topics (nuclear weapons delivered by Doom platforms and zombie robots engaged in body snatching). It's probably got more to do with Aja's amazing Escheresque pencils selling the story than anything Ellis does in particular. But, to be fair, Ellis injects some more vim and vigor into this issue than he did in issue #16, when the Secret Avengers chasing a doomsday device felt more like the Beast reciting his doctoral dissertation to us. Ellis also actually gives us some great moments of characterization here, like Steve telling Shang Chi he's acting like an Avengers when he locates the flight deck and telling Sharon Carter he loves her after she kicks some serious ass. I also like how Ellis has Steve lament the fact that this team doesn't act like one, despite doing so being the Avengers' strength. The lack of teamwork (or at least focus on the cohesion of the team) has been one of my complaints about this series, and I hope Ellis acknowledging it means he's planning to do something to fix it. I'm still left wondering when we're going to see Steve become Cap in this title, since it's the only one where he doesn't appear as such. (I also have no idea how the cover fits with the issue. Is that supposed to be Shang Chi?) At any rate, I hope this issue represents a departure for the title, with an increased focus on teamwork. If so, I might stick around longer than planned.
Teen Titans #2: Lobdell delivers a pretty solid issue here. He hints at all sort of past realities and future plots. Superboy is tasked to take down Wonder Girl? I think we can all see where that assignment is going to lead. It sounds like Kid Flash is no longer a rapid-aged superhero from the future, but just a regular kid, a fairly welcome change, if I'm going to be honest. (But, it does raise all sorts of other issues, like whether or not he's related to Barry.) Speaking of Kid Flash, I wonder who this "Danny" guy was and where he went. Lobdell continues to do a nice job developing N.O.W.H.E.R.E. as a bad-ass organization, and Tim gives Cassie a pretty compelling speech about the need to fight to make sure they don't get weaker while N.O.W.H.E.R.E. gets stronger. (I thought it was a nice touch to have Bart observe how many cells his holding facility had, underling Tim's point that the more meta-teens in the slammer, the fewer meta-teens in the fight.) I'm anxious to see Superboy get into the mix, mainly because I'm hoping, as I've said before, that this series and "Superboy" depict past events. I'm already over Conner being a personality-less drone. You can tell that it's going to be the Titans that set him free, and I'm ready to get that ball rolling. (Did I mention the awesomeness of Tim in the Green Lantern shirt?)
Friday, November 4, 2011
Amazing Spider-Man #608-#610: "Who Was Ben Reilly"
*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Y'know, normally I'd say that joke brought the house down, but I'm not really in a mood to screw around!" -- Ben Reilly to Kaine as, well, the house falls down
Summary
This arc is divided into two different stories. The first story, chronologically, is a flashback to the events that gave birth to the Raptor (aka Damon Ryder, who we first saw in Annual #36). Ben Reilly gets a job as a lab assistant for Ryder, a professor trying to prove the missing link between humans and dinosaurs (yup) by synthesizing said link. After having Ben to his house to meet his wife and kids for dinner, Ryder reveals that he's found the link. However, the next day, Ben discovers that Ryder found the link by injecting himself with the formula to create the hybrid. Ben confronts him about it at the lab, but Ryder escapes. Finding him at home, Ben is attacked by Ryder only to have Kaine join the fray. (Kaine believes Ryder can help him with his cellular degeneration.) During the brawl, Ryder escapes, but Kaine sets the house on fire accidentally, killing Ryder's wife and children. Ryder doesn't remember the fight and believes (as we know from the Annual) that Ben killed them.
In the present day, Ryder confronts Peter (whom, as we also know from the Annual, he believes to be Ben) at "Front Line." Ryder leaves when Ben Urich calls the cops, but not before showing everyone the police sketch of Ben as the principal suspect in his family's death. Peter shakes off Ben Urich's line of questioning and leaves the "Front Line" offices. He uses his Spider-Tracer to find Ryder's hide-out, where he encounters Kaine, who's still looking for Ryder. They fight, Kaine escape, and Spidey heads home, only to discover that Ryder has been there. Peter sends Michele to a hotel, only to discover that Ryder's holding the Reilly girls and Harry hostage at Aunt May's. Ryder has invited Kaine to join the fracas (with the promise of helping him). Kaine reveals Peter's identity to Ryder and encourages him to kill Peter, arguing that he's the same person as Ben. Peter manages to hold off both of them before the police come, causing everyone to scatter. Later, we see Ryder admitting he lied to Kaine about helping him and, in a rage, Kaine kills Ryder.
Review
This arc is possibly the only good clone-related storyline ever written. Guggenheim actually raises the Clone Saga to a new level. It's a great coda, ten or so years later, when the hate and the rage have died down a bit.
The Good
1) Kaine! Holy crap. I honestly didn't see that coming. I'm not sure where we left Kaine, though. Wasn't he dead already?
2) Yay, someone finally comments on the weirdness of Peter Parker and Ben Reilly both occupying the same space! The Clone Saga always went to great (and increasingly unbelievable) lengths to avoid addressing it, so I was thrilled when Peter had to explain why a guy who looks just like him burned down a house. Similarly...
3) ...yay, they killed Ryder! One of my main complaints since Spidey's secret identity has been re-secret-ed has been the lengths to which the writers have gone to keep his identity a secret. They've used plot devices to make it seem like his identity is going to be revealed, but then they don't follow it to its inevitable conclusion, using some crazy excuse to avoid it. (I'm looking at you, "American Son." You, too, "Kraven's First Hunt.") Here, it's pretty clear that Guggenheim can't allow Ryder to live AND know Spidey's identity (or, at lest, who he thinks Spidey is, Ben Reilly), because Ryder would definitely expose him or at least use it to his advantage. So, Guggenheim has Kaine kill him. It was really the only conclusion that allowed Guggenheim to avoid the aforementioned "crazy excuse," and I applaud him for taking it. Combined with addressing the Parker/Reilly duality, Guggenheim really grounds this story firmly in reality, and it makes it a better arc story for it.
The Bad
1) Peter monologues that "Ryder doesn't know that Spider-Man unmasked him as the guy who attacked Peter Parker in Boston." Um, of course he knows. He was, by definition, there. Peter Parker doesn't necessarily know that Spider-Man unmasked Rider as the guy who attacked him, but Ryder does.
2) I don't understand why Ryder "wakes up" confused about Ben killing his family. He seemed to be in charge, more or less, of his faculties during the fight, but then suddenly seems disoriented...just in time to see his dead family.
3) Luke Ross & Rick Magyar's art is a little rough in this arc. It was difficult, particularly in issue #610, to tell the different between Damon Ryder and Ben Reilly, making it obviously difficult to follow the fight. Given that you were dealing with three different artists, it more or less comes with the territory that the art isn't going to be too coherent. But, it's a shame, because I felt like the art occasionally distracted from the story Guggenheim was trying to tell.
4) Speaking of the art, the cover to issue #610 is terrible. You'd think Spidey was fighting Sabretooth. Maybe they wanted you to believe it to boost sales. Regardless, it looks nothing like Kaine.
Favorite Quote: "Y'know, normally I'd say that joke brought the house down, but I'm not really in a mood to screw around!" -- Ben Reilly to Kaine as, well, the house falls down
Summary
This arc is divided into two different stories. The first story, chronologically, is a flashback to the events that gave birth to the Raptor (aka Damon Ryder, who we first saw in Annual #36). Ben Reilly gets a job as a lab assistant for Ryder, a professor trying to prove the missing link between humans and dinosaurs (yup) by synthesizing said link. After having Ben to his house to meet his wife and kids for dinner, Ryder reveals that he's found the link. However, the next day, Ben discovers that Ryder found the link by injecting himself with the formula to create the hybrid. Ben confronts him about it at the lab, but Ryder escapes. Finding him at home, Ben is attacked by Ryder only to have Kaine join the fray. (Kaine believes Ryder can help him with his cellular degeneration.) During the brawl, Ryder escapes, but Kaine sets the house on fire accidentally, killing Ryder's wife and children. Ryder doesn't remember the fight and believes (as we know from the Annual) that Ben killed them.
In the present day, Ryder confronts Peter (whom, as we also know from the Annual, he believes to be Ben) at "Front Line." Ryder leaves when Ben Urich calls the cops, but not before showing everyone the police sketch of Ben as the principal suspect in his family's death. Peter shakes off Ben Urich's line of questioning and leaves the "Front Line" offices. He uses his Spider-Tracer to find Ryder's hide-out, where he encounters Kaine, who's still looking for Ryder. They fight, Kaine escape, and Spidey heads home, only to discover that Ryder has been there. Peter sends Michele to a hotel, only to discover that Ryder's holding the Reilly girls and Harry hostage at Aunt May's. Ryder has invited Kaine to join the fracas (with the promise of helping him). Kaine reveals Peter's identity to Ryder and encourages him to kill Peter, arguing that he's the same person as Ben. Peter manages to hold off both of them before the police come, causing everyone to scatter. Later, we see Ryder admitting he lied to Kaine about helping him and, in a rage, Kaine kills Ryder.
Review
This arc is possibly the only good clone-related storyline ever written. Guggenheim actually raises the Clone Saga to a new level. It's a great coda, ten or so years later, when the hate and the rage have died down a bit.
The Good
1) Kaine! Holy crap. I honestly didn't see that coming. I'm not sure where we left Kaine, though. Wasn't he dead already?
2) Yay, someone finally comments on the weirdness of Peter Parker and Ben Reilly both occupying the same space! The Clone Saga always went to great (and increasingly unbelievable) lengths to avoid addressing it, so I was thrilled when Peter had to explain why a guy who looks just like him burned down a house. Similarly...
3) ...yay, they killed Ryder! One of my main complaints since Spidey's secret identity has been re-secret-ed has been the lengths to which the writers have gone to keep his identity a secret. They've used plot devices to make it seem like his identity is going to be revealed, but then they don't follow it to its inevitable conclusion, using some crazy excuse to avoid it. (I'm looking at you, "American Son." You, too, "Kraven's First Hunt.") Here, it's pretty clear that Guggenheim can't allow Ryder to live AND know Spidey's identity (or, at lest, who he thinks Spidey is, Ben Reilly), because Ryder would definitely expose him or at least use it to his advantage. So, Guggenheim has Kaine kill him. It was really the only conclusion that allowed Guggenheim to avoid the aforementioned "crazy excuse," and I applaud him for taking it. Combined with addressing the Parker/Reilly duality, Guggenheim really grounds this story firmly in reality, and it makes it a better arc story for it.
The Bad
1) Peter monologues that "Ryder doesn't know that Spider-Man unmasked him as the guy who attacked Peter Parker in Boston." Um, of course he knows. He was, by definition, there. Peter Parker doesn't necessarily know that Spider-Man unmasked Rider as the guy who attacked him, but Ryder does.
2) I don't understand why Ryder "wakes up" confused about Ben killing his family. He seemed to be in charge, more or less, of his faculties during the fight, but then suddenly seems disoriented...just in time to see his dead family.
3) Luke Ross & Rick Magyar's art is a little rough in this arc. It was difficult, particularly in issue #610, to tell the different between Damon Ryder and Ben Reilly, making it obviously difficult to follow the fight. Given that you were dealing with three different artists, it more or less comes with the territory that the art isn't going to be too coherent. But, it's a shame, because I felt like the art occasionally distracted from the story Guggenheim was trying to tell.
4) Speaking of the art, the cover to issue #610 is terrible. You'd think Spidey was fighting Sabretooth. Maybe they wanted you to believe it to boost sales. Regardless, it looks nothing like Kaine.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Nova #13-#15: Galactus Comes A-Callin'
***** (five of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "What happened to you, Surfer? You've changed." "I serve Galactus. I have chosen this destiny. I-- I do not have to justify my actions to you." -- Nova and the Silver Surfer, acting as if Nova is expressing disappointment over Surfer going corporate at their ten-year college reunion
Summary
A disembodied entity (later identified by the name "Harrow") possesses the bodies of refugees fleeing Galactus, who is in the process of consuming their planet, Orbucen. Meanwhile, Nova agrees to help the Adjudik, a city official on Orbucen, in evacuating, conceding that Galactus is too far along in the process to stop him. However, Nova expresses outrage when the Adjudik wants him only to help the upper classes, and departs to a "vulnerable population center" to help its residents evacuate. Upon arriving, he encounters a Harrow-possessed guard, who dies fighting Nova. Harrow attempts to leap into Nova, but Worldmind erects psi-barriers that block it from doing so. It leaps instead to another body, and Nova captures it with a "localized gravimetric node." He deposits the Harrow-possessed body with the Adjudik so it can later be brought to justice and departs to continue facilitating the evacuation. It's then revealed that Galactus' apparatus is creating such electromagnetic interference that the ships can't depart. Nova tries to appeal to Galactus, but is interrupted by the Silver Surfer, who attacks him for approaching Galactus. Surfer removes them to the planet's surface (away from Galactus' "immediate range of perception") so that they can talk without annoying Galactus. Hearing the plight of the refugees, Surfer agrees to shield the ships so they can flee. Nova returns to pick up Harrow, only to discover its essence has escaped the body Nova had trapped. Nova tacks down Harrow in its new body and confronts it as it attacks the last remaining refugees, but discovers that the entity has found a way to free itself from his "node." Worldmind beseeches Nova to escape, because Galactus' electromagnetic interference will soon hinder its ability to create a stargate. Nova ignores the warning, stressing the need to bring Harrow to justice. However, he believes Harrow to be destroyed when both of them are caught in the ignition blast of the departing ship. Worldmind berates Nova for dooming them, though Nova asserts that they can use the syphons connected to the planet from Galactus' ship to escape. He makes his way up a syphon, only to have Worldmind "burn out" as a result of trying to maintain Nova's shields. (Nova is left with the suit's "user support system," who's a lot less...um...charismatic that Worldmind) Nova searches the ship for Surfer, but learns that Harrow -- in its original form -- is on the ship as well, having stowed away there years ago to feed off the chaos Galactus causes. Nova battles Harrow, only to be interrupted by the Surfer for destroying part of the ship. Nova reveals Harrow to the Surfer, who, outraged by its use of Galactus, presents it to Galactus, who destroys it. Galactus allows Nova to live, though the Surfer warns him that Galactus "never spares anything twice." Nova then departs -- still Worldmind-less -- to continue answering distress signals.
The Review
6) Um, I'm really worried about Worldmind...
The Review
I love this arc. It's vintage Nova. DnA have always been great with light-hearted banter between Nova and Worldmind, but they seem to go beyond that here, also giving us some hilarious moments between Nova and Surfer. At the same time, they give us an interesting mediation of how Richard still has trouble acting on a cosmic scale: in the middle of the destruction of a planet by Galactus, he's still trying to bring a criminal to justice, still attempting to stick to a fairly Earth-bound moral code despite the risk it posed to him and Worldmind. If only more authors were able to write this well more often...
The Really Good
DnA give us an arc full of humor and wit, despite the fact that we're dealing with, you know, Galactus destroying a world and a homicidal maniac feasting off the anguished population as they attempt to flee their oncoming destruction. The Nova/Worldmind interactions are some of the best DnA have ever written. Worldmind replaying the audio file of Richard telling it he wouldn't take on Galactus as Richard goes ahead and takes on Galactus? One of the funniest moments I've seen in comics. Worldmind chastising Richard for getting them killed when it appears they're going to die with Orbucen? Excellent. Moreover, the conversation between Nova and Surfer in issue #14, with Nova being all "Man, we used to hang," and Surfer being all, "Dude, I've got a job now" was just awesome. It's just a great reminder that, despite the growth Nova experienced during and since "Annihilation," he still occasionally acts like a twenty-something bro. In fact, I'd go so far as say it's actually kind of nice to see a bit of the old Nova, now that we've put the "leading half the population of the Universe against the Annihilation Wave" business behind us. Don't get me wrong; I don't want to see a return of the jackass we saw in Erik Larsen's "Nova" series of the '90s. But, I also don't want to see Nova become, I don't know, "Wolverine." DnA do a great job of making sure that, after spending some time on the darker side of the spectrum these last few issues, we see some more of the lighter side in this arc.
The Good
1) I liked how DnA set up this story. In the first few pages, it's more or less unclear what's happening exactly. At first, I thought the entity (who we alter discover is called Hallow) that narrates the first few pages was behind the destruction of Orbucen. The revelation that it's Galactus -- and that Hallow is merely a psychotic entity that engages in murder sprees during chaotic scenarios -- was really well done. The opening sequence got you really engaged in the story, since you were trying to ascertain what exactly was happening to Orbucen. DnA could've just started with a shot of Galactus or the Silver Surfer, but we actually don't see them until much later in the issue. It's that type of attention to detail and embrace of innovation that makes them so good.
2) Similarly I liked how they give us a mystery to frame Galactus' destruction. Again, they could've just gone with a straight Galactus story, with Richard railing against the Adjudik's decision only to save the elites and racing against time to save the "underclasses." But, DnA kick it up a notch by making us wonder how Hallow is going to rear its ugly head. It's why the "Knowhere" arc was so fun as well. It wasn't just a "Nova lost in space" story; DnA gave us a mystery as well. As I said in that review, they really excel in these types of stories, where they go beyond standard comic-book tropes and tell an overarching story with several layers. I don't think I could ever get tired of reading them.
3) The images of Nova "confronting" Galactus at the end of issue #13 -- and of him having no idea, literally, what hit him at the beginning of issue #14 -- were just awesome. DnA usually use Nova and Worldmind's interactions to inject comic relief in their stories, but the sight gags of these incidents were both awesome and hilarious.
4) The end of issue #14 is intense. DnA consistently imply throughout issue #13 and #14 that Nova's obsession with bringing Harrow to justice is a little...misguided, given the fact that he could be concentrating more fully on evacuating the dying world. The fact that he ends issue #14 trapped on Orbucen as Galactus is feeding -- all because of his single-minded pursuit of justice -- is, as I said, intense.
5) Whoa, I did not expect Harrow to appear in issue #15! The twist here -- that Harrow embedded itself in Galactus' ship because he was the perfect host for an entity that fed off misery -- was great. I really thought it died in issue #14, and we were going to spend issue #15 with some sort of additional Nova/Surfer plot. But, no, DnA unexpectedly (but totally logically) keep Harrow in play! Good stuff.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Dungeons & Dragons #12: As we enter the second year of this title, Rogers really starts delving into the emotional lives of these characters. All this issue is full of Rogers' great banter and wit, it's also a darker story of love. We learn here of Adric's younger brother, Tymon, who always wanted to go to a dwarven hold, but unfortunately died before it could happen. We don't learn how he died, but Adric follows Khal on his damn, fool idealistic crusade home in part to see it. I admit I teared up a bit when he said, "Hey Tymon. I'm in a hold. It's beautiful. Wish you were here." If that weren't enough emotion for one issue, we also learn that Khal's love is dead. Khal suspected as much when he realized that her mother and sisters were forging her letters, which we learn they were doing to hide their shame that she somehow woke up the kruthik, a reptile beast who we see throughout the issue terrorizing both the countryside and the hold. I can't imagine Khal is going to take it well. Rogers adds to the mystery of Tisha here as well. Tieflings apparently created kruthiks, though, despite that, Tisha asserts that she cannot control them. In the middle of a fight with them, though, we see a mysterious hand (that, to me, looks like Copernicus Jinx's) dispatch the creature. Tisha lies to Bree that it fled because she blasted it, but it's clearly not the case. I'm not sure if it's part of the deal she made in the Feywild, but I'm sure we'll learn the reason behind it eventually. This issue is a great and, if you're not reading this title, it's a perfect place to start.
New Comics!: The "New 52!" Edition #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #2: I'm getting the sense that this title is going to wind up being the sleeper hit of the reboot. Although Simone makes a passing reference to the mystery of how Barbara regained the use of her legs, it's less present as an issue here than it was in the first issue. Instead, Simone wisely shifts the focus to Barbara's struggles trying to get into the routine of superhero-ing again. Simone does a great job with Barbara's inner dialogue; I felt like she was narrating the story directly to me. I also like what she does with Mirror here. I don't quite get how making his victims see their "true face" is tied into making his victims die the deaths they were supposed to die, but Simone does a good job selling the latter part of the equation. (I'm hoping we'll get more on the former part later.) I'm also not sure if he knows Batgirl's secret identity, because why would both Barbara Gordon and Batgirl be on his list? One of the challenges of the Batgirl reboot was going to be the fact that the author was going to have to be careful not to give us the sense that Barbara was regressing as a character. She had grown so much as Oracle, returning to her role as Batgirl is almost a demotion. But, Simone makes it clear that the talents Barbara had as Oracle are still there and, so long as she keeps doing so, I think we're going to see the merger of the two identities make Barbara an even more influential force in the DCnU. I'm excited about Dick's entry onto the scene next issue.
Batman #2: Batman smiling while he guns the Batcycle? I pretty much decided I liked this issue at that moment, regardless of what else happened. The good news is that the rest of this issue fucking rocks.
First, let's talk about the characterizations. I'm glad that Snyder quickly wraps up the question of why Dick's DNA was underneath the dead guy's fingernails, since everyone and his brother knew Dick wasn't trying to kill Bruce. I also loved Dick and Bruce's interaction in the Batcave, particularly Bruce noting that Dick knows him better than anyone save perhaps Alfred and Dick calling Bruce "partner." With the reboot and everything, I feel like these moments are important, because we don't necessarily know that the relationships are the same as they were. I feel like Snyder used these moments to confirm here that Bruce and Dick are on solid ground, or, at least, as solid as it gets for the two of them. In fact, we seem to be getting more of them working together now than they were before Bruce "died."
Moreover, despite the fact that, as predicted, he has some connection to the bad guys (though possibly in a good-guy way), I like Lincoln March. I'm seriously hoping he's not dead, because his speech to Bruce about the way Gotham saved him was great. It's like a more emotionally-grounded Bruce articulating the way his parents' deaths affected him. (Capullo also really sold the scene, with the image of the lop-sided heart in March's eyes.) I feel like March could be the closest thing we've had in a while to a pre-Two Face Harvey Dent, someone beyond Commissioner Gordon who's an ally and confidante to Batman. Of course, it probably means it'll all end in tears, but I'm hoping for the best.
Finally, just as I dug Bruce as corporate raider and sexpot extraordinaire in "Detective Comics" #2, I like him as maybe not the dumb rich kid here. Capullo draws a magnetic Bruce. You can see why corporate executives, sexy reporters, and mayoral candidates are drawn to him. It's definitely Snyder sending a message that we may, in fact, be getting a real Bruce Wayne here. In fact, March alludes to the fact that people are questioning his millionaire-playboy schtick. I would welcome dropping it altogether, somewhere I thought the various authors were going after the whole death ordeal taught him to be more in touch with his feelings. I'd be glad to see Snyder continue that here.
Second, let's talk about the plot. The Court of Owls? Awesome. Snyder hasn't really ever gone full-on conspiracy theory in his previous works, so I can't wait to see where he goes with this one. How did the assassin not die after he fell from that height? Was the assassin somehow involved in killing Bruce's parents? Why did the John Doe warn Bruce Wayne he was going to die? They're all questions to which I can't wait to get the answers. (I also now understand why Doe went to all that effort. Last issue, I questioned how he knew he and Bruce were going to die on specific dates and, if he knew that, why he warned Wayne so cryptically. But, it makes sense now, since he knew he was dealing with a shadowy organization that he couldn't stop from killing him and that would know if he tried to overtly warn Bruce.)
After a somewhat lackluster first issue, Snyder really hits the gas in this issue. Awesome.
Batman and Robin #2: Similar to Bruce praising Damian for his restraint, I feel the need to applaud Tomasi for the same thing. This book is the definition of tense. The relationship between Bruce and Damian just screams all sorts of unspoken emotions and truths. I love Alfred gently trying to guide Bruce into parenting Damian. Alfred was probably able to fill the nurturing parental role with Dick, Jason, and Tim, meaning it didn't exactly matter that Bruce would say things like, "Your actions are commendable." rather than, "I'm proud of you." But, Tomasi has made it clear that Damian is too special of a case for that to be true, meaning Bruce has to step up his game. Damian, for his part, is more unhinged than we 've seen him previously. The scene where he kills the bat is chilling, not just for the immediate reason of him wantonly killing an animal, but also the metaphoric level of him specifically killing a bat. Gleason's depiction of this scene was amazing. Damian looks almost confused, somewhat sociopathically so. The fact that we see it, essentially, through Alfred's perspective helps add to the sense that Damian is falling. (However, I have to note that I was more than moderately annoyed that Tomasi, of all people, is essentially sweeping under the rug the time Damian spent with Dick. Damian refers to it in issue #1, so we know it happened. I'm hoping we get some explanation for the seeming regression in Damian's behavior, even if it's just the cold reality of Bruce's "parenting." But, at this point, I think we need that explanation to come soon if I'm going to believe this regression is something other than an emotional ret-con.) The last part of the issue is equally tense. Tomasi seems to be opening a whole world here, seemingly implying, to me, that "Morgan" was somehow involved with Bruce becoming Batman and doesn't approve of the direction he's taking. I'm hoping Tomasi doesn't oversell it, but I'm definitely open to see where it goes. Overall, I was pretty pleased with this issue.
Batwoman #2: I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this issue. After the first issue, I had mentally put it on the "three and out" list, because I wasn't particularly digging it. But, we cover a lot of great ground in this one. First, above everything else, I loved being in a hipster bar in Gotham City. Honestly, in all the Bat-books I've ever read, I don't think I've ever been in a bar I would frequent in Gotham. We're always either in some high-class establishment with Bruce or some transient dive bar with Batman. I really liked being there, a fly on the wall for the date between Kate and Sawyer. It sort of reminds you that regular people live in Gotham, not just homeless people and homicidal maniacs. Reading the other Bat-books, you forget that. Williams and Blackman are really filling a niche here, giving us stories of Gotham we don't really see, and makes me hope the other authors will notice. (We should be seeing Dick living a similar life.) It can't be all doom and gloom! I mean, I like Kate. She's funny and witty (and goofy, as Sawyer noted). I loved her "scene" on Sawyer's steps. I'd want to get a beer with her. I also like Detective Sawyer, who the authors manage to avoid reducing to standard cop stereotypes. For example, she doesn't immediately give Agent Chase the, "This case is my juridiction!" argument I was expecting, but instead agrees to help, within reason. It's a subtle but deft act of characterization on the authors' part, showing her as capable and confident, something they also highlight through her amazing work at the crime scene. Looking at the plot, I applaud the authors for distracting us from the Weeping Woman case. Particularly in the TPB-focused world we currently inhabit, it's rare to see an author give us multiple cases at once, even though, in all likelihood, I think it's how it would work in real life. We rarely see Batman following leads on multiple crimes, even though I'm pretty sure Joker and Penguin wouldn't collaborate to make sure their crimes happen sequentially. All in all, a great comic.
Detective Comics #2: Holy shit. Tony Daniel, when I don't sleep tonight, I'm calling you. I'm not a huge fan of Daniel's writing, but I give full props to him for this issue. It's creepy and spooky and confusing. I like how we started the issue with Bruce Wayne being all rugged playboy, scaling a climbing wall with a potential partner and seducing his current girlfriend in his office suite, and ended it with the creepiest villain I think I've ever seen. Daniel moves past the questions of where this series falls in continuity and gives us a fast-paced story, building up the tension slowly but surely as Batman walks further and further into the trap that Dollmaker has set. It's still unclear what the Joker's role in this game is or who the Olivia girl is. Last issue, Joker "mentioned" his location in front of Olivia to set up the trap to kill the police officers (and get himself thrown into Arkham with Dollmaker). In this issue, we learn that the "relative" who Gordon mentioned picking her up last issue was in fact a member of Dollmaker's group (who's then killed himself). Why does he want her? We do in this issue get a better sense that Dollmaker is actually the leader of some demented group of his "children," all of whom share his predilection for extreme plastic surgery. It appears that his only goal is to add Batman to his list, a clear example of the "Batman is the bright flame to which insane criminals are drawn" argument, though I'm intrigued to see if something more is driving him. I can't wait for next issue.
Justice League #2: First, I like bad-ass Superman. Finally. I've never been that interested in Superman because he's always been such a Boy Scout. But, I could dig this Superman. Together, Johns and Lee convey just how dangerous he is at this juncture. Johns has Batman frequently urging Hal to caution given that he's already ascertained Clark's superiority and Lee shows us Supes breaking through Hal's chains with minimal effort and sending Barry flying with a finger flick. (Lee really out-did himself with the chains scene. The 3-D effect of the chains popping at the reader was just awesome.) All these moments contribute to reminding us that this Superman isn't as polished as the one we're used to seeing and highlighting that this arc is a prequel to the characters we now know.
Beyond Superman, Johns uses Hal to great effect here, giving us the layman's view of the issue's events. He's not a scientist like Barry, a detective like Bruce, or a Superman like Clark. Johns plays up his arrogance here as a way to convey his nervousness, particularly as he begins to lose control of the situation, with Barry and Bruce getting all science-y. I enjoyed Hal's banter with Barry, trying to convince him that they can solve the problem on their own (and Barry trying to convince Hal to stop being an asshole so the adults can talk). Similarly, I liked the use of Victor's father as the nervous skeptic, the one who realizes how much the world has changed with the onset of super-human activity.
For all these reasons, it's a pretty great issue. I'm excited that Johns is starting with Darkseid, because I think it's fitting that we're going to get something really epic here at the beginning. I can't wait to see how we meet Wonder Woman...
Nighwing #2: OK, I can't say I'm totally thrilled with this issue. The opening fight with Saiko is fun, but Higgins seems to throw a lot at us in a pretty uncoordinated way here. I've got lots of questions. Why, for example, did Mr. Haly not think Dick would come? Last I knew (and, I mean, we're talking "A Lonely Place of Dying" here), Dick was a part owner of the circus. Did that change? Even if it didn't, did he and Mr. Haly have a falling-out? I mean, we never really get an explanation why Mr. Haly thought Dick wouldn't come see him and had to use Raya to get him there. Talking about Saiko for a minute, it seemed overly convenient that we discover that Mr. Haly knows Dick is Nightwing...just in time for him to tell Saiko. Really? I assumed Saiko got to Mr. Haly because he followed Dick, but then, at the end, Haly implies it's because he was involved in some sort of conspiracy. (Looking earlier in the issue, it also seems that he knew Saiko was coming for him that night.) Is Dick an innocent bystander and Haly the guilty party? What gives? And, why, again, does Saiko think Dick is the fiercest killer in Gotham? Even if it were true, why would it merit killing him? A lot of questions, and not in the intriguing "I can't wait to see the answers" way, but in the annoying "I wonder whether Higgins really has a grasp on this story" way.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #2: I know people were upset with the first issue of this title for the sexed-up nature of Starfire. I actually can't say I was too outraged, because I more or less bought what Lobdell was selling, the idea that "human" values don't really apply all that much to Starfire. As I noted in that review, I felt like he had to be careful not going too far down the straight, adolescent-boy, wish-fulfillment road. I mean, I thoroughly enjoyed the sexed-up version of Jason that Judd Winick gave us in "Batman and Robin," so it's not like I'm really against such portrayals, though I certainly acknowledge it's different when a woman is portrayed, given the decades of baggage that comes with it. Lobdell also threw some fuel on the fire with this issue, giving us the vampy flight attendant. EVERY woman in this series can't be this sexual or it's really going to undermine his argument that it's driven at least in part by Starfire's lack of "human" values. We'll see how it develops. None of the characters (except possibly Roy) seem particularly victimized by it, and I'm hoping that Lobdell finds a way to keep it fun and not mysognistic.
If Lobdell's portrayal of Starfire is questionable, his portrayal of Jason is the opposite. I feel like, for the first time, we're getting an emotional reckoning for Jason. When he returned in "Batman," the focus in that arc -- and almost all his subsequent arcs -- was Jason raging against Bruce and the world. Lobdell, as hinted last issue, really does seem to be putting us on a firm redemption arc. Jason refers to the lessons that Ducra teaches him about rage as a past he forgot he had, implying that maybe he's more ready to take her lessons to heart now that he's subsequently learned that rage hasn't really gotten him so far. I've read that Lobdell promises us some insight into Jason's relationship with Bruce in issue #6, so I'm still holding out hope that they've hugged out their problems (or will do so in that issue). At the very least, I'm totally on board for the journey Lobdell promises us here. It's about time someone definitively defines Jason, since he's been handled (and mis-handled) by so many different authors since his return.
Superboy #2: Similar to "Detective Comics," I'm having problems ascertaining whether or nor this title and "Teen Titans" are happening in the "present," as we now know it, or the past. Based on the cover of "Teen Titans" #1, showing a different-looking Superboy with tattoo, I'm guessing (hoping?) these events happen in the past, showing how the Titans came together and how Conner eventually made his way to humanity. If it's not, I'm disappointed, because we seem to have a long way to go to get to the Conner we all knew and loved. Conner is essentially a robot here, with none of the charm and flash of the previous Superboy. It makes for difficiult reading if we're going to get this Conner for the long haul. I'd rather us just see how he finds his humanity in a nice five-issue arc and then get to the Conner/Tim sexual-tension part.
Batman #2: Batman smiling while he guns the Batcycle? I pretty much decided I liked this issue at that moment, regardless of what else happened. The good news is that the rest of this issue fucking rocks.
First, let's talk about the characterizations. I'm glad that Snyder quickly wraps up the question of why Dick's DNA was underneath the dead guy's fingernails, since everyone and his brother knew Dick wasn't trying to kill Bruce. I also loved Dick and Bruce's interaction in the Batcave, particularly Bruce noting that Dick knows him better than anyone save perhaps Alfred and Dick calling Bruce "partner." With the reboot and everything, I feel like these moments are important, because we don't necessarily know that the relationships are the same as they were. I feel like Snyder used these moments to confirm here that Bruce and Dick are on solid ground, or, at least, as solid as it gets for the two of them. In fact, we seem to be getting more of them working together now than they were before Bruce "died."
Moreover, despite the fact that, as predicted, he has some connection to the bad guys (though possibly in a good-guy way), I like Lincoln March. I'm seriously hoping he's not dead, because his speech to Bruce about the way Gotham saved him was great. It's like a more emotionally-grounded Bruce articulating the way his parents' deaths affected him. (Capullo also really sold the scene, with the image of the lop-sided heart in March's eyes.) I feel like March could be the closest thing we've had in a while to a pre-Two Face Harvey Dent, someone beyond Commissioner Gordon who's an ally and confidante to Batman. Of course, it probably means it'll all end in tears, but I'm hoping for the best.
Finally, just as I dug Bruce as corporate raider and sexpot extraordinaire in "Detective Comics" #2, I like him as maybe not the dumb rich kid here. Capullo draws a magnetic Bruce. You can see why corporate executives, sexy reporters, and mayoral candidates are drawn to him. It's definitely Snyder sending a message that we may, in fact, be getting a real Bruce Wayne here. In fact, March alludes to the fact that people are questioning his millionaire-playboy schtick. I would welcome dropping it altogether, somewhere I thought the various authors were going after the whole death ordeal taught him to be more in touch with his feelings. I'd be glad to see Snyder continue that here.
Second, let's talk about the plot. The Court of Owls? Awesome. Snyder hasn't really ever gone full-on conspiracy theory in his previous works, so I can't wait to see where he goes with this one. How did the assassin not die after he fell from that height? Was the assassin somehow involved in killing Bruce's parents? Why did the John Doe warn Bruce Wayne he was going to die? They're all questions to which I can't wait to get the answers. (I also now understand why Doe went to all that effort. Last issue, I questioned how he knew he and Bruce were going to die on specific dates and, if he knew that, why he warned Wayne so cryptically. But, it makes sense now, since he knew he was dealing with a shadowy organization that he couldn't stop from killing him and that would know if he tried to overtly warn Bruce.)
After a somewhat lackluster first issue, Snyder really hits the gas in this issue. Awesome.
Batman and Robin #2: Similar to Bruce praising Damian for his restraint, I feel the need to applaud Tomasi for the same thing. This book is the definition of tense. The relationship between Bruce and Damian just screams all sorts of unspoken emotions and truths. I love Alfred gently trying to guide Bruce into parenting Damian. Alfred was probably able to fill the nurturing parental role with Dick, Jason, and Tim, meaning it didn't exactly matter that Bruce would say things like, "Your actions are commendable." rather than, "I'm proud of you." But, Tomasi has made it clear that Damian is too special of a case for that to be true, meaning Bruce has to step up his game. Damian, for his part, is more unhinged than we 've seen him previously. The scene where he kills the bat is chilling, not just for the immediate reason of him wantonly killing an animal, but also the metaphoric level of him specifically killing a bat. Gleason's depiction of this scene was amazing. Damian looks almost confused, somewhat sociopathically so. The fact that we see it, essentially, through Alfred's perspective helps add to the sense that Damian is falling. (However, I have to note that I was more than moderately annoyed that Tomasi, of all people, is essentially sweeping under the rug the time Damian spent with Dick. Damian refers to it in issue #1, so we know it happened. I'm hoping we get some explanation for the seeming regression in Damian's behavior, even if it's just the cold reality of Bruce's "parenting." But, at this point, I think we need that explanation to come soon if I'm going to believe this regression is something other than an emotional ret-con.) The last part of the issue is equally tense. Tomasi seems to be opening a whole world here, seemingly implying, to me, that "Morgan" was somehow involved with Bruce becoming Batman and doesn't approve of the direction he's taking. I'm hoping Tomasi doesn't oversell it, but I'm definitely open to see where it goes. Overall, I was pretty pleased with this issue.
Batwoman #2: I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this issue. After the first issue, I had mentally put it on the "three and out" list, because I wasn't particularly digging it. But, we cover a lot of great ground in this one. First, above everything else, I loved being in a hipster bar in Gotham City. Honestly, in all the Bat-books I've ever read, I don't think I've ever been in a bar I would frequent in Gotham. We're always either in some high-class establishment with Bruce or some transient dive bar with Batman. I really liked being there, a fly on the wall for the date between Kate and Sawyer. It sort of reminds you that regular people live in Gotham, not just homeless people and homicidal maniacs. Reading the other Bat-books, you forget that. Williams and Blackman are really filling a niche here, giving us stories of Gotham we don't really see, and makes me hope the other authors will notice. (We should be seeing Dick living a similar life.) It can't be all doom and gloom! I mean, I like Kate. She's funny and witty (and goofy, as Sawyer noted). I loved her "scene" on Sawyer's steps. I'd want to get a beer with her. I also like Detective Sawyer, who the authors manage to avoid reducing to standard cop stereotypes. For example, she doesn't immediately give Agent Chase the, "This case is my juridiction!" argument I was expecting, but instead agrees to help, within reason. It's a subtle but deft act of characterization on the authors' part, showing her as capable and confident, something they also highlight through her amazing work at the crime scene. Looking at the plot, I applaud the authors for distracting us from the Weeping Woman case. Particularly in the TPB-focused world we currently inhabit, it's rare to see an author give us multiple cases at once, even though, in all likelihood, I think it's how it would work in real life. We rarely see Batman following leads on multiple crimes, even though I'm pretty sure Joker and Penguin wouldn't collaborate to make sure their crimes happen sequentially. All in all, a great comic.
Detective Comics #2: Holy shit. Tony Daniel, when I don't sleep tonight, I'm calling you. I'm not a huge fan of Daniel's writing, but I give full props to him for this issue. It's creepy and spooky and confusing. I like how we started the issue with Bruce Wayne being all rugged playboy, scaling a climbing wall with a potential partner and seducing his current girlfriend in his office suite, and ended it with the creepiest villain I think I've ever seen. Daniel moves past the questions of where this series falls in continuity and gives us a fast-paced story, building up the tension slowly but surely as Batman walks further and further into the trap that Dollmaker has set. It's still unclear what the Joker's role in this game is or who the Olivia girl is. Last issue, Joker "mentioned" his location in front of Olivia to set up the trap to kill the police officers (and get himself thrown into Arkham with Dollmaker). In this issue, we learn that the "relative" who Gordon mentioned picking her up last issue was in fact a member of Dollmaker's group (who's then killed himself). Why does he want her? We do in this issue get a better sense that Dollmaker is actually the leader of some demented group of his "children," all of whom share his predilection for extreme plastic surgery. It appears that his only goal is to add Batman to his list, a clear example of the "Batman is the bright flame to which insane criminals are drawn" argument, though I'm intrigued to see if something more is driving him. I can't wait for next issue.
Justice League #2: First, I like bad-ass Superman. Finally. I've never been that interested in Superman because he's always been such a Boy Scout. But, I could dig this Superman. Together, Johns and Lee convey just how dangerous he is at this juncture. Johns has Batman frequently urging Hal to caution given that he's already ascertained Clark's superiority and Lee shows us Supes breaking through Hal's chains with minimal effort and sending Barry flying with a finger flick. (Lee really out-did himself with the chains scene. The 3-D effect of the chains popping at the reader was just awesome.) All these moments contribute to reminding us that this Superman isn't as polished as the one we're used to seeing and highlighting that this arc is a prequel to the characters we now know.
Beyond Superman, Johns uses Hal to great effect here, giving us the layman's view of the issue's events. He's not a scientist like Barry, a detective like Bruce, or a Superman like Clark. Johns plays up his arrogance here as a way to convey his nervousness, particularly as he begins to lose control of the situation, with Barry and Bruce getting all science-y. I enjoyed Hal's banter with Barry, trying to convince him that they can solve the problem on their own (and Barry trying to convince Hal to stop being an asshole so the adults can talk). Similarly, I liked the use of Victor's father as the nervous skeptic, the one who realizes how much the world has changed with the onset of super-human activity.
For all these reasons, it's a pretty great issue. I'm excited that Johns is starting with Darkseid, because I think it's fitting that we're going to get something really epic here at the beginning. I can't wait to see how we meet Wonder Woman...
Nighwing #2: OK, I can't say I'm totally thrilled with this issue. The opening fight with Saiko is fun, but Higgins seems to throw a lot at us in a pretty uncoordinated way here. I've got lots of questions. Why, for example, did Mr. Haly not think Dick would come? Last I knew (and, I mean, we're talking "A Lonely Place of Dying" here), Dick was a part owner of the circus. Did that change? Even if it didn't, did he and Mr. Haly have a falling-out? I mean, we never really get an explanation why Mr. Haly thought Dick wouldn't come see him and had to use Raya to get him there. Talking about Saiko for a minute, it seemed overly convenient that we discover that Mr. Haly knows Dick is Nightwing...just in time for him to tell Saiko. Really? I assumed Saiko got to Mr. Haly because he followed Dick, but then, at the end, Haly implies it's because he was involved in some sort of conspiracy. (Looking earlier in the issue, it also seems that he knew Saiko was coming for him that night.) Is Dick an innocent bystander and Haly the guilty party? What gives? And, why, again, does Saiko think Dick is the fiercest killer in Gotham? Even if it were true, why would it merit killing him? A lot of questions, and not in the intriguing "I can't wait to see the answers" way, but in the annoying "I wonder whether Higgins really has a grasp on this story" way.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #2: I know people were upset with the first issue of this title for the sexed-up nature of Starfire. I actually can't say I was too outraged, because I more or less bought what Lobdell was selling, the idea that "human" values don't really apply all that much to Starfire. As I noted in that review, I felt like he had to be careful not going too far down the straight, adolescent-boy, wish-fulfillment road. I mean, I thoroughly enjoyed the sexed-up version of Jason that Judd Winick gave us in "Batman and Robin," so it's not like I'm really against such portrayals, though I certainly acknowledge it's different when a woman is portrayed, given the decades of baggage that comes with it. Lobdell also threw some fuel on the fire with this issue, giving us the vampy flight attendant. EVERY woman in this series can't be this sexual or it's really going to undermine his argument that it's driven at least in part by Starfire's lack of "human" values. We'll see how it develops. None of the characters (except possibly Roy) seem particularly victimized by it, and I'm hoping that Lobdell finds a way to keep it fun and not mysognistic.
If Lobdell's portrayal of Starfire is questionable, his portrayal of Jason is the opposite. I feel like, for the first time, we're getting an emotional reckoning for Jason. When he returned in "Batman," the focus in that arc -- and almost all his subsequent arcs -- was Jason raging against Bruce and the world. Lobdell, as hinted last issue, really does seem to be putting us on a firm redemption arc. Jason refers to the lessons that Ducra teaches him about rage as a past he forgot he had, implying that maybe he's more ready to take her lessons to heart now that he's subsequently learned that rage hasn't really gotten him so far. I've read that Lobdell promises us some insight into Jason's relationship with Bruce in issue #6, so I'm still holding out hope that they've hugged out their problems (or will do so in that issue). At the very least, I'm totally on board for the journey Lobdell promises us here. It's about time someone definitively defines Jason, since he's been handled (and mis-handled) by so many different authors since his return.
Superboy #2: Similar to "Detective Comics," I'm having problems ascertaining whether or nor this title and "Teen Titans" are happening in the "present," as we now know it, or the past. Based on the cover of "Teen Titans" #1, showing a different-looking Superboy with tattoo, I'm guessing (hoping?) these events happen in the past, showing how the Titans came together and how Conner eventually made his way to humanity. If it's not, I'm disappointed, because we seem to have a long way to go to get to the Conner we all knew and loved. Conner is essentially a robot here, with none of the charm and flash of the previous Superboy. It makes for difficiult reading if we're going to get this Conner for the long haul. I'd rather us just see how he finds his humanity in a nice five-issue arc and then get to the Conner/Tim sexual-tension part.
X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #1-#5
X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #1: This issue picks up the story as we left it at the end of "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire," with Havok leading the Starjammers as they aid Lilandra and Ka'Ardum in their rebellion against Vulcan. Yost shows us a Vulcan who has completely lost the tenuous grip on reality he previously had, having fully become a mad king and refusing efforts by the Chancellor to explain how much the Shi'Ar hate him and how successful the rebellion has been.
Unfortunately, I feel like Yost's characterizations are a bit...odd for most of this issue. First, he's a little too black-and-white here when it comes to Vulcan. The interesting part of Vulcan's character isn't just that he's insane, but what drove him insane, and how he continually refuses to accept help when it's offered, much like the fifteen-year-old he (mentally) is. By playing him straight-up crazy, Yost is missing an opportunity to explore some of the nuances of the character Brubaker gave us in "Rise and Fall." Yost also (unfortunately) sticks to the script with his portrayal of Alex, who's shown once again as an insecure leader incapable of emerging from his brother's shadow. However, I feel like Yost overstates the case somewhat. Alex has never been (to my knowledge) quite so blunt in his "I'm not worthy" schtick; I don't remember him ever conceding that his brother "is a great leader." He might feel that, but I feel like his (un)healthy sibling rivalry with Scott prevents him from fully vocalizing that. Finally, Lorna and Rachel's interactions are bizarre. Rachel at one point laments the amount of time they're been in space. Lorna totally ignores that, goes on a diatribe about how insecure Alex is, and then asks Rachel if she's OK. WTF?
Unfortunately, I feel like Yost's characterizations are a bit...odd for most of this issue. First, he's a little too black-and-white here when it comes to Vulcan. The interesting part of Vulcan's character isn't just that he's insane, but what drove him insane, and how he continually refuses to accept help when it's offered, much like the fifteen-year-old he (mentally) is. By playing him straight-up crazy, Yost is missing an opportunity to explore some of the nuances of the character Brubaker gave us in "Rise and Fall." Yost also (unfortunately) sticks to the script with his portrayal of Alex, who's shown once again as an insecure leader incapable of emerging from his brother's shadow. However, I feel like Yost overstates the case somewhat. Alex has never been (to my knowledge) quite so blunt in his "I'm not worthy" schtick; I don't remember him ever conceding that his brother "is a great leader." He might feel that, but I feel like his (un)healthy sibling rivalry with Scott prevents him from fully vocalizing that. Finally, Lorna and Rachel's interactions are bizarre. Rachel at one point laments the amount of time they're been in space. Lorna totally ignores that, goes on a diatribe about how insecure Alex is, and then asks Rachel if she's OK. WTF?
X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #3: OK, before we get into the plot of this issue, I have to say, I'm having some trouble buying the double standard both Brubaker and Yost have established for the X-Men and Vulcan. Rachel indictes Vulcan in this issue for killing Banshee and Corsair and almost killing Professor X. Meanwhile, just a few panels earlier, Havok tries to kill Vulcan (going so far as to tell him he's dead) and Rachel offers to murder the Imperial Guard's telepath. Um, yeah. You can see where Nightcrawler would've provided a more believable indictment of Vulcan's murderous rampage than two people equally dead-set on murder as a form of revenge. Moreover, Vulcan accurately notes to Rachel that he may have killed a few people, but the Scy'Ar Tal killed 2.4 billion people, implying her sympathy for them is maybe a bit misplaced. It's scary when the crazy guy is the sanest person in the room. As I said before, Brubaker was also guilty of giving us an overly-bloodthirsty Alex and Rachel, so I don't necessarily hold it against Yost. But, I hope, at some point, someone calls both of them on their hypocrisy. Korvus attempts to warn Rachel about how dangerous her need for revenge is (see below), but no one yet has drawn the line to questioning how different from Vulcan they really are and how hard it's getting to be to tell the good guys from the bad guys.
All that said, Yost is getting better and better as he goes here. His characterizations are excellent, despite my previous reservations about them in the first two issues. For all my previous complaining about his portrayal of Havok and his insecurities, he really delivers the goods here, giving us (perhaps for the first time) a sign that Havok is ready to stop comparing himself to his father and brother and finally become his own man. (Of course, it's inspired by the fact that he doesn't think his father or brother would be man enough to kill Vulcan, but, um, still, I guess progress is progress.) Moreover, Havok, also I think for the first time, voices what has been implied but not really said since "Rise and Fall" began, that Vulcan is too far gone to be redeemed. Brubaker never explicitly stated the X-Men's plans to redeem Vulcan in "Rise and Fall," but it was always clearly one of their goals throughout the arc. Vulcan slid further and further from redemption over the course of that storyline and I noted in my review of it that he finally lost all chance at it when he killed Corsair. Alex seems to echo those thoughts here, so it's nice to know that I wasn't just projecting. Moreover, I liked what Yost does here with Korvus and Rachel, with Korvus warning Rachel that her push for revenge is slowly driving her insane. As I mention above, I want SOMEONE to make that connection to Alex and Rachel. Lorna seems to buy Alex's plans to murder Vulcan without question, so it's nice to see someone question it with Rachel.
X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #4: First, I have to say, Ch'od is perhaps the best thing about this mini-series, and I would happily read a "Starjammers" series if Yost wrote it, just to see what he does with Ch'od. Moving onto the subject at hand, Yost gives us a pretty grim story here. The conversation between Vulcan and Havok as they enter Finality is full of incredible malice, all the more so when you recall they're brothers. The fight against the Eldest is gripping, but I'm confused by how they actually defeat him. It appears to be because Gladiator, Havok, and Vulcan all attack him at once, overloading him. But, isn't that what Gladiator and Vulcan did when they first faced him, more or less? Why was he able to just easily shrug off those attacks, but, here, they kill him, simply with the addition of Havok to the mix? At any rate, the end to the fight on Finality Station is a good one, with Havok actually using his brain to figure out the fact that the Eldest draws his power from his people and instructing Vulcan to sever the link between the new Eldest and his people. It's nice that we finally get to see him as something other than a rage-fueled idiot. (Or, wait, is that Vulcan?) I like that Yost also takes the "Shi'Ar stole the Crystal from the M'Kraan" fire down a notch by showing that the M'Kraan found the Crystal just like the Shi'Ar did. I can't wait to see what Vulcan plans to do, since it appears he may be intending to use Finality against the M'Kraan. That'll end well...
X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #5: Well, as predicted, things don't end well for the home team. I don't know exactly where to begin, so I'll just jump into it.
Havok and Vulcan's fight -- and the characterization that surrounds it -- is great, here. First, I loved what Yost does with Havok, throwing him into a star and ramping up his powers to an incredible level. Yost seems to be allowing Alex to finally move past his insecurities (something I feared he wouldn't do in the first issue), and I applaud him for it. (I'm still concerned that his way of moving past these insecurities is to embrace the same murder-driven revenge that drives Vulcan. I'm hoping we eventually address that in subsequent issues and mini-series.) Although I initially didn't like Yost's portrayal of Vulcan as a mad king, it grew on me over the course of the series. He didn't so much ignore what made Vulcan insane (again, as I feared in the first issue), but more just fully closed the window to the possibility he could be redeemed. By presenting him as a mad king here, he's showing Vulcan as who he now is, despite the hope the reader previously had in "Rise and Fall" that he could be turned from the dark side, if you will. You see it here right before his fight with Havok when he "talks" to Xavier about how he'll show the universe how powerful he is. This series firmly establishes him as an irredeemable villain. Along those lines, by completing Vulcan's journey to the dark side, Yost also sets up the completely believable defection of Ka'Ardum here. The Shi'Ar honor might, and by wiping out the Scy'Ar Tal, Vulcan proves himself the mightiest. The ending of this series is amazing. We see Vulcan totally ascendant, with Havok, Polaris, and the Starjammers in chains and Lilandra fleeing into space. It's perhaps even most impactful than the end of "Rise and Fall," where no one really won. Here, Vulcan has very clearly won and I think it's great, yet again, that the good guys lose.
Speaking of the good guys losing, we also see Marvel Girl and Polaris fail here. Yost does a great job of giving us Lorna overwhelmed by the leadership role she finds thrust upon her with Alex's disappearance, and Rachel seems stunned that she failed to defeat Gladiator and stop the tracker. Moreover, the Scy'Ar Tal are revealed, in a great twist previewed by Yost in issue #4, to be just as dirty as the Shi'Ar were, having participated in conquest of the "M'Kraan" Crystal, not having originally controlled it, as they implied when they appeared on the scene. It continues the theme of these series, where almost everyone is morally compromised.
All in all, it's a great conclusion to a great mini-series, giving us a now fully-formed villain who will terrorize the X-Men for years to come.
Final Thoughts: OK, to be honest, despite it's really rocky beginning, I liked this series much more than I liked "Rise and Fall." I mean, for all its faults, "Rise and Fall" is still an excellent epic that tells a tragic story of a potential hero's fall into insane anger. This series wouldn't be what it was without "Rise and Fall." But, Yost really grabs the ball and runs with it. team gets totally played by Vulcan, whose fall is now complete. (Maybe Havok should be insecure...) From start to finish, Vulcan is in charge of events, even when the Scy'Ar Tal unexpectedly appear and throw a monkey wrench into the system. I don't think even Dr. Doom has consistently bested superheroes as often as Vulcan has.
The ending of issue #5 clearly sets up the sequel, and I'm excited not only to see what happens but also hopefully to see some sort of repercussions to the actions of Alex, Lorna, and Rachel. I've beat the drum about their slide into murdering avengers throughout this series (and "Rise and Fall") and I'd like to see someone address it more than we have. I'm hoping they realize that, for all their ire and rage, they've failed to achieve any of their goals: Vulcan is in charge of the Shi'Ar, and the Shi'Ar are stronger than ever. I hope they realize that their goal to kill Vulcan is not only bad tactics, but it's tainting them as well. We shall see...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)