Amazing Spider-Man #11: This issue is solid, as JJJ, Jr. -- desperately seeking acceptance once again from New York's high society -- agrees to Wilson Fisk's invitation to present him with an award at an exclusive private club. The catch is that Fisk wants Spider-Man there, too, as part of his campaign to make it seem like Spider-Man supports him. Spencer has a good read on JJJ, Jr., particularly when it comes to the lenses through which other characters, like Robbie Robertson, see him. That said, I still feel like this series is missing something. It's not terrible by any means, but Spencer doesn't seem to be hitting his steps as neatly as he did when he was writing "Captain America."
Mr. and Mrs X #6: I really enjoyed this issue. We don't really see enough issues focused on the X-Men spending time with each other anymore, and Thompson delivers. Surprisingly, she's possibly at her best in depicting Bobby and Laura, to the point where I really think we could use a Thompson-penned "Iceman/X-23" road-trip series, something I didn't know I needed until this issue. But, she also does a great job of showing Remy and Rogue confront their pasts. Remy has to face down Bella Donna and a Thieves' Guild furious at him for marrying a goody-two-shoes like Rogue. For her part, Rogue has to encounter Magneto, but it's a much more helpful reunion. He tells her to talk to Remy about her concerns over her fluctuating powers but also something else she needs to hear, that Remy isn't going anywhere. Magneto, apparently ever the romantic.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #313: This arc ends more strongly than I expected as Peter successfully outfoxes Morlun, drugging him into submission with tranquilizers he found at the zoo. It feels inspired by the "Marvel's Spider-Man" videogame, as we don't usually see Peter interact with New York as specifically as he does here (and as he does throughout the videogame). Peter makes a speech at the end of the issue that summarizes Ryan's assertion on why he defeats Morlun so often, namely that Morlun assumes he's going to win because he's faster and stronger and thus never has a plan. I more or less buy that logic, and it does at least partly address my criticism of issue #312. It's not perfect, but I'll take it. Frigeri is also on fire here; he can draw half-naked Spidey whenever he wants in my book.
Spider-Force #3: I read the words, but, honestly, I barely understand what they were saying. I think Priest was telling a story about no one trusting each other, so they made bad decisions. The problem with that premise is he also repeatedly mentioned they were all bonded to each other after Jameson linked their minds. But, apparently Kaine lied about his Web-Warrior watch being broken, though I have no idea why he did so? It doesn't help that understanding this issue requires you to remember what happened in issue #1, since we reach that moment here. I'm sure if you're reading this series as part of a TPB it might make sense but I don't at all remember the details Priest wants me to remember two months later. Plus, "Spider-geddon" #4 already spoiled the ending, showing Jessica arriving on Earth-616 with the Solus crystal. This series had great potential, but it's really just a mess at the end.
Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #3: I'll admit I don't totally buy the resolution here. Gwen realizes the Green Goblin is spending time at the warehouse where she and the Mary Janes practiced in her reality, and she brings Mary Jane with her to try to reason with other Gwen. The Green Goblin sees Mary Jane and almost instantly remembers who she is, which is...weird. After all, Mary Jane talks about how the Green Goblin had previously seen her: every time she threw a pumpkin bomb at Mary Jane, she missed. If so, why didn't she remember who she was all those times that she saw Mary Jane? The only thing our Gwen does here to help is remove the Green Goblin's mask, but that seems pretty...basic. At any rate, I have to say I'm overall happy with the way this arc went because the characterization was really strong. I wouldn't mind returning to this Earth in a future anthology, just to see how everyone is doing. (That said, Peter doesn't share that hope. He remarks here that he hopes they don't see Gwen again because he's pretty sure she hates him.) Now, let's get back to our Mary Jane, shall we? (I loved when she mentioned Mary Jane is terrifying in any reality.) It's time to see what Gwen's life is like with "Spider-geddon" in the rear-view mirror.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #27: I'm making the somewhat difficult decision to stop getting this book with this issue. It's difficult because I've actually enjoyed this arc more than previous ones. Aphra is almost human here, and Triple-Zero is a thrill as always. But, I feel like this series has definitely lost its way. It just seems to recycle the same scenarios and antagonists, setting up yet another situation where Aphra betrays her companions but not so badly that she's irredeemable. I could hang in there another four issues to see how the arc ends, but I feel like I already know how it will go. I've been following Aphra for almost four years, after her debut in "Darth Vader," so it's sad to let her go. But, why delay the inevitable? Bye, Aphra. I hope you survive Triple-Zero to betray another day.
Also Read: Avengers #11; Fantastic Four: Wedding Special #1; Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker #4; Uncanny X-Men #5; X-Men: Red #11
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The December 5 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batman #60: I may have to cancel this series soon. I just have no idea what King is doing here. It isn't so much the plot, whose direction I dislike but more or less understand. But, the words are strung together in ways that make little sense. It's almost like it was written in a foreign language and we're reading a poor translation. (Paging Jonathan Hickman.) King's obsession with non sequitur poems makes the situation even worse. Although I understand the plot, I still don't get why it's going in such a bizarre direction. It now turns out Bane wasn't the one pulling the strings in Arkham; it was Bruce's father from "Flashpoint." At least, I think? I can't even possibly imagine why he would be involved. Even if he was motivated to help Bane run Arkham, why would Bane accept his help? It also seems like he killed the Penguin's girlfriend, though I don't understand why he would do that, since it sounds like Oswald got his revenge by flagging Bane's actions for Bruce. But, do I care? I don't know if I do.
Die #1: Holy fucking shit, this issue is amazing. Right up front (or, in back, actually, in his note), Gillen admits the inspiration for this book is the question I've asked myself for decades: "Whatever happened to the D&D cartoon kids?" I can't believe my luck that I get to see Kieron Gillen answer that question.
First things first, Gillen does a great job of establishing our cast of characters. Our protagonist is Dominic. He and his friends are dedicated RPGers, and his best friend Sol has created a boutique game for Dominic's 16th birthday. Each player is given a die, and Sol explains it's the only one in the world where they're playing. Dom is the Dictator ("a diplomat with teeth") with a d4, his depressed friend Matthew is the Grief Knight ("a magical warrior" who turns "emotions into power") with a d8, his younger sister Ash is Neo ("a cyberpunk") with a d10, his edgy friend Isabelle is Godbinder ("some kind of atheist with gods for pets") with a d12, and his dumb friend Chuck is the Fool ("I kinda picked some random abilities") with a "entirely normal" d6. Sol keeps the d20 for himself.
Shortly after they start the game, they disappear. They reappear two years later, minus Sol and one of Ash's arms, inexplicably unable to talk about their experiences. We then flash forward twenty-five years later, as Dominic celebrates his 41st birthday. We learn his wife Sophie threw him a surprise party for his 40th birthday and he reacted badly, because parties and presents serve as reminders of his experience. Sol's mother appears on his doorstep and angrily presses Dom for information. Sophie threatens her, and we learn she frequently appears demanding information about Sol. Later that night, Dom meets his sister Ash for a drink and the bartender hands them a box someone left for them. It's the box that originally contained the dice -- with a blood-soaked d20.
Panicked, they assemble the party (except they can't call it a party, for reasons that become clear later) at Chuck's house. Chuck is wealthy based on a series of books he's written about their experience ("Portal of Pain"). Ash wonders how he can do so since the rest of them can't talk about it, and Dominic assumes it's part of his personality, that he can't take anything too seriously. Like Chuck, Isabelle has a few spouses in her past and she teaches high-school English. (We previously learned Ash left her husband for a woman who then left her.) Along with Dom, Matt is the most grounded, married with kids and a statistics professor. Dominic is surprised to learn it's been five years since they saw each other, since he's the closest to Matt. They start to talk about their experience, but it's difficult; for example, Chuck stumbles on the word "party," unable to say it. Isabelle apologizes to Dom for not being more "woke" when they were kids. I'm guessing it's an allusion to a relationship Dominic had with Sol in the Realm, given his character (the Dictator) was a woman. Isabelle wonders why Dominic didn't take the die to the police, but Dominic says he was afraid to lose control of it. As they stare at it, the die activates, dragging them all into the "Realm." As they transit spacetime, a voice announces the Grandmaster once again threatens the Realm and it needs a hero to rise, like the narration you'd hear at the start of an arcade game.
Returned to the Realm, Gillen reveals the group's inability to talk about the experience came from a geas Dominic put on them before they left. Matt presses Dom to lift the geas, which he (she, here) does. Isabelle immediately pounces on him, noting the geas and taking on the Grandmaster were his idea. But, Dominic retorts that it wasn't his idea to leave behind Sol, though we learn they never actually saw the Grandmaster kill him. He says he hoped Sol was alive when he saw the die, though Isabelle notes the blood on it probably implies the opposite. Suddenly, the die flies through the air to a now-grown Solomon's hand. We learn the Grandmaster trapped him and tried to steal his die. Solomon escaped and they fought "a long war" that he eventually won. He announces he's now the Grandmaster as he puts the die in his empty eye socket. (His other eye has a die in it, presumably the Grandmaster's d20 die?) He then announces the party has to complete the game.
In his note at the back, Gillen talks about this series exploring the consequences -- to him and his loved ones -- of him falling into a fantasy world at 16 years old. Part of the reason this intention feels so fully realized is that the art is beyond spectacular. Hans infuses both our world and the Realm with a dream-like quality that reflects the characters' emotions. It's the perfect complement to Gillen's vision. Gillen talks about this series as driven in part by a mid-life crisis of sorts, and, as someone roughly his age going through his own version, this book could be better than therapy!
Doomsday Clock #8: This issue is much more action-packed and straight-forward than previous ones, though I'm not entirely sure it's a good thing.
We begin with a brief scene of Ozymandias swiping a file from the Oval Office. But, the action shifts almost immediately to Moscow, where a hot-headed Firestorm is taking on the People's Heroes, accusing them of trying to ruin his life through the Superman Theory. One of the Heroes manages to disrupt his powers, forcing him to crash to the Earth into a group of protesters. They immediately attack him and, panicked, he explodes, turning the protesters to glass. Superman immediately flies from Metropolis to Khandaq amidst reports Firestorm fled there, but Black Adam informs Superman that Firestorm isn't there (though notes he's welcome). Clark resumes his search for Firestorm. Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Lois discovers a package with no return address on it that someone (Rorschach) sent directly to her at the "Planet." It contains a flashdrive with a reel of the Justice Society of America, something Lois doesn't recognize.
Meanwhile, Clark finds Firestorm hiding in a cave in Russia. He's trying to turn back one of the glass statues, of a child. He's irrationally distraught, in part because Dr. Stein keeps telling him it can't be done. But, Clark calms Firestorm down, and he's able to transmute the kid to flesh again. Clark then interrupts a rally the Russian President is giving and informs the crowd Firestorm can undo the damage. But, he then talks about his concern over the current anti-metahuman movement, saying Krypton was doomed to destruction because its council was too divided. Clark encourages people not to demonize metahumans. Watching the speech en route to Moscow, Bruce contacts Clark and tells him not to pick a side. The Russian President interrupts Superman, denouncing him for siding with the metahumans.
To make matters worse, Firestorm arrives just then, swearing he can help everyone. Unfortunately, the Russian army opens fire on him. Superman manages to save the boy Firestorm transmuted from the hail of bullets, but Firestorm is driven insane with guilt when the army's bullets destroy other statues. He attacks the army, forcing the Heroes to join the fray by trying to stop Superman, who they see as on Firestorm's side. Clark watches in horror as tanks crush statues, and he attacks one, sealing the public's view of him attacking the Russian army. Bruce warns Superman the problem isn't Firestorm just as an enormous (and suspiciously blue) explosion occurs, with Superman at its epicenter. Ozymandias watches on computer screens, muttering only, "It begins."
I'm glad to see something happening in this book, but it's still hard to tell how it's all going to end. I rolled my eyes at the idea that Firestorm could change back the boy, so I was glad to see Bruce inform us it was actually Dr. Manhattan manipulating the events. All that said, we seem to be getting farther and farther afield from where this series started. Snyder certainly has time to get back to the original drift, but I'll admit I'm feeling impatient.
Shatterstar #3: As I requested last issue, we get some more insight into Shatterstar's relationship with Gringrave, as they learn Mojo plans on mating him with Windsong, a fellow gladiator. Oddly, it's Gringrave who takes action to stop it, conspiring with Windsong's partner to end Shatterstar's reign (and, I'm assuming, his suitability as a match for Windsong in Mojo's eyes). Meanwhile, in the present, 'Star prioritizes saving Karl Sortenthau, since he's deemed too old to fight in the arena; he gets him just before he's eaten. But, it means he loses Tina, after she makes a deal with Grandmaster to get powers so she can be the hero in the arena who saves the tenants. (It ends...badly.) Seeley is really just getting his sea legs here, infusing this issue with the type of emotion we didn't see in the first two issues. I hope he keeps rolling with it as we come closer to the conclusion. At some point, it would be nice to see why Gringrave changed her mind about indulging in love. Right now, it seems more like 'Star fell for her sooner than she fell for him. By the time she realized she loved him, he had turned off that part of him, at her instruction. But, I'm connecting those dots for Seeley; it would be nice to see him doing it on his own.
Star Wars #58: This issue is great on all levels. Seeing a relaxed Han Solo uncharacteristically confess actual feelings to (though not for) Leia is great. Gillen really stresses how the atmosphere on Hubin drives him to this moment. Give a smuggler a minute to relax without worrying about making a buck and he apparently becomes the Dude. But Gillen also shows how Hubin's isolation drives Luke to the brink of madness, stuck on a planet exactly like Tatooine, just "greener." He's frantically working on building a transmitter to call for rescue, even though pretty much everyone warns him it could bring ruin to Hubin. But, it's Leia who's full of surprises as she leads an expectant Han to her room only to show him...her plans to destroy Shu-Torun entirely. Oh, Leia, you never disappoint. Gillen and Unzueta capture Han and Leia both so perfectly in this moment, with Han starting to take off his vest only for Leia to reveal her serial-killer den; it may be my favorite moment in the entire series. But, most importantly, it sets up a confrontation with Shu-Torun that I can't wait to see. Just like Aaron before him, Gillen is showing he's not in any rush, as this entire Shu-Torun saga shows the potential to unfold over dozens of issues, with a level of complexity that could be its own trilogy. Man, I love this series.
Uncanny X-Men #4: OK, now we're getting somewhere. First, the art is excellent. No photo-realism, just excellent drawing. Second, we see some decent characterization, at long lest! We get some Beast/Iceman banter, we get a hilariously unhinged Legion, we get a furious Hisako calling bullshit on the adults. It finally reads less like a pitch and more like a comic. (Legion's text bubble running off both sides of the panel to show how he's annoyingly rambling was awesome.) But, I'm also 100% Team Hisako. After Jean and Betsy use their powers to convince the Horsemen they're all dead, they almost immediately silence Legion as he's trying to explain his actions. Hisako points out it makes no sense to do that, because he's the only one who knows what's happening. Jean demands absolutely loyalty from her despite the fact, as Hisako also notes, she's the one who ignored or missed Legion's warnings, leading to the Mansion's destruction. But, Jean does Jean as she decides the X-Men don't need to investigate these new Horsemen, even though they're uniquely suited to do so. Instead, she wants them to join the other superhero teams in trying to address the chaos unfolding around the world. She inserts Storm's team into a civil war in Chernaya while she and her team take on Blob and Omega Red as they attack an oil platform. La la la. Maybe a little strategery, Jean? At any rate, we also learn Hank probably did something that led to the creation of the mutant "vaccine" we've previously seen, surprising no one. At this stage, it's finally starting to feel more like "Avengers: No Surrender" and less like Rob Liefeld was given the keys to the kingdom. That's obviously a good thing.
West Coast Avengers #5: West Coast, Best Coast, 'Nuff Said!
Winter Soldier #1: The premise of this mini-series is pretty clever. Bucky has dedicated himself to rescuing people who want to escape lives where they've made bad -- and dangerous -- decisions. For example, the issue starts with him helping a dirty cop escape right before he's supposed to drive a getaway car for some other dirty cops. In other words, his drive for redemption is pretty clear. Bucky's set up his base of operations in Indiana, where he's from, and he's getting help from Sharon Carter. (Higgins work in the sort of time-management joke we used to see when Wolverine was on 30 different teams.) Tony Stark even helps, motivated by Sharon's comment that they've all had help when they needed to start again. Bucky's also gotten into meditation as a way to deal with his demons, and he seems to be remembering a memory where one of the technicians working on his project tried to help him escape because the project was immoral. (Bucky, of course, killed him.) The issue ends when a Hydra assassin takes out one of Bucky's clients after he contacted his girlfriend still on the inside. The assassin? A teenager dressed like teenage Bucky! At this point, my only complaint here is that Higgins doesn't do a lot with Bucky as a character. He has time to do that, but one of my worries with Bucky is always that he's portrayed as bland instead of haunted. It's when he's portrayed as so emotionally dead that he's boring that series get canceled. I guess the stakes are low for a five-issue mini-series, but I'd really like to see Bucky emerge from the limbo in which Marvel has stashed him these last few years. Brubaker did such amazing things with him, and I really want him to be less shadow-y than he's been these last few years. Importantly, Higgins establishes the government pardoned him for his help against Hydra. Here's hoping it means we're going to get Brubaker's Bucky back.
Also Read: Death Orb #3; The Merry X-Men Holiday Special #1; Nightwing #54
Die #1: Holy fucking shit, this issue is amazing. Right up front (or, in back, actually, in his note), Gillen admits the inspiration for this book is the question I've asked myself for decades: "Whatever happened to the D&D cartoon kids?" I can't believe my luck that I get to see Kieron Gillen answer that question.
First things first, Gillen does a great job of establishing our cast of characters. Our protagonist is Dominic. He and his friends are dedicated RPGers, and his best friend Sol has created a boutique game for Dominic's 16th birthday. Each player is given a die, and Sol explains it's the only one in the world where they're playing. Dom is the Dictator ("a diplomat with teeth") with a d4, his depressed friend Matthew is the Grief Knight ("a magical warrior" who turns "emotions into power") with a d8, his younger sister Ash is Neo ("a cyberpunk") with a d10, his edgy friend Isabelle is Godbinder ("some kind of atheist with gods for pets") with a d12, and his dumb friend Chuck is the Fool ("I kinda picked some random abilities") with a "entirely normal" d6. Sol keeps the d20 for himself.
Shortly after they start the game, they disappear. They reappear two years later, minus Sol and one of Ash's arms, inexplicably unable to talk about their experiences. We then flash forward twenty-five years later, as Dominic celebrates his 41st birthday. We learn his wife Sophie threw him a surprise party for his 40th birthday and he reacted badly, because parties and presents serve as reminders of his experience. Sol's mother appears on his doorstep and angrily presses Dom for information. Sophie threatens her, and we learn she frequently appears demanding information about Sol. Later that night, Dom meets his sister Ash for a drink and the bartender hands them a box someone left for them. It's the box that originally contained the dice -- with a blood-soaked d20.
Panicked, they assemble the party (except they can't call it a party, for reasons that become clear later) at Chuck's house. Chuck is wealthy based on a series of books he's written about their experience ("Portal of Pain"). Ash wonders how he can do so since the rest of them can't talk about it, and Dominic assumes it's part of his personality, that he can't take anything too seriously. Like Chuck, Isabelle has a few spouses in her past and she teaches high-school English. (We previously learned Ash left her husband for a woman who then left her.) Along with Dom, Matt is the most grounded, married with kids and a statistics professor. Dominic is surprised to learn it's been five years since they saw each other, since he's the closest to Matt. They start to talk about their experience, but it's difficult; for example, Chuck stumbles on the word "party," unable to say it. Isabelle apologizes to Dom for not being more "woke" when they were kids. I'm guessing it's an allusion to a relationship Dominic had with Sol in the Realm, given his character (the Dictator) was a woman. Isabelle wonders why Dominic didn't take the die to the police, but Dominic says he was afraid to lose control of it. As they stare at it, the die activates, dragging them all into the "Realm." As they transit spacetime, a voice announces the Grandmaster once again threatens the Realm and it needs a hero to rise, like the narration you'd hear at the start of an arcade game.
Returned to the Realm, Gillen reveals the group's inability to talk about the experience came from a geas Dominic put on them before they left. Matt presses Dom to lift the geas, which he (she, here) does. Isabelle immediately pounces on him, noting the geas and taking on the Grandmaster were his idea. But, Dominic retorts that it wasn't his idea to leave behind Sol, though we learn they never actually saw the Grandmaster kill him. He says he hoped Sol was alive when he saw the die, though Isabelle notes the blood on it probably implies the opposite. Suddenly, the die flies through the air to a now-grown Solomon's hand. We learn the Grandmaster trapped him and tried to steal his die. Solomon escaped and they fought "a long war" that he eventually won. He announces he's now the Grandmaster as he puts the die in his empty eye socket. (His other eye has a die in it, presumably the Grandmaster's d20 die?) He then announces the party has to complete the game.
In his note at the back, Gillen talks about this series exploring the consequences -- to him and his loved ones -- of him falling into a fantasy world at 16 years old. Part of the reason this intention feels so fully realized is that the art is beyond spectacular. Hans infuses both our world and the Realm with a dream-like quality that reflects the characters' emotions. It's the perfect complement to Gillen's vision. Gillen talks about this series as driven in part by a mid-life crisis of sorts, and, as someone roughly his age going through his own version, this book could be better than therapy!
Doomsday Clock #8: This issue is much more action-packed and straight-forward than previous ones, though I'm not entirely sure it's a good thing.
We begin with a brief scene of Ozymandias swiping a file from the Oval Office. But, the action shifts almost immediately to Moscow, where a hot-headed Firestorm is taking on the People's Heroes, accusing them of trying to ruin his life through the Superman Theory. One of the Heroes manages to disrupt his powers, forcing him to crash to the Earth into a group of protesters. They immediately attack him and, panicked, he explodes, turning the protesters to glass. Superman immediately flies from Metropolis to Khandaq amidst reports Firestorm fled there, but Black Adam informs Superman that Firestorm isn't there (though notes he's welcome). Clark resumes his search for Firestorm. Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Lois discovers a package with no return address on it that someone (Rorschach) sent directly to her at the "Planet." It contains a flashdrive with a reel of the Justice Society of America, something Lois doesn't recognize.
Meanwhile, Clark finds Firestorm hiding in a cave in Russia. He's trying to turn back one of the glass statues, of a child. He's irrationally distraught, in part because Dr. Stein keeps telling him it can't be done. But, Clark calms Firestorm down, and he's able to transmute the kid to flesh again. Clark then interrupts a rally the Russian President is giving and informs the crowd Firestorm can undo the damage. But, he then talks about his concern over the current anti-metahuman movement, saying Krypton was doomed to destruction because its council was too divided. Clark encourages people not to demonize metahumans. Watching the speech en route to Moscow, Bruce contacts Clark and tells him not to pick a side. The Russian President interrupts Superman, denouncing him for siding with the metahumans.
To make matters worse, Firestorm arrives just then, swearing he can help everyone. Unfortunately, the Russian army opens fire on him. Superman manages to save the boy Firestorm transmuted from the hail of bullets, but Firestorm is driven insane with guilt when the army's bullets destroy other statues. He attacks the army, forcing the Heroes to join the fray by trying to stop Superman, who they see as on Firestorm's side. Clark watches in horror as tanks crush statues, and he attacks one, sealing the public's view of him attacking the Russian army. Bruce warns Superman the problem isn't Firestorm just as an enormous (and suspiciously blue) explosion occurs, with Superman at its epicenter. Ozymandias watches on computer screens, muttering only, "It begins."
I'm glad to see something happening in this book, but it's still hard to tell how it's all going to end. I rolled my eyes at the idea that Firestorm could change back the boy, so I was glad to see Bruce inform us it was actually Dr. Manhattan manipulating the events. All that said, we seem to be getting farther and farther afield from where this series started. Snyder certainly has time to get back to the original drift, but I'll admit I'm feeling impatient.
Shatterstar #3: As I requested last issue, we get some more insight into Shatterstar's relationship with Gringrave, as they learn Mojo plans on mating him with Windsong, a fellow gladiator. Oddly, it's Gringrave who takes action to stop it, conspiring with Windsong's partner to end Shatterstar's reign (and, I'm assuming, his suitability as a match for Windsong in Mojo's eyes). Meanwhile, in the present, 'Star prioritizes saving Karl Sortenthau, since he's deemed too old to fight in the arena; he gets him just before he's eaten. But, it means he loses Tina, after she makes a deal with Grandmaster to get powers so she can be the hero in the arena who saves the tenants. (It ends...badly.) Seeley is really just getting his sea legs here, infusing this issue with the type of emotion we didn't see in the first two issues. I hope he keeps rolling with it as we come closer to the conclusion. At some point, it would be nice to see why Gringrave changed her mind about indulging in love. Right now, it seems more like 'Star fell for her sooner than she fell for him. By the time she realized she loved him, he had turned off that part of him, at her instruction. But, I'm connecting those dots for Seeley; it would be nice to see him doing it on his own.
Star Wars #58: This issue is great on all levels. Seeing a relaxed Han Solo uncharacteristically confess actual feelings to (though not for) Leia is great. Gillen really stresses how the atmosphere on Hubin drives him to this moment. Give a smuggler a minute to relax without worrying about making a buck and he apparently becomes the Dude. But Gillen also shows how Hubin's isolation drives Luke to the brink of madness, stuck on a planet exactly like Tatooine, just "greener." He's frantically working on building a transmitter to call for rescue, even though pretty much everyone warns him it could bring ruin to Hubin. But, it's Leia who's full of surprises as she leads an expectant Han to her room only to show him...her plans to destroy Shu-Torun entirely. Oh, Leia, you never disappoint. Gillen and Unzueta capture Han and Leia both so perfectly in this moment, with Han starting to take off his vest only for Leia to reveal her serial-killer den; it may be my favorite moment in the entire series. But, most importantly, it sets up a confrontation with Shu-Torun that I can't wait to see. Just like Aaron before him, Gillen is showing he's not in any rush, as this entire Shu-Torun saga shows the potential to unfold over dozens of issues, with a level of complexity that could be its own trilogy. Man, I love this series.
Uncanny X-Men #4: OK, now we're getting somewhere. First, the art is excellent. No photo-realism, just excellent drawing. Second, we see some decent characterization, at long lest! We get some Beast/Iceman banter, we get a hilariously unhinged Legion, we get a furious Hisako calling bullshit on the adults. It finally reads less like a pitch and more like a comic. (Legion's text bubble running off both sides of the panel to show how he's annoyingly rambling was awesome.) But, I'm also 100% Team Hisako. After Jean and Betsy use their powers to convince the Horsemen they're all dead, they almost immediately silence Legion as he's trying to explain his actions. Hisako points out it makes no sense to do that, because he's the only one who knows what's happening. Jean demands absolutely loyalty from her despite the fact, as Hisako also notes, she's the one who ignored or missed Legion's warnings, leading to the Mansion's destruction. But, Jean does Jean as she decides the X-Men don't need to investigate these new Horsemen, even though they're uniquely suited to do so. Instead, she wants them to join the other superhero teams in trying to address the chaos unfolding around the world. She inserts Storm's team into a civil war in Chernaya while she and her team take on Blob and Omega Red as they attack an oil platform. La la la. Maybe a little strategery, Jean? At any rate, we also learn Hank probably did something that led to the creation of the mutant "vaccine" we've previously seen, surprising no one. At this stage, it's finally starting to feel more like "Avengers: No Surrender" and less like Rob Liefeld was given the keys to the kingdom. That's obviously a good thing.
West Coast Avengers #5: West Coast, Best Coast, 'Nuff Said!
Winter Soldier #1: The premise of this mini-series is pretty clever. Bucky has dedicated himself to rescuing people who want to escape lives where they've made bad -- and dangerous -- decisions. For example, the issue starts with him helping a dirty cop escape right before he's supposed to drive a getaway car for some other dirty cops. In other words, his drive for redemption is pretty clear. Bucky's set up his base of operations in Indiana, where he's from, and he's getting help from Sharon Carter. (Higgins work in the sort of time-management joke we used to see when Wolverine was on 30 different teams.) Tony Stark even helps, motivated by Sharon's comment that they've all had help when they needed to start again. Bucky's also gotten into meditation as a way to deal with his demons, and he seems to be remembering a memory where one of the technicians working on his project tried to help him escape because the project was immoral. (Bucky, of course, killed him.) The issue ends when a Hydra assassin takes out one of Bucky's clients after he contacted his girlfriend still on the inside. The assassin? A teenager dressed like teenage Bucky! At this point, my only complaint here is that Higgins doesn't do a lot with Bucky as a character. He has time to do that, but one of my worries with Bucky is always that he's portrayed as bland instead of haunted. It's when he's portrayed as so emotionally dead that he's boring that series get canceled. I guess the stakes are low for a five-issue mini-series, but I'd really like to see Bucky emerge from the limbo in which Marvel has stashed him these last few years. Brubaker did such amazing things with him, and I really want him to be less shadow-y than he's been these last few years. Importantly, Higgins establishes the government pardoned him for his help against Hydra. Here's hoping it means we're going to get Brubaker's Bucky back.
Also Read: Death Orb #3; The Merry X-Men Holiday Special #1; Nightwing #54
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The November 28 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Amazing Spider-Man #10: Spencer clearly hated exactly the same things about Slott's run as I did as he changes one of Slott's most egregious characterization crimes in this issue: Felicia is thankfully on the side of angels again. (I'm just going to overlook Peter overlooking her crimes, like I do with Batman overlooking Red Hood's.) More interestingly, she pins her fall into evil as starting when she realized she no longer knew who Peter was under the mask. (Apparently Spencer also had issues with Quesada as well.) Moved by her insistence they meant something once, Peter unmasks himself to her, a moment that validates her importance not just to him but to us, the fans, as well. I'll admit Spencer is still struggling to get a definitive bead on Peter as a character, veering seemingly randomly from excessively chipper to downright maudlin. But, he definitely secures my patience as he fixes yet another wrong perpetrated on Peter and his supporting cast during "Brand New Day" and its hangover.
Darth Vader #24: Soule does a great job here of not delaying Vader's crossing into the Force for too long, but long enough to make it suspenseful. Momin's betrayal of Vader allows the indigenous Mustafarian forces time to marshal an attack, forcing Vader to re-focus his efforts on securing the fortress. Soule takes the extra step of showing Vader successfully rallying his rattled troops into battle, a reminder that the Stormtroopers don't follow Vader from a place of fear so much as awe. The Mustafarians seem to get the upper hand as they use the lava to wipe out the Imperials. Vader only survives in a display of badass-ery that recalls his origins: as we see him leaping from the lava and burning on the shores once again, it's clear it isn't going to end well for the Mustafarians. Once he vanquishes them, he makes fairly short work of a surprised Momin. I have to be honest, I understand why Momin would arrogantly assume his superiority to Vader, since he just managed to pull off a millennia-long plan to resurrect himself. But, Vader is Vader, and he uses this arrogance against Momin, clearing the way for his own crossing into the Force. I'm intrigued where Soule is going here. One of my hopes for this series since Day #1 was that the authors would explore Vader before he became the (seemingly) irredeemably villain he was in "Star Wars." I have to wonder if his presumed "reunion" with Padme doesn't push him farther along that spectrum, something I'd be excited to see.
Marvel 2-in-One #12: Zdarsky ends this series on a high note, with Johnny showing how much he's matured since the team began. After all, Ben, Reed, and Sue all lied to him to protect his feelings, and Johnny argues they treated him like a child in so doing. His call for them to be better about sharing their pain forces everyone, the reader included, to reassess their view of him. But, he also shows his maturity by forgiving them. Zdarksy did such an excellent job on this title and "Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man" that it's hard to believe Marvel would allow his run on either one to end. At least Zdarsky had the chance to wrap up some of the emotional loose ends from Reed and Sue's disappearance, particularly as Slott has already moved onto the wedding in the main title. I still think we (and Johnny) deserve a better explanation from Reed and Sue, but at least we get this moment here.
Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #2: This issue is spectacular. McGuire pours his heart and soul into this issue and it shows. This issue clears the high bar "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2 set in terms of presenting a fully realized world containing clearly drawn characters. For really the first time I can remember, someone presents us a intuitively believable vision of Peter Parker if he hadn't become Spider-Man. In a way, it feels like McGuire is finishing the work Latour started with our Gwen's Peter, since we never really meet him. This Peter is the nerd he was destined to be. He created the radioactive spider that bit Harry, turning Harry into Spider-Man. Gwen is also the scientist she was supposed to be. After Harry became Spider-Man, she created the Goblin outfit based on her work with bio-feedback circuitry at Oscorp (where she and Peter were interning). Peter and Mary Jane play the supporting roles here, but it all goes tragically wrong when Gwen accidentally kills her father in a fight she and Harry are having with Sandman. Her moment of distraction gives Sandman time to kill Harry and an ensuing explosion fuses Gwen with her suit. She's now only the Goblin, and Peter and Mary Jane are frantically trying to find a way to save her when our Gwen appears. McGuire is at his best when he shows Peter as totally desperate to save his friends; it's an echo of our Peter, but in a world where the sorrows he's known have overwhelmed him. He's not funny or quippy, just focused and serious. He unapologetically blackmails our Gwen into helping them by saying their Gwen is the only person who can help her fix her Web-Warriors' watch. Our Gwen seems to suspect he's lying as much as we do. McGuire really conveys Gwen's desperation here, as she's aware her friends could be dying as she's delayed in this Universe. But, Gwen decides to throw in her lot with Peter and Mary Jane, clearly moved in party by their plight. It's this sort of realistic characterization that makes this issue so gripping. I can't wait to see where we go from here.
Uncanny X-Men #3: This issue is an improvement over the last two issues, though I can't say I'm enthusiastic about where we're going here. After the X-Men in Montana make short work of the rampaging dinosaurs, they fly to Kansas to help the other X-Men take on the Madrox horde. Jean and Psylocke are able to shut down the dupes' minds, and they discover Jamie Prime beaten and locked in the basement. (The authors make no comment at all on the fact Jamie Prime is supposed to be dead, so it's unclear to me if it's the real Jamie Prime or the megalomaniacal Jamie Prime from the "Multiple Man" mini-series. Also, where's Layla?) Jamie reveals Legion beat him repeatedly to create dupes into which he could stash his personalities. (I guess those dupes were the ones the X-Men just defeated?) It's still unclear why they were all looking for Kitty Pryde, but, if I'm guessing, it's because Legion was looking at her. He wanted to warn the X-Men of the coming of the Four Horsemen of Salvation: Angel, Blob, Magneto, and Omega Red. It seems clear they're working for X-Man, but we're not going to get there until next issue (at least). Instead, Magneto, the so-called Horseman of Peace, destroys the X-Mansion, because his goal is to take out anyone who creates war (i.e., the X-Men.) Um, OK, I guess? It all still feels like a mess, but at least we're getting closer to answers here.
Also Read: Detective Comics #993; Fantastic Four #4; Old Man Hawkeye #11; Return of Wolverine #3
Darth Vader #24: Soule does a great job here of not delaying Vader's crossing into the Force for too long, but long enough to make it suspenseful. Momin's betrayal of Vader allows the indigenous Mustafarian forces time to marshal an attack, forcing Vader to re-focus his efforts on securing the fortress. Soule takes the extra step of showing Vader successfully rallying his rattled troops into battle, a reminder that the Stormtroopers don't follow Vader from a place of fear so much as awe. The Mustafarians seem to get the upper hand as they use the lava to wipe out the Imperials. Vader only survives in a display of badass-ery that recalls his origins: as we see him leaping from the lava and burning on the shores once again, it's clear it isn't going to end well for the Mustafarians. Once he vanquishes them, he makes fairly short work of a surprised Momin. I have to be honest, I understand why Momin would arrogantly assume his superiority to Vader, since he just managed to pull off a millennia-long plan to resurrect himself. But, Vader is Vader, and he uses this arrogance against Momin, clearing the way for his own crossing into the Force. I'm intrigued where Soule is going here. One of my hopes for this series since Day #1 was that the authors would explore Vader before he became the (seemingly) irredeemably villain he was in "Star Wars." I have to wonder if his presumed "reunion" with Padme doesn't push him farther along that spectrum, something I'd be excited to see.
Marvel 2-in-One #12: Zdarsky ends this series on a high note, with Johnny showing how much he's matured since the team began. After all, Ben, Reed, and Sue all lied to him to protect his feelings, and Johnny argues they treated him like a child in so doing. His call for them to be better about sharing their pain forces everyone, the reader included, to reassess their view of him. But, he also shows his maturity by forgiving them. Zdarksy did such an excellent job on this title and "Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man" that it's hard to believe Marvel would allow his run on either one to end. At least Zdarsky had the chance to wrap up some of the emotional loose ends from Reed and Sue's disappearance, particularly as Slott has already moved onto the wedding in the main title. I still think we (and Johnny) deserve a better explanation from Reed and Sue, but at least we get this moment here.
Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #2: This issue is spectacular. McGuire pours his heart and soul into this issue and it shows. This issue clears the high bar "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2 set in terms of presenting a fully realized world containing clearly drawn characters. For really the first time I can remember, someone presents us a intuitively believable vision of Peter Parker if he hadn't become Spider-Man. In a way, it feels like McGuire is finishing the work Latour started with our Gwen's Peter, since we never really meet him. This Peter is the nerd he was destined to be. He created the radioactive spider that bit Harry, turning Harry into Spider-Man. Gwen is also the scientist she was supposed to be. After Harry became Spider-Man, she created the Goblin outfit based on her work with bio-feedback circuitry at Oscorp (where she and Peter were interning). Peter and Mary Jane play the supporting roles here, but it all goes tragically wrong when Gwen accidentally kills her father in a fight she and Harry are having with Sandman. Her moment of distraction gives Sandman time to kill Harry and an ensuing explosion fuses Gwen with her suit. She's now only the Goblin, and Peter and Mary Jane are frantically trying to find a way to save her when our Gwen appears. McGuire is at his best when he shows Peter as totally desperate to save his friends; it's an echo of our Peter, but in a world where the sorrows he's known have overwhelmed him. He's not funny or quippy, just focused and serious. He unapologetically blackmails our Gwen into helping them by saying their Gwen is the only person who can help her fix her Web-Warriors' watch. Our Gwen seems to suspect he's lying as much as we do. McGuire really conveys Gwen's desperation here, as she's aware her friends could be dying as she's delayed in this Universe. But, Gwen decides to throw in her lot with Peter and Mary Jane, clearly moved in party by their plight. It's this sort of realistic characterization that makes this issue so gripping. I can't wait to see where we go from here.
Uncanny X-Men #3: This issue is an improvement over the last two issues, though I can't say I'm enthusiastic about where we're going here. After the X-Men in Montana make short work of the rampaging dinosaurs, they fly to Kansas to help the other X-Men take on the Madrox horde. Jean and Psylocke are able to shut down the dupes' minds, and they discover Jamie Prime beaten and locked in the basement. (The authors make no comment at all on the fact Jamie Prime is supposed to be dead, so it's unclear to me if it's the real Jamie Prime or the megalomaniacal Jamie Prime from the "Multiple Man" mini-series. Also, where's Layla?) Jamie reveals Legion beat him repeatedly to create dupes into which he could stash his personalities. (I guess those dupes were the ones the X-Men just defeated?) It's still unclear why they were all looking for Kitty Pryde, but, if I'm guessing, it's because Legion was looking at her. He wanted to warn the X-Men of the coming of the Four Horsemen of Salvation: Angel, Blob, Magneto, and Omega Red. It seems clear they're working for X-Man, but we're not going to get there until next issue (at least). Instead, Magneto, the so-called Horseman of Peace, destroys the X-Mansion, because his goal is to take out anyone who creates war (i.e., the X-Men.) Um, OK, I guess? It all still feels like a mess, but at least we're getting closer to answers here.
Also Read: Detective Comics #993; Fantastic Four #4; Old Man Hawkeye #11; Return of Wolverine #3
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The November 21 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Astonishing X-Men #17: This issue is a mess. But, I appreciated what Rosenberg was trying to do here, as he explained it in his concluding letter. He wanted to tell a story about the heroes who don’t always get it right. It's a good goal, the type of story we don't see told enough. I'd say that he largely accomplished that goal, messy though the road to that goal was. After all, the characterization was...dodgy. Alex seemed like a combination of Bobby Drake with the bad jokes, Quentin Quire with his easy disillusionment, and Tony Stark with the weary drinking. Allison made weird comments about the Beast’s weight. But, Rosenberg was getting Alex to a place where I liked him. It was a more interesting iteration of him. I mean, it's been a while since we had a consistent characterization of him, so I was really just happy for Rosenberg to have a specific vision of him. But, the progress Rosenberg was making ends here with the advent of “Uncanny X-Men.” After all, I’m still not really sure what the Reavers were doing or planning, but I guess it doesn’t matter at this point. Unfortunately, this series appears to be part of the trend over the last few years of all the X-books being disposable. Just when the authors seem to get somewhere interesting, the series is canceled due to yet another line-wide “relaunch” and the team is disassembled. [Sigh.] It’s bad when you’re pining for a series you didn’t even like all that much, just because you want some stability.
Batman #59: This story would be great if it weren’t a “Batman” story. I’m fine believing Bane is only pretending to be semi-comatose while actually running Arkham and, by extension, Gotham. (I mean, that connection is kind of a stretch, but whatever.) I’m also fine with Penguin confessing this information to Batman as part of his revenge against Bane for killing his Penny. King has Penguin make it clear the strikes against Bruce — Dick, Alfred, etc. — came from Bane. But, I don’t buy Bruce’s actions. King seems to subscribe to Snyder’s belief that Bruce is incompetent. After all, Bruce doesn’t really figure out anything here. Sure, he realizes Penguin was the one actually to kill the women who Freeze allegedly killed, but it also seems like Penguin wasn’t really hiding his tracks all that well. But, King goes ones step further as Bruce isn’t just incompetent but also psychotic. Rather than tricking Bane into revealing the truth, he just simply beats him to a pulp, as if Bane — the man whose “powers” come essentially from surviving Santa Prisca — would crack under the torment. Gordon tries to get him to stop and he punches Gordon. Gordon dismisses him, saying he’s sick of him, and I couldn’t agree with him more. A Red Hood story? That makes sense. A Batman story? Nope.
Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker #3: I mean, this issue and series are just the effing worst. Nothing makes sense. Like, I couldn’t even pretend to tell you what story Bowers and Sims are actually trying to tell here. I can’t believe I got suckered into buying it because Darkhawk was in it.
Mr. and Mrs. X #5: Honestly, y'all, I just fucking love this series so much. It's romantic, it's suspenseful, it's funny. Thompson gets these characters in an intuitive way, and it shows in every panel. Also, Bazaldua and D'Armata are an excellent team. "Astonishing X-Men" and "Uncanny X-Men" suffered from such consistently disappointing art, the great art here just really underscores what a wonderful book this series is. Also, cats!
Mr. and Mrs. X #5: Honestly, y'all, I just fucking love this series so much. It's romantic, it's suspenseful, it's funny. Thompson gets these characters in an intuitive way, and it shows in every panel. Also, Bazaldua and D'Armata are an excellent team. "Astonishing X-Men" and "Uncanny X-Men" suffered from such consistently disappointing art, the great art here just really underscores what a wonderful book this series is. Also, cats!
The New World #5: Kot ends this series by leaning into the idea of the wall as a metaphor. Thanks to Stella’s A.I. successfully hacking into border security’s systems, Kirby and Stella reveal to the country that the wall is merely a hologram, a prison of their own making due to their faith in, and fear of, their institutions. Kot could’ve left it there and scored a point against our Trumpian reality. But, he goes one step further. Kirby knows the revelation will result in chaos, so he wants to stay and make the United States a better place. But, Stella has done enough, and they part. By adding this exchange, Kot exposes the sort of disagreements many people opposed to any agenda have in this era. Stella is exhausted and just wants living her life with her love serving as the best revenge, whereas Kirby wants a more direct approach to right the wrongs he sees. They’re both valid options, and they may not be as incompatible as they seem in this moment. To that point, as Stella summons up her courage to take that step through the wall, Kirby is there with her. Kot leaves us there: we don’t know what they ultimately do; we just know they’re in love, hand in hand, for right now. It’s a great ending to this trippy series, a reminder how much Kot and Moore really accomplished with just five issues.
Spider-geddon #4: Gage does a solid job of keeping all the plates spinning at this point. This series has had some problems with tie-in coordination, like we see here with Jessica Drew arriving after the events of the so-far unpublished "Spider-Force" #3. But, it's not too much of an issue. Gage cleverly ups the stakes by having the Web-Warriors expel an unhelpful Norma Osborn. As revenge, he destroys the Web of Life and Destiny, severing the Web-Warriors' ability to travel between dimensions and thus stranding everyone else on Earth-616 with the Inheritors. I'd say that sets up the final conflict pretty nicely. This series lacks the overarching brilliance of "Spider-Verse," but as a sequel to a previous event it's doing really well.
Spider-geddon #4: Gage does a solid job of keeping all the plates spinning at this point. This series has had some problems with tie-in coordination, like we see here with Jessica Drew arriving after the events of the so-far unpublished "Spider-Force" #3. But, it's not too much of an issue. Gage cleverly ups the stakes by having the Web-Warriors expel an unhelpful Norma Osborn. As revenge, he destroys the Web of Life and Destiny, severing the Web-Warriors' ability to travel between dimensions and thus stranding everyone else on Earth-616 with the Inheritors. I'd say that sets up the final conflict pretty nicely. This series lacks the overarching brilliance of "Spider-Verse," but as a sequel to a previous event it's doing really well.
Uncanny X-Men #2: This issue is marginally better than the first one, in that at least it makes sense on the face of it. Storm leads a team to Kansas when a veritable horde of Madri suddenly appears and Jean decides (for reasons that remain unclear) that Storm is best suited to handle it. Meanwhile, Jean leads a team to Montana to stop a group of rampaging dinosaurs, part of a worldwide phenomenon of long extinct animals suddenly coming to life. Hank posits all these events — including the mysterious development of a lake in Africa that he and Storm investigated last issue as well as the disappearances of Senator Ashton and Kitty — are all connected. But, instead of doing more research on that connection, he goes to recover the mutant “vaccine” from the pharmaceutical factory the X-Men destroyed when they accidentally crashed a Blackbird into it last issue. Just when I had hope it was going to start getting better, Legion appears on the last page to “save the day,” which means it’s all going to get worse.
Also Read: Nightwing #53; Spider-Force #2; Star Wars #57; West Coast Avengers #4
Also Read: Nightwing #53; Spider-Force #2; Star Wars #57; West Coast Avengers #4
Monday, February 4, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The November 14 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers #10: Can I just admit I'm not feeling this series? I mean, I love Aaron usually, but something isn't clicking here for me. Maybe because it's all a little...much? Defenders of the Deep! The Winter Guard! Squadron Supreme of America! Phoenix Wolverine! Blade! I get it's the 700th issue, and I appreciate Aaron trying to tell one coherent story for this extra-sized issue, instead of dividing it into forgettable back-up stories. But, he seems to rush the most interesting part of the story, namely the increasingly chaotic melée between the Defenders, the Guard, and the Avengers. I would've preferred him and the artists really spreading their wings there. Instead, he spends eight pages on Odin lecturing Ghost Rider about the history of animosity between the Rider and the Starbrand. Le sigh. I get artist constraints probably contributed to that, but it was a disappointment nonetheless.
Captain America #5: I love the story Coates is telling here: it's essentially the sequel to Brubaker's original Alexander Lukin story, with all the players -- including the Red Skull -- now on the board again. My only question at this point is how exactly Alexa resurrected Lukin. I figured Selene was going to drain Sharon's life force and imbue it into Lukin's body. But, Steve seemed to interrupt that transfer. Later, the Army's doctors proclaim Sharon as rested as if she had gone to Club Med. How does that work, then? Did Alexa use the Cosmic Cube instead? Curiouser and curiouser. At any rate, Alexa makes an excellent point to Selene about now they're striking while the iron is hot in America. After all, Cap's time as the head of Hydra has left people uncertain who the heroes and villains are. It's a moment ripe for interference. The best part of this story is the fact Coates isn't stretching anyone's characterization to make people's actions and statements mirror our current political environment. He's chosen his characters perfectly. In fact, he almost implies Marvel anticipated this particular moment when Brubaker created some of these characters over ten years ago.
Fantastic Four #3: This issue is great, though I wonder where Slott is going with the overall story. On the plus side, Slott does a great job of showing how clever Reed is. He realizes the Griever is an agent of destruction, not of creation. As such, he has the extended team destroy all her teleportation pods save one. Since she can't create a new one, she's left with no option but to use it before the heroes destroy it, stranding her in this finite Universe. Reed is able to take this risk of stranding the team because he has faith in its ability to create its own device, something Valeria easily does with the help of assembled geniuses like Black Panther and Spider-Man. This part is great. It puts the science front and center, exactly where it should be. Slott also manages to hit emotional notes just right, a major accomplishment for him. Ben's conversations with Franklin is great. Whereas Peter tries to lay the "with great power..." talk on him, Ben rejects putting the responsibility to stop the Griever squarely on Franklin's adolescent shoulders. As Franklin despairs over his failure to stop her, Ben tells him that guys like them draw strength from their family and keep trying even when they fail. I totally cried when they jointly declared it was clobberin' time. For me, the only downside of this issue is that Reed and Susan are still acting weirdly. Franklin all but collapses when he sees Ben, telling Ben that he knew they shouldn't have left them for the five years. Johnny's joyous and wordless reunion with Valeria is equally moving. But, they only serve to highlight the question at the heart of this relaunch: why didn't Reed and Sue tell Ben and Johnny they were alive? The recent issue of "Marvel Two-in-One" focused on Ben and Reed also didn't answer this question, and at some point Slott is going to have to get to it. But, in the meantime, he's told a pretty spectacular (heh) Fantastic Four story here. I'm legit excited about the wedding.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #312: This issue is OK. The idea of using the Central Park Zoo’s full allotment of tranquilizers on Morlun is solid. The problem is that Morlun is always conveniently slow at exactly the right moments. Last issue we saw how fast and seemingly unstoppable Morlun is; in other words, it showed why he’s such a threat. Here, Miles fights Morlun but fails to stop him in his search for Peter. However, Miles is able to find Jameson, have a conversation with him, find Peter, and have a conversation with him all before Morlun finds them. It’s a little unrealistic, given how in awe of Morlun’s superior speed and tracking ability we’re supposed to be.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #9; Darth Vader #23; Detective Comics #992; Dragon Age: Deception #2; Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #26; Thor #7; Vault of Spiders #2
Captain America #5: I love the story Coates is telling here: it's essentially the sequel to Brubaker's original Alexander Lukin story, with all the players -- including the Red Skull -- now on the board again. My only question at this point is how exactly Alexa resurrected Lukin. I figured Selene was going to drain Sharon's life force and imbue it into Lukin's body. But, Steve seemed to interrupt that transfer. Later, the Army's doctors proclaim Sharon as rested as if she had gone to Club Med. How does that work, then? Did Alexa use the Cosmic Cube instead? Curiouser and curiouser. At any rate, Alexa makes an excellent point to Selene about now they're striking while the iron is hot in America. After all, Cap's time as the head of Hydra has left people uncertain who the heroes and villains are. It's a moment ripe for interference. The best part of this story is the fact Coates isn't stretching anyone's characterization to make people's actions and statements mirror our current political environment. He's chosen his characters perfectly. In fact, he almost implies Marvel anticipated this particular moment when Brubaker created some of these characters over ten years ago.
Fantastic Four #3: This issue is great, though I wonder where Slott is going with the overall story. On the plus side, Slott does a great job of showing how clever Reed is. He realizes the Griever is an agent of destruction, not of creation. As such, he has the extended team destroy all her teleportation pods save one. Since she can't create a new one, she's left with no option but to use it before the heroes destroy it, stranding her in this finite Universe. Reed is able to take this risk of stranding the team because he has faith in its ability to create its own device, something Valeria easily does with the help of assembled geniuses like Black Panther and Spider-Man. This part is great. It puts the science front and center, exactly where it should be. Slott also manages to hit emotional notes just right, a major accomplishment for him. Ben's conversations with Franklin is great. Whereas Peter tries to lay the "with great power..." talk on him, Ben rejects putting the responsibility to stop the Griever squarely on Franklin's adolescent shoulders. As Franklin despairs over his failure to stop her, Ben tells him that guys like them draw strength from their family and keep trying even when they fail. I totally cried when they jointly declared it was clobberin' time. For me, the only downside of this issue is that Reed and Susan are still acting weirdly. Franklin all but collapses when he sees Ben, telling Ben that he knew they shouldn't have left them for the five years. Johnny's joyous and wordless reunion with Valeria is equally moving. But, they only serve to highlight the question at the heart of this relaunch: why didn't Reed and Sue tell Ben and Johnny they were alive? The recent issue of "Marvel Two-in-One" focused on Ben and Reed also didn't answer this question, and at some point Slott is going to have to get to it. But, in the meantime, he's told a pretty spectacular (heh) Fantastic Four story here. I'm legit excited about the wedding.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #312: This issue is OK. The idea of using the Central Park Zoo’s full allotment of tranquilizers on Morlun is solid. The problem is that Morlun is always conveniently slow at exactly the right moments. Last issue we saw how fast and seemingly unstoppable Morlun is; in other words, it showed why he’s such a threat. Here, Miles fights Morlun but fails to stop him in his search for Peter. However, Miles is able to find Jameson, have a conversation with him, find Peter, and have a conversation with him all before Morlun finds them. It’s a little unrealistic, given how in awe of Morlun’s superior speed and tracking ability we’re supposed to be.
Uncanny X-Men #1: This issue is so bad that I really have to wonder what the purpose of editors is, if they allow something so terrible to get to market. No, seriously, it’s that bad. Let's get to it.
First, the plot makes little sense from moment to moment. The tension of this initial arc is that someone — we don’t know who, at this point — has created a “vaccine” that can “cure” mutantdom. OK, I get that part. That's pretty standard fare and not a terrible way to up the stakes so high that every mutant is called off the benches. But, the actions we see here related to that central tension make no sense. First, for some reason, Kitty takes a group of trainees to stop Forearm from destroying a pharmacy. The first problem is the “trainees” are Anole, Armor, Glob Herman, Idie, Pixie, and Rockslide. Really? Are we pretending they’re still trainees? (One of the back-up stories implies Anole and Armor are annoyed about this treatment, but pet peeve #3 says an author can’t just have a character note how idiotic a situation is and get credit for it.) To make matters worse (an expression I'll use a lot in this review), the authors portray X-23 as a hardened X-Man, even though she was part of Kyle and Yost’s New X-Men team with Anole, Armor, Pixie, and Rockslide. But, whatever. It's the least of our worries at this point. More problematically, Kitty doesn’t put two and two together to realize where Forearm is, the Mutant Liberation Front may not be far behind. This lapse in judgment is particularly notable because they’re going to save the pharmaceutical factory creating the “cure,” something Kitty doesn’t tell the kids and they only learn after she mysteriously disappears. Professor X much, Kitty? Also, you didn't think the MLF would hit a target like a pharmacy producing a "cure" for mutantdom? Also, note I mentioned Kitty "disappears." She does exactly that: as she's trying to find a place to land the Blackbird, she disappears, causing the Blackbird to crash and leaving the "kids" on their own to face the MLF. Way to lead, Kitty. Way to lead.
Meanwhile, we shift to some sort of public debate happening on the steps of City Hall between a new Robert Kelly-esque Senator and Kitty. However, as previously noted, Kitty isn't there as she's, natch, disappeared. But, I don't even remotely get how she thought she would be there. They were just going to dispatch a MLF-less Forearm and she'd pop into the rally, looking well rested and ready for the cameras? Has she developed the power to bend space and time? At any rate, Jean is nervous to take Kitty's place, even though she repeatedly advocated the mutant cause to the entire world in “X-Men Red.” Also, what sort of debate happens this way? Who decided it was a good idea to have a mutantphobic politician and the X-Men’s leader debate on the steps of City Hall in front of a crowd with no obvious security other than the Senator's bodyguards? Seriously, I'm not crazy here, right? I also have to note the art in this section is SO BAD, you guys. Angel, Betsy, and Jean look like they’ve been forcibly de-aged to childhood, and I didn’t recognize Sam or Northstar at all. Worst of all, Kitty looks almost exactly like Victoria Beckham, which...no. It’s just awful. At any rate, it ends in chaos — shocker, I know — when Jamie Madrox — who Jean saw in a vision to start off the issue — appears on stage and has his dupes inexplicably attack the crowd. Also someone...hypnotizes Angel? Honestly, I just have no idea.
At this point, we just sort of abandon the main story and move into three back-up stories that tell one overarching story. Since I’m reading this issue many months late, I’m assuming the mysterious figure trying to take back Dark Beast and the Sugar Man is Nate Grey. But, I have no idea how that story is connected with the initial story, in terms of substance or timing. To make matters worse (see), the “Director’s Cut” then includes 226 pages of filler — covers, scripts, etc. Honestly, couldn’t they have maybe focused a little more on the actual stories in the issue? Like, I don't need to read this issue again in script form. One time was more than enough.
Seriously, I don’t understand how the relaunch of this series after such a long hiatus could be so rushed. The frustrating part is the overarching plot is more or less fine. All the editors had to do was to make a few tweaks here and there to take some of the less fleshed out parts of the book (like Kitty's ability to bend space and time) and it would've be fine. Maybe not stellar, but fine. Instead, we get a garbled mess that makes me worry Marvel is once again going to screw up an X-Men relaunch. I guess the more things change...
First, the plot makes little sense from moment to moment. The tension of this initial arc is that someone — we don’t know who, at this point — has created a “vaccine” that can “cure” mutantdom. OK, I get that part. That's pretty standard fare and not a terrible way to up the stakes so high that every mutant is called off the benches. But, the actions we see here related to that central tension make no sense. First, for some reason, Kitty takes a group of trainees to stop Forearm from destroying a pharmacy. The first problem is the “trainees” are Anole, Armor, Glob Herman, Idie, Pixie, and Rockslide. Really? Are we pretending they’re still trainees? (One of the back-up stories implies Anole and Armor are annoyed about this treatment, but pet peeve #3 says an author can’t just have a character note how idiotic a situation is and get credit for it.) To make matters worse (an expression I'll use a lot in this review), the authors portray X-23 as a hardened X-Man, even though she was part of Kyle and Yost’s New X-Men team with Anole, Armor, Pixie, and Rockslide. But, whatever. It's the least of our worries at this point. More problematically, Kitty doesn’t put two and two together to realize where Forearm is, the Mutant Liberation Front may not be far behind. This lapse in judgment is particularly notable because they’re going to save the pharmaceutical factory creating the “cure,” something Kitty doesn’t tell the kids and they only learn after she mysteriously disappears. Professor X much, Kitty? Also, you didn't think the MLF would hit a target like a pharmacy producing a "cure" for mutantdom? Also, note I mentioned Kitty "disappears." She does exactly that: as she's trying to find a place to land the Blackbird, she disappears, causing the Blackbird to crash and leaving the "kids" on their own to face the MLF. Way to lead, Kitty. Way to lead.
Meanwhile, we shift to some sort of public debate happening on the steps of City Hall between a new Robert Kelly-esque Senator and Kitty. However, as previously noted, Kitty isn't there as she's, natch, disappeared. But, I don't even remotely get how she thought she would be there. They were just going to dispatch a MLF-less Forearm and she'd pop into the rally, looking well rested and ready for the cameras? Has she developed the power to bend space and time? At any rate, Jean is nervous to take Kitty's place, even though she repeatedly advocated the mutant cause to the entire world in “X-Men Red.” Also, what sort of debate happens this way? Who decided it was a good idea to have a mutantphobic politician and the X-Men’s leader debate on the steps of City Hall in front of a crowd with no obvious security other than the Senator's bodyguards? Seriously, I'm not crazy here, right? I also have to note the art in this section is SO BAD, you guys. Angel, Betsy, and Jean look like they’ve been forcibly de-aged to childhood, and I didn’t recognize Sam or Northstar at all. Worst of all, Kitty looks almost exactly like Victoria Beckham, which...no. It’s just awful. At any rate, it ends in chaos — shocker, I know — when Jamie Madrox — who Jean saw in a vision to start off the issue — appears on stage and has his dupes inexplicably attack the crowd. Also someone...hypnotizes Angel? Honestly, I just have no idea.
At this point, we just sort of abandon the main story and move into three back-up stories that tell one overarching story. Since I’m reading this issue many months late, I’m assuming the mysterious figure trying to take back Dark Beast and the Sugar Man is Nate Grey. But, I have no idea how that story is connected with the initial story, in terms of substance or timing. To make matters worse (see), the “Director’s Cut” then includes 226 pages of filler — covers, scripts, etc. Honestly, couldn’t they have maybe focused a little more on the actual stories in the issue? Like, I don't need to read this issue again in script form. One time was more than enough.
Seriously, I don’t understand how the relaunch of this series after such a long hiatus could be so rushed. The frustrating part is the overarching plot is more or less fine. All the editors had to do was to make a few tweaks here and there to take some of the less fleshed out parts of the book (like Kitty's ability to bend space and time) and it would've be fine. Maybe not stellar, but fine. Instead, we get a garbled mess that makes me worry Marvel is once again going to screw up an X-Men relaunch. I guess the more things change...
The Weatherman #6: LeHeup really nails the landing here as he wraps up this first arc.
We learn the Marshal didn't kill the Pearl to save Nathan: he killed the Pearl so he could kill Nathan. But Cross successfully fights off the Marshal's partner, White Light — who Garren later hilariously calls Pinker-Bell — and stops the Marshal before he does the deed. Cross recruits the Marshal to their cause by explaining to him that Nathan is the link to the Sword of God and stresses how she let Pinker-Bell live as a sign of good faith.
She then uses the memory drug we've previously seen to rescue Nathan from his thought loop, though we finally get to see a glimpse of who he was. It's clear that Ian wasn't a raving lunatic as he tries to convince Jenner to stop his men from killing Shimani rebels seeking to secede from Arcadia. The memory jolts Nathan awake.
Later, Cross gets Orin Wetzel to tell her Dr. Nyseth's location, and Garren insists on joining Cross in her quest so he can watch her back, as he doesn't trust the Marshal or Pinker-Bell. (Garren seems to be the only person in this series with common sense.) They're all surprised to discover their destination (and presumably Nyseth's location): a satellite-surrounded Earth. Previously, I thought Earth had been destroyed, but it now seems more likely the Sword of God released some sort of biological weapon? All I know is I can't wait for the second act!
(I edited the texts of my "The Weatherman" reviews in November 2024 as I occasionally called Cross "Amy" instead of Amanda and the Marshal as "Cowboy" or just "Marshal.")
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #9; Darth Vader #23; Detective Comics #992; Dragon Age: Deception #2; Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #26; Thor #7; Vault of Spiders #2
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The November 7 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batman #58: I admit I skipped the lengthy poem King uses to build suspense here as Penguin’s hitman allegedly prepares to assassinate Alfred on Bane’s orders. I’m glad Penguin ultimately pulled the punch, so to speak, because it would be beyond ridiculous for Alfred and Dick to get shot in the same way in such quick succession. But, it’s exactly that ridiculousness that robs this issue of any suspense, poem or no poem. Either Alfred isn’t going to be shot (as we expect if we’re paying attention) or he’s going to be shot (and we’ll roll our eyes). Either outcome feels tired. It’s much more interesting that Bane and Penguin seems to be behind the murders they apparently tried to pin on Mr. Freeze. I’m not sure where King is going on this front, but that’s the interesting part of this issue.
Infinity Wars #5: I’ll admit, I lost the plot here long ago. As Gamora herself says, I can’t quite remember how Loki managed to break out his version of the Infinity Watch from the Soul Gem. I also don’t understand how Gamora “accidentally” created new lifeforms when she folded the Universe in half. I thought the whole point was to send the existing lifeforms (if merged beings created from two previous lifeforms) to the Soul Gem so Devondra could devour them. Right? Or is Loki referring to other new lifeforms beyond the merged beings. maybe ones we've yet to see? It’s unclear. At this point, the entire point of this series seems to be Loki using these new Infinity Stones to storm the God Quarry, with its seemingly infinite number of Infinity Stones and, importantly, brooding Celestials. Do the Celestials live in the God Quarry? Is that why it seems to be a one-way street? I guess all will be revealed next issue. That said, I wonder if anyone is reading this "event" other than me.
Shatterstar #2: This issue is great, though Seeley is very talky here. The series' omniscient narrator gives us livestream commentary of the events occurring in Shatterstar’s life, though we're not privy to his actual thoughts. Like, we learn he fell in love with Gringlave (sp?) when they fought in Mojo's arena together and she taught him not to love anyone since it could be used against him. It’s why he’s struggling with his relationship with Rictor, as we see when Seeley uses their vacations to a cabin in Michigan to show just how much he does love him. But, this narration doesn’t really give us too much insight into what Shatterstar himself is thinking. That said, Seeley is achieving his seeming goal of given us a sense of Shatterstar as a coherent and integrated character, as the narrator does a good job of laying out his feelings and motivations. But, I find myself wishing he accomplished that same goal through show not tell. Instead, it seems clear he’s rushing to hit the points he needs to hit before he gets to the fifth issue, which feels like a shame. For example, we’re only quickly shown Star falling in love with Gringlave (sp?), whereas Seeley could’ve definitely used more pages of flashbacks to make that love unfold more fully before our eyes. Does he love her just because she’s there and he’s never loved anyone before, never felt anything for anyone before? Or, is there something about her in particular he loves? Seeley never actually takes us there, and it’s what’s keeping this series from being as revelatory in terms of characterization as something like “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2. He still has time, though, so I'm hoping for more show and less tell soon. If he does that, Shatterstar is really his character, more so than Liefeld's or David's.
X-Men: Red #10: Taylor continues to do a great job of showing Jean as a tactician. Every time Cassandra puts a piece in play, Jean has a counterattack that leaves her (Cassandra) in worse place. In this issue, Cassandra hijacks several planes and a Korean helicarrier to build an army she telepathically controls. So, Jean brings in Atlantis and the Avengers. But Cassandra might use her powers to take control of them! So, Jean has Tony Stark makes hundreds of duplicates of Magneto’s helmet to cut off Cassandra's advantage. (She had some help on the inspiration front: Honey Badger asks her what would work against her.) But, something still feels missing in this series. I think it's that Jean never really faces a challenge she can’t master. She’s got Trinary, she’s got Atlantis, she’s got the Avengers: she’s always able to overpower Cassandra. She also doesn’t seem all that emotionally invested. We never really see her face any doubt; she’s always just convinced she’s going to do the right thing and the public will see through Cassandra's manipulations. It’s not a fatal flaw, but I feel like this series is going to be a missed opportunity, a low-stakes enterprise where the X-Men easily save the day with the help of their friends. It could've been more.
Also Read: Death Orb #2; Iceman #3; Nightwing #52; Spider-geddon #3; Star Wars #56
Monday, January 28, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The October 31 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batman Secret Files #1: I don't exactly understand why we got this one-shot, but I can't say I'm disappointed, because it's really quite good. Every story here is a solid one that goes somewhere unexpected. Given how many comics I've read in my day, even one story going somewhere I didn't expect is saying a lot. In fact, each story left me wanting more, because each author leaves Bruce stumped at the end. He's unsure if he needs superpowers, he can't cure one of the Scarecrow's victims of his fear, he doesn't know how to prevent Wayne Enterprises' technology from falling into the wrong hands, he panics when he's on his own: the Batman we see across these stories is one not entirely sure how to engage with the world around him. I particularly wanted more time with Yeselle and Detective Chimp as they both force Bruce to confront his flaws in a way he normally doesn't. All in all, it's a really solid outing.
Extermination #4: Brisson really cranks up the pressure here. We learn Ahab is in his past (our present) because he wants to kill one of the younger X-Men so s/he can’t safely return to his/her past, thus destroying their timeline. We also learn young Nate killed Cable because his older self's sentimentality meant he allowed the kids to stay in the present, when he should’ve been doing everything he could to send them back to the past. Young Nate (it's like he's a rapper) has taken on that burden himself, undoing the changes to the X-Men — like Angel’s cosmic wings — so they can return as Hank originally found them. (Yes, it's super Nateus ex machina, but I actually didn't mind too much.) But, Ahab surprisingly succeeds here, killing young Scott and making me legitimately wonder where we go from here. The fact the timeline still exists implies Scott somehow survives and returns, but I’m intrigued how Brisson pulls that rabbit from his hat. After all, Scott takes a spear to the chest here. It's hard to write around that.
Marvel 2-in-One #11: My problem with the Fantastic Four has always been that Reed is an arrogant asshole and I can't understand why anyone would love and trust him. Although I don't think he intended to do so, Zdarsky proves that in this issue. Reed brings Ben with him to retrieve the Thinker from the planet where they left him, and Ben confronts Reed about letting him and Johnny think they were dead. At first, Reed claims he did so because he thought Ben and Johnny would be bored of all the science-ing, because he's apparently such a fucking idiot that he thought traversing the Universe as explorers wouldn't put him and his family in danger. Ben doesn't buy it, particularly given the fact Reed could've just told them they were go exploring and wanted to do so on their own. Dodging the issue, Reed then introduces Ben to an alternate Universe Doom who Reed befriended in their travels. In this Universe, Reed is dead, and Doom is a mostly good guy. Reed now says he let Ben and Johnny think he was dead because he thought that it would somehow enable them to save our Doom. But, Reed is forced to admit even this "good" Doom is "Doom-y." Ben chastises him for his belief he could fix everything and encourages him to trust his friends and family. But, the whispered conversation Reed has with Doom at the end makes it clear he's not listening. I'm pretty happy with my decision to stay with this title and the main title just through the wedding, but I'm also glad Zdarsky isn't letting Reed off the hook here.
Multiple Man #5: This issue makes a certain amount of sense if you don’t think about it too hard. Like, I’m pretty sure Rosenberg established one of the dupes sent into the future never returned, as we see at the end of this issue, but maybe he didn't. It also makes a certain amount of sense that “our” Jamie becomes Emperor Jamie, that they're not two separate people. But, it also doesn’t matter. At some point, you just have to meet Rosenberg on his own terms and accept he’s telling a crazy Madrox story. As other people have said, it wasn’t the Madrox story I wanted, but it’s the one we deserved.
The Realm #10: Haun and Peck do a spectacular job evoking the ambiance of a good ol' fashioned dungeon crawl. In the tension-driven plot, the goblins' master is surprised Will is able to hold even the fraction of the mysterious creature's power that he possesses. He brings forth an amulet that severs Will's link to said creature and plans to dissect Will to learn more. But, the issue's best parts are with Molly and the crew slowly but surely making their way through the dungeon. For example, the room they entered at the end of last issue wasn't the room where Will was being held; it was a wizard's laboratory. The team takes advantage of the moment and swipes all sorts of books, magical items, and scrolls for David to use later. In perhaps the best sequence, given its nod to something from the original "Monster Manual," they stumble across a skeleton suspended -- along with his coins and sword -- in green slime. Eli announces he previously encountered green slime in a subway, telling the group they'll be fine so long as they keep moving, as the slime is "slow and persistent." It's all just so evocative of the red-boxed "Dungeon & Dragons" set, but as if running into green slime were a legitimate threat you could experience in your day-to-day life. Meanwhile, the Queen reminds Johnny Eldritch that their master sent her after Will and his team, informing him she knows about the team he dispatched. He's not particularly inclined to care. Back in the dungeon, Molly and the team arrive just in time to save Will from the master's knife. As the goblins start to combine into a gestalt, Zach knocks the amulet from the master's hands. Eli grabs it and, before the master can kill him, Will cuts him in half. Good times. The team departs the dungeon to find dragons in the sky, but not before David picks up the amulet...
Spider-Force #1: This issue is OK, I guess. Spider-Kid is pretty insufferable as a character, in no small part because Priest has to define the street slang he uses, because we're not hip to the lingo. It’s always embarrassing when comics do that, like your great-grandfather saying “dope” or “sick.” The idea that this team is the Spider-People’s version of X-Force is a great one, but Priest makes it unnecessarily confusing by starting in media res. We start on the planet where the Web-Warriors initially trapped the Inheritors, with Kaine announcing everyone on Spider-Force is going to die of exposure after their radiation suits are opened. I mean, we all know they're not going to die. I think it would’ve been much cooler to see Kaine and Ashley talk about starting Spider-Force and deciding on recruiting Spider-Kid and Spider-Women. At any rate, we’ll see where we go from here. Hopefully Priest just sticks to the story at hand and stops trying to cram every possible comic-book trope into this series.
The Wild Storm #18: The team is apparently going on hiatus for a few months to prepare for the last six issues. I said last issue that I wasn't sure how Ellis was going to manage to address all the possible loose ends before issue #24. But, after this issue, I think I'm a believer, as he successfully sends everyone after Miles at the same time.
Also Read: Avengers Halloween Special #1; Old Man Hawkeye #10; Vault of Spiders #1; West Coast Avengers #3; X-Men: Black - Emma Frost #1
Extermination #4: Brisson really cranks up the pressure here. We learn Ahab is in his past (our present) because he wants to kill one of the younger X-Men so s/he can’t safely return to his/her past, thus destroying their timeline. We also learn young Nate killed Cable because his older self's sentimentality meant he allowed the kids to stay in the present, when he should’ve been doing everything he could to send them back to the past. Young Nate (it's like he's a rapper) has taken on that burden himself, undoing the changes to the X-Men — like Angel’s cosmic wings — so they can return as Hank originally found them. (Yes, it's super Nateus ex machina, but I actually didn't mind too much.) But, Ahab surprisingly succeeds here, killing young Scott and making me legitimately wonder where we go from here. The fact the timeline still exists implies Scott somehow survives and returns, but I’m intrigued how Brisson pulls that rabbit from his hat. After all, Scott takes a spear to the chest here. It's hard to write around that.
Marvel 2-in-One #11: My problem with the Fantastic Four has always been that Reed is an arrogant asshole and I can't understand why anyone would love and trust him. Although I don't think he intended to do so, Zdarsky proves that in this issue. Reed brings Ben with him to retrieve the Thinker from the planet where they left him, and Ben confronts Reed about letting him and Johnny think they were dead. At first, Reed claims he did so because he thought Ben and Johnny would be bored of all the science-ing, because he's apparently such a fucking idiot that he thought traversing the Universe as explorers wouldn't put him and his family in danger. Ben doesn't buy it, particularly given the fact Reed could've just told them they were go exploring and wanted to do so on their own. Dodging the issue, Reed then introduces Ben to an alternate Universe Doom who Reed befriended in their travels. In this Universe, Reed is dead, and Doom is a mostly good guy. Reed now says he let Ben and Johnny think he was dead because he thought that it would somehow enable them to save our Doom. But, Reed is forced to admit even this "good" Doom is "Doom-y." Ben chastises him for his belief he could fix everything and encourages him to trust his friends and family. But, the whispered conversation Reed has with Doom at the end makes it clear he's not listening. I'm pretty happy with my decision to stay with this title and the main title just through the wedding, but I'm also glad Zdarsky isn't letting Reed off the hook here.
Multiple Man #5: This issue makes a certain amount of sense if you don’t think about it too hard. Like, I’m pretty sure Rosenberg established one of the dupes sent into the future never returned, as we see at the end of this issue, but maybe he didn't. It also makes a certain amount of sense that “our” Jamie becomes Emperor Jamie, that they're not two separate people. But, it also doesn’t matter. At some point, you just have to meet Rosenberg on his own terms and accept he’s telling a crazy Madrox story. As other people have said, it wasn’t the Madrox story I wanted, but it’s the one we deserved.
The Realm #10: Haun and Peck do a spectacular job evoking the ambiance of a good ol' fashioned dungeon crawl. In the tension-driven plot, the goblins' master is surprised Will is able to hold even the fraction of the mysterious creature's power that he possesses. He brings forth an amulet that severs Will's link to said creature and plans to dissect Will to learn more. But, the issue's best parts are with Molly and the crew slowly but surely making their way through the dungeon. For example, the room they entered at the end of last issue wasn't the room where Will was being held; it was a wizard's laboratory. The team takes advantage of the moment and swipes all sorts of books, magical items, and scrolls for David to use later. In perhaps the best sequence, given its nod to something from the original "Monster Manual," they stumble across a skeleton suspended -- along with his coins and sword -- in green slime. Eli announces he previously encountered green slime in a subway, telling the group they'll be fine so long as they keep moving, as the slime is "slow and persistent." It's all just so evocative of the red-boxed "Dungeon & Dragons" set, but as if running into green slime were a legitimate threat you could experience in your day-to-day life. Meanwhile, the Queen reminds Johnny Eldritch that their master sent her after Will and his team, informing him she knows about the team he dispatched. He's not particularly inclined to care. Back in the dungeon, Molly and the team arrive just in time to save Will from the master's knife. As the goblins start to combine into a gestalt, Zach knocks the amulet from the master's hands. Eli grabs it and, before the master can kill him, Will cuts him in half. Good times. The team departs the dungeon to find dragons in the sky, but not before David picks up the amulet...
Spider-Force #1: This issue is OK, I guess. Spider-Kid is pretty insufferable as a character, in no small part because Priest has to define the street slang he uses, because we're not hip to the lingo. It’s always embarrassing when comics do that, like your great-grandfather saying “dope” or “sick.” The idea that this team is the Spider-People’s version of X-Force is a great one, but Priest makes it unnecessarily confusing by starting in media res. We start on the planet where the Web-Warriors initially trapped the Inheritors, with Kaine announcing everyone on Spider-Force is going to die of exposure after their radiation suits are opened. I mean, we all know they're not going to die. I think it would’ve been much cooler to see Kaine and Ashley talk about starting Spider-Force and deciding on recruiting Spider-Kid and Spider-Women. At any rate, we’ll see where we go from here. Hopefully Priest just sticks to the story at hand and stops trying to cram every possible comic-book trope into this series.
The Wild Storm #18: The team is apparently going on hiatus for a few months to prepare for the last six issues. I said last issue that I wasn't sure how Ellis was going to manage to address all the possible loose ends before issue #24. But, after this issue, I think I'm a believer, as he successfully sends everyone after Miles at the same time.
- Jackie puts two and two together and tells Miles that Cole and Adriana aren’t working for Skywatch: they’re involved in a rogue C.A.T. (or a Wild C.A.T., if you will). However, Miles still seems to lump them into the same category as Skywatch as he lists his woes over the last few weeks. (He alludes to "visiting punishment" on Skywatch's Ground Division as costing him two C.A.T.s. But, I initially read that as him talking about the C.A.T. or C.A.T.s he lost when they tried to grab Angie from the safehouse. The Wild C.A.T.s were responsible for that, not Bendix.) At any rate, Jackie is sick of it, and she tells Miles it’s time to go to war with Skywatch because they killed one of their own (Mitch). She recalls the speech Miles gave when he took over IO, saying they were the secret angels working to save humanity -- but, sometimes angels destroyed cities and didn’t just save them.
- In space, Bendix talks to Dr. Helspont, one of the original Thunderbook researchers. Helspont explains the slave triggers in the Wetworks members were developed in three phases. The original triggers create uncontrollable violence in the subjects, and the second generation only points the subjects in a direction. Apparently only Helspont's triggers work in actually controlling the subjects. Slayton seems to fall in the second category of triggers whereas, disturbingly, Apollo and Midnighter might be from the last phase.
- Speak of the devil, Slayton tracks down Lynch, but Lynch convinces him — or, more specifically, his alien — to go after Miles since he’s the bad guy. (Maybe it's just his second-generation trigger pointing him in a direction.) As Lynch explains, the only people who can stop Slayton are IO, and his advantage is IO doesn’t know about Thunderbook. Meanwhile, Michael Cray is heading to New York to kill Miles, or at least we assume he is. Also, he may really have burnt down his father’s house after he tells a woman on the train his father would’ve sold information about his destination to “corporate headhunters” ten minutes after he left. At Skywatch, Bendix also declares he’s going to destroy IO, so it looks like Miles is going to have a bad week.
- Angie defects to the Doctor’s team, where she meets a cleaned-up Mayor who explains Skywatch experimented on him. (I think, but am not sure, Helspont likely did it after moving to Skywatch from IO/Thunderbook. Earlier, we learned he made the move after Lynch shutdown Thunderbook.) Angie says she came to them because the Khera spoke highly of them as “the authority.” (Heh.) Meanwhile, Marlowe and the C.A.T.s discover she’s gone but deploy to swipe a cosmic particle IO has caught.
- We have a super weird interlude between two disguised Khera sitting at a bar in Los Angeles who explain Zealot broke with Marlowe after Emp said he didn’t want to turn Earth into a slave camp anymore. (Zealot is at said bar, but doesn’t recognize them.) Does that mean Marlowe still does?
In other words, Ellis really continues a masterful level of storytelling. Miles comments about Skywatch vice the Wild C.A.T.s are the only ones that left me vaguely confused, despite Ellis alluding to storylines he started 18 months ago in issue #1. If going on hiatus means the last six issues will be even more awesome, I'm all for it!
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The October 24 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Amazing Spider-Man #8: This issue is OK, but I’ll admit I’m having trouble following everyone’s status quo (a theme of the month, as you’ll see). First, we have MJ. It was always a little unbelievable Mary Jane was a top executive at Stark Industries, a reality highlighted when Peter lists her previous jobs as a model, actress, and club owner. We learn here she quit under acrimonious circumstances, but I don't read "Iron Man" so I don't know why. Plus, I’m still not sure whether Peter accepted the Lizard’s offer to help him actually earn his Ph.D. Before we can get to the bottom of either mystery, we’re launched into the next arc. It’s just a little dizzying at this point.
Detective Comics #991: Well, that went James Robinson very quickly. This issue quickly devolves into a circular and largely nonsensical conversation between Batman, Commission Gordon, and Two-Face. Jim seems determined to believe Harvey is still alive somewhere in there even though, OMFG, how many times have we been down this road, Jim? But, it just doesn't stop there. Robinson tries to do too much here as Two-Face argues it was Harvey who killed Karl Twist while Bruce notes the Fireflies' description of Twist's building means Two-Face is helping Kobra (because Bruce didn't get a chance to read the plans Twist developed for them). So is Harvey working for Kobra , too? Also, at some point, Two-Face jumps off the bridge because he's mad Jim is there. Yeah, I don't know. I'm just trying to get to Tomasi at this point.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #25: This series has always been written for the trade, but I have to admit I think it’s gotten to the point where I can’t really follow from month to month. Granted, it’s probably been two months or so since I read the last issue, but I spent most of the issue trying to remember everyone status quo. (See? Theme.) For example, I think “Sir” called Vader to delay Accresker Jail crashing into the planet Tiferep, but I’m not 100% certain. I also know Sana was involved in this arc somehow, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just to evacuate the Rebel forces from Tiferep, as she does here. Moreover, I think Dr. Evazan had something to do with the death of Tam Posla’s partner, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was. All in all, I think it’s time for me to call it a day with this series. I enjoy Aphra as a character, but the series may require more work than I can provide at this point.
X-Men: Red #9: The X-Men seem not to have a group editor, because I feel like everyone is just telling stories. For example, Rachel comes under the sway of Cassandra Nova here, meaning Taylor is telling almost exactly the same story Guggenheim just told in "X-Men Gold." It wasn't all that believable when it was Mesmero controlling her, and I have to stay it still isn't all that believable even when it's Cassandra Nova. Given Rachel is also likely coming under the sway of Ahab in "Extermination," it really makes you wonder how no editor didn't maybe raise his or her hand and note we were getting downright repetitive in X-Land.
Also Read: Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker #2; Return of Wolverine #2; Spider-geddon #2; Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #1; X-Men: Black - Juggernaut #1
Detective Comics #991: Well, that went James Robinson very quickly. This issue quickly devolves into a circular and largely nonsensical conversation between Batman, Commission Gordon, and Two-Face. Jim seems determined to believe Harvey is still alive somewhere in there even though, OMFG, how many times have we been down this road, Jim? But, it just doesn't stop there. Robinson tries to do too much here as Two-Face argues it was Harvey who killed Karl Twist while Bruce notes the Fireflies' description of Twist's building means Two-Face is helping Kobra (because Bruce didn't get a chance to read the plans Twist developed for them). So is Harvey working for Kobra , too? Also, at some point, Two-Face jumps off the bridge because he's mad Jim is there. Yeah, I don't know. I'm just trying to get to Tomasi at this point.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #25: This series has always been written for the trade, but I have to admit I think it’s gotten to the point where I can’t really follow from month to month. Granted, it’s probably been two months or so since I read the last issue, but I spent most of the issue trying to remember everyone status quo. (See? Theme.) For example, I think “Sir” called Vader to delay Accresker Jail crashing into the planet Tiferep, but I’m not 100% certain. I also know Sana was involved in this arc somehow, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just to evacuate the Rebel forces from Tiferep, as she does here. Moreover, I think Dr. Evazan had something to do with the death of Tam Posla’s partner, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was. All in all, I think it’s time for me to call it a day with this series. I enjoy Aphra as a character, but the series may require more work than I can provide at this point.
X-Men: Red #9: The X-Men seem not to have a group editor, because I feel like everyone is just telling stories. For example, Rachel comes under the sway of Cassandra Nova here, meaning Taylor is telling almost exactly the same story Guggenheim just told in "X-Men Gold." It wasn't all that believable when it was Mesmero controlling her, and I have to stay it still isn't all that believable even when it's Cassandra Nova. Given Rachel is also likely coming under the sway of Ahab in "Extermination," it really makes you wonder how no editor didn't maybe raise his or her hand and note we were getting downright repetitive in X-Land.
Also Read: Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker #2; Return of Wolverine #2; Spider-geddon #2; Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #1; X-Men: Black - Juggernaut #1
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The October 17 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Astonishing X-Men #16: I'll be honest: I got lost here and didn't try all too hard to find my way home. At some point Bastion apparently implanted some sort of code in Alex's brain. Alex agrees to give it to the Reavers so they can find his X-Men and, for them, Donald Pierce. But, it turns out they lied to him that they needed it to find the X-Men: they always had the ability to communicate with Pierce. But, with Alex's code, they can now control Sentinels somehow? It would all be easier to process this confusion if I also didn't have to look at Greg Land's porn poses all issue. I mean, if you're going to give me a porn pose, Greg, at least give me a porny Alex. Maybe then I could get over the meh-ness of this entire enterprise.
Batman #57: Every time Tom King manages to get himself in my good graces he does something to fall from them again. Bruce wordlessly fights KGBeast here in a battle we're supposed to feel is climatic but doesn't look any more serious than Bruce's average back-alley encounter in Gotham. But, it all goes downhill from there. King dubiously asserts that both Bruce and KGBeast insisted their fathers read the same fable to them as children, about a hare, squirrel, wolf, pig, and fox who travel to a church but fall into a pit along the way. King spends a lot of time on the fable, dedicating several pages to Daniel's recreation of the storybook. In the story, the fox tricks the pig and wolf into eating the hare and squirrel with him, then the pig into eating the wolf with him, and then the pig into eating himself. But, the fox is still left in the hole. To me, the fable seems to teach the value of teamwork, as the animals never even try to escape the hole. But, King seems to view it as justifying Bruce using his grappling hook to break KGBeast's neck and leaving him to die in Siberia, his vengeance sated. Really? No editor was like, "Um, that doesn't seem very Batman-y of him?" I think King wants us to see how Bruce and KGBeast are still stuck down the proverbial hole, but I'm not honestly sure. It's just a fucking mess. Percy did great stuff with the aftermath of Dick getting shot in issue #55, but King just totally drops the ball here.
Nightwing #51: Putting aside the jarring change in artists, this issue is decent. It's not great, but it's not terrible. Detective Sapienza finds the burnt-out remains of Nightwing's HQ and eventually decides to put on the uniform to tackle the huge spike in crime that came with Dick's disappearance over the last four months. "Ric" is still driving his taxi, and he encounters Alfred at his bar. This sequence reminds me of "General Hospital," where amnesiac Jason Morgan only trusted one former member of his family; Alfred doesn't rub Ric the wrong way, the way Babs does. They have a civil enough conversation before Ric starts his shift. When he's carjacked, he's stunned to find his reflexes leave the would-be thief battered and broken on the ground. As much as I like this new direction, I loathe Scott Lobdell and worry he's now going to ruin Dick Grayson just like he ruined Jason Todd. [Sigh.]
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #311: This issue is great. Zdarsky's absence is less noticeable because Ryan does a great job showing us how disruptive Morlun's sudden attack on Peter is: we're all disoriented. Peter's been web-slinging all night, so he's really off his game when Morlun attacks. It's a nice touch, because it's a reminder superheroes don't always get to pick when their most powerful nemesis attacks them. Morlun's attack happens essentially in real time: from the moment he attacks to the end of the issue is probably only ten minutes or so. Frigeri does a great job of showing the frantic nature of this fight: his fight scenes are propulsive. He trades off some detail for energy, and it suits this story perfectly. So far, so good, "Spider-geddon."
Thor #6: I haven't said a lot about the last few issues mostly because they've been pretty solid. Among many unexpected developments, the revelation that the glowing green worm driving Ego the Necroworld insane was Loki was awesome. I laughed when he stood revealed on the last page, impressed Aaron had pulled off something so obvious and yet at the same time unexpected. Based on the young girl's comments at the end of this issue, Loki now stands poised to destroy all existence, with Doom, Logan, and Thor all dead. But, Aaron is also telling a larger story, as generations of Earthlings live with a cracking and shaking world, adjusting to the battle between Doom and Thor at their core. If that's not a metaphor for our times, I don't know what is.
Also Read: Darth Vader #22; Dragon Age: Deception #1; Mr. and Mrs X #4; The New World #4; X-Men: Black - Mystique #1
Batman #57: Every time Tom King manages to get himself in my good graces he does something to fall from them again. Bruce wordlessly fights KGBeast here in a battle we're supposed to feel is climatic but doesn't look any more serious than Bruce's average back-alley encounter in Gotham. But, it all goes downhill from there. King dubiously asserts that both Bruce and KGBeast insisted their fathers read the same fable to them as children, about a hare, squirrel, wolf, pig, and fox who travel to a church but fall into a pit along the way. King spends a lot of time on the fable, dedicating several pages to Daniel's recreation of the storybook. In the story, the fox tricks the pig and wolf into eating the hare and squirrel with him, then the pig into eating the wolf with him, and then the pig into eating himself. But, the fox is still left in the hole. To me, the fable seems to teach the value of teamwork, as the animals never even try to escape the hole. But, King seems to view it as justifying Bruce using his grappling hook to break KGBeast's neck and leaving him to die in Siberia, his vengeance sated. Really? No editor was like, "Um, that doesn't seem very Batman-y of him?" I think King wants us to see how Bruce and KGBeast are still stuck down the proverbial hole, but I'm not honestly sure. It's just a fucking mess. Percy did great stuff with the aftermath of Dick getting shot in issue #55, but King just totally drops the ball here.
Nightwing #51: Putting aside the jarring change in artists, this issue is decent. It's not great, but it's not terrible. Detective Sapienza finds the burnt-out remains of Nightwing's HQ and eventually decides to put on the uniform to tackle the huge spike in crime that came with Dick's disappearance over the last four months. "Ric" is still driving his taxi, and he encounters Alfred at his bar. This sequence reminds me of "General Hospital," where amnesiac Jason Morgan only trusted one former member of his family; Alfred doesn't rub Ric the wrong way, the way Babs does. They have a civil enough conversation before Ric starts his shift. When he's carjacked, he's stunned to find his reflexes leave the would-be thief battered and broken on the ground. As much as I like this new direction, I loathe Scott Lobdell and worry he's now going to ruin Dick Grayson just like he ruined Jason Todd. [Sigh.]
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #311: This issue is great. Zdarsky's absence is less noticeable because Ryan does a great job showing us how disruptive Morlun's sudden attack on Peter is: we're all disoriented. Peter's been web-slinging all night, so he's really off his game when Morlun attacks. It's a nice touch, because it's a reminder superheroes don't always get to pick when their most powerful nemesis attacks them. Morlun's attack happens essentially in real time: from the moment he attacks to the end of the issue is probably only ten minutes or so. Frigeri does a great job of showing the frantic nature of this fight: his fight scenes are propulsive. He trades off some detail for energy, and it suits this story perfectly. So far, so good, "Spider-geddon."
Thor #6: I haven't said a lot about the last few issues mostly because they've been pretty solid. Among many unexpected developments, the revelation that the glowing green worm driving Ego the Necroworld insane was Loki was awesome. I laughed when he stood revealed on the last page, impressed Aaron had pulled off something so obvious and yet at the same time unexpected. Based on the young girl's comments at the end of this issue, Loki now stands poised to destroy all existence, with Doom, Logan, and Thor all dead. But, Aaron is also telling a larger story, as generations of Earthlings live with a cracking and shaking world, adjusting to the battle between Doom and Thor at their core. If that's not a metaphor for our times, I don't know what is.
Also Read: Darth Vader #22; Dragon Age: Deception #1; Mr. and Mrs X #4; The New World #4; X-Men: Black - Mystique #1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)