Age of X-Man Alpha #1: This issue is pretty solid, particularly given how much I didn't enjoy the "X-Men Disassembled" storyline in "Uncanny X-Men." Thompson and Nadler do an excellent job of not only laying out this reality's status quo, but also introducing the forthcoming mini-series that will comprise the storyline itself. They manage to do so without sacrificing characterization and somehow also injecting the issue with its own tension. In other words, it's an impressive debut.
-- People are no longer born, they’re hatched. This fact is unexpectedly at the core of this series, as all the events in this issue radiate in some way from that axiom. After hatching, children are raised in “Cerebros” until their ninth "hatchday" when they’re moved to the Summers Institute for further study. Warren runs the Institute.
-- Bishop is uncomfortable with his sexual relationship with Jean, not only because it’s forbidden but because he has the nagging sense he’s done it before. After Bishop returns to his room, the X-Tremists (Iceman, Psylocke, and a mutant named Moneta) appear to arrest him because he’s had sex with Jean three times, in violation of the “Guiding Principles.” Moneta uses her powers — appendages that go through the nose and ears and attach to the brain — to read his mind. She determines that he’s irredeemable, and he’s “excommunicated,” meaning all memories of him are erased. Even Jean doesn’t remember him even though, as Storm says, she remembers everything. Moreover, he's seamlessly replaced (even in a portrait) by Honey Badger. It definitely shows X-Man's (I think?) ability to alter reality on a moment-to-moment basis.
-- At some point in the past, Hope and her team of X-Men sacrificed themselves for a reason not yet made clear. Afterward, something called the “Resolution” happened. It’s unclear if she’s responsible for the day every person on Earth became a mutant, but she’s so revered people say things like, “Hope knows I’ve earned that drink.
-- Nightcrawler is a prominent actor, but he’s cagey about his past, including an incident involving Mastermind.
-- Colossus is missing an arm, and he hints that the day when every person on Earth became a mutant wasn’t as happy as X-Man makes it seem in a conversation with Nature Girl. Bishop also talks about how everyone doesn’t want to focus on the past because it was so ugly. Given all the hatchlings, if you will, live in what seems like only two Cerebros, it feels like a lot of people died.
-- The issue ends with the X-Men discovering that Apocalypse is running a cult that preaches free love, a revolutionary concept in this world.
In other words, it's all pretty trippy. I use that term specifically because the themes and the art make it clear the 1960s inspired the creative team, which makes sense given Nate's peacenik talk in "Uncanny X-Men." I've subscribed to "Marvelous X-Men," "Prisoner X," and "X-Tremists," and, I'll be honest, I'm more excited than I expected to be about them.
Amazing Spider-Man #14: I’ve mentioned a few times that I’ve enjoyed Spencer’s run on the title, but that it’s been missing something. From a technical standpoint, it's been fine in terms of characterization and plot, but it lacked...heart. Spencer finds that "heart" in the form of a sassy Aunt May. She’s on fire here. When JJJ, Sr.'s lawyer tells her she's broke and then makes a pass at her, she dumps his soup on his head. She scolds him for thinking she'd jump into bed with him just because she needed money and leaves in a well deserved huff. Outside, she notices some kids trying to fight a reluctant bum for money, and she uses a hologram inducer Peter gave her to scare them. But, she goes one better, returning to the restaurant with the homeless guy and telling the waiter to put their dinner on the lawyer's tab. Is it old-school May? No. Is it more like “Marvel’s Spider-Man’s” Aunt May? Yes. But, I’m all for it. It continues on Spencer’s theme of bringing us back to basics. Along those lines, Peter and MJ have a bizarrely awesome dinner with the fully Lizardized Connors family in the sewers. He then has a team-up with a now-legit Rhino who crashes through the restaurant where May is eating as he flees Taskmaster and Black Ant. With a better sense of tone and heart, Spencer is starting to hit his stride here.
Captain America #7: Coates turns this issue into an extended meditation on what democracy means. I mean, it isn’t actually about democracy. But, Steve decides to surrender to the authorities because, as he tells Sharon, he’s living in the world people want. Coates doesn’t name John McCain specifically here, but reading this issue the week CPAC jeered his name drove home the comparison. Steve is living in a world where a nutjob like Thunderbolt Ross gets to be a martyr, where the Kingpin is the mayor of New York, where Roxxon and Hammer Industries are sponsoring academies in New York, where Baron Strucker is running a private prison. HYDRA doesn’t need to take over America, because America gave itself away. But, Sharon isn’t going down without a fight, and Coates brilliantly introduces the Daughters of Liberty here. You don’t usually see Jessica Drew and Sue Richards in a “Captain America” comic, but Coates makes you ask why we haven't. I am excited to see where we go from here.
West Coast Avengers #7: Seriously, this series is the best one on the stands. I have no idea how long it takes Thompson to write each issue, but she clearly spends a lot of time making sure everything each character says or does is the perfect distillation of their persona. Gwen adopting one of MODOK's shark-dogs? Check. America wisely noting the camera crew miraculously wasn't on hand when they got kidnapped? Check. Clint expressing some world-weary optimism that maybe, just maybe, the team isn't a complete disaster? Check. Fuse worrying about how hot Noh-Varr is? Check. Noh-Varr...looking really fucking hot in Quentin's too small t-shirt? Check. Kate just wanting some peas and a nap? Check. But, Thompson even goes one step further in this issue, as she applies the same studious eye to the new "Masters of Evil" of Los Angeles. She isn't just giving us cookie-cutter villains who spout long speeches about their evil-doing. Each villain has a motive and a personality and it's just as unclear how they'll work together as it is how the West Coast Avengers will. I can't remember any comic treating a super-villain team as basically the "through the mirror, darkly" version of the superhero team in such a characterization-based way. As I said, it's the best book on the stands.
Also Read: Detective Comics #997; X-Force #2
Friday, March 8, 2019
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The January 23 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batman #63: This arc reminds me of a plotline from "Calvin and Hobbes." Bill Watterson was having Calvin wordlessly grow larger and larger, to the point where he was a lone figure towering above planets and then galaxies. In one of the collected editions, Watterson explained he planned to keep the shtick going for weeks to test the readers' patience, but then realized it was a terrible idea to do that and stopped. King didn't seem to learn that lesson. Here, we have yet another a dream sequence, as John Constantine explores life with Bruce and Selena if she didn't leave him at the altar. Of course, it's not Constantine; he's just a figure that Bruce's sub-conscious has seemingly created to tell him he's hooked to a machine whose operator wants to drive him insane. The problem isn't just that we have three more issues of this craziness, but Janín's art reminds us of the good ol' days of Bruce and Selena before King set fire to everything. I think it's fair to say I'm enduring this series at this point.
Guardians of the Galaxy #1: I went into this issue with a certain amount of trepidation, because I've been down this road many times with the Guardians. We get a great first few issues filled with Peter at his charming best, but the series grows stale quickly. I wouldn't mind if the Guardians just bounced from job to job, leaning into Peter as a surrogate for Han Solo. But, the previous series have been way too focused on the weirder aspects of the Guardians' personal lives, from Peter's Spartax heritage to Drax and Garmora's tragic backstories.
The good news is this series legitimately seems different. For one part, Cates gives them a raison d'être immediately. On Titan, Starfox has gathered together the galaxy's greatest heroes -- or, at least, the ones with a slightly skewed moral compass -- for a reading of Thanos' last will and testament. Thanos reveals that he's transferred his consciousness into someone else's body, and Starfox wants the heroes to take out the most likely candidates, starting with Gamora. But, the meeting is disrupted when the Black Order attacks. They steal Thanos' headless body and detonate a bomb that rips a hole in the fabric of space-time. Beta Ray Bill is able to hurl his hammer through the hole just as all the heroes are sucked into it.
Meanwhile, Peter is a drunk at this point, wandering the galaxy with only Groot as a companion. He brings them to Knowhere to keep his bender going, but they're surprised to discover Knowhere is gone. (We know from the attack on the heroes that the Black Order is using it as a base of operations.) After a chat with some Nova Corps guardians, he's preparing to depart when Bill's hammer finds him. Bill has managed to attach a rope to it, dragging Cosmic Ghost Rider, Moondragon, and Phyla-Vell with him from the other side. Before the Nova Corps can take them into custody for questioning, Peter makes them part of his crew, forcing the Corps to get a warrant if they want to interview them.
It's a clever moment, made all the more fun because this entire sequence reads like a police procedural. This approach gives the series the sort of underpinning it's long been missing, but the "Star Wars" comics have. Part of the importance of making it clear the galaxy actually does have a certain structure is so that you can appreciate when the Guardians rebel against it, as Peter does here. It also gets us a new cast with a mission. Even if we're going to find Drax, Gamora, and Rocket at some point, it's a fresh start that I think this team really needs.
Lando #1-#5: I didn't catch this mini-series when it was first published, but I'm glad I found it now. Of all the prequel "Star Wars" mini-series, this one is the most interesting, because it shows Lando in a very different place. For example, Leia is Leia in her prequel mini-series: she's noble to a fault. Han, in both his prequel mini-series and "Solo: A Star Wars Adventure," is explicitly portrayed as the good guy we've always known him to be, even if he didn't. But, Lando really is a scoundrel here. Here's a little more mature than the guy we saw in "Solo: A Star Wars Adventure," but he's definitely more callous than the guy we eventually come to know in "Empire Strikes Back." People die frequently in Lando's schemes, and he seems disinclined to care. Here, when an old friend turns out being the bounty hunter the Emperor has sent after him (because Lando has inadvertently stolen his pleasure craft), Lando doesn't even consider the danger into which she's putting herself by helping him. When all three of his accomplices are killed (one at his hand), he barely blinks. But, it's when Lobot sacrifices himself (or, at least, his personality) to save Lando that Lando faces a crossroads, at last. Lobot beseeches him to lead, noting Lando's "luck" comes from the people who naturally flock to him. It recalls "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" perfectly and, most importantly, shows an evolution that feels natural. It's a great read; I highly recommend it.
Star Wars #60: This issue didn't go where I expected it to go. I thought we were going to see Luke take out Kreel, but instead Tula sends him running to a graveyard...to meet her father. It turns out Markona had been testing them the entire time. He saw the Death Star as the Empire's test, and Han, Leia, and Luke's behavior as his guests was the Rebellion's test. (Apparently, Luke didn't fail Markona's test when he activated the transmitter; he passed it, because it proved he was willing to do what he had to do to advance the cause.) It's also clear Markona feels guilty for whatever job he did for the Empire that earned him the moon; if I had to guess, it seems like the data he swiped helped build the Death Star. At any rate, Markona sacrifices himself to delay Scar Squadron while Tula leads the rest of the clan, Sana, and the gang to escape.
Uncanny X-Men Annual #1: This issue is pretty solid, to be honest. Brisson does a surprisingly good job of showing how young Cable resurrected Cyclops. It involves the untold story of Cyclops saving a MIT student from a mad scientist, an obscure "Secret Avengers" issue, and a now-canon scene from "Phoenix Resurrection" #5. But, you know, it actually works, mostly. Most importantly, young Cable tests this new Cyclops, forcing him to choose between saving the now-grown MIT student from the now-free mad scientists and helping the X-Men in their confrontation with Nate Grey. Brisson uses this decision to show how Scott recognizes his actions as a villain were wrong; Scott explains to Nate that he was so distraught over the plight of mutantkind that he couldn't stop himself from using the same tactics their enemies did. I'm glad to see Marvel putting Scott on the right path. (He saves the MIT student.) I mean, don't get me wrong, I was impressed with how carefully they moved him to the villain role over years and years of storytelling. That storyline was a credit to the fans, where we didn't just have Scott wake up one day as a bad guy. He made his decisions based on his experiences and embraced the consequences. But, it's also OK for him to acknowledge that he went too far. Mostly, I'm just excited it means we're going to have a '90s era feel to the line sometime soon, with the gang all together again.
The Wild Storm #19: Ellis more or less puts all his cards on the table here, using a variety of characters to explain the background of the Khera's war with the Daemons. It isn't the most exciting issue as a result of all the exposition, but Ellis does his best to keep us engaged.
We begin with Jenny Sparks explaining her history to Angie, the Doctor, and the Mayor. She was part of the Skywatch team that settled Mars in 1955. The original group of settlers died of cancer within the first 18 months, revealing to Skywatch they had to place the colonies underground. (Jenny notes they should've been underground anyway, given Skywatch's need for secrecy and civilians' ability to use telescopes to see the Martian surface.) Jenny quits Skywatch where she returns because it was "full of maniacs," something that got worse when Bendix took the reins and believed he could basically terraform the solar system. ("If Skywatch weren't above being seen, and could really go for it, you could walk around Mars in a breath mask and jacket in fifteen years.") Jenny notes the treaties between IO and Skywatch kept everything in check, but Angie broke that truce when she used her hybrid IO-Skywatch suit to save Marlowe. Angie informs the group Marlowe is also a "space alien with his own covert operations team," which eventually leads the Doctor to confront her council.
Before we get there, we get a new version of Midnighter (now African-American) and Apollo (now a brunette). They're in bed together watching a video of a guy explaining how he saw lights in the sky 30 miles away and then a whole town disappeared. Midnighter refuses to believe Skywatch is that brazen and supposes Apollo wants to investigate. But, Apollo observes Midnighter was the one who insisted they didn't go after Skywatch until they were ready. Of course Apollo then lists all the times Midnighter has gone after Skywatch because he can't "keep it in the holster." Midnighter reminds Apollo they'd have to investigate at night, which isn't Apollo's strong suit, but Apollo dismisses his concern, saying he can just save up a good solar charge before they go. (I'm sure we'll get a sexy shot of him sunbathing at some point.) Midnighter jokingly asks Apollo why he loves him, and Apollo responds that he "blew up a secret experimental station in the middle of nowhere" so he could escape "an evil space empire" for him.
Meanwhile, the Doctor goes to the Hospital and demands to know more about the aliens Angie mentioned. The Council reluctantly agrees. They explain that the Khera have five types of species, "highly specialized sibling species in a single society." Marlowe is Emp, a feudal lord from a species with a serious Napoleon complex. The Khera travel the Universe looking for a client species to serve as their slaves to "forward escape," or transfer their entire species to a new Universe where maintaining life is easier. ("This is a cold universe. There is very little life in it. It's very hard to stay alive.") The Council isn't sure how exactly they plan to pull off the "escape," but they assume they need an entire planet of sentient beings, since presumably they would've just used robot slaves if that worked. Marlowe was surprised when he learned the Daemons were already on Earth. They also seek to help Earth move past the Gaian Bottleneck, but for more altruistic reasons, to get them to an autonomous culture. The Khera are apparently unaware of the Daemons' Shaper Engine, the device they use to help a species evolve and survive, namely by creating defense mechanisms like Jenny Sparks. In-fighting among the Khera as well as Daemon resistance eventually result in a disillusioned Emp scuttling the Khera's vessel and abandoning their mission. His goal is now more in line with the Daemons', seeking to transform humanity into a companion, not client, species worthy of sharing the Universe with the Khera. However, the Council warns the Doctor that Marlowe isn't as smart as he thinks, and he probably should've just modified the mission not abandon it. The Council tells the Doctor she's going to have to serve as a combat medic.
In other words, Ellis connects a lot of dots here, but we still have a lot of questions. Given the change to his mandate, Emp/Marlowe now more or less agrees with the Daemons, though it's unclear to me if he realizes (or embraces) that. Moreover, I'm not sure what IO or Skywatch really knows about Marlowe. IO sent Michael Cray to kill him in the first issue, but we don't know why. Moreover, how does war between IO and Skywatch complicated Marlowe's and the Daemons' plans for Earth? Ellis has a lot of ground to cover in the last four issues.
Also Read: Avengers #13; Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #2; Star Wars: Beckett #1; Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #1-#3
Guardians of the Galaxy #1: I went into this issue with a certain amount of trepidation, because I've been down this road many times with the Guardians. We get a great first few issues filled with Peter at his charming best, but the series grows stale quickly. I wouldn't mind if the Guardians just bounced from job to job, leaning into Peter as a surrogate for Han Solo. But, the previous series have been way too focused on the weirder aspects of the Guardians' personal lives, from Peter's Spartax heritage to Drax and Garmora's tragic backstories.
The good news is this series legitimately seems different. For one part, Cates gives them a raison d'être immediately. On Titan, Starfox has gathered together the galaxy's greatest heroes -- or, at least, the ones with a slightly skewed moral compass -- for a reading of Thanos' last will and testament. Thanos reveals that he's transferred his consciousness into someone else's body, and Starfox wants the heroes to take out the most likely candidates, starting with Gamora. But, the meeting is disrupted when the Black Order attacks. They steal Thanos' headless body and detonate a bomb that rips a hole in the fabric of space-time. Beta Ray Bill is able to hurl his hammer through the hole just as all the heroes are sucked into it.
Meanwhile, Peter is a drunk at this point, wandering the galaxy with only Groot as a companion. He brings them to Knowhere to keep his bender going, but they're surprised to discover Knowhere is gone. (We know from the attack on the heroes that the Black Order is using it as a base of operations.) After a chat with some Nova Corps guardians, he's preparing to depart when Bill's hammer finds him. Bill has managed to attach a rope to it, dragging Cosmic Ghost Rider, Moondragon, and Phyla-Vell with him from the other side. Before the Nova Corps can take them into custody for questioning, Peter makes them part of his crew, forcing the Corps to get a warrant if they want to interview them.
It's a clever moment, made all the more fun because this entire sequence reads like a police procedural. This approach gives the series the sort of underpinning it's long been missing, but the "Star Wars" comics have. Part of the importance of making it clear the galaxy actually does have a certain structure is so that you can appreciate when the Guardians rebel against it, as Peter does here. It also gets us a new cast with a mission. Even if we're going to find Drax, Gamora, and Rocket at some point, it's a fresh start that I think this team really needs.
Lando #1-#5: I didn't catch this mini-series when it was first published, but I'm glad I found it now. Of all the prequel "Star Wars" mini-series, this one is the most interesting, because it shows Lando in a very different place. For example, Leia is Leia in her prequel mini-series: she's noble to a fault. Han, in both his prequel mini-series and "Solo: A Star Wars Adventure," is explicitly portrayed as the good guy we've always known him to be, even if he didn't. But, Lando really is a scoundrel here. Here's a little more mature than the guy we saw in "Solo: A Star Wars Adventure," but he's definitely more callous than the guy we eventually come to know in "Empire Strikes Back." People die frequently in Lando's schemes, and he seems disinclined to care. Here, when an old friend turns out being the bounty hunter the Emperor has sent after him (because Lando has inadvertently stolen his pleasure craft), Lando doesn't even consider the danger into which she's putting herself by helping him. When all three of his accomplices are killed (one at his hand), he barely blinks. But, it's when Lobot sacrifices himself (or, at least, his personality) to save Lando that Lando faces a crossroads, at last. Lobot beseeches him to lead, noting Lando's "luck" comes from the people who naturally flock to him. It recalls "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" perfectly and, most importantly, shows an evolution that feels natural. It's a great read; I highly recommend it.
Star Wars #60: This issue didn't go where I expected it to go. I thought we were going to see Luke take out Kreel, but instead Tula sends him running to a graveyard...to meet her father. It turns out Markona had been testing them the entire time. He saw the Death Star as the Empire's test, and Han, Leia, and Luke's behavior as his guests was the Rebellion's test. (Apparently, Luke didn't fail Markona's test when he activated the transmitter; he passed it, because it proved he was willing to do what he had to do to advance the cause.) It's also clear Markona feels guilty for whatever job he did for the Empire that earned him the moon; if I had to guess, it seems like the data he swiped helped build the Death Star. At any rate, Markona sacrifices himself to delay Scar Squadron while Tula leads the rest of the clan, Sana, and the gang to escape.
Uncanny X-Men Annual #1: This issue is pretty solid, to be honest. Brisson does a surprisingly good job of showing how young Cable resurrected Cyclops. It involves the untold story of Cyclops saving a MIT student from a mad scientist, an obscure "Secret Avengers" issue, and a now-canon scene from "Phoenix Resurrection" #5. But, you know, it actually works, mostly. Most importantly, young Cable tests this new Cyclops, forcing him to choose between saving the now-grown MIT student from the now-free mad scientists and helping the X-Men in their confrontation with Nate Grey. Brisson uses this decision to show how Scott recognizes his actions as a villain were wrong; Scott explains to Nate that he was so distraught over the plight of mutantkind that he couldn't stop himself from using the same tactics their enemies did. I'm glad to see Marvel putting Scott on the right path. (He saves the MIT student.) I mean, don't get me wrong, I was impressed with how carefully they moved him to the villain role over years and years of storytelling. That storyline was a credit to the fans, where we didn't just have Scott wake up one day as a bad guy. He made his decisions based on his experiences and embraced the consequences. But, it's also OK for him to acknowledge that he went too far. Mostly, I'm just excited it means we're going to have a '90s era feel to the line sometime soon, with the gang all together again.
The Wild Storm #19: Ellis more or less puts all his cards on the table here, using a variety of characters to explain the background of the Khera's war with the Daemons. It isn't the most exciting issue as a result of all the exposition, but Ellis does his best to keep us engaged.
We begin with Jenny Sparks explaining her history to Angie, the Doctor, and the Mayor. She was part of the Skywatch team that settled Mars in 1955. The original group of settlers died of cancer within the first 18 months, revealing to Skywatch they had to place the colonies underground. (Jenny notes they should've been underground anyway, given Skywatch's need for secrecy and civilians' ability to use telescopes to see the Martian surface.) Jenny quits Skywatch where she returns because it was "full of maniacs," something that got worse when Bendix took the reins and believed he could basically terraform the solar system. ("If Skywatch weren't above being seen, and could really go for it, you could walk around Mars in a breath mask and jacket in fifteen years.") Jenny notes the treaties between IO and Skywatch kept everything in check, but Angie broke that truce when she used her hybrid IO-Skywatch suit to save Marlowe. Angie informs the group Marlowe is also a "space alien with his own covert operations team," which eventually leads the Doctor to confront her council.
Before we get there, we get a new version of Midnighter (now African-American) and Apollo (now a brunette). They're in bed together watching a video of a guy explaining how he saw lights in the sky 30 miles away and then a whole town disappeared. Midnighter refuses to believe Skywatch is that brazen and supposes Apollo wants to investigate. But, Apollo observes Midnighter was the one who insisted they didn't go after Skywatch until they were ready. Of course Apollo then lists all the times Midnighter has gone after Skywatch because he can't "keep it in the holster." Midnighter reminds Apollo they'd have to investigate at night, which isn't Apollo's strong suit, but Apollo dismisses his concern, saying he can just save up a good solar charge before they go. (I'm sure we'll get a sexy shot of him sunbathing at some point.) Midnighter jokingly asks Apollo why he loves him, and Apollo responds that he "blew up a secret experimental station in the middle of nowhere" so he could escape "an evil space empire" for him.
Meanwhile, the Doctor goes to the Hospital and demands to know more about the aliens Angie mentioned. The Council reluctantly agrees. They explain that the Khera have five types of species, "highly specialized sibling species in a single society." Marlowe is Emp, a feudal lord from a species with a serious Napoleon complex. The Khera travel the Universe looking for a client species to serve as their slaves to "forward escape," or transfer their entire species to a new Universe where maintaining life is easier. ("This is a cold universe. There is very little life in it. It's very hard to stay alive.") The Council isn't sure how exactly they plan to pull off the "escape," but they assume they need an entire planet of sentient beings, since presumably they would've just used robot slaves if that worked. Marlowe was surprised when he learned the Daemons were already on Earth. They also seek to help Earth move past the Gaian Bottleneck, but for more altruistic reasons, to get them to an autonomous culture. The Khera are apparently unaware of the Daemons' Shaper Engine, the device they use to help a species evolve and survive, namely by creating defense mechanisms like Jenny Sparks. In-fighting among the Khera as well as Daemon resistance eventually result in a disillusioned Emp scuttling the Khera's vessel and abandoning their mission. His goal is now more in line with the Daemons', seeking to transform humanity into a companion, not client, species worthy of sharing the Universe with the Khera. However, the Council warns the Doctor that Marlowe isn't as smart as he thinks, and he probably should've just modified the mission not abandon it. The Council tells the Doctor she's going to have to serve as a combat medic.
In other words, Ellis connects a lot of dots here, but we still have a lot of questions. Given the change to his mandate, Emp/Marlowe now more or less agrees with the Daemons, though it's unclear to me if he realizes (or embraces) that. Moreover, I'm not sure what IO or Skywatch really knows about Marlowe. IO sent Michael Cray to kill him in the first issue, but we don't know why. Moreover, how does war between IO and Skywatch complicated Marlowe's and the Daemons' plans for Earth? Ellis has a lot of ground to cover in the last four issues.
Also Read: Avengers #13; Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #2; Star Wars: Beckett #1; Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #1-#3
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The January 16 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Death Orb #4-#5: After reading issue #4, I re-read the first three issues of the series, then re-read issue #4, and finally proceeded onto issue #5. Needless to say, this mini-series was obviously written for the trade. But, even then, it's a little hard to keep all the characters straight. Ferrier doesn't really instill anyone with much of a personality; even Rider, our protagonist, really exists more as a sketch than a character. For example, our villain, Father, is aware of him in a way that implies they have a long history, but Ferrier doesn't explore that history at all. In fact, Ferrier doesn't really explore the plot of the mini-series all that much. If I'm following the breadcrumbs Ferrier leaves via Father's conversations with his minions, Father plans to wipe out the human race with a man-made comet and then raise a new race from the children born to the pregnant women he's kidnapped. But, we're not really given any insight into why he's taking these drastic steps in the first place. Moreover, Ferrier ends the mini-series with Rider's quest unfulfilled: Father apparently moved Rider's pregnant wife to another "hive" as punishment for his assault, and Rider is heading there next as we end. But, you have to wonder why Father didn't just kill her. After all, Ferrier spent the first few issues cultivating the sense that he was playing for keeps here; main characters would die, etc. Instead, Father leaves open the door for a happy ending for Rider, even though he had plenty of other potential pregnant women to provide him with babies. It doesn't read like a carefully thought-out denouement, but more like Ferrier hit his page limit and had to wrap up the story quickly. I can't say I recommend this one, to be honest.
Detective Comics #996: Tomasi really scrapes the bottom of the barrel here when it comes to Bruce’s mysterious opponent attacking people in his life. Bruce decides to check on his various mentors, but doesn't put two and two together to realize he could be leading his opponent straight to them. For example, Bruce finds the man who taught him to fight and hunt, Henri Ducard. Bruce thinks he might be the opponent, because apparently Damian killed his son at some point. It turns out Ducard isn't the opponent, but it doesn't matter, because the creature that attacked Leslie suddenly appears to kill Ducard. It's now a (pretty fucking cool) gestalt of all of Batman’s worst enemies, and Ducard sacrifices himself (by jumping in its body while exploding two grenades) to destroy it (at least temporarily). Not learning his lesson, Bruce then scales a mountain in North Korea where his fears are confirmed: the opponent has attacked the school of his former sensei, Kirigi, and killed everyone save one loyal student (who Bruce inexplicably fights). We end the issue with Bruce tracking down Thaddeus Brown, the escape artist who taught him and Mister Miracle how to escape binds. I get that Tomasi is trying to show us what a deep cut of Bruce's past he’s delivering. But, wouldn’t it make more sense for the opponent to be going after Jim Gordon, “Ric” Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Lucius Fox, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, or Damian Wayne? Instead, it seems like Ace the Bat-hound is next on the opponent's list.
Uncanny X-Men #10: I don’t really get what happened here.
Although I haven't been a huge fan of this series, I generally understand the story the authors had been telling, about X-Man using his suddenly reactivated powers to create a Utopia on Earth. The authors even actually explain how he got those powers by revealing the Life Seed appeared to Nate, though we're not told why it did so. Nate thinks it did for a reason, namely to create his Utopia. That part, I got.
In this issue, Jean and the telepaths manage to separate Nate from Legion, but in the process Jean winds up trapped in X-Man’s mind with him. She tries to reason with him, acknowledging that she and Scott should’ve done more to help him. I have to say, I don't totally buy her contrition here. I get Jean and Scott are theoretically his parents, but it reads more like Jean’s conversation with Nate Summers in “Extermination” #5. She and Scott did actually raise Cable, their biological (sort-of, in Jean's case) son. But, they didn’t raise Nate Grey; in fact, even their “Age of Apocalypse” analogues didn’t raise him. As such, Jean’s guilt here falls a little flat. But, I get Jean is just trying to calm down Nate, so I can live with it.
It's where the story goes next where it goes off the rails. Frustrated with Jean’s inability to understand his position, Nate uses the Life Seed’s powers to eliminate the X-Men. This "decision" makes no sense. It’s one thing to destroy the X-Men to achieve his goal of Utopia — I get that part. To his mind, the X-Men were preventing him from achieving his goal, so he destroyed them. But, he doesn't do that here. Instead, he destroys them as an end unto itself. He uses all that power not to improve the world, but simply to remove the X-Men. He didn't even believe the X-Men were the cause of all the evil in the world, which could explain his decision. Instead, he suddenly seems to revert to a child-like persona and lashes out that way.
Moreover, I have to roll my eyes at the idea that Nate creates the “Age of X-Man” in deciding to "destroy" the X-Men. If he really wanted to destroy the X-Men, it seems it wouldn’t take all his omnipotent powers to kill them. He obviously creates some sort of pocket Universe for them, but we have no idea why he would do that. Why not just kill them? Or, did someone else create that dimension? If so, who? The authors never even remotely address that issue, and it’s just one more odd decisions to add to the list of this events' odd decisions.
In other words, I'm not a fan. This series had pretensions of mimicking the incredibly successful "Avengers Disassembled" storyline, but it was mostly just a series of dei ex machina -- from Nate to Jamie to Legion -- fighting with each other. Our reward is yet another take on the "Age of Apocalypse." Oh, joy.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #13; Conan the Barbarian #2; Return of Wolverine #4
Detective Comics #996: Tomasi really scrapes the bottom of the barrel here when it comes to Bruce’s mysterious opponent attacking people in his life. Bruce decides to check on his various mentors, but doesn't put two and two together to realize he could be leading his opponent straight to them. For example, Bruce finds the man who taught him to fight and hunt, Henri Ducard. Bruce thinks he might be the opponent, because apparently Damian killed his son at some point. It turns out Ducard isn't the opponent, but it doesn't matter, because the creature that attacked Leslie suddenly appears to kill Ducard. It's now a (pretty fucking cool) gestalt of all of Batman’s worst enemies, and Ducard sacrifices himself (by jumping in its body while exploding two grenades) to destroy it (at least temporarily). Not learning his lesson, Bruce then scales a mountain in North Korea where his fears are confirmed: the opponent has attacked the school of his former sensei, Kirigi, and killed everyone save one loyal student (who Bruce inexplicably fights). We end the issue with Bruce tracking down Thaddeus Brown, the escape artist who taught him and Mister Miracle how to escape binds. I get that Tomasi is trying to show us what a deep cut of Bruce's past he’s delivering. But, wouldn’t it make more sense for the opponent to be going after Jim Gordon, “Ric” Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Lucius Fox, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, or Damian Wayne? Instead, it seems like Ace the Bat-hound is next on the opponent's list.
Uncanny X-Men #10: I don’t really get what happened here.
Although I haven't been a huge fan of this series, I generally understand the story the authors had been telling, about X-Man using his suddenly reactivated powers to create a Utopia on Earth. The authors even actually explain how he got those powers by revealing the Life Seed appeared to Nate, though we're not told why it did so. Nate thinks it did for a reason, namely to create his Utopia. That part, I got.
In this issue, Jean and the telepaths manage to separate Nate from Legion, but in the process Jean winds up trapped in X-Man’s mind with him. She tries to reason with him, acknowledging that she and Scott should’ve done more to help him. I have to say, I don't totally buy her contrition here. I get Jean and Scott are theoretically his parents, but it reads more like Jean’s conversation with Nate Summers in “Extermination” #5. She and Scott did actually raise Cable, their biological (sort-of, in Jean's case) son. But, they didn’t raise Nate Grey; in fact, even their “Age of Apocalypse” analogues didn’t raise him. As such, Jean’s guilt here falls a little flat. But, I get Jean is just trying to calm down Nate, so I can live with it.
It's where the story goes next where it goes off the rails. Frustrated with Jean’s inability to understand his position, Nate uses the Life Seed’s powers to eliminate the X-Men. This "decision" makes no sense. It’s one thing to destroy the X-Men to achieve his goal of Utopia — I get that part. To his mind, the X-Men were preventing him from achieving his goal, so he destroyed them. But, he doesn't do that here. Instead, he destroys them as an end unto itself. He uses all that power not to improve the world, but simply to remove the X-Men. He didn't even believe the X-Men were the cause of all the evil in the world, which could explain his decision. Instead, he suddenly seems to revert to a child-like persona and lashes out that way.
Moreover, I have to roll my eyes at the idea that Nate creates the “Age of X-Man” in deciding to "destroy" the X-Men. If he really wanted to destroy the X-Men, it seems it wouldn’t take all his omnipotent powers to kill them. He obviously creates some sort of pocket Universe for them, but we have no idea why he would do that. Why not just kill them? Or, did someone else create that dimension? If so, who? The authors never even remotely address that issue, and it’s just one more odd decisions to add to the list of this events' odd decisions.
In other words, I'm not a fan. This series had pretensions of mimicking the incredibly successful "Avengers Disassembled" storyline, but it was mostly just a series of dei ex machina -- from Nate to Jamie to Legion -- fighting with each other. Our reward is yet another take on the "Age of Apocalypse." Oh, joy.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #13; Conan the Barbarian #2; Return of Wolverine #4
Monday, March 4, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics!: The January 9 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers #12: The idea of T'Challa assembling a team of agents to provide the Avengers with intelligence is so good that it honestly makes you wonder why no one else has thought of it before. As T'Challa notes, this team of Avengers is the most powerful one ever assembled, so it makes sense they wouldn't be the ones doing the legwork, be it investigating Namor's plans for the surface world or the brewing vampire civil war. Enter the Agents of Wakanda. My only concern going forward is I wonder how Aaron is going to juggle so many characters. We're probably at something like 20 identified characters here so far. I get Broo doesn't need to be involved in the A plot, but a lot of these characters are sufficiently well known (like Broo) that it would be disappointing if we only see them in brief moments. In other words, it could all be too much of a good thing. I'm guessing that probably means we're going to see an "Agents of Wakanda" series soon...
Batman #62: [Sigh.] King seems to be trying to tie some threads together here, but I still have my doubts. As Bruce tries to figure out how Professor Pyg captured him and why he's suddenly deaf, he ponders the events of the last few issues, from Catwoman leaving him at the altar to Bane controlling Arkham to Thomas appearing in the Batcave. King seems to be connecting all these events, and I would welcome some revelation that he hasn't just been shooting blanks in the dark. Of course, part of the problem is that the events of these last few issues -- Dick getting shot in the head, Alfred bleeding on the floor of the Batcave, etc. -- are repeated in "Detective Comics." So far over there, a weird Clayface-y creature exposed Leslie to laughing gas and someone stabbed Alfred, though I can't remember if he was stabbed as Zorro there or in this series. I mean, did the group editor just take vacation or something? No one saw a problem with this timing? That said, the issue ends with Pyg taking off his mask, revealing he's actually Damian, which begs the question if Damian was also the one who convinced the Batcomputer that "Zorro" was Commissioner Gordon. Or, wait, did that happen in "Detective Comics?" Whatever.
Die #2: Gillen sketches out an incredible amount of detail here without falling into the void of telling instead of showing. (Yes, he's that good.) It's a thrilling issue, and I can't wait to jump right into it.
First, we learn the Grandmaster was the one who told the kids how they could return: they all just had to wish it. He told them because he wanted them to spread word about him on Earth, since it meant (somehow) more victims would fall into his reality, called Die. It's why Ash initially created the geas, to prevent them from doing exactly that. After defeating the Grandmaster, the party made the wish to return. But, the Grandmaster managed to grab Sol just as they dissolved into our reality. Now, in Die, Sol doesn't want to leave, as they all realize immediately. He wants them to continue playing the game, and he disappears to his land in Twenty, where they presumably have to face him.
The party is left with few options other than traipsing across Die to get to Sol. But, some roads are more perilous than others. They decide to avoid Eternal Prussia altogether (for reasons that aren't immediately clear to me) and debate their two options. They can cross the Front, a war zone that Ash explains to us was so dangerous even when they were overconfident teenagers that they avoided it altogether. Or, they can sail across the seas of Gondol to Angria, where we learn they spent most of their time in the past. Their decision is made for them when a knight unexpectedly approaches them; he was Ash's lover, and Ash bound him to his word that he wouldn't rest until he saw Ash again. He died three years later, and he now exists as an eyeless zombie, unable to fulfill his oath. Isabelle offers a favor to one of her gods and restores his eyes. He finally melts with a curse on his lips for Ash, and they decide to avoid their past and head through the Front.
Before all that happens, an elf queen from the Dreaming Lands approached them asking for help as a "waking nightmare" has engulfed the Dreaming Lands (paging Silvanesti). But, Chuck quickly realizes she's a Fallen, this world's version of an orc, or a non-conscious "trap with legs." (Chuck had this epiphany because she offered to sleep with him.) It's here where we first see everyone's powers. For example, Isabelle calls in a favor that one of the gods owes her, making it seem like clerical powers here are based on favors. As she uses her powers to fight the Fallen and its minions, Chuck roots around the "queen's" discarded bags to find "gifts of the Fair," or elven treasure. We learn these "gifts" are what fuel Angela's powers. But, they only do so until the next day, essentially meaning that she's addicted to them. Now empowered, she starts turning off the Fallen's minions; in other words, she seems to have the power to hack into Die's underlying code, as if it really were a videogame. For his part, Ash uses his powers to make Matt feel grief that he doesn't feel so he can summon his Grief Knight sword and defeat the rest of the Fallen's minions.
In other words, wow. One of the best parts of this issue is when they all agree to treat Die as real. Isabelle takes the lead on this front, reminding them if they don't -- if they treat it as fantasy and it's real -- their actions will make them monsters. Angela reminds them that her cybernetic arm disappeared when they arrived in the "real" world, meaning that Die has to be real, on some level. This exchange essentially serves as Gillen's call for us, as readers, also to take the series' events seriously, which I totally do.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1: I'm a fan of the concept of this series -- focusing on Peter's immediate neighborhood -- since it likely entails exploring his supporting cast more than we have recently. Slott largely ignored Peter's family and friends, preferring to create his own characters, like the Horizon crew or the various Parker Industries employees. Other than the Horizon crew (to an extent), Slott's supporting characters usually served a very specific plot purpose. Conversely, back in the day, Peter's encounters with folks like Bambi, Candi, Randi, or Mrs. Muggins humanized him, making us feel like we knew him better. In other words, they weren't a means to an end. Taylor seems to be going that route here, and I approve. That said, Taylor also seems to be making Peter into a little too much of a saint. For example, when he saves a man and his daughter as their van plunges off a bridge, he has the man give the cash he was offering him to a group of homeless folks (whose names he all knows). They later treat Peter to a hot dog in recognition of how good of a guy he is, not knowing he's the reason they're flush in the first place. I'm not opposed to showing that side of Peter, but it can't be all we see of Peter. I'd love to see him trying to skip on rent like he used to do back in the day. But, that said, I'm still happy with the direction we're going, like when Peter's surprised by two kids in his laundry basket as he's changing into his costume in his room. We used to see those sorts of transitions a lot more, and they, again, remind us that someone is behind the mask. They're what has always made Peter so relatable, and here's hoping Taylor keeps up that focus.
Iceman #5: Grace manages to stick a wobbly landing here as he finally brings together the large number of threads he's been trying to weave into a coherent story. First, Bobby eventually explains to Kitty that he was trying to handle Sinister on his own because he felt she needed something (i.e., the mutant-pride festival) to go right, after her disastrous wedding. I probably would've worked that part in a little sooner, since I've been wondering about it since issue #1. It also requires us to take a lot on Bobby's efforts on faith, since Bobby seems to have been working off-panel with Bishop to prepare for Sinister's Ice Army to attack the festival. (As far as I can tell, nothing we've seen so far would imply they were as prepared for the Army's attack as they are here.) That said, I'm still not sure why Sinister would attack a mutant-pride festival. It feels...off-brand for him. Moreover, Grace also implies Bishop and Iceman were also on top of the anti-mutant soldiers attacking the festival, but I don't have any memory of them getting that information? Again, we seem to have to take it on faith, though at least we understand why they're attacking the festival. I really would've preferred to see more time between Bobby and Judah, as we get in a flashback here where Bobby has an unusual moment of reflection. Sitting alone on a beach with Judah, Bobby realizes he has to talk constantly not only to distract everyone from his anxiety but also not to fade into the background. It's a pretty incisive take on Bobby, placing his loneliness (particularly while he was in the closet) at the core of his characterization. It fits, and I really wish Grace would've focused on that part of him throughout this series. Instead, we get him weirdly claiming Sinister's just lonely, too, almost offering him a hug to stop him. (Seriously.) It's just a mess, but I guess it's the best I'm going to get. I still wish we'd get some sort of regular Bobby vehicle focused more on his coming-out experience, like the brief glimpse we get here with Judah. Fingers crossed.
Star Wars #59: This issue covers a lot of ground. First, Leia reveals her plans to Han, informing him that they gained access to Shu-Torun’s defense systems when they spiked into Trios’ ship. She explains she didn’t want to tell him and Luke before she was sure about her plan, since she didn’t want to raise “false hope.” Han hilariously notes his "false" hopes were on something else, and Leia just as hilariously evicts him from her room. At Han’s urging, Leia explains her plan to Luke, who asks why she couldn’t trust him. Of course, at dinner that night, Markona reveals Luke built the transmitter, prompting Leia to call him on his bullshit. Dinner is interrupted when Scar Squadron arrives, which Luke blames on himself until Tula explains her father blocked his signal: he just wanted to see if Luke would actually activate the transmitter. Kreel reveals they found the team after torturing Sana and tells Markona he’ll kill Sana if the Han, Leia, and Luke don't reveal themselves. The gang of course appears guns blazing, and Markona unexpectedly has Han and Leia stunned. Kreel is excited, but Markona explains he’ll face Luke in a duel as part of Markonan hospitality. This issue is all about tests of trust, as Luke fails his test by activating the transmitter but Han passes his test when he simply stuns a drunk who challenges him to a duel. Gillen keeps underlining how childish Luke is, not only from his actions but by how his dialogue is at its whiniest. In fact, it’s one of those issues where you can hear the actors’ voices saying the characters’ dialogue. For the fact this arc is all about inaction and isolation, it's been surprisingly good.
Uncanny X-Men #9: The thing is, X-Man is totally right: the X-Men did abandon him and Legion. They let Omega-level mutants with obvious issues — from Nate’s time displacement to David’s mental illness — just roam free with no to little support. It’s like how Reed Richards can miraculously solve every problem, except his best friend’s. Now, when one of those neglected children is powerful enough to do something they don’t want him to do, they suddenly care. Moreover, why don’t they want Nate to achieve his goal of Utopia here? I know why I oppose it, but I’m surprised the authors haven’t had anyone defect from Jean’s side, to think maybe Nate has a good point. It’s these sort of defections that made “Operation: Galactic Storm” and the first “Civil War” so gripping. Jean's been dead for years and everyone just blindly follows her? Really?
Also Read: Nightwing #56; Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #4; Thor #9
Batman #62: [Sigh.] King seems to be trying to tie some threads together here, but I still have my doubts. As Bruce tries to figure out how Professor Pyg captured him and why he's suddenly deaf, he ponders the events of the last few issues, from Catwoman leaving him at the altar to Bane controlling Arkham to Thomas appearing in the Batcave. King seems to be connecting all these events, and I would welcome some revelation that he hasn't just been shooting blanks in the dark. Of course, part of the problem is that the events of these last few issues -- Dick getting shot in the head, Alfred bleeding on the floor of the Batcave, etc. -- are repeated in "Detective Comics." So far over there, a weird Clayface-y creature exposed Leslie to laughing gas and someone stabbed Alfred, though I can't remember if he was stabbed as Zorro there or in this series. I mean, did the group editor just take vacation or something? No one saw a problem with this timing? That said, the issue ends with Pyg taking off his mask, revealing he's actually Damian, which begs the question if Damian was also the one who convinced the Batcomputer that "Zorro" was Commissioner Gordon. Or, wait, did that happen in "Detective Comics?" Whatever.
Die #2: Gillen sketches out an incredible amount of detail here without falling into the void of telling instead of showing. (Yes, he's that good.) It's a thrilling issue, and I can't wait to jump right into it.
First, we learn the Grandmaster was the one who told the kids how they could return: they all just had to wish it. He told them because he wanted them to spread word about him on Earth, since it meant (somehow) more victims would fall into his reality, called Die. It's why Ash initially created the geas, to prevent them from doing exactly that. After defeating the Grandmaster, the party made the wish to return. But, the Grandmaster managed to grab Sol just as they dissolved into our reality. Now, in Die, Sol doesn't want to leave, as they all realize immediately. He wants them to continue playing the game, and he disappears to his land in Twenty, where they presumably have to face him.
The party is left with few options other than traipsing across Die to get to Sol. But, some roads are more perilous than others. They decide to avoid Eternal Prussia altogether (for reasons that aren't immediately clear to me) and debate their two options. They can cross the Front, a war zone that Ash explains to us was so dangerous even when they were overconfident teenagers that they avoided it altogether. Or, they can sail across the seas of Gondol to Angria, where we learn they spent most of their time in the past. Their decision is made for them when a knight unexpectedly approaches them; he was Ash's lover, and Ash bound him to his word that he wouldn't rest until he saw Ash again. He died three years later, and he now exists as an eyeless zombie, unable to fulfill his oath. Isabelle offers a favor to one of her gods and restores his eyes. He finally melts with a curse on his lips for Ash, and they decide to avoid their past and head through the Front.
Before all that happens, an elf queen from the Dreaming Lands approached them asking for help as a "waking nightmare" has engulfed the Dreaming Lands (paging Silvanesti). But, Chuck quickly realizes she's a Fallen, this world's version of an orc, or a non-conscious "trap with legs." (Chuck had this epiphany because she offered to sleep with him.) It's here where we first see everyone's powers. For example, Isabelle calls in a favor that one of the gods owes her, making it seem like clerical powers here are based on favors. As she uses her powers to fight the Fallen and its minions, Chuck roots around the "queen's" discarded bags to find "gifts of the Fair," or elven treasure. We learn these "gifts" are what fuel Angela's powers. But, they only do so until the next day, essentially meaning that she's addicted to them. Now empowered, she starts turning off the Fallen's minions; in other words, she seems to have the power to hack into Die's underlying code, as if it really were a videogame. For his part, Ash uses his powers to make Matt feel grief that he doesn't feel so he can summon his Grief Knight sword and defeat the rest of the Fallen's minions.
In other words, wow. One of the best parts of this issue is when they all agree to treat Die as real. Isabelle takes the lead on this front, reminding them if they don't -- if they treat it as fantasy and it's real -- their actions will make them monsters. Angela reminds them that her cybernetic arm disappeared when they arrived in the "real" world, meaning that Die has to be real, on some level. This exchange essentially serves as Gillen's call for us, as readers, also to take the series' events seriously, which I totally do.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1: I'm a fan of the concept of this series -- focusing on Peter's immediate neighborhood -- since it likely entails exploring his supporting cast more than we have recently. Slott largely ignored Peter's family and friends, preferring to create his own characters, like the Horizon crew or the various Parker Industries employees. Other than the Horizon crew (to an extent), Slott's supporting characters usually served a very specific plot purpose. Conversely, back in the day, Peter's encounters with folks like Bambi, Candi, Randi, or Mrs. Muggins humanized him, making us feel like we knew him better. In other words, they weren't a means to an end. Taylor seems to be going that route here, and I approve. That said, Taylor also seems to be making Peter into a little too much of a saint. For example, when he saves a man and his daughter as their van plunges off a bridge, he has the man give the cash he was offering him to a group of homeless folks (whose names he all knows). They later treat Peter to a hot dog in recognition of how good of a guy he is, not knowing he's the reason they're flush in the first place. I'm not opposed to showing that side of Peter, but it can't be all we see of Peter. I'd love to see him trying to skip on rent like he used to do back in the day. But, that said, I'm still happy with the direction we're going, like when Peter's surprised by two kids in his laundry basket as he's changing into his costume in his room. We used to see those sorts of transitions a lot more, and they, again, remind us that someone is behind the mask. They're what has always made Peter so relatable, and here's hoping Taylor keeps up that focus.
Iceman #5: Grace manages to stick a wobbly landing here as he finally brings together the large number of threads he's been trying to weave into a coherent story. First, Bobby eventually explains to Kitty that he was trying to handle Sinister on his own because he felt she needed something (i.e., the mutant-pride festival) to go right, after her disastrous wedding. I probably would've worked that part in a little sooner, since I've been wondering about it since issue #1. It also requires us to take a lot on Bobby's efforts on faith, since Bobby seems to have been working off-panel with Bishop to prepare for Sinister's Ice Army to attack the festival. (As far as I can tell, nothing we've seen so far would imply they were as prepared for the Army's attack as they are here.) That said, I'm still not sure why Sinister would attack a mutant-pride festival. It feels...off-brand for him. Moreover, Grace also implies Bishop and Iceman were also on top of the anti-mutant soldiers attacking the festival, but I don't have any memory of them getting that information? Again, we seem to have to take it on faith, though at least we understand why they're attacking the festival. I really would've preferred to see more time between Bobby and Judah, as we get in a flashback here where Bobby has an unusual moment of reflection. Sitting alone on a beach with Judah, Bobby realizes he has to talk constantly not only to distract everyone from his anxiety but also not to fade into the background. It's a pretty incisive take on Bobby, placing his loneliness (particularly while he was in the closet) at the core of his characterization. It fits, and I really wish Grace would've focused on that part of him throughout this series. Instead, we get him weirdly claiming Sinister's just lonely, too, almost offering him a hug to stop him. (Seriously.) It's just a mess, but I guess it's the best I'm going to get. I still wish we'd get some sort of regular Bobby vehicle focused more on his coming-out experience, like the brief glimpse we get here with Judah. Fingers crossed.
Star Wars #59: This issue covers a lot of ground. First, Leia reveals her plans to Han, informing him that they gained access to Shu-Torun’s defense systems when they spiked into Trios’ ship. She explains she didn’t want to tell him and Luke before she was sure about her plan, since she didn’t want to raise “false hope.” Han hilariously notes his "false" hopes were on something else, and Leia just as hilariously evicts him from her room. At Han’s urging, Leia explains her plan to Luke, who asks why she couldn’t trust him. Of course, at dinner that night, Markona reveals Luke built the transmitter, prompting Leia to call him on his bullshit. Dinner is interrupted when Scar Squadron arrives, which Luke blames on himself until Tula explains her father blocked his signal: he just wanted to see if Luke would actually activate the transmitter. Kreel reveals they found the team after torturing Sana and tells Markona he’ll kill Sana if the Han, Leia, and Luke don't reveal themselves. The gang of course appears guns blazing, and Markona unexpectedly has Han and Leia stunned. Kreel is excited, but Markona explains he’ll face Luke in a duel as part of Markonan hospitality. This issue is all about tests of trust, as Luke fails his test by activating the transmitter but Han passes his test when he simply stuns a drunk who challenges him to a duel. Gillen keeps underlining how childish Luke is, not only from his actions but by how his dialogue is at its whiniest. In fact, it’s one of those issues where you can hear the actors’ voices saying the characters’ dialogue. For the fact this arc is all about inaction and isolation, it's been surprisingly good.
Uncanny X-Men #9: The thing is, X-Man is totally right: the X-Men did abandon him and Legion. They let Omega-level mutants with obvious issues — from Nate’s time displacement to David’s mental illness — just roam free with no to little support. It’s like how Reed Richards can miraculously solve every problem, except his best friend’s. Now, when one of those neglected children is powerful enough to do something they don’t want him to do, they suddenly care. Moreover, why don’t they want Nate to achieve his goal of Utopia here? I know why I oppose it, but I’m surprised the authors haven’t had anyone defect from Jean’s side, to think maybe Nate has a good point. It’s these sort of defections that made “Operation: Galactic Storm” and the first “Civil War” so gripping. Jean's been dead for years and everyone just blindly follows her? Really?
Also Read: Nightwing #56; Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #4; Thor #9
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The January 2 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Conan the Barbarian #1: In all my comic-collecting life, I've only read one issue of Conan. It was a "Savage Sword of Conan" issue that a friend of mine gave me when I was in the hospital. I remember it blowing my twelve-year-old mind: first, it was in black-and-white, and, second, it was adult. It had a sensibility that I didn't see in the Marvel superhero comics that I was collecting at the time; it was closer to, but still beyond, the types of stories that DC was telling. It was cool, but I never again dipped my toes into those waters.
When I heard Jason Aaron, of all people, was going to pen the new series, I was on board in a flash. That excitement wasn't misplaced. Aaron hits all the notes you expect to see in a Conan comic; it feels the way I expect a Conan comic to feel. But, it's Aaron, so it's not just Conan slaying some soldiers, drinking some ale, and bedding some wenches. I mean, he does bed a wench, but it turns out she's actually a witch! She poisons him with a scratch, and he awakens to find himself bound spread-eagle (sexy!) in an underground temple. She needs blood from the greatest warrior in the land to resurrect her demon lord, which she almost accomplishes before Conan manages to break free from his bonds and kill her. Aaron has more surprises in store when he flashes us forward decades later, as King Conan of Aquilonia reviews a battlefield littered with bodies. As he walks among his dead opponents, he's startled to find two children. They're not who they seem to be at first glance; they're minions of the dead witch, and it looks like they're going to fulfill her prophecy that Conan will die on this spot (just a few decades after she thought).
I've always been disappointed that we don't have more sword-and-sorcery comics. Comics seem to be a perfect vehicle for these sorts of stories. However, from DC's old-school "Forgotten Realms" series to the current "Dungeons and Dragons" and "Pathfinder" comics, they've always been sort of...joke-y. They've never brought the gravitas that I'm thrilled to see Aaron bring here. Plus, getting a chance to read Conan feels like reading the relaunched "Miracleman" series did, connecting with comics history in a way I didn't get to experience the first time. Color me excited.
Detective Comics #995: I like Tomasi, but this issue is just too much. Bruce barely sounds like himself as he tries to tell Leslie what she meant to him as he and Alfred try (and fail) to treat the Joker toxin. I'd expect some emotion from Bruce, but he's just too over the top here. The Bruce I know would've kept focused on the task at hand until he found the answer. Instead, he falls to pieces, a reflection of how Snyder's and King's interpretation of him as a hot-headed brawler (and not meticulously controlled detective) casts a long shadow. Moreover, it's hard to take Leslie's death seriously. I mean, how many times has she died? Tomasi even doubles down on this approach, as Leslie's body isn't even cold when someone dressed as Zorro stabs Alfred. (In an interesting note, this person somehow tricks the computer system into identifying him as Commissioner Gordon. It's starting to feel like an inside job.) It's here where it's unbelievable the editors weren't like, "Wait, wait, wait, we just almost offed Dick in 'Batman,' and Alfred also gets stabbed there, too! Maybe do something else?" Alfred survives here (shockingly, I know), and Bruce goes to Arkham to threaten the criminals there for information. Is he going to beat up Bane again while he's at it? Shouldn't he analyze the Joker toxin first, since it seems like a new strain? Maybe it would help inform the questions he asks the criminals while he beats them? After all, beating Bane senseless in "Batman" didn't help matters. Maybe he could even, I don't know, review security-camera footage to get a better sense of who the monster that attacked Leslie was? But, that would make him a detective, something he no longer seems to be. [Sigh.] Unfortunately, I also have to resurrect my "Women in Refrigerators" label here, since the only purpose Leslie's death seems to serve is to push Bruce over the edge. I wish I had something better to say here, after last issue seemed to be a return to form for the Bat-books. Now, I just feel like canceling them all and being done with it.
Uncanny X-Men #8: This issue starts off well. We learn Legion is keeping X-Man and the young X-Men in his mind; they're not physically in the reality that hosts the Age of Apocalypse. Bishop demands the X-Men rescue the young X-Men immediately, but a freed Kitty Pryde refuses to do so, saying they need to evaluate the situation while they have Legion and X-Man distracted. Apocalypse agrees, something that should be Kitty's first sign that she's wrong. Knowing first-hand how awful the world the young X-Men inhabit is, Bishop has Betsy send him into Legion's mind, Kitty be damned, where he prevents Hisako from killing X-Man just in the nick of time. The authors do a pretty solid job of showing how the year the kids spent in the Age of Apocalypse affected them, particularly when Bishop informs them they've only been gone for five minutes in the real world. But, everything spirals into chaos when Legion follows Bishop into his own mind, setting up a confrontation in which X-Man appears to take over Legion. It all at least makes sense, at least from a plot perspective. But, I'll admit I've lost track of the characters' motivations here. It seems weird that Bishop is the one advocating saving the kids and Kitty is the one telling them they should be focused on the larger threat. It's just starting to feel like you could swap in any character with any piece of dialogue, an unfortunate side effect of these sorts of multiple-character events. We'll see if it gets clearer soon.
The Winter Soldier #2: Giving Bucky a sidekick is a clever idea from the boot, but making it a kid with an even more fucked up childhood than Bucky had is brilliant. I'm intrigued where we go from here.
Also Read: Mr. and Mrs. X #7; Shatterstar #4
When I heard Jason Aaron, of all people, was going to pen the new series, I was on board in a flash. That excitement wasn't misplaced. Aaron hits all the notes you expect to see in a Conan comic; it feels the way I expect a Conan comic to feel. But, it's Aaron, so it's not just Conan slaying some soldiers, drinking some ale, and bedding some wenches. I mean, he does bed a wench, but it turns out she's actually a witch! She poisons him with a scratch, and he awakens to find himself bound spread-eagle (sexy!) in an underground temple. She needs blood from the greatest warrior in the land to resurrect her demon lord, which she almost accomplishes before Conan manages to break free from his bonds and kill her. Aaron has more surprises in store when he flashes us forward decades later, as King Conan of Aquilonia reviews a battlefield littered with bodies. As he walks among his dead opponents, he's startled to find two children. They're not who they seem to be at first glance; they're minions of the dead witch, and it looks like they're going to fulfill her prophecy that Conan will die on this spot (just a few decades after she thought).
I've always been disappointed that we don't have more sword-and-sorcery comics. Comics seem to be a perfect vehicle for these sorts of stories. However, from DC's old-school "Forgotten Realms" series to the current "Dungeons and Dragons" and "Pathfinder" comics, they've always been sort of...joke-y. They've never brought the gravitas that I'm thrilled to see Aaron bring here. Plus, getting a chance to read Conan feels like reading the relaunched "Miracleman" series did, connecting with comics history in a way I didn't get to experience the first time. Color me excited.
Detective Comics #995: I like Tomasi, but this issue is just too much. Bruce barely sounds like himself as he tries to tell Leslie what she meant to him as he and Alfred try (and fail) to treat the Joker toxin. I'd expect some emotion from Bruce, but he's just too over the top here. The Bruce I know would've kept focused on the task at hand until he found the answer. Instead, he falls to pieces, a reflection of how Snyder's and King's interpretation of him as a hot-headed brawler (and not meticulously controlled detective) casts a long shadow. Moreover, it's hard to take Leslie's death seriously. I mean, how many times has she died? Tomasi even doubles down on this approach, as Leslie's body isn't even cold when someone dressed as Zorro stabs Alfred. (In an interesting note, this person somehow tricks the computer system into identifying him as Commissioner Gordon. It's starting to feel like an inside job.) It's here where it's unbelievable the editors weren't like, "Wait, wait, wait, we just almost offed Dick in 'Batman,' and Alfred also gets stabbed there, too! Maybe do something else?" Alfred survives here (shockingly, I know), and Bruce goes to Arkham to threaten the criminals there for information. Is he going to beat up Bane again while he's at it? Shouldn't he analyze the Joker toxin first, since it seems like a new strain? Maybe it would help inform the questions he asks the criminals while he beats them? After all, beating Bane senseless in "Batman" didn't help matters. Maybe he could even, I don't know, review security-camera footage to get a better sense of who the monster that attacked Leslie was? But, that would make him a detective, something he no longer seems to be. [Sigh.] Unfortunately, I also have to resurrect my "Women in Refrigerators" label here, since the only purpose Leslie's death seems to serve is to push Bruce over the edge. I wish I had something better to say here, after last issue seemed to be a return to form for the Bat-books. Now, I just feel like canceling them all and being done with it.
Uncanny X-Men #8: This issue starts off well. We learn Legion is keeping X-Man and the young X-Men in his mind; they're not physically in the reality that hosts the Age of Apocalypse. Bishop demands the X-Men rescue the young X-Men immediately, but a freed Kitty Pryde refuses to do so, saying they need to evaluate the situation while they have Legion and X-Man distracted. Apocalypse agrees, something that should be Kitty's first sign that she's wrong. Knowing first-hand how awful the world the young X-Men inhabit is, Bishop has Betsy send him into Legion's mind, Kitty be damned, where he prevents Hisako from killing X-Man just in the nick of time. The authors do a pretty solid job of showing how the year the kids spent in the Age of Apocalypse affected them, particularly when Bishop informs them they've only been gone for five minutes in the real world. But, everything spirals into chaos when Legion follows Bishop into his own mind, setting up a confrontation in which X-Man appears to take over Legion. It all at least makes sense, at least from a plot perspective. But, I'll admit I've lost track of the characters' motivations here. It seems weird that Bishop is the one advocating saving the kids and Kitty is the one telling them they should be focused on the larger threat. It's just starting to feel like you could swap in any character with any piece of dialogue, an unfortunate side effect of these sorts of multiple-character events. We'll see if it gets clearer soon.
The Winter Soldier #2: Giving Bucky a sidekick is a clever idea from the boot, but making it a kid with an even more fucked up childhood than Bucky had is brilliant. I'm intrigued where we go from here.
Also Read: Mr. and Mrs. X #7; Shatterstar #4
Friday, February 15, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The December 19 and 26 Everyone-but-X Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Given how many events and series wrapped up December 19, this review might as well be called, "EVERYTHING ENDS!"
Batman #61: This issue is much more gripping than King’s previous work, though it does still have King's trademark of a literary quote that advances the plot not at all. Unfortunately, the issue has nothing to do with Batman, focusing instead on the kid who murdered his parents because he wanted to be like Bruce Wayne. But, wait, you might ask? Didn’t we end last issue on a cliffhanger, with Batman discovering his father, Thomas Wayne from the “Flashpoint” Universe, was colluding with Bane? Yes, fellow reader, yes, we did. But, I guess we have to take a good issue from Tom King when we get one.
Captain America #6: Reading this issue, it’s easy to forget Alexa Lukin isn’t actually a person, but a character. Coates is that good at showing the fire within her. Alexa understands that symbols matter. It’s why she resurrected her husband: she knows Russia needs a leader who can inspire them while she pulls the strings from the shadows. On the flipside, she also understands that she doesn’t need to kill Steve Rogers the man: she just has to kill Captain America the symbol. As such, she has someone murder Thunderbolt Ross and make it look like Steve did it. Hydra damaged Captain America the symbol almost beyond repair: with Alexa, we may be able to drop the “almost.” But, Coates also makes it clear that it's not a slam dunk that she's going to win. That warning comes from her mentor, Rasputin. He makes two observations; first, that she doesn’t understand the price of her “endeavor” and, second, that Lukin may not return the same man as he was. Coates makes it clear Rasputin understands that reality from first-hand experience, and it makes his warning all the more chilling. Coates also uses the conversation between the two of them to explain that Selene didn’t drain the lifeforce from Sharon to resurrect Lukin; she just needed a drop of his blood, as she was his killer. Alexa then used her magic to do the rest. I can’t wait to see where we go next. This series now enters, like, its 14th year of awesome, after the amazing runs by Brubaker, Remember, and Spencer. Cap fans, we are spoiled.
Darth Vader #25: Whoa. This issue does not disappoint. Soule pulls out all the stops here as Vader is forced to walk through his past — as child, adolescent, and man — to get to Padmé. (Camuncoli really seemed to enjoy the battle with the Jedi, in particular Vader spearing Yoda!) It all leads to the moment we knew was coming, but not before the Emperor and Obi-Wan battle to see who Vader’s father (spiritually, at least) really is. When the Emperor wins, it seems clear where the story is going. Vader makes his way to Padmé and resumes his Anakin form. But, Padmé tells him what we all now know: Anakin Skywalker is dead. (She then promptly falls off the balcony and disintegrates, to underline the point.) Vader grieves and then he’s expelled from Forceland. He awakens in his fortress on Mustafar, and he destroys the rock that allowed him to enter Forceland. He then uses his communicator to tell the Emperor he’s returning, having learned the lesson he needed to learn. Ouch. Soule doesn’t pull any punches here, and it’s great to see. As I’ve previously said, I read the first issue of the original series hoping we’d see an exploration of the remnants of Anakin in Vader. Soule delivered on that hope, and he also delivers a now fully formed Vader. Anakin Skywalker is dead. Long live Darth Vader.
Infinity Wars #6: This issue makes not a lick of sense. I get the sense if I read it again it might -- maybe -- make a lick of sense. In fact, maybe if I read all the issues together the event would make a few licks of sense. But, I also kind of doubt it. As far as I can tell, the Celestials show Loki his future, and he no longer needs the Infinity Stones. As such, he returns them to Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch, who in turn use the Stones to create a new planet and a new Universe. The planet serves as the new home for the Warps, and the Universe is where the Infinity Watch copies all the souls of the existing Universe. That way, when Devondra finally devours the Soul Gem and this Universe, everyone survives in the shiny new Universe. But, there's a wrinkle: Drax and his original self have to stay behind to keep open the portal. Drax's original self happily survives on Warpworld, but Drax's fate isn't clear. Once the transfer to the new Universe is complete, Moondragon and Phyla-Vell from the other Universe want Gamora dead. But,Adam Warlock asks the Infinity Stones to send her where she's most needed (apparently in the Soul Gem to raise a child-like Magus). He then imbues the Stones with their own souls, which makes, again, not a lick of sense, but it is what it is. This entire event made no sense, and I regret every dollar I spent on it. A curse on the House of Marvel!
West Coast Avengers #6: I don't know about you guys, but I wanted nothing more than to read a "West Coast Avengers" issue featuring the team stuck in a good ol' fashioned murder carnival. This issue is my everything: the (pec-tacular) smirk on Hawkeye's face when he hits the shark with a bolt from a slingshot he fashioned from his shirt, America showing actual emotions by cheering him when he did so, Quentin blowing up the shark-infested pool, Johnny pushing himself to turn into water, Kate telling her "mother" to go stuff it because obviously she's not leaving her team, NOH-FREAKING-VARR! I could just read this issue over and over again and be happy. WEST COAST, BEST COAST!
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #12; Fantastic Four #5; Infinity Wars: Fallen Guardian #1; Thor #8
Batman #61: This issue is much more gripping than King’s previous work, though it does still have King's trademark of a literary quote that advances the plot not at all. Unfortunately, the issue has nothing to do with Batman, focusing instead on the kid who murdered his parents because he wanted to be like Bruce Wayne. But, wait, you might ask? Didn’t we end last issue on a cliffhanger, with Batman discovering his father, Thomas Wayne from the “Flashpoint” Universe, was colluding with Bane? Yes, fellow reader, yes, we did. But, I guess we have to take a good issue from Tom King when we get one.
Captain America #6: Reading this issue, it’s easy to forget Alexa Lukin isn’t actually a person, but a character. Coates is that good at showing the fire within her. Alexa understands that symbols matter. It’s why she resurrected her husband: she knows Russia needs a leader who can inspire them while she pulls the strings from the shadows. On the flipside, she also understands that she doesn’t need to kill Steve Rogers the man: she just has to kill Captain America the symbol. As such, she has someone murder Thunderbolt Ross and make it look like Steve did it. Hydra damaged Captain America the symbol almost beyond repair: with Alexa, we may be able to drop the “almost.” But, Coates also makes it clear that it's not a slam dunk that she's going to win. That warning comes from her mentor, Rasputin. He makes two observations; first, that she doesn’t understand the price of her “endeavor” and, second, that Lukin may not return the same man as he was. Coates makes it clear Rasputin understands that reality from first-hand experience, and it makes his warning all the more chilling. Coates also uses the conversation between the two of them to explain that Selene didn’t drain the lifeforce from Sharon to resurrect Lukin; she just needed a drop of his blood, as she was his killer. Alexa then used her magic to do the rest. I can’t wait to see where we go next. This series now enters, like, its 14th year of awesome, after the amazing runs by Brubaker, Remember, and Spencer. Cap fans, we are spoiled.
Darth Vader #25: Whoa. This issue does not disappoint. Soule pulls out all the stops here as Vader is forced to walk through his past — as child, adolescent, and man — to get to Padmé. (Camuncoli really seemed to enjoy the battle with the Jedi, in particular Vader spearing Yoda!) It all leads to the moment we knew was coming, but not before the Emperor and Obi-Wan battle to see who Vader’s father (spiritually, at least) really is. When the Emperor wins, it seems clear where the story is going. Vader makes his way to Padmé and resumes his Anakin form. But, Padmé tells him what we all now know: Anakin Skywalker is dead. (She then promptly falls off the balcony and disintegrates, to underline the point.) Vader grieves and then he’s expelled from Forceland. He awakens in his fortress on Mustafar, and he destroys the rock that allowed him to enter Forceland. He then uses his communicator to tell the Emperor he’s returning, having learned the lesson he needed to learn. Ouch. Soule doesn’t pull any punches here, and it’s great to see. As I’ve previously said, I read the first issue of the original series hoping we’d see an exploration of the remnants of Anakin in Vader. Soule delivered on that hope, and he also delivers a now fully formed Vader. Anakin Skywalker is dead. Long live Darth Vader.
Infinity Wars #6: This issue makes not a lick of sense. I get the sense if I read it again it might -- maybe -- make a lick of sense. In fact, maybe if I read all the issues together the event would make a few licks of sense. But, I also kind of doubt it. As far as I can tell, the Celestials show Loki his future, and he no longer needs the Infinity Stones. As such, he returns them to Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch, who in turn use the Stones to create a new planet and a new Universe. The planet serves as the new home for the Warps, and the Universe is where the Infinity Watch copies all the souls of the existing Universe. That way, when Devondra finally devours the Soul Gem and this Universe, everyone survives in the shiny new Universe. But, there's a wrinkle: Drax and his original self have to stay behind to keep open the portal. Drax's original self happily survives on Warpworld, but Drax's fate isn't clear. Once the transfer to the new Universe is complete, Moondragon and Phyla-Vell from the other Universe want Gamora dead. But,Adam Warlock asks the Infinity Stones to send her where she's most needed (apparently in the Soul Gem to raise a child-like Magus). He then imbues the Stones with their own souls, which makes, again, not a lick of sense, but it is what it is. This entire event made no sense, and I regret every dollar I spent on it. A curse on the House of Marvel!
Nightwing #55: To be honest, this whole Ric Grayson arc is going much better than I expected. But, I did have a moment here where I was reminded of the plot we had before this arc started, where Vicki Vale and that guy were kidnapped by some sort of artificial intelligence come to life. I hope Vicki’s not waiting for Dick to save her. Maybe she can spend time with Thomas Wayne while we wait for this series and "Batman" to return to their previously scheduled programming.
Old Man Hawkeye #12: Sacks does a great job wrapping up this story. I'll admit the fire burning through the first few issues has seemed dimmer these last few issues, but Sacks at least manages to stick the landing. Perhaps the best moment is Kate using a sonic arrow to allow a now-blind Clint to "see" Bullseye. He fires an arrow that not only slices in half the card Bullseye was throwing at him but also lands in Bullseye's eye. Well done, Clint. Bullseye dies with the word "glorious" on his lips. (It's good for him that he doesn't survive to hear Clint confess to Kate he was aiming for his heart.) Clint excitedly tells Kate about the scientist giving him the 99 vials of Super-Soldier Serum. Kate realizes he's a lost cause; she had hoped killing the Thunderbolts would satiate his need for revenge, but she realizes it didn't. She tearfully deposits him at Logan's doorstep before driving into the sunset. My only complain is the last page seemed rushed to me, with too many panels on the page. I didn't even realize Kate was crying at first, reducing the impact of what we realize is her final good-bye to Clint. But, overall, Sacks delivers on the promise of the series, leaving Clint in no better place than where he began, a testament to the Wastelands if ever there was one.
Spider-geddon #5: This issue just sort of dissolves into chaos as Gage uses a series of dei ex machina to limit the impact of the series on continuity. To paraphrase Dickens, you're only going to like this issue if you buy the idea that Otto has found a way to use the cloning technology not only to resurrect people but also to reconfigure them. For example, Ben sacrifices himself to Jennix so his multiple lives drive Jennix insane. (Here, you have to accept that devouring Ben would drive Jennix insane and that Otto and Ben knew it would.) While the rest of the team fights the Inheritors, Otto resurrects Ben, apparently restoring him to his “factory settings.” (Remember how Peter David wrote an entire series about how Ben’s soul would be irreparably lost if he died again...and then he died again...but somehow it wasn’t lost? But then he died again again here, but somehow he’s actually better? I’d rather watch Ben work his way to redemption the hard way, as David planned, but Marvel couldn’t seem to make that work, so this way is the quick way I guess. Otto can alter souls with his machines. Got it.) Anyway, Otto then uses the technology to reset Solus’ children to actual childhood, for Spider-Ma’am to raise. How did Otto manage to do that? No one really says. Again, we're just supposed to accept Otto is a genius and found a way not only to clone them but also to de-age them. Gage tries to explain the positive outcome by saying Solus was the one who turned his children into monsters, torturing them and instilling the Hunger in them. Also, I didn’t read the “Spider-Girls” series, but apparently Annie from “Renew Your Vows” is the Patternweaver and she can remake the Web of Life and Destiny. She implies her knowledge of the Inheritors’ past means this revision will stick, but we’ll see. At any rate, Gage also ties up a loose end by seemingly having Gwen off-panel use her Web-Warriors watch to rescue Ashley, Charlie, and Kaine from the world where the Inheritors were trapped. He also has Spider-Girl’s father became The Other. Is it all sort of ridiculous and overly convenient, like Marvel had a list of ret-cons they thrust on Gage at the last minute? Yes, yes, it is. But, I like the outcomes of those ret-cons, so I guess I’m OK with them. Can we have a “Scarlet Spiders” series now, please?
Spider-geddon #5: This issue just sort of dissolves into chaos as Gage uses a series of dei ex machina to limit the impact of the series on continuity. To paraphrase Dickens, you're only going to like this issue if you buy the idea that Otto has found a way to use the cloning technology not only to resurrect people but also to reconfigure them. For example, Ben sacrifices himself to Jennix so his multiple lives drive Jennix insane. (Here, you have to accept that devouring Ben would drive Jennix insane and that Otto and Ben knew it would.) While the rest of the team fights the Inheritors, Otto resurrects Ben, apparently restoring him to his “factory settings.” (Remember how Peter David wrote an entire series about how Ben’s soul would be irreparably lost if he died again...and then he died again...but somehow it wasn’t lost? But then he died again again here, but somehow he’s actually better? I’d rather watch Ben work his way to redemption the hard way, as David planned, but Marvel couldn’t seem to make that work, so this way is the quick way I guess. Otto can alter souls with his machines. Got it.) Anyway, Otto then uses the technology to reset Solus’ children to actual childhood, for Spider-Ma’am to raise. How did Otto manage to do that? No one really says. Again, we're just supposed to accept Otto is a genius and found a way not only to clone them but also to de-age them. Gage tries to explain the positive outcome by saying Solus was the one who turned his children into monsters, torturing them and instilling the Hunger in them. Also, I didn’t read the “Spider-Girls” series, but apparently Annie from “Renew Your Vows” is the Patternweaver and she can remake the Web of Life and Destiny. She implies her knowledge of the Inheritors’ past means this revision will stick, but we’ll see. At any rate, Gage also ties up a loose end by seemingly having Gwen off-panel use her Web-Warriors watch to rescue Ashley, Charlie, and Kaine from the world where the Inheritors were trapped. He also has Spider-Girl’s father became The Other. Is it all sort of ridiculous and overly convenient, like Marvel had a list of ret-cons they thrust on Gage at the last minute? Yes, yes, it is. But, I like the outcomes of those ret-cons, so I guess I’m OK with them. Can we have a “Scarlet Spiders” series now, please?
West Coast Avengers #6: I don't know about you guys, but I wanted nothing more than to read a "West Coast Avengers" issue featuring the team stuck in a good ol' fashioned murder carnival. This issue is my everything: the (pec-tacular) smirk on Hawkeye's face when he hits the shark with a bolt from a slingshot he fashioned from his shirt, America showing actual emotions by cheering him when he did so, Quentin blowing up the shark-infested pool, Johnny pushing himself to turn into water, Kate telling her "mother" to go stuff it because obviously she's not leaving her team, NOH-FREAKING-VARR! I could just read this issue over and over again and be happy. WEST COAST, BEST COAST!
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #12; Fantastic Four #5; Infinity Wars: Fallen Guardian #1; Thor #8
Not-Very-New Comics: The December 19 and 26 X Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Extermination #5: Honestly, I'm surprised Brisson was able to wrap up not only this mini-series but the original X-Men's entire story as well as he does in this issue. It's clear that he and Marvel put a lot of though into it, just as Bendis and Marvel did when they originally brought the original X-Men to their future/our present. It's why the kids' story has been so compelling, since it wasn't just a by-product of some half-assed event. Brisson ends the story with the same integrity as Bendis had when he started it, a rare win for a risky story like this one.
First, Brisson resolves the ongoing plot and proves Kid Cable's point all in one fell swoop. We start the issue learning Young Scott didn't die; Mimic did while impersonating Young Scott. But, it's the only good news, because the twins are turning too many X-Men into hounds too quickly, making it impossible for the remaining X-Men to turn the tide. Older Jean agrees it's time for the kids to return, but Young Jean refuses, because she doesn't want to leave the X-Men on their own to fight Ahab and his hounds. Kid Cable says it's exactly why he was trying to force them back into the past: given the lives they lead, the X-Men will always need some help to save the world. Young Scott agrees with Kid Cable and convinces Young Jean they're causing more problems than they're solving at this point. Before they leave, the Bobbys tearfully embrace, as Older Bobby tells Young Bobby no one can take away the gift his younger self gave them.
Kid Cable then timeslides them to the Mansion "five years before the end." Nate explains Manon and Maxime's parents were students at the School. The twins aren't yet evil, so he sends Jean to try to talk to them. But, Ahab has followed them, and the rest of the team prepares to face him and the hounds to buy Jean time. Jean finds the twins and learns Maxime is an empath and Manon "can give people memories" and then control when they remember them. Jean asks Manon to show her how she does so. Outside, Young Scott and Kid Cable manage to destroy Ahab's ship, preventing him from returning to the future. Young Jean emerges from the mansion and confirms she has what she needed, and Kid Cable returns them to the past. In the past, Young Jean prepares to mindwipe them, but, it's here where Brisson is at his best: Young Jean uses what she learned from Manon to release their memories in their older counterparts' minds, ensuring they are not lost. In so doing, Brisson maintains the kids' legacy. It means this whole story doesn't just feel like a cheap stunt; they were real. (Well, you know, for comic-book characters...) Now, the original X-Men -- the adult versions -- feel ever realer somehow. (My only nitpick here is that it's weird Jean could "learn" Manon's power, since it seems like it's her actual power and not just her application of her telepathic power. But, whatever, I like the result, so I'll allow it.)
Brisson makes quick work of wrapping up loose ends. Nate almost manages to kill Ahab, though he survives and disappears with Rachel in tow to cause trouble another day. Older Jean (now Only Jean) asks Nate if it's really him -- her son -- and he confirms it is, even calling her Redd as he departs. (Does that mean Cable always knew how he was going to die?) The X-Men mourn Cable and, later, the remaining four original X-Men get shakes together, toasting in Scott's honor. Brisson then plays his final card, as Kid Cable returns to his safehouse and hands a root beer to his father, Cyclops. With Jean's return, it's been pretty clear that Scott was going to return at some point, particularly as his death during such a forgettable event was the most temporary-seeming death of all comic-book deaths. But, Brisson leaves some loose ends out there to keep us interested. Beyond Ahab still out there, we also never learn who Manon and Maxime's parents were. All in all, I'm legitimately happy, if also sad, with how Brisson brings the original X-Men's story to a close. I know they'll be just a memory soon, but at least they'll be a memory, and not just a ret-con. That's pretty good, for comics.
Iceman #4: This issue is...not good. Grace makes the odd decision to focus it mostly on a speech Kitty and Storm give at a mutant-pride parade instead of on Bobby trying to find Mr. Sinister. Also, Grace borrows heavily from the social-justice warrior lexicon, but then veers from the point he seemed to be making. For example, Bobby pledges to break out Madin's brother, Ash, from prison after he was arrested in a previous issue. Madin launches into a tirade about how it’s just another example of Bobby's privilege as a white pretty-boy mutant, since he’s confident he won’t face any repercussions for such actions. It’s not a terrible point, to be honest. But, it’s undermined when it turns out Madin wasn’t mad: he was just hangry. (No, really.) It's further undermined when he realized that after his doyenne served him lunch. After all, it undermines the point he was making about privilege when his servants feed him. It seems like Grace just wants to tell too many stories in his time allotted here. Instead of getting a series about Bobby, he's trying to queer the X-Men in five issues. I’d be totally down with that, but not here. We’ve waited too long to get Bobby’s story, and he deserves the limelight of his own series. Nothings says erasure more than making a gay character's book about straight characters. I would've much rather have seen Bobby try to process younger Bobby's memories (which he now has, thanks to "Extermination" #5), reconciling himself with the time he lost. Instead, he's helping straight characters get to feel woke. Hard pass.
X-Force #1: I don't have a ton to say about this issue, but I would like to note it's a strong debut. Brisson makes the point of the series clear, as X-Force seeks out Kid Cable to "question" him while he and Deahtlok seek to remove future technology from our timeline. It's a premise with a lot of legs, and I'm down with seeing where we go from here.
Also Read: Uncanny X-Men #6-#7
X-Force #1: I don't have a ton to say about this issue, but I would like to note it's a strong debut. Brisson makes the point of the series clear, as X-Force seeks out Kid Cable to "question" him while he and Deahtlok seek to remove future technology from our timeline. It's a premise with a lot of legs, and I'm down with seeing where we go from here.
Also Read: Uncanny X-Men #6-#7
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Not-Very-New Comics: The December 12 Everyone-but-Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batman Annual #3: I totally cried at the end of this issue. It's all just perfectly paced. Taylor builds the tension between Alfred and Bruce throughout the issue, and he brilliantly uses Leslie to bring it to resolution. Using the title at the end of an issue to reveal its purpose is a long-standing trope, but I've never seen it used so effectively as it is here. "Father's Day," indeed. I've been sort of struggling with similar issues as Alfred does here, and I can't say how much Taylor helped me see these issues from a new lens. It's definitely one of the best issues of the year.
Detective Comics #994: Jesus fucking Christ, whatever happiness Taylor gives Tomasi takes. We start the issue with Batman and Gordon examining a double murder where the bodies are floating in an aquarium tank. It's a little more complicated than that, though: the bodies are exact replicas -- down to the smallest detail -- of Thomas and Martha Wayne. (Tomasi brilliantly has Batman start to call them "my parents" before stopping himself. It's great because it seems clear he's stopping himself just to pay homage to the lie he and Gordon tell each other that Gordon doesn't know his secret identity.) Tomasi makes it ever grimmer by revealing they have pearls embedded in their mouths. (I told you it was grim.) Then, suddenly, a creature attacks Leslie (whose importance Taylor brilliantly underlined in "Batman" Annual #3) at her clinic, and Bruce rushes to save her. Leslie is spectacular here; she realizes she's bait for Batman, and she attacks the creature before it can land a hit on Bruce, telling him to leave "the boy" alone. Bruce eventually saves her, but not before the creature managed to breathe what we later learn is Joker Gas on her. The issue begins with Batman seeing his dead parents floating in water and ends with him on the floor with a hysterically laughing and possibly dying Leslie. This issue, this issue feels like a Batman story. Tom King, take notice.
Also Read: Dragon Age: Deception #3
Detective Comics #994: Jesus fucking Christ, whatever happiness Taylor gives Tomasi takes. We start the issue with Batman and Gordon examining a double murder where the bodies are floating in an aquarium tank. It's a little more complicated than that, though: the bodies are exact replicas -- down to the smallest detail -- of Thomas and Martha Wayne. (Tomasi brilliantly has Batman start to call them "my parents" before stopping himself. It's great because it seems clear he's stopping himself just to pay homage to the lie he and Gordon tell each other that Gordon doesn't know his secret identity.) Tomasi makes it ever grimmer by revealing they have pearls embedded in their mouths. (I told you it was grim.) Then, suddenly, a creature attacks Leslie (whose importance Taylor brilliantly underlined in "Batman" Annual #3) at her clinic, and Bruce rushes to save her. Leslie is spectacular here; she realizes she's bait for Batman, and she attacks the creature before it can land a hit on Bruce, telling him to leave "the boy" alone. Bruce eventually saves her, but not before the creature managed to breathe what we later learn is Joker Gas on her. The issue begins with Batman seeing his dead parents floating in water and ends with him on the floor with a hysterically laughing and possibly dying Leslie. This issue, this issue feels like a Batman story. Tom King, take notice.
Also Read: Dragon Age: Deception #3
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