Not-So-New Comics: The October 4 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Astonishing X-Men #4:  Detrimental to the story Soule is trying to tell, I’m not really sure what the criteria are for someone falling under the sway of Shadow King vice someone getting “saved” by Professor X.  Here, Fantomex, Gambit, Mystique, and Rogue all seem to embrace their hearts’ fondest desires, but it's Gambit who the Shadow King winds up possessing; Professor X is able to whisk away the other three.  It might seem nitpicky, but the whole point of this arc is Professor X and the Shadow King are playing chess for the X-Men's lives:  it would help if we understood the rules.  (It all feels more like checkers to me.)  But, we get a shirtless Angel with some chest hair here, so I’m not complaining all that much.

Avengers #672:  I stopped reading Waid’s run on this title because everyone was acting like assholes, and I have to say it’s unfortunately still true.  For a guy who just inspired Earth's mightiest heroes to unite against HYDRA, Falcon is a full-on jerk here, overruling Kamala like she’s a cadet Avenger.  Presumably at the end of this cross-over story everyone is going to learn something about respecting each other’s differences and seeing them as strengths, but it just makes me roll my eyes.  I'm intrigued a new satellite orbiting the Sun proved Counter-Earth doesn’t exist but also revealed a rift that belches a meteorite filled with an angry-looking bull dude at Earth.  You don’t see that every day.

Batman #32:  I really didn't like this story.  I mean, it says something when said story involves an artist as capable as Janín drawing Bruce in his tiny, tiny underwear all the damn time.  But, putting aside all the baggage, King delivers as close to a decent resolution as I could've imagined here.  First, Riddler reveals he engineered the entire war with Joker to get him to laugh.  It was the only interesting riddle left for him:  how do you make a Joker who doesn't laugh anymore laugh?  The answer was to create a foil like Kite Man and have him be the reason Riddler lost their war.  But, Joker doesn't laugh at this revelation, to Riddler's fury.  I loved the moment where Batman tries to interrupt Riddler's tirade and Riddler rebuffs him, telling him every story isn't about him.  (He also says they all don't kill him because he's fun, and it's probably as good of an answer to that existential question as I've heard.)  We now finally learn Bruce's deep dark secret:  he tried to kill Riddler in that moment.  He was so appalled Riddler callously killed Kite Man's son, whose last words to his father Bruce overheard, he couldn't take it anymore.  However, Joker stops the blade with his hand and finally laughs again.  Bruce is obsessed over this moment:  he tells Selena Joker "made" him because he "allowed" him (Batman) to be the guy on the right side of the line.  He asks Joker about it in Arkham and Joker tells him he'll understand why he did what he did when he understands the difference between a riddle and a joke (a confounding theme of this arc).  It's here where Selena shines and reminds us why Bruce loves her in the first place.  She tells him the answer:  who cares?  It's also her answer to Bruce's question if she can love him even though he tried to kill Riddler:  who cares?  Selena quite rightfully states that we're all the sum of our baggage.  If Joker made Batman, does it matter?  Is that all he really is?  This moment produces the single best page of the series since the two of them had sex under a starry night:  Selena has Bruce ask her to marry him again, but as a question and not a demand.  He asks.  She says yes.  I admit, I felt like a crowbar would immediately go through her, but hopefully the writers all do the unexpected and have them live happily ever after.  That would be something novel.

Batman:  White Knight #1:  Murphy does a solid job of selling us on a reformed Joker ready to take on Batman.  He has to use some sleights of hand to get there, but they mostly work.  He’s successful in doing so because everyone here is easily recognized.  Sure, Batman’s a little more violent than he is in “our” Universe, but we’ve seen him behave that way before.  As such, you can reasonably believe the set-up that starts the issue, of a careless and distant Batman single-mindedly pursuing Joker while Batgirl and Nightwing try to limit his impact on civilians.  The hand-waving part comes in the form of the pills Joker has Batman administer to him to “cure” him.  Here, Murphy is playing both sides.  On one hand, Joker seems pretty sane before he takes the pills.  He rails against Batman’s claim he doesn’t matter by stressing he only ever gave Bruce what he could handle.  In other words, he could’ve razed Gotham to the ground if he had wanted to do so, but he didn’t because he was really in it for the game.  The “cured” Jack Napier also echoes that sentiment.  He said he turned to crime from comedy because Gotham was a city so traumatized it couldn’t laugh; he had to start killing people to get a rise from it.  This continuity of thinking raises the question what exactly the pills cured.  The Joker we get here doesn’t seem like he’s suffering from a mental illness; he just seems like a guy whose moral code is different from everyone else’s.  Murphy might still reveal exactly that, so I’m not rushing to judgment.  After all, Napier’s first action is to sue Batman and Gotham for the disproportionate attack on him:  he stole a scooter, and, in chasing him, Batman drove a tank over rooftops, injured three construction workers as he blew past them, and knocked down the guard standing outside the factory where the pills were manufactured.  He then beat Joker senseless and administered the pills until Joker couldn’t breathe.  This lawsuit leaves the impression everything happening here is happening as part of a larger scheme; Joker might not be “cured” so much as playing a long game.  I’m definitely intrigued.

Darth Vader #6:  The Jedi at the end of this issue is so peaceful looking that I find myself wanting to cancel this series immediately.  After all, we’re about to watch Darth Vader and the Emperor’s Inquisitors stomp across the galaxy killing any Jedi who escaped their purge.  Soule and Camuncoli use this final image - of a Jedi petting her pet while sipping tea - as not only a sign of things to come but as a reminder of how completely Vader has embraced the Dark Side if he's willing to ruin this peace.

Hawkeye #11:  It’s rare for me to be 11 issues into a mystery and not feel confused.  Usually, I’m re-reading half the issues to try to remember all the breadcrumbs the writer left along the way.  But, Thompson has done a bang-up job of weaving enough clues into each issue that you remember where we’ve been and where we’re going.  As a result, Kate’s maturing in this issue feels hard won.  Thompson has revealed her father and Masque’s plans slowly but surely, even making sure to highlight areas where we’re not sure what the truth is, like whether Aggregate self-destructed or Masque detonated him lest he reveal his connection to her.  When Kate tears down her bulletin board and only tapes up the word, “Mom,” it isn’t cleaning the slate; it’s a sign we’ve moved onto the next chapter.

Iceman #6:  Grace almost went too far here with Judah, Bobby's love interest.  First, they meet cute.  Bobby and the Champions have assembled in Los Angeles to mourn Natasha, and this trip down memory lane leads Bobby to worry he's always just "trying stuff on to see what fits."  He returns to the college where Professor X sent him to get his accounting degree, and he buys some self-help books.  This part is fine.  In fact, Bobby's text conversation with Kitty revealing these concerns is really well scripted; it's a clever way to drag this information from Bobby "I don't talk about my feelings" Drake.  (This characteristic is a theme of the issue, with Bobby realizing a woman was building a Sentinel in her backyard just as Warren was trying to have a heart-to-heart conversation with him.)  At any rate, Bobby is reading his "Born to Gay" book on line to buy a new pair of sneakers, where he meets Judah.  (Bobby is into sneakers, apparently.  He also apparently wears size 12s.)  As Bobby said, Judah spouts the sort of cheesy lines Bobby would, and it pushes the boundaries of believability:  it's like watching a poorly written "Will and Grace" episode.  (He tells Bobby he can teach him more about being gay than a book (sigh) and invites Bobby to a WeHo bar that night.  Here, we go from poorly written "Will and Grace" to even worse written "Queer as Folk.")  But, Grace pulls out a win when he has Judah kiss Bobby on a dance floor and then admit he's tired of the teacher/student shtick.  He tells Bobby he only goes to a bar twice a year, and he invites him to his place to talk.  But, as usual, Bobby has to X-Man as the aforementioned Sentinels attack.  (The woman building the Sentinels is trying to go from building weapons for super-villains to running her own prop company.  Bobby and Warren's appearance in her backyard earlier that day inspired her to have the Sentinels attack the X-Men to drum up business.)  Initially, I felt like Grace was moving Bobby too fast here.  Most of us don't have a remarkably handsome guy pluck us off the streets of Los Angeles and usher us into gay life in a West Hollywood club.  But, as Judah himself says, most of us don't have Bobby's arms.  That said, the more I thought about it, the more similar it was to my own story.  You just have a moment where you throw on your light and get out there, making stuff happen.  See, I was all cynical until I realized Grace really knew what he was doing here.  Grace and Thompson on "Hawkeye" are really working on making Bobby and Kate Peter Parker's heirs, focusing as much, if not more, on their personal lives as their superheroing.  I'd really be quite happy for Bobby to stay in Los Angeles, and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

Nightwing #30:  I get why Raptor decided to announce his presence in Blüdhaven by attacking a Paul Ryan analogue.  After all, Dick would quickly put two and two together when someone attacked a blue-blood politician making a name for himself by cutting health-care benefits for the poor.  (That said, Higgins should leave the politics to Spencer.)  I don’t get why (or even if) Raptor involved the Kobra Lanceheads, since they’re apparently a chaos cult seeking to sow discord.  Blüdhaven politics seems a little...specific for them.  Dick is confused, too, though, so I get the sense Higgins will get there.  But, I don’t understand what the point of Raptor revealing himself to Dick is or why, as Dick himself wonders, he’s suddenly willing to risk the lives of blue-collar workers.  (Sure, he knew Dick would save the waitress he slung over the balcony to buy him time to escape, but, as Dick says, the Raptor we've previously seen wouldn’t risk it.  He’s usually so confident he wouldn’t need an escape; he’d just beat Dick silly and leave.  Why the ruse?)  I also don’t understand why the Run-Offs are wearing their super-villain costumes for their group meeting about not being super-villains.  I really don’t understand why Dick tells himself he can’t endanger his friends in trying to find Raptor when, in reality, his friends (including Detective Svoboda) rejected him.  Whatever.  Hopefully we'll just wrap up this arc soon.

Spider-Man #21:  Huh.  It turns out Cable, not Jefferson, gave Miles the suit.  Apparently Cable is a spy now?  He seems to be starting his own agency to fill the hole S.H.I.E.L.D. left.  I guess it's cool, but it feels forced to me. In fact, it feels like Bendis had an extended stay in Japan planned for Miles, but he was forced to cut it short because of the Legacy re-launch.  Tomoe was an interesting character, and she seemed to have a vision for her relationship with Miles.  Bendis made it clear Miles was also intrigued as he uses flashbacks to show how Miles' Uncle Aaron taught him not to lie to girls.  But, Miles somehow knows Tomoe is queen of the Japanese underworld, despite the fact I'm not entirely sure how he knows that.  OK, the underground casino is probably a solid hint, but a lot of people who aren't queens of the Japanese underworld run underground casinos.  Miles eventually calls his father and discovers Jefferson didn't give him a tuxedo.  Somehow, he winds up finding himself in conflict with Tomoe, who declares he can't leave the building alive.  It's all very...sudden.

Star Wars #37:  Based on Gillen's name appearing on the cover for next issue, this issue appears to be the last one for Jason Aaron, and he doesn't waste it.  He somehow manages to tour his greatest hits, reminding us just how brutal this galaxy far, far away really was.  It's one of the few times I'm sad we don't get a valedictory letter from a departing author, because I'd love to get Aaron's thoughts on his run.  But, I guess his work speaks for itself, really.  He reminds us how dedicated both sides are as Kreel and his men seek to redeem themselves in Vader's eyes by destroying a Rebel outpost on Horox III.  Kreel is fanatical in his devotion to the cause, a fanaticism stoked not only by enjoying the faith Vader shows in him by allowing him to keep his lightsaber but also by finding himself in the Emperor's presence when he comes to speak with Vader.  We get an amazing sequence where he's basically the Empire's own action hero as he and his colleagues take out the Rebel base.  Aaron also keeps his face hidden from us, even as he sits on his victims without his helmet.  Kreel believes the Empire brings protection, and SCAR Squadron's victory here hopefully means he'll continue to be a presence in this series.  But, Aaron reminds us the other side is just as dedicated as our crew (with Sana) arrives at the remains of the Rebel base, appalled by the brutality.  Kreel and Sana are probably Aaron's greatest contributions to the Star Wars mythos.  Given we don't see them in the movies (yet), it's clear their fates lie somewhere else, and I honestly find those stories enthralling.  Aaron concludes with a final entry from the "Journals of old Ben Kenobi."  Sorrentino's indistinct lines are the perfect choice for this dark story of an orphaned Tusken Raider trying to survive on Tatooine.  Ben provides a helping hand, and Aaron reminds us one last time just how difficult the lives of every day people in this galaxy are.  Although I didn't really like Chuck Wendig's "Aftermath" novel, this story reminds me how many opportunities we're getting to see these sorts of stories.   Thanks, Jason Aaron, for your amazing contribution to that effort, bringing life to Star Wars that I didn't think possible.  You come back now, ya hear?

Also Read:  Batman:  The Dawnbreaker #1; Journey to Star Wars:  The Last Jedi - Captain Phasma #3; X-Men:  Gold #13

Not-So-New Comics: The September 27 Non-Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman:  The Murder Machine #1:  So far these "Dark Nights: Metal" tie-in issues haven't been too bad, despite my initial skepticism.  In this issue, Tieri contemplates a pretty compelling "What if..." scenario, as Bruce is desperate to resurrect Alfred after Bane and a bunch of criminals kill him looking for Batman.  Cyborg helps Bruce complete and launch an artificial-intelligence version of Alfred, but they quickly lose control as Alfred starts eliminating everyone "he" deems a threat to Bruce.  (It's a long list.)  Cyborg begs Bruce to destroy "Alfred," but he can't bring himself to do it.  He's quickly overrun, joining with "Alfred" to become the titular murder machine.  He comes to our world for the same reason every other Dark Batman did, furious his Earth was condemned to die when the Light Universe's Earths gets to live.  He makes short work of Cyborg in the Watchtower, allowing him access to S.T.A.R. Lab's computer system and thus Detroit.  (The Dark Batmen seem intent on destroying the Justice League members' home cities, for reasons I don't entirely understand.)  Not only is the plot solid, but Tieri really makes you feel like you're reading a story that could happen on "our" Earth.  The story is really anchored in the characters themselves, and this accurate characterization make the story intuitively believable.

Detective Comics #965:  OK, we have a lot going on here.  We open with Tim going over his origin story with his jailer, and Tynion outright ignores "Teen Titans" #0 in so doing.  Hurrah!  If you recall, that issue ret-conned Tim's origin so that Bruce wound up telling Tim he was Batman (as opposed to Tim deducing Bruce and Dick were Batman and Robin).  To underscore the point, Barrows essentially redraws parts of "A Lonely Place of Dying," making it clear the past is once again the past.  But, Tynion isn't just fanwanking us.  Tim has this discussion with Mr. Oz because Oz reminds him he believe Bruce needs people, the core tenet of "A Lonely Place of Dying."  Then, he tried to get Dick to return to Bruce's side to keep him from going over the edge; now, he created the Nest to achieve this goal.  But, Mr. Oz is skeptical Tim can leave it to someone else to play this role; he believes Tim needs to be actively involved and questions whether his decision to leave the team would stick.  But, we barely have time to process this discussion as Tynion reveals Mr. Oz is Jor-El.  However, Jor-El implies he wasn't really Tim's jailer as he, too, had been a prisoner in the place where Tim is held.  If I'm reading between the lines, he's telling us Dr. Manhattan imprisoned him.  Jor-El leaves to plot against (presumably) Dr. Manhattan (thus more or less confirming he wasn't really there to jail Tim, since he leaves him free).  Tim sends a distress signal to Gotham, and Batman answers it; Tim is surprised when he tells him to free him, since he's a prisoner, too.  Tim does so, but he encounters a Batman he didn't expect:  it's a future version of himself.  Before he left, Jor-El told Tim his future was dark and encouraged him to give up his costumed life, no matter how much it called to him.  It's easy to see why he felt that way, as this Tim is d-a-r-k:  he's even packing the gun that killed Thomas and Martha Wayne.  But, Tim may not have to worry about his destiny much longer, since they might both be dead soon:  Tim apparently not only freed his future self from his prison cell, but also Doomsday.  Dun-dun-DUN!  This series has been a little rocky lately, but I have to say Tynion reminds me why it's generally been my favorite Batman series on this stands for the past few years.  We have a plot working on multiple levels, enough action to balance out the talky bits, and insightful characterization that advances the story.  Great stuff from start to finish.

Nightwing:  The New Order #2:  This issue is similar to "Detective Comics" #965, as Higgins uses an excellent sense of the characters to advance the plot.  Jake has been hiding his powers from his father for close to three years, afraid his father would think he was "bad" since Jake understood his father saw superpowers as "bad."  Dick is devastated to learn from Mr. Terrific that inhibitors won't work, and Dick swears to Alfred he won't allow Jake to go into stasis.  He hopes to use his connections to get Jake an exemption and waved onto "the League," but it's too late:  Jake has clearly tripped the scanners, and the Crusaders appear at their door.  In the best moment, Alfred stands in front of Jake with a bat, refusing to let the Crusaders get to him (something his father didn't have the courage to do).  Dick pleads with Alfred to stand down, but Alfred refuses, saying they're in this mess because too many people have stood down.  Damn straight, Alfred.  One of the Crusaders kills Alfred and Dick is escorted from his home as his son is removed in chains.  Maybe siding with the Man wasn't such a great idea, huh, Dick?

Not-So-New Comics: The September 27 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #8:  Hornet and Ricochet represent one of the darker times for me in collecting comics, when you had to collect all four ongoing Spider-Man series to have any idea what the story was.  I was only collecting "Amazing Spider-Man" at the time, so Wikipedia tells me I only have a quarter of the "Identity Crisis" cross-over story.  In that story, Peter Parker -- for reasons I'll guess didn't make any more sense then than they do now -- had to adopt the identities of Hornet and Ricochet as well as two other characters.  I was dimly aware other people later took up these identities at some point, though I have no idea how it happened.  The good news is it doesn't really matter.  Peter David works his magic, making these characters his own.  Moreover, he does it in a setting I can't remember happening before:  the ruins of a city destroyed in a cross-over event.  The Hornet appears here because a rival casino owner claims Cassandra Nova is hoarding food for her guests; he hires the Hornet to intercept a shipment destined for her.  Marvel has destroyed many cities in its day.  Remember when the Winter Solider detonated a bomb in Philadelphia?  Or when Kang killed everyone in Washington, DC?  These developments are generally ignored after the event ends because those cities are generally ignored; presumably, if someone leveled New York, we'd have a problem.  But, here, we're seeing a devastated Las Vegas through Ben's eyes.  He still has to figure out a way to save Cassandra's daughter, but he also seems to have ample opportunities here, in a city full of desperate need, to win back some Soul Points (TM).  When you add in Kaine, furious Ben got a second chance (and handsome face) he doesn't deserve, David has a lot of potential stories to cover.  In that way, his soft reboot of this series last issue is already paying dividends, and I'd encourage anyone avoiding this series because of its lingering connection to "The Clone Conspiracy" to jump on board.

Generations:  Miles Morales and Peter Parker #1:  I didn't expect this issue to be good.  Miles and Peter interact so frequently it was hard to see how Bendis had anything new to say about their relationship.  But, he really nails it.  Miles is sent to the day "Amazing Spider-Man" #33 happened, when Peter pushes the building off himself to save Aunt May.  Bendis does a number of great things here.  First, he gives us insight into Peter Lee and Ditko, because of the way comics were written then, didn't have a chance to convey.  Peter confesses to Miles it was the first time he really thought he'd die, and Bendis infuses this emotion throughout the issue.  Peter is jittery, not only because he's waiting to hear if the serum he swiped from Dr. Octopus cured Aunt May, but because he's barely had a moment to consider his brush with death.  Second, Bendis really nails the Peter of this era:  he's angry, overwhelmed, whiny.  It's one of the things that really leaps off the page at you when you read the first few "Amazing Spider-Man" issues; Bendis perfectly captures that tone here.  Finally, perhaps the best part is Miles' realization how personal Spider-Man is to Peter.  He's seen how much Peter struggled in those early days to keep everything together, and he realizes how much he sacrificed to be where he is today.  Bendis has seemed on track to have Miles decide not to be Spider-Man anymore.  Before this issue, it felt artificial, like an editorial mandate.  But, here, he really gives this movement the emotional heft it needed.  I highly recommend it (and I can't believe I'm saying that).

Generations:  Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers #1:  Nick Spencer says his good-bye to Captain America here, and it's exactly what you'd hope it would be.  Unlike everyone else, Sam lives a full life at the Vanishing Point, from serving alongside Steve as the "Man in the Air" during the War to becoming a pastor in North Carolina with a family of his own.  Spencer essentially answers the question that has often plagued Sam during his costumed career, namely the path untaken.  With that path lived, Sam stands as a new man, one ready, as he says, to forge his own legacy.  "Generations" started rockily for me, with the lackluster Jean Grey entry, but it's really rebounded since then.  This issue in particular works as a way for Sam to take stock of his life and focus on the legacy he wants to leave, the reason (to his mind) why Kobik sent them all to the Vanishing Point in the first place.  Marvel seems to have its head in the game for this Legacy relaunch, and my fears that it's just going to lead to a whitewashing -- literally -- of the progress we've seen over the last few years have been more or less allayed.

Marvel Legacy #1:  This issue isn't as bad as some of its analogues have been in previous years.  That might sound like faint praise, but it's not.  It's hard to pull off these sort of kitchen-sink issues:  the author not only has to juggle multiple characters, but he has to do so in a way that hints at their future without really revealing anything.  It's not a recipe for a satisfying read.  But, Aaron does his best here, and he helps himself by keeping us focused on two major threats:  the Final Host and an Infinity Gem.  The A story involves a group of Paleolithic Avengers led by Odin beating down a Celestial; said Celestial is now awakening to call for the Final Host to scour Earth.  It's a threat that's been looming over the Marvel Universe ever since I've started reading it, and I honestly can't quite believe we might see it come to fruition.  The B story involves not only Logan's resurrection [yawn] but also his recovery of the Mind Gem.  Speaking of resurrections, Marvel has been hinting on the margins about Jean Grey's return, and Phoenix's involvement in the Paleolithic Avengers certainly adds fuel to that fire.  [Heh.]  However, Aaron is obligated to throw in a lot more here, so we also have Starbrand fighting the new Ghost Rider and Cap, Ironheart, and Thor fighting the Frost Giants Loki sent to retrieve the Mind Gem.  Overall, though, it's all about the Celestials, and we'll see if Marvel rushes that story or if it's going to loom over us for a good long while, like Hope Summers loomed over the X-Men after "Messiah Complex."

Spider-Gwen #24:  Latour makes us wait (impatiently) for Gwenom to debut as the symbiote (logically) bonds with Logan first.  But, when Logan activates the sonic-wave device he usually uses to prevent Kitty from phasing, everyone learns an important lesson about the symbiote's weakness.  Gwen and Kitty work together to phase Logan from the symbiote, and Gwen is left as the only suitable host after Kitty high-tails it from the scene with Logan in tow.  Of course, Matt Murdoch arrives just in time to show Gwen her comatose father, and the symbiote helps stoke her rage, leading her to attack the cops meant to guard George.  I don't think it's going to be a smooth ride for Gwen for the next few issues.

Also Read:  Batman Day Special Edition #1; Mighty Thor #23; Pathfinder:  Runescars #5; Rebels:  These Free and Independent States #7; X-Men:  Blue #12

Not-So-New Comics: The September 20 Non-Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman #31:  OMG, I'm just over this "event."  Kite-Man helps Batman fly Riddler and his army into the skyscraper where Joker is hiding.  But, Kite-Man is working with Batman!  Surprise!  [Yawn.]  He immediately activates a secret parachute system that whisks away everyone but Batman and Riddler.  (If you're wondering why Batman agreed to this scheme in the first place, given he whisked away the army right after delivering them, it's because Riddler insisted on bringing them with him.  I'm not sure why, but it is what it is.)  At any rate, it's Batman versus Joker versus Riddler.  Sure, whatever.  Apparently we're finally going to learn what Bruce did that's so awful Catwoman won't marry him.  [Sigh.]

Batman:  The Red Death #1:  As I feared, this tie-in issue feels very tie-in issue-y.  The premise of this event appears to be that an agent of Barbatos has brought the seven most dangerous Batmen of the Dark Multiverse to the Light Multiverse to save them.  If I understand correctly, the Dark Multiverse mirrors the Light Multiverse (no surprise there), with 52 versions of Earth.  But, something about the Dark Multiverse makes these Earths less stable:  they're destined to die.  The doorway Barbatos opened through Batman in "Dark Nights:  Metal" #2 allows these seven Batmen to enter the Light Multiverse before their Earths die.  At this point, it's unclear if he has a plan for them beyond just allowing them to survive, but we'll see.  In this issue, the Batman of Earth -52 has stolen the Rogues' powers in order to steal the Speed Force from the Flash.  Jason, Tim, Dick, and Damian have all been killed, and it's clearly driven this Batman over the edge.  He's seeking more power to save not only Gotham but the world.  Batman eventually captures Flash and connects him to the Batmobile, using it like the Cosmic Treadmill.  Despite Flash's warning, he tries to enter the Speed Force.  He partially succeeds:  he's now the dominant partner in a shared body with Flash, like Firestorm.  He then goes on a killing spree and happily takes up Barbatos' agent's offer to travel to Earth Zero.  Again, I'm not really sure what Barbatos' plan is.  Is it chaos just for chaos' sake?  I guess we'll see.

Nightwing #29 ("Dark Nights:  Metal - Gotham Resistance" #2):  I'm not going to buy three other issues just to complete this mini-series within a mini-series, but I have to admit this issue is solid.  Leading a hodgepodge team of Suicide Squad and Teen Titans members, Nightwing tries to liberate a frozen Gotham from Mr. Freeze.  Freeze himself has been installed by the Batman who Laughs, who I believe is Barbatos' agent from "Batman:  The Red Death" #1.  Along the way, the wound Deathwing delivered to him in "Nightwing Must Die!" reopens.  Dick thinks about the electrum the Court of Owls infused in him as it prepared him to be a Talon, and he wonders if he is Barbatos' weapon to Bruce's doorway.  Seeley does a solid job of focusing on characterization throughout this issue despite being saddled with delivering a tie-in issue.  Dick's sotto voce assurances to Damian that they'll find Bruce are a great reminder of who they are as a duo, and Seeley conveys the gravity of the situation by making even Dick question whether he's really capable of filling Batman's shoes this time.

The Wild Storm #7:  This issue is talky, but it’s talky because Ellis takes the chance to recap what we know.  It’s not a terrible idea; we have a lot happening, after all.  I remember mostly everything except the fact Cray set off the “xenobiological alarm” when he attacked Marlowe and partially dissolved Marlowe's “spur,” seemingly confirming he’s also an alien.  The biggest new development involves a player called John Colt.  He’s a Wild C.A.T. spy in IO, and he sets off alarms when the device Kenesha developed for him finally breaks through IO's digital firewalls.  In a really spectacular sequence, he fights through waves of IO guards to find a broom closet where Adriana can evack him without revealing her presence (and the team’s means of transportation).  At the Wild C.A.T.s' HQ, Colt is explaining how IO is working on machine telepathy when a bleeding Angie walks into the room.  She scans him, revealing to herself he’s also an alien.  Later, when Marlowe talks to Angie to calm her down a bit, she reveals Colt, Kenesha, and Marlowe are not only all aliens, but they’re all different from each other.  The other new development is the team admitting they don't understand why IO went after Marlowe.  Clay was using polonium, which they agree would’ve sent Marlowe to the hospital for “medical intervention and an autopsy.”  Colt doesn’t think IO normally would risk that, since it would reveal to the world at large that aliens walk among us.  Why didn't they kill him immediately?  But, Clay doesn’t have another theory on what IO was actually doing.  He’s more concerned Marlowe revealed his spur.  Curiouser and curiouser.  As I said, Ellis uses a lot of narration in this issue, but he pulls it off well, mostly due to Davis-Hunt’s staging.  The conversation between the team about Marlowe happens in a living room, and Davis-Hunt has carefully put them in conversational positions that switch organically as the conversation progresses.  It makes you forget you’re reading a comic and not just watching a group of people talk.  It’s why the narration doesn’t feel heavy and why Ellis and Davis-Hunt are possibly the best team in comics right now.

Also Read:  Bloodshot Salvation #1

Not-So-New Comics: The September 20 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Generations:  Ms. Marvel and Ms. Marvel #1:  This issue is even better than the “Hawkeye and Hawkeye” one.  It proves the concept:  a way to get fresh eyes on our heroes.  Kamala beautifully summarizes her fight with Carol in the present as Carol wanting peace and order but Kamala wanting to know who takes the peace and who gets the orders.  Somehow, she realizes she can reconcile those two positions when she writes make-up tips for protesters, saving “Woman” magazine from getting sold to the Shi’ar.  (It’s less crazy than it sounds.)  I’m not quite sure how it shows Kamala has reconciled Carol’s black-and-white view of peace and order with her own view, but I’m not going to let it get in the way of my enjoyment of the story.  Willow is supported by an excellent Villanelli who delivers an appearance by a divinely handsome Peter Parker.  I wouldn’t recommend many “Generations” issues, but I’d recommend this one.  (I'd also like to get Villanelli on a Spider-Man title, stat!)

Spider-Men II #3:  Despite pet peeve #2 rearing its ugly head here, Miles Morales doesn’t fight his Prime Earth doppelganger in this issue.  Instead, we see how “our” Miles Morales (if you will) becomes friends with Wilson Fisk in prison, earning the respect of the mob family for whom Fisk is an enforcer by serving time for his own cousin.  When Fisk eventually takes over said family, Morales is right at his side.  Eventually, he falls in love, and Wilson offers to grant his greatest wish; Miles says he wants to “disappear” from this world with his girlfriend.  It implies somehow “our” Miles Morales actually did go to another world, but it doesn’t explain what Peter found when he Googled Miles’ name at the end of the original “Spider-Men."  I can’t say I really care about the answer, but in for a penny in for a pound.

U.S.Avengers #10:  I quit this book once, but I returned mostly because it plays a fairly significant role in cross-over events.  With “Secret Empire” behind us, Ewing tries to justify the team’s existence yet again.  This time, Toni’s speech to herself in her cell during "Secret Empire" has inspired A.I.M.’s scientists to embrace their core mission of pushing science to its limits.  Ewing strikes a political tone in doing so, as one of the scientists observes that science is on the outs right now in American political discourse; underscoring that point, the new A.I.M. liaison is a combination of Ted Cruz and Jeff Sessions.  I can’t say I’m all that enthralled.  But, the next few issues seem to focus on Cannonball, as Smasher finds Roberto to tell him Sam is alive and needs help.  I’m really only here for Cannonball, so I guess I’ll keep going for at least a few more issues.

Also Read:  Journey to Star Wars:  The Last Jedi - Captain Phasma #2; Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man #4; Star Wars Annual #3; X-Men:  Gold #12

Not-So-New Comics: The September 13 Non-Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Dark Nights:  Metal #2:  Snyder takes us on a tour of Batman’s recent history, and he's largely successful in making connections between stories we haven't previously seen.  It's not perfect, but it's still impressive.

Barbatos first took notice of Bruce when Darkseid’s Omega Sanction sent him into the past (see "The Return of Bruce Wayne"), and Barbatos decided Bruce would be the perfect doorway to the Light Universe.  (I'm not sure why he thought that, since it seems sort of inevitable Bruce would fight against Barbatos using him that way.  But, let's just take it as a fact.)  The Court of Owls is revealed to be the Judas Tribe, or the Tribe that betrayed the Bird Tribe.  (Again, I'm not sure we learn why they betrayed the Bird Tribe, but I feel like it's pretty clear we're supposed to believe Barbatos himself corrupted them.)  As devoted Bat Tribe members, the Court helped Barbatos prepare Bruce for serving as the doorway by treating him with four of the five metals necessary to open the portal.  First, they exposed him to electrum in "Court of Owls" ("Batman" #5, I believe) and then dionesium in "Endgame" ("Batman" #40).  Then, Bruce exposed himself to promethium in "Batman" #49, when he returned his memories, and the Nth metal in "Dark Days:  The Casting" #1, when he activated the device Krona built to see into the Universe's origin.  (When Krona did so, he apparently saw a black hand reaching toward him.  Creepy.)  I’ll admit, I don’t really remember any mention of Bruce using promethium to bring back his memories, but I’m willing to let it go, given everything else here is pretty tight (and gets tighter).

As Bruce frantically relates to Superman when he and Wonder Woman finally locate him, he realized he only needed coating with one more metal before Barbatos could enter our world.  (Again, I'm not really sure how Bruce got all this information about the metals, but I'm assuming it has something to do with Carter's diary.)  To prevent this possibility, Bruce heads to the Temple of Khufu where he intends to use baby Darkseid (really) to Omega Sanction himself into the past and take on Barbatos with Hawkman’s mace, which defeated him once.  (I don't really remember us learning Hawkman defeated Barbatos, and I'm pretty sure he's trapped in the Dark Universe.  But, bygones.)  However, Bruce's plan goes awry when the Court reveals they knew Carter’s journal was in Wayne Manor (...though somehow don't know Bruce is Batman).  As such, the Court altered the text to show the location not of the Temple of Khufu, but the Temple of Hath Set.  Dun-dun-DUN!  Barbatos’ minions seize Bruce, and they coat him with the fifth metal:  Geri Powers' batmanium. (Like I said, the story got tighter.)  The doorway opens and dark versions of Batman pour into our Universe.

In other words, so far, so good.  Although Snyder might not connect all the dots for us, he leaves us enough dots for us to be able to draw our own conclusions.  Where he does connect them, the picture makes perfect sense.  Also, it's just sort of fun.  I don't know how he manages that, given how grim of a topic it is, but I think it's mostly due to the art, as Glapion infuses everything with enough cartoon color to encourage you not to take it all too seriously.  For a cross-over event, they're doing pretty well so far.

Detective Comics #964:  This issue feels like Tynion was told he had to wrap up the story three issues early.  In fact, it’s even worse than that.  On several occasions, developments just happen for no apparent reason:  Batman suddenly (like, literally, he appears from nowhere) confronts Anarky, Anarky reveals he built his Utopia with the First Victim from the Victim’s Syndicate, Anarky kisses Spoiler, etc.  It all just doesn’t make any sense.  At one point, Spoiler complains Anarky is always mansplaining everything to her, but I’m pretty sure they’ve only known each other, like, an hour.  I mean, sure, I’m totally on board with her kicking his ass for being an asshole, but I don’t understand the sense of familiarity she allegedly feels for him.  Also, I don’t get why he’s such a threat to Batman.  OK, the First Victim was sort of a terrorist.  But, the only thing of which Anarky seems to be guilty is wanting his Utopia to conform with his vision.  Um, isn’t that kind of OK?  Like, yes, it makes him an egomaniac, but does it make him a terrorist?  Batman arrests him and incarcerates him here, but I have absolutely no idea what the charges are.  Monologuing?  It's all just weird.

The Realm #1:  Holy shit, I can't remember being more excited about a comic after a first issue in ages!  As one of the pull quotes says, it's like "Dungeons and Dragons" meeting "The Road."  But, it's more than that.  Peck and Haun manage to give us a raft of great characters, most notably Will Nolan, our protagonist.  But, we'll get to that.

Starting first with the setting, we're witness to two new realities on Earth:  some sort of apocalyptic event has largely destroyed it, and said event apparently involved dragons, orc, and sorcerers.  We're given a peek at those forces when we see a sorcerer in a floating citadel engage in human sacrifice to commune with his dark god.  But, it's a brief interlude.  Mostly, our focus is on Nolan, who guides people through dangerous territory in the broken United States.  Nolan's client, King, is killed by Sasha, the woman King hired Nolan to bring to him.  King told Nolan that Sasha was his daughter, but it turns out she was really someone King traded for antibiotics that proved to be fake.  It's unclear to me if Nolan knew Sasha was going to kill King or if she just took advantage of the situation when King had his men try to kill Nolan instead of paying him.  If it's the former, I'm intrigued, since it implies Nolan is more than just a guide.   In the end, Sasha says they're even, but I'm not sure if it's because she saved Nolan's life or if she paid off a debt to Nolan by killing King for him.  Either way, she tells him he'll have to pay the toll like everyone else the next time he crosses her domain, and you get a good sense of the sort of place the Realm is.

Nolan returns to what seems to be home, where he meets with Marcus, his agent, if you will.  They're close (maybe very close), and it's good to see.  Often, in these sort of stories, the protagonist is a hardened loaner, but Peck and Haun make Nolan an even more interesting character by avoiding that trope.  (On a side note, I can't wait to learn more about the toothbrushes that seem to be the Realm's currency.)  At any rate, Marcus sends Nolan to meet with Molly and her colleague:  they want to hire Nolan to escort them and two scientists to Kansas City.  Here, we're introduced to Rook, a gimp-looking spy Nolan uses to make sure his clients are on the up and up.  Finally, we're privy to a dream Nolan has, where the blackness that covers his arm starts spreading across his body, turning him into a demon.  He awakens, shaken.

In other words, damn, this issue has a lot happening.  But, it's all so well paced and scripted, it leaves you wanting more.  I can't remember a series more clearly creating such fully realized characters in just one issue, not even "Reborn."  Peck and Haun pay extra close attention to detail throughout the issue:  the uneven lines Haun uses to create panels conveys how chaotic this world is.  It conveys how carefully they've constructed this world and story, and I can't wait for the next issue.

Titans #15:  I'm just not sure where Abnett is going here.  Does he really think we're going to believe he's killing off Wally so soon after Wally returned?  He must, because he keeps putting him in situations where he appears to die.  But, since it's hard to believe it's going to stick, it doesn't have the impact he seems to want it to have.  (Plus, he keeps doing it over and over again.)  Then, you've got the fact that pretty much everyone on the team has been "the traitor" at one point.  The tagline for next issue is yet again, "The traitor revealed!"  It might as well add, "No, really, seriously, we mean it this time."  At this stage, I'm not even sure what the traitor is allegedly doing.  I mean, we have some sort of force taking control of Psimon, but it's apparently Lilith who'll ultimately be the threat?  Does that mean the "force" will eventually take over her?  Also, what does any of that have to do with H.I.V.E.?  I can't even remember why H.I.V.E. is holding Psimon prisoner.  Weren't they the ones who hired him?  I just feel like we're seriously spinning our wheels here.

Youngblood #5:  Man, Bowers is really just keeping up the heat.  My only real complaint with this series at this point is his extensive use of flashbacks.  I'm having problems remembering how the team came together, and I'm not sure if we would've lost anything in terms of suspense if Bowers had just assembled this story sequentially.  For example, Rachel is thrilled to discover Badrock in her apartment, as if she hadn't seen him before that moment.  I guess it could be true, but I was pretty sure she was with the team when it originally debuted and he and Shaft went after them.  Maybe?  Did this scene happen before they assembled the first time?  I don't think so, but my confusion over it reveals why it's a problem.  At any rate, I get the sense we'll be seeing less use of flashbacks as the story really kicks into gear here.  All sorts of crazy stuff is happening with the Byrne brothers.  They're not only revealed to be cyborgs, but cyborgs who can merge with one another to create a huge robot.  Moreover, one of the "brothers" seems more dominant than the other.  But, it's Diehard ripping off Shaft's arm that really reminds me why this series feels so fresh.  Whereas Abnett unbelievably keeps threatening to kill off Wally in "Titans," I'm pretty sure Shaft's arm isn't going to miraculously grow back next issue.  By giving us realistic stakes, the entire story feels more organic.

Also Read:  Dragon Age:  Knight Errant #5

Not-So-New Comics: The September 13 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Secret Empire Omega #1:  SO.  MUCH.  TALKING.

I didn’t really clock that Captain Nazi was still alive at the end of “Secret Empire.”  It’s right there, but I had other things on my mind at the time.  Here, Steve makes his way to the hole where they’re keeping Captain Nazi to confront the man who damaged his reputation so.  If Spencer falters at all here, it’s in his portrayal of Captain Nazi as a more dedicated fascist than the one we saw over the course of the series.  Captain Nazi has always been portrayed as having doubts about his path, though the man we see here is unrepentant.  Maybe his failure and the death of Elisa have steeled his resolve and finally made him a firm believer in the darker side of the cause, but it's a notable shift in his attitude Spencer doesn't really explain.

At any rate, Steve half-heartedly calls Captain Nazi on his bullshit:  Captain Nazi asserts he didn’t do anything the U.S. government didn't authorize him to do as part of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act, but Steve dismisses this legalistic argument as hardly acceptable given his destruction of Las Vegas and murder of Jack Flag and Rick Jones.  Captain Nazi more or less asks why Steve is there, and Steve tells the story of a young boy who hesitated in fear when Steve tried to help him from the rubble of Washington, DC.  But, it’s not really that compelling of a reason, and Captain Nazi concludes Steve’s simply fascinated with the path untaken.  Captain Nazi is at his most persuasive when he tells Steve he underestimates the millions of people who whole-heartedly embraced HYDRA.  Spencer is at his best here, reminding us we can’t dismiss torch-bearing racists as easily as we’d like. Spencer wraps up the issue with a guard whispering “Hail HYDRA” in Captain Nazi’s ear, a promise to the reader we’ll hear from him again.

The problem is I'm not sure I care.  This part of the story more or less mirrors "Captain America" #350, where the Red Skull embedded his consciousness in a cloned version of Steve’s body.  I wouldn't be surprised if we see some accident burning away Captain Nazi's face, turning him into the new Skull.  But, I hope Marvel doesn't go that route.  Captain Nazi isn't wrong when he says HYDRA has changed:  as he says, it will no longer see conquering the world as getting the chance to rule it, but regaining a rule HYDRA once had.  Marvel has the opportunity to stop using HYDRA as just another incompetent terrorist organization, but a legitimate threat to the established political order.  If Marvel does that, "Secret Empire" will have really changed the game, Captain Nazi's continued existence aside.  That story would be a lot scary if we didn't have a warmed-over Red Skull redux leading the charge, but instead a new character (preferably a Millennial)  who speaks to those people who embraced HYDRA.

Overall, is this issue necessary?  No, not really.  But, it does remind us Marvel has allowed "Secret Empire" to legitimately change the game (with the possibility of changing it even more).  It's a rare cross-over event that does that, so I'll let Marvel have its victory lap.

Amazing Spider-Man #32:  Every once in a while, Slott turns in an issue that reminds us what he can do when he focuses on the story in front of him and not whatever overarching drama he’s trying to sell us.  In this one-and-done issue, we tour Norman Osborn’s soul.  The nanites Peter injected into him are successfully preventing the Goblin Serum from bonding with Norman's DNA, and he’s desperate to solve that problem.  An acupuncturist sends him to the Temple of No Name, and, in his first test, he’s revealed to possess great potential for the mystic arts.  (His comment that he always tests well made me LOL.)  Slott is uncharacteristically good at the details here.  Rather than let the similarity to other characters’ journeys go unmentioned, Norman makes exactly this observation to one of his three masters.  The master in turn observes certain patterns repeat themselves, but the details are specific to the person:  Norman’s struggle might be similar to Dr. Strange’s or Baron Mordo’s, but how it manifests and resolves itself is uniquely his path.  In the end, Norma rejects his totem animal (a tiger) and chooses the goblin instead.  He summons Spider-Man and defeats him.  But, when he kills him, he reveals himself to be a monster, appalling the three masters.  It’s here where Slott unveils his cleverest trick:  this entire sequence has actually been that first test, one that Norman failed.  The masters expel him, noting they’ll warn all the other orders about him. But, Norman, in typical Norman fashion, is undeterred, since the test revealed the Goblin is still somewhere inside him.  As I said, the copious details and thoughtful storybuilding are rare for Slott:  no loose ends, no deus ex machina, no miracle save.  If only we saw this Dan Slott more often...

Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #7:  I’m not usually a fan of cosmic interference in storylines, but David’s literal deus ex machina here really works.  Marlo is revealed to be Death, and she’s visiting Ben because he’s special:  he’s died the most times of anyone in the Universe, and his soul is blackened and cracked.  Death is interested in him since he seems to be on a path to redemption, and she’s intrigued by his journey to fix his soul.  She assures him he can, but it will take time.  (I really hope we get some sort of soul meter at the end of every issue.)  Ben tries to convince her to bring back Abigail and Kaine, but she wants him to pick one.  He chooses himself (to even the scales), but she refuses.  He attacks her, and it’s clear he only wants her to kill him because he just can’t live with himself anymore.  It’s an emotional moment, but it ends with Death laughing, something (as you can imagine) she had assured us she didn’t really do.  Refreshed after this interaction with a mortal, she grants Ben’s wish.  (It’s interesting to note here not even his seemingly altruistic push for Kaine to be resurrected is totally heroic:  after all, he’s also somewhat suicidal.  It’s a reminder that David may have put Ben on the path to repairing his soul, but the asshole he was as the Jackal is still in there somewhere.)  Death even does him one better:  his face is fully healed.  This part is probably the most controversial one.  In terms of the larger story David is telling, neither Abigail nor Kaine needed to die, so returning them to life doesn’t really affect it.  But, I think most of us probably expected the degenerative disease Ben had to be more of a focus, a sort of race against time as Ben tried to cure it.  But, whatever.  I’m on board with David taking it off the board.  It’s really the last hangover of “The Clone Conspiracy,” and I feel like we’re on secure footing now.  Ben is Ben (if still a little damaged), and he’s on a quest to save his soul, with Kaine nipping at his heels.  That’s a story I’m interested in reading.

Generations:  Captain Marvel and Captain Mar-Vell #1:  Why do I keep falling for Marvel’s tricks and buying these issues when I know they won’t be good?  WHY?

Uncanny Avengers #27:  I don't know why Zub and Izaakse keep insisting on putting Johnny Storm in nothing but tight shorts, but I am not complaining.  Talk about an incentive to keep reading!  It helps that the story isn't half-bad either.  The Avengers engage in some honest-to-goodness teamwork here:  Voodoo provides Scarlet Witch an air elemental to help her survive in space, Rogue distracts Graviton so Wanda can return and wallop him, Rogue delivers the coup de grâce by stealing his powers, and Synapse helps her shake off the insanity that comes with said powers.  It's solid teamwork from start to finish and fun to read to boot.

Also Read:  Star Wars #36; Star Wars:  Doctor Aphra #12; X-Men:  Blue #11

Not-So-New Comics: The September 6 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman #30:  I’ve complained in previous reviews that I feel like King has bitten off more than he can chew with the War of Jokes and Riddles.  Previous issues have focused either too narrowly on fringe stories or too broadly with excessive narration.  We’ve rarely seen the actual War.  We still have that problem in this issue, but I'm happy to say it's not as bad as it's been.  King uses Kite Man as the reader's surrogate, showing us the changing dynamic of the War now that Batman has thrown in his lot with the Riddler in the attempt to bring it to an end.  We work through a series of vignettes showing Kite Man with one or another of Joker's captains -- the Tweedles, Mad Hatter, Mr. Freeze -- and I realized King should've been using Kite Man this way from the start.  If he had, I think we’d have a much better sense of the story he’s been trying to tell.  But, it is what it is:  we at least get that insight here.  In the end, Riddler reveals he and Batman kept Kite Man as the last of Joker’s men on the field because they knew he was the weakest:  he’d cave and tell them where Joker was hiding.  Along the way to this moment, King shows us a flashback conversation Kite Man had with his deceased son, who tells Kite Man his mother described Kite Man as a joke.  Riddler and Batman feel the same way, obviously.  Before Kite Man speaks with them, though, Janín delivers the best single page of this story, showing a handcuffed Kite Man moving from crying to weeping as he waits for Riddler and Batman to interrogate him.  Janín just spectacularly conveys Kite Man's devastation over the loss of his son, and I admit I’m 100% rooting for him to stick it to Riddler and Batman.  I don’t know if King wanted that, but it’s where I am.

Darth Vader #5:  As I hoped, Soule shows us a glimpse of Darth Vader before he fully became Vader as we know him.  The Emperor sends him to the location of his greatest defeat, Mustafar, to corrupt the kyber crystal.  However, Anakin -- not Vader -- struggles to do so.  The crystal gives him a vision of a world where he turns to the light side of the Force, slaying the Emperor and returning to Obi-Wan.  But, Soule has Vader reject this vision, declaring his only choice is the path before him.  Soule captures the petulance we saw in Anakin in the prequel trilogy, as he chooses the easier path that limits his vulnerability (even if it damns him).  Camuncoli, Smith, and Curiel then do a spectacular job of showing the operatic nature of Vader corrupting the crystal.  By the time he presents his fully red lightsaber to the Emperor, it's clear all hope for Anakin to return to the light side is dead.  As I said when this series started, I think we needed to see that story unfold, to gain insight into how Anakin fully became Vader (something we didn't get from the movies).  Soule clearly agreed, and Vader's origin story is now complete.

Generation X #6:  Exterminatrix!  The Fenris Twins!  Kade Kilgore!  Bi-curious Quentin!  I have to say, I really enjoyed this issue.  Benjamin, Nathaniel, and Quentin make for a great trio, as Benjamin mediates between the two more dominant personalities and said personalities might actually learn a little something about each other and themselves along the way.  But, it's the tour down memory lane that I most appreciated, as Strain reminds us where this story fits in the larger continuity of these characters.  Nathaniel is really a great addition to the cast, as he challenges Quentin in a way no one else does.  Also, does he maybe have a crush on Benji?  Bobby should ask him for advice.

Hawkeye #10:  Aha!  Madame Masque used a Kate Bishop LMD to try to see if it developed powers like Derek Bishop's LMD did!  That makes sense.  How did she get her hands on a Kate Bishop LMD, though?  It presumably has Kate's DNA if it's possible for it to develop powers.  Did Kate's dad give her Kate's DNA?  I'm sure we'll see.

Iceman #5:  Grace delivers in this issue, as we see the fallout from Bobby revealing he’s gay to his parents.  Thankfully, it doesn’t go well.  I say “thankfully,” because it wouldn’t have felt right if Bobby’s parents suddenly shrugged at the idea their son is gay.  His parents have always been portrayed as conservative Long Island Catholics, and their response feels authentic.  In particular, I thought Grace did a great job in having Bobby’s father saying Bobby was dead to him because he couldn’t give him grandchildren and Bobby’s mother expressing relief when Bobby tells her he’s never had sex with a man.  It reminds us how disruptive the coming-out process is to parents' narratives about their children, from their hopes for the future to their view of us as adults engaged in sex.  Bobby’s dad goes one further when Bobby says he’s always felt like something was wrong when he was with women and comments he shouldn’t feel that way if he’s in love; Bobby’s father demands he not talk about loving men.  Here, Grace shows us how difficult of a road Bobby has in front of him.  His parents aren't just upset at the loss of possibility when it comes to grandchildren or dealing with him having sex with men:  they reject even the idea that he is capable of love.  Bobby’s father can’t imagine a man loving a man, and Bobby’s mother is just obsessed with the idea of Bobby touching a man sexually.  (His mother is also obsessed with pinning blame on his father, something I kept anticipating as the story progressed.)  Again, it feels like you’re eavesdropping on an actual conversation and not just reading a comic book.  The most poignant moment is when Kitty gives Bobby’s parents the letter he was writing them; she comments no one has really cared what Bobby thought about being gay because he’s been too worried about everyone else’s reaction.  I remember that feeling all too well.  I almost didn’t believe the ending, where Bobby’s father stays behind to tell Bobby he loves him.  But, I remembered the story from "Uncanny X-Men" #340 where his father is almost beaten to death by anti-mutant extremists for defending him, and it rang truer.  Similarly, I didn't think the metaphor of Bobby turning himself into vapor was necessary (and his use of wings made almost no sense from a physics standpoint).  But, it does allow Bobby to express a feeling we've all had, the desire just to disappear.  In other words, I don't remember a comic feeling as close to my own coming-out story, and I really salute Grace for that.  Looking ahead, Bobby’s story is just beginning, and I hope we get to see him excited about that at some point.

Nightwing #28:  This issue works for a number of reasons.  First, Seeley gives us “Grayson” readers some closure, revealing Mr. Minos was nothing more than a program Project Cadmus and Checkmate's joint venture ("Business Solutions”) created, presumably to ferret out the identities of superheroes.  It’s really quite brilliant and so much of “Grayson” retroactively makes sense now.  Second, Seeley hits some great character notes here.  After stopping Mouse from almost killing Blockbuster as revenge for killing Giz, Shawn realizes she made a mistake in acting from a place of anger with Dick.  However, she’s too late:  Helena told Dick she was only comfortable with him, and we see them in bed together here.  Shawn seems (somewhat unjustifiably) furious, and Seeley implies it’ll finally push her over the edge into bad-guy territory.  (Stopping Mouse postponed that dive, much to Pigeon’s chagrin.)  Seeley returned Dick to Blüdhaven 18 issues ago, and it continues to be clear it was an excellent decision.  Dick has spent most of the DCnU bouncing from one modus operandi to another, and Seeley’s decision to ground him in Blüdhaven has made for better stories, deepening our emotional investment as his cast of characters finally stays stable.  I’m excited to see where we’re going from here, since this issue definitely felt like it was drawing a line under some previous stories.

Spider-Man #20:  This issue is...odd.  I can't quite put my finger on it exactly, but it is.  Bendis has Miles decide to take a break, using his Spider-Powers to hitch rides (including hanging on the outside of an airplane) to Tokyo, somewhere he always wanted to go.  He saves two girls from a mugging by goons who look like they're in the Goblin Gang.  But, they seem to work for someone named Tomoe instead.  However, she shoots one of them to save Miles, so I'm not really sure.  She takes an interest in Miles and invites him to visit her club.  Then, someone, possibly Miles' father, uses the "Alternet" to direct him to a drop-point with a tuxedo and a gun for him to bring to the club.  In other words, instead of going to Tokyo to take a break from superhero-ing, Miles finds himself smack dab in the middle of international espionage.  As I said, it's just...odd.  It doesn't help that Bendis uses a frequent flashbacks to tell this story, where a linear approach would've worked much better.  I don't know.  It all just leaves me scratching my head.

X-Men:  Gold #11:  MARC GUGGENHEIM, KITTY PRYDE ABSOLUTELY SPEAKS RUSSIAN.  I'm not sure I can get past this oversight.  He claims in every letters page he's a long time fan, but, OMFG, how do you not know Kitty Pryde ABSOLUTELY SPEAKS RUSSIAN.  [Sigh.]  It doesn't help that the script and the pencils are extremely rushed.  Instead of capitalizing on the return of Omega Red, Guggenheim treats him like just another henchman for all the challenge he poses to the team.  Logan defeats him without even breaking a sweat.  Similarly, Peter regains his ability to turn into steel just in time to save Illyana from the mysterious magic-wielding mobster.  I not only sort of forgot Peter had lost his powers, but it also doesn't help we never really get insight into the mobster.  He was apparently using her to keep Omega Red alive so he could conquer Russia.  Um, Russia is pretty big, dude.  You really think you could take over the whole place with Omega Red?  Also, if you're such a kick-ass magic-user, why do you need Illyana?  On a side note, is Storm even in this issue?  I think I briefly saw a flash of her, but I have no idea what she does here.  I mean, how do you make Storm forgettable?  [Sigh, again.]  I really, really want to like this series, but Guggenheim isn't making it easy.  (Did I mention Kitty speaks Russian?)

Also Read:  Astonishing X-Men #3; Champions #12; Journey to Star Wars:  The Last Jedi - Captain Phasma #1

Not-So-New Comics: The August 30 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Secret Empire #10:  This series ends more or less how I expected.  As I mentioned in my review of issue #9, some of the excitement has been missing in the last few issues since Spencer had done such a solid job of setting up the denouement.  But, Spencer still does his best to throw some surprises our way.  Bucky has Sam give Captain Nazi the last Cube fragment, figuring (correctly) that unifying the Cube would unify Kobik.  Under the guidance of Dream Steve, Kobik finds the courage to stand against Captain Nazi, erasing the history he and HYDRA created.  Spencer also answers some long-standing questions:  for example, we learn Elisa used a fragment of the Cosmic Cube to rewrite Mjolnir's rules, rewarding the strongest not the worthiest.  It explains why Captain Nazi could wield the hammer in "Secret Empire" #0, though I'm not quite sure we ever learn how Elise got her hands on the shard in the first place.  That said, I still have questions.  We never really resolve the implication in "Secret Empire" #1 that Steve had embraced HYDRA before Kobik rewrote history, and I'm still not sure we learned who the new Kraken is.  (I'm still pulling for it to be Ian.)  Spencer also does the unthinkable and doesn't use Kobik to retcon everything:  Natasha and Rick stay dead, Sharon stays old, etc.  The issue ends with Barf, the young Inhuman who began the series, reuniting with his little brother and returning home to find his house graffiti-ed with HYDRA slogans.  (I admit I teared up a bit at their reunion, a surprising reminder of how emotionally engaged I was with this series.)  The next day, Barf awakens to discover the community helping clean up the house, epitomizing the message Spencer is sending:  Kobik left the scars to remind us what happens when we embrace the easy answer.  Once again, it's not hard to see the parallels to current events, but Spencer gets us there without sounding too preachy.  All in all, as I've previously said, this event has hands-down been the best Marvel has published since possibly "Siege."  Spencer adroitly sets up the "Generations" mini-series and larger "Legacy" relaunch this fall.  But, perhaps more importantly, he told a well constructed and emotionally engaging story about the fight between good versus evil.  Back to basics, indeed.

Generations:  Hawkeye and Hawkeye #1:  Man, as Katie herself says here, I miss these two.  Can we please get the band back together?

Spider-Gwen #23:  This issue might be the most perfect issue of a comic ever.  Mary Jane has to convince Glory to cover drums since Gwen is busy in Madripoor, and Blumenreich and Latour take us on an amazing tour of the girls' lives in the process.  Seriously, I would 100% read a Blumenreich-penned series just about the Mary Janes sans Gwen.  She really taps into what it feels like to be young in a way that reminds you how powerful of a medium comics can be.  We see the best and worst of Mary Jane here, from the self-centered whining Glory cites as the reason she originally left the band to her literal ass-kicking when she beats up the guy accosting Betsy because she wouldn't give him the time of day.  (I don't know how she did it, but Blumenreich immediately telegraphed this guy was bad news when he approached Betsy at the party.  When he accosts the girls on the street, it feels very much like the threat it is.)  The ending on the subway - with Mary Jane telling Glory she'd punch out all the guys for her and Glory not being able to stay mad at her - is just the magic of the friendships of our youth.  As Uatu says (seriously) at the start of this issue, this series used to be fun but it's gotten really dark.  Hurrah for a break from that, for Uatu and us.

Star Wars #35:  Aaron has really been on a roll lately.  After last issue’s great romp with Sana and Lando, I figured we’d be getting a multi-issue arc here.  Instead, we get another great one-and-done issue, as Han outmaneuvers Grakkus to trick him into revealing where his safe house (and all its weapons) is located.  Aaron has Han’s voice down so completely you can hear Harrison Ford speaking the dialogue in your mind.  Moreover, the art is great:  Delgado’s colors are downright cinematic as a result of his amazing use of lighting.  (After only a few pages I flipped back to the title page to see who the colorist was.)  Issues like this one remind me what a golden age of Star Wars it is.

Uncanny Avengers #26:  After all this time, I continue to believe this series is the real Avengers title.  Zub just gets it.  The sexual tension between Johnny and Rogue and Voodoo and Wanda reminds me of the good ol’ days, when everyone was sleeping with each other and it caused problems on and off the battlefield.  Johnny and Rogue are particularly charming here as a couple:  they both start with bravado but fade to honest-to-goodness feelings.  (Johnny Storm!  Talking about feelings!)  Izaakse is a great find, a less highly defined version of McNiven who works well for this title.  (Johnny in his little shorts is particularly a revelation.)  Moreover, Zub puts us squarely in that most Avengers of all moments:  after a great battle where they’re divided and exhausted, they have to find a way to keep on going.  Even the battle itself mirrors their situation:  they’re squatting in Avengers Mansion after the previous occupants abandoned it during “Secret Empire,” and Graviton turns everything upside down in his attempt to prove life is meaningless and random.  They’re literally fighting for meaning here, and it’s a great ride.  I would say I'd like Zub to do a little more with Janet here, as I feel like she's often portrayed as more inexperienced than she is.  I get Rogue is also experienced, but, I mean, Janet is Janet.

X-Men:  Blue #10:  From Hank’s dark-magic use to Bobby’s more serious mien, Bunn is reminding us we’ve gone beyond the point where these kids are the kids we knew.  They’re their own characters, and their new personalities are on full display.  Moreover, we get another amazing group of enemies here, as the Goblin Queen manipulates Hank into bringing her “Hex-Men” into the present.  Adding even more intrigue, this series seems to be the one where Marvel is exploring the fallout of “Secret Wars,” as Jimmy and Warren explore his origins.  When you add in there the possibility of Magneto and Polaris fireworks, this series is really the best soap opera in town!  (Also, Romeo, Jesus, return Bobby's calls!)  

Also Read:  Dungeons & Dragons:  Frost Giant's Fury #5; Rebels:  These Free and Independent States #6

Not-So-New Comics: The August 23 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Secret Empire #9:  Spencer does a solid job of keeping up the suspense here.  It's hard to get us on the edge of our seats the way he did in early issues, given it's pretty clear how the story is going to end:  the heroes will take on a Cube-powered Captain Nazi while Dream Steve convinces Kobik to restore him to reality.  But, the story unfolds well; I only had two nitpicks.  First, I would've loved some sort of chart showing which side possessed which shards.  I initially thought the heroes had two shards -- one from Ultron and one from the Savage Land -- but last issue they only seemed to have the Ultron one.  That said, I don't care that much; it's why a chart would've been helpful, since it would've been simple to understand the status quo.  (Instead, we get the weird "cast of characters" page that adds nothing to the story.)  Second, it's hard to believe Sam managed to free New York from the Darkforce Dimension and bring down the Shield with only one shard (assuming his use of the shard allowed those events to happen).  If true, you'd have to imagine Steve doesn't need some Cube-powered suit to take out the heroes.  He might not be able to rewrite history without the final shard, but it seems like he could easily just wish away his opponents.  At any rate, we are where we are.  Spencer includes some grace notes here, like Carol and Sam taking a moment to reflect on how fun it is to kick the HYDRA troops' asses.  But, for the most part, it's really about following the silver ball through the Rube Goldberg machine while we wait for Kobik to right her wrongs.

Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #6:  I love Peter David, and I'm willing to ride this one until the end with him.  However, I'm surprised I don't really have a great read on Ben Reilly as a character after six issues.  (Conversely, Miguel O'Hara was a fully formed character after just the first three-issue arc of the original "Spider-Man 2099" series.)  David portrays Ben as desperate:  he's trying to save Diva's daughter simply because he doesn't have a lot of great options when it comes to employment.  But, honestly, it's sort of hard to believe.  He could pretty easily just use his Spider-Powers to rob enough banks to set himself up nicely and then decide what he wants to do.  Instead, he just seems to be hanging around Vegas in search of a larger plan.  In other words, after six issues, I still don't get the core conceit of this series.  He's not wandering the country like an outlaw like he used to do or serving as a city's reluctant hero like Kaine did in Houston.  He's just...there.

Detective Comics #963:  I've mentioned previously it's sometimes hard to remember what changed from the DCU to the DCnU, particularly when it comes to Batman's continuity.  For the most part, everything stayed the same, except for some outrageous changes that DC wisely promptly ignored (like Joker manipulating Jason's life essentially from birth to Tim not figuring out Batman's identity).  However, sometimes the change feels more abrupt, as is the case here with Anarky.  Anarky was playing a key role in Fabian Nicieza's run on "Red Robin" when the DCU came to an end, and I think that version of the character is fresh in most of our minds.  Moreover, Buccellato and Manapul introduced a completely different character using that moniker in their own run on this title.  As such, it's hard to tell what character we're getting here.  I acknowledge I don't get all the Bat-family titles.  Maybe he's already debuted in "Red Hood and the Outlaws" or "Teen Titans" (or "Batgirl" since I stopped reading it).  But, it's this uncertainty that detracts from the story Tynion is trying to tell here.  I get why Spoiler would be attracted to Anarky in the abstract.  But, since it's impossible to know what this Anarky feels, it's also hard not to feel at least partially confused.

Iceman #4:  I really, really, really wanted Bobby to make out with Daken.  [Fan sigh.]  That said, something still isn't clicking for me and this series.  At times in this issue, it was an effort to make my way through the dialogue, something I don't think I should've felt given the sexually charged banter the fight between Bobby and Daken brought to the table.  But, I'm hoping Sina finds his groove in the same way I hope Bobby does.  Each issue feels like an improvement, and I'm hoping we'll really be cooking with gas (or, I don't know, freezing the lake?) in a few issues if it keeps improving.

Nightwing:  The New Order #1:  To use the cliché, Higgins leaves us with more questions than answers here, but so far it's a good thing.  First and foremost, Higgins doesn't tell us why Dick decided to turn against the metahuman community.  All we know is he activated a device that stripped 90 percent of metahumans of their powers; the remaining metahumans either were forced to take inhibiting drugs or, if they didn't work, imprisoned until a "cure" could be found.  It's a pretty serious shift to the fascist, and Higgins certainly has to explain how it happened at some point.  It appears Dick had a child with Starfire, so my original guess -- that a metahuman killed Barbara -- might not wind up being true.  Moreover, Alfred himself opposes Dick's approach -- particularly the indefinite detention of metahumans who don't respond to treatment -- making it even more unclear why Dick himself would take this position.  But, we also have the larger question:  why give us this series now?  Did Higgins just decide to launch this miniseries because he had the idea, or will we see either the themes or the outcomes of this miniseries impact the "real world?"  I'm intrigued.

Also Read:  Generations:  The Unworthy Thor and the Mighty Thor #1; Pathfinder:  Runescars #4; Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man #3; Star Wars:  Doctor Aphra Annual #1; X-Men:  Gold #10