The Realm #9: This issue moves along pretty quickly and it's not a good thing for our crew. Zach makes his way down the dark, narrow tunnel we saw open at the end of last issue and seems to fall to his death, igniting his resurrection powers. That said, he seems to remember his previous life here, as he recognizes Molly, so I'm not sure if that's exactly what happened, since it all occurred off-screen. Elsewhere, Johnny Eldritch hires someone named MacInnis and his band to track down Will and the team. Meanwhile, the master of the fire-mouthed goblins -- who appears to be a different race from the goblins -- reveals they captured Will because they can see the creature inside him "like a candle in the dark." The Cr+eee-like creature on the master's shoulder asks how it's possible for Will to contain the creature, leading him to wonder if Will is "el'odai" and is merely wearing a man's shape. The master assumes Will isn't el'odai, but they threaten to torture Will to learn the truth. Will truly seems not to be able to control his powers, as the master himself notes, since he likely would've used them previously. (It's also not entirely clear he knows he has them.) But, the torture appears to awaken the creature, and the issue ends with Molly and the team opening a door, possibly just as the creature emerges from Will. Good times!
X-Men: Blue #36: This series was always superior to Guggenheim's run on "X-Men Gold." Bunn was probably at his best when he left the kids in space and focused on telling Havok's story. Despite Guggenheim's intentions, it was these stories where the X-Men seemed the closest to their Claremont origins. Bunn spends this issue wrapping up loose ends, going so far as having Jean say they're doing so. The oddest part, though, is that this issue came out the same week as "Extermination" #3, as the events of this issue lead directly into the start of "Extermination" #1. But, I guess I'm beyond having faith in Marvel's editors telling a coherent story. Bunn was a capable steward of the X-Men's name, and I hope he feels like it was time well spent. That said, it definitely seems time for the original X-Men to go. Combined with Guggenheim randomly recycling Claremont stories, it feels like it's been a long time since we had an honest-to-goodness X-Men series. Needless to say, I'm excited about the relaunch of "Uncanny X-Men."
X-Men: Red #8: One of the most interesting constants of the X-Men is Jean Grey's fluctuating abilities. It doesn't matter what author writes her, Jean is near omnipotent when she needs to be and useless when it suits the plot. Here, she's unable to link Honey Badger and Trinary's minds while also fending off an attack from Cassandra Nova. That being said, I mostly liked the conclusion of this issue, as Trinary uses her powers to turn the power of hate against itself. (It was like reading "Dragonlance Chronicles" again.) The only curious part is the X-Men's decision to let Cassandra Nova stay free. It seems unrealistic, with all their experience, that they would believe Storm really wiped her off the map in Genosha. You'd think they'd at least go check. As a result, they also leave Forge under her control, and it also seems weird they never put two and two together to realize Nova herself would unlikely have the technological power to do what Forge (almost) accomplishes here. But, like all Marvel series lately, this series is ending soon, so it hardly matters.
Also Read: Detective Comics #989; Extermination #3; Marvel 2-in-One #10; Old Man Hawkeye #9; Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #24
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The September 26 Spider-Affinity Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #24-25: I love Peter David, but this series has been a mess almost from the start. To be fair, he inherited Dan Slott's terrible decision to turn lovable Ben Reilly into a crazed homicidal maniac, so he had a rough road before him. He seemed to find his stride when he struck onto the idea that Ben would heal his soul -- and his face -- by doing good. Ben really exemplifies the selflessness he used to exhibit here: at the end of issue #24, he takes a bullet to prevent Cassandra from inadvertently running in its path. Mephisto claims his soul and, to maximize the torture left in his wake, he allows Cassandra and Kaine to remember the truth about Ben. To be honest, if David ended the series with someone allowing Ben to go to Heaven (instead of Hell), I'd be perfectly happy with how this series ended. Ben died a hero, just as he did the first time he died.
But, it's here where David goes off the rails. He brings back Abigail as the same kind of entity as Gabriel is, whatever that is. To pay her debt to Ben, she returns him to life after proving Mephisto had stolen his soul prematurely. (This part made no sense. David seemed to be saying that Mephisto only won Ben's soul through machinations and as such he engineered it prematurely. But...um...that's what Mephisto does. Wouldn't everyone be saved if they were only going to Hell due to his machinations?) Unfortunately, Abigail doesn't listen to Ben when he says Death told him he'd be irreversibly evil if he died and returned to life one more time. As such, he is now fully evil, as he realizes when he kills a returned Misty without thinking. (It turns out she's really a robot Mephisto created, so David hedges his bet here, allowing Ben to kill, but not really.) He then seems to kill Kaine, but we know they're both in "Spider-geddon," so that seems unlikely. Instead, the issue ends with him sobbing in the rain while Gabriel and his assistant somehow observe him.
In other words: [sigh]. Again, David had a hard road here, because he had to undo the character assassination Slott committed against Ben in "Dead No More!: The Clone Conspiracy." But, I never really understood why he kept Ben in Las Vegas so long. Originally, it seemed to be the first stop on his David Banner-esque journey across the country; he'd save Abigail, heal his soul a bit, and move onto the next case leading him down the road of Redemption. But, instead, David got mired in Vegas, telling the same story about Abigail over and over again. The interesting "The Incredible Hulk" premise was gone. Ben Reilly deserved better than he got here, and I can only hope Marvel corrects course with "Spider-geddon." Fingers crossed.
Edge of Spider-geddon #4: Perhaps the most exciting part of this pretty exciting issue is the preface about this world being a relatively unexplored one. It adds a layer of mystery, implying we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg and more will eventually be revealed. In this reality, Peter Parker definitely seemed to have gained Spider-Powers, but it's unclear if he really became Spider-Man. One way or another, he wound up working for Oscorp and a six-armed Norman, who apparently also gained Spider-Powers. Peter and Harry eventually work against Norman, who seems all-powerful here in ways we've seen in other realities as well. It's not clear why Harry and Peter finally turned against Norman, but at some point Norman discovers their treachery and kills Peter. Peter's death activates a message to Harry, who makes his way into Oscorp HQ to retrieve -- in possibly the "Spider-Gwen" moment of this series -- the Kobold suit that he and Peter developed. He successfully gets past Norman's defenses and discovers Norman has acquired a remnant of the Cosmic Cube, which Harry then dies destroying. Before we can learn more, Spider-Punk whisks Spider-Norman into wherever it is the Spider-People are gathering. It's all so great that I really wish we could get at least a miniseries showing how we got to this point. At any rate, it only makes me more excited about "Spider-geddon," so mission accomplished, Marvel.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310: I do not write the following statement lightly, given how many Spider-Man issues I've read, but Chip Zdarsky is possibly the best Spider-Man writer I've ever read. I'm devastated he's leaving this title. But, he leaves on the highest of notes, with a brilliantly laid-out tribute to Spider-Man. He gets to the character's heart better than any other story I think I've ever read, at least since "Amazing Spider-Man" #314. (Also, his Peter Parker is downright sexy.) If you read one Spider-Man story ever, it should probably be this one. Seriously. I can't believe we only had a year and a half with him, but it's one of the best runs I can remember. I'll see you in "Marvel Two-in-One," Chip!
Spider-geddon #0: Oy. As cool as it is to have the hero of the new Spider-Man video game make his first comic-book appearance, it would've been even the cooler if the story wasn't terrible. I usually like Gage, but both Spidey and Otto sound like a 14-year-old boy wrote the script. They're constantly confessing their feelings to each other, in a way that doesn't make sense for people who just met each other (particularly in Otto's case). Plus, Gage overuses ellipses to make every statement of emotion seem...profound. After five issues (including the "Edge of Spider-geddon" series), we at least finally learn in the back-up story how the Inheritors lay the groundwork for their escape. I could've done with a lot more of the B story than the A story, though.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #6
But, it's here where David goes off the rails. He brings back Abigail as the same kind of entity as Gabriel is, whatever that is. To pay her debt to Ben, she returns him to life after proving Mephisto had stolen his soul prematurely. (This part made no sense. David seemed to be saying that Mephisto only won Ben's soul through machinations and as such he engineered it prematurely. But...um...that's what Mephisto does. Wouldn't everyone be saved if they were only going to Hell due to his machinations?) Unfortunately, Abigail doesn't listen to Ben when he says Death told him he'd be irreversibly evil if he died and returned to life one more time. As such, he is now fully evil, as he realizes when he kills a returned Misty without thinking. (It turns out she's really a robot Mephisto created, so David hedges his bet here, allowing Ben to kill, but not really.) He then seems to kill Kaine, but we know they're both in "Spider-geddon," so that seems unlikely. Instead, the issue ends with him sobbing in the rain while Gabriel and his assistant somehow observe him.
In other words: [sigh]. Again, David had a hard road here, because he had to undo the character assassination Slott committed against Ben in "Dead No More!: The Clone Conspiracy." But, I never really understood why he kept Ben in Las Vegas so long. Originally, it seemed to be the first stop on his David Banner-esque journey across the country; he'd save Abigail, heal his soul a bit, and move onto the next case leading him down the road of Redemption. But, instead, David got mired in Vegas, telling the same story about Abigail over and over again. The interesting "The Incredible Hulk" premise was gone. Ben Reilly deserved better than he got here, and I can only hope Marvel corrects course with "Spider-geddon." Fingers crossed.
Edge of Spider-geddon #4: Perhaps the most exciting part of this pretty exciting issue is the preface about this world being a relatively unexplored one. It adds a layer of mystery, implying we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg and more will eventually be revealed. In this reality, Peter Parker definitely seemed to have gained Spider-Powers, but it's unclear if he really became Spider-Man. One way or another, he wound up working for Oscorp and a six-armed Norman, who apparently also gained Spider-Powers. Peter and Harry eventually work against Norman, who seems all-powerful here in ways we've seen in other realities as well. It's not clear why Harry and Peter finally turned against Norman, but at some point Norman discovers their treachery and kills Peter. Peter's death activates a message to Harry, who makes his way into Oscorp HQ to retrieve -- in possibly the "Spider-Gwen" moment of this series -- the Kobold suit that he and Peter developed. He successfully gets past Norman's defenses and discovers Norman has acquired a remnant of the Cosmic Cube, which Harry then dies destroying. Before we can learn more, Spider-Punk whisks Spider-Norman into wherever it is the Spider-People are gathering. It's all so great that I really wish we could get at least a miniseries showing how we got to this point. At any rate, it only makes me more excited about "Spider-geddon," so mission accomplished, Marvel.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310: I do not write the following statement lightly, given how many Spider-Man issues I've read, but Chip Zdarsky is possibly the best Spider-Man writer I've ever read. I'm devastated he's leaving this title. But, he leaves on the highest of notes, with a brilliantly laid-out tribute to Spider-Man. He gets to the character's heart better than any other story I think I've ever read, at least since "Amazing Spider-Man" #314. (Also, his Peter Parker is downright sexy.) If you read one Spider-Man story ever, it should probably be this one. Seriously. I can't believe we only had a year and a half with him, but it's one of the best runs I can remember. I'll see you in "Marvel Two-in-One," Chip!
Spider-geddon #0: Oy. As cool as it is to have the hero of the new Spider-Man video game make his first comic-book appearance, it would've been even the cooler if the story wasn't terrible. I usually like Gage, but both Spidey and Otto sound like a 14-year-old boy wrote the script. They're constantly confessing their feelings to each other, in a way that doesn't make sense for people who just met each other (particularly in Otto's case). Plus, Gage overuses ellipses to make every statement of emotion seem...profound. After five issues (including the "Edge of Spider-geddon" series), we at least finally learn in the back-up story how the Inheritors lay the groundwork for their escape. I could've done with a lot more of the B story than the A story, though.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #6
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The September 19 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers #8: This issue is very talky. I mean, I’m feeling better about where this series is going, but, man, people are chatty here. I'll start by saying I loved Aaron hearkening back to the good ol’ days where the Avengers seemingly spend most of their time arguing over the bylaws and chairmanship. T’Challa’s taking on the role of chairman admittedly makes the most sense, given the extensive network of agents he controls; the Wakandans retrofitting of the dead Celestial’s body into a livable headquarters underlines that point. That said, Aaron makes it clear it’s not going to be a smooth ride, given the tension between Carol and Tony as well as the romance between She-Hulk and Thor. Thankfully, we’re not going to dwell on that too much longer, because -- in a turn of events I’m totally digging -- the Avengers wading into a war with Namor. I was considering canceling this series, but I’m glad I hung in there. This issue feels like a return to form.
Edge of Spider-geddon #3: After “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2, you have to wonder if Jason Latour had any trepidation in creating Spider-Ben and Spider-Peter, as it’s hard to believe he could catch lightning in a bottle twice. I'll admit this issue doesn't exactly rise to those heights. But, it would be impossible to do so, as Spider-Gwen's first appearance was one of the highest highs I've experienced in my 35 years or so of reading comics. (I remember closing the issue and wondering what I had just read.) That said, it comes as close to that high as one could reasonably expect. We’ve seen a lot of Uncle Bens over the years, but this one is the most real: the dying Uncle Ben who gets a blood transfusion from his superpowered nephew and steals back years of love with Aunt May and adventures with young Peter. We only know they’re both gone when we meet Spider-Ben, but their loss is almost impossible to bear by the end of the issue. Latour beautifully mirrors Ben's melancholy with Peter's in those first days after his Uncle Ben's death. Just like “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2, I had to read this issue twice to get all the nuances and references, but it’s well worth the time to do so. It's one of the most innovative takes on Uncle Ben that we’ve ever seen, and I now find myself genuinely excited about “Spider-geddon.”
Return of Wolverine #1: I didn't read Soule's "Death of Wolverine" miniseries, so I have to wonder if I'm as confused as I am here because of that. That said, Logan is also confused, so maybe not. Logan awakens with no memory of who he is, only to discover himself in a lab surrounded by dead bodies. A scientist named Delacroix is (barely) still alive, and he tells Logan he has to stop someone named Persephone before she kills everyone in the world. Delacroix is an expert in cloning, and it sounds like Persephone wants to clone everyone into amnesiac versions of themselves, as she seems to have done with Logan. (Delacroix tells Logan he was a great man until Persephone stole that from him and that she wants to do the same thing to everyone in the world.) Delacroix begs Logan to kill him, but a Soteira grenade does that for him. (Persephone runs Soteira, as far as I can tell. I also cannot help but confuse it with Sodexo, the French food-services conglomerate. After killing all the scientists, I assume the assassins then swapped out the linens.) Logan stumbles from the destroyed lab onto the nearby compound just in time to see Soteira gunning down everyone working for them. Before they do, though, they take a teenager with them for reasons that aren't entirely clear. His mother somehow (and suspiciously) survives the massacre and begs Logan to help her find her son because he's a "hero." I can't tell if the story about Persephone and Soteira makes more sense if you've read "Death of Wolverine," but Soule does a decent job of making the outlines of the story clear, even if you haven't. For an event as anti-climactic as this one, as we've known for months Logan is alive, Soule is doing the best he can to keep us engaged.
Thor #5: In any other author’s hands, Logan as Phoenix at the end of the Universe would’ve been an eye-rolling gimmick, recalling the era in the 90s where he was everywhere as Marvel sought to capitalize on his popularity. In Aaron’s hands, though, it somehow really underscores the tragedy at the heart of Logan’s narrative. On some level, it makes sense that he, and he alone, is forced to facilitate the end of the Universe. When Thor expresses shock that Logan wouldn't be thrilled that he (Thor) resurrected Earth, Aaron portrays Logan as the weary adult who can’t quite believe Thor remains the naive adolescent, even after all the is time. Logan refers to Earth as the most dangerous world that ever existed, and it’s part of a wider narrative Aaron has been advancing in the “Avengers” about why Earth attracts the trouble that it does. We are a poison on the Universe, and Aaron underlines that point by revealing the Big Bad is none other than an all-powerful Doom. I can’t wait to see where we go from here.
X-Men: Gold #36: I only read this far into the series because I knew it was being canceled, so I figured I'd hang in there for a few issues. Guggenheim unsurprisingly ends the issue by dedicating the run to Claremont. At the very least, I acknowledge he captured the spirit of Claremont for most of this series. But, he never quite displayed Claremont's knack for characterization, his ability to cram so much conflict and humanity into every issue. This issue is a perfect example of that.
We start with Kitty half-heartedly calling Piotr and leaving him a voicemail message telling him -- somewhat unbelievably -- that her breaking off their engagement at the altar hurt her, too, you know. (He should be glad he didn't marry someone who still leaves voicemail messages.) Then, she and the X-Men race to help a 14-year-old whose powers just manifested. Here, Guggenheim goes to an interesting place: once Kitty walks the kid through getting control of his power, some guy shoots him in the head. Kitty screams he wasn't hurting anyone, but the guy argues to the contrary, highlighting the devastation around them. This part could've gotten interesting. But, Guggenheim doesn't stick the landing. The doctor at the hospital eventually refuses to put the kid under anesthesia in case his powers activate, opting instead to let him die. Another doctor intervenes and says she'll do the surgery, because she feels like Kitty fulfilled the promise she made at the start: she earned back people's trust. You see, she's the woman who yelled at Kitty about mutants being dangerous in issue #1. Shocker! The woman assures us she now sees mutants as people, not mutants.
All I have to say is: ugh. Among the many problems here, Guggenheim totally dismisses the fact the original doctor raised a legitimate concern. Kitty and the other doctor scream at him about discrimination, but I would argue the only real discrimination is that he doesn't put any effort into trying to resolve the situation. He seemed to have a number of options here that he refuses to take. Like, they're in New York: no one has a hospital room equipped to handle mutants under anesthesia? But, again, it's hard to argue he's wrong that the teenager poses a threat. Kitty dismisses his concern as "unlikely," making a judgment she's really not qualified to make. Why is she so sure the kid's powers won't activate? Did she call Beast between panels? It's easy to imagine Claremont using this set-up to go to a much more interesting place. In other words, this story is no "God Loves, Man Kills."
One of the problems with this series from the start has been its inconsistent and often not-great art; this issue is no different. In one scene, Kitty looks like Mr. Fantastic while showing her mid-riff. But, the chaotic and hazy lines reflected the story all too well. There's not a single issue of this series that didn't feel rushed, and I can't say I'm sad to see it go. Claremont's amazing run on "Uncanny X-Men" was about the X-Men surviving against all odds, because of their commitment to each other and their cause. Guggenheim's run was about...Kitty and Rachel being crappy girlfriends? Whatever. Onwards and upwards, X-Men.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1; Captain America Annual #1; Mr. and Mrs. X #3; Multiple Man #4; Star Wars #54; Star Wars: Lando - Double or Nothing #5; West Coast Avengers #2
We start with Kitty half-heartedly calling Piotr and leaving him a voicemail message telling him -- somewhat unbelievably -- that her breaking off their engagement at the altar hurt her, too, you know. (He should be glad he didn't marry someone who still leaves voicemail messages.) Then, she and the X-Men race to help a 14-year-old whose powers just manifested. Here, Guggenheim goes to an interesting place: once Kitty walks the kid through getting control of his power, some guy shoots him in the head. Kitty screams he wasn't hurting anyone, but the guy argues to the contrary, highlighting the devastation around them. This part could've gotten interesting. But, Guggenheim doesn't stick the landing. The doctor at the hospital eventually refuses to put the kid under anesthesia in case his powers activate, opting instead to let him die. Another doctor intervenes and says she'll do the surgery, because she feels like Kitty fulfilled the promise she made at the start: she earned back people's trust. You see, she's the woman who yelled at Kitty about mutants being dangerous in issue #1. Shocker! The woman assures us she now sees mutants as people, not mutants.
All I have to say is: ugh. Among the many problems here, Guggenheim totally dismisses the fact the original doctor raised a legitimate concern. Kitty and the other doctor scream at him about discrimination, but I would argue the only real discrimination is that he doesn't put any effort into trying to resolve the situation. He seemed to have a number of options here that he refuses to take. Like, they're in New York: no one has a hospital room equipped to handle mutants under anesthesia? But, again, it's hard to argue he's wrong that the teenager poses a threat. Kitty dismisses his concern as "unlikely," making a judgment she's really not qualified to make. Why is she so sure the kid's powers won't activate? Did she call Beast between panels? It's easy to imagine Claremont using this set-up to go to a much more interesting place. In other words, this story is no "God Loves, Man Kills."
One of the problems with this series from the start has been its inconsistent and often not-great art; this issue is no different. In one scene, Kitty looks like Mr. Fantastic while showing her mid-riff. But, the chaotic and hazy lines reflected the story all too well. There's not a single issue of this series that didn't feel rushed, and I can't say I'm sad to see it go. Claremont's amazing run on "Uncanny X-Men" was about the X-Men surviving against all odds, because of their commitment to each other and their cause. Guggenheim's run was about...Kitty and Rachel being crappy girlfriends? Whatever. Onwards and upwards, X-Men.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1; Captain America Annual #1; Mr. and Mrs. X #3; Multiple Man #4; Star Wars #54; Star Wars: Lando - Double or Nothing #5; West Coast Avengers #2
Saturday, November 3, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The September 19 DC Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Nightwing #49 and Batman #55: These issues are odd because they're in theory connected, but they aren't at all.
In "Nightwing" #49, Percy begins to bring his story to a close by curiously deciding to make it more complicated. The Silencer is apparently at the race to save Dick (not kill him) because he's become the target of all the Leviathan underbosses; Leviathan is essentially playing a meta-game at the race, with Dick as the trophy. If the Silencer can kill the underbosses, she's freed from her life as an assassin. I don't read "The Silencer," so her plight means nothing to me. But, even if I did feel for her, I'm pretty sure her insertion into this story would still feel awkward. We already had enough happening in this title; we didn't need to import drama from another title. After all, we still don't really know anything about Wyrm's plan, despite his dominating presence over the last six issues. In spite of constantly falling behind the other racers (given the need to evade the team of assassins after him), Nightwing somehow wins the race, because "time works differently" here, blah blah blah. At any rate, Nightwing manages to ask exactly the right question allowing Cimialcinnus to reward him with more time. Cimialcinnus pretends to be hacked so Dick has time to find a way to save Vicki and William. OK, fine. Percy wanted to tell a space-race story, and he did. It wasn't awful, but I figured we'd return to the Wyrm story to bring it to a close. But, I was wrong
Instead of Dick immediately trying to save Vicki and Willem, he goes to Gotham in "Batman" #55 again to spend time with a sulking Bruce. He's his jokey self as they take down yet another forgettable villain, this time called the Phantom Pharaoh. He does manage to goad Bruce into a diving contest, where they jump off a building and the first one to use a grapple loses. Just like last issue, Bruce isn't totally biting, but King does a good job of implying he appreciates Dick's presence, annoying though it may be. But, it's here where the B story collides with the A story. Throughout the B story, a one-armed man makes his way through Gotham: he arrives from overseas, buys a sniper rifle (and pays to expedite the background checks), scribbles on a napkin in a diner, and kills someone to use his apartment as a nest. It's surprisingly the napkin action that ruins the diving game, as Bruce responds to the Bat-signal. On the GCPD rooftop, Gordon tells them "the Napkin Man" (as Dick calls him) wrote, "Who's afraid of the Joker?" on the napkin, with an oversized question mark. Bruce mentions it's around the anniversary of the War of Jokes and Riddles, and Dick starts to make a joke. But, then, he's unexpectedly shot in the head. I admit I was surprised by it. But, the more I sat with it, the more I rolled my eyes, since it was clear Dick isn't dead.
I then did something I don't normally do and skimmed "Nightwing" #50 and "Batman" #56. Other than Dick looking finer than he ever has, it appears the point is Dick is going to lose his memory. I'm totally on board with this story. But, it's hard not to feel blindsided by it, as Dick is involved in at least three different stories -- the fight against Wyrm, the race with Cimialcinnus, and patrolling with Bruce -- over the course of these two issues. On some level, that only supports the impact of the amnesia story: tragedy doesn't strike when your arcs are conveniently summarized. But, we're not talking about real life here; we're talking about a comic book. If Percy merely drops the Wyrm story for this turn of events -- seemingly by editorial fiat -- I can't say I'm going to be a happy camper, at a time when I'm already still pissed at DC for "Batman" #50.
The Wild Storm #17: Whoa. Just, whoa. The thing that amazes me so much about this creative team is Davis-Hunt can deliver five pages of nearly wordless art, where we once again see the amazing extent of the Thunderbook subjects' powers, but Ellis can still advance the increasingly complicated narrative in a way that makes sense. It’s still a joy to read after all this time, and I get excited each time I open an issue.
- Lynch tracks down Stephen Rainmaker, a Native American whose alien apparently gives him the power to control the weather. We learn Rainmaker is the last person on John's list. He apparently feared Rainmaker the most, because he was always the angriest and “killed a lot of people.” (Given how many people the Thunderbook subjects killed, that’s...impressive.) John updates Rainmaker on everyone else's status and observes he no longer seems to be the most uptight. Rainmaker says he’s made peace with the alien by learning how to control his anger, breaking the feedback loop. (Ellis hints Rainmaker might not be aware that his "peace" might not exactly be true.) John asks if Rainmaker had any children, and he admits he did, after a suspiciously easy set of circumstances. (He had a one-night stand with the hottest woman he ever met, and a limo appeared two years later dropping off the kid.) John informs him everyone but Slayton had a child, and he wants to find them. (Gen13, here we come.) Rainmaker says Lynch can bring them to the reservation, because they’d be safe among people who understand what it feels like to be an alien.
- In a conversation between Jacob and Kenesha, we learned Lucy was known as Zannah, but, according to Jacob, she betrayed Halo. However, Kenesha notes she didn’t “betray” Halo so much as she didn’t agree with its goals. Jacob doesn’t see the difference. They then discuss their concerns over Angie getting too good at what she does, something Angie sees by spying on them through Jacob's Halo Angel voice-assistant device. (Amazing.) Kenesha then shows Jacob an article in the “Daily Planet” (also amazing) detailing how the singer Voodoo went to rehab and someone sold her files to a tabloid. In therapy, she drew out the monster who inspires her songs, and it's a Daemon. John is stunned to discover "they're still out there." Kenesha observes Michael Cray set off Jacob's "xenobiological alarms," which means he could also be a disguised Daemon. John dismisses that fear as paranoia, but Kenesha reminds him they're threatened.
- Meanwhile, a Daemon appears to Angie as she's watching this scene. The Daemon claims they've never meant any harm, but Marlowe and his crew have always misunderstood that, leading to a constant state of war. He claims 2,500 years ago a human named them "Daemon" and all they seek is "balance." Jacob, or Emp, and the other Khera are invaders who seek to "deform the growth of this world." Angie's act of selflessness tipped the Earth further off balance, so the Daemons must "speak." When they do, he suggests Angie seek out "Sparks" since she has the authority to restore the balance. He then disappears.
- Elsewhere, Slayton appears at a house on his hunt, but a shadowy Apollo and Midnighter scare him into leaving.
I recently read that the follow-on series to "The Wild Storm" are "Wild C.A.T.s" and "Zealot," and I have to say I'm pretty excited about getting to that point. I have no idea where Ennis is taking us in the meantime, but I know I can't wait!
In "Nightwing" #49, Percy begins to bring his story to a close by curiously deciding to make it more complicated. The Silencer is apparently at the race to save Dick (not kill him) because he's become the target of all the Leviathan underbosses; Leviathan is essentially playing a meta-game at the race, with Dick as the trophy. If the Silencer can kill the underbosses, she's freed from her life as an assassin. I don't read "The Silencer," so her plight means nothing to me. But, even if I did feel for her, I'm pretty sure her insertion into this story would still feel awkward. We already had enough happening in this title; we didn't need to import drama from another title. After all, we still don't really know anything about Wyrm's plan, despite his dominating presence over the last six issues. In spite of constantly falling behind the other racers (given the need to evade the team of assassins after him), Nightwing somehow wins the race, because "time works differently" here, blah blah blah. At any rate, Nightwing manages to ask exactly the right question allowing Cimialcinnus to reward him with more time. Cimialcinnus pretends to be hacked so Dick has time to find a way to save Vicki and William. OK, fine. Percy wanted to tell a space-race story, and he did. It wasn't awful, but I figured we'd return to the Wyrm story to bring it to a close. But, I was wrong
Instead of Dick immediately trying to save Vicki and Willem, he goes to Gotham in "Batman" #55 again to spend time with a sulking Bruce. He's his jokey self as they take down yet another forgettable villain, this time called the Phantom Pharaoh. He does manage to goad Bruce into a diving contest, where they jump off a building and the first one to use a grapple loses. Just like last issue, Bruce isn't totally biting, but King does a good job of implying he appreciates Dick's presence, annoying though it may be. But, it's here where the B story collides with the A story. Throughout the B story, a one-armed man makes his way through Gotham: he arrives from overseas, buys a sniper rifle (and pays to expedite the background checks), scribbles on a napkin in a diner, and kills someone to use his apartment as a nest. It's surprisingly the napkin action that ruins the diving game, as Bruce responds to the Bat-signal. On the GCPD rooftop, Gordon tells them "the Napkin Man" (as Dick calls him) wrote, "Who's afraid of the Joker?" on the napkin, with an oversized question mark. Bruce mentions it's around the anniversary of the War of Jokes and Riddles, and Dick starts to make a joke. But, then, he's unexpectedly shot in the head. I admit I was surprised by it. But, the more I sat with it, the more I rolled my eyes, since it was clear Dick isn't dead.
I then did something I don't normally do and skimmed "Nightwing" #50 and "Batman" #56. Other than Dick looking finer than he ever has, it appears the point is Dick is going to lose his memory. I'm totally on board with this story. But, it's hard not to feel blindsided by it, as Dick is involved in at least three different stories -- the fight against Wyrm, the race with Cimialcinnus, and patrolling with Bruce -- over the course of these two issues. On some level, that only supports the impact of the amnesia story: tragedy doesn't strike when your arcs are conveniently summarized. But, we're not talking about real life here; we're talking about a comic book. If Percy merely drops the Wyrm story for this turn of events -- seemingly by editorial fiat -- I can't say I'm going to be a happy camper, at a time when I'm already still pissed at DC for "Batman" #50.
The Wild Storm #17: Whoa. Just, whoa. The thing that amazes me so much about this creative team is Davis-Hunt can deliver five pages of nearly wordless art, where we once again see the amazing extent of the Thunderbook subjects' powers, but Ellis can still advance the increasingly complicated narrative in a way that makes sense. It’s still a joy to read after all this time, and I get excited each time I open an issue.
- Lynch tracks down Stephen Rainmaker, a Native American whose alien apparently gives him the power to control the weather. We learn Rainmaker is the last person on John's list. He apparently feared Rainmaker the most, because he was always the angriest and “killed a lot of people.” (Given how many people the Thunderbook subjects killed, that’s...impressive.) John updates Rainmaker on everyone else's status and observes he no longer seems to be the most uptight. Rainmaker says he’s made peace with the alien by learning how to control his anger, breaking the feedback loop. (Ellis hints Rainmaker might not be aware that his "peace" might not exactly be true.) John asks if Rainmaker had any children, and he admits he did, after a suspiciously easy set of circumstances. (He had a one-night stand with the hottest woman he ever met, and a limo appeared two years later dropping off the kid.) John informs him everyone but Slayton had a child, and he wants to find them. (Gen13, here we come.) Rainmaker says Lynch can bring them to the reservation, because they’d be safe among people who understand what it feels like to be an alien.
- In a conversation between Jacob and Kenesha, we learned Lucy was known as Zannah, but, according to Jacob, she betrayed Halo. However, Kenesha notes she didn’t “betray” Halo so much as she didn’t agree with its goals. Jacob doesn’t see the difference. They then discuss their concerns over Angie getting too good at what she does, something Angie sees by spying on them through Jacob's Halo Angel voice-assistant device. (Amazing.) Kenesha then shows Jacob an article in the “Daily Planet” (also amazing) detailing how the singer Voodoo went to rehab and someone sold her files to a tabloid. In therapy, she drew out the monster who inspires her songs, and it's a Daemon. John is stunned to discover "they're still out there." Kenesha observes Michael Cray set off Jacob's "xenobiological alarms," which means he could also be a disguised Daemon. John dismisses that fear as paranoia, but Kenesha reminds him they're threatened.
- Meanwhile, a Daemon appears to Angie as she's watching this scene. The Daemon claims they've never meant any harm, but Marlowe and his crew have always misunderstood that, leading to a constant state of war. He claims 2,500 years ago a human named them "Daemon" and all they seek is "balance." Jacob, or Emp, and the other Khera are invaders who seek to "deform the growth of this world." Angie's act of selflessness tipped the Earth further off balance, so the Daemons must "speak." When they do, he suggests Angie seek out "Sparks" since she has the authority to restore the balance. He then disappears.
- Elsewhere, Slayton appears at a house on his hunt, but a shadowy Apollo and Midnighter scare him into leaving.
I recently read that the follow-on series to "The Wild Storm" are "Wild C.A.T.s" and "Zealot," and I have to say I'm pretty excited about getting to that point. I have no idea where Ennis is taking us in the meantime, but I know I can't wait!
Friday, November 2, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The September 12 Everyone-but-Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
The New World #3: I don't have a ton to say about this series at this point, other than it's a trippy combination of art and words that seems to be telling a larger story than the art and words imply. I don't know how it is, but it is. On the face of it, it's about Stella trying to flee her oppressive grandfather and his use of her to advance the police state he rules, but she won't flee without her cat. Her priorities are in the right place, I say.
Oblivion Song #7: I am not a fan of stories where the author drags out "the secret" as long as s/he possibly can, so I'm thrilled Kirkman gets right to the heart of the matter here. Nathan confirms what we already mostly know or suspect. He and a team of researchers and scientist at a think tank activated a device that caused the Transference. All but one of the team is killed in the first few moments. While Katherine (the other surviving member) works on a way to reactivate the device, Nathan gathers batteries. Katherine sacrifices herself to turn on the device, but it only has enough juice -- as originally should've been the case -- to send back Nathan. He explains why it became his life's work to correct his wrong. Although disgusted, Director Ward keeps Nathan in prison partly to save him and partly because he wants to provide the device to the Defense Department to use as a weapon. Meanwhile, Heather tells Nathan he's right when he says to her that he should've told her sooner, because she understands now just how much of a hero she is. She gives him two darts: one to send him to Oblivion and one for him to return. Kirkman does a great job of building the suspense throughout the issue as we watch a still-stranded Ed try to grapple with his new reality. I can't imagine Ed's wife is going to be thrilled to see Nathan return without Ed. At this stage, the only mystery on the books is why the energy field on the other side of the dimensional door amplified the device the way it did, but I have confidence Kirkman will get there sooner rather than later.
The Wild Storm: Michael Cray #11: Honestly, I've kind of lost the thread here. I keep confusing Dion with Diana Prince, and I'm not really sure why Constantine and Diana "need" Cray at this point. If Constantine just needs access Diana's energy grid to summon whatever demon he wants to summon, can't he get that access without Cray? Hill seems to be writing for the trade at this point. Ellis has done an amazing job somehow keeping us in touch with the overarching story with each new issue of "The Wild Storm." Hill seems to have given up trying to do so, and it's a shame. I don't really get why we deviated so much from the series' original premise of Cray hunting down this Earth's versions of DC's heroes with his untrusty band of sidekicks. Instead Hill has killed off his supporting cast and we're mired in a story that Hill seems unlikely to conclude nicely in his one remaining issue. I guess we'll see.
Oblivion Song #7: I am not a fan of stories where the author drags out "the secret" as long as s/he possibly can, so I'm thrilled Kirkman gets right to the heart of the matter here. Nathan confirms what we already mostly know or suspect. He and a team of researchers and scientist at a think tank activated a device that caused the Transference. All but one of the team is killed in the first few moments. While Katherine (the other surviving member) works on a way to reactivate the device, Nathan gathers batteries. Katherine sacrifices herself to turn on the device, but it only has enough juice -- as originally should've been the case -- to send back Nathan. He explains why it became his life's work to correct his wrong. Although disgusted, Director Ward keeps Nathan in prison partly to save him and partly because he wants to provide the device to the Defense Department to use as a weapon. Meanwhile, Heather tells Nathan he's right when he says to her that he should've told her sooner, because she understands now just how much of a hero she is. She gives him two darts: one to send him to Oblivion and one for him to return. Kirkman does a great job of building the suspense throughout the issue as we watch a still-stranded Ed try to grapple with his new reality. I can't imagine Ed's wife is going to be thrilled to see Nathan return without Ed. At this stage, the only mystery on the books is why the energy field on the other side of the dimensional door amplified the device the way it did, but I have confidence Kirkman will get there sooner rather than later.
The Wild Storm: Michael Cray #11: Honestly, I've kind of lost the thread here. I keep confusing Dion with Diana Prince, and I'm not really sure why Constantine and Diana "need" Cray at this point. If Constantine just needs access Diana's energy grid to summon whatever demon he wants to summon, can't he get that access without Cray? Hill seems to be writing for the trade at this point. Ellis has done an amazing job somehow keeping us in touch with the overarching story with each new issue of "The Wild Storm." Hill seems to have given up trying to do so, and it's a shame. I don't really get why we deviated so much from the series' original premise of Cray hunting down this Earth's versions of DC's heroes with his untrusty band of sidekicks. Instead Hill has killed off his supporting cast and we're mired in a story that Hill seems unlikely to conclude nicely in his one remaining issue. I guess we'll see.
Not-Very-New Comics: The September Marvel 12 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Fantastic Four #2: This issue is solid. Slott makes the right call in aging Franklin and Valeria into teenagers, as they're much more interesting now than they were as children. Valeria's attraction to a Namor-like prince and Franklin's snarky self-confidence make them both more human than they've ever been: she's less arrogant, and he's less bland. They're at the heart of this issue as the Griever at the End of All Things attempts to undo all Franklin's work as he finally hits the end of his ability to create new Universes. She destroys the Molecule Man, and the team begins to flee to the Universe the most anchored to reality, where Reed feels they can save the next 1,000 Universes. But, Valeria isn't buying it, as it would mean sacrificing her prince's Universe. As such, she crash-lands them there to make a stand, where the Griever easily defeats them. However, Reed has an ace up his sleeve. As she crows about defeating the Fantastic Four, Reed reminds her she really just defeated the Future Foundation. He tricks her into allowing him to call for the Fantastic Four, and she's surprised to confront everyone who's ever worn a Fantastic Four uniform. When Slott's been at his best, it's been in these sorts of grand tales, and I'm excited to see where he goes from here.
Iceman #1: As happy as I am for "Iceman" to be on the stands again, I feel like Grace still is struggling to find his voice. In the previous iteration of this title, he had down Bobby's personality but the plots left something to be desired. Here, the plotting is much better. Bobby and Bishop manage to prevent the second Mutant Massacre when they foil Sinister's plan to purge mutantkind of mutants who don't look like Bobby. In fact, Grace really explores both pretty and white privilege here as the anti-Morlock mutants exalt Bobby as the ideal mutant. Who better than a handsome white guy to convince humans that mutants aren't all that bad? Of course, after seeing what he's seen over the course of his lifetime, Bobby isn't buying it, and it sets him on a collision course with Sinister that promises to test his Omega-level powers. But, it's hard not to find this Bobby obnoxious. It's one thing to portray Bobby as a jokester, it's another thing to portray him as a man trying to be a teenager. It plays into the stereotype of gay men as stuck in a perpetual adolescence, something Bobby is too experienced to be. As much as I want to like this series, I also don't want to be party to Bobby becoming a caricature of gay men.
Infinity Wars #3: This issue isn't bad per se, but Gamora's decision to fold the Universe in half seems motivated solely to generate tie-in issues. She's allegedly doing it to distract the heroes so she has time to go the God Quarry and discover why she can't see beyond the Quarry. But, it seems a somewhat extreme remedy to that problem. After all, if she's omnipotent and omniscient, couldn't she find an easier way to distract them? Moreover, I don't get what Duggan is trying to say about the Soul Gem. Loki mentions the Soul Gem is merely a door, so I guess that means "our" Universe is behind it. But, if "our" Universe is essentially in the Soul Gem, what exists outside it? It sounds like Devondra's hunger will eventually be sated, at which point the Soul Gem will be healed (for reasons that aren't clear to me) and a new reality will emerge (for reasons that aren't clear to me). Moreover, it's hard to understand Gamora's motivation here. Last issue, her soul was made whole, but for some reason she now wants to rebalance the Soul Gem. Couldn't she just call it a day? Or is she trying to prevent Devondra from successfully eating our Universe? Duggan implies it's because she's gone insane with power, but he never actually makes that clear. It's why this event feels so hollow, like you can see behind the set at a musical. At the very least, I didn't get sucked into all the tie-in issues for this one.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #309: This issue concludes one of the best two-and-done arcs I've ever read. Zdarsky seemed to be gearing for a significant arc, with all the mysterious time-travel allusions last issue. But, he wraps up everything neatly here. We learn a Sandman from an alternate Universe took advantage of Spidey opening up that multiversal door while fighting the Vedomi to travel to "our" reality. He seizes control of "our" Sandman to avoid the end of his Universe. (In the process, we learn our Sandman's consciousness resides in one grain of sand.) Our Sandman discovers that he can somehow transfer his powers to another person, so he empowers Spidey to fight the other Sandman. (I'll admit this part makes the least sense, even if it's cool.) This fight is tailor made for Chris Bachalo; it's one of the best fight scenes I've ever seen. Spidey calls on Ben and Johnny for help, and Johnny arrives with the Multisect just in time to save him from the alternate Sandman. When the dust (heh) settles, Sandman thanks Spidey for the save. He's understandably disturbed to learn that he's not really human anymore and that he may very well live forever. Is there a Zdarsky-penned "Sandman" title in our future? Because I'd buy it. Otherwise, I just continue to love this series and everything Zdarsky and now Bachalo are doing with it. It reminds me of the best parts of "Brand New Day."
X-Men: Blue #35: Bunn does a great job here articulating what I've been feeling over the last few issues. I'll admit it feels weirdly anti-climatic that he presents the kids as having decided to return to the past, as I can't really put my finger on the moment when they made that decision. Bunn seems to argue they accepted the inevitability of their return and it's as good of a time as any, but we never really see them get to that epiphany. Maybe it was Magneto's defection to the Dark Side (again) that made them realize they're tired of fighting a fight that isn't their fight. At any rate, Bunn does a great job of showing how Bobby and Scott will suffer the most from returning home. Bobby, Sr. tells Bobby, Jr. at least he'll get to come out of the closet on his own terms, as opposed to Jean outing him. But, that's not really true, given Bobby, Jr. essentially outed Bobby, Sr. But, Bobby, Jr. hits the nose on the head when he says he feels awesome now; he's not comforted by the idea he'll eventually be awesome. Plus, Scott has to accept the fact that it really is suicide for him; it feels that way for everyone else, but they at least have an adult counterpart. He will die. But, Bunn doesn't dwell on that too much. In fact, he has Hank specifically say it's Bobby who suffers the worse fate, because they really are destroying the people they've become and he's gone the farthest (even if it came form Jean's intervention). If anything, I'm disappointed it's Brisson and not Bunn who'll wrap up the kids' story, but it is what it is, I guess.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #5; Darth Vader #21; Detective Comics #988; The Weatherman #4; Ms. Marvel #34
Iceman #1: As happy as I am for "Iceman" to be on the stands again, I feel like Grace still is struggling to find his voice. In the previous iteration of this title, he had down Bobby's personality but the plots left something to be desired. Here, the plotting is much better. Bobby and Bishop manage to prevent the second Mutant Massacre when they foil Sinister's plan to purge mutantkind of mutants who don't look like Bobby. In fact, Grace really explores both pretty and white privilege here as the anti-Morlock mutants exalt Bobby as the ideal mutant. Who better than a handsome white guy to convince humans that mutants aren't all that bad? Of course, after seeing what he's seen over the course of his lifetime, Bobby isn't buying it, and it sets him on a collision course with Sinister that promises to test his Omega-level powers. But, it's hard not to find this Bobby obnoxious. It's one thing to portray Bobby as a jokester, it's another thing to portray him as a man trying to be a teenager. It plays into the stereotype of gay men as stuck in a perpetual adolescence, something Bobby is too experienced to be. As much as I want to like this series, I also don't want to be party to Bobby becoming a caricature of gay men.
Infinity Wars #3: This issue isn't bad per se, but Gamora's decision to fold the Universe in half seems motivated solely to generate tie-in issues. She's allegedly doing it to distract the heroes so she has time to go the God Quarry and discover why she can't see beyond the Quarry. But, it seems a somewhat extreme remedy to that problem. After all, if she's omnipotent and omniscient, couldn't she find an easier way to distract them? Moreover, I don't get what Duggan is trying to say about the Soul Gem. Loki mentions the Soul Gem is merely a door, so I guess that means "our" Universe is behind it. But, if "our" Universe is essentially in the Soul Gem, what exists outside it? It sounds like Devondra's hunger will eventually be sated, at which point the Soul Gem will be healed (for reasons that aren't clear to me) and a new reality will emerge (for reasons that aren't clear to me). Moreover, it's hard to understand Gamora's motivation here. Last issue, her soul was made whole, but for some reason she now wants to rebalance the Soul Gem. Couldn't she just call it a day? Or is she trying to prevent Devondra from successfully eating our Universe? Duggan implies it's because she's gone insane with power, but he never actually makes that clear. It's why this event feels so hollow, like you can see behind the set at a musical. At the very least, I didn't get sucked into all the tie-in issues for this one.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #309: This issue concludes one of the best two-and-done arcs I've ever read. Zdarsky seemed to be gearing for a significant arc, with all the mysterious time-travel allusions last issue. But, he wraps up everything neatly here. We learn a Sandman from an alternate Universe took advantage of Spidey opening up that multiversal door while fighting the Vedomi to travel to "our" reality. He seizes control of "our" Sandman to avoid the end of his Universe. (In the process, we learn our Sandman's consciousness resides in one grain of sand.) Our Sandman discovers that he can somehow transfer his powers to another person, so he empowers Spidey to fight the other Sandman. (I'll admit this part makes the least sense, even if it's cool.) This fight is tailor made for Chris Bachalo; it's one of the best fight scenes I've ever seen. Spidey calls on Ben and Johnny for help, and Johnny arrives with the Multisect just in time to save him from the alternate Sandman. When the dust (heh) settles, Sandman thanks Spidey for the save. He's understandably disturbed to learn that he's not really human anymore and that he may very well live forever. Is there a Zdarsky-penned "Sandman" title in our future? Because I'd buy it. Otherwise, I just continue to love this series and everything Zdarsky and now Bachalo are doing with it. It reminds me of the best parts of "Brand New Day."
X-Men: Blue #35: Bunn does a great job here articulating what I've been feeling over the last few issues. I'll admit it feels weirdly anti-climatic that he presents the kids as having decided to return to the past, as I can't really put my finger on the moment when they made that decision. Bunn seems to argue they accepted the inevitability of their return and it's as good of a time as any, but we never really see them get to that epiphany. Maybe it was Magneto's defection to the Dark Side (again) that made them realize they're tired of fighting a fight that isn't their fight. At any rate, Bunn does a great job of showing how Bobby and Scott will suffer the most from returning home. Bobby, Sr. tells Bobby, Jr. at least he'll get to come out of the closet on his own terms, as opposed to Jean outing him. But, that's not really true, given Bobby, Jr. essentially outed Bobby, Sr. But, Bobby, Jr. hits the nose on the head when he says he feels awesome now; he's not comforted by the idea he'll eventually be awesome. Plus, Scott has to accept the fact that it really is suicide for him; it feels that way for everyone else, but they at least have an adult counterpart. He will die. But, Bunn doesn't dwell on that too much. In fact, he has Hank specifically say it's Bobby who suffers the worse fate, because they really are destroying the people they've become and he's gone the farthest (even if it came form Jean's intervention). If anything, I'm disappointed it's Brisson and not Bunn who'll wrap up the kids' story, but it is what it is, I guess.
Also Read: Amazing Spider-Man #5; Darth Vader #21; Detective Comics #988; The Weatherman #4; Ms. Marvel #34
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The September 5 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Astonishing X-Men #15: I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about this series rubs me the wrong way. I mean, I like where Rosenberg is going with the idea the team is full of rejects: Kitty disavows them publicly, they have to take a bus instead of jetting everywhere in a Blackbird, etc. It's not only funny but it also puts them in situations we don't often see. How would a superhero team function if a wealthy patron wasn't paying the bills? Moreover, I'm enjoying angry and drunk Alex; he's super fun here, in a "total mess" kind of way. (Maybe he can drunkenly go bi-curious with Bobby?) But, I'm not sure I'm buying everything else. First, we have some odd character beats, like Proudstar being chatty and Dazzler calling Beast fat. Then, I'm still not sure I get what O.N.E. wants with the Reavers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a child of the ‘80s, so I love me some Reavers. But, I almost feel l like I missed an issue when it comes to their connection. When you add in the Greg Land porn poses, the series has some weaknesses that I hope get addressed because it also has potential.
Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #23: I'm totally on board with what David is doing here, so it's weird that I don't really seem to care. I mean, I love the twist here, with Mephisto killing Abigail by tricking Cassandra and Peter into thinking he was an immortal Abigail traveling back from the future with only one wish: to die. Of course, he goes one better and then implants false memories into Cassandra's and Slate's minds, making them believe Ben let Abigail die so he could sell the cure to a major pharmaceutical company. If Ben survives an hour, Mephisto will restore their (still fake, but better for Ben) memories! Hurrah! But, 23 issues into this series, I still feel like I don't really know Ben. Slott turned him into an entirely different character than the one we all knew and loved, but David hasn't really done much to give us any additional insight into his thinking. The entire series feels a lot more shallow than the typical David story, as if David doesn't really know who he wants Ben to be. As such, he just jumps from crisis to crisis. He doesn't really have a life or any supporting characters (other than possibly Kaine) who care about him. In fact, David seems just to tell the same story about trying to cure Abigail over and over again, a far cry from the road epic I thought we were going to get when this series started. In other words: meh?
Captain America #3: Coates is really on fire here as he shows how an entity called Power Enterprises stepped into the vacuum HYDRA left in fly-over country. At a street fair, Steve chats up an average Joe (henceforth, Average Joe, like the gym). He describes what his life used to be like: unemployed, wife on disability, son on drugs. Then, HYDRA came and did what the government couldn’t: reopened the mines, improved the schools, got people healthy. It’s morning in America, according to Average Joe. When HYDRA collapsed, Power Enterprises took over that role. But, Steve knows better: he entered the mines and discovered the "miners" were just moving around dirt. Later, he and T’Challa discuss how easy it is for the people to look the other way with their belief in how life is realized. (Steve also hypothesizes HYDRA got rid of anyone that would’ve caused problems.) With the remaining residents of the town blissfully satisfied, Power Enterprises has a great place to operate: the empty mine below the town houses Zeke Stane’s base, where he’s creating his army of Nukes. T’Challa briefs Steve on the Power Elite: they’re a coterie of criminals (including Stane) who fought HYDRA, so they enjoy influence in the new Washington. Steve and T'Challa discover someone in Washington is Stane’s handler, and I’m guessing it’s General Ross, who sees America in similar terms as Average Joe. Meanwhile, Sharon finds herself face-to-face with Selene in Albania, an interesting development to say the least. Honest, Coates is really telling a classic -- in all senses -- Captain America story. He’s really working through the thought experiment of what America would look like after a hostile takeover. (Actually exploring the aftermath of an event alone earns him a medal.) He explores the winners and losers, both within the government and outside it. Moreover, he has sympathy for Average Joe’s plight, but this sympathy has limits: Joe clearly only cares about what he gets, without wondering who paid for it. It’s a political story, but it’s not a partisan one. In fact, it underscores the challenge politicians have in this environment, where compromise is virtually impossible since no one wants to give up anything. Whereas I find myself bored with most of the other marquee titles right now, Coates is making “Captain America” a must-read one.
Nightwing #48: I totally dig the premise of this issue, because Dick Grayson definitely lends himself to a story about a secret cosmic motocross race. In fact, I feel like Percy rushed us too quickly into the story, as I would've enjoyed Dick doing his best Han Solo in the pubs before the race. We know two of the racers -- Flamingo and Professor Pyg in an ode to "Batman" #666 -- but Dick barely has time to register for the race before it begins, so we don't really know anyone else. It feels like a missed opportunity, but only because I dig the premise so much. But, the main problem is the fact this story ties into the larger Wyrm story. Dick informs us he's racing for his "friends" Vicki Vale and Willem Cloke (a sign Dick seems to use "friends" loosely). If he wins, he gets to ask Cimialcinnus, the Celtic deity of paths, a question. But, he apparently has to hack into Cimialcinnus' "techno-mythological" altar instead as part of his deal with Wyrm. (I don't really remember Wyrm asking him to do so, but there you go.) Dick's plan seems to be just to ride and hope he can figure out a way to avoid hacking into the altar as he goes. To make matters worse, DC has inserted Silencer into the issue. They've been pushing her heavily for months and for some reason she's here to kill Dick. All these twists just weigh down what could've been a pretty great story. I guess we'll see if Percy can stick the landing.
Star Wars #53: This issue is spectacular. It has everything you could possibly want. Han and Luke enjoy some banter, but then they get to work. Luke uses the fireworks rig from the commissioning ceremony to show Ackbar any ship broadcasting a Rebel signal can open the flight doors, getting the fleet back into action. Han is uncharacteristically all business here, and it’s a side of him we’ve never really seen. He and Chewie manage to crash-land the Falcon on one of the cruisers, and he immediately demands a ship to rejoin the fight. Gillen is really showing Han to be the hero he is when no one is looking. Meanwhile, Leia’s guilt eventually overwhelms her. When one of the hackers discovers the override codes are on the Executor, Leia impersonates Trios to get on board the ship, since the Imperials don’t know she bailed in an escape pod. The only problem is Vader has her dock in his own private hanger. The Rebels accompanying her then blast their way through the support staff as Vader approaches the ship. If the opening arc of this series felt like “Star Wars” 1.5, this arc feels like “Star Wars” 1.75. If Disney had any idea what it was doing, it would use this plot as the basis for the next movie.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Annual #2: This issue is nothing but fun. Throughout the issue, Spurrier keeps you guessing what Aphra's angle is and the reveal doesn't disappoint. He also introduces us to two characters that feel ripe for a miniseries or spin-off series. Aphra has shown Disney that this galaxy far, far away can tell stories outside the Skywalker saga, so I hope they embrace that lesson with Winloss and Nokk.
Also Read: Avengers #7; Batman #54; X-Men: Gold #35
Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #23: I'm totally on board with what David is doing here, so it's weird that I don't really seem to care. I mean, I love the twist here, with Mephisto killing Abigail by tricking Cassandra and Peter into thinking he was an immortal Abigail traveling back from the future with only one wish: to die. Of course, he goes one better and then implants false memories into Cassandra's and Slate's minds, making them believe Ben let Abigail die so he could sell the cure to a major pharmaceutical company. If Ben survives an hour, Mephisto will restore their (still fake, but better for Ben) memories! Hurrah! But, 23 issues into this series, I still feel like I don't really know Ben. Slott turned him into an entirely different character than the one we all knew and loved, but David hasn't really done much to give us any additional insight into his thinking. The entire series feels a lot more shallow than the typical David story, as if David doesn't really know who he wants Ben to be. As such, he just jumps from crisis to crisis. He doesn't really have a life or any supporting characters (other than possibly Kaine) who care about him. In fact, David seems just to tell the same story about trying to cure Abigail over and over again, a far cry from the road epic I thought we were going to get when this series started. In other words: meh?
Captain America #3: Coates is really on fire here as he shows how an entity called Power Enterprises stepped into the vacuum HYDRA left in fly-over country. At a street fair, Steve chats up an average Joe (henceforth, Average Joe, like the gym). He describes what his life used to be like: unemployed, wife on disability, son on drugs. Then, HYDRA came and did what the government couldn’t: reopened the mines, improved the schools, got people healthy. It’s morning in America, according to Average Joe. When HYDRA collapsed, Power Enterprises took over that role. But, Steve knows better: he entered the mines and discovered the "miners" were just moving around dirt. Later, he and T’Challa discuss how easy it is for the people to look the other way with their belief in how life is realized. (Steve also hypothesizes HYDRA got rid of anyone that would’ve caused problems.) With the remaining residents of the town blissfully satisfied, Power Enterprises has a great place to operate: the empty mine below the town houses Zeke Stane’s base, where he’s creating his army of Nukes. T’Challa briefs Steve on the Power Elite: they’re a coterie of criminals (including Stane) who fought HYDRA, so they enjoy influence in the new Washington. Steve and T'Challa discover someone in Washington is Stane’s handler, and I’m guessing it’s General Ross, who sees America in similar terms as Average Joe. Meanwhile, Sharon finds herself face-to-face with Selene in Albania, an interesting development to say the least. Honest, Coates is really telling a classic -- in all senses -- Captain America story. He’s really working through the thought experiment of what America would look like after a hostile takeover. (Actually exploring the aftermath of an event alone earns him a medal.) He explores the winners and losers, both within the government and outside it. Moreover, he has sympathy for Average Joe’s plight, but this sympathy has limits: Joe clearly only cares about what he gets, without wondering who paid for it. It’s a political story, but it’s not a partisan one. In fact, it underscores the challenge politicians have in this environment, where compromise is virtually impossible since no one wants to give up anything. Whereas I find myself bored with most of the other marquee titles right now, Coates is making “Captain America” a must-read one.
Nightwing #48: I totally dig the premise of this issue, because Dick Grayson definitely lends himself to a story about a secret cosmic motocross race. In fact, I feel like Percy rushed us too quickly into the story, as I would've enjoyed Dick doing his best Han Solo in the pubs before the race. We know two of the racers -- Flamingo and Professor Pyg in an ode to "Batman" #666 -- but Dick barely has time to register for the race before it begins, so we don't really know anyone else. It feels like a missed opportunity, but only because I dig the premise so much. But, the main problem is the fact this story ties into the larger Wyrm story. Dick informs us he's racing for his "friends" Vicki Vale and Willem Cloke (a sign Dick seems to use "friends" loosely). If he wins, he gets to ask Cimialcinnus, the Celtic deity of paths, a question. But, he apparently has to hack into Cimialcinnus' "techno-mythological" altar instead as part of his deal with Wyrm. (I don't really remember Wyrm asking him to do so, but there you go.) Dick's plan seems to be just to ride and hope he can figure out a way to avoid hacking into the altar as he goes. To make matters worse, DC has inserted Silencer into the issue. They've been pushing her heavily for months and for some reason she's here to kill Dick. All these twists just weigh down what could've been a pretty great story. I guess we'll see if Percy can stick the landing.
Star Wars #53: This issue is spectacular. It has everything you could possibly want. Han and Luke enjoy some banter, but then they get to work. Luke uses the fireworks rig from the commissioning ceremony to show Ackbar any ship broadcasting a Rebel signal can open the flight doors, getting the fleet back into action. Han is uncharacteristically all business here, and it’s a side of him we’ve never really seen. He and Chewie manage to crash-land the Falcon on one of the cruisers, and he immediately demands a ship to rejoin the fight. Gillen is really showing Han to be the hero he is when no one is looking. Meanwhile, Leia’s guilt eventually overwhelms her. When one of the hackers discovers the override codes are on the Executor, Leia impersonates Trios to get on board the ship, since the Imperials don’t know she bailed in an escape pod. The only problem is Vader has her dock in his own private hanger. The Rebels accompanying her then blast their way through the support staff as Vader approaches the ship. If the opening arc of this series felt like “Star Wars” 1.5, this arc feels like “Star Wars” 1.75. If Disney had any idea what it was doing, it would use this plot as the basis for the next movie.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Annual #2: This issue is nothing but fun. Throughout the issue, Spurrier keeps you guessing what Aphra's angle is and the reveal doesn't disappoint. He also introduces us to two characters that feel ripe for a miniseries or spin-off series. Aphra has shown Disney that this galaxy far, far away can tell stories outside the Skywalker saga, so I hope they embrace that lesson with Winloss and Nokk.
Also Read: Avengers #7; Batman #54; X-Men: Gold #35
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The August 29 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Edge of Spider-geddon #2: Wow, this issue is intense. It really invokes "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2, where we first met Spider-Gwen. Thompson and Nadler fill out Peni Parker's story, introducing not only the VEN#m suit but also a lot of questions. The authors start the issue by reminding us this Aunt May and Uncle Ben aren't the parental types. They see Peni as little more than SP//dr's pilot. May refuses to comfort Peni as she struggles with being "special," telling Peni she's not really special. To May's mind, a lot of people work on the SP//dr project; Peni is just one of them. This detachment sets the tone for the rest of the issue. Peni is also understandably upset when she learns about the VEN#m suit, particularly the revelation it has equipment she doesn't. It raises the obvious question of why Ben and May didn't just focus on making SP//dr better. But, the decision to create a second suit might be explained by May's cryptic comments that Ben understood the dangers of the Sym engine when he installed it in VEN#m. May tries to save VEN#m's teenage pilot as the engine possess her, but May is also lost to VEN#m. Later, Ben only manages to admit to Peni he's not the best father when their conversation is halted when Spider-Ham arrives to take Peni with him. As evident by this short review, Thompson and Nader cram in a lot of action and plot here. Most importantly, they really nail the characterization. I'm not sure we need a full-time series dedicated to SP//dr, but it's a thrill to see Peni and SP//dr back in the mix again.
Extermination #2: This issue is marginally better than the first one, as Brisson does a better job of conveying the original X-Men's emotions. Scott serves as the reader's surrogate, reeling from the guilt he feels over Bloodstorm's death and the confusion they all feel over the situation. Young Nathan ups the ante when he kidnaps Warren, though Jean and Scott are able to identify him before he disappears. Meanwhile, Ahab arrives and appears to be acting independently of (and possibly at cross-purposes as) Nathan. I'm guessing they're both trying to use the original X-Men to convince their older counterparts to advance their own agendas in the future, but that's still unclear. However, I'm still not sure I care. Although I mentioned Brisson does a better job of portraying the original X-Men's emotions, parts of this issue still make little sense or feel obviously wrong. For example, Shatterstar seems an odd voice for outrage over Cable's death, given he's not really known for his emotions. Second, it's hard to share his feelings since it seems unlikely Cable is going to stay dead for long. Whatever.
Extermination #2: This issue is marginally better than the first one, as Brisson does a better job of conveying the original X-Men's emotions. Scott serves as the reader's surrogate, reeling from the guilt he feels over Bloodstorm's death and the confusion they all feel over the situation. Young Nathan ups the ante when he kidnaps Warren, though Jean and Scott are able to identify him before he disappears. Meanwhile, Ahab arrives and appears to be acting independently of (and possibly at cross-purposes as) Nathan. I'm guessing they're both trying to use the original X-Men to convince their older counterparts to advance their own agendas in the future, but that's still unclear. However, I'm still not sure I care. Although I mentioned Brisson does a better job of portraying the original X-Men's emotions, parts of this issue still make little sense or feel obviously wrong. For example, Shatterstar seems an odd voice for outrage over Cable's death, given he's not really known for his emotions. Second, it's hard to share his feelings since it seems unlikely Cable is going to stay dead for long. Whatever.
Hunt for Wolverine: Dead Ends #1: This series of miniseries has really been much better than it had any reason to be. The authors have really collaborated well on a story that strikes at the heart of the Marvel Universe. It reminds me of the old days, when everyone would get together to attack a problem before we decided such stores had to revolve around how their personalities made that impossible. Sure, Tony is an asshole, but he also knows it's Kitty's show after the mysterious Persephone kills ten mutants whose powers haven't manifested themselves yet. I read "The Adamantium Agenda," so the revelation that Persephone swiped Mr. Sinister's DNA catalogue was particularly rewarding. (FYI, it's how she's identifying the potential mutants. Storm has to explain to Tony that she chose the perfect threat when she said she'd kill more unactivated mutants if they didn't stop hunting for Wolverine, since Cerebro can only track activated mutants.) In "The Adamantium Agenda," we learned one of the mutants was a genetically-enhanced mole; I wonder how we're going to see that information unfold in "Return of Wolverine." Meanwhile, I'm half-tempted to get Daredevil's Wolverine-related miniseries, particularly given the presence of Cypher. All in all, I'm really happy how this understated event is developing, much to my surprise.
The New Mutants: Dead Souls #6: I'm honestly not sure what exactly we see happen here. If I'm following the story correctly, the explosion in Warlock's cabin in Connecticut happened several months ago. Xi'an sent Dani to find him, but he absorbed Dani because he was injured and needed her help. Around the same time, Illyana realized that Xi'an was trying to weaponize magic, inspiring the team's off-the-books trips to New Orleans and the Arctic. But, she's smart enough to realize it wasn't Xi'an so much as it was Tran manipulating Xi'an. (Xi'an was motivated by a desire to give the mutants a company -- i.e., the Hatchi Corporation -- to control, like Rand, Stark, etc.) We learn Xi'an's psyche has shattered as a result of years of Tran's manipulation and their eventual separation. Surprising everyone, she possesses Illyana to attack Tran with the Soulsword, reabsorbing him. Here, it gets weird. (I know, as if it weren't already weird.) It seems like Tran was somehow behind Warlock's problems. Xi'an sent Dani after Tran not Warlock; Warlock was simply an unexpected complication. (I don't think we learn how Tran came to possess -- as I'm assuming he did -- Warlock.) But, Xi'an took advantage of the moment, and she's had Warlock stashed in a closet making replicas of the New Mutants all this time. At this stage, it's fight time. War-dani tricks Rahne into possessing her, and Illyana sends Boomer, Rictor, and Shatterstar to safety before summoning Guido. But, Guido has a heart attack, and Illyana agrees to let Warlock try to save him. (Guido has been in Limbo for years even though only 36 hours passed on Earth.) But, it's a trap: a now possessed War-guido takes control of Illyana. Her/his plan realized, Tri'an calls "General Callahan" (as Tran) and promises test subjects (the New Mutants), but War-yana takes over Tri'an as well. Unexpectedly, the issue ends there. It seems pretty clear Rosenberg was planning to extend this series past six issues, and we seem likely to see something soon, as Dani, Guido, Illyana, Rahne, and Tri'an are left as part of the Warlock collective now. But, Marvel might be right in having us stew with this shock for a few months before scratching our curious itch.
X-Men: Blue #34: On the plus side, Bunn does an excellent job building to the moment when Magneto reforms Asteroid M and the Brotherhood. After all, he's been building to this moment all series, and that careful spade work pays off here. We're not seeing Magneto randomly embracing his dark side, as he often has in the past. Instead, it's more like Scott Summers' gradual evolution into an extremist, with each development leading him farther and farther down that road. Magneto is shaken to learn of the destruction in the future, though it's still unclear if it's all because of the war with the Reavers or not. Nightcrawler, Jr. keeps insisting Magneto saved everyone from the Reaver virus, but older Scott tells Nightcrawler, Jr. he doesn't understand the full scope of Magneto's actions. The older original X-Men try to prevent Mangeto from returning to the present after they realize he hasn't committed his greatest crime yet, but he manages to escape. When he returns to the present, he finds the lab where the Reaver virus began and kills everyone there. (Creepily, he leaves a statue of himself on the site, echoing the statues dotting the landscape in the future.) My only criticism of these developments is Magneto is smart enough to realize that destroying the lab may very well be the "greatest crime" that sets in motion the events of that future. He doesn't even pay that lip service here, which seems like an oversight. Moreover, I'll admit it's hard to keep straight all the strains of time travel happening right now. In "Extermination," we've got the young original X-Men in the present facing young Cable and Ahab from the future and here we've got the older original X-Men in the future facing Magneto from the present. I like Bunn's story better, but it all contributes to the sense it really is time to wrap up the kids' story.
Also Read: Dungeons & Dragons: Evil at Baldur's Gate #5; Marvel 2-in-One #9; Ms. Marvel #33; The New World #2; Star Wars: Lando - Double or Nothing #4
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The August 22 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Amazing Spider-Man #4: I like Nick Spencer, and I appreciate him trying to bring back the fun to Spider-Man. But, this story is just a mess. I get why Spider-Man is acting weirdly, given Dr. Connors' explanation that his symptoms are side effects of the splitting process. But, everyone else is acting weird as well. For example, Spider-Man's lack of a sense of responsibility means his increasingly reckless battles have destroyed several city blocks. But, by all accounts, he's more of a hero than he was before. It doesn't matter he destroyed a dog park implied to be full of dogs at the time: he's a guest on "The View," he's getting endorsement deals, he's awesomesauce! (I was particularly mad when he was part of "Uber Hero." Peter's inability to cash paychecks as Spider-Man for lack of a "Spider-Man" bank account has been a plot point for decades.) It's all just bizarre and rushed. I'm honestly surprised no one in the editorial team stopped it. I get the idea of freeing oneself from continuity, but it doesn't mean you get to free yourself from making sense.
Old Man Hawkeye #8: Sacks wisely returns to telling a smaller, more character-focused story than the one he told last issue. He shows Clint and Kate as still a study in opposites, with Kate insisting on paying for gas that Clint would've just as happily stole (from a mob boss, it should be noted). Kate is also confused why she’s risking so much in helping Clint achieve revenge, when she should be at the orphanage helping the kids. This moral dilemma is heightened when she refuses to follow Clint into the convent to kill Melissa, a former friend. However, perhaps the most poignant moment is when Bullseye kills Bucky. He’d been reduced to a mindless robot controlled by some guys in a room, and he thanks Bullseye for killing him. However, Bullseye didn’t do it for Bucky; he did it to have the guys controlling Bucky perform some sort of brain surgery on him. I'm assuming it's to remove his tracking chip so the Skull can't find him? I’m sure we’ll see. At any rate, this issue is a nice return to form as we start to get to the end.
West Coast Avengers #1: Every time I read Kelly Thompson, I feel better about the state of comic books. She crafts an excellent team book here, using her great sense of characterization to make us totally engaged with this group right from the start. We’ve got Kate’s adorableness with Fuse, Gwen’s hatred of Quentin, Clint’s support of Kate: this issue has it all. Plus, using a documentary as the funding source for the team is a stroke of genius that I’m pretty sure we haven’t seen since “X-Statix.” My sidekick obsession meant I was always a huge fan of “West Coast Avengers,” and I can’t imagine someone paying better homage to it than Thompson does here. I mean, a 40-foot Tigra attacking Santa Monica in the first issue? It’s just perfect.
X-Men: Gold #34: This Storm arc is turning into one of Guggenheim’s stronger stories. It still feels like he’s rushing from plot point to plot point, but at least this time the progression makes sense. Storm is rattled when she realizes her parents really do seem to be alive, but she’s too experienced to accept that on face value. Instead, she goes searching and discovers a set of catacombs with the bodies of all the deceased villagers. When she confronts Uovo, he informs her the “Reaping” is coming, and he converts all the bodies — and Storm’s parents — into zombies. It’s obviously a legitimate conundrum for Storm, as she doesn’t want to destroy the bodies of her former worshipers (and parents). She’s also disturbed to discover Stormcatcher is no longer answering her call, even though she could use the extra power as she faces down a zombie horde. It’s nice to see Guggenheim ending on a strong note.
X-Men: Red #7: This issue is pretty clever. I wasn’t sure how they were going to prove Jean didn’t kill the British Ambassador, but Taylor happily surprises me here. The X-Men manage to retrieve the Ambassador’s phone from the plane upon which her possessions are being transported. Trinary is able to pull the recording of Cassandra Nova whispering her plans (as she did in the first issue) off the phone, and Jean broadcasts it throughout the world. (I don't remember how Jean knows the phone has any sort of recording that could be useful, but it's clear why she does when you read the story.) Along the way, we get a pretty amazing battle on board the plane as Nova’s nano-sentinels hijack the new Ambassador. He grabs one of the security guards' guns and opens fire on the X-Men in the cargo hold. It’s a really sold mix of excitement and plot. Taylor is also doing a great job with the characterization; I particularly enjoyed Gambit and Honey Badger’s interaction here. Given the state of “X-Men Blue” and “X-Men Gold,” I feel like this series is really stabilizing the X-books at this point.
Also Read: Detective Comics #987; Darth Vader #20; Mr. and Mrs. X #2; Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #23
Not-Very-New Comics: The August 15 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Astonishing X-Men Annual #1: This issue is creepy as hell, but it does something most X-Men stories don’t (but should): it presents Charles Xavier as an unapologetic asshole. Jean holds a reunion of the original X-Men (leaving a seat for Scott) and they ponder how far their lives are from the lives they wanted as adolescents. (Hilariously, they agree Bobby is actually doing pretty well.) However, "X" (as we're now calling him) arrives and whisks them to Lago, New York. It's the location of an anti-mutant hate crime that happened when they were students at the School. X reveals Lucifer — the alien who stole his ability to walk — has taken over the town. Underlining how different he is from Xavier, their conflict ends when X manipulates Angel into becoming Archangel to kill Lucifer. (The severed link also kills the townspeople, which X doesn't really seem to mind.) X uses the fight to tell the X-Men to shove their pity party, as the only choice they ever had was to save the world or die in it. Jean asks if he cared if they were happy. As he wipes away their memories of these events and departs, he says he had hoped they found happiness in doing good. The group replays their dinner the next night in a much happier mindset. It’s hard to know if X changed their perspectives forcefully or they're in a better place through the faded memory of the experience, but it is what it is. I still can’t say I’m buying “X,” but this issue does make me feel like Marvel should probably be doing more to get the band back together again. I'm fine with Scott staying dead for a while so we can finally see Jean without him, as we were able to see him without her. But, it doesn't mean we can't get the four remaining "originals" together to heal some of the wounds they identified before X mindwiped them. I'd read that series quite happily.
Extermination #1: I appreciate what Brisson tries to do here, but I don't know if it really works. "X-Men Blue" has been such a chaotic series lately that Bunn barely had time to imbue Bloodstorm with much personality, making it hard to feel as devastated by her death as Brisson wants us to feel here. Sure, I feel bad for Scott, but it's also hard to believe he was so attached, seeing how he recently spent a significant amount of time in space. Also, does anyone even remotely believe Cable isn't going to magically return from the dead? Brisson tells a more interesting story when it comes to the idea the X-Men are facing two seemingly unconnected threats. We don't know why Ahab decides to make a play for Cyclops here, but his presence in the present explains why Rachel's hound persona has been emerging lately. Meanwhile, young Nathan accuses older Nathan of neglecting his duty in not forcing the original X-Men to return to their time. According to young Nathan, this decision leads to a slaughter at the Mansion 20 years in the future. Older Nathan claims he's wrong; in a grammatically challenging sentence, he says "they needed them to see...what they became" so they could return to the past and be better. I'm assuming older Nathan means he allowed the kids to stay in the present in the hope they'd return to their time with some lessons learned. But I don't get that, because it assumes they'd remember their time in the present, which we seem already to know doesn't happen. Separately, it's possible Ahab and younger Nathan are working together, but the X-Men know that it wasn't Ahab who "killed" older Nathan. As we go forward, I hope Brisson keeps the focus on the kids and doesn't get lost in the sprawling time-travel narrative. If this story ends with the kids accepting a fate where they don't remember their time in the present, it means Bobby accepting returning to the closet, Jean and Scott accepting the deaths and heartbreaks in their future, Warren accepting the horror his life becomes, and Hank accepting the sadness that weighs on him today. Walking us through that heroism is the story, as I see it, and hopefully Brisson keeps that in mind.
Multiple Man #3: Emperor Jamie's shock troops make pretty quick work of the team, though Forge manages to create the time bracelets that send the dupes into the future to become the superhero versions of Jamie. (Super-Jamies?) Emperor Jamie has this Jamie brought before him, and we learn Emperor Jamie became unstable around the time the Beast gave him a serum to turn him into the Prime Jamie. (I don't get this part. Prime Jamie was the original Jamie. You can't just turn a dupe into Prime Jamie. What exactly did the serum do?) But, this Jamie says it's not why he became unstable; they were in that bunker in the first place because they were the "evil, megalomaniacal" version of Prime Jamie, plotting to displace him. Emperor Jamie doesn't necessarily buy that argument, but it doesn't matter, because he kills this Jamie. Yeah, I'm not sure I care anymore either.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #308: The thing about Chip Zdarsky is that he’s probably the best in the business right now of telling multilayered stories. He reminds me of Peter David during the “X-Factor” heyday. Here, we could just be getting a story of Sandman’s death, as his body can no longer stay cohesive. If it were just that, it would still be great. The scene where Spidey takes him to the beach at Coney Island is spectacular (heh). Zdarsky infuses it with incredible emotion, from Flint telling us how his mother would get plastered while he built sandcastles there to him telling Peter not to take off his mask because he doesn’t want to learn he’s Chris Evans handsome. (Flint tells us he always pictured Spidey as having an ugly mug.) It’s funny and wistful and meaningful. It has that certain je ne sais quoi that “Extermination” #1 lacked, that ability to convey emotions through dialogue and lines. I have to single out Chris Bachalo here as well, as he captures the scenery perfectly; I could hear the seagulls calling, the beach scenes were so evocative. But, Zdarsky goes one further. Using Sandman's dreams, he hints that one version of Sandman is living in our future and made of glass and another version of him faces a grimdark iteration of Spider-Man. These hints are what makes this issue so propulsive, elevating it from a simpler story. Even with Nick Spencer’s debut on “Amazing Spider-Man,” this title is the main Spidey title to me.
The Weatherman #3: Well, I certainly didn't see Nathan (allegedly) killing Cross (a.k.a Amanda) coming.
Nathan realizes that Cross doesn't care about him. From the start of the issue, though, LeHeup hints Cross has some ability to differentiate Ian from Nathan and thus some sympathy for his plight. But she also has her mission. It turns out Dr. Nyseth kept records of the minds she wiped, but she was gone when Fitch's agents got to her lab. Cross is now trying to find Nyseth's former assistant, Orin Wetzel, with the goal of getting back Ian's memories. However, Nathan realizes she intends to implant the memories into his brain, turning him into Ian so she can discover details about Jenner's plan. LeHeup and Fox do a great job of showing Nathan on edge at this point.
He and Cross spent most of this issue fleeing people in hot pursuit of them, after the two bounty hunters alert the news media to their presence in Tharsis. But, throughout this chase, he's actually in a good mood: he has a blast piloting the car while Cross opens fire on the pursuers, a sign of his inability to take anything too seriously. But the grim look on his face as he (allegedly) murders Cross makes it clear Ian might not totally be gone.
Meanwhile, other intrigue builds in this issue. The Martian president realizes Fitch had gone rogue when her team informs her Cross escaped the Nebula before it was destroyed. It's an interesting angle, as I had figured Fitch was running a sanctioned operation in tracking down Nathan. LeHeup also subtly implies we shouldn't rule out the Sword of God's motivations being more complicated than simply looking to do evil. Sure, it's hard to imagine how they would justify blowing up Earth was for the greater good. But an answer may be out there.
Meanwhile, LeHeup and Fox continue to drive home the horror of that loss, as Cross and Nathan encounter a dead junkie addicted to a drug that allows you to re-live your memories. The woman has a stuffed bunny on her lap, and Cross explains that "tethers" help users stay attached to their positive memories while using the drug. It's hard stuff. Meanwhile, we're introduced to a crime lord who tortures to death a former employee who stole from him, though it's still unclear how that part of the story connects to Nathan's. I'm guessing it's not a happy connection.
The Wild Storm #16: At this point, as much as I'm enjoying this series, I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, with so few issues left. John continues his tour of Thunderbook subjects, this time meeting with a woman with pretty incredible powers over matter. Angie discovers she can directly access the internet, bringing her to Jenny's attention. Jenny decides Angie's a cool chick and invites her to work with her and the Doctor if she ever gets tired of Halo. After this interaction, Angie decides she's tired of hiding and asks Cole to teach her how to shoot a gun. It's all interesting stuff, but we only have eight issues left. If everyone goes to war, it's hard to see how it's going to happen in such a short time. Ellis had previously mentioned two series would follow this one, and it's hard to know which way he'll go. Will it be StormWatch and Wild C.A.T.s? I guess we'll see.
Also Read: Batman #53; Edge of Spider-geddon #1; Infinity Wars #2; Thor #4
Monday, September 24, 2018
Not-Very-New Comics: The August 8 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Amazing Spider-Man #3: This issue makes not a lick of sense. Don't get me wrong, it's fun. In fact, it doesn't make sense in part because Spencer is trying to invoke the same sense of fun (and wackiness) that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko did: Peter and Spider-Man are split into two separate people thanks to yet another accident involving the Isotope Genome Accelerator. Suddenly, Peter sees the real possibility of living his life without the burden of being Spider-Man. He won't have to feel guilty that he's not out there as Spider-Man, because Spider-Man will still be out there, fighting terrible evil like the...Tri-Sentinel. On the downside, Peter discovers Spider-Man got his intellect and his powers, but not his sense of morality and responsibility. Uh-oh. Unfortunately, this premise gets a little...wobbly the more you think about it. For example, the creative team shows Spider-Man only in costume, almost implying if you lifted up his mask his face would be blank. It's just a little over the top, particularly as Peter doesn't seem anywhere near as worried about it as I think Peter probably would be. I guess we'll see where Spencer goes from here.
Bloodshot Salvation #12: I was tempted not to continue reading "Bloodshot" the last time Lemire seemed to give Ray a happy ending, but I’m happy I hung in here. This issue isn’t perfect, as Lemire seems to be in a rush to hit his marks to get us to the finale. For example, we never really confirm the identity of his 4002 A.D. doppelgänger or why Baron Samedi wanted the maintenance worker killed. Moreover, Punk Mambo’s powers seem a little too conveniently strong here, as she essentially shuts down all of Omen’s systems to let Magic and the Bloodshots invade. But, I’m willing to look past the plot holes because the excellent character beats remain the same. Lemire never turns Ray into a full-fledged good guy; he murders the maintenance worker because he had to murder him. Lemire makes it clear that Ray feels some guilt, but he doesn’t regret it, because he did it for his family. Lemire also reminds us Magic has never been just a scared girl hiding in a hotel room; her childhood left her comfortable with mayhem and murder, making her a match for Bloodshot’s neutral-goodish outlook on life. Their happiness at the end feels hard won, and it feels like a good time to exit this train with Lemire. Good luck, Ray. I’m sure you won’t need it.
Detective Comics #986: Yup, I’m definitely canceling this series. I’m not going to stand for Barbara Gordon getting treated like a rank amateur in favor of some C-list hero from Metropolis. Firstable, she was right to question Jefferson's "plan." His attempt to keep everyone from the fight likely would’ve resulted in the children dying, because Orphan wouldn’t have been on hand to save them. Second, I’m also not exactly sure what Jefferson’s powers are. He controls lightning...and explosions? Whatever. Then, Batman announces Black Lightning — a guy he barely knows — speaks for him. He still can’t let Dick Grayson totally into his circle of trust, but this random guy from Metropolis is basically the new Alfred? I’ll stay for James Robinson’s arc but then I’m done.
Fantastic Four #1: Look, Dan Slott and I have been on a long, rough road, and I'm not saying I'm here for the long haul. But, I've loved what Chip Zdarsky has been doing with "Marvel Two-in-One," so I'm definitely here for as long as it takes to tell the story of Reed and Sue's return. However, as Skottie Young himself says in the Mr. Impossible short that ends the issue, I'm not quite sure what that timeframe is. In "Marvel Two-in-One," Ben and Johnny are stranded, powerless, on an alternate Earth. However, they're back on our Earth here. Moreover, Victor has apparently lost his pretty face, which I don't think we've seen happen in "Marvel Two-in-One" yet. It raises questions how Marvel could've timed these releases so poorly, particularly because they seem to have done so intentionally. To make matters worse, Slott still struggles with conveying emotions here, despite Ben proposing to Alicia and Johnny tearfully accepting Reed and Sue's fate. I can't exactly put my finger on the problem, but these emotions never feel organic. It's like a dog trying to explain what they hear to us. But, it is what it is. I'm tired of complaining about him and he'd be tired of hearing about it if he knew who I was. We'll see where we go from here.
Hunt for Wolverine: Adamantium Agenda #4: I initially bought this mini-series reluctantly, annoyed with Marvel for using the reunion of the New Avengers as part of its bloated “Hunt for Wolverine” “event.” But, I can’t say I’m disappointed. Not only was it great to see the team together again, but Taylor takes us some interesting places here. First, his character work is excellent. Tony recalls Wolverine beseeching him to see people before potential after Logan reveals he knew Tony created the superhero suicide-machine. Logan accepts Tony’s explanation that he’d never use it, but stresses to Tony how its deployment nonetheless proves his point. As such, Tony caves to Jessica and Peter ordering him to destroy Mister Sinister’s catalogue of the DNA of every living person. However, he had initially started to decrypt the catalogue, and he learned two things along the way. First, Laura Kinney isn’t a clone; she’s the actual daughter of Logan and Sarah Kinney. (I don’t follow X-23 closely enough to get all the implications of that, but I get why it’s important.) Second, one of the X-Men isn’t a mutant; s/he’s been genetically engineered to appear as one, possibly as a sleeper agent. Given we don’t know who set loose Tony's suicide machine or invaded Sinister’s catalogue in the first place, Tony seems to be onto something. This mini-series still doesn't really show us how Logan was resurrected, but that's almost besides the point. Taylor told a self-contained story that raises some interesting questions for Logan and the X-Men down the line. I'm not saying it's essential, but it's one of the better examples of the tie-in genre out there.
Oblivion Song #6: Whoa. I really didn’t see that one coming. Kirkman reveals here that Nathan and his team of scientists were the ones who caused the Transference, after a device they built to explore an alternate dimension went haywire. Nathan explains they built the device because they sensed energy on the other side of the field, but he tells Bridget the field shouldn’t have expanded the way it did. He initially hypothesized it was because some energy on the other side amplified his device’s power, but he hasn’t seen any technology capable of that on the other side. To make matters worse, he’s relaying this information in handcuffs, after the feds arrested him for building the device they found in the storage locker. It's particularly bad timing, too, as he’s convinced his brother Ed to return with him to see what Earth is like. As such, Ed is functionally stranded on Earth. Underlining how no one is really having a good go of it, Benjamin appears at Bridget and Duncan’s doorstep when they’re already fighting about Nathan. Shit’s getting real, folks.
X-Men: Blue #33: Yet another time-travel story, yet another unclear situation. Magneto arrives in the future he's previously hinted he's seen and intuitively knows the devastation he sees there is his fault. A Nightcrawler-looking child exposits that he assembled a Brotherhood of Mutants — Magic, Toad, Exodus, the Blob, Sabretooth, and someone I think is Unuscione based on her head gear — to stop the "Reaver virus" from destroying the world. The Avengers and X-Men had been unable to stop the virus because it meant killing the hosts, and Nightcrawler, Jr. tells Magneto that he and the Brotherhood were the only ones willing to do so. Before we learn more, an Iceman-less team of the original X-Men appears, less than thrilled to see Magneto. It makes you wonder if Nightcrawler, Jr. isn’t skipping over some parts, since he seems to view Magneto as a hero. This story ties into “Extermination,” so I wonder where we go from here.
Also Read: Darth Vader #19; The Wild Storm: Michael Cray #10
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