Amazing Spider-Man #19: The only problem with this issue is that it makes me pine for Kelly and Dodson to take over this title.
Unlike Wells, Kelly manages to mix comedy with action and drama in an organic way throughout the issue. Deciding to take their relationship to the next level, Felicia and Peter unexpected find Mary Jane and Paul at the same upstate spa. (Hilariously, Felicia and Paul have a sotte voce conversation about using a Snapshot groupon.)
Kelly milks the tension for all its worth, from Peter clutching shut his robe (and Felicia, to Paul's discomfort, reminding Peter that both she and Mary Jane has seen him naked) to Peter finally opening his robe to reveal "Here, Kitty, Kitty" boxer shorts. Ha! The comedic awkwardness also advances the plot as Felicia tells Peter that he needs to be honest with her (and himself) about his feelings for Mary Jane. It's always fun when Felicia is the responsible adult.
Moreover, this tension isn't just the issue's point, as it so often is in Wells' stories. Instead, it's the backdrop of Peter and Felicia discovering that White Rabbit has stolen gear that mimics the Sinister Six's powers. She's dating a genius, Mychal, who installed safeties on the gear so they can rent it to rich tech bros to play "The Greatest Game," super-villain style. Honestly? I'm surprised this scenario hasn't played out yet in the real world. Kelly's gift for comedy remains on full display throughout the action as Peter gets into a genius pissing contest as the bros trying to figure out how his Web-Shooters work, resulting in Felicia telling him to stop Spideysplaining to "entitled felons."
But it isn't all giggles and laughs as Mychal winds up dead and the bro seem to want to kill Spider and Felicia as they take off the safeties.
[Sigh.] If only we got such a multifaceted story every moth...I guess I'll have to enjoy it while I can.
Batman #132: Zdarsky throws us right into the mystery here as the issue begins with Bruce shadowing Jewel as she tries to save people from getting sent to Arkham.
As they patrol the streets, Bruce learns that Judge Dent sent Jewel's father to Arkham due to his grief over her mother's death from cancer. Jewel recognizes Bruce is having a hallucination (he's staring at Jimbo from last issue) and tells him that they aren't from "multiversal travel" (as Bruce thought) but from "Crane Brain," a drug the authorities pump into the air to find more victims for Arkham. She gives Bruce pills that block the drug's effect and tells Bruce that Halliday Industries produces the pills at Athena Tower. Bruce realizes that Halliday might have taken over the role that Wayne Enterprises played in his Gotham so heads there.
In an interlude, Red Mask visits Dent, who's stewing about the possibility that Bruce is out there. In a show of power, Red Mask de-Venomizes Dent, shrinking him into a skeletal version of himself. Red Mask demands Dent find Bruce, treating to take away his "gift" more permanently.
Bruce begins to show uncharacteristic signs of emotional trauma as he talks to Jewel. He makes her eggs, and she's amazed at how good they are. He comments on how his sons were always hungry, and an old friend taught him how to make them. Later, Jewel works with Bruce to develop a persona so he can attend Halliday's upcoming fundraiser where, of course, Bruce encounters Selina. She exposits for us that this world's Bruce Wayne gave up his billions to become a social worker before his presumed death. She points out Halliday in the crowd...and it's the Joker. Man, I did *not* see that coming. Before Bruce (or we) can process that, Punchline arrives, and she and Selina attack. Killer Croc joins the fun, and Bruce realizes he's in trouble. He takes out Croc and marvels how the wealthy Athena Tower residents don't even flinch at the violence.
Then he sees Alfred. At the issue's start, we saw that this world's Alfred is in a relationship with Leslie Thompkins, and it's clear that he used the money Bruce left him to buy their safety in the Tower. Bruce shakes off the idea that it's *his* Alfred or *his* Selina, but he's distracted enough for a cop to shoot him, propelling him out the building. Bruce falls through a warehouse skylight and, lying on the floor, confesses to himself that he misses his "sons" and "his" Selina. It's a heartbreaking moment, but he tells himself that any Gotham is his Gotham. Stumbling through the streets, Bruce tries to help someone fight off one of Judge Dent's cops but gets his ass handed to him. In one of Zdarksy's most brilliant moments, as Bruce lays bleeding in the alley, he sees a bat and decides, "I shall become a bat." Damn, this series is on fire.
The back-up story is just as good. We learn that Toyman went on a rampage before he died, and the gun he used - the one Failsafe used on Batman - either turned people into toy versions of themselves or dissipated them. Tim examines one of the toys and realizes that it's producing multiversal energy. Correctly realizing that Toyman didn't kill himself but instead sent himself and the disappeared and toy people to another reality, Tim calls Mister Terrific.
Mister Terrific provides Tim with a new invention, an outfit that creates a tether and discs so the user can travel multiversally. Tim is surprised when he arrives in a suburban area but quickly tracks down the victims...only for Toyman and his army of toy-ified victims to find him.
In other words, it's great stuff. If I have one complaint it's that Zdarsky feels like he's rushing a bit. He probably could've found a way to delay the confrontation at Athena Tower to next issue. I'm just greedy, though. I don't want any of it to end.
Blade Runner 2039 #3: As usual, Johnson does a great job of slowly unspooling the mystery at this series' core. We don't know everything yet, but we know enough that Ash should be worried.
Ash visits Wojciech in a retirement home; it seems lovely so it's nice to see someone in this series might have a happy ending (hopefully). Wojciech confirms that she heard rumors about a Replicant Blade Runner but doesn't have any more information about it. She encourages Ash to leave it be, which we (including Wojciech) know she won't do.
Ash stops by a noodle place before heading to the sticks, and Cleo finds her there because Ash took her there once. Ash is enraged that Cleo is there, but Cleo tells her that Isobel is missing. Cleo takes Ash to her penthouse, explaining that they're not rich on Arcadia but money goes further on Earth. She explains that she's a schoolteacher and married with a son. She wants to know more about Ash, but Ash is worried about her safety so tells her to stay in the apartment.
At a bar later, Ash is worried about all these "coincidences:" a Replicant Blade Runner, Cleo on Earth, Isobel in the wind. Underscoring Ash's senes, Hythe arrives and tells Ash that she met the Replicant Blade Runner. She hands Ash the data Wallace wants, figuring they'll be safer with her, and Ash saves her right before she's assassinated. Ash and Hythe then take out two Wallace employees who originally picked up Luv at the issue's start.
The issue ends with Luv arriving at Cleo's apartment, though I don't know how she realized "Mrs. Calhoun" was Cleo. She had been reviewing traffic files (as part of her punishment), so maybe a traffic camera identified her? We'll see.
Captain America: Symbol of Truth #10: Silva is spectacular here, as he walks us through Cap and Nomad trying to take out Falcon in a battle in the sky. Thankfully, Onyebuchi more or less manages not to get in the way.
That said, it was incredibly disingenuous to lead us to believe Joaquín killed his grandmother only to reveal that he only fed on the horses. Moreover, White Wolf goes all pet peeve #3 here as he tells his general that he just wanted to take Joaquín off the board but got lucky when the "chemical" turned him into a vampire. Does he explain what the chemical is or why he used a chemical instead of just killing Joaquín? No, no, he doesn't.
But given how awful the previous issues have been I'm glad I didn't hate this one. That's where I am with this series.
Know Your Station #3: I'm still not entirely convinced Marin or St. Brigid isn't behind the murders, but Elise and Marin do establish some baseline criteria for the killer that makes sense.
First thing first, they're called to Vesper Norton's suite where they find his body. Like the Raulssons, the killer has...arranged it. Whereas the killer strung up the Raulssons artistically, the killer has drained Norton's blood into hundreds of tiny vials and replaced the blood with Blue. It's...a lot.
But it also makes Elise and Marin realize that the killer has pretty advanced medical skills. They feel like it all points to a staff member, but, as staff members, they don't feel like one of their colleagues did it. Presumably their motive would be vengeance against an asshole billionaire, but, as Elise says, all the staff know the score so it seems weird one of them would go rogue. But, given the "celebratory" nature of the killings, it also doesn't feel like a Board member offing other Board members for power. In other words, they have no idea.
The issue has other strange revelations, like the fact St. Brigid deactivates *all* suite cameras when Elise is on Blue, not just hers. Also, Elise confesses to Marin that she was a dishwasher with no background in security. For some reason, though, Raulsson liked her energy when she onboarded and gave her the security job.
The issue ends with all the residents getting a message saying that they're next. Gailey doesn't have Elise tell Marin that St. Brigid keeps telling her that she was the only person to access the rooms of the previous victims, which is ostensibly the reason why she isn't calling the police. Marin doesn't trust the police to solve the problem anyway, so he isn't asking. But at this point it's hard to believe that Elise is going to retain control over this situation much longer.
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