The Forged #2: Honestly, 13 pages of back matter in the second issue is probably a sign that a series maybe isn't worth the time.
Like many other science-fiction series, the problem here is that the idea is great but the execution isn't. In a way, this series is sort of like a companion to "A Memory Called Empire," except focused on the front line not imperial ballrooms.
Rucka and Trautmann spend the first dozen pages or so throwing around a lot of almost incomprehensible jargon as Victory and Hap devise a way to save the team from the crashing Her Endless Radiant Triumph. The main problem is that the Triumph's T-space engines will crack upon crashing, creating an emp blast that'll knock out their communications. For reasons that aren't clear to me, Victory decides rebooting the suits will somehow protect them from the blast (which I'm not sure is how emp blasts work) but directs E.V.I.L. to flood the suits with kinetic energy-absorption gel before it goes off-line.
After surviving the impact, the team reassambles itself. Rucka and Trautmann engage in Hickmanesque behavior here, equating "confusion" with "interesting." For example, Hap investigates some sort of goo, which, if I had to guess, came from the Triumph. Her assessment that the "heat-tolerance before dissolution is off" clearly means it's going to matter later. It took me reading the Gamma entry in the back matter to realize that Hap shares some sort of symbiotic relationship with the drone, Spot, which is why Victory trusts Spot when it answers on Hap's behalf.
At any rate, the team arrives at a lifeboat, where they realize the mission isn't a black box but a person. Harpo and Pusher argue over which way they should go until Jo finds a literal arrow built from the lifeboat's crash debris. Something then bites off her arm, and we then enter into a tedious mash-up of "Dune" and "Starship Troopers."
After defeating round after round of bugs, the team finds the abandoned al-Ashanti Terraforming installation. The team is surprised when the doors open for them and the installation is still powered. They're able to take off their helmets due to the artificial atmosphere, and Victory has a memory appear from her conversation with the Cassandra and tells another Cassandra she can stop hiding.
The Cassandra's presence shocks the team, and she's pissed they're behind schedule. That said, she's confident they can rearm for the "initial attack." Victory tries to tell her that they're safe from the bugs, but the Cassandra interrupts, telling her that she isn't worried about them. She reveals that they're there to protect her because, after 10,000 years, they've made first contact and "they mean to kill every last one of us."
In other words, meh. It isn't terrible, but I can't say it's particularly interesting. If I didn't have a 300+ issue backlog, I'd consider hanging in there, but I think I'm done.
No/One #2: This issue flows a little better than the first one, as Higgins and Buccellato lean into “The Wire” vibe and make it a journalism and police procedural.
Chief Mixon arrives at Ben’s house to take him to work on his first day back in the office, though it isn’t as friendly as you’d expect, as he’s doing so to encourage Ben to retire. Ben refuses, since he’s committed to finding Michael’s murderer. Mixon points out Ben is the assistant chief for ops, so it isn’t even his job to do that. Their conversation is interrupted, though, when Mixon is notified that Richard Roe struck again.
Walt leads the Detectives Singh and Harper to a parking garage where Three Rivers University’s football coach, Nathan Cade, lies dead, with four shots to the chest and an extra casing on the floor. Singh complains about Julia’s podcast getting out word about Roe’s modus operandi, and Walt notes that Roe left another note, this time saying just, “Clarity.”
Outside the scene, Walt refuses to give Julia any more information, since the brass (particularly Mixon) is pissed that she’s out there putting them on blast. Julia calls Teddy, who celebrates the fact Julia can’t get the scoop because it means the Powers That Be are paying attention. But Julia is pissed when Teddy suggests that they’ll start having Alejandro do the reporting, reducing Julia to playing the role of the public face of the paper's coverage of the No/One story.
Outside the scene, Walt refuses to give Julia any more information, since the brass (particularly Mixon) is pissed that she’s out there putting them on blast. Julia calls Teddy, who celebrates the fact Julia can’t get the scoop because it means the Powers That Be are paying attention. But Julia is pissed when Teddy suggests that they’ll start having Alejandro do the reporting, reducing Julia to playing the role of the public face of the paper's coverage of the No/One story.
As Walt returns from his smoke break, he spots No/One lurking in the garage and engages in a chase. A helicopter quickly arrives to assist, and No/One uses some sort of taser device to take out one cop before successfully fleeing. It’s all very Batman.
Later, Ben visits Aaron, who is truly as asshole. Aaron declines to confirm if Cade was on his list but claims he wasn’t responsible for Cade's murder. He notes that he thought Roe might go after Cade, though, after someone sent him Three Rivers’ football schedule with what Aaron thought was Cade’s autograph. When he saw Roe’s note from last issue, though, he realized the same person wrote Cade’s name, since it had the same weird E. He informs Ben that he told Alejandro from the Ledger about it when he visited because Ben was in the hospital. Ben asks Aaron how No/One knew to save him, and Aaron says simply that he doesn’t know who No/One is because he would’ve been there for Michael had he known. (I don’t believe that for a minute.) Like last time, Aaron wants his dad to beg for his help, and Ben blames the situation on Aaron, who tries to blame Ben for it, unbelievably, since he was with Michael on the day he was killed. (“I was wondering how long it would take to blame me for this.” JFC, dude.)
At Teddy’s office, Ben and Teddy call in Alejandro, and Teddy is furious that he didn’t tell him about Cade. (I can’t believe Alejandro didn’t run to him immediately when he found out Roe killed Cade. Is Alejandro No/One or Roe maybe?) Alejandro explains that he had spoken with a former player, Chuck Tate, who accused Cade of a “pay to play” scheme, though Alejandro notes it didn’t seem on the level of the four people No/One doxxed. Alejandro tells them that he thought Tate had more he wanted to say but wasn’t ready yet. Ben is clearly going to pay Tate a visit.
Later, at police headquarters, Mixon is for some reason forcing Ben to attend the press conference to discuss Cade's murder. In the mens’ room, Ben runs into Senator Kemp, the victim who survived No/One's attack. Kemp wants Ben to plead guilty to…something so he can then work with Kemp to go after No/One. Kemp grandstands at the press conference, where, for some reason, Ben announces his retirement.
Later, Ben visits Aaron, who is truly as asshole. Aaron declines to confirm if Cade was on his list but claims he wasn’t responsible for Cade's murder. He notes that he thought Roe might go after Cade, though, after someone sent him Three Rivers’ football schedule with what Aaron thought was Cade’s autograph. When he saw Roe’s note from last issue, though, he realized the same person wrote Cade’s name, since it had the same weird E. He informs Ben that he told Alejandro from the Ledger about it when he visited because Ben was in the hospital. Ben asks Aaron how No/One knew to save him, and Aaron says simply that he doesn’t know who No/One is because he would’ve been there for Michael had he known. (I don’t believe that for a minute.) Like last time, Aaron wants his dad to beg for his help, and Ben blames the situation on Aaron, who tries to blame Ben for it, unbelievably, since he was with Michael on the day he was killed. (“I was wondering how long it would take to blame me for this.” JFC, dude.)
At Teddy’s office, Ben and Teddy call in Alejandro, and Teddy is furious that he didn’t tell him about Cade. (I can’t believe Alejandro didn’t run to him immediately when he found out Roe killed Cade. Is Alejandro No/One or Roe maybe?) Alejandro explains that he had spoken with a former player, Chuck Tate, who accused Cade of a “pay to play” scheme, though Alejandro notes it didn’t seem on the level of the four people No/One doxxed. Alejandro tells them that he thought Tate had more he wanted to say but wasn’t ready yet. Ben is clearly going to pay Tate a visit.
Later, at police headquarters, Mixon is for some reason forcing Ben to attend the press conference to discuss Cade's murder. In the mens’ room, Ben runs into Senator Kemp, the victim who survived No/One's attack. Kemp wants Ben to plead guilty to…something so he can then work with Kemp to go after No/One. Kemp grandstands at the press conference, where, for some reason, Ben announces his retirement.
P.S.: I listened to the first podcast. I applaud the creators for trying something new. That said, the acting is a little awkward if you listen to a lot of podcasts, since it's too expository. Rachel Maddow doesn't give us her life story when she starts a podcast. (Actually, she kind of does, now that I think about it, so maybe I'm too harsh here.)
At any rate, it's relevant for two pieces of information that we get that I don't think we've gotten in the comic.
First, we learn that the fifth "bullet" in Roe's gun is a blank, explaining why the cops find five casings at each crime scene. Teddy (played by Patton Oswalt) explains that it's an homage to the random blank that firing squads often use. He also explains that Roe had to pop out the casings physically given the nature of his .38 Special. Singh alludes to this conversation in the issue, when he complains that everyone now knows Roe's modus operandi due to the podcast.
Second, the tip that led the cops to Roe at the Carrie Blast Furnace also revealed to the cops that Roe uses a blank. It means that, unless Roe outted himself to the cops, someone who knew Roe's modus operandi provided the tip.
In addition to this new information, the authors may have mentioned it in passing in the series, but the podcast underscores more clearly the fact that the district attorney suspiciously never brought charges against anyone No/One doxxed. It's clear that we have some sort of story there.
Star Wars: Sana Starros #3: Oof, a lot happens in this issue.
First, we learn that Deva Lompop is Grammy Thel’s auntie because she made a promise a long time ago to protect the Starros family as if it were her own. (Given Deva looks about 20, I’m guessing she’s older than she looks if Grammy Thel is calling her auntie.) Sana is outraged to learn that her brother, Phel, swiped a set of journals when he visited Grammy Thel. We also learn that Phel is an Imp, which explains why he and Sana aren’t on speaking terms. Sana storms to the bar to order a drink, where she meets a hot blue-skinned dish named Lanitra who invites her to her ship. Deva appears and informs the pair that they leave for Hon-Tallos in three hours, apparently to steal a rancor.
First, we learn that Deva Lompop is Grammy Thel’s auntie because she made a promise a long time ago to protect the Starros family as if it were her own. (Given Deva looks about 20, I’m guessing she’s older than she looks if Grammy Thel is calling her auntie.) Sana is outraged to learn that her brother, Phel, swiped a set of journals when he visited Grammy Thel. We also learn that Phel is an Imp, which explains why he and Sana aren’t on speaking terms. Sana storms to the bar to order a drink, where she meets a hot blue-skinned dish named Lanitra who invites her to her ship. Deva appears and informs the pair that they leave for Hon-Tallos in three hours, apparently to steal a rancor.
At Wild Wollina’s Animal Adventures park, Grammy Thel and Mevera try to talk to Sana, but she isn’t having it: she informs them that she’s leaving once they get Aryssha back because they once again chose Phel (because they allowed him to visit, I think). To clear the park, Lanitra frees a three-headed monster called a hragscythe; Sana saves a kid from getting crushed in its stampede, and Deva uses her poison to put it to sleep. Deva hilariously has Sana douse herself in juvenile rancor urine so the rancor thinks that she’s its cub. (When Sana asks why Deva isn’t doused in urine, she remarks that rancors can sense predators. God, I love her.)
Wollina arrives along with a bounty hunter named Marl Jibs who’s apparently looking for Mevera, which is confusing because I initially thought he was there helping Wollina instead of them coincidentally arriving at the same spot at the same time, as I think happened. (I don't know if we know why Jibs wants Mevera but details at the this point.) Deva takes on Wollina as Jibs chases Sana, who eventually realizes she’s riding a rancor and has it attack him.
Deva re-appears after her “productive chat” with Wollina, and they board the rancor into a crate. Deva apparently helped Wollina build the park years ago, and we learn Lanitra is part of the Genetian Collective, a syndicate with a heart of gold because it wanted Deva’s help in shutting down the park. (Lanitra declares, “Down with tyranny!” as they discuss the park’s closing.) But Sana puts two and two together and realizes the Collective now owes Deva a favor, which she’ll use to get back Aryssha.
Unfortunately, Jibs apparently swiped Grammy Thel in the chaos, which is impressive given the fact a rancor smacked him moments earlier. He’s threatening to kill her if Mevera doesn’t surrender in 24 hours. Also Ehllo and Phel discover Aryssha eavesdropping on people trying to open one of the aforementioned journals. Ruh-roh!
It’s a fun issue, but, honestly, it’s a little too much. After only two issues, it’s really hard to keep everyone and all the intersecting plots straight. Hopefully we won't add any more characters or plots in the next few issues.
Star Wars: Yoda #6: As I've mentioned, my main complaint about the way Yoda is treated in the prequel era is that no one acknowledges that he had a Sith Lord (or two) sitting right next to him for many years. Houser does a better job than pretty much anyone else of presenting that reality, as Yoda is forced to acknowledge that he failed young Gheyr when she leaves the Temple to prevent Krrsish's vision from becoming a reality. Yoda chastises Dooku when he discovers Dooku knew about Krrsish's vision, but Dooku correctly points out the Order is often harsh on seers, such as it was with his friend Sifo-Dyas (i.e., the clones' creator). In the end, Yoda is left with Krrsish - the one who acted from a place of anger and fear - as he watches the thoughtful Dooku and promising Gheyr leave Coruscant. Yoda knows that he was wrong in the future that serves as this issue's framing device - as he waits for Luke on Dagobah - but I wonder if he knew he was wrong then.
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