No/One #4: We get right to it here as Ben arrives at the sports bar from last issue that Chuck Tate frequents and Tate calls to him as "Jim." (Given that ben looks like Commissioner Gordon, I did a double-take!) Tate, "Jim," and the barflies watch one of Tate's old games, which gives way to a newscast that mentions Coach Cade would've had a chance to win his 100th game this week. Tate suddenly announces he has to leave for a big booster event. Ben follows him, and we see Tate simply bringing home a pizza and watching some TV. Ruh-roh.
Meanwhile, the newscast shows Julia's mother, Alaina, going on a rant about Julia in response to a question about an article in which she commented about Julia. Separately, at a press conference, we learn Danielle Gaines from Edge News published said article when she half-heartedly apologizes to Julia for it. Julia isn't buying it, pointing out Danielle's shoddy journalism for publishing Alaina's rant without seeking comment from Julia. Danielle proves what a hack she is by claiming she hit "publish" by accident. Oof.
Their argument is interpreted when Senator Kemp takes the stage and announces that he's introducing Proposition 87, which will allow Pittsburghers to "proactively defend" themselves, through preemptive immunity, from "attacks" including "doxxing, social media terrorism, and so-called accountability data drops." Later, Danielle hacks out again when she pays the security guard we saw at the issue's start for a piece of Adam's mail that reveals who Copycat #3's next target is.
Elsewhere, Ben visits Tate at home, and Tate recognizes him as Ben. Ben asks why Tate is protecting Cade and goes on a fakakta spiel where he hypothesizes that Tate is worried about revealing what he knows about Cade (i.e., more about the "Clarity" note) because it'll take away his accomplishments. Not unreasonably, Tate is like, "motherfucker, you raised a fucking serial killer, MKAY?" Ben acknowledges he's a bad parents and says that he's trying to atone for it by finding his son's killer, who's likely Cade's killer as well. He loses me, though, when he tells Tate that telling the truth will make people respect him more than an interception. Like, does he live in the same America I do?
Then, a lot of things happen at once. Someone calls into Major Crimes to tell them that Danielle Gaines is publishing the next victim's name: Tobias North of P3. Julia confronts her mother, who complains that she did a softball interviews of Ben Kern and No/One. Of course, neither statement is true: Teddy did the Kern interview, and Juila didn't interview No/One - No/One saved her life while she was recording Kenny Chobsky pulling a gun on her. But Alaina is somehow convinced her fear-mongering is helping the situation while Julia is reporting from a bubble (where people try to assault her...). Then, Teddy (I think) calls Julia to tell her Tate confessed to Ben that "Clarity" was a woman.
The cops arrive at North's apartment building, but No/One disables the elevators. He arrives just in time to see Copycat #3 (presumably, but who knows at this point) shoot North, and they launch into a fight. No/One illuminates the circle on his helmet to blind Copycat #3, and Copycat #3 uses a taser to stun No/One. Copycat #3 then flees and hits the fire alarm, escaping in the chaos as everyone evacuates the building. Later, at the bar, one of the barflies mentions that Tate might tell them about the afterparty that happened after the game on TV, and Ben stays to see if Tate arrives.
P.S. The podcast definitely fills in some information here that could be essential to the plot.
First, picking up last issue's storyline, Chobsky "met" Chris O'Neil on a pro-gun sub-Reddit where they got into an argument, which prompted O'Neil threatened to SWAT Chobsky.
Separately, Senator Kemp's brother, who apparently staunchly supported him despite being a progressive activist, changes his tune and confirms that his brother is corrupt.
Meanwhile, in an unsourced recording, Tate admits he helped Cade get drugs and girls, because Cade liked to party. It turns out "Clarity" was a girl who Cade found dead in bed next to him during a Spring Break party (likely the one to which the barfly alluded above). Cade called Tate who disposed of the body for him. Tate says he never told anyone, but obviously Copycat #3 knew.
Finally, North oversaw a cover-up operation, paying the employees caught dumping chemicals off the Jersey Shore to claim the company didn't know anything about it.
In other words, a lot of shady shit is happening in Pittsburgh.
Star Wars #36: This issue is an odd one, as Leia and Admiral Ackbar put the lives of four of the Rebellion's best pilots (including Lando) on the line to score a symbolic victory, striking the Emperor's statue in Monument Plaza on Coruscant.
The pilots are (rightly) skeptical about the plan, given it's basically replicating - as Leia notes - the attack on the parade they launched in issue #26 (which I remember not at all). But Leia and Ackbar see value in striking at Palpatine and Vader while the Force Wave distracts them, so in the pilots go.
The team loses two pilots almost immediately, discovering the statue itself is a trap, armed with laser canons. Chewie manages to grab Nien Nunb after he ejects from his ship and bring him aboard the Falcon, setting up his origin story as Lando's co-pilot. They escape through all the various layers of Coruscant, per Ackbar's plan.
Later, a furious Lando berates Leia for wasting the two pilots' lives on a failed plan. But Leia informs him that one of them got off a good shot, and we see the destroyed statue on the issue's last page. Although Leia crows that its all over the holonet, I'm Team Lando here, as it seems harsh that Leia and Ackbar sacrificed the two pilots' lives - pilots who were among the Rebellion's best - for a public relations stunt with limited impact.
Star Wars: Yoda #9: Like "Star Wars: Darth Vader - Black, White, and Red" #3, this issue does an excellent job of making Anakin's fall all the more tragic.
Given a pretty great sequences of events, Yoda finds himself orbiting Golatha inside the remaining megadroid's body. Despite the fact that he's suffocating, Yoda uses it as a learning opportunity for young Skywalker, as he has a doubtful Anakin use his powers to stop the megadroid's spinning. Throughout the drama, their exchanges are delightful and clearly amplify Yoda's devastation that he failed to save him, as we see at the issue's end when he finally acknowledges Obi-Wan's ghost.
I've been rough on Yoda for years, given the deference paid to him despite his failure to recognize Palpatine as Darth Sidious. But Yoda finally acknowledges that here, telling Obi-Wan that he hasn't removed himself from the galaxy for penance but because it's better without him. With that acknowledgment, Yoda is right back on my list of favorite characters, the rare Jedi who can acknowledge both his failure and his grief.
No comments:
Post a Comment