New-ish Comics: The June 20 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #801:  This issue is lovely.  As I mentioned in my review of last issue, I have a complicated relationship with Dan Slott.  After I wrote that, though, I realized you have to have a complicated relationship with someone after ten years.  The people who claim they loved every issue of the 180-issue run?  I either don’t believe them or don’t think they’re paying that much attention.  Like Dan says, I’ve loved Spider-Man since I was eight years old, and I take that relationship seriously.  I couldn’t possibly love everything Dan did here.  In fact, the only real umbrage I took with Dan is the period when he implied if I didn’t love his work I didn’t love Spider-Man.  Thankfully, Dan moved off that position, and we’re better for it.  It’s like a relationship after successful couple’s therapy.  The scars are there, but you don’t focus on them anymore.  These last few issues — from “Go Down Swinging” to this one — are a reminder of the best Dan Slott had to offer, and I’m glad we got to go out this way.  Happy trails, Dan!

Avengers #3:  We don’t really learn too much here, to be honest.  Instead, everyone breaks into teams specifically to find out more.  Loki kidnaps Cap and takes him on an exposition tour of the situation, showing him the “Progenitor” Celestial at the center of the Earth who’s allegedly the cause of the current problems.  Carol and T’Challa head to Alpha Flight to learn more about the bugs emerging from the center of the Earth (the ones Dr. Strange and T'Challa fought last issue).  Tony takes Dr. Strange with him to see the Eternals and learn more about the dead Celestials.  Thor and She-Hulk go interrogate Odin about his role in the death of the Celestial that he and his Prehistoric Avengers allegedly killed.  Finally, Robbie hopes his car can track down Dark Celestials.  (I guess the car is his partner?)  All in all?  That's a bold move, Cotton.  Let’s see how it plays out.

Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #20:  I’ll admit I’m reading this series mostly from a sense of obligation at this point.  But, the good news is this issue is fun, and the surprise revelation at the end could set up a fun few issues.  (Hopefully.)  But, this Abigail storyline has to wrap up soon.  I don’t even understand why Ben is still working on it.  First, his face appears healed here, presumably after his heroics during “Damnation.”  I get that helping Abigail will help his soul, but he could probably do countless other things on a larger scale that would accomplish the same goal more quickly. I don’t understand why we’re stuck with this one.

Captain America #704:  OMG, this issue is a mess.  Man, I am glad Coates is coming soon.

Jack has somehow commandeered a laboratory that is conveniently full of scientists who know how to run a machine that can read Pursur's mind.  Jack has apparently deduced the Super-Soldier Serum is deadly to anyone with a Kree gene after he realized it was killing his son, Steve.  (Steve apparently has a recessive Kree gene, but we're never told which of Jack's ancestors mated with a Kree.  Whatever.  We have bigger fish to fry here.)  For some reason, after realizing the Serum was deadly to the Kree, Pursur decided to expose every human to the Serum rather than destroy it.  Jack says it's because destroying it would've raised "flags," but Waid never explains why exposing all of humanity to it was Pursur's only other option.  Plus, I'm still not sure what exposing humanity to the Serum accomplished for the Kree.  If they're all sleeper agents, why not activate them to prevent them from rioting and then use them against the Skull?  I mean, what's the point of sleeper agents if you can't activate them in time of distress?  Don't you have sleeper agents to avoid exactly the outcome we have here, where the Kree are forced to send its armada such a long distance to quell an uprising?  Anyway, Jack hopes to torture Pursur into revealing the locations of the storage facilities containing the Serum, but Pursur withstands the assault.  Jack then just uses his miraculous technology to painfully rip the information from Pursur's mind, uttering only a caustic "Pity" as he does so.  (Yeah, I'm definitely rooting for this guy, Waid.  He's a real winner.)

Meanwhile, we learn the Red Skull was able to broadcast Jack's message to all humanity last issue because somehow Jack's attack on the Cube imbued the Red Skull with its powers.  (That wasn't clear to me last issue.)  As such, he's now single-handedly taking on the Kree armada.  However, Jack realizes he can't do it alone, so, once he gets access to the Serum, he uses it to create large-scale chemical weapons and commits genocide on the Kree.  (Steve would def approve, Jack.)  With the Kree devastated, he then tries to warn the United States about the Skull, but the Skull stops him before he can.  He asks the Skull to honor their deal for the Skull to save his son, but the Skull refuses.  Although Jack was seemingly running the military base where the mind-reading machine was held, he now  claims he's a fugitive who would be killed by the first soldier who sees him.  I'm not really sure why, though.  He claims it's because he's collaborating with the Skull, but the whole problem is no one is aware of the Skull's existence.  If they were, Jack wouldn't need to rally them to his cause.  Anyway, Jack tells the Skull he'll capitulate to save his son, and the Skull is willing to accept his capitulation as a sign he won the war with Steve Rogers.  But, no, Jack doesn't have a change of heart at the last minute, realizing the real Captain America would abhor the tactics he used here.  No, instead he reveals the Skull is the Cube.  When Jack grabs the Skull's hand to kiss it, he reveals he's really using his touch to exert his will over the Skull as one would do over the Cube.  He then rallies all Americans to join their will with his will, defeating the Skull once and for all.  Later, he tells his son they have to show "eternal vigilance" as the cost of peace, as Steve taught them.

If Jack is supposed to be Steve's surrogate, Mark Waid apparently thinks Captain America is a genocidal, tortuous, xenophobic despot.  Oy.  Ta-Nehisi, take us away!

Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #1:  Man, I teared up again over a JJJ, Jr. story!  Zdarsky is really re-inventing him as a character.  I didn't know he needed to be re-invented, but Zdarsky makes a convincing case for it here, as Jonah continues to face the mistakes he made in the past.  It's a pretty compelling story, folks.

Spider-Gwen #33:  Latour gives us a fascinating take on Gwen's imprisonment here.  First, he uses her relatively light sentence (after Foggy drops any charges related to Peter's death) as an exploration of privilege, as Gwen realizes anyone who didn't look like she did would've gotten a tougher sentence.  But, she also feels like the lighter sentence robbed her of the punishment she feels she deserves for her role in Peter's death.  Her light sentence denies her her penance, meaning her responsibility still weighs on her.  When Captain America tries to recruit her for an Earth-65 Suicide Squad, Gwen refuses in part because she doesn't want that sort of redemption.  She doesn't want to be saved.  It's hard to see how Latour is going to wrap up this story in one issue, but, man, I'm there.

X-Men:  Gold #30:  This issue is beautifully drawn, which is a shame, because it's terribly written.  Unlike real life, everything one reads in a comic book comes from an author's mind.  The decisions characters make are ultimately decisions the author makes.  As the reader, we feel connected with those decisions if they feel right.  After years of following a character, you have a sense of how they'd respond to a given decision based on various authors using a consistent portrayal of them.  Remy proposing to Rogue on the spur of the moments makes sense, not only because he's a romantic but also because he loves her deeply.  Rogue accepting his proposal makes sense because, as Remy himself says, she sees in him the man he wants to be.  But, those decisions are based on groundwork other authors have laid, most notably Kelly Thompson in the recently concluded "Rogue and Gambit" mini-series.  Guggenheim's couple was Kitty and Pitor, and he fails them miserably here.  Kitty Pryde goes from the confident, self-assured woman she has always been to one easily swayed by her best friend's doubts.  She goes from taking the initiative to propose to Piotr to abandoning him in front of their family and friends when she suddenly realizes she can't marry him.  When he finds her, she can't even remotely summon an explanation.  Guggenheim is the one who ultimately set us on this path, and it seems unbelievable we end here.  I don't mean it in the sense that it's unbelievable we wasted so many issues to get to this moment.  I mean, it literally feels unbelievable that the events -- as they related to Kitty and Pitor -- would unfold the way they do here.  Everyone here -- Remy and Rogue, Kitty and Piotr, us readers -- deserved better.

Also Read:  Daredevil #604; Infinity Countdown:  Black Widow #1; Infinity Countdown:  Champions #1

New-ish Comics: The May 30 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #800:  This issue is great.  Really.  The story is actually 80 pages, which makes it feel less like the money grab it still obviously is.  (Seriously, Marvel, stop with the $9.99 issues.)

I wasn't sure how Slott was going to pull off an 80-page story, but he really nails it.  The story doesn't drag, and the resolution feels hard won.  Each step that brought us closer and closer to the resolution felt well supported by the steps preceding it.  Slott accomplishes this feat (rare for him lately) by keeping everything grounded in characterization:  Flash sacrifices himself to allow Peter to keep the powers he needs to take on Norman, Peter uses his brains and not brawn to defeat Norman, Norman's ego undoes him, etc.  We even have Aunt May implying she knows Peter is Spider-Man and telling him she's proud of "Spider-Man" for saving so many people, herself included, over the years.  Peter’s speeches to Flash and Jonah carry the weight of almost 60 years, and Slott made us feel that weight in a good way.

I’m not saying it’s a perfect issue.  After all, JJJ, Jr.’s decision to shoot Norman feels like an afterthought, when it's really a huge deal.  First, Immonen (unusually for him) screwed up the positioning, as Peter takes the shot to his shoulder well above Norman’s head.  Given JJJ, Jr.s was firing nowhere near Norman's body, it actually reads more like he was firing a warning shot.  But, we can tell from the narrative he wasn't, and Slott really never addresses the idea JJJ, Jr. is willing to murder Norman.  Compounding matters, Peter just categorically forgives JJJ, Jr., an example of moral relativism that we don’t often see from a guy committed to making sure no one dies.  Sure, he let Clash off the hook for stealing, but it was because he was playing Robin Hood; attempted murder is something else entirely.  I get where Slott was going with the idea of Peter forgiving Jonah, as it's part of Peter pledging to Flash he'll stop engaging in his own form of bullying.  But, I still don't understand what Peter meant by that.  His wisecracks?  It's a pretty big leap to go from taking responsibility for making fun of criminals to condoning attempted murder.  Moreover, Slott is writing a check here he’s not going to cash; I’m not sure I understand how a more serious Peter (if a non-joking Peter is what Slott is setting up here) will play.

As I've said previously, I loved Dan Slott at the start of his run.  "Big Time," "Spider-Island," and "Ends of the Earth" were great Spider-Man stories:  they were ambitious, fun, and innovative.  They showcased the best and worst of Peter Parker, from the extended supporting cast that makes him who he is to the nagging self-doubt that threatens constantly to undermine him.  Then, "Superior Spider-Man" happened.  At this point, the wheels went off the bus.  Slott and his editor, Stephen Wacker, presaged the Trump era by dismissing anyone expressing confusion or disappointment with the poorly structured story as an enemy.  Slott's then seemingly lost his ability to tell large-scale stories as both "Spider-Verse" and "Dead No More:  The Clone Conspiracy" were complicated, sprawling, and tedious.  Then, Peter essentially became Tony Stark; it's no irony Slott is going to write him next.  You could've replaced Iron Man for Spider-Man for the entirety of "Amazing Spider-Man" volume 4 and likely not have noticed a difference.  At this point, it was increasingly clear it was time for Slott to go.

Slott wraps up his time next issue, and we'll see how that goes.  At this point, I'm glad "Go Down Swinging" brought back some of that magic "Big Time" had.  We could all use a little magic right now.

Daredevil #603:  I’ll admit this story is starting to feel too long, as if Soule is going to drag out this night for several years of stories.  I mean, Henderson’s art is great here, so I’m not exactly complaining.  But, the Hand’s ninjas retreating from the streets of New York so the Beast could unleash a toxic cloud on the city felt like an excessive escalation of the assault.  Wasn't a plague of ninjas enough?  Moreover, Matt seems completely incapable of doing anything believable in terms of fighting off the Hand’s superior force; releasing Black Cat, Diamondback, Hammerhead, and Owl doesn’t do much to stop a toxic cloud.  You’d figure Murdoch would’ve put someone (Dr. Strange?) in charge of finding a way to stop the Beast.  Moreover, it’s hard to believe this assault is just because Blindspot refused to kill Muse as part of his deal with the Beast.  It seems completely disproportionate.  It makes more sense for the Beast to get revenge on Matt by making him mayor and thus making him responsible as the Hand destroys his beloved city around him.  If the Beast is willing to destroy New York because of a teenager's broken promise, it makes you wonder why he hasn't already done so.  Someone somewhere had to disappoint him previously.  It’s all serves as a distraction from the great story about the Kingpin’s reign as mayor, making you wonder if Soule wouldn’t have been better off sequencing the stories rather than telling them overlappingly.  I know that’s how "real" life happens; “Batman” arcs are always at their best when he’s juggling multiple enemies a the same time.  But, again, it feels like Matt is going up against nuclear weapons with flint knives here.

Infinity Countdown:  Captain Marvel #1:  This issue is fine in terms of scripting (if a little too rah-rah), but it makes no sense in terms of the plot:  Carol’s consultations with the other Captain Marvels helps her learn how to defeat Blastaar in a less destructive way than she originally did, but she concludes her gut is a better guide (even though it, by definition, wasn’t).  It's not terrible, but it definitely feels like a cross-over event tie-in issue.

Marvel 2-in-One #6:  This issue somehow manages to wrap up this story quickly, without skimping on the emotions.  A freed Johnny Storm uses the Power Cosmic to sate Galact-a-Doom’s hunger in time for Emma to transfer her mind into his body.  Using a Trojan Horse code Reed wrote, she turns herself into a creator instead of a destroyer.  (You have to wonder why Reed didn't turn him into a creator the first time he appeared at Earth, but it is what it is.)  Johnny then uses the remaining part of his Power Cosmic to empower Norrin to follow Emma into the stars to recreate the Universe.  But, the best moments are saved for the team, as our Johnny encourages our Victor to trust him (and not prevent Emma from taking over Galactus) because it's what made the Fantastic Four great.  Then their Reed tells our Ben he knows his Reed and Sue are dead.  Overall, it makes for an unusually sad issue (particularly when we learn Galen died of madness, knowing full well what he did as Galactus).  Although Ben and Johnny might have helped recreate this world, as far as Ben knows, his universe doesn’t give him that same hope.

Spider-Gwen #32:  Gwen wraps up some loose ends here before Captain DeWolff arrests her.  She reunites with the Mary Janes, and Reed records their band practice as the source for a device whose sounds incapacitates Matt Murdoch.  It allows Gwen to swipe the Web-Watch and leave Murdoch for the Hand, whose leadership has declared war on him for his incompetence.  It’s hard to count out Murdoch, though; his pledge to get revenge on Gwen feels real.  Meanwhile, Gwen assures the Mary Janes that she knows what she’s doing.  Her father believed in honesty, but Gwen realized “honesty” was about emotions; George was trying to get the people of New York to see Spider-Gwen through his eyes, essentially asking them to trust him.  To Gwen’s mind, the truth (not "honesty") allows the people of New York to draw their own conclusions about her.  It’s a compelling case, though we’ll see if Gwen can live with the consequences.  In another note, Gwen seems to tell Murdoch the device doesn’t hurt her because it’s the voices of the people she loves, implying she’s found a balance with the symbiote.  (I'm not sure I'm buying that, but I think it's what Latour is arguing.)  In fact, she implies Murdoch believed the symbiote feared sonics because he feared sonics.  It’s a bit of a stretch but I get where Latour is going with it.  It goes to the idea of Gwen as a fully integrated person, not just the sum of all her various personas.  We'll see what happens next issue.

X-Men:  Blue #28:  It was always clear Alex was going to be cured, both body and soul, and Bunn takes care of that pretty effectively here, as Havok, Bastion, and Miss Sinister are defeated on several fronts.

First, Magneto calls Elixir and Exodus from the past (or future) to stop the spread of Mothervine:  Exodus uses his powers to teleport them from infection site to infection site while Elixir cures everyone who didn’t actually have the mutant gene to start.  Meanwhile, Emma is appalled as Miss Sinister tortures Jimmy and Bloodstorm, mostly because she doesn’t like the idea of mutants being manipulated.  (Sinister also confirms the mutants of Jimmy’s world were manufactured, and he carried the code — Mothervine — in his DNA.  I'm not sure if we knew that previously, but there you go.)  Emma turns against her, taking control of Mach-2 and using her magnetism to free Jimmy so he can slice Miss Sinister into ribbons.  With Emma’s control lifted and Sinister’s presence gone, Lorna, Daken, Gazing Nightshade, and Xorn are free.  They join forces with Emma, Bloodstorm, and Jimmy to take down Havok and the remnants of his Brotherhood (Bastion, Toad, and that white-haired guy, as far as I can tell.  Bastion tries to assert control, but Xorn releases his singularity, seemingly destroying himself and Bastion in the process.

All that’s left is for Alex to be saved.  Bunn does his best here to make it clear why it was only now that the specific confluence of factors necessary to heal him were presented.  Emma uses Lorna’s memories of Alex to punch through his defenses and invert him, lamenting the loss of his potential as a bad guy, and Elixir uses his powers to heal his face.  Alex is shaken from the experience, feeling as if part of his soul has been ripped from him.  If Bunn stumbles at all through this issue, it’s in Emma’s decision to become an unrestricted good guy.  I get why she turns against Miss Sinister, but it’s less clear why she finally decides to heal Alex.  Even if Lorna’s memories of (i.e., love for) Alex served as the necessary Trojan Horse to cure him, Bunn doesn’t tell us why Emma would actually turn the switch.  As she herself says, he would've been a powerful ally.  But, Bunn does a solid job with healing Alex’s scar. I never bought into the idea that Alex’s skin was somehow destroyed on a molecular level, as it really made no sense.  (We can resurrect people from the dead, but we can't fix Alex's scar?)  As such, Elixir healing him here felt like a logical fix to a problem that should’ve been solved a long time ago.

At any rate, I’m just glad to have Alex back.  “AXIS” was a pretty terrible event, and it made little sense to sandbag such a great character — particularly given what Remender did with him in “Uncanny Avengers” before “AXIS” — with that legacy.  (Plus, I’m not going to object to his handsome face returning.)  Now, I’m just exited to see Emma and a furious Magneto go to war.

Also Read:  Ms. Marvel #30; Pathfinder:  Spiral of Bones #3; Star Wars:  Lando - Double or Nothing #1; X-Men:  Red Annual #1

Almost-New Comics: The April 18 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #799:  Holy fucking crap, this issue is amazing.  In fact, this arc is so good I feel like Slott is redeeming himself for all the terrible storylines over the years.  (I’m looking at you, “Superior Spider-Man.”)  First, Slott reminds us how strong Peter’s “web” of “amazing friends” is:  the Human Torch is watching MJ, Miles is watching Aunt May, and Silk is on the “Bugle” team.  Peter asks Anti-Venom to keep an eye on JJJ, Jr., and Flash reports he already has JJJ, Jr. (as we saw last issue).  But, JJJ, Jr. bolts from Flash to run to his apartment and FaceTime Peter so he can tell him he slipped and revealed Peter's identity to the Goblin.  Peter’s stoney faced look is amazing (and handsome, oy), and JJJ, Jr. is panicked when Peter cuts off the connection.  JJJ, Jr. pledges to make it right, and I’m more sure than ever he’s dying next issue.  Meanwhile, Peter contacts Clash, letting him know he’s been watching him and approves of his Robin Hood schtick.  He then asks him to watch the Osborns like the hero Peter knows he is.  With all the players set, the game begins.  Harry, Liz, and Mark awaken to discover the boys are missing, but Liz reveals she had Normie chipped.  As such, they head to the Port Authority, where they find them with Emma.  Emma tells them they're idiots, as she was trying to save the boys before Norman found them.  On cue, Norman arrives and reveals “Emma” is Harry’s long-thought dead mother, Emily.  Dun-dun-DUN!  ("The Clone Conspiracy" maybe?)  Clash reports the Goblin's arrival to Peter, and the Torch arrives to work with Clash, hitting the Red Goblin (and, most importantly, the symbiote) with fire and sonics.  However, Norman reveals the combination of the Carnage symbiote and Goblin serum gives him all the powers of Carnage and the Green Goblin but none of the weaknesses.  He not only makes quick work of this pair, but also dispatches Miles and Silk without breaking a sweat.  Flash gives him more of a challenge, as he's surprised by Flash's ability to harm the symbiote.  But, he correctly plays to Flash’s sense of heroism, as Flash spreads himself too thin trying to heal the dying heroes surrounding him.  Norman overwhelms him, and Peter (with Immonen showing us a lovely shot of his abs) pulls on his costume and leaps into action, busted leg and all.  Norman chases after his family, and Peter arrives to marvel in the devastation.  Flash uses his last ounce of power to heal Peter’s leg, just as Norman does what I was worried he’d do:  he turns Normie into a symbiote.  When Harry suggested he take Stanley and Liz take Normie, Normie had once again complained Harry cared more about Stanley than him.  Norman clearly plans to use that rage against Harry.  It’s...brilliant.  Honestly, I don’t know how Peter wins here.  Norman is all-powerful, and it’s not in an unbelievable way.  Slott has built this story slowly, and the combination of Carnage and the Green Goblin really just feels like Norman may have found the key to winning.  You almost believe he really is going to kill everyone next issue.  Plus, Slott’s weakness is usually his scripting, but he’s solid here.  You can feel JJJ, Jr.’s desperation to make things right with Peter.  Moreover, Peter is legitimately scared, not only by what Norman may do to his family and friends, but also for himself.  It's legitimately exciting.  Throwing in the fact Immonen and the art team are on fire, this title is finally at the top of Marvel’s game where it deserves to be.

Avengers #689:  The authors do an OK job wrapping up the story here, though I'll admit I felt something missing.  Maybe it was because Lightning's gambit to save the Earth (as well as the Human Torch and Red Wolf) via a game of Texas Hold 'Em with the Grandmaster felt too self-servingly heroic.  He wins the game because he's willing to be forgotten.  In fact, it's probably more the narration surrounding the game that does it, as Lightning keeps telling us how heroes don't do what they do to be remembered.  Making matters worse, the fight with the Challenger was ridiculous at points, from Jan (and not Nadia) creating "nano-acid" arrows for Hawkeye to Sam connecting telepathically with the Challenger because Doreen guessed he evolved from birds or dinosaurs because he was an alien.  (No, really.)  In fact, the Challenger never really seems like a threat beyond the moment he seemingly obliterates Wonder Man; everyone else -- including Squirrel Girl and the Wasps -- easily lands punches.  In the end, Wanda casts a spell that seems to channel the Avengers' hearts and souls into a magic blast that destroys the Challenger, and it's so effective you wonder why she didn't do it earlier than she does here.  (I think we're supposed to believe she was inspired when Voyager rallied the Avengers by reminding them what being an Avenger meant to each one of them.)  I'm not saying the issue is awful; it's OK, due largely to the art team really conveying a cinematic scope to the fight with the Challenger.  But, if they dialed back Lightning's over-the-top narration and showed the characters really struggling with the Challenger, it would've been a lot stronger issue, where we would've been kept guessing from start to finish.

Batman #45:  If the goal of this issue was for me to find Booster Gold hi-lar-ious and subscribe to his series, it was a major fail.  His schtick was tedious by the third page, and I can’t believe I was subjected to an entire issue of it.

Infinity Countdown #2:  Holy crap, Robbie is Talonar!  No way!  This issue is insane, and I mean that in the best possible way.  Something about the Guardians lends itself to a certain amount of believable ridiculousness.  Duggan plays that card expertly here, from Rocket appearing on Xitaung in a Galactus suit to Groot wanting to murder everyone.  That said, it's still hard to tell where Duggan is going.  Last issue, he used the fight on Telferina as a stalling tactic, and, in this issue, the Guardians are still fighting to protect the Power Stone.  You have to wonder when something will...happen.  But, it's fun, so I'm game.

Ms. Marvel #29:  This issue is really, really lovely, and I’m just happy it’s out there in the world.  Bruno’s honesty with Kamala is bracing, and Kamala has to find a way to match it if they’re going to coexist (if not become friends) again.  Her initial response to his overture feels immature, as she blames Bruno for hiding Mike from her.  Bruno makes it worse for her by continuing to show how much he’s matured:  he reminds her that he found her kissing the Red Dagger on the Circle Q rooftop and confesses that he always thought he’d be her first kiss.  Her subsequent conversation with Sheikh Abdullah is an amazing testament to Wilson’s skills as a writer, as it perfectly encapsulates the divide between children and parents when it comes to love.  Amidst it all, Wilson also imbues the issue with humor, from Bruno’s roommate hilariously asking Bruno to be his cultural interpreter in a developing country like America to Zoe falling for the new meaner girl version of herself.  It's hard to imagine a better comic-book series than this one.

Nightwing #43:  Moreci does a solid job getting down everyone’s voices here, with Dick feeling overly responsible for this ad hoc team, Roy just happy to be throwing some punches with his bro, and Damian being...Damian.  It’s not necessarily the strongest issue in terms of plotting.  After all, Roy magically understands the complicated science behind the League of Assassins' plan to use a device to suck the oxygen from Gotham but doesn’t know what “subterfuge” means.  But, it’s still fun, and I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing more of characters like Arsenal and Damian in this series.  Higgins did a solid job building out a supporting cast for Dick with the Run-Offs, but something about having Dick’s old-school allies and friends appearing in an issue really kicks it up a notch.

Tales of Suspense #104:  As Rosenberg says in his letter at the end of this issue, Bucky, Clint, and Nat are three of my favorite characters, and it was a real joy seeing them together.  I loved that Bucky and Clint don’t develop a deep sense of respect for each other at the end of this issue; Clint thinks Bucky’s a homicidal maniac, and Bucky thinks Clint is an incompetent buffoon.  That feels right to me.  I also loved that Natasha is in charge from start to finish.  She has a mission, and she intends to complete it.  Rosenberg made it clear Natasha had to eliminate any possibility of her returning in another cloned body, because she couldn’t find herself under the Red Room’s control once again.  (My only real question is that I honestly didn’t understand the role Anya and Yelena played.  I thought all the clones Natasha used on her various missions were her own clones, and not Anya and/or Yelena's.  It’s probably the only instance of Rosenberg writing for the trade here, as I’m sure their roles would be clearer if you read all five issues together.)  I also totally bought that Natasha had to let go of Clint.  His vision of her as a better person might have worked before she died, but it doesn’t work any longer, after what she has to do here.  But, I also love that it pushes her to chose Bucky, at least as a partner.  (Rosenberg made it clear she doesn't actually need either of them.)  In other words, Rosenberg returns Natasha to the land of the living in a way that stays consistent with her character but doesn’t come without consequences.  I couldn't ask for more.

X-Men:  Blue #26:  Now, this issue feels like an old-school “X-Men” story.  The entire creative team in on fire here.  Alex and his cronies unleash Mothervine, and the new X-Men scramble to help the emerging mutants handle their powers.  They encounter Unuscione as she tries to fend off two Sentinels arriving to "help" her and two emerging mutants.  However, her secondary mutation proves to be unstable; Xorn and Daken try to calm her to prevent her from randomly blowing up everyone and everything around her while Lorna and the rest of the team battle the Sentinels.  (See?  Old school.)  The Sentinels claim they’re there to help, but no one believes them.  They shouldn’t, either:  it turns out Alex and his cronies can control everyone Mothervine affected.  Emma is appalled, but Alex assures her they’ll have taken out Miss Sinister before she can use that army against them.  (I’m...doubtful, as Emma is.)  Meanwhile, they send the Marauders after both the new X-Men and Magneto, while using their control of the emerging mutants to bolster the Marauders' numbers.  It’s a tough time to be an X-Men.  Bunn’s plotting isn’t just excellent; his scripting is great.  Lorna gets in a solid one-liner as she encourages anyone other than Bloodstorm or Daken to comfort the victims, and Jimmy is demonstrably upset over the idea his DNA (and the DNA of other mutants from his world) was somehow used to create Mothervine.  The art team is also great, delivering a kinetic battle with Sentinels and using unique perspectives — like showing Magneto and Ferris through the gauze of a hospital curtain — to keep you engaged.  This continues to be the main X-Men title for me, and I'm actually loathe for the kids to return.

Also Read:  Quantum & Woody #5

Almost-New Comics: The April 4 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #798:  OMG, this issue is soooo effing good.  Honestly, I’ve been disappointed with Dan Slott for a long time, but I love that he’s going out this way.  Seriously, I can’t imagine a better issue.

Norman is a completely over-the-top threat here -- as he should be -- and Slott hits the right notes at every point to make sure we understand that.  When he threatens the lives of the "Daily Bugle" staff, it’s not an idle threat, as he actually has a bomb connected to the tritium.  (Of course he does.)  When the "Daily Bugle" veterans — Joe, Betty, and Ben — play a game of verbal hot potato to keep him distracted, he sees right through it.  (He seems almost offended.)  But, it’s when he pretends to be impaled (once again) to lull Peter into a false sense of security that Slott and the art team really hit the gas.  Norman Osborn has been with us for 53.75 years (according to Wikipedia), but he enters a whole new phase the minute he laughs that red laugh.  Red Goblin is terrifying in his first interaction with Spider-Man, and you can feel Peter’s blind panic, as he himself calls it, as he struggles to clear his mind and think of a way just to land a punch, let alone defeat him.  (Peter’s initial response to Norman becoming Red Goblin -- a censored “Fuck me” -- felt totally organic.  I felt the same way, Pete.)

Of course, it's all made worse by the fact Norman now knows Peter’s identity.  Slott doesn't sleep on this part, as he shows JJJ, Jr. desperate to free himself from his bonds to save Peter.  In fact, JJJ, Jr. is so desperate I wonder if he isn’t long for this world.  Through JJJ, Jr.'s desperation, Slott shows how deeply JJJ, Jr. cares about Peter and how much he wants to prevent him from suffering the losses he himself has suffered.  But, it's so convincing I'm now worried, and I hope they don’t kill off JJJ, Jr. just as we see him in this new light.

That said, Slott is so convincing you actually sort of wonder whether Peter is going to survive.  In possibly the greatest development of the year, Norman unveils Carnage bombs, extensions of the symbiote that verbally harangue Peter as they fly at him.  One grabs Peter’s leg and explodes, and I wondered if Slott wasn’t going to have Peter lose said leg.  Instead, Slott does one better.  Norman demands Peter stop being Spider-Man or he’ll kill everyone he loves.  Peter agrees, attaching his jersey to a flag pole, and Norman laughs in triumph.  But, Peter vows to take out Norman as Peter Parker.  Slott seems to be building to a moment where Peter redeems himself, at least in his own eyes, as Peter and I can’t think of a better way for Slott to end his run.

But, Slott also has other irons in the fire, as “Emma” incapacitates Harry, Liz, and Mark with tranquilizer darts and grabs the children.  It's still not entirely clear who her employer is, though we're led to believe it's Norman.  Moreover, Slott has shown Normie as extremely jealous of Stanley, and I have to wonder if he'll bond with Stanley through the kidnapping or if Normie will ally himself with “Pop-pop” to disastrous results.  Man, it’s a good time to be alive.

Avengers #687:  “We are all exiles from the divine.”  Jarvis, everybody.  Can the guy give a rallying speech or what?  I totally cried, along with Bruce Banner.  As the rest of the Avengers scramble to try to save Vision and figure out a way to handle Voyager, Jarvis finds a despondent Bruce Banner sitting by himself in a ruined courtyard.  We learn Nadia brought Jarvis to the Mansion because she thought it would help his recuperation, and Jarvis remarks -- mostly to himself -- that she apparently thought they would serve him.  He's clearly not having it (evidenced by his tuxedo and forehead bandage), and his response to a broken Bruce Banner is to serve him tea.  Bruce tells Jarvis he can't face the Avengers, particularly Hawkeye, after what he's done to them, and Jarvis quotes “Paradise Lost,” reminding him the mind can turn heaven into hell and vice versa.  He then succinctly boils down the essence of Avenging in a way no one has:  they are avenging their own crimes and faults.  They all know they aren’t heroes, but they try to be.  Jarvis encourages Bruce to keep trying to be, because it’s the only thing that matters; it’s not the evil he’s capable of doing -- the only thing he sees -- but the good he does (and most importantly, to Jarvis' mind, wants to do).  Man, Jarvis, I really needed to hear that right now.

It’s not just Bruce who gets a pep talk, though.  Lightning is despondent he couldn’t stop the Hulk and save Vision, and Simon’s pacifism here works well.  Lightning is particularly disappointed he wasn’t powerful enough to fight off the Hulk, and Wonder Man reminds him they would’ve kicked out Hawkeye on the first day if it was all about power.  The best part, though, is Simon is poised to dive into the inspirational part of his speech when Quicksilver tells him to be quiet so he can focus.  It’s the perfect snarky Quicksilver moment; in the 70s, he would've made some sort of arch remark about Simon's inane prattling.  But, it's all the better because he’s not wrong: he’s trying to find something whizzing around them.  (It turns out being the “mite” that’s keeping everyone in stasis.)  Emily enters the room at the fuss, and Pietro can’t face her.  But, she tells him he did what he thought was best and she got hurt; it’s the price of heroing.  (I hope at some point we get a deeper dive into Synapse, because she really deserves it.)  At any rate, it's a good thing the Avengers had a minute to regroup, because the Challenger has decided to take out his fury over the Gamemaster's cheating (and likely disappearance, not death) by destroying the board, i.e. Earth!

Batman #44:  I'm not sure how he did it, but King somehow makes Catwoman looking for a wedding dress -- by breaking into a bridal boutique at 3:00 am -- into a perfect character study.

Batman:  White Night #7:  This issue is remarkably solid, as everyone is called on their bullshit in some way.  Jack is forced to admit the drugs are starting to lose their effect, making his confrontation with Neo-Joker all the more precarious as it's unclear if she'll face Jack or the Joker.  Jack holds it together through the confrontation (barely), but she demands he bring back the Joker, dismissing Jack as the "sane man" she was always worried would take the Joker from her.  Jack laments to Harley that he played by the rules to try to prove Gotham didn't need law-breaking vigilantes to save it, but he's still faced with a law-breaking criminal holding it hostage.  Harley brilliantly calls bullshit, reminding him he didn't play by the rules at all:  he used the Mad Hatter's technology to hijack criminals' minds to scare the city into giving him power.  Harley then does what Bruce knew she would do all along:  she sends Jack to Batman.  Bruce agrees to work with him only if he provides a full confession:  he attacked the financial district, destroyed his own library, and created the Neo-Joker (if inadvertently, in the latter case).  Jack agrees, but only if Harley goes free.

Jumping into the Batmobile, Bruce ups the ante:  he asks for the Joker's confession about Robin, but Jack admits he's been fighting the Joker to get that information.  Under pressure from Bruce, he concentrates harder.  (Honestly, this part was the only flaw in the issue.  Jack claims he's been trying to figure out Jason's fate, but he literally just scrunches up his eyes harder here to get it.  It's a minor complaint, but I mention it because Murphy had other options here, like Jack simply confessing.  I'm not sure why he went this way.)  He eventually breaks through the Joker's walls and reveals the Joker tortured Jason to get Bruce's identity, something Jason surrenders at the final moment, saying he wish he'd never heard the name Bruce Wayne.  But, we also learn the Joker let Jason go free, because it was much more damaging to know Bruce would mourn his loss and then eventually learn Jason hated Bruce so much he'd let him think he was dead.  (Jack also tells Bruce he knew he was Batman after discovering Wayne Enterprises funded the Batman Devastation Fund, not taxpayers.)

The pair finally arrive at their destination:  Mr. Freeze reveals the existence of Thomas Wayne's tunnels under Gotham, which the Army used to help Baron von Fries build the weapon.  They return to GCPD, where Bruce provides the GTO with Batmobiles.  Jack struggles to control the Joker as Bruce shows Barbara and Dick a note Alfred wrote for him when he had Freeze save Bruce instead of him.  He tells them he can't read Alfred's last words to him yet, and he confesses the note he'd write the kids would tell them how he was no longer motivated by avenging his parents' deaths, but making Gotham a safer place so they could take off their masks.  They hug him, and, honestly, it's the moment for me.  It's one of the few explanations of his motivations at this point in his career that have ever made sense to me.  I hope someone adopts it into mainstream comics.  As everyone heads to war, Gordon tries to apologize to Bruce for arresting him, but Bruce won't have it:  he not only tells him he was right to do so -- that it all had gone too far -- but that he planned on revealing his identity once the caper is done.  (I assume that means he's going to die before that happens.)  He and Jack then head into the tunnels to find Harley as Jack, riding with Bruce, loses control for the final time.

Marvel 2-in-One #5:  Making it clear this title is leading to a reboot of the "Fantastic Four," Zdarsky does a great job using the alternate versions of them to make us hungry for the real thing.  Ben and Johnny learn Doom saving Earth as Galactus so broke this Universe's Reed Richards that he's done nothing to find a way to stop him, focusing instead of improving people's lives during the time they have left.  However, he comes to his senses when Ben and Johnny join this Earth's heroes in fighting Doom's legion of Doombot heralds.  The return of at least half of the Fantastic Four rallies the heroes, and Johnny saves Reed from one of the heralds.  However, Johnny's power misfires right then, and Reed saves him as he plummets to Earth.  Reed now realizes he has to do something.  Surprising no one, Doom from our Universe appears, having hitchhiked with Ben, Johnny, and Rachna.  Reed is momentarily distracted when learning of Ben and Johnny's plight, discussing his theory all metahuman powers come from a universal power source but admitting he never thought about an interpersonal one.  He starts to offer to help, but our Doom, offering his assistance, wisely keeps him focused on the task.  Ben and Johnny are sent to a farm where the Silver Surfer -- now human -- lives with Emma Frost.  We've heard a number of whispers about the terrible fate of this Universe's Johnny Storm, and Emma and Norrin's shocked reaction at seeing him shows how terrible it must have been.  At this stage, all we know come from Emma, who comments on how much Johnny and Norrin suffered.  That doesn't sound good.

The New Mutants:  Dead Souls #2:  Rosenberg does a solid job teasing out the team dynamics here, as Julio takes Boomer and Tabitha to brunch (with Shatterstar!) to ask them if they trust Magik.  Of course, she appears with Strong Guy right behind him as he admits he doesn't trust her and whisks them all (minus Shatterstar) to October Revolution Island off the coast of Russia.  They quickly find themselves in battle with a frost giant, and Julio takes charge in getting the team to flee to safety after Magik refuses to acknowledge they're overpowered.  They make their way into tunnels beneath the surface and discover researchers were digging for an old Norse battle whose participants were frozen in time.  The team finds one of the researchers alive, and we learn someone named Tran was interested in his research on the battle.  Dun-dun-DUN!  After that, he remembers nothing else, including the fact his excavation released the aforementioned frost giant.  Magik teleports Boomer into the giant's belly to destroy him, but it doesn't really resolve the situation.  Rahne tries to talk some sense into her about her erratic leadership, but it goes to a point Rictor previously made at brunch, when he wondered aloud why Magik (and not Dani) is running the team and why Shan hired them in the first place.  (In fact, other than the obvious Tran connection, I'm not sure what the ruse was to get the team to come to October Revolution Island in the first place.  Did Shan pretend her company owned something here?  I'm not sure if Rosenberg ever established that.)  The issue ends continuing the B story from last issue, with some kids in Connecticut daring an alleged mutant their age to prove he's not a mutant by approaching the Alone Man's house.  It turns out the Alone Man is...Warlock!

Spider-Man #239:  It's hard to believe we're where Bendis wants us to be for his finale on this title, but it is what it is.  If you put aside the pressure of next issue, it's actually pretty solid.  Aaron comes very close to successfully delivering the helicarrier to Lucia van Bardas, but he underestimates Miles.  Bendis shows us Miles learning about a safe Aaron kept in his closet a decade ago, and he breaks into said safe in the present, looking for clues.  He finds Aaron's burner phone and, searching through its history, finds out where he's going.  Miles arrives with the Champions, and a pretty great battle ensues.  However, von Bardas acts like an actual villain, ordering her men to open fire on Aaron and Miles as they fight.  Miles told his uncle he was trying to save him, because he believes he's better than a thief.  The front cover of this issue implies next issue Aaron will die, but I'm not so sure.  Also, Ganke's girlfriend gives him some sort of note, but we don't know what it says.  I have no idea how Bendis is going to wrap up all these threads, but we'll see.  (All that said, Miles comparing himself to Batman was great.)

Star Wars #46:  Man, this issue is awesome.  The plot is tight, as the team successfully executes its plan to swipe the Moff and use his bio-signature, with the codes Trios stole for them, to enter the prison where they're keeping Lee-Char.  But, it's all the little moments of characterization that make it a thrilling issue, from Han not passing up a chance to profit (even when posing as a bathroom attendant) to Threepio's anxiety (and titillation) when Leia leaves him in charge of making sure the shape-shifter stays in character as the Moff.  The Moff's shock the Rebels were able to get their hands on such sensitive codes furthers the sense the Empire is going to quickly realize Trios is the weak link.  Dissecting it further would be a disservice, so I really just recommend giving it a read.

X-Men:  Gold #25:  Guggenheim's storytelling can feel random at times, and this issue is a great example of that problem.  "Iceman" #11 promised Bobby a shot at leading a team of X-Men, and this arc was supposed to fulfill that promise, as Kitty and her team were trapped in prison.  But, it doesn't happen that way.  As Scythian attacks Paris, Bobby and his team head over there, while Kitty's team laments their imprisonment.  That part makes sense.  But, then, Storm breaks from her confinement, because apparently the mutant-canceling technology isn't all that good if you're really, really mad.  She threatens the warden into releasing them, as if the warden actually had the power to decide that.  They arrive in Paris thanks to Magik, and Kitty just simply takes over giving orders; we don't even see Bobby for several panels, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't get in a word edgewise after Kitty's arrival.  Also, Storm's distress in imprisonment summons Stormcaster, an Asgardian weapon I vaguely remember her using in the day.  However, everyone stresses how even an amped-up Storm can't put a dent in Scythian, so the plan is merely to distract him until Magik can send him to Limbo.  But, then Kitty slams the Blackbird into him and that apparently does the trick?  Yeah, I don't know.  It's Guggenheim, so what can you do?  Also, the X-Men's actions in Paris not only mean that the NYPD apparently just forgives them for assaulting its cops but the Senate majority leaders says the deportation act is stalled.  Hurrah!  Cigars for everyone!  Honestly, I could've dealt with a little less Stormcaster, a little more sense here.

Also Read:  Astonishing X-Men #10; Nightwing #42

Not-So-New Comics: The March 7 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #797:  OMFG, I totally had chills.  Gage and Slott build so brilliantly to the end here, it’s like reading the Stern era of Spider-Man, where every panel seemed to advance one of several mysteries.  We begin with the Goblin holding someone hostage; over the course of the issue, you really keep changing your mind who it is.  Peter?  MJ?  Liz?  Aunt May?  Normie?  Meanwhile, we get our hearts crushed alongside Peter as MJ starts to take off Peter’s shirt and then stops when she sees the Spider-Man costume.  It’s honestly the first time since “Brand New Day” I can remember them addressing their break-up under the "new" conditions.  MJ tells Peter they both would feel guilty if he gave up being Spider-Man for her, and she admits the city needs Spider-Man more than she needs Peter.  It’s hard not to disagree with her, given how amazing her life is right now.  But, Peter’s life isn’t amazing.  When she sends him out the window as Spider-Man it’s hard not to agree with him that he’s hit a new low.  But, this issue is really all about Norman.  He implies he’s put Harry’s nanny Emma on the board for an as-yet-unrevealed reason, and he rips out Phil Ulrich’s heart after Phil mistakenly believes Norman is still powerless.  But, it’s the end that makes this issue so great.  Jonah is revealed to be the hostage, and he tells Norman Spider-Man will beat him because he even did so after Norman threw “his” girl off the bridge.  GAME FUCKING ON!  Based on the parameters of the spell Dr. Strange wove so everyone would forget Peter’s identity, Norman suddenly remembers everything now that he's learned Spidey's identity.  He calls it the itch he couldn’t scratch.  (Based on the web of connections he built on his serial-killer board, he probably would’ve guessed it if the spell hadn't actively been preventing him from doing so.)  I really didn’t expect the authors to kick it up so many notches here.  We really do seem to be heading toward a do-or-die battle between the two of them.  I’m so fucking excited.  This series hasn’t sung like it does here for a really long time, since possibly “Big Time.”  Combined with “Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man” — and particularly, at long last, the amazing art on both series — it’s a great time to be a Spidey fan.

Avengers #683:  This issue isn’t a miss exactly, but I can’t say it’s the same quality as the other issues so far.  As ghosts continue to rampage through the hospital, Nadia decides to sacrifice herself to touch the Pyramoid and save everyone.  She does so by shrinking Beast and sending him into Jarvis’ brain with an antidote to the alien parasite.  It’s a solid moment, and it's probably the first time I really thought about Nadia as an honest-to-goodness Avenger.  But, surprisingly, the Pyramoid rejects her, and she chases after Hank to save Jarvis instead.  The weirdest part of this issue is the authors go to great lengths to explain that people shrunk to microscopic size subsist on Pym particles (since they’re smaller than oxygen molecules).  But, they then defy all scientific reason by showing Hank as able to see Jarvis’ memories, as if the memory center of the brain is like a movie theater.  It’s odd, to say the least.  At any rate, Jarvis awakens and, as expected, confirms Voyager was never an Avenger.  However, before Hank and Nadia can stop her, Voyager uses her powers to grab the spirit Pyramoid and hide in a bunker within the hospital.  (At least, I think she does.  I originally thought she grabbed the Pyramoid so she could be transported to the Gamemaster and Challenger directly, as if it were her goal all along.  But, when I read the next issue, I realized it wasn't the case, that she simply hijacked the Pyramoid.  But, I don't understand how the hospital has a bunker.)  Beast's exposure to Jarvis' memories is what makes him believe Jarvis when he insists Voyager wasn't an Avenger, because Hank (conveniently) didn’t see her in Jarvis’ memories.  We’ll see where that goes from there.

Hawkeye #16:  OMG this series was, like, the bestest series ever and I’m truly heartbroken to see it go.  I had no idea how Thompson was going to wrap up so many loose ends, but she totally did it.  It was all so emotional, you guys.  I totally cried when Kate convinced Eden to bring back her daughter to say good-bye.  Thompson builds to the moment perfectly, as Clint offers to let Eden kill him because he understands what it’s like to lose someone who love so much, someone who serves as your compass.  (Seriously, I was a BuckyNat guy, but I think I'm now a HawkNat guy.)  Meanwhile, Kate uses Clint distracting Eden to swipe her suitcase of blood samples, and Eden panics because it has her daughter's blood.  She is then forced to reveal the truth to Kate; she hadn’t resurrected her daughter (a question we’ve all had), because the person only appears for a short time.  Later, when Eden dismisses Clint as a liar putting on a show to give Kate time to swipe the blood samples, Kate disagrees, saying (truthfully) he was probably the only person not lying.  She just gets these characters, you guys.  Eden is a great character, and I hope we see more of her.   Meanwhile, I loved the moment where we learn Kate’s mom has been watching from the shadows all this time.  In fact, Thompson leaves us with a new mystery here, as we learn Kate’s mom has some sort of deal with Masque.  Plus, her mom makes Masque abandon Kate’s body, which Masque agrees to do since it hasn’t developed powers and is “nothing special.”  (Kate’s mom disagrees.)  Also, Johnny is an Inhuman or mutant!  He even saves Kate’s life.  (You’d think he would’ve shown us that earlier, given the frequency of dangerous moments they've faced, but it is what it is.)  I’m not sure what I’m going to do without Kate and her gang in my life.  [Sigh]  Finger-guns forever!

Iceman #11:  As Grace admits in the letters page, he didn’t have a lot of time to wrap up the story he was telling.  Whereas Thompson in “Hawkeye” had been telling a very specific story over the course of her 16 issues, Grace had taken an arc-by-arc approach for this title.  As such, the cancellation of this series feels more sudden than “Hawkeye’s.”  All that said, he does his best, and it’s good.  Bobby asks out Rictor to lunch, and Rictor notes the ridiculousness of a lunch date, showing Bobby’s cluelessness persists even in his out iteration.  Rictor serves mostly as a sidekick here as Bobby’s mother calls him to ask for help as their reclusive neighbor starts displaying powers.  Through flashbacks, Grace shows us Bobby’s long struggle for acceptance as his parents tried everything — including a priest — to "cure" him, and you don’t have to be an English major to read that part of the story more than one way.  I admit I wish we would’ve seen the moment when Bobby met Charles Xavier and realized it was OK to be a mutant (or, at least, that someone thought it was OK to be).  But, Grace wraps up the story nicely enough, as Bobby realizes he doesn’t need time with a boyfriend or a team; he just needs some time for him.  Grace leaves him on as solid of footing with his parents as we’re going to get, and it’s a nice way to end a series that I sincerely wish had been longer.

Infinity Countdown #1:  Honestly, a lot doesn't happen here, but it doesn't really matter, because it's just fun.  Drax saying "Uh-oh" as he and Talonar witness the Chitauri arriving above Xitaung?  Awesome.  Groot curing the Gardener of Loki's poison and him restoring Groot to his factory settings?  Better.  Groot then hailing his friends and telling them it is time to kick ass?  Fantastic. Logan leaving the Space Gem for an alive Black Widow in the back of a toilet in her Madripoor safehouse (from "Uncanny X-Men" #268)?  Brilliant.  OK, I guess a lot did happen in this issue.

Rogue and Gambit #3:  My greatest fear right now in life is this series is going to end with Gambit and Rogue not remembering the amazing progress they've made in therapy.  Thompson gives us a step-by-step tour of their best and worst moments, including the Antarctica incident from "Uncanny X-Men" #350 that I still remember clear as day, 21 years later.  If they do remember, nothing could possibly stop them.  I mean, what better therapy is there than beating up former iterations of yourself and your partner?

Star Wars #44:  Ooo, Leia, you sneaky daughter of a gun.  I honestly had no idea where Gillen was going for most of this issue, as the Mon Cala regent refused Leia’s request to provide the Alliance with his mercantile fleet, given the risk the Empire’s response could have for his people.  (We learn the former king had rebelled against the Empire, and Mon Cala was still paying the price.)  Leia — a princess of Alderaan, as Luke himself notes — understands...and then contacts Trios about breaking out the Mon Cala king who rebelled.  I did not see Leia committing to regime change coming, and I can’t wait to see where Gillen takes us.

X-Men:  Red #2:  Taylor really nails it here.  It seems like the X-Men will just retreat into their asylum in Wakanda, but Jean receives a plea for help from Trinary, an Indian technopath who saw Jean's speech at the United Nations, and off they go.  We learn the message was actually time delayed, as Trinary has already been imprisoned for compensating all women in India for the 25 percent gender pay-gap.  She's in trouble because she took it from the bank accounts of India's 25 richest CEOs.  (As Honey Badger says, I think we all have a new hero.)  Jean telepathically hijacks Lakshay Singh, the douchey head of India’s mutant defense force, and the team uses his knowledge to make their way to Trinary.  Along the way, Taylor reminds you just how powerful Jean is as a telepath.  But, all obviously doesn’t go smoothly as a group of anti-mutant protesters rush the prison's gates.  Jean is able to put most of them to sleep, but three of them are able to resist her suggestion (possibly due to Cassandra Nova's influence, but I'm just guessing there).  Her need to focus on the gun-toting trio forces her to drop her hold on Singh, who activates a Sentinel.  The twists and turns show the attention Taylor is paying to this series, telling stories on multiple levels at different speeds.  But, he also succeeds in showing Jean as a unique figure among the X-Men, not just because of her power but also the loyalty she inspires.  After a lackluster first issue, I'm interested to see where we go here.

Also Read:  Captain America #699; Spider-Man #238; Venom #163; X-Men:  Gold #23

Not-So-New Comics: The February 21 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Infinity Countdown:  Prime #1:  It's probably easiest to describe the events of this issue by Infinity Stone, as the premise of this event is the struggle to unify the Stones.

- Space Gem:  A group of Ultrons -- including both robots and humanoids affected by the Ultron virus --  arrive on Earth to steal the Space Gem from Logan.  Unsurprisingly, they fail, though along the way we're treated to a teleporting Logan remarking how much fun "bamfing" is.  Loki then tries to convince Logan to hand over the gem to him, noting "things are a little different behind the scenes of this reality now."  (The reference to "behind the scenes" reminded me of Neil Gaiman's "American Gods.")  Loki is clearly referring to the rearrangement of reality in the wake of "Secret Wars," though he implies something about the structure of that reorganization would allow for it to be reorganized again fairly easily.  Logan smartly refuses Loki's overture.

- Reality Gem:  Our Captain Marvel has it, though it's a little unclear how she found it, as the narrator of this issue (more on him in a minute) says it wasn't in our reality.  I'm assuming it happened in her series.

- Power Gem:  The Guardians are still on the moon Xitaung, as Gamora tries to convince Peter to go after the Soul Gem since it contains a piece of her soul (which I didn't know).  Conversely, Peter wants to go after the guy who's turned Groot's old limbs into man-eating trees (which I also didn't know, in the sense that the mad Groots were his former limbs).  Seemingly unknown to them, the Chitauri (now ruled by Thanos) and the Fraternity of Raptors are en route to Xitaung to steal the Power Gem.

- Time Gem:  K'lrt apparently has it on Planet Sakaar, which totally bodes well.

- Soul Gem:  Adam Warlock awakens in 2018 (after the events of "Infinity Countdown:  Adam Warlock" #1), and we learn Magus has the Soul Gem.  The narrator of this issue is revealed to be a disembodied head I don't recognize (though who may be called the Contemplator), and he informs Magus that he (the Contemplator) made sure "greedy eyes" saw Magus' search for the Soul Gem.  Magus is expecting Thanos to try to take it from him, but it's Ultron who kills him (supposedly).  As a result, Hank Pym suddenly finds himself in the landscape of the Soul Gem, after the Contemplator told him "all may not be lost" for him.  In the Gem, the portion of Gamora's soul stuck there greets him.

Mind Gem:  It seems to be possession of a "Mr. Turk" on Earth, but I'm not 100 percent sure who that is.  (The epilogue refers to him as "Turk Barrett," an "Earth criminal.")

According to the epilogue, the colors of the Gems have switched and their forms changed with this ninth iteration of reality, though I'm not sure if Marvel is just acknowledging an error (and no-prizing it) or if they're hinting at a larger plot to be revealed during this event.  Either way, it doesn't really matter, since even I'm not that anal-retentive to care.  Overall, I feel like we're in a good place.  Despite the numbering, this issue is really the third issue of this event, after "All-New Guardians of the Galaxy" #150 and "Infinity Countdown:  Adam Warlock" #1.  If you haven't read them, I'd recommend getting your hands on them.  If you have, it seems like we're ready for a pretty solid ride.

Amazing Spider-Man #796:  Slott and Gage do great stuff here.  First, I love the focus on updated basics:  Liz as head of Alchemax, Flash as Anti-Venom, MJ as CEO of Stark Enterprises.  It’s an homage to a past that doesn’t feel like the past.  Moreover, Slott and Gage get down Peter’s relationship with MJ perfectly, in part because they set it back several steps; it’s like reading the early days of their relationship, except Peter’s the neurotic one this time.  If they're going to get together by issue #700, I really hope Slott gives us an issue focused on just the two of them talking through their issues, like Zdarsky did with JJJ, Jr. and Spider-Man in "Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man" #6.  Also, the larger plot is great.  The Goblin King steals the tritium from “Amazing Spider-Man Annual” #42, which Liz was hoping to put to use as an energy source.  Even more disturbingly, Norman has Carnage purge the anti-Goblin nanites from his bloodstream, turning him fully into the Red Goblin.  “Epic” does seem too weak of a word at this point.

Astonishing X-Men #8:  This issue is pretty great.  (Seriously, comics are just killing it lately.)  Soule employs an arch voice here, as pretty much everyone gets in a sarcastic comment.  First, whoever X is, it’s pretty clear he’s not fully Xavier.  He spends most of the issue trying to distract the X-Men so they don't blame him for releasing Proteus.  The good news is, they’re not buying it.  Psylocke seems the most willing to believe him, but even she’s shaky.  (I loved the moment where Gambit expressed shock no one else was particularly worried when X remarks, “[Fantomex's] flesh was raw material."  Also, Logan and Raven flirting was awesome and disturbing at the same time.)  Logan thinks he and Archangel should just go and use their metal to take out Proteus (since it's his weakness), but Archangel expresses hope they can find another way (even though, as he acknowledges, he’s basically an Angel of Death).  X agrees, and he and Psylocke psychically visit Proteus, who appears as an red-headed Irish lord in a castle.  He makes a pretty compelling case that he deserves a second chance, since the first time the X-Men encountered him he was a ten-year-old who’d spent his entire life living in a cage his mother built.  (His entire monologue is filled with great zingers, like his tongue-in-cheek description of Moira as, “Lovely lady.  Wonderful parent.”)  He says the Shadow King stole his soul, and he’s spent thousands of years coming to adulthood on the Astral Plane.  (He acknowledges how scary of a concept that is, particularly with Farouk as his guide.)  He refuses to return to a cage and, showing how not Charles Xavier X is, X pulls two psychic guns on Kevin to end his threat.  Except, Kevin acts quicker and combines Charles and Psylocke physically and psychically.  They appear separately on the cover of issue #9, so hopefully they’ll work out that little problem before Proteus destroys London.

Avengers #681:  The most notable aspect of this issue is the purported origin of Voyager.  Her father was a scientist researching “quantum enlargement,” the idea that every particle has a counterpart that’s linked to it by faster-than-light forces.  However, his fascination with his work led him to neglect his family.  Her mother apparently decided to ask for a divorce not only while he was actively engaged in an experiment but also while Voyager herself was supposed to be waiting in the car.  Of course, she wasn’t actually in the car; she snuck into the lab, overheard the conversation and, in her grief, ran into the experiment.  She and her later father developed her new powers into teleportation powers.  She reveals here she wasn’t too devastated by getting lost in time because her parents (conveniently) died right before she was “lost,” leaving her few connections to people to mourn.  (Um, OK.  She didn't make a single friend?  Suspicious.)  Meanwhile, in New Mexico, Captain Glory and Mentacle unveil their plan to win the fire Pyramoid, using Mentacle's powers to force one of the Blood Brothers to activate it.  However, Hawkeye and Red Wolf arrive just before the chosen Blood Brother (unwillingly) touches it, and Hawkeye fires off an explosion arrow that knocks him from it.  In Antarctica, Ferene takes advantage of the Avengers’ focus on Rogue having killed Corvus Glaive and activates the water/ice Pyramoid.  Along the way, we learn the Gamemaser holds the lives of his team as leverage:  he saved all of them from certain death and would return them to that situation if they fail.  We also learn the battlefield (i.e., Earth) will be destroyed once the game concludes.  I feel like we’re now getting to the next, important stage.  First, the new characters’ origins — both Voyager’s and Captain Glory’s (Glah-ree) — are on the table now.  Second, the Avengers now know the stakes, so they’re on the same page as we are.  All that said, the oral history of the naming of “Mentacle” in the letters page is worth the price of admission.

Batman #41:  I honestly don't know if I like this issue or not.  The best part, as expected by this point, is Bruce and Selina's interactions.  When they face Ivy at the end of the issue,  you get the sense of them working as a team, something we haven't really seen yet.  Sure, they worked together when they went after Talia, but they were in control of the situation then.  Here, they're on their back feet.  Ivy manages to take possession of everyone in the world except Bruce and Selina, thanks to Bruce recognizing the sensation and managing to use the antidote he developed (from an extremely rare flower) to inoculate them from her possession.  I'm sure King will expand on how Ivy managed to pull off this feat, though, for it to be believable, he really must explain how she experienced such a power surge.  But, my real criticism of this issue is that it's a little sparse, even for King.  He's been using fewer and fewer words lately, and I feel like he's in danger of sliding into Hickman territory.  I often feel like Hickman writes a script and then removes a third of the words just to make it interesting (to his mind).  King went far down this road during the "War of Jokes and Riddles," and it often felt like we missed the actual war and saw only unimportant side skirmishes.  I'm hoping he doesn't make the mistake of not giving us enough information again, sacrificing story for experimentation.

Mighty Thor #704:  Perhaps the most unexpectedly emotional panel in a pretty emotional issue is when Thori asks Jane why she's murdering herself by finally taking up the hammer.  She does so after an issue where she contemplates the losses in her life -- her mother from cancer, her father from heart failure, her ex-husband and son in a car accident.  She realizes she never found the god her mother had hoped she would find to provide her comfort, and Aaron draws a straight line to the idea she instead had to become that god.  She overhears Roz on the phone learning Asgard is falling into the Sun (after Mangog destroyed its navigational system, ensuring there'd be nothing left to resurrect), and her decision is made.  Poor Thori.

Nightwing #39:  I’m not a Nightwing aficionado, given I only started reading DC Comics on a regular basis about seven or eight years ago.  With the DCnU, it’s hard to tell sometimes if flashbacks are portraying a reality we’ve already seen or not.  Either way, I like the idea of Dick first coming to Blüdhaven to attend its College of Law, as a chance to escape Gotham.  He makes it clear he struggled to find himself , from coming to terms with his grief over his parents’ death that he ignored through his focus on Robin to finding relationships that weren’t with superheroes after breaking off his relationship with Kory.  This series of pages (as in messages you receive on a pager) were particularly brilliant, showing the concern his family and friends had for him.  (I say pages, because the artist does a great job of winking to the fact that young Dick actually went to college in the ‘80s not the ‘00s, so he manages to make the messages look like pages and texts at the same time. It’s like a wink to us oldsters.)  We also learn the Judge is actually the original judge sent from the Netherlands to Blüdhaven in its days as a Dutch colony.  He was thrown into the waters for investigating corruption against a noble and “something” in the waters changed him.  If Higgins doesn’t want me rolling my eyes at the end of this story, that “something” needs to be explained.  But, at least the flashback to Dick’s past was solid.

X-Men:  Gold #22:  I like the idea of this new iteration of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants working for Lydia Nance.   Mesmero makes it clear he doesn't worry about mutantkind so much as a paycheck, and the new Avalanche seems to agree.  The new Pyro doesn't agree, though it's unclear to me whether he views himself as a hero or villain.  After all, he's furious with Mesmero when he reveals they only attacked Nance to entrap the X-Men, but, when Mesmero reminds him he's already a criminal now, he comment's he's not.  Is he going to save the X-Men?  But, my real problem here is the entrapment itself.  Mesmero confuses the X-Men into attacking members of the NYPD, thinking they're part of his new Brotherhood.  They willingly fall for it in a way that defies belief.  Really?  They just suddenly thought Omega Red and Sebastian Shaw joined Mesmero?  Kitty and Rachel both note something was wrong, and you'd think given the experience of this team they'd be able to ID it immediately, given they're dealing with Mesmero.  Apparently not.  It's hard to believe Kitty in particular would fall for this trick.

Also Read:  Jean Grey #11; Quantum & Woody #3; Star Wars:  Doctor Aphra #17