Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The August 9 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America #25 and Secret Empire #8:  OK, here we go.  In “Captain America” #25, Tony reveals he’s figured out each Cosmic Cube fragment has its own juice.  I’ll be honest I’m not quite sure I understand his explanation of the discovery.  He apparently realized Ulysses’ vision of Miles killing Cap didn’t come true because Cap was holding a Cosmic Cube fragment when Miles had a chance to kill him in "Secret Empire" #7.  In other words, Steve wished Miles didn’t kill him, and it worked.  This development results in the usual cascade of problems I've come to expect when confronted with prophecy-based stories, as you have to wonder why Ulysses’ prediction didn’t factor in the Cube fragment’s presence.  But, if I know anything after 30+ years of reading comics, it’s not to expect prophecy-based or time-travel stories to make sense.  In other words, fine:  the Cube changed the history Ulysses predicted because, I don't know, it exists outside reality.  Whatever.  At any rate, Tony's realization sets up the plan we see unfolding at the start of “Secret Empire” #8:  Sam and Tony use the fragment they have to free New York from the Darkforce Dimension and destroy the Shield, freeing the heroes trapped on the other side.  To be honest, this issue is the first one to feel like filler, even though a lot happens.  Spencer builds some suspense by showing the heroes fail yet again to deliver:  Sam gets shot in his attempt to triangulate himself between the Darkforce Dimension and the Shield, failing to give the heroes the juice they need to free themselves.  As such, Dr. Strange’s spell and Rocket’s bomb fail.  But, Spencer reminds us the Cube works in mysterious ways.  Instead, Hawkeye’s jail break allows Maria Hill to kill “Bob,” a.k.a. Blackout, and Quasar’s coma comes to an end.  With the heroes reunited, Namor reveals the ace up his sleeve we saw at the end of “Captain America” #25:  Bucky is alive.  As I said, though, this issue is missing something, given the conclusion seems more and more inevitable.  It's not like the first few issues where I legitimately had no idea where Spencer was going.  It seems pretty clear the team is going to somehow use the Cube to "save" Steve.  That said, it might not have been the most exciting installment of this event, but I also have to admit we do have some momentum carrying us into the finale.

Amazing Spider-Man #31:  Something about Doc Ock makes Dan Slott just completely lose the plot, and I use that expression almost literally here.  Peter orders everyone in Parker Industries to active worms that destroy everything the company has created; he does so to prevent Otto from breaking into PI's systems and using its technology to advance HYDRA.  I get that, but, as usual, Slott takes it too far.  At one point, Phillip Chang physically burns his written notes.  Really?  How exactly was Otto going to access them remotely when he hacked into Parker Industries?  Couldn't Phillip just have left the building with them?  Also, does he really remember nothing of his research?  He basically says he'll never be able to introduce his clean fuel.  It's like he's Drew Barrymore in "50 First Dates" and forgets what he did the previous day until he reads his notes.  It's just one  of several examples showing why this development makes no sense.  In addition, Peter seems to deny Otto’s (entirely accurate) claim he, not Peter, started Parker Industries.  WTF, Peter?  On some level, the story supports this bias, since Peter didn't bother to make sure to scrub Otto from the system.  But, does Peter really not believe Otto started PI?  If he does, wouldn’t scrubbing Otto from the system be the first thing you'd do after discovering Otto had been in charge of your body for months?  OK, first, I’d take a shower at the idea of the dirty things he did with my penis.  Then, I’d make sure I eliminated any back-door programs.  Peter's inability to do so -- and, by extension, inability to acknowledge Otto's role in the creation of PI -- really challenges my ability to suspend disbelief.  It's part of Slott's approach to Peter as a bumbling idiot that I've never bought and just supports my hope we'll one day be freed from his control.

Generations:  Phoenix and Jean Grey #1:  If all "Generations" titles are as meaningless and poorly scripted as this one, I need to admit right now Marvel has yet again figured out a way to swindle me.

Ms. Marvel #21:  I've always been impressed with Wilson's ability to convey complicated social themes in an emotional yet somehow still neutral way, and she really tops herself here.  The revelation Basic Becky's creepy henchman is Josh isn't all that surprising.  It's more surprising Wilson is able to handle him with such care, showing a broken young man who wanted to be seen as more than a dumb white jock.  These sorts of messages can get lost in everyone shouting at each other today ("Poor little white boy!") but Wilson really manages to sell it.  As Kamala says, at some point, it's just Josh and Kamala sitting on the floor of the mosque talking about their hurt.  We probably need a lot more of that.

Star Wars:  Doctor Aphra #11 and Star Wars:  Rogue One - Cassian and K2SO Special #1:  I lumped these two issues together because they basically tell the same story:  both Aphra and Cassian have to deal with droids trying to kill them.  In so doing, the Story Group reminds us just how dangerous this far, far away galaxy is, as you not only have to contend with all sorts of humanoids trying to kill you but droids, too.  Triple-Zero is really the star of the show, though, as he not only manipulates Rur to get in the kills Aphra has denied him but also backs her into a corner as Vader boards the ship.  In so doing, Gillen is setting up a stark reminder about the limits of Aphra's occasional "good" impulses.  Would she allow Triple-Zero to kill more indiscriminately just to keep his talents on her side?  It feels like a safe bet to take.

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The July 26 "Secret Empire" Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Secret Empire #7:  This issue is possibly the single best issue of an event -- possibly any comic -- ever.  I was holding my breath as we moved step by step to the end.  (I know I said that last issue, but who knew Spencer would top himself so quickly!)

Let's start at the beginning.  First, I would really love Spencer to write "Captain Marvel," because he gets her better than anyone since Kelly Sue.  Her monologue begging Quasar to awaken so she can redeem herself was a brilliant piece of characterization, as Carol realizes "Civil War II" put them on the path to this moment.  She realizes she's exactly like Tony, desperately seeking for someone to tell her she's the hero she hopes she is.  (It's clearly a bitter pill to swallow, and it really matches nicely what A.I. Tony said to Steve in issue #6).  Spencer's gift here is making everything seem like it's the logical conclusion of past events:  Carol's guilt from "Civil War II," Miles' destiny to kill Captain America from "IvX," Hank merging with Ultron in "Avengers:  Rage of Ultron."  They're important components of the tension Spencer builds throughout the issue.  In fact, Spencer has made it clear from the start the events of this series are not only grounded in the past but are unlikely to be simply ret-conned at the end.  It's really what has made it so enjoyable, to my mind.

Spencer also addresses the generational issues at hand as well.  Natasha locks up Miles so he can't realize his destiny to kill Captain America:  it's like she's saying she wants one more chance for her generation to clean up the mess it's made before the innocent get blood on their hands.  But, she can't.  Punisher stops her before she can pull the trigger, giving Miles time to escape.  She defeats Frank (of course she does), and Sorrentino does an amazing job showing her panicked dash to the scene of the battle between Miles and Steve.  He's equally adept at showing her death, as she leaps between them and Steve's shield shatters her skull.  Natasha Romanova has always, always deserved to be the hero, and she gets to be here, at the cost of her life.  (Sure, she's probably going to return.  But, in the moment, I believed the story Spencer was telling here, unlike most times a character dies.)  An enraged Miles attacks Steve with new vigor, but, picking up the theme of generation change, Wasp gets to him before he strikes the final blow.  She tells him he's not a killer, and she begs him to respect Natasha's sacrifice:  she died because she knew he wasn't a killer.  Miles agrees, and the kids are arrested by HYDRA's security forces.

Later, Steve has his troops bring him to Sharon, where he laments the losses surrounding him.  He whines it wasn't supposed to go this way; he was going to save everyone, not send Bucky, Rick, Elisa, and now Natasha to their deaths.  Sharon then tries to kill him, and I cheered.  Sharon fucking Carter, man.  She never doesn't come to play.  But, he stops her, and it's the last straw:  totally alone, he promises war.  The remaining members of the Underground are broken as they watch Natasha die, and Giant Man asks if it's over.  A voice says it's not, and I teared up a bit as I saw Sam Wilson stand in that last panel wearing his Captain America costume and holding the shield.  White nationalists paraded through Charlottesville the day before I wrote this review, and damn if I didn't feel better seeing Sam Wilson tell me to believe in America still.

Captain America:  Steve Rogers #19 and Captain America:  Sam Wilson #24:  I'm reviewing these issues jointly because they're flipsides of the same coin, with Steve finally putting on his HYDRA Supreme Leader gear and Sam putting on the Captain America uniform (as seen at the end of "Secret Empire" #7).  Steve's issue doesn't have that much emotional impact; Spencer is really just drawing a line under the sense at the end of "Secret Empire" #7 that Steve is putting away childish things.  He's lost everyone -- Tony, Bucky, Rick, Elisa, Natasha, and Sharon -- and he seems to finally accept he doesn't get to be the hero anymore.  I'd recommend reading that issue first, because Sam's issue is much more inspiring.  Misty tries to convince him to put on his uniform, revealing she defied his request to return it to Steve.  (She's right about how she made the right call.)  In a fit of anger, Sam tells Misty he doesn't believe America deserves Captain America anymore, and it's Patriot who convinces him otherwise.  He asks if you really just give up a war because you're outgunned and outnumbered, reminding Sam that giving up the uniform just gave his enemies what they wanted and left the vulnerable without a champion.  It's hard work, Sam, but someone has to do it.

Also Read:  Occupy Avengers #9

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The May 31 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America:  Sam Wilson #22:  The best line in this issue is when Sam tells Scott Lang that there's no point trying to save America because America never wanted them in the first place.  Again, Spencer gets right to the heart of the current state of affairs in America politics.  From the pro-HYDRA guys in the diner telling Sam they're fine with HYDRA so long as they get manufacturing jobs to the mobs harassing Inhumans, Spencer paints a picture using colors we see every day in the newspapers.  It gives this issue an energy missing from the main series (and I think the main series is still pretty solid).  Sam's decision to avoid the other heroes' attempts to save the day and instead focus on the little people feels right.  He's still smarting from the lessons he learned as Captain America, but he can't turn his back on people in need.  Characterization is hard to do in an event this big, but you can tell Spencer's been with Sam a long time reading this issue.

Moon Knight #14:  The devastating part about this issue is the revelation it won't continue.  The creative team has provided a definitive take on Moon Knight, one that seems impossible to imagine another creative team changing.  But, it is possible.  We've seen Jason Aaron back off the amazing work Al Ewing did with Loki on "Loki:  Agent of Asgard," turning him again into the God of Lies instead of the God of Stories.  I hold out hope Aaron is only portraying other Asgardians' unchanged view of Loki, and the Loki Ewing delivered to us in "Loki:  Agent of Asgard" #13 will one day appear.  But, it's a reminder that a 14-issue series isn't enough to cement a changed narrative.  Lemire so brilliantly brings Mark to a conclusion here, as he embraces his other personalities, referring to himself in the royal "we" as he dismisses Khonshu and finds peace with his illness.  I was never a huge Moon Knight fan before this series, but now Marc Spector is pretty much my everything, a feeling I remember from the end of "Loki:  Agent of Asgard."  I worry anyone else will lead him astray, resurrecting previous incarnations for him because it fits with whatever event is currently destroying the Marvel Universe.  That apprehension and fear is the perfect sign of how amazing of a story the creative team told and how grateful I am that I got to experience it as it unfolded.

Spider-Gwen #20:  It's difficult to follow all the people coming after Harry and, by extension, Gwen in this issue.  Wolverine wants the bounty on his head, even though I'm not sure who put out the bounty.  S.H.I.E.L.D.?  Why would S.H.I.E.L.D. want Harry?  I thought he went rogue from Silk, not S.H.I.E.L.D.?  But, S.H.I.E.L.D. sent Shadowcat to capture Harry, so, if Logan is working off a S.H.I.E.L.D. bounty, why would they double up their agents?  Or, are they freelance bounty hunters?  That would make more sense.  It can't be the Hand, since Matt already had Gwen going after Harry.  Maybe we don't know yet?  In a way, this confusion helps sell Gwen's decision here to turn her back on Murdoch  and stand with Harry.  Too many people are asking her to trust them, so she sticks with the one person she can trust.  The only problem, as she herself reminds Harry, is that she and her father have a lot riding on that deal with Murdoch.  Latour hasn't portrayed Murdoch as someone easily outfoxed, which means I don't think this one is going to turn out well for Gwen.

Teen Titans Annual #1:  Time-travel stories are the worst under the best circumstances, but this one joins the mile-long list of ones that make no sense whatsoever.  The resolution of this story comes when the Teen Titans and the Titans travel into the past to try to stop Deathstroke from saving Grant.  (They're worried doing so will change the present, lest you think they're just mean.)  They unexpectedly find themselves face-to-face with the Teen Titans of that era.  Damian decides to kill past Wally (for reals), cutting off Deathstroke's connection to the Speed Force at the source.  That would make some sense, I guess, except for the fact it doesn't make any sense in the context of previous events.  After all, even if Deathstroke doesn't have Wally's access to the Speed Force, he still has Kid Flash's.  (Speaking of this conundrum, Wally somehow managed to keep his access to the Speed Force despite Deathstroke using it to charge his battery, but Kid Flash lost his access for the same reason.  Maybe the writing team explained that at some point, but I've got bigger fish to fry.)  At any rate, to make matters more confusing, Deathstroke apparently doesn't need their powers, because he's learned how to connect to the Speed Force on his own.  As such, I'm not sure why Damian's action does anything at all.  All it seems to do is restore Kid Flash's access to the Speed Force, though Priest never explains why it would do so.  At any rate, Kid Flash rushes into the Speed Force to save Deathstroke lest he get loss in there.  But, he doesn't know what he's doing, so Wally has to go save him from getting lost in the Speed Force.  (Yes, by the end of this issue, I was just desperately hoping no one said "Speed Force" again.)  Then, everyone hugs (for reals) to give Wally a connection to the present, and everyone lives happily ever after.  I mean, other than Wally, who apparently now has a pacemaker after Damian killed him in the past, and Deathstroke, who quits the mercenary business because he has all the sads.  Everyone else is totes happy.  The only real winner seems to be Dick, because no one ever learned about his Lazarus contract with Deathstroke, a contract that still doesn't make sense to me and seems completing incidental to the events of this arc.  In other words, this event might have started off well, but it quickly disintegrating into the usual nonsense we get from time-travel stories.

Also Read:  Generation X #2; Occupy Avengers #7; Secret Empire #3; Star Wars:  Doctor Aphra #7

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The April 12 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #26:  Ugh.  I put this issue on the bottom of my digital pile because I was dreading reading it, and my Terrible-Sense was right.  Slott just continues this series' downward spiral here.  First, he has serious issues staying consistent when it comes to the plot.  Last issue, it seemed the world was annoyed with Parker Industries over its use of Webware to defeat the Carrion virus, because it showed Webware was wonky.  Peter didn't want to reveal the truth for reasons that made no sense to me, as I described in my review of that issue.  But, in this issue, people do seem to know why he used the Webware, but it doesn't matter because they're still angry at him.  But, I don't have time to worry about nagging loose ends from the "Clone Conspiracy," because this arc presents its own set of nonsensical developments.  Silver Sable refuses to reveal how she's alive, but tells Peter that Norman Osborn is in cahoots with a Symkarian countess to produce all his new weapons there.  (We learn Norman's "expo" was a display of his new weapons, from Goblin gliders to a giant robot, for the criminal leaders he contacted last issue.  I'm still not 100% sure why they had to meet him at the Uncle Ben Foundation event and not just the warehouse where he was keeping the weapons, but, again, I've got to prioritize my complaints here.)  Sable wants Spidey's help in wresting control of Symkaria from the countess and Norman, and Peter agrees.  But, S.H.I.E.L.D. decides it makes him a terrorist.  S.H.I.E.L.D.!  Sharon Carter is invading Sokovia in "Captain America:  Steve Rogers" because HYDRA took over the country, but Nick Fury decides Norman -- of all fucking people -- is protected because Symkaria is a sovereign state.  Isn't Sokovia a sovereign state?  Shouldn't the Skull be covered by that logic?  Moreover, it doesn't just mean Fury won't let S.H.I.E.L.D. help Peter dethrone Osborn; he actively deploys S.H.I.E.L.D. to stop him.  Can we just stop and talk about how ridiculous this development is?  Norman is presumably wanted on any number of charges after he illegally tried to invade Asgard in "Siege."  He's wanted on probably even more charges after he declared himself in charge of, like, the world in "New Avengers."  S.H.I.E.L.D. deciding he's totally off-limits because he's now hiding behind a Symkarian countess makes no sense at all.  [Sigh.]  Slott is playing other games in the background, particularly when it comes to Doc Ock, but I just don't fucking care, to be honest.  I gave up reading Spider-Man when Slott went all "Superior Spider-Man," and I may just have to do it again.  Ugh.

Captain America:  Sam Wilson #21:  This series ends (assuming it's ending) the only way it could, with Sam giving up the shield because he doesn't believe in an America that can let what happened to Rage stand.  Spencer doesn't sugarcoat it:  Sam makes it pretty clear he feels like a failure, and he's worried young people will see his farewell video and lose hope.  But, how can they have hope if he doesn't have it?  Sam doesn't have an answer to that question, but Spencer may:  at one point, we see a young man planning out a Patriot costume, and Spencer implies that Sam highlighting the injustice African-Americans face has inspired young people to act.  It might not have been the message Sam thought he'd be sending as Captain America, but it's probably the one he ultimately needed to send.  Meanwhile, Steve wraps up a little bit of business as he has Hauser the muckraker help him murder the founder of Americorps.  Hauser is revealed to be a HYDRA agent, which means all the non-HYDRA agents involved in Steve's plan to undermine Sam have been eliminated.  I'm not sure where Sam goes next, but I have to give credit to Spencer at this point for telling a story that really captures the Zeitgeist.  I feel like this series has consistently been one of the best ones on the shelves, and I hope we don't see Sam disappear into obscurity post-"Secret Empire."

Doctor Aphra #6:  April hasn't been the "Star Wars" franchise's strongest month in the Marvel Universe.  After the disappointing conclusion of the "Yoda's Secret War" arc in "Star Wars," Gillen delivers an equally confusing end to the opening arc of this title.  As far as I can tell, the Ordu Aspectu was some sort of cult within the Jedi Order and eventually went to war with it.  As part of the agreement to end the war, the Jedi could inspect the Ordu Aspectu to make sure they weren't doing anything too heretical.  At this point, the story gets less clear.  Gillen seems to let us chose which truth we want to believe.  On one hand, you can believe the story the computer -- Eternal Rur -- tells us when Aphra and her father activate him.  He was a member of the Ordu Aspectu and tried to copy his consciousness inside a computer to live forever.  However, he wound up transferring his consciousness, leaving an "evil ghost" to possess his body.  When the Jedi came to inspect the Ordu Aspectu under the terms of the agreement, Eternal Rur (the computer) "knew" he had to act because Immortal Rur (the "shell") would deny the "truth."  However, it's also possible Eternal Rur was really just the copy of Immortal Rur's consciousness and became sentient.  In this scenario, he believed himself to be the true Rur, but wasn't; Immortal Rur was the true Rur.  If Eternal Rur was the true Rur, I'm still not sure why the Jedi would pose a problem for him.  After all, if he really was the true Rur, wouldn't the Jedi discover that over the course of their investigation?  Wouldn't they help him deal with the "evil ghost" who controlled his body?  Did he just not trust them?  It makes more sense that he wasn't the true Rur and somehow knew it; then, it would make sense why he had to kill the Jedi before they discovered the truth.  Either way, Eternal Rur has his machines kill everyone, which seems like overkill.  What does it matter if the Jedi believe him if they're all dead?  Immortal Rur stops him only by using his Force powers to remove the crystal powering the control panel.  in other words, I don't really get it.  In the present, Aphra uses a light saber she pulled off a dead Jedi at the citadel to cut through Eternal Rur's systems before it can kill her and her father.  She uses the crystal in the control panel to power the bridge, escaping with her dad and the power core she cut from Rur.  She meets the Imperial captain as they flee and takes her hostage because she needs her ship to escape the self-destruct sequence removing the core activated.  (Black Krrsantan took her ship, the Ark Angel, at the end of last issue).  They escape on the captain's ship, and Gillen wraps up the loose ends in short order.  Aphra lets the captain live because she's "cute," her dad restores her doctorate per their agreement, and she sells the light sabers she pilfered at the Citadel to pay off her debt to the guy on the Cosmantic Steppes.  (I really only vaguely remembers this part of the story, and the time Gillen spends on it in this issue makes me feel like he was definitely writing for the trade.  I also had to Google the quarantine world where Aphra allegedly deposits the core for safe keeping, because I was pretty sure it was where she went to get Triple-Zero's personality matrix.)  All that said, I still smiled when Aphra revealed she kept the core and plans to sell it to pay off her debt to Black Krrsantan.)  It wasn't totally a bad story, but, like "Yoda's Secret War," we ultimately were missing some key pieces to understand the puzzle Gillen was assembling.  We'll see where we go from here.

Spider-Man 2099 #22:  Honestly, this issue is one of the most brilliant ones I've ever read.  At this point in the story David has been telling, it's hard to feel that frisson of excitement, because we're still at the part where David is building the suspense.  But, Lyla tricking Electro into revealing the date when the Fist strikes New York City is so artfully done here I literally gasped when the truth was revealed.  I really did think Lyla had become sentient and turned against Miguel, throwing in her lot with Electro.  In the end, it's revealed she created that sequence in Electro's brain to trick him into revealing the date, but David sold it so well I went there, hook, line, and sinker.  The last few issues have been fine, but David reminds us here how innovative he can be when he puts his mind to it.

Also Read:  X-Men:  Blue #1

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The March 15 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America:  Sam Wilson #20:  I repeatedly put off reading this issue because I knew something bad was coming.  It's a sign of how compelling of a story Spencer is writing, but it doesn't mean that story is always pleasant.  In the end, I was right to be concerned.  It was one of the most moving issues I've ever read.  Elvin is sent to Z Block, New York's version of the Raft.  It was built by the lowest bidder, and it's insecure at best.  Elvin knows what Sam refuses to accept:  he's going to die there.  And, he does.  He's beaten to death by other super-powered prisoners, some of them villains he helped incarcerate; at the end of the issue, he's brain dead and on life support.  I remember Rage's debut in the "Avengers" in 1990.  I remember the shock of discovering he was around my age, and I remember his time with the "New Warriors" feeling like he got a second change at life.  He died as he lived in this issue, fighting a system stacked against him.  I feel sick over it, and Spencer uses that shock to drive home his point.  If I feel this way over a fictional character, it's easy to see how emotionally damaging these events are in real life.  It drives home the point Spencer has been making since this issue started.  Spencer implies Sam gives up the shield next issue, and I honestly don't know how he couldn't.  How could he still believe in a system that resulted in Rage dying this way?  It seems too much to ask.

Mighty Thor #17:  OK, I was initially annoyed the Asgard-Shi'ar War was distracting us from the War of the Realms, but Dauterman is so over-the-top amazing in presenting the grandeur of this war that I honestly don't mind right now.  That super-nova scene?  Spectacular.  Plus, Aaron makes sure to show us it's meant to be distraction:  Loki set this ball in motion to buy him and Malekith some time to plot and scheme.  Will Cul actually find himself grudgingly admiring Thor after they kick Sharra and K'ythri's asses?  We'll see.

Nightwing #17:  Professor Pyg!  I really was worried where Seeley was going with the arc, but I have to say I'm much relieved now.  First, going to Fontevraud Abbey was one of the coolest trips I've ever made so it was amazing to watch Dick's fight with Deathwing happen there.  Over the course of this battle, we come to learn Deathwing is a Dolltron after a Dolltron Robin appears and attacks him.  We also learn Professor Pyg has come to admire -- in his way -- Shawn's art.  That said, Seeley doesn't answer all our questions by the end of this issue.  For example, it's unclear how the "blood" Deathwing administered to Dick caused him to see alternate versions of himself.  Also, I'm not sure how Pyg came to know Dick so intimately that he knew to use Robin Hood themes to taunt him.  Also, is he obsessed with Shawn, or is it more about Dick?  But, Seeley has plenty of time to answer these questions.  In the meantime, the visions Dick has here are helpful in digging around his consciousness.  We learn he viewed his time as Batman as allowing him to be an idealized version of himself where he was in control of who left a situation hurt.  (Notably, he's not proud of that.)  Plus, it helps him realize Damian's anger is driven in part by his fear Dick is replacing him with his new life in Blüdhaven.  This revelation comes after Dick telling Damian earlier in the issue that he thinks he (Damian) suffers the most from Bruce's distraction.  Pulling these threads together, Damian sees Dick as his father, and it makes sense he's worried Dick is leaving him behind (particularly if he becomes a new father).  In other words, Seeley is giving us a really insightful coda to Dick's time as Batman, something we didn't really get given the abrupt shift to the DCnU.  If it means Dick resolves his issues with Damian and we see Damian more, I'm all for it.

Poe Dameron #12:  The good news is this arc get a lot more interesting here.  Oddy is revealed to be the traitor, but he did it because Terex captured his wife, using her not only as a slave but leverage to get Oddy to give over secrets.  I have to admit it makes sense, and it's nice Oddy doesn't turn out being a two-faced liar.  Meanwhile, Poe finds him trapped in a cave and loses BB-8 and C-3PO in short order as they sacrifice themselves (allegedly) to prevent Terex's advance to find him.  He's left with the frankly hilarious Nunzix as Black Squadron makes its way to Poe's location.  (I'm assuming Oddy gave them the information after the guy he was holding hostage told him Terex had departed the ship.)  All in all, the story flows much better than it has, and Soule injects it with some actual excitement, as we all wait to see how Poe and Black Squadron -- now pursued by Terex's fleet -- are going to survive long enough to save each other.

Uncanny Avengers #21:  Perhaps the most interesting part of this issue is what doesn't happen.  Based on the cover (in a great example of pet peeve #1), Cable and the Red Skull should be fighting here.  If you recall, Cable erased his consciousness in issue #19, asking Belle to implement the "Lifeboat Protocol."  I assume it means his consciousness is somewhere else, and the cover to this issue implied he would be fighting the Skull on the astral plane.  It doesn't happen, though.  Instead, in a moment of brilliance, Deadpool slams Magneto's helmet on Rogue; he apparently found it in the ruins of the Westchester school, where he went to seek help from the X-Men.  Freed from the Skull's influence, Rogue is able to defeat the Skull and takes his body to the Beast at New Attilan to perform brain surgery.  (We appear to be pre-"IvX" here.)  This story apparently concludes next issue, and I wonder if the Avengers are going to go find Nate in the astral plane after they (presumably) get back Xavier's brain next issue.  I guess we'll see.  Despite the cover problem, though, this issue is another bang-up one, with some really great characterization, particularly when it comes to Deadpool and Rogue.  Duggan shows how Rogue has come to respect Wade and the sacrifices he's made to save the team, and I look forward to see how the team treats Wade after the story ends.

The Wild Storm #2:  OMG, if you're not getting this series, get it now before it's too late!  (Seriously!)  This issue might as well have been titled, "The Hunt for Angela, or Revelations."  We learn a lot about the current state of play in the Wildstorm universe as the various intelligence agencies scramble to get their hands on Angela.  First, Miles huddles with his team at IO to review the situation.  We learn Angela was a low-level researcher who shouldn't have had access to the technology she used to create her flight suit.  IO only had that technology because they stole it from Skywatch, who didn't know they had it.  But, now Skywatch does, so Miles thinks the only hope for maintaining their non-aggression pact is to get Angela, strip the technology from her, and return it to Skywatch.  Meanwhile, Marlowe has tasked Cole Cash's son to take his C.A.T. team to find Angela, presumably to keep IO from getting her.  (He refers to them as a "tumor that started out as an intelligence service" who's secretly running the world.)  Cole, Jr.'s colleague Kenesha (who I don't recognize from the previous iteration of Wildstorm) tracks Angela to an abandoned IO base in Montauk around the same time an alarm from that installation alerts IO to her presence.  Adrianna teleports Cole, Jr. and Kenesha to Montauk as Miles dispatches a team as well.  Dun-dun-DUN!  In other revelations, Cray tells his therapist he has an inoperable brain tumor, the Division is the investigative arm of Skywatch (run by Henry Bendix), and Zealot is tasked with finding Angela (though they don't know she's Angela).  Basically, at this point, we're in an arms race.  We don't know why Angela built the suit or why everyone is doing what they're doing, but I'm guessing we'll get more information when everyone fights each other next issue.  Beyond the amazing script from Ellis, Davis-Hunt continues to be brilliant.  The drama and tension that sings throughout this issue is because of his ability to keep the "camera" squarely on the characters; the silent sequence where Angela makes her way through the base in Montauk to her living quarters and cries after becoming human is spectacular.  Seriously, people -- get this series.

Also Read:  Batman #19; Ms. Marvel #16; Spider-Man #14; U.S.Avengers #4

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The February 15 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America:  Sam Wilson #19:  This issue is painful to read because, just like Rage, we all know how it's going to end.  Sam's belief in the system is admirable, but Spencer reminds us why we are where we are as a country.  It's OK for the Americops to testify against Rage in their masks, but it's something else entirely for Sam's surveillance system to be used as evidence.  The only uplifting part of this issue is the revelation Speed Demon finally got a dog (presumably not Inspector, the dog he stole -- and eventually returned -- from the little girl in "Superior Foes of Spider-Man").  In other words, Spencer is delivering a tour de force of political and social commentary.  I'm not sure it's going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it's certain mine, and I applaud him for it.

Captain America:  Steve Rogers #11:  Based solely on the increasing number of issues of other series connected to this one, we finally seem to be getting somewhere.  Spencer mostly manages to stick the landing as Steve walks Helmut through their "new" history.  Over the course of this conversation, Spencer invites us to start asking questions I admit hadn't dawned on me before.  (It's a good sign he's really in control of this narrative.)  After all, if Zemo doesn't remember the new history -- where he and Steve were friends at HYDRAwarts -- then did it really happen?  Did Kobik change Steve's history, or did she just change Steve's memory of his history?  On the other hand, for this new history to be true, someone had to de-age Zemo; otherwise, he would be in his 90s.  Rogers alludes to someone doing exactly that, but he never reveals who did it.  Similarly, in the new history, Arnim Zola took Dr. Erskine's place as the head of Project Rebirth.  But, does everyone else know that?  These questions are important because it calls into question Helmut's state of mind at the end of the issue.  Is he pretending to believe the new history when he embraces Steve, or does he really "remember" it?  At this point, I would guess Kobik didn't re-write everyone's history, mostly because Steve doesn't seem to have a coherent view of the new world order he believes HYDRA is going to bring.  He talks about using the Chitauri invasion to wipe away the current world, which he deems wrong.  But, we still don't know what he finds so wrong about it.  What values are guiding HYDRA that will make the world better to Steve's mind?  I don't think Steve really knows.  In other words, it seems like Kobik has just brainwashed Steve to support HYDRA and made limited changes to support this outcome.  She tweaked history a bit, like putting Zola in charge of Project:  Rebirth, de-aging Zemo for reasons we still don't understand, or creating Sinclair as her agent of change.  It seems like Zemo does remember this new history if everyone "remembers" Zola as the head of Project:  Rebirth.  Spencer makes it clear this moment of revelation may be near:  Taskmaster has found a tape of Cap saying "Hail HYDRA" (and possibly showing him shoving Jack Flag out the plane).  In other words, Spencer significantly raises the tension here, as he seems to be going the route I think we all fear:  the public becoming aware of Cap's betrayal rather than Kobik eventually "correcting" his history.  At this stage, I honestly don't know which one I'd rather.

Clone Conspiracy #5:  It's hard to believe Dan Slott wanted this event to end this way, in utter and total chaos.  OK, some of the chaos he probably wanted:  Slott generally likes not wrapping up stories neatly, like when he left it unclear if the Rhino and Silver Sable died at the end of "Ends of the Earth."  The fact we're not clear on which heroes or villains died or survived here fits with that approach.  But, once again, it's the science -- or lack thereof -- that really causes the confusion.  First, one of the New U scientists reveals they kept the original bodies of some of the people they cloned in stasis.  This part makes no sense.  First, to the extent Slott has laid out the science used to make the clones, it seemed clear Ben needed all the remains of a body to clone it.  However, here, it seems like you don't even need any of the remains, if they could keep the bodies of people they cloned in stasis.  Moreover, they allegedly did so in order to cure the people's maladies.  But, how did they "cure" Hobie?  He was shocked to death by Electro!  [Sigh.]  The science is even more unclear when it comes to why some clones survived and others died.  Slott shows the clones differing in terms of their sturdiness as they disintegrate at different rates once Ben broadcasts the signal; for example, Gwen is alive to watch her father turn to dust.  But, Slott never addresses why they would disintegrate at different rates.  Why were some clones more stable than others?  No idea.  Moreover, we have a great example of pet peeve #3.  All the resurrected "good guys" die:  Jean DeWolff, Marla Jameson, Oksana, Captain Stacy, Gwen Stacy, etc.  The only exception seems to be the Lizard's wife and son, because Curt figured out a cure, but he only had enough for the two of them.  But, all the villains seem to have lived.  Spider-Gwen mentions she saw "some" bad guys dissolve, but the only evidence of a dead bad guy we have is Otto's arms, and, since we know Ben survived (due to his new series), it seems likely Otto did, too.  Peter says (again) it's always the villains who return, but that doesn't make sense just because Peter said it.  In the end, all "Clone Conspiracy" seems to have done is resurrect virtually every Spider-Man villain since he started his career.  I'm not fundamentally against that; in fact, it's pretty cool.  But, it would've been better if Slott had done it in a careful and methodical way.  Instead, we get a cheap ret-con that destroys the reputation of a great character to accomplish it.  I wouldn't call that a win.

Deadpool #27:  I'll hand it to Marvel:  when they recommend you read this issue at the end of "Captain America:  Steve Rogers" #11, they're not kidding.  A trio of future Captain Americas arrive in the past to prevent Rogers from creating his "Secret Empire," but Cap, Agent Coulson, and Deadpool make short work of them.  However, Coulson stumbles upon Cap putting a gun in the hand of the last future Cap they killed, retroactively justifying his order for Deadpool to shoot to kill moments before.  Coulson is shaken and starts to put two and two together, from Kobik restoring Steve to his younger age to Dalton's murder leading to Maria's ouster and Steve becoming the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director.  Between that and Taskmaster's discovery at the end of "Captain America:  Steve Rogers" #11, the net is starting to tighten here.

Also Read:  Mighty Thor #16;  Poe Dameron #11; Spider-Man #13; U.S.Avengers #3

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The November 16 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman #11:  The only real question here is why Bruce would've thought Catwoman would've stuck to the plan in the first place.  She's on death row for killing 237 people, so her decision to cut a deal with Bane in exchange for Bruce makes an abundant amount of sense.  After all, Bruce hadn't exactly made it clear how he was going to help Selena.  In all likelihood, the best he probably could've gotten her would be a commuted sentence, and I don't really think he should be surprised Selena didn't want to spend the rest of her life in prison.  The only remaining question is what role the Ventriloquist will play, since Bruce insists he is the only key component of his plan.  I guess we'll see. 

Captain America:  Sam Wilson #15:  This issue did my 13-year-old heart glad and not just because of D-Man being gay or the joke about Hostess Fruit Pies.  I love that Spencer is not only bringing back characters from Gruenwald's run, as he does with Battlestar here, but also making them relevant.  I wonder what Battlestar would think about John's crusade to wrest the shield from Sam, and I hope we get to see him discussing exactly that with John and/or Sam.  It goes to the point Spencer has Sam make here, about how it's nice to remember what it's like to be heroes.  Sam has allies, and it's probably time for him to lean on them more than he has.

Nightwing #9:  This issue works as a stand-alone issue as a nice exploration of Dick's relationship not just with Clark but also the rest of the DCnU.  But, it's mostly important because it re-introduces Blüdhaven.  Clark told Dick that he moved there in the DCU to be its protector, and Dick heads there at the end of this issue.  With the Parliament of Owls behind him, Dick is in search of a raison d'être, and it look like he might've just found one.  I regret never having read the original "Nightwing" series, and I'm stoken to get a chance to see Dick active in Blüdhaven.

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #31; Black Panther #8; Justice League #8-#9; Pathfinder:  Worldscape #2

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The October 19 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman #9:  Batman assembles his own Suicide Squad in this issue with the goal of breaking into Santa Prisca, and I have to admit I'm excited.  King does the right thing by starting off things slowly.  Some authors would've leaped into the action, showing Bruce punching his way through Santa Prisca while assembling the team in flashbacks.  But, jumping into the action would've failed to build the tension that King so deftly creates here.  As the issue progresses, Dr. Arkham objects to the criminals Bruce wants to release and Bruce ignores his complaints.  It all builds to the revelation at the end of issue of the worst offender:  Selena Kyle.  She's shown at first with a mask, and we're clearly supposed to believe her to be the Joker (even though he currently doesn't exist) because she's apparently in jail for 200+ counts of murder.  I assume those charges are related to her mob-boss days, though King doesn't make that clear.  Hopefully at some point he'll flesh out those details.  But, for the time being, I'm happy to live with the mystery and see where we go from here.

Captain America:  Sam Wilson #14:  I don't really have much to say here, mostly because Steve has executed his plan perfectly.  He stage-manages an attack on the Senator orchestrating the #takebacktheshield movement so Sam is unable to save him.  As Steve says, it not only removes a loose end (since the Senator can't tell anyone Steve asked John to go after Sam), but it also throws more logs onto the fire when it comes to Sam's continued possession of the shield dividing the country.  Spencer reminds us here why Steve is such a formidable enemy.

Death of X #2:  This issue is marginally better than the first one, but it still relies on you believing:  a) Emma and the Cuckoos can reach every mind on the planet, and b) Scott is desperate enough (or dumb enough) to incite a city-wide riot by informing the world that the Terrigen Mists approaching Madrid are deadly to mutants.  I don't really believe either proposition, so I still found myself rolling my eyes at times.  I get Lemire and Soule are trying to show that Cyclops is erratic at this point, but we're not given any reason why he's been pushed to this point.  After all, he's faced the destruction of Earth and mutantkind on numerous occasions; it seems unreasonable to think he'd lose his shit over the Terrigen Mists in the way he does here.

Nightwing #7:  Seeley hopefully isn't setting up the revelation that Raptor is Dick's father.  But, Raptor does seem to think of himself that way, and (again, so long as Seeley doesn't actually go there) it's what gives this issue the tension that keeps you turning the page.  Raptor was clearly in love with Nightwing's mother, though it's unclear if the feeling was reciprocated.  We learn he's been following Nightwing for years, and his comment the first time we met him about being a better mentor than Batman now make sense.  He views himself as a more appropriate father for Dick, one in tune with the circus way of life the Graysons lived.  (I wouldn't be surprised if we learn that Raptor filed for custody at some point.)  Raptor kidnaps Bruce from a public event in this issue, and suddenly we're looking at a battle royale between Dick's father figures.  Earlier, Bruce noted how tense things have been between him and Dick, and Seeley seems to be setting up a chance for Bruce to make it right.  Are they actually going to hug at the end of this issue?  The mind boggles.

Pathfinder:  Worldscape #1:  Mona throws us right into the action in this issue, and it's as disorienting for us as it is for the characters.  First, we begin with Kyra, Merisiel, Seoni, and Valeros fighting Thulgroon, their "old enemy."  This part is disorienting not only because Ezren and Harsk are nowhere to be found, but because I don't remember Thulrgroon at all, making me raise an eye at the description of him as an "old enemy."  Given Kyra is a recent addition to the band (and thus unlikely to share an "old enemy" with it), it raises the possibility the action that opens the issue happens somewhere in the significant future.  But, before we can explore that, the band is whisked to the "Worldscape," where Valeros awakens alone.  He's eventually imprisoned by an evil empress and forced to fight in her arena, where he confronts a similarly displaced Red Sonja.  Sonja confirms what another prisoner told Valeros earlier, that they need to win the games to become the Queen's Champion, getting close enough to assassinate her.  By then, we've also learned the characters have been plucked from their homes seemingly at random, and the queen appears to have something to do with that.  Before we can explore how she benefits from these kidnappings (beyond amusement in the arena), Merisiel is revealed to be one of the queen's advisers, shocking Valeros during his fight with Sonja and allowing her to stab him through the chest.  It's not exactly the ending I was expecting.

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #20; Black Panther #7

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The August 17 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman #5:  The twist here isn't the death of Gotham, since comic-book rules require that a hero-gone-bad has to die.  It isn't even that Gotham Girl is the one to do it or that their powers are based on depleting their life energy.  It's that Gotham Girl will one day kill Batman to save him and/or Gotham (the city or the person).  In presenting us with this revelation, King refers to a point in the future where Gotham Girl has married Duke, so it's unclear to me if DC intends for Gotham Girl to be a permanent character.  It all feels a little "Elseworlds"-y to me.  Either way, I really hope we don't spend too much time on a dead Bruce story, since, by Rao, we've had enough of them.  (I will throw in a nod here for King in having Alfred comment on the ridiculousness of Thomas Wayne taking his bepearled wife and precocious son through Crime Alley at night.  Seriously, talk about an idiot.)

Captain America:  Sam Wilson #12:  Reading this issue after the election, I have to think Spencer deserves an award for being the only pundit to predict the results.  Using John Walker as the agent of the shadowy group of conservative leaders seeking to take the shield from Sam is brilliant.  Spencer tries to treat them fairly, though it's clear they're the villains of the story -- the Charles Koch, Rush Limbaugh, and Jeff Sessions of the Marvel Universe.  But, after all the ink spilled on this election season, it's still probably some of the most insightful commentary I've read about our differing perspectives.  As I've said previously, this series is the best one on the stands now.

Civil War II:  Amazing Spider-Man #3:  This issue is solid.  Harry does a great job of laying out the ways Peter has helped Clayton and foreshadows Clayton not being able to stop himself from screwing up his latest chance to change.  His need to be special is his addiction, and Gage frequently compares it to alcoholism to drive home the point.  When Spidey makes it clear Clayton has to give up the vehicle for his addiction -- his sonics -- for Peter to save him, it's finally too much for Clayton.  As sad as this turn of events is, it feels true, a testament to how carefully Gage has constructed the story.  Gage isn't just tearing down Clayton; his experiences and personality lead him  to this point, like Cyclops' lead him down the path he chose.  That said, I'm still wondering how Peter emerges from this experience convinced Carol is correct.  It seems to me the obvious lesson is that acting on Ulysses' visions can cause events to happen instead of preventing them.

Nightwing #3:  I'm still not buying this idea of Raptor as Nightwing's mentor.  Even if you buy the idea Bruce didn't teach Dick everything he needed to know because their moral codes didn't align (with Dick hewing more Robin Hood than Bruce), it ignores the years Dick spent on his own as Nightwing.  I don't understand why Raptor just can't be his partner.  Along those lines, I also don't buy this idea of Raptor wanting to betray the Parliament of Owls, but Seeley is hopefully going somewhere with this revelation.  At least, I hope he is, because it's all feeling like a mess right now.

Uncanny Avengers #12:  This arc was heading for a pretty solid conclusion.  Although Duggan seemed to skip a few steps in getting Ultron onto the Quinjet that the Avengers plan on sending into the sun, he compensates by giving us a pretty stellar (heh) battle royale. The Avengers' plan goes pear-shaped pretty quickly as Ultron manages to trap Rogue, Torch, Voodoo, and Wasp on the Quinjet with Vision, upping the drama.  Even though it seemed unlikely Duggan would kill five of the more prominent members of the Marvel Universe, he does a good job of showing the Avengers struggle with their plan now that they're directly confronted with its goal.  In other words, it's a lot harder to kill someone who sounds like your friend when you actually have to hear him begging for mercy.  Moreover, Duggan changes the stakes at the last minute:  we learn Ultron has murdered billions of people throughout the galaxy, keeping alive enough people so they could hear him blame it on the Avengers each time.  It's the perfect beyond-the-grave revenge.  But, it's cheapened when Duggan saves Ultron at the last minute, hiding him in a neutrino.  (Yeah, I have no idea either.)  I thought Duggan was going to give Ultron the greatest gift possible - a legacy of generations of victims visiting their revenge on Earth.  Instead, it's just another Ultron story, with him yet again magically avoiding death.  The only log Duggan added to this fire was the most nonsensical save in a long history of nonsensical saves.  But, I guess now Ultron can return at the right moment so the Avengers can make it clear he acted on his own.  Do we even have to go through the story if we know how it's going to end?

Also Read:  Civil War II:  X-Men #3; Mighty Thor #10; Poe Dameron #5

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The June 22 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America:  Sam Wilson #10-11:  Americops!  U.S.Agent!  The '90s are back, and they couldn't be better!  Spencer does a great job tying the philosophical debate at the heart of "Civil War II" into the ongoing story of this series.  A mysterious billionaire has created a private law-enforcement army called Americops and used political connections to make sure that law enforcement is forced to cooperate with them.  Unfortunately, they have a nasty habit of going after minorities.  Against this backdrop, Tony convinces Sam that Ulysses' unconscious biases may be influencing his predictions, meaning that following these predictions is no better than the profiling that the Americops are doing.  As if that's not complicated enough, Rage is leading a group of angry neighbors against a squad of Americops, and Sam feels it necessary to intervene.  Did I mention that he also had to deliver Rhodey's eulogy?  I really think no one in the Marvel Universe has worse days than Sam Wilson, but I'm also not entirely sure anyone could handle them as well as Sam Wilson.

Uncanny Avengers #10:  While the rest of the authors in the Marvel Universe are seemingly preoccupied with telling their own part of the "Civil War II" story, Duggan is returning to the Avengers' roots with this story.  The idea of a victorious Ultron taking over Hank's body to get his final revenge on the Avengers is so good that I'm surprised that we're just seeing it now, almost 50 years after he appeared on the scene.  Duggan has Cap bring in Jan to determine whether Hanktron is Hank or Ultron, something she does in part after Hanktron misses a "Ghostbusters" reference.  (Deadpool correctly views that as an unforgivable sin.)  But, it gets weird at the end.  Although Cap seems to believe Jan that Hanktron is really Ultron, he refuses to let Deadpool kill him because Avengers don't kill.  I lived through "Operation: Galactic Storm," so I get the importance of this conversation.  But, if Cap really believes Jan, then Ultron is a robot, then he can be destroyed.  Haven't we done so countless times without Cap raising an eyebrow?  I wonder if Duggan is implying that Cap is holding out hope that they can resurrect Hank?  I guess we'll see.  At any rate, it's a top-notch story.  Duggan infuses it with real emotion, from Janet feeling shaken by her interview, if you will, of Hanktron to Johnny Storm asking Cable if he knows if Reed and Sue ever return to Earth.  (He doesn't.)  I've often found internal epics (epics that stay within a series) to be better than cross-over ones, such as Busiek's "Kang War."  Based on this start, I'm hoping we're going to see something similar here.

Also Read:  Detective Comics #935; Justice League #52; Mighty Thor #8; Ms. Marvel #8

Captain America: Sam Wilson #5 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

First:  Misty signing the visitor's log to fight the Serpent Society is so far my favorite moment in comics this year.

Under Spencer's care, Viper has truly become a top-flight villain, an unrestrained apologist for the free market that sees the so-called "welfare state" as preventing America from achieving its promised glory. (His comments about the Clean Air Act killing the market for filtration devices and gas masks made me LOL.)  But, Spencer also shows that he's capable of heart here, as we get the full details on why Rachel eventually returned to the Society.  She had been engaged to Constrictor, who had also left the Society.  But, he got sick, and his lack of insurance prevented Rachel from getting him the help that he needed.  He dies, and Rachel loses everything.  She's forced into stripping again, but Viper visits her, telling her that they've turned her into a mouse when she used to be a serpent.  Renaud does an amazing job on this sequence, using nuanced facial expressions to show us Rachel's spirit getting broken step-by-step.

But, Spencer doesn't let this heart get in the way of political commentary:  after all, corporations convincing the working class that they shouldn't be restrained by government regulations to keep them safe or pay taxes to support the safety net that sustains them describes the civil war happening in the Republican Party right now.  (Spencer even brings this corporate spin to Donald Trump's wall, with Viper noting that he's got a line of friends in the construction industry that'd love to build it with some no-bid contracts.)

But, Sam eventually tells Viper to shove his ad-man pitch about getting people to feel fear and hate because it gets their blood pumping and convinces them to buy stuff.  Sam's comments gives Viper the sads, so he throws Sam out the window.  It's the moment where we get to the point of the issue:  the introduction of the new Falcon.  Redwing alerts Joaquin to Sam's plight, and he ditches D-Man (who's been acting as his nanny, essentially) and makes his way to the Serpent Solutions HQ.  He saves Sam (even if their landing isn't exactly soft), only to find himself with an injured Cap-Wolf facing down an angry Serpent Society.  Trial by fire, kid!

As much as I like the political commentary -- and I do -- I'm not sure if I could take another issue of Viper's monologues.  But, it looks like Spencer is going to wrap up this arc in the next issue, with the long-awaited battle royale.  Less talking, more fighting, here we come!

*** (three of five stars)

Captain America: Sam Wilson #4 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue is just about perfect, from Spencer's amazing sense of characterization to the scope of Serpent Solutions' plans.  It's a quintessential Captain America story.

The issue opens with Viper delivering a monologue to a board room about how they're the ones that give Americans what they want:  "more, more, more" for less.  He acknowledges that the public likes to demonize them, but he tells them that they're actually heroes for doing the dirty work.  In fact, Serpent Solutions' entire pitch is that they'll take the really dirty work off their hands.  At this point, the Senior Vice President for Public Relations and Communications expresses his outrage, reminding the room that Viper is a criminal. When no one seems to care, he resigns, only for King Cobra to kill him on the board-room table before he can leave the room.  It's hard to explain how perfect this entire sequence is.  Spencer captures exactly the narrative that Wall Street believes of the financial crisis, with Viper stressing that it wasn't their fault that people bought houses that they couldn't afford or maxed out their credit cards.  In fact, Viper is so convincing that you start believing his pitch yourself.  I forgot that I was reading a comic-book character delivering this monologue:  the entire scene really jumped off the page.

Meanwhile, at Cap HQ, the Whisperer is discussing the video of this incident with Sam (who's still stuck as Cap-Wolf).  He confirms that the Serpent Society has turned themselves into Foxconn, but warns Sam to be careful in opposing them, since Wall Street really runs America.  Cap visits a doctor friend of Misty's, and she assures him that the effects of Malus' experiment are fading.  However, they aren't fading for Joaquin.  After Baron Blood bit Redwing, he's been vampiric, though we learn that vampirism has fewer negative side-effects for birds than it does for humans.  (Whew.)  But, Malus created Joaquin from Redwing, so he inherited some these side effects, including regenerative abilities.  As such, any treatment will fail, since he'll just grow back whatever the surgery removed.  Sam is worried about Joaquin's mental state, but we learn that he's coping better than expected, partially because he realized that he can fly.  (In a hilarious sequence, Misty is trying, unsuccessfully, to get him to return to bed so he can rest, so she opens fire on him, muttering to herself that she didn't have kids for a reason.  For reals, Mist.)

Later, Sam visits Diamondback, and we learn that she's now a stripper.  Honestly, this entire conversation was riveting and, again, I forgot that I was reading a comic book, Spencer writes it so well.  Rachel describes how the world doesn't really need that many good-guy mercenaries, so, after B.A.D. Girls disbanded, she was little more than a woman without a high-school degree in a bad economy.  Since a lot of people don't need a woman that can throw diamond-tipped daggers really well, she did what she knew.  They discuss Viper, and she warns Sam to be careful:  she heard that he had returned from Hell without his soul and reminds him that he's going to be more dangerous on his own turf.  (He was previously in advertising.)  Sam tries to get Rachel to join him (and leave stripping), but their conversation is interrupted when three members of Serpent Solutions attack.  (Earlier, Viper learned on the golf course that one of his clients wasn't signing a contract because of his Captain America "problem," and he pledged to address it.)  One of them stabs Rachel since she's rusty, and an enraged Cap-Wolf goes wild.  He rushes to Rachel's side, only to have her stab him in a betrayal that I legitimately didn't see coming, telling him that she's doing what she needs to do to survive.  He awakens tied to a chair in the Serpent Solutions boardroom. Dun-dun-DUN!

Honestly, this issue was thrilling to read, from the amazing characterization to the well conceived and executed plot.  It's one of the best Cap stories that I've ever read, and I can't wait to see where Spencer takes us.

***** (five of five stars)

Captain America: Sam Wilson #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I had no idea Dr. Malus had been symbiote-d!  It was an awesome reveal, though.  I felt just like Sam:  "WTF?"

Overall, this issue is a joy.  Spencer's Malus is a revelation.  He's clearly sending up the mad-scientist trope, and it's a thrill to read.  Malus demanding that Cap call him "Dr." Malus because he spent four extra years in "mad-scientist school?"  Hilarious.  Complaining that his previous accommodations in an abandoned warehouse were too clichéd?  Awesome.  Plus, Spencer doesn't leave all the good lines for Malus.  Misty's response to Sam turning into Cap-Wolf is amazing:  the stream of werewolf-related jokes, taking a video of Sam scratching and sending it to the Avengers telling them that he has fleas, etc.  It's all just too good.  I also loved Sam's irritability, particularly his anger as he's losing consciousness and realizing that Malus is going to turn him into Cap-Wolf.  It's not an anger based on the fear that he's going to become a werewolf.  No, no.  It's an anger based on the ignominy of it all.  He treats it as a fate worse than death, and maybe he's not wrong, given Misty's reaction.

Even better, we have a great reveal at the end:  the Serpent Society returns!  They're capitalists now, calling themselves "Serpent Solutions."  Spencer reveals that Malus was working on his hybrid process for them, as part of research for a cosmetics corporation to develop a product that allows the user to morph himself into whatever look he wants.  It's remarkably clever (and, frankly, believable).  Given the deft political and social commentary that we've already seen in this series, I can't wait to see how Spencer uses the Serpent Soci...Solutions.  (The name and weaponry of the Sons of the Serpents also makes more sense.)  Between them and the the Zodiac returning in "Amazing Spider-Man," my 1980s heart is full of love.

I have just one quibble here.  I had thought, in the last issue, that the Sons of the Serpents guy had grabbed Joaquin, the grandson of the woman who called Sam in the first place.  However, we learn here that the grandson was one of the victims; the guy who the militiaman grabbed (and who worked with the Serpents) was a different guy.  (He was actually leading the migrants to the Sons, not to safety.)  Spencer probably could've made that clearer, even if he just had someone call him by his name ("Frank!") when he appeared in the first issue.

But, obviously, overall, I loved this issue.  Spencer reminds us that reading comics can actually be fun while also exciting and intriguing. Who knew?

**** (four of five stars)

Captain America: Sam Wilson #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I wouldn't believe that it was possible to tell a story so seamlessly in the past, immediate past, and present, but Spencer essentially puts on a clinic here in doing exactly that.

We learn that Cap and Sam's schism came as a result of a whistle-blower dubbed "the Whisperer."  S/he released a tranche of classified information to the public to expose the "Kobik Program," S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plan to re-assemble a Cosmic Cube.  Maria Hill defends the decision publicly -- using the recent incursions experiences as justification -- but both Sam and Steve oppose it.  (On the incursions, it seems that people may really retain their memories of Battleworld if they remember incursions.  Maybe?  It's still unclear.  This issue is probably the first one where I obviously felt like the story that the author was trying to tell was at least partially compromised by the delay in wrapping up "Secret Wars.")

Anyway, Sam and Steve don't disagree over Kobik:  they disagree over Maria's subsequent witch hunt to find the Whisperer.  Steve believes that the Whisperer needs to be held accountable, in no small part because some of the other information that he released put agents' lives in danger.  Sam believes that Steve has an overly rosy view of the justice system, particularly given that he thinks that the Whisperer will be given the same form of justice that he got when he had to account for his actions during "Civil War."  (#whiteprivilege)  Sam heads off S.H.I.E.L.D. at the path as they attempt to take in the Whisperer, allowing him/her to escape.  It obviously explains the tension with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Steve that Sam now experiences.

But, it doesn't end there.  The Whisperer repays the favor by leaking the information about HYDRA to Sam, setting up the battle that we saw in the first issue.  We learn that Sam got immunity for his actions in that fight, and it explains why Steve is unable to arrest him in this issue.  Before Sam and Steve can resolve their stand-off, one of the Sons of the Serpents grabs the grandson of the woman who called Sam's hotline last issue and uses a short-range teleporter to escape.  Sam is understandably suspicious about how such a low-tech group got access to such technology.  Use his link to birds, he tracks down the duo and discovers that they're working together:  they round up young men crossing the border and ship them to Dr. Malus in New York.  Cue the Armadillo, one of Malus' creations who's still mad at Sam for not delivering on a previous promise to help cure him.  (I have no memory of this promise, but I'm just going to go with it.)  Sam manages to escape and heads to New York to take out Malus.

Again, Spencer really does an amazing amount of stuff in just two issues.  Normally, I'd figure that such an arc would've been four or five issues long.  Instead, Spencer manages to bridge the gap between the last time that we saw Sam and Steve and the present.  He fully updates Sam's status quo, injects it with a tension that makes you think, and still delivers a pretty solid story as a framing device.  It's also amazingly fun, putting Sam out there in the public and using humor to skewer the poisonous political environment of today.  Spencer has a great ear for Sam's world-weary thoughts, and it's a treat to watch him move through this issue:  you can practically hear him sighing.  In other words, it's pretty damn good work for just two issues.

**** (four of five stars)