Not-Very-New Comics: The November 28 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #10:  Spencer clearly hated exactly the same things about Slott's run as I did as he changes one of Slott's most egregious characterization crimes in this issue:  Felicia is thankfully on the side of angels again.  (I'm just going to overlook Peter overlooking her crimes, like I do with Batman overlooking Red Hood's.)  More interestingly, she pins her fall into evil as starting when she realized she no longer knew who Peter was under the mask.  (Apparently Spencer also had issues with Quesada as well.)  Moved by her insistence they meant something once, Peter unmasks himself to her, a moment that validates her importance not just to him but to us, the fans, as well.  I'll admit Spencer is still struggling to get a definitive bead on Peter as a character, veering seemingly randomly from excessively chipper to downright maudlin.  But, he definitely secures my patience as he fixes yet another wrong perpetrated on Peter and his supporting cast during "Brand New Day" and its hangover.

Darth Vader #24:  Soule does a great job here of not delaying Vader's crossing into the Force for too long, but long enough to make it suspenseful.  Momin's betrayal of Vader allows the indigenous Mustafarian forces time to marshal an attack, forcing Vader to re-focus his efforts on securing the fortress.  Soule takes the extra step of showing Vader successfully rallying his rattled troops into battle, a reminder that the Stormtroopers don't follow Vader from a place of fear so much as awe.  The Mustafarians seem to get the upper hand as they use the lava to wipe out the Imperials.  Vader only survives in a display of badass-ery that recalls his origins:  as we see him leaping from the lava and burning on the shores once again, it's clear it isn't going to end well for the Mustafarians.  Once he vanquishes them, he makes fairly short work of a surprised Momin.  I have to be honest, I understand why Momin would arrogantly assume his superiority to Vader, since he just managed to pull off a millennia-long plan to resurrect himself.  But, Vader is Vader, and he uses this arrogance against Momin, clearing the way for his own crossing into the Force.  I'm intrigued where Soule is going here.  One of my hopes for this series since Day #1 was that the authors would explore Vader before he became the (seemingly) irredeemably villain he was in "Star Wars."  I have to wonder if his presumed "reunion" with Padme doesn't push him farther along that spectrum, something I'd be excited to see.

Marvel 2-in-One #12:  Zdarsky ends this series on a high note, with Johnny showing how much he's matured since the team began.  After all, Ben, Reed, and Sue all lied to him to protect his feelings, and Johnny argues they treated him like a child in so doing. His call for them to be better about sharing their pain forces everyone, the reader included, to reassess their view of him.  But, he also shows his maturity by forgiving them.  Zdarksy did such an excellent job on this title and "Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man" that it's hard to believe Marvel would allow his run on either one to end.  At least Zdarsky had the chance to wrap up some of the emotional loose ends from Reed and Sue's disappearance, particularly as Slott has already moved onto the wedding in the main title.  I still think we (and Johnny) deserve a better explanation from Reed and Sue, but at least we get this moment here.

Spider-Gwen:  Ghost Spider #2:  This issue is spectacular.  McGuire pours his heart and soul into this issue and it shows.  This issue clears the high bar "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2 set in terms of presenting a fully realized world containing clearly drawn characters.  For really the first time I can remember, someone presents us a intuitively believable vision of Peter Parker if he hadn't become Spider-Man.  In a way, it feels like McGuire is finishing the work Latour started with our Gwen's Peter, since we never really meet him.  This Peter is the nerd he was destined to be.  He created the radioactive spider that bit Harry, turning Harry into Spider-Man.  Gwen is also the scientist she was supposed to be.  After Harry became Spider-Man, she created the Goblin outfit based on her work with bio-feedback circuitry at Oscorp (where she and Peter were interning).  Peter and Mary Jane play the supporting roles here, but it all goes tragically wrong when Gwen accidentally kills her father in a fight she and Harry are having with Sandman.  Her moment of distraction gives Sandman time to kill Harry and an ensuing explosion fuses Gwen with her suit.  She's now only the Goblin, and Peter and Mary Jane are frantically trying to find a way to save her when our Gwen appears.  McGuire is at his best when he shows Peter as totally desperate to save his friends; it's an echo of our Peter, but in a world where the sorrows he's known have overwhelmed him.  He's not funny or quippy, just focused and serious.  He unapologetically blackmails our Gwen into helping them by saying their Gwen is the only person who can help her fix her Web-Warriors' watch.  Our Gwen seems to suspect he's lying as much as we do.  McGuire really conveys Gwen's desperation here, as she's aware her friends could be dying as she's delayed in this Universe.  But, Gwen decides to throw in her lot with Peter and Mary Jane, clearly moved in party by their plight.  It's this sort of realistic characterization that makes this issue so gripping.  I can't wait to see where we go from here.

Uncanny X-Men #3:  This issue is an improvement over the last two issues, though I can't say I'm enthusiastic about where we're going here.  After the X-Men in Montana make short work of the rampaging dinosaurs, they fly to Kansas to help the other X-Men take on the Madrox horde.  Jean and Psylocke are able to shut down the dupes' minds, and they discover Jamie Prime beaten and locked in the basement.  (The authors make no comment at all on the fact Jamie Prime is supposed to be dead, so it's unclear to me if it's the real Jamie Prime or the megalomaniacal Jamie Prime from the "Multiple Man" mini-series.  Also, where's Layla?)  Jamie reveals Legion beat him repeatedly to create dupes into which he could stash his personalities.  (I guess those dupes were the ones the X-Men just defeated?)  It's still unclear why they were all looking for Kitty Pryde, but, if I'm guessing, it's because Legion was looking at her.  He wanted to warn the X-Men of the coming of the Four Horsemen of Salvation:  Angel, Blob, Magneto, and Omega Red.  It seems clear they're working for X-Man, but we're not going to get there until next issue (at least).  Instead, Magneto, the so-called Horseman of Peace, destroys the X-Mansion, because his goal is to take out anyone who creates war (i.e., the X-Men.)  Um, OK, I guess?  It all still feels like a mess, but at least we're getting closer to answers here.

Also Read:  Detective Comics #993; Fantastic Four #4; Old Man Hawkeye #11; Return of Wolverine #3

Not-Very-New Comics: The October 31 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman Secret Files #1:  I don't exactly understand why we got this one-shot, but I can't say I'm disappointed, because it's really quite good.  Every story here is a solid one that goes somewhere unexpected.  Given how many comics I've read in my day, even one story going somewhere I didn't expect is saying a lot.  In fact, each story left me wanting more, because each author leaves Bruce stumped at the end.  He's unsure if he needs superpowers, he can't cure one of the Scarecrow's victims of his fear, he doesn't know how to prevent Wayne Enterprises' technology from falling into the wrong hands, he panics when he's on his own:  the Batman we see across these stories is one not entirely sure how to engage with the world around him.  I particularly wanted more time with Yeselle and Detective Chimp as they both force Bruce to confront his flaws in a way he normally doesn't.  All in all, it's a really solid outing.

Extermination #4:  Brisson really cranks up the pressure here.  We learn Ahab is in his past (our present) because he wants to kill one of the younger X-Men so s/he can’t safely return to his/her past, thus destroying their timeline.  We also learn young Nate killed Cable because his older self's sentimentality meant he allowed the kids to stay in the present, when he should’ve been doing everything he could to send them back to the past.  Young Nate (it's like he's a rapper) has taken on that burden himself, undoing the changes to the X-Men — like Angel’s cosmic wings — so they can return as Hank originally found them.  (Yes, it's super Nateus ex machina, but I actually didn't mind too much.)  But, Ahab surprisingly succeeds here, killing young Scott and making me legitimately wonder where we go from here.  The fact the timeline still exists implies Scott somehow survives and returns, but I’m intrigued how Brisson pulls that rabbit from his hat.  After all, Scott takes a spear to the chest here.  It's hard to write around that.

Marvel 2-in-One #11:  My problem with the Fantastic Four has always been that Reed is an arrogant asshole and I can't understand why anyone would love and trust him.  Although I don't think he intended to do so, Zdarsky proves that in this issue.  Reed brings Ben with him to retrieve the Thinker from the planet where they left him, and Ben confronts Reed about letting him and Johnny think they were dead.  At first, Reed claims he did so because he thought Ben and Johnny would be bored of all the science-ing, because he's apparently such a fucking idiot that he thought traversing the Universe as explorers wouldn't put him and his family in danger.  Ben doesn't buy it, particularly given the fact Reed could've just told them they were go exploring and wanted to do so on their own.  Dodging the issue, Reed then introduces Ben to an alternate Universe Doom who Reed befriended in their travels.  In this Universe, Reed is dead, and Doom is a mostly good guy.  Reed now says he let Ben and Johnny think he was dead because he thought that it would somehow enable them to save our Doom.  But, Reed is forced to admit even this "good" Doom is "Doom-y."  Ben chastises him for his belief he could fix everything and encourages him to trust his friends and family.  But, the whispered conversation Reed has with Doom at the end makes it clear he's not listening.  I'm pretty happy with my decision to stay with this title and the main title just through the wedding, but I'm also glad Zdarsky isn't letting Reed off the hook here.

Multiple Man #5:  This issue makes a certain amount of sense if you don’t think about it too hard.  Like, I’m pretty sure Rosenberg established one of the dupes sent into the future never returned, as we see at the end of this issue, but maybe he didn't.  It also makes a certain amount of sense that “our” Jamie becomes Emperor Jamie, that they're not two separate people.  But, it also doesn’t matter.  At some point, you just have to meet Rosenberg on his own terms and accept he’s telling a crazy Madrox story.  As other people have said, it wasn’t the Madrox story I wanted, but it’s the one we deserved.

The Realm #10:  Haun and Peck do a spectacular job evoking the ambiance of a good ol' fashioned dungeon crawl.  In the tension-driven plot, the goblins' master is surprised Will is able to hold even the fraction of the mysterious creature's power that he possesses.  He brings forth an amulet that severs Will's link to said creature and plans to dissect Will to learn more.  But, the issue's best parts are with Molly and the crew slowly but surely making their way through the dungeon.  For example, the room they entered at the end of last issue wasn't the room where Will was being held; it was a wizard's laboratory.  The team takes advantage of the moment and swipes all sorts of books, magical items, and scrolls for David to use later.  In perhaps the best sequence, given its nod to something from the original "Monster Manual," they stumble across a skeleton suspended -- along with his coins and sword -- in green slime.  Eli announces he previously encountered green slime in a subway, telling the group they'll be fine so long as they keep moving, as the slime is "slow and persistent."  It's all just so evocative of the red-boxed "Dungeon & Dragons" set, but as if running into green slime were a legitimate threat you could experience in your day-to-day life.  Meanwhile, the Queen reminds Johnny Eldritch that their master sent her after Will and his team, informing him she knows about the team he dispatched.  He's not particularly inclined to care.  Back in the dungeon, Molly and the team arrive just in time to save Will from the master's knife.  As the goblins start to combine into a gestalt, Zach knocks the amulet from the master's hands.  Eli grabs it and, before the master can kill him, Will cuts him in half.  Good times.  The team departs the dungeon to find dragons in the sky, but not before David picks up the amulet...

Spider-Force #1:  This issue is OK, I guess.  Spider-Kid is pretty insufferable as a character, in no small part because Priest has to define the street slang he uses, because we're not hip to the lingo.  It’s always embarrassing when comics do that, like your great-grandfather saying “dope” or “sick.”  The idea that this team is the Spider-People’s version of X-Force is a great one, but Priest makes it unnecessarily confusing by starting in media res.  We start on the planet where the Web-Warriors initially trapped the Inheritors, with Kaine announcing everyone on Spider-Force is going to die of exposure after their radiation suits are opened.  I mean, we all know they're not going to die.  I think it would’ve been much cooler to see Kaine and Ashley talk about starting Spider-Force and deciding on recruiting Spider-Kid and Spider-Women.  At any rate, we’ll see where we go from here.  Hopefully Priest just sticks to the story at hand and stops trying to cram every possible comic-book trope into this series.

The Wild Storm #18:  The team is apparently going on hiatus for a few months to prepare for the last six issues.  I said last issue that I wasn't sure how Ellis was going to manage to address all the possible loose ends before issue #24.  But, after this issue, I think I'm a believer, as he successfully sends everyone after Miles at the same time. 

• Jackie puts two and two together and tells Miles that Cole and Adriana aren’t working for Skywatch:  they’re involved in a rogue C.A.T. (or a Wild C.A.T., if you will).  However, Miles still seems to lump them into the same category as Skywatch as he lists his woes over the last few weeks.  (He alludes to "visiting punishment" on Skywatch's Ground Division as costing him two C.A.T.s.  But, I initially read that as him talking about the C.A.T. or C.A.T.s he lost when they tried to grab Angie from the safehouse.  The Wild C.A.T.s were responsible for that, not Bendix.)  At any rate, Jackie is sick of it, and she tells Miles it’s time to go to war with Skywatch because they killed one of their own (Mitch).  She recalls the speech Miles gave when he took over IO, saying they were the secret angels working to save humanity -- but, sometimes angels destroyed cities and didn’t just save them.

• In space, Bendix talks to Dr. Helspont, one of the original Thunderbook researchers.  Helspont explains the slave triggers in the Wetworks members were developed in three phases. The original triggers create uncontrollable violence in the subjects, and the second generation only points the subjects in a direction.  Apparently only Helspont's triggers work in actually controlling the subjects.  Slayton seems to fall in the second category of triggers whereas, disturbingly, Apollo and Midnighter might be from the last phase.

• Speak of the devil, Slayton tracks down Lynch, but Lynch convinces him — or, more specifically, his alien — to go after Miles since he’s the bad guy.  (Maybe it's just his second-generation trigger pointing him in a direction.)  As Lynch explains, the only people who can stop Slayton are IO, and his advantage is IO doesn’t know about Thunderbook.  Meanwhile, Michael Cray is heading to New York to kill Miles, or at least we assume he is.  Also, he may really have burnt down his father’s house after he tells a woman on the train his father would’ve sold information about his destination to “corporate headhunters” ten minutes after he left.  At Skywatch, Bendix also declares he’s going to destroy IO, so it looks like Miles is going to have a bad week.

• Angie defects to the Doctor’s team, where she meets a cleaned-up Mayor who explains Skywatch experimented on him.  (I think, but am not sure, Helspont likely did it after moving to Skywatch from IO/Thunderbook.  Earlier, we learned he made the move after Lynch shutdown Thunderbook.)  Angie says she came to them because the Khera spoke highly of them as “the authority.”  (Heh.)  Meanwhile, Marlowe and the C.A.T.s discover she’s gone but deploy to swipe a cosmic particle IO has caught.

• We have a super weird interlude between two disguised Khera sitting at a bar in Los Angeles who explain Zealot broke with Marlowe after Emp said he didn’t want to turn Earth into a slave camp anymore. (Zealot is at said bar, but doesn’t recognize them.)  Does that mean Marlowe still does?

In other words, Ellis really continues a masterful level of storytelling.  Miles comments about Skywatch vice the Wild C.A.T.s are the only ones that left me vaguely confused, despite Ellis alluding to storylines he started 18 months ago in issue #1.  If going on hiatus means the last six issues will be even more awesome, I'm all for it!

Also Read:  Avengers Halloween Special #1; Old Man Hawkeye #10; Vault of Spiders #1; West Coast Avengers #3; X-Men:  Black - Emma Frost #1

Not-Very-New Comics: The July 25 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Infinity Wars Prime #1:  OK, here we go.  After the pretty crappy ending of "Infinity Countdown," I can't say I'm all that excited about this event, but I'm game for at least reading the main series.  We'll wait and see about the tie-in series.  At any rate, Duggan gives us three separate (and seemingly unconnected) stories here.  First, Loki discovers that he remembers the tales told in the books in the Asgardian library differently than they're recounted.  He complains he's never the hero of the story, and I wonder if we're going to get an explanation why everyone has seemingly turned their back on Loki as the God of Stories (as he was at the end of "Loki:  Agent of Asgard").  When Loki asks why the stories all involve the same people in different universes, the tomekeeper leads him to a book she remembers dealing with that subject.  But, they're both surprised when the ending has been torn from the book, so they go to the Quarry of Creation, which the tomekeeper remembers also has something to do with the tale.  Elsewhere, Adam Warlock consults with Dr. Strange about the disturbing changes within the Soul Gem.  When they use the Ropes of the Xiand Nomads to enter the Soul Gem (the ropes allow them to stay anchored to our realm), an enormous creature (presumably the one that entrapped Hank Pym in a dreamscape at the end of "Infinity Countdown") looms over the landscape and kills a surprised Adam Warlock.  Dr. Strange is forced to reveal his possession of the Time Gem to Adam in order to save him.  Finally, Requiem, as we seem to be calling the person who had the dwarf create a sword for her in "Infinity Countdown," kills Thanos and then the Chitauri warriors he ruled.  Standing over Thanos' body, she declares the past dead.  (It's some form of Gamora, right?  Maybe Nebula?)  All in all, it isn't a terrible issue, though I still feel like I'm missing something.  At the end of "Infinity Countdown," for example, Dr. Strange summoned the Infinity Watch.  Yet, here, he's lying to Adam Warlock about having the Time Gem.  Does this story take place before "Infinity Countdown" #5?  If not, this part doesn't seem to make much sense.  Whatever.  We'll see where we go from here.

Marvel 2-in-One #8:  Chip Zdarsky, STOP MAKING ME CRY.  After the most recent issue of "Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man," it's just too many feels!  With their powers gone, Ben and Johnny are forced to live normal lives on this strange new world.  After Johnny learns Ben asked this Universe's Amadeus Cho to send out a signal to the Avengers and not just Reed and Sue, he realizes Ben has lied to him:  Reed, Sue, and the kids are dead.  Their subsequent fight is heartbreaking, as Ben confesses he lied because he was worried Johnny was falling to pieces and Johnny only half-heartedly insists he was pulling himself together.  The Fantastic Four returns shortly, but I'm going to miss this period of Ben and Johnny needing to find a way just to rely on each other.  But, I won't miss the crying, Chip!

Mr. and Mrs. X #1:  This issue is goddamn perfect in every way.  Thompson gives Remy and Rogue the wedding they deserved, not the afterthought ceremony we saw in "X-Men Gold" #30.  Moreover, her mastery of their banter is even better than it was during the "Rogue and Gambit" mini-series.  They're definitely in love, but it doesn't mean that they don't have issues or that they can't laugh at each other's expense.  In the letters page, Thompson explicitly mentions how comics can be hard on marriages.  In so doing, she addresses the elephant in the room, essentially promising at least a decent amount of time before we have to worry about them getting a divorce.  With that sort of commitment -- the commitment I think we all expected to get with Bruce and Selina and Kitty and Piotr -- our couple and this series are on solid footing.  It allows Thompson to jump into the deep end, as she does here as Remy and Rogue take a honeymoon in space and come face-to-face with a mysterious egg, Cerise and the Imperial Guard, and Deadpool!  Best start to a series EVER!

Multiple Man #2:  I mean, OK, it's not like I expected a mini-series about the Multiple Man that also involved time travel was going to make much sense.  Rosenberg even plays with that premise throughout this issue to great effect.  But, at some point, it has to make some sense.  As far as I can tell, the dupe we meet here somehow became evil and killed hundreds of thousands of people when he took over the world.  His recent jaunt to the future has already changed it, though seemingly making his repression even more brutal.  Moreover, his return to that future gives him the idea to create the super-powered dupes that save him last issue, completing the loop.  But, at this point, you just have to wonder why he doesn't go to the past and save the real Madrox the moment before Black Bolt releases the Terrigen Mist.  In fact, he could save everyone who died because of the Mist.  After all, altering the "future" isn't any better than altering the "past" since at some point they're the same thing.  [Sigh.]  Fucking time travel.  At any rate, Madrox's interactions with his son and Layla are the best, as the creative team makes Davey's hope and Layla's despair evident.  But, I'd like to follow what's happening at some point.

X-Men:  Blue #32:  Magneto has seen the future, as he mentions here, though I'll admit I can't remember when that happened.  At any rate, he seems to have seen disaster, including something happening to Bobby in particular.  But, he won't tell the kids, though they seem to draw the conclusion that their time in the "present" is growing short.  I'm still intrigued how Marvel is going to resolve their story, and it's increasingly clear we're getting there soon.

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #2; Star Wars:  Doctor Aphra #22; Star Wars:  Lando - Double or Nothing #3

New-ish Comics: The June 13 Marvel "A-M" Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Darth Vader #17:  When Darth Vader tells you you’re an asshole, you’re really an asshole.  Barr reveals to Lee-char and Vader that he knew billions on Mon Cala would die, but he needed to set the stage for the Mon Calamari’s involvement in the Rebellion and thus the events we’re currently seeing develop in the main series.  (I assume it means Trios and Vader fail in their attempt to destroy the Mon Calamari fleet, but we’ll see.)  Lee-char is appalled (particularly after Barr admits to killing the Imperial ambassador, setting off the armed conflict), but his surrender doesn’t convince Tarkin to stop the bombardment.  It’s a tactical error on Tarkin’s part, as Raddus is left with no choice but to order the fleet to flee the planet, with three ships successfully breaking through the blockade.  In so doing, Barr succeeds, as the Mon Calamari who escape are clearly allied with the Rebellion from this point forward.  But, Soule makes Barr’s treachery clear; as he himself admits, Barr might not have been Sith, but he sure as hell wasn’t a Jedi.  An interesting loose end here is that Verla, Barr’s remaining apprentice, survives.  I wonder how she’s going to play in later issues.  At this point, though, all hope is loss; as Vader says to Lee-char, Mon Cala no longer exists; only the Empire does.

Infinity Countdown:  Darkhawk #2:  This issue is admittedly hard to follow, mainly because it once again descends so far into the constantly changing Darkhawk mythos that you feel like you’re reading a Wikipedia entry at times.  We learn the Fraternity of Raptors was created as synthetic versions of Ratha’kon, the Starhawk, allegedly the Phoenix’s predator (whatever that means).  The Fraternity has long been seeking the full power of the “celestial raptor” (i.e., Ratha'kon, I'm assuming), but it wasn't able to perform the necessary ritual, because it required a willing as well as forced sacrifice.  Enter Talonar and Darkhawk.  Robbie is perfectly happy to watch Gyre, the lead Raptor, seemingly kill Chris in cold blood by ripping the amulet from the Razor armor.  You have to wonder how Rich is going to respond (per “Infinity Countdown” #4) when he learns his brother is this far gone.  By taking the amulet from the Razor armor and giving it to Talonar, the ritual is complete and Dark Starhawk is born.  This part is fine, though I question why Gyre allows the host to be a human, given humans’ alleged incompatibility with the armor.  According to this issue, we learned in “Darkhawk” #51 that the Datasong was so overwhelming to Chris at times that his mind created false memories — “I saw things, remembered people and places that weren’t there.”  It was all presumably to ease the burden of the Datasong, though I’m not sure how it accomplished that.  I also don’t remember this part from that issue, but, as Sims and Bowers specifically mention it here, it’s presumably relevant.  If you’re willing to accept the Raptors' origin story and Chris' memory issues on faith at this point, it’s otherwise a solid issue.  I’m hoping Sim and Bowers put aside the exposition for now and give us the space opera Darkhawk always should’ve been but rarely seemed to be.  They infuse this issue with some rare humor for the franchise, and it makes it a much stronger read as a result.  They could really do a lot with Chris so long as they don’t repeat the mistakes of their predecessors.

Marvel 2-in-One Annual #1:  I’m not particularly a fan of Doom or Reed, so I’ll admit this issue was wasted on me a bit.  It was billed as containing the secrets of “Secret Wars,” and I was attracted to that, since “Secret Wars” never really explained how we wound up where we did.  But, the “secret” is really that Reed made Doom think he and Susan were dead so he could have a fresh start.  Robbed of his intense rivalry with Reed, would he become a better man?  The answer is...muddled.  At some point, Doom rants against Reed's imperiousness as he disapproves of Doom killing one of his alternate selves in combat.  In his rant, Doom focuses on Reed’s decision to let Ben and Johnny think him (and Sue and the kids) dead, a crime against the family he so allegedly prizes.  It’s a reminder to me that I probably won’t be collecting the new “Fantastic Four” series, because I still find Reed insufferable, in any iteration of him.

Also Read:   Hunt for Wolverine:  The Adamantium Agenda #2

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 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 February 14 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1:  Honest to God, I have no idea what’s happening here.  I’ve read every issue of this cross-over event, but I still don’t get it.  [Sigh.]  Let's just get to it.

We start this issue focused on a detective chimp named Bobo.  (Seriously, if you think that part is excessively problematic, you might just want to check out here.)  His continuing loss of IQ as well as water now boiling at 106 degrees give his (human) scientist colleagues their first hints that something is wrong with...physics.  (It seems related to Barbatos’ scream to the Armies of Darkness, but I can’t be sure.)  Then, we move onto Cyborg, Flash, and Raven aboard a ship called the Ultima Thule, which music apparently powers.  (The authors present everything here -- from the Thule itself to Cyborg, Flash, and Raven being on board it -- as information I should already have.  In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I saw Flash in this series; in searching my previous posts, I discovered it was in "Justice League" #33, when Cyborg convinced Flash and Raven to join him on this "Hail Mary" pass of a mission.)  They’re looking for the frequency that will lead the Thule to the House of Heroes (whatever that is).  We learn the Thule is apparently the Monitor’s ship and it’s searching for him, but Flash can redirect it because of his ability to control frequencies (I think).  However, the Batman Who Laughs is on their tail in a ship called the Carrier, which is powered by a baby universe.  (Yeah, just go with it at this point.  It gets worse.)  The Drowned reminds us her goal is to recreate her Universe, which is the only reason she’s helping the Batman Who Laughs.  (I wonder if she's going to side with heroes at the end and get her Universe resurrected.  This comment seems too specific to be random.)

Cyborg and Flash somehow realize they might be able to get the Multiverse back on track if they un-cage the baby universe in the Carrier.  (I don't know why.  If you do, hit me up in the comments.)  Flash speeds onto the Carrier and frees the universe, and the wave of positive energy results in the Red Death expunging Bruce’s persona and thus freeing Barry from their cohabitation.  (Sure.)  Barry-the-former-Red-Death agrees to stay on the Carrier until the baby universe is too big to contain, and Barry-our-Flash flees.  However, it turns out the Batman Who Laughs wanted the Thule to escape so he could fire warheads equipped with baby dark universes at it, turning the ship into a poison dart aimed at the center of the Universe (presumably the House of Heroes).  Meanwhile, analogues from the 53rd Universe contact Bobo, though the Dawnbreaker reminds us the 53rd Universe doesn't exist.  It turns out it does; they come from 2067, and they apparently have the answer to save the Multiverse.

Yes, talking chimps from the future are going to save the DCnU.  And comic-book fans wonder why people make fun of us.

I'm not really sure where we go from here.  We only have one issue left, and it seems impossible for Snyder to accomplish everything he set out intending to do.  In theory, he was supposed to show how he had left all these Easter Eggs scattered through his run on "Batman," and they were going to reveal how Barbatos has been planning his assault for a long time.  After all, we learned all the random metals mentioned during Snyder's run -- like batmanium, dionesium, promethium, etc. -- were part of Barbatos' plan to turn Bruce into his gateway to our world.  However, the metals and Barbatos himself quickly faded into the background after 'Dark Nights:  Metal" #2.  Barbatos seems little more than a mindless pawn of the Batman Who Laughs, and the metals have been replaced by a random collection of objects -- Hawkman's mace, Plastic Man's egg, etc.  Now, it's simply a matter of a series of deux ex machinas inevitably helping our heroes defeat the Batman Who Laughs and his hidden agenda.  It's a far cry from where we started.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #42:  This issue is a perfect annual story:  the main story ties up a loose end from a previous event that would be difficult to do in the main title, the back-up story is charming, and the pin-up feature at the end is funny.  Even if you're not a regular reader of "Amazing Spider-Man," it's a great issue if you just want a casual Spider-Man story.  (OK, you probably are going to be a little confused by all the clone references, but otherwise it's pretty solid.)

The story involves the now-resurrected Enforcers informing a mysterious figure that Ned Leeds warned Betty Brant about something called "Blood Creek" during the period of time he was resurrected during "The Clone Conspiracy."  Peter is angst-ridden as he watches Betty consult a psychic to try to connect with Ned again, as he knows she's not crazy.  But, he's playing up his role as a skeptic in part to get her to put Ned's call behind her.  Of course, Betty also reasonably points out they live in a world with Norse gods and Dr. Strange, so it's not insane to think she could speak to her husband in the afterlife.  (Good point, Betty.)

After some sleuthing on both their parts, Betty and Peter realize Ned's original source works at Empire State University.  He informs Betty the supposed Battle of Blood Creek from the Revolutionary War never happened.  Dun-dun-DUN!  Before he can elaborate further, the Enforcers arrive and take them hostage.  (Ain't that always the way?)  Spidey helps Betty escape, and they later head to City Hall to talk to Glory, who apparently still works there despite the Kingpin now being in charge.  (Would I want a former investigative journalist on staff with access to classified records if I were the Kingpin?  No.  No, I would not.)  They learn the statue in the park outside the building dedicated to Blood Creek was commissioned for millions of more dollars than it should've been.  Before they can learn more, they flee when the Kingpin and his security guard arrive, after an alarm alerted the Kingpin someone was looking into the Blood Creek records.  Yet another source helps Betty escape into "hidden New York," the vast network of tunnels laid for various unrealized purposes.  He informs her the statue is made of pure tritium, a particularly explosive material.  But, the Enforcers arrive before he can tell her more.  (These guys' timing has really improved over the years.)

Thankfully, the villain -- Ernesto Karnelli, the "long-hidden leader of the shadow arm of the Maggia, the Undermob" -- narrates the tale.  The Undermob built the sculpture at a significant loss outside City Hall as the ultimate Doomsday device; if one of its leaders is poised to be convicted of a crime and go to jail, the Undermob could blow up City Hall and the courts.  Devious!  Karnelli takes the Enforcers with him and flees, planning on detonating the bomb from a distance, but Spidey hears Betty's screams and arrives on the scene to stop them.  (In a public-service announcement, Spidey tells us always to scream.  Now you know!  And knowing is half the battle.  G.I. Joe!)  Meanwhile, Betty escapes to stop Karnelli's right-hand man from proceeding with the detonation using a control panel in the statue, and she arrives to find a homeless guy trying to stop him as well.  Once the dust settles, it turns out the homeless guy was Ned Leeds, who fades into the crowd!

You can tell Slott has been wanting to tell this story for a while, as it not only makes it a little clearer who escaped from "The Clone Conspiracy," but also firmly establishes Ned Leeds as one of the clones who survived.  One of the more frustrating parts of "The Clone Conspiracy" was Slott's decision to leave who survived intentional vague, so this issue at least goes some way to addressing that.  Plus, it's some time well spent with a supporting cast we haven't seen lately, with some great Spidey zingers to boot!

Avengers #680:  This issue is another solid installment, as the Avengers reel from the loss of Johnny Storm.  The authors do a great job showing everyone's emotions.  In fact, Voyager's speechlessness at the news (and particularly her struggle to convey her sympathy to Rogue) makes me feel like she may be a real character after all and not just some temporary plot device.  Voyager teleports Rogue and her team to Antarctica where the ice/water Pyramoid has appeared, and Rogue murders Corvus Glaive in a fit of rage and revenge.  Meanwhile, Sam has to address the fact he's not only down Johnny but also Red Hulk, as the General's "hour of power" expires.  Thankfully, Voodoo and Wanda use a spell with "difficult to source" ingredients to switch places with the General, bringing Sunspot and the Wasp with them.  (The "difficult to source" part is important, because Voodoo warns Sam -- and the reader -- he's not going to be able to do so again, complicating the Avengers' ability to arrive on time to meet the game's threats as they appear.)  Sam's team heads to Los Alamos via an awaiting Quinjet where the air Pyramoid has appeared.  (Separately, Toni has started to figure out the elemental connections.)  Meanwhile, Simon stops by the hospital where Hank and Nadia are caring for Jarvis.  Pushing his powers to the limit, Wonder Man confirms Jarvis isn't afflicted with radiation, undermining their "Avengers flu" theory.  Also, it seems pretty clear the Challenger's back-up guy is the Hulk.  In other words, it's bad out there, folks. 

Captain America #698:  This arc might've been OK if we hadn't just come from "Secret Empire," but Waid makes Cap way too over the top here when it comes to his fanboyish devotion to freedom.  We learn Rampart had Cap frozen so its leader -- now "King" Maximilian Babbington -- could set off a series of nuclear blasts that killed 90 percent of the population (i.e., "The Forty Minute War").  Earth's "do-gooders" all died containing the bulk of the radiation.  The remaining 10 percent of America's population is now forced to buy the necessities of survival -- treated water, hazmat suits, etc. -- from the new elite, who live in a castle floating above the ruins of Washington.  It's like "Elysium" meets "Hunger Games."  Cap awakens in 2025 after Liang, the rebel leader, liberates his statue from the castle, where he's been used as a symbol of America (but "America" now being defined as the elites themselves). They're surprised when it turns out he's the real deal.  A troop of "Rapidtroops" arrives to take out the rebels, and Cap is appalled when Liang has to sacrifice one of them because he didn't flee fast enough.  He then randomly lectures her about the Bill of Rights.  It's obviously tin-eared, given they're climbing through the ruins of Washington as he does so.  It's like Cap appearing in "The Road" and complaining the Father just had to have more faith.  Moreover, it comes after "Secret Empire" pretty extensively covered similar ground.  I thought he was still reeling from how easily everyone followed Captain Fascist.  Is his faith in freedom really that strong?  Does he really believe in the Bill of Rights, given how quickly it was discarded during "Secret Empire?"  After all, Captain Fascist made the point recently he never broke any laws; Congress gave him the power to do everything he did.  I thought the whole point of this series right now is to portray a shaken Cap trying to rediscover his faith, not a resolute one seeing freedom everywhere.  If I were Waid, I would quickly put aside the optimism we see in this issue and keep Cap focused on the challenge at hand, like in Remender's Dimension Z story.  

Detective Comics #974:  This issue is emotional, as Tim faces total collapse under the weight of the last few days.  He’s frantically trying to recreate the Belfry even though the team has decisively fractured:  Batman has expelled Batwoman, Azrael and particularly Batwing seem likely to go with her, and Spoiler leaves to get some time on her own.  Bruce tries to help, but Tim breaks into tears, feeling he can’t escape the curse of the dark Future Batman he now feels destined to become.  But, Tynion’s at his best when he pushes against comics’ most frequently cited tenet, that superheroes are supposed to be held to a higher standard when it comes to killing.  Kate justifies her actions as something any police officer or soldier would do (and be celebrated for doing), but Bruce, Cass, and Tim stress they’re supposed to be better than that.  Importantly, though, Kate points out they weren’t.  They don’t have a response to Kate’s assertion that they had already let Clayface kill a number of people, and they just sputter when she stresses he could’ve killed an untold number more while they were looking for an answer that allowed them to keep the moral high road.  Jake’s offer of a new outfit to Batwoman seems to presage the war between the Batpeople that Future Tim said was coming.  Tynion makes that an exciting prospect, given his commitment not to ignore the emotional undertones here.

Falcon #5:  First, I love the idea the personality Sam shed to leave Hell was Snap Wilson.  Unless Barnes is undoing the Remender ret-con of the Englehart ret-con, the Red Skull created the idea of Snap Wilson to strike at the heart of Sam’s perception of himself as a hero:  Snap is the man the Sam we know would never want to be.  But, even the possibility he could be someone like Snap has successfully worn down his spirit for years; shedding Snap in Hell is a sign he’s confident in himself in a way he hasn’t been previously.  Moreover, it creates a great antagonist, if Mephisto plans on resurrecting Snap as a real person to get revenge on Sam for bringing hope to Hell.  (He and Steve could bond over both having evil twins.)  Moreover, this arc wraps up nicely.  Barnes cements Sam’s relationship with his two protégés, building out the supporting characters who made his run as Captain America so strong.  In fact, Sam's ability to speak about his love for the boys seems a sure sign he's shed his baggage, embracing his role as a father figure in a way he hadn't previously (partly, I think, because of his conflicted feelings about becoming a father).  I love the three of them joining Daimon Hellstrom and Dr. Voodoo for a nice meal after everything.  I was skeptical when Barnes started down the supernatural road, but it’s hard to argue with his results.  Sam is the Falcon once again, with his baggage firmly checked.  It’s a great starting point for this next phase.

Marvel 2-in-One #3:  We learn in this issue that the Fantastic Four gets its powers by being tethered to one another, meaning the prolonged absence of Reed and Sue will soon leave Ben and Johnny powerless.  That’s some brilliant shit right there.

Also Read:  Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #14; Bloodshot Salvation #6; Darth Vader #11; Ms. Marvel #27; Old Man Hawkeye #2; The Wild Storm:  Michael Cray #5; X-Men:  Blue #21; Youngblood #9

Not-So-New Comics: The December 20 Non-Spider Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Champions #15:  I know it’s clichéd to say so, but Viv really is the heart of this team.  This series has been hit or miss for me for a while, but Waid does a really great job of putting everyone’s emotions on display in this issue.  He uses Nova deciding to quit the team as his lens for their despair.  Nova saw Viv as the only member of the team who didn’t condescend to him; without her, he just doesn’t want to be there anymore.  The Avengers make everything worse through their own condescension, and my only complaint here is Waid didn’t have Kamala and Scott realize they do the same thing to Sam as they complain Falcon and Thor do to them.  But, it’s a minor complaint.  Kamala rallies to remind Sam he -- and not all the geniuses -- saved the day on Counter-Earth.  He confesses to her he just misses Viv, in a moment that makes me tear up a bit just writing about it.  Similarly, the Wasp trying to convince the Vision not to activate the new body he’s constructing for Viv is equally poignant.  The Wasp says it would dishonor her memory, but the Vision’s grief is so real here you understand why he might not care.  We’re also introduced to a mystery I never realized was out there as the Wasp asks Vision whose engram is the source of Viv’s personality.  Meanwhile, Viv discovers she’s where the High Evolutionary is, some plane of existence where they’ve essentially becoming data streams.  They’re aware Vision is trying to rebuild Viv in his basement, and the Evolutionary wants to piggyback on Viv’s data stream when the Vision eventually unifies it with her (synthezoid) body.  Viv refuses and somehow discovers how to travel to her father on her own.  Waid does a good job with this moment, since you think it’s just the Vision activating her body.  You’d be wrong, though, because we now have two Vivs!  I've made the decision to call it quits with this series, because it's too inconsistent and I have other stories out there I'd like to follow.  But, this issue was a great way to end.

Marvel 2-in-One #1:  Chip Zdarsky is one of my favorite authors lately, so when I saw Marvel green-lit him taking out Ben and Johnny for a stroll I was on it!  I’m glad I was, because this issue is everything I ever wanted it to be.  In a way, this series should really be titled “Marvel Three-in-One,” because Doom is poised to play a pretty significant role in it.  He reveals to an appalled Ben he raided the Baxter Building in the days after the incursion ended (of course he did), but he couldn’t find a clue that explained the Richards’ disappearance.  The only clue he thinks might exist was in an orb he couldn't open; Reed left it for Ben.  Doom gives it to Ben, and he opens it.  Reed reveals the device will play a recording based on the circumstances of his death:  in this case, if he, Susan, Franklin, and Valeria no longer exist in the Universe.  He directs Ben to a place only they know -- the location of their first adventure -- to recover a device called the Multisect, which allows access to the nexus of the multiverse.  He's obviously concerned it'll fall in the wrong hands.  He also beseeches Ben to keep exploring with Johnny, and he becomes the third voice pressing Ben to resolve issues with Johnny:  Ben himself has memories of Susan pleading with him to take care of Johnny as Battleworld dissolved, and Spidey earlier expressed his concern to Ben that Johnny is losing control.  When Ben finds Johnny, he’s literally in free fall.  But, Johnny reveals it was a test because he’s losing his powers, something he sees as an existential threat.  The best part?  Allegedly reformed Doom is watching from the shadows, clearly wanting to get his hands on the Multisect.  It’s this revelation that proves to me this series is going to be great.  Zdarsky manages to advance this story on three axes — emotion, humor, and intrigue — and I can’t wait to see where he goes with it.  I wasn’t a regular reader of “Fantastic Four,” mostly because I wasn’t a fan of Reed or Sue.  (Sorry.)  As such, this series is tailor-made for me.  It seems obviously it’s laying the groundwork for an eventual relaunch of “Fantastic Four,” and I’m OK with that.  In fact, it’s exciting to be on the ground floor of that.  In other words, I highly, highly recommend this book.

Mighty Thor #702:  As always, the story here is excellent.  Odinson makes a lovely and impassioned speech to Jane, telling her she needs to take care of herself because the Realms need Jane Foster as much as they need Thor.  It inspires her to throw away Mjolnir...and confront Odin over his absence, which isn’t exactly what Odinson had in mind.  But, it works, though not because Odin agrees to her plea to dispatch Asgardia to save the Realms:  Jane’s speech awakens Freya.  She agrees with Jane that Asgardia must act, but it may be too late:  Jane collapses on the steps of Odin’s citadel as the Mangog arrives at Asgardia.  But, as compelling as that story is, the art is just spectacular.  From beautiful Hercules and Odinson to dying Jane, Dauterman and Wilson infuse every panel with life-like wonder.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #15:  RIP, Flufto.  This entire issue is great.  Triple-Zero gives Aphra a ship full of mercenaries as staff on a mysterious mission; the only catch is she has to jettison one of them to make the ship light enough to fly.  (She chooses a fairly obnoxious Alderaan prince pretending to be a mercenary; he was off-planet during Alderaan’s destruction at the Pleasuredome VII.  Of course he was.  He then has to face a group of rampaging brutes on his own.)  Along the way, she successfully guesses Tripe-Zero wants to swipe something from the workshop of Tambor, the Techno Union’s leader.  We learn the Union was the most successful separatists when the Empire took over the galaxy, though clearly "success" is a relative term there.  (Aphra put two and two together by realizing their guide was from Skako Minor, where the Union was located, and their last job on Somelik focused on Clone War data.  It doesn't necessarily make sense to me, but it did to her.)  However, the guide Triple-Zero hired to escort them on Skaka Minor betrays them, turning over the prospective looters into the Imperials in the hope they’ll leave Skako Minor.  (They don’t.)  But, Aphra has an ace up her sleeve as always, namely Flufto, the cute little Pokémon-looking creature she’s carrying throughout the issue:  he’s really a bomb, and she uses him to take out the Imperials.  Good times.  Meanwhile, now-Lt. Tolvan is saved form the firing squad after word reaches the executioner that Inspector-General Thanoth nominated her as his legatee.  (She was going to be executed over her three demerits for her failures at Eadu, Yavin, and Somelik.  But, she’s saved when it turns out the ”investigative branches” allow for four demerits, rather than three demerits like the field corps.  Her executioner was going to continue with her execution because he didn't know that, earning him his third demerit...and his own execution.  Sloppy, as Tolvan said.)  Her first order of business is to ID Aphra, who she previously dreamed was rescuing her.  (Sexy time!)  However, Thanoth’s reports are redacted with a code that she learns was only available to the man for whom he was serving as adjutant:  Darth Vader.  Dun-dun-DUN!

Uncanny Avengers #30:  Over the course of three volumes and 62 issues (by my count), this series has consistently been the Avengers title to me as far as I concerned.  It felt like the authors of this series were the only ones to hit the right formula for an Avengers book:  a clever villain thrusting some outlandish scheme on the unsuspecting heroes, interpersonal strife and personal shortcomings that almost doom the team’s attempts to foil said scheme, a romantic spark along the way, and a final stand of inspiring heroism that saves the day.  In particular, Remender's stories felt like Avengers stories because failure often drove them:  Thor’s arrogance as a young man set up the Earth’s destruction (by empowering Jarnbjorn to cut a Celestial’s armor), Rogue’s initial and profound distrust of Wanda opened the door to the Red Skull stealing Xavier’s brain and then almost ruined Wanda’s plan to save mutantkind from the Apocalypse Twins.  Zub continues that trend here, as Pietro’s arrogance led to Synapse’s injuries and consequentially his departure from the team.  But, we also have the heroes who rise to the occasion, often at great personal cost:  Havok restores Earth even though it costs him his daughter, his relationship with Janet, and his face; Rogue holds together the team after Steve Rogers disbands it to defeat the Red Skull; and Deadpool survives the Red Skull’s brutal assault on him to get Magneto’s helmet to Rogue, allowing her to escape the Skull's control and defeat him.  It’s all...Avengers-y.  The good news is the series is coming to a close as all the Avengers series converge as a weekly series.  I can’t say I’m bothered by that; I reluctantly came to admit I loved “Brand New Day” in “Amazing Spider-Man,” so if they can pull off something similar here, I’m all on board.  But, in case “Uncanny Avengers” doesn’t return after that series, I just want to take a minute to mourn one of the best corners of the Avengers universe.  To me, the creative teams preserved the Avengers during one of the more inconsistent times of their history, and I thank them for that.

X-Men:  Gold #18:  I'll say right off the bat that the Negative Zone War is leaving me happier than previous arcs in this series.  Guggenheim does a solid job of faking us out a bit here.  It makes perfect sense for Kologoth to offer back Kitty and Kurt since his plans for the planet don't involve a group of outside do-gooders poking around the place.  However, when the team arrives to collect Kitty and Kurt, they discover Kurt is missing.  (Guggenheim reminds us of Kurt’s status quo here; he’s immortal because he’s exiled from heaven.  As such, he survives the impaling from last issue.  It makes me less mad about it, retroactively.)  Kologoth informs the team Kurt is dead, mainly because he really wants them to leave.  The team realizes Kologoth is lying, since they know Kurt can’t die.  As such, they correctly deduce Kologoth just doesn’t want them mucking around the place.  A fight ensues (of course), and it seems Kologoth didn’t want them there because he's resurrected his god, Scythian.  Ruh-roh!  Also, I’d like to praise Guggenheim for including some critical letters in the letters page.  One thing I hated about “Brand New Day” was Steve Wacker’s child-like rejection of any criticism of the book.  Guggenheim publishes an extremely thoughtful critique of his decision to reunite Kitty and Peter, and he responds with an equally thoughtful justification that he also acknowledges might not satisfy the writer’s concerns.  Respect and dialogue: it’s nice to see.

Also Read:  All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #149; Generation X #85; Ms. Marvel #25