See, Jonathan Hickman. Here's how you do it. Here's how you tell a story with an ending that your readers already know but still makes them wonder just how well they know it and marvel at the difficult decisions that their heroes have to make.
I did not see the Human Torch coming. We all knew the Marvel Universe wasn't going to turn into the Cyborg Universe. But, I still wasn't sure how Remender was going to do it. It is, of course, the perfect decision, in part because it proves the large point that Remender has been trying to make: we feel happy that the Human Torch, and not Hawkeye, killed the Descendants exactly because we don't really believe that he's a real person. We worry about the effect that such an act would have on Hawkeye, but we don't worry about the effect (or at least as much) that it would have on the Human Torch, because, after all, does he really have emotions? As Hawkeye said, the Human Torch destroyed the only hope that he had of fitting into a society that didn't view him this way and our emotional response to him (and, again, not Hawkeye) killing the Descendants backs up that point. Valkyrie puts an even finer point on it, stabbing Black Ant through the chest because she doesn't worry about him having a soul. How does something weigh on your soul if you don't have one?
In this way, Remender brings the tragedy of Black Ant and Human Torch full circle. The loss of both of them is profound and, as predicted issues and issues ago, weighs heavily on Hawkeye's shoulders, as the amazing opening few pages show. It's the perfect conclusion to this series and makes me all the sadder that this day has come.
I don't know how Marvel can hype something so profoundly mediocre and gimmicky as "Superior Spider-Man" but essentially ignore probably the most epic story I've read since returning to comics. But, if they're smart, they'll release a TPB edition and, if you didn't read these issues, you should absolutely get it. Thanks, Rick Remender. See you in Cap and "Uncanny Avengers!"
Showing posts with label Secret Avengers (2010). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Secret Avengers (2010). Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Secret Avengers #36 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Wow.
OK, I was distracted for the first few pages because I wasn't quite sure how we got where we were at that point. I re-read the Earth-666 parts of "Secret Avengers" #35 and, to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure why Beast, Captain Britain, and Hawkeye had to return to the Hall of the Avengers of the Undead to activate the portal to our world. But, I have some vague recollection that the portal only ever appeared there, so I guess that makes sense. It might've been a little better if Remender had reminded us of that fact, though, since it interrupted the flow of the story for me when I had to stop reading and flip through "Secret Avengers' #35 to try to find out how we got there. (Though, the resolution was pretty damn hilarious and I just want to put down a marker right now that I would welcome a Beast, Captain Britain, and Hawkeye buddy mini-series at any time.)
But, I'm also still a little unclear on how the Secret Avengers learned that Brian's father was involved in the creation of the Descendants. In issue #35, Brian mentions that the Human Torch had discovered that fact, so I'm assuming it happened during the team's original skirmish with the Descendants. But, I wasn't going to read yet another comic just to get through the first few pages of this issue, so I decided just to take this one on fact. I guess it's the problem of telling this sort of epic story, particularly one that builds off issues from much earlier in the run.
Once I got past this somewhat confusing start, though, I was totally floored by where Remender went. I loved that Beast, Captain Britain, and Hawkeye wind up appearing in a New York under siege from the Descendants, with Sentinels running wild and Spidey the only hero left standing. Scalera does a great job of telegraphing their confusion, particularly since they had just moments ago been thrilled that they managed to escape the Avengers of the Undead. But, Remender takes us somewhere else that I didn't see coming, namely leaving the heroes at a loss for how to solve the problem of the Descendants. It's a brilliant (and totally logical, in the context of the story) dilemma: if they activate the Orb of Necromancy, they kill all the Descendants, but if they wait too long to do so, the virus will have turned all of humanity into Descendants, meaning that they'll wipe humanity (albeit an altered one) off the face of the Earth.
Remender doesn't just set up some sort of cool action plot here; he really pays attention to the emotional aspects of this dilemma, making it a much stronger story. First, he has Henry kill a Doombot in defending Hawkeye and it's the Doombot's all-too-human death that really fuels their dilemma, since they now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Descendants have feelings. As Hawkeye had said in issue #35, they're dealing with human beings, at least emotionally, not robots. Second, by having the trio encounter Spider-Man and later Giant Man, Remender has some of the best minds in the Marvel Universe staring down the problem. It will probably result in the solution in the end, but, right now, he does a great job of using it to convey the sense of helplessness that they all feel, that these four geniuses can't find a way to outmaneuver the Father without leaving all of humanity (or, at the minimum, a large chunk of it) dead. It's these two twists that give this story its emotional impact and moves it beyond just the usual slugfest. Add to that the Human Torch's fight with Captain Britain, Black Ant's fight with Venom, and Hank Pym's continued Deathlokification and you've got yourself a really emotionally charged book. (By the way, just in case you were wondering, "Deathlokification" is not in the Spell Check dictionary.)
All in all, even with the somewhat confusing beginning, this issue was just really classic. As I said in my review for last issue, Remender is telling his own epic here, the sort of story that Kurt Busiek told in his Kang War. Without tie-in issues and the like to dilute the story, Remender just makes each issue all the more powerful than the next. Plus, Scalera is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists. The splash page of Giant Man punching the Sentinel was totally unexpected and awesome. I'm going to be sad to this series end, because I feel like it's really just hitting its stride. But, at least it's been a truly stellar end.
OK, I was distracted for the first few pages because I wasn't quite sure how we got where we were at that point. I re-read the Earth-666 parts of "Secret Avengers" #35 and, to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure why Beast, Captain Britain, and Hawkeye had to return to the Hall of the Avengers of the Undead to activate the portal to our world. But, I have some vague recollection that the portal only ever appeared there, so I guess that makes sense. It might've been a little better if Remender had reminded us of that fact, though, since it interrupted the flow of the story for me when I had to stop reading and flip through "Secret Avengers' #35 to try to find out how we got there. (Though, the resolution was pretty damn hilarious and I just want to put down a marker right now that I would welcome a Beast, Captain Britain, and Hawkeye buddy mini-series at any time.)
But, I'm also still a little unclear on how the Secret Avengers learned that Brian's father was involved in the creation of the Descendants. In issue #35, Brian mentions that the Human Torch had discovered that fact, so I'm assuming it happened during the team's original skirmish with the Descendants. But, I wasn't going to read yet another comic just to get through the first few pages of this issue, so I decided just to take this one on fact. I guess it's the problem of telling this sort of epic story, particularly one that builds off issues from much earlier in the run.
Once I got past this somewhat confusing start, though, I was totally floored by where Remender went. I loved that Beast, Captain Britain, and Hawkeye wind up appearing in a New York under siege from the Descendants, with Sentinels running wild and Spidey the only hero left standing. Scalera does a great job of telegraphing their confusion, particularly since they had just moments ago been thrilled that they managed to escape the Avengers of the Undead. But, Remender takes us somewhere else that I didn't see coming, namely leaving the heroes at a loss for how to solve the problem of the Descendants. It's a brilliant (and totally logical, in the context of the story) dilemma: if they activate the Orb of Necromancy, they kill all the Descendants, but if they wait too long to do so, the virus will have turned all of humanity into Descendants, meaning that they'll wipe humanity (albeit an altered one) off the face of the Earth.
Remender doesn't just set up some sort of cool action plot here; he really pays attention to the emotional aspects of this dilemma, making it a much stronger story. First, he has Henry kill a Doombot in defending Hawkeye and it's the Doombot's all-too-human death that really fuels their dilemma, since they now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Descendants have feelings. As Hawkeye had said in issue #35, they're dealing with human beings, at least emotionally, not robots. Second, by having the trio encounter Spider-Man and later Giant Man, Remender has some of the best minds in the Marvel Universe staring down the problem. It will probably result in the solution in the end, but, right now, he does a great job of using it to convey the sense of helplessness that they all feel, that these four geniuses can't find a way to outmaneuver the Father without leaving all of humanity (or, at the minimum, a large chunk of it) dead. It's these two twists that give this story its emotional impact and moves it beyond just the usual slugfest. Add to that the Human Torch's fight with Captain Britain, Black Ant's fight with Venom, and Hank Pym's continued Deathlokification and you've got yourself a really emotionally charged book. (By the way, just in case you were wondering, "Deathlokification" is not in the Spell Check dictionary.)
All in all, even with the somewhat confusing beginning, this issue was just really classic. As I said in my review for last issue, Remender is telling his own epic here, the sort of story that Kurt Busiek told in his Kang War. Without tie-in issues and the like to dilute the story, Remender just makes each issue all the more powerful than the next. Plus, Scalera is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists. The splash page of Giant Man punching the Sentinel was totally unexpected and awesome. I'm going to be sad to this series end, because I feel like it's really just hitting its stride. But, at least it's been a truly stellar end.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Secret Avengers #35 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Honestly, this issue seems to prove the point that many of us have been making about "Death of the Family," that it would've somehow been more epic if it had been contained to "Batman." Remender is telling a story here that seems ready-made for some sort of huge summer cross-over event, particularly as it spreads to the larger Marvel Universe in this issue. I mean, Sleeper synthezoids transforming all humans into synthezoids? Talk about epic!
But, rather than have the story diluted by a never-ending series of poorly coordinated tie-in issues, Remender got to maintain tight control over this story, building it slowly but surely until it explodes in this issue. I liked the point that he makes here that the Descendants had been a Secret Avengers problem but it has now spilled into a "real" Avengers problem. It actually really underlines the importance of a team like the Secret Avengers, trying to eliminate threats before they get too huge. It's just that sometimes they fail!
I really didn't like the Descendants when they first appeared, because their origin and purpose was somewhat muddled back then. In fact, I feel like Remender may have originally been going somewhere else with them before he decided on this story. But, whatever the case may be, Remender has really sold this story to me over these last few issues. I'm continually surprised every issue, whether it's by Deathlok Jan turning Giant-Man into a fellow Deathlok or the Father declaring Bagalia as his own state, if only because he knew that the United Nations will refuse his request and justify his attack. Each surprise moves us to the next phase in an organic way; no plot point has feel extraneous or forced.
But, Remender doesn't just have mastery over the storytelling; he also has such a great ear for dialogue. I loved the banter between Captain Britain, Hank, and Hawkeye, but, even more, I loved the conversation between Natasha and Venom. Her mentoring clearly impacts Flash and I'm intrigued to see where Remender goes with him here. Moreover, it's nice to see Natasha portrayed as a real person and not just an emotionless super-spy, as she often is. Finally, Scalera is on fire in this issue. I loved that opening shot of the Human Torch rallying the troops, but the scenes of the Sentinel attack on Avengers Tower are even better. The Sentinel staring in the window at the Avengers? Amazing.
This issue has to be one of my favorites of the year, if only because it does the standard comic-book story to perfection.
But, rather than have the story diluted by a never-ending series of poorly coordinated tie-in issues, Remender got to maintain tight control over this story, building it slowly but surely until it explodes in this issue. I liked the point that he makes here that the Descendants had been a Secret Avengers problem but it has now spilled into a "real" Avengers problem. It actually really underlines the importance of a team like the Secret Avengers, trying to eliminate threats before they get too huge. It's just that sometimes they fail!
I really didn't like the Descendants when they first appeared, because their origin and purpose was somewhat muddled back then. In fact, I feel like Remender may have originally been going somewhere else with them before he decided on this story. But, whatever the case may be, Remender has really sold this story to me over these last few issues. I'm continually surprised every issue, whether it's by Deathlok Jan turning Giant-Man into a fellow Deathlok or the Father declaring Bagalia as his own state, if only because he knew that the United Nations will refuse his request and justify his attack. Each surprise moves us to the next phase in an organic way; no plot point has feel extraneous or forced.
But, Remender doesn't just have mastery over the storytelling; he also has such a great ear for dialogue. I loved the banter between Captain Britain, Hank, and Hawkeye, but, even more, I loved the conversation between Natasha and Venom. Her mentoring clearly impacts Flash and I'm intrigued to see where Remender goes with him here. Moreover, it's nice to see Natasha portrayed as a real person and not just an emotionless super-spy, as she often is. Finally, Scalera is on fire in this issue. I loved that opening shot of the Human Torch rallying the troops, but the scenes of the Sentinel attack on Avengers Tower are even better. The Sentinel staring in the window at the Avengers? Amazing.
This issue has to be one of my favorites of the year, if only because it does the standard comic-book story to perfection.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Secret Avengers #34 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Remender really is hitting his stride on this arc. Having just criticized Bendis for never having managed to pull together an arc that felt like an old-school Avenger story, I definitely have to compliment Remender on doing exactly that here.
First, leave it to Hawkeye to make Captain Britain likable. Remender has a great ear for Hawkeye and I loved seeing him make it infectious, with Brian responding in kind. ("I cherish you, Captain Britain, and you look so pretty in that new suit." "I was worried about using too much black." "No, it's slimming.") I didn't really like Captain Britain when I read "Excalibur" and I can't say that I've liked him all that much here. Maybe having Beast and Hawkeye for playmates will help make him less insufferable. ("I hate you, Captain Britain. From now on, because of you bringing me here, I'm going to hate everything about Britain. Tea. The Smiths. The queen." "Let's leave the Smiths out of this.")
But, unlike Bendis, Remender actually doesn't paint everyone with the same brush. He manages to give Natasha some banter, but still make it feel like the type of banter that you'd get from Natasha. ("We're Avengers, we have each other's backs, even when we're irritated.") Similarly, he also delivers a Flash who's heroic yet goofy ("Uh -- a fetishist costume collector guy came and stole her clothes") and a Valkyrie who serves as the heart of the team, reminding us of the difficulty that they're all having in processing the reality that Eric is dead and has been replaced by a LMD.
Remender also manages to make me believe that he might kill off people. I'm not sure how he does it, but he does. I actually found myself wondering at the end of last issue if Valkyrie, at least, wouldn't wind up dead and, at the end of this issue, I find myself wondering if maybe Hank is a Deathlok now. I mean, intellectually, I'm pretty sure that he isn't, but Remender manages to immerse you in the story that he's telling so much that you forgot that these characters appear in other series. "Secret Avengers" has always been an afterthought in terms of the Avengers line, so it's nice to see Remender elevate it to the type of title where you believe something big may happen.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Scalera. His art has taken a little while to grow on me, but, man, I can't imagine anyone else on this title. He has a spectacular sense of timing, knowing when to keep the panels tight -- like when Flash is stranded in space -- to convey the building tension, and when to use a splash page -- like when Hawkeye and Captain Britain engage the Zombie Avengers -- to let the action explode. Wilson also does a great job of using a dark palette that suggests espionage and treason.
Basically? This issue is the Avengers I've been hoping to have for the last three years and never got. I'm sad to see Remender leave this title, but I'm thrilled that it's for another Avengers title. If you haven't been reading this title lately, pick up this final arc, because, seriously, it's great stuff.
First, leave it to Hawkeye to make Captain Britain likable. Remender has a great ear for Hawkeye and I loved seeing him make it infectious, with Brian responding in kind. ("I cherish you, Captain Britain, and you look so pretty in that new suit." "I was worried about using too much black." "No, it's slimming.") I didn't really like Captain Britain when I read "Excalibur" and I can't say that I've liked him all that much here. Maybe having Beast and Hawkeye for playmates will help make him less insufferable. ("I hate you, Captain Britain. From now on, because of you bringing me here, I'm going to hate everything about Britain. Tea. The Smiths. The queen." "Let's leave the Smiths out of this.")
But, unlike Bendis, Remender actually doesn't paint everyone with the same brush. He manages to give Natasha some banter, but still make it feel like the type of banter that you'd get from Natasha. ("We're Avengers, we have each other's backs, even when we're irritated.") Similarly, he also delivers a Flash who's heroic yet goofy ("Uh -- a fetishist costume collector guy came and stole her clothes") and a Valkyrie who serves as the heart of the team, reminding us of the difficulty that they're all having in processing the reality that Eric is dead and has been replaced by a LMD.
Remender also manages to make me believe that he might kill off people. I'm not sure how he does it, but he does. I actually found myself wondering at the end of last issue if Valkyrie, at least, wouldn't wind up dead and, at the end of this issue, I find myself wondering if maybe Hank is a Deathlok now. I mean, intellectually, I'm pretty sure that he isn't, but Remender manages to immerse you in the story that he's telling so much that you forgot that these characters appear in other series. "Secret Avengers" has always been an afterthought in terms of the Avengers line, so it's nice to see Remender elevate it to the type of title where you believe something big may happen.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Scalera. His art has taken a little while to grow on me, but, man, I can't imagine anyone else on this title. He has a spectacular sense of timing, knowing when to keep the panels tight -- like when Flash is stranded in space -- to convey the building tension, and when to use a splash page -- like when Hawkeye and Captain Britain engage the Zombie Avengers -- to let the action explode. Wilson also does a great job of using a dark palette that suggests espionage and treason.
Basically? This issue is the Avengers I've been hoping to have for the last three years and never got. I'm sad to see Remender leave this title, but I'm thrilled that it's for another Avengers title. If you haven't been reading this title lately, pick up this final arc, because, seriously, it's great stuff.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Secret Avengers #33 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
OK, I haven't been all that impressed with the Descendants, but, damn, Remender sells it here.
First, Black Ant is possibly a better character that Eric O'Grady was. I mean, don't get me wrong: I liked Eric, particularly because he was a reminder of the days when the Avengers took in people with questionable records, like Hawkeye, and gave them a chance to redeem themselves. As we've now learned, O'Grady did just that, sacrificing his life to save a child. But, the new Eric, he remembers dying and regretting it. He realized how important life was so, when the Father resurrected him and ordered him to follow him, he was only happy to oblige. Talk about a believable motivation. Remender really nails it with this twist, explaining how a guy who died trying to become a hero could turn so quickly into a remorseless villain. It really does take someone like Remender to make a guy named "Black Ant" into a serious bad-ass.
Overall, one of my problems with the previous Descendants storyline is that it didn't really seem to have a point. Blah blah blah, world domination, blah blah blah. The Father's crusade against humanity just seemed too cartoonish, too done. But, here, Remender thickens the plot (or, probably more accurately, distracts us from it), with the Father expressing particular interest in Hank, as one of the fathers of cybernetic life. I mean, I'm still not buying their overall campaign as anything that I should even be remotely worried that they'll accomplish, but I'm definitely intrigued by what the Father wants with Hank.
Finally, Captain Britain actually adds something here, since I can't wait to see him and Hawkeye going against the undead Avengers to get the Orb of Necromancy. He's been such a drag for most of this series that it's nice to see him actually provoke a sub-plot that adds some drama and excitement to the book.
Needless to say, I can't wait for next issue.
First, Black Ant is possibly a better character that Eric O'Grady was. I mean, don't get me wrong: I liked Eric, particularly because he was a reminder of the days when the Avengers took in people with questionable records, like Hawkeye, and gave them a chance to redeem themselves. As we've now learned, O'Grady did just that, sacrificing his life to save a child. But, the new Eric, he remembers dying and regretting it. He realized how important life was so, when the Father resurrected him and ordered him to follow him, he was only happy to oblige. Talk about a believable motivation. Remender really nails it with this twist, explaining how a guy who died trying to become a hero could turn so quickly into a remorseless villain. It really does take someone like Remender to make a guy named "Black Ant" into a serious bad-ass.
Overall, one of my problems with the previous Descendants storyline is that it didn't really seem to have a point. Blah blah blah, world domination, blah blah blah. The Father's crusade against humanity just seemed too cartoonish, too done. But, here, Remender thickens the plot (or, probably more accurately, distracts us from it), with the Father expressing particular interest in Hank, as one of the fathers of cybernetic life. I mean, I'm still not buying their overall campaign as anything that I should even be remotely worried that they'll accomplish, but I'm definitely intrigued by what the Father wants with Hank.
Finally, Captain Britain actually adds something here, since I can't wait to see him and Hawkeye going against the undead Avengers to get the Orb of Necromancy. He's been such a drag for most of this series that it's nice to see him actually provoke a sub-plot that adds some drama and excitement to the book.
Needless to say, I can't wait for next issue.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Secret Avengers #32 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
OK, the "Black Ant?" It could've been hokey. Instead? It was totally bad-ass. Remender has been building the tension surrounding Ant-Man for months and, when it finally comes to a head in this issue, Scalera really delivers. The new costume is awesome; you actually believe that someone named the "Black Ant" could give the Secret Avengers a run for their money. When Scalera makes the reveal on the last page, it's like watching someone start the final countdown for a time bomb. Of course, it all comes from the work Remender has done in building up the moment, with him finally laying the cards on the table. Of course, it's Natasha that deduces that Ant-Man wasn't protected from the Abyss because of his helmet, but because he's an LMD. But, it's also an exhausted Hawkeye who refuses to believe it, a mistake that seems likely to compound the guilt that he'll feel when he realizes that Eric died on his watch. Remender plays these two characters off each other in a way that feels organic, taking the opportunity to do some character work. Since the start of this series, no author has done a great job of showing this team as an actual team, and Remender goes a long way to addressing that problem with these scenes.
Looking ahead, it seems likely that we're going to finally get to the bottom of the Father's plans for the Descendants and the world. To my mind, the Descendants have mostly been a failed opportunity; it was a cool idea, but I've never felt like Remender has focused enough attention on it to allow them to realize its potential. It's just felt distracted, like he was more focused on the "shark v. bear" nature of putting all these villains on the same "team" rather than the story he actually wanted to use them to tell. But, the imminent betrayal of Black Ant might be the focal point that he needs to get us to understand the Descendants and their goals. I'm excited to see where he goes with it and how it'll affect the team after the dust settles. At the very least, I hope that Eric eventually gets the praise he deserves. By having him "return," it hasn't really allowed us to mourn him, particularly given the heroic yet sad way that we now know that he died. He deserves his moment once Black Ant is defeated and the Secret Avengers realize that they've lost him.
Finally, I actually like what Remender does here with Valkyrie and Venom. Venom not only gets the win, but he also gets the girl. After "Venom" #22, it's nice to see him get something positive in his life. I also think that Remender is onto something with Flash. I think that he could use a relationship more focused on sex than emotions. Maybe trying to maintain a relationship with someone you think is your soulmate like Betty was a little too much pressure for a guy who's also trying to figure out how you be a superhero.
Looking ahead, it seems likely that we're going to finally get to the bottom of the Father's plans for the Descendants and the world. To my mind, the Descendants have mostly been a failed opportunity; it was a cool idea, but I've never felt like Remender has focused enough attention on it to allow them to realize its potential. It's just felt distracted, like he was more focused on the "shark v. bear" nature of putting all these villains on the same "team" rather than the story he actually wanted to use them to tell. But, the imminent betrayal of Black Ant might be the focal point that he needs to get us to understand the Descendants and their goals. I'm excited to see where he goes with it and how it'll affect the team after the dust settles. At the very least, I hope that Eric eventually gets the praise he deserves. By having him "return," it hasn't really allowed us to mourn him, particularly given the heroic yet sad way that we now know that he died. He deserves his moment once Black Ant is defeated and the Secret Avengers realize that they've lost him.
Finally, I actually like what Remender does here with Valkyrie and Venom. Venom not only gets the win, but he also gets the girl. After "Venom" #22, it's nice to see him get something positive in his life. I also think that Remender is onto something with Flash. I think that he could use a relationship more focused on sex than emotions. Maybe trying to maintain a relationship with someone you think is your soulmate like Betty was a little too much pressure for a guy who's also trying to figure out how you be a superhero.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Secret Avengers #31 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I guess I didn't realize last issue that Hawkeye and Valkyrie were possessed by the Abyss. It certainly adds some dramatic tension, leaving Ant-Man and Venom holed up in a hotel room on their own, trying to figure out their next step in trying to stop the Abyss. Remender plays up this dynamic well, giving it the feel of the middle act of a horror movie where some people have already been killed by the mysterious villain. By choosing Ant-Man and Venom, Remender is also showing us the two guys with the most to prove on the team. He's pretty clear on their motivations throughout the event, and they aren't entirely altruistic, since Venom is hoping that saving the world means that Hawkeye will stop ragging him. However, things go from bad to worse when an Abyss-controlled Taskmaster sends his mindless minions to the airport to board planes for the outside world. Black Widow tries to call in support, but Captain Britain and Giant Man are busy fighting "Ultravisions" in Malaysia, so she's left on her own. Ant-Man and Venom manage to stop all but one plane from departing and we end the issue with Black Widow teleporting on board the last one and fighting with Hawkeye over control. As you can see, Remender keeps upping the ante as we go, taking us from a local threat (Ant-Man and Venom finding themselves in a city surrounded by Abyss-controlled villains) to a global one over the course of the issue. I'm interested to see where he goes with it next issue, given that Ant-Man and Venom have to get through an Abyss-controlled Valkyrie to have even a hope of stopping an Abyss-controlled Taskmaster.
As an aside, the cover is an odd example of pet peeve #2. I don't understand why Adams would put Max Fury in the Serpent Crown, since the whole point of last issue was that: 1) Max couldn't wear the Crown and 2) the Crown had merged with the other two crowns. Weird.
As an aside, the cover is an odd example of pet peeve #2. I don't understand why Adams would put Max Fury in the Serpent Crown, since the whole point of last issue was that: 1) Max couldn't wear the Crown and 2) the Crown had merged with the other two crowns. Weird.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
New Comics!: The Captain America Edition #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Captain America and Namor #635.1: This issue is odd. Given that this title started as essentially one prolonged .1 issue, detailing the war-time stories of Captain America and Bucky, the whole concept of a .1 issue for it seems bizarre. But, beyond that, this story covers ground that we've recent covered elsewhere in similar books. The Thule Society was a major part of "Fear Itself" and the whole "secret society working to a mysterious end" business has been the subject of "Secret Avengers" for the better part of its existence. Therefore, even though the Covenant isn't the same thing as the Shadow Council from "Secret Avengers," this issue feels like the red-headed step-child produced from a marriage of that title with "Fear Itself." If you couldn't tell, I don't mean that as a compliment. Bunn tries to give us a meditation on Cap and Namor's early relationship, but it gets lost in the noise related to whatever scheme exactly Namor prevents the Thule Society from putting into effect here. Unfortunately, since it's a .1 issue, it's clear that we haven't heard the last of the Covenant. Maybe it's time to cancel this title...
Hawkeye #2: As anyone reading this blog for a while knows, I'm a huge "Young Avengers" fan. As such, I could hardly keep from squealing when I saw Kate Bishop hanging in Clint Barton's kitchen. (I was also thrilled to see Lucky, who seems like he's getting a hang of important canine responsibilities like lounging around the place.) Fraction immediately develops an engaging dynamic between Clint and Kate. It definitely has some mild sexual tension (accentuated by Kate's leading comment on Clint's remark that he's not interested in dating her), but it's mostly fueled by a lot of mutual respect and an easy sense of humor about their different backgrounds. In other words, I think that she'll prove to be an excellent foil for Hawkeye.
As in the first issue, Fraction also excels in using small moments to show characterization. I loved Clint talking to his spilled coffee like it's a real person, because it displays the goofiness about Clint that he tried to hide underneath his cool exterior (or, at least, his concept of a cool exterior). Similarly, his flustered attempt at explaining to Kate that he always screws up his romantic relationships shows a vulnerability that we don't often see from Clint. In fact, unfortunately, most authors show Clint's driving motivation as insecurity. Those stories never feel right to me, because an ordinary guy who manages to hold his own among a team of super-powered heroes isn't a guy who wastes a lot of time feeling insecure. The best stories about Clint are the ones that instead focus on his vulnerability, where he's occasionally hijacked by his emotions, be it saving a dog from gangsters or buying a building for his neighbors. Fraction really gets that and it's why he's showing us the most engaging Clint that I've seen in ages.
I'm intrigued by where Fraction is going with the revelation that this series may have a thread that runs through it. He seems to be showing Hawkeye building some sort of international enemy list. Given the details that we see on the last page, it seems like Clint has been collecting information on a lot of criminal activity for some time. However, Fraction leaves it unclear how Clint got that intelligence. In this issue alone, he occasionally glides over some important details, like how Clint connected the hobo signs that signified that something bad was going to happen imminently with the opening of the new hotel that hosted as a gathering of the criminal underworld. If we're going to have these "Winter Soldier with a laugh track" kind of stories (and I support that approach entirely), we're going to need to know how exactly Hawk is getting his information, if the "Winter Soldier" part is going to be just as strong as the "laugh track" part. Fraction seems to want us to believe that Hawk just put two plus two together all by himself, but I didn't see anything that would've led him to connect the hobo signs to the hotel opening. He might've been lucky this time, but he's not going to be lucky every time. (Plus, doesn't it seem crazy that the crime circus would try to rob from powerful criminals? I thought that they were going to rob from a collection of rich people, an occurrence seems to happen weekly in places like Gotham. But, why would you rob the Kingpin? Fraction probably should've clarified that, and whether this event tied into his overarching plan.) In these early days, the charm and wit are certainly more important as Fraction establishes a tempo for the series, but it can only last so long.
Now, the art. Aja is amazing here. We again get a goofy and handsome Clint, conveyed in spectacular detail made all the more amazing by Aja's sparse lines. Hollingsworth gets a lot of credit for that, particularly since he's somehow managed to make the yellow of Hawkeye's hair distinctive to him alone. But, both Aja and Hollingsworth also puts time and effort into different elements, like showing the different positions of Kate's mouth over the course of several panels as she talks to Clint. It was a totally unnecessary sequences, but one that made you realize that you were reading something special. Aja also has an amazing sense of kinetics: I don't think that I've ever seen a better action sequence than the three panels where Hawkeye grabs Kate, she turns in his grip to fire off an arrow, and then they leap through the window. Amazing stuff.
All in all, another strong issue that's a joy to read, just because it's the Hawkeye that I've always wanted to see but rarely got. I'm in for the long haul.
Secret Avengers #30: I'll admit that the art saved this issue for me. In the moments where I just couldn't read anymore about the Crown of This or the Crown of That or where I wondered just how many negotiations books Taskmaster had bought in "Business" sections at airport bookstores, I was at least able to think, "Ooo, pretty." Writing-wise, though, it's a pretty unremarkable issue. We learn that the crowns merge together into some sort of mega-crown, but Remender doesn't tell us why the merged crown would be more powerful than the individual crows; in fact, I'm not sure that we entirely know what the crowns themselves actually do or why each one is different from the other ones. Also, somewhat predictably, Max Fury is unable to use the mega-crown since, presumably, he doesn't have a soul, so it falls to Taskmaster to serve as the near-god. But, again, despite Max and Taskmaster talking about the Abyss coming to Earth, we still don't really know what it is or why the crowns gain one access to it. Honestly? After 30 issues, I can't say I care anymore about this plot line that I did when it was first introduced, even if the names and faces on both sides of the fight have changed.
Winter Soldier #9: Holy crap. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this issue. During Natasha's fight with Sitwell, I was really worried that he would wind up dead! So, then, I was relieved when James saved him by "freeing" Natasha. But, now, I'm worried all over again, since it appears that Natasha is on a rampage on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier! (The cover of the next issue showing Bucky standing over a sheet-draped corpse doesn't help.) This fear shows how well Brubaker has done in constructing Sitwell's character piece-by-piece, building off the conversation that he had with Bucky in the diner last issue. He could be just focusing on Bucky and Natasha, but he's taken the time to make Sitwell into a character in his own right, and it's a better book for it.
Looking at the issue as a whole, Brubaker does a great job of building this tension by not just hurling us into the action, but starting by showing us Bucky impatiently waiting for the next clue that would send them to Leo and Natasha. You get the sense throughout the issue that Bucky and Sitwell are just barely able to keep pace with Leo, a definite problem since it's also clear that Leo is merely playing with them. When he actually gets serious, it's going to be plenty ugly, something that it seems like we're going to see next issue. Finally, in terms of the art, Lark and Breitweiser deliver another beautiful book. Bucky is intense and sexy as always, and the scene of him taking off his mask and reminding Natasha of who he is beautifully drawn. They also manage to hold that emotion when they show a "freed" Natasha resting her head on James' shoulder. You can actually see the relief on his face; I don't know how they did it, but, man, I just hope they never leave this title ever.
Hawkeye #2: As anyone reading this blog for a while knows, I'm a huge "Young Avengers" fan. As such, I could hardly keep from squealing when I saw Kate Bishop hanging in Clint Barton's kitchen. (I was also thrilled to see Lucky, who seems like he's getting a hang of important canine responsibilities like lounging around the place.) Fraction immediately develops an engaging dynamic between Clint and Kate. It definitely has some mild sexual tension (accentuated by Kate's leading comment on Clint's remark that he's not interested in dating her), but it's mostly fueled by a lot of mutual respect and an easy sense of humor about their different backgrounds. In other words, I think that she'll prove to be an excellent foil for Hawkeye.
As in the first issue, Fraction also excels in using small moments to show characterization. I loved Clint talking to his spilled coffee like it's a real person, because it displays the goofiness about Clint that he tried to hide underneath his cool exterior (or, at least, his concept of a cool exterior). Similarly, his flustered attempt at explaining to Kate that he always screws up his romantic relationships shows a vulnerability that we don't often see from Clint. In fact, unfortunately, most authors show Clint's driving motivation as insecurity. Those stories never feel right to me, because an ordinary guy who manages to hold his own among a team of super-powered heroes isn't a guy who wastes a lot of time feeling insecure. The best stories about Clint are the ones that instead focus on his vulnerability, where he's occasionally hijacked by his emotions, be it saving a dog from gangsters or buying a building for his neighbors. Fraction really gets that and it's why he's showing us the most engaging Clint that I've seen in ages.
I'm intrigued by where Fraction is going with the revelation that this series may have a thread that runs through it. He seems to be showing Hawkeye building some sort of international enemy list. Given the details that we see on the last page, it seems like Clint has been collecting information on a lot of criminal activity for some time. However, Fraction leaves it unclear how Clint got that intelligence. In this issue alone, he occasionally glides over some important details, like how Clint connected the hobo signs that signified that something bad was going to happen imminently with the opening of the new hotel that hosted as a gathering of the criminal underworld. If we're going to have these "Winter Soldier with a laugh track" kind of stories (and I support that approach entirely), we're going to need to know how exactly Hawk is getting his information, if the "Winter Soldier" part is going to be just as strong as the "laugh track" part. Fraction seems to want us to believe that Hawk just put two plus two together all by himself, but I didn't see anything that would've led him to connect the hobo signs to the hotel opening. He might've been lucky this time, but he's not going to be lucky every time. (Plus, doesn't it seem crazy that the crime circus would try to rob from powerful criminals? I thought that they were going to rob from a collection of rich people, an occurrence seems to happen weekly in places like Gotham. But, why would you rob the Kingpin? Fraction probably should've clarified that, and whether this event tied into his overarching plan.) In these early days, the charm and wit are certainly more important as Fraction establishes a tempo for the series, but it can only last so long.
Now, the art. Aja is amazing here. We again get a goofy and handsome Clint, conveyed in spectacular detail made all the more amazing by Aja's sparse lines. Hollingsworth gets a lot of credit for that, particularly since he's somehow managed to make the yellow of Hawkeye's hair distinctive to him alone. But, both Aja and Hollingsworth also puts time and effort into different elements, like showing the different positions of Kate's mouth over the course of several panels as she talks to Clint. It was a totally unnecessary sequences, but one that made you realize that you were reading something special. Aja also has an amazing sense of kinetics: I don't think that I've ever seen a better action sequence than the three panels where Hawkeye grabs Kate, she turns in his grip to fire off an arrow, and then they leap through the window. Amazing stuff.
All in all, another strong issue that's a joy to read, just because it's the Hawkeye that I've always wanted to see but rarely got. I'm in for the long haul.
Secret Avengers #30: I'll admit that the art saved this issue for me. In the moments where I just couldn't read anymore about the Crown of This or the Crown of That or where I wondered just how many negotiations books Taskmaster had bought in "Business" sections at airport bookstores, I was at least able to think, "Ooo, pretty." Writing-wise, though, it's a pretty unremarkable issue. We learn that the crowns merge together into some sort of mega-crown, but Remender doesn't tell us why the merged crown would be more powerful than the individual crows; in fact, I'm not sure that we entirely know what the crowns themselves actually do or why each one is different from the other ones. Also, somewhat predictably, Max Fury is unable to use the mega-crown since, presumably, he doesn't have a soul, so it falls to Taskmaster to serve as the near-god. But, again, despite Max and Taskmaster talking about the Abyss coming to Earth, we still don't really know what it is or why the crowns gain one access to it. Honestly? After 30 issues, I can't say I care anymore about this plot line that I did when it was first introduced, even if the names and faces on both sides of the fight have changed.
Winter Soldier #9: Holy crap. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this issue. During Natasha's fight with Sitwell, I was really worried that he would wind up dead! So, then, I was relieved when James saved him by "freeing" Natasha. But, now, I'm worried all over again, since it appears that Natasha is on a rampage on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier! (The cover of the next issue showing Bucky standing over a sheet-draped corpse doesn't help.) This fear shows how well Brubaker has done in constructing Sitwell's character piece-by-piece, building off the conversation that he had with Bucky in the diner last issue. He could be just focusing on Bucky and Natasha, but he's taken the time to make Sitwell into a character in his own right, and it's a better book for it.
Looking at the issue as a whole, Brubaker does a great job of building this tension by not just hurling us into the action, but starting by showing us Bucky impatiently waiting for the next clue that would send them to Leo and Natasha. You get the sense throughout the issue that Bucky and Sitwell are just barely able to keep pace with Leo, a definite problem since it's also clear that Leo is merely playing with them. When he actually gets serious, it's going to be plenty ugly, something that it seems like we're going to see next issue. Finally, in terms of the art, Lark and Breitweiser deliver another beautiful book. Bucky is intense and sexy as always, and the scene of him taking off his mask and reminding Natasha of who he is beautifully drawn. They also manage to hold that emotion when they show a "freed" Natasha resting her head on James' shoulder. You can actually see the relief on his face; I don't know how they did it, but, man, I just hope they never leave this title ever.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
New Comics!: The "Wait, Isn't AVX Still Happening?" Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Secret Avengers #29: OK, let's start with the obvious. It's a little hard, in the beginning, to follow the story, because you spend so much time thinking, "Isn't Hawkeye a prisoner in Utopia or Limbo (depending on who you ask)?" or "Isn't Black Widow lying in a gutter in Indonesia?" In other words, it's hard to know how to place this issue given that it does its best to avoid mentioning "Avengers vs. X-Men." Did it happen before the event? After it? It's unclear. But, Remender does a pretty good job of making that irrelevant fairly quickly in the issue by throwing us immediately into the matter at hand.
After the occasionally-brilliant-but-mostly-ridiculous Descendants arc, Remender returns to this title's original bad guys, the Shadow Council, and its as-yet-unrevealed (if I'm not mistaken) plans for the Crown of Serpents. Remender uses a number of clever devices here, from using John Steele as our insight into the operations of the Council to creating a sovereign nation that essentially serves as a "Bar with No Name" on a massive scale. Steele has been a compelling character since his debut, so it's sad to see him die here. But, Remender handles it well, and, when Hawkeye eventually realizes that he has also lost Eric O'Grady, it leads you to wonder how the deaths of two members of his team are going to weigh on him. (Speaking of O'Grady, Remender seems to open the door to the possibility that he isn't dead, exactly, though reborn somehow.) But, it's the re-imagined Masters of Evil as a nation that really takes the cake here and makes you quickly forget about that other event. By putting the Council at the head of the Masters of Evil, Remender creates an evil empire that could seriously challenge the Secret Avengers (heck, all the Avengers combined) as they try to determine what exactly the Council plans on doing with not one, not two, but three crowns. But, before we get there, we're apparently going to be treated to a fight between Taskmaster and Venom. I'll admit that I was planning on canceling this arc after "Avengers vs. X-Men" ended and, when I got this issue home and realized that it wasn't a tie-in issue, felt like I had been swindled. But, I loved this issue and can't wait to see where Remender goes from here. How's that for a happy surprise?
X-Men Legacy #271: OK, to be brutally honest, my first thought when reading the first few pages of this issue was, "Really? Lost in space? Again?"
First, before we get started with the issue, I think it's weird that this issue also doesn't focus on "Avengers vs. X-Men." However, I think the decision is all the odder given that we really haven't seen much in the way of the rank-and-file X-Men's response to the advent of the Phoenix Five (then Four, now Two). Act Two of the event has focused almost exclusively on the Five. The main mini-series has dedicated only sporadic moments t0 Magneto, Psylocke, and Storm, generally as a group, and "Uncanny X-Men" has focused on Sinister, almost exclusively. "Wolverine and the X-Men" and "X-Men Legacy" have been the exceptions, but the former has focused on almost too many characters and the latter has focused only on Frenzy and Rogue. How about everyone else? In particular, I feel like Iceman and Rachel have been given short-shrift in this Act. Their defection from the School was a major plot in the tie-in issues associated with Act One. But, in Act Two, they've been essentially been reduced to occasional moments, such as Bobby's three- or four-panel appearance in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #9. Rachel did manage to get an entire issue focused on her, in "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12, but it doesn't explain why she suddenly quit the cause with Bobby, as we saw in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #9. I really think that someone could've showed us that story, to give us a better sense of how the rank-and-file members feel. (I mean, Bobby and Rachel actually aren't really even rank-and file members. How do the New Mutants feel? They were in the first few battles in Act One, but they've disappeared in Act Two. Gambit? He was part of a group conversation with Storm and some other mutants in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #9, but you couldn't even tell which comments were his.) All in all, I can't help but feel like the authors putting together this event missed a serious chance to give us some color commentary about the Phoenix Five from the perspective of their closest allies.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
New(-ish) Comics: The "Avengers vs. X-Men" Edition #8 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers vs. X-Men #6: A problem I had in reading this issue was that I had a hard time determining if I was supporting the Avengers' position because I've read enough comic books to know that you don't get to remake the world in your own image without some sort of unintended consequence or if I believe that some sort of consequence would also necessarily happen if this event were transpiring in the real world (as unlikely as it is). In other words, if someone announced that they had developed a way to provide energy for free for everyone forever, would I think it was a good idea to use the method that s/he had developed or would I caution against using it because of unintended consequences? I'm guessing that I'd be all for it. But, I realized that I would be all for it because it would likely come from years of scientific research and not the magic of a cosmic force, particularly a cosmic force who has the habit of eating planets. Given that the X-Men's ability to solves all the world's problems comes from the latter and not the former, I eventually came to the conclusion that the Avengers are, in fact, right to be cautious and the X-Men have, in fact, lost their minds.
Hickman does a great job of changing the frame of reference for the series without making it seem too abrupt. I mean, if Act One was driven by seeing which team would manage to get its hands on Hope first, Act Two is clearly driven by waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to Phoenix. Hickman manages not to rush that drama by going to great lengths to portray both sides as realistically as he can. He manages to use Scott's natural aloofness and arrogance to convey the sense that Scott is acting as you'd expect him to act if he suddenly found himself with the power to make his dreams reality. He's not a ball of emotion trying to right wrongs; he's a bureaucrat with a list of miracles needing to be performed. Moreover, Cyclops makes it clear that Phoenix has rejected Hope (as a result of Hope initially rejected it), seemingly opening up a range of possibilities when it comes to the ultimate fate of both Hope and Phoenix.
On the other side, Hickman really excels by showing the Avengers trying to collect themselves and find a way to get Hope. I loved Cap muttering to himself in a safe house somewhere. The Cap of the first five issues of this series was a man slightly unhinged by his fear of the future. The Cap of this issue is a man whose worst fears have been realized and now finds himself almost calmer, setting about addressing the task at hand. Whereas Hope and Professor X are the voices of dissent in Utopia, both warning Scott about the corrosive nature of absolute power, Hickman uses Hank and T'Challa as pretty believable advocates for the idea that maybe the X-Men making the world a better place isn't necessarily the worst thing that could happen. Hickman really conveys the sense of exhaustion that Beast feels being caught between the Avengers and X-Men, and you can't really blame any of the people involved in this conflict for wanting to believe that their years of fighting to make the world a better place can finally come to an end and they can, you know, take a nap. If Hank is the voice of exhaustion, then T'Challa is the voice of reason, essentially accusing Cap of fighting the fight just to fight one.
But, at the end of the day, it's hard to see how any reasonable person wouldn't come to the conclusion that the "Phoenix Five" are being manipulated by Phoenix and any momentary improvements to the human condition will be overshadowed when Phoenix finally decides to claim her ultimate price. I was wondering where Hickman was going to go from here, given that the Avengers had pretty limited options when it came to confronting the "Phoenix Five." Hickman happily surprised me by having the Avengers identify Hope as the key to understanding the Phoenix Force and deciding that their only option was to nab her. Honestly, it made perfect sense and, after the idiotic choices that characters made in events like "Chaos War" and "Fear Itself," it was refreshing to find myself nodding in agreement with their approach. Although the Scarlet Witch's appearance at the end smacks of a deus ex machina device, Hickman also makes it work, given that it also makes sense that Wanda would be monitoring the situation and that Hope would identify with her as a kindred spirit who's probably the only person on Earth who understands her.
All in all, Hickman put to rest a lot of my concerns that the advent of the "Phoenix Five" was a gimmick just to lengthen the series to 12 issues. I mean, is it a gimmick? Of course. Is the upcoming few issues detailing the X-Men's attempt to wipe out the Avengers a stalling device? Mais oui. But, this issue still manages to stoke some fires so I'm willing to give Hickman et al. time to see how big they burn. I mean, right now, we've got Hope, Iron Fist, the Phoenix Five, and Wanda all connected to Phoenix on a fundamental level. Who knows where it's going to go?
After years of disappointing cross-over events, I can honestly say that I was happily surprised with this issue. Not only did I not know where Hickman was going to go from page to page, injecting a suspense that I haven't felt, I don't know, ever when it comes to cross-over events, but I also legitimately don't know where the event itself is going. Is Hope going to turn out having been a construct of the Phoenix Force all along? Is Jean Grey going to return? Will we end this series with the mutant race reborn? I honestly don't know, and I'm really happy to say that.
New Avengers #27: Of all the "Avengers vs. X-Men" tie-in issues, this one has been the most intriguing. It is also, unfortunately, the one that seems most written for a TPB form and, as such, the comic that I've read since returning from my hiatus where I most notice the absence. When my comics eventually arrive in the U.S., I'm going to need to sit down a spell and read these issues one right after another. But, in the meantime, I re-read my reviews of issues #25-#26, so I feel more or less refreshed on the story to give the review a shot.
Basically, the faux Hope who we watched develop over the last two issues into Iron First assumes the power of the Phoenix. Like Destiny predicted of Hope, Yu Ti informs the faux Hope that she will either be a savior or a destroyer, though the path is hers. She appears to successfully control the Phoenix, but realizes that she needs to depart Earth because "the world isn't ready." (For what, we don't know. It's still a Bendis comic, after all.) Iron First relays this story to Hope, who has apparently been sent here by the powers-that-be. I immediately wondered where Wanda is, given that Hope only went with the Avengers in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #6 because of the connection that she felt to Wanda. But, assuming Wanda gave her blessing, Hope is now with Iron First in K'un Lun to "train."
Bendis throws a lot our way in a small period of time, such as the possibility that Hope can also be the Iron Fist (in addition to Danny). In the end, though, this issue is about putting Hope under the tutelage of Spider-Man. I want to say that it's a little too pat. Bendis notoriously uses characters willy-nilly, employing them in ways that fit his plot, even if they don't fit the character. Previously, I wondered whether we'd be seeing this connection between the Phoenix Force and Iron Fist if Bendis hadn't decided to include Luke and Danny in his Avengers roster, taking them from the C List to the A List. Moreover, in this issue, Bendis apparently forgot that Peter was a high-school chemistry teacher, so his insistence that Wolverine would be better to train Hope because he's been a teacher for all of five minutes makes no sense. Both examples show Bendis not letting continuity get in the way of using a character the way that he wants to use him. But, I have to concede that something about it feels inspired. Peter telling Hope about how "with great power comes great responsibility" suddenly, retroactively, seems like exactly the thing that Hope has been waiting for someone to tell her. I mean, let's face it, no one is going to be able to get that message across better than Peter. Bendis spends most of this issue reminding us that Hope is a scared teenager, and who better to help a scared teenager than the original teen super-hero?
Moreover, it's actually a fun issue to read. Hope's scene with Yu Ti at the pool was actually funny, rather than Bendis' usual "OMG, look, I'm injecting comedy into a serious situation!" version of funny. All in all, Bendis continues to encourage me to keep an open mind here. No matter how bizarre connecting Phoenix to Iron Fist to Spider-Man seems, he's doing it in a way that actually seems to make sense and deepens (rather than cheapens) the story. We'll see where we go from here.
Secret Avengers #28: I'm supposed to finish this issue in awe of the amazing sacrifice that Captain Marvel made to save Hala from the Phoenix Force. The first problem with this issue, though, is that Captain Marvel seems to be resurrected every other year or so, making it difficult to feel the emotional impact that Remender wants me to feel. After all, he returned during the "Civil War" and we Young Avengers fans were treated to the heart-breaking spectacle of "Young Avengers Presents" #2 when Mar-Vell meets his son, Teddy. (Of course, Wikipedia tells me that said Captain Marvel was apparently a Skrull imposter, but we didn't know that at the time.) Then, he returned during "Chaos War," yet another cross-over event that Marvel has conveniently forgotten happened. But, for those of us who read it, we've already seen Captain Marvel sacrifice his second chance at life to do the right thing. As such, seeing himself resurrected for the third time in almost as many years really reduces the impact of the story. Remender does his best by allowing us to feel that loss through Carol's eyes. But, here, we run into the second problem, namely the fact that anyone already reading "Avengers" knows how this story ends. Given that Captain Marvel didn't appear in that issue, we already know that he died (or something happened to him). But, moreover, given that Carol didn't even mention his death in that series, it also makes her grief in this issue seem somewhat disingenuous. I mean, she's devastated, but then, you know, completely forgets about it a few minutes later when the events at the end of "Avengers" #26 get under way? Again, I'm trying not to blame Remender too much, because it's not his fault that Marvel commissioned too competing Space Team titles. But, since the team landed on Hala last issue, this title has had little to do with the main "Avengers vs. X-Men" event, particularly given that we've already seen issues that happened after the events of this issue, such as "Avengers vs. X-Men" #5-#6 and "Avengers" #26-#27. As such, it was hard to really engage with it the way that Remender wanted, given that we already knew all the outcomes.
Uncanny X-Men #14: Wow. Just...wow. This issue is epic. I loved what Gillen did with "Uncanny X-Men" when he first took over the title, but, since the reboot, I've been disappointed by his characterizations and plotting. In fact, his Sinister arc at the start of the rebooted title was almost unreadable to me. But, this issue is truly spectacular in its grandiosity. Somehow, Gillen creates an entire world comprised of nothing but Mr. Sinister and makes it one of the most fascinating corners of the Marvel Universe. His protagonist, a rebellious Sinister clone, is infused with more emotion and humanity than most literary characters, a masterful example of great characterization in just one issue. The protagonist's fall at the end of the issue is made all the more devastating for it, even if you knew it was coming. Gillen also uses the plot developments of this issue to make certain aspect of his Sinister arc clearer, such as why he went after the Dreaming Celestial in the first place and why he pushed Hope towards the Phoenix. He also reveals that Sinister has not only cloned himself but several mutants as well, most notably, Madeleine Pryor. Beyond just the adroit characterization and master plotting, though, Gillen also injects the humor that we first saw on his initial run on "Uncanny X-Men" into the issue. You need no better example than Sinister's great quip about his Gambit clones: "But I left him brain damaged, because Mister Lebeau always did lean that way."
When I first saw Sinister on the cover, my first thought was that Scott would some point realize that he could go after him with his new-found power. As such, I was in awe when Gillen has Sinister not only realize the same thing but actually have been planning on it. All these great moments are made all the better by Weaver and Charalampidis's equally spectacular ar. From the opening sequence of the rebel hiding his secret basement underneath a Sinister-emblazoned rug to the rebel's techni-colored coat, they give detailed form to Sinister London. I would honestly buy a series dedicated to the rebellious character who we saw here so that we could explore the depths of Sinister's world. Seriously, if you read no other issue this month, read this one. It's a candidate for issue of the year.
Wolverine and the X-Men #12: Now, we're talking! Although I initially thought of the "Phoenix Five" as a delaying tactic for Marvel to justify a 12-issue mini-series, I now see that it was, in fact, the way to turn the tables. If the Avengers were hunting the X-Men in Act One, it's the X-Men's turn to hunt the Avengers in Act Two. However, where the Avengers tried to use some restraint (particularly impressive given that, for them, the risk of failure was Phoenix devouring the world), the X-Men have taken off the kid gloves. Aaron clearly really thought about the way that he wanted to present this story, and I can't think of a better way than using Rachel Summers as a hound once again. Aaron spends a good deal of time showing Rachel wondering if she's doing the right thing, noting that she never thought that she would have to become a hound again to help create a "true Utopia" for mutants. Along those lines, in her conversation with Scott in the middle of the issue, I thought that Aaron wandered, by accident or design, into an interesting neighborhood. I realized that Rachel might become a hound in the future not because others had failed to create such a mutant Utopia in her past, but because she and the X-Men might actually succeed in doing so in the present. Aaron makes it clear that Cyclops has lost his mind to the Phoenix as he talks about it as an agent of love, since Scott before his ascension was still reasonable enough to know that the rebirth that he hoped would happen would only come after destruction. But, here, he makes it seem that Phoenix will simply become a benevolent god, and I think Aaron is starting to set up the X-Men for their eventual crash into reality. But, to return to my point about Rachel's future, I don't think that it's a stretch to see that one of the unintended consequences of the Phoenix Five's actions could be bringing about the destruction that will turn humanity against the mutants, as predicted by Destiny. In other words, it will bring about the sequence of events that created Rachel's future in the first place. I'm not saying Aaron specifically intended to draw that parallel, but it's one that I saw in the careful way that he presented Rachel in this issue.
Aaron doesn't just focus on Rachel, though. He starts to make it clear that the divide between the heroes after "Avengers vs. X-Men" is going to be just as strong as the one between the X-Men after "X-Men: Schism." Aaron really got across that message with the opening scene between Logan and Rachel. Aaron made it particularly impactful by using a tightly controlled dialogue, with both characters presenting themselves as resolute in the certainty of their cause (even if Rachel has some doubts in private). It was hard not to think about the fact that just a few issues ago Rachel followed Logan on his greatest adventure, creating the School. Now, she's cornered him and his allies, prepared to kill who she has to kill to find Hope to please her father, who she both fears and respects. This scene made me realize how over their heads everyone is and how quickly this fight has gone past the point of no return, even more than the Beast/Iceman fight. Everyone is playing for keeps, and no one is just going to hug out their differences when the dust settles...if it settles. It could be why Rachel betrays Scott in the end, allowing Hope to escape. Aaron doesn't linger over that decision, but Rachel clearly felt some need to leave everyone a possible escape hatch.
Two great "Avengers vs. X-Men" tie-in issues in a row! We're on a roll!
X-Men Legacy #269: I liked this one, too!
Gage does a great job at the start of this issue setting up the argument that Ms. Marvel will put forward later in the issue, namely that the X-Men are drinking some seriously strong Kool-Aid. (We saw the first hint of it in "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12, with Cyclops talking about Phoenix loving everyone.) Iceman and Rogue, two of the more level-headed X-Men, gushing about the Phoenix Five raises the possibility that they are being subtly manipulated by the Five, as I think we're going to learn that Cyclops had been by Phoenix before it arrived. Gage also makes the valid point that, even if they're not being directly manipulated by the Phoenix Five, the X-Men are willing to quiet their doubts and follow them because they have so long hungered to change the world and be respected for doing it. (I thought Rogue's musings on the Avengers thinking that the world was fine because they ran it was actually one of the better pro-X-Men arguments that we've seen throughout this event, since it's a pretty valid criticism.)
When we get to Carol and Rogue's conversation, Gage makes it feel really organic. It's almost the antithesis of the Batman/Owlman fight in "Batman" #11, where you felt like Scott Snyder was doing his best to find ways to get through all that exposition while trying to make the fight interesting. Here, Gage doesn't make their conversation feel like exposition at all, but a dialogue between two people who respect and understand one another (even if they don't like one another). After all, it makes sense that, of all the possible Avengers and X-Men combinations, Carol would make an approach to Rogue, particular since we saw in "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12 that Beast and Iceman aren't going to be the ones to bring about reconciliation. The final scene -- of Magik dropping Carol into Limbo -- is as powerful as Gage and Baldeon intended, shocking Rogue from her reverie. I'm excited to see where Gage goes from here. The X-titles haven't really had a running story during the event (whereas the Avengers titles have had the Space Team's endeavors in "Avengers" and "Secret Avengers" and the K'un Lun story in "New Avengers"), so I look forward to seeing the X-Men have their turn at a story-within-in-the-story. Plus, you can imagine how much ass Carol and Rogue will kick together.
Hickman does a great job of changing the frame of reference for the series without making it seem too abrupt. I mean, if Act One was driven by seeing which team would manage to get its hands on Hope first, Act Two is clearly driven by waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to Phoenix. Hickman manages not to rush that drama by going to great lengths to portray both sides as realistically as he can. He manages to use Scott's natural aloofness and arrogance to convey the sense that Scott is acting as you'd expect him to act if he suddenly found himself with the power to make his dreams reality. He's not a ball of emotion trying to right wrongs; he's a bureaucrat with a list of miracles needing to be performed. Moreover, Cyclops makes it clear that Phoenix has rejected Hope (as a result of Hope initially rejected it), seemingly opening up a range of possibilities when it comes to the ultimate fate of both Hope and Phoenix.
On the other side, Hickman really excels by showing the Avengers trying to collect themselves and find a way to get Hope. I loved Cap muttering to himself in a safe house somewhere. The Cap of the first five issues of this series was a man slightly unhinged by his fear of the future. The Cap of this issue is a man whose worst fears have been realized and now finds himself almost calmer, setting about addressing the task at hand. Whereas Hope and Professor X are the voices of dissent in Utopia, both warning Scott about the corrosive nature of absolute power, Hickman uses Hank and T'Challa as pretty believable advocates for the idea that maybe the X-Men making the world a better place isn't necessarily the worst thing that could happen. Hickman really conveys the sense of exhaustion that Beast feels being caught between the Avengers and X-Men, and you can't really blame any of the people involved in this conflict for wanting to believe that their years of fighting to make the world a better place can finally come to an end and they can, you know, take a nap. If Hank is the voice of exhaustion, then T'Challa is the voice of reason, essentially accusing Cap of fighting the fight just to fight one.
But, at the end of the day, it's hard to see how any reasonable person wouldn't come to the conclusion that the "Phoenix Five" are being manipulated by Phoenix and any momentary improvements to the human condition will be overshadowed when Phoenix finally decides to claim her ultimate price. I was wondering where Hickman was going to go from here, given that the Avengers had pretty limited options when it came to confronting the "Phoenix Five." Hickman happily surprised me by having the Avengers identify Hope as the key to understanding the Phoenix Force and deciding that their only option was to nab her. Honestly, it made perfect sense and, after the idiotic choices that characters made in events like "Chaos War" and "Fear Itself," it was refreshing to find myself nodding in agreement with their approach. Although the Scarlet Witch's appearance at the end smacks of a deus ex machina device, Hickman also makes it work, given that it also makes sense that Wanda would be monitoring the situation and that Hope would identify with her as a kindred spirit who's probably the only person on Earth who understands her.
All in all, Hickman put to rest a lot of my concerns that the advent of the "Phoenix Five" was a gimmick just to lengthen the series to 12 issues. I mean, is it a gimmick? Of course. Is the upcoming few issues detailing the X-Men's attempt to wipe out the Avengers a stalling device? Mais oui. But, this issue still manages to stoke some fires so I'm willing to give Hickman et al. time to see how big they burn. I mean, right now, we've got Hope, Iron Fist, the Phoenix Five, and Wanda all connected to Phoenix on a fundamental level. Who knows where it's going to go?
After years of disappointing cross-over events, I can honestly say that I was happily surprised with this issue. Not only did I not know where Hickman was going to go from page to page, injecting a suspense that I haven't felt, I don't know, ever when it comes to cross-over events, but I also legitimately don't know where the event itself is going. Is Hope going to turn out having been a construct of the Phoenix Force all along? Is Jean Grey going to return? Will we end this series with the mutant race reborn? I honestly don't know, and I'm really happy to say that.
New Avengers #27: Of all the "Avengers vs. X-Men" tie-in issues, this one has been the most intriguing. It is also, unfortunately, the one that seems most written for a TPB form and, as such, the comic that I've read since returning from my hiatus where I most notice the absence. When my comics eventually arrive in the U.S., I'm going to need to sit down a spell and read these issues one right after another. But, in the meantime, I re-read my reviews of issues #25-#26, so I feel more or less refreshed on the story to give the review a shot.
Basically, the faux Hope who we watched develop over the last two issues into Iron First assumes the power of the Phoenix. Like Destiny predicted of Hope, Yu Ti informs the faux Hope that she will either be a savior or a destroyer, though the path is hers. She appears to successfully control the Phoenix, but realizes that she needs to depart Earth because "the world isn't ready." (For what, we don't know. It's still a Bendis comic, after all.) Iron First relays this story to Hope, who has apparently been sent here by the powers-that-be. I immediately wondered where Wanda is, given that Hope only went with the Avengers in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #6 because of the connection that she felt to Wanda. But, assuming Wanda gave her blessing, Hope is now with Iron First in K'un Lun to "train."
Bendis throws a lot our way in a small period of time, such as the possibility that Hope can also be the Iron Fist (in addition to Danny). In the end, though, this issue is about putting Hope under the tutelage of Spider-Man. I want to say that it's a little too pat. Bendis notoriously uses characters willy-nilly, employing them in ways that fit his plot, even if they don't fit the character. Previously, I wondered whether we'd be seeing this connection between the Phoenix Force and Iron Fist if Bendis hadn't decided to include Luke and Danny in his Avengers roster, taking them from the C List to the A List. Moreover, in this issue, Bendis apparently forgot that Peter was a high-school chemistry teacher, so his insistence that Wolverine would be better to train Hope because he's been a teacher for all of five minutes makes no sense. Both examples show Bendis not letting continuity get in the way of using a character the way that he wants to use him. But, I have to concede that something about it feels inspired. Peter telling Hope about how "with great power comes great responsibility" suddenly, retroactively, seems like exactly the thing that Hope has been waiting for someone to tell her. I mean, let's face it, no one is going to be able to get that message across better than Peter. Bendis spends most of this issue reminding us that Hope is a scared teenager, and who better to help a scared teenager than the original teen super-hero?
Moreover, it's actually a fun issue to read. Hope's scene with Yu Ti at the pool was actually funny, rather than Bendis' usual "OMG, look, I'm injecting comedy into a serious situation!" version of funny. All in all, Bendis continues to encourage me to keep an open mind here. No matter how bizarre connecting Phoenix to Iron Fist to Spider-Man seems, he's doing it in a way that actually seems to make sense and deepens (rather than cheapens) the story. We'll see where we go from here.
Secret Avengers #28: I'm supposed to finish this issue in awe of the amazing sacrifice that Captain Marvel made to save Hala from the Phoenix Force. The first problem with this issue, though, is that Captain Marvel seems to be resurrected every other year or so, making it difficult to feel the emotional impact that Remender wants me to feel. After all, he returned during the "Civil War" and we Young Avengers fans were treated to the heart-breaking spectacle of "Young Avengers Presents" #2 when Mar-Vell meets his son, Teddy. (Of course, Wikipedia tells me that said Captain Marvel was apparently a Skrull imposter, but we didn't know that at the time.) Then, he returned during "Chaos War," yet another cross-over event that Marvel has conveniently forgotten happened. But, for those of us who read it, we've already seen Captain Marvel sacrifice his second chance at life to do the right thing. As such, seeing himself resurrected for the third time in almost as many years really reduces the impact of the story. Remender does his best by allowing us to feel that loss through Carol's eyes. But, here, we run into the second problem, namely the fact that anyone already reading "Avengers" knows how this story ends. Given that Captain Marvel didn't appear in that issue, we already know that he died (or something happened to him). But, moreover, given that Carol didn't even mention his death in that series, it also makes her grief in this issue seem somewhat disingenuous. I mean, she's devastated, but then, you know, completely forgets about it a few minutes later when the events at the end of "Avengers" #26 get under way? Again, I'm trying not to blame Remender too much, because it's not his fault that Marvel commissioned too competing Space Team titles. But, since the team landed on Hala last issue, this title has had little to do with the main "Avengers vs. X-Men" event, particularly given that we've already seen issues that happened after the events of this issue, such as "Avengers vs. X-Men" #5-#6 and "Avengers" #26-#27. As such, it was hard to really engage with it the way that Remender wanted, given that we already knew all the outcomes.
Uncanny X-Men #14: Wow. Just...wow. This issue is epic. I loved what Gillen did with "Uncanny X-Men" when he first took over the title, but, since the reboot, I've been disappointed by his characterizations and plotting. In fact, his Sinister arc at the start of the rebooted title was almost unreadable to me. But, this issue is truly spectacular in its grandiosity. Somehow, Gillen creates an entire world comprised of nothing but Mr. Sinister and makes it one of the most fascinating corners of the Marvel Universe. His protagonist, a rebellious Sinister clone, is infused with more emotion and humanity than most literary characters, a masterful example of great characterization in just one issue. The protagonist's fall at the end of the issue is made all the more devastating for it, even if you knew it was coming. Gillen also uses the plot developments of this issue to make certain aspect of his Sinister arc clearer, such as why he went after the Dreaming Celestial in the first place and why he pushed Hope towards the Phoenix. He also reveals that Sinister has not only cloned himself but several mutants as well, most notably, Madeleine Pryor. Beyond just the adroit characterization and master plotting, though, Gillen also injects the humor that we first saw on his initial run on "Uncanny X-Men" into the issue. You need no better example than Sinister's great quip about his Gambit clones: "But I left him brain damaged, because Mister Lebeau always did lean that way."
When I first saw Sinister on the cover, my first thought was that Scott would some point realize that he could go after him with his new-found power. As such, I was in awe when Gillen has Sinister not only realize the same thing but actually have been planning on it. All these great moments are made all the better by Weaver and Charalampidis's equally spectacular ar. From the opening sequence of the rebel hiding his secret basement underneath a Sinister-emblazoned rug to the rebel's techni-colored coat, they give detailed form to Sinister London. I would honestly buy a series dedicated to the rebellious character who we saw here so that we could explore the depths of Sinister's world. Seriously, if you read no other issue this month, read this one. It's a candidate for issue of the year.
Wolverine and the X-Men #12: Now, we're talking! Although I initially thought of the "Phoenix Five" as a delaying tactic for Marvel to justify a 12-issue mini-series, I now see that it was, in fact, the way to turn the tables. If the Avengers were hunting the X-Men in Act One, it's the X-Men's turn to hunt the Avengers in Act Two. However, where the Avengers tried to use some restraint (particularly impressive given that, for them, the risk of failure was Phoenix devouring the world), the X-Men have taken off the kid gloves. Aaron clearly really thought about the way that he wanted to present this story, and I can't think of a better way than using Rachel Summers as a hound once again. Aaron spends a good deal of time showing Rachel wondering if she's doing the right thing, noting that she never thought that she would have to become a hound again to help create a "true Utopia" for mutants. Along those lines, in her conversation with Scott in the middle of the issue, I thought that Aaron wandered, by accident or design, into an interesting neighborhood. I realized that Rachel might become a hound in the future not because others had failed to create such a mutant Utopia in her past, but because she and the X-Men might actually succeed in doing so in the present. Aaron makes it clear that Cyclops has lost his mind to the Phoenix as he talks about it as an agent of love, since Scott before his ascension was still reasonable enough to know that the rebirth that he hoped would happen would only come after destruction. But, here, he makes it seem that Phoenix will simply become a benevolent god, and I think Aaron is starting to set up the X-Men for their eventual crash into reality. But, to return to my point about Rachel's future, I don't think that it's a stretch to see that one of the unintended consequences of the Phoenix Five's actions could be bringing about the destruction that will turn humanity against the mutants, as predicted by Destiny. In other words, it will bring about the sequence of events that created Rachel's future in the first place. I'm not saying Aaron specifically intended to draw that parallel, but it's one that I saw in the careful way that he presented Rachel in this issue.
Aaron doesn't just focus on Rachel, though. He starts to make it clear that the divide between the heroes after "Avengers vs. X-Men" is going to be just as strong as the one between the X-Men after "X-Men: Schism." Aaron really got across that message with the opening scene between Logan and Rachel. Aaron made it particularly impactful by using a tightly controlled dialogue, with both characters presenting themselves as resolute in the certainty of their cause (even if Rachel has some doubts in private). It was hard not to think about the fact that just a few issues ago Rachel followed Logan on his greatest adventure, creating the School. Now, she's cornered him and his allies, prepared to kill who she has to kill to find Hope to please her father, who she both fears and respects. This scene made me realize how over their heads everyone is and how quickly this fight has gone past the point of no return, even more than the Beast/Iceman fight. Everyone is playing for keeps, and no one is just going to hug out their differences when the dust settles...if it settles. It could be why Rachel betrays Scott in the end, allowing Hope to escape. Aaron doesn't linger over that decision, but Rachel clearly felt some need to leave everyone a possible escape hatch.
Two great "Avengers vs. X-Men" tie-in issues in a row! We're on a roll!
X-Men Legacy #269: I liked this one, too!
Gage does a great job at the start of this issue setting up the argument that Ms. Marvel will put forward later in the issue, namely that the X-Men are drinking some seriously strong Kool-Aid. (We saw the first hint of it in "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12, with Cyclops talking about Phoenix loving everyone.) Iceman and Rogue, two of the more level-headed X-Men, gushing about the Phoenix Five raises the possibility that they are being subtly manipulated by the Five, as I think we're going to learn that Cyclops had been by Phoenix before it arrived. Gage also makes the valid point that, even if they're not being directly manipulated by the Phoenix Five, the X-Men are willing to quiet their doubts and follow them because they have so long hungered to change the world and be respected for doing it. (I thought Rogue's musings on the Avengers thinking that the world was fine because they ran it was actually one of the better pro-X-Men arguments that we've seen throughout this event, since it's a pretty valid criticism.)
When we get to Carol and Rogue's conversation, Gage makes it feel really organic. It's almost the antithesis of the Batman/Owlman fight in "Batman" #11, where you felt like Scott Snyder was doing his best to find ways to get through all that exposition while trying to make the fight interesting. Here, Gage doesn't make their conversation feel like exposition at all, but a dialogue between two people who respect and understand one another (even if they don't like one another). After all, it makes sense that, of all the possible Avengers and X-Men combinations, Carol would make an approach to Rogue, particular since we saw in "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12 that Beast and Iceman aren't going to be the ones to bring about reconciliation. The final scene -- of Magik dropping Carol into Limbo -- is as powerful as Gage and Baldeon intended, shocking Rogue from her reverie. I'm excited to see where Gage goes from here. The X-titles haven't really had a running story during the event (whereas the Avengers titles have had the Space Team's endeavors in "Avengers" and "Secret Avengers" and the K'un Lun story in "New Avengers"), so I look forward to seeing the X-Men have their turn at a story-within-in-the-story. Plus, you can imagine how much ass Carol and Rogue will kick together.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Secret Avengers #27: OK, I'm not a Captain Marvel expert. In fact, I think the only issue that I've ever read in which he actually appeared alive is "Death of Captain Marvel" (which I own somewhere but haven't been able to find). As such, I'm not really steeped in knowledge on all things Captain Marvel. But, I'm pretty sure that Remender could've done a better job making the guy that we see here behave like Captain Marvel if he actually wanted us to believe that he is Captain Marvel. First, it seems rather bizarre to see him kissing Ms. Marvel upon arrival. I had to go read her Wikipedia entry to discover that her original appearance in the Marvel Universe involved Captain Marvel, so I guess that makes sense? Maybe? It doesn't seem like they previously had a romantic relationship, so Remender seems to be creating that new aspect. (In fact, if I'm reading the Wikipedia entry correctly, it seems like Carol shares some genetic traits with Marvel, which explains why she felt the connection to Hala that confused me last issue. But, then, isn't he at least genetically a relative? Isn't that a little creepy?) Second, Marvel seems awfully arrogant in his fight against Thor. I mean, sure, he has his "seventeen thousand dimensional perception streams." But, Thor is a GOD. Did Remender forget that? I assume that Thor has some similar ability to perceive Marvel's attacks in a different way from an ordinary human. All in all, Remender just really gives us a Marvel who's unlikable, which makes you wonder if he's setting the stage for the revelation that it isn't the real Marvel.
Once I got past my confusion over the portrayal of Captain Marvel, I got to then be confused about the plot. The intro page tells us that the Kree redirected Phoenix to Hala to help their race evolve. Really? Who are these people who think that the Phoenix helps races evolve? I just don't understand why Marvel is pushing this position, since nothing we've ever seen even remotely supports this assertion. Phoenix destroys; it doesn't create. It was one thing when Scott seemed to believe it, because I could just blame it on him being an egotistical asshole who probably thinks that, if he wants something bad enough (like the Phoenix re-creating the mutant race), he can get it. But, the Kree? Why would they think that? If Marvel really, really wants us to believe the Phoenix as something that leaves creation, and not just destruction, in its wake, we need some sort of back story tout de suite to show it. (Is that maybe what "New Avengers" is eventually going to do? A little too late, I think.) I also, by the way, don't understand how the Kree managed to attract the Phoenix. We saw it bee-line for Hala last issue, but was it going just because of the resurrection of Marvel? Again, since Marvel was never Phoenix, I don't understand this connection to the Phoenix Force that Remender wants us to believe that he has.
Looking beyond Captain Marvel and the Phoenix Force, I'm also confused by Carol's behavior. As I expected, more or less, we get a note here telling us that this issue happens before the events of "Avengers" #26-#27. As such, I'm going to guess that I was right in my review of "Avengers" #26 and the events of this issue and the next one happen off-panel. It means, then, that something happens to Marvel next issue (probably the revelation that the Kree didn't actually resurrect Marvel, but some sort of Phoenix construct) and that Carol was brainwashed. She appears back to her normal self in "Avengers" #26 and no one seems particularly angry at her, something you'd imagine that they'd be given that, in this issue, she's trying to help execute Captain Britain, Valkyrie, and War Machine. As such, if the events of this arc don't have any impact on the main story, then why are we bothering with it? As I've mentioned elsewhere, we seem to have so many other stories to tell that I'm confused why Marvel would decide to dedicate one of the main tie-in titles to this space opera, particularly when it has no bearing on the main event and the other main tie-in title telling the Space Team's story, "Avengers," seems to be ignoring it. Of all the tie-in titles, this one is the only one leaving me feeling like I'm reading "Fear Itself" all over again, with its dubious connections to the main event and its surprise events that seem destined to be immediately ret-conned.
Once I got past my confusion over the portrayal of Captain Marvel, I got to then be confused about the plot. The intro page tells us that the Kree redirected Phoenix to Hala to help their race evolve. Really? Who are these people who think that the Phoenix helps races evolve? I just don't understand why Marvel is pushing this position, since nothing we've ever seen even remotely supports this assertion. Phoenix destroys; it doesn't create. It was one thing when Scott seemed to believe it, because I could just blame it on him being an egotistical asshole who probably thinks that, if he wants something bad enough (like the Phoenix re-creating the mutant race), he can get it. But, the Kree? Why would they think that? If Marvel really, really wants us to believe the Phoenix as something that leaves creation, and not just destruction, in its wake, we need some sort of back story tout de suite to show it. (Is that maybe what "New Avengers" is eventually going to do? A little too late, I think.) I also, by the way, don't understand how the Kree managed to attract the Phoenix. We saw it bee-line for Hala last issue, but was it going just because of the resurrection of Marvel? Again, since Marvel was never Phoenix, I don't understand this connection to the Phoenix Force that Remender wants us to believe that he has.
Looking beyond Captain Marvel and the Phoenix Force, I'm also confused by Carol's behavior. As I expected, more or less, we get a note here telling us that this issue happens before the events of "Avengers" #26-#27. As such, I'm going to guess that I was right in my review of "Avengers" #26 and the events of this issue and the next one happen off-panel. It means, then, that something happens to Marvel next issue (probably the revelation that the Kree didn't actually resurrect Marvel, but some sort of Phoenix construct) and that Carol was brainwashed. She appears back to her normal self in "Avengers" #26 and no one seems particularly angry at her, something you'd imagine that they'd be given that, in this issue, she's trying to help execute Captain Britain, Valkyrie, and War Machine. As such, if the events of this arc don't have any impact on the main story, then why are we bothering with it? As I've mentioned elsewhere, we seem to have so many other stories to tell that I'm confused why Marvel would decide to dedicate one of the main tie-in titles to this space opera, particularly when it has no bearing on the main event and the other main tie-in title telling the Space Team's story, "Avengers," seems to be ignoring it. Of all the tie-in titles, this one is the only one leaving me feeling like I'm reading "Fear Itself" all over again, with its dubious connections to the main event and its surprise events that seem destined to be immediately ret-conned.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
New Comics!: The "Avengers vs. X-Men" Edition #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
OK, we're getting deep into "Avengers vs. X-Men" at this point, with a number of tie-in issues appearing to supplement the events of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #2. Of the issues reviewed below, I would say that only "Secret Avengers" did anything to advance the plot of the main mini-series, though it's still unclear what impact, exactly, the events depicted in that issue will have on the event's central plot. "AVX:VS" and "Uncanny X-Men" just serve to flesh out some (mostly unnecessary) details of some of the fights that we briefly see in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #2. "New Avengers" could get interesting, exploring the connection between the Iron Fist and the Phoenix Force, though the jury hasn't quite reach a verdict yet. Other than "Uncanny X-Men," I did at least enjoy the issues, so, even if the story is a little muddled at this point, we're at least not in "Fear Itself" territory yet.
AVX:VS #1: I considered this issue a win once I read the likely tribute to Troy McClure on the first page: "Name's Tony Stark. You may know me from such things as routinely using my amazing intellect and unparalleled resourcefulness to save the entire world." But, like the intro page says, this issue doesn't really have a plot, so it's a bit hard to review. The fights are fun, but, considering you're spending $3.99 for an issue without a plot, they better be fun. But, again, at least Marvel admits that $3.99 isn't buying you anything more meaningful than seeing the Thing insult Namor, so I can't really hold the obvious lack of plot advancement against anyone. As a completionist, I'm probably going to buy all six issues of this mini-series, but, if you're not one, it's pretty easily skipped.
New Avengers #25: OK, this issue, for me, seems to portend the beginning of tie-in issues whose connection to the main mini-series seems like a stretch. We get an extended flashback sequence of a Kung Fu master named Yu Ti having visions of a red-haired girl displaying the power of both the Phoenix Force and the Iron Fist. Disturbed, he takes to walking through the city of K'un Lun until he discovers a red-hair girl living with a local family and declares her to be the next Iron Fist. Bendis does a pretty good job of making the story more or less accessible to the casual reader, though I think that you'd enjoy it more if you knew a lot more about Iron Fist lore (particularly who, exactly, Yu Ti is). But, Bendis makes the point of his involvement pretty clear by drawing a fairly obvious parallel between Yu Ti taking in the red-haired girl and Cable taking in Hope. To me, it raises the possibility that Hope is actually some sort of anomaly created by the Phoenix Force as a avatar, upping the ante on my bet that we're going to discover that she was never actually real at all. After all, she (or someone like her) appeared mysteriously a few hundred years ago in Asia, a place not exactly known for its red heads, just like she appeared mysteriously in Alaska. I'm starting to think of Hope as Buffy's little sister, Dawn, who was given human form in an attempt to hide her from an evil god who wanted to use her ability to create dimensional portals to cause a ruckus. It's unclear what the goal of the Phoenix in creating Hope would've been, but we still have some time to get an answer. Marvel is clearly not rushing the reveal, and Bendis is obviously making it all the more unclear by creating this Iron Fist connection. However, it's this connection that made me start to question the applicability of this story to the main mini-series. After all, if Bendis hadn't put Iron Fist on the New Avengers, would we be seeing this connection? Doubtful. As such, this issue feels more like Bendis and Marvel grasping at straws to find a way to connect another secondary title to the main event than it does developing a sub-plot that's going to have a significant impact on the main event. Even if it's a well written issue, it's always this unstoppable proliferation of tenuous connections that dooms events for me. "Fear Itself" is, like, the ultimate example of that for me (like "A Bridge Too Far" proving the Caine/Hackman theory in "PCU") and I worry that we might've seen the first incidence of it in "Avengers vs. X-Men" with this issue. I'm willing to reserve judgment, since, again, Bendis clearly has more up his sleeve (and this issue was mostly enjoyable and not completely incomprehensible as it could've been, given that it's written by Bendis). But, consider an eyebrow raised.
Secret Avengers #26: This issue has a lot happening at the same time, so I'll try to break it down a bit as I review it. First, Remender quickly answers the main question I had before starting this issue, namely how exactly eight Avengers are going to defeat a cosmic entity like the Phoenix Force. We learn within the first few pages that the Secret Avengers intend to employ a device created by the Beast that will either contain the Phoenix Force or, if it fails, send information to Tony Stark on Earth so he can try something else. It was probably the only plan that would make sense in terms of why you'd send a team against the Phoenix, and it left me with high hopes that the "Secret Avengers" tie-in issues will constructively add to the events happening in the main mini-series. Remender also introduces three sub-plots here that could get interesting, though I'm a little unclear on some of the key details at this point. First, the Kree have apparently resurrected Captain Marvel with the intent to use him in some grand plan (see the next point), though I'm not sure exactly managed to do so. They appear to have summoned his body from the White Hot Room, but, since I'm pretty sure only former Phoenixes dwell there, I'm not sure why he would've been in there. (Moreover, I'm pretty sure that Phoenixes only spiritually, not physically, reside there. If not, are we supposed to believe that Jean Grey's body is in the White Hot Room and not buried at the Institute?) If I'm going to believe this resurrection, Remender is going to have to clarify how exactly it happened in a way that doesn't seem excessively convenient. Second, as I just mentioned, the Kree resurrected Marvel to implement some sort of plan that they believe is part of their cosmic destiny, but we never learn why they believe that. One of the Kree mentions that they were "instructed by the Universe to light the way," but how exactly did the "Universe" instruct them to do so? Is it some sort of heretofore unmentioned prophecy? Did the cosmic forces like Eternity approach them? Moreover, it's unclear what exactly the plan is to "light the way," other than the fact that it involves Captain Marvel and the Phoenix. The Phoenix obviously responds to the Kree, since it leaves its battle with the Secret Avengers to head for Hala, but, again, it's unclear why. Finally, I'm not entirely sure why Carol, who isn't Kree, feels a biological compulsion to help the Kree. I mean, sure, she used to hang with the Starjammers as Binary, but it didn't make her Kree. I'm willing to reserve judgment on all these questions since, again, Remender did such a great job with my question about how the Secret Avengers were going to confront Phoenix that I trust him to have equally reasonable answer to them. So, just like "New Avengers," my eyebrow is officially raised and I'm going to need to see some answers that make sense before I buy what Remender is selling here.
Uncanny X-Men #11: To be honest, this issue doesn't really give us anything that we hadn't already seen in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #2, except possibly for the transformation of Colossus into a demonic version of himself. Sure, it gives us some more details on the fights that happen in that issue, serving a similar role as "AVX:VS" #1 did. But, after paying $3.99 for "AVS:VS" #1 and $3.99 for this issue, I can't say it was really worth it. At least "AVS:VS" was fun. This issue isn't, particularly given that it ends with Scott's whiny-ass letter to "humanity." If "Uncanny" continues to serve the same role as "AVS:VS," but manages to be less fun int he process, I think it'll prove to be even more skipable.
AVX:VS #1: I considered this issue a win once I read the likely tribute to Troy McClure on the first page: "Name's Tony Stark. You may know me from such things as routinely using my amazing intellect and unparalleled resourcefulness to save the entire world." But, like the intro page says, this issue doesn't really have a plot, so it's a bit hard to review. The fights are fun, but, considering you're spending $3.99 for an issue without a plot, they better be fun. But, again, at least Marvel admits that $3.99 isn't buying you anything more meaningful than seeing the Thing insult Namor, so I can't really hold the obvious lack of plot advancement against anyone. As a completionist, I'm probably going to buy all six issues of this mini-series, but, if you're not one, it's pretty easily skipped.
New Avengers #25: OK, this issue, for me, seems to portend the beginning of tie-in issues whose connection to the main mini-series seems like a stretch. We get an extended flashback sequence of a Kung Fu master named Yu Ti having visions of a red-haired girl displaying the power of both the Phoenix Force and the Iron Fist. Disturbed, he takes to walking through the city of K'un Lun until he discovers a red-hair girl living with a local family and declares her to be the next Iron Fist. Bendis does a pretty good job of making the story more or less accessible to the casual reader, though I think that you'd enjoy it more if you knew a lot more about Iron Fist lore (particularly who, exactly, Yu Ti is). But, Bendis makes the point of his involvement pretty clear by drawing a fairly obvious parallel between Yu Ti taking in the red-haired girl and Cable taking in Hope. To me, it raises the possibility that Hope is actually some sort of anomaly created by the Phoenix Force as a avatar, upping the ante on my bet that we're going to discover that she was never actually real at all. After all, she (or someone like her) appeared mysteriously a few hundred years ago in Asia, a place not exactly known for its red heads, just like she appeared mysteriously in Alaska. I'm starting to think of Hope as Buffy's little sister, Dawn, who was given human form in an attempt to hide her from an evil god who wanted to use her ability to create dimensional portals to cause a ruckus. It's unclear what the goal of the Phoenix in creating Hope would've been, but we still have some time to get an answer. Marvel is clearly not rushing the reveal, and Bendis is obviously making it all the more unclear by creating this Iron Fist connection. However, it's this connection that made me start to question the applicability of this story to the main mini-series. After all, if Bendis hadn't put Iron Fist on the New Avengers, would we be seeing this connection? Doubtful. As such, this issue feels more like Bendis and Marvel grasping at straws to find a way to connect another secondary title to the main event than it does developing a sub-plot that's going to have a significant impact on the main event. Even if it's a well written issue, it's always this unstoppable proliferation of tenuous connections that dooms events for me. "Fear Itself" is, like, the ultimate example of that for me (like "A Bridge Too Far" proving the Caine/Hackman theory in "PCU") and I worry that we might've seen the first incidence of it in "Avengers vs. X-Men" with this issue. I'm willing to reserve judgment, since, again, Bendis clearly has more up his sleeve (and this issue was mostly enjoyable and not completely incomprehensible as it could've been, given that it's written by Bendis). But, consider an eyebrow raised.
Secret Avengers #26: This issue has a lot happening at the same time, so I'll try to break it down a bit as I review it. First, Remender quickly answers the main question I had before starting this issue, namely how exactly eight Avengers are going to defeat a cosmic entity like the Phoenix Force. We learn within the first few pages that the Secret Avengers intend to employ a device created by the Beast that will either contain the Phoenix Force or, if it fails, send information to Tony Stark on Earth so he can try something else. It was probably the only plan that would make sense in terms of why you'd send a team against the Phoenix, and it left me with high hopes that the "Secret Avengers" tie-in issues will constructively add to the events happening in the main mini-series. Remender also introduces three sub-plots here that could get interesting, though I'm a little unclear on some of the key details at this point. First, the Kree have apparently resurrected Captain Marvel with the intent to use him in some grand plan (see the next point), though I'm not sure exactly managed to do so. They appear to have summoned his body from the White Hot Room, but, since I'm pretty sure only former Phoenixes dwell there, I'm not sure why he would've been in there. (Moreover, I'm pretty sure that Phoenixes only spiritually, not physically, reside there. If not, are we supposed to believe that Jean Grey's body is in the White Hot Room and not buried at the Institute?) If I'm going to believe this resurrection, Remender is going to have to clarify how exactly it happened in a way that doesn't seem excessively convenient. Second, as I just mentioned, the Kree resurrected Marvel to implement some sort of plan that they believe is part of their cosmic destiny, but we never learn why they believe that. One of the Kree mentions that they were "instructed by the Universe to light the way," but how exactly did the "Universe" instruct them to do so? Is it some sort of heretofore unmentioned prophecy? Did the cosmic forces like Eternity approach them? Moreover, it's unclear what exactly the plan is to "light the way," other than the fact that it involves Captain Marvel and the Phoenix. The Phoenix obviously responds to the Kree, since it leaves its battle with the Secret Avengers to head for Hala, but, again, it's unclear why. Finally, I'm not entirely sure why Carol, who isn't Kree, feels a biological compulsion to help the Kree. I mean, sure, she used to hang with the Starjammers as Binary, but it didn't make her Kree. I'm willing to reserve judgment on all these questions since, again, Remender did such a great job with my question about how the Secret Avengers were going to confront Phoenix that I trust him to have equally reasonable answer to them. So, just like "New Avengers," my eyebrow is officially raised and I'm going to need to see some answers that make sense before I buy what Remender is selling here.
Uncanny X-Men #11: To be honest, this issue doesn't really give us anything that we hadn't already seen in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #2, except possibly for the transformation of Colossus into a demonic version of himself. Sure, it gives us some more details on the fights that happen in that issue, serving a similar role as "AVX:VS" #1 did. But, after paying $3.99 for "AVS:VS" #1 and $3.99 for this issue, I can't say it was really worth it. At least "AVS:VS" was fun. This issue isn't, particularly given that it ends with Scott's whiny-ass letter to "humanity." If "Uncanny" continues to serve the same role as "AVS:VS," but manages to be less fun int he process, I think it'll prove to be even more skipable.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
New Comics!: The Avengers Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Two more or less positive Avengers reviews in one posting! It must be a record!
New Avengers #24: Some of the best moments of this series -- actually, scratch that -- the BEST moments of this series involve relationship talks between Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. They are possibly the most realistic super-couple in comics, way more so than Reed and Sue or Jean and Scott ever were. Whereas these couples seem to just always agree that you throw yourself into the line of fire, even if it means possibly leaving your children parentless or, worse yet, leaving your children as targets for enemies, Luke and Jessica always seem to be, well, better parents than that. They have real conversations about their priorities and their conflicts. They are as real of a couple as they can be given the fact that they're, you know, comic-book characters. In fact, I often forget that I'm reading a comic and not watching a real couple talk. At the end of the day, after all my frustrations with Bendis over the way that he's handled this title, his depiction of their relationship has been the only thing that prevented me from calling him a total hack. They are, to my mind, his shining achievement. I can think of no better example of it than their conversation in this issue, and it's difficult to say, because it's so incredibly sad. I actually thought Luke was going to leave the New Avengers, and I was stunned when he didn't, even though, in my heart of hearts, I knew that he wouldn't. The fact that I knew that he wouldn't is actually even more of a testament to the work that Bendis has done with him. I actually find myself eagerly awaiting next issue, if only because I want to see what happens next with the two of them. Happily, the rest of this issue is equally compelling. I thought that Bendis did a marvelous job in filling in the gaps in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #1, from showing Storm almost wordlessly leaving the Mansion to Ms. Marvel predicting that Cyclops was not going to let Cap leave with Hope. Moreover, Bendis actually manages to shoehorn in some character development for other characters. I like how he shows Rulk take on a leadership role. It makes perfect sense to make Rulk the Avengers' field commander, and I like how Bendis has the other Avengers allow him to do so without question. It shows how he's proved himself to them, probably in no small part because of his battle with the possessed Thing in "Avengers" #14 during "Fear Itself." Bendis even manages some slightly more light-hearted character development with Iron Fist, the "filthy rich billionaire," deciding that he can quiet the protesters gathered on the Avengers' lawn. All in all, I think this issue is Bendis' strongest issue of the entire series and actually gives me hope that I might not hate "Avengers vs. X-Men" as much as I've feared that I will.
Secret Avengers #25: OK, so, for the fact that I'm still not entirely sure what happened in this arc, Remender delivers a pretty good issue. We finally get some back story about this "Father" and the "descendants." Remender informs us that Father and his cohorts were behind the creation of the adaptoids, deathloks, and descendants, though it's unclear to me whether we're also supposed to believe that he was behind the creation of other members of the robot council (or whatever it was), such as the Doombots, the Reavers, and the Sentinels. I feel like this arc could've been amazing if Remender had spent a little more attention to these sorts of details. At any rate, it seems that Eric O'Grady is dead and that he's been replaced by a robot (though Remender doesn't specify which type), something that should inject some tension into the next few issues. I'm also unclear why Father allowed Yalda's son to escape, though I assume that Remender will return to this story soon, given the Ant-Man spy situation. All in all, it was a better issue than most of the issues in this arc and managed to make me actually interested in where Remender eventually goes with the story.
New Avengers #24: Some of the best moments of this series -- actually, scratch that -- the BEST moments of this series involve relationship talks between Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. They are possibly the most realistic super-couple in comics, way more so than Reed and Sue or Jean and Scott ever were. Whereas these couples seem to just always agree that you throw yourself into the line of fire, even if it means possibly leaving your children parentless or, worse yet, leaving your children as targets for enemies, Luke and Jessica always seem to be, well, better parents than that. They have real conversations about their priorities and their conflicts. They are as real of a couple as they can be given the fact that they're, you know, comic-book characters. In fact, I often forget that I'm reading a comic and not watching a real couple talk. At the end of the day, after all my frustrations with Bendis over the way that he's handled this title, his depiction of their relationship has been the only thing that prevented me from calling him a total hack. They are, to my mind, his shining achievement. I can think of no better example of it than their conversation in this issue, and it's difficult to say, because it's so incredibly sad. I actually thought Luke was going to leave the New Avengers, and I was stunned when he didn't, even though, in my heart of hearts, I knew that he wouldn't. The fact that I knew that he wouldn't is actually even more of a testament to the work that Bendis has done with him. I actually find myself eagerly awaiting next issue, if only because I want to see what happens next with the two of them. Happily, the rest of this issue is equally compelling. I thought that Bendis did a marvelous job in filling in the gaps in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #1, from showing Storm almost wordlessly leaving the Mansion to Ms. Marvel predicting that Cyclops was not going to let Cap leave with Hope. Moreover, Bendis actually manages to shoehorn in some character development for other characters. I like how he shows Rulk take on a leadership role. It makes perfect sense to make Rulk the Avengers' field commander, and I like how Bendis has the other Avengers allow him to do so without question. It shows how he's proved himself to them, probably in no small part because of his battle with the possessed Thing in "Avengers" #14 during "Fear Itself." Bendis even manages some slightly more light-hearted character development with Iron Fist, the "filthy rich billionaire," deciding that he can quiet the protesters gathered on the Avengers' lawn. All in all, I think this issue is Bendis' strongest issue of the entire series and actually gives me hope that I might not hate "Avengers vs. X-Men" as much as I've feared that I will.
Secret Avengers #25: OK, so, for the fact that I'm still not entirely sure what happened in this arc, Remender delivers a pretty good issue. We finally get some back story about this "Father" and the "descendants." Remender informs us that Father and his cohorts were behind the creation of the adaptoids, deathloks, and descendants, though it's unclear to me whether we're also supposed to believe that he was behind the creation of other members of the robot council (or whatever it was), such as the Doombots, the Reavers, and the Sentinels. I feel like this arc could've been amazing if Remender had spent a little more attention to these sorts of details. At any rate, it seems that Eric O'Grady is dead and that he's been replaced by a robot (though Remender doesn't specify which type), something that should inject some tension into the next few issues. I'm also unclear why Father allowed Yalda's son to escape, though I assume that Remender will return to this story soon, given the Ant-Man spy situation. All in all, it was a better issue than most of the issues in this arc and managed to make me actually interested in where Remender eventually goes with the story.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
New Comics!: The Avengers Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
New Avengers #23: Somewhat predictably, it feels bizarre to be reading this comic almost a full month after "Avengers" #24, given that the events of this issue precede that issue. I had already started trying to move past the H.A.M.M.E.R. war, but this issue amounts to an unfortunate relapse hindering my recovery efforts.
Amazingly, Marvel still finds a way to spoil the revelation that Skaar was working for Captain America (despite the fact that we already knew he was from "Avengers" #24) by doing it ON THE INTRO PAGE. Hi, pet peeve #1, it's been a while. Pet peeve #2 is also in effect, since the New Avengers at no point fight Skaar, despite the cover depicting them doing so. The rare bifecta! Bendis, you must be so proud. Seriously, though, WTF? Let's say you didn't read "Avengers"#24, because you had been warned by a disgruntled friend that you should read this issue first. You open up the book wondering why Skaar attacked the Dark Avengers on the last panel of issue #22, and, BAM, the intro page tells you he's working for Captain America. I don't think anyone would've necessarily guessed that Skaar was working for Captain America just because he attacks the Dark Avengers. I mean, sure, it was a possibility, but Skaar could've had any number of motivations for attacking the Dark Avengers, particularly since Bendis hadn't really done any character work with him until that point. I really would've believed almost anything. But, there you go, the intro page tells you why he attacked them. I mean, I just don't understand how Marvel can manage spoiling a surprise when said surprise isn't even a surprise anymore, but it manages to do so here.
I wish I could say that it was my only problem with this issue, but it wasn't. I mention above the fact that Bendis hadn't really done any character work with Skaar, making it hard to guess that he was working for Captain America before the intro page reveal. Well, Bendis doesn't really do any work with him after the reveal, either. I mean, Bendis spends the first few pages of this issue telling us that Skaar is working for Captain America, but never tells us why. I accept the fact that I could be missing something, since I don't read any of the Hulk series, but you'd think Bendis could throw in a comment telling us why Skaar would feel some sort of loyalty to Captain America. I mean, if Norman Osborn thought he was a good candidate for the Dark Avengers, it's clear that Skaar doesn't exactly walk on the side of angels as a default setting. Bendis needed to do some sort of explaining about why Skaar chose to be loyal to Cap. But, Bendis doesn't do that. Like Bendis always does, he just tells us Skaar is loyal to Cap and wants us to accept it just because he says so. He's done the same thing with Victoria Hand for dozens of issues, and it's no different here with Skaar.
The highlight of this issue is the fight between the remaining New Avengers and the remaining Dark Avengers, but it still feels like an afterthought. Moreover, I want to know what Bendis was thinking when he has Ms. Marvel just pound on whoever it was that was pretending to be her. She seems to be in a full-on rage, something that not only seems like a total non sequitur but also seems totally uncharacteristic of her. At any rate, the best thing I can say about this issue is that it brings us when step closer to the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Bendis' reign of holy terror over the Avengers titles will soon end. That day can't come soon enough.
Avengers #24.1: OK, I actually liked this issue. The Vision isn't my favorite character. I mean, I've read a lot (a lot) of issues where he plays a role, and I can't say I really missed him. It's hard to get attached to a guy who doesn't really have feelings. But, Bendis does a good job of exploring the range of feelings, however limited that range may be, that the Vision does have, bringing him from forgiveness to rage to sorrow. Before, I get to the Vision part, though, I want to say how thrilled I am that Bendis finally gave us a decent Hawkeye and Spider-Woman scene, making it as fun and funny as their pairing promised to be. ("You act like it's my fault we haven't had ten minutes to breathe since you and I - uh - you know." "No, please, I'd love to hear how you're going to word this.") I mean, they even get Cap's blessing! I really hope whoever takes over this title keeps up their relationship and the focus on the comedy. I mean, I love Mockingbird, but, really, it's time for them to be apart for a while, I think. Now, focusing on the Vision, I thought Bendis did the best job with the Magneto/Vision scene, if only because I totally bought his depiction of Magneto. One of the things I've hated in the X-books is how we've just wiped away Magneto's history as a homicidal maniac, forgiving all his sins. I mean, Billy had to remind the X-Men about the fact that they had welcomed this legendary murderer onto their team with open arms during "Avengers: The Children's Crusade," when they were all getting on their high horses about Wanda. I'm glad that Bendis doesn't seem to buy the new, improved Magneto either because he gives us the old, enraged Magneto. It's this Magneto -- threatening, manipulative, arrogant -- that I recognize. In fact, I hope Cyclops took a good long look at the hate with which Magneto responded to the Vision, because it might remind him of who Magneto was and who he one day may still be. Moreover, Bendis uses Magneto as an excellent foil for the Vision, provoking the Vision's rage, getting him to show some sort of emotion. His conversation with Jennifer earlier in the issue was somewhat one-sided, but it's during his fight with Magneto that we see the Vision actually start to engage. As such, it's not a surprise when we see him fall apart at the end. I'm surprised to be complimenting Bendis on bringing anyone, let alone the Vision, on an emotional journey, but there you have it. Given that the re-introduction of the Vision was done so terribly, this issue went a long way to me believing it is actually the real Vision and I can start thinking of him as such. For Bendis, that's pretty much hitting a home run.
Secret Avengers #24: OK, so it appears that this council that the Father heads is a council of synthetic -- or least artificial -- lifeforms, comprised of Doombots,"sentinaughts," adaptoids, "machine people," Reavers, etc. I was pretty sure that it was just about the adaptoids, despite the fact I seemed to know less about them than Remender thought I should. Or maybe it was just about the descendants. Honestly, I can't remember. It had something to do with the both of them. At any rate, I can honestly say I have almost no idea what story Remender is trying to tell. I think he's building a story where these artificial lifeforms are planning to rise against the "real" lifeforms. But, it's hard to focus, when Remender's got so many other irons in the fire. We've got the Pakistani boy, who may or may not be one of these descendants. We've got Ant-Man, who may or may not be dead. We've got a reanimated Janet, who I'm pretty sure isn't Janet given that she exploded, making it hard to believe that she'd have left behind enough body to be reanimated as a deathlok. It's all just a lot to try to keep straight. It seems to me like Remender is writing for a trade paperback, and I can see myself enjoying this arc more when I re-read it from start to finish after it ends. But, at this stage, I'm having a hard time staying engage when each page brings something that either confuses me or seems to contradict something that happened on another page, possibly even in a different issue. Honestly, I think I'm done with this title after "Avengers vs. X-Men," even if it is being run by Hawkeye. Sad, but true.
Amazingly, Marvel still finds a way to spoil the revelation that Skaar was working for Captain America (despite the fact that we already knew he was from "Avengers" #24) by doing it ON THE INTRO PAGE. Hi, pet peeve #1, it's been a while. Pet peeve #2 is also in effect, since the New Avengers at no point fight Skaar, despite the cover depicting them doing so. The rare bifecta! Bendis, you must be so proud. Seriously, though, WTF? Let's say you didn't read "Avengers"#24, because you had been warned by a disgruntled friend that you should read this issue first. You open up the book wondering why Skaar attacked the Dark Avengers on the last panel of issue #22, and, BAM, the intro page tells you he's working for Captain America. I don't think anyone would've necessarily guessed that Skaar was working for Captain America just because he attacks the Dark Avengers. I mean, sure, it was a possibility, but Skaar could've had any number of motivations for attacking the Dark Avengers, particularly since Bendis hadn't really done any character work with him until that point. I really would've believed almost anything. But, there you go, the intro page tells you why he attacked them. I mean, I just don't understand how Marvel can manage spoiling a surprise when said surprise isn't even a surprise anymore, but it manages to do so here.
I wish I could say that it was my only problem with this issue, but it wasn't. I mention above the fact that Bendis hadn't really done any character work with Skaar, making it hard to guess that he was working for Captain America before the intro page reveal. Well, Bendis doesn't really do any work with him after the reveal, either. I mean, Bendis spends the first few pages of this issue telling us that Skaar is working for Captain America, but never tells us why. I accept the fact that I could be missing something, since I don't read any of the Hulk series, but you'd think Bendis could throw in a comment telling us why Skaar would feel some sort of loyalty to Captain America. I mean, if Norman Osborn thought he was a good candidate for the Dark Avengers, it's clear that Skaar doesn't exactly walk on the side of angels as a default setting. Bendis needed to do some sort of explaining about why Skaar chose to be loyal to Cap. But, Bendis doesn't do that. Like Bendis always does, he just tells us Skaar is loyal to Cap and wants us to accept it just because he says so. He's done the same thing with Victoria Hand for dozens of issues, and it's no different here with Skaar.
The highlight of this issue is the fight between the remaining New Avengers and the remaining Dark Avengers, but it still feels like an afterthought. Moreover, I want to know what Bendis was thinking when he has Ms. Marvel just pound on whoever it was that was pretending to be her. She seems to be in a full-on rage, something that not only seems like a total non sequitur but also seems totally uncharacteristic of her. At any rate, the best thing I can say about this issue is that it brings us when step closer to the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Bendis' reign of holy terror over the Avengers titles will soon end. That day can't come soon enough.
Avengers #24.1: OK, I actually liked this issue. The Vision isn't my favorite character. I mean, I've read a lot (a lot) of issues where he plays a role, and I can't say I really missed him. It's hard to get attached to a guy who doesn't really have feelings. But, Bendis does a good job of exploring the range of feelings, however limited that range may be, that the Vision does have, bringing him from forgiveness to rage to sorrow. Before, I get to the Vision part, though, I want to say how thrilled I am that Bendis finally gave us a decent Hawkeye and Spider-Woman scene, making it as fun and funny as their pairing promised to be. ("You act like it's my fault we haven't had ten minutes to breathe since you and I - uh - you know." "No, please, I'd love to hear how you're going to word this.") I mean, they even get Cap's blessing! I really hope whoever takes over this title keeps up their relationship and the focus on the comedy. I mean, I love Mockingbird, but, really, it's time for them to be apart for a while, I think. Now, focusing on the Vision, I thought Bendis did the best job with the Magneto/Vision scene, if only because I totally bought his depiction of Magneto. One of the things I've hated in the X-books is how we've just wiped away Magneto's history as a homicidal maniac, forgiving all his sins. I mean, Billy had to remind the X-Men about the fact that they had welcomed this legendary murderer onto their team with open arms during "Avengers: The Children's Crusade," when they were all getting on their high horses about Wanda. I'm glad that Bendis doesn't seem to buy the new, improved Magneto either because he gives us the old, enraged Magneto. It's this Magneto -- threatening, manipulative, arrogant -- that I recognize. In fact, I hope Cyclops took a good long look at the hate with which Magneto responded to the Vision, because it might remind him of who Magneto was and who he one day may still be. Moreover, Bendis uses Magneto as an excellent foil for the Vision, provoking the Vision's rage, getting him to show some sort of emotion. His conversation with Jennifer earlier in the issue was somewhat one-sided, but it's during his fight with Magneto that we see the Vision actually start to engage. As such, it's not a surprise when we see him fall apart at the end. I'm surprised to be complimenting Bendis on bringing anyone, let alone the Vision, on an emotional journey, but there you have it. Given that the re-introduction of the Vision was done so terribly, this issue went a long way to me believing it is actually the real Vision and I can start thinking of him as such. For Bendis, that's pretty much hitting a home run.
Secret Avengers #24: OK, so it appears that this council that the Father heads is a council of synthetic -- or least artificial -- lifeforms, comprised of Doombots,"sentinaughts," adaptoids, "machine people," Reavers, etc. I was pretty sure that it was just about the adaptoids, despite the fact I seemed to know less about them than Remender thought I should. Or maybe it was just about the descendants. Honestly, I can't remember. It had something to do with the both of them. At any rate, I can honestly say I have almost no idea what story Remender is trying to tell. I think he's building a story where these artificial lifeforms are planning to rise against the "real" lifeforms. But, it's hard to focus, when Remender's got so many other irons in the fire. We've got the Pakistani boy, who may or may not be one of these descendants. We've got Ant-Man, who may or may not be dead. We've got a reanimated Janet, who I'm pretty sure isn't Janet given that she exploded, making it hard to believe that she'd have left behind enough body to be reanimated as a deathlok. It's all just a lot to try to keep straight. It seems to me like Remender is writing for a trade paperback, and I can see myself enjoying this arc more when I re-read it from start to finish after it ends. But, at this stage, I'm having a hard time staying engage when each page brings something that either confuses me or seems to contradict something that happened on another page, possibly even in a different issue. Honestly, I think I'm done with this title after "Avengers vs. X-Men," even if it is being run by Hawkeye. Sad, but true.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Venom #13.4: OMG, this issue was boring. Seriously, I barely got through it. I have no real idea what happened, though a lot of people seemed to be talking and planning and scheming. But, I can't say I cared. Yadda yadda yadda, the good guys died, now they're back, Ghost Rider betrayed...[yawn]. Is this arc done yet?
Secret Avengers #23: This issue is an editorial nightmare. First, would it have killed anyone to give us an Editor's Note on the intro page to tell us that this issue happened after the current "Venom: Circle of Four" arc, given that it hadn't yet concluded when this issue hit the stands? I stopped reading it once Cap mentioned the events in Las Vegas. I had intended to wait until I read "Venom" #14 before picking up this issue again, but, as you can tell from the above review, it's not like I'm particularly invested in the "Circle of Four" storyline, so I don't really care if it gets spoiled here. However, I was surprised that we learn in this issue, and not a "Venom" issue, how Hank Pym has managed to silence the symbiote so that Flash can use the suit for 24 hours without worrying it will take control. Doesn't that seem like something that we should've heard in "Venom?" Basically, we've seen the entire original cast of characters in "Venom" -- the "Project: Rebirth" folks, etc. -- discarded after only 13 issues (17, if you count the Point One issues). It seems really early in its run for a reboot, particularly one that, a), came in a different series and, b), probably won't change the premise of the story all that much, given that I'm guessing Flash will still have to struggle against the symbiote. I essentially feel like I've been cheated of something. "Venom" was high concept, with its 48 hours and 20 missions and kill button, and it's bizarre that we just threw that entirely over the side without ever really exploring it that much.
But, in theory, we're talking about "Secret Avengers" here. But, that brings me to my second editorial lament. Did we know that the villains we saw last issue were "adaptoids" or is this pet peeve #1 in full effect here, when the intro page tells us they were? (Plus, I'm not really sure what an adaptoid is. We learn here the original Human Torch is one, so does that mean "the Father" is his original creator? I thought he was dead?)
Turning to the issue itself, I'm still confused. I'm not really sure why the Pakistani woman was a "marriage of Nature and her daughter Science" (which, um, ick, incest). I don't feel like Remender has done a good job explaining what exactly his goal is beyond the usual world domination. He seems to have some sort of affiliation with mutants, which seems weird, given that he's got Reavers on his team. Remender has to clarify this guy's deal soon, because I'm already spending most of these issues finding my eyes glazing over his monologuing.
Also, let's talk about Hawkeye a minute: I liked Beast's conversation with him, but let's now be done with him as "dyspeptic drill instructor." It's bordering on yet another example of authors portraying Clint as emotionally unstable, and I'm tired of it. It's yet again ignoring he's already led two teams -- Avengers West Coast and the Thunderbolts. If you re-read old "Avengers West Coast" issues, it's almost hard to tell it's the same person, and that was the first time that Hawkeye lead a team. Beast has never lead a team, so it's bizarre to have him giving advice on how to do it to someone who's done it twice. I don't know who decide he's this way, but he seems to appear this way in every series lately.
Last complaint and then I'll move onto a positive: did we really need another team member? Last issue, we had six members: Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Beast, Black Widow, Captain Britain, and Valkyrie. In this issue, we suddenly add the Human Torch and Venom to the mix. I'm not sure if Human Torch is staying, but, if he does, we now have eight members. Why? What's wrong with six? For the life of me, I'll never understand why everyone decided Bendis had the right idea with these maxi-teams.
OK, now, the positive: the Ant-Man parts of this story are well done. Remender does a great job with him, possibly better than anyone's ever done with him. I almost choked up a bit at the end when he talked about saving the kid without even thinking about it. It's a great moment, and it has extra impact because I find myself wondering if he's actually going to die. I thought several times over the issue, "I wonder how they're going to work in Scott Lang's return (assuming he survives in "Avengers: Children's Crusade" #9) with Eric Grady having the suit?" The fact that he might actually die certainly heightens the tension of this scene. It calls to mind the types of stories Remender might one day be able to tell in this series if it manages to stabilize the roster, so that we actually get to know the characters. I'm not dropping it yet, but I really hope we make some progress at some point in keeping it more focused.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Captain America #8: OK, so, initially, I didn't remember that Machinesmith appeared as the villain in "Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier." It wasn't until a fair amount of Google research that I "discovered" that, despite having read (and enjoyed, if I remember correctly) that mini-series. Clearly, it merits a re-read, since Machinesmith looks like he's going to play a prominent role in the next few issues. (To be fair, Steve mentioned in a recent issue that Machinesmith was behind the loss of his powers in that mini-series, so I probably should've taken Brubaker's hint and re-read it between that issue and this one.) At any rate, I thought Brubaker did a great job setting up the reveal, making it seem like Sharon was in cahoots with someone as she's locking down the Quincarrier, but, in the end, revealing just how talented of a spy she is by having her be the only one to realize Machinesmith was still acting behind the scenes. The only off-note in this issue to me was the Bravo sub-plot, in that I'm not really sure why King Cobra and his new Serpent Society robbing a bank would serve as a distraction from Baron Zemo trying to spring Bravo from the Raft. I mean, it wasn't like the Raft guards were involved in foiling the robbery or like Cap and Sharon do nothing but guard Raft prisoners all day. Overall, between my Machinesmith confusion and the Bravo sub-plot, I spent most of this issue confused, an unusual occurrence for a Brubaker book. But, I'm willing to reserve judgment about this arc for another few issues while Brubaker continues unfurling the story.
Dungeons & Dragons #14: I almost have to stop reviewing this comic because it's so good that I just can't stop raving about it. Adric noting that it's a good rescue when Khal and Danni kiss? Varis shooting Khal a look when he learns Khal has referred to him as his "sidekick" in his letters to Danni? Bree wondering why villains never flee "to our lair at the pub?" Rogers continues to deliver great moments in this title. But, this issue starts to get us somewhere on a number of plots as well. The immediate plot -- rescuing Danni -- thickens when it's revealed that her "colleagues" are actually foulspawn, serving a beholder who's waiting for some sort of celestial event to happen, for reasons that aren't quite yet clear. But, it also serves as Khal's origin arc, given that we're learning more about him and his motivations. Rogers also has Tisha start quizzing Varis about why he was exiled (something unusual for elves to do), implying (I think) that we might get some answers on Varis' origin story soon. This arc so far has been tighter than the first few arcs of this title. Although they were enjoyable, they blended together in a way that often got confusing, particularly when it came to getting down everyone's origin story. By the end of this arc, we'll have wrapped up Khal's origin story and hopefully set the stage to move onto some of the other characters', including Varis'. I'm excited to see where it goes. (Also, we have still left hanging the mystery of Philomena and Justin, who Rogers implied in issue #7 would return after possibly coming by some trouble.)
Dungeons & Dragons #15: We get a pretty great conclusion to Khal's origin arc here. I loved Adric breaking the summoning circle, forcing the beholder to flee the now-unbound demon it had summoned (the whole point of the celestial event for which it was waiting last issue). But, I was particularly impressed by Rogers' use of Tisha here. He had mentioned in issue #12 that tieflings created kruthiks, but, here, we see why that comment was relevant, with the kruthik queen recognizing Tisha as her "maker" and bestowing upon Tisha her egg. In so doing, the queen essentially gave Tisha control of the kruthik horde, which would do anything to protect the unhatched egg, which Tisha uses to rescue the team. As he did with Varis last issue, Rogers hints at the stories about Tisha we don't yet know, particularly those that explore the darker side of her tiefling heritage. But, for the meantime, I like how he uses that heritage to help her be the hero. I mean, even Bree Three-Hands promises not to complain about Tisha being evil anymore. It sounds like we're going to delve more into Adric's back story in the next arc, and I think that's a story I can't wait to hear. All in all, good stuff.
Secret Avengers #22: I can honestly say I have absolutely no effing idea what happened in this issue. Remender does an OK job establishing the changed roster for this title. His main challenge, though, is that the previous authors used a pretty rotating set of characters in their stories. Besides Captain America (and Sharon Carter, who apparently cannot exist independently of him), we're only really missing Moon Knight and War Machine, both of whom were pretty incidental to most plots anyway. In their place, we get Captain Britain and Hawkeye. Captain Britain now seems to be a member of a Green Lantern-esque organization that protects the Multiverse (rather than just the Universe, as GL does), something that you would think would keep him sufficiently busy. But, instead, he joins the Secret Avengers. Hawkeye's addition was covered in the most recent .1 issue. Fine. It's not the most eloquent "Look, we changed the team!" issue I've ever read, but it works. But, then, it all goes to hell. The Secret Avengers conveniently get a distress call from Pakistan on their first day of school, and they deploy...to do something? From what I can tell, a Pakistani woman displays the ability to swallow in order to protect her and her son from a suicide bomber (because all Pakistani men are suicide bombers blowing up villages...in Pakistan...). This event "activates" some other...people...around the world, who exhibit their own powers and have catchy names like "the Urn" and "the Swine." Everyone converges on this woman's location, and one of the...people...creates "diminutive" Avengers? Maybe? I'm not entirely sure. I think she does. At any rate, a battle ensues (shocker) and the...people...take the woman and, unknown to them, Ant-Man. In the end, it's revealed that some dude is manipulating events, sitting at the head of a table that includes the likes of Dr. Doom, Jocasta, a Kree Sentry, Lady Deathstrike, Nick Fury, Vision, a cyborg Wasp, and some other guy. I'm guessing it's not really them, but, um, maybe it is? Basically, as I said, I have no effing idea what the hell happened and I've half a mind not to buy next issue to get some answers. I will, but, seriously, I need to see SOME answers if Remender is going to keep me reading this title.
Secret Avengers #22: I can honestly say I have absolutely no effing idea what happened in this issue. Remender does an OK job establishing the changed roster for this title. His main challenge, though, is that the previous authors used a pretty rotating set of characters in their stories. Besides Captain America (and Sharon Carter, who apparently cannot exist independently of him), we're only really missing Moon Knight and War Machine, both of whom were pretty incidental to most plots anyway. In their place, we get Captain Britain and Hawkeye. Captain Britain now seems to be a member of a Green Lantern-esque organization that protects the Multiverse (rather than just the Universe, as GL does), something that you would think would keep him sufficiently busy. But, instead, he joins the Secret Avengers. Hawkeye's addition was covered in the most recent .1 issue. Fine. It's not the most eloquent "Look, we changed the team!" issue I've ever read, but it works. But, then, it all goes to hell. The Secret Avengers conveniently get a distress call from Pakistan on their first day of school, and they deploy...to do something? From what I can tell, a Pakistani woman displays the ability to swallow in order to protect her and her son from a suicide bomber (because all Pakistani men are suicide bombers blowing up villages...in Pakistan...). This event "activates" some other...people...around the world, who exhibit their own powers and have catchy names like "the Urn" and "the Swine." Everyone converges on this woman's location, and one of the...people...creates "diminutive" Avengers? Maybe? I'm not entirely sure. I think she does. At any rate, a battle ensues (shocker) and the...people...take the woman and, unknown to them, Ant-Man. In the end, it's revealed that some dude is manipulating events, sitting at the head of a table that includes the likes of Dr. Doom, Jocasta, a Kree Sentry, Lady Deathstrike, Nick Fury, Vision, a cyborg Wasp, and some other guy. I'm guessing it's not really them, but, um, maybe it is? Basically, as I said, I have no effing idea what the hell happened and I've half a mind not to buy next issue to get some answers. I will, but, seriously, I need to see SOME answers if Remender is going to keep me reading this title.
Venom #9: Um, wow. First, I was excited about this issue before I even opened it, because, on top of Rick Remender writing the issue, we were getting the great Stefano Caselli to draw it. Awesome. I haven't been a huge fan of Fowler's art, so I found it a welcome change. But, then, I read the issue, and, wow, I'm even more impressed than I thought I would be. I mean, innocent people die. I mean, not just people: a small child dies. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I read a comic where a small child died. It's rare enough to read a comic where an innocent person dies, but, to have a small child died? Don't get me wrong: I'm not celebrating the fact that innocent people die. In fact, I'm celebrating the fact that an author actually shows how awful deaths connected to costumed shenanigans are, given the fact that we usually only see heroes and villains die, only to be resurrected six months later. Remender really hits you with a one-two emotional punch here, using these two deaths to remind us that not everyone gets resurrected and to drive Flash totally over the edge. I mean, Flash doesn't even just kill "The Hijacker:" he tortures him. He breaks off his finger, drives him to terror, makes him beg for his life, and then bites off his head. (If you haven't guessed, this issue isn't for the squeamish.) I'm intrigued by where Remender goes from here, particularly since the end banner of this issue promises that next issue will be a "new beginning." First, Flash clearly is falling deeper and deeper into a sociopathic well, and Remender compounds this tragedy with the fact that Flash knowing he's falling doesn't mean he's able to stop himself. You have to wonder what hitting the bottom of the well is going to look like. Second, if I'm not mistaken, the military has some way of knowing when Flash turns into Venom (the bad one). Are we going to see some sort of repercussions? I mean, Remender seems to have engaged in some gymnastics to keep Flash's moments of losing control hidden from his superiors. At some point, someone is going to put two and two together. It's all very interesting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)