Amazing Spider-Man #799: Holy fucking crap, this issue is amazing. In fact, this arc is so good I feel like Slott is redeeming himself for all the terrible storylines over the years. (I’m looking at you, “Superior Spider-Man.”) First, Slott reminds us how strong Peter’s “web” of “amazing friends” is: the Human Torch is watching MJ, Miles is watching Aunt May, and Silk is on the “Bugle” team. Peter asks Anti-Venom to keep an eye on JJJ, Jr., and Flash reports he already has JJJ, Jr. (as we saw last issue). But, JJJ, Jr. bolts from Flash to run to his apartment and FaceTime Peter so he can tell him he slipped and revealed Peter's identity to the Goblin. Peter’s stoney faced look is amazing (and handsome, oy), and JJJ, Jr. is panicked when Peter cuts off the connection. JJJ, Jr. pledges to make it right, and I’m more sure than ever he’s dying next issue. Meanwhile, Peter contacts Clash, letting him know he’s been watching him and approves of his Robin Hood schtick. He then asks him to watch the Osborns like the hero Peter knows he is. With all the players set, the game begins. Harry, Liz, and Mark awaken to discover the boys are missing, but Liz reveals she had Normie chipped. As such, they head to the Port Authority, where they find them with Emma. Emma tells them they're idiots, as she was trying to save the boys before Norman found them. On cue, Norman arrives and reveals “Emma” is Harry’s long-thought dead mother, Emily. Dun-dun-DUN! ("The Clone Conspiracy" maybe?) Clash reports the Goblin's arrival to Peter, and the Torch arrives to work with Clash, hitting the Red Goblin (and, most importantly, the symbiote) with fire and sonics. However, Norman reveals the combination of the Carnage symbiote and Goblin serum gives him all the powers of Carnage and the Green Goblin but none of the weaknesses. He not only makes quick work of this pair, but also dispatches Miles and Silk without breaking a sweat. Flash gives him more of a challenge, as he's surprised by Flash's ability to harm the symbiote. But, he correctly plays to Flash’s sense of heroism, as Flash spreads himself too thin trying to heal the dying heroes surrounding him. Norman overwhelms him, and Peter (with Immonen showing us a lovely shot of his abs) pulls on his costume and leaps into action, busted leg and all. Norman chases after his family, and Peter arrives to marvel in the devastation. Flash uses his last ounce of power to heal Peter’s leg, just as Norman does what I was worried he’d do: he turns Normie into a symbiote. When Harry suggested he take Stanley and Liz take Normie, Normie had once again complained Harry cared more about Stanley than him. Norman clearly plans to use that rage against Harry. It’s...brilliant. Honestly, I don’t know how Peter wins here. Norman is all-powerful, and it’s not in an unbelievable way. Slott has built this story slowly, and the combination of Carnage and the Green Goblin really just feels like Norman may have found the key to winning. You almost believe he really is going to kill everyone next issue. Plus, Slott’s weakness is usually his scripting, but he’s solid here. You can feel JJJ, Jr.’s desperation to make things right with Peter. Moreover, Peter is legitimately scared, not only by what Norman may do to his family and friends, but also for himself. It's legitimately exciting. Throwing in the fact Immonen and the art team are on fire, this title is finally at the top of Marvel’s game where it deserves to be.
Avengers #689: The authors do an OK job wrapping up the story here, though I'll admit I felt something missing. Maybe it was because Lightning's gambit to save the Earth (as well as the Human Torch and Red Wolf) via a game of Texas Hold 'Em with the Grandmaster felt too self-servingly heroic. He wins the game because he's willing to be forgotten. In fact, it's probably more the narration surrounding the game that does it, as Lightning keeps telling us how heroes don't do what they do to be remembered. Making matters worse, the fight with the Challenger was ridiculous at points, from Jan (and not Nadia) creating "nano-acid" arrows for Hawkeye to Sam connecting telepathically with the Challenger because Doreen guessed he evolved from birds or dinosaurs because he was an alien. (No, really.) In fact, the Challenger never really seems like a threat beyond the moment he seemingly obliterates Wonder Man; everyone else -- including Squirrel Girl and the Wasps -- easily lands punches. In the end, Wanda casts a spell that seems to channel the Avengers' hearts and souls into a magic blast that destroys the Challenger, and it's so effective you wonder why she didn't do it earlier than she does here. (I think we're supposed to believe she was inspired when Voyager rallied the Avengers by reminding them what being an Avenger meant to each one of them.) I'm not saying the issue is awful; it's OK, due largely to the art team really conveying a cinematic scope to the fight with the Challenger. But, if they dialed back Lightning's over-the-top narration and showed the characters really struggling with the Challenger, it would've been a lot stronger issue, where we would've been kept guessing from start to finish.
Batman #45: If the goal of this issue was for me to find Booster Gold hi-lar-ious and subscribe to his series, it was a major fail. His schtick was tedious by the third page, and I can’t believe I was subjected to an entire issue of it.
Infinity Countdown #2: Holy crap, Robbie is Talonar! No way! This issue is insane, and I mean that in the best possible way. Something about the Guardians lends itself to a certain amount of believable ridiculousness. Duggan plays that card expertly here, from Rocket appearing on Xitaung in a Galactus suit to Groot wanting to murder everyone. That said, it's still hard to tell where Duggan is going. Last issue, he used the fight on Telferina as a stalling tactic, and, in this issue, the Guardians are still fighting to protect the Power Stone. You have to wonder when something will...happen. But, it's fun, so I'm game.
Ms. Marvel #29: This issue is really, really lovely, and I’m just happy it’s out there in the world. Bruno’s honesty with Kamala is bracing, and Kamala has to find a way to match it if they’re going to coexist (if not become friends) again. Her initial response to his overture feels immature, as she blames Bruno for hiding Mike from her. Bruno makes it worse for her by continuing to show how much he’s matured: he reminds her that he found her kissing the Red Dagger on the Circle Q rooftop and confesses that he always thought he’d be her first kiss. Her subsequent conversation with Sheikh Abdullah is an amazing testament to Wilson’s skills as a writer, as it perfectly encapsulates the divide between children and parents when it comes to love. Amidst it all, Wilson also imbues the issue with humor, from Bruno’s roommate hilariously asking Bruno to be his cultural interpreter in a developing country like America to Zoe falling for the new meaner girl version of herself. It's hard to imagine a better comic-book series than this one.
Nightwing #43: Moreci does a solid job getting down everyone’s voices here, with Dick feeling overly responsible for this ad hoc team, Roy just happy to be throwing some punches with his bro, and Damian being...Damian. It’s not necessarily the strongest issue in terms of plotting. After all, Roy magically understands the complicated science behind the League of Assassins' plan to use a device to suck the oxygen from Gotham but doesn’t know what “subterfuge” means. But, it’s still fun, and I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing more of characters like Arsenal and Damian in this series. Higgins did a solid job building out a supporting cast for Dick with the Run-Offs, but something about having Dick’s old-school allies and friends appearing in an issue really kicks it up a notch.
Tales of Suspense #104: As Rosenberg says in his letter at the end of this issue, Bucky, Clint, and Nat are three of my favorite characters, and it was a real joy seeing them together. I loved that Bucky and Clint don’t develop a deep sense of respect for each other at the end of this issue; Clint thinks Bucky’s a homicidal maniac, and Bucky thinks Clint is an incompetent buffoon. That feels right to me. I also loved that Natasha is in charge from start to finish. She has a mission, and she intends to complete it. Rosenberg made it clear Natasha had to eliminate any possibility of her returning in another cloned body, because she couldn’t find herself under the Red Room’s control once again. (My only real question is that I honestly didn’t understand the role Anya and Yelena played. I thought all the clones Natasha used on her various missions were her own clones, and not Anya and/or Yelena's. It’s probably the only instance of Rosenberg writing for the trade here, as I’m sure their roles would be clearer if you read all five issues together.) I also totally bought that Natasha had to let go of Clint. His vision of her as a better person might have worked before she died, but it doesn’t work any longer, after what she has to do here. But, I also love that it pushes her to chose Bucky, at least as a partner. (Rosenberg made it clear she doesn't actually need either of them.) In other words, Rosenberg returns Natasha to the land of the living in a way that stays consistent with her character but doesn’t come without consequences. I couldn't ask for more.
X-Men: Blue #26: Now, this issue feels like an old-school “X-Men” story. The entire creative team in on fire here. Alex and his cronies unleash Mothervine, and the new X-Men scramble to help the emerging mutants handle their powers. They encounter Unuscione as she tries to fend off two Sentinels arriving to "help" her and two emerging mutants. However, her secondary mutation proves to be unstable; Xorn and Daken try to calm her to prevent her from randomly blowing up everyone and everything around her while Lorna and the rest of the team battle the Sentinels. (See? Old school.) The Sentinels claim they’re there to help, but no one believes them. They shouldn’t, either: it turns out Alex and his cronies can control everyone Mothervine affected. Emma is appalled, but Alex assures her they’ll have taken out Miss Sinister before she can use that army against them. (I’m...doubtful, as Emma is.) Meanwhile, they send the Marauders after both the new X-Men and Magneto, while using their control of the emerging mutants to bolster the Marauders' numbers. It’s a tough time to be an X-Men. Bunn’s plotting isn’t just excellent; his scripting is great. Lorna gets in a solid one-liner as she encourages anyone other than Bloodstorm or Daken to comfort the victims, and Jimmy is demonstrably upset over the idea his DNA (and the DNA of other mutants from his world) was somehow used to create Mothervine. The art team is also great, delivering a kinetic battle with Sentinels and using unique perspectives — like showing Magneto and Ferris through the gauze of a hospital curtain — to keep you engaged. This continues to be the main X-Men title for me, and I'm actually loathe for the kids to return.
Also Read: Quantum & Woody #5
Showing posts with label Tales of Suspense (1959). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tales of Suspense (1959). Show all posts
Monday, April 30, 2018
Monday, April 9, 2018
Not-So-New Comics: The March 21 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers #685: This issue mostly just moves the chess pieces around the board, as Dr. Voodoo volunteers to be "paused" so Vision can prevent the Hulk from killing everyone in the auxiliary headquarters in his march to get to Voyager and the Pyramoid. But, Vision incorrectly dismiss the Hulk as mindless, believing the Hulk is too dumb to realize he's solidifying his fingers around the Hulk's brain. The Hulk recognizes this trick, and he bashes the Vision over the head as he solidifies, possibly killing him. Meanwhile, Simon arrives to try to talk some sense into the Hulk, and Voyager rebuffs her father's attempts to get her to activate the final Pyramoid. Looking back, certain parts of this issue confused me. First, everyone expresses concern that Simon turning into ionic energy to get to New York quickly might mean he won't be able to become flesh and bone again. However, didn't he do exactly the same thing a few issues ago to visit Jarvis in the hospital? Moreover, I thought it was a bit of a stretch that Wanda could suddenly chose someone to freeze in exchange for someone else. If she can, shouldn't they bench the B and C Listers in favor of more powerful players? I would think someone like the X-Men's Magik would be super-helpful right now. On the plus side, I now realize Voyager was supposedly the Grandmaster's ace in the hole, but she's refusing to help him, given her anger of him treating her as little more than a pawn. That wasn't totally clear to me last issue, but it makes more sense here.
Mighty Thor #705: This issue is suitably epic, though I'm not sure I have much to say. Thor uses the chains the dwarves of Nidavellir originally created to restrain Fenris until Ragnarok to restrain Mangog and then sends Mjolnir with him into the center of the Sun. Often climaxes of years-long stories feel oversimplified, but this one doesn't; the destruction of Mjolnir and subsequent death of Jane feel like the only way Mangog could be stopped at the point they occur. Other options might've been available earlier, but this resolution is the only one that seems to work now. It's hard to even know what we're supposed to feel. After last issue's meditation on death, you get the sense Jane knew exactly what she was doing, so it's hard to regret her death here. But, Odinson becoming Thor again feels like a regression, no matter the excellent job Aaron has done showing Odinson's march to worthiness. He's certainly aware of that, so I'm intrigued to see how he bridges that gap and makes Odinson taking up the mantle of Thor again as invigorating as Jane's run has been. He's set his own bar really high.
Ms. Marvel #28: You guys, I totally cried a lot at this issue. Like, a lot.
Spider-Gwen #29-30: The story Latour was telling -- reaching all the way to the "Spider-Women" event and the Madripoor arc -- took a sharp turn in issue #29, as Uncle Ben's exhortation for Gwen to murder Matt Murdoch apparently created some sort of divergence in the time stream. I didn't totally understand it at the time, but, having read issue #30 and now re-read issue #29, I feel like I can now review both issues.
In issue #29, Utaa, the Watcher of Earth-8 (the one where Gwen marries Miles and they create some sort of Spidertopia), visits Utau, the Watcher of Earth-65, to warn him something happening on Utau's world threatens Utaa's future. Utau confirms Earth-8 is the future version of Earth-65's present. Right off the bat, I have problems with this part. As far as I understand it, the multiverse doesn't work that way. Something had to happen to make Earth-8 diverge as a timeline from Earth-65. Utaa tries to explain timelines are a continuum where time recycles itself and the "sturdier" timelines show little change. Or, put another way, "we are delicately intertwined by a baffling paradox -- we know each moment diverges infinitely making all roads possible." He says Earth-65's past has been "a reliable passage" to Earth-8's future, but that still makes no sense. Something has to happen to make Earth-8 diverge from Earth-65; it's not a separate timeline if it's just the future of an existing timeline. Earth-8's and Earth-65's futures at some specific point -- the same point in both Universes -- have to be different. Ugh, time-travel stories.
On Earth-65 itself, Castle makes his way through the Hand to get to Murdoch, but Gwen saves him from Castle. The Punisher is furious at her for doing so, but Captain America joins the fray, knocking out Castle and encouraging Gwen to let the justice system handle Murdoch. But, her appeal to "justice" infuriates Gwen, and she lets her Venom persona take control. She takes out Cap, and she's poised to kill Murdoch, much to his delight as he won't be alone when it comes to power corrupting people. But, she stops herself, refusing to become him. Right then, Murdoch's increasingly dinging watch he swiped from Gwen activates, sending Gwen outside the space-time continuum...to the original Gwen Stacy!
Issue #30 starts with Utaa taking Utau to Earth-8 to show him how Gwen intending to kill Murdoch is the first problematic feature of the timeline. (Presumably it means she didn't do so in the existing Earth-65 and Earth-8 timelines, but I still don't understand the idea that they don't know when exactly their timelines diverged.) Utaa says a "rot" has already set into Earth-65, and he expresses concern someone intentionally removed Gwen from the time stream. Meanwhile, in original Gwen's world, Spider-Gwen seeks help from Reed Richards, but the Baxter Building's security system confuses her for Peter trying to get a job (they're not hiring, FYI) and shocks her off the building. (Heh.) She tracks down original Gwen and admits she's from a different universe. Latour is brilliant here, showing original Gwen as the sort of genius even Stan Lee had problems showing her as being back then, as she quizzes Spider-Gwen about whether she's from an anti-matter dimension, like the Negative Zone. She offers to bring in Peter, but Spider-Gwen hilariously says Peter's sweet, but makes it all about him.
But, it's where Latour goes next that really shows his brilliance. Spider-Gwen admits to original Gwen she's Venom, falling under sway of a dark voice inside her head. But, she also admits she knows original Gwen's father just died (after previously stumbling upon a flyer looking for Spider-Man in connection to his murder), so she knows original Gwen understand "dark." At this point, original Gwen calls Spider-Gwen on her bullshit, telling her the rest of us have to deal with our bad moments rather than blaming it on black ooze. Original Gwen talks about her particular era of a time, an era where anything she can dream is happening, but an era that still can't return Captain Stacy to her. Spider-Gwen is forced to admit she went after Murdoch not to do the right thing, but because she was angry and felt helpless; revenge gave her an outlet. Original Gwen explains Schrödinger's cat to Spider-Gwen, telling her each moment is unique, with everything hanging in the balance. She tells her to embrace the fact her options are infinite -- no one has opened the box yet -- and go make her dad proud. As original Gwen says this interaction gives her hope, where Gwen Stacy is a superhero and her father is alive, this Earth is suddenly designated Earth-617, making us all wonder what original Gwen will now do in this timeline.
But, Latour doesn't stop there. To freak out everyone, he reveals the "mysterious hand" that removed Spider-Gwen from the timestream is Earth-8's Spider-Gwen...because she's also been Venomized. Dun-dun-DUN!
Star Wars #45: I have to say, after Marquez's great cover, I found Larroca and Guru-eFX's reliance of photo referencing has grown particularly tired. The point of this series isn't to pretend we're watching some sort of intermediary episode between Episode IV and V, but to break new ground in telling the stories of these legendary characters. Luke and Wedge exude actual emotion on the cover, whereas everyone inside the issue has started looking like claymation figures someone moves between panels. [Sigh.] At any rate, the story itself is solid. Luke is thrilled to encounter Wedge in the mess hall at the Mako-Ta Base, where Han has taken him for a drink. Han asks if he wants something stronger than milk, but Luke reminds him the last time he had something stronger he was fed to "some kind of bloodsucking alien queen." Ha! (Han acknowledges his point.) Meanwhile, Leia informs the Jedi High Command of her plan to replace regent Urtya with King Lee-Char. Some of the commanders ridicule her, as they've never had Lee-Char's location. She reveals Trios (whose name she doesn't reveal) has provided it. (This part is particularly interesting, because Leia actually notes aloud she's not telling the High Command Trios' name, making it clear Trios' anonymity is both highly valued and probably at risk.) To free Lee-Char, she plans on capturing the Imperial Moff of the Calamari sector to use his access codes, and the commanders are shocked at the boldness of her plan. However, she acknowledges a weakness in her plan: the Imperials will change the codes once they realize the Moff is missing. One of the previously critical commanders is helpful here, providing Leia with details of where she can liberate a shape-shifter. Leia puts together the team, and they quickly acquire said asset from the "Dex Acquisitions Depot" on Meor Ain. The caper involves Chewie posing as a Wookiee bounty hunter called Violent Bok and Leia punching out the shape-shifter when he pretends to be her father. The issue ends with Leia agreeing with Chewie that they both need strong milks. Please someone show us that moment.
Tales of Suspense #103: Rosenberg does a great job here laying all the cards on the table in a way that make sense. Natasha awakens after her death at Captain Nazi's hands in the Red Room, but she remembers more than she's supposed to remember. We learn a telepath named Epsilon Red has a psychic connection to all the Red Room assassins, allowing him to serve as essentially an external hard drive where their memories are stored. When they die, they are resurrected into a clone body with Epsilon Red implanting Red Room-approved memories into their minds. The Red Room is also holding hostage Ursa Major (who can become a sentient bear), and he trades allowing Epsilon Red to pet his fur for Red installing all Natasha's memories into her new body. Natasha then sets about liberating all the clones, using them as disposable agents: she uses one to pose as Sally Blevins to be the victim of the Red Room's hit on her and later another one to throw off Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier after they spot her on the bridge. She then kills her handler after the operation is moved to New York, and the story comes to the present as she encounters the dumb-founded boys on the rooftop. She makes quick work of them, taking Bucky's arm and Clint's bow before trapping them in a panic room and exploding the building around them. It's pretty clear she doesn't want them to get hurt as she goes after the remains of the Red Room. My one question now is whether Epsilon Red made her remember her relationship with Bucky. Fingers crossed!
Also Read: X-Men: Gold #24
Mighty Thor #705: This issue is suitably epic, though I'm not sure I have much to say. Thor uses the chains the dwarves of Nidavellir originally created to restrain Fenris until Ragnarok to restrain Mangog and then sends Mjolnir with him into the center of the Sun. Often climaxes of years-long stories feel oversimplified, but this one doesn't; the destruction of Mjolnir and subsequent death of Jane feel like the only way Mangog could be stopped at the point they occur. Other options might've been available earlier, but this resolution is the only one that seems to work now. It's hard to even know what we're supposed to feel. After last issue's meditation on death, you get the sense Jane knew exactly what she was doing, so it's hard to regret her death here. But, Odinson becoming Thor again feels like a regression, no matter the excellent job Aaron has done showing Odinson's march to worthiness. He's certainly aware of that, so I'm intrigued to see how he bridges that gap and makes Odinson taking up the mantle of Thor again as invigorating as Jane's run has been. He's set his own bar really high.
Ms. Marvel #28: You guys, I totally cried a lot at this issue. Like, a lot.
Spider-Gwen #29-30: The story Latour was telling -- reaching all the way to the "Spider-Women" event and the Madripoor arc -- took a sharp turn in issue #29, as Uncle Ben's exhortation for Gwen to murder Matt Murdoch apparently created some sort of divergence in the time stream. I didn't totally understand it at the time, but, having read issue #30 and now re-read issue #29, I feel like I can now review both issues.
In issue #29, Utaa, the Watcher of Earth-8 (the one where Gwen marries Miles and they create some sort of Spidertopia), visits Utau, the Watcher of Earth-65, to warn him something happening on Utau's world threatens Utaa's future. Utau confirms Earth-8 is the future version of Earth-65's present. Right off the bat, I have problems with this part. As far as I understand it, the multiverse doesn't work that way. Something had to happen to make Earth-8 diverge as a timeline from Earth-65. Utaa tries to explain timelines are a continuum where time recycles itself and the "sturdier" timelines show little change. Or, put another way, "we are delicately intertwined by a baffling paradox -- we know each moment diverges infinitely making all roads possible." He says Earth-65's past has been "a reliable passage" to Earth-8's future, but that still makes no sense. Something has to happen to make Earth-8 diverge from Earth-65; it's not a separate timeline if it's just the future of an existing timeline. Earth-8's and Earth-65's futures at some specific point -- the same point in both Universes -- have to be different. Ugh, time-travel stories.
On Earth-65 itself, Castle makes his way through the Hand to get to Murdoch, but Gwen saves him from Castle. The Punisher is furious at her for doing so, but Captain America joins the fray, knocking out Castle and encouraging Gwen to let the justice system handle Murdoch. But, her appeal to "justice" infuriates Gwen, and she lets her Venom persona take control. She takes out Cap, and she's poised to kill Murdoch, much to his delight as he won't be alone when it comes to power corrupting people. But, she stops herself, refusing to become him. Right then, Murdoch's increasingly dinging watch he swiped from Gwen activates, sending Gwen outside the space-time continuum...to the original Gwen Stacy!
Issue #30 starts with Utaa taking Utau to Earth-8 to show him how Gwen intending to kill Murdoch is the first problematic feature of the timeline. (Presumably it means she didn't do so in the existing Earth-65 and Earth-8 timelines, but I still don't understand the idea that they don't know when exactly their timelines diverged.) Utaa says a "rot" has already set into Earth-65, and he expresses concern someone intentionally removed Gwen from the time stream. Meanwhile, in original Gwen's world, Spider-Gwen seeks help from Reed Richards, but the Baxter Building's security system confuses her for Peter trying to get a job (they're not hiring, FYI) and shocks her off the building. (Heh.) She tracks down original Gwen and admits she's from a different universe. Latour is brilliant here, showing original Gwen as the sort of genius even Stan Lee had problems showing her as being back then, as she quizzes Spider-Gwen about whether she's from an anti-matter dimension, like the Negative Zone. She offers to bring in Peter, but Spider-Gwen hilariously says Peter's sweet, but makes it all about him.
But, it's where Latour goes next that really shows his brilliance. Spider-Gwen admits to original Gwen she's Venom, falling under sway of a dark voice inside her head. But, she also admits she knows original Gwen's father just died (after previously stumbling upon a flyer looking for Spider-Man in connection to his murder), so she knows original Gwen understand "dark." At this point, original Gwen calls Spider-Gwen on her bullshit, telling her the rest of us have to deal with our bad moments rather than blaming it on black ooze. Original Gwen talks about her particular era of a time, an era where anything she can dream is happening, but an era that still can't return Captain Stacy to her. Spider-Gwen is forced to admit she went after Murdoch not to do the right thing, but because she was angry and felt helpless; revenge gave her an outlet. Original Gwen explains Schrödinger's cat to Spider-Gwen, telling her each moment is unique, with everything hanging in the balance. She tells her to embrace the fact her options are infinite -- no one has opened the box yet -- and go make her dad proud. As original Gwen says this interaction gives her hope, where Gwen Stacy is a superhero and her father is alive, this Earth is suddenly designated Earth-617, making us all wonder what original Gwen will now do in this timeline.
But, Latour doesn't stop there. To freak out everyone, he reveals the "mysterious hand" that removed Spider-Gwen from the timestream is Earth-8's Spider-Gwen...because she's also been Venomized. Dun-dun-DUN!
Star Wars #45: I have to say, after Marquez's great cover, I found Larroca and Guru-eFX's reliance of photo referencing has grown particularly tired. The point of this series isn't to pretend we're watching some sort of intermediary episode between Episode IV and V, but to break new ground in telling the stories of these legendary characters. Luke and Wedge exude actual emotion on the cover, whereas everyone inside the issue has started looking like claymation figures someone moves between panels. [Sigh.] At any rate, the story itself is solid. Luke is thrilled to encounter Wedge in the mess hall at the Mako-Ta Base, where Han has taken him for a drink. Han asks if he wants something stronger than milk, but Luke reminds him the last time he had something stronger he was fed to "some kind of bloodsucking alien queen." Ha! (Han acknowledges his point.) Meanwhile, Leia informs the Jedi High Command of her plan to replace regent Urtya with King Lee-Char. Some of the commanders ridicule her, as they've never had Lee-Char's location. She reveals Trios (whose name she doesn't reveal) has provided it. (This part is particularly interesting, because Leia actually notes aloud she's not telling the High Command Trios' name, making it clear Trios' anonymity is both highly valued and probably at risk.) To free Lee-Char, she plans on capturing the Imperial Moff of the Calamari sector to use his access codes, and the commanders are shocked at the boldness of her plan. However, she acknowledges a weakness in her plan: the Imperials will change the codes once they realize the Moff is missing. One of the previously critical commanders is helpful here, providing Leia with details of where she can liberate a shape-shifter. Leia puts together the team, and they quickly acquire said asset from the "Dex Acquisitions Depot" on Meor Ain. The caper involves Chewie posing as a Wookiee bounty hunter called Violent Bok and Leia punching out the shape-shifter when he pretends to be her father. The issue ends with Leia agreeing with Chewie that they both need strong milks. Please someone show us that moment.
Tales of Suspense #103: Rosenberg does a great job here laying all the cards on the table in a way that make sense. Natasha awakens after her death at Captain Nazi's hands in the Red Room, but she remembers more than she's supposed to remember. We learn a telepath named Epsilon Red has a psychic connection to all the Red Room assassins, allowing him to serve as essentially an external hard drive where their memories are stored. When they die, they are resurrected into a clone body with Epsilon Red implanting Red Room-approved memories into their minds. The Red Room is also holding hostage Ursa Major (who can become a sentient bear), and he trades allowing Epsilon Red to pet his fur for Red installing all Natasha's memories into her new body. Natasha then sets about liberating all the clones, using them as disposable agents: she uses one to pose as Sally Blevins to be the victim of the Red Room's hit on her and later another one to throw off Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier after they spot her on the bridge. She then kills her handler after the operation is moved to New York, and the story comes to the present as she encounters the dumb-founded boys on the rooftop. She makes quick work of them, taking Bucky's arm and Clint's bow before trapping them in a panic room and exploding the building around them. It's pretty clear she doesn't want them to get hurt as she goes after the remains of the Red Room. My one question now is whether Epsilon Red made her remember her relationship with Bucky. Fingers crossed!
Also Read: X-Men: Gold #24
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