Not-Very-New Comics!: The April 10 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Age of X-Man:  The Marvelous X-Men #3:  We’re halfway through this event, and I’m still not quite sure what story Marvel is telling here.  At this stage, we seem to have two main conflicts:  Apocalypse is calling for the mutants of this reality to embrace love, and X-Man is struggling to keep his hold on everyone.  Even the other two series I’m reading — "Prisoner X" and "The X-Tremists" — are focused on these two conflicts.  But, the larger point isn’t particularly clear to me.  The original Age of Apocalypse was exciting because you got to see familiar characters making different decisions and living different lives based on their new shared history.  Plus, Bishop was starting to remember his past, which would allow him to undo Legion's assassination of Professor X.  It all came together as you watched the X-Men, different as they now were, sacrifice themselves for a better world.  In Age of X-Man, X-Man is making everyone live these different lives, so it's a lot less interesting.  Plus, the scope of the differences is narrower:  it’s pretty much just the same people arguing over love with a script they've been handed.  Moreover, at this stage, no one's even really trying to return them to reality, as Bishop was in Age of Apocalypse.  Magneto comes the closest at least to discovering the truth, as he realizes that they all seem to be aware of memories of a previous life, one that might be the real one.  But, he doesn't really do anything with this insight; he still commits to confronting Apocalypse at the Xavier Day event in London.  The only theme I can tease from these issues is a critique of the majority's predisposition to embracing authority, but I'm not sure that's really all that interesting in the way it's presented here, since, again, no one is consciously making that decision.

Avengers:  No Road Home #9-#10:  Man, this series flew right off the rails.  The last few issues haven't been great, as the authors have let the story wander.  But, we never really return to a clear path.  It turns out it wasn't about Hercules seeking redemption or the Hulk seeking power.  It was about...Marvel's 80th anniversary?  Throughout the series, the authors gave conflicting motivations for Nyx.  In issue #9, she says it's revenge, but didn't she get that when she (easily) murdered all the Olympian gods?  In issue #10, she seeks to remake the Universe without light, but never seems to understand that she'd rule over a dead Universe.  Then, it all collapses under its own weight when Nyx inexplicably discovers the house that she's seen several times is the "House of Ideas."  Vision follows her through the doors, and he uses his imagination to defeat her, sending team after team of Avengers at her.  Of course, the authors never have Nyx use her imagination to fight fire with fire:  after a few millennia in Zeus' jail cell, you would've figure she'd have thought up some sort of tortures she could've deployed to save herself.  Moreover, Vision acknowledges that he didn't kill Nyx; she's essentially just...gone?  I get the House of Ideas reference like every other kid who read Marvel comics in the 1970s and 1980s.  But, I honestly have no idea why the authors weaved it in here.  It made the series feel like one of those promotional comics you used to get in that era, like when the X-Men were inexplicably shilling for Pizza Hut.  (I totally made my parents go to Pizza Hut for that reason, obviously.)  Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, we then get everything essentially ret-conned, as the Olympian gods are now essentially Flash Gordoned with their Buck Rogers fashions?  I mean, we even end with Hercules standing facing the camera, if you will, despite the fact he's actually shaking someone's hand.  Ugh.  "Avengers:  No Surrender" was a fun romp with a great cast, and I'm sad that its successor series turned out so mediocre.

Invaders #1-#4:  This story is very, very different from the ones I’m used to reading from Chip Zdarsky, but I am very much not complaining.  It’s really one of the more gripping treatments of Namor and, frankly, Cap, that I’ve read in a long time.  This series continues the story started in “Avengers,” with Namor preparing for his war on the surface world.  But, it goes to all new places.

In the first issue, Namor brings a group of secessionist Atlantean militants to heel, using his newfound powers over water to awe them into servitude.  On the surface, Jim Hammond is writing a book about the Invaders.  After interviewing Cap, he travels to Maine to visit Randall Johnson, one of the soldiers who served in their support unit.  In flashbacks, we see the Invaders dealing with the aftermath of a battle where a few members of their support unit, including a kid named Tommy, died.  Namor was particularly close to Tommy, and we see him engaging in his usual terrible behavior in the days after Tommy's death to avoid dealing with the loss.  Equally usual, we see Steve convince Namor to grieve.  These stories collide in a brilliant way at the end:  in a flashback, we learn that Tommy’s last name was Machan (from his dog tags), the same name as Namor’s consigliere.  Then, through the eyes of the defeated separatists, we learn only Namor can see Machan.  Dun-dun-DUN!  In one fell swoop, Zdarsky ups the ante, as we’re now dealing with Mad King Namor.  These sorts of reveals are usually cheesy as hell, but Zdarsky built to this moment beautifully; it was legitimately chilling.

The other main development is issue #1 is Jim stumbling upon a photo of Namor, during the period after the war where he was amnesiac, standing with Charles Xavier.  Randall’s daughter Nay (named after Namor) hastens to cover up the photo, and Jim is now reasonably suspicious about it.  Meanwhile, in issue #2, Cap tries to confront Namor, which goes as poorly as expected; but, he also catches a glimpse of Hydro-Man, understanding Namor’s newfound powers.  We learn Cap’s confrontation was just a ruse so Bucky had time to root through Namor’s room.  (Tricky, tricky Steve.)  Meeting with Cap and Jim later, Bucky reveals that Namor’s making a bomb to exterminate humanity.  Meanwhile, Nay signals for Namor, grateful for everything he’s apparently done for her son.  Namor is unconcerned about Steve and company exploring his past with Charles, seeing it as a wild-goose chase, but he encourages Nay to destroy all the other evidence. But, Zdarsky raises the stakes here as “Machan” encourages Namor to kills the Johnsons and rid himself of the liability.

Everything goes from bad to worse in issue #3.  Cap informs the Avengers, and, despite Tony seeking to confront Namor immediately, Cap is reasonably certain T’Challa will give him the space he needs to try to reason with Namor on his own.  He and Hammond travel to the naval base working on underwater warfare, established to address the threat that the U.S. government (correctly) sees Namor as posing.  The base’s commander is appalled when Cap informs her that the base may be in danger but then asks her not to attack Namor.  Zdarsky does a great job here, as it’s getting harder and harder to side with Steve and his desire to reason with Namor, particularly if you’re not aware of his fragile mental state.  But, the visit is again revealed as a ruse as Bucky tries to sabotage the bomb that the base is developing, because it has the raw materials that Namor needs for his bomb.  Bucky recruits a lab worker to help him while Cap takes selfies with the base’s enlisted men.  But, Zdarsky doesn’t stick his head in the sand here:  one of the soldiers confronts Cap over his connection to the Supreme Commander, noting that the heroes play at gods while they watch their friends die.  It’s a moving moment, and Cap has no response.  It’s a perfect companion to what Coates is doing in “Captain America,” showing the lack of trust the world is starting to have in its “heroes.”  Cap and Jim then visit Randall, who tells Cap that Namor thought that he cured the “oxygen imbalance” that previously explained his “temperament.”  But, Randall somewhat convincingly argues that Namor has no true home but war and needs Cap’s help.  But, Nay has again signaled Namor, and he attacks, flinging Cap into the ocean.  Jim rushes to save him, while Randall confronts Namor.  Namor now seems more concerned about the Xavier connection, and Randall asks if he’s willing to destroy all the evidence, namely Randall and Nay.  Randall then unexpectedly dies of a heart attack.  His last words show his worry about who is going to save Namor now that he's gone, and it seems likely that his death will just push Namor further over the edge.  But, it does make Nay realize that she needs to help Cap and Jim.

She does so in issue #4.  We learn that Namor spent long periods of time with the Johnsons, interrupted by periods where he returned to Atlantis.  He was tormented by his memories of the war during this period.  Then, Charles Xavier arrived.  It was the time before he created Cerebro, so the only way he could find other mutants was to be near them.  Charles recruits Namor to help him find mutants like them.  Zdarsky makes it clear that it’s the cocky, reckless Xavier that we're getting here; he specifically mentions how the term homo superior unnerved Jim, but Xavier had his “hooks” in Namor.  (Knowing Charles, he probably was telepathically manipulating him.)  But, to Namor’s frustration, they fail in finding new mutants.  (There’s a great scene of them walking in the woods with Wolverine using his claws to hide in a tree above them.)  But, they finally encounter one, a young man who had been turning animals into humans (who still acted like cats and dogs, drawing a certain amount of attention to the town).  Charles is thrilled, seeing him as using his ability to change species to create more mutants.  Namor rightly calls Charles an idiot, predicting that they’ll use him to exterminate mutants.  It all becomes moot when the cops kill him after he turns one of them into a cat.  Namor is enraged and attacks the cops.  Charles, in what will become a long line of brilliant moves, invades Xavier’s mind, creating a telepathic version of Tommy to serve as Namor’s in-mind therapist, since he trusted him.  But, Namor resists, and Tommy instead becomes Machan, urging him to win the war.  (Thanks, Charles.)  From there, the story continues as we know it.  Namor eventually regained his memories and returned to the Johnson’s, taking Nay’s son Roman under his wing.  In the present, we see the consequences of that.  The lab technician shoots Bucky in the head with the gun that he (pretty stupidly) gave her in issue #3, revealing that she’s working with Roman...who’s working at the base.  Unaware of Bucky’s plight, Cap and Jim head out looking for a telepath who might be able to heal Namor.

In other words, wow.  I haven't read this sort of tightly scripted thrilled since I think Bucky's time as Captain America.  Zdarsky isn't giving us brightly spandexed heroes here, but complex humans trying to do the right thing even though they're not entirely sure that they are.  It's a great story, and I recommend for anyone.

West Coast Avengers #10:  I am devastated this series is ending.  It was such an amazing breath of fresh air, full of feelings and fun and heart.  I am glad Thompson was able to advance the story of Kate's mom, and I totally bought the idea that her evil father somehow turned her into a vampire.  I somewhat less bought the idea that Johnny and Noh-Varr were suddenly in love (or, more accurately, in lust with another).  The sitcomesque group laugh after Kate wondered if she had ever dated anyone straight was funny, I guess?  But, you could tell it was rushed, and that devastates me, because this series deserved so much more.  I can't believe I'm not going to see Jeff the Landshark happily sitting in Quentin's lap anymore.  [Sigh.]  Kelly Thompson continues to be one of the best assets that Marvel has, and I hope Marvel finds something awesome to give her.  Paging a Young Avengers reboot, anyone?

X-Force #6:  In this issue, Hopeless really manages to unify a lot of threads from numerous stories not just over the last few months, but over the last few years.  He essentially uses the events of "Extermination" to reboot Cable, Stryfe, and their shared history entirely.

The core struggle between them remains the same as it was in the 1990s:  Apocalypse groomed Stryfe to take his essence, but he recanted when he realized Stryfe was Nathan's clone.  Stryfe believes himself to be the original Nathan, and he and Nathan go to war, causing destruction all around them.  Stryfe laments that destruction in this issue, wondering in his own megalomaniacal way how everything went so wrong.  (He's essentially mad he rules over a dead world.)  We learn that he and Clan Chosen are essentially at a standstill, and he's in desperate need of soldiers to gain the upper hand.  He gets that opportunity when a brief temporal storm leads the MLF to Nathan's headquarters and then to their journey into the past to find Cable.  Stryfe recognizes his chance in Transnia, providing its leaders with futuristic weapons in exchange for them giving mutants refuge.  The Transnians unknowingly then give him his army as he convinces the mutants to follow him into the future to live in the mutant Utopia that he's promised.  But, he then engineers the deaths of dozens of the refugees in transit to said Utopia, claiming that the same forces of oppression in the future destroyed the transport.  The refugees then rally to his cause.  Moreover, while in Transnia, he learns that its leaders have not only captured Ahab but also Rachel, and Stryfe brings her into the future with him.  In said future, Clan Chosen has been reconstituted after Nathan successfully ended the temporal storm when he returned the original X-Men to the past.  Clan Chosen is trying to find Cable when Rachel and her fellow hound attack.  In the present, Stryfe informs Kid Cable that he's captured Clan Chosen, has Mother Askani, and plans to have his MLF kill X-Force (whose assess they're kicking) if he doesn't surrender.  He does, and into the future they go.  If you're a fan of the 1990s stories about Cable and Stryfe, as I am, it's hard to be disappointed here.  Hopeless gets the, well, hopelessness of their relationship.  I'm hoping (heh) in the subsequent issues he examines the core struggle of identity that lies at the heart of their story.  But, for now, I'm a happy camper.

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #19; Star Wars:  Age of Rebellion - Princess Leia #1

Not-Very-New Comics: The March 20 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #17:  This issue is OK, though it felt rushed, to be honest.  Aaron is trying to fit in a lot of plot here, so he resorts to having important sequences, like the Legion of the Unliving taking on the Winter Guard right before the Avengers arrive, occur off-panel.  The battle itself between the Avengers and the Legion is fine, though Aaron again hurries the battle between Blade and Colonel, with Blade defeating him too easily.  He also rushes to the conclusion that Dracula planned the entire "civil war."  The Colonel is revealed to be his son, Xarus, and Dracula's goal all along was to get the Russians to imprison him in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, apparently because the radiation somehow heals him.  (I'd love to see the physics of that.)  But, this revelation doesn't explain why Dracula was willing to sacrifice all his subjects in Transylvania just to move his kingdom to Chernobyl.  Couldn't he have just...snuck into the Exclusion Zone?  Did he have to be invited to an entire geographic space?  It isn't like Chernobyl is a house.  Overall, it was still a strong arc, but I feel like an extra issue would've made it all the better.

Avengers:  No Road Home #6:  Although I know the authors are stoked about getting to use Conan and I'm loving Aaron's run on "Conan the Barbarian" itself, this issue was a dud to me.  Even with the expanded length, they cover too much ground, literally and narratively.  Conan and Wanda seem to cover the entire Thurian continent in search of the thieves who stole the shard.  Some of the individual moments are great, but the authors move off them too quickly to advance to the next location.  The arrival at Shadizar is a great moment, but it would've been even more impactful if I still hadn't been trying to figure out where they had been before they got there.  Moreover, this specific flaw exacerbates the problem that I have with the regular series, where Aaron (and now the trio here) are telling stories across Conan's lifespan.  Here, he loves Bêlit, but we haven't even met her in the regular series yet.  I get that Conan fans will recognize all these various timeframes and characters, but it's a challenge for a newbie like me.  As such, it feels like too much of the authors playing with a toy, particularly given the fact that Conan's presence here is a stretch from the start.  I initially thought that they were going to connect Nyx with the Night-God whose worshipers Conan and Wanda encounter on the way to Shadizar.  How cool would it have been if they had gone to all this trouble to shield Wanda's eyes so Nyx wouldn't know that they found the shard, only for the "Night-God's" worshipers to successfully open a portal to her?  These missed opportunities are what make me feel like the authors are rushing through this mini-series just like Aaron is rushing through "Avengers."  

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4-#5:  For the fact that these issues involve Peter learning Aunt May has cancer, they're not as devastating as you'd expect them to be.  But, it isn't necessarily a bad thing, to be honest.

In issue #4, Tayor wraps up the Underworld storyline in a fantastic way.  The villain arrives demanding Spider-Man and the Rumor turn over his daughter and grandchildren, and they refuse.  Fighting ensues.  But, before we get there, Juann Cabal provides one of the greatest panels I've ever seen, akin to the famous Hawkeye mask covering Hawkeye's hawkeye.  As Peter tells Johnny the story of saving Leilani from her father from the top of an alternate Empire State Building, Cabal given us a Super Mario Bros. background to underline the point.  It is...mind-blowing.  Moreover, during the aforementioned above-ground fight, he delivers an amazingly (heh) kinetic panel showing Peter dodging the thugs' bullets while also saving a cat and setting up the fight's denouement when Peter manages to web every gun and pull them towards him.  The emotional denouement comes when a crowd gathers around Spidey to stand with him, eventually forcing the Kingpin -- who arrived on the scene to force Spider-Man and the Rumor to surrender Leilani and the kids -- to break his deal with the villain.  This entire arc has been great from start to finish, focusing on Peter's New York as promised.

Even after Aunt May arrives in Peter's apartment in issue #5 to tell him she has cancer, Taylor keeps up said focus, when Peter catches one of the homeless kids from the neighborhood stealing a car.  When it turns out he's running from his mother's abusive boyfriend, Spidey -- feeling a little guilty that he got distracted and broke the kid's wrist -- actually helps him steal said car to prevent from getting arrested.  (I guess Peter learned how to drive at some point...)  Peter winds up webbing the car above an alley to allow them to escape the ensuing police, a sequence you kind of have to see to appreciate.  Peter brings the kid to see Dr. Strange, who (somewhat reluctantly) sets the arm.  Peter confesses he broke the wrist because he's distracted by May's illness, and Dr. Strange jokingly refers to making a deal with an interdimensional demon to help her, though suggests that it could bring an eternity of torment.  (Ha!)  Peter wisely passes, and Dr. Strange tells him that some things are beyond magic and medicine.  After originally telling Aunt May he has "a lot going on right now" when she asked if he'd go to chemo with her, he's there when she arrives, with the nurse touchingly referring to him as her "son."  I always love the moments when May and Peter acknowledge their mother-son relationship directly, and this one is no different.  Did I roll my eyes at Peter's initial response of saying that he was too busy to be at her appointment?  Yes, because Peter probably wouldn't have responded that way.  But, Taylor is killing it so much in this series, I can look past it.  Also, Cinar and Woodard's art is so impressive here (including a beautiful Peter) that they convey emotions that Taylor's script alone doesn't necessarily convey.  

In other words, just like "Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man," this series is increasingly my go-to Spider-Man series, no matter how much I like what Nick Spencer is doing in the main title.

Nightwing #58:  This issue is a little heavy handed with the narrative, from Hutch's extended meditation on why he's not "cut out for this vigilante crap" to Joker's Daughter's eyeroll-inducing diatribe about the elites to Bab's earnestness in telling "Ric" that Dick would be proud of him.  But, Lobdell and Kaplan still do a solid job of showing how Ric's membership in the Nightwings happens organically, to the point where this new status quo starts feeling more and more familiar.  But, it's really Moore and Bonvillain who shine here; Hutch is so beautifully rendered in the first few panels that he looks almost lifelike.

Uncanny X-Men #14:  Rosenberg continues doing a solid job here.  By the end of the issue, you get the sense that Scott is going to find himself with his hands full of mutants, and Rosenberg implies then it'll really start to get interesting.  After all, he added Logan in issue #11, Havok, Magik, and Wolfsbane in issue #12, Dark Beast and Multiple Man in issue #13, and now Chamber in this issue.  (I don't really count Karma and Mirage from issue #12 since they've unfortunately been non-entities.)  In other words, this issue really gets Scott's little war going.  So far, he's really just struck against O.N.E. for holding Havok, Multiple Man, and the New Mutants and then Dark Beast.  In this issue, we have the team chase down Reaper (only to learn he's depowered and not working with the MLF) and help the remaining Morlocks relocate to Chernaya after eliminating the fascist opposition forces left after X-Force's sojourn there.  (I think they're the same place?  If not, Marvel is really pushing the limits of credulity to make two made-up Eastern European countries into mutant havens with fascist uprisings.)  Why do they need to relocate the "remaining" Morlocks, you ask?  Because the Marauders killed the rest of them...again.  (I'm imaging the Marauders are moving up Scott's hit list.)  Also, the move to Chernaya killed a few too birds with one stone, as Scott and Logan got Valerie Cooper to agree to do them favors if they do her favors (like eliminating said fascist opposition forces).  In other words, Scott's got a lot of irons in the fire.  But, the team takes a well advised moment to celebrate the "small victories" only to have Captain America crash the party.  Again, Rosenberg is doing a great job of making each issue complicate Scott's life even further, but I'm also glad he's giving the team some time to bond as well.  As Jono himself implies, no one on this team has enjoyed a good run over the last few years.  Most of them really need these wins, even if it's clear whatever limited roll that they're enjoying now is going to come to an end.

West Coast Avengers #9:  This issue is great.  It's like Thompson hit full speed as we got to the top of the mountain and she's just letting us enjoy the free fall as we make our way down the other side.  Ramone and Johnny are children of a Dora Milaje?  Ramone's powers allow her to fuse permanently with vibranium?  Johnny and Marvel Boy might forget Katie and get together themselves?  Katie's mom is a vampire?  Each new development builds off previous developments, so it doesn't all sounds as random as it does here.  Plus, we get the usual adorable crazy moments, like discovering Jeff the Shark loves Quentin and likes to sit in his lap.  (The panel where Jeff is actually sitting in Quentin's lap should win Gang Hyuk Lim some sort of award.  That, and the panel where Gwenpool, Quentin, and Ramone all put their hands to their chest in faux outrage, like they're grabbing their Southern ladies grabbing their pearls, after Kate's mom reveals that they're dealing with vampires, not Skrulls.)  I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  as Quentin's t-shirt says, West Coast, Best Coast!

The Wild Storm #21:  As we approach the end, each issue seems much more focused now.  Jenny Sparks' trip through Skywatch's computer system allowed her to discover the existence of Midnighter and Apollo.  Wisely, she realizes their defense of the village meant not only that they were preventing Skywatch from making more people like them and the Mayor but also that they were probably good recruits for the still-forming Authority.  Meanwhile, Miles orders Ivana to start creating a narrative that an "extranational terrorist network" is ramping up its activities in nuclear-armed countries, and it leads her to call someone to report that they "may have a situation."  Bendix seems to believe IO shot down some Skywatch ships, but I can't tell if he's confusing Midnighter and Apollo's attack with IO or if he's referring to that fight at Skywatch's ground base a few issues ago.  Bendix is ready to burn down the world, but Lauren warns him that he should focus on IO specifically to prevent them from having "supply issues."  To help the Doctor recognize Skywatch ships when they enter orbit, Angie provides her with a device that allows them to communicate telepathically, projecting to her images of a Skywatch ship.  (Interestingly, Angie is super aggro all issue, and it takes the Doctor confronting her to make her admit the events of the last few weeks are weighing on her.)  Elsewhere, Jackie finds some sort of device in the IO equipment room, and the guy that Miles hired to kill her is on her tail.  Later, Jenny confirms that the bot attack IO launched on Skywatch (though I think it was really the Wild C.A.T.s) allowed them to see the Skywatch space station.  Jenny then observes that everything that's happened since Cray tried to kill Marlowe has meant that "the most powerful people in the world are terrified of everything and everyone," putting the world on the brink of annihilation.  I'm not sure if Ellis is describing their world or our world, but there we are.

(NB:  I tagged this post "Nova" because Richard appears in "Guardians of the Galaxy" #3, but I didn't review it.  It's a fine issue; it just didn't seem to merit much discussion at this phase of the story.)

Also Read:  Batman #67; Dungeons & Dragons:  A Darkened Wish #1; Guardians of the Galaxy #3; Marvel's Spider-Man:  City at War #1; Star Wars #63; Thor #11

Not-Very-New Comics: The February 27 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Age of X-Man:  X-Tremists #1:  This issue is bizarre mostly because I just don't understand what we're supposed to believe about Bobby.  He seems either seriously mentally ill or intellectually limited here.  He has a running gag with Jubilee about whether wax paper is the same as a baking sheet, and I can't for the life of me figure out why Williams included it.  Is it because he himself has been reprogrammed so many times it's broken him?  Plus, he's pretty chummy with Jubilee, which seems like a no-no.  Also, why are they baking "thank-you cookies" for the X-Men?  Isn't saying thanks a form of intimacy?  I can't tell if this issue is supposed to be this bizarre or if Williams is just throwing random stuff at us to see if it sticks.  The main tension of this mini-series appears to be the fact one of the "'grades" the X-Tremists capture is pregnant, presenting them with a moral conundrum they've never previously faced.  But, if the next four issues are like this one, I'm not sure I can enough to see how they resolved it.

Captain America #8:  This issue couldn't be better.  First, Coates uses Steve's narration to let us know we're in the dark before the dawn.  I didn't realize we needed that, but we did.  Coates is telling us to have faith in Steve, at a time when no one has faith in Steve.  It feels conspiratorial, a reminder we, the fans, will be rewarded for our faith.  America may have turned its back on Steve, but damn if we will.  Sharon also hasn't turned her back on Steve, and she's as masterful here as she always is.  She shakes down the Kingpin for information, wisely intuiting that Kingpin might've allowed Alexa to knock off Ross in his New York but he wouldn't be happy about sharing the stage with a new upstart villain.  He provides her the information she wants, that the Foreigner killed Ross.  Meanwhile, Steve sits in von Strucker's prison, with the Wrecking Crew telling him to take his moralizing and shove it.  Sure, they killed people but Steve did, too, with all his inspirational speeches.  Steve insists inspiring people isn't murder, but Piledriver tells him to ask Rick Jones about that.  (Ouch.)  While Steve realizes he needs a new name, Alexa secures a presidential pardon for Other Steve.  It's a particularly clever moment, because it's the third leg of the stool of corruption Coates is building her:  Kingpin as mayor of New York, a pardoned von Strucker running a prison, a pardoned Other Steve in the wild.  Coates is pretty openly commenting on our era of the grift, and he does so perfectly.  But, he also reminds us the villains might've overplayed their hand, and it feels like we see that when Alexa and Selene do something to turn Other Steve into a monster.  At first, I thought they would just use his face to make things worse for Steve.  Deciding to turn him into a monster seems a bad call.  I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.  I don't know if "Captain America" has ever been better, and that's a high bar considering how amazing it's been since Remender's days.

Detective Comics #999:  It's pretty fucking ballsy for Tomasi to reveal the last few issues have all been a simulation Batman runs every year on his birthday, a way of forcing himself to be the best he can be by sending his own self to try to kill him.  But, you know what?  I kind of buy it.  I normally hate these sorts of issues, but Tomasi sells through the dialogue, as Bruce's doppelgänger reminds him how he sacrificed himself so other children could have the childhood he didn't.  Tomasi even goes one better as Bruce takes out his surrogate parents, Leslie and Alfred, for dinner.  It follows the theme of "Batman Annual #3 (the "Father's Day" issue), turning a terribly brutal arc into a somewhat uplifting one.

The Flash #65:  Ugh.  Williamson had a good thing going when he focused on Bruce's relationship with Gotham Girl, but he jettisons that quickly here, presumably forced by management to focus on Barry and Bruce's "Heroes in Crisis" conflict.  It goes...poorly.  I don't for a minute believe Bruce would raise to Barry's bait as quickly as he does here, and I definitely don't believe he'd criticize him so cruelly for forgetting Wally existed.  But, "Heroes in Crisis" is apparently all about overwrought melodrama, so I'm at least glad I haven't subjected myself to it.  Along the way to this moment, Batman and Flash somehow miraculously save Claire, resurrecting her after she dies from the "super Venom" overloading her system.  You'd figure she'd be dead-dead, given she burns up her life energy every time she uses her power.  Instead, they just administer super-powered CPR, which somehow does the trick.  Also, she conveniently doesn't remember who gave her the "super Venom."

The Realm #11:  This issue is one of the most interesting of the series despite nothing really happening.

In terms of the main two storylines, we the start the issue with a trio of scarred humanoids escorting Redjaw and his companion back to Johnny.  (Haun only vaguely shows their faces, so I can't tell if they're actually human.)  One of the humanoids keeps running his mouth about how injured Redjaw looks.  While Redjaw's companion tells him to drop it, the humanoid hypothesizes Redjaw's too wounded to take back a portal, which is why Johnny sent the trio to collect them.  Redjaw has enough, leaps off his horse, and beats the humanoid to death.  I assume the remaining two humanoids will be quiet for the trip.  Meanwhile, we see Ben is in pursuit of the party.  Turning our attention to our party, Eli informs Will and Molly they're running low on supplies, and Will says he knows a guy near where they'll meet Rook who runs a farm where they can restock and trade.  Molly suggests Will tells them about his arm then, suggesting they put all their cards on the table.  Will responds by suggesting they tell him what David is carrying, to which Molly simply replies, "Fair enough."  Later, David discovers the symbol on the amulet the master used to restrain the monster inside Will is in one of the spellbooks that they swiped; he gives Will a curious look.  Elsewhere, Rook kills a pair of goblins who kidnapped a fairy, freeing it, before reuniting with the party.

But, the issue really gets interesting at this point, because Peck starts showing us other events happening in this world.  Mac and his party kill a bar full of patrons, arranging them in a circle so Mac can summon Johnny in one of the dead bodies.  Meanwhile, the Red Queen vomits all sorts of red fluid into a man, and he turns completely red like she is.  In his wanderings, he then infects another man, and they go their separate ways.  According to the Comixology intro to this issue, they're hunting for Will.  Interesting, they looked very normal, like you could've easily found them in a coffee shop in Williamsburg.

This issue and issue #10 are perfect examples of pet peeve #1:  their covers don't show what happens inside.  But, interestingly, the elephant-like creature that appeared on the cover of last issue appears briefly here, in one panel, though it seems like the rest of the party can't see him (despite looking in his direction).

West Coast Avengers #8:  I know I say it every month, but "West Coast, Best Coast!"  I love that the Skrulls are really vampires.  I mean, it's so old-school "West Coast Avengers."  That's exactly the sort of thing I'd expect to happen to them.  Also, they're not just vampires, but vampires using a Scientology-esque "religion" as a front.  It's so Los Angeles!  Man, I love this series.

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #16; Avengers:  No Road Home #3; X-Force #3

Not-Very-New Comics: The January 30 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Age of X-Man Alpha #1:  This issue is pretty solid, particularly given how much I didn't enjoy the "X-Men Disassembled" storyline in "Uncanny X-Men."  Thompson and Nadler do an excellent job of not only laying out this reality's status quo, but also introducing the forthcoming mini-series that will comprise the storyline itself.  They manage to do so without sacrificing characterization and somehow also injecting the issue with its own tension.  In other words, it's an impressive debut.

-- People are no longer born, they’re hatched.  This fact is unexpectedly at the core of this series, as all the events in this issue radiate in some way from that axiom.  After hatching, children are raised in “Cerebros” until their ninth "hatchday" when they’re moved to the Summers Institute for further study.  Warren runs the Institute.

-- Bishop is uncomfortable with his sexual relationship with Jean, not only because it’s forbidden but because he has the nagging sense he’s done it before.  After Bishop returns to his room, the X-Tremists (Iceman, Psylocke, and a mutant named Moneta) appear to arrest him because he’s had sex with Jean three times, in violation of the “Guiding Principles.”  Moneta uses her powers — appendages that go through the nose and ears and attach to the brain — to read his mind.  She determines that he’s irredeemable, and he’s “excommunicated,” meaning all memories of him are erased.  Even Jean doesn’t remember him even though, as Storm says, she remembers everything.  Moreover, he's seamlessly replaced (even in a portrait) by Honey Badger.  It definitely shows X-Man's (I think?) ability to alter reality on a moment-to-moment basis.

-- At some point in the past, Hope and her team of X-Men sacrificed themselves for a reason not yet made clear.  Afterward, something called the “Resolution” happened.  It’s unclear if she’s responsible for the day every person on Earth became a mutant, but she’s so revered people say things like, “Hope knows I’ve earned that drink.

-- Nightcrawler is a prominent actor, but he’s cagey about his past, including an incident involving Mastermind.

-- Colossus is missing an arm, and he hints that the day when every person on Earth became a mutant wasn’t as happy as X-Man makes it seem in a conversation with Nature Girl.  Bishop also talks about how everyone doesn’t want to focus on the past because it was so ugly.  Given all the hatchlings, if you will, live in what seems like only two Cerebros, it feels like a lot of people died.

-- The issue ends with the X-Men discovering that Apocalypse is running a cult that preaches free love, a revolutionary concept in this world.

In other words, it's all pretty trippy.  I use that term specifically because the themes and the art make it clear the 1960s inspired the creative team, which makes sense given Nate's peacenik talk in "Uncanny X-Men."  I've subscribed to "Marvelous X-Men," "Prisoner X," and "X-Tremists," and, I'll be honest, I'm more excited than I expected to be about them.

Amazing Spider-Man #14:  I’ve mentioned a few times that I’ve enjoyed Spencer’s run on the title, but that it’s been missing something.  From a technical standpoint, it's been fine in terms of characterization and plot, but it lacked...heart.  Spencer finds that "heart" in the form of a sassy Aunt May.  She’s on fire here.  When JJJ, Sr.'s lawyer tells her she's broke and then makes a pass at her, she dumps his soup on his head.  She scolds him for thinking she'd jump into bed with him just because she needed money and leaves in a well deserved huff.  Outside, she notices some kids trying to fight a reluctant bum for money, and she uses a hologram inducer Peter gave her to scare them.  But, she goes one better, returning to the restaurant with the homeless guy and telling the waiter to put their dinner on the lawyer's tab.  Is it old-school May?  No.  Is it more like “Marvel’s Spider-Man’s” Aunt May?  Yes.  But, I’m all for it.  It continues on Spencer’s theme of bringing us back to basics.  Along those lines, Peter and MJ have a bizarrely awesome dinner with the fully Lizardized Connors family in the sewers.  He then has a team-up with a now-legit Rhino who crashes through the restaurant where May is eating as he flees Taskmaster and Black Ant.  With a better sense of tone and heart, Spencer is starting to hit his stride here.

Captain America #7:  Coates turns this issue into an extended meditation on what democracy means.  I mean, it isn’t actually about democracy.  But, Steve decides to surrender to the authorities because, as he tells Sharon, he’s living in the world people want.  Coates doesn’t name John McCain specifically here, but reading this issue the week CPAC jeered his name drove home the comparison.  Steve is living in a world where a nutjob like Thunderbolt Ross gets to be a martyr, where the Kingpin is the mayor of New York, where Roxxon and Hammer Industries are sponsoring academies in New York, where Baron Strucker is running a private prison.  HYDRA doesn’t need to take over America, because America gave itself away.  But, Sharon isn’t going down without a fight, and Coates brilliantly introduces the Daughters of Liberty here.  You don’t usually see Jessica Drew and Sue Richards in a “Captain America” comic, but Coates makes you ask why we haven't.  I am excited to see where we go from here.

West Coast Avengers #7:  Seriously, this series is the best one on the stands.  I have no idea how long it takes Thompson to write each issue, but she clearly spends a lot of time making sure everything each character says or does is the perfect distillation of their persona.  Gwen adopting one of MODOK's shark-dogs?  Check.  America wisely noting the camera crew miraculously wasn't on hand when they got kidnapped?  Check.  Clint expressing some world-weary optimism that maybe, just maybe, the team isn't a complete disaster?  Check.  Fuse worrying about how hot Noh-Varr is?  Check.  Noh-Varr...looking really fucking hot in Quentin's too small t-shirt?  Check.  Kate just wanting some peas and a nap?  Check.  But, Thompson even goes one step further in this issue, as she applies the same studious eye to the new "Masters of Evil" of Los Angeles.  She isn't just giving us cookie-cutter villains who spout long speeches about their evil-doing.  Each villain has a motive and a personality and it's just as unclear how they'll work together as it is how the West Coast Avengers will.  I can't remember any comic treating a super-villain team as basically the "through the mirror, darkly" version of the superhero team in such a characterization-based way.  As I said, it's the best book on the stands.

Also Read:  Detective Comics #997; X-Force #2

Not-Very-New Comics: The December 19 and 26 Everyone-but-X Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Given how many events and series wrapped up December 19, this review might as well be called, "EVERYTHING ENDS!"

Batman #61:  This issue is much more gripping than King’s previous work, though it does still have King's trademark of a literary quote that advances the plot not at all.  Unfortunately, the issue has nothing to do with Batman, focusing instead on the kid who murdered his parents because he wanted to be like Bruce Wayne.  But, wait, you might ask?  Didn’t we end last issue on a cliffhanger, with Batman discovering his father, Thomas Wayne from the “Flashpoint” Universe, was colluding with Bane?  Yes, fellow reader, yes, we did.  But, I guess we have to take a good issue from Tom King when we get one.

Captain America #6:  Reading this issue, it’s easy to forget Alexa Lukin isn’t actually a person, but a character.  Coates is that good at showing the fire within her.  Alexa understands that symbols matter.  It’s why she resurrected her husband:  she knows Russia needs a leader who can inspire them while she pulls the strings from the shadows.  On the flipside, she also understands that she doesn’t need to kill Steve Rogers the man:  she just has to kill Captain America the symbol.  As such, she has someone murder Thunderbolt Ross and make it look like Steve did it.  Hydra damaged Captain America the symbol almost beyond repair:  with Alexa, we may be able to drop the “almost.”  But, Coates also makes it clear that it's not a slam dunk that she's going to win.  That warning comes from her mentor, Rasputin.  He makes two observations;  first, that she doesn’t understand the price of her “endeavor” and, second, that Lukin may not return the same man as he was.  Coates makes it clear Rasputin understands that reality from first-hand experience, and it makes his warning all the more chilling.  Coates also uses the conversation between the two of them to explain that Selene didn’t drain the lifeforce from Sharon to resurrect Lukin; she just needed a drop of his blood, as she was his killer.  Alexa then used her magic to do the rest.  I can’t wait to see where we go next.  This series now enters, like, its 14th year of awesome, after the amazing runs by Brubaker, Remember, and Spencer.  Cap fans, we are spoiled.

Darth Vader #25:  Whoa.  This issue does not disappoint.  Soule pulls out all the stops here as Vader is forced to walk through his past — as child, adolescent, and man — to get to Padmé.  (Camuncoli really seemed to enjoy the battle with the Jedi, in particular Vader spearing Yoda!)  It all leads to the moment we knew was coming, but not before the Emperor and Obi-Wan battle to see who Vader’s father (spiritually, at least) really is.  When the Emperor wins, it seems clear where the story is going.  Vader makes his way to Padmé and resumes his Anakin form.  But, Padmé tells him what we all now know:  Anakin Skywalker is dead.  (She then promptly falls off the balcony and disintegrates, to underline the point.)  Vader grieves and then he’s expelled from Forceland.  He awakens in his fortress on Mustafar, and he destroys the rock that allowed him to enter Forceland.  He then uses his communicator to tell the Emperor he’s returning, having learned the lesson he needed to learn.  Ouch.  Soule doesn’t pull any punches here, and it’s great to see.  As I’ve previously said, I read the first issue of the original series hoping we’d see an exploration of the remnants of Anakin in Vader.  Soule delivered on that hope, and he also delivers a now fully formed Vader.  Anakin Skywalker is dead.  Long live Darth Vader.

Infinity Wars #6:  This issue makes not a lick of sense.  I get the sense if I read it again it might -- maybe -- make a lick of sense.  In fact, maybe if I read all the issues together the event would make a few licks of sense.  But, I also kind of doubt it.  As far as I can tell, the Celestials show Loki his future, and he no longer needs the Infinity Stones.  As such, he returns them to Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch, who in turn use the Stones to create a new planet and a new Universe.  The planet serves as the new home for the Warps, and the Universe is where the Infinity Watch copies all the souls of the existing Universe.  That way, when Devondra finally devours the Soul Gem and this Universe, everyone survives in the shiny new Universe.  But, there's a wrinkle:  Drax and his original self have to stay behind to keep open the portal.  Drax's original self happily survives on Warpworld, but Drax's fate isn't clear.  Once the transfer to the new Universe is complete, Moondragon and Phyla-Vell from the other Universe want Gamora dead.  But,Adam Warlock asks the Infinity Stones to send her where she's most needed (apparently in the Soul Gem to raise a child-like Magus).  He then imbues the Stones with their own souls, which makes, again, not a lick of sense, but it is what it is.  This entire event made no sense, and I regret every dollar I spent on it.  A curse on the House of Marvel!

Nightwing #55:  To be honest, this whole Ric Grayson arc is going much better than I expected.  But, I did have a moment here where I was reminded of the plot we had before this arc started, where Vicki Vale and that guy were kidnapped by some sort of artificial intelligence come to life.  I hope Vicki’s not waiting for Dick to save her.  Maybe she can spend time with Thomas Wayne while we wait for this series and "Batman" to return to their previously scheduled programming.

Old Man Hawkeye #12:  Sacks does a great job wrapping up this story.  I'll admit the fire burning through the first few issues has seemed dimmer these last few issues, but Sacks at least manages to stick the landing.  Perhaps the best moment is Kate using a sonic arrow to allow a now-blind Clint to "see" Bullseye.  He fires an arrow that not only slices in half the card Bullseye was throwing at him but also lands in Bullseye's eye.  Well done, Clint.  Bullseye dies with the word "glorious" on his lips.  (It's good for him that he doesn't survive to hear Clint confess to Kate he was aiming for his heart.)  Clint excitedly tells Kate about the scientist giving him the 99 vials of Super-Soldier Serum.  Kate realizes he's a lost cause; she had hoped killing the Thunderbolts would satiate his need for revenge, but she realizes it didn't.  She tearfully deposits him at Logan's doorstep before driving into the sunset.  My only complain is the last page seemed rushed to me, with too many panels on the page.  I didn't even realize Kate was crying at first, reducing the impact of what we realize is her final good-bye to Clint.  But, overall, Sacks delivers on the promise of the series, leaving Clint in no better place than where he began, a testament to the Wastelands if ever there was one.

Spider-geddon #5:  This issue just sort of dissolves into chaos as Gage uses a series of dei ex machina to limit the impact of the series on continuity.  To paraphrase Dickens, you're only going to like this issue if you buy the idea that Otto has found a way to use the cloning technology not only to resurrect people but also to reconfigure them.  For example, Ben sacrifices himself to Jennix so his multiple lives drive Jennix insane.  (Here, you have to accept that devouring Ben would drive Jennix insane and that Otto and Ben knew it would.)  While the rest of the team fights the Inheritors, Otto resurrects Ben, apparently restoring him to his “factory settings.”  (Remember how Peter David wrote an entire series about how Ben’s soul would be irreparably lost if he died again...and then he died again...but somehow it wasn’t lost?  But then he died again again here, but somehow he’s actually better?  I’d rather watch Ben work his way to redemption the hard way, as David planned, but Marvel couldn’t seem to make that work, so this way is the quick way I guess.  Otto can alter souls with his machines.  Got it.)  Anyway, Otto then uses the technology to reset Solus’ children to actual childhood, for Spider-Ma’am to raise.  How did Otto manage to do that?  No one really says.  Again, we're just supposed to accept Otto is a genius and found a way not only to clone them but also to de-age them.  Gage tries to explain the positive outcome by saying Solus was the one who turned his children into monsters, torturing them and instilling the Hunger in them.  Also, I didn’t read the “Spider-Girls” series, but apparently Annie from “Renew Your Vows” is the Patternweaver and she can remake the Web of Life and Destiny.  She implies her knowledge of the Inheritors’ past means this revision will stick, but we’ll see.  At any rate, Gage also ties up a loose end by seemingly having Gwen off-panel use her Web-Warriors watch to rescue Ashley, Charlie, and Kaine from the world where the Inheritors were trapped.  He also has Spider-Girl’s father became The Other.  Is it all sort of ridiculous and overly convenient, like Marvel had a list of ret-cons they thrust on Gage at the last minute?  Yes, yes, it is.  But, I like the outcomes of those ret-cons, so I guess I’m OK with them.  Can we have a “Scarlet Spiders” series now, please?

West Coast Avengers #6:  I don't know about you guys, but I wanted nothing more than to read a "West Coast Avengers" issue featuring the team stuck in a good ol' fashioned murder carnival.  This issue is my everything:  the (pec-tacular) smirk on Hawkeye's face when he hits the shark with a bolt from a slingshot he fashioned from his shirt, America showing actual emotions by cheering him when he did so, Quentin blowing up the shark-infested pool, Johnny pushing himself to turn into water, Kate telling her "mother" to go stuff it because obviously she's not leaving her team, NOH-FREAKING-VARR!  I could just read this issue over and over again and be happy.  WEST COAST, BEST COAST!

Also Read:  Amazing Spider-Man #12; Fantastic Four #5; Infinity Wars:  Fallen Guardian #1; Thor #8

Not-Very-New Comics: The December 5 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman #60:  I may have to cancel this series soon.  I just have no idea what King is doing here.  It isn't so much the plot, whose direction I dislike but more or less understand.  But, the words are strung together in ways that make little sense.  It's almost like it was written in a foreign language and we're reading a poor translation.  (Paging Jonathan Hickman.)  King's obsession with non sequitur poems makes the situation even worse.  Although I understand the plot, I still don't get why it's going in such a bizarre direction.  It now turns out Bane wasn't the one pulling the strings in Arkham; it was Bruce's father from "Flashpoint."  At least, I think?  I can't even possibly imagine why he would be involved.  Even if he was motivated to help Bane run Arkham, why would Bane accept his help?  It also seems like he killed the Penguin's girlfriend, though I don't understand why he would do that, since it sounds like Oswald got his revenge by flagging Bane's actions for Bruce.  But, do I care?  I don't know if I do.

Die #1:  Holy fucking shit, this issue is amazing.  Right up front (or, in back, actually, in his note), Gillen admits the inspiration for this book is the question I've asked myself for decades:  "Whatever happened to the D&D cartoon kids?"  I can't believe my luck that I get to see Kieron Gillen answer that question.

First things first, Gillen does a great job of establishing our cast of characters.  Our protagonist is Dominic.  He and his friends are dedicated RPGers, and his best friend Sol has created a boutique game for Dominic's 16th birthday.  Each player is given a die, and Sol explains it's the only one in the world where they're playing.  Dom is the Dictator ("a diplomat with teeth") with a d4, his depressed friend Matthew is the Grief Knight ("a magical warrior" who turns "emotions into power") with a d8, his younger sister Ash is Neo ("a cyberpunk") with a d10, his edgy friend Isabelle is Godbinder ("some kind of atheist with gods for pets") with a d12, and his dumb friend Chuck is the Fool ("I kinda picked some random abilities") with a "entirely normal" d6.  Sol keeps the d20 for himself.

Shortly after they start the game, they disappear.  They reappear two years later, minus Sol and one of Ash's arms, inexplicably unable to talk about their experiences.  We then flash forward twenty-five years later, as Dominic celebrates his 41st birthday.  We learn his wife Sophie threw him a surprise party for his 40th birthday and he reacted badly, because parties and presents serve as reminders of his experience.  Sol's mother appears on his doorstep and angrily presses Dom for information.  Sophie threatens her, and we learn she frequently appears demanding information about Sol.  Later that night, Dom meets his sister Ash for a drink and the bartender hands them a box someone left for them.  It's the box that originally contained the dice -- with a blood-soaked d20.

Panicked, they assemble the party (except they can't call it a party, for reasons that become clear later) at Chuck's house.  Chuck is wealthy based on a series of books he's written about their experience ("Portal of Pain").  Ash wonders how he can do so since the rest of them can't talk about it, and Dominic assumes it's part of his personality, that he can't take anything too seriously.  Like Chuck, Isabelle has a few spouses in her past and she teaches high-school English.  (We previously learned Ash left her husband for a woman who then left her.)  Along with Dom, Matt is the most grounded, married with kids and a statistics professor.  Dominic is surprised to learn it's been five years since they saw each other, since he's the closest to Matt.  They start to talk about their experience, but it's difficult; for example, Chuck stumbles on the word "party," unable to say it.  Isabelle apologizes to Dom for not being more "woke" when they were kids.  I'm guessing it's an allusion to a relationship Dominic had with Sol in the Realm, given his character (the Dictator) was a woman.  Isabelle wonders why Dominic didn't take the die to the police, but Dominic says he was afraid to lose control of it.  As they stare at it, the die activates, dragging them all into the "Realm."  As they transit spacetime, a voice announces the Grandmaster once again threatens the Realm and it needs a hero to rise, like the narration you'd hear at the start of an arcade game.

Returned to the Realm, Gillen reveals the group's inability to talk about the experience came from a geas Dominic put on them before they left.  Matt presses Dom to lift the geas, which he (she, here) does.  Isabelle immediately pounces on him, noting the geas and taking on the Grandmaster were his idea.  But, Dominic retorts that it wasn't his idea to leave behind Sol, though we learn they never actually saw the Grandmaster kill him.  He says he hoped Sol was alive when he saw the die, though Isabelle notes the blood on it probably implies the opposite.  Suddenly, the die flies through the air to a now-grown Solomon's hand.  We learn the Grandmaster trapped him and tried to steal his die.  Solomon escaped and they fought "a long war" that he eventually won.  He announces he's now the Grandmaster as he puts the die in his empty eye socket.  (His other eye has a die in it, presumably the Grandmaster's d20 die?)  He then announces the party has to complete the game.

In his note at the back, Gillen talks about this series exploring the consequences -- to him and his loved ones -- of him falling into a fantasy world at 16 years old.  Part of the reason this intention feels so fully realized is that the art is beyond spectacular.  Hans infuses both our world and the Realm with a dream-like quality that reflects the characters' emotions.  It's the perfect complement to Gillen's vision.  Gillen talks about this series as driven in part by a mid-life crisis of sorts, and, as someone roughly his age going through his own version, this book could be better than therapy!

Doomsday Clock #8:  This issue is much more action-packed and straight-forward than previous ones, though I'm not entirely sure it's a good thing.

We begin with a brief scene of Ozymandias swiping a file from the Oval Office.  But, the action shifts almost immediately to Moscow, where a hot-headed Firestorm is taking on the People's Heroes, accusing them of trying to ruin his life through the Superman Theory.  One of the Heroes manages to disrupt his powers, forcing him to crash to the Earth into a group of protesters.  They immediately attack him and, panicked, he explodes, turning the protesters to glass.  Superman immediately flies from Metropolis to Khandaq amidst reports Firestorm fled there, but Black Adam informs Superman that Firestorm isn't there (though notes he's welcome).  Clark resumes his search for Firestorm.  Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Lois discovers a package with no return address on it that someone (Rorschach) sent directly to her at the "Planet."  It contains a flashdrive with a reel of the Justice Society of America, something Lois doesn't recognize.

Meanwhile, Clark finds Firestorm hiding in a cave in Russia.  He's trying to turn back one of the glass statues, of a child.  He's irrationally distraught, in part because Dr. Stein keeps telling him it can't be done.  But, Clark calms Firestorm down, and he's able to transmute the kid to flesh again.  Clark then interrupts a rally the Russian President is giving and informs the crowd Firestorm can undo the damage.  But, he then talks about his concern over the current anti-metahuman movement, saying Krypton was doomed to destruction because its council was too divided.  Clark encourages people not to demonize metahumans.  Watching the speech en route to Moscow, Bruce contacts Clark and tells him not to pick a side.  The Russian President interrupts Superman, denouncing him for siding with the metahumans.

To make matters worse, Firestorm arrives just then, swearing he can help everyone.  Unfortunately, the Russian army opens fire on him.  Superman manages to save the boy Firestorm transmuted from the hail of bullets, but Firestorm is driven insane with guilt when the army's bullets destroy other statues.  He attacks the army, forcing the Heroes to join the fray by trying to stop Superman, who they see as on Firestorm's side.  Clark watches in horror as tanks crush statues, and he attacks one, sealing the public's view of him attacking the Russian army.  Bruce warns Superman the problem isn't Firestorm just as an enormous (and suspiciously blue) explosion occurs, with Superman at its epicenter.  Ozymandias watches on computer screens, muttering only, "It begins."

I'm glad to see something happening in this book, but it's still hard to tell how it's all going to end. I rolled my eyes at the idea that Firestorm could change back the boy, so I was glad to see Bruce inform us it was actually Dr. Manhattan manipulating the events.  All that said, we seem to be getting farther and farther afield from where this series started.  Snyder certainly has time to get back to the original drift, but I'll admit I'm feeling impatient.

Shatterstar #3:  As I requested last issue, we get some more insight into Shatterstar's relationship with Gringrave, as they learn Mojo plans on mating him with Windsong, a fellow gladiator.  Oddly, it's Gringrave who takes action to stop it, conspiring with Windsong's partner to end Shatterstar's reign (and, I'm assuming, his suitability as a match for Windsong in Mojo's eyes).  Meanwhile, in the present, 'Star prioritizes saving Karl Sortenthau, since he's deemed too old to fight in the arena; he gets him just before he's eaten.  But, it means he loses Tina, after she makes a deal with Grandmaster to get powers so she can be the hero in the arena who saves the tenants.  (It ends...badly.)  Seeley is really just getting his sea legs here, infusing this issue with the type of emotion we didn't see in the first two issues.  I hope he keeps rolling with it as we come closer to the conclusion.  At some point, it would be nice to see why Gringrave changed her mind about indulging in love.  Right now, it seems more like 'Star fell for her sooner than she fell for him.  By the time she realized she loved him, he had turned off that part of him, at her instruction.  But, I'm connecting those dots for Seeley; it would be nice to see him doing it on his own.

Star Wars #58:  This issue is great on all levels.  Seeing a relaxed Han Solo uncharacteristically confess actual feelings to (though not for) Leia is great.  Gillen really stresses how the atmosphere on Hubin drives him to this moment.  Give a smuggler a minute to relax without worrying about making a buck and he apparently becomes the Dude.  But Gillen also shows how Hubin's isolation drives Luke to the brink of madness, stuck on a planet exactly like Tatooine, just "greener."  He's frantically working on building a transmitter to call for rescue, even though pretty much everyone warns him it could bring ruin to Hubin.  But, it's Leia who's full of surprises as she leads an expectant Han to her room only to show him...her plans to destroy Shu-Torun entirely.  Oh, Leia, you never disappoint.  Gillen and Unzueta capture Han and Leia both so perfectly in this moment, with Han starting to take off his vest only for Leia to reveal her serial-killer den; it may be my favorite moment in the entire series.  But, most importantly, it sets up a confrontation with Shu-Torun that I can't wait to see.  Just like Aaron before him, Gillen is showing he's not in any rush, as this entire Shu-Torun saga shows the potential to unfold over dozens of issues, with a level of complexity that could be its own trilogy.   Man, I love this series.

Uncanny X-Men #4:  OK, now we're getting somewhere.  First, the art is excellent.  No photo-realism, just excellent drawing.  Second, we see some decent characterization, at long lest!  We get some Beast/Iceman banter, we get a hilariously unhinged Legion, we get a furious Hisako calling bullshit on the adults.  It finally reads less like a pitch and more like a comic.  (Legion's text bubble running off both sides of the panel to show how he's annoyingly rambling was awesome.)  But, I'm also 100% Team Hisako.  After Jean and Betsy use their powers to convince the Horsemen they're all dead, they almost immediately silence Legion as he's trying to explain his actions.  Hisako points out it makes no sense to do that, because he's the only one who knows what's happening.  Jean demands absolutely loyalty from her despite the fact, as Hisako also notes, she's the one who ignored or missed Legion's warnings, leading to the Mansion's destruction.  But, Jean does Jean as she decides the X-Men don't need to investigate these new Horsemen, even though they're uniquely suited to do so.  Instead, she wants them to join the other superhero teams in trying to address the chaos unfolding around the world.  She inserts Storm's team into a civil war in Chernaya while she and her team take on Blob and Omega Red as they attack an oil platform.  La la la.  Maybe a little strategery, Jean?  At any rate, we also learn Hank probably did something that led to the creation of the mutant "vaccine" we've previously seen, surprising no one.  At this stage, it's finally starting to feel more like "Avengers:  No Surrender" and less like Rob Liefeld was given the keys to the kingdom.  That's obviously a good thing.

West Coast Avengers #5:  West Coast, Best Coast, 'Nuff Said!

Winter Soldier #1:  The premise of this mini-series is pretty clever.  Bucky has dedicated himself to rescuing people who want to escape lives where they've made bad -- and dangerous -- decisions.  For example, the issue starts with him helping a dirty cop escape right before he's supposed to drive a getaway car for some other dirty cops.  In other words, his drive for redemption is pretty clear.  Bucky's set up his base of operations in Indiana, where he's from, and he's getting help from Sharon Carter.  (Higgins work in the sort of time-management joke we used to see when Wolverine was on 30 different teams.)  Tony Stark even helps, motivated by Sharon's comment that they've all had help when they needed to start again.  Bucky's also gotten into meditation as a way to deal with his demons, and he seems to be remembering a memory where one of the technicians working on his project tried to help him escape because the project was immoral.  (Bucky, of course, killed him.)  The issue ends when a Hydra assassin takes out one of Bucky's clients after he contacted his girlfriend still on the inside.  The assassin?  A teenager dressed like teenage Bucky!  At this point, my only complaint here is that Higgins doesn't do a lot with Bucky as a character.  He has time to do that, but one of my worries with Bucky is always that he's portrayed as bland instead of haunted.  It's when he's portrayed as so emotionally dead that he's boring that series get canceled.  I guess the stakes are low for a five-issue mini-series, but I'd really like to see Bucky emerge from the limbo in which Marvel has stashed him these last few years.  Brubaker did such amazing things with him, and I really want him to be less shadow-y than he's been these last few years.  Importantly, Higgins establishes the government pardoned him for his help against Hydra.  Here's hoping it means we're going to get Brubaker's Bucky back.

Also Read:  Death Orb #3; The Merry X-Men Holiday Special #1; Nightwing #54