In my review of "Amazing Spider-Man" #660, I supported the idea of the editors including "Marvel Team-Up"-esque secondary features at the end of each issue, but stressed that I didn't want to see the title become "Marvel Team-Up." I made this comment largely in frustration over the frequent number of guest stars (to be discussed in excruciating detail below) who seemed to be hijacking "Amazing Spider-Man" at a time when Dan Slott was in the process of truly revolutionizing the character. I mean, don't get me wrong. I loved the fun stories that the old "Marvel Team-Up" used to deliver. By making the guest stars take up so much space in "Amazing Spider-Man," however, I felt that Slott and the editors were distracting from the amazing (heh) Spidey-centric stories that Slott was already telling. In other words, I wanted more Peter Parker, less everyone else.
With "Avenging Spider-Man," I appear to have gotten my wish.
Guest stars are often a blessing for a struggling book. They often inject a fresh perspective into tired stories and usually serve as comic relief, lightening the mood of books that have become too dark. (For example, I felt like Deadpool's appearance in "Amazing Spider-Man" #611 was a welcome change in the midst of the depressing "Gauntlet" arc.) But, "Amazing Spider-Man" was anything but a depressing or struggling book at that time, so the unstopped cavalcade of guest stars in those first few days made little sense (and led me to believe they were mostly there as part of an editorial mandate, particularly the FF, which Spidey had recently joined).
To be fair, Slott actually began his run with an appearance by the Avengers in the first issue of "Big Time" ("Amazing Spider-Man" #648), something I praised at the time because he was beginning a theme that he's maintained throughout his run, integrating the disparate aspects of Spidey's life into the main title better than anyone has ever previously accomplished. When we then got the New Avengers appearing in "Revenge of the Spider-Slayer" ("Amazing Spider-Man" #653-#654), I was still excited for Slott's efforts at integration, though, in my review of "Amazing Spider-Man" #653, it's wearing thing, given that I mention that I don't want that series to become a team-up book. I was getting increasingly agitated when the Fantastic Four (sorry, "Future Foundation") appeared in three separate stories ("Amazing Spider-Man" #657-#660). By the time we get Gage's Avengers Academy debacle in "The Substitute" ("Amazing Spider-Man" #661-#662), I was not amused.
Aside from "The Subsitute," I didn't dislike any of these stories (though the FF ones weren't all that great). But, again, they came at a time when Slott was just building his own Spidey mythos. Slott had just delivered the amazing "Big Time," which incorporated some long-ignored characters (like the Black Cat, a Hobgoblin, and the Kingpin), jettisoned some annoying ones (like Dexter Bennett and Michele Gonzalez), and added exiciting new elements (such as Pete's job at Horizon Labs and his new penchant for designer suits). By the end of the Avengers Academy story, I just wanted to return to these stories, focused solely on Spidey and his new (awesome) world. Slott eventually gave us that with "The Return of Anti-Venom" arc ("Amazing Spider-Man" #663-#664), but then, after the terrible "Crossroads" issue, we dove right back into the team-up pool with (the spectacular, but still guest-star-y) "Spider-Island" ("Amazing Spider-Man" #666-#673).
To my count, 17 of 26 issues featured some sort of guest star in the main story. In addition, during this era, we also got two team-up-y secondary features, as previously mentioned, notably Power Man (ugh) in "Amazing Spider-Man" #652-#653 and Ghost Rider in "Amazing Spider-Man" #658-#660. Cloak and Dagger and Shang-Chi also made appearances in the "Infested: The Road to Spider-Island" secondary features that ran in "Amazing Spider-Man #663-#664. These appearances bring us to 20 of 26 issues involving guest stars, or roughly 80 percent of the books of this era.
I'm actually stunned how well Slott managed to re-invent Spider-Man while juggling all these guest stars. Imagine how much more he could've done without them? I mean, certainly some of them furthered the plot here and there, but, overall, I think it's clear that they were a net distraction.
Enter "Avenging Spider-Man."
During the "Brand New Day" era, I applauded Marvel for giving us one title three times a month, because it streamlined story telling. Previously, even if you had bought "Amazing Spider-Man," "Spectacular Spider-Man," and "Web of Spider-Man," you would never have gotten a coherent story. In fact, you were actually more likely to believe that you were reading about three different Spider-Man, given that these issues appeared concurrently. You were left to assume that Spidey was battling Dr. Octopus in "Amazing," running to take down Kraven in "Spectacular," limping to fight off Electro in "Web," and returning to "Amazing" to resume his fight with Dr. Octopus and start the cycle anew. By giving us three issues a month of the same series, the editors were now giving us sequential stories. Spidey might've been busy, but at least he wasn't in three places at once.
I accept the fact that the addition of this title will return us to the old dynamic a bit. I think it's going to be impossible to display the level of narrative control that we saw under "Brand New Day," because you're still dealing with two different authors telling two different stories about Spider-Man occurring at the same time, no matter how much Slott and Wells work together. (Of course, we're somewhat acclimated to this situation, given Spidey's membership in the FF and New Avengers. At least he's not on the principal Avengers team any more.) But, I think the team-up mandate at least makes sense. It's not just another "Amazing Spider-Man," which "Spectacular Spider-Man" and "Web of Spider-Man" were, despite Marvel's occasional protests to the contrary. If you want to follow the drama of Peter's life, you pick up "Amazing Spider-Man." If you want to see the adventures of Spidey and his Amazing Friends, you pick up "Avenging Spider-Man." The main title is no longer trying to be all things to all people. It's exactly what I wanted to happen, and I accept the disruption to the narrative flow that comes with it.
Bring on the Avenging!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Annihilators: Earthfall #1-#4
Annihilators: Earthfall #1: I thought this issue was a great starting point. DnA make it clear that this group works well together, mainly due to Cosmo coordinating its members' attacks, but they're not exactly in it for the comraderie and the fellowship. They've got a mission to do and they do it, regardless of whether they like one another. I liked DnA having Ikon and the others take Quasar to task about how he feels different about "breaking things" when it's his homeworld and not an alien planet. DnA do have a point: comic-book authors (including DnA) generally kill billions of people when they're writing about a messy galactic war, but Fraction had to retcon the murder of everyone in Paris in the "Fear Itself" epilogue because it was just too much. I'm excited about Annihilators v. Avengers next issue, even if I know Quasar will eventually explain the whole situation to the Avengers and they'll be on each other's side by the end. On the secondary feature, what can I say? I've always said I wanted a Rocket Raccoon series, and I sort of get one here! DnA don't disappoint. Rocket Raccoon + Groot + Mojo = awesome. Sure, maybe it would be a stretch for Rocket to get his own series, but I would thoroughly enjoy him and Groot having a secondary feature to any new "Nova" or "Guardians of the Galaxy" series we (hopefully) will eventually see.
Annihilators: Earthfall #2: As predicted, we have a fun battle between the Annihilators and the Avengers before the Avengers realize that the Annihilators didn't so much invade Earth as try to stop the destruction of, like, the Universe. I know it's a cliché -- the two teams of heroes fighting one another in the second issue of a four-issue mini-series over a misundersatnding -- but, I have to say, I did rather enjoy it. I mean, yes, the Avengers seemed to be a mix of the Avengers, the New Avengers, and the Secret Avengers, and, yes, you'd think the Avengers would've paused when they saw Quasar working with the Annihilators before deciding they were an enemy and attacking. But, it was still a good time, and it sets up a spectacular Annihilators/Avengers v. Magus/Truthers battle royale next issue. As I've often said, I can forgive continuity errors and plot inconsistencies if the writing is good, and I think this issue is a great example of that. The only bad part about this issue is that, thanks to the introduction page stating that Rocket Raccoon and Groot's ship was a fake, the surprise of the secondary feature -- that they're on a set -- was somewhat spoiled. Pet peeve #2 is pet peeve #2 for a reason, people. I hadn't guessed it was a fake ship or a TV set last issue, so it sucked to have that spoiled before I got the chance to realize it on my own.
Annihilators: Earthfall #3: Whoa, this series gets dark quickly. First, Huat draws possibly the creepiest comic-book page I've ever seen with the image of the child-like Magus sitting on a folding chair in a holding cell. Second, DnA give us a second action-packed issue, with the Annihilators and the Avengers now working together to battle the forces of the Universal Church of Truth. Finally, as they usually do, DnA also make us think in this issue. They continue the theme from last issue, having the Annihilators (particularly Ronan the Accuser) accuse (heh) the Avengers of engaging in moral relativism. The Avengers were perfectly willing to watch the Kree and the Shi'Ar decimated during the Annihilation Wave and the War of Kings but now suddenly care about a cosmic-scale threat because it directly threatens Earth. I liked how Ronan called Cap's bluff, responding to Cap's question about whether he'd be willing to sacrifice Hala to save the Universe by noting that he's already done so. It makes you actually think a little less of Cap, who, again, allowed the various cosmic wars of the past few years to happen without intervention. I mean, DnA successfully question the Avengers and Cap's integrity. You don't see that every day! Moreover, I loved Gladiator and Quasar's looks in the last panel when Ronan announces he's willing to destroy the U.S. mainland. They're definitely having a bad day at the office. On the secondary feature, the only thing I'll say is: I WANT THOSE ACTION FIGURES!
Annihilators: Earthfall #4: OK, so, it was pretty clear DnA weren't going to kill off everyone in North America. But, they did keep me guessing for most of the issue about how they were going to resolve the situation. It felt a little anti-climatic, unfortunately, with Gladiator suddenly realizing he could convince Magus to take control of him so that the Annihilators could destroy him (rather than North America). I'm still not entirely sure how it worked in the end. It appears that Ronan used his Universal Weapon to draw the faith energy from the Font (where Magus was located) and embed it into the Sentry who had been wired to faith receptors to receive the faith energy. But, why did the energy wind up trapped in the Sentry? Did it have something to do with the cocoon? Why didn't Magus just control the Sentry? The answer to this question is key, because I'm assuming it's the fact that Magus is trapped and, therefore, removed from connection to the Font that severs his connection to his followers. DnA probably could've spent a little more than six panels on that, given that the resolution of the whole mini-series depends on it. But, it's still a pretty successful end, leaving unresolved the lingering moral questions that the battle raised and opening up several new avenues for future stories. The secondary feature wraps up brilliantly. I mean, how good is it that Mojo gets defeated by Groot's animated action figures?
Final Thoughts: To be honest, I really don't know how much potential this team has as a full-time series or frequent mini-series. I think the "Guardians of the Galaxy" were still a more viable series, since it had these sorts of cosmic stories plus some comic relief that made it less...dreary. I mean, let's face it, this group, the Annihilators, isn't exactly a fun bunch. But, for a mini-series, it worked well enough. DnA make sure Ronan gets some lumps in the last issue, reminding us that his accusations (heh) that the Avengers couldn't put aside Earth concerns could be aimed just as squarely at him, given that he seemed particularly motivated by revenge for Earth's inaction during the various recent cosmic wars. Great action, social commentary, occasional wisecracks: all in all, a good time.
Annihilators: Earthfall #2: As predicted, we have a fun battle between the Annihilators and the Avengers before the Avengers realize that the Annihilators didn't so much invade Earth as try to stop the destruction of, like, the Universe. I know it's a cliché -- the two teams of heroes fighting one another in the second issue of a four-issue mini-series over a misundersatnding -- but, I have to say, I did rather enjoy it. I mean, yes, the Avengers seemed to be a mix of the Avengers, the New Avengers, and the Secret Avengers, and, yes, you'd think the Avengers would've paused when they saw Quasar working with the Annihilators before deciding they were an enemy and attacking. But, it was still a good time, and it sets up a spectacular Annihilators/Avengers v. Magus/Truthers battle royale next issue. As I've often said, I can forgive continuity errors and plot inconsistencies if the writing is good, and I think this issue is a great example of that. The only bad part about this issue is that, thanks to the introduction page stating that Rocket Raccoon and Groot's ship was a fake, the surprise of the secondary feature -- that they're on a set -- was somewhat spoiled. Pet peeve #2 is pet peeve #2 for a reason, people. I hadn't guessed it was a fake ship or a TV set last issue, so it sucked to have that spoiled before I got the chance to realize it on my own.
Annihilators: Earthfall #3: Whoa, this series gets dark quickly. First, Huat draws possibly the creepiest comic-book page I've ever seen with the image of the child-like Magus sitting on a folding chair in a holding cell. Second, DnA give us a second action-packed issue, with the Annihilators and the Avengers now working together to battle the forces of the Universal Church of Truth. Finally, as they usually do, DnA also make us think in this issue. They continue the theme from last issue, having the Annihilators (particularly Ronan the Accuser) accuse (heh) the Avengers of engaging in moral relativism. The Avengers were perfectly willing to watch the Kree and the Shi'Ar decimated during the Annihilation Wave and the War of Kings but now suddenly care about a cosmic-scale threat because it directly threatens Earth. I liked how Ronan called Cap's bluff, responding to Cap's question about whether he'd be willing to sacrifice Hala to save the Universe by noting that he's already done so. It makes you actually think a little less of Cap, who, again, allowed the various cosmic wars of the past few years to happen without intervention. I mean, DnA successfully question the Avengers and Cap's integrity. You don't see that every day! Moreover, I loved Gladiator and Quasar's looks in the last panel when Ronan announces he's willing to destroy the U.S. mainland. They're definitely having a bad day at the office. On the secondary feature, the only thing I'll say is: I WANT THOSE ACTION FIGURES!
Annihilators: Earthfall #4: OK, so, it was pretty clear DnA weren't going to kill off everyone in North America. But, they did keep me guessing for most of the issue about how they were going to resolve the situation. It felt a little anti-climatic, unfortunately, with Gladiator suddenly realizing he could convince Magus to take control of him so that the Annihilators could destroy him (rather than North America). I'm still not entirely sure how it worked in the end. It appears that Ronan used his Universal Weapon to draw the faith energy from the Font (where Magus was located) and embed it into the Sentry who had been wired to faith receptors to receive the faith energy. But, why did the energy wind up trapped in the Sentry? Did it have something to do with the cocoon? Why didn't Magus just control the Sentry? The answer to this question is key, because I'm assuming it's the fact that Magus is trapped and, therefore, removed from connection to the Font that severs his connection to his followers. DnA probably could've spent a little more than six panels on that, given that the resolution of the whole mini-series depends on it. But, it's still a pretty successful end, leaving unresolved the lingering moral questions that the battle raised and opening up several new avenues for future stories. The secondary feature wraps up brilliantly. I mean, how good is it that Mojo gets defeated by Groot's animated action figures?
Final Thoughts: To be honest, I really don't know how much potential this team has as a full-time series or frequent mini-series. I think the "Guardians of the Galaxy" were still a more viable series, since it had these sorts of cosmic stories plus some comic relief that made it less...dreary. I mean, let's face it, this group, the Annihilators, isn't exactly a fun bunch. But, for a mini-series, it worked well enough. DnA make sure Ronan gets some lumps in the last issue, reminding us that his accusations (heh) that the Avengers couldn't put aside Earth concerns could be aimed just as squarely at him, given that he seemed particularly motivated by revenge for Earth's inaction during the various recent cosmic wars. Great action, social commentary, occasional wisecracks: all in all, a good time.
The Thanos Imperative: Devastation #1
** (two of five stars)
Summary
Blastaar takes advantage of the disarray that follows in the wake of the war with the Cancerverse and invades the Kree Empire's throneworld of Attilan. In flashbacks, Cosmo the dog has conversations with Ronan the Accuser, Quasar, Beta-Ray Bill, Gladiator, and Silver Surfer, telling each of the heroes that they could be better prepared for galactic threats (like Blastaar's attack). In the present, the Inhumans attempt to repel Blastaar, leading to a confrontation between Blastaar and Medusa. Before Blastaar can win, the aforementioned heroes arrive, taking down Blastaar and his forces. As the group does so, Costmo reveals that Star-Lord had always planned this sort of super-powered team to truly guard the galaxy, but had to settle for "misfits and outcasts and psychopaths." In a flashback, moments before Peter sends the Guardians from the Cancerverse, he tells Cosmo to assemle a team of "heavy hitters as scary as the menaces they have to face!" He calls them "Annihilators" and laments they had been so far above his league that they had never listened to him. In the aftermath of the battle with Blastaar in the present, Cosmo takes the Annihilators on a tour of Knowhere, where we see them squabbling over their name and how often they are going to assemble. They agree they will be, in the words of Silver Surfer, "the ultimate sanction." Cosmo mentions that Pete left behind a to-do list of pending concerns and suggests the Annihilators start there. However, before they can agree, Ikon, of the Space-Knights, arrives on Knowhere, threatening that "a failure to act may doom us all."
The Review
This issue is fine. I gave it two stars because it doesn't really do all that much more than introduce the Annihilators. The battle with Blastaar, which probably could've merited its own mini-series, is pretty much limited to a sideshow, which I feel like is a bit of a squandered opportunity. But, the Annihilators are a pretty great concept, so I'm excited to read their mini-series.
The Good
Again, I dig the Annihilators' concept. I wonder if DnA always intended to end "The Thanos Imperative" with their formation, or if they saw that great two-page splash spread in issue #3 and thought, "OMG, that would be bad-ass!" At any rate, I liked the idea that Peter Quill had to make do with his motley crew because no one listened to him but, because he was clearly right about the Cancerverse, they're listening now. I also liked Cosmo as his messenger.
The Bad
As I said above, I'm surprised DnA give us only a few pages dedicated to Blastaar invading the Kree Empire. It leaves all sorts of questions, in my mind. For example, how did Blastaar manage to get all the way through the Empire to Attilan without being stopped? Are the Kree that de-powered that they weren't able to stop him before he got to Attilan?
Sunday, February 12, 2012
New Comics!: The Rest of the "New 52!" Edition #2 of 2
Justice League #5: Johns continues to deliver more in the lines of the stories I expected to see in "Justice League," with the gang trying to recover from last issue's surprise attack and stop Darkseid. Johns does a great job showing us how the team still isn't a team yet, though we see flashes (heh) of teamwork here and there. Flash and Superman don't exactly work together as they try to escape Darkseid's Omega Beams, but they do at least find themselves in a similar situation. However, Johns' attempt at the teamwork moment of the issue is Batman's conversation with Green Lantern, whose stubborn determination to take on Darkseid isn't doing anyone (most obviously, himself) any good. I liked this moment initially, but Johns makes it last too long. It made me realize that, with the new edgier iterations of Superman and Wonder Woman, Bruce is the one left to be the emotional center of the team. I mean, how scary is that? It's really scary, because it doesn't work. Bruce Wayne does not hurl off his cowl, tell the biggest jackass in comics his identity and origin, and then go run through the city without his cowl! I mean, even if I concede the revelation of his identity, why wouldn't he put back on his cowl before running to find Superman? Plus, for all that, Hal doesn't even know how Bruce Wayne is. Really? I mean, it's like not knowing who Bill Gates is. But, Johns recovers somewhat, with a fairly comical sequence of Hal actually listening to Bruce and going to rally the troops, leading the remaining Leaguers (Aquaman, Cyborg, Flash, and Wonder Woman) against Darkseid. I still feel like Johns is going too far in finding obvious ways of emphasizing how we're in early days; Superman and Wonder Woman, in particular, are so wooden that it's hard to recognize them. But, I know it's a temporary problem related to this arc and, happily, he's distracting me from the questionable characterizations with more (and better) action sequences. All in all, despite the characterization wobbles, I still enjoyed this issue and feel like Johns is eventually going to start really delivering us some stellar stories. We're just not quite there yet.
Superboy #5: Ooo, I liked this issue a lot. First, I didn't read "Gen-13," so I'm totally ignorant of its history. But, given that I feel like the Superboy storyline is repeating storylines we've already seen, I think it's probably a good thing I don't know anything about "Gen-13," since it interjects some mystery into the series. (Though, I'm not really sure what a "bio-terrorist" is. They keep calling Fairchild that, but, what does it mean, exactly? Moreover, why would it inspire her to take down N.O.W.H.E.R.E. from the inside?) Second, I was confused last issue with the whole Centerhall/Templar "good cop/bad cop" routine, mainly because I didn't remember who Templar was. Now, I remember. He's a pretty serious badass and I'm excited about the day when Superboy decides to spread his wings and smack him around a bit, a day that seems to be getting closer to happening. Third, I'm intrigued by "Culling Day," particularly given the epilogue at the end of the book where we learn that the couple from last issue represent a much larger threat than we thought. (Are they all metahumans and they plan on culling humans?) Finally, Superboy became almost a little bit more likeable. Well, actually, he really didn't, but we saw the possibility that he may at some point, and I have to take my encouragement where I can get it. The issue wasn't perfect, though. Beyond my above question about why Fairchild is a bio-terrorist, I'm also confused how Superboy was able to identify and make contact with Fairchild's associate. Lobdell never explains that and it seems like it would require a lot more access to information than Superboy has appeared to have. Second, pet peeve #1 was in full effect here, with the cover depicting a shocked-looking Fairchild in Superboy's arms and the text reading, "Superboy just saved Fairchild...who will save Fairchild from Superboy?" Um, Fairchild is pretty much unconscious the entire issue, and Superboy in no way even remotely threatens her. So, yeah, WTF? But, in conclusion, this issue continued the steps in the right direction it began last issue, and I'm excited for it.
Teen Titans #5: OK, this issue isn't the best issue in the world, but it's OK. Similar to what Johns is doing in "Justice League," Lobdell shows the Titans' growing pains as they try to learn to act like a team. I'm a little confused by Lobdell's characterization of Tim, though. First, in the DCU, Tim was lot more timid than he is here. He took over leadership of the Titans in the DCU not because he demanded it, but because he earned it. (Bart rightfully asks, "Ego much?" when Tim announces that following him is the Titans' only chance for success.) Second, if Tim is smart enough to know that the only way to defeat Superboy is by distracting him so that he can't use his tactile telekinesis, then why would he launch into a dissertation about N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s evils and, consequently, give Superboy the chance to defeat him? It seems uncharacteristically un-Tim. In fact, the more I read this series, the more I realize that, just like Superboy isn't our Superboy, Tim is not our Tim. Our Tim wasn't an egomaniacal, spoiled brat whose need to prove himself right trumped his ability to read a situation, which is more or less what we get here. But, as I've said before in this post, at the end of the day, I'm just glad we're moving down the road of getting Superboy joining the Titans, so I consider this issue a win.
Superboy #5: Ooo, I liked this issue a lot. First, I didn't read "Gen-13," so I'm totally ignorant of its history. But, given that I feel like the Superboy storyline is repeating storylines we've already seen, I think it's probably a good thing I don't know anything about "Gen-13," since it interjects some mystery into the series. (Though, I'm not really sure what a "bio-terrorist" is. They keep calling Fairchild that, but, what does it mean, exactly? Moreover, why would it inspire her to take down N.O.W.H.E.R.E. from the inside?) Second, I was confused last issue with the whole Centerhall/Templar "good cop/bad cop" routine, mainly because I didn't remember who Templar was. Now, I remember. He's a pretty serious badass and I'm excited about the day when Superboy decides to spread his wings and smack him around a bit, a day that seems to be getting closer to happening. Third, I'm intrigued by "Culling Day," particularly given the epilogue at the end of the book where we learn that the couple from last issue represent a much larger threat than we thought. (Are they all metahumans and they plan on culling humans?) Finally, Superboy became almost a little bit more likeable. Well, actually, he really didn't, but we saw the possibility that he may at some point, and I have to take my encouragement where I can get it. The issue wasn't perfect, though. Beyond my above question about why Fairchild is a bio-terrorist, I'm also confused how Superboy was able to identify and make contact with Fairchild's associate. Lobdell never explains that and it seems like it would require a lot more access to information than Superboy has appeared to have. Second, pet peeve #1 was in full effect here, with the cover depicting a shocked-looking Fairchild in Superboy's arms and the text reading, "Superboy just saved Fairchild...who will save Fairchild from Superboy?" Um, Fairchild is pretty much unconscious the entire issue, and Superboy in no way even remotely threatens her. So, yeah, WTF? But, in conclusion, this issue continued the steps in the right direction it began last issue, and I'm excited for it.
Teen Titans #5: OK, this issue isn't the best issue in the world, but it's OK. Similar to what Johns is doing in "Justice League," Lobdell shows the Titans' growing pains as they try to learn to act like a team. I'm a little confused by Lobdell's characterization of Tim, though. First, in the DCU, Tim was lot more timid than he is here. He took over leadership of the Titans in the DCU not because he demanded it, but because he earned it. (Bart rightfully asks, "Ego much?" when Tim announces that following him is the Titans' only chance for success.) Second, if Tim is smart enough to know that the only way to defeat Superboy is by distracting him so that he can't use his tactile telekinesis, then why would he launch into a dissertation about N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s evils and, consequently, give Superboy the chance to defeat him? It seems uncharacteristically un-Tim. In fact, the more I read this series, the more I realize that, just like Superboy isn't our Superboy, Tim is not our Tim. Our Tim wasn't an egomaniacal, spoiled brat whose need to prove himself right trumped his ability to read a situation, which is more or less what we get here. But, as I've said before in this post, at the end of the day, I'm just glad we're moving down the road of getting Superboy joining the Titans, so I consider this issue a win.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
New Comics!: The Rest of the "New 52!" Edition #1 of 2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Justice League #4: As hoped, Johns really seems to be picking up steam here. We see the full team (or, at least, who I understand the full team will be) come together here for the first time, though it'll be next issue before they fight together (assuming Victor is able to pull himself together in time). The opening scenes of Aquaman's initial interaction with the team were well done, though I think Johns is reaching to imply that Aquaman is as powerful as Flash, Superman, and Wonder Woman, at least on land. (I guess it's why he positioned them all by water, so Aquaman could send the sharks after Darkseid's minions and impress everyone, or, at least, Hal.) Johns does a good job of showing how the heroes are still fumbling in their attempts to work together (accentuated by Aquaman deciding he was the leader in absence of one), though he also keeps the issue light mostly thanks to Hal's jackassery. I loved him accidentally telling Wonder Woman the truth because he was touching her lasso, particularly if it made Batman laugh! The Cyborg parts of the book were stronger than they've been, so I'm forgetting how annoyed I was by his origin story last issue. But, above everything else, it's Darkseid's arrival on the scene that really makes the issue, thanks to Jim Lee's amazing splash pages. I've been a little disappointed with this book so far, mostly because I had such high expectations for it. But, Johns really starts to meet those expectations here, and I'm excited to see what next issue brings.
Superboy #4: OK, I sort of liked this issue. Progress! Part of the reason I haven't liked the first few issues of this series is that they're focused on a mystery -- the identity of Superboy's human genetic donor -- that was only marginally interesting when it originally was explored in the DCU. Given that we know it's Lex Luthor (and Lobdell has, I believe, dropped enough hints that it's probably him for us not to doubt that it's still him in the DCnU), it's not exactly as interesting the second time. Thankfully, Lobdell (finally) puts that question aside and removes Superboy from the lab. He's allowed to get some fresh air, and Lobdell does a pretty good job showing his struggles with freedom, oscillating from a disdain for "regular" humans and his impulse to help them. I only vaguely remember the deadly couple from last issue, a problem I had when Superboy mentioned he "swallowed a prison." But, the fight scene is well done and Lobdell makes it clear it's probably not the last time we see said couple, given that we never really discover in what way they're not exactly human, as the guy claimed. I'm excited about the "Teen Titans" cross-over event, because I'm hoping it gives Lobdell an excuse to move the ball more rapidly down the field and get us closer to the Conner we all used to know. All in all, I consider it a win, since I didn't hate the issue itself and I'm (for once) anticipating the next one. (It's a low bar, but at least I can get over it.)
Teen Titans #4: Yay, I liked this issue, too! I'm actually relieved. I was getting really worried I was going to have to cancel both "Superboy" and "Teen Titans," but, now, I'm game. Superboy might not be our Conner, and Tim might be far from the Tim we used to know, but if Lobdell keeps telling stories like this one, I'm willing to stay with them until they find themselves. (I would however really like to get a sense of where Tim stands with the Bat-family. I was disturbed to see that he wasn't part of the team looking for Bruce in "Batman" #5. Bruce recognizing Tim as the most like him always humanized Bruce, since he seemed to realize Tim managed to bring the same level of dedication to the task at hand without losing his humanity. It would be a shame if, in the DCnU, Tim has gone the way of Jason Todd and finds himself estranged from the Bat-family.) First, I have to ask: was Cassie wearing a Dazzler outfit? Because I'm pretty sure she was wearing a Dazzler outfit. Also, staying on fashion, I loved Tim and Bart fighting over the sweatshirt. It seemed like Lobdell's way of reminding us that they -- and, yes, even Tim -- are teenagers and still act that way from time to time. It also gave me hope that we're going to see Bart and Tim develop the friendship they had previously, and that they'll (eventually develop it with Conner. (Also, I LOLed when Bart appeared in an altered version of Tim's Robin costume. Seriously, nice touch, Scott.) Turning from fashion to the plot itself, I thought Lobdell handled Cassie and Conner's fight really well. He made it pretty clear Conner isn't the homicidal killer he thinks he is, given that he found himself attracted to Cassie and seemed to be fighting her more because he enjoyed the interaction than because he felt compelled to do so. I'm hoping Lobdell has Conner join the Titans sooner rather than later and, after his cheeky introduction to them this issue, hopefully I'll get my wish. (One last bit, about Bart: I seemed to remember thinking that Bart had mentioned something in a previous issue to imply he wasn't a future relative of Barry Allen, like he was just a normal kid. But, here, Lobdell seems to open the door to him being like the DCU version of Bart Allen, since he just magically appeared on the steps of an orphanage a few months ago. I guess we'll see.)
Superboy #4: OK, I sort of liked this issue. Progress! Part of the reason I haven't liked the first few issues of this series is that they're focused on a mystery -- the identity of Superboy's human genetic donor -- that was only marginally interesting when it originally was explored in the DCU. Given that we know it's Lex Luthor (and Lobdell has, I believe, dropped enough hints that it's probably him for us not to doubt that it's still him in the DCnU), it's not exactly as interesting the second time. Thankfully, Lobdell (finally) puts that question aside and removes Superboy from the lab. He's allowed to get some fresh air, and Lobdell does a pretty good job showing his struggles with freedom, oscillating from a disdain for "regular" humans and his impulse to help them. I only vaguely remember the deadly couple from last issue, a problem I had when Superboy mentioned he "swallowed a prison." But, the fight scene is well done and Lobdell makes it clear it's probably not the last time we see said couple, given that we never really discover in what way they're not exactly human, as the guy claimed. I'm excited about the "Teen Titans" cross-over event, because I'm hoping it gives Lobdell an excuse to move the ball more rapidly down the field and get us closer to the Conner we all used to know. All in all, I consider it a win, since I didn't hate the issue itself and I'm (for once) anticipating the next one. (It's a low bar, but at least I can get over it.)
Teen Titans #4: Yay, I liked this issue, too! I'm actually relieved. I was getting really worried I was going to have to cancel both "Superboy" and "Teen Titans," but, now, I'm game. Superboy might not be our Conner, and Tim might be far from the Tim we used to know, but if Lobdell keeps telling stories like this one, I'm willing to stay with them until they find themselves. (I would however really like to get a sense of where Tim stands with the Bat-family. I was disturbed to see that he wasn't part of the team looking for Bruce in "Batman" #5. Bruce recognizing Tim as the most like him always humanized Bruce, since he seemed to realize Tim managed to bring the same level of dedication to the task at hand without losing his humanity. It would be a shame if, in the DCnU, Tim has gone the way of Jason Todd and finds himself estranged from the Bat-family.) First, I have to ask: was Cassie wearing a Dazzler outfit? Because I'm pretty sure she was wearing a Dazzler outfit. Also, staying on fashion, I loved Tim and Bart fighting over the sweatshirt. It seemed like Lobdell's way of reminding us that they -- and, yes, even Tim -- are teenagers and still act that way from time to time. It also gave me hope that we're going to see Bart and Tim develop the friendship they had previously, and that they'll (eventually develop it with Conner. (Also, I LOLed when Bart appeared in an altered version of Tim's Robin costume. Seriously, nice touch, Scott.) Turning from fashion to the plot itself, I thought Lobdell handled Cassie and Conner's fight really well. He made it pretty clear Conner isn't the homicidal killer he thinks he is, given that he found himself attracted to Cassie and seemed to be fighting her more because he enjoyed the interaction than because he felt compelled to do so. I'm hoping Lobdell has Conner join the Titans sooner rather than later and, after his cheeky introduction to them this issue, hopefully I'll get my wish. (One last bit, about Bart: I seemed to remember thinking that Bart had mentioned something in a previous issue to imply he wasn't a future relative of Barry Allen, like he was just a normal kid. But, here, Lobdell seems to open the door to him being like the DCU version of Bart Allen, since he just magically appeared on the steps of an orphanage a few months ago. I guess we'll see.)
Friday, February 10, 2012
New Comics!: The Bat Edition #2 of 2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batman #5: Holy fucking crap. I don't even know what to say about this issue. I'm going to re-read it, because I'm sure it has all sorts of moments I missed. It's hard to describe how brilliant it is, because its brilliance lies in the fact that it's hard to describe the issue. Bruce is stuck in the Court of Owls' labyrinth, surrounded by reminders of all the people the Court has destroyed or killed over the years. We're told he's been in it for eight days, and, by the time we see him, he's clearly on the verge of losing his mind, a pretty significant feat given that we're dealing with the guy who created a whole back-up persona to prepare for just such an eventuality. His crazed race through the labyrinth is gripping, from changing the page orientation to sideways and then backwards to highlight Bruce's disorientation to the flashes of Talon stalking Bruce at every turn without him knowing. The point of the labyrinth, as we learn from Bruce, is to stress to Bruce how little he matters, how the Court runs the city. He notes that they didn't even bother making him take off his mask, and it's probably the first time I've ever read such an excuse in a comic and actually bought it, because it's part of the psychological campaign the Court is against him: the Court didn't take off his mask so that it could stress how irrelevant he is. The denouement -- Talon stabbing him -- is totally unexpected, and Capullo totally nails the splash page. Capullo also has some other amazing moments in the issue, from showing Bruce's reddened eye through the broken lens to his parents' terrible metamorphosis. (I liked how Snyder threw in Bruce's parents, continuing to drop hints that the Court of Owls was somehow connected to them and, possibly, their murder.) Snyder not only just focuses on Bruce, though: he also shows us the panic of everyone around Bruce as they try to find him. Commissioner Gordon is clearly losing hope as he keeps the Bat-Signal burning for an eighth straight night, and Damian is so desperate as to beg him to find a new one when the bulb in the Bat-Signal eventually overheats and explodes. It's actually more emotional than the events surrounding Bruce's death, making me wish Snyder had actually handled that task instead of Morrison. I am, needless to say, absolutely riveted and saying I can't wait for the next issue seems like an inadequate understatement.
Nightwing #5: OK, so, from the start, I pretty much figured Raya was bad news and that Saiko would return. But, Higgins has actually done a good job of distracting me from that, with Raya becoming more of a fixture in Dick's life (and thereby reducing my immediate suspicions) and this issue focusing mostly on a one-and-done plot, with Dick saving one of Haly's Circus' clowns from a demon-controlling ex-girlfriend. As such, I was surprised by the last page, where we discover that, well, Raya is bad news and Saiko has returned. We also learn that Saiko is Raymond, one of Dick's former circus buddies, and that Reya and he are responsible for planting the Book of Names (or at least somehow connected with it). I'm going to have to re-read "Nightwing" #3, which, if I remember correctly, reviews Dick's time with Raya and Raymond, because I'm not sure why exactly either would really hate Dick enough to want to do whatever they're planning on doing to him next issue. But, it was a solid issue and, in truth, got me more interested in this plot than I have previously been.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #5: OK, I enjoyed this issue, but I'm not entirely sure where Lobdell is going. He seems to be dedicating A LOT of time to Jason being involved in the war between the All Caste and the Untitled and, truthfully, it's not really what I expected from this book. I'm not saying this book has to fit some sort of rigid construction, but spending this amount of early time on shape-shifting demon assassins fighting a seriously ancient monastic order just seems a little odd to me. But, that being said, it's a decent issue. Jason has a bit of an epiphany about life, and Lobdell fleshes out Kori and Roy a bit more, moving them past the fairly shallow portrayals we've seen of them in this title. I'll consider that a win.
Nightwing #5: OK, so, from the start, I pretty much figured Raya was bad news and that Saiko would return. But, Higgins has actually done a good job of distracting me from that, with Raya becoming more of a fixture in Dick's life (and thereby reducing my immediate suspicions) and this issue focusing mostly on a one-and-done plot, with Dick saving one of Haly's Circus' clowns from a demon-controlling ex-girlfriend. As such, I was surprised by the last page, where we discover that, well, Raya is bad news and Saiko has returned. We also learn that Saiko is Raymond, one of Dick's former circus buddies, and that Reya and he are responsible for planting the Book of Names (or at least somehow connected with it). I'm going to have to re-read "Nightwing" #3, which, if I remember correctly, reviews Dick's time with Raya and Raymond, because I'm not sure why exactly either would really hate Dick enough to want to do whatever they're planning on doing to him next issue. But, it was a solid issue and, in truth, got me more interested in this plot than I have previously been.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #5: OK, I enjoyed this issue, but I'm not entirely sure where Lobdell is going. He seems to be dedicating A LOT of time to Jason being involved in the war between the All Caste and the Untitled and, truthfully, it's not really what I expected from this book. I'm not saying this book has to fit some sort of rigid construction, but spending this amount of early time on shape-shifting demon assassins fighting a seriously ancient monastic order just seems a little odd to me. But, that being said, it's a decent issue. Jason has a bit of an epiphany about life, and Lobdell fleshes out Kori and Roy a bit more, moving them past the fairly shallow portrayals we've seen of them in this title. I'll consider that a win.
New Comics!: The Bat Edition #1 of 2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #5: To be honest, with the Bat-books I'm still reading, I've gotten to the point that I've forgotten that we're in the DCnU. It's pretty clear when you're reading "Superboy" or "Teen Titans," because they suffered a pretty hard reboot. But, as promised, DC gave us a fairly soft reboot of the Bat-books, and the stories have been so well done that it's easy to forget we're dealing with a different Universe at this point. It wasn't until Barbara mentioned that Jim Gordon hadn't remarried after her mother left him that I remembered, "Oh, wait, it's a different world." At first, I worried for what it meant for James, Jr., because I was worried he -- and the excellent (amazing, really) work Scott Snyder did with him in "Detective Comics" in the DCU -- would be wiped from the books. Then, I remembered James, Jr. is James, Sr.'s son with his first wife, who presumably is the woman who appears to Barbara here (which, presumably, also means that James, Sr. is Barbara's father in the DCnU and not her uncle, as he sometimes was in the DCU).
With that bit of DCnU trivia handled, I'd like to resume raving about this series. This issue is great. It's Barbara at her best. She's witty as ever, and Simone gives us some funny moments. I LOLed when Barbara ordered two muffins and then asked her mother if she wanted anything, informing us later that she carboloads when she's stressed. (Don't we all, Babs? Don't we all?) Beyond that, Simone gives us an intriguing new character, a Batman-esque numerological mystery, and some great action sequences. What more do you want in a book?
Batman and Robin #5: OK, this issue had some problems. I liked the idea of it, Bruce coming to terms with the fact that he had failed Damian, but the execution was flawed, for me. First, I didn't remember last issue ending with the possibility of Damian going to the dark side, so it was weird (to me) to be informed that he had betrayed Bruce, because I didn't really realize that was in the offing. Second, I feel like Tomasi is really underselling the importance of Damian's relationship with Dick. We know that his time with Dick is preserved in the DCnU, so it's odd that he only mentions Alfred to Nobody when he's contrasting his relationship with Bruce to other people. In "Batman" #713, Damian made it pretty clear that he viewed Dick as a father figure (or, at least, an older brother figure). I mention it because Damian might have been angry enough with Bruce to want to betray him, but you'd think his relationship with Dick (and, though he wouldn't admit it, Alfred) would have given him pause. Tomasi has been avoiding Damian's time with Dick all series so far, so I'm not sure if it's possibly an editorial mandate. Third, it's weird to me that everyone keeps treating it as if Bruce has raised Damian for years. I mean, in the DCnU, they've probably only been around each other for a few weeks at most, particularly if Dick was only with Bruce as Robin for two years, three years max. All the hand-ringing over their lack of a relationship seems overblown to me, as a result. How much of a relationship are you going to have after a few weeks with the kid who, without your knowledge, your evil ex-girlfriend rapidly aged and trained to be an assassin? Finally, I thought that Bruce's narration was bizarre, particularly because it segued us into an overly convenient flashback about Nobody and his family. If Bruce had actually been telling Damian the story, it probably would've felt less expository, but the recording was just too much. Is he going to rescue Damian and, instead of hugging him and tearfully telling him he'll try harder, he'll just hand him a thumb drive with the recorded message? Wouldn't that really prove Damian's point about Bruce? I mean, doesn't the kid just need a freaking hug, not a voice recording? At this point, I just feel like this Nobody business has been dragged out too long. Nobody isn't the Court of Owls. I don't think he really merits at least six issues or that he's really served as the best vehicle for Tomasi highlighting Bruce and Damian's relationship. I'm going to hang with this series because, without it, I wouldn't see Damian at all, but I can't say I've enjoyed it all that much so far, unfortunately.
Batwoman #5: This issue is pretty solid. It wraps up some loose ends and brings the D.E.O. business to a head. To be honest, I found the D.E.O. conclusion to be somewhat anticlimatic. They've been this dark, nefarious force throughout the first four issues, so it was weird when it turns out Director Bones "just" wanted to offer Kate a job. Did his sidekick know that? She seemed pretty hell bent on taking down Batwoman, so it seems weird that she actually just wanted to find her to read her resumé. I mean, I'm assuming they're not exactly the good guys, or else Batman wouldn't be so opposed to Kate working for them. Also, I felt like Flamebird was in a much more precarious position last issue than she appears to be in this one. I mean, it seemed pretty clear that she was going to die, so it's weird that she's just in critical condition now. But, despite those drawbacks, I still enjoyed the issue. The revelation that the Weeping Woman had been dragooned into working for some Leviathan-esque organization called Medusa raises some interesting questions and propels us pretty nicely into the next arc. All in all, it wasn't the strongest issue of the series, but it did what it was supposed to do.
With that bit of DCnU trivia handled, I'd like to resume raving about this series. This issue is great. It's Barbara at her best. She's witty as ever, and Simone gives us some funny moments. I LOLed when Barbara ordered two muffins and then asked her mother if she wanted anything, informing us later that she carboloads when she's stressed. (Don't we all, Babs? Don't we all?) Beyond that, Simone gives us an intriguing new character, a Batman-esque numerological mystery, and some great action sequences. What more do you want in a book?
Batman and Robin #5: OK, this issue had some problems. I liked the idea of it, Bruce coming to terms with the fact that he had failed Damian, but the execution was flawed, for me. First, I didn't remember last issue ending with the possibility of Damian going to the dark side, so it was weird (to me) to be informed that he had betrayed Bruce, because I didn't really realize that was in the offing. Second, I feel like Tomasi is really underselling the importance of Damian's relationship with Dick. We know that his time with Dick is preserved in the DCnU, so it's odd that he only mentions Alfred to Nobody when he's contrasting his relationship with Bruce to other people. In "Batman" #713, Damian made it pretty clear that he viewed Dick as a father figure (or, at least, an older brother figure). I mention it because Damian might have been angry enough with Bruce to want to betray him, but you'd think his relationship with Dick (and, though he wouldn't admit it, Alfred) would have given him pause. Tomasi has been avoiding Damian's time with Dick all series so far, so I'm not sure if it's possibly an editorial mandate. Third, it's weird to me that everyone keeps treating it as if Bruce has raised Damian for years. I mean, in the DCnU, they've probably only been around each other for a few weeks at most, particularly if Dick was only with Bruce as Robin for two years, three years max. All the hand-ringing over their lack of a relationship seems overblown to me, as a result. How much of a relationship are you going to have after a few weeks with the kid who, without your knowledge, your evil ex-girlfriend rapidly aged and trained to be an assassin? Finally, I thought that Bruce's narration was bizarre, particularly because it segued us into an overly convenient flashback about Nobody and his family. If Bruce had actually been telling Damian the story, it probably would've felt less expository, but the recording was just too much. Is he going to rescue Damian and, instead of hugging him and tearfully telling him he'll try harder, he'll just hand him a thumb drive with the recorded message? Wouldn't that really prove Damian's point about Bruce? I mean, doesn't the kid just need a freaking hug, not a voice recording? At this point, I just feel like this Nobody business has been dragged out too long. Nobody isn't the Court of Owls. I don't think he really merits at least six issues or that he's really served as the best vehicle for Tomasi highlighting Bruce and Damian's relationship. I'm going to hang with this series because, without it, I wouldn't see Damian at all, but I can't say I've enjoyed it all that much so far, unfortunately.
Batwoman #5: This issue is pretty solid. It wraps up some loose ends and brings the D.E.O. business to a head. To be honest, I found the D.E.O. conclusion to be somewhat anticlimatic. They've been this dark, nefarious force throughout the first four issues, so it was weird when it turns out Director Bones "just" wanted to offer Kate a job. Did his sidekick know that? She seemed pretty hell bent on taking down Batwoman, so it seems weird that she actually just wanted to find her to read her resumé. I mean, I'm assuming they're not exactly the good guys, or else Batman wouldn't be so opposed to Kate working for them. Also, I felt like Flamebird was in a much more precarious position last issue than she appears to be in this one. I mean, it seemed pretty clear that she was going to die, so it's weird that she's just in critical condition now. But, despite those drawbacks, I still enjoyed the issue. The revelation that the Weeping Woman had been dragooned into working for some Leviathan-esque organization called Medusa raises some interesting questions and propels us pretty nicely into the next arc. All in all, it wasn't the strongest issue of the series, but it did what it was supposed to do.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
New Comics!: The Captain America Edition #2 of 2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Captain America #7: Huh. When Cap reverted to his pre-Super-Soldier Serum self at the end of "Captain America" #6, I thought it was because of the Madbomb making his nightmares come true; I didn't realize that it just happened to be a coincidence. (I'm pleased, actually, because a bomb that makes nightmares come true isn't really the sort of thing we see in "Captain America." A bomb that makes people go crazy and riot is much more his speed.) That said, I'm intrigued by where Brubaker is going with this story. I've always praised Brubaker for never dropping plot lines (like most authors do, when they inevitably write themselves in a corner), and this issue is a great example of that. Rather than just shelving Bravo's accusation at the end of issue #5 that Cap stood by idly as corporate interests took over the U.S. government, Brubaker puts it front and center here, raising the possibility that Steve has taken the accusation to heart and the resulting crisis of confidence is shutting down his Super-Soldier abilities. (Does anyone remember the last time that happened? Was it during Gruenwald's run? Cap refers to it here, but we don't get an editor's note saying what issue it was.) Moreover, Brubaker uses this instability to great effect by matching it with the Serpent Society's new crime wave. Steve could probably dispatch three members of the Serpent Society with little trouble under normal circumstances, but raising the possibility that he's going to revert to a 98-pound weakling at any moment certainly adds a sense of drama. I can't say I'm overly intrigued by the Bravo sub-plot, but it doesn't detract from the good parts of the rest of the issue. I'm quite happy to say that Brubaker has found solid ground here, after the uneven first arc of this title.
Captain America and Bucky #626: Well, I thought Bill Naslund having a long-lost grandson seemed fishy! I'm really digging this arc. Crazy robots, old heroes, questionable motivations: it's a classic Captain America tale. I'm assuming Bucky is one of the robots, but Asmus and Francavilla do a great job selling that moment where Cap looks at him and suddenly wonders who exactly he is. You can feel that moment of doubt, that moment where Steve wonders if he's really looking at Bucky, leap off the page, and it really adds to the emotion of the issue. Asmus is also doing a great job developing Fred Davis' character. The unexpected appears of Naslund's "grandson" led Davis to doubt his relationship with Naslund, given that Naslund never really talked about a family or wanting to start one. Asmus uses these doubts to make the reader question Naslund's grandson's appearance in the first place, and then to add drama to the issue when Davis goes digging for information and finds his life threatened as a result. It's some subtle craftmanship, and the arc is all the better for it, since we get to avoid the excessive exposition these sorts of scenarios would normally throw at us. I can't wait for the Cap battle royale next issue!
Winter Soldier #1: OK, first, no one writes a couple like Brubaker writes Bucky and Natasha. Seriously. He's done as best as he can with Cap and Sharon, given that Cap isn't given to being a romantic protagonist. But, with Bucky and Natasha, Brubaker is free to make with the sexy, and he does. The two of them just burn up the page. But, they just don't become Cold War stereotypes, all action and romance. Brubaker makes sure to show us a real relationship, underlining the concern and feelings the two of them have for each other. Again, he does what he can with Cap and Sharon, but most of the emotion in that relationship is on Sharon's side. Here, with Bucky and Natasha, we get a much more balanced couple, the Dick and Barbara of the Marvel Universe. We see Natasha tell Bucky how scared she was when she saw him in his stasis tube back in the day, and he confesses to us through his narration how amazed by her he is.
Beyond just showing us a great romance, Brubaker also gives us a gripping story. The sleeper agent murdering his whole family? Yikes. Brubaker reminds us that we're playing for keeps in this series, right off the bat. He's writing this series like the best spy novels of the Cold War era, and it's an absolute treat. A lot of authors can't pull of the tone of these sorts of espionage stories, relying too much on clichés. Brubaker has a real knack for it, though, as does Guice, whose dark and indistinct pencils convey exactly the right tone for the story. The idea that Lucia von Bardas has her hands on Soviet sleeper agents is exactly the type of plot I was expecting from Brubaker when "Gulag" ended back in "Captain America" (before the "Fear Itself" insanity). Needless to say, I'm super excited for this series.
Captain America and Bucky #626: Well, I thought Bill Naslund having a long-lost grandson seemed fishy! I'm really digging this arc. Crazy robots, old heroes, questionable motivations: it's a classic Captain America tale. I'm assuming Bucky is one of the robots, but Asmus and Francavilla do a great job selling that moment where Cap looks at him and suddenly wonders who exactly he is. You can feel that moment of doubt, that moment where Steve wonders if he's really looking at Bucky, leap off the page, and it really adds to the emotion of the issue. Asmus is also doing a great job developing Fred Davis' character. The unexpected appears of Naslund's "grandson" led Davis to doubt his relationship with Naslund, given that Naslund never really talked about a family or wanting to start one. Asmus uses these doubts to make the reader question Naslund's grandson's appearance in the first place, and then to add drama to the issue when Davis goes digging for information and finds his life threatened as a result. It's some subtle craftmanship, and the arc is all the better for it, since we get to avoid the excessive exposition these sorts of scenarios would normally throw at us. I can't wait for the Cap battle royale next issue!
Winter Soldier #1: OK, first, no one writes a couple like Brubaker writes Bucky and Natasha. Seriously. He's done as best as he can with Cap and Sharon, given that Cap isn't given to being a romantic protagonist. But, with Bucky and Natasha, Brubaker is free to make with the sexy, and he does. The two of them just burn up the page. But, they just don't become Cold War stereotypes, all action and romance. Brubaker makes sure to show us a real relationship, underlining the concern and feelings the two of them have for each other. Again, he does what he can with Cap and Sharon, but most of the emotion in that relationship is on Sharon's side. Here, with Bucky and Natasha, we get a much more balanced couple, the Dick and Barbara of the Marvel Universe. We see Natasha tell Bucky how scared she was when she saw him in his stasis tube back in the day, and he confesses to us through his narration how amazed by her he is.
Beyond just showing us a great romance, Brubaker also gives us a gripping story. The sleeper agent murdering his whole family? Yikes. Brubaker reminds us that we're playing for keeps in this series, right off the bat. He's writing this series like the best spy novels of the Cold War era, and it's an absolute treat. A lot of authors can't pull of the tone of these sorts of espionage stories, relying too much on clichés. Brubaker has a real knack for it, though, as does Guice, whose dark and indistinct pencils convey exactly the right tone for the story. The idea that Lucia von Bardas has her hands on Soviet sleeper agents is exactly the type of plot I was expecting from Brubaker when "Gulag" ended back in "Captain America" (before the "Fear Itself" insanity). Needless to say, I'm super excited for this series.
The Thanos Imperative #6
***** (five of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "You have hunted me down and brought me to my Death. Literally. She's right behind you." -- Thanos to Mar-Vell
Summary
Mar-Vell takes up Thanos on his offer, summoning the Many-Angled Ones and preparing the necropsy to kill the Avatar of Death (and, as such, Death itself). In "our" reality, Surfer warns the assembled heroes that, if Galactus fails to stop the Galactus Engine, "our" reality will fall quickly behind him in death. Medusa informs the group that Blastaar has retreated and she sends in Quasar and the Nova Corps to back up Galactus. In the Cancerverse, Mantis predicts the arrival of Nova, who then appears. Pete directs Rich to take on Thanos, and Rich instructs Worldmind to give him the entire Nova Corps' powers so he can plow through the Revengers en route to Mar-Vell. Mar-Vell prepares to finish killing Thanos, who informs him that he faced "our" Mar-Vell several times and that his failing was always that he was head-strong, acting without considering the consequences. At that moment, Death appears, and Thanos informs Mar-Vell that he invited Death into the Cancerverse by trying to kill Thanos. Death then obliterates Mar-Vell and all the undead beings in the Cancerverse. (In "our" Universe, the Fault begins to collapse.) Thanos begs Death to take him with her, but she rejects him, enraging him. He promises to destroy another Universe for her, and Nova and Pete realize that he means "our" Universe. Pete instructs the Guardians to teleport back to "our" reality, and they're furious when they arrive to realize that he and Nova stayed in the Cancerverse. Rocket Raccoon demands that Major Victory send them back to Sanctuary, but Victory informs him that he can't, since the Fault has collapsed. In the Cancerverse, Pete informs Rich that they have distract Thanos in the sixty seconds before the Cancerverse collapses so that he doesn't leave to destroy our Universe. Pete pulls out the Cosmic Cube and the two engage Thanos. Three days later, on Attilan, Medusa delivers a eulogy for Pete and Rich. Quasar and Rocket Raccoon take a tour of the memorial garden erected in honor of those lost (Adam Warlock, Drax, Phyla-Vell). Quasar informs Rocket Raccoon that the Nova Force disappeared with Rich. He notes that, even if Pete and Rich survived, they're stuck in a collapsed Universe that can never be re-opened.
The Review
Given that I'm reading this story a year after it was published, I already knew Nova and Star-Lord die at the end of it. Going into this story, I only hoped that their deaths would be awesome, that they would mean something, that they would represent everything they were as characters. I'm glad to say I'm not disappointed. DnA make sure that their deaths make sense in context of the story at hand and that they die with jokes on their lips and heroism in their hearts. If I was going to lose two characters that I loved, I'm glad it happened this way.
The Good
1) I thought Mantis predicting the arrival of Nova and being confused about whether it actually had already happened was hilarious. I always love DnA deft touches like this one, that reveal a character in a panel.
2) I loved the denouement with Thanos. I knew something was wrong, if you will, at the end of last issue with the idea that Thanos would ask Mar-Vell to kill him, given that the Cancerverse had extinquished death. DnA show here that Mar-Vell probably should've thought something was wrong, too, since, by killing Thanos, he invited Death into the Cancerverse. It was a truly brilliant twist.
3) Moreover, DnA did a great job reminding us, throughout the series, that, even though the Cancerverse was the biggest threat, Thanos was still a big problem, if you will. As such, when the Cancerverse disintegrated, it made sense that Pete and Rich couldn't just leave Thanos to his own devices, like he had suddenly become a good guy. That attention to detail is what made this mini-series so awesome.
4) I'm glad DnA dedicate a few pages to the memorial service for Pete and Rich. These sort of moments usually get rushed as authors scramble to finish the story in as few pages as possible. But, we get some really nice moments here. Medusa had talked smack about Pete in an earlier issue, but, here, they're both recognized for saving the Universe, with no one else trying to pretend that they did it. The final page, with its close-up shot of their memorial and Rocket Raccoon's quote ("Damn it, Pete. Why'd you guys have to be such heroes?"), was the icing on the cake for me. DnA took time to give us some closure, and the series is all the better for it.
5) That said, DnA definitely leave the door open to the heroes' return. I mean, we did leave them with a functional Cosmic Cube and the full Nova Force. If anyone would be able to make their way back into "our" Universe, it's those two.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
New Comics!: The Captain America Edition #1 of 2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Captain America #5: This arc hasn't necessarily been the greatest, with Brubaker suffering the same problem as many of the .1 authors, being forced to introduce the character to new readers but keep it interesting for old readers. But, I feel like he really delivers in the end here. First, the issue itself is exciting, with Queen Hydra calling Sharon Carter's bluff, shooting Jimmy Jupiter and possibly stranding Cap and Bravo in the dream world. We haven't seen a good Cap/Sharon story in a while, but her emotional appeal to Jimmy to save Cap reminded me how many stories Brubaker has left to tell when it comes to the two of them. Cap "died" the first time they were just getting off the ground as a couple, and the second time has been sidetracked with "Fear Itself" and the new title. This issue gives me hope that Brubaker is going to get to tell some classic Cap stories, something he hinted at doing by including Nick, Sam, and Sharon in this first arc. Second, Brubaker does really raise some great questions here. Cap does remember a time when politics was simpler (or, at least, appeared so), and Bravo accusing him of standing by idly while corporate interests stole our government seems to have really hit home. I think it's a little unfair, given that I'm old enough to remember when Cap renounced the title and became the Captain almost exactly for these reasons. But, since then, Cap has become America's top cop and has been forced to make all sorts of compromises that I'm sure make him a little less sure of his "boy scout" reputation. For these two reasons, I thought this issue was a real return to form for Brubaker. Add to it McNiven stunning pencils, and it makes me really excited to see where Brubaker and company go from here.
Captain America and Bucky #625: I wasn't really sure where this series was going to go with the revelation that Bucky had survived "Fear Itself," given that I pretty much always assumed it was just a vehicle for keeping his memory alive until they resurrected him. I hadn't thought about exploring the histories of the various other Captain Americas and Buckies, but I'm really glad Brubaker and Asmus did! I loved this issue. I've always been intrigued by the other Captain Americas and Buckys, but I've never really seen a focused treatment of them, despite being a long-time reader of "Captain America." As such, I was excited when I realized Asmus was going with this issue, bringing back the Spirit of 76's Bucky (as an older man) and introducing his grandson. I'm not entirely sold on the grandson being on the side of angels, since his appearance (though well explained) felt a little overly convenient. Asmus does a good job of dropping that hint and raising other questions. But, he really excels when it comes to presenting a lot of exposition in a way that seems natural. I've complained that most of the .1 writers (and Brubaker himself in "Captain America") have stumbled in trying to do the same thing, but Asmus really manages to deliver. Also, Francavilla is the perfect artist for this series. His work on "Detective Comics" was amazing, and Marvel was lucky to snag him. This issue goes a long way to justifying why we're getting two Captain America titles a month, and I'm excited to see where this story goes.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
New Comics!: The Avengers Edition #3 of 3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Secret Avengers #21.1: OK, I was annoyed about this issue before I even opened it. First, I was gone for three weeks and had three issues of "Secret Avengers" waiting for me when I returned. WTF, Marvel? Are we going to start publishing it daily at some point? Second, didn't we already have a .1 issue? I notice that "Amazing Spider-Man" is also getting another .1 issue, as I'm sure other comics I collect are. Again, WTF, Marvel? Do you know what havoc it wrecks on my database? Unfortunately, my annoyance continued when I read this issue.
First, the characterizations are terrible. Someone needs to do for Hawkeye what DnA did for Nova, helping move him past the irresponsible characterization he's suffered for years and moving him into a more adult role. Hawkeye has been a character for 48 years. It's time for us to move past every issue revolving around his daddy issues. Plus, Cap's treatment of Hawkeye is a completely unforgivable sin on the part of Remender. I just absolutely don't believe that Cap would, first, put his life in danger just to see if he would defy his order or, second, berate him the way he did. On the first point, Remender doesn't have Hawkeye rebut Cap's allegations that his busting down the front door against Cap's orders shows that he can't lead with the obvious retort, that a leader doesn't necessarily do everything he's told, even if it's by Captain America. Second, Cap can be an arrogant ass, but going so far as saying "Parents ended up wrapped around a telephone pole because the old man couldn't go twenty minutes without bourbon" is just un-fucking-believably over the line, one I'm pretty sure Cap would never cross. I know Remender is forced to this level of exposition by the .1 format, but I'm pretty sure we could've gotten Clint's life story in a more believable fashion. Remender won me back a bit by allowing Clint to get in a good dig at Cap at the end, when it turns out he wasn't so well informed as he thought. But, the only reason Clint needed to get in a dig was because Cap was an unbelievable ass in the first place.
About the only good thing about this issue was Zircher's pencils and Troy's colors. I'm sad to say it, but it's true, at least in my book. I was going to read and review the "Avengers" and "New Avengers" annuals in this review, but I think I need to take a break from the Avengers for a while. These were a rough few issues.
New Comics!: The Avengers Edition #2 of 3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers #21: Every time I say something nice about Bendis, I find myself almost immediately wanting to retract it. Case in point: I liked "New Avengers" #21, but this issue is a hot mess. I was distracted enough last issue by the nagging continuity questions that I didn't quite focus on the fact that Cap splitting up the team to investigate Osborn was a terrible idea. I mean, from a reader standpoint, I was glad that we were finally getting a story that didn't involve trying to keep track of ten different Avengers on a battlefield. But, from a tactical perspective, it's a terrible idea, splitting up your small team to go against a remarkably clever enemy that has an almost limitless number of agents. As we see in this issue, regardless of how powerful you are, you're still going to fall against an onslaught of a lot of almost-as-powerful-as-you-are folks in this situation. I'm pretty sure Cap wouldn't make that sort of rookie mistake, so the rapid nature of H.A.M.M.E.R.'s defeat of the sub-teams that we see in this issue doesn't ring true. It winds up feeling manufacutred solely to inject drama into the story, like a horror-movie plot device. I mean, Red Hulk and Storm fall essentially without throwing a punch. ("No, Red Hulk, don't open that door!") Even Protector notes that it's almost impossible to hijack Tony Stark's armor, but Osborn somehow manages to do it. ("The butler did it!") Part of the problem is that Bendis uses these moments to lead use to believe that Osborn is near godlike in his powers and his reach, but he (still) hasn't revealed how he got that way. For example, we were supposed to believe he's stronger than normal in "New Avengers" #21, but we still don't know why. Here, we're supposed to believe he can take down Iron Man by hijacking his armor, but we still don't know how. Seriously, it's time to start answering questions. "New Avengers" #21 was fun because it was at least a slugfest between equally matched opponents, so you could reasonable see one character defeating another one. This issue and "Avengers" #20 just feel totally fake, because Osborn is portrayed as being so much more powerful than the Avengers, though we don't know how. Answers, Bendis. Now. (Also, in a total nitpick, where was Quake? Cap spotaneously included her in the new line-up in issue #19, but she doesn't appear in the title page profiles -- despite the title page mentioning her as a member of the team -- and doesn't appear in this issue at all. It's like Daredevil in "New Avengers." Why does Bendis insist on having ten-character teams if he can't be bothered to use all of them?)
Avengers: Solo #4: OK, I'm not entirely sure what happened in this issue. We get a lot of exposition, but not a lot of clarity. Everything Dr. Forrest says seems to be stuff we already knew or could guess: this Golden woman and her partner helped fund the project to create super-soldier babies with the intent of selling the formula (and, possibly, the babies, I guess) to investors. But, it's unclear to me what exactly her plan is now. We're lead to believe that she wanted Hawkeye and Trace to rescue Dr. Forrest so that he could lead her to their base. But, then, she never materializes. I mean, if you're using someone as bait to find your enemies' base, you usually strike pretty quickly, for fear that the enemy will move bases. Why don't we see her (or, at least, her minions) attack? Why would she give Hawkeye and the crew time to attack her, particularly since it's not like Forrest is loyal to her, so she can be pretty sure he'd reveal her base's location to them? Maybe it's because we're supposed to believe she wants them to find her base. But, if so, then why bother with the Dr. Forrest ruse at all, when she already had captured Trace, a sufficient piece of bait to get Hawkeye to follow her to her base? Then, to make matters even more confusing, we get the appearance of Iron Man, which, honestly, makes no sense. Cap and Mockingbird know that Hawkeye is working a case, so Iron Man's assertion that everyone was worried about Clint's absence makes no sense. Are we supposed to believe it's part of the Avengers secret support of the project? I'm really, really trying to like this series, because it's Hawkeye, but it's really, really getting difficult as this plot just start to spin its wheels. I feel like this mini-series is going to wind up being two issues too long.
Secret Avengers #21: Ellis, Ellis, Ellis. I wasn't thrilled with him at the start of his run. Issue #16 was boring and issue #17 was odd. But, I feel like he's really started building something with the team since then, and I'm sad to see him go. He returned the focus on the "black ops" nature of the team (particularly in this issue and issue #19) and he didn't make it the Steve Rogers show that it was in the first few issues (particularly after the initial arc). With his run at an end, I wonder where we're going to go with the Shadow Council. We learn in this issue that the aliens that control the Council were planning on invasion of Earth, and I wonder if Remender is going to take that ball and run with it. I guess we'll see. At any rate, thanks, Walter, for reviving my interest in this title. They weren't the showiest stories, but they were well written and carefully plotted, and I always applaud that.
Avengers: Solo #4: OK, I'm not entirely sure what happened in this issue. We get a lot of exposition, but not a lot of clarity. Everything Dr. Forrest says seems to be stuff we already knew or could guess: this Golden woman and her partner helped fund the project to create super-soldier babies with the intent of selling the formula (and, possibly, the babies, I guess) to investors. But, it's unclear to me what exactly her plan is now. We're lead to believe that she wanted Hawkeye and Trace to rescue Dr. Forrest so that he could lead her to their base. But, then, she never materializes. I mean, if you're using someone as bait to find your enemies' base, you usually strike pretty quickly, for fear that the enemy will move bases. Why don't we see her (or, at least, her minions) attack? Why would she give Hawkeye and the crew time to attack her, particularly since it's not like Forrest is loyal to her, so she can be pretty sure he'd reveal her base's location to them? Maybe it's because we're supposed to believe she wants them to find her base. But, if so, then why bother with the Dr. Forrest ruse at all, when she already had captured Trace, a sufficient piece of bait to get Hawkeye to follow her to her base? Then, to make matters even more confusing, we get the appearance of Iron Man, which, honestly, makes no sense. Cap and Mockingbird know that Hawkeye is working a case, so Iron Man's assertion that everyone was worried about Clint's absence makes no sense. Are we supposed to believe it's part of the Avengers secret support of the project? I'm really, really trying to like this series, because it's Hawkeye, but it's really, really getting difficult as this plot just start to spin its wheels. I feel like this mini-series is going to wind up being two issues too long.
Secret Avengers #21: Ellis, Ellis, Ellis. I wasn't thrilled with him at the start of his run. Issue #16 was boring and issue #17 was odd. But, I feel like he's really started building something with the team since then, and I'm sad to see him go. He returned the focus on the "black ops" nature of the team (particularly in this issue and issue #19) and he didn't make it the Steve Rogers show that it was in the first few issues (particularly after the initial arc). With his run at an end, I wonder where we're going to go with the Shadow Council. We learn in this issue that the aliens that control the Council were planning on invasion of Earth, and I wonder if Remender is going to take that ball and run with it. I guess we'll see. At any rate, thanks, Walter, for reviving my interest in this title. They weren't the showiest stories, but they were well written and carefully plotted, and I always applaud that.
New Comics!: The Avengers Edition #1 of 3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers: Solo #3: I've been waiting for this series to grow on me, but, unfortunately, it hasn't really. At the end of the day, it just doesn't seem like a Hawkeye adventure. The reason the last few Hawkeye mini-series ("Hawkeye and Mockingbird," "Widowmaker," etc.) worked so well is that they've been focused on his partnering with Mockingbird in espionage-like activities. These stories played to both their strengths: Mockingbird planned for all the eventualities, and Hawkeye ad-libbed when the one eventuality Mockingbird didn't anticipate was the one that actually happened. The problem with Hawkeye working as a detective by himself is that he's not a planner. Detective work takes requires a certain level of focused patience, something Hawkeye doesn't have at all. Moreover, it raises the question of why he's doing what he's doing. X-Factor is pretty honest about the fact that they're in the detective game to help people, but they have to charge them to keep on helping people. Hawkeye just seems to be helping these women to help them. I mean, yes, he's a super-hero, but he's not Cap. I could see Cap helping these women, but Van Meter feels like she's stretching to make it work for Hawekeye. ("They're doing something evil...") I'm not saying the story isn't well-crafted. Van Meter has done a great job of slowly revealing the plot and making sure each new development adds a more nuanced (and not just more complicated) layer to the plot. Plus, she does generally have a good sense of Hawkeye; I particularly liked him playing cards with Chance for more information, something Cap wouldn't do. But, I'm still left feeling like we could've gotten a better Hawkeye story than the one we got here. (Also, I still am not sold on the Avengers Academy story. I mean, who's "solo" exactly? We've got three team members working on the mission. The title of this series isn't "Avengers: Fewer than Usual.")
New Avengers #20: OK, I didn't hate this issue! I mean, don't get me wrong, I still don't get what Bendis is doing with the H.A.M.M.E.R. war. But, I still enjoyed the fight in this issue. (I LOVED the "New Avengers v. Dark Avengers" "Street Figher" splash pages!) Bendis really sells how expertly Osborn set up the team, knowing that Luke Cage would flip when he saw Osborn, goading him into attacking the Dark Avengers right when the Dark Avengers were looking like heroes. Bendis gives us a really dynamic battle, where both sides are really fighting to a stalemate. Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Spider-Man hold their own, while Dr. Strange, Luke Cage, and Wolverine get spanked. (I don't remember how Daredevil got there, though. He wasn't on the ship with him when they arrived last issue, was he? I thought the whole point of his sub-plot last issue was that he was missing the fight. Also, where was Ms. Marvel? We only really see her briefly engage Dark Spider-Man. Usually, she's a little more central to the fight.) I thought Bendis did a good job of showing both sides really struggling with the battle and building a great sense of drama as it progressed.
So, I consider this issue a win, because I at least enjoyed it. But, I still have three overarching issues (and one minor one) with this series and arc. First, we have the "Why are we doing the Dark Avengers bit again?" problem, which I believe I've previously documented sufficiently well to get me a pass on having to do it again. Second, I still don't buy that people are confused whether or not Osborn is a bad guy. The events of "Siege" were nationally televised. Everyone knows he's a nutjob. I just don't see how people have any doubts about that. He even showed his green face! Third, Bendis continues to write the New Avengers as a bunch of people who don't know how to fight together. After, what, almost 100 issues, you'd think they could eventually NOT get their asses handed to them. Finally, the minor issue: everyone acts surprised when Osborn stops Cage's punch. Spidey says that he knows him some Osborns and Osborns don't do that. But, um, they do. I mean, I'm not sure how long Osborn could hold off Cage, but he does have the Goblin Serum in him. I'm pretty sure it's the Serum, and not his costume, that gives him his super-strength.
Again, it was a short-term win, but the long-term battle is still looking grim. We'll see how the Thor clone goes.
Secret Avengers #20: The fact that a villain screams "My time gun will send your heart to be eaten by dinosaurs!" is about all you need to know about this issue. As a mission against the Shadow Council fails, War Machine hands Natasha a time-travel device and she finds herself sent five years in the past. (We know how much I enjoy these sorts of stories). Looking for a way to prevent the deaths of Captain America, Sharon Carter, and War Machine in said failed mission, she's warned by the device not to disrupt the timeflow. (I don't understand how Natasha survives the Council's onslaught but Rhodey -- in his armor -- doesn't, but I've learned to go with it.) She travels a month in the past to get some advice from Henry McCoy and then seeks out two people in the past to give them assignments: an Austrian scientist specializing in time travel to develop the aforementioned time-travel device and a weapons expert to analyze the guns the Shadow Council used to kill the Secret Avengers (she had traveled in the past to swipe one). Once the device is built, she travels into the more recent past to blackmail a military official to embed it in the War Machine armor. Separately, the weapons expert shows her how to convert the Council's guns to stun mode. In the end, the events occur more or less as they did in the beginning of the issue, but everyone is stunned instead of killed. It's actually not a terrible story (and made more sense when I re-read it to write this recap). But, I'm still not really sure about Ellis' assertion that Natasha didn't disrupt the timeflow. I mean, yes, the events happen more or less the way they happened, with slightly different results. But, the results ARE different. So, isn't that disrupting the timeflow? Rhodey is pretty clear that he's dying in the first scenario, but he's not dead in the second one, so hasn't Natasha's actions clearly changed that? God, I hate time-travel stories.
New Avengers #20: OK, I didn't hate this issue! I mean, don't get me wrong, I still don't get what Bendis is doing with the H.A.M.M.E.R. war. But, I still enjoyed the fight in this issue. (I LOVED the "New Avengers v. Dark Avengers" "Street Figher" splash pages!) Bendis really sells how expertly Osborn set up the team, knowing that Luke Cage would flip when he saw Osborn, goading him into attacking the Dark Avengers right when the Dark Avengers were looking like heroes. Bendis gives us a really dynamic battle, where both sides are really fighting to a stalemate. Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Spider-Man hold their own, while Dr. Strange, Luke Cage, and Wolverine get spanked. (I don't remember how Daredevil got there, though. He wasn't on the ship with him when they arrived last issue, was he? I thought the whole point of his sub-plot last issue was that he was missing the fight. Also, where was Ms. Marvel? We only really see her briefly engage Dark Spider-Man. Usually, she's a little more central to the fight.) I thought Bendis did a good job of showing both sides really struggling with the battle and building a great sense of drama as it progressed.
So, I consider this issue a win, because I at least enjoyed it. But, I still have three overarching issues (and one minor one) with this series and arc. First, we have the "Why are we doing the Dark Avengers bit again?" problem, which I believe I've previously documented sufficiently well to get me a pass on having to do it again. Second, I still don't buy that people are confused whether or not Osborn is a bad guy. The events of "Siege" were nationally televised. Everyone knows he's a nutjob. I just don't see how people have any doubts about that. He even showed his green face! Third, Bendis continues to write the New Avengers as a bunch of people who don't know how to fight together. After, what, almost 100 issues, you'd think they could eventually NOT get their asses handed to them. Finally, the minor issue: everyone acts surprised when Osborn stops Cage's punch. Spidey says that he knows him some Osborns and Osborns don't do that. But, um, they do. I mean, I'm not sure how long Osborn could hold off Cage, but he does have the Goblin Serum in him. I'm pretty sure it's the Serum, and not his costume, that gives him his super-strength.
Again, it was a short-term win, but the long-term battle is still looking grim. We'll see how the Thor clone goes.
Secret Avengers #20: The fact that a villain screams "My time gun will send your heart to be eaten by dinosaurs!" is about all you need to know about this issue. As a mission against the Shadow Council fails, War Machine hands Natasha a time-travel device and she finds herself sent five years in the past. (We know how much I enjoy these sorts of stories). Looking for a way to prevent the deaths of Captain America, Sharon Carter, and War Machine in said failed mission, she's warned by the device not to disrupt the timeflow. (I don't understand how Natasha survives the Council's onslaught but Rhodey -- in his armor -- doesn't, but I've learned to go with it.) She travels a month in the past to get some advice from Henry McCoy and then seeks out two people in the past to give them assignments: an Austrian scientist specializing in time travel to develop the aforementioned time-travel device and a weapons expert to analyze the guns the Shadow Council used to kill the Secret Avengers (she had traveled in the past to swipe one). Once the device is built, she travels into the more recent past to blackmail a military official to embed it in the War Machine armor. Separately, the weapons expert shows her how to convert the Council's guns to stun mode. In the end, the events occur more or less as they did in the beginning of the issue, but everyone is stunned instead of killed. It's actually not a terrible story (and made more sense when I re-read it to write this recap). But, I'm still not really sure about Ellis' assertion that Natasha didn't disrupt the timeflow. I mean, yes, the events happen more or less the way they happened, with slightly different results. But, the results ARE different. So, isn't that disrupting the timeflow? Rhodey is pretty clear that he's dying in the first scenario, but he's not dead in the second one, so hasn't Natasha's actions clearly changed that? God, I hate time-travel stories.
The Thanos Imperative #5
*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Mar-Vell!" "Thanos!" "Oh @#$%!" -- Thanos, Mar-Vell, and Star-Lord
Favorite Quote: "Mar-Vell!" "Thanos!" "Oh @#$%!" -- Thanos, Mar-Vell, and Star-Lord
Summary
The Guardians are faltering under the Revengers' onslaught, and Mantis orders Thanos to remove himself from the fray, something he (shocker) refuses to do. The Scarlet Witch makes her way to a dying Vision and, apologizing for the harm that was done to him, proceeds to take out the Revengers. (Evil Captain America tells her that the Many-Angled Ones will flay her soul, to which she responds, "Oh, I know they will. I chose the side I believe in long ago. I will accept the consequences.") The Guardians are suspicious of Wanda's change of heart, but Vision confirms that she has been working for the Machine Resistance from the start and beseeches them to trust her. Thanos asks her to take him to the site where the necropsy was performed, something she can do by exhausting her powers (leaving her vulnerable to Mar-Vell and the Revengers). She agrees, accepting her coming torment, and sends the Guardians and Thanos to the Cancerverse's version of Sanctuary. In "our" reality, Quasar has saved the assembled heroes (including Major Victory and Namorita) from the destruction of Sanctuary by encasing them in a shielded bubble. Nova uses his powers to jump them to the frontline of the Fault, where Medusa and the Allied Council inform them that they are quickly losing the battle, with another round of even more powerful beings than the Galactus Engine preparing to cross behind the Cancerverse's vanguard. Nova informs the group that Star-Lord took Thanos into the Cancerverse, and the Council decries his acting without its approval. The Council decides to fight the Cancerverse directly and not risk trying to find the Guardians and Thanos in the Cancerverse. Nova refuses to participate and deputizes Quasar into the Corps to lead the Nova rookies in his absence. In the Cancerverse, the team arrives at the remains of Sanctuary and Thanos prepares for the ceremony. However, the Revengers arrive and battle erupts. In "our" Universe, Nova watches the message Star-Lord sent him before the team left for the Cancerverse, informing him that Major Victory should be able to send him directly to where they are. Nova says good-bye to Namorita and departs. In the Cancerverse, Thanos betrays the team, asking Mar-Vell to give him the release of death and, in exchange, he will give Mar-Vell everything he wants.
The Review
This issue was a good read. Nothing huge really happens until Thanos' betrayal at the end, since it's mostly just setting up the climatic final battle we'll get next issue. But, it does that well.
The Good
1) Back in the "Annihilation: Conquest" arc in "Nova," I praised DnA for their ability to take a character who only appeared for three issues, Ko-Rel, and turn her into a compelling, fully realized character. So many authors treat these sort of temporary characters -- who exist only to move a certain plot point forward -- as throw-away scenery, rarely taking the time to move them past typical Ensign Jones archetypes. But, DnA have also excelled at imbuing the most minor character with a personality, and they do it again here with the Scarlet Witch. Her tragic ending was essentially foretold in the "Realm of Kings" one-shot, but it's no less sad when it becomes fully realized in this issue. This attention to detail shows why they're the best at what they do.
2) I loved Rich telling Medusa to go @#$% herself. God, I hate her. I'm so glad to see someone defy her yet-again poorly considered orders.
3) I totally didn't see Thanos betraying the group coming. I mean, I knew something had to happen, but I didn't think it would be that. DnA do a good job of planting the seeds of Thanos' plan throughout the series. In issue #4, I wondered why he egged on Drax, though it seems like it might have been to test his hypothesis that he couldn't die. In issue #5, he told Rocket Raccoon that he had to take time to reverse engineer Mar-Vell's spell, but now I'm wondering if he wasn't just stalling to make sure Mar-Vell had a chance to arrive. It shows just how in charge of the story DNA are. I'm still not sure, though, how Mar-Vell can deliver death to Thanos, given that death doesn't exist in the Cancerverse, but I'm sure we'll see how that goes next issue.
I'm Back!
Howdy, folks! I've been on vacation for the last three weeks and, needless to say, I have a LOT of comics to read. I think I'm diving into the Avengers pool first. We'll see if these three weeks have given me enough distance not to want to trap Bendis at a convention and ask him what exactly he's smoking. We shall see.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Amazing Spider-Man #3: "The Strangest Foe of All Time...Doctor Ocotpus"
Summary
Spidey breaks up a gang of small-time hoods trying to steal a safe from a warehouse, lamenting that fighting crime has almost gotten too easy. Meanwhile at the U.S. Atomic Research Center, "Doctor Octopus," the "most brilliant atomic-researcher in our country today," uses a contraption he created, with four robot arms, to conduct research with volatile chemicals. However, a radiation explosion causes him to suffer brain damage and fuses his arms to his body. When a doctor tells Doc Ock he can't leave the hospital, he decides it's because they're jealous of his work (a response implied to be from the brain damage). He uses his arms to free himself from his room and takes the hospital staff hostage. Meanwhile, JJJ tells Peter he desperately wants photos of the injured scientist for "The Daily Bugle," but the hospital is closed to visitors. Pete promises to get some photos, but, upon arriving, discovers Dr. Octopus is holding hostages. He helps the hostages escape, but he's roundly defeated by Doc Ock in the process. (Doc Ock -- or, at least, his arms -- exhibits super-strength, holding Peter at bay and rending his Webs.) Ock hurls Peter from his window, declaring him no threat, and a discouraged Peter contemplates giving up his costumed identity for good. Meanwhile, Doc Ock leaves the hospital and takes over the Atomic Research Center. The governor asks the Fantastic Four to help, and, since they're busy with another case, they decide to send in the Human Torch. But, the Torch is too exhausted from recent adventures and must wait several days before he can "flame on." In the meantime (since he clearly has nothing better to do), he gives a lecture to Peter's high-school class about staying in school and never giving up the fight, noting that the FF has lost many a battle but always returns. Inspiring Peter, Spidey decides to take on Ock again, creating a chemical compound that fuses together his arms. Engaging in hand-to-hand-to-hand-to-hand combat, Peter despairs, until he realizes that he could use Ock's arms to get close to him and deliver "a smashing right." He knocks out Doc Ock, delivers him to the Army, and finds a re-powered Johnny Storm in his hotel room to thank him for inspiring him. Since the Torch isn't needed to take on Doc Ock, he gives a demonstration at Peter's school the next day, leading Flash Thompson to tell Peter he should watch a real man, like Torch or "Spider-Man." The narrator notes that Peter never got a photo of Doc Ock, but he "couldn't care less."
The Review
I didn't realize Dr. Octopus' evil comes from brain damage related to the explosion that fused him to his arms. I mean, I knew the arms got fused to him, but the brain damage part was new to me.
It's interesting to me that Pete is still motivated largely by money, even if his immediate concerns over HOW he's going to make money have been resolved. On one hand, we do see him engage in some pretty basic crime fighting here, rounding up a group of guys stealing a safe from a warehouse. But, in both his battle with Doc Ock in this issue and in his previous battles with the Chameleon and the Vulture, he first engaged the super-villain in his attempt to make some "dough." I wonder how long before he becomes more of a "traditional" hero, acting completely selflessly. (Of course, it's the fact that he's NOT acting completely selflessly that makes Pete more interesting than I imagined he was.)
Super-Man? SUPER-MAN? Yes, indeed, Doc Ock calls Spider-Man "Super-Man" at one point.
Lee really establishes Peter's pluck here. First, we get the start of Peter bantering with his enemies (something I wondered when would happen last issue). It's not great banter, but it's banter nonetheless! It's mostly focused on how great Spidey is (similar to his proto-banter with the Vulture). I was going to put that in the "different than now" category until I thought about it and realized even today most of Pete's commentary is how unlikely it is for a villain to beat him. But, here, in the beginning, Lee uses it to establish how cocky Peter has gotten by his string of successes and decides to deliver to him Peter's first real defeat. Moreover, Lee again excels here in showing us what I think would be a pretty normal teenage response to this sort of adversity, to become so discouraged he wants to quit. But, he's inspired by Johnny Storm, learning that the FF has been defeated and had to get back into the game, and he uses his brains (again) to concoct a formula (on the fly, no less!) that helps him to defeat Doc Ock.
One of the best anachronisms of this issue? A doctor makes a house call to Johnny's hotel room! I'm not entirely sure why Johnny is staying in a hotel, but I'm pretty damn sure a doctor wouldn't be visiting him in it nowadays. Also of note, Peter uses his Spider-Sense like a homing beacon here, using it to find Johnny Storm as he did to hunt down the ship with which the Chameleon intended to rendezvous in issue #1. I wonder when his Spider-Sense will narrow to just being a early-warning system, as it (mostly) is today.
Spidey breaks up a gang of small-time hoods trying to steal a safe from a warehouse, lamenting that fighting crime has almost gotten too easy. Meanwhile at the U.S. Atomic Research Center, "Doctor Octopus," the "most brilliant atomic-researcher in our country today," uses a contraption he created, with four robot arms, to conduct research with volatile chemicals. However, a radiation explosion causes him to suffer brain damage and fuses his arms to his body. When a doctor tells Doc Ock he can't leave the hospital, he decides it's because they're jealous of his work (a response implied to be from the brain damage). He uses his arms to free himself from his room and takes the hospital staff hostage. Meanwhile, JJJ tells Peter he desperately wants photos of the injured scientist for "The Daily Bugle," but the hospital is closed to visitors. Pete promises to get some photos, but, upon arriving, discovers Dr. Octopus is holding hostages. He helps the hostages escape, but he's roundly defeated by Doc Ock in the process. (Doc Ock -- or, at least, his arms -- exhibits super-strength, holding Peter at bay and rending his Webs.) Ock hurls Peter from his window, declaring him no threat, and a discouraged Peter contemplates giving up his costumed identity for good. Meanwhile, Doc Ock leaves the hospital and takes over the Atomic Research Center. The governor asks the Fantastic Four to help, and, since they're busy with another case, they decide to send in the Human Torch. But, the Torch is too exhausted from recent adventures and must wait several days before he can "flame on." In the meantime (since he clearly has nothing better to do), he gives a lecture to Peter's high-school class about staying in school and never giving up the fight, noting that the FF has lost many a battle but always returns. Inspiring Peter, Spidey decides to take on Ock again, creating a chemical compound that fuses together his arms. Engaging in hand-to-hand-to-hand-to-hand combat, Peter despairs, until he realizes that he could use Ock's arms to get close to him and deliver "a smashing right." He knocks out Doc Ock, delivers him to the Army, and finds a re-powered Johnny Storm in his hotel room to thank him for inspiring him. Since the Torch isn't needed to take on Doc Ock, he gives a demonstration at Peter's school the next day, leading Flash Thompson to tell Peter he should watch a real man, like Torch or "Spider-Man." The narrator notes that Peter never got a photo of Doc Ock, but he "couldn't care less."
The Review
I didn't realize Dr. Octopus' evil comes from brain damage related to the explosion that fused him to his arms. I mean, I knew the arms got fused to him, but the brain damage part was new to me.
It's interesting to me that Pete is still motivated largely by money, even if his immediate concerns over HOW he's going to make money have been resolved. On one hand, we do see him engage in some pretty basic crime fighting here, rounding up a group of guys stealing a safe from a warehouse. But, in both his battle with Doc Ock in this issue and in his previous battles with the Chameleon and the Vulture, he first engaged the super-villain in his attempt to make some "dough." I wonder how long before he becomes more of a "traditional" hero, acting completely selflessly. (Of course, it's the fact that he's NOT acting completely selflessly that makes Pete more interesting than I imagined he was.)
Super-Man? SUPER-MAN? Yes, indeed, Doc Ock calls Spider-Man "Super-Man" at one point.
Lee really establishes Peter's pluck here. First, we get the start of Peter bantering with his enemies (something I wondered when would happen last issue). It's not great banter, but it's banter nonetheless! It's mostly focused on how great Spidey is (similar to his proto-banter with the Vulture). I was going to put that in the "different than now" category until I thought about it and realized even today most of Pete's commentary is how unlikely it is for a villain to beat him. But, here, in the beginning, Lee uses it to establish how cocky Peter has gotten by his string of successes and decides to deliver to him Peter's first real defeat. Moreover, Lee again excels here in showing us what I think would be a pretty normal teenage response to this sort of adversity, to become so discouraged he wants to quit. But, he's inspired by Johnny Storm, learning that the FF has been defeated and had to get back into the game, and he uses his brains (again) to concoct a formula (on the fly, no less!) that helps him to defeat Doc Ock.
One of the best anachronisms of this issue? A doctor makes a house call to Johnny's hotel room! I'm not entirely sure why Johnny is staying in a hotel, but I'm pretty damn sure a doctor wouldn't be visiting him in it nowadays. Also of note, Peter uses his Spider-Sense like a homing beacon here, using it to find Johnny Storm as he did to hunt down the ship with which the Chameleon intended to rendezvous in issue #1. I wonder when his Spider-Sense will narrow to just being a early-warning system, as it (mostly) is today.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Thanos Imperative #4
**** (four of five stars)
Favorite Quote #1: "Surfer! The Revengers are the enemy's big guns!" "Interesting…when we next have a quiet moment, Richard Rider, we can discuss the definition of the term." "Surfer just did deadpan trash talk." "I know. Can you believe it?" -- Nova, Surfer, Quasar, and Nova, engaging in some light banter amid the chaos
Favorite Quote #2: "We can take him! Side by side, like we faced down Annihilus!" "I seem to remember you dying when we did that!" "Precisely! What are the odds of it happening twice!" -- Quasar, Nova, and Quasar, talking about the good ol' days
Summary
On Sanctuary, Lord Mar-Vell is torturing Namorita in an attempt to discover why she appears to be the most anomalous of the anomalous persons he's collected. However, Nova and his strike force appear, disrupting the proceedings. Ronan goes after the prisoners, Beta-Ray BIll and Guardian clear the engineering decks, and Nova, Quasar, and Silver Surfer take the fight directly to Mar-Vell. Quasar disables Evil Giant-Man who's holding Namorita while Rich takes on Mar-Vell. However, Mar-Vell reveals just how powerful he is, shattering Surfer's board and probing Rich's mind to discover that Rich is only there to save Namorita because she's his girlfriend and not because she's the Avatar of Death, as Mar-Vell originally suspected. Meanwhile, in the Cancerverse, Peter rages at Drax for killing Thanos, and Drax defends himself by saying he couldn't help it. Mantis defends Drax, saying that he had become an Avatar of Life and being in the Cancerverse -- where life rules supreme -- overwhelmed him. However, the entire group is shocked to discover Thanos reconstituting himself, cell by cell. Thanos, as he's knitting himself back together, explains that Death essentially rejected him when she returned him to life. Drax attempts to kill Thanos again, but Thanos kills him first. In "our" Universe, Mar-Vell senses Drax's death, given that he's an Avatar of Life, and realizes that the Avatar of Death from "our" Universe must be in the Cancerverse, since only an Avatar of Death could kill an Avatar of Life. He and the Revengers teleport from our reality, leaving the heroes to pull themselves together. Gladiator calls to Rich, telling him he needs to speak to Major Victory about Star-Lord and Thanos, who he informs Nova is still alive. Surfer is on the verge of putting two and two together when Mar-Vell detonates an explosion, seemingly destroying Sanctuary. In the Cancerverse, Alternate (since he's not really Evil) Vision explains that the death of the Avatar of Life has lit up Titan like a beacon. To prove his point, a Scarlet Witch-led Revengers team arrives, destroying Vision.
The Review
As expected, DnA really kick things up a notch in this issue. Our heroes plans fall apart, succeed, and then fall apart again. DnA begin knitting together the two stories in a really clever way, with Mar-Vell sensing the death of Drax (the Avatar of Life) and thereby discovering that the Avatar of Death (Thanos) wasn't in "our" Universe. You can tell they're setting up a pretty spectacular all-hands battle in the final issue.
The Good
1) It was pretty cool to see how crazy powerful Mar-Vell is. From breaching Rich's gravimetric shields to shattering Surfer's board, he's a serious bad ass motherflarker. It's also an interesting twist, because it makes you realize how poorly prepared (or overly confident) Nova and the strike force were in confronting Mar-Vell and the Revengers without exactly having a plan. DnA use the heroes' fairly quick defeat at Mar-Vell's hands to re-balance the story in favor of the bad guys, after last issue had the heroes seemingly doing a pretty good job in moving the ball down the field.
2) The splash page of Thanos killing Drax was spectacular.
3) As I mention above, I thought DnA do a great job starting to bring the two stories together, with Mar-Vell sensing the death of Drax in the Cancervese and realizing Thanos is there.
The Unknown
1) When Mar-Vell takes down Rich, he promises "an eternity of living, inextinguishable pain, flowing from the many-angles of my masters." I'm not entirely sure if he delivered that, though. He's interrupted in doing whatever it is he's doing when he feels Drax die in the Cancerverse. But, when Namorita asks Rich if he's OK, he doesn't really answer, asking how she is instead. I wonder where DnA are going with this one.
2) I can't wait to see what happens in the aftermath of the detonation of Sanctuary. I mean, presumably someone dies...
Favorite Quote #1: "Surfer! The Revengers are the enemy's big guns!" "Interesting…when we next have a quiet moment, Richard Rider, we can discuss the definition of the term." "Surfer just did deadpan trash talk." "I know. Can you believe it?" -- Nova, Surfer, Quasar, and Nova, engaging in some light banter amid the chaos
Favorite Quote #2: "We can take him! Side by side, like we faced down Annihilus!" "I seem to remember you dying when we did that!" "Precisely! What are the odds of it happening twice!" -- Quasar, Nova, and Quasar, talking about the good ol' days
Summary
On Sanctuary, Lord Mar-Vell is torturing Namorita in an attempt to discover why she appears to be the most anomalous of the anomalous persons he's collected. However, Nova and his strike force appear, disrupting the proceedings. Ronan goes after the prisoners, Beta-Ray BIll and Guardian clear the engineering decks, and Nova, Quasar, and Silver Surfer take the fight directly to Mar-Vell. Quasar disables Evil Giant-Man who's holding Namorita while Rich takes on Mar-Vell. However, Mar-Vell reveals just how powerful he is, shattering Surfer's board and probing Rich's mind to discover that Rich is only there to save Namorita because she's his girlfriend and not because she's the Avatar of Death, as Mar-Vell originally suspected. Meanwhile, in the Cancerverse, Peter rages at Drax for killing Thanos, and Drax defends himself by saying he couldn't help it. Mantis defends Drax, saying that he had become an Avatar of Life and being in the Cancerverse -- where life rules supreme -- overwhelmed him. However, the entire group is shocked to discover Thanos reconstituting himself, cell by cell. Thanos, as he's knitting himself back together, explains that Death essentially rejected him when she returned him to life. Drax attempts to kill Thanos again, but Thanos kills him first. In "our" Universe, Mar-Vell senses Drax's death, given that he's an Avatar of Life, and realizes that the Avatar of Death from "our" Universe must be in the Cancerverse, since only an Avatar of Death could kill an Avatar of Life. He and the Revengers teleport from our reality, leaving the heroes to pull themselves together. Gladiator calls to Rich, telling him he needs to speak to Major Victory about Star-Lord and Thanos, who he informs Nova is still alive. Surfer is on the verge of putting two and two together when Mar-Vell detonates an explosion, seemingly destroying Sanctuary. In the Cancerverse, Alternate (since he's not really Evil) Vision explains that the death of the Avatar of Life has lit up Titan like a beacon. To prove his point, a Scarlet Witch-led Revengers team arrives, destroying Vision.
The Review
As expected, DnA really kick things up a notch in this issue. Our heroes plans fall apart, succeed, and then fall apart again. DnA begin knitting together the two stories in a really clever way, with Mar-Vell sensing the death of Drax (the Avatar of Life) and thereby discovering that the Avatar of Death (Thanos) wasn't in "our" Universe. You can tell they're setting up a pretty spectacular all-hands battle in the final issue.
The Good
1) It was pretty cool to see how crazy powerful Mar-Vell is. From breaching Rich's gravimetric shields to shattering Surfer's board, he's a serious bad ass motherflarker. It's also an interesting twist, because it makes you realize how poorly prepared (or overly confident) Nova and the strike force were in confronting Mar-Vell and the Revengers without exactly having a plan. DnA use the heroes' fairly quick defeat at Mar-Vell's hands to re-balance the story in favor of the bad guys, after last issue had the heroes seemingly doing a pretty good job in moving the ball down the field.
2) The splash page of Thanos killing Drax was spectacular.
3) As I mention above, I thought DnA do a great job starting to bring the two stories together, with Mar-Vell sensing the death of Drax in the Cancervese and realizing Thanos is there.
The Unknown
1) When Mar-Vell takes down Rich, he promises "an eternity of living, inextinguishable pain, flowing from the many-angles of my masters." I'm not entirely sure if he delivered that, though. He's interrupted in doing whatever it is he's doing when he feels Drax die in the Cancerverse. But, when Namorita asks Rich if he's OK, he doesn't really answer, asking how she is instead. I wonder where DnA are going with this one.
2) I can't wait to see what happens in the aftermath of the detonation of Sanctuary. I mean, presumably someone dies...
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