New-ish Comics: The June 6 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Astonishing X-Men #12:  I like Charles Soule, but, man, this story was a mess.  We learn the Shadow King has been pulling the strings all along, using Proteus to seed the world with reality gardens that Farouk could then use to control the world.  (I still don't understand what these "reality gardens" are at this point, but whatever.)  Then, it turns out X was pulling the strings.  Surprise!  He teaches Betsy how to ask -- not demand, as they did last time -- every psychic in the world join their Psychic Friends Network, and Betsy somehow uses this energy to dismiss Farouk.  (It's not entirely clear the mechanics of that, but, again, whatever.)  Wrapping up loose ends, X finishes giving the X-Men his "gifts," wiping all memory of his existence from their minds...except for Betsy's.  Despite his claim to be free of Farouk's influence, he allows Betsy to retain her memory of him, just in case he isn't.  Um, OK, way to reassure us, X.  I don't really know what Soule wants us to feel here.  Xavier...I mean, X...could've easily just set up the Network the first time they tried it.  Why wait until now?  In other words, Soule doesn't explain why Xavier suddenly realizes permission is the key to harnessing the Network's power fully.  Moreover, X doesn't remotely feel like Xavier.  To be fair, he insists he's not Xavier, but then who is he?  He feels more like the latest iteration of Xorn, a convoluted plot device that future authors are likely to use and abuse for their own purposes.  It's just a mess, from start to finish.

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding - Robin vs. Ra’s al Ghul #1:  This issue is great.  Seeley draws such a good bead on the characters that every development flows logically from the previous one, as characters respond the way you think they would.  But, it doesn’t mean they don't surprise us with moments of growth either.  The issue starts slow, with Selena taking Damian to be sized for his wedding outfit and Damian rehashing his troubled origin for her as a way of saying he doesn’t need her.  Damian pops into the arcade to try to best his previous score on Cheese Viking, but he finds himself confronting Aion, who claims to be Bruce and Selena’s son from the future.  The conflict shifts to the future, where Damian from "Batman" #666 seemingly awakens from hallucinating the arcade sequence only to face Aion in his present.  But, the miniature Nightwing on his shoulder lecturing him about not killing Aion is his clue this moment, too, is a hallucination.  He then finds himself in the arcade once again, realizing his grandfather is his enemy.  He knows the drugs al Ghul used on him brought out his subconscious fear that Bruce will replace him with a "real" son.  For his part, al Ghul is here to kill Damian for allowing Catwoman to replace him.  Damian doesn’t win the fight so much as he persists.  Later, as Selina returns from her bachelorette party, he asks if she and Bruce are going to have children.  She resists answering the question as she doesn't see it as part of his business, but Damian puts his anxiety on display for her, a surprising sign of how deeply concerned he is.  But, Selina also surprises as Seeley allows her to be the adult we rarely see her be.  She tells Damian she can’t imagine raising a child, because s/he would have to carry not only her/his own baggage but also hers (and, implicitly, Bruce's).  Bringing a tear to everyone's eye, she then says she could never have a child who could overcome that baggage, because they'd never be as strong as Damian Wayne.  Damian is surprised and touched by this confession.  Selina tells him they need to stick together, as the only people in the house who aren’t goody-goodies.  She promises to have his back if he’ll have hers, and he agrees, with a smile that lights up his face.  It’s a lovely moment, and it feels hard-won.  Damian may be the bastard child Aion said he was, not raised from birth by Batman as Aion allegedly was.  But, Seeley makes it clear here he’s all the son Bruce and Selina need.  (That said, I’d be totally down with DC bringing back Aion!)  For all the cynicism I feel about this perceived money-grab series, this one is really worth the money.

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding - Nightwing vs. Hush #1:  This one is, too!  Man, who knew a tie-in series could be so good?  Seeley again nails characterization here.  Clark and Dick are taking Bruce to a pocket universe to go fishing for his bachelor party (after dinner at Batburger), but Hush unexpectedly attacks.  He and Dick tumble through the portal and find themselves in the Betwixt, a place where people without strong senses of self go to disappear.  The ghosts of these people attack Dick and Tommy, and their (convenient) guide to the Betwixt tells them to flee to Wayne Manor, since it’s where their identity is the strongest.  Seeley’s greatest twist here is to have Hush realize something he (and, frankly, we) should’ve realized long ago:  he wanted to be Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne’s best friend, not Bruce himself.  He reveals he’s changed his face to look like Dick, but the ghosts arrive and ultimately absorb him as he has no personality of his own.  Bruce and Clark rescue Dick, and, as he recovers, Dick overhears Bruce telling a departing Clark not to forget the ring.  Dick then asks Bruce if he made Clark his best man and Bruce awkwardly confirms he did.  When Bruce starts apologizing, Dick tells him not to do so:  Clark is always there for him, but Dick isn’t, because he left for Blüdhaven to find his own path.  Just as Selina is the unexpected adult in Robin’s version of this series, Dick is so here.  In other tales like this one, Dick could never accept this outcome.  But, here, he owns his decision to leave Bruce's side.  After the wedding, he makes Bruce promise they’ll spend time together, much to Bruce’s glee.  Like the Robin issue, this issue isn’t perfect.  Just as Damian’s recitation of his origin story was a drag, Hush’s insistence on becoming Bruce’s friend is so cartoonishly juvenile it's annoying.  But, it’s still a solid character study that reveals not really Hush’s fear, but Dick’s:  he, too, is afraid he’s being replaced.  But, like Damian, he realizes he needn't worry.  Meanwhile, Hush confirms it’s the Joker telling all of Batman’s villains about the wedding.  Oddly, we also learn Bruce and Selina themselves aren’t actually getting married, lest it raise too many questions about their secret identities.  After all, a billionaire marrying a criminal is a bit of a stretch.  (I still don’t understand how they’re going to keep that under wraps.)  Finally, can I make a pitch for Wilson drawing “Nightwing?”  Dick Grayson is often handsome, but he’s never been more handsome than he is here.  All in all, it's just a great issue.

Captain America #703:  I'm honestly just enduring this arc until we get to Coates.  Looking over the nine issues Waid has penned on this title, I'm still not sure what point he is trying to make.  First, I'm not sure it was a great idea to spend so much time so early in this run on two alternate-reality stories, particularly as one of them didn't feature Steve at all.  But, even if you put that aside, it also doesn't help that Steve's descendant Jack is a bumbling idiot.  He survives here only because his enemies -- first General Pursur and then the Red Skull -- very conveniently get so busy they ignore him.  Continuing with overly convenient plot devices, Jack gets out word that Pursur is using humanity as sleeper agents for the Kree via the Skull's apparently supernatural ability to manipulate technology to broadcast Jack's discovery to everyone.  Um, OK.  At this stage, we're also supposed to believe that Jack's son Steve is the key to somehow fending off the Kree, whose armada Pursur has dispatched to destroy Earth lest it successfully rebel.  We're supposed to believe Jack is a master strategist because he was "chosen" as a historian, but it's hard to believe he is if he didn't see Pursur taking this step, which he apparently didn't.  Unless we learn Jack's son Steve is the Phoenix, it's hard to believe he's going to single-handedly fight off the armada.  But, even if he does, I still don't get what this story tells us about Cap.  To repeat myself, it's a mess, from start to finish.

Dazzler:  X-Song #1:  I (heart) Dazzler.  I have every issue of her 1980s series.  Hell, I even read her cross-over appearances in "Secret Wars II."  Unfortunately, I'm sad to say she deserved better than she got here.  I'm not saying this issue is awful.  In fact, the premise is great:  Dazzler has to grapple with the fact anti-Inhuman mutants start appearing at her solidarity shows to make it clear that Inhumans aren't welcome.  However, Visaggio stumbles as every conversation in this issue dissolves into activist speak.  Although it makes sense, to an extent, that anti-Inhuman activists speak in talking points,Visaggio overdoes it.  Alison repeats her lines like a robot, particularly when it comes to rebuffing Piotr's oddly persistent attempts to get her to join the X-Men again.  If it were just a filler issue it would be OK, but it isn't OK when this issue was supposedly issue #43 of that 1980s series.  It's a disappointing color-by-numbers enterprise.

Infinity Countdown #4:  This issue is weirdly anticlimactic.  Surfer convinces Galactus to become the Destroyer once again, taking out Ultron's planet before he can spread his virus throughout the Universe.  (In exchange, Surfer becomes Galactus' herald again.)  Surfer's intervention helps Warlock get back the Soul Gem, though Ultron manages to escape.  After the Guardians squabble amongst themselves and with the Nova Corps over the Power Gem, Drax takes the Power Gem as Nova departs -- against Gamora's wishes -- to find his brother.  We also have a weird interlude where the Collector and Gamemaster present Peter with an Infinity Gem from another Universe.  That Universe's Phyla-Vell and Moondragon appear to collect the Gem, and we learn they're also looking for the identity of someone called Requiem, who seems to be the menacing figure in the intro pages these last few issues.  The weirdest part is how easily the Gems change hands throughout the issue; at one point, Adam Warlock literally just lops off Ultron's hand to grab the Soul Gem.  We'll see where we go from here.  Although the Gems have changed hands a few times, I'm not sure this mini-series is really bringing us to a different place than where we started.

Nightwing #45:  This issue is clever because it's so obvious.  Stories about AI and VR going haywire are rife at this point; Remender's "Tokyo Ghost" covered that ground well.  But, Percy goes one further here, as Wyrm -- the entity behind the Phantasm devices -- makes his play for Dick.  He comments how most people's information is useless, but some people's information is really important.  Figuring the former ward of billionaire Bruce Wayne is privy to a lot of secrets, Wyrm has uploaded a virus into Dick to steal them.  Meanwhile, Mirage -- the company behind Phantasm -- is rebuilding the train line destroyed as part of the "crypto-attack" we saw last issue (I think).  It's a project the mayor of Blüdhaven is (ominously) calling "Blüdhaven:  the City of Tomorrow."  It's clear we've got more going on here than just Wyrm making a play for cash, and Percy does a good job of building the suspense even as we learn more.

Star Wars #49:  The resolution of the Mon Cala rebellion is anticlimactic and rushed.  Despite an entire sky full of Imperial Star Destroyers, the Mon Calamari and Millennium Falcon manage to hold on long enough to allow some ships from the Rebellion fleet to join the battle.  Ackbar sacrifices one of the Mon Calamari ships to take out an Imperial Star Destroyer, somehow breaking the entire Imperial blockade.  (I guess the other Destroyers were only there for moral support?)  Initially, I thought Gillen was building to a long overdue defeat for the Rebellion; instead, they yet again miraculously pull out a win.  Moreover, I still don't understand the events of last issue, where Urtya goes from confiscating the video of Lee-char's call to arms to hurriedly playing it for all Mon Calamari.  Urtya claims he had to act quickly because the Imperials were imminently going to seize the Mon Calamari fleet.  Didn't he already know that?  I feel like their intent was pretty clear.  If he did know that, why not just explain the situation to Leia when she and the guys arrived on Mon Cala with the videotape?  If he didn't know that, how did he just suddenly learn that?  Did it happen off panel?  I don't feel like we saw any such revelation last issue.  At any rate, the good guys win.  Yay.  Gillen tries to make it interesting with the revelation that Trios has been working for Darth Vader all long and they intend on destroying the 12 fully crewed Mon Calamari ships.  I'm hoping Leia sees this treachery coming, because if she doesn't, I'm going to start losing some faith here.

Also Read:  Batman #48; Ben Reilly:  Scarlet Spider #19; X-Men:  Gold #29; X-Men:  Red #5

New-ish Comics: The May 30 Non-Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Doomsday Clock #5:  This issue covers a lot of ground but doesn't necessarily advance the plot.  First, Jane Doe from Arkham Asylum is revealed to be Sally Jupiter, which makes a lot more sense than the villain Jane Doe, as we saw her reading Rorschach's mind last issue.  Sally agrees to track down Manhattan with Rorschach because she likes "helping people," telling Rorschach they need a "great big light" to find him.  Meanwhile, Johnny Thunder is revealed to be the guy waiting for his family to visit him in the retirement home last issue; he escapes here.  (The guy obsessed with the Nathaniel Dusk movies is named Donald, and I feel like he's going to be important later.)  Sally and Rorschach find Johnny in Pittsburgh, where he's tracked down Alan Scott's Green Lantern battery (i.e, the "great big light.")  Meanwhile, Lois confronts a recovering Lex Luthor about her suspicion that Lex is behind the Superman theory, but he swears he's not.  He tells her the person who created metahumans for the government was a metahuman member of the Justice League (as Superman looms ominously outside his hospital room).  Elsewhere, Batman confronts an escaped Veidt, and they argue in the Owlship.  Batman is obviously appalled at Veidt's actions in his New York, but Veidt is appalled the heroes of this Earth seem solely to fight to amuse themselves.  He dumps Batman into the crowd calling for his head, and it seems Joker played a role in putting together that crowd.  In global developments, Russia shuts its borders to outsiders as it announces its own team of metahumans, and Black Adam saves a journalist from King Kobra in Syria, announcing Khandaq is now a haven for metahumans.  (He wasn't supposed to leave Khandaq, apparently.)  Again, they're all solid developments, but it basically just ups the pressure without altering the status quo.

The Realm #5:  I somehow missed this issue when it was released in January, and it didn't help matters that issue #6 wasn't released until May.  I followed the story fine, but I'll admit the time lag meant I forgot some of the characters.  For example, I couldn't remember if Laszlo was part of Will's team, Molly's team, or Everett's team.  But, it doesn't hinder the story; in fact, it added to the sense of chaos and confusion that permeates this issue.

Will's team and the city's defenders are forced to try to hold the wall from the attacking orcs while also figuring out a way to take out the monster that appeared at the end of last issue.  Will sends David and Dr. Burke to safety, though David eventually defies his orders to go help.  Burke bristles at David's decision, but David reminds him the orcs are there because of the canister they're carrying (something I'm pretty sure the rest of the team doesn't know).  Will sends Molly and Laszlo to try to stop the orcs from using mammoths equipped with battering rams to get through the gates.  Eli reports for duty at the gate after getting Zach to safety.  After the orcs break down the gates, Will sends Eli with some Molotov cocktails to take out the creature, and Molly sends Laszlo with him.  The thing manages to rip off Laszlo's arm before Eli can get off a shot, so he engages all his grenades and leaps at it.  Meanwhile, the bearded guy hunting the orcs emerges and joins Rook attacking them on their side of the gate, eventually confronting the leader, Redjaw.  Burke follows David, saying that good research assistants are hard to find and that he doesn't want him thinking he's a coward.  However, he takes an arrow to the chest and hands David the canister before he dies.

At the gates, Molly keeps the area around Bearded Guy clear with some pretty impressive arrow shots.  Just as the battle starts to come to a fevered pitch, David is overcome by grief, blaming Dr. Burke's death on his decision to fight.  He then emits massive amounts of electricity, destroying the creature and several nearby tanks.  Will awakens a while later with Bearded Guy standing over him, and Zach reveals his name is Ben and (he thinks) he's a friend.  Zach brings Will to date, saying the explosion sent the remaining orcs running and informing him Laszlo is dead.  Everett confirms the damage is bad and that a "very weak" David is sleeping.  Molly confirms Burke is dead, but also stresses the team wants to continue the mission, since they knew the risks.  As Molly says, the death of two of their friends makes the mission all the more important.  Will asks Rook to try to talk him out of deciding to do so, but she declines, and Will says they'll regroup when David awakens.  Elsewhere, a creepy woman emerges from a pool of blood.

Even after three months or so, this series is still crackling with energy.  Onto the next issue!

The Realm #6:  This issue is ostensibly about Ben, Rook, and Everett's best scout, Ray, as they track down Redjaw (the orc leader) and the other surviving members of his band.  Through their tracks, Rook is able to conclude Redjaw and his "woman" are ahead of a second group of five orcs carrying a pack horse.  Ray is impressed, as he feels like a "greenhorn" compared to Rook, even though he was raised in the area.

They set up camp for the night, and Haun uses their campfire discussion to provide us with background on Earth's status quo.  We learn the invasion began when the spires appeared throughout the world "thirteen years, two hundred and thirty-six days" ago, according to Rook.  Whereas Ben was with the Army in Africa when the first spire appeared off the Gulf Coast, Ray talks about being glued to the television watching the spires appear.  He remembers he wished they had been alien spaceships, because something about the spires defying the laws of physics was worse.  (This comment emotionally resonated with me.)  Ben comments how he and his battalion were recalled Stateside, but they eventually disbanded after a year as the communication black-out and non-functional equipment meant cohesion dissolved quickly.  He also wonders if the spires are the key or if they just seem to be because they were the first things to appear.  (Obviously, they're the key.)  We learn electricity didn't disappear everywhere at once and, in fact, some places are rumored to have it still.  Haun makes the trauma implicit in these discussions obvious.  You have to wonder if the troops in Ben's battalion all just went their own way simultaneously or if Ben joined a smaller group whose members he lost over a period of time.  The straight-forward nature of their discussion probably hides some pretty terrible realities.

The next morning, they encounter some hillbillies controlling a bridge they need to cross, and Ben tricks them into thinking they've gotten a drop on them.  In so doing, he also tricks them into drinking a neurotoxin he's disguised as whiskey.  The group continues on their way where they discover a seemingly dead owlbear surrounded by dead orcs.  The owlbear is revealed to be alive (barely) and manages to swipe Ray's leg before Ben kills it in front of it cub.  Ray looses consciousness, so Rook commits to returning him to town in time to save the leg as she figures Ben is able to handle Redjaw and his woman (the only two members of the band not dead in the ring) on his own.  Ben says the orcs did them a favor killing the creature, but Rook disagrees, saying she was just defending her young and her home.  Ben disagrees in turn, saying they don't belong here.  As Rook leaves, Ben commits to killing the cub, though he tells it not to look at him "like that."  I think we just got a new pet, people!

New-ish Comics: The May 30 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Amazing Spider-Man #800:  This issue is great.  Really.  The story is actually 80 pages, which makes it feel less like the money grab it still obviously is.  (Seriously, Marvel, stop with the $9.99 issues.)

I wasn't sure how Slott was going to pull off an 80-page story, but he really nails it.  The story doesn't drag, and the resolution feels hard won.  Each step that brought us closer and closer to the resolution felt well supported by the steps preceding it.  Slott accomplishes this feat (rare for him lately) by keeping everything grounded in characterization:  Flash sacrifices himself to allow Peter to keep the powers he needs to take on Norman, Peter uses his brains and not brawn to defeat Norman, Norman's ego undoes him, etc.  We even have Aunt May implying she knows Peter is Spider-Man and telling him she's proud of "Spider-Man" for saving so many people, herself included, over the years.  Peter’s speeches to Flash and Jonah carry the weight of almost 60 years, and Slott made us feel that weight in a good way.

I’m not saying it’s a perfect issue.  After all, JJJ, Jr.’s decision to shoot Norman feels like an afterthought, when it's really a huge deal.  First, Immonen (unusually for him) screwed up the positioning, as Peter takes the shot to his shoulder well above Norman’s head.  Given JJJ, Jr.s was firing nowhere near Norman's body, it actually reads more like he was firing a warning shot.  But, we can tell from the narrative he wasn't, and Slott really never addresses the idea JJJ, Jr. is willing to murder Norman.  Compounding matters, Peter just categorically forgives JJJ, Jr., an example of moral relativism that we don’t often see from a guy committed to making sure no one dies.  Sure, he let Clash off the hook for stealing, but it was because he was playing Robin Hood; attempted murder is something else entirely.  I get where Slott was going with the idea of Peter forgiving Jonah, as it's part of Peter pledging to Flash he'll stop engaging in his own form of bullying.  But, I still don't understand what Peter meant by that.  His wisecracks?  It's a pretty big leap to go from taking responsibility for making fun of criminals to condoning attempted murder.  Moreover, Slott is writing a check here he’s not going to cash; I’m not sure I understand how a more serious Peter (if a non-joking Peter is what Slott is setting up here) will play.

As I've said previously, I loved Dan Slott at the start of his run.  "Big Time," "Spider-Island," and "Ends of the Earth" were great Spider-Man stories:  they were ambitious, fun, and innovative.  They showcased the best and worst of Peter Parker, from the extended supporting cast that makes him who he is to the nagging self-doubt that threatens constantly to undermine him.  Then, "Superior Spider-Man" happened.  At this point, the wheels went off the bus.  Slott and his editor, Stephen Wacker, presaged the Trump era by dismissing anyone expressing confusion or disappointment with the poorly structured story as an enemy.  Slott's then seemingly lost his ability to tell large-scale stories as both "Spider-Verse" and "Dead No More:  The Clone Conspiracy" were complicated, sprawling, and tedious.  Then, Peter essentially became Tony Stark; it's no irony Slott is going to write him next.  You could've replaced Iron Man for Spider-Man for the entirety of "Amazing Spider-Man" volume 4 and likely not have noticed a difference.  At this point, it was increasingly clear it was time for Slott to go.

Slott wraps up his time next issue, and we'll see how that goes.  At this point, I'm glad "Go Down Swinging" brought back some of that magic "Big Time" had.  We could all use a little magic right now.

Daredevil #603:  I’ll admit this story is starting to feel too long, as if Soule is going to drag out this night for several years of stories.  I mean, Henderson’s art is great here, so I’m not exactly complaining.  But, the Hand’s ninjas retreating from the streets of New York so the Beast could unleash a toxic cloud on the city felt like an excessive escalation of the assault.  Wasn't a plague of ninjas enough?  Moreover, Matt seems completely incapable of doing anything believable in terms of fighting off the Hand’s superior force; releasing Black Cat, Diamondback, Hammerhead, and Owl doesn’t do much to stop a toxic cloud.  You’d figure Murdoch would’ve put someone (Dr. Strange?) in charge of finding a way to stop the Beast.  Moreover, it’s hard to believe this assault is just because Blindspot refused to kill Muse as part of his deal with the Beast.  It seems completely disproportionate.  It makes more sense for the Beast to get revenge on Matt by making him mayor and thus making him responsible as the Hand destroys his beloved city around him.  If the Beast is willing to destroy New York because of a teenager's broken promise, it makes you wonder why he hasn't already done so.  Someone somewhere had to disappoint him previously.  It’s all serves as a distraction from the great story about the Kingpin’s reign as mayor, making you wonder if Soule wouldn’t have been better off sequencing the stories rather than telling them overlappingly.  I know that’s how "real" life happens; “Batman” arcs are always at their best when he’s juggling multiple enemies a the same time.  But, again, it feels like Matt is going up against nuclear weapons with flint knives here.

Infinity Countdown:  Captain Marvel #1:  This issue is fine in terms of scripting (if a little too rah-rah), but it makes no sense in terms of the plot:  Carol’s consultations with the other Captain Marvels helps her learn how to defeat Blastaar in a less destructive way than she originally did, but she concludes her gut is a better guide (even though it, by definition, wasn’t).  It's not terrible, but it definitely feels like a cross-over event tie-in issue.

Marvel 2-in-One #6:  This issue somehow manages to wrap up this story quickly, without skimping on the emotions.  A freed Johnny Storm uses the Power Cosmic to sate Galact-a-Doom’s hunger in time for Emma to transfer her mind into his body.  Using a Trojan Horse code Reed wrote, she turns herself into a creator instead of a destroyer.  (You have to wonder why Reed didn't turn him into a creator the first time he appeared at Earth, but it is what it is.)  Johnny then uses the remaining part of his Power Cosmic to empower Norrin to follow Emma into the stars to recreate the Universe.  But, the best moments are saved for the team, as our Johnny encourages our Victor to trust him (and not prevent Emma from taking over Galactus) because it's what made the Fantastic Four great.  Then their Reed tells our Ben he knows his Reed and Sue are dead.  Overall, it makes for an unusually sad issue (particularly when we learn Galen died of madness, knowing full well what he did as Galactus).  Although Ben and Johnny might have helped recreate this world, as far as Ben knows, his universe doesn’t give him that same hope.

Spider-Gwen #32:  Gwen wraps up some loose ends here before Captain DeWolff arrests her.  She reunites with the Mary Janes, and Reed records their band practice as the source for a device whose sounds incapacitates Matt Murdoch.  It allows Gwen to swipe the Web-Watch and leave Murdoch for the Hand, whose leadership has declared war on him for his incompetence.  It’s hard to count out Murdoch, though; his pledge to get revenge on Gwen feels real.  Meanwhile, Gwen assures the Mary Janes that she knows what she’s doing.  Her father believed in honesty, but Gwen realized “honesty” was about emotions; George was trying to get the people of New York to see Spider-Gwen through his eyes, essentially asking them to trust him.  To Gwen’s mind, the truth (not "honesty") allows the people of New York to draw their own conclusions about her.  It’s a compelling case, though we’ll see if Gwen can live with the consequences.  In another note, Gwen seems to tell Murdoch the device doesn’t hurt her because it’s the voices of the people she loves, implying she’s found a balance with the symbiote.  (I'm not sure I'm buying that, but I think it's what Latour is arguing.)  In fact, she implies Murdoch believed the symbiote feared sonics because he feared sonics.  It’s a bit of a stretch but I get where Latour is going with it.  It goes to the idea of Gwen as a fully integrated person, not just the sum of all her various personas.  We'll see what happens next issue.

X-Men:  Blue #28:  It was always clear Alex was going to be cured, both body and soul, and Bunn takes care of that pretty effectively here, as Havok, Bastion, and Miss Sinister are defeated on several fronts.

First, Magneto calls Elixir and Exodus from the past (or future) to stop the spread of Mothervine:  Exodus uses his powers to teleport them from infection site to infection site while Elixir cures everyone who didn’t actually have the mutant gene to start.  Meanwhile, Emma is appalled as Miss Sinister tortures Jimmy and Bloodstorm, mostly because she doesn’t like the idea of mutants being manipulated.  (Sinister also confirms the mutants of Jimmy’s world were manufactured, and he carried the code — Mothervine — in his DNA.  I'm not sure if we knew that previously, but there you go.)  Emma turns against her, taking control of Mach-2 and using her magnetism to free Jimmy so he can slice Miss Sinister into ribbons.  With Emma’s control lifted and Sinister’s presence gone, Lorna, Daken, Gazing Nightshade, and Xorn are free.  They join forces with Emma, Bloodstorm, and Jimmy to take down Havok and the remnants of his Brotherhood (Bastion, Toad, and that white-haired guy, as far as I can tell.  Bastion tries to assert control, but Xorn releases his singularity, seemingly destroying himself and Bastion in the process.

All that’s left is for Alex to be saved.  Bunn does his best here to make it clear why it was only now that the specific confluence of factors necessary to heal him were presented.  Emma uses Lorna’s memories of Alex to punch through his defenses and invert him, lamenting the loss of his potential as a bad guy, and Elixir uses his powers to heal his face.  Alex is shaken from the experience, feeling as if part of his soul has been ripped from him.  If Bunn stumbles at all through this issue, it’s in Emma’s decision to become an unrestricted good guy.  I get why she turns against Miss Sinister, but it’s less clear why she finally decides to heal Alex.  Even if Lorna’s memories of (i.e., love for) Alex served as the necessary Trojan Horse to cure him, Bunn doesn’t tell us why Emma would actually turn the switch.  As she herself says, he would've been a powerful ally.  But, Bunn does a solid job with healing Alex’s scar. I never bought into the idea that Alex’s skin was somehow destroyed on a molecular level, as it really made no sense.  (We can resurrect people from the dead, but we can't fix Alex's scar?)  As such, Elixir healing him here felt like a logical fix to a problem that should’ve been solved a long time ago.

At any rate, I’m just glad to have Alex back.  “AXIS” was a pretty terrible event, and it made little sense to sandbag such a great character — particularly given what Remender did with him in “Uncanny Avengers” before “AXIS” — with that legacy.  (Plus, I’m not going to object to his handsome face returning.)  Now, I’m just exited to see Emma and a furious Magneto go to war.

Also Read:  Ms. Marvel #30; Pathfinder:  Spiral of Bones #3; Star Wars:  Lando - Double or Nothing #1; X-Men:  Red Annual #1

New Mutants #6: "Road Warriors!"

Countdown to "'Ah'm Nigh Invulnerable When Ah'm Blastin':"  None.

This issue continues the Team America storyline, and it somehow even gets worse.  Claremont throws out any sense of logic or plot:  the team somehow takes on A.I.M. without anything approaching a weapon, and we never learn what the point of Viper's scheme is.  Let's just get to through it, shall we?

Summary
The New Mutants bust into the apartment of Nguyen Ngoc Coy, Xi'an's uncle and a former general in South Vietnam's national police.  He's currently a "prosperous multinational businessman" as well as the "self-styled crime czar of the Bay area."  A robe-clad Nguyen orders his two sexy lady bodyguards to kill Xi'an and her friends, but Xi'an is able to possess both women as Rahne transforms into a wolf and tackles Nguyen.  With the bodyguards unconscious, Xi'an demands her uncle provide the team with information on Viper.  Despite Rahne growling at him, Nguyen sticks with the claim that he's a simple businessman.  When Xi'an then threatens him, he asks what she plans to do if he refuses to squeal.  She then possesses him and marches him onto the ledge of his penthouse.  She informs him it's a 250-meter plunge onto California Street, but he calls her bluff.  Despite betraying her parents and corrupting her brother, Nguyen knows Xi'an won't kill him.  She admits defeat, but 'Berto leaps at him, informing him he has fewer scruples than Xi'an does.  The team stops 'Berto before he succeeds in throwing Nguyen off the ledge, and Nguyen offers to help them if Xi'an agrees to work for him for a year.  Xi'an is appalled at the idea of using her powers as her brother did, to help Nguyen expand his criminal empire.  But, she agrees for Dani's sake.

In "Sonora Province, New Mexico," R.U. Reddy leads the team as Wolf tries to catch him.  However, the mountains are more suited to Reddy's style of riding (motocross to Wolf's speed), and Wolf crashes.  Reddy exults in Wolf's failure as the rest of the team arrives and tells Honcho he taught Wolf a much-needed lesson.  Xavier projects himself into their minds, reminding them they still have a tough road in front of them and lambasting them for acting so childish.  Wrench gets to work fixing Wolf's motorcycle as Honcho reminds everyone Dani is counting on them to survive.  We learn Xavier and Lilandra are camped inside the Blackbird on the banks of the Colorado River, halfway between the New Mutants and Team America so Xavier can communicate with both teams.  But, Xavier is exhausted, and Team America's constant squabbling is forcing him to spend all his energy focused on them.

In Viper's HQ in Big Sur, Dani experiments with her power, intending to distract the person watching the monitor focused on her room by projecting her spirit forms at a longer distance than she previously has.  Harada watches from the room he shares with Viper, recognizing the determination on Dani's face and wondering if Xavier fully appreciates her strength.  Harada recommends Viper kill Dani (given her determination), but Viper says she wants to learn more about Dani's powers.  She asks Harada why he's been so distracted lately, and he says it's because his father, Shingen Yashida, has died.  However, when Viper asks if he'll return to Japan to claim his inheritance, Harada informs her he has none:  although his father pledged he would become lord of Clan Yashida, Shingen passed that honor onto his daughter Mariko, Wolverine's fiancée!  Viper pledges to help Harada reclaim his inheritance after concluding the current scheme.

In Black Mesa, Team America arrives at its location, with Honcho complimenting Reddy and Wolf for blazing the trail.  Wolf unexpectedly gives Reddy all the credit, and Reddy tells Wolf that means a lot to him.  But, Reddy tells Wolf he needed Wolf pushing him forward, and they agree that Xavier might've had a point about teamwork.  Cowboy arrives to check on the guys, and he's surprised to find them sleeping.  Xavier appears to Cowboy, announcing he put them to sleep so their natural defenses could be weakened and he could "more easily hone their mutant abilities."  Cowboy is suitably disturbed by that assertion, and he and Georgianna focus on the bikes.  Meanwhile, Honcho and Wrench have invaded the fortress, and Xavier warns them guards are approaching.  They knock said guards unconscious and steal their uniforms.  Honcho explains the place is guarded by A.I.M., "a criminal think tank," and Professor X tells them he "scanned a layout of the complex" from the guards' minds before they knocked them unconscious.  That said, he then says the research staff's minds have sophisticate psi-screens, so he doesn't quite know what they're going to encounter.  He leads them to the vault, and Wrench tries to break through the lock's electronic coding.  But, he trips an alarm, and the research staff opens fire.  Wrench manages to open the vault and swipe the crystal, but, suddenly, the complex explodes.  In the Blackbird, Xavier screams in agony as he explains to Lilandra he suffered a psychic attack from Black Mesa so powerful he couldn't repel it.  Lilandra is also knocked unconscious given the mindlink they share.

In Big Sur, Sam comments how lurking outside Viper's fortress reminds him how the team first came together, Xi'an laments she can't raise Xavier to consult with him before they invade the fortress, and Bobby says he's likely just focused on his new favorite, Team America.  Sam (somewhat bitchily) reminds Bobby Team America, particularly Wolf, used to be his heroes, but Bobby admits they no longer are now that he's met them.  Xi'an decides to green light the attack despite Xavier's absence, but she also suffers a psionic attack, likely from the same mutant who attacked Xavier.  Her scream raises the attention of the HYDRA guards, and the kids leap into action.  Sam takes out a few guards by crashing into them, Bobby hurls a tanker into the generator to dim the lights, and Xi'an uses the cover of darkness to take control of two guards and turn them on their fellows.  A hole suddenly opens in Dani's cell, and she uses her powers to distract two guards, giving her time to knock them unconscious.  She finds a bleeding Rahne in the hallway, and the Silver Samurai -- fully suited -- is standing over her, energy sword at the ready.

At Black Mesa, Team America marvels that Honcho and Wrench survived the explosion, and Honcho wonders if it wasn't because of the MacGuffin...I mean, the crystal.  They're an hour from the border, but A.I.M. hovercraft appear in pursuit.  Cowboy goes on a suicide mission to distract the hovercraft while the others escape, but Wolf calls on the Black Rider to possess him so he can save his friend.  Reddy asks Wolf if he's crazy, but he says Roberto's words struck too close to home, and he will use his powers with honor.  Now the Black Rider, Wolf somehow uses the bike to leap from craft to craft to craft, disabling them in the process.  He tells a stunned Cowboy he feels amazing, and Cowboy tells him to ready for round #2.  Meanwhile, in Big Sur, Cannonball slams into the Silver Samurai before he can harm Dani.  Harada tries to recover, but Bobby knocks him for a loop.  He uses his teleportation ring to check on Viper, as she's locked in a battle to resist Karma's possession.  He calls her name, distracting her.  Xi'an then seizes her mind.  She has Viper turn her gun on Harada, but he realizes it's Xi'an and not Viper, so he knocks out Viper, and, thus, Karma.  He mentions how he could kill Karma's prone form, but he decides instead to escape with Viper.

At the Blackbird, Team America rouses Xavier, who informs them he doesn't sense the presence anymore.  Someone hypothesizes the mutant died in the explosion, but Xavier says it felt more like he was born.  Xavier wishes he knew what A.I.M. was doing, but he puts aside that matter, saying it's time to help the kids.  Honcho tells him they left behind two members of the team, but Xavier points out the window.  To everyone's shock, Wolf is carrying Reddy.  In Big Sur, the New Mutants are reunited with Dani; Xi'an even teases her for her outfit, asking if it's the "latest in Wild West fashion."  Rahne is sleeping near them, and, although they're concerned about her wound, they also know she heals quickly.  Despite appearing unconscious pretty much all issue, Rahne apparently had time to tell Dani about Xi'an's deal with her uncle, and Dani tells her she won't allow Xi'an to do it.  Xavier then psychically appears to the kids, chastising them for taking action against Viper without consulting him.  Xi'an politely reminds him she tried but he didn't reply, and Xavier says, given their success, he retroactively approves.  (Helpful, Xavier.)  Xavier informs them they're on the way to collect them.  However, to Xi'an, his image changes to show the mutant who attacked her earlier; he tells her he's coming for her, body and soul.  She screams, and the New Mutants struggle to understand her as she's speaking in Vietnamese.  Viper and Harada are seen leaving on a boat, and she orders him to destroy the headquarters, with the New Mutants still inside.  He does, and a shocked Xavier tells Lilandra to hurry to California.

The Review
As I said in the lead into this review, Claremont really scrapes the bottom of the barrel here.  As the following list shows, the issues suffers from a number of inconsistencies and mistakes that someone like Claremont rarely makes.  It contributes to the feeling the editors forced the Team America plot forced on Claremont, so he simply threw some stuff on the page and called it a day.

Some of the more problematic developments are:

- I've currently read through issue #13, and I'm pretty sure we never learn what the point of the crystal was.  Seriously, it was totally a MacGuffin.  (Moreover, we also haven't seen Xi'an again.)

- Having finally just watched the movie “The Wolverine,” it’s interesting to see the story that forms the basis of its plot mentioned here, of Mariko taking over the company from Shingen.  In the movie, her grandfather is the Silver Samurai, Shingen is her villainous father and Harada is her ex-boyfriend; here, Shingen is her benign (as far as we know) father and Harada is both her illegitimate half-brother and the Silver Samurai.  It's almost unrecognizable.

- I don’t get how Reddy and Wolf “blazed the trail.”  I mean, it’s not like they were literally cutting a path through a jungle.  Everyone would’ve had to have ridden equally hard as they did to get where they were going.

- I love Xavier putting Reddy and Wolf asleep to weaken their “natural defenses” so he can “more easily hone their mutants abilities.”  First, if you have to weaken someone’s natural defenses to accomplish your goal, you should probably question how worthwhile your goal is.  Second, if Xavier can just hone someone’s mutant abilities while he's sleeping, why all the focus on training?  Couldn't he just turn everyone into a seasoned X-Men with a few naps?

- I'm not really sure what Team America's plan was as they break into A.I.M. headquarters with no weapons.  At one point, Honcho claims to be holding off the A.I.M. researchers firing on him, but he has no weapon to do so.  Even if you buy they’re “unlimited class motorcyclists” who just happen to find trouble, shouldn’t they be a little more prepared for trouble, given they know they’re going to find it in this case?  Given Xavier had the New Mutants submit an after-action report in issue #4, you'd think his focus on planning would've extended to asking Team America how they planned on stealing the crystal from A.I.M. with nary a gun.

- I don't get where the hole in Dani's cell came from.  No one really attacked the fortress enough to rattle it like that.  Are we supposed to believe it was from 'Berto throwing the tanker at the generator?

- Putting aside the idea everyone on Team America just so happened to find the other mutants in the world with the same power to create a projecting gestalt, only Wolf actually uses that power here.  In fact, Reddy asks if he's crazy when he does so, which makes no sense.  As we're lead to believe, they've just spent weeks training with Xavier in the use of their mutant power.  Why wouldn't summoning the Black Rider be everyone's first option when confronted with the A.I.M. hovercraft?

- Last issue, Team America summoned the "Dark Rider," but here Wolf summoned the "Black Rider."

- As he did last issue with Bobby and Rahne, Harada tells us how he could easily kill Karma...but then just teleports.  If he had actually done so, we'd be down to Dani and Sam at this point.

- Why is Wolf carrying Reddy?  When last we left the team, Cowboy and Wolf were ready to go for a second round with A.I.M.  What happened to Reddy?  I guess we’re supposed to assume they fought A.I.M. off-panel?

In other words?  Man, I'm glad this arc is over.

New Mutants #5: "Heroes" (or "Revenge of the '80s")

Countdown to "'Ah'm Nigh Invulnerable When Ah'm Blastin':"  "Ah'm lucky Ah cant' be hurt when I'm blastin'."

This issue kicks of a pretty crazy series of events that takes the New Mutants from encountering a group of D-list celebrities (not Kathy Griffin, unfortunately) to finding themselves trapped in a lost Roman city in the Amazon.  The Nova Roma saga (issues #7-#11) is pretty great, but we have to get through mediocre issues #5-#6 to get there.

Summary
Professor Xavier collapses in his study (in front of a suspiciously sexy headshot of a red-headed woman), and Lilandra rushes to him.  He explains to her (and us) that his "phantom, psychosomatic pain" persists, preventing him from walking.  Lilandra wonders if the problem is actually physical, and Charles panickedly announces the "attack" (conveniently) shattered his mindlink with the New Mutants.  Lilandra encourages him to relax, as they're in good hands for the next few hours with Stevie at a carnival.

The kids are enjoying themselves at said carnival when Bobby excitedly recognizes Team America, "unlimited class motorcyclists" he saw perform in Rio before coming to Xavier's.  Bobby exposits the team disbanded a few months earlier, and Claremont focuses on their banter to show us why.  "Wolf" refuses to lend "R.U. Reddy" his screwdriver, revealing the tension in the group.  "Cowboy" encourages them to cool it, as Bobby approaches asking for autographs for his "sister."  Cowboy happily signs -- and cannily signs one for Bobby as well -- but Wolf refuses to participate in such foolishness, hurting Bobby's feelings.  Cowboy thanks Reddy and Wolf for coming.  He laments "Honcho, Wrench, and Georgianna" couldn't join them, but explains their performance that day will not only help charity but also his cycle school.  Wolf tells him he stands by his friends, though he and Reddy continue to squabble.  The kids take a seat in the stands to watch the show as a mysterious observer standing atop the grandstand complains only half the team is there.  She tells her companion, Keniuchio [sic], to make sure to take the targets alive.

During the team's finale, an explosion knocks the guys to the ground as a group of green-clad goons rush Team America.   As the crowd stampedes around her, Stevie tells the kids she can't reach Xavier through their mindlink.  Sam pledges to help Team America before they're stomped "by a bunch o' goons," but Xi'an reminds him they're not in uniform.  Sam notes everyone is fleeing, so they'll be unlikely to see them in the smoke and confusion.  Wolf is shocked when Cannonball barrels through a group of goons, and Reddy comments they shouldn't let someone else fight for them.  With that, Team America joins the fray as Karma possess one of the goons and has him knock out another one.  Stevie manages to throw Xi'an to safety before she's hit by a missile, and she reminds us she's a dancer and teacher, not a superhero.  Bobby and Rahne leap into action as Team America run over the goons with their bikes.  The mysterious observer and her companion (who she now calls Harada) lament the New Mutants ruining their plan to bring out Team America's mysterious "guardian angel," the Dark Rider.  The observer tells Harada to ensure the children do not defeat Hydra, and Harada reveals himself to Stevie and Xi'an to be the Silver Samurai.  Xi'an tries to possess him, but he's able to resist, knocking her unconscious with his energy sword.  Observing his attack, Sam powers towards him, saying Xi'an better not be hurt.  But, his threat is undermined when Harada easily knocks him aside with his sword.  Wolf picks up one of the unconscious goons' gun and tells Harada to freeze.  However, Wolf hesitates, remembering a recent battle where a man died at his hands, and Harada uses his distraction to throw a throwing star at him.

From nowhere, a black-clad rider appears, but Harada makes quick work of him, evading the motorcycle with a sidestep and then using his sword to cut off the front of the bike.  The Dark Rider recovers, landing on one wheel, but Harada then takes out the engine and rear wheel with a pair of throwing stars.  He's shocked when he takes off the Dark Rider's helmet, revealing "him" to be Dani.  Wishing he could stay to take out the rest of the New Mutants as Bobby and Rahne approach him, Harada picks up Dani and teleports, as Viper instructed him.  Meanwhile, Sam recovers, lamenting his inability to maneuver and shocked when he sees a crying Stevie holding an unconscious Xi'an.  Stevie asks where Dani is, segueing us to an image of Dani dressed as the Viper.  (It's weird.  It's like she's wearing hand-me-downs.)

Dani finds herself in a place reminiscent of the Danger Room.  She sees a motorcycle and hilariously wonders if a "white rabbit in gang colors" comes next.  However, a voice sounds, telling her that she has to escape three large, spiked wheels coming her way and that the bike is her only means of doing so.  However, since Dani's never ridden a bike before, she's instantly confused, forced to leap from it as one of the wheels crushes it.  One of the other wheels almost crushes her but it stops and Harada appears, telling her to follow him.  Dani wonders if she should flee, but realizes she knows nothing about her situation, so fleeing could only make it worse.  Harada leads her to Viper, who observes Dani's incompetence on the bike in the testing room belies the fact she rode like an expert at the fairgrounds.  Viper asks her connection to Team America, but Dani says she doesn't have one.  Viper points out she was the Dark Rider, and a confused Dani stresses she doesn't remember anything.  Fueled by her anger, Dani loses control of her powers, showing Viper as a child fleeing the ruins of war-torn Europe.  A surprised Viper knocks aside Dani, pledging to kill her eventually for the affront.

At the School, Xavier announces he can't find Dani even with Cerebro.  He confirms she's not dead, as he would've sensed that, but posits she's either far from them or shielded from his probes (or both).  Colonel Rossi is on had, and he shows Xavier his files on the Silver Samurai, Viper, and the Dark Rider.  Rossi explains the Rider is a champion rider and electronics expert, though Dani isn't.  Sam asks why Dani would pretend to be the Dark Rider, and Xavier wonders if she had any choice.  He fires up Cerebro to ponder an idea, and Stevie thinks about how Xavier reminds her of the demon from "Night on Bald Mountain" when he uses Cerebro, wondering how he doesn't become corrupt given all his powers.

Meanwhile, in Washington, DC, Viper pays a visit to Honcho, telling him he has to assemble Team America and break into an impregnable fortress deep in Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains to obtain a certain object.  Honcho refuses, but Viper threatens Dani's life, refusing even to provide proof of life to Honcho.  He asks why she wants Team America to accomplish this task instead of her own agents, and she says it's easier to use them.  Honcho says he'll do it but can't speak for the others, and she says it has to be all of them for them to have a chance.  She tells him the rest of the team will be there by dawn (at her instigation) and they have 24 hours to make the decision.  With Team America assembled, Wolf argues Viper doesn't have a hostage, but Honcho asks if they can take that risk.  Georgianna asks Wolf if he wants Dani's blood on his hands, but Honcho then points out the fact Viper might not hold up her end of the bargain.  A knock on the door interrupts the conversation, and it's Xavier arriving with the New Mutants!

Wolf tells the kids to scram, and Bobby threatens him.  Xavier tells Bobby to control himself, and, when Wolf threatens to take him over his knee, Honcho tells Wolf he's acting like a child.  He recognizes Xavier as the world's top expert on mutants, and Xavier announces Cerebro confirmed for him Team America is comprised of mutants that create a "projecting gestalt," using their powers to project their abilities on someone to become the Dark Rider.  Wolf announces they don't need help from Xavier's "nursery school," and Bobby powers up himself and threatens Wolf.  Xavier tells Team America they're responsible for Dani's predicament because they haven't bothered to learn how to use their powers.  He tells them he'll help them learn, though Honcho notes he doesn't seem to be offering them a choice.  Georgianna tells Xavier he's not being fair, but he responds that it's not fair to Dani either; moreover, their powers come with responsibilities.  Wolf threatens Bobby for the cheap shot and tells Xavier he doesn't want to work with the New Mutants.  Given the tensions, Xavier agrees, to the New Mutants' fury.

Leaving the apartment, Bobby is devastated over how foolish he was to idolize Wolf, while Xi'an comments how Xavier can't train Team America and save Dani.  Xavier mentally projects to them then, saying training Team America gives them enough time to summon the X-Men for backup.  He argues Team America's need is greater than Dani's lest they harm an innocent.  An enraged Bobby reminds Xavier he asked them to stay at the School, so Dani put her life in his hands.  Xavier says he'll have to live with the repercussions of his decision, and Bobby reminds him Dani might not be so lucky.  Bobby thanks him for showing how little their lives mean to him, outraging Xi'an.  She tells Bobby he's doing what he thinks is best, as they must, which means they have to save Dani without Xavier's help.  Xavier doesn't stop them, simply acknowledging to himself how they're unaware of the perils they face and hoping his life is the one sacrificed if necessary.

The Review
Oy, this issue.

First, Team America is as '80s of a concept as I could possibly imagine.  I mean, a hair crimper would be jealous of how '80s Team America is.  I can see and hear the commercial for the toys, even though I don't know if they even had a commercial.  It was the sort of ridiculous conceit that made its way to market back then; your toyline couldn't just have one shtick, it needs several shticks.  A great example was "M.A.S.K.," where each element might have worked (transforming trucks!  cool masks!  magic stones!) but together it just made no sense.  (That said, I freaking loved "M.A.S.K.")

To make matters worse, Team America makes even less sense as a result of Claremont having to find some way to connect them to the X-Men.  After all, the only reason the New Mutants are involved here is because they happen to be at the fairgrounds when Viper attacks.  Claremont tries to square the circle by revealing they're mutants, but that somehow makes matters worse.  Five "unlimited class motorcyclists" with exactly the same mutant powers just happened to find each other?  Also, assuming they all have the power to project a gestalt, does it have to be the Dark Rider?  Could it be someone else?  Also, how few guys do they need to do so?  Viper insists they all have to agree to help her as she's blackmailing them, presumably because she wants them to summon the Dark Rider.  But, Cowboy, R.U. Reddy, and Wolf summon the Dark Rider all on their own here.

Moreover, it doesn't help that Viper's reasons for "recruiting" them barely makes sense.  She needs a team of "unlimited class motorcyclists" (sorry, I'll stop with the quotes soon) who summon the Dark Rider to...drive up the Sierra Madre mountains?  Wouldn't it have been easier to recruit a group of advanced mountain climbers?  Couldn't she just have blackmailed the X-Men?  After all, her only leverage here is Dani.  How was she going to convince the Dark Rider to work for her if the New Mutants hadn't foiled her plan to capture him?  

It seems pretty clear Claremont was given an editorial order to work Team America into the series, because it's the only thing that explains why this issue is so sloppy across the board.  It's not just their insufficiently explained mutant powers or Viper's equally unexplained terrorist plot.  Just to pick one example, Xavier claims the psychic "attack" he suffered in his den has severed his mindlink with the kids, but he also describes his fall as a psychosomatic "block," very different from an "attack."  Moreover, the battle scenes are just bizarre.  Team America on several occasions is shown as taking on the HYDRA goons, but it's really unclear how they're doing so.  Often, it looks like the goon is jumping backwards from the motorcycle when, in fact, we're supposed to conclude Team America ran into them.  But, Team America riders never suffer even a loss of control over their bikes, despite running into 200 lbs. of goon.

On some level, I understand Xavier's predicament here.  If he can properly (if hastily) train Team America, they're the best chance he has of saving Dani, particularly if he's able to maneuver the X-Men into backup.  (It raises the question of how inaccessible they are right now if he can't just dispatch them immediately.  But, let's ignore that question for now.)  This way, he's using two teams of adults, instead of a team of adolescents, to save Dani.  But, it also assumes Dani can just hang for a few weeks waiting for Team America to be trained.  In a way, he's treating her as the type of professional combatant he swore he didn't want the kids to become.  In that way, Bobby really isn't wrong here to be outraged by Xavier's callousness.

Turning to the series' ongoing plot, Stevie has noted several times now she's a dancer or teacher, not a superhero.  At some point, you'd figure she or Xavier would agree she's maybe not the best person to be escorting the team outside the School, given how frequently they run into trouble.  (Along those lines, Stevie, you should probably follow your instincts when it comes to whether or not the Professor's powers corrupt him.)

In other words, to be repeat my first comment, oy, this issue.  I'm happy to say it's uphill from here, at least for a while.

New Mutants #4: "Who's Scaring Stevie?"

Countdown to "'Ah'm Nigh Invulnerable When Ah'm Blastin':"  “Ah can’t be hurt when Ah’m blastin’.”

Summary
Stevie receives a threatening phone call, and Xi'an walks into Stevie threatening to rip out the callers' heart.  Xi'an encourages her to go to the police since it's not the first threatening call Stevie has gotten, but Stevie says the police told her verbal harassment isn't a serious enough crime for them to do anything.  She tells Xi'an that it's her problem, but Xi'an presses the issue, not incorrectly noting the X-Men and the New Mutants could help.  Stevie and Xi'an enter Stevie's dance studio and are surprised at the presence of a (not-at-all-creepy, red-headed) teenage boy named Peter Bristow.  Stevie asks how he entered the studio, and he tells her the door was open so he figured he'd tidy up the studio before class.  Stevie sends Xi'an on her way, apologizing for snapping at her.

At the Mansion, the New Mutants are playing frisbee in the snow when Xavier calls for them.  Sam expresses his ongoing surprise at the Professor using his powers while Dani recalls how she can't get over the fact he tried to kill her.  They encounter Lilandra on the way to Xavier's office, and she promises them mulled cider and sandwiches after their meeting with Charles.  Sam thinks about how he still gets the "willies" around Lilandra, while Rahne tells her royalty shouldn't be preparing food for them.  Not surprisingly, Dani asks Rahne if she doesn't think they rate such treatment, and Lilandra thinks about how Dani's rebellious streak reminds her of herself.  Xavier recalls the events of the past few days for the students and tells them he plans to keep open the School, even if he originally made the decision to open it under the Brood Queen's influence.  He understands some of them don't trust him, but he wants them to stay, though he would understand if they don't.  Dani is impressed that he spoke form the heart, something she hadn't heard from him previously, so she speaks for all of them when she says they understand he wasn't himself.  As people who've been unfairly condemned themselves, she says it wouldn't be right for them to do it to him.

Xavier then asks Xi'an if something is wrong, hilariously claiming that, contrary to popular opinion, he doesn't read his students' thoughts.  Xi'an reveals Stevie's situation and tells the Professor she intends to help Stevie regardless of her wishes.  Dani whispers she'll help with or without the Professor's blessing and privately hopes the Professor refuses.  (I guess that détente didn't last too long.)  The Professor hears Dani's remark (and possibly her thoughts, though it's unclear) and realizes he needs to get a handle on her rebellion before it goes too far.  He tells Xi'an to devise a plan, and Dani bristles, saying it's not a classroom exercise or game.  The Professor disagrees, seeing all circumstances, even deadly ones, as opportunities to learn.  He then tells Dani only a fool would waste any strength on unnecessary confrontations and beseeches her not to treat him like an enemy he isn't (even if he just called her a fool).  After the children depart, Lilandra enters, noting how upset Dani looked.  Xavier admits he once would've overpowered her with his powers and personality, but he now realizes her loyalty must come from respect, not fear.  (Good job there, Charles.)  Lilandra then tickles him to hear him laugh.  (Really.)

At Stevie's apartment, Bobby installs a phone tracer the Professor helped him build on Stevie's phone.  She makes it clear she's reluctantly accepting the kids' help, but the tracer works, leading the kids to a phone booth after the stalker calls.  After the "disgusting" smells in the phone booth initially overwhelm her, Rahne finds the scent.  As a result of their psychic rapport, Dani reveals they're looking for a boy their age.  The trail leads them to the high school, where the mixer the kids were invited to attend in issue #2 is happening.  Sam and Rahne crouch at the windows, as Rahne scrutinizes the heat signatures of the kids for signs of an outlier emotion.  The rest of the kids enter with Stevie, hoping her presence provokes a response from the stalker (since it worked on "Magnum, P.I.").  Stevie encourages the kids to enjoy themselves while they're at the mixer.  Tim takes Xi'an to dance as Sam comments to Rahne that he thinks they got the short end of the stick.  Suddenly, the stalker sees Stevie and his heat signature changes, and Rahne identifies Peter as the stalker.  (No!  Quelle surprise!)  Peter realizes Stevie somehow knows and bolts, and Rahne bursts through the window to follow him.  The sudden appearance of a wolf causes a panic, and the New Mutants struggle to follow Peter in the crowd.  Sam makes his way around the building in time to see Peter leap into a car.  Sam follows him and sees that Peter is heading straight toward a mother and her child crossing a crosswalk.  Sam grabs the pair of them but realizes he doesn't know what he should do next.  Although his blast field protects all three of them, he's barreling toward a building.  He manages to turn just in time and, although ecstatic at finally turning, realizes he doesn't know how to return to the ground.  At that moment, Professor X appears in his head, encouraging him to trigger his power in short bursts to descend.  He does, and, although he's left with a fainted mother and bawling child, he's thrilled he finally did something right.

Meanwhile, Peter takes a turn too sharply, crashing the car (which catches fire) into a shed and escaping on foot.  Wolfsbane is in hot pursuit, and Cannonball arrives in time to see him duck into a derelict building.  The kids follow him into the building, but Karma has Bobby stay outside to deal with the fire.  Bobby manages to wade into the fire and hurl the burning car from the shed.  However, an explosion hurls him off his feet, and he discovers the shed is (for some reason) filled with explosions.  He warns Professor X, who warns the kids the situation is dire.  Xi'an says they have to find Peter before he's hurt, though Dani says he'd deserve his fate.  Xi'an disagrees, saying it's not their responsibility to pass judgment.  They hear a scream and discover Peter has knocked Rahne unconscious with a bat; he's startled when she's revealed to be a girl (since, after all, he hit a wolf).  Xi'an possesses Peter as Dani sees to Rahne.  However, the shed explodes, and the building starts to crumble.  Dani tells Xi'an to run as she'll shield Rahne with her body, but Cannonball arrives to grab Rahne, allowing the girls to flee.  Xi'an sends Dani ahead, as she can't run fast while possessing Peter, but Dani refuses, saying they all leave together.  Bobby keeps open the tunnel Sam created through the debris and they all escape just as Bobby's power expires.

At Stevie's apartment, Peter goes into near "mortal terror" when Stevie mentions calling his parents, and Professor X says he's so agitated it (oddly) blocks his psi-scans.  He encourages one of the New Mutants to use their powers to get to the bottom of Peter's fear.  Dani (rightfully) wonders if that's the right thing to do, as people have a right to privacy over their own thoughts.  However, she respects Xavier's authority all of a sudden, figuring he has a good reason to ask her to do it, so she uses her powers on Peter.  We see his heart's desire as an image of him kissing Stevie is revealed.  However, we then see his deepest secret as an image of his father beating him appears.  An enraged Peter lunges for Dani, and Sam's grip on his shirt causes it to tear, revealing scratches and welts on his back.  Xi'an briefly possesses Peter to stop his attack, but they're all appalled by his scars, some of them dating back years.  Bobby asks why Peter's parents hate him, but Peter says they love him -- he's just a "bad boy."  In fact, he didn't understand why Stevie didn't punish him, because she said she liked him.  He kept trying to provoke her, but he interpreted her failure to punish him as a sign she didn't really like him.  He started the calls as revenge.  He collapses into her arms in tears begging her forgiveness as Stevie herself weeps.

Xavier arrives later and wipes out Peter's memories of the New Mutants.  He then calls an ambulance and child services.  Rahne asks what'll happen to Peter, and Xavier says he'll go to a foster home.  He pledges to help Peter once he's ready for therapy, and he tells the kids they should be proud of themselves for their intervention, as they hopefully broke the cycle of abuse.  He reminds them being a mutant isn't about fighting evil mutants or villains, but helping people.  He then tasks them with writing an evaluation of their performance for tomorrow's class, and Stevie tells them they did good.

The Review
Jesus, Claremont continues to be grim.  I mean, Peter isn’t only an abused child; he’s so thoroughly broken from the abuse that he believes abuse is the only way people can show love.  That said, Claremont and Cockrum tell a really moving story here.  The scene of a crying Stevie holding a wailing Peter was particularly devastating, and it shows why the incident has left the kids shaken.  Moreover, Claremont shows how the kids are frequently willing to risk their lives for one another:  Dani for Rahne, Xi'an for Dani, Dani for Xi'an.  Even if they're not as close as they'll eventually be yet, Claremont makes it clear they've bonded to each other.

I enjoy Roberto continuing to pattern himself after Magnum, P.I.  I totally hope in a future issue they run into Tom Selleck.  My favorite exchange in the issue happens when the kids arrive at the mixer:  Roberto immediately declares the band to be terrible, and a seemingly in-agreement Stevie encourages him to “endure,” as he’s a guest.  Continuing '80s pop-culture references, Sam watches the kids dancing from the window and tells Rahne he once made a fool of himself trying to dance like that "Travolta fella."  (I could see that.)

Claremont also continues to use vignettes to tease out the characters' personalities, as Sam confesses to Rahne as they spy on the dance (at a fairly inopportune time, I have to say) that he misses his family.  But, his later exultation when he actually turns puts some fire in his belly.  It’s clear his confession about missing his family came because he was questioning his place at the school, but this development might make him feel a little more at home.  We also see the Professor as a more hands-on instructor than his Brood-possessed self, helping Sam work through his powers.  (That said, it sort of undermines Charles' claim he doesn't read his students' thoughts, as Sam doesn't call for him the way Bobby later does.)

On a downside, I don’t get why Dani was the one to speak for the students about their willingness to stay at the school given she then immediately hoped to defy Charles after he presumably forbade them from helping Stevie.  Yes, she was moved to hear Professor X “speak from the heart” for the first time, but the warm, fuzzy feeling she had faded pretty damn quickly.  More confusingly, she then later trusts Xavier when he orders her to use her powers on Peter, even though she (rightly) has concerns about violating his right to privacy.  In fact, his orders almost seem to confirm she's right to be suspicious of him.  I guess Claremont is telling a nuanced story of a teenager inherently trusting an adult but not necessarily letting them luxuriate in that trust easily.  But, at times, he seems to be going too far with it.

To continue on a theme about Dani maybe having a point, Xavier continues to prove a hypocrite here.  He not only encourages Dani to show us Peter's deepest secrets, he then wipes out Peter's memories of the New Mutants.  What memories does he leave him?  Stevie just guesses he’s abused when Sam rips off his shirt for no reason?

Turning to other characters, it's interesting how fast Rahne is.  In the frisbee sequence earlier in the issue, Claremont shows her able to catch a frisbee in midair in her transitional form, return it, chase it in her wolf form, and catch it before Bobbie can.  Compared to Sam still struggling with his powers, Rahne appears to be learning at leaps and bounds.  In a Marvel continuity note, Xi'an leaves her siblings with Father Bowen, Dagger's uncle and apparently the man who helped her and her siblings in her fist appearance in "Marvel Team-Up."

All in all, it continues to be a solid start to the series.  We've got a clear idea of the characters and their relationships with one another and the challenges they face.  All good so far.

New-ish Comics: The May 23 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Detective Comics #981:  This issue is so good.  Tynion has everything completely and totally collapse.  That alone is a surprise in comics, but he goes one better by making everyone the better for it.

The end comes as Stephanie shows Tim the future that Brother Eye edited -- where Kate kills Bruce not because she's working for the President but because he had terminal cancer and killing him allowed her to pass Amanda Waller's psi-scans.  It's then a quick road to Tim reasserting control over himself.  The Belfry collapses, and the dream is dead.

But, Tynion makes it clear it should be dead.  Both Kate and Tim are shaken by the revelations about their future, mostly because they realize they both spent so much time worried about their futures that they've neglected their presents.  The team ends so everyone can take time to assess where they are.  The President pardons Jacob on the promise he dissolve the Colony, so he helps Kate as she becomes an independent Batwoman again.  Cass goes to live with Leslie, and Babs has agreed to tutor her.  Clayface (in human form) watches her happy ending from the shadows with a tear in his eye before leaving Gotham with Victoria.  Tim and Bruce embrace the fiction of Tim going to Ivy University as, instead, he and Stephanie head into the sunset (literally).  (Tim tells her he doesn't want to take the lonely path his future self took.)  Jean-Paul is left searching for his own truth while Luke dedicates himself to studying Brother Eye so something like it can never happen again.  In other words, none of them is in the place to be part of a superteam right now.

Tynion does a great job of showing of how each development is connected to each character's experience over the course of his run; they're not just left somewhere DC needed them to be because of some upcoming event.  Interestingly, it's Bruce who's possibly the most changed.  He's still smarting from Babs' analysis of his relationship with Kate, and, in typical Bruce fashion, he sees it as a problem (Bruce = bad at relationships) to solve.  (Tim even comments on how odd it is to see him smile.)  In other words, Bruce's lesson is the value of trusting his family and saying he's sorry.

It takes someone of Tynion's talent to leave everyone so broken but thus better, but he totally does that here.  This entire long arc has been one of the strongest Batman stories ever told, incorporating a supporting cast in a more profound way than we've previously seen.  I can't wait to see where we go from here.

Hunt for Wolverine #1:  I wasn't going to read this event, because, OMFG, I'm over events.  Also, Marvel is engaged in a cash grab of almost unprecedented proportions with four mini-series spawning from this issue.  But, when I saw one of the mini-series involved getting the New Avengers together, well, I just couldn't pass up the chance to see the old band again.  The goods news is Soule is as good as he usually is here.  He wisely chooses the Reavers to be the villains who go after Logan's corpse.  First, their motive is pretty clear:  their last few jobs haven't gone well (a nod to the general incompetence of villains), and they need money for repairs and upgrades.  But, they're also formidable enemies even in their weakened condition (a nod to their illustrious past of ass-kicking).  Along the way, we learn their attempt to extract Wolverine from the statue was always doomed to fail, because Kitty had phased his body from the adamantium months ago.  I've wondered why she hadn't done so numerous times since Wolverine "died," so it's good to see Marvel going with this approach here.  It also makes sense:  they wanted to keep it a secret so he could have a legitimate resting place.  Soule also wisely uses a framing device of Kitty telling Logan this story at his grave, not just because it's lovely, but also because it sets up her discovering he's not there.  The second story has Kitty recruiting help from all the corners of Logan's life, setting up the four (!) mini-series.  Soule is successful here because he spends a lot of time focused on the characters' voices and personalities; everyone sounds and acts like s/he should.  If the authors of the mini-series keep that attention to detail, it could be a good time, even if it is a cash grab.

Infinity Countdown:  Darkhawk #1:  I have two main questions after reading this issue, and I'm afraid only one is going to get answered.  The one I expect to get answered is how the Raptors are now able to survive without their link to the Tree of Shadows.  But, the question I don't think I'll get answered is how the Fraternity of Raptors went from a somewhat feared group to the hot mess it is here.  The Raptors are apparently mad at the Fraternity for stealing from them, but I'm not entirely clear what they stole.  In Chris Powell's case, he switched places physically with the Darkhawk armor.  If the Fraternity only opened a portal into the Nullspace for the first time in this issue, how did they get their hands on Raptor suits in the first place?  If I remember correctly, they're actually using knock-off Raptor suits but, if that's the case, what did they steal from the Raptors to make them so angry?  Moreover, why did Robbie wait until now to actually open the portal to the Nullspace with the Nega-Bands?  Shouldn't they have jumped on that opportunity previously?  It seems like they've maybe been waiting to collect the Power Stone and their failure to do so left them with no choice, but I'm not sure.  I guess I had more questions than I thought...

Star Wars #48:  I'm not really sure what Urtya's plan is here.  I get the idea that he wanted to be the one to broadcast the king's dying message to his people; as he himself said to Leia, it wasn't Leia's responsibility to do so.  In fact, Gillen does a pretty good job of showing Leia as too forceful here.  Urtya's right:  she's endangering the lives of his people, and she's not the one to get to make that call.  But, Leia's also right that his decision to broadcast the piece to his people almost immediately is absurd, since they're nowhere near prepared to rebel.  Why hold Leia and her allies at gun point to retrieve the video instead of working with her and her considerable resources to free Mon Cala from the Empire's rule?  I'm assuming Gillen has an ace up his sleeve, because this sort of loose end is unusual for him.  That said, Threepio's star turn is hilarious, as he and the Clawdite deliver an impromptu three-hour play after the Shu-Torun opera concludes to buy Leia and her team more time.  A big break indeed.

Star Wars Annual #4:  This issue is sort of fun, mostly for the fanwank moment where Darth Vader is impressed with Luke's ability to fly a podracer but then damages the racer to keep his legend (as Anakin Skywalker) for being the only human able to do so in tact.  But, despite Bunn having 30 pages, I still have a lot of questions here.  I don't get why Vader wordlessly destroys one of Darth Astrius' lightsaber.  I mean, assuming he somehow knows Luke destroyed its twin (though I'm not sure how), did it really not have any value on its own?  Also, was I supposed to recognize the items Sana swiped to fence?  It seems like I am, but I don't.  It's not a terrible issue, but I feel like Bunn skipped some steps here.

Also Read:  Falcon #8; Hunt for Wolverine:  Adamantium Advantage #1; Old Man Hawkeye #5; Star Wars:  Doctor Aphra #20; X-Men:  Gold #28