When writing the editions of Thursday's Comics, I now try to whittle it down to specifically what's worth reviewing. I immediately stop covering series' I feel are dire, both for myself and your convenience.
Despite doing that this week, I still have six comics to review. It's possibly the happiest I've been with a week's comics in a long time! You'll see why if you keep reading this text, stop, and move onto the next piece!
Second Coming: Hellbound #2 of 3.
This story is pretty relevant to what's going on in Second Coming, but not directly. It's not an aimless tie-in, but you can go without reading it. Personally? I am enjoying this, it's pretty good to know what's going on and really helps the scope of Second Coming.
The X-Club (As Cyke calls them) are off in Limbo trying to find Magik (Illyana Rasputin), with various manner of trapped demon after them, Gambit has turned into the Horseman known as Death...again (Just fuck off, Gambit), and N'Astirth attempts to corrupt the very innocent Pixie.
Things take a turn for the worst when Gambit totally corrupts and changes Dazzler and Northstar, seemingly about to engage Sam (Cannonball) and Anole in combat. If that wasn't enough, N'Astirth uses Pixie's grudge against Magik to convince her of something; to get out of Limbo she has to bring him Magik's soulsword. She has to kill Magik.
It seems pretty damn good that the end of this (The whole point being to get Magik back to San Francisco/Utopia in time to help The X-Men) is coinciding with the end of Second Coming. If they run together, it'll be awesome. Well, obviously Magik will come back first, but it's such an amazing story arc.
The art is decent enough, but the enjoyment comes from Chris Yost. Second Coming is being made on its writers. If one failed, they'd all fail. Speaking of which...
Uncanny X-Men #526 (Second Coming: Chapter 10).
Oh man.
Hope is pissed. The issue opens with her entirely bitching out Cyclops for sending X-Force, and Cable especially, on what's effectively a suicide mission. As she storms off, Cyke notes to Emma that her eyes were glowing...like his.
I don't like Terry Dodson's art. It's no more evident than when he draws Emma Frost, too. She's this sleek, elegant, sexual and powerful female figure...but he draws her with such ditzy facial expressions.
There's no joy on the outside of the dome either. The Avengers and The Fantastic Four have absolutely no success getting in and time is running out.
It's X-Force showing up in the Days of Future Past timeline that strikes home the most, though. It feels like The X-Men have continually battled for their present and future over their existence, and this is the one to seal it. Clad in their EXTREMELY slick black and silver outfits (Cable also, nice touch), they take out a few armed mechs and Cable gives the speech:
"Cable: Here's the plan. We kill our way from here to there. Then, we kill our way inside.
Wolverine: Let's do this."
It's epic stuff. Bastion's heavy weaponry is in the present, so it's an easier ride than expected, but X-23 realises they have to kill EVERYTHING, then return home (HA!) and do it there to prevent this from happening again.
Utopia seems to be going down and Dr. Nemesis, on scene with The Avengers et al, says that if they don't get into the dome in a few hours, mutantkind will perish.
Matt Fraction, I salute you. I salute you with both hands.
The trade sales of this story are gonna go through the fucking roof. I swear.
Probably 2010's best story arc.
S.H.I.E.L.D. #2.
The best art on any Marvel comics right now is in this book, on these pages. Dustin Weaver is phenomenal.
Leonardo Da Vinci arrives in Leonid's time and reveals to him that the Council who exposed him to S.H.I.E.L.D. are seeking an END to time, vastly contradictory to Newton's eternal life theory. This won't stand, naturally.
It IS revealed that Nathanial Richards and Howard Stark, fathers of Reed and Tony respectively, were part of S.H.I.E.L.D. during Leonid's time.
Nothing much is revealed, really. There's clearly a lot for Hickman to flesh out here, but I do think it'd benefit with being more frequently released. A lot happens in each issue without a lot specifically happening. A month or two later and you've forgotten stuff, especially if you're buying between four and eight comics a week.
Definitely one to catch-up on though, guys.
Daredevil #507.
In the run-up to Shadowland, White Tiger is ordered by the three daimyo to put The Hand's plan into action. What is their plan? Who knows? You know what Asian ninja lords are like.
I like the art, but I can't wait for De la Torre to return during Shadowland. Speaking of Shadowland, nobody knows what it is yet. What IS revealed is that The Hand caused White Tiger to give Matt the idea, and it leads into something called Snakeroot. Very clandestine stuff.
Bakuto is killed by White Tiger, along with all of his men, and made to look like seppuku. Matt is accosted by a clan of ninja sent by the daimyo and defeats them all, with this made to look like a last ditch attempt by Bakuto to prevent Matt from leading The Hand.
The critical character moment, for me, is when Daredevil (I interchange between Daredevil and Matt, sorry) investigates the brutal scene of Bakuto's murder. He knows something's up, but is convinced by White Tiger to let it go and return to New York now he has The Hand. He never would've done that, so he's clearly on a downward spiral here. As a lawyer, it's his job never to ignore the truth or evidence...but he's doing so.
A very exciting time to be a Daredevil fan, Shadowland is just around the corner and I really can't wait.
Deadpool: Wade Wilson's War #1 of 4.
Fucking yes. FUCKING...YES. What a comic. Oh man.
THIS feels like Deadpool of old. Not OLDEST, but proper, golden-era. Duane Swierczynski, I love you for this.
A hilariously witty issue that chronicles the beginning of an alternate take on Deadpool's history. He's re-telling a special ops mission from a courtroom and it's just fucking excellent. He breaks the fourth wall, he doesn't make dumb jokes and best of all?! THERE ARE NO HEAD VOICES! NONE!
Oh my god.
It's also brilliantly violent. Bullseye brutalises people on the mission Deadpool speaks of, even putting out a small fire on a desk by cutting a guy's throat and causing the guy's artery to spray blood on it.
I don't even know if I'm so starved that it seems better, but I don't think so.
Please, Marvel, give him Swiercynzki the main series. I beg you. It's only a four issue mini-series, but I'll cherish this if it's good.
My biggest question is whether or not this'll be retconned (RETroactive CONtinuity: Re-writing a character's history or editing it as appropriate for a modern story) as his history, or whether this is just another wacky lie told by Deadpool. I suppose that's such a great get-out clause for writers. They can say what they want, and then just say that Deadpool might be making it up.
Amazing.
Avengers Academy #1.
I was never into Avengers: The Initiative. It was fine in premise, but the characters were mostly existing and I didn't really identify with them or enjoy them.
Avengers Academy is what it says. An academic complex whereby certain members of a superhero faculty help to teach the elite, chosen heroes of tomorrow. Never again d the Marvel heroes and heroines want to endure Dark Reign, so they've taken it upon themselves to nurture and teach in hopes of preventing future mishaps.
On the faculty we have Tigra, Justice, Hank Pym, Quicksilver and Speedball (Formerly Penance, and Speedball before that). It's been said there are gonna be guest instructors, but the most interesting choice is Speedball. He was the leader of The New Warriors and it was their foolhardy nature that caused the Stamford Incident, and then Civil War. He leads the group on a training exercise, but is revealed to be a bit of a haunted soul when he snaps at one for making a mistake that COULD be costly.
The plot threads seem to be based around the students themselves and the teachers. The teachers are still unsure on how to teach, and what, reaching both disagreements and agreements. The group themselves are just meeting for the first time.
I do like the appearance and choices of these mostly all-new characters. They were originally kidnapped by Norman Osborn due to being promising, and experimented on horribly. He wanted to augment their powers and it left many of them traumatised, physically (Revealed in this issue).
Mettle (Ken Mack) is a guy who has been described as Colossus if he couldn't change back, except red and kind of has a skeleton head. Very much your sensitive giant of the group.
Reptil (Humberto Lopez) is an energetic yet cautious guy who can change his body parts to different kinds of dinosaur.
Veil (Maddy Berry) is the one the issue focuses on most. She can turn herself into many kinds of gasses, but it's slowly killing her. Hank Pym (Wasp, Giant Man etc) believes that if they don't fix it within five or 10 years, she'll just dissolve. No rush, but enough for her to worry. Kind of an outcasted youth, but personable and friendly.
Striker has control over electricity and appears to be the most insecurly arrogant of the group. Though he isn't mean, just flashy and over-eager.
Finesse is a polymath. She absorbs knowledge at an alarmingly accelerated rate and can learn any skill more or less instantly. Taskmaster meets Daredevil without the blindness, pretty much. She lacks more or less any social skills, though. Actually, she's Taskmaster meets Data from Star Trek. She seems to admit she knows she's attractive and doesn't appear to care for bonding, just to be better.
Hazmat (Jennifer Takeda) LOOKS the coolest, and has the most tragic story, even before her origin was explained. Her power is to be able to exude radiation, toxic waste and other such things, but here's the kicker. Due to Osborn experimenting on her, she has to wear a HAZardous MATerials suit at almost all times; her breath, saliva, skin etc are ALL toxic. She killed her dog unintentionally as a result, and her boyfriend is in the hospital.
It's like Rogue, but more dangerous. She's the student that Speedball bitches out after she gets angry during training and unleshes an unprotected radiation blast at a droid.
They're not the most original characters, but they really do seem to have their own distinct personalities. Not just from each other, but other characters.
Not only does Hazmat look the coolest, but she's SUUUCH a bitch. She's biting, sharp, confrontational and clearly doesn't mind hurting feelings. Mettle says that Finesse is hot and Hazmat says, "What do you care? Can you even feel it when someone touches you?" I don't think she necessarily tries to hurt feelings, but she just doesn't care. I predict it's a defense mechanism, but it'd be real cool if she was just a bitch. I would be too, probably. She got a hard deal. I really can't wait until they delve more into her past.
Before training with Speedball, they all murmer about how they don't think a guy who indirectly caused so much carnage should teach, and Mettle acts as the voice of reason with an amazing quote:
"Mettle: Look at us; Big Monster Guy, The Human Electric Chair, Poison Gas Girl, Assassin Chick and Chernobyl by Abercrombie & Fitch. One wrong move and any one of us could be a murderer. Don't know about you, but I'll be taking real good notes."
I thought that was brilliant. It sort of touches on that youthful element of looking at a problematic teen and smugly being glad you're not like that. Yet, all it takes is a wrong move in a bad moment and you could BE that person.
Finesse overhears Speedball and Quicksilver arguing about having to lie to the kids, that they can't know what they are. The group elects to sneak a peek at their permanent records or some sort, and Striker presents the findings to the group:
Striker: We're NOT the most powerful. We're NOT the smartest. We're the ones Osborn tortured the worst, the ones whose psych tests set off alarms, the ones who could take out a city block. We're not here cos they think we have what it takes to be the next Captain America. We're here cos they're worried we'll be the next Red Skull. They're AFRAID of us."
Finesse says that they should be and Veil's voice-over says that she should've known there was more to it, that she doesn't feel anyone'll ever like her or invest time in her without a motive.
The issue ends.
A very, VERY promising first outing for Gage and McKone, writer and artist respectively. The art is almost like Deodato meets McKelvie and as I said, Gage really does his part to characterise all of these people well.
If I have to drop one of the four new titles centred around The Avengers, it won't be this one, I'd bet.
It's a really awesome jumping on point, too. I'd say if you've never read comics, this is a cool one to get into. New characters, new start.
Class is in session. Don't skip.
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SUCH an excellent week and next week will possibly be as good.
I've no clue what's due out, but I have a SPECIAL GUEST!
On Tuesday/Wednesday, depending on when I get around to putting it up, I will be joined by none other than Kieron Gillen! That's right!
In my second vocal interview ever, Kieron Gillen of Thor and Phonogram fame will be here to discuss the medium we love so much. Make sure you tune in and download yourself a copy of it! My second Marvel writer to grace the blog and I'm very thankful for his time.
Thanks for reading, true believers.
Until next week, peace.
-The Mast
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