After a few weeks of somewhat passive comic releases, today is a massive wave of awesomeness and slight regret.
No words are really needed, but here are some reasons why. Two series' and one mini-series that I have come to love are over. That's right! The New Avengers, Dark Avengers and Siege came to a close today, which makes me reasonably sad.
ON TO THE INKED PAGES OF NICENESS!
New Mutants #13 (Second Coming: Chapter 7).
At least there are SOME epic tales of heroism and villainy, locked in a combative dance across time, that HAVEN't been cancelled.
New Mutants #13 picks up immediately where Uncanny X-Men #524 ended, as the Second Coming chapters usually do. Domino is being contacted by Cyclops with the hopes of bringing The Vanisher to Utopia. For those not in the know, The Vanisher is a teleporter...and we all know what Bastion and his Purifiers think of X-Men teleporters! Naturally, he's very scared for his own life and tries to leave town. He returns to his apartment to find his girls murdered and, before he knows what has happened, is the victim of an assassination carried out by Bastion minion, Stephen Lang.
With the three of the four teleporters dead, and Magik trapped in Limbo, Bastion uses his spy on Utopia to execute the next stage of his sinister plan. After Dani Moonstar gets in Cable's face about whether or not Hope is worth it, Hope jumps to Cable's aid. A pretty rough fist-fight breaks out and Cable interrupts Cyke's attempts to stop it, stating that she needs to find her own maturity.
I think that at any other point in the story, this would have come as an odd surprise. I mean, why would Cable protect her through time and all the way back to the present if he's just gonna ditch her and decide she can walk on her own? At THIS point, however, it made sense. She obviously needs to find her place in this time, but she'll never be able to do that if everyone keeps her in a bubble.
The fight is interrupted by a huge explosion, and it's NOT good news. Bastion's spy has destroyed every available mode of transportation on Utopia, effectively trapping the X-Men. He talks trash to the team as soon as they arrive on the scene and is promptly blasted into oblivion by Cyclops for his troubles. Warning them to prepare for an attack, Cyke begins organising his team for what may just be the last stand of mutantkind.
I really, really cannot get enough of this series. I don't know what else I can say that I haven't said already. Considering the amount of people involved in this story, the combined team of writers really do make it feel like every one of them has something invested in the fight. I'd say that the only part of the saga that's lacking is the X-Factor tie-in, but that's to be expected. It's not truly central to the plot.
To make it easier for you, here is a read order of the entire Second Coming saga, containing everything you'd possibly need:
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Seriously, get into it.
Siege #4 of 4.
It all ends here. Seven years of Marvel storylines have essentially been building to this. From Avengers: Disassembled, to House of M, Civil War, Secret Invasion and Dark Reign. It's all been leading to one moment.
Asgard itself has fallen by the hand of The Sentry, and now The Void has entirely manifested itself against our intrepid heroes. All of Marvel's available forces are united on the battlefield that is the crumbled ruins of Asgard. The Hood and his entire gang have been powered up with Asgardian Norn stones, courtesy of Loki, and our heroes really have their work cut out for them.
The issue opens with The Void unleashing fury on just about any living being in sight, and the art is utterly astonishing. Olivier Coipel really draws his ass off on this mini-series, I'm not even joking, he's such a beast. Loki's voice-over narrates the carnage and destruction, but not as we expect!
There's a great deal of regret as he explains that he never intended for Asgard to fall, only to be returned to its rightful place and ownership, highlighting the fact that he never knew how powerful The Sentry/The Void truly was. He request forgiveness from the Allfathers and, with tears in his eyes, retracts the Norn stones from The Hood and all of his boys. In an entirely unexpected and daring turn for Bendis to make, Loki empowers all of Earth's heroes with the force of the Asgardian Norn stones. He insists that those who fight to defend his father's home with dignity and valour deserve the aid.
The battle momentum soon shifts in favour of the heroes, but The Void is not so easily fooled. The Void, by the way, looks genuinely terrifying. Really.
Tracking down Loki, he begins his attack. Then in yet ANOTHER unexpected turn, Loki apologises to Thor, calling him brother for the last time as The Void completely disintegrates him. As much as I thought this was an incredibly poignent moment, I can't entirely bring myself to accept that Loki never wanted to rule Asgard. I can't accept that all of his work during Dark Reign, inciting the Siege, was all for essentially nothing. I don't really buy it. Although, the destruction of Asgard regardless may have shocked him into siding with the heroes. Bendis DID do a great job of having Loki come off with a tremendous sense of regret.
Now lacking the additional power, the heroes begin to fight what they feel is a hopeless fight, although Thor really does crack into The Void with as much intensity as I've ever seen. Steve Rogers smacks Osborn in the face with his shield and asks him to tell them how to defeat The Void, to which he utters the sinister words, "You...you can't! He's...the Angel of Death."
How literally we're meant to take this is...not known to me.
Iron Man makes radio contact with the H.A.M.M.E.R. helicarrier and tells everyone to get off it immediately. When Victoria Hand asks why, he says, with unparalleled coolness, "Because I'm about to turn it into a bullet."
The helicarrier and all its weaponry crashes into The Void, the explosion is IMMENSE and everyone ducks for available cover. When the smoke clears, there lays Robert Reynolds, the frail and human form of The Sentry/The Void. Finding out that he's responsible for everything that's happened, he requests to be killed. THIS is what I was curious about, because Siege needed to end well.
With his request denied, The Void begins trying to attack again, but Thor deals a swift blow and ends the life of Robert Reynolds once and for all. I must admit, I did feel a great deal of pity for the guy. Not many people consider The Sentry a good character and I was never a fan myself, but I think that in this end, people will really see what purpose he had.
He was a man who intended to do good, but simply had way too much darkness and not enough will to fight or control it. Perhaps with the right guidance, he could have. This makes it doubly shameful, I guess. Osborn essentially drove the man off the deep end and it resulted in him being killed by someone he considered a friend.
The heroes begin rounding up all of The Hood's goons (The Hood and Madame Masque both fled the scene during the battle) and cart them off to finally face the punishment for their crimes.
In what I feel was the most integral moment of this issue, Steve Rogers is given the position that Nick Fury and Norman Osborn once occupied. He's the Marvel Universe's top cop now. He tells the President that he will only do it HIS way, and the announcement is made in Times Square that the Superhuman Registration Act is vanquished. Every hero is a free hero.
The Heroic Age finally feels real, ladies and gentlemen.
As the gathered heroes celebrate atop Stark's re-acquired Stark Tower, Thor appears, followed by many Asgardians. He expresses thanks for all their help, states that they showed heroism beyond the call of duty and that he will forever be read to return to the ranks of The Avengers, whoever they may be. Heimdall, at Thor's insistence, erects a structure on top of Stark Tower that has the Rainbow Bridge leading from it. I'm guessing this is a quite epic union of Asgardians and humans.
Steve Rogers tells Thor that he is glad to hear him say what he did, because he is going to need everybody for what comes next.
So ends Siege.
I do think it's unfair to criticise Siege, as some have, for ending so obviously. What did you expect? The next status quo is called The Heroic Age. It was clearly always going to be a case of good guys winning.
I think Siege could've done with being one or MAYBE two more issues, but I think that's because it was a blockbusting action arc. It wasn't meant to be a drawn out, intricate story. I DO think Norman Osborn deserves a prominent role in Marvel stories to come, and it feels kind of like he's just swept aside in the issues that end Dark Reign/Siege. Though it DOES feel more complete with the tie-ins.
All in all, the dialogue is cool, the art is mouth-watering and it leads us into The Heroic Age in the only way you could ever ask; heroically.
I'm satisfied. Bendis does a tremendous job of conveying a grand sense of transition, I must say. After Dark Reign, it feels like a new age is dawning.
Siege: Embedded #4 of 4.
Not much happens in this issue, but what does happen is kinda nice.
Arriving at the ruined scenes of Asgard, witnessing the final battle between the heroes and The Void, Ben Urich looks on.
Ben Urich gives a WONDERFUL account of true heroism through the eyes of someone who admires it. It made me very happy. In a world where heroes are often heatedly debated, here is a man who is staring at people putting their lives on the line and appreciating them for what and who they are; heroes.
When the battle is over, Ben Urich wanders New York with an optimistic view of life. Visiting the grave of his beloved lady, he mentions that he finally sees the world as having a future, as getting better every day...and him along with it.
I've always liked Ben Urich and I actually think that this issue really adds something for the fan in me. Would I recommend the series? Ehh. Get the trade if you simply must read everything, or get the single issues as it may be cheaper. You won't be missing much, but I enjoyed this series.
Though I feel this issue was what the WHOLE series should've been, I can't really knock it. It's not as bad as Civil War: Frontline, at least!
The Sentry: Fallen Sun (Siege: Epilogue).
This one-shot is Robert Reynolds' funeral.
Coming after Nightcrawler's funeral, this one truly doesn't seem as powerful, but maybe that's not a fair comparison. Attendees are The Fantastic Four, Tony Stark, Daredevil, Rogue, Cyclops and Emma Frost.
I honestly think that Paul Jenkins writing this is madly appropriate. My issue with this comic is that it tries too hard and doesn't take enough things into consideration.
Nightcrawler was a character who saw the good in almost everyone, never judged and never looked down on anybody. He died sacrificing his life for the future of his race. HIS funeral was sad and warranted tributes as a result.
Robert Reynolds became The Sentry because he was a drug addict who mistakenly took a serum. Granted, he was a guy who honestly wanted to use his powers for the best of humanity, but the reason he is dead is because he flipped and had to be killed. I can't take all the tributes and attesting to his heroism seriously. Sure, don't forget all the good he did, or tried to do, but acting like this is a bit ridiculous.
Chris Benoit was allegedly a really nice guy, he was a great entertainment wrestler and this must never be forgotten. He also killed his child and wife. It's an admirable effort of a comic, and there will always be debates as to how best The Sentry could've been used, but he's gone now. Don't ask us to miss him when you spent so long sending us every which way, Marvel.
I can't. He didn't sacrifice himself. He was a man who literally couldn't overcome his darkness, he didn't overcome it and destroy himself in one last effort of heroism. He was Void-ing out again and Thor had to kill him.
His existence was to be pitied, but that's all. I pity Rob Reynolds, The Sentry.
Dark Avengers #16.
One of my favourite modern on-goings comes to an end.
This issue is the last union of Bendis and Deodato, so I'm gonna tell you that this makes me intensely sad. A sad panda.
Osborn and his goons are at the mercy of Marvel's heroes and face mega-jail time. Ryker's Island jail time, to be exact. Not to be sniffed at (We'll see how long they last in there). Moonstone (Dark Ms. Marvel) and Bullseye (Dark Hawkeye) attempt escape, but are swiftly and brutally apprehended by Ms. Marvel (Who I really dig a lot more than I used to).
Captain Rogers (Steve's new alias) confronts Victoria Hand and gives her amnesty. He tells her he understands that she wasn't exactly in full agreement with Osborn, that she's a good soldier and that he can use her in his team. Upon telling her to go home, get her life sorted and report back to him on Monday for her first assignment, she's left kind of wondering. I would be too!
She got off LIGHTLY, I swear. Then again, she didn't do MUCH wrong. She was following a man she thought would bring about a better world (George Bush comparisons intended, I guess). I'm actually glad Bendis seemed to keep her around, because she's so much more than the Dark Maria Hill. I really liked her role in this series, so to think that she'll be in Secret Avengers, WRITTEN BY ED BRUBAKER, is AWESOME.
I guess the big reveal is that Osborn is now in jail, with Iron Man and Thor outside, telling him he's where he belongs. Osborn begins talking back, and it may be Bendis' finest moment of dialogue.
He explains that he was just trying to make the world safer. He says that one day the wrong mutant will collide with the wrong person and the world will explode in on itself, soon. One particularly memorable passage is when he says, "It's only a matter of time before Hulk destroys everything he see, or The Punisher shoots the wrong bad guy and triggers a nuclear holocaust. Sooner or later, people with powers will make this world into a wreck that no human can live on. If YOU hadn't stood in my way, I could have stopped that happening."
It's then revealed that he is talking to a gigantic, demonic imagining of the Green Goblin. He tells him to leave, to which the Goblin says he can't and that they're trapped together, cackling all the way.
A fairly nice send-off for what was Marvel's best-selling on-going. It was always in the top of my reading list and I AM very saddened to see it go.
The New Avengers: Finale.
Dark Avengers ran for 16 issues, 17 if you include the annual. The New Avengers ran for 64. 65 if you include this, 69 if you include the three annuals. I've been way more attached to this series on account of that, I guess.
I started reading The New Avengers when it came out, back in 2005.
I can safely say it hasn't often let me down, and this finale is no exception.
This issue is where I feel The Heroic Age truly kicks off and sets itself in stone.
The New Avengers take off from the ruins of Asgard and chase down Madame Masque and The Hood, using one of his goons to rat him out and track him down. They force him to set up a meeting, and hijack it. Little do they know, Madame Masque has gone to her father for advise; Count Nefaria.
Essentially immortal and with immense power, he offers to bestow it upon The Hood for ALL the money he owns.
The remaining members of The N.A. storm the building and attempt to tie up the last few loose ends, with Ms. Marvel leading the pack. Neferia turns out to be a bit much, but he is blind-sided by Wolverine, returning from Utopia, and Ms. Marvel takes him out with a HUGE energy blast. Eventually, they're all taken out and dumped at the appropriate authorities.
All of the characters are left wondering where to go from here, now that most of them are newly freed from the S.R.A. and such. Captain Rogers says that if God had taken him or ceased the work they did over the past years aat any point, he'd have been proud. He'd have pride in the fact that they all stepped up and did what they needed to do, as heroes.
The most beautiful panel really drives home something. Captain Rogers says that he promised himself, way back when they formed The New Avengers, that whenever peace came, he'd do one thing; take a nice walk in a park. As much as that may seem simple, it actually makes you appreciate just how important such things are. I always go walking around my city for those very reasons.
The last panel is a picture of Luke and Jessica Cage pushing their baby through the park, with Peter Parker taking pics and the rest of the crew following. Out of uniform and out of danger. It's such a beautiful picture.
That was when I realise The Heroic Age was upon us. I can't wait to see what's next.
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So, there we go!
I have to say, I'm so excited for The Heroic Age. Out of seven years of dark and tumultuous storylines comes a time where heroes rule again. If one thing is certain, there are people who won't let it stay that way for long. With Avengers Academy, Secret Avengers, The Avengers and the second volume of The New Avengers, there's LOTS to look forward to.
Next week we see the first issue of The Avengers! The Heroic Age actually starts, and you won't wanna be anywhere else.
I hope you enjoyed this week's edition of Thursday's Comics, I enjoyed typing it.
Thanks to everyone who comments, everyone who reads. Thanks for the AMAZING feedback on Daredevil Month. I've secured two new followers of his on-going! That's something.
Anyway, be sure to check out the blog in the next couple of days. Why? Another edition of The Mast Looks Back of course!
Until next time, peace.
-The Mast
