Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 4/27 Part 1

Batman #51
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, & FCO Plascencia

After putting Batman through his paces for the past four years, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo end their monumental run on Batman with a quiet night. When a tremor causes Gotham to black out, Batman swings into action to find... nothing. The streets are quiet. The security at Arkham works for once, keeping the villains in. We see a city at peace, and the issue is narrated from the "Gotham is..." colum. Snyder has been exploring the idea of Gotham as a living breathing place since his earliest work with Batman, the "Black Mirror" arc in Detective Comics, and this issue is the time when the city seems happier, seems to be moving in the right direction. We see the man who is writing the column now, whose history throws back to the beginning of the run, and we see the changes Batman has ade to the city in the time since "The Court of Owls." More than that, we see how changed Batman is. This is a Batman who smiles, who enjoys taking the new Batmobile out on its first run, and a Batman who trades wit with Alfred and doesn't simply brood over it. It's a Batman you'd be more likely to see in Batman: The Animated Series than in any Batman comic, and if the comics can borrow more heavily from that version of Batman, you won't see any complaints from this fan. We see the status quo in Gotham back, with Jim Gordon as commissioner, and a great scene between the two friends, and I love Jim's new understanding of what it means to be Batman. But it's not all reflecting on the past. Whether he's planning on doing it himself or setting something up for a future writer, we do get hints that the Court of Owls has something big in the works, and it's good to see Snyder revisit what is probably his biggest contribution to the Batman mythos as he wraps things up here. And there are two simple panels of the once and future Joker, sitting by the pond that he and Bruce sat by in issue #48, now with the mosquitoes returning, a statement I feel about the cyclical nature of comic book storytelling. But in the end, the story wraps with Batman against the dawning sky, and the simple phrase, directed to Batman that, "Gotham is... you. Always." I's a great place to end a run that has explored Batman and what he means to Gotham. I'm looking forward to see what new creators bring to Batman, and what Snyder does in his All-Star Batman, but for now, I'm happy with a quiet night for the Dark Knight.

Ms. Marvel #6
Story: G. Willow Wilson
Art: Nico Leon & Ian Herring

It's been a while since I checked in with Kamala Khan, the wonderful Ms. Marvel, in my reviews here, and that's not a dig against the book; as with many comics that are great each month, you can only say how great a comic is month in and month out before you run out of new things to say. But this month's issue, the wrap up of the second arc in the new volume, does so much right that I have all sorts of things to say. I want to talk about this issue in two different sections, one about the superhero plot, and one about Kamala's personal development. G. Willow Wilson has always written wonderful characters, and her plots and superhero action have been solid, but this arc takes the superhero antics to a level of extreme wildness. Long story short, Kamala asked her friend Bruno, who was experimenting with the golems Loki left behind at their school, to make clones of her so she could deal with school, her family, and being an Avenger all at once. Only the clones are out of control, and now there's a giant one attacking her brother's engagement party. So we have Kamala versus a giant clone of herself. You know comedy is going to ensue, But Bruno has a solution! He's going to create a T-Rex golem to eat all the little clones. Yes. That is his plan. So now we have a giant Kamala, a T-Rex, and still a bunch of little clones. Oh, and Loki shows up too, to drop some snark bombs. It's the kind of wild plot you can only get in a superhero comic, and Nico Leon draws it wonderfully. And it's resolved with a supehero-ex-machina, as Captain Marvel calls down lasers from space to blast them out of existence, because the joy in this isn't how it's resolved, but how it happened. And more important, what Kamala chose to do. Kamala reached out for help, she did the smart thing. And she also realized just how important balancing her life as Kamala is with balancing her life as Ms. Marvel. That is an important lesson all teenagers have to learn, whether it's balancing their time as a football star with that as a student and friend, or their time studying with their time being a Level 12 Paladin. And the great thing is that Kamala does is and doesn't have to bemoan, "the ol' Parker luck," when everything falls apart. Spider-Man never really won; Kamala's life is balanced nicely where she learns her lesson, even when it involves getting caught in the middle of an argument between Captain Marvel and Iron Man (a foreshadowing of the upcoming Civil War 2), and in the end she's able to make her brother's wedding in a beautiful scene. The importance of family, friends, and superheroics, all in one book is part of the wonderful charm of Ms. Marvel, and this issue shows it off at its best.

Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat #5
Story: Kate Leth
Art: Brittney L. Williams & Megan Wilson

If you're expecting a taut, psychological thriller from Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat after the character's appearances in the amazing Jessica Jones TV series, you're in for a surprise, because this comic continues to be a whimsical, hilarious superhero comic. Wrapping up its first arc, this issue has Patsy dealing with two major rivals: the Asgardian sorceress, Casiolena, and her ex-BFF, Hedy Wolfe; specifically, captured by Casiolena, Patsy can't escape to help her lawyer, Jen Walters a.k.a. She-Hulk, face down Hedy, who is reprinting the comics that featured the two of them as teens and not giving Patsy any royalties It's two very different conflicts as Patsy basically trash talks her way to Casiolena while Jen does her best to keep Hedy in check until Patsy arrives, only to leave when she finds out Patsy needs help. The issue also features Valkyrie, Patsy's friends, Ian and Tom, Bailey, one of Casiolena's former henchpeople who has realized that she's being sold a bill of goods and whose journey is a nice example fo how a hero can effect someone's life for the good, and an appearance by Jessica Jones, setting up the furst comic book meeting between the two characters, What's really clever is that the story sets up the ideological conflict between Casiolena and Patsy perfectly; Patsy wants to start a temp agency to help powered people get jobs outside the traditional hero/villain dynamic, while Casiolena is taking in young powered people and turning them into her army of villains by lying to them, saying she can fix their problems. Casiolena's downfall isn't just brought about by Patsy and her heroic allies, but by She-Hulk talking to one of her hench-people, and telling him that you can't use magic to fix a credit score. That sentence just delights me. It's also a great contrast that Patsy has friends and treats them with love and caring, while Casiolena is betrayed by her manservant, Poppo, because she treats him like he's nothing; it's the lesson that the golden rule really works. If you enjoy all ages comics like the new Archie and Lumberjanes and want to dip your toe into superhero comics, Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat is the perfect book for you to try,

We Are Robin #11
Story: Lee Bermejo
Art: Jorge Corona, Rob Haynes, & Trish Mulvihill

It's sad that we're in the homestretch on the DC You titles like We Are Robin, as it's a book that has a lot to say, and does it in a way that remains entertaining and exciting, without becoming preachy, And this issue could have very easily descended into preachy, as the Jokers gang, a gang of teens who idolize the Joker, take hostages at Gotham's Middletown High School. School shootings and hostage situations are a sensitive topic, understandably so, but the issue handles it with decorum, as the core group of Robins we've been following, many of them students at Middletown, work to stop anyone from dying at the hands of the Jokers and their leader, Smiley. Much of the issue is narrated by Duke Thomas, the breakout star of the title and regular guest star in Batman, as he thinks abut guns, what they mean, the power they grant, and the bravery it takes to not use one. It's not an uncommon theme in Batman stories, as Batman is the most traditionally anti-gun superhero there is. But Duke provides an interesting incite, as he's not the deeply traumatized Batman; he even adits to wondering when he was younger why Batman didn't use a gun. But like I said, while there's a lot to think about here, the comic doesn't wallow in philosophy. Instead we see Duke and Riko making their way through the school, taking out some Jokers and preparing to save the faculty who Smiley has all corralled and ready to kill, Dax and Izzy both outside the school determining a way to get in and help (while Izzy makes her decision about being part of the Robins and we get a shock revelation of Dax's ties to an important criminal in the Batman mythos), and Dre, having disguised himself as one of the Jokers, doing his best to liberate the student body. The stories flow back and forth seamlessly, and come together perfectly at the end. After the crisis is over, the Robins meet "The Nest," the man who has been providing them gear, and tell him that they're ready to strike out on their own and learn their own way, and it's a satisfying wrap up of the events and lives of the characters, so I'm curious to see what the final issue of the series does next issue, and where it leaves them moving forward. I've come to really enjoy these characters, and while we've seen Duke in promo art for the Rebirth era, I hope the rest of the Robins find a home as well.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 10/14

Batman #45
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, & FCO Plascenia

Just when you start settling into your life as a costumed hero, you get fired. Picking up right where issue 43 left off, Batman is in an industrial furnace about to be burnt into a cinder. He gets out of it by being clever, which is important to show that Jim Gordon is doing his best to take up the mantle of the Bat and while he's not the Batman we're used to, he's got a lot of the same spirit. And once he's out, he does get the living hell stomped out of him by he Devil Pigs, the gang he was trying to stop. Only the timely intervention of the robot suit, which now has some rudimentary AI to aid him and which he dubs Rookie, saves him from an untimely death. And after that debacle, well Geri Powers fires Jim. She does her best to explain nicely, but it boils down to Jim not following orders. I keep waiting for Powers to turn out to be evil (and she actually jokes about that in this issue, and the mention of her nephew Derek in the recent Batman Annual doesn't help put to rest the fact that when I think of the Powers family I think of villains), but I don't think she's evil, I just think she's doing what she thinks is best, and that might not line up with what I expect as a reader. The whole discussion of super colliders and new elements is an interesting analogy for what Snyder is having her do, and I admit I want something made out of an element called Batmanium 206. Meanwhile, we get to see the connection between Duke Thomas and Tam Batman member Daryl Gutierrez, and I admit to feeling dense when I didn't realize that it was Daryl in the previous issue; it adds both to Daryl's place in this story and the resonance of that impressive issue to have a character from it become a central part of the regular cast, and I just think Duke is the best addition to the Batman in a long time. At the press conference where Jim is supposed to resign as Batman, we get a conversation between him and Julia Pennyworth, who is just the person that this Batman needs, someone to encourage him and keep him going, showing that Pennyworths and Batmen are destined to be intertwined. The end of the issue promises a confrontation between Jim and Mr. Bloom finally, and after all the build up, I bet it's going to be quite a fight.

But there's one other plotline in this issue: what's going on with Bruce Wayne. The thrust of the plot has to do with the fact that the artifacts from the Batcave the Joker co-opted during "Endgame" have been dumped in a vacant lot right next to the rec center Bruce works at with Julie Madison. Bruce sees how the children react to the Joker-fied dinosaur and all the memories, and when he can't get it hauled away, he does what Batman does, and he remakes a tragedy into something that you can move forward from. He also actively addresses the things as trophies, and I begin to wonder how far gone his memories are. And there's a part of me that really wants this to be Bruce's happy ending, because dammit but he's happy. He's compassionate and while he no longer has the drive that made him Batman, he's got he same heart, and it's much closer to the surface now. I know Bruce is going to be back in the cowl sooner rather than later, and I know if he was gone for too long I'd miss him, but it's going to be sad to watch him lose this happiness. But that's the kind of pathos that makes a good story, and so I accept it and look forward to seeing where Snyder takes us before it hits.

Ms. Marvel #19
Story: G. Willow Wilson
Art: Adrian Alphona & Ian Herring

As the End Days arc for Ms. Marvel wraps up, we get a most unique issue of the series, one where Kamala Khan, our titular heroine, never dons her costume. This entire issue is dedicated not to superhero fights and the craziness that comes with existing in a world with Inhuman, mutants, and  monsters, but what anyone would do when there might be no tomorrow. Kamala spends time with each of the non-super characters who have been an important part of her life throughout the series: her parents and brother, her best friends Bruno and Nakia, and even the local mean girl, Zoe. And each of them shows what a great person and character Kamala is. The scene where Kamala and her mother talk about being Ms. Marvel, and Kamala's realization that her parents have done the best by her and her brother they can is highly mature for a teenager, but it's also perfectly in character for Kamla. That level of introspection is surprisingly equaled by Zoe, who apologizes to Kamala for all the closed-minded things Zoe's said to her; maybe it's the end times that bring out the best in us. And Kamala also has to make her own amends: Nakia, who was clearly one of her best friends when we met her at the beginning of the series had more or less disappeared, and so Kamala has to talk to her and try to make things right. And the scene on the roof where Kamala and Bruno talk? Oh, my heart! It's the most mature discussion of feelings I've ever seen high school students have in a comic, and is frankly more mature than most adults have. It maintains the bond of rust and friendship Kamala and Bruno have, while still really getting to the heart of the complexity of their relationship, and the issue of religion, which has been talked about as the main problem for them being together, is barely a factor in it. I admit to being a bit confused by one statement in the issue though: he people, gathered in the high school gym, waiting for either the end or for the heroes to fix things, decide to have dance, and say that's how we do it in Jersey. I tell you, I was born in New Jersey, I went to high school in Jersey City, not too far from where this comic is set, and I have never been involved in any random New Jersey dancing. Maybe I'm hanging out with the wrong crowd... Ah, well, one way or the other, see you in volume two, Kamala Khan.

Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens- Shattered Empire #3
Story: Greg Rucka
Art: Marco Checchetto, Angel Unzueta, & Andres Massa

The time between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens is ripe with story potential, and Greg Rucka's Shattered Empire is the first story I've read set primarily in this new timeline. Introducing two new characters, Lt. Shara Bey, a pilot who flew an A-Wing at the Battle of Endor, and her husband, Sgt. Kes Dameron, a commando who helped raid the shield generator on the Forest Moon. After gong off on separate missions last issue, this ones sees them drawn back together, as Dameron's squad finds out about the Empire's Operation: Cinder, a plan to wipe out various worlds, one of which is Naboo, where Bey has flown Princess Leia to meet with the current queen of Naboo. Greg Rucka writes great crime and spy comics and novels, so him writing a comic that focuses on a pair of "normal" Rebels is exactly what I was hoping for an expecting. The first two issues were enjoyable, but this one jumps out at me because of the amazing sequence where, as Imperial satellites devastate the ecology of Naboo, Bey, Leia, and Queen Soruna of Naboo get into the three last surviving Naboo fighters and fly up to destroy the satellites. Not only does artist Marco Checchetto draw the hell out of these scenes, but as the odds get longer, as the Star Destroyer sends wing after wing of TIE Fighters, Bey shows the resolve and spirit of the Rebellion as she is willing to stall for time, and maybe not make it, to give Leia and Soruna the time to destroy the last of the satellites. Fortunately, it doesn't come to that, but it's those moments that stir feelings of some of the best of the EU of old, the Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston X-Wing novels, about valiant pilots. There are also some great cameos from Lando, Han Solo, and a gorgeously drawn Chewbacca (and speaking of that, you also should check out the first issue of Chewbacca, the new mini-series from Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto, which was excellent), and a particular moment tying the prequels to the classic trilogy and now into the time after. With the new trailer for The Force Awakens dropping in just a couple hours, my excitement for the new Star Wars is getting higher every day, and great comics like this are only helping.



Dan Grote looks at another number one from All New, All Different Marvel...

Sam Wilson: Captain America #1

Story: Nick Spencer

Art: Daniel Acuna

Nick Spencer has made his name at Marvel writing scoundrels of varying levels of endearingness, from the heroic-but-still-a-thief Scott Lang to the heist-happy non-heroes of Superior Foes of Spider-Man.

His newest series gives us a Captain America who is broke and less than universally loved, but not deservedly so.

Sam Wilson has been wielding the shield for a while now, since Steve Rogers was aged, which was only last year, but since then there’ve been more than a few time jumps. Apparently, things have only gotten more difficult. He’s broken ties with SHIELD, where the name Steve Rogers has become a dirty word. He’s an Avenger, but it’s a rookie team and half of them are teenagers with homework and curfews. His philosophical differences from his predecessor have led partisan America to brand him a traitor and a fraud (people still love his bird, though). His solo operation – funded partially with donations from his brother’s ministry – consists of combing through video nuisance complaints and requests to help Moby lookalikes impress Taylor Swift until he comes across someone legitimately in need of help.

To be clear, Spencer is taking a partisan stance with this book. He openly mocks the American right-left divide. The issue’s main villains, the Sons of the Serpent, are portrayed as border-wall loving rednecks harassing Mexican migrants because their leader doesn’t want to press one for English. If they were any more of a caricature, they’d be wearing red “Make America great again” caps over their Cobra Commander-style head bags. They’re still a nice change of pace from Hydra, though.

Wilson isn’t alone in his solo title. Working with him are Misty Knight, one of Marvel’s empirically best women, and the book’s Spencer-iest character, Dennis Dunphy, formerly known as D-Man, who dates to the late ’80s, when original-recipe Cap spent a lot of time fighting and allying with ex-pro wrestlers juiced up by the Power Broker. Now, he’s Sam’s pilot, except they can’t afford a plane. Apparently Sam spent the last of his money on body armor for Dunphy and a sonic cannon for Redwing.

The creators appear to be working toward a Sam-Misty hookup, but then Marvel released a picture last week of Sam smooching on Jane Foster’s Thor in an upcoming issue of Avengers, so who knows what’s going on.

Full disclosure: I dropped the last volume of Captain America, by Rick Remender and Stuart Immomen, after issue 2. I love Sam as Cap, but the execution just wasn’t working for me. Spencer and Acuna’s book (quick shout-out to Acuna’s coloring work, btw), however, so far is hitting the right notes, building character rather than hitting me over the head with big villains. Here’s to their continued success on one of my favorite characters.

Greeting from Battleword: Secret Wars Week 14

Dan Grote starts us off this week with Kamala Khan's last adventure on Earth-616, and Red Skull and Magneto make the world's most awkward partnership...

Ms. Marvel #17

Story: G. Willow Wilson

Art: Adrian Alphona and Ian Herring (cover by Kris Anka)

The world is ending. The renegade Inhumans have kidnapped Kamala Khan’s brother. People are abandoning kittens and stealing electrical wires all over Jersey City.

Seems like as good a time as any for Kamala to meet her hero: Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel.

Even with a planet from another reality careening toward Earth, Kamala remains the most adorable superhero in the Marvel Universe. She freezes, she forgets her prepared speech, she screams “Everything sucks except for you!” and Carol takes it all in regal stride, while agreeing to help Ms. M save her brother amid the chaos in the streets (not bad, considering she has a space-raft to catch).

And of course, it wouldn’t be an issue of Ms. Marvel without our hero a) lecturing goons about their responsibility to use their skills to help people and b) learning one of the tougher lessons about life in the mask game. Kamala’s heart breaks when she realizes she has neither the time nor the ability to save a building full of purposely-drawn-adorable kittens she stumbles upon in the search for her brother. Had those cats been dogs, I’d be right there with her.

Colorist Ian Herring keeps the focus on Kamala, muting the world around her – including Carol – in shades of twilight gold.

Oh, and if you liked the cover art of Carol by Kris Anka, better get used to it, as Anka will be the regular artist on Captain Marvel come the fall.

Red Skull #2

Story: Joshua Williamson

Art: Luca Pizzari and Rainier Beredo

What started out as a Thunderbolts-style romp through the Shield last issue quickly becomes a tale of two of Marvel’s biggest bads – the Red Skull and Magneto – plotting to overthrow an even bigger bad –Dr. Doom.

If you were at all concerned that the Skull would be playing a hero in this book, you needn’t worry. He still makes Walter White look like Steve Rogers (whom he still very much hates, btw). He basically keeps Magneto on an inhibitor-collar leash the entire issue, until such time as he requires Mags’ full power. He also keeps a copy of Mein Kampf in his Sentinel-head bunker, drinks a can of Trask-brand Sentinel coolant (“keeps me on edge”) and practically does a Mr. Burns-style “excellent” at issue’s end.

The Magneto of this book does not appear to be an all-the-way evil Magneto. After being knocked out by the Skull, he dreams about his reality’s incursion, where he apparently leads if not the, then some X-Men, including Rogue and Gambit. He also feels a bit broken. This is a Magneto who has been captured, castrated via inhibitor collar and keeps getting his ass handed to him by the only person who can give him his freedom back.

(Then, of course, there’s the whole general dynamic of a Jewish mutant who survived the Holocaust being forced to work for Marvel’s most famous Nazi.)

Together, the two plot to break the Shield, the barrier holding back Battleworld’s nastiest hordes, and overthrow God Emperor Doom. To do that, the Skull seeks to enlist one of those hordes, specifically Annihilus’ drones, by letting Magneto off the chain to rage-kill a bunch of them.

Will their plan work? Probably not in any way they intended. Can the Skull, Magneto and Annihilus go an issue without stabbing each other in the back? Definitely not. Does Sentinel coolant taste good? Can’t imagine so.

And I go back to the cutest realm on Battleworld...

Giant-Size Little Marvel A Vs. X #3

Story & Art: Skottie Young

Colors: Jean-Francis Beaulieu

I love this comic. There are a lot of comics that are grim for no more reason then to be grim, but this one is fun for no other reason than to be fun. From the first page, with Skottie Young visions of other Battleworld realms to the final, where we see Little Marvel versions of the Guardians of the Galaxy, every page is jammed with jokes, Easter eggs, and the delightful designs that have made Skottie Young a comic book star. This issue still sees the X-Men and Avengers competing to get new-in-town twins Zachary and Zoe to join their respective teams. The X-Men's treehouse tour includes a visit to Beast's lab where the twins get mutated, a trip through Iceman's ice-slide rollercoaster, and of course The Danger Room, while the Avengers show them a set of special twins Iron Man armor, a web-fluid bouncy room, and Asgard. Every locale is designed with Young's wonderfully detailed style, and is a sight to behold. There are some laugh out loud funny moments, including a fastball special with Blob serving as a soft target, Avengers paintball, Wolverine popping up on both teams as a meta-gag, and a blink and you'll miss it background shot of Kitty Pryde walking Lockheed the dragon. Oh, and there's Fin Fang Foom, who makes pretty much any comic he's in better. The final pages introduce the Guardians, as I said above, as well as Little Marvel Galactus and Thanos, and I never thought I could enjoy a cute Thanos as much as I did here. Fans of Marvel Comics should be reading this just to test their knowledge of all the characters and little in jokes, yet none of that is necessary to enjoy the comic. Marvel, seriously, make this an ongoing out of Secret Wars and I will buy it, and encourage everyone else to do so.

Greetings from Battleworld: Secret Wars Week 9

Red Skull #1

Story by Joshua Williamson

Art by Luca Pizzari and Rainier Beredo

I’m gonna start off this review by shaming myself. I thought I had never heard the name Joshua Williamson prior to reading Red Skull #1. Then I scrolled through this very blog and realized Matt has reviewed his work. A lot. So if you haven’t read his indie series Nailbiter (crime), Ghosted (supernatural) or Birthright (adventure/fantasy), please do so, and perhaps I need to do the same.

As for this book, the first issue sets it up to be the Secret Wars equivalent of Thunderbolts. A team of baddies - Magneto, Electro, Moonstone, Jack O’Lantern, Lady Deathstryke and the Winter Soldier - are tasked by Crossbones with confirming proof of the Red Skull’s death. The Skull apparently led an uprising against Doom and was summarily tossed over the Shield – Battleworld’s barrier against scores of zombies, Ultron robots, and Annihilus drones. If the bad guys don’t comply, they get nasty shocks from the collars around their necks, a callback to Warren Ellis’ run on the ’Bolts. Also, if they fail to find evidence of the Skull’s death within 24 hours, they’re stuck there.

There are a lot of great little moments, many of which involve Electro, who spends the book being an annoying little s--- until [spoiler, but easily my favorite panel in the book and in the top 5 for Secret Wars]. When the team’s plane lands outside the Shield, Electro is freaked out by the sight of a T-rex, which Crossbones then casually shoots through the head, not long before leaving the conscripted degenerates to die in the deadlands. Even the zombies crack wise.

By the “Come with me if you want to live” scene at the end of the issue, you get the impression this can no longer be a team book.

Artist Luca Pizzari draws a few nice cameos, including Miss America Chavez, last seen being arrested in the first issue of A-Force, and everyone’s favorite ’90s lumberjack Thor, Eric Masterson. Then we get to the Shield, and it’s a free-for-all of squinting to try to recognize zombies by bits of tattered costume in a sea of dark shading.

Parting thought: While normally I’d jump all over any T-shirt that says “(X Marvel character) was right,” I think I might have to pass on the “Red Skull was right” shirt featured in this issue.

Secret Wars #4

Story by Jonathan Hickman

Art by Esad Ribic and Ive Svorcina

If man is meant to fear God, then what does God fear?

God fears Reed Richards.

The halfway point of Secret Wars is partly a battle between the survivors of the old worlds: the heroes of Earth 616 who escaped in Reed Richards’ Raft and the villains of Earth 616 who escaped in the raft of the Reed Richards of Earth 1610. Reed 616 has been depicted as bearded, exhausted and shellshocked by the weight of learning that Dr. Doom not only saved reality from being destroyed by the Beyonders but is now the god emporer of all that remains. Even this issue he is still being carried around by the Black Panther. But when Doom discovers Reed 616 among the survivors, he responds with a true display of his power. A couple people die. Important people. Given we’ve already seen previews of what’s to come, you can take as much stock in that as you like. It’s still pretty chilling to see who and how, though.

Oh, and Doom walks right past Reed 1610, pays him no mind whatsoever. Maybe it’s that weird miner’s helmet that covers half his face.

A-Force #2

Story by Marguerite Bennett and G. Willow Wilson

Art by Jorge Molina and Laura Martin

Arcadia has a portal problem. It has also an adorable new resident who is black and sparkly, has the innocence of a child and appears to be the source of said portal problem.

Singularity, the character teased in early art of A-Force, doesn’t speak but takes on the appearance of a girl in her early teens. Perhaps that’s a by-product of the fact that the first person she encountered, at the end of last issue, was Nico Minoru. Perhaps she’s just young. Way too early to say.

Either way, she appears to be explicitly connected to the portals that have been opening up around Arcadia, which so far have led to attacks by a megalodon and a Sentinel. (P.S.: This book gets @Midnight-style POINTS for creative Sentinel death, having She-Hulk run one through with an obelisk while saying “Time we put a pin in it.”)

The portal from whence the megalodon came is a swirling mass of preview art from other Secret Wars books. Few are recognizable, though you can clearly see bits of Future Imperfect and Giant Size Little Marvels: A vs. X. The second portal, meanwhile, appears to be a gateway straight to the New York of Years of Future Past, which would explain the Sentinel.

Considering how big a deal it is that people not cross the borders of Battleworld, having someone around who can make it that easy is bound to incur the Wrath of Doom, who is extra angry after the events of Secret Wars #4. So get ready for an escalation.

Easter egg: Nico has an Iron Man statue in her bedroom. Does Arcadia have a Tony Stark? He hasn’t really been a major character in SW outside Civil War, at least not that I’ve seen.

Future Imperfect #2
Story: Peter David
Art: Greg Land

Well, that was a twist I didn't see coming. At the end of the last issue, the Thing was revealed as the leader of the resistance against the Maestro. The opening of this issue shows the origin of the Thing, who in this reality is Thunderbolt Ross. We see Ross and Glen Talbot trying to beat the Russians to space, and pretty much the FF origin plays out as expected, and we see Ross turned into the Thing. From there, the likon's share of the issue is a Hulk/Thing fight, except it's a Maestro/Ross-Thing fight, so it's considerably more brutal. Not just in how the two combatants are beating on each other, but in how they deal with collateral damage. This is equivalent to the end of Man of Steel, with buildings collapsing, and Maestro flat out saying he cares nothing for the lives of those around them, and Thing admitting if he can kill Maestro, it's worth it. Peter David has never shied away from moral relativity, and so it's not surprising his "hero" is only a shade less dark than his villain. Greg Land continues to show that his art is rebounding to something closer to his early style, with well produced carnage. He still has the problem that all his female faces look the same, and if it weren't for Janis and Ruby's distinct hair styles and skin tones, they would be hard to tell apart. But the end of the issue has two reveals, one is completely expected one that is so Peter David I should have seen it coming. The fact that the Maestro is a treacherous monster who is planning to fight god shouldn't shock anyone, but once again, Peter David drops the appearance of one of his trademark characters in (again, she's a blonde female character, so thank Doom part of her shtick is dropping her name, or I would have thought she was Sue Storm), Layla Miller, who David turned from a cipher in House of M into one of the best characters on X-Factor history. I'm looking forward to see how Layla fits into this world, and she what "stuff" she knows in this world.

Giant-Size Little Marvel: A Vs. X #2
Story and Art: Skottie Young

This is going to be a short one. Seriously, if you read and liked the first issue, you're going to like this one. It's cute, and it's great to watch Skottie Young cram in as many cameos as he can into the book (who would have thought Apocalypse could ever look cute?). For a little idea of the plot, basically the X-Men and the Avengers are competing to get the new twins at their school, Zachary and Zoe, to join their groups, with mayhem ensuing. There is possibly my favorite panels involving Arcade ever. But the highlight joke is at the end, when the two teams are having their big fight, and Zachary and Zoe are watching. As they observe Cable decked out in a Skottie Young version of his early '90s costume, they address him as "Big-Guns McShoulder-Pad" and "Pouchy McGee" which made me laugh really hard, because as much as I love Cable, and I really do, it's so accurate. That kind of level of self awareness adds the cherry to the top of this delightful series.

Greetings from Battleworld: Secret Wars Week 7

Thors #1

Story: Jason Aaron

Art: Chris Sprouse, Karl Story and Marte Gracia

In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate but equally important groups: the Thors who investigate crime, and the Sheriff of Agamotto who prosecutes the offenders. These are their stories.

CHUNG-CHUNG.

Who would’ve thought a bunch of blond guys flying around with hammers and battle armor would make for a great police procedural?

Thors has all the elements of a great cop show: Partner protagonists whom the other cops find unorthodox, a murder of the week, fellow officers who stand around making snarky comments and bragging about their records, a drunk racist cop, a rookie who barfs at the scene of his first homicide, an angry captain who wants results, dammit, a forensics (Thorensics?) nerd, primetime network TV levels of swearing, etc.

It’s also got random Ghost Rider attacks and a Groot-Thor that says only “I am Thor” and has a cape made of leaves, in perhaps my favorite bit of stunt-casting in this book. And while all the characters speak in Marvel’s Official Thor Font, their dialogue could have come right out of any episode of “Law & Order” or “NYPD Blue.”

The central Thors in this book are Thorlief Golmen, the Thor of the Ultimate Universe, whom the other Thors have derisively nicknamed “The Ultimate Thor” for his ability to get stuck with cases none of the other Thors wants, and Beta Ray Thor, the one with the horse face. True to form, the two get stuck with the latest “Allthing” – a bizarre case that must be solved immediately to avoid the wrath of God Emperor Doom. Describing the Allthing would give too much away, but suffice it to say it’s a case that could only exist on a planet in which multiple realities and times exist simultaneously.

Rounding out the cast are Odin as the lawspeaker (angry captain), Frog Thor (Throg) as the forensics guy, and Groot, Storm and the Destroyer, among others, as fellow officers. And, of course, keep your eyes peeled for cameos.

Serious kudos to writer Jason Aaron, who since 2012 has continued to find new ways to play with the god of thunder, from telling a story across time to giving the hammer to Jane Foster to turning the Worthy into a multiversal peacekeeping force. And to artist Chris Sprouse for making sure each Thor is distinguishable from the next.

Also, whether intended or not, this book makes me want to rewatch one of my favorite episodes of Community, season 3’s “Advanced Lupine Urology.”

CHUNG-CHUNG

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #2

Story: Cullen Bunn

Art: Matteo Lolli and Ruth Redmond

Wade Wilson’s heretofore untold adventures in the original Secret Wars continue with an explanation of why our sometimes-hero looks like the protagonist of a Hal Needham movie, a series of flashbacks told to the Lizard and the introduction of a love story.

A major part of the plot of this issue is the lenticular shields that were packaged with the action figures that were essentially the driving force of Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck’s original series. Deadpool finds a whole mess of them amid a fight with Spider-Man and takes one for himself, then brags about his cool new weapon to the other heroes until Reed Richards dismantles it to save them after the Molecule Man traps them in a mountain.

I’m enjoying the nonlinear nature of the book, as the constant flashing forward and back keeps the plot – most of which was pre-existing – from being completely predictable. It helps that this is a four-issue miniseries as opposed to the original 12, which forces tighter writing and limits the original’s major plot points to a highlight reel. It’s also always fun to revisit classic superhero fashions, such as Storm’s Mohawk or Cyclops’ plain blue spandex togs.

Speaking of which, art for next issue teases Deadpool in Spider-Man’s black costume. Maybe it’s a feint, maybe it’s not. Either way, I’m 99.9 percent certain hijinks will ensue. See ya there!

Ms. Marvel #16
Story: G. Willow Wilson
Art: Adrian Alphona

While the various Secret Wars tie-ins take place on the hodgepodge planet of Battleworld, the "Last Days" tie-ins follow heroes and villains as the last two Earths prepare to crash into each other. Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel, starts the story out still mourning the fact that her crush, fellow Pakistani Inhuman Kamran, turned out to be a villain to a hot dog vendor. But as she sees people charging out of New York City into her own native Jersey City, Kamala heads to NYC where she sees the other Earth coming. I hadn't realized that you could only see the point of incursion from New York before, and I might have missed it, but it's a nice touch. But just because things are only visible from New York, doesn't mean there isn't chaos across the river. So, Kamala starts out by getting people to head to her school, which has been reinforced to deal with robot attacks and is protected by "hipster viking magic," which credit where credit is due, is pretty cool. I love that new-Loki is being called a hipster Viking, by the way; it makes me smile. But when Kamala heads home to get her family, she finds Kamran there and her brother gone, paying off the hint from last issue that another Khan might be an Inhuman. We've seen Kamala with her friends in danger before, sure, but this is different. This is family. This is classic Marvel hero tropes, like Spider-Man having to fight the Green Goblin, who knows he's Peter Parker. It's a test, and Kamala does what she knows is right, which is make sure everything is settled and safe at the school before doing what she has to for her family. It's a testament to her strength that she doesn't give in and abandon her responsibility. The final page of the issue sets up the meeting that readers have been waiting for since issue one. Even if the world is ending it's an exciting time for Ms. Marvel fans.

Runaways #1
Story: Noelle Stevenson
Art: Sanford Greene

Only on Battleworld could you find a school more prone to get you killed than Xavier's, the Victor Von Doom Institute for Gifted Youths. Runaways is the story of The Breakfast Club of Battleworld, a bunch of kids who are part of a program to find the best and brightest who are all rebellious. It's an interesting combination of characters, from various eras of young heroes from the 90s to the past few years. I was most excited to see Amadeus Cho and the Delphyne Gorgon from The Incredible Hercules pop up, but it's also nice to see Molly Hayes from the original Runaways there as well. Readers are treated to a lot of teen bickering and fighting mixed in with the kind of things you'd expect to see at a school dedicated to Doom: end of years finals the end in expulsion if you and a team don't win at some sort of elaborate test. It's a fun comic, with these different characters playing off each other. I like that Skaar, son of Hulk, becomes Amadeus Cho's bodyguard and buddy, fitting well with Cho's usual m.o. of palling around with someone physically bigger than him. The identity and power inverted version of Cloak & Dagger are also a nice touch. And introducing a new character in the middle of it, Sanna Strand, Frostbite, makes me wonder if she's going to be a new important character after Secret Wars ends, or if she's cannon fodder. And I love that tough Jubilee has a girl gang right out of a 90s movie, the include the Gorgon and Jubilee's best friend/ex Pixie. All these characters, in detention after a fight between Frostbite and Jubilee, wind up on a team for the final exam. Noelle Stevenson is so good at inverting tropes in Lumberjanes, I'm sure there is more than the typical teen movie set up of a bunch of different people must work together and learn that they're not all that different, especially as we see the headmistress of the school and her right hand hall monitor, Bucky Barnes the Winter Soldier, have it out for the Runaways (a title never used in the comic). I don't think Molly Ringwald ever faced someone trying to kill her in a John Hughes movie, so I can only expect more action and excitement as the kids try to make it out; I hope they curvive the experience. 

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 5/20 & Greetings from Battleworld

Convergence: Justice League of America #2
Story: Fabian Nicieza
Art: ChrisCross

The highlight of Convergence for me, and I think for most, has been revisiting old characters that have been changed tremendously or forgotten in the most recent DC reboot.While the Justice League Detroit was a little before my time, this series is narrated by Sue Dibny, wife of the Elongated Man, Ralph Dibny. They are my favorite married couple in comics history, and it's great to see them back. This issue, with the drastically underpowered Justice League facing down the Secret Six of the Tangent Universe (a favorite alternate reality from DC history), a group comprising the most powerful superbeings of its world, is a classic underdog story. With Ralph leading the inexperienced team while it's most powerful members have already been taken out, we get to see characters like Vibe and Vixen using their powers as best they can and fighting with guts and smarts. Superhero comics are at their best when the heroes don't just use their brawn, but their brains and hearts to deal with their problems, and Ralph Dibny has always has always been a character who relies on brains over brawn. We also see Sue working with the GCPD to free the trapped members of the League, and we get the sense that they are true partners. Fabian Nicieza shows he understands all these characters and liked them, giving them a story that allows the B-list to shine. With versions of two of these characters currently appearing or set to appear in the DC TV universe (the new Vibe on Flash and Vixen on her own animated web series), it makes sense to give them a spotlight where they aren't being used as a punchline. And now that Convergence is wrapping up, it would be nice to see some of these characters pop up again in the prime DC Universe; I'd love to see the Dibnys show up in Flash comics again, for instance.

Ghosted #20
Story: Joshua Williamson
Art: Goran Sudzuka and Laci

Sometimes the end of a series creeps up on you. I probably should have realized that after the last issue ended with the death of series protagonist Jackson Winters that this would be the final issue of Ghosted, but I didn't until I reached the very end of the issue. And it was a pleasant surprise in its way, since it was a great send off to the title. The issue opens with original series artist Goran Sudzuka returning to draw the confrontation that has been brewing since the series began: Jackson Winters meets Death. And Jackson takes about as much crap from the Grim Reaper as he took from anyone else in the series. He's glib, sarcastic, and we finally get to understand exactly what Death's fascination with the thief is. And after that winds down, we slip back into the land of the dead from the past few issues, where the confrontation between Jackson's friends and his nemesis, Schrecken, has reached it's conclusion. But leave it to Jackson to steal the scene in the end, popping up as Death's newest employee and turning the tables on Schrecken, who gets his wish of eternal life, but not in the way that he was hoping for. Ghosted has played on a lot of classic horror story and movie cliches in its run, so ending on a classic Twilight Zone/ Monkey's Paw note seems appropriate for the villain. And the series last page, focused on Nina, the young woman Jackson saved and would up being his protege of sorts over the last half of the series, shows that while Jackson might be gone, he's not forgotten. With two other series coming out from Image regularly (Birthright and Nailbiter), it's not like I'll be wanting for Joshua Williamson, but Ghosted was an exciting supernatural caper comic, combining two of my favorite genres, one with great characters. If you never picked it up, well, there are four trades out with a fifth on the way. What are you waiting for?

Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars #3
Story: Ben Acker & Ben Blacker
Art: J. Bone

It would have been easy to translate the Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast over to comic form and just make it a wacky humor comic. But series creators Acker & Blacker instead fully embraced the medium, giving us a story that wouldn't work as well in the radio format. This issue of Sparks Nevada features an extended fight scene between Sparks and bounty hunter Orna Peganu on top of a space stage coach. While we could have easily heard the witty repartee over the radio (including Sparks discussing how that whole we only use ten percent of our brain thing is hogwash), and it would have been delightful. But since we have the full visual medium, it allows artist J. Bone to really go to town, drawing a great background in the lava fields of Mars, and creating an excellent alien design for Orna. The main story also ties into the flashbacks we've been seeing, with a character other than Sparks now showing up in both. I also love the parallels drawn between Sparks and James T. Kirk in those flashbacks, and I'm curious to see how Sparks's no-win situation turns out next issue. We also get to see more of Croach the Tracker interacting with the Johnsons; it's interesting to see how different Croach was in these stories set early in continuity versus how he appears on the show now; here he does seem to be unemotional and detached, versus how he is in the show now, where he claims to be but clearly has emotional ties. With one issue to go, we now know that someone is a deadly outlaw, and Sparks is about to come face-to-face with someone he fears (so it must have to do with intimacy, since everyone knows Sparks has intimacy issues). It's all the highlights of a Sparks Nevada story, with some great art. So, go and ride the plains of the Red Planet with everyone's favorite Martian lawman who's... from Earth.


Dan Grote now brings you the first full installment of Greetings from Battleworld, our Secret Wars feature, that will have this Tuesday spot on its own starting next week

A-Force #1

Story: Marguerite Bennett & G. Willow Wilson

Art: Jorge Molina, Craig Yeung, Laura Martin and Matt Milla

“In the vast oceans of our planet, isolated from the forbidden domains of Battleworld, there is an island. … Welcome to Arcadia. It’s pretty tight.”

Yeah, it is.

The domain of A-Force, the all-female superhero team, is essentially the suburbs for superheroes. Where the main Secret Wars book gives us decapitations and God Emperor Doom casting those who oppose him into a pit of zombies, A-Force shows a peaceful fiefdom where the Cage family can go for a stroll without fear of attack by the Wrecking Crew, where even the female-form Loki of J. Michael Straczynski’s Thor run is a force for good.

Until a prehistoric shark attacks the island.

A-Force promptly kicks the megalodon’s butt and, in a continued effort to shame the movie Man of Steel, prioritizes civilian safety as much as they do punching a sea-kaiju. (If you haven’t read Michael Calia’s Wall Street Journal piece on civilian casualties in superhero movies, click that last link. We’ll be here when you get back.)

These are some of Marvel’s greatest heroines as their best selves. Why else would we get Dazzler in her disco jumper and roller skates or Carol Danvers in her Captain Marvel outfit or Jubilee back in the yellow trenchcoat and pink shades, fireworks shooting out her fingers on the cover? And artist Jorge Molina draws each and every one of these women as beautiful and powerful as they are, as they should be.

But in defeating a thing that shouldn’t be, A-Force runs afoul of Doom’s laws, requiring one of their own to be thrown to the zombies and leading some team members to question the leadership of She-Hulk, who is one of Doom’s barons.

The book ends with She-Hulk asking Namor and his kin to investigate the appearance of the megalodon and the arrival of a new character, Singularity, who was teased in images soliciting the series, including the cover of the first issue.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I have lots of questions. The following are not meant to be taken as criticisms of the book or its creators, but as things I don’t yet understand about Secret Wars as a whole:

A-Force works out of the Hall of Justice. Is that really not trademarked?

Was flight always part of Dazzler’s skill set? Either way, she’s fabulous.

A-Force features a Meggan who is not pregnant, as opposed to the one shown in Secret Wars #2 whom Baron Sinister kept calling a cow. Is this meant to be the same woman, or do multiple versions of people exist on Battleworld? Same question applies to Namor.

Considering what we know about the makeup of Battleworld, is it weird that characters like Captain Britain and Ms. America Chavez can exist in this world, as symbols of lands that don’t technically exist?

Ms. America at one point references “Sharknado.” It made me laugh. It made my wife laugh. It’s a good line. BUT, if this is Doom’s world, and he’s got Dr. Strange basically mandating everyone believe Doom’s creation myth, is a 2013 cable TV movie something anyone should remember?

Also, if Doom is God, is there a chance this island is just some creepy Doom spandex fantasy? It might explain why this team wears fan-favorite uniforms as opposed to matching ones.

How has no one thought to make Sam Wilson a Thor before this? That man is Worthy as all get-out. Certainly worthier than Eric Masterson. (On behalf of my generation, I apologize that Thunderstrike a) is still around and b) has a cameo in this book).

I’m 100 percent willing to believe I may be overthinking some things.

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #1

Story: Cullen Bunn

Art: Matteo Lolli and Ruth Redmond

Part of Team Deadpool’s schtick the past few years has been retroactively inserting him into stories set before the character’s first appearance in 1991. And so we’ve had Deadpool stealing the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos or teaming up with Power Man and Iron Fist against an alabaster villain called the White Man.

In the Merc with a Mouth’s latest retro romp, we find out what role he played in the original Secret Wars from 1984.

Deadpool gets zapped to Battleworld alongside Earth’s heroes, including Spider-Man, Hulk and members of the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four. And Magneto, whom DP promptly villain-shames. As usual, no one recognizes him, despite his now-established history in the MU. By the end of the issue, it appears the heroes have all been killed, save Deadpool, who now looks like … nope, not gonna spoil it.

Cullen Bunn’s Deadpool minis have always been madcap romps where continuity takes a backseat to fun and ultraviolence, so it’s great to see him giving this revisionist history lesson, and pointing out inconsistencies such as the state of Charles Xavier’s paralysis at the time. Artist Matteo Lolli perfectly captures the heroes’ 1984 fashions, re-creating Mike Zeck’s original panels where warranted as Bunn re-creates Jim Shooter’s original (cornball) dialogue. Not only that, fans of Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn’s run on the book will recognize the 1980s version of DP’s costume – complete with the letters DP on the chest – from artist Scott Koblish’s throwback issues.

The award for most Deadpool moment in this issue goes to when he shoots at the Absorbing Man to the tune of Scandal’s “The Warrior.” Honorable mention goes to DP mule-kicking Kang the Conqueror in the nards.

In a bonus strip, Deadpool is inserted into 1982’s Contest of Champions, teaming up with Howard the Duck, Doop, She-Man-Thing, Rocket Racer, and other Z-list heroes at the whim of cosmic beings.

Reviews of Comics for Wednesday 5/13

Abe Sapien #23
Story: Mike Mignola & Scott Allie
Art: Kevin Nowlan

The world of Hellboy has been getting exceedingly dark in recent years. This isn't a complaint; when monsters are rising all over the world and society is crumbling, that's to be expected. The B.P.R.D. is barely holding the line, Hellboy is dead, and probably hardest hit is Abe Sapien, wandering the highways of America, trying to find some indication he isn't the forerunner of a new race and encountering people who always seem to wind up hurt or worse. But this issue? This is a different thing. It's a flashback to 1992, and the world is a lighter place. Hellboy and Abe are on a mission for the B.P.R.D., investigating a death that is being attributed to Ogopogo, Canada's answer to the Loch Ness Monster. What might be a simple monster story turns into a story that has human greed at its center, as well as a worshipper of the old gods and creatures, something that's pretty standard for Hellboy and Abe. The thing that got me really excited for this issue was that it's a Hellboy and Abe story. When you look back on the publication history of the characters, you realize that they've been apart for more years than they were a team, but many of the most memorable Hellboy stories feature Abe. The two have that comfortable partnership that shows how good friends they are, and they play off each other perfectly; Hellboy is the bull in the china shop, while Abe tries to think things out more. And Kevin Nowlan's art is gorgeous as ever. While his stuff isn't as dark and foreboding as many of the other artists who work on Mignolaverse stories, he still captures the essence of the characters. If you've been away from Hellboy and his world for a while, or if you've been curious for a while to try it out, this is a great one-off to start with.


And Dan Grote hits us with a Marvel twofer this week...

Ms. Marvel 15

Story: G. Willow Wilson

Art: Takeshi Miyazawa and Ian Herring

Let’s take a minute to talk about Bruno, because if we don’t talk about Bruno, I’m gonna go on a rant about the Inhumans supplanting mutants that’s not fit for this blog.

(But seriously, there’s a scene in this issue in which Kitty Kamala turns the Danger Room New Attilan training salle on a N’Garai demon pair of Inhuman goons on Christmas Eve Mother’s Day).

As much as I’ve had problems with the current arc of Ms. Marvel based on my own biases against the Inhumans post-Infinity, no one can deny G. Willow Wilson writes characters worth giving a damn about. And I love the friendship/partnership between Kamala and Bruno. When Kamala finds herself caught by Inhuman insurrectionists, Bruno drops everything, runs out of his chemistry class, leaps – arms flapping – over giant dinosaur bones being transported down a hallway (props to Takeshi Miyazawa for this imagery), scrambles through the streets of Jersey City yelling at his phone, charters a water taxi to New Attilan, gets accosted by guards and, finally, jumps down a garbage chute with our hero and pulls her to safety. The only power at play here is friendship, and it’s extremely affirming.

Also, if you read any other book filled with Star Wars and Star Trek references this month, make it this one. In addition to the garbage chute scene, the main Inhuman baddie, Lineage (who totally looks like someone gave the Purple Man anime horns), effectively says, “There is another,” explaining that one of Kamala’s relatives is an Inhuman. As for the Star Trek reference, well, think about what Kamala’s last name is, and extrapolate from there.

Secret Wars #2

Story: Jonathan Hickman

Art: Esad Ribic and Ive Svorcina

Where the first issue of Secret Wars felt like an ending, issue 2 feels like the beginning, like we’ve joined a new story in media res. At long last, the reader has arrived at Marvel’s promised destination. Behold Battleworld.

It wouldn’t be a Jonathan Hickman story if there weren’t about 616 balls in the air at once, so here’s the laundry list of what we know so far:

Doctor Doom is God. He rules Battleworld from the trunk of Yggdrasil alongside a council that includes Doctor Strange and Susan and Valeria Richards. His castle is guarded by a Galactus that stands like a giant incinerator churning flames up into the sky, Franklin Richards meditating in the palm of his hand. Strange, the Sheriff of Agamatto, acts as Doom’s voice, speaking for him and meting out punishments on Doom’s behalf unless Doom wishes otherwise.

The world is policed by Thors, plural, and in fact the POV character for this issue is a rookie Thor on his first day on the job.

Battleworld is broken up into kingdoms runs by barons, including Higher Avalon, ruled by the Braddock family, and Bar Sinister, ruled by Mr. Sinister.

Sinister is one of the book’s best characters, showing a casual disdain for the authority of others while clearly benefitting from that authority’s largesse. When the Thors come to arrest him for discord, he is splayed spread-eagle on his throne being waited on by servants who fetch him hamburgers and attach his fringed cape. Even decapitated in battle, Sinister mocks those around him.

Those who displease Doom are tossed over the Shield, a giant wall protecting the rest of the kingdom from hordes of zombies, Ultrons, and the drones of Annihilus. Among the zombies shown in this issue is a Venom.

Reed Richards’ Raft – shown fleeing Earth 616 amid the incursion in the last issue – has been discovered crash-landed on a section of Battleworld called Utopolis populated with Moloids. At issue’s end, the hatch opens, in a reveal I won’t spoil.

The mixing and matching of characters adds fun to the book’s Game of Thrones-y tone. Watching Brian Braddock and Sinister joust for Doom’s benefit while characters like Apocalypse, Madelyn Pryor, Hyperion, Roma, and the Maestro (the Hulk of Future Imperfect) look on feels like something new, even if the characters are all known quantities and the book wears its inspirations on its sleeve.

Esad Ribic’s art is straight-up beautiful. Powerful imagery strafes this entire issue, from the Doom godhead to which the Thors pay tribute, to the smoking Galactus, to Baron Sinister’s kingdom of ruby quartz, to the sight of the Raft stuck in the ruins of an old statue of what appears to be Captain America.

So if issue 1 left you doubting the readability of Secret Wars, I’d still suggest trying issue 2, as it’s far more the jumping-on point issue 1 should have been.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 2/18

Secret Identities #1
Story: Brian Joines & Jay Faerber 
Art: Ilias Kyriazis

We all have our secrets, and if you're a superhero, you probably have more than most. The debut issue of Brian Joines and Jay Faerber's Secret Identities is heavy on the secrets. Starring a team of heroes called The Front Line, the issue starts off looking like a by the numbers super hero team book. But pretty soon, we see that it's anything but. The private lives of the heroes are laid out before us, and we see the secrets they keep. Recluse has a secret prison beneath his mansion where he keeps prisoners for what seems to be a horrible purpose. Punchline is a failing comedian. Vesuvius seems to want to keep some aspect of his history a secret. Each of the seven members of Front Line have something they want to hide, and their new recruit, Crosswind, might have the biggest secret of all: he's a mole, sent in to learn the identities and secrets of his teammates to bring them down. And we learn that right out of the gate. This isn't a book about uncovering these secrets for the reader. Sure, there are details we don't know and twists that I'm sure will come, but this isn't about the secrets, but how we keep them and what they do to our lives. The Front Line, and the world they live in, jumps fully formed onto the page, with great designs for each of the characters by Ilias Kyriazis. It feels like a team that we know already, that lives in a world that has existed for some time. Jay Faerber is no stranger to the superhero soap opera, having written a book that falls more in line with that latter in Noble Causes, and while I'm less familiar with Brian Joines, I did enjoy the heck out of his Christmas action series, Krampus!, so the book is in good hands. This was a very strong start to a new series, one that established the stakes and the world, and gave us characters we could grow to like or despise. Let's hope for a nice long run, and answers to all the secrets and lies this first issue laid out for us.

She-Hulk #12
Story: Charles Soule
Art: Javier Pulido

*Sigh* Thus ends the current volume of She-Hulk. Charles Soule has written a book that focused more often on law then on super heroics, gave a full picture of who Jen Walters, She-Hulk, is, slowly built the mystery of The Blue File, and developed a great supporting cast for Jen Walters. This issue wraps up most of those plot threads. The issue starts out with exactly what happened to create the Blue File, the mystery case that Jen and various other super folk have been named as defendants in, and we see a seemingly new character, Nighteater. But with the revelation from the end of last issue about the culpability of Nightwatch in the case, things start to fall into place. This is one of the most action-centric issues of She-Hulk, but the intelligence and wit that have been the title's hallmark for this volume were not lost. While fighting Nighthawk, we get to learn exactly why he did what he did, why he remade himself as a hero. We get to see everything he's been up to, and we get a moment of, if not redemption, at least a moment where one of the villains we met earlier does the right thing. Hellcat and Angie Huang, Jen's employees, friends, and chief supporting cast, play a big role in the story as well. We never find out exactly what Angie's deal is, which is fine by me; I like the mystery of that, and what she is doesn't matter as much as what she is to Jen, her friend. The nature of heroism is a topic much discussed as She-Hulk fights Nightwatch, and in the end, Jen proves herself to be a true hero. But even with all these superheroics, the final few pages bring the series back around to what it's been about all along: Jen at her office, preparing for a new case. For the too short duration of its run, She-Hulk has been my favorite comic coming out from Marvel, a strong, character driven series that plays with the tropes of the Marvel Universe and builds on that history. I can only hope this isn't the last we'll see of Charles Soule writing this character.

Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars #1
Story: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
Art: J. Bone

It's time to shine your astro spurs and don your robot fists, as we begin today's thrilling review of Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars #1! I've written before about how much I love The Thrilling Adventure Hour, live theatre and internet home to Sparks Nevada, Croach the Tracker, and a host of other characters. And their transition to monthly comics has gone off without a hitch. Written by TAH creators Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, this story takes place before the earliest Sparks Nevada story on the podcast, and so no prior knowledge of the characters is required. After a flashback to Sparks at the Academy (because all sci-fi worlds have an academy) with his parents, the story starts in earnest with Sparks escorting a stage coach across the crimson plains of Mars. The coach contains the Johnsons (one of whom we know from the shows and the issue title as the Widow Johnson, so it doesn't bode well for Mr. Johnson) and panicky local yokel Felton, who proves to be a chatty passenger to an increasingly irritated Sparks. As they travel across the plains, they run into Martians, who seek nothing more than to be out from under Onus (picture Wookiee life debt, only less for all your life and with way more complaining by those indebted) to Sparks, rogue robots, and aliens. The issue has the trademark Sparks mix of action and humor, with a healthy dose of the latter. The dynamic between Sparks and Croach, the martian who must perform the duty of helping Sparks and who will become his friend and companion, is already coming into focus this early, and their rapport and repartee (or lack thereof) is one of main sources of comedy. Artist J. Bone gets to stretch his artistic legs in his designs for the different robot rogues, as well as the group of aliens that appear at story's end. Accompanying the first issue is also a print version of the digital first Sparks Nevada #0, the story of how Sparks and Croach first met. so if you prefer your comics in print form, here's your chance to get this for the first time. Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars is a clever mixture of western and sci-fi tropes. one that should delight fans of either genre.

The Valiant #3
Story: Jeff Lemire & Matt Kindt
Art: Paolo Rivera

The Valiant #3 is really two great comics in one issue. Last issue left the series main characters divided, with Kay McHenry and Bloodshot on the run from the Immortal Enemy, while Eternal Warriro, Ninjak, and the rest of the Valiant heroes are ready to stand and fight. This issue, the two stories each develop on their own. The battle between the heroes and the Immortal Enemy is stunning. Paolo Rivera goes completely to town on drawing not just the combat, but the horrors when the Immortal Enemy gets into the heads of the heroes and shows them their worst fears. It's like a Scarecrow fear toxin attack on steroids. Rivera gets to draw all the Valiant heroes, from Archer & Armstrong to Quantum & Woody to Punk Mambo. It's the kind of thing that other companies would spread out over the course of three issues, but this series does it all in half an issue, and it doesn't feel rushed, and the art makes it so clear and crisp that you follow each stroke of sword and laser blast. The other end of the spectrum is Bloodshot and Kay. Bloodshot has been tasked with protecting Kay, so he brings her into a shopping mall. Lemire, who wrote this section of the issue, takes you through the pages in this issue's backmatter, and it's so cool to see these two people, thrust into lives of extreme weirdness, walking past home wares and all the things that they will never have. It's a very thoughtful scene, wonderfully written, as Kay keeps asking Bloodshot personal questions, and he keeps deflecting by doing his super soldier, preparing for the enemy thing. The dynamic between the two of them is wonderful, and I hope to see more of it in the future. The issue ends with Kay trying to help Bloodshot, but leaving them in a vulnerable position as the Immortal Enemy approaches. It's a great cliffhanger for a series that does everything you want from a crossover and does it without all the bloating from other companies. It's tightly paced and plotted, and never forgets character for action. There's still time to catch up before next month's finale, so if you haven't tried out The Valiant, what are you waiting for?



And Dan Grote brings us back to Jersey City, where Ms. Marvel goes to a dance and meets a certain god of Mischief...

Ms. Marvel #12

Story: G. Willow Wilson

Art: Elmo Bondoc and Ian Herring

After 11 issues of establishing Kamala Khan and her world, a standalone issue is a breath of fresh air.

It’s also time for another Marvel team-up, this time with the de-aged Loki currently starring in his own series by Al Ewing and Lee Garbett. Loki is sent to Coles Academic High by his mother, Freyja, for whatever expositionary reason is necessary to get Loki to willingly visit Jersey City. Much of the humor of this issue lies in the residents of J.C. mocking the Agent of Asgard as a “Hipster Viking from Brooklyn.” Loki certainly doesn’t give anyone reason to doubt that label, literally prancing about and writing love letters with the purplest of prose. One of the benefits of Loki looking the way he does now, though, is that he’s not instantly recognizable as the god of mischief, so it takes a while for Kamala to realize she’s locking horn-helmets with a classic villain. It also lets Loki do cliche Loki things like create duplicate illusions of himself and laugh while Kamala punches the wrong ones.

There’s a few other great beats in this issue. First, Bruno, the only human who knows Kamala’s secret, lectures his degenerate friend about why being “friend-zoned” isn’t a negative thing, because “friendship is something real and good and anybody who doesn’t understand that needs a dictionary.” Granted, he says this because Kamala has no interest in him romantically, but it takes a mature attitude to understand there are other types of love besides romantic.

Later, Loki spikes the punch at a Coles Valentine’s dance with truth elixir. Suddenly, a room full of teenagers stops being polite and starts getting real.

Finally, after Loki’s finished having his sport, he agrees to cast a spell of protection on the school, which is still half a mess from an attack by one of the Inventor’s robots.

For another great standalone featuring Ms. Marvel, check out last month’s SHIELD #2, in which Agent Simmons goes undercover at Coles High and teams up with Kamala against some loose supervillain tech.