Lots of books this week! Reviews added as I finish reading. First up:
New Avengers #42 / Mighty Avengers #15
I’m basically treating these as one book, since they’re both really just filling in the backstory of the Secret Invasion. NA deals with Spider-Woman, and MA with Hank Pym.
Like I’ve said before: I really like these SI fill-in issues. I know some people are sceptical and think Bendis is just making shit up as he goes along, but even if that’s the case, all these events tie together very very well, and are making for an interesting story.
NA is good, and pinpoints when Spider-Woman is replaced (in a panel that should be very familiar to red-blooded, women-loving fans), though it is hazy on exactly what happened to Jessica Drew afterwards. I’m particularly interested in seeing how the Skrulls handled House of M.
MA is less interesting than NA, but I suspect that’s because Hank Pym isn’t very interesting in and of himself. Basically, we see how he was replaced, though the when of it is less clear than Spider-Woman’s, as well as how Skrull Pym shares human Pym’s obvious inferiority complex. (C’mon, GIANT MAN? Dude’s overcompensating!)
Anyway, they’re both interesting, though not really necessary to the overall Secret Invasion storyline. I prefer NA to the MA, but, again, that’s ‘cos Pym isn’t really all that interesting. Both stories show you the very strange process that the Skrulls undergo in order to become undetectable versions of their targets, though neither shows what becomes of the victim.
I wonder if we’ll find a Skrull prison at some point in SI, or if everyone who has been replaced is (comic book) dead?
Secret Invasion: Runaways / Young Avengers #1
The two teams get thrust into one book where they don’t actually meet up, save for Xavin and Hulkling. It’s pretty much the story from Secret Invasion, where we saw the YA get their asses handed to them by the Skrull invaders, with a little bit tacked on about the Runaways.
It’s pretty good, but needs to diverge from the main book a little more to be worthwhile. I wish I’d been following Whedon’s Runaways run a little closer.
Final Crisis #2
I still don’t know what’s going on. Half the book reads like a Morrison-esque version of [i]Kingdom Come[/i], while the rest seems like a regular comic book. There’s no explanation of who anybody is, and I actually forgot about an entire subplot from the first book.
In short: more of Morrison’s stream-of-consciousness writing, with an uncertain future to come.
Iron Fist #16
God, I was dreading this issue all month, and now that it’s arrived, I see it’s still Fraction and Aja, and it’s glorious. It’s actually quite great, and confirms for me that Fraction wasn’t the script monkey for Brubaker. (Protip: check Brubaker out in Times Square when Danny’s talking to Luke!)
It’s great, it’s grand, it’s glorious, and has a few laugh-out-loud dialogue bits for me. (“Yay, nunchuks! Yay, math!”)
Next month is the beginning of the new team (Duane Swierczynski, whom I’ve never heard of, is writing), and I dread it, especially after the awesome set up that Fraction gives us and Danny. By all that’s good and holy, I hope they don’t screw it up.
Mythos: Captain America
This books is great. I’m quite impressed with Paul Jenkins. He takes a simple retelling of Cap’s origins and (unlike the original version) paints a picture of the 98 pound weakling Steve Rogers that’s believable not only as a frail child of the depression, but also as the seed of the heroic and morally upright Captain America.
We see him at his sick mother’s bedside, drawing her pictures to raise her spirits, and expressing a desire to simply forget his life and its hardships. Her reply is simple, and really sums his adult self up: “Always be proud of who you are and where you came from. Never forget the people who helped you get to where you’re going.” From there, the book continues through the administration of the super-soldier serum up to him being rediscovered in present times, and the whole thing caps off in a moment that (painfully) illustrates the depth of the man’s commitment to his country, his comrades, and shows just how much of a man out of his own time he feels. The whole thing is fantastically sentimental and emotional.
On top of that, the art is gorgeous. Paola Rivera paints the book in a realistic and almost Rockwellian style that well fits the era.
Apparently Mythos is a series of one-shots in this style, but I don’t recall having seen any of them before. Based on this book, I think I’ll look them up.
Captain America #39
What can I say that I don’t say every month? It’s, again, a great pulpy, spygames, noirish yarn that ends like an old serial with a big tease leaving me wanting more. more! MORE!
The Red Skull-backed “Third Wing” political movement is picking up support with the American public, and all it needs is a boost to get it going like a steam train. So, how about an endorsement from a newly-resurrected Captain America? Meanwhile, Sharon’s predicament is not forgotten, and Cap (Bucky) is on the trail of the Third Wing.
We know the whole arc is going to culminate with a big rumble between the Caps, and we’ll quite probably see an eventual hard-fought and well-earned acceptance of Bucky by the American people, but I’m really eager to see it get there and the “next episode” stuff is totally making me crazy with anticipation!
