The Recipe for 9/27/17
Pick of the Week:
X-Men Blue No. 12 juggles plot points without becoming overwhelming/confusing to the reader. The Goblin Queen arc resolved nicely with their roster being boosted by a Vamp Ororo remix. Part of me wished that the mystical beast form was Hank’s punishment for monkeying around with forces beyond his control. It also looks like the Teen X-Men saved Jimmy from a horrible fate with Ms. Sinister. I wonder how the Ms. Sinister story will play out in the end.
The Mighty Thor No. 23 surprised with the reminder that Balder is now the King of Hel. It’s an interesting development that the Norse lord of light now rules the bleak underworld. Thought it was awesome that War Thor was defeated by love & compassion. I also found the story element relating Ultimate Mjolnir interesting; it appears to have a will and life of its own. The scene with the Odinson scolding Ultimate Mjolnir like a naughty dog extremely hilarious.
Southern Bastards No. 18 revealed elements of Roberta’s past and the significance of her name. It also gave the reader a fuller sense of the relationship between father and daughter. The way this series flows overall feels like it is ripe for a television translation.
Nick Fury No. 6 reminded me of a great GI Joe adaptation (think Resolute penned by Warren Ellis) in the sense that Frankie Noble embodied all the kooky elements of the Baroness. The moody scenery reminded me of the GI Joe episode where the Joes and Cobra forces went to Castle Dracula to acquire genetic material for Serpentor’s creation. Overall the series is everything that I hoped the ABC SHIELD series would have been.
Worthy Mentions:
Infamous Iron Man No. 12 reminds us that Victor’s path of redemption will not be an easy one with Ben unwilling to trust/forgive him (who can blame Ben given their history) and his former villainous peers ready to exact their revenge. My first gripe is the villains still wearing their cowls while in the pen. My second gripe is eventually Doom will abandon his redemption to align with any upcoming television or film iteration.
Marvel Legacy No. 1 confused me on some level with the Intergalactic Wakandan Empire. The Earth-based Wakanda doesn’t welcome outsiders let alone tolerates marrying/integrating with outsiders. Also, the Space Empire includes aliens as well. I wonder if T’Challa rules the space empire as well or does it have its own leadership.
Paklis No. 5 & Annual No. 1 are strong examples of a well-organized anthology series. It makes me wish that the Big Two would condense their multiple titles into anthology series.
Redneck No. 6 needs to be transformed into a television series. It’s very different from what most horror fans in the sense that the Strain vampires broke the suave pretty vampires that clogged the genre for so long.
Wonder Woman No. 31 confuses Diana’s origins by making her a demigod once again despite stating that those elements were false in previous issues. I am not sure if I see the value with Diana inheriting wealth when she doesn’t have the need for such things.
Suicide Squad No. 26 feels like an epic heavy metal video involving Bat Family affiliates.
The Burn Pile:
Many books were extra meh but nothing worth burning or mentioning.
This review was written in partnership with Pop Culture Network. They can be found on their website: www.popculturenetwork.com
