The Recipe for 6/14/2018
Picks of the Week:
Exiles #4 felt like a Django Unchained remixed through the filter of a Marvel Comic with a bit of the Tarantino camp extracted. Something extremely awesome about Ben Grimm and a version of Falcon & Misty Knight fighting slavers and freeing their victims. I am curious to see how the present day of that dimension looks with post-human freedom fighters. An emotionally open and expressive Wolverine is a rare treat and he was able to erase some of the grit & grime from Kamala’s heart through their interaction. The Time Eater reveal was completely unexpected and I wonder if we will get an explanation for how the mastermind acquired such power. The version of Exiles is definitely one of the more enjoyable runs (the Claremont run still haunts my mind).
Hawkman #1 made me breathe a sigh of relief because Conan the Barbarian with Wings isn’t the way to go for Hawkman. Indiana Jones with wings is the most ideal vision for the character. It had a Tomb Raider/Uncharted vibe filtered through superheroics. The temple scene reminds me of the Next Gen Legend of Zelda games. I found the way they reintroduced Carter’s frequent reincarnations to be refreshing similar to the way Finn’s past lives were introduced in Adventure Time. It added a level depth without weighing the story down with excess baggage.
Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1 confirms Victor’s lapse back into villainy without feeling forced or clunky. Victor’s pride/hubris has always been a defining element of his character like his frequent ally, Namor. It makes perfect sense that encountering a version of himself that has bested the accursed Reed Richards and his cohort would trigger his own pride. Especially after his “evil” self commented about how he lacks a certain spark and is broken by his current epiphany. It also made perfect sense that the alternate Doom was killed, very few outside of the FF have assaulted Victor’s pride and lived (even Victor himself). Part of me hopes that Victor does fully backslide back into villainy rather inhabits that gray space where Magneto & Namor hang out.
The Flash #48 has me feeling conflicted because Wally is the Flash I grew up with and I remember his kids fondly. You can understand his desire to reclaim what he had lost but Flashpoint has shown us that mucking around with time never ends well.
Worthy Mentions:
The Magic Order #1 is another example of NuMillar, overall it felt like Jupiter’s Legacy and Wanted had a child together.
Thor #1 delighted to see that Thor is out of his funk and back to his old self. I am surprised that Thor didn’t seek out Magik to other teleporters to assist him with obtaining more Uru to construct a new hammer. Hope that the shattering hammer gag doesn’t get overused to the point that it is stale and played out.
The Wild Storm – Michael Cray #8 continues to emit a Deathblow kills the Justice League vibe but the Wonder Woman & Constantine analogues feel like their Planetary analogues so this theme is more bearable overall.
The Weatherman #1 felt like Elysium and Total Recall with the Mars setting and the visually stunning villains. Nate seems like a lovable idiot, Ashton Kutcher could play him in a film version (lovable idiot is his niche).
X-Men Blue #29 surprised that the Poison concept has lasted this long. I don’t see this power-up lasting especially since Beast still has his mystic power-up up his sleeves.
The Meh Pile:
Nothing that loathsome or odious this week.
This review was written in partnership with Pop Culture Network. They can be found on their website: www.popculturenetwork.com
