Picks of the Week:
Cosmic Ghost Rider #1 definitely embodied Frank Castle, a man so broken by his lost and driven his quest for vengeance that he can’t be satisfied with paradise. His spat with a minor god and sassing of Odin perfectly illustrated this. I am a little bit surprised that Odin had the power to pluck Castle from Oblivion and place him in Valhalla (then again his power display has never been consistent). The overall heavy mood was lightened the comedic bits like Frank’s encounter with Baby Thanos (which reminded me of Baby Thomas episode of the Regular Show).
Captain America #1 presented an interesting premise with Selene positioning herself to wipe out Hydra (very curious to see how they earned her wrath). Steve and Sharon are still dealing with the fallout and scars of Hydra Cap. This is interesting because seems like the general population has already forgiven Cap from other books.
Worthy Mentions:
The Immortal Hulk #2 felt like an episode of Tales from the Crypt where a cruel or wicked person gets punished and Hulk plays the role of the monster doles out the retribution. It feels like this iteration of Hulk is more of an instrument of revenge than the current Ghost Rider.
Infinity Countdown – Champions #2 made me wonder what Riri was thinking because folk in high tech suits don’t fare well against the Mad Titan (just ask Rhodey). Wonder if Riri & Brawn will whip up a replacement helmet for Sam because the official path to becoming a Nova would be too long for Sam.
Hunt for Wolverine – Weapon Lost #3 surprised me with the return of Albert (thought he was with Elsie-Dee and that weird werewolf creature).
The Unexpected #2 revealed Neon’s tragic origins as well as link the series to some trippy stuff like the Toy Wonder that dragged me back into comics.
Paper Girls #22 surprised me that this hasn’t been optioned for a television series, especially after the success of Stranger Things & 80’s nostalgic wave. I wonder if this series will be as long as Y the Last Man.
Feeling Some Type of Way:
Death of Inhumans #1 reminded me of a Bendis Book in the sense that recent continuity seemed to be ignored (the Royals series gave the impression that the Kree were virtually decimated and Hala is essentially a graveyard watched over a depressed Ronan). It also made me wonder why the Kreee would sit on their hands if they had the technology to make more efficient soldiers until now and then waste that innovation of purging the previous generation of Inhumans. Vox is an interesting character but this story is seriously clashing with the continuity nerd in me.
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
