Picks of the Week:
Runaways #11 confirmed Victor’s reasoning for remaining a disembodied head and also acknowledged Vibranium continues to have a negative effect on him. I wonder if his experience is different because he’s technical a cyborg and not a Synthezoid like Vision/Jocasta/etc. It was nice to catch up with Klara and the decision to keep her out of the group made sense (she came off as that old means-well but is bigoted relative trapped in a kid’s body). Hope to find out what is Xavin’s status, is Xavin even alive? Gert’s decision made a ton of sense based on her personality. I am also digging the quirky bromance between Chase & Doombot.
Weapon H #5 continues to surprise me that a character derived from the Hulk and Wolverine would be so interesting and compelling. Much like X-23, Clay has become something more than his genetic template. He is more than a savage beast lost in an uncontrollable rage, he is a calculating yet thoughtful character as illustrated when he spared and freed former foes. Agger is a great villain because he has the power and resources to back his threats/boast almost like a posthuman Lex Luthor/Wilson Fisk. I am surprised that he didn’t use his knockoff Hulk soldiers when dealing with Clay.
Tony Stark – Iron Man #2 made perfect sense that Rhodey is suffering from PSTD due to all of the trauma and eventual death. It was nice to see Gauntlet again, he was a breakthrough character IMO from Avengers Imitative and his role in the story made perfect sense. I am curious to see if Jocasta’s relationship with a certain character adds some weight to her relationship in Avengers Forever.
Batman #51 reminded me of an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in the sense that there’s a bizarre crime and more than meets the eye with the motive and the culprit. We also see how Bruce is holding up post Wedding debacle. Dick continues to be the one who steps up and covers for Bruce when things go awry.
Worthy Mentions:
Avengers #5 felt like Aaron’s initial X-Men run filtered through an Avengers prism (aka a lot of over-the-top & crazy action)
The Wild Storm #15 shows us the graphic rebirth of Jack Hawksmoor as a posthuman. I love how Ellis refined his decades old comic ideas and made them refreshing/captivating. I geeked out over this additional Gen 13 Easter Egg.
Damage #7 still feels like Weapon H filtered with a DC prism (which is a good thing).
Cable #159 made the overall more bearable with the Metus reveal & origins story.
X-Men Red #6 gave the readers more insight into Gentle’s rough childhood and the bigotry that exists within Wakanda. I am curious to see how Gentle will be utilized going forward.
X-Men Gold #32 reminds us that Rachel is no slouch in terms of power. It felt abit weird not to have our Scott interact with Rachel.
Justice League #4 retconned the end of Mars in a satisfying way in addition to making the Legion of Doom a serious threat. Luthor is in rare form this time around and rallied the other villains (even wildcard Joker) into a well oiled machine. I can only hope that Doom’s return to villainy after an attempt at heroics is as enjoyable.
Feeling Some Type of Way:
Saga #54 caught me by surprise and confirms why Hazel described the Will a certain way. The Will is pure irredeemable scum IMO and his past trauma/hurt doesn’t justify his current actions. Such a profound cliffhanger before such a long break, BKV & FS must hate 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
