The Recipe for 9/5/18
Pick of the Week:
Justice League #7 had an unexpected comedic moment when the rest of the League was teasing Bruce (especially Diana and Clark). I felt that elevation of Luthor’s purpose from merely antagonizing Superman due to his ego to leading humanity to accept its natural inclination is selfishness and evil. It shifted the morality of the heroic struggle in the sense that the League was painted as villain by going against the natural inclination of humanity and imposing their values on the populace. Even in defeat of the Legion of Doom felt more like a delay than an actual loss.
Immortal Hulk #5 reintroduced a key figure from the Hulk’s past and man who had a vital role in the psychological creation of the Hulk. This character led Bruce to repress his rage and bottle it up inside. I was surprised to see the impact of this reveal had on this iteration of the Hulk, he actually showed fear. This scene did something that the audience doesn’t see in these supernatural avenger type of stories, rarely you see this entity as a person just a blunt instrument of retribution.
Worthy Mentions:
Death of the Inhumans #3 reminds us how truly resilient Black Bolt is and wonder what the implications of the mutation of his vocal abilities will have. I was expecting the special guest at the end or news of Lockjaw’s death having such a profound impact on him.
Cosmic Ghost Rider #3 was interesting in the sense that Frank’s desire to do the right thing and his own brokenness lead to creating a greater monster than the one he tried to avoid. I found the battle between the various iterations of the Guardians vs Frank very entertaining. I am a bit surprised that She Hulk is able to knock out a cosmically enhanced Spirit of Vengeance. I was also amused by how stoppable a baby Thanos was against the seasoned warriors Cable has assembled.
Thanos Legacy #1 convinced me that Donny Cates writing the Mad Titan is the cure for my Thanos fatigue. I must admit the attack against Mephisto was long overdue from the original Infinity Gauntlet series. Wish that Marvel did more with Thanos and Hela: it felt like the potential of that union was wasted.
Doctor Aphra Annual #2 introduced another memorable pair in the form of Winloss and Nokk. I was expecting Si Spurrier to be on the helm.
Weapon X #23 reminded me that Wade is still a formidable foe despite being a comedic character. He handled a squad of apex killers and assassins like they were inept Hydra/AIM goons.
Border Town #1 has a very interesting premise kn addition to being very socially relevant. I would to see this transitions into a television series.
Avengers #7 adds another wrinkle to Ghost Rider & Wendigo lore. I wonder if a new Wendigo will emerge to continue the ancient feud with the Spirit of Vengeance.
Feeling Some Type of Way:
Nothing that loathsome or odious this week.
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
