Yes, I’m back, after a 7-day cruise down the Pacific Mexican Riviera with Mrs. Professor (comic reviewing pays better than you thought, eh?). Let’s all applaud Dan for the “Phil-in” weeks; I’m a big fan, enjoyed them immensely, and think in same ways his were better than mine. We’ll try to get him back once a month or so, as his college-student schedule permits. Meanwhile:
Ms. Marvel #37: Writer: Brian Reed; Pencils: Patrick Oliff; Inks: Serge LePointe
Hmmm. If you’re Carol Danvers fan, and haven’t liked the way Reed’s been treating her the last few issues, this one is going to drive you nuts (on the other hand, if you’re a Karla Soften fan — meaning, I suppose, that you know who that is — you’ll be eager to buy this book’s next issue). I’ll just point out that energy-based heroes never go away completely, no matter what happens to them — ask Simon Williams — so it’s pointless to get too upset; just consider this part of the ongoing Dark Reign Thunderbolting of many of the mainstream Marvel heroes right now.
X-Force/Cable: Messiah War #1 — Writers: Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost; Art: Mike Choi and Sonia Oback
For those of you who haven’t been following either Cable or X-Force (i.e., most of you), here’s the deal: Cable has the newborn baby from the last crossover, but they’ve been running around the future for awhile, pursued futilely by Bishop, and now the kid’s about six years old: she’s on the cover as a deadly little commando girl, holding a big gun. Cyclops, in the present, has formed a covert team to kick butt on the enemies of mutantkind, and kill if they have to, and that’s what X-Force has been about: Wolverine, X-23, Domino, Wolfbane, Angel (um, Archangel?) and Thunderbolt, all with glowing red infrared slits on their eyemasks to indicate what total, you know, badasses they are, and all getting involved in the constant bloody slaughter of anonymous henchmen while the real bad guys get away; this has been going on for a year or so.
Anyway, Cyke and the Beast get a fix on Cable’s future position, and send the crew there (interrupting the main plot in X-Force, which involved the Leper Queen (don’t ask) and Boom Boom (don’t ask) and some variation of the Legacy Virus that, when injected into mutants, makes them blow up in an admittedly cool special effect and wipe out scores of civilians (please, please don’t ask), and ended last week in X-Force with Boom Boom getting a bullet to the head, although since X-Force currently have access to a healer and are time-travelling, this is not necessarily the tragic death that it may first appear to be.
So, everyone ends up with Cable and the kid in the future, and Bishop, and a thousand-year-old Deadpool to bring in a few more sales, and then there’s a reveal when Bishop is recruiting an ally who turns out to be… well, not Apocalypse, but the second-lamest villain next to him, one which, were I to reveal his name, would make you roll your eyes and say “Oh, good God.” Trust me.
That’s all that happens for your $4. Next chapter: Cable #13.
Caped #1 — Story: Josh Lobis and Darin Moiselle; Art: Yair Herrer
Hero Squared #2 (of 3) — Writers: Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis; Art: Nathan Watson
The two latest from Boom studios: disappointingly derivative, generic superhero riffs, although there’s no denying that they’re professionally done and presented in a smooth package. Caped is Jimmy Olson gets hired as Clark Kent’s assistant, except that Clark’s secret identity is Batman, and then Jimmy becomes his sidekick, and interacts with all the other heroes and sidekicks (the characters aren’t called by those names, you understand, but they don’t have to be; we’re all in on the joke).. No, it’s not satiric like Brat Pack; it’s just…. there.
Hero Squared is about an alternate earth where Lois Lane had a big pre-marriage fight with Superman and turned into a super-villainess; now, they’ve jumped to a “realistic” dimension where Clark Kent and Lois are just normal people, working in the same office together (again, they don’t actually have those names, but we all know who they are). Villainess Lois goes for Normal Clark, and Superman goes for the unspoiled Lois, and this issue is all about the four of them sitting around with a relationship counselor. No, really,
These are $4 each, just like X-Force/Cable. If anything I’ve said makes them sound like they’re worth that, by all means go ahead and buy them.
Nova #23 — Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; Artist: Andrea Divito
Abnett and Lanning are undeniably good at cosmic soap opera: they’re ramping up this titles’s involvement in the “War of Kings” crossover here (having previously helmed Annihilation, et. al.), and they mix in an all-Earthmen Nova Corps led by an increasingly-sinister Worldmind, a dying Rich Rider, Quasar, and some other elements, with enough reversals and revelations to keep the pot boiling nicely. It’s standard, well-done superhero space stuff, and if you like that kind of thing you could do worse.
Superman #686 — Writer: James Robinson; Penciller: Renato Guedes; Inker: Jose Watson Magalhaes
Since Superman’s off on Counter-Eart — um, New Krypton, this title’s focus shifts to Mon-El and the Guardian; the former’s trying to learn Earth customs and become Metropolis’s protector, and the latter’s trying to help him. Pluses: the Super-fish-out-of-water stuff is OK, and the retro triangle-numbering, tight-continuity bit with all the super-books is kind of nice to have back. Minuses: while I don’t hate the art, I’m not a big fan either (I don’t know that Guedes’s style is particularly suited to long-underwear stories, although it has its moments); also, you gotta question the commercial wisdom of having a book called Superman without, you know, Superman actually in it.
Battle for the Cowl: Oracle #1 (of 3) — Writer: Kevin VanHook; Pencillers: Julian Lopez and Fernando Pasarin; Inkers: BIT and Hi-Fi’s David Bryant
This has little to do with any actual “battle for the cape”; it’s just your standard Oracle story, involving virtual reality, the Calculator, and a reasonably grotesque last-page fadeout. If you were a Birds of Prey fan, or a Barbara Gordon one, you might be interested, but if you’re just following the main Bat-books and waiting for Bruce Wayne to come back, this can be easily skipped.
Phil Mateer
