Dread
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This was a big week, an end-of-month wallet buster to embrace Fall and to bid September farewell. Fortunately, it was also a good week overall in terms of quality. That doesn't always happen.
Blue Blazes! Spoilers below!
Dread's Bought/Thought for 9/26/08:
BLUE BEETLE #31: Matt Sturges continues on with his run of BLUE BEETLE, this time alongside Andre Coelho on art, whose style matches former regular Alberquerque amazingly. BOUNDARIES continues onward on the third installment of the story. Blue Beetle brings the four goons that snuck across the border into El Paso and then injected themselves with a serum that gave them super-powers to the hospital, since they are dying despite his best efforts. Naturally, this is the same hospital his mother works at as a nurse, so there are some awkward secret identity moments.
As the cover reveals, Doctor Mid-Nite from the JSA is on hand to investigate the case and add his super-surgeon specialties to the mix. It is rare that an appearance from him warrants cover-image excitement, but it is pretty cool as he is a long-time character with a bit of rep. In the meanwhile, Beetle is honored with the Key to the City and the local politician deputizes him onto border patrol, something Jaime hardly asked for. Now he has Immigrant Rights groups calling him a fascist and is caught in the middle of the political turmoil. Sturges does a good job of presenting the situation without preaching, as it is a very hairy situation that has some grounds in reality, especially for a place like El Paso that is only miles from Mexico. Mariposa ends up meeting Brenda's aunt, La Dama, and it is revealed that Doctor Polaris, DC's answer to Magneto, has been the one working with Intergang and the true mastermind of the arc's schemes.
All the while, Jaime and Paco discuss the situation over some burgers and Sturges really seems to have Giffen & Jones' style down, or his style is similar. The transistion has been very seemless and I am enjoying the real life connections between immigration reform and those who seek to exploit the gaps in security that the story offers. While it is easy for Marvel fans to go, "the DCU celebrates their heroes more than Marvel", this issue shows that not everything is all ceremonies and museums for heroes. I also liked Mid-Nite's "old school" approach to crime fighting and his words with Jaime about God. The art from Coelho was vibrant and energetic, and BLUE BEETLE continues to be one of DC's high points at this stage. It has great characters, a simple premise and isn't so neck deep in continuity that you need a vast understanding of the mythos or to be reading other books to get it. For those who haven't given it a try, I suggest grabbing up the last few trades and diving in.
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #17: Tolibao has to fill in for Caselli on art chores again, and I am curious if that was because Caselli was busy on MIGHTY AVENGERS #17. The exposure's good for him, but I prefer him on this title, of course. The SECRET INVASION storyline continues from Slott & Gage, and this issue features the usual boatload of characters. Of course, that is what I like about the book, the mixture of older characters being used well alongside fun new characters. In a way, this title reminds me of MARVEL TEAM UP (the premise, not the last series), only handled in a way that actually matters to the universe as a whole, something no volume of MTU could accomplish (at best, it served as an extra Spidey book in volume one).
Naturally, we're still knee deep in the Skrull Invasion and we still have superheroes boxing the aliens. The Shadow Initiative are summoned to take out Queen Verenke, who is naturally in the form of Spider-Woman. Bengal's background is given more exposure and Mutant Zero is given the most hints as to her identity yet. She is Caucasion with long red hair. She meditates naked in a white, hot room. Her biggest fear is apparently her "dark side". She also has telekenesis. Y'know, a while back people in the A:TI topic guessed that Mutant Zero was in fact Jean Grey, and I didn't buy it. I mean, how does it make sense? Mutant Zero is violent, has warrior skills, and is far more brutal than Jean ever was. And continuity wise, how in the bloody hell does it fit into anything the X-Men have done since PHOENIX: ENDSONG? I would hate for Mutant Zero to be the Monarch for Jean; that is, some violent new identity that was created for a token mystery, but does nothing but harm the past character involved (as Monarch did for DC's Hawk and Capt. Atom). Isn't the baby that Cable is trucking around supposed to be her? Could this be Maddie Pryor? Or whatever replicant of her that popped up in X-MAN circa 2000 and then vanished? Back in that series, this "fake Maddie" claimed she "replaced" the amnesiac version X-Man knew. Who knows where that version wound up? If it is Pyor, then an already complicated and retconned history may get moreso. At any rate, at least Mutant Zero still has me guessing, although at this stage, I would like her identity to be revealed soon. A mystery stretched too long just becomes dull. At any rate, the Shadow Initiative attack Spider-Woman, but it turns out she faked them out, and they are defeated. Eric O'Grady does what he does best; hide and leer at breasts, but it manages to allow him to once again escape. Not everyone likes his snivelling, but he still is entertaining for me, although his schtick is a bit simpler here than it was in Kirkman's series, of course. The rest of the Shadow Initiative are cool, as Trauma's powers are used to remind us of Bengal's war-torn past and fears for her new family.
Meanwhile, the Skrull Kill Krew rides into Nevada on Komodo's behalf to save the Heavy Hitters from their Skrull impostor and ensure that her boyfriend Hardball is safe (whose costume, designed by Steve Uy, still looks ridiculous). The leader of the term turns out to be Gravity, a plot point which I figure is pretty cool. He may have debuted in 2004 (even in "Marvel Time" he's had under a year's experience), but he's been through a lot, including a cosmic resurrection and saving the universe alongside Dr. Strange and the Fantastic Four, so I kind of like the idea of him leading other rookies. I STILL wonder if the bum bothered to tell his girlfriend in NY that he was alive. It takes a bit away from Gravity's "rookie hero unsure of himself" status quo, but that HAD to end at some point, otherwise he'd just be Spider-Man, acting like a clueless newb for over 40 years. Crusader regrets not acting sooner, but is inspired to fight on by Nick Fury, who unlike Bendis, Slott & Gage write as someone who has another mode besides "gritty a$$-hole". Jocasta returns to the Chandler residence and brings in Devil-Slayer to help the SKK finish off the rest of the Initiative moles. The idea of Jocasta and Devil-Slayer having an iconic pose may not appeal to everyone, but I'm a continuity buff who sometimes likes seeing the forgotten D and F Listers get a moment in the sun; Marvel's a big universe after all. The only quibble was that Jocasta was formerly in a little green andriod girl's form and no reason is given for why she is in her default body, even if it is a stronger design. Considering she last popped up during Disassembled, maybe we can blame Scarlet Witch?
While he is no Caselli, Tolibao's art is still impressive and I like it more than Uy's for fill-in work. It is a bit overly detailed, but it still works with rendering the action and sometimes complicated designs.
As usual, I enjoy this series. It always has a lot of high octane action, some biting one-liners and a treasure trove of characters to work with, as well as a sense of being connected to the MU and being faithful (at least moreso than many titles) to past history. Hopefully this does not change. Plus, this tie-in helps explain some of the Invasion events from outside NY state. Considering the Skrull infiltration, and the fact that the very architect for much of it was a Skrull himself, I am curious how this will effect the future of the 50 State Initiative, and whether this may be the title where a "Search for Hank Pym" is had. I don't trust Bendis with something like that, as he obviously loathes the character. But Slott & Gage? Sure thing. They'd make it work.
Oh, that 2-page SI ad with the kids? Very annoying. I know it was in every Marvel issue this week, but I thought I'd bring it up here. Advertising for an event within the very tie-in for it; redundancy, thy name is Marvel.
Final thought: "SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS" is, in fact, a real movie. Kudos to whichever of the two writers recalled it.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #42: It is good to have a Marvel book that has a high tense storyarc of it's own that has nothing to do with Skrulls of any sort. There're only so many green men that I can take. This issue wraps up the "Death of Captain America" storyline that has been running for over a year now. In that way, a lot of things happen and it hops around a bit, but the story isn't as final as some may have feared. Is Red Skull killed? Yes and no, and Brubaker wisely doesn't pretend overwise and lays out his cards on the final page. It is the scheme that is thwarted, as a new status quo is established, and James "Bucky" Barnes seems to get the girl and embrace his destiny. Hard to not be pleased with that.
Want more specific stuff? Fine. I suppose overall "enjoyed the issue" statements ARE boring as heck. New Cap has a showdown with Sin as she tries to commit her political assassinations to advance Skull's candidate to the Presidency. Buck thwarts her at every turn, even risking his life to protect a swarm of cops from her bazooka shot, earning the adoration of Washington D.C. as a result (as well as getting word about himself officially "out"). Falcon and Black Widow continue their raid of Skull's facilities to rescue Sharon Carter, who is strapped to the time platform that Zola had created from Dr. Doom's tech. Apparently the plan was to speed-grow Sharon's fetus to adulthood and transfer the Skull's consciousness there; something I predicted in some comics months ago, but dismissed as "disgusting". Ha, nothing is too low for Skull. In the end, it is Sharon herself who guns down Lukin, which is appropriate considering she has spent the majority of the past 42 issues as either a brainwashed victim or a damsel in distress. Ironically, Skull's Bond-Villain habit of automatically self-destructing his base at the slightest trouble ends up backfiring on him royally, which was interesting to watch. The Skull survives in a Zola-Created robot body, which made for a great visual. The Grand Director, who still believes he is Steve Rogers, escapes into the night (after gutting Zola, who is perpetually able to DL himself into a new robot body, like Ultron).
Black Widow convinces Senator Wright to resign so word of his connection to "domestic terror" remains hidden from the public before snuggling on the coach with the hero of the hour, New Cap. I am glad that the relationship between the pair is officially being explored rather than just endless "tension from the retconned past". Hey, Brubaker created that history, may as well exploit it to the fullest.
Epting and Ross are on art and as usual, it is looks lovely for both still panels and high octane action.
While this arc is over, there still are ramifications to it to explore, although Brubaker is giving it a bit of a rest according to solicts, which is a good idea. I can't wait to see his take on Batroc coming up, as well as other new opponents for New Cap. Hopefully, Brubaker is able to remain on the book past issue #50; I want this legendary run to last as long as possible. Bendis wrote DAREDEVIL for 55 issues (and has been on USM for 7 years and counting) and JMS stayed on ASM for about 6 years, after all. It is possible, right? Certainly Brubaker's CAPTAIN AMERICA can break that 5 year barrier too? It deserves to, especially since he obviously loves Bucky and it would be a shame to leave him too soon after establishing this new status quo. Even if Brubaker stays past his prime on the title, it will still likely be better than whoever else who would come aboard. Here's to 42 more issues!
Easily one of Marvel's best titles. I'm trying to think of a title that I feel is at least as good and all I can think of is NOVA.
FANTASTIC FOUR #560: While, much like CAPTAIN AMERICA, this title's run is a universe unto itself separated from SECRET INVASION (despite the Skrulls being Four enemies and Reed playing a big role in the story), Millar & Hitch's title isn't nearly as good. It had some schedule hiccups by missing July (I know, I know, shocking for a Hitch title to meet some delays), but more issues of this have shipped this year than I ever expected. FUTURESHOCK continues the 3rd part in the DEATH OF THE INVISIBLE WOMAN storyline, and I have to admit, Millar actually explained his continuity hiccups.
Basically, everyone is from 501 years in the future. The New Defenders all hail from that naturally apocalyptic future where the Earth is dying and all of the world's rich and political elite, because they are all evil (this is a Millar story after all; all rich people are evil. Although considering his movie success, Millar is likely nearing becoming a millionare himself; therefore, is he now evil himself, and would admit to it, or is he just a hycrocite like everyone else) have fled to New Earth and left everyone else to rot. Which does sound like something they would do at least until one of them figured they would need SOME workers in New Earth, unless Bill Gaites wants to wash his own dishes or something.
The New Defenders consist of Hulk's Son (not Skaar), Alex Ultron (or "Ultron 16.0", although Ultron technically stopped counting at "Ultron-19", but expecting Millar to spend a second on Wikipedia to find this out is probably asking too much), Natalie X ("the world's most poweful psychic", which means I guess all of the Grey clan are dead) and of course Hooded Man (Hulk Jr.'s Step-Father), and the father-daughter team of Lightwave and Psionics. The Galactus they are using as fuel for their machine is Future Galactus, who their world's heroes were able to beat, although basically sacrificising themselves in the process. Johnny and Dr. Doom are also to be used as fuel, although why they are needed if Galactus alone isn't sufficient is never quite ironed out beyond plot convenience. The New Defenders' big plan is to send everyone from 2509 into the past alongside with them, and give the Time Space Continuum a middle finger by not caring how that effects the time stream. Somewhere, Kang disapproves. Got to love how "Alex Ultron" looks more like Colossus than Ultron...no, I didn't either.
The rest of the Four are looking for Johnny, but they are quickly defeated by Tabitha, the Four's new nanny for Franklin and Val, who is actually Future Sue, somehow alive for 500 extra years. I mean, I would imagine Reed or Thing to be extremely long lived, but not Sue. Oh, well. With her centuries of extra experience, she beats the three of them with ease to escape in a stock Millar/Hitch splash. The only caveat is that you have to believe that a guy like Reed Richards who can build time machines during commercial breaks and can pull Galactus-armor out of his rectum wouldn't recognize an older version of his own wife. Of course, we have another issue or two to go before this story ends, so he may very well go "Aha!" and do what he does best.
Meanwhile, Thing's new girlfriend, Not Alicia...sorry, I mean Debra, apparently has a jealous ex who isn't taking being replaced by the Thing lying down. Maybe he'll shake a fist and scream, "GET AWAY FROM MY WOMAN, MEATBALL!" at Ben in a splash page or something. Yeah, it still sucks that no one cares about THE THING and the stuff with Alicia anymore, and I'll ***** about it 'till my fingers fall off. Slott's story mattered, damn it!
Oh, and She-Hulk has decided to drop by, if for no other reason than because Hulk's son is with the villains. Millar can preach on about how he set it up in past issues, but c'mon, that's why Jen is there. At the very least, considering Jen was among the team's longest serving alternate members, it does make sense for her to show up and add things to Five every now and again. Apparently, Future Sue doesn't see any problem with simply leaving the heroes she doesn't want to screw with her plans unconscious on the floor, because heaven willing that has NEVER backfired on any villain ever, but whatever. This leaves Val and Franklin awake, although Franklin seemed to act more like a Millar Kid than himself.
Hitch's art is what it is. The detail is amazing and everyone's costume has a lot of leather and pouches, even Dr. Doom. The last page almost makes Future Sue look like she is trying not to fall in the tub rather than look dramatic while flying away, but no big. There are those who think it is lovely and others who feel that the leather fetish is just as predictable as spandex only with twice the pretentiousness. I think it is peachy, but I don't want to see it everywhere.
There is disturbing sales news, though. In June, Millar & Hitch's FF sold at 51k, which is about where the SI tie in mini debuted and that title is selling at 48k towards it's end. Millar's WOLVERINE run, which is also equally seperate from the core continuity, is selling much better. Basically, this just proves that the FF are officially a B-List property now and hardly any creative team is going to boost them far above the 48-50k mark for long. These are the numbers McDuffie was averaging after CW wound down. Sales for the book are down 12% from a year ago. Considering how key the Skrulls are to the FF, of all franchises to have a vital tie-in, the Four should have been considered. But, that is the road not traveled.
Speaking of not traveled, while I know that Marvel hates any marriage that wasn't formulated during Joe Q's tenure, I seriously doubt that Sue will be "dead" for long, considering that this is a time travel tale. They had a one-shot that undid it with time travel a year or so ago. Besides, death never stopped anyone from the X-Men, and they don't have Reed's uber science. He could just speed-grow a clone and DL Sue's psyche into it. I mean, didn't the Shi'ar revive Xavier that way once or twice, because he was Lilandra's boyfriend?
Overall, though, while McDuffie's run was fun, this one is more epic in scale and I am paying a lot more attention to the title. Despite the zeal to maybe end the marriage for a while, I do believe that Millar likes the Four and the story isn't quite as bleak or Facistly Liberal as most of Millar's stories, and therefore the imagination of things shines through a little better. Dr. Doom is still a useless pawn, though, and that continues to stink.
Coming up: IMMORTAL IRON FIST: ORSON RANDALL AND THE DEATH QUEEN OF CALIFORNIA, NEW AVENGERS #45, NEW WARRIORS #16 & NOVA #17 (which, to give some away, would be my BOOK OF THE WEEK, even despite CA rocking the house this week. It was awesome).
Blue Blazes! Spoilers below!
Dread's Bought/Thought for 9/26/08:
BLUE BEETLE #31: Matt Sturges continues on with his run of BLUE BEETLE, this time alongside Andre Coelho on art, whose style matches former regular Alberquerque amazingly. BOUNDARIES continues onward on the third installment of the story. Blue Beetle brings the four goons that snuck across the border into El Paso and then injected themselves with a serum that gave them super-powers to the hospital, since they are dying despite his best efforts. Naturally, this is the same hospital his mother works at as a nurse, so there are some awkward secret identity moments.
As the cover reveals, Doctor Mid-Nite from the JSA is on hand to investigate the case and add his super-surgeon specialties to the mix. It is rare that an appearance from him warrants cover-image excitement, but it is pretty cool as he is a long-time character with a bit of rep. In the meanwhile, Beetle is honored with the Key to the City and the local politician deputizes him onto border patrol, something Jaime hardly asked for. Now he has Immigrant Rights groups calling him a fascist and is caught in the middle of the political turmoil. Sturges does a good job of presenting the situation without preaching, as it is a very hairy situation that has some grounds in reality, especially for a place like El Paso that is only miles from Mexico. Mariposa ends up meeting Brenda's aunt, La Dama, and it is revealed that Doctor Polaris, DC's answer to Magneto, has been the one working with Intergang and the true mastermind of the arc's schemes.
All the while, Jaime and Paco discuss the situation over some burgers and Sturges really seems to have Giffen & Jones' style down, or his style is similar. The transistion has been very seemless and I am enjoying the real life connections between immigration reform and those who seek to exploit the gaps in security that the story offers. While it is easy for Marvel fans to go, "the DCU celebrates their heroes more than Marvel", this issue shows that not everything is all ceremonies and museums for heroes. I also liked Mid-Nite's "old school" approach to crime fighting and his words with Jaime about God. The art from Coelho was vibrant and energetic, and BLUE BEETLE continues to be one of DC's high points at this stage. It has great characters, a simple premise and isn't so neck deep in continuity that you need a vast understanding of the mythos or to be reading other books to get it. For those who haven't given it a try, I suggest grabbing up the last few trades and diving in.
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #17: Tolibao has to fill in for Caselli on art chores again, and I am curious if that was because Caselli was busy on MIGHTY AVENGERS #17. The exposure's good for him, but I prefer him on this title, of course. The SECRET INVASION storyline continues from Slott & Gage, and this issue features the usual boatload of characters. Of course, that is what I like about the book, the mixture of older characters being used well alongside fun new characters. In a way, this title reminds me of MARVEL TEAM UP (the premise, not the last series), only handled in a way that actually matters to the universe as a whole, something no volume of MTU could accomplish (at best, it served as an extra Spidey book in volume one).
Naturally, we're still knee deep in the Skrull Invasion and we still have superheroes boxing the aliens. The Shadow Initiative are summoned to take out Queen Verenke, who is naturally in the form of Spider-Woman. Bengal's background is given more exposure and Mutant Zero is given the most hints as to her identity yet. She is Caucasion with long red hair. She meditates naked in a white, hot room. Her biggest fear is apparently her "dark side". She also has telekenesis. Y'know, a while back people in the A:TI topic guessed that Mutant Zero was in fact Jean Grey, and I didn't buy it. I mean, how does it make sense? Mutant Zero is violent, has warrior skills, and is far more brutal than Jean ever was. And continuity wise, how in the bloody hell does it fit into anything the X-Men have done since PHOENIX: ENDSONG? I would hate for Mutant Zero to be the Monarch for Jean; that is, some violent new identity that was created for a token mystery, but does nothing but harm the past character involved (as Monarch did for DC's Hawk and Capt. Atom). Isn't the baby that Cable is trucking around supposed to be her? Could this be Maddie Pryor? Or whatever replicant of her that popped up in X-MAN circa 2000 and then vanished? Back in that series, this "fake Maddie" claimed she "replaced" the amnesiac version X-Man knew. Who knows where that version wound up? If it is Pyor, then an already complicated and retconned history may get moreso. At any rate, at least Mutant Zero still has me guessing, although at this stage, I would like her identity to be revealed soon. A mystery stretched too long just becomes dull. At any rate, the Shadow Initiative attack Spider-Woman, but it turns out she faked them out, and they are defeated. Eric O'Grady does what he does best; hide and leer at breasts, but it manages to allow him to once again escape. Not everyone likes his snivelling, but he still is entertaining for me, although his schtick is a bit simpler here than it was in Kirkman's series, of course. The rest of the Shadow Initiative are cool, as Trauma's powers are used to remind us of Bengal's war-torn past and fears for her new family.
Meanwhile, the Skrull Kill Krew rides into Nevada on Komodo's behalf to save the Heavy Hitters from their Skrull impostor and ensure that her boyfriend Hardball is safe (whose costume, designed by Steve Uy, still looks ridiculous). The leader of the term turns out to be Gravity, a plot point which I figure is pretty cool. He may have debuted in 2004 (even in "Marvel Time" he's had under a year's experience), but he's been through a lot, including a cosmic resurrection and saving the universe alongside Dr. Strange and the Fantastic Four, so I kind of like the idea of him leading other rookies. I STILL wonder if the bum bothered to tell his girlfriend in NY that he was alive. It takes a bit away from Gravity's "rookie hero unsure of himself" status quo, but that HAD to end at some point, otherwise he'd just be Spider-Man, acting like a clueless newb for over 40 years. Crusader regrets not acting sooner, but is inspired to fight on by Nick Fury, who unlike Bendis, Slott & Gage write as someone who has another mode besides "gritty a$$-hole". Jocasta returns to the Chandler residence and brings in Devil-Slayer to help the SKK finish off the rest of the Initiative moles. The idea of Jocasta and Devil-Slayer having an iconic pose may not appeal to everyone, but I'm a continuity buff who sometimes likes seeing the forgotten D and F Listers get a moment in the sun; Marvel's a big universe after all. The only quibble was that Jocasta was formerly in a little green andriod girl's form and no reason is given for why she is in her default body, even if it is a stronger design. Considering she last popped up during Disassembled, maybe we can blame Scarlet Witch?
While he is no Caselli, Tolibao's art is still impressive and I like it more than Uy's for fill-in work. It is a bit overly detailed, but it still works with rendering the action and sometimes complicated designs.
As usual, I enjoy this series. It always has a lot of high octane action, some biting one-liners and a treasure trove of characters to work with, as well as a sense of being connected to the MU and being faithful (at least moreso than many titles) to past history. Hopefully this does not change. Plus, this tie-in helps explain some of the Invasion events from outside NY state. Considering the Skrull infiltration, and the fact that the very architect for much of it was a Skrull himself, I am curious how this will effect the future of the 50 State Initiative, and whether this may be the title where a "Search for Hank Pym" is had. I don't trust Bendis with something like that, as he obviously loathes the character. But Slott & Gage? Sure thing. They'd make it work.
Oh, that 2-page SI ad with the kids? Very annoying. I know it was in every Marvel issue this week, but I thought I'd bring it up here. Advertising for an event within the very tie-in for it; redundancy, thy name is Marvel.
Final thought: "SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS" is, in fact, a real movie. Kudos to whichever of the two writers recalled it.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #42: It is good to have a Marvel book that has a high tense storyarc of it's own that has nothing to do with Skrulls of any sort. There're only so many green men that I can take. This issue wraps up the "Death of Captain America" storyline that has been running for over a year now. In that way, a lot of things happen and it hops around a bit, but the story isn't as final as some may have feared. Is Red Skull killed? Yes and no, and Brubaker wisely doesn't pretend overwise and lays out his cards on the final page. It is the scheme that is thwarted, as a new status quo is established, and James "Bucky" Barnes seems to get the girl and embrace his destiny. Hard to not be pleased with that.
Want more specific stuff? Fine. I suppose overall "enjoyed the issue" statements ARE boring as heck. New Cap has a showdown with Sin as she tries to commit her political assassinations to advance Skull's candidate to the Presidency. Buck thwarts her at every turn, even risking his life to protect a swarm of cops from her bazooka shot, earning the adoration of Washington D.C. as a result (as well as getting word about himself officially "out"). Falcon and Black Widow continue their raid of Skull's facilities to rescue Sharon Carter, who is strapped to the time platform that Zola had created from Dr. Doom's tech. Apparently the plan was to speed-grow Sharon's fetus to adulthood and transfer the Skull's consciousness there; something I predicted in some comics months ago, but dismissed as "disgusting". Ha, nothing is too low for Skull. In the end, it is Sharon herself who guns down Lukin, which is appropriate considering she has spent the majority of the past 42 issues as either a brainwashed victim or a damsel in distress. Ironically, Skull's Bond-Villain habit of automatically self-destructing his base at the slightest trouble ends up backfiring on him royally, which was interesting to watch. The Skull survives in a Zola-Created robot body, which made for a great visual. The Grand Director, who still believes he is Steve Rogers, escapes into the night (after gutting Zola, who is perpetually able to DL himself into a new robot body, like Ultron).
Black Widow convinces Senator Wright to resign so word of his connection to "domestic terror" remains hidden from the public before snuggling on the coach with the hero of the hour, New Cap. I am glad that the relationship between the pair is officially being explored rather than just endless "tension from the retconned past". Hey, Brubaker created that history, may as well exploit it to the fullest.
Epting and Ross are on art and as usual, it is looks lovely for both still panels and high octane action.
While this arc is over, there still are ramifications to it to explore, although Brubaker is giving it a bit of a rest according to solicts, which is a good idea. I can't wait to see his take on Batroc coming up, as well as other new opponents for New Cap. Hopefully, Brubaker is able to remain on the book past issue #50; I want this legendary run to last as long as possible. Bendis wrote DAREDEVIL for 55 issues (and has been on USM for 7 years and counting) and JMS stayed on ASM for about 6 years, after all. It is possible, right? Certainly Brubaker's CAPTAIN AMERICA can break that 5 year barrier too? It deserves to, especially since he obviously loves Bucky and it would be a shame to leave him too soon after establishing this new status quo. Even if Brubaker stays past his prime on the title, it will still likely be better than whoever else who would come aboard. Here's to 42 more issues!
Easily one of Marvel's best titles. I'm trying to think of a title that I feel is at least as good and all I can think of is NOVA.
FANTASTIC FOUR #560: While, much like CAPTAIN AMERICA, this title's run is a universe unto itself separated from SECRET INVASION (despite the Skrulls being Four enemies and Reed playing a big role in the story), Millar & Hitch's title isn't nearly as good. It had some schedule hiccups by missing July (I know, I know, shocking for a Hitch title to meet some delays), but more issues of this have shipped this year than I ever expected. FUTURESHOCK continues the 3rd part in the DEATH OF THE INVISIBLE WOMAN storyline, and I have to admit, Millar actually explained his continuity hiccups.
Basically, everyone is from 501 years in the future. The New Defenders all hail from that naturally apocalyptic future where the Earth is dying and all of the world's rich and political elite, because they are all evil (this is a Millar story after all; all rich people are evil. Although considering his movie success, Millar is likely nearing becoming a millionare himself; therefore, is he now evil himself, and would admit to it, or is he just a hycrocite like everyone else) have fled to New Earth and left everyone else to rot. Which does sound like something they would do at least until one of them figured they would need SOME workers in New Earth, unless Bill Gaites wants to wash his own dishes or something.
The New Defenders consist of Hulk's Son (not Skaar), Alex Ultron (or "Ultron 16.0", although Ultron technically stopped counting at "Ultron-19", but expecting Millar to spend a second on Wikipedia to find this out is probably asking too much), Natalie X ("the world's most poweful psychic", which means I guess all of the Grey clan are dead) and of course Hooded Man (Hulk Jr.'s Step-Father), and the father-daughter team of Lightwave and Psionics. The Galactus they are using as fuel for their machine is Future Galactus, who their world's heroes were able to beat, although basically sacrificising themselves in the process. Johnny and Dr. Doom are also to be used as fuel, although why they are needed if Galactus alone isn't sufficient is never quite ironed out beyond plot convenience. The New Defenders' big plan is to send everyone from 2509 into the past alongside with them, and give the Time Space Continuum a middle finger by not caring how that effects the time stream. Somewhere, Kang disapproves. Got to love how "Alex Ultron" looks more like Colossus than Ultron...no, I didn't either.
The rest of the Four are looking for Johnny, but they are quickly defeated by Tabitha, the Four's new nanny for Franklin and Val, who is actually Future Sue, somehow alive for 500 extra years. I mean, I would imagine Reed or Thing to be extremely long lived, but not Sue. Oh, well. With her centuries of extra experience, she beats the three of them with ease to escape in a stock Millar/Hitch splash. The only caveat is that you have to believe that a guy like Reed Richards who can build time machines during commercial breaks and can pull Galactus-armor out of his rectum wouldn't recognize an older version of his own wife. Of course, we have another issue or two to go before this story ends, so he may very well go "Aha!" and do what he does best.
Meanwhile, Thing's new girlfriend, Not Alicia...sorry, I mean Debra, apparently has a jealous ex who isn't taking being replaced by the Thing lying down. Maybe he'll shake a fist and scream, "GET AWAY FROM MY WOMAN, MEATBALL!" at Ben in a splash page or something. Yeah, it still sucks that no one cares about THE THING and the stuff with Alicia anymore, and I'll ***** about it 'till my fingers fall off. Slott's story mattered, damn it!
Oh, and She-Hulk has decided to drop by, if for no other reason than because Hulk's son is with the villains. Millar can preach on about how he set it up in past issues, but c'mon, that's why Jen is there. At the very least, considering Jen was among the team's longest serving alternate members, it does make sense for her to show up and add things to Five every now and again. Apparently, Future Sue doesn't see any problem with simply leaving the heroes she doesn't want to screw with her plans unconscious on the floor, because heaven willing that has NEVER backfired on any villain ever, but whatever. This leaves Val and Franklin awake, although Franklin seemed to act more like a Millar Kid than himself.
Hitch's art is what it is. The detail is amazing and everyone's costume has a lot of leather and pouches, even Dr. Doom. The last page almost makes Future Sue look like she is trying not to fall in the tub rather than look dramatic while flying away, but no big. There are those who think it is lovely and others who feel that the leather fetish is just as predictable as spandex only with twice the pretentiousness. I think it is peachy, but I don't want to see it everywhere.
There is disturbing sales news, though. In June, Millar & Hitch's FF sold at 51k, which is about where the SI tie in mini debuted and that title is selling at 48k towards it's end. Millar's WOLVERINE run, which is also equally seperate from the core continuity, is selling much better. Basically, this just proves that the FF are officially a B-List property now and hardly any creative team is going to boost them far above the 48-50k mark for long. These are the numbers McDuffie was averaging after CW wound down. Sales for the book are down 12% from a year ago. Considering how key the Skrulls are to the FF, of all franchises to have a vital tie-in, the Four should have been considered. But, that is the road not traveled.
Speaking of not traveled, while I know that Marvel hates any marriage that wasn't formulated during Joe Q's tenure, I seriously doubt that Sue will be "dead" for long, considering that this is a time travel tale. They had a one-shot that undid it with time travel a year or so ago. Besides, death never stopped anyone from the X-Men, and they don't have Reed's uber science. He could just speed-grow a clone and DL Sue's psyche into it. I mean, didn't the Shi'ar revive Xavier that way once or twice, because he was Lilandra's boyfriend?
Overall, though, while McDuffie's run was fun, this one is more epic in scale and I am paying a lot more attention to the title. Despite the zeal to maybe end the marriage for a while, I do believe that Millar likes the Four and the story isn't quite as bleak or Facistly Liberal as most of Millar's stories, and therefore the imagination of things shines through a little better. Dr. Doom is still a useless pawn, though, and that continues to stink.
Coming up: IMMORTAL IRON FIST: ORSON RANDALL AND THE DEATH QUEEN OF CALIFORNIA, NEW AVENGERS #45, NEW WARRIORS #16 & NOVA #17 (which, to give some away, would be my BOOK OF THE WEEK, even despite CA rocking the house this week. It was awesome).
