Uncanny Avengers 12, Young Avengers 10

Uncanny Avengers 12
Remender (w) and Larroca (a) and F. Martin (c)

Wanda has to choose for or against helping the Apocalypse Twins move every mutant off Earth and to an ark to be brought to their new home on Jupiter, leaving the humans to ruin Earth themselves. What's more, if she chooses that path, she has to convince Wonder Man to help her accomplish it. She's very torn on it and she reveals to Simon just how broken she still is over her role in decimating the mutants, something she hasn't really let on too much about since she's returned to the Universe. It's been a little on the outside, kind of seeping in (no thanks to Rogue's incessant anger), and now it comes to a head here as she sobs to Simon about the weapon she became. She asks him to make the decision, afraid that she won't make a strong one. According to Eimin, who has used her temporal powers to see this future, he will agree to help her. Meanwhile, Cap, Havok, and Wasp are trying to shut down the tachyon transmitters that are blocking aid from the future from coming in. This is all on Immortus' request, who is not the most reliable person but who Havok and Cap feel they have to trust in this situation. They're set upon by Banshee as they're closing in on the tachyon transmitters in one of the Akkaba Society cities and a fight breaks out, slowing their way as Wonder Man makes his decision. Flash forward about 2100 years to the Kang Dynasty where Kang, thrilled that his twins are going to remove the mutant threat from Earth, has a rude awakening as the twins, in a recorded message to Kang, reveal that they've sabotaged his home. It begins crumbling away in front of him as they congratulate him for being king for a day.

There's plenty in this issue, which is particularly exciting as this was kind of billed a little bit as an origin story for Uriel and Eimin. There are certainly elements of that, as we see them try to break from Red Skull's future mutant internment camps only to face more punishment (Uriel is told to cut out Eimin's eyes to prevent her seeing more opportunities for escape), but this is largely involved with the things that are going on at present. Not to say I don't want to hear Uriel and Eimin's origin stories; I think what they've been through is both interesting and obviously integral to this story, but it's not usually great to break from the main story as it's getting intense for a flashback. The way Remender structured it here, showing us a horrible moment clearly pulled from a slew of horrible moments while humans continually let the twins down, was perfect, giving us plenty of backstory and motivation without needing to dedicate an entire issue to it. This gives us a little extra room for a somewhat fun interaction between Havok, Cap, and Wasp as we hear a little too much information from Wasp about her run-ins with the Hellfire Club and as we get a little bit of flirting between Wasp and Havok, which Cap has to somewhat embarrassingly break up. Nice bit of fun, well-timed and well-executed. Really good book overall. I wasn't necessarily thrilled that Salvador Larroca was illustrating this one (I've tired of him a bit over in Cable and X-Force) but the art didn't both me. I think he's better off drawing people in smaller panels or with fewer tight close-ups. Frank Martin's colors don't hurt either. Really good story and some bonus characterization in this one.

Young Avengers 10
Gillen (w) and McKelvie w/ Norton (a) and Wilson (c)

Loki pays a quick visit to Mother back in her dimension to get some questions answered. We find out that, though her entry to this dimension is Billy's fault, it was Loki who subconsciously planted the idea in Billy's head to try to resurrect Teddy's mother. Loki now, though, feels fully in charge of the situation, having used magical rules to his own end and successfully playing the game, which leaves Loki with the trust of Billy, the wizard whose future will dictate the future of magic itself, and leaves Mother stuck in her dimension as long as none of the Young Avengers return to New York. The variable he didn't account for, unfortunately for the team, is Leah's re-emergence. After Loki leaves Mother's dimension (and after a very quick appearance by the Patri-not), Leah pops in to suggest the two team up to take down Loki. She returns to Earth to accompany Teddy to their group in Austin, which consists of her, three former lovers of Noh-Varr, Ultimate Nullifier (from the Teen Brigade America came from), and Patri-not. They all share stories of being dumped and how they all want revenge for these slights. When asked to share, Teddy denies them all, saying that they're all crazy stalkers and that hurt feelings are no reason to hurt people. Leah says he's welcome to leave the magic circle whenever he likes, which he does choose to do. Unfortunately, the magic circle has transported them to New York and Teddy emerges from the basement only to be besieged by Mother and her cronies.

Crazy stuff happening as Leah becomes, yet again, a major player in a Marvel book (pretty exciting, in truth, even if it goes against our team). More than that, we're starting to understand a little bit better the dynamic between this Loki and our team. Specifically, we're seeing the plans Loki has put into place (Loki is always putting plans into place) and how everything is connected. It all pours nicely back into the demiurge idea of Billy being the most powerful being in creation (and nicely points to Loki trying to rush him out of that dimension), which connects very nicely with possible Loki plans. Nothing else out of the rest of the team but Teddy's bits are certainly nice touches here. I think I've mentioned before that I don't have a particular fondness for Teddy, which is different than literally anyone else on this team (even the newest characters are higher on the list typically than Teddy is for me). It's nothing against Teddy, he just doesn't really have a personality that clicks with me (or a personality, sometimes). He gets a little lost in the shuffle as primary supporting character to Billy. Here he actually speaks out and defines himself, not allowing himself to be absorbed into the group of burned lovers. Solid issue for him and a really great Gillen-writes-Loki-and-Leah issue. Art continues to be outstanding, still worth mentioning. Great book.

Avengers Arena 14, Young Avengers 9

Avengers Arena 14
Hopeless (w) and K. Walker and Gorder (a) and Beaulieu (c)

We're approaching, far too quickly for my liking, the planned end of this series. This is an ongoing series but it does have a conclusion in mind (just as it always must have, given the nature of this story) and we'll reach that conclusion with issue 18. For now, though, we have to ask who's going to make it that long. Apex and Death Locket are still underground at a laboratory/morgue somewhere on the island. The rest of the survivors, minus Nico and Chase, have been wandering the island for seven days hoping to find their way to Arcade or off the island. Anyone who's separated from the group has disappeared; Reptil first, going to scout ahead only to vanish, then Hazmat and X-23, chasing after something Hazmat saw and hoped was Mettle. Now Cullen Bloodstone, Anachronism, Nara, and Cammi are at breaking point with only a couple days left before Arcade's deadline. Cullen shares his story with Cammi after he and Anachronism had a bit of a row (they're British, they say things like "row") but the story is interrupted when a trigger scent is released by a Mettle skeleton walking around the island (so at least Hazmat's not going crazy! She might be dead though, she was with X-23 when the trigger scent activated). The concoction is flooding the island and a feral X-23 is attacking anything that moves, including, presumably, a newly spawned monster from deep within Cullen (activated when he took off his Bloodstone Ring).

You can see how we might be winding down to the end of the series as Arcade floods the island with kill hormones for X-23. Even without that, though, the attitude of those who remain is markedly down, even if it was never particularly up. They've plotted, they've planned, they've strategized, they've learned about the island, and it's all for nothing because, at the end of the day, they're still totally stuck and exactly where they started. People have disappeared the last couple days, leading to even lower spirits, and the end is nigh. The book has always been really good at tone and really good at, in a natural way, giving us backstories for its main characters. We haven't really had a good one in a few issues (most people have been explained by this point, particularly the ones we don't really know in the main Marvel Universe) but Cullen's is disseminated intelligently and at the right moment. Sure, it's not in the form of flashbacks, like so many of these ones have been; instead, it's Cullen flat out telling his backstory, but it fits well here and Cammi's the right person to bring it out of him. The reason she's been alive so long is that she knows when and how things need to be done and now is when this story needs to come out, both for them and for us. I also really like the use of the trigger scent here. Well, I hate it for Laura but I like it for story and motivation. One of X-23's biggest problems she's had to try and overcome is being used by people as a weapon and that's exactly what's happening here. Tough stuff to try to come back from. This series continues to impress and I'm sad to see it go with 18, even if I wouldn't have said that at the start of the book and if they've promised us something cool after (I feel like I've read that somewhere).

Young Avengers 9
Gillen (w) and McKelvie w/ Norton (a) and M. Wilson (c)

Last issue ended with a load of cliffhangers so we have to get through those little by little as this issue progresses. First and foremost: the kiss. David explains to Hulkling that he realized, when he lost his mutant power but his brain was still fully opened to him, that he was bisexual, though it hasn't come up in recent days because he hasn't been looking to start a relationship. He's still not, really, but he admits that he would have regretted dying without kissing Teddy the once because he views Teddy as the remarkably strong one in what looks like a rather strong relationship. Teddy admits his fears to David who suggests he try to take some time off, if he can, to get his head together. Of course, that can only happen when they're not stuck in Mother's dimension running from her. Working on that is the rest of the team, who are still facing down Leah in the barren place Loki had sent her. She talks to them briefly and with much vitriol before America leads them out. Loki tells what is mostly the truth to his teammates: she is sort of his ex and he sent her to this dimension because he couldn't hurt her here. Kid Loki, trapped in Loki's mind, taunts him for the reveal of the truth (being the best lie) but he doesn't have time to deal with that. He concocts a plan to rescue David and Teddy which involves running through a bunch of their evil dimensions to gather a horde of villains to dump on Mother as they make their escape with their teammates. It, improbably, works, and Mother is left to clean up her dimension while they make it back to their Earth. They discuss their next plans, which are basically to stay the course of Loki teaching Billy magic (Billy could be the most important person in the universe so it's probably good that he learn how to use his tools). Teddy approaches Billy at the end and tells him that they need to take a break. He departs to go meet with a therapist in the form of a support group for people who, weirdly enough, have been left feeling abandoned and confused by their partner. His therapist? A seemingly more grown-up Leah (Teddy didn't meet her when they all ran into her).

Oh man, too much to say about this issue. Guys, that's a really long summary and frankly I don't think I covered enough. There are weird bits and pieces that deserve their own analysis (Mother asking Kate when her birthday is and threatening that she's about to join Mother's side) but THAT'S HOW MUCH THERE IS HERE. This series remains as complicated and beautiful as ever, with McKelvie's art really shining through as there are plenty of long panels meant to illustrate a single character's features and emotions. There are a pair, on back-to-back pages, that show Leah and Loki in separate wide-angle panels that focus on their eyes that are just stunning. I've long praised, on this blog and in life, the art of Jamie McKelvie but the emotion he brings to characters continues to blow me away. The first real look at his art was in a Secret Avengers issue written by Warren Ellis (16, I think, of the last volume of Secret Avengers) wherein McK drew this amazing underground city with insane architecture and had Moon Knight soaring around it. It was absolutely gorgeous and that still tends to be what I think of when I think of him. Though I've seen plenty more of his work by now, this series is really changing my perception of him, going from that guy who draws these beautiful and fluid set pieces with really strong characters to being one of the best in the business at drawing people and their various emotions and tics. It's truly wonderful to see. Aw geez, I've spent all my analysis time talking about the art. Maybe you guys should just check this book out. No wait, you definitely should. One of Marvel's top books for sure. And I mean, just look at that cover! Teddy has long been probably my least favorite member of this team (I don't dislike him, I've just never particularly been drawn to him by anything he's done or said or whatever) and this cover still makes me want to die a little inside. Beautiful.