Avengers Undercover 10, Avengers 34.1

Avengers Undercover 10

Plenty of the world's superheroes are trapped underground in Bagalia while the various crime organizations wreak havoc on the surface world, exactly as masterminded by Baron Zemo and his new Masters of Evil. Unfortunately for him, Cammi managed to stowaway with her unlikely partner Arcade and hack into Zemo's network, which Arcade's former partner Miss Corriander had designed to hack SHIELD. Unfortunately for Zemo, Corriander's system worked off of her initial Murder World designs, allowing Cammi to reinstitute Arcade's "god-mode," but for herself. She easily defeats the Masters of Evil and uses Zemo's SHIELD broadcast (typical super villain) to explain the actions of her and her friends to the world, chiding people for their excitement in the Murder World footage and reminding everyone that she and her friends are still teenagers doing their best to navigate an impossible world. She drops the mic and flies away as the kids and heroes start to repair things. So ends the current saga of these kids and their good vs. evil struggle.

I'm on record as having really liked AVENGERS ARENA despite initial low expectations. I came into this book still on an ARENA high and found myself immediately enjoying this new entry, though aware that it could have just been residual good feelings from ARENA. With the series now ended, I think there is no fear of that. This certainly served a different purpose than ARENA and was maybe a little less engaging because of that and because it moved on a much different timeline, but it definitely still holds up. Strong dialogue and tone and a nice speech by Cammi seals the deal on this one, though I can't help feeling that the issue was rushed a little bit. I kind of like that Cammi solves it all so quickly entirely by herself but it means that the giant plot that led to this moment took only one issue to resolve, which screams of a rushed deadline to me. Still strong work and this final issue ends with a total score that matches what I'd rate the series.

Total Score: 4/5


Avengers 34.1

A child has been kidnapped by the supervillain Mauler, who claims the boy is his real son. Hyperion startles the adopted parents of the missing boy when he appears in their home (he heard them sounding sad from god knows how far away). He examines the area and begins his investigation, eventually leading him straight to Mauler, who has already killed a cop in his attempt to escape with the boy. Hyperion, remembering back to his own father and planet and the lessons instilled in him about being a superhero, allows Mauler to attack him repeatedly (and unsuccessfully because Hyperion has unbelievable strength) while he attempts to talk things out with the villain. Eventually Mauler reveals that his actual biological son died in an accident recently, a fate Mauler had tried to avoid by putting the boy up for adoption in the first place. He took this kid because he looked like the villain's own son and now he's killed a cop and has to answer for his crimes with the police, but not with Hyperion's crazy power. Hyperion returns the boy to his parents and vows to protect Earth the same way.

As with most point ones, this issue has very little to do with the current storylines and more to do with giving readers an in to a book and to a character. Hyperion remains something of a mystery (though he essentially boils down to "Superman") but Ewing does what he can to showcase both Hyperion's attitude and his near limitless power. It ends up feeling a bit out of place in AVENGERS, which has been heady, somewhat dark, and often confusing in Hickman's run to this point. By contrast, this book couldn't be more direct in getting its point across, and purposefully so. It has strong moments but can't help feeling cheesy in the same way that earnest Superman stories tend to exclusively come off cheesy. So I guess mission accomplished?

Total Score: 3/5

Superior Foes of Spider-Man 7, Savage Wolverine 13

Superior Foes of Spider-Man 7

Spencer (w) and R. Ellis (a) and Loughridge (c)

The exploits of the new Sinister Six and Boomerang get a day off as the story shifts to giving us the origin of the new Beetle, who we learned recently is the daughter of notorious supervillain Tombstone. She's been honing her criminal mind since she was just a kid but her father refused to allow her to get into full-on supervillainy, preferring that she stick to being a financial lawyer and committing corporate crime. Though she loves her father and (kind of) understands his reasoning, she can't get the idea of being a supervillain out of her head so she jumps at the opportunity when her law firm hands her a case negotiating some sort of settlement between Baron Zemo and the Fixer. It happens just before CAPTAIN AMERICA 606 or so, the first appearance of this new Beetle, and the story ends as Fixer sets her up with her new identity, costume, and weapons.

Very fun issue that develops a nice little personality (of which we've certainly seen bits and pieces) for Beetle. It's also something of an impressive issue as it gives us a good look at her personality that slots really nicely with what we've seen from her already throughout the series and that, honestly, fits pretty well with her first appearance over in CAPTAIN AMERICA in 2010 or so, back when Brubaker was on the title and Bucky had only somewhat recently taken over as Cap. I went back and re-read the few issues she appeared in and the character slides smoothly into place. It's not so easy to go in with an idea of a character based on a quick look at her a few years ago and tailor your series to suit her, but Spencer's done a fine job with it. Continuing the recent trend, this issue is another solid one that moves well, gets its laughs when it needs to, and helps build character. Good issue, certainly one of the top two of this week.

Savage Wolverine 13
Jimenez and Lope (w) and Jimenez, Palmer, Florea, Olliffe, and Green (a) and Rosenberg (c)

Wolverine has discovered that old friend Tyger Tiger is complicit in the hunting and illegal trade of elephant bones and tusks and what-not and is not thrilled about it. As he tears through her men, he demands to know how she's okay with this and she refuses to back down, citing the shut-down of other illegal and arguably worse happenings in Madripoor (slavery, prostitution, etc.) as leaving huge expenses on the rest of the city. She's thrilled those other things have shut down but the city would have collapsed without other forms of income and this one, to her, was far more harmless than, say, child prostitution or whatever else she mentions. He shuts down some branches of the elephant trade and goes back to Africa to inform his elephant, who he's managed to find. Meanwhile, the X-Men have donated all sorts of arms and armor to the rangers protecting the land.

I like several parts of this issue and this little arc but overall it comes off as extraordinarily heavy-handed. There were plenty of times (because there is no shortage of Wolverine lecturing) where I had to put the book down for a minute because I was saying "WE GET IT" too often. There are some interesting ideas here, including Wolverine's passion for the fight, the idea that Tyger Tiger is trying to make the best of a bad situation and that, in turn, she's chosen what she believes is the lesser of two evils to keep the country running (and her argument isn't NOT compelling), and...well, that might be it. I'm torn on the idea that Wolverine can commune with these animals; on the one hand, I like that he's so attuned to nature that he can literally have conversations with these animals he's spent so much time with, but on the other hand I don't know that we really need to add more powers to Wolverine's repertoire. Also, there's this weird disconnect with his character that I felt pretty palpably that shows him this worked up and adamant about the issue (heh, adamant) but doesn't actually make him go berserker or anything. I think the book doesn't really need him to go berserker (besides, how would he make a heavy-handed lecture about the illegal animal trade then?) but it's weird that he's still rationally making all these arguments when everything we know about the character points to the idea that he should be going absolutely crazy over this if he's so angry. In the very least, I'm surprised there was no mention that he was keeping the berserker thing down to make his point. Weird not acknowledging it. Anyway, not a bad book in terms of effort but the execution is a bit lacking.

Daredevil 28, Indestructible Hulk 10

Daredevil 28
Waid (w) and J. Rodriguez and A. Lopez (a) and J. Rodriguez (c)

Hot off the unbelievably tense events of the last arc, it's about time for Matt Murdock to cool off a little bit. Thinking of that, we get a slightly less hectic book, something a little more down to Earth for Daredevil to deal with. That doesn't necessarily make it easier, especially with Foggy undergoing chemo. It's a stressful time anyway, and a time when Foggy needs Matt around, but the chemicals coursing through Foggy's veins don't make things any easier for Matt as the smells drive him out of the room faster than he'd like. Still, a strong friend, he toughs it out and keeps with the weakened Foggy. With Foggy in the hospital, Nelson and Murdock are down a man and Matt and co are still trying to find someone to help with the workload. They haven't by the time a new case gets to Matt that strikes on a personal level. A former bully of Matt's, a kid who originally gave him the (then ironic) nickname Daredevil, had been wrongfully arrested and it cost him his job. He comes to Matt and tells his story, which involves going from the bully to the guy who created the martyr that was Matt (kids saw Matt as the good guy after he saved the old man's life and that made his enemy, Nate Hackett, the bad guy). It pushed him more and more down the wrong path and it led to him eventually joining the Sons of the Serpent, the racist hate group that comes across the Marvel Universe from time to time. However, according to his story (and Matt's ability to sniff out a lie), he had left the group before they started doing anything illegal, back when they were a group still protected by the first amendment. The loathing Matt has for Hackett really comes through throughout the issue but, at the end of the day, he believes that Hackett was wrongfully arrested and that it did cause him to be fired. There are hints from Hackett that suggest maybe Matt wasn't the biggest victim in the world, that he is maybe seeing the past the way he wants to see it (he points out to Matt that Matt used to brag about his dad non-stop and spent a lot of his free time telling girls how he was going to be a great lawyer and so on) and that he maybe got the better end of the deal. Matt doesn't buy into any of it and he still has lingering resentment for Hackett but he takes the case. Of course, Matt doesn't actually argue cases any more, he teaches people how to argue for themselves (the rumor that he's Daredevil makes the whole trial go poorly if he's too involved). Hackett has enough on his side in court to make a compelling argument, even if he doesn't present it terribly well, but things take a turn when the judge starts asking how much he remembers from his Serpent days and, when Hackett says he can't remember much, the judge says they can't take that risk and draws a gun, shooting Hackett on the spot.

Awfully big twist there at the end, huh? The issue is a solid one and Rodriguez's art is pretty fantastic, even if he has to fill the massive shoes of Chris Samnee during the issue. It's a nice idea that maybe Matt wasn't always the victim as a kid and it's always nice to see a bit of Matt's childhood, particularly the way he thinks back to his dad. I will always be interested in what drives a character and this is a nice issue for that. We get a bit of Matt's past which, of course, leads to motivations, but we also get him contemplating not taking Hackett's case. He seems very much to want to avoid Hackett and not give him any sort of help (in fact, surprising himself with how much resentment he still bears against Hackett) but the idea of the wrongful arrest is too powerful for him. He does what he does in every step of his life to correct injustices and it's hard for him to see this apart from that. For people who may have lost track of what makes Daredevil a hero, this is it and it's a nice reminder from Waid at probably a perfect time.

Indestructible Hulk 10
Waid (w) and Scalera (a) and Staples (c)

Hulk and Daredevil are on the trail of a sonic assault rifle that has, unbeknownst to them, been delivered to Baron Zemo. On the plus side, the rest of the shipment was destroyed or confiscated by SHIELD, stalling his plans to create an armory for Hydra in New York. Hulk protected Daredevil, as the last issue ended, from being crushed by a falling building, but the crash took them into the subway, where they face more troubles. Escaping there, they manage to track the gun with Daredevil listening out for it. Hulk reaffirms his friendship with Daredevil and they move to Zemo's location. The two heroes keep the villain and his minions off-balance but Zemo makes his escape using a weapon that causes temporary blindness in the target. Fortunately, that doesn't raise any problems for Daredevil but it does complicate things quite a bit as Hulk gets blinded and panics. Daredevil calls Maria Hill on his old Avengers ID card and requests backup immediately. As the structure falls and Hulk emerges into New York, blind and very angry, Daredevil gets patched in to Banner's lab, where they suggest using the sonic assault rifle (left behind by Zemo) at a specific setting to try to calm Hulk down. Daredevil obviously can't read the label so he has to try a couple different times as Hill screams in his ear and traffic begins to bear down on them (as they've been blasted out into the street). Finally the gun overheats and explodes on Daredevil and another structure just as Hulk gets his eyesight back. Hulk manages to save Daredevil as Banner's narration explains that, no matter the duress or the level of intelligence Hulk is working with, he seems always to remember who his friends are.

It's another good issue for Hulk as this team-up continues to be a fun one to read. It's nice to see someone come in as a bit character, not as someone who typically teams up with Hulk and knows his tendencies, and still get along with Hulk and have an idea of how to treat him. There are nice moments between the two and it's particularly nice to know that Banner has a friend and, coming from someone who tends to be anti-SHIELD, someone who can protect him in case Hill betrays him and tries to wash her hands of all this. There's a bit of drama at the end where Banner hints that he's feeling like maybe that day will come sooner than he'd hope but hopefully that remains unsubstantiated. Still, another good issue to learn about the new take on both Hulk and Banner and a great way to show how he fits into this universe. Waid is doing a great job establishing these already established characters in the new look at Marvel. These are the sorts of takes on the characters that, even as you're reading, you can see changing the way the character is written for the rest of their existence. Sometimes writers come in and don't really upset the status quo (which can be fine) and keep everything running smoothly but don't impact the character in a huge and lasting way. Books like this, Daredevil, and Fraction's Hawkeye are actively adjusting the way the characters are seen and probably the way they will be seen.

Fantastic Four 9, Indestructible Hulk 9

Fantastic Four 9
Fraction (w) and Bagley and Farmer (a) and Mounts w/ Guru eFX (c)

After Ben's reveal that he believes it's his fault that Doctor Doom is the way that he is, the gang needs a bit of closure on the subject. Fortunately, this is the type of gang who is liable to travel around with an observational time machine (something that allows them to travel through time but not be seen) so Ben and Reed decide to peek in and see what they can find. Reed first explains to Ben that, no matter what happens, nothing is ever as simple as "you bumped into that guy and messed with his lab and now he's evil," which is the situation Ben is leaning towards. Victor, he continues, had a very difficult childhood that led him to many dark places and it's hard to say what is, let alone what could have been. Still, they go back to the day of Doom's "birth" and intend to view what happens. They're surprised to see a score of other Dooms doing more or less the same thing, invisibly witnessing the transformation from Victor Von Doom to Doctor Doom. Reed tries to use this fact to soothe Ben, saying, more or less "look what an egotistical jerk this guy is, he would have gone crazy anyway" but it doesn't really help Ben. Finally, as a young Victor is about to climb into the machine, Ben reveals himself and tries to keep him out of the accident. The other Dooms uncloak and a fight breaks out. Victor immediately recognizes Ben and scolds him, nothing that nothing that Ben could have done would ever have impacted Doom. Ben and Reed leave, dejected that Doom would choose this knowing something would go wrong, and have another talk about Doom's nature and the causality of time. Meanwhile, Doom becomes Doom.

This is definitely an interesting look into the creation of Doctor Doom and it's nice to have that "I think I caused this" angle from Ben. There's also, Reed points out, reason to believe that it was Reed and not Ben who caused this because he knew Victor's math was wrong in the experiment that deformed him but he backed down when Doom refused his help. However, Reed isn't nearly as bothered by this, which is telling for both characters. Of course, Reed's character is supposed to be one who looks into the future and doesn't think on the past whereas we're getting a far more introspective side of Ben that would be driven by some regrets. Even after seeing that the creation of Doom, ostensibly, wasn't his fault, he still feels that the accident that spawned the F4 was some sort of karmic retribution for trashing Doom's lab. It's not a happy place, Ben's mind, and it's clear that we're not quite done with it yet. In related news, I find myself more and more enjoying the Marvel Universe's representation of Reed these days, between Fraction's books and Hickman's New Avengers. Solid stuff.

Indestructible Hulk 9
Waid (w) and Scalera (a) and Staples (c)

The full terms of Banner's deal with SHIELD are revealed as we learn that Banner put some sort of insurance on himself. If he doesn't report in to his own agent to assure him that SHIELD hasn't tried to drop Hulk into the sun or something, his agent is supposed to rain hell down on Maria Hill and the rest of SHIELD. That's why he chose, as his agent, a lawyer with superpowers. Matt Murdock is constantly checking in with Banner and the two plan a meet-up while SHIELD brings Hulk to take down a super high grade arms-dealer. Daredevil meets up with Hill as Hulk is launched onto the large vessel, quickly accusing Hill of dropping Hulk into an unknown situation wherein he's charged with facing off against supremely high ordnance weapons. Hill waves Daredevil off, explaining that this is why they have Hulk and it's far less of a risk than sending her agents, one of whom promptly falls through the hole Hulk created. Daredevil dives in and saves him, teaming with Hulk down below to bring down the arms dealers. The weapons are very powerful and have some sort of sonic element to them, making Daredevil incredibly outmatched against them. Hulk is able to shut down the organization and Daredevil is able to calm Hulk back to Banner before he kills a surrendered enemy. Daredevil and Hill talk about the sway that Daredevil has on him, as Banner within can hear the tone and pull himself out of the rage, particularly if the tone is coming from someone he trusts to have his best interests at heart. Banner, when he returns, notices that a gun is missing and he and Daredevil track the lone remaining gun dealer to a shady bar that Daredevil and Hulk enter. Another big fight breaks out with the enemy managing again to escape in the confusion. He brings the gun to an address of someone he's heard would be interested and, somewhat unwillingly, presents the gun as a gift to Baron Zemo.

Hulk team-ups have the potential to be really interesting things. Often, especially in Hulk's history or in media involving Hulk, they lead to whoever's teamed up with Hulk either realizing that Hulk's maybe not as dangerous as he seems or being outraged with the monster that is Hulk. Those aren't interesting things. Waid here gives us a different look; someone who really does have Hulk's best interests at heart and has a pretty decent method for calming the monster down. There's no surefire way to stop a Hulk rampage but Daredevil is probably one of the more capable heroes to do it in the Marvel U, when you get right down to it. He can monitor Hulk's pulse at any time and he understands the power of sounds and tone, as well as the power of keeping a level-head. It also doesn't hurt that he's the man without fear, which probably helps when facing down an indestructible monster. This is a great team-up of two characters who Waid has worked his magic on in their own solo books. It's a solid premise and it's got a lot of fun moments, including some nice dialogue between Hill and Daredevil and a great scene where Daredevil and Hulk walk into a bar. Excited for the next issue.