Avengers 37

Avengers 37

Reed and his team are still on the run and Steve Rogers is furious about it. To make matters more complicated, the world at large has caught wind of the universes dying and Terrax has made a speech ensuring that this world will be protected thanks to what the Cabal is doing. More infuriatingly for Steve, his numbers have dwindled to just himself, SHIELD, Captain America (I'm already doing what I can not to call Sam "Falcon" any more and finding it DIFFICULT), Hawkeye, Sue Storm, and Captain Marvel (with Black Widow and Spider-Woman in the wind) and this team cannot keep up with the Illuminati, who are beating him at every turn. He's getting crap from everyone and lashing out in turn. Essentially, he's the old man cop on the tail of our movie's/TV show's lovable rogues; what he's doing he's doing out of a sense of justice that's turned sour by his hate for these guys so now it's hard to figure out where he's coming from. What's worse is that Sue Storm appears to be a double agent for the Illuminati, unbeknownst (obviously) to the rest of the team.

I think there are probably interesting things happening here. Maybe I'm a little too fresh off reading it. I like twists and turns. I like new takes on characters. I like dark. But I'm finding it really hard to follow this Steve Rogers, cranky old man. I do believe there's a chance he reacts like this, frustrated after months of chasing the smartest people in the world and getting no where. I'm hesitant to say I don't like this take on him simply because I don't like this take on him. Let me explain. Steve Rogers, as people reading this blog probably know, is my absolute favorite superhero. I love characters in the Steve trope, the leaders who are unflinchingly noble, even at the cost of making their lives much harder. To me, there's no argument that Steve Rogers as Captain America is the best possible superhero. Not necessarily that he has the best powers or he's always the most interesting or likable, but that the best superhero is the one who always does the right thing, no matter what's pulling him in other directions and even if he fails. So I'm doing what I can to find this take interesting because I think there is a seed of something there and it's certainly impressive (and very like Hickman) to take a character 70+ years old and suddenly make his personality "change" in a way it hasn't before (I put change in quotes thinking that perhaps this isn't a change so much as it is a wearing down of what his character really is, eight months down the road of a seemingly impossible problem). So I don't like this take on him but that's not because it's not interesting nor because it's not unfounded. I wish I could say I can't see this take somewhere in the Steve we all know, but of course I can. It's just one I'm not sure I want to see.

Total Score: 4/5

Avengers 36

Avengers 36

Sunspot, with the help of his recently purchased AIM, has finished building a device that should be able to transport people to the center of the collapsing multiverses to find and hopefully destroy whatever is causing all of the Earths to die. The Avengers team assembled to do this, brought together by various understandings of this new threat and by their own personal reasons for this mission, is comprised of Thor, Hyperion, Starbrand, Nightmask, Ex Nihilo, and Abyss. It's an extremely important mission and the fate of all the universes could hinge on it, so these Avengers have volunteered even knowing that, according to Sunspot, no one comes back from this; everyone going is going to die.

As TIME RUNS OUT continues (or as we build to it, look, I don't know), we get a spotlight on our high-powered Avengers, almost all of whom were brought on to this team and into existence by Hickman throughout his AVENGERS run. Also in the spotlight is Sunspot, who we haven't seen too much of in the series and, when we have, has almost always been the comic relief of the book, and Thor, who has a whole lot going on right now in his own life. It's a very good issue that manages to characterize its important characters well, even when it has a lot of explanation and soft science to do. Sometimes the explanations drag a bit as the whole problem is extraordinarily complex and Hickman is using the scientific types in the book to  explain it with very few laymen around to say "NOW HEY, WHAT'S ALL THIS MEAN?" Still, the book moves well and looks great with Stefano Caselli and Frank martin doing excellent work throughout the issue.

Total Score: 5/5

Comics this week

Hey dudes, solid 18 books out this week and it shouldn't really be a struggle to pick out five I want to highlight but it sure was looking that way on the top half of the alphabetical list. Also, I'm watching that new Gotham TV show right now and it kicked off pretty dark, you guys! This married couple got murdered in the first like, two minutes! Weird way to start things, I bet nothing comes of it.

Edge of Spider-Verse 3
There's a lot of fun stuff happening in EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE so far, though this certainly makes it to the list thanks to a slow release week. It's been strong, though I expect it's hit-or-miss with how interesting these new spiders are.

New Avengers 24
It's another 4.99 book in another extra-sized issue (like AVENGERS last week) as Hickman moves NEW AVENGERS into TIME RUNS OUT, starting our story eight months after the events of the last issue. Though I'm wary of $4.99 books, I can't say I'm not interested in seeing this one. AVENGERS was solid last week and this book should give us the other side of the story. Looking forward to it.

New Warriors 10
Have I told you guys I'm really enjoying this book (though it's just about over at this point)? Just kidding, you guys, I know I have. Check it out while you still can.

Storm 3
I liked the first issue a good deal and the second issue had some positives to it. I think that Greg Pak's a strong writer and he very clearly has some thoughts about Storm as a character. Still, this book certainly gets the benefit of a slow release week to make this list.

Thunderbolts 31
I really need to keep a running list of when books are set to end. I THINK this book runs through issue 32 (or is it 33?). Either way, we're closing in on the end of the series and I'm sad to see it go. I also just caught up on a string of really good "Thrilling Adventure Hours" so I'm even more sad that Acker and Blacker will be Marvel homeless at the conclusion of this book (hopefully they'll find something soon).

Comics this week

Hey all my buddies, it's me, the typical Tuesday post. Ready for some new upcoming comics that I'd advise you look into?


Avengers 31
Oh no, the Avengers are hopping through time! In a book that ties to ORIGINAL SIN and no doubt connects to the recently announced TIME RUNS OUT storyline coming in September that will send the AVENGERS and NEW AVENGERS books about eight months into the future in a move many comic fans call "confusing."

Daredevil 4
This book is so fun, right guys? A much lighter tone to this series and its predecessor than everything that had come before for Daredevil since, I suppose, his Marvel Knights series (or maybe even since Frank Miller). There's just so much fun and such a light and breezy tone to be had here. Anyway, Daredevil's falling into a fire pit because his new ally betrayed him to one of his arch nemeses. So much fun!

Elektra 3
I'm really enjoying this series so far and I'm excited to see where this creative team goes. Also excited to see how this story shapes up. I'm just pretty into this book right now, you guys.

Original Sin 4
I continue not to be sure of this event but it'll keep breaching my list if only because I'm sure there are developments coming. After last issue's shocking end, hopefully this week we find out a little more about why a hero seems to have gone rogue.

Thunderbolts 27
Charles Soule is gone from the book that he nurtured into something really terrific and exciting. Taking his place are the ever delightful Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, creators and writers of the Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast and subsequent graphic novel from Archaia. I really like this book as is and I love these two writers so I'm hoping that the combination of the two will create something wonderful.


B-B-B-BONUS PICK OF THE WEEK
Wicked and the Divine 1
GUYS, I know, this isn't a Marvel pick so I had to send it down to the bonus picks section but I'm really excited about this book. Readers of this blog should be well aware by now of how much I love Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, both as separate entities and as a duo. They're going right back to their wheelhouse with WIC/DIV and Image comics as they show us a world of gods and pop stars (the two aren't mutually exclusive). The art of the book, as ever with McK, looks gorgeous and I'm sure the book will be phenomenal. Check it out, you guys.