Black Knight: Curse Of The Ebony Blade (2021-) #3 by Simon Spurrier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This series continues to be great fun.
I like the Black Knight, both versions, and I like Else Bloodstone…and, you know, they’re both here and written by Si Spurrier, which is kinda awesome.
Also the original takes on Thor in defence of Camelot and…uh…it doesn’t exactly go how you think it’s going to go…
Heroes Reborn #3 by Jason Aaron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This issue we focus on Blur, the Squadron Supreme’s version of The Flash. He has 48 televisions in his house.
I really enjoyed this issue, mainly because it was just having fun with the idea of speedsters. Speedsters aren’t so much of a big thing in the Marvel Universe, seeing as we only really have Quicksilver and nobody’s really done anything interesting with him other than Peter David during his X-Factor run. Here we get Blur seeking help from the Ancient One when his powers first manifest due to them threatening to drive him insane. Mixing super speed with the arcane arts was an interesting twist, especially given that this reality’s version of the Scarlet Witch has absorbed her brother’s powers…melding super speed with the arcane.
Oh, also, the Blur as 48 televisions in his house.
I enjoyed the exploration of life as a speedster, the short attention span, the forgetting that you’ve already had a thought because you’ve had a million thoughts since then So that you keep repeating yourself. By the way, did I mention that the Blur as 48 televisions in his house?
The actual plot is being moved on in little back up strips, which seems like an odd decision but seems to work well. This time we find that Echo still has the powers of the Phoenix in this reality, which could be interesting…
All in all I’m really loving this series, despite the fact that I picked it up begrudgingly through FOMO. The writing is great and the art is top notch.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters (2020-) #12 by Ethan Sacks
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I’ve really enjoyed the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover event so far, but now it hits the pages of Bounty Hunters and the complete mess of nonsense that this book is.
Let’s talk time frames, people. So, Boba Fett has stopped off on the way to deliver Han Solo to Jabba, to get the carbonite block that’s degrading fixed. And the carbonite block, with Han Solo in it, has been stolen from him. And, we learn in this issue, Jabba has placed a bounty on Fett.
Okay, right, so…how long after that scene on the Executor bridge with all the bounty hunters are we…because Dengar, Zuckuss and 4-Lom are all here, and have been for a while…so an awful lot seems to have happened before them all taking the job to find Han Solo from Darth Vader and where we’re at now. Mind you, if you factor in the time it must have taken the Falcon to get to Bespin at sub-light speeds then… Oh, heck, it’s Star Wars, none of it makes sense (but, arguably, it should so obviously make no sense as this does).
So, what actually happens in this issue? Not a lot, we time hop back and forward in time from the present day to the last time Valance encountered Han Solo, and those time hops are often jarring. Just the simple inclusion of “Now” and “Then” at the start of each time change would solve that…but, nope, narrative clarity is not something that anyone involved in this book seems to care about.
Look, I know my issues here is that I simply don’t care about Valance and probably never will, so this book is always going to be fighting a losing battle with me…but Sacks could, at least, try to make me care about him.
There’s a short txt piece at the end of this issue explaining what the hell is going on to anyone who might be a bit lost. I’ve been reading since issue one and I still found it helpful…which is probably not a good thing.
Wolverine (2020-) #12 by Benjamin Percy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A good, solid issue which, I assume, brings to a close this whole vampire arc…at least for now.
And, well, I don’t have a whole lot to say about it, really. It was enjoyable enough, I’ve just never really liked vampires and/or Dracula when they show up in Marvel comics. And between this and the Avengers, there’s been a lot of them recently. Of course I’m not even going to get into the fact that this arc and what’s been going on in Avengers don’t really make sense when read alongside each other…that’s just one of the pitfalls of shared universe comics.
I’d be interested in reading more about Louise and her work with the vampires of Sevalith…and Death of Arakko (good to see someone remembering that the Arakko mutants are still around). I’m not sure if we’ll get to see that though as the Hellfire Gala is about to disrupt everything.
But, yeah, good comic is good.
Way Of X (2021-) #2 by Simon Spurrier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
O…
So I was wrong about Legion being the Patchwork Man, but so was everybody, and that’s kind of the point. Xavier has never understood his son, and that’s never been more obvious than here.
Seriously, though, this is incredibly good. I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised, it’s Si Spurrier, and he’s bloody brilliant, and Bob Quinn, the artist, is no slouch either. I love all the wonderful little details here, like Loa getting all flustered over Mercury’s Hellfire Gala outfit (and later we get a glimpse that maybe she’s acted on that).
Finally we get to find out what a resurrected David Haller would be like…we’re getting to all the interesting questions that resurrection poses. I love it.
And, of course, we get confirmation that there really is something rotten in the state of Krakoa…which brings us back to O.
The Union (2020-) #5 by Paul Grist
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have it on good authority from people whose opinions I trust that Paul Grist is a good writer. I can only assume that this series is not representative of his talents.
To be fair to him, as I’ve said in reviews of previous issues, this series was originally supposed to be an Empyre tie in, but got delayed due to the pandemic and ended up being a King in Black tie in…sort of. It’s clear that it got heavily rewritten, as evidenced by the cover art generally having nothing to do with the comic inside, and ended up being far from the story that Grist originally intended to tell.
Which is a shame, because there’s a lot of potential here. There are interesting new characters and ideas that never get fully explored, and, in fact, it only felt like the final two issues of this series were part of the story as originally intended…or, at least, to some degree.
The lacklustre art has not helped this series, especially as earlier issues boasted some stunning cover art that the comic inside failed to deliver on. Maybe it’s because I’m British that it irritates me to see a comic set in locations I know well…that the artist clearly hasn’t used enough reference for when drawing. You know, now we have Google street view there really isn’t an excuse for this sort of thing.
There’s also something slightly odd about a comic based on The Union at a time when The Union is literally falling apart. I’d have liked to have seen more of an exploration of that, some kind of acknowledgment of the very real constitutional issues facing the UK right now. Or, at the very least, someone pointing out to Union Jack that he should really be called Union Flag unless he’s on a ship…
I’m all for more British superheroes from Marvel, but not like this.
America Chavez: Made In The USA (2021-) #3 by Kalinda Vázquez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Think you know all there is to know about America Chavez’s background? Well, so did she, but think again…maybe?
Because everything you know is wrong, assuming that’s really her sister and what she has to say is true…then America Chavez isn’t who she thinks she is, and isn’t from where she thinks she is.
Only time will tell if the revelations found within this issue turn out to be the truth or an elaborate deception…but to what ends?
This is great, my concerns regarding the clunkiness of some of the writing are gone, and while I may be a little biased when it comes to Gomez’ art (we’ve worked together in the past) he really is quite brilliant. This is a great series and I’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
Mighty Morphin #7 by Ryan Parrott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book just keeps getting better. Finally inside the dome, the Rangers find that Lord Zedd has his putties busy rebuilding the city and his monsters are fighting crime.
What can be going through his gross, exposed mind?
Well, we do find out what he’s up to, but it’s the final page reveal, so I won’t spoil it.
I’m really enjoying finding out more of Zordon’s back story and it’s being neatly woven into main plot too.
It’s well written and the art is gorgeous, what more could you possibly want?
Kimberly being sassy? That’s here too!
Silk (2021) #3 by Maurene Goo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This issue gets extra marks for having such a good cover. Really excellent work.
I am very much enjoying this series. I have some small gripes, like as much as I like Miyazawa’s art I’d like to see someone else ink it, and I’d also like to see this book coloured by someone else. And I have numerous complaints about the lettering, but then I usually do in any comic I read. But none of that detracts from how engagingly written Cindy Moon is and how much I’m generally enjoying the story.
This is a solid book, and my only real complaint is that it’s only a five issue series.
Heroes Reborn (2021) #2 by Jason Aaron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This issue focuses on Hyperion, leader of the Squadron Supreme and clear Superman analogue. In case you’re not familiar with the Squadron, they were basically created to be Marvel’s version of the Justice League, with characters who are, essentially, the League…Hyperion is Superman, Nighthawk is Batman, Power Princess is Wonder Woman, and so on. Heroes Reborn shows us a world where the Avengers never were, and instead the Squadron Supreme took their place.
This issue opens with Hyperion flying straight through Galactus’ head. This world is different in many ways. Subtly twisted. And very few people seem to be aware of the fact that the world isn’t right. One of those people is Blade, and the Hulk appears to be another.
This is good. This is entertaining. But I also feel like I’ve seen this before. Hyperion in this feels a lot like Homelander in The Boys (at least, the TV series, I’ve not read the comic). He’s a Trumpian, right wing, patriotic hero in the extreme. And, sure, it’s done well, but it’s been done before. I genuinely hope that there’s more to this series than recycling some old ideas.
Still, I’m giving it four stars because what it does, it does well, and it’s genuinely entertaining.
Random Ramblings Of A Ragamuffin 