Month: September 2021

Warhammer 40.000: Sisters of Battle #2 by Torunn Gronbekk

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Warhammer 40.000: Sisters of Battle #2Warhammer 40.000: Sisters of Battle #2 by Torunn Gronbekk
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This feels disappointing after Kieron Gillen’s thoroughly excellent Marneus Calgar series, but it’s probably just…ok. The art is ok, the writing is ok. It’s ok.

Which is a shame, because I expect a lot of people who enjoyed Marvel’s first foray into the world of 40K will be put off by this. The real problem is that it’s pretty much impenetrable. Gillen did a great job of making this universe accessible to new readers, but I’m fairly familiar with 40k and I have no real clue who anybody is or what’s going on in this comic.

The art doesn’t help. It’s not bad, it’s just, as I said, ok. And after the jaw droppingly gorgeous cover art, it again disappoints.

All in all, this is exactly what I’d expect from a licensed comic book set in the world of Warhammer 40,000. The problem is that the previous series gave me so much more, and this series can’t help but feel like a let down in comparison.

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Kang The Conqueror (2021) #2 by Collin Kelly

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Kang The Conqueror (2021) #2 (of 5)Kang The Conqueror (2021) #2 by Collin Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is fascinating, truly fascinating. You’ve got to wonder, is this the origin of Kang or an origin of Kang? This gives us a Kang who becomes Iron Lad, but almost certainly not the same Kang who became the Iron Lad from Young Avengers. Which, perhaps, isn’t surprising, as Kang is all about variants.

I suspect, however, that this story isn’t going to have a happy ending, and may well loop back to where it began, with Kang travelling back in time to try and set his younger self on the right path and avoid the mistakes he made. An attempt, that we’ll know, is doomed to failure. You see, Kang is both literally and figuratively his own worst enemy.

This is a clever and engaging series, steeped in the history of the Marvel Universe, referencing continuity without ever feeling bogged down by it. It doesn’t feel like it’s trying to create one whole narrative out of Kang’s convoluted history, but instead weave together a tale made of elements from every version of Kang.

The art is also excellent, making this series, so far at least, a real treat.

If you enjoyed the MCU’s first taste of Kang in the Loki series on Disney+, do yourself a favour and try this series out.

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Iron Man (2020-) #12 by Christopher Cantwell

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Iron Man (2020-) #12Iron Man (2020-) #12 by Christopher Cantwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It looks like it’s all over for Iron Man after a fight with Galactus’s security system becomes a fight against Korvac, The Controller, The Unicorn, Blizzard and the original Human Torch. And Tony was already pumped full of morphine and nursing a broken neck…

I honestly don’t have a lot to say about this one. It’s basically jus one big fight, but it’s a very good fight, and sometimes that’s what you want from an Iron man comic. This is classic Iron Man, up against impossible odds, facing certain death…how on earth is Tony going to get out of this one?

The art is also lovely. I’ve been really enjoying this current run and I currently have no idea where it’s going!

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Eternals: Thanos Rises #1 by Kieron Gillen

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Eternals: Thanos Rises #1Eternals: Thanos Rises #1 by Kieron Gillen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rather than ending with #6, Kieron Gillen’s Eternals series has, instead, paused for a few one-shots before its eventual return with #7. This is the first of those one shots, filling in and expanding on the back story of the Eternals for people who aren’t familiar with them (which, honestly, is most people). Here we get the story of A’lars, aka Mentor, and the ultimate origin of Thanos.

It’s a tragic, heart-breaking tale, that won’t fail to move you. A story of love born of a desire to be more than you were created to be, that ultimately twists everything and leads to hate.

The writing is, of course, every bit as superb as we’ve come to expect from Gillen, and while Weaver’s art is very different to Ribic’s, it’s still excellent (and Ribic’s art still graces the cover).

I’m very glad that Gillen’s Eternals is continuing, as it’s a fascinating book about a corner of the Marvel Universe that I’ve never really explored before.

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Marauders #24 by Gerry Duggan

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Marauders #24Marauders #24 by Gerry Duggan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Phil Noto art is always a win, and automatically elevates any comic it graces the pages of, and it’s no different here.

The actual story is an odd one, as an alien comes to Arrako/Mars, seeking vengeance on Emma Frost because she stole his spaceship. Ultimately, she offers to pay him off, but just when everyone thinks he’s happy to go on his way, there’s a twist in the tale…

It’s fun but relatively thin stuff, with the ultimate ramifications of the story likely to be more interesting than the story itself. But that art is really lovely.

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X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #2 by Leah Williams

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X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #2X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #2 by Leah Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Confused? You will be. But that’s entirely the point this issue, as the plot doesn’t so much thicken as become elastic and twisted.

I said in my review of #1 that I don’t believe that Magneto killed Wanda and I don’t believe she’s actually dead. I’m still convinced of both of these things…and not because Wanda appears to be alive at the end of this issue, because I’m not convinced that’s Wanda at all. And, also, yes…despite Magneto’s confession of guilt, I don’t think he did it. There’s a lot going on in this issue that’s happening just to distract the Avengers from the truth. That truth may well be that Wanda’s body is missing and they don’t know why.

What’s also curious is the clear and growing rift between the Five and the Quiet Council. The Five clearly seem to be of the opinion that they and they alone should decide who and who doesn’t get to be resurrected, and they’re willing to defy the Quiet Council’s decision regarding that. We’ve seen that in the pages of New Mutants and we are, perhaps, also seeing that here.

Also, if that is Wanda at the end, and no someone else pretending to be her, might she have been resurrected using an older back up? Not only from before M-Day but before she split up with The Vision? Beast was recently musing about this is the pages of X-Force, that if he died his friends might choose to resurrect an earlier Beast, a happier Beast…a less dark Beast…

Excellently written and beautifully illustrated, this series continues to draw me in, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes.

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Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters – Boushh (2021) #1 by Alyssa Wong

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Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters - Boushh (2021) #1 (Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters (2021) One-Shots)Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters – Boushh (2021) #1 (Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters by Alyssa Wong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Boushh has always intrigued me, given that we’ve never really known much more about him than what his clothes looked like…as the only time he appeared on screen it was really Princess Leia wearing his clothes. The Legends continuity didn’t do much to flesh out his backstory and, up until now, the New Canon hasn’t either.

All that changes with War Of The Bounty Hunters: Boushh, as we learn that both he and a whole group of fellow Ubese bounty hunters are exiles from their home world. It’s an interesting and engaging story, played out across a background of a hit on the Tagge family. And it leaves you wanting more…more of Boushh…and you know that we almost certainly aren’t going to get it, because Boushh dies and Leia gets his clothes.

For me this issue proves that my problem with the current Doctor Aphra run isn’t Alyssa Wong’s writing, but the quality of the art, because when she’s paired with an artist of Baldeon#s calibre the result is awesome work like this. Please, Marvel, put Baldeon on Doctor Aphra, because he and Wong make a great team!

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Star Wars: Darth Vader #16 by Greg Pak

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Star Wars: Darth Vader #16 (Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020-))Star Wars: Darth Vader #16 (Star Wars: Darth Vader by Greg Pak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s wall to wall action in this issue as Luke faces Vader in space, X-Wing vs TIE Fighter style. Oh, and he also has a helping hand from the Droid Crush.

This is a solid issue, with some great action, and some good little bits with the Hutts and with Ochi and Sly Moore. But as a whole it feels like it’s mainly connective tissue, moving us from Point A to Point B in the plot. Which is fine, but a lot of War of the Bounty Hunters has felt like this, with many of the books feeling like they’re treading water while waiting for the main book to move everything along.

Still, it’s excellent stuff, with gorgeous are and great writing.

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Champions #9 by Danny Lore

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Champions (2020-) #9Champions (2020-) #9 by Danny Lore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As this arc (and possibly the comic entirely, as there doesn’t appear to be a solicitation for #11, but the book might just be taking a break in December) heads towards a conclusion, Lore skilfully weaves together elements from throughout the run as the Champions deftly outsmart Roxxon, expose them for the heartless and manipulative corporation they are, and get Kamala’s Law repealed and teen heroes made legal again. It’s brilliantly executed and will have you cheering for the young heroes.

The art, by Luciano Vecchio, whose star appears to be on the rise at Marvel (and deservedly so), is superb, and fits a teen book like this perfectly.

Going into the final issue of this arc, I’m excited to see how it concludes, and hopeful that this won’t be the end for The Champions.

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Defenders #2 by Al Ewing

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Defenders #2Defenders #2 by Al Ewing
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is exactly the kind of mind-blowing cosmic nonsense I want from a Defenders comic. We’re not exploring the origins of the universe here, instead Ewing and Rodrigues are taking us back far beyond that, to the universe before our own. The universe that gave birth to the world devourer, Galactus. But Galactus is just a baby here, and the Defenders face that most basic of time travel based moral quandaries: Do you kill the monster before he becomes the monster?

Of course, you don’t, that was never in doubt, but there’s a moment when you think the Surfer might. Which begs the question: If the Silver Surfer killed Galen before he became Galactus, then Galactus could never have turned him into the Silver Surfer, and he would never have travelled back in time to kill Galen…so it’s probably best all round that he didn’t do it.

There’s a lot of crazy stuff going on in this issue, with the revelation that the previous universe was purely science based, and so magic doesn’t really work there (which is a bit of an issue for the Sorcerer Supreme). But the world devourer of this universe, Omnimax, came from the previous universe, so magic does work on him. It’s all utterly nuts, but fantastic fun.

But if you think that visiting the previous universe was as crazy as this book was going to get, it’s got one last surprise left in store for you…

This is magnificently written and superbly illustrated. Defenders might just be my new favourite comic!

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