marvel comics reviews
The new Champions (absolutely no relation to the 1970’s team) is continuing to come together. They have their membership established, as far as we know, but they are still working things out like who’s in charge, which comes up over and over this issue. Personally, I’d probably vote for Ms. Marvel, but who knows what’ll happen.
The brave Rebel Alliance and the tyrannical Empire clash in their seemingly endless war. Everyone knows the two sides and what they stand for. But what about other people? No war has everyone take one side or the other. This annual tells the story of Pash Davane, a large and powerful laborer nicknamed Bash. Her planet, Skoril-Lei has been harshly damaged by the Galactic Civil War, and all she sees is death and destruction on both sides.
Since Jane Foster took up Mjolnir, it’s been acting a lot differently than for anyone else who has wielded it. Last issue, it even helped keep her secret identity, much to the confusion of a few rabid SHIELD agents. This issue goes back and tells the origin of Thor’s hammer. In the past, there’s just been a passing reference to the dwarves of Nidavellir forging the hammer from mystic uru and that’s been about it.
Bendis takes another crack at Jessica Jones, following the smash hit of her Netflix series. The series was based in part around some of her earlier appearances, and I guess Bendis prefers her in that setting. Her more recent comic appearances have her in much happier circumstances with a much better life. But all that seems to have been shredded, and Jessica is back to being alone and miserable. This even contradicts the recent Power Man and Iron Fist series from earlier this year, and I have to admit, I don’t really like the change.
With Luke Cage starting off on Netflix, I thought this would be a good time to go over some of the major characters and their comic book counterparts. As with most comic book characters who have been around a while, some of the histories are a bit complicated
With the backdrop of the second Civil War of the Marvel Universe going on, Sam Wilson has his own problems. His acting as Captain America, especially since Steve Rogers was restored to health, isn’t popular in some circles. Now, some of these people have gotten together behind the scenes and provoked US Agent into confronting Sam and trying to get him to give up the shield and costume. US Agent apparently benefitted from the sorta-reboot Marvel did during Battleworld, since not that long ago he was missing at least an arm and one leg, but now seems completely whole.
I’ve heard it said many times that no one is the villain in their own story. Stormtroopers in the Star Wars Universe are generally generic bad guys, even something of a joke. “Shooting like a stormtrooper” is something I’ve heard geeks say when someone fires a lot of shots and hits nothing. This issue, Jason Aaron does his best to dispel all that.
The big shock at the end of the first issue of this book did just what Marvel wanted: it generated a lot of controversy and got people talking. At times, I think a lot of the comics industry really goes in for the “Any publicity is good publicity” idea. I was among those saying this sudden new spin on Steve Rogers made absolutely no sense and was some kind of cheap ploy to gain attention and interest.
This is the reunion I’ve wanted since they announced Mockingbird was getting her own book. I’m figuring it’s not a spoiler to say Hawkeye shows up since he’s on the cover. Their interaction is a blast to watch. Sadly, there’s no sign of them getting back together, but I didn’t really think that was going to happen. There are, however, some hysterical scenes of them in what appears to be a marriage counselor’s office.
I’ve always been a fan of Mockingbird. I think she’s gotten largely ignored in the over-all Marvel Universe. They seem to be fixing that now, with the debut of her solo title. This is set in the main Marvel continuity, after the desperate attempt to save Mockingbird’s life in New Avengers ended up with exposed to a combination of the Super-Soldier Serum that turned scrawny Steve Rogers into Captain America, and the Infinity Formula that’s kept World War II army sergeant Nick Fury young and on top of his game enough to be head of SHIELD decades later.
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