Daredevil #606-607

Written by Charles Soule

Penciled by Phil Noto
Covers by Phil Noto
Published Aug 8 and Aug 22, 2018

   Daredevil enlists the help of former NYPD detective Frank McGee to help take down Mayor Fisk. The Inhuman agrees, and later they meet at a closed library to discuss their plan. Joining them in their task will be the mutant Cypher as well as Frank's fellow Inhuman, Reader.

Who?

   With the power to make anything he reads a reality, Reader's skills will be helpful. They discuss things with a plan to meet up later. Meanwhile, Daredevil takes to the sky and overhears a police report about a nearby riot.

Weeeee!

   At the Bar With No Name, which is essentially a criminal bar, a familiar and brazen gentleman orders a drink and pretty much starts hitting on one of the betrothed patrons. Mike Murdock, Matt's twin brother gets himself into a bit of a pickle. But as the fight breaks out and Daredevil draws near, he's informed there's some guy inside basically starting a bunch of bullshit. He walks in and is introduced to his twin.

A CENTER FOR ANTS?!

   So who is this guy? It's explained that Matt created an alter-ego like a million years ago when the heat started getting close on revealing his secret identity. But to now be looking right at him? Well something's obviously not right. Daredevil lays the guy out and brings him back to the abandoned library. There Reader informs them all that he accidentally created the fake Mike Murdock when reading one of Matt's casefiles.

I do weird stuff when I'm drunk too - turning things into reality would be bad news.

   Mike wakes up and after playing possum during the explanation, he dognaps Forey, Reader's dog. He uses the hostage to walk away from the secret hideout and thanks to a nearby crowd, escapes. The issue wraps with the fake Mike Murdock heading to Foggy Nelson's office. waiting in his office, the fake Matt/Mike clone surprises Foggy with a pistol. What's gonna happen next? We'll have to wait to find out as this issue is left to be continued.

Foggy should just say "Wait - you're Matt's twin brother? I'm Foggy's twin brother 'Loggy'..."

   I was a big reader of some Inhuman books awhile back so I'm somewhat familiar with a handful of these characters. But one I'm not familiar with is Mike Murdock. Once again, Charles Soule relies on some obscure pieces of Daredevil's history. So obscure, that it's basically the exact opposite of the recent X-Men books vomiting up "Fastball Specials" and essentially regurgitating some of the most known storylines of all time. Soule works harder and it shows. So much so - I'm not even mad. Mike Murdock? Purple Man? Karen Page? Keep bringing em on, Charles. I can't get enough. I give these two books a 9/10.

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Tony Stark: Iron Man #3

SELF MADE MAN pt III

Written by Dan Slott
Penciled by Valerio Schiti
Cover by Alexander Lozano
Published August 15, 2018

   As the Stark Industries’ new Project eScape platform launches, the team welcomes thouands of beta testers to take part. The day before though, Jacosta is met by her cybernetic boyfriend Aaron Stack, and the Machine Man himself takes umbrage to the team appropriating robo-culture.

So robots are just as depraved as humans? Got it.

   Meanwhile in the virtual world, players get to zoom around as Iron Man trying to find the hidden humans inside the interface. Eventually though, the realm is breached by a familiar intruder. Machine Man starts zapping the testers, ending their foray in the game prematurely.

HELLO!!!

   The night before, which followed his outburst against Jacosta, Stack finds himself in a robot bar. He’s approached by a mystery robot, who gifts him his own mask as a key into the interface. He jumps at the opportunity and as the mystery robot walks away, it’s revealed to be Bethany, Tony Stark’s traitorous undercover head of security.

Your girl sure gets around.

   With the attempt to frame him, Stack fires at will all across the virtual landscape. Targeting humans and NPC’s alike, his goal is to bring the system down. He soon finds himself opposed though by Tony, dressed as Dr Strange, and scores of magicians. With the destruction imminent, the player finds herself as the last human player. She decides to blast herself which effectively shuts the game down.

She committed cyber-cide.

   The issue wraps with the victorious player being revealed as Jacosta Pym. Later on, the couple fights at their apartment over her fraternizing with humans. She leaves the Machine Man and heads back up to the office, informing her boss she intends to live there from now on. Once alone, she puts the eScape mask on and enjoys living life in the virtual world as an actual human. With that, this issue comes to an abrupt close.

What a waste of gametime.

   So really at this point, it's pretty obvious that Dan Slott is starting slow but building something incredible with these characters, and that's absolutely cool with me. Given his track record, I"m more than happy to give him as much time as he needs. In the meantime, the series is already excellent. With the small things he's doing to add depth to the characters, you can tell this is going to be another one of his very bests. I give this one a 10/10.

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Deadpool #3

Written by Scottie Young

Penciled by Nic Klein
Cover by Nic Klein
Published Aug 1, 2018

   High above the city, Deadpool laments that his fancy spacegun apparently doesn’t work - right before the planet threatening giant vomits all over him. As he pulls himself to his very injured feet, he’s met by Teenage Negasonic Warhead, who blows the monster’s defenders away and allows the Merc with a Mouth to pick up one of their severed arms.

What a new and refreshing reference. It's too bad that nearly every single X-writer thinks they're on the cutting edge with a "Fastball Special" remark.

   Colossus throws a fastball special at Griffon - which I have to say, has really... really been overblown lately. Does Chris Claremont know you guys are doing this? Will it take an email from him to get you to stop - because any Marvel writer who is putting this in their books without knowing every single other X-book writer is doing it... well maybe you guys just aren’t paying attention.

Here comes guts.

   Either way, DP blows the guy up and the Avengers end up thanking him - kinda. Over the next undetermined amount of time, several naredowells seek Deadpool’s services. The only problem is that he isn’t there. Instead, he’s in space paying an interstellar gangster off for sending the troubled threat to Earth to essentially make him look good. In return, the goon opens a portal and sends him falling back into his office. With his designer underwear back in place, he walks out with guns drawn - ready to take on the next customer. What’s going to happen next? We’re left to find out as this story arc comes to an uneventful conclusion.

meh.

   So really at this point, I’m sure Skottie and Nic are coming into the doldrums of what is sure to strike anyone in charge of this series. Deadpool has this attitude that on the surface, probably makes the writer think they’re getting a sure fire, easy to write machine. Sadly though, it’s anything but. When I first read Duggan’s Deadpool, I wasn’t very impressed. It took tons of arcs to win me over before I finally understood what he was doing. Clearly this edition seeks to marry in the movie franchise, which is probably even more limiting than anything the series’ previous writers had to deal with. I don’t know - maybe not. Either way, I’m still sticking around to see where they take things. I give this one a 7/10.

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Thor #4

WAR IS HEL

Written by Jason Aaron
Penciled by Mike Del Mundo
Cover by Mike Del Mundo
Published Aug 15, 2018

   Thanos walks up to presumably break up the Balder/Hela wedding as Sindr sends scores of flaming demons into the fight. Meanwhile Loki throws Thor his hammer in Valhalla. He's talked the Valkyries into joining his war and they return to Hel to fight with him.

Hey ladies... GET FUN-KY!

   The problem for Hela is that Thanos has come to break up with his girlfriend which obviously makes her sad.. or mad.. or both. I guess. Thor and the Valkyries kill en masse. Balder is reunited with Lady Brunhilde as Thor picks up Hela's crown. Donning it, he turns into this super Hell Thor and starts wrecking shop.

Del Mundo goes METAL!

   Sindr knows she's beaten. She calls Malekith to transport her away as Karnilla uses the distraction to grab a wedding ring. She quickly marries Hela to spare her love Balder, and orders Loki to whisk him back to Midguard.

Back to the land of the living.

   The issue ends with Thor, Loki, Balder and Lady Brunhilde alive and back on Thor's boat. Balder looks forward to seeing his mother again as Loki transports away... But not before grabbing a souvenir. While Thor scours the ship for whatever weapon his brother took, it appears he's merely stolen the painting of his adopted mother, Lady Freya. With that, this issue and this stroy arc finally come to a conclusion.

Oh here we go again...

   So I've spent a long time in my comic reviewing career bashing Mike Del Mundo and just for the record, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Still, his abstract blobs seem to work better with this book, with all it's dripping flames and mist, ice, lava, etc than with anything I've looked at from him in recent memory. His style works extraordinarily well when there's no backgrounds needed. As long as Jason Aaron keeps the writing stellar, and keeps Thor in more abstract realms - this creative team might have some pretty solid homeruns. I give this one a 9/10.

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X-Men Gold #31-32

PRESTIGE DARK pts I-II

Written by Marc Guggenheim
Penciled by Pere Perz
Covers by Phil Noto
Published July 4 and July 18, 2018

   Following Kitty and Peter's failed wedding, Rachel awakens to see Mesmero standing over Nightcrawler in their hotel room. She's then transported to a dismal future, where a rogue group of X-Men struggle to free themselves from a Sentinel prison. Using Forge's engineering, they make a break for it but many are subsequently killed in the process.

Damn! That's brutal!

   After their narrow escape, a bounty hunter rakes them with bullets when the older and desperate future heroes see his tool is none other than the hound, Rachel Summers. She summarily kills them when she's brought out of her trance by Iceman and Pyro.

Get it together, dummy!

   Meanwhile Storm and Illyana eat brunch outside the hotel patio when they too are caught off guard - this time by a Mark-1 Sentinel. Storm grabs her super convenient Thor hammer and is immediately taken down.

Bullseye!

   Pyro, Iceman and Nightcrawler limp through the front entrance. They try to calm Rachel down when their joined by Cyclops, who launches into a monologue about himself too being from a different timeline. Although real or imagined, Mesmero urges her not to believe them. But in the end, she knows she can control her hallucinations. With that, and even though she'a apparently knocked out several other X-Men, this story arc comes to an end.

Everything's ok now. Wait - Those guys might be dead...

   So with just a few issues left of this series, Marc Guggenheim looks to either be just wasting time or setting these characters up for something the future. The problem with it all is that there's really no way of knowing. Now a staggering 30 plus issues old, this series proves that not only does it fail to stand on it's own feet, it has to import other X-Men from Red, Blue, and Astonishing to push through. But as I mentioned, the good thing is that it's ending. I don't think there's really that many people left to defend it anyway. I give these two a 6/10.

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Avengers #3-4

Written by Jason Aaron

Penciled by Paco Medina and Ed McGuinness

Covers by Ed McGuinness
Published June 20 and July 4, 2018

   Under attack in New York by a giant celestial controlled by Loki, Cap throws his shield at some warp grenades, transporting the three of them into the sun. Once there, Loki explains to him the final host's plan for world annihilation. He whisks the three of them back towards the north pole to reveal the source of the celestial's infection - the Progenitor.

Well that doesn't look all that scary...

  Meanwhile inside Earth's core, Dr Strange and Black Panther are joined by Ghost Rider and She-Hulk. Using the flaming car, the four of them soon rendezvous with Captain Marvel and the Avengers where they plan to split up.

Let's split up again.

   She-Hulk and Thor zip away to Old Asgard where Odin tells his son about the ancient Avengers. A long long time ago, they fought one celestial and defeated it. Moreover, there's a weapon they used that might help them defeat it again - the Blood of Ymr. Problem is that Thor almost freezes to death getting it, but luckily She-Hulk is there to make out with him to warm him up.

#metoo.

   Iron Man and Dr Strange to to Greece, where apparently most of the Eternals have died fighting each other. Bur Icarus uses the last of his strength to show him the "Unimind". Whatever that is, I guess we'll find out later.

Uni-Huh?!

   Black Panther and Captain Marvel head for Alpha Flight's spacestation where she reports readings of giant insects exploding from the bodies of fallen celestials.
   The issue wraps with the team all returning to each other with their gained weapons and knowledge. But will it be enough to stop Loki and the Final Host? We'll have to wait as this issue is left to be continued.

Back in the day.

   So while this series has been renumbered once again, it's good that it retains its' Legacy numbering on the cover. Reason being is that Jason Aaron has seamlessly picked up where the stable of writers he took over from had left off. This series is once again amazing and it just keeps getting better. Awesome story telling and artwork to book, I give these two a solid 10/10.

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Champions #21

NORTHERN LIGHTS finale

Written by Jim Zub
Penciled by Sean Izaakse
Cover by Stefano Casselli
Published June 20, 2018

   Fresh off Alpha Flight showing up to catch the Master, the Champions aren't all that eager to let the Canadian all stars take away such a progressive supervillain. Fisticuffs break out rather hurriedly, while Spider-Man works to save the brainwashed Amka below the surface.

Hello naked person. I'm Spider-Man.

   Suddenly she morphs into some kind of northern energy abomination, attacking the heroes who immediately announce a truce. Talisman uses her powers to calm the girl down. Now freed from his hold, the girl explains that the Master was using Sila's energy like a battery. Faced with his now protectors turning on him, he destroys the entire machine and I guess runs away.. They never really clear that up.

Suicide?

   With the conflict now settled, Captain Marvel and Ms Marvel apologize to each other while Amka’s mother tells her she should leave home and become a superhero. With that, I guess she’s now in the Champions and this arc comes to a quickly resolved conclusion.

WEEEEEE!

   So leave it up to the young teenage superhero’s to be the ones who want to save the world. And conversely leave it up to the Canadians to zip in and tell them how dumb they are. Honestly though - that’s about everything I genuinely look for in this series. These are the young guard of the Marvel universe, and they should be free to explore the ideals it’ll take to change humanity for the better. It’s good that Jim Zub also puts in that dose of reality. Because while it’s easy enough to suspend belief that people with superpowers exist, it’s even more of a tall order to believe the youth will able to change it. I give this one an 8/10.

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Venom #2-4

REX pts II-IV

Written by Donny Cates

Penciled by Ryan Stegman
Covers by Ryan Stegman
Published June 13, June 27, and July 25, 2018

   As you flip through this book, it kind of brings to mind one question... Why hasn't Donny Cates written for Venom all along?

Cates knows gore.

   While this series of books is pretty slow and plodding, each one seems to deliver in it's own way. Obviously Venom is a darker book. Previous writer Mike Costa did what he could do with it, and somehow Cates has upped the ante all while lowering the contrast even more.

Stegman really had to use the shit out of those black markers.

   Venom hasn't been feeling well lately. As issue #1 showed, the reason for that is that there's some kind of demon coming. That demon just so happens to be the god of the Klyntar - the ancient race of symbiotes.

Oh, well aren't you terrifying?

   While you thought you knew about the monster's origins, I'm pretty sure nobody saw this Dracula looking ghoul ripping and dripping all over the galaxy coming. Eddie thought the Klyntar were a peacful race, but it turns out they're just in a cage for the Allgod, Knull.

Knull.. Like "Null" or "KUH-Null?"

   Another awesome turn was introducing the rudderless Miles Morales into the Venom universe. It's been a little while since Spider-Man's alternate-uni version has been seen thanks to Brian Michael Bendis bailing on Marvel for DC, but it's clear Cates has an interesting vision for one of our favorite webslingers.

BMB gonna be mad y'all beating up his guy like that.

   I really like this series. Like I mentioned before, this creative team isn't in a hurry to get anywhere fast and that's perfectly ok. Whether Venom is supposed to be good or bad at the moment, this book is supposed to be kind of a perfect nightmare. And what a perfect nightmare it is. I give these books a 9/10.

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