X-Men Blue #24

CRY HAVOK pt II

Written by Cullen Bunn
Penciled by Jorge Molina
Cover by Jorge Molina
Published March 28, 2018

   Magneto is stuck in Sebastian Shaw's grasps. Thanks to the secondary mutation that mothervine has granted him, he's able to absorb Erik's magnetic energy and use it however he wants.

This is bad...

   Meanwhile, the Mauraders attempt to recruit Xorn who resists them. When they begin to break his helmet, Jimmy and Bloodstorm jump in to protect him. Among threats, they're able to get Xorn away from Jimmy's former teammates. But Miss Sinister obviously has other plans down the road.

Remember me?!

   In Madripoor, Malice possesses Polaris, who attacks the Raksha. She defeats them easily, later deflecting an attack from Gazing Nightshade.
   Back at the Hellfire Club, Shaw continues to batter Magneto all over the mansion. Finally he prepares for the final blow when his secondary powers diminish. Erik tells him he wants to meet these Mothervine dealers.

Alright Oldie, introduce me to these motherviners...

   Elsewhere, Malica continues killing the Raksha when Polaris is able to break free from the pendant. Her trail of destruction though remains evident. In Barcelona, Briar Raleigh meets with Daken, offering him katanas forged from adamantium in exchange for his recruitment.

No shoes, no shirt, no problems...  for this guy.

   The issue wraps in Scotland where Magneto and the defeated Sebastian Shaw meet with Havok. He has something to offer the former X-enemy.. and with the likes of Emma Frost, Miss Sinister, and Bastian, Magneto's evil streak may be on the verge of returning. We'll have to wait to find out as this issue is left to be continued.

It feels good to be bad, Mags.

   I think I'm finally confinced after 24 issues, that if there was a boat sinking and I could only pick one X-title to save, it would be this one. Cullen Bunn should be the head editor of all X-Men books. He somehow works in classic villains as well as new and old heroes alike, and makes them all seem fresh. This particular issue is again no exception. I give this one a 9/10.

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Old Man Logan #37

MOVING TARGET pt II

Written my Ed Brisson
Penciled by Dalibor Talajic
Cover by Mike Deodato Jr
Published March 28, 2018

   A drunken Sarah Dewey stumbles into her Upper East Side apartment and finds a bleeding and wounded Logan on her recliner. After introductions, she laments Wilson Fisk's rise to power. But Logan has something that could take him down.

I got the 411.

   At the Mayor's office, the Kingpin is interrupted with news Bullseye has located Logan. Furthermore, he's with Sarah. Logan accompanies her to a table where she begins to explain her situation. Once wealthy and sober, she's fallen on hard times after her book helped humanize Fisk. Behind them, Bullseye flicks a bottle cap into an employee's head. Somehow, Logan misses the commotion but after presenting Sarah the drive, is later pelted with a series of herbal concentrates that gum up his senses.

Watch out! He's throwing boogers!

   Bullseye zips the bottle caps into Logan, with one hitting him in the eye. Logan pops his claws, ordering Sarah to clear the building. The battle rages, eventually Bullseye getting the upper, um.. foot. Suddenly Sarah hits him in the back with a chair. Logan grabs her and tells her to take off.

Is Sarah still drunk?!

   As they keep fighting, Bullseye is able to create some distance between them. Dodging the cutlery, he picks up toothpick and is able to flick it into Logan's ear. Down and out, Bullseye is able to rummage threw his pockets for the drive, later kicking him in the face when he discovers Logan passed it to Sarah.

And here's something to THINK about!

   She runs with the drive to her hacker friend Jesse's place. Explaining that the drive has some kind of tracking software, he blocks it and begins to dig through it's contents. He doesn't get far though. Bullseye kills him, and has Sarah on the ropes. What will happen next? We'll have to wait to find out as this issue is left to be continued.
   Pretty decent issue. Although he's a little ways away from his savage Wolverine days, Logan is still able to keep it pretty hardcore. It's always cool to see him have to get himself out of jams, but I don't know. I'm starting to long for more out of this character. I guess we'll have to see where it goes. I give this one an 8/10.

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Invincible Iron Man #598

THE SEARCH FOR TONY STARK pt VI

Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Penciled by Stefano Caselli and Alex Maleev
Cover by Alex Maleev
Published Mar 28, 2018

   Captain America flies overhead advising all Avengers to remain vigilant in the search for Stark. Meanwhile, Riri recaps her meeting with Blade, who advised her to head to MIT and help look for him as well.

Hello. I'm a vampire. You should go to MIT.

   In Latveria, Hood continues shaking down Dr. Doom for his country's GDP. As Victor resists, Robbins tells Wrecker to pry his armor open. Using his crowbar, the crowd of villains sees Doom is clad in full Iron Man armor. Telling them to stop one final time, the mob nearly has it penetrated.

One minute he's a supervillain.. The next he's a super chump.

   At MIT, Riri and her team use the process of elimination, plus the power of Friday, to locate Tony's armor. The four of them take to the sky for Paramus, New Jersey.
   Back at Doom's lair, Wrecker has nearly gotten the armor open despite Victor's threats. Once it's cracked however, they discover it's empty. He's escaped. Either way, they deduce that since he's been parading around as Iron Man so much lately, their best bet is to find Tony Stark.

"So we van't find Doom but we can find Stark?" That's what I'd have asked...

   In New Jersey, the Armor Squad lands near an abandoned Best Buy. As they enter, Friday goes on the fritz, as well as everyone else's armor reacting to some kind of interference. Rushing towards them however are droves of supervillains. They fight back and quickly overpower the drones, later discovering their master. There sits Ceres Goldstein, tinkerer and arms dealer of the new Sinister Six.

Bendis gives Ceres one last plug.

   Finally there's a breakthrough. Friday starts to buffer again and the voice on the other end is Tony Stark's. He tells his disciples that he needs to be left alone and they can't find him. Friday comes back online and the team debates their next move.
   The issue wraps in Boston. Dr. Amara Perara answers the door to a wounded Victor Von Doom begging for help. What will happen next? We'll have to wait to find out as this issue is left to be continued.

Help me!

   I've seriously been digging this back and forth between Alex Maleev and Stefano Caselli. Both were amazing artists in their own Iron Man books, and having them pencil together during Bendis' swan song is just a total treat. The only thing that makes me sad about it is this team's time draws to an even closer end. 2 issue left. But for this one, I give it a 9/10.

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Despicable Deadpool #297

THE MARVEL UNIVERSE KILLS DEADPOOL pt I

Written by Gerry Duggan
Penciled by Mike Hawthorne
Cover by Mike Hawthorne
Published March 28, 2018
   Eerie similar to Daredevil #600, scores of supervillains sail on a gambling boat when the lights go out. Deadpool explains to the patrons that he intends to rob them. When confronted, he murders naysayers and once accidentally triggering the PA system, makes a run for it.
   With Lady Stilt Man in pursuit, he lobs a grenade and makes it to one of the upper decks. Once taking out random boat personnel, the last thing between escape with the loot is Jack O'Lantern and some goons he is easily able to dispose of. Deadpool fires a grappling hook and later returns the mangled stilt people back to the deck.
   Atop the bridge, Wade is shot in the knees by the police. He's able to disarm one of them and uses a pistol to incapacitate the other. When a police copter hovers nearby, he uses his grappling hook again to board the craft, later sending the pilot into the pee-pool below.
   He finally escapes to a church, and entering the confession booth, talks to the nun behind the screen. With the 20 million from the boat, he gives Sister Danielle a kill list with only one name on it... his own. She sends the request out and he gives her the money.
   The issue wraps with the bounty being published, popping up from cell phone to cell phone. As an assortment of villains see the message, Taskmaster utters "May The Best If Us Win...". With that, this issue is left to be continued.
   And thus begins the final arc of Gerry Duggan's illustrious Deadpool career, at least for now anyway. As he's been at the helm for so many major points of the character's development, it's only fitting he send the merc out with a bang, and it's clear he intends to do just that. I'm lookg forward to this one. I give this issue a 9/10.

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Daredevil #600

MAYOR FISK pt VI

Written by Charles Soule
Penciled by Ron Garney
Cover by Dan Mora
Published Mar 28, 2018

   In the Bronx, Daredevil and his team hatch a plan. Mayor Fisk will be meeting with New York's crimebosses at a nearby restaurant to give them mayoral appointments. Once he can get the incriminating information, he'll call in the cops to surround all of them until they can be taken into custody.

Usually this is a good plan.

   Meanwhile, Blindspot battles with Muse downtown. As the psychotic serial killer closes in to kill the young hero who defaced his murals, Sam Chung is determined to put up a fight.
   Back in the Bronx, the Kingpin is late. The crimebosses discuss among themselves that getting them all together might be a plot. Daredevil listens in, talking Moon Knight out of ambushing them. On the rooftops however, Blindspot fights for his life against Muse. He asks him, didn't he take his eyes once before? Does he need to take them again? Suddenly, a demonic voice awakens in Blindspot. All he has to do is use the power of the Beast and a win is in reach. He explodes into flames. As he moves to destroy Muse, fire envelops the rooftop.

Didn't expect that, did you Musey?

   At Sarno's, the bosses are getting antsy. Misty Knight and Echo watch as guns cock. Feeling it at a breaking point, Spider-Man webs them up and swings around the room drawing fire. Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones enter as well. With Moon Knight swinging in, the two ladies know it's time to fight. Daredevil sees the cops rushing up. He tells the heroes inside that it looks like the whole thing was a setup. They tell him they'll tread water. But he has to get to Murdock.

Luke will keep this guy in a headlock till the cops get there.

   Samuel Chung beats Muse down. He goes off on a tangent about it all being art. Inside the Beast urges Blindspot to kill him but the hero rejects death. It's all for naught however. Muse is caught in the flames. Blindspot inadvertently killed the villain and now trouble looms for everyone.

Oh great. Look what you did now!

   In Central Park, the mayor's rally is in full swing. Wesley gives his boss the good news. The Bosses are all in custody as well as several hero vigilantes. The Mayor prepares to fire his deputy Murdock when he hears a thump on the rooftop. Kingpin and his lackey climb the stairs and there stands the devil of Hells's Kitchen.

   Daredevil tells Fisk to release the heroes but he refuses, instead swinging a sledgehammer at him as the man without fear refuses to punch him. Kingpin decides instead to frame him, moving to hit himself with the hammer but he's stopped. He uses the distraction to punch Daredevil into the ground.

Wow... Mr tough guy. Beating up a blind man.

   Outside at the rally, he's cheered for being the hero New York needs him to be. But without warning, an arrow zips into him. The Hand has arrived, riddling Fisk with arrows and attacking the crowd. While the police take Daredevil into custody, he tells them it's the Hand and he knows how to defeat them.
   The issue wraps with the commissioner ordering the public advocate to seize control in the mayor's absence. But as Matt's assistant Steve explains, the law was changed previously to allow the mayor to have a new term. In the confusion, the deputy mayor now takes control in the plan of succession. Matt Murdock is now the new mayor of New York. What will happen next? We'll have to wait to find out as this issue is left to be continued.

Don't worry, DD. A lot of mayors ride in the back of a police van at some point...

    So looking back to when I started with this book, there’s no denying that what’s kept me here is Charles Soule and Ron Garney. The writing has remained exquisite, although looking at the artwork between this issue and when Garney started, it’s coming off a bit more rushed. Regardless 600 issues is an extraordinary milestone, and I think this series is just as good as the day it was first published. I give this issue a 7/10.

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Avengers #686

NO SURRENDER pt XII

Written by Jim Zub, Mark Waid, and Al Ewing
Penciled by Paco Medina
Cover by Mark Brooks
Published Mar 28, 2018

   Hercules, Thor and Rogue pilot their Quinjet as fast as they can to HQ. They're ready to fight. And speaking of, Wonder Man is currently taking the bring of the Hulk's rage all by himself. He begs for Bruce Banner to listen to him, but as he takes punch after punch, the monster reminds him they aren't friends.

Take that, sissy boy!

   Simon Williams is amazed. The Hulk is sentient, but it's certainly not Banner in control. Meanwhile outside the vault, Cannonball, Lightning, Toni Ho and Enigma do all they can to slow down the Black Order. The US Avengers are near their end however until Thor's hammer beats them back.

We got here as soon as we felt like it.

   Inside the vault, a conflicted Voyager is inspired by the Avengers' teamwork, while Wonder Man debates with the enraged Hulk. He explains that his anger is insatiable, completely renewed by the Challenger. Suddenly Hercules punches him... Simon's distraction worked, though he felt he was on the verge of a break thru.

Aw guys, I ALMOST had him!

   A rebellious Voyager is still in awe as Rogue removes a glove. She touches him, absorbing his rage while seeing a trapped and enslaved Bruce Banner. As the rest of them keep battling, Simon keeps begging... with words of Banner finally being at peace. Challenger commands him and Hulk breaks into the vault. There he sees his prize. He knocks Voyager aside and closes in on the final pyramoid. But then, he destroys it.

Same thing happens when I destroy pyramoids.

   Grandmaster declares it a foul - defeat for the Challenger as Hulk powers down back into Bruce Banner. But the round isn't over. Valerie Vector comes clean to her former teammates. She was part of the ruse... The daughter of the Grandmaster and put there as a one of the pieces.

CHEATER!!!

   The Challenger declares him a cheat; his opponent though only thinking he took advantage of some gray areas. He offers a rematch but the Challenger declines... What will happen next? We'll have to wait to find out as this issue is left to be continued.
   While it’s strange to see a PART TWELVE in comics, it’s even stranger to consider we’ve gotten here in 3 short months. But still, it works amazingly at this pace. I don’t know if I’d want all my books on a weekly basis, but seeing where this series has gotten, I’d certainly be willing to read at a quicker pace if more series were written by committee. Amazing story, amazing artwork. I give this issue a 9/10.   

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Star Wars #45

MUTINY AT MON CALA pt II

Written by Kieron Gillen
Penciled by Salvador Larroca
Cover by David Marquez
Published Mar 21, 2018

    At the Mako Ta Base, a jubilant Chewy, Han and Luke walk in to celebrate with a drink when Luke is recognized. Wedge, one of his old Red Squadron buddies greets him for the first in a long time.

Who could forget good old Wedge?

   Meanwhile, Leia meets with the Rebel High Council, first speaking with elder Jan Dodonna. Asking Ackbar for his opinion of Trios, she's encouraged top share her thoughts. She explains to Mon Mothma she has an insider who has told her where to find Calan leader Lee-char. The only thing they need is a substitute who can take his place, and kidnapping him won't be easy.

That's a tall order, Princess...

   Back at base, Luke meets other members of Wedge's new squadron. One of them, Hobbie, is in awe of the young pilot who once took down the Death Star. They continue with toasts all around until Leia arrives, explaining to them that they have a new mission.
   At the Dex Acquisitions Depot, the latest prisoner begs to negotiate his freedom when the jailer is informed of an even bigger prize. A mysterious wookie has delivered Princess Leia. But when he walks her into the brig, Chewy sucker punches the guards. Leia orders a torpedo from Han who launches it a little prematurely.

What a wookie!

   Luke uses his lightsaber to cut through the cell. There sits her adopted father, Bail Organa - but she quickly punches him. He's a shapeshifter and the key to freeing Lee-Char. Chewie picks up the newest rebel, and they leave out. What will happen next? We'll have to wait to find out as this issue is left to be continued.

Let's roll.

    As this monthly book has a tendency to take a long, long time to develop a story, you have to be willing to let it build. Similar to the films, there was a Phantom Menace before there was a Rise of the Sith, and there was A New Hope before Empire. Nothing really new in this one or the one before it, but I’m willing to give it time. I give this issue an 8/10.

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