Comic Reviews 10.19.2020

Hey y’all! We’ve got an all Marvel edition of the reviews this week. I did read a few indie titles this week, including Commanders in Crisis. That comic was dreadfully boring, but the cliffhanger may have me come back for a second issue. Overall, it was a good week of comics. Don’t forget to check out this week’s Featured Review, The Flash #763 which is the beginning of the post-Joshua Williamson era.

 

Somehow there were 0 swords collected this week

Spoilers for: Hellions #5, New Mutants #13, Cable #5, Amazing Spider-Man #50

 

Hellions #5

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Carmen Carnero

Colors: David Curiel

Design: Tom Muller

Letters: VC’s Ariana Maher

Cover: Stephen Segovia and Sunny Gho

 

Hellions is a truly dull comic without any interesting characters (Including Mr. Sinister somehow) or plots. Having said that, there is a four-page scene early in this issue featuring half the Quiet Council debating their next steps. It’s rather delightful but much to short as we quickly return to the usual crew. Said suicide squad is sent on a mission to disrupt the Arraki sword quests and preemptively win the Contest of Swords--which has a proper name now, I guess.

The one good joke in this comic

Luckily, Carnero and Curiel join the series for this issue. Just last week, I was praising their work on Miles Morales: Spider-Man and they are a fantastic fit here. The animated faces and body language of the various character really gets across the contempt they all hold for each other. There are some nice visual flourishes and gags that held my attention much more than anything else. I get the feeling this team may be headed for bigger things in the not too distant future.

 

New Mutants #13

 

Writer: Ed Brisson

Artist: Rod Reis

Design: Tom Muller

Letters: VC’s Travis Lanham

Cover: Reis

 

Rod Reis is trying some stuff on this book. Unfortunately, this issue pretty hit and miss. The very loose style he chose vacillates between some absolutely beautiful panels to some extremely ugly ones. The greatest beneficiary to this style is Warlock. He looks fantastic, likely because he is inherently loose and sketchy. He looks suitably weird and advanced, especially as he is consistently drawn next to Krakoa, the tightest drawn character. It emphasizes the dichotomy this issue works hard to create between Cypher’s two best friends.

This is otherworldly

This issue really is about Cypher and his two friends, as well as his relationship to Magik, who trains him in sword fighting. Doug knows he will likely perish in the battle to come but wants to rise to meet the challenge. Warlock, conveniently chosen as Doug’s sword, wants to stand beside him as he does while Krakoa attempts to hold Doug back. With enough practice, Cypher is able to convince both Magik and Krakoa that he is capable of surviving. Illyana is convinced he’ll die but concedes that he does now stand a chance of living. We still don’t know why Cypher was hiding Warlock from everyone and mentioned in passing twice in this issue so whatever it is much be coming into play soon.

Also, where is Illyana and Doug’s very close shared friend and world-renowned swordfighter Kate Pryde? Surely, she would want to speak with Doug about all this and do her best to ensure he makes it through the ordeal intact.

 

Cable #5

 

Writer: Gerry Duggan

Artist: Phil Noto

Letters: VC’s Joe Sabino

Design: Tom Muller

Cover: Noto

 

We’re just over a third of the way through X of Swords and we’re adding new subplots. Is it possible this new alien threat is setup a post-crossover story? Sure. Is that likely? Nope. The Summers were sent to the Peak by Saturnyne and she’s orchestrating this whole mess. The invading aliens only say cryptic things about cleansing and categorizing this dimension so they could be anyone from anywhere doing almost anything. It is interesting though.

Dad's got jokes

Cable has been one of the best X-books since it’s debut and that doesn’t change in the middle of an event. Duggan and Noto are on the same wavelength. The timing, both comedic and dramatic, is always perfect. This issue has a little Alien-y vibe at times and that’s shown in the art, dialogue, and pacing. It’s truly remarkable how this team came right out the gate with this kind of chemistry.

This may be the best issue of the event so far. It was definitely the most fun and would be the best looking if this didn’t all begin with 60 pages of Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia. Half our chosen heroes are assembled, and things are starting to heat up. Can’t wait for next week.

 

Amazing Spider-Man #50

 

Writer: Nick Spencer

Artist: Patrick Gleason

Colors: Edgar Delgado

Letters: VC’s Joe Carmagna

Cover: Gleason and Morry Hollowell

 

We have finally arrived at the culmination of everything Nick Spencer has done on Amazing Spider-Man thus far. A classic character returns, Norman Osborne is cleansed of his sins, the Web Warriors are controlled by evil forces, and Spider-Man needs the help of Doctor Strange to fix everything. Sounds big and important, right? Well, it’s all weirdly anticlimactic.

This is a good bit though

Again, this issue is very important to the ongoing story of Peter Parker and has reveals we’ve waited two years to see. This is a big deal. The events here, and throughout Spencer’s run, hint at a return to the pre-One More Day status quo. That’s legit Things Will Never Be The Same^TM territory. Yet it all feels perfunctory. Like they had spent all this time building up to the reveal but hadn’t actually figured out how to reveal it.

Its certainly not the art team’s fault. This comic looks immaculate. Patrick Gleason remains one of the best artists in the industry. Everything that actually does work here, works because of him and Edgar Delgado. The panel layouts are eye-catching and keep the eye engaged. The faces are expressive. The despair on Norman’s face as he realizes what’s about to happen is devastating. It’s really good art. Hopefully the story is just as good next issue.

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