Comic Reviews 10.26.2020

 

Hey y’all. Welcome to event central. Its all events all the time this week. There were some very good X-Men comics this week. Also, an issue of Amazing Spider-Man, which I want to love so much. I really have enjoyed Nick Spencer’s run, but these past two issues haven’t allowed me to share that with you. Hopefully next issue brings more quality. Don’t forget to check out this week’s Featured Review covering the finale of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Take a moment to read that, then come back for these reviews. They’ll still be her. I promise.

Captain Britain has no time for BS

Spoilers for: Excalibur #13, X-Men #13, Amazing Spider-Man #50.LR

 

Excalibur #13

 

Writer: Tini Howard

Artist: R.B. Silva

Colors: Nolan Woodard

Letters: VC’s Ariana Maher

Designer: Tom Muller

Cover: Mahmud Asrar and Matthew Wilson

 

This issue feels like the culmination of the first year of Excalibur. While the end goal is much the same as other X of Swords issues, the path to get there relies on the events of the past 12 issues and sets a direction for the series following the conclusion of this event.

Early on, Jaime Braddock was made King of Avalon and Betsy Braddock became Captain Britain. Their brother Brian carried with him the Sword of Might but refused to draw it as he had darks visions of the outcome. While the three have rarely been cordial, this issue takes it to almost absurd levels. Not in an unbelievable way but in a way that seemed out of nowhere.

Of course, it turns out this was all a ruse to trick Saturnyne into revealing her intentions not just with the Starlight Sword but also the Captain Britain Corps, Brian, and Betsy. It is a perfectly executed plot that nabs Betsy her fancy new but also crystalizes Brian’s role moving forward now that he is no longer Captain Britain. He is Captain Avalon and serves by his brother. Assuming Otherworld exists in a similar state following X of Swords, there will be much tension between the family Braddock and the Starlight Citadel and that should have everyone excited.

"Yours and mine." got me in my feeling, y'know?

While I wish Marcus To was here to continue the story he had been helping tell, I do consider R.B. Silva to be a superior artist so I can only be so upset. This comic looks stunning. Everything from the majesty of the Citadel to the sexiness of Saturnyne while she seduces Brian is perfect. The page layouts are varied and interesting enough to keep the reader engaged throughout. Plus, Woodard keeps the art looking close enough to To’s. Each X of Swords issue of Excalibur has a different (very good) art team before the regulars return for the fallout so its going to be a fun ride to look at.

 
X-Men #13

 

Writer: Jonathon Hickman

Artist: Mahmud Asrar

Colors: Sunny Gho

Letters: VC's Clayton Cowles

Designer: Tom Muller

Cover: Leinil Francis Yu and Gho

 

Recent issues of X-Men have all been exposition dumps. They’ve been entertaining and interesting exposition but almost purely exposition nonetheless. Normally Hickman is a bit more graceful in the way he explains his stories. Luckily, this issue is a bit more graceful and provides another opportunity for Apocalypse to in a comic, a recent trend in the X-Books.

This issue is primarily a flashback Apocalypse experiences as Healer, Hope, Magneto, and Polaris attempt to bring him back from the brink. So, what does Apocalypse think about just before he dies? His family. His wife and children and how he let them walk into the abyss while he was left behind to shape his world and people to be ready to fight the great darkness that was coming. That was millennia ago. He never returned for them, but he mourned their deaths. He built a pyramid in their honor and buried his legendary sword inside it in grief.  

I would vote for them to kill me if I looked like this

The other focus of these flashbacks is Genesis, Apocalypse’s wife and the mother of the original Horsemen. She was the true leader of their force as they fought back the invasion by Amneth. It was her that led their children into the abyss. It was here that led hopeful peace negotiations. And it was her that made some sort of deal with the Golden Helmet of Amneth, something has feature heavily in the promotional art for X of Swords.

This issue explains the wearer of the Helmet rules Amneth but also that the Helmet wears the ruler. It’s all very Doctor Fate. I’m convinced the villain will eventually be revealed to be Genesis wearing the Helmet. This would explain why the Horsemen now serve Amneth and attempted to murder their father. It was the behest of their mother, the head of the family.

Mahmud Asrar joins this issue and he turns in a very workman-like issue. Nothing here is bad but it lacks the typical flair of Leinil Francis Yu and, oftentimes, Asrar himself. Gho remains on colors here and his palette is as expressive as ever and one of the highlights of this issue. The issue looks good and sets us up for next week’s midway point of the crossover.

 

Amazing Spider-Man #50.LR

Writers: Nick Spencer and Matthew Rosenberg

Artist: Federico Vicentini

Colors: Marcio Menyz

Letters: VC’s Joe Carmagna

Cover: Sara Pichelli and Rachelle Rosenberg

 

Two issues in and I already don’t know what the timeline of Last Remains is supposed to be. Considering both issues were written (or co-written) by Nick Spencer, that’s a problem. This issue is split into two stories: Norman Osborn and Dr. Kafka have a therapy session while Spider-Man fights the possessed Web Warriors. These stories clearly take place at different times of day--Norman’s moody session is at night while Spider-Man’s heroics take place at night. That’s not in and of itself a problem except Spidey’s story is between the panels of Amazing #50 while Norman’s is clearly after that issue and #50 takes place entirely at night.

That’s an example of the problem with this issue: it feels sloppy. The art team knocks it out of the park, but their time of day changes seem arbitrary. The final page is not only the best-looking panel in the book but a huge event. MJ is back in town and it seems like Norman and Dr. Kafka are going to recruit her to help in their attempt to save Harry and his relationship with his father. She arrives during the day, presumably at the same time as the Spider-Man sections but the flow of the story leads one to believe it’s directly following Norman’s section.

This perspective is super interesting

That’s not even getting into how strange Peter’s interactions with the Kindred-possessed Madam Web are. None of it feels like it has any weight despite Peter finally realizing the weird bug man from his dreams is the villain behind all that’s happened to him recently. Then Kindred leaves him on the brink of death and sends his henchmen to get Norman, who at the time is doing Amazing #50 things. Kindred actually goes there himself in that issue. Its all a big mess. But at least it looks nice.

 

As always, feel free to give your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter at @alexraysnyder. And if you like what you read here, consider throwing a couple bucks my way on Patreon to help cover costs.