Comic Reviews 01.04.2021

 

Hey y’all. We’ve got a small set of comics here, but they’re both really interesting. Interesting in very different ways, but interesting nonetheless. I do want to announce that the Featured Review posts are officially going on hiatus. I haven’t posted any for a couple weeks because I have been insanely busy and that is only going to intensify the next few weeks, so I decided to designate a relaxation day, or I won’t stop moving. Plus, I’m not sure how many comics the next few weeks will be something I want to write about. The plan is still to have five or six posts a week though, so look forward to that.

Anyway, we’re all here to talk about comics. I read a couple other comics this week. The best one is The Wicked + The Divine, which I might write about sometime. I recommend everyone at least give it a try. The other notable ones are covered below so we might as well jump in!

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Spoilers for: Amazing Spider-Man #55, X-Men #16

 

Amazing Spider-Man #55

Writer: Nick Spencer

Artist: Patrick Gleason

Colors: Edgar Delgado

Letters: VC’s Joe Carmagna

Cover: Gleason

 

Here lies the end of ‘Last Remains’ and…nothing happened. It was six issues of nothing. Worse yet, there is no ending here. Nick Spencer spent a lot of time building up Kindred and his plan. Turns out, he has no plan. He wants nothing. He is nothing. Harry Osborn throwing a tantrum with no end goal in mind. That could certainly be interesting if it seemed like that was the takeaway the creative team intended.

Based on the short note from Spencer at the end, this issue is supposed to be a big, game-changing issue. I guess Norman shows up and throws a pumpkin bomb at MJ. If they actually kill her, that could indeed be interesting. Seems like Peter will try to make a deal with a devil to save. That is why Harry has been yelling at him for so long.

Harry and Norman also throw down briefly. That would be neat if it had been given room to breathe, but Wilson Fisk knocks down the wall and the issue ends. That is it. That is everything new in this issue. The climax of Nick Spencer’s tenure on Amazing Spider-Man thus far. Nothing. There seems to be some interesting stories upcoming, but this one also seemed interesting four months ago. Just have to wait and see.

Patrick Gleason returns to finish out this story and, as always, his art rules. Delgado is a huge part of that, as the use of shadows and silhouettes here is particularly interesting. It really makes panels stick out and give the issue some sense of weight. As always, expressions and body language are where Gleason excels. MJ specifically is drawn as an extremely level-headed, cool character which is completely in line with he way she verbally handles both Harry and Pete in this issue. It is the best moment of the issue and the art is a big part of why.

 

X-Men #16

Writer: Jonathon Hickman

Artist: Phil Noto

Letters: VC's Clayton Cowles

Designer: Tom Muller

Cover: Leinil Francis Yu and Gho

 

This installment is 100% bad news for the Quiet Council. There is an entire other island of mutants that far outnumber Krakoans. While Krakoa would love to welcome their kin and reform Orakko. Unfortunately, neither Arrako nor its inhabitants have any interest in that. Millenia of constant war have changed them into something entirely different than the Krakoan mutants. Plus, there s a hint that they may have designs on conquering the Earth. Seems bad.

Gotta look good for the ex

Elsewhere, the Quiet council has two open seats due to Jean’s resignation and Apocalypse technically being a prisoner of his wife. Xavier and Magneto offer to give Jean her place back and the Scott the other seat. They respectfully decline as they intend to reform the X-Men. While Scott has no intention of resigning as Captain, he and his partner recognize a vacuum in this new society of theirs: a voice of the people. The council is as aristocratic a group as exists on Krakoa. The people need someone fighting for them.

The ultimate expression of “for the people, by the people” here is that the X-Men will be elected officials picked from the masses. Introducing democracy into this oligarchical society is fascinating. How soon until someone gets the idea the Quiet Council should be elected? It is not like no one here has never seen it in action. Hickman continues to build layers upon layers to this story and it is the most exciting the mutants have been in a long time

I would be remiss not to mention Phil Noto’s guest appearance on art here. This issue is probably the reason Cable was delayed almost exactly a month which is sad, but understandable. Everything Noto brings to that series is replicated here. His characters are unusually expressive, and his sense of scale is incredible. Not just scale in terms of “Krakoa makes a 20-story Groot-esque avatar” but also the scale of the intimate conversation between Xavier, Magneto, Jean, and Cyclops. It is small and intimate, as is appropriate, but also feels momentous. I would not be too upset if Noto stayed on this series, but Hickman seems to want Leinil Francis Yu as his primary partner. Oh well, they are both quite good and I look forward to whomever does art next issue.