Comics IX - Cheerleader Number Nine

[red snow]

I'm not a Cyclops fan in general, but whereas teen Cyclops is particularly annoying, both the Lee/Kirby and Bendis versions, this solo was the first time that someone has actually made him look like a "human being", like a person you can relate to who has believable struggles - and who you can't help but pity, honestly. Plus, Corsair; I'd read anything that had my favorite Summers as a constant. :wub:

Surprising what happens when a decent author who knows how to script a comic gets a go. Rucka has always been good (although I'd say he was a DC guy moreso than a Marvel one - most authors tend to be one or the other) but since he started concentrating on creator owned again he seems to have a new level of enthusiasm and craft. And Corsair = win I agree. If I was Fox, I'd be definitely checking up on whether I owned the rights to the starjammers as part of the x-men deal, It could make a great film - especially if Guardians proves to be a success,

[Sci-2]

Yikes I've been out of the loop for a bit.

New Avengers managed to decompress itself way too much...again.

Avengers managed to repeat a bunch of pages recapping info....again.

And yet I still like both books, though Hickman might want to get a move on at this point in the game.

[Lady Octarina]

New Avengers managed to decompress itself way too much...again.

Avengers managed to repeat a bunch of pages recapping info....again.

And yet I still like both books, though Hickman might want to get a move on at this point in the game.

It's funny, I never thought I'd get to the point where I'd enjoy Hickmanvengers, but not New Avengers. Let's just hope the first continues to be good. As long as Stark isn't forgiven too quickly for what he's been doing, I'm fine with it.

All-New X-Men #27 was just as terrible as you'd expect an issue featuring the future Brotherhood to be. And it also made me have a horrible moment when I realize Mystique has a son with far too many Marvel characters...

Avengers Undercover #4 was brilliant. Baron Zemo's speech... wow.

After months, I decided to read The Walking Dead again when I heard about the time jump, and I wasn't disappointed. This is the first time I've enjoyed an issue of this book this much since the prison saga, though I'm still trying to adjust to the notion of Carl as an older teenager and Rick as pretty much the new Hershel.

[Nictarion]

After months, I decided to read The Walking Dead again when I heard about the time jump, and I wasn't disappointed. This is the first time I've enjoyed an issue of this book this much since the prison saga, though I'm still trying to adjust to the notion of Carl as an older teenager and Rick as pretty much the new Hershel.

It was definitely the best issue in a long while.

what's up with Carl calling Andrea mom though?

[red snow]

Yikes I've been out of the loop for a bit.

New Avengers managed to decompress itself way too much...again.

Avengers managed to repeat a bunch of pages recapping info....again.

And yet I still like both books, though Hickman might want to get a move on at this point in the game.

He ought to as he said he's off the books come March 2015 - although with Marvel's publishing schedule that's around 52 issues if you combine all his Avengers books or 4 years worth of story in old money.

I didn't realise they'd done a time jump with the comics. Is that the most recent issue after "the war"? How much of a time jump is it? I think it's a wise move - we've had over a decade of the world immediately after the zombie apocalypse and it would be interesting to see a world that is at something of a status quo with the zombies and the new societies that are forming. I'll probably wait for the trade as usual but something to look forward to. I'm sort of surprised they'd attempt such a shift given the popularity of the book at the moment but maybe it's a way to keep it slightly more in line with the TV show? Given the fact that actors like Carl visibly age from season to season time has to pass quicker in the show.

[Nictarion]

red snow

It's 2 years according to the letter hacks in the back of the issue, and yes it's the 1st issue after "all out war".

[red snow]

red snow

It's 2 years according to the letter hacks in the back of the issue, and yes it's the 1st issue after "all out war".

cool. Guess that does allow them some time to settle after the war and rebuild.

[MercenaryChef]

i like the jump forward in time in the walking dead.

rick and his pals rebuilding what they can of humanity and civilization after likely four or so years of just surviving with the threats of zombies and asshole humans.

why is negan not dead? his throat was slashed. to survive means that he was given medical attention. why? he was a prick who deserved death. why would they save him?

[Lady Octarina]

why is negan not dead? his throat was slashed. to survive means that he was given medical attention. why? he was a prick who deserved death. why would they save him?

Wasn't there something in the previous issue of Rick wanting him to survive to see that his way was possible, and also not wanting to kill him because they need to rebuild civilization or whatever and can't continue to just go around executing people?

[MercenaryChef]

Wasn't there something in the previous issue of Rick wanting him to survive to see that his way was possible, and also not wanting to kill him because they need to rebuild civilization or whatever and can't continue to just go around executing people?

Sure. But negan of all people needs to die. I cannot see any reason to keep him alive.

[Lady Octarina]

Sure. But negan of all people needs to die. I cannot see any reason to keep him alive.

Oh, I completely agree with you. He's too much of a cunning bastard to allow him to stick around and risk convincing someone to help him out, or something of the kind. But Rick is Rick.

[red snow]

Sure. But negan of all people needs to die. I cannot see any reason to keep him alive.

There's no goo in-story reason to keep him alive. Kirkman just doesn't want to kill off a character that he can use again and is popular. Which is a little bit lazy. He'd have almost been better off letting him run off because it just undermines Rick when he eventually comes back, Worse yet, they may use Negan as part of the team when some other threat occurs.

[MercenaryChef]

A threat worse than negan is hard to really fathom.

[Ouroboros]

Really enjoying the new Nova series. Just an enjoyable book. Best teen hero book I've read since Blue Beetle.

[red snow]

A threat worse than negan is hard to really fathom.

A sentient Governegan zombie?

Really enjoying the new Nova series. Just an enjoyable book. Best teen hero book I've read since Blue Beetle.

Hope it fares better in sales/longevity if that's the case!

Saga is back :) Haven't had time to read it or anything else this week though.

[Lady Octarina]

A threat worse than negan is hard to really fathom.

A sentient Governegan zombie?

A plague, destroying all their food. And then we learn Negan is actually a super agronomy genius, the only one who can fix the situation!

Really enjoying the new Nova series. Just an enjoyable book. Best teen hero book I've read since Blue Beetle.

I haven't read Blue Beetle, so I have no idea. But yeah, Nova has been really enjoyable since Jeph Loeb left the book. Though I still think it doesn't compare to Runaways, Heinberg's Young Avengers, or even Ms. Marvel, as far as teen hero books go.

And this week in Marvel we had a particularly fun issue of All-New X-Factor (furious Polaris might be my new favorite thing), an incredibly brutal but beautiful issue of Magneto, and an unexpected surprise in the form of their revealing a red herring this soon into Original Sin. One of the many reasons to be glad Bendis is not the one writing it is that, if that was the case, it would take us 7 of the 8 issues to find out those two idiots didn't kill Uatu.

[Ouroboros]

Though I still think it doesn't compare to Runaways, Heinberg's Young Avengers, or even Ms. Marvel, as far as teen hero books go.

I think its a mistake to compare it to Runaways/Young Avengers, those are a very different subset of cape book, telling different stories. All they really share are teen protagonists.

I really enjoy Ms Marvel a lot, but there's an aspect to Kid Nova that is more appealing to me. His circumstances are more resonant. Working poor and not getting ahead no matter what else you do. Not being the smartest or strongest guy in the room, even with the fancy super powers. And that induction into the Nova Corps, its a good metaphor for what it feels like having to shoulder more adult responsibilities when you grow up in a house hold like that. It's kind of like the anti-Spider-Man in some respects. Peter Parker faced some of the same struggles, but getting super powers answered nearly every one of his problems. He gained financial autonomy through photography, he became as strong as he was smart and no longer had to fear the bullies that had hounded him at school. His social life vastly improved.

With Sam every thing involving his powers is making his life worse by increments. He isn't a good student so being distracted by super heroics is ruining his grades. His powers aren't always on like Spidey so he can't just flip off the bullies with his super strength. The damage he does just makes his home life harder, and so far he has found no financial benefit to being a super hero.

I like that a whole lot. I like that he's struggling working class and there has been no magic solution to his problems.

It's not quite but very nearly a rejection of the teen hero power fantasy.

And that to me is something not seen enough in these stories. The kid heroes are nearly always exceptional in some way before they get their powers (usually by being extremely smart) or the powers they get make them exceptional in a way that benefits them in their personal lives. None of this has happened for our Nova.

I think Marvel has really struggled to find a new, resonant 'working class hero'. Spidey, who used to be that, hasn't been that in a very long time. The various other teen heroes tend to come from comfortable middle or upper class backgrounds. Some of them, like the Runaways, have to figure out how to survive their new found poverty, but that isn't the same story. I'm glad they have a working class kid that actually feels authentic in Kid Nova.

[red snow]

Saga was good. It's not really that sci-fi but the story is interesting and seems like it could provide an emotional punch by the end. People seemed to get far too excited about the first page though.

Nova sounds pretty good as Ourboros describes it, almost as if it should be an Image book. Seems like an obvious idea to do a teen hero where the hero-aspect genuinely makes things worse. It's just a shame Jeph Loeb scared me away from it. Maybe i'll look into a trade that isn't by him.

[Sci-2]

If anyone's reading Unwritten: Apocalypse:

Who is that lady in the forest that Danny shot?

[red snow]

Bit late but I finally read ASM #1 As i feared it just seems like it's resetting everything. So, Parker tells more jokes and we'll get to see his "parker luck" by failing at everything Otto set up for him eg his company, PhD and lovelife. I can understand him wanting to mess up the latter one as he never fell in love with her but losing the other two is just going to make Parker look like a loser.

Haven't read the back-up strips yet but there's nothing here that has me wanting to carry on with the series, I just need to pick up the last Superior trade so I can see how it all went wring for Otto. I'll maybe drop in if something interesting happens with the woman who was bitten but I can see it taking 8 issues of teasing before anything substantial happens on that front.