The joyous day of the week after I’ve read all my comics has come and gone and now I get to write about them. Welcome to my pull list. While I must apologize for various factors have kept me falling behind on my weekly pull list feature, I will offer you a real steal: an all-new, Giant-Sized Edition of the Pull List. Yes, two Amazing X-Mens and two Original Sins for the price of one, we’re giving you a double recap and review this week and all because of our love for all things comics. Read, enjoy, and stay super!
[alert type=white ]Spoilers to come![/alert]
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Action Comics # 32 “Doomed”:
Greg Pak continues to write a compelling Superman story and with Scott Kolins on art the pages are beautiful as always. All that can’t shake one thing on my mind: why drag out story lines that involve Superman? It was the same with “Hel (the Kryptonian) on Earth”. So many issues like it, while decent reads, felt like filler, and all of them could be told in a more concise manner.
This issue has Clark isolating himself from humanity once again. This is apparently not enough, since the military sends more forces to attack the Man of Steel. Luthor warns them not to, he even warns Superman to flee. Superman is given no choice but to fight and in a last ditch effort they aerosolize Kryptonite. In a fiery green explosion Kryptonite is released into the atmosphere tainting it; possibly forever. This of course, does not kill Superman…instead it releases his control over Doomsday. Whoops!
Superman “Doomed” is starting to feel like Hulk comics for better or worse and the parallels are undeniable. I’m not a huge Hulk fan, but I’m willing to wait it out and see where it goes. I’m pretty neutral on the storyline as of now. I will say this, though: Hulk fans need to try this one out.
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Amazing X-Men #7 and 8:
Amazing X-Men #7 is really only remarkable due to Spider-Man making an appearance. It was a comedy issue and not that great a one to be honest, but it was nostalgic. Why? Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends was a big part of my childhood. The roster included Firestar and Iceman along with other guests, This book was a throwback to the and was very fun for me. If you want to relive some Spidey and friends moments…read it. Otherwise, skip it and start with issue eight.
Take this with a grain of salt (since I’m a Yost fanboy), but Craig Kyle and Chris Yosk knock it out of the park here. Lots of feels in this issue too. Plenty of X-Men reunite due to various bouts with death, Wolverine reunites with Alpha Flight, and the staff at the Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters come to terms with Wolverine’s lack of healing factor. Then, of course, absolute chaos strikes right where Wolverine is. Imagine that, eh?
Logan faces down one of Alpha Flight’s most dangerous foes: Wendigo. Did I say one…I meant an army of Wendigos. Wolverine is without a healing factor and the X-Men are rushing to save him and stop this threat to all of Canada. Will they make it time? Quite likely since Wolverine has “3 Months to Die”, but to be sure; pick up issue nine of Amazing X-Men.
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Avengers Undercover # 5:
Teenage superheroes make for great drama. They have hormones, they have super villains, they have angst, and they also just happen to have tough choices to make.
When last we left our superheroes in training, they were given a chance to join Baron Zemo and his villains. Avengers Undercover #5 shows the inner workings of a villain run city state. We see how tempting the dark side can be even for people raised to be heroes. Most of these kids found a villain to take them “under a wing” sometimes literally…
Decision time comes along and some ugly truths come out. A plan is put into motion and not everyone signs on the dotted line. Zemo offered freedom, but what happens to those who reject his offer? Read the issue to find out.
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Original Sin #3 and 4:
First thing I need to say is…I can’t review these books in any meaningful way without spoilers abound. If spoilers bother you skip ahead.
In Original Sin #3 and #4, we find out a few horrifying things. For instance: The Orb…sees things no one else can. Like how to get into the Watcher’s lair. That’s a little scary, but scarier still is the fact that he still can’t see who killed the Watcher, and all he knows is it wasn’t him. He also knows he doesn’t like being captured by Nick Fury. Beyond our dimension, Doctor Strange and Punisher find dead demons and gods. In space, Bucky and his team find huge bullets floating about and discover another living Planet…like Ego.
And when I say living, I mean dead, and full of giant bullet holes. Someone is killing things that are not meant to die and using a super gun to do it. Bucky makes a split second decision and teleports away. He can teleport now? Next thing we know Bucky shows up where Nick Fury is running the giant operation to find Uatu the Watcher’s killer. Bucky finds Nick with the Eye of the Watcher and proceeds to cut his head off. End issue three with Bucky holding Nick’s head in one hand and the Eye in another.
It’s safe to say that Issue three left us with a lot of questions. Issue four answers one big one, but leaves us wanting so much more. All the hero teams wind up back in Fury’s base of operations. Everyone takes turns with the Orb. He just speaks more gibberish about seeing things and manages to frustrate a lot of dangerous people. Bucky eventually arrives and reveals that he killed Fury. A rather large superhero throw down takes place. No one trusts anyone, tensions are running high, everyone’s sins are laid bare… yeah chaos ensues. Bucky blocks a sword strike with Nick Fury’s severed head revealing it to be a Life Model Decoy (android copy of a person).
Honestly as a long time comic reader this was no shock to me at all. I’d have been more shocked if they actually killed Nick Fury. Black Panther puts the pieces together and in comic book fashion everyone stops hitting each other long enough to say “WTF!”. Dramatically, doors which had gone unnoticed before open revealing an aged Nick Fury and an army of Nick Fury LMD’s.
Everyone has been dancing to Nick Fury’s tune for a long time, and the plot thickens from there. I’d start picking this up now while the issues are still on the rack. Otherwise wait for the trade paperback, but either way, read this story.
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Superman/WonderWoman # 9 “Doomed”:
We get some serious action in this issue. Wonder Woman and Hessia plot to save Clark. Plans rarely outlive contact with the enemy however; a battle ensues. Hessia plans to kill Doomsday and therefore Superman. Doomsday is, of course, happy to let her try. Diana feels betrayed by Hessia and is losing her lover to a monster and she ropes up Doomsday and gets him out of the atmosphere.
Once Supes is back to himself, they share a brief tender moment and Superman leaves Earth for now. His respite is short lived, the Red Lanterns intercept him, joined by Supergirl; a recently ringed Red Lantern. Superman has no time for these scrubs. He bats them aside like dry leaves and continues on his journey. They are left to confer with Wonder Woman and figure out what the hell just happened. All the while, a voice in the back of Kal-el’s mind mocks him as he flees Earth.
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Wolverine # 8 “3 Months To Die”:
Marvel has decided to see if they can sell books without their cash cow. How long is Wolverine going to stay dead? Surely not as long as Uncle Ben. No one else stays dead in comics, after all. It should be a wild ride though. As a result, it’s not really a spoiler when the title of the new storyline is “3 Months to Die”. Wolverine is going to die. He has no healing factor and now many of his copious enemies know it. Across all the books Logan is in there is a feeling of foreboding. He talks to his friends about some deep stuff.
Wolverine is not usually a profound kind of guy, yet here he is doing some soul searching. Finally, he finds something at a odd temple. It seems that Death is on vacation there and it’s very hard to die here. Wolverine comes to grips with his first ever fear of dying and even comes face to face with his mortality whilst inside that temple. Deep, man.
Meanwhile, Sabretooth is gathering tools to kill Wolverine and capitalize on having him out of the way. Also, Shang Chi and Iron Fist have tea…WTF?!? The issue was a good start to a great ending. I look forward to seeing how this one goes. By all means, check this one out.
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What were some of your favorite comic books of the past few weeks? Give a shout out to ’em loud and proud in the comments below, and be sure to stay tuned for all things entertainment, here at BagoGames.