Marvel

Ironheart: Ten Rings

by Eve L Ewing, Luciano Vecchio, Matt Milla, Geoffo, Clayton Cowles
collects Ironheart #7-12
volume reviews one | two [complete]

Why in the world does Marvel love to preach diversity and then cut off said diverse titls just as things are getting good?!

Ironheart could have been the beginning of a long and successful run not unlike Ms Marvel. Eve L Ewing’s character work is delightful – Ironheart is quirky and not without her faults, and her supporting characters like Xavier are charming. Her teamups with The Wasp, Shuri, Silhouette and Okoye were delightful and a breath of fresh air, particularly the creation of “Shuriri,” who clash simply because they’re so alike. It never once felt like a diversity team up for its own sake. And Ewing also showcases her range from a cute zombie arc to some pretty emotional father-daughter discussions between the women.

But the story with the Ten Rings organization was hastily wrapped up and concluded, and it’s a credit to Ewing’s writing that it still feels like a quality story even though it was obviously rushed. Riri has a huge family revelation that is clearly going to be left hanging, as well as several ongoing and burgeoning relationships.

The art team bring a consistently high quality and streamlined aesthetic to Ironheart, just like volume one (and not unlike Riri’s suit, too). It feels bright and high energy, and characters look consistent; I enjoyed looking at the book as much as I loved the story and it’s honestly rarely such a home run on both. Truly, my only complaint (aside from the story changes due to Marvel being a jerk) is literally any other cover than this one. Why highlight Dr Strange and Midnight’s Fire when issue 12’s cover is SO MUCH better:

I’m grateful we got Ironheart but still deeply frustrated that Marvel would cancel her series. Do the higher ups only care about revenue and not quality comics? The appearance of diversity and representation when the PR looks good, without actually throwing support behind up and coming titles in the long term? (And I”m not just talking about Ironheart as a character but also Eve Ewing, one of the VERY FEW women of color to work at Marvel.) It certainly seems like it. I sort of hate it.

A-Force: Hypertime

by G. Willow Wilson, Kelly Thompson, Jorge Molina, Laura Martin, Matt Milla, Cory Petit
Collects A-Force #1-4 and Avengers (2015) #0

I picked up A-Force not realizing it comes straight out of the Secret Wars event. I can’t say how much one enjoys this with the context of the event, but as a standalone, I found A-Force lacking.

That’s not to say there isn’t a whole lot of good here. It’s always great to see a bunch of women superheroes working together, clashing together, without a whole lot of kitschy “look at us being women and stickin’ it to the man” – for that, you can flip to the back and read a very classic, very cringe “Lady Liberators” Avengers issue by Stan Lee. (I love ya, Stan, but…yeesh.) And they brought on two highly respected and prolific comic book women writers, G Willow Wilson (Ms Marvel) and Kelly Thompson (Rogue & Gambit), the latter of whom also wrote an excellent team book, West Coast Avengers, for two short arcs.

But I expected far more punchy dialogue and witty banter, especially between Wilson and Thompson’s respective writing skills; and for all these characters and their long histories (aside from Singularity), there isn’t much emotional investment in them becoming a team. (I’m still mystified by Dazzler.) The biggest disappointment is a one-note villain without any relatable motivation or anything interesting to say or do; and a quickly reversed death that fell flat.

Also….no Black superheroes on the team? Really? (And saying Dr. Bell counts…doesn’t count.) Nico Minoru is the team’s sole diversity add, and while it was fun to see her outside Runaways, some folks didn’t do their homework. Her incantation (“when blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge!”) is left out and it would have been great if the letterer copied how her word bubbles change with her magical commands. (Also, including a queer character, would be nice if they had included it somehow.)

When it comes to the art, the coloring for space, Antimatter and Singularity were gorgeous. But I wasn’t a fan of Molina’s art – I’ll never be a fan of any artist who relies on exaggerated eyes and lips – and inking job was too heavy. Also, a few moments lacked correct perspective: a character being operated on suddenly has a sheet over her in the next panel, and a touching moment of sisterhood barely sees both women in the same frame.

A-Force was about as three stars as a three star book can get – not sure I’ll stick around for volume two.

Mr & Mrs X: Gambit and Rogue Forever

by Kelly Thompson, Oscar Bazaldua, Javier Pina, Frank D’Amarta, Joe Sabino; covers by Terry & Rachel Dodson
collects Mr & Mrs X #7-12
volume reviews: rogue & gambit – one | mr&mrs – one | two [complete]

My first book and review of 2021!

Gambit describes his relationship with Rogue as a mess, and unfortunately that’s how I would describe this book too.

Kelly Thompson knows Rogue and Gambit backwards and forwards; she can speak right to the core of these characters, her knowledge of their history is impressive, and she’s a master at their banter. My love of this couple and how Thompson writes them is usually enough for me; unfortunately, the story has a lot of problems.

Granted, I’ve never seen a good story set in the Mojoverse, yet in the early issues Thompson and team have fun dropping our couple into different genres as Mojo tries to captivate his audience. But eventually, the setting becomes a setup for Rogue’s self-therapy session; it’s a nice breakthrough, but the payoff would have been earned if it occurred during an actual experience, instead of exposition (Rogue talking to Rogue about herself). Adding in unnecessary elements like a revolution and alien horcrux didn’t help matters.

The final two issues retread tired ground with Gambit returning to New Orleans as the king of thieves. Bella Donna and others are familiar but ultimately forgettable (not unlike Spiral in the Mojoverse) ; like Rogue in the main arc, it ends with Gambit telling us who he is – snore.

Unfortunately I’m also not a fan of Bazaldua’s art, particularly how he draws Rogue. Her tiny eyes and hands make her look like a doll, and the constant mid-gasp look wasn’t great either. Javier Pina illustrates the final issue, which is a minor improvement, but not enough to save this. D’Amarta provides consistent colors and some nice background gradients, but it’s nothing earth shattering. And I’m really not a fan of Dodsons’ covers, Anka was far better.

While I’m glad to see Rogue and Gambit as one of very few happy married couples in comics, the series eventually lost its charm; hopefully they’ll have better stories in the future.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Hostile Takeovers

by Tom Taylor, Ken Lashley, Juann Cabal, Scott Hanna, Scott Hanna, Nolan Woodard, Rachelle Rosenberg, Marcio Menyz
also featuring artists Luca Maresca, Pere Pérez, Todd Nauck, Ig Guara, Dike Ruan, Marguerite Sauvage
collects Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #7-14
volume reviews one | two [complete]

It’s criminal that Marvel cancelled Taylor’s Spider-Man series after only two volumes. I’ve yet to find a more consistent author who strikes the perfect balance of Peter’s snarky one-liners and his deep love for the people of New York.

Unfortunately, both stories felt like trade-volume arcs stuffed into a few issues – a problem I attribute to Marvel, not Taylor, who had to wrap up all of his plans far too soon. The first arc is earnest, and some might say “political,” but it’s a clear extension of Peter’s values that the government should work for everyone and provide basic necessities. It’s a storyline that has echoes of comics from the 60’s, including Spider-Man’s, that isn’t afraid to bridge comics with our own need for equity today. (For more about how politics have existed in comics since the beginning, see here.) Marnie returns, and it was phenomenal to see her origin as Rumor include the history of WWII internment camps for Japanese Americans. The second story sees Spidey teaming up with the Fantastic Four and returning to Under York, a place I couldn’t care less about – the story was rushed and had no payoff, but Peter’s banter with the team was so fantastic, I could have read a whole volume of it.

Taylor writes an excellent Peter Parker, but the book isn’t without its issues. Issue 11 is a standalone, and stand out, issue featuring Mary Jane; but otherwise, MJ and Aunt May are still in the background, continuing to only serve Peter and his story, and not have any character development on their own. (Half of MJ’s issue is even narrated by an absent Peter.) It’s less forgivable this time around as May opens a homeless shelter while having cancer. Speaking of senior women, it’s strange that there’s time spent on Marnie’s backstory, but no interesting or emotional development with May at all. Taylor had to pick and choose what made it in these final issues, but as much as I love Marnie, giving May some very past-due focus might have been more important. Even the final issue, a heartwarming though rushed story where New York’s superheroes give Peter the night off as he stays with May during her surgery, still uses May’s cancer as an impetus for Peter’s story.

The art is also a major problem. The revolving door of artists both during and between issues, was jolting and aside from one flashback didn’t add to the story at all. Aside from Juann Cabal and Pere Pérez, the art wasn’t particularly inspiring either. I really struggled with Lashley’s work and many panels, by him and other artists, felt sloppy and rushed.

And for a book with double the senior women usually found in comic books, the way they are treated visually in this book is horrible. Marnie has excessive wrinkles and lines you’d never see on Lex Luthor or Magneto. And I was honestly offended by Lashley’s final page when May wakes up from her surgery. With her face gaunt and eyes blackened, it looked more like a villain reveal than a genuine and vulnerable moment between May and Peter.

I wish Taylor had more time (with better artists) to give his Spidey stories more justice, because there were some real home runs in this series. Hopefully he’ll write more Spider-Man in the future – or even better, a Spidey/F4 book.

Doctor Aphra: A Rogue’s End

*spoilers for issues 37-39, which is all I made it through*

UGH! After a disappointing sixth volume I really hoped Spurrier would bring it all together in the final volume. NOPE.

Usually I will try to power through a disappointing book, especially one that’s been a favorite series of the year. But unfortunately, literally everything about this book is disappointing, and I would rather not come out of this disliking Doctor Aphra.

The volume picks up at the last book’s cliffhanger, with Aphra back in Vader’s service. Now, the Empire is trying to find the Rebels’ new hideout (if you’ve seen Empire, you know where this is going), and their pattern of hiding out in old Jedi temples makes archaeologists a perfect match to help hunt them down. It makes sense, but Aphra did better when her stories didn’t overlap with canon at all.

The book feels aimless even as characters from past books make appearances in an attempt to appear full-circle. Aphra makes decisions that make no sense, even for her heartless self (like leaving Valuuda alone on an abandoned planet), and conversations with her dad are too eager and feel hollow. Aphra and Tolvan’s scene together was a joke.

And the art is just atrocious. Far too cartoony for a Star Wars book, and there’s barely any nuance to facial expressions. Panels that require some drama and punch – like Vader choking Aphra’s father, Tovan blasting Aphra – all fall flat.

Spurrier really struggled with Aphra, and it’s disappointing that this final chapter really didn’t communicate a strong sense of Aphra’s character or deliver a satisfying story. I’m glad this rogue’s story has come to an end – bring on Alyssa Wong.