Our main review this week is Wolverine – Weapons of Armageddon #1, while our Rapid Rundown covers the finale of Ultimate Spider-Man, X-Men #25, The Deadly Hands of K’unlun, the Black Panther special, and Generation X-23.
Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon #1
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Luca Maresca
Colorist: Jesus Arbutov
Letterer: vc’s Joe Sabino
With Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon #1 readers are once again off on the road to another Marvel crossover. For once though, the upcoming Armageddon feels consequential to what’s actually happening in the current Marvel books. It deals with the fallout from the Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion and the ongoing political intrigue in the Chip Zdarsky Captain America run. For something that’s an advanced tie book though, this carries it’s own political weight and historical intrigue.
It would be easy to say this book coasts simply on the name Wolverine. Wolverine is a character that sells books on name alone. But what makes this opening chapter so exciting is how it ties older Marvel history to the present day. Zdarsky picks up and runs with ideas like the Weapon Plus from Grant Morrison’s New X-Men or the Winter Soldier program from the Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting Captain America run. The idea that governments invest in creating super soldiers to wage modern wars or black ops missions.
In Zdarsky’s hand though, this super soldier programs is part of the military industrial complex. Why let a government create a program when you can sell off a soldier to the highest bidder? Profit can be made in creating or exploiting lethal weapons of mass destruction. In a world where mutants and freaks are created every minute, they make for the perfect examples for mass weapons. Mind control in the Marvel universe is as easy as screwing in a lightbulb. Why not kidnap or recruit a superhuman to then transform into an easily controlled super weapon?
And in this instance, if there’s a tool that can be used or replicated to give normal folks abilities, like say the origin boxes from the current Ultimate universe, why not try to replicate that for profit. Marvel is the world
This makes Wolverine the perfect lead for a book like this. Weapon X by Barry Windsor Smith dealt with similar themes of what it meant to create a monster in the service of modern warfare. Logan spends most of the issue unpleasantly dreaming of his time as Weapon X. Artist Luca Maresca weaves in and out of memories throughout this issue with colorist Luca Arbutov giving past and present their own color palettes. It’s a reminder that PTSD isn’t something easily shrugged off. No matter how much Logan has grown as a character, part of him will always be the feral monster made to kill by Weapon X.
Of course, Wolverine isn’t the only manufactured weapon in the Marvel universe. There’s something ingenious about bringing in Nuke, the Reagan era killer from the end of Daredevil: Born Again. Created as a critique of Schwarzenegger and Stallone jingoistic action heroes, Nuke also speaks to America’s need for perpetual warfare. A “hero” made to enforce American imperialism across the globe. Where Wolverine shrugged off control, Nuke fully embraces being the human weapon. Having the two face off might hint at an explosive physical confrontation but it offers a possibility of intriguing ideological ones.
Marvel’s events over the last few years, for the most part, have either been forgettable, lackluster, or start of promising only flub the landings. It’s hard to say how Armageddon will fare. Weapons of Armageddon though offers interesting possibilities. What could have been a forgettable throwaway lead in holds some intriguing political and thematic implications. If Armageddon is like this, then we’re all in for an exciting ride.
Verdict: BUY
RAPID RUNDOWN!
Ultimate Spider-Man #24Ever since the fantastic opening issue two years ago by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto, my opinion of Ultimate Spider-Man has bounced between extremes.There have been stretches of time where I’ve found the comic achingly dull, where I’ve railed that the comic is more interested in everyone in the cast except Spider-Man. Then there would be a monumental issue or two, and it seemed like things would be on a frantic road to a dramatic crescendo that never came. Checchetto’s big, stylish action would then be punctuated by an issue made up of talking heads drawn by David Messina, whose work on the book for the first year was not at all up to the task of the emotive conversations or dramatic beats. But in these final issues, sharing space right beside Checchetto, Messina shows off how much he has grown as a storyteller. There are moments here where his dramatic shadow over narrowed eyes are as pulse-pounding as Checchetto’s slobber-knocker fight between Spider-Man and Kingpin. Matthew Wilson’s dramatic coloring marries the two very distinct styles, which are deftly deployed to help differentiate scenes and timelines. VC’s Cory Petit not only balances the heavy dialogue with the action on the page, but elevates each moment with his word balloons and SFX.
With all of my mixed emotions toward the title for these last two years, I was fully prepared to be disappointed or robbed of catharsis here to accommodate build up or tie-in to Ultimate Endgame. But this is a stirring finale that more than justifies every creative decision the team has made. They landed the plane, and I am exposed a fool for doubting Jonathan Hickman. There’s no denying it–Ultimate Spider-Man is a book uninterested in giving anyone what they expected from a Spider-Man comic, that deliberately avoided any of the safer storytelling paths it could have trod. As a result, a criticism I have levied against Ultimate Spider-Man is that Peter Parker himself has remained stagnant while everyone around him grapples with wild upheaval in their lives The cost of secrets and double-lives is borne out not through Peter and MJ’s marriage, but through Harry Osborn, Uncle Ben, and the Sinister Six. Here at the end, Hickman pulls one of his greatest, most subtle storytelling tricks I’ve ever seen from any of his comics. Ultimate Spider-Man was never a book about Peter Parker grappling with insecurity or the weight of responsibility. It was a story about a man in a world of moral relativism standing forthright in the face of impossible odds. It was a story about a community of ordinary folks in extraordinary circumstances using whatever power they had–great or small–to impact change. It is a story about a man who thought he was missing something, discovering what was always in front of him. It’s a story about family, about justice, about perseverance. What Ultimate Spider-Man wants us to remember is that those who tell us we are not good enough, that our neighbors and families and society owe us more than we give, are small and fragile in the face of what we can do together. It works fully on its own outside of the larger metanarrative of the Ultimate Universe while still furthering the themes of the larger line. A thrilling accomplishment. – TR
BLACK PANTHER 60TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL No. 1Given the current state of affairs in our country, the Panthers’ 60th anniversary falling this year is cosmic serendipity. To celebrate one of Marvel’s top-tier heroes, an all-star roster of Black creatives familiar with the lore of T’Challa, the Panther, and Wakanda. Writer Evan Narcisse, penciler Georges Jeanty, and inker Dexter Vines use Kevin “Kasper” Cole, the White Tiger and member of Wakanda’s Secret Police, the Hatut Zeraze, as the book’s guide, he’s tasked with tracking down T’Challa whenever he goes “missing”. Cole moves through the Panthers’ world, interviewing close friends, family, and rivals to locate T’Challa in time for the annual memorial for his Father, leading to a visit to his last base of operations in Wakanda, the shady city of Birnin T’Chaka. The first baton pass goes to writer Cody Ziglar and artist Alitha Martinez for a fun nerd fest as Blue Marvel recounts a time when they were on the Ultimates team, using their brains as much as their muscles in this very best version of a bro-fest. Murewa Ayodele and Eder Messias are next to bat as Storm breaksdown a burden of the Panther legacy and T’Challa’s handling of it, as well as her interaction with him. A gorgeously rendered and fascinating spin on the mantle of being the Black Panther. And it wouldn’t be a proper celebration without the person who has arguably influenced the Panther mythos the most, writer Christopher Priest. Joined by artist Javier Pina, we get a look at the complex duty and trust a leader must navigate as Magneto shares a conversation/mission he had with the Panther shortly after the fall of Genosha. Understanding the limits of what can go in a book, for something this momentous, it was missing some type of contribution from other Panther creatives like Reginald Hudlin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Eve Ewing, Denys Cowan, and Brian Stelfreeze. With titles like Storm, Black Panther: Intergalactic, and to an extent Star Wars: Jar Jar, the Black Panther 60th Anniversary Special is a perfect addition to Marvel’s celebration of Black History Month, Ashe – GC3
Deadly Hands of Kun-Lun #1
Deadly Hands of Kun-Lun #1, with writer Yifan Jiang and artist Paco Medina, is continuing the story of the new Iron Fist, Lin Lie. As someone not entirely familiar with the status quo, I appreciate how quickly this series catches you up on where the characters are and the main antagonist’s motivation as he tries to revive the Ancient God of War, Chiyou. The issue is fast-paced and spends a lot of time catching readers up on everyone’s status. It makes a decent enough introduction for Iron Fist lore if fans are only familiar with the Marvel Rivals rendition of the character. Lin Lie is a great protagonist with very human doubts and insecurities, and the plot surrounding his brother is very interesting. The action leaves a lot to be desired, especially in a kung-fu-focused comic. However, artist Paco Medina does a great job with the series’ multiple character designs, from the masked heroes to the demonic allies of Chiyou. For fans looking to dive into the Kun-lun mythology of the Marvel universe, this is a good starting point. It requires a bit of outside research, especially when they bring up past events, but it doesn’t require it totally. The issue is still fun and engaging to read on its own. – LM
Generation X-23 #1
This bizarre, temporal adventure to find out who’s behind the manipulation of mutants and their deaths leads Laura Kinney, former assassin and trained weapon, right into the hands of a group of superfans alongside her younger sister, Gabby. Snappy dialogue by writer Jody Houser pairs delightfully well with boldly kinetic illustrations by Jacopo Camagni, the combination achieving harmony through Erick Arciniega’s bold color palette and Ariana Maher’s tonally perfect lettering.
There isn’t a Laura Kinney-led book I won’t pick up, and in this instance, that dedication has led me to a truly dynamic and entertaining read. There’s practically no down time in Generation X-23 #1, the characters moving relentlessly toward their goal of finding and destroying whatever (or whoever) is hurting mutantkind. Exposition is compacted, providing bare bones information to allow new readers to dive in without confusion and to allow returning fans to enjoy a new story without rehashing old material.
Camagni’s take on time manipulation makes this book truly shine. Many of the panels are fractals of the same image, fast-forwarded to show characters at advanced ages or with new people of which only their arms or hands can be seen in-frame. The effect is not only confusion and anxiety, felt by both Laura and the reader, but horror—whatever is happening here, it isn’t normal and it’s terrifying. It has to be stopped before it shatters reality itself.
Generation X-23 #1 is an excellent start to what’s bound to be a unique and enthralling series, heralded by a phenomenal creative team. It feels connected to main X-books without requiring intimate knowledge of their goings-on, and it’s absolutely worth picking up. – Samantha Puc
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