This was a good week for the pull list. Batman’s “Dark Prisons” storylines have been pretty enjoyable. We got a new Deadpool #1 from Cody Ziglar. I picked up some cool indie issues (the latest issue of Killadelphia, Void Rivals, and the new witch-themed Under York). And even though the X-Men are finally taking their war to Orchis in the latest issue, the real scorcher in “Fall of The House of X” is coming from the comic of the week…
Comic Book of The Week:
The Avengers #12
by MacKay / Mortarino
I have really enjoyed Jed MacKay’s run on Avengers this past year. I was a little suspicious of the line-up at first. I love Sam Wilson as Captain America, but there is something about Steve Rogers on an Avengers team that says something. And I’m cool with Jennifer Walter’s She-Hulk. But the original Bruce Banner Hulk just hits differently. And as I said, I love the run, but during this run, These Mighty Avengers just haven’t seemed that ‘mighty’. A lot is going on in the Marvel Universe right now, and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes seemed to be off doing other stuff.
But that’s finally changed with this issue. Since the start of this run, the Mutant Massacre led by Orchis has been spreading throughout the world. The X-Men have been decimated and scattered across the globe and there hasn’t been a response from The Avengers! MacKay explained this nicely. Tony Stark (whose technology has been stolen to make new Sentinels) asked the Avengers to hold back while he quietly planned their response (greatly documented in Gerry Duggen’s Invincible Iron Man). And now that all the pieces are in place, Stark gives the word… and The Avengers finally take the gloves off. MacKay narrates the awesome details of The Avenger’s first strikes against Orchis, taking out nearly all of their key facilities and rescuing a large number of mutant prisoners. He also demonstrates that The Avengers’ power doesn’t only rely on their raw strength. He shows how they all used their unique skills in prepping for the attack. Iron Man crafting his new armor out of an impossible metal, T’Challa planting viruses in Orchis’ networks months before in preparation… this made so much sense in why the Avengers weren’t on the frontline at the start. Bravo, MacKay.
Francesco Mortarino and Federico Blee handle the rotating art duties this month and do a great job. I’ve always been a fan of the manga-leaning art style, thanks to pencilers like Joe Maduriera and Humberto Ramos). All-in-all, I’m super excited to see how this Age of Krakoa comes to an end.
Rating: 4.25/5
Best of the rest:
