POBB January 16, 2019

Pick of the Brown Bag

January 16, 2019

by

Ray Tate

Welcome to the Pick of the Brown Bag.  For this installment, I contribute comprehensive reviews of Detective Comics, Fantastic Four, The Good Agent, Red Hood, Star Trek and the Transformers, Supergirl and Titans.  First a review of the Black Widow.  As always, should you lack the time for the in-depth examinations, check me out on Twitter: #PickoftheBrownBag

Known together as the Twisted Twins Jen and Sylvia Soska are horror filmmakers responsible for such cult items as American Mary and the hilarious Dead Hooker in a Trunk.  I had high expectations for their new Black Widow series, and they were met.

There are three things you can do with continuity.  You can ignore it.  You can smudge it.  You can address it head on.  Nobody can fault somebody outside of the comic book industry for choosing option number one, but the Soskas surprisingly open Black Widow with choice number three.

On New Year’s Eve, the Black Widow and Captain America team to stop a terrorist cell from blowing up Times Square.   In the Secret Empire, Hydra used the reality-altering Cosmic Cube to recreate Captain America as Captain Hydra.  Despite the televised fight between the two Captains, most of the U.S. now stupidly distrusts Captain America. 

The Soskas imbue Steve Rogers with a fitting disgruntled attitude as he endures the insults of idiots he must save.  Oh, and to exacerbate the problem, the terrorists include their own doppelgänger Captain amidst their ranks.

Right from the start, the Soskas, with artists Flaviano and Veronica Gandini nail the physical characterization for the Black Widow.

Though an Olympian level athlete with a high IQ, Natasha Romanova is not a spider-person like Spider-Gwen or Spider-Woman.  She mimics those powers using highly advanced “suction cups” in gloves and boots.

Like a magician, the Black Widow integrated her props in her act to such an extent that they’ve essentially become part of her.  That’s why it’s common to see the Black Widow hanging upside down or sticking to a wall like Spider-Man.  It’s one of the few personal pleasures she takes out of her sobriquet.

When Black Widow encounters the terrorists, the Soskas use this fight to contrast the Black Widow from other heroes and other agents.  The Black Widow is a compartmentalized killer like James Bond.

Being a superhero for so long, Black Widow exhibits remarkable restraint.  Captain America is one of the few people she would respect enough to take orders from.  However, Black Widow leaves Cap and the mission on a stinging note.  

Her comments which need to be seen in the space-specific frame of Flaviano’s and Gandini’s art allude to The Secret Empire.  The Cap Cosmic Cube Clone murdered the Black Widow.  The current Black Widow is a clone with all of the original Black Widow’s memories.  That pretty much makes her the original Black Widow.

The Soskas' story is mainly about Black Widow coming to terms with her death and her regeneration.  She really cannot address her feelings properly.  

If Steve Rogers had simply killed her and she came back, she could have taken her revenge.  Steve is innocent of the crime.  His Cuckoo's Nest copy killed her.  

If she weren’t weighted with the Black Widow’s history, she could have started a new life free of the anger that’s been essentially renewed.  Without that history, she wouldn't be herself.  She also cannot enjoy the rewards resulting from her old life and resuscitation.

For some reason Natasha cannot reveal her existence to the general public.  They saw Captain Hydra kill her, and despite witnessing multiple returns of superheroes, including Iron Man, the Black Widow for some reason must stay dead.

Natasha decides that there’s only one way to cope.  Unleash the violence in a productive way.  So, she goes on the road to Madripoor.

The goof on Wolverine alias Patch is laugh out loud funny.  Indeed, the whole concept of Patch, introduced by Chris Claremont, is laugh out loud funny.  Though you would be surprised how many people were like, yeah.  Patch.  It’s Wolverine with an eyepatch.  Yeah, cool.  Makes not one lick of sense.

Natasha’s cosplay of Patch and her release of violent impulses against the pimps of Madripoor attract the attention of Madripoor’s defacto Queen, Tyger Tiger, and she’s got a job for Natasha that’s perfect for her needs.

No female superhero overtly started as a feminist icon.  They became feminist role models simply because each one exhibited strength.  The Soskas do not just relate a bang-wallop first chapter Black Widow story.  They imbue their tale with feminist issues: double-standards, a male taking credit for a female’s work and the pent up rage of women unable to express it in a society that only acknowledges and sympathizes with toxic masculinity.

Last issue, somebody committed an “egregious” crime.  Beautiful choice of words.  Batman sought information from the Arkham Asylum inmates.  His actions produced no leads.  

Just amusement from the incarcerated.  If Batman is beating them up rather than using his astonishing deductive powers, he must really be stumped.

Frustrated, Batman returns to the Cave where Alfred under Damien Wayne’s care recuperates.  He and Damien both come to the same conclusion.

Henri Ducard created by Sam Hamm and Denys Cowyn is a hitman that taught Batman much of what he knows.  Hamm and Cowyn seem to have based him on Jean Reno’s Leon Montana from Leon the Professional.  With Ducard now their prime suspect, Batman tracks him down using familiar faces as his medium.

We find Ducard in the Catacombs of France.  In addition to Doug Mahnke depicting Ducard on the cover of Detective Comics, the very fact that I’m divulging his name should clue you in that he’s completely innocent of this latest assault on Batman.

In fact Ducard appears to be one of many targeted through an association with Batman and/or Bruce Wayne.  Batman and Ducard must now curb their differences.  They must fight a thing.

I have no idea what that is.  I can tell you what it’s not.  It’s not Clayface.  It’s not the Composite Super-Man.  It’s not a Durlan.  It’s not Proty, Chameleon Boy’s pet.  So, this absurd amalgamation appears to be the weapon of the grandmaster behind the game.  Still no clue.

After the Ducard incident, Batman seeks out his other teachers.  One appears to be at least in spirit Bruce Lee.

The guy with the swords is nobody.  Don’t worry about him. Batman is here in the frozen wastes to ascertain the health of his martial arts teacher Kirigi.  Kirigi is another example of cross-pollination.  Kirigi in Marvel Comics is a Big Bad Hand member.  Like a super Hand.  In DC Comics he’s an old Ninja master carrying great honor.

Batman finally heads to Mexico to meet another of his teachers.  This one ties into Tom King’s Batman from last week.  Of course, it’s a trap.

I can’t say that I fully understood Detective Comics, but Peter Tomasi keeps things active and the mystery in full swing.  That's not some clever euphemism.  

The culprit's not Sports Master.  I have no idea who's attacking the very fabric, the very history of Batman and/or Bruce Wayne.  Doug Mahnke’s powerful artwork grants import to the whole affair.  Jaime Mendoza’s inks give  Mahkne’s finished product a more refined look.  David Baron’s colors create a welcome vibrance in a dark case.

In Red Hood Jason Todd’s been breaking up a criminal organization known as the Underlife.  His latest foray takes him to Mexico.

After finding an abandoned shelter and fixing an equally abandoned truck, he seeks out Hierve el Agua.  Hierve el Agua according to Wikipedia is a natural wonder that means the water boils. 

In the DCU, the designate identifies quite a different sight and site. 

This prison is also abandoned.  Writer Scott Lobdell and artist Pete Woods enlivens the boredom threat inherent in absence by leaving behind traces from lost friends.

At the conclusion to Red Hood and the Outlaws, Bizarro and Artemis found themselves in an alternate reality.  This begs the question: how do their actions there translate to the present day proper.

That’s a developing mystery.  Red Hood’s other surprise of the day is Wingman.

The original Wingman from the 1950s was a one-off European hero trainee who partnered with Batman when Robin suffered an injury.  

  

Jason Todd apparently resurrected the identity with Grant Morrison’s rejuvenated Club of Heroes better known as The Batmen of All Nations.  As to who threw the brick.  Good question.  Lobdell’s not talking until the reveal at the conclusion.

As Jason explores deeper with cues from the mysterious brick thrower, he uncovers the horrors left behind from the Underlife.  It’s a plausible super-criminal operation.  Even more grounded than Superman's Intergang.

Last night’s Supergirl placed tremendous consequences heretofore unseen on a traditional science fiction plot device.  DEO Director Lauren Haley attempted to blackmail Supergirl.  Turning her into a weapon for the United States government.  As a result, a horrible wedge exists now between Kara and her adopted sister Alex.   Haley is a total bitch, and I wish her nothing but a painful death.  Reality check.  I’m sure April Parker Jones the actress who portrays Haley is a lovely person.  By comparison, she would have to be.

In the comic book, Supergirl while seeking the truth about alleged Krypton slayer Rogol Zaar runs afoul of Harry Hokum.  Hokum is an Omega Men villain created by Keith Giffin and Ron Silfer.  I’ve maybe read one or two stories about him, and he only registered to me as a combination of Star Trek's Harry Mudd and Rush Limbaugh.  Marc Andreyko recasts him as a Trump figure, and it suits him fine.  In turn Kevin Maguire emphasizes Nazi bearings and delusions of grandeur in his fashion sense.

Supergirl finds herself in this situation due to an encounter with Hokum’s Tamaranean mutant watchdog Splyce.

Unknown to Splyce or Hokum, the Tamaranean actually empowers Supergirl with her blasts, because they’re solar based.  Natch.

Apparently cowed, The Khunds—dumb versions of Klingons that look like walking black lava—treat the playing possum Kara like a rag-doll before ditching her in the soon-to-be slave wing of their prison transport.

Needless to say, Kara’s looking for some old school revenge.  She takes her name and stages a jail break just as the Omega Men arrive on stage.

Though I’ve given most of the story away, Kevin Maguire’s artwork, his extraordinary skill with expression and action choreography make an entire spoilt issue still worth reading.  Truth be told this issue of Supergirl isn’t really suspenseful to begin with.  It’s instead a celebration of Supergirl’s guile.

In space the cousins always could cut loose because alien thugs like the Khunds are tougher than human beings.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, they frequently met beings that had minds like nautili shells.  In between these, technology or power-sets provided more of a match.  Superman and Supergirl still essentially behaved like sleek, compact intelligent spacecraft, but sometimes they worked up a sweat.

With this issue, Andreyko demonstrates that Supergirl is a threat even when away from the yellow sun.  We see her keeping herself alive by stoking Hokum’s ego.  We watch her irritate him, to force him into a personal revenge that saves her from from the trash heap.  She suckers Splyce into supplying her with power, feigns unconsciousness, endures the humor of Khunds until she finally reaches the position she needs to be in to escape.

The Jack Kirby creation, the mythical Source Wall, broke in some Big Stupid Event and released energy across the cosmos.  More importantly directed to the earth.  The Source Wall’s energy catalyzed the switching on of the meta-gene, creating a whole new group of often confused super-powered beings.  

Dick Grayson alias Nightwing believed it was his calling to reach those empowered, and his mentor Batman agreed.  Thus, a new lineup of Titans formed.  Tragedy struck however when Tom King in Batman re-appropriated Nightwing.  Titans writer Dan Abnett though had been building up Donna Troy, despite her dubious history, into the new leader of the Titans, also achieved with Batman’s blessing.   So you know it's legit.  She and her team, now with the added willpower of Kyle Rayner, Green Lantern, continue Dick Grayson’s mission.

The fantasy writer E.K. Hinton was one of the Titans' subjects.  When he absorbed the Source Energy, he seemed to be able to manifest the Unearth, another realm he embellished in a series of novels.  One such denizen of the Unearth Lord Travesty appeared to follow in the footfalls of Star Trek the Next Generation’s Professor Moriarty.  

When Lieutenant Commanders Geordi LaForge and Data play-acted Watson and Sherlock Holmes, Geordi asked the Holodeck Computer to create an antagonist capable of beating Data.  Moriarty became a true holographic life form.  

Similarly, though essentially an extension of Hinton’s mind, Lord Travesty appears to be more than a mere simulation.  He also exhibits greater depth.  Despite being a trickster villain, he truly appears to love Hinton and recognizes him as his and all of Unearth’s creator. 

Dan Abnett’s latest Titans tale features some good lines amongst the team.  Miss Martian frequently steals the spotlight by regaining her composure and bringing stability to the antics.  

Ben Rubel, a steal-character from the Orlando run of Supergirl, plays handler as he relates vital information to the Titans from hinton’s books.  

The atmosphere is all giggles on the Titans side, with the team even encountering a sentient forest that’s inspired by the Knights Who Say Ni and Tolkein’s Ents.

That frivolity would likely change if the Titans knew what really transpires.  All of this excursion is in fact a breathtaking trap.

At the conclusion of the Titans’ first encounter with the Unearthers, Travesty stayed in the real world.  There he probably gathered knowledge of his soon-to-be-arch-foes.  He certainly knew they would be coming for him eventually because he stole-kidnaped Raven’s Soul-Self.

This invasion of the Unearth however isn’t the Titans’ idea. The intellectually impressive and highly dangerous Sister Blood duped the Titans into believing they served the Parliament of the Red, which is the embodiment of the life-force.  In fact, Sister Blood tapped into the Red.  She may be a bona fide representative.  The Red appeared to change her into something more.

Worst of the worst, in a completely unexpected move, Sister Blood allies with Lord Travesty.  This is a rare shrewdness from the players of the other side, and once again, we find Titans is far more entertaining than it has a right to be.

When Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise answers a distress call from a Federation outpost, he finds the expected Klingons and unexpected sentient semi-trucks.  After ironing out some misconceptions, Kirk joins forces with Optimus Prime and the Autobots.  

The Decepticons broker a truce with the Klingons.  The Federation-Transformers team balance the power of the Decepticons with a phenomenal fusion of ideas, at once a fitting boldness for Kirk and a demonstration of Autobot technology used to the fullest. 

Star Trek/Transformers shares several attributes with Titans.  The heroes get good lines.  We get a mini-duel between Optimus and Megatron.  Ultimately though, this issue belongs to the villains.  Specifically, Starscream. 

Megatron is a military leader.  He believes what he does is for the good of the Decepticons.  He doesn't give a damn about other sentient lifeforms, just his own loyal army.  Starscream on the other hand is one of the greatest connivers and cowards in the history of villainy.  Starscream is one of the reasons why Transformers went beyond a simple advertisement for toys.

Usually, Starscream's naked ambition proves to be his downfall.  He often finds himself looking down Megatron's barrel when his scheme inevitably blows up in his face.  In this issue, however Starscream screws over Megatron, the Decepticons and the Klingons.  He leaves Megatron practically apoplectic.

Starscream's actions are so successful in Star Trek/Transformers that he forces Kirk into an ethical quandary.

Jim had better decide quickly because Starscream is about to make his move on the Klingon homeworld.  Could this outstanding double-cross lead to one of the rare Megatron, Optimus Prime detentes? Could this also rubber cement a temporary pact between the Klingons and Federation?

Galactus appears to have his stomach set once again on earth.  I am really disappointed that Marvel didn’t keep Al Ewing’s Ultimates idea of Galactus evolving into the Life-Bringer.  This however was probably a lofty goal.  You’re trying to buck one of Jack Kirby’s and Stan Lee’s most original concepts.  Anywho, Galactus is back to being a devourer, and for some reason, he thought it a good idea to set the table in Latveria.

Doom actually turned over a new leaf for a while, thanks to Reed Richards’ and the Fantastic Four doing something pivotal in Battle World.  No idea what, but whatever.  Doom though always has been a gray character literally and figuratively.  Doom’s villainy level took a plunge when he delivered Sue’s baby.  Yes, he’s really a doctor.  He named the child Valeria and became her godfather.  He also gave his word that no harm would ever befall her on his watch.  I pity the fool that dares hurt Valeria when Doom isn’t looking.  Doom will make that criminal his special friend.  He could wind up in a netherworld where he’s skinned for eternity, or imprisoned in the dankest hole to be eaten alive by Doom’s tailored nanites.  Anyway, that guy is going to be remembered as the stupidest fellow in all of history.  

Since his very friendly relationship with Valeria, Doom seemed to give up his hobby of trying to kill the Fantastic Four.  He still didn’t like the original four, except for Sue, but he appeared to acknowledge they have a right to exist.  Writer Dan Slott mentions Doom’s relationship with Valeria.  So, he’s taken this into account.

The fact that Reed made the call not to include Valeria indicates something deeper going on in the hills of Latveria.  Doom doesn’t greet the Fantastic Four with open arms.  However, he warned everybody on earth that he had sealed Latveria to prevent interference during his battle against Galactus.  So, Doom reveals new trickery which he sends against the FF.

Zora may be related to the demented former King of Latveria Zorba.  Zorba began his rise to power as a resistance leader who convinced the FF to aid him in his quest to free Latveria from Doom.  Zorba however proved to be a malevolent dictator.  He sent Latveria into a deep economic depression and transformed the nation into a police state.  The FF had no choice but to return the throne to the rightful ruler Victor von Doom, who naturally restored Latveria to its vibrancy.  The device Doom wields to transform Zora into his herald is the same device he used to steal the Power Cosmic from the Silver Surfer.  The armor she wears resembles the armor that clad a What if Doctor Doom.

Doom, Galactus, Zora all meld into one plot that has room for Johnny hitting on Zora, Ben disturbing an old woman’s goats, and Sue nodding to Jessica Alba’s portrayal.  Still the best Sue Storm.  The Wedding Album issue of The Fantastic Four featured numerous renowned artists.  The Guardians of the Galaxy’s Aaron Kuder this issue takes over and provides his blend of lightness and drama.  A perfect match for Dan Slott's new Fantastic Four.

Last but not least, Dan Membiella was kind enough to send me a copy of The Good Agent, available from Comixology.

The Good Agent is a vigilante who has run afoul of a Nazi cult that worships the White Mother.  In the narration, Membiella's Agent waxes poetic on the politics that rule the world as he spends the night fighting one weirdo Nazi after the next, including the Angry Curly Joe patrol.

The Tiki Torch is a nice touch.  All goes swimmingly, the Agent uses escrima sticks and his own martial prowess to defeat the goose steppers but then he runs into one of the meta-Nazis.

Now, the Agent is overmatched, and the fight gets down to survival rather than fun Nazi bashing.  Membiella's artwork is decent, with a strong sense of expression and body language. 

He opens the story on Officer Fatima Chamber shopping for fruit.  The every day movement and serenity of the scene impresses.  His architecture provides a sturdy backdrop for the chase.  His fights are well-choreographed.  The narrative is very clear and concise.  

Some may object to the Good Agent's liberal narrative and the Nazi bashing.  I must admit to bias.  I am a liberal, and Nazis are scum.