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(Re)Read Hickman’s X-Men: Otherworldly Machinations – Excalibur #1-6 Pt. 2

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Excalibur will possibly end before it reaches issue #30—although that seems crazy with how much material Tini Howard and Marcus To have introduced, enough for a whole franchise! An entire comic company could be launched from all the elements of their Otherworldly worldbuilding—and X-office contributions, generally. So hopefully, Marvel backs off a bit on its recent kneejerk habit of just rebooting everything without strong in-universe reasons or respect to fans of titles whose stories are never resolved!

That said, this series hasn’t been without its flaws, and its first six issues are its weakest. They still contain much of interest and lay diverse seeds of potential for future storytelling—besides the fact the art is beautiful.

But if the series were to end, it would be a real shame—avoidable if it relaunches with the same creators under a title like Captain Britain and Her Majesty’s Mutants or something. (I’m not a fan of the word “witchbreed,” which is meant to be pejorative anyway; neither is it very compelling.) It’s clear to anyone following Excalibur that the creative team is just getting started with the epic they obviously want to give us. Although that is a bit strange to say after 23 issues!

Related:

Hickman X-Men Reading Order

Krakin’ Krakoa!

More in this series!

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The Boy Wonder Returns: The Power & Importance of Damian Wayne

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I have to admit it was not so long ago that I was at the nadir of my ability to enjoy superhero comics. Between COVID-19 and the stresses of graduate school, it was tough to enjoy things. That only got worse after seeing my favorite character who epitomized my love of superhero comics, one Damian Wayne, Robin the Boy Wonder, walking away from the role. Damian is a character who’s meant a lot to me ever since I started reading comics as a kid in 2007. But he became my favorite after he became the Robin to Dick Grayson’s Batman in Batman and Robin. [Read more…] about The Boy Wonder Returns: The Power & Importance of Damian Wayne

(Re)Read Hickman’s X-Men Era: Like Marauders But Not as Cool

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A Companion to 2019’s New Mutants #3-4, 6, 8.

Ed Brisson’s short eight-issue stint on New Mutants isn’t as memorable or relevant as the other X stories coming out at the time—with the exception of the entirely forgettable Fallen Angels. But it’s nice to see Brisson faithfully depicting these beloved younger mutants, who otherwise aren’t getting much play. And Italian artists Flaviano and Marco Failla are a perfect fit for the material, with each handling distinct stories except for sharing this first arc, which was, along with the switch-up with Hickman’s issues, a little jarring.

(The second Brisson arc, issues #9-11, is the more memorable one.)

Related:

Hickman X-Men Reading Order

Krakin’ Krakoa!

More in this series!

[Read more…] about (Re)Read Hickman’s X-Men Era: Like Marauders But Not as Cool

Infinite Frontier: Batman Vol. 4 – The Cowardly Lot Review!

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Infinite Frontier is well into its seventh month of storytelling. The big Batman event Fear State is just beginning, and now is the perfect time for DC to release its first Infinite Frontier trade, Batman Vol. 4: A Cowardly Lot. This story, which collects parts of Infinite Frontier #0 and Batman #106-111, sets the stage for Fear State. But by focusing on setup, the trade lacks a clear narrative with which to drive the plot and as such is left feeling dense and empty at the same time. While a main plot thread feels absent from the volume, the individual moments, characterization, and world building are very compelling and still lead to a very enjoyable albeit unsatisfying read.

Written by James Tynion IV

Pencils by Jorge Jimenez

Colors by Tomeu Morey

Collects: Part of Infinite Frontier #0 and Batman #106-111

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Daredevil by Charles Soule Omnibus Review!

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If you were to ask comic readers what Big Two character had the most consistent or strongest publication history, you’d be hard-pressed to find an answer beyond Daredevil, especially Daredevil after Frank Miller’s revitalization of the character. Between Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev in the early 2000s, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee in the early 2010s, and Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s current run, most people would only be able to point to a handful of stories that didn’t meet the high bar of quality they’ve come to expect from the character.

Charles Soule’s run has a bit of a weird reputation in the midst of this, though. It followed the beloved and subversive Mark Waid run, taking every significant change from that run and undoing it. No longer was Matt in San Francisco, he was back in Hell’s Kitchen. His delightful love interest Kirsten was nowhere to be seen. His secret identity was back to being a secret. It would be hard for anyone who enjoyed Waid’s run to not balk at this abrupt change, especially because the story refused to explain how it happened for a year. But with the omnibus coming out, it seems like a good time to look at the run as a whole story. [Read more…] about Daredevil by Charles Soule Omnibus Review!