New Comics Day

[elspethdixon]

Job interview went as well as can be expected--not a disaster, but neither did they seem thrilled with me, since professional-type people never like me (pilots, motorcycle racers, and fannish-types like me, but administrative people? I get that stiff, condescending air of disapproval every time).

Comics, on the other hand, went much better.

Adjective-less X-Men continues to be action-y crack that has nothing to do with the rest of the Marvel-verse (and my love for the mostly-female team of ghetto-ness grows and grows. I never knew how much I wanted to see Mystique and Lady Mastermind on the same team until Marvel gave them to me. Now, I want to see them make out).

Daredevil 94 was a nice, character-vignette break from the action (which will apparently be back next issue), and only increases both my general liking for Milla and my hopes that she breaks things off with Matt soon. As in, before their relationship self-destructs again or something kills her. And the cover is made of yay--I was actually disappointed to find that the art inside was Lark's general DD style, and that I didn't get a whole issue of Romita-style retro art.

Iron Man has very pretty art. Preeeetty art. *pets close ups of Tony's eyes* Tony's attempts to run SHEILD are, as expected, a mixed success, due to his um, not-overwhelmingly-military-inspired style of management, and I like that some of the main objections to him are coming from the traditional, loyal SHEILD guys, not just the slimy political people (SHEILD guy: "Boss, he's running this place like a company. A fluffy, we're-all-part-of-this-together civilian company. I want to quit, before I snap and kill him from irritation."). I like that they finally gave a shout out to how much the Extremis stuff screwed with his head, and kept an emotional tie-in with CW (preeetty close up of Tony's eyes, and was he all shiney-eyed-about-to-cry there, or is that just me?), because there needs to be some major CW-related fall-out in this title, preferably a lot more than a scene of so, but I know they're still being vague about a lot of the end of CW until next month. Also, MANDARIN YAY!

As for Front Line 11... my response is about 50% HA! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!* and 50% OHGODOHGODOHGOD Marvel, please don't have done what I think you're going to do.** To the point where I can barely focus on the other titles for the weird mix of gloating and dread.

Though, if they have, that last two pages was knife-in-the-gut on target.

*bites nails* Why isn't Captain America #25 out yet?

*Yes, this did require the CAPSLOCK key. Only it can properly express the level of gloating involved.
**And only CAPSLOCK can express the level of anxiety involved here. I really, really hope Marvel is deliberately screwing with fans and not setting up forshadowing. Normally I loathe surprise "gotcha" twists, but here, I actively dread finding out that they're not playing "Ha, ha, we totally fooled you," games with readers.

Comments

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

So you're thinking they're working up to a Cap-demise? I really really hope not, because it seems like a lot of wasted potential, especially after he survived the war.

And I totally dug the Iron Man book, of course. And emo-Tony at the end of Frontline.

[elspethdixon.livejournal.com]

I really, really hope they're not, but I have to believe/expect the worst, because if I let myself relax and assume that surely they won't kill him now because it would be short-sighted and a waste, and Marvel is not DC, and then they do... I can only handle character death if I expect it in advance and have already reconciled myself to it. (it's why I advocate fic labels, because I only want to bite my nails over canon).

If they are going the shooting-themselves-in-the-foot-a-la-DC route, than I'm reassured that they'll at least let it have the proper impact (i.e. If they did/do kill Cap off, Tony falling apart at the end of FrontLine is the "Oh God, none of it was worth it if Steve is dead" emotional collapse).

If they aren't killing him off (as seanchai assures me they won't--she swears the Punisher is going to break Cap out of prison, whether he wants to be rescued or not), then it's the "Oh, God, I've thrown away everything I cared about and now these reporters are telling me I did the right thing? I didn't do the right thing; I did the necessary thing and other people paid for it and I hate myself for it," emotional collapse, with all the stuff he's been surpressing in order to get things done hitting him at once.

Either way, the throwing the helmet across the room was a nice touch, since Tony's canonically thought of "Iron Man" as the better half of himself, the part that he bases a lot of his self worth on. If he hates that part of himself, too, now, then he's really in trouble (and all alone, woe, as that last page of FrontLine so gleefully pointed out).

[seanchai.livejournal.com]

At this point, I just don't see how they could kill off Cap without it coming off as an attempt to be retro-actively shocking. Plus, it wouldn't fit the shape of the story, and Marvel is actually pretty decent about story-shapes.

And Quesada has actually explicitly mentioned that there was going to be one major death at the end of Civil War - someone who all of the superheroes liked and respected. And sad as it makes me, I'm almost positive that that's Aunt May. Particularly since I swear they were hinting that it wouldn't actually be a superhero who died at least a month or two ago.

Now if this were D.C., I'd be worrying too, but then Marvel's stupid decisions tend to involve more Ninjas than D.C.'s.

[elspethdixon.livejournal.com]

Not so! Sometimes DC will transform a previously interesting female character into an evil ninja assassin. Because all Asians are ninja assassins!

Then they'll have her raped and killed, so that Batman can angst... oh, wait, I think I've conflated two female Batpeople into one.

[blukitten.livejournal.com]

Administrative people don't like me either, but YOU like me! *squee*