sintassays

[sintassays]

X Men: The Krakoan Age

I've finally read a bunch of X books through the Krakoan era. Not all of them though, as I can only let my financial irresponsibility go so far. Specifically, I've read: House of X/Powers of X, Hickman's 2019 run, Inferno, X Lives/Deaths of Wolverine, Duggan's 2021 run, Gilllen's 2022 run of Immortal X Men, 2023 Hellfire Gala: Fall of X, and finally Fall of the House of X/Rise of the Powers of X.

AND I. HAVE. THOUGHTS.

The component of Krakoa that immediately stuck out most to me was that it was an ethno-state. Of course, this ethno-state wasn't established with the displacement or subjugation of another people like in the case of, say, Israel. But settler colonial domination is not the only problem with ethno-nationalism. A mono-ethnic society creates bigotry and alienation against outsiders. It moves its people away from the ideals of compassion, acceptance, and equality. And for the mutants, that means moving away from the dream that Xavier and so many others wished for.

Still, despite its many problematic and unjustifiable elements, Krakoa's change in global power dynamics was an incredible sight to see. The mutant population went from society's margins to a world superpower in the blink of an eye. Seeing Magneto pledge to use humanity's tools of power against them *to ambassadors' faces* made my jaw drop. Mutants were finally on the upswing, and I could not get enough of it.

I read these books between late March and late May of 2025, so I missed the opportunity to observe or participate in lots of Krakoa discourse as it was happening. But from looking up topics of interest and finding web articles and discussion threads, I know one subject of particular controversy was the Crucible.

The Crucible makes sense to me. The idea that in order to achieve rebirth that returns your powers, you must prove your resolve in fighting not only for yourself but for your people seems worthwhile. I don't buy into the "the Crucible keeps mutant society strong" argument, as it seems kinda fashy. But it does help regulate the process of rebirth so that mutants don't kill themselves left and right asking for improvements/enhancements. The Crucible, as far as I can tell, is only meant to restore the victims of M Day, and is only accessible to those with the resolve to face it. Maybe it's because I'm not spiritual, maybe it's because I'm an outside observer looking in upon a fictional society and lack the stakes of someone actually living there, but I don't see much of a moral or ethical dilemma with the Crucible process.

The character I found it hardest to wrap my head around throughout this era was Moira. Specifically her betrayal of the mutants after the events of Inferno. I understand Moira's hatred and fear of Mystique and Destiny, as they were the ones who actively wanted to kill her, but to feel betrayed by Xavier and Magneto is stretching it. Destiny's revival wasn't their doing, and they had no reason immediately post-Inferno see her as an enemy.

She also turned out to have wanted to "cure" mutantdom the whole time. The biggest change post-Inferno was moving from the "peaceful, voluntary cure" approach to an outright genocidal one. The best guess I have at why she snapped is a combination of spite and rage at her repeated failed attempts at saving mutantdom and her great fear of finally dying. She went from what she thought was "best" for mutants to just burning it all down and selling out to the winning side, which she thought to be Orchis' AIs. This wasn't very clear to me at first and still isn't crystal to me now, but I can't tell if that's because of convoluted writing or me just not reading enough of the X books.

There were two positive developments in Krakoa that were very promising for the nation's future. The re-establishment of the X Men team showed that despite mutants' embrace of separatism, they were still willing to help and fight for all of humanity. This showed there was yet hope for the dream of equality. And the dissolution of the Quiet Council in favor of a plan to hold elections would have reduced the power and harm of the mutant elite.

And then the hope for a brighter future immediately went to shit.

I don't know exactly who is to blame and I don't especially care. The writers, editorial, executives, doesn't matter. The Fall of X is one of the worst decisions in X Men comic history. A hard reset into the mutants once again struggling on the margins has been done to death and just sucks at this point. There were so many other potential ways of moving the X narrative forward! With the Quiet Council gone and the establishment of a new, democratic Krakoan era, the problems at the heart of Krakoa's founding could have been addressed! For fuck's sake, Xavier admitted in Immortal X Men that mutant separatism was a horrific compromise he only made out of desperation! Democracy and continued aid and dialogue from the X Men team could have moved Krakoa in the right direction! And now that's all blown to hell! FUCK!

Speaking of Xavier: I had heard for a while now via Reddit and Tumblr discussions that he is not an especially ethical man and has committed various crimes and atrocities over the years, earning him quite a bit of controversy and even hate. I avoided forming an opinion simply because I hadn't read the books featuring the events people were talking about. But now I see what earned him such hatred for myself. Charles selling out humanity to Orchis in exchange for a sort of "mutant preserve" is one of the most batshit plot points I've ever read, in comics or otherwise. I remember in Immortal X Men (toward the end of volume 2, I think?) Charles said in a narration to the reader that he knew the horrors of what he'd done over the years, and while he wasn't proud of it, it was necessary and the bad reputation it earned him would cause mutants to be skeptical of power. Or something to that effect.

Given what I'd heard from others' discussions on the character, Xavier's reflection on his ethics seemed to make sense. But nothing in that reflection, nothing in his rationale could justify the abominable decision to join Orchis' genocidal war just to get the chance to put a psychic back door in Moira so Jean could defeat Enigma. It crosses a million bright red lines. Maybe it was necessary, maybe it wasn't. I'd hope the writers could have done something different that wasn't so insane. Regardless, given the circumstances, I'm glad Charles is now in supermax incarceration, even if I hate that he has a stupid little backdoor in the prison's anti-psychic security measures. An enormous change in his character would need to occur for me to be happy to see him free again.

I will not be reading the From the Ashes era of X Men. The Fall of X was just too bad of a decision for me to want to read further right now. Not to mention the fact that I've seen pretty negative reception over its writing. I'll wait for an interesting point down the line to get back into newer X Men books.

All in all, I honestly loved this era. I brought up a lot of negative and controversial elements in this post, but it was honestly one of my favorite comic reading experiences ever. Its tragic end highlights what was lost and would could have been more than anything. All I wanted was more! And any storyline that can hook a reader like that is pretty damn special.

[sintassays]

Edited to have less plot summarizing and more commentary!

Superman: The Warworld Saga

This post contains spoilers for: 

- Superman and the Authority

- Superman Action Comics volume 1: Warworld Rising

- Superman Action Comics volume 2: The Arena

- Superman Action Comics volume 3: Warworld Revolution

I add the disclaimer that this isn’t a well structured or professional review, but rather me just spilling my thoughts out into a post

Anyway, I loved this arc! Though unfortunately it didn’t start out super well, imo.

The first book in this story arc is Superman and the Authority. I’ve heard this was Morrison’s last book, which is a shame, because it was just kind of ok and that’s a terrible way for a comic book legend to exit the industry. There are a handful of problems with this book. The biggest one is that DC didn’t know what they wanted from this story and changed their minds to warp the storyline after it was already finished, making the final story fit together awkwardly. Superman and the Authority was originally supposed to take place far off in the future, as was made clear by the fact that Superman’s decline in his powers from his injuries in The Breach was severe, even preventing him from flying. This dilemma is a major reason Superman gathers a team together, The Authority, for his quest to liberate Warworld and save a lost colony of Kryptonians enslaved there. However, due to DC suddenly changing their mind, the chronology of this book was changed to fit the present day of the ongoing Superman Action Comics run. This is where things get a little awkward and half baked. In volume 1, Warworld Rising, it had been established that Superman’s powers were in decline, but the decline was still very early on and he was still at 99% strength. But at the beginning of Volume 2, it was revealed that Superman’s high power level was an illusion kept up by members of The Authority, and from that point on we saw Superman at the power level established in Superman and the Authority. It was just a little messy and poorly planned. The other problem I have with this book is that it obviously is meant to serve as an introduction to the Warworld Saga rather than stand as its own story. The book was very short and, while it gave the reader some good character moments, is not great as its own work.

Thankfully, Superman and the Authority was the only book in this arc to disappoint. Volume 1 of Action Comics, Warworld Rising, allowed me to become much more invested in this story. Seeing the battle lines drawn between Atlantis, Superman, and the United States around the powerful Genesis Fragment artifact set the stakes high immediately. And the character of Thao La, a refugee from a lost colony of Kryptonians called the Phaelosians, was a very welcome addition. Seeing her struggle with her trauma on Warworld and the prospect of embracing the trust and compassion of the Super family was powerful and really kept the pages turning. And then it’s off to Warworld with Superman and The Authority in Volume 2.

Volume 2: The Arena is where things really start to heat up. Superman and his new team arrive on Warworld and are immediately crushed into defeat. Superman and his team are depowered with red sun conditions, captured, and sentenced to the life of Warworld slaves. I really liked how similar Mongul’s elite team of warriors was to Thanos’ Black Order in Marvel. But what I liked even more was Superman’s earnest appeals to his fellow slaves to rise up and reject Mongul. Seeing the cynical, despairing Warworld population gradually warm to Superman’s appeals to justice and compassion was an absolute joy and a classic part of Superman storytelling.

Finally, in volume 3: Warworld Revolution, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The revolution is fully underway. Mongul’s elite guard and a shocking treason within The Authority catch the revolutionaries off guard, and the resistance is nearly crushed. Another twist betrayal from Mongul’s elites results in Warworld’s artificial sun turning from red to white, empowering Superman and the Phaelosians to finally throw off their chains (and god do I love Kryptonian nonsense). Seeing Superman’s resolve and determination throughout this story, especially during moments of hopelessness, in addition to the ingenuity and creativity of Superman and members of The Authority in solving problems, was incredibly captivating to me.

Final thoughts: 

Midnighter and Apollo’s relationship was fantastic and adorable, and I couldn’t ask for a better romance in representation of gay characters. Midnighter’s darkness and cynicism contrasting with Apollo’s brighter demeanor was such a wonderful dynamic for the love between them. This theme is also evidenced by their costumes and abilities. Midnighter wears an all black combat suit and mask and has the ability of master-level prediction to win hand-to-hand fights, and Apollo has a bright white suit and uses his solar-based powers to fly and shoot beams of solar energy. 

Superman’s decline in his powers due to his injuries in the breach is worrying to me. It was obvious that it served as a narrative device to allow his son Jon to take over the mantle of Superman once Clark Kent could no longer play that role. But I don’t really want that to happen. And given the controversy and mixed reception to some of Jon’s recent books, it seems much less likely that he’ll be replacing Clark any time soon. I like Jon as a character and look forward to seeing what other adventures and trials he faces, and I love that he provides bisexual representation, but I just don’t think he can replace the icon of Clark Kent, at least not yet.

All in all, this was an *amazing* story arc. It contained all the usual Superman themes of embracing compassion, fighting for justice in the face of impossible odds, and just generally being a good neighbor. This was the first Superman epic I’ve read and it sure won’t be the last.

[sintassays]

No full blog post this time, but I have more short-form thoughts on Wonder Woman: Earth One from my Bluesky thread:

What a ride, geez

[sintassays]

Spider-Man by J. Michael Straczynski

I just finished JMS's Spider-Man run and good fucking god now I understand most of what current fans/readers are complaining about. The JMS run is the vast majority of the Spider-Man I've read. Looking back on it, I think the only other Spider-Man issues I've read were a part of Dark Web.

I lack the perspective that other fans have, since this is the only run I've read. But I honestly think most of it was good, and the few bad parts just weigh as much or more than the good parts. Sins Past and One More Day are atrocious, and it's a tragedy only one has been retconned so far. I actually skipped halfway through Sins Past. Two issues into the arc, I couldn't take it anymore and skimmed the remaining pages and looked to Google for how it concluded. And I chose to skip One More Day in its entirety. I knew shit was getting crazy when Peter was resorting to criminality to save Aunt May, and when I saw the final arc of Omnibus 5 was named "One More Day," I decided to google it, because that sounded familiar. And thank god I did, because that's how I learned that it contains Peter and MJ's divorce.

I can't say much more than has already been said by countless fans, especially since I lack their perspective of having read more Spider-Man comics, but I can still add to the pile of criticism even if my criticism isn't especially original.

Peter and MJ's marriage, put simply, *worked.* It felt like a natural progression of the characters. And on top of it functioning as good writing, it's what the fans had wanted for decades prior! Ending it is terrible decision that worsens the Spider-Man plotline and alienates readers.

All in all, I appreciate the JMS run, but can't overlook Sins Past and One More Day, even if we were fortunate enough to get Sins Past retconned. The run's good and even phenomenal issues cannot be evaluated without acknowledging the gigantic elephants in the room. What a fucking run.

[sintassays]

The Fascist Themes of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

I recently put together a presentation for my campus' Sociology Club analyzing the political messaging of Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. This story is very unsubtle in promoting fascistic ideas. I was shocked during my first watch how in-your-face they are throughout the story.

I say "watch" because I watched the 2013 animated film adaptation. I haven't read the 1986 comic by Frank Miller, but from what I know, the movie adaptation is almost 1 to 1, so I don't think there's a need to focus much on the distinctions.

The premise of the story is that after ten years of Batman's retirement, Gotham City has gone to hell. While super villains have either completely disappeared or all been detained, the city's crime rate is at its highest in history, and hopelessness dominates Gotham. It is at this point that Bruce Wayne comes out of retirement as Batman to fix this horrible state of affairs.

This blog post is structured around each core fascist theme of the film, rather than portraying events in chronological order. I've laid out various scenes to help explain the film's themes, but for a full plot summary you'll have to consult a wiki. Now then:

Rehabilitative Justice Doesn't Work:

This film is very hostile to the idea that criminals are worth rehabilitating. One of the core antagonists of the story, the Mutant gang, is portrayed as purely sadistic, committing crime for their own sick pleasure rather than for profit or out of desperation. They commit violence for violence's sake. This fact heavily implies that an effort to turn them into rational, functioning members of society would be a waste.

The Mutants are hardly Batman's only enemies in this story, however. Two of Batman's most famous villains, Joker and Two Face, are in a rehabilitative mental health facility.

Two Face, embracing the identity of Harvey Dent at the beginning of the film, receives plastic surgery to correct his facial deformities and make both of his sides match. This surgery, combined with a decade of therapy, is sufficient for the mental institution to release Harvey and let him reenter society. However, within days of his release, Dent suffers a psychotic break and returns to crime, threatening to blow up the Gotham City Life Building if he doesn't receive $22 million. Batman quickly moves to stop Two Face and bring him to justice, and at the end of their confrontation, Dent reveals that he believes the surgery failed and that he could never re enter society. He perceives his facial surgery as making the whole of his face scarred and deformed rather than returning it to normal. He tells Batman that the therapists at the mental facility could never fix him. He embraces the idea of being completely consumed by Two-Face, his dark side.

Before I get to Joker, I have to introduce psychiatrist Dr. Bartholomew Wolper, the man in charge of the rehabilitation of criminals like Joker and Two Face. Dr. Wolper is portrayed by the film as naive, self righteous, and even arrogant in his confidence in the rehabilitative, compassionate approach to dealing with criminals and the mentally ill. He uses cheesy slogans like “Hey, I’m ok” and “Get real” in his book and other promotional material related to his work. His consistent use of those slogans and the sale of his book and other merchandise heavily implies that he's pushing this all for financial gain, possibly not fully committed to his naive liberal beliefs. In his TV appearances addressing the Batman controversy, he blames Batman for his clients' wrongdoing, claiming that they're drawn in by Batman's "narcissistic hero complex" and feel compelled to fight him. Wolper is the personification of the "soft on crime liberal" who defends the degenerate criminal class under the guise of bunk social science.

On we go to Joker: He is brought onto a late night talk show with Dr. Wolper as “proof” of the effectiveness of the rehabilitative approach. Not long into the show’s recording, Joker shows his true colors, breaking his coffee mug on the host's desk and using it to slash Dr. Wolper's throat. He then kills the rest of the studio with his poisonous laughing gas, making a grand statement to Gotham City that the Joker is back, and really had never left. The idea that "liberals will fall victim to their coddling of the criminal class" is on full display here.

Batman: Outside the Law

Now you might be thinking, "How does disregard for the law line up with fascism?" But just bear with me here, I can explain.

Throughout the film, there is an ongoing debate among the public and the media over Batman’s apathy toward civil rights. Batman beats, captures, and sometimes even tortures people in pursuit of his vision of justice, all without due process of any kind. Batman does not abide by the Bill of Rights in any capacity in his approach to criminal justice.

Batman's interactions with police are also helpful in analyzing this theme.

Under pro-Batman Police Commissioner Gordon, the cops tend to step aside and let Batman go about his work. Early on in the movie, during a scene in which both a squad car and Batman are chasing after a group of armed robbers, the older cop driving the squad car tells his younger partner to step aside when he realizes Batman is on the scene. Cops under Gordon are used to letting Batman do their dirty work, especially when that dirty work involves violating people's civil rights. Batman tackles one of the robbers, breaking his leg and choking him out in an effort to make him talk and spill information related to the robbery. The younger officer, insistent on doing things by the book and obeying the law, is disgusted by Batman's excessive force and cruel and unusual punishment. However, Batman's methods are portrayed by the film as effective, and Batman's detractors, like the young police officer, are portrayed as naive, unreasonable, and weak. Batman gets the job done, while the liberals who whine about civil rights just get in their own way.

In contrast, under anti-Batman Police Commissioner Ellen Yindel, who takes the role of police commissioner after Gordon's retirement, Batman is an outlaw. Intent on following the law, Yindel issues a warrant for the Batman's arrest on the charges of assault, battery, and vigilantism, among other crimes. On the night of Joker's mass murder during his talk show appearance, the police intercept Batman on the roof of the studio and engage him in direct combat when he attempts to evade arrest. Batman's fight with the police goes on for an extended period of time, and once Batman is forced to flee from the cops, Robin informs him that Joker successfully fled the scene, evading capture from both the police and Batman. The police, in their pursuit of holding Batman accountable for his crimes and civil rights violations, let a serial killer get away. Their "soft on crime" approach, favoring due process and reasonable use of force, failed to apprehend a criminal and keep people safe.

Before moving onto the next theme, I'd like to bring up a stark contrast to Batman in this regard: Superman. In this film, Superman takes direct orders from US President Ronald Reagan. Rather than resorting to vigilantism and working to better society in whatever way he sees fit, Superman believes it is best to work within the system in order to create social change. Batman sees him as a government lackey, a sellout without the spine to break the chains of the existing liberal democratic order do what needs to be done for the public good.

Democracy is a Sham

In this movie, elected officials at all levels of government are portrayed as incompetent, weak, and/or disingenuous.

The mayor of Gotham City (who is never actually named, oddly enough) is weak and indecisive, relying heavily on opinion polls and frequently repeating himself in a feeble attempt to appear capable and confident. In a bid to boost his approval rating, the mayor attempts to enter into negotiations with the leader of the Mutant gang rather than taking a bold stand against them. Immediately after his entry into the Mutant leader's jail cell for the negotiations, the mayor is murdered by the mutant leader with a slash to the throat. The mayor attempted to pursue peace and order through civility and diplomacy, through compromise with criminals, and fell victim to those criminals as a result.

Upon taking office, the new mayor, Mayor Stevenson, states he is still willing to negotiate with the mutants even after their leader killed his predecessor. This is as weak and pathetic as it gets.

Local officials are hardly the only elected leaders criticized by this film. President Reagan is portrayed as a bit dim and goofy, not fully understanding the importance of his position of power. In a conversation with Superman, Reagan compares Batman to a "wild bronco, kicking down the fence and making the other horses crazy." These cheesy cowboy metaphors are common in his approach to presidential policy, and he is hard to take seriously as a result. He is also transparently apathetic to the needs of the people, letting it slip that US troops are fighting the Soviets to “protect our interests” before immediately correcting himself to “stand up for freedom.”

Additionally, the president, governor, and mayor of Gotham all run away from taking a clear stance on the Batman issue, with each deferring to a lower ranking official when pressed for comment by the press.

Militarism

Batman views his crusade on crime as a war. He refers to Robins as "good soldiers," saying of the late Jason Todd, "He was a good soldier. He honored me." And when the Robin of this story, Carrie Kelly, nearly loses her life falling from a hang glider, Batman catches her, pulls her up to him, and holds her close, patting her back and saying "good soldier, good soldier." Additionally, he brought a literal tank into the Mutants' hideout (with rubber bullets. Even Frank Miller won't let Batman kill, thank goodness).

One Great Man

The most memorable scene in this film for me was Commissioner Gordon comparing Batman to FDR in his "too big to judge" speech. He gives this speech in a conversation with Yindel about why he supports the Batman.

Gordon recounts the state of the United States in the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attacks in 1941. He says that the American people were scared and uncertain after the bombings, shaken to their core. But then president Roosevelt rallied America together to enter the war and defeat the Axis, motivating the populace with his "strong and sure" voice and oration skills. Later, it was rumored that FDR knew that the attack on Pearl Harbor was coming and decided to let it happen. "That rolled around in my head for days," Gordon says. "How horrible it would be if that were true." But Gordon eventually came to believe that it was FDR that won the Allies the war, and it was the Pearl Harbor attacks that drew the US into the war to begin with. For this, Gordon decided, he was "too big to judge." Sure, it would have been awful to let such a horrific attack happen, but that attack got the US into the war and eventually led to the defeat of the Axis. Similarly, Batman may violate people's rights with his brutal and illegal methods, but he lowers Gotham's crime rate, makes people safer, and gives people hope. Gordon's point: A leader who does horrible things should not be condemned if those horrible things ultimately contribute to the greater good.

Additionally, when a nuclear explosion above the US knocks out electricity in the country and plunges society into chaos, it’s Batman who leads Gotham to stability after everything falls apart, making Gotham the only major US city to maintain order. Despite this, Reagan still orders Superman to go through with the plan to get Batman out of the picture. In Batman’s words, “They only want me dead because I’m an embarrassment. Because I do what they can’t. What kind of an authority is that?” With the failure of the existing liberal system, it is only Batman that is able to put Gotham back on a good path.

Closing thoughts:

As I stated in the beginning, I don't think this film's messaging is subtle in the slightest. It is very up front about everything it has to say, the vast majority of which I think is completely reprehensible. Still, despite being a staunch progressive who opposes pretty much everything this story stands for, this movie captivated me. This honestly might be one of my favorite movies ever. I see why The Dark Knight Returns is revered as a classic Batman adventure, and because of its popularity, I thought it was important to do a deep dive into the significant problems of the story it wants to tell.

[sintassays]

Superman: The Warworld Saga

This post contains spoilers for: 

- Superman and the Authority

- Superman Action Comics volume 1: Warworld Rising

- Superman Action Comics volume 2: The Arena

- Superman Action Comics volume 3: Warworld Revolution

I add the disclaimer that this isn’t a well structured or professional review, but rather me just spilling my thoughts out into a post

Anyway, I loved this arc! Though unfortunately it didn’t start out super well, imo.

The first book in this story arc is Superman and the Authority. I’ve heard this was Morrison’s last book, which is a shame, because it was just kind of ok and that’s a terrible way for a comic book legend to exit the industry. There are a handful of problems with this book. The biggest one is that DC didn’t know what they wanted from this story and changed their minds to warp the storyline after it was already finished, making the final story fit together awkwardly. Superman and the Authority was originally supposed to take place far off in the future, as was made clear by the fact that Superman’s decline in his powers from his injuries in The Breach was severe, even preventing him from flying. This dilemma is a major reason Superman gathers a team together, The Authority, for his quest to liberate Warworld and save a lost colony of Kryptonians enslaved there. However, due to DC suddenly changing their mind, the chronology of this book was changed to fit the present day of the ongoing Superman Action Comics run. This is where things get a little awkward and half baked. In volume 1, Warworld Rising, it had been established that Superman’s powers were in decline, but the decline was still very early on and he was still at 99% strength. But at the beginning of Volume 2, it was revealed that Superman’s high power level was an illusion kept up by members of The Authority, and from that point on we saw Superman at the power level established in Superman and the Authority. It was just a little messy and poorly planned. The other problem I have with this book is that it obviously is meant to serve as an introduction to the Warworld Saga rather than stand as its own story. The book was very short and, while it gave the reader some good character moments, is not great as its own work.

Thankfully, Superman and the Authority was the only book in this arc to disappoint. Volume 1 of Action Comics, Warworld Rising, allowed me to become much more invested in this story. Seeing the battle lines drawn between Atlantis, Superman, and the United States around the powerful Genesis Fragment artifact set the stakes high immediately. And the character of Thao La, a refugee from a lost colony of Kryptonians called the Phaelosians, was a very welcome addition. Seeing her struggle with her trauma on Warworld and the prospect of embracing the trust and compassion of the Super family was powerful and really kept the pages turning. And then it's off to Warworld with Superman and The Authority in Volume 2.

Volume 2: The Arena is where things really start to heat up. Superman and his new team arrive on Warworld and are immediately crushed into defeat. Superman and his team are depowered with red sun conditions, captured, and sentenced to the life of Warworld slaves. I really liked how similar Mongul's elite team of warriors was to Thanos' Black Order in Marvel. But what I liked even more was Superman's earnest appeals to his fellow slaves to rise up and reject Mongul. Seeing the cynical, despairing Warworld population gradually warm to Superman's appeals to justice and compassion was an absolute joy and a classic part of Superman storytelling.

Finally, in volume 3: Warworld Revolution, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The revolution is fully underway. Mongul's elite guard and a shocking treason within The Authority catch the revolutionaries off guard, and the resistance is nearly crushed. Another twist betrayal from Mongul's elites results in Warworld's artificial sun turning from red to white, empowering Superman and the Phaelosians to finally throw off their chains (and god do I love Kryptonian nonsense). Seeing Superman’s resolve and determination throughout this story, especially during moments of hopelessness, in addition to the ingenuity and creativity of Superman and members of The Authority in solving problems, was incredibly captivating to me.

Final thoughts: 

Midnighter and Apollo’s relationship was fantastic and adorable, and I couldn’t ask for a better romance in representation of gay characters. Midnighter’s darkness and cynicism contrasting with Apollo’s brighter demeanor was such a wonderful dynamic for the love between them. This theme is also evidenced by their costumes and abilities. Midnighter wears an all black combat suit and mask and has the ability of master-level prediction to win hand-to-hand fights, and Apollo has a bright white suit and uses his solar-based powers to fly and shoot beams of solar energy. 

Superman’s decline in his powers due to his injuries in the breach is worrying to me. It was obvious that it served as a narrative device to allow his son Jon to take over the mantle of Superman once Clark Kent could no longer play that role. But I don’t really want that to happen. And given the controversy and mixed reception to some of Jon’s recent books, it seems much less likely that he’ll be replacing Clark any time soon. I like Jon as a character and look forward to seeing what other adventures and trials he faces, and I love that he provides bisexual representation, but I just don’t think he can replace the icon of Clark Kent, at least not yet.

All in all, this was an *amazing* story arc. It contained all the usual Superman themes of embracing compassion, fighting for justice in the face of impossible odds, and just generally being a good neighbor. This was the first Superman epic I’ve read and it sure won’t be the last.

[sintassays]

Far Sector

I’m not gonna put a spoiler warning this time because I’m not gonna go through the spoilers this time lol

As usual, this isn’t a professional review so much as my general thoughts and stream of consciousness regarding the book.

This book was absolutely incredible. I was immediately drawn in by the premise: A far away solar system, with what appears to be a utopian society, is shaken by its first murder in five hundred years. And it’s up to Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo” Mullein, a young Black woman from New York City, to figure out what is causing the sudden rise in violence and unrest. Along the way, she finds that the City Enduring is not as perfect as it seems.

In addition to being unique for reasons related to representation, possibly being the only Black woman Green Lantern (to my knowledge), Jo’s ring is rare for a Lantern. Her ring recharges on its own, not requiring a power battery to recharge as with those of other lanterns. However, its automatic recharging takes a long time, and her ring is slightly less powerful than standard Green Lantern rings. Because of these factors, Jo must be more strategic and diplomatic in her approach to solving her assigned sector’s problems. I found this incredibly interesting.

The book’s themes cover a wide range of social and political issues and topics, including democracy vs authoritarianism, police brutality, colonialism, systemic racism, revolution vs reform, and the societal value of art, emotion, and creativity. Far Sector did a fantastic job of covering each, though with some emphasized more than others, and wove its social commentary seamlessly into the story. 

Overall, I enjoyed Far Sector a hell of a lot. This is the best introduction possible for Jo Mullein as a character and I can’t wait to see more of her in future DC material. The art was also incredible, in terms of both the variant covers and the general panels of the book. Far Sector is a modern classic, something that every superhero and comic nerd should read. 

[sintassays]

Captain Marvel (2019) Vol 1: Reentry

SPOILERS FOR CAPTAIN MARVEL VOLUME ONE: REENTRY

I read Captain Marvel: Reentry a while back and have some mixed feelings on it. I do like it overall, but thought it could have been a lot better.

As with my other posts going over comics I’ve read, this isn't a structured review so much as a stream of consciousness, so I apologize if my thoughts aren't presented as well as they could be.

The book was obviously very feminist, and I think that's a good thing. All the main characters were women, one of the variant covers was a reference to Rosie the Riveter, etc etc. And I think that's neat. The progressivism isn’t a negative.

I just wish these themes were included in a better story.

Nuclear Man is completely over the top and ridiculous. And I do think that was the writers' intention, but that doesn't make it better for me. I hated him, and not in the good "oh man that villain is a terrible person but also interesting" way. I just wanted to skip past him.

The whole "blatant misogynist traps a bunch of women on an apocalyptic island wasteland to lure in Captain Marvel as a bride" story is pretty simple and didn't really grip me that much. It felt tacky, more like a story from the 60′s than the 2010′s.

An example of a comic with progressive themes added on top of a captivating narrative is Ms Marvel (who, as a side note, is my favorite Marvel hero). So I know for a fact that progressive messaging with a better story can be done.

Other aspects of the comic, like the art, character dynamics, and humor were all really good, and are the reasons why I still like this book overall.

I’ve read volumes 7 and 8 of Thompson’s run and liked those better. I’ll have to get the remaining volumes and see what I think of the whole run.

[sintassays]

Daredevil: Hell to Pay

Ok, so my first ramble on here is gonna be about this Daredevil story arc because I just finished reading it, and it’s still fresh in my mind. Keep in mind that I’m not an actual critic and this is just my random thoughts on stuff I’m passionate about, so if you want a thorough, structured critique, you won’t find that here.

This was the first time I’ve read Daredevil and holy shit what a ride. I like ordinary superhero comics as much as the next nerd, with all the wackiness and world-ending stakes and so on, but having a nice street-level story where the comic book craziness is turned down a notch is always refreshing. I love that the story follows Matt Murdock’s legal battles just as much as his physical battles. At points, I was so interested in the drama and mystery that I forgot what I was reading falls under the superhero genre.

And now we get to the plot and spoiler elements, so if anyone is actually reading this, consider yourself warned:

As mentioned earlier, this arc was the first time I’ve read Daredevil. But I still knew the basic elements of the character before diving into this story, like the fact that he’s known as “the man without fear.” And so I appreciated that this story really deconstructed that idea and had Murdock really struggle with his fear, particularly his fear of failing and losing the people he loves. I mean, the villain in this arc is eventually revealed to be Mr. Fear (Larry Cranston), so of course many people probably saw this theme coming, but I appreciated it nonetheless. I couldn’t stop reading as Murdock’s determination to save his wife eventually completely overrode the effects of Mr. Fear’s gas. As he was winning the fight toward the end, he was damn near unstoppable. 

But unfortunately in this instance, Daredevil won the battle, but not necessarily the war. And this is something I don’t like much about comics. As far as I can tell (because I’m a relatively new comic reader), because these stories are written non-stop over the course of decades, writers don’t always like sticking to the status quo. They like to change things up. And in no area is this more true than relationships. The amount of superheroes with a consistent relationship is frustratingly small, and Daredevil, at least at the end of this arc, is no exception. Milla, his wife, remained a victim of Mr. Fear’s drugs at the end of the story and continued to stay in a psychiatric institution. And when I got curious and looked at the wiki after I finished reading, I found that her relationship with Daredevil never recovered from this. Why??? Why couldn’t this be resolved? Why does this relationship have to fall apart? Larry Cranston’s goal was to hurt Daredevil not just physically but mentally and emotionally, and in doing so, he hurt the reader too. Wtf, man. Just wtf.