Necessary Evil #2 (Desperao Publishing)
The premise: There exists a special hidden school of supervillainy. Jacob and Miller, twin sons of the Matriarch, have just joined the school. Miller is totally intoit, but Jacob is not sure he wants to be a supervillain.
This is an amazing title and in two issues has climbed into my top 10 ongoing series.
Issue 2 opens with the first day of school with classes like History of Supervillainy, Avoiding Forensic Experts and Mystic Weapons. In the last class of the day, Anti gives them an assignment entitled The Death of Innocence. Jacob, Miller and a few others work together to solve the riddle. Jacob discovers the way through a mystic portal to a forest glen. On a pedestal, sits a baby and a knife. As a girl picks up the knife, we cut to a base in the sky and a gathering of heroes. Dr. Daylight has confirmed the existence of the school and put his sidekick, Sunrise, undercover.
Booster Gold #4 (DC)
The premise: Booster Gold is helping Rip Hunter fix things that are askew in time. Kind of like Quantum Leap. Booster is helping with the promise that they will go back in time and prevent the death of Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle.
This issue, Booster and Rip discover the identities of two of the players in the scheme to wipe out the Justice LEague: Rex Hunter and Booster’s father aka Supernova. Booster keeps the Flash(Barry Allen) and Kid Flash(Wally West) from being erased from history and capture Rex Hunter.
I cannot stress how much FUN this series is. You do not have all the negativity that is so prevalent in the other DC and MArvel titles. I know this is the same selling point I used for Oni’s Maintenance – but the same holds true for this title.
New Avengers #36 (Marvel)
Avengers vs. a city of Venoms, at first. Then all but Luke Cage are infected. Spidey, Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, Ronin aka Hawkeye, Echo and Wolverine. The Mighty Avengers show and fighting ensues. Iron Man flies off and after more fighting – everyone returns to normal. Iron Man had done something to take care of the problem – something I’m sure we will see in the Mighty Avengers … eventually.
We cut to Avengers Tower and the Mighty Avengers. They have a briefing about the chemical bomb that was dropped on New York by Dr. Doom. They make plans for a counterstrike on Latveris. While they wait for Iron Man to prepare, Spider-Woman retires to her suite for a shower. Then claws pop around her neck – Wolverine has come to find out what information on the New Avengers she has told the Mighty Avengers.
We finish up with the New Avengers tracking the Hood’s thugs and calling in backup to take care of them. Backup that includes the Mighty Avengers, Fantastic Four, Thor, Silver Surfer and Howard the Duck.
Yes, Howard the Duck.
Avengers Initiative #7 (Marvel)
We finally discover the secrets of the Scarlet Spiders. They reveal themselves to the public as they chase thieves in vulture outfits. Peter Parker sees them on TV and is incensed. He joins the fray (still in his civvies). Two of the Scarlet Spiders engage Peter while the third is defeated by the vulturions. Amidst the public outcry – the Scarlet Spiders use their built-in image inducers to mimic the look of Peter. They out themselves to the press and tell everyone that Peter was among them and his powers came from the suit – making people doubt if Peter is the real Spidey.
This move infuriates the Initiative. The Scarlet Spiders return to their mentor, Baron von Blitzschlag. They remove their masks to reveal that they are clones. CLONES. But not clones of Peter Parker. They are clones of the recently deceased MVP.
Nova #8 (Marvel)
Nova will be sitting out the Annhilation Conquest. Last issue he flung to the end of the universe – literally. He finds himself in aome type of organic-tech structure and finds a purple-skinned woman. She is turned into a zombie by some unseen force and attacks Nova. Nova fires a blast that should have stunned her – only to incinerate her instead. Her compatriots arrive just as she dies and attack Nova for retribution. Nova retreats and is confronted by a telepathic dog. Telepathic Dog. Telepathic Dog with a Russian mental accent. The dog, Cosmo, gives Nova thelow-down on where he is and that some force is killing off the inhabitants.
Where are they? In the severed head of a giant Celestial hurtling towards the edge of the universe. We go back to the Luminals, the compatriots of the purple-skinned woman, and they are taken over by the same unseen force and become zombies.
I love this new Nova series. Fourth time is the charm it seems. While I miss his original costume, I am glad to see this character treated right.
