Watching the Walmart Giants 11 “May 2020...Probably?”

I’ve been to Walmart sparingly recently, so I haven’t really been able to keep close tabs on the giants, especially since, at least at my local store they stupidly have the aisle with them along a self checkout with a conveyer belt, so...it’s harder than ever to peruse, especially with social distancing. So I assume these giants came out last month? But I got them this weekend. It doesn’t matter. The giants backlog only expands. They started stuffing them in the Marvel box, and to have room for more Marvel there’s...a second Marvel box now. And the giants I picked up were still sort of shoved up against the side of the displays, until I came along and fixed it. Anyway...

Batman Giant #5

• New story from Mark Russell & Ryan Benjamin, featuring Killer Moth, a villain that dates back to 1951 and was actually created by Batman (co)creator Bill Finger. That’s a lot of history and...very little to show for it. Except in Russell’s hands he kind of finally gets his due. In this version, he’s presented as “seasoned when Batman was just getting started out,” which is great. And now he’s looking to retire. It’s another bold step for Russell into mainlining his instincts, seeing how he can fit himself into traditional superhero comic narratives.
• New story from Russell & Christopher Mooneyham featuring “an” origin of the Joker, this one using the now-familiar trope of his prior existence as a failed standup comic.
• Reprint of Batman #5, continuing “Court of Owls,” which I’m increasingly convinced landed so well because Capullo’s art subconsciously triggered memories of Frank Miller, and Snyder’s instant dive into crisis did the same.
• Reprint of Detective Comics #857, finishing out “Batwoman: Elegy.” Ruby Rose recently exited the TV show, which apparently is going to create a new Batwoman to replace Kate Kane. I don’t watch the show, but I see no real problem with that solution. Even leaves the door open should Rose ever choose to return, which might be the point.
• Reprint of Nightwing #7, continuing the Raptor arc. Apparently the dude’s secret origin is that he’s basically Snape. Cool cool.

Swamp Thing Giant #5

New material from Russell, Phil Hester, reprints. 

Part of the publishing changes DC has been making, besides the controversial split from the single comics distributor of the past quarter century, was taking giants original material and adding it to the digital-first lineup. The giants themselves, at a reduced capacity, should continue shipping to Walmart. Should anyone be interested, I will continue checking in as long as they’re available. I offloaded a ton of them to a coworker’s kids just before Easter, stuff I maybe should never have bought in the first place, considering how much, or little, I cared to read the material, which is a large part of why I have been getting fewer of them recently. They take up a lot of space! And I don’t purchase the new comics boxes I need fast enough for just the traditional comics that pile up, never mind these things! So it was win-win.

Sunday Marvel Sunday - “MONDAY Marvel MONDAY!”

Sunday Marvel Sunday...on a Monday??? I know what my legions of readers are thinking: the world has officially gone well and truly mad...

That being said, I’m still waiting for libraries to reopen to bring Sunday Marvel Sunday back as regularly scheduled, but since I recently bought some additional three-pack Marvel comics at Walmart and the alphabet still works in only one direction, I’m skipping the line a bit, and here’s some comics thoughts:

Uncanny Avengers #23

From 2014

Rick Remender dropped Captain America into an alternate dimension for a little while. Apparently he did exactly the same thing to the Avengers. This issue deals with the aftermath. Apparently big traumatic things happened to some members of the team. This is the textbook example of things that can only ever be completely ignored by later writers. That is all.

Avengers #27

From 2019

Jason Aaron probably should never have been used by Marvel to produce traditional superhero comics. That is not his wheelhouse. His wheelhouse is gritty crime comics. But, as it is, Marvel did, and there was a long Thor run, and then, because he is still one of their biggest name writers, he moved on to the Avengers. And somehow this issue is highlighted...by Thor. Brood Thor. Brooding over being worthy of Mjolnr. Kids, don’t grow up someday to run a comic book company where things like this happen. In completely unrelated news, probably later this year you will read a future edition of Sunday Marvel Sunday in which I enjoy a Thor comic. And I don’t mean this to sound personal, but it will not have been written by Jason Aaron. But, all things considered, Brood Thor brooding over Mjolnr is...still a pretty awesome image. So there’s that.

Captain Marvel #6

From 2019

In which Jason Aaron’s Ragnorak, I mean “War of the Realms” is happening, and someone at Marvel is writing superhero dialogue that sounds “relatable” and “believable” and totally absolutely convincing. In unrelated news, someone at Marvel got very, very carried away with the Bendis phenomenon. And the MCU. Probably mostly the MCU. Which wouldn’t exist without Bendis. But, not everyone can pull it off. And every single character should not be talking like this all the time.

Road to Empyre

From 2020

Back in ye innocent days before the pandemic when everything was still on schedule, the latest Marvel event was going to riff on classic Marvel storytelling concerning the Kree and Skrulls, as some fans naively think is going to be the next Thanos arc in the MCU. Which maybe even the MCU thinks this? But it’s not. It’s not going to continue indefinitely. It’s not. This I guarantee you. Anyway, this issue is a recap of relevant events. It starts out with that horrible Meet the Skrulls comic that was not at all as good as the Tom King comic it desperately wanted to be. And then circles around to beloved Young Avenger Hulkling, who is either a villain now. Or not. Probably not? But possibly? But, probably not. But, temporarily. Also? Young Avenger Iron Lad already...had this arc? He’s Young Kang. Why can’t they just bring back the Young Avengers. The actual team. The original team. Anyway...

Marvel Comics #1001

From 2019

The first one was great. This one isn’t. The only page worth anything is Kaare Andrews’, which reminds me all over again how great he is. That is all.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #47

From 2019

A poster child of everything that’s wrong with Marvel’s recent efforts to be “cool” and “relevant,” in its final issue. Devil Dinosaur is one of those Marvel monsters that just kind of exists, like Fin Fang Foom. A few years ago someone thought to team him up with a hyper-intelligent little girl. Because. Reasons. The girl is hyper-intelligent in the way writers who don’t understand how intelligence works think intelligence works. She is capable of...anything. This issue revolves around how she is in fact smarter than Reed Richards. If she were a legitimate prodigy, people would have noticed. Part of the gimmick is that she and Devil Dinosaur “don’t have anyone else, but at least they have each other!” It’s “beautifully empowering.” I don’t care that she’s a black girl, it’s sloppy writing regardless of her skin color. At the end of the issue she and Devil Dinosaur are traipsing about New York. This is a Marvel comic, where the Hulk can’t so much as raise a green eyebrow without everyone freaking out. The issue has Moon Girl messing around with a Doombot. The issue has Moon Girl wondering if she should maybe be a superhero? This is published by Marvel, the House of Ideas, one of which is...Spider-Man. Moon Girl in a Marvel comic literally makes no sense at all, and I have the feeling no one pointed this out, at all, because she’s “empowering.” It would be more empowering not to empower stupid writing, and stupid characters. That is all.