Comics of July 18, 2018

I’m feeling kind of tired today, so I’m not yet sure if I’ll write a full review or just stick with this first impressions post. I caught myself shutting my eyes mid-sentence multiple times while reading today’s comics so I’m not sure how much faith I have in my analysis skills today. Also, the 2018 Canadian Swimming Trials (for the Pan Pacific Swimming Championship) are on tonight and I’ll likely be watching some of that. The comics I picked up this week include Thor 3, Avengers 5, X-Men Red 6, Star Wars Poe Dameron 29 and Star Wars 51. I planned to pick up Cable, but my local shop ran out.

Thor 3 is alright. Maybe it’s because I’m tired, but this issue felt overstuffed with things happening. This story feels a bit overcrowded with characters that haven’t appeared much in Jason Aaron’s Thor run before, or at least not recently. And it’s a story that feels like it should be relatively straight forward – Thor is in Hel, which is in the middle of a civil war. How awesome does that sound on paper? Yet here we are, spending more time figuring out what’s going on with all the characters than we see the civil war actually happening. A second read might help me figure this comic out more, but I don’t quite get the point of this issue. As brilliant as Jason Aaron’s Thor run has been up to this point, it might be time for him to start wrapping it up.

Avengers 5 is decent. This is mostly a setup issue for next issue’s major fight, but it also explains what’s going on with the Dark Celestials. Not sure how I feel about some of the answers (it seems a bit mean spirited in a sense), and I’m still not a fan of how She Hulk is being portrayed as basically a female hulk, instead of the Jennifer Walters who’s regained control of her hulk form. That said, there are elements of this comic that are fun.

X-Men Red is good. After a couple issues that felt a bit repetitive, this issue is moving the story forward. As usual for Tom Taylor’s writing, there’s a good balance between story and fun. There’s a great dramatic moment with Gentle, delving into his past and Jean Grey helping him gain better control of his powers. There’s a neat moment where Laura’s joking with Gabby, showing that her sister’s upbeat personality is rubbing off on her. The comic’s ending also sets up two separate action scenes that will most likely take place in the next issue. I hesitate to call this issue great as it’s kind of a setup issue, but it’s a good issue all-round. This series is worth picking up for Jean Grey fans, and it’s also worth checking out for X-Men fans in general.

Poe Dameron 29 is good. It starts the final arc for this series, showing us what’s going on with Poe’s Black Squadron squad mates during the events of The Last Jedi. This issue is mostly a complete story, with a bit of a harsh yet completely believable ending. Not sure what else to say without spoiling how this comic goes, and it’s hard to recommend this to anyone who hasn’t been reading this series, but Poe Dameron regulars will likely enjoy this.

Star Wars 51 is great. Continuing off from the massive trap the Empire set for the Rebels, this issue further explains their betrayer’s motivations, gives the Rebels at least part of a solution, while also throwing a complication into the mix. I know that’s vague, but it’s hard not to talk about this comic without spoiling the fun. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you should be reading this series. It’s currently bridging the gap between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, with elements of Return of the Jedi build-up.