Although I get the vague impression that I missed something.   No doubt I have.   They gloss over volume four of X-O Manowar, and I suspect Harbinger Wars took place before this, but it's not like anything is clearly stated.   There's a one page timeline, but it's set in the actual time - when Aric first fought The Vine, when he took control of the Shanhara armor, etc - rather than telling you what the chronology of the graphic novels is.   

 

So I got this rather unsettling feeling I was missing a bit, but not much.   The story works as a stand alone, or as a continuation of the first three volumes of the X-O Manowar series.   The truth is that I like the concept of the Shanhara armor and what it does - it's alien technology that bonds with a human, or at least humanoid, entity - that I read through without worrying too much about what came in between.  The truly important events are covered.  

 

And the reason that this isn't part of the X-O Manowar series is that it focuses on a superhero group that are supposed to work all as one - as a Unity.   While Aric and his people (or the descendants, all of whom are living on Earth now) do play a fairly large role, a lot of that role takes place off panel.   The story focuses on him, but also very much on Unity, and how Unity responds to him taking over the land that was once his and is now Romania.  Russia is bound to respond with nuclear warheads, so it's up to Harada - the man who put together Unity and trained other youths to become Unity if need be - and Unity itself to try to find a way to end this conflict without it becoming World War III. 

 

When Unity and Aric meet, it's not surprising what happens to Shanhara given that Livewire is a technopath.   However, as Livewire learns more about the armor and Aric, it's her reaction to the knowledge that made this volume so worthwhile. 

 

The art is lovely, although I've come to expect that given the quality of the X-O Manowar series. 

 

I very much look forward to volume two, although I'm so tired I probably won't make it through tonight. 

This was a reread for me, but it felt new because I read a lot of it out loud to my eldest son, while he marveled at the pictures. 

 

First, this has to be one of my favorite incarnations of Loki. Yes, he even rivals MCU Loki (aka Tom Hiddleston). Kid Loki, as many have come to call him, is all the best parts of both the Marvel universe's version of the god of mischief, and a few choice bits I love from Norse mythology, with a dash of earnestness that makes it hard to not like the kid. 

 

The story opens on a post (yet another) Ragnarok. Seriously, Asgard has Ragnaroks like Sunnydale has apocalypses. I always imagined Buffy sitting with Thor, at some bar at the crossroads of worlds, trading war stories over a couple of pints of mead. 

 

Anyway, Asgard literally fell from the heavens and was all but destroyed. However, thanks to the unlikely sacrifice on the part of Loki, all was not lost. The Asgardians survived, and are trying to make a new home for themselves in Midgard (aka Earth). Loki has returned, reborn in the body of a boy who has no memory of the devious god he had been, but his many enemies haven't forgotten. 

 

Loki is under the protection of his older brother, Thor. The relationship between these two displays all the things I love about Thor. Not only does he's able to still love his brother after everything that has happened, but that there seems to be some part of him that needed this reconciliation. Doug Braithwaite's art is able to capture these beautiful moments of emotion, specifically the expression on Thor's face when he looks at the younger version of the brother he thought was all but lost. 

That first scene, and their relationship is a perfect set up for us to understand and empathize with this newer version of one of Marvel's most notorious villains. Kid Loki, like any young person, shoulders the weight of other's expectations, both good and bad. Thor means a lot to Loki, who is still living in the shadow of his former self, and all the many terrible things he did. He's a wonderful metaphor, not only for redemption, but a fascinating examination of the transformative power of change (or in this case rebirth).

 

All this heavy philosophy aside, this book is fun. It is filled with cheeky humor, some of it inside jokes aimed at old school fans, but there's a lot of broader jokes that will leave even new fans rolling. It's not all coming from Loki either. A lot of the supporting cast of the Thor title are present and deeply involved in the story, from Volstagg, Tyr, Hela, and even Mephisto. 

 

Kieron Gillen does a great job of weaving mythology, Marvel canon and his own compelling storytelling together into a saga befitting a god and adventure comic book. Braithwaite's breathtaking illustrations transport readers into this world, and elevates it to epic heights. At times I just sat and stared at the panels in wonder, wanting to frame them to hang on my wall. 

 

Beyond all this, for me, it was all about Loki and his journey to save the world, and the brother he loves. Despite all the evil he has done and some equally questionable things he has to do, he is very much the hero of this story. A very complex, fascinating and endearing one at that. He brings a levity to the story too, a sense of whimsy and fun that is at the heart of this classic Marvel character that I have always loved.

 

This is the character who once, in comic book canon, turned an entire street full of cars into ice cream just because he could. While in this story there is no ice cream cars, that same sense of incorrigible mischief is alive and well, beating in the chest of a boy god, hell bent of saving the day. Even if he has to bring on the end of the world, again, to do it. 

 

 

I'm reread this in order to prime myself to start Young Avengers and Agent of Asgard series. I loved this reboot of Loki's character, and I'm excited to catch up with what he's been up to in the Marvel comic book universe. 

 

Gratuitous picture of Hiddles!Loki is gratuitous. 

The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe -... This is worth reading for the novelty value, but nothing further. This series and Ennis' Marvel Knights Punisher run made it clear to me - Garth Ennis doesn't like superheroes, thinks they're all stupid, and presumably keeps taking jobs writing superhero books because he finds the lols of trolling not only superhero fans, but also his employers, to be more enjoyable then having to write superheroes.

This book, and the Marvel Knights Punisher Run, have made it clear to me that if I see Ennis' name on a book, I just just put it down, and walk away.

If all the world's supervillains, or even most, were to band together, the heroes would be in trouble. And that's exactly what happens in Justice. Inspired by a dream of superheroes being powerless to save earth from catastrophe, and lead by Brainiac and Lex Luthor, the villains systematically target the heroes one by one, while at the same time using their abilities to benefit humanity. Poison Ivy makes the desert bloom, for example. Of course, they're up to something.

Luthor himself raises an interesting question here. Why don't the heroes do something to truly save the world, feed the hungry, cure the sick? And it's a good question, except... Well, let's be honest here. What can Superman do to cure AIDs? How can Wonder Woman feed the hungry? Sure, scientists like Ray Palmer could do some very helpful research... But how does Luthor know that he isn't, or that he's even a scientist capable of it? Not that I expected a flawless argument from someone who isn't even arguing in good faith to begin with...

The art is, of course, stunning. It's Alex Ross, painting over pencils by Doug Braithwaite. As extras in the back show, Ross was given some truly fantastic and detailed pencils to work with. The result is truly beautiful.