Oh, and I'm going to talk about Secret Avengers today.
Secret Avengers #35, 36, by Rick Remender (writer), Matteo Scalera (artist), Matthew Wilson (color art), Clayton Cowles (letterer) - The next time the Avengers try hiding inside with the lights off when solicitors come around, they might want to remember to close the curtains on the upper floors in case one of the salesmen is a giant robot.Black Widow, Venom, and Valkyrie are in The Core, and they found Parvez. But O'Grady found them, and is in the process of kicking their butts, while whining about how he's allowed to be selfish. You know, if Thomspon were putting any thought into using the symbiont, be could smother O'Grady in about 3 seconds. I know, Flash Thompson and thinking don't go together.
Meanwhile, Hawkeye, Captain Britain, and Beast figure out a way to escape the Undead Universe with the Orb of Necromancy. Braddock is a surprisingly good bluffer. Also, Hawkeye killed Vampire Wolverine with a Pym created artificial sunlight arrow. Bet that took him less time to perfect than Willow Rosenberg's sphere of sunlight spell. Did she ever get that down? The heroes return to the 616 reality is ruined because Father and the Descendants have made their move. The appeal to the U.N. to recognize them as sovereign rulers of Bagalia (after Max Fury signed it away to them), is met with shouting about "terrorism", which is kind of a conversation-stopper. Not quite up there with invoking Hitler, but close enough. So Father has his people who are hidden among the populace release a nano-mist that will remake every person on earth into a artificial being. Including the Soviet Super-Soldiers apparently, which is an odd choice by Remender, but I guess it can be ignored readily enough.
With the Avengers and FF trapped in their respective headquarters by some adaptive metal. It's down to our three heroes, plus Spider-Man. And they have the Orb of Necromancy. Fire it up, and they can kill the nano thing before it alters humanity. But it'll also kill all the Descendants and the Avengers aren't keen on that notion, especially Hawkeye. Then Deathlok Wasp and Pym show up, and Jan grabs the Orb, but McCoy brings Pym back to himself (mentally, he's still half machine), and it's Cyborg Giant-Man versus Master Mold thing as the conclusion approaches.
I have concerns about how the concluding issue is gonna go. Hawkeye has been so adamant about Avengers not killing, and he seems completely willing to acknowledge the Descendants and living sentient beings, that I can't help but fear Remender's going to make him kill them as some sort of commentary on "growing up", or the futility of moral absolutes, or something. Given his cack-handed approach to Hawkeye thus far, it wouldn't surprise me. Beyond those worries, I liked the writing. I'm hoping Remender will come up with a creative, non-lethal solution, and Father is the kind of villain where you can't take anything he says at face value, which means I can't take anything the people working with him say, either. Like, does Jim Hammond actually believe humans will never regard as a real person? When one of his best friends is Steve Rogers? When he managed to make friends with Namor, who gets along with almost nobody? Or is Father exerting influence?
I don't have much to say about Scalera's artwork. I would have liked a little more variety in the designs of the artificial lifeforms in the double-page splash at the beginning of 35. Give the Sentinels a sense of individuality, since they are (in theory) individuals, albeit ones all working towards the same goal. That said, the panel of Master Mold glaring into the window of Avengers Tower was pretty good. The glowing eyes in shadow look is always gold, especially when it's a giant robot that somehow got the drop on an entire team of Avengers. Nice awareness there, folks.
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