What I Bought 3/8/2016 - Part 2

I was debating whether to try the new Power Man and Iron Fist series and ultimately decided not to. I kept seeing scans of it and not feeling any excitement for it. It felt like something I'd buy because I thought I should buy it, rather than because I wanted to. If that ends up being a mistake, I'm sure I'll learn about it online. On to books with time travel!

Deadpool and Cable: Split Second #3, by Fabian Nicieza (story/script), Reilly Brown (story/pencils), Jay Leisten and Jeremy Freeman (inkers), Jim Charalampidis (colorist), Joe Sabino (letterer) - I can't make out what Wade's expression is. if he's taking aim, or just as befuddled by tween Cable's head covering as I am.

Wade is sent to different timelines to kill a bunch of Cables, because the TVA assures him this will solve the problem Cable's time-traveling has caused. Except Wade keeps saving Cable instead, and it turns out that works, too. Then he travels back in time to where the mess started and keeps Split-Second from accidentally killing what turns out to be his baby brother, only to have Cable show up, steal his suit, and try to save himself by killing all the other Cables. And Wade stops him again, and somehow all the Cables merge into sort of classic Cable, to the extent such a thing exists. Personally, I think the beard worked for him, even if it was a little implausible a child of Scott Summers could grow a beard that good. A mustache, sure. His grandfather's Corsair. A beard is another matter.

I think the story got away from Nicieza and Brown a little. Wasn't entirely clear what killing all these Cables, some of whom have clearly already time traveled, was going to accomplish. I mean, if the temporal stuff is the issue, you gotta kill him before Jean and Scott sent him to the damn future to save him, because that was the first instance! And Nicieza already gave Deadpool a chance to kill infant Cable once, and he didn't. And I have no idea why not killing him worked just as well.

But I don't care, because after like 9 years, Wade got Cable back to making him think his fly was down that one time! That's the important thing. Also, I like how much Brown has Wade really get into his sword swings. There's one, when he's trying to stop one Cable from killing another, where he cuts Cable's gun in two, and he it's like he jumped in the air, then swung down as hard as he could, so he almost folds himself in half. Gotta appreciate the effort. Also, during the battle in Wade's mind, I notice that among the statues of Shiklah, Siryn, Vanessa, and the patron Saint Bea herself, there was one of Cable. They still may not have kissed on panel, but for the people who care, Wade puts Cable in there with his love interests. So be happy! Or don't. I don't care.

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #5, by Ryan North (writer), Erica Henderson (artist), Rico Renzi (color artist), Travis Lanham (lettering and production) - Sometimes the squirrel in Doreen's logo reminds me of the Starfox logo. Not precisely, the legs are different, but the bushy tail flowing behind.

Old Squirrel Girl and Young Squirrel Girl try to fight Doom and his Doombots while Nancy and the other CS students convince all the New Yorkers of the '60s it's just a European film they're making. The battle moves into the Natural History Museum, and Doreen appears on the verge of defeat, until she speaks to Nancy in C++ to tell her to send Doreen into the past (using the gun the schlub responsible for all this had), so that Doreen can show up and help, and just keep doing that until there's like 40 Squirrel Girls beating up on Doom. I don't care what that text said, I'm not calling them Squirrels Girl, that doesn't make any sense at all. Doom is forced to surrender, send everyone home, and not try this stunt again. He tries to circumvent this by sending a Doombot back, but finds Old Lady Squirrel Girl trashed his time platform.

I think North and Henderson mostly closed the loop on the potential paradoxes, and I didn't get as lost as I did with Deadpool and Cable, so bravo team! It was nice Squirrel Girl had not lost her awful sense of humor with age, as demonstrated with her terrible "old" pun she did with her younger self. And that was a great, awful joke, especially because they took a panel to high five over it, during the fight. Also outstanding was Doreen's outrage at Doom sassing science, and the fact Doom actually listens when the heroes discuss their plan. Someone who monologues out loud as much as Doom would know to listen to other people providing handy expository dialogue. And the fact that apparently Doreen's really awkward attempts to maintain her secret identity actually work, because her other classmates didn't catch on for a good long time. If she'd been wearing the ears from her costume, they'd have never figured it out.

I think one of my favorite panels is the one right after Nancy tries to help by throwing a rock at a Doombot. Then we see things in profile as Nancy hustles away as the Doombot monotones, "Destroy all nerds". It's just a good beat, a classic form of humor, and it works.

So let's see. Doreen's handled Galactus, she's made Dr. Doom submit. Next on the list: Thanos. Or MODOK, I guess.